Just your average HP fan, with a special interest in the H/G relationship.
I've just submitted my first fan fic, He Didn't Stand A Chance. Please read and review!
July 19: For anyone who is interested in reading the other two chapters of He Didn't Stand A Chance, they can be found on the SIYE web site, where it was nominated for Best Romance and Best Overall. The story can be located either through the title or my pen name, The Seeker. A second story, a one-shot called A Trunk, Some Magic, and a Girl, also can be found there. Two guesses who the girl is! If you do visit, please leave a review. Thanks!
Wow! Great chapter! Muggles continue to create problems for Harry and his friends. I'm wondering if you're using this as social commentary. Hmmm.
Anyhow, the chapter was very exciting, and Fawkes's saving Ron was a great idea -- I'm assuming he will be okay and return Harry's "sight" to him soon. Hopefully, Ginny will be able to overcome her experience with that criminal.
Your writing style again made this chapter a very fast read.
Author's Response: I don\'t think it\'s a social commentary... after all I\'m not a wizard, so they can\'t all be bad, right? Originally I was never going to mention the muggles from the beginning again, but this chapter presented an opportunity for him to get what he deserved. =)
I really liked how you showed Harry's wonderful sensitivity with Ginny as she comes to terms with what she did. You convey their bond very well, showing that they are getting closer to each other. I'm really glad Fawkes has recuperated, since he's so important to Harry.
Thanks a lot for the cliffie!
Author's Response: I\'m glad you appreciated it! I\'m sure the cliffies are more fun and less annoying now that the stor is posted in full; the cliffhangers were making some people a little crazy since sometimes they had to wait up to two weeks on a cliffhanger ending.
You destroyed Grimmauld Place? But Harry's new house sounds great! I'm sure the Christmas gifts Ginny and Harry exchanged will play a part down the line. Really liked the Fawkes feathered quill.
Oh, one thing I haven't commented on yet: your personalization of Fawkes. It has been spot on, with what canon has shown and implied he can do. Excellent job incorporating him into your story.
Also, thanks for responding to my reviews, even though you finished the story quite a while ago!
On to the castle!
Author's Response: Yeah, Grimmauld place was old and filled with bad memories. I thought it was as expendable as can be. I\'m glad you liked the characterization of Fawkes; I felt like he was pretty much my only \'original\' character in this story. I know J. K. invented him, but I chose to give him more personality, and I\'m really glad it was believable. =)
Wow! Very exciting chapter! Great twist with having Bellatrix's curse take out both Fawkes and Harry. Never thought she and the other DE's would be there.
Really liked Ron as a lion. It seems very appropriate.
Author's Response: Yeah, I can imagine Ron being very full of himself about it too. I felt llike another Death Eater confrontation was necessary; it had been a while. =)
Amazingly exciting chapter! Very logical and understandable explanation of what Fawkes's reaction to Bella's curse did to Harry. I knew his feather would come into play!
Very intense fighting, especially having it mostly in the sky, and with a number of different confrontations. Now, we need to find some horcruxes!
Author's Response: Thanks! I remeber this chapter was a whole lot of fun to write, mostly because of all the action, and because of the suspense. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat writing it.
Ghost, This is a great line (or partial sentence) ". . . a slight breeze seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, like the chilled breath of death itself caressing their skin in anticipation." Wonderful writing!
Another breath-grabbing chapter, from the dementors to the badgers (very appropriate and canon-correct) to Hermione's quick thinking. Really liked Hermione and Ron lighting themselves to open the archway, so Harry could finally understand what his independent actions do to his friends.
Frankly, the chapters keep getting better and better!
Author's Response: I actually remember being really proud of that line; I\'ve been trying to include more and more descriptive writing in my stories, and I think that\'s one of the things I\'ve improved on most. (I don\'t think I was that great when I started.) I\'m glad you think the chapters get better and better, I really think so too.
Thanks so much for responding to all of my very late reviews. It helps to get your thoughts behind the chapters. Again, the plotting and story elements were very imaginative and understandably written.
I'm looking forward to your using more literary elements in the sequel, since I liked the "whisper hanging in the air" phrase so much, and several others subsequently, by the way. (Excuse me if I didn't quote it exactly.)
Glad to hear everything is working well, matrimonially speaking!
See you at the sequel! Any other stories in the works?
Author's Response: I hope I did a good job with the sequel along those lines. I am working on another story but it is something of my own that I hope to be able to publish. We\'ll see what happens. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
The chapters really are getting more and more exciting! Double horcrux demolition! Even with the title of the chapter, I didn't add it up. Again wonderful plotting, because the horcrux hunt can take a lot of pages (and readers' patience).
Great ending with the twins coaxing the truth out of the ferret in a manner only they could come up with! Very, very creative.
While rather late, congratulations on your wedding/marriage!
Author's Response: I kind of think this one might be accurate; after all why DID Voldemort go to the school to ask for the job. I\'m sure the methods of finding it and destroying it will be different, but it will be interesting to see if I\'m right. The twins were a lot of fun to write in this chapter. And thanks for your congratulations! We\'ve been married ten months and things are wonderful!
Ghost, I didn't think this chapter was disappointing. Instead, it established the setting and strategy, while giving us a glimpse at Harry's thoughts. The interaction with Fawkes was especially poignant. I do think it was helpful to have a chance to take a deep breath, before you throw us into the maelstrom of the battle.
So, once again, great job on all fronts!
Author's Response: Yeah, I think a deep breath was necessary, though I still felt like this chapter was just filler. It fits with the rest of the story, I just felt bad for people who waited two weeks for the next chapter and ended up with this and another two weeks before the excitement started. =)
Hi, Ghost, I've skipped reviewing since the Reus Chapter, because I couldn't stop reading. For several chapters, I was barely breathing, especially when Harry was in the "Mind."
Incredible ending sequence! I have to tell I almost stopped and cursed you after the Mind chapter. I couldn't believe you'd killed everyone. Thankfully, things picked up after that, and I could breathe again, so no curses were flung in your direction!
You've created a wonderful, imaginative story, with elements -- Harry's blindness and the relationship with Fawkes -- that distinguish it from most of the others.
It's been a pleasure reading your story, and I'm off to read your next one.
Author's Response: Things do get pretty tense around the end, don\'t they? My greatest fear in writing this the way I did was that people would get angry at what seemed to be happening and stop reading. (I\'d stop if I thought someone killed Harry or Ginny.) I tried to leave little hints along the line letting people know I wouldn\'t do that for real, but I just had to do it no matter what. I had this ending planned from the very beginning, and I thought it was a lot of fun. I\'m really glad you enjoyed the story; my main goals was something that was believable yet still original. I hope you enjoy the sequel and I hope you\'ll let me know what you think of it. I\'ve enjoyed your reviews, and I\'ll answer any you leave for the other story as well. Thanks!
Very well done chapter! I really like how you used canon as a starting point for the search and creatively showed a way that another horcrux could be hidden. Well done!
The chapter had an edge of the seat excitement that was sustained throughout.
The only problem is you seem to like evil cliffies! You owe us another chapter for doing that to your loyal readers.
Author's Response: Yes, I\'m bad when it comes to leaving the reader on the edge. :)
I\'m glad you enjoying the story and there is MUCH more excitement to come.
You took us through a nice range of emotions there! From Harry's frustration over the Muggle killings to Quidditch and the gift from his parents. Well done, especially well done was Ginny's handling of Harry's mood at the start of the chapter.
Looks like Tolman is setting the stage to extort as much gold from Harry as he can. Will we find out soon?
Author's Response: Thank you!!! Look for chapter 27 to find out what Tolam is up to. Thanks for your review!
Wow! Great chapter, but it really leaves us hanging. Snape's note and the key strongly indicate he was working with Dumbledore. And that means Harry will beat himself up for not explaining about the vow, though that's something Snape could have said in his defense, I guess. Hermione's letter generates just as many questions, with her cryptic "good and bad news." Plus, I think Tolman plans on asking for as much gold as he can get from Harry.
Then, you leave us hanging!!! You are a very sneaky, creative writer!!! Next chapter, please.
Author's Response: Sorry about the cliffhanger, but it seemed like a good place to stop. Besides, it keeps you coming back for more *rubbing hands together with an evil grin* Anyway, it will be a little longer for an update, but I think it will be worth it. :)
I just found your story and have caught up with all the chapters.
You've introduced some very interesting elements, so it will be fun to see where you go.
Really like your ch 22 cliffie!
When will we see ch 23?
Author's Response: Thank you!!!!! I just finished chapter 23 and 24, so as soon as I can post and get it validated, it will be up!
Very intense chapter, especially since Harry isn't in it. It seems Tolman's mistake actually brought good luck, since the goblins are now with the Light Side.
But with each question you answer, several more came up, which means we need the next chapter quickly, please.
As always, your writing made the chapter move very quickly and your descriptions made everything easy to follow. Well done!
Author's Response: Thank you! I really appreciate your review. And yes I always like to satisfy the reader by not holding out on unanswered questions for too long, but I have to introduce new ones to keep you coming back for more! he he he... Oh, and next chapter is off to my beta.
Another exciting chapter! Loved how you worked in Aberforth's 'goat story,' with a very realistic and funny explanation. Well done!
Ginny remains very well written, even when you used her to launch the goat story.
Time to wake up Harry?
Author's Response: Thank you! I absolutely love Ginny, so it always makes me happy to hear that I\'ve done a good job on her. And yes, it\'s definitely time for Harry to wake up. ;-)
Nuw, another exciting chapter! I had a feeling Bill would live, but you still surprised me with how he got away. As usual, very creative. I'm very partial to your Ginny, and she was so strong in literally beating some sense into Harry for him shying away from her. He won't make that mistake again. Ginny's dialogue in that section was spot on. She said the things that needed to be said, and you really captured her "voice." Well done!
You covered a lot of bases in this one. I assume we soon will revisit Jarius's problem, because you left (intentionally, I assume) a lot of unresolved issues.
Nuw, I really, really enjoyed this chapter, but please update a little quicker (and format correctly -- lol).
Author's Response: Thanks! Yeah, I really wanted to get rid of Greyback and this seemed like a pretty good way to go about it. We will definitely be revisiting Jarius and his issues, at least insofar as Harry is involved with trying to help him. I\'d love to update quicker, but it\'s finals week and I\'ve got a LOT to do. Hopefully I\'ll have a chapter ready to submit soon, as I\'m well aware that it takes the Mods a while to get this story\'s chapter\'s up.
I just started your story today and finally caught up. Your plot twists and characterizations are wonderful.
Can't wait to see what you do next? When do we get chapter 24?
Author's Response: Wow, the whole thing in one day? That\'s impressive! I\'m flattered. Chapter 24 is in the queue, so it should be up before too long.
Are you acquainted with the rule that you owe your readers an extremely fast next chapter whenever you leave them with an evil cliffie?
Nuw, you do such a good job of leading us on, then stopping us right on the edge of a crucial scene. Great job! But very frustrating until we get the next chapter.
When do we see Jarius again?
Author's Response: Hmmm.... I wasn\'t aware of that rule, but maybe I\'ll have to tell some of the authors who have stories on my favorites list about that one. It makes no difference to me, though, since pretty much all of my updates happen as fast as humanly possible. I mean, the next chapter is already in the queue. (You may now commence partying.)
I\'m glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I really do hope that the next one gets validated quickly. To answer you question, yes, you will see Jarius again. You\'ll see him in the very next chapter, in fact.
Irritating logout! It must be five seconds long, and I didn't save the review. Oh well, here's an approximation:
Another great chapter! Really liked the dueling, especially the image of Hagrid brandishing his pink umbrella -- not that I would tease him about it!
Since you introduced the possibility of Harry being a horcrux, I'm interested in learning whether you think JK will have Harry be a horcrux in the seventh book.
You did a very good job showing Ginny calming Harry over his horcrux concerns. Great ending, with the towel dropping to the floor!
When do we get the next chapter?
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I\'m glad you liked the image of Hagrid dueling with his umbrella. He may be largely untrained, but he does know a few spells.
I really don\'t know what to think about Harry being/not being a Horcrux in canon. It\'s one of those things I\'m constantly vacillating on. All I can really say is that I don\'t think Harry\'s going die in DH, so either he\'s not a Horcrux or he\'ll figure out some way of destroying it without dying.
The next chapter may not be submitted for a couple of days. I need to edit it, and I\'ve got quite a bit of schoolwork going on at the moment. I promise it won\'t be too long, though.