In 1986, a professor at my college led a group of students on a trip to the Soviet Union, taking the Trans Siberian Railway from the Far East to Leningrad. I was lucky enough to go. ( Read more... )

This is the most incredible violin playing I've ever seen. Particularly the last minute or so.

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OMG. Why does this man not have a recording contract?

Hi! Welcome to Fawkes_07's playground of the mind. This LJ serves as the home of many a Harry Potter Fanfic. The main story, Harry Potter and the Heirs of Slytherin, appears below, but I have a few fun ficcies you can enjoy in advance. Thus:

Monty Python's Two-Minute Harry Potter Septilogy ( Read more... )

I entered another Gauntlet Challenge at MNFF and thought I'd put it here, but it made my "Preview Post" too long! But since I do so LOVE organizing, I clipped out both Gauntlet entries and moved them here. Not that this means I'll be writing more Gauntlets--I probably won't. But these were fun to try.

The Day Lassie Went to the Moon ( Read more... )

After reading the HP books out loud to my son, we couldn't wait until July 2007 to read the last book ( Read more... )

For the first time in his life, Harry Potter felt a measure of contentment at his aunt and uncle's house at Number 4, Privet Drive. ( Read more... )

"Wow, Harry, that's...amazing!" burst Hermione. "And you didn't even have your wand or anything?"
( Read more... )

In the space of a heartbeat, Harry adopted the same stunned expression as the others. ( Read more... )

Before Harry could ask what that meant, the door to the drawing room burst open so violently that it smashed into the wall, the doorknob leaving a dent in the plaster. ( Read more... )

Harry packed a backpack with a few essentials and convinced the discomfited Hedwig to let him open her cage without giving him an indignant nip. ( Read more... )