The year was 2004, when social networking was unheard of, and email was in, and I was a little too old to be hopefully waiting outside my house, waiting for my Hogwarts acceptance letter. A good five years older; that too. in the middle of the night. Every day. like a recurring nightmare, or a beautiful dream.
The letter never came, and only phone bills did. As I grew older, so did my obsession with all things Harry Potter. I saw less of this literal word, and more of the literary one. Probably why I came up with a list, of why AOA is exactly like Hogwarts, and still not the same.
1.Because AOA does actually have 7 floors, one corresponding to each floor at Hogwarts.
2.Because even though we didn’t have an escaped murderer running about school in third year, our work was out to murder us, in our beds, and on our sheets. We don’t need no divination to see our Grims, yo.
3.Because we can feel the dementors hovering about during third year, all of us.
4.We don’t have just one Durmstrang, we have many. Full of knuckleheads and losers.
5.Because they are unplottable, we are unreachable.
6.We have a Yule Ball every year, it’s a different matter that it’s a tiny affair, and doesn’t involve ice sculptures, but still.
7.Because both libraries have stern librarians.
8.Because we have an out-of-bounds third floor corridor too. Not because of a three headed dog, but because of Virus.
9.The food there is made underground, ours should be buried underground. :|
10.Because six years in, I still don’t know all the secrets the college has to offer, with its secret passage way on the first floor, and the recently opened room right next to the lift.
11.Maybe a set of brass scales are not the same as a set of triangular scales, but we get our own materials and equipment list in first year too!
12.Our first years might not be sorted, but they are assorted. ;) Their Argus Filch is always in the background. Ours IS the background.
13.Likewise, they can’t dissaparate outside of Hogwarts grounds. We don’t dare disperse.
14.Be it History of Architecture, or History of Magic, The students just don’t listen.
15.Because we all know a Cho Chang.
16. Because we ALL had a Gilderoy Lockhart in second year. *wink wink*
17.There’s no house Cup, there’s just a thousand tea cups.
18. We didn’t have a Chamber of Secrets back in second year, we just drafted chamber pots, and urinals. 1
9. They might be protected by muggle-repelling charms, and complex defensive magic, we have the Siddhivinayak security.
20.Because we all know a Hermione Granger, hysterical and hyperactive. Mine’s one of my best friends too.
21. Because I had a minor fall out with my Ron Weasley in 4th year too. :O
22. Because we never really had Dumbledore.
23. Because most of us do take the train to station, and end up crossing the great lake, a.k.a Dadar Station during the rains!
24. They fight Voldemort, we do NASA.
25. They have a special Prefect’s bathroom; we have a special Staff bathroom, WITH a painting on the wall. :O
26. Because I am sure somewhere, some LIK team actually has a detailed drafted map of the entire school with its many secrets, a la Marauder’s map.
27. They have Owl post, we have AOAmail.
28. The staffroom actually has a boggart in the cupboard.
29. Because progress for the sake of progress, is an act of regress.
30. They have Hogwarts: A history, we have our glossy green book. :P
31. Because they have Transfiguration, we have TOS. Subjects dreaded by one, and many. Both subjects taught by women you don’t mess with, women who haven’t let their hair down. ;)
32. Fourth year was the year we won our Triwizard Tournament, only here, there weren’t 3 participating schools, there were 80. And yeah, no one died while competing, at least not physically. ;)
33. They have Hogsmeade, we have Home Deli, a tradition you enter after reaching the senior years.
34. Whomping Willow. Banyan tree. Potato. Potaeto.
35. Because, fifth year, we saw a different Dolores Umbridge, a diminutive woman, who would smile sweetly, as she plunged her sweet claws into our backs, riiight? Hem Hem.
36. Because technically, The Slug Club started in my sixth year in school. * Winks at all the slug club members!*
37. Because I just might not be present for my seventh year in too.
I think that’s it. I’ve got potions to go brew, and spells to practice. Sigh; and a real world to get back to. P.S: For all you non Harry potter fans, all I can say is: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
1.Because AOA does actually have 7 floors, one corresponding to each floor at Hogwarts.
2.Because even though we didn’t have an escaped murderer running about school in third year, our work was out to murder us, in our beds, and on our sheets. We don’t need no divination to see our Grims, yo.
3.Because we can feel the dementors hovering about during third year, all of us.
4.We don’t have just one Durmstrang, we have many. Full of knuckleheads and losers.
5.Because they are unplottable, we are unreachable.
6.We have a Yule Ball every year, it’s a different matter that it’s a tiny affair, and doesn’t involve ice sculptures, but still.
7.Because both libraries have stern librarians.
8.Because we have an out-of-bounds third floor corridor too. Not because of a three headed dog, but because of Virus.
9.The food there is made underground, ours should be buried underground. :|
10.Because six years in, I still don’t know all the secrets the college has to offer, with its secret passage way on the first floor, and the recently opened room right next to the lift.
11.Maybe a set of brass scales are not the same as a set of triangular scales, but we get our own materials and equipment list in first year too!
12.Our first years might not be sorted, but they are assorted. ;) Their Argus Filch is always in the background. Ours IS the background.
13.Likewise, they can’t dissaparate outside of Hogwarts grounds. We don’t dare disperse.
14.Be it History of Architecture, or History of Magic, The students just don’t listen.
15.Because we all know a Cho Chang.
16. Because we ALL had a Gilderoy Lockhart in second year. *wink wink*
17.There’s no house Cup, there’s just a thousand tea cups.
18. We didn’t have a Chamber of Secrets back in second year, we just drafted chamber pots, and urinals. 1
9. They might be protected by muggle-repelling charms, and complex defensive magic, we have the Siddhivinayak security.
20.Because we all know a Hermione Granger, hysterical and hyperactive. Mine’s one of my best friends too.
21. Because I had a minor fall out with my Ron Weasley in 4th year too. :O
22. Because we never really had Dumbledore.
23. Because most of us do take the train to station, and end up crossing the great lake, a.k.a Dadar Station during the rains!
24. They fight Voldemort, we do NASA.
25. They have a special Prefect’s bathroom; we have a special Staff bathroom, WITH a painting on the wall. :O
26. Because I am sure somewhere, some LIK team actually has a detailed drafted map of the entire school with its many secrets, a la Marauder’s map.
27. They have Owl post, we have AOAmail.
28. The staffroom actually has a boggart in the cupboard.
29. Because progress for the sake of progress, is an act of regress.
30. They have Hogwarts: A history, we have our glossy green book. :P
31. Because they have Transfiguration, we have TOS. Subjects dreaded by one, and many. Both subjects taught by women you don’t mess with, women who haven’t let their hair down. ;)
32. Fourth year was the year we won our Triwizard Tournament, only here, there weren’t 3 participating schools, there were 80. And yeah, no one died while competing, at least not physically. ;)
33. They have Hogsmeade, we have Home Deli, a tradition you enter after reaching the senior years.
34. Whomping Willow. Banyan tree. Potato. Potaeto.
35. Because, fifth year, we saw a different Dolores Umbridge, a diminutive woman, who would smile sweetly, as she plunged her sweet claws into our backs, riiight? Hem Hem.
36. Because technically, The Slug Club started in my sixth year in school. * Winks at all the slug club members!*
37. Because I just might not be present for my seventh year in too.
I think that’s it. I’ve got potions to go brew, and spells to practice. Sigh; and a real world to get back to. P.S: For all you non Harry potter fans, all I can say is: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
