Most of this post is basically an It Just Bugs Me.

I know I haven't posted here in, well, ages, but there's just something that's been bugging me about fanfiction:

The insistence in some Harry Potter fanfics that purebloods are all aristocrats. Or, at least, that the "good" ones are. And by this I mean the Malfoys and the Blacks, not the Weasleys.

In the Dangerverse series*, they went through this whole thing where Sirius "returned to his roots" or something of the sort, and there was an implication that this was part of a Season.

I don't mind the idea, in general. It just bugs me that there is no evidence that any of these people were anything but Slytherins. "Why are only Slytherins allowed to be snobs?" is I guess what I'm really asking, although there was a Ravenclaw character involved in the above mentioned plotline.

But that's just a small part.

In both the Dangerverse and another AU series I'm reading, The Sacrifices Arc**, purebloods have a lot of weird traditions. Okay, fine, they probably do have some. Like signing their names in blood on their wedding contracts. Or swearing by blood that nothing bad would happen to a visitor to their home. Or, you know, not. There's no evidence of it.

I think my major problem is the idea that all Slytherin purebloods are elitist, snobbish aristocrats, and their looking down on everyone else makes sense since they are better than them.

And, specifically about the Sacrifices Arc, I don't find the idea that Harry used the term "mudblood" casually a sign that he potentially has good breeding.

*Of course there are other things that bug me about the Dangerverse series, not the least of the way that one of the characters covered the Sorting Hat's mouth in order to stop herself from being sent to Slytherin. Or the author's constantly having people turn into animals, and not just within HP.

**Again there are other things bugging me about the Sacrifices Arc. Mostly the way that they have a Boy-Who-Lived without Lily being dead. *** But I'm still on the first story, so maybe there's an explanation for that.

***I wonder if anyone has written anything where James managed to survive October 31, 1981 (by not being home that night, perhaps).

I know it's been a few weeks, but mostly because it seems like as soon as I make an update, something worse happens.

( When it rains, it pours )

I'm also having trouble getting on the internet anywhere else but at work because I'm a moron. We were doing some remodeling at home, and in the process our cable modem went missing. So I went out to buy a new one and set it all up. Kept all the paperwork and everything. Threw out the box. (First step of my being a moron.)

Several days go by and I can't get it connect correctly. Finally I call the cable company and go through everything. At some point, the guy comes on the phone and says "I'm sorry, this modem isn't compatible with [cable company]." He then lists off a whole bunch that are. (Second part of my being a moron... waiting for a week or so to call)

So now I'm out the cost of the new cable modem and have a useless one. And now I've got to go buy another one.

Just a couple of updates.

First of all: My father's doing really well. He went from barely being able to move, and unable to speak, to, well, being able to move and speaking a bit. In a week. They did realize that it was, in fact, a stroke, but he's doing a lot better. He even told my mother not to worry and that he'd be home soon. (Not exactly, but close enough I think)

About my AU, with everything that's happened, I've pretty much abandoned it, at least the way it was. I'm still thinking about doing some things in the same sort of universe, and I do have a few ideas, but I need to do some planning. I hope no one was holding their breath for an update. :)

They just took my father to the hospital with a possible stroke. Just so you know.

EDIT: They're not sure it's a stroke. They're really not sure what's wrong, I think.

I did something really, ridiculously stupid on Neopets last night. No, really. Incredibly stupid.

All right, for a few days I'd had a trade up for a Deluxe Popstar in a Box. I didn't give a price that I wanted for it since I'd seen a huge, crazy range and I didn't know how much it cost. Last night, someone contacts me and wants to know. I had no idea, but the lowest price on there was 1.8 million (at that time). I suggested 1.5 million.

The girl waffled a bit and told me about some shells she had up. I checked the shells... the next highest price up there was 900K. She wanted 800K. At this point, I figured "Whatever" and agreed. She got my DPiaB, I got her shell (less than what I'd asked but I was tired of the darned thing anyway).

Here's my stupid mistake. I put the shell up for auction. I never do auctions, and so I screwed up. I put a starting bid at 5K with increments of 1NP.

*headdesks* The shell ended up being sold for 16K. But that was still completely idiotic of me.

I'm trying not to worry about it, but I'm kicking myself since I lost more than 1 million NPs in the long run.

Just in case you were wondering why the rest of Chapter Four was taking so long, it's still slowly coming together. Hopefully, I'll be able to do a couple more updates in a day or so, though.

Part of my problem was considering the faculty list in this Alternate Universe. It was a bit difficult. :)

Thanks for all the nice comments. :) This one took me a couple of days since I was researching various things until I found something I was happy with. I also don't think this chapter is as long as the others. But I'll probably be posting in parts since, erm, I'm at work.

( Chapter Three Part One )

I'll try to post more tonight. It's not a whole lot. Just the end of this scene and a brief return of Mr. Riddle. :)

Okay, let's jump right into it, shall we?

( And now to part 2 )

It's another long section, but at least Chapter One is finished.

I've got a lot of thoughts about this. Mostly, other than being long and complicated (which given how often I use to describe the fanfic, it might as well be the title), I'm going to bring up several points at the bottom about your opinion on things as I go along.

This is a very raw version. I haven't edited most of my late night ramblings as of yet.

Oh, and because I'm weird, I've included footnotes. :)

( Read here if you dare )

This is getting long. I'll see you all in the next part soon. :)

So, to show how old I am, my high school class was supposed to have its ten-year reunion this year. I was dead set against going. No, seriously, I didn't want to see those people again. At least until I'm a multi-millionaire and can rub it in their faces (hey, I can dream, can't I?).

I got a letter from my high school that I didn't open until today when my niece showed it to me. I opened it up and I start laughing. Apparently, no one else had any interest in going, either. The reunion had to be cancelled "due to lack of responses". I don't know why I find this so funny, but it's cracking me up.

Of course, they threw in a guilt trip:
"The committee members worked very hard on putting this together... We unfortunately will not be reimbursed for our time and money as we used as both deposits..." I don't care. I hated the rumors and things spread about me during the four years of high school. And if no one else wants to pretend to have liked each other for a few hours, then it's going to make me laugh. Maniacally.

Although it sounds like they paid for things with time.

Maybe in ten years I'll want to talk to these people again. Yeah. Right.

*dusts off journal*

Wow, that actually worked. I probably should have waited a couple of weeks. Then I could have left it unupdated for a full year and then snuck up on everyone. Haha!

There's a livejournal user called ellipsisaddict (one word) who happens to post at a couple of the communities that I read. It's very confusing to see at times. I find myself thinking "I don't remember posting that." Then I remember that I didn't, and it's just a similar user name.

I noticed that someone on metaquotes was saying that they sent a thank-you note back to Neil Gaiman for the e-mail he sent to all Nano users. It occurs to me that I could have done the same. Although, mine would have come out something like: "Thank you for the e-mail. Of course, I'm an idiot and I didn't send a copy of my novel to my e-mail so when the dog broke the monitor of the computer I had it on, I couldn't get at it anymore (as I'm now using a laptop at home). But thank you anyway! I loved Good Omens!"

Speaking of writing, erm, sort of. I've been working on an AU HP fic. It's, as I told zylly, going to be long and complicated. I've finished the first chapter, though, and I'm considering posting it. Any potential readers? BTW, don't ask me what it's about. It's too long and complicated to explain. And I'll chew your ear off about it.

So, it's Thanksgiving, huh? I'm thankful I've finally got a job, but I don't have to work today. (I do, however, have to work tomorrow, which seems to surprise everyone I tell that to.) I'm thankful I've gotten over my months long series of writer's block, but I think forcing myself to write at the beginning of Nano helped.

More from fandom_wank since Potter fans can't stop wanking.

*sighs* I like Harry Potter. I like Pratchett.

I try not to wank about either of them. At least, based on fandom_wank, Pratchett fans are relatively sane.

And Potter fans have got to learn that the world doesn't revolve around them.


Oh, and congrats, zylly for getting on metaquotes.

Paralegal classes are killing my brain. I see a title like Draco & Hermione Vs The World and I start wondering who would have jurisdiction over the trial.

You know what's sad? I wanted to dress up for Halloween. I had no plans or anything, but I just wanted to dress up. *pouts*

Maybe next year I'll steal my mother's cane and go as House. But no one would probably get it...

binky_betsy

I have no comment. Not that I'm affected since I don't have any of those particular icons.

ETA: It occurs to me that Nano's starting less than a month from now. With the amount of work I'm getting at school, I'm wondering if I would have time to do it...

Not that I have any ideas...

...

You know there's something wrong in the world when one of the Amish does a school shooting.

I'm just saying...