HogwartsExpress4

Elves Keep Busy

Apparently, some of them have yet to grow accustomed to freedom. Others, however, have taken to collecting socks or are saving for a set of wizarding chess, which they intend to set up in the large room that serves as dormitory as well as the House Elf equivalent of a House’s Common Room. “It is very snug and comfy there. We likes it very much,” Dobby squealed on enquiry. “We even has bathrooms!

House Elves are now allowed to have possessions of their own. Apart from their formal servants’ wear, they have pyjamas and some other pieces of casual wear, depending on the House Elves tastes and preferences. Some of them even like to shop in Hogsmeade, so Hogwarts students shouldn’t be too surprised to see a House Elf leaving Gladrags Wizardwear with a pair of mismatched socks in their tiny hands.

One of the most significant changes, however, is that a House Elf can now leave the service of their master and apply somewhere else, an action that would have been frowned upon not a very long time ago. And it is not unlikely for them to be accepted into a household that has never before had the benefit of a hard-working loyal servant. “I was overwhelmed when the little creature knocked at my door and offered to help me doing my chores. And they’re so polite and really don’t ask for much more than a set of clean robes, a bed and bit of politeness,” smiled Mrs Molly Weasley, wife of Arthur Weasley, our current Minister for Magic.
As one of the House Elves put it: “We is free, but we is still House Elves.”

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The History of Quidditch: Part One in the "This is Quidditch" Series		Elves Keep Busy Apparently, some of them have yet to grow accustomed to freedom. Others, however, have taken to collecting socks or are saving for a set of wizarding chess, which they intend to set up in the large room that serves as dormitory as well as the House Elf equivalent of a House’s Common Room. “It is very snug and comfy there. We likes it very much,” Dobby squealed on enquiry. “We even has bathrooms! House Elves are now allowed to have possessions of their own. Apart from their formal servants’ wear, they have pyjamas and some other pieces of casual wear, depending on the House Elves tastes and preferences. Some of them even like to shop in Hogsmeade, so Hogwarts students shouldn’t be too surprised to see a House Elf leaving Gladrags Wizardwear with a pair of mismatched socks in their tiny hands. One of the most significant changes, however, is that a House Elf can now leave the service of their master and apply somewhere else, an action that would have been frowned upon not a very long time ago. And it is not unlikely for them to be accepted into a household that has never before had the benefit of a hard-working loyal servant. “I was overwhelmed when the little creature knocked at my door and offered to help me doing my chores. And they’re so polite and really don’t ask for much more than a set of clean robes, a bed and bit of politeness,” smiled Mrs Molly Weasley, wife of Arthur Weasley, our current Minister for Magic. As one of the House Elves put it: “We is free, but we is still House Elves.”
This guide to Quidditch is designed for all those people who have ever watched matches and been confused, for those in the wizarding world who are Muggleborn, and for anyone who has ever been curious about the game but were too afraid to ask. This week... History. Quidditch was first played at Queerditch Marsh in the eleventh century.In the beginning it was nothing like the game, as we know it, because the teams were made up solely of Catchers (later changed to Chasers). They threw a ball into trees at one end of the marsh to score points. A hundred years later the forerunner of the Bludger was in play. These stone balls were called Blooders for a very good reason, as you can imagine the injuries youd receive being hit by a flying stone ball. Beaters used bats to fend off the Blooders and keep them away from their team. Also at this time real goals were used. Unlike ours, they had baskets attached behind the hoop to catch the Quaffle. A goal was worth ten points. The Golden Snidget was introduced to Quidditch in 1269 when Barberus Bragge offered 150 galleons to any player who caught it. This totally disrupted the game as everyoneignored the Quaffle and dodged the Bludgers, while trying to catch the elusive Snidget. It was after this that the Hunter	position was introduced to the game. This position was later called the Seeker position. When Golden Snidgets (a protected species of bird) were beginning to get rare, a ball was made to resemble the birds colouring and flight patterns. Bowman Wright created this new ball and he called his creation a Golden Snitch. These balls had the advantage of being charmed to stay within the Quidditch Pitch, unlike the real birds who had no such charm placed on them. In memory of the first prize, catching the Snitch gained the team 150 points. In 1620 the Pitch had scoring areas added to provide Keepers with a set area to guard. Before then, Keepers were permitted to fly wherever they liked as long as they kept watch on their goals. Goals still had baskets on them at this stage. In 1883 the baskets were removed, as officials had no way of controlling the size of baskets. Some teams had huge ones and others had baskets that you couldnt even get a grape in as a departmental representative was reported as saying in the Daily Prophet at the time. Because the size of baskets could not be regulated, it was decided to drop them in order to make the game fair for all teams. The game of Quidditch, as we know it, was now in existence. Next week: Equipment
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	Index
Author:	Article:	Page:
Sebastian Darwin	Death Eater Arrested	Page One

	Hogsmeade Busiest in Years	Page One
Rysa Evans	Mysterious Vines Pave Way to Hogwarts	Page One
	Menagerie Opening a Success	Page Three
Coraline De Magpyr	The Creation of Creatures	Page Two

Jennifer Moore	Minister a Family Man	Page Three
Sariss Ravon	The Society for the Protection of WHAT...?!?	Page Three
Rayya Brown	Advice for New Quidditch Players	Page Three
	The "This is Quidditch" Series	Page Four