New Fics on July 12, 2011

We have been experiencing technical problems with the daily fic upload, which is why it's been nearly two weeks without any updates. The techs are working on it, and today got things working enough so that the following fics could be uploaded:

[TDA] Solvo by Carmen Black
Rating: PG
Spoilers: PoA, GoF, OotP
677 words
Genre: Drama, General
Main character(s): James, Sirius
Ships: None
Era: 1970-1981 (Including Marauders at Hogwarts)
Summary: Sirius arrives at James' house after leaving Grimmauld Place.

[AT] A Bit Unhealthy by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 5)
Rating: R
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR
35112 words
Genre: Romance, Angst
Main character(s): Angelina, George
Ships: Angelina/George
Era: In the nineteen years
Summary: Post-DH George Weasley/Angelina Johnson, prompted by Rowling's saying of the pairing that "maybe it's a bit unhealthy, but I think that they would've been happy." A writing challenge if I ever saw one. ;)

[Sch] Here Be Dragons by shosier (Chapters: 10)
Rating: R
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, FB, JKR
44718 words
Genre: Adventure, Slash
Main character(s): Charlie, Original Male Character
Ships: Charlie/Original Male Character
Era: Multiple Eras
Summary: As a little boy, Charlie Weasley cultivated a passion for dragons. But that little boy had no way of knowing where that passion would take him in life. These are Charlie's adventures – the ones only hinted at in canon. My story consists of vignettes of Charlie's life, with emphasis on those rare, brief moments when JKR mentioned him in passing, and few other gaps filled in.

[TDA] In the Light Of the Stars by little_bird (Chapters: 8)
Rating: 15
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI -
30142 words
Genre: Drama
Main character(s): McGonagall
Ships: McGonagall/Original Male Character
Era: Multiple Eras
Summary: Minerva McGonagall's life and adventures during World War II after she leaves Hogwarts.

[Sch] Unsortable by Accidental Insults (Chapters: 5)
Rating: R
Spoilers: HBP, DH, EPI
29556 words
Genre: Drama, Romance
Main character(s): Draco, Original Female Character
Ships: Draco/Original Female Character, Draco/Other Canon Witch
Era: Multiple Eras
Summary: With the wizarding world in chaos as the Dark Lord executes his final plans, one girl has trained her entire life learning ancient magic for guardianship. Now she has been charged to protect one of Harry Potter's most iniquitous enemies, Draco Malfoy.

[AT] Shear Magic!: The Diary of Draco Malfoy by Celestinne (Chapters: 3)
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
3733 words
Genre: Humor, Romance
Main character(s): Draco
Ships: Draco/Harry
Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Summary: Shear Magic! is all about hair, beauty, and the fabulous Draco Malfoy, whose underground life as a bachelor stylist takes a new turn as the makeover of Severus Snape becomes his ticket to stardom. Bizarre circumstances and hilarity ensue. AU, D/H SLASH

Fansites Interview with Daniel Radcliffe

Back near the end of August, as filming was wrapping on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” several fan sites, including FictionAlley, were invited to participate in a press conference with the Boy Who Lived himself, actor Dan Radcliffe. Most of the questions centered on the final volume of Harry Potter’s chronicle, soon to be presented in two parts. Now that Part II is about to hit theatres, we can share with you some of our questions, and Dan’s answers: Q: What was it like to film the scene with the seven Harrys (using polyjuice)? DR: It was somewhat easier to impersonate some of the actors than others. Mundungus was easiest to imitate, but Rupert was very difficult because … when you analyze it, he has a wiggle in the hips when he walks, so it was slightly trickier, but it’s going to be a great scene because of the polyjuicing. We did it cleverly so that everything can overlap and seven Harrys on screen at one time! The girls were very funny. I think the crew was worried that I was walking a little too confidently in Fleur’s heels, but it was good fun. Q: What about the scene where Helena Bonham Carter is playing Hermione polyjuiced into Bellatrix? What was that like to film? DR: It was fun. It was Helena Bonham Carter and Warwick Davis and me on the cart. They’re both hysterically funny. I basically became her PA. I kept asking: Do you want me to hold that coffee? Do you want it in the shot? She’s mad, it was great fun. Also when she transforms back, that was funny. Q: There’s a rumor that the film will be split right where Voldemort gains possession of the Elder Wand. What do you think of this choice? DR: I think you mean Entertainment Weekly’s article. That’s a bit preemptive because we don’t know ourselves! It seems appropriate but it isn’t decided yet. It’s between a few scenes, but I won’t say in case I’m proved wrong. There’s a rumour that it’s right before Malfoy Manor? There is a rumour, but it could be ten scenes to either side. Q: Part I is really mostly a “road” movie and has a really different feel to the other films. Was it a really different experience playing Harry when he’s not at Hogwarts? DR: Absolutely, it’s very different, but funnily we weren’t aware how different it was when we were filming. We weren’t thinking about it. But when I saw the trailer and some of the extras, it just struck me how different it will be because we’ve never seen them in this context before, stripped of their comfortable, safe surroundings, and out in the wilderness together. You learn more about how those characters function and it’s an exploration of their relationships. Harry and Ron fall apart to some degree. It’s got a very different feel and hopefully people will be very excited by that. Q: What were the most challenging scenes, physically and emotionally? DR: Physically, underwater stuff is always pretty tricky. There’s a big fight scene in the frozen lake with the sword and the horcrux. Hopefully it’s a pretty terrifying semi-homage to the Omen, dragged up to the ice and torn around by the locket. Pretty challenging. Stuff in Gringott’s bank, in the Lestrange vault, where the treasure is multiplying, that’s hard because I’m having to scale a moving platform on the set, so that they would move up and would have to struggle onto each level. My calf muscles never worked so hard! Emotionally? All the stuff early on in the first part with Rupert. It’s very hard, as I’m sure you all know, to hate Rupert Grint, so that was a challenge, but hopefully some really good things will come out of it. Also in Godric’s Hollow where Harry sees his parents’ graves. And I see Harry as battle-hardened, and emotionally shut down. Mainly how he survives is to suppress and be stoic, so it’s challenging to combine those. Q: Could you talk about the Final Battle and the emotion of the scene and the performances when he comes back to the courtyard to find everyone fighting and Hogwarts on fire? DR: It wasn’t the courtyard scene, it was seeing the Great Hall destroyed and turned into a field hopital that was more shocking. Seeing it destroyed is bizarre, it’s such an iconic set. It brought home the fact that the films are coming to a close, it gave us an awareness of how much we need to get this right, as well as a huge motivation because we’ve been there 10 years and don’t want to go out any way other than spectacularly. We owe it to everyone to make this the best we can. Q: For filmgoers who haven’t read the books, do you think their reaction will turn against Dumbledore? DR: I hope so: that’s kind of the intention. It’s about faith, and how far one’s faith can be tested. Harry’s a Job figure in the first film, he starts to really question why he’s going on this insane, demanding mission which costs his friends and will eventually cost his life. Hopefully at the end of the first film, people should be very much wondering what is Dumbledore’s real agenda? While on the topic, it’s interesting that as Harry loses faith, Ron and Hermione lose faith in Harry. I was also comparing him to a Roman emperor in the last days of the empire, becoming paranoid and cutting himself off, and I’ve always thought that Harry does have a kind of martyr complex, when he doesn’t want to reach out when in fact he should, and he’s endangering his mission and the good of the magical world by not asking for help and not accepting help. Q: What was your favourite scene and why? DR: There are so many to choose from! And we filmed over a period of 17 months so I’ve forgotten some of the ones at the beginning. But here’s two: one is when I go into the forest and see the ghosts of my parents, Sirius, and Lupin, and they give guidance and comfort in my final moments. I’ve always felt that was one of the most moving moments in the books. And also, I missed Michael Gambon on the set very much, so King’s Cross when we meet there was a favourite. Also it’s a cool set, more surreal than other sets than [we’ve] done before. Q: Now that it’s over, have you kept any mementoes? DR: I’ve got two pairs of glasses, one from the 7th film, the lenseless ones, and also a lensed pair from the first film, which are just tiny little things now, but they both have pride of place. That was the only thing I wanted. Didn’t want the wand, certainly not the broom. Those were the only things. Q: If you had the chance to take Harry’s journey in real life, would you and why? DR: I think I would, because if I had the same responsibility that Harry has in the film, I’d like to think I would be as selfless and brave as he can be. I think we all would like that, and recognize the importance of all he has to do and all the people he has to protect. But I don’t think any of us are as brave as Harry. [Optional Questions to include: Q: It’s been reported that Kate Winslet turned down Grey Lady. Who’s playing the part – and what was it like playing that pivotal scene? DR: It hasn’t been announced yet who’s playing the part, so I can’t say. Rest assured, it is a wonderful British actress who is held in high esteem by lots of people. I was thrilled to get to work with her and she’s wonderful and brings both loneliness, sense of isolation, and the embittered anger that the character has to have. I hadn’t heard about Kate Winslet; if that had come to fruition, I don’t think I could have looked her in the eye. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more. Q: What’s your favourite Harry Look? DR: I’d say either the third film or the DH part we just finished. The hair’s the most right. I look best covered in mud and sweat. It’s hard to achieve in day-to-day life, but it’s how I look strongest. And it helps get into scene if you’re covered in all that stuff. Q: We’re all waiting excitedly for the films, of course, but some people are already looking beyond them to the next interpretation. At Infinitus we saw some pretty incredible examples of fan films and even fan musicals. What would your reaction / response be to a project like Harry Potter: The Musical? DR: Honestly? Pretty negative! Harry Potter’s a book and now films. I think a radio play could work. I don’t know how it would be done in a musical. I’m ready to be proved wrong, but in my opinion, it’s not a good candidate for a musical. It doesn’t lend itself to the medium. But I’m ready to be proven wrong!]

FictionAlley LIVE at Deathly Hallows 2 Premiere in London

FictionAlley is at the London premiere of Deathly Hallows 2, sending out live updates via Twitter.

Update: Heidi has now posted a gallery with photos from the red carpet and surrounding area.

Rupert Grint talks to the press on the red carpet before the premiere on 7 July 2011.

FictionAlley LIVE at DH2 Press Conference

Above: One of the Phelps twins signing autographs outside the DH2 press conference in London on 6 July 2011.

FictionAlley attended the press conference, and provided LIVE Twitter coverage.

Some highlights:

"Emma would like to have a Pensieve to understand how people work and coming to understand how Snape worked was amazing in the final film."

"Tom says the best thing was working with the cast & crew, but the blond dye got painful."

"Ralph says he does not get often recognized because he has a nose and hair in real life."

Read more on FictionAlley's Twitter.

Interview with Alexandre Desplat, DH1 and 2 composer

Alexandre Desplat, the composer of the soundtrack for both Deathly Hallows movies, gave an extensive interview on June 29, 2011, in which he discusses the creative process, death, love, and John Williams. You can read the full transcript on FictionAlley Park.*

As a special treat, you can also watch a video clip of Desplat conducting one of the songs from the upcoming score.

The DH2 soundtrack itself will be released and available for purchase on July 12, 2011.

*Special thanks to Lena Gabrielle for serving as FictionAlley's representative during the interview.

New Fics on July 1, 2011

[TDA] Leave Out All the Rest by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 1)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 0 hits - 10777 words
Genre: Angst, Drama

Main character(s): Fred, George, Ron

Ships: George/Luna

Era: In the nineteen years
Summary Nobody expected the year after Fred's death would be easy. But nobody expected George would have to lose so much, just to live through it. Or: George is doing his best to make his way after the war and Fred's death. Everyone is trying to help, and he wishes they would just stop. Especially Fred.

[Sch] A Capacity for Love by SwissMiss (Chapters: 23)

Rating: R

Spoilers: HBP - 5444 hits - 116813 words
Genre: Drama, General

Main character(s): Hermione, Snape

Ships: None

Era: The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Summary: As a Death Eater, Snape is forced to attack Hermione. This story explores what happens afterwards. Contains non-con and is not a romance.
Published: April 27, 2010 (between Deathly Hallows and Beedle the Bard) - Updated: July 1, 2011

[AT] At the Start of Whatever by SwissMiss (Chapters: 1)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: GoF, DH - 0 hits - 7644 words
Genre: Romance, Drama

Main character(s): Hermione, Viktor

Ships: Hermione/Viktor

Era: In the nineteen years
Summary: Viktor Krum has just moved into the most expensive block of Muggle real estate in London, and Hermione Granger wants to find out why. Viktor/Hermione, oneshot.
Published: July 1, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: July 1, 2011

[AT] Never Give Up, It's A Wonderful Life by SwissMiss (Chapters: 1)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: HBP, DH - 0 hits - 3000 words
Genre: Romance, Drama

Main character(s): Hermione, Snape

Ships: Hermione/Snape

Era: In the nineteen years
Summary: When Hermione Granger is assigned Severus Snape's old quarters, she never expects to find his ghost haunting them. But is everything really as it appears? SS/HG.
Published: July 1, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: July 1, 2011

New Fics on June 29, 2011

[Sch] The House That Cedric Built by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 2)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 71 hits - 21450 words
Genre: General, Romance

Main character(s): Draco

Ships: Draco/Ghost

Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Summary: Draco didn't think there was much reason to hope for a better future. Astoria proved him wrong.
Published: June 11, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 28, 2011

New Fics on June 28, 2011

[AT] And I'll Tell You No Lies by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 4)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 33 hits - 48923 words
Genre: Romance

Main character(s): Draco, Harry, Ron

Ships: Draco/Harry, Harry/Ron

Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Summary: It all started with a stupid interrogation. Or: Don't ask a question if you're not prepared to hear the answer.
Published: June 15, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 28, 2011

[Sch] Here Be Dragons by shosier (Chapters: 9)

Rating: R

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, FB, JKR - 801 hits - 38925 words
Genre: Adventure, Slash

Main character(s): Charlie, Original Male Character

Ships: Charlie/Original Male Character

Era: Multiple Eras
As a little boy, Charlie Weasley cultivated a passion for dragons. But that little boy had no way of knowing where that passion would take him in life. These are Charlie's adventures – the ones only hinted at in canon. My story consists of vignettes of Charlie's life, with emphasis on those rare, brief moments when JKR mentioned him in passing, and few other gaps filled in.
Published: May 3, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 28, 2011

New Fics on June 27, 2011

[AT] The God of Small Things by Ludo13 (Chapters: 1)

Rating: R

Spoilers: None - 0 hits - 3076 words
Genre: Drama, Romance

Main character(s): Draco, Hermione

Ships: Draco/Hermione

Era: The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Summary: If he touched her, he could not talk to her. If he loved her, he could not leave her. If he spoke to her, he could not listen. If he fought for her, he would never win... This one shot is an adaptation of a chapter of "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. All Harry Potter characters and canon Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling and associates.
Published: June 27, 2011 (between Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows) - Updated: June 27, 2011

[TDA] There'll Be Bluebirds by little_bird (Chapters: 30)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI - 19786 hits - 103558 words
Genre: General, Epistolary

Main character(s): Albus Severus, Ginny, Harry, James II, Lily II, Remus, Sirius, Teddy, Other Canon Female Witch

Ships: Ginny/Harry, Remus/Tonks

Era: In the nineteen years between the last chapter of
Summary: Teddy Lupin finds his father's journals. Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows from the perspective of Remus Lupin.
Published: May 6, 2009 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 27, 2011

New Fics on June 26, 2011

[AT] A Bit Unhealthy by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 4)

Rating: R

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 423 hits - 23224 words
Genre: Romance, Angst

Main character(s): Angelina, George

Ships: Angelina/George

Era: In the nineteen years between the last chapter of
Summary: Post-DH George Weasley/Angelina Johnson, prompted by Rowling's saying of the pairing that "maybe it's a bit unhealthy, but I think that they would've been happy." A writing challenge if I ever saw one ;)
Published: June 11, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 26, 2011

[Sch] Questions and Answers by little_bird (Chapters: 78)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 48901 hits - 330398 words
Genre: General

Main character(s): Albus Severus, Draco, Ginny, Harry, James II, Lily II, Teddy, Weasleys

Ships: None

Era: Children of Characters in the HP novels
Sumamry: What happens when the past collides with the present and threatens to cast the Potters' and Weasleys' lives into disarray...
Published: March 17, 2010 (between Deathly Hallows and Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 26, 2011

New Fics on June 25, 2011

[Sch] A Capacity for Love by SwissMiss (Chapters: 22)

Rating: R

Spoilers: HBP - 5142 hits - 113852 words
Genre: Drama, General

Main character(s): Hermione, Snape

Ships: None

Era: The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Summary: As a Death Eater, Snape is forced to attack Hermione. This story explores what happens afterwards. Contains non-con and is not a romance.
Published: April 27, 2010 (between Deathly Hallows and Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 25, 2011

[TDA] Out In the Open by little_bird (Chapters: 2)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 222 hits - 10634 words
Genre: General

Main character(s): Dudley, Original Male Character

Ships: Dudley/Original Male Character

Era: Other Era
Summary: Glimpses into the life Dudley Dursley manages to make for himself after the Second Wizarding War.
Published: April 10, 2011 (after Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 25, 2011

[Sch] Questions and Answers by little_bird (Chapters: 75)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 48245 hits - 313718 words
Genre: General

Main character(s): Albus Severus, Draco, Ginny, Harry, James II, Lily II, Teddy, Weasleys

Ships: None

Era: Children of Characters in the HP novels
Summary: What happens when the past collides with the present and threatens to cast the Potters' and Weasleys' lives into disarray...
Published: March 17, 2010 (between Deathly Hallows and Beedle the Bard) - Updated: June 25, 2011

New Fics on June 24, 2011

[AT] Ember to Ember by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 3)

Rating: 15 - Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 130 hits - 16493 words
Genre: Romance, Slash - Main character(s): Draco, Harry

Ships: D/H

Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Summary: Sequel to Volunteers, written for the Beltane livejournal community. From one Beltane to the next.

[Sch] Questions and Answers by little_bird (Chapters: 72)

Rating: 15

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 47694 hits - 300803 words
Genre: General - Main character(s): Albus Severus, Draco, Ginny, Harry, James II, Lily II, Teddy, Weasleys

Ships: None

Era: Children of Characters in the HP novels
Summary: What happens when the past collides with the present and threatens to cast the Potters' and Weasleys' lives into disarray...

[Sch] Ronald Weasley and the Philosopher's Stone by kewolf (Chapters: 10)

Rating: PG

Spoilers: PS/SS - 1102 hits - 85673 words
Genre: Friendship, Action

Main character(s): Trio

Ships: Arthur/Molly

Era: The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Summary: We have all heard the story of Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts; we saw it through his eyes. But what about his best friend? What was Ron Weasley thinking the entire time? What was it like meeting Harry Potter? How on earth did he get through all of his homework before becoming friends with Hermione? This is the story of a boy who feels overshadowed, who desperately struggles to find who he is and how he fits in his family. and who discovers the real meaning of friendship and finding those people who will change his life forever.

Pottermore: Coming Soon

Pottermore is J.K. Rowling's new website, where users will be able to choose a magical username, visit Diagon Alley, and help your House compete for the House Cup, interact with the books, and download ebooks and audio books.

Watch Jo's announcement video to learn more.


Once the site goes into open beta at the end of July, we'll start to add information about Pottermore in the forums, and add it to the list of spoiler tags. You can discuss Pottermore in FictionAlley Park

New Fics on June 22, 2011

[AT] A Bit Unhealthy by Anna Fugazzi (Chapters: 3)

Rating: R - Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 326 hits - 16855 words
Genre: Romance, Angst
Main character(s): Angelina, George
Ships: AnJ/GW
Post-DH George Weasley/Angelina Johnson, prompted by Rowling's saying of the pairing that "maybe it's a bit unhealthy, but I think that they would've been happy." A writing challenge if I ever saw one ;)

[AT] Coyote Morning by Anna Fugazzi

>Rating: R
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR - 0 hits - 14647 words
Genre: Romance, Humor - Main character(s):George
"Sometimes the very thing you're looking for is the one thing you can't see." Or: sometimes boys aren't too bright. (George Weasley/Lee Jordan)

Have you made it to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter yet?

It's been just about a year since the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, and to celebrate Universal's launched a contest on their Facebook page.

Two winners will be chosen each week for four weeks, and all eight will visit Universal Orlando Resort in the fall. To participate, fans just have to share their best memory of their visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in their new Facebook tab, “Share your Story”. If you haven't have had the chance to visit the WWoHP yet, you can post what you are looking forward to the most when you finally get to visit.

Universal will be selecting two winners each week during the next four weeks. Each winner will receive the following: airfare to Orlando for two, hotel accommodations, transportation to/ from hotel and, of course, the opportunity to experience both of our theme parks. The contest is open to US residents only, but as a frequent visitor to the WWoHP, I am sure that all eight winners and their guest will have a magical time!

Speaking of Universal, if you're attending LeakyCon this summer, Ascendio in July of 2012, and/or visiting Universal Orlando on your own or with friends, they've just launched a brand new iPhone/iPad app that includes maps, dining and event information, facts about rides and places at Universal Orlando and a check-in-to-save-money function too (hurrah, more money for wands!). Download it for free from the iTunes store.

Harry Potter Fan Panel Returns to Comic Con

For the fourth year in a row, creative Harry Potter fandomers will lead a discussion at Comic Con. This year, with the panel coming barely a week after the release of the final Harry Potter film and a few weeks after the announcement about what Pottermore actually is, it marks a time of transition for the fans, and for everyone who's grown up with and lived with the Harry Potter books, films and magic for one year, five years, or even a dozen years.
Topics will include continuing involvement in fannish activities online and in person, upcoming events, projects and opportunities for activism, thoughts on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter one year on, fannish creativity on stage, in writing, in art and in vids and fanfilms, and more!
Panelists include (alphabetically):
Melissa Anelli (The-Leaky-Cauldron.org, Harry - A History)
Kathryn Mudgway (International Quidditch Assocation)
Joey Richter ("Ron" in A Very Potter Musical/Sequel; Me & My Dick, Starship)
Andrew Sims (Mugglenet, Hypable.com)
Andrew Slack (TheHPAlliance.org, Imagine Better)
Heidi Tandy (FictionAlley.org, Ascendio2012.org/HPEF) is the moderator.

The panel will take place on Thursday, July 21 at 5 PM in Room: 25ABC; Comic Con is sold out already, about 1500 additional tickets will be available with an hour's notice, Comic Con announced today via Twitter; follow them to learn when that'll happen.
You can RSVP on our Facebook Event Page.

The Owls Are Not What They Seem

In just over ten hours, J.K. Rowling will announce a new project, POTTERMORE. What is it? Nobody knows - or, at least, those who know aren't talking. However, the records of the US Patent & Trademark Office suggest that the site may include games, social networking, educational materials, downloadable audiobooks or ebooks, and merchandise.

You can speculate about Pottermore in our new FictionAlley Park forum, or visit after June 23 and discuss what's actually there.

New Fics on June 21, 2011

Here Be Dragons by shosier.
Latest chapter Complete fic
Rating: R. Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, FB, JKR.
Genre: Adventure, Slash - Era: Multiple Eras
Main character(s): ChW, OMC_W
Ships: ChW/OMC_W
As a little boy, Charlie Weasley cultivated a passion for dragons. But that little boy had no way of knowing where that passion would take him in life. These are Charlie's adventures – the ones only hinted at in canon. My story consists of vignettes of Charlie's life, with emphasis on those rare, brief moments when JKR mentioned him in passing, and few other gaps filled in.

New Fics on June 19, 2011

Ember to Ember by Anna Fugazzi.
Latest chapter All chapters
Rating: 15. Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR.
Genre: Romance, Slash - Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Main character(s): Draco, Harry Sequel to Volunteers, written for the Beltane livejournal community. From one Beltane to the next.

Guide those that through their councils by Anna Fugazzi.
Available here
Rating: 15. Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, DH, EPI, QTTA, FB, BB, JKR.
Genre: Slash, Friendship
Era: Harry and Classmates Post-Hogwarts
Ships: H/R
Harry's first time out of the British Isles left something to be desired. In fact, as the locals would say, so far it sucked. Written for HP 10K Awareness.

New Fics on June 6, 2011

If You're in Trouble (I'll Break into Your Window) by gilespy
Available here
Rating: PG.
Genre: Suspense, Adventure
Era: The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years Main character(s): Ron
Lead up to Ron and the twins breaking Harry out of his room at the beginning of HP & the Chamber of Secrets.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer Update/DH1 Contest

Warner Brothers has released a nearly-two-minute trailer for Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, and you can download or stream it by following the links below.

The trailer gives glimpses of the Battle of Hogwarts, The Prince's Tale, the escape from Gringotts and more.

Also, Warner Brother has provided us with a copy of the US version of the Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy version of Deathly Hallows -Part 1; watch the trailer, then let us know your favorite moment by commenting on this post, on the FictionAlley Park forums, or on Twitter by including the #FictionAlley hashtag and following FictionAlley, and be entered to win the US version of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Download.

Deadline to enter is noon Eastern Daylight Time on April 29, 2011; there is no deadline to share your thoughts.

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There are three consecutive blocks in Times Square with Harry Potter-ish content.

On 44th Street, between 7th and 8th, Harry Potter: The Exhibition is now open at Discovery Center. On 45th Street between 8th and 9th, Daniel Radcliffe is starring in How to Succeed In Business. On 46th and Broadway, the massive set of screens features an ad and clips from Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 plays every seven to ten minutes.

I got to experience it all this past weekend, thanks to Warner Brothers, the Harry Potter Exhibition and the team behind How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

The activities started on Sunday afternoon with a visit to the Apple Store on Prince Street, where producers David Heyman and David Barron were joined by Warwick Davis, Robbie Coltrane, Helen McCrory, David Thewlis, Natalia Tena, Oliver and James Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch and Freddie Stroma; the entire recording will be up in the iTunes Store later this week. You can also catch up on some of the quotes here, and please feel free to discuss the actors thoughts on their characters in FictionAlley Park.

Click here to read more, and see our photos from the grand opening of Harry Potter: The Exhibition.

Deathly Hallows DVD/Blu-Ray Release & HP Exhibition

We'll be tweeting from New York City tomorrow and Monday, as the Harry Potter exhibition at Discovery Times Square has its grand opening, and WB gets ready for the release of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 on DVD, downloads and Blu-Ray. You can follow FictionAlley on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fictionalley.

Crossovers Only on FictionAlley in 2011

Given that the last Harry Potter film is coming out this summer, we've decided that to enliven things up a bit, we're only allowing crossover fics - no plain vanilla Harry Potter fics - through the rest of 2011!





(Click reload to see more! There's a few new ones this year - see if you catch them!)

Fandom Helps Support Japan

Added on March 17 at 6:50 PM:
Through noon EDT on March 18, if you donate $5 to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund, Living Social will match your donation, which will double the impact of your contribution.

---

Original post:
Last year, I was one of the organizers of the LiveJournal community Help_Haiti. Since then, fandomers have come together to raise money in support of the victims of disasters in Chile, Pakistan, New Zealand and now, of course, Japan.

Click the banner below to learn more about Help_Japan, including how to offer to write fics, make icons, put together fanmixes, picspams or fanvids, make sweets, create crafts and more - and find out how to bid on what others have offered. The auction is open until next week, and more items are being added every day.

"Prepare for the Final Battle!"

Warner Brothers has launched Harry Potter: The Quest, a global online adventure celebrating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ - Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ - Part 2.

As users from around the world play games, watch videos and have all new Harry Potter experiences, the site community "earns points" - then, as the site community reaches a predetermined point level each week, they will be able to access exclusive never-before-seen content from all the Harry Potter movies and more.

Registered users can also enter a sweepstakes - the first sweepstakes is a chance to win tickets for two to attend the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in London this July. Some of Team FictionAlley will be there covering the event and we hope to see you there, too!

There will also be smaller prizes to win in other contests, too.

For more information about Harry Potter: The Quest visit www.HarryPotterTheQuest.com.

A New Kind of Harry Potter Experience

Last November, WB announced that they were planning to open something magical at Leavesden, the production home of the Harry Potter films for over ten years.

Today, they announced their plans - in the Spring of 2012, they will open Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. As they announced, the walking tour experience will

give visitors the chance to go behind the scenes of the most successful film series of all time and witness the intricate detail that goes into a working set to see first hand what the camera doesn’t show.

Featuring the authentic sets, costumes, animatronics, props and effects used in the production of all eight Harry Potter movies, the tour will showcase the British artistry, technology and talent that went into bringing this beloved film series to life.

Among a series of never-before-seen exhibits on the three hour long tour, visitors will be able to walk onto some of the most memorable sets from all of the films in the Harry Potter series including the iconic Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office and many others to be announced at a later date.

Tickets will go on sale later this year and must be booked in advance via a dedicated website or through approved tour operators.

The Tour will give fans a new way to experience the magic of the Harry Potter films and possibly provide inspiration for creative fans of all types. We'll be there in the Spring of 2012, and hope you will be, too!

While you're watching the Oscars

Check out this fascinating interview with Stuart Craig, production designer for the Harry Potter films. He discusses the Deathly Hallows films, and interviewer Leslie Combemale of ArtInsights focuses on his influence in the look of the movies.

ArtInsights also has new production art from James Goodridge; see the Harry Potter films in a new way at the website; all pieces shown on the website are for sale, as are the Mary GrandPre pieces and some film-related giclees

As we near our tenth anniversary...

We're about to email this out via our mailing list, but for those of you who aren't on it, we're re-posting it here, too:

Welcome to our tenth year online, hosting the largest collection of well-written Harry Potter fanfic. We appreciate how you've stuck with us through this frustrating downtime, and we are thrilled to be back and growing!

Next week, we're going to have a rec-fest of romantic fics for Valentine's Day, and gen and humor fics for those who want something a little less snog-filled.

Later this year, we'll have more challenges, projects and games as we lead up to our tenth anniversary - and the release of the final Harry Potter film - in July.

In this tenth year, we want to re-do our fanfic database, especially now that we're on our new servers at Idologic (thank you so much, Team Idologic, for making the move easy!) - but we need a volunteer team of coders and developers to pull this off. If you are a computer science student in college or grad school, you may be able to get Independent Study credit as an intern, too. If you're interested, please send a resume or summary of your background to us at heidi@fictionalley.org.

An update of the database system will allow us to bring on Favoriting, our own internally hosted Bookmarks system, improved RSS feeds of your favorite authors and stories, and the ability to download fics to eReaders like the Nook and Kindle wiht just a few clicks. (Speaking of the Nook, scroll down for a cool coupon!)

What do you want to see on FictionAlley this year? Let us know! Comment here, post in Suggestions & Questions, or email us!

The fics were working...

The build, new fic uploading, everything!

For about two hours. Then they went down again, and we're still not sure why. Techie Paul is going to look into it today and we hope to have it all working again tonight.

And now they are all working again. We think. Please comment here or in Suggestions & Questions in FictionAlley Park if you're still seeing errors, or if you're having issues with the upload process.

ArtisticAlley Update

The good news is, ArtisticAlley is back! Harry Potter fanart can again be uploaded, viewed, reviewed, rated, etc!

However, as we warned yesterday, the server crash resulted in the loss of about 60ish pieces of fanart that were uploaded in late November and early December, so if you were one of those artists, please feel free to re-upload your art. We're trying to get the usernames of those impacted, so we can Owl everyone, but if you know someone who uploaded art in the weeks before the crash please let that artist know about the situation and encourage him or her to re-upload the art.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and let us know if you're finding any glitches!

What did you read/see while we were away?

We've set up a thread in the Park where you can link to the best Harry Potter fics, fanart, fanfilms, or other works of fannish creativity that you read/saw while we were down.

Click here to share your Harry Potter fan-recs! and click here to share links to non-Harry Potter fan creativity.

We missed you, and we know that we missed out on fantastic fan creativity! It doesn't have to be new, it just has to be something that you thought was terrific.

Want to help us redesign the front page of FictionAlley?

We're looking for someone familiar with graphic design and, ideally, also with Blogger. If you're interested, send us links to, or screencaps of, your portfolio - just email us at help @ fictionalley.org (without the spaces) and put Redesign App in the subject.

DNS Issue with ArtisticAlley

We are still having a lingering DNS issue with ArtisticAlley, but we are working with Register.com to fix it, and it should be working later today.

Thanks again for your patience!

Forums and review boards have returned

The forums and review boards have been restored. Visit us in the Park at http://forums.fictionalley.org

The fic management page isn't working yet. Once this error is resolved, we expect to be able to begin processing new content. Also, when we went down, we lost a small amount of Park posts, and a few dozen new pieces of art in ArtisticAlley. We are going to try and recover them, but we're at least a week - possibly three - away from that happening. If you have art that you uploaded before the crash that you can't find on AA now, you can re-upload it.

In better news, over the next month, we're going to have some new projects, contests, challenges, group re-reads and more, in the lead-up to the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two. Stay tuned as we start to launch those this weekend...

We've set up a thread in Suggestions & Questions for bug reports. You can also email the help desk at help [at] fictionalley.org (without the spaces and with an @ instead of the word "[at]").

Thank you so much for your patience and support through this frustrating and transitional time. We could not have done it without all of you - authors, readers, artists, Parkies, donors and anonymous visitors. We're looking forward to a wonderful 2011 on FictionAlley with you!

We had hoped we'd be back in full this weekend...

But we're having a DNS issue stemming from moving to new servers. We hope to get everything solved by tomorrow, but as it's a national holiday in the US, we may not be able to.

We've been moving to new servers over the last few weeks, and this one issue is the spanner in the Floo Network right now. We're looking forward to coming back strong, busy and magical as soon as possible.

Cons and Events in 2011

We've been asked to pass on a message from the team behind the Lubricus 2011 con committee; FictionAlley, as always, is happy to be a supporter of fan- and fandom-created events, and until the Park gets back online (Soon! We promise!) feel free to send information about upcoming events to the Help Desk at help@fictionalley.org

Greetings from the BF4F ConCom!

As you may or may not have heard, By Fans 4 Fans is hosting a Harry Potter slash con in Seattle June 16-19, 2011. This is going to be a weekend filled with fun, friends, and of course, slash!

Check out the ad on YouTube here!

For more information visit bf4f.org or Lubricus 2011 on LJ.

Happy Slashing

New Year, New Server Fundraiser Update

SQUEE!

Over $1000 has been donated to FictionAlley via Razoo in December, so Razoo has pledged $1000 in matching funds! In other words, our expected server fees for 2011 are now fully funded! Thanks to all of you who helped by donating and spreading the word.

The fundraiser is technically still going on through the end of the month, and any additional donations will be used to fund large-scale fan-driven works of fannish creativity. In 2011, we'll be launching a new fundraiser focused on writing tools, workshops and other educational projects; look for more information once we've moved to our new servers in the new year.

Thanks to all of you who've supported FictionAlley; it won't be long before we're back at 100% capacity.

The Park should be back this week.

We hope; we're working on it. Fics are still accessible, and so is the Harry Potter Wiki, so if you're looking for a place to discuss characters, put in your theories, link to your favorite fics about certain characters, and more, just visit the Harry Potter Wiki, create an account and log in, and start editing!

We have only seven days left to raise the $1000 that will be matched by Razoo in our our New Year, New Server Fundraiser. If $87 is donated via Bel's Page and $130 is donated via Marauder's Page, we will get $1000 in matching funds from Razoo, and given the extra that's been donated to the other three fundraising pages, we will then be covered for server fees for 2011 (and won't have to do another server-fee-fundraiser until at least May).

We are moving to new servers this week to get the Park and ArtisticAlley back online, too!

Thanks for all your support, and we hope you've had a Harry Happy Holiday Season!

Downtime Issues

We've been working with our server host on the Park issue - and we apologize for the downtime. There is a 'kernel' problem with the server but we have a recent backup and hope to get everything working again shortly. If you can make a donation to supportnour new server fundraiser project, we would really appreciate it; just follow the links below. We need about $200 on each "project" by December 31 to get the full $1000 in matching funds from Razoo - we are so close to having our server fees covered for all of 2011, so if you can donate $20 or even $50, we will be all set for site hosting costs for the year.

Fundraiser Update

Thank you so much to those who've donated to our New Year, New Server Fundraiser! In the last three days, over six hundred dollars have been donated by FictionAlley users like you.

In other words, we're more than half-way to our goal, and December is now half over.

If you can donate $13.50, $25, or even $50 this month, you'll help us get the $1000 matching funds that Razoo has pledged.

One of our pledge-pages has already reached the $200-per-page matching funds cap, so please donate to the other four pages. Just click one, and make your pledge. You can donate anonymously, if you prefer, but the next 29 non-anonymous donors will get a vintage "Creativity is Magic" wristband as a thank-you from Team FictionAlley.

Just click, and give, to support FictionAlley:
Marauder's Page
Bel's Page
Zorb's Page
Plu's Page

(And don't forget to shop at Amazon for Harry Potter gifts and more; a portion of your purchase also supports FictionAlley.)

"New Year, New Server" Fundraiser

Back in September, we rolled out a fundraiser to fund FictionAlley's $200-per-month server hosting fees, and we are thrilled that so many of you stepped up to help out. We raised almost nine hundred dollars, which has kept FictionAlley online throughout 2010, and we can't tell you how much we appreciate it!

We've also brought in almost two hundred dollars from the Google ads, purchases you made at Amazon and the 800+ stores affiliated with iGive via our links, and orders from WBShop.com and HotTopic.

So for the month of December, we're trying to raise enough money to cover the $2400 we expect to pay for site hosting fees for 2011, so we can stay ahead of the curve.

From now until December 31, fundraising site Razoo will match every dollar we raise, up to $1000* - since  FA's servers cost almost $200 per month, if we raise $1000 via Razoo by the end of the year, thanks to their matching funds, we'll have ALL of 2011 covered!  Please help us by funding a day, a week or a month for FictionAlley's fics, forums, art and more!  And don't forget... if you are a U.S. taxpayer, your donation of any amount is tax-deductible.

Plus, we recently found a stash of vintage "Creativity Is Magic" wristbands in the cupboard under my stairs, so the next 45 non-anonymous donors via any of our Razoo pages will get a nifty multicoloured wristband (hopefully) in time for the holidays! 

Donate to FictionAlley's New Year, New Server Fundraiser via the widget to the right, or at one of these pages:
Plu's Page
Zorb's Page
Heidi's Page
Bel's Page
One more to come...

* The way their pledge pages are set up, Razoo will match up to $200 donated via our five fundraising pages; just follow the links above, choose one and make your donation!

Everything is back!

Thanks to some technological fixes by our team, our "internal clock" is working again, and everything should be as it was (other than the front page, which we are still working on).

We've had a few questions about where the fics are, and they are at the same URLs they've always been. But since the "search for fics" page has dropped a little further down on this page, you can use these links:

• View the old front page
• Search for fics
• Novel-length fics
• Romance fics
• Humorous fics
• Dramatic, angsty, horror and other fics
• FictionAlley Park Forums, Drabbles, Writing Resources & More
• Fanart

Forum site update

We expect that a reboot of the server hosting the forums will bring them back online. Our provider is working on this request.

FictionAlley Is Kinda Sorta Back!

Well, except for fic submissions/story management. And the front page. But there's good reasons for that; we're still updating some aspects of the site. Fic submissions should be re-opened by Friday, and we're working on a revised front page.

You can get to the rest of the site via these links:

• FictionAlley Park 
• Fic Searches
• Newly uploaded fics & chapters
• ArtisticAlley
• Newly uploaded art
• Read a random fic!
• Help Edit HarryPotterWiki.com

Keep Calm and Carry Wands on etsy

Limited Edition Pin

We have a small stash of pins left over from Infinitus, and they're on sale at our FictionAlley etsy shop through the holidays.

All proceeds from the sale of the "Keep Calm and Carry Wands" pins goes to our "New Year, New Server" Fundraiser; we're trying to raise enough money by the end of December to cover FictionAlley's 2011 hosting fees, which will be about $2300.

Right now, we only have about two dozen pins left, but if they're a big hit, we may do more...

We're updating the site!

No, this isn't another bout of unscheduled downtime - we're updating some aspects of FictionAlley tonight instead!

We should be back up and working on November 30. For updates, visit this blog, which you can also find at http://fictionalley.blogspot.com/ or follow us on Twitter or LiveJournal.

Also, since there's seven months to qo before the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two in movie theaters, is anyone interested in helping organize a group re-read of each of the seven Harry Potter books, starting in mid-December with one per month, through mid-July? Comment to this post or email us at help@fictionalley.org if you're interested in helping.

Fansites Interview Composer Alexandre Desplat

SpellCast and FictionAlley were thrilled to participate in a conference call interview with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows composer Alexandre Desplat. Lena Gabrielle, composer of the fan-created musical production The Final Battle was FA's representative during the conference call; read the transcript here. Audio excerpts are coming soon.

Enter Our Deathly Hallows Contest!

Enter our Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 contest and you might win a Horcrux with a 1GB flash drive, a Ministry of Magic shirt, tattoos, IMAX tickets or one of the other fantastic prizes! Click here for contest rules, and to enter!

What did you think of Deathly Hallows?

Have you seen the film yet? Want to know what others thought? Share your review - or link to it - here, but remember, the thread is 100% full of spoilers.

Join Team FictionAlley!

1. FictionAlley seeks Fic Intake Team members. A perfect fit for veteran - and aspiring - tutors from college writing labs, English majors and those who love grammar and Harry Potter. You'll work with other fic intakers to determine whether fics meet FictionAlley's grammar, spelling and Harry Potter requirements, let authors know when things need further editing and seek out fics and essays that you think should be hosted on FA. If you're interested in joining the team, take the quiz or get in touch with the Intake Coordinator at helpwanted@fictionalley.org.

2. Art Advisors - We're looking for artists who write well, to create tutorials on CG coloring, vidding, icon-making, crafts, drawing and painting. If you're interested in working with us in creating one or more of these tutorials, please contact artists@fictionalley.org.


3. Site Traffic Analytics - Will work with site administrators to review site traffic analytics and improve gathering process and results regarding same. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact us at helpwanted@fictionalley.org.

4. Mobile Application Development - will assist programmer in developing, testing and rolling out mobile applications. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact us at helpwanted@fictionalley.org.

5. Submission system update - We really need to update the fic intake and review system, as well as upgrade our vBulletin system for the Park. College credit may be available if you're a student and can get independent study credit for programming and/or design projects. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact us at helpwanted@fictionalley.org.

6. Podcast editor - will work as a member of the podcasting team in creating, editing and transcribing episodes. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact us at spellcast@fictionalley.org.

7. FAQ Maintenance - Will update and maintain the site's FAQ. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact us at helpwanted@fictionalley.org.

8. CafePress Coordinator. Will upgrade, update and create merchandise at FictionAlley's CafePress store. If you're interested in helping with this project, please contact Heidi at heidi@fictionalley.org.

9. FicNifflers - will select 1-2 excellent fics per month for spotlighting in FictionAlley's Niffling forum. Requires being well-read in the HP fandom and being able to compose a review/recommendation of at least a full paragraph with excellent spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you're interested in being a Niffler, please contact us at help@fictionalley.org.

The Final Battle Now Online

FictionAlley was a proud sponsor of the fan-created musical The Final Battle at Infinitus back in July; it was composed by Lena Gabrielle, with additional writing by Mallory Vance, and the entire cast, crew and orchestra was comprised of Harry Potter fans. Its debut performance took place after only a few days of rehearsals at Infinitus, and hours of work online beforehand, and is a testament to the vitality and creativity of larger-scale fan projects.

The entire musical is now online at their YouTube channel. Check it out - and stay tuned for a reprise of the show at LeakyCon in July of 2011! If you're planning to attend LeakyCon, you can audition for the cast or apply to join the crew.

An iGive Project

FictionAlley has been a longtime member of iGive, a program that gives a percentage of purchases from stores like VistaPrint, The Gap and more to FictionAlley.

They just made a nifty offer for us - but there's only six hours left for us to take advantage of it.

For each person who joins iGive using the special link below and does just one qualified web search on our site between now and noon. Thursday, September 30, 2010 (Chicago time), we'll give FA a dollar.

No purchase necessary.

If these new members search more (or buy something at an iGive store) they'll earn even more money for FAWC. Right now, we're donating a $.01 per search and a bonus $5 for that first purchase plus the usual percentage.

Link: http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?m=476021

As you know, FictionAlley has server expenses this year for the first time in over five years, and they came out of the blue - there's more info at http://tinyurl.com/FAServer - so if you could do this today, that dollar would be merged with the other dollars from other FA users, and could be a massive amount of support for the site.

Thanks in advance for your time and your help!

Server Fundraiser-a-Thon!

It's September 1 - and that generally means we're all heading back to Hogwarts, even if it's only virtually. We're celebrating at FictionAlley, and also commemorating the major milestone that we reached this summer - our ninth anniversary! Unfortunately, we were still suffering from the unexpected and prolonged downtime so we couldn't celebrate - but as you know, we're back now, and it looks like things are stabilized!

Alas, we are not sure whether our current ISP/server situation will allow us to make it to our tenth anniversary.

The company that had graciously and wonderfully hosted FictionAlley for years, allowing us to be mostly ad-free and enabling us to focus our fundraising efforts on projects like the Katie O'Brien Memorial Scholarship, has been purchased by a larger company, and while they are able to give us a discount on hosting fees, we've gone from paying nothing to paying about two hundred dollars a month.

The staff of FictionAlley has been able to underwrite this for the last few months, but we can't continue doing so without two changes, a request, a question and a project.

First, the changes:

1. There will be more ads on FictionAlley - Google ads on the front page and what we hope will be unobtrusive and noninvasive ads in FictionAlley Park. We will, at this point, not put banner ads on pages with fics, although if we don't get enough donations, that may have to change later on. If you see an ad that you're interested in, please click on it!

2. We are going to send occasional emails reminding our registered users to purchase iTunes downloads and apps via our iTunes link, and to purchase items on Amazon - if you want to buy the new Harry Potter LEGO game, for example, or pre-order the next series of GLEE or get Naomi Novik's new novel, it would benefit FictionAlley and all of us if you did so using our links. When the Deathly Hallows films are released, you'll be able to buy tickets via our links, and support FictionAlley while enjoying the films.

The Request:
Please, donate to support FictionAlley. Anything donated above and beyond our immediate needs for hosting fees will go into our Buy Our Own Servers fund, which will give us more control over our servers and lower prices for monthly hosting costs.

Donate via RAZOO and help us get $1000 in matching funds by December 31, 2010:

Donate via PayPal

We are enrolled in Matching Fund plans at Google, which would result in a doubling of your donation's value. Other companies also have matching fund plans, and we are happy to supply whatever information is necessary so you and we can utilize that. Let us know if you have any questions or need more information.

At this point, $800 will cover our hosting costs for the rest of the year, and $4000 will cover new servers so that starting in 2011, we can be independent and not worry about unexpected ISP fees. In other words, if about 350 people give fifteen dollars each, we are all set. Anything above and beyond that will go to revamp the site, modernize and upgrade the art and fic submission and review process, and create a system that will allow us to host larger-scale group projects.

Can you help? Can you send five, ten, fifteen or fifty dollars via PayPal to SupportFA@fictionalley.org this month, or donate $5 every month? You don't need a PayPal account - if you don't have one, you can use a major credit card.

(Or if you're with an ISP that might be able to underwrite some or all of our three-server configuration, please email me!)

Also, if you're planning on shopping through Amazon or other stores, please use the links at this page or shop via iGive. A portion of every dollar you spend at those stores is donated by the store to FictionAlley.

Thank you so much for all your support.


Best,
Team FictionAlley

PS - Remember, FictionAlley is a 501(c)(3) - we were one of hte first fan-groups to ever get that designation. In other words, all this means that contributions to FictionAlley, as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, may be eligible for deduction when computing your income taxes in the United States; please check with your tax planner, attorney or accountant if you have any questions or for specific information, or if you are from a country other than the United States.

The DH1 Trailer Is Live!

While the site is down, check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 - click here to check it out!

Harry Potter Panel at Comic-Con, 2010

This summer sees the Harry Potter series and fandom slip into the future with the close of filming on Deathly Hallows and the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. What is the impact on the fans, fandom, and their future? Insights from Melissa Anelli (webmaster of The Leaky Cauldron and author of Harry: A History), Darren Criss (actor/composer, A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel), Leslie Combemale (ArtInsights Gallery, official/exclusive HP art supplier), Eddie Newquist (executive producer, Harry Potter: The Exhibition) and Andrew Slack (HP Alliance Creator and Executive Producer). Moderated by Heidi Tandy (HPEF/Ascendio 2012, FictionAlley).

The DNS Issue

If you're having trouble getting parts of FictionAlley to load, the reason for this is because it's taking some time for the DNS entry changes made this morning to stabilize. This means that the site is coming and going: one moment you can get in, the next you can't. According to the Techs, this may continue for a couple more days, but, as I said in the last post, by Monday things should be set.

If anything changes we will post an update here.

Unscheduled Downtime/DNS Issue

As I'm sure you all have noticed, FA is currently down. There were some periods of time this morning where some people were able to access the site while others were not, but at this time it seems that the site is down for everyone.

Thanks to some digging by our tech-minded people, we've discovered that the main problem is a DNS entry issue on one of our servers. However, the person who handles all FA's DNS-related things is currently unavailable, so nothing can be done at this moment. We ask that you continue to be patient and we will hopefully have things back up and running soon. Once the site is available, an update will be posted here and on our Twitter account.

We apologize for any inconveniences this has caused you, and beg your forgiveness. We are just as frustrated as you are with this entire thing.

DNS Issues

We are having some issues with the DNS entries of portions of FA. As a result, Riddikulus, HPInkPot and the HP Wiki are currently unavailable. There have also been some emails/messages sent to the Help Desk regarding 404 errors appearing when folks try to load parts of the site. If you continue to have these issues, please try clearing your Internet cache and restarting your browser (sometimes restarting your computer is also necessary) to see if that helps. As far as we can tell, only the three sites listed above are currently affected by whatever is going on.

We have contacted Dragon, our server provider, and Techie Paul is working to get everything back to normal as soon as possible. Please be patient as we work to resolve these issues.

Questions and/or comments regarding other issues can be sent to help @ fictionalley.org or posted as a reply to this post. I will forward anything on to the proper people.

Help Haiti Heal!

Harry Potter fans have joined with members of fandoms from other popular books, movies, and tv series to create Helping Haiti Heal, a home-grown effort to contribute to the growing humanitarian aid and charitable relief activities in Haiti.

This Saturday, January 23rd, at 2 P.M. EST, HPA's PotterWatch, PotterCast, MuggleCast, Hogwarts Radio, and FictionAlley will come together for a live fundraising webcast on Livestream to benefit Partners in Health.  This four hour live event will feature a donation drive where donors have the opportunity to win prizes, leaders and celebrities from various segments of popular culture, wizard rockers, interviews with civic leaders and Haitian Americans, and so much more.

Wizard Rock bands Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, The Remus Lupins, Ministry of Magic, Lauren Fairweather, and The Whomping Willows will perform as part of this live event.

Many amazing, unique, and rare prizes are available do donors, including:

• Five signed and dedicated copies of novels by bestselling author Terry Pratchett.


• Signed books from Time Magazine's Lev Grossman, NY Times bestselling author Melissa Anelli, Movies in 15 Minutes author Cleolinda Jones, and Urban fantasy novelist Lilith Saintcrow, as well as young adult authors Karen Healey, Aprilynne Pike, Pam Bachorz, Lisa Mantchev, and many more.


• A signed Mega Book Pack of 30 novels from The 2009 Debutantes, including: Malindo Lo, Saundra Mitchell, Sarah Ockler, Michelle Zink, and Jackson Pearce.  


• Guest spots on PotterCast and Hogwarts Radio.Busted keyboard used by Harry and the Potters at over 200 shows.


• Signed CDs from such wizard rock bands as The Remus Lupins, The Whomping Willows, The Butterbeer Experience, and Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls.


• Quality replica LightSaber based on Luke's from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. 


• Full Access Registration to LeakyCon 2011, valued over $300.


• $200 Gift Certificate to Infinitus 2010.


• Outgoing voicemail messages and birthday messages from your favorite Wizard Rock Bands and Podcasters. 


• Limited edition, artist signed, Replica Slimer from Ghostbusters.

Help Haiti Heal will be feature Harry Potter podcasts PotterCast, MuggleCast, HPA's PotterWatch, Hogwarts Radio, and FictionAlley; live performances from many wizard rockers; leaders in fan communities; personal interviews with Haitian-Americans about the importance of giving to Partners In Health; human rights activists; a representative from MIT's Media Lab discussing ways that we can donate our time using new media; and much more.  It is the aim of Helping Haiti Heal to provide ideas and inspiration across fandoms to those with the desire to aid those affected by the earthquake.  Together, we can help heal Haiti.

Update on the Fic Submission Queue Bypass Process

FictionAlley is thrilled to finally launch our Submission Queue Bypass Option, for authors who have successfully submitted at least ten stories and/or chapters to FictionAlley.

Here's how you can apply:

Send an email to [strike]queue.bypass@fictionalley.org[/strike] [email]help@fictionalley.org[/email] including the following information:

Your FA Username
The FA url at which your fics are located (probably [url]www.fictionalley.org/authors/___________[/url])

Within three days, you will either be added to the Queue Bypass list or we will end an email explaining why we either need additional information, or how many more fics and/or chapters you need to submit to qualify.

(Edited to add: If you do not hear back within 3 days, please either post here or send an owl to me (SwissMiss). Or any other mod with admin status who you know is currently active.)

Everyone whose last ten submissions have been posted on FictionAlley without having been returned to the author because of spelling, grammar or NC-17 content issues will be added to the Queue Bypass List.

If you are on the Queue Bypass List, you will still be able to ask the Intake Team to look at any particular chapter or story that you submit. There is a box on the submission page that you can toggle if you want the chapter or story you are submitting to be looked over by the Intake Team.

But, you ask, what's the catch?

There really is no catch. However, if your fic bypasses the queue and we then learn either (a) that it has too many "Unforgivable Errors" or (b) that you've rated it lower than the Intake Team believes is necessary, you will be removed from the Queue Bypass List, and to get back on it, you'll have to go through the application process anew. As of July 1, 2010, this has happened only twice.

If the fic or essay doesn't meet the other requirements, but has been uploaded as part of the Queue Bypass process, we will ask you to edit it once it's on-site.

Questions? Please, ask us here!

Downtime Update

We're as frustrated as you are.

We had a new server installed less than a month ago, and it looks to all the experts like one of the drives on the server has failed or is failing. Luckily, we have a backup - at least to about two weeks ago - of everything on that server, so it's possible that we will lose some content, but not very much, if we have to do an install from nothing. And we are working to recover as much of the content off the drive as possible.

However, it's possible that the drive is fine, and that the issue has something to do with unsecured cabling, a BIOS issue or even heat. Techies on the ground at Dragon.com will look at it again today, and test all those possibilities out.

Anyhow, the non-techie explanation of all this is, we're working on it, and trying to get everything resolved as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience, and feel free to use this LJ post for discussions that would otherwise be in the park, as well as for questions (or to let us know if you've got server maintenance experience and can volunteer some time for FA in the next week or three).

Also, please add our twitter status feed thingy so you can keep up to date on server issues and the recovery process.

List of Fics to be Resubmitted

The final list of chapters and/or stories that need to be resubmitted to FictionAlley (see our previous post for details) has been compiled; you can review the list here. If you're an author on FictionAlley and submitted anything to the site between 11 July and 5 August, please read the list. If your name appears on it, resubmit the chapters and/or stories in question ASAP.

Continuing Server Issues

We're currently experiencing server issues that are preventing us from processing new fic submissions. Don't worry - everything through last weekend is fully backed up, but it may take some time to get things completely up and running again. You can continue to submit new fics, but we cannot guarantee they'll be uploaded to the site before July 20.

If you have further questions, or if you're an expert in PHP with time to volunteer, please contact help @ fictionalley.org.

Server Maintenance

The House Elves have constructed wards around FictionAlley to allow them to perform server maintenance. We appreciate your patience while they work and will restore access to all FictionAlley sites (including FictionAlley Park and Schnoogle.com) as soon as we can.

Cool Stuff from WB

Their FAQ is here, and the winner will have his or her video featured on the front page of YouTube later this summer. Cool toy to play with!