Welcome to this month's In the Spotlight! We've got the usual madness from around the site and we're launching our new blog section! Let's jump on in!

The Prefects are excited to welcome @Noelle Zingarella to the team this month! Get to know her a little bit in her interview below:

Tell us three fun things about yourself.

I used to play the baritone saxophone in a saxophone quartet called the Saxy Ladies. I really like ice cream with 'stuff' in it (like moose tracks or cookie dough). I once got lost in a Utah desert for 14 hours.

What would the title of your autobiography be?

How to have a Nervous Breakdown and be Fabulous

What's the most out of character thing you've ever done?

That I'll admit to in public? In graduate school I acted like a big jerk to a lot of people. It was a fairly toxic environment, and looking back I wish I had just dropped out and walked away.

Tell us some of your guilty pleasures?

Sneaking candy and not sharing it with my kids. Listening to early '00s pop.

What are you most grateful for?

My family. They are pretty awesome.

This month, the honor of Order of Merlin went to @crowsb4bros! Paula's a force to be reckoned with on site, rocking the queue and our social media! You can always look to her for a friendly face, some encouraging words, or for a bright spot in your day! Thanks for all you do, Paula! 

C R O W S B 4 B R O S
| 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?

Writers nest! I love being able to see everyone’s stories and their progress.

What is a hobby of yours?

I think I’ve mentioned it here before, but I press plants! I have a huge collection of leaves and flowers in particular!

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

Inej Ghafa from Six of Crows! Inej was forced into the most harrowing of all circumstances and yet she’s still this amazing combination of vulnerable and vicious. She’s soft but also deadly. She’s honestly the most perfect character in my opinion. 

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

I just sat down and plotted a huge section of one of my OFs that I've been skipping and I'm counting that as writing!

Would you go with aliens if they beamed down to earth?

Before I had a kid the answer would be definitely. Now? I’d probably bring them some baked treats and a warm ‘howdy neighbor’ and head home.

Do you have a favorite type of plant and if so, why do you like it so much?

Lemon balm! It’s in the same family as mint but it smells so amazing and lemony! It’s pretty resilient and can handle a lot of mistreatment!

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

Story Title: Keeping Score
Link: +here
Pairings: James Sirius Potter/ OC, Lily Luna Potter/ Scorpius Malfoy
Summary: 

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Nicola Jennings has one goal: be the best keeper Puddlemere U has seen since Oliver Wood himself. She won't tolerate anyone who stands in her way.

Paula has blessed us with a JSP/OC fic that's a breath of fresh air! You can't help but root for Nicola as she moves to take the Quidditch world by storm, even as her reputation precedes her. The cast of characters she's created so far are interesting and nuanced; we can't wait to see where she takes them! Check this fic out ASAP, you won't be disappointed (especially if you're a fellow Taylor Swift fan; as a bonus, each chapter is named after a reputation song)!

Our head students this month were @tatapb and @Chemical_Pixie

I N T E R V I E W S
| T A T A P B |

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

I do love the Slytherin CR and I like checking out what our fellow sneks are doing... but I also spend an ungodly amount of time on the HPFT Discord nowadays. I don't know if that counts or not but it's the embarrassing truth.

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

As of right now, there's just Witch Slap. It's my first born, my baby, my child and it's grown beyond any expectations that I had. I started it about a year ago as my first foray into the world of fanfic and it somehow grew into the 80.000 word monstrosity it is right now, with about 50.000 more to go. It's a feel-good, slice-of-life, stupid thing and while it is Scorose, it's also the slowest burn in the history of writing, so up until now it's mostly been friendship and character development.

If you could choose any person in history to be your imaginary friend, who would it be and why?

That's a toughie, I can only think of British actors for some reason...? Stephen Fry being my imaginary pal would be swell.

The only problem with this question is that I also immediately imagine Imaginary Stephen Fry going "why am I even wasting my time on you" and just bailing on me to hang out with Imaginary Hugh Laurie, thus preemptively ending our imaginary friendship. I do wish him all the best, though. 

What is your go-to karaoke song?

I do love karaoke and I'm very intense about it, though my MO is mostly to just yell and hope for the best. My go to is Believe by Cher, because it suits said MO very well.

Would you rather have to eat your least favorite food once a day or never be able to eat your favorite food again?

My least favourite food is a gag-worthy dish my husband convinced me to eat because it's "traditional" and "delicious". It's basically the gelatine that's inside cod fish bones... and if had to pick between having it even once more in my life and never having a french fry ever again, I would gladly say sayonara to the fries.

Coffee or tea?

Lattes are part of my morning routine. If I don't have my latte, I will feel like something you'd scrape off the sole of your shoe... but tea is still my favourite.

| C H E M I C A L _ P I X I E |

What is your favorite place to visit on HPFT?

I'm cozy in my common room, but I like to venture out to other forums, mostly under an Invisibility Cloak.

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

My latest plunny-- Certain Peril+ . Based on the film Safety Not Guaranteed (m), this story is about apathetic Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office worker Maisie Cattermole investigating a concerning advert in a Muggle newspaper about needing help with a time travel mission. Her team lead, Cho Chang, has ulterior motives in taking this case, and new intern, Teddy Lupin, wants to do a good job at his first out-of-Hogwarts post. 

Maisie suddenly finds herself exploring the possibility of what could be, if only she would take the plunge...  

tl;dr:

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Certain Peril+

WANTED: Somebody to time travel with me. This is not a trick. PO Box 8463 The Avenue, Bellbridge, M4 61C. Negotiable pay; will compensate upon return. Must use your own weapons. Certain peril awaits. I have only done this once before.

What is your most used emoji?

Because I nearly laugh at everything. Because if I don't laugh, I'll be in utter despair.

Are you a morning or night person?

I'm not sure anymore. In the morning, I have the most mental alertness, but I can also stay up relatively late (as long as I'm home). I am definitely NOT an afternoon person. I would definitely benefit from a siesta every day.

Describe your ideal day

In an unexplored place, I wake up in cozy bed and have a cup of tea with a sturdy breakfast. I only use a map to get to a certain starting point (maybe a better known monument or something). Then, I meander through the city, turning down enticing boulevards or alleyways and coming across unexpected sites or interactions or experiences. There are moments where I push forward in the excitement of adventure, but there are pauses where I breathe in, focusing on how the sunlight warms my skin or how the garden is arranged. At bedtime, I crawl under my covers, drifting off to sleep and dreaming of journeys to come.

You're going to sail around the world; what do you name the boat you're sailing in?

Hmm, probably Caspartine, which appears in the film Stardust, since flying in a ship is more appealing than sailing in a ship. 

F E A T U R E D  F I C 
From the Ashes by @melian, @CheekyTorah-Lex

| M E L I A N |

Of all the fics that you wrote for this collection, which was your favorite and why?

This would have to be the Oliver Wood/ Lavender Brown one I wrote for Abbi (CrimsonQuill), Damaged. (I found out later this is the same title as a story by poppunkpadfoot, and I apologise unreservedly for that, Kayla.) I had never written Oliver/Lavender before and it took me a little while to get the idea for the story, because due to the age gap I couldn't set it at school (that would just be creepy) and, being the canon nerd I am, I had to keep it consistent with the books. So I set it five years post-war. Thing is, it took me places I really wasn't expecting it to, with PTSD and mental health issues and the like, which is something I haven't really explored in fics before. But I think it made it all the more powerful, and of all the stories I wrote for that collection, this is the one I am most likely to re-read.

Was it difficult to switch gears to write so many different characters/ships? Where did you get your inspiration?

I wouldn't really say it was difficult. I just concentrated on one story at a time. Once each one was finished, I posted it and moved on to the next one. I had been in a bit of a writing rut for a while before this came along, but it was the perfect impetus to get me writing again so while the fires in Australia were a horrible thing, in a selfish way I'm glad I had this excuse to sit down and actually force myself to write. People were expecting stories from me and I wanted to deliver.

As for where I get my inspiration, well my thing is finding scenarios that fit within the canon we already have, while not necessarily explicitly matching it. For the Barty/Regulus story, well we don't know for sure that Barty Crouch was in Slytherin, nor that he was in Regulus Black's year, but then again we don't know for sure that those things WEREN'T true either. So they don't contradict canon, but they don't necessarily match it either, if that makes sense. Anyway, I had a prompt from each person I was writing for, and I just tried to think of a scenario in which that prompt would be possible. Once I have that, I can generally throw something together.

Were there any stories in particular that required you to break out of your comfort zone?

Yep, absolutely. Stolen moments - Remus/Peter, the first one I wrote, which was for Chiara (felpatalupin). I struggled with that one a bit because I really have trouble putting Peter in a positive light, and matching him with Remus just doesn't work for me in my head at all. I mean, wolfstar doesn't fit within my personal head canon either, but I can write it. Remus/Peter, well that's a lot more difficult. And I was really worried that Chiara wouldn't like it because I set it the day before the Potters died, and that puts Peter's betrayal kind of front and centre, even if it's not explicitly mentioned, and because she likes Peter so much I thought that might not be what she was wanting. But if that was the case, she was kind enough not to mention it, so thank you for that, Chiara! (And I must get around to answering those reviews, too ...)

Are there any characters or ships you wrote for this collection that you might revisit in the future?

I'm not sure. I mean, I feel like I've told most of their stories now. I'm not someone who likes to go over and over a ship or a moment and try to tell it in completely different ways, especially if those ways contradict each other. Peter/Remus I won't revisit if I don't have to, because I really struggled there. Andromeda/Ted I've now written two stories about and unless I get inspired to show another moment in their lives, I don't think I'm likely to revisit them. Oliver/Lavender, well I'm really proud of that story so I think it'll be best served as a standalone. Wolfstar I'll write if I have a reason to, but I'm not naturally drawn to it. Regulus/Barty is similar in that I've written it now, and don't really see the need to do it again unless there is a reason to. And the Weasleys, well they're bound to be revisited, but not because I wrote this fic, more because there are so many of them and so many stories to be told. So it's not likely I'll revisit any of these just because I explored them in this collection.

What other projects are you working on right now?

Year of the Snake, which has been sadly neglected for a year now. I've had a look at it and tidied up a bit of what's to come, but I think I should re-read the relevant parts of Deathly Hallows before I go much further. I've forgotten too much in the interim. I have an OF which needs a good edit before I start sending it out to agents and publishers. I have two OF WIPs in varying states of completion which have too sat ignored for far too long. And I'm writing a very self indulgent epistolary romance (which is becoming less epistolary the more I write) which I'm sure will never be publicly released in any format (other than excerpts on Twitter) but makes me feel good to write. I should hang around the challenges section here more to feed my fanfic flame, but the site has been banned at work and I tend to forget to check when I'm on my phone. But you never know.

L E A D I N G  L I O N
@TidalDragon

Tell us the most Gryffindor thing you've done lately.

Umm. Probably controversially dismiss a DWI because I didn't think we could prove an essential element even though officers claimed that the defendant made statements admitting it - which happened not to be recorded on their body-worn camera (or at least weren't audible).

Did you take the sortinghatchats quiz? If so, did you feel like your result was accurate?

I did. I got double Gryffindor with no 'models' which is...I don't know. The primary is one hundred percent correct, but I'm torn between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff secondaries. To avoid being ridiculously long, though it's more quiet, I can absolutely be blunt and/or irritatingly firm in my values and decisions based off of them (and highly agitated if directed to do something that isn't fully in line with them). But at the same time I tend to try first to do it in a way that's more diplomatic - I am a Peacemaker according to an enneagram test after all - the description of which sounds awfully close to a Hufflepuff Secondary.

Which Gryffindor in the series do you identify with most?

Probably Neville. Because while I've always been known as being fair and just, I don't think I was ever known as being particularly courageous for most of my life. That's probably changed later on people come to know that while I'm not necessarily running around blasting it to the world (in case you didn't know I'm pretty low key), I do think I've become widely known for sticking to my guns rather than just relenting because it's what everyone else expects/prefers. So, like Neville, I've sort of 'come into my own' more publicly over time.

What class in Hogwarts would you most like to take?

Probably charms because it has really broad application and can also be used to augment the effectiveness of other forms of magic.

What's one magical creature you'd love to have as a pet?

A demiguise.

Puff of the Month went to @VaguelyCreativeName and @TreacleTart, the Story of the Month was The Rose Petal Beach by @apondinabluebox, and @just.a.willow.tree won for Review of the Month!

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

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

 Absolutely floored! I totally wasn’t expecting it, but it’s a lovely surprise!

What are your favourite genres to read and write?

I love reading angsty stuff and coming-of-age stories, but I also really enjoy reading humour! I’d say for writing, that’s mostly the same, but with humour I find it more difficult to judge if what I find funny actually translates on the page. I also love writing microfiction which curiously is something I rarely seek out to read.

What would Amortentia smell like for you?

This is such an interesting question because it made me think about how Amortentia actually works in relation to attraction – does the potion work in terms of physical, sexual attraction or does it imitate the smell of someone you’re romantically attracted to? The way it’s portrayed in canon and in most fics always seems to be mimicking a particular person’s smell rather than a generic set of smells that one might find attractive, if that makes sense at all? In any case, as an aro/ace I don’t really experience attraction in that way so I guess it wouldn’t smell of anything at all? But attraction is weird and I do not understand it, so if it’s just about smells I might like I guess it could smell like lemons, basil, and chocolate?

Who is your favourite Hufflepuff and why? (In the Potterverse... not among our HPFT house)

I’ve got to say Tonks! She’s super funny, she knows what she wants, and I love the Hufflepunk aesthetic she’s got going on!

Quick! You're going under cover and can only take three things from your previous life. What do you choose?

Yikes, I’m guessing I’m looking for sentimental but inconspicuous items, right? I’m taking my bike, my hiking boots, and my backpack, because they remind me of my family and some fun times we’ve had together, the travels I’ve been on and the places I’ve yet to see – although I’m guessing there won’t be much room for that if I have to go into hiding (I wonder what I did to land myself in that situation)…

S T O R Y  O F  T H E  M O N T H
The Brightest Pearl by @sibilant

What was your inspiration for this fic?

So I was browsing Tumblr one day and stumbled upon this post describing jiaoren, and I don't know, for whatever reason, my brain immediately connected the myth to Cho. From there, the idea kind of just spiraled naturally. Most of the creative decisions I made were heavily guided by some of my favorite feminist literature!

Which canon character is your favorite to write and why?

Gonna cheat a little bit and say that my favorite canon character(s) to write are Padma and Parvati Patil! I've really loved working on my "the opposite of loneliness" series and exploring their relationship and stories. Definitely part of my connection to them is the fact that their stories are very much like mine (I'm also Indian, a twin, and have faced much displacement and disruption in my life). But I think a larger part is that I think that their dynamic and characters hold so much promise that JKR just really didn't tap into!

If you had your own late night talk show, who would you invite as your first guest?

Oh mannnn. I think I would definitely invite Mary Oliver as my first guest, for entirely self-serving purposes, because I really really want to speak to her. And because this is a fictional late night talk show, I'm allowed to say someone who's dead, right?

Salty or Sweet?

Sweet always! Except if it's salted caramels, then salty.

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

Do you write a story from its start to its end, or do you jump around and write scenes out of order?

It is physically impossible for me to write in order haha. I tend to skip around to whatever scene strikes me at that moment because I've convinced myself it helps keep the motivation flowing, but it really just results in too many WIPs that I have no idea what I was trying to do with lol

What is a “stereotypical” Ravenclaw thing you do a lot?

Hmm...I don't really think I have one? I guess the closest would be my need to fit everything into easily identified lists and completely over-prepare whenever I'm planning something

What’s your favorite ship to write from The 100 and why? (submitted by @MadiMalfoy)

Hands down, my favorite one is Raven/Perri (my OC), but if I had to pick a canon ship, it would be Murven (I actually cried when they had that Moment in 5x04). They have the best dynamic in the whole show and just the way that they've both grown together as people just makes them a no brainer (if only the writers weren't cowards lol).

What book are you currently reading and would you recommend it?

Uh, well, I'm not really reading anything at the moment (what is free time?), so I'm just gonna go ahead and pick a random rec: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson absolutely blew my mind when I read it. Claudia's voice is so well done and the twist in this is one of the best I've ever read or seen.

Where do you get your inspiration for your original fiction/fanfiction?

I'm not gonna lie, most of my inspiration comes from whatever movie or TV show I'm watching at the time. Like, DMF was inspired by a throwaway line in the Sisters movie and my NaNo project from this year was based on a line from Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen. Sometimes I don't even notice it until I look at my face claims for the stories lol.

S T O R Y  O F  T H E  M O N T H
physical fatality by @grumpy cat

What was your inspiration for this fic?

uhh, my life haha. except i'm not a model and the guy(s) who inspired oliver wood are not quidditch players a lot (and really....a lot (90% ?? who knows but a lot) of the scenes are directly lifted from my own life and my questionable life choices. at least i've got fic inspiration....right?

the fact that i decided to write it as an oliver wood/oc story is because i'm a sucker for those - i think i've read all the classic ones like keep calm and carry on by @firewhiskey, game by @justonemorefic, keep away&hide and seek by @Mistress a couple of times and they're just a very big part of my fanfic reading life. so i've always wanted to try my hand at writing one and jax wood - a character in the art of being nonchalant, freya and oliver's son - has this kinda tragic, broken family backstory and well...we all know i can't resist hot messes. so i decided to expand on it (because it seems i'm incapable of writing anything that doesn't fit into the extended hp universe i've created for myself).

Besides the taylor swift song from the challenge, what are two songs you'd put on a soundtrack for this fic?

just two? damnation   i thiiiink young&reckless by charlotte lawrence and dirty mind by boy epic. (but also, like, i have an entire playlist here ) 

What has been the easiest part of writing this fic and what has been the most challenging?

funnily enough, the easiest was writing the drugs/party scenes and the sex scenes pls don't ask why, idk why except that my mind is in the gutter all of the time. the hardest...if you consider the fact that this was supposed to be a oneshot, then just three chapters and now....it's an 18k+ story. you could say the hardest was writing it the way i originally planned (...did i plan?? lol) and letting go of the characters? because i still haven't let go of them. and i encountered this terrible problem of really wanting them to end up together but...they can't and they don't. doom and gloom all around. 

Who's your biggest role model?

i don't think i have one  machiavelli? yeah, i think machiavelli is a good answer. i'm all about that badassery and manipulation of his.

S N A K E  O F  T H E  M O N T H
@Noelle Zingarella

Give us your best house pride shoutout

I think my favorite thing about Slytherin house is the way that creativity is fostered and encouraged. I love seeing a wild idea be fostered and tended so that it can grow into something special--and I think that this house is pretty good at doing that.

What are three things you couldn't live without?

My laptop, books, and chocolate (hmmm...this sounds like a NaNo kill it off).

Tell us about a book you've read recently that you'd recommend and why

I am in the middle of reading Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris, and I'm really enjoying the way she delves into this ancient subject and makes it very applicable to modern life. In the book she talks about how acedia (which is sort of like depression) attacks our everyday lives, making the ritualistic tasks that we do every day seem meaningless. And that's so heartbreaking, because it is those ritual things--making a cup of tea or coffee, going for a walk, eating a meal, etc--that make life worth living. It's very thought-provoking.

Would you rather have the power of invisibility or be able to fly?

Flying. My favorite dreams are flying dreams and I'd love to be able to do that while I was awake.

 

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credits:
graphics: deni
oom adverts, review column: sarah
interviewers, couriers: sarah, madi, tasha, noelle
blog compliation: sarah