Hello and welcome to our second edition

of Royal Holloways Daily Prophet. In this

edition we will have overviews of
forthcoming events (especially the much
anticipated Yule Ball) as well as a recap of
what went on last term! There will also be
an update of the housepoints as well as
other Harry-related excitement!
Subsequent editions will aim to keep
members up to date with forthcoming
events along with providing a space for
people to submit articles about any aspect
of Harry Potter that they like and also try
to stimulate debate and discussion. If you
want to submit an article or any other form
of writing on or around the theme of Harry
Potter, please send it to the societys email
address HarryPotterSociety@su.rhul.ac.uk - with
the subject line Daily Prophet Submission.
We look forward to hearing from you!

and film nights for those who like to have

a break from essay writing and reading.
We look forward to celebrating with
thousands across the country, the Harry
Potter Book Night by having an evening
dedicated to the books. This will involve
quizzes and guest the quotes games as well
as various fun tasks to do with the
characters and objects of the books.

A word from our Dumbledore (President)

I hope everyone enjoyed the events of the
first term at Hollowarts. We had a very
successful studios tour trip with 53 people
attending. We may have lost to the Tolkien
society in our competition quiz, but it was
a morale victory for the society as 5 times
as many people turned up. Quidditch is
slowly starting to take off and we hope
more people try it out this term. We also
tried our hand at pumpkin carving for
Halloween which sprung some very
interesting and creative designs.
This term is going to be bigger and better
with the Yule ball and the triwizard
tournament so buy your tickets and prepare
to put your name into the goblet of fire and
compete to be the triwizard champion!!
We will of course have our usual quizzes

Later in the term is also our Harry Potter

SU night. For those of you who werent
here last year or did not attend it was a
very successful evening with potion
themes cocktails; a platform nine and three
quarters and even a Hagrid walking around
greeting students. So make sure you keep
your eyes out for when the tickets go on
sale!!!
The house cup is now in full swing for
those of you who havent noticed.
Attached to the end of this edition of the
Daily Prophet are the current standings for
the house competition. This term there will
be many more opportunities for you to
gain house points and put your house in
the lead so make sure you get involved. I

would also like to remind people that they

can write for the next edition of the Daily
Prophet which we hope will be coming up
soon.
I end with a few words.. Nitwit! Blubber!
oddment! tweak!
Leanne George, President

The Harry Potter Novels

Its where it all started. Seven novels from

J.K.Rowling started the major series that
we know today as Harry Potter.
The Philosophers stone was first
published in 1997!! Can you believe that?!
18 years ago! And people are even crazier
about it now. Rowling was turned down by
eight other publishing houses before
Bloomsbury decided to offer her a 2,500
advance for its publication. Can anyone
imagine a world without Hermione, Ron
and Dumbledore?
Rowling states that the idea of Harry,
simply fell into her head. On her website
it says that I simply sat and thought, for
four (delayed train) hours, and all the
details bubbled up in my brain, and this

scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy

who did not know he was a wizard became
more and more real to me.". This is one
time I am grateful for a delayed train, who
knows, if that train had come on time,
Rowling may not have had the time she
needed to develop this idea.
Bloomsbury only decided to print 500
hardback versions for the first print run,
300 of which went to libraries, so if you
ever see a hardback copy, keep hold of it!!
Its worth a lot of money. Critics started to
liken Rowling to people like Roald Dahl,
and that it had all the makings of a
classic. So much so that, schools are even
starting to base their A levels on it, (my
creative writing piece had to be based
around Harry Potter).
On the 5th February, the Harry Potter
Society is holding the National Harry
Potter Book Night. I think its really
important to remember where things
started. All the merchandise, the films,
even the theme parks would not have
happened if it werent for the books. A lot
of people have only seen the films and
havent discovered the wonders that are in
the books. Therefore whenever I get a free
moment, the first book I reach for is Harry
Potter, because it reminds me of my
childhood and because it is now a modern
classic.
Lucy Gatford, Secretary
A reminder of our Studios tour trip

For any of those people who missed it

(seriously where were you???) in
November the society took a trip down the
road to the warner brothers studios tour in
Watford. Not only do we have the
advantage at Hollowarts of going to
university in a building that literally looks
like Hogwarts but we also live 20 minutes
down the road from where the magic came
to life on screen. I have now had the
pleasure of going to the tour on four
different occasions and yet there is still
something new I notice with each trip and
I still look around me in amazement at
how the magic of the wizarding world was
brought to life on screen.
Hogwarts in the snow was the theme and it
certainly didnt disappoint. The great hall
was decked out with Christmas trees and a
full Christmas roast spread across the four
long tables. This theme continued into
Gryffindor common room and the
dormitories which were looking very
festive with their tinsel. In the main studio,
staff were showing visitors the different
types of snow used in the films. Past the
Quidditch experience was the newly
established dark arts section, which to all
those who havent seen yet I would highly
recommend. The wax work of Charity
Burbage, the muggle studies teacher,
hanging above lord Voldemorts dinner
table is as creepy as it was in the films.
Out into the courtyard and I was pleasantly
surprised to see the bridge open for once!!!
Here we all stopped to enjoy the butterbeer
sitting outside number 4 privet drive.

The tour finishes as you walk around the

1:24 scale model of Hogwarts castle, also
covered in snow for the winter theme. In
my opinion this is the most ingenious set
of the entire movies and made me want to
own one in my own house. After spending
15 minutes circling the castle trying to find
the best angle for a selfie we finally
descended upon the shop, which is both
every fans dream and nightmare. You
could quite literally leave kitted out with
the Hogwarts uniform, a new wand, plenty
of Quidditch gear and a few chocolate
frogs for the train journey but you would
also be considerably poorer. So alas selfrestraint has to be employed.
Overall I think the trip was a huge success.
We all left with our pockets considerably
lighter as we left the gift shop but with our
cameras full of pictures from our
experience. I hope everyone had as an
enjoyable day as I did and that next years
trip will be even bigger and better than this
years.
Leanne George, President

You can buy tickets from the SU website

(www.su.rhul.ac.uk/yuleball). 10 for
members, 12 for non-members
Pippa Bolton, events officer

The Royal Holloway Harry Potter Society

is proud to present:

The Yule Ball

On Thursday 22nd January Founders
Dining Hall will once again be full of
Christmas spirit, decorated from head to
toe in snowflakes, baubles and tinsel.
Founders has been turned into the magical
hall at Hollowarts, Royal Holloways very
own Hollowarts! So slip on your
dressrobes and come and enjoy the live
band, the Harry Potter themed drinks and
the photo both filled with props from the
world of Harry Potter.
There will be a raffle with awesome Harry
Potter themed prizes. All proft will go to
Lumos! Also, we will be announcing the
first task of the Triwizard Tournament so
come put your name into the Goblet of
fire! With tickets being only 10 for
members and 12 for non-members there
is no reason not to come along and bring
your friends.
As professor McGonagall once said, The
Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to
er let our hair down."
So the crucial questions really is: can you
dance like a Hippogriff?

An update on Quidditch
Sadly last term proved that Potterheads
might not be the most athletic people if
Quidditch attendance was anything to go
by. Nevertheless, we are not disheartened
and are optimistically thinking that
Saturday afternoons might not be the
preferred exercise slots for everyone.
Consequently we are looking into
changing the day and or time of training so
keep your eyes peeled on the relevant
pages for any updates. Meanwhile, please
come if you can. It is fun, I promise (and
Ive been first-aid trained so its now safe)
Georgina Marsay, Quidditch Captain

B N B P R Y G Y F Z M H H M A

The Much Anticipated house points

Gryffindor: 175
Hufflepuff: 250
Ravenclaw: 295
Slytherin: 120

A final treat!!

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DUMBLEDORE
GRYFFINDOR
HARRY
HERMIONE
HOGWARTS
HUFFLEPUFF
RAVENCLAW
RON
SLYTHERIN
VOLDEMORT