Hello flist!

Long time not updating this blog. However, since I dislike the feeling when you go check someone's blog and there are no recent updates, and you don't know whether that person is still alive or not, here I am with this post to confirm that yes, indeed, I am still alive and fairly well. I am currently in vacation with my family and today is my birthday, so I thought it a good day to return here to write a little.

So, since the last time I left a post here, my life had a major change: in March 2023 I had a baby boy, and since then, the vast majority of my time had been devoted to him. I have been working now and then, part time, but most of my days are spent attending to my son's needs.

I got myself an Ipad and I am learning how to use Procreate. Actually I don't find it so much easier than Photoshop, but after all, I have some twenty years, more or less, of experience with Ps, so it would be expected to have some easiness with it.

I am still, from time to time, reading some SS/HG fics. In fact, after finishing some long novels this year, I am now reading Post Tenebras, Lux by Loten, which is considered a classic in the genre, but which I stopped reading at 42% some years ago.

Next year (I mean the school year 2024-25 - so, from September onward) will see some new changes as we are expected to move, sooner or later, to a new place equipped with a chamber for my son (he's still sleeping next to our bed at the moment) and my son will start daycare in autumn.

Livejournal-wise, this year won't see the last HP-related fest I still participated to, hoggywartyxmas. The 2023 edition was the last one, so there won't be a new September 1st post. I shall miss it.

If you are still interested in my drawings, I post (infrequently) on Instagram here. Most of my work are children's illustrations now.

That's all! I hope you are all well. I have been a terrible lj reader in the last years, but then again, I know the feeling when you remember about someone, you go to their blog and the last update is from 2010. I wish you all peace and good health.

Hi beautiful people,

With some delay, I'm finally going to acknowledge the last round of hoggywartyxmas here. I was actually going to write an update post some days ago, talking about personal stuff during recent months etc, but then I was left without home internet connection (for the third time in 2021), then I got my vaccine booster shot and was sick after it, and so on, and so on. What I'm going to do then is just talking about Hoggywarty here, and then hopefully write another update post soon.

So, first of all, I wish to thank paulamcg for her gift, Uplifting Magic (Characters: A house-elf OC, Pomona Sprout, Rubeus Hagrid, Buckbeak, Fang, Poppy Pomfrey, and Remus Lupin; mainly gen, only some Pomona/Poppy and implied, past Remus/Sirius.), Wordcount 3500, Rating G, Summary: On Christmas Day in 1993, after only thirteen people have attended the lunch in the Great Hall, some special treats await those most in need of holiday cheer. I certainly needed much uplifting and hopeful feelings this year, so it was much appreciated.

Other recommended reading from this year:

Flipping the Elephant by therealsnape (Characters: Mafalda Hopkirk and a large supporting cast ), Wordcount 123000, Rating G, Summary: Mafalda Hopkirk has a Plan for Life. And then she has a disaster on her hands. A beautiful story/metaphor about houses fleshing out a minor character. Set during summer and shedding summer lights on these winter days.

Bridgerwarts by kellychambliss (Characters: Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts staff, portrait!Albus, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Griselda Marchbanks, special guest stars), Wordcount 13500, Rating PG, Summary: The war is over, the castle has been repaired, and life at Hogwarts is returning to normal -- until mysterious letters start to arrive from "Lady Wandsdown." Bridgerton meets HP. Well, I couldn't but love a crossover between HP and Bridgerton - LOL

Endings and Beginnings by delphipsmith (Characters: Severus Snape, Hermione Grnger, Augusta Longbottom, Madam Pince, Portrait!Dobby, OC's), Wordcount 9000, Rating Gen, Summary: An ancient mystery and a modern one: do they hold one another's answers? A fascinating piece describing Elves history in depth.

Rest with your Dream in my Dream by squibstress (Characters: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape), Wordcount 9000, Rating T/PG-13, Summary: Near the end of the war, Minerva looks back at her relationship with Severus Snape and thinks about destiny. As you know, I am not a Snape/McGonagall shipper, so when a SS/MM fic impress me, it's because everything in it is plausible  and realistic.

And now on to the much recommended art:

Rejoicing (in the Greenhouse) by sigune (Characters: Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, Pomona Sprout - and Special Guest: Minerva McGonagall), Art , Rating G, Summary: Minerva is back! There's a tea and chocolate muffin celebration in Greenhouse One. If the plants are fine with it. A shiny, bright, detailed watercolour scene.

Art for Reawakening - A Christmas Tale by mywitch (Characters: Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, Rubeus Hagrid, Pomona Sprout, Irma Pince, Horace Slughorn, Filius Flitwick, Argus Filch, Mrs. Norris, Neville Longbottom, Millicent Bulstrode, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger ), Art , Rating G, Summary: Inspired by the 2016 hoggywartyxmas fic by rayvyn2k: Reawakening - A Christmas Tale. Mywitch has outdone herself once again with this animated gif than encompass the whole fic that inspired it.

As for myself, I had the chance (first time in many years, I believe!) to draw something for Sigune, namely The Headmaster's Closet. (Characters: Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Wispy), Art, Wordcount 342 ,Rating G , Summary: Professor Snape owns everything he needs.

And that's it! I hope we get some news from sshg_giftfest soon...

Eileen's retelling of her life and her marriage to Tobias Snape. My own take on their relationship. Shares tenuos links with my previous fir, A Summer in York

Hope you'll like it!

Dear friends,

I am happy to announce you that my new fic, The Rim of the Sky, is now online on fanfiction.net! Click on the link to read it. I plan to upload it also on AO3 when I'll get the invitation to the site.

I would like to thank kellychambliss for beta-reading it and correcting my English mistakes. If you find some more mistakes, they are all mine.

The Rim of Sky is a story I've had in mind for the last ten years - it was the backstory of Eileen and Tobias I envisioned while writing A Summer in York, but didn't manage to write back then. It would have probably been different had I written it right after ASiY, but the main scenes I planned back then are there. Those of you who have read ASiY will recognise some of the themes. It can in any case be read independently from ASiY (it's even more canon without the ASiY references, actually).

In any case, there you are: a Tobias/Eileen story, my take on their story, which hopefully varies from the main tropes about them. Only some bad language ahead. It's complete at 15000 words more or less.

I hope you'll like it.

Hello friends!

How are you? Things are going on in a quite boring way here in Italy - not much to report after Christmas... Anyway, I have decided that the pandemic lockdown was a good moment to finally put down to paper an old plot bunny I've had in mind for years. So, as the subject says, I am now looking for a beta reader, especially to correct my grammar faults and my limping prepositions. As you know, I am not a native English speaker and my written English is not perfect.

The fic I need help for is complete at ~15,000 words. It features no sex, only some bad language. The main characters are Eileen and Tobias Snape. The story is mostly canon and shares some tenuous links with my old fic A Summer in York, but it is independent.

If you know someone who would be interested in betaing a Snape-related fic, please let me know, or point me to somewhere I can ask. You can share this post around.

I take the liberty to link therealsnape, delphipsmith, kellychambliss, mywitch because they are more into current fandom than I am and maybe know of some editors still around.

Thank you!!! XXX

Good day, dear friends. Sometimes I return to this journal. Long story short, so far my family and I made it to 2021 without Covid accidents. We are also living in a very retired way, so much that I haven't met anyone apart from my husband (and the supermarket cashiers) during all the holidays. I haven't met my parents since the end of October!

Anyway, I'm here today to recommend you my favourites hoggywartyxmas entries! The fest is finished now and I have read all entries but one. My favourite pieces are:

FICS

The Unofficial Minutes of the Hogwarts Knitting Society (Irma Pince with a supporting cast of Hogwarts Staff Members. Also, the owner of a knitting shop.)
Summary: When Gilderoy Lockhart announces his plan for motivational lectures that will bring the fun back into teaching, his colleagues have to do something. But who would have thought it would involve needles and yarn?
A stellar excerpt from Irma's diary, featuring an OC who isn't what she seems to be and above all KNITTING.

Extracts from 'Letter Collection P' (Irma Pince, her correspondent 'M', Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, plus various incidentals, some of whom will be familiar...)
Summary: Selected correspondence from the Hogwarts Archives, in the form of personal letters between Librarian Irma Pince and a schoolfriend she refers to only as 'M'. These extracts span the years Pince spent training at the National Library of Magic, and are a window into the lives of two young witches in the mid 20th century. (HA 144/5 .k17 1961-1964 passim)
A beautiful after-Hogwarts corrispondence between Irma and "M".

Within a Forest Dark (Severus Snape/Minerva McGonagall)
Summary: Severus expects his journey at Hogwarts to be dark and lonely. He’s right. Mostly
One of those SS/MM that makes an unbeliever believe in Severus/Minerva.

ART

The Gift (Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore)
Summary: The year is 1993, and the presence of one Mr Remus Lupin at Hogwarts means that this isn't the Potions Master's favourite Christmas ever. Maybe, just maybe, Minerva McGonagall can lift his gloom.
A brilliant watercolor comic about a sweet revenge.

Season’s Greetings from Hogwarts! (Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Irma Pince)
Summary: The Hogwarts Faculty tries to keep it together for the annual Yule card photo.
An hilarious animated cardboard by a beloved HP artist.

Christmas in the Hospital Wing (Rubeus Hagrid, Poppy Pomfrey, a team of Hogwarts House Elves)
Summary: No place in Hogwarts is immune to holiday preparations. Certainly not the Hospital wing. Regardless of whether there are any students (or staff members) in residence under Madam Pomfrey’s care. Not even if there are no students even spending the holiday break at Hogwarts. The Hospital Wing *will* be decked out for the season.
An illustration of a far better hospital than the ones we got used to this year.

(all entries are still anonymous)
'
I also have to thank the Anonymous author of the gift for me! Thank you for ‘Twas the night before Christmas, a pome (Snape, Minerva, Santa)
Summary: Bertie Bott’s Christmas Baubles aren’t universally admired


Thank you! Happy 2021 everyone! Good reading!

I posted my little entry for the Covid Corner here https://covidcoffeecorner.dreamwidth.org/3418.html

For those of us who are not directly suffering for the virus (as patients or doctors), who are safely at home and are not experiencing other kinds of troubles, the mai source of stress, I believe, is the constant stream of news and of talking, on tv and social media. Staying at home in itself wouldn't be that bad if we didn't know that there's a sword of Damocles contantly hanging on our head.

Understanding what's happening while you are buried deep into it it's very difficult. I believe this it the first time I am directly involved into something that will make history. I watched the fall of the Berlin Wall, I watched 9/11 on tv, but I wasn't there, and while I, too, lived with the effects of those events (and others), I didn't participate to them. Now, I am participating in the great lockdown, and hopefully seeing what will happen next (if and when we'll reach a post-lockdown - there aren't any signs for that).

I am an history enthusiast and I, as other people, have often asked questions as "how could nazism spread in Germany? How could people do this, ignore that?". With all due differences between the two events, I think that those of us watching the present situation with some coolness will observe some similar mechanisms. Our politicians don't know what to do, or they try to do something, but no one seems to know the "right" way to get out of the quagmire. People are foolishly believing any king of fake news they receive on their whatsapp. People are transforming into informers who report their neighbours walking in the streets. The social paranoia is so extended that people fear other people queueing with them for the supermarket. Social pressure and the stress is so heavy that many people who were normally reasonable become hysterical and believe in plots.

Do you now find so strange that, under some specific historical contexts, people can support the Nazi parti or become Nazis themselves? That people could report Jews or other social groups considered dangerous?

I find more and more understandable each day. May we all keep our logic and our humanity.