Sssith posted a comment on Monday 8th May 2006 5:59am

Good to see the next installment. Looking forward to more of your work.

Bernd Jacobitz posted a comment on Monday 8th May 2006 3:43am

Good, solid work on this one. Not exceptional but very good indeet. Very interesting insight into Chistianity in GB, somthing I surely was not familiar with.
Keep it up please

cmzanna posted a comment on Monday 8th May 2006 1:09am

Yet another marvelous installment! I enjoyed Ginny's reasoning behind why she was going through with this and also the appearance of Gideon and Fabian.

just as a side note, thanks for the lovely trip down memory lane with your mention of the Archbishop of Cantebury. I was fortunate enough to be visiting Cantebury cathedral by chance in 2002 and was present during the installment of the current Bishop - the music and the ceremony was truly glorious.

Graup posted a comment on Monday 8th May 2006 12:22am

Nice chapter.

I liked the dynamic of the believers and unbelievers, and the martyr story of the Prewitts.

Thanks for sharing this chapter.

amulder posted a comment on Monday 8th May 2006 12:05am

Hi, John, I had the time for a lengthier review today...

The gown showing the tattoo... but she resisted the tempation to make it move and stir the gossip pot even more?

Thackeray is a delightful name. it sounds odd enough to fit into the JKR universe, and yet still reasonably familiar. I'm so tired of the unoriginal names out there.

The conversation with Daphne... tough, it verges a bit on the 'talking heads' problem. there is a lot of information being tossed out, but I
think you did the best that could be done. But the bit at the end about giving Daphne an excuse to turn down a Boy for a date? Poor girl. No
lady should need an "excuse" to say no. She'll learn.

Turning invisible... Sigh. That would have been such fun to be able to do that when I was in college. A huge temptation as well, so it is
actually a good thing that Harry is in a secure relationship. Still, the two of them could have so much fun with walking the corridors, unseen, virtually untraceable...

Lizard Lips... Wheee! That is a great name for Tommy. Very original, and yet somehow a bit like an old shoe; warm and comfortable. At least, as far as insults go. I'm sure I've heard hat insult before, probably some old 70's tv show. Still, in the JKR-universe, it is new.

Having Ginny see a vision of Gideon and Fabian seems a trifle unorthodox for you, John. Angels, sure, but people? Where, other than at the transfiguration, did humanity see something like that?

"our children are going to do this!" -- Well, I can understand Ginny's excitment, but I rather would expect them to baptise their children in infancy. I'm pretty sure that is the standard practise of Anglicans?

Ron's French accent. Oh, that was hilarious!
Hermione's later revelation was also touching. In part I wonder if you're laying the foundation for your ... Argh, I forget the name of it ... the 20-years in the future story. That would certainly give Hermione a lot of baggage before joining any church herself.

I just realized -- I noticed a "gray friar" mixed win with the "greyfriars".

thanks for the story.

blessings,
...art

Kokopelli replied:

Oh, but the tattoo did move - magical tattoos, like magical pictures, can move.   Her tattoo was fairly well behaved that night.

Names - I hate coming up with names.   If ever I have an assistant, that's a job that the assistant will be stuck with.

As to the talking heads aspect of the Ginny/Daphne conversation in the library - it's a groove/rut that I fall into easily, but after looking at it a zillion times there wasn't anything that I wanted to cut, so I left it as is - as to the date thing - Daphne is conflicted - she's allowed to date at this point in the process, but she doesn't want to, because she's trying to discern her vocation and doesn't want to screw that process up.

Harry and Ginny _do_ have fun prowling the corridors as an invisible couple.

Lizard lips is something that Ginny came up with - so give her the credit.

As to the apparition of Gideon and Fabian - Protestants aren't much for this, but you have to remember that I used to be a good Anglican ;-)     Seriously, though, in Hebrews it says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses - and remember that the root word of martyr is the same as that of witness.   When Stephen was being stoned, he saw heaven open up - if he could do that whilst still alive, couldn't two determined Martyrs slip out for a few   minutes to see their niece get baptized?   The original title of this chapter was supposed to be "Cloud of Witnesses"   but I thought that would give too much away.

As to Ginny's outburst, she was thinking that this was a great thing and she wanted her children to experience same.   True, most Anglicans have their tots baptized, but I don't think Ginny would let a thing like that stand in her way.

As to the Hermione backstory - its part of what I've always envisioned for her as a character, the daughter of two academics, raised with birkinstocks and granola.   To be the daughter of a nominally Jewish father and lapsed catholic mother in Anglican England is to be an outsider - and I've always seen Hermione as the outsider.   Yes, there is a connection here with Ever After - there's a very interesting chapter called Credo in which Hermione talks to Father Martin about the canonical requirements for a church wedding.  

As to the spelling - I realized the conflict, but I'm going to go back and change the old stuff to go with Greyfriar - have to give my beta _something_ to do.

Thanks for your kind words,

J

Brian Campbell posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 6:16pm

Wonderful new chapter! I especially like the merger of Christian and HP themes. Just enough detail to convey the sacredness of the old rituals, and not so much that the story is overwhelmed.
Much of your writing reminds me of Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Series, and this chapter very much brings to mind parts of "Taliesin" and "Merlin," the first two in the series. I am amazed at how hostile some folks are to any union of Christianity and fantasy fiction. Anne Rice covers some of that in her afterward to "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." I have long lamented the lack of well-written Christian fiction, so I look forward to each of your updates.
Keep up the good work.
BC

Kokopelli replied:

I have written elsewhere at length that there's already a lot of religion in JKR's writing, it's just very, very subdued.

Manatheron posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 5:03pm

Hah! Gotta love Ron... Lunch with the queen indeed... (Now you should have it happen just to spite Hermoine)

Excellent job, keep up the good work!

Kokopelli replied:

Actually, they're not having lunch with the Queen - at least, not yet.

Patches posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 3:09pm

A very good chapter. Abelard is teaching Harry
even though he is very ill. It was nice of him to keep Jasmine from losing more sleep. It is too bad that Zacharias interupted what would have been Harry's breakfast. Ginny at least knows when Harry needs privacy. That is good.
Thanks for writing. pms

Evan Mayerle posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 2:54pm

Delightful read, as I believe I've already commented in your LJ. I do like the way Christianity is (very properly, IMHO) portrayed as a part of life rather than bludgeoned into the story as some special explanation. *smile* I also liked the humor sprinkled through this installment and thought the bit with Gideon and Fabian was a very nice touch.

Patches posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 2:05pm

A very good chapter that I believe I have read before but its been a while. Thanks for writing. pms

Patches posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 1:44pm

A very good chapter and a very good description of baptism. I really liked the way Ginny wrestled with the "reasons" she wanted to be baptised. That is very important to anyone who
wants to enter the faith. I like the way she and Harry discussed the whole thing. It was a nice touch to have her 2 uncles appear in the back of the crowd when she was baptised! I'm so
glad her parents came! That was important. Thanks so much for writing. pms

MarkH posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 9:10am

OK, so I'm catholic and I can understand all of what you are saying within this chapter with regards to Ginny deciding her own faith and the like.

I especially like the way you have tied the DE/Pure-blood business to the religious aspects. I always found it quite unusual that JKR didn't ever bring ANY religion into a story - particularly where Druidic or (whatever) would play such a strong role.

I know she was trying not to "offend" anyone, but I do believe it weakens her story somewhat.

Anyhow, I do have a complaint though. I am not comfortable with the way you are portraying Hermione in this chapter. It alludes to her being quite "overtly sexual" when you implied her not being so in LOTR. And, by this, I don't mean she's a dead fish or anything, but you kind of implied that her and Ron were now quite "involved" (including sex?) and yet this seems contrary to her spoken thoughts in LOTR.

I am not criticising your work or anything in terms of having, hem-hem, sex - as my story is a Harem fic. What I am just wondering is whether there is an inconsisty in the character there.

Keep up the great work.

Mark (Wyadra Writings)

Kokopelli replied:

I was with you right up through the third paragraph, but I haven't a clue what you're talking about with your acronym LOTR (which in my mind means Lord of the Rings), nor any allusion to Hermione's being "overtly sexual."   Hermione has a boyfriend.   Upon occasion she kisses her boyfriend.   There's other touching involved, but nothing that would get Ron smacked by Molly.   At least nothing that Harry or Ginny has seen with their own eyes.   This is not overly different from the R-H relationship during the summer, when Ron and Hermione were dimed out by the Weasley Clock as "Canoodling in the Orchard."   I read that as smooching - how did you read it?

Thanks,

JEC

What story were you reading?

Jeff1 posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 8:54am

Excellent work as always. It was great to see your version of Harry, Ginny, and the others describing their faith. I loved that you showed Ginny as being truly discerning of her desire to be baptized. It was a timely chapter as well as I finished reading it after confirming 3 teens in church this morning. Keep writing and you can bet I'll keep reading.

Kokopelli replied:

Thanks for your kind words.

JEC

KateHC posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 3:21am

Oh, thank you! This is one of my favorite universes.

I was so touched by the Uncles appearing to Ginny.

Kokopelli replied:

That's not the last we'll hear of Gideon and Fabian.   Stay tuned for the next chapter.

J

Gardengirl posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 2:25am

*giggles* That was delightful! Thanks for sharing.

Gardengirl posted a comment on Sunday 7th May 2006 12:08am

John, when I was in Navy training, we used to sing as a jodie while running "Stall, Spin, Crash, Burn, Die". Just a what-for. I giggled to see part of that here!

Mickey posted a comment on Saturday 6th May 2006 11:32pm

Glad to finally see this in it's final form very nice chapter, although the lack of an explanation as too the pure bloods religion still bugs me. Any chance of another chapter any time soon?

Mickey

Kokopelli replied:

The purebloods vary - Daphne is about as pureblood as one can get, she's a loyal member of the CofE.   I suspect that the unchurched Purebloods have some sort of civil religion, but they don't take it very seriously, as that would interfere with their true religion, which is self-worship.

J

Princess Fictoria posted a comment on Wednesday 26th April 2006 12:57pm

totally love this series of snippets and, as I said in my email, I eagerly look forward to more. Especially how you will work in Fenrir's participation towards the end of book 6.

I sorta wish you would write a full year 6 story... but I adore these short glimpses into life at Hogwarts for our favorite people.

Please post more soon!

Dragen posted a comment on Wednesday 12th April 2006 11:13pm

I hope that Neville and Luna get back together soon... great story.

Bernd Jacobitz posted a comment on Wednesday 12th April 2006 9:16pm

Well? Update??