Q: How do I advance in years?
A: By doing your homework. At the end of each term you can apply for a year up. All you have to do is do at least 20% of all the homework to earn your year up.
Q: Do I have to take classes?
A: We can not force you to take the classes offered at Lumos Alliance, although this is recommended as the best way to earn house points. The points you earn from homework will also help you year up. So if you wish to advance in years, do as much homework as you can.
Q: What does "Animadverto Tabula" mean?
A: In Latin, Animadverto Tabula means "Notice Board".
Q: Oh my, there are so many places to go! Where should I start?
A: Your Common Room is usually a great place to start. There are often introduction threads in your Common Room and maybe even in your dormitory. The Great Hall and the homepage for Lumos Alliance both have important notices. The Chat is a great way to meet new people, as is starting or joining a Role-Play.
Q: Other people are second/third/etc. year students! How do I drop my First Year title?
A: At the end of every Lumos Alliance term, a Year-Up Application is presented. By doing plenty of homework, being active and Role-Playing a lot, being an overall good student, and submitting this application explaining why you think you deserve to move up a year, you will be considered.
Q: How do I get Sorted?
A: On the left hand panel when you sign up to Lumos Alliance, the option "The Sorting Hat" is presented to you. Click on it, take the quiz, and you will be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts Houses!
Q: What about becoming a Professor? You forgot that one!
A: Professor positions are typically applied for, although occasionally Professor positions are given to responsible members of the elder or graduated Hogwarts community. Professors remain on the Staff as long as they continue to manage their responsibilities (including activity, especially in planning events for Lumos Alliance, and teaching their respective class). When a Professor steps down or moves up, their spot may be opened up. Applicants are expected to be able to handle these responsibilities and handle their authority well.
Q: How do I become a Prefect?
A: To become a Prefect, the student must be an active member of the community with House-pride and a track record of helping others out and doing good things around the site. Usually, a member must be around the site for a few months before acquiring any position. Prefects are responsible for encouraging activity within and outside of their House. Heads of Houses may choose a Prefect or open applications.
Q: How do I become a Quidditch Captain?
A: To become a Quidditch Captain, the student likely has a history with Quidditch, having been on the team as an active member who contributes both to the team itself and the site. Quidditch Captains have a lot of responsibility as they work both with their own team by running any try-outs and regular practices and commanding games, and also working with the other Captains in a society entitled Q.U.A.F.F.L.E., whose responsibilities are not public, but important. Quidditch Captains are either chosen by their Head of House or chosen from a pool of applicants.
Q: How can I become Head Boy or Head Girl?
A: Head Boys and Head Girls are picked by the Staff from Prefects and Quidditch Captains either at the beginning of new terms or when said Head Boy or Head Girl steps down. These two members must exemplify all of the important qualities of a Prefect. Like the Prefects, the Head Boy and Head Girl are encouraged to keep an eye on the other students and encourage good behaviour.
Q: What do all these acronyms people use mean?
A: LA stands for Lumos Alliance; HoH stands for Head of House; HG/HB stands for Head Girl/Head Boy; MoM stands for Minister of Magic or Ministry of Magic; QC stands for Quidditch Captain, PL/SL stands for Prefect Lounge/Staff Lounge...
Q: Wait! There are more weird ones!
A: ...CR stands for Common Room; CCR stands for Charing Cross Road; CoMC stands for Care of Magical Creatures; DADA stands for Defense Against the Dark Arts; MM stands for Marauder's Map; RoR stands for Room of Requirement; GH stands for Great Hall...
Q: That's still not all of them!
A: RP stands for Role-Play; RPer stands for Role-Player; RPG stands for Role-Playing Game; OOC stands for Out of Character; IC stands for In Character; OC stands for Original Character; and RL/IRL stands for Real Life/In Real Life, or, life outside of the in
Q: Can I use netspeak?
A: No.
Q: What are the ruby things at the top of the site?
A: Those measure House points. Each colour ruby represents one of the four Houses; yellow for Hufflepuff, red for Gryffindor, green for Slytherin, and blue for Ravenclaw. The numbers next to them show how many House points each House has at the moment.
Q: How do I get House points?
A: Primarily by doing homework. Each point you receive for doing homework wins your House points. Also, there are occasional Role-Playing contests, during which you can win your House points. Other opportunities for House points will present themselves; keep an eye out. Once Quidditch is set up, this will also give House points.
Q: How do I play Quidditch?
A: The rules are still a Work In Progress. Once they are completed, Quidditch members will be taught all they need to know.
Q: Why did my thread get locked?
A: It is likely that you were breaking a rule. Check your inbox; a Prefect or higher power will have stated their reason.
Q: I have a BRILLIANT idea for the site!
A: Great! Check the Suggestion Box to see if it has already been posted and if so, you ought to post your support for it! If not, start a new thread in the Suggestion Box posting your idea, unless it is an item, in which case, you should post your item idea in the spellotaped Item Suggestion thread.
Q: What are the size limits for my signature?
A: 400 pixels wide by 200 pixels in height.
Q: How do I get one of those nice signatures some people have?
A: Check out the Artwork Corner, the link is in the Beginner's Handbook; there are signature and avatar and profile shops there where you can request LA's graphics makers to create a signature for you. Be sure to read their rules and fill out their applications properly!
Q: What is this crash people talk about sometimes?
A: The Crash occurred from September 2007 to December 2007. Lumos Alliance's server crashed and the site "died" for three months, during which a Crisis Board was made for all of the LAians to mourn the temporary loss. During December 2007, the site was moved to a new server and brought back to life. All information past February 2007 was lost and we had to start anew with many things. The site is back and kicking now and since then we have made immense progress.
Q: How do I get money?
A: You start on LA with 500 galleons. You can access Gringott's Bank in Diagon Alley and open a new account there. You can collect daily galleons and weekly interest. The more money you have in your account, the more interest you receive. Occasional contests present you with galleons you can win. You can also start a store and sell items for money, and some graphics makers charge small amounts for creating signatures and avatars for students.
Q: What sort of things should I avoid posting about?
A: Firstly, your character is either a witch or a wizard, and in most forums, is at Hogwarts. Remembering the rules of Hogwarts, electronic equipment does not work and you cannot Apparate anywhere inside the campus. (This, however, does not include "chat" posts. Anything goes in those expect God-Moding of existing characters.) Next, Lumos Alliance is a PG-13 site; sexuality must be kept at a minimum (absolutely nothing graphic) and language must also be very tame. Violence is not usually a problem, but also keep in mind the rating if you touch upon violence as well. Thirdly, Lumos Alliance is mostly a Role-Playing site, therefore keep in mind how to Role-Play.
Q: How do I join my House's Quidditch Team?
A: Any open positions will likely have ongoing try-outs posted in your House Common Room by the Quidditch Captain in your House. If there are none open at the moment, be patient. If there are open position, fill out the application provided. Quidditch is Role-Play based and requires quality Role-Playing skills from its members.
Q: I want this item, but I don't have enough money!
A: Check Darcy's Donations, located in Diagon Alley; they might have this item you're looking for. Next, check User Stores in Merlin Ambrosius Lane; some users sell items more inexpensively. If you cannot find the item in either place, save up your galleons so that you can buy it eventually.
Q: I want this item, but it isn't in any stores!
A: This item is likely a rare item. Certain rare items are only allowed to certain members of the site, such as Hogwarts Graduates or Staff members. Other rare items are the prizes from past contests and games Lumos Alliance has done. Some members might be willing to trade or sell their items, but if that member refuses your offer, don't persist! This rare clearly means a lot to them.
Q: I can't post! It keeps saying that I'm too hungry/thirsty!
A: Eat and drink! You can get Daily Food from the Great Hall once every 24 hours. You can also buy food items from store. Below your character's name and avatar in the upper lefthand corner of every screen, it has listed what your hunger and thirst status are. If you are Near Death for one of them, you need to eat or drink. Go to your inventory (your trunk), click on the item you'd like to eat/drink, and select the option. Then you will be able to post.
Q: This forum is private! Why?
A: Some forums are only accessible to certain people and organizations. For example, you must be on the Quidditch Team to have access to House Quidditch Rooms, you can't access the opposite gender's dormitory, you can't go into other House's Common Rooms, the Prefect Lounge is only accessible to Prefects, Quidditch Captains, and up, and the Staff Lounge is only accessible to Staff.
Q: Why is my Role-Play not getting any attention?
A: Sometimes Role-Plays take some time to get replied to. Also, your Role-Play might not be what others are looking for. If you're really worried and want someone to Role-Play with you, you should nicely ask some people to join in your Role-Play. Try not to start too many new Role-Plays; you might want to even try joining in with other people's, but remember to respect any Role-Player's choice to close their Role-Play off to only a few certain people.
Q: Am I supposed to be in character all of the time?
A: When you are Role-Playing, yes, and that is primarily what you do on Lumos Alliance. In the Great Hall and your Common Room there are occasionally OOC (out of character) threads for announcements, in which you can be OOC. Same for a few game and chatter threads in the dormitories and in planning forums and the Farewell Closet and Suggestion Box. The Entrance Hall is the primary OOC location. This is the place where most people play word games. We also have "mixed" forums and "chat" forum where you can RP. There are also discussion forums. Most people are also out of character in the Chat, unless they are in the Real-Time Role-Playing room.
Q: Can I edit my posts?
A: No. If every student could edit their posts, we would have a lot of students trying to cover up rules they broke and so on and so forth. We're not going to change it anytime soon. However, Prefects and up can edit posts, so if you made a mistake in your post and really need someone to edit it, owl the Prefect/Staffer/Etc. and make a proper request, telling them what happened and what you need changed.
Q: I have a question that wasn't answered in here!
A: The best people to take your questions to are your House Prefects and Quidditch Captain, your Head of House, or another Staff member. Most members are willing to help you out, but members with higher titles have more experience and are likely to know more answers.
Q: When can I apply for a Professor position?
A: Although positions may be empty during terms, applications are usually opened during term breaks, month long periods between three month terms. If applications are open, there will almost always be an announcement on the homepage and in the Great Hall. There is a specific application, not done through owls, so look out for that.
Q: Where do I get a wand?
A: Well... If you were a true Harry Potter fan, you'll know. For those who haven't a clue try visiting Ollivander's in Diagon Alley.
Q: How do I become a Vampire or gain a Special Power?
A: At certain times of the year applications are opened for Special Powers. These applications remain open for a month then are moved to a forum and discussed amongst the staff. Please note that this is a long process and you must have patience with the staff if you don't wish to annoy them.
Q: At your composition desk, does the written work have to be based on Harry Potter or can it be about anything?
A: You can write whatever you like at your composition desk. Well, anything that isn't going over our PG-13 rating.
Q: I bought a book from one of the stores and tried to "read it" only to be told it doesn't exist. Why is this?
A: The reason that you were told the book didn't exist is because it's a non-existant book. These books have not yet been written.
Q: How is Quidditch played on the site?
A: It is role played.
Q: How can I change my password?
A: You will find the link to change your password under "Your Preferences" in the side bar.
Q: How do I change my age?
A: Because the age of your character is tied to the D.O.B you enrol with, it is scripted to give us an age. If you got this date wrong, then your age will be displayed wrong. If you wish to fix this you need to submit a ticket asking for an age change and write down the exact D.O.B you wish. Day, Month and Year. Then you have to wait patiently. Please remember that the staff are very busy and if we get annoyed at constant prodding, we will not do what you wish us to do for you.
Q: I've taken the Sorting Hat quiz and have still not been sorted. When will I be sorted?
A: When you first join the site, you will be told to go take the sorting quiz. Once you have taken the quiz, you have to wait for one of the Staff sort you. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. But, please know that everyone will be sorted within 24 hours of joining the site unless we are doing maintenance on the server. Then it may take longer, but there are usually notices to inform users about this.
Q: It says that I have been sorted, but every time I try to go anywhere it redirects me to the Sorting Hat quiz. Help!
A: Sometimes it will tell you you have been sorted into a house and then, when you try to get into the CR, it won't let you in and redirect you to the Sorting Hat. And when you go to do the quiz again, it will tell you that you have already done it. If this happens you can either submit a ticket or owl Silvanus Bevan with this problem.
Back to Top
.gif)
