The Pelennor Fields

rheasummers @ 2003-12-15T21:39:00

2003-12-15T21:44:06Z

This is probably be one of my last posts in this LJ because I feel that I'm not really involved in the HP fandom other than reading an occassional fanfic or chatting to some old friends. I'm shifting to another username.

For those who are interested to catch up with my personal life, here's my new username: subdereality. Add me and I'll add you back. Be warned that I will not talk much about HP there. It will focus on my Real Life and most entries will be friends-locked because I don't want anyone random to gather too much info about me (note: stalkers).

I will not delete this LJ because it holds much sentimental value for me, and there are many entries which are too priceless for me to throw away with a click of a mouse.

So there.

rheasummers @ 2003-10-30T13:38:00

2003-10-30T13:41:01Z

I'm slowly trying to glue my online life back now. Since I left for UK middle last month, I have been ignoring my fandom life and my LJ is stuck full of Real Life updates. Here are some of the things I intend to do really soon:

+ Start playing on magnolia_cresc actively once again.
+ Start to LJ more.
+ Regain contact with all of my online friend.
+ Download the 'Dune' miniseries from Kazaa as soon as possible. I've just downloaded the soundtrack and it was beautiful. I wish I can watch 'Children of Dune' again.

Most of my entries are friends-locked. Just drop me a line and I'll friend you back.

rheasummers @ 2003-09-18T10:38:00

2003-09-18T02:38:43Z

…It reads like fanfic…

…Perfect balance between angst and fluff…

…A complex main plot complemented by interesting subplots…

…Well-developed characters and unconventional ships…

--- mentioned by readers following magnolia_cresc

Ever wanted Snape-Remus UST? Wanted a Narcissa-Regulus Black subplot? Interested to know more about a Sirius/Remus backstory? Ever wished for more unconventional ships like Harry/Susan or Blaise/Padma?

The answer lies in magnolia_cresc. Click on the cut below for more details.

Ever afraid of joining a dying RPG?
This is certainly not a problem here. magnolia_cresc is 6th Year RPG and we are relatively well-established due to the presence of strong players within the group.

Weary of inefficient modding?
Have no fear. magnolia_cresc has a four-member strong mod team and we keep an eye on what is going on within the RPG. The mods also have created schedules and time passage guidelines to help players along.

Afraid of not being able to keep up with this RPG?
Certainly not a problem here. We don't move like wind and we encourage players to plan their subplots and threads beforehand, and we don't normally do Real Time RPing due to time zone differences. However, if you want, Real Time RPing is welcomed. You don't have to RP out every single incident. You may choose which to RP and which to reflect in a 'Thoughts' post.

What about spelling and grammar issues?
Nearly all of our players are quality fanfic writers. Each and every player are screened for their language and writing style before they are accepted into the RPG. A few of us are playing on very popular RPGs too, and the quality of writing is very high, rest be assured.

Most of all, every player is very receptive to plotting and general mucking around!

Want to join a RPG with such qualities? Head over to magnolia_cresc! We are currently expanding our player list and we would love to have more people joining us! More is the merrier, and here are the characters which not taken yet:

Gryffindor
Ron Weasley (6th)
Colin Creevy (5th)

Ravenclaw
Kevin Entwhistle (6th)
Terry Boot (6th)
Mandy Brocklehurst (6th)
Lisa Turpin (6th)

Hufflepuff
Ernie Macmillan (6th)
Justin Finch-Fletchley (6th)

Slytherin
Vincent Crabbe (6th)
Gregory Golye (6th)
Daphne Greengrass (6th)
Millicent Bulstrode (6th)
Tracey Davis (6th)

Adults
Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody *
Kingsley Shacklebolt *

Cornelius Fudge
Peter Pettigrew
Bellatrix Black

Filius Flitwick *
Minerva McGonagall *
Sprout *
Sybill Trelawney*

Bill Weasley
Fred Weasley
George Weasley

(* denotes accent characters.)

---------------------

You must be above 16 to apply. Please send your application to magnolia_crescent03@yahoo.co.uk these fields filled out:

Personal
Name:
Age:
E-mail:
Previous/Current RP Experience:

Character:
The name of the character:
Your interpretation of the character:
How would the character contribute to the RPG? :
A mock journal entry:

Application processing time may take a few days to a week, and we will let you know if you have been chosen. The moderators' decisions are final. Please do not e-mail or contact us if you do not get the character you want to play. All decisions have been thoroughly discussed before public announcements are made.

rheasummers @ 2003-09-10T09:43:00

2003-09-10T01:44:03Z

Magnolia Crescent Pimp-age:

+ Whee! This thread definitely features a squee-worthy ship!

+ Snape is being his usual bitter/snarky/evil/cruel self in this thread.

Speaking of magnolia_cresc, there are quite a number of character openings. Wonder if anyone I know is going to play in this RPG soon.

rheasummers @ 2003-09-05T23:46:00

2003-09-05T15:46:21Z

+ I know I haven't updated in a long time. I was (still am) busy packing and preparing to move to someplace 10,000km away from home.

+ Have spent all day altering my ball gown. Either I've lost weight or the tailor doesn't know how to take measurements. I've altered a total of 4 inches around the chest and the waist. I think there's a medic's ball coming up in two weeks and I want to look my best. Yeah, I know I'm vain. It's my ultimate chance to hook up with someone new.

+ The graduation ceremony's in 10 hours. My graduation dress is hanging behind my door now and the silk looks pretty. I hope dad can catch some new photographs. Hopefully, I can post a few up here.

+ My sponsors haven't confirmed my flight yet. I really have no idea when I'm going to get my butt up the plane.

Fandom news:
+ marvinetta rules! Her new magnolia_cresc icon made my week!

+ magnolia_cresc is getting better and better. I foresee lots of fun on this RPG. Am going to spend more time RPing there starting this weekend.

I'm praying hard for my friends

2003-08-23T04:42:50Z

I can't believe I'm wibbling over a RPG thread. I really can't. Well, I'm better today, and I'm in an okay mood.

Right. That's my fandom news for today.

More on Real Life now:

Close to two months ago, the International Baccalaureate results came out. I did well, alright, so did many of my friends. I guess I'm lucky to have conditional offers from medical schools in United Kingdom, and I've successfully confirmed my placement.

The sad thing at the moment concerns my friends. Late last year and early this year, we went through the gruelling process of sending in our applications (and personal statements – I was lucky that a newspaper editor who read my Star Wars Ep. II parody by chance volunteered to edit my uni. entry essay) through UCAS. Then, we were subject to various interviews given by the medical faculty in those universities we applied.

I was lucky that I had managed to secure conditional offers. Many of my friends weren't so lucky. They ended up with nowhere to go. In fact, 50-60% of the UK bound students couldn't get places in ANY of their four choices to due to competitive nature of entry for medicine. The college admins told them to work hard for the finals because according to them, if they can score above 40/45, they would be able to get a place via the clearing round.

Looks like the students were banking on a not-so-realistic hope.

The IB results came out. My friends did well. Sadly, only three UK universities had extra places for the clearing round: Uni. of Cardiff, Uni. of Sheffield and Queen's Uni. Belfast. So far, only two guys got places through the clearing round. A close friend of mine had applied for none of the three universities. I don't know where he's going now. Most of the Australian universities (for backup) have also rejected their applications because they missed the deadline.

My friends are very dejected, and I feel terrible for them. When we first entered college under government scholarship, we were so optimistic about studying medicine and everything. Now, there's a fair chance of many of us would not make it.

I'm going to pray that they get places soon. Anywhere.

rheasummers @ 2003-08-22T14:44:00

2003-08-22T06:45:03Z

Have just received a letter from college.

I'VE WON A NATIONAL AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE!

I'll be sitting in the front row with other award winners and VIPs during the convocation. I really need to call my tailor up to check if my dress is ready. Yay?

I guess it's one of those rare bright spots in life.

rheasummers @ 2003-08-18T15:55:00

2003-08-18T07:55:55Z

I'm going to do something I've never done in public.

*waves two flags – one for mc_dumbledore and one for mc_remus*

This scene actually moved me to tears – something which none other RPG has done so far! Also, it has to be one of the best post-OotP Sirius/Remus scene ever written, fanfic or RPG alike. It's so touching… so heartwrenching. Remus and Dumbledore totally rocked my world!

I love magnolia_cresc to bits. I'm a Remus and Dumbledore fangirl from the moment I finished reading that scene. =)

Now, I'm anticipating the Remus-Snape smackdown!

(Too bad most threads aren't played via Real Time. However, it's a good thing also, since the replies and quality of writing tend to be deeper and better.)

rheasummers @ 2003-08-17T17:06:00

2003-08-17T09:07:20Z

I've been wibbling non-stop this week. It seems like the worst of fandom and the worst of Real Life was thrown at me together.

Monday: Had a horrible headache, and it lasted all day. Like every good medic student, I didn't take any aspirins for the fear of weakening my immune system. Then, every time I want to go for a jog to release some excess adrenalin, it would start to rain cats and dogs. I ended turning into a couch (more like bed) potato. Major shit also happened on the RPG I'm modding.

Tuesday: Got the university accommodation I wanted. Should be happy but ended wibbling when I discovered that all of my friends are living elsewhere. I'm not exactly a dependent person, but the idea of living all alone, 10,000 kilometres away from home is very scary. Went to look for suitable material to get my dress for the convocation ceremony ready, but couldn't find any. Ended getting all stressed up over 4 meters of cloth.

Wednesday: Went to do some major shopping. Freak thunderstorm happened and a tree by the side of the highway got uprooted. A 15-minute journey turned into a 3-4 hour nightmare. Plus, the a/c chose to die on me halfway.

Friday: Major shit happened in another RPG. Got very wibbly over the entire fiasco. Also, was stuck on The Fanfic. Don't know how to continue or rewrite. Everything seems so plain and bland to my senses. Wish I haven't made the decision to turn active in the fandom close to three months ago. Should have just stayed among close friends and such.

Saturday: Got into a row with mom over my bro. Family was threatened by three gangsters while doing some grocery shopping. Ran to get security help. Got very angry when those employees were too scared to throw those gangsters out of the shopping mall. Ended up telling the employees that I'd call the police and sue the departmental store for poor security when they finally agreed to escort my family to our car.

Sunday: Even more fandom crap, and was very upset this morning/noon. Have abandoned everything slightly useful in life. Don't know why not excited about attending med school in England. Want to shut up and lie in bed all day. Need to call up a close friend to talk, but have no idea who.

Maybe I need to give out love. Here are the ones I love dearly (from my friends list):

blazebox - I love you for being someone who I can talk to freely without any inhibitions. I love you for being someone so understanding and caring. I love you for being who you are.
mareisse - You are the best RPer and the coolest woman ever. You cheered me up with a potato song when I was down. You took me under your wing when I was lost and confused. I love you to bits and I don't want to be separated from you ever, character-wise or not.
xxkkangxx - I love you for sharing your tOOby Harry Potter love with me. I love you for letting me bully you into a deal. I love you for caring about me when I'm down, and I love you for allowing me to share our problems together.
sydney_lynne - I love you for letting me make your read my purple outside and green inside D/G smut. I love you for being my most dedicated beta-reader ever.
nananaginip - I love you for being the person whom I've known the longest time in my friends list. I love you for cheering me up. I love you for being an optimistic person.
mercuryraven and thescarletwoman - I love you for covering for me when I was busy with other things. I love you treating me as an equal when it comes to various things concerning our RPG although I've been neglecting various things lately. I love you for being the coolest mods ever.
twelveeyes - I love you for sharing my pain with the IB system.
bunny_wabit - I love you for sharing a certain *ahem* illegal file with me when I was wibbling about not being able to read a certain book. I love you for being the coolest fanfiction archive owner ever.
hemlocke - I love you for being a person who I can share my fears and worries about entering med school.
thena - There has been so much misunderstanding between us. Still, I love you for being a good friend to me back then.
cereal - I love you for playing along with all that boob-grabbing in the RPG. You are the best, girl, and I love you for that.

It's making my eyes go all shiny already.

rheasummers @ 2003-08-08T21:26:00

2003-08-08T13:27:16Z

+ Yay! My new Compaq Presario arrived today! I have a laptop now! In the setup session, I’ve named it ‘Rhea’s Baby. Achtung!’

+ ::snickers:: Yours truly is playing in triumvirate now. I can’t say who I’m playing but I guarantee that many interesting things are coming up. I think I’m really getting addicted to RPGs. They are a lot more fun than regular fanfiction writing.

+ Squee! magnolia_cresc was so fun today! Lots of boob-grabbing and gossiping. I heart my baby to death. –have to write a personal thought for my character now. ::snickers:: I love my plot.

+ Am cleaning out my friends list after this entry. I don’t have the time to keep track of everyone, so I’ll just delete friends those whose LJs don’t concern the Harry Potter fandom directly. In other words, only the people who I interact with on a regular basis (doesn’t matter whether through YIM, LJ comments or e-mail) will be staying on the list. Don’t take it as a personal insult if I unfriend you.

+ The more I look at my fanfic, the unsatisfied I get. I don’t know what to do now. It boils down to only three options: (1) Post it without caring about reader reactions, (2) Rewrite certain scenes to appease myself, or (3) trash it completely and write it again. Gosh, I really don’t know what to do now.

+ Need to catch up on my regular mail soon. –Was swamped by IMs from various people concerning various matters this morning. Don’t know it will be a permanent feature since I mod one RPG out of the two active ones I’m currently playing in.

+ Need to catch up on regular tv too. –Have abandoned my tv set for too long already.

rheasummers @ 2003-08-06T22:52:00

2003-08-06T14:52:55Z

+ Have finished drafting the fanfic. It's off to sydney_lynne now. Hopefully, there won't be too many problems with the story. At best, I may be able to get it posted at Portkey sometime next week.

+ Have replied to all the reviews on Portkey. Will post my replies when I upload the cleaned-up version of the fanfic next week.

+ Watched the C.S.I. Miami premier tonight. A pretty good series. Horatio's so much better than I thought he would be. Has the humane element that Gil Grissom's missing.

Questions courtesy of cereal

1) You RP. Who's someone you'd like to play but have never? And who's someone you'd like to play, but don't think you'd do them justice? Why?

Hey, that's three questions in one! Teehee, they touch on the same topic anyway. I see RPing as a more involved form of fanfiction-writing, and it is my latest love in the HP fandom. I'd love to play Draco Malfoy one day since all of my published HP works feature Draco Malfoy. Strangely, I'd love to play Ginny Weasley too, but I'll never do her justice. I can never seem to grasp her characterisation properly, and I think it is quite evident in many of my works. Perhaps this is an indication of my fickle-minded personality. I can never quite decide on something and not change my mind after that.

2) Looks like you have a free account. If you were to get a paid account, what would your extra icons be of and why?

For starters, I'd want a Colin Hanks icon. I happened to watch Orange County yesterday and yes, I *still* have that small crush on him. Speaking of which, I have a present for you, cereal. I've made an icon of Colin for you, and when you come online, I'll send it directly via Y!M. Well, I wonder if that has anything to do with Tom Hanks. I'm a major fan of Tom Hanks. When bootleg vcds were still the rage in my homeland, I used to go searching for any Tom Hanks movie all over the city. Now, I have all of his movies starting from 1993, with the exception of Sleepless in Seattle and That Thing You Do!.
Next off, I'd want a few icons of *really* good looking guys like Orlando Bloom (PotC version). I'd probably throw in a few icons of my favourite shows like Alias and C.S.I.. I have a thing for humour too. I own a digital camera now too, and most probably, I'll put my face on an icon.

3.) What is it about D/G that does it for you?

The doomed romance element. I'm a hardcore romantic at heart, and I always like those angst and tortured romance. While Tom/Ginny may be the perfect ship to squee over the darkness/torture/angst, those are the very reasons why I tend to shy away from T/G. I don't think I can handle all that angst and darkness typical in a good T/G story.
On the other hand, D/G isn’t too dark, but it retains the "we're on opposite sides, but you can't stop us from lovin' each other, come hell or high water" quality. Also, Draco and Ginny are relatively two-dimensional in the books, and I find it easier to believe the characterisations featured in various fanfics. Not much is said about them, unlike the ships that feature Harry, Ron or Hermione.
Still, I find myself very open to other ships. I read all sorts of pairings, but I find there with a good writer, any couple is possible.

4.) Cuaron has a nervous breakdown and the entire PoA movie is re-done. You're in charge of casting of now. Who do you cast? We'll even suspend that must-be-British-actors rule for you, if you'd like.

Can I say I want the actors who the players in magnolia_cresc feature for their character icons? I *still* think that Colin Hanks can be a good Neville, with the chubby face and all those clueless expressions he likes to make. As for Sirius, I'd want to see Edward Atterton (the guy who played Duncan Idaho. He's a Scottish actor) in the Dune mini-series play him. He has the rugged look and the tragic quality in him, and that, I think, is very important for an actor to portray Sirius Black. Alternatively, Wolverine!Hugh Jackman may do the trick too.
I can't really think of anyone to replace the trio, although I may have various grievances concerning Daniel Radcliffe's acting. I'm been living in The Bad Place recently, and I think he's very attractive for a boy his age. ^^; Can't wait for the PoA movie to come out.

5.) Describe your typical Friday.

Computer, computer, computer (for the meantime). I don't really go out that much nowadays. After two years of gruelling work in college, I'm taking my break now. I just want to enjoy life and do the things that I want to do all this while. For example, I've started writing again, and magnolia_cresc is my new love. At night, I'll have to catch Charmed on the tube.
Well, that is what I do on Friday nights for the past two months.
Before I graduated from college, I used to study on Friday nights. ^^; I know, but entertainment is very limited in my college (I lived in a dorm where there isn't a %&$*(% electric socket in the room), which is located in the middle of a tremendous crop estate. That means, I can't even go out without the warden's permission. Alternatively, I try to catch up with my now-defunct indie blog.

Now, the madness I'm suppose to post along with the Q&A:

1 -- Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 -- I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 -- You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 -- You'll include this explanation.
5 -- You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

rheasummers @ 2003-08-04T14:28:00

2003-08-04T06:29:08Z

magnolia_cresc is so fun nowadays. During the second half of last week, the RPG nearly died because there was a stall in the plot. Well, everything has been ironed out now, and the game's back on track! And wOOt! A major event for magnolia_cresc is coming up soon this week! =) Echoing blazebox, love the pimp cane? Go love magnolia_cresc too!

BTW, there *is* smut on the RPG.

Bleh, speaking of which, I'm such a ditz. I've been so obsessed with magnolia_cresc that I've abandoned my other fandom responsibilities, namely fanfiction writing. I know, I know… ::cowers:: The fanfic was due last week… Have no fear, it's already standing at 6500-words. I hope I'll be able to get it to my betas by the end of the week.

Oh, I've just bought a Compaq Presario Pentium IV 2.4GHz notebook. Comes with a free 3.2Megapixel digicam too, all for USD1000. Have also done lots of shopping yesterday. Got a brand-new 52X24X52X External CD-Writer for USD84. Good buy, eh?

rheasummers @ 2003-07-26T16:41:00

2003-07-26T08:43:56Z

Have trimmed my friends list a little. Everything's done randomly. If I unfriend you, don't take it personally... As mentioned, I'm doing it on random. I don't have the time to read through every single post, and comment on them.

Will do the trimming again tomorrow.

This LJ is now friends-only.

2003-07-18T13:47:55Z

I'm back from boot camp.

I'm making this LJ friends-only. Reasons shall be explained in a locked entry after this post.

If you friend me, I'll friend you back if I find your LJ interesting. However, please be patient because I don't check my friends list every day.

rheasummers @ 2003-06-26T23:41:00

2003-06-26T15:44:36Z

Oh. My. God.

Rowling just mentioned that Dumbledore didn't want Snape to teach DADA because it would bring him closer to the Dark Side. O_O She implied that we will get to see more of Snape in the next two books. Wow.

Also, the worst seems to be over for Harry, according to Jo Rowling. Thank God! =)

Also, Rowling mentioned that one has to let a death sink in a little before that character can see Thestrals. That explains why Harry didn't see Thestrals at the end of GoF.

rheasummers @ 2003-06-25T13:09:00

2003-06-25T05:10:10Z

My brain's in the gutter now.

In OotP, Young!Snape was turned upside down by James and Sirius. Now, it was implied in the book that Snape didn't wear any trousers under his robes.

While I don’t want the movie to affect my judgement, but I do think those wizards wear *something* under those robes. Hermione and Ginny both changed in the same train compartment with Harry and Ron. I don't think they are closet exhibitionists, aren't they? Therefore, I assumed that those wizards and witches wear stuff under their clothing. Besides, won't Quidditch be too uh, revealing for female players if they wear only robes?

One plausible explanation: Only the purebloods don't want to wear anything Muggle, which means most purebloods go commando.

Now, here's a wicked thought: Does my explanation mean that if I turn Draco Malfoy upside down, I'll get to see his underwear too? XD I'll volunteer to turn him upside down. ;p

OotP spoilers - Some questions and explanations

2003-06-24T03:45:16Z

+ What is Petunia? Is she a Squib or a Muggle?

In chapter 28, Snape called Lily a 'mudblood'. From earlier books, we get to know that 'mudblood' is a degrading term for wizards born to Muggle parents. Therefore, if Lily's parents are Muggle, how could Petunia (Lily's sister) be a squib?

However, I will not choose to overlook the possibility that Petunia may even be a witch who turned her back against the wizarding world. ^^; Dumbledore has addressed her as 'Petunia', not 'Mrs. Dursley'. I've noticed that in the book, Dumbledore always addresses people correctly, and he rarely uses first names unless that certain person is/was his student. Remember the Tom incident in OotP?

+ Is James a Chaser or a Seeker?

This has been a point of debate for quite some time already. My fic, Nox Noctis features James as the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Then, someone claimed that I've got my facts wrong. No, honey, I didn't get my facts wrong. I just don't consider interviews to be canon. Rowling can anything she wanted in interviews, but they don't count towards canon facts. Fans have proven some of her answers wrong. For example, the number of students in Hogwarts.

With the release of OotP, the debate has heightened further. In Chapter 28, James was playing with a snitch. Why would he be playing with a snitch if he played Chaser in Quidditch?

So far, there is no mention of James' position in the canon.

+ How did Sirius die?

While I thought Sirius's death is pointless, his death is executed in a very interesting way. Did he die from a hex? Did he die because he fell through the veil? My general conclusion is, he died because he fell through the veil. Harry and Luna seem to have heard whispering voices from the other side of the veil while nobody else did. This strange event is further strengthened by the fact that both of them can see Threstals while the others can't.

This means, the veil may carry the meaning of death. As I've seen on some lists, people have proposed that Rowling is making use of the euphemism 'to pass beyond the veil' to symbolize Sirius's death.

Hm, HP is getting more and more symbolic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: My Initial Reaction

2003-06-23T06:22:23Z

wOOt! Many of my predictions came true!

After waiting for ages, it is finally out.

I don't know how to describe my feelings after reading the book. It's between like and dislike. Unlike the majority out there, I feel that Rowling's worst book is GoF. GoF is like a mega carnival where kids have fun and people never grow up there, while missing the crucial link to Harry's destiny. On the contrary, OotP is a book where Harry is forced to grow up quicker than he should. Compared to GoF, I liked OotP much better.

I like the book simply for the plot twists and of course, the tone. It's dark. It's angst filled to the brim. Worst of all, someone closest to a parent Harry ever has dies. Also, many new and interesting characters are introduced.

Sure, it's a cracking read, but I get the feeling that too many details are introduced into one book. Some of the subplots are hastily done. Hagrid's, for example. I'd say it is sloppy. In fact, I'd say Rowling has placed too much ambition on a single volume. It's like asking Harry to mature quickly without giving him the time to do so, and he has to grow up knowing that he could have saved Sirius from dying. Also, the book gave a feeling that Rowling killed off Sirius just to depress Harry further.

I don't see hope in the book. It's all bleak and dark.

If Harry dies in the final book, I'll never walk into this fandom ever again. It is too depressing to continue dissecting the plot.

As for my writings, Nox Noctis is now in a limbo. Although OotP has many elements that strengthen the background (my characterization of Snape, Sirius and Harry mirrors the new canon), it has screwed up the Sirius part. There are two ways now: either I abandon the story or I find a way to revive Sirius from the dead. Four Seasons will still be continued because it is part of my deal with Jay.

Here is my initial analysis on some of the characters (plot also):

Harry: Woah. I love the new Assertive!Harry. This is the Harry that I have always envisioned--someone who felt that it is unfair that he has to shoulder heavy responsibilities at such a young age. OotP!Harry does many things that I find reasonable for him to do. He shouts at Dumbledore, he shouts at his friends, and he feels miserable over classes. He is your everyday angst-filled teenager. I was once his age, and admittedly, I felt every bit of those strong emotions Harry is currently experiencing in this book.

I'm not happy to find that Harry is a jealous person. Ron is his best friend. Why is Harry so jealous of him? For the past four books, I tend to envision Harry as the give-and-take type. Ron has always got the short end of the stick before this, and I find myself cheering for Ron when he receives his prefect's badge and a position in the Gryffindor Quidditch team. On the other hand, it makes prefect sense. Harry wants to prove himself. Suddenly, he sucks at schoolwork, loses his Quidditch position and the new DADA teacher hates his guts. If I were in his shoes, I would feel miserable too.

I also notice that Harry's physical changes tend to be emphasized a lot in this book. In the first chapter, he is described as a boy who has suddenly grown a lot. Harry's Adam's apple is mentioned a number of times. Harry also has his first kiss (sexual experience, I guess?) under a cluster of mistletoe with the girl of his dreams.

Here, I have to say that I'm getting worried about Harry. He is letting his emotions get better of him. I was absolutely shocked when Harry used Cruciatus (one of the Unforgivable Curses) in the battle scene. For a moment, I really thought Harry might be tempted to become a Dark Wizard. The issue here is, did anyone find it odd that nobody questioned Harry on the Cruciatus Curse he cast?

Sirius: (reminder to self: use past tense) I really dislike his character in this book. While he was the kick-ass criminal in PoA, Sirius was reduced to a whiny and moody prisoner in his own home. The first part was wonderfully written. We readers are treated to a galore of information about the Blacks and purebloods. Later in the story, it went downhill. In Snape's pensieve, Harry saw the worst side of Sirius, Remus and James. Worst of all, I get the feeling that Sirius died for nothing. At least, Cedric died while confronting Voldemort, Sirius had died over a stupid prophecy that didn't make any difference if Voldemort got his hands on the record. In fact, I really hated the way his death was executed. In his final moments, Sirius was characterized as an arrogant jerk who didn't realize how much danger he was in. A stupid mistake of underestimating his foe cost him his life. While I was touched that Sirius went for Harry's rescue, he did not go out in the way I expected him to. I expected him to sacrifice his life to save Harry's.

What broke my heart was, Sirius was never proven innocent. To the wizarding world, he was still Sirius Black, a mass murderer and a supporter of Voldemort. He was still that wizard who betrayed his best friends and left Harry all alone in this world. He spent twelve years of his life in Azkaban for absolutely nothing.

Harry will continue to carry this burden of guilt for the rest of his life.

Sad to say that all ships containing Sirius sank at the same time. The Sirius/Lupin fans would be smashed.

Snape: The big question still remains--Does Voldemort suspect Snape of betraying him? The book does a good job of explaining why Snape is still alive. Snape can shut down his mind towards any of Voldemort's mind-reading (rather, mind-raping…) sessions. What I don't understand is, if Voldemort can access Harry's memories, why did Dumbledore ask Snape to teach Harry Occlumency? Harry could easily expose Snape's identity.

The best part of the book is undoubtedly the scene where Harry peered into Snape's pensieve and watched Sirius and James torture Snape without a trace of sympathy. It is the best wake-up call for Harry that James Potter was not exactly a gentleman. On the other hand, this chapter also makes Snape's hatred of Harry very justifiable.

Some may argue that it is Snape's mistake for not teaching Harry Occlumency after Harry snooped around in his pensieve. I must disagree. Harry is James' son. James, along with Sirius, was Snape's biggest tormentor. Snape is Harry's teacher. Now, the son of your biggest bully in school sees your worst memory in full detail. Snape reacts by shouting at Harry is very justifiable, as with the hate-Harry motto Snape seems to have all the time. Snape is after all, human. Besides, Harry is acting very git-like when he is around Snape.

Time for some fangirlish-ness: I ship Snape/Lily for quite some time already, and I'm delighted to see some interaction between the two characters in the book. I'm positively squee-ing with all that Snapeness. My argument is, Snape called Lily a 'mudblood' simply because he did not want the other students to see him as a 'weakling', even though it meant hurting his crush. Any normal teenage guy with an ounce of self-respect would not want to accept help from a girl in front of the school, especially when he was being bullied in the worst manner ever.

Note: Just for the record, I support the Snape-has-a-crush-on-Lily-but-she-doesn't-love-him-back theory. This theory also explains why Snape saved Harry's life, both times. For now, we don't know for sure that Snape knows about the prophecy.

Cho: Like I anticipated, she turns to Harry under the pretext of wanting to know more about Cedric's last moments. She seems like a nice girl and all, but she turns into that bitchy Fanon!Cho I detested. I guess it's safe to safe that Harry/Cho is burning up now. It's probably one of the most expected part of the canon.

Luna and Tonks: Rowling's excuse for Mary-Sues? I'm dreading those yet-to-be-written fanfics with Tonks in them.

Ginny and Neville: They suddenly grew backbones. Ginny gets over her crush on Harry. Ginny starts seeing other boys. She is one year younger than Ron, and she has already seen two guys (Michael and Dean). On the other hand, Neville gets good at hexing people. I like their metamorphosis.

Other stuff that I've noticed while reading:
- I love the battle scene. It is the best duelling/battle/fighting scene Rowling has written so far. The descriptions are vivid and believable. Dumbledore simply kicked ass as the One He Has Ever Feared. As for Harry's role in the battle, I find it to be a very enjoyable read; but I just don't understand why Harry did not de-jinx Neville's legs while running away. He has to wait for Lupin to come over. By that time, the damage has already been done. Am I to believe that Harry is scared out of his brains?

- I see Harry/Hermione, Ron/Hermione and slight Harry/Ginny shippy moments. Notable Harry/Hermione ones -- the perfume present, Cho's reaction, Harry's answer (You are not ugly – I'm paraphrasing), Hermione's advice for Harry.
Notable Ron/Hermione ones -- the kiss on the cheek, Ron's reaction towards Viktor's reply.
Notable Harry/Ginny ones -- Ginny shares her mind-control experience with Harry. Notable James/Lily ones -- James was clearly interested in Lily, but Lily disliked him for being an arrogant snob. Has the love-hate vibes.
Notable Snape/Lily ones -- Also has the love-hate vibes. Provides plausible explanation for the reason Snape protects Harry in PS. He saved Harry because of Lily. ;p

Disclaimer: I only ship D/G rabidly. My observations are neutral.

- Voldemort's motivations to get the prophecy. I don't really understand why. Dumbledore's explanation is a little flimsy.

- Good explanation on the purebloods. Who would have thought that Sirius and the Malfoys were related? Technically, this will make Harry Draco's #-cousin. In fact, the Weasleys would be a distant relative to the Malfoys, which makes everything more confusing. ^^; So much for being related to your worst enemy in school.

- I didn't cry when Sirius died. I felt like crying when Dumbledore explained everything to Harry. The part about how Sirius wanted to go is very touching. I also like the part where Harry asks Nearly Headless Nick about ghosts. I'm glad that Sirius had decided to go on instead of lingering around. That would have made his death even more unjustifiable. Obviously, I couldn't even cry aloud because I was reading that part in a shopping mall. It was embarrassing. ^^;

- I didn't see any D/G moments. Well, I always regard D/G as a strictly fanon ship (like H/D, S/L, Weasley-cest) and I'm happy that Draco and Ginny are relatively unharmed through entire story. S.S. Fire and Ice has never sailed in the canon seas, therefore how could it have sank in the first place? I'll still ship D/G rabidly. ;p

- I really hate that Umbridge woman. I've never hated a character like how I hated her.

Now, for some fandom replies (the ones that I've read…):
+ greenwitch: Sorry to say that your Uncle Snape theory has been shot down. ^^; For a moment, I thought Petunia received a letter from Snape.
+ sydney_lynne: Woo! Looks like my characterization of Git!Sirius is correct after all!
+ nananaginip: I don't want to get myself involved in any shipping wars either. Today, I surrounded by hostile people simply because I said I felt that the new canon is leaning towards R/Hr. No idea why they took me seriously though.

Lots of predictions.

2003-06-20T04:52:13Z

My brain is seizing up. I seem to work on either Nox Noctis or Four Seasons. The OotP hype is reaching its peak now.

I'll be at MPH MidValley tomorrow morning to join in the hype. =)

1. Dudley Demented
Dudley goes crazy? Hm… I'd think that the Dursleys are attacked by the Dementors in Privet Drive. In previous books, Dumbledore and co. have been making lots of noise about the Dementors. Dumbledore is worried that Voldemort will recruit the Dementors. Very plausible that Dementors go to Privet Drive to kill Harry. What I don't understand is, why did Dumbledore sent Harry to Privet Drive?

In Chinese superstition, No. 4 is a very unlucky number.

2. A Pack of Owls
Owls carry letters in the HP world. My prediction is, Harry gets lots of letters after the Dementor incident, including some from the Ministry and one from Sirius.

3. The Advance Guard
Advance Guard? Has Dumbledore changed his mind about Harry staying at Privet Drive for his holidays? Assuming that my earlier prediction is right (seeing that the Dementors can actually get to him), Harry and the Dursleys will probably be in danger. What about Dumbledore sending people to guard Harry?

4. Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place
Sounds like an address to me. Could it be Harry's new home? Or, is it a secret meeting place for Death Eaters? Or, could it be the headquarters for Dumbledore's resistance army? Alternatively, could it be Sirius Black's house?

5. The Order of the Phoenix
Ah, this is one of my favourite topics. While most of us agree that the Order is probably an anti-Voldie group, there are differing opinions on when this group was formed. My guess is, the Order was formed during the First War against Voldemort. Lupin, Sirius, James, Arabella Figg, Lily, Dumbledore and Snape were likely to be members of this Order, hence the 'old gang' quote from GOF. With Voldemort rising again, the Order is likely to be revived.

6. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
House of Black. Does 'Black' have any connection to Sirius Black? Could Harry have been sent to live with Sirius Black? But then again, Sirius is still on the run.

7. The Ministry of Magic
When I saw this title, it reminded me instantly of Fudge. We still don't know whose side Fudge is on. He may be evil, he may neutral, and he may be on the good side. My prediction is, Fudge is your everyday politician. He fears trouble, and that is why he kept insisting to Dumbledore that Voldie is not back, regardless of Harry's account. He is, after all, the Minister of Magic.

Alternatively, the MoM may be coming up with a counter-mission against Voldie.

8. The Hearing
Could this chapter be something on eavesdropping? My guess is, Harry heard some really bad news.

9. The Woes of Mrs. Weasley
Could Mrs. Weasley heard some bad news about Harry? Or… could Harry have heard Mrs. Weasley worrying about him?

10. Luna Lovegood
As opposed to the masses out there who think Luna Lovegood is a hoax, I'd put my money that she's a new character in HP5. In GOF, it's mentioned that "…the Lovegoods have been there for a week already…" (pg. 68, Bloomsbury ed.). I guess it's safe to speculate that Luna Lovegood may be a new Hogwarts student living near the Weasleys. Could she be Ron's new love?

11. The Sorting Hat's New Song
Harry and co. gets back to Hogwarts again!

12. Professor Umbrige
I assume this Professor Umbrige must be the new DADA teacher that JK Rowling mentioned. What has she got in store for Harry?

13. Detention with Delores
Delores?

14. Percey and Padfoot
Percey and Padfoot! Is Percy Weasley an Animagus? Or rather, is Percey someone else? Could Percy be Arabella Figg? Arabella Figg could be a cat animagus like McGonagall. This leads to another point: Could McGonagall be Percy instead? As for as we know, McG doesn't have a 'pet name' like the Four Marauders do.

Question is, what are they doing in the chapter? Maybe they are there to help out Harry.

15. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor
Sounds like a school newspaper? Is Hermione starting a school newspaper? Sounds like what Hermione would do…

16. In the Hog's Head
Hogsmeade? Something to do with Hogmeade? I'm guessing blindly here.

17. Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four
Hm… Maybe Harry wants to join the Order but the law doesn’t allow him to do so. I guess this chapter has something to do with the Ministry interfering with Harry's life.

18. Dumblesore's Army
As expected, a new army against Voldie.

19. The Lion and the Serpent
Harry discovers something? Perhaps, Harry is a true Gryffindor and he can stop Voldie from conquering the world.

20. Hagrid's Tale
At the end of GOF, Dumbledore wanted to see Hagrid. I presume it should be something about the giants. =) Therefore, Hagrid may be Dumbledore's envoy to the giants. Perhaps, we may even some read more about Hagrid's mom.

21. The Eye of the Snake
Woo... Refers to Voldie himself? Maybe Voldie is watching Harry? ::insert slash innuendoes::

22. St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
Harry gets hurt? Someone else gets hurt?

23. Christmas on the Closed Ward
Poor Harry.

24. Occlumency
No idea.

25. The Beetle at Bay
Rita Seeker again? She is a beetle animagus and she may be doing some unauthorized snooping again.

26. Seen and Unforseen
Muah! Something unexpected?

27. The Centaur and the Sneak
I have a fairly good idea of what this chapter is about, after reading the NYTimes article.

28. Snape's Worst Memory
Woohoo! More Snape! What is Snape's Worst Memory? His initiation as a Death Eater? Why did Snape turn against Voldie? Here's a chat transcript I had with a friend earlier on:

[Tams] I don't think they would have had a thing
[Tams] I think...they were best friends...
[Tams] before James came along, Lily had Snape
[rhea] I'd say, Snape has a massive crush on Lily.
[Nicole--Queen-Of-Ron] rhea - i agree
[Tams] maybe!
[Tams] Snape was the Ron and Lily was the Hermione
[rhea] Lily doesn't see Snape as b/f material.
[Tams] the girl he could NEVER get
[rhea] Then, James comes along.
[rhea] Gets the girl.
[Tams] Snape gets pissed. Declares all out 'war' on them
[rhea] Snape gets shoved aside. Hates James' guts.
[Tams] maybe does the one thing Lily didn't want him to do...become a Deatheater
[rhea] Year later, he sees Lily again.
[Tams] hmmm
[rhea] Lily is happy with James.
[Tams] Lily's getting married to James. Has Harry.
[rhea] Then, he betrayed Voldie.
[rhea] Snape's motto: If you are happy, I'm happy.
[Tams] and spends the rest of his life on the good side, protecting Harry while deguising it as pure hatred
[rhea] Every time he sees Harry, he sees James.
[rhea] He hates James, and he can't bring himself to love Harry.
[Tams] wow.
[Tams] you've thought a lot about this haven't you?
[rhea] But then, if Harry's in danger, he thinks about Lily.
[rhea] Therefore, he protects Harry's life.
[rhea] Yes! I thought about this theory for ages.
[Tams] it would make a very nostalgic/depressing one-parter
[Tams] especially if you wrote it from Snapes POV
[rhea] I love Snape. =)

29. Career Advice
Is this the point where Harry starts thinking about his future? I want him to be an Auror! =) Question is, who is giving the advice?

30. Grawp
O_O What a weird chapter title.

31. O.W.L.s
Exams and more exams. I have a feeling that Harry may be interrupted here.

32. Out of the Fire
Out of an attack?

33. Fight and Flight
Harry and gang defends themselves against Voldie's army?

34. The Department of Mysteries
MoM again.

35. Beyond the Veil
36. The Only One He Ever Feared
37. The Lost Prophecy

Hm… There have been lots of speculations about Trelawny's prophecy. My stab at the lost prophecy: Harry could be the one that brings down Voldemort *twice*. =)

38. The Second War Begins
The book's going to end on a horrible cliff-hanger. Muah!

H.M.S. Cliched Sails Again!

2003-06-20T01:45:39Z

Woohoo!!! I got this piece of news from a Snape list. Actually, it's from The Leaky Cauldron and I'm just reposting it from the list.

JEREMY PAXMAN: Are we going to discover anything more about Snape ?

JK ROWLING: Yes.

JEREMY PAXMAN: And Harry's mother? Did he have a crush on Harry's mother or
unrequited love or anything like that?

JK ROWLING: Hence his animosity to Harry?

JEREMY PAXMAN: Yes.

JK ROWLING: You speculate?

JEREMY PAXMAN: I speculate, yes, I'm just asking whether you can tell us.

JK ROWLING: No I can't tell you. But you do find out a lot more about Snape
and quite a lot more about him actually.

People! Jeremy Paxman is on the same frequency as my brain! If Snape/Lily is in the canon, I'm going out there to celebrate! I have a box of firecrackers ready in my room. =)

There's hope for Nox Noctis yet. =)

rheasummers @ 2003-06-19T13:11:00

2003-06-19T05:12:31Z

bunny_wabit has posted a set of questions regarding your predictions for OotP on the Portkey.Org forums. I've answered the predictions before reading the books. It's just a wild stab. =)

+ What you will think happen in relation to Harry / Hermione / Ron triangle ?

Most probably, Harry won't go together with Hermione in the fifth book. In fact, I'd think that the Good Ship will start sailing in the 5th canon. It's a little too earlier for Harry and Hermione to get together. Besides, Harry has a lot to deal with in book 5, especially when one of his major supporters die. I'm still very sad over the rumour I've heard, and I'm inclined to believe that the rumour's true.

+ Who you think will be the Quidditch Captain?

Maybe Fred and George will be the co-captains.

+ Who you think will be the Prefects?

Hermione and Draco.

+ What you think will be revealed about the Potter Family (in particular Lily)?

I'm not so much in the Lily theory that has been floating around for ages. She is Muggleborn. The only similarity that Harry shares with her is the colour of his eyes (green, right?). In the movies, Rowling didn't kick up a fuss because Daniel Radcliffe has blue eyes instead of green. Therefore, I'd think it's safe to assume that the eye colour isn't so important after all.

Actually, I'm more interested to know what is to be revealed about James Potter.

+ What you think will happen in relation to Sirius : Will he be caught, will be be in hiding most of the book, will he be proven innocent?

He won't be caught. Instead, I have a hunch that he may sacrifice himself to save Harry. The same goes with Snape. I want Sirius to be proved innocent.

+ What you think will happen with Remus?

Rowling mentioned that Remus will have a major part to play in book 7. I'm keeping my eyes open for clues once I get my grubby hands on OotP.

+ Is something special about Crookshanks?

I won't put my money on a cat.

+ Is Harry the Heir of Gryffindor?

No. I think the entire heir is overblown by the influx of fanfics.

+ Does Harry Perform Magic - illegally in the summer - and get in trouble because of it?

Yes. Harry is a big trouble magnet.

+ Will there be a trial for "killing Cedric" ?

No. Everyone acknowledges that Voldie killed Cedric (to certain extents, for some characters). Fudge may deny everything, but deep down inside, he has to admit that there's a possibility that Voldie may have risen again. As for Harry killing Cedric, AV requires powerful magic to do so. While Harry may be a powerful wizard for his age, I doubt he can stand up against Voldie with a different wand. Besides, they can check his wand to see if Harry has performed any Unforgivable Curses.

+ What is the Order of Phoneix?

My idea: an anti-Voldie gang formed by Dumbledore.

+ What is the history of Order of Phoneix?

They may be formed in the last resistance against Voldie. Sirius, Remus, Arabella Figg, Snape and James Potter may be in the Order somehow. They disbanded after Harry 'killed' Voldie. Now, they are back in full force.

+ Why is Voldemort after Harry ?

Well, in GOF, it's obvious that Voldie wants Harry's blood to resurrect his mortal body. As for future books, I have a sneaky suspicion that Voldie's an arrogant bastard.

+ Will Voldemort attack Harry in the summer?

Possibly.

+ Will Voldemort be gathering strength?

Of course! The Dementors and the Giants are very obvious targets for Voldie's Dark Army.

+ Is Fudge going to actively try to discredt Dumbledore ?

Yes. Like most politicians, Fudge fears for his personal reputation, and he will try to dismiss what Dumbledore says about Voldemort.

+ Is Fudge with Voldemort?

Slim chance, but there's definitely a possibility.

+ Does Hermione get a "makeover"?

Mental "makeover", I say. =)

+ Does Harry get "hunky"?

No. My perception of Harry is that Harry is a misplaced boy. He belongs neither in the Muggle world or the Wizarding community. Therefore, Harry still stay gangly and awkward, and this is the beauty of the series--a story about a young and awkward orphan who does great things.

+ What was Snape sent to do for Dumbledore?

Spying? I'm a big fan of Alias. =)

+ What about Hagrid?

Recruit the giants and gain support from Beauxbaton. Once Voldie gains control of Britain, he may target the next nearest country -- France.

+ What cools things will the "Real Moody" do ?

Lots of hexes and cool spells.

+ Will Malfoy be a ferret again ?

Nah, it's overused. Malfoy will continue being a git in book 5. However, I'm still keeping my hopes up for a truly redeemed Draco.

+ Will there be Romance between Ginny / Draco ?

Not likely. I'm a rabid D/G shipper, and I have to admit that so far, there is no clue or subtext on a D/G possibility.

+ Will Neville loose some weight? + Will he have a girl friend?

::snickers::

+ Is Dudley going to loose weigth?

Not likely. I believe Rowling intends to show how terrible the Dursley are, and I don't see the point of her 'beautifying' Dudley.

+ Is there going to be a new 14-15 year old "transfer" ?

No. This is my #1 pet peeve.

+ Are you going to be reading the book in one go ?

Not likely also. I'm going to take my time to dissect the plot and characterization.

+ Are you tired of all these questions ?

Is this is trick question?

+ Is Draco a prefect? (hmm... I seem to be repeating questions)

See above.

+ Is Ron going to be a Quidditch player ?

Definitely. It doesn't seem fair if Ron keeps fantasizing about playing Quidditch and he doesn't get to have some action in the series.

+ Will the twins say the no cliched : "Annonymous benefactor donated the startup money" ?

Yes. Very likely.

+ Will , WWW rival Zonkos?

Well, I have faith in the twins. =)

+ Is Oliver Wood going to make an appearance ?

No. He's gone.

+ Is Krum evil ?

No. He's gone too.

+ Did Hermione go to Bulgeria ? If she did ----- Will Ron be Mad?

Don't think so. If she did, Ron will definitely so mad. =)

+ Will Harry and Hermione get closer together (friendship wise)? (See Romance at the top)

Not in book 5, I reckon. However, I see this possibility of Harry having a feeling that Cho isn't the right one for him. I don't hate Cho. I think it's wonderful that Rowling makes Harry see beyond the stereotypes that Western writers tend to have about Asian characters. Cho is a beautiful girl, and she is in Ravenclaw to boot (meaning she doesn't have chicken feathers for a brain).

+ Will Cho get close to Harry ? Will there be more girls paying attention to Harry ?

Cho will get close to Harry. I think she will approach Harry under the pretext of wanting to know more about Cedric's last moments. It will be a tear jerker, I predict.

+ Will Harry be seeing lot of pretty girls all of a sudden at school? (Hormones)

::snickers:: Harry has other things to worry about.

+ Is Bill going to have a fling with Fleur ?

If they do, the fling won't be a major part of the story.

+ Are Percy/Penlope going to get married?

Probably, if Percy doesn't turn into a Death Eater.

+ Will Percy have a fall out with his family ? (over possibly not believing Harry)

No. But then, I predict Percy is going to dislike Harry, and vice versa.

+ Is Ginny over her "crush"? or is she in love ?

Over. People grow up.

+ Is Ginny going to join the trio in thier adventure?

Not likely, as much as I hate to admit this.

+ Is the Daily NY News article right ?

I believe they are right.

+ Why does Snape hate Harry so much ?

Because of the James/Lily connection? Snape was young once. He could have harboured some more than friendly feelings for Lily. Or else, why would he want to save Harry in the first book?

The Matris Reloaded

2003-05-31T08:54:03Z

I've finally seen The Matrix Reloaded yesterday. And no, I'm not putting my review behind a cut because if you really cared about the ending and spoilers, you wouldn't wait for three weeks before watching the movie. I waited because I'm only mildly interested in the male actors. Wolverine!Hugh Jackman still rocks my socks!

Back to the Matrix: I don't know how to describe my feelings after watching it. One word: indescribable.

The emotional part of me wanted to hurl a few bricks at the cinema screen. The rational side of my brain tells me to think about the movie objectively.

On the second thought, I'll put everything behind a cut because I have a feeling that I'll be rambling for quite awhile.

Firstly, I'm blaming the censorship board for cutting out the Neo/Trinity scene everyone's obsessively talking about. I only saw Trinity leading Neo like some giggly schoolgirl in the middle of a rave party for a quick roll. After that, a few party scenes cut in and it was over. I have to assume that hot sex was steaming all over the place. On the other hand, I guess it is good in a way that the sexual tension between Neo and Trinity is resolved without me having to think about Keanu Reeves in a twisted way.

As for the flow, the screenwriters seriously need to take extra classes to reconstruct the flow of the story. Overall, the flow is irregular; too fast at some points and excruciatingly slow, especially at the beginning.

Also, for most parts, the dialogue sounds as if it's extracted from one of my Theory of Knowledge classes. When I reached the part where the trio meets with that Frenchman, I began thinking about a teacher. Not *that* way, you pervert. It just happened that I slammed back into reality when a certain memory flooded my mind – the Frenchman sounded exactly like my lecturer when he explained about the Cause and Effect theory.

I'm starting to believe what my dad said about Philosophy: "Philosophy's crap." Well, take philosophy classes and this is what they test you on. Take an example: What is truth? Try explaining what is a justified true belief and an absolute truth – I was put of philosophy for the rest of my life.

Back to the Matrix: the dialogue is cheesy. I still can't get why Morpheus can look so serious. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Beware! Fangirlish-ness is about to kick in! a.k.a. the Emotional Side

The fighting! I can't get enough of the fighting! ::woot!:: Regardless of how much praise people poured into the highway chase, my favourite fight scene is the one where Neo fights on tables. It's so reminiscent of those Hong Kong kungfu flicks and I can even spot a few of Yuen WoPing's signature moves in the sequence. Remember the part where Neo flies up and kicked a couple of times in midair? That action has been repeated in most of Yuen's flicks.

The costumes! Keanu Reeves has the perfect height and body shape to wear the black ensemble! I've seen a few Chinese guys wear this outfit before (albeit looser and non-black versions) and they simply didn't have the build to look stunning in it. Keanu is just… drool-worthy. I can't believe I'm talking about a 38-year-old guy in this manner. Gosh…

Okay. That's enough. I need to rest before I hyperventilate further.

A New Avatar.

2003-05-31T02:55:24Z

To celebrate my newfound freedom from Writer's Block, I have made a new default LJ animated avatar. =) Doesn't Draco and Ginny look perfect for each other?

For chapter 5 of Nox Noctis, I'm now on page 4. I know I'm pathetically slow at cleaning up stories. I was in Midvalley for the entire day. Because of SARS, the prices have gone down quite a bit in most clothing stores. I bought a jacket, a skirt and two T-shirts, all for RM78 (roughly USD21). It's money well spent. Most importantly, they are part of the shopping I'm supposed to do before I move to England in autumn.

Also bought a new dual-colour eye-shadow for RM12. I'm shallow sometimes.

Stolen from feathainn,

I have watched the movies in bold

1. Titanic (1997 - $1,835,300,000)
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001 - $968,600,000)
3. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999 - $922,300,000)
4. Jurassic Park (1993 - $919,700,000)
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002 - $905,700,000)
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002 - $866,300,000)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001 - $860,200,000)
8. Independence Day (1996 - $811,200,000)
9. Spider-Man (2002 - $806,700,000)
10. Star Wars (1977 - $797,900,000)
11. The Lion King (1994 - $783,400,000)
12. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982 - $756,700,000)
13. Forrest Gump (1994 - $679,400,000)
14. The Sixth Sense (1999 - $661,500,000)
15. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002 - $648,200,000)
16. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997 - $614,300,000)
17. Men in Black (1997 - $587,200,000)
18. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 - $572,700,000)
19. Armageddon (1998 - $554,600,000)
20. Mission: Impossible II (2000 - $545,300,000)
21. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 - $533,800,000)
22. Home Alone (1990 - $533,700,000)
23. Monsters, Inc. (2001 - $528,900,000)
24. Ghost (1990 - $517,600,000)
25. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991 - $516,800,000)
26. Aladdin (1992 - $501,900,000)
27. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989 - $494,700,000)
28. Twister (1996 - $494,700,000)
29. Toy Story 2 (1999 - $485,700,000)
30. Saving Private Ryan (1998 - $479,300,000)
31. Jaws (1975 - $470,600,000)
32. The Matrix (1999 - $456,300,000)
33. Gladiator (2000 - $456,200,000)
34. Shrek (2001 - $455,100,000)
35. Mission: Impossible (1996 - $452,500,000)
36. Pearl Harbor (2001 - $450,400,000)
37. Ocean's Eleven (2001 - $444,200,000)
38. Pretty Woman (1990 - $438,200,000)
39. Tarzan (1999 - $435,200,000)
40. Men in Black II (2002 - $425,600,000)
41. Die Another Day (2002 - $424,700,000)
42. Dances with Wolves (1990 - $424,200,000)
43. Cast Away (2000 - $424,000,000)
44. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993 - $423,100,000)
45. The Mummy Returns (2001 - $418,700,000)
46. The Mummy (1999 - $413,300,000)
47. Batman (1989 - $413,100,000)
48. Rain Man (1988 - $412,800,000)
49. The Bodyguard (1992 - $410,900,000)
50. Signs (2002 - $407,900,000)
51. Gone with the Wind (1939 - $390,500,000)
52. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991 - $390,400,000)
53. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 - $383,800,000)
54. Grease (1978 - $379,800,000)
55. Ice Age (2002 - $378,300,000)
56. Beauty and the Beast (1991 - $378,300,000)
57. Godzilla (1998 - $375,800,000)
58. What Women Want (2000 - $370,800,000)
59. The Fugitive (1993 - $368,700,000)
60. True Lies (1994 - $365,200,000)
61. Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995 - $365,000,000)
62. Notting Hill (1999 - $363,000,000)
63. Jurassic Park III (2001 - $362,900,000)
64. There's Something About Mary (1998 - $360,000,000)
65. Planet of the Apes (2001 - $358,900,000)
66. The Flintstones (1994 - $358,500,000)
67. Toy Story (1995 - $358,100,000)
68. A Bug's Life (1998 - $357,900,000)
69. The Exorcist (1973 - $357,500,000)
70. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002 - $356,500,000)
71. Basic Instinct (1992 - $352,700,000)
72. The World Is Not Enough (1999 - $352,000,000)
73. GoldenEye (1995 - $351,500,000)
74. Back to the Future (1985 - $350,600,000)
75. Se7en (1995 - $350,100,000)
76. Hannibal (2001 - $349,200,000)
77. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988 - $349,100,000)
78. Deep Impact (1998 - $348,600,000)
79. Dinosaur (2000 - $347,800,000)
80. Pocahontas (1995 - $347,100,000)
81. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997 - $346,600,000)
82. Top Gun (1986 - $344,700,000)
83. Minority Report (2002 - $342,000,000)
84. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 - $340,400,000)
85. American Beauty (1999 - $336,000,000)
86. Catch Me If You Can (2002 - $335,800,000)
87. Batman Forever (1995 - $335,000,000)
88. Apollo 13 (1995 - $334,100,000)
89. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984 - $333,000,000)
90. Back to the Future Part II (1989 - $332,000,000)
91. The Rock (1996 - $330,500,000)
92. Rush Hour 2 (2001 - $329,100,000)
93. Crocodile Dundee (1986 - $328,000,000)
94. The Perfect Storm (2000 - $325,700,000)
95. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 - $325,500,000)
96. X2 (2003 - $324,100,000)
97. Schindler's List (1993 - $321,200,000)
98. The Mask (1994 - $320,900,000)
99. Fatal Attraction (1987 - $320,100,000)
100. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992 - $319,700,000)

Not bad, 55/100.

I'm a natural Drama Queen.

2003-05-29T16:51:04Z

Somehow, while I was cleaning up the first few pages of chapter 5, I had this overwhelming urge to delete one entire scene and rewriting it. It just didn't click with me. My characterization didn't click with what I had in mind and I had no idea how I came up with all those melodramatic crap.

I admit I may be a small-time drama queen, but Harry doesn't need to go through the same torture.

I need to calm down and stop being such a perfectionist.

'Lord of the Rings' Musical To Premiere in London

2003-05-29T03:01:27Z

"A lavish $12 million stage musical adaptation of hit film and novel The Lord Of The Rings is to premiere in London in 2005. The production will be the biggest-budget musical ever to be staged in the British capital - and if successful, it will be taken around the world. Financial backer, American svengali Saul Zaentz, explains, "I want it to be a landmark. When you put a piece literature with such a worldwide profile on the stage you need to make something utterly extraordinary." The production, which has already spent a year and a half in development, is being directed by Matthew Warchus, who is currently overseeing the Madness musical Our House." (quoted from IMDB)

Wow. A Lord of the Rings musical?

I can't help shuddering at the thought of Gollum singing 'Oops! I Dropped the Ring!' with Bilbo in the background. A Saruman/Gandalf duet isn't much better either.

We'll see. We'll see.