The Face of HOL
Meet your fellow HOLers through this amazing column where each installment will bring you a new exciting interview with someone from our community. Whether you know them well or not, we are sure there will be something here you did not already know.
Harry WallesBy Silvana Mandeville
Silvana: HOLers! Welcome back to another new school year with The HowLer. I hope you are all doing good with the new term. Since we are back, I want to introduce another member of HOL to you! This time we have a Fourth Year Hufflepuff, Harry Walles!
Hi, Harry! It’s nice to meet you again, how are you? Harry: Hi Silvana! I am doing wonderful, hope you are too :) It's been a very busy summer for me and I am super excited to kick start the new school year. I am so happy and honoured you have decided to interview me for your column! Silvana: I’m so happy to have you for my column as well. As always, I will ask this question. How did you find this school? In 2020 you joined this school, right? Harry: I honestly can't believe it's been three years already. So much has happened ever since I first created my account here. HOL was actually recommended to me by my husband, Louis Walles. He joined first, and it was during the pandemic. I got really intrigued by the website and what it offers, as well as this community, and decided to try it myself. I got immediately hooked on. Silvana: It is good to have family member in RL here with you. A year later you were appointed as a Prefect. How did you feel running an activity in your House and HOL? Harry: It was a huge honour to be appointed a Prefect so quickly. I was still learning majority of things about HOL when I was approached to become a Mini. I was asked to help to run an activity for the first time as Mini. It was to help out Prof. Sirius Fudge with Wonders of Love. I really enjoyed it and so I asked Prof. Tarma and Prof. Felicia if I could have my own activities in Hufflepuff, which I have been running ever since. It's a lot of work but I really enjoy it. However, last year I finally had my first activity on the HOL Forum. I have learned a lot of new things, most I never really knew. Life is always full of lessons, and I am glad to learn more about HOL more and more every single day. Silvana: I agree with you, life is full of lessons. Everywhere you go you might learn something new, including puzzles! It seems that jigsaw is your favorite puzzle, since you have a regular activity running at the Sett. Is there any reason you like this puzzle more than others? Harry: I have always loved puzzles. I was born in a house where we did lots and lots of jigsaw. It was also one of the regular gifts I used to get for any celebration. My family was always super busy and so the only time we were spending time together was when we were doing jigsaw. I think doing jigsaw and having that sort of regular activity brings me back to my childhood. Silvana: Must be a great time to do it. Harry, this is your Fourth Year, which means that next year is O.W.L.s year for you. How do you feel about it? Are you ready to take it? Do you have any goals for your O.W.L.s? Harry: I am quite scared actually to do my O.W.L.s. I honestly don't know what to expect. My husband has his O.W.L.s this year, and so I definitely want to prepare for them through observing his efforts. Also, I want to take some classes, which are more Harry Potter related, e.g. herbology, to fully prepare for my exams! Silvana: Hope you will do well next year. Hm, but how about this year? Are there any goals to achieve? Harry: I definitely do want to keep running my regular Hufflepuff activities. I do want to be more on top of things. I have finally graduated from my RL university, which means that HOL is the only 'responsibility' I have after RL matters. I do want to be better at deadlines :) Maybe run more activities in the HOL forum! We'll see what the future will bring! Silvana: Aside from doing homework, teaching, and prefect duties, what are your favorite things to do at HOL? Harry: I really like taking parts in activities across HOL. I do like all the jigsaw tasks, so that's something that I often do. I do like to talk to other students and teachers. I also love to read through the HOL Forum, and learn more about different cultures :) I think most people don't know how diverse the culture is here at HOL. I really find it fascinating. Silvana: Is there any class that you like? Tell us what your favorite classes are and why. Harry: There are plenty of my favourite classes, and I really don't want to make anyone feel left out...I really liked A Visit to Hogsmeade by Prof. Rorey Padfoot as it was a unique and fun class. The History of Witchcraft was also fascinating - I really like history and so this one was perfect for me. Magical Numbers was also a fun class. I do like Maths and so this one was great for me as well. Silvana: Everyone must have a role model. Who is yours at HOL and why? Harry: I think every single person whom I have met and worked with here at HOL is my favourite and role model. To begin with, Prof. Tarma was the first person I have ever really talked with here at HOL. She introduced me to all HOL related things, and made Hufflepuff home to me. Then, obviously, Prof. Felicia Hartwick - always there to help, always offering advice and a helping hand, as well as participating in all my activities. Then, Prof. Sindor Aloyarc, whom both Louis and I absolutely ADORE (thank you for all your kind messages!). Can't forget about Prof. Sirius Fudge, my mentor when I was a Mini. Thank you for teaching me all about Hufflepuff and running my own activities. Silvana: Please share your fun facts with us? Harry: Hm...let me think. I am half French, half Canadian, but I have never really spoken English before I moved to England. My family has links with aristocracy, and so I have always had a very...unique upbringing. We had a maid, and staff and even a stylist! I gave this all up when I married Louis, who was born into lower class. I rescued my first pet (a cat called Jerry) from the street, and managed to convince my parents to let me keep him. He sadly passed away from cancer a while ago. I can cook almost anything. I love roses as flowers, but can't stand perfumes and shower gels which smell like them. Silvana: Nice to know that, Harry! On our newspaper, you often share about songs or books. Would you mind to give your top 3 list for your fellow HOLers? Harry: Oh..this is a hard one! My three favourite songs (this year) are 'These are the Days of our Lives' - Queen, 'Down Under' - Men at Work and...hm...let's go with 'Stone' - Jaymes Young. When it comes to books, I mostly read series, and all the books in the said series are my favourites :D 'Rivers of London' by Ben Aaronovitch (I even met him and got my books signed!), 'Wolves of Mercy Falls' - Maggie Stiefvater. I also have a favourite writer, and ALL his books are my favourite (I literally own all his books) - Carrisi Donato. Highly recommend! Silvana: And the last one: any message you want to say to HOLers? Harry: Don't every fear failure or making mistakes. How can you learn anything without failing or doing things wrong? No one's perfect. If you ever struggle here at HOL (with anything at all), don't hesitate to reach out to me or any other staff member. I wish you all a great school year! Silvana: Wah, thank you so much for your time and message, Harry. I wish you the same! And HOLers, it’s the end, again~ Please remember the message from Harry, okay?! I also wish you all a great year! ‘Til we meet again in the next issue with a new person to meet. See you~ |