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Reviewer: MisterBlack Signed Date: 2016.03.16 - 09:45PM Title: Knife's Edge

LOL

You know you would think that by now Hermione would have been used to Harry and Ginny barging into each other's rooms. I can't blame her though. With everything that she knows it is kind of unnerving to witness it all and not know if they had a bad dream or good.

That last dream seems to have drained Ginny of all her energy. That pulsating energy that beats like a heart... is it supposed to represent the Publican's (or Harry's) heart? Did she have his heart in the palm of her hands?

I have to give you credit, GHL. You are simply brilliant. Your imagination is truly remarkable. It is the little things that make this story so great. You pay attention to their surroundings and they act accordingly so. This is what makes it easy to see everything so clearly in my mind. I had questions but the Publican did me the favor of asking them himself. I am certain we will get an answer to those questions in the upcoming chapters.

The introduction of a possible time jump or time manipulation has me questioning everything though. Ginny knows according to history that this big battle happens at a certain date but the Publican and the Princess had no idea it was taking place. They only started moving because the Princess listened to the voices in her head. So did this battle happen in the past because she was told about it or because in that timeline events took place that placed her in that battle?

I am still trying to find a connection between the battle at Hogwarts and the past. I have my suspicions it has something to do with the Elder wand but at the moment things are still unclear.

I also have my suspicions that the Princess is pregnant. Here is why:

1.) It was foretold by the Oracle that the Publican would have another offspring
2.) It has now been established that the Princess and the Publican are lovers
3.) The Princess is now taking midday naps.

These are just some reasons I suspect she is already pregnant but we will see...

I just absolutely love how you focus on small details. Their mannerisms and the way they act. How they know they are invincible and have to whisper because they are invisible to those around them. These small details are things other authors just tend to forget. I wonder how you would write other types of Harry Potter stories.

You of course should write whatever you set your mind on. I am just curious for example how you would write a Harry and Ginny run away from the wizarding world type story. Something similar to "the unbreakable vow" by Ash Darklighter. I only bring it up because I am fascinated by your style of writing and your view of Harry and Ginny. You are truly a gifted writer.

Author's Response:

Wow -- attention to detail! I'm going to assume that your comments here are based on having just read this far (i.e., no skimming ahead for clues). If so, then you're definitely catching on to lots of things faster than other reviewers. Not all of your intuitions are fully honed yet, but some are close and one is completely bang on. I think you're a chapter ahead of where KateP was when she became the first to spring the pregnancy guess, and you have caught every clue exactly as as it was intended. By the way, at this point I don't think it's a spoiler to confirm your suspicion on that front -- it's something for which the gradual awareness builds, but there's no grand announcement or tension...

In terms of clues, and authour's attention to detail (thank you very much for your kind comments on that, by the way!) let me share a bit of my side. For this story, I deliberately set myself a fairly wild juggler's challenge of throwing way too many balls in the air and trying to keep them all aloft until they were all safely caught and stowed away. Two thirds of the way through, just as a few balls were being put away, I tossed a bunch more in the air. Trying to do this; trying to keep track of all those projectiles through seven months of writing, and especially trying to *not* completely bewilder all readers was a nutty undertaking, and I promised my thinning grey hair that I would never do it again, but I have to admit that it was fun. So, with all that in mind, an understanding of the precise nature of the pulsing light will gradually grow through the story, but will not be fully resolved until very very close to the end. Interestingly, though, you have many of the requisite pieces spun about in different places within this very review...

Finally, I am going to take your review as a recommendation to read The Unbreakable Vow. As far as whether I would write something like that, it's certainly possible since it opens the HP world to many other scenarios and plots that do not necessarily tread on tired ground. In order to start something like that, though, I would need a truly fundamental, emotive reason to tear Harry and Ginny away from the wizarding world -- a premise based on dire need, and a premise bearing opportunities for the two characters to grow and transcend.

Anyway, the quick answer is that yes, I probably would be a sucker for one more semi-large writing project (must finish Trix and a finale to Fuddle Fog / Secrest first though) as long as it gives our two favourite characters a very unique world to develop in.

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Reviewer: LysCsuri Signed Date: 2015.11.14 - 01:30PM Title: Knife's Edge

I really agree with what RighT3rantZ said about poetic prose. You're writing so much about dreams and however realistic much of the dream-time is, the really intense moments are just out of this world -- like I'm dreaming it too! All those people gathering under the moon, the torches on the river, and then Ginny's light in the void -- it was all so... wow! Be careful reading this stuff if you've been taking any, ummmm, substances ;)

Anyway, I love it. Really want to know where the burst of power came from, what the solitary light was, and whether those are connected! Thanks for a great story!

Author's Response:

Well, how can I not be happy about a review like that -- thanks Lys

Ultimately appreciation of that nature comes down to question of style and preference. A fair number of writers could have covered the same ground as this chapter did in, literally, one tenth of the total word count. For me, though, the goal is less about dictating a story, and more about giving the readers an immersive experience. For some of you, I do appear to be succeeding. Which is fun.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

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Reviewer: RighT3rantZ Signed Date: 2015.11.14 - 04:13AM Title: Knife's Edge

Did you give Ginny the power of the mighty Firey Scorcher with RAM horns AND the Horse Head Staff.....holy s***, I felt like I was right there watching with a front row seat at the end. Harry and the Publican are copacetic via subconscious and conscious awareness via their bond with their mates, aye. Lanosseä and Ginny are actively deducing and exchanging strategic information while the damn Legate is a seemingly weak, but effective misdirection. I was expecting the fire to be used on the Legate but your chosen venue will obviously be acceptable...seeing as how I am just living and breathing and mostly reading. Although I suspect I may be absorbing more than I was expecting, I am now expecting to continue absorbing, since as a reader of your writing it is my job, if not compulsion. Your muse must ooze creativity based on the poetic pose you are spouting. Stories take on a bit of a life of their own, this one I found cradling my imagination, so bravo and congratulations. Read up on the 6th and 7th, clean your quidditch player database, and don't forget the Obeah in Trix when you get around to it.

Author's Response:

Great power, yes, but as you'll discover in the next chapter, at least some of the great eruption was actually a very impressive illusion. As to who, exactly, shall channel the will of the great spirit Camulos (he of the ram-horns), and who truly should wield the horse-head staff -- these are questions yet to be resolved. Stay tuned...

Very gratified that you're enjoying the prose and imagery. While I have taken some short stories very seriously, this is the first time that I have truly dedicated myself to the finer nuances of a longer tale. Thus I am indeed going back, as time permits, and refining earlier chapters. Nothing of substance is being altered, though if a reader was to check earlier parts, I think they'd find some points and images sharpened (or smoothed).

Good points well taken! I myself have been itching to scour my authour page (the Quidditch stuff I will likely relegate to my long-neglected fiction / fanfic page (http://ghlfiction.tumblr.com/). That would free up some space for the occasional message or update, plus perhaps some background info relevant to Splinters or Trix. If anyone has any ideas what that should be, I will definitely consider it.

Oh, and let me say that there's a while left to go, but Trix will end in a blaze of wild Obeah.

Thank you for your ever-illuminating insight!

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Reviewer: Wolfs_Scream Signed Date: 2015.11.13 - 09:22AM Title: Knife's Edge

This business of the Publican and Lannosëa being "more aware" of the natures of their ... visitors ...does add a bit of a wrinkle to things. Definitely still interesting! :-)

Indeed, few things will unite folks so much as the perception of a common enemy.

Ah, it's rather fun to tweak Hermione now & then. (Though I doubt she perceives it thus.)

As for the storyline... looks as if we're approaching a rather climactic set of events Real Soon now....

Author's Response:

Very true -- the 'awareness' twist is very key to some coming developments; choices that may not all be so clear and unambiguous as those that have been encountered thus far.

In my mind, your points 1, 2 and 4 are all connected. The issue of a common enemy is going to drive things to a climax more rapidly (in this story context) than is we were to follow every detail of the Iceni Rebellion itself. The princess and the Publican are not, after all, in this story with the goal of driving the Romans into the sea. One can see them gunning exclusively for the Legate, right? Unless things get more complicated, of course...

Ah, no question that Hermione has served admirably (though not happily) for comic relief, and she is indeed so very tweakable! It is possible, though, that she may get the last laugh (or hurrah).

Thank you most kindly for your comments and for serving behind the scenes as de facto (or post facto) beta!

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Reviewer: Gin110881 Signed Date: 2015.11.13 - 05:01AM Title: Knife's Edge

Wow, it's a record. Validation within 0,nothing. Does this have anything to do with magic?
It seems that the next step is done. The ancestors notice the presence of their future beings, but do they already know who they are? I guess no. It appears that a mutual learning community is built up. The connection between Lanossea and Ginny seems to be much stronger than the connection between the Publican and Harry. It makes sense because the both of them are the key to success of their respective partner.
I am curious to see which changes in the past will affect the final duel in the year 1998. Yeah, I know. If we already knew it, the story would be over. And, are Ginny and Harry able to change the outcome of the Iceni war? I don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised by the opposite.
I wonder if Diras has a companion character in the future/presence? We will see, maybe.

Many thanks for another great update with an evil cliffie at the end.
No pressure. But update soon. Please!

Author's Response:

A record indeed -- I owe a tremendous thank you to Hannah on that one, for making up for the fact that I was so slow in getting this posted! Here's a tip for all you budding authours out there -- it does not help one's writing productivity if one has a nasty chunk of Java code to try to debug at the same time. Eck.

So yes, the next step is indeed done. There are a couple more major AD 61 events to tackle, but that portion of the story is beginning to ramp up toward climax. There is perhaps a bit more than that left in 1995 to weave our way through, but it is also more than half way through.

Regarding your discussion of the Harry/Peuerellius and Ginny/Lanossëa connections, I am definitely going to agree completely that Ginny and Lanossëa do interact with each other more noticeably than Harry and the Publican but, while Ginny is unquestionably critical to Harry's success, I would ask the following question regarding the Publican and the princess -- who is critical to whose success? In other words, who drives and who navigates?

Do Harry and Ginny change the outcome of the Iceni Rebellion? To this, I offer one vague clue: in my writing, character development is always a tip-off to character outcome.

Finally, that is an excellent question about Diras -- one that I myself recently had to ask. Diras ended up being a lot more colorful than I might originally have guessed, and with that comes a temptation to expand his role, but the fact of the matter is that it would be hard to fit someone that darkly ambiguous and personally flamboyant into 1995. I believe he will have to remain a one-age wonder.

Great questions and (quite possibly) frustrating answers. Thank you very much for your latest wisdom, Martin!

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Reviewer: KateP Signed Date: 2015.11.12 - 06:34PM Title: Knife's Edge

My review on the last chapter did not work I think but anyway the main part was how interesting I found the guy ginny was talking to about the dreams

Now this chapter is even more interesting I love the new insight into the final battle at the end giving just enough to keep you guessing and coming back for more

Oh and yet again poor hermione not getting answers I could just see her face in my mind now as they told her to wait

Author's Response:

Hey Kate! Thank you most kindly for the loyal readership and reviewing!

The good news is that your last review did indeed register -- thanks! It actually got lumped into the chapter 1 reviews -- I guess that's the default if one registers a review from the story's main page. Most everyone falls for that little trick from time to time.

Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and found it interesting! It starts so slowly and introspectively that I was worried that readers would start to nod off before the big bang around word 8500 :)

I appreciate how you key in on the different variants of the final battle -- it will all make sense in the end.

Cheers!

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