FanficTalk Archive
Unleash Your Fandom
Hi Vicki! Here for our swap <3
The stair climbing issue sounds like such a drag. I agree with Howard that it would be much more fair for them to rotate rooms instead of being stuck with the highest room all seven years throughout.
I wonder why the Ministry forced all students to attend Hogwarts. I rather doubt they had any good intentions, so I'm starting to wonder what the end goal with that was here - and if maybe Howard will get up caught up in that plan of theirs.
Anyways, that was just my mind wondering as I read.
Oh my goodness, I feel so bad for Ginny. She really doesn't seem to be taking the whole thing well at all. Ed was right - taking it out on Howard isn't going to help any - but Ginny's obviously penting up a lot of emtion and she let it out at the first avaiblity. Howard's, rightful so, feeling very confused, but there's just so much history and trauama he's unaware this far. I don't even think he really knows about Voldermort and the war? Or at least he hasn't experienced any of that upclose, where as Ginny and Neville have been directly affected by it in so many ways so, of course, their moods aren't going to be exactly cheerful at the moment.
Another great chapter!
Love, Quilly.
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly!
Thank you so much for continuing to read my story and write these lovely reviews. The Ministry (controlled by the Death Eaters now) has ordered all student to go to Hogwarts because the Ministry wants all children to be indoctrinated with Voldemort's philosophy of purebred elitism and Muggle inferiority. This is described on pages 210 and 574 of Deathly Hallows.
You are correct. At this point Howard does not know anything about Voldemort or the war. The war (and news of the war) has not spread to the more remote areas, such as the western Scottish Isles (The Inner and Outer Hebrides) or the northern Scottish Isles (the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands). The Isle of Skye is the northernmost of the Inner Hebrides. So Howard does not know why Harry, Ron, and Dean are gone, or why Ginny is so worried about her brother. He just realizes that he has fallen into a can of worms.
The canon books seem to imply that Ginny was a potent force in the Resistance at Hogwarts durig the 1997-98 school year, up until the Easter vacation, after which she did not return to the school but went into hiding with her family. So I presume that after her early distress at having to go back to school in September with all the people she loved out there in the wilderness somewhere, she managed to pull herself together and function fairly well.
I'm glad you liked this chapter. <3
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Here to catch up on Howard's story.
Oh, the great outdoors must feel so, so good to Howard right now; I bet he's missed that fresh air feeling. And it's good to get an idea of the layout of Hogwarts' grounds through his eyes.
The sight of Fang galloping towards him must have been a bit alarming lol. I'd never encountered the 'boarhound' breed before reading the HP books despite being a vet, haha. Found out that it's another name for a 'great dane'. Hagrid's approach to teaching seems to have developed some structure since his first attempt at giving lessons, haha.
Howard is very mature and world-smart for his age - he's taking great pains to organise and prepare himself despite not really knowing what he's up against, and he's making a huge effort to acquaint himself with the other students. He must be a pretty confident guy to be able to do that. I thought it was very brave of him to face Ginny so soon. I expect his calm and rational approach must have taken her by surprise.
I'm kind of surprised that not everyone's post is getting screened because it's an obvious way for the newbies to send and receive information if their fellow classmates are able to contact their own parents without bother. Did the Ministry really think that the students wouldn't talk to each other and work out ways to circumnavigate the barriers set up for them? But I'm glad for Howard's sake that there is a way for him to contact his family and inform them of the goings-on. I hope we find out what happens when Augusta Longbottom receives Neville's letter...
Meera <3
Author's Response:Hi, Meera!
So glad to get a review from you. It's always welcome.
I did a bunch of research about Great Danes. They are really big dogs, but apparently good pets. Unfortunately, like other very large breeds of dog, their lifespan is relatively short, so if Fang was present in 1991 and not a puppy, and is now still present in 1997, he might be getting close to the end of his lifefspan, unless the wizarding community has a way of making big dogs live longer! Yes, Hagrid was pretty much untested when he started teaching Care of Magical Creatures, but he isn't stupid and has learned quickly about classroom management. He would like to believe that all students will treat animals humanely, but he has learned to accept the fact that some of them will not.
People remark that Howard is very mature and, as you say, world-smart for his age. I deliberately chose a crofter for my main character in this story because children who grow up on farms/ranches/crofts display this early acquisition of maturity and responsibility because of the circumstances of their childhood. From an early age, they have to work on the farm, and their work is an integral part of the success of the farm, and they know it. They are required to do their share of the work, whether they feel like it or not, and any failure to do so can have real repercussions--animals die, crops are lost. A kid living a pampered life in the suburbs, where he goes to school, hangs out with his buddies, cruises around downtown, with no chores other than keeping his bedroom clean (and no loss if he doesn't) will simply not develop the maturity that a farm-raised kid does. And a farm-raised kid spends much of his time with adults--his parents, other farmers, people his parents do business with--so he sees how adults interact with one another and how they solve problems, which is very different from how a bunch of squirrelly teenagers with too much free time on their hands would act. I would expect that Howard has seen adults deal with misunderstandings by facing them promptly, head on, instead of trying to run away from them; in fact, Howard's father has probably pointed out examples of this to Howard and explained to him why this is the best way to deal with them. So Howard is not inventing this behavior all by hiself; it has been taught to him over many years. (As spoken by an author who grew up in a farming family.)
What you say about the letters is correct. McGonagall did warn the kids that if they tried to enlist their friends in sending messages for them, it would be detected, and both these kids and their friends would be in trouble. She did not provide details about how that would be detected, and Howard and his dorm mates discuss this point, but still, it might be risky to assume that the staff members have no way to detect it. I think that what Howard and Neville are doing now is about the safest way.
Thanks so much for this thoughtful review!
Vicki
Howard seems like a very thoughtful young man. I don't think many seventeen year olds would be so considerate about respecting other's morning routines and even in the fact the sound of rushing might wake up the others but Howard thinks about all of these things.
I really enjoyed the bit of the prefects being responsible for handing out house ties. I don't think I'd given much thought to the fact that, of course, this is something students could come prepared for as the sorting happens on the first night of school.
The conversation with McGonagall was somewhat jarring. She's being straightforward with them, which is like her, but a bit less warm than we are used to seeing her behave with the trio, which shows another side to her - also, I think it serves as a reminder of all the pressures she's under right now with Snape as Headmaster and the war going about.
In general, Howard conducts himself in a very mature kind of way. He is very poite when asking for directions from the younger girls and also when thanking them for bringing him to his dormitory. Likewise, he has a really keen sense of understanding of just how important it is to learn faces and names and build relationships.
The way in which Howard encrypted that letter home is also very clever! It showed a lot of creativity on your part as an author.
Love, Quilly.
(and tag <3)
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly!
Thank you so much for reading my story and writing a review. I think that Howard comes across as very considerate of other people because right now he feels as if he's walking on eggs, thrown into the middle of this very alien society and surrounded by strangers. He knows that he needs their good will and that he cannot afford to offend anybody or make any enemies until he learns a whole lot more about how this place functions. After having been at Hogwarts for less than 24 hours, starting from the beginning of the train trip, he already has picked up vibes that not everything about Hogwarts is good. Making friends is vitally important for survival, and if you're going to be asking strangers for help or favors, you'd better be polite about it.
Professor McGonagall was never warm and fuzzy in the best of times, and right know I think she's wound up as tightly as a piano wire. She needs to keep these kids safe by impressing upon them the necessity of not stepping out of line, but she can't tell them the real truth of what's going on. She can only hope that the war will not touch them and that they can somehow escape unscathed.
It is fun to think of ways in which Howard can get around the restrictions, such as by using coded letters that don't involve any magic. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Vicki
Hi, Vicki! Here for our swap! :)
Well, wow... that must've been a lot to take in for poor Howard... :/ I didn't realize that he knew nothing about the war, it's strange how separated the Skye community seems to be from the rest of Britain, at least from the wizarding part, but I guess it makes sense... it's still so strange to imagine...
And for someone who's learning all this in one go, it must be incredibly absurd and scary... I've landed in hell. Yes, that's a way to put it... :/
At least now he knows and he is a little more prepared for whatever awaits him, right? And at least things with Neville and Seamus have improved a little... I wouldn't go as far as calling them friends yet, but maybe they are on the path to get there now? I hope so.
In any case, I like the way you delivered this conversation. It flowed well and it sounded authentic and Howard's emotions were totally fitting for what was being said. I could see things play out the way you described them, so nice job there ;)
Now I'm even more curious to see how Howard's year will play out. And of course I'm curious to see him with Hagrid, I bet that's going to be another interesting conversation! :) Guess I'll need to stop by chapter 11 soon! ;)
Lovely work on this chapter as well! Thank you for swapping! <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara! Yes, my concept of the wizarding communities in the northern and western Scottish Isles (The Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetlands) (Skye is the northernmost of the Inner Hebrides) was that they were on the fringes of the wizarding world of the British Isles, using magic in a utilitarian way, like a really handy set of skills, but without al the trappings of the wizarding culture that went along with it. So they didn't read Rita Skeeter's gossip or the internal political goings-on of the Ministry or care about pureblood elitism, or the relative reputations of the Hogwarts Houses (whose names they didn't even know). I never got the feel, reading the canon books, that the Wizarding War I or II had spread to the Scottish Isles. Perhaps the Death Eaters had always considered them far away, scantily populated, ond not of any strategic importance. And while the mainstream newspapers and television stations may have reported the scattered incidents of people on the mainland being murdered or dying in "natural" disasters, it ws never reported that these deaths were due to a wizarding civil war.
I'm glad that you approved of how the conversation flowed. It was an awful lot for poor Howard to take in all at once. So this had to be a short chapter. Thank you so much for this thoughtful review.
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Sorry it took me so long to get around to this chapter, but better late than never, I guess ;)
I'm so glad for Howard's sake that the frostiness has abated, and Seamus and Neville are being a bit kinder to their newest dorm-mate. It's not Howard's fault that he's here; given the choice, I'm sure he'd much rather be back on Skye and oblivious to all these strange goings-on. I suppose his isolated upbringing would seem peculiar to some of the students, so I'm kinda not surprised they view him as a bit of an unknown quantity.
I had to laugh at the comparison between Howard's family cat and the owls flying in and out of the Great Hall, because the place where I did my lambing placement as a student, and most livestock farms I've visited in a professional capacity, cats are always climbing all over tables and kitchen surfaces, and kitchens usually have a few muddy collies lying around and there's often a live new-born lamb in the aga!! It's nice to hear that Howard's family are a bit more hygiene-conscious than the average! I have to say, even as an animal-lover, I'm not sure I'd be that enamoured with owls dropping feathers and faeces all over the food, and though it seems a 'sweet' idea, all these owls flying around, in reality it's probably anything but. Maybe there's some charm which keeps the owl-fallout from contaminating everything?
Whew - there's a lot for Howard to process now, after Seamus and Neville have filled him in on the basics of what's going on in the wizarding world. And of course, now he knows, he can't go back to that nice safe time before. I wonder if he'll try and alert his parents? And what their thoughts would be if they find out? Maybe they already know if they've decided to take out a subscription to The Daily Prophet now that their sin has been whisked away to school (the mere act of forced Hogwarts education must have set their minds whirring, I expect).
And now poor Howard's got a lot more to worry about than he had yesterday. No wonder he wants to put himself back in his crofter's shoes :( I hope the chat with Hagrid helps him on an emotional level.
Great job with this chapter! Looking forward to the next installment.
Meera <3
Author's Response:Hi, Meera!
It's always good to get a review from you, no matter when. As I have said in some other review responses, the magical culture on the northern and western Scottish Isles is pretty much basic and practical. The wizards there view magic as a very handy tool for doing some things, but they have no desire to set up a different culture (house-elves, Hogwarts Houses, elite hierarchies, Ministry jobs, Order of Merlin medals, wizarding publications like the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, and so on) for themselves. They are well integrated with the society of their non-magic neighbors. You could say that they are on the fringes of the magical world, both geographically and culturally.
I had to smile about what you say about cats climbing all over the tables and countertops at livetock farms that you have visited, and even a newborn lamb in the aga! (Surely you don't see that often.) Yes, I've been aware of rural households where piglets had the run of the house and kitchen and tables, but I always was grossed out by that and decided that my characters would not do it.
As you say, now that Howard has been informed of what is going on in the wizarding world of the mainland, there's no way he can go back to that nice, safe time before. Poor guy. Essentially trapped in a war zone, with a steep learning curve to figure out how to function in this new society.
I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully the sebsequent chapters will meet with your approval also! Thank you so much for this lovely review.
Vicki
Tag <3
The mail screening is the pits, I agree with Howard, Besides the whole having to censor everything you write, there’s the practical issue of how inconvenient it is for everyone not to be able to just get the mail. I’m sure the heads of houses have better things to do than screen all the mail and deliver packages to the home schooled students.
This is a lot of information Howard has dumped on him. I’m a little surprised that none of the wizards of Skye receive the Daily Prophet, but I guess they have their own society. Even if they did receive the Prophet, it’s understandable a young person like Howard wouldn’t have been aware of the news in the wider world. He’s very focused on things that seem of immediate importance to him. Anything that doesn’t serve him, he doesn’t pay much attention to at this point at least. I can imagine him feeling slightly panicked when he realizes that the school is basically a prison for him—and who he is trapped their with.
I wonder how much of the student body is aware of the extent that the war is going on. Some of them would have first hand knowledge (such as Luna, Ginny, and Neville who were active participants in the battle where Dumbledore was killed) but much of the student body probably doesn’t know, or doesn’t know for sure what is happening. There must be so many rumors swirling around, that it would be hard to know what to think. And this student body is pretty used to classes going on in spite of tragedies and dangers happening in the world around them.
I liked at the end where Howard puts on the shirt his mother made him on purpose to look like a crofter from Skye rather than a Hogwarts student. It feels like a comfort measure and an act of rebellion in one.
Looking forward to seeing what Hagrid has to say!
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:Hi, Noelle!
It's so heart-warming to know that you are following the story of Howard's year at Hogwarts. Whoever thought it was a good idea to screen the mail of the homeschooled students to prevent their plotting to run away from school obviously didn't know (or care) what a burden it would be on the people who had this task dumped on them Right now it's just Minerva, but it's hard to estimate how many letters these five students will send and receive, and I'm sure she doesn't have time or desire to scrutinize them all thoroughly. Dumb idea on somebody's part.
My concept of the wizarding society in the Scottish Isles, which have for centuries been rather isolated from mainstream wizardry in the south, on the mainland, is that magic was for the island wizards just another tool that they used, a very practical way to get some things done, but not the germ of an entire culture with all its social trappings. Living conditions on the Isles have always been pretty basic -- yes, there were a few castles on the largest islands, and a few monasteries -- but for the most part the inhabitants, magic and Muggle alike, lived in close connection with one another. So I'm sure that the Ministry politics and the gossip columns in The Daily Prophet held zero interest for the crofters and fishermen who had been making their livings for generations on these wind-swept islands. Thus Howard can mention two Muggle newspapers (from Portree and Inverness) that his family reads, and he knows all about Adolf Hitler and the Second World War from his public school history classes, but as for magical history, he may have read a textbook (whatever Binns uses in his classes, if anything) but nothing that he identifies with.
Isn't that freaky, when he full force of the meaning of Professor McGonagall's warning (that they cannot leave the school and will be found if they try) sets in. It is like a prison! And he's so desperately trying to learn how this place functions and how he can survive in it. It is totally different fron anything he has ever experienced.
It's a good question as to how much the majority of the student body knows about what's going on as regards the war, or even how much all of their parents know. Wwe readers are well informed, but we have special access to insight, of course.
I like your closing line, that wearing the Skye sweater wqaas at once a comfort measure and an act of rebellion. Good way to state it.
Thank you so much for your observations and insights.
Vicki
Oooh I wasn't the point of view to change, but i'm intrigued by this Tracy character and what her pespective has to offer. Slytherins were notorious for being on the "wrong side of things" during that time period but, as we know, a lot of them were more afraid than actually convinced of The Dark Lord, so I'm interested to see how our Slytherins fare in your story.
I really enjoyed that bit with the girls in the dormitory. It felt very relateable. They're all recounting stories of when they were younger and feeling nostalgic while also be very typical of their age and just wanting to get out of school and start their more adult lives.
Tracy is a bit different from the other girls, it would seem. She's not from a wealthy family and she wants to actually have a career after school instead of just settling down. She also wants to explore, get to know different people. Most importantly, she finds interest in in finding ""other ways of looking at the world" which, I think, will be an important factor as to how she handles the happenings of Hogwarts this year.
A very intirguing chapter indeed. I hope we get to hear from Tracey again soon.
Love, Quilly.
Author's Response:hi, Quilly!
Thank you for continuing to read my story and leave reviews. Yes, I suppose the change of POV is unexpected, but I had to start with Tracey somewhere, since she will be a significant character in the book, and Chapter 5 is as good a spot as anywhere. Writing Slytherin characters, especially a minor character like Tracey, can be an exercise in creating a new personality. In the 7 books, we see the Slytherins only through the eyes of Harry, who is biased against them from the outset. The first one he meets is Draco at Madam Malkin's shop, and things go downhill from there.
But the girls in Tracey's dormitory are not bad people, just teenaged girls with different interests and goals than Tracey had. All of them, including Tracey, are ready to move on. And they respect one another's choices, even if those choices are not what they themselves would want. I tried to make Tracey different from the other girls in her desire to explore new places and meet new people, without making her seem at odds with them, because, after all, they are her friends. But she also has friends in other Houses, as we will see later.
You are right in saying that having another way of looking at the world will be a handy attribute to have, to deal with the things that are going to happen at Hogwarts this year. This is definitely not going to be the year of rigid or stereotyped thinking.
I am glad that you are enjoying this story.
Vicki
Hi Vicki, here for our swap!
So, last chapter was left on a bit of a cliffie, and I'd been wondering what Howard wanted to discuss with David. Of course he wants to know why Seamus and Neville are being so stand-offish with him, and gauge whether this is normal behaviour or not for them. I can see both sides and I do think that Seamus and Neville could have been more hospitable towards Howard, especially on his first night at school, but well, they're under a lot of stress and they'll be worried for Ron, Harry and Dean. It doesn't excuse their behaviour entirely, but makes it more understandable. I'm not sure David's assessment of Neville is quite correct; I don't see Neville as being someone who would perceive Howard as a threat to his friendship with Seamus. He might be suspicious because of everything that's happening and not being able to fully trust new people in case they happen to side with Pureblood ideals. It think it's going to be difficult for Howard to confront the two boys; he's new and nobody new wants to confront others so soon unless they are looking for a potential argument. David's advice about starting a conversation and using a neutral subject is a good one. Family would be fine in some circumstances but possibly a risky one with Neville, so having that knowledge will hopefully help Howard show that he's not a threat to Neville or Seamus...
This is all so hard on him! He's in a strange place, one that he doesn't want to be, Neville and Seamus aren't making it any easier. Even McGonagall's a closed book when Howard goes to post his letter. Of course, we can guess why, but poor Howard must be caught in a constant state of 'what the heck'. I want him to catch a break soon. I guess at least Tracey's hand drawn sheep was a friendly gesture and it's not surprising that Howard would want to hang onto it, being one of the few nice things that's happened to him since arriving.
Ooh, nice work by Howard in persuading Neville and Seamus to talk. That must have taken some guts! But worth it when Neville shook his hand. I'm so proud of Howard here.
That code is mightly clever and complicated. It reminds me a bit of ciphers. It's quite a safe way of transmitting messages, though, it would take a LOT of time to decipher it. Love the details and development in this chapter, and hoping that things start picking up for Howard on the friend front. I'd hope that the school year would be easy on him too, but knowing what's around the corner, I don't think he'll get much joy there. But better to face that horror with some good friends by his side.
Thanks so much for the swap!
Meera <3
Author's Response:Hi, Meera!
Thank you so much for continuing to read and review the chapters of my story. I appreciate your remarks about how Neville and Seamus must be feeling a lot of stress as they encounter all the ominous changes in the school this year and worry about the well-being of their friends who are no longer in school. I was recently reviewing the books with an eagle eye to try to discover at what point Neville knew that Harry and Ron weren't coming back. The Daily Prophet reported (on about August 4) that the Muggleborn Registration Commission was being set up, and anyone with half a brain could figure out that any Muggleborns caught up in that would end up in jail or a concentration camp, so I'm sure that Neville, (probably a faithful reader of The Daily Prophet) knew that Hermione and Dean could not come back. But I couldn't find any specific information about when he learned about Harry and Ron, until they failed to show up at school on September 1. Of course, when the Ministry fell to the Death Eaters on the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding, The Daily Prophet was taken over also and subsequently printed only Death Eater propaganda. So I suppose that everyone, including Neville and Seamus, not knowing anything about horcruxes, assumed that Harry and Ron would simply be on the run. All pretty complicated, but all bad and upsetting.
While searching around in the books for info about this, I came across these lines on page 642 of Half Blood Prince, referring to the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. "Neville and Luna alone of the D.A. had responded to Hermione's summons the night that Dumbledore had died, and Harry knew why: they were the ones who had missed the D.A. most...probably the ones who had checked their coins regularly in the hope that there woud be another meeting." Somewhere earlier in the story, Luna remarks that she likes being a member of the D.A. because it's like having friends. That may have been true for Neville also, to a certain extent. The D.A. meetings were the one place where they could go and be totally accepted, equal with everyone else there. I think that Neville will always have that kernel of doubt in his core, based on a childhood of not having lived up to his grandmother's standards/expectations (which we still see when he is selecting his N.E.W.T. classes at the beginning of his sixth year), that feeling that he is not good enough. That's a terrible thing to happen to a child, with lifelong consequences, but it does happen to some children. I wrote about it, concerning Harry, in my fic 'The Baby In The Closet.'
You are right--Howard is in a strange and difficult place, and he wants to catch a break. No wonder he saves the sheep drawing and sticks it up over his desk. But at this point, with the advice from David giving him some support, he goes for broke, knowing he has nothing to lose, and trying his best to structure the discussion in the most favorable way. And it looks as if he has won Neville over. I guess that it was partly just helping Neville to get to know him, and, as David advised, reaching out to both boys equally.
Yes, the book code is pretty complicated, but hard to crack if you don't use Legilimency on the encoder. And the decoding is actually easier than the encoding because the decoder doesn't have to try to write a normal-sounding letter with such restrictions on the individual words. (That was hard and took a long time.)
Yes, I think that things will start looking up for Howard as he gets to know more people and starts his classes, but as you say, it's going to be a challenging year.
I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy this story! <3 :)
Vicki
Hi, Vicki! I'm back again! :)
Oh, okay... so that's what Howard wanted to discuss with David... makes sense, it's very hurtful the way Neville and Seamus have excluded him so far...
David has a lot of interesting insight... I never really thought about that, how Neville was basically the outsider among the Gryffindor boys, with Ron/Harry and Dean/Seamus being the best friends pairs... the idea that he might feel menaced by the arrival of Howard didn't even occur to me, but it makes a lot of sense... although, he should see how he's putting Howard in the position he used to occupy...? I hope he'll realize it and change his attitude... it seems a small step forward has already been made, and that makes me happy! :)
Speaking of which, I think Howard was very good at getting the other boys' attention. I hope they'll be able to fill him in and that it will be the start of a nice friendship. And yes, I think they'll need each other in the long run... it's only the second day, lessons haven't even started, but you can already feel the tension... Neville and Seamus' shocked reactions at the censored mail bit was so good! I'm glad it helped raising a bit of sympathy! :)
Oh, side note before I forget... I'm loving your descriptions of the castle and grounds. I should've said in the review for the last chapter, but it's true here as well! :)
I'm curious to see how the relationship with McGonagall will work in the future... so far she's been rather cold and distanced, but I wonder if this will change eventually. Guess we'll see as the year moves on... (the idea of McGonagall inspecting Madam Malkin's clothes for contraband is so weird, actually... she must feel absolutely awkward in this position, too... :/)
I love all these encoding methods Howard came up with his parents. It turned out rather useful, too. They are all very creative systems, and I love that they have several different methods and the way they worked, and putting the key in the date is so clever, too. A struggle to compile a letter that way, though... but definitely hard to detect, and the fact that there's no magic involved is definitely a plus. All so very clever!
I hope we'll get some more conversation with Neville and Seamus in the next chapter, I really want them all to get close! I have to go for now, but I'll try to be back very soon! :)
Lovely work as usual! <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara!
Thanks again for a thoughtful review that comments on so many aspects of the story. A lot of things went on in this chapter, a busy day for Howard. For lack of companionship with his 7th-year dorm mates, he is connecting with the 6th years, who are enjoyable to write. I can see them so clearly in my mind's eye.
Not all my reviewers agree with what I had David say. I discussed my thinking about this matter in a recent post in my Writer's Journal, and also in a phone call with my daughter, who said that until she read my story The Baby In The Closet, she had not been aware of how experiences of abuse and non-support in early childhood can have lifelong effects on a person's psyche that can be managed in later life but never eliminated. I quite recently came across some lines in Half Blood Prince that seem to support my idea of what is going on with Neville. (Page 642) "Neville and Luna alone of the D.A. had responded to Hermione's summons the night that Dumbledore had died, and Haarry knew why: They were the ones who had missed the D.A. most...probably the ones who had checked their coins regularly in the hope that there would be another meeting." Luna had said at some previous point in the story that she liked being oart of the D.A. because it was like having friends. I think that it was the same way for Neville. Even at the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, he still doubted whether he had real friends, and it will always be a vulnerable point in his psychological makeup, a proclivity to withdraw when he perceives a threat (real or imagined) to his acceptance in the group.
Luckily Howard was brave enough, or desperate enough, to take David's advice, no doubt spurrerd on by David's remark that it would only get worse if he didn't. So at that point Howard had nothing to lose by trying. He could make himself seem less threatening by putting himself in a subordinate position, asking for their help, and expressing interest in what is important to them. (Isn't it awful when you discover that someone views you as a threat? What can you do about it?)
The relationship with Professor McGonagall is bound to become more developed since Howard will be in her N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class. Right now it's been extremely formal (the Sorting, the meeting about the mail, the interaction around the drop box). You're right--she must hate having to read the letters and minutely inspect the packages. This is so not like Hogwarts.
The encoded letters are a challenge to create, and pretty time-consuming. One can only hope that McGonagall will not try hard to crack the code, if she even suspects that some kind of secret message is being sent. Howard doesn't know it yet, but of course she's on his side. And who else would want to see those letters? The Carrows? (they're too stupid to discover the codes). Or Snape? (He's much smarter, but can he crack a non-magical code?) I can see why McGonagall is willing to screen the letters, if only to keep them out of Snape's hands.
I am glad that you are enjoying this story! <3 :)
Vicki
Hi, Vicki! Here for our swap, and so happy to be back to this story! :D
I'm glad that Howard has found a few people being friendly and willing to help! The sixth year boys seem all very nice! I'm still hoping he will come to be accepted by Neville and Seamus too at some point, but for now it's nice that he's making a few friends and getting a bit more comfortable and learning his way around Hogwarts. I love how he's sketching his map and taking notes of landmarks and people's names etc. And nice that he got to organize that school tour! (Yes, Hogwarts should plan those for new students, instead of expecting kids to just find their way around in such a huge place where everything moves... but Hogwarts has never been logical, has it? :P)
It's fun how everyone perfectly remembers Howard from his sorting. I mean, it's not surprising, seventh years being sorted is not a common occurrence... and he was the very last one, and I suppose a lot of people would be curious... Howard's surprise and slight embarrassment at learning that everyone seems to remember him was cute. :P
I liked the conversation with Lavender and Parvati. They are clearly worried for the year that awaits them, and with good reason... and Howard just doesn't know what to make of it... it must be so weird... I wonder if that's what he wants to ask David about?
And he officially met Tracey! :O I'm very curious what you have in store for their relationship... for now they had a very friendly interaction, which was nice to see! Also, the image of Tracey and Sally-Anne (are they friends? That's nice, too! Always lovely to see some inter-house friendship! :D) drawing in the open air is really cool! I have no talent for figurative arts, so I'm particularly impressed! :P The small drawing Tracey made as a welcome present for Howard was so sweet as well! :)
Glad the other kids found some company in their houses, too! (And yes, there's no risk to be left out in Hufflepuff :P maybe I'm biased, but... :P)
The tour was very cool, and it was nice meeting a few of the non-teaching staff, like Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince. :) Oh, and Hagrid! :D He's the same sweetheart as always... I chuckled a little at the way David tried to cut it short with him... but yeah, Hagrid would try to keep you there for hours, so it's kind of understandable... :P
Uhm... I wonder... what is it with the missing mail box? Is it just that it's too early and McGonagall hasn't set it up yet? Or am I missing something there?
This was a very cool chapter! I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention something important, but I really enjoyed it! :)
It's a bit late to get to the next one now, but I'm totally going to read and review it tomorrow, mostly because I'm curious about what Howard wants to discuss with David... I'll be back very soon, in any case! ;)
Big snowball hug!
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara!
So nice to see you back reading Crofter/Snake again. Yes, Howard is working hard to meet people and learn their names so as to establish some kind of a circle of friends (or at least acquaintances) as a survival technique. Not 100% successful, but he keeps trying. And there is so much to learn, all at once, that he knows he will have to write it down. He has his pride, and he doesn't want to be seen making mistakes, or at least no more mistakes than necessary. Right now, with everyone saying they remember his sorting, he's not certain if they mean it was fascinating or ridiculous.
I'm glad you liked all the things I had Howard doing on this Saturday morning. A jumble of stuff, but hopefully each encounter added something to your understanding of him. It made me smile to depict Tracey and Sally-Anne as artists. Something for Howard to admire about Tracey, from the very beginning. And the little triangle of paper torn from the corner of the drawing sheet had a sheep picture form Tracey and a greeting from Sally-Anne. I think that Slytherin House as a whole, would approve of friendships with Ravenclaws (they would recognize the Claws' academic talents) but not with Hufflepuffs, for whom they would have disdain, or with Gryffindors, whom they see as their rivals/enemies. So Tracey may feel more affinity with Sally-Anne (shared interests) than with her Slytherin dorm mates. I was thinking about how Howard could find all the other homeschooled students that morning without it starting to sound boring, so I decided that the Hufflepuffs could take care of Camilla and Andrew, and that turned out just fine. Phyllis's Ravenclaw friends say that the Puffs will take good care of their two new students; obviously the Claws respect the Puffs, even if the Slytherins don't!
Thanks for saying that the tour was very cool because i wondered about how much detail, and what kind of detail, to include. Trying not to have just a list of activities, so I put some of Howard's reactions into it. The mailbox is inside Professor McGonagall's office, so it is accessible only when she is in her office (her pre-dinner office hours). We see it in the next chapter.
Thank you for continuing with this story after such a long hiatus. I loved your review.
Vicki
Neville and Seamus continue to be very helpful towards Howard.
I think it's interesing how there's part of the magical world that Howard is very comfortable with (such as casting magic) but others that are new to him (such as speaking portraits.)
David's explantion of a prefect was hilarious lol I really enjoyed that bit of humor. It was followed rather quickly by a darker moment that reminds us of what's really going on in the world right now, which is that neither Dean, Ron, or Harry are at Hogwarts. Neville and Seamus arguing over it so completely understandable. Neville has gone through so much with Ron and Harry, and Seamus is defending his best friend who has been banned from school only because of his blood status. Of course, Howard's completley lost, poor guy.
Another great chapter that continues to introduce to the world Howard now finds himself having to face.
Love, Quilly.
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly!
So glad to see another review by you for my story. It's very much appreciated.
It is an interesting challenge to develop a concept of magic as practiced in the Scottish Isles, where is is stripped down to the bare essentials of how to use the magical talents to do spells and charms and so on, but nothing of the accompanying culture such as house-elves and wizarding clothing and purebood elitism and the social hierarchy of (or even the knowledge of) the four Hogwarts Houses.
Yes, there was a bit of humor in the brief conversation with David, followed by the darker and heavier drama in the dormitory. I like to do that sometimes, alternating humor and darkness, having seen it done effectively in other stories and motion pictures.
There will still be a lot for Howard to have to figure out and then to face. He will be doing a lot of stuff he never did before. Not exactly a vacation.
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.
Vicki
Hey Vicki! Just dropping by your AP to catch up with Howard's tale. I'm so sorry that the previous reviews on your story were deleted in error and hope this helps go towards making up for your loss. Please don't feel obliged to reciprocate btw.
It's very smart and practical of Howard to sketch out a map of Hogwarts. I always thought it was a bit harsh that first years would be expected to work out directions for themselves, given that the castle is massive and staircases move. It's astonishing anyone ever found their way to lessons during the first term of the first year. Luckily, Howard has help and isn't left to his own devices here.
Howard is very thougtful and caring to be looking out for the other younger students. I suppose he feels a sense of responsibility towards them. And he's very polite as he introduces himself to various 'old time' Hogwartians; he seems very focused on maintaining a good impression. I wonder whether he'll be able to keep that image? Love trhe idea of the two girls sketching scenes by the lakeside and thought that was very cute of Tracey to draw a sheep for Howard!
Neville and Seamus are proving very elusive. I wonder what they're up to?
It was good of David to take time out of his day to give the newbies a tour of the school and show them all the classrooms. I enjoyed your descriptions of various places such as the sick bay and the library. Howard might be surprised to find that all sorts of accidents can occur at Hogwarts, although this year will be safe fro Quidditch incidents.
I wonder what Howard's going to ask David??
Lovely chapter! Looking forward to the next.
Meera <3
Author's Response:Hi, Meera! Thank you so much for dropping by my author page and leaving a review. It's very much appreciated.
I agree with you that the new students at Hogwarts, no matter what their age, were just thrown into the middle of the school experience with no direction except what some sympathetic older student might provide. There must have been an awful lot of students arriving tardy to class in the first few weeks. No maps, no Student Handbook. And these wizards think they're superior to Muggles! Luckily September 1 was a Friday when Howard arrived, so he and the other homeschooled students had a couple of free days to orient themselves.
Yes, Howard is thoughtful and caring in taking care of the younger homeschooled students. After 8-9 hours cooped up with them in a train carriage, he would have come to know them fairly well, so that he cared what happened to them. As if they were his lambs that he had to look out for. And yes, I would say that he is focused on maintaining a good impression with the other students at the school. That's pretty sensible. He doesn't know a soul there, and the other students already have their best friends and social groups, so it can be a challenge to break in and establish yourself among these already-established groups. Being careful not to offend people is a good way to start.
Neville and Seamus have issues of their own, but they will come around. It's hard for them too--their good friends are gone, the school year looks like it will be a difficult one (as we know it turned out to be), and they feel the weight on their shoulders of trying somehow to keep up the resistance. Of course, Howrd doesn't know any of this yet.
David first appeared in Chapter 4 as an incidental character, but right away I really liked him--he could turn out to be a rock in a storm--and he might well have a larger role than I had first expected. Like Howard, he is helpful and caring, a natural for the prefect role. Writing the tour was fun because I could put into words some of the ways in which I envision the castle in my mind's eye. Yes, all sorts of accidents do happen at Hogwarts; the concern for safety does seem to be a little lax, perhaps becauses the wizards assume that they can quickly heal any injury, but still, they're not invincible or immortal. Safety first. Howard's Muggle school on Skye probably had a lower accident rate than Hogwarts does.
I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. <3 :)
Vicki
HI Vicki! I’m here for part two of our swap :D
David had some good advice for Howard. I get that Howard is feeling awkward, and doesn’t want to have to be the one to do all the work in his new relationships. However Seamus and Neville are under a ton of stress at the moment, since they are more aware than the rest of the student body about the truth of the war with Voldemort and where Harry, Ron, and Hermione might be. So David’s right in saying that Seamus and Neville probably won’t reach out to Howard.
David is, understandably, mistaken about why Neville is so stand-offish. Yes, it’s a good observation that Neville has been the odd man out for most of his Hogwarts career. However, I don’t think that’s why Neville is being kind of rude to Howard. Neville is more likely extremely preoccupied with the fact that the Trio are missing, and he’s certainly on edge about all the changes at Hogwarts. Plus he was there the night that Dumbledore was killed BY SNAPE, so yeah, I think Neville has a lot of other things on his mind than making friends with the new kid.
It was good though that David warned Howard off of telling a bunch of home stories. And that finally led to Howard just being straight-forward with Seamus and Neville. Once they realized that Howard is caught up in this just as much as they are, they became more helpful. I hope this will continue, and will be interested to see Howard’s reaction to their explanation—and indeed what explanation they will decide to tell him.
Howard’s codes with his parents are so clever! And kudos to you for putting them together and creating the letters Howard uses to communicate with his parents in the codes for us. That’s a lot of work and I appreciate your taking the time to do it!
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:Hi, Noelle,
Thank you so much for this review. I always look forward to a review from you because they are always so thoughtful.
Howard has always been on good terms with his schoolmates on Skye, so he is blindsided by what has been going on with Neville and Seamus. As we can see by his 'shepherding' the younger homeschooled students (to use your apt term), this is not the way he would have treated newcomers who needed extra support. So he is mystified and troubled. Luckily he has David for a sounding board, some backstory, and some wise advice.
Searching through the end of Half Blood Prince and the beginning of Deathly Hallows, I couldn't come across any reference to the moment at which Neville learned that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not going to reture to Hogwarts for their final year, although one can deduce that the Ministry's decision that Muggleborn wizards/witches would be subject to the Muggleborn Registration Commission was reported in The Daily Prophet on August 4. Based on what Harry, Ron, and Hermione saw when they infiltrated the Minstry of Magic headquarters shortly thereafter, looking for the real locket, the Muggleborns were being imprisoned somehow, in jails or concentration camps, and other wizards/witches who were not Muggleborn could easily have figured out what was going on. So Neville and Seamus would have known in August that Hermione wasn't coming back, but they might not have known for sure about Harry and Ron until September 1, when they didn't show up. But it quickly would have become clear that Harry and Ron had not merely missed the train. So yes, Neville and Seamus would have been hugely concerned about what that fact meant for the coming school year, and what they and the rest of the D.A. were going to have to do about it.
While reviewing this isuue, I ran across a bit in the final chapter of Half Blood Prince (page 642). "Neville and Luna alone of the D. A. had responded to Hermione's summons the night that Dumbledore had died, and Harry knew why: They were the ones who had missed the D.A. most...probably the ones who had checked their coins regularly in the hope that there would be another meeting." Luna had once remarked, earlier in the story, that she liked being oart of the D.A. because it was like having friends. Apparently Harry believed that Neville had felt the same way, that he did not have as firm a conviction as the average student had that he had real friends. I discussed this idea in a recent post in my Writer's Journal and later discussed it with my daughter, who said that she had not realized, until after reading my first story, The Baby In The Closet, how an abusive or non-supportive early childhood can have lifelong effects on a child's psyche, which can be managed in later life but never eradicated.
So I would say that both factors--the concern for the fate of the Trio and the school, and a primal fear of being shoved to the sidelines once again--contributed to Neville's initial failure to put any effort into welcoming Howard into the 7th-year circle.
David's advice has given Howard the extra support to take the plunge and try to repair this relationship before it gets worse, addressing both the issues that are plaguing Neville. By speaking candidly and asking the the boys for help, Howard puts himself in a subordinate, less-threatening position, and by expressing a desire to know what's going on at the school, he broaches the possibility that he might be sympathetic to their cause. At this point, of course, Howard has never heard about Dumbledore's Army or any of the other stuff that's been going on for so many years, or Neville's and Seamus's involvement in any of it.
Ir was interesting to make up the codes that the Sutton family could use, something that would be hard to break but would involve no magic. As Howard says, it's a lot harder to write the encoded letter than one might think, and to write a long letter concealing a long coded message would be very time-consuming. I wonder if any reader would check the letter I wrote, as Howard's father would have to do, to decode the message. Decoding is much faster than encoding.
Thank you again for this lovvely review.
Vicki
I'm here to do one more because, well, I'm hooked <3
It's so nice to see Neville and Seamus immediately reaching out and introducing themselves. Howard is in such an awe of Hogwarts, and they were really patient and helpful answering all of his questions. I wonder how many of the original gang we'll also see in the upcoming chapters.
Howard's gone to muggle school even though he's not a muggleborn, so that means he's family is pretty tolerable of muggles and not into the whole purebloods are better than everyone else, at least I'm assuming. If this is the case, he's very likely going to side with the Gryffindors against Snape and the rest the Carrows.
This was such a dark period in Hogwarts history. I really feel bad for all the students there but especially these newcomers who have no idea what to expect and are in for a pretty nasty shock.
Another great chapter!
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly!
Thank you so much for this extra review. I'm so glad that you find this story interesting enough to keep on reading. Yes, Neville and Seamus were patient in answering Howard's questions, althought they were also surprised to meet a wizard whose life had, up to now, been so far outside the mainstream of the wizarding society that he didn't know about things like house-elves. Having and using magical capabilities doesn't mean you are savvy about all the culture that goes along with it.
You're quite right in saying that Howard's family (and probably all the wizarding families who have traditiionally lived in the Scottish Isles) are well integrated into the Muggle community of their neighbors and take advantage of the features of Muggle culture and technology. For example, they drive automobiles, use modern technology, take advantage of modern Muggle education, and socialize with Muggles routinely. No, Howard is not familiear with the philosophy of pureblood elitism. He sees his magical gifts as being just a very useful set of talents, and he is able to see that some of his Muggles neighbors may have special talents also, such as music or art, that he himself does not have.
You are right in observing that, while being thrown into the milieu of Hogwarts might be very challenging for the homeschooled students in the best of years, this year will be pretty ghastly. As you say, a nasty shock. We can only hope that they can endure it.
I really appreciate your reviews. This story (and 'Tiramisu') are my babies.
Vicki
Hi Vicki! I’m here for part one of our swap :D
I am so sorry about what happened with the accidental deletion, and I am glad to see you persevering with reposting and uploading new chapters!
I love Howard’s practicality and his ingenuity. Hogwarts is a very confusing place to get around in for newcomers, and it is sort of funny that the first years apparently never get an official tour of it, and are instead just thrown in and left to fend for themselves. But, while everyone might expect the first years to look a little lost, the older students will likely be expected to know their way around. It makes sense that Howard would try to keep himself and the other homeschooled students from feeling out of place or embarrassed by arranging a tour of the castle. I love that he’s walking around with his notebook and ballpoint pen drawing a map. I wonder if he could enchant the map at some point too.
He’s so careful with everything he does, and attentive to detail. Although he is also pretty quick to dismiss everything that doesn’t feel useful to him. In this case I feel that he shows he’s not a Raveclaw—he wants knowledge, but only if he can use the knowledge for something, instead of wanting knowledge for knowledge’s sake like a Ravenclaw would. I feel this most strongly when he is looking in the greenhouses. He sees a bunch of plants he doesn’t recognize, and is immediately dubious about whether or not this class is going to be of any use for him.
I very much look forward to him learning (I hope) that it’s okay to be interested in stuff that doesn’t have an immediate practical use. Actually, now that I’ve typed this, I wonder if this way of thinking for him is partially a coping mechanism. By which I mean that he is clinging to his identity as Howard the crofter from the Isle of Skye with very tight hands. He has been thrust into this new and uncomfortable situation, against his will, and so he is clinging to his familiar identity and what he knows as a way to function in this confusing landscape.
I loved the part where Tracey and Sally-Anne were drawing on the grounds outside the castle. That sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I also love that you’re showing that most of the students seem either unaware of the darkness that is coming, or are ignoring it. This tracks for me as realistic behavior for kids this age.
I did note that Howard and Tracey noticed each other at the opening feast, and that they continue to notice each other now. I hope that they get to have some classes together!
Howard does a lovely job shepherding the other homeschooled students around and making sure they all get to be part of the tour. I love this shepherding role for him :D
Lovely update!
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:Hi, Noelle,
Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely and insightful review. I am so glad that you liked this chapter. I hadn't reallly realized that yes, Howard is more attentive to detail than some of the other Hogwarts students might be, but again I think it goes back to his responsibilities in running his sheep croft--if you don't notice the details and take care of them, your sheep might all die. So you have to maintain your focus.
I think that his first priority, in handling new information, is to focus on practicalities, what he needs to know, and exploring new information simply from curiosity is secondary--you do that after you have learned the information that will make an immediated difference to you. Hopefully as he becomes more accustomed to functioning at Hogwarts, he can indulge himself more in learning for learning's sake.
You are spot on in your observation that he is clinging to his identity as Howard the crofter from Skye with very tight hands. (I love that phrase 'with very tight hands'.) His love for his home island and his life there is a major part of his character/personality, and he desperately does not want to lose any of that identification. Some kids might enjoy the opportunity to re-imagine their personal identity, to try on a new persona for a while, but that would definitely not be Howard. He is sensing that he will have to confront and deal with a lot of new situations, but he wants to do that in his own style.
What you say about the bulk of the students not being well informed or engaged about the growing events of the Second Wizarding War is how I see it also, even though they all know that ther previous headmaster died at the end of the previous school year. But otherwise their lives seem not to be affected much (so far!) and their focus is upon their own immediate livevs at the school.
I like how you described Howard 'shepherding' the younger homesschoold students. Did you pick that word specially because he was a sheep crofter who shepherded sheep every day at home, or was it just a spontaneous word choice?
Thank you again for this great review.
Vicki
The table closet to him had noticeably more students than the other three tables, which had many empty spaces on their benches at the far end. Ooooh I love this little it of mystery it immediatly made me want to read through the chapter and find out what table he was referring to & why it had so many more students.
I cannot commend you enough on that sort hat song. It was so perfectly written and felt like something that could've truly belonged in one of the Harry Potter books. Honestly, excellent job with it. As always, the hat is giving us a bit of a foreshadowing, though I can't immediately point out what it is it's trying to tell us.
There's a really sweet moment where he reaches for Phyllis hand and offers it a squeeze. I like this show of friendship between them. And oh there's a Slytherin with her on eye on him! I wonder who she is and what she wants with Howard.
Again, really intersting seeing the sorting from the perspective of an older teen versus an eleven year old. Poor Howard is trying to crack and see how it is that the hat is splitting them into the house but, of course, he can't really know until he puts on the hat, can he?
The hat is very wise into taking account their ages. Eleven years have all the potential ahead of them, but the hat recognizes that, at seventeen, Howard has already developed enough to where he can be sent to the house that needs instead of the one that needs to shape him.
For a while, I considered that he might've ended up in Ravenclaw, given how clever and captive of information he is, but Gryffindor was my second guess as he was very quick to use magic despite being told not to in the first chapter, and then then, after getting sorted, he goes and does the most Gryffindor-ish thing which is to check on his friends, regardless of what the black-clad man (aka authority) thinks of it.
What a great chapter! We got a few answers (his sorting and why the adult students are being brought to Hogwarts) but were also left with many questions (who's that Slytherin girl?!?!). I can't wait to read some more and find out more.
Love, Quilly.
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly!
Thank you so much for this lovely review. I am so glad that you liked the chapter. It was a fun chapter to write because it showed so much of Howard's character and personality. The table closest to where Howard was standing was the Slytherin table (I got the positions of the tables in the Great Hall from Philosopher's Stone, where Harry is being sorted, and I assumed that their positions were traditional and never changed), and it has more students than the other three Houses because they have lost some of their members, the Muggleborns, but Slytherin House never had many (if any) Muggleborns, so they lost few or none of their members this year.
As his father's assistant in running their croft, raising livestock, Howard is accustomed to assessing situations, figuring out what's going on, and making decisions about what to do about it. So he applies those skills to his present situation, but it's so far outside his realm of experience that his guesses and assessments are all incorrect. In his life on Skye he spends a lot of time and focus on other adults -- his father, other adult crofters, meetings of agricultural organizations, interactions with government agencies, and so on, so he is accustomed to acting independently. If he had remained on Skye, he woud have been in his final year at the local public secondary school. So I suppose that his circumstances would tend to bring out whatever Gryffindor-ish qualities he might have had.
Thanks for your kind remarks about the Sorting Hat song. It's always fun to read the songs that authors write into their stories from time to time. I even read one story where the Hat was a little bonkers, and instead of singing the usual type of song, it just sang the verses of "Some Enchanted Evening." It was pretty funny.
Vicki
I'm an absolute sucker for opening lines to novles that paint poetic pictures, and the one here did just that. In fact, that there's something about those two paragraphs that just immediately captured me and took me into the magical world that is Hogwarts.
There's something very intersting about getting into the perspective of someone seeing Hogwarts for the first time but from someone who is seventeen, not eleven. Howard's an adult by legal standards but he's a newcomer to school and doesn't exactly know what to expect or how to navigate it. There were many times when I felt sorry for him. It feels like he wasn't given many answers leading up to being taken to Hogwarts, and he clearly doesn't want to be there, which doesn't seem fair at all.
I appreciate how quickly Howard is trying to learn everything there is to know about Hogwarts. He also seems very good at taking the lead. I'm really curious to see what house he ends up sorting into.
I also really enjoyed watching the "older" students sort of very quickly band together as they are all, as Howard mentions "in the same boat" figuartively and literally. I wonder how this dyanmic will develop as they're all (maybe?) sorted into houses different from each other and might end up building friendships outside of their own group.
I really enjoyed reading this first chapter. There's such a healthy balance between description and dialogue, which isn't always easy to manage.There's also a very natrual sort of flow/progression between scenes that made it incredibly easy for me to just hook on and read it all straight through.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing where you take us from here.
Love, Quilly.
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly,
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story. It has been in my mind since about 2013 when I was posting stories on Mugglenet Fanfiction (MNFF). MNFF had classes you could take, and one of them was Missing Moments. As we learned the techniques of writing missing moments in that class, we had to select a missing moment from the HP books and write it for our final exam. I picked the moment on page 210 of Deathly Hallows, where Remus Lupin reads the latest issue of The Daily Prophet to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and tells them, among other things, that attendance at Hogwarts has been made compulsory for all students who had hitherto been educated at home. That edict would have been issued on August 4, 1997. But I had never seen any mention of these formerly-homeschooled students in any fanfictions. So I picked, as my missing moment, a homeschooled student who had been forced to attend Hogwarts.
The headcanon for that story rapidly expanded far beyond what I could write for my final exam, so I extracted a bit of it and wrote Greenhouse Seven as my final exam. It is on my AP. But I always meant to write the whole story of Howard Sutton, and now I finally am doing that. Thank you for saying that the opening paragraphs captured your attention and that the scenes flowed smoothly. I have great affection for Howard's story, so I want it to be as good as possible, but then we all want our stories to be as good as possible.
Thank you so much for this kind and lovely review.
Vicki
Any access or use of the FanficTalk Archive is conditioned upon compliance with our Site Guidelines and Terms of Service and the Copyright Policy and Privacy Policy contained therein. Should you have any questions about them, you are very welcome to contact any of our archive validators. For advanced searching, please click here.
Any characters, source code, text, or titles contained herein which are recognizable as copyrighted material are the sole property of their owners.