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The Daily Prophet ⁂ 15 June 1977
New DADA Instructor Appointed at Hogwarts, Youngest in History
Just three short years ago, Sturgis Podmore was getting started on his summer N.E.W.T. reading, pinning the head boy badge to his school robes, and dreaming of taking home the House Cup for Hufflepuff. Now the Gringotts curse-breaker and reigning All-England duelling champion can add another line to his impressive CV: Hogwarts Professor.
With the retirement of Elphias Doge, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was once again left to face the persistent conundrum that is filling the Defence Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts. Podmore is an unconventional choice to follow the venerable Doge. After graduation, he spent a year in the warding division at Gringotts before joining the duelling circuit. He quickly established himself as a contender, reaching the best eight in both Geneva and Budapest, before achieving his breakthrough at last year's Paris Grand Prix. His spectacular upset over Gaston Delacour in those semi-finals marked him as a rising star, and his subsequent victory in London certified his status as a true favourite.
Rabastan Lestrange, speaking to reporters at a press conference in Rome, said that he would miss his rival on the European circuit. "I hope he doesn't go soft while teaching those kids. There are too few real wizards out there these days, and it would be a shame to lose one of the only wands on tour that's worth fighting." (For more on Lestrange, see our preview of the Italian Championships, in Sport, p.8.)
Podmore's duelling is distinguished by his innovative use of simple spells, most drawn directly from the standard Hogwarts curriculum, in marked contrast with the prevailing strategy on the circuit. Perhaps this is why he was chosen ahead of more experienced applicants? When asked, Headmaster Dumbledore explained that the candidate pool for the Defence position has recently diminished: "I would have liked very much to hire an experienced auror. In recent years, both Thomas Bones and Benjamin Fenwick have done excellent work for Hogwarts. However, I was told that there were none to spare." Questions to Bartemius Crouch, Head of the D.M.L.E., regarding this conspicuous lack of auror-trained Defence hires were left unreturned.
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 22 August 1977
You-Know-Who In Diagon Alley! Longbottoms Defiant!
It should have been a happy occasion. Frank Longbottom and Alice Garland were celebrating their betrothal, together with a half-dozen adoring family members. The two Hogwarts sweethearts, both freshly minted aurors, could never have expected that their first test as academy graduates would take place between courses at one of London's finest new restaurants.
A sad fact of our times is that aurors must be as ready to draw their wands behind the white tablecloths of Dal Cielo as behind the barricades of Dorset. Sure enough, two masked Death Eaters suddenly apparated into the middle of the restaurant, accompanied by You-Know-Who himself. Everything was plunged into chaos. The two young aurors heroically shielded the innocent and unsuspecting public during the brief exchange of spell fire that followed, with a degree of confidence belying their inexperience.
One patron, requesting anonymity, tells The Prophet that You-Know-Who made a personal appeal for the Longbottoms to join his cause. "He said something about wanting to spare noble pureblood lives. When those aurors told him they weren't interested, he said they should consider it more carefully because next time he wouldn't ask so nicely. Then he disapparated. Just like that. You-Know-Who didn't even cast a spell. It's a miracle we're all still alive."
An irate Augusta Longbottom had the following to tell reporters: "If You-Know-Who wants to steal my Frank away, let him try. I took the All-England duelling championship from Filius Flitwick himself! It'll be a lot more than fifty years before this old 'battle-axe'starts losing her edge. Yes, you can quote me on that!"
There were no injuries reported at the scene, although two patrons were given calming draughts and then taken to StMungo's for further observation.
Modern Charmancy ⁂ Vol. CCCXXIX, Iss. 3
Semper Fidelius?
On the Limitations of the Fidelius Charm in Theory and Practice
Filius Flitwick
The fidelius charm is a wonderfully useful and profoundly complicated piece of magic that has occupied the research literature for centuries. Indeed, a simple runic description in terms of othala–gyfu–algiz has been well-known since the ancients. It is only in the past decade, however, that substantial theoretical progress has been made in understanding the mechanics behind the charm's effects.
This progress is due chiefly to the work of Croaker, whose pioneering research has developed tools to unify traditional runes-based perspectives under a modern arithmantic framework. In particular, he showed that the information structures encoded by gyfu were separably occult, and thus that an appropriate co-representation could be constructed through the ς-boundary associated to the secret's gematria. The famous duality theorem of Gagwilde then ensures a unique stable mapping between the secret and its protective embedding.
Croaker understood that it is in the nature of secrets to be revealed. That tension is precisely what gives the fidelius its power: the charm works by redirecting the disclosive energy of the secret in order to continually reinforce its sequestration. Croaker calls this theory of self-refreshing magical expenditure the principle of constrained revelation. Later work with Rookwood explores the generalised problem of keeping multiple secrets. They derive instability results for a broad class of joint gematria, thereby resolving an outstanding conjecture of Ryusaki.
The practical challenges are no less daunting. The secret must be prepared using ink made from phoenix ash and impregnated with pollen of asphodel. While asphodel is commonly available, phoenix ash is terribly rare. Those hoping to attempt the fidelius must take extreme care when sourcing the necessary materials. Black market dealers, for example, have been known to sell 'phoenix ash' that turns out to be simple fireplace soot. The procedure is delicate. It requires…
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 7 November 1977
Lions Roar In Record-Setting Romp
It was miserable weather yesterday afternoon, even for the Scottish autumn, with a thick cover of cloud bringing torrential rains to Hogwarts for this year's season opener. On a day that spectators would have been hoping for a quick catch, the snitch proved especially elusive.
Gryffindor raced out to a 100–0 lead in the first twenty minutes of play, and were snitch-proof at 160–10 a mere fifteen minutes later. The lead would only grow from there, although the worsening rain slowed the pace of scoring. Slytherin seeker Regulus Black looked to have given up on the snitch by the hour mark, while his hapless chasers could only manage eight goals between them over the course of the entire match.
When the snitch finally showed itself, nearly six hours deep into proceedings, there would be no need for a seeker's duel. With her opponent having long conceded to the inevitable, Gryffindor's Emma Reynolds was allowed to speed across the pitch uncontested, grab the lazily hovering snitch, and send everyone back indoors. Final score, 660–80: the greatest margin of victory in the modern history of Hogwarts quidditch.
Their seeker aside (hardly at fault for a long capture in such conditions), the Gryffindor performance was remarkable across the board. Ann Horrocks turned away a house-record forty-two shots, Thomas Hewitt made a memorable debut with six goals, while Marlene McKinnon joined the exclusive 150-point club after putting seventeen through the hoops. But the man of the match could only be the Gryffindor captain, James Potter, whose twenty-eight goals become Hogwarts' best single-game scoring effort since the legendary Gertrude Grenfell managed thirty-four back in 1827.
Professional scouts have been watching Potter closely since his fifth year, and all indications suggest that a bidding war for his services will break out across the league upon his graduation in the spring. With the way they've started this season, would anyone be surprised if McKinnon and Horrocks were to join him?
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 8 December 1977
Department of Transportation Employee Reported Missing
An investigation has been opened into the whereabouts of John Longhurst, Senior Portkey Coordinator for the Ministry's Department of Transportation, after he failed to return from a planned hiking vacation in the southern forests of Albania. Longhurst was last seen leaving Tirana two weeks ago, in the company of a local guide, also reported missing. The Department of International Magical Cooperation has established a liaison between British and Albanian auror services to better coordinate the search effort. Anyone with information about this case should contact the Auror Department.
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 27 December 1977
Moody Showdown Leaves Hogwarts Student Dead
The Dark Mark flew over Dublin yesterday following the tragic death of Hogwarts student Andrew Moody. Moody, 17, had joined his parents for Boxing Day at the home of his uncle, the Head Auror, Alastor Moody. Evening had scarce fallen when a group of six Death Eaters attempted to raid the property. The Head Auror managed to take command of the ensuing firefight, but not before a stray killing curse made its way to the young victim. Two of the assailants were taken into custody, both heavily injured, and a third was found dead at the scene.
"I will give no quarter to Deater scum," the Head Auror told reporters, using a common auror term to describe the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. "The spineless cowards in the Ministry might not let us use unforgivables, but trust me when I say the killing curse ought to be the least of your worries. I've got 200 ways to kill [expletive] like you, each more painful than the last."
Andrew Moody was remembered as a serious student that stayed out of trouble. "He had all the best qualities of Hufflepuff,"wrote Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in a statement, "and did his House proud in his service as prefect and his work as student. Andrew was a promising young man with a rare talent for Ancient Runes, and Hogwarts will miss him very dearly." The young Moody is just the latest victim of the violent uprising led by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and the Auror Department has been scrambling to find an adequate response to this threat. If the Death Eaters can strike even the Head Auror, how can any of us feel safe? Must we all continue to live in fear? Or will this latest death finally spur real progress?
For more on this story see "How Far Is Too Far?" by Abraxas Malfoy, in Opinion (p.21), and "The Many Scars of Alastor Moody" by Rita Skeeter, in Profiles (p.5)
The Quibbler ⁂ 27 February 1978
Obituaries
Moira Parker, longtime Professor of Divination at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has died aged 119, following a short battle with dragon pox. Parker began her career in the Department of Mysteries, where she worked as an unspeakable until then-Headmaster Armando Dippet tapped her for the post at Hogwarts. There, she injected a degree of theoretical rigour that had long been absent from the divination curriculum, much to the chagrin of students hoping to secure an easy elective grade. Over time, she built a reputation as a trusted mentor, especially for witches looking to pursue further education after Hogwarts.
Parker was intensely private about her own divination practices. Unspeakables refused to confirm or deny the existence of any prophecies given by her, and she was known to be extraordinarily evasive when questioned about her personal views. "If she saw her end, she never spoke of it," wrote her granddaughter, Pandora Parker, in a statement to The Quibbler. "What she often did tell us is that every life has its measure. Some longer, some shorter. But either way, there comes a time when that cord is shorn by fate for all."
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was full of praise for the late professor. "Moira Parker was an invaluable member of the Hogwarts community for many decades. It was a privilege to work alongside her as a colleague, and I will greatly miss her insightful guidance in the years to come. Whether divination continues to be taught at Hogwarts will depend entirely on our ability to staff the position. The necessary qualifications, of course, are rather exclusive by nature. For the time being, I personally will take over instruction for the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. classes. All others have been suspended until further notice."
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to express their condolences are asked to consider a donation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 22 May 1978
Wimbourne Glory Amid Quidditch Chaos
The championship appeared safely won when teams kicked off across the Isles on the final day of the season. Ballycastle were three points clear at the top of the table and had only to stave off lowly Falmouth to take the title. In the unlikely event of a Ballycastle loss, captain Ludo Bagman and the Wimbourne Wasps would not only need to defeat Puddlemere United's defending champions, but make up a 520-point gap on score difference to steal the trophy from the Bats.
The day started pedestrian enough, with the Ballycastle chasers slowly but surely putting together an advantage against the hard-nosed Falmouth defence. Not even thirty minutes into the match, her team leading 70–40, Ballycastle's Renate Stahl was first to spot the snitch. But the best seeker in the world could only look on helplessly as it flew right up to her counterpart, allowing James Westhead to send his team to an unlikely 190–70 victory.
Suddenly, it was all to play for in Wimbourne. The quidditch was not beautiful. Seeker George Stokes appeared far more interested in fouling his opposing number than looking for the snitch, while the beater partnership of Bagman and Dorothy Fisher masterfully controlled the game against United's outmatched chasers. Wimbourne first reached the needed margin as the match approached its third hour, with a textbook Finborough flick from the stellar Marija Rakauskaite pushing the Wasps' lead out to 380–120. All eyes were now on the seekers, and Stokes would come first in their thrilling chase to seal a famous victory for Wimbourne.
"We did this for the town," said Bagman in a post-match interview. "It's been hard times here in Dorset, what with all the attacks. Looking over your shoulder for You-Know-Who every time you leave the house. Me and the lads, we all wanted to give something back, after all the support we've got this year from everybody."
Following the match, supporters spilled into the streets of the village, where celebrations continued late into the night. Twelve wizards were given citations for public intoxication and three muggles were obliviated, but no arrests were made.
The Quibbler ⁂ 18 June 1978
Jobs
Ever wondered how your robes always fit perfectly? Ever wanted to be the one to make it happen? Madam Malkin's is looking to hire a Tailoring Apprentice to assist in all areas of our boutique operations. Responsibilities include sizing-to-fit, alterations, repairs, and customer service. We are a small family-run company that emphasises professional development for all employees, making this an ideal opportunity for anyone hoping to start a career in wizarding fashion. Applicants should have at least Exceeds Expectations in N.E.W.T. Charms and Transfiguration, with additional preference given to those with experience and background in muggle studies. Please send your owl to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, 83 Diagon Alley, London.
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 24 July 1978
Shock Upset! Ravenclaw Streak Over!
When new StMungo's trainee Marian Mote owled her friends about their results, she must have thought they would all be celebrating another successful page in the long book of Ravenclaw academic triumphs. This year's winner of the Dilys Derwent Memorial Prize for Exceptional N.E.W.T. Achievement, Mote received a clean sweep of Outstandings, including the rare Ancient Runes/Arithmancy double. However, in a shock result, Ravenclaw has fallen short of the N.E.W.T. crown for the first time in eight years. Even more surprising is the identity of the victor: Gryffindor House, taking top spot for the first time in seventeen years.
In fact, this year's results are among the strongest in decades across the board. Over 30% of submitted exams were given Exceeds Expectations or better (up from 26% last year), and fully 12% reached Outstanding (up from 10%). Particularly noteworthy is the continuing trend of improvement in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Outstandings increased a further three percentage points (up to 17%), nearly double the rate inherited by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore at the beginning of his tenure, thirteen years ago.
Transfiguration Today ⁂ Vol. DCXLVII, Iss. 2
A Sense of Mandrake
James Potter
Editor's Note: In this guest essay, the winner of Tranfiguration Today's Most Promising Newcomer award discusses the mythos of transfiguration, and what a historian's sensibility can teach us about the practice of our discipline.
The animagus transformation is widely regarded as the premier achievement of transfiguration. There are more difficult tasks (the conversion into palladium was first achieved by McGonagall only in 1952) and more spectacular (the duelling technique of Rajaonarison comes to mind). But nothing in this whole immense branch of magic can compare to the hold that animagus has held in the wizarding imagination for centuries. Pre-eminent in that imaginary is something that I would like to examine as a symbolic representation of what it means to practise transfiguration in a fundamental sense. I am referring to the mandrake leaf.
Although the ritual procedure has been suppressed in accordance with the Roper—Viridian decree of 1721, the requirement of chewing mandrake leaf is the one element that has consistently endured in popular culture. Indeed, anyone who passes through London's Vertica Gallery will be struck by Perks' magnificent Cliodna Receiving the Blessing of the Winds, in which the famous druidess is depicted in a field of mandrake. Nor is she shy about telling visitors just how bad the leaf tastes.
Readers, I have a confession to make. I tried it. Mandrake leaves are, in fact, as nasty as the worst of Bertie Botts'. (Actually, I now suspect that one particularly disgusting bean I had as a child might have been mandrake-flavoured.) But the flavour is not the point; or rather, good flavour is beside the point. The mandrake leaf endures because it is so disgusting and so inconvenient. Great magic, we tell ourselves, must be won through a trial.
Yet the true lesson of the mandrake leaf is more subtle than a simple confirmation of this standard narrative. What I learned from chewing mandrake is a better appreciation for the interconnected nature of magic. The mandrake is itself a perfect symbol of the ties between disciplines, being inherently a subject of both herbology and magizoology. Thus its central role in the transfiguration par excellence immediately suggests that our discipline ought to be understood in the same broad terms.
All magic is alive. You can taste it, touch it, hear it. The mandrake teaches us to listen well for the song of the material. But one must only do so from the standpoint of respect, for indeed the cry of the mandrake is fatal. Magic is all around us. We breathe it in from the musty page of history, no less than from the fragrant wood of our wands…
The Daily Prophet ⁂ 3 September 1978
Society
The Potter family has announced the engagement of James Ralston Potter and Lilian Jean Evans. Potter, a chaser who twice captained his house to the Quidditch Cup, had been considered the most exciting prospect out of Hogwarts since Amos Diggory. However, to the surprise and disappointment of fans across the country, he has chosen to forego quidditch glory and instead dedicate himself to the study of transfiguration. Already named Transfiguration Today's Most Promising Newcomer, Potter is said to have been taken under the wing of Albus Dumbledore, world-renowned master of the art, as his personal apprentice. Evans, a muggleborn whom Professor Horace Slughorn calls "the most brilliant student I've taught in decades", has gone into private research following her graduation from Hogwarts. She is responsible for a key breakthrough in the reformulated Sleakeazy's Hair Potion, which has dramatically improved its performance for especially ill-behaved hair. Currently, she is working on projects for a variety of individual clients in addition to a regular consultation practice at Potter's Potent Potions.
The couple began their courtship in earnest during their seventh year at Hogwarts School, when they were named Head Boy and Girl. Leading Gryffindor to the House and Quidditch Cups, topping the N.E.W.T. rankings, and falling in love—could you write a more perfect storybook romance? A small, private wedding is expected in the early spring of next year.
~xxxx~
A/N: Thus James finally achieves his famous quidditch glory. As in canon, the seventh year narrative shifts to focus outside the castle, so we don't get to see much of the romantic fluff suggested by the previous chapter. You'll just have to check back next time to see what's become of our graduated heroes…
The animgaus transformation is too dangerous, both to its attempters (in case of failure) and society (in case of success) that it seems reasonable to suppose that it's regulated more extensively than just "you have to register if you manage it". The easiest way to ensure that attempts are supervised is to classify as much information about the ritual as possible. You'd have to be both incredibly brilliant and incredibly stupid (and incredibly desperate doesn't hurt) to do it on your own. Which pretty much describes our boys from Gryffindor in a nutshell.
Professional quidditch is just starting to become truly international. The Renate Stahl tearing up the league is the same Stahl whose work Ron and his manager speak so highly of in "KEEPING UP", and who coaches Rose at Caerphily by the time of "MODEST STILLNESS".
Apparently, production notes for the films give 'J' for Lily's middle initial. It's good fun to re-purpose the 'Jean' I've taken away from Hermione, as its one of the few English 'J's that suit. 'Ralston' is borrowed from some old Potter ancestor. Can anyone tell me why Moira Parker's basically innocuous English name is secretly as overdetermined the werewolf Remus Lupin's?
And you did read all that theoretical arithmancy, right? I swear it makes sense—and some of it might even be important :)