kelly_chambliss

Lash Larue

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 17:27:55 GMT

Way back in 2008, when I was pretty new to LJ and didn't quite know how it worked, I saw that I had a friend request from someone named lash_larue. I didn't know them, but the name intrigued me, because only an old movie buff (like me) would even have heard of Lash Larue, and only a funny and interesting person would choose LL as their pseudonym.

So I friended lash_larue back, and it was one of the best fandom moves I ever made. In addition to being a fine writer and a stalwart supporter of all her friends' LJs and fests and fics, Lash was a wonderful human being, kind and generous, who became a close and valued friend.

You've probably taken note of my use of past tense above. I'm so very sorry to report that lash_larue died of complications from COVID and other conditions on Tuesday, February 10. Her beloved wife P was with her when she passed peacefully in the hospital.

I can't tell you how much I'll miss Lash. She was so damned funny, so refreshingly outspoken, so considerate, so larger-than-life, such a vivid presence both on LJ/DW and in RL. She'd call me periodically, and we'd bemoan the state of the nation, but she never failed to have me laughing by the end of the conversation. She was always there with emotional support and wit and wisdom, and the loss of her is huge.

I met Lash once in person, in Florida at an HP fandom gathering she organized at a rented house we called "Crone Manor." "Fun" doesn't begin to describe it. She went all-out to make sure everyone had a wonderful time, and we did. Just one of her many lovely gestures: I had mentioned on LJ that I love flower-flavored foods, and Lash made me an utterly delicious rose-flavored cheesecake. That's just a tiny example of her exuberant generosity.

And did I mention that she was funny? Outspoken? Read the opening paragraph of her description of herself on her LJ profile. It's the essence of the Lash I knew and loved.

Just a human being who occasionally steps through the looking glass. I am WAY over 18. I have socks over 18. I was born in the USA and right now I'm not too proud of that. In the 1950's, barely, like early. Just now I'm not very proud of that. I wrote a crack!fic about Kennedy and Kruschev in third grade and got detention for it. I haven't changed much.

If you are one of Lash's online friends, or if you ever read and enjoyed one of her many excellent stories, or if you had the pleasure of meeting her in person, you'll know just how much both the fandom world and our real world have lost.

And another "if" -- If you have the chance this weekend, lift a glass of your favorite whatever in memory of our dear, irreplaceable lash_larue.

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Fanfic Article in "Harper's"

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 17:18:49 GMT

Hi, dears! It's been ages since I made a post of any kind, and as much as I'm sure you're dying to hear of my RL adventures of the last few months (I was almost killed! Partner and I are getting married!), and as much as I'm sure you want to hear me rant about the murderous Donald Fucking Trump and his (quite literal) Death Eater minions, I'm afraid you will still have to wait awhile for those treats.

Today, I've stopped in to alert you an article on HP fanfiction (and how it's being turned into pro-fic) in the mainstream magazine Harper's Bazaar. It's called The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Dramione Fanfiction.

While I personally feel no urge at all to read Dramione fanfiction, I am no ship-basher. Love what you love. There are wonderfully-written, complex stories about just about any pairing you can name, and gen, too. So maybe I'll even dip my toe into what is apparently a super-viral Dramione fic that I never heard of until I read this article: something called "Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love" (or DMATMOOBIL to the initiated). The author's notes are already fun.

The Harper's article is fun, too, if a bit basic, and offers some interesting thoughts. Enjoy!

Stay cool (or warm, depending on your hemisphere). And continue to fight fascism with all you've got.

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!!!!

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:34:21 GMT

JANET McTEER AS McGONAGALL!!!!

Yes, yes, yes.

Here's the official HBO casting news for the new HP series.

I was initially skeptical about the black Snape, since so much is made in canon of the chracter's pasty, pale skin. But I'm seeing the value of this casting now: canon Snape is very much the outsider, persecuted (in his school days) by boys who are very much in the dominant group, popular and in control. I don't excuse Snape's choice to support an authoritarian Nazi, but I can understand why a kid marginalized and oppressed would find that sort of power attractive. Making Snape a member of a minority that is still persecuted and disdained in the UK does make sense.

The other cast members all seem fine, too. No word yet, it seems, on who will play the Trio.

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New HP TV Series

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 01:11:27 GMT

Casting continues on the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series.

The latest: John Lithgow as Dumbledore.

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What's Up

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 23:49:37 GMT

( What's Up with the US )

( What's Up with Me )

Love you all! Stay "woke."

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Best. Review. Ever.

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 21:24:52 GMT

As a fanfic writer, I've been lucky enough to receive many lovely reviews for my work over the years. Thoughtful reviews, heart-felt reviews, detailed reviews explaining what lines the readers liked, fascinating analytical reviews, funny reviews. . .I've loved them all.

But a review I received recently has become one of my favorites. It was for a story called "Watches of a Samhain Night," in which McGonagall summons the ghosts of her dead lovers on Halloween.

Here's what my reader wrote: "Awww I love the idea of a lesbian McGonagall. This fanfic is amazing, apart from the weird parts. I don’t think I should be reading those."

No, indeed. No one should read weird parts.

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FIC: "Silent Night" (Minerva, various portraits)

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 22:09:42 GMT

Title: Silent Night
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, various magical portraits
Rating: G
Word Count: 200 (according to AO3)
Prompt: "Starting new Christmas traditions"
Summary: After the Yultide Feast, Headmistress McGonagall claims some time to herself.

To all my dear DW friends, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Wednesday to you all!

My final entry in the 2024 adventdrabbles

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Silent Night )

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FIC: "A Gift from the Heart" (Snape)

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 18:49:26 GMT

Here's some heartwarming Christmas silliness for you via adventdrabbles.

Title: A Gift from the Heart
Character: Severus Snape
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100 (according to AO3)

Prompt: A Christmas gift for someone you don't like

Summary: Severus Snape thinks Christmas is a load of shite.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( A Gift from the Heart )

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Podfic!

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 02:30:59 GMT

My dears, I just received a the loveliest holiday present from the excellent podficcer Cailynwrites.

They've made a wonderful presentation of my story "Four Christmases Pomona Sprout Loved and One She Hated," which I wrote for hoggywartyxmas a couple of years ago. The world was a more hopeful place then, and so the story is a lot more upbeat than it probably would be if I had to write it today.

You can listen to the podfic here on AO3. The characters just come alive as Cailyn reads. It will put you right into the holiday spirit.

Thank you, Cailyn!

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FIC: "Shimmer" (Cat!Minerva)

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 23:25:03 GMT

Another adventdrabbles. I make no apologies for this. What else could one do with this prompt?

Title: Shimmer
Character: Minerva in cat form
Rating: G
Word Count: 100 (according to AO3)
Prompt: Cat breaking Christmas ornaments
Summary: Minerva takes a cat-night, midnight stroll at Christmas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Shimmer )

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FIC: "Tutti Frutti" (Pomona Sprout)

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:19:08 GMT

Have another piece of adventdrabbles!

Like Pomona, I am one of the (apparent) tiny minority of people who actually likes fruitcake and who welcomes any fruitcakey regifts.

Title: Tutti Frutti
Character: Pomona Sprout, with mentions of other Hogwarts staff
Rating: G
Word Count: 400 (according to AO3)
Prompt: re-gifted fruitcake

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Tutti Frutti )

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FIC: "Puppies for Christmas" (Albus Severus; Hugo)

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 22:23:54 GMT

My 5th entry for adventdrabbles.

I've never written these characters before; they were fun.

Title: Puppies for Christmas
Characters: Albus Severus Potter, Hugo Granger-Weasley
Rating: G
Word Count: 250 (according to AO3)
Prompt: Christmas pizza

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Puppies for Christmas )

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FIC: "Light of the World" (Minerva, Her Father)

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 22:32:16 GMT

Here's adventdrabbles #4. It's an actual, genuine 100-word drabble this time! With just the tiniest change of tone from the previous two entries.

Title: Light of the World
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Robert McGonagall
Rating: G
Word Count: 100 (according to AO3)
Prompt: Candles in the window

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Light of the World )

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FIC: "Yippee Ki Yay" (Hogwarts Staff)

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 23:42:32 GMT

My third entry for adventdrabbles. Yep, definitely too much time on my hands.

Title: Yippee Ki Yay
Characters:: McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Pince, Hooch, Hagrid
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 500 (according to AO3)
Prompt: Christmas blackout

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( Yippee Ki Yay )

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FIC: "All I Want for Christmas Is. . ." (Albus Dumbledore)

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:29:58 GMT

Here's my second drabble for adventdrabbles. I was going to write something serious, but Albus took me on a detour down Crack!Fic Street. You can blame him.

Clearly I have too much time on my hands.

Title: All I Want for Christmas Is. . .
Character: Albus Dumbledore
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 200 (according to AO3)
Prompt of the Day: an unwanted gift

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( All I Want for Christmas Is. . . )

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FIC: "A Yuletide Tradition" (Severus, Minerva)

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 03:18:43 GMT

I haven't written any Harry Potter fanfic since the final edition of the late, lamented hoggywartyxmas fest last December. I'd run out of ideas, for one thing, and I had other stuff going on, and I thought my HP-writing days were over.

But now I've been inspired to dip my toe back in the HP waters because a) I need a fantasy distraction from the disaster of ~~Voldemort~~ Donald Trump, and b) I wrote my first HP fanfic in 2008 because I had a broken foot. It seems only fitting that I embark on my second HP career on the occasion of my second broken foot.

(Foot update: I saw the orthopedist, and guess what! I now have an Air Cast boot. It's big, it's cumbersome, but it means that I can [lightly and gingerly] put my foot to the ground with each step I take. I still need crutches, and I can't move very far or very fast, but at least now I can hobble around without risking my neck and all my other limbs. It's a game-changer. I also invested in a knee walker, and while it's not very usable in our small apartment, it's quite sturdy, and I should be able to venture outside occasionally.)

Anyway, for my return to HP-world, I wrote an entry for adventdrabbles, a multi-fandom holiday fest run by the those HP stalwarts, the lovely torino10154 and alisanne. There's a different prompt for each Advent day.

This fic is unbeta'd, and my HP-writing muscles are stiff, so be warned! But I had fun writing.

Title: A Yuletide Tradition
Author: kelly_chambliss
Characters: Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall (sort of)
Prompt: Elf-made wine
Rating: G

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( A Yuletide Tradition )

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RIP

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:31:30 GMT

Goodbye, Professor McGonagall

I'm so sorry. Of course we knew it would happen sooner rather than later. She was 89 and had a good run. Still, I'm sorry.

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The Last (sniff) Hoggywartyxmas Recs

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:53:58 GMT

Tomorrow (Snape's birthday, of course), the final hoggywartyxmas reveals will be posted, and thus, after 14 glorious years, one of my very favorite HP fests will come to its end.

Of course I hate to see it go, but there are silver linings galore: first and foremost, the archive of marvelous stories and artworks will remain available. I have returned to reread and re-view my various favorites again and again over the years, and I plan a new tradition now: each year, on the traditional opening day of the grand Hoggywarty party, I will sit down with a bit of bubbly and some sort of nibble loaded with cheese, and I will revisit a few of the fest highlights.

Another silver lining is that the friends and community of hoggywartyxmas -- always expertly shepherded by the clever and efficient therealsnape, and kept going by the Hoggywarty family of writers, artists, and participants -- will also remain. I've made some dear and (I hope) life-long friends through this fest and this fandom, and I plan to keep them even when the fest itself has become a mere memory.

But those are plans for the future. For today, I will indulge in my final rec post. As always, the fest is packed with treasures; there's not a single entry that is unworthy of your time. This year, in addition to the usual excellent stories and artwork, we had fine filk, "book club" discussions, knitting (in a super-clever, well-crafted mystery story) and even recipes (courtesy of Filius Flitwick).

Thus the selections below represent just a few of the gems of the fest. We had fewer entries this year than usual, so I am limiting myself to just four recs. But seriously, you should go check out everything. You won't be sorry.

( Last Ever Hoggywartyxmas Recs! )

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Big Ol' Fandom Post!

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:24:30 GMT

All sorts of HP fandom fun has been going on in December, with more to come. (Warning: Lots of exclamation points of joy ahead.)

( Hoggywartyxmas )

( Prezzies for Me! )

( Scintillating Story from Squibstress -- A Rec )

( HP Rec Fest )

( Be Interviewed for Fandom History! )

And if that's not enough fandom fun to occupy your hours, I'd say you have too much time on your hands!

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Gift for Me. . .and for You, Too!

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 22:20:17 GMT

Hi, dears!

I am the lucky recipient of a delightful podfic of a McGonagall/Hooch drabble I wrote last year for HP Sweethearts, called "Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do?" The reader is the talented Wilfriede0815.

Listen to the glorious recording here on AO3. You'll see that you're offered the choice of a musical and non-musical version, but I recommend the musical version hands down. It adds just the right touch. 2 minutes and 48 seconds of perfection. Enjoy.

Thank you, Wilfriede!

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InsaneJournal

Sat, 27 May 2023 01:12:42 GMT

Is anyone else having trouble accessing the old InsaneJournal site?

I've been trying to save the contents of some of the grand HP fests on IJ -- you know, just in case the site ever disappears. And what do you know. . .it may have done just that. When I tried to get onto IJ tonight, I couldn't. I tried three different browsers, several different URLs, different access points. Nothing. Every attempt just times out.

I thought maybe it was a temporary glitch, so I waited an hour before trying again, but still. . .nothing.

Is the problem just mine?

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Life Stuff and a Rec

Wed, 10 May 2023 16:20:40 GMT

Wow, dears, it's been eons! Eons, I tell you. I have much to ~~whine about~~ report.

Let's start on a high note: Podficcer Wilfriede has made a simply marvelous podfic of my Wilhelmina/Aberforth story, "Flying Dutchman". I'm really chuffed about this because a) it is beautifully read and illustrated, and b) this fic (with its marginal-characters rare pair) receives very little notice as a rule. (I think it got all of two comments when I first posted it to Daily Deviant back in the day, and it still has only 139 hits after more than ten years on AO3.) I'm very glad Wilfriede enjoyed it enough to record it.

Go listen! Only ten minutes.

( Bad Stuff )

( Good Stuff )

So that's the current state of me. Hope you are all well!

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Alan Rickman on Google

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 14:21:42 GMT

Check out the Alan Rickman doodle on Google today.

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Femslash Friday #7

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 03:25:07 GMT

For some reason, unicorns seem like a spring animal to me.

So here, cheer yourself up with a femslash-and-unicorn classic from the talented therealsnape. You can never go wrong with TRS.

Title: Hunting the Unicorn
Author: therealsnape
Pairing: Minerva McGonagall / Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank
Rating: Mild R
Word Count: 10K

Author's Summary: During her convalescence after the Stunner attack, Minerva enjoys a little light reading, i.e. a scholarly study on Unicorn lore. The tapestries of "The Lady and the Unicorn" lead to a most interesting hypothesis on love and the five senses. One that Minerva examines with her usual scholarly precision.

Why I love this: Did you see the author's name? That's reason enough by itself to love any story. This one has all the trademarks that make TRS's work so satisfying: expert characterizations, a wry and humorous narrator's voice, clever lines, ingenious explanations for missing canon scenes, great insights overall.

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank is one of my favorite minor canon characters (so beautifully dyke-y, with her short gray hair, monocle, pipe, and terse speech), and TRS brings her wonderfully alive here.

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Femslash Friday #5

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 01:26:36 GMT

Femslash Friday is here again! (Sorry I missed last week; Reasons). Anyway, what would you say to a little Minerva McGonagall/Aurora Sinistra? This is one of the first McG femslash fics I read, back in my early fandom days (2009?), and it has stayed with me -- very nicely characterized. I didn't realize at the time just how rare a pairing this was, but I thought it made good sense then, and I still think so now.

Title: The Cat and the Star

Author: Hijja (aka Kennahijja)

Pairing: Minerva McGonagall / Aurora Sinistra (Note: the fic was written before Sinistra's canon first name was revealed, so Hijja calls her "Estella," which works just as well as "Aurora.")

Rating: R

Word Count: ~6000

Author's Summary: In the aftermath of the battle in the Ministry, two Hogwarts professors try to come to terms with the year’s events, their conflicting loyalties, and their own uneasy relationship.

Why I Love It: I always enjoy well-done "established relationship" fics like this one, and I particularly like how the story addresses Minerva's reluctance to have a public relationship with a staff member and the effect of that reluctance on Sinistra.

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