The House of Olive

AO3 writer | Tomarry & Ministry chaos | HR: Horrific Retribution Dept. updates here 🍸

[0liviathe0live]

Updated! Chapter 4 of The Department of Horrific Retributions

From: Auror [REDACTED], Senior Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement To:[REDACTED]Deputy Head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Subject: Incident Report – Kitchen break room Altercation – 23rd April At approximately 12:36 P.M., a physical and magical altercation occurred in the Level Three breakroom. Testimony was gathered from five employees. A sixth employee fled the scene before interviews could be conducted. Possibly [REDACTED]. The incident appears to have been instigated by the unauthorized consumption of artisanal pastries and the removal of a family heirloom saucer from a communal fridge. Ms. [REDACTED] claims to have conducted “official surveillance,” including use of a transfigured disguise [See attached: Fake Moustache]. Mr. [REDACTED] denies wrongdoing, citing ambiguity in fridge labelling. At 12:36 P.M., spells were cast. Floor damage consistent with standard duelling hexes was observed. Mr. [REDACTED] alleges that Ministry elves have failed to maintain cleaning standards. Recommendation: Read chapter 4! Love ya 😊

Read Chapter 4 now: AO3 link

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | Saturday, December 27th ✦ 

Current Mood: Done for the day.  Chapter 4: Reading, general clean up.  Word Count Today: I have no clue Music: None

💬 Progress Update:

Chapter 4: OMG this chapter is massive! Literally before I took out a scene or two, it was like 10k words. I literally removed both scenes and put them in chapter 5, which is also becoming massive. Right now my word count is like 8,500 words for this chapter. I’m hoping to post this chapter on January 5th - hopefully by then, I’ll have chapter 4 and 5 written. That's the goal for next week. 

📖 Snippet: UNDERCOVER AGENT PANSY: Subject: Surveillance Update – [REDACTED] AKA Il Sospettato! Il sospettato has blocked off two hours on his calendar labelled, “Thinking.” Thinking about what? The ethics of being a lunch theft? The whereabouts of our concealed snacks? Himself, probably. If you haven't already, check out chapter 3!  AO3 link

🫖 Notes for next writing session: 

Rewrite the ending of the final scene (at least 470 words).

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | Monday, December 8th ✦ 

Current Mood: Still so drained. Need to veg out on the couch.  Chapter 3: Scene 7! Word Count Today: 776 words Music: None

💬 Progress Update:

Chapter 3: Scene 7 is complete. Word count is at 6,318 words. Chapter 3 is completely finished. Tomorrow I need to focus on revision. It’s by far my least favorite but it does get the job done. I think I struggle with it, because chapter 4, which is my longest written chapter to date and it’s also my favorite, comes right after this one. 

📖 Snippet: Check out the preview here 

🫖 Notes for next writing session: 

Review chapter 3.

Switch to chapter 5 and write Ludo and Harry scene. 

Write the final chapter 5 scene (lunch scene) 

[0liviathe0live]

✏️ Sneak peek from Chapter 3 of The Department of Horrific Retribution (publishing December 10th):

At his desk, Harry found a memo lying next to an expensive box of Muggle chocolate, tied with a ribbon.  MINISTRY MEMO From: Thomas M. Riddle, Department of International Magical Relations To: Harry J. Potter, Department of Magical Games and Sports Message: Lunch today? Interested in hearing how your investigation is going. Strictly official business, of course. T.M.R Chapter 3 drops December 10th! Make sure to check out Chapter 2 before it drops.  AO3 link

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | Sunday, December 7th ✦ 

Current Mood: Feeling so drained. I hate rewriting.

Chapter 3: Scene 5 and added a new scene 6!

Word Count Today: 1085

Music: Somewhere in northern Italy - playlist - Youtube 

💬 Progress Update:

Chapter 3: Scene 5 and 6 are complete. Word count is at 5,542 words. I still need to work on scene 7 and then chapter 3 will be complete - and ready for revision. I’m hoping to rewrite scene 7 on Monday night and then revise on Tuesday, and then hopefully post on Wednesday or Thursday (Dec 10th or 11th).  Hopefully I’ll start back on Chapter 5 on Thursday or Friday :) as chapter 4 is perfect and will only need a light revision. 

📖 Snippet:

“In a grand total of 10 minutes,” Hermione began, her voice calm but carrying a sense of quiet authority, “you’ve all broken rules 1, 3 and 4!” She glanced at the group, her gaze steady. “The misuse of the enchanted notebooks is out of control. I told you all just yesterday-“ she held up her notebook, waving it slightly for emphasis, “that only HR related business should be reported.”

Harry sat up and started to speak, but a quick glare from Hermione had him choking back his words.

🫖 Notes for next writing session: 

Review and rewrite scene 7 of chapter 3

Switch to chapter 5 and write Ludo and Harry scene. 

Write the final chapter 5 scene (lunch scene) 

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | Saturday, November 29th ✦ 

Current Mood: Allergies are taking me out! But feeling productive. 

Chapter 3: Scene 2, 3, and 4

Word Count Today: 988

Music: Somewhere in northern Italy - playlist - Youtube 

💬 Progress Update: Chapter 3: Scene 2, 3 and 4 are complete. Word count is at 4,457 words. I still need to work on scene 5 and 6 and then chapter 3 will be complete - and ready for revision. I’m hoping to have 5 and 6 done by tomorrow evening. I don’t think they are going to give me as much struggles as the earlier scenes.  Hopefully I’ll start back on Chapter 5 on Monday :) as chapter 4 is perfect and will only need a light revision. 

📖 Snippet: “You’ve shown great promise in the last week,” Ludo continued grandly, as if Harry hadn’t been found napping behind the office promotional Bludger display two days prior. “And although you’ve had some moments where you’ve strayed from the path of greatness, I fully expect you to rise to the occasion.” 

“Sir - “

“This is a great honour!” Ludo emphasised, pinning him with a rare stern look. “A great one.”

🫖 Notes for next writing session: 

Review and rewrite scene 5 and 6 of chapter 3

Switch to chapter 5 and write Ludo and Harry scene. 

Write the final chapter 5 scene (lunch scene) 

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | Tuesday, November 25th ✦ 

Current Mood: Ça va plutôt bien :) 

Chapter 3: Scene 1 and 2. 

Word Count Today: 1811 words 

Music: Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs

💬 Progress Update:

Chapter 3: Scene 1

I re-read chapter 3 and hated it. I’ve felt this way for months. I’ve literally re-written two scenes in this chapter like 3 times. Today, I decided that scene 1-3 needed to be re-written. I rewrote scene 1 - Hermione’s. It’s much better. No additional notes. Proud of it - see snippet below. 

Chapter 3: Scene 2

Started working on scene 2 - the action feels off and also I need to change up how I end that scene, since I changed Harry’s processing during the Millie and Harry scene in chapter 2…. It now doesn’t align. Not finished - but half way there. More work to do tomorrow. 

📖 Snippet:

“-and disclosures. We will be reviewing FOIA. Does anyone know what FOIA stands for?” She looked eagerly around the room.

No hands shot up. No one spoke.

She tried to catch Ron’s eye, but he was looking in every direction but hers. She groaned inwardly. 

🫖 Notes for next writing session: 

Finish rewriting chapter 3, scene 2.

Re-write chapter 3, scene 3 - Pansy’s dialogue feels stiff and unnatural. 

Switch to chapter 5 and write Ludo and Harry scene. 

Write the final chapter 5 scene (lunch scene) 

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | November 24th ✦

Current Mood: Productive but not productive at all. Chapter: ??? I was supposed to be working on HR. Started a new fic. Word Count Today: 2000 words Music: Podcast - Comment se détacher du male gaze? - Hot Girls Only

💬 Progress Update:

I was supposed to be working on HR tonight - writing at least for one hour but I wasn't in the mood. I was supposed to finish up chapter 5 last week, I literally only have like two scenes left, but I didn't. And now, for the first time in a while, I finally got the itch to write and what do I do? I write 2k words on some random fic idea, which I'm now calling LR.

📖 Snippet:

With Claudia, favours were never asked. They were engineered, staged ambushes, dressed up like requests with her weaponised brand of sweetness. And Louis, idiot that he was, always fell for it. 

They’d spent the evening eating Tony’s pizza, cross-legged on the couch under a shared blanket, smoking entirely too much weed while Claudia buttered him up with compliments. 

Louis’s best friend was a manipulative thing, made worse by his complete inability to say no to her. 

She passed him the blunt, unlit, like she was presenting the Crown Jewels. He took it with a raised brow. She smiled, soft and sweet. 

Louis lit it up, knowing full well he was walking into a trap.

“Brother Lou,” Claudia started as he was inhaling. “I need your help.” 

She only called him ‘brother’ when she wanted something, and ‘Daddy Lou’ when he was doing too much. 

🫖 Notes:

[0liviathe0live]

✨ Updated... The Department of Horrific Retribution (Otherwise Known as “HR”) ✨

“Ah! There he is!” Ludo exclaimed, as Harry breezed into the room, hair windswept and tie askew. “Fashionably late!  Just like your father back in the day. Sit, sit!”

Harry gave a sheepish wave to the room, ignoring the unimpressed look from Millicent Bulstrode, who sat next to Tom, sipping her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her from hexing someone – most likely Harry. 

“We’ve been waiting ten minutes,” Millicent said, arms folded. “The meeting was supposed to start at ten.” 

Ludo waved a hand in the air as if brushing away a pesky fly. “Oh, come now, Ms. Bulstrode, what’s ten minutes between friends? We’re lucky to have young Harry join us at all, what with how busy he has been these last couple of days.”

Harry Potter and his oddball colleagues bumble their way through a crusade to unmask the Lunch Bandit. What begins as missing meals quickly spirals into unlikely alliances, inappropriate romances, ministry politics, and secrets that go far beyond a sandwich.

Read Chapter 2 now: AO3 link

[0liviathe0live]

✏️ Sneak peek from Chapter 2 of The Department of Horrific Retribution (publishing November 24th): “Ah! There he is!” Ludo exclaimed, as Harry breezed into the room, hair windswept and tie askew. “Fashionably late!  Just like your father back in the day. Sit, sit!” Harry gave a sheepish wave to the room, ignoring the unimpressed look from Millicent Bulstrode, who sat next to Tom, sipping her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her from hexing someone – most likely Harry.  “We’ve been waiting ten minutes,” Millicent said, arms folded. “The meeting was supposed to start at eleven.”  Ludo waved a hand in the air as if brushing away a pesky fly. “Oh, come now, Ms. Bulstrode, what’s ten minutes between friends? We’re lucky to have young Harry join us at all, what with how busy he has been these last couple of days.” Chapter 2 drops November 24th! Make sure to check out Chapter 1 before it drops.  AO3 link

[0liviathe0live]

✦ Writing Log | November 13th ✦ 

Current Mood: ☕ mildly unhinged but productive

Chapter 2 and 5: In Our Bosses We Trust and ???

Word Count Today: 850 words

Music: The Tortured Poets Department - I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) 

💬 Progress Update:

Reviewed and edited Chapter 2: In Our Bosses We Trust! I absolutely love this chapter, because its in essence the exact fanfic that I was wishing for - wishing to stumble across. Chapter 1 was a great opener, but Chapter 2 is a great example of how the rest of the story will look and flow.

Really honed in on the Ludo, Harry, Tom and Millie scene. I’m obsessed with Ludo. 

📖 Snippet:

“Sir - uh, could I bring them by later today?” he asked, swallowing audibly. “My handwriting is atrocious, and I doubt they’d prefer deciphering runes over meeting notes.”

Harry let out an awkward laugh that Ludo did not reciprocate. 

🫖 Notes:

The theme of this chapter is: Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

Yes, I wrote 850 words tonight. Was 770 words for a random scene that I thought up this morning - that probably won’t even pop up into this story until CHAPTER 5? Yes, damn!!! Fuck! The rest of my word count went to Chapter 2 :) - All 80 words. 

[0liviathe0live]

✨ Introducing... The Department of Horrific Retribution (Otherwise Known as “HR”) ✨

“Now, what was this about your lunch?”

“Someone’s nicked it,” Harry said. “And I figured, well, you’re practically the government. You must have contacts. Leverage. Sandwich-related intelligence.”

“Harry, I occupy a position of semi-importance within the Ministry. Unfortunately, I don’t trifle in the condiment-based grievances of civil servants.”

“Fair. I can see this is above your pay grade,” Harry said with a sigh, standing. “No need to trouble yourself. I’ll have a word with my father, he’s with the Aurors, after all.”

He turned toward the door, only for Tom to stand and catch his wrist.

Harry smothered a grin as Tom tugged him back into his seat.

Tom’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really want me to open a formal investigation on a missing sandwich?”

Harry Potter and his oddball colleagues bumble their way through a crusade to unmask the Lunch Bandit. What begins as missing meals quickly spirals into unlikely alliances, inappropriate romances, ministry politics, and secrets that go far beyond a sandwich.

Read Chapter 1 now: AO3 link