What is this place?

The Next Incantation is a fully interactive Hogwarts experience. Set 50 years after the fall of Voldemort, it's your chance to play in the Harry Potter Universe with your own original characters. You can get sorted into a Hogwarts house, take classes and do homework to earn points, role-play out of class interactions with your professors and fellow students, earn galleons for posting, and spend them on collectible items at Diagon Alley. The Next Incantation is also a vibrant community of adult Harry Potter fans who love sharing their passion with new friends. The site includes forums, live chat, and free blogs.

Do I have to play a student?

Absolutely not! You may wish to be a shopkeeper, a teacher, a parent, a dark wizard, a worker at the ministry, an Auror, a ghost, a house elf....there are so many possibilities! Please read our Character Guide.

Why do I need to be sorted?

Of course you don't have to be sorted, and casual visitors are welcome to wander our fine school, but the best way to be able to join in all the fun is to get sorted into a house. This way, you can be part of a group of students who have similar goals to you, and you can earn points for your house. Until you are sorted you cannot be awarded points.

I really wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor, but I got sorted into another house. What can I do?

If everyone were sorted into their preferred house, we would have several hundred Gryffindors and only a handful of others! We try our best to get you into your preferred house, but we have to be fair and try to keep balance in all houses. It also depends on your answers in the Sorting Hat. Every house has its own merits, and you should be proud of whatever house you are placed into!

How do I roleplay?

Roleplaying is a fun and easy way to escape your real life for a while to a world of your own. Try it and see! RPing stands for Role Playing. RPing is where you create a character and then Role Play, having your character interacting with others. Read how to start Roleplaying.

I want to earn points! Where do I start?

Posting is a great way to earn points, and a great way to contribute to our community and have fun. The fastest way to earn points is by going to classes and doing homework. This may sound like hard work, but these classes are a lot of fun and you never know, you may just learn something! You can also earn points by entering our competitions that are held regularly. Another way is to invite a friend to join, and we will always be on the lookout for extra helpful, dedicated members to award points to.

What are my Galleons good for?

You will be awarded a Galleon every time you post in the forum, but please refrain from abusing the privilege by spamming. Galleons can be spent in Diagon Alley, where you can buy all your magical needs for the school year. Please note, though, it is not necessary to buy items to be able to participate in classes and on the forum in general.

How do I sign up for classes?

Just head on down to the administration area, and list your choices in the Class Sign Up. Teachers check this area regularly and update their class lists. If you signed up and find your name is not on the list after 7 days, please contact your Head of House or the Headmistress.

How many points is homework worth?

All regular homework is worth 10 points, no matter the subject. Occasionally a teacher will set a slightly more in-depth assigment for you which will be worth 20 points. Mid-year tests are worth 50 points, while our end of year exams are worth a huge 100 points each!

Can I lose points?

Unfortunately, yes. If you sign up for a class, but do not do the homework set, then you will be deducted points. So please be careful when signing up for lessons, that you only sign up for those you can handle! You can adjust your classes, by adding or dropping, at any time. Also, any bad language or harrassment will result in point deduction or deletion.

I've heard something about exams, but I've only just joined!

Of course we don't expect brand new students to have to do exams! Generally, if you have been a member for more than a month before exams start, then we would like you to give them your best shot. Of course if you are new, but still want to try them, then we are happy to encourage you and help you! If you want any copies of lessons you have missed, just ask your teacher. Exams are held in January and June.

I want to teach a subject! Where do I start?

As you can imagine, teaching positions are in high demand and so vacant spots are hard to find. All available positions can be found on the Job Board, or in the box to the left of the forum. You need to have been a member for a minimum of 3 months and/or earned 100 points to be eligible, or in second year or above. Any applications not fullfilling these requirements will be ignored.

I did my homework but I haven't received any points! What's going on?

Our teachers are all individuals and spread around the world, with different lifestyles. Some are online every day, some just once a week or so. Rest assured that you will get your points before the next lesson gets posted.

I can't understand the homework my teacher set. What can I do?

The best place to start is to ask your teacher! You can leave them a message in the classroom or via PM and they will reply as soon as they can. If you still have problems, email one of the managers.

I don't want to get deleted! What can I do to avoid this?

Generally we like our students to be active in the Hogwarts community, but this doesn't mean we expect you to put your muggle lives on hold! As long as we see some activity at least once every two weeks, and you follow our site rules, then your membership is safe.

What is 'My Pensieve'?

On our site, your Pensieve is your own personal blog, our equivalent of the books way to store your thoughts and memories when your mind is feeling just too full. To create your own, go down the left hand column to 'Create/Edit Pensieve'. If you have any problems creating one, please PM the Headmistress.
Please note: Sometimes it will say you are banned from creating a Pensieve. This is just a GLITCH, so ask and the Headmistress will fix it ASAP.

What sort of FanFiction do you accept?

In a nutshell, all types, though we insist on correct labelling. This site IS an adult site, but we don't want members to post smut just for the sake of smut. NC17 rated material should be applied sensibly and maturely, and should NOT dominate a storyline. The general FanFiction area takes all ratings, and all genre are accepted, so long as you label your story clearly. Any story found incorrectly labelled will be given a warning and if not fixed within 24 hours will be removed.

How do I qualify for the next school year?

To get to the next school year you need to earn the minimum points and pass the exam at the end of the year. The exams aren't hard and they are worth big points, so we encourage all students to at least give them a try. Minimum points are different for each year group. Check our Student Guide.

What happens if I don't reach the minimum points to pass?

We try to make it as easy as possible to get to the next year. However, if you have only been a member for a short time, you may not have been able to get the points needed. If this happens, you will be given the choice of either taking a test to see if you're ready for the next year, repeating your current year, or continuing in your current year until you have the points required (but that may put you behind in lessons in the next year!).

Why is the school year so long?

September 1st to June 30th may seem a bit too much like real school for some people, who would love to just zoom up to 7th year as quickly as possible, but it is also the reason why we are so popular and unique! Taking a full year to do classes means our teachers can give you the highest quality lessons and also gives you plenty of time to get to know your fellow students who will be taking this journey with you! We strive to make your experience here as close as possible to Harrys journey, and find it is the reason most stay with us!

How do I become a Prefect?

Prefects are needed to help encourage students and to guide new students to the right areas. As the houses grow we will need more Prefects. To be considered for a Prefect position, you will need a minimum of 100 points. Prefects are chosen by their dedication and hard work on the site. Prefects are chosen and notified at the end of year award ceremony, held at the last weekly chat before the end of year.. We will choose two new Prefects for each house, each year (cumulative). Requests to be a Prefect will not be answered!

How do we play Quidditch?

Quidditch is a quiz based contest with matches during the Quidditch season from October to April, with the Quidditch Cup in May. Games are held on the first Saturday of each month during the season. Keep an eye on the Quidditch Timetable to find out the latest information.

I want to meet my fellow students!

Each week we hold a formal chat so that members can meet their fellow students. It is held in Great Hall Chat every Saturday at 8pm, US Eastern time. Of course, the chat room is always open and usually busy, so why not pop in and see who you can find!

Who are the Heads of House?

Our current Heads of House are as follows:

Gryffindor: Laura
Hufflepuff: Matthew Silva
Ravenclaw: Elias S. Laviette
Slytherin: Professor Selene Black

What happens after I complete year 7?

First, we would congratulate you heartily for graduating from Hogwarts! And we will be making up special certificates to commemorate your years of dedication here! There will be many opportunities for you in the future. We may need teachers, heads of houses, and we will have shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade that you could run. We should even have a Ministry of Magic up and running by then! Or, maybe you had so much fun as a student that you want to start all over again! It's entirely up to you.

Who do I contact when I have a problem?

The Wizengamot, as in the books, was formed as the high court of law and punishment.
They are part of this site, not to interrogate or punish, but to see to it that site rules are upheld and that grievances are dealt with quickly and fairly.

The Wizengamot patrol this site as the Headmistress' right hand, and will give a gentle nudge to those who may need it, and have the authority to ban troublemakers.

I'm still not sure what to do!

If you still cannot find the answer to your question here, then please leave a message for your Head of House or me, the Headmistress and we will try to help you!