This time around, there were three authors that took the Challenge and did their best.  All three were different takes on the same theme.  The five judges gave it their best and the following is their outcome.  So now the winners...

The award for Best Overall & Match Making, and the People’s Choice Award goes to:

Curing Dudley by Arnel

The award for Most Awkwardness goes to a tie between:

Curing Dudley by Arnel

and

Oppression By Association by BraverLeonheart

The winning stories are now prominently listed in our Featured Stories section.  The Challenge category is back open.   Those of you that have multiple chapters or need to do some editing may continue at this time.  If your story is completed, please ensure it is edited and “YES”, as completed.

I would like to thank my many judges who worked hard for this Challenge: Thank you AM, FF, JG, NS, & S/.  You know who you are. Thank you very much for all that reading and judging. Your time to help out is quite valuable. The Challenge would not exist if nobody judged them.  This time FF & JG picked the winners correctly.

The Challenge is now closed.  Dudley has had his turn in the magical world and three authors have captured it.  Now it's time for our judges to determine who got it right or got it best.  They shall determine the winners for Best Overall, Matchmaking, and Awkwardness.  There is also the People Choice Award.  Every SIYE member may vote for their most popular story there.  The winners will be posted the last day of the month, Saturday, November 30.  Good luck to all three stories.

Sorry all about the late announcement.  Here are the winners for the September/October 2013 Dumbledore Silver Trinkets award:

Best Comedy
• Winner:The Hogwarts Takeover by BraverLeonheart
• Honourable Mention: Knavery by Northumbrian

Best Drama
• Winner:The Beast Within by hgromance
• Honourable Mention: Bonds of Blood and Magic by Duelist

Best Romance
• Winner:Disembodied by V for Vendetta
• Honourable Mention: The Thorny Rose by Brennus

Best One-Shot
• Winner:Knavery by Northumbrian
• Honourable Mention: Through The Ages by Magery

Best Completed
• Winner:The Thorny Rose by Brennus
• Honourable Mention: The Unknown Spectre by Mistress_Lrigtar

Best New Story
• Winner:Janus by Tazio
• Honourable Mention: A Call to Arms by MyDearProfMcGonagall
• Honourable Mention: Disembodied by V for Vendetta

Congratulations to all!  Nominations are now open for November and December.

It's time to vote for your favourites for the Dumbledore Silver Trinket Awards.  The voting will end at the end of the day on November 10th and will be posted the morning of November 11th.  So be sure to cast your ballot for your favourites!

~Jenn, DSTA Admin

It took a while to arrange a meeting but eventually Aunt Petunia, Harry and Ginny met at a local, Muggle coffee shop near Diagon Alley.  After some polite talk about the weather and such, Harry got his aunt to get down to business. 

“Last week at breakfast,” she started, “he reached for the plate of sausages which was just out of his reach. The plate moved towards him so he could grab it.  I don’t think he realized what happened.” 

“Then, the other day when we were watching the telly, the remote was missing. When he asked about it, one of the pillows by him seemed to move on its own. He reached behind it and there was the remote.  I don’t know what to do.  Obviously I can’t get Vernon involved.”

Harry and Ginny did a quick glance at each other before looking back at Petunia, and then Harry spoke. 

“Okay, so Dudders did some accidental magic.”  His aunt almost cringed at that statement.  “Well, it’s too late for him to start school as a firstie.  And I don’t see him entering the wizarding world just yet.  So someone will have to teach him.” 

Now, Ginny spoke up for the first time.  “How about getting him a low-powered witch as a friend to teach him the basics?  I mean, if he’s magical, the ministry will try to hold him under the secrecy act, which he knows nothing about.” 

Harry smiled at her.  “That’s not a bad idea!” 

So what’s your idea?  Submit your story before it’s too late.

Petunia Dursley saw the beginning signs of accidental magic in Dudley and reluctantly contacted Harry Potter, the only magical person she could come close to trusting. She met with Harry and Ginny for lunch and discussed the situation.  Their conclusion was to hook up Dudley with a half blood witch similar in magical power.  That way she could teach him of the magical world and still know of the Muggle world he lives in.

The Challenge is to write a story of how Harry & Ginny eventually get Dudley and a witch together to help Dudley with his newly discovered magic and introduce him into the magical world.

Rules:

1. All general submission rules apply. Stories over 20,000 words are discouraged but not prohibited.  R-rated stories are allowed but discouraged. Judges are not required to read stories over 20,000 words or any R-rated stories.

2. CORRECTION: All entries must be submitted under “Dudley’s Turn” Challenge 2013-4, sub-category of SIYE Challenges and be submitted by midnight SIYE Time, Friday, November 15, 2013.

3. Completed stories are seriously preferred.  Multiple chapters are allowed as long as all the requirements are in the chapters that are submitted by the deadline. 

4. The categories for judging are Best Overall, Matchmaking, Awkwardness, and The People’s Choice Award.

***The basis of this Challenge idea came from an unknown seminar moderator at the LeakeyCon fan fiction convention earlier this year.  Thanks.

Here are the results for the July/ August 2013 Dumbledore's Silver Trinket Awards.

Best Comedy
• Winner:Becoming Ginny by Amortentia
• Honourable Mention: Epithalamium by Northumbrian

Best Drama
• Winner:The Unknown Spectre by Mistress_Lrigtar
• Honourable Mention: Strangers at Drakeshaugh by Northumbrian

Best Romance
• Winner:The Thorny Rose by Brennus
• Honourable Mention: Keeping Even The Broken Promises by Summer Potter

Best One-Shot
• Winner:Anticipation by Northumbrian
• Honourable Mention: Outsiders by Magery

Best Completed
• Winner:Harry Potter and the Nameless Man by Brennus
• Honourable Mention: The First Year, An Almost Happily Ever After Story by JetLaBarge

Best New Story
• Winner:The Beast Within by hgromance
• Honourable Mention: The Thorny Rose by Brennus

Congratulations to all those nominated and those who won.  Nominations for the September/ October DSTAs are now open.

~Jenn, DSTA Admin

It's September 1st and time for the Hogwarts Express to load up with children on their way to Hogwarts!  It's now also time for you, the SIYE readers, to make your selections for the July/August Dumbledore Silver Trinkets Awards.  Make sure you're logged in and vote for your favourites today!  Voting will end on September 10th with the announcement of winners on September 11th!  So cast your ballot today.

~Jenn

DSTA Admin

Well, what can I say?  We had two very different takes on the same Asylum Challenge.  One went the dramatic route and the other down the humorous lane.  The six judges were quite specific on this.  Therefore, the winners are…

The award for Best Overall, Best Drama, and the People’s Choice Award goes to:

After by Senator of Sorcery

The award for Most Sneakiness goes to:

Have Wand, Will Travel by Spenser Hemmingway

The winning stories are now prominently listed in our Featured Stories section.  The Challenge category is back open.   Those of you that have multiple chapters or need to do some editing may continue at this time.  If your story is completed, please ensure it is edited and “YES”, as completed

The 2013-4 Challenge will start October 1st.  Somebody least expected is getting involved.

I would like to thank my many judges who worked hard for this Challenge: Thank you AM, FF, JM, NS, S/, & SM.  You know who you are. Thank you very much for all that reading and judging. Your time to help out is quite valuable. The Challenge would not exist if nobody judged them.  This time AM & SM (no relations that I know of) picked the winners correctly.  Also, 12 votes were cast for the People’s Choice Award.

Hey there boys and girls. Ginny has not been killed by the Death Eaters.  The individual she helped to acquire asylum did, in fact, enjoy a few dances and a butter beer or two at Ginny’s birthday celebration earlier this week.  Afterward, the Ministry Erasers whisked him/her away to protected obscurity on much sunnier shores.

 This Challenge’s stories are in, and now the judging begins.  The categories are Best Overall, Best Drama, Best Sneakiness (Fred and George…you don’t qualify), and in People Choice Award.  Look for the results at the beginning of next month—same bat boogie time…same bat boogie station! For the vacationing Sir Ollivander…Mischief managed!