Prefect's Challenge Update: Ravenclaw Games!

The prefect's challenge is back and it has a lot of moving parts! The overarching theme is the Ravenclaw Games. It's a lot like that big sporting event that brings the world together and takes place every 2 years. Our version is based on participation so each time you turn in something we have a chance to win bronze, silver or gold in that event. For example, if enough people turn in to one class we have the chance on winning a medal in that event.

Everyone can choose to participate as an individual or a team. Each individual or team can choose to run a single event, triathlon or pentathlon path. There are 6 different events: a class, OWL/NEWT, mission, Deputy Headmistress Challenge or Quidditch. For the single event path you just need to finish one event per month. For the triathlon path, you need to finish 3 per month. For the pentathlon path, you need to finish 5 events per month.

There are 13 teams that formed. Of those 13, 1 team decided to do a single event path, 3 people chose to seek a triathlon path, 9 people chose to take on a pentathlon path.

There are 26 individuals who chose to tackle their challenges solo. 3 people decided to follow a single event path, 8 people decided to pursue a triathalon path and 15 people decided to tackle a pentathlon path.

Every good Prefect's Challenge involves a blitz! Each week of the term, the prefects have chosen a different blitz. You can participate in as many or as few of them as you would like.

In the first week, the first mini blitz was in the Care of Magical Creatures class! Note: please remember that these numbers are unofficial! 56 amazing 'Claws turned a class for the blitz. That means if each person just got the base number of points we got 840 points for our house! Way to go 'Claws!!!

In the second week, the blitz was all about the BROOMs. We flooded the Order as 56 'Claws submitted a BROOM! That's a lot of missions!! Soar Ravenclaw
 
There are two more blitzes this month. From January 15th until the 21st, we will be blitzing quidditch. This round of quidditch is about learning something new or doing something that you haven't done in over a year! The possibilities are endless. There is a yardage bonus and the possibility of bonus points for awesomeness. Non-ravelry crafts will be accepted without prior approval. Each goal will have a starting base point of 22 points! That's an extra 7 base points than you can get for a class before bonuses! For more information, read here. We could get a lot of points! Hope to see you out there!

The last blitz for this month is in Divination class. It will take place from January 22nd until the 31st. The prompt for Divination class is to “craft something in the color of water, or craft something representing a pattern found in water in nature such as waves, drops or rings.” Non-ravelry crafts are allowed without prior approval. You will get at least 15 base points. We can rock this blitz! Read more about it here. Soar Ravenclaw!

November Prefects' Challenge Update

The term is nearly coming to a close, now, but there is still time to cross things off your bucket list! The Prefects' Challenge is ongoing through the end of the month and we've managed another four stops on the BLUE Train since our last update. (And if you aren't familiar with this term's Prefects' Challenge, you can read our introduction here, as well.)

When we reported last, we had just reached Marnham Cove. From here we traveled a long journey to Godric's Hollow, where we had a lesson on the events that happened here when Harry and Hermione went to visit Harry's parents' graves and happened across another gravestone with some intriguing carving. While we were here we also practiced some charms!

Our next stop was the Forest of Dean, where Harry and Hermione found the Sword of Gryffindor and we reunited with Ron! While we were here we learned about Dumbledore's history and practiced our Reparo spells.

After leaving the forest, our next stop on the BLUE train was at the Lovegood residence, where we were thrilled to meet not only Xenophilius and his Quibbler press, but Luna herself! She explained the replica Ravenclaw Diadem she had created and we discussed the Tale of the Deathly Hallows.

We spent a few days with the Lovegoods, but finally it was time to move on. Our next destination is the Malfoy Manor, where the Trio were taken after being captured by Fenrir, and where they discovered that Luna and Ollivander were also both imprisoned. This is our current stop, where we are taking time to discuss House Elf rights and stroll around the grounds.

Our journey isn't over, though! As long as we continue to turn in classes and mark our finished bucket list items in our spreadsheet, we've still got a few more stops to make. So keep on crafting and accomplishing your goals, so we can reach the end of our adventure!

Mid-Term Prefect Challenge Update!

It's been a while since we've checked in to the Prefects' Challenge, so your intrepid blog team decided that it was about time! If you aren't aware of what is going on in the Challenge in general, go catch yourself up in my previous update.

We've been turning in lots of classes and checking things off our bucket lists, and we've made quite a bit of progress on the BLUE train; we've made five more stops!

First stop since our last update was a tour of the Ministry of Magic! We had a bit of Patronus practice in the empty court chambers before moving on.

Our next stop was at Burnham Beeches, where Hermione fled from Death Eaters who were pursuing her from the Ministry. It's a beautiful scene in this autumn season and we stayed to study healing and have a bit of a picnic.

Next we traveled to High Marnham, an abandoned power station where Ron, Hermione, and Harry traveled after Ron splinched himself and could no longer apparate. We had a Transfig lesson here and learned about why you can't conjure food from nothing, relating it to the Trio's struggles to find enough food on this leg of their journey.

Our next stop was to Loch Etive, where the stress of the journey was enough to drive Ron away from his friends. We practiced setting protective charms while at this campsite.

Our next stop and current location is Marnham Cove, where Harry and Hermione planned the next steps of their journey. While here, we are going over the history of Godric Gryffindor.

So keep turning in classes and checking in bucket list items on our spreadsheet to keep making progress on our journey!

Don't forget that the Prefects' Challenge October Blitz is set for October 31st in the Deathly Hallows Seminar. We're re-illuminating skills and techniques that haven't been used in a while!

Prefects' Challenge Update!

Our Prefects have come up with another exciting challenge for us to play along with this term! Is there something you have on your crafting bucket list for this term? Then this challenge is perfect for you--we're riding the Bucket List Underground Express! Each time you turn in a project that fulfills something on your bucket list, remember to mark an X in the appropriate spot on this spreadsheet to help us pick up speed! Every X (as well as other behind-the-scenes math) helps us gather money that will help us get to the next stop.

What kinds of things qualify as bucket list items? Anything you have as a personal goal will do! Whether this is simply securing Sorting priority or making that house cozy you always wanted, nothing is too big or small. Personally I've marked two so far; my OWL proposal for tackling a fun new technique (though the real bucket list goal might be managing to do a whole pattern repeat without having to tink; I haven't managed that one yet!) and my BROOM for making sweaters for my niece. So far I have been a terrible knitting aunt, but I plan to fix that!

Last week we managed to get enough Galleons together to get to the first stop, The Burrow.

On Monday we made it to Shaftesbury Avenue, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione fled to when Death Eaters attacked Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Where to next? We'll only find out when we get enough money for the next stop, so keep crafting and hitting those personal goals! And don't forget, there's a Prefects' Challenge class blitz for the Horcrux Seminar on the 25th. We're celebrating teamwork by turning in things that we never would have done without the influence of another member of the House Cup, and an earburn to that person is worth bonus!

The Great Ravenclaw Road Trip

Hogwarts students may have noticed how quiet it has been around the Castle this past term. The Ravenclaw tables in the Great Hall were deserted, desks usually occupied by Ravenclaws were vacant, and the Tower was silent and empty. The Ravenclaws had left on a ROAD TRIP!!

Together with several hearty NQFYs, the entire Ravenclaw House embarked on an epic ‘round-the-world journey to visit seven of the great wizarding schools in other countries. Although meeting other students and seeing their castles was unforgettable, it was the unexpected we encountered along our travels that made this trip truly memorable! Dragons, a kraken, Sirens, polar bears, pirates, and many more creatures and people contributed to our mind-blowing adventures, as we traveled by – among other conveyances – Ford Anglias, flying carpets, elephants, airships, and luxury liners.

Our entire journey is preserved here for those who wish to relive our adventures chapter by chapter.

Although the trip was conceived as the Prefects’ Challenge, other Ravenclaw activity teams such as Tetris, First Years, and Convocation joined in the overall travel theme. Even the Aerie masthead changed with every new location! All Ravenclaws and NQFYs who signed up for the trip were able to log their yardage, Flight of the First classes, and charity projects to earn extra leagues – the distance measurement for this trip -- to speed us along our way. The magic Travelogue automatically recorded leagues awarded for class participation, and altogether Ravenclaw earned more than enough leagues to successfully complete our journey.  With high hopes of a THREE-PEAT, courageous Ravenclaws didn’t allow ANYTHING to slow down their crafting!

With a new understanding of the wonders of our magical world, Ravenclaw House is back home in the Tower just in time for the End of Term Feast, passports full of visa stamps, project bags sprouting experience buttons, heads whirling with stories, and wild tales to tell!

We’re ready for a new term!

Thanks to Prefect topfrog for that recap!