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omg all my wee claws… you can just feel the sense of relief going on. it’s very when the cats away the mice will play, or in this case it’s audrey who’s away. the tone totally shifts, which makes perfect sense, and they just seem like they’re having such a good holiday. No educational decrees, no school, treats and dates and fun. and peeves. which was such a nice addition, honestly the fact he’s smart enough to figure out the riddles makes total sense, he kinda has this pretty devious mind which is definitely smart enough to work out something that first years can. loved all the characters throughout!
i'll be back for the next one!
d x
veni, vidi, foxi.
Haha and Audrey threatening them with detention with Snape if they break quiet hours haha! I love how you portray her as having this authority about her but also a great sense of sarcastic humor. And of course, the tension between her and Evan has made for excellent comedy this entire time. :)
And I also thought you did a great job including canon events in this from the Ravenclaws points of views. I love the end image of Peeves chasing Umbridge from the castle. I think it concluded everything quite nicely and brought about some justice that was needed for them all.
This was a really creative, enjoyable fic to read. Thanks for writing it!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Thanks for stopping by!
While both Evan and Audrey have authority, Audrey is the one who knows how to wield it well. Evan is the fun big brother, and Audrey is the one who enforces more rules. They're both sarcastic, but I feel like Evan comes off as a bit more sweet? Audrey is just done with everything.
Thanks! I had to extrapolate dates from the HP wiki, so I'm glad that they fit in nicely! I think that was the most difficult part of this fic, to be honest. I love the image of Peeves chasing Umbridge out as well, and I thought it'd be a nice thing to end on.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Aww Audrey has the sweetest self-care tips for them all going through their dreadful exams. Again, her "Mom friend," nature is showing :)
And Fred and George ARE the heroes of the school during this dark time like omg. And then the debates turn into discussing their escape and how they can aid in the resistance. I love how the Weasley twins inspire them to likewise not give an eff and therefore, they're all just writing whatever they feel like on the board now haha.
You can definitely see a change of tone in this chapter that correspondences with the events. In fact you can throughout this entire piece. But this is the chapter that had me so excited to see them all fighting back in the ways they felt they could :)
Like party in the Astronomy Tower? Hah. I love these kids so much!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Hey, Courtney! Thanks for stopping by!
I had to look up so many dates for this fic. If there is a boo-boo in the canonical dates, my b. I worked off of the HP wiki, and I actually had to cross-reference for specific incidents, specifically in this chapter. I apologize now for not being able to do math, but I did try.
This is also the point in the fic where I also stopped giving a fuck. I wrote this as a way to get rid of stress by writing one of the most ridiculous things I've ever written, let alone published (and it's somehow the most popular), and I just kinda... ran out of canon at this point? I decided to just fuck it and write what I wanted, and the Ravenclaws kind of embody that. Also, it's really hard to keep everything on track and remember who each note is. I really should have had them do initials at the end of every single note. That being said, I know who wrote most of them, but there are a few that there are a couple likely suspects.
Alfred, honestly, lives up to his initials. Evan is also really tired of having to write to his aunt. Or his mother. I don't remember if Alfred is his cousin or his brother. I made too many Fawleys. They're like the Ravenclaw Weasleys.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Aww I love that Peeves has a part in this. He's a character that we forget about but, he does have moments of great importance. And then in general Peeves fashion, he does something like drop balloons full of syrup on the students LOL.
And the fact that you made him a contributor to the board haha! I love it so much!
And then oh shit, it gets serious. I love the idea of a self-destructing message though, very clever detail! And Audrey and Evan faking handwriting samples in order to fill the comments box so it doesn't look totally suspicious is another gem of an idea. I can tell how much you thought about this idea and I can see how it won most creative story :)
It is also really enjoyable!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Thanks for stopping by, Courtney!
I needed someone other than Umbridge as a sort of antagonist (though he's really just a bother in this one, tbh), and Peeves, unlike Umbridge knows how to get into the common room. No, he doesn't answer riddles. He just shakes a window open and goes in that way. I feel like he might occasionally have right answers for Knocker, but he just bypasses that.
This is probably about as serious as this series gets, tbh, especially since this was meant to be a bit of silly fun. That being said, this fic is slightly more serious than the next one in the series, mostly because I had a vague plan to go off of. The second one didn't, and I feel like that shows a little bit too much.
Audrey and Evan are very bad at faking handwriting. Like, seriously bad. They also are terrible at coming up with pseudonyms to sign the fake letters with, though they tend to be anagrams. Umbridge doesn't really pay attention to what students there are anyway, so it's not like they'll get caught. The self-destructing message felt like it would be a useful spell, especially when passing notes in class.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Can I just say the whole repetition of "snacks will be provided." Like yes, I understand for purposes of this format it is necessary, but there is just something really catchy about reading it multiple times at the tail end of multiple crisis (both actually serious and just plain hilarious).
And I love the "theoretical example," of the tutoring groups. Another instance of wry, "we're totally breaking the rules, but we aren't because of this technicality," humor. The way you write that in here is just *chefs kiss*
And aww the little social things for all the different years as hosted by the House Prefects. I love it! We need this injection of sweetness every now and again due to the events transpiring. And the Weasley humor especially. Oh...it's escalating because we're reaching the end of the school year, I just got it! :)
Also, "Please stop having the first years squirt us with water. We’re not cats." Had me LOLing. Along with "Besides there can be clever Gryffindors."
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Hey, Courtney!
Would like to start this by saying my b for taking so long. I, uh, have no excuse, but I'm trying to get all of these reviews replied to before the end of the year.
The Ravenclaws don't break rules. They just, you know, bend them to the point where it might be preferable that they break. Also, I just felt like they wouldn't outright break rules because then they could get caught, and the Ravenclaws are supposed to be the clever ones.
Snacks will be provided is honestly how they get people to show up to things. These children are very junk food-motivated, and Audrey uses that to her advantage. I actually found it hilarious every time I wrote it because it felt really surreal, especially when it was a serious crisis, and they were pointing out that there would be snacks.
Yes, that's totally why the Weasley humor was escalating, not because I just like writing Fred and George being chaotic. Totally.
Fred and George are my favorites to write in this fic because I can make them a bit over-the-top and it still works, so I'm glad you enjoyed my favorite line to write in this chapter. Might be my favorite in this whole fic. I'm not sure.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Ok, so I love this starts with Umbridge as going to ban their debates. But then on the board they start into a mini-debate about who is round more tight Snape or Umbridge. And then it dissolves into debating current events on there. So even if debate club officially becomes banned (seems like it's still happening in spite of Umbridge being all "no, no," about it), I feel like they have this method of debating relevant and irrelevant (which is also very fun) to one another.
And part of me wonders if Luna is the student "concerned," about Snape. Again, just feels like a very Luna thought to me. Also, did you always come up with specific people for who these "anonymous," posters were? Or did you sometimes just randomly write something? Things I am now thinking about in great length. ;)
LOL Rita Skeeter WOULD get a school newspaper shut down. Now I'm curious about that...care to ever write a fic about it? ;)
Another job well done here!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Hey, Courtney!
Luna is not the concerned student. The concerned student is someone who I have written before, and they are not Luna. I am very sorry to say that Luna doesn't show up in this Notes, but she is in the second one! Sparingly. I am not great at writing Luna, so she's... well, you'll see. The research questions were very specific people, and I don't know if anyone but me would figure them out for a couple reasons. Sometimes, they were just random thoughts I had that I attributed to one of the students, and some are for plot reasons in another fic. Well, an eventual fic once I get past the stupid Goblet of Fire.
I am not going to write that fic simply because I have way too much on my fic plate as-is, but if anyone wants to write the story of how Rita got the Hogwarts Times shut down, please let me know and give me a link so I can read it. Seriously. I would love to read that. Honestly, it was probably just straight-up gossip-mongering and muckraking. Maybe Bertha was involved.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Bahaha Audrey's coming back feels very "gird your loins," a la Devil Wears Prada. You really draw us in with this sense of urgency with this first post, and it's almost like we can imagine everyone scrambling around the common room behind the scenes trying to fix anything that might fall short of Audrey's standards.
I love her concern for everyone in the follow up note though...sweet gal <3
Omgawsh I live for the random napping exchange haha. Very important questions though if you are new and in need of a good napping place. I also like how you take the opportunity to flesh out the setting a bit more with these notes and the little details we get.
Haha the whole Audrey note about Hogsmeade was great. Her acting all maternal and stuff in trying to ensure their safe. Ok, I get it, it's also part of her duties as Prefect. But she definitely gives off "mom friend," vibes in this. And I love the "Evan and I aren't made of Galleons." But also, I love how they took an "uncool," thing and turned it "cool," as a way to ensure everyone's safety. Top notch Prefects!
And the Fawleys being like the Weasleys of Ravenclaw Tower...I love it!
Great chapter!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Hey, Courtney! Thanks for reviewing!
I just realized that, and that is way more clever than I was thinking when I wrote this. It was much more chaotic and frenzied than in the Devil Wears Prada. They mostly had to hide the snacks, tbh.
I just really want to live in Ravenclaw Tower??? I hope that comes through because I would honestly love this place with the books and squashy chairs and numerous cats. I just... I just really love it so much.
They are definite the parent friends. Audrey much more than Evan, who is more like the cool big bro or young uncle. I had thoughts about this, but I forgot them, but basically, Audrey and Evan love their little eagles very much. And, yes, the Fawleys are like the Weasleys of Ravenclaw, but there are more of them. They're not all siblings (though Evan and George, the prefect in the next one) are siblings. A lot of them are cousins, and they're numerous and very chaotic.
Thanks again for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
LOL the twins breaking into Ravenclaw Common Room. Well I mean...it's the twins. We almost expect it from them. But I love how they're going to different houses now to try and evade Hermione LOL. Perfect Weasley scheming, right there!
"A seventh year who is most certainly not a Prefect..." like I don't even know though if it is or isn't you Evan? ;) There is some unreliable narration going on here, but I don't mean that as a criticism. I think it's totally believable given the format of this fic. And it makes stuff like that funnier.
Ooh a spell for weighted blankets! Yes, I imagine anxiety runs rampant throughout Hogwarts, and that sort of thing would be much needed.
And Cho being such a badass with her note about the Impervious Charm. <3 And like we know she's learning it in DA, but the fact that this is included here just gives her character a fierceness that I wish we saw more in canon. But thank goodness for fanfics like this one :) And LOL at her snark about "please don't make us sit through another dental seminar and brush your teeth."
And them all nicking butterbeer for the holidays. I love it. It makes me feel a little less sad for the kids who have to stay at Hogwarts. You give them some fun, sweet stuff to look forward to. Especially since this year is total trash for all of them with Umbridge and the Ministry invasion. I think you do a good job of balancing all the feelings associated with this particular year at Hogwarts. :)
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Hey, Courtney! Thanks for stopping by!
Fun fact: all of the Weasley children are capable of entering the common room. Another fun fact: only five of them have done so (and two of them are Fred and George). An even more fun fact: Padma tells Hermione about Fred and George's scheming at the next prefect meeting, so Hermione lectures them.
Oh, it's definitely Evan. I don't remember this chapter all that much, but it was definitely Evan. I both like and dislike how unreliable the narrators are in this because there's lots of stuff that goes on behind the scenes, but then no one gets to see it because, well, it's behind the scenes. That is the one problem with this series of fics because I want to show off what's going on behind the scenes, but I can't.
If there were a spell for weighted blankets, I would use it in a heartbeat. I love my comforter very much, but it just needs to be slightly heavier. I feel like you could just enchant whatever blanket you want, which would be really nice. Maybe there are more spells similar to this one that could be useful for things like that...
Listen, I did not like Cho when I first read the books. As I grew up, I realized that she got done dirty in the books, so I set out to rectify that. To me, she's like a caring big sister to the younger Ravenclaws, so I try to incorporate that characterization into this and my other fics. I like what I've done with her, and I hope you do too! I wanted to flesh her out a bit, and I made her a prefect for a reason! Also, I too would not like to have to sit through a dental seminar, so maybe she was being my mouthpiece.
They sort of party it up in the tower during the winter holidays. I know that we don't see much of that during the series, which is why I took the liberty of making this a bit more lighthearted at times. Not saying that it doesn't get dark, but I like the balance I gave this fic. We'll see if the balance works out that well for the next one. I think part of it is that we have the Umbridge stuff going on, but it gets worse as the year goes on. For quite a few of the books, the rest of Hogwarts doesn't really deal with the plot? Like, HBP comes to mind as one where the rest of Hogwarts has absolutely no idea what's going on with Harry, but the whole war thing is going on, so there's that. It's a bit weird, looking at the plots from the perspective of the other students, so I'm glad it came across!
Thanks again for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Ooh riddles! So I am garbage at them, but they seem so quintessentially Ravenclaw, I was excited to see them featured in this! :)
Haha I love the person willing to pay their Arithmancy tutor in sweets. I wonder if they share any connection to the "sweet composition study group?"
And omfg they created and burned effigies of Umbridge omgawsh that's hilarious and also I think speaks to the seriousness of this time at Hogwarts. Like we feel and see the tension in canon, but I think there's an undercurrent of something more sinister. And you're showing that with the inclusion of this tiny detail here. I think sometimes teenagers are more perceptive than we think. So I feel like this show instance shows they understand the magnitude of what is happening at Hogwarts, and sure they are rebelling in other ways, but this I think just takes it to next level seriousness.
Oh my gawsh though Hermione giving a dental seminar?! I just. This is amazing. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Not only is it SUCH a Hermione thing to do, it's broadening the minds of those who are not Halfbloods of Muggleborns and just totally speaks volumes for another avenue for Hermione's love of activism to shine through. Brilliant!
And I am super excited to read more about this book club...but like...it's probably not really a book club, is it LOL?
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Thanks for reviewing, Courtney!
If I remember correctly, Celandine Clarke is the same person who just really likes sweets.
I know next to nothing about Guy Fawkes Day, but I read that they burned effigies, so I figured that Ravenclaw would do that? These teenagers are very much just done with Umbridge, and it's only November. And, to be honest, it's not really like Umbridge really hides. I'm heavily basing my interpretation of her and the students' reactions to her on several teachers I had who were very much like her, other than the whole Dementor thing, and I feel like that bleeds in a little bit. Teenagers are very much more perceptive than people give them credit for, and that was one of the things that annoyed me with how Umbridge was handled in OOTP because it felt like no one other than Dumbledore's Army didn't like her? And it felt a bit weird because every single time I've dealt with a teacher like that, there are kids who adore them and kids who hate them and very few in between. I know it's because everything was focused on Harry, but I feel like a little more depth could have been given to how reviled Umbridge could have been.
So, I say this as someone who has a dentist appointment coming up, but like, I do not get how they have managed to go without dentists. Maybe they do, and they call them something different? That being said, I would not have wanted to sit through that seminar. Also, wizarding kids should have to have braces as well. Make them suffer as much as we did!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Hi Robin, remember me? I know I've sorely been neglecting this extremely creative fic of yours. I hope you will accept my late return with some reviews I am about to offer you. :)
The tension between Evan and Audrey...I can feel it. I imagine there would be some level of a power struggle between them. And what a better way to settle that than through a debate? :)
I love the "Magical, Fire-Breathing, Flying Creatures Club," and how it is NOT a front for another certain club hah. Also, ouch, at being told it's highly unlikely that any of them would become dragonologists. But I would think telling something like that to a Ravenclaw would only make them work harder to prove that individual wrong, hence very likely why this club that is "NOT a front" for the Dragonologists club exists hah. Great bit of humor there.
"What do Thestrals eat?" Or "Do magical creatures know we love them?" Are totally a Luna questions hah.
LOL the "Magical, Fire-Breathing, Flying Creatures Club," has been foiled, it seems. Given there is to be a debate about it LOL. And omg Murine tries at the end again to establish a "study group," as an additional front LOL I CAN'T I AM CACKLING. That's so funny! But also, I know where this is headed since Umbridge will not be observing study groups. But I love these claws for finding the loopholes in her logic and using it against her, brilliant!
Another great, entertaining chapter!
<3 Courtney
*team ice otter*
Author's Response:Thanks for reviewing, Courtney! Sorry for taking a bit to reply!
Evan and Audrey are besties who also get on each other's nerves sometimes, so like, they debate a lot. They are super close, though, and debates are one of their love languages (platonic, not romantic; Audrey jokes that she's Helen's (Evan's girlfriend) sister-in-law).
Fun fact: Muirne becomes a dragonologist! Her family runs a dragon sanctuary in Scotland, and she ends up working at the Welsh Green sanctuary for a bit. She is also very stubborn about dragons, so she's trying to do anything she can to make sure that the Dragonologist Club continues to exist, even under Umbridge.
Funnily enough, I didn't think of Luna when I was writing those questions. Unfortunately, she doesn't show up in this fic at all because I was absolutely terrified of writing her. She will show up in the sequel, though! I am still terrified of writing her, but I think it's getting easier. Kind of. I'm working on it.
I am so sorry that this is so short, but the other responses will be longer! I don't want to go off on a tangent here and then find out that you already mentioned it in another review!
Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
Hey!
Omg, I started reading this ages ago and I haven't been able to get back to it so I'm really happy to get a excuse to carve out some time for more reviewing of this for the event! I saw there is a sequel to this too!
I've never thought much about ravenclaw house before but you're making me fall in love with them as a house! They're brilliant, I love their discussion topics, how inclusive they are the students. They have a real passion about certain issues like debating Umbridge's new policies. I love how much you weave canon events in and how you've presented them. The clubs and groups seem really important aspect of life for the Ravenclaws so I feel sad that it's affecting them in that way.
I love the dragons club are certainly not reforming in any was hilarious, just the general dragon theme had me really laughed throughout the piece. I'm so impressed at how you can make this piece so emotional too. It's funny, heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's very cleverly written!
Abbi xx
Author's Response:Hey, Abbi!
The sequel only has two months done so far, and I have no clue when it'll be finished. I'm working on it much more slowly than I did for this, which is both good and bad, I think.
I say this as a Ravenclaw, but this fic made me love the house even more? The debates started as a plot device, seeing as there isn't a really good way to do plotting in a fic like this, but I've incorporated them into other fics as a form of worldbuilding for Ravenclaw. I may have also projected slightly onto the little eagles about Umbridge. I regret nothing.
Alas, poor Muirne. She will get to see her dragons, though! I have a headcanon that she ends up at her family's dragon reserve in the Hebrides after the war, and I might write something with her and her twin sister (a shy Gryffindor) there. We'll see.
Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
the debate team just throwing casual shade at umbridge there. practical, obviously. i do love that the summary of chapters is just like the best form of ravenclaws hating umbridge’s book and also still wanting a good grade and just making life easy for everyone else. okay this is now just a running commentary on how much i love the way you portray the house and their almost like blatant rebellion that’s hidden as intellectualism (if that makes any sense, i don’t know if it does) and just outright snark. that particular educational decree i can imagine REALLY annoying this particular house and it shows in the tone of the notes. it’s wonderful how you manage to get that all through. “what do thestrals eat” outstanding. the one thing running through this that amazes me is how you’re managing to build these characters up so clearly. even though we cant see them. It’s just really well written.
Deni x
(veni, vidi, foxi)
Author's Response:Deni, I just really love your reviews. I want you to know that I love and cherish your reviews.
All Audrey and Evan do is throw shade, tbh. Evan is the one who usually writes the debate notes, and he is definitely the more likely to throw shade of the two, and he throws a lot of it. I just really like having someone to throw shade at Umbridge because I really do not like her.
Mandy does not like Umbridge, but she doesn't want anyone else to have to suffer through the book. She isn't even charging, which I think should tell everyone how much she doesn't like Umbridge.
'Blatant rebellion that's hidden as intellectualism and just outright snark'. I love this because it completely encapsulates the Ravenclaws' general vibe during this fic. They are just so Done with Umbridge, and it's only October. It also makes complete sense, and I love this description. They are so salty and just tired of her. I headcanon Ravenclaw just, as a house, being very chaotic, and they do not like having illogical rules and such thrown at them. It brings out their snarky sides.
Thank you so much! I was worried about kind of spreading everything thin because there are so many characters, but I'm glad that personalities shone through! I love my snarky little eagles, and I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so much!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a nice day!
-A
okay seriously what do ravenclaws do when the rest of the school isn’t around? first the board now the snacks? like why does this keep happening? i want to know morreeee. i love the almost victorious note to the… well… note. you can tell she’s quietly smug that she’s won the debate and that she’s right. omg i love the little touch with the a-levels. it’s honestly something that hogwarts should have done just in case any of them wanted to take a different path. aw there’s so many little things dropped in here, so much to pull apart. what seems to be crookshanks wrecking someone's dorm, to the study group that totally sounds like my idea of hell bening mandatory, an lqbt club, to the watson incident (more things that i want to know more about because i’m nosey). you can see this whole big thriving community building up here, and though so little words it’s so impressive. celandine clarke is my new favourite personally. and then there's the wee easter eggs from order of the phoenix. this is all going to get so interesting but this was just such a fun read, genuinely laughed a few times and can’t wait for more!
(veni, vidi, foxi)
Author's Response:Hey!
They get into a lot of trouble. So much trouble. They just keep it mostly contained to Ravenclaw Tower (unlike certain Gryffindors), so not a lot of it is seen in the rest of Hogwarts.
Audrey is very quietly smug about winning, much to the disappointment of most of the house. Alas, no snack basket for the children. Maybe one day, but not this year.
So the Watson Incident, if I remember correctly (I really should be writing this stuff down) is when a student (idk how old), somehow, managed to try out for every single position on the team and, somehow, was the only one selected. For every single position. Magic was probably involved. Many rules were changed due to this.
It is Crookshanks! I love Crookshanks very much, and I wanted him to end up in Ravenclaw for a little bit to cause a little trouble. I don't know how he gets in, but he enjoys sitting on the couch when there's sun on it and causing trouble wherever he goes.
Celandine is probably one of my favorites from this, solely because of her notes. I really like candy, so I was channelling that when I wrote that bit. I'm sad that she doesn't play much of a role in anything else I write, but she does occasionally show up in things. She does get married to a canon character eventually (one who shows up, I think, in this fic; I know he shows up in the sequel), a fellow Ravenclaw.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The study group is also my idea of hell, which is why I included it. A lot of notes about clubs and such were included because it always felt like there were no clubs or anything in canon, which felt a bit weird to me. If you have suggestions for the sequel for clubs or debate topics or anything, feel free to send them to me!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a nice day!
-A
hello! okay so my aim here is to reach the sequel to this before the inky’s but gotta start at the beginning, right? so i know it’s just the introduction but this is already so fun. my first question being what was the great howler incident? like damn even the gryffindors have managed to hold onto their board so what happened in the ravenclaw common room that was so bad flitwick took away the board. i’m going to love the format of this series already, i can tell. the way personality comes through even in this pretty strict opening note, we’re going to find out all about all of them purley through what’s pinned up i’d guess and i’m totally obsessed with that idea already. audrey is going to be wonderful, she sort of seems pretty efficient and thorough, though you can just feel the little spark of personality bubbling away underneath. even in a notice. like it's odd you can just feel what the person who’s written this would be like. the “you lot” in there being the big giveaway. i can just tell i’m going to love this. but i think i’ve said that already.
deni x
(veni, vidi, foxi)
Author's Response:Hey, Deni!
So the Great Howler Incident was inspired by a tumblr post I saw that was basically everyone sending and receiving a ton of Howlers in the Great Hall. I decided that Ravenclaw had done something very similar, and Flitwick had to put his foot down. The Ravenclaws are a wee bit, uh, chaotic, especially in this, so that's going to be very fun. They have caused a lot of trouble, and it took a lot of petitioning to get the RHCRBB back.
I have a lot of fun writing this series, as you might have guessed, so they kind of get into a lot of trouble on the board. I regret next to nothing in this fic.
Fun fact: Audrey's eventually going to be married to Percy. She was supposed to be a lot more strict, but I like how she developed in this. She's a bit stern, but she also cares a lot for the house. I hope you like seeing bits of her personality throughout because she's the closest thing this fic has to a main character.
Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you in your next review! Hope you have a nice day!
-A
Hi, there! Merry Christmas! :D
I thought I'd read a couple more chapters of this for your wishlist (and review them in one go), hope that's okay! ;)
So first... I love the quiet rebellion of the Ravenclaw students against Umbridge! The pranks were awesome, especially the one of substituting her kitten dishes! I love that! :P And I love how the debates don't have a for or against anymore... makes sense... :P And, oh my! The Dental Health Seminary! Ahahah! Genius! :D
I'm not at all surprised that Fred and George managed to get into the Ravenclaw CR to advertise their products testing, lol! I love it! (Who is Helen, though? :P)
Poor first years, locked outside... :P
I really enjoyed this chapter in particular for how seasonal it was! I loved the snowball fights and the idea of Flitwick offering chocolate and stories to his students... how sweet!!! <3
Oh, and the presents for the house-elves!!! I love that, too!!! :D
This is always so much fun! Thank you for writing!
Happiest of holidays and big snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Thank you so much, and I am so sorry for the late reply!
I am going to address this in a very different order. Helen Bancroft is the Slytherin seventh year prefect and a friend (or more, hm??) of Evan. She is much more sensible than him or the Weasley twins. Fred and George are much too clever for their own good, it seems, and they can get in whenever they fancy, which is much more often than Audrey would prefer.
I have a headcanon that Flitwick is a really great storyteller because he does all of the funny voices. He's just very supportive, much like I imagine Sprout being to the Hufflepuffs.
So, uh, there were two reasons why the debates don't have a for or against now. Reason 1 (the in-story reason): there is so much going on with the whole Umbridge thing that Evan is tired. Reason 2 (the out-of-story reason): I ran out of ideas for debates that were strictly for or against and I was running out of names of Ravenclaws to draw from for the debates. A little lazy, I know, but it kept being the same, like, six people.
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter because of how seasonal it was! I'm glad you read it at the proper seasonal time because it was written while longing for said seasonal time.
This is a very scattered reply to a very lovely review, but thank you so much, and I hope you have a lovely month!!
-A
Ok, so I love everything about this so far! The "General Notice" because it feels very Audrey! It's so neat and organized and precise. And I'm curious about what was involved in The Great Howler incident hah.
The "debates," seems like such a Ravenclaw thing and I love all the study groups you've invented. And the mandatory one for first years is a stroke of brilliance!
You've really given a great deal of thought into Ravenclaw House and the inner workings of the various student groups and societies. And you also bring canon events to light in this in a way that is really interesting. I love reading canon events from different POVs because the series itself is so limited. So you totally have my attention with this fun narrative!
Also feel free to request additional reviews on my thread any time I have open slots! :) I sometimes forget about what I'm doing or get easily distracted in other areas haha.
<3 Courtney
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing, Courtney!
So I don't remember the post I got the idea from, but what inspired the Great Howler Incident was a post that talked about a bunch of kids pretty much just flooding the Great Hall with Howlers. The Great Howler Incident is similar to that, only it was Ravenclaw Tower, not the Great Hall. That would be one of the few times Flitwick has put his foot down with Ravenclaw.
I would like to apologize now for the lack of Luna in this one. I am still not super sure how to write her well, and I decided to wait to have her do some notes until I had a better grasp on her character. Other than her, there are quite a few canon characters (and not all of them Ravenclaws, even) that show up in this fic. I had a lot of fun (okay, so too much fun) writing this fic, and I hope it shows!
Thank you so much for stopping by, and I will definitely request a wonderful review from you sometime! I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
This is so witty and smart and pure and funny. I love the Ice Mice and seeking snacks notes and how clearly Penelope's character shines through. The touches with the High Inquisitor and private DADA study group are so good. This is all 100% canon and I refuse to believe otherwise!
Author's Response:Thank you so much for reading!
It could actually fit right into canon, though it is set within the Iris albicans universe. I had a bit too much fun with this, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! Audrey disapproves of the requests for snacks, but only if they're not for 'research' purposes (let's be real, they're totally for snacking purposes). Thank you again for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
hi, i’m back again! <3
haha, just the serious nature of this entire note has me in stitches! i could really believe it lol.
oh, poor ravenclaws. they seem to be the subject of many of peeves’ pranks, huh? although I do got to say that he is a very refreshing presence around there, ahaha.
no! umbridge found out about the bulletin board? the way she acts like all of this childish really angers me. i personally think it’s a good way for ravenclaws to communicate and add some humor to their otherwise awful year!
and then always the bit of humor, huh? i can imagine it being really embarrassing to feed your teacher canned tuna lmaooo
i enjoyed the bit about umbridge not being able to get into the towers though. all the other common rooms are password protected, but it makes me kind of happy that the ravenclaws’ common room is a bit more tricker (it was always going to be, but i digress).
thank you for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing!
Peeves and the Ravenclaws are very chaotic, and there are many experiments and such in Ravenclaw Tower that Peeves wants to play with. They, unfortunately, are not allowed to ban Peeves from the tower, but they have tried. Every single year.
Umbridge has a spy in Ravenclaw. You might, if you remember OOTP, be able to figure them out. They have posted on the board. That's the only hint you'll be getting from me. Umbridge thinks that they're using it to have conversations that she can't hear, and Umbridge likes to know everything. The Ravenclaws do not like people restricting their freedom and individuality. Hence, clashing.
I'm sure McGonagall appreciates when students are nice to her in cat-form, even if they don't know it's her. I don't know if she ate the tuna, but maybe she likes some nice fish while patrolling. She has definitely napped on the sunny spot in the tower, though.
Umbridge isn't creative enough in her thinking to get into the Tower. I was originally going to have it so that she got someone else to let her in, but it's much funnier if she can't get in at all. I think almost all of the professors other than her could get in, and that's including Binns (though he would probably put Knocker to sleep with his droning). I don't think that Hagrid could get in, but, honestly, if he asked one of the little eagles, they would let him in without even thinking about it. They're just very anti-Umbridge at this point.
Thank you again for reviewing, and I hope you have a nice day!
-A
hi, i’m back! <3
ooh, things are heating up in the ravenclaw tower, huh? i personally don’t understand why there’s a debate in the first place, since i think it’s undeniable that umbridge was sort of a horrible teacher to begin with.
“…Educational Decree I Don’t Even Remember What Number…” hoo boy, even audrey’s getting fed up with this bullshit lol. it’s actually kind of funny to see her when she’s pissed off.
something that amuses me how easily fred and george manage to get into the tower, and how continuously they do it despite audrey’s warnings lol. they must really like the ravenclaws.
this chapter was hysterical! thank you for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing!!
Yes, but they wanted to have something that said that they think she's a horrid teacher. The Ravenclaws are very big on keeping records of everything, so they must debate so it is entered in the system. She is a Not Good Teacher, and they are fed up! Also, most of the older kids had to deal with Lockhart the Inept, and they are not putting up with this again.
Audrey is just Done. She is so done with everything, and, yes, maybe that was written that way because I didn't feel like looking up which educational decree it was (I did that for the important ones, but I was just Done with Umbridge by this point), but Audrey was just so Done she didn't bother looking at the decree number. Audrey has NEWTS coming up, and she's Head Girl, and she really wants that position at the Muggle Liaison Office. She does not have time for Umbridge.
So I strongly headcanon that Fred and George are clever enough to solve the riddles (along with a couple of their siblings). They are also good friends with Audrey, so they like to visit her. She loves them, but sees them as her brothers who need a firm grip when being dealt with. Sometime, if I have an idea, I'll write some of their first year shenanigans, but I am still working on writing Fred and George.
Thank you for reading!! And thank you for the lovely review! I hope you have a nice day!
-A
A small note of appreciation: I love the names you've come up with for your OCs. Muirne McLeod and Ianto Oprington! What fantastic names!
It's super fascinating to see the response to the changes at Hogwarts play out over the bulletin board (and it's even better that they're interspersed with random questions like "What sort of runes are used in Beedle the Bard?". Incredibly Ravenclaw-ish!).
LOL, I loved the Dragon Club's decree. Such snark and rule-bending-ness, I love it :P And I can only imagine how delightfully chaotic that debate must've been (this Muirne character is really something, aren't they?). Now I really want to see outtakes from some of those debates! and I loved the evolution of the Dragon Club to "study group." Fantastic :P
I liked the differences in the research questions, too--sometimes purely factua questions, and sometimes completely philosophical questions. "Do magical creatures know we love them?" This would be the kind of question that I would stay up at night thinking about.
My favorite part was the last research question, though. I think it serves as a perfect illustration of how well you use this format; I knew exactly what you were referencing, even without naming it explicitly. There's something magical about that: including only the absolutely essential details and letting the readers' brains fill in the rest. The effect is that I felt like one of the students myself, like I was in on the joke, so to say. Super cool!
Really loving the story! It's super deserving of all the praise it has gotten :)
<3 Shreya
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing, Shreya!
I can admit this now, but I named Ianto Orpington somewhat after Ianto Jones from Torchwood. Fun fact: he's meant to be Nerys' (one of Iris' roommates) cousin. I do not know much about him other than that, and, obviously, he's Welsh. His sister is Branwen. Muirne did not originally have much of a personality beyond 'Audrey's best friend' until the not-lizard bit. She's Scottish and loves dragons, as you might have noticed.
These children are chaos. I really loved writing this, though it was a little bit stressful. I got to look at how the house as a whole reacted to things, so I'm glad that you liked how the changes played out.
Listen, the Dragon Club is valid. They are the one valid club in the entire school. Muirne has dedicated her entire life to the love of those little scaley kittens (Muirne grew up on the MacFusty dragon reserve, so she does know what she's getting into), and she's not going to let some toad get in the way of her preparing for her future career.
But do magical creatures know that we love them? I like to think that they do. I threw that one in because it's something that I, as a wee child, would have asked had I been lucky enough to go to Hogwarts.
...So I had to go see what that last research question was because I forgot what it was. I also had to look up the events of October of 1995 because, while I was very good about figuring out the dates of stuff while I was writing this, it has been a few months and it's close to midnight. That being said, I'm glad that you enjoyed that research question; you got at exactly what I wanted the reader to feel. My brain is not feeling very smart right now, so I will just leave it at that, and thank you for reading this.
Thank you very much for saying all of those lovely things, and I hope you have a nice day!
-A
Hey Robin! I remember really enjoying this fic while I validated it and finally have a chance to come back and properly review it :)
I love the whole structure of this fic...I feel like it's just such a fitting medium for Ravenclaws. We are, admittedly, wont to pretentious proclamations :P Generally, my Ravenclaw heart is soaring with how well you've captured the essence of being a Ravenclaw. For example: pointless debates? Count me tf in. (BTW, Audrey is wrong, must always argue for snacks. Crazy!)
I really enjoyed seeing the resutls of each other debates playing out in the bulletins posted; I think it's so clever how you communicated so much even about the moments that weren't explicitly included. It's an interesting use of the idea of closure (a common concept in comics around how your brain can fill in the motion in between frames in a comic). Fascinating! I would love to see outtakes of additional records of some of these events though--like maybe debate transcripts? Feel like those would be recorded for post-analysis!
I felt quite nostalgic reading about all the beginning-of-the-year activities; it reminded me of what it's like at college when all the Things are starting back up, and you're being flooded by messages (including desperate pleas from clubs like the Gobstone Club to get you to join :P). That's another reason I adore this format: it really does such a good job of illustrating the ambiance of Hogwarts, but from a distance, which creates a fascinating effect.
A small note: I love all the dumb acronyms (FYSG, MCSG) :P I too believe that every Official Entity must have an acronym (otherwise is it really an official thing at all?).
I loved the exchange over "experiments" :P That's another reason I like the bulletin format: it's quite flexible and can grow, as its constituencies change. Another perfect example: the changes resulting from Umbridge's arrival. I liked that the immediate Ravenclaw response was to have a debate about the decrees (very Ravenclaw; I would've been very excited to attend hehe).
I'm very intrigued by Audrey and Evan's reaction to the creation of the DA. They're quite bureaucratic figures, aren't they? I'm looking forward to seeing them perhaps growing out of that role, and wielding their power for better uses.
Really excellent first chapter! This was a delight to read when I validated and even more of a delight now :)
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing, Shreya!
I was inspired by the bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room in every single PS2 game that I wasn't allowed to click on. It was purely selfish because I thought that, if there were a house to have a bulletin board, it would be Ravenclaw. They do the snack debate every year (it's traditionally the first debate of the school year), and the two seventh year prefects debate it. Some years, they win the snacks. Some years, Audrey brought flashcards and utterly destroyed Evan's arguments.
I tried not to tell too much in this. Sometimes, especially in funny bits, it's better to leave most of it to someone's imagination. This got me thinking about them recording the debates, and they probably do record it on a record or something (maybe there's a magical transcript), if for no other reason than to keep records of the debate happening. Thank you for bringing that up because I hadn't thought about it until now, but I think that there would definitely be records. Not on the bulletin board, but probably tucked away in some nook in the common room.
So, my university did club carnival at the beginning of every semester, and I was trying to use that as an inspiration for the first week or so of the bulletin board. I'm glad it came across that way. Also, I'm kind of annoyed at myself that it didn't come through as well, but the Gobstones Club notice was supposed to be a form letter, basically. I always saw them as one of the largest, but not most successful clubs, that tries to get as many recruits as possible every year.
As someone who just got the RHCRBB (I actually had to think about it for a second) right, yes, there must be many acronyms. I am a little mad at myself for coming up with the RHCRBB because it always causes me to pause to make sure everything's in the right order. But, yes, they need all the acronyms.
Celadine really wanted those Ice Mice. You'll be happy to know, then, that the decrees debate was a highly attended debate. I know that there's a for or against in these, but the debates are a bit more chaotic than one would think. Very Ravenclaw. I always saw Ravenclaw as a bit chaotic, so, obviously, they would not get along with Umbridge.
Audrey and Evan try their best to do their job. A large part of this whole thing is them balancing the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. They are bureaucratic figures, especially Audrey, seeing as she's Head Girl. Evan has a little bit more freedom than Audrey, but they do work together on most things, and they are really good friends. They're stuck in a difficult position, especially since it's the year of Umbridge.
Thank you so much for reviewing, and thank you for coming back and reading it again. I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
hi! i’m back :^)
i just really want to know who reported the debates? they’re so fun! i get that they might get a little heated, but i don’t think they mean any harm.
i wonder why that student asked whether snape got more strict? am i missing something here? (also the sign offs are hella funny lmaooo)
that was one snarky debate about the credibility of the certain newspapers. although i’m personally more inclined to believe the quibbler, i really feel like there isn’t a good source of news anywhere? it is also very in character for ravenclaws to forget rules in favor of fighting it out on the bulletin board lol. like they’re just both angrily writing each other notes back and forth.
this was a great chapter! thanks for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thanks for reviewing!
I'll give you a hint: the spy in Ravenclaw is someone who does something similar in canon. Also, the debates are infamous in the school, so it's not like they're a complete secret from the rest of the school. They're meant to be intellectual discussions, but, of course, Umbridge wouldn't like them.
So I had to go look at what happened in OOTP at that time, and it looks like Snape would have been annoyed because of the Quibbler article. He's usually grumpy when Harry is involved, and I imagine he wasn't happy about the article.
Ravenclaws are very snarky. Please imagine that they furiously scribbled stuff on parchment-sticky notes and then just smacking them on the board. If there is one thing Ravenclaws are, it's snarky and prone to arguing. That was a fun argument to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you have a nice day!
-A
hi! i’m back :^)
now that you’ve brought up the topic of napping, i wonder which common room would be the best to sleep in? i’m thinking hufflepuff, cause i feel like they’d get the best sunlight. however, granted that the ravenclaws aren’t doing anything too crazy, i feel like it’d be really quiet too. lytherin would be too cold, and gryffindor maybe a bit too rowdy.
i also really like how selfless audrey and evan are; i don’t know of many people who would take the time to protect tiny children and buy them butterbeers. i also really like how much the ravenclaws love and respect flitwick to the point that they’d throw him a surprise birthday party—that’s really sweet of them.
this story is so lighthearted and sweet despite that their reality is pretty dark, what with umbridge’s horrible rule over the school. it just makes sense, because people are going to be curious and dumb and funny even in the worst of times you know?
this was a great chapter! thanks for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thanks for reviewing!
I would agree that either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would be, but I would probably say Hufflepuff because there's usually stuff going on in Ravenclaw that would make it less quiet. The many cats of Hogwarts do like Ravenclaw because there are many couches and many students who will snuggle them and pet them. Hufflepuff has that too, so I bet that the cats are very happy in either house.
Flitwick is their collective dad. I always headcanon him as not having children, so he sees the members of Ravenclaw as his children. He also does funny voices when reading things aloud. They will get him a nice present along with the party. Audrey and Evan care a lot about their house, and they try to look out for them.
Thanks! I really tried to make it more fun because I didn't want it to be super duper dark. If I ever do one of these for the year that the Carrows were at Hogwarts, it would definitely be darker, which is the reason why I'm not sure if I would do it.
Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
back again because this story is gold!
who is ‘fg’? i was thinking maybe fred or george weasley, but the last initial really threw me off.
aww, poor first years! i bet they certainly weren’t expecting the riddles to get harder! i’d certainly struggle with harder riddles, even if i was a seventh year lol.
honestly, holidays at the towers sounds really fun, and i kind of want to experience it! it’s especially nice of flitwick to offer hot chocolate and biscuits for (possibly lonely?) students who want to talk with someone. i like that cho is watchful of the other ravenclaws too!
i really like how peaceful this chapter is! it’s nice to be away from umbridge’s hawk like eye.
wonderful chapter! thanks for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing!
It is Fred and George! They signed it fg (Fred George) because they wanted to be sneaky. Audrey knows them, so they don't want to be caught leaving notes on her board.
I would be terrible at solving Knocker's riddles. I am absolutely terrible at riddles, and I usually have to google riddles to put in my fics. That being said, the first years definitely got someone to help them get in. It was probably Cho, seeing as she's the mom friend of Ravenclaw.
Thanks again for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
hi, i hope you aren’t tired of me?
i love how the ravenclaws took advantage of the fact that study groups aren’t monitored by umbridge—though i imagine it might be a bit of a hassle to organize. like how would they explain it to umbridge if she ever caught them? “oh no professor umbridge, we’re actually all study groups, but we just all happen to be in the same room. oh yes, at the same time. nothing to see here.”
i really like how the ravenclaws manage to debate one topic so many times by framing it differently each time lol.
i really liked the detail of burning effigies as a sign of anger—definitely very ravenclaw-ish but gets the point across all the same. i really liked the detail of the creepy cat plates—i feel like the ravenclaws could definitely hold their own against the slytherins in the sneakiness department lmao.
thanks for writing! xx
Author's Response:Thank you for reviewing, and I am definitely not tired of you!
That's exactly how they're going to explain it if she ends up catching them. These children do not fear Umbridge. They will lie straight to her face and not care. I love these children, but they fear one thing: Flitwick, who is their collective dad. He does his Disappointed Dad face if they are naughty. They try their best to not disappoint him.
These children are very sneaky, and, if they had recruited their snake friends, they would have been sneaky enough that no one would have noticed. That being said, they enjoy pulling some pranks, especially on Umbridge. They do know not to insult Peeves, though, because they will lose that battle.
Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you have a lovely day!
-A
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