OK, HERE'S A SNEAK-PEEK.

It's not difficult to confess to being a Morsmordre fan; having seen the guild's beautifully-composed application page advertised on the Guild NeoBoards a handful of times before, I was ecstatic to review one of the few Harry Potter-themed guilds that I personally believe to be worth joining at the moment.

The first impression of the guild that a curious onlooker_ or potential member) can see is that of the application page - a clear, well-decorated, nicely-coded page with all the essential information one would need and then some, it is professionally put-together and both informative and helpful. Explaining not only what the guild and application process is, but also why the guild is private, applicants don't so much stumble blindly about as are led kindly through the process. The best points about the guild are helpfully listed, from "quidditch" to "an explorable Wizarding World"; testimonials and council member profiles feature prominently and there is even a Frequently Asked Questions section and an exemplary application that hopefuls can read and learn from.

The guild's rules (listed on the application page itself) are as painless as their application process, though, some might say, not strict enough: the minimum amount to post is two words. Clearly, the staff at Morsmordre are not aiming to be exclusive - in fact, they want to accept most people who apply, provided they read the rules and are literate enough for the guild's standards.

One the application is submitted, it is posted on the guild's message board, with the comments that I saw made being kind, as complimentary as possible, and honest. The members of Morsmordre like people easily and are extremely welcoming; I would encourage anyone who was interested in the guild to apply.

After receiving an invitation, new members are greeted with a rather stunning, gloomy layout made by, the credit proudly proclaims, the Ravenclaw Head of House, rikojait. Using images surely close to any Potter-fan's heart, those from the Half-Blood Prince Teaser Trailer (who could help but recognise a sullen young!Riddle's countenance?), rather than those from Emma Watson's latest photoshoot or stills from Daniel Radcliffe's newest, non-HP movie, Morsmordre is clearly a Harry Potter guild in a truer sense of the word than many guilds have attempted to follow of late.

My only criticism of the layout is the coding; monospace is one of the worst fonts for use as a main content. It was impossible to read without zooming in about eight times; for decorating like bold and the headers, it is a great font, but the main content is extremely difficult to read - I ended up skimming. Upon much closer inspection, Morsmordre also lacked an introduction in the main content; not an essential, of course, considering the application page's presence but it is a void that is noticeable.

The website (off-site, sadly, but in this instance, certainly needed) was stunning- very extensive, with a Wizard Rock music player and a "Half-Blood Prince" release date countdown; the perfect website for any HP fan, almost regardless of whether or not they were in the guild! With everything from cosy House Common Rooms to a roleplaying forum, it is everything a HP fan could wish for from a guild; which, being an avid fan of the series and an ex-"HP Guild Scene"-member, is not an exaggeration and something close to my heart.

The Sorting Hat quiz was, unsurprisingly, a very quality one; short, but precise, and lacking the obvious questions ("what's your favourite colour?") in favour of "Which job would you like to do", more of an open-ended question though it was multiple choice. Done clearly and efficiently with a virtual form rather than crude Neomail, the form requires little effort to fill in and even less to send off.

The guild message boards were my favourite part of the guild, despite its wonderful layout reminiscent of class HP guilds at their best, and the extensive website which, too, stood out as being very familiar in its design and atmosphere. The boards are very active, though not too fast-paced for pleasant, casual discussion; whenever I viewed the boards, there were a handful of people online and chatting about various topics. (And not one mention of Twilight that I could see!)

There were only five people who had not been yet Sorted, but nine who had not posted at all; though it must be said that the activity of other members made up for those few! At time of writing, the guild had seventy-seven members (a great number for a Harry Potter guild), discounting my own account. A deceptively small message count was clearly wrong; 5900 messages and yet a handful of members had over 1000 posts by themselves.

It was with a heavy heart that I click the "leave guild" button (and subsequently confirm this action) - I greatly enjoyed my time in a HP guild, but that was not because of the genre - Morsmordre truly captures the essence of the "old guilds" in the way that so, so many others failed to accomplish and if only for that, I hope that the guild continues to live on for a very long time.

If you are searching for an exceptional Harry Potter that is, essentially, everything you could want in a HP guild, I would more than recommend Morsmordre. Truly spellbinding! Good luck with your application.

From me, Morsmordre receives a ***** rating. Congratulations!