postmortem

Postmortem: A Study In Magic: The Application, Chapter Twelve

I write this at my parents’ place, on a tablet. So apologies in advance if the post looks wonky.

Chapter Twelve, of A Study In Magic: The Application is now available in FFNET. I’ve titled it: Werewolf Woes and Welfare. Writing from Snape’s POV is always fun, and this chapter had plenty of such moments. Especially when Snape and John started texting each other again.

Characterization and Plot
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By booksofchange, ago

Postmortem: A Study In Magic: The Application, Chapter 10

Attention, Chapter Ten: Mr. Lestrade’s Most Productive Day of A Study In Magic: The Application is up! Yes, it took two months! I acknowledge the title could be better! I will also submit to any ear-boxing for taking so long!

At the risk of sounding like a creaky wheel, I want to state for the record writing this chapter was bloody agony. I never discarded so many drafts as this one. Last I checked, I had twenty plus drafts — for each scene! The only thing that survived from the first draft was the POV. It was Lestrade or bust. (more…)

By booksofchange, ago

Postmortem: Degrees of Magicalness – from Dumbledore to Lockhart

I’ve been thinking about degrees of magicalness in the Harry Potter world. It came about while I was fleshing out chapter ten of A Study in Magic: Application. So beware if you’re the type who hates spoilers.

From Great to Average to … Lockhart

This post calls for a Lockhart photo

Lockhart’s magic ability perplexes me. He excelled at memory Charms, but mediocre to bad at everything else. How? How?

Let’s suppose memory Charms are N.E.W.T. level magic. Hermione doesn’t even try to learn it until after book six, so the evidence seems to point to this direction. Based on this, one may think Lockhart had N.E.W.T. level Charms education. Neville Longbottom got an “Exceeds Expectations” for his Charms O.W.L.. Can we further assume Lockhart was at least as good as Neville in his fifth year?
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By booksofchange, ago