Anyone got a child starting at Hogwarts this September?

EternalPie, I agree that the place needs modernised but fat chance of that now since Building Schools for the Future has been cancelled. The place has never been the same since that battle and the portakabins they've had to bring in completely ruin the ambience of the place.

DD is only 9y so we have two more years to wait. We are a muggle family though but DD is showing some promise. We visited Olivanders recently and DD was the selected one. She tried out wands and a wand actually selected her - 11 inch, holly, unicorn hair. Could this be a really good encouraging start to her wizarding career? Having a wand actually chose her and Mr Olivander being so happy with the choice - does this mean she might have a chance of recieving the ought after letter in two summer's time?

Will Paul Daniels be back teaching the geriatric magic course next term or is he still off with that terrible head injury?

Yes the hamster will be fine!!

The DS would be fine, well worth watching for the PTA though, but the moving staircases are a struggle for us older ones!! I tend to use my broom stick and just land outside the court yard, and yes folks there are places on this year's quiddich team and no the strips do not cost a fortune and you can't buy them from Tesco or Asda sorry!! The administrations officer will be open for calls soon!!

DS is moving into his 2nd year this September. He and his friends are all excited over some chamber or something they've been told resides under the school so they're planning to check it out next term. I think it's about time the school was modernised to be honest.

There's no need to relate to muggles, surely, if you are part of the magical world.

How can you people even think of sending your DC away to boarding school at 11? It's child abuse! It's nonsense to say it's the only way they can develop their magical skills - you can always afterschool magic. If you send them to Hogwarts they'll be emotionally scarred for life and they'll have no idea how to relate to non-magical people.

Absolutely no to tutoring. You're just likely to end up with a child who can perform basic exam spells to order but has no idea how to think for him/herself and if YouKnowWho's followers rise again, we need people with initiative and real talent, not people who can just spell to order. I hear that there are a couple of decent muggle schools, if you can afford a house in the right areas.

You either get the letter or you don't.

I did hear that they tried to storm gringotts. As if.
Azakban beckons I suspect.
Did you see that the muggles chancellor is trying some of HWSNBN's techniques?

None left - I heard some talk about a mass Dementor riot earlier in the week though, so there wasn't a lot on the shelves and some of the windows were boarded up. Apparently the Ministry are trying to blame the Muggles for it.

Didn't you see the special offer on bertie botts beans though?

Waitrose were all out of chocolate frogs today - what IS the world coming to? Had to settle for a couple of bottles of ButterbeerShoots and some Gringots sausage rolls instead.

DS1 won't be back next term, sadly.
Mallory Towers have headhunted her for lacrosse following her outstanding quidditch season.
Such fun!
btw, what are you putting in tuck for them?

DS is concussed (thirteenth time today). He keeps running at that bloody brick wall down the station, but seems to have lost the knack. House elf is no help. I just shouted "Dibby, will you bring some more Savlon antiseptic here at once", to which DH replied "stop calling me that, my name's Trevor". It's bedlum.

All I wanted for her was a quiet time at hogwarts in Hufflepuff and an junior post at the Ministry of Magic. My in laws blame me, of course, because I let her watch muggles cbeebies when she was little. Fact is, her brother was brought up the same and he's in slytherin like they were. Draco is her godfather ffs.( have namechanged BTW)

I'm sure they don't spend all their time on Witchnet like us sock!

Professor Snape may come across as ..somewhat unpleasant but they really learn in his class, no questioning his teaching ability even if it isn't what 'OffWiz' look for. Nothing wrong in a bit of good old-fashioned fear to get them studying. pure pantomime of course, you should have seen him after a few glasses at the PTA evening last summer...the very soul of the party.

Sockpoppet can you not do what Neville Longbottoms family did and push her out of a third storey window so that her magic will surface and save her?

What do muggles do all day?

..and even if the world of magic is not for her, there are things like alchemy, magical studies and 'Magic in the community' that are perfectly legitimate courses gaining in repute that she could look into.

I'm so glad that George carried on Weasley's Wizarding Wonders, without Fred.

Just caught dd2 talking to Teddy Lupin on SpellBook. That girl's imagination could take her too far. He's a good looking boy though, I'll give her that.

don't write her off yet. 11 is far too young to determine magical talent. and you know some families i know send their children to the entrance exams covered in hexes to guarantee success - natural ability is very far from the only thing measured!