Showing posts with label Cambridge Key English Test A2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cambridge Key English Test A2. Show all posts

Monday, 7 April 2025

HOGWARTS CASTLE & THE FINAL BATTLE PREPARATION

The Winsors are spending their last days in Hogwarts and The Grandma continues offering them some Cambridge Exam Models because she thinks it is the best way to review and to learn how is this kind of exam and what Cambridge examinators expect about us. Today, she has offered them another example.
 
 

After this, they have visited all hidden places of Hogwarts Castle. They want to know as things as they could about Hogwarts before leaving there.

Hogwarts is an ancient castle with centuries of history and beautiful hidden places to visit and discover.

The Battle of Hogwarts was the final conflict of the Second Wizarding War. It took place within the castle and on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the mountainous region of Scotland.

When the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort learned that his archenemy Harry Potter had secretly ventured into the castle to locate and destroy one of his final Horcruxes, he ordered every single Death Eater and dark creature that had ever pledged loyalty to him to launch a massive attack on the school.

Dumbledore's Army then communicated the need to fight to The Order of the Phoenix and their other allies within the British Ministry Of Magic, leading to a large-scale battle.

Lord Voldemort led his forces from the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade; while Harry Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall led the defenders of Hogwarts.

Lord Voldemort also announced that he wanted Harry Potter to surrender himself by midnight.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

Hogwarts Castle is a large, seven-story high building supported by magic, with a hundred and forty two staircases throughout its many towers and turrets and very deep dungeons. The castle was built in the late Early Middle Ages (c. 993) by a wizard architect and the four most celebrated wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin.

The castle is the main building of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regarded as the finest wizarding school in the world.

Hogwarts is built in a valley area -surrounding mountains are part of the landscape- with the fairly large Great Lake to the south of the main building. The huge main oak front doors leading into the Entrance Hall face the west, and open up to sloping lawns. The deep Forbidden Forest extends around to the west of the castle. There are also exterior greenhouses and vegetable patches on the school grounds.

Hogwarts is located in the Scottish Highlands, near the all-wizard village of Hogsmeade and not far from Dufftown, in Banffshire, and Achintee, in Lochaber.

It was the setting of the final battle of the Second Wizarding War, the Battle of Hogwarts, which resulted in the deaths of several witches and wizards who fought in defence of the castle, including Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, and Severus Snape.

The castle was badly damaged in the battle, but ultimately The Order of the Phoenix won when Harry Potter defeated his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, in the Great Hall.

Due to its extremely advanced age and the sheer amount of magic present in or around it, the castle is implied to have developed some form of sentience or awareness, such as when it sealed the Headmaster's Tower against Dolores Umbridge, and the various trick steps and false doors.

More information: Screen Rant I & II

The castle is supported by magic unable to be maintained or constructed by any other means, a good example being the moving staircases, a feature contributed by one of the four Hogwarts founders, Rowena Ravenclaw.

Hogwarts is also protected by numerous ancient spells, such as the Anti-Disapparition Jinx; this can, however, be overridden by the Headmaster and Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes when necessary. It is also unplottable and has been bewitched so that, if Muggles approach the castle, all they will see is a mouldering ruin with a sign warning them to keep out and that it is unsafe. The protective magic over Hogwarts is not only strong enough to apparently resist the dispelling effects of the Taboo but also to repel even talented dark wizards.

Rubeus Hagrid claimed that Hogwarts is the safest place in there is, even more so than Gringotts Wizarding Bank, a reason why the Philosopher's Stone was sent to the castle for protection.

After the Ministry finally admitted that Lord Voldemort had returned, the castle's defences were further increased, much of them were cast by Albus Dumbledore himself, such as gates being locked with spells that can only be undone by teachers, and spells to prevent entrance via broomsticks.

All of the secret passageways that were previously allegedly unknown were given more protection. Additionally, with members of The Order of the Phoenix and Aurors placed as guards, and Caretaker Argus Filch checking all incoming and outgoing students for dangerous materials, intrusion seemed completely impossible.

However, Draco Malfoy utilised a pair of Vanishing Cabinets as a passageway, which none of the castle's defences could negate, to allow Death Eaters into the castle. This devastatingly horrified the wizarding community, as they realise that Hogwarts, the most powerful and reputably safest magical stronghold in the entire wizarding world, has been breached, much less by a student from the inside, meaning there is no longer anywhere safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

As a result of all the magic that occurs on premises, both from learning students, magical artefacts therein and the enchantments cast over the building itself, a magical atmosphere pervades the entire structure, causing any technology that is not adapted to run off of it to fail. This is presumably why candles and lanterns are still in use.

Mechanical things like watches seem to do all right, as Colin Creevey's -traditional, Muggle- camera seems to have worked until it was destroyed by the Basilisk's eyes. Colin mentions that another student told him that he could develop the pictures in a potion so that they moved. One of his pictures shows Harry Potter trying to escape a picture of him and Gilderoy Lockhart.

More information: Wizarding World

The Chamber of Secrets was allegedly created deep under the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle during the Medieval times by Salazar Slytherin, who disagreed with the other Hogwarts Founders on the merits of blood purity. 

The Chamber of Secrets was home to an ancient Basilisk, which was intended to be used to purge the school of Muggle -born students. The entrance can be found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom on the second floor.

In order to gain entrance one must say open in Parseltongue and a sink will open into a slide. While falling down the large, dark pipe, one can see hundreds of other pipes leading off. At the end of the pipe, one is launched into a damp, stone chamber. This room is stated to be miles beneath the school and under the Lake. This is where Tom Marvolo Riddle used his ability to speak parseltongue and attack Harry Potter.

The Hufflepuff Basement is the common room for Hufflepuff students at Hogwarts. The entrance to the Hufflepuff Basement is hidden behind a stack of barrels. It can be entered by tapping a certain rhythm on the barrels. It is located near the kitchens. The cellar is decorated with yellow hangings and filled with fat armchairs.

Underground tunnels lead off to the students' dormitories and all the doors are perfectly circular, like barrel tops. This is the only common room Harry Potter does not enter at some point during his years at Hogwarts.

The Hogwarts Entrance Hall is located on the ground floor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with a wide marble staircase opposite the oak doors. Double doors to the right lead into the Great Hall. The basement, the kitchens, the dungeons, and the Grand Staircase can also be accessed via the Entrance Hall. There is also an annexe off the hall where Professor McGonagall speaks to the first years before the Sorting ceremony at the beginning of each school year.

The Great Hall in Hogwarts is the main gathering area in the school. Students eat their meals, receive daily owl posts, and have certain special events. The Great Hall is a large hall that can easily hold all of the school's students, staff and guests. It has tall walls that reach up to the ceiling, which is enchanted to look like the sky above.

More information: Screen Rant I & II

It was the scene of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort's final showdown, which was the Dark Lord's ultimate defeat. This was because the Elder Wand refuse to kill its true master, so Harry Potter was not killed. Since Lord Voldemort was now a mortal man, the curse rebounded on him, killing Tom Marvolo Riddle once and for all.

The Grand Staircase is a massive structure in Hogwarts Castle, mainly used to access each floor of the castle, including the dungeons. There are hundreds of Portraits covering the walls in this tower, some of which conceal secret passages to other areas within the school. The multiple staircases in the Grand Staircase lead from platform to platform and go as high as the seventh floor where they come to an end.

The Hospital wing was run by Poppy Pomfrey. Students who suffer mishaps during the school year are sent or brought to the hospital wing for treatment. The hospital wing is well equipped to deal with all manner of magical and mundane injuries, from broken limbs to regrowing lost bones.

Only in the most severe cases are students sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for further treatment, such as when Katie Bell touched a cursed Opal necklace.

The Astronomy Tower is the tallest tower at Hogwarts Castle surrounded by a parapet and turret. It is where students study the stars and planets through their telescopes in Astronomy lessons with Professor Aurora Sinistra.


This is usually done at midnight where the stars are best seen. The tower is usually out-of-bounds except for classes. All the way down from the boathouse you can see the huge window of the Astronomy Tower.

More information: CBR

Located within this tower is the Astronomy Corridor, Astronomy reading room, Astronomy classroom, Astronomy stairwell, Astronomy department and the Astronomy Room. Hogwarts' headmaster, Albus Dumbledore was killed here on this tower by his eventual successor, Severus Snape.

However, it was planned between Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape to spare Draco Malfoy being a murderer and spare the headmaster from a slow painful death. This was because Albus Dumbledore's hand was poisoned by a dangerous curse created by Tom Marvolo Riddle, to protect his Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt's ring.

The Clock Tower does not begin at the Ground Floor level. Because it is placed on top of a hill, the Tower begins at the Third Floor level. When you enter the Tower, there is a huge space, like an Entrance Hall with flights of wooden stairs at the right and left side. The first landing is at the Fourth Floor level. It is at this landing that are the clock's gears and face.

This same corridor connects the Tower to the remaining castle. If you go up another flight of wooden stairs, you will get to another landing, this time at the Fifth Floor level. It is in this landing that are the clock's bells; some massive gold and copper bells. There is another corridor at this landing; like the other, it links the Tower to the main castle.

More information: Ranker


He was standing at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber.
Towering stone pillars entwined with more serpents,
rose to a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long,
black shadows through the odd,
greenish gloom that filled the place.

J.K. Rowling

Friday, 4 April 2025

THE WINSORS ARE SEARCHING THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have started an amazing adventure. They are going to help Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and the members of the Order of the Phoenix to find the seven horcruxes of Lord Voldemort to destroy them and help Hogwarts to live in peace forever.
 
The Deathly Hallows were three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family. 

They consisted of the Elder Wand, an immensely powerful wand that was considered unbeatable; the Resurrection Stone, a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, rendered the user completely invisible. According to the story, both Antioch Peverell (owner of the Wand) and Cadmus Peverell (owner of the Stone) came to bad ends. However, Ignotus Peverell's wisdom in requesting the Cloak was rewarded.
 
According to legend, he who possessed these three artefacts would become the Master of Death.

Before starting this dangerous adventure,
the family has been preparing their Cambridge Exam studying some English vocabulary about Going Out and Shopping Around. They have also practised an A2 Cambridge Test.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series.

It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books.


The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

Deathly Hallows shattered sales records upon release, surpassing marks set by previous titles of the Harry Potter series.


It holds the Guinness World Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million in the UK.

Generally well received by critics, the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award, and the American Library Association named it the Best Book for Young Adults. A film adaptation of the novel was released in two parts: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 in November 2010 and Part 2 in July 2011.

The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story, collectively known as the Deathly Hallows -an unbeatable wand (the Elder Wand), a stone to bring the dead to life (the Resurrection Stone), and a cloak of invisibility.

When asked during a live chat about the other titles she had been considering, Rowling mentioned Harry Potter and the Elder Wand and Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest.

More information: Wizarding World I & II 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997.

It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic -the American publisher of the books- as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author.

The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998, and in the US on 2 June 1999.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999, and in the US on 8 September 1999.


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version. It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published on 16 July 2005, and it sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its worldwide release.


Shortly before releasing the title, J. K. Rowling announced that she had considered three titles for the book.

The final title was released to the public on 21 December 2006, via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website, confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers.

Rowling completed the book while staying at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh in January 2007, and left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes in her room which read: J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11 January 2007.

In a statement on her website, she said, I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in the books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts.


Themes such as normality, oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series. Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and going over one's most harrowing ordeals -and thus coming to terms with them has also been considered.

More information: Screen Rant

J. K. Rowling has stated that the books comprise a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry and that also pass on a message to "question authority and ... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".

Some political commentators have seen J. K. Rowling's portrayal of the bureaucratised Ministry of Magic and the oppressive measures taken by the Ministry in the later books, like making attendance at Hogwarts School compulsory and the registration of Mudbloods with the Ministry, as an allegory of criticising the state.

Sales for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were record-setting.

A two-part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J. K. Rowling. Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 on 15 July 2011.

Filming began in February 2009, and ended on 12 June 2010. However, the cast confirmed they would reshoot the epilogue scene as they only had two days to shoot the original. Reshoots officially ended around December 2010. Part 1 ended at Chapter 24 of the book, when Lord Voldemort regained the Elder Wand.

On 4 December 2008, J.K. Rowling released The Tales of Beedle the Bard both in the UK and US. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a spin-off of Deathly Hallows and contains fairy tales that are told to children in the Wizarding World.


The book includes five short stories, including The Tale of the Three Brothers which is the story of the Deathly Hallows.


 
 
I think it more likely that
the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards
who succeeded in creating those powerful objects.

Albus Dumbledore

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

THE WINSORS, MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have joined The Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters

The original Order was created in the 1970s. It was constructed after Voldemort returned to England from abroad and started his campaign to take over the Ministry of Magic and persecute Muggle-borns.

The Order worked with the Ministry to oppose the Dark Lord and his followers, and played a crucial role in the First Wizarding War. 

Their first victory came in 1981, with Voldemort's first defeat at the hands of Harry Potter. The victory came with the high cost of many of their members. Their casualties were overwhelming when compared to the Death EatersThe Order disbanded but was reconvened after Harry Potter informed Dumbledore of Lord Voldemort's return.

The Winsors think their personal skills will be useful for the Order and they want to help it in its fight between Hogwarts and the Death Eaters.

Before joining the Order,
the family has studied some English vocabulary about Staying Healthy, The World Around Us and TransportThey have also practised an A2 Cambridge Test.
 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fifth novel in the Harry Potter series.

It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the surreptitious return of the antagonist Lord Voldemort, O.W.L. exams, and an obstructive Ministry of Magic.

The novel was published on 21 June 2003 by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic in the United States, and Raincoast in Canada. It sold five million copies in the first 24 hours of publication. It is the longest book of the series.

Harry Potter fans waited three years between the releases of the fourth and fifth books. Before the release of the fifth book, 200 million copies of the first four books had already been sold and translated into 55 languages in 200 countries. 

As the series was already a global phenomenon, the book forged new pre-order records, with thousands of people queuing outside book stores on 20 June 2003 to secure copies at midnight. Despite the security, thousands of copies were stolen from an Earlestown, Merseyside warehouse on 15 June 2003.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was met with mostly positive reviews and received several awards.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series.

The first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was first published by Bloomsbury in 1997 with an initial print-run of 500 copies in hardback, 300 of which were distributed to libraries.

The second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in the UK on 2 July 1998.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999 and in the US on 8 September 1999.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published 8 July 2000, simultaneously by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series, yet it is the second shortest film at 2 hours and 18 minutes.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

After the publishing of Order of the Phoenix, the sixth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was published on 16 July 2005.

The seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published 21 July 2007.

In 2007, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in a film version directed by David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg. The film was produced by David Heyman's company, Heyday Films, alongside David Barron.
The film opened to a worldwide 5-day opening of $333 million, the third best of all time.

The Order of the Phoenix was a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

The original Order was created in the 1970s.

It was constructed after Lord Voldemort returned to England from abroad and started his campaign to take over the Ministry of Magic and persecute Muggle-borns.

The Order worked with the Ministry to oppose the Dark Lord and his followers, and played a crucial role in the First Wizarding War. Their first victory came in 1981, with Lord Voldemort's first defeat at the hands of Harry Potter. The victory came with the high cost of many of their members.

More information: Screen Rant I, II & III

The Order disbanded but was reconvened after Harry Potter informed Dumbledore of Lord Voldemort's return.

The Ministry refused to admit that the Dark Lord had returned, thus the Order alone worked to protect Harry Potter and the prophecy concerning him and Lord Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries.

After an intense battle occurred there between the Order, Dumbledore's Army, and the Death Eaters, the Ministry finally admitted the truth.

The following year would see the Order losing their leader and the Ministry being conquered by Lord Voldemort. The Order remained an underground resistance, trying to protect Muggles and broadcast the truth during the worst days of the Second Wizarding War.

They answered the call to arms by Dumbledore's Army, fighting Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters for the final time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

 
 
It's a secret society.
Dumbledore's in charge, 
he founded it.
It's the people who fought against 
You-Know-Who last time.

Hermione Granger

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

THE WINSORS & THE GOBLET OF FIRE'S TOURNAMENT

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have started to prepare their participation in The Goblet of Fire, an interesting tournament that it is going to be celebrated in Hogwarts.

The Winsors have been invited by Albus Dumbledore and it has been a great honour for them to have this chance. The rivals are very powerful and strong but The Winsors are going to offer their best result.
 
The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. 
 
The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities -until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.
 
Before confirming their participation, The Winsors have studied some English vocabulary about Clothes, Weather and The Body. They have also practised an A2 Cambridge Test.
 
 
More information: Clothes
 
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a fantasy book written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series.

It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the mystery surrounding the entry of Harry's name into the Triwizard Tournament, in which he is forced to compete.

The book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury and in the United States by Scholastic. In both countries, the release date was 8 July 2000. This was the first time a book in the series was published in both countries at the same time.


The novel won a Hugo Award, the only Harry Potter novel to do so, in 2001. The book was adapted into a film, released worldwide on 18 November 2005, and a video game by Electronic Arts.

More information: Wizarding World

Throughout the three previous novels in the Harry Potter series, the main character, Harry Potter, has struggled with the difficulties of growing up and the added challenge of being a famed wizard.


When Harry was a baby, Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard in history, killed Harry's parents but was mysteriously defeated after unsuccessfully trying to kill Harry, though his attempt left a lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead.

This results in Harry's immediate fame and his being placed in the care of his abusive Muggle, non-magical, aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, who have a son named Dudley.

On Harry's eleventh birthday, he learns he is a wizard from Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and enrols in Hogwarts. He befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and confronts Lord Voldemort, who is trying to regain power.

In Harry's first year, he has to protect the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort and one of his faithful followers at Hogwarts.

After returning to school after summer break, students at Hogwarts are attacked by the legendary monster of the Chamber of Secrets after the Chamber is opened. Harry ends the attacks by killing a Basilisk and thwarting another attempt by Lord Voldemort to return to full strength.

The following year, Harry hears he has been targeted by escaped mass murderer Sirius Black. Despite stringent security measures at Hogwarts, Harry encounters Black at the end of his third year and learns Black was framed and is actually Harry's godfather. He also learns that it was his father's old school friend Peter Pettigrew who betrayed his parents.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. The first, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published by Bloomsbury on 26 June 1997.

The second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published on 2 July 1998. The third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, followed on 8 July 1999. Goblet of Fire is almost twice the size of the first three books, the paperback edition was 636 pages.

More information: Wizarding World

Rowling stated that she knew from the beginning it would be the biggest of the first four. She said there needed to be a proper run-up for the conclusion and rushing the complex plot could confuse readers. She also stated that everything is on a bigger scale, which was symbolic, as Harry's horizons widened both literally and metaphorically as he grew up. She also wanted to explore more of the magical world.

Until the official title's announcement on 27 June 2000, the book was called by its working title, Harry Potter IV. Previously, in April, the publisher had listed it as Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament.

However, J. K. Rowling expressed her indecision about the title in an Entertainment Weekly interview. I changed my mind twice on what the title was. The working title had got out -Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament. Then I changed Doomspell to Triwizard Tournament. Then I was teetering between Goblet of Fire and Triwizard Tournament. In the end, I preferred Goblet of Fire because it's got that kind of cup of destiny feel about it, which is the theme of the book.

Rowling mentioned that she originally wrote a Weasley relative named Malfalda, who, according to Rowling, was the daughter of the second cousin who's a stockbroker mentioned in Philosopher's Stone.
This stockbroker had been very rude to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the past, but now he and his (Muggle) wife had inconveniently produced a witch, they came back to the Weasleys asking for their help in introducing her to wizarding society before she starts at Hogwarts.

More information: Wizarding World

Malfalda was supposed to be a Slytherin and was to fill in the Rita Skeeter subplot, but she was eventually removed because there were obvious limitations to what an eleven year old closeted at school could discover.

Rowling considered Rita Skeeter to be much more flexible. Rowling also admitted that the fourth book was the most difficult to write at the time because she noticed a giant plot hole halfway through writing. In particular, Rowling had trouble with the ninth chapter, The Dark Mark, which she rewrote 13 times.

It was pointed out that bigotry is a big theme in the Harry Potter novels and Goblet of Fire in particular. it was mentioned how Voldemort and his followers are prejudiced against Muggles and how, in Goblet of Fire, Hermione forms a group to liberate Hogwarts' house-elves who have been indentured servants so long they lack desire for anything else.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was adapted into a film, released worldwide on 18 November 2005, which was directed by Mike Newell and written by Steve Kloves.


More information: Screen Rant

 
 
 Dark and difficult times lie ahead.
Soon we must all face the choice between
what is right and what is easy.

Albus Dumbledore

Monday, 31 March 2025

THE WINSORS MEET & HELP THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have received uncomfortable news in Hogwarts while they were practising some A2 Cambridge examples. 
 
A dangerous man has escaped from Azkaban prison, a fortress on an island in the middle of the North Sea, for convicted criminals built in the 15th century. Azkaban is one of the darkest places of the magic world. But they do not believe this story and have decided to meet and help this supposed criminal.

Before, the family has been preparing their Cambridge Exam studying some English vocabulary about Inside The House, Food and Drink and Animals. They have also practised an A2 Cambridge Test.
 
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a fantasy novel written by British author J.K. Rowling and is the third in the Harry Potter series

The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along with friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry investigates Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the wizard prison, believed to be one of Lord Voldemort's old allies.

The book was published in the United Kingdom on 8 July 1999 by Bloomsbury and in the United States on 8 September 1999 by Scholastic, Inc. Rowling found the book easy to write, finishing it just a year after she began writing it. 
 
The book sold 68,000 copies in just three days after its release in the United Kingdom and since has sold over three million in the country. The book won the 1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was short-listed for other awards, including the Hugo.
 
The film adaptation of the novel was released in 2004, grossing more than $796 million and earning critical acclaim. Video games loosely based on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were also released for several platforms, and most obtained favourable reviews.
 
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series. The first, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US, was published by Bloomsbury on 26 June 1997 and the second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published on 2 July 1998.

Rowling started to write the Prisoner of Azkaban the day after she finished The Chamber of Secrets. Rowling's favourite aspect of this book was introducing the character Remus Lupin, Rowling additionally said in 2004 that Prisoner of Azkaban was the best writing experience I ever had... I was in a very comfortable place writing number three. Immediate financial worries were over, and press attention wasn't yet by any means excessive.

The New York Times said, So far, in terms of plot, the books do nothing new, but they do it brilliantly...so far, so good.

In a newspaper review in The New York Times, it was said that The Prisoner of Azkaban may be the best Harry Potter book yet. A reviewer for KidsReads said, This crisply-paced fantasy will leave you hungry for the four additional Harry books that J.K. Rowling is working on. Harry's third year is a charm. Don't miss it. Kirkus Reviews did not give a starred review but said, a properly pulse-pounding climax... The main characters and the continuing story both come along so smartly... that the book seems shorter than its page count: have readers clear their calendars if they are fans, or get out of the way if they are not.

More information: Wizarding World

The Horn Book Magazine said that it is quite a good book. In addition, a Publishers Weekly review said, Rowling's wit never flags, whether constructing the workings of the wizard world... or tossing off quick jokes... The Potter spell is holding strong.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in hardcover in the UK on 8 July 1999 and in the US on 8 September. The British paperback edition was released on 1 April 2000, while the US paperback was released 2 October 2001.
 
The film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in 2004 and was directed by Alfonso Cuarón from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film débuted at number one at the box office and held that position for two weeks. It made a total of $796.7 million worldwide, which made it the second highest-grossing film of 2004 behind Shrek 2.

However, among all eight entries in the Harry Potter franchise, Prisoner of Azkaban grossed the lowest, yet among critics and fans, the film is said to be one of the best in the franchise. The film ranks at number 471 in Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.

More information: Collider

 
  
 Happiness can be found,
even in the darkest of times,
if one only remembers to turn on the light.

Albus Dumbledore

Sunday, 1 October 2023

BEASTS (IV) - BASILISKS, GIANTS, TROLLS & WEREVOLVES

Today, The Weasleys and The Grandma have met some magical creatures that live in magic world. Some of them live in Hogwarts, other are its enemies. They are basilisks, giants, trolls and werewolves. The Grandma has offered them another Cambridge Key English Test A2 Example.
The Basilisk is a giant serpent, also known as the King of Serpents. It is a magical beast that is bred by Dark Wizards. Herpo the Foul was the first to breed a Basilisk; he accomplished this by hatching a chicken egg beneath a toad which resulted in the creature known as a Basilisk.

Basilisk breeding was banned in Medieval times. The practise can be hidden when the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures comes to check by simply removing the egg from the toad.
 
Looking a Basilisk directly in the eye will immediately kill the victim, but indirect look will merely render them Petrified. It is also the mortal enemy of spiders, who can intuitively sense them and flee whenever they do.

The Basilisk has a classification as an XXXXX creature, meaning it is a known wizard-killer that cannot be domesticated due to its immense powers. Since the Basilisk is still a serpent, a Parselmouth may place a Basilisk under his or her control.

This depends on the relationship between the Basilisk and the Parselmouth. Tom Riddle was the only one who could command Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk, while Harry Potter had no control over it.
Basilisks can live a natural life of at least nine hundred years, though Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk lived for approximately a thousand years.

This is accomplished by using Parseltongue to put the creature into a deep sleep that prevents it from ageing, similar to suspended animation. Their mortal weakness is the crowing of a rooster. Basilisks feed off vertebrate animals, it is unknown how much they eat at one time. The Serpent of Slytherin survived on rats. The male can be distinguished from the female by a single scarlet plume on its head.

A basilisk egg is the egg of said creature. They are chicken eggs hatched beneath a toad, thus creating the deadly King of Serpents.

When a live victim looks directly into the Basilisk's eyes, it results in instant death. Although looking at the eyes through camera lens or a ghost's transparent body would dampen the lethal effects, looking through a pair of glasses does not offer the same protection, because glasses still allow one's line of vision to connect directly and clearly with the serpent's eyes.

More information: Wizarding World

Myrtle Warren was such an unfortunate person, as her wearing glasses did not save her from death when she looked directly at the Serpent of Slytherin's eyes.

If the victim is a ghost, then they can look directly into the serpent's eyes without suffering death, as the dead cannot die again; however, they would suffer petrification. Should a camera be reflected onto the serpent's eyes, the lens and film will be melted. A phoenix is immune to the basilisk's gaze, whether directly or not, as the bird is immortal.

If the basilisk's eyes are damaged, thus rendering it blind, it takes away the lethal ability as well.


When a victim looks indirectly at the Basilisk's eyes, such as its reflection, they will merely become petrified, similar to the stare of a Gorgon. This was the case with Hermione Granger, Penelope Clearwater, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, Nearly-Headless-Nick and Filch's cat, Mrs Norris.

Myrtle Warren was not so fortunate and looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes, which resulted in her immediate death.

A way of surviving a Basilisk's gaze is by seeing it through another object. An example mentioned above was when Colin Creevey saw it through his camera, resulting in his petrification and his camera lens becoming melted. Justin Finch-Fletchley saw the Basilisk through the translucent ghost Nearly-Headless-Nick, and was petrified. The already deceased Sir Nicholas became petrified as well, although he did look at the beast's eyes directly.

Hermione Granger was petrified, while gathering information on the basilisk. She discovered it was the monster in the Chamber of Secrets and that the serpent travelled through the pipes in the school. Hermione was petrified after seeing the basilisks' eyes in a hand mirror.

Petrification seems quite powerful, as the the legendary Albus Dumbledore concluded that the only way to reverse the effect was through the use of the Mandrake Restorative Draught. Spiders are terrified of the Basilisk, described as their enemy and they flee before it. Spiders, such as the Acromantula Aragog, also refuse to even speak of it or mention its name. Rubeus Hagrid asked Aragog many times to name the monster, but Aragog refused to speak of it.

Basilisk venom is an extremely poisonous substance that only has one known antidote: phoenix tears. Basilisk venom is so powerful that it can kill a person within minutes, making the person drowsy and blurry-visioned before they die. 

It has a very long lasting effect which still remains potent even up to five years or more after the snake has died. It can also damage inanimate objects so thoroughly that they are impossible to restore, and thus it is one of the few substances powerful enough to destroy a Horcrux.

When Harry Potter slew the Serpent of Slytherin with the Sword of Gryffindor, the sword became imbued with the basilisk's venom, giving it the ability to destroy a Horcrux. However, the venom is not poisonous simply by touching it. When Ron Weasley extracted a basilisk fang with his bare hands in the Chamber, he did not die.

The Ancient Greek basil(eus) means king, with the suffix -iskos being a diminutive, the whole having the sense of princeling or the like, purportedly for the crown-like white spot on its head.

More information: Screen Rant I & II


 The light slid over a gigantic snake skin,
of a vivid, poisonous green,
lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor.
The creature that had shed it must have been
twenty feet long at least. 

J.K. Rowling



A giant is a very large humanoid magical creature which can potentially grow to approximately twenty five feet tall and appear to be a large human.

Some may appear as large and hairy humanoids, while others resemble humongous-sized people, and some may even have bestial features. Giants generally live in tribes, although as their numbers dwindle, the tribes have merged into larger groups. A Giant tribe is led by the strongest giant, known as the Gurg.

Even without significant magical abilities, Giants are immensely powerful creatures. Gifted with overwhelming raw strength proportionate to their prodigious size, they are difficult to detain by wizards since most spells tend to have little to no effect upon them and may very well be even stronger than dragons, as seen when six ministry wizards came to subdue the half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid. All of the stunning spells they sent at him only seemed to just bounce off.

This is particularly noteworthy, since Sirius Black claimed that nothing less of at least half a dozen wizards casting said enchantments at the same time can stun a full-grown dragon into submission. However, similar to dragons, they may have certain weaker spots on their bodies, such as their eyes, as Olympe Maxime managed to subdue some of Golgomath's subordinates with the Conjunctivitis Curse, which attacks the eyes.

It also seems apparent that, while giants may be resistant to many spells, their skin appears to be no more resistant to non-magical trauma than regular wizards, as evidenced by the fact that Grawp, a full-blooded giant -was subdued and injured by the centaurs' arrows, despite there being no indication that their bows and arrows have any magical properties. The arrows may have been the equivalent of thumb tacs, considering Grawp's size, but they still provoked blood and forced Grawp to step back.

The remaining giants retreated into a remote mountainous region in Northern Europe, and being cramped in such areas resulted in them killing each other for the most trivial matters or sometimes for nothing but sheer violence, reducing their numbers to around eighty in total. Muggle mountaineers who approach the giants' colony would meet their demise at the hands of these fearsome beings, but they were always written off as some kind of climbing accident.

Wizard kind, however, seemed to be satisfied with the giants out of their community as a whole and did not bother to monitor or exterminate them as long as they remained so. Following the return of Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore dispatched two half-giants, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, accompanied by the headmistress of Beauxbatons, Olympe Maxime, to make an alliance with giants and deny their forces to Lord Voldemort when Cornelius Fudge refused to make an official approach on behalf of the Ministry of Magic.

The pair travelled to a tribe north-east of Minsk to try and gain the friendship of the tribe, however, they were not alone in their efforts. Two Death Eaters, including Walden Macnair, had also arrived to try and convince the giants to rejoin Lord Voldemort's forces.

Rubeus Hagrid and Maxime Olympe were doing well and were on good terms with the Gurg called Karkus. The Death Eaters, though, courted the favour of Golgomath and engineered an uprising. Golgomath killed Karkus, took his place as Gurg, and allied the Death Eaters. Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime were forced to retreat after being attacked by the giants.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, many giants fought on the side of Lord Voldemort against the defenders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They mainly battled Grawp, a small giant who had fled the colony two years earlier, and the hippogriffs and Thestrals. It is not known what happened to them after the battle.

The most likely theories are that the survivors returned to the northern colony, came to be accepted by wizard kind from Albus Dumbledore's attempt to offer them the hand of friendship, or were subsequently executed by Aurors and The Committee for Disposal of Dangerous Creatures for the part they played in the war.

If it is the latter, then the race of giants would be near extinct, with Grawp and two half-giants remaining, but given Kingsley Shacklebolt's loyalty to Albus Dumbledore, as well as the insistence of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and likely eventually others after the Battle of Hogwarts, it is far more likely that wizardkind eventually wanted and managed to make peace and friendship with the surviving giants and let them live in remote habitats.

However, considering their long life cycle and extremely small population size, it is not likely under any circumstances that the giant species would have remained extant for long after the end of the war, unless they were given more space on their own.

More information: Wizarding World I, II & III


 They're not meant ter live together, giants...
they can't help themselves,
they half kill each other every few weeks.

Rubeus Hagrid



Grawp is a giant that was known, despite standing a full sixteen feet tall, for his small stature and short height. He was the son of Fridwulfa and an unnamed giant and, therefore, the maternal half-brother of Rubeus Hagrid.

Around 1931, the giantess Fridwulfa abandoned her human husband Mr Hagrid and their infant child Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant, who was smaller in stature than she wanted. She consequently rejoined her own kind in the mountains, and there she found a new mate.


The two gave birth to the giant Grawp who, despite being a full-blooded giant, was still particularly small, and due to this he, too, was abandoned. He was frequently bullied by the other giants thereafter due to his small size.

Rubeus Hagrid, along with his newly-found friend Olympe Maxime, paid a visit to a tribe of giants, on the orders of headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in an attempt to bring the giants over as allies of the Order of the Phoenix in the war against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

After three days at the giant camp, Rubeus Hagrid discovered his half-brother Grawp. He later dragged Grawp back to Hogwarts with him due to the bullying he knew Grawp had received, and presumably to protect Grawp from Lord Voldemort's enslavement of the giants. Despite his previous abuse, Grawp continuously attempted to return to the camp, but Hagrid forced him through England against his will.

Rubeus Hagrid kept Grawp in the Forbidden Forest for months, teaching him manners and pieces of English as they went. The other inhabitants of the forest, namely the centaurs, noticed these attempts and tried to warn Rubeus Hagrid that his trial was futile.

At sixteen feet, Grawp was considered short for a giant. He had grey skin, brown-green eyes and hair.

More information: Wizarding World


 Hagrid sat down next to his half-brother and Grawp
patted Hagrid hard on the head,
so that his chair legs sank into the ground.

J.K. Rowling



A troll is a magical beast of prodigious strength and immense stupidity. In fact, they are so synonymous with stupidity that they actually have a wizarding exam failing grade named after them. Trolls are grouped in the taxonomical genus Troglodytarum. Trolls possess rudimentary magic, but it is not known how they apply it.

Troll language is supposedly nothing more than simple grunts that only Trolls seem to be able to interpret, though skilled magical multi-linguists such as Barty Crouch can understand them. Trolls understand only a limited number of Human words, and some smarter ones can be skilfully trained as security trolls.

Professor Quirrell had a gift for communicating with trolls, and then used it to set one loose in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in an effort to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

Mountain trolls have been known to tame and ride Graphorns, or at least try to ride them. Graphorns don't seem to be very keen on the idea.

Trolls originated in Scandinavia, but are now found all across Europe.

Trolls are not recognised as magical beings, but are instead classified as beasts by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures of the British Ministry of Magic, most likely due to their aggressive natures.

Pierre Bonaccord, the first Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, wanted to stop troll-hunting and give them rights, but his appointment to that office was contested by Liechtenstein, since they were having problems with a tribe of very dangerous mountain trolls at the time.

Artemius Lawson was an outspoken advocate for the strict restraint of trolls. He thought it was wrong to allow them to roam free, stating that they were creatures who weighed a ton, but had brains the size of a bogeyThe Black family kept an umbrella stand made out of a troll's leg in their front hall.

A Troll was Quirinus Quirrell's contribution to guarding the Philosopher's Stone in the Underground Chambers, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Professor Quirinus Quirrell, to create a diversion so he could go after the Philosopher's Stone, let a mountain troll into the castle on Hallowe'en. It wandered around the corridors until Harry Potter and Ron Weasley locked it in a girls' bathroom, only to realise soon after that Hermione Granger was also in that particular bathroom. With a  combination of using the Levitation Charm and sheer dumb luck, according to Minerva McGonagall, Ron managed to knock it by levitating its club and dropping it on its head, incapacitating it out and saving Hermione.

Trolls participate in wizarding society to some extent; some witches and wizards make a career out of training security trolls. These were evidently a different type of troll than the mountain variety, since they seemed considerably more intelligent and less smelly. Albus Dumbledore hired security trolls to guard the Fat Lady after Sirius Black attacked her.

They spent all their time pacing the corridor in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, giving dirty looks to everyone who happened by and comparing the sizes of their clubs. They left at the end of the year, when Sirius Black was deemed to have left the country.

The wizarding author and celebrity Gilderoy Lockhart wrote about his supposed adventures with Trolls in his book Travels with Trolls, which was a mandatory Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook for his classes in that subject when he was that year's Professor. As Gilderoy Lockhart was in reality a dishonest con artist who fraudulently took the credit of the achievements of far braver wizards and witches, by erasing their memories of their deeds with the Memory Charm, Lockhart in reality had no actual experience with these creatures.

During the Calamity, several Trolls started randomly appearing throughout the Wizarding world guarding various magical Confoundables, with volunteer members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force having to incapacitate them with spells such as the the Ebublio Jinx and the Knockback Jinx, in order to overpower the Confoundables and return them to their rightful place.

More information: Wizarding World


I went looking for the troll because
I —I thought I could deal with it on my own
—you know, because I've read all about Trolls.

Hermione Granger



A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope, is a human being who, upon the complete rising of the full moon, becomes an uncontrollable, fearsome and deadly werewolf.

This condition is caused by infection with lycanthropy, also known as werewolfry. Werewolves appear in the form of a wolf but, there are distinctions between them and regular wolves.

A mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will seal the wound and allow the victim to live on as a werewolf, although tragic tales are told of knowing victims begging for death rather than becoming werewolves. The Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles, allows the werewolf to keep their human mind during transformation.

A werewolf cannot choose whether or not to transform and will no longer remember who they are and would kill even their best friend given the opportunity once transformed. Despite this, they are able to recall everything they have experienced throughout their transformation upon reverting to their human form.

Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood; thus, when a transformed werewolf bites a human, the bitten will become a werewolf themselvesMost Muggles, however, will die from the extent of their injuries in the instance of a werewolf attack as noted by Professor Marlowe Forfang, though some do survive to become werewolves themselves.

If a werewolf is in human form and bites the victim, they will merely gain lupine tendencies such as a fondness for rare meat. Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, will leave permanent scars. However, the fresh wound can be sealed with a mixture of powdered silver and dittany.


The only known human born to at least one werewolf parent, untransformed at time of conception, was Teddy Lupin, son of werewolf Remus and human metamorphmagus Tonks.

Teddy did not inherit his father's condition, however it is unknown if it definitively cannot be passed on in this manner or if Teddy did not inherit the condition from pure chance as other than Teddy, there was no documentation of a werewolf having a child in human form. In Teddy's case it was his father who was a werewolf, not his mother, therefore it is unknown if a pregnant female werewolf's transformations would affect the ability to carry the pregnancy to term.

If two werewolves mate at the full moon, in their animal forms, something very strange happens. The result of their mating, which has only ever occurred twice throughout history, has been a pack of wolf cubs -actual wolf cubs- who grow to become very beautiful wolves and can only be distinguished from true wolves by their near-human intelligence.

Thus, rumours of werewolves living in the Forbidden Forest in the grounds at Hogwarts Castle are actually about a pack of lupine werewolf offspring that was released into the woods with the kind permission of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the School, and has lived there ever since. Teachers have never tried to dispel these rumours because they felt that keeping students out of the forest was highly desirable.

More information: Wizarding World I, II & III

The monthly transformation of a werewolf is extremely painful if untreated and is usually preceded and succeeded by a few days of pallor and ill health. The werewolf may display irritation towards friends. While in his or her wolfish form, the werewolf loses entirely its human sense of right or wrong. However, it is incorrect to state, as some authorities have, notably Professor Emerett Picardy in his book Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don’t Deserve to Live, that they suffer from a permanent loss of moral sense.

While human, the werewolf may be as good or kind as the next person. Alternatively, they may be dangerous even while human, as in the case of Fenrir Greyback, who attempts to bite and maim as a man and keeps his nails sharpened into claw-like points for the purpose. Though werewolves usually only infect their victims through biting, they sometimes take it too far and kill their victims.

Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf will attack itself out of frustration. This leaves many werewolves such as Remus Lupin with self-inflicted scars and premature ageing from the difficult transformations.

Werewolves can be easily distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail, and their mindless hunting of humans whilst in wolf form. At all other times, they appear as normal humans, although they will age prematurely, and will gain a pallor as the moon approaches and then wanes.

The real difference between a wolf and a werewolf is in behaviour. Genuine wolves are not very aggressive, and the vast number of folk tales representing them as mindless predators are now believed by wizarding authorities to refer to werewolves, not true wolves. A wolf is unlikely to attack a human except under exceptional circumstances. The werewolf, however, targets humans almost exclusively and poses very little danger to any other creature.

More information: Screen Rant


You have only ever seen me amongst the Order,
or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts!
You don't know how most of the wizarding world
sees creatures like me!
When they know of my affliction,
they can barely talk to me!

Werewolf Remus Lupin