The Refiner's Fire

Having never had quite as huge a growth spurt as Harry, I can't say I know exactly how he feels, but the size of first year students has been a subject of much amusement among my friends and I. Just another step you've taken to making Harry a truly realistic Teenager.

And speaking of Harry, I'm always impressed with how you handle Harry's blooming celebrity status. I can't see why you'd think we would find fault with it. Seems perfectly realistic to me.

My handling of Harry's celebrity status actually IS realistic - I know some actors and used things I heard from them to help me write the fangirl kind of stuff.

I had a growth spurt like Harry's when I was 9 - I went from being a little girl to being 5'4" tall in the span of a few months (I got stretch marks from growing so fast).  My legs ached so badly when I was growing, I still remember the feeling.  My daughter's legs were terribly painful when she was on her growth spurt too.  I'm glad you think I'm making Harry a realistic teenager!  That was my goal!!

Thanks for writing!

Abraxan

Sorry I haven't been reviewing regularly. Hurricane Gustav has just passed through down in New Orleans, and I'm reading between news reports.

Still reading. Still enjoying. The only glitch I've noticed so far are a few errors in continuity. Once, Hermione turned up in a conversation at Grimmauld Place without actually arriving there--things like that. But those are easily fixed and easy to miss when you're writing as quickly as you must be.

Sounds like you weren't in the path of the storm, anyway, which is good!

I wasn't writing quickly - I don't post a story until I've completed it and have had it betaed and have polished it.  Then I post a chapter a week, putting a final polish on each chapter before uploading it.  And Refiners was finished years ago - I've written two other HP novels and several ficlets as well as two original novels since finishing Refiners.  Errors just happen in such a long, complex work, despite my best efforts and those of quite a lot of betas, far more than most people use.  I know of about four real errors in Refiners and Destiny combined, which isn't bad considering those two alone are over a million words.  If JKR can make errors such as having James and Lily ocme out of Voldie's wand in the wrong order in the early copies of GoF, or have just plain stupid errors like using "descenedents" when she meant "ancestors" with all the professional editors she had going over her books, I think it's okay that I made a few mistakes in my stories too.  And I don't change them once they're published - what's there is there. 

Glad you're enjoying it!

Abraxan

Very good chapter.

gunny

Thanks!

Abraxan

Very predictable and too much about being famous.

Harry needs his Pensieve memories back. Ginny posing as his girlfriend can only get more complicated.

He'll put them back little by little.  He remembers Casey, but his illness made the time he knew her seem as if it was a long time ago.  And yes, Ginny posing as his girlfriend can get very complicated!

Abraxan

Oooooooo if that happens in real life to actors, I feel really sorry for them. I thought it was kinda funny at first, then not when it was plain they started harassing him. Great job conveying that and great story BTW!

Yes, it does happen to actors in real life. Dan Radcliffe actually enjoys meeting fans because they treat him nicely, but there are professional autograph hunters who hound him, follow his car, pound on it, that annoy him. He's said he doesn't give them autographs (so beware of anything supposedly autographed by him that you see for sale on ebay!!) I know an American movie actor who has had such incidents and worse happen to him. Some people treat celebrities as if they're objects rather than people. That's what's happening to Harry here. Glad you're enjoying the story!

Abraxan - and no, I won't say who my movie actor friend is! He's a friend in part because I protect his privacy!

minor nit-pik: there is a first year trying out for Quidditch, but first years aren't allowed to play. =)

phwee for almost-compliments!!! great chappie again. I had a colin creevey-type-fan boy once. it creeped me out. then (after four years of NO I DO NOT LIKE YOU THAT WAY!) he got himself a girlfriend. such a relief. love that ginny is posing as his girlfriend. i can't believe hermione thought he should be nice. considering her obsession with things like elf rights, i'd think she'd be all 'ooh, we should make a sexual harassment case'...course, that's what I'D do... oh well.