The Author and his stories:

I'm known on other sites (e.g. FictionAlley and Portkey) as Paracelsus, but that name was already taken here. I got into fanfiction back in 2003, and decided to try my hand at writing it. Since then, I've written over a dozen stories, all set in the Harry Potter universe. The majority were canon-compliant at the time they were written; the oldest are horribly AU now, but still worth a read, one trusts. I'll be posting them here on Fanfiction as time permits.

The current WIP, "Coming Back Late", is also a WIP on Portkey... but with a little tightening of scenes, correction of errors, etc. In essence it remains the same story, however.

The story "Restoring Hope" was written after the publication of Half Blood Prince, but before Deathly Hallows. It's canon-compliant for Books 1-6, but AU for Book 7. Expect to see differences here and there, and don't worry about the discontinuity in the timeline.

My philosophy of fanfiction:

I see fanfiction as a way of exploring all the facets of a writer's world that they hadn't time, or inclination, to explore for themselves. In the case of Harry Potter's universe, an example would be wizarding government: we know there's a Ministry, with a Minister, and multiple departments; and some body called a Wizengamot, which among other things judges cases. And that's all we're told in canon, really; so it's fun to try to construct a reasonable working government from that scant foundation.

Shipping is a strong element of the majority of fanfics -- in many cases, the fanfic exists solely for the ship. I don't ignore shipping, but none of my stories have that as their sole reason for existence... and I hope (I trust) that readers can enjoy the stories regardless of whether they agree with the ships therein.

That said...

I still prefer Harry to be with Hermione, with Luna a close second. As far as I'm concerned, no solid case was made in the text of the books for Harry to be attracted to Ginny; and I am firmly convinced that, although Ron and Hermione would attempt a relationship (that pairing was sufficiently built in canon), they would be at each others' throats within a year.

That said...

I've read and greatly enjoyed Harry Potter fanfics that paired Harry with Hermione, with Ginny, with Luna, with Tonks, with Parvati, with Susan, and with Ron & Hermione together ("Menage a Trio"). Many of them required some character development, especially if they hewed close to canon at the beginning; that's fine with me. It's the quality of the writing that counts. And I've read and greatly enjoyed fanfics where no pairings took place. If you agree with me, that the story is paramount and the shipping an afterthought, then feel free to read, review, and critique my stories. Thank you!