December Daily Prophet

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be hosting the Yule Ball once again in conjunction with the Triwizard Tournament. Hogwarts is renowned for its extensive Christmas decorations, ranging from 12 Christmas trees to real icicles hanging from the ceilings, to live fairy lights.
Prof. Flitwick, the Charms teacher at Hogwarts, will be in charge of the decorating. He has decided that, in honour of Cedric Diggory, he will go all-out in the decorations department. Cedric Diggory, a Hogwarts Champion, was killed by You-Know-Who last year during the Tournament.
Ruebus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, also helps with the decorating. "I git Flitwick th' trees. Them's hard ta find, I'll tell yer," he said.
Among the surprises planned this year is one special one for the students. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore has booked the famouse Celestina Warbeck* to play at the Ball! He also hinted at another surprise, but said nothing, other than, "I think they've been wanting this for a long time!"
What will the surprise be? We'll have to wait until Christmas!

*See the February 2000 issue for more info.
-by Kristina

Lately there have been reports of people
importing ‘Magic Carpets’. Is this a case
of out with the old and in with the new? For centuries broomsticks have been the way of transportation for nearly every witch or wizard. Broomsticks are also more reliable
and have a lot more wear. With a magic
carpet you have to have them ‘wear repaired’
every 4 weeks. This is not only time consuming but is also very expensive. Contact Magi-Carpets for more info.

-by Ms. H. Scoop

Mr. & Mrs Diggory have sent out a plea to anyone who can come up with a potion
which can revive the dead. As most people know, it is impossible for magic to raise
the dead back to life, but Mr & Mrs Diggorybelieve that with today’s modern technology, their son Cedric is set to return. Cedric Diggory was known as a highly talented wizard. He was competing in the Triwizard Tournament
when You-Know-Who took his life in an attempt to kill the famous Harry Potter. ‘Harry was a good friend to Cedric,’ Mrs Diggory says. We do hope that the
Diggory’s find what they are looking for,although it seems highly unlikely.

-by Ms. H. Scoop

The Triwizard Tournament will be held once again at Hogwarts. Despite the recent tragedy involving Hgowarts Champion Cedric Diggory, the Department of Magical Games and Sports and the Ministry for International Magic Co-operation have decided that the chance of a similar incident is "one in a million" and "wouldn't happen again in our lifetime". The Goblet of Fire will be brought to Hogwarts soon, at which time students may enter their name.

-by Kristina

The Quidditch World Cup is coming to HHPFS! Yes, that's right! After giving it much thought, I have decided to re-open Quidditch as a Christmas present to you! There will be teams with seven players, each representing a country! Please don't ask to be in your own country, because there are way to many to be on one team. I will aim for 20 teams, but please don't send in any emails about this yet! I am very busy with the Triwizard Tournament right now, so hopefully this will be up by the new year. There will be a BIG bulletin on the main page when I do ask for applications, so you won't miss it. I hope you guys like this! I think you will! If you have any suggestions on how I shoulc do Quidditch, please feel free to send me an owl at steenazpad@home.com.

Answers will appear in next issue.

1. Who did Harry go to the Yule Ball with?
2. What does Rita Skeeter transform into?
3. What is the password to the Prefect's Bathroom?
4. What are the three Unforgivable Curses?
5. What book could Harry have found the properties of gillyweed in?

Answers from last month:

1. How many secret tunnels does the Maurader's Map show? 7
2. What helps revive people after they have seen a Dementor? chocolate
3. What is Ron's owl's name? Pigwidgeon
4. What is a dragon's weakest point and what curse can be used to take advantage of that? eyes; a Conjuctivitus Curse
5. How many house elves (approximately) work at Hogwarts? 100

All work copyright 2000-2001 by Kristina at steenazpad@home.com. Please do not take or "borrow" information without permission. If you would like info found here please link to this site instead of taking it for you own use. If you have any questions please email me. Thank-you.

HELP WANTED: (really!) Daily Prophet reporter Ms. Rita Skeeter is currently indisposed. The Daily Prophet is therefore looking for a person or persons to take her place. If interested, please send and owl to Kristina at steenazpad@home.com

NEW STAFF MEMBER IN THE DAILY PROPHET
Rita Skeeter has just infomed The Daily Prophet that she will not be working due to personal reasons. But, Hermione Granger (a student at Hogwarts) has told us that Rita is an unregistered Animagus and has been coming on to the Hogwarts grounds without permission from the Headmaster. Rita has been transforming into a beetle and using her ability to get inside info on the students. Prof. McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts, says "She is a disgrace to the magical community!"
"She has tol' many lies about people here a' 'Ogwarts," says Ruebus Hagrid, gamekeeper at Hogwarts.
Tina Frasco will be taking her place. "We hope she will do a better job and keep us up on real news, not lies." says Fudge, Minister of Magic.

-by Charlotte

-by DP reporter Lily Rutio
I have just been by the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks, and rumors are flying everywhere! A favourite rumor is that Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School, is reaching the end of his rope! Do they mean his teaching career? Or his life?
Another rumor is that You-Know-Who might be the famous Harry Potter's real father! But these are just rumors, right?

The Ministry of Magic is in complete pandemonium after yesterday's conference, when the law stating that you must have a license to Apparate and Disapparate was amended. Apparently, one of the Ministry workers attending the conference suggested they change the law, and a unanimous vote soon afterwards sealed it. However, after the conference, the Ministry wizards new nothing of the change. It was only discovered this morning when the scribe went to copy the minutes from the meeting. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge insisted that it be changed back immediately, but a little used law states that "all members attending the original conference must be present at the next, to ammend the ammendment. It must be unamimous, with the exception of the person who suggested it." This would have been fine - if they could find the witch or wizard who suggested the change in the first place. No one knows who she is, or even which department she works in. This has led the MMSS (Ministry of Magic Secret Service) to believe that the Imperius Curse was used. Please, if you do not have a license, do NOT attempt to Apparate, despite the change in the law.

-co-authored by Kristina and Monica Weasly

The body of a young woman was found in Gringott's bank yesterday. She was near vault 422. Her clothes and general hygiene seemed to suggest that she had been in the bank for a long time. She had not stolen anything yet, but Gringott's goblins have reason to believe she was after money. More on this story next month.

-co-authored by Kristina and Mr. Scoop