Metro

The Daily Prophet Needs You!

It's time for action. As I'm sure you've been aware, I haven't been too good at keeping up with this site since the year began. This certainly is not what I wanted for 2003. I thought after the last update that perhaps my health would improve, but yet again, it hasn't. My health - or rather, lack thereof - is now surprising even me with its constant insistence to mess up my plans.

I have decided that enough is enough. My health may get in my way, but it will no longer get in the way of the Daily Prophet. I'm sick and tired of having to post messages like this, apologizing for lack of updates, thanking everyone again and again for patience that should have been rewarded ages ago. I have decided that it is time for action!

For the past two years I have been working very hard trying to get a certain plan in order for this website. It is high time I put that plan into action. After two years hard work, I think the plan is finally ready. The only thing that stands in its way is money. A dirty word, I know, but unfortunately to muggles money is all too important.

That is why the Daily Prophet will become one of the first Harry Potter fan sites to legitimize its existence by incorporating. In other words, I will be filing paperwork in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America, stating once and for all that The Daily Prophet is a legitimate non-profit charitable organization. By the end of the year, I hope to welcome you to Prophet Incorporated, a charitable corporation created with the express purpose of fandom, education, news, and general awesomeness. Run by kids, for kids.

What does that mean? That means the Daily Prophet is going to kick butt. By this time next year, the Daily Prophet will be the biggest Harry Potter fan site in the world. Its purposes, benefits, and interactivity will outweigh even the official Harry Potter website. How are we going to kick butt? By including everyone. Literally.

In a nutshell, here's what will happen. First off, I do not want the Daily Prophet to suffer because of my ill health. When I get sick, it's impossible for me to update the site because the whole process is so archaic and tedious. It simply takes more brain-power than I have at the moment because four weeks ago I had a very serious concussion, and who knows what else. So, the first step will be a sophisticated automatic publishing system. I won't bother with explaining all the details here of how it will work, but what I can tell you is this; for you, the readers, it will mean daily updated content. New articles, up-to-the-minute Potter news, and more fan-related goodness than you can possibly read every day. It truly will be the Daily Prophet.

Second, I'm stretched to my limits managing a staff of 102, with several more applicants still emailing me every day, hoping to join as columnists. With this new system, I will hire Sub-Editors - additional management so even more people can work for the site. Several people have already been chosen to serve as Sub-Editors for the site, which means all we need is to set up the system, and we can welcome dozens more to our ranks.

Third, even with Sub-Editors, a few dozen additional columnists just isn't enough of an improvement for me. This site, having proven a successful learning environment for children, will open up to teachers, clubs, home-schoolers, and eager children who simply want to write about Harry Potter and have their work published online. A safe online community has been developed that will allow a teacher - for example - to create a small branch of the Daily Prophet. Basically, their own miniature version of the Daily Prophet the way it is now. That teacher will act as their branch's Editor, hiring their students as columnists. Students will be able to publish their homework online, benefiting from the excitement of seeing their hard work presented on the world stage. A handy management control panel will mean easier organization for the teacher, making the whole classroom experience more stream-lined and enjoyable for both teacher and student.
Once a month or so, teachers can sponsor a few of their students' best work, nominating it for a special spotlight section on the main Daily Prophet website. Sub-Editors will select a few articles from each classroom, publishing them before an even wider audience straight onto the main page of the entire website.

This feature won't be limited to teachers. It will be open to everyone. Disappointed that there isn't enough room for you on the main Daily Prophet's staff? No worries. Gather a few of your friends around, elect an Editor, and all of you can create your own Daily Prophet thanks to a simple and easy to use system on the main site to create your own branch as well. You'll have all the same tools as teachers, and all of the same benefits.

Fourth, because the creation of branches will mean adding a user database to the website, you'll be able to sign onto a member's only section of the site, allowing you access to special features, even more articles, fan fiction archives, et cetera. You'll be able to save your favorite articles to your own special favorites section. Like the work of one particular author? Set your preferences to send you a message every time that author publishes something new. We're even trying to work out a way so that every user will have their own @dprophet.com email address, but that's still in development.

Fifth, Harry Potter fans are also fans of other books as well. Why limit this great system to just Potter fandom? Let's open it up, expand it, and include other great works as well. That's just what I aim to do. First, we'll expand to include an entirely new section of the website, dedicated to The Lord of the Rings. Basically, we'll be duplicating the entire Daily Prophet system, changing the colors, and creating a whole new gateway to Middle Earth. If you're not a Rings fan, don't worry, the Potter Daily Prophet that you're used to will be exactly the same. These two worlds won't intermix; think of it more like next door neighbors.
Once the Lord of the Rings community establishes itself, we'll continue to add other series, including Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' & 'Ender's Shadow' books. Perhaps, in the next few years, we might even include a special magical wardrobe so you can all embark on a trip through Narnia.

The possibilities are endless with this new system. The expansion will have an immeasurable impact upon Harry Potter fandom. It will open it up to anyone anywhere who wants to become a part of this world. It will connect us across borders, sharing in the love of literature and creative writing.

So what's stopping us? Obviously, this is a massive undertaking. There are people waiting right now to set this into motion. I have programmers, sub-editors, columnists; everything lined up. Support has been absolutely unanimous. Now all we need is money.

Why money? Because this system will be so complex and will be a home for so many people that it will need a considerable amount of server space. It needs enough hardware to support a global community. That won't come cheap. Thankfully my eldest brother Kevin - who will serve on Prophet, Incorporated's Board of Directors - is an expert in this arena. He has been researching servers for the project, and so far the best and most cost effective machine for this project will still cost around $5,000.

Then, once we have that server, there's the matter of hosting. Servers need to be connected to the internet with an incredibly fast connection. This can become quite costly.

What's more is I would like to be able to keep this legitimate. I would like to be able to pay the programmers for their assistance, as this is a massive undertaking.

Additionally, if funding will allow, I would prefer to be able to hire Sub-Editors full-time. I want to pay them, so that they can dedicate a full 40 hour work-week to this site. That will mean faster updating, better and more constant communication with the community, and greater responsibility. This isn't a necessity, but surely you can understand how much the site will benefit from having constant and reliably guidance from a staff that works regular hours.

To get this system running, it won't need a great deal of money initially, to get the bare basics going. If we can raise enough money for the server and hosting, the rest can be established through the generosity of various programmers and individuals who have promised to support the site as much as they can without pay. This can be accomplished, and it will solve the site's problems. It will grow, it will evolve, it will teach, and most importantly, it will no longer be subject to my health. I will still serve as the site's Editor in Chief, I will still update; I will still be in charge of the whole outfit. But the site will no longer depend on me 100%. I cannot tell you how much that means to me. It has been heartbreaking to watch the site fall apart while I'm ill. I have absolutely no idea when I will recover, I do not want to keep on watching, unable to do anything about it. This site has been operating for too long and too many wonderful people have done too much for this project, just to watch it all fall apart because one tiny person - me - is too unhealthy to keep up with it. That, to me, would be a tragedy.

How will the site get the money it needs for this project? Once all of the forms are filled out to incorporate the site and to register with the Internal Revenue Service, I will be allowed to accept donations from anyone. The benefit of this is that all donations to the Daily Prophet will be tax deductible. After the whole thing is legitimate legally, my first step will be to approach various businesses, seeking corporate donations. I'm not sure how successful this will be, because of the fact that Harry Potter is owned, and closely guarded, by AOL/Time Warner. So far, every company I have asked is incredibly frightened of Warner Brothers, understandably so.

However unlikely corporate sponsorship seems, I'm still going to try for that as much as I can. But if that fails, I will need your help. Every day the Daily Prophet receives hundreds - even thousands - of visitors from around the world. If in one day only 100 people donated $10, that's $1,000. I want to get this going, I know it will benefit everyone who participates in it. And I want to provide this service for free. I don't want people to have to pay anything to join this site, to open their own branches. Membership fees will never become a part of the Daily Prophet. Never. But in order to keep this site free, I will need financial help.

I'm willing to put forth several hundred dollars of my own money. I wouldn't ask this of anyone if I didn't know it would be worth it. I don't want anyone to break the bank. If you only send in a dollar, it will still help tremendously.

I would also like to organize several fund-raising events around the world to spread the word about this plan. Once everything is organized and all the proper forms have been filed, I will work as much as I can spreading the news through the media. I still have several connections with newspapers in the United States - if you have any media contacts at all, please send them my way. If you have any connections within corporations who might be interested in sponsoring the project, please see what you can do. If you have a bunch of geek friends (gotta love geeks!) who like to put together servers, or host the server, send them my way. If you run a Harry Potter fan site, please send your visitors our way so that we can spread the word as much as possible. We can work together now, making sure this plan will become a reality, but if you're interested in donating money, please don't send anything yet! I want to make sure this is all 100% legitimate and legal first. Once those forms are filed, we can work around the clock. I know that with the power we have as Harry Potter fans is immense. If we work together, we can make this happen. Even if you can't donate money, please consider donating time and other resources.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please send them my way at DailyProphet2003@aol.com. I would love to know what you think, if you have any ideas on how to improve the plan, or simply to say hello. I may not respond right away, but anything you can do to lend support will be greatly appreciated!

New Subject Introduced to Hogwarts
Exclusive story by Ally Potter

A new Subject has been added to the Hogwarts 5th year and up curriculum. This new subject is called SMWB or the study of magical wizarding breakthroughs. This is a bit like a history class, but it is focused on the magical breakthroughs witches and wizards have made. Any fifth, sixth, or seventh year interested in taking this class in the fall, please give this information to professor Minerva McGonagall.

Job Numbers Falling in the Wizarding World
by Sarah Weasley

Ah yes, the luxurious life of working at the Daily Prophet... but not every one is as lucky as I am. Many young wizards, of age, but unemployed are wandering the streets each day in search for a job. Is it the Ministry of Magic's fault? Is it the old wizards with prolonged life who are still working at one job after 40 or 50 years? Is it the young wizards themselves who are causing their own misery because of being too picky? I think it might be all of the above. Below are my reasons:

1. Ministry of Magic: The Ministry of Magic has recently added a new branch to their buissness, the Honest Working branch. This job makes sure that the wizards aren't just conjuring up more money, or bewitching their bosses into giving them a raise. You have to work honestly now, only a minimum of magic used on the job. So many jobs out there require huge amounts of charms and spells to even survive the work area, and now those jobs are empty, and the factories are closing. Just last year the Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent Spray factory was closed. How will wizards get jobs with these new strict rules?

2. Old Wizards: If you prolong your life in the future, please retire so your job slot may be open to younger wizards who are looking to make a living. Last fall the count of wizards with prolonged lives reached 10,000 if they all retired, so many young wizards could find a job, and this job problem would be over. But some wizards are just stubborn, they love their work, and want to keep at it. One wizard only prolonged his life so he could work! We need the job slots that the older wizards have. If your grandfather is still working, tell him to retire and get on with his life. Then snatch his job. :)

3. Picky Teens: Many of the wizards looking for a job are still jobless because they are looking for a job they like. Some just pass by the Daily Prophet Headquarters without a second glance, and continue to stay jobless. With the new sites opening on the Daily Prophet in the near future, many more jobs will be available. The picky ones will just stay jobless, but the ones eager to get a job, any job, they'll enter the great life of writing for the Daily Prophet. If you haven't been employed here yet, I suggest you go do that straight away!

So I leave you to ponder this fact. If you are jobless, read this article again, and think about it next time you pass the Daily Prophet headquarters and it has a HELP WANTED sign in the window.

Wizard.com?
By Nathan Potter

Many new Witches and Wizards are beggining to join the Muggles in the online community. Most have signed up with the MSN and AOL networks. The majority feel it is the quickest way to recieve updates on the non-mgical world.

"I have a lot of muggle friends who don't know I'm a witch. It is really wingin' to get to interact with muggles and find out that we're pretty much the same...but some of their word I don't get! Cool? G2G? BrB? LOL? What is this?" says Hildy MacKenna, known on AOL as WiccaMaster28024.

If you would like more information just visit aol.com using a muggle computer or MSN.com using the same method!

New Wand Invented
By Mandi Granger

Today a new wand a powerful wand was invented. Built with redwood,unicorn hair,and one dragon scale. This is a very powerful wand. The wand was invented by Ron Mimacolifica Finalati.This wand can with stand any weather and even the toughest womping Willow.This wand will last through any thing. This is one of the best wands they invented so far."These wands can barely stay in stock" says a man who owns a wand shop. Who know's what will come for these powerful wands in the future.

Rumors
By Abby Potter

Hi everybody! I have collected some onto on the new HP book, The Order of the Phoenix. It might come out this summer or later on. Fifth year for Harry duh so here's what I got!

1. might be some Harry/ginny or harry/hermione but for me it must be ron/hermione right?
2. His parents job will be revealed.
3. why some people are ghosts and some not.
4. Some say and I mean SOME think his godmother will be revealed.
5. The centaurs in the forest weren't talking about Harry's death in the immediate future. Their gonna make some return though.
6. I think this isn't true but hey their just rumors: Lily was a Death Eater but returned to the light side.
7. A female DADA teacher. Really hope we get a normal one this year. I'm kinda sick of impostors except for Lupin though
8. Lupins back!
9. this I know you know Hermione's a prefect.
10. One of the characters are supposed to kick the bucket might be Colin.
11. we all no Voldemort and Harry's gonna meet somehow.
Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch
1. This torch is both good & evil. Kills evil, heals good.
2. the color of Harry's eyes have something to do with it.
3. Ron gonna go and fight with Harry cause he's famous.
Book seven
1. Harry Potter and the Fortress of the Shadows?
2. Hermione's head girl
3. Harry's eyes are still important in this
4. more Lily Potter stuff.
5. Sirius's name is cleared
6. Lupin shows up with a larger role
7. Harry kills Voldemort or the other way around (shudder)
8. some Snape/? Ewww!
9. Harry & Malfoy team up to fight something
10.A student becomes a teacher. some say Neville
11. Harry might die
12. Peter turns up
13.the last word of the book may be scar
14.Harry will not be an animagus
Others
Harry gets a howler from our dearest Dark Lord Voldie
Harry's Griffindors or Slytherins heir
Harry might be related to our dearest Voldie
More next time I'm a little sneeker aren't I?
Thank you www.hogwarts.esmartweb.com!

Sirius will have his name cleared when Wormtail comes back in book 7. (Leslie)

Voldemort Spotted
by Joe Black

You-Know-Who was spotted at an Irish pub getting a drink. The manager said a guy with red eyes and slits for a nose came and asked for a drink. The manager was a wizard so he said no and tried to curse him, but Voldemort blocked it and the owner is in the hospital in stable condition. The MOM got there, but Voldemort was long gone. All the muggles had their memories erased.

Leaky Cauldron on Holiday
By Liliana Bloom

The inkeeper of our beloved The Leaky Cauldron suffered a minor heart attack this Friday, from "too much stress" said a friend. Tom, as we simply know him, was down in the cellar calculating the week's profits when patrons heard a loud thud and came rushing down.

"I ran down as fast as I could, and we saw him lying on the ground," says Leaky Cauldron guest Henry Reno. "He obviously fell down and someone called the hospital. It was quite scary."

Tom was rushed to St. Mingo's Hospital For the Normally Ill. Doctors came out 2 hours after Tom arrived to assure everyone that Tom only suffered an acute heart attack and was resting. He will stay at St. Mingo's for a week to recover and will return to The Leaky Cauldron next Saturday. He will begin working again on Monday. Patrons have been moved to the RCMP in Hogsmeade where they are said to be having a lovely time.

Test
By Mandi Granger

Here at Hogwarts the young students are getting ready for the end of the year test. The tests are on things the students have learned through this year. Although their test doesn't start till next month they study all this month. I asked Hermione Granger what she thought of the test and the studying: "Good idea if I say so myself, all I'm doing this month is studying for the big month." The test takes two whole weeks and ends with a big celebration. I asked a teacher for some studying tips that would help you next month.

1. Eat a good breakfast
2. Sleep
3. Study your spells
4. Ask your teachers for extra help
5. Get in a little study group with your friends
6. Practice your potions
7. Go to the library
8. The teachers are going to let you guys out early for an extra two hour study session.

*The library will only allow a certain amount of kids in the library at a time*

5th Year Student at Sheng-Yu Skips Year
by Marie E. Evans

Peking (Associated Prophet)- Tiptim Ying of the Sheng-Yu Academy has been awarded the Sheng-Yu Thiang award. Normally, this would not be an incredibly big deal, but Tiptim Ying is underage to receive this award! Here's what happened: Miss Ying is currently a 6th year but was never in 5th year! Why? Because she did so well on her OWLS. In fact, the tests state that "Tiptim Ying, daughter of Arum Faa-Ying, is presently allowed to go into 7th year, although she is but 14…" The staff at Sheng-Yu have put her on trial for a one month span of time to see if she is really ready for 6th year. I was lucky enough to get an interview.

Marie Evans - Hello, Tiptim.
Tiptim Ying- Good day, Marie.
ME - How did you feel when you got the letter saying that you would be placed a year ahead?
TY - Well, I felt scared because I leave my friends Chianti and Yenta, and happy for this is great honor.
ME - I read in the Yen-Rae (China's wizarding newspaper) that there was a big party for you after you said yes.
TY - Hahahaha! That is true, but it was not big. Only 30 or so people came to it. The food was yummy and I wore red silk pants and a shirt with golden dragons embroidered on them.
ME - How perfectly lovely! It's been a pleasure speaking with you. Good luck!
TY - Thanks, it was. I enjoy speaking to you also and thanks again!

We all hope that Tiptim is very happy in the 6th the year and that she succeeds.

Newton Scamander, Knocked Unconscious
By LucindaKingston

Newton Scamander, the author of the best selling Magical Creatures book in all of Britain, was found unconscious in an alleyway near Blitron Pub, a legendary pub founded by St. Patrick himself, in Dublin. He was rushed to St. Mungo's in the Heart of Ireland, and had been in a coma four weeks before recovering. Mr.Scamandar didn't recover very well. When he finally regained consciousness, they discovered he had amnesia, a rare occurrence. Since he has a large bump on his skull and had a concussion, the doctors have drawn the conclusion that he was hit on the head.

"Newton, Mr. Newton. Can you hear me?" whispered the nurses to Scamander repeatedly for 7 days, not expecting a reply anytime soon.
"Newton? Who is Newton?" Scamander asked, startling them.
"He has amnesia. This rarely occurs," says Dr. Nory Ryan.
Then I tried to ask him a few questions (I have met him before, so it wasn't as if I was trying to get the poor man's autograph)

ME: Hello? Can you hear me?
NS: Yes. May I inquire as to who you are and why you are disturbing my shuteye?
ME: I am sorry if I am disturbing your sleep, but I am hereto ask you a few questions. May I?
NS: No. Go away.
ME: Do you remember me, Newton? Mr. Scamander, I am Lucinda Kingston. Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter. Do you remember me?
NS: Let me think... Lucinda, is it? I recall Albus, thought there was never a Lucinda. What do you want from me?
ME: Since you have met me a few times before, the doctors were wondering if you could remember anything about me.
NS: That crazy Albus! Him and his music career! I said to him "Albus, you'll never get anywhere playing a pipe and dancing in the street for money" But he became a star. How wrong I was!
ME: I do believe that he never played a pipe while dancing in the street for money, Mr. Scamander. You must have him mixed up with someone else.
NS: NO, I specifically remember him playing the pipe and. Are you still there girl?
ME: Yes, I am right in front of you. You are looking at me now.
NS: BELINDA? OH! It's been ages since I last saw you!
ME: Lucinda, Mr. Newton. You saw me last 3 months ago.
NS: Oh, whatever. Oh, oh, remember the time when you where four and you ran around my yard with only your underpants on, and how your mom chased you around the carrot farm?
ME: Mr. Scamander, that never happened.
NS: How is your Mom? Well, I haven't seen Kari and Bob for 5 years! And Bobby? How's the old shop owner?
ME: My mother passed on 3 years ago. And Bobby is not my father's name Mr. Newton.
NS: Dead, Kari? Seems a bit strange don't you think?
ME: She disappeared. Mr. Scamander may we please get off the subject of my late mother?
NS: Of course Belinda!
ME: It's Lucinda.
NS: Okay Belinda.
ME: You say you remember my father, correct?
NS: Yes, Leonard. What a riot! Well, that's probably what he got from owning a joke shop.
ME: You remember he owned a joke shop?
NS: OF COURSE! Him and Kelly!
ME: Do you mean my aunt Kelly?
NS: NO, his pet bear Kelly!
ME: He never had a pet bear named Kelly.
NS: That bear could do a million tricks. She really like Leonard.
ME: Leonard is not my father's name either.
LS: Of course Belinda.
ME: Do you at LEAST remember anything about yourself?
NS: Only that I am a handsome inventor.
ME: Mr. Newton, you wrote the book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them."
NS: Did I? Well, I might say that I am an over achiever, inventing the broomstick and the wand.
ME: Come again? You never invented those things.
NS: No reason to be jealous, Belinda.
ME: LUCINDA.
NS: I'm sure it is.
ME: Never mind Mr. Scamander.
NS: I see your jealousy has overcome your wit.
ME: I am sorry, but I have to go Mr. Scamander. Good-bye.
LS: Merry Christmas Belinda.
ME: Yes, and a Happy New Year. (Sarcasm)
LS: New Year? But the hedgehog saw his shadow, so we have 6 more weeks of Easter. Oh! I forgot, when Mardi Gras is the same day as Valentine's Day all the leprechauns pinch us and then we light the menorah to celebrate the New Year!
ME: Yes, good-bye Mr. Newton.
NS: Ta ta!

It is most obvious that he DOES have amnesia. I REALLY hope he remembers something that is true. I am sure that he will recover soon, or at least get my name right.

Accident At The Ministry
By Ginny Weasley

Dinni Minu was fined 50 Galleons today for reckless charm work as a result of a horrible accident in the misuse of muggle artifacts office. '

"It wasn't even really an accident" Says a befuddled Author Weasley "Minu attempted a hovering charm on a large filing cabinet and as a joke and thought it would be funny if the cabinet was placed upside-down on the floor." The cabinet landed on Lucius Malfoy's foot as he entered the office. It took the ministry hours to clean up the files and even longer to put them back into order. Lucius Malfoy was taken to St.Mungo's hospital to get the foot healed. And Minu was given the work of cleaning up the many files, without the help of a wand.

Interview with Megora McGonagall
by Isabella Jynx

We all know that our lovely editor Megora McGonagall has been flooded with many questions, but while stopped at RCMP, I managed to grab an interview with her over a slice of her delicious chocolate pie.

Isabella: I know you've probably been asked this question a million times, but what inspired you to create the Daily Prophet?

Megora: Inspiration for the Daily Prophet came from lots of places, honestly. First, I had seen how the Harry Potter books had sparked a love of reading amongst Harry Potter fans. Being an avid writer, I decided I wanted to try and turn that love of reading into a love of writing. Hence how I hire children to write for the newspaper.Secondly, I was just incredibly bored. It just worked out so well. My friend and previous CoEditor, Liz Malfoy, knew a girl who needed a Daily Prophet for her online Hogwarts, so that gave me an excuse to get it going. The timing was perfect, the inspiration was there, and thankfully I've been able to keep up with it.

Isabella: Whew! Now that THAT question's been answered, let me ask you another. What is most likely the most common kind of e-mail you receive?

Megora: Hmmm, most common email... Mostly I get emails from kids asking to be columnists, kids asking me to look at their websites, etc. It's really nothing too strange, it's just there's so much of it that it piles up and gets overwhelming.

Isabella: Poor you! But I've heard you're the youngest Animagus. How do you feel about that?

Megora: It's rather fun being the youngest animagus, although I believe I've been usurped by a few of my younger peers now that I've aged a bit since I set the record. I'm hoping to hold on to that title for a while, though. :)

Isabella: Look out for Riley Ravenclaw, another columnist. I think she's got that record; she says she transformed at the age of 8! Anyway, I've been wondering...was Calculo created before or after the Daily Prophet?

Megora: Calculo got started almost exactly a year after the Daily Prophet was launched. Initially it only took five months to set up, then it got deleted, and now it's taken a year to completely recreate the site. Of course, I didn't just recreate it, my perfectionist side had to add a whole bunch of new features that caused the long delay. :)

Isabella: But we always expect you to be perfect! No, I'm just kidding. What do you expect in a good article?

Megora: My favorite columns usually consist of personal style, humor, and truth. I always love reading articles where someone has taken a real-life event and put a magical spin on it. Almost as if the magical world were looking at a muggle event, or if a muggle event really wasn't muggle-related at all. For instance, one of my friends wrote a hilarious guest article about Warner Brothers threatening the fans who ran Harry Potter fan sites, about how WB had been possessed by You-Know-Who. It put a comical twist on the situation, and although it was horribly pointed toward Warner Brothers in a rather mocking way, it had me laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair.

Isabella: I just haven't got that humor in my articles! (Sighs) Next question: What's it like managing Daily Prophet?

Megora: It is extremely difficult, but extremely worth it. Since I'm the only one managing and publishing the site, there are quite a few cons to running the Daily Prophet; not being able to update as much as I'd like to, not being able to answer my emails as quickly as I prefer, etc. But it has allowed me to interact with some really wonderful children, parents, and teachers, and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

Isabella: Any major problems handling the Daily Prophet?

Megora: Heh, yeah, quite a few times. In December of 2000 I was calculating how much money I had saved up from my allowance, but was quite upset when I realized I didn't have enough money to keep the Daily Prophet going. I went on to one of my message boards, just looking for a place to vent, and I lamented my financial problems. Not expecting anything to happen out of it, I was immensely surprised when fans started saying they wouldn't ever let the Daily Prophet die because of money problems. They told me to open a P.O. Box, and within a month fans from all over the world had sent me $280 -- more than enough to cover the webhosting fees. That was a major problem that could have stopped the site dead in its tracks, and instead, it turned out beautifully.

Isabella: Final question! What is your favorite topic to read about in our online newspaper?

Megora: Hmm... tough question... I'm not sure I can really answer that one. I really love each subject. Each topic on the Daily Prophet was added with immense thought and careful consideration. Now, I am a little partial to Transfiguration, because I started writing that department when the Daily Prophet first began. But honestly, I love all of them.

Isabella: Thanks for your time, Megora!

Kwikspell Company Sheds 4000 Jobs
Reported by Pierre Viridian

On Tuesday the direstor of the Kwikspell company announced that until further notice four thousand jobs will be made redundant. Kwikspell offers courses to help squibs (people born in a wizarding family that have no magical powers) learn basic magic. The jobs lost are mainly in small countries such as Luxembourg, Andora, Bermuda and Fiji. The company has announced free travel to the nearest Kwikspell centre for all affected.

Wizarding Names Leaking Out to Muggle World

London (Associated Prophet) - A housing development in South Cambridgeshire has mysteriously named one of their budding streets Quidditch Lane. Sally Carroll of South Cambridgeshire County Council assured the Ministry of Magic that their choice of words has nothing whatsoever with the magical world, and the very thought of the possible implications of such a magical name were never amongst their intentions.

"The possible curiosity among muggles regarding the use of such a funny word as Quidditch might spark unwelcomed curiosity," stated Ewan Smiley, Head of the Ministry's Muggle Department. "It may mean extra shifts for my team, and that's not something we're up to at the moment, what with the ruckus the British Tourist Authority is stirring up with their 'Pottering Around the UK' tourism campaign. The reports we've been getting about the lengths those muggles are going to for a glimpse of magic... you can't even begin to imagine."

Sally Carroll continues to deny that the housing development has any intention to disrupt the Ministry's work.Carroll claims they used the word as an homage to an old English word for a dry ditch, and was not a reference to the high-speed aerial game beloved by so many witches and wizards around the globe. This idea remains to be accepted by the Ministry, however. "Who'd want to pay homage to a dry ditch?" retorts Smiley. "I can't imagine any nice young couple turning to each other and saying, 'Oh, darling, let's by a house in a dry ditch!' It just doesn't work. Hogwash, if you ask me."

Carroll did admit, albeit reluctantly, that "the residents are thrilled to bits. They think it's magic!"

Smiley declined further comment, stating only, "Harumph."

For further information regarding this situation, visit the muggle news source Reuters by clicking here.

More than 30 Harry Potter Books Destroyed
- Artimeties Winburaffo, Associated Prophet

An Alamogordo, New Mexico church, the Christ Community Church, burned more than 30 Harry Potter books, along with Disney's Snow White, CDs by Eminem, and novels by Stephen King, claiming that they were all evil. Harry Potter was the main target of the burning, though. Jack Brock, the pastor of the Christ Community Church, stated that the books were "a masterpiece of satanic deception" and "These books teach children how they can get into witchcraft and become a witch, wizard or warlock". He admitted he had never read any of the Harry Potter series, but claimed that he had researched the contents. " Across the street, protesters lined up for a quarter of a mile, chanting "Stop Burning Books". One even had a sign that said "Hitler - Bin Laden - Pastor Brock - what great company." The church then proceeded to sing "Amazing Grace", in an attempt to drown out the protesters voices. "It may be useless but we want (the church) to know the community is not behind them," said Joann Booth, who was in the line of protesters with her four grandchildren. Another woman said, "Burning books leads to ignorance and that's why I'm here. My son loves Harry Potter." After all the publicity, Brock stated that "There are those that are doing their best to make us look bad. But because of this, I've been able to preach the gospel around the world." Showing that the town was not in support of Brock, on Tuesday, there was a display in the Alamogordo library on the books. For more information, please check out the Christ Community Church's web page at: http://www.ccc3.org/

Rumor - Does Harry Potter have a Sister?
by Isabella Jynx

A/N: I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings in this article, so please do not send me e-owls saying "Oh you insulted me" etc etc. Thank you.

We all know the rumors about different scars could very well be true, but there are various claims. Eventually we find out that most "scars" are ink. But could this next rumor change Mr. Harry Potter's life? Being a witch sight seer myself, I like to travel around the world not only in search of Magical Creatures but for other reasons. I have seen news articles, conversations, everything. People are exclaiming that Harry Potter wasn't James' and Lily's only child.

Many young girls are claiming to be a twin or a sister of Harry. They find lots of proof that could proove their point. Unfortunately, we've found many cases where people are just after Mr. Potter's money. Many of us know that the Potters have a fortune hidden in Gringotts. The only way to get themoney? To be a descendant.

Now I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings as I explained earlier, but I think this sister thing is a bunch of nonsense. Of course, it's my opinion. Harry Potter shares my same feelings. I caught up with him last Saturday at Hogwarts while paying a visit to Dumbledore, and Harry and I had a pretty earnest chat.
Isabella: I'm aware that you have heard rumors that you have a sister.
Harry: Yes, many witches are claiming this is true.
Isabella: Have you ever encountered one of those people?
Harry: A first year came up to me and told me that her friend kept claiming to be my sister, but we later found out she was lying.
Isabella: That's not very nice. I mean, why would she want to be known as your sister?
Harry: I've heard they're after my money.
Isabella: (grimacing) So I've heard as well.
Harry: Yes, it's not too pleasant.
Isabella: How about a quick question to wrap this up. How do you feel about the claims that you have a sister?
Harry: I don't like it at all...I feel very uncomfortable because it seems so fake. If I really do have a sister, maybe it would be great but the falseness of this whole thing...it's awful.
Isabella: Thank you, Mr. Potter.

Now if any of you have been insulted by this rumor, understand this: If you are THE sister of Harry Potter, the Ministry would love to know. And please...don't make it all up.

Rumors - A Star Shaped Scar?
by Isabella Jynx

A/N: From now on I will be posting some rumors around. None of them apply bad things in any way, but some pretty interesting news. No putdowns or mean things like the gossip the Muggles spread!

Talk has risen all over the wizarding world. We all know that Harry Potter's famous lightning bolt scar was the result of a Dark Curse backfired. We also know that a cut like this is very rare. But have other wizards or witches been marked by the Vol-sorry, You-Know-Who?

A young girl named Katelyn Harvard, the daughter of Professor Gregureus Harvard at SFSWW (School for Sick Witches and Wizards) supposedly has been another one scarred. The story is that Katelyn was a 3 year old (2 years older than Harry) and her mother was taking care of her while her father was out. It continues saying that Voldemort came and killed Mrs. Harvard, but failed to kill Katelyn. As the curse came towards her, she somehow ran from it, escaping with a cut. The tale goes on to say the scar on her forehead is shaped like a star. Now we all know that this is a rumor, but if it is indeed true, we have a lot more powerful child wizards than we thought we did.

A New Muggle Job Includes A Witch and Wizard
By Cassy Potter-Krum

The other day I came across my brother,Harry Potter. He found out mine and Draco Malfoy's secret Muggle job. Street car racing. He didn't know what it was nor did Hermione and Ron. A street car race in England (Well actually I originally did in Bulgaria in the muggle town but I was moved), with all the muggles. I drive a Neon Green and Black Eclipse. I win every race I'm in. Draco is pretty good too, he comes in second. Wel,l since no one in the wizard world has heard of street car racing, it is where 4 or 5 cars get in a line. You race down the street, but usually the runs are 20 or 30 miles out. You hit turns and sometimes other cars. The object is to be the first to cross the finish line. You can do what ever except knock out another race car driver.

When the ministry of magic found out my secret they were really mad, except Lucius Malfoy because he loves me, but Mr. Malfoy talked them into making it a sport in the wizard world. The thing Is, though, you can't play for money in the wizard world. So, if you would like to Drag Race (another word for street car race) go to the ministry of magic and check it out. It's really fun and cool.

Exclusive Interview with Albus Dumbledore

By Callisto Riddle

Yours truly at The Daily Prophet (that's me!) has finally managed to wangle an interview with, yes you've guessed it, the man behind the Voldemort Resistance Group and acclaimed sorceror, Professor Albus Dumbledore himself. I'm sorry it's rather small but, as is well known, the man himself is currently extremely busy.

CALLISTO: Hi, sir. How are you?

DUMBLEDORE: Fine, fine. You wished to ask me some questions?

CALLISTO: Yes, sir. First off, who or what exactly is VRAG?

DUMBLEDORE: VRAG, the Voldemort Resistance Group- we added the A to make it more pronounceable- is a group of people, led of course by yourself and Harry Potter, who are willing to give their lives if necessary to defeat the current Dark uprising. We cover espionage, counter espionage, guard those who are believed to be in danger, and of course fight. I am afraid I cannot give details of members as this would put them in too much danger. Suffice it to say that they come from all walks of wizarding life, many countries, and have formed a worldwide network to investigate and infiltrateVoldemort's activities- in the present, past and future.

CALLISTO: Right. At this point, do you have any inkling as to Voldemort's current position and strength?

DUMBLEDORE: My sorces currently tell me that he has returned to old territory and has hidden out in Albania. He is thought to be gathering strength, although his followers are wildly scattered. Might I please remind any would-be heroes NOT to go looking for him, as he is well known to be extremely dangerous. I am afraid I cannot be any more explicit, but news of him is decidedly sketchy.

CALLISTO: Thank you anyway Professor. Now, following recent calls for you to replace Cornelius Fudge as Minister for Magic, and the whispers of your arguments with him, what details can you give me of your recent dealings with Mr. Fudge?

DUMBLEDORE: Very few, as I have not heard anything from him for several weeks. However, I can say that he has distanced himself from me completely. Also, I have no intention of taking over from him as Minister, as doing so would detract from my current work with VRAG.

CALLISTO: I'm sure Fudge will be happy to hear that, Professor. One last question, though, as I know you're a very busy man: will you be continuing to enlist new members for VRAG or do you believe that you have enough fighters?

DUMBLEDORE: That's very difficult to say, Callisto. However, for the moment there is no intention of enlisting new members although naturally we are always ready to accept new joiners.

CALLISTO: Thank you very much for your time, Professor Dumbledore, sir. This interview is over.

N.B: If anyone has some good questions/suggestions for interviews, send them to me at callistoriddle@hotmail.com and I will try to put them to the people concerned when I get enough.

Ciao for now!

Callisto Riddle (a.k.a Rubii Ferrara, Splashstar, Splash, Herm. G, Bethan, CoolCat and others)

Harry Potter Coins?!
By Sam Flitwick

Yes, you read that correctly, Harry Potter coins. They are on sale from those infomercials on tv. It has a portrait of the queen on the front, and is legal tender in England. It is larger than an American silver dollar, colored gold. How much they are worth, I don't know. You cannot get them in stores, and although they are real money, they were uncirculated.

Their real purpose, of course, is to be a collection item. They are selling them in America for $19.99. On the back, their is a picture of Harry casting a spell with his wand in hand and his robes on. It's not the most original of pictures, but it serves its purpose. Those are the facts; here follow my opinions on these coins. (note: the following text is my opinion only. If you would like to email me on the subject, you may do so. However, if you flame me or send hate mail, a flame war may ensure and a lot of people will end up with hurt feelings. You have been warned.)

First of all, Harry Potter already has enough publicity. For god's sake, they have Harry Potter underwear! (no, I don't have any, but thank you for asking) Why are they minting a coin about a character in a book? What purpose does it serve? Frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about the Harry Potter merchandise. We're making a bunch of greedy businessmen-and women rich by buying this. No, JK Rowling does not get any, sorry. Sure, these are some of the best if not the best books that I have ever read, but I say best books, not movie, not clothing, not coin.

If you honestly want to buy the coin, knock yourself out. If you'd like to spend $20 on a coin with a picture of your favorite book character on it, go right ahead. I'm just telling you what I see when I look at those coins, or the clothes, or even the movie: I see a corporation like AOL/Time Warner trying to squeeze every cent they can out of a book. If you don't, then you have your opinion. And I have mine. That's all, I guess.

Money Mix-Up -- Gringotts Apologises
By Callisto Riddle
Dramatic Turn-Around in the Fortunes of Some Lucky Wizards

Our wizarding bank, Gringotts, has apologised today for the mix-up of thousands of Galleons of wizarding money. In this worrying incident, some depositors were given only an eighth of the money they had invested, while other received eight times as much as they had invested but were dishonest enough not to inform the authorities of this fact.

We at the Daily Prophet tracked down Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 31, who is believed to have profited to the tune of 5000 Galleons from the banking blunder. He declined to comment, but his wife told me to keep my nose out or she'd put a hundred-year curse on me.

I also tracked down one Arthur Weasley, 46, left almost knut-less from the mix up but delighted tp discover that 8053 Galleons would be returned to him. He told me: "We are delighted to have out money returned and will be able to enjoy a higher standard of living from it." Mr. Weasley is head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department at the Ministry for Magic.

A Special Call to Children Around the World

American President George W. Bush has issued a special request to the children of the United States, asking them to raise at least one dollar for a very special purpose. "I ask you to join in a special effort to help the children of Afghanistan," stated the President on October 11. "Their country has been through a great deal of war and suffering. Many children there are starving and are severely malnourished. One in three Afghan children is an orphan. Almost half suffer chronic malnutrition. And we can, and must, help them... We are asking every child in America to earn or give a dollar that will be used to provide food and medical help for the children of Afghanistan."

In an answer to President Bush's call, the Daily Prophet will be donating $25 of the funds that were donated by fans of our site last winter when we were unable to pay for webspace costs. That money, now in a savings account for this site thanks to the generous support of others offering free webhosting, seems perfect for this great cause.

We're asking all visitors of our site, no matter what country you're from, to help in this cause. Harry Potter has brought so many children together in the fight for literacy. Let's band together again for a cause just as noble, just as important. First, find a way to earn a dollar or more, then send it straight to the White House, which is acting as the global collection point for this important cause. Second, email the Daily Prophet and tell us what you did to raise that money. We'll prepare a list of experiences from our visitors to inspire others to help.
Please, send in at least a dollar. This is absolutely crucial to the survival of millions of children. We know we can help. Send your donations to:
America's Fund for Afghan Children
c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Or, if you would like more information, visit whitehouse.gov

Daily Prophet Fan Fiction Wins Award

Megora McGonagall's first work of fan fiction, the monsterous Harry Potter and the Idolatry of Yore which weighs in at a current 33 chapters, has been bestowed with the Obscurus award for best fan fiction.

ObscurusBooks is a Harry Potter fan fiction website slated for release within the next few months. Angelina Lupin is the webmistress, and we look forward to seeing what she has to offer.

Harry Potter and the Idolatry of Yore is now a permanent feature at the Daily Prophet, and can be read at www.dprophet.com/iofy
Look for new additions to IofY soon, including a new look for the online book!