06/01/09
Hello! I'm Julia and when I'm not cavorting with elves in Middle Earth, I'm a moderator for this archive, among other things.
Poetry, Anyone? I am the resident Poet Laureate over on the Beta Boards as leader of this fun little group. We have monthly challenges all with a Harry Potter twist. You can also find solid and comprehensive critique for any poems and help for all your archive-based concerns.
Susan Bones Book Club. I am the leader of this fun little group. Each month the SBBC chooses two to three fics from the archives to discuss. We also have monthly drabble activities and an incredibly lively chat thread. We accept new members at all times so if you're interested go and take a look. It's open to all members of the beta boards. If you have any questions or concerns then don't hesitate to PM me.
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Shrouds by Equinox Chick
Rated: 6th-7th Years •Summary: Not all Voldemort’s victims were on the side of right.
Over a year has passed since the Battle of Hogwarts. Families grieve, but their dead are remembered with honour.
For Draco Malfoy it has been a year of nothing. Merely existing, he is bound tightly to his past as if enveloped in a shroud, unwilling to accept help. It takes a chance encounter on a cobbled street to jerk him into the realisation that he cannot go on like this. A chance encounter with the one person who has most cause to hate him.
But shrouds, however tightly bound, unravel.
A huge thank you to Natalie (hestiajones) who put her laminated canon card in jeopardy by beta'ing this fic and being very supportive all the way through.
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. Her lawyers agree, so please don't mistake us. I just like taking the odd liberty (ahem) with her characters (and pairings)
Nominated for two QSQ's in Best Non-Canon Romance and also Best Post Hogwarts story for 2011. Thank you.
Date: 09/19/10 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1 - Blood and Glass
*breathes*
Carole, that was an awes- oops, sorry, amazing start XD Draco's characterisation was just phwoaaaar! I love an angsty Draco but he can sometimes come across as just too melodramatic but you tread that line very well. I'm interested to see what you do with Ron. He is very angsty, too. Something I wasn't expecting and I'm definitely intrigued. Eek! This review is so disjointed. Just as a warning, my reviews for this fic are going to be of the incoherent fangirly variety! Can't wait to see more :)
Author's Response: OOOh, a sexy Draco, eh? well, possibly. I didn't want him all melodramatic because then we don't get his snarkiness and I do love writing snark. Glad you like it so far. Ron will be explained, I promise. Thanks ~Carole~
In the Ashes by ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
Rated: Professors •
Summary:
In her seventh year, Katie Bell knew what it was like to fear death. A year later, she learnt what it was like to see it in front of her. Nothing she had ever experienced had prepared her to deal with the aftermath of that. And then he came.
Caught in a whirlwind of Quidditch, heartbreak, and a rivalry, Katie struggled with her jumbled mess of feelings, one of which she hadn't expected but was growing certain that she could never live without.
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Katie/Oliver
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Oh my freaking Salazar! This story WON TWO 2011 Quicksilver Quill Awards: Best Post-Hogwarts Story and Best Non-Canon Romance Story. *flail*
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This (late) update was brought to you by the (belated) birthday of the ever-lovely Hannah / h_vic. She is a star and an excellent friend!
Date: 02/23/11 Title: Chapter 10: Chapter 10
HOT. Gahhhhbnfdjbndjkfnbvdfjbvjdkz. Loved the exchange with Draco. It felt very in character. But noooo, Katie, stop running away from everything! You can be an adult with Oliver, no problem xD *coughs* Sorry for this ridiculous review, Jess!
Julia xxx
Author's Response:
Oh her poor head does awful things to her, doesn't it?
I really thought about making the interview with Draco something sweet, but in the end, I decided that Draco wasn't ready to not be a jerk yet, so that's how that ended up.
Oh, Katie, Katie, Katie... she's just so unsure of herself that she doesn't well and truly realise that Oliver would die for her ten times over, so she keeps overreacting to things that are rather mundane. They never really argued over anything important, so she took it as a sign that he hated her.
I'm glad you appreciated the smut. It makes me happy. :D
~Jess
Date: 07/06/13 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
can I haz moar chaptiz
Author's Response: :3
Date: 10/04/10 Title: Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Gosh, Jess, this fic is so sexy. I can't believe I didn't notice it before... where have I been?!?! I love Oliver fics, and this pairing is just so delicious. Can't wait for more XD Sorry about the fangirly review but I'm not a SPEWer so what the heck, right? I just wanted to squee.
Author's Response:
Would you believe that I started this fic with the intention of it being gratuitous smut for someone on my f-list? Then a plot had to weave its way into my brain, and now look what's happened. I intend to finish this story as quickly as possible so I can get back to Harmony, but for the moment, it won't leave my head. I'm glad you like it. :D
~Jess
Date: 09/10/12 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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Author's Response:
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Letters from the Tent by WeasleyMom
Rated: 3rd-5th Years •Summary: A distraught Hermione takes quill to parchment.
Date: 10/02/10 Title: Chapter 1: The Letters
Lori, I turn canon for your fics. I really do. As I was reading this I became a complete Ron/Hermione shipper. This was just so heart-breaking and gorgeous and realistic and tragic and gahhh. I loved it. I think you caught Hermione's character brilliantly. Yes, she is a "bookworm" and intelligent but she is also a very frightened teenager girl. I kind of see these letters as her release. She spends all day trying to hide her anguish from Harry and she needs to let it out somehow. I wish I could leave you a more coherent review but I can't. I'm just... in awe at the moment. This fic is absolute
Author's Response: Julia! Turning canon? What nicer thing could you possibly say to me? ;) Seriously, I'm so glad you felt like it worked. I definitely agree about the letters being a release for Hermione after all the efforts of keeping herself together for Harry's sake. That is how I have viewed and written it since I started working on it months ago. Oh, and I see I have two other reviews left... back with you in moment. ;) Hehe
Date: 10/03/10 Title: Chapter 1: The Letters
lol I have no idea where the rest of my review went O.o What I was saying at the end was: This fic is absolute
Author's Response: This one is a bit deja vu.... lol
Date: 10/03/10 Title: Chapter 1: The Letters
Seriously, MNFF, seriously? Third time lucky... This fic is absolutely fantastic and is going straight into my favourites. Sorry for clogging up your reviews and for the disappointment when you see three review notifications and they're all from me XD
Author's Response: Why is the site being so mean to you? Poor Julia. But yay me for going into your favorites... that absolutely makes my day. Thanks so much!
Of Slayers and Champions by ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
Rated: 1st-2nd Years •Summary:
After it was all said and done, Harry wanted a sandwich. However, Ron knew that what he wanted was far deeper and complex and maddening and insufferable. But could Hermione ever forgive him for leaving her behind? Could he ever forgive himself?
This story was nominated for a 2011 Quicksilver Quill Award: Best Canon Romance.
Date: 01/07/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Um... SQUEE! I loved this, Jess. Seriously, this was absolutely perfect for this weird R/Hr mood I seem to be in. I loved the mix of awkwardness and comfort you created and I loved the ending. It was fluffy but in the best way. It wasn't saccharine sweet at all xD
Author's Response:
Hehe, I thought this was the perfect gift for Hannah: Romione with a happy ending and no smut. It actually turned out to be my second most popular one-shot. :D
Glad you liked it, dearie, and glad it sated your Romione lust!
~Jess
Over A Mug of Tea by hestiajones
Rated: 1st-2nd Years • Summary: I think of her as a sister. The words rang clearly, loudly in his mind. I think of her as a sister. But did he? Happy Birthday, Julia! You know you're one of the only two people on earth I'd do this for. :D Thank you, Carole, for looking it over. And I am so not J.K.Rowling. Nominated for a QSQ in the General Category.
Date: 11/21/10 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Oh, Natalie! *squiggles* This is so beautiful. This is one of the best Harmony fics I've read and that you wrote it for me is so so so special. I'm grinning from ear to ear right now XD It was so heartbreaking seeing Harry as an old man, alone, but I loved the way you incorporated the memory. I like Harmony to be on the line of canon like you have done - Hermione still loves Ron and Harry still loves Ginny yet the two have this do-they-don't-they connection... gahhhhhhh. It was brilliant. I feel like squeeing out loud, again. I loved your characterisation. The little pieces of humour and banter between them felt like they could have been written by JKR. And the ending was so bittersweet. Sighhhh.
Thank you, Lafonna. This fic means so much to me :)
Author's Response: YAYAYAY!
I Believed in Lily Evans by Equinox Chick
Rated: 1st-2nd Years •Summary: Christmas 1976 and Severus Snape sits in his room with only his thoughts to keep him company.
This song/poem is a parody of probably the best (and bitterest) Christmas song in the entire universe. The original, called I Believe in Father Christmas' was by Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I strongly recommend that you listen to the original.
I am Equinox Chick from Hufflepuff, and this is my entry for the Extra Credit in the Great Hall Christmas Challenge.
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling or Greg Lake. (I never thought I'd ever type that sentence.) Please don't confuse us.
Date: 12/12/10 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Oh, Carole. This is just... I love it. I'm never going to be in SPEW because when I read something like this I can't even articulate any particular thought well enough. Beautiful job. Well done :)
Author's Response: Awww, thanks Julia. I adore this song so much and Snape seemed the only choice as the bitter character. ~Carole~
Heat of the Moment by ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
Rated: Professors • Summary:
A night of paperwork, coffee, and burning the midnight oil... it wasn't an unfamiliar occurrence. But add in a minor slip-up and a mistaken potion, and events were sure to take an interesting turn.
This story was nominated for a 2011 Quicksilver Quill Award: Best Non-Canon Romance
Date: 12/19/10 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Oh Jess. I really needed to re-read this tonight. I can't even express how much better this made me feel! You managed to write one of the best Harmony fics I've ever read. Ever. Your humour and chemistry and smut-skills and the little clif-hanger at the end are just perfect. I love it so much, especially the ending XD Thanks so much for writing this for me. I'm so glad that it's up on the archives so I can favourite it!
Author's Response:
Nothing like a nice little smutty pick-me-up, n'est-ce pas?
This story was so fun to write, and I'm glad that I could bring you that level of enjoyment on your birthday. We both enjoy our little seeds of Harmony, nestled into canon, which make one doubt what we think we know.
As you've seen, I added a bit at the end, because I personally had the properties of the potion in mind with the failsafe warning, but I realised that there was no way that the reader would know it. So I added that bit at the end to make one think: are there feelings between them that Harry and Hermione have buried for everyone's sake? I feel like it's my mission as a Harmony shipper to make as many people as possible think that there are. :D It's just a shame that I had to remove various anatomy bits from it, hehe.
I'm glad you like it, dear, and I can't wait until next November 22 to write another little piece of Harmony heaven.
~Jess
The Substitute by hestiajones
Rated: 3rd-5th Years •Summary: It was the last time for them, though he was yet to know. Disclaimer:I am not J.K.Rowling; the characters and their world belong to her, though. AU because these characters never kissed in canon. If you’ve seen the Deathly Hallows 1 movie, you might be able to understand what’s going on. ;)
This story won the QSQ for Best Non-Canon Romance in the One-shot categoery.
Date: 01/26/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Natalie, this is so beautiful. You've made me cry. What a sop eh? But honestly, you really excelled here. It's a non-canon pairing but I love how you manage (like in a lot of your fics especially that gorgeous Harmony XD) to keep it canon in the end. I think you really caught that grief-stricken longing so well. It seeps into every moment, every sentence. That last paragraph in particular is so powerful and packed full of unspoken emotion. Gahhhhh I'm just rambling here but this has left me feeling so moved. I'm sorry for being inarticulate. Anyway, this is a beautiful and poignant fic. I absolutely adore it.
Author's Response: Julia!
O Little Town of Hogsmeade by ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
Rated: 1st-2nd Years • Summary:
To the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem, join the Marauders on one of their monthly nights on the town.
This Song Poem won the Poetry Anyone Carol Challenge on the Beta Boards. Yay!
Date: 01/20/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Hey Jess! Now the results are out I can come by and let you know how great this is! You really excelled with this. The rhythm is spot on and I loved singing along to it. I also loved your take on the title and the way you worked in a narrative. That isn't easy to do so well done!
Author's Response:
Yay, I'm glad the slight misery that I felt because I put this off so long didn't go unrewarded. I'm just glad it didn't make the spork list, to be honest, lol. :D
Wonderful visit, Middle Earthling, and a wonderful challenge (no matter how aggravating, hehe)!
~Jess
Sing a Song of Mischief by clabbert2101
Rated: 1st-2nd Years •Summary: A fun little poem about the day Fred and George "graduated" from Hogwarts. Inspired by "Sing a Song of Sixpence".
Date: 01/12/11 Title: Chapter 1: Throw in a Little Fun...
Bella! Wow. You have definitely aced this one. The rhythm and flow of the original nursery rhyme is still in tact and it reads like a charm. I think you picked the perfect subject matter as well xD The twins and their antics certainly match the cheeky feel of the poem. Also, I love the way you were able to work actual narrative into the poem. Well done. This is a gem.
Harmony by hestiajones
Rated: 1st-2nd Years •Summary: A poem for Harry/Hermione. Thanks to Jess for encouraging me to publish this. I wrote this, not J.K.Rowling; she doesn't ship Harmony. :P
Date: 01/16/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Beautiful. I love the final half. It says so much about the pairing - how they couldn't be together and yet there is a strong bond there that cannot be denied. How you view that bond, and the lengths it could go to, is another matter xD
Author's Response: I dunno why but I was worried you didn't like this poem. o.O I can't exactly remember what initiated that paranoia. THANK YOU for the review. :D
Prefect Paralysed by ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
Rated: 3rd-5th Years •Summary: On her first night of patrol, Molly Weasley was armed with the basic rules of how to be a prefect, but one guideline had been woefully omitted from the list: what to do when a handsome delinquent robbed her of her ability to think.
Date: 02/10/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Okay, apart from wanting to punch Scorpius after the ginger comment, I really enjoyed this. I loved the tension and that humour you do so well. Also, the way you incorporated the rules was a great idea. Brilliant, as always, Jess xD
Author's Response:
Glad you enjoyed the story. I really wanted him to be extraordinarily punchable like Draco was, even for a different reason. Plus, we all know how devastating Hot Guy Syndrome can be.
*hugs*
~Jess
Rotten Resolutions by WeasleyMom
Rated: 3rd-5th Years • Summary: Ron and Hermione make New Year's Resolutions. This was originally written for a drabble challenge of the same name, where resolutions must be made and... well, I'll let you see for yourself. A fluffy little one-shot.
Thanks to Natalie for her mad, QSQ-winning beta skills
Date: 03/14/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
I swear you write these to make me squee. Honestly, Lori, how am I supposed to keep my non-canon card with you around? First of all, I'm so glad you put this up on the archives and second, I absolutely love the innuendo at the end. I can imagine Ron and Hermione having cheeky banter like that after they've been bickering. This is so sweet and the resolutions are just perfect for both of them. Fabulous, as usual, Lori.
Author's Response: Julia, I can't believe I never responded to these reviews! Yikes. Well, thanks as always for reading and reviewing. It makes my day when you squee over things that aren't your normal cup of tea. Thanks for always encouraging me to turn these things into one-shots. With this one especially, I'm very glad I did. :)
Carousel by hestiajones
Rated: 6th-7th Years •Summary: Sometimes, she liked mulling over the possibilities of a change, but would she ever act upon it?
Inspired by Round 4 Brawl: Week 2. Thanks to Kara/Karaley Dargen for a real-time AIM beta job and for all the courage she gives me. DISCLAIMER: This is NOT J.K.Rowling. Nominated for a QSQ in the Dark/Angsty category.
Date: 03/17/11 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Oh I absolutely love this! The way you expanded the drabble is wonderful. I was expecting something a bit different but your adaptation is much better than anything I would have done. Your characterisation of Pansy is really well done, you've given her much more than the usual petty and bitchy schoolgirl that I've read time and again, and the whole Slytherin dynamic was also a brilliant portrayal. The conversation between Pansy, Blaise, and Theo was so intense and layered. You packed in everything that is going on around them into such a short dialogue. Gahhh.
And as always it was beautifully written and structured. You always seem to find the perfect ending. The ending for this was just so... right. It really sealed the fantastic characterisation - you kept that dark uncertainty that was present all the way through. It's quite a haunting piece and much more than a Seamus/Pansy or Draco/Pansy. It's a study, really, of Pansy and the world she is living in.
In short, brilliant. I really love this piece and hopefully someone will rec it for the SBBC someday because there is just so much in here to discuss. Sorry for this messy review, it's all over the place!
Greenleaf x
Author's Response: Hehehe. Actually, I wrote this before the drabble. You liked my portrayal of the Slytherins? WOOT! It's nice to hear that from a real snake. I imagine their house to have a lot of subtle (and not-so-subtle) power games. Thanks for reviewing, Julia! I'm really happy you liked it. I also intend to take this pairing further hehehehe.
March Madness by Equinox Chick
Rated: 6th-7th Years •Summary: Professor Dumbledore always referred to it as 'March Madness', that time of year when a certain band of Gryffindors ran amok. But in the Spring of nineteen-seventy-eight, one of the Marauders had other things on his mind.
Perhaps things will finally quieten down.
This is Equinox Chick of Hufflepuff writing for the 2011 Aprils Fools' Day Challenge in the Great Hall, Prompt 3 (Marauder)
A word about the warnings: The SSP is minor and I'm only using a 'warning' because otherwise I might get angry letters *snort*. The Sexual Situations are evident.
I am not JK Rowling. I'd like to be, but alas she got there first
Date: 06/08/11 Title: Chapter 1: March Madness
Hahaha Carole this is brilliant. I have absolutely nothing of worth to say except that I loved it xD The humour was great as well as the more saucy parts heheheh. The plot point with Regulus and Barty was also really interesting. Anyway, I really must sleep now but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. Keep on being fabulous!
Julia x
Author's Response: Yay! You should do more Russian, it makes you leave lovely reviews - hee hee. Thank you, Julia. I;m glad you enjoyed this. It was written a bit off the cuff but i think there was a point somewhere to the story. ~Carole~