Alan Doe and the Phoenix War

by Holly Nightmare

13 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the town of Salem, Montana has become a haven for peaceful coexistence between wizards and muggles. But when a new faction of Death Eaters rises to power, one twelve-year-old boy finds his life forever changed by the terrible events that follow. A story of friendship, war, magic, and death.

23. Author's Note

Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it!

There are a few closing remarks I'd like to make as the author, so I hope you'll stick around just a little longer to hear them.

Alan Doe and the Phoenix War is an adaptation of a story I wrote when I was 12 years old. At the time, it was simply called "My World Magically." I was the same age as Alan, and Harry Potter was my favorite book of all time - and still is, I suppose. The story was a fantasy scenario in which my childhood friends and I were wizards and witches, and had to protect our hometown from Death Eaters, who took the form of bullies and teachers I disliked. Some readers may recognize Salem as a fictionalized version of Missoula, Montana. Many of the landmarks in the story have real-world counterparts.

In 2018, I revisited this story, covering up plot holes and making it into a more nuanced storyline set within the Harry Potter universe. There were a few things I had to add for the story to make sense. Originally, the Death Eaters had no clear motivation, so I emphasized the element of muggle prejudice against wizards. The Rebirth Generation was also a newer concept; I had to give a believable reason for why 12-year-old wizards and witches could easily defeat fully grown adults. Some elements of the story were always there, though. The Phoenix Stone, and its connection to the resurrection of the Death Eaters, has been in the story since the very beginning.

In the summer of 2022, I revisited My World Magically once again. I introduced a cast of original characters to replace the real-world ones I used in the original work, and finally adapted the story as a full-length novel: Alan Doe and the Phoenix War. This is my fifth novel, my third fan-novel, and the first I have published online.

There are a few observations you may have made as a Harry Potter fan while reading this. I'm aware that there are points where it may not perfectly line up with Harry Potter canon; for example, the American characters calling non-magicals "muggles" instead of "no-majes," as they do in the Fantastic Beasts films. I was very liberal with the canonical accuracy, since I was more focused on telling the story as my younger self would have liked it. It's not perfect, but I'm still proud of what I produced.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed! Alan's journey is not over. I have planned two sequels to this book. The next title is "Alan Doe and the Last Reborn," and takes place ten years later. Look forward to it!

Thanks!

- Holly Nightmare