Some of us have had a busy summer. Don’t be surprized we’ve heard about it. Benjamin Barton, aka Benjy one of the beaters from last year’s Ravenclaw team may be moving on from boyish interests to more mature ideas. In a meeting at the coin-spitting fountain in Diagon Alley over the summer holiday, he is seen with one Vesper Bayliss, last year’s Ravenclaw Seeker. Seems like more than a little strategy session was taking place as the two Ravenclaw teammates were spotted stealing kisses and moments before returning to Hogwarts. The fountain seemed to approve as it didn’t pelt them with coins something it is known to do to unsuspecting passersby. Let’s hope that this little romance doesn’t keep Ravenclaw from taking the Quidditch title from Hufflepuff this year.

Has anyone else noticed the Fiery Headmistress on the train? Watch out pranksters and trouble makers, you could just be sent home before you even hit the castle. One can’t help but wonder what she might be doing there. Isn't she supposed to be at the castle before everyone arrives? Maybe she wanted to spend time with her precious students before the term starts as unlikely as this seems. Something must be brewing.

Whatever the case may be, it doesn't explain why she was seen leaving the Prefects Compartment with Quidditch Captains, Branxton, Odessa and Yarborough. What did these boys do and why haven’t we heard about it yet?

Does the Headmistress's unusual appearance on the train have anything to do with the mysterious OWL she received on the school trip with students to Peru? Merlin knows what might have been in that thing and more importantly, who sent it. Perhaps an irate parent who found out any of their precious babies lives had been placed in danger, AGAIN, while on said school trip; Hogwarts causalities as they fail to understand.

One thing we do know for sure, Truebridge may have once again, unknowingly, placed our students’ lives in danger.

Until next time, my dears, stay alert and vigilant. We certainly will be.

Anyone who’s been at Hogwarts long enough knows that Alexa
Cambridge isn’t exactly the most responsible of Prefects, though
you’d think she’d at least care about her lion cubs enough to
make an appearance at her house table. But at this term’s
opening feast, Gryffindors old and new weren’t even graced
with her presence for a second or two.

What’s the distraction keeping this student leader from staying
focused on her regular duties, might you ask? For the majority of
the night, the lioness was spotted loitering around the doors of
the Great Hall with none other than Ravenclaw’s Jun Kim. T
here two have been seen a lot together lately, and suspicions are
arising. Since when have they been so chummy? Cambridge makes
her distaste for Ravenclaws quite apparent, so the fact that
she’s clearly smitten with one is no small matter.

It seems that a former Gryffindor Captain’s bite has been
replaced with that of a love bug, but we do hope that dear
Alexa soon realizes her badge comes before her boy toys.

Hel

If you curious first years are still looking for a definition of ‘macking’, be sure to hang around the Astronomy tower more often. It’s the perfect setting for a whole lot of starry-eyed smoochers as of late. It would seem Alexa Cambridge isn’t the only victim of the love bug’s bite, and as much as you dears like to think your professors have no personal lives…they do participate in a bit of romance on occasion. Your favorite gossip column has all the proof you need.

A supposedly harmless night of pranking the crazy Astronaut with glitter bombs turned into something more for two professors when Hogwarts’ very own creature teacher planted one on Full-Lips Fuller. That’s right, a KISS. Don’t try to hide your feelings, boys; everyone saw it coming. You were just fighting off the inevitable.

And what’s even better is that everyone with a desire to snog in the Astronomy tower now has the perfect excuse! You can thank Thompson and our charmer here for setting the example. Til next time and remember, we’re always watching.

How many prefects does it take to rule the school? Just one, according to Alexa Cambridge.

It appears as though being the only prefect last term in the house of Gryffindor has gotten to the sixth year who seems more than reluctant to share authority. The proof? She literally took out newly appointed male prefect, Louis Bolton, at the Gryffindor Welcome Party in the common room on the FIRST NIGHT back at school. This mischievous lioness levitated the boy and then dropped him right on his head and knocked him out. Cambridge seems to even have her own Head of House wrapped around her finger as the Herbology professor didn't do so much as raise an eyebrow at this. Coincidence? I think not!

It appears as though Cambridge may have some competition for the title of biggest and baddest Gryffindor in the tower. Who? We hear Zahra Kettleburn is able to really take a bite out of the competition. No, for real. She actually took a chunk out of fellow Gryffindor Zander Adair at the same party.
Better watch out, Hogwartians! Teeth and ambitions are bared when it comes to these two lionesses. One can only wonder who would win should their battles for dominance clash.

I would put my galleons on Kettleburn. That girl is just crazy.

The lovebug’s come to stay this term it seems and it’s no wonder with all this new energy the students find themselves with, without a bludger to crack. You lot get more interesting every time someone writes about you. This time we have a love triangle that has been brewing between best friends Adi Rehman, Benjamin Atreyu and Angel Valentine. The young Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were spotted sharing a kiss near the Whomping Willow, oh my. Their moment was interrupted by Adi, who was evidently shocked having seen the young love of his life, Angel, sharing fluttering kisses with the boy whom he thought was his best mate. We’ve already discussed the policy on sharing. It will never work; take our skewed advice on that one.

The interruption only escalated from there, as Adi showed signs of hostility towards Angel even going as far as telling her she was not a Gryffindor, as she had hid behind her beau earlier in the fight. Not a lot of rawr in this one but as with all great love fights, this one ended before the Professors could burst in with Angel crying her eyes out on the way back to the castle and Benny and Adi sharing words that were less than inspiring before Benny stormed off as well.

It seems Adi's color this term is green. Ironic don’t you think? Word on the grapevine was he was cozying up with one Sophie Newell. She won’t be too happy being replaced by a Gryffindor but alas, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Wouldn’t you like to know more? So would we so keep your eyes peeled and remember, we’re always watching.

There are plenty of things to be expected of our instructors here at Hogwarts: fairness, equality, professionalism, and many more. But one trait that has always been branded with a big no is favoritism. It isn’t acceptable for adults to put one child before another or encourage sucking up with rewards, most certainly not in a school setting. What is your opinion, dear readers? Do you think it’s alright for a learned woman to award points to Agatha Hapgood for complimenting the curls of her hair?

That being said, us Aparecium writers are positive that Miss Lolita Carmen Inocencia Domingo knows better than to treat some students with more kindness than the rest. So what is it, exactly, that brought this on? Rumor has it that the rabid professor has been spotted near the Groundskeeper’s beehives- yes, the Groundskeeper, Agatha Hapgood’s UNCLE. We know what you’re up to, chica.

Lolita’s coming for you, Kirby, starting at your family and working her way in. Don’t say we didn’t warn you that this Arithmancy lady is muy loca.

If you thought Gryffindors were the only ones loaded with drama this term, we’re here to prove you wrong. The usually logical Ravenclaws seem to be at it as well, ironically right in their element; a lesson. History of Magic Lesson at that! What happens when new Eagles are pushed out of the nest, with little in the way of guidance from their absentee Prefects? Why don’t you ask the little birdies; Kyroh Scabior and Penelope Wright? Being the son of former History of Magic Professor, Everett Scabior, proved not enough to keep the little Scabior out of a child’s squabble with housemates; so much for birds of a feather. They say knowledge can make a man rabid and the indignant little Penelope Wright proved that better than anyone else. Can you blame her? It must have been too much seeing another of her kind being wrongly educated. Can’t have them sounding too much like their red counterparts after all. We believe the expression was ‘Use that Ravenclaw brain of yours.’

All this is perfectly excusable until you’ve got Eagles wishing they were not. Ouch Mr. Scabior, truly crushing for the house that took you in. Trouble in paradise up in those towers, spewing into the lessons perhaps and what can be said about Mr. Barrington only a couple seats down. Trying to pull on Odessa with the responsibility card eh? It would seem tears and dramatic exits are the Ravenclaw way. What exactly is going on with the
bluebloods this term and why haven’t we been told before now?

Let’s try to keep a level head Dearies, after all if you’ve all gone bonkers, how much hope is there for the rest of us?

Sjofn

The Pied Piper used to be a story you told ickle bitty babies to warn them away from men with strange musical instruments but it’s gotten all too real with the hiring of a certain Professor Morgan. We didn’t fail to see the woman feed the darling little students, adequately stuffing them with cookies and tea and the promise of hot chocolate before leading them onto the grounds and over to a willow that whomps on the odd occasion—and in the freezing cold nonetheless. One might ask what the students ever did to her but the more accurate question proves to be ‘why hasn’t she been paid well enough?’. Eyes on you Headmistress Truebridge. We’ve all been told the story and the Piper is here to collect.

The fiend might have gotten her way too given the aggressive nature of the tree, made even more aggressive in this harsh winter that is unyielding, were it not for the work of a BRAVE Gryffindor; one Arista Royal. Yes, for years we’ve chided those in red for their outlandish chivalry but it’s finally come in handy, just ask Penelope Wright, the Ravenclaw that nearly wasn’t.

Will the Whomping Willow stop its pouring of the snow and smacking of the students? We doubt this. The most we can hope is that the students take something away from this experience. When an overly enthusiastic woman offers hot chocolate if you follow her to a dangerous tree, what do we say children?

Ever found yourself wondering about what happened in the other common rooms? Do you wish to be granted a chance to explore those parts of the castle that are unprivileged to you? The Aparecium is always here to help out. No, we cannot sneak you into another house's common room but we can give you an example of the happenings there.

Let's take the Slytherin Common Room for example. We bet whenever you happen to be by the dungeons you think there is something ominous and unpredictable going on there under the lake. You would be surprised by both how correct and wrong that is.

From what we’ve heard, Cutty Mordaunt has been a busy snake, not seen wasting any time. Most times his intentions aren’t the clearest to the rest of us, like that one time he got his fellow third-year Ethan, to play his music for fourth year, Beverly Wayne. What was that about? Does not the girl have a Gryffindor boyfriend? Does the lion know that his girlfriend was a target of professional serenading and subsequent woo-ing? Looks like someone will have to step up their game. Pizzas may not be enough to hold this one Mr. Walker.

At that we must mention that the musical Mordaunt looked like he knew what he was doing. The boy was obviously born for that thing and apparently willing to help a friend for the right price. What price might that be? Why don’t you ask him the next time you run into him trying to ruin relationships with melodious sounds?

And this is just an ordinary evening in the Slytherins' natural habitat, Merlin!

The chill you feel in the library these days may be more than the unusually cold weather outside.

During a recent book club meeting, it was a little more than noticeable there was a frosty ridge jammed in the middle of the relationship between third year Hufflepuff Aditya Rehman and first year Gryffindor AJ Valentine. They couldn't seem to be far enough away from each other during the book club. It was certainly evident to all they were doing their Hogwarts best to ignore each other.

Aditya, most likely still smarting from the departure of his older Slytherin love last year, Hannah Lockwood, was cozy with AJ earlier in the term. Maybe he took a few lessons from the cold-hearted Hannah in how to treat younger 'love' interests. Not even the sparks seen outside the window could bring some warmth between the two.

Perhaps as the winter snows melt, there will be a thawing of feelings between these two. If not, during the hot days of summer we're sure you can feel a cooling breeze from these two.

Where should you go next time you need some solid advice? Who needs friends when you have Professors like the Dungeon Dwelling Culloden? Hardly reliable sources tell us that more and more students are turning up at the doors of Professor Culloden. The man who at first seems intimidating is more of a puppy than a Basilisk, but is this a professional way to go dear Culloden? Haven’t you got any other friends to share your relationship tales with or will only Third Years do?

It seems the advice giving professor has a collection of students. The walls have told us that he has been seen many times with Ravenclaw’s Sophie Brown. Is he giving her helpful tips on the next potion or maybe love advice to help her along with a certain Hufflepuff? She isn’t the only one he’s been seen with giving advice. Of course not! He’s been spotted in several places! We won’t go as far as to think all his advice is good, proven when Prefect Elodie Robertser shoved a cupcake in his face for words he wished he could take back. Tsk tsk Culloden maybe this will teach you to stick with your own age. We hear the new Arithmancy Professor is in need of some good company now that our Grounds Keeper is a bit MIA. Wink wink.

Pastries to the face by out of control Prefects aren’t enough to stop this over enthusiastic do gooder from trying to help yet another student, Ethan Mordaunt, this time being overheard saying he could be a father to the boy. Is this what’s really going on? Has the professor just been collecting students to be the children he doesn’t have? Whether his advice is good or bad, here at the Aparecium we believe he should be rewarded. The next you see him going through the corridor give him a hug! He may not say it, but secretly he’s VERY lonely.