Terminus will feature more than 150 hours of presentations, panels, workshops and roundtables, as well as Artists and Authors Night, an evening devoted entirely to transformative fan works such as fanfiction, fanart and podcasts. The official programming schedule is available here. Please take a look at the summaries below for the topics our attendees will present, and if you have any questions, please e-mail us at programming@terminus2008.org.

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

PAPERS AND LECTURES

Age Progression in the Harry Potter Series: Reading Level, Complexity, Ideas and Ambiguity
Vicky McKinley
One aspect of the Harry Potter series which is both creative and unique is the way in which the books generally progress in length, difficulty and complexity as the primary characters age. Many young readers have expressed their delight in being able to “grow up” with Harry. Parents and teachers may wonder, however, at what age children should start reading Harry Potter, and how each book differs specifically in reading level and age appropriateness. This talk will discuss the calculated reading level (readability), length and vocabulary of each book. The complexity of the characters and ideas will also be discussed.

All the Minister’s Men: Analyzing Power and the Press in Harry Potter
Tracy Douglas
An analysis of the popular press in Harry Potter illustrates how power and authority have the ability to shape knowledge in the mass media, not only in the series but also in the reader’s world. In the framework of Althusser and Foucault, the state’s ideology has power over the media because the official version of events is reported. The forces that have power occupy a unique place—one where power is exercised by their ability to control what the public knows. When the wizarding press does not report the truth, it shows up in the alternative press.

Beyond Binary: Recognizing the Fluidity of Sexual Identity in the Harry Potter Series
Jennifer L. Goodhue
This presentation will explore contemporary American expectations of queer adults as they relate to family, work and societal obligations. This background shall serve as a foil to highlight the continuum of sexuality on which Rowling’s adult characters may be found, read and interpreted by American audiences, and to serve as a rebuttal to arguments against reading queerness into the Potter series’ characters. The paper will examine specifically the characters of McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin in addition to Dumbledore, to argue for an expansion of textual analysis which includes the recognition of coded subtextual manifestations of queer sexuality, independent of authorial intent.

Beyond Magic: What Hogwarts Teaches Us about the Education System
Gina Burkart
This presentation takes a comprehensive look at the practices of education at Hogwarts and shows how both the instructors’ abuses and the inadequate, empty instructional practices mirror and reflect the American education system of today. Additionally, we will discuss how this may be one of the main reasons Americans are so attracted to the series—they can relate to the main characters’ abuses, and find hope and redemption when the abused characters show intelligence and the ability to rise above the system. They see that the characters are not the problem—the system is at fault. In deconstructing the education system, this paper will show how the attitudes and rules of Hogwarts teachers in all seven books reflect the current educational trends exacerbated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) demands. This discussion will include a contrast in the practices of Dumbledore/Umbridge and McGonagall/Snape.

Connecting Through Harry Potter
Kat Mowle
J. K. Rowling is an amazing author, and she uses her fantastic writing ability to connect to people all around the world. When most people read Harry Potter, all of their prejudices about people seem to disappear, as is often seen around the fandom. Rowling even manages to connect to the so-called “different” people of the world through Luna and Neville. This presentation explores the way Rowling connects to those people and how she has helped so many of us by just writing her amazing books.

The Dark Lord and The Prince: Machiavellian Elements in Harry Potter
Todd J. Ide
Nowhere in adolescent literature do Machiavelli’s maxims on power’s acquisition, use and its retention play out more vividly than within the pages of Harry Potter. Machiavelli’s principles are apparent in the actions taken by the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort in their attempts to keep or seize power. This presentation will argue that Machiavelli’s recommendations are the only logical course for both to take, given the situation. Further, it will argue that by using the novels as a framework, we can develop a greater understanding of the political climate within not only Harry Potter, but also the modern world.

Dear J. K. Rowling, Please Stop Talking
Karen Wikander, Shanna Murray
The presentation will examine the questions of authority and intention fostered by J. K. Rowling’s post-publication revelations and conversations. The narrative information disclosed in the months following the final Harry Potter book augments the understanding of Harry’s world, but it has brought about a textual rereading and in so doing raised the issue of an author’s responsibility to an established canon and its readers. High-school junior Shanna Murray will discuss with Dr. Karen Wikander the impact of Rowling’s textual modifications on a young-adult Harry Potter reading experience and the idea of narrative ownership in the young adult community.

The Deathly Hallows and Harry, or How the Boy Who Lived Became Master of Death in Seven Not-So-Easy Lessons
Peggy Ross
While all seven of the Harry Potter books address the reality of death to some degree, the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, shows Harry facing his own mortality head on. Harry’s self-sacrifice at the hands of Voldemort requires moral purpose, courage, acceptance of mortality, free will, love, understanding, and faith. Throughout his seven years in the wizarding world, Harry, with help of his friends and mentors, learns to find the necessary qualities within himself to become the true Master of Death and defeat Voldemort.

Disillusionment: The Political Fabric of Harry Potter
Todd J. Ide
One critic has suggested that it would be “foolish to try and glean precise real-life parallels between Potter’s world and ours” (Taylor). One could argue instead that there are real-life parallels between the novels and the “real world,” and further, that a political thread has always been present and has grown more pronounced with each instalment in the series. Through a close reading of the canon, this presentation will show clear references that reflect the growing complexity of Harry and his thinking about politics, politicians and government’s ability to solve society’s problems—and his growing cynicism with all of it.

A Duelling Society is a Polite Society: Correlations Between Magical Duelling and Muggle Swordsmanship
RM
We will examine the relationship between the true history of Muggle swordsmanship and the fictional history of magical dueling in the wizarding world. This presentation will address physical technique, rituals and wardrobe, and strategy and purpose to present a complete picture of how fact and fiction relate and the manner in which dueling behavior in conflicts throughout the Harry Potter series speaks constantly of blood status, class issues, personal honor, the rules of war, and even social niceties—all in much the same way as the history of Muggle swordsmanship illuminates our own culture.

Families and Fandom
Linda Lowery, Amber Lowery
The concept of “family time” has changed significantly in the past decades. It is rare for families to find time to sit around a Scrabble board, let alone share a meal together. In the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, many families have found a way not only to spend time together, but to bond in a way that will open up new avenues in creativity and encourage academic achievements.

Fanart and Cosplay: Escapism or a Healing Aesthetic?
Marjorie Cohee Manifold
An art educator provides an interpretation of responses to a survey that was conducted among fans who create fanart or cosplay characters from Harry Potter stories and who share their artwork online with other Potter fans around the world. Fanartists and cosplayers explain why they engage in fan-based art making, what these expressive ideas mean to them, and with whom they share their fannish interests in art. Characteristics of fanart and cosplay aesthetics will be described, and consideration given to whether or not these aesthetic ideals have powers to heal a troubled and divided world.

Fight Evil, Read Books, Write Music: Social Activism in Wizard Rock
Jennifer Terrell
From messages written across electric guitar amplifiers to weekend-long events focused on fundraising for the Harry Potter Alliance, a non-profit activist group, the wizard rock community is immersed in social activism at varying levels. “Fight Evil, Read Books, Write Music” will explore not only the practical ways artists and fans use wizard rock to make a difference in the world, but also how social activism is articulated within the wizard rock community as a cultural phenomenon.

Five Films, Four Directors and Three Composers: Scoring the Harry Potter Films
Robin K. K. Svegaard
This presentation looks at how film music works in the Harry Potter series and how the various director/composer constellations have changed the (literal as well as figurative) tone of the films. How do different composers score similar scenes? How do they deal with strong emotions, and what is music’s part in conveying these to an audience? This paper examines these issues through examples from the entire series and positions the series as a part of a genre of films.

Ginny Weasley, Girl Next Doormat?
Gwendolyn Limbach
Ginny is one of the stronger female characters in the series, yet her role solely as Harry’s love interest limits her potential as a character. Over the course of the books, Ginny has come to exhibit a savvy, confident personality, but Harry’s desire restricts her agency. Rather than transgressing established gender roles, Ginny is forced to uphold them by the end of the series. Questions this paper seeks to answer include: Is it not inherently contrary to claim that Ginny and Harry are fated to be together when one of the main lessons of the series is that our choices—and not fate—truly matter? Since Ginny owes Harry a life debt for her rescue from the Chamber of Secrets, how can their marriage be based on equality? How has Harry’s re-imagining of Ginny in his mother’s image influenced readers’ perceptions?

Goblins, Centaurs, House-elves, and Werewolves, Oh My!: The Construction of Otherness and Disability in Harry Potter
Saranya Selvaraj
The issue of discrimination and abuse of non-human magical beings occupies a prominent role in Harry Potter, effectively converting the series into a fantasy model of real-world prejudices and the devastation they wreak on a society. This presentation will explore the similarities between the treatment of non-human beings in Harry Potter and the treatment of marginalized groups in our Muggle world. Subjects of interest include goblins, house-elves, slaves, the treatment of AIDS, accommodating disabilities, werewolves, school history textbooks, centaurs, taxonomy, racism, giants, and experimental medicine.

Harry Potter and the Beautiful, Wondrous, Multitalented Fanfiction Author Avatar
A.M.P.
In November 2003, the seed of an idea for a Mary Sue story became a full-fledged fanfiction novel that garnered tens of thousands of page views and a fan base that sent hundreds of e-mails and reviews. However, the readers left behind feedback demanding that the author cease writing for all time. This presentation, based on the publication and pillory of the Araminta Malfoy-Potter stories on Fanfiction.net, will explore issues of reader entitlement and whether the dreaded Mary Sue should be sent to the gallows. Self-inserts welcome.

Harry Potter and the Reluctant Reader: Using Harry Potter in the College Classroom
Rhonda Nicol
This presentation discusses the merits of the using the Harry Potter novels in a General Education college course. Although many students in the course initially found the academic study of literature alienating and/or bewildering, the books and their popularity provided an entrée for many students who had little interest in the academic study of literature.

Harry Potter and the Despair of Withdrawal
Jeffrey Rudski, Carli Segal, and Eli Kallen
Using an online survey, several thousand participants filled out pre- and post-Deathly Hallows surveys that were based upon prior surveys used to assess addiction, craving, and drug withdrawal. Surveys identified several types of fans; some were “hooked” on the core aspects of the series, others on the fandom community, and yet others on fanfiction or fanart. Craving was seen in all groups, but withdrawal symptoms (i.e., mood disturbances, sleep disturbances, etc.) were most pronounced in fans whose involvement focused primarily on a connection to the books themselves. Implications for addiction as a general process are discussed.

Harry Potter Conferences: Rules, Regulations and Risk
Amy Tenbrink
Have you ever wondered why Harry Potter conferences rarely feature costume contests? Why the conference team is always reminding you to book your room at the official conference hotel? Why programming proposals are reviewed by independent boards? Every Harry Potter event encounters myriad legal issues that the organizers must navigate in the course of the planning period—legal issues that will inform nearly every conference decision and often require significant changes to an event. Join one of Terminus’s lead event organizers for a discussion of legal issues affecting Harry Potter events and how Terminus handled them. Please note that this presentation will not include specific legal advice.

Harry Potter Yarn Arts: Going Beyond the House Scarf
Renee L. Antoine, Lauren Kent
Have you always loved Hermione’s hats for the house-elves? Are you enamored of Mrs. Weasley’s ability to make all those sweaters every Christmas? Do you yearn to talk about yarn in Harry Potter? Join us in discussing how you can take your yarn go beyond House scarves and into a new magical realm of fantastic fiber creations. This is a discussion, not a workshop, although playing with yarn is encouraged!

Harry the Hero: An Archetype for Real 21st-Century Heroes
Marjorie Cohee Manifold
Some hero myths, like the Harry Potter stories, exist only in imagination; others, like the historic myths of World War II, are rooted in historical reality. Might myths also foreshadow challenges that lie ahead for new generations of heroes and heroines, and in the guise of archetypes, provide guidelines for moral behavior? In this presentation the audience will be encouraged to consider parallels between the choices made by Hogwarts’ students in their war against the Dark Lord and the choices that contemporary youth will face during an approaching all-out battle against environmental disaster and ideological conflict.

The Hogwarts Resistance: Still Recruiting
Kirstee Byrne
Harry Potter’s war was unlike any the Muggle world has seen—and the Muggle world has seen a lot of wars. Horcruxes, Killing Curses, giants and more don’t have much in common with bombs, nuclear weapons and machine guns. But other aspects of Harry’s war share many characteristics with Muggle wars: information, resistance, rebellion and revolution. The Quibbler, Potterwatch and Dumbledore’s Army all play their parts in Harry’s war, and the outcome would have been devastatingly different without their underground efforts.

Is the Best Mum a Dead Mum?: Parenting in the Potterverse
Laura Horowitz
The very first mention of Harry Potter in the Harry Potter canon presents him as part of a family unit. That description indicates that family relationships, and the parent-child relationship in particular, will be a key theme of the series. This talk will examine a number of parenting styles presented in canon and evaluate them according to the criteria established by experts such as Spock, Brazelton, and Leach. Some characters we will examine include the Weasleys, the Dursleys, the Malfoys, Merope Gaunt, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore and, of course, the Potters.

It’s Our Business: Why I’m Glad J. K. Rowling Outed Albus
Joel Meredith
It’s not in the book, so why did J. K. Rowling have to tell everyone? Though many disagree with her decision to out Albus Dumbledore at Carnegie Hall, this presentation will explain why I believe it was crucial for Dumbledore to be closeted for the duration of the series. What nerve; a gay character whose function in the plot doesn’t involve his sexuality, but who instead functions as a human being like anyone else. He just happens to be gay.

J. K. Rowling’s Fenrir Greyback: Identity, Society, and the Werewolf
Renée Ward
This paper outlines the combination of sources that inform Fenrir Greyback’s character, paying particular attention to his connection to Norse myth. It examines Greyback’s behaviour in the series, and suggests that Rowling deliberately creates parallels between Remus Lupin and Fenrir Greyback in order to call into question both our understanding of identity and the cultural hegemonies based upon categories of difference, such as gender, race, ethnicity or class, which have traditionally ostracized those members of society that, like the werewolf, display physical and/or behavioural differences.

Latin for Wizards II: The Curses
Katherine E. Krohn
Latin serves as a door concealing the intellectual vista beyond it from those unable to see its utility, but simultaneously furnishes a portal to all-but-unimaginable treasures for those patient enough to absorb its declensions and parse its conjugations. This session focuses on maledictions, or curses, examining whether there are differences between cursing an object, a place, a position or a person, and whether ends ever justify repugnant means. Participants receive (new) vocabulary sheets to take home, in order to contemplate more fully the damage that words, even more than sticks and stones, can wreak upon the human psyche.

The Lockhart Paradox: Redefining and Romanticizing Author-Gods in Our Participatory Culture
Suzanne Scott
The characterization of Gilderoy Lockhart paradoxically reflects our cultural investment in the Author and the fragility (or outright artifice) of that construction. Examining Harry Potter as a literary, old-media text operating within a new-media content model and fandom, this presentation will offer a cursory interrogation of these tensions surrounding the finite/infinite definitions of authorship, text, and canon in our contemporary participatory culture, along with why Harry Potter fandom is a critical locus for an interrogation of convergence culture.

Madam Pomfrey: Why She Is the Cause of, and the Cure for, the Current Global Nursing Shortage
Shirley K. Comer
This presentation will examine the conflicting portraits of Madam Pomfrey in the Harry Potter canon and how these parallel the image of nurses and nursing in the popular media. Nurses are often portrayed in stereotypical roles, such as the naughty nurse, the bubblehead, the battleaxe, the angel or the handmaiden. None of these images reflects the true role of nurses in modern healthcare. These portrayals of nurses are especially damaging to nursing during the current global nursing shortage because they discourage young people from choosing nursing as a profession.

Magic and the First Law of Thermodynamics
Genii Grimsley
In Goblet of Fire, Hermione says, “All those substitutes for magic Muggles use—electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things—they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there’s too much magic in the air.” Is it possible that the first law of thermodynamics can explain how magic works? And with science, could it be possible to engineer technology magically to work in Hogwarts?

Marketing Harry Potter: A Retail Perspective on the Harry Potter Phenomenon
Joanna Goldstein
From conception to execution, marketing the release of Harry Potter provided opportunities and challenges previously unseen in retail. “Marketing Harry Potter: A Retail Perspective on the Harry Potter Phenomenon” offers an inside look at the development of Borders’ “Snape: Friend or Foe” campaign from the first brainstorming sessions to participation in Phoenix Rising and, finally, the thrilling midnight release parties.

More Than Just a Community: Starting and Maintaining a Harry Potter Regional Fan Community
Renee L. Antoine
The Harry Potter fan community is facing an interesting time. We look to the future without new books being published. Many believe this is the beginning of the end for fans and the fan community—yet it does not have to be. Learn what it is like to start a regional fan community, gain helpful pointers in keeping it going, and hear how to change leadership smoothly and ensure the continuing future of the community.

No Place to Stand: The Incoherent Legal Universe of J. K. Rowling
Kenneth L. Schneyer
Minors are bound to “magical contracts” to which they never agreed. Adolescents who use their natural gifts twice in the wrong place are prohibited from using those gifts for life. Suspects are sentenced to life imprisonment without trial. A chief executive who also possesses legislative and judicial authority is appointed or removed at a whim. J. K. Rowling’s radically incoherent legal universe displays a deep skepticism about authority in general, and of legal and governmental authority in particular. She reminds us, starkly, that a “government of laws and not of men” exists only by common consent.

A Nod of the Head: Was Draco Redeemed?
Yolanda R. Carroll
At the end of Deathly Hallows, we see Draco standing with his parents apart from Harry and the others. Do we as readers know for certain how he ended up? We know that Draco no longer wants to serve Voldemort; however, that does not mean that he’s changed his views regarding blood purity. At the end of the series, is Draco any less prejudiced than we saw at the beginning? Is Draco likely to teach his kids the same pureblood elitist beliefs that he grew up with? Is it possible that an older, wiser Draco could re-evaluate his views?

Omar Khadr Is Not Harry Potter
Kathleen McConnell, Kali Shakti Brazier-Tompkins
Canadian Omar Khadr was 15 when captured by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo. The heart of Khadr’s defense is that he was raised as a child soldier... just like Harry Potter; Snape is appalled when he realize that Dumbledore raised Harry “like a pig for slaughter” (Deathly Hallows 551). Potter’s fictional life—epic in scope, but with a clear, satisfyingly cathartic culmination—contrasts Khadr’s morally ambiguous reality. “Omar Khadr Is Not Harry Potter” will draw some significant parallels between Khadr and Potter with the goal of demonstrating how fiction exploits and minimizes the complications of indoctrination into violence.

The Omegas in the Alphas: Rowling’s Dazzling Use of Foreshadowing
James Thomas
Rowling’s Harry Potter books are replete with all kinds of ingenious and creative foreshadowing. Countless first references figure prominently or take on added or altered significance later in the book (or in a later book). Rowling also employs ironic foreshadowing, a key ingredient in her characteristic narrative misdirection; and she uses “fore and aft” shadowing. This latter technique is illustrated by her mentioning Grawp early in Deathly Hallows, reminding readers of his earlier appearances and preparing them for his upcoming role during the Battle of Hogwarts. Few authors achieve such impressive results from such a variety of foreshadowing elements.

On Half-bloods, Half-breeds, and “the so-called purity of blood”: An Examination of the Role of Genetics in the Magical World of Harry Potter
Peter R. Blier
Genetics plays a surprisingly important role in the Harry Potter series. Magical ability is inherited, and beliefs about breeding influence the actions of even “right-thinking” people in the wizarding world. Ironically, although not studied by wizards, the genetics of magic is the subject of several research publications by medical scientists in the non-magic world. This presentation will introduce genetics to the non-scientist, review the published studies on the inheritance of magic, and explore examples of situations in which understanding genetics might have made a difference to the protagonists in the magical world of Harry Potter.

On the Periphery: Adults in Harry Potter
Julie Bock
One interpretation of the cherished Harry Potter books offers a subversive subtext regarding the influence and protection that adults provide to the young people in the series. This paper will examine the main adults portrayed in the seven books and their impact on and ability to fulfill the roles normally ascribed to adults as parents, teachers, mentors, role models, etc. Emergent themes will be examined and the ultimate question will be debated: “Do the adults in Harry Potter fulfill their roles sufficiently that you would let your children enter the wizarding world?”

Once upon a Time: Fairy Tales, Folklore and Harry Potter
Amy Wilson
From the tales of the brothers Grimm to those of Chaucer, there is a rich literary tradition of cautionary tales involving attempts by the unwise to try to cheat Death. The wizarding world has its own version of these tales, as we discovered in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This paper will identify the traditional elements present in “The Tale of the Three Brothers” and will compare the story to other such cautionary tales.

Ordinary Wizards: The Banality of Evil in the Harry Potter Universe
Mikhail Lyubansky
That the Harry Potter stories are primarily about good and evil is undeniable, and no character embodies the latter quality as much as Lord Voldemort. The rapidly growing psychological literature on psychopathy can provide some insight into Voldemort’s evil nature. But what of his followers? Are the legions of Death Eaters similarly psychologically disturbed? This paper uses scholarship from Holocaust Studies and Psychology to argue that the Death Eaters are neither mentally ill nor morally corrupt but are ordinary and possibly even decent wizards caught up in unusual circumstances out of their control.

Power Plays: The Ethics of Wizard Power in Rowling’s Harry Potter and Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy
Karin E. Westman
Through their respective fantasy series, J. K. Rowling and Jonathan Stroud imagine a parallel world suggestive of contemporary British society in which magical and non-magical people negotiate survival, granting greater power to those with magic. From this premise, both series critique a politics of absolute power based on self-interest, secrecy, and difference, and value instead a democratic power structure based on trust, altruism, and shared knowledge. However, of the two proffered critiques of power, Stroud provides the more radical interrogation of institutional authority and political change, as he makes explicit what Rowling leaves implicit: the degree to which the magical community as a whole, and not just its leaders, is implicated within the existing system of power.

Question Authority: Heroism and Leadership in the Harry Potter Series
Cathy Colton
In Deathly Hallows, readers are forced to confront new and often damning scenes of Albus Dumbledore’s cold manipulations of Harry’s life and fate. Can Dumbledore’s status as hero withstand this new information and that regarding his youthful flirtation with totalitarianism? What about Harry? What type of hero is he if he’s only following a path that fate and/or Dumbledore staked out for him ahead of time? Are we to understand Dumbledore as a cruel puppet-master and Harry as merely his puppet? Or, as in other characterizations Rowling has created, are things much more complex? Through an examination of the leadership styles of Dumbledore, Harry, and Voldemort, we will explore the messages that Rowling—wittingly and unwittingly—conveys about authority, leadership, and heroism.

Racial Ideology and Prejudice in the Harry Potter Universe
Mikhail Lyubansky
At first glance, the Harry Potter universe seems to have little racial tension. This is by design. The books, after all, are about wizards and muggles, not about racial groups. But Rowling does something very interesting for a parallel universe in which race seems to have no meaning: She gives some characters racial identifiers. This is no happenstance. The racial labels allow Rowling to create her version of a racial utopia: a society in which variations in skin tone exist but have no meaning. Before moving to other racial themes, this paper discusses the series’ underlying ideology of color-blindness and explains why this ideology is problematic both in fiction and in reality.

The Real Legacy of Harry Potter, or A New Way to Think about What We Read, Why We Read, and How and What Becomes of It
K. A. D. H. Mercer
The Potter phenomenon’s real legacy lies in how the books have changed not only the way that people think about reading and how they read, but more importantly what they do with what they have read. The expansion of the internet and the availability of instant communications and dialog between diverse peoples has allowed for the everyday reader to become ever more an informed and critical one, subtly shifting the center of literary criticism from that of the scholarly world back to the everyday one and turning readers into thinkers, and even more significantly—writers.

Secret KNOWLEDGE / SECRET Knowledge: An Analysis of the Management of Privacy Dilemmas in the Harry Potter Series
Andrea Krause, Elizabeth Goering, Sabine Behringer
This paper examines how the Harry Potter series can be used to illustrate communication theories and even to teach principles of effective communication. Focusing specifically on Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, the study analyzes how the main characters in the Harry Potter novels manage privacy dilemmas created through the acquisition of “secret knowledge.” While Harry might obtain private information through wizarding means, such as the Pensieve and Occlumency, lessons in how to negotiate potentially volatile information can also be extrapolated from Harry’s experiences for the Muggles among us.

Severus Snape, Gender and Heroism
RM
Throughout the Harry Potter series, Severus Snape is consistently shown in female modes of behavior, emotion and presentation. Does he represent the female heroism that many claim is lacking from J. K. Rowling’s series? And how and why does he earn manhood in death? This paper will argue that as a man who was brave because he lived between worlds, was ruthless and conniving on the behalf of others, and sacrificed for his heart, Severus Snape strongly represents female literary traditions of heroism and fills a perceived void in J. K. Rowling’s world that does not actually exist.

Sirius Black: A Case Study in Actual Innocence
Geoffrey Christopher Rapp
This presentation explores briefly the parallels between Black’s story and the American problem of wrongful conviction. It begins with a description of the contours of the problem in America, drawing primarily upon actual innocence, and then recounts what we know about the story of Black’s incarceration (and the subsequent difficulty he faced in striving to clear his name) from the Potter books. Finally, the presentation explores where the stories of America’s wrongly convicted and the story of Black come together, and where they diverge. The paper's aim is to facilitate use of the Black story as a case study in actual innocence.
Proxy presenter: Sharon K. Goetz

Snape’s Mary Sues: A Visual Field Guide for Identifying and Understanding Mary Sues Paired with Snape
GMonkey42, valis2
Mary Sue is a well-known phenomenon affecting the portrayal of Original Fictional Characters in fanfiction. Also known as author self-insertion, and often considered a rite of passage for a writer, Mary Sue is a method of wish-fulfillment, one that allows the writer to experience the story through the creation and insertion of their own avatar. The character of Severus Snape is often the object of Mary Sue’s affection, and we will discuss the appearances and incarnations of Mary Sues who are most often paired with him, with accompanying visuals.

Stairway to Heaven, Stairway to Hell
Jillian Stanley
When is a staircase more than a staircase? When it plays a pivotal role in the plot of a story! When it is unlike any staircase we have ever encountered! When it is laden with symbolic meanings that transcend geography and time! After this look at the stairs that Harry and his colleagues traverse, you will never think of staircases the same way again.

Transformation: Warner Bros. Entertainment v. RDR Books
Amy Tenbrink, Melissa Anelli
Shakespeare stole plots, 2 Live Crew sampled songs, and in 2006 a work of fanfiction won the Pulitzer Prize. Yet, in 2008, J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. sued a publisher over a Harry Potter encyclopedia. Since the advent of copyright, creators and fans have clashed over derivative works, and the age of the internet has only compounded the question, taking what was once an underground trade into mass distribution. This presentation will first outline the United States copyright law, dissect the rights it affords creators, and examine whether various fan works—fanart, Mary Sues, encyclopedias, wizard rock—transform Rowling’s work sufficiently to be excused under the “fair use” doctrine. Then, this presentation will discuss the recent RDR Books trial, including the arguments presented by both plaintiff and defendant. Please note that this presentation will not include specific legal advice.

Unforgivable Acts: Bullying, Torture, and the Perpetuation of Violence in Harry Potter
Robin Pruter
The Harry Potter novels display strong parallels between the scenes of bullying and those of torture. Furthermore, bullying is presented as cyclical, with victims in turn bullying others weaker than themselves. This paper looks at the intimate connection between bullying and torture throughout the novels, where both behaviors hinge on the sadism of the tormentors, who view victims as essentially lesser beings unworthy of respect. This connection sheds light on the controversial moment in Deathly Hallows when Harry tortures Amycus Carrow, showing that it is the result of Harry’s experience as a victim of bullying, not an approbation of torture.

Wanking and Wanking Off: Gossip, Fandom Wank, Squick, and Kink in Harry Potter Fandom
Skyler Hijazi
Foutainhead of some of the most infamous kerfluffles to date—from “Snapes on the Astral Plane” to the banishment of Harmonians to “The Cornfield”—Harry Potter fandom is no stranger to (or on) Fandom Wank. But wank has other meanings as well: the slash fanfiction community Pornish Pixies tellingly calls itself “the community you wank off to.” This paper explores the multiple workings (and meanings) of “wank” at play in Harry Potter fandom. What is at stake in wank’s shared pleasures of gossip, sex talk, and self-gratification? How does wank(ing off) function in the structure and relationships of Potter fandom online?

The Women of Harry Potter
Lori A. Franklin
In our age of Paris Hilton and Bratz dolls, the need for strong women as role models has never been greater. J. K. Rowling has helped fill that void with the creation of many interesting female characters in her Harry Potter series. This is a discussion of those women, good and evil.

You-Know-Who Is Structuralism’s He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (the Author): The Implications of Tom Riddle’s Diary
Ryan Kerr
As the seventh installment of Harry Potter demonstrates the level to which Voldemort attempts to rule through hegemonic constructions of language and reality (such as not openly ruling himself, but rather through a puppet regime at the Ministry of Magic), it becomes crucial to reexamine what can be called Tom Riddle’s Mein Kampf: the diary in Chamber of Secrets. This presentation explores the ways in which Tom Riddle represents various understandings of “the author.” With implications for both the series and literary criticism, the diary is examined as a quintessential text, demonstrating reflections of numerous critical paradigms.

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

PRE-EMPANELED PAPERS

Harry Potter VII: Rereading the Series Through the Final Volume

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

PANELS

Becoming Your Enemy: Ethics in Harry Potter
Kenneth L. Schneyer, Anthony Buenning, Rob Smith, Karen Morris
In the final three books—Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows—we gain an increased awareness of how much Rowling’s heroes must sacrifice in vanquishing evil. This panel will discuss the ethics of playing by your enemy’s rules in order to defeat them. From Dumbledore’s Army, devised initially to provide alternative Defense Against the Dark Arts instruction and transformed to a complex resistance movement, to Deathly Hallows’ revelation of Dumbledore’s own past, the characters’ pursuit of the greater good is shown to follow some rather dark paths. Does wartime create exceptions to acceptable behavior, and if so, how far do they stretch? What are the moral and ethical costs? If you act like your enemy, have you already lost?

Community and Consciousness: Applying Lessons from the Harry Potter Series to Create Everyday Magic
Mary Jane Harper, Stephanie Dornhelm, Kimberly Denz, Lisa Wright DeGroodt, Addie Caliendo, Lizzie Keiper, Claudette “Kadi” Page
The board of directors will discuss how they became involved in planning for LeakyCon 2009, then share ideas with the audience about how to make a difference in their community on a smaller scale.

From Rivals to Romance: The Harry and Draco Relationship in Canon and Fanon
Saber ShadowKitten, Titti, furiosity
This panel will explore the relationship between Harry and Draco in canon and fanon. Is Draco more than a two-dimensional bully to Harry? Would Harry and Draco have been friends had Harry been a Slytherin? What impact does book seven have on their relationship? What about romance? Harry/Draco ’shippers comprise a fair portion of the slash fanfiction community. From where in the text is it drawn? How was it affected differently by the ends of Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows? Finally, does the future of the relationship reside in Albus Severus and Scorpio, or will it remain Harry and Draco forever?

Good Night, Sweet Prince: The Legacy of Severus Snape
Hilary K. Justice, Wendy Gouine, Wendy Richardson, Mary Johnson
This panel will explore aspects of Severus Snape left hanging, ignored, or otherwise unanswered by J. K. Rowling’s series. Panelists will present brief position papers providing a retrospective on Snape both as character and as narrative strategy. We will discuss his heroism, sacrifice, and very real flaws, after which the audience will be invited to join in a moderated discussion on all topics pertinent to those who closed Deathly Hallows feeling unsatisfied with Rowling’s resolution of this most intriguing, generation-bridging character.

I Was a Teenage Potterhead: How the Chosen One Helped Us Through College
Megan Kowalski, Shaelynn M. Wolfe, Melissa Kliemann, Bailey Wellman, Joshua Benson
Our presentation will focus on the use of Harry Potter in academia. As undergraduate or graduate students of Central Michigan University, we have had varying experiences with Harry Potter, both formally in the classroom and informally on campus. Our experiences include but are not limited to a graduate-level seminar focusing on the Harry Potter series, academic discussion using aspects of literary theory as part of a book club, making new friends and meeting new people thanks to participation in class or book club, and using our knowledge of Harry Potter to help us further our education in specialized fields, including English, broadcasting, psychology, music, and computer science.

Love Is a Battlefield: Authorship, Ownership, and Fan Appropriation
Amy Tenbrink, Suzanne Scott
As participatory culture blurs the lines between creators and fans, the definitions of “authorship,” “ownership” and “control” likewise become distorted. Creators continue to hold the trump cards of copyright and money, but fans level the field through group action and the speed of the internet. Join us to review the history of creator/fan relations in the Harry Potter fandom: cease and desist letters for fan sites, then adult-oriented archives; the Harmonian uprising; the queering of canon characters and the rejection of Dumbledore’s sexuality; the LiveJournal Strikethrough; and even the RDR Books lawsuit. Then discuss with us this shifting battlefield and what it is that creators and fans really want, and what’s culturally and creatively at stake.

More Than a Book Club: Quidditch, Yule Balls and Potter Parties (Oh My!)
Monica Rodabaugh (notmonica), Karen Petersen, Pattie Beaven, generalmanda, Erin Pyne, Renee L. Antoine, Beth Anne (VoldieBeth) Bollenbacher
You've organized your local Harry Potter fans into a club, and you’ve gathered to discuss the books and movies—but is it just “all about Harry”? This interactive panel will explore various ideas for activities a local fan club can organize and host. Whether it’s throwing a Halloween party for fifteen or a book release event for 5000, we’ll be discussing the opportunities (and pitfalls) of hosting different Potter events. If we can do it, why not you? Hosted by members of hp-ohio, Orlando Harry Potter Book Club, HPDFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) and HP_LA (sometimes known as the “Loozie Floozies”).

Muggle Reception in Religious Contexts
Gina Burkart, RM, Deborah Hunt
This panel of scholars and educators of diverse faiths will talk about moments in Rowling’s work that resonate strongly for particular religious beliefs. Each panelist will highlight one or two significant elements that influence their reading of the seven-book sequence, then participate in a panel-wide discussion. Among the issues to be addressed: to what extent does Rowling’s writing actively invite interpretations from multiple faith-based viewpoints, and to what extent does she merely leave doors open? Has Rowling secularized specific religious elements in shaping the wizarding world (and if so, why)? Does a religious framework inhere in Rowling’s books, and how syncretic is it? And, from panelists’ points of view, how well or ill does the world of Harry Potter suit your respective systems of belief?

Not Truly Gone: Loyalty Throughout the Harry Potter Series
Genii Grimsley, Beth Anne (VoldieBeth) Bollenbacher, Melody, Stephanie “Lucius” Zoutenbier
Among the many different traits examined throughout the series, loyalty has been key. The most obvious types of loyalty are being true to oneself, to one’s cause and to one’s family and friends. However, subtler forms of loyalty are seen, ranging from a house-elf’s loyalty to their family to a witch’s or wizard’s loyalty to their own wand. Join us in a discussion of loyalty, whether it is good, bad or ugly.

Post-Publication Podcasting
Melissa Anelli, John “Dawlish” Noe, Sue Upton
The publication of Deathly Hallows saw just about zero decline in the proliferation of, or interest in, Harry Potter podcasts. Why are we still bothering? What do you do when there are no more series secrets to uncover? And how do you fight the post-DH doldrums?

Questionably Queer: The Politics of Post-Canonic Outing
Suzanne Scott, Michael C. Bolton
When J. K. Rowling remarked that she always thought Dumbledore was gay, she re-opened the Harry Potter canon, but did she also force all subsequent (re-)readings through a lavender lens? As textual receivers, do we have any ability to reject Rowling’s claim, either because she had already closed the canon or because there’s little textual evidence to support this reading? In this presentation / roundtable discussion, we will discuss the vast textual and cultural impact of Rowling’s outing of Dumbledore. In addition, we will discuss the specifics of identity politics involved with having a sexual identity ascribed to a non-sexual character, a sexual identity that the character never asserts.

Reading and Rocking Out: The Culture and Future of Wizard Rock
Katherine Pietrucha, Lauren Fairweather, Matt Maggiacomo, Alexander Carpenter, Jacqueline Vincent, Abby Hupp
Wizard rock, a genre of music that finds inspiration in the Potter series, has grown into a full-blown movement. This uniquely loving and welcoming community is still growing, with new bands emerging every day. Is there a certain type of person that is drawn to wizard rock? Will wizard rockers continue “wrocking,” and will there be an audience in the years to come? What impact does wizard rock have on fandom as a whole? This panel will address the dynamic culture of wizard rock, as well as questions of its future, with artists, fans, and community organizers as panelists.

Surviving in Fandom When Your Favorite Character Didn’t
Emcee, Jan Fennick, Rowan Grayjoy
J. K. Rowling warned us there would be deaths, but no one was prepared for the massacre that ensued in Deathly Hallows, taking out many prominent and popular characters. A panel of fans—all who lost their favorite characters—talk about their loss and how to continue in fandom post-mortem. It's not just a river in Egypt, folks.

Women in Wizard Rock
Jen Boxerman, Lena Gabrielle, Lauren Fairweather, Drama, Mallory Schuyler, Amy Snow, Jamie Walker
Women make up the majority of the visible aspects of Harry Potter fandom, as well as the majority of wizard rock fans; however, women may not be the majority among wizard rock’s producers and creators. This panel will discuss issues pertaining to being female in a genre dominated by boy bands, and challenges particular to girl groups in and out of wizard rock.

Writing in the Margins: Characterization and the Art of Navigating Between Canon and Fanon Snape
Femme (femmequixotic), Djinnj, Go Seaward, Beth H.
Fans interpreting canon create a wide spectrum of characterizations. Rarely has the spectrum been so broad as it is with Snape. Using Snape as a test case, we will discuss the limits of what we can consider a canon characterization and whether fanon interpretations contradict or align with canon. We will discuss specific varieties of Snape, in our own fanfiction and in others’, and the effect of community and genre on authors’ Snape choices.

You Snooze, You Lose Your News: Fandom Newsletters and How They Were Affected by Recent LiveJournal Changes
Ziasudra, Kethlenda, Alisanne, Robin K. K. Svegaard, wook77
What is a fandom newsletter? Who are newsletter editors, and what do they do? What are the differences between Daily Snitch, Girls Today, Hogwarts Today, Potter Prophet, The Quibbler, sshp_prophet, hd_prophet, and rs_prophet? These are some of the questions this panel will discuss. The five participating panelists represent eight different Harry Potter fandom newsletters active on LiveJournal and InsaneJournal—some big, some small, some general, some pairing-specific. Come hear editors share their newslettering experiences and interact with them during the Q&A time to follow!

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

WORKSHOPS

Advanced Rocking for Wizards
Christine Lee Gengaro
This presentation will provide real vocal coaching for those wizard rockers who have mastered the basics of singing and who want help with advanced techniques.

Celebrate the Magic!: How to Craft Ingenious Harry Potter Ornaments
Jacqueline Goodenow
A combined lecture and hands-on workshop will offer an amazing assortment of easy, inexpensive, and imaginative ideas for making Harry Potter holiday ornaments (which can double as party favors, gifts, and craft swaps). See a tree decked with Golden Snitches, Honeydukes candies, potions, broomsticks, Remembralls, spell books, Horcruxes, magical creatures, and much more—all made from basic craft supplies and “found” objects. Each participant will create two simple ornaments and will receive an illustrated hand-out with suggestions, theme variations, and sources. Celebrate Harry Potter at holiday time (or year-round!) with your own crafty creations. Materials provided; idea-swapping encouraged!

Create Your Own Death Eater Mask!
Generalmanda, JKG_Vader, Carrie “Droxy” Harris, Beth Anne (VoldieBeth) Bollenbacher
This workshop is designed to teach attendees the very basics of mask creation by recreating the masks used by Death Eaters in the film version of Order of the Phoenix. Each person will be given a pre-painted plastic face mask as a base to use puff paints, brushes, paint pens, glue, wire, and metal to make an individualized mask. Participants are asked to donate $5 to material costs.

“Death isn’t the handicap it used to be,” or How to Use the Harry Potter World to Your Advantage in Fanfic
DJIN7, Dacro
In a world where you can kill people with a swish and flick of a wand, you certainly should be able to do the opposite. Get ready to explore how to resurrect your favourite characters, or at least find ways to keep them around a while longer, using magical options (both canon and fanon)—from portraits to phoenix tears, time-turners to ghosts. Uncover the time-honoured tradition of clichés, compare the Harry Potter universe to other fandoms where death is hardly a problem, and participate in a brainstorming session to Ennervate the creative nerve center.

The Fine Art of Wizard Conversation: Writing Character Voice
Dacro
From Snape to Seamus, Hermione to Hagrid, this workshop focuses on writing convincing character voice. In an interactive environment, the participants will be introduced to four registers of speech (formal, consultative, informal and intimate). Through several fun activities, we will discuss how to group the characters, identify appropriate vocabulary for each register, and confront the hurdles most writers face when writing dialogue in the Harry Potter universe.

Genetics 101: Muggle or Magic?
K. Kindsvatter-Hohman
This workshop will discuss how the genetic characteristic of magic is passed on (or not) to offspring. A worksheet will be provided for participants to complete actively as the presentation unfolds.

Getting Published the Muggle Way
N. Apythia Morges, Tamela J. Ritter
In the Muggle world, it takes more than a winning smile and a great memory charm to get published. From query letters to formatting, learn the ins and outs of what Muggle editors and agents look for in manuscripts, plus how to get your original fiction off the Internet and onto the page, in this hands-on workshop that covers traditional submission guidelines, industry jargon, contract terms, and more.

Knit Your Own House Scarf!
JKG_Vader, Dale Hwang, Emcee
This workshop is designed to teach attendees the very basics of knitting by focusing on one staple of the Harry Potter cosplayer—the House Scarf. Each attendee will have the opportunity to try hands-on activities, including casting on, knitting a garter stitch, switching colors, and binding off. The workshop will be geared towards fans with little to no knitting experience. Participants are asked to bring their own knitting needles and yarn (size US 7 needles and two skeins of either Paton’s Worsted Wool or Caron’s Simply Soft yarn are recommended).

The Magical World of Bobbin Lace
Nancy Jones
Do you want to try a new craft? Do you want to learn to make those fancy fripperies that are still in vogue on wizarding clothing, or to make airy pictures of mythological creatures or scenes from the Harry Potter books? Then bobbin lace is the craft for you. Join us for a hands-on demonstration and information about this fascinating art form.

Quidditch in the Classroom
Lori Tibbetts
This workshop will demonstrate how teachers can incorporate a game based on Quidditch into their own cross-curricular lessons. The presenter recently developed a version of Quidditch inspired by the books to encourage reading and physical education for middle school students, and will discuss her school’s version along with ways to adapt the program. Please feel free to bring your own examples for youth-friendly programs.

Sewing Basics: How to Make a Student Robe
Generalmanda, JKG_Vader, Kate B., Beth Anne (VoldieBeth) Bollenbacher
This workshop is designed to teach attendees the very basics of sewing by focusing on one staple of the Harry Potter cosplayer: the school robe. Each person will have the opportunity to try hands-on activities focused on material choice, pattern layout, cutting and basic machine sewing. The workshop will be geared towards fans with little to no sewing experience. Participants are asked to donate $5 to material costs.

Some Days You’re a Death Eater: Managing Community Spaces in Harry Potter Fandom
Hallie Tibbetts
The Harry Potter fandom, in large part, is an entity unto itself, comprised of hundreds of websites, forums, interconnected blogs, mailing lists, regional clubs, and loose-knit, topic-specific subgroups. How can anyone—from the solo fanfiction author to the largest website crew—navigate the oft-unspoken rules, regulations, and expectations of this fanbase? While the answer is that you can’t please everyone, you can avoid angst, grief, flamewars, and “fauxpologizing” with some simple strategies. This workshop, for those who find themselves in the (sometimes unenviable) situation of being “the powers that be” among their peers—as well as for those who’d like to take on more active roles—will focus on public relations, customer service, operations, and communications basics for creative fandomers, webmistresses, moderators, and others who deal with an adoring—or not-so-adoring—public.

Stepping Out of the Sandbox: Transfiguring Fanfiction to Original Work
Tamela J. Ritter, N. Apythia Morges
Writers who have added original characters to their stories—who have taken well-known Harry Potter characters and created a new, unique life for them—are original writers. In this hands-on workshop, we will take participants through the Forbidden Forest known as original work and show them how the techniques they have already honed and mastered in someone else’s sandbox can easily be Portkeyed to their own world, where they are the ruler of all.

Terminus Compendium Submissions (for Presenters)
Sharon K. Goetz
This presentation seeks to demystify the process by which your talk can become part of a published book. We will discuss formatting issues, bibliographic citation and why it matters, some differences between writing for oral delivery and writing for print, and why we cannot include that image you consider crucial. Please bring your questions, small or large!

Using Acting Improvisation to Improve Your Writing
RM
Participants will be led through a series of improvisational acting exercises, which will then be used to address and solve specific challenges in both fannish (and original) writing. Exercises will focus on Understanding Physicality, Being Specific, Accepting Gifts and Working with Status in both generalized and Harry Potter contexts. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and be prepared to move around; all exercises can accommodate the differently abled. No previous acting experience is required.

Vocal Techniques for Wizard Rock Beginners
L. P. Cass
This workshop is designed to help singers who have little or no vocal training gain necessary skills for success in the wizard rock genre. Attendees will learn vocal heath basics as well as techniques for improving skills following the workshop. Workshop participants should bring water and a pencil and come prepared to sing.

When Life Gives You a Ball of Yarn, Make Some Crochet!
Amber Lowery
This workshop will focus on the art and not!science of creating Harry Potter-themed crochet using basic stitch techniques. Our discussion will include tips for plotting designs. Scrap yarn will be provided for practicing, and crochet hooks will be available for borrowing during the workshop. Participants are welcome to bring their own supplies as well.

Whose Side Are You On: The Power of Point of View
N. Apythia Morges, Tamela J. Ritter
Imagine the story of Harry Potter as told from Dumbledore’s point of view, or how different book seven would be if we were inside Snape’s head. Would we have loved this tale so much if it had been presented from another viewpoint? Choosing the right voice for your story can make all the difference. In this workshop, we’ll explore the different types of point of view, their benefits and limitations, and explore how changing POV can drastically alter a story through a writing exercise.

Writing Wrock!
Lena Gabrielle
Everyone wants to be a wizard rock star, but many have no idea where to begin when it comes to writing music. In this workshop, we will first touch upon some key points about songwriting, then dive straight into writing and recording a collaborative wizard rock song. By the end, we will have a completed work online and ready for download, and participants should be ready and excited to start writing music on their own!

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Albus Severus/Scorpius: Are They Harry/Draco 2.0 or Something New?
Geoviki
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are introduced (coincidentally?) as age-mates and classmates in the infamous Epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. From their brief introduction a short year ago (along with their numerous siblings and cousins), fandom has adopted them as slashworthy stand-ins for Harry and Draco, as complex characters in their own right, and as something in between. In this roundtable, we will explore how quickly and creatively fan writers and artists have used these young near-ciphers as an alternative way to explore what might have happened between their parents, and as new characters with their own lives and loves.

Censorship in Fandom: How Taboos, Mainstream Culture, and the Law Affect Fan Creativity
Maria Englert
Recently, online fandom has been faced with growing issues in the area of creative fanworks. Harry Potter fans especially have felt the pressure from online communities, such as LiveJournal, to censor fanart and fanfiction or risk being banned. The most notable example of this became known as Strikethrough 2007. This roundtable will offer a chance to discuss and offer opinions on how much of this censorship is legally based, how much of it is influenced by cultural taboos, and what we as members of fandom can do about it.

Choice and Sacrifice: What Is Right and What Is Easy
Elise (eliand504/elseinane)
Two roads diverged in a wood, said Robert Frost, and J. K. Rowling might add: one of them was right, one of them easy. Rowling makes much of her characters’ choices, often distilling them to a choice between the morally correct and the fatally easy. Join us to discuss the role of choice in the Harry Potter series: the choices each character has faced, the option each took, and whether that option was the right one, both for the character and from a more objective moral perspective.

Confluence of Themes in Jane Austen and J. K. Rowling
Cathy O’Neill
This discussion will explore the influence of the novels of Jane Austen upon the language, relationships, social hierarchy and aesthetics of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Controlled Substances in the Potterverse
Fiona Fawkes
Let’s take what we know about drug culture in the Muggle world and theorize how the wizarding world might address issues such as the production, possession, distribution and use of controlled substances: namely, potions.

Draco Malfoy: From Beginning to End
Saber ShadowKitten
From beginning to end, when he first meets another Hogwarts student at Madam Malkin’s to when his adult self sends his own son off to school, Draco Malfoy’s character arc has been an interesting—and to some, a disappointing—tale. This roundtable will examine Draco’s storyline and whether it has led to a satisfying resolution.

Dumbledore’s Army: Children of the Revolution
Kirstee Byrne
While Harry, Ron, and Hermione head off on their quest to find the Horcruxes, most students return to Hogwarts under Headmaster Severus Snape, with the Carrows leading the way toward a new syllabus. And yet, even with the main characters in hiding, others emerge to take the reins—and Dumbledore’s Army is seen once more defying those in charge. What does this say about people in desperate times? Come join this roundtable as we discuss and share our thoughts about the roles that Dumbledore’s Army plays in Deathly Hallows, as individuals and as a collective.

Fabrication, Deception, Omission, Deceit: The Truth in Harry Potter
Amy Tenbrink
Everyone lies, everyone in Harry Potter lies, and Harry Potter is the biggest liar of all. In many ways, manipulating the truth drives the plot of the series—and Harry’s maturation process—more than any other element. Not once does a Harry Potter book end without lies, deceit or deliberate omissions coloring the story—most notably, Voldemort’s implanting the false Ministry scene in Harry’s head in Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore’s series-long manipulation that led to a gamble with Harry’s life—and certainly our hero lies constantly, effortlessly and without remorse. In a series full of twists and turns, how does lying affect the truth of the story?

Family of the Year
Saber ShadowKitten
For the orphaned Harry Potter, family has a particularly strong meaning. Through his eyes, we see how rotten the Dursleys are, how the malicious Malfoys use their position and power to ensure that Draco gets his way, and how the Weasleys are warm and wonderful, the picture-perfect family. But take away Harry’s glasses and what do we really see? From the absentee Grangers to Neville’s strict Gran, from Seamus’s mum to dead Remus and Tonks, who really has it best? Should the Malfoys be taking home the trophy for Family of the Year?

Harry Potter: Mirroring Our Times and the Cultivation of a New Cultural Mythology
Paula A. Moses
Information is spoon-fed to us via television, radio, and Internet, allowing the languages of symbols and images to become skewed. Many have forsaken the landscape of literature, and in essence, the images most of us receive are via others’ interpretations of others, rather than being derived from our own imagination and understanding. The collective mirror—or even the mirror provided by another individual—isn’t always one-size-fits-all. The basis of this roundtable discussion is to provide a reflective stroll through the series to unveil what might be hidden in the mirror of Harry Potter. Come and join us.

Harry Potter: The Missing Years
Mijan
Let’s pretend, for an hour, that the epilogue exists. What could have happened in the three or four years between the Battle of Hogwarts and the time when Harry and Ginny must have consummated their relationship in order to begin producing children? Did Harry go on a three-year vacation to Tibet to forget about everything? Did he dive into Auror training and bury his memories in work? Did he finally see a therapist for an obvious case of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome? Did he have a steamy fling with Draco? What do we think happened? What do we wish happened?

Harry/Draco: The Next Great Adventure
Mijan
The Harry/Draco ship has sailed since the earliest days of the Harry Potter fandom. With every book, we’ve tackled new canon, welcomed new authors, created new classics, and redefined the ship. This new era of slash for our corner of fandom is unique. With the close of canon (and a “nod” from the epilogue), we can build our sandcastles without fear of another tide washing them away. What challenges will our ship face from a closed canon, an open sandbox, an unstable LiveJournal, new fanfic fests, and the ever-changing population of the fandom? Join us to share your thoughts!

Hermione and Severus: Where Do We Go from Here?
Hilary K. Justice
This roundtable will discuss all elements of the Hermione Granger/Severus Snape ’ship and the possibilities and problems of Deathly Hallows. We will begin with a moment of silence and then entertain our delusional fantasies (in a work-safe way, of course).

Hufflepuff: The “Other” Hogwarts House
Matthew F. Waitt
The House of Helga Hufflepuff—one of Hogwarts’ four houses, and often undermined, made fun of, and talked down to. This is your chance as a fan or member of the house of Hufflepuff to meet, talk with, and have a conversation about Hufflepuff House!

I’m Not Dead Yet
Lori A. Franklin
In Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling killed off what some would argue was her most complex and interesting character, but in the universe of fanfiction, Snape lives on! Whether filling in his backstory, creating an alternate universe, or telling Rowling to “take this death and shove it!”, thousands of fanfiction stories dedicated to Severus Snape exist online. In this roundtable discussion, we discuss why he’s so much fun to read and write about, and why fans just can’t let go.

Life after Canon: Sorting Through the New Details
Kirstee Byrne
Did you hear? Ron Weasley is a gay Auror, working in his brother’s shop, married to Rolf Scamander and commuting from the flat over the pub! After the release of Deathly Hallows, all was well—until J. K. Rowling decided to let slip some new details. Dumbledore’s gay? Luna marries a naturalist? Ron is simultaneously an Auror and shopkeeper? Are these “after-canon” facts reliable? Can information after the series still be considered canon? And will Rowling ever stop contradicting herself? This roundtable will discuss the important details after canon: Exactly how cool is Neville Longbottom for living above a pub?

Neville Longbottom: Ascent
Elise (eliand504/elseinane)
Over the course of seven books, we have watched Neville Longbottom transform from a clumsy awkward child with a wayward toad, to a determined young man spurred to new heights by the newly escaped Bellatrix Lestrange, to a ringleader of Dumbledore’s Army—our favorite insurgent group. This roundtable will discuss Neville’s journey throughout the series, from giving Gryffindor the ten-point boost to win the House Cup in Philosopher’s Stone to being the destroyer of the final Horcrux.

Neville Longbottom: The Boy Who Was Overlooked
Emcee
Neville Longbottom was introduced as a clumsy boy who couldn’t even keep track of his toad. No one would have guessed in Philosopher’s Stone he would eventually start a school revolution, go head-to-head with Voldemort and become a sword-wielding badass. We explore Neville’s character journey and his parallels with Harry, and celebrate all things Longbottom.

On Faith Alone: A Luna Roundtable
Hallie Tibbetts
This roundtable will discuss the character of Luna Lovegood in books five through seven, but particularly what we learn about her in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We knew she was a little ditzy, a little unconventional, but in the final book, we find out a great deal more. Join us for a discussion about the girl who isn’t a fighter, but who is integral to Dumbledore’s Army.

One True Trio
Christine Lee Gengaro
This roundtable discussion will focus on the activities of the trio (Harry, Hermione, and Ron) during Deathly Hallows, and the fate of the trio in its aftermath.

Percy Weasley, Prodigal Son
Amy Wilson
Speculation has run rampant since the publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix—is Percy Weasley a Ministry parchment-pusher, a spy for the Order, or perhaps a Death Eater? The answer, as Percy himself says when he’s reunited with his family, is none of the above. This roundtable will explore his journey from the ambitious prefect of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the resolute man who fought proudly alongside his brother in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

A Professors’ Roundtable: Conversations on the Pedagogy of Potter
Kim “Grym” Pyne
Do you teach Harry Potter or hope to do so? This roundtable is a space for teacher-fans at all educational levels to engage in professional conversation about the pedagogy of the Potterverse. Whether you teach elementary children, college students, or adult literacy learners, we share similar issues when approaching these texts and can arguably learn from our colleagues and peers across the educational landscape. Come and share your thoughts, questions, challenges, and excitement about teaching Harry Potter.

Questioning Tradition: A Discussion of Sorting at Hogwarts School
Cody Wild
Ever since the four founders left the school, students have been sorted into one of four houses by the Sorting Hat. For all these years, Sorting has been taken for granted as a part of Hogwarts life. But what are the real disadvantages and advantages of this system? Does it strengthen the wizarding world or contribute to conflicts? We will discuss sorting and its pros, cons, and implications within wizarding society.

Sadistic Authors and the Characters We Love (to Torment)
Mijan
Why do we do such horrible things to the characters we love? During this roundtable, we’ll discuss author psychology and reader psychology, and even scrutinize the cruel things that Rowling did to the characters in the canon books. We’ll examine some of the common (and not-so-common) ways in which we torment our characters, including (but not limited to) the Unforgivable Curses, classic torture, major illness, serious injuries, handicaps, self-inflicted injury, and even sadomasochism. Then, we’ll dig deeper to ask why we do this, and why we seem to love our characters’ suffering so much. Please note that discussion will be strictly non-graphic (analysis only).

Spare the Rod: BDSM Dynamics in Harry Potter Fanfiction
Nicole Wilcox
This roundtable seeks to explore the dynamics of BDSM and Dom/sub relationships in fanfiction and to determine its connections to real-life practice. A topic on the edge of fandom, BDSM raises questions of writer accountability. Is it the responsibility of the author to accurately represent the BDSM community, or is pure fantasy enough? Please note that discussion will be strictly non-graphic (analysis only).

Using Fanfic for Sexual Exploration
Mijan
The fanfiction is steamy and the details are explicit. The author, however, has little or no relevant personal experience. How does that work? In this discussion, we will look at how fanfic authors often write about sexual experiences they’ve never had, or would never dare to have. Why do teenage virgins write explicit sex, heterosexuals write slash, and vanilla people write kinks they’d never dare try? Is this simply a safe form of exploration? Is it a substitute? Is it just self-expression? Come share your thoughts, questions, insights, and personal perspectives. Please note that discussion will be strictly non-graphic (analysis only).

Where Have All the Witches Gone?: Minimization of Girl Power in Deathly Hallows
Kirstee Byrne
Where did all the powerful, unapologetic, badass girls go? In Order of the Phoenix, we meet Nymphadora Tonks, shape-changing Auror, and Ginny Weasley emerges as a Bat-Bogey casting, headstrong, confident girl. By Deathly Hallows, Ginny is reduced to a protected war widow, waiting for Harry Potter to return. Tonks begins Deathly Hallows as a kickass Auror—newlywed, pregnant and on top of the world—and is rewarded with a year hidden away, a dissolving marriage and an unfulfilling offstage death. This roundtable will discuss young, pretty, confident witches and their propensity for depressingly dull storylines.

Without a Net: How to Organize and Maintain a “Real-life” Harry Potter Club
Jillian Stanley
Coming soon to your town—a Harry Potter club! If that idea appeals to you, and there is no suitable club near you, maybe you’d like to start one yourself. Or maybe you already belong to a Harry Potter club, but want ideas for improving and managing your group. Our discussion will deal with the questions that must be addressed when organizing and operating a local group. Brainstorming new ideas or sharing what has worked in the past will benefit all who like to get together “IRL” as well as online.

Without Wardrobes: Accessing the Wizarding World
Amy Wilson
Alice went down the rabbit-hole and through the looking-glass; the Pevensie children found Narnia by climbing through a wardrobe. We know how J. K. Rowling’s witches and wizards access their world: by broomstick, Portkey or Floo, among other methods. But what if you’re a Squib, or the Muggle relative of a wizarding family? This roundtable will explore the methods of entry into the wizarding world and discuss the merits and drawbacks of each.

Wrocking Around Fandom: Wizard Rock’s Place in Our Hearts and Our Fandom
Julia Katz
From The Remus Lupins to The Moaning Myrtles and everything in between, wizard rock as a genre encompasses everything we love about Harry Potter. But where exactly does wizard rock fit into the huge culture that is Harry Potter fandom? This discussion will examine that issue, as well as other controversial issues surrounding the wizard rock community, including the DIY culture, fan participation, piracy, and wizard rock’s place in our hearts, minds and fandom.

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Dead Hedwig Productions presents... HP Fan Films
Erin Pyne, Pattie Beaven
The Marauders’ Worst Memory explores Hogwarts’ past, when a young Severus Snape is tricked into following Lupin into the Whomping Willow on the night of a full moon!
The Potter Prophecy delves into the decisions and betrayals leading up to the murders of James and Lily Potter.

Fantasy Casting for Harry Potter Films
Vincent Moore
Sean Connery as Mad-Eye Moody? How about that woman from that one movie to play what’s-her-name? Could anyone be a better Ron Weasley than Rupert Grint? If you were the director, who would you cast as the different character and why? Bring in pictures (printed up, in electronic format, or e-mailed ahead of time to me and I’ll add them to my presentation) of people, living or dead. Think outside the box; do you have a friend or perhaps know of another public figure who could fit the part? Come and join the discussion.

Slytherin Royale: The Good, the Bad, and the Outcast
Aja
When it's all over, we still have to decide whether it’s our parentage, our choices, or our ability... to be sorted into any house but Slytherin which determines who we truly are. This will be a roundtable spearheaded by a presentation and a graphical analysis of the outcomes of various events in Harry Potter, in the form of setting up two “teams”: the Pro-Slytherin team versus the Anti-Slytherin team. There will likely be a segment in which “teams” will be chosen from the audience and invited to represent talking points for each side of the debate. Join us for the debate you've waited seven books for!
Proxy presenter: Amanuensis

Spoofing Potter: Making of the Film Harvey Putter
Tim Richardson, Bryce Cone, Sunny Christian, Andy Swisher
Fitting everything from one Harry Potter book into a single motion picture is quite a daunting task, but what about putting all seven into one film? Join the cast and crew of the upcoming parody film Harvey Putter and the Ridiculous Premise as they discuss the processes of writing, casting, costuming, special effects, music and marketing. See sneak video previews from the film in-progress, chat with the actors and filmmakers, and watch an exclusive clip featuring London actor Kiran Shah (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia), who plays Dumpy the Houseschmuck.

The Wizard Rockumentary: A Movie about Rocking and Rowling
Mallory Schuyler, Megan Schuyler
The Wizard Rockumentary is an independent, feature-length documentary that explores the subculture of wizard rock, as well as its growth as a music genre and community, throughout the year leading to the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book. After the film screening, there will be a question and answer session with the filmmakers.

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

FANFICTION READINGS

Always You
Aria*
A revisit to Snape’s worst memory. Harry discovers the secret hidden by his father’s apparent loathing of Severus Snape.

Changes
Maggie Waller
Harry finds himself on the run from Lord Voldemort once again. Having had his wand taken away, Harry manages, with the help of Narcissa, to run away into the forests behind the Riddle mansion. Through these forests, Harry meets a girl who has come to help the Order of the Phoenix with the fight against Lord Voldemort, and soon finds she is a very useful friend to have. Together they make their way through the forest, battling a few Death Eaters along the way.

D’accord, d’accord
Mechaieh (Bronze Ribbons)
After the War, Severus Snape has more to learn. When he moves to Chicago, he finds there are still more choices to be made.

Draco Malfoy & the Heart of Slytherin
Saber ShadowKitten
After the end of book four, Voldemort is back and has re-gathered his Death Eaters. Not too long afterwards, Lucius Malfoy is arrested in connection with the murder of several Muggles. Instead of allowing Draco to stay with family or friends when his father is arrested, Dumbledore places him with Harry Potter. What was Dumbledore thinking? Alternate Fifth Year.

Eclipse
Mijan
“You’re dead, Potter... I’m going to make you pay...” Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius’s imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It’s the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco’s world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back. Post-Order of the Phoenix, Harry/Draco.

Etiquette
akiqueen
Snape is directed to teach etiquette to his class by assigning students to write letters to each other. Harry unknowingly gets Draco as his partner, and their letters soon develop into questioning what would happen if they got together. Slash.

Facilis Descensus Averno
RM and Kalichan
Facilis Descensus Averno is the narrative of the first and second Voldemort wars from the perspective of a group of Slytherin friends: Severus Snape, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Regulus Black. The story focuses on wizarding culture and politics and seeks to examine personal loyalties in a time of public chaos. The story contains a range of relationships of all persuasions, romantic and otherwise. In this excerpt we present the life of Severus Snape from his arrival at Hogwarts to his eventual tenure as its headmaster.

Gift and Burden; Tommy Serpent
Mary Johnson
“Gift and Burden”: Fourteen years after the war, Neville Longbottom encounters a dead man.
“Tommy Serpent”: A nine-year-old boy tries to persuade his father to let him keep an unusual pet.

No Loyalty in the Moonlight
Ariadne
Because some secrets aren't meant to stay buried—years after the Final Battle, Hermione will have to confront her own, even those she's kept from herself. (HG/SS; Deathly Hallows disregarded.)

Not Here
Snapekat
“No honor was given to the fallen heroes of the war. But one lies alone and forgotten and deserving of so much more. She will see to it.” Post-Deathly Hallows.

Revenge of the Pawn; The Chessmaster’s Lament
Cody Wild
At the top of that tower, on that fateful night, two men looked into each other’s eyes. One was filled with anger at being manipulated, and felt betrayed by one of the few he had trusted. The other felt regret at what the war had forced him to do, yet still hoped his plans would unfold how he intended them. When we learn of this night, the readers see events only through the eyes of a boy. Now, we learn their stories, through their eyes. Now, we learn what truly happened that night. Split into two one-shots.

The Torch; Minding the Baby
Rhetor
The Torch: On her twentieth birthday, Hermione Granger, the last witch in Britain, went to Hogwarts to say goodbye. (Winner of the Phoenix Rising Challenge for Best Fan Fiction)
Minding the Baby: Andromeda is left alone with Teddy, or so she thinks.

When You’re Gone (excerpts); Chapter Eight of Astra inclinant, non necessitant (excerpt)
Defying.Expectations/Hermione_Rocks
“When You’re Gone”: All may be well for those in league with Harry Potter, but this certainly isn’t the case for those who supported Lord Voldemort. Rodolphus Lestrange flees from Hogwarts after his lord’s demise, but he can’t ever flee her, no matter how far gone she is physically.
From “Astra inclinant, non necessitant”: What if the Boy Who Lived had been just that: a boy who happened to live, a boy who happened to survive the killing curse? What if Harry Potter had been a Squib?

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

FANART PORTFOLIOS

Rana Raeuchle
This portfolio, created with watercolors, pencils and ballpoint pens, features “cover art” for fanfics, character studies, and watercolor portraits of a few favorite characters.

Generalmanda, Renee L. Antoine
Textile Art Portfolios
Many fans have created fascinating, detailed costumes inspired by the Harry Potter books and films. This living art portfolio will feature wizarding attire. Cameras are welcome! If you have a costume that you’ve created that you want to show off, please meet us at PDR 1 at 10:30 p.m. to join the portfolio.

Shae Merritt
This portfolio includes a collection of Harry Potter-themed purses and bags created with electrical tape.

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

GALLERY ARTISTS

jin fenghuang
Gilderoy Lockhart
Platform 9 and 3/4
Happy Birthday
Myrtle’s Bathroom
Pencil
A series of drawings inspired by places and faces in the Harry Potter series.

Lauren Kent
Ron's Animal Cracker Hat
Yarn

Jessica (Jdragonfly)
Mssrs. Weasley & Weasley
pen, prismacolor ink, and paper

Kozibot
Mrs. Black’s Finest Servants
Clay sculptures

Amber Lowery (hp5freak)
To All the Characters I Have Loved Before
Voldemort\'s Inner Circle
Toujours Fertiles
Collection of crocheted blankets

Deb Matthews
The Beguiling of Severus Snape
Gift art for “The Research Project”
Pen and ink
Professor Snape
Harry Potter
Lucius and DE Lucius
Cloth dolls

Amanda K. Novak-Murano
Bearicatures: The Seekers
If Harry and Draco were teddy bears, Quidditch might look something like this...

pennswoods
Circle of Friends
colored pencil and ink

tripperfunster
The Prophecy
Stability
Graphite
The Garter
Pyjama Party
Super Harry
Pencil Crayon

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth

BOOTH STAFFERS

Art Critique Booth

Beta Booth

Drabble Booth

Sketch Booth

Papers and Lectures - | - Pre-empaneled Papers - | - Panels
Workshops - | - Roundtable Discussions - | - Additional Presentations
Fanfiction Readings - | - Fanart Portfolios - | - Gallery Artists
Booth Staffers: Art Critique Booth - | - Beta Booth - | - Drabble Booth - | - Sketch Booth