Harry Potter and the Festival of Friends

[Ludo Bagman]

From Wednesday, December 30th to Wednesday, January 6th
Event Discord | NS Forum Post | Upvote the Dispatch

Hello everyone!

Your friends from XKI, GD, TEP, TSP, and TRR are excited to announce the return of Harry Potter and the Festival of Friends!

This revitalization seeks to capture much of the previous festival's spirit and purpose: a Harry Potter themed end of year celebration for the entire NationStates community. As with previous festivals, all players in good standing are welcome to enjoy!

Festival attendees will select a Hogwarts House to be sorted into, and then compete in events including trivia contests, art competitions, writing competitions, a Yule Ball roleplay, IO Games, and more! Even better, nerd out over memorabilia, watch movies, make new friends, and find out which House will claim triumph in the end–surely it will be yours?

Join us for what is sure to be one fantastic celebration!

On a more serious note, we'd like to ask you to read the organizers' statement as you engage with this festival.

See you there!

Altys
Aschente
Grea Kriopia
HumanSanity
Imperial Dodo
Kortexia
Lamoni
Nakari
Technocratic Tagalog

[Harry Potter]

Looking forward to stopping by. Expecting the VIP treatment since the festival is my namesake.

[Silvedania]

In Ravenclaw, I just started a Ravencat adoption agency.
The festival overall is very fun.










Cats for all Ravenclaws!

[Ludo Bagman]

From Wednesday, December 30th to Wednesday, January 6th
Event Discord | NS Forum Post | Upvote the Dispatch

With the New Year upon us, the festival is in full swing and the first House Points have been tallied:

Gryffindor: 25 points / Slytherin: 160 points = 185 Points
Ravenclaw: 140 points
Hufflepuff: 120 points

All of the Houses, but particularly Slytherin, have dug deep in their owl writing and posting of memorabilia in a chance to draw ahead early with easy points.

Today the festival kicked off with an earlier viewing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets after finishing the first movie the night before. Participants will have the opportunity to binge the entire series through the end of the festival if they so desire

The Yule Ball RP opened it's doors today, promising quite the enchanting adventure for all of its guests who are already mingling about the ballroom. The Enchanted Portrait Character Contest opened alongside, inviting guests to share their characters for a chance to receive a drawing

We wrapped up our first edition of the IO Games last night and will be hosted the first of three rounds of Harry Potter trivia at 9 PM EDT / 2 AM UTC tonight

Zonko's Meme Contest is also seeking the finest Harry Potter memes available starting today, with the winner being selected by public voting at the end of the week

Stay tuned for the next points update!

[Ludo Bagman]

From Wednesday, December 30th to Wednesday, January 6th
Event Discord | NS Forum Post | Upvote the Dispatch

A couple of days have gone by, and so we bring you yet again another points update as our Houses furiously battle:
Gryffindor: 80 points / Slytherin: 686 points = 766 Points
Ravenclaw: 691 points
Hufflepuff: 661 points

Owls have been flying so furiously out of the owlery that our scorers can barely keep up! Participants have sent 323 owls of appreciation so far with an overabundance of wholesomeness and affection.

The movie binge continued with The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire, as well as another trivia round won by Ravenclaw and an ongoing round of IO Games.

As we begin to reach halfway, the Magic Quill Writing Contest and Fantastic Art & Where to Find it will be closing submissions tomorrow to begin the judging period. A reminder that even an entry earns 10 points, while the grand winners will win 100 points!

[Tinhampton]

Am I seeing things or did two of the "houses" really merge?

[HumanSanity]

Am I seeing things or did two of the "houses" really merge?

1. The Houses' point totals were merged for counting purposes to create parity in numbers between the Houses. From the #announcements channel

Additionally, given the disparity of numbers between certain houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin will be sharing points in order to make things more competitive between the houses. This combination brings their member numbers exactly equal to at least one other House, and will hopefully encourage all to continue to participate with an even shot to earn the House Cup.

2. Why do you care about a festival you're choosing not to attend?

[Durm]

Am I seeing things or did two of the "houses" really merge?

1. The Houses' point totals were merged for counting purposes to create parity in numbers between the Houses. From the #announcements channel

Dumb idea. I refuse to share points with Gryffindor. Avada Kedavra!

I knew I shouldn't have joined.

[Ludo Bagman]

I knew I shouldn't have joined.

As I relayed to you privately, the decision was made out of a desire for fairness and Slytherin would not be winning without it in the current point standings (not yet updated here)

[The Blaatschapen]

Why is Gryffindor either so unpopular or so unsuccessful.

And why was it merged with Slytherin?

Blaat (secretly a ravenclaw / gryffindor hybrid)

[The Church of Satan]

Why is Gryffindor either so unpopular or so unsuccessful.

And why was it merged with Slytherin?

Blaat (secretly a ravenclaw / gryffindor hybrid)

There's very few gryffindors this year, it seems.

[Ludo Bagman]

From Wednesday, December 30th to Wednesday, January 6th
Event Discord | NS Forum Post | Upvote the Dispatch

The determined Slytherin's have widened their lead with some help from their Gryffindor friends:
Gryffindor: 85 points / Slytherin: 986 points = 1071 Points
Ravenclaw: 941 points
Hufflepuff: 746 points

As things begin to wind down, we'll be hosting the final hard mode Trivia at 9 PM EST / 2 AM UTC (hard mode = more points), and closing the Meme Contest this coming midnight (EST) so be sure to react with a checkmark on your favorite!

And, sadly, the House Points will also be officially closing* at midnight (EST) to begin counting and finalizing scores. This means events like the Owlery Project of Appreciation will be closed, so be sure to get your last-minute posts in! *With the exception of the Yule Ball RP which will continue through the 5th (EST)

[Budgie Snugglers]

The results for the art and writing competitions are in!

Firstly, Fantastic Art and Where to Find it, with six great entries! This contest was judged by me, Nequedum, and Sarah Bread. Each entry is posted here along with the judge's comments.

The runners up:

Dementor Costume, by Benevolent Thomas of Slytherin

Sarah Bread:

Thanks, I hate it … in a nice way.

Nequedum:

This costume is horrifying in all the right ways. I love the attention to detail and all the layers of clothing.

Nakari:

This looks well suited to terrify any visitors you have. I imagine the draped fabrics and the fraying would look extra spooky in movement.

Cockatrice, by Sir Merlin of Hufflepuff

Sarah Bread:

Hagrid is already trying to sneak this creature home!

Nequedum:

This creature perfectly comes across as a creation one can only expect from someone named Merlin.

Nakari:

This creature’s expression is adorable, like a cheeky little smile! It is kind of a confusing picture, with the proportions not really clear at first glance, and it takes a moment to figure out how the creature fits together, but that adds to the weird magic of it like an illusion.

A flag for the Ministry of Magic, by Shy Guyia of Hufflepuff

Sarah Bread:

this uncomfortably reminds me of bathroom stalls.

Nequedum:

The flag is neat, concentrated, and easy to reproduce. All these qualities are sought after for flags.

Nakari:

I like the way this design works together so many symbols: the M, the shapes of hanging tapestries, the light that magic shines on the world, and… I guess also toilet stalls, thanks Sarah

Chocolate frog, by Benevolent Thomas of Slytherin

Sarah Bread:

I love the use of the reflection, can totally see this frog hopping away at any second.

Nequedum:

This frog is moments away from coming to life. The reflection is a brilliant addition! Super creative entry.

Nakari:

This is absolutely adorable and I want one! The toes are so cute, and the back and head in particular definitely look convincingly chocolate-y.

Ginny, by an anonymous Slytherin

Sarah Bread:

This really captures Ginny very well, she's calm and smirky while throwing a gorgeous and probably badass spell.

Nequedum:

This piece expertly portrays movement and succeeds in telling your story.

Nakari:

I like the pose and sense of movement here, in the way her body is twisted and the billowing of the hair and robes.

And finally, the winner...
Dementors, by Vrolondia of Hufflepuff

Sarah Bread:

I really love how the grayscale captures the dreariness of dementors.

Nequedum:

I love the layering that creates a terrifying characterisation of Dementors who seep seamlessly into the night.

Nakari:

The blurry moon, the insistent greyness, and the tilt of the picture bring to mind how disturbingly off Dementors are. This is a fairly simple composition but it fits with the starkness of Dementors.

Thank you to all participants! Everyone who competed won 10 points for their house, and Hufflepuff won 100 points. It was great to get to see all your art!

[Budgie Snugglers]

Next up, results for the Magic Quill writing contest! Participants were asked to write about a fantasy world of their choice, and we got some really amazing and high-quality entries. They're posted here along with comments from the judges, Nakari, HumanSanity and Sarah Bread. We judged each story on creativity, how convincingly immersive it was, and the quality of the writing. Every participant got 10 house points, and 100 points were up for grabs for the winner!

Music and the Mines, by an anonymous Slytherin

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke.

The symphony of cells that enabled you to scan these lines, are they not sufficient? The hand, however slight a role it may think itself playing, conducts the words in the physical world towards the next stage. The eye takes diffuse light and fuses into into the experience of sight. The brain, filled with trillions of firing neurons, processes the products of the mines of sensation. Altogether, the parts sing to bring an organism, a me, an identity, into being. Biology, is it not breathtaking - and fantastic?

Nakari:

I love this! It’s very simple, but very evocative of the machinery of life. It draws attention to the magic of everyday life through the metaphors of body part and magic. I’d like to have read more of it though!

Sarah Bread:

This was interesting. It was cute, but left me wanting more. Would be interesting to see where it goes.

HumanSanity:

The detailed description of how different parts of the body work together, magically, is very well done. However, taken together, it left me asking some “why” questions -- wasn’t entirely sure the take away the reader was supposed to have.

A poem by Indian Genius of Slytherin
How great do they fly, the gallant players over the brooms;
How great do they cheer, the supporters over the seats;
How great does it flee, the golden snitch as it zooms;
How great do they knock, the bludgers as it yeets;

The sky is blue, the day is nice, the ground is energetic,
The snitch does zoom, the firebolts boom, the bludgers go athletic;
There went the quaffle, through the hoops it went,
There goes the seeker, seeking for the snitch - hell-bent.

So, go the excellent Quidditch players, go for the glory!
Across the ages of Quidditch history, your names will inspire future -
You might get some bruises, some wounds - but don't worry,
That's just part of the game you know

Nakari:

I can totally imagine the crowd at a Quidditch match singing their own version of this - it has that kind of casual immersion in the world. Also, love the usage of ‘yeet’.

Sarah Bread:

yeets I enjoyed that word play. It's casual but also you get a real feel for the sports of it

HumanSanity:

A fun poem/song about the sport of Quiddich with good consistent cadence/tempo throughout.

Portals, by Astropuff of Hufflepuff
The realm of fantasy is ruled by kings.
The phoenix soars with its majestic wings.
Mages duel in a battle of fates,
While dragons and giants are known as greats.

Yet this kingdom does not reward
The faithful servants who aid their lord.

A mirror does not receive any prize,
Yet it sends us to a place
Where pixies dance under the night skies
And fairies fly with incredible grace.

What is a whirlpool to do,
But just send travelers through?
The wardrobe must be resigned,
To only transport people, as it was designed.

Poor portals, forever trapped in reality.
They are the doorways to magic, but are unable to enjoy the fantasy.

Nakari:

This takes a really interesting new perspective on fantasy: the point of view of the tools used to make fantasy happen. I wish it had looked more at the portals themselves than on the fantasy worlds as the worlds presented were quite stereotypical and didn’t capitalize on what made the concept different.

Sarah Bread:

This was an interesting perspective I would like to explore more. It's something people don't often think about, and I appreciated all the different fantasy worlds coming together.

HumanSanity:

A lot about the concept was appealing to me. Some things that left me confused included how the first three stanzas felt disconnected from the last two (e.g., prior to the fourth stanza, the portals hadn’t really been introduced) and the lack of concrete understanding of the role of fantasy.

With Quiet Wings they Fly, by Wischmeluck of Slytherin

With quiet wings they fly up high,
Carrying messages through the sky.
Bringing news across wizarding lands:
Packages, briefs, letters written by hand.
Whether horned or snowy, all deserve a commend,
For owls are a wizard’s best friend.

Nakari:

This poem is adorable, especially the presentation as if it was itself being delivered by an owl. It kind of reminds me of that poem about the night train bringing messages, and the message of the importance of connectivity.

Sarah Bread:

This is so cute! I love the letter and the details. It was an extra touch that really brought it home. The poem was short and sweet, but effective.

HumanSanity:

This poem is best for its presentation and adorability--being owl delivered with the handwritten version of the poem is an excellent creative and immersive touch.

A Magical Cover of The Good Life by Weezer, by Benevolent Thomas of Slytherin
When I look in Erised, I can't believe what I see
Tell me who's that magic dude staring back at me?
Broken, beaten Wand, can't even get around
without my old broom, I fall and hit the ground
outside the wizarding world, I'm bitter and alone

Excuse the witchin', I shouldn't complain
I should have obliviate, 'cause remembering is pain
As everything I need is denied me
And everything I want apparates from me
But who do I got to blame? Nobody but me

And I don't want to be a muggle anymore
Its been a year or four since I left Hogwarts
Jinxing Pixies, stunnin' boggarts all the night
Its time I got back to the magic life
Its time I got back, Its time I got back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!

Screw his curse, I've had it. I ain't no Lockhart
I'm a Griff, I'm a skrewt, so 'scuse me if I fart
I ain't gonna hex nobody, ain't gonna cause a scene
Just need to admit that I want butter in my beer
Hear me? Hear me? I want butter in my beer

And I don't want to be a muggle anymore
Its been a year or four since I left Hogwarts
Jinxing Pixies, stunnin' boggarts all the night
Its time I got back to the magic life
Its time I got back, Its time I got back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!

I wanna go back, I wanna go back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
Its time I got back, Its time I got back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!

And I don't want to be a muggle anymore
Its been a year or four since I left Hogwarts
Jinxing Pixies, stunnin' boggarts all the night
Its time I got back to the magic life
Its time I got back, Its time I got back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
Its time I got back, Its time I got back
And I don't even know how I Floo off the track
I wanna go back
I wanna go back

Nakari:

I love the puns in this, and the creative way the lyrics are altered - ‘floo off the track’ is great! I can totally imagine the Weird Sisters playing this (and any non-muggleborns being very confused by how much the muggleborns are enjoying it).

Sarah Bread:

Oooh I enjoyed this! A neat take and you managed to get farts in there. For funsies. Maybe my age is also showing, but I enjoyed this.

HumanSanity:

Super creative, your age is definitely showing here, but you seem to have done a good job with meshing the lyrics onto the song.

And so from heav'n to deepest hell, by Catiania of Ravenclaw

It was a perfect day in paradise. It always was. That’s why it’s paradise.

The sky was the bluest that blue could be, dotted with small fluffy clouds. The sun gleamed off the wings of the butterfly girls swooping and twirling with the sparrow boys. Spread out below was the village, where Sophie’s wonderful friends lived. The forest, filled with magic and wonder that not even the owls could explain. The lake, still and clear and beautiful, and she could almost almost make out the mermaids jumping and diving. It was a perfect day in paradise.

(click here to read the full entry - our reviews have spoilers!)

Nakari:

This story starts out like an overly optimistic fairy tale, which is well written but had me looking for the twist fairly quickly. The twist however is well enough written to conceal what’s actually going on even when the world begins to break apart and to allow the reader to slowly figure it out. The end is a bit unclear but really promising.

Sarah Bread:

It started out so nice and fluffy you're like "okay, where's the poop". It was an interesting story, but it left me wanting more. I didn't fully understand what was happening in the end. I'm left with questions.

HumanSanity:

I was most impressed by the quality of the writing and the dialogue, and the twist midway through helped complete that vision.

Sundered Soul, by thechurchofsatan of Gryffindor

With the advent of magic, humanity underwent a historic change. Society made the transition from being ruled by blood and fear to being guided by scholars and knowledge. This change was not made easily, however. Warlords, tribal leaders, and killers would not embrace this new way of life. They banded together and resisted. Their alliance of death ravaged the countryside as they wiped out villages across Kutuphane. Mages, devastating as they were, were few in number. With less than thirty mages to defend the borderland people of Kutuphane, they faced an insurmountable battle against the neighboring scavengers. The soldiers of Kilic, Mizrac, and Sabah Yildizi marched forth leaving no life in their wake. By the time the war had reached Bilgi, the last remaining village of Kutuphane, only five mages lived. The five mages, Alev of Burning Interest, Su of Flowing Verse, Tohum of Growing Mind, Toprak of Worldly Wisdom and Hayat of Vibrant Soul. With still thousands of troops approaching, the remaining mages had devised one final means of saving Kutuphane. One that they hoped they would never have to use. They stood outside Bilgi facing the vast ocean of troops approaching them, chanting their spell, raising their runic staves, and making their gestures. As they did, the mountains began to tremble and the ground beneath the soldier's feet began to crumble. From the cracks, an ominous green light seeped into the horde of warriors, pulling them under as if the light itself were reaching out. When the attackers had sunk beneath the rocks and the chanting had ceased, ever so slowly, the rumbling had stopped. The mountainside lay in ruins, ravaged by the terrifying spell the mages had cast. From that day on the land where the mountains once resided remained barren, forever lifeless. Plants would not grow. Animals could not eat. The birds even avoided the sky above it. This world-shattering event was given the title "The Null". The soulless land that remained was known by many as The Badlands.


(click here to read the full entry - our reviews have spoilers!)

Nakari:

This was high quality writing with a fairly detailed new world. I kind of wish it had focused more on presenting the world through the experiences of the main character as at times in the story portion, the exposition felt a bit unnatural. However I definitely found the presented world different and interesting.

Sarah Bread:

It felt like I needed more information to really feel what was going on in the world, but there was definitely a lot of potential. It was neat seeing her fight back and how that played into her spell seemingly being more powerful than expected.

HumanSanity:

I would say my biggest thing is that you overreached given the limited amount of space you had -- a lot of the background story felt… incomplete and like you didn’t fully have time to develop. Perhaps space could have been saved by attempting to integrate that development into experiences of the main character, instead of omniscient narration. I honestly think I may have rathered a piece less about the character and more about the backstory of the world you’d built, because the two didn’t feel like they actually complemented each other that much.

After Vienna, by Mzeusia of Ravenclaw

“Are you listening, or has your attention span been blown across all of Vienna, along with your cover?”

I managed a glance in the man’s direction. He had turned away from the window on the other side of the room and was scowling at me, setting down the wineglass he had been holding, on the small table in front of him. The surface of the white wine barely moved as he did so. Next, he reached inside a grey overcoat and drew forth a cream envelope with a green wax seal. I suppose he didn’t intend to stay long, as he had not deigned to remove his coat. As soon as I had walked into the room, an odd effect had happened. My gaze was drawn to seemingly random things in the room and my concentration was flagging in an unjustified way. Hadn’t I felt refreshed when waking up this morning? That felt like a week ago now.

“Do the events of the last week not concern you?” He cocked his head. “I realise that for a woman of your reputation, this is a rare upset in your otherwise immaculate career, but that does not negate the seriousness of what happened.”

(click here to read the full entry - our reviews have spoilers!)

Nakari:

I really enjoyed this as a story, especially the way that the background and the world were very slowly revealed through the perspective of the narrator. I think it might have benefitted from the perspective being slightly closer to the narrator - there’s a moment where it switches into omnipotent voice, which was a bit jarring but to be fair it was quite a funny image. I enjoyed the mix of our world but with enough differences to keep the reader constantly working out how this world differed. Overall I enjoyed it though and would have loved to have read more.

Sarah Bread:

Really intriguing concept, it feels like a world I want to explore. Shadow hunter vibes, and I don't mind that at all. Really interesting take!

HumanSanity:

I liked the way the main character was existing in a world that was both different than my own but also somewhat based in it--this allowed me to connect more to the storyline. The idea of a spy/agent causing chaos and disruption on the orders of a foreign government, brought to magic, has a lot of appeal.

And finally, the winner...
thegoodkaiser of Ravenclaw


Poisonous green fire dripped from his outstretched hand, his fingers turning black with decay. My eyes quickly moved down his darkening arm before meeting the Breathless' own. Jagged cracks glowed across his gaunt, corpse-like face and neck. All trailing back to the blazing pits that masqueraded as eyes. They were not the eyes of any man or beast this earth had ever known. A sickly fire blazed in those abyssal pools. They held within a color I did not know, the closest perhaps could be green but not a green of this world. There was sickness to it, the pungent strength of rot. Wisps of limp black hair clung to his skull. From between his grave-thinned lips dripped a viscous liquid as pale as the new moon yet as dark as aged silver.

(click here to read the full entry - our reviews have spoilers!)

Nakari:

I really enjoyed the metaphors here - they were really creative and added to the horror elements of the story. The writing style went into high detail in a way that reminded me of the way time seems to freeze in situations of terror like in the story. I’d like to know more about this world but I think this works pretty well as a stand-alone story. It suggests the rest of the world while leaving a lot up to the imagination.

Sarah Bread:

Oooooh oh this was fascinating. I really enjoyed the use of language(s) here. I enjoyed the despair in the end. All around, capturing read.

HumanSanity:

I thought this was excellent and generally well developed. The immersion in terms of the monsters/entities the character encounters and spells the character uses is fantastic, however the immersion in terms of the purpose of what the character is doing and the world they are in is limited (likely in part due to length). Detail in the writing is also fantastic.

[Ludo Bagman]

From Wednesday, December 30th to Wednesday, January 6th
Event Discord | NS Forum Post | Upvote the Dispatch

The House Cup Results

After many hours of deliberation and calculating, the moment we've all been waiting for has finally come. All four Houses put forth their best effort and have demonstrated each of the unique qualities for which we all love them for.

Here is your final House Cup tally:
Gryffindor (10 members) : 100 points / Slytherin (33 members) : 1393 points = 1493 Points
Ravenclaw (45 members): 1431 points
Hufflepuff (39 members): 1051 points

And so it is with great pleasure that I can announce Gryffindor / Slytherin as the winners of the House Cup competition!

This cup was undoubtedly a fight to the finish–but as the Ravenclaws buffed trivia and the Hufflepuffs hug-piled, absolutely nothing could stop the competitive drive of the Slytherins with some cooperative aid from their Gryffindor friends.

With the House Cup awarded, Harry Potter and the Festival of Friends officially concludes for this year! Some fancy numbers to reflect this last week:

-You all sent a staggering 430 Owls of Appreciation
-We binged 18 hrs and 57 mins of Harry Potter movies
-There were 2,111 enchanting Roleplay posts
-And 127 people came to enjoy a week of Harry Potter!

I cannot thank you all enough for coming–this week has far exceeded any of my expectations while planning this event. It has been a true enjoyment to host, and, of course, give a big thanks to the Order of the Phoenix who made this all possible:

Altys
Aschente
Grea Kriopia
Great Algerstonia
HumanSanity
Imperial Dodo
Kortexia
Lamoni
Nakari
Technocratic Tagalog

The discord server will remain open for those who linger, and I strongly suspect we will see you all again next year!

[The Church of Satan]

Admittedly, I did not have enough time to fit all of what I was going for into my submission, despite the amount of time that went into it.

I've been continuing the story since I submitted it. I think next year if I'm allowed to submit it in its entirety, it will be a winner for sure because my vision for it is far greater than its current form. ^_^