So, I know reading an Author's Note is typically a bad thing, but I really do have a couple of things to talk about, and I'm planning on continuing this story, I just don't know when. I just ask you guys to read through this whole thing to understand why there hasn't been an update in 3 or 4 years.
The TL;DR of it is that I've gained a complicated relationship with the HP series and the Wizarding World in general, mostly because of my changing views of the world as I grew up.
Since the last update of this story, I entered and went through college, and I began to understand more about the stuff going on behind this series, at least lore-wise. I don't agree with Rowling's views at all, and I understand that supporting this series in any way supports her, which has left me feeling twisted, because this series also holds a special place in my heart.
When I was a kid, I didn't like to read big books. Books that were about 100-pages-long were my maximum limit. But my Dad loved to read, and he wanted me to push those barriers, so we began reading the Harry Potter series together. He and I would lay in bed together and I would read along with him, he would do the voices of the characters, and I would correct him when he got a word wrong. Then, after we finished a book, we would sit and watch the movie based on the book. We actually had to wait on reading Deathly Hallows until the movies came out for it. And because of that, I gained a love of reading bigger books and enjoying longer stories. If it wasn't for HP, I wouldn't have gained such a love of reading, and so that's what makes this so complicated.
But then, this past summer, my Dad died from complications with stomach cancer he had been fighting since 2020. We had tried to reread the series together like we used to, but he was too weak and we never even got past the first book. He was basically my best friend, and so it's left me really heartbroken. And so, as a result, I've tried to get back into things we used to do together to help that ache, including the HP stuff once again.
So, even though I know the controversy behind Hogwarts Legacy, I've recently been playing the game a bit, and it's revived some of my love for HP. I don't agree with what they did with the game, and as I said before, I don't agree with Rowling's views, but I did find that I enjoyed playing it. You guys can blast me for that, and I accept your anger. It's fully justified. But it did help me sort out some of my twisted feelings.
I'm still having a hard time enjoying HP because of the toxic issues behind it, and because of Rowling. It's soured some of the stuff for me. But because fanfic allows you to take characters and make them your own, it feels like I might be able to take some of that love back that got soured because of everything here. It's still a bit twisted in some aspects, but I'm learning to enjoy it again despite that, because I want to try and separate the world from its creator and give it my own spin. This includes this story, and some other HP ideas that are budding in my head.
I don't know when I'll return to this story, but I do plan on finishing it. This one, among several others I have in mind, I still spin in my head often and try to figure out what happens next or how I could end it. I just need to find the time to put those ideas to paper. So don't worry about this story too much. I'm slowly coming back to it, and I've got ideas, I just need to sort out my own feelings as an adult towards this series that gave me a love of reading and fostered one of my deepest connections.
And to all of you who have read this far, thank you for taking the time to read this Author's Note. I just hope you stay tuned for however long it takes me to make the next chapter, let alone finish this story.