I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to have a long weekend. Siriusly, folks, it’s a good thing this semester only lasts until mid-April, because it’s an absolute beast. I thought I was tired before. Hah. Being able to sleep in on a Monday, even if it’s only one day, will be paradise. And then there’s no days off until school’s out.
Grad school is hard. And I can’t believe I’m planning to get my Ph.D.
I must be completely crazy.
And it didn’t help that I spent a good part of the week obsessively combing the internet for clues to 87. Yes, my friends, I am In The Know. I’m so proud of myself! So, I’ve officially joined the SQ87, and I welcome all subbers to my friends list. 
I must admit (with no slight meant on my fellow subbers, since it wasn’t long ago that I was one of them) that it’s quite fun leaving cryptic clues on the thread and then watching them scramble about. Probably the best part of knowing the answer, because it’s true: the real meaning is not all that exciting. Really.
It’s still worth it, though.
My quest got me interested in reading AtE again. You know, now that I know, I was wondering if I’d get all the 87 in-jokes better.
I’ve forgotten how good it is. And, even though there are obviously plot differences from what actually happened in canon, it’s amazing how much they got right. Little things. Like Keeper being Ron’s best position. Ginny’s personality and excellence at hexes. Bill/Fleur. And so much more. The characters are the characters. I can imagine them all doing exactly these things. I re-read chapter 27, The Seeker, and I was still grinning and crying, even now. And then I read Firelocks’s excellent First String (Chapter 27 3/4), and laughed and cried again. Good, good stuff. I haven’t read much fanfic lately, but this made me remember why I love it.
It also makes me want to write Albus, but that’s just going to have to wait until summer. Pity.