Letter from the Editors
- Nikky, Janelle, & NK
With a nice layer of snow on the Hogwarts grounds, we bring you a fun and magical edition of SOUP! December's theme is none other than the Yule Ball! Find a friend to take to the dance and get ready to party. We have a charming, holiday-inspired playlist for you to listen to as you read, so get cozy, put on those new robes, and let's celebrate the season. Oh, and do avoid any beetles you might happen upon, we've received word that one, in particular, may be a spy for The Daily Prophet...

*Slouches in chair, arms crossed, grumbling about dresses.* The worst thing about the Yule Ball? The dresses and, what the Muggles call, the fashion police. If you are adamant about going and subjecting yourself to them, you'll want to check out Yule Ball Fashion Disaster for some tips on finding that perfect outfit for the night. If you're really into divination and want to make sure everything lines up for your sign, head over to Helena's Horoscopes. It's scary how accurate they can be at times! Music more your thing? Carol Roots has the down-low on the origins of a few well-known carols. (Honestly, if they don't play carols at a Yule Ball, then what is the point of it being a Yule Ball?) Of course, if you don't want to attend (or end up by yourself at a table), you can always flip to Puzzling Things. Using the images, you need to figure out who took who to the ball. A special graphic and Galleons go out to the winners! Now, I'm off to try and find a nice, fancy pantsuit to wear instead of a dress. Then it's relaxation ... er ... journalism time ... that puts a ... certain beetle to ... shame? Something like that, anyway.

There's a chill in the air to go along with the buckets of snow that someone *cough*orDragon*cough* piled into our dungeon offices. If anyone out there would like to help us teach our staff how to cast a proper Hot Air Charm, let us know. Otherwise, we may need a couple of vials of Pepper-up to help our writers keep their jobs. They will meet y'all at the Yule Ball... after their articles are finished. As always we ask that you head on over to our thread in the Common Room to let us know what your favorite article was!

Until next time,
Nikky, Janelle & NK