Harry loves Draco?

It's not surprising that a boy with special powers, rejected by his family and stuck in a closet for 10 years, holds a particular appeal for gay and lesbian readers. But the fans who take Harry Potter's queer connection to the extreme, by and large, are the straight females who write "slash"--fan-authored stories that feature J.K. Rowling's characters in gay relationships--on Web sites such as FictionAlley (www.fictionalley.org).

Rowling's latest, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, infused with more romance than the first five books combined--all of it hetero--has inadvertently fanned the slash flames. In particular, fans have pounced on a subplot that has 16-year-old Harry compulsively stalking his teen nemesis: Rowling writes that he "was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy." Slash writers simply heighten the tension until Harry and Draco inevitably fall into each other's arms. "Draco's hands crept up to Harry's face and grabbed his cheeks," one fan writes. "Harry thought for sure he meant to push him away, but instead, Draco tilted Harry's head slightly and deepened the kiss."

This torrid affair won't be in the seventh and final book when it's released years from now. But in the imaginations of slashers everywhere, it's already happened.

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