Changes
By Jeconais
Reviews
Feno3000 posted a comment on Tuesday 1st March 2016 1:42am for Changes
A pity, i had quickly come to enjoy the slightly OOC bantering of Harry with as many ladies as you could write into the story, THAT was fun and a wonderful change to the usual moody, broody, bad mannered Neanderthal Harry so many stories feel complied to feature because they only ever feel comfortable with using what was presented in canon in little bits as giant helpings Dudley style...
As you've written about the alternatives towards Voldemort, I could not help but think that you've maybe tried to get too much good into too little time by having all this hppen before the holidays. Fleur starting him to change and him being pretty comfortable both with Cedric's death and his newfound perspective on live, girls and the fun one can have if one leaves all the drama behind... it makes astonishingly a lot of sense, as he truly finds himself forced to grow up in leaps and bounds, fifth book with the responsibility for the ministry fiasko and Sirius death only confirms that while preparing it in form of the DA just well enough to stay believable... the twins was also necessary due to the start up capital and the Wheezes needing time for development, so a flirty banter scene with the three chasers might have been inevitable. Still, the whole Liege thing and going after the Slytherin as soon as possible might have been a mistake pushing the timeline too far forward and leading to your result. Having the loyalty oath replace the famous contract everybody needs to sign in "Order" might have been the better choice and it has the additional bonus of limiting the size of the DA to a more manageable number of members as not everyone would agree to take so far reaching a pledge just for shits and giggles. Maybe the fealty oath for the inner core and a kind of apprenticeship agreement/bond for the others specifically limited to DA purposes, then even the "one per house" thing would make sense as they could do the bonding, maybe even one male and one female per house?
As for Dumbledore... it is hard to play him straight as an all good guy and easy to fall into the moustache twirling silent movie villain region with how much he consciously and willingly botched up just to do the dumbest thing one might ever do since the times of Oedipus and try to force a prophecy into happening the way he thinks it should happen. As soon as you have anything lurking in the background that would have needed telling to an unsuspecting Harry and never found its way into canon, the road is basically wide open for malice and any possible excuse gets much harder to justify. If you add stuff that absoluely makes no sense in light of the "all for your safety" cover up, like nobody ever showed him any fanmail, which he MUST have gotten when there are two dozen kid's books about his "adventures" out there and he is definitely mentioned as Witch Weekly's most eligible bachelor after Goldylocks mushed his own brains... filter them, find out if anything is harmless? Yeah that's responsible acting in his interest. Hiding anything from him even after he's turned adult? Smacks of fishyness... I'm here totally in the school that finds it rude to prevent him from thanking the people writing to him or sending nice stuff.
Also a lot of the other decisions are indefensible... Sending Hagrid to tell him about magic? Are you kidding me? (And of course Hagrid himself has a lot to ask after like why anybody would let Cornelius throw an innocent person into jail just to be seen as actively doing something, he damned well knew that Rubeus could not be the heir of Slytherin and supposedly he had already the memories about the Gaunts from what was implied about the various dates for the wizards and house elfs dying and whatnot... and why didn't he gain full wand privileges and a chance at taking his OWLs and NEWTs after his innocence was proven AGAIN?) Things like "nobody knows the truth about the big year's end level boss fights" also look suspicious as why would these things need hiding if he meant well? Why does nobody ever get mental help? Not Ginny, not the petrified students, not Harry or any of the kids accompanying him in the lethal fun excursions every single year?
It's so easy and deceptively rewarding to make Dumbledore evil and show Harry as well off, with no lack of ressources and growing fast in magic, responsibility and insight into the magical world once the chokehold of Dumbles' on his brain and body is averted, just as the folks simply love to add insane numbers of zeroes to his bank account, throw half a dozen noble titles in to spice things up and then go and find easy / lazy ways around making him fall in love through marriage contracts, natural love bonds or love on first sight clichés. Showing Dumbledore as basically correct in his assumptions but still caring and wanting to do the best for Harry is unlike harder, probably why most of us older readers do not truly buy JKRs attempts at giving him this white vest and then naming ASP after him *sigh* I've seen a lot of stories fail at painting an obstructionist Wizengamot that at every point of the way lays stones into his path to go easier on Harry and having him explain away all dubious decisions as the only possible way out of a legal jiff. The nicest way to deal with this problem might be the insanity road and basically ignoring him as long as he does not actively threaten Harry's life. But hey, I can understand that it's tiring to always bash the man and often borders on the infantile to do it outright and jumping fully in guilttripping and abuse shaming for the old goatbearded wonderboy. Finding a decent way to describe him as willing but incompetent must be a nice feeling. At least now and then.
As for following the books... who says you'd need to? Have Fleur talk to her parents about both her agreement with Monsieur Potter and the implications of his retold experiences with Voldemort and co. She doesn't need to be at Gringotts anymore to come to Britain, does she? Bill is no subject anymore in her considerations... so why not go into the french ministry or take up a position with the ICW to help Harry's cause? Stretching out tender feelers and look for allies in the fight against the darkness? She might be better thanHarry and able to teach him lots of stuff, but she isn't even as accomplished as the most simple Auror yet, training herself should also be an imperative. If you marginalize Dumbledore you also cut short the importance and presence of the Order of the Phoenix (or burning bird/flaming fowl society) and keeping the bauble as yet another trap for Voldemort was a dumb plot anyway (are we sure his name isn't really Ledore and the Dumb only stuck after school because everybody knew he was the DUMB Ledore after 7 years at Hogwarts?) either hide it far, far away or make it go away by destroying the dratted thing so Voldi stays insecure and hesitant because of not knowing all of it... For Igor's sake... one Phoenix member spent 6 months at Azkaban because of the globe, Arthur almost died plus all the damage from Harry's little visit at the Minister's... this strategy is doomed to fail.
Dolores would be a nasty job to push further in accordance with you already shown plot... Harry is more grown up, more relaxed and can outsnark the Slytherins with cunning plans if he wants to... so why would he fall so blatantly into every single of her naive traps? She should be stopped at any turn of the way by polite cooperation and valuable suggestions until she has no other choice than to escalate her baiting to insane levels.That could even start as soon as with the dementors... Harry might have very publically left the muggles and shown up in the wizarding world so she never gets a chance for her "kill or drag into court plot" With him not leaving the house and Dudley being overworked from all the undone chores there might not have been a chance at getting to either of them with these dementors. Or they ate Mrs Figgs instead or Dudley's old hoodlum gang... No spells no trouble and even if he still ends up in court for underage magic due to Dolores faking it herself, that would no mean it has the same consequences and events following.
He now has a larger support base and aims at staying in contact with at least (if the fealty thing had not yet happened) Ron, Hermione, the twins and Fleur so he should have a better strategy. If Susan still had asked him out before the holidays or he already consoled Cho and laid her curiosity and the imagination what all might have happened to Cedric before he died plaguing her to rest those two might also be included in the communication chain, which might bring in Amelia early depending on how serious his problem with Dolores little trap was. All the ladies in his little cabal are virtually empty sheets, we do not know the least bit about their homelife or what their parents do. A solicitor might come in handy as father, aunt, cousin or neighbor of one of these people. There might even be crazy stuff possible like Amos Diggory if you go through the twins that right now still live at the Burrow. He has definitely got a motive to stick it to the minister's office what with his son's death being covered up and now the smear campaign agains the brave lad who broought Cedric home so he could be buried and was not defiled further...
There are a lot places where you could totally replace the well known events from the books with those based on your already made changes and look back laughingly at the authors only ever writing 2 feet away from the safety line of canon plot despite having brilliant AU concepts that would allow them to stray far and wide until not much of the plot would be recognisable. Why not have the courtroom event happen over the "illegal" DA sometime between Halloween and Easter and Harry telling much of fifth year as his witness account during the proceedings?
Year six isn't even really imaginable before you've found out what all in fifth year can turn out different, basically the challenge would be to find a reason to keep any of JKRs halfbaked plot instead of going wild with what your characters would prefer to do instead. Don't like Clichés? Don't write them and play fast and wild with the known things to get new ones.
I always thought about the "I felt like i had written this before and i did not enjoy the thought of repeating the same tropes and stereotypes another time" explanation for abandoning a not too shabby plot bit instead of trying to use this insight into improvable parts of the story to work it over to exactly fight these problems as a bit curious a mindset from an author (Especially a fine one who knows his craft and can be very versatile). Why start something and get into all the trouble to work out ideas and dialogue and all that just to capitulate at the first bit of challenge a plot can pose you to work against its weaknesses? Even if you end up using only bits and pieces in a completely different story, cutting out those bits that really annoy you and concentrate on what's worth saving to put two or three unsatisfying beginnings together into one that works it's better than just giving up.
Ehh yeah, quite the rant going on here... Sorry, it just is my nature if i liked even a bit about a story i tend to develope these interpolations from the raw potential into what might have been and what could be and if I then come along an author's note like here.... it just bursts out of me. You might only see failure in this, i see a lot i've loved and how easily that still could make a great story that has no reason to hide.
noylj posted a comment on Monday 5th August 2013 12:24am for Changes
I still see Bumbles as being worse than Voldie in that Voldie is at least honest. Canon!Bumbles was never honest with any one about any thing and left Harry with no skill, no knowledge, and no idea of how to end things.
There is no character trait that Bumbles had that I would find endearing or useful in any one. One can go overboard on his level of being evil, but they can't go overboard on his incompetence as a teacher, headmaster, leader, wizard, diplomat, or human being. I could not believe that any one in canon could actually like him--and that goes back to at least book 2, when one puts book 1 and book 2 together and sees that the Great OZ is a psychopathic jerk. Book 2 was really the breaking point for me and I couldn't believe that any one saw him as wise or kind or good or moral. Evertyhing he did was WRONG.
Nytefyre posted a comment on Tuesday 12th February 2013 11:40pm for Changes
Tropes and cliches are fresh to someone the first time they read them... and when well written they can still be a lot of fun. I understand the need to focus where you feel best, but liked this story regardless and wish there were more...
Thanks for posting.
Mliyanagamage posted a comment on Tuesday 23rd October 2012 11:01am for Changes
While I understand why you abandoned it... It was still pretty amusing :D
M. Scott Eiland posted a comment on Sunday 1st April 2012 5:45am for Changes
It would have been fun to see this one continued, but it is also fun to simply imagine the course it would have taken given the very entertaining beginning. An unfinished fic that can provoke the latter reaction is more than worth the effort expended in creating it and reading it. In other words--nice work. :-)
kyoshi posted a comment on Wednesday 21st March 2012 5:42am for Changes
It was a wonderful story. I'd love to see a crossover which would give you room to explore your creativety. Harry raised by space aliens or Harry hibernates and wakes up a thousand years later and his life continues with different characters.
serbobiv posted a comment on Thursday 2nd February 2012 2:09am for Changes
I do believe that little blurb of a story in the Authors Notes was even more enjoyable than the actual one!
Great read, and Thanks!
Cowleyd posted a comment on Saturday 5th November 2011 12:02am for Changes
Awesome Dude
lwj2 posted a comment on Monday 27th June 2011 8:15pm for Changes
I understand your rationale behind abandoning this story, however, I enjoyed what you've written. Having read a number of your other 'fics, I think you could manage to pull this off in style, should you decide to pursue it at a later date.
Thanks.
Launcelot posted a comment on Saturday 26th March 2011 5:56am for Changes
It's really too bad you're not continuing this. Your reasoning is sound, and your mind's obviously not going to change. However, considering the quality of your three main novel-length fics, I don't think I'd have minded reading a slightly (or heavily) clichéd fic in exchange for some quality entertainment.
wolfey posted a comment on Wednesday 23rd March 2011 7:56am for Changes
ok are you ever going to write and complete a harry/fluer story?
Suxxorz posted a comment on Thursday 10th March 2011 2:50am for Changes
I agree with the author reasons, just too bad. There really is a shortage of good Harry/Fleur fics. The Gabbi ones were amazing, would love to see Fleur star in her own sweeping score.
PARAMESH BHATTACHARYA posted a comment on Wednesday 1st September 2010 12:00pm for Changes
Good story.I like your every story.
Tiberianfest posted a comment on Friday 30th April 2010 5:44pm for Changes
Dam man a good story it's a shame that you have stopped it but i can see why, even on light of that i thing the writing pure gold and the story was good and am glad i read it
scottpesj1 posted a comment on Wednesday 19th August 2009 1:46am for Changes
I know that you have abandoned this story, do you know if anybody else has picked it up and continued it? I like the plot so far and want to read more.
Ledivin posted a comment on Saturday 25th July 2009 3:11pm for Changes
It's a shame you abandoned this... I've already reread it a few times, and I really love it. Of course, that's not to say I don't agree with a lot of what you said - there really isn't much of anywhere you could take this without a drastic rush. Anyway, great work with what you managed to put down.
jazed posted a comment on Wednesday 8th July 2009 4:23pm for Changes
dam, i liked this story, was enjoying it. eh well. maybe you'll yous it as a story to work on when board. Good luck in future writings. Just curious, but I have wanted to see a 3-way relationship with harry, Susan Bones, and Daphne Greengrass. Just wanted to get your take on that type of ship. Like your works & look forward to updates and new works from you in the future. in closing: Thanks & Peace.
if you want to reply, email me do so at jazed_hotboy@yahoo.com
Stick97 posted a comment on Thursday 21st May 2009 1:17pm for Changes
always sad to see stories in your abandoned section that are better than 95% of the stuff out there.
Wish you were still writing, and I was able to enjoy more of your works!
will_corvinus posted a comment on Wednesday 15th April 2009 12:35pm for Changes
That was brilliant, and so promising. Why have you decided to abandon it?
Shadowdog posted a comment on Monday 1st August 2016 5:08pm for Changes