09 February 1885

[Daily Prophet]

JANUARY 9TH 1885

SALEM SQUARE SINKHOLE WATCH WHERE YOU STEP!

Officers of the Improper Use of Magic Office were called to an unusual sight this past Thursday in Irvingly’s Salem Square. As we all know, magic is not allowed in the streets and public areas of Irvingly, but that apparently didn’t stop somebody from meddling! Unfortunately Miss Elsie Beauregard of Bartonburg found out the hard way. Upon stepping into a shallow puddle in the town’s square, Miss Beauregard began to sink! Several people tried to help her out, including her chaperon, Mrs. Eloise Hayes. The harder good samaritans tried, the further Miss Beauregard sank. “It was such an unfortunate site! Such a sweet, shy girl, stuck in the middle of an embarrassing catastrophe.” Mrs. Haynes had to say on the matter. Responding to the alert were Mr. Barnabas Skeeter and Mr. Toussaint Favreau of the Improper Use of Magic Office. By the time they arrived Miss Beauregard was knee-deep in the mud! Normally this would not be in their scope of duty, but considering the mixed nature _____________________________________________________________

of Irvingly’s inhabitants, their expertise was required. Fixing the mishap required several attempts, but Miss Beauregard was eventually freed of her muddy predicament and quickly ushered home by her chaperon; she was unavailable for comment. "It is incredibly unfortunate that poor Miss Beauregard was the victim of a foul prank. I do not know who would waste their time pranking innocent young women, but I vow to get to the bottom of this." Mr. Skeeter was not pleased by the situation, and with good reason! The laws over magic in Irvingly are to protect and promote the harmony of the town, clearly whomever set up this scene had no good intentions! Residents and visitors of Irvingly are urged to share any information on the subject with the Improper Use of Magic Office via the Magical Complaints Office in Irvingly- and to watch where they step! AUTHOR: IAN PENGLOSS

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[Daily Prophet]

FEBRUARY 9TH 1885

ADVICE COLUMN HOW TO HANDLE ACADEMIC STRESS

Dear Mrs. Knott, Ever since I had been a young boy, I have been considered to be quite a dedicated pupil, focusing on my studies with astounding devotion and rarely limiting myself to just one subject (hence why I’m currently taking three electives at Hogwarts!). However, my fifth year is proving to be more difficult than I am used to, and while I love myself a good challenge, I’m nervous that my sixth and seventh years will be even more stressful -- especially with a full load of classes! So my question is: how can I juggle all seven of my N.E.W.T classes without becoming a wound up ball of nerves? In what ways can I reduce the stress I’m undergoing now? Sincerely, Mr. Dedicated Pupil Dear Mr. Dedicated Pupil, First of all, let me state how pleasant it is to come across a young person so dedicated to their studies -- too many youngsters nowadays handle their education in a careless manner! Second, my advice would be to stay calm, remain level-headed, eat a balanced diet,

work on your assignments in a non-stressful environment, and most importantly: manage to take a break every now and then. While I am firm in my belief that studying is very important to one’s education, it will do you no good if you constantly have your nose in a school textbook or drive yourself half-mad attempting to memorize every single little detail. Read a fiction novel for pleasure; socialize with friends; have a cup of chamomile tea (a very helpful beverage in reducing anxiety!) in the Common Room in front of the fire -- just relax. If the chamomile tea or any of the other peaceful distractions are not available to you or are not effective and the stress is just too much to bear, just pause, close your eyes, and a take a minute or two to breathe deeply in and out. It may not do much to clear your mind, but it certainly will help to regain your composure and give you a few moments to breathe and collect your thoughts. Well, I hope that answers your question(s) and meets your needs, good sir! If I can be of any help once more, you know where to find me! Sincerely, Mabel Knott AUTHOR: MABEL KNOTT

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