Minggu, 28 Oktober 2012

HARRY POTTER AND ME

My Story :
'Harry Potter dan Aku' - Benci jadi Cinta

Hmm... siapa sih di dunia ini yang gak tau siapa itu Harry Potter? Dari anak kecil, remaja, orangtua bahkan yang udah berumur pun, tahu dan suka kisah penyihir baik hati dan pemberani bernama Harry Potter.

Gue bisa dibilang freak banget sama Harry Potter. Udah koleksi semua buku dan VCD nya (yg original lhoo :p *pamer). Bahkan majalah yang memuat berita Harpot serta aksesoris/pernak-perniknya pun gak luput dari hunting-an gue.

Kalau ditanya 'sejak kapan suka Harry Potter?' jawabannya sejak tahun 2008 *telat banget yaa -__-. Kala itu buku Harry Potter udah tamat sedangkan filmnya baru mau tayang yang ke-6 (Half-Blood Prince). Tapi kalau ditanya 'tahu Harry Potter sejak kapan?' gue jawabnya sejak tahun 2003. Saat itu gue dan adikku gak sengaja beli majalah bobo, terus nemuin artikel tentang film Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Sejak itu gue baru 'ngeh' apa itu Harpot (sedikit baca artikelnya sih, tapi ga nyambung). Sebelumnya sih udah pernah denger ada film berjudul Harry Potter, tapi sama sekali ga tau kisahnya dan sama sekali ga tertarik buat nonton. Waktu itu kebetulan ada sepupu gue yang main kerumah dan nemuin majalah bobo gue yang memuat berita tentang Harpot, dia langsung ngerebut majalah itu dan baca seharian (diulang2 lg -__-). Hari berikutnya, sepupu gue makin freaks sama Harpot, kalau ketemu yang di omongin ga lain dan ga bukan 'Harpot' mulu, bikin bosen dan akhirnya kesel. Nahh... sejak itu gue benci sama Harpot. Dan hal itu terus berlanjut sampai tahun 2008. Temen SMA gue berinisial 'NH' sama kayak sepupu gue 'doyan banget sama Harpot'. Dia pernah bawa ke sekolah buku Harpot 7 yang super tebel yang dia pinjem dari persewaan, dan dibaca di sekolah.

Waktu gue bawa majalah TEEN edisi berapa gue lupa, ke sekolah ternyata ada artikel 1 halaman penuh tentang Harpot 5. Temen gue yang berinisial NH waktu itu kebetulan bawa majalah TEEN juga (beda edisi) dengan sampul Haykal Kamil gede di depannya (gue sempet nge-fans sama Haykal ^_^), ngusulin buat tukeran. Eittss... bukan tukeran majalah lhoo melainkan tukeran halaman yang disobek gitu. Soalnya si NH kehabisan edisi yang gue punya dan karena NH ga suka Haykal Kamil, akhirnya gue setuju buat nukerin sobekan artikel Harpot 5 dengan sampul Haykal punya dia.

Beberapa hari setelah itu, temen gue NH bawa VCD Harpot 5 ke sekolah, katanya sih dia pinjem tuh VCD dari rental trus dia mau ngembaliin hari itu (sekalian pulang sekolah). Hari itu, temen gue yang lain berinisial 'NS' heboh banget ngomongin film Harpot 5 sama NH. Karena ngobrolnya lumayan keras, jadi sempet kedengeran deh apa yang mereka omongin :p (waktu itu mereka ngomongin soal adegan ciuman Harry sama Cho yang katanya 'dahsyat' :D wkwkwk). Beberapa hari kemudian, makin banyak yang ngomongin Harpot di kelas, dannnn pada akhirnya gue penasaran, gimana sih kisah Harry Potter itu. Gue ga beli VCD, atau beli buku, atau search informasi di google, kebetulan Harry Potter 3 ditayangin di Tr*ns TV dilanjutin sama Harpot 4 besok malemnya.

Mumpung lagi penasaran sama Harry Potter, akhirnya nonton deh (langsung nonton yg ke3), agak telat sih nontonnya, jadi ga nonton awalannya waktu itu. Seinget gue, gue nontonnya pas adegan Harry sama temen-temennya lagi dalam pelajaran Pemeliharaan Satwa Gaib di tempat outdoor (banyak pohon dan tanaman), gurunya berbadan gede dan berambut panjang awut-awutan dengan seekor hewan aneh yang bertubuh kuda, bersayap dan berkepala kayak burung. Trus si guru bilang 'siapa yang mau menyapanya?' semua murid mundur satu langkah, kecuali Harry yang baris di depan. Saat murid lain mundur, si guru noleh ke hewan yang aneh, jadinya nyangka kalo Harry yang maju (padahal temen2nya yg mundur). Dengan polosnya Harry akhirnya maju dan berusaha menjinakkan/menyentuh si hewan aneh itu. Karena udah berhasil membelai si hewan (yang adalah seekor Hippogriff bernama Buckbeak), sang guru (Profesor Hagrid) akhirnya bilang kalau Harry boleh menaikinya. Dan terbanglah sang Hippogriff ke angkasa dengan Harry yang naik di punggungnya.

Penilaian gue saat nonton adegan itu, hmm apa ya, unik dan lucu. Pelajarannya aneh-aneh pula. Trus si Harry-nya juga ga selalu beruntung dalam pelajaran dan ga selalu dapat hal yang baik-baik aja. Karena menarik, akhirnya nonton sampai selesai :D. Anddd.... langsung jatuh cinta sama Harpot dan ngelanjutin nonton film ke4 besoknya. Film ke4 The Goblet of Fire juga ga kalah seru. Di film itu, Harry nonton piala dunia Quidditch (olahraga sihir dengan 3 gawang tinggi, 4 bola terbang, dan 14 pemain diatas sapu terbang) dan di piala dunia itu terjadi kejahatan yaitu munculnya tanda kegelapan di langit (tanda ini melambangkan bangkitnya penyihir hitam : Lord Voldemort). Setelah itu, sekolah Harry : Hogwarts, menjadi tuan rumah ajang turnamen sihir : Triwizard yang diikuti oleh 3 sekolah yaitu : Sekolah Hogwarts, Akademi Beauxbatons dan Institut Durmstrang. Beauxbatons terdiri dari murid-murid wanita yang cantik-cantik sedangkan Durmstrang terdiri dari murid-murid laki-laki yang tampan. Hogwarts sendiri campuran antara laki-laki dan perempuan.

Setelah nonton yang ke4, gue langsung beli VCD dari seri 1-5 (tahun 2008 baru nyampe ke5 dari total 7 seri). Setelah nonton secara berurutan dari seri 1, gue makin menggilai Harry Potter. Dan tahun 2009 waktu itu lagi rame-ramenya karena film seri 6 mau tayang di bioskop. Gue mulai memburu majalah yang ngebahas tentang coming soon-nya Harpot 6. Sampai sekarang koleksi Harpot gue lumayan banyak sih (bisa dijual :p *kidding).

Alasan suka cerita Harry Potter :
1. Karakternya kuat dan unik. Contoh : Ron Weasley, sahabat Harry yang baik hati dan selalu membantu Harry dalam menghadapi apapun, sebenernya memiliki rasa iri kepada Harry. Karena Harry selalu terkenal dan menjadi pusat perhatian, sementara Ron selalu dipandang sebelah mata dan dipinggirkan oleh teman-temannya. Harry sering mendapat keberuntungan sementara Ron jarang sekali. Terkadang mereka berdua berantem, tapi kemudian baikan lagi. Contoh karakter lain yaitu Draco Malfoy. Draco dari awal seri dikenal sebagai karakter antagonis sekaligus musuh Harry. Dia selalu mem-bully dan berbuat jahat ke Harry, tapi di seri ke6 kita mengetahui sisi lain dari Draco yang ketakutan dan melakukan kejahatan dengan terpaksa. Di seri ke7 dia bahkan ga berani nyerahin Harry ke Voldemort (mungkin karena ga tega sama Harry atau entah alasan apa)
2. Jalan ceritanya menarik dan penuh kejutan. Dari seri awal sampai terakhir, banyak hal yang ga disangka yang terjadi. Contoh satu kejadian yang ga disangka dan gue suka adalah saat Harry membaca memori Profesor Snape (guru Hogwarts yang dibenci dan juga membenci Harry). Di dalam memori itu semua kebenaran terungkap, Snape yang dari luar selalu kejam pada Harry, ternyata dari dalam dan diam-diam melindungi dan membantu Harry, karena Snape cinta mati pada Ibu Harry, Lily Potter. Di memori diceritakan bagaimana awal Snape bertemu Lily, bagaimana mereka berdua bersahabat kemudian Lily akhirnya menyatakan ketidaksukaannya terhadap Snape yang mempelajari Ilmu Hitam. Bagaimana Snape memohon kepada Dumbledore agar menyelamatkan Lily dan keluarganya. Bahkan saat seri ke7, Snape membantu Harry dari belakang dengan panduan Almarhum Dumbledore.
3. Banyak istilah asing dan baru, contoh : muggle, squib, darah-lumpur, horcrux dll. Hewan-hewan aneh, contoh : Hippogriff, Unicorn, Centaurus, Pixie, Gnome dll. Mantra-mantra sihir dan ramuan untuk segala macam manfaat, serta pelajaran menarik lainnya di Hogwarts.
4. Kutipan-kutipan buku yang menarik, contoh :
- Tak ada gunanya memikirkan impian berlama-lama sampai lupa untuk hidup, ingat itu.
- Kematian hanyalah petualangan besar berikutnya.
- Pilihan kitalah yang menunjukkan orang seperti apa sebenarnya kita, lebih dari kemampuan kita.

dan masih banyak lagi alasan lain yang bikin gue jadi Potterhead. :D
so itulah kisah gue tentang Harry Potter, dari benci jadi cinta.....

Selasa, 09 Oktober 2012

DAFTAR PELAJARAN DI HOGWARTS 'HARRY POTTER'

Pelajaran-Pelajaran Hogwarts!


O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) & N.E.W.T (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) dinilai dengan skala nilai sebagai berikut :
Nilai Kelulusan : Outstanding (O) istimewa - Exceeds Expectations (E) diluar dugaan - Acceptable (A) cukup
Nilai Ketidaklulusan : Poor (P) parah - Dreadful (D) mengerikan - Troll (T) (nilai paling jelek!)


Ramuan (Potions):
- Awalnya diajarkan oleh Prof. Snape lalu ketika Prof. Snape pindah mengajar Pertahanan Terhadap Ilmu Hitam, Ramuan diajar oleh Prof. Slughorn.
- Ramuan adalah pelajaran membuat ramuan dengan tepat, mencampurkan bahan-bahan dan lain lain.
- Ruang kelas ramuan berada di sebuah ruangan bawah tanah Hogwarts yang gelap dan tidak menyenangkan
- Prof. Snape yang jutek juga menjadi alasan murid Hogwarts (kecuali Slytherin) tidak menyukai pelajaran Ramuan.
- Ketika diajar oleh Prof. Slughorn, kelas ramuan tampak lebih menyenangkan.


Mantra (Charms):
- Pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. Filius Flitwick yang bertubuh mungil.
- Pelajaran berperikesihiran ini mengajarkan murid Hogwarts untuk bisa menggunakan mantra dengan baik dan benar.
- Merupakan salah satu kelas yang berisik karena pelajaran ini kebanyakan besar adalah praktek.
- Ruang kelas Mantra ada di lantai 2 Hogwarts. Di dalamnya juga berisi banyak buku mantra yang diatur berurutan.


Transfigurasi (Transfiguration):
- Pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. McGonagall. Prof. Dumbledore pernah mengajar pelajaran ini, sekitar 50 tahun yang lalu, sebelum jadi kepsek.
- Transfigurasi adalah pelajaran mengubah suatu objek. Bisa makhluk hidup atau benda mati.
- Prof. McGonagall pernah mengubah mejanya menjadi seekor babi dan mengembalikannya ke bentuk semula.
- Dilarang digunakan kepada sesama murid ataupun untuk menghukum murid yang nakal.


Herbologi (Herbology):
- Pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. Sprout. Ketika dewasa, Neville Longbottom akan menjadi pengajar Herbologi di Hogwarts.
- Herbologi adalah studi tentang tanaman sihir, bagaimana cara merawat, memanfaatkan, dan membasmi mereka.
- Ruang kelas Herbologi ada di 3 rumah kaca berisi berbagai tanaman sihir.
- Pelajaran ini juga kebanyakan praktek, seperti memindahkan mandrake (masih bayi) dari pot baru ke pot lama dgn benar.


Pemeliharaan Satwa Gaib (Care of Magical Creatures):
- Awalnya diajarkan oleh Prof. Kettleburn lalu digantikan Hagrid. Kadang-kadang digantikan Prof. Grubby-plank
- Pelajaran ini tentang mengenal Satwa Gaib, dan memeliharanya. Sekalipun itu adalah naga!
- Ruang kelas ini adalah di luar Hogwarts. Pelajaran secara outdoor.
- Karena Hagrid kurang berpengalaman dalam mengajar, sering kali kelas ini timbul masalah.


Pertahanan Terhadap Ilmu Hitam (Defence Against the Dark Arts):
- Voldemort pernah melamar menjadi guru pelajaran ini namun ditolak. Ia mengutuk kelas ini.
- Akibat dari kutukan Voldemort, tak ada guru yang mengajar kelas ini lebih dari 1 tahun!
- Tahun pertama Harry, pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. Quirinus Quirrell yang ternyata berniat mencuri batu bertuah dan membunuh Harry.
- Tahun kedua Prof. Gilderoy Lockhart mengajar pelajaran ini, akan tetapi karena dia pembohong mengenai semua yang ditulisnya di buku sekaligus hilang ingatan akibat ulahnya sendiri, dia berhenti.
- Tahun ketiga Prof. R.J. Lupin mengajar dan menurut semua murid kecuali Slytherin, tahun ketiga ini PTIH yang paling menyenangkan daripada tahun sebelumnya. Tapi Prof. Lupin berhenti karena sudah banyak yang tahu kalau beliau adalah Werewolf.
- Tahun keempat, diajarkan oleh Prof. Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody yang sebenarnya Death Eaters yang menyamar untuk membunuh Harry. Entah kenapa, Prof. Moody yang asli tidak ingin mengajar PTIH menggantikan Prof. Moody palsu.
- Tahun kelima, Prof. Dolores Umbridge, guru PTIH yang sangat menyebalkan dan seperti kodok dalam baju pink. Mendesain peraturan-peraturan baru yg jelek.
- Tahun keenam, Prof. Dumbledore menunjuk Prof. Snape untuk menggantikan Prof. Umbridge mengajar PTIH. Hal yang sudah lama dinanti Snape.
- Setelah kematian Prof. Dumbledore (yang dibunuh Snape), Prof. Snape menjadi kepsek Hogwarts atas perintah Voldemort.
- Tahun ketujuh, Pertahanan Terhadap Ilmu Hitam yang lalu berubah nama menjadi Ilmu Hitam saja, diajarkan oleh Death Eaters, Amycus Carrow.
- PTIH adalah pelajaran yang mengajarkan murid-murid cara untuk melawan sihir jahat / ilmu hitam.


Telaah Muggle (Muggle Studies):
- Pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. Charity Burbage. Yang setelah dibunuh oleh Voldemort digantikan oleh Death Eaters, Alecto Carrow.
- Pelajaran ini mengajarkan dan menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari Muggle dan bagaimana mereka mengatasi kebanyakan kebutuhan mereka dengan listrik, bukan sihir.
- Kelas ini bertujuan memperkenalkan penyihir yang tidak pernah berhubungan langsung yang mungkin penasaran bagaimana cara mereka tinggal.
- "Mengapa Muggle Membutuhkan Listrik" adalah salah satu topik esai terkenal dalam pelajaran ini.



Arithmancy (Arithmancy): 
- Pelajaran ini lebih menggunakan otak dari pada ilmu sihir.
- Diajarkan oleh Prof. Septima Vector dan menggunakan banyak grafik, sifat magis angka, dan hafalan.
- Arithmancy sendiri berasal dari bahasa yunani yang artinya berhitung.
- Seorang penyihir yang masih keturunan Godric Gryffindor menggabungkan ilmu ini dengan penelitian bebatuan, yang akhirnya sekarang gabungan itu dinamakan Alkemia (seperti Nicholas Flamel yang ahli Alkemia)


Rune Kuno (Ancient Runes):
- Merupakan pelajaran elektif di Hogwarts yang dapat diambil oleh siswa tahun ketiga dan selanjutnya.
- Pelajaran ini diajarkan oleh Prof. Bathsheda Babbling selama tahun 1990-an, dan merupakan pelajaran yang rumit.
- Rune kuno adalah subyek sebagian besar teoritis yang mempelajari skrip rahasia kuno sihir, seperti mengartikan bentuk-bentuk huruf rune kuno.



Astronomi (Astronomy):
- Diajarkan oleh Prof. Aurora Sinistra.
- Kelas astronomi mengambil tempat di tingkat paling atas Menara Astronomi, menara tertinggi di Hogwarts.
- Kegiatan2 di pelajaran ini tentu saja tentang astronomi, seperti mempelajari nama-nama bintang, rasi bintang dan planet-planet, serta lokasi dan gerakan, dan mendeskripsikan lingkungan planet-planet dan bulan.


Sejarah Sihir (History of Magic):
- Diajarkan oleh Prof. Cuthbert Binns tentang sejarah-sejarah dunia sihir.
- Karena Prof. Binns adalah hantu, ia otomatis akan menetap terus tinggal di bumi (tidak terbang ke alam baka seperti kebanyakan juga lainnya). Ini berarti kalo dia nggak dipecat atau mengundurkan diri, dia akan menjadi guru sejarah sihir selama-lamanya!
- Ada yang bilang bahkan di kelas Prof. Binns ini murid yang terbangun (memperhatikan) hanya 5% dari seisi kelas.



Ramalan (Divination):
- Diajarkan oleh Prof. Sybill Trelawney dan sempat digantikan oleh Firenze yang Centaurus.
- Adalah pelajaran yang melibatkan mencoba untuk meramalkan masa depan, atau mengumpulkan wawasan ke kejadian masa depan, melalui berbagai ritual dan alat.
- Metode ramalan yang paling terkenal dan sudah tidak asing di pelajaran ini : Astrologi (mengamati pergerakan planet-planet dan bintang-bintang), Ramalan kartu (membaca kartu, termasuk kartu remi dan kartu tarot), bola Crystal (melihat ke dalam bola kristal), Dream (menganalisis arti mimpi), Tessomancy (membaca daun teh)


Terbang (Flying):
- Diajarkan oleh Madam Rolanda Hooch.
- Pelajaran ini cuma bisa diambil oleh murid hogwarts di tahun pertama.
- Mengajarkan cara terbang menggunakan sapu terbang.

Kamis, 04 Oktober 2012

POTTERMORE BY J.K. ROWLING




About Pottermore


Pottermore is a unique online reading experience created by J.K. Rowling and built around the Harry Potter books. Share and participate in the stories, showcase your own Potter-related creativity, and discover additional information about the world of Harry Potter from the author herself.

Pottermore will be available in Beta to a selected group of users in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish (Castilian). However, everyone will be able to register to find out if they are magical, for entry to the site in October 2011. At launch, the site allows visitors to experience and explore the first Harry Potter story, with subsequent stories unveiled over time.

Also, in October, the Pottermore Shop will open, where readers can exclusively purchase and download the digital audio books and, for the first time, the eBooks, with the complete series available in a range of popular language editions - and more languages to be added later.

For further information please see Help, Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and Child Safety policy.

Pottermore Limited (directors: Neil Blair, Eric Senat) is a company registered in England and Wales, no. 06979090.

Pottermore was created by J.K. Rowling, working with Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership, alongside its primary partner, Sony Corporation, and a number of specialist companies and advisors:

The Blair Partnership: Neil Blair, Kate Cellan-Jones, Lucy Hairsine, Kat Maher, Anouska Spiers
Pottermore management team: Rod Henwood, Alex Liesche, Annabel Scott, Tom Turcan
Lead digital agency – TH_NK
Marketing communications - Adam & Eve
Illustration – Atomhawk Design
PR advisors – Mark Hutchinson, Rebecca Salt
Media planning – Essence Digital
Legal advisors - Laurence Kaye Solicitors, Michael Simkins LLP, Olswang LLP
Technical consultants - Chapter Media, Technical Growth
Other consultants - Melissa Anelli, Chameleon Net, Iris Worldwide, Kids OKOnline, RNIB
Service providers – eModeration, Sykes, Translate Media

In addition, Pottermore acknowledges the support of J.K. Rowling’s book publishers worldwide, and of Warner Bros.

What you can do at Pottermore?

A lot, such as finding Chocolate Frog card, Duel with other students, collecting items, and many more...

exploring Diagon Alley...

attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

brew potion...


also, you'll get a lot of extra information about Harry Potter books & film, such as...

-Minerva McGonagall's husband-
-How Vernon Dursley & Petunia Evans meets-
-The Original Forty-
-Professor Quirrell's life-
and many more...


WELCOME TO GRYFFINDOR!
Congratulations! I’m Prefect Percy Weasley, and I’m delighted to welcome you to GRYFFINDOR HOUSE. Our emblem is the lion, the bravest of all creatures; our house colors are scarlet and gold, and our common room lies up in Gryffindor Tower.

This is, quite simply, the best house at Hogwarts. It’s where the bravest and boldest end up – for instance: Albus Dumbledore! Yes, Dumbledore himself, the greatest wizard of our time, was a Gryffindor! If that’s not enough for you, I don’t know what is.

I won’t keep you long, as all you need to do to find out more about your house is to follow Harry Potter and his friends as I lead them up to their dormitories. Enjoy your time at Hogwarts – but how could you fail to? You’ve become part of the best house in the school.


WELCOME TO HUFFLEPUFF!

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I’m delighted to welcome you to HUFFLEPUFF HOUSE. Our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves. Our house colours are yellow and black, and our common room lies one floor below the ground, on the same corridor as the kitchens.

Now, there are a few things you should know about Hufflepuff house. First of all, let’s deal with a perennial myth about the place, which is that we’re the least clever house. WRONG. Hufflepuff is certainly the least boastful house, but we’ve produced just as many brilliant witches and wizards as any other. Want proof? Look up Grogan Stump, one of the most popular Ministers for Magic of all time. He was a Hufflepuff – as were the successful Ministers Artemesia Lufkin and Dugald McPhail. Then there’s the world authority on magical creatures, Newt Scamander; Bridget Wenlock, the famous thirteenth-century Arithmancer who first discovered the magical properties of the number seven, and Hengist of Woodcroft, who founded the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which lies very near Hogwarts School. Hufflepuffs all.

So, as you can see, we’ve produced more than our fair share of powerful, brilliant and daring witches and wizards, but, just because we don’t shout about it, we don’t get the credit we deserve. Ravenclaws, in particular, assume that any outstanding achiever must have come from their house. I got into big trouble during my third year for duelling a Ravenclaw prefect who insisted that Bridget Wenlock had come from his house, not mine. I should have got a week of detentions, but Professor Sprout let me off with a warning and a box of coconut ice.

Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don’t shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. Nobody intimidates us.

However, it’s true that Hufflepuff is a bit lacking in one area. We’ve produced the fewest Dark wizards of any house in this school. Of course, you’d expect Slytherin to churn out evil-doers, seeing as they’ve never heard of fair play and prefer cheating over hard work any day, but even Gryffindor (the house we get on best with) has produced a few dodgy characters.

What else do you need to know? Oh yes, the entrance to the common room is concealed in a stack of large barrels in a nook on the right hand side of the kitchen corridor. Tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, and the lid will swing open. We are the only house at Hogwarts that also has a repelling device for would-be intruders. If the wrong lid is tapped, or if the rhythm of the tapping is wrong, the illegal entrant is doused in vinegar.

You will hear other houses boast of their security arrangements, but it so happens that in more than a thousand years, the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories have never been seen by outsiders. Like badgers, we know exactly how to lie low – and how to defend ourselves.

Once you’ve opened the barrel, crawl inside and along the passageway behind it, and you will emerge into the cosiest common room of them all. It is round and earthy and low-ceilinged; it always feels sunny, and its circular windows have a view of rippling grass and dandelions.

There is a lot of burnished copper about the place, and many plants, which either hang from the ceiling or sit on the windowsills. Our Head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout, is Head of Herbology, and she brings the most interesting specimens (some of which dance and talk) to decorate our room – one reason why Hufflepuffs are often very good at Herbology. Our overstuffed sofas and chairs are upholstered in yellow and black, and our dormitories are reached through round doors in the walls of the common room. Copper lamps cast a warm light over our four-posters, all of which are covered in patchwork quilts, and copper bed warmers hang on the walls, should you have cold feet.

Our house ghost is the friendliest of them all: the Fat Friar. You’ll recognise him easily enough; he’s plump and wears monk’s robes, and he’s very helpful if you get lost or are in any kind of trouble.

I think that’s nearly everything. I must say, I hope some of you are good Quidditch players. Hufflepuff hasn’t done as well as I’d like in the Quidditch tournament lately.

You should sleep comfortably. We’re protected from storms and wind down in our dormitories; we never have the disturbed nights those in the towers sometimes experience.

And once again: congratulations on becoming a member of the friendliest, most decent and most tenacious house of them all.

WELCOME TO RAVENCLAW!
Congratulations! I’m Prefect Robert Hilliard, and I’m delighted to welcome you to RAVENCLAW HOUSE. Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb; our house colours are blue and bronze, and our common room is found at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, behind a door with an enchanted knocker. The arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room look down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school has such stunning views.

Without wishing to boast, this is the house where the cleverest witches and wizards live. Our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, prized learning above all else – and so do we. Unlike the other houses, who all have concealed entrances to their common rooms, we don’t need one. The door to our common room lies at the top of a tall, winding staircase. It has no handle, but an enchanted bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. When you rap on the door, this knocker will ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you are allowed in. This simple barrier has kept out everyone but Ravenclaws for nearly a thousand years.

Some first-years are scared by having to answer the eagle’s questions, but don’t worry. Ravenclaws learn quickly, and you’ll soon enjoy the challenges the door sets. It’s not unusual to find twenty people standing outside the common room door, all trying to work out the answer to the day’s question together. This is a great way to meet fellow Ravenclaws from other years, and to learn from them – although it is a bit annoying if you’ve forgotten your Quidditch robes and need to get in and out in a hurry. In fact, I’d advise you to triple-check your bag for everything you need before leaving Ravenclaw Tower.

Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them!

Speaking of eccentrics, you’ll like our Head of house, Professor Filius Flitwick. People often underestimate him, because he’s really tiny (we think he’s part elf, but we’ve never been rude enough to ask) and he’s got a squeaky voice, but he’s the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you’re in a real state he’ll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you. In fact, it’s worth pretending you’re in a real state just to see them jive.

Ravenclaw house has an illustrious history. Most of the greatest wizarding inventors and innovators were in our house, including Perpetua Fancourt, the inventor of the lunascope, Laverne de Montmorency, a great pioneer of love potions, and Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo powder. Famous Ravenclaw Ministers for Magic include Millicent Bagnold, who was in power on the night that Harry Potter survived the Dark Lord’s curse, and defended the wizarding celebrations all over Britain with the words, ‘I assert our inalienable right to party. There was also Minister Lorcan McLaird, who was a quite brilliant wizard, but preferred to communicate by puffing smoke out of the end of his wand. Well, I did say we produce eccentrics. In fact, we are also the house that gave the wizarding world Uric the Oddball, who used a jellyfish for a hat. He’s the punch line of a lot of wizarding jokes.

As for our relationship with the other three houses: well, you’ve probably heard about the Slytherins. They’re not all bad, but you’d do well to be on your guard until you know them well. They’ve got a long house tradition of doing whatever it takes to win – so watch out, especially in Quidditch matches and exams.

The Gryffindors are OK. If I had a criticism, I’d say Gryffindors tend to be show-offs. They’re also much less tolerant than we are of people who are different; in fact, they’ve been known to make jokes about Ravenclaws who have developed an interest in levitation, or the possible magical uses of troll bogies, or ovomancy, which (as you probably know) is a method of divination using eggs. Gryffindors haven’t got our intellectual curiosity, whereas we’ve got no problem if you want to spend your days and nights kracking eggs in a corner of the common room and writing down your predictions according to the way the yolks fall. In fact, you’ll probably find a few people to help you.

As for the Hufflepuffs, well, nobody could say they’re not nice people. In fact, they’re some of the nicest people in the school. Let’s just say you needn’t worry too much about them when it comes to competition at exam time.

I think that’s nearly everything. Oh yes, our house ghost is the Grey Lady. The rest of the school thinks she never speaks, but she’ll talk to Ravenclaws. She’s particularly useful if you’re lost, or you’ve mislaid something.

I’m sure you’ll have a good night. Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower; our four-poster beds are covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of the wind whistling around the windows is very relaxing.

And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts.

WELCOME TO SLYTHERIN!

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gemma Farley, and I’m delighted to welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver, and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down in the dungeons. As you’ll see, its windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by – and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck.

Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin – and a few you should forget.

Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house – that we’re all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don’t want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I’m not denying that we’ve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses – they just don’t like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.

Here’s a little-known fact that the other three houses don’t bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?

I didn’t think so.

But that’s enough about what we’re not. Let’s talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin.

We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few hints that you’ve got access to a whole library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your pencil case.

But we’re not bad people. We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.

For instance, we Slytherins look after our own – which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you’ll be glad you’ve got the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we’re concerned, once you’ve become a snake, you’re one of ours – one of the elite.

Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You’ve been chosen by this house because you’ve got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there’s something great about them, and don’t you forget it.

And talking of people who aren’t destined for greatness, I haven’t mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn’t mean that we cosy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them.

A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him he’ll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don’t ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn’t like it.

The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries.

Well, I think that’s all for now. I’m sure you’ll like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You’ll sleep well; it’s very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at night.

The Gateway...
i've got into Hufflepuff by the way