Student’s guide to Tanningen

Please read the information on the back of this information sheet carefully!

1. Silberhirsch
2. Zum kopflosen Eber
3. Feder & Tinte bei Winkler's
4. Butterbrezelbude
5. Café Hüftgold
6. Harz & Honig
7. Wurzelwerk
8. Mondpfand
9. Falconry centre
10. Bibim Izakaya
11. WunderHaar
12. Der schiefe Stapel
13. Die Sieben Säume

D

ear student,

Congratulations on reaching the required class level to visit the village of Tanningen, Nebelfels’ closest magical settlement and, according to some pupils, the true highlight of the school year. We‘d like to give you some advise on what to visit and where to procure the stuff you want or need. But first we need to repeat some ground rules. These rules are in place partly for your own safety, and partly because without them we would not be able to offer our students this privilege at all.

1. Only students in third class or above are allowed to visit Tanningen. So, if you’re holding this leaflet but are still in year one or two, that doesn’t give you a free pass to ignore this rule.
2. Visits to Tanningen are limited to the second Saturday of each month.
3. No student is allowed to visit the village on their own. Only groups of at least three students are allowed to leave the school and have to stay together at all times, except in the case of emergencies. The definition of ‘emergency’ is at the discretion of the teachers, not the pupils!
4. It is essential that groups notify the house tutor at least 24 hours in advance when leaving and upon their return.
5. The most direct route from school to the village is the one to follow. Detours into the woods are not permitted without a supervising teacher.

Now that we have clarified this once again, here is the information about Tanningen that is relevant to you as a student.

Essentials

Stationery shop

First and foremost, we would like to mention 'Feder & Tinte bei Winkler's', or simply Winkler's, the local stationers. Winkler’s stocks all essential writing supplies required throughout the school year: parchment, quills, ink, and scrolls. Although Winkler's carries some items that might be of great interest to students, we would like to remind you once again that certain products, such as self-writing or even self-correcting quills, are strictly prohibited for Nebelfels students!

Book store

Almost equally essential is the bookshop 'Der schiefe Stapel'. Should one of your schoolbooks be damaged, lost, or mysteriously develop wings, 'Der schiefe Stapel' is the place to go. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. What’s more, the bookshop has a wide selection of extremely interesting supplementary material, should you not find what you’re looking for in the school library or wish to buy a book for your own personal use. Mr Großbaum is very vigilant when it comes to who is hanging around at the back of the shop, and let us tell you, pupils have no business being there!

Tailor

The tailor’s shop ‘Die Sieben Säume’ offers a selection of items that are all the rage in the Wizarding World right now. More importantly, however, they provide a service for alterations and repairs to school uniforms. Even if you received two full sets for your first day at school, you wouldn’t be the first pupil to damage or even completely ruin part of your uniform during lessons or in your free time. Mr and Mrs Rotlaub specialise in salvaging even the worst cases and, in an emergency, have uniforms in stock in the most common sizes for all four houses.

Alchemy supplies

At ‘Wurzelwerk’, you can find everything you need for studying alchemy or herbalism. Whilst the school naturally covers your general supply of ingredients, you may still need to purchase the necessary ingredients here for project work or if your consumption is particularly high. Anything with a black label is off-limits to Nebelfels’ pupils and is absolutely unnecessary for lessons. Look, yes; touch, no.

Culinary gems

Sweets and treats

I’m sure you’ve already heard of 'Harz & Honig'. You could easily spend a whole month’s pocket money here, as the shop always stocks the latest trends in sweets. From the popular surprise crackers to more unusual treats like ‘fire tongues’, there’s something here to suit everyone’s taste. We feel compelled to warn you against eating too many sweets. At your age, you should be aware of the potential consequences of some of these sugary treats, and if you’re not, feel free to ask the schools's head nurse Ms. Schönbein about all the cases she’s had to treat.

Tea and cake

Ms Annabell’s 'Café Hüftgold' is very popular with your classmates, particularly popular amongst older pupils and those in search of a quieter atmosphere. In this quiet, cozy café, you can enjoy delicious cakes and wonderful tea. Ms Annabell’s speciality is particularly worth mentioning: Mood Tea. This tea is especially recommended for indecisive students, as its flavour adapts to your mood.

Savory food

If you fancy a bite to eat at lunchtime whilst you're out shopping, or want to spend a nice evening in good company, we recommend the 'Silberhirsch' pub, which is right on Nebelplatz. Here you’ll find a wide selection of regional and seasonal dishes, and students from Nebelfels also receive a discount on the prices. We’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that only students aged 16 or over are permitted to purchase alcoholic drinks. Furthermore, we’d like to remind our older students to drink in moderation. We know when you’ve had one too many!

Bakery

The 'Butterbrezelbude'offers far more then delicious butter pretzels. They have an amazingly wide selection of filled rolls in every possible combination, as well as a wide variety of sweet pastries. The tarts and cakes are also very tasty and, unlike at Café Hüftgold, they offer a take-away option here.

Asian restaurant

The newest addition to Tanningen's culinary gems might or might not be 'Bibim Izakaya', a restaurant that also sells street food and specializes on a fushion of Japanese and Korean food. Mr. and Mrs. Han opened their place only during the last summer vacation, so only time will tell whether they will be able to stick around.

General services

Tanningen has its own falconry centre. You are thus free to send mail from there as well. If you do not have your own bird of prey at the school’s falconry centre, this is a good alternative to the birds from Nebelfels, which are rarely available.

On the outskirts of the village you may also find Tanningen’s pegasus station. While pupils are naturally forbidden from taking flights during the school year, these magnificent creatures remain well worth visiting.

Luckily for all of us, Tanningen has its own hairdressing salon. At 'WunderHaar', run by Ms Farnberger, you can get a stylish haircut at a reasonable price. So there’s really no excuse if your hair looks as though birds are trying to nest in it.

Forbidden places

Now that you know of the most important places you can and should visit, we also want to mention a few of those that you as a student need to avoid. Visiting any one of those places will result in severe consequences.

One of those places is the tavern 'Zum kopflosen Eber'. This rather dubious establishment on the outskirts of the village - or perhaps it would be more accurate to say just outside the village - is definitely one of those places you shouldn’t visit as a student. The less said about its clientele, the better. We’re well aware that this is also one of those places that’s constantly the focus of dare games among students, but we strongly advice against getting involved in them. Any student found entering the premises, whether out of curiosity, poor judgement, or misplaced confidence, should expect severe disciplinary consequences.

Another shop you should steer well clear of is ‘Mondpfand’. The provenance of many items sold there is, at best, uncertain, which is why we strongly advise our students against buying any of them, however tempting they may seem. As a student of this school, you are forbidden from possessing such items, and for good reason.

Now you know of all the important places to go. But, as in any town, Tanningen also has its annual highlights, which we highly recommend. For you as a student, four of these stand out in particular.

Harvestmoon Festival

The first event of the school year is the Harvestmoon Festival in October. As the name suggests, it’s all about harvest time, which is why local restaurants serve specialities featuring pumpkin, apples or blackberries. Particularly worth mentioning are a few events that take place as part of the festival. A potion-brewing competition is being held, along with a herbal workshop to go with it. The scarecrow-awakening ritual is always great fun. At the end of the day, there is a lantern procession, during which the pupils from Nebelfels also make their way back to the castle together.

Winter Wonderland Bazaar

The Winter Wonderland Bazaar is closely linked to the Winter Ball, which takes place at Nebelfels. To mark the occasion, part of Kranichsee is transformed into an ice rink. Stalls are set up along the lakeside where you can buy punch, tea or hot chocolate to warm yourself up. There are also plenty of other treats on offer, such as potato pancakes, grilled sausages and baked potatoes. Our four houses, of course, also hold their annual snowball fight. As you are surely well aware, the winning house will gain some important points for the school challenge. The festivities then draw to a close with the Aurora light show.

Spring Faire

The spring faire attracts fairground operators from all over the world. As a school pupil, you’ll no doubt find the exhibition of fantastical creatures particularly fascinating – many of which you’d probably never see otherwise in your entire life. Please bear in mind that some of these animals are potentially dangerous species, and you should only interact with them in accordance with the rules set by the respective exhibitors.

Midsummer Revel

The Midsummer Revel takes place just before the summer holidays begin. On this day, picnics are traditionally held all around Tanningen. It’s all old-school with a blanket, a picnic basket and nothing more. Once the sun has set late in the evening, a wonderful, spectacular fireworks display is set off over Kranichsee. Even pupils in the lower years can enjoy this, as the spectacle is visible from far and wide.

And with all this information, advice and guidance, we hope you have a wonderful time in Tanningen. Enjoy your stay, follow the rules and use your common sense, and you’ll be able to enjoy this little town many times over.

This little village has served generations of Nebelfels students well. As a place to study, to celebrate, to recover from difficult lessons, and occasionally to learn wisdom the classroom alone cannot provide.

Treat its people with courtesy, its traditions with respect, and its rules with the seriousness they deserve. Do so, and Tanningen will no doubt become one of the places you remember most fondly long after your school days have passed.

Travel safely, represent your house with dignity, and do try not to give your teachers any unnecessary reasons to revise these visiting privileges.