Hee.  They’re grounded.  A summer full of work sounds pretty harsh to me as Harry’s punishment, until you realize that he spends his summers pretty much working anyway, the Weasley’s will at least let him outside and feed him, and, well, he did hex a teacher, and ignore his head of house.  So, I can accept. Grin    The catch was he was stuck with Ginny.  In my house, my Dad kept the fighting kids separated.  Hmmm.  I wonder….Hee  (I tend to review as the chapter goes, I hope they make sense to you.  If not feel free to let me know)

I really really really like that Molly calls Ginny on her insensitive behavior.  The same day as Sirius dies- come on!  (You’re going to have to work not get me and Harry to forgive her…) But this scene went along way towards me seeing her side.  She knows she was wrong, and she mourns both for Harry and Sirius. 

Ok.  I’m feeling sorry for Ginny now.  No one should have Molly Weasley mad at them for a summer, or have to miss dinner.  Plus, she’ll be Harry’s servant.  The Weasley pride will be up in arms over this. 

Great job of capturing a teenaged girl’s love of verbal italics and dramatic statements.  (I should know, I’m still fighting the instinct to underline every review.) Grin. 

(Just a note Ewww over the Vernon moment.  Oh, and Remus and Petunia, double Eww.)

I like the contrast of Remus pointing out that Harry and Ginny’s friendship never being the same and Harry acknowledging that, and Ginny still calling Harry a brat and trying to shift more of the blame.  They seem to be approaching the punishment from very different directions in a way.  Maybe it’s that Ginny never really felt like one of Harry’s friends. 

Nice foreshadowing that Firenze sees their continued presence (and friendship?) important to the war against Voldimort.  Again, they have to be so together?  Hmmm….

I’m not sure I like the idea of monitoring bracelets.  A person can’t help the way they feel, and it seems cruel to add a type of corporal punishment for emotions.  As long as they carry out their chores, that should have satisfied the terms.  But, for the sake of the story, I can accept them, and see how they come into play in the future.

Poor Ginny.  I don’t blame her for holding on to her anger.  (You are doing a wonderful job in getting me to empathize with both characters.  My sympathy has yo yo’ed back and forth- both for Harry and Ginny.  That’s hard for a writer to do!) 

Hee.  What a difference a talk with Mum can do.  She’s flirting, and getting a reaction, even if Harry isn’t sure that’s what’s happening yet.  I like that she began talking to him, reminding him of the person he began to be friends with earlier in the year.

I felt a little sad though, that Harry was that exhausted, and looked for Ginny, and she didn’t appear. 

I liked this chapter, and you have continued to create a unique situation.  The best part has been your ability to express what our favorite couple is feeling.  You have a gift for leaving things hinted, but unsaid.  I look forward to the next chapter. 

As always, pass along my appreciation to your betas, the grammar and spelling were terrific.  Take some of those thanks for yourself as well.  You take time and effort to share with strangers, and we thank you.  Pixie

Phew... this was a long one.

I like that you've written both Harry and Ginny was strong personalilties.  It isn't unrealistic that they would argue like siblings (well... not really like sibling.. but you know )

"Sleep that night came late and her dreams were filled with visions of Harry suspended from the ceiling, covered in enraged Bowtruckles, or Harry pinned between a Chimaera and a Blast-ended-Screwt at the bottom of a Doxie infested canyon, or Harry naked and covered in chocolate...."

This was a great part!  The punishments were inventive, and the last bit made me crack up.

Great chapter!

Sarah

This very nice.  I can see where this is heading and I look foreward to the next chappie.

~Toby

Actually, there's a lot of plots that in the abstract are just terrible, but the story is wonderful.  Delylah's Deadly Deception is a real oddball plot - Harry fakes his death and comes back to school to live as a Slytherin in disguise - Puh-Leez!  That being said, that story is terrific, no matter how lame the plot synopsis might be.

Harry and Ginny torque each other off to the point of a dangerous duel.  As punishment they are forced to work together until  . . . .well, you get the point.  Some plots, in synopsis form, inhale vigorously with lots of lip action.

This story, however, shows lots and lots of promise, until the last chapter, when it goes completely out of control, but that's not Michaels fault either.

J

Okay, you've made it this far - take a deep breath.  Okay, now, let it out.  The story gets much, much better after this chapter, keep reading.

MrIntel (Michael) and I have been trading barbs, bad jokes, double entendres and stories for several months now, and when he outlined this story I thought to myself "gag me with a spoon - this is going to be a terrible story."  But because I'm an exceptionally tender and sensitive guy, I didn't tell him that, so he shipped me the first two chapters anyway.

Michael writes - dilligently.  His goal is to write 1000 words a day - I don't know how often he misses his goal, but I know that when I send him an e-mail at lunchtime (my lunchtime, not his) listing my gripes, questions and suggestions for one of his stories, more often than not by bedtime (my bedtime) he's sent me a new revision to the chapter.

This story has taken shape with a lot of work on Michael's part, putting up with my rants, lame suggestions and ribald comments.  Some people take him to task for his characterization, but I think he's spot on with this one - there are no characterizations here that can't be defended with references to canon.

Sit back and enjoy the show - you're in for a treat.

Has Kokopelli ever steered you wrong? 

J