As me, Matthew – myself and I!
I thought I’d be able to make this a tweet. And how wrong I was. I had some thoughts to put out about the ending of Hogwarts Origins and – well, if you know me, it was never going to be short. So grab a cuppa.
Joining Hogwarts
I was invited to Hogwarts Origins to create a House Point bot. By the time I’d joined, most of the structure was already in place and my role was simple: to build a system to dish out points. As the event grew, I expanded the bot with new features that enabled things like live trivia, Snitch hunts, react events and other interactive elements. My dear friend Bob took care of bringing your magical creatures to life, opening the Weasleys sweet shop for yapping rewards and of course, the mastermind behind your favourite NPCs like Myrtle and Umbridge. Hem Hem.
Taking a Break from Hogwarts
🚪 Half way through the event, I stepped back. As with any large event, competition became intense and emotions ran high. The challenge was always balancing inter-house banter vs outright trolling/abuse. Some cases were black and white (eg. “you’re an ugly cow” vs “I hope your wand breaks”), but others were more nuanced – specifically during Quidditch matches.
At this point, it became clear that Mystic, the Heads of Houses and I had different approaches to dealing with conflict. Early in the competition we removed people who had a history of ruining events, or were clearly set on creating a toxic atmosphere. This was necessary to ensure the event remained enjoyable for everyone.
Where things became trickier was the “I’m offended by that” territory. Some situations were clear-cut, but others were more subjective – and at times, it was difficult to tell if someone was genuinely upset or just using it as a tactic to get another team in trouble. My personal stance was that these moments were best resolved through direct conversations in DMs rather than jumping straight to public moderation. Others felt a stronger responsibility to intervene more visibly.
I completely respect that approach, but for me, I wasn’t there to police how others presented themselves.
What I know / What I don’t know
After I left, discussion around moderation continued. I don’t have enough insight to comment on the decisions made after that, but what I do know is this:
💰 This was a player-run event that cost 4-figures + to create
⚡ The goal was always to create something fun, immersive, and ambitious.
🏆 It was likely the biggest and most enjoyed Habbo event to date.
Hearing that it has ended early with no plans for a second season is disapointing. Hogwarts Origins was an incredibly creative and ambitious project that brought people together in ways that no other Habbo event has in years. I imagine that every single person walks away from that server knowing someone they didn’t before – and maybe even has a new friend. Kudos to Mystic for that.
📊 A Side Note on Points and Fairness
There’s been some misinformation going around about how points were awarded. To be honest, it’s upsetting to hear people think the system was rigged.
I was personally responsible (or rather my bot was) for awarding points for random events, trivia, snitches, and other mechanics. Everything was done fairly, and I had zero agenda – I don’t care which house won. I just wanted to make a fun, engaging bot and learn along the way. (As all of you know I did!).
I’ve kept a full breakdown of points throughout the entire event. If anyone truly believes the system was unfair or rigged – reach out. I’m happy to discuss it. I’d rather NOT, but equally, I don’t like to see screenshots of people acting as though this bot was intended to favour anyone. I spent day upon day reviewing point distribution, ensuring it was fair, ensuring it was equal.
Many, many people in that server – and many who have left – are my friends. Some are my BEST friends in Habbo.
I don’t agree with every decision that was made, but I also don’t think this should turn into a full-blown agenda against anyone.
If you have grievances – talk to each other like adults. Some of you already have, and didn’t like the response – that’s fair, but also reality. No community is perfect and disagreements will always happen.
At the end of the day, Hogwarts Origins was a passion project. I hope people can remember the good times, the creativity and the fun EVERYONE put into it.
To all the “students” who brought their true selves, their humour, their fun, their wit, their knowledge, their memes, their jokes – their everything. Thank you. You made some of the best Habbo memories so far this year… 😉
To everyone behind the scenes who took on a role in some capacity to run events, to organise queues, to choose event volunteers – THANK YOU! You nailed it. And I hope to see much of what was dreamed up for Hogwarts recycled back into Habbo. (Quidditch, anyone? – Thanks Wilf!).
To Mystic – thank you for dreaming big. For creating a castle we all dreamed of exploring as kids. For bringing folk together and finding new ways to enjoy Habbo.
That’s all from me. 🪄✨
Lady Pixelington's Society Papers 