#spotlightcolumn

Slytherin Spotlight articles are dedicated to showing off some of our housemates' achievements to all of Slytherin house. This year's first article showcases Rosebud Kane, a talented and promising second year duelist, whose pursuit of dueling proficiency so far is an excellent demonstration of how perseverance can lead to success. ————————– Q: First of all, we all know you're great at dueling. What motivated you to dedicate so much time to the sport? A: What motivated me? Uh well there's... Oh no I can't say that. Oh! Because - wait no, sorry. Um... well, there's always been this rivalry between me and my br - best not. Let's just say there's some people I want to impress and some people I want to set on fire. Yeah, that works. Q: Violence then, hmm? Interesting. And do you have any thoughts about the lack of Slytherins in the chamber? Or any encouragement to get the lazy ones going, perhaps? A: There's a lack? It seems like every other person I duel is a Slytherin. True, I see Ravenclaws more, but I don't mind. I don't see why houses have to separate people, you know? Q: Fair enough. You spend more time in the dueling chamber than I do so you must be well informed. Are you going to enter the dueling tournament again? You made it pretty far last year. A: I don't see why not. It was fun last year so I don't mind doing it again. You think I made it pretty far? Ah! Thank you! Q: No problem. So, what else do you enjoy doing in your free time? A: I like to follow Kir - trends. And all the pretty clothes people wear. Yes. Or I guess... duel. I used to play guitar at home, but I didn't bring it. I accidentally set it on fire last year and I'd rather not risk it again this year. Q: What about Quidditch? I thought I saw you out on the pitch for tryouts. A: Are you following me? Yes, I did try out. I... enjoy some parts of Quidditch. Like the players. And flying! Flying is fun too! Q: Oh, I'm not following you. I just recently saw tryouts happening and thought I saw you there. Anyway, one last thing - can you give us an interesting fact about yourself that no one would know? A: You're not allowed to transfer into Ravenclaw. I know. I've asked. written by Bryony King and Kestrel Wayland, with Rosebud Kane

We all know the names of Slytherin's star duelists, quidditch captains and highest house point earners (aka teacher's pets). However, what you might not know is that other members of our house have made a vital contribution to school and Slytherin life in numerous other areas this year. Whether it be in mentoring, writing for The Parselmouth or something else entirely, this article is dedicated to those who have achieved something not within the realm of sports. MENTORS OF THE YEAR We in Slytherin don't appreciate weak links. Mentor of the year this year therefore goes to Rory Sawyer, who not only sought to ensure she and her mentoring partner Hank used the tried and tested Slytherin-appropriate 'ambush the mentee in the chamber' method to toughen up their mentee, but appears to have been successful. Tian Cruz is clearly not a weak link. Well done to Rory and Hank. PARSELMOUTH WRITERS OF THE YEAR Eden Beattie, Viola Wayland and Zara Anguariz have completed the most articles out of everyone employed to write for The Parselmouth this year. Their work has been turned in on time consistently and has been thoroughly enjoyed by all of Slytherin house. Aside from her commitments as a writer, Eden was also employed this year as The Parselmouth's layout editor and has done a fantastic job ensuring our articles look excellent and are distributed to the whole house on time. (As always, thanks must also go to our editors for their continued hard work and effort.) MISCELLANEOUS ACHIEVEMENTS 1. Well done to Elvira De'Winter and Zara Anguariz for humouring our fifth year prefects and being the only people to turn up to ghost stories on Hallowe'en. Your enthusiasm for Slytherin house has not gone unnoticed. 2. Additionally, congratulations to Kirk Lawson for launching a successful savage quill attack on a classmate and henceforth proving why he belongs in Slytherin. 3. As previously mentioned, Slytherin cannot tolerate weak links. Our congratulations must therefore be extended to John Lupin, who survived Kirk's savage quill attack and henceforth proved why he belongs in our house too. 4. Finally, earlier in the year second year Kestrel Wayland attempted to have Hogwarts' resident idiots removed from school. Although her plan failed - and believe us when we say we're gutted about this - it was certainly a good idea. A re-attempt next year would not go amiss. A big thank you must go to the rest of Slytherin house, too, for making this year far more successful than previous ones. Here's to hoping next year we'll retain our success... written by Asia Chadwick

This year was a great year for Slytherin sports. Not only did our team win the coveted Quidditch cup for the first time in seven years, many Slytherins competed in the dueling tournament and did our house proud with the way they dueled. Though many Slytherins excelled in sports this year, a few stood out above the rest. Now we must recognize them for their achievements. DUELISTS OF THE YEAR Buddy Kane, Felix Gabor and Kelly Ashcroft have all been exemplary duelists this year. Fourth year Kelly Ashcroft casts an amazing stormy weather hex and was a great role model for younger Slytherins in the chamber this year. Buddy Kane showed us just how important perseverance is - at first it looked like the others in her year may have been getting ahead of her, but Buddy kept dueling, kept improving, and even learned an impressive variety of spells. Finally, first year Felix Gabor showed the most guts of any Slytherin duelist this year, entering the dueling tournament's novice tier and unfortunately placing last. Slytherin salutes you, Felix, for getting out there and dueling when many others would not have done so. QUIDDITCH PLAYERS OF THE YEAR A few players especially stood out from this year's team: Norda Tawni, Trish Whitehorn and Kirk Lawson. Norda showed unbelievable versatility on the pitch by playing a different position in each game and succeeding at each and every one of them. What a player she is! Trish excelled in particular as a chaser and a beater by disrupting the other team's play and showing off her skills with an especially great interception. And Kirk not only saved much of Slytherin from bludgers before the season even began, but showed off his strength on the pitch by continuing to do so throughout the year. In his one game as a chaser, Kirk also scored a goal. Well done! (As always, thanks must also go to this year's captains for leading the team to the cup.) ALL-ROUNDERS OF THE YEAR That's right Slytherin, we have athletes who shine in both dueling and Quidditch. Seventh year Phaedra Wayland has been involved in both sports for quite some time now and has been competitive in the dueling tournament for years. In addition to playing keeper in all of this season's Quidditch games, Phaedra was the only Slytherin to win a trophy in this year's dueling tournament. She is truly an outstanding athlete and will be greatly missed. However, Irene Redgrave embodies a similar greatness as only a second year. She played a brilliant season on the pitch and was also the top Slytherin finisher in the intermediate tier of the dueling tournament. We can't wait to see what Irene will do in the future! Thank you to all of the duelists and Quidditch players in Slytherin. You make our house proud with your efforts in the chamber and on the pitch. Keep up the hard work and hopefully we'll bring home more trophies and cups next year! written by Viola Wayland

Slytherin Spotlight articles are dedicated to showing off some of our housemates’ achievements to all of Slytherin house. For our third and final article of the year we’re looking at the self-proclaimed 'manager' of the rumor wall, second year Marigold Whitaker, who seems to have made quite an impact on our school. From spreading rumors to causing chaos, Marigold is clearly one to watch throughout the rest of her time at Hogwarts. ————————– Q: You are now publicly known as the 'manager of the rumor wall' in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Is the rumor wall something that you'd like to continue in future years or do you think it'll be discontinued? A: As long as I'm here at Hogwarts, the rumor wall will be there. Headmistress Flamel would probably like to think she can get rid of us by erasing it but you can't, of course. I'm hoping someone will keep it going after I've left. Q: We're sure someone would be very happy to make sure of that. After all, it's been such a huge hit! What rumor on the wall do you think is the funniest so far? A: Definitely the one about Snape snoring in his portrait. That was last year though. This year... hm. There's plenty of good rumors. I particularly enjoyed the one about Professor Urguy. And the fart. And the ickle. Q: I [Alexis] must agree, those are some funny rumors! Have there ever been any problems with the nature of the rumors - enough to get anyone in serious trouble, perhaps? Or enough to threaten the existence of the wall? A: Not yet. I am the manager but I don't censor what goes on the wall - I simply confirm or deny what people write. If anything is truly obscene it could get us into trouble, of course, but as of yet I haven't seen anything too bad. Q: That's good to hear. I [Alexis] certainly wouldn't be happy if the rumor wall was cracked down on. And finally, are there any specific rules outlining what can and can't go on the wall? You know, just so everyone knows. A: Um...Well, people like to put untrue things on the walls which definitely makes my job harder. But no. I don't advocate censorship. Q: Well, we're sorry Marigold but that's all the time we've got. Thanks for letting us interview you, even if it was only for a little while. A: That's alright. Thanks for interviewing me. written by Alexis Fire and Asia Chadwick, with Marigold Whitaker

Slytherin Spotlight articles are dedicated to showing off some of our housemates' achievements to all of Slytherin house. For our second article we're looking at one of Slytherin's up and coming duelists, second year London Greensly, who is (quite disappointingly, I must add) one of the only regular duelists in Slytherin house. From placing well in her very first tournament last year to dueling regularly inside the dueling chamber when it isn't tournament season, it's clear that most of you unmotivated slobs have a lot to learn from London. So read up, lazy Slytherins. -------------------------- Q: So, London. You're one of Slytherin's most prominent up and coming duelists. Have you got a guess as to how many duels you've taken part in since you started school? A: A lot? I try for a couple a week. The numbers go up as the term starts coming to an end. Q: That's a lot of duels - a lot more than the majority of students in our house, in fact! So - what motivates you to duel as much as you do? A: I find dueling can be very therapeutic. It is the only time at Hogwarts where I can hex someone and not get a detention. I also like the idea of winning a trophy and I can't win if I'm not the best. I think winning motivates me the most. Q: Winning things is certainly a very attractive prospect of dueling, we quite agree. Does that mean losing a duel means a lot to you, then? A: No, I think I lose the vast majority of my duels. If I win - well then, that would be something different. I suspect as I get older winning will become the norm and then I'll be a little more upset about losing. Q: It's very important to be humble and modest in dueling and we admire your current attitude towards losses. As for the other benefits of dueling - aside from winning things, what do you think is the most important aspect of participating in the sport. A: Not getting hit by spells is important. No, but seriously, I think having fun and enjoying it is the most important part. And learning neat spells - I now know the sparkler spell which is pretty neat. Q: Excellent. Having fun when you indulge in your hobbies is always important. Now, is dueling something you'd like to continue once you've moved past Hogwarts and entered the magical world as an adult? A: I wouldn't mind dueling as a hobby - you know, a once and a while thing. I don't want to be a pro. I want to be a lawyer just like my parents. Q: That's interesting! But does wanting to have a different job like your parents mean they aren't supportive of your dueling? A: I think my parents support my dueling hobby as long as it doesn't get in the way of school. Q: That's definitely understandable. So, to wrap this interview up - of everything you've done during your two years here at Hogwarts, what do you think is the most important? A: I think excelling in class is important. I keep a straight 'O' grade sheet. Oh, and I also placed fourth in last year's dueling tournament, I think that is pretty impressive for a first try. Q: Indeed it is. Thank you for letting us interview you, London! A: Thank you! written by Alexis Fire and Asia Chadwick, with London Greensly

Slytherin Spotlight articles are dedicated to showing off some of our housemates' achievements to all of Slytherin house. For our first article we're looking at one of The Parselmouth's star writers, first year Abigail Goodfellow, who has been having quite an impact on Hogwarts since she first arrived at school. From throwing herself into all sorts of new things to writing an extremely interesting column for The Parselmouth about muggle inventions, Abby is certainly somebody who is worthy of everyone's attention. Enjoy! -------------------------- Q: Hey, Abby! Thanks for taking the time to let us interview you. First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Your likes and dislikes - that sort of thing? Just for the readers who might not know who you are yet. A: Hi! And of course, I wasn't really gonna say no. This is a pretty awesome opportunity. I'm a twin - most people know Finch, too, and he's in Gryffindor. I like dueling and Quidditch but also trying out new stuff, like knocking my shoes off with the knockback jinx. It takes a while to do that, did'ya know? And I don't like strawberries but that's cause I'm horribly allergic. Q: Great! So, we chose to feature you in this Slytherin Spotlight because of the fantastic job you’ve been doing for The Parselmouth so far. Your articles are really great and you are doing brilliantly for a first year. What made you want to write for us when you were sorted into Slytherin last term? A: Thanks! I'm really happy to hear that, really. I wanted to write for the paper because - well, at home, Muggles have the Internet and Finch and I are awfully connected and we share a lot there. So I figured if there's no Internet at Hogwarts, the Slytherin paper's the next best thing. Q: Comparing The Parselmouth with WiFi seems a little far-fetched, but okay! So - your article is called ‘Abby vs. Magic’ and looks at how outdated some magical things are in comparison to alternative muggle methods. What has made you have such a strong opinion on this matter? A: I was raised as a Muggle, y'see. Da's a, uh, what's the word? Squab or squib or whatever it is - means he's magical but hasn't got magic. So he married a Muggle when we were young and we got raised like regular, non-magic folks. Course I was excited to learn magic's real and all that, but then we get here and it's like living in the Dark Ages, communicating with owls and parchment. Mostly I was frustrated with having to use ink and parchment cause they're awful. Q: That’s really interesting. Also, we know you’ve already written about school supplies and technology in your articles - but is there one particular muggle invention that you feel more strongly about than all the others? A: I think mobiles -- mentioned them in the technology article, I think. Muggles have gone from having those rotator phones to having these touchscreen mobiles that do everything and I love mine, it makes life so much easier, but I can't use it cause magic messes with the tech inside it. Q: Brilliant. And finally, do you have any advice for students who might be struggling to deal with Hogwarts’ lack of muggle technologies or inventions? A: Just power through, I think. For now, anyways. Distractions from the fact that I can't check my Twitter have helped me. Plus the tech will be there when we get back, but even better probably, so it's a silver lining to cling to. Q: That’s great advice, thank you Abby. And thanks again for letting us interview you! It’s been a pleasure. A: No problem! Have a good day! written by Asia Chadwick and Sebastian Snyder, with Abigail Goodfellow