ernichol posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 8:36am for The Dykstra Shuffle

excellent as always. The harry/fleur bit is good. It is going slow and taking its time to develop the right way, but i especially like your dumbledore characterization. He is neither a purely manipulative bastard or a senile grandfather. and you do a great job of keeping him a cooky oddjob.

JBern replied:

I'm glad you approve of this Dumbledore.   He has his failings, but he tries hard.~Jim

Gardengirl posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 8:15am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Ab fab, Jim! I loved it. It was brave of you to let one of the champions really be injured. You handled it very nicely.

JBern replied:

Thanks.   I try to keep it as realistic as possible.~Jim

Tabi posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 8:07am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Winning by Howling the Rolling Stones. Scaring Lupin out of his wits with long past crimes. Life debt. Ticking of the Minister of Magical France. Finding out just what that one point deduction was for.

All in a days work.

JBern replied:

Glad you liked HJ's day.   He might have a different view of it, but we'll see.   Thanks for the review.~Jim

Paul Beamer posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:51am for The Dykstra Shuffle

One of your better chapters. I always enjoy your stories, but I cringe at times with some of your writing. I found very little to cringe about in this chapter and was kept enthralled to the end. Keep up the great work!

JBern replied:

Just curious, what do you find cringe worthy about my writing.   Feel free to email me offline.

MOD posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:48am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Brilliant as always! Please do feel encouraged to continue with story, even with your other pursuits. We, your fans, will gladly support you in your endeavours. (And of course do put up when your new works are published.)

JBern replied:

I certainly will.   Thanks for the review.~Jim

stealacandy posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:42am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Hello,

I must tell you, this story, which began as a side note, really grew up into something else!

I just love it.


-s.a.c.

JBern replied:

Thanks for saying that.~Jim

Lee Dickie posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:35am for The Dykstra Shuffle

A very well written chapter with great charactizations.

Well done & thanks.

JBern replied:

Thanks for the compliments.~Jim

steviesteveo1984 posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:32am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Very interesting - it's a natural evolution after the switching spell on a duellist's arm.

I'm very impressed at this Harry though - balls of steel doesn't begin to cover his suggestion.

I like your idea that healing magic has dark origins because it's a completely opposite view from how the Unforgivables were originally used in medicine. Actually, some of these healing charms were originally utterly despicable. A very nice touch.

JBern replied:

Glad you liked the twist.   In my stories, I try to take a branch of magic and make it more interesting than JKR did.   In this story, I've endeavored to make Transfiguration and Healing far more interesting than they were in cannon.~Jim

hordac85 posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:20am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Excellent.Keep it up

JBern replied:

Thanks.~Jim

Loopy Dane posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:11am for The Dykstra Shuffle

awesome.
Thank you for sharing your time and talent with us.

JBern replied:

Thanks.~Jim

olfrik posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 7:03am for The Dykstra Shuffle

That was very good, I very much liked the healing scene. I also like the interaction with Dumbledore, he actually gets more and more character here. I'd like to see more of that kind of multifaceted relation. It's hard to find a human, powerful and still cunning Dumbledore between the thousands of indie-Harry stories out there. So to sum it up: thanks for this chapter!
What I want to see in the future: To put HJ in a situation that resembles Dumbledores leadership and decision making situations. A loose/loose situation where he has to take responsibility and people desect his actions afterwards when they didnt have to make the decision in the first place. That may put a heap of reallity on Dumbledores 'right or easy choice' speech. And HJ might learn that he needs people and diplomacy to survive the coming war, not 'only' powerful magic.

JBern replied:

Well you'll have to wait and see what I have in store.~Jim

DiscountNinja posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 6:28am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Awesome :D The Dykstra Shuffle thing is easily in my Top 5 JBern moments :D absolutly loved it :D

JBern replied:

I'm curious what the other 4 are?~Jim

Godogma posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 6:08am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Here's hoping Aimee isn't maimed or permanently disfigured - she was quite the lovely character in the fic thus far and I hope she continues to be so after her hopefully fast recovery.

Its quite strange, but it seems anyone HJ likes tends to get the short end of the various sticks in this fic - it causes me to wonder why in particular more or less. He and they rarely seem to get a break.

JBern replied:

The recovery will take time - well into the sequel even with magic.~Jim

jeffstrauser@yahoo.com posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 5:56am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Outstanding chapter!!!! How do you think the medical profession started in the first place?? Doctors will never tell you this but some of what they do now evolved from torture. Anatomy for instance was created by some wacko who liked killing people and taking them apart to see what made humans work and tick. You'll have to excuse the history lesson in the review, I loved the chapter!!!! Will we get to see more of the medical stuff in the next chapter???? Who will Harry end up with at some point???? Will Harry make up with Remus???? Do keep up the outstanding work and update soon please!!!!:):):):)

JBern replied:

Glad you liked it and appreciated the take on medical magic.~Jim

DobbyElfLord posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 5:18am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Great chapter! I laughed the whole way through. I really like how much more 'realistic' this Tournement is versus canon.

JBern replied:

Thanks Rick!   I appreciate the compliment.

mathiasgranger posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 5:11am for The Dykstra Shuffle

People in the magical world have some serious issues with gratitude don't they?

Harry saves her daughter's life and Beuacourt dismisses him and treats him rudely in the process. That characterization might have been a little...off key, concern for an injured child notwithstanding.

Interesting way of dealing with the dragon, of course having headmasters scoring their own students seems to be flawed way of scoring a contest, but then again that's the magical world for you.

I'll be interested to see what Remus' response to Harry's accusation is. Part of him being a man would have been to stand there and take his punishment...of course he ran at the first option, didn't he? It doesn't say much for future prospects in reviving more than the HJ and Sirius era of Marauders.

Just because the sex with Lily had been consensual, doesn't mean HJ doesn't have reason to hold it against Lupin. One doesn't sleep with another man's best friend and expect it to be forgotten, whether the husband and wife are dead or not. Of course, a real man wouldn't stand in front of said best friend's orphaned son and be a raving hypocrite.

This entire chapter seemed to be a study in the ethics, or lack thereof in the vast majority of people living in the Magical world. Its also been noted that logic is bereft in the magical world also, so perhaps magic has a detrimental effect on the higher cognitive functions?

It's disturbing when I count Dumbledore and his nebulous view of the greater good, higher on the ethical compass than 90% of your other characters in this story.

Thanks for writing,
Matt

JBern replied:

Thanks for the opinions.   Interesting takes on the ethics of the magical world.       Something to consider is that showing gratitude in this culture might imply weakness - especially when dealing with people from other countries.

Mordre posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 4:55am for The Dykstra Shuffle

I do hope that Aimee won't be permanently harmed, and Dumbles' final comments (in this chapter) was marvelous! I look forward to another JBern story!

JBern replied:

Thanks.~Jim

Shepherd posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 4:39am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Great chapter. No earthshaking twists, but we got to see some action, some drama, some socialization, and a few lines from the foulmouthed sorting hat.

JBern replied:

Glad you liked it.   Haven't been on Drunkard's Walk in awhile.   Hope all is well.~Jim

Rebel Goddess posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 4:35am for The Dykstra Shuffle

I really like that Aimee is on Harry's side when it comes to Fleur. It will make it all much easier for him. LOL at Harry being too mature and then immediately counting in Fleur's body as a major factor.

The Hat is as delightfully foul mouthed as ever. I thoroughly enjoy it too. LOL at Neville's question. Love the idea of Harry doing Howlers to the dragon. So funny. I also loved that Harry is going to wear Seamus's Quidditch champion shirt. I love Dumbledore's reasoning for a nine.

The magic is dark and brilliant. It's such a magical way of doing lung transplants. Poor Amy. Excellent chapter. This was so much fun. More please.

JBern replied:

Thanks as always.   Aimee's rehabilitation will be long and continue into the sequel.~Jim

skulLXeon posted a comment on Friday 12th December 2008 4:35am for The Dykstra Shuffle

Well, that was majorly funny.... Even if there was a serious section embedded in there... =) Great Job as always, thought i didn't forsee Aimee getting the barbecue treatment... i expected Athena at least... but it was still good... =) And again, you're a master at springing surprises and twists.... =) kick ass job as usual... see you around at the next one... =)

JBern replied:

Athena wouldn't haave carried near the emotional impact as Aimee.   I almost went after Cedric.   Thanks for the review.~Jim