Welcome to my author page!
I am a teacher, musician, reader, and avid Harry Potter fan. I am originally from the Midwest and now live a bit farther south. I am thrilled to be a proud member of RAVENCLAW House and enjoyed being a site moderator for a time as well.
I hope you enjoy the many stories and poems I have written. I am proud of them all and appreciate any feedback you might care to leave (in other words, reviews are love!) I've listed them below with a short description since I know trolling through summaries can be tedious. Thanks for reading!
EDIT: Someday I will categorize my stories by genre. Today is not that day. ;)
That was fascinating! I love the form you used, separating each paragraph with one simple yet powerful line of text. I also liked how you wrote this in future tense, that was incredibly well done.
Your descrition of the minutiae of life was fantastic. Did you want it to feel dreary and oppressive? It did, and yet at the end I still felt the tiniest glimmer of hope. That was my favorite part: I loved how it ended. Yes, you referred to the Muggles at the beginning, but the final reference to Harry at the end (well, I assume its Harry!) not only tied it even more closely to the Potterverse, but to the beginning as well, in a sort of circle, with a light at the end.
You have such a unique style - great job!
The Order of Ravenclaw House Elves
Author's Response: I suppose I won\'t go into a long spiel here since I did that on the Beta Forums, but yes, it is supposed to be Harry.
But what in the world is the Order of Ravenclaw House Elves? Are you guys the cleaning crew for the wedding?
I think this is great! I really like this one. I know your summary said it was about Tom Riddle, but it seems to me like it could be about some of the other dark characters as well, such as Snape or Draco. The consistent use of the bird/flying imagery is really well done and knits the piece together nicely. The ending is great. Wonderful poem! ~Gina :)
Great job! Your background on the curse is fantastic. The history you've given Ron and Hermione and their daughter was also well done. I was surprised by the other side effects of the curse - Pendragon's name, her memory, her magic - it's all very tragic. And to think Harry let her curse him to try to help her!!
I have one question, which I'm fairly sure you won't answer, but I'll ask anyway: is this moving toward any sort of romance??
Keep up the great angsty work! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: You know, I\'m not sure. It wasn\'t intended, but I think there might be some on the horizon...
I am *so* curious as to why he grabs her like that to calm her down. I think it's Occlumency so I can't wait to see the next chapter and hear what Snape has to say for himself. For a while I did wonder why Snape Apparated to Diagon Alley and then took the Hogwarts Express back, but you explained that very well. It's nice to see Pendragon feeling a bit better.
Lovely job - and your answers in the Dueling Club were great fun to read!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks! I wanted it to seem like dragon parts were very delicate materials, that shouldn\'t be subjected to rough handling like Apparating. And he\'ll explain his reasoning in due time...
Very intriguing! I wonder why Snape couldn't see Pendragon on the grounds? I love what you've done with Harry here. I know the story is about Snape, but Harry is my favorite character so I'll probably always say something about him. ;) The curse that Pendragon fights is really interesting, I can't wait to find out the story behind her injury. (and Harry's!) Keep up the good work!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: The invisibility issue will get explained later, as will more about her injury itself...lots to come!
Wonderful job, as usual. I really enjoyed reading about Charlie - you did a great job with him! I am fascinated by the character of Dula, even if you did borrow him (that's so neat!) You do a good job of creating sympathy for Snape, even while keeping him in character as the bitter piece of work that he is. I am fascinated by the notes on the next chapter, I'm looking forward to the music bits very much! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks! Yah, Dula was just soooo cool, I couldn\'t think of a better character for this story--I\'d have to reinvent him! Fortunately, the author was very nice about lending him out--I suppose it would hardly be fair for a fanfic writer to say \"don\'t you dare use my character!\"
That was just lovely! At first I thought Snape was stumbling and blushing a bit much. But then you concluded with this line:
Just as a Potions Master never quite knows which elements will combine perfectly to yield a new magical elixir, none but Fate could predict that a blind clerk, an armless pianist, and a deaf composer could interlock at one critical point in time to break the heart of a heartless man.
What a fantastic line! It explains everything, and ties together all that Snape has gone through so far. It's really quite clever, bringing these three things together in this way to affect such a result. I love Snape's reactions to music, it seems appropriate somehow. I think he'd love Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, or perhaps some Mahler (one of my favorites.) Are you a musician?
I look forward to seeing how this all ties back to Pendragon! Great job!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: *bows* I was proud of that one, too. The old one-sentence novel type of thing.
Lovely job, if "lovely" is the right word for a d/a story! ;) I liked Snape's dark humor:
I'll just have to make up for my antiquarian appearance with my sunny disposition.
How very Snape!
The curse choking Pendragon is a very vivid, dramatic image, as is Snape using Sectumsempra to release it. Great job!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: *grin* Thanks!
Awesome! What a well-thought out backstory, first of all. I love how you connected your story to book six, great job! The curse is just so amazing - what great imagination! It's a terrible curse, yes, but its history is so fascinating. And I know the story of Pendragon's injury will be equally as gripping.
What I really liked about this chapter was seeing Snape open up a bit, and even more so - seeing Harry respond. You have just done an amazing job projecting their relationship into a dark future. It's just so enjoyable to read!
I read one chapter at lunch, another after dinner - you are going to spoil your readers with these fast updates. ;) Wonderful job, some fantastic writing here - keep it up, I look forward to reading more, even if I have to wait!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: *snort* Well, you may be the only one! But the speed will drop after about 6 more chapters, as that\'s all I have written so far. I\'m glad you\'re enjoying it, BTW, it\'s nice when you write something and someone \"gets it,\" ya know? :)
Wonderful chapter! The Black Lightning curse is absolutely fascinating, and you've only begun to tell us its full story! I am astounded that Peter Pettigrew is the one who cast it at Professor Pendragon, I can't wait to hear more of that story. I love the animosity between Snape and Harry, you do a very good job with them. You've also managed to write a significantly older Snape in a very believable, sympathetic way. I really liked this chapter, keep up the great work!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: Wow, what a kind review! Thanks! I\'m glad you\'re enjoying it! It\'s something very different from what I usually write, so I\'m always worried that it will get out of control, you know? but it seems to work.
Hi there! Very interesting start. You did a great job with Snape's character, and Professor McGonagall as well. You made it believable that she would hire Snape after all that had happened, and fifty years in Azkaban to boot. You also made Snape's reasons for returning very valid. I am intrigued by the other little comments you dropped here and there - so Lupin came back to teach DADA? And Harry is Head of Slytherin? That last is fascinating - will you be exploring it more? I noticed that this is not completed; I am curious how it will turn out for Snape, whether he will be accepted or rejected. You write very well, I am glad I stopped to read this as I scrolled down the recents list - great job and good luck as you continue! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks! This is a bit different for me--low on humor, high on angst. but I had an idea to explore and unlike a normal person, I couldn\'t just write a stinkin\' drabble, I had to go and give it a setting...oh well.
Hi there! I like what you continue to do with Harry, and you are developing Pendragon very well. I like her biting dialogue. I assume she is bitter from the injury - does she know Snape researched the spell that caused it? I would think Ron and Hermione's personalities might temper her bitterness a bit more, but I also suspect there is more to her story. Now about that embrace . . . ;)
When I asked about romance, I wasn't actually suggesting it. ;) What is interesting is that you have really towed the line with the potential for romance - it could go that way, but maybe not. Snape seems to have some very fatherly feelings for Pendragon, and my first impression of the embrace here was that he was using Occlumency or Legilimency (or something!) to calm her mind. On the other hand, I could be completely wrong about both! We shall see! I'm curious how long you anticipate the story will be? Well, I really just want to ask how it ends and if Pendragon is cured but *of course* I won't. ;)
Keep up the nice work!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: *giggle* Fear not, that wasn\'t a romantic embrace at all. The explanation will come in about 5 chapters. I\'m not sure how long this story will end up, I have 14 chapters so far but it has a bit more to go yet.
Good job! Madam Pendragon is very intriguing. I still want to know how Harry came to be Head of Slytherin. Since the story seems to be more of Snape's tale, will you be going into that particular tale? If not, I will keep asking until you tell. :-D Looking forward to the next part! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: I hadn\'t planned on it, but your comment got me thinking, actually. I may get to it later on.
Very interesting! I was wrong about why Snape grabbed Pendragon like that, but your explanation was great. I am getting a big confused by all the different colored Lightning curses, but I think including the Dark Mark as a form of it was a really great idea, as well as connecting it to Salazar.
I noticed Snape referred to the Dark Lord as Voldemort; in canon the Death Eaters never call Voldemort by his name, only the Dark Lord. So is Snape over the name-game after fifty years in prison?
And I wonder what price he expects from Pendragon. I imagine that's coming up next, so I'll finish with this instead: will we see Ron and Hermione at all in this story?
Great job!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: Well, think of a rainbow. There\'s a Lightning curse for each color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Then there\'s the Black, which is ultraviolet and invisible to the human eye. UV light has the highest energy of that spectrum so it would be the most powerful, with Red the weakest (ok, I confess, I\'m a science nerd).
Voldy: I think after 50 years, yeah, it\'s safe to call him by name. I\'d imagine Snape\'s been cursing him every day during that time anyway...
What price, indeed. Harry sounds suspicious that it will be something inappropriate, don\'t you think? We\'ll see.
Finally, not sure about R and H, hadn\'t planned on a visit, but I suppose if Snape does manage to cure Pen, they ought to come for a visit.
Awesome! The tension in this chapter was incredible! I just loved reading it. Snape had some truly great lines, particularly the one about compassion. I was very surprised to see Harry kneel in front of him at the end, and even more surprised to hear that Harry had fallen in love with Pendragon. And here I had been thinking you were going to pair her up with Snape! So are we to assume Harry is not married at this point? What happened to Harry that Pendragon "restored his will to live?" Will we get that story when we learn how Harry came to be the HoH for Slytherin?? Pretty please? =)
Great writing! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: All will be revealed...or at least most. Heh. Almost got a little Snarry action in, too.
That was wonderful! Absolutely heartwarming. I love that you let Bellatrix connect with her family in such a touching way. Having her leave at the end and then explain why to Andromeda was really sad, but also kept her in character. This was a really well-written and emotional story. What a great entry for the challenge - good luck!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks so much!
I love writing stories where Bellatrix gets to reconnect with Andromeda. It\'s a bond that I really enjoy working with. I don\'t believe that bond could ever go away, regardless of what they might tell others.
As for her leaving, she would have prefered to slip unnoticed into the night, but that wasn\'t really far to my readers. I thought more clousure was needed there so Andromeda caught up with her. I think this scene was my favorite to write though. I love writing emotionally charged scenes.
Thanks so much for the review and I\'m glad that you enjoyed my story. :D
That was lovely! I'm sure it was very challenging to keep the rhyme pattern and you did that very well without seeming forced. The language was very natural - 'thee' and 'thou' - which isn't always easy! It was very beautiful - great job! Good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response:
Hey - hello! I haven\'t talked to you in a while!
... *talks*
Thank you! I\'m so glad it came out naturally - I don\'t think I\'ve ever tried to write with this usage of language before. So - yup. Thanks, and good luck to you too.
Turnips for the Cup!
Oh my, that is so original! I really liked it - you took a very dark moment and fit it to the prompt really well! I am impressed with this scene from Tom Riddle's past, and more so that you managed to set it at Christmas. It was very well-written, particularly the end. Great job, and good luck on the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you for the review! I figure even the \'darker\' chracters in HP have miracles in their life as well. :)
That was wonderful! What an absolutely heartwarming story, it is so sweet and just makes you smile so big at the end. The way you introduced the angel on the tree and then brought it back at the end was really well done. I loved that James kissed Lily on the cheek because he wanted to start slow - and I loved how Lily went ahead and kissed him anyway! Beautiful job - good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks Gina! :D
Hi there! It's been years since I read Wuthering Heights but I can definitely sense the angst, nice job. What an interesting and original way to start, by setting up the haunting this way. Good luck with the next part! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I love Wuthering Heights, it\'s so incredibly haunting and angsty, so I thought it\'d be perfect for this. :) I\'m happy it was an original way to start!