Leaky Contests Archive
Sep 16, 2007
Uncategorized
Contests
The following are past contests that Leaky and its podcast, PotterCast, have sponsored.
Chocolate Frog Card Contest
Lecanard: Will we see Harry and his friends having
their own history on chocolate frogs cards?
J.K. Rowling: Definitely, and Ron will describe this as his
finest hour.
(J.K.
Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, July 30, 2007 (2.00-3.00pm
BST). Source: Bloomsbury.com,
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Transcription
credit: Bloomsbury. Courtesy of Accio Quote!)
Voldy-war
II is over, and the wizarding world has many new heroes. C.N. Fection
and Sons, who supply Honeydukes of Hogsmeade and many other wizarding
shops with their exclusive Chocolate Frogs, are working overtime to
create Chocolate Frog cards for these newly famous witches and wizards.
C.N. Fection and Sons know that it takes time to create a quality card,
yet popular demand for a new set of the collectible cards is growing.
We here at Leaky, having been informed of this dilemma by one of our
vigilant reporters, have offered to help out. A card design is still
needed for Ronald Bilius Weasley. We feel sure that our readers know
Mr. Weasley better than anyone (excluding J.K. Rowling herself), and we
believe that our huge pool of talent can create a card which will meet
the exacting standards of C.N Fection and Sons. Leaky’s January 2008
contest, therefore, invites our readers to create Ron Weasley’s
Chocolate Frog card, including the picture on one side and the
biographical information on the other. We suggest you use Dumbledore’s
card, quoted below (Scholastic pb. SS, p.128), as a guide:
ALBUS
DUMBLEDORE
CURRENTLY
HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTSConsidered
by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly
famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the
discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy
with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and
tenpin bowling.
General Guidelines
- Each entry must present a design for a complete Chocolate Frog
card,
including an illustration and a brief biography of Ron (see detailed
instructions below). - Collaboration will be allowed for this
contest. A team of one artist and one writer may submit a joint entry.
The entry should be submitted under one team member’s name, with credit
given to the other member. Each team member may participate in only one
team. Entries from individuals who wish to design both the written and
illustrated parts of the card are also welcome. There is a limit of one
entry per individual or team. - All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work
of individuals outside the team will be disqualified. - All entries must be of an exemplary quality; they must be
creative,
organized, focused, coherent and not contain net speak or other slang.
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration
when judging. - Please keep the card no larger than 5″ by 5″.
Manipulating the card look within the 5″ by 5″ is acceptable (e.g.
creating a hexagon that is 5″ by 5″). - Please try to keep all
file sizes below 1 MB. If you submit two files (front and back), please
have the file sizes be combined to less than 1 MB. - This
contest is open to readers all over the world who are 13 years of age
and over, as well as members of Leaky staff that are not involved in
the adjudication process. - All decisions by the judges are final.
- Please e-mail your submissions to [email protected]
by
11:59 pm ET on 10 February. Please place in the e-mail header “Ron’s
Chocolate Frog Card”. - Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
- If you have any questions not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, please
come to the
Contest Corner forum of The Leaky Lounge.
Ron’s picture
- Original hand-drawn or computer generated art will be
accepted. - Photographs or manipulated photographs will not be accepted.
- Animated entries are acceptable but not required.
- You
may create your piece using any two-dimensional medium. - Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
- Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky
Lounge name or real name).
Ron’s written information
- Write a brief description of Ronald Bilius Weasley, including
his major
accomplishments and interests (see Dumbledore’s card, above) - Your written description should be 75 words or less, not counting
Ron’s
name and occupation (if included). All other words count. - The
written part must look like and be submitted in the same format as the
picture side. The written part may be submitted in the same file as the
picture side or as a separate file (see above for accepted formats). - Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky Lounge
name or real name).
UPDATE:
The winners have been announced! They are:
First Place: Luna5
Second Place: Hydra
Third Place: Text: Queenb23 Graphics: Ninny Treetops
Honorable Mention: Leggers
Potter Year in Summary Contest
2007 has been an amazing year in Harry Potter fandom. The Order of the Phoenix movie appeared in theaters on July 11th followed shortly thereafter by the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21st. J.K. Rowling performed readings in the U.K., U.S. and Canada. PotterCast went on the road and visited many cities in the U.S. There were numerous symposiums and conferences around the world. Friendships have been formed, dreams have come true and memories have been made. To remember and reflect on 2007, we’re inviting you to utilize video, art, or creative writing to recap your memories of this year.
General Guidelines
There is a limit of 2 entries per person, but only one entry per medium. In other words, you may submit 2 entries where one is for creative writing and the other for video. You may not submit 2 entries in the same medium ( e.g. 2 creative writing pieces).
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others will be disqualified.
All entries MUST be of an exemplary quality; they must be creative, organized, focused, coherent and not contain net speak. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration when judging.
This Contest is open to readers all over the world who are 13 years of age and over, as well as members of Leaky staff that are not involved in the adjudication process.
All decisions by the judges are final.
Each medium will have an overall winner with honorable mentions given out based upon the entries overall
Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
If you have any questions, not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
Art
Artwork should recap one or more Harry Potter events which were meaningful for you in 2007.
There will be two categories for submissions:
1) Hand-Drawn – submissions must be drawings or paintings
2) Computer-Generated or Digital Art – submissions must be drawing or painting-based.
You must specify which category your art fits into ’ any use of a computer program whatsoever upon your art (except for necessary resizing) will require it to be classed as ‘computer generated’.
Photographs or manipulated photographs will not be accepted.
Animated entries will not be accepted.
If you wish to submit an entry in the form of a comic strip, it must contain no more than 5 frames.
You may create your piece using any two-dimensional medium, but must specify the medium/s used in its creation.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
Please include a short description (50 words or less) of what is represented in your artwork.
Please include a name to be used for authorship ( e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
Please e-mail your submissions to [email protected] by December 23, 2007 by 11:59 pm ET. Please place in the e-mail header “HP Year Recap: Hand drawn” or “HP Year Recap: Computer”
Video
Create a video that recaps one or more Harry Potter events which were meaningful for you in 2007.
All videos should be 4 minutes long or less.
All videos that utilize other videos, photos, or music not owned or property of the entrant must be be given credit at the end of the video (not included in the time limit).
Please upload your video to YouTube and tag it “Harry Potter 2007 Leaky Cauldron Contest.”
Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
Please e-mail the URL to your video to [email protected] by December 23, 2007 by 11:59 pm ET. Please place in the e-mail header “HP Year Recap: Video”
Creative Writing
Write a poem or creative story/essay that recaps one or more Harry Potter events which were meaningful for you in 2007.
Your creative writing piece should be 800 words or less.
Please submit entries as a document (.txt or .doc)
Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
Please e-mail creative writing entries to [email protected] by December 23, 2007 by 11:59 pm ET. Please place in the e-mail header “HP Year Recap: Creative Writing”
UPDATE: The winners for each category have been announced! They are:
Video: The End of Harry Potter by StarRose
Art: Rudi’s Year by Rudius Hagrid
Writing: Thestrals by mollywobbles23
Wizards Dressed as Muggles Photography Contest
Remember those fabulous outfits that wizards use when trying to blend in to Muggle society? Well, we want to see you dressed as a wizard dressed as a Muggle. Put on your craziest outfit, and then have a friend take a picture of you mixing it up with the Muggles! Sitting at a bus stop, for example, or checking out a book at the library. Go on, be brave! Don’t send us pictures cooking dinner in the privacy of your home, or hanging out at a Halloween party…it’s not as embarrassing as you think, people will assume that you are headed to a party, little do they know that you are shooting for a chance to win a contest!
Rules for Entrants:
All photography must be the sole property of the entrant. Any work found to have been plagiarized will be immediately disqualified.
All photography must adhere to a strict PG-13 content rating.
Limit one entry per person.
Photographs may be from digital cameras, or scanned “paper” photos, however they must be sent in by email. Email entries to [email protected] no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on October 30, 2007.
All photos are only accepted in .jpg, .png, and .gif format. Paper photos are to be 4″ x 6″ or 6″ x 4″ and digital photos of approximately the same length and width. File sizes no larger than 1 MB, please.
Please submit a short (no more than 100 words) explanation of your photo.
Please submit a name that you would like a winning entry credited to (first name, last name, or Leaky Lounge screen name).
Staff members of The Leaky Cauldron who are not involved in the adjudication process are welcome to submit an entry. Contest is open all those who are 13 or older.
Entries will be chosen for first, second, third place, and two Honorable Mentions.
Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
If you have any questions, not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
UPDATE: We now have our winners!
First Place: Muggles Take Manhattan – Merri M.
Hi! I’m Merri and my sister Terri and I went to NY for the Open Book Tour. Besides finding out Dumbledore was gay live, we also did a photo shoot entitled ” ‘Muggles’ Take Manhattan”. I fell in love with the sombrero, Hawaiian shirt and kilt I bought from the same Muggle shop. My sister bought her ensemble from a Muggle yard sale: the turban, shirt, vest, and scarf/skirt. We bought the rain boots together and wore them all the time…since it really could rain at any moment. This shot is from a subway station where it seems we were going through the exit, not the entrance. A few very kind Muggles tried to help us…with little success. Apparently we needed these little bits of yellow paper, but we just gave up and walked.
Second Place: Muggle Library – Janet K.
My name is Ariel Flewdraft, and I work for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts division of the Ministry of Magic. We got a tip about a book with magical portraits in it that had somehow wound up at a muggle library, so I had to go find the book, check it out under a false name, and of course that library will never see the book again. It was hard to get the book out of the building discretely though, because the portrait on the front cover WOULD talk to me!
Third Place: Teen Wizards Rent Movies – Tracey G.
Fan Art Competition
Artist Requirements:
Depict a scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, include a brief description of 100 words or less, referencing the scene and chapter title.
There is a strict PG-13 rating for all artworks.
There will be two categories for submissions:
1. Hand-Drawn – submissions must be drawings or paintings.
2. Computer-Generated or Digital Art – submissions must be drawing or painting-based.
You must specify which category your art fits into ’ any use of a computer program whatsoever upon your art (except for necessary resizing) will require it to be classed as ‘computer generated’.
Photographs or manipulated photographs will not be accepted.
Animated entries will not be accepted.
If you wish to submit an entry in the form of a comic strip, it must contain no more than 5 frames.
If you wish to include text in your entry (e.g. speech bubbles) it must be canon ’ i.e. the words spoken by the character/s in the book
You may create your piece using any two-dimensional medium, but must specify the medium/s used in its creation.
All submissions must be solely the artist’s creation; any artwork found to include the work of others will be disqualified immediately.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
All submissions must be both a) e-mailed to [email protected] with the category included in the subject line (i.e. “DH Fan Art – Hand Drawn” or “DH Fan Art – Computer Generated”) and b) Included in your fanart portfolio in the Leaky Fan Art Gallery, and tagged “Deathly Hallows Fan Art Contest”.
Deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30, 2007
Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
If you have any questions, not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
Judging:
There will be a limit of two entries per person to make the competition fair for everyone.
Three winners will be chosen from each submission category based upon their interpretation of the scene from the book.
Anyone over the age of 13 can submit a Fan Art, including Staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from Staff will receive the submissions, and will remove the artist’s name before they are passed on to the Judges.
All decisions by our Judges are final.
UPDATE: The winners have been announced!
Hand Drawn:
1st place: I open at the close by Steffi B
2nd place: Look at me by Maria L
3rd place: 19 years later by Maria L
Honorable Mention: Harry and Dumbledore by Some Late Visitor
Computer:
1st place: Trio sleeping by Becky
2nd place: McGonagall and desks by anguinea
3rd place: Luna – getting rid of a Wrackspurt by Jaana
Honorable Mention: Lily and Snape by Kim G
Your Harry Potter Anecdote Contest
Rules and Requirements for the HP Anecdote Contest:
Write a funny story about a Harry Potter memory.
Your story should be 300 words or less.
All content must adhere to a strict PG-13 rating.
There is a limit of one entry per person.
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others will be disqualified.
All stories MUST be of an exemplary quality; they must be organised, focused, coherent and not contain net speak. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration when judging.
Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
This Contest is open to all readers 13 years of age and over, as well as members of Leaky staff that are not involved in the adjudication process.
There is no restriction on which Country you are from – we accept entries from all over the World.
All decisions by the judges are final.
Please submit entries as a document (.doc or .txt).
E-mail all submissions to [email protected] by 11:59 pm of August 31 (EST).
Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
If you have any questions, not answered on the FAQ , or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
UPDATE: The winners have been announced! Here they are:
First Place – bibs the S.P.E.W supporter
Second Place ’ AnnaK
Third Place – Lily Frei
Honorable Mention ’ Shauna
Honorable Mention – prav1
Honorable Mention ’ babiigrl
Reading Groups Contest
As we prepare to open the Deathly Hallows Lily and Stag Inn Reading Groups, we want to give you the opportunity to create something fun for your Rooms. This Contest comes in two parts, so it is open to everyone, no matter what particular skills you have. You can either create a Room Image, come up with a short Catchphrase for your Room, or even attempt both, so that members can use them in their Leaky Lounge Signatures.
Contestants are welcome to sort into Reading Groups starting July 18th, though being in a group is not required to compete. You will find links and instructions on how to sort on both the main Leaky Cauldron news site and the Leaky Lounge. You must be a member of the Leaky Lounge to join a Reading Group.
There will be 3 Rooms this time around. They will be called:
The Rooftop Garden
The Dragon’s Den
The Luminous Loft
Rules and Requirements for the Room Catchphrases:
Write a Catchphrase for one of the Rooms named above.
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others will be disqualified. This includes quotes from the Harry Potter books and films.
There will be a character limit (including spaces) of 100.
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration when judging.
Please include your Catchphrase within the e-mail; there is no need to attach it in a separate file.
Rules and Requirements for the Room Images:
Create an Image for one of the Rooms named above.
All submissions must be the artist’s creation. Photoshopped images must be edited to a point where the majority of the image is an original composition.
Please submit a short (no more than 100 words) explanation of your Image and how it relates to the Room for which it’s been created.
Room images can either be still or animated.
Text can be used on your Room Images.
Please make sure your images are no more than 100 pixels high by 200 pixels wide to comply with Leaky Lounge rules.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format. Please attach these to the email, or give a direct link to where your image may be found (such as in a photobucket account).
Rules and Requirements for both the Room Catchphrases and Room Images:
All content must adhere to a strict PG-13 rating.
All entries must abide by the Leaky Lounge Rules.
There is a limit of one entry per person for each part of this Contest.
Please include the name you wish to have used to receive credit for your work if it is selected as a winning entry (e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
This Contest is open to all readers 13 years of age and over, as well as members of Leaky staff that are not involved in the adjudication process.
There is no restriction on which Country you are from – we accept entries from all over the World.
All decisions by the judges are final.
Please state in the subject of your email the Room for which you are entering.
E-mail all submissions to [email protected] by midnight (EST) of Harry and JKR’s birthday (July 31st for those of you who don’t know).
Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
If you have any questions, not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
Leaky MySpace Page Design Contest
Calling all designers!! Leaky has just opened a new myspace account and we want our fans to design the skin. Your challenge is to create a myspace image for The Leaky Cauldron, the winning entry will be used on Leaky’s myspace page.
Design an HTML skin for The Leaky Cauldron myspace page.
You must submit both the html coding and a screen shot of the design.
There is a strict PG-13 rating for content.
You MUST adhere to both the rules of Leaky and the myspace Terms of Use.
You may submit more than one entry for this contest.
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others without permission will be disqualified. All images and/or text must be original concepts from the entrant.
You may use any type of myspace HTML generator, but you MUST tell us you used one and from which site. Example of a site: Myspace Editor
You may use other people’s coding, as long as you ask their permission and cite all resources.
Anyone aged 13 or older can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Once submitted, the skin becomes the property of The Leaky Cauldron and we reserve the right to use your entry at any time. You may not use the skin on any other website, blog, etc. We will, of course, credit you for your work.
You may submit an entry as a group; you are required to credit all participating designers.
All decisions by the judges are final.
Please submit a name (Leaky Lounge user name, first name and/or last name) that you would like a winning entry credited to.
All submissions must be e-mailed with the html coding and screen shots in a zipped file to [email protected] by midnight of July 31 (EST).
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum on The Leaky Lounge.
Deathly Hallows Autograph Contest
It’s almost here!! The last book will be hitting book stores VERY soon. We all know what we would write to Jo…but what would you like her to say to you? This challenge is to create the ideal inscription for your new book. That way, if you have the opportunity to get your book signed, you won’t frighten her by being unable to utter anything but a long, loud SQUEEE!!! And if you don’t have the opportunity to get your book signed, you might find solace in winning this contest!
Write an inscription you would like to have Jo sign your book with, if you ever got the chance to ask her.
All content must adhere to a strict PG-13 rating.
There is a limit of one entry per person.
Entries should be short (50 words or less). Remember, she doesn’t have the time or space to write another novel in the front of your book!
Entries must be the original work of the entrant and will be judged on creativity. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar will also be considered.
Please submit a name (Leaky Lounge user name, first name and/or last name) that you would like a winning entry credited to.
This Contest is open to all readers 13 years of age and over, as well as members of Leaky staff that are not involved in the adjudication process.
Entries must be submitted to [email protected] by midnight (EST) on July 11, 2007.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this Contest, then please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.
Entries will be considered for the following awards: Most Humorous and Most Inspirational.
Since our Contest staff can’t enter, we thought we would give you a few samples of what we are looking for:
To Bethany, I hope you’re able to accomplish everything you set your mind on and able to reach your goals in life. Don’t give up and don’t get down if things don’t work the way you wish they would. Persevere! J.K. Rowling
Dear Lily, Since meeting you I’ve felt such a personal connection! Please take my phone number and email, we simply must keep in touch! Love, Jo.
To Kelly–Don’t let the muggles get you down. My best, Jo
Chase your dreams, Beat the odds, Keep your faith, Seek your gold! J.K. Rowling
UPDATE: The winners have been announced!
You can read all of the winning entries on THIS PAGE
The Deathly Dursleys!
Near the beginning of every book, we always find Harry at the Dursleys. To complete the spell that Dumbledore put into place all those years ago, Harry now has to return to Privet Drive again in Deathly Hallows. Your task this month is to write about this meeting – either his arrival at their house, his departure or both. Remember Harry is going back to Privet Drive for what could be his last meeting with his aunt, uncle and cousin.
Rules for Entrants:
Write a story about Harry meeting the Dursleys, Harry leaving the Dursleys, or both.
Story should be less than 2,000 words.
There is a strict PG-13 rating for content.
There is a limit of one entry per person.
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others will be disqualified.
All stories MUST be of an exemplary quality; they must be organised, focused, coherent and not contain net speak. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration when judging.
The author must show originality and inventiveness, with fresh ideas based on logical conclusions.
Please include a name to be used for authorship (e.g. Leaky Lounge name or real name).
Please submit entries as a word document (.doc or .txt).
E-mail all submissions to [email protected] by midnight of June 30 (EST).
Anyone over the age of 13 can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from staff will receive the submissions and will remove the entrant’s name before they are passed on to the judges.
All decisions by the judges are final.
There will be three winners announced (1st, 2nd and 3rd place)
UPDATE: The winners have been announced! They are:
First Place: Forced Entry at Number Four
Author: Tripster2001
Read this winner HERE
Second Place: Harry Potter and the Deathly Dursleys
Author: aqcheryl
Read this winner HERE
Third Place: Petunia’s Plea
Author:VeelaTerrah
Read this winner HERE
Honorable Mention: Birthday Parties
Author: Avamar Bartholomew
Read this winner HERE
Honorable Mention: The Deathly Dursleys
Author: Monica Nagy
Read this winner HERE
Most Magical Places
Do you live near the Shrieking Shack? Know a place where fairies hang out? What about the perfect Whomping Willow? Your challenge this month is to grab your camera and send us your pictures interpreting the theme “Most Magical Places.”
Rules for Entrants:
1) All photography must be the sole property of the entrant. Any work found to have been plagiarised will be immediately disqualified.
2) All photography must adhere to a strict PG-13 content rating.
3) Limit one entry per person.
4) Photographs may be from digital cameras, or scanned “paper” photos, however they must be sent in by email. Email entries to [email protected] no later than midnight on May 31, 2007. (EST)
5) All photos are only accepted in .jpg, .png, and .gif format. Paper photos are to be 4″ x 6″ or 6″ x 4″ and digital photos of approximately the same length and width (e.g. 1200 x 1800 or 1800 x 1200 pixels for 300 pixels/inch). File sizes no larger than 1 MB, please.
6) Photography should be based upon canon in the Harry Potter series, work not based on canon is subject to judging penalties.
7) Please submit a short (no more than 100 words) explanation of your photo and how it relates to the theme “Most Magical Places.”
8) Please submit a name that you would like a winning entry credited to (first name, last name, or Leaky Lounge screen name).
9) Staff members of The Leaky Cauldron who are not involved in the adjudication process are welcome to submit an entry.
Example image: CLICK TO VIEW
Example description: “This image was taken when I was in Germany, and it really reminds me of the road to The Dark Forest. It’s got that creepy kind of mood and I could almost imagine the unicorns and acromantulas lurking just out of sight!”
UPDATE: The winners have been announced! They are:
First place: Entry #10 – Herpo
Approaching Hogwarts Castle onboard the Hogwarts Express in a cloudy September’s afternoon has always been a strong and promising image placed in the imagination of every Harry Potter reader…
This image was taken in Germany,south of Stuttgart and depicts the Hohenzollern castle which shares a striking resemblance to our beloved Hogwarts!!
Second place: Entry #35 – Emily Hughes
This photo I took at my cabin reminds me of the Forbidden Forest at full moon. Is that a werewolf I hear?
Third place: Entry #13 – Nundu
I took this photo (England August 2005) on the North Yorkshire Moors and reminded me of the statement made by Hermione in Goblet of Fire:
‘It’s bewitched…If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a mouldering old ruin…’ (pg 166 [US]; pg 148 [UK])
Honorable Mention #1: Entry #05 – heatherhpfan06KS
This picture was taken in the Great Room at Hale Library at Kansas State University, and I took the picture for an Art project. This room reminds me of the Great Hall, with similar high windows and a high ceiling. Whenever you walk it, it is breathtaking. All it needs are floating candles, an enchanted ceiling, and the four House tables!
Honorable Mention #2: Entry #21 – Redcrosse Knight
I expect you’ll be getting a depressing number of whomping willows for this contest, but one I want to contribute to you is this photo of a tree from my university campus, at Vancouver, Canada’s University of British Columbia. I took this this January, and the creepy branches in the foreground are from a tree that was uprooted by the forestry department kids many years back and then replanted upside down. The building in the background is our library – a magical place anyway, but one that’s often been filmed as a set for Smallville and Battlestar Galactica. This photo reminds me of the scene in Book 4 where Barty Crouch Sr has finally made his way to Hogwarts through the Old Forest only to meet Harry, Krum, and Fake Moody at the forest edges.
Honorable Mention #3: Entry #33 – Emily G
This picture was taken in the Lost Maples State Natural Area near Leakey, TX. It reminds me of the rocky beach in POA where Harry defends Sirius from the Dementors? Kiss. It was a cold overcast December day when I visited and there was a harsh chill in the air, almost like the dementors were actually there…
Wizard Wheezes Wanted!
April 1st is April Fool’s Day, the day where our beloved Gred and Forge are born and the day when pranks ’ all in fun, of course ’ are honored and achieved. In honor of Fred and George and their love of pranks, TLC wants you to come up with a Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes’ product name, slogan, and sign so Fred and George can take the day off for their birthday.
Your job is to think up this new product name with its catchy slogan and create the advertisement sign that has the slogan, product name, and idea of what the product is in it. (Think “U-No-Poo” from Half-Blood Prince.) Winners will be announced on Leaky’s main page and put onto Leaky’s Galleries.
Rules for Entrants:
Come up with a new Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes product name with a catchy slogan
Create an advertisement sign with the slogan and product name on it and include (somehow) some idea of what the product does/is on your entry
Entry can be hand-drawn or created on the computer (i.e. Photoshop or animation)
Size is to be no larger than letter size paper (8.5″x11″ or 11″x8.5″), 72 pixels/inch resolution on Photoshop in the same width and height, or 400 x 400 pixels for an animation. Image size can be manipulated if it pertains to the overall look of the sign
All submissions must be solely the artist’s creation. Any artwork found to include the work of others will be disqualified immediately. Photoshop and animation images must be edited to a point when a majority of the image is an original composition.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
There is a strict PG-13 rating enforced
There is a limit of one entry per person.
Please include a name you would like to go with your entry (i.e. Leaky Lounge username, first name initial and last name, or first name).
All submissions must be e-mailed to [email protected] by April 30 at midnight (EDT) with the competition and category included in the subject line (e.g. “Digital ’ WWW entry” or “Hand Drawn ’ WWW entry”).
Rules for Judging:
Anyone over the age of 13 can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from staff will receive the submissions, and will remove the artist’s name before they are passed on to the judges.
All decisions by our judges are final.
There will be three winners announced (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) in both a digital and hand-drawn category
UPDATE: The winners have been announced! They are:
First: Illusi-Line by MadamPenna
Second: Head Boy Badge by junkgirl190
Third: Decadent Delight by Glanecia of the Grey School of Wizardry
March Liquid Luck Contest
March is the month we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the Luck O’ the Irish…which puts those of us here at the TLC Competition Staff in mind of Felix Felicis, that lovely little potion of liquid luck introduced to us in Half-Blood Prince by none other than our very own Professor Horace Slughorn. You know the way it works”drink two tablespoons at breakfast and you are guaranteed to have a perfect day. We would like to give you a friendly reminder that Felix Felicis is considered a banned substance in organized competitions such as sporting events, examinations and elections.
So here’s your Felix Felicis challenge. Write a story of no more than 1,000 words describing your character’s perfect day if he/she took a sip of Felix Felicis. To make the contest a little more interesting and varied, we’d like you to choose a character from the following list (because we know Harry and Voldemort’s perfect day would be to do away with the other!):
Lavender Brown
Crabbe and/or Goyle
Dawlish
Argus Filch
Mundungus Fletcher
Cornelius Fudge
Hagrid
Victor Krum
Bellatrix Lestrange
Gilderoy Lockhart
Neville Longbottom
Luna Lovegood
Remus Lupin
Draco Malfoy
Lucius Malfoy
Minerva McGonagall
Mad-Eye Moody
Moaning Myrtle (assuming Myrtle could still eat and drink, of course!)
Peter Pettigrew
Rufus Scrimgeour
Stan Shunpike
Rita Skeeter
Severus Snape
Dean Thomas
Sybill Trelawney
Dolores Umbridge
Fred and George Weasley
Percy Weasley
Oliver Wood
Rules for Entrants:
Choose one of the above characters and write a story about his/her lucky day thanks to Felix Felicis.
The story should be no longer than 1,000 words.
There is a strict PG-13 rating for content.
There is a limit of one entry per person.
All work must be original. Any entries found to contain the work of others will be disqualified.
All submissions must be e-mailed to [email protected] by March 17th at Midnight (EST)
Rules for Judges:
Anyone over the age of 13 can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from staff will receive the submissions, and will remove the entrant’s name before they are passed on to the judges.
All decisions by our judges are final.
UPDATE: The winners have been announced! They are:
1st – Filch, by Donald B
2nd – Umbridge, by Lolarose
3rd – Lockhart, by Lui C
4th – Neville, by Alison L
HM – Luna, by Chris C
HM – Fred and George, by Christina “Nina” B
Valentine’s Day Contest
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Professor Slughorn introduces his Potions class to Amortentia – the most powerful love potion in the world. According to Hermione, “it’s supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and -“
Here’s your Valentine challenge. Select any character from the Harry Potter series and tell us the three things that character would smell and why. For obvious reasons, Hermione is off limits!
Rules for Entrants:
Tell us the three things your selected Harry Potter character would smell and why. There is a 150 word limit on the essay.
There is a strict PG-13 rating enforced.
There is a limit of one Amortentia essay per person. All work must be original.
All submissions must be e-mailed to [email protected] by February 15th at Midnight (EST)
Rules for Judges:
Anyone over the age of 13 can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from staff will receive the submissions, and will remove the artist’s name before they are passed on to the judges.
All decisions by our judges are final.
There will be three winners announced (1st, 2nd and 3rd place)
UPDATE: Amortentia Contest Winners and Entries:
First Place: Catherine
Hagrid:
I smell fresh dirt. Nice an’ moist an’ brown. I can grow cabbages an’ giant pumpkins in it. An’ it reminds me of going in ter the Forbidden Forest, you know, to take care of all of the magical creatures an’ to visit Aragog an’ all. Bin doin’ that since he was a baby, long time ago.
I can also smell somethin’ musky… somethin’ wild. It’s like dragons, spiders, nifflers, Fang… It’s a comfortable smell–makes me feel happy. All these creatures are simply misunderstood anyways. They just need carin’ for.
Other thing I can smell is lemon. Just fresh. Main thing is, smells like Dumbledore. Great man, Dumbledore. He always is there for me, helped me when no one else would. He was always spending his time unsticking those things, lemon drops. Loves Muggles an’ everyone, great man.
Second Place: Jordana
It was nearly finished. Wands were foreign to her, but potions…potions were her secret talent. She grinned as spirals of steam rose from the cauldron. She smelled violets, her favorite flower. She often dreamed that her beloved would ride up to her on his horse and present her with a bouquet of violets. She smelled oranges. She had only ever had an orange once, when an old muggle fruit vendor had taken pity on her and had made a gift of the fruit. It was delicious, a welcome change from horsemeat, the only food her father and brother would eat. And, of course, she smelled him. How could she not? Muggle though he may be, she loved him more than her pathetic life itself.
“Oh Tom,” Merope sighed as she ladled the Amortentia into a small, dirty glass vial. “Tom Riddle, you will love me. You will love me!”
Third Place: Rosemarie
Amortentia: Remedial Potion
The healers on the fourth floor of the closed Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries have decided to try an intensive remedial potion[1] on Gilderoy Lockhart, celebrity wizard, author, and Order of Merlin, Third Class.
During the year he taught at Hogwarts and a few months before his injury, Professor Lockhart was the planner of Hogwarts’ Valentine Day activities.[2]
As the healers wafted the amortentia potion over Gilderoy, he said:
“I smell…
Odgen’s Old Firewhiskey, because (after harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples) it’s my ideal birthday gift, and the answer to question #54 on my DADA quiz, [3]
A fresh stack of photographs to autograph to all my admirers,[4]
And
Toothpaste, because it’s what I use on my dazzingly white teeth for my Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award, five times in a row.[5]”
If he sipped Felix Felicis…
Honorable Mention: Travis
Fourteen-year-old Severus gave the Amortentia another desperate stir. Moments later he noticed the scent of the dungeon he was in. The vague odor was cool, damp and slightly stale as if no one but him ever entered. He found the smell and the associated feeling of solitude comforting. The strength of the smell confused Severus until he realized that it was coming not from the dungeon itself, but rather from the potion. He gave another stir and his next whiff left him worried that he had made a mistake. It was several seconds before understood why he smelled potions ingredients that should not be in this particular potion. With a final stir came a third fragrance that landed in Severus’ nostrils. This final aroma may seem slightly out of place when put with the other two, but the scent of lilies was in fact Severus’ favorite of all.
Honorable Mention: Jennifer
Draco Malfoy
1. Sweets: Draco smells sweets because his mother has sent them to him at Hogwarts since his first year. Even though they were probably prepared by Dobby or other servants, it’s still a loving gesture from his Mother.
2. Clean sheets on his bed at Malfoy manor: I imagine that Draco doesn’t enjoy dorm life with Crabbe, Goyle and his other Slytherin roommates. He misses his own room that is cleaned and aired daily to immaculate conditions when he’s in his cramped, smelly boys’ dorm room.
3. Metal (brass, silver, gold): The smell of metal would remind Draco of his Prefect badge and the golden snitch. The smell would remind him of the power and attention he receives as a Prefect and a Quidditch player. It is also, of course, what money is made from. And we know how much Draco likes being rich.
From Fan to Fandom Challenge
On the evening of May 19, 2007, in the famed Aquarium of the Americas, world-renowned fan culture academic Henry Jenkins and representatives of Leaky, The Sugar Quill and FictionAlley will present Transformation: From Fan to Fandom – a discussion of how online communities can transform individual fan experiences into collective fandoms.
To celebrate, we’re presenting a contest across those sites; the winners will receive a complimentary ticket to the panel, and additional prizes from Leaky. Winners will also have their entries featured as part of the convention.
Entrants from Leaky are asked to write an essay based on the following:
A Phoenix Moment: A phoenix moment is a moment in the Harry Potter series, real or imagined, when someone displays one or more traditional traits of the phoenix, whether transformation, loyalty, heroism or something else. The moment and the interpretation are up to you, as is your medium.
Fan Artists and Fan Fiction authors are also welcome to apply (fan fiction writers please read The Sugar Quill’s specific rules before you do) all entries should be sent to [email protected] by February 10, 2007.
You must be 14 by May 17, 2007, to take part. You may only submit one entry (fan art, fan fiction, or essay). All entries must include your name, e-mail address, and location of the entrant. (Staff of Leaky can?t participate. Sorry guys.)
For more rules and regulations, visit The Phoenix Rising Web site. For regulations about the fan fiction portion please visit The Sugar Quill.
Registration in Phoenix Rising is not necessary to attend the keynote presentation. Winners are required to grant the participating sites permission to display the winning entry, including name, on the Internet and at Phoenix Rising.
Design a Deathly Hallows Book Cover Fanart Contest
Theme
Well, it’s here! We have the title of book seven! The next step is, of course, to begin work on the cover. Design your version of book seven’s cover for TLC – all entries will be placed in our galleries, and the winners’ works will be posted on Leaky’s main page!
Artist Requirements
Design and create the cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
There is a strict PG-13 rating for all cover art.
Animated entries will not be accepted.
Your entry may be created using edited/photoshopped film images, or hand-drawn from an original concept.
Photoshopped and hand drawn entries will be judged separately.
Your entry must be accompanied by a description detailing what is on your cover and why. Briefly describe your symbolism, characters included, etc.
You may create your cover using any two-dimensional medium, but must specify all mediums used in its creation.
All submissions must be solely the artist’s creation; any artwork found to include the work of others will be disqualified immediately. Photoshopped images must be edited to a point when a majority of the image is an original composition.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
All submissions must be e-mailed in to [email protected] by January 25th with the competition and category included in the subject line. i.e. “Photoshop – Deathly Hallows Cover Art” or “Hand Drawn – Deathly Hallows Cover Art”
UPDATE: The winners of the Design a Deathly Hallows Book Cover Fanart Contest have been announced!
PHOTOSHOP
1st – LeelaStarsky – View it here
2nd – Maksymilian B – View it here
3rd – Kimeshan N – View it here
Honourable Mention – Chris T – View it here
Honourable Mention – Jonathan R – View it here
HAND DRAWN
1st – J.L. Cook – View it here
2nd – Paula F – View it here
3rd – Helena F – View it here
Honourable Mention – Nick B – View it here
Harry Potter Calendar Competition
Theme
Design a month for the Leaky Harry Potter Calendar. We have recipes (including Guru’s famous chili!) and crafts for you to include, and you’re welcome to use your own artwork, creative writing or important HP dates too! We have a template outlining the dimensions and layout that are needed, so that the winning months can be combined together into a calendar. Go wild with your creativity and design, but make sure to read through the guidelines and requirements to prevent disqualification. The final calendar will be posted on Leaky for you to download, print and use. Professionally-printed versions will be made available in a format you can download and print. You need to be aware that only the top page can be printed in the professionally printed versions. Both the top page and the calendar section will be included in the downloadable versions.
Rules/Specifications for Entrants
You may enter as an individual or as a group. Entries will be judged the same regardless of number of people who contributed, however you MUST tell us how many and who worked on the entry.
Please look over the template here to see the dimensions and other limitations for your calendar.
The entry must be in the format of two landscape A4s (11×8.5 inches). The calendar section of your month must be on the second/bottom page.
You must include one of the listed recipes or crafts on the top section of the calendar.
Can be hand-made or Computer Generated or a combination. Entries will all be judged on the finished file we recieve. This means that if you have an awesome hand-made work, you need to make sure to scan it or photograph it to reflect this. Overall, the calendar must be useable as well as interesting, creative and attractive.
Please do NOT include any religious holidays.
Artwork must be your own, or you must have express permisson of the artist, credit them on the calendar, and provide us with their contact details (email/IM name etc).
You cannot use film images.
You cannot include your own recipes.
Submissions will be accepted in .jpg, .png, .gif or .pdf format.
All submissions must be e-mailed in to [email protected] with the category included in the subject line. i.e. “Calendar – Month” by the 10th of January.
Rules/Specifications for Judges
Group submissions will be judged the same as individual submissions.
Entries will all be judged on the finished file we recieve.
Anyone over the age of 13 can submit a month, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
Only one person from staff will receive the submissions, and will remove the artist’s name before they are passed on to the judges.
All decisions by our judges are final.
There will be a limit of three entries per person to make the competition fair for everyone.
Recipes
Staff from many sections of Leaky have contributed these delicious recipes and you must use one in your calendar. There’s three choices for each month, so have fun with working these into your calendars!
January
Calico Beans by flipendo
Habanero Cookies by DorisTLC
Carrot Cake by FredFan
February
Chocolate Cookie Slice by Narya
Easy Hamburger Casserole by Pleione
Ricotta Cheese Cookies by SusannahMio
March
Apple Crisps by FredFan
Lizzie’s Banana Bread by lizzieangel90
Vegetable Pasta Soup by Narya
April
Cockroach Clusters from LeakyCrafts
Hershey Syrup Cake by Pleione
Sour Cream Enchiladas by Poet
May
Cinco de Mayo Salad by DorisTLC
SIRIUSly Chocolatey Muffins by Moose_Starr
Three-Cheese Risotto by yellowpepper2311
June
Pesto by MelissaTLC
Lemon Orzo by Pleione
Corn Starch Crepes by Poet
July
Blueberry Coffee Cake by SusannahMio
Bruschetta Topping by HPaddict
Smoky Mountain Chicken by FredFan
August
Chocolate Mousse by Madsdagirl
Chicken and Ziti by FredFan
Tahini-Free Hummus by Hpaddict
September
Onion Dip by HPaddict
Rock Cakes from LeakyCrafts
Black Beans Habanero by DorisTLC
October
Buckeyes by Starlysh
Loaded Baked Potato Soup by FredFan
Pumpkin Bars by hrhsws
November
Kadi’s Meatloaf by Kadi
Cheese Biscuits by Pleione
Banana Split Cake by FredFan
December
Date Nut Balls by Pleione
Guru’s Chili by Guru of Sloth
Pumpkin Pasties from LeakyCrafts, recommended by SunnyElf
All recipes
You can download a ZIP file with every recipe in it HERE
Crafts
These are all relatively easy to make and fun crafts! You can include one in your calen
