The Daily Prophet: October 1st, 1976

THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAS JUST BECOME OFFICIAL: THE WIZARD’S CUP IS RETURNING TO HOGWARTS! THE CUP - A SEVEN YEAR TRADITION - HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE MEDIEVAL TIMES AT THE SCHOOL. EACH HOUSE OFFERS UP A MALE AND FEMALE CHAMPION WHO WILL COMPETE IN THE CUP IN ORDER TO SECURE THEIR HOUSES’ DOMINANCE OVER THE OTHERS. GRYFFINDOR, SLYTHERIN, HUFFLEPUFF, AND RAVENCLAW ARE ALL PITTED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN A BATTLE OF STRENGTH, WITS, AND SHEER TALENT. DUMBLEDORE ANNOUNCED THE CUP EARLY THIS MORNING AND HAS HIGH HOPES FOR HIS STUDENTS, BELIEVING THEM TO BE OF ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST CLASSES THAT HE HAS EVER SEEN AT HOGWARTS.

PROFESSOR SEPTIMA VECOR, ARITHMANCY PROFESSOR OF HOGWARTS AS WELL AS RAVENCLAW HEAD OF HOUSE HAD A FEW THINGS TO SAY REGARDING THE CUP AND HER STUDENTS. “I BELIEVE THAT THE RAVENCLAWS ARE READY FOR THIS CHALLENGE. I WOULDN’T SAY THAT I’VE BEEN BREEDING MY STUDENTS FOR GREATNESS, SEEING AS I’VE ONLY BEEN HEAD OF HOUSE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, BUT I MOST CERTAINLY SEE THEM AS READY TO WORK IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT RAVENCLAW IS ONCE AGAIN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS HOUSE!” VECTOR IS OBVIOUSLY REFERENCING THE WIN OF THE LAST CHAMPION, BRYANT XAVIER, A RAVENCLAW ALUMNI.

KEEPING THE CUP IN THE HOUSE OF RAVENCLAW WOULD BE A SHOW OF THEIR DOMINANCE IN THE SCHOOL, BUT THE OTHER PROFESSORS ARE NOT AS SURE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN. RIDDLE - HEAD OF SLYTHERIN - WAS UNAVALIABLE FOR COMMENT, BUT MINERVA MCGONAGALL - HEAD OF GRYFFINDOR - STATED THAT HER STUDENTS “WERE AT THEIR PRIME. BRAVE AND READY FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD.” PROFESSOR SPROUT - HEAD OF HUFFLEPUFF - SEEMED ALL SMILES AT THE INTERVIEW, HOWEVER DID NOT OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO HOW HER HUFFLEPUFFS WERE HANDLING THE ANNOUCEMENT. NOTABLE NAMES BEING THROWN AROUND INCLUDE GRYFFINDOR PREFECT REMUS LUPIN, RAVENCLAW HEAD GIRL EDEN WOLF, SLYTHERIN BEATER BARTY CROUCH JR, SLYTHERIN PREFECT LUCIUS MALFOY, SIXTH YEAR GRYFFINDOR VICKY GRANT, SLYTHERIN QUIDDITCH CAPTAIN AND PREFECT BELLATRIX BLACK, GRYFFINDOR KEEPER ERZSEBET DEMETER, RAVENCLAW KEEPER MIKAEL ERIXON, HUFFLEPUFF PREFECT AND BEATER RILEY JACKSON, AND FINALLY, HUFFLEPUFF AND HEAD BOY JACEN FROST.

HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR WILL BE A CLEAN CUP FULL OF FRIENDLY RIVALRY, BUT WITH RIDDLE AT THE SLYTHERIN HELM, NO ONE CAN BE QUITE SURE ABOUT HOW THINGS WILL PAN OUT. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON ALL THE CUP NEWS AS IT CONTINUES TO BECOME AVAILABLE TO US.

SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CUP, ALL EYES HAVE BEEN ON BRYANT XAVIER - THE PREVIOUS CHAMPION - WONDERING JUST HOW MUCH INVOLVEMENT THE MAN WILL HAVE IN THIS YEARS COMPETITION. WE MANAGED TO SNAG A RARE INTERVIEW WITH THE CHAMPION BEFORE HE LEFT FOR HOGWARTS:

E. LIMUS: GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. XAVIER!

XAVIER: EUGENE, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO CALL ME BRYANT.

E. LIMUS: BRYANT IT IS THEN! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE THE CULMINATION OF THE CUP SEVEN YEARS AGO?

XAVIER: MERLIN, IT’S HARD TO SAY. I SECURED A JOB STRAIGHT OUT OF HOGWARTS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MAGICAL COOPERATION. ACTUALLY, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT -LAUGHTER- BUT OTHER THAN THAT...JUST ENJOYING MY JOB AND MY PERSONAL LIFE. I’VE GOT A WONDERFUL GIRLFRIEND OF TWO YEARS AND-

E. LIMUS: AH WEDDING BELLS IN THE AIR?

XAVIER: -MORE LAUGHTER- WELL, I’M NOT SURE I’D GO THAT FAR. SHE’S PERFECT, BUT I’M NOT SURE THAT I’M READY FOR SUCH A LARGE COMMITMENT EITHER. BUT THEN AGAIN, NEITHER AM I.

E. LIMUS: FAIR ENOUGH, FAIR ENOUGH. I SUPPOSE YOU CAN’T RUSH LOVE! TELL US, BRYANT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY THAT A WIZARDING CHAMPION COULD HAVE GOING INTO THE CUP THIS YEAR?

XAVIER: I THINK IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TARGET EXACTLY ONE QUALITY THAT WOULD LEAD A CHAMPION TO VICTORY, BUT FOR ME, IT WAS MOST CERTAINLY MY ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. THE CUP IS HONESTLY ALL ABOUT OUT THINKING THE OTHER STUDENTS THAT YOU’RE PITTED AGAINST...IF YOU CAN TRAIN YOURSELF TO THINK IN AN UNORTHODOX MANNER, YOU STAND A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING THE CUP THEN IF YOU SIMPLY FOLLOW THE SET PATH. THAT BEING SAID, BRUTE STRENGTH AND KNOWLEDGE PLAY A HUGE PART IN THE CUP AS WELL.

E. LIMUS: A VERY INTERESTING POINT INDEED, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO HAVE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR EACH TASK AS WELL...DO YOU THINK THAT THIS YEARS’ STUDENTS WILL BE AS WELL TRAINED AS YOU WERE DURING YOUR CUP?

XAVIER: OF COURSE I THINK THAT THESE STUDENTS WILL BE FANTASTICALLY TRAINED. WITH RIDDLE LEADING UP THE SLYTHERINS, THEY’LL BE KNOWLEDGABLE IN DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE SPELLS, PERHAPS GIVING THEM A LEG UP WHEN IT COMES TO THE GRUNT WORK OF THE CUP. THE RAVENCLAWS, HEADED BY SEPTIMA VECTOR, WILL BE THE THINKERS. HONESTLY, THEY’RE THE ONES THAT I THINK THAT EVERYONE WILL NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR-

E. LIMUS: SO ARE YOU CONFIRMING THE RUMORS THAT YOU HAVE A RAVENCLAW BIAS THIS YEAR?

XAVIER: OH MERLIN, NO! I’M SIMPLY SAYING THAT SEPTIMA WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO THINK IN DIFFERENT WAYS WHICH IS A HUGE TOOL THIS YEAR. SPROUTS STUDENTS WILL PROVE TO BE INTERESTING AS WELL, FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD SHE’S GOT QUITE THE MIX IN THIS YEAR. AS FOR GRYFFINDORS STUDENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT MCGONAGALL HAS TAUGHT THEM IN REGARDS TO TRANSFIGURATION. THEY’LL CERTAINLY BE THE ONES TO JUMP FIRST AT THE CHALLENGES, YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT ONE. BEST OF LUCK TO THE CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR AND I WILL BE SEEING YOU AT HOGWARTS IN A FEW DAYS!

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AFTER THE LAST CUP CHAMPIONSHIP.
by R. MUNROE
prophet gossip columnist

NOSEY NANCY ASKED: BACK WHEN I ATTENDED THE LAST CUP AS A STUDENT OF HOGWARTS, THE WINNER, BRYANT XAVIER WAS PRACTICALLY INSEPARABLE FROM POPPY POMFREY. BUT AFTER XAVIER WON, THAT RELATIONSHIP FELL OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET. WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THAT PAIR?

A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION, INDEED, MISS. NOSEY. A QUESTION THAT IS BOTH RELEVANT TO THE UPCOMING CUP AND NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. YES, YOU ARE RIGHT THAT POMFREY AND XAVIER WERE PRACTICALLY ATTACHED AT THE HIP DURING THE LAST CUP. IN FACT, RUMORS HAVE CIRCULATED THAT POPPY WAS HIS CRUTCH DURING THE ENTITY OF THE GAME. BUT AS SOON AS HE WON, THE PAIR STOPPED TALKING. NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT THE SOURCE OF THEIR DISCOMFORT AROUND ONE ANOTHER, BUT - BEING CLOSE TO ONE OF THE PARTIES IN QUESTION - I CAN OFFER YOU THE MEAGER FACTS THAT I KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION.

MS. POPPY AND MR. XAVIER’S RELATIONSHIP WAS ONE THAT WAS BUILT FULLY OFF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH OF THEM VALUED THE SAME THINGS, BUT UPON WINNING THE CUP, MISS POMFREY FELT AS IF BRYANT BEGAN WHISTLING A DIFFERENT TUNE. AND WHO WOULD BLAME HIM? AS THE WINNER OF THE PREVIOUS CUP, BRYANT HAD EVERY RIGHT TO GLOAT A LITTLE AND ENJOY HIS FAME AND FORTUNE, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT HE SECURED A JOB AS THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MAGICAL COOPERATION DIRECTLY AFTER HIS CAREER AT HOGWARTS ENDED.

ILLUSIONS ARE WHAT KILLED THE BLOSSOMING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MADAME POMFREY AND MR. BRYANT XAVIER. ALTHOUGH...IT SEEMS AS IF POPPY HAS QUITE THE TASTE FOR THAT TYPE OF GENTLEMEN NOW, SEEING AS SHE WAS SPOTTING IN HOGSMEADE WITH MR. COOPER BAILEY OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

AH, THE OCTOBER PROPHET. ONE OF MY MOST PRIZED WORKS, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF. IN THIS INSTALLMENT OF THE DAILY PROPHET, WE FOCUSED ON THE UPCOMING WIZARD’S CUP THAT IS HAPPENING AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY. I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW UTTERLY EXCITED THE ENTIRE PROPHET STAFF IS ABOUT SUCH A MONUMENTAL EVENT. YOU CAN FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE FEATURING THE CONTESTANTS IN THE NEXT ISSUE, ONCE THE CHAMPIONS FROM EACH HOUSE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.

WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK THIS OCTOBER, AND PLEASE, IF YOU ARE GOING OUT ON ALL HALLOWS EVE, REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WAND. WE DON’T WANT A REPEAT OF LAST YEARS WAND-LESS RIOT IN FRONT OF THE LEAKY CAULDRON.