Welcome to this month's In the Spotlight! In the coming month's keep an eye of out for some changes coming to your local prefect's blog, but in the meantime, we've got your usual dose of Order of Merlin wrap up, Head Student Interviews, and monthly award rounds! 

February's Order of Merlin went to @Dojh167! Sam's one of our wonderful Gamekeepers and Muggle Liaisons! She's been bumping around the site recently, hard at work as she works to run the CMDC Event. Thanks for all your hard work, Sam!

D O J H 1 6 7
| I N T E R V I E W |

If there was only one forum that you could post in on HPFT, which one would it be?

I don't think there can be any answer except the Hufflepuff Common Room.

What is a hobby of yours?

I like to make fan videos for shows that I can't get out of my head. I'm just as muse-driven and irregular there as I am with writing, but I find it a really helpful channel for when I'm really obsessing over a tv show and can't get it out of my head to really immerse myself in it that way.

Who is your favorite character [from any fandom] and why?

I have favorites in each of my fandoms, but I find it really hard to compare them between fandoms. My mental lists aren't made to compute that way.

When is the last time you’ve written? What did you write about?

uhhhhhhhhh. I haven't really written anything since my Knockout Challenge entry. I got a fraction of an idea for a Cho/Fleur/Bill fic a month or so ago and scribbled out some thoughts, but it hasn't become anything.

What is something that has inspired you recently, and why?

All of the writing talk in the HPFT discord has given my very resistant muse a bit of a kick. I'm not sure if anything will come of it, but I'm at least thinking about thinking about writing.

Current song/album on repeat?

Do You by Carina Round

| A D V E R T I S E M E N T |

Story Title: The Moth and the Flame
Link: here+
Pairings: OC/OC
Summary:

Quote

The moth don't care when he sees the flame
He might get burned, but he's in the game
And once he's in, he can't go back
He'll beat his wings till he burns them back

Written for TidalDragon's Knockout Challenge 2019-2020, Round 1: Dysfunctional Relationships

Sam’s depiction of a dysfunctional and unhealthy relationship is done in such a unique way you won’t believe how things turn out at the end until you’re there! This was written for TidalDragon’s Knockout Challenge Round One, and moved her onto the second round, so check out this phenomenal original fiction piece today!

Our Head Students this month were @TidalDragon and @TreacleTart!

I N T E R V I E W S
| T I D A L D R A G O N |

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

Well, I'm going to avoid the CR cop-out (shout out to my Lions), and say it's probably a toss-up between Writer's Journals and Fic Recs. I always like to see what other writers/members thought processes are on their stories via their own updates and when they get questions from the crowd you can really see where their energy and focus is at with their work. Fic Recs right now is important because I just haven't been as active reading and reviewing for a long time so they provide a nice place to start.

If there's one story of yours you would like to tell us about, what would it be and why?

This time I will go with the easy answer and say No Accounting for Taste. Obviously my love for SeekerBell is well-known, but I'm really enjoying writing in an AU format that lets me put them in a slightly different situation as far as meeting and subsequent development. Plus I get to take liberties with how important things that are well-known in canon come to light to Katie (and aren't as well-known to the general population either).

From a purely writing perspective, while I've done it before in one-shots, I think this is my first novel-length project writing first-person from a female character's POV which, being a dude and all, is harder to carry out over the length of the work than it probably would be with a male character.

All that aside, it's my passion project and current baby and I would love to know what other people think!

What's it like to be participating in events as a member after so long on staff?

It's really awesome. As many (some?) know, I was part of HPFT's predecessor community on HPFF and I was never staff there so I got to participate in everything. It was really fun not just competing alongside, but really having more opportunity to bond with people. While I loved helping come up with ideas that I hoped y'all would enjoy, it's nice to get to enjoy them myself now. I think being on the outside of things now so-to-speak, it gives me an even greater appreciation for the new and great ideas the current staffers are churning out for us all year long.

Favorite thing you've read lately?

It's a tie between Branwen's Shenanigans, Capers, and Hi-Jinks and, as it happens, your [sarah's] story blood in the water. If you're talking about outside fic, I'm mainly continuing to read a lot of self-help books - currently Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown - which is a good read for people who feel like they're constantly struggling to keep their head above water on all their obligations and/or having trouble figuring out (as I think we all do) what really matters to us in our day-to-day lives.

Do you prefer card games, board games, or online games?

Online. I'm sure everyone will be surprised to know that I'm a video game junkie (COD, Skyrim, Zelda, indie titles...) I still enjoy the others (though I don't even know that many card games), but with my personal situation I don't get much opportunity to play them.

What is a ship that you hate to write, but love to read?

Interesting. Usually the two are mutually exclusive for me, but probably Wolfstar. I'm a fan of the ship and I've had thoughts of writing them before, but I can't ever be satisfied with what happens when I try. Fortunately so many authors here have amazing Wolfstar stories though and I am virtually never disappointed with any of them.

| T R E A C L E T A R T |

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

I really enjoy the Hufflepuff common room. It’s a place of such warm, friendly people and I always feel welcome there. I also appreciate how much activity is constantly going on. Sam, Eva and Renee do an excellent job of keeping things lively and fun!

If there’s one story of yours you would like to tell us about, what would it be and why?

Ohhh. Out of 130 stories I have to pick one? That’s tough. It would either be Isabella, about the magical world in Mexico or The Next Great Adventure about Harry’s journey to the afterlife. Both are my babies and the projects I’ve most consistently continued to work on.

What is a meal you’ve made recently that you’re really proud of?

Umm...I work as a chef for a living, so I’m pretty proud of everything I make. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t serve it. I’m doing some medically necessary meal prep for a couple of clients lately, so I’ve been working with making a lot of vegan and healthier foods.

You host challenges often -- how do you keep coming up with new ideas?

I just think of the subjects that interest me in terms of reading.

Who is a canon character that you love to hate and why?

Hmmm...I both love and hate Bellatrix. She’s dark and obviously evil, but also one of my favorite dark characters. I love writing her because I feel like I understand her chaos well.

Any tips for people wanting to travel the world but don’t know where to start?

Omg, so many. Stop overthinking and do it. Have flexible dates to get the best flight prices. Try to go into every new place with few expectations. Don’t expect anything to look or be like Instagram. Learn a handful of words in the local language of wherever you’re going. Pack as little as possible. (My travel pack fits in carryon luggage.) 

Todentanz by @Noelle Zingarella

R E V I E W  C O L U M N
| T O D E N T A N Z |

Todentanz by @Noelle Zingarella is a must read book on the Snapes. Set in the Fifties in (for the most part) Spinner's End, it tells the sweet tale of the beginnings of love between Eileen Prince and Tobias Snape.  It is told in seven Acts which were inspired by the Sufti Tradition of falling in love. (Attraction, Attachment, Love, Trust, Worship, Madness, Death.) All the scenes are beautifully woven together, with a heartbreaking ending. 

Innocent Eileen meets the ever so charming Tobias at a Muggle bar that she went to with her sister, Clytemnestra. He beguiles her, and romances her. He meets the family, and with blind eyes, she ignores the cautions of her family.

Noelle has breathed life into the story of Severus Snape's parents that we've only held previous hints of. It's well worth your time in reading and reviewing it.

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
| N O E L L E  Z I N G A R E L L A |

What inspires you to write?

On the macro-level, I write because I feel compelled to. My mind is a very loud place, and when I can dump some of the noise out and mold them into the words of a story, it turns the volume down. On the micro-level, I get most of my ideas while I'm washing dishes or folding laundry--I usually spring-board off a character concept or a scenario; or sometimes just an image.

What is a genre/trope that you’ve never written before, but want to try?

I've never written a space opera; and as a huge Star Trek fan, I could see that being a lot of fun to try someday.

Who are some published authors you look up to?

Sigrid Undset, Flannery O'Conner, Willa Cather, George MacDonald, and C. S. Lewis.

If you could give one piece of advice to your fellow writers, what would it be?

To try to turn off--or at least turn down--that inner critic. You are a better writer than you think you are.

Given what we know about how their marriage turned out, was it hard to write the beginning of Eileen's relationship with Tobias as being at least fairly happy?

It wasn't hard so much as it was creepy. As @Aphoride pointed out in her review of Todentanz, abusers don't go straight into the abuse--they lay the trap first by acting like they care about you. And that was a dynamic that made me feel kind of dirty to write.

Do you think that if Eileen hadn't gotten pregnant, she would have stayed with Tobias?

Yes. He had her psychologically trapped, and she had almost no support network outside of him. He was her tormenter--but he was also her foundation.

We'll pop into each Common Room to check out some news around the site!

F E A T U R E D  F I C
A Walking Cliche by @LadyMarauder

How did you come up with the idea for A Walking Cliche?

Honestly I came up with Jess first as this talented quidditch player who is struggling in a lot of other aspects of her life and just built it from there. It was years ago when I started this and loved a good trope (still do!) and thought this would be fun. 

What are three songs you'd put on a soundtrack for A Walking Cliche?

Oh bloody hell I have NO idea. I reckon it totally depends on where we are in the story. Can I get back to you with a playlist when I have a sec?! ha.

What cliche are you most excited to integrate into the fic (or that you've already incorporated)?

Ha! Well, spoiler alert, Jess may well end up seeing James at Christmas - which is always one that crops up and I love! Sassy James, embarrassed Jess and a hex or two, that one was fun.

Which character in the fic do you most enjoy writing and why?

I'm always on Jess's side, but James is so great to write for and I'd love a pal like him. There'll be a chapter from James' POV later down the line and it's really angsty and it's where his story really comes to a head. It was one of the very first chapters I really had down from the beginning.

What's your ideal writing environment?

My house is often wall to wall noise, which I do usually love, but it's so hard to write when there's kids singing at the top of their voices, so these days, I'd pay for quiet! Also, I seem to be able to write loads when I have very little time so that seems to be all I get at the mo!

L E A D I N G  L I O N
@Chemical_Pixie

Tell us the most Gryffindor thing you've done lately

Standing up for worker's rights at my place of employment... and annoying my coworkers to register to vote and grilling them on when our state's primary is (very SPEW-Hermione-esque, lol).

What class at Hogwarts would you most like to take?

Probably Transfiguration. McGonagall is boss and it would be cool to learn how to become an Animagus. Or any class where I can get away with "foolish wand-waving and silly incantations" without landing myself in detention.

What's the next place you would like to travel to?

Any place with a sauna and a cold body of water for me to jump into! Preferably in a wintery forest. Away from a busy road. With a patch of ice on the river or lake where I can ice skate. And a kitchen stoked with tea, chocolate, and wine. In a cottage with cats. And with candles and warm blankets and fuzzy socks. Any place with hygge (m). Or social democracy (m).

Which five people, alive or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?

Oooh. Bernie Sanders, Eugene V Debs, Sophie Scholl, the Fab Five, and bell hooks. 

Describe yourself in one  Parks and Recs gif/screencap

P U F F  O F  T H E  M O N T H
@Felpata_Lupin

Congratulations on making Hufflepuff of the Month! How do you feel about this recognition?

Thank you so much!  I'm so excited, it's always so lovely to feel appreciated by my Puff family! I'm really flattered (and I would like to say a huge thank you to Eva because she's the sweetest and way too nice to me... )

Which Harry Potter character do you relate to the most and why?

I suppose that would be Remus (no surprise to anyone here...  ) He's quiet, modest,  a bit shy, with a very low self-esteem and (or at least that's how I imagine him) not very good at dealing with his emotions... which is all basically me!  Also, I see him as someone who would always put others' needs before his own and who would always make sure not to be an inconvenience to anyone, which is also something I recognize myself in quite a lot.

Do you have an OTP (or more than one)? Can you tell us about it?

Once I would've probably said Jily (who'll always have a very special place in my heart), but now I can't not say Peter/Remus! They are my precious children! I would've never considered them as a couple before I first got the idea for Liar, but now I can't imagine anything different for them! Friends to lovers slowburn is probably my favourite trope and they are just the perfect example of it. I love their dynamic, the way they understand and support each other, and even if things turn wrong in the end I still feel like they would be such a great match and just the sweetest couple!  (I'm stopping here because I could go on about them forever...)

What animal would you become if you were an Animagus?

Probably a cat.  I would just curl up on the sofa and sleep all day... and when I'm in the mood for cuddles I'd go find someone to pat me. Cats just live the perfect life.  

If there was a movie about your life, which song(s) would be part of the soundtrack?

This is a hard one... Dancing Queen by Abba, since dancing is what keeps me alive  Lemon Tree by Fool's Garden (it describes the way I often feel all too well... ) Somewhere over the rainbow, because I am a dreamer and it just resounds with me... I'm sure there are many more, but these are the ones that come to mind now

S T O R Y  O F  T H E  M O N T H
The Inspector Teague Letters: The Church Lane Murder by @northbound24

What inspired you to write for this challenge with a variety of epistolary styles?

I've always being a fan of murder mystery stories and I felt the epistory style could provide an interesting take on the genre. The choices of the alternating letter or memo and transcripts of interviews for the chapters was to play to the established tropes of epistolary novels while adapting the police procedural genre tropes into the style of epitolary novels.

Of the Teague men, who is your favorite to write and why?

Oh Madi, they're all great to write for! 

But in all seriousness, Eddie Teague is my favourite even though I haven't written him in a while. Jack (Inspector Teague) is Eddie's dad so he'll get referenced in the Church Lane Murder story a bit more.

I reason I love writing or coming up with potential stories for Eddie is because he's unburdened by expectation of his family legacy and throws the established conventions of the HP canon out of the window by just being himself. 

So in a way he's like Luna Lovegood but more grounded. I haven't written anything with the two of them as a pair yet but I see Luna like the younger sister Eddie hasn't got so he ends up like a surrogate big brother.  

I also wanted to write a character of the Trio's generation who was from an established wizarding family who was effectively raised as a Muggle and was accepted by his muggle friends away from Hogwarts, and encouraged not to cut them off.

Plane, train, or automobile?

Train.

Favorite thing about being a Ravenclaw?

Getting to know the great people of the house and the crazy antics we tend to create.

C L A W  O F  T H E  M O N T H
@facingthenorthwind

How did you come across HPFT? When did you first join?

It was March 2018, and I had recently got back into writing HP fic, but I had no community to talk about it with, so I literally just googled harry potter fanfiction forums until I found HPFT! I had previously been involved (like, ten years ago) with places that had splintered from HPFF like SAYS and TGS, but my memory of HPFF was of an extremely conservative, queer-hostile place, so I had no interest in returning (although of course, the forums were gone, and I did not know). But then I found here and joined immediately! And what an excellent decision that was. (There is a weird AU timeline where I joined mugglenet forums instead, and I have no idea what that looks like, haha.)

What's your favorite AU genre to write in and why? (submitted by @MadiMalfoy)

madi why are you asking such a difficult question :((( I write so many AUs, I feel like, but I think my favourite is when things are Just A Little Bit Happier Than Canon, since my main ship is wolfstar and the only way that is canonical is with Extremely Large Amounts of Angst. Which is not to say that I am ever capable of writing an uncomplicatedly happy wolfstar -- I am absolutely not, there is always Lurking Angst. But there's a reason I've written 22k-odd words in the Everybody Lives universe, haha.

What makes you a Ravenclaw?

My love of knowledge! I am very bad at university but I love to learn things, it's just that the second it becomes Required i'm like "oh no it's the most boring thing in the world". I used to think that because I was not good at schoolwork I wasn't a Claw but nah, I'm a Ravenpuff deep down.

Do you plan stories out in detail or use a basic outline to base a story on? (submitted by @northbound24)

Bold of you to assume I have either! I usually pants my stories (or sometimes have the most skeletal of an outline), with the exception of bring your curses home which has an extremely extensive outline and story bible. It lived for a long time as just chatlogs playing around in the world rather than fic, whereas everything else starts out as a fic idea and then I try to write it.

What fantastic beast would you keep as a pet?

Hmmm probably none of them are good pets, haha. Kneazles seem pretty cool though (is this because my partner has recently adopted a kitten and I've fallen completely in love? absolutely yes, Trevor is my entire world). Also, mooncalves are super cute-looking!

S T O R Y  O F  T H E  M O N T H
Shared Loneliness by @toomanycurls

Give us your best House Pride shoutout! 

 My best house pride shout out? I think the most Slytherin thing I can say (about myself) is I often wear a very green lipstick, am very deliberate, and at times conniving.

What is your favorite activity/event/thing you hold in your House? Why?

Okay, my favorite thing is review battling. I know I haven't been in to do it in aggggggges but it's my favorite thing. I like reading awesome stories from the house and I like getting something back from participating as well.

What would be a perfect day for you?

I have a few types of perfect days. One is a perfect day by myself. I sleep in, go to the spa, enjoy a great lunch, get some reading or writing done, and then end the day with a wonderful dinner/night out. With my husband it's pretty similar just replace the solo activities with a mix of couples stuff and sexy time, lol. As a family, those days can look like anything but they feel like togetherness and fun times.

If you could have any super-power/magical ability, what would it be and why?

I want the ability to teleport. Maybe summon objects. And banish. Also cleaning????? I usually answer this question with boring non-HP folks but thinking through actual spells in the HP universe -- I don't think I could pick just one. I need to be a full fledged witch.

As part of the upcoming changes to the blog, we will no longer be asking a monthly dilemma! Our final dilemma winner was @Noelle Zingarella! Please PM a prefect to tell us where you'd like a review! We hope you all enjoyed this section and are excited for the new stuff to come!

 

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credits:
graphics: deni
oom adverts, sotm review column: madi, juls
monthly dilemma: tasha
interviewers and couriers: deni, sarah, madi, tasha, juls
blog compilation: sarah