Luan Mao posted a comment on Thursday 17th January 2008 6:44pm

This story is listed as "Harry/Fleur". From the previous chapter, we have "I've got your 'leetle boy' right here, Princess!" Is this what we call one of those inauspicious beginnings?

Love the story, and especially love Hat. I've changed my style of workplace interaction by asking myself "What would Hat say?" (I'm trying to get my contract ended early...)

JBern replied:

You could say it's an inauspicious start and it promises to get more interesting.

Glad to hear that the Hat has had a profound effect on how you conduct your day to day life.~Jim

thangmo posted a comment on Thursday 17th January 2008 11:38am

Wow , I just finish reading this story and very impress about your plot. I hope to read you next chapter soon. wish you luck

JBern replied:

Thank you.~Jim

Tom Mathews posted a comment on Tuesday 15th January 2008 11:06pm

Well, the loss of the map is unfortunate, but the map doesn't have the Room of Requirements or the Chamber of Secrets on it, so a new one needs to take its place.

HJ knows about things like X-Rays and other muggle inventions that can help him make a much better map. Hidden things like pipes and corridors hidden inside the walls would be useful to know.

Having something that can detect basilisks or trolls on the grounds might also be a good idea.

The Marauder's Map was created to aid in pranking. If HJ creates one, it is to aid in keeping him safe.

JBern replied:

Don't forget, HJ doesn't know about the Room of Requirements.   Chamber of Secrets - yes, but RoR no.   He'll be looking at crafting his own map, but things may get in the way...

Jim

scaryisntit posted a comment on Tuesday 15th January 2008 2:26pm

Interesting. Very interesting. Quite the plotline you have going here. While the Sorting Hat is a little too crude for my likings, I really want to know what happens next! Keep up the good work.

scaryisntit

JBern replied:

Sorry you don't care for the Hat all that much, but I'm having too much fun with it to overhaul it at this point.~Jim

Ianmacian posted a comment on Monday 14th January 2008 5:58pm

I've been enjoying this story so far. There is one issue I have with this chapter, though. Why did Harry agree to go along with the "official story"? It seems like he got the shortest straw by a large margin, everyone else got a much better deal. Seeing as how the story wouldn't work without his cooperation, he should have been able to hold out for more. Forcing Fudge to have Lucius examined for the Dark Mark, demanding that they accept a magical oath that Pettigrew was alive and had confessed to framing Sirius, etc. It just feels like he let himself get the shaft end of the deal, which doesn't seem in character with the HJ persona in this story.

Wolf

JBern replied:

HJ got the wheels in motion to get Sirius cleared of all charges.   He got an "unofficial manhunt" started for Peter.   Did he really get anything for himself?   Not really.   He did make the point to Fudge that Harry Potter will be an adult before the next election and that the combined Black and Potter vaults have as much loose change in them as the Malfoy vaults with significantly less "stigma" attached to them.

Then again, look at Fudge.   He has to "eat it" and call off the search for Black.   Eventually clearing the man.   He has to knuckle under and release a statement to the ICW stating England's "Concern" over recent levels of Dark Activity.   Moves that jeopardize both his donations and his political standing.

The point of the bartering scene is that very few got "everything" they wanted and most had to do something they'd prefer not to do in exchange for what they did get.   It's backroom politics.~Jim

Meghan posted a comment on Monday 14th January 2008 2:20pm

I've missed emailing back and forth. How are things? I just saw that this story is Harry/Fleur that's exciting! "Hez juzt a leetle boy!"

JBern replied:

Everybody bug Meghan!!!   She's already seen the rough draft of chapter 10!   Neener Neener Neener!   :-)

warpwizard posted a comment on Sunday 13th January 2008 2:43pm

Good chapter. Very meaty.

JBern replied:

Thank you.   I try pretty hard to give my stories the edge that keeps the reader interested.~Jim

muzster posted a comment on Sunday 13th January 2008 9:27am

A fantastic story - I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

JBern replied:

Thank you.   The next chapter is coming soon.   It is already rough drafted.~Jim

Shadez44 posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 12:44pm

Awesome i like where this is going

JBern replied:

Thank you.   Next chapter coming soon.~Jim

vasilis01 posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 10:29am

Excellent chapter. I love the hut and i can't wait to see how are you going to use Sirius further up the story.

JBern replied:

Thank you.   There are plans for Sirius down the road.~Jim

dwilken posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 5:43am

Rather stiff dialogue in your scene with the Bloody Baron / HJ.

Floo dialogue with Lupin - HJ becoming his own man, he's not James, he's not Harry. I like it.

As always the Sorting Hat interactions are superb, although some of the visuals may haunt my nights. (shrunken hat as a Dobby condom? shudder!)

Great fight scene with 'Moody'. Love the idea that James Potter knew the weaknesses in the magical eye and the idea that eves have limited amounts of energy available to them in their itty-bitty bodies. Your characters get injured and they *hurt* in believable fashion.

The wheeling-dealing over Crouch Jr's corpse is excellent, as is the Harry
/Albus follow-up interaction.

Good scene with Hermione and Harry in the broom closet.

Harry and the Katie, Alicia, Angelina. Nice character development you've been doing here. If only JKR had done as much .....

And the scene with Sirius. Clearly you see James Potter as having been the leader in the old days, which makes sense. This is simply an excellent scene. Personally, I loved the reference to Caesar and Gaul.

And of course you just had to end the chapter there, didn't you, you malodorous heap of bird droppings! Cthulu will get you for this!

BTW, regarding HJ ultimately getting paired-off with Fleur - the way you've developed the story so far, you don't need it. Keeping them sniping at each other every step of the way until she goes back to France could be highly entertaining. Think about it.

All in all, a top notch chapter.

- Doug

JBern replied:

Conversations with the Baron always seem to bring out the formalness.   HJ has finally accepted that he isn't either James or Harry.

Yeah it'll probably be awhile before you get the Dobby condom image out of your head.

The eye and elves should have limits and it was high time that Harry Potter had to face a derranged elf trying to protect her master.

Remus was the "Brain," Peter the synchophant, that left James and Sirius as the leaders.   Sirius had all that rebelling at his family thing going on.   James seems like he had to have been the leader.

It's tempting to keep up the sniping, but we'll see.

Thanks for the long review.~Jim

thewisesirivanthes posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 5:38am

This is a great chapter! I love the action, revelations,and plot and character development. I am really looking forward to the next chapter. Till then have a good day and may the muses always whisper in your ear.

JBern replied:

Thanks.   Next chapter coming in 2-3 weeks.~Jim

Logan_MacLeod posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 4:51am

DUDE THIS IS FRELLING AWESOME!!!!! I SO LOVE THIS STORY. THE Harry and the Hat then Harry and everyone else dynamic is so refreshing and well drawn out . The Hat is just the bomb

JBern replied:

Glad you like it.   There's a lot of hard work by several other people that goes into each chapter.~Jim

Stygius posted a comment on Saturday 12th January 2008 12:11am

nice... i really did want the griffin for suffer though.... whilst most did it out of being scared for fred and george, there were some there that truely held animosity against harry... payback is a bitch, i recall...

hoping to see ron get his as well, well all of the weasleys.

otherwise great... all the dialogue with the hat was a bit much for me in the earlier chapters, but this is great....

awesome work with mooddy, though this does make the rest of the yr more interesting...

and can't wait for some fleur action...

JBern replied:

Well, he's still not wearing his house colors.   He forgave Katie, but didn't really give a pass to any of the upper years especially the rest of the Quidditch team.   Ron will have a tough time apologizing.   He's pretty stubborn.~Jim

Jim_xinu posted a comment on Friday 11th January 2008 5:24pm

Quick work disposing of Barty Jr. I was surprised. Since to see HJ could handle it, too.

You really don't like house elves, do you? :-) I don't think I ever seen anyone kill off Winky before.

The bartered truth was a very interesting exercise in realpolitik. An interesting departure from the more typically (over) used memory charms to shaping the 'truth'.

Also very surprising to see Skeeter caught so soon. I presume it means good things for the future--new things happening with less rehash of canon events.

Interesting idea about DD maybe having helped make the Map. Which, of course, raises the idea he may notice HJ's name issue.

Great scene with Sirius. Perfect balance of length, brevity, detail, hurry. Excellent.

Good chapter, thanks for sharing it with us.

JBern replied:

You should know that by now I like to shake things up.   Now that I am straying from canon, I won't be back.

I thought someone should finally have a story where Harry has to fight a derranged house elf.   All these people were the "good" guys.   Why should we sink to "memory charms" when there is lots of bartering to do.   Everyone wants something right?

Next chapter in 2-3 weeks.~Jim

AmonRA posted a comment on Friday 11th January 2008 3:28pm

Wow! This story is so good! Very original and moves along at a nice pace.

JBern replied:

Thanks.   Next chapter in 2-3 weeks.~Jim

Aelita posted a comment on Friday 11th January 2008 8:39am

Please update soon! I love this story!

JBern replied:

2-3 weeks~Jim

DobbyElfLord posted a comment on Friday 11th January 2008 7:06am

Hi Jim,

Great chapter as usual. I was surprised Crouch Jr. was taken out so quickly. Now what DE can Dumbles get to be the DADA prof?

Did you not like Sarah Underhill in my story? Imean, kill her off, fine. But to have her raped by Snape and pregnent with his kid is just cruel! ;-)

I am looking forward to the broom race and seeing how "Ambassador" Potter pursues his international relations. (Since he made such a brilliant start to it already.)

Rick

JBern replied:

I keep forgetting to mention in my author notes where I got the inspiration for Sarah Underhill.   Damn!   Still I bet you didn't see her as being the reason Sirius sent Snape to get killed by Remus.

I thought your version of Sarah was good, but I didn't like her "fate" of dying off screen like that.~Jim

Quizer posted a comment on Friday 11th January 2008 5:13am

Wow, what an eventful chapter this time. Good that fake!Moody has been taken care of, although the loss of the map is inconvenient. Did you take it away because it's too powerful a tool for an enlightened Harry to have for your purposes? Or will he be reasonably quick in assembling a substitute? ("We have the technology... We can rebuild it, bigger and better than ever before!" *cue evil laughter*)

Loved the talk with Sirius. At least one reasonably sane person who Harry can show his cards to. The 'gender confused' joke was great. Looking forward to more of this kind of interaction.

The sections where Harry talks to Hermione, to Katie, and to Alicia and Angelina were all enjoyable. I still think the whole Censure bit may have been a bit extreme, but I guess it's the logical conclusion if you take the canon reaction and add the whole censure concept to it.


Looking forward to the next chapters!


Quizer

JBern replied:

As always thanks for the long and thoughtful review.   I just couldn't see Dumbledore letting the Map get away like that.   HJ can probably craft a new and improved one, provided that he isn't too busy with other things...

I'd been looking forward to using the "gender confused" joke ever since I started looking at how Sirius would fit into the story.  My version of HJ can still hold grudges, he's just more selective about it.~Jim

crazyP posted a comment on Thursday 10th January 2008 6:56pm

Great chapter !!
Please update soon!!
I'm so glad Harry told Sirius everything

JBern replied:

Glad you enjoyed it.   Next chapter in 2-3 weeks.~Jim