Fandom School (2nd period): Joining a Ship

Wow, it's been forever since I've posted. What can I say? I'm lazy busy. This blog isn't dead, it's just been dormant for a while. Fandom School is back from hiatus, and today we're talking about joining a ship.

There are some ships that you immediately join, but others take a little convincing. So what convinces you to ship characters you didn't think suited each other? Well, there are a few methods:

• Chemistry between the actors
• A different portrayal of one or both characters that makes them a better match
• Character development
• A really good fanfic/fanart
• The ship is canon and you get used to it

Examples

Quirrellmort (Quirrell/Voldemort). I know what you're thinking. Quirrell and Voldemort? What? Well, they do share a body, but that's not what makes me ship them. No, I shipped them when I saw them in A Very Potter Musical (which you should all watch, by the way).

Hm... *realizes I created an entire post just so I could discuss Quirrellmort*
But there is another ship I grew into:

Merthur (Merlin/Arthur)
I've discussed before why I ship them, but I'll say it again: they're really suited to each other. They're fiercely loyal to each other. Merlin's saved Arthur's life countless times, and likewise Arthur gladly risks his life to save Merlin's. They have such an intimate relationship, it's hard not to ship them. And they make each other better. I'm a sucker for character development, especially when it comes because of another character.

Okay, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll get around to posting again soon. Thanks to anyone who still reads this blog even though my posts are terribly sporadic.

Fandom School (7th period): How to Find Related Fandoms

So this was supposed to be written yesterday. Sorry. Let's just say that Fandom School had a snow day because my school didn't (but we do have one today). But enough about snow, let's talk about fandoms.

As a huge fangirl, I'm always looking for a new fandom to add to my life (more like become my life), and I'm sure many of you are the same. While you may like a wide variety of things, most people like fandoms in the same genre. But how do you find fandoms similar to the ones you're already in? This post will give you advice as well as a few fandom recommendations. (Note: if you want more detailed recommendations instead of an "if you like this, you might like that" approach, you should read this post.)

Step 1: Make a list of the fandoms you are in
What do you watch/read? What are you obsessed with? You have to figure this out first before you can find what else you might like.

Step 2: Find out what genre(s) you like
Now, look at your list. What categories do these fit into? I like several different genres, but most of my fandoms are sci-fi or fantasy. I also like musicals, mystery, and Disney. There are a few fandoms I'm in that don't fit in any of those categories (those are what we call outliers).

Step 3: Pick a few of your biggest fandoms
If you're like me, you have a LOT of fandoms (just take a look at my list on the right sidebar- and that's only the beginning!), so focus on the one's you're most obsessed with.

Step 4: The Google search
Search for similar shows/movies/books. For example...

Step 5: The "Recommended for you" section

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and most places you would get books/movies/TV shows will give you recommendations based on your watching/browsing history. Check out the shows it recommends.

Step 6: See what your friends are watching/reading

Ask your friends (this includes online friends) what fandoms they are in. Chances are, they watch something you might want to start watching.

Step 7: Look for crossovers

Fanfiction.net has a section specifically for crossovers. On other fanfiction websites, you can search the works in one fandom for other fandoms. See what fandom is often put in a crossover with your fandom. You might like it! 

Step 8: Investigate spin-offs

Many popular shows (and to a lesser extent, books and movies) have spin-offs. For example, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures are both crossovers of Doctor Who. Sometimes, spin-offs keep going even when the original is done.

Step 9: Look at various adaptations

If a book is popular enough, it will often be made into a movie or TV show. Arthur Conan Doyle's books about Sherlock Holmes have had many adaptations, including Sherlock and Elementary.

Step 10: See what else your favorite actors/writers are in

How many times have you watched a movie just because your favorite actor was in it? Yeah, probably a lot. For example, Broadchurch (which just started airing Season 2 on BBC America) has several actors from Doctor Who, including David Tennant, Arthur Darvill, and several other people who were minor characters in Doctor Who. You can also look at who writes your favorite shows and what else they write. Steven Moffat writes both Doctor Who and Sherlock (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is for you to decide).

Finally, I provide you with some fandom recommendations.

If you like: Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk

You might like: The Avengers, Agent Carter

If you like: Doctor Who

You might like: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Sherlock, Supernatural

If you like: Sherlock

You might like: Elementary, Agent Carter, Doctor Who, Supernatural

If you like: Star Wars

You might like: Star Trek, The Avengers, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who

If you like: American Idol

You might like: Sing Your Face Off, The Voice, Pitch Perfect

If you like: musicals and/or fantasy

You might like: Galavant

If you like: The Hunger Games

You might like: Divergent [note: read the books; the movies aren't that great]

If you like: Harry Potter, fantasy, Arthurian legend

You might like: Merlin

If you like: The Lord of the Rings, How to Train Your Dragon

You might like: Eragon

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 5

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Good morning, class!" Emrys said cheerfully. "Today will be our last day of wandless verbal spells, and then we will move on to nonverbal spells. All right?" The students nodded, and Emrys proceeded to teach them more difficult spells to do without their wands. After a good deal of experience (and a number of accidents Emrys barely prevented), the class was over.

As everyone was leaving, a student walked up to Emrys.
"Yes?"
"You said we can ask you anything, right?"
Emrys nodded. "Go ahead."
"I just need some help with my History of Magic homework."
Emrys smiled. "I should be able to help with that. What do you need to know?"
"We're learning about King Arthur," he said. Emrys smiled. "What was the name of Arthur's wife?"
"Gwen," Emrys said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Gwen?" The student looked confused.
"Oh, you'll be wanting the full name. It's Guinevere."
The student wrote the name down. "Thanks!"
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, actually. What was the name of Arthur's court sorcerer?"
Emrys stared at the student in disbelief. "Court... sorcerer? Magic was outlawed in Camelot!"
"That's not what the textbook says," the student replied.
"Tell Professor Binns I'd like to see that textbook he's using," Emrys said, disgruntled. "But if Arthur were to have had a court sorcerer, it would have been Merlin." Emrys sighed.
"Sorry if I'm wasting your time," the student said, standing up.
"No, no, I just doubt the accuracy of your curriculum. Go on."
"Where did King Arthur die?"
Emrys' face paled. His eyes sunk. He took a deep breath and with painful finality said, "Camlann." Emrys did all he could not to cry. Sensing that it was his time to leave, the student walked out of the room. Once everyone was gone, Merlin started sobbing uncontrollably.

His tears were interrupted by a knock at the door. Forcing himself to stop crying, Merlin used a spell to let the door swing open.
Professor Longbottom tentatively stepped in. "I heard you crying, and... I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Merlin smiled weakly. "Yeah, fine." Longbottom looked skeptical. Merlin sighed. "It's Arthur. I was just reminded that... he died."
Longbottom nodded. "I'll leave you alone to your thoughts."

When the weekend came, Merlin left the grounds and traveled to Avalon. He could have apparated, but he wanted to walk, just to remember. Camelot was gone. The people were dead, the land developed... all that remained was Lake Avalon. Merlin stood at the bank, peering into the water. He cried and screamed and released his grief. He caused the wind to howl and the trees to shake, but he left the lake untouched, for that was where his friends rested, and he did not wish to disturb them.

Merlin stayed at Avalon so long he almost forgot he taught at Hogwarts. When the time came, Merlin said goodbye again to his friends and traveled back to the school. This time he went at a run, as if he could chase all his sorrow away. When he arrived to the classroom ten minutes late and out of breath, hints of tears in his eyes, he gave no explanation. Merlin sincerely hoped that Arthur was the real Arthur, or he didn't know how he'd be able to carry on.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 4

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Well, I think I've found him," Merlin announced to the group.
Will put down his book ("The Theory of Everything"), and looked up, surprised. "You sure?"
"He looks like Arthur, and he most definitely acts like Arthur. I'm sure it's him."
"Well then what do you need us for?" Gwen asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "What about the others? I mean, they might not have memories of their past lives, but they could be here. After all, I found you lot."
Gwaine smiled. "I remember my time with Arthur as a hazy drunk dream."
Gwen shook her head in amusement. "Not surprising, considering you were drunk more than half the time. I for one remember Arthur very clearly. I can't wait to get back together with him," Gwen said, smiling.
"He's only eleven," Freya reminded her.
"I can wait."
"So who's on the hit list again?" Gwaine asked, taking a swig of firewhiskey.
"It's not a hit list," Merlin said, exasperated. "We're trying to find these people, not kill them." He sighed. "Balinor, Hunith, Gaius, Elyan, Lancelot, Leon, Percival, Mithian, and Elena."
"That's a long list," Will commented.
"I'm not going to make it any shorter because every one of those people matters. Now then, let's get to work," he said, standing up. Hannah Abbot watched him out of the corner of her eye, convinced something was going on.

***

"Good morning, Professor Emrys."

"Good to see you, Professor Longbottom."

"Might I speak with you a minute?"

Emrys nodded. "Of course!"

They walked into Longbottom's classroom.

"Herbology? Nice. I apprenticed with a physician once."

"Oh? Great, then you'll know what this is." Longbottom held up a vial.

Emrys didn't recognize it from his studies with Gaius, but he recognized it nonetheless. "Veritaserum? But surely you wouldn't..."

"No, I just wanted to make it clear that I want you to be truthful. I have a few questions for you."

Emrys blanched as if he was back in the time of Camelot and had been accused of sorcery. He swallowed his fear and put on a smile. "Ask away."

"Your teaching methods are... rather advanced."

"Thank you."

"Where did you study?"

Emrys was silent for a moment, considering whether to tell the truth. "I learned by experience."

"So you fought Voldemort?"

Emrys shook his head. "No, but I fought people like him."

Longbottom looked confused by that. "My wife, Hannah, tells me you frequent the Leaky Cauldron."

"Yes, I find it a wonderful place to think."

"About what, if I might ask?"

"You might. I..." Emrys sighed. "You said you wanted the truth, right? I'm just not sure you'll believe me."

Longbottom smiled. "Trust me, I've heard some very strange things."

Emrys laughed. "Ever heard of Merlin?"

"The most powerful wizard in all of history? Of course I know of him."

Emrys nodded. "What would you think if I said..." Emrys took a deep breath. "...that he's still alive?"

Longbottom looked at Emrys in shock. "But... he can't be!"

"I assure you, he is. And he's sitting in this room."

Longbottom stared at Emrys. "But Merlin's supposed to be older?"

Emrys laughed. "I am old. I just don't look it. I can show you how old I really am," he said. "Mind if I use some of your supplies to make a potion?"

Longbottom shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it can't hurt."

A few minutes later, Emrys drank the completed potion. He was transformed into his old self, and Longbottom stared. "It is you!"

Emrys nodded, drinking the antidote. "And I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon. I miss him. I think he's at this school. You know Arthur Pratt?"

Longbottom nodded, still in shock. "Yeah, bright kid, really cocky, but a decent guy at heart."

"That's my Arthur," Emrys said. "Oh, and don't tell anyone about this conversation. I don't want word to get out of my identity, or I'd never have peace and quiet." Longbottom started to open his mouth. "I suppose you can tell your wife," Emrys conceded. "But no-one else. Understood?"

Longbottom nodded and walked off, marveling at what had just happened.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The doors swung open and the professor walked in. "Hello, class. I am Professor Emrys, and I will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher." The class stared at him. "Well go on, say hello!" The professor surveyed the class. "Ah, too early in the morning, I see." Emrys muttered something, pointing his wand at the students. His eyes flashed gold, and they sat upright, awake and eager. "Much better. Now then, why don't you introduce yourselves? I've got to start memorizing your names right away."
"Professor?" a young girl's hand shot up.
"Yes, miss..."
"Rose Weasley."
"What was your question, Rose?" Emrys asked, deciding to be on a first-name basis with his students.
"Couldn't you just use a spell to memorize our names?"
"Now why didn't I think of that?" Emrys said, smiling. "You're Hermione Granger's daughter, aren't you?" Rose nodded. "Brilliant. Now, I know Rose's name, but I don't know the rest of you."
"I'm Arthur Pratt," a student with blond hair and blue eyes said. Emrys tried his best not to laugh. The student was the spitting image of Arthur Pendragon, whom Emrys had often called a prat. Emrys shook himself away from that thought and focused on the other students who were speaking.

After all the students had introduced themselves, the lesson began. "Now, I'll need a volunteer. Don't worry, you won't get hurt." Albus Severus raised his hand. "Excellent. Step up here in front of the class." Albus did so. "Now, we're going to act like we're going to duel. Do any of you know how to duel?" About half the class (mostly the male half) raised their hands. "Good. Shall we begin?"

They did so. Anticipation rose as the two wizards counted their paces. Albus opened his mouth to cast a spell, but Emrys beat him to it. "Expelliarmus!" Albus' wand went flying. "Now what will you do?" Emrys asked.
"Beg for mercy?" Albus suggested.
"You don't really have another option," Emrys agreed. "And I think that is unacceptable. Should any of you be attacked, I don't want you to be helpless without your wands. And that is what we shall be working on," he explained. "Allow me to demonstrate." Emrys and Albus got set up for the duel again. This time, Emrys allowed Albus to disarm him. "Stupefy!" Emrys shouted, throwing Albus backwards with considerable force. Just before Albus slammed into the wall, Emrys slowed time and let Albus reach the floor without injury. The students stared at Emrys in awe.

"Now Albus has had his turn," Emrys said, breaking the silence, "who'd like to be the first to learn how to do a spell without a wand?" Arthur stepped forward. "Great! Set your wand down, and I'll show you how it's done. What spell should we start with?"
"Expelliarmus!" Arthur said enthusiastically.
"Good choice. Being able to disarm your enemy without a wand is a significant advantage." Arthur nodded, looking incredibly smug. "Now, think about what expelliarmus does." Rose raised her hand. "Rose, while I'm sure it would be exceptional, your explanation is not required." Rose sighed, lowering her hand. Emrys turned to Arthur. "Have you been thinking about the spell? Picture what will happen when you cast it. Think about the wand leaving my hand. Think about me flying backwards. Think about how you will cast the spell. Think about how to pronounce it. Focus." Arthur nodded. "Now, when you're ready, cast the spell."
A few moments later, Arthur yelled "Expelliarmus!" Emrys' wand dropped to the floor, and he was knocked back a negligible amount. Arthur's face fell.
"Don't worry, Arthur, wandless magic is difficult. It's not surprising that the spell wasn't that powerful. Wands help channel your magic, but so do minds. The spell is only as strong as your concentration. Now focus, really focus, and try again," Emrys said, picking up his wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Arthur bellowed, full of confidence and authority. This time, the wand flew out of Emrys' hand and Emrys was knocked back a few feet.
"Much better. I should note, yelling your spell is not necessary. It was just Arthur's way of focusing. Whispered spells can be equally potent," Emrys informed the class. To prove his point, he whispered "Incendio," and the candles in the room lit up. "Thank you, Arthur. Who's next? I want you to all be able to cast this spell without a wand by the end of the class."

"By the way," Emrys said as the class was drawing to the close, "I'm told nobody has managed to hold this position for more than a year and thus some consider it to be 'cursed'. I would like to inform you that should I leave this school at the end of the year, it will because of my own choice and not because I was forced to do so by unfortunate circumstances." The students seemed somewhat skeptical, but none of them said anything. "And if you need any help for your other classes, or even for something not school-related, feel free to ask me. I'm a wealth of information." The students nodded. "And that concludes this class. Oh, I almost forgot: your homework is to practice wandless magic with your friends, enemies, or anyone else you want to use magic on. Stick to expelliarmus for now. I look forward to seeing you all again next class."

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 2

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

Merlin sat at a table, eagerly awaiting the boy's approach. After what felt like forever, he saw Albus Severus walking over.
"Find anything?" Merlin asked.
"Maybe," Albus said. "There's this kid. I think his name's Arthur, but I'm not sure. He's really arrogant, but he seems like a nice guy at heart. He also enjoys ordering people around. He says he wants to become a prefect."
"Hm. That might be him. Can you find out more about this kid?"
"Yeah, but I think there's a better way."
"Oh?" Merlin asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"You see, Hogwarts is a little short staffed at the moment. Snape's gone, and the school's had difficulty finding a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher."
"Who do they have now?"
"Nobody," Albus said simply.
"You mean to tell me students aren't being taught Defense Against The Dark Arts?" Merlin asked incredulously.
"Well, there's not as much need for it now, seeing as Voldemort's dead," Albus pointed out.
"Still, this is something I will not permit." Merlin frowned. "I'll apply for the position. In fact, I'm going to Hogwarts at once. Would you like to come with me?"
Albus shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I was planning on going there soon anyway."

As they walked onto the grounds, countless students greeted Albus.
"You're very popular here, I see," Merlin commented.
"That's what happens when your dad is the one who defeated Voldemort."
Merlin chuckled. "True. So, where do I go to apply?"
"Well, maybe you should try speaking to the headmaster," Albus suggested.

Albus left Merlin at the door. "Good luck," he said.
"Thanks!"
"I know you'll be a great teacher."
Merlin smiled. "Oh, and if I do end up teaching here, don't tell anyone about our secret, okay? I'll go by another name." Albus nodded solemnly.
"Come in," a woman's voice said.

Merlin did, and shook hands with the headmaster.
"Greetings," the headmaster said, "I'm Professor McGonagall. I mean, headmaster McGonagall. I'm still not used to the new title."
"Of course," Merlin said, nodding politely.
"And who might you be?" she asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "You may call me Emrys."
"Emrys! Quite a name," McGonagall commented.
"It is my name," Merlin said simply. "Take it or leave it."
"And what brings you here, Mr. Emrys?"
"I'm told you're looking for a Defense Against The Dark Arts professor?"
"We are," McGonagall replied. "The darkest times may be over, but we still need our students to know how to defend themselves."
"I couldn't agree more," Merlin said. "Which is why I'd like to apply for the position."
McGonagall looked hopeful for a moment, then her face regained its stern mask. "Have you any teaching experience, Mr. Emrys?"
"No," Merlin admitted, "but I do have a good deal of experience with the dark arts, and as for the teaching, I'm sure I can manage that well enough. I'm incredibly patient and kind, and I'm good at working with others."
McGonagall nodded, as if taking it all in. "You are aware, of course, of the danger of this position?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Merlin said.
"Nobody has managed to hold the position for more than a year, Mr. Emrys."
"Well then, I'll have to make it a great year, won't I?" Merlin said, smiling.
"So you still want the position?" McGonagall asked, somewhat surprised.
"If you'll have me," Merlin replied.
"Well, I'll need to administer a diagnostic test to make sure you are fit for the position, but if that goes well, I see no reason why you can't teach at Hogwarts."
"Fantastic!"

The test was so simple, Merlin was concerned about the caliber of the wizards and witches who had held the position before him. The only part that he found difficult was the dementor, but somehow Merlin instinctively knew how to produce a patronus, and so a german shepherd came out of his wand.

"I notice you use a lot of nonverbal spells," McGonagall commented.
"It's what I'm used to," Merlin replied simply. "I'm familiar with the spells you teach at Hogwarts."
"Very well then. Your performance was satisfactory. Welcome to the staff."
***
"I've got a job at Hogwarts now," Merlin informed the group. "I'll be sure to keep you updated."
Will looked up from his book ("The Universe In A Nutshell"). "Sounds good. Want us to keep looking, or do you think you've got the guy?"
"Keep looking, just to be safe." Everyone nodded. "Right, see you all next week. And wish me luck!" They did, and then left (at different times, just to avoid arousing suspicion).

Hannah Abbot, the landlady turned to one of the employees. "Those people seem suspicious to you?" she asked, gesturing at the dispersing group.
"No," the employee said. "Why?"
"Well, it's just that there's always a group of people visiting that customer," she pointed to Merlin, "and they look different, but it's the same number of people each time. Same time, same table. If I didn't know better, I'd say it were some sort of meeting."
"But it's different people every time!"
Hannah nodded. "They could be disguising themselves, though."
"Why would they need to disguise themselves?"
"Why indeed. I think they're up to something." The employee looked skeptical. "Just... keep an eye on them, okay?"
"Whatever you say, boss."

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 1

A certain friend of mine (you know who you are) has been bugging me to write this for ages, so here it is at last.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The man looked up from his book ("A Brief History of Time") to see the boy. He sighed and resumed wandlessly stirring his tea. That was the signal. Another man walked over to the table.
"So, the famous young wizard?"
The first man nodded. "Think he's the one?"
The second man shook his head. "He looks too different. And he acts nothing like him, either. He's not nearly prattish enough."
"The way you talk, I'm not even sure you want to find your friend," the first man joked.
"Don't talk nonsense." The second man looked around. "The others have noticed. I think your tea is adequately stirred by now, Will." Will shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of tea.

"Now that we're all here, let's discuss theories," the second man, who seemed to be in charge, said.
"Harry Potter," Will suggested.
"No, we've been over this already."
"What about Ron?" another man suggested.
The leader laughed. "Definitely not!"
"Do you think it's anyone at Hogwarts?" a woman asked, exasperated.
"I'm not sure," the leader admitted. "I mean, he's bound to end up at Hogwarts eventually."
"Maybe he hasn't been born yet," another woman offered.
"I've been waiting for a long time," the leader said. "I suppose I can wait a while longer. Same time next week?" The group nodded, then dispersed.

Merlin thought back to that day. The boy, Harry Potter, had turned out to be quite promising- but he certainly wasn't the boy they were looking for. Merlin was beginning to think it was all in vain. He'd been searching for ages, how could these people help? Maybe it was time to move on.

Merlin had formed the group in the hopes of locating the Once and Future King, know to Merlin as Arthur. Arthur had been his dearest friend, and the loss had devastated Merlin. Kilgharrah had insisted that Arthur would rise in the time of Camelot's greatest need. But wasn't Voldemort's reign enough? Now Voldemort was dead, and there was still no sign of Arthur. But maybe this group would find him after all. They were exceptional at blending in- Will was a master of disguise, Gwaine made himself so drunk everyone looked away in disgust, Freya was an animagus, and Gwen was a metamorphmagus. To the typical patron of the Leaky Cauldron, they were just random strangers going to meet the man with the neckerchief (nobody outside of the group knew Merlin's real name, for Merlin considered anonymity better suited to his needs). As such, they were called the Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (or the Irregulars, for short).

The Irregulars were Merlin's eyes and ears, but so far they had been unsuccessful. They had brought a number of interesting individuals to his attention, but Merlin cared for none but Arthur. Not to say that Merlin was callous (though the years had hardened his heart somewhat), just that he would be satisfied with nothing less than his friend.

And so it was that when Merlin saw eleven year old Albus Severus in the Leaky Cauldron, he decided to take a chance.
"Albus!" The boy didn't turn around. "Albus Severus! That is your name, isn't it?" The boy turned slowly around, fixing a wary eye on Merlin.
"My father told me not to talk to strangers."
"Your father was a notorious rulebreaker, as was your grandfather. Indulge an old gentleman and talk a little while, won't you?"
"You barely look thirty, mister."
"So I do," Merlin said amusedly. "I forget sometimes. But the question still stands: will you talk with me? Technically, I suppose you already have, but I mean a proper conversation."
The boy sighed. Merlin laid his wand on the table, a gesture of peace. "I suppose I could talk," Albus grudgingly admitted.
"Good! I knew you'd come round!" Merlin said cheerily, pouring a cup of tea for Albus.

"You're getting all set to go to Hogwarts, right?"
Albus nodded. "I'm really excited!"
"As you should be. I was wondering if you'd be able to do a little job for me."
"A job? I thought this was just a conversation." Albus looked unimpressed.
"Think of it as a quest. Something exciting to do. Like what your dad did. Well, probably not as dangerous, but just as fun."
Albus considered this. "So what do you want?"
"I want you to people-watch. Pay attention to the students in Hogwarts. I'm looking for someone, and I'd like you to tell me if you think you've found him."
"Who are you looking for?" Albus asked, his curiosity piqued.
"His name is Arthur, but that might not be his name now."
"Is he your long-lost son?"
Merlin laughed. "Not really, but he's very close to me, and it would mean a lot to me if you could find him."
"So tell me about this 'Arthur'."

"Oh, he's wonderful. He's a bit of a prat, though. He thinks he's king of everything, and sometimes he can be a bit mean, but he's a good man at heart. He always tries to be fair, but sometimes he has trouble not having the same prejudices as his father taught him. He's pretty smart, but he can be so stupid sometimes. And he doesn't have one ounce of self-preservation." Merlin's face darkened. "Not one."
Hoping to lighten the mood, Albus asked Merlin "What does he look like?"
"Golden brown hair that's absolutely perfect, beautiful green eyes, broad shoulders..."
"Are you in love with him?"
Merlin was surprised at that question, and he had to take a moment to consider it. "No... but I do care about him very much. Can you help me find him?"
"Alright, mister... hey, you never told me your name!"
"Merlin." The boy's eyes widened. Merlin nodded, then put a shushing finger on his lips. "It'll be our little secret," he whispered.

Fandom School (4th period): Crossover Fanfiction

Hello and welcome again to Fandom School! We're back to fanfiction again, and now I'd like to talk about crossover fanfics.

First of all, what is a crossover? A crossover is a mash-up of two or more fandoms. You can combine just a few fandoms (Wholock, Superwholock, etc.), or you can go all out (for example, this fanfic). A crossover is not the same thing as an AU. For example, my fic The Once And Future Time Lord is a multi-fandom AU because while there are elements of Doctor Who, they are assumed to have always been there. A crossover takes the characters of one world and inserts them into another, while still retaining the memory of their original story (unless there's a memory loss trope or something). A multi-fandom AU takes one fandom and changes it so that it's part of another fandom. Fanfics where characters from one fandom are students at Hogwarts (like this fanfic) are a good example of this type of AU.

So now that you know what a crossover is, let's get to crossover fanfics. What should you keep in mind when writing them? Well besides the usual fanfiction tips, it's important to think about how your fandoms mesh. Wholock is a common crossover because the two fandoms are similar: eccentric genius outsmarts bad guys with the help of his friends. (They're also both set in the modern world.) However, if you wanted to combine the Avengers and My Little Pony, that would be a bit harder. (A quick google search reveals that fanfiction for this crossover does exist, and here's an example.)

There are a few other things to consider when writing crossover fanfics:

• How many fandoms are you including? Try to keep it to just a few fandoms, else you'll risk complicating your fanfic and seriously limiting your number of readers.
• How many characters are you including? Like fandoms, if you include too many your story will get cluttered.
• How do your characters meet? Are they old friends? Do they randomly happen to run into each other? Is there some sort of crisis that brings them together?
• How do the worlds connect? Have both universes co-exist, do the characters live in the same universe, or does something cause the universes to come together/the characters to be transported to each other?
• Are your characters interacting reasonably? Is any character monopolizing the story, or is any character just sort of... there (invisibility level: Mickey Smith)?
• How is canon affected? Is it canon divergence, or is canon altered to explain how the fandoms are connected?
• Make sure your characters stay in character. OOC characters are a common problem with crossovers. It is justifiable to change a character somewhat to make them fit in with the other fandom(s), but you need to make sure that the essence of his/her personality remains the same. You could intentionally make characters be OOC, but I wouldn't recommend it.

And now that I've given you advice, I'll share my own crossover fanfics:

Wholock (Doctor Who and Sherlock crossover)

• An Interesting Case
• This is my first Wholock story (and my first fanfiction). In this one, Sherlock is asked to interrogate a mysterious witness who proves to be just as interesting as the case itself, and they go on an adventure together.
• The Search For Father
• This is a story for all of you who were frustrated when we saw that Jenny (from "The Doctor's Daughter") was alive, only to never see her again. I mean seriously. She never even gets a spin-off show! So, I wrote a story in which she goes off looking for her dad and enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes.
• Call In The Expert
• "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me," Sherlock had said. But what about when Sherlock was out of his depth? What then? That's when it's time to ask an even greater genius for help. Sherlock must call in the expert.
• When Justice Is Treason
• The Master and Moriarty. A deadly duo. With the help of the Archangel network, they control all of England. So when the few people who know the truth try to stop them, it is treason. Will they succeed? Or will Prime Minister Harold Saxon and King Moriarty continue their reign of terror?
• You Matter
• Sometimes characters have things going pretty rough for them. And sometimes their friends and family can't console them. But what about if somebody totally different were to come in? This is how characters would take care of each other in a Wholock universe.
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

Other Crossovers

• Use The Force (or the Mind Palace)
• Remember the first time Luke used the Force? What did he actually see? What if he visited Sherlock's mind palace? Strange concept, I know, but the idea came into my head and wouldn't go away. (It's more of a series than a cohesive story.) Feel free to tell me what character you'd like to see next.
• On this blog: chapters 2 3
• You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords
• The Twelfth Doctor feels as though he is all alone, until his daughter Jenny comes to him, telling him that she has found a way to locate other Time Lords. She tells him that he is not the only one. Together, they go out to find the rest.
• Rating: G
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

And a few great crossover fanvids:

Fandom School (Supper): How I Entered The Fandom World

Normally, I do lunch after 2nd period in Fandom School, but I forgot, so here it is. Today, I'd like to discuss how I became a fangirl (or fanwarrior, whatever you want to call it).

As it was for many other people, Harry Potter was my gateway fandom (i.e., the fandom that introduced me to the world of fandoms). My Mom read the books to me (and my younger brother and older sister) when I was a little kid. I have since reread the books many times and seen all the movies. I still love Harry Potter, not only for its own merits, but also for the fact that it introduced me to the world of fandoms. 

My first fandom that I really got into was Doctor Who. Ironically enough, it wasn't until after I moved from England (I was there when Doctor Who was just starting up again) that I came to watch it. I fell in love instantly. I watched every episode and soon wanted to find a way to communicate with other fans. 

My Google+ account (which had mostly been dormant) became a place to share my thoughts about fandoms. I also started reading fanfiction. 

The next step in my journey through the fan verse was when I began writing fanfiction. By this point, I was in a number of fandoms, mainly Doctor Who and Sherlock. At first, I shared my fanfiction on Google+. Then, I got an account on fanfiction.net. (I also have an AO3 account.)

Then, my Mom suggested I make a blog to share my fanfiction. And thus, The Vortex of Deduction was born. Now, my thoughts about fandoms are shown in an organized way for everyone to see. 

Another notable event was when I got a tumblr (vortexofdeduction.tumblr.com). As any of you who are on tumblr (or have seen screenshots of legendary posts) know, tumblr is full of fandoms. It's also a little bit crazy. But, it's a whole lot of fun. 

Shoutouts to fandoms:

Harry Potter, for being my first fandom

Doctor Who, for being my first major fandom

Sherlock, for being my favorite fandom

Supernatural, for the awesome gifs

SuperWhoLock, for the ridiculous posts that show up on my dash

Disney, for coming up with great movies

The Giver, for making a movie that's actually faithful to the book

Nerdfighters, for decreasing WorldSuck and being awesome

The Fault In Our Stars, for showing me that sad stuff happens and it's not always okay

The Princess Bride, for giving me a satisfying happy ending (spoliers!)

Any other thoughts about fandoms? What was your gateway fandom?

How To Choose Your Fandom

If you're reading this blog, you're probably in at least one fandom, but maybe you want more. If that's the case, read on to figure out which fandom may be best for you. First of all, consider the genre. Here are my fandoms, organized by genre, with a brief summary of each.

Fantasy
Merlin
Media form: TV
Key features: Arthurian legend, magic, destiny, sarcasm and cheek
Synopsis: (based off of Arthurian legend) Merlin, a young warlock (i.e., born with magic), travels to Camelot, where king Uther Pendragon has banned magic. Merlin becomes prince Arthur's manservant and discovers that it is his destiny to protect Arthur. He saves Arthur's life countless times, all the while hiding his magic.

Harry Potter
Media form: books, movies
Key features: magic, evil wizards and witches, good wizards and witches, fun and shenanigans but also serious stuff
Synopsis: Harry Potter, called "The Boy Who Lived" because the dark lord Voldemort was unable to kill him, finds out that he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts, a school for wizards and witches. Voldemort keeps trying to regain power, and Harry, together with his friends Ron and Hermione, tries to stop him.

The Lord of the Rings
Media form: books, movies
Key features: adventure, battle, rings, dark lord, magic, danger, seriously lots of danger
Synopsis: Frodo Baggins takes the one ring of power (which is really evil) and goes on a quest to throw it into Mordor, so that it will be destroyed and the dark lord Sauron will be destroyed as well. Frodo travels with 3 other hobbits, 2 men, 1 dwarf, and 1 elf. They get into lots of trouble on the way, and it's quite the adventure.

Sci-Fi
Star Wars
Media form: movies
Key features: evil guy, not so evil guys, adventure, danger, battle, lightsabers, rebellion
Synopsis: Darth Vader is really evil and he's basically trying to take over the universe. He controls the empire (well technically, the emperor controls the empire, but we don't see much of the emperor), but there is a group of rebels who are determined to defeat him. Luke Skywalker is a major part of this rebellion.

Star Trek
Media form: TV, movies
Key features: lots of technology, exploration, adventure, warp speed, aliens
Synopsis: Captain Kirk is in charge of the Enterprise, a spaceship that can go warp speed (i.e., really fast). He and his crew travel around the universe and explore. They get into trouble and have adventures. It's fun.

Doctor Who
Media form: TV
Key features: wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, time travel, technology, aliens, exploration, adventure, danger, genius, saving the universe
Synopsis: The Doctor, a Time Lord, travels through time and space in his TARDIS. He typically travels with a companion (usually female), and together they have adventures. Except, it's not all fun and games; evil aliens inevitably show up, and then the Doctor has to do awesome genius stuff and save the universe.

The Avengers/Marvel/DC
Media form: comic books, movies
Key features: danger, fighting, superheroes, justice
Synopsis: (sorry for lumping them all in together, btw) superheroes (or awesome people with a technological advantage) fight against evil.

Dystopia
The Hunger Games
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, social/political inequality, poverty, hunger
Synopsis: Every year, the Capitol shows its dominance over the 12 Districts by hosting the Hunger Games, where a boy and a girl are taken from each district to fight to the death, with only one survivor. Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take the place of her sister Prim in the Games, is intent on changing things and starts a rebellion.

Divergent
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, division based on aptitude, being different, fear, hiding
Synopsis: (similar to The Hunger Games) Tris Prior takes the test to find out which faction (district, social class, group of people) she belongs in (Amity, for friendliness; Candor, for truthfulness; Dauntless, for bravery; Abnegation, for selflessness; or Erudite, for knowledge), and finds out that she belongs in both Dauntless and Abnegation, meaning that she is Divergent. Divergents are hunted and killed because they are unknown and therefore feared. Tris decides to start a revolution.

Modern (i.e., set in the modern-day world)
Sherlock
Media type: books, movies, TV
Key features: mysteries, solving crimes, genius, murder, "not our division"
Synopsis: (there are books and movies, but this focuses on BBC Sherlock) Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me." He solves crimes with the help of his trusty blogger, Doctor John Watson. In John's words, "We solve crimes. I blog about it. He forgets his pants."

The Big Bang Theory
Media type: TV
Key features: science, annoying characters, awkward social situations
Synopsis: Four young scientists - Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh - are friends and get into shenanigans. Penny, Leonard and Sheldon's next-door neighbor, doesn't know anything about science, but still interacts with the group in an amusing, clueless sort of way.

The Fault In Our Stars
Media type: book, movie
Key features: sadness, romance, cancer, enjoy life while you can
Synopsis: Two teenagers, Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster, fall in love with each other. However, they both have cancer, so they know they won't live much longer. They determine to make the most of their lives while they can.

Other
Les Misérables
Media type: book, musical, movie
Key features: France, revolution, historical fiction, sadness, lots of sadness
Synopsis: Short version - the French government is terrible, and bad things happen to people because of it, so a revolution is started. Long version - *insert several pages of synopsis* (sorry, it's really long what can I say)

The Princess Bride
Media type: book, movie
Key features: true love, high adventure, kidnapping, swordfighting
Synopsis: Buttercup works on a farm and falls in love with the farm-boy, Westley. Westley goes to America to seek his fortune and is murdered by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Buttercup is devastated vows never to love again. Prince Humperdinck thinks differently and orders her to marry him. Before this can happen, however, she is kidnapped by a criminal band consisting of Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo. They are defeated by a man in black, and then the story takes an interesting turn (sorry, not giving any more because I don't want to share any spoilers).

Disney
Media type: movies
Key features: fairy tales, old-fashioned, happily ever after
Synopsis: Disney makes lots of different movies. They are generally fairy tales with happy endings (usually the original fairy tales have rather gruesome endings).

Next, consider that you may want to choose a fandom by what the fandom is like.

Fandoms that are very active: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are not continuing (the book/movie/series/show is over): Merlin, The Fault In Our Stars, The Princess Bride

Fandoms that have long hiatuses: Sherlock, Doctor Who (sort of)

Fandoms that are popular on this blog: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are British: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms in which Steven Moffat writes the episodes: Sherlock, Doctor Who

And finally, consider fan names. Would you be happy calling yourself any of these terms?
Merlin - Merlinian (not commonly used)
Harry Potter - Potterhead
Star Trek - Trekkie
Doctor Who - Whovian
Sherlock - Sherlockian

Fandom School (8th period): The Fandom Way To Say "I Love You"

So earlier I wrote a post about various terms fangirls/fanboys use, and now I'd like to show the various fandom ways to say I love you. I know I'm missing a lot (I seem to recall a tumblr post listing all of them, but I can't find it now), so feel free to add to this list in the comments.

Doctor Who: [insert name here], I...

Hello, sweetie

You've stopped both my hearts

The Fault In Our Stars: Okay

Frozen: Some people are worth melting for

Harry Potter: Always

Merlin: With all my heart

Idiot/prat/ass/dollophead/cabbagehead/[insert insult here]

My Fair Lady: I've grown accustomed to your face

The Princess Bride: As you wish

How To Scare A Fangirl

Happy Halloween! In the spirit of the holiday, I have written a guide to scaring a fangirl.

How to scare a Whovian

• Give them a statue (especially of an angel) and/or say, "Don't blink". 
• Stare at something and look scared, then when they ask what's wrong, say, "Dorry, what?" or "I forgot". Bonus points if you also draw tally marks on your arms. 
• Yell "EXTERMINATE" in an angry, machine-like voice. 
• Tell them they have two shadows. 
• Look them in the eye and say, "Your song is ending". 

How to scare a Sherlockian

• Tell them "I owe you."
• Shout "vatican cameos". 
• Say something about Moriarty. 
• In your most evil voice, ask "Did you miss me?"

How to scare a Potterhead

• Say "Voldemort". 
• Casually mention making seven horcruxes. 
• Point a wand (or something that looks like a wand) at them and shout one of the unforgivable curses.
• Tell them they could be killed, or worse, expelled. 

How to scare a Trekkie

• Always wear a red shirt (or force them to always wear red shirts). 
• Speak only in Klingon. 

How to scare a Merlinian

• Say that you saw Morgana heading this way. 
• Claim that you are Emrys, and you are furious with them. 
• Start chanting in the dragon language. 
• Start reciting a harmful spell you've learned from watching Merlin. 
• State that they have been found to be a sorcerer and will be burned at the stake. 

I know that's only a few fandoms, but they're the only ones I could think of. Feel free to add more in the comments. 

A Change Of Heart

You know how sometimes you see a character (or if you're reading a book, read about a character), and at first you hate them, but then they grow on you until you absolutely adore them? Yeah, that's happened to me too, and it's what I'd like to discuss today.

First impressions can be misleading. In many cases, you think a character is awful, but then you see that they are good. The question is, did the character develop, did the writing get better, or did you simply come to view the character in a different light? I'd like to share with you a few examples of characters that I disliked at first, but now appreciate. 

Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: she was hopelessly in love with the Doctor. And unlike Rose, her feelings weren't reciprocated, so instead of "look at this cute couple", it was more like "look at this poor lovesick puppy". 

Type of change: character development, change of heart

Why I changed my mind: I didn't really like Martha until the last few episodes of series 3, when she proved herself to be independent, intelligent, and highly competent.

The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: he wasn't the Tenth Doctor. Also, I got mad at him for leaving Amelia Pond - twice!

What type of change: character development and a change of heart. The writing stayed about the same. 

Why I changed my mind: As the season progressed, I began to see that though Eleven was different, he was his own unique person to be celebrated. I saw his kindness and compassion, his playfulness, and all his other great attributes. At some point, I decided he was almost as good as Ten. And now I miss him.

Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: I don't approve of random love interests thrown into a story, and that's how I saw Danny at first. I was mad at Moffat for bringing him in; one companion is enough, and Clara was too preoccupied with the Doctor to take on a boyfriend. 

Type of change: character development, better writing, change of heart

Why I changed my mind: I was really worried Danny was going to be a poorly written character, but it turned out that Moffat actually did a good job with Danny (unlike some other characters... *cough cough* Clara *cough cough* Twelve). He reminds me a little of Mickey and a little of Rory, but he's different from both of them. He's really accepting and supportive of Clara, even to the point that he allows her to continue traveling with the Doctor. And he has a fierce loyalty towards Clara, doing everything he can to help her. 

Arthur Pendragon (Bradley James)

Fandom: Merlin

Reason for initial dislike: I agree with Merlin in episode 1 that Arthur is a royal prat. And an arrogant one, too. He's rude and disrespectful, and he expects everyone to do his will. He barely seems to care about others. 

Type of change: lots and lots of character development. Maybe a change of heart, too. 

Why I changed my mind: As the show progressed, I saw how Merlin began to change Arthur into a better person. I saw that Arthur really cares about his people, and that he will risk his life for that of a servant. He may still be a prat sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. 

Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head)

Fandom: Merlin

Reason for initial dislike: he outlaws magic and executes sorcerers without a second thought, believing that all magic is evil. Even in things not related to magic, he is ruthless. He rules the kingdom with an iron fist. 

Type of change: change of heart

Why I changed my mind: as Emily Ecrivaine at Emily Ecrivaine Reviews pointed out in this post, he's only doing what he thinks is best for the kingdom. Though he is a cruel, disillusioned man, his intentions are pure; he truly has Camelot's best interests at heart. I can't say I like him, but I can at least respect him.

Philip Anderson (Jonathan Aris)

Fandom: Sherlock
Reason for initial dislike: the way Anderson's written, we're supposed to dislike him. He apparently lowers the IQ of the whole street just by talking. He's really annoying and not that bright.
Type of change: change of heart, possibly character development
Why I changed my mind: again, to go too much in depth would be to give away spoilers. Let it suffice to say that Anderson is smarter, kinder, and better than we give him credit for. (For this change of heart, I have Emily Ecrivaine to thank again - this is the post that made me rethink my perspective on him.)

I'd also like to point out that this principle applies to ships as well. The more I see of a ship, the more logical it seems. So now, a few ships that I've come to like.

Johnlock (Sherlock Holmes and John Watson)

Fandom: Sherlock
Reason for initial dislike: I'm not homosexual, and I'm a little hesitant to go along with a gay ship as a result. (Update: I used to be like that. Now, I ship same-sex couples without a second thought.) Also, it's not canon.
How much I ship them now: they're not my OTP or anything, but I definitely read Johnlock fanfiction and I think about Johnlock sometimes.
Why I changed my mind: it's clear they care about each other a lot, and it seems like they are attracted to each other. It's as if they like each other, but don't dare admit it.

Merthur (Merlin (Emrys) and Arthur Pendragon)

Fandom: Merlin
Reason for initial dislike: same reason as for Johnlock. Also, I initially shipped Merlin with Gwen. And then when Gwen got together with Arthur, I shipped Merlin with Morgana - until she went bad.
How much I ship them now: OTP!
Why I changed my mind: they're just so perfect for each other! They complete each other. And each of them would die for the other. They share a close bond (or, as the dragon might call it, destiny).

The Doctor and Rose (both Nine/Rose and Ten/Rose)

Fandom: Doctor Who
Reason for initial dislike: I didn't like Rose that much at first (yeah, I know she's not in my list of characters above. That's because I still don't like her that much. It's more like I went from dislike to neutrality.) I didn't think the Doctor should have any romantic attachments.
How much I ship them now: Meh. I kind of ship them. I'll read fanfiction with this ship, but I don't seek it out like I would for some of my other ships (including Johnlock and Merthur).
Why I changed my mind: Idk, I think they're kind of cute together. Also, Rose makes the Doctor a better person.

Fandom Texts: Harry Potter Edition

Okay, so the fandom texts are fairly popular. Now, they will be a regular thing. You can expect a new set of fandom texts every thursday. So for this week, it's Harry Potter! Enjoy!

     

The Pensieve and the Stranger- (Sherlock and Harry Potter fanfiction)

In this story, Harry gets to visit Sherlock's mind palace. This is chapter two of Use the Force (Or the Mind Palace). Chapters 3 and 4 can be found on this blog.

The Pensieve and the Stranger

Harry Potter went into the pensieve, hoping to find the memory he had left in there. But he soon grew confused as a vision unfolded before him that he could not recognize as his own. 

He was in an elaborate palace, standing at the top of a spiral staircase. There was a tall man running up the staircase, his dark brown curls bouncing, as if trying to keep up with him. "Ah, yes." he said, sitting down and putting his hands in a steeple in front of his chin. "This is the best place in my Mind Palace to think. Now then..." he looked in Harry's direction, and Harry almost ran and hid, but then he remembered that Sherlock couldn't see him. This was a memory, not an interactive experience. "Solving a mystery. What fun! So, what do I have to go on?” The man looked into the distance and thought for a while. 

"Liberty." A loud bell began to ring. It sounded like it was quite large, and Harry was confused until he realized it must be Liberty Bell. But why would the bell be here? It was American! And how could this stranger replicate the noise? He had no wand; how could he possibly have done it? Harry didn't have long to think about this, for the bell was soon to be replaced by a huge marching band. They walked right through the place as if it was perfectly normal to do so. Who was this wizard, to bring so many musicians here? Or else, who was he to conjure up such a detailed image? Harry was so deep in thought he almost didn't hear the man.

"Liberty, liberty, liberty..." The man kept repeating it to himself as if it was of crucial significance. "Never mind. Moving on. In..."

The palace transformed into a hotel. An inn. Harry looked around, amazed. Who was this man? Then a large map of Asia appeared out of nowhere. Harry would have suspected the man was using accio to summon it there, but he had said nothing. Harry walked closer to get a look at the map, remembering that the man would be unable to see him. A country that Harry recognized as India was highlighted on the map. Harry tried to think about what was going on. Maybe the man wanted to book an inn in India… but Liberty Bell and the Liberty March were American. It didn’t make sense. Perhaps the man was planning a long trip? The scene changed again. Harry found himself in Germany. Okay, definitely planning a trip. Harry looked up at a sign to see where in Germany he was. He was in Ingolstadt, or at least, that was what he saw around him. Harry reminded himself that he hadn’t actually moved. Then the scene dissolved and they were back in the palace. Harry noticed a small chunk of metal. The man picked it up and muttered to himself. “Indium. Atomic number 49… No, that’s no good. There’s got to be something!” 

Harry thought a moment. Then he remembered what the man had said earlier. This stranger wasn’t planning a trip, he was trying to solve a mystery. All these different things that had shown up were clues. Or rather, what he was trying to make of the clues.

Two dogs ran up the stairs, but the man quickly decided they weren’t relevant. Then an American came in and started singing. Harry didn’t recognize the singer at first, but the song sounded familiar. To his surprise, the man joined in with the singer. It was then that Harry recognized the song as “Hound dog”. As Harry began to wonder what a hound had to do with anything, the man dismissed the singer quickly and looked very frustrated. 

Harry realized that that must have been the last of the clues. He wished he could do something, so he thought a moment. Then it occurred to him: the least he could do was put all the clues together. This was a pensieve, but maybe it would work. Harry used his wand to write the words “Liberty in Hound”. He let them float for a moment. Then he realized that “in" wasn’t capitalized, which didn’t look quite right. He fixed it: “Liberty In Hound”. Wait a minute, wasn’t “In" an abbreviation for Indiana? All three of the clues had had possible links to America. “Liberty IN Hound”. Liberty, IN. Maybe Liberty was in Indiana. “Liberty, Indiana Hound”. No, that didn’t look right. What if “hound” was all in capital letters? “Liberty, Indiana HOUND”. If it was all capital letters, it must be an acronym. “Liberty, Indiana H.O.U.N.D.”

The man did see, and he smiled in satisfaction and accomplishment, then disappeared. The memory was over, and Harry left the pensieve, utterly confounded by this strange phenomenon.

***

A few months later, Harry saw the man again. Could this really be him? Harry was awestruck.

“Well, what are you gaping at? Don’t just stand there, you idiot!”

“I’m sorry, I just…”

“Just what?”

“I just… thought I’d seen you before.”

“I’m known by the whole of London, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen me in the papers.” Harry hadn’t read a muggle paper in a long time, and he certainly hadn’t seen the man in any of the wizarding world’s papers.

“No, not like that.” Harry decided to take a chance. “Liberty in hound. Liberty, Indiana. H.O.U.N.D.” The man’s face froze.

“How did you know that?” He relaxed a moment later. “Oh, you read John’s blog, don’t you?” Harry shook his head.

“Never. I don’t even know your name… So how did it go? Did you solve the case? It was a case, right? Are you some sort of detective?”

“It went very well, thank you. I always solve my cases.” The man stuck out his hand. “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective.”

“Harry Potter, wizard. I’ve also been known as the boy who lived, and the person who defeated Voldemort.”

“Well, then. Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter. It seems you have quite the resume.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, if I ever need a wizard’s help in a case, you’ll be the first one I ask.”

“Thank you. Goodbye!” But the enigma of a man had already left.

The One-Word Test

Hello. No, I'm not going to write a one-word blog post. (I've already disproved that by writing these two sentences.) This is about the one-word test from the Doctor Who episode The Snowmen. Clara wants the Doctor's help. But instead of finding the Doctor, she finds his friends, Vastra and Jenny. Vastra asks her to pass the "one-word test", answering every question with only one word. This is because lies are usually longer than the truth. Finally, Vastra asks Clara to send a one-word message to the Doctor, telling him all that's going on and why he should help. Her answer? Pond.

It's really surprising that Clara manages to sum up everything in one word, and it does have the desired effect of getting the Doctor's help. So, I've decided to try it myself. Now, obviously I can't do it exactly the same way, since I'm testing myself. So, I'm going to attempt to describe the fandoms I know well in one word each. I'm not going to give an explanation for why I chose each word, because that would be going against the principle of the idea. That being said, feel free to comment and ask if any of my choices confuse you. Here we go!

Doctor Who: Adventure

Harry Potter: Friendship

The Hunger Games: Sacrifice

Les Misérables: Hope

The Lord of the Rings: Perseverance

The Princess Bride: Love

Sherlock: Eccentricity

Star Trek: Exploration

Star Wars: Freedom


And now, one word to sum up all fandoms: Captivating

Why Do We Love Villains?

Aren't we all?

Quick! Name your favorite villain/psychopath! 

Having trouble naming just one? You aren't alone. Many of us fall in love with fictional villains. 

But why? That's what this post seeks to answer.

First of all, let's be clear about who we're talking about. According to the (World English) dictionary, a psychopath is "a person afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit antisocial and sometimes violent acts"*. And a villain is "a wicked or malevolent person" or "(in a novel, play, film, etc.) the main evil character and antagonist to the hero". So these people are not nice. And they don't care. In some cases, they even enjoy being evil.

So why do we like them? Some people might say we just like the actors, but not all villains look attractive, and the whole "it's just the actors" theory doesn't account for characters in books, comics, etc.

Therefore, we must be attracted to the characters themselves. What makes these characters attractive? Well, let's take a look at a few example villains.

Moriarty (Sherlock)

Who's the archenemy of the world's only consulting detective? Jim Moriarty, the world's only consulting criminal. Obviously. He's totally crazy, but has enough sense to pull off huge crimes and not get caught. He's very good with technology and has all sorts of good uses for it. He even pulls off fake identities, such as Jim from IT and (I won't spoil it for the rest of you, but people who've seen season 3 know what I mean). He pulls off a huge crime in broad daylight and gets off scott-free! (Or is it Andrew-free? Pun intended.) And we even discover he did something pretty amazing (again, I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, and some of you will know what the amazing thing is). He's powerful, smart, malicious, and crazy in a sexy sort of way that few can pull off. All in all, he's an awesome villain, and it's no wonder people are obsessing over him and shipping him.

The Master (Doctor Who)

For those of you who've seen both Classic Who and New Who (if you don't know what Classic Who is, you probably haven't seen it), you know that the Master is a recurring villain, and he's regenerated a few times. For the rest of you, you've probably seen the Master at least once. Like the Doctor, he's a Time Lord who survived the great Time War. The two used to be friends, but then the Master became crazy and evil. He hears the constant sound of drums in his head, which apparently call him to rule the universe. He's every bit as clever as the Doctor, but unlike the Doctor, he has no kindness or forgiveness, and he thinks killing people is fun. Depending on which regeneration of the Master you look at, you might find the actor attractive, but even more would argue that the character himself is evil in a seductive way. He certainly managed to deceive poor Lucy.

The Daleks (Doctor Who)

I know there should probably be only one Doctor Who villain, but I just couldn't leave out the Daleks. And besides, "good men don't need rules" and "the Doctor lies". Daleks are the quintessential villain: machines of pure, unadulterated hatred. Hate is the only emotion they can feel, and they feel it quite strongly. Their goal is to exterminate every living thing that is not a Dalek, especially the Doctor.

Mr. Hyde (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

I've only read the book, so that's what I'm talking about here. Hyde is Jekyll's own invention, and is essentially Jekyll's evil nature. All he has to do is drink a potion and he is transformed to a huge, grotesque villain. Mr. Hyde is not very bright (unlike Dr. Jekyll), but he is very evil. All he knows is how to be pure evil. Jekyll learns throughout the book that the more he uses Hyde, the more evil he becomes. I don't think anyone could argue Hyde is attractive, but he is extraordinarily evil and certainly a villain.

Voldemort (Harry Potter)

Whether you're talking about the movies or the books, there's no doubt that Voldemort is a villain. I mean, for most of the series, the characters won't even say his name! He's either "the Dark Lord" (for the people on his side) or "He Who Must Not Be Named". Full of selfish greed, he kills witches, wizards, and muggles left and right, then has no qualms about murdering both parents of the boy who will supposedly kill him. Only he can't kill the boy. Voldemort may be an evil guy, but in the scope of the story, his success rate is pretty low. As with Mr. Hyde, I have a hard time considering Voldemort attractive, but hey, you never know.

Cruella de vil (101 Dalmatians)

Arguably one of the best movie villains of all time (she has a bit more competition in literature), this woman has a great sense of fashion and a horrible sense of animal rights. This dog-killer is bad to the bone (pun intended).

Khan (Star Trek)

Like the Master, Khan has appeared many times and has been played by multiple actors. Most recently, Benedict Cumberbatch (Moriarty's enemy, Sherlock in BBC's Sherlock) has played this nemesis. Whatever the specific plot is, Khan's goal is always the same: mess things up Captain Kirk and his crew. There's nothing quite like a dangerous, focused villain.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

No list of villains would be complete without this guy. He's a stranger all in black, breathing loudly in a way that somehow freaks everyone out, a man with powers (that he won't hesitate to use) to choke someone to death. A guy who can whip out a glowing red weapon and kill a super-important good guy in less than a minute, a guy who looks the protagonist in the eye and says with his haunting voice, "Luke, I am your father." And then we find out that this guy used to be a jedi, just like Luke. He's scary, make no doubt about it!

So, what did we find out? Most, but not all evil characters are attractive. They're all scary, though. Are we just attracted to scary characters? Maybe, but that answer doesn't satisfy me. Here's a few more theories:

1. A good villain is much less scary than the real enemy- ourselves.

Some psychologists would argue that we are our own enemies. I mean, after all, think about all the times you've wanted to do something evil. It's much easier to blame all the evil stuff on a villain than acknowledge that we are in fact responsible for evil.

2. Liking a villain is safer than acting out our own evil desires.

A corollary to #2, we like to do evil things. But most of us know that doing so is a bad idea. So, we just think about all the stuff villains do and admire them, all the while secretly envying them. Sometimes we even think about what we would do if we were villains.

3. Villains get what they want.

Let's face it, we all want lots of things. Villains get whatever they want. Sometimes we are jealous and therefore like the evil people who do whatever they feel like.

4. Villains can give revenge.

Ever gotten so angry about something someone did that you plotted revenge? Most of us have. But have you gotten so angry that you imagined getting a villain to do your revenge work for you? Some of us have done that, and then of course we like the villains for doing what we ask them to (at least in our minds).

5. Villains are powerful.

You can't deny it, power is attractive. Yes, it may not be all it seems, yes, it corrupts, but it's still attractive. We like people who have power, and that includes villains.

And that's about it! Comment and let me know who your favorite villain is?

*Technically, "sociopath" is just another word for "psychopath", so Sherlock Holmes is not a sociopath as he claims. Apparently he didn't do his research. See here and here.