1. Introduction

1.1	Purpose
	The Hogwarts Online community was founding in July 2005 and is based off of the Hogwarts found in the Harry Potter book series. Hogwarts has 5,000+ students from 60 countries across 6 of the 7 continents and offers all the traditional classes found in the Harry Potter series to broaden the magical knowledge of its pupils. Not only does Hogwarts Online offer classes to take, it offers a chance to make new friends and to expand on the imagination of J.K. Rowling with our own imaginative ideas and wishes.
1.2	Web Address
	The homepage for Hogwarts Online is www.hswcw.com on that page you will find links to all of the other areas of our online community. Hogwarts Online also has many classroom pages that are run by the professors.
1.3	Content
	All of the content found on the Hogwarts Online site must at all times reflect a PG rating. This site is founded on family values, therefore content that is not suitable for a 10 year old may not be posted.
1.4	Membership Types
	Hogwarts Online has four member categories. The first and largest category is STUDENT. The second category is PROFESSOR. The third category is ADULT. The fourth category is FOREIGN EXCHANGE. Before you request a membership from this community it is necessary to decide which category you would like to be under. Member Limits All new members joining are only allowed ONE student account and ONE adult/professor account. This includes those used in plots. If you need extras for aproved plots, find an older member to help you. After you've been on this site for 6 months, you can create ONE more student and/or ONE new adult account. So if you wanted a twin sibling to play yourself, I suggest you don't take any classes during your 6 months here so that both accounts will be the same year when you can register another student. After one year of first joining this site you can have up to five students/adults. Broken down to however you choose. If you have one prof, you can have four students. If you have a prof & a shop keeper character, you can have 3 students. Overall, the final total is five.
	1.4.1	Student Membership
		The Student category is the most popular category. The Student category is broken down into four more groups called houses. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, & Slytherin. Every student starts out as a first year and moves up each term if they earn 3 or more quills.
	1.4.2	Professor Membership
		The Professor category is comprised of all those members that conduct a class or hold an administration position. This includes all Governors, Heads of Houses, Department Chairpersons, Professors, & Staff. All faculty are hand chosen and are interviewed to be sure that they are capable of conducting courses and maintaining proper adult behavior.
	1.4.3	Adult Membership
		The Adult category contains any member that is not a student or professor. This includes: Healers, Ministry Officials, Prophet Reporters, Shop Owners (that aren't students.) and any other member that does not fall under the student or professor membership.
	1.4.4	Foreign Exchange Membership
		The Foreign Exchange Membership is a type of membership that began in the Winter 2007 Term. The following schools are associated with the British Ministry of Magic: Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, & Salem. Each of those schools sends students and professors to spend time at Hogwarts.
1.5	2009-2010 Calendar
	Summer Seminar 2009: July 6, 2009 – August 3, 2009 Dates: June 28, 2009 - Summer Seminar Enrollment Begins July 6, 2009 - Summer Seminars Begin July 19 - 26, 2009 - Anniversary Week Celebration: 4 Years! August 1-31, 2009 - “Crowning of the Lion” (Gryffindor Pride Month) August 3, 2009 - Summer Seminar Ends August 4, 2009 - Professor Applications Open for the Fall Term 2009 August 5, 2009 - Summer Seminar Quills Due August 23, 2009 - Professor Applications Close for the Fall Term 2009 August 24, 2009 - Fall Term Professors Announced August 24 - 30, 2009 - Professor Bootcamp August 27 - 31, 2009 - Hogwarts Express Weekend Fall Term 2009: September 1, 2009 - December 14, 2009 Dates: August 24, 2009 - Fall Term Enrollment Begins August 27 – 31, 2009 - Hogwarts Express Weekend September 1, 2009 - 2009-2010 School Year Begins, Fall Term 2009 Begins September 1 - 5, 2009 - Start of the Year Feast September 6, 2009 - Fall Term Enrollment Ends September 7, 2009 - Fall Term classes Begin September 1 - 30, 2009 - "Back to HOgwarts" Events October 1-31, 2009- “Slythoween” (Slytherin Pride Month) November 1 - 7, 2009 - Fall Festival November 20 - 27, 2009 - Thanksgiving Holidays December 1, 2009 - Professor Applications Open for the Winter Term 2010 December 1 - 31, 2009 - “HOlidays” (Hogwarts Pride Month) December 7 - 13, 2009 - Fall Term Exams December 14, 2009 - End of the Fall Term 2009 December 15, 2009 - Fall Term 2009 Quills are Due December 15 - 21, 2009- Fall Term Awards Ceremony, Graduation Ceremony December 22, 2009 - January 2, 2010 - Winter Holidays December 28, 2009 - Professor Applications close for the Winter Term 2010 December 29, 2009 - Winter Term 2010 Professors Announced December 29, 2009 - January 2, 2010- New Professor Bootcamp Winter Term 2010: January 1, 2010 - March 21, 2010 Dates: December 29, 2009 - Winter Term 2010 Enrollment Begins January 1 - 31, 2010 - "Team Orange: Activate!" (Gov Month) January 1 - 3, 2010 - Hogwarts Express Weekend January 1, 2010 - Winter Term 2010 Begins January 4 - 11, 2010 - Winter Formal January 11, 2010 - Winter Term Classes Begin February 8 - 15, 2010 - Valentines Week Celebration March 1, 2010 - Professor Applications open for Spring Term 2009 March 1 - 31, 2010 - “Luck of the Puff” (Hufflepuff Pride Month) March 15 - 20, 2010 - Winter Term 2010 Exams March 21, 2010 - Winter Term 2010 Quills are due March 22 - 27, 2010 - Winter Term Awards Ceremony, Graduation Ceremony March 28 - April 5, 2010- Spring Holidays March 29, 2010 - Professor Applications close for Spring Term March 31, 2010 - Professors Announced for the Spring Term Spring Term 2010: April 1, 2010 - June 27, 2010 Dates: March 29, 2010- Spring Term 2009 Enrollment Opens March 31 - April 4, 2010 - Professor Bootcamp April 1, 2010 - Spring Term 2010 Begins April 1 - 4, 2010 - Hogwarts Express Weekend April 5-11, 2010 - Spring Social April 5, 2010 - Spring Term classes begin May 1 - 31, 2010 - “Soar like an Eagle” (Ravenclaw Pride Month) May 10 - 16, 2010 - HO Picnic June 7 - 13, 2010 - Spring Term Exams June 14, 2010 - Spring Term 2010 Quills due June 14, 2010 - Spring Term 2010 Awards Ceremony, Graduation Ceremony June 21 - 27, 2010 - End of the 2009 - 2010 School Year Celebration June 27, 2010 - House Cup Winner Announced
1.6	Privacy Policy
	Privacy as always sense the sites creation in 2005, has been a huge issue for Hogwarts Online. This is a Governor Disclaimer detailing that we as a website ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LEAKING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOURSELF. Privacy ladies and gentlemen is a basic game of common sense, and you must use your basic "street' smarts in this delicate issue. Their are basically two schools of thought, either your comfortable with divulging information about yourself and suffer whatever possible consequences that follow, or your not at all comfortable with the notion of other members knowing the "Real" you. Look its perfectly simple the only conceivable way anyone will invade your privacy is if you allow it, and as such a fast pace, and successful website Hogwarts Online cannot guarantee your privacy will not be invaded. So the rule is simple; do not share your information if your uncomfortable with it, and do not I repeat do not come to us(Governors)whining that someone has "violated" your personal rights. This is the internet and it is far from perfect, bad things happen and sometimes their unavoidable. Use common sense is all we ask when giving out any type of personal information, and only do so at your own risk of privacy invasion. The Governors of HO are very efficient, but we cannot prevent everything, and we are not responsible for your lack of common sense.
1.7	Politics & Religion
	Hogwarts Online does not descriminate based on religion, ethinicty, sexual preference, political ideologies, or any other way humans find to descriminate against. With that said, no members are to bring up matters that deal with religion or politics anywhere in the site. Through past events, we've found that these two topics lead to great controversy and because this site has nothing to do with world politics or relgion it should be left off the site.