Happy April Fools'!

Hey there! I’ll be writing a report on the increasing sales of hippogriffs-

Oops, sorry- APRIL FOOLS!

Yes, you’re probably hearing these two words around Hogwarts frequently this month. Got a bucket of paint splashed all over your clothes? APRIL FOOLS! There’s a cockroach cluster sticking to your back? APRIL FOOLS! Your wand has been replaced with a fake wand? APRIL FOOLS!

I’m sure all this sounds like a lot of fun. But what is the point of April Fools, and why do we even celebrate it? Well, that’s a question I can answer, as long as you keep on reading!

April Fools is celebrated on the first of April, every year. However, most people tend to prank their friends on every single day of April, and I don’t blame them. It is ‘April Fools’ after all, and not ‘1st Day Of April Fools.’

Now, most of you already know what happens during April’s Fool’s, but let me explain it anyway:

April Fools is when people spread practical pranks on their friends and family. It makes people laugh and smile, and is one of my favourite celebrations of the year!

Okay, okay. It’s all fun, but what’s the history behind it? Well, it’s pretty vague, and we only have a couple of theories as to why April Fools is celebrated. Here are two of them:

1. 
   
   

   April Fools is believed to be connected to an ancient Roman festival called Hilaria, which happens at the end of March to honour a goddess named Cybele. Since it was a day of joy and celebration, people often dressed up in funny costumes and pranked each other. Here’s an example of a prank:

   
   

I give someone a note that tells them to go to the market and ask a shopkeeper for an invisible globe. They go, but soon learn that no such thing exists, which results in everyone laughing at them.

2. 
   The Gregorian calendar was made in the 16th century. In this calendar, the New Year was celebrated on the 1st of January. However, before this, people celebrated the New Year on the 1st of April. The people who ignored the new calendar and continued using the old one were pranked on and called ‘April fools.’

Although April Fools is all about laughter and fun, it also teaches us a lesson about scepticism. This means that it teaches us not to fall for tricks easily. With this skill, we won't fall for scams as easily.

Did you know? 

In 1957, the BBC played a prank on all of its viewers. They broadcasted a fake documentary about spaghetti growing on trees in Switzerland. Ha! Spaghetti lovers, at least you know your next travel destination now!

Well, that's all I have to write about for April Fools Day. Just remember: while the point of pranks are for joy, we should not do any pranks that might make someone upset or harm them. Other than that, just make sure you have a fun time pranking your friends every April Fools! Thanks for reading, I’ll be providing a documentary about fizzing whizbees-

Okay, okay, I’m just kidding! APRIL FOOLS!

Oh, and is anyone planning a trip to Switzerland soon?

Written by Hazel Emory Antler

Edited by Sienna Lockwood

Proof-read by Sara Rowan

Mud Cake

I got up, stretching, as the sun was streaming through my curtains.

Well, it wasn’t the welcoming sun waking me up. It was-

“Get up, you sleepy-head! It’s Melanie’s 11th birthday!”

-My sister. Who else would it be, intruding on others' peaceful sleeps? Anyways, in the end I was in the kitchen, wearing my favourite apron, with a book titled, "How To Make A Mud Cake?" tightly gripped in my left hand. Stephanie took ages to get ready, and by the time she was, the clock had already hit 7- she had taken a whole 30 minutes!

“Hurry up next time!” I hiss at her, thrusting the book into her arms. She rolled her eyes and immediately started flicking through the pages.

“Mud cakes are disgusting. Melanie will hate them.”

“No she won’t. She specifically told us, a week ago, that she had been craving a mud cake all the way from her tenth birthday. She’ll love it, and it’s not my fault that you keep on forgetting what type of food she likes!”

“Oh, whatever,” Stephanie said carelessly, stopping on a page. “Let’s do mud cake number 41.”

We started making the mud cake. (Well, I did. Stephanie kept on bellowing instructions at me.) We were halfway through when Stephanie started whinging and whining.

“Oh- my- GOODNESS! You just got some of the mixture on me! This dress was $105!”

I peered closely at Stephanie’s flowery dress. As far as I could see, there was nothing. My frown starts to crease.

“What do you mean?” I yell, annoyed. “There’s nothing! Even if there was, it’s your own fault you were wearing glamorous clothing!”

Stephanie howls, her eyes going red. I couldn’t stop myself- I just had to do it.

In my burst of anger I ‘accidentally’ knocked over the bowl full of melted chocolate, onto her new Jordans. (And yes, she wears shoes in the house. It’s ridiculous, especially when it stains the shiny floor.)

Stephanie screamed at me so loud, that it drilled holes in my ears.

“IT’S YOUR FAULT IF MELANIE’S BIRTHDAY GOES WRONG!”

She took a deep breath, and bent down to clean up the mess, cursing.

Inside, I felt a deep hole of guiltiness growing larger. Stephanie was right (for once): it would be my fault if Melanie's birthday went wrong. But then again, it wasn’t my fault if my older sister was such a brat.

A sudden idea struck me. So... Mud cakes were called mud cakes for a reason, right? What if it’s because they taste like mud? Or maybe they are made out of mud?

Maybe I could fix this... But would it work?

“Wait here,” I tell my sister, even though she clearly wasn’t going anywhere. She ignores me, and I run out into the backyard.

By the time I arrived, it was nearly 9. Melanie always woke up at 9. I set my mud down on the counter.

“What the?-” Stephanie began, bewildered, but I shushed her. I sculpted the mud into a cake as quick as I could, the clock ticking on and on. And before Stephanie could stop me, I placed it in the fridge.

Later that day, we celebrated Melanie’s birthday. She was just about to have a slice of cake when Stephanie stopped her.

“Wait- You might not like it-”

But it was too late- Melanie had already taken a crunch.

“It’s not bad!-”

A feeling of triumph overwhelmed me, when suddenly Melanie said-

“-It’s disgusting.”

In the dead of the night that day, I lay on my bed, gazing up at the ceiling, dreaming of all the things I could do to Melanie’s breakfast the next morning. Cockroaches seemed all right…

Well, let’s see what she likes, if she doesn’t like my mud cake!

Written by Hazel Emory Antler

Edited by Sienna Lockwood

Proof-read by Connor Callahan

Advertising Chapter

Hello, hello all readers! I hope you’ve had a wonderful month, as I know I have! I know you’ve enjoyed reading all of our chapters in this issue. Of course, you can always read our other issues as well! 

We’re still looking for people to join the team. There are so many positions available, it’s going to be pretty hard for you to choose from! Last month, we introduced the new editor position. I hope you’re considering becoming an editor, because there are loads of spots left! Same for marketers: if you’re wondering about what job you should get, I strongly recommend these two to you.

Here are the current jobs available:

-Journalist. If you love writing with imaginative ideas in your head, this one’s for you! Don’t worry- you don’t have to do the fixed chapters. You can make up one of your own as well!

-Proofreaders. If you’ve got a sharp eye for spotting even the tiniest mistakes, this job is for you! It might seem like a little job, but really, you need to be able to carefully read through what you’re proofreading.

-Editors. If you love fixing sentences, to make them more descriptive or beautiful, this job’s for you! Like I said before, we have loads of spots left for potential editors, so come along and become one!

-Marketers. If you love to make attention-catching art, this job is for you! You can make graphics for the chapters in every issue.

“Um, so you told me what jobs there are, but how am I supposed to find this group?”

That’s easy! All you have to do is walk into the fireplace, and clearly shout ‘Hogwarts Monthly News’ in the ‘Groups & Clubs’ section in Hogwarts.

However, if you prefer a portkey, here’s one for you:

https://www.hogwartsishere.com/groups/74298/

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you consider joining, as the whole team would be ready to welcome you in!

Written by Hazel Emory Antler

Let's End It Here

The beautiful month of April has come to an end, after April Fools and so much more.

"Oh.. This issue has ended already?"

Don't worry- we send out an issue every month, designed to keep you, dearest readers, engaged with the latest news and up-to-date.

We're always looking for new people to add to the team: journalists, proofreaders, marketers and editors. The positions are always open, so feel free to join! Just owl Sienna Lockwood.

Thank you for reading our issues and all your support.

Let's end this with a fun little riddle.

"What comes once in a month, twice in a moment, and never in a 1000 years?"

Owl Sienna Lockwood if you have the answer...

Thanks!

 To end, here are a few facts about Eid:

•  


• It starts with a crescent moon. ...


•  


• Muslims fast for the duration. ...


• Eid al-Fitr is a big celebration. ...


•  


• It's also sometimes referred to as the 'Sugar Feast' ...


•  


• Ramadan is a time for growth and reflection.


•  


• There are two Eids: Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. ...


•  


• Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated on a different day each year. ...


•  


• During Eid, Muslims give alms to the poor. ...


•  


• Different cultures celebrate in different ways. ...

Written by Hazel Emory Antler

NOTE:

There was a whole article on 'Hogwarts Houses Interview.' I worked on this with a couple of other people. I interviewed someone from Slytherin House and also wrote the introduction. However, since I didn't exactly do the whole thing myself, I didn't include it here.