FanficTalk Archive
Unleash Your Fandom
Hey, Vicki, hello! Here for our swap, and to catch with this great story! :D
Oh, I forgot about the tea party! :O It was such a nice surprise, and it was a really lovely moment to see! :) These kids are going through so much, and they need a moment for themselves to talk openly about their experiences. Sure, this year is hard for all students, but none of the others can really understand what is like for them, who were forced to go to Hogwarts against their will and who are trying to get used to all the strange unspoken rules of the place, other than the awful classes of the Carrows... Howard is lucky that he's a seventh year and isn't forced to take Dark Arts, at least! (I wonder what that class is like, but I bet it's horrible... :/)
If you think about it, there are so many things that make no sense about Hogwarts... quills and parchment, when ballpoint pens exists... all those corridors and towers and stairs that make orientating and getting from one place to another so difficult... the Ravenclaw doorknob... I mean, poor Ravenclaws, having to constantly fight with that... I guess they are less likely to be around doing dangerous stuff at nigth that the Gryffindors are, lol! Still... :/ (Hufflepuff pride moment here, though! We do have the best Common Room, lol! :P)
I really liked how you built the discussion, I think you really made the single personalities of the five kids come through! Colton being a bit of a smartass, Phyllis being assertive and outspoken, Camilla's softness and Andrew's reticence... it all really shined in the way they interacted in this moment! :) (I'm glad that Andrew managed to share a little bit, even if not much! <3)
I know we've spoken about this before, but the way Howard talks about McGonagall keeps making me sad... I can see why he would think of her that way, and I suppose he's not completely wrong, but I also feel like they could get to some kind of understanding if only they tried... or maybe I just have a different image of McGonagall in my head, which I suppose is totally fine too! :P
But poor Howard... so much imposter syndrome there... I mean, I can understand it... he isn't in any position to actually protect the younger kids if things went wrong, but he's being way too critical towards himself! Maybe there isn't much he can do practically, but sometimes moral support can be just as important, and organizing this meeting was definitely not useless, because at least they can sustain each other. And I think Phyllis showed him just that with that hug at the end of the chapter! Sometimes all you need is someone who can truly understand your struggles and who you can feel safe opening up to. <3
Another lovely chapter! I'm really enjoying what you're doing with this story! :D
Thank you so much for the swap offer! <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara! Thank you so much for this lovely and extensive review.
I'm glad you enjoyed seeing this tea party on the grass. It is Howard's way of showing that he feels responsible for these children, even if nobody officially asked him to do it, because it doesn't look as if the school is making any special provision for them. It's as if they are his lambs and he has to make sure they're okay. So I tried to emphasize their separate personalities as I imagine them to be (and you have nailed them exactly)and the kinds of things they would want to talk about.
Yes, I know that you have been sad about the stand-off between Howard and Professor McGonagall. It's not getting worse, but it's not getting better either. It's at a standstill. And I think the reasons for this are that McGonagall is greatly stressed, even more than the students realize, with trying to prevent some sort of catastrophe during this hugely dangerous year. So it's hard for her to be relaxed or cheerful (to the extent that she ever is relaxed and cheerful). And neither she nor Howard are making any specific attempts to reach a hand of friendship out to each other. She's just glad that he's not transfiguring electric power tools any more, and he's glad to keep a low profile and allow his high-quality classwork to speak for itself. There will be more interactions between the two of them in upcoming chapters, but nothing this year will be easy for anyone.
I hadn't thought of applying the words 'imposter syndrome' to Howard's assessment of the meeting after it was over, but you're correct -- that's exactly what it was. And it wasn't until the moment at the meeting when he thought about his eighteenth birthday that he realized that it might be his ticket to an early exit from Hogwarts. Worth checking into the possibility. And then when Phyllis gave him that hug in the dining room, he realized that he did have something to offer to them, even if nothing more than support and hope. And he couldn't go home early. A little bit less of an imposter.
Thank you so much for saying that you are enjoying what I am doing with this story. <3 <3
Vicki
I think the tea party scene was well done. You managed to open up a bit about each of the home-schooled students in one way or another (I'm wondering what you have in mind for the boys, since one is almost silent and the other appears to have no end of ulterior motivation). I also wonder if there'll be repercussions from the very mild public interaction in the Great Hall with Phyllis (not necessarily involving Tracey - I'm wondering if the Death Eaters saw and will react negatively). You've managed to keep the pressure on without any open and obvious threat, which is wonderful for your plot, it seems to me. Thanks for another solid chapter.
Author's Response:Hi, George,
Thank you so much for continuing to read and review my story. This chapter was a little harder to write because it didn't have any whiz-bang action to give it structure, so I had to work with a series of topics in dialogue and try to build a structure and some tension/conflict in that milieu. Also tried to define each student's character and personality more clearly, to make them individuals without being caricatures. That's fairly easy to do since I already know what kind of person I want each of them to be.
I doubt that there will be any repercussion from the brief connection between Howard and Phyllis in the dining hall. Since the food has not appeared on the tables yet, the staff members (specifically Snape and the Carrows) may not even be at their table yet, and I imagine, given that this school is full of teenagers, that there are often brief demonstrations of affection that the staff just ignore.
Thanks very much for saying that this was a solid chapter. :)
Vicki
Aww, poor Ginny... And Howe is so confused, but he'll find out soon enough won't he... sigh. I liked reading Demelza, she's a character I would have liked to see more of in the books too just because she's clearly friends with Ginny. I'm glad the Gryffindors are being so helpful to Howe, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they are Gryffindors and not shy about trying to know more about each other's business. The history of Skye was interesting too, it wouldn't occur to me that the Quidditch team might not be where it's namesake is actually located. And, now I know what a Crofter is! lol I have to admit, I didn't know that either.
Good job introducing us to the side characters we don't get to see, I'm really enjoying that!
Thanks for the review swap,
-Heather
Author's Response:Hi, Heather!
Thank you so much for writing a review for my story that is so close to my heart. I'm glad you like reading Demelza. We see very little of her in the canon books, just a mention that she plays Quidditch and is Ginny's friend. So it is good to be able to write her however I want her to be. The Gryffindors are mostlly good-hearted people, as you say, even in these extreme and trying times. Glad that you approved of how I managed to slip a little historical information about Skye into the conversation about why the old Quidditch team moved away. And I'm glad that the story managed to let the readers know, fairly early on, what a crofter is, for the sake of the people who hadn't encountered crofters before.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Vicki
Hello Vicki! It’s Chapter 18!
Poor Howard and Joel have gone through so much to get this information on the adobos, and now they have even more work to do before their discoveries are able to actually be practical! I feel the pain, guys. A researcher’s work is never done. Even when you think you’ve found all the answers, there’s always another question waiting around the next corner.
grumblegrumblehistoricalresearchgrumblegrumble
But first, glumbumbles. Wait, should that be on a shirt? Lol.
I still love how Howard uses ballpoint pens, when the rest of the castle is using quills and ink pots. It makes me smile.
Okay, so I am still skeptical about these adobos and their role in this story. I keep thinking that the Ministry is up to something. Maybe I’m just too cynical. Guess I’ll find out later.
“At least with names, they seem less dead.”
Ha. Yeah. Room temperature. Like a rock. A not-dead rock. Hmm… This doesn’t seem to shed any light on their situation. Yet.
The conversation about the Muggle Studies class seems overtly risky. Neville is quite set on not allowing Carrow to get away with the bogus curriculum that is obviously false information. I love seeing him in a leadership role and taking it seriously. He’s really come into his own during seventh year, and I’m sorry we don’t get to see that side of him in the books. It would have been fascinating! But I do get to read about it here, so thank you for that!
I feel sorry for Howard, having to censor his previous knowledge of magic on Skye for his homework at the school. I never thought of the magical system at Hogwarts being elitist, but I can see it being academic, and I suppose that if one learned magic in a non-academic way, it’d look weird, and sometimes wrong, to someone in academia. I’m sure there are real-world examples of just this thing. “We were taught this in school, but in the real world, it never really works that way.” I’m sure Howard is feeling this big-time. I hope he is able to get something out of his education during this horrible year to take back with him to Skye. But yeah, Hogwarts, specifically Hogwarts during this year, is not all it’s cracked up to be.
I like the way that Howard has set about his translation. Enlarging the text will definitely make it easier to read, and leaving spaces for the translation below each line with allow him to reuse his translation notes for repeated words.
As an aside, have you seen those letters written in the Regency period, where people were so set on keeping them one page long, and they ended up cross-writing in different directions over the previously written ink? It seems like it’d be difficult to read nowadays, but I suppose that if people were used to seeing overlapping text, their eyes would become accustomed to it. I’m hoping the process goes faster as Howard gets into it and his eyes adjust to the shape of the text, since it is basically English. Fingers crossed for Howard!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix.
Thank you for this lovely and comprehensive review (but then you always write lovely and comprehensive reviews). I loved your grumblegrumblehistoricalresearchgrumblegrumble. But, in the long run, it must be fun to discover all this new stuff. As I recall, it was fun for me when I was researching the MIddle Ages, monasticism, and the Black Death, plus all the little details. Maybe life was simpler back then for a lot of people. The Regency Era must have been more complicated.
Yes, the adobos, after the first burst of attention to them, have sort of run out of interesting features. At this point, the boys can only hope that the medieval manuscript will prove to be readable and will contain useful information. Or that the adobos, if hibernating, will eventually wake up. Oh well, the boys say to themselves, either they will or they won't.
Like you, and many other people, I'm sure, I would have liked to see more of what was going on at Hogwarts during the 1997-98 school year. We get such a skimpy account near the end of the books, but that means that we authors can fill in the blanks according to our own imaginations, and that is the fun part.
I like your observations about academic and non-academic magical education. Howard having learned at home by studying the books on his own and then applying the skills to the practical needs of his home life, he will have a different mindset about magic, to the point of seeming weird to the theoreticians in academia. He mixes Muggle technology and magical skills in a very eclectic and pragmatic combination, based on what works best. It will take a fair amount of adjustment on both sides to integrate him into the community and culture of Hogwarts.
Hopefully you will enjoy seeing how Howard and Joel progress and succeed in their attempt to read the medieval manuscript. It was a fun challenge to produce, but grumblegrumblemiddleenglishspellinggrammarand syntaxgrumblegrumble.
Yes, I have heard about letters in olden times where people wrote in one direction and then wrote crosswise on the same page, and I have seen a few reproductions of letters of that type, which were of course very difficult for me to puzzle out. Not sure why they did that. Was paper in short supply? I'm sure you're right -- people got used to it.
I hope that you will find the time to read more of this story, even if you don't always have the spare moments to write reviews. It is heartwarming just to imagine that people are reading and enjoying it. And maybe the secret of the adobos will eventually be revealed.
Vicki
Hi there! Onwards!
I really like the way that Howe and Tracey work together. I hope we get to see them working together a lot in the future. And also, I really love the way that Howe went to great lengths to find a way to get the note to Joel. It looks like he’s building a solid friend group through this task. Interesting about friendship through effort, you get to know the strengths and weaknesses of your friends, and also develop loyalty at the same time. Howe has inadvertently gotten himself into an inter-House friendship circle, and I am well pleased for him!
Coolness throughout the chapter, with the first encounter with a House Elf, the way that the Hufflepuffs both helped and hindered Joel with the note, the way that Howe marvels at Tracey’s artistic talents, and also the discovery about the adobos, which can now be called something other than Rugby Balls. Though, I can see them going back to Rugby Balls if they ever need a code name. Lol! Actually, all of Hufflepuff knows that name, so it wouldn’t be a good code name. But it would be funny!
Madame Pince really took this whole endeavor as a learning moment for these students. From the Point Me to the text, to the discovery of the old English letters, to the pointing out that yes, you can read something that you don’t think you can, if you look at it differently, all those skills are super important for researchers. I’m intrigued by the document that Tracey found and I want to read it to see what it’s all about! I’m sure it will come in handy when the time is right.
I also enjoyed the demonstration of a translation charm, and how it’s not all its cracked up to be!
Funny coincidence, I just finished a scene where my character is reading old english texts, and though I didn’t go into all the details, I did describe the quick way he needed to sound out the letters to have them make any sense. It’s sort of like reading with your ears at that point, since things are spelled phonetically in a time when there wasn’t any uniform spelling.
I’m happy that Howe paid Tracey for the drawings, both to ‘preserve’ their friendship, and to make his words truthful to the nosey Slytherin. That seemed important to him. I liked the aside that he explained about the old saying about knives and gifts. Tracey can give him a different gift if she wants. Later. If she decides to do so. Haha!
This was a great side to show of Pince! In the books, I never saw her as particularly helpful. She was more derisive of students messing up her filing system. Nice to see her actually helping. And also, with the crumbs, bringing her back to her canon character that I expected in the end!
Cool stuff, Vicki!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix! Thank you so much for this lovely review. I'm glad that you found points that you liked.
I liked what you said : "It looks like he's building a solid friend group through this task. Interesting about friendship through effort, you get to know the strengths and weaknesses of your friends, and also develop loyalty at the same time." That is how I have always felt about romance; love is not at-first-sight-because-OMG-he's-so-hunky, but rather something that grows through shared experiences. Love stories where romance flares up as soon as two people are thrown together, without there being any basis for love at that point, have never seemed realistic to me. (Okay, maybe it does sometimes happen IRL, but it never seems believable to me.)
Thanks for saying that the various events in this chapter were cool. Writing Madam Pince was a pure pleasure. She gets such a bad rap in the canon books when she could offer a lot of depth and expertise to the storyline. The archives and the old books and documents were such fun to write. The canon books don't say a lot about the library, except when the Trio are sneaking around at night looking for information about Nicholas Flamel. So we writers can imagine away to our heart's content about what is in the library. I was surprised that nobody so far has guessed what the document was that Tracey made a copy of, although it is referenced in my previous novel about Gerard Linville.
Funny coincidence indeed. Who in your story is reading Old English texts, and why? Is this something out of "How To Retire..." or some other WIP that I haven't encountered yet?
You mention Howard paying for the drawings to ensure that his words would be truthful to the nosey Slytherin. This comes up again later in the story, not about the drawings but about the principle of 'covering your ass' by ensuring that your stories/alibis are air-tight. It is never safe to assume that your enemies will not pursue/investigate your statements.
And yes, Madam Pince is still vigilant about food not being brought into the library, as she should be.
Thanks for saying "cool stuff."
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Here for our swap! <3
Oh, this was a really lovely chapter! Very emotional! I had almost forgot about the other homeschooled kids... I like that Howard is making this extra effort to watch out for them! <3 I'm very curious to see how this tea party will go! :)
And, wow, that last paragraph was so painful... these kids are truly abandonded to themselves, aren't they? I mean, I'm sure the Professors are trying their best to keep them safe, but they need to keep appearences, and so they can't be too explicit about it and the kids might not perceive that... and yes, McGonagall is way too strict to feel like any sort of "parental figure"... (I wonder if she and Howard will ever get to some sort of understanding? I know they didn't start in the best way, but I feel there is a lot of growing potential in their relationship and I'm very intrigued about it...) Anyway, it is very sad to think that these kids don't really have an adult point of reference... we sort of see that in canon, too, and it's something that's giving me a lot to think about (and it must've been even worse during the Carrows year, and even more worse for the homeschool students who are trying to settle down into this new environment against their will... Andrew is the youngest of the group, right? I'm not surprised he's the one struggling the most, poor boy... :/)
Sorry, I got a bit carried away... :P I'll talk about the rest of the chapter a little now... :P
Transfiguring the essays into toitel paper!!! That's genius!!! :D I love all the effort Neville is putting into the resistance, and the ways he's trying to keep the students engaged! He's such a natural leader, and I love to see him in this light! <3 He is quite the showman! ;)
"It's important for them to take this seriously," Neville muttered back. "When they stop caring, we're in trouble." This is such a clever observation, and another line that gives so much to think about... indifference and apathy in front of racism and structural injustice can be worse than the injustice itself, right? :/
It's very nice to see the friendship between Howard and Tracey grow! <3 I enjoyed the second scene with their early morning encounter before the Herbology lesson! :) Will it become their custom? Either way, it was nice to see them bond some more and listen to their conversation about their homes and families! :) I like the image of six year old Howard asking his mum if their dog went to heaven, and the funeral... (I mean, it's sad, but also sort of endearing, if you know what I mean?) Tracey talking about her cat was also nice! (I laughed a little at her observation that her cat is not very smart... cats can be such stupid creatures, lol! But that's part of why they are such a joy to have around... :P And yes, catching mice is definitely a skill... I also loved how Tracey replied to Sprout that they were talking about catching mice with our bare hands... that was so funny and made me chuckle, too! :D)
This review is a bit of a mess, but that's nothing new, right? :P Anyway, I really enjoyed the chapter! Always a joy to catch up with this story! :D
Thank you so much for the swap! :)
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara!
Thank you so much for this extremely lovely review. <3 <3 I'm so glad you liked it because I wasn't sure about it. I worry that it is stupid or garbage, but maybe we all do this. :(
It's going to be a challenge for Neville and the other Gryffies to keep the morale up in their House (and a challenge for the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws also). There are still a lot of months ahead of them until this school year is over. They'll need ways to protect one another, ways to support one another, and even as the kids learn how to play their necessary roles, the staff will need to learn how to play their necessary roles also. Plus all the usual challenge of getting their schoolwork done, passing their exams, and generally finding happiness wherever it might be found. As we all know, there will be bad stuff ahead during this school year, according to what Neville and the others told Harry, Ron, and Hermione when the trio finally came back to the castle at the beginning of May.
I hope that Howard and Professor McGonagall will get to be on better terms as she comes to appreciate what he has to offer to Gryffindor House and to the school, and as it becomes plain to everyone how vital it is for everyone to work together. She was kind towards Harry in the past; maybe she can learn to be kind towards Howard also, even though he is a very different person from Harry.
I am glad that you liked the brief conversation between Howard and Tracey before Herbology class. That is the one place they can meet where the other Slytherins will not see them together, since the other Slytherins don't take N.E.W.T Herbology. Just a brief time for a bit of conversation, but these brief periods of time wiill add up. I learned from a YouTube video that the American concept of an "indoor cat," which is a cat that spends all its time in the house and never goes roaming around outside, is unfamiliar to people in Great Britain, so I felt confident in saying that Tracey's cat can go outdoors and catch mice. The concept of dogs going to heaven originated with a funeral that we had for my daughter's dog about 9 years ago, when my granddaughter was 6 years old and wanted to have a funeral for Tantely at the church.
Thank you so much for doing this swap. Your reviews are the best!
Vicki
Hey, Vicki,
The ceremony scene was a lot of fun. The transfiguration idea was perfectly suited to the kids, too. I liked Howe's observation:
"Make your enemies look ridiculous. Laugh at them. Destroy their power to make you afraid."
I was a little surprised, though, that he didn't make the connection between that observation and Riddikulus, since that would turn the Carrows into metaphorical boggarts.
Nice development of Howe's relationship with Tracey, too. I think Howe may overestimate his skill at hiding things from both Tracey and Professor Sprout, though! The conversation between them continues to entertain while they slowly learn more about one another. Howe's reminding himself not to talk about himself too much had a very realistic feel that rounded out the scene.
This was another good chapter for the rebellion. Thanks for sharing it.
Author's Response:Hi, George! Thank you so much for being Johnny-on-the-spot to read and review this chapter. I'm not sure that any other essay-destruction procedure will be.able to top the idea of transfiguring the essays into toilet paper. As for your mention of boggarts, I will confess that I had not thought of them at all. In focusing so intently on the events of this story, I tend to let other trappings of the Potterverse (boggarts, Cornish pixies, doxies, moving staircases, etc) drop away. Peeves has not put in an appearance yet either, but who knows, maybe he will later.
I had to smile when you said that Howard may be more transparent than he thinks he is. Probably true of most teenagers. :) His reminding himself not to talk too much about himself was a suggestion from my son as we were discussing what was going on in this scene. So you can thank him for that.
I'm glad that you are enjoying this story!
Vicki
Hi Vicki, I am well overdue on returning our review swap! Sorry about that!
I really enjoyed all of your exploration of magical theory in this chapter. It's always interesting to see others interpretations of canon magical lore and how you can dive deeper with each thing that exists within the universe.
I loved the part where Neville was trying to cover his tracks with Flitwick and the lengths he went to make such a lie believable. It was humorous but I understand his logic and it makes total sense. Still, we need a little bit of humor since this story deals with heavy themes.
The additional insight brought on by Madame Pierce just shows us how time consuming research is in this world. And how there really isn't a system for updating texts worldwide either. It makes me wonder if Linvalle slipped it in at Hogwarts, knowing in the wrong hands the adobos could be disastrous. And if he believed that if a group of children/young adults was able to work this information out, they would be worthy of handling the adobos? Since there are often themes of children being wiser than adults and being the moral authority in HP, I am curious if something similar is going on here with this book being the only version with that information.
Ahh I was wondering if we would see Tracey meet with Howe this chapter...looks like I'll have to come back to see what they discuss next time! ;) I do think now that maybe Howe might have something additional to talk to her about, since we learn from Madame Pierce that she is further along with the translation then the rest of them!
Another great chapter with continued rich worldbuilding, Vicki!
Thanks for the swap, and again, sorry for the delay!
<3 Courtney
Author's Response:Hi, Courtney!
Thank you so much for this kind and analytical review! I'm glad you liked the exploration of magical theory. :) Yes, the little drama about the love letters is important, and the Gryffies who are participating in the resistance need to be fully aware of how careful they all must be, covering their asses at every turn, because the enemy is not stupid.
As much as Howard and Joel are trying to solve the mystery of the adobos, they are coming to realize that they probably can't do it without the experience and wisdom of their best ally, Madam Pince.
As for the pages added to the bestiary, I don't think that Gerard Linville ever dreamed that something like Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters would ever emerge. Of course, Howard, Joel, and Hagrid don't know for certain that the Death Eaters are responsible for the arrival of the adobos, but they surely must be highly suspicious of that. Gerard likely added the pages because he thought that the adobos were important because of their supposed connection with the plague epidemic, with which he had first-hand experience. The pages are in Hogwarts' book because Gerard lived and worked at Hogwarts. The information would have been disseminated only if someone else had wanted to copy Hogwarts' book.
Tracey has Geminio copies of the pages for the bestiary and also the one-page document she took with the four signatures and the seal. That is the document she is working on first. We will find out later what it contains.
Don't worry about the delay.No problem at all! A review is very welcome at any time!
Vicki
Hello!
Thanks for agreeing to do a swap with me! Let’s see what Howard is up to now!
Oh, hey! That’s cool. The whole flobberworm thing paid off for Howard, and at least he has a map of the library resources now. I remember that! Haha, funny that they both think Hagrid wouldn’t subscribe to a journal! I don’t think he would either. He just doesn’t seem like a jounal-y type of guy.
I love the idea of including Tracey in this creature-finding mission! I hope that pans out for all of them.
And I am dreading the Muggle Studies class so very much.
Oh, yes. It is a horrible thing. I think you did a good service to this chapter by including the research scene before this class. It balances the chapter with a bit of levity and hope, before everything gets torn down. I liked hearing Tracey’s thoughts about the subject, and you really did a great job of making it sound as devastatingly horrible as possible. I got a bad taste in my mouth and shivers down my spine, so well done there.
I’m glad that McG got a chance to talk to Howard about the Transfiguration class, and I wasn’t expecting an apology, but at least she’s doing what she can, under the circumstances. I have a feeling that the professors are being watched just as, if not more closely than the students this year. That makes things difficult for everyone involved. I can’t imagine what the teachers were made to do against their better judgment, though I’m sure you have ideas up your sleeve, and you’re going to show us exactly how bad it can be.
Up until now, Howard has only seen the surface of what’s going on, and now he’s deeply in it, realizing what’s going on and why he’s here. I’m happy that he saw one of the other transfer students and was able to talk to her. They really need to form that support group… but I’m not sure that’d be the safest move. Hmm…
And letters! I am eager to see what Howard got from his father, and I’m excited that it’s a coded letter at that! Of course it would be already opened. McGonagall had warned him of that already.
Howard also gets a taste of the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry. That’s going to make his friendship with Tracey more complicated, isn’t it? Man, there are just things flying all over this chapter!
The coded message is is good news! I knew that Augusta would get the Suttons up to speed on what’s going on!
Ah, I love Mottsnave’s stories! The Clear Cut is definitely one of my favorites, too!
Really great way to move the plot forward and throw Howard into the thick of things!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix! Thank you so much for continuing to read and review my story. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. A lot is going on, and Howard is becoming more and more in the thick of things.
I try to balance the serious stuff in my stories with little moments of humor, although I don't think I could ever write a story that was 100% funny, as I have seen some other gifted authors do. An author whose ideas I respect once said, at a conference I attended, that every story should include an instance of humor, an instance of sadness, an instance of fear, and an instance of love. So I try to alternate these instances in my stories (although, come to think of it, there wasn't much funny that happened in Tiramisu).
The Muggle Studies class will be something of a focus in this story because all the students have to take it and it involves the Carrows (and by extension Lord Voldemort and all the Death Eaters). This is shown in subsequent chapters.
Advancement is occurring on all fronts, the good (some of Howard's classes) and the not-so-good (some other classes). He's beginning to see the social structure of the school and some of the challenges he's going to have to face. I hope you will continue to enjoy reading this account of Howard's year at Hogwarts in the middle of the Second Wizarding War.
Thank you so much again . I value your input. <3
Vicki
Hi again Vicki!
I have come to leave you another review seeing as I have enjoyed reading the previous chapter immensely and definitely wanted to give you my thoughts on it! Oh, and did mention in the previous one that I would definitely read more so...yeah! Anyway, onward to the review shall we?
Howard's curiosity to Hogwarts and what's happening during the Sorting is definitely fun to read about given that he's been in the Wizarding World yet somehow it also feels as if he's also a curious Muggleborn in a sense considering his reaction to the whole Sorting Ceremony which he definitely isn't too familiar with. I particularly enjoyed reading this: "Realizing that he was not going to solve the mystery of how speech was produced by the hat, he seated himself on the stool." seeing as he's intrigued to find out how the Sorting Hat functions especially when it's speaking which makes sense. Him also thinking the name calling order along with his friends being skipped as well as him thinking that he'll be alternately be sorted into either Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff much like his friends or his guesses of his friends being sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin definitely tells me that he definitely would of have never heard about Hogwarts until that day. I love that he's confused in this chapter as it shows you that not every witches and wizard go to a school like Hogwarts or know hardly anything about it which is quite interesting to read about. I wonder if he's not the only one to think this either.
Another thing I found myself enjoying was the Sorting Hat's Song here in this chapter, especially the way it describes each of the four houses and gives a warning about the division of the Houses and encourages the students to be united against a greater evil. I also feel this line in the song: "Divided, we cannot prevail." I definitely love the Hat's line about uniting rather than dividing also because it makes sense to the canon events of the Deathly Hallows considering how the houses definitely needed to be united for the Second Battle of Hogwarts as well. It would be pretty cool if there were friendships within the differing Houses happening in this story!
So, not going to lie, but the brown haired girl from the Slytherin table also piques my interest considering how much she's been staring at Howard. I wonder if she's already noticing him and the other homeschoolers considering they're already pretty much standing out from the rest of the Hogwarts students. I also find myself wondering if she'll have a significant part of the story later and if so, what kind of role will she play? Hmmm. It's interesting how much she's paying attention to him though.
The part where the Sorting Hat says to Howard: "Then I see that it is not a matter of which House you need, but of which House needs you." is probably one of my favorite as far as dialogue goes in the story even if it's one thing that he says to Howard when it's trying to sort him. I feel that it is not only getting a sense of what which House that Howard should be in based on the conversation they're having but also seems to probably suggest that maybe, later on, that Howard will be of an importance to the House that he gets sorted in despite what House that he thinks he needs to be in. I hope that makes sense at the very least. I also love that Howard gets sorted into Gryffindor considering he seems to have more courage than most given by the way that he refuses to listen to Gerald Johnson in the first chapter when he uses the Accio spell to get Camilla's hat in the previous chapter or when he randomly blurts out in response to the Sorting Hat even though he's still trying to figure out how the Sorting Hat is speaking.
It took me a while to figure out that the "tall thin man" that you mentioned earlier was Professor Snape rather than somebody else who was the headmaster of the school. It does make sense as to why Howard had no respect for the man after his choice of words to the way he spoke. It seems as though Snape is also going to have a lot more on his plate to deal with considering that he's the headmaster now. I love that instead of going to the Gryffindor table to join his peers that he instead stops to check on his friends at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table not caring if he's made the headmaster upset or that he's making a spectacle of himself in a sense that what he's doing is not the norm at Hogwarts. It's definitely a very Gryffindor thing to do! I feel that his upbringing at the Isle of the Sky also probably is the reason why he feels maybe at ease speaking to his friends in the other Houses considering he doesn't seem to understand the evident division of the House even if it's not outright said apart from the Hat's song itself or at least in this chapter.
The fact that he's refusing to wear the pointy black hat is also great considering how in the first chapter he seemed to be okay with it although he couldn't adjust to the way he liked so I was surprised when he did wear it in the previous chapter yet here, in this chapter, he carries it around refusing to wear it due to his dignity. It's an interesting change nonetheless.
I know it's definitely a small detail but I really love that Mackie and Rocco had gotten their dog fur on Howard's robes seeing as we get a small glimpse of what his life was previously like as well as learn more about him as character. It's not surprising that he does have two sheepdogs that love him and that they're probably missing him as he's away from Skye.
Seeing as I finally reached the end of Chapter 2, I must say that I did enjoy reading this chapter considering that I enjoyed reading about the Sorting, especially Howard's since I was curious about which house he would have been in the first chapter. My initial thoughts had either been Gyrffindor or Hufflepuff seeing that he could be in either although this chapter definitely makes perfect sense as to why he's more suited for Gryffindor rather than the latter. I also enjoyed the Sorting Hat's song, the Slytherin girl, and of course, reading about Professor Snape being the headmaster of the school while seeing some bits of his reaction to Howard. I also enjoy getting into the Wizarding World, or rather your version of it again, and following Howard's Hogwarts Journey (that's what I'll call it for now!) and definitely will be reading onward to find out what happens next! Hoping to review Chapters 3 and 4 soon! For now, do hope that you're having a wonderful day, noon, evening, night, and or whatever time it is and that you're having a good weekend as well as week! :D
-Diana/Di
Author's Response:Hi again, Diana!
It's completely understandable that Howard doesn't know anything about Hogwarts, its customs or practices, since no one in his family has attended Hogwarts, and I don't imagine that the older wizard crofters on Skye did either. It doesn't make sense to send your kids to Hogwarts for ten months out of the year when they are needed at home. But even the kids who are sent to Hogwarts as eleven-year-olds are not told a lot beforehand. Thus they don't know that the Sorting ceremony involves nothing more than putting on an old hat, not "wrestling a troll," as Ron's brothers had told him.
The line you quoted from the Sorting Hat, "...it is not a matter of which House you need, but of which House needs you," will be a guiding motto for Howard all the way through. With all the other stuff he has to figure out, he also has to figure out what the House needs him for, what he is supposed to do. Too bad the Hat doesn't give any more specifics or details.
Other readers besides you have also said that they did not know at first who the tall, thin man in black was, who was speaking from the staff table. One can find the infromation on page 225 of Deathly Hallows, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione read in the Daily Prophet that Professor Snape has been named the new headmaster of Hogwarts. This occurs while the trio are still hiding out at Grimmauld Place.
You mention that Howard was willing to wear the pointy hat in the opening chapter, but by the end of this chapter he refuses to wear it. I think that at first he was trying to be co-operative with the school's odd customs, but after hearing what Snape said about him and his home-schooled friends, Howard no longer felt entirely co-operative. It's just a tiny gesture of defiance, but he is determined not to let this school change him in any way.
Howard has a different background from all the other students, and it is a challenge to think of ways to introduces facts about his life on Skye bit by bit, through natural events, such as seeing the dog hair on his black robes, to introduce the concept that he does have dogs whom he loves and who love him. I like your conclusion that the dogs back home on Skye are missing him also. I might have to work that into the story, maybe in a letter he receives from home. He won't see his dogs again until Christmas.
Thanks for listing the particular things that stood out for you in this chapter. 'Howard's Journey.' That's a good way to look at it. I love your reviews.
Vicki
Hi Vicki!
I'm so sorry that it's taken me such a while to get around to reviewing this story considering the fact that I have read a few chapters of it but haven't been able to review since life has been pretty hectic and or there's been distractions on my end which have prevented me from doing so! However, I still want to stay true to my word and am finally here to drop a review or two for this particular story. Anyway, let's get started with this review, shall we!?!
The way you use description is one thing that I happen to notice when you narrate this story whether it's about the scenery which in this case is Hogwarts to Howard's observations about the boats that he and his six companions have. One thing about me is that I always love it when the scenery is being painted inside my head from the imagination and I love it when stories often feel like that for me. I really liked this sentence that you had described about Hogwarts: "As the twilight faded to ever deepening darkness, the building was scarcely more than a black silhouette against the night sky, although some spots of light marked it near its base."I feel that helps readers capture what Hogwarts is without actually saying what it was until later on. Another description that I love reading is when you described the way the scene changes from having them sitting on the boat which has a lamp on it to following Hagrid and his lantern that he's carrying be their source of light. Oh, and of course this sentence here: "The air was chill and damp, with a musty smell as if molds grew on the walls in the dark." I love how I can not only visualize the scene but also imagine the scent that comes with it and helps me feel as if I'm there with them smelling the same air and feeling the coolness of the weather.
Admittedly the scene with bats especially when I read Andrew Wright's reaction to the bat saying that he didn't like them definitely had me concurring with him since I recall thinking: ‘You and me both.' although for different reasons. I think the only reason I'm saying that is because of the negative experience about two summers ago when a bat had gotten in our house and it took some time for my family and I to hang out in the living room since we're so scared of them but also didn't want to harm it and just get rid of it from the house so I'm wary of them in all honesty. That's not to say that I don't hate bats, generally speaking, but I just don't like them in the house. I do think the bats that are flying in this scene, however, seem to like Hogwarts since there are definitely places around the castle that would be able to help accommodate them and certainly do understand why they hang around here and also can understand why Howard is fascinated with them given that he's never seen one when he's back at home in the Isle of Sky.
Howard has already piqued my interest as the main protagonist considering he's been a homeschooler for much of his youth until now when he is forced to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His thoughts in which he feels the urge to speak back against the Deputy Minister of Magical Education Gerald Johnson is enjoyable as the reader can get a feel of his character being confident (or in some cases, overconfident) and slightly rebellious. I like that he's independent in a sense that he can handle himself in spite of needing to be chaperoned by Mr. Johnson who is watching over them on their trip to the school. Another thing I like about him is how he's not only protective of the other younger homeschoolers who were forced to come to Hogwarts like him but how they all have become a family for each other and that he's the eldest. What makes Howard intriguing to me is that he's a sheep herder and the way he interacts with the environment in a way not just in curiosity and fascination but also he's more confident than most people when it comes to something like Hogwarts. He may not step out of the boat trying to swim in the Black Lake or he's not sprinting ahead of the first years trying to get a sense of the castle as I know he's far smarter than that but what I mean is that most people would be intimidated or scared yet he is not or doesn't seem to exude a fear that most people would have going to a new school. He, on the otherhand, is just in that curious mode with the way that he has questions and thoughts about the things that he sees.
I also liked that Howard always watching out over his younger friends whether it's helping Andrew open his caramel treat or making sure that Camilla's hat is dry after having retrieved it from The Black Lake.I do hope that if he's not in the same Houses as they are then he would still be able to further the bond in other ways when he's at Hogwarts.
One thing I wanted to ask since I was curious about this but this scene when you wrote: "Once past the vine curtain, the boats glided along a tunnel obviously carved by man." So did you mean to say by a man or by men? I wasn't sure if I had read that right and wanted to clarify to see your thoughts on that. Another thing that I'm pondering about as I read this is how is Howard going to fare during his time at Hogwarts compared to his original home in the Isle of Skye where he spent most of his life at? There are more questions that have formed into my mind as I read this yet I want to wait to see if my questions will be answered later so won't ask them just yet! If I do have any more then fair warning in advance that I'll definitely be asking for the sake of greater understanding, curiosity, and intrigue!
It's also great that you made Howard, who definitely feels like a minor character if he were to exist in that of the canon universe, have more importance in a sense that we can feel that he is part of the world even if he's not officially part of the story if that makes sense? That, and while keeping the canon elements of the Harry Potter series, specifically the events of the Deathly Hallows. I feel that readers such as myself always have enjoyed fanfiction for the reasons that it not only changes but also expands on the things in the story that the author often doesn't or even forgets to include in the story. I actually enjoyed reading about the appearances of both Hagrid and Professor McGonagall who were guiding the new students into the castle before the Sorting Ceremony started. It's always nice to see a familiar face.
You did such a great job with not only weaving what is a missing moment and making it into something greater than what it is by having a character who feels like he's the actual main character. I also wanted to quickly mention how I also love the pacing so far as it's not too slow nor is it too fast and feels just right. There may be things that I'm missing from this chapter from the review but if I recall or remember then I'll either let you know in another chapter or straightup just tell you but otherwise, pretty much said what needs to be said for this chapter. Apart from that, I genuinely cannot wait to read the next chapter of Howard's journey from here on out! Definitely can't wait! Keep up the amazing job! :D
-Diana/Di
Author's Response:Hi, Diana,
Thank you so much for this long and thoughtful review. I really appreciate the time it must have taken you to wrire it. <3
I'm glad that you were pleased with the amount of descriptive detail that I put into the opening scene. It is always a challenge to know how much to include, and which items to include, to be able to create the best picture with only a few words. I try to imagine the scene as if I were in it, and how it would look to me, what things would stand out the most, and then write just that. Like the castle as a black silhouette with a few lights shining at the base of it.
That must have been frightening to hve the bat come inside your house (frightening for the poor bat too) because of the way they flutter all around, but I'm glad he finally escaped, and hopefully you can laugh about it now. :) There are bats on Skye, but not a lot because the tree cover on Skye is pretty sparse.
I'm glad that you see Howard as confident, independent, and capable because that is how I wanted to depict him. Allthough he is coming to Hogwarts for the first time, he is essentially an adult, and kids who grow up on farms are noticeably mature for their age because they have to take on responsibility at an early age. Hopefully every kid learns this sooner or later, but farm kids learn it sooner. As a farmer you have to be observant and know how to interpret what you observe so as to take the right action; you can't afford to be casual or inattentive. So Howard is just continuing to behave in the way he is accustomed to do, observing and interpreting. And there is plenty to observve and interpret here. He automatically steps into a role of watching out for the younger students in his group, they way he watches out for individual sheep at home.
You ask about "...a tunnel obviously carved by man..." Yes, I did mean to write it that way. Howard is not speculating about a single man (Joe the miner) or a group of individual men (Joe, Edgar, Wulfric, Johann, etc.) who carved the tunnel. He is using the word 'man' generically, as one might say "the wonders of nature untouched by the hand of man," or "something never before seen by man." He is concluding in his mind that the tunnel was not created by magic, nor was it a natural feature such as a collapsed lava tube or a waterway slowly eroded over time by an underground river.
Yes, Howard is a very minor character in canon. In fact, he is not mentioned by name, only by the newspaper article that Remus Lupin reads to Harry, Ron, and Hermione on page 210 of Deathly Hallow. So we know that it is canon that these students existed, but all the rest -- their numbers, names, ages, backgrounds -- is all free for us authors to imagine and specify. Crofter/Snake is the never-before-told story of the experience of one of these students, so he is definitely the main character of this particular aspect of that terrible year. I recall a saying: Every man is the hero of his own story. Probably every student had their own story that year.
Thank you so much for all your comments. I'm glad you are enjpoying the story.
Vicki
Hi again, Vicki! :)
Aww, this is so sweet! :) I love that all Howard wanted was to get to know Tracey better! :) I suppose it makes sense... the houses' dynamics must be so confusing for him, he doesn't have all the background to fully understand them. And poor Tracey... she's clearly a bit of an outsider within Slytherin House... and it must be especially hard now, when many of them are on the Death Eaters' side, and she can't really talk to anyone about how she feels... it's weird that she's in Slytherin at all, actually. Okay, her family are purebloods, but they aren't from the high social circle, so why are they all Slytherins? And she doesn't seem particularly ambitious or cunning either, but maybe she is in her own way? Anyway, it doesn't really matter... I'm glad she's found a confident in Howard, in any case! :) I'm looking forward to seeing their friendship develop! :D
Howard also made some good points, too! We're used to think of certain professions as worthier than others, but actually some of the more modest jobs are the ones that are more essential, and every career is worthy, especially when done with passion. I liked that Howard sort of called Tracey out on that. It's especially funny because she had towards Howard the same reaction her housemates have towards her. Not in a mean-spirited way, but still... I like that you put focus on that! ;)
I love the idea of a musical for the Muggle Studies play! :D The ideas that the kids came up with with Howard's help were really funny, and I'm looking forward to see what else they'll come up with! :) I bet it'll be great, even if not all the actors are great singers... :P I feel like Howard took that comment about his singing a bit too seriously, but if he has a singing history and he thinks he's rather good at it, I can understand it would be a bit hurtful... especially if Dennis was actually being nasty on purpose because he felt set aside... maybe it was just an innocent joke, though? Who knows... well, either way, I'm sure it will be forgotten soon. I liked the closing, with Howard singing to himself and reminiscing. it was a very heartfelt moment! <3
Another great chapter! Thank you for writing and sharing! <3
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara, Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this chapter so quickly after the previous one. We have gone off into some slightly newer topics now -- I don't think I even mentioned the adobos in this chapter :p
You say that it's weird that Tracey and her family are in Slytherin, since they're not from the high social circles. I have always believed that the Slytherin community was not 100% rich, high-status people, but rather a normal mix of upper-class and middle-class families. (I don't know if there were any lower-class Slytherins, but there were certainly lower-class wizards, as exemplified by the Snatchers in Deathly Hallows.) We just don't see any middle-class, ordinary-folks Slytherins in the canon books because the followers of Tom Riddle were the rich, corrupt, power-hungry members of Slytherin House. Just like in real-life politics today.
I think that Tracey was ambitious, compared to the other girls in her seventh-year dorm. They were ambitious to snag rich husands as soon as they could, to enjoy a life of leisure, while Tracey was ambitious to pursue a career that required further training. Her father was ambitious enough to form his own business in a profession akin to engineering. Her mother was an artist, but we don't know if art was just a hobby for her or if she had a business as an artist. I don't think that Tracey would need to be cunning. She's not trying to cheat anyone or gain unfair advantages, and the road to success for her is pretty plain: plan ahead, study hard, work hard, and do an honest job.
I would not say that agriculture is a more modest job than pushing papers in some Junior Clerk job at the Ministry headquarters. Growing crops or livestock is a highly skilled vocation; in fact, as Howard tells McGonagall later on in the story, anyone who wants to buy a croft on Skye is required to prove his/her knowledge of how to run the croft by presenting a diploma from an agricultural college or by passing a difficult and comprehensive examination. The difference, of course, is that the guy in the Ministry office wears a nice suit of clothes, remains indoors, and does not get his hands or his boots muddy, whereas the guy working in agriculture spends a lot of time outdoors, wears rugged clothing and does get his hands and his boots muddy. This same kind of assumption, big-city versus rural, is still present in real life. People who work in small towns (doctors, nurses, teachers, etc.) are viewed as less skilled than doctors, nurses, teachers, etc., who live in big cities. I ran into this often during my working years -- the unspoken but clear message that anyone who was good in their work would automatically want to live and work in a big city. Heavens, no. So Howard is not surprised by Tracey's question, and he doesn't get bristly about it because he realizes that she is speaking out of ignorance, not out of malice. So he gently explains to her why she should respect livestock-raising in rural Scotland as much as she respects paper-pushing in a Ministry cubicle in London.
The scene in which Howard is helping the younger Gryffies start to put together their musical comedy was fun to write. I am waiting for the reviewer who tells me that he/she Googled the lines of the fight song, knows what university it came from, and can now sing the melody! Someone who was reviewing an early chapter of Crofter/Snake (I think it was Meera) once asked me what weak points Howard had. I think that one showed up here in this scene, when Dennis insults Howard's singing, and Howard overreacts. He abruptly ends the playwriting session and goes back up to his dorm. George/Goatspeed in his review of this chapter, says, "Funny that Howe was miffed about [Dennis], who I suspect was just being a smart aleck..." You say, "I feel like Howard took that comment about his singing a bit too seriously, but if he has a singing history and he thinks he's rather good at tit, I can understand it would be a bit hurtful...maybe it was just an innocent joke, though?" Well, it's been a long day and everyone's tired. By tomorrow it will all be forgotten.
I do hope that some readers will check out the YouTube video where it shows the musicians playing and singing in the pub.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and thorough review! It is greatly appreciated.
Hi, Vicki! Here for our swap! So sorry for the lateness...
This was another great chapter! :) A lot of new developments... I still have many questions, especially regarding the adobos, but I will get there. :P
My first question is, why does Howard want to meet with Tracey alone before the lesson? But I guess I'll find out in the next chapter (I'm totally going to get to it, too, to make myself forgiven for the lateness, and because I'm curious to find out more :P) I was also wondering what Neville and Wayne had to discuss alone, but I already found out that... it's sad that they don't trust Tracey enough, just because she's a Slytherin... but I suppose it sort of makes sense, too... still, it's sad... :/
Back to the adobos... I doubt that Magizoology Society were lying, I think they truly believe the adobos don't exist, that they are just legendary creatures... but we still have no idea how Hagrid got them and why... who was this Reginald who gave them to him? What is his purpose? I know it'll all be revealed at the right time, but I want to know...
I thought it was also very interesting the idea that the pages about the adobos were potentially inserted in the book later, not written by the original author of the bestiary... I liked Madam Pince's explanation, how the pages about the adobos are more similar to a "scientific treatise" than the usual medieval bestiary... it's also interesting how you linked the adobos back to the spreading of the plague... also, I have to say, it's awesome to see all the references to Tiramisu! I wonder if we'll get more of it through the manuscript Tracey is working on...:D
The resistance plans are getting bolder... making the essays burn inside Alecto's bag is genius, honestly! But I'm a bit afraid of what she might do in retaliation... anyway, it's a cool plan! :) Asking Flitwick for help was probably a bit incautious... I'm sure he wouldn't rat them out willingly, but there definitely is a risk that he might mention it by accident... probably better for the kids not to involve the professors in their plans and figure things out on their own from now on. I love the fact that Neville came up with this fake relationship with Lavender to cover his traces... :P
Great chapter! I'll see you on the next soon! <3
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hi, Chiara! Thank you so much for keeping up so faithfully with the chapters of Crofter/Snake. I'm glad that you thought it was a great chapter. :)
Everyone has questions about the adobos, but these creatures will keep their secrets for a little while longer... Meanwhile there's plenty of stuff going on in this dangerous and unusual academic year. It's a juggling act to keep all the plot threads going. Also a challenge to try to get into the minds of the people at the time the bestiary was written -- what was going on, and what were they thinking? At the time of the plague, the people had all sorts of erroneous ideas about what was spreading it, and it was recorded at the time that carnivorous animals did gnaw on the bodies of the dead, so the people could easily have thought that adobos spread the plague. In London there was a campaign to exterminate stray dogs because of the belief that they spread the plague, allthough this was actually a bad idea because the dogs helped keep down the population of rats, which were the real villains.
Do you know what the doocument was that Tracey took? Howard is going to have to ask her what she has learned from it, now that Madam Pince has challegned him and Joel by telling them that Tracey was making good progress.
You are right about the resistance plans. They are getting bolder, and the kids must be careful not to make mistakes or get caught. I predict some long hours in the library, in the Charms section of the stacks!
This was a lovely review. Thank you so much!
Vicki
These little creatures that don't seem to do anything or be anything remarkable, have been the subject of quite a lot of fuss! Going back to when, for some reason, information about them was added to that old text in such an incongruous way to the rest of the rare beast content, which is more along the lines of unverifiable folklore. You've said I often seem to be able to predict where your story is going, but for the life of me I can't imagine what you have up your sleeve with these things.
The image of the adobos feeding on the bodies of the dead is a grotesque one, probably more so because we're not even sure how they'd feed on... well, anything. Since nobody can tell if they have mouths. I can only picture them just rolling along until they find a host they can attach to like a leech.
Neville's very smart to recognize that having some basis in truth is essential for a cover story. It's easier to remember, and if you don't feel like you're completely lying you have a better chance of doing so persuasively. Plus the fact that in this world Occlumency is a thing. Plausible deniability is going to be pretty important to all these students who are about to dedicate their school year to undermining the Carrows.
An intriguing chapter, I'm glad to be catching up finally!
<3 Melanie
Author's Response:Hi, Melanie. I too am glad that you are catching up. As for the slow uncovering of clues and bits of information about the historical record of the adobos, I will say that you know more than you think you do about them. I apologize for going so long between chapter updates in the past, becuase of course the reader tends to forget little details or theories that really should be fresh in their minds. I'll try to avoid such slow progress in the future.
As for how the adobos feed (when they're not hibernating), the Middle English manuscript said that when they enter hibernation, they lose their eyes, mouths, etc, so one can conclude that when they are not in hibernation, they do have mouths. Whether they have vertebrate-like jaws is another question. Perhaps they are more similar to the primitive, jawless fish such as the lampreys, as you suggest, that feed on their victims in a leech-like manner.
It is a pleasure to write Neville as being sophisticated and savvy about how guerilla warfare needs to be carried out, and how high the stakes are, and how easy it would be to go wrong if you didn't think of everything that might go wrong and prepare for it. To the motto of "Constant Vigilence," they can add the words "Plausible Deniability."
I'm so glad you are enjoying this story! Thank you for your always careful and analytical reviews. They are greatly appreciated.
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Here for our swap.
Well, this is very interesting. Adobos, supposedly, aren't actually real, but not only have our characters here seen them in person (if those are, in fact, adobos and not some kind of fabrication), the ancient texts also seem to discuss the adobos a little more... scientifically, if I can use that word?... than other creatures which appear to have been made up of random assumptions.
I find this whole thing about the attempts to eat the adobos very interesting. Maybe it's nothing and it's just a good detail, but the fact of having unsuccessfully tried to use adobos for food has come up in at least two chapters now, and as Howard can see from the text, medieval wizards put quite a bit of effort into trying to eat these things.
It had never occurred to me before about parchment not burning! I suppose that's because real parchment is made of animal skin? I never stopped to think whether the parchment being used by modern wizards is true parchment in the traditional sense, or simply a paper product (like you could find today) made to resemble real parchment.
I have to say, it's pleasing to see that among the ways the students are planning to subvert the current administration at school, more than one of their ideas involve using artistic expression -- poetry and theater. I wondered if that was an intentional connection you made here, the fact that art has always been integral to political and social progress, rebellion, etc.
Also I just really enjoyed that Neville specified it has to be "high quality mockery." :)
Wonderful chapter! Thank you for swapping!
Melanie
Author's Response:Hi, Melanie,
Thank you so much for this swap! It is always a treat to swap with you.
If you have read ahead to Chapter 22, you will know a bit more aout the issue of the ancient texts' discussion of adobos, and Madam Pince's theory about that.
We know from the existing manuscripts dating from the Late Middle Ages that the cooks of that time did prepare and serve a wide variety of creatures that we wouldn't eat today. So those cooks were eager to experiment, and their successful experiments made their way into the cookbooks, and the failures disappeared from history. When I was in Japan, I was astonished by the wide variety of seafood animals that were available in their meat markets, stuff I would never have eaten. I suppose that adobos fall into that category; if they were common and potentially edible, it would be worth the effort to try to cook them, but in this case, the cooks had met their match. The poor people, peasants and serfs, were forbidden to harvest large animals like deer or wild boars for food, so they had to be content with small animals like squirrels (and potentially adobos, but nope, not that).
I researched the burning of animal-skin products and learned that they are hard to burn, requiring higher temperatures. Thin animal-skin products, such as vellum or parchment intended for writing, might have burned more easily that ordinary leather, but I could not find any information about that. A good question -- whether the 'parchment' on which the students wrote was real animal-skin, or just a parchment-like paper product. I had always assumed, since the HP universe is fantasy anyway and doesn't have to be logical, that the sudents were using real parchment. In real life however, there were serious supply problems. When Johannes Gutenburg built his first printing press in the Fifteenth Century, his initial intention was to print his bibles on parchment, but it quickly became obvious that there was not enough parchment in Germany to supply the potential output of the printing press. So in the end he printed a few bibles on parchment and the rest of them on paper.
Thanks for your observations about the use and value of artistic expressions to bring about social change. Yes, it was deliberate on my part to include theater and poetry as part of the resistance, and you will see more of this in Chapter 23. Yes, Neville has outgrown the idea that potty jokes are the epitome of humor.
So glad that you enjoyed this chapter!
Vicki
Hi Vicki,
I'm back to fft and for the review tag! :)
Wow, this was such a great chapter. I feel like I say that every time, but it's true.
I love how we get to see Tracey getting a bit closer to Howe (and Joel, too) and we also see her explain a bit about Slytherin to Howe...I wonder how much the others students are talking about the pair of them together, given that it's such an anomaly to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin together in this time. I think their attempt to decode the text is really funny when it ended up that the researchers were trying to cook the adobos?? And also that Madame Pince already knows everything -- she could probably help, but it seems very like her to let them figure it out for themselves.
The Gryffindor bonding was also great. It's good to see this beginning of their rebellion on a small scale, while so much is going on outside the castle. I feel like Howard is finally able to be himself, and I'm glad he's giving well-received input! I only wonder and worry what the outcome of all this rebellion will be...It's also great to see the Gryffindors come together and find another solution when the essays won't burn. That team dynamic is so supportive and really heartwarming, and I think maybe Howard can see the family that they are, now.
YES I've been waiting for this to come out -- did Hagrid really get the adobos from the Ministry? It seems not. I'm so intrigued aboout this, and I can't wait to see where it leads Joel and Howard on their discovery of the creatures.
Thanks again, Vicki!
Happy to be back
Catherine
Author's Response:Hi, Catherine.
I'm so happy to know that you are back! I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I like your question about what the other students might be saying about a Slytherin and a Gryffindor pairing up. There might be a few students that are starting to notice friendly gestures or body language that they wonder about, or maybe it's a bit early to tell yet, but they will keep their antennae out.
The Gryffindors are really bonding strongly over the issue of resistance, and I like what you say about Howard's being able to see the teamwork and mutual support that make the House like a family. As to whether the resistance will make a difference, for the good or the bad, time will tell. Right now the Puffs, Claws, and Gryffies all assume that resistance is going on in all their Houses, but the links between the Houses are necessarity few. For example, Neville and Wayne constitute a link between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, narrow conduits through which information can pass. Nobody seems to know what, if anything is going on in Slytherin
It does seem more and more likely that the adobos did not really come from the Ministry. So what then?
Thank you so much for this review and for saying that the chapter was great <3
Vicki
Hi there! Another chapter!
Oh wow. It’s been only a day! I’m glad Howard is feeling like he’s a part of the school, being a wizard and learning wizard things with other wizards. That must be a super cool feeling, and I hope he is able to hold onto that feeling when things get rough. Because I’m assuming that things will get rough later on.
Day 2! And yay, Tracey is in this class as well! Okay, so I am all for class demonstrations, but I agree with Howard that putting him on the spot like he was in Potions is a highly uncomfortable situation. Weird that McG would single him out and ask him in front of the entire class about Transfiguring live things. I suppose that if it’s not against the customs of Hogwarts to do so, it wouldn’t seem like a crazy question, but clearly to Howard, it’s weird and unthinkable to do something like that. Good way to show the attitudes in the story, though!
Poor Howard, thinking that McGonagall expects him to turn a sheepdog into a footstool! I doubt that’s what she meant. Neato that he uses his grandfather’s wand. I seem to remember you mentioning this before, but it’s nice to see it mentioned here, when he uses his wand. I don’t remember that I’ve seem Howard use his wand for anything significant before this moment.
Ah, but Howard made something useful. And I don’t think the students or McG understand the significance of the tool… oh, but it DOES have significance, and this is MOST INTERESTING that Howard can both do these spells, AND they work within the wards of the castle! I feel like this is going to be a big playing card for him down the road…
I can’t imagine that McG thinks Howard is bad at Transfiguration after that demonstration. In fact, I think she might see him as dangerously competent. Unfortunately, Howard doesn’t believe this at the moment. He only realizes the lines he has just trampled all over. Poor thing! I would be angry as well. That should have been a private discussion. Or maybe McG hadn’t realized what Howard was capable of… hmm…
I like how Howard is counting the classes he shares with Tracey. ????
Yeah, Howard. How are you going to research a nameless creature??? Is there a magical picture index in the magical library that will automatically match up to these things? Ah, that’s probably too easy. But it’d be cool.
Oh dear! Howard’s enthusiasm for Muggle Studies is going to be grossly misplaced! (bites nails)
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix! Thank you so much for writing these review so completely, and with so much details.
That's a nice thought -- being able to hold on to the positive feelings about the good moments to comfort hyou when the going gets rough.
When I did online research about the details of the Tranfiguration curricum during the seven years at Hogwarts, I was struck by how many of the spells/skills that the student were taught involved living creatures -- a surprisingly high percentage. They were transfiguring living creatures right and left. I can see this as developing into a serious moral dilemma for Howard. Hopefully his relationship with McGonagall will improve, but, as some other people have noted, she and the other teachers are doubtless being placed under a lot of pressure from the Death Eaters.
Yes, you did see a previous mention of Howard's wand as having belonged to his grandfather. That was in Chapter 2, when he and the other formerly-homeschooled students were standing in the Great Hall, waiting to be Sorted.
You will see how Howard and Joel find information about their nameless creatures. Your guess in not too far off. :) And of course Muggles Studies will be a disaster. :(
Thank you so much for this lovely review.
Vicki
Hello! Back for another review swap!
I love that Howard is still concerned for the other homeschooled students at Hogwarts and goes out of his way to see that they are being looked after. I know it was probably a strategic move to split them all into separate Houses. I do hope that they all get together at times to check in with each other. Perhaps that will happen down the road.
Ah! Only two students in the Magical Creatures Class! That could either be a very good thing, or a very bad thing, depending on what you do with this. Bonding moments? Shenanigans? The possibilities are endless…
Uh oh. I am super suspicious of anyone at the Ministry who says, “Here, take these enigmatic animals and use them in your class this year” without any instructions. For all we know, they could be shape-shifting alien probes meant to attach to an unsuspecting student so the Ministry can spy on the goings on inside the school… oh, wait. That’s a different story… never mind me.
So, Joel and Howard have their own ideas about these mysterious creatures. Howard’s thoughts about Hagrid being too trusting might be right. Hagrid has always seemed like a trusting sort to me, which is weird because of what happened to him… with the trusting and the framing and all. He’s really a good guy, and Howard senses that. I just hope that the theory about getting rid of Hagrid turns out to be false, because that would be a crying shame! How dare you do anything bad to Hagrid, Vicki!
Ah, Neville and Seamus and their doublespeak! They are creating their own code, almost! And I love that they think well enough of Howard to lend him the books already purchased so Howard doesn’t have to buy his own! I’m glad to see him bonding with his housemates!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix.! Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter. I have to agree with all your speculations. Great line: "For all we know, they could be shape-shifting alien probes..." Everyone has his or her own theory or suggestion as to what they could be, but so far they are holding their secrets close to their vests (except that they are not wearing vests).
I like your observation that it is odd that Hagrid is perpetually so trusting, given what happened to him when he was a student at Hogwarts, accused, framed, and expelled unfairly. Yet he doesn't seem to have developed a perpetual grudge. He has forgiven those who suspected him unfairly, and he has found his niche at Hogwarts. That's good. I would never dream of doing anything bad to Hagrid (but do check out my story Maggots on my AP).
And I like how you describe Neville's and Seamus's double-speak as almost like a sort of code. The sudents are quickly picking up on the concept that they have to be super protective of themselves and their fellow students in this, the worst of all school years.
Thanks for being a faithful reviewer. <3
Vicki
I had to sit back and savor this chapter for a while before I started trying to express my reaction. First of all, the two sections are really well balanced - they contrast in so many ways, but each part holds the reader closely and makes a big impact on the story's development. Of course I've really been looking forward to both parts, too, but I'm going to try not to get too smug about getting such a nice present. I'll fail, but I'm trying anyway.
I like the interplay between Howe and Tracey as they get to know each other for what must be the first time - at least in any detail. Prior conversations have all been more about schoolwork, at least as far as I remember, and this one is lots more personal for both of them. I think I was a little bit surprised that Tracey didn't pick up on the fundamental similarities of their ambitions, though - Howe obviously understood that her hopes for a job as a District Healer has so much in common with Howe's plan to inherit the croft. It sort of put me in mind of the gentle romance of All Creature Great and Small. I think you've handled the initial spark of a slow burn very well.
The budding thespeans seemed to get the hang of things pretty quickly. I guess they probably disrupted everyone's studies a bit more than you had time to show us, but I thought the pace and feel of the scene was pretty realistic. Funny that Howe was miffed about Colin, who I suspect was just being a smart aleck, but I can see how he might have needed to vent a little after a long day. It did provide a good excuse for a song - I bet the stairwell made a great echo chamber, too. Maybe some of the folks still studying in the common room will find an excuse to tease him at breakfast, too - Nev, for example.
Anyway, I can't find anything I didn't really like here. One of the best chapters you've done so far. Thanks!
Author's Response:Hi, George! Thank you for this lovely review and for saying that it was one of the best chapters. Such praise. My daughter (my hard-nosed beta) suggested that the greenhouse scene lacked a statement of Tracey's emotional reaction to the surprising conversation with Howard, which she was not expecting. Was she surprised, pleased, dubious, suspicious, etc? My daughter thinks it should be made plainer than I did, so I will go back when I have a few minutes and elucidate more.
AS for the budding thespians trying to write songs, I envisioned them (though I guess I didn't actually say it) as singing the lines rather softly at first, as they create the lyrics bit by bit, and it doesn't get really loud until Euan belts out his final line. For no good reason, I have always pictured the spiral stairwells that lead up to the dormitories as having doors at their bases, although they probably didn't, so I didn't think to envision the sound of Howard's singing as carrying out into the common room, although it probably did, getting fainter and fainter as he ascended the stairs. Yes, you're right, he would have been a ggod target for some ribbing later.
I am glad that you are enjoying this story.
Vicki
Hi Vicki, here for our swap!!
Hah, the image of the adobos all wrapped up like pigs in a blanket is a cute one. :) I also for some reason just really enjoyed Howard's little comment, "I guess they know what they're doing." It's just a funny comment because right now the adobos look more like inanimate objects than animals. I sure hope Joel is able to get some responses to his letters.
Also the idea that the legal document from the book may have been written by the same person who wrote the educational material about the adobos is interesting, and I wonder what the significance will turn out to be.
I am suspecting that Howard's feelings about this all not being his battle to fight, and staying out of the resistance efforts, will slowly change. It's much easier to think that way when the situation doesn't affect him directly, but I suspect that as the school year goes on he will begin to see how it threatens to affect everyone. I predict even that he may provoke the ire of one of the Carrows innocently, without meaning to, and that sort of thing may be a catalyst for a shift in his attitude. Once he learns there's no such thing as neutral ground in this situation -- with Death Eaters, if you're not with them, you're against them.
Thank you so much for the swap, Vicki! Looking forward to seeing Howard continue to navigate this school year. :)
Melanie
Author's Response:Hi, Melanie. Thank you so much for doing this swap! I always enjoy getting a review from you. I don't know why I even try to surprise you with anything in my plots anymore because you seem to have a direct connection to my mind, no matter how original or innovative I try to be. (Or maybe it's just that great minds think alike, heh, heh.) That was true with Tiramisu also. Yes, Joel will get a response to his letter in Chapter 21. (Or maybe you have read ahead already and know about that.)
It's a safe bet that a person in Howard's situation would find his attitude toward the war slowly changing as time and events wear on. "Deathly Hallows" seems to suggest that the oppressive conditions at Hogwarts during this year escalated steadily as the months went by. Your line "...there's no such thing as neutral ground in this situation..." was also explored in my short one-shot "Nowhere To Go But Up," on my author page, and also pertaining to the war. That was written some years ago for the Slytherin-Centric Challenge; you might enjoy it; it's a very quick read.
Thanks again for doing this swap with me. <3
Vicki
Hi Vicki!
I thought I'd still stop by and leave you a review since I haven't visited this story in a while <3
I also enjoy scenes that include Tracey. Like Howard, she seems very mature for her age, and that seems to help the way the two of them get along so well. We do get sense her that Tracey has a better understanding of how the world works. She knows she can't be seen befriending Gryffindors because some of her housemates wouldn't understand. It's sad but it's a very realistic portrayal of their world at the moment. This, however, continues to surprise Howard, who still, understandbly so, doesn't understand why this sort of animosity has to exist.
I'm excited to see their Muggle Studies plan start coming into action. They'd talk about it before but now they're actually starting to implementing it and this feels like a monumental moment for the tone this year will take for them.
Howard reading the leter from the British Society of Magizoology made me chuckle because that's how I read something that I'm really excited to read as well - rush through it and then force myself to slow down and really take it in a little more carefully lol
And what's this about adobe's not existing? I'm even more intrigued now!
Wonderful chapter <3
Quilly
Author's Response:Hi, Quilly! What a nice surprise to see that you have left a review for C&S!
You remark that Tracey seems mature for her age. Actually, I think that being placed in Slytherin House as a sort of 'legacy,' even though she's not, in personality, like a lot of the other Slytherins, has made her more independent, more introspective, more sure of what she wants. Some of this will be becoming more clear in the next few chapters. But she knows that she can stray only so far from the expected Slytherin behavior, as you note. However, she is getting older, year by year, and this school year is getting weirder and weirder, and some of the standard old assumptions are starting to starting to develop cracks.
Yes, the Gryffindors dithered around at first, trying to develop a solid plan for how to face ths school year, but now they are beginning to put their plans into action, and the effects will be beginning to show up. Chapter 22 will start to provide more information about some of your questions, so keep reading! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story. Good luck to you about making progress on your stories also!
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Back for our review swap! As always this story continues to balance the larger plot along with Howard's day to day school activities very nicely. I also enjoyed his interactions with Tracey this chapter and think that relationship (loose term) feels rather nice among everything else. I felt a little said for Tracey that she is not able to be her true self around the other Slytherins, but Howe seems sweetly sympathetic to this and that touched me.
I liked the idea of them going about the resistance in a controlled manner. The way Howe took charge and delegated those items felt very Hermione-ish. And then the way they couldn't just roast the papers, but then they suddenly exploded was very unexpected and exciting. I think it brought new life to the students who felt very down about their original plan working. Great job evoking that progression of feelings throughout!
An dun, dun, dun...the plot regarding the adobos thickens! How absolutely fantastic and cool to have a piece of ancient folklore in yours hands! But then again, in fantasy stories that's what all the creatures are. So I really appreciated that double layer of irony you have going on. And of course, this raises so many questions about the adobos, the most burning one...who sent them?
A nice cliffhanger to keep us all on the edge of our seats! I'm glad you have another chapter posted for me to move along to, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been flailing even more hah.
Thanks for swapping!
<3 Courtney
Author's Response:Hi, Courtney! Thank you so much for accepting my swap offer and for leaving this lovely review. I always enjoy reading your reactions to my stories because you always pick up the tiny details, hints, suggestions that I include as I slowly try to build up the sense of what is going on.
I had not consciously thought of Howard's analysis of the categories that their resistance ideas fell into as being "Hermione-ish," but when you said that, I had to agree with you. Mentally organized. Then I got to thinking about whether growing up on a farm and doing farm work daily would encourage the development of that kind of thinking, and I suppose that it would. To be successful, a farmer has to be organized.
I am enjoying depicting Neville as being the ringleader among the Gryffindors during this year. With Harry and Ron gone, someone had to step into that role, and I guess this is Neville's year to shine. There is showmanship in burning up (or exploding) the Muggle Studies essays, and the showmanship also helps to keep the House united and morale maintained. It's imperative that the Gryffies see Neville as competent and trustworthy.
The adobos will not give up their secrets easily. There are surprises in store. We are moving into a portion of the story where more material is already composed, and our journey's road will not be so much impeded by potholes (whoops, I mean 'plot holes.' Little pun there, heh heh.)
Hi Vicki,
The scene with Hagrid was interesting and all, but I liked how, once again, the guys got their real insight from the librarian. You go Madam Pince! She helps them understand what they're reading in context of the times that produced it and gives them a dig when they're not keeping up with Tracey, who is translating just because she's interested. I get the feeling her advice was a big influence on Howard's sudden recognition as he was finishing his translation work for the night, too - that the lack of records relating to adobos may have been intentional. I think I love Madam P.
Good on Neville for remembering that he'll need an alibi after talking to Flitwick about burning parchment. Howard's inner monologue during the resistance meeting is good, too, as he seems to be starting to think of himself as part of the school community a bit more.
Good chapter!
Author's Response:Hi, Goatspeed,
Thank you for reading this new chapter and reviewing so quickly. I hope that people who read Crofter/Snake will never again see Madam Pince the way they used to see her, the way she was depicted in the canon books. The kids are continually astonished by all that she knows. She's not warm-fuzzy, but is friendlier than McGonagall and easier to get to know and like. She is happy to help them, but she doesn't cut them any slack and holds them to high standards.
It was enoyable to write the dialogue about the strategizing and plotting by the students. The more they think and discuss about their 'resistance,' the more they realize that it is complicated and needs to be planned very carefully, with all possible consequences considered, and the enemy not underestimated. I would say that your interpretation of Howrd's thoughts is correct. He is slowly realizing that, even if he doesn't throw any bombs, he cannot avoid playing some sort of role in this community.
So glad that you enjoyed it.
Vicki
Hi Vicki! It’s a Tracey chapter! I am excited about this!!
Haha, it’s funny that Tracey pointed out her good fortune about being in the group with the ‘qualified carpenter’. I mean, yeah, that helped out the group and all, and gave them a keen advantage, but it was the last thing I thought she’d take away from the situation. Her practical recollection just hit me funny.
I’m glad Tracey is starting to feel less pressure from her House about associations and friendships as she gets older. It’s far different from how I imagined this year to be for the Slytherins… seemed like the pressure would be tenfold, with all the changes in the castle, for the Slytherins to stick together. I guess that makes Tracey a real trend-breaker here.
Ooohhh, I love chemistry stuff and complicated glassware! In my Snape-centric novel, I compared his potions techniques to chemistry techniques too, so I’m so excited to see that here… all the practical applications being taught to these students who usually get very impractical lessons. It was hilarious how Howard just went off on sheep breeding and everyone was all, “eww… umm…” LOL!
“It’s easy of you know how and hard if you don’t.”
True. Yeah. About that… some things are just… hard. I’m sure this year will prove that to everyone involved.
“Be an artist and do it right.”
Love this line!
It is such an in-character thing for those boys, to gather all the information they observe for Howard for the express purpose of using it against him in horrifically strategic moments. And you don’t disappoint. Of course they’re going to try out their shiny new knowledge right after class. Unfortunately, Howard doesn’t fall for the bait. He’s going to take it at face value and let it roll off his back. Good for him!
I wonder now, what kind of buttons Howard does have, and how long it will take for them to find them.
I hope it takes longer than I think it will. They’re definitely going to keep trying. It’s interesting that we get this from Tracey’s POV too, because we get to see how unlike her classmates she is, and how she reacts differently to the situation. I can also see how she might… later… share her observations with Howard so he can better arm himself against them… if necessary.
That’s me, just guessing.
Cool stuff!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix! Thanks for this swap and this lovely review.
I had to smile when you said that the 'qualified capenter' was the last thing you thought Tracey would take away from that first Herbology lesson. Makes me wonder what other thing you thought she was more likely to take away...
The subject of how the Slytherins are or will be reacting to the conditions of this school year is something that our Gryffindor crew discuss and deal with farther along in the story. The Gryffies think they know how the Ravenclaws and the Huflepuffs are dealing witih the situation, but the Slytherins are something of an enigma to them. Are all the Slytherins on the side of the Death Eaters? How much unanimity is there among the various Snakes? Whom can the other Houses trust, among the Slytherins? Where do the Slytherins, as a House and as individuals, stand, on the issue of 'Resistance'? We will see more about Tracey's position as the year progresses.
Glad that you were amused by Howard's introductory speech in Postions class. Of course he did it deliberately, guessing accurately how the professor and other students would take it. He knows that he is seen by them as 'different,' an outsider, so he thinks to himself, "You want to see 'different'? I'll show you 'different.' He wants to remain as Howard the Crofter for his entire year there, not blend in with the rest and become 'one of them.'
You recall Howard's earlier remark that he is like a duck on a pond, seemingly gliding along serenely, but below the surface he's paddling like hell. Like a gazelle on the African plains, constantly alert for signs of danger or attack. He can't let his guard down for a minute. So he is unlikely to lash out suddenly without thinking. Of course he's not accustomed to defending himself against verbal attacks at home on Skye, but he must have thought about what he would have to face, socially, in this new-to-him culture with its strict expectations of knowledge, behavior, class status, and so on. He must have guessed that there would be some of them who would laugh at him as a country bumpkin or not a proper wizard, and he would have decided how he was going to deal with that. Yes, Tracey's observations will be helpful to him.
I'm glad that you think this is cool stuff. The fractionating column glassware was fun to write about, and a nice change from just boiling stuff in cauldrons day after day. :)
Vicki
Hi there! You know how Life sometimes grabs you by the neck and makes you leave the things you want to do for the things you are suddenly obligated to do? I’ve had that sort of week, but it’s better now. Back to your story!
First day of classes! I’m sure Howard had a lot to think over, now that he’s had a taste of his new reality. Hey, but Neville has the same first class with him, so at least he had a buddy. There are an awful lot of supplies in that trunk. I’m glad they have those shrinking spells. I remember my kids carrying supe heavy backpacks to school, and can’t imagine if these guys have to lug their cauldrons everywhere.
Since I’ve read the one-shot with Neville and the Greenhouse, I was expecting this sort of thing from Professor Sprout. I’m glad she, like McGonagall, are preparing the students the best way they can under the conditions. I’m also happy to see Tracey reappear and be in the class with Howard. Keeping the group together was another great idea, Neville!
Poor Howard! Just like that duck, but at least he has friends now to share his struggles with. The bench building teamwork was cool, and I’m sure they learned something good from it, mostly how to trust each other with the shared tasks, I bet.
Ah, poor Ravenclaws! I guess everyone’s got to joke about each House’s idiosyncrasies at some point. I half expected Tracey to say more about what she wants out of her life when she mentioned the typical Slytherin career path. It would have been a perfect seque. I’m sure it will come up later at some point.
The bed bug lesson was quite entertaining, as well as informative. I should take that to heart. LOL! Looks like Howard and Tracey will be spending more time together on his first day. I’m actually looking forward to the potions class and how it differs from what we’ve seen in the past.
Thanks for a cool chapter!
Pix
Author's Response:Hi, Pix! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing one more chapter of my epic story about my fish-out-of-water hero in this complicated school year. You're right about the impossibility of lugging a cauldron around all day, especially if you're reluctant to climb all the way up to the seventh-year dorm to drop it off. Perhaps the shrinking charm should be one of the first ones Professor Flitwick teaches to new students.
You're right about how the bench-building task helps the students develop teamwork and mutual trust. That's always important, and this year more than ever. (And good for the Ravenclaws to be working with their hands.)
I'm afraid I do tend to make Ravenclaws the butt of my jokes. Chiara once asked me, good-heartedly, if I had something against the Ravenclaws ("What did they ever do to you, Vicki?") I guess it's because I so often see them depicted as being noticeably proud of their intellect. I told Chiara I'd try to lay off them (but it's hard).
The bedbug stuff is true. I'm glad you found it entertaining. Hopefully you will find the potions class entertaining also.
Yes, I know how life suddenly fills up one's daybook with endless obligations, so I sympathize. Nice to know that things have slacked off for you, at least somewhat. Hopefully we'll both get a buch of writing done this summer. :)
Vicki <3
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.