Author's Note ~ 2008

I'm stunned, humbled, and incredibly grateful for this:

Best Author: Ariadne Quill-to-Parchment Awards (Round 3)

Thank you to everyone!

Thank you to everyone who enjoyed A Walking Shadow, which was my first fic (other than some filks), and which was a blessing and a joy to write. Tayet thanks you for all the lovely fireflies... I am slowly responding to reviews, albeit belatedly, but I want you to know that I treasure each and every one, and deeply appreciate your support of my writing, my story, and my wee purple lass. :touches heart:

Things get a little darker in No Loyalty in the Moonlight, and stay that way for a good long time. But where there is life, there is hope. Wee Ghostie waves shyly from the darker depths beneath the castle...

I hope you're enjoying the new fic, In Spirit, which is as much fun to write as A Walking Shadow was. The kitten looks at you with hopeful, adoring eyes, and Hermione's new boss, Demetrios of Alexandria, chuckles happily as he flits about the Wizarding Branch of the British Library humming - well - his current obsession is 1970s metal, but who knows what he'll be humming next week... In Spirit always posts to OWL first and follows here. Right now it's about two chapters behind.

Each of the long fics has its own F.A.Q.s, below...

I also beta for Anastasia (TimeTurnerForSale) and co-author with her under the penname Anastadne. We're working on a new multi-chaptered story, Hide and Seek, which you can find at OWL (http://) - we've not posted it here.

In my other life, I lecture in English and write Very Serious Academic Prose. My colleagues and some of my students know I write fanfic, and they tell me they think it's cool.

In Spirit F.A.Q.s - Updated: 9 December '09

1. Is he dead or not? Which is it?! We want to know!

Well, thereon hangs a tale, yes? :twirls quill: :smiles:

2. Where'd Demetrios come from?

Demetrios of Alexandria was the first named head of the Great Library at Alexandria. He was a student of Aristotle's. And he's extremely happy to be the ghostly head of the Wizarding Branch of the British Library, which he regards as his own personal collection (which, in a way, it sort of is).

3. Is the kitten related to Crookshanks?

No... just a kitten.

4. Is the kitten a Kneazle?

No. Just a classic domestic mixed-breed short hair, which is a fancy way of saying "stray." Until she spies that lovely cloak, anyway...

5. What's up with Crookshanks and Harry's baby?

Only he knows right now, and he can't talk.

6. Is this one going to be long?

Very probably, yes. Although I'm rarely the authority on how long a story will be. A Walking Shadow was supposed to take about 12,000 words, if I recall. Um... didn't quite work that way. So I've given up predicting... but this one has the feeling of "long."

7. Are the songs Demetrios hums along with significant?

Usually. :smiles:

No Loyalty in the Moonlight F.A.Q.s - Updated: 16 July '08

1. Um... okay, dark... Yep. Some people have noted the similarities between Hermione in Chapter 1 and Canon!Snape - as kari_tara pointed out, "living a lie will do that to one." Poor thing...

2. iTunes :grins:

1 (Leviathan): Evanescence is back (The Open Door, especially "Lithium," "Call Me When You're Sober," and "Good Enough"; also the live version of "Haunted"); Eskimo Joe ("Black Fingernails, Red Wine") is back from the AWS playlists.

2 (Beneath Her Dreams): Blue Stone ("Confession" and "Breathe")

3 (A Pensieve Sky): Marilyn Manson's covers of "Personal Jesus" and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"

4-12: Blue October's "Angel," "Hate Me" (acoustic version), "Sound of Pulling Heaven Down," "Inner Glow." Also Eskimo Joe's "Comfort You" and "Black Fingernails, Red Wine." Most of Chapter 12 was written to "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.

13-19: Breaking Benjamin's "Breath" and Live's "Sofia" got a lot of air time; also Pitty's "Memorias" and "Na Sua Estante"; t.A.T.u.'s "Ya Shosla S Uma"; Franz Ferdinand's "Auf Achse."

20: Leonard Cohen's "Who By Fire" (recommended by docmara on OWL) - the structure of the song informs the prose style, a bit.

21: David Bisbal's "Quien Me Iba a Decir?"; Hermione/Severus "No One Is To Blame" (Howard Jones); the Neville/Minerva conversation was written almost entirely to "You're the One that I Want" from Grease. Odd choice; I think the song brings out the innocence in Neville's voice. The line "You better shape up" is also fairly pertinent...

Ghostie (occasionally): "Walking with a Ghost" (Tegan and Sara).

3. Your writing style is really confusing. :opens hands: Yep. It's sort of a cross between prose and lyric poetry. I suppose I ask a lot of my readers... I'm truly grateful for the time you devote to reading my stories! Thank you. :touches heart:

4. Why don't you change it, then? It's the way I write.

5. Will you ever explain everything in one of your fics? Everything is explained in every fic. Sometimes it helps to read more slowly, and sometimes if you go back to the beginning you'll see stuff that was there all along but didn't seem relevant at the time.

6. What's up with the wee ghostie? :smiles enigmatically:

7. How'd Neville get there? He was the mist Severus and Minerva passed in an early chapter. He's been there all along, but not fully present.

8. Is the story complete? It is now.

9. Okay, Ari, but your style... It helps if you read it slowly (you may, if you wish, imagine some British actor or other with a really compelling voice reading it aloud to you ;), and some things will make much more sense on a second reading. The perils of posting over several months...

10. More iTunes? The song on continuous play for Chapter 27 ("Through a Glass Darkly") was the original version of "Layla" by Eric Clapton. Weirdly (or perhaps not), that the same song I used to write Voldemort in A Walking Shadow.

11. What's up with what Hermione sees in the window? It's her reflection. Nothing more. If you catch the reference to those lovely pre-Raphaelite paintings of Ophelia, have a cookie :smiles.

12. Yet more iTunes: Chapter 28 ("Nor Words to Speak") was written to an endless loop of "Into the Wilds" by Nightwish. It's very... Scottish, dark, urgent, and yet hopeful. I hope you enjoy - the chapter and the song!

13. More iTunes: Chapter 29 ("Genesis") was written to "Sleeping Sun" by Nightwish; Chapter 30 ("I") to "Invisible Love" by Enigma; Chapter 32 ("After You") to "More" by Sisters of Mercy.

14. Almost finished writing? Yes.

15. Going to write another? Yes. Um... how dark will this one be? Not very! I feel the need for some playfulness. It's all I can do right now to keep Albus and Minerva from channeling Phineas Nigellus and Mrs. Black from A Walking Shadow! :smiles:

Co-authored Fics (links):

Desperate Measures, a new multi-chaptered story by Anastadne (the co-author name of AriadneAWS and TimeTurnerForSale (Of Debts and Debt Collection")) may be found here: http/www.fanfiction.net/s/2944678/1/ Summary: When a lethal potion is about to be unleashed at Hogwarts, Snape does the only thing he can think of to stop it: "... so I grabbed Hermione and threw her down - " Desperate times call for desperate measures...

"Ship of Fools," An April Fool's Day Crossover between A Walking Shadow and Of Debts and Debt Collection can be found here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4318570/1/

"The Great Tuna Heist," starring Crookshanks and OFC (other feline character), can be found here: http/www.fanfiction.net/s/3410621/1/ An action/adventure humour piece we worked on this winter. If you need a break from the intensity of No Loyalty in the Moonlight, give it a try! One-shot.

A Walking Shadow FAQs - Updated after completion.

1. How did you get the idea for this story? I woke up one morning to find a rabid plot bunny staring at me.

Bunny (nudges Ariadne): Wake up.

Ariadne (sleepy): Whuh?

Bunny: Feed me.

Ariadne (pats bunny): Nice bunny.

The bunny first appears in Chapter 8.

2. How did you write it? The oldest part of the story stems from a lot of Book 7 theory conversations that started one weekend in the Summer of 2005. Grateful acknowledgment to Luna305, Melenka, and Bathilda for pushing my thinking and tolerating me when my research grew too exacting to hold their interest. Beyond that, it's a combination of iTunes, caffeine, Spring Break, and the encouragement of the lovely TimeTurnerForSale (Anastasia, on OWL), who kept my irritating alter-ego in a Vanishing Cabinet and provides great advice, company, and inspiration. (If you haven't - by some miracle - read her "Of Debts and Debt Collection" (revised version, for which I had the major luck to serve as beta), go to! Now! It's a great story.)

3. Do you ever sleep? Yes. If I don't get good sleep every night, I turn into a Venomous Tentacula. I do sleep at strange hours, though.

4. What is the relationship between Severus and Hermione in your story? Electric. Tender. Terrifying. And - although Severus uses this word to describe Dumbledore - problematic.

5. How do you like your Snape? Everything about my version of Severus Snape that does not come from J.K. Rowling or the bewitching minds of excellent fic writers is based on two things, one of which I'll admit: I've known a few Severus Snapes in real life, two of whom are still alive, and one of whom has a voice very much like Alan Rickman's (lucky me). He'll never even know this profile is here. (Unlucky him...) (Update 5/07: He knows now... :smiles:)

6. How did you figure all this out?

I'm a professional literary detective, and I love puzzles and math.

7. So... which iTunes?

Lots of Severus and Hermione to Evanescence, Savatage (thanks, TimeTurnerForSale!), and Aria (a group that does things to classical music that might just be illegal - try "Furioso")

Dumbledore to "Standing" from Once More with Feeling (Anthony Stewart Head) (thanks to Indigofeathers for the suggestion) and "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" by The Four Tops. Dumbledore is... problematic.

Tayet (mostly) to "Breathless" by The Corrs - what can I say; she's very young.

Occasionally these show up: "Any Way You Want It" shows up (by Journey), "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Blue Oyster Cult), and "Five Miles Out" (Mike Oldfield)

Most of the bolt-hole scene was written to "Sleep" by Savatage.

Chapter 25 (yes, that chapter) was written to an endless loop of "Sirius" (Alan Parsons Project)/"Sad Lisa" (Angels of Venice - this song is beautiful).

Voldemort: written to "Layla" (original version)

Dark Angry (hm) Death Eater Wall Scene (2nd half) written to: "Fuego contra fuego" (Fire against fire)

Most of Chapter 30 was written to a loop of "Moments of Peace" (Gregorian) and "Metamorphosis: Arachne" (Aria)

Chapters 40 and 41 were written at a shot, and here's the iTune that underscored all of it: David Gray's "Nos Da Cariad." Indigofeathers tells me that's Welsh Gaelic for "Goodnight, dear one." (The song's in English.) Chapter 42 was written mostly to David Gray, Lowen & Navarro, Flogging Molly, that new song by the Dixie Chicks, and "Walk Through the Fire" from Buffy. What can I say. Whatever works. Chapter 43 (second half) was written to "Yes, Anastasia" by Tori Amos. (I will now flee my writing partner in crime...)

All of the chapters since "In Memoriam" have been written to classical music or movie soundtracks, including:

Verdi's Messa da Requiem, Beethoven's Symphony #5 (III/IV), Beethoven's Symphony #9 (II), Mozart's Symphony #40 (I), Mozart's Symphony #40 (I, IV), Bach's Little Fugue in g minor, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and "Non nobis Domine" (from Henry V).

If anyone's still reading, the last five chapter titles are from the text of the Requiem Mass:

Dies Irae (Day of Wrath), Salva Me (Save Me), Libera Me (Free Me), Ex Favilla (From the Ashes) and Dona Eis Requiem (Grant them Rest)

8. Your Severus seems... different, in later chapters.

:nods: As far as he knows, it's the last day of his life.

9. What's up with Lupin and Moody?

:sighs: If there is a sequel - there may be, there may not be - Lupin will have a big role in it. Keeping him contained during the last chapters was quite challenging. He has an entire story that explains why he's being the way he's being, but it may only ever exist in my head...

10. How, exactly, is Severus related to his "Cousin"?

The precise relationship doesn't matter; it's enough that he is.

11. The last of the iTunes...

The last chapter was written to the same playlist as Chapter 13 and Chapter 25.

Wishing you all the best of times,

- Ari

Awards ~ Thank you!

Best Author: Quill-to-Parchment Awards (Round 3).

In Spirit: Order of Merlin (1st Class): Best Original Character(s) (OWL Awards, 2009); Winner, Best WIP; Runner-Up, Humour (SSHG Awards Round 4).

"Contraceptus" & Contraceptus:Continuum: Winner, Best Drabble Series (Moste Potente Potions Round 4); Order of Merlin (1st Class): Best Drabble, (2nd Class): Best Hurt/Comfort, (3rd Class): Best Angst (OWL Awards, 2008).

"Storm Track": Order of Merlin (1st Class): Snape-Centric Stories, (2nd Class): Best Angst (OWL Awards, 2009); SSHG Awards Nominee (Round 4): Best Short, Best Angst.

No Loyalty in the Moonlight: Order of Merlin (1st Class): Best Drama, Best Death Scene (OWL Awards, 2006). Nominations: Quill-to-Parchment Awards Nominee (Round 3): Best Angst; Best WiP. SSHG Awards Nominee (Post-HBP round): Best Angst, Best WiP. SSHG Awards Nominee (Round 4): Best Newly Completed.

A Walking Shadow: Winner, Best Fanon Het (Quill-to-Parchment Round 2); Runner-up, Best Epic (SS/HG Awards, Post-HBP Round); Runner-Up, Best Trio Era (Quill-to-Parchment Round 2); Runner-Up, Best Novel (Quill-to-Parchment Round 3); Order of Merlin (2nd Class): Best HG/SS, Best Original Character (OWL Awards, 2006). Nominations: Multifaceted Awards Nominee (Round 6); SSHG Awards Nominee (Post-HBP round): Best Drama.