It's time for a new school year, and with going back to school comes some going back to school reminders! Please keep the following things in mind as you start to roleplay school life again.
Hogwarts is a Boarding School
Sadly, you have left your parents, friends, and your Uncle Pat behind as you got on the Hogwarts Express. You are now out in the world on your own! It's time to partay! Only... It's not.
You see, you're now stuck at
school twenty-four/seven. While there is a certain amount of freedom that you have as a resident and student at Hogwarts, you have to be in certain places at certain times and follow certain rules. Most of these are basic, commonsense rules which you'll be happy to follow, so don't worry too much about them. Just remember there's always a prefect, head student, or professor waiting around to keep you on the path to righteous learning with a bit of prodding, a detention, or a loss of house points.
Your House is Your Home Away From Home
While you're at Hogwarts, your family is your House! Whether you're a lion, snake, badger, or eagle, you've got a House to fall back upon in times of need and a House to rejoice with in times of celebration! Students at Hogwarts eat with students from their Houses, sleep with students from their Houses, and attend class with students from their Houses.
While we're not going to tell you that all your threads should be with members from your House, please do keep in mind that you should at least know the students in your House by face, if not by name. You have a relationship from sharing the same living space. Likewise, you'd probably be able to recognize all the students in your year, and you'd more than likely know the names and faces of the school's head students and prefects.
Your House is your main group of pride. You're stuck with them; they're stuck with you; you're in your House until you graduate. Do well by your House and they'll do well by you! Make sure that you keep an eye on your House's Bulletin Board and Common Room to participate in House events, and be sure to earn your House some House Points!
House Points are a Good Thing
Like dorms at most boarding schools, the Houses at Hogwarts are involved in an ongoing competition called the House Cup. The House Cup is won by the House which earns the most House Points (and loses the least) and enables a House to have bragging rights for the following year and with good reason.
House Points are earned when a professor sees you do something good. They're lost when a prefect, head student, or professor sees you do something bad. In their essence, they're a very simple merit system that rewards the greatest achievements and punishes shortcomings.
By winning the House Cup (and the most House Points to get the House Cup) students in a House are proving that they are
the best that Hogwarts has to offer. And who doesn't want to be the best? Do you really want to say that your family is inferior to your friend's family? Exactly.
To a lot of people at Hogwarts (especially the Heads of House), the House Cup Announcement at the End of Year Feast is the highlight event of their year. Who can be the proudest of their House? Who can say that their students were the most worthy? Make Hagrid, Professor Slughorn, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick happy to have you in their house. Earn some points.
School is In Class and Out of Class
The whole point of a boarding school is to teach students more than simple subject matter. You're learning how to live in a certain way, not just how to turn a tortoise into a teapot. Part of this schooling involves how to dress and take care of personal appearance. You are required to wear a school uniform during classes and at any school-sponsored event, except for events which require dress robes.
Hogwarts school uniforms consist of:
* Plain black work robes
* Black or gray trousers (or a black or gray skirt for girls)
* A white collared shirt
* A house-colored tie
* Black, gray, white, or house-colored socks or stockings
*
Black or gray, closed-toed dress shoes (with a heel of 1" or less) * An optional plain black pointed hat
* An optional black, gray, or house-colored vest or sweater
* An optional black winter cloak with silver fastenings
* And an optional pair of protective gloves (made of dragon hide or similar material)
Robes should be worn with any other outfit at all times outside of class. Please note that Professors will be taking House Points from any students who are not dressed properly for their classes.
Visual Examples:
MaleFemale Dumbledore's ArmyWith those things in mind, enjoy the start of your school year! We're glad to have you back at Hogwarts and can't wait until school activities get underway!
