Hi!

[Personal stats updated 08-24-2018]

I'm female, 66, widowed as of 01-25-18, was married for over 40 years with two grown sons (38 & 35). The younger one introduced me to online fanfic (he likes Pokemon and Ranma 1/2), but I have a fair collection of '70s-'80s-era Star Trek hardcopy fanzines. (The older one writes Pokemon fanfic!) I did some writing then, in the Classic ST universe, but never finished or published any of it. So this is the first fanfic I've written in over 25 years! (My late husband John [random_john here] enjoyed fanfic as much as I do.)

Professionally: I'm an Electronic Tech for the U.S. Postal Service.

My pen name is my sig-name on most Usenet groups, when that was the main means of online chat. Nowadays I spend a lot of time on Facebook under my real name; the pic is the same. For those who don't know: filk is the folk music of the SF/Fantasy community. I write that, too.

Shameless plug: I also sell the stuff; my homepage is that of Random Factors, one of the largest mail-order filk CD and tape dealers. We (my late husband John and I) have 13 (hopefully soon to be 14!) titles of our own on the RF label, too, mostly Leslie Fish & Joe Bethancourt. Unfortunately the site has been down for overhaul for several years; I hope to get it back up soon (which is why I haven't included the link).

HP Likes: Straight canon-following sequels; Severitus; action-adventure; angst; Last Battle; AU; time-travel and do-overs. I have a community for the latter type.

No particular preference on HP ships, although it needs to be believable within the context of the story; prefer gen to slash. I also prefer HP era to Marauder era, but will read decently-written almost-anything.

HP Dislikes: Most slash, although I will read well-written slash. Of the usual slash pairings I find HP/DM the most believable; HP/SS only after Harry is old enough. I don't think RW/slash partner is believable; Ron (IMHO) is a little too straight-arrow. (HP/TR is right out!)

Like to Read: Angry!Harry; Got a Clue!Harry; Intelligent!Ron; Mentor!Snape; Redeemable!Draco; good angst of any sort. I don't get squicked on violent battle scenes. I also like Superpower!Harry if well-done, but that's not what I'm writing.

Prefer not to read: Excessive bedroom detail, especially in slash stories. Will read Evil!- or Clueless!Dumbledore if well-written but don't prefer it.

In my stories: These are in a fairly straight summer-to-Sixth-Year setting, leading up to The Battle, and afterwards. I originally wrote the battle scene, a dramatic Snape-is-outed-as-a-spy scene, and a battle followup scene; then more backstory _insisted_ on getting in. What I am posting first is the backstory. There will be an OC or three, not in any pairings (they insisted on telling me their stories!) There is also a rather large dash of offstage politics.

I use the HP Lexicon website for my detail research: if it's good enough for J.K. Rowling herself, it's good enough for me!

NOTE: (8-5-05) I've got too much backstory already posted, so my series will not be very HBP compliant. Some bits from that may make it in, but I wrote the main sequence and the key segments in 2004. I am pleasantly surprised that some of what I've written (not just what I've already posted) I seem to have gotten right (meaning agreeing with canon)...

So, here are my humble works for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think!

And for those who have told me that I don't post often enough: I prefer to have it "good", not "Friday"; no segment is posted before it's really ready. I have finally (5-6-2005) begun posting the summer segments, several more of which are written but not polished. Next come the Fall segments; then the battle itself; then post-battle scenes. Also, there are some little side-stories along the way that insisted on being written. Enjoy!

[Update 07-03-2012] My saga is not abandoned, but I got stuck (still am) on the part that has to come next, plus a lot of RL distractions. It will come, but not immediately; I do have quite a bit written from before that comes AFTER the part I'm stuck on, including the Last Battle...and I haven't yet made a decision on the Hallows...

[Update 05-01-2016] Still at the same point, with even more RL distractions, mainly health-related, but still haven't called this abandoned.

[Update 08-24-2018] Same as above, with the additional RL distraction of losing John after almost 3 years of him being in care.

Mary the Filker