​Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

When Harry heard these words from Professor Dumbledore at his Welcome Feast in First Year, he wasn't sure how to react. The world of Hogwarts, and indeed the Wizarding World at large, was still a mystery to him. Harry wondered how serious Dumbledore was. He wondered also what exactly he had gotten himself into. 

The first years among you may well find yourself in a similar position. You have Met the Ministry, matriculated, and most importantly, survived the sorting ceremony with only a few mishaps. Some of you have even participated in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. But even as you start to adjust to life at Oxford, you might find yourself lost in this unfamiliar city, with its unfamiliar people and unfamiliar vocabulary to boot. 

Well, let me tell you that you're already headed in the right direction: you've joined a society (or perhaps several), you've made it to third week in one piece, and you're reading the Quibbler which, if I may say so myself, says a lot about the excellence of your literary tastes. 

So you don't know what a trashing is yet, or you're still trying to figure out why some people get gowns with sleeves and the rest of us don't. You'll learn. Maybe you haven't found a perfect study spot. Or maybe you're still struggling to find your friends. Whatever it is, remember, it's ok. Sometimes, you'll find what you're looking for when you least expect it. 

Be brave, be kind, be ambitious, and try not to do all your work the night before. Embody the best that Hogwarts has to offer, and I promise you, you'll be just fine. 

As Dumbledore would say: "To our new students, welcome, and to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you."

The past few weeks have seen change here at the Quibbler, as Louise Earnshaw has stepped down as Quibbler editor and stepped into her new role as Secretary. So, in this unexpected fourth part to meet the committee, introducing the new Quibbler editor, myself! Represented by a picture of a cat, because cats are cute and I'm bad at selfies. 

Name: Shamaila Anjum
Committee Position: Quibbler Editor
Subject: MSc. in Economic and Social History 
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Favourite Font: Edwardian Script ITC 




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Are you involved in any other societies other than HP Soc?
I'm an executive member on the OU Canadian Student's Society. 
What’s your favourite part of Oxford so far?
Honestly, the Radcliffe Camera/Old Bodleian (I consider them a package deal). It's beautiful, you can order centuries-old manuscripts there to be delivered within hours, and it gives me a thrill to be able to walk into one of the oldest libraries in the world. 
What tips do you have for freshers?
Don't be afraid to try new things. Go to a new cafe everyday. Try out societies on a whim. Check out the dozens of non-university events in the city--or venture out, to London or even further. Oh, and read the Quibbler! 
What attracted you to HPSoc at the Fresher’s Fayre?
As I recall, Alex Homer was claiming that the HPSoc sorting quiz was superior to Pottermore's, which piqued my interest. I'm pretty sure the free HPSoc pins in Hufflepuff colours also helped.
What would be your favourite subject at Hogwarts and why?
I feel like it would be a toss-up between Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Ancient Runes sounds super cool, and would include my favourite things about learning history: picking up a new language, solving mysteries, and dealing with old objects. Arithmancy also sounds awesome though. It's magical math. I've always genuinely enjoyed math, and in fact chose economic history after four years of a straight-history Bachelor's because I was really missing it. So Arithmancy sounds like it would be a tonne of fun. 
If you were to make a horcrux, what would you chose to be your horcrux?
So the logical thing would be to choose something no one would guess. Now, maybe I have a bit of Voldemort in me or something, but despite this personally I would want the object to be meaningful. My soul is not going in some random gum wrapper. As for what it would be--I'm thinking my first ever cellphone, which I am weirdly attached to. It's a Nokia, so I feel pretty confident it wouldn't be destroyed easily. 
Cat, Owl, or Toad?
Well, I chose a cat instead of my face as a picture. So a toad. Obviously.
Which Hallow do you think would be most useful and why?
Invisibility Cloak. Elder wand gets you killed, resurrection stone makes it harder to move on. But being able to literally become invisible when I see my supervisor in Tesco? Yes please. 
Which character would you most like to talk to and why?
Hermione. She would just be fun to have discussions with. Plus, I've always wanted to talk to her about the problematic aspects of SPEW.
And finally, the books or the films?
Books