Wonderbee31 posted a comment on Monday 30th April 2007 3:02am

Looks like jerks are jerks and hoodlums are hoodlums all over the place. Will be interesting to see how Harry handles this problem, and to see what he does with it might help him out in the wizarding world better, as well as how it will be used against him as well.

Crys posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 11:00pm

> you can catch more pixies with sweet sap than with owl bile
*laugh* I like this rephrasing of an old standard.

Hell of a history & name lesson name lesson you're dumping on us.

Hmm. Harry and Zack Smith need to have a discussion. And they'll be allies, eventually, it seems.

Jenkins . . . Um, when he draws and Harry backs him up, what happened to the lemonade?

Oh, and that underhanded monopoly? Sad as it sounds, it's perfectly believable.

Still a lot of dangling threads hanging around out there. Not to mention you created a couple more with this chapter.

Addendum: Harry has a lot of his family back history and property he needs to investigate. No secret, that, but you're still building this monster up, and it's going to turn into an epic at this rate. I certainly hope it does :)

Quizer posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 10:53pm

Great chapter! Your love of history is obvious in this chapter's events, and you do make it come alive like few people are able to. I'm happy you put the Addendum there.

The scene with Tattershall was great. I love how you show Harry trying Smith's advice and then he can't help but go back to who he is. Extraordinarily well done!

I also liked the scene with Clarinda and the M.I.D.. This should be very interesting, and I can't wait to see how that situation will develop.


Keep up the good work! Till the next chapter!#


Quizer

Tanydwr posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 9:52pm

Brilliant chapter. I love Political!Harry. And the history you've put into this - not to mention the work - is incredible.
One observation though. You mention Benjy as the last of the Meadowes and Dorcas as the last of the Fenwicks. It is the other way around - Dorcas Meadowes and Benjy Fenwicks. Not a huge mistake, but a niggly one for me.
So is Harry going to find a way to reduce Umbridge's votes? Certainly the way her family seems to have achieved the Weasley ones is circumspect. And what about Hagrid's? There's no way on Earth Hagrid or his father would want to aid the Malfoys! And since those votes cannot be used by the Malfoys themselves, and the vote was gained in suspicious circumstances...
Keep up the awesome work, I can't wait to read more, these stories are so good!
Lol, Tanydwr

kain posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 9:36pm

great chapter as usual, love the interaction between harry and the guy from the cloth company.

keep up the great work :)

UdderPD posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 6:56pm

I was enjoying this story up until this chapter, do I have to remember all of this to continue to read the story?

That said where is the HP/HG romance indicated on the front page?

TTFN UdderPD

DR B posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 1:55pm

Great part, loved the extra history and information on the 333 families. But I like that kind of thing, especially with my University major being History. Please get back to us with more on this story. I am eagerly waiting to see Harry's next fight in the Wizengamot and in business.

Thanks,
DRB

The Midnight Poster posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 12:49pm

Zone of Silence ? Did you ever entertain the idea of calling it "The Cone Of Silence? :)

I always enjoy when Harry stands up for the little guy but in this case, gal.

Now what about Luna?!

Kinsfire posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 12:01pm

It's interesting to realise that the manoeuvre that permits Dumbledore to function in polite society likely is also the reason that the quality of education is continually dropping at Hogwarts.

After all, if he can't help but see the very best in every person, it explains Gilderoy Lockheart and Severus Snape. I think that it will eventually kill him.

You are doing a magnificent story here, and I can't help but think that Jenkins is either about to teach Harry a lesson that Harry wasn't expecting, or more likely that Harry is about to teach the government a thing about attacking people of principle.

Christopher Estep posted a comment on Sunday 29th April 2007 10:07am

It appears that this MID is some sort of magical extortion racket (possibly DE/Riddle-connected, but definitely Dark). Meanwhile, Harry is Mending Fences (and finding new adversaries, too, if Florence Sheets is typical of the toes he and his dragonhide boots will be stepping on in the Wizengamot).

in-fanficauthors posted a comment on Sunday 22nd April 2007 1:01pm

Great story so far. Some of the politics drags on a bit, but other bits are pretty interesting.

I wonder if Harry could cause a stir by having his House Elves, or Gringotts, or perhaps even the Weasley twins cast his votes.

The Luna message in the middle of lunch was a bit of a nonsequitur, much like Luna or my spelling of nonsequitur.

Please continue.

old_crow posted a comment on Tuesday 17th April 2007 11:01am

Thanks for sharing a wonderful story so far. The backfill stories are much better than most and add a lot of flavor to your story.

I hope to see more of your story in the future.

Thanks again.

Old Crow

Kalen Darkmoon posted a comment on Sunday 8th April 2007 1:23pm

You know, I will never understand Harry's blind trust in Dumbledore. Even when it was revealed in HBP that Dumbledore **KNEW** about the Dursley's abuse of Harry but never did anything to stop it.

"He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands." (Dumbledore to the Dursleys, HBP 3)
...
"The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house 'home.' However miserable he has been here, however unwelcome, however badly treated, you have at least, grudgingly, allowed him houseroom." (Dumbledore to the Dursleys, HBP 3)

Anyone who would condone child abuse is little better than those who actually abuse. Dumbledore is every bit as bad as Voldemort since he has shown he has little trouble sacrificing children to save his own hide. Voldie may have been the one who killed Harry's parents but it was Dumbledore who destroyed Harry's childhood. Nothing can justify Dumbledore condoning 16 years of Dursley abuse.

Or would you honestly suggest that no matter what harm came to Harry, all that matters is that he is still alive? Would you so easily sacrifice an innocent child as Dumbledore had? How does this make him any better than the death eaters?

participium posted a comment on Thursday 5th April 2007 8:26am

Nice story, brilliant in fact. Original, well thought out. Beautiful work.

There is only one ting I see a problem with and that is Ginny as quidditch captain. She is not fit for the job.

She does not hold seniority. People will look to Harry and Ron for advice unless she is the most talented player which she is not.
Secondly, Ron will never listen to her. She is his younger sister, he has played longer then her (one match) and he knows more about quidditch
Thirdly, she has to find herself as a chaser. It would be the first time she played as chaser, it is not even known she is a good chaser at the moment. How can she lead if she has to find her own place? How can Mcgonnal give captaincy to someone who might not hold a place on the team?

Lang posted a comment on Tuesday 27th March 2007 10:33am

Good question about the students and teachers.

I don't think there's a thousand. It's a wee bit much. Maybe 500, 700 tops.

I can't remember if in Canon that there's a timetable handed out, but in some stories people have written that.

There definitely has to be more than one dorm for an age and gender. The numbers just wouldn't match otherwise.

Say there were 100 of each year. Class sizes would be about 20-30 students. Then a teacher would teach 20 students of every year on one day. So essentially a 7 hour day with an hour prep?

And then they do that 5 days a week so they'd get all 100 students of every year. Tada done! =D

Anaknisatanas posted a comment on Tuesday 27th March 2007 4:36am

I loved this update. It was great to see Harry at the Wizengamot and I always love politics but it seems they are hardly ever used. The information on the Three-Thirty-Three Families was very interesting. I also liked how Harry knew the stories of the Smith and Potter families from his helping Ollivander. Ollivander is such an interesting person, I'm a bit surprised that he isn't on the Wizengamot. Have you considered having him tutor Harry at all (he's sure to know plenty of useful things)? I also enjoyed Smith. I am wondering why Zach dislikes Harry so much, but perhaps Zach would be a person Harry could talk to about Wizengamot things, or even Millicent? I can't wait to see what happens when school starts up again and Harry starts teaching.

Deborahsu posted a comment on Monday 26th March 2007 11:36am

I am truly loving these parallel stories. Even though politics isn't my favorite topic to dwell in, this chapter fits and you covered it well, I think.

As far as the 1000 students vs. 6-10 per house per year ... I think maybe the school is designed to hold and teach 1000 students but does not currently have so many enrolled, possibly due to the war and less babies being born due to deaths of childbearing-age people, and those who have childen of the right age choosing to teach them at home or send them somewhere that seems safer. We don't really know how many are in years other than Harry's, either--it might be an unusually small class.

Logan_MacLeod posted a comment on Friday 23rd March 2007 3:32pm

you have got to update this story. I am hooked on it

mathiasgranger posted a comment on Friday 23rd March 2007 5:43am

Time to dabble in a bit of math shall we...

1000 students...12 offered courses with certain courses considered core courses through fifth year.

Charms
Potions
Transfiguration
History of Magic
Herbology
Astronomy
DADA

Electives starting third year
COMC
Divination
Ancient Runes
Arithmancy
Muggle Studies

1000 students/4 houses = roughly 250 students a house

250 students a house/ 7 years = 35-36 students a year in each house. This would be...a stretch based upon what we know of Harry's year alone but we'll assume bit players weren't mentioned in canon and tackle the feasibility issues for professors.

In canon there are discreprencies but I've always made the assumption that each class matches up two classes you've said charms class doesn't (lets assume it does because otherwise Flitwick would need a time turner)...this might not be dealt with in canon...but then again canon doesn't seem to support the volume JKR states it as. Simply stated Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff house would have to be loaded if this is to work at all based upon what we know. Based upon their respectve standings every year in the house cup...I find this scenario highly unlikely.

Lets assume for a moment we have 1000 students and each class has two houses per year up to the end of fifth year. Afterwards specialization is allowed and each class only offers one section and also allows for the many students that quit school after their high school equivalency in magic is completed. 6th and 7th year is University in a manner of speaking.

So:

5 years X 2 sections a year each = 10 classes
10 + 2 more sections one for each sixth and seventh year for core subject professors.

Each core professor has 12 sections to teach a week or 2.4 sections a day if they are all held once a week. Canon indicates some classes are doubles and some aren't but singles take less time so the schedule still accomodates this.

Elective professors only would have eight sections using this logic and this is even more manageable. Arithmancy and Ancient Runes seem to only be one section from what I've deduced so even less strain for these professors. Maybe they commute and this is why we never see these two professors in canon.

Students per class discussion...on this logic classes have up to 70-72 students in a class..not unheard of for a large lecture class at many universities..which act much as boarding schools.

It is a feasible scenario if you ignore the inconsistencies JKR heaps upon us.

I hope this might have made the scenario seem more possible.

Thanks for writing,
Matt

mathiasgranger posted a comment on Friday 23rd March 2007 5:10am

Wow this a quite the story you have written for us here. I like having some back story on the magical world and your explanation seems to fit what I know of Great Britain.

The paladin program universe is rather unique by my estimation and I look forward to seeing how we progress and Harry learns the ropes fo the Wizengamot.

Thanks for writing,
Matt