Any idea what the word count is, Deb? You might just focus on one case, rather than a couple, and really go in-depth with why it haunts him.

Such a good idea to use Ormand -- I'd love to see more of him.

Do we have any Latin experts around here? I'm fairly competent at recognizing Latin roots and deducing general meanings from unfamiliar words, but I need something precise. I had no idea it was such a complicated language, all stems and cases and such. Try to find one word for "blood" and you come upon "well, if it's this case, it has this ending, and what gender is it, too?"

I need the Latin of "blood for the blood," meaning a family member serving the family, up to and including offering blood. There's a Harry Potter fic bunny sitting quietly but purposefully in my brain, and my fetish for precision is demanding proper Latin and not what I can fudge together.

Well, in the sense of "lineage" it would be natura naturae or genus geni

In the literal sense, it's sanguis sanguis.

You can also do mix and match, so sanguis geni would work (and mean blood of the family-blood)

Or, you could make a case for the lineage-blood should be plural for the Wizarding world (blood of the bloods), which would make them naturarum and genorum for the second word

The literal one is nice, because it can be read backwards and forward, the individual serving the family and vice versa.

Such deuced useful folk around here, thank you!

Not exactly. It's just that the Genitive (which indicates "of") is the same construction as the nominative in its declension

But, you know. I'm a geek.

You can also bastardize a bit and be true to the books, if you want to tweak to make it flow better. Let me know if you want me to look for you saying something you don't mean to be.

It was my pleasure to get out the slightly-rusty Latin for a spin

But, you know. I'm a geek.

I loves me some geek.q

I suppose Magical Latin could be as different in its way as Church Latin and Classical Latin, thereby excusing variants with the explanation that intent and direction of power is the primary purpose of the Latin. And while we're on the subject, what is the chief difference between Church Latin and Classical Latin?

edit: Who knew that I'd learn more about Latin while writing fanfic than any other way?

Mostly, IME, pronunciation. The Church doesn't pronounce every letter exactly the same way whenever it occurs the way Classical does. I bet there's some more (apart from an on-goingly-updated vocabulary.), but I don't know from Catholic very much.

Any idea what the word count is, Deb? You might just focus on one case, rather than a couple, and really go in-depth with why it haunts him.

3500 minimum, 7000 maximum. A LOT of room to play.

Magical Latin could be as different in its way as Church Latin and Classical Latin

Jim Butcher has fun with Magical Latin in his Harry Dresden series. His fire-starting incantation is Fliccum Biccus.

Behind the Door

The non-descript doors could be gateways to all that was bountiful or all that lived at the bottom of the abyss. She had worked and saved for this chance for years. Ever since she had heard of the possibility of getting her heart’s desire with just one choice, she had schemed and planned on a day-to-day basis just how she would get there. Now, her opportunity had arisen without even a knock on the door. But, if she made the wrong choice it could all be over. Paradise was just one step away, now.

“I’ll take door number three, Monty.”

Editted to get the gameshow host correct!