Excellent chapter, I had to reread a bit. I have to agree with Harry and Neville, but sending one Auror to investigate a werewolf village seems ridicules and totally within canon. I'm glad progress has been made in the investigation and Harry and Ginny are back together. They always do better together.

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review.

The organisation of the wizarding world has always seemed a bit haphazard to me. Harry and Ginny still have a few issues.

-N-

Glad to see that Ginny is back and things are coming to light. Can't wait to see how this all works out. Luna is priceless, as usual. Tavistock is such an unbelievably huge jerk.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. After the next chapter everything is in chronological order. Luna dispenses more wisdom in two chapters time. In the next, Harry has to rely on Lavender for advice. -N-

For some reason, I was thinking about this story and realized what a really lousy work environment Hermione has had to put up with in your stories.

In your story on FF.net, DracoM, her boss tries to kill her after marginalizing her and degrading her. In this story, she is sexually harassed by her boss, who also steals Ron's flowers and abuses his authority to try to get Ron out of Hermione's life--and lies about their relationship to everyone including Arthur and Ron.

Then, in your story about Hermione's secret diary, she is sexually harassed by her suboridinate, Blaise and while she is receiving a promotion, her old boss from this story is still around and trying to sabotage things for her.

Does the Ministery of Magic have a Complaints Box or any other mechanism for Hermione to get some relief. Maybe an Human Resources Department or Ombudsman. And if it doesn't, maybe that should be Hermione's next crusade...

Author's Response:
You’re right, of course. This is, to some extent, deliberate on my part as I am (very crudely I suspect) trying to show that the Ministry is still institutionally prejudiced. As a workplace environment I’m trying to show it as about 30 years behind the Muggle world.

Both “The Secret Diary of Hermione Granger� and “The Girl from D.R.a.C.o. M. C. were originally written (hastily) for challenges on HPFF. They are no longer there, of course, because HPFF operate like the Minitrue and instantly make you an unperson when you’re banned. (You can be warned by the mods simply for mentioning my name.)

“Diary� needs (and will eventually get) a complete rewrite. Blaise is completely out of character (in HBP he despises Ginny for being a blood traitor, so he’s unlikely to act towards a Mudblood in the way I wrote). Some people think that Draco is out of character too. I disagree. By the time of “Diary� Hermione has been promoted above Jenkins and that annoys him (I shouldn’t admit this, but he’s based on someone I once worked with). “Diary� came second (out of two entries) in a Draco/Hermione/Blaise challenge. I wrote it as a joke and it failed to meet the expectations of readers of Draco/Hermione/Blaise stories (for obvious reasons).

“Girl� is set within Hermione’s first few weeks working at the Ministry, at a time when the Ministry is still full of collaborators (and worse). I was banned from HPFF before this story was judged. It too needs to be rewritten and expanded. In fact the reason I was banned was because I decided to rewrite and expand my Tales of the Battle.

After the events of this story Jenkins will get a (very) hard time from Ron (I have vague plans for him).
-N-

Somehow, I missed the posting of Chapter Eleven, so I ended up reading both eleven and twelve together, one right after the other. I'm very happy to say that had I stopped at the end of eleven, I would have been quite the anxious reader. However, because chapter twelve ended with the assureance that, though wounded, Harry was alive and breathing, I walked away from the story a little happier than I would have been. I think that's what I like most about this story: throughout the telling you're continually reassuring the reader that the tale doesn't end with Harry's death, but with the reconciliation of Harry and Ginny and the foundation stones for Harry becoming Head Auror some years down the pike.

As for Chapter Eleven, I'm very glad Harry was able to convince Darcia to help Lavender. I also know that in the end, Harry will do his best to keep the promises he makes and he has definitely made a big promise to Darcia to get her and her daughters out of the community and into the Wizarding world.

What I liked most about Chapter Twelve is how calm the law officers are in comparrison to the Harpies' lawyer. They seem to accomplish so much more working quietly and calmly than Tavistock ever will with his bluster and orders for his clients to remain silent and not answer any of the questions. You definitely had me cheering when Harry reached out to Ginny and he was able to bring the fire back into her eyes and the fight back into her being so that she not only declined Tavistock's counsel, but forced him from the room. Go Ginny! Oh... and isn't this the third Trap chapter in a row where Harry has to ask Hamish for the meeting room back? That gave me a laugh. Finally, I love how you write Neville as such a confident wizard. It's nice to see how you interpret Neville growing into his potential.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed both chapters and give them each two thumbs up. I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapters as the story winds to its conclusion.

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review

The “cliffhangers which can’t really be cliffhangers� are an oddity of writing the story in this order. I’ve read a few “Harry/Ginny� stories over the years which are no such thing (some ffnet authors are particularly guilty of this). I added the reassurance because for most of the story things look bad for my hero and heroine and I didn’t want to put off readers.

I’m writing my stories based on a single timeline of important life events, and not just for Harry and Ginny. The date Harry and Ginny announce their engagement, Lestrange’s final fate, the capture of Goyle, Bletchley, Bulstrode and Flint, the name of Dudley’s girlfriend, the date of Dennis Creevey’s wedding (and the name of his wife), When Ron and Neville leave the Auror Office and when Harry finally becomes Head Auror, I know all of this and more. My timeline stretches to the epilogue (and beyond) and I add stories to it almost randomly.

Dacia and her daughters, as you’ll know from Strangers at Drakeshaugh – though 12 year old Amber and 21 year old Amber are rather different.

Tavistock is a pompous bully who expects the fame of his clients to carry more weight than it does with Mrs Quarrell. You’re right about the meeting room, Harry has learned to keep private discussions private. I’ve always been very fond of Neville and I am fighting the urge to write a Neville/Hannah story (because I have too many stories started).

Next – The Hunt: Tooth and Claw. In which Harry ponders Auror procedures (again), sees Lavender in her underwear (again) and kisses her. It will make sense when it happens, honest! (-;
-N-

Soon ginny and crew are going to have to kick harry in the balls to get him to listen and work with them...ginny now knows she screwed upa nd soon the third player is going down with lawer in tow...kutgw

Author's Response: Harry knows that he’s screwed up, too. -N-

Looks like it's all starting to come together. This is a very good story and I'm enjoying it very much.

Thanks for sharing.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. -N-

The parallel story line thing! This was such a good chapter I would give you two extra marks over my norm. But because I am biting my fingernails for the resolution of the last chapter, I am taking one back.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. So if I make the next chapter LESS nailbiting, I get more marks? That's a shame, as I want more nailbiting, not less. (-; -N-

Hum! Really enjoying this story. Sounds like the four Slytherins got to LInny to get Ginny to get back at Harry. As well as other things.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. You will find iout more soon. -N-

Very enjoyable chapter. I've liked how you have had the story lines parallel to this point. I've reread them in straight order and it is better with the alternating.

I am now wondering if Linny is linked to the Slytherin 4.

I had noticed how idiotic the one auror rule had been on Harry's investigation. The fact that Neville demonstrated the idiocy as well was unexpected and well done. And that parallel was als a good reason for the story structure.

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review.

The parallel storylines were an experiment. I’ve been rereading this again myself and I’d need to do a complete rewrite if I was to submit it chronologically, as you pick up bits in the “Trap� chapters which are useful in the “hunt� chapters (and vice versa).

You won’t have to wonder for long.

JKR tells us that Harry reorganises the Auror Office and I have always had the impression that the entire Ministry operates on a “we’ve always done it this way� system and is very resistant to change. That’s what I’m trying to write.
-N-

Great story!!! Well done

Author's Response: Thank you. -N-