And I am done. :D

( deathly hallows spoilers. and then some )

( just a few thoughts on the covers. )

Finally, wlkz;lgbhalh;a. !!!

One week until mid-term break!

1. Gah. Today is not allowed to be my nineteenth birthday. It is not nearly long enough ago that nineteen meant you were, like, ancient and growed up and adult.

2. My hard-drive went 'splodey on Wednesday. Not the literal sort of 'splodey (for which I should be grateful, since the laptop is made by Sony, the same people who brought us all the delight of actual exploding laptop batteries), but the "Data? What data? You don't have any data!" sort of 'splodey. I had recent back-ups of a lot of stuff, so the only data I really lost was some photos (and some old school assignments, oh noes!), and there is the added advantage that now I get to download the new versions of every. damned. program. Silver lining! >_>

3. This new OotP-promo picture of Draco is kind of making me eager for the HBP movie. It should be interesting to see how Tom Felton handles having something more to do than just spit "Potter!"

4. Eep! July! *clings to canon*

5. All of a sudden there is stuff on TV again! Heroes and Grey's Anatomy and House and Supernatural! (Actually, Heroes and Supernatural have only just started here, so not so much with the again)

( General, kinda spoilery thoughts on Heroes up to 1.05 (Hiros) )

Also also, I think I'm going to try to stick with this whole unspoiled-for-Heroes deal. It's novel. Spoil me and I will pull faces at you.

Meanwhile, over in the other fandoms, Jensen Ackles has a pointy face.

*runs away*

Yes, I realise that the rest of the world has already shared their theories on the meaning of "the Deathly Hallows". To which I say, STFU I know I'm slow.

Anyway: ghosts. More specifically, the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's house ghost. This originally came into my head remembering a rather old interview with JKR in which she mentioned that the Grey Lady was going to be important at some point later on, but since Google and the TLC archives bring up nothing on this interview, it's more likely that I am insane and this interview is a figment of my imagination.

However, on the "I'm not insane" side, we have the Grey Lady's name included on the list of 'red herring' DH title trademarks. Some of which may be red-herring red herrings. What? I'm a fandomer; I don't know the meaning of the word overanalyse (possibly because it's not a word). Also, there is this letter from Nina Young, who played the Grey Lady in PS/SS, here and here (uploaded to LJ to save this lovely autographs site's bandwidth). Given that the Grey Lady hasn't shown up yet, her future appearance either so inconsequential that it's been dropped all together, or it's going to be in DH. (Or, of course, it's really inconsequential and still going to appear in DH).

(Entirely in the realm of speculation: the titular Deathly Hallows could be a ghost social club, along the lines of the Headless Hunt, but not. Possibly they fight crime evil wizards. Or possibly they are ex-evil wizards, and there will be an sequence in the final chapter in which Voldemort tries to convince them to let him join the club. Um. Speaking of figments of my imagination. If you were going to float around incorporeal for all eternity, wouldn't you spend time coming up with weird adjectives and antiquated nouns to use in the title of your Dead Persons' Anonymous club? ...just me then? Okay.)

( Spoilers for New Doctor Who season 2 finale )

Okay, this has been bugging me for a week:

Would Rose like Billie Piper's pop music?

Stop staring at me like that. No, seriously. I already feel terribly pathetically geeky as is. (Also, hee, look! Ickle Rose! >_>)

Stop! Discussion time.

In your opinion, what, exactly, merits being credited to the original author in a fic?

No, seriously. I want to know. Anything and everything that wasn't your own idea? Broad concepts? Specific concepts? Characters? Places? Objects?

Should you credit for a character saying: "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Would it be okay to just have Hermione explain to Ron that it's a quote from a Muggle play, or do you need to give credit outside the body of the fic? How about "It is a truth universally acknowledged..."? Where's the line?

Does it matter if something is a classic? Should allusions be credited, or does that spoil the fun?

If you wrote a songfic around "My Perogative", would it be okay to credit Britney Spears, or should credit go to the Bobby Brown? Should credit go to the original artist, the songwriter, or both?

(Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one who just wrote a songfic to a Britney Spears song.)

What needs to be credited?

One proviso: bring the current wank here and I will BEAT YOU UP WITH A NOODLE. Think of the children bigger picture, people.

Eeee. Um. So, sunandsmut authors have been revealed. sazzlette wrote me the absolutely brilliant Hello Sunshine. Go forth and adore.

I wrote something too, of course.

TITLE: How It Starts
PAIRING: Harry/Ron
RATING: NC-17
SUMMARY: Harry realised that he'd begun to shake just a little. He felt distant, like his mind was still at Dumbledore's funeral, amongst the weeping shamble of a mourning crowd.
DISCLAIMER: All mine. Except for the parts that aren’t, which would be pretty much everything.
AUTHOR NOTES: Written for satindolls for sunandsmut. Thanks to gin_and_ironic for the beta and title help.

( How It Starts )

Right. In the interests of alleviating my boredom, a meme (as ganked from the rest of LJ).

How this works:

1. Ask me one fandom-related question in the comments. This can be fandom specific, general, or about fandom/lj stuff/fic writing/etc. Or anything else, actually. Doesn't necessarily have to be fandom.

2. Just one question, please, but it can (and perhaps should) have sub-parts.

3. That's it. It can be as normal or odd as you like.

Title: Wash Away
Pairing: Bellatrix/Regulus
Rating: NC-17
Length: 1,700 words
Warnings: Incest, plot.
Summary: Bellatrix is the Death Eater sent to fetch her traitorous cousin back to his execution.
Author's Notes: Originally written for hp_springsmut, 2006. With thanks to gin_and_ironic, for a little hand-holding.

( Wash Away )

Right. This year, I'm going to be productive. This year, I'm going to write more than two fics. This year, I'm going to remember my homework, and get back into the habit of making these posts.

(Happy 2006, by the by.)

Possibly I will make a post of actual substance later in the day, when perhaps it isn't 5AM and the sky is getting light (how did dawn just happen in twenty minutes?). In the mean time, have some recs:

1. There's a new Witch of the Month at JKRowling.com. Hee! A wizarding answer to Amelia Earhart and the like? She's not the same age, exactly, but there's no reason that she couldn't have flown at the same time. *obsesses over teeny details*

2. Sirius Black and James Potter by cathybites. G. WAHAHAH. How horrible. (Er. The art is lovely. But *cries*)

3. Draco Malfoy by elpethelf. G. This? Is exactly my mental image of Draco. Just so you know.

4. Sign-ups are open for the twoseekers Cedric/Harry Valentine's Day Ficathon. Go on, you know you want to.

5. contrail posted Pondering Peter Pettigrew: Ancestry. Whether Peter Pettigrew is a pure-blood, a half-blood, or a Muggle-born has never been explicitly stated either in the books or in any of JKR's interviews. However, I think it is possible to take what information we do have about Peter and make a strong case for one of the three possibilities over the other two. This is an awesome argument for Peter as a Muggle-born. I'd always previously placed Peter as somebody raised in wizarding culture, but I like this theory much better.

6. Untitled by zionsstarfish. Harry/Draco, PG-ish? He doesn't actually realize he is colourblind until they cart in Harry Potter, and all he can see before they tightly draw the curtains are his lifeless, fixed green eyes and the wide-open mess of red that used to be his chest. I cannot explain how much I like this. There's a lot of detail bunched into the piece, and it does extremely well at feeling like it's actually set in the wizarding world.

7. Oscar Wilde Would Not Approve by librae. Remus/Sirius, PG. How Sirius saved Christmas and why Remus is actually illiterate. My goodness, but this is perfect. It's beautifully and subtly written and the characters have exactly the right voices. Plus, Remus is a woobie.

Right. *points to date* Merry christmas & happy holidays, you lot.

Have been in a good mood all day, ever since I managed to wrap all (er. Three...) of my presents without breaking them or myself. >_>

*bounces off to bed*

1. Hi. No rhyming in this post, honest. :x

2. Hmm. Have been done with exams and school for a week, and I'm still OMG so tired. Although staying up until 3am ain't going to help any. But no more guilt about doing fandom stuff instead of studying, or anything. Huzzah!

3. Need to see GoF again, somewhere where I'm not looking straight up Ralph Fiennes' lack of a nose. Also, Narnia and King Kong and Rent. I don't even know if Rent is playing anywhere here. Bah.

4. ...I've already done all my Christmas shopping. Huh. Warning: may become suddenly and unexplicably organised for short periods of time.

5. Sister dearest spent an excessive amount of time today playing Evanescence VERY LOUDLY. >:o

6. I haven't done one of these posts in a month. A month. I done barely any posts in this last month, really, and now there's a bunch of stuff I want to say but it's old and boring. But these posts, I've missed them. (Also, all the numbered lists in this post are especially for jaig. Because apparently they can kill you. >_>)

Start counting again....

1. The New York Times has an article about the Genetic Theory of Harry Potter. One: rock! Scientific articles about HP! Two: their theory so doesn't work. According to them, it would be impossible for Squibs to occur, because two parents both with ww alleles cannot produce a child with the M allele needed to make them non-Magical... I think? Running on fifth form science here, and yes, okay, me and my geeky self will be partying over here now. [via TLC]

2. MuggleNet reports that Tonks may already be cast, but the search is still on for the Young Marauders (except Peter?), Lily and Snape. Also, possibly no Marietta Edgecombe? I'm afraid to see what they come up with to replace her if she's cut. The exclusion of Peter is just plain weird.

3. Wah. Cannot choose any one piece of art, so have a bunch:
Merry Mischiefmaking by A. Mouse. Fred/George/Parvati/Padma, NC-17 (NWS!).
Escape by lightpoint. PG-13 (Character death! Also, spookiness).
Rita Skeeter by ledivinemarquis. G and completely worksafe.
Protecting Ginny by _odella_. Draco/Ginny, G.

4. garlandgraves compares the Blacks and the Mitfords. Excuse me while I amuse myself with the idea of miniature Blacks charging about calling each-other Hons. *facepalm*

5. author_by_night discusses the relationship between the Marauders.

6. sunandsmut, a HP summer (or winter for the Southen Hemisphere) fic exchange. I'm late late late plugging this, but there's still a day to sign up. Run, don't walk!

7. Sanguine, a Serpent Knotted Sable by A. (Different) Mouse. Lucius/Harry, NC-17 (um. Dubious consent and par-for-L/H-course BDSM; feedback here). SGHJDKALA;GKJA;L. PLOT OMG. The plot in this is brilliant, as is of the characterisation, which adds a lot of humanity to the Death Eaters. The Lucius/Harry in this is not par-for-the-course. Yes, it's dub-/non-con BDSM, but it's also a very carefully justified means to an end. Why are you still here? Shoo. Read.

8. Midnight Snack by minerva_fan. Molly, Hermione, completely G. Oh, wah. What a beautiful voice for Molly.

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Ahem. Serenity finally came out last week. And I went and saw it on Saturday.

I liked it. I enjoyed watching it. I did, I did. But when I started typing up this post, all I could think of were criticisms. I struggled with a lot of the major plot-points. I'll add my standard disclaimer here: I'm very, very bad at suspension of disbelief. Nothing is safe from my vast cynicism and pedantry. Moving right along.

( Semi-scrambled (but rather spoilery) thoughts on Serenity )

And now off to bed, where I'll probably have nightmares about Calculus. :(

Hi.

I've been rather fandom-delinquent in the last week or so, because I've been coping with my last week of high school (EVAH OMG). Which involves all sorts of strange things, like signing bits of the school, wrapping other bits of it in excessive amounts of cling-film (i.e. everything in the staff room. Individually), and taking many photos. But mostly it involves the feeling of five years of being a comparatively good student catching up on me, in terms of tiredness and attendance. I skipped more periods in this last week than I did in my entire time here (er. Bringing the grand total to eight periods in five years. I mentioned the comparatively good, yes?).

And now to start on making up for the fandom-delinquency. With supremely unhelpful commentary.

1. TLC reports that the Ellen DeGeneres Show has posted another GoF clip for download. All of a sudden, the kids sound a lot more English. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just Ron's incredibly regal "Ah, thank you kind-owl-replacing-underling." Meh. (Also, while I'm on this topic, if you've lost track of all the trailers: 1) I don't blame you at all, and 2) TLC has a very handy Trailers and TV Spots page.)

2. Amusingly, MSNBC has two HP-related articles: one on Snape as a role model for teachers (*snooorrrt*), and another whinging about the Potter juggernaut. I'm most amused by the utter lack of comprehension as to why some of his friends might get more excited about HP than any other book. *facepalm* [via TLC and HPANA, respectively]

3. Mister Snark by dawninhell (Snape, G). I adore the snake he's conjuring. Yis.

4. safakus discusses the Borgin & Burke's Connection. Hello with the sense-making.

5. Modern City by scythia (Andromeda/Ted, PG-13). It's so, so good to see a treatment of Andromeda where not wanting to kill all the Muggles doesn't make her a Wonderful and Joyful Person by default.

6. A Tally of Successes and Failures bycelandinemidori (Neville, PG). Oh, Neville. Being poetic and everything.

...

GoF doesn't open here until the 24th. Bah!!

The last few days could have gone better. I've lost (lost!) my records of one of my eMentoring shifts, and I thought I'd twisted my ankle jumping down from a desk yesterday, but it seems to have righted itself. I have three full days of class left at high-school, and I would like it to be done, please. I've honestly enjoyed my five years here, but so close to the end the rhythm of starting over again every hour is beginning to grate.

And that said, today has been an incredibly nice day. *bounces* And there is all sorts of good fandom stuff.

1. TLC has a clip and screencaps of the Yule Ball. OMG FLITWICK. *cackles* And the Weird Sisters. :D

2. The Telegraph has an eenteresting interview with Mike Newell. It's good to see a different tack to 'Romantic comedy director does Harry Potter film!' that seems to be very common.

3. Is That You, Master? by boadicea. Severus Snape, G. This is a very different Snape to what you normally see - something far more frightened, to start with.

4. Bathroom by la_fono. Hermione & Ginny, PG13 (NWS!). I'm enamoured of the beautiful relative simplicity of this, and the body language these two figures have is fantastic.

5. sunnyskywalker discusses Merope Gaunt: Underdog or Underestimated?. Mwee. This is perfect in its re-examination of Merope. I think sunnyskywalker has hit on a real, true plot point from canon, particularly given the theme of dangerous underestimation in HBP.

6. harrylu is a new announcement community for Harry/Lucius fanworks. (Skip to the nice Death Eater man Lu, my darlin'?)

7. starrysummer has an excellent post On Fandom, Belonging, and Making Friends. Lots and lots of good points right here. *cough* And I so need to work on #1. >_>

8. Into the Void by alexandripearl. Hermione & the Grangers, PG. The most fascinating thing about this is that the reader knows instinctively the reasons for Hermione's reticence, but because of the PoV it's not ever said openly and the story plays heartbreakingly on that lacuna.

9. Cruciatus by noldo_. Peter-centric AU, PG. Another heartbreaking fic, with a premise I don't think I've ever seen done like this before. I adore all the parentheticals in here, but most particularly the little rhyming refrain.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to see a shipping variant on the "Straight, not narrow" buttons that you see in real life, as a reminder that a very large proportion of fandom is not completely obsessive about their ship. Something like: "I ship X/Y(/Z/...). I don't mind if you don't."

My cynicism tells me that it would only generate wank and bad parodies ("I ship X/Y. I do mind if you don't.").

The misreporting, it burnses.

I promise to make a proper 'This is me' introduction post tomorrow (sneak preview: I'm eternally slightly behind on something). In the meantime, have some linkies. Apparently I'm talkative today.

1. Ain't It Cool News has the first review of GoF. Beware: spoilers up the wazoo. The extensive list of things cut out or diminished makes me worry more than a little, given that it seems to be some of my favourite parts of the book, but they seem so very happy with the result. Bah. Twenty-one days! [Via HPANA]

2. MTV Overdrive has some new GoF footage. Mostly a bit of interview with Daniel Radcliffe about stunt work, but there's a cool snippet of Hagrid showing Harry the dragons as well. (DanRadcliffeOnline.com has a .wmv download available. If you're not using IE, go straight for this, as MTV is mean.) [via HPANA again]

3. Snape and Dumbledore by caladan_dd. G. A certain scene from HBP; beware spoilers, etc. The amount of detail in this is amazing. And Snape looks like the cruel bastard that he is. *cough*

(There was so, so much good art today. I had to stop myself from reccing it all. >_>)

4. cslbc discusses To Snape or Not to Snape. Aaaand I'm not going to say a word because I will be tackled by half my flist if I do. *coughcough*

5. starrysummer asks about your secret fandom wishes — the things you want but feel like you shouldn't do.

6. mistletoemagic, a HP fandom Secret Santa exchange for all pairings (and gen!).

7. Count the Way by antoshevu. Harry/Ginny/Luna, R. This Luna is so absolutely right: naïve and spaced-out but with that strange gift of insight. There's very much more than the odd brilliant touch to be found in this fic, and the pairing works suprisingly well.

8. Feel by akahannah. Harry/Draco, R.

9. The Pursuit of Knowledge. Sirius/Remus, PG. Heee. This made me cackle repeatedly. :D

*bounces* Hi! I should probably mention that I'm going to be Away from the LJ-posting Keyboard before the event, really.

However, I think I'll just get my scholarly on, as I'm incapable of writing a fictional sentence of late.