--- On Sat, 26/4/08, tarragon09 <tarragon09@...> wrote:

Hi Tarragon :-)

>>I was mopping the kitchen floor this afternoon (dangerous things, these domestic chores) and started to distract myself with questions about the Checkmate universe. So here are my thoughts:<<

Okay, just mind where you're waving that mop ... *ducks*

>>* Do we know anything about why Harry (given his character as depicted in canon) wound up in Hufflepuff in this universe? I'm speculating here that possibly the environment of his growing up--with the secrecy of his dad's work and the close mutual reliance among friends--would have ratcheted up his sense of loyalty, and its importance. Thoughts?<<

I think it's simpler than that - he had a loving and contented childhood, with both of his parents in attendance, and the war was over when he was just a baby.  So this is potentially the person Harry would have been without all the Voldemort-related influences.  (Note I say "potentially" ...)  But certainly the loyalty aspect generated by the things he's seen going on around him would have an effect on him.

>>* I continue to be intrigued by the interrelated questions: What happened to Voldemort in this universe? What is the nature of the work Harry's dad etc. are doing? Just what is it that Dumbledore is doing these days, and why do we never see him on-scene?<<

These questions will hopefully be answered by the next full Checkmate story.  (I say 'full' because there's going to be a short story related to it which I'll probably post first.)

>>* Which leads me to wonder: What was the dividing point between this universe and canon?<<

It's tempting to say "the end of the first war", but it's not that simple.  You have to remember that I wrote the original Checkmate cookie without ever intending to go into things in this depth!  In fact, I would advise against getting too attached to the "plot" in the Checkmate universe, because to be perfectly honest that's the part that interests me the least - although it certainly has its intriguing moments.  I'm more interested in the character interactions in this.

Having said that, there will be an explanation of what's going on in the next story!

>>* Speaking of which, I'd really like to see Dumbledore show up in one of these stories. Possibly for an interview with Ron (with Harry present).<<

No comment!

>>Speaking of which: How did the Twins get the money for their shop in this universe?<<

Hard graft, I'm guessing :-)

>>Of course, they were Slytherins too, you said in one story<<

Ah.  I'll be dealing with that point in a minute, because this is the bigger 'Flint'.

>>* I assume there wasn't the familiar prophecy in this universe.<<

There may have been no prophecy at all.  But if there was a prophecy, it didn't have anything to do with Harry - he's doing quite well on his own, so to speak, given his parentage and the advantages that gave him!

>>After I posted that last message, I noticed something...<<

I thought you might! *grin*

>>I think there's some inconsistency in the matter of Ron's grandmothers in the Checkmate universe.<<

There is.  I screwed up with the back-story there, which will teach me to (a) not try to write three stories at once, and (b) re-read my own stories before I try to write a sequel :-)

>>So I'm assuming that the reference in Keeper's Snitch was wrong. Simple enough to fix; change "Mum's mum" to "Dad's mum" and it's taken care of.<<

For the avoidance of doubt - yes, "The Kissing Bough" is correct and "Keeper's Snitch" was wrong.  The seer grandmother is Lillian Prewett, Molly's mother, while the paranoid one is Arthur's mother.

I could go back and change it, but the fact is I prefer not to.  As I was saying to someone only yesterday - if it was work-related, I would change it like a shot; if it was my original fiction I would also change it; but for some reason I hate going back to change things in my fanfiction - once it's posted, it's posted. 

Besides, some people like to find the mistakes *grin*

Which brings me to the Slytherin versus Gryffindor twins.  I've contradicted myself at least once on this one, so again, for clarity - the twins were Gryffindors, not Slytherins.  Back when I hadn't got nearly so much plot in place with this story, it seemed like a good idea to make the twins Slytherins too.  But upon consideration, I really prefer the idea that Ron is the odd one out in his family.  There would certainly be some good arguments for the twins being Slytherins, even in canon, but the feel of it is 'off' for Checkmate.

So, to sum up:

1.         Granny Prewett - super-cool seer lady.

2.         Granny Weasley - conventional freaking-out lady.

3.         The twins - Gryffindors by the skins of their teeth.

4.         Harry - earthy little Hufflepuff sexpot.

5.         Ron - Slytherin with a destiny (possibly).

6.         Mad Martha - authoress on the verge of a nervous breakdown *grin*

And, er, yeah ... looking at all that, clearly I may need to go back and edit things after all.  If I get a spare moment and the willpower to do it ...

Mad Martha