The Refiner's Fire

Excellent chapter. I love the military aspects you've inserted into the DA.

Thanks!  I thought they should become a "real" army! 

Abraxan

Very good chaqpter. Looks like it is hitting the fan now.

gunny

Yup!  Glad you liked it!

Abraxan

You see, this is a great chapter. Both for the two articles and and start of the battle. Only problem I think I have is that the battle of Little Hangleton becomes Harry's choice.

Harry has the chance to escape, and ridiculously easily too, by apparating away. Even if he couldn't apparate he could turn into a phoenix and flame away. It wouldn't make for a good dramatic story and it would seem cowardly for the "Hero" you've made your Harry into. You could wage a weak argument that the people who die, die because Harry chose to stand and fight. Brave though that might be, had he run he would have saved a lot of people's lives because they wouldn't have come to save him.

I should say that the first time I read this story, this didn't occur to me. That I just happily accepted it and found myself loving it. I loved it this time as well but I think the way Rowling ended Canon showed how much Harry was willing to take the burden of Voldemort alone. Toward the end very much to his own detriment.

I know its odd for that to have occurred to me, and I believe its true. At the same time though the reasoning you give Harry does make perfect sense. He has had enough and wants to take the fight back to Voldemort. To kill him. Its really quite brave.

I think the "adult" world you've put the characters in makes the way this battle plays out neccessary. You've created a very realistic and pro-militaristic attitude to this story and it it really works.

Thanks for writing.
Monkey

Thanks a lot!  I had his friends fight WITH him because a lot of what JKR is writing about is friendship, love and loyalty.  His friends aren't cowards - they're brave, they're trained, and they want to fight too.  They're fighting to protect their own world, their culture, their homeland from evil.  That's admirable, and if Harry had tried to take that opportunity away from them by going it alone, they would have resented him for it, I think.  The honorable thing to do is to fight for what you believe in and not expect someone else to do it for you.  If more of us stood up for what's RIGHT, this world would be in better shape.  LOL!  I'm glad you're enjoying the story!  Thanks for writing!

Abraxan

I was sitting here reading and thinking: ooh, a pleasant Quidditch game, and then I thought back to ToD and mentions of a portkey Snitch. The rest of the game passed in a flurry of anxiety.

Cool.

It looks like the climax of this story is soon approaching. I am reading the next few chapters with rapt anticipation.