ah²¹ :: your invitation has arrived

Good morning all and welcome back to the penultimate Amino Hogwarts update of 2021!

Who'd have thought we'd make it through an entire month of chaos, homework and late-night escapades in the owlery but here we are!

I'm here with one of the most exciting updates of the school year as it is finally time to talk about this year's end of term ball! I've been working closely with the entire head team on this event for a while and I can't wait to see it come to life next weekend.

Today I'll just be covering the basics so you can start getting your outfits, plans (and maybe even dates!) ready for a night out but they'll be plenty more information coming your way next Monday in my final update!

This week's update is also your last chance to take a peek at the house point totals ahead of the final announcement (as by this time next week they'll be for my eyes only...) so make sure to stick around to the end for that!

Let's get started!

The end of term ball, otherwise known as the masquerade or yule ball, is one of the biggest highlights of the Amino Hogwarts calendar. Everyone dresses up, gets involved and has a wonderful time bidding farewell to the school year (and burning off that exam stress!)

This year the ball will begin at 7pm BST on Thursday 26th and end at 11:59pm BST on Sunday 29th.

We will have three ball chats:

- our central chat for roleplay and our big events

- two smaller locations, one for screening music and another for small activities run by the staff

I'll be releasing a full schedule for all these activities next week, so keep your eyes peeled!

I won't keep you in suspense any longer though, I'm thrilled to finally announce that this year's ball theme will be...

That's right, secret garden. We're getting the fairylights out of storage and stringing them up round the courtyard for a magical night of dreamy ballgowns, picnic banquets and ivy covered swinging benches.

I can't wait for you to see what we've got in store but I thought you'd appreciate a headstart when it came to planning your outfits!

Before you all rush to the comment section, let me answer a couple of our more popular questions:

Q: Can you bring a date?

A: Yes you can!

You are allowed to bring a date to this event however it is by no means mandatory! You can ask each other, boy, girl or nb; go with a group of friends; or fly solo. It's up to you though it's a lot of fun to have a dancing partner when the music starts.

Q: Do AH rules still apply?

A: Absolutely

This event is still a part of the Amino Hogwarts event and AH rules therefore still apply. It may be the end of the year but that doesn't mean the staff will be tolerating any disorderly behaviour i.e. all firewhiskey will be confiscated!

Q: How can I showcase my outfit?

A: There's plenty of options but no outfit blogs!

As this is a formal event, every student attending will be expected to dress appropriately for the theme!

I understand that outfits are a big part of this event and many of you will want to show them off though we have some restrictions on how you can do this.

Since they are considered roleplay related content, blogs that are dedicated to your outfit will be disabled.

Instead, here are some ways to show off your impeccable taste in formal wear:

- Use your outfit as a profile picture

- Add it to your bio

- Add it to the end of your entry for the heistress' challenge...

This next section will ring a bell with all the AH pensioners who can cast their minds all the way back to 2018. Taking part leaf out of my predecessor's book, we will be launching our very own Heistress' Challenge inspired by the natural themes of this year's ball!

There are three different options for you to choose from:

1 - Neville's Natural Masterpieces

For Artists and DIY experts

2 - Fleur's Floral Fashion Show

For Designers and Editors

3 - Lockhart's Puzzle Picnic

For Bloggers and Authors

Here's what you'll need to do:

Neville's Natural Masterpieces

For option you'll need to go outside and get up close and personal with the outside world.

You will need to create a piece of artwork or a craft project using only materials found in your surrounding area (and maybe a tiny bit of glue...)

Think writing in twigs or in the sand, think weaving flowers, think as far outside the box as possible!

The only rule is your design must be Harry Potter related, and if possible, also linked to this year's ball theme.

Fleur's Floral Fashion Show

For those option, you will need to start your own fashion line specifically for Harry Potter characters attending our AH end of year ball.

You can create your design as sketches or edits, or even in real life if you have the skills. Just make sure to consider how each design fits the character you are creating it for.

If you want to go the extra mile, create your outfits with a twist and make your line recycled/upcycled fashion (or make it eco friendly in other way!)

Lockhart's Puzzle Picnic

For this final option, you need to blog or write fiction about canon characters invited to a picnic in a secret garden at Hogwarts. The twist? No one knows where the invitation came from...

Write about what happens at the picnic, how each character would react, and what they would find/eat. Don't forget to unpick the mystery at the end, whether it's a paragraph in your blog or a conclusion to your story.

To take this challenge even further, create a puzzle or riddle for your characters (and us) to solve to find out the mystery!

No matter which option you pick, here's how to take part:

- Create your entry as a blog

- Include lots of detail, images and try to be as creative with the design as possible

- At the end of the blog, you may opt to share your own outfit for the ball

- Make sure to include the hashtag #AHSecretGarden

- All entries for this challenge will be featured if they meet the requirements for the category they fit it

- Every entry by a ed student (everyone in the community is welcome to take part!) will receive 25 points, 50 if the blog is featured.

- The best entry in each category will be announced as the winner at the ball and the authors will receive the custom title "Secret Gardener" to keep forever

That's it! Let me know if you have any questions about the challenge (or the ball more generally!)

I'll see you again next week to update you on all the chats and timings for the event.

Finally, all I have left to give you is your last house points update of the year!

You've all done amazingly well so far, it's just one final push with your exams! that you can earn up to 50 per subject so with just a couple of high scores, you could be the one to turn these tables around.

Here's where we're at for the end of week four:

Gryffindor :: 2020

Hufflepuff :: 2018

Ravenclaw :: 2293

Slytherin :: 3442

Good luck with all your lessons, matches and activities taking place this week! Don't forget to enjoy yourselves too, especially as AH exam season comes your way.

Finally, this is a call for an amnesty to whoever somehow broke into my personal bedroom on Saturday evening. A highly valuable artifact, only recently in my possession, was taken (as well as, I fear, several cats) which must be returned at once. No punishment will be given if the culprits come forward immediately.

That's all for this week, see you next Monday,

Professor Avalyn N. Black

Amino Hogwarts Heistress 2021

#aminohogwartsofficial2021

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#aminohogwarts2021

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