I am the Kat that Walks By Itself

Okay, so I'm writing a Harry Potter AU, set pre-Hogwarts. At this point in the story, Harry is nine. He does some accidental magic due to panic, the consequences of which freak him out (the details don't matter). This Harry doesn't know anything about magic, he thinks it's psi powers. But as I said, this particular thing freaks him out, and he wants to ensure he doesn't do it again. But as it was accidental, he can't be sure he won't. So what can Harry do about it?

His resources are:
* the public library
* his primary school?
That's about it.

Any ideas about what he could do? Could he train himself not to panic? How? What about mental disciplines? Is there something he could learn out of a library book? If so, what book or books? This is set in 1989, remember.

I'm pondering whether to attempt again the post-as-you-go alpha-reading experiment. It didn't work last time because there were too few people involved, I think. This time I'm considering extending it to my whole flist.
The purpose of this experiment is to help me keep up the momentum of writing (in this case, for the finish-a-thon) by posting part or all of what I'm writing (in locked posts, so that it isn't public), so that (a) I'm accountable and (b) people can encourage me to keep going. This would be completely unbetaed first-draft stuff; the point is to get the first draft done and fix it afterwards.

This has the potential to backfire, because if I post and nobody comments, that will be more discouraging than if I hadn't posted at all. Which is bad. Which means that if nobody comments, then I will stop posting, because posting would be worse for me than not posting, in that case. Unfortunately, some people could consider this to be "holding a story hostage", which is a naughty thing to do, I agree. But this isn't "a story", this is a sneak preview. I am still going to finish the story, and I am still going to be working on it, I'm just trying to find a way to make it easier for me.

Of course, the posting or not-posting is irrelevant for those who aren't interested in reading a Harry Potter pre-Hogwarts AU.

So I am making a poll.
( there be a poll! )

Title: untitled at the moment
Universe: Labyrinth

Disclaimer: This is a work-in-progress, a rough draft, un-betaed, and liable to be re-written drastically before the final version. Revisions will not be posted, just the initial version. Discussions and questions will also entail spoilers for the further plot developments of the story. The intent of this experiment is to see if I can get helpful feedback from random persons as I write. Thus, if there are comments, the experiment will continue. If you accept all these conditions, then read on...
( Prologue )

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( questions I do not know the answers to )

From lizbee: When you see this, post summaries and/or snippets of some of your most recent works in progress.
Works in progress? Ha! Not progressing at all. (kicks self)
( WIPs ahoy! )

And while I'm at it, I'll quote some snippets from some REALLY REALLY old unfinished stories that I haven't worked on in years.
( works not in progress )

Y'know, I've started an awful lot of stories over the years. Should I be glad that I've actually managed to finish as many as I have?

Here's what I'm working on, stuck on, wanting to polish, guilty about not working on.
( wat i ar ryting )