Half Blood Prince Review (Major Spoilers)

I wrote this the day after I read HBP. Some of my opinions/thoughts have expanded and changed since then, but I don't currently feel like rewriting this at the moment. Perhaps later I will write a revised version.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Thoughts

(I might repeat myself several times, I’m figuring things out as I go :)

I will first say that I did enjoy reading this book. I don’t agree with all her plot decisions but that’s what fan-fiction is for :) I don’t like that she killed Dumbledore but I won’t complain about the way it was done (although I still haven’t decided what was going on there). When I write my version of book five and beyond, Dumbledore will probably live (so will Sirius, but that is another matter entirely).

There were a lot of my questions that were answered by her (I’m not saying I liked the answers, but they were answers). Most of them were related to Voldemort’s early life (which I find fasinating and is probably why I liked the book). That (and what Draco was doing) seemed to be the focus of the book, almost to the exclusion of everything else.

Draco’s plot and Voldemort’s early history were everything in this book. It seemed like everything else was put in the background to the point that it almost fades from memory. If they didn’t make occasional mention of people dying in the outside world, you can almost forget that Voldemort has returned. It is very strange when you start to think about it. It feels like with the exception of Harry, Dumbledore, the past Voldemort (and the other memories), the new potions teacher, and maybe one or two others, you are seeing everything through a tunnel. You aren’t really connecting with the other characters as persons, you are just connecting with what they are doing (if even that). They just kind of fade into the background.

It seemed like, to me at least, that the war was too easily forgotten, or brushed off. The death of classmate’s parents or other relatives are mentioned almost as an afterthought and then forgotten. None of this is really dealt with. It feels like the mentions of the war are put there because that is what’s expected but that it’s kept to a minimum because there are other things to be concerned with. The only things that don’t seem slightly forced are the lesson’s with Dumbledore and potions (with everything surrounding that). (Well, maybe Quidditch too.)

Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Snape, Slughorn, and young Voldemort are the main characters and the ones who stand out most clearly in my mind after reading it. It seems like everyone else was forgotten (I’m sorry I keep saying this). What happened to all the cool characters she introduced in the past? Where are Neville, Luna (well, she seems to get some good parts), Tonks, Remus, Mad-Eye, the Order of the Phoenix, the Teachers, the Death Eaters? Some of them get some walk on parts that don’t last long and are never heard from again. It just seems very strange to me. What did she do, give into a really strong desire to edit most of the story away? I needed more character interaction!!!!!!

Anyway, I think I stated that I found some things strange enough. I’ll move on :)

I’m not quite sure about the Horcruxes. They remind me far too much of the ring of power (at least certain aspects of it). I wonder if she watched LOTRs too much as she was writing the book. Actually, I wonder if she watched LOTRs and the Star Wars prequels too much. The “Chosen One”????? Is Harry going to join the dark side, kill off all the light side wizards, and later be redeemed by his son?

I thing that although she answered quite a few questions, she also raised tons more. I can’t see how she can resolve all the unresolved things in the next book.

I never liked the prophecy. I don’t think I like what she did with it in this one either. I mean, if you’re going to have a prophecy, at least have one. Don’t introduce it in one book and, pretty much, make it unimportant in the next. That is basically what she did. By hearing the prophecy and taking it seriously Voldemort created it (at least that is what it sounded like). Perhaps my problem is that I have a different idea of what prophecy is then she does (and I do, kind of, know that it all depends on how you use the term). I think of prophecy as a spotlight on events. The events would have happened no matter what, prophecy just draws your attentions to the events and explains where they fit in the grand scheme of things. It puts events into perspective and gives insight into what’s going on. Her version is more like self-fulfilling prophecy. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, I just happen to prefer the other way.

Remus needed to be in it more. He is one of my favorite characters. I’m still not sure what I think about him and Tonks. I will really have to think about that one. I like Tonks, I really do. It’s just that she’s what, 13 years younger then him? I know that shouldn’t bother me but it does. (Note: on further reflection, I don’t really like the Remus/Tonks pairing. I don’t feel like their personalities match in that way.)

On the other hand, I kind of liked that he (and the other marauders) weren’t mentioned much because I really don’t like what she did with them in the last book.

I really liked the first few chapters. The first was great. I found it extremely funny. The second chapter with Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa was very interesting. I would never have considered Bellatrix being something even remotely resembling a sister (in mindset that is, I knew they were related). Dumbledore picking up Harry was great. I really do think he (Dumbledore) enjoyed playing with the Dursley’s minds (I probably would have if I was him). Actually, I can’t think of a chapter that I really disliked. The Ron/Lavender thing was a little annoying but I suppose I’ll consider almost being poisoned as adequate punishment.

Do all works of fantasy need dead armies (or zombies in this case)?

All in all, I don’t have the problems with this one that I did with the last. The characters seem to be acting like themselves (nothing like they were acting like in book five, which is interesting). The Harry in book six is the Harry I expected in book five. I can’t escape the thought, though, that Voldemort really needs to read the evil overlord’s list and take some of its advice. He is far too predictable. I mean, come on, could he have picked something less obvious then family heirlooms to put his soul into?


Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Speculation

R.A.B. -
The initials signed in the note found in the replacement locket (that was suppose to be a Horcrux). By the way, a Horcrux is a object that holds a piece of the soul, making a person, kind of, immortal. You must kill to create a Horcrux. Anyway...

To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.
I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,
you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.

Would it really be too obvious (as someone suggested) that R.A.B is Regulus Black and that the real locket is at Grimmauld Place (the locket no one could open)? Regulus was killed by Voldemort when he tried to leave the death eaters (didn’t like what he was being asked to do). I wonder if it is possible that Mundungus Fletcher (Order of the Phoenix, thief) could have stolen the locket along with the other stuff he took from Grimmauld Place. What would be the point in having him do that though? There must have been some point in having him take stuff from the house.

Snape -
I don’t think Snape is a servant of Lord Voldemort. I also don’t think what he did was right. It was a very difficult situation, and I’m not sure what other action he could have taken but he shouldn’t have killed Dumbledore.

Here is an interesting question. Did Dumbledore want Snape to kill him? What exactly was he begging for, to be spared or killed so that Draco could be spared? Could Dumbledore communicate his intentions to Snape thought his mind? She kept reminding us that Snape was good at reading minds and blocking others from his (so is Dumbledore). I really don’t know. It seems like something Dumbledore might do. Also, remember, that when Harry and Dumbledore were going into the cave (or at least in that chapter), Dumbledore commented that Harry was far more valuable than him. He probably didn't want Harry to get hurt. He would have rather died himself then let that happen.

One really wonders if she is going to kill Harry. It seems like she has the perfect set up for it. If Harry got his powers (speaking to snakes and such) from part of Voldemort's soul being transfured to him, then he would have to die for Voldemort to be killed. I don't want this to be the case but it seems like a real possibility.
If I remember right, Dumbledore speculated that Voldemort was going to make another Horcruxe when he killed Harry. We know that Harry gained some of Voldemorts powers.
The Diary had Voldemorts powers. So, I was just wondering based on that. We don't know how the Horcruxes are made (or the timing) so we don't really know what happened that night. That and she's never given any guarantee that Harry will live.

I’m also very interested to see what she does with Draco’s character. Is he going to become a real death eater or is he going to turn on Voldemort? He wasn’t going to kill Dumbledore. I think he was really considering taking up Dumbledore’s offer (and then the other death eaters came). It seems, though, you don't really feel sorry for Draco until the twenty-seventh chapter ("Lightning-Struck Tower"). It's when you find out he isn't all that committed to killing Dumbledore. I wonder if it would have been different if he had known Harry was there?

One of the death eaters would have killed Dumbledore. I don’t see that Snape, Draco, and Harry (if he was released from Dumbledore’s spell) could have prevented that. Would the unbreakable vow be broken if someone other then Draco or Snape killed Dumbledore? Would the vow have been broken if Draco had taken Dumbledore’s offer? There are too many questions.

Why did Snape make the unbreakable vow to begin with? Did he know what Draco’s mission was at the time? Was there a way to get out of the situation without making the vow or destroying his cover (if it was a cover)? Or is he really evil and meant to make the vow knowing full well what it would mean?
The wording goes "if it seems Draco will fail...will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?" A question to which Snape answers yes.
Now it seems to me that it could go either way. Either Draco or Snape has to kill Dumbledore, or someone has to kill Dumbledore. If Dumbledore wasn't killed, the vow would be broken (?) and Snape would die.

Would Merope (Tom's mother) have told Tom more about his haritage if she were able? Was naming him her way of telling him who he was? How could he have found out so much if she was unable to tell him anything? Part of me says she would have had to leave him some more substantial clue for him to learn so much. I mean, he opened the chamber in fifth year. He would have had to know a great deal about slytherin and who slytherin was to him, would he not, to have done that?

--Tracy

Order of the Phoenix: Original Character: Ethan Davis

Ethanael Malven Davis

Name: Ethanael Malven Davis
Date of Birth: September 22, 1912
Parents:
Harold Davis (wizard),
Amelia Davis nee Dunstan (witch)
Siblings: Elizabeth Potter nee Davis (sister, witch)
Other Relations:
James Potter (nephew, wizard),
Syras Louise Potter (niece, witch)
Spouse: never married
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Light Brown
School: Hogwarts, Ravenclaw House (1924-1931)
Profession: Historian
Unusual Abilities: none, that I know of
Age at Time of Fifth Book: would have been (or is, can’t decide) 83


Notes:
I kind of see him as the type of person who graduated from Hogwarts (Ravenclaw, of course), went home, locked himself in a dusty attic full of old books and papers, and hardly ever came out again. When he did come out, he would always be muttering to himself and not fully aware of his enviroment. He would be the crazy relative people always talk about. That, at least, might be how people see him. It is possible he has done some extensive traveling while people think he has been in his attic.

I don’t know. I don’t know why I bothered to put all this information down for this person. I just find him interesting for some reason. I’m not sure I would actually do anything with him though.

Order of the Phoenix: Sirius Black’s Middle Name

Sirius Black is another person who JKR has yet (08/23/2005) to give a middle name.

Now, I have seen many different middle names used for Sirius by fan-fiction authors over the years and my favorite by far has been Orion. Now, many might say that makes his name a little too heavy on the stars and constellations but I say it sounds good and even works with my family history for him. So yes, it should be Sirius Orion Black.

Notes:
Sirius, often called the Dog Star, is the alpha star (in other words the brightest) in the constellation Canis Major. Now, Canis Major is considered one of Orion’s hunting dogs. The beta star (second brightest) of the constellation Orion is Rigel (also considered the foot of the hunter). In my AU story, Sirius’ father is named Rigel. The reasoning then, for using Orion as Sirius’ middle name would go like this... Orion has connections to Sirius (in the star world). Orion also has a connection to Rigel (since Rigel is part of Orion). This forms a connection between Sirius and Rigel. Anyway... enough of that.

Order of the Phoenix: James Potter’s Middle Name

The problems with all of this is that JRK has yet to mention James’ middle name (she has for most of the other people). It could really be anything. But for the sake of my story, I have to choose something. Now, you might ask why. Middle names don’t come up very often, especially in a story concerning Harry’s fifth year. My reasoning is that I just need to do it for the sake of completeness. I think stories feel more real if the author knows all the little details about the world they have created.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005
At this point in time (which is why I put the date), I can't decide between Eliot, William, or Christopher. There are too many nice names that go with James and Potter.

Order of the Phoenix: Original Character: Rigel Black

BLACK, RIGEL ALEXANDER
(FIRST DRAFT)

CHARACTER INFORMATION:

Name: Rigel Black
Date of Birth: August 20th, 1930
Parents: Perseus Black (wizard), Andromeda Meliflus Black (witch)
Comes from a long line of wizards and witches so is a pure blood,
as if knowing that matters :)
Siblings: Regulus Black, Anthea Libra (sister-in-law)
Other Relations: Sirius Black (son), Andromeda Black Tonks (niece), etc.
Spouse: Varity Weaver Black (Hogwarts Hufflepuff House; half-blood)
Eye Color: Dark Gray
Hair Color: Black (with some gray because of his age)
Build: Tall and strong even in older age. Ages in build very well.
Appearance: Strong and good looking (as is true of most of the Black family). Also quite and slightly soft spoken. How you can have those two together I’m not sure yet. We will see.
Schooling: Hogwarts, Ravenclaw House (1941-1948)
Profession: Something to do with law at the ministry of magic, possible a judge (one of the ones that you don’t really hear about).
Unusual Abilities: none, that I know of.
Age at Time of Fifth Book: about 65

CHARACTER PERSONALITY:

A very calm, collected individual. Takes things as they come and doesn’t easily give in to panic. He is a very wise, thoughtful person. He is also kind. His thoughtful, kind nature, though, is also accompanied by a strength of will that rivals many. He will not be moved on a issue if he sees the right path to take. He is a very honorable person (he has a strong since of honor). He is loyal to those he loves (much like his son). In later years, he has (many time) and air of sadness about him. All in all he is a very nice person how has had a hard life.

CHARACTER HISTORY:

Born into the infamous pureblood Black family, Rigel is really nothing like the rest of his family. The Blacks hold purity of blood to be among the most important (if not the most important) traits. They are also known for their affinity toward the dark arts. Still, they are a very powerful and respected family in the wizarding community (much like the Malfoys). They have almost always held positions of power and influence. In every generation, though, there is usually a member of the family that doesn’t succumb to the family’s way of thinking. Rigel’s aunt, Lacerta Black, was one of these. From a very young age, Rigel was heavily influenced by his aunt. Although a very powerful and rich family, the Blacks could never be consider close. Rigel’s parents didn’t have what you would call a strong, close relationship with their son. He was taken care of by a nurse when he was very young. When he was old enough to start learning the basic skills (like reading, writing, math, etc.) that he would need before entering formal wizard school, his parents got him a series of tutors. One of these, and his favorite, was his aunt. She took the job with pleasure, knowing that she might be able to impact her young nephew’s thoughts for the better like someone had done for her. Her love for him and her kindness was able to shape him in a way his parents never could. He grew up with radically different ideas about the importance of being a pureblood and the worthiness of non-pureblood (or even muggle) people that annoyed his parents and the rest of their family to no end. He was able to start seeing people for the choices they made, not their blood. This was not something his parents took calmly, he suffered for his beliefs. But, as he was a Black and therefore powerful and stubborn, this only cemented his ideas all the more firmly in his mind and his parents couldn’t begin to do anything about it.

All this was even more evident when it came to school. The Black family had an almost unbroken record of being members of Slytherin House at Hogwarts. There were one or two exceptions, but they weren’t talked about much. When Rigel entered Hogwarts, he became one of those exceptions. Although he did have many of the Black traits that made them ideal for Slytherin, he lacked the disdain for those unlike him and also the drive to get what he wanted no matter how he got it that would really make him a Slytherin. Instead he combined those traits he inherited from his family (a high sense of honor, stubbornness, a certain intensity among other things) with a quick intelligence, a love of knowledge and wisdom, and a slightly quiet, reflective nature and took them into Ravenclaw. It was definitely a house that suited him well. The years he spent at Hogwarts among those that thought like him were some of the best years in his life. They did not contain the constant struggle that he faced at home.

After Hogwarts, Rigel began a career with the Ministry in something to do with law (eventually becoming a judge or something like that). He had not only a strong sense of honor but also a strong sense of justice. His love of justice, though, was balanced with a knowledge that mercy was sometimes needed. He had become a good man. Having grown up in a family that flirted with the dark arts, he understood the subtleties of evil and worked hard against it. For not only did his aunt give him his ideas about the importance of blood, she also strove to teach him about evil and why one must choose good and fight against those that choose evil. Seeing the effects of evil on his own family was a powerful illustration and one that stayed with him, causing him to dedicate his life (after a fashion) to fighting it. He was not active in fighting the dark side, like say, an auror, but he fought it nonetheless. He was more the type to analyze things, reflect and make judgments then go out with a wand and capture darksiders. He became a very wise and discerning man. He was a good judge of character. (A lot of this is talking about his entire life, not just his first few years out of Hogwarts.)

Several years after he graduated from Hogwarts, Rigel met and fell in love with a young woman by the name of Verity Weaver that was a few years behind him in school. She had not been a Ravenclaw but a Hufflepuff. Verity was a very soft spoken, gentle, sweet young woman. She also possessed many of the qualities that Hufflepuffs were known for (loyalty and perseverance). She was the perfect match for Rigel. They complimented each other well. In his families eyes, though, she was worthless because she was a half-blood. Against the Black family’s will, Rigel married Verity and for a time they were happy and all was well (except his parents were mad at him but that didn’t bother Rigel much). (They got married when Rigel was about 26 or 27.) Rigel had a good job at the ministry, they had a nice home and were pretty well thought of in the community and they loved each other. About three or four years after they married, their first child was born. Rigel, carrying on a slight tradition in his family, named his son Sirius, after the brightest start in the night sky. In looks Sirius was very much a member of the Black family. He was also like them in character, capable of being very stubborn and intense but also strong and honorable. In ways he was more like the rest of the Blacks then his father because he didn’t grow up in the atmosphere his father did but in one were he was excepted and loved. He was also capable of great loyalty and perseverance. Growing up in a more loving atmosphere gave him a confidence and pride his father only occasionally had. It also allowed the more mischievous side of the Blacks to take hold. While Rigel had a very quiet humor (he did love a good joke and could have fun) and was serious and sober minded most of the time, his son was only serious and sober when he needed to be.

For Rigel and his young family, though, there were dark times ahead. When Sirius was only three years old, Verity became very ill and did not recover. Rigel took the death of his wife very hard. His young son, who was very high energy and usually cheerful was the only one that really helped him throughout that time. He had to be strong for Sirius. He was all his son had left. So, Rigel took on the task of raising his son alone. It was a job he thought he did very well, teaching Sirius the values he had come to hold so strongly and giving him the love Rigel wished he had gotten. He only regretted that he had never really been able to remarry. He could never bring himself to. So, Sirius didn’t have a mother. Rigel made up for that fact by putting everything he had into raising his son. His job, while important to him, always took second place. His son came first. They were a good, close family. Something Rigel never had.

Rigel was proud of his son, even more so when Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor at Hogwarts. It was something Rigel didn’t expect. No Black had ever set foot in Gryffindor. It was to him a sign that his family wasn’t doomed. Even with everything his family represented, Rigel still had pride in being a member of it. He didn’t hate them, he just wanted them to change. With his son and niece both he saw a change for the better in his family.

As was mentioned before, Rigel didn’t hate his family. He didn’t agree with them and didn’t approve of their thoughts and actions, but that is not completely the same as hating them. In fact, they and their group of friends were the people he knew the best and saw most often. Except for the short time he was married to Verity, Rigel didn’t interact with many people outside his family’s circle. This is not to say he saw them a lot, just that when he saw people it was usually them. He was a very quite reserved person who kept mostly to himself. He interacted with the people he worked with but really no one else. A lot of this was brought on by peoples views on the Black family. They didn’t expect someone who thought like Rigel to be a member of that particular family. Even his time in Ravenclaw didn’t really help him there. His family usually kept him out of the circles were he would find most of the people like him in thought. So even though Rigel and his son didn’t get along with the Blacks at all and were looked down upon by the rest of the family, they knew them the best. Now, the note here would be that Rigel and Sirius weren’t really around the family enough for them to effect Sirius’ attitude very much. He was still a high strung, confident person, mostly because of his father and later his time at school.

There was a short time, when Sirius was at school, that Rigel was befriended by Matthew Potter, a well known Auror and friend of Dumbledore. This mainly sprung from the fact that Matthew’s son James was best friends with Sirius. That and the fact that Matthew took a liking to Rigel. He came to have a great deal of respect for Rigel as he got to know him. Matthew, whose very personality and family history stood as the extreem opposite to Rigel’s, ended up being a good friend to Rigel (although they didn’t always understand each other being so different). It helped that the Potters and Rigel’s son Sirius were a lot a like in many ways. This time came to an end when Matthew and his wife Elizabeth were killed by Lord Voldemort for their active part in fighting him.

Rigel was devastated when his son was sent to Azakaban for the murder of thirteen people, having supposedly been in the service of Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark Lord of their time. He became an even quieter person then before and also sad. What humor he possessed was almost destroyed. There were many times he blamed himself for what happened but usually he was saved from depression because of common sense. He knew from much time spent in reflection, even with his knowledge of what happened, he couldn’t have predicted it. This fact also tormented him. Although he knew all the facts surrounding his son’s imprisonment, there were things that never made sense, things that were never resolved because of his son’s lack of a trial (something his love of justice rebelled against). In many ways, he never completely accepted his son’s guilt. Nor, though, was he sure of his innocence. It was a confusing mess that would hunt him and be with him wherever he went. It wasn’t until many years later that this particular wound would be healed.

NOTES ON RIGEL’S CHARACTER:

Now, we don’t want to get the idea that Rigel silently sits by while people abuse him, that is not the case at all. He may be quiet and reflective but he is also strong willed and quite capable of standing up for himself. If the reason is good enough he won’t hesitate to be assertive. He is usually wise enough, though, to know when to argue and when to not. He would have had to been this way to have survived in his family. He would have to be strong and he would have to be stubborn.

Nor should we get the idea that Rigel’s family had no love for him. They did like him stay around. They many have been frustrated with him and abusive of him, but they weren’t completely without love for him.

Order of the Phoenix: Potter Family Tree

THE POTTER HOUSE
(ACCORDING TO TRACY)

POTTER, COLIN [marries: MASON, GENICA (GRYFFINDOR, CAILEAN)]
| POTTER, ELIOT [marries: ELLIS-JOHNSTONE, CALISTA]
| | POTTER, DEVLIN [marries: WRIGHT, SIRI]
| | | POTTER, MICAH [marries: CALLIS, HANNAH]
| | | | POTTER, DAVID [marries: PATTERSON, CATHERINE]
| | | | | POTTER, MATTHEW [marries: DAVIS, ELIZABETH]
| | | | | | POTTER, JAMES [marries: EVANS, LILY]
| | | | | | | POTTER, HARRY
| | | | | | POTTER, SYRAS
| | | POTTER, BETHANY [marries: KENDALL, CALEB]
| | | | KENDALL, EMMA [marries: ELLERY, DYLAN]
| | | | | ELLERY, ARDEN
| | | | KENDALL, ELIOT [marries: ANSON, ANTHEA]
| POTTER, CELINA [marries: HILL, BRYAN]
| | HILL, EDWIN [marries: DUNN, GILI]
| | HILL, GALEN [marries: ALDAN, MADGE]
| | | HILL, ALEXAVIER [marries: DANIN, MELORA]
| | | | HILL, BOWAN [marries: SADEN, BETH]
| | | | | HILL, ROWAN [marries: TAYLOR, LYDIA]
| | | | | | HILL, MEGAN
| | | | HILL, CORA [marries: CURTIS, EDAN]
| | | | | CURTIS, RYAN
| | | HILL, COLIN [marries: SCOTT, IANNA]
| | | | HILL, MILES [marries: MILLER, MIRA]
| | | | | HILL, CHRISTOPHER
| | | HILL, CANDRA [marries: CARVER, JASON]
| | | | CARVER, IKIA [marries: IRVING, MANDER]
| POTTER, AIDEN
| POTTER, CONNER [marries: BREE, BLENDA]
| | POTTER, BENJAMIN

(all names are subject to change or deletion)

Order of the Phoenix: Black Family Tree

THE MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK
(ACCORDING TO TRACY)

BLACK, REGULUS [marries: LUCENO, SELENA]
| BLACK, CEPHEUS [marries: NIGELLUS, SITARA]
| | BLACK, PERSEUS [marries: MELIFLUS, ANDROMEDA]
| | | BLACK, REGULUS [marries: LIBRA, ANTHEA]
| | | | BLACK, ANDROMEDA [marries: TONKS, TED]
| | | | | TONKS, NYMPHADORA
| | | | BLACK, BELLATRIX [marries: LESTRANGE, RODOLPHUS]
| | | | BLACK, NARCISSA [marries: MALFOY, LUCIUS]
| | | | | MALFOY, DRACO
| | | BLACK, RIGEL [marries: WEAVER, VERITY (half-blood)]
| | | | BLACK, SIRIUS
| | BLACK, LACERTA
| BLACK, SABRINA [marries: ASKEW, ARVID]
| | ASKEW, SANA [marries: KARTCHNER, ROMULUS]
| | | KARTCHNER, ARVID [marries: BYROM, ALDIS]
| | | | KARTCHNER, RHEA
| | | KARTCHNER, ALBINA

(all names are subject to change or deletion)

Harry Potter and Lightsabers...

This doesn’t really have anything to do with anything, but I find that when I’m trying to think about my Harry Potter story I have a hard time dealing with the absence of lightsabers. There are really few things more satisfying to think about then a good lightsaber battle. The bright glow of the light swords. The clash as the beams of pure energy connect. The very deadly dance, beautiful in its own way, as the opponents dual each other. A wand battle just doesn’t compare.

Order of the Phoenix: Room of Spells

PURPOSE OF THE ROOM:
Contains the spells that deal with protection of Hogwarts Castle from dark wizards. The spells are carved into stone to provide strength and long life that might not otherwise be had. (explained more in nature of magic)

LOCATION OF THE ROOM:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, school castle, under the headmaster’s tower.

ENTRANCE TO THE ROOM:
In though the door and room guarded by the stone gargoyle that is the entrance to the headmaster’s tower. The entrance to the room of spells is reached by saying another password (or command) that reverses the direction of the staircase. Where once it was going up, after the password is said, it goes down. The staircase leads to a small landing. On the landing, set into the stones of the floor, is a kind of portkey that takes whoever is standing on the stone to the room of spells, granted they are truly allowed access to the room. If they are not allowed to enter the room, the stone does nothing.

The magic that dictates who is allowed to enter the room is carved (in latin words) into the stone in a circular fashion. The rules cannot be easily (if at all) changed. Officially, only the headmaster is allowed to enter and interact with the room, but those who hold the blood of the founders are able to enter as well.

It is possible that there are other rooms along the stairway going down and that the landing is somewhere in-between. It is also possible that someone that isn’t being observent would miss the landing. It might be hard to see from the stairs. Only someone who is looking for it, or, less likely, stumbles upon it, will find the landing.

DIMENTIONS/DISCRIPTION OF THE ROOM:
20ft in width
30ft in length
10ft in height
The room is rectangular and built from light-colored tan stone blocks. The stones are cut straight and fit tightly together with no signs of wear. The stone on the walls and ceiling are of medium size, rectangles of about 3ft by 2ft. The stones on the floor are made in various sizes and arranged in a pattern. It is one of these stone that acts as the entrance and exit portkey. The room contains no doors or windows. The floor stone is the only entrance to the room, there are no others.
Near the walls (about 3 ft from them) the ceiling drops down about 1-1.5 ft. Round columns (with a radius of about 1/2 ft) exist around the edges of the lowered ceiling. Each if the columns is about 5 ft apart. There is room enough to walk behind the columns. One of the light sources for the room shines down from between the columns and the wall (with no obvious source).
On the wall, between the columns, is the space for the spells. They are carved into the wall and glow with a faint light.
The light from the ceiling and the glow from the spells are the only light sources in the room. This leaves the center of the room slightly dark. This darkness draws attention to the spells on the wall.
The room is very clean and gives no impression of age.

HISTORY OF THE ROOM:
When the castle was first bulit, the location that was to become the hall of spells was part of the headmaster’s quarters and sat at the bottom of the spiral staircase.
It was not secret, but had a door and was entered by just reversing the stairs and walking down them. While we know that it wasn’t a room made to contain spells, we are unsure of what the headmaster did actually use the room for. That knowledge was lost.
When Slytherin split from the other founders, the entrence to the room was closed and the bottom of the stairs raised (so as to hide the knowledge of the room). The stone portkey was put in place, with all its magic, as the new entrence to the room and a password was placed on the stairs so that they were not easily reversed. The spells were then etched into the stone of the room and the castle was made safe from attack from dark wizards.
From the point of Slytherin’s split from the school to the present day, the room has served as a protection from dark magic.

The room was converted because of the new need for the protection from dark magic that existed after Slytherin split from the school. The school was founded as a haven against muggle persecution not as a haven against dark wizards. The spells placed on the school at its founding would have reflected this fact. While it is true that there were dark wizards before, and there was probably some protection against them, the real threat facing the wizarding world was from non-magic folk. Slytherin was another matter. He was a strong wizard (one of the strongest of that time) and held a grudge against the school and its founders. Stronger protection for the students, especially those with muggle blood, against him and those like him was needed. Thus, the room of spells.

SECRETS OF THE ROOM:
At the splitting of the founders, a prophecy was made by one of the remaining three in response to a threat of Slytherins. It spoke of the conflict that would come out of the split and the challenges they would fact in years to come.
When the remaining founders created the room of spells (or turned it into what it presently is), they recorded the works and occasion of the prophecy into the stones.
If activated, the letters of the spells rearrange themselves into the words of the prophecy. While this happens, a ghostly reenactment of the giving of the prophecy plays out in the room. This is the only whole or complete record of this prophecy. (explained more in Gryffindor vs. Slytherin)
The recording is most likely activated by certain words or a phrase.

NOTES:
[Saturday, June 18, 2005]
I am yet unsure what place this room of spells will play in the story. I know that it will be where the complete prophesy is discovered again, but how the prophecy fits into the main storyline I have yet to figure out. Hopefully I will figure all this out soon.

Order of the Phoenix: Prophecy

THE NATURE OF PROPHECY:
A prophecy shall not create events, it shall just tell of them. This is in contrast to the idea that prophecies create or make come about the events they tell of. No, prophecies just tell of events. This would mean that even if the prophecy was never made the events would still come about. The events, thought, would not be put in the context the prophecy could put them into. They would not be made as significant as the prophecy could made them.

Still, if a prophecy is made and it is a true (real) prophecy, the events it tell of will happen. You could say they were set in stone (or paper if the prophecy is written :).

THE GIVERS OF PROPHECY:
Usually, those that receive prophecy have a tendency towards those types of things, but it is not limited to these alone. If the situation call for it, a person who has no record of such things may receive prophecy. Nor does receiving a prophecy once mean that it will ever happen again.

THE GIVING OF PROPHECY:
The actual giving of the prophecy will be something outside the person chosen to tell the prophecy. It is something they will be compelled, as it were, to say. They will not have a choice in the matter. It will be very evident that what this person is saying is not of themselves. The origin of prophecy will not be delved into at this time.

NOTES:
[Monday, February 7, 2005]
Much of this is slightly different then biblical prophecy. Prophecy in the bible seems like it was usually told to a prophet by someone (or something) or some kind of knowledge that they have. Remembering that biblical prophecy isn’t always telling of the future but is telling of God and proclaiming the truth (which may be truth about the future). So it is a different kind of prophecy then the one that will be used in the story.

FanFiction.net

The largest fan-fiction site on the Internet that I know of. It has stories based on almost everything. If you want to find fan-fiction based on a particular story then you can most likely find it here. Be warned, though, it is slightly (or maybe more then slightly) addictive.

My user name is Mirax Myra Terrik (a character from the X-Wing series) and the URL for my profile (with a list of the very few and short stories I’ve posted) is http://www.fanfiction.net/u/55085/

...and it begins

This site was created for the purpose of writing down notes and thoughts about the various stories I’m currently working on. I’m hoping that it will help me to organize my work as well as provide a way for the people who are helping me to know what is going on with the stories (especially in the case of one particular story).

I mainly work on fan-fiction. That means the characters (or universes) that I write about have been created by someone else and are owned by them. Fan-Fiction is done purely for fun and with permission (in that they don’t stop us) from the authors. All credit for non-original characters and settings are given to the author they belong to.

With that said, I mainly concern myself with Star Wars, Stargate, and Harry Potter fan-fiction. Although I also am quite fond of Lord of the Rings, I can’t bring myself to read (with the exception of one) or write anything about Middle Earth. I’m quite content with the actual published work. Anyway, there are three stories I’m currently working on. By working on I mean gathering information about how the fictional universe works, figuring out plot, creating characters and history, and all those wonderful things. Only after that can the stories be written. So…

(1) The first story I’m working on concerns the Jedi Order and is set in Old Republic times sometime before The Phantom Menace (I haven’t decided exactly how long before). It is a story about a Jedi Master and a Jedi Student and how they come to be Master and Apprentice. The main characters are my own (as in original characters).
It shall be referred to as Jedi Apprentice 1.

(2) The second story I’m working on is, in a way, a continuation of the first. It is about the Jedi Student (now a Knight) and how she comes to take her first apprentice.
This story will be referred to as Jedi Apprentice 2.

(3) The third is probably the largest and most time consuming thing in history (at least it sometimes seems like it). This project comes from an extreme dislike of the fifth Harry Potter book (I hated it) and a vow to write my own version of the fifth year. So, that is what it is… My version of Order of the Phoenix (and it shall be referred to as such).

At the moment that is all I’m working on in the way of stories. I have several other ideas I’d like to eventually write, but I’d like to finish these three first. I say that as if it is possible to finish these three. We will see.