rdprice29
Tuesday 30th October 2007 07:15 | Scrolls of Parchment |
This story was wonderfully, phenomenally FANTASTIC! I love, love, LOVE your characterization of Dumbledore, and you gave us such a wonderful insight into how those notes might have been asked to be delivered.
I love how you had him keep his slightly batty sense of humor (oh, his torturing of poor Dean and Ginny was awesome! I think my face is still burning in sympathetic mortification, lol!) and his wonderful understanding and bolstering of Luna's spirit. You have captured Dumbledore's spirit perfectly, I think, just as DeeDeeWeasley87 captured his image. JKR created such a wonderful character, and you have definitely done him justice in this story.
Great job! |
| Wednesday 31st October 2007 20:41 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thank you so much! My face is now glowing from your lovely review. I'm so pleased you think of Dumbledore the same way I do - I think he's just a fascinating, wonderful character. |
narumi
Monday 29th October 2007 07:57 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| "Just a little bit mad" HA! That's the perfect description of Dumbledore! This was a great little series, I loved it. |
| Wednesday 31st October 2007 20:11 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thank you again, I've enjoyed revisiting this story through your kind reviews. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it. |
Rhetor
Saturday 20th January 2007 22:07 | Scrolls of Parchment |
I'll admit that I read these five chapters pretty quickly, because I wanted to keep my promise and was afraid I would forget.
Because you are so diligent about maintaining the POV of each of the chapter characters, we get five different lenses through which to view Dumbledore. The five situations are all different and Dumbledore's role in each of them is different as well. But the unifying theme, of course, is that in each chapter the Headmaster serves as a catalyst to allow the student to see him/herself more clearly. (Well, not Ginny, perhaps, but I think that her self-awarness begins more slowly and that this is the starting place.) Jack sees that he has moral responsibility even for the implications of "pranks"; Hermione sees that she can deserve love and trust only by loving and trusting; Luna sees that she is valuable and belongs; Jimmy sees that he has the potential for courage. This is, I think, what a great teacher really does -- lets us see ourselves and our potential without the "noise" that our pride or shame throw at us.
Yet at the same time, in each chapter, the underlying rhythm of Harry's lessons with Dumledore and even Dumbledore's final battle beat out time to the vignettes. Each action of clarity brings the Headmaster one step closer to the cavern, the rooftop, and his destiny. Each revelation brings Harry closer to his own disaster. It is almost as if Dumbledore, seeing the unavoidable end of his journey, is determined to create as much good, save as many souls, ready as many warriors, as he can in the precious few days he has left.
Thank you for this; it was wonderful.
~Ken |
| Sunday 21st January 2007 22:58 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
I can't thank you enough for your fabulous review. I appreciate so much your insightful analysis. I think you're right in the case of Ginny; I'd say she's more in a stage of self-denial - wishing for a Harry-free day, for example - and not yet willing to hear Dumbledore's knowing observations (as well as truly being mortified at being caught out).
This whole little series began when it occurred to me that JKR may have (consciously or otherwise) been reassuring us with some foreshadowing: that Harry will be triumphant over Voldemort, even without Dumbledore's aid, the way Gryffindor were triumphant in the Quidditch Cup, even without Harry's aid. That was the basis for the last chapter with Jimmy Peakes and thus this little series emerged.
This is, I think, what a great teacher really does -- lets us see ourselves and our potential without the "noise" that our pride or shame throw at us.
Thank you, you have it, and I suspect that the fact you said it means you have some experience in this area.
It is almost as if Dumbledore, seeing the unavoidable end of his journey, is determined to create as much good, save as many souls, ready as many warriors, as he can in the precious few days he has left.
Yes indeed, I couldn't have said it any better, myself. Though I did not start out with that goal in mind, Dumbledore himself showed me that's what he wanted to do!
Oooh, I know that this is just fanfiction, but it's so satisfying to discuss my story with readers and hear your insights. Thanks again, I really am delighted. |
Astarte
Sunday 12th November 2006 17:13 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| stumbled upon your story while looking for some to fit my toddler-induced short attention span... darn you, you made me cry! Excellent series, you really gave each of your characters a different "voice". Sorry not to review each chapter individually, I really especially loved the Luna one though, getting a glimpse inside her head was lovely. |
| Monday 13th November 2006 00:31 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| I'm so glad you liked Luna - she was wonderful to work with, but tricky to get just right, especially when you add the wise, wonderful but slightly-weird-himself Dumbledore into the mix! Thank you so much for your kind review, I love to hear that my stories are still being read and enjoyed well after they were posted. |
SillyGillie
Tuesday 7th February 2006 19:21 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| What a brilliant job. I loved it. Now I miss Dumbledore terribly. He's so awesome. Poor Ian, bully Slytherins. I'm glad Mr. Peakes stood up for himself and others like the true Gryffindor he is. I like Dumbledore's analogy about the quidditch match as well. Brilliant. Awesome story!! |
| Wednesday 8th February 2006 07:30 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thank you! I'm so happy you enjoyed my story. Congratulations, you are the first one to pick up my Quidditch match analogy! (or mention it, at least) I was hoping someone would spot it, so I'm very pleased you did. I love all your reviews - thanks so much for reading and reviewing, you made my day! |
Astrid
Wednesday 1st February 2006 14:16 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| I really enjoyed this. Dumbledore is very in character, and I love seeing his interactions and imparting wisdom on various students. Good work. |
| Thursday 2nd February 2006 01:48 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thank you very much, I'm pleased he came across right. At the end of HBP I remember thinking 'that can't be it! He's got so much more to say!' |
anniep
Monday 30th January 2006 10:42 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| Loved your opening metaphor! This has been a terrifically written series. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 20:00 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Goodness, thank you! I did spend a bit of effort on that opening sentence, getting it just right, so I'm very pleased you noticed it and liked it! |
Evelyn
Monday 30th January 2006 09:15 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| I very nearly cried. But then, I wanted to laugh, too... Very touching story. You brought dear old Dumbledore back to life here. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:59 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Oh, that's wonderful! That's just the sort of response I was hoping for. Thanks for reading and reviewing throughout. I was worried that this wouldn't be quite funny enough, so I'm glad you wanted to laugh - I think Dumbledore likes to make people laugh! |
gypsy
Sunday 29th January 2006 22:31 | Scrolls of Parchment |
Another great end to another great fic from you, T. It's been great working though these with you, being your sounding board and letting discussions degenerate (lift?) into conversations much more abstract and philosophical. I love exploring this world with you.
I love all the curve balls Jimmy gets in this chapter, he keeps finding the slightly unexpected. I can just picture him as a grandfather, with little ones on his knee all protesting that "you just couldn't have known the greatest wizard, Grampa!"
Can't wait for the next one.
Love, T. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:55 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
Well, okay, I do pay Gypsy for reviewing!!
Thanks, T. I'll pop some Cockroach Clusters in the mail for you! |
Gioia
Sunday 29th January 2006 21:58 | Scrolls of Parchment |
Wonderful as usual! You manage to do such justice to Dumbledore. He is, as Jimmy observed, powerful, good and wise - as the scene with the 4 troublemakers indicated - and just a tad mad. Hehe! I find that in many ways, I miss Dumbledore more after reading your chapters than I did in the shock and aftermath of reading HBP.
Thank you so much for writing this inventive series of vignettes. I'm sorry to see it come to an end, but I'll be eagerly watching to see what you have for us next! |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:49 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thanks so much for reviewing - it really makes my day to think that others have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I'm very touched by your comments (though feeling a bit of pressure, I have to say, about anything else I might try to write!). It's so great when you can tell from a review that someone has really got what you're trying to put across. I'm glad the stories connected with you. |
sweetdreamer285
Sunday 29th January 2006 18:19 | Scrolls of Parchment |
How...wow, What a wonderfull POV. I'm so glad you thought of it and put to print for all to see. Again, Thanks for the treat. : |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:45 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Hehehe! I love getting a 'thumbs up'! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I'm glad you enjoyed the perspective. |
Antosha
Sunday 29th January 2006 12:22 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| A touching review to a wonderful missing-moment series. The interesting thing was how well you portrayed a wide variety of canon characters, minor to major--but also how much you revealed of Dumbledore's own personality. And the various plot-lines, some from the books, but many not, did a great job of exploring themes from the series. Well done! |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:41 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Oh, that's very kind, thank you! I did write the whole thing at once (not at one sitting! I mean as a whole) and I deliberately set out to try writing different characters and scenes. I hoped that different aspects of Dumbledore's character would come through, so your review is really pleasing! Thanks for reading, and glad you enjoyed it. |
tante
Sunday 29th January 2006 12:17 | Scrolls of Parchment |
I'm terribly sorry to see this series end as well. Apart from the fact, that I'm sad to see Dumbledore go, I've enjoyed getting to watch him 'work.' I'll say it again, Ladybug, you pegged him beautifully. You wrote the perfect mix of humour and lesson. Dumbledore doesn't lay his lessons on thick, but he does have a noteworthy point to make for most situations. He's one of those remarkable who cross our paths infrequently but we're tremendously glad we knew him for whatever amount of time we had him.
This series gave me a lovely moment of closure for the loss of Dumbledore and I've enjoyed working with you on it for the last several months. It was rather like a memorial service for him, the kind that truly give me comfort. Where each speaker shares a story or moment from their interactions with the deceased which affected them powerfully.
This scroll dealt with a serious topic, but even so, you managed to infuse it with humour so we're uplifted rather than depressed or discouraged. Words like kerfuffle, spit spot, and the inclusion of the Cockroach Clusters gave us delicious morsels of humour without distracting us from the seriousness of those older students' poor choices.
I like that Dumbledore chooses to answer Jimmy's question about consequences with 'the big picture' rather than the mundane. That's how the man's brain seems to work. Details are part of life, and yes, they're important, but only because they coalesce to mold something bigger. There are two messages for Jimmy there.
Thank you for such hard work! I'm excited to see what your next efforts will bring. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:34 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
Oh, Tante! I would just like everyone to know that I do NOT pay Tante to write these reviews!
Thanks for going on this little journey with me. I didn't think of it till I read your review, but it's not only Jimmy that's reminiscing during Dumbledore's funeral, it's all the students and all the staff and all the people ... imagine all the snippets of Dumbledore's life gathered together at that one moment ... all the books in the world could not contain it! |
aschowin
Sunday 29th January 2006 00:47 | Scrolls of Parchment |
| That was great! Once again, you've done a wonderful job writing this. I enjoyed the insight and the way you presented the characters. It was also really nice to remember Dumbledore with a laugh. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:19 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thanks! Yes, I thought it was important that we got to laugh with Dumbledore at the end - part of his wisdom, I think, lies in his humour. Thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate it. |
Arnel
Saturday 28th January 2006 23:49 | Scrolls of Parchment |
As with all really good fics this one had to come to an end and I'm sad to see it go. You've done a supurb job in imagining how each messenger was chosen and what bit of wisdom each student garnered from the headmaster.
As for this particular peak into the world of Hogwarts student body, your tale of the Slytherin's abuse of the first year and his subsequent rescue by Jimmy shows how the war has indeed seeped into the school. Your Jimmy is indeed a Gryffindor in every sense of the word and I agree with him that he is indeed lucky to have spent just a few minutes alone with Dumbledore on the last evening of the great wizard's life. And to have his headmaster write a note of commendation to his parents in his presence is certainly something to be proud of. I loved Dumbledore's words to Jimmy, too, and the fact that the Cockroach Cluster was something Dumbledore was willing to savor and share.
I'm going to miss this story and hope you have another one ready for posting soon. |
| Monday 30th January 2006 19:15 | Scrolls of Parchment (Author Response) |
| Thank you, Arnel. It's been great fun to imagine and write all these little scenes, I'm so pleased they brought enjoyment to others, too. Oh, I loved Jimmy's character in HBP, although we only got a glimpse, he reminded me a bit of Harry, but with a decent upbringing - yes, a true Gryffindor! Thanks for your reviews, they've been most encouraging. |
