Top 10 | Harry Potter Fanfictions

Ever fancy reading some good Harry Potter fanfiction but spoilt for choice? Here's my current favourites.

While there are lots to choose from, sometimes it can be very hard to find a HP fanfiction that I really love. Maybe I'm too picky; there have been many occasions where I've immediately stopped reading a fic upon seeing terrible grammar/punctuation/spelling and even bad formatting... but pickiness can pay off. Here are ten stories - in no particular order - that I always look forward to reading or have loved reading in the past.

Though a lot of people don't like OC fics, Harry Potter and the Girl Who Lived has an interesting concept. Harry is still very much the main character - in fact, in a way, this statement has never been truer - and finds himself amidst very strange circumstances in this story.

Now, I'm not a massive lover of Voldemort-before-he-was-Voldemort fics, but Somewhere Over The Rainbow is exceptional. It also features a lot of OCs, all of which I firmly believe to be canon whilst reading the story, because that's just how good it is.

No HP list would be complete without some Severus action which Time's Fool has an abundance of. He and Hermione are written beautifully, and - if that isn't enough - this fic is like a hundred different stories in one, so you'll never get bored.

Lovers of Dramione should have at least heard of Obliviator, but if not, then there you go - done. It's an interesting original fic that captures Draco wonderfully - albeit not always positively, but hey, he's a git in canon for a good majority of the books.

Another fic I love is Relationship Status Pending - it's different to your normal Hermione stories, because in this one she has terrible luck and is a lot more... provocative, I suppose. This fic made me laugh loads and at times cry buckets and has heaps of twists to make you dizzy... in a good way.

I have a great fondness for Neville's character, and You'll Be The Death of Me is a fantastic OC story that has never left me bored and has always left me wanting more. It's plot goes way beyond events in the canon books and explores a lot into the lives for Death Eaters' children.


So the concept behind this story has definitely been done before, but Chemistry & Timing has a neat little twist that makes me love it. It's a Remione time travel fic that keeps me wondering what's going to happen next and is delightfully in character.

For those that prefer a more light-hearted story involving (of course) the awesome Sirius as well as his brother Regulus, Bottle-Specs is pretty darn good. It's another OC fic, and there is something amazingly refreshing about her personality and behaviour.

If you're a fan of Fred, then Say Something is a fantastic Fremione story to read. Once again, it isn't an entirely new idea, but this story has a great twist that I have yet to see anywhere else and leaves me dying for more chapters.

Finally, I feel like I should mention The Irony, because although it is relatively new and there are perhaps more interesting fics out there, an update for this Sevmione story never fails to make me jump up and down. There is just something brilliantly charming about it, trust me.

As is probably obvious by now, I like reading fanfictions about either Hermione or OCs. I definitely prefer non-canon pairings too, but I digress. Hopefully there is at least one story here to intrigue you. All of these fics were a joy to read unless they were angsty 'cause that makes it a damn oxymoron and I'm sure there are plenty more great ones... which means I better go find them.


Advice | How To Make Chocolate-Covered Edibles

Have you ever had a craving for chocolate, but wanted something maybe a bit more healthy or filling?

I myself am a chocoholic, but sometimes I find it needs something... more. So I get out my cooking chocolate and pick a fruit or vegetable I like. Coating something in chocolate can be tricky, but I'll try to explain as simply as I can in 7 steps.

What's needed?
There isn't actually much required for this recipe, which is a plus, and also means less washing up!

• A bowl/some type of microwavable container
• A plate big enough to fit your fruit/vegetable on easily
• A spoon (the smaller the better - try a teaspoon)
• A peeler and/or knife (but only if your fruit/vegetable has an inedible skin)
• A roll of cling-film (enough to cover your plate completely)
• A bar of cooking chocolate (preferably milk)
• A fruit/vegetable of your choosing (I'm experimenting with a carrot, kiwi and banana because I'm weird)

Afterthought: Sometimes classics are classic for a reason. Apples will work the best with this recipe.

What's the method?
The actual making process shouldn't take too long, but if you've never done this before then try not to rush!

1. Cover your plate with the cling-film - this way the chocolate won't stick to the plate, which will still be clean when your finished, and will also make picking up the finished chocolatey treat easier
2. Use the peeler or knife to get rid of any unwanted skin or areas on your fruit/vegetable
   

   Tip: If you are covering more than one fruit/vegetable, do this recipe one at a time and leave things like bananas last - this way it won't go black so quickly!

3. Break off some cubes of chocolate and put them in the bowl - I would suggest about five cubes for larger foods (like apples, bananas or carrots) and three cubes for smaller foods (like kiwis)
4. Microwave the chocolate cubes for about 30 seconds then use the spoon to move the cubes around - this will help to spread and melt them a little better
   

   Tip: You could alternatively use a hob to melt the chocolate - fill a saucepan with boiling water and balance the bowl of chocolate cubes on top with a gap between the water level and the top bowl!

5. Repeat step 4 until all of your chocolate cubes have melted to liquid - though you will probably only need to repeat step 4 once
6. Use the spoon to cover your fruit/vegetable in the melted chocolate - you could do this by first holding it above the bowl and covering one side and then putting it on the plate (covered side down) to cover the rest
   

   Tip: For delicate foods like bananas, don't try to hold it by one end as it will break - dipping it into the chocolate and then putting it on the plate is recommended if possible.

7. After using any leftover liquefied chocolate to throroughly cover the fruit/vegetable, refrigerate the plate of chocolate covered edibles for roughly four hours undisturbed

I hope you enjoy your chocolatey treat and that it satisfies your cravings! If you were curious, I found that chocolate and carrot isn't a good mix (should have expected this really... silly me) and that chocolate-covered kiwi is tasty yet too watery to work well. Bananas hold out pretty okay but I don't like them - too squishy. *Bleh!* Overall, apples are the perfect food to cover in chocolatey goodness.