Tag Archives: Harry Potter
The Case of the Unwelcome Owl (Sherlock/Harry Potter Crossover Fanfic)
Author: FayJay
AO3 ID: 120495
Status: Complete (oneshot)
John Watson finds himself awakened in the middle of the night by the looming form of his flatmate Sherlock Holmes at his bedroom doorway . . . demanding John hand over his gun to him. Because apparently, there's an owl in the flat, and Sherlock wants to shoot it. And oh, look, there's a fancy envelope the looks an awful lot like a wedding invitation that definitely shows signs of being held in said owl's beak (John's been learning to pay more attention to the small details). Only, since when do owls deliver correspondence? And who on earth would be brave enough to invite Sherlock to their wedding?
Oh my, The Case of the Unwelcome Owl was a delightful find for me. Basically, Sherlock receives a wedding invitation from his cousin Luna Lovegood, and John finds out about the whole wizarding world and (yay!) gets to meet Luna. Bordering on crackish (okay, it may have tipped rather far past the border at some points), it manages to be a charming character study. Really, as John says once he figures out what's going on (sort of), it explains so much! And while it is remarkably quirky, this story also manages to be true to the characters in the essence of who they are, even while bringing in some very unorthodox backstory. I actually quite loved the way the author brings out the characters' personalities through all sorts of little details, as well as the way the plot unfolds gradually with Sherlock holding on to his secrets as much as he can. On a side note, crossing other fandoms over with Harry Potter is basically the most done thing in the world . . . but this managed to be something unique and special. I love Luna, and she really doesn't get enough attention–she's got so much potential as a fanfic character, too, as is clearly shown in this fic. Also, kudos to the author for bringing so much humor into this story; The Case of the Unwelcome Owl had me laughing at every turn. Definitely recommended.
Note: You can find The Case of the Unwelcome Owl at https://archiveofourown.org/works/120495.
Tagged as 4.5★, AO3, contemporary, crackfic, crossover, Dr. John Watson, drama, England, fanfiction, FayJay, friendship, gen, Harry Potter, humor, Luna Lovegood, oneshot, quirky, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes
The Most Deadly Alliance (Harry Potter/Merlin Crossover Fanfic)
Fed up with the difficulties he's had disposing of one brat–the young wizard Harry Potter–Voldemort crosses time itself to form a dark alliance with Nimue, High Priestess of the Old Religion, combining forces to also help her with her own personal annoyance, the warlock Merlin. Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione find themselves stepping out of Hogwarts and into the past, meeting the man who is a legend in their time . . . only Merlin isn't quite what they were expecting. He's young and clumsy and a servant, while they were expecting someone old and imposing. Oh, and the king he's supposed to advise and help isn't even king yet and he has no idea that Merlin even has magic! Still, Harry and his friends come to see the greatness of the man of legend buried beneath the youthful exterior, and they and Merlin soon become fast friends. Which is good, because they're going to have to work together if they are to survive the dark machinations of Nimue and Voldemort.
Emachinescat is a wonderful author, and I love everything I've read of hers. Having said that, I think The Most Deadly Alliance is one of my favorites. The premise and all the interlocking pieces of time travel and legend are just fascinating. But even more than that, the little choices of the timing within each story, the characters to involve, the details that are drawn in–it's all expertly executed. I loved how well thought out the character interactions were. The people involved behaved in character, even when it made them clash or seem abrasive. And the people who should have hit it off with each other did so. There were even instances where character interactions caused changing points of view. (Arthur's interactions with Hermione and his changing views because of that, notably, although Harry's relationship with Morgana is also a great case in point. Actually, the development between Harry and Morgana may have been one of my favorite parts of the story, which kind of surprised me.) All of that was just crafted in a very credible and in-character way that I truly enjoyed greatly. Additionally, the larger-scale story was interesting–the tension and mystery, the complications of time travel, the flaws in Voldemort and Nimue's alliance, all of it worked well and was fun to read. The writing style itself was also quite excellent, being fluid and natural and easy to read. On a technical side, there were a couple of chapters where chunks of text were transposed into the wrong place (like, into the middle of another paragraph or even into the middle of a sentence), making the reader have to sort through what is supposed to go where. But it's all there if you're willing to figure it out, and it's only in a few places–probably a tech issue in the editing or uploading process. If not for that, I would have given The Most Deadly Alliance a whole 5 of 5 rating, but as-is, it's still a new favorite of mine that I would highly recommend.
Tagged as adventure, American, Arthurian legend, crossover, Elizabeth Wilson, Emachinescat, fanfiction, FFnet, friendship, gen, Harry Potter, magic, Merlin (BBC), Merlin/Emrys, revealfic, romance, suspense, time travel
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016 Movie)
1926, New York City. Something magical is wrecking havoc, and the magical community is desperately trying to keep the whole thing under wraps and the muggles out of it all . . . which would be easier if there weren't obsessive, outspoken muggles crying witchcraft from the street corners. Enter into the mix a bumbling young idealist from England carrying a suitcase (bigger on the inside, naturally) full of magical creatures just dying to get out and roam the city. Obviously, trouble is going to ensue, especially when said wizard manages to get himself and his (possibly illegal) creatures seen not just by a muggle but by a straitlaced ex-Auror as well.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a fun jaunt in the world Rowling's creation. It's clearly Rowling's work, but on the other hand, it's most definitely not Harry Potter, by any means. And it was odd to me that there was this big plot involving the entire local magical community and tying the story into the whole Harry Potter storyline . . . but that part of the story felt almost artificial or forced to me. Like it was there to tie everything together and to make Newt's story bigger and more exciting, only I wasn't really interested in that part of the story. But there were other parts of this movie that definitely made up for my not loving the big plot part. For one, the setting was really interesting–1920's New York, with the added bonus of getting a peek into American wizardry, what's not to love?! And all of the creatures . . . there's a sense in which parts of the story almost feel like just a catalogue of magical creatures, but they're so interesting/cute/wonderful that it's totally okay. Even better (absolutely without a doubt my favorite part) are the main four characters and their interactions. Newt Scamander himself is the best. He's a hearty helping of Eleven, a touch of Merlin (especially the sass and attitude), a bit shy and awkward, but thoroughly idealistic and devoted to his creatures and his mission to protect them and educate people about them. I don't know; I just really enjoyed his personality and the unusual friendship he develops with the others. Jacob, Tina, and Queenie are also rich, well-developed characters who were cast brilliantly. I really loved that they weren't your typical likeable protagonist types, none of the four were; they're awkward or bristly or just unusual, and I loved them for it and for the friendships they formed. I would really love to see more of these characters. I think their small (but significant) personal story was what made this movie, and it is certainly what would make me recommend Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to anyone looking for a quirky, magical tale.
Written by J. K. Rowling/Directed by David Yates/Produced by David Heyman, J. K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, & Lionel Wigram/Music by James Newton Howard/Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, & Carmen Ejogo
Tagged as 1920-1929, adventure, Alison Sudol, animal story, British, Carmen Ejogo, Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler, David Heyman, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, fantasy, friendship, Harry Potter, Heyday Films, J. K. Rowling, James Newton Howard, Jon Voight, Katherine Waterston, Lionel Wigram, live action, magic, movie, New York City, PG13, romance, Samantha Morton, spinoff, Steve Kloves, United States, Warner Bros.
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide
Many of us consider the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a second home, and one close to the heart at that. But there are secrets to this amazing school that have remained hidden for years. Some are shrouded in legend. Others are so mundane as to have escaped notice. In this guide, you may find a few of these mysteries unveiled . . . though most assuredly not all of them.
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide is a collection of short writings by Rowling, most if not all of which were originally featured on the Pottermore website but which are here brought together in a slightly more organized selection. The topics discussed here range from the origins of the Hogwarts Express to the ghosts who haunt the halls of the school to the location of the Hufflepuff common room. I wouldn't call any of the content "short stories" per se–more like a combination of descriptions and origin stories paired with Rowling's discussions on the stories behind these topics, where she got her ideas, that sort of thing. It's a bit of an unusual collection, but as it's told in Rowling's ever enchanting voice, this small volume is still quite a charming read, especially for Potterheads like myself. My one regret is that the collection is not more extensive, but I would still definitely recommend Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide as an enjoyable little addition to your Harry Potter collection.
Note: As far as I know, this volume is only available as an e-book.
Tagged as British, children's fiction, contemporary, documentary, essays, fantasy, ghost story, Harry Potter, humor, J. K. Rowling, MinaLima, origin stories, Pottermore, short fiction, urban fantasy