HJ1 - Discussion Topic Options

[evlpez]

After a much-too-long hiatus, Journey to Hogwarts is back! The Mods and Admins (StarWalker, Zymurgy, Evlpez, and Agrippa) have been working to build some guidelines for making this Project Ferret's first novel. We wanted to let you know what we've done and why, as well as invite you to participate in finishing this project, preferably before Half-Blood Prince is published and JK kills off someone we've made a major character.

Our goals in this re-structuring were as follows:

1. To focus the story on a handful of major characters and specifically on James as the protagonist. We felt that the number of characters was getting positively overwhelming. However, realizing that there are some great characters here, we have also planned this to be a seven-book series, with each book focusing on a different character.

2. To re-write Duke's character so that he's not a Malfoy clone. To do this, we played up Duke's muggle roots, made him more of a victim than a bully, and stripped him of his gang of thugs. We think you'll find him much more believable and interesting this way.

3. To write a backstory foundation for the novel to rest on. There's probably more backstory in this re-structuring than we'll ever need; but we hope it will help propell us through possibly seven novels. We've done detailed character sketches of all of the major players, written backstory on the villians, and done a full calendar.

4.To make sure our eleven-year-old wizards talk like eleven-year-old wizards and perform the kind of magic eleven-year-old wizards can do.

5. To cut down on the number of characters related to a canon character. Since we're writing a "next generation" story, some relatives are bound to crop up. But it seemed like everyone we met was related to some one we knew. Many of those relationships have been purned back.

6. To write a complete outline of the plot so that the story has direction. Like the missions for a duel, we have to have direction or we go nowhere fast.

Everything that was written previously has now been edited to fit the new plot outline. Here's what you can do to get involved.

1. Read the new plot outline, backstory, and character profiles. These will give you an idea of where the story is headed and hopefully get you excited to write.

2. Read the edited "story so far". This will help you get an idea of the style of writing we're trying to achieve.

3. Jump in! Please don't be afraid to write or comment on anything that's been done. We've been working on this for a long time, and we're excited to hear all of your comments and ideas.

We look forward to writing with you as we finish Hogwarts Journeys I: My Name is James. (That's the new title.)

[agrippa]

The Jacobson-Lockhart backstory is in Lockhart's character profile, which makes it hard to find. I'm going to copy it to here:

The Lockhart-Jacobson Backstory

Jacobson, working as a Healer on St. Mungo’s closed ward, tries an experimental unapproved cure on Lockhart. Lockhart appears restored to his original mental capacities – remembering everything – for a couple of weeks, but then lapses back into to a more befuddled state, having decided that being a bit of a half-brain he will be better able to exact his revenge.

Jacobson, although he is mystified by the relapse, decides that Lockhart is well enough to leave St. Mungo’s. Jacobson’s wife, Alison Wiles, has just taken a job as the astronomy teacher at Hogwarts, and through her he discovers that there’s an opening for a charms teacher that the headmistress is having difficulty filling it. He suggest to Lockhart that he apply.

McGonagall is in dire straits for a Charms teacher. Although she has reservations about his abilities, she also feels guilty about what happened to him during his previous tenure at Hogwarts. She gives him the job.

Jacobson becomes worried that Lockhart might either spill the beans about his illegal cure or might have a more serious relapse. Wiles assures him that she will keep an eye on Lockhart, but Jacobson continues to worry. He decides to quit his job and move to Hogwarts with his wife. Wiles argues that it will seem very suspicious for a high-profile healer to just up and quit his job. Knowing that the current Transfiguration teacher has been thinking about a sabbatical, she convinces him/her to take it this year. When McGonagall starts looking for a replacement, Wiles suggests her husband, and the deal is sealed.

Lockhart, of course, is only pretending to be muddled. In reality, he's using it as a cover to plot his return to fame...

He has at least one puffskein around him all the time, usually provided to him by Wiles & Jacobson (for their soothing nature, as part of his cure and recovery) and by Luna, who just thinks he loves them.

It that illegal cure that Jacobson is presenting to the council. Of course, he's not mentioning that he's already tried it on somone. Does that make sense?