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| How appropriate! The Running Author... |
I've already put in to take November 1st off from work so that I can have complete focus on that first day. On a side note, (easily distracted) I'm training to run my first full marathon right now. I've got 18 weeks left until the big day, February 19th. This running writer is keeping BUSY!!!
November is not only a great month for writing but also for indie authors. 'Adopt an Indie' month will be taking place all across the web. Yours truly has been adopted by a wonderful blogger, Tanya from All Things Books, and has given Tanya first dibs on reading the revamped version of my debut novel. I can only hope that she likes what I've done with it but I guess we will all see soon!
Speaking of Emlyn, on a whim, I decided to share with you all a bit of FanFic that I wrote for a contest she ran on her site back in February. Harry Potter FanFic to be exact. Below are the rules that I didn't follow, but HEY! I had an idea pop into my head and I had to run with it... Don't forget to leave a comment if you like it. Enjoy!
Here’s what you have to do: take any scene from any of the seven Harry Potter books, any scene at all. Now, pick any character from the series that you like—maybe Snape, Hagrid, Dobby, Mad-Eye Moody, Hermione—I mean anybody. The only rule is that you can’t choose Harry himself. Through the voice of your selected character explain to Harry what really happened in the scene you’ve chosen. Give a perfectly rational explanation grounded in the Muggle world. Wizards never existed as it turns out, and Harry just imagined the entire episode. Your write-up should be a dialogue between Harry and your chosen character.
Crookshanks’ Revenge
“Padfoot, I can’t take much more of this. These kids are driving me crazy!” Crookshanks plodded back and forth along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He stopped moving about and plopped down where he was with a harrumph. “They just never listen!” he groaned.
Padfoot shook his mangy head and asked with a groan, “What happened now to get you all riled up?
“It’s this damned Weasley kid! Now he’s accusing me of eating Scabbers. I’m about ready to claw the kid’s eyes out. He makes me wish that I really DID eat the damned rat. Now that I think on it… I just might,” he exclaimed. And with that, Crookshanks bolted upright and took off as if someone had lit a fire under him.
“Crookshanks! Don’t do it! Ron will kill you!!” Padfoot yelled after him, but to no avail. He was gone and there was no talking him out of something once he set his mind to it. Crookshanks was a stubborn cat, to put things mildly. Padfoot decided that he had done all that he could to help the children that night and made his way back into the forest to hide.
Crookshanks wandered around Hogwarts, using his superior nose to try and sniff out Scabbers’ hiding place. He knew the rat had to still be around somewhere. He had formulated a plan and finding the rat was only the beginning. He heard footsteps coming his way and darted down the next hallway to avoid being seen. That’s when he caught the scent. A grin broadened his face, causing his whiskers to ruffle.
He ran down the hall, following the aroma of the traitor rodent. As he turned the next corner, he caught sight of Scabbers sneaking his way through the shadows. The chase was on… Scabbers heard the cat following him and ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. His mind was reeling, trying to find an escape. He wasn’t paying attention to anyone around, just trying to find a hole to hide in. This turned out to be a grave error. He darted straight into the path of Professor Snape.
Snape’s foot landed right on the rat’s tail at the same instant that Crookshanks went to pounce. The cat hit the side of Snape’s leg at high speed, momentarily dazed. “Damned pests,” grumbled Snape, looking down at the two animals at his feet. “I hate these damned critters running through my halls, wreaking havoc. Too bad they aren’t like Muggle pets…” As he said it, an idea formed. He looked back and forth between the two and grinned menacingly. “I know a spell or two that can take care of that!”
Snape pulled out his wand and flicked it in their direction as he said, “Rufanatuli!” A light flashed at his feet and both animals screeched. He knelt down, making sure to keep his foot on the tail of the rat beneath his boot. He looked closely into the dazed eyes of Crookshanks and Scabbers. It looked like the spell had worked. They were nothing more than a rat and a cat before him now, no longer sentient beings. Snape watched as the cat realized that its natural born prey was cowering before it. With a chuckle, Snape lifted his foot and watch as the rat scuttled away, being chased by the cat again. “They won’t be doing any more plotting around here…”
It didn’t take long for Crookshanks to catch his favorite food. He captured the rat that he had been chasing after, breaking its neck in the process. He plodded his way back to the tower that he lived in, dinner swinging back and forth from his mouth. He was the happiest cat on the planet, having caught such a prize. Once he reached his owner’s room, he hopped up on the foot of the bed and started eating. As is engrained in all cats, he decided to share with his owner. He left half of his dinner on her pillow so that she could enjoy and know that he did what he was supposed to. With that, he went to sleep.
Hermoine awoke, having had strange dreams in the night. As she opened her eyes, she screamed, waking the entire house. She found herself face to face with a dead rat, or what was left of it. Her mom ran into the room to find her daughter huddled in the corner, whimpering. She looked at the bed and saw her daughter’s long-time pet snuggled into the blankets and a dead rat on the pillow. She made her way to Hermoine’s side and knelt down.
“It’s okay dear. I’ll have your dad come clean it up. Your brother is going to be upset though.” She stroked her daughter’s hair, trying to sooth her.
“But I heard him plotting with the Grim, talking about getting back at Ron!” she cried. “I think he’s turned evil, mum!”
“It was just a dream, dearest. There are no Grims and your cat doesn’t talk. I should never have let you watch that movie.” She stood. “I guess I should go tell Ron that your cat ate his rat.”
“Ron’s here? What’s he doing here?!? I need to get dressed. I can’t let him see me like this.” Hermoine started rushing around the room, trying to pull herself together.
“What are you doing? Why would your brother care what you look like,” her mother asked.
“My brother? Ron is not my brother. He’s my future boyfriend. And I love him!”
“I think maybe you need to go back to sleep for a bit, Hermy. That must have been one disturbing dream…” Her mother pointed to the family photo on the desk.
Hermoine followed her mother’s outstretched finger, saw her and Ron standing in front of her parents and fainted.
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