April 2019 Bulletin
Entry posted by abhorsen. in bulletin
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Welcome to HPFT's April's bulletin, where you can find all of our major monthly announcements, updates on staff changes, and more!
If you're new, welcome to HPFT! It's awesome to have you with us. 
HPFanficTalk is a forum/archive - the forum is Harry Potter-themed (including a year-long house cup), but we talk about other fandoms, too, and the archive is multi-fandom/OF. 
We have a strong culture of support for other writers and feedback here, including a story help section, challenges, and reviewing events, so if you're a writer, you've come to the right place. 
A quick rundown to help you get started here on the forums: please post in the 'Welcome to HPFT' topic +here to say that you've read over the rules and understand them. You can specify your house in that post or in our sorting ceremony +here - once you do, we'll sort you into the right group so you can see a common room that only people in your house are allowed to see. You're welcome to post in your common room and/or in our introductions forum +here to introduce yourself if you'd like, and you may also find our +FAQs helpful.
Enjoy your stay!
We are very sorry to see both @Alexis Black and @scooterbug8515 step down as prefects this month. Both have been a great asset to the team, and we really enjoyed having them!
However, we are pleased to announce that @adorably cute will be joining the Auror team, and that @ShadowRose will take on a part-time role as a GameKeeper in addition to her full-time role of being a Muggle Liaison!
Thank you, Carrie and Alexis! Congratulations, Sarah and Taylor!
Would you like to pitch in behind-the-scenes?
Applications for all staff, prefect, and house newsletter editor positions are open for the next week. There's no post count/join date limit, and you can apply for as many positions as you like - it's all on one application. A detailed rundown on how HPFT staffing works can be found +here, and you can find the application +here. If you're interested, please apply by Midnight EST on April 10th.
If you applied in February or March, you don't need to apply again unless you'd like to apply for additional positions or change your answers - we will still consider you this month.
Round 2 of our collab has now ended. Keep an eye out for round 3, which will be going up soon!
While you're writing , check out April's +Camp NaNo!
Gryffindor
It's been a quiet month in the den recently! We kicked off March with a brand new penpal thread for our lions to continue their writing projects with a little help from new friends! Our Featured Fic this month is After Destiny by @CambAngst and our Leading Lion is @poppunkpadfoot. We'll be holding off on RvG this month, Lions, but stay tuned for further details about another upcoming event in the CR! Congrats to both our winners.
Hufflepuff
In March, the Badgers celebrated @MuggleMaybe and @FireCrest joining the staff and prefect team! And they're already hard at work! Earlier this month, the Puff-a-Palooza! event was announced: we'll be playing two review games in April to prepare for the Golden Chalice Awards in May! There's still time to sign up for Siege the Keep (deadline is April 3rd), so make sure to do so! April's Hufflepuff of the Month is @MalfoysAngel! The Story of the Month is "The Final Calm" by @sihaya! And the Review of the Month was written by @MuggleMaybe! For full details on all 'Puff CR goings-on , read April's Hear Ye, Hufflepuff, due out on April 7th!
Ravenclaw
The Claws have been writing away furiously for the Great Collab and the many challenges ending this month, along with leaving quite a few reviews for our Blue vs. Bronze battles! Our Claw of the Month for April is our lovely admin @abhorsen. who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes on the archives this last month! April's Story of the Month goes to All the Waves Resounded by @BookDinosaur which focuses on Andromeda Black's role during the First Wizarding War.
Slytherin
Slytherin House has been relatively chill this month -- we had a great EvS Battle and some have started plotting their novels for Camp NaNo. @Lacey Black took Slytherin of the Month for being an extremely active, friendly, and fun Snakeling. The spot of Story of the Month went to @Bunbury's fantastic story, Inheritance (which is entirely worth the read if you're looking for a recommendation -- dark curses and mysteries, a'hoy).
Our first Head Student of the month hasn't been a member for very long, but has made a lasting impression already. From being very active in her House, to submitting multiple stories, having a great social media presence and just being overall kind and helpful, it's no wonder that she's became one of this month's Head Students! So please give it up for...
Our second Head Student has been around for a while longer, and she's been very active in her House. From leaving a lot of reviews, to participating in games and generally helping out where she can, she's a force to be reckoned with, and she makes all of our lives happier by doing what she does. So please give it up for...
Congratulations to you both, and thank you for all you do for the community! 
Please PM @abhorsen. with your choice of story you'd like to have featured next month! 
This month's Order of the Merlin goes to...
Paula has always been a friendly, helpful face on hpft but since she became our newest admin she's basically a force of nature. As well as all of her admin duties, she's still doing a lot of social media stuff as well, uploading most podfics and generally being awesome, not to mention her incredible work clearing the queue. There is nothing she doesn't do and she has been doing it all while extremely pregnant! The prefects want to congratulate her on the birth of her beautiful baby girl, Madeleine. That's worth an Order of Merlin all by itself.
April's story of the Month is...
QuoteAlbus and Scorpius had all the time in the world.
(Songfic. Alternates between verse and prose with each successive section)
For Finefrenzy__'s The Slytherin-Centric Challenge.
banner by my amazing Secret Snake, lovecat.
Every month, HPFT runs Fic Night, where a staff member reads a nominated fic from one of our members. This month, you voted for how long? to be our Fic Night story as well. You can check out @TidalDragon reading it under the spoiler tag below if you haven't seen it yet!
This month, we're featuring stories from recent head students, the top three from this year's FROGS 'Best non-Harry Potter Fandom,' 'Best Minor Character', and 'Most Original' categories, site + house stories of the month, and several staff picks. Don't forget to stop by HPFT's Social Media pages throughout the month [Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook] to claim your free gift from the ML team!
Congratulations, badgerspride, @BookDinosaur, @Chemical_Pixie, @crestwood, @just.a.willow.tree, @Noelle Zingarella, @PaulaTheProkaryote, @Stella Blue, @Unwritten Curse, @Veritaserum27, and @wildest dreams!
April 3 - The Ensemble Challenge by @crestwood
April 7 - The Wrong Owl! Challenge by @starbuck and @juls
April 10 - The Prefects Four Of A Kind Challenge by The Prefects
April 30 - The Millennials Ruin Everything Challenge by @PaulaTheProkaryote and @Ineke
May 1 - The Original Fiction Challenge (With A Twist) by @Rumpelstiltskin
May 1 - The Dramione Challenge by @Renacerá
May 31 – The Dragon Tale Story Challenge by @StarFeather
June 20 - The [Blank] Meets [Blank] Challenge by @MuggleMaybe
1 - @abhorsen.
2 - @BlackPixie
6 - @Chelts-rhj
10 - @CambAngst
11 - @BoredOneNight; @charmx; @Slytherinchica08
14 - @adorably cute; @magpie
16 - @shezwriter
21 - @maraudertimes; @poppunkpadfoot; @SnapeLove
25 - @RoxiMalfoy; @VaguelyCreativeName; @starbuck
Bulletin written and/or compiled by @Ineke and @abhorsen. (mostly Ineke this month, she's a star). Gryffindor's House Submission was written by @adorably cute, Hufflepuff's was written by @Renacerá, Ravenclaw's was written by @MadiMalfoy wrote the Ravenclaw House Submission, and Slytherin's was written by @Rumpelstiltskin. Order of Merlin written by @facingthenorthwind and @adorably cute. All graphics by @abhorsen.. Featured staff picks by @abhorsen. (Keeping Score), @galadriel (Absolution), and @Rumpelstiltskin (Soft Murder).