Well, I decided it was time to finally throw my hat into the Harry Potter ring of fan fiction. I'm not much of a writer, but I don't stink either. I got into HP a little while ago and found that I enjoyed fanfiction a lot more than the actual books. I can't really blame JKR, she's writing for kids. That said, I thought that HBP was a total tragedy. I mean, come on, Harry finds out he absolutely has to face Voldemort in a battle to the death so he... sits around and does nothing? WTF? He rattles of the prophecy like it's nothing and doesn't once try to find somebody to train him aside from Dumbledore talking about the old Tom Riddle. I mean, knowing thy enemy is important, but I don't care how well I know Mike Tyson's thought process, if I can't box he's going to seriously whoop my ass. Same thing here. Again, wtf.

I am really attracted to fanfiction because of the immense character range you get, which is why I can't say what characters I really like or dislike; it all depends on how they're written.

For example, I started out reading H/Hr stories on Portkey, so I'll always have a soft spot for that ship. I've read stories where Hermione is completely dedicated to Harry, is a great friend and a better lover. I've also read stories where Hermione is an absolute know-it-all bitch who can't keep her mouth shut. Like I said, it all depends on how she's written.

I will say that in general I am not a fan of any fic that puts Harry with a strictly canon character. Hermione in canon is too strict and formal for Harry. The best H/Hr fics I've read develop Hermione into a more emotional and caring person with a more loyal personality. This is the type of character that is right for Harry.

I have a similar problem with Ginny out of canon, in that the one thing Harry does NOT need is a girl who likes him for his heroics. Ginny has always had a crush on the boy-who-lived, and will always see Harry as her own personal Hero (Of course, he did save her life, but still). At the end of HBP Ginny says something to Harry about how "she knows he'll only be happy chasing after Voldemort" and that's why she loves him. This is serious BS. Harry is happy when absolutely nothing is happening; when he can just hang out like a normal kid. There is no doubt Harry has a heroic personality that pushes him to chase down the bad guy, but just because he feels obligated to do heroic acts does not mean that's what makes him happy. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Another canon ship I just don't get is R/Hr. A guy who hates rules and slacks as hard as he can and a bookworm who lives by the book and considers school work the most important thing in her life? Again, WTF? Constant bickering means people fancy each other? Maybe for some people, however most of the time I think it means that people just don't get along very well. Canon Hermione needs a straight edge, no fun, career minded guy. Canon Ron is like a real life high school guy, and is looking to get laid. Putting these two together sounds like my favorite episode of "Blind Date."

To sum up: Canon sucks. Fanfic rules. I'll support any ship that is correctly written and characterized and is NOT SLASH. Being a heterosexual male slash turns my stomach. If that's your cup of tea, no problem. Do your thing and I respect it. Just respect that it's not for me.

Oh, I have a blog too with some poetry and random philosophical thoughts on it. Check it out and let me know what you think.

http:///

Harry Potter and the Hero's Path

There is a thread discussing this story on (it's not all dark!evil!Harry fics, trust me). If you'd like to discuss the story somewhere that I can actually respond, check it out.

http:///showthread.php?t=1589

-the Jack