A birthday roundup and some ficcy things

First of all, to the many people on my flist whose birthdays I've let pass without comment during the last couple of months of low LJ activity on my part, I'd like to offer belated good wishes now. That's:

zoepaleologa, ozma_katiebell, lamenting_quill, ariannadawnhawk, pythonblossom, such_heights, lazy_neutrino, gabe_speaks, meddow, tree_and_leaf, spitefire, glassarchitect, ramiel7, and lacktruth -- and to lucie_p for tomorrow, and I hope I haven't missed anyone!

While on the subject, I did find myself dashing off a little giftlet on the occasion of lazy_neutrino's birthday, inspired by a certain canon ficlet that you may have seen. So it seemed not inappropriate to repost it for a wider audience below. Basically crack, although technically I don't think it actually explicitly contradicts the books ...

( The most suitable solution )

That's got me writing a bit again -- or at any rate typing up a part-handwritten outline -- so could anyone beta the end product for me? No rush, it's not for any kind of challenge or comm. Gen, about 8K words, Kingsley POV, featuring cryptic crosswords and Potterwatch. It could really do with someone willing to give a critical opinion of things like pacing, characterisation, and plot coherence, because I'm not at all sure how well it hangs together.

Lyrics: I bet you thought I'd forgotten these, didn't you? (Well, fair enough, you were right, I had.) The last one back in May was Sam Sparro's then-recent hit Black and Gold, spotted by ladybracknell. Here's an oldie, for no better reason than that I've always liked it:

Strands of light upon a bedroom floor
Change the night through an open door
I'm awake but this not my home
For the first time I'm not alone
Reaching out I touch another skin
Breathing out as he is breathing in
Deep inside I feel my soul aflame
Can my love ever be the same? (1970s)

(It's from a French original, which I must admit hadn't dawned on me until I looked it up just now.)