Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
With the same account, complete eight different threads where your character interacts with eight different usergroups. At least one must be a non-human, and one a student.
Did You Know?
Braces, or suspenders, were almost universally worn due to the high cut of men's trousers. Belts did not become common until the 1920s. — MJ
Your letter in Witch Weekly caught my attention! I am similarly under-stimulated much of the time, and I believe that my life would be greatly improved by frequent entertaining discussions. (I am also younger than twenty-six.) This question may be too typical for you, but it is a starting point: which party this summer was your favorite?
Witch Weekly is pleased to inform you that your recent submission to our Lonely Hearts article has generated a response. Witch Weekly is devoted to providing help to all of our readers, no matter what their social disadvantages, and we are delighted to provide this service to the lovelorn in our magical community. We hope that you will be able to create a happy ending with our help, instead of being doomed to a tragically lonely life.
Please see the enclosed letter and advise us whether you will need your advertisement repeated in further issues of our magazine.
Yes, you must be under-stimulated, to be reading Witch Weekly. I tease: I am pleased you wrote!
This might be a strange answer, and not quite a party, but Mrs. Wright hosted an academic salon in August. I enjoyed that – and do not think me a bore yet, because I can explain! I attended at my father’s behest (he is an academic; I would not claim the same) and whilst it sounds very dull indeed, I confess I experienced a dreadful delight in witnessing all the odd scholars argue about the naming convention of a creature or the correct way to brew a potion. Their passion was quite hilarious — I am surprised if no blood was shed that day. There were a few who seemed ready to demand satisfaction in a duel. I laughed much more that day than I do at half of parties.
I have answered your question, so what’s your answer? Otherwise, you must tell me something shocking.
Miss Amusement
October 1, 2023 – 12:20 AM
Last modified: October 1, 2023 – 12:21 AM by Oscar Daphnel.
Your choice of party made me nervous, at first — my brother is the sort to enjoy academic salons, and we do not often agree on parties we would like to attend. But once you elaborated, I understood. It's always interesting to watch how people act in their own environments, after all.
My favorite was that ball hosted by Mrs. — where everyone was locked in at the end of the night because of the missing tiara. I thought it was fascinating to try and guess who had stolen the tiara! (I am not sure they ever figured it out, although I was not the thief.)
Something shocking — for some value of shocking — : I suspect my sister is doomed to be a spinster.
We are agreed on that – I enjoy a debate well enough, but I certainly do not desire to spend my life devoted to scholarship! Your choice was a good one – all the fun of a murder mystery event, without real murder. I am interested you thought it necessary to tell me you were not the thief, though. A thief is also likely to be a liar, don’t you think? I expect it would be the tiara thief’s favourite party of the summer, too, if they were successful. So I shan’t rule you out, whatever you say.
But tell me more about your sister! I am an only child, so I have no siblings and nothing, I confess, to ever really worry about. How old is she? Did she have some dreadfully bad luck in a courtship, a heart broken, or did she somehow bring the doom upon herself?
I would say I am very sorry for her, but I suspect that lots of marriages are in fact quite dull.
I hope that you & your family are safe after the horrible incident in London the other day. I hope you forgive me for returning to our previous conversation topics — I am hoping for some levity!
All right, deal. Should we ever meet in person you may search my jacket for any loose tiaras. I hope you do not mind if I continue to suspect you, as well! (Assuming you were there?)
In regards to my sister — it is largely her own doom. She has been painfully shy our whole lives, and time at finishing school did not repair that. She is not very good at being a debutante, and I suspect that marriage would spare her, but you're right — I find my brother's wife to be slightly boring, or perhaps more accurately, I find the people they are together to be boring. I would be happy to marry eventually, but I refuse to become boring!
I quite avoided the whole terrible thing, but I am glad to get your letter, and take it as happy proof that you were not too badly dismembered, if you are still able to write.
I will hold you to that, don’t you worry. I could say I was at home instead, but there is still no saying you will believe it, without an alibi – so you are welcome to keep interrogating me all you like.
It is a pity I have no useful brothers or cousins to nudge towards your poor dear shy sister. But she does sound like she would make a very good wife. Do you not try to engineer some hopeful situations for her? (At worst, if they are not successful, they may at least drive her out of her shell.)
Or are you already too busy with your own affairs?
That is a good idea — I should try that for her. Our oldest brother used to try, but circumstances changed and he's not nearly as useful for arranging meetings anymore. (Eventually I will have to tell you why!) If I do make attempts, would you be interested in my attempts to regale you on the subsequent events?
My own affairs are engaging and adventurous, but I would not have written into Witch Weekly if they were entirely satisfactory. So I can make time for her.
Now I confess to being intrigued about your brother’s circumstances as well. Yes please, I should like to be regaled about any scenes you might set up for your sister. Perhaps I can even offer some ideas of schemes. I rather think I am sorry to have no siblings. They seem to make one’s life so very convoluted, and my life is not nearly convoluted enough.
Although enticing letters from a mysterious stranger are certainly helping, to that end, so thank you for that. I shall be quite vexed if you, Mr. Prone To Boredom, grow bored of me now.
At this point, you shall have to try rather hard to make me bored. I find myself looking forward to your letters, and can only hope that you feel similarly.
Do you have a favorite holiday? I'm looking forward to Halloween — I rather like when everyone is dressed up in costumes. Otherwise, it pains me to say that I have no news for you in this letter, but would welcome it if you have news for me!
I would say my favourite holiday is Christmas – though perhaps that is because my birthday is on the sixteenth of December, and so the whole month feels like one grand occasion to me. But Christmas has so many fun fancies that I like – gingerbread and garlands! And sprigs of mistletoe – perhaps you should charm a sprig to follow your sister around this year. I’m sure a season of that would undo anyone’s shyness, and maybe even find her a cure to spinsterdom.
I like gifts too, of course. I need something to look forward to, for my only news is gloomy and irksome – to me. You may be amused, if you like. But there is a young lady my age against whom I have been set for years: we have all the same skills and interests and perhaps the same vices. Of course I try not to let her get the better of me – I try for success on its own terms – but it is quite exasperating when she has anything to hold over me. She has become an animagus recently, and delights in showing off. I have never cared so much about becoming an animal (our families differ there: hers all seem to delight in playacting as them, where my father prefers to study them), but I am quite put out that she should have achieved something so adventurous.
So I must put my mind to some equally impressive and dangerous achievement now – different, to be sure, but better, and preferably more fun than endless study. Any ideas are welcome.
But never mind: of course your letters bring me a great deal of pleasure. I was so looking forward to finally sitting down to write this morning that I began penning this before I had even finished getting ready, and now I have ink stains on my chemise and no inclination to get dressed at all.
I fear that if I enchanted mistletoe to follow her she would never forgive me, but you're right — that may be an excellent way to crack her out of her shell.
I am sorry for the transformation of your nemesis! I, too, dislike when others seem to be self-centered in their accomplishments. I am certain that you will best her through some other means; pride before a fall, and all that.
I am delighted to hear that you wrote me in the morning. I am writing you back at night; my shirtsleeves are stained as your chemise once. Someday we shall have to correct the tendency towards ink based incidents by meeting.
He wanted to meet her! She was delighted, although that was easier said than done in practice: she would have to explain that she was stuck at Hogwarts, and a student. She wasn’t certain whether that detail would ruin this for her or not. She would have to think of something.
5th October, 1893
Mr. PTB,
You might be right – but what we don’t know can’t hurt us. She would need not know you had done it. After all, if you’re a tiara thief, you are probably a decent liar.
And I do hope that saying has some truth in it. The young lady in question is begging for a fall.
Oh, well, in pursuit of avoiding incidents – I suppose we must, sometime. But how would I recognise you, if we did?
I should admit that you have proved yourself quite amusing – I look forward to seeing if you are as much fun in person.
Unfortunately I am out of the country for some time now – the elections are really rather ruining the autumn social sphere – but I am sure I will have returned to town by December. And my favourite colour is purple – a deep bright purple – for your gaudy accessory.
I will endeavour to find something equally gaudy in red. A cape perhaps, or a hat.
December! It will be difficult to wait to make your in-person acquaintance for so long. We shall have to continue our letters.
I could find bright purple cravat that I could use for this purpose, but I am not sure it is the perfect option. Perhaps if we are to meet in the winter, I should instead locate a bright purple scarf?
A cape would be delightful! Excellent taste in accessories, Miss A.
