TxA_GunFighter posted a comment on Monday 16th February 2009 10:17am for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

Good chapter.

gunny

Lady Alchymia replied:

Thanks kindly.

Lady A

noylj posted a comment on Saturday 14th February 2009 1:50pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

Harry is just a needy little thing--to belong to someone? Now there is an independent streak that will take him far. guys just don't hug guys...I mean Remus and Bumbles have always been a little funny, but not Harry.
Does anyone really see Harry as a human being? I mean, pack him in bubble wrap and stick him in the attic. What an oppressive life his "friends" allow him (and I mean in terms of canon, this story, and almost all fanfic). The lad should be a basket case with the way everyone treats him. The princes have a lot more of a life than Harry. I can not think of anyone in canon who, in terms of Harry, is not either a child abuser or approves of the abuse.

Lady Alchymia replied:

Is Harry too needy?   I  think it's normal for  an  orphan to want someone, a person, a family,  they can call their own.   For Harry, he found that in Ron and Hermione, making him more needful of their friendship than they of him.   As for man-hugs: Harry (in canon) gave Ron a huge hug in Deathly Hallows after thinking he'd lost his friendship.   In my experience, men are more than happy to hug other men when there is a  solid excuse  (funerals and sporting victories mostly).

Does anyone  see Harry as a human being?   I think so.   The belief that Harry should be a basket case because of the way his  life has panned out is profoundly defeatist.   The fact that Harry isn't a basket case, that he does survive and does apply good humour and does recognise what is fair and unfair in his life is quite healthy.   But that doesn't mean he won't have  periods when everything becomes too overwhelming, and so he will wallow for a while.   What I like in Rowling's  Harry is that he doesn't pretend he's not upset; he rants and gets depressed, but then he shakes himself out of it.   I have no desire to paint him otherwise.    I believe that portraying him standing up in a room of his friends, protectors, teachers, neighbours, and family, and laying a long  speech on them about how useless they all, systematically listing years old 'woe-is-me' grievances, would be completely contrary to both his character and  his nationality.

Unhappy stuff happens and you suck it up.   I don't get why that isn't valued.   Child abuse, certainly, should be exposed and answerable.   But disinterest, lack of affection, contempt,  hand-me-downs, unfairness ... these are not child abuse, they are just sad.   And I think plenty of canon characters who consider themselves friends of Harry do genuinely feel sad for him.   Should they feel more--act more?   Perhaps, but would Harry want their pity?   I think not.   I think he'd relish a situation in which someone (like Lupin, or Tonks, or the Weasleys etc) wanted to 'take him in' because they really wanted him to be part of their family.   And this is what is happening with Harry in this summer story.   The story tracks what happens when Harry *does* get what he wants.   And he finds that all is not smooth sailing.

merlins-aprentice posted a comment on Sunday 11th January 2009 5:54pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

Love the story, I forget how many times I have read and reread it, this previous part deals well with a part of the story i can not accept no matter who writes it, I mean simply as a guy who was homeless at 14 I would find it hard to believe that Harry could have known Sirius well enough to grieve so much over, if you think about it both Ginny and Ron and maybe even Hermione would have spent a heck of a lot more time with Sirius than Harry did. Oh well of for then next chapter. thanks for sharing by the way.

Lady Alchymia replied:

Hi there,

It's a good point.   For me, I see Harry's reverence for his relationship with Sirius as being a reverence for the idea  of having someone who wanted him.   Just knowing there was someone who wanted to  love him as a son meant everything to him.   The reality of the relationship, of course, was fairly unhealthy most of the time, with Sirius being moody and Harry feeling he needed to avoid upsetting him.   And that says more about Sirius's mental health than Harry's.   But when it comes to depicting Harry's grief, Harry feels what he feels, regardless of how little we may credit it as being founded in something deep and true.

Thanks for your feedback!

Lady Alchymia

brad posted a comment on Tuesday 10th June 2008 5:55pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

The charmed charcoals showing Harry's tormented psyche - guilt over his part in Sirius's death? - works well; you describe them, and Harry's feelings, vividly. That and the general grim demeanour of Grimmauld Place are certainly setting the context of the start of this story, right after the close of OotP. Maybe Harry's going to start worrying more about himself - viz the prophecy - sooner or later, but I guess it's to his credit that he's primarily upset about his godfather at this point I guess.

The drawings, the broken mirror ... you gave Harry some good healing in this chapter. "Suddenly they were just clothes". Both of them starting to recover. Very good.

I liked the ruby pin and the introduction of the 'Animula' charm ... a harbinger of Harry's future present for his best girl?

Lady Alchymia replied:

Hi Brad,

Thank you for your comments about Harry's grim beginnings at #12.   I always wanted both Harry and Remus to have some rough patches as they grew into their relationship.   And Harry  being given nothing to distract his mind has meant a more intense and uncertain period for him.   Quite different from the first version, where Remus was more hands-on and they did things together from day one together.   This time, I elected to  exploit  Remus's idea of what he finds self-comforting (which  is to lash out and/or evade people and  conflict).   Him  'giving  Harry space' is, of course,  a terrible idea,  and just led to more introspection on Harry's part.

I'm glad you liked the mirror scene; it's become more of a turning point for Remus and Harry than in the first version.

Glad you liked the Animula Charm ... a harbinger indeed :).

Kind regards,

Lady A

Ken Warner posted a comment on Friday 7th September 2007 12:50pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

quite different from V1, but Harry and Remus do seem to be closer, and more real here

thanks

Lady Alchymia replied:

Thank you, Ken!   It certainly is very different from the earlier version!

Harry and Remus's developing relationship hasn’t really changed as regards my internal perception of their states of mind, but my ability to translate what’s in my head onto the page — making their journey more convincing for people who don’t happen to be able to read my mind  — that certainly has changed ;), so thank you very much for that!

Lady A

Ann posted a comment on Sunday 26th August 2007 5:12pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

This is a wonderful story. I can't wait for the next update

Lady Alchymia replied:

Thank you very much, Ann!

Lady A

beauty01021 posted a comment on Sunday 26th August 2007 12:47pm for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

yeah great chaptercan't wait for more so please udpate again and soon.

Lady Alchymia replied:

Thank you kindly.

Lady A

applesollie posted a comment on Sunday 26th August 2007 7:17am for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

OK good so far. I'm not a hundred percent sold on the new version yet...just please don't take out all the Aussie bits, the Castle still rules.

Lady Alchymia replied:

LoL The Castle *does* rule!   I'll see what I can manage :).

Lady A

romero posted a comment on Sunday 26th August 2007 6:55am for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

You give a realistic picture of Harry dealing with the heartbreaking loss of Sirius. Remus trying to be Harry's new guardian is touching.

Lady Alchymia replied:

Thank you most kindly, Romero.   With Sirius, it's as much as the loss of the idea of him as the man himself.   Someone for whom  Harry is everything as much as the other way around.   I adore Remus,  and he  certainly is trying hard, but he has a few of his own demons to contend with.   What I'm really enjoying  at the moment is exploring how they each try to protect the other.

Many thanks for your feedback!

Lady A

PadyandMoony posted a comment on Sunday 26th August 2007 3:46am for Chapter 2 — Boxing Sirius

I really liked this changes. They make the story flow better.

Lady Alchymia replied:

I'm really pleased to hear that, thanks very much!

Lady A