I am an old lady that loves reading. I can't write worth a damn but I am a decent critic and picky about spelling, grammar and correct word choices (no "there" instead of "their", "Snack instead of Shack").

I primarily read Harry potter but love NCIS, Buffy, and Star Wars almost as much.

My preferences in stories: Stories where people get what is really coming to them and where bad behavior is not rewarded. This means, for example, Harry potter stories where either Dumbledore is actively shown for the Evil manipulator he is in JKR's world or He realizes what he is doing and become the Teacher/Mentor that he was supposed to be doing.

It is my tastes but I don't read male/male slash and only female/female when part of a three-way or more relationship and even then, I prefer fade to black, not lemons. I will skip over the lemon scenes for a good plot. When I was in my 20's, it was interesting to read, but that was decades ago and tastes change. I don't mind those that write such scenes as long as they keep it out of their summaries that you see while looking at lists of stories.

Views on Canon Characters

Draco Malfoy: He is a bully and should be smacked down hard and punished. He should be taught that actions have consequences and reactions. He should learn from them or get hurt or taken out. I can see a Malfoy/Granger romance as believable in any way shape or form. I like the stories that do sometime redeem him by either confusing him and the converting him, revealing him as abused to break him out of cycle or he grows from being shown consequences as much as ones with him as villain that gets beaten but I hate him getting 1001 chances.

Hermione Granger: I really love her as a character, she is my second favorite character in the story provided she gets smacked with a clue bat about her know-it-all behavior to tone it down to become a friend and it only flares occasionally to create small tensions. I like the way she can be changed to become friend or villain but makes a great support and help.

Ron Weasley: I hate Ron Weasley. I was so happy when I learned that JKR in an interview admitted that she was wrong to pair Ron with Hermione. He is a Prat and bigot as bad Draco with his blind hatred of Slytherins, his betrayals of friendships and immaturity. He insulted Hermione such that he should have been badly punished book 1, he was reason for the midnight duel book 1, he turned his back on Harry multiple times, his jealousy and insecurities driving him. He does not show good judgement even once in the book and is the naysayer and insulter to drive others away. He is a minor villain and obstacle to overcome. I like stories where he reforms and learns or he becomes the villain because I don't like that despite stabs in the back over and over he is forgiven and accepted back. I guess if you are desperate for help you accept what you can but I don't really like it.

Molly Weasley: She was supposed to be a maternal influence in Harry potter, she was more harpy and harridan. She is the overbearing, pushy, opinionated witch that everyone wants to get away. She exists as authority figure to get around and issuer of punishments. Her howlers are abuse at minimum and I accept why all her children turn away from her. The fact that she tries to claim authority in Sirius's house in book 5 over the owner of the house was unacceptable and 3 weeks in book 2, 2 days in book 3, two weeks in book 4 does not make her Harry's Mother and give her right to abuse him. I don't like that JKR had her kill Bellatrix because she was threatening Ginny considering Bellatrix should have gone to Neville or if Neville was considered enough because of Nagini and facing Riddle, then Hermione for the torture. (JKR just had to give a long term major character someone to win over but Bella was not right choice unless you wanted Cruel Harpy versus Cruel Harpy Battle). Her being evil or poor starts in book 1 where why would someone that had been to the Hogwarts train over 100 times be asking loudly in middle of MUGGLE side about muggles and platform 9 3/4. Either it is a setup that is rigged or she is a bloody idiot and idiot doesn't seem to apply. I accept fanfiction showing her as potion mistress Molly (based on the one line of her using one on Arthur) and villain but she is just as bad as JKR created her without adding anything.

Dumbledore: As JKR wrote him, she might has meant for him to be mentor type but I see him as evil manipulator at worse and total incompetent at best. I am talking about Canon books only not fan fiction abuses like potioning loyalty and romances or stealing from Harry's vault. Let's look at what he does in the books

Book 1: He kidnaps harry and puts him into abusive environment and never checks on him and yet when there is trouble with the letters, he sends Hagrid (mentally deficiency, does not blend with statue of secrecy, opinionated to play up his reputation) to take Harry shopping to keep him ignorant and his actions hidden. He is supposedly the most powerful wizard in the world but can't detect Quirrell, hides a major artifact as lure for murderous evil in a school full of children with poor traps. Including a killer three headed dog behind a door that first year alohamora charm can open. He takes a broom to ministry of magic instead of Floo, apparation or portkey which means he is deliberately creating opening for villain to get access. He could have put stone under fidelius in a cabinet in his office. He puts an addictive mirror out for Harry to find and obsess about as part of using him. At end of story he then conceals information from Harry as to why he was targetted as opposed to giving a little comfort or reason for it. He could have said "Voldemort can not let anyone that escaped or defeat him live, it threatens his power." just as easily as he said "You are not old enough". It would have made poorer story but would have shown him in a positive light if he said he had hidden a fake and the real was never in any danger. The adding 170 points to Gryffindor at ending feast (literally equal to 1/3 house had gotten all year among all the members) as abusive and horrible and shows Slytherin why being good isn't worth anything. It undermines the house point system as bad as Snape. He doesn't actually teach anyone anything. Then at the end of the year, he just bluntly sends Harry back to Torture with Dursley's without even ask Why Harry doesn't want to go back.

This is not a good man

Book 2: He hires Lockhart and can't tell the guy is incompetent. He knows about prior release of Basilisk as he was teacher then. He can't tell what the creature is, he can't sense the evil of the dairy in the school wards, he can't figure out clues of the killing roosters or spiders leaving school and doesn't close school and bring in experts when first student is petrified. He choose to have school wait full YEAR until school grown mandrakes mature as oppose to seeking them elsewhere. If Fawkes could get to chamber, so could Dumbledore so why was only the hat sent. And again, he undermines house point system with points equal 1/2 of a full year for entire house awarded at end. He then sends the Harry back to Abuse. Hell, if he is monitoring Harry, he should have intervened and dealt with the Dobby issue and warning on record but evil manipulator needed that leverage for future.

Another book where he is no help, no teaching, and perhaps impediment.

Book 3: It comes out that the Chief Judge placed Harry in the abusive home while his rightful guardian was still out. It was done before longbottom were incapacitated or Sirius was arrested. He as chief judge then ALLOWED one of his major allies and members of his order to be put in jail without a trial (abandoning loyalty, hard work, doing what is right, and his responsibilities and duties) or even proper questioning. He leaves paths into the school that he knows about unwatched and unchecked to allow a supposed murderer into the school (Dumbledore arranged Whomping willow route to shrieking shack for Remus). He tells children to Alter TIME rather than step up to his responsibilities as chief judge and of course arranges for Harry to be sent back to abuse at the end of summer. This helps him continue his grooming harry for sacrifice.

Later books are even worst but as someone that knew "I was sending you for 10 Long dark years", he is evil. At best he is incompetent obstacle, at worse he is as bad a dark lord as Voldemort. I wonder when Snape's birthday is and whether Eileen Price defied dumbledore 3 times (Snape could have been child of prophecy when he killed dumbledore at end of book 6. Might be fun to see that written into story, july birthday snape.)

Consider the way he runs his order of the phoenix. No dissent to his leadership is allowed. No, he doesn't use crucio and pain to punish but he has created cult of personality that his "disappointment" and "You know I know best" worked well enough on fanatics and people of good morals. He keeps people prisoner (Sirius in his own house, Harry at Privet Drive as blood wards would keep away death eaters or are worthless which means guards are just to keep Harry confined). A good person does not see the truth as a "beautiful and dangerous thing" to hide.

A number of my friends are adamant he is leader of light. I can't see him that in more than just title, he is grey and dark that uses and abuses people. He sends pawns to their death not seeing them as human to protect evil. "Greater good" Means good can die because they are already redeemed.

He is the chess master that thinks because he knows more, he can do as he likes. The ONLY good thing he does in the books is deal with two of the Horocrux of his Rival for power and one of them, he is so blinded by his lust for a certain power, it puts him on path to death and he has to put burden of making his death suit his timing on another. I will allow possibility of delusional and narcissistic that if it doesn't fit his world view it can't be happening (families love each other so no way there could be abuse). "Inconceivable" from princeess bride is example like this but that was also a villian character. That still only covers somethings.