Line #98 VisualNovel/MagicalDiary


1	[[quoteright:288:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MagicalDiary_5623.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:288:[[TheSmartGuy Ellen]], [[TroubledButCute Damien]], [[{{Tomboy}} Virginia]] and [[LovableRogue Donald]]]]
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4	''Magical Diary'' is a MediaNotes/RenPy-based RomanceGame series with [[SimulationGame Life Sim]] and AdventureGame elements whose first game was released by Creator/HanakoGames in 2011.
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6	In said first game, ''Magical Diary: Horse Hall'', the PlayerCharacter was an ordinary teenage girl until she discovered her inborn capacity for magic and was given The Choice: deny her power and keep her normal life, or embrace it and enroll at the WizardingSchool Iris Academy to learn how to control and use her magic. The game follows her through her first year at Iris Academy and her introduction into the world of magic - and all of the dangers that come with it.
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8	A ''[[SpearCounterpart Wolf Hall]]'' version was released in 2020. It is set in an AlternateContinuity to the original ''Horse Hall'', where the general setting and characters are the same but SchrodingersPlayerCharacter creates numerous ripples causing events to unfold differently. In ''Wolf Hall'', the Player Character is the heir to a powerful noble bloodline masquerading as an ordinary ForeignExchangeStudent, wanting to experience what life is like without relying on his family name.
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10	Check the [[https://twitter.com/diary_magical official Magical Diary twitter]] for future updates.
11	----
12	!!Both versions of ''Magical Diary'' contain the following tropes:
13	* AmnesiacHero: The magical world has a strict policy of wiping the memories of people who get kicked out of their society, which happens if the person either chooses to reject their powers, fails magic school, or somehow loses them (usually by breaking a magic oath). [[spoiler:So the ''Horse Hall'' protagonist becomes this in most of the bad endings.]]
14	* AgeGapRomance: The protagonist and Damien in both games, the protagonist and Grabiner in ''Horse Hall'' and the protagonist and William in ''Wolf Hall''. While Damien doesn't give a damn, the latter two do care about the age difference and thus the protagonist needs to approach their paths very carefully for a chance at a successful romance.
15	* AnimalMotifs: Deliberately invoked by the faculty of Iris Academy. All students are assigned a house when they enroll: "daring" Wolves, "elegant" Falcons or "eldritch" Toads for the boys, and "adventurous" Horses, "charming" Butterflies or "mysterious" Snakes for the girls. Bonus points for one of the Butterfly Hall residents having literal wings.
16	* AprilFoolsPlot:
17	** If you attend one of Potsdam's classes on April 1st, she will give you a special lesson where you will learn to communicate with a plant's "floral spirit." This is revealed to be an April Fools' prank.
18	** Otherwise, Luke will offer you a prank jelly bean.
19	* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Ellen is probably the smartest person at the school, and at one point defeats an exam without using any magic at all, just puzzling out an illusion. Professor Grabiner considers it cheating to complete a magical exam without using magic, though.
20	* BigEater: Virginia. She sure can pack it in.
21	* BittersweetEnding:
22	** Horse Hall: If you fail the Final Exam and are brought down to 50 or more demerits, [[spoiler:you can choose to go to Summer School instead of being expelled. You get to keep your magic, but you can never see your family again, and they will be made to forget you even existed.]]
23	** Wolf Hall: The protagonist is only in the country for a single year, meaning that most relationships will have to end. [[spoiler:Though the main routes tend to carry on correspondence with the possibility of meeting again later, and William's romantic ending defies this completely.]]
24	* BoardingSchool / WizardingSchool: The main setting of the series.
25	* BunnyEarsLawyer[=/=]EccentricMentor: Professor Potsdam. Despite being the powerful headmistress at a prestigious WizardingSchool she comes across more of a mature GranolaGirl. [[spoiler:Most of the time, anyway.]]
26	* CanonName: The ''Horse Hall'' protagonist has a default name, Mary Sue. Likewise, the default name for the ''Wolf Hall'' protagonist is Gary Stu. Both are deliberate nods to the [[MarySue fanfic trope.]][[invoked]]
27	* CaptainErsatz: Professor Grabiner is very obviously [[Franchise/HarryPotter fanon Snape]].
28	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Snake and Toad Hall students, in general, tend in this direction. Particular examples include Big Steve, Suki, and Balthasar.
29	* CockFight: Jacob and Kyo eventually wind up butting heads over who deserves Minnie's attention. In ''Wolf Hall'', the male PC might also get involved. [[spoiler:However, ''Wolf Hall'' also reveals that Jacob and Minnie are only friends and he was just trying to protect her, not win her for himself.]]
30	* CoolBigBro: William to Virginia. [[BigBrotherWorship And she adores him for it.]]
31	* CrapsaccharineWorld: It's such a pretty magical world, with freaky yet lovable characters, fairy wings, and TroubledButCute {{Bishonen}}. Yet magical society is exceedingly totalitarian, its rules are enforced by LaserGuidedAmnesia, the students at Iris Academy have very few rights, and even then, the professors are ''not'' the ones who are the most dangerous to you.
32	* CrazyJealousGuy: Kyo towards Minnie.
33	* CripplingOverspecialization: If you don't at least take a look at all five magic types early on, you'll get detention or demerits. Also, not all dungeons can be solved by all kinds of magic, so someone who purely specializes in a single art is at risk of demerits.
34	* DarkIsNotEvil:
35	** At first glance, Snake and Toad Hall are assumed to be reservoirs of AlwaysChaoticEvil. However, as seen above, their students generally turn out to be harmless {{Cloudcuckoolander}}s - the ''dangerous'' students aren't so obvious.
36	** Black Magic, despite having a name full of negative connotations, deals mostly with enchanting magical items and is no more inherently evil than any other school.
37	* DepravedBisexual: Damien. If you don't romance him in ''Horse Hall'', he'll go after a freshman boy instead; in ''Wolf Hall'', he'll go after Ellen if a male PC ''doesn't'' romance him.
38	* DisappearedDad: Ellen's parents divorced when she was younger, and her father eventually stopped writing to her.
39	* DisciplinesOfMagic: From ''Horse Hall'', as Professor Potsdam says during the opening speech:
40	--> At Iris Academy, we teach spelling using the pentachromatic system.
41	--> Red magic is forceful, but not necessarily violent. Blue is the color of transformation and change. Green is the color of life, and the world of plants and animals.
42	--> White magic affects the mind and spirit, and black magic is contained within physical objects.
43	* DomesticAbuse: Kyo is extremely possessive of Minnie and pulls a lot of manipulation on her when she tries to break up with him for it. They break up at least twice over the course of the story, but [[spoiler:Minnie will end up going back to him if you don't intervene in some way]].
44	* EveryoneIsBi: Gender appears to be mostly irrelevant when it comes to romance here, with no one commenting if the heroine ends up in a romance with a girl, and several [=NPCs=] also involved in same-sex relationships that are, again, not treated as unusual. When Jacob's "fathers" are mentioned, it comes up very casually and might not even be noticeable if one doesn't pay attention to his exact wording (as in, "my fathers" versus "our fathers"). Additionally, some of the romance options from ''Horse Hall'' (Ellen, Damien) also have routes in ''Wolf Hall'', which features a male PC instead of a female.
45	* FantasyContraception: When Potsdam finally gets around to TheTalk, this is the topic. Nobody blinks an eye at high schoolers having sex, but children are forbidden; fortunately, the use of green magic will easily prevent conception, and Potsdam can help if you don't have that level of skill yet. [[note]] Theoretically, at least. The game doesn't let you get past kissing with any of the available love interests. [[/note]]
46	* GenderRestrictedAbility: Girls seem much more likely to develope into Wildseeds than boys, as it's noted that female Wildseeds consistently outnumber males in each incoming freshmen batch.
47	* GayOption: No Hanako Games title would be complete without this. In ''Horse Hall's'' case both Ellen and Virginia fulfill the role officially. In ''Wolf Hall'', the main options are Damien and William.
48	* HelloInsertNameHere: The PC's name is chosen by the player (with "Mary Sue"/"Gary Stu" as the default for ''Horse/Wolf Hall'').
49	* ItIsDehumanizing: As part of the second Green Magic class cutscene:
50	--> '''Professor Potsdam''': Many living beings will take offense to being referred to as "it", although not all.
51	* JustFriends: The protagonist can become close friends with all romanceable characters [[spoiler:apart from Damien, who throws a ragefit at the very ''notion'' of friendship and is never seen again. Considering that his entire plan hinges on manipulating a love-struck protagonist, it's not surprising that he isn't too keen on friendship.]]
52	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Used to enforce [[ExtraStrengthMasquerade the masquerade]] and prevent anyone non-magical from finding out anything about magical society. Specifically, it's used on anyone who finds themselves kicked out of magical society, whether by expulsion, breaking a promise, or choice. A milder version is applied to the parents of Wildseeds to make them forget that their children are magical, but in some cases, it hits harder than intended and the parents in question start to forget that they care about their children, [[spoiler:which is what happens to Ellen's parents. She eventually tells Potsdam to make her family forget about her completely]].
53	* MageBornOfMuggles: Deemed "Wild Seeds", they are taken into the magical world and their parents hit with LaserGuidedAmnesia. The ''Horse Hall" heroine is one of these, as is Ellen in both games.
54	* MagicalAbortion: Alluded to during "sex education". Students aren't allowed to carry children, and Professor Potsdam warns everyone to take their own precautions against pregnancy or face punishment. She adds that if anyone's Green Magic isn't up to the task, they can come talk to her after class.
55	* MagicallyBindingContract: The sworn promise of a witch or wizard is completely binding, with dire consequences if broken.
56	* {{Magitek}}: [[spoiler:Utterly forbidden. Ellen tries to experiment and it nearly gets her expelled. Another character ''was'' expelled for it in the past.]]
57	** Justified in Wolf Hall, [[spoiler:with the more-informed protagonist mentioning in narration an "Aquarian Incident" that occurred less than a generation prior to the story, where the mixing of magic and technology somehow resulted in [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling worldwide magical disruption]] and [[EarthShatteringKaboom multiplanar devastation]].]]
58	* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Damien!]]
59	* {{Masquerade}}: Of the [[ExtraStrengthMasquerade extra-strength variety]], based on some of the comments.
60	* MeaningfulName: Damien shares a name with the kid from ''Film/TheOmen''. [[spoiler:They're both part-demon (although Potsdam calling Damien a cambion implies that his non-human parent is a [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubus]], not the Devil) and both evil.]]
61	** If the ''Horse Hall'' PC meets Damien in the first week, she can even lampshade it.
62	-->'''Mary Sue''': "That's a sort of unfortunate name, isn't it? Especially with those wings. People might think you were a devil."
63	* MiddleChildSyndrome: Donald's problem, and the driving reason why he's such a trickster. William is TheAce and Virginia is the [[TheBabyOfTheBunch youngest]], so his pranks are the only means that he can use to stand out.
64	* MrFanservice: [[TroubledButCute Damien]]. Alienated from his [[{{Muggles}} muggle]] parents? Check! Bullied at school due to his mysterious, demon parentage? Check! Believed to be a vicious [[TheCasanova casanova]] - while really just LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces and getting his trust betrayed constantly for his trouble? Check! [[spoiler:Too bad it's an act he puts on, specifically designed to invoke this trope.]]
65	* MultipleEndings: Although the main ending of both games is to successfully complete a semester of study, there are many variations depending on which (if any) of the love interests you pursue, as well as a NonStandardGameOver if you fail too many classes or attempt to ruin the ExtraStrengthMasquerade.
66	* MustHaveCaffeine: "Big Steve" Kenyon tends to be very irritable if he hasn't had his coffee. During initiation, he seeks out freshmen to fetch coffee for him.
67	* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:Professor Potsdam]] is a lot more devious than she first appears.
68	* ParodySue: [[HelloInsertNameHere The default character name is]] MarySue. The creator was having a bit of fun there.
69	* {{Pastiche}}: Of ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' FanFic. The setting is a WizardingSchool where the students are assigned into animal-themed dorms based on personality traits, the protagonist is a teenager from an otherwise normal {{Muggle}} family who's now being introduced into a whole magical society on the other side of TheMasquerade... there's even a CaptainErsatz of the common fangirl interpretation of Severus Snape in the person of Professor Grabiner. And, of course, the PC's [[HelloInsertNameHere default name]] is MarySue.
70	** Not to mention Professor Potsdam, the cheerful, eccentric but surprisingly powerful female Dumbledore.
71	* ParentalAbandonment and ParentalNeglect: The {{Masquerade}} reinforcement causes your parents - and the parents of ''every other Wildseed'' - to forget that their kids are magical. In some cases, the spell hits so hard that the adults in question actually forget why they care about the kid... and Ellen suspects that this is what's happened to her family. [[spoiler:She later has Potsdam make them forget her completely and elects to stay at the school over the summer in ''Horse Hall''; if you've become close friends with her or are pursuing her romantically, you can offer to let her stay at your home during the summer - otherwise, you never even find out about the situation.]] Moreover, it's implied from the way Virginia tells you this, that this is considered ''completely normal and justified'' by the born-witches.
72	* PronounTrouble: Not all mages or magical creatures are male or female; some are asexual, hermaphroditic, have BizarreAlienSexes, or otherwise don't neatly fit into the human gender spectrum. Accordingly, Potsdam says that you should ask someone what they want to be called if you're not sure, and also mentions that mage society uses the gender-neutral Spivak pronoun system ("e" and "eir" for "he/she" and "his/hers," among others). [[TheGhost It isn't a big deal in-game, however]], with no such creatures actually appearing in Horse Hall, aside from ''maybe'' the dungeon monsters in the exam segments.
73	** Minnie uses the gender-neutral pronouns in a conversation with you if you're on the student council, in an attempt to conceal that she's asking for advice about her relationship with Kyo.
74	** Blaise in the ''Wolf Hall'' game [[spoiler:changes back and forth between male and female, but is "officially" female as a resident of Butterfly Hall, even if male at the time, which makes the pronouns even more confusing]].
75	** Two minor human characters in ''Wolf Hall'' use the "e" pronouns for themselves. The easiest to find is Nara, from Toad Hall, in the Nature Club.
76	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Potsdam appears to be this, while Grabiner comes across as a JerkAss. [[spoiler:In their own way, they're both reasonable; Potsdam would rather [[AdultsAreUseless remain hands-off]] and prefers to [[SinkOrSwimMentor let students learn about the world through experience]], while Grabiner focuses on protecting his students by terrorizing them when they come close to getting hurt. Grabiner is right that there are many dangers that students NEED to be scared away from, but Potsdam is right that some lessons can only be appreciated the hard way.]]
77	* RomanticFakeRealTurn: Occurs in [[spoiler:Damien's]] route in both games.
78	** In ''Horse Hall'', [[spoiler:Damien falls in love with Mary for real, much to his own disbelief, after she offers him her soul. Not that it's a very healthy love, as he still enjoys intimidating her and remains as possessive as ever.]]
79	** In ''Wolf Hall'', [[spoiler:Gary begrudgingly starts to see Damien in a romantic light despite knowing damn well what kind of a person he truly is. Unfortunately for him, Damien does ''not'' go the way of his ''Horse Hall'' counterpart this time round.]]
80	* RunningGag:
81	** In ''Horse Hall'', Mary's usual interpretation of the lead-ins to some of Potsdam's lectures or announcements.
82	--->'''Mary Sue''': "...Wait, is this going to be ''sex education!?''"
83	** In ''Wolf Hall'', Gary's bafflement/confusion over American words or expressions he's unfamiliar with.
84	* SaveScumming: Given the multiple dialogue options, [[MultipleEndings multiple game paths]], and [[LuckBasedMission random nature]] of magic skill gains, this is pretty much required. Given that you can literally save everywhere, to 80 slots, this is also practically a game feature.
85	* ScareEmStraight: Professor Grabiner's preferred method of dealing with students, on the basis that having them all terrified of him is preferable to letting them get themselves killed by being careless with their magic.
86	* SecondLove: It's left open for interpretation, [[spoiler:but the ''Horse Hall'' protagonist may become this for Grabiner if she successfully sees his romance path through to the end.]] The ''Wolf Hall'' protagonist becomes William's should he embark on his path.
87	* SecretCharacter: [[spoiler:Big Steve]] had a side romance path added in a late update for ''Horse Hall''. Reaching it is ''much'' more difficult than any of the other characters. ''Wolf Hall'' has a number of side romances, some of which are nearly impossible to stumble over without a guide.
88	* SecretSanta: In December, the protagonist will be assigned to give a gift to someone, though due to a sudden snowstorm, this gets changed into making a card instead. Though it's meant to be random, in ''Horse Hall'' the player is always assigned to whichever of her two roommates she has the worst relationship with, granting a last-minute chance to win points before choosing a route. [[spoiler:''Wolf Hall'' confirms that Professor Potsdam deliberately manipulates the Santa assignments]]. The ''Wolf Hall'' player may end up creating a card for Jacob, Raven, or Barbara.
89	* ShoutOut: The spring play is ''[[Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors The Small Place of Purchase of Frightening Things]]''.
90	** Ellen's attitude towards magic, down to the [[spoiler:secret society]] she creates, is pulled almost directly from the fanfic ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality''.
91	** Virginia mentions the possibility of a bakery screwing up and decorating with [[Blog/CakeWrecks flying baby carrots]].
92	** Some of the carvings that can be found in the dungeons reference VideoGame/DwarfFortress, Franchise/DragonAge and Franchise/{{Cthulhu\|Mythos}}.
93	** There are a couple of references to {{Webcomic/Homestuck}}, including the name of an achievement in ''Horse Hall'', the name and appearance of Blaise Beshli, and Suki's outfit for the May Day Ball.
94	** One achievement for solving a dungeon puzzle in ''Wolf Hall'' is named [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E10MoveAlongHome Move Along Home]].
95	* SpiritWorld: The Other World.
96	* SternTeacher: Professor Grabiner is a firm believer in [[ScareEmStraight scaring 'em straight]]. He comes down very hard on students in order to protect them by making sure they understand how dangerous magic can be, or - if that fails - by making them too scared of ''him'' to try anything too stupid on his watch.
97	* TheTalk: Depends on the game:
98	** A minor RunningGag in ''Horse Hall'' has Professor Potsdam open a Green (Life) Magic class as if she's about to lead into the talk, only for it to turn out to be something unrelated. She does eventually get around to it.
99	** ''Wolf Hall'' delivers the sex ed speech in February without the gag versions beforehand.
100	* TwoTeacherSchool: The only instructors we ever see in ''Horse Hall'' are [[SternTeacher Professor Grabiner]] and [[CoolTeacher Professor Potsdam]]. In ''Wolf Hall'', there is also a gym teacher, and a librarian that doesn't consider herself part of the faculty. WordOfGod says there are more but they mostly teach the upper years.
101	* UrbanFantasy: The games take place in modern times, and while electronics and magic don't mix well, common societal trends are still present.
102	* TheUnFavourite: Ellen's comments to Donald, when the topic of sibling rivalry comes up, suggest that she either was this or at least feels like she's this. Coming to Iris Academy doesn't seem to have improved matters much - her family tells her not to come home for Thanksgiving. [[spoiler:In ''Horse Hall'' she eventually has Potsdam just make them forget her entirely. In ''Wolf Hall'' she decides to work harder to rebuild her relationship with her family.]]
103	* YourSoulIsMine: What [[spoiler:Damien]] is trying to accomplish.
104
105	!!Tropes exclusive to ''Horse Hall'':
106	* AYearAndADay: The length of time the ''Horse Hall'' heroine has to stay married to Grabiner in his route in order for it to count as fulfilling the promise.
107	** It's also how long [[spoiler:Virginia and Jacob would have to stay married, although if you make the right choices you can get Virginia out of this by offering to marry her yourself instead]].
108	* AccidentalMarriage: An encounter with a menacing spirit leads the ''Horse Hall'' PC to attempt to protect herself by lying that she's Professor Grabiner's fiancee. She doesn't realize at the time that this can't be treated as a harmless white lie: a promise made by a witch or wizard has its own inherent power with consequences if it is broken, and she and Grabiner end up obligated to actually get married to avoid worse fallout.
109	* ArousedByTheirVoice: Professor Grabiner, according to the female PC.
110	** Possibly also Damien, depending on how you choose to phrase the love letter and whether or not you're just making things up. "Voice like melty butter," indeed.
111	* BattleOfWits: The main character can engage in one with her opponent in the sixth exam.
112	* BecomingTheMask: Probably the case with [[spoiler:Damien]], although [[ManipulativeBastard it's hard to be entirely sure]]. Casting Spirit Sight and/or Empathy at plot-relevant moments proves that, if nothing else, he's definitely struggling with some very uncomfortable and conflicting feelings.
113	* BreakUpDemand: On [[spoiler:Damien's]] route, the protagonist's actions can annoy both her roomates to the point where they demand that she break up with him. [[spoiler:Promising to do so and then going back on her word means she loses her powers and has to run away with Damien to avoid the authorities now looking to wipe her memory.]]
114	* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: On Virginia's route, Donald plays a prank on her for Valentine's Day by finding a marriage contract that she and Jacob made as kids and passing it around the school. [[spoiler:Then Potsdam gets word of it and informs the two that the contract they made is enough to be considered a promise, and [[MagicallyBindingContract since the promises of witches and wizards are binding]], they actually have to get married once they turn eighteen or they'll both lose their powers ''forever''.]]
115	* CompanionCube: Give Big Steve the bunny doll, and he names it "Mr. Hoppity" and is often seen talking to it. And writes letters to Mary Sue in Mr. Hoppity's name. It's unclear whether this is due to a [[SplitPersonality dissonant personality disorder on Big Steve's part]] or if there's [[LivingToy more to Mr. Hoppity than meets the eye.]] (With enough White Magic you can check whether or not there is any sort of spirit in the toy, [[spoiler:and there doesn't seem to be, so it's ''probably'' just Big Steve.]])
116	* DeconstructedTrope: The romance with Damien is a deconstruction of the plot where LoveRedeems the TroubledButCute villain. [[spoiler:Damien's read that romance novel, and he's not only manipulating Mary Sue in the classic romance-novel sense, but he's manipulating the player's expectations of how this story goes to get what he wants, and everything he does before the WhamEpisode is in fact pure fakery.]]
117	* DyingDeclarationOfHate[=/=]DyingDeclarationOfLove: Potentially one of either when [[spoiler:Damien]] shows his true colors, depending on player choice.
118	* EarnYourBadEnding: The [[spoiler:divorce]] ending requires you to take a very specific series of actions and is a downright ''horrific'' failure mode taking your life FromBadToWorse.
119	* ExactWords: Playfully lampshaded by [[spoiler:Damien]] during the May Day ball. The protagonist is under the impression that his earlier promise not to harm her is still in effect - until he bites her. As he points out, the terms of the promise mean that it actually only protected her for the one day. Fortunately, he doesn't actually intend to harm her and the bite was simply to mess with her... probably.
120	* FaceHeelTurn: From the perspective of magical society, the ending in which [[spoiler:the protagonist loses her magic and escapes with Damien]] constitutes one. The truth of the situation is [[BlackAndGreyMorality something much more complicated]].
121	* {{Foreshadowing}}: If you manage to acquire certain amounts of magic points before the events, some of Ms. Potsdam's lectures can be considered foreshadowing ''at least'' for [[spoiler:Damien's path]], and possibly a few others'.
122	* FriendlyAddressPrivileges[=/=]FirstNameBasis: One of the signs that Professor Grabiner is warming to the protagonist is that - at least when they're not around other people - he begins calling her by her first name, and gives her permission to call him something other than "sir."
123	* TheGrovel: The letters that [[spoiler:Damien]] sends after things in his path go pear-shaped contain copious amounts of slightly unhinged groveling, promising anything you could possibly want from expensive presents all the way up to ''conquering the world for you'' if only you'll take him back.[[note]]Then again, he might be planning to conquer the world anyway.[[/note]]
124	* HeroicTeamRevolt: During the final exam, there are plenty of ways to cause your team to collapse from lack of trust (usually due to your personal romantic affairs), but the most blatant way is if [[spoiler:you tried to intercede for Damien after he tried to steal your soul. They will issue a direct ultimatum: give up Damien, or they will throw the exam then and there just to spite you. This also gets you reassigned to Snake Hall]].
125	* IHaveThisFriend: Kyo talks about his problems [[spoiler:with Minnie]] this way the first time he asks you about it in Gym Class. Similarly, if Minnie brings up her relationship issues with the protagonist, she'll start the conversation by saying she's asking for advice on behalf of a friend.
126	* InLoveWithTheMark: [[spoiler:Damien intended to steal the protagonist's soul. Unfortunately for him, she wound up stealing his heart instead.]]
127	* JerkassHasAPoint: For all of Damien's flaws and problems, it's safer to listen to his warnings:
128	** Your first encounter with him in the gym, where he tells you to attend at least the first lecture of every class and not trust the professors? [[spoiler:You need a minimum of one point in every color to avoid getting detention after the first two weeks, and a minimum of ten to avoid being kept behind for summer school. And Potsdam ''definitely'' isn't telling you everything. ]]
129	** His suggestion to study blue magic during Initiation week? [[spoiler:Successfully using blue magic (which requires a total of thirty or more points in it) will get a whopping ten merits in the first exam - more than you can get from any other option.]]
130	** His warning not to use Spirit Sight during the Dark Dance? [[spoiler:Doing so will make the spirits ''very angry'', causing them to knock you out and temporarily blind you. Grabiner will also give you detention and take ten merits from you - or ''twenty'' if you asked him about the dance prior to attending it.]]
131	** Him telling you that you might be in danger in the Academy - that you could lose your mind, or your life, or worse? [[spoiler:If you get expelled, you will "lose your mind" by being brainwashed. As for your life and your soul, they are also in danger... from Damien!]]
132	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Grabiner is an extremely caustic DeadpanSnarker with a tendency to rant at the heroine if she fails an exam... [[AngerBornOfWorry because he knows firsthand how dangerous careless use of magic can be]] and simply believes in the principle of ScareEmStraight. He's actually quite gentlemanly when calm and talking with a person he respects.
133	** {{Tsundere}}: On his route, this is how his initial lack of respect for the protagonist manifests - he starts off viewing the protagonist as an idiot and tries to ignore her until he can cast the severance spell on the MagicallyBindingContract. As she shows a more caring and competent side to him, he warms up significantly.
134	* LoopholeAbuse:
135	** [[DefiedTrope Defied]] by Potsdam. She says that if [[spoiler:trying to steal your soul]] isn't technically on the books as an expulsion-worthy offense, she'll ''make'' it one.
136	** However, used in one event to get out of a MagicallyBindingContract. [[spoiler:Virginia and Jacob promised to ''marry'' when they turn eighteen. They did not promise to marry ''each other''.]]
137	** Sometimes there is a time limit or an opponent of some kind, but for the most part, the only rule for the exams is "find the exit". In one exam, Ellen uses her analytical skills to break through an illusion and find the exit, without even bothering with magic. Subverted in that she doesn't get any merits for it and Professor Grabiner basically equates it to cheating: this is, after all, a test of magic.
138	** You can do something similar in the exam with the exploding chest. If you have enough Strong, you will survive the explosion that happens when you open the chest and can then just take the key and exit the dungeon. Like the above example, Potsdam isn't happy with you if you do this.
139	* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler:Professor Grabiner]]'s attitude turns out to have been shaped significantly by the tragic and gruesome death of Violet, a promising wildseed witch [[spoiler:who he fell in love with while they were both students]].
140	* LoveMartyr: [[spoiler:The PC, on Damien's route]]. Everyone around her warns her away from him, but even after he betrays [[spoiler:and nearly kills her]], she'll keep forgiving him and coming back for more [[spoiler:if you want to get his endings]].
141	* LoveMakesYouDumb: [[spoiler:Damien's grand plan hinges on this - he's counting on his victim being so besotted by him that, by the time he's done manipulating them, they'll happily hand over their soul to him on a silver platter.]]
142	* LuckBasedMission: Unless you enlist Big Steve's help, you only have a 1 in 100 chance of winning that bunny doll.
143	** Magic itself can be this as well. Each class in a type of magic raises that type by a random amount of points between 1 and 3, and you have a chance of failing that goes up with your stress level. If you wait until the last minute to level up a type of magic that you need for an exam, you'll have to hope that you get lucky with the numbers.
144	* MarriageBeforeRomance: The main character and Grabiner, if his romance route is taken.
145	* MayDecemberRomance: You have the option to send a romantic valentine to Professor Potsdam. If you do, she turns you down. Not because she's old enough to be your mother or because a relationship between a student and teacher would be wrong, but because she doesn't want students thinking they can buy scholastic merits. She does seem genuinely flattered by the interest, though.
146	** Also with Grabiner. It is never stated exactly how old he is, but he's probably lived many times longer than the player's sixteen years.
147	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: If the player is a member of the Rose and Wasp, [[spoiler:they can choose to seek revenge on Kyo after he and Minnie have an explosive and public fight, but it goes ''very poorly'' and leads to Kyo injuring Jacob. While the player doesn't get caught, she is horrified at the unintended consequences of her actions.]]
148	** Similar results if the player uses that membership [[spoiler:to send William to fight Damien, after Damien betrays the player.]]
149	* NaiveNewcomer: The ''Horse Hall'' player character is this, as a witch born to non-magical parents, and most Wildseeds are this to a degree as well.
150	* NonStandardGameOver: The [[spoiler:Divorce]] achievement in particular, which is difficult to reach but is probably the worst possible outcome for the player character. You can also get expelled if you get too many demerits or if you slack off on your studies in the early game.
151	* ObviouslyEvil: If they meet during the first week, the protagonist lampshades the unfortunate fact that Damien looks ''suspiciously'' like a stereotypical evil demon. He comments that she shouldn't judge by appearances. [[spoiler:Though in his case, his appearance is pretty much bang on the money.]]
152	* OddCouple: You have two roommates. Virginia is a BookDumb junk-food-addict slob. Ellen is a quiet, studious neat freak who loves vegetables.
153	** This isn't quite TomboyAndGirlyGirl since as Horses they're both somewhat tomboyish. Ellen ''is'' more girly, but not drastically. However, Pastel is extremely girly, and she and Virginia are apparently friends.
154	* PairTheSpares: If you don't romance either of them, Ellen and Donald may get together behind the scenes, surprising the protagonist at the final dance.
155	* {{Revenge}}: The ''raison d'etre'' of the [[spoiler:[[SecretCircleOfSecrets Rose and Wasp]]]]. However, their involvement almost always leads to something the player will regret.
156	* SadisticChoice: If you fail the Final Exam and are brought down to 50 or more demerits, which normally will result in you being expelled, losing your magic, and having your memory erased, Professor Potsdam offers you one of these instead. You can either choose the expulsion, or you can accept her offer of staying for summer school, which means you get to keep your magic, but you will never be allowed to see your family again, and you will be erased from their memories.
157	* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler:Damien's hybrid heritage slowly killing him, and the only thing which can fix it is the protagonist's soul]]...or so they claim. In reality, the whole story is a bunch of lies made to convince the protagonist to [[spoiler:willingly offer their soul to him.]]
158	* ShotgunWedding: The main conflict of Grabiner's route kicks off when he and the player character are forced to get married in order to avoid [[ItMakesSenseInContext her getting eaten by a guardian spirit.]]
159	* {{Squee}}: Grabiner's romantic ending concludes with the protagonist going back to her dorm room to, in her own words, "squeal like a schoolgirl."
160	* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: [[spoiler:Ellen starts to work on developing this on her route. It scares the crap out of the professors.]]
161	** It's possible to determine that the real issue is her [[spoiler:use of electronics]].
162	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: When asked if you are dating Donald:
163	-->'''Mary Sue''': I am not currently dating your brother.\
164	'''Virginia''': [[LampshadeHanging That's suspiciously speci-, spuspi- spefic- That's a very specific denial!]]
165	** Despite the lampshade, it's really more a matter of LoopholeAbuse. The emphasis is on ''currently'', because at that point in time they haven't upgraded their relationship yet.
166	* TeacherStudentRomance: Possible with Professor Grabiner, but must be approached ''very'' cautiously since he's not at all inclined to play along and will ''harshly'' reject any overt romantic gestures from the player, often with a hefty dose of demerits. Only at the very end of his path does he begin to show any real signs of reciprocating.
167	** Parodied somewhat if you choose to send Professor Potsdam a romantic valentine on Valentine's Day. The way she turns you down implies that she's ''only'' doing it because she doesn't want students thinking they can buy favors.
168	* TricksterGame: The featured romance is [[spoiler:with a 'bad boy' character who is actually playing on the trope expectations of the target audience to lull the character, and the player, into doing exactly what he wants.]] Many players recognise the manipulation on a character level and laugh about playing out the "cheesy romance", but don't realise that they themselves are being tricked as well. There are [=YouTube=] videos of ''horrified shrieking'' from players suddenly discovering that they were being played all along.
169	* TroubledButCute: Damien. Donald to a lesser extent.
170	* TwoTimerDate: Possible if you were on Virginia's path and then accepted a date with Damien.
171	* UnholyMatrimony: [[spoiler:Damien and the protagonist, in his worst ending. The heroine becomes a bizarre magic eating vampire, but Damien realizes he genuinely ''does'' care for her and chooses to bring her along to search for a cure - and take their revenge on the world.]]
172	* VillainousBSOD: [[spoiler:Damien]] kind of loses it for a while after [[spoiler:his feelings for the protagonist]] make him unable to go through with his evil scheme.
173	* WhatTheHellHero: Happens very late into Damien's path if you try to appeal to Potsdam [[spoiler:to let him back in for the May Ball]]. She not only refuses but very gently chews you out for even asking, pointing out that what he did might have been ''technically'' legal, but [[spoiler:he still nearly killed you]] and he'd be expelled for that alone even if his deed isn't on the books as being expulsion-worthy (and if it isn't, she'll ''add it''). On top of that, you realize - too late - that you just got told off in front of the entire school, and Virginia and Ellen ''very'' quickly find out. They are ''not'' happy to hear that you're even talking with Damien again after what he did to you, and refuse to listen to any justifications. They even kick you out of the room for good, only letting you back at night so you can sleep and their very justified fury carries all the way into the final exam - which they ''will'' deliberately throw [[spoiler:unless you promise to break up with him right then and there. And breaking that promise deprives you of your magic - refusing to make it at all means that your entire ''Hall'' is so disgusted with you that the only option for you is to be moved to Snake Hall. "Perhaps the girls there will be more understanding of your choices."]]
174	** You can get this from Minnie too if you successfully campaigned for Treasurer and try to cast Empathy on her when she comes to you with a problem. Turns out that doing that kind of thing is considered a bit rude in magical culture.
175	** If you completely foul up an exam, Grabiner will pointedly ask just what the hell you thought you were doing, and remind you that the professors won't always be there to save your hide.
176	** If you try to use magic to rig the claw machine at the mall, you'll get a lecture from Potsdam, along with some demerits.
177	* YouDidntAsk: When trying to find a loophole in a MagicallyBindingContract, nobody thinks to ask [[TheSmartGuy Ellen]] for help. It's first mentioned to her after a solution is worked out, and she (of course) saw it instantly.
178	* YouLoseAtZeroTrust: If you have any remaining personal issues with your roommates going into the final exam, you can instantly fail unless you're able to hash things out then and there.
179
180	!!Tropes exclusive to ''Wolf Hall'':
181	* AccidentalPervert: Grabiner comes off at this at one point in Damien's route. [[spoiler:If the two go on a romantic date to the lakeside, you discover the next day that Grabiner was scrying on you and watching, ''everything'', the entire time. To be fair, he was doing it for your own protection, since you left the safety of the school wards, and is understandably pissed and disgusted that he had to watch.]]
182	* AlternateContinuity: ''Wolf Hall'' takes place in an alternate timeline to ''Horse Hall''. Whatever happened in the first game does not affect the plot outside of minor {{Call Back}}s.
183	* ArtEvolution: The art has improved ''drastically'' between the two games. Compare Damien in [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/magicaldiary/images/7/77/Damien.png/revision/latest?cb=20110808211453 Horse hall]], and Damien in [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/86/02/b4/8602b420622e65ff0a22164e42478fb5.jpg Wolf Hall]].
184	* {{Blackmail}}: If Pastel recognises the protagonist, she uses that information to blackmail him into a FakeRelationship, albeit a very chaste one that mostly involves paying attention to her and carrying her shopping.
185	* CutAndPasteNote: A normally discredited trope justified by modern technology being forbidden on campus. The protagonist receives a threatening one [[spoiler:from Kyo]] at his door in Minnie's route, warning him to stay away from Pastel after he's been spotted at the mall with her.
186	* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Musette, who was originally thought to have only been expelled,]] is eventually revealed to have died before the game began.
187	* DownerEnding: A few.
188	** As in ''Horse Hall'', Damien's route offers one of the worst ones by far. [[spoiler:If the protagonist tries to attack Damien on a crowded street, he ends up stripped of his magic and his memories, utterly discarded by his parents, and left alone and adrift in regular human society as an amnesiac orphan.]]
189	** Another one is if you fail the final exam and this drops you to 50 or more demerits. [[spoiler:Since there's no point to expelling you since you're going to be going back home in a few days anyway, Grabiner instead locks you in your room until your parents come to retrieve you. You are barred from attending the May Day Ball, you don't get a yearbook or even a yearbook photo for everyone else to remember you by, and you are given no opportunity to say goodbye to the friends you've made during the school year.]]
190	* FaceHeelTurn: The protagonist, if he follows Damien's route all the way to the end. [[spoiler:The only way to get Damien's ending is to decide to be just as evil as he is and play with people's lives for fun.]]
191	* FalseFriend: Zig-zagged. The protagonist is aware that Damien is one of these, and that he will lie and charm and then betray anyone he dates. The protagonist therefore has the option to do this back to Damien, pretending to be innocently fascinated by Damien in order to lure him in. This may turn into a case of BecomingTheMask on the protagonist's part. [[spoiler:But not on Damien's.]]
192	* ForWantOfANail: For players who've played both games. The presence of the ''Wolf Hall'' protagonist forces William to choose him as his freshman during initiation. Which means he doesn't choose Ellen. [[spoiler:Which leaves her to be selected by Damien and end up going through much of Mary Sue's plotline from ''Horse Hall''.]]
193	* GhostAmnesia: [[spoiler:Musette]] has very spotty memories of their life, which frustrates Ellen to no end. It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:she's the [[LivingMemory physical amalgamation]] of a very specific set of memories - so she didn't forget, but just didn't possess any of the 'lost' memories in the first place.]]
194	* HumanityIsInfectious: [[spoiler:While at first Musette is only able to parrot lines from the audio diary that she was created from, she rapidly develops more human like thoughts and feelings as she interacts with the protagonist and Ellen, eventually reaching the point where the protagonist reclasses her from a LivingMemory to a bona fide spirit.]]
195	* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: Kyo can deliver one to Gary regarding Minnie... which falls completely flat due to [[MistakenForRomance Gary and Minnie being purely platonic acquaintances]] at the time it's given.
196	* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: [[spoiler:Damien threatens to have his way with the protagonist if he kidnaps him while he's on William's route, purely as another way to hurt William.]]
197	* IllKillYou: Grabiner makes it quite clear to the protagonist that he'll happily finish them off if any of their careless actions wind up endangering his students. During their first meeting, no less.
198	* LateForSchool: Thanks to not being used to waking up on his own, the protagonist winds up running spectacularly late to his first day orientation.
199	* LivingMemory: [[spoiler:The 'Musette' that the protagonist and Ellen interact with turns out to be the spiritual imprint of the memories stored in the original Musette's audio diary, given physical form thanks to being exposed to the protagonist's WildMagic.]]
200	* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: [[spoiler:If the protagonist goes on a date to the lake with Damien, the two end up making love on the beach.]]
201	* MistakenForRomance: Successfully running for student council president will lead Kyo to conclude that Gary is interested in Minnie (and much more likely to be successful), preventing him from asking her out.
202	* MultilingualSong: The game's ending song, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-s_jnKaxE&feature=emb_title Lamtumirë]]'', is in both English and Albanian. The verses and chorus are mostly in English with Albanian words sprinkled in, while the bridge is entirely in Albanian.
203	* MustBeInvited: This is one of the reasons why the protagonist is leery about letting Damien into his room, as he's well aware that this rule affects many inhabitants of the Otherworld and he doesn't know exactly how much trouble Damien will pose to him. As the relationship progresses he does eventually invite Damien in, [[spoiler:and said invite makes Damien's plot to kidnap him that much easier]].
204	* OldSaveBonus: If you've previously played Horse Hall on the same computer, you find a leftover wand in your bedroom, referencing the Wiggle Wand from the first game.
205	* OminousVisualGlitch: When the protagonist and Ellen finally find evidence about what happened to [[spoiler:Musette, her sprite glitches in sync with the recording]].
206	* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: If the protagonist goes alone to the May Ball, they have the option to reveal themselves as royalty during their introduction.
207	* RelationshipSabotage: After realizing that Damien is starting to put the moves on Ellen, William can enlist the protagonist's help to make sure the relationship doesn't take off. The protagonist can do this in two ways: by preventing a gift that Damien sends to Ellen from reaching her, or by [[{{Honeytrap}} shifting Damien's focus away from her and onto him instead]].
208	* SexShifter: Blaise can change between male and female forms at will.
209	* UnequalPairing:
210	** William is worried about this occurring if he dates the protagonist, thanks to both the age gap between them and because he's technically supposed to be the protagonist's mentor figure during his time at Iris Academy. In order to initiate the romance the protagonist needs to have taken steps to prove that they're both mature and assertive enough to enter a relationship with him on somewhat equal terms, otherwise William becomes convinced that he's taking advantage of them and turns them down.
211	** The protagonist's relationship with [[spoiler:Damien]] has shades of this in their ending. [[spoiler:Sure, Damien appears to be besotted by the protagonist's more manipulative side...but this happens ''after'' the protagonist has handed him a new means to achieve his goals on a silver platter.]]

Context VisualNovel / MagicalDiary