By Bobmin
Reviews
Natasja posted a comment on Thursday 3rd November 2005 1:30am
*****Bizarre plot twists. Here I was, reading this story of an angry Harry. A veritable cornucopia of Ron/Hermione bashing and the author pulls stupid idea #567 out of his/her butt and decides that Ron is going to be pissed off with Draco for making friends with Harry. Then Ron says, the only way you can prove you’re not a death eater is if you swim the lake. EXCUSE ME? HELLO? I swear I must be the only person reading that story that found that particular chapter to be borderline moronic. The reviews thought it was the greatest thing since sliced French bread. *****
Tell me about it.
Fortunatly, most of the worse stories I read have either no reviews, or very few with at least two willing to point out mistakes.
The worst I have read was in the Lord of the Rings fandom. (I am taking a wild guess that you have heard of it. If not, ignore the rest of this review.)
Aptly pen-named 'just another stupid idiot', tried to write a HP/LotR crossover. It plummeted into the abyss by having a smoking cauldren in the middle of the path of Caradhras acting as a portkey to where Hagrid is holding a CoMC class in the forbidden forest.
Here the author acknowledges that Westron is not English, but solves the problem by having Gandalf knowing english on account of having visited Earth millennia ago.
They are taken to Dumbledore who asks no questions and gives the translation rings, then offers to let them join Hogwarts as students.
The rest of the story consists of mangled names, grammar, canonical plot and languages (English and Elvish) and a series of events that flows as smoothly as Niagra Falls and are as unlikly as Voldemort wearing a pink tutu and declaring Harry his best friend.
These events include Legolas being able to kill dementors by his mere presense, everyone becoming animagi with multiple forms in a single lesson, people being arrested for accidental transfiguration and references to very unlikely childhood excapades.
Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, Sam is accidentally portkeyed to Voldemort's lair, where Harry and others promptly go to rescue him. Harry and Voldemort engage in a verbal catfight where Voldemort seems to have reverted to childhood, as his end of the conversation generally consists of 'you can't do that!', 'Shut up you brat!' and 'You will die/I'm going to kill you!' and Harry manages to tell Voldemort just about all the potentially useful information he has, also claiming that his mother is decended from elves. Ron then creates a portkey and they all escape from a room packed with death eaters and return to Hogwarts, as Snape yells that they have lost several hundred points for being out of bed.
We thank whatever we hold sacred as the story winds to a close with a visit to Grimmauld Place, Hermione as the Queen's niece, tea and a sleepover at Buckingham Palace and a portkey that lands them outside the woods of Lothlorien.
Much to my shock, there was boundless (and mindless) praise for this piece of skrewet droppings, and only a few authors smart enough to point out the flaws.
Marikili posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 9:03pm
i can't believe you desintigrated stonehenge.... great chapter
Thomas Light posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 7:54am
Wow, I have been following this story since the beggining. It is a great story with all this angst and romance. Too bad Ron died, well let us see what happens next. Well lates
Mike posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 7:32am
Once again, you continue to amaze me. You actually detonated a nuke. I must admit, I am impressed. And I do believe that Britian does have nukes still. Or they at least did back in the mid 90s. Anyway, damn good story.
Quillian posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 7:12am
Well, another cool chapter! But still...
YOU VAPORIZED STONEHENGE!? o.O I'm sorry, but for some strange reason, even in innocent fanfiction... You know what, nevermind.
Nicole posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 6:24am
Lovely chapter. I enjoyed Harry's teasing of Lord Thingy, and also enjoyed his exhausted murmurings about only wanting "my Hermione." Can't wait for the next chapter!
Machelle posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 5:15am
First time reviewing - been too busy reading all the fabulous stories on this website. From Abraxan to Jeconais - I can't say enough good things about you guys and have eagerly recommended you to fanfic readers. This is one of the best sites I've visited both for the quantity and the quality of stories.
On to your story: This story has me on an emotional rollercoaster. The amount of tension, reality, and good humor you are able to generate is to be applauded. Thanks and am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.
Christopher Estep posted a comment on Wednesday 2nd November 2005 1:12am
The nuke was set off by an *oopsie* spell. (Yes, it is well known that nukes are normally safed before transport to prevent MUGGLE oopsies from setting them off. However, this particular bomb was not safed against MAGICAL oopsies.) Neither side was even AFTER the BIQ (Bomb In Question), as neither side was aware of it. Once again, the "Monkey Theory* is proven, albeit with drastic (for Stonehenge and the town of Amesbury) and fatal (for the witches, wizards, and Muggles in the vicinity) consequences.
The Monkey Theory: Given an adequate number of monkeys and an adequate number of typewriters, you could reproduce the works of William Shakespeare.
The WE-177: This bomb is a British variation of the American W-82. The W-82 is a full-fusing-option (commonly called *dial-a-yield*) thermonuclear air-dropped bomb. Unlike the W-82, which can be carried both externally and internally by a large number of American military or civil aircaft, the British have no large bombers, and thus use strictly external carriage for their own nuclear bombs. (This is also the reason for investigating the use of the American carriage-racks for the W-82 to see if the WE-177 can use them.)
What lots of folks seem to be forgetting is that the American and Brit governments have been doing a LOT of *hands-across-the-water* cross-usage (for example, in addition to the MK48 ADCAP torpedo, Los Angeles, Seawolf, and Virginia-class US SSNs also can, and do, carry and fire British Spearfish and Tigerfish torpedoes as well), so it is not as silly-sounding as you would think.
Lionsgate posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 5:48pm
I know its already been said : But... : I just refound your story a few days ago : I was quit angry for loosing it like that on ff.net : Thanks for explaining : As for the story , please keep up the good work , i love your plot ...
Kathleen posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 1:23pm
GREAT chapter!!!
I felt the first few paragraphs were a bit heavy on the description of the weapon...Maybe I'm just a stupid layman, but I would've done as well with "They had to move this really big nuclear bomb..." and skipping staight to the why-we-had-to-send-it-by-truck bit.
Also, I really wanted to know how Harry survived the killing curse. Might we see a hint of that soon? If Harry doesn't know, surely he'll be interested in researching it...although he IS extremely busy right now...Hmm. Which brings me to one other question. He wasn't supposed to leave til a fortnight after the bomb, I thought. what's up with him leaving now?
azntgr01 posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 9:07am
great as usual!!!
Dagaz posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 9:00am
Keep up the good work. I usually follow the slash stories, but I found this one as well as DA. They are fantastic. Ignore the nay-sayers. They are not writing this. You have an excellent plot, good characters and are keeping the reader's attention and focus.
Great work!!!
Greg Johnson posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 8:43am
Excellent Chapter!
I was shocked to see that bomb go off. Even after they destroy Voldemort, that will take a long time to get over.
I noticed that Dumbledore was missing in this chapter. I can't wait to see what he'll think of everything that has happened while he was away looking for Haven.
I also can't wait to see what Voldy says when he finds the school empty of everything valuable and on top of that not even able to remember the Chamber of Secrets... Man is he gonna be pissed!!!
Keep up the good work and update again soon.
Princess Fictoria posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 8:31am
Fabulous, incredible, and intensly satisfying... thank you! This was an awesome chapter... I look forward to Voldies rage (because he is now the proud owner of an empty and relatively useless castle that only cost him several DE's (some killed by his own hand), over an hour of intense frustration, and a memorable display of utter powerlessness in front of his lowly minions). I am also wondering how the students who did not really want to go to Haven will deal... and how security within the town will be handled... and just where is Albus now??? You know, it would be rather amusing, in an ironic, meaningless sort of way, if in the end the original prophecy regarding harry and the dark lord was referring to harry and albus...
Cookies, Kisses, and Gummy Flobber Worms for Alyx and Bob!!!
Will Pratt posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 4:37am
For Taloryas,
There are a lot of "ifs" regarding a thermonuclear explosion, but the radius of total destruction for a 400 kT WE-177 would be about 8 km or a bit less. It would probably break a lot of glass in Winchester and Southhampton. Fallout is limited to a plume downwind, so it would depend upon wind direction and velocity at the time of detonation, but wind would be likely to be from the SW, in which case the plume would roughly cover the area between the northern fringe of London and about Northhampton and on out into the North Sea, decreasing in intensity as it went. Wind from the WSW would send the plume over London, with correspondingly increased long-term radiation effects. You can play with a map to estimate plume coverage for various wind directions.
It was a relatively "clean" bomb, as thermonuclear bombs went and most people downwind wouldn't have severe immediate effects. Statistically they would suffer a decreased life expectancy, with increased rates of cancers. The area of severe radiation sickness would be relatively small, and fall within a largely rural area. It's still a total schrecklichkeit, but given what else is going on, it's a minor concern, unless you lived in Amesbury or within 30 km or so downwind.
You don't even want to think about the amount of suffering, even if it's only a small percentage of the total UK population. But remember the context, we're talking about Armageddon for the Island of Great Britain. The sort of crash that Bobmin are talking about, if total population loss is "only" 30% they'll have dodged the bullet.
Will Pratt
Matt posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 3:23am
Great chapter...I could almost feel the apocalyptic music in the background as many things come to head.
Taloruyas posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 3:15am
Oh my god... I've got to say, your Harry is hilarious.
But, err... A comment on the lil' nuke you just set off there... You do realise the long-term radiation reaches well beyond the blast area? I'm not quite sure about a 400 kTon nuke, but if it's 40 times a Hiroshima nuke... Wouldn't it be around the size of the UK and Ireland?
I'm no atomic scientist, so I'm not sure about it, but I thought I should mention it. :)
Evan Mayerle posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 2:19am
Loved the disclaimer this time, quite reminescent of the classic "Duck Amuck" by Chuck Jones. I do congratulate you on getting the WE-177 details, and disposal timeline, right; you've obviously done some research (I can supply a suitable URL for those who doubt).
I have to admit, I loved the opening; it's definitely what I was expecting, Harry waking up rather po'd.
Finally, my compliments on the time to post for this chapter, I wasn't expecting it 'til near the end of the week.
Snapesmistress005 posted a comment on Tuesday 1st November 2005 1:07am
amazing chapter! i totally loved this. hoorah ron's dead! and harry's not! glad they got everyone out though. i was kinda worried about the slytherin's. can't wait to see what harry does w/them. anywho, great job. just one smal question. at the yahoo group home it says that the story is complete. i went back through the posts and found a message that says there will be three more chaps, which i hope is true. otherwise, the little pink alan rickman's i promised earlier will be sent to your door! much love!
Rowan Mikaio posted a comment on Thursday 3rd November 2005 1:57am