New Student Guide

Dream Dwellers is a site created for Harry Potter fan fiction writers and readers and fans alike.

A lot of time was spent trying to figure out a way to make this new site just as exciting and engaging as various other fan fiction forums. After a lot of intense thought on the subject, the site creator, Lia, decided to set up the entire site in a Hogwarts style format, strengthening the idea of living in a community of friends and being able to interact both on a writing/reading/roleplaying basis.

This site offers everything from games to contests, fanfic submission, and in-depth roleplays. You can purchase everything from pets to train rides, potions ingredients to wands, adorn your characters in new clothes and hair styles, and even petition to start your own clubs for your personal interests like music, movies, and games.

Together, Dream Dwellers is a place for all sorts of Harry Potter fans to create online lives and have as much fun as possible with their friends.

We hope that you enjoy yourself here and continue to come for years in the future.

Hogwarts Letter: This is the area where the New Student Guide is located, along with the required Student Supply List. You will need to read through both of these threads before you can even think about moving on to any other boards.

King's Cross Station: This is the second most important board in the forum. The rules must be signed by every student before they make their way to the train.

Platform 9¾: This is the board where new students can chat with current students and where we welcome you to the Wizarding World.


Hogwarts Express: Your trip on the Hogwarts Express is essential in order to move on to Hogwarts School. In order to make your trip, you will need to post your own Compartment thread and roleplay a little. When you make it to the rank of First Year, you will be granted access to Hogwarts. (word: niffler)

Village of Hogsmeade: The village is only accessible to Third Years and up. Hogsmeade is full of fun and excitement, including The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's and Honeyduke's. Here you can talk socially and play games. If you want to change anything about your character, go to Gladrags Wizardwear to purchase new clothes, hair styles, etc.


You will learn more about the different levels of Hogwarts as you explore. You will be able to sign up for and participate in lessons here. You will also have access to your specific House's common room once you are Sorted. You can post fan fiction, play games, join clubs, as well as a host of other fun activities.

Headmaster's Office: This area is only accessible to staff members.

Staff Postings: This is where you can apply to become a staff member at Dream Dwellers. Read over the postings carefully. There are some requirements you must meet before applying.


You will learn more about the Ministry once you have graduated from Hogwarts, but within you will be able to choose an occupation, explore the Department of Mysteries, and take steps to becoming an Animagus if you so choose. Explore all that the Ministry has to offer and perhaps you'll find your calling.


These are places where Hogwarts graduates can purchase homes and have neighborly socializing, parties and roleplaying of all kinds in the Village Squares. If you reach graduation rank, feel free to go to Nova's Plottables in order to purchase a home deed for any of the magical locations shown.


Here you will find a host of different areas that you can go to find magical creatures to fight, places to explore, and goals to achieve. Be careful, though! You could run into a dark wizard or an angry Acromantula. Always have your wand at the ready when you're venturing in these locations.

Every thread creation, reply or quick reply will earn you sickles, so everything you participate in in Hogsmeade and Hogwarts will give you more money. The more sickles you have, the more you can spend in Diagon Alley, which will be described below.

Creating threads will give you the most sickles, but be careful! Some boards don't allow you to create your own threads, so be sure to read the rules before doing so. Replies and quick replies still earn you sickles, but less so. When you reach a new rank, you will receive a bonus 50 sickles.

You can shop from any shop in Diagon Alley at any point in time, if you have the sickles. In order to do so, all you need to do is click on the Diagon Alley link at the top of the navigation of the forum next to the Owlry. (word: thestral) Add things to your cart, check out with your basket and the items will show up in your profile page. Only staff can edit a member's items, but you yourself can refund or delete items from your own profile. Refunds are 50% of the original value, so you will only get half of what you paid for the item back. Be careful what you purchase!

Some items you can only purchase one of, such as pets, broomsticks and wands. If a staff member notices you have more than one of these, it will be deleted from your item storage in your profile and you will receive a warning.

You can access the bank by going to the bottom left navigation bar and clicking on the piggy bank. It looks like this:  . You can see how much money you have in your vault. If you have none, that just means that it is in your wallet instead. To transfer money from your wallet to your bank, go to Gringotts, type in the amount you would like to deposit and then click the Deposit button. Sickles kept in Gringotts earns you 2% interest.

In order to give someone a gift or trade with them, you must click on the  button in the lower left-hand navigation bar. This will provide you with access to the gift and trade tabs. You can trade certain items with other members and you can gift sickles to other members should you so wish.

If anyone harasses you asking you repeatedly for sickles or items in your item storage profile, report them immediately to the Headmaster and they will be subject to the punishments laid out in the code of conduct/rules.

In order to buy any home you must have enough money to purchase a home at that location. For instance, if you'd like to purchase a home in Godric's Hallow, you will need at least 20,000 sickles. To purchase that house, you will need to purchase the deed from Nova Plottables in Diagon Alley. If you are not a Hogwarts graduate yet, then you cannot purchase a house.

Homes are not only a method of keeping in touch with people and learning about them, but they are required if you want to start a family. Your Hogwarts diploma and any certificates you receive at Hogwarts will be kept in your house, as well. Your home is where you build your life after Hogwarts, so take good pride in your home.

Occupations

When you reach the rank of Hogwarts Graduate, you will be granted access to the Ministry of Magic. This area will allow you to explore the different occupations the Ministry has to offer. In short, the list is below.

Having an occupation will earn you a certain amount of sickles every fortnight (two weeks). Inquire about wages on the appropriate staff opening threads. If you are staff on the forum, you will also get wages.

Although not an occupation but rather a part of who you are, you are able to request to become an Animagus on the forum. This means that you can transform into your Animagus form while roleplaying. If you would like to see what the steps of transformation entail, simply head on over to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where the Animagus Registry is kept.

You have the ability to get married to anyone on the site that you choose, meaning that same sex marriage is allowed. When you are married, you will live in the same house and even start your own family.

In order to get married, you must be a Hogwarts graduate (meaning you must have at least 4,800 posts) and you also must pay a small fee at the Courthouse in Diagon Alley. Each person in the relationship must buy a marriage license in order to be considered a married couple.

Once you get married, if you both already own a house, you will have to choose which one to give up and which one you will live in.

Don't get married without a lot of serious thinking! If you want to get a divorce, it costs a lot of money, so make sure you're marrying someone you truly want to be with.

If you are married to someone, you have the choice to take their surname as your own in your display name.


You must be married in order to start a family and you can only be part of ONE family. A family consists of one married couple and up to TWO children. The children can also be married and have families of their own, so it's truly an endless line of families all knit together quite tightly.

Just like marriage, family registration takes place at the courthouse. It does cost money to get adoption papers, so make sure you have enough sickles to start your own family. More information about families and marriage can be found in Diagon Alley at the Courthouse.

Children can be adopted by married parents, but each parent must purchase adoption papers. Children must agree to be adopted by parent(s) before adoption papers are purchased.

When a child is adopted by a parent, they cannot keep their old surname, but must choose to take one of their parents' surnames.