Card poll answers revealed!
The owl drops a card into your outstretched hands - and from the tiny, untidy handwriting, you can just about guess it’s from me.. Unfortunately, the chocolate I’d put inside as well as the story proved too tempting for beaks to resist, and the rain has got in and spoiled much of the rest.
So, here are the answers behind the polls - hope this works and that filling in the gaps is at least moderately amusing!
The scene opens…
A) At a ball at the Ministry of Magic (chosen by nineveh_uk, a_t_rain, and magicmiz)
B) At an open air ice-rink which the Muggles have set up at a grand London building
C) The Hunting of the Wren - which I first read about in Susan Cooper’s wonderful The Dark is Rising, my favourite Christmas book ever,and which I couldn’t resist stealing as an old wizarding custom (chosen by snorkackcatcher.)
D) Besides a roaring open fire. (chosen by catkind and tree_and_leaf_)
E) At Midnight Mass in a Fenland church (chosen by sigune and lyras)
F) At a courtyard at Durmstrang, as the students bring in the Yule Log. (chosen by lazy_neutrino.)
G) At one of Professor Slughorn’s parties.
H) In the (almost deserted) Hogwarts library.
First character
A) Narcissa Black/Malfoy (whichever fits story best) (chosen by catkind
B) Regulus Black
C) Millicent Bulstrode (chosen by sigune, lazy_neutrino, a_t_rain and lyras)
D) Theodore Nott (chosen by snorkackcatcher)and magicmiz)
E) Evan Rosier (chosen by tree_and_leaf)
F) Eileen Prince (chosen by nineveh_uk)
Second character
a) Severus Snape (chosen by tree_and_leaf and lazy_neutrino)
b) Sibyl Trelawney (chosen by nineveh_uk)
c) Vincent Crabbe
d) Andromeda Black/Tonks (as fits fic best)
e) Luna Lovegood (chosen by lyras)
f) Benedict Nott (chosen by sigune, catkind, snorkackcatcher, a_t_rain and magicmiz. Funny that the character who is most 'mine' got chosen so often. Poor over-worked Benedict - and at his age, too…)
Quotes
a) I am nothing like you. (chosen by lazy_neutrino)
b) We should drink to that. (chosen by lyras)
c) I suppose there’s no point in asking you if you’ve changed your mind? (chosen by snorkackcatcher and nineveh_uk)
d) Isn’t that a Muggle custom? (Shame no-one picked this - it's nicked from a tribute to the FA challenge of a while back which produced, amongst other things, narcissam’s A Communist Christmas”
e) I wish I could get rid of this damned cold. (Chosen by magicmiz)
f) All written in the stars, is it? (chosen by catkind, tree_and_leaf, and a_t_rain)
g) Not another pair of socks!
h) Be careful, won’t you? (chosen by sigune)
And the last lines... People are obviously, on the whole, not too keen on tragedy, angst and melodrama at Christmas, which means it’s probably a good thing you didn’t all get real fics from me…
Tragedy. The snow started to fall once more, and within seconds the bowed figure was hidden from view. The watcher at the door turned, shivering, back to warmth. They would not meet again.
Comedy. “And the Healer said, “No thank you, dear, I have plenty of that at home.” (Chosen by sigune)
Romance. ‘“I told you to watch out for Nargles.” (Chosen by lyras)
Intrigue. “Take it and go, quickly.” The parcel’s wrapping was thick and glittered gold, but, half-hidden by the red ribbon, a softer glow shone through a tiny tear in the paper. Its weight was assessed, the curve of a handle sought and identified. A brief exchange of glances, and they parted without another word. (Chosen by snorkackcatcher and nineveh_uk)
Angst. Into the silence a lone voice lifted, achingly sweet. Gaude, gaude; Emmanuel nascetur pro te Israel. (Chosen by magicmiz)
Action. Alastor Moody appeared from "Don't open that! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!" (Chosen by tree_and_leaf and lazy_neutrino)
Incongruity. Beneath the creature’s dainty hooves, little patches of green appeared in the frost. It whiffled happily, and reached across to pull a mouthful of holly from the garlanded door. From its neck, upon the red ribbon, the message from Dumbledore still dangled.(Chosen by catkind and a_t_rain)
Melodrama. Bells rang out for Christmas, but they went unheard. A pot lay on its side by the hearth, but the slew of red across the hearth was not mulled wine.
I know I shouldn’t single out any in particular, but I’m so pleased with snorkackcatcher’s choices, as that was the one instance for which I had a pairing in mind for the last line, rather than trying to think up bits that could work interestingly for as many combinations as possible. I promise I didn’t cheat by swapping lines around - for this or the other pleasing combinations!
Any comments or speculations would be great fun!
So, here are the answers behind the polls - hope this works and that filling in the gaps is at least moderately amusing!
The scene opens…
A) At a ball at the Ministry of Magic (chosen by nineveh_uk, a_t_rain, and magicmiz)
B) At an open air ice-rink which the Muggles have set up at a grand London building
C) The Hunting of the Wren - which I first read about in Susan Cooper’s wonderful The Dark is Rising, my favourite Christmas book ever,and which I couldn’t resist stealing as an old wizarding custom (chosen by snorkackcatcher.)
D) Besides a roaring open fire. (chosen by catkind and tree_and_leaf_)
E) At Midnight Mass in a Fenland church (chosen by sigune and lyras)
F) At a courtyard at Durmstrang, as the students bring in the Yule Log. (chosen by lazy_neutrino.)
G) At one of Professor Slughorn’s parties.
H) In the (almost deserted) Hogwarts library.
First character
A) Narcissa Black/Malfoy (whichever fits story best) (chosen by catkind
B) Regulus Black
C) Millicent Bulstrode (chosen by sigune, lazy_neutrino, a_t_rain and lyras)
D) Theodore Nott (chosen by snorkackcatcher)and magicmiz)
E) Evan Rosier (chosen by tree_and_leaf)
F) Eileen Prince (chosen by nineveh_uk)
Second character
a) Severus Snape (chosen by tree_and_leaf and lazy_neutrino)
b) Sibyl Trelawney (chosen by nineveh_uk)
c) Vincent Crabbe
d) Andromeda Black/Tonks (as fits fic best)
e) Luna Lovegood (chosen by lyras)
f) Benedict Nott (chosen by sigune, catkind, snorkackcatcher, a_t_rain and magicmiz. Funny that the character who is most 'mine' got chosen so often. Poor over-worked Benedict - and at his age, too…)
Quotes
a) I am nothing like you. (chosen by lazy_neutrino)
b) We should drink to that. (chosen by lyras)
c) I suppose there’s no point in asking you if you’ve changed your mind? (chosen by snorkackcatcher and nineveh_uk)
d) Isn’t that a Muggle custom? (Shame no-one picked this - it's nicked from a tribute to the FA challenge of a while back which produced, amongst other things, narcissam’s A Communist Christmas”
e) I wish I could get rid of this damned cold. (Chosen by magicmiz)
f) All written in the stars, is it? (chosen by catkind, tree_and_leaf, and a_t_rain)
g) Not another pair of socks!
h) Be careful, won’t you? (chosen by sigune)
And the last lines... People are obviously, on the whole, not too keen on tragedy, angst and melodrama at Christmas, which means it’s probably a good thing you didn’t all get real fics from me…
Tragedy. The snow started to fall once more, and within seconds the bowed figure was hidden from view. The watcher at the door turned, shivering, back to warmth. They would not meet again.
Comedy. “And the Healer said, “No thank you, dear, I have plenty of that at home.” (Chosen by sigune)
Romance. ‘“I told you to watch out for Nargles.” (Chosen by lyras)
Intrigue. “Take it and go, quickly.” The parcel’s wrapping was thick and glittered gold, but, half-hidden by the red ribbon, a softer glow shone through a tiny tear in the paper. Its weight was assessed, the curve of a handle sought and identified. A brief exchange of glances, and they parted without another word. (Chosen by snorkackcatcher and nineveh_uk)
Angst. Into the silence a lone voice lifted, achingly sweet. Gaude, gaude; Emmanuel nascetur pro te Israel. (Chosen by magicmiz)
Action. Alastor Moody appeared from "Don't open that! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!" (Chosen by tree_and_leaf and lazy_neutrino)
Incongruity. Beneath the creature’s dainty hooves, little patches of green appeared in the frost. It whiffled happily, and reached across to pull a mouthful of holly from the garlanded door. From its neck, upon the red ribbon, the message from Dumbledore still dangled.(Chosen by catkind and a_t_rain)
Melodrama. Bells rang out for Christmas, but they went unheard. A pot lay on its side by the hearth, but the slew of red across the hearth was not mulled wine.
I know I shouldn’t single out any in particular, but I’m so pleased with snorkackcatcher’s choices, as that was the one instance for which I had a pairing in mind for the last line, rather than trying to think up bits that could work interestingly for as many combinations as possible. I promise I didn’t cheat by swapping lines around - for this or the other pleasing combinations!
Any comments or speculations would be great fun!