It was October 26, 2025, and the air inside Fully Booked BGC’s event space, The Studio, was absolutely Alchemised — charged with caffeine, Manila chaos, and pure, undiluted fandom energy. You could practically smell the excitement (along with coffee, paper, and a hint of overpriced perfume from the lady beside me clutching her Alchemised tote bag like it contained Felix Felicis). Soft music hummed from the speakers, and the scent of new books mixed with the slightly nervous sweat of approximately 50+ Dramione fans who’d waited years—literal years—for this moment.
And me? I was late. Classic.
By the time I arrived, people were already knee-deep in activities. But let’s back up for a second, because this wasn’t just any launch. This was Alchemised by SenLinYu — the officially published reincarnation of Manacled, a fic so legendary it emotionally wrecked thousands of readers across continents, time zones, and possibly dimensions. The fact that Alchemised now exists as a physical book, published by Penguin Random House, still feels like we collectively manifested it using the sheer power of fandom delusion and caffeine.
The Fandom That Raised Me
I’ve been part of the Dramione fandom for… honestly, since dial-up internet (Gen Zs ask your parents). Somewhere around 2002, when I was a teenager who should’ve been studying algebra but was instead haunting FanFiction.Net like a possessed Cornish pixie. That screeching dial-up tone? It was the soundtrack to my youth and my gateway to Alchemised dreams that hadn’t even been written yet.
I devoured stories where Hermione Granger didn’t just roll her eyes at Draco Malfoy — she saw him. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic, the slow burn, the emotional destruction followed by redemption arcs that ruined my sleep schedule and permanently altered my brain chemistry. Then came the era of LiveJournal — secret communities, password-protected fics, and icons made in MS Paint. We had spaces like ContraVeritas, Coloured Gray, and Adult-Fanfiction, the dark and delicious underworlds that birthed our obsessions long before AO3 became the mothership.
By the time Archive of Our Own arrived in the 2010s, I was fully feral — a Dramione addict with no intention of rehab.
Even my fiancé knows what Dramione is. Imagine a French man in his 40s, an engineer who literally does math for fun. He went from discussing thermodynamics to buying me a Kindle full of Alchemised-adjacent books. (Bless him, my personal sponsor of delusional literary heartbreaks.)
Oh, and that signed copy of Tom Felton’s autobiography? Yep — also courtesy of him. Technically, it was his sister Sofia who queued up at the New York signing, but let’s give credit where it’s due. The man orchestrated it like a true Slytherin strategist.
He’s basically my personal Kaine Ferron — tall, mysterious, occasionally exasperating, and somehow manages to look like he walked straight out of a morally gray fanfic. Plus, he listens to my Dramione rants with the patience of a saint and the quiet resignation of someone who knows resistance is futile.
Discovering “Manacled” — The Fic That Broke Me (Lovingly)
Let’s rewind to early 2019, when I first encountered whispers of a fic called Manacled. Shippers online spoke of it in hushed tones, like it was Voldemort’s name. I told myself I’d wait until it was complete because I have the emotional stamina of a wet tissue. Well, I lasted about three days.
Reading Manacled — now Alchemised — was like being emotionally mugged. I cried, screamed, threw my phone, then picked it back up to reread the same paragraph because SenLinYu’s writing had that hypnotic grip. It was dark, dystopian, and yet so full of love that it redefined what fanfiction could be.
When the news broke that Manacled was being Alchemised into an official Penguin-published novel, the fandom imploded. Group chats lit up like fireworks. Tumblr dashboards became therapy sessions. Our secret underground masterpiece was about to become a mainstream literary event. The collective cry of “Fanfiction IS literature!” echoed through the internet like a battle cry.
So when Dramione PH announced that the Alchemised book launch would happen at Fully Booked BGC, there was absolutely no way I was missing it. Unless a Dementor attacked me mid-Grab ride, I was going.
Book Launch Day: The Studio, Fully Booked BGC
Arriving late was tragic because the vibe inside The Studio was nothing short of Alchemised magic. At the entrance, guests were given tote bags stuffed with goodies — Dramione stickers, bookmarks, and other Alchemised-themed merch with huge thanks to the organizers and sponsors. There were activity sheets too, featuring crossword and word find puzzles based on the book. It was like Hogwarts meets Comic-Con meets a caffeine-fueled book club.
Every table buzzed with chatter. Fans solved puzzles, show off merch, debated favorite quotes, and collectively tried not to cry (or was it just me?). The air was thick with nostalgia and joy — a cocktail of emotions that could’ve powered an entire Gringotts vault.
Image Credit: Dramione PH/@capturedby_mic
The Origami Moment: Paper Cranes and Pure Emotion
Then came one of the most unexpectedly emotional parts of the event. Dramione PH invited Lorn, an origami artist, to teach everyone how to make paper cranes — a nod to Alchemised’s themes of transformation and hope.
Now, full disclosure: I’m about as crafty as a rock. My hands were shaking, my folds uneven, and yet, when that first paper crane took shape, I felt something shift. Years of late-night reading, heartbreak, and obsession condensed into that tiny folded bird. It was a tangible piece of fandom magic.
Lorn, bless her, sat behind me and even offered me her seat later. She later told Bubbles — the radiant BAMF of Dramione PH — that it was her first time teaching a group that was “kinilig” while folding paper. Guilty as charged. The entire room radiated happiness so infectious that even Professor Snape would’ve smiled (probably).
New Friends, Shared Laughter, and Fandom Family
What truly made the afternoon unforgettable wasn’t the raffles or the merch — it was the people.
I somehow scored a seat at Table 1, right at the front, surrounded by my fellow Dramione soldiers — battle-hardened veterans of fanfic heartbreak and Tumblr chaos. Within minutes, we were laughing like old war buddies who’d survived the same emotional rollercoaster. And honestly? We had. We’d all been Alchemised by the same story, scarred by the angst, and healed by the magic of the fandom.
At some point, someone suggested we should finish all 1,000 paper cranes as a group and make one collective wish. Lofty, noble, very Gryffindor of us. In reality, most of us at Table 1 managed… maybe three cranes each. But hey, it’s the thought (and the paper cuts) that count.
I didn’t get to meet all the Dramione PH admins and members, but I did meet Bubbles and the volunteers — the real MVPs — who ran the event like Professor McGonagall on a triple espresso.
Between chatting, crafting, and the occasional squeal over Dramione quotes, time just evaporated.
At one point, I caught myself in a very serious debate about which shirt would best complement my DTF sticker (that’s Dramione Till Forever, thank you very much — minds out of the gutter, people).
Loot bag goodies upon entry
Raffle, Merch Heaven, and the One That Got Away
Ah yes — the merch table. That glittering, Alchemised treasure trove I tragically, tragically ignored.
There it stood, shining like the vaults of Gringotts: shirts, art prints, bookmarks, tote bags — all in those sleek minimalist designs only real Dramione devotees could decode. Everything was on pre-sale, and I, in my infinite wisdom, thought, “Eh, I’ll just make my own later. I literally work in a company that makes corporate giveaways for big-name clients. How hard can it be? Just grab a design online and print it, right?”
Wrong. So wrong. This wasn’t about the design. This was about sentiment. About clutching something that screamed, “I was there. I felt things.” And let’s be honest — no amount of corporate freebies can replicate that level of fandom emotion.
Lesson learned: next time, this Tita Corporate-Swag here is throwing professionalism out the window and lining up with the rest of the Dramione army, wallet trembling, eyes sparkling, ready to splurge on all things Alchemised. Or Dramione, in general.
And of course — what’s a fandom event without a raffle? It’s practically sacred tradition. The prizes? Pure, unfiltered Alchemised perfection: tote bags, stickers, bookmarks, fans, and even a copy of Tom Felton’s biography — a certified holy relic for every Dramione shipper who’s ever whispered, “He’s my Draco.”
Now, I’m not exactly what you’d call lucky. The last thing I won was a stand fan and a sack of rice — peak adulting, thank you very much. But that afternoon, the Alchemised gods took pity on me. My name was called. I froze. I ascended. I won the exclusive tote bag.
My seatmate Karizza swore I manifested it. I say it was fate — the karmic reward for every night I stayed up refreshing AO3 at ungodly hours, waiting for a new chapter. Either way, I strutted out of there like I’d just won the Triwizard Tournament, tote bag in hand, heart full, and desk now graced with tiny, sacred shrines to the Alchemised universe.
The One Thing Missing: SenLinYu Herself
Of course, there was one bittersweet note that afternoon: SenLinYu herself couldn’t attend the Manila launch. Meeting her would’ve been the ultimate Alchemised moment — to look her in the eye and thank her for wrecking and rebuilding us with her words.
But even in her absence, her presence was palpable. The organizers passed around guestbooks for fans to write messages that would be sent to her. I don’t remember my exact words, but it was something mushy like, “Thank you for giving us a story that Alchemised our hearts and ruined our sleep schedules.” It felt like writing to a long-distance friend who’d unknowingly changed my life.
Image Credit: Dramione PH/@capturedby_mic
Photo Ops and Fandom Glory
When photo-op time finally hit, all bets were off — the chaos was glorious. The Studio was packed: fans clutching their copies of Alchemised, posing with their own paper cranes, showing off custom bookmarks, and trying to sneak into every camera frame possible. It was the kind of photogenic pandemonium that could only happen when fangirls and shippers unite.
And the group shots? Pure serotonin in 4K. No stiff smiles or “where do I put my hands” awkwardness — just real, radiant joy. Every grin had that unspoken message: we did it. We took years of wild theories, midnight updates, and unhinged Tumblr posts and turned them into something tangible. A whole fandom moment — beautifully, chaotically, Alchemised.
An Afternoon That Felt Like Magic
By early evening, my cheeks hurt from smiling. My tote was full, my heart fuller, I have 3 paper cranes, and enough emotional energy to power a Patronus.
I had my Kindle with me—which, let’s be honest, felt a little weird to whip out among all the proud paperback and hardbound warriors around me. Everyone was clutching their books like prized relics, and there I was holding a glorified tablet. The irony? I do own a signed hardbound copy… but of course, in true chaotic fashion, I left it at home because I was rushing. Major regret. Rookie mistake.
As I stepped out into the rainy streets of Bonifacio High Street, I had to stop for a moment—partly to avoid slipping, mostly to emotionally process what just happened. This wasn’t just a book launch; it felt like a homecoming. The fandom that raised me had officially leveled up. We’d gone from dial-up modems screaming in the night to bestselling novels gracing bookstore shelves. From secret LiveJournal fanfics typed under blankets to standing-room-only events filled with gushing fans. Our world hadn’t just evolved—it had been Alchemised.
Reflections: Why “Alchemised” Matters So Much
Here’s the thing: fanfiction has always been dismissed by outsiders as “lesser,” as if writing for love instead of profit somehow makes it unworthy. But Alchemised proved what we always knew — that fanfiction is literature.
Just to name a few — Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels actually started out as Twilight fan fiction before becoming their own bestselling series. Even Gabriel’s Inferno has the same origin story, beginning as a Twilight fanfic too!
It’s storytelling at its rawest, most passionate form. It’s the creative alchemy of turning pain, hope, and imagination into gold. SenLinYu didn’t just write a Dramione story; she wrote a human story — about trauma, survival, and the resilience of love. That’s what makes Alchemised not just a novel, but a movement.
Standing there that night, surrounded by fellow fans, I realized that we weren’t just celebrating a book. We were celebrating every night spent scrolling through AO3, every comment thread that became a friendship, every author who dared to hit “publish” on their little piece of magic.
We were Alchemised.
Epilogue: What the That Day Meant to Me
When I got home, I dropped my tote on the couch and immediately flipped open my copy of Alchemised. Between the raffles, laughter, crafts, and nostalgia, something inside me settled.
This wasn’t just about one book. It was about every story that ever saved me. Every late-night binge, every online friend who became real, every fic that made me believe in love and magic again.
Alchemised reminded me why I fell in love with stories in the first place — because they transform us. They connect us. They make us human.
And as I placed my signed Alchemised beside my battered Harry Potter books, I whispered softly, “Thank you, Sen.”
Would I do it all over again? Absolutely. Even without SenLinYu physically there, her words filled the room. We laughed, we were all kilig, folded paper cranes, won raffles, and shared pieces of our hearts.
That afternoon, we didn’t just attend a launch. We lived an Alchemised moment — proof that magic doesn’t just belong to books. It lives in us, the readers who believe.
