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Reviewer: hgromance Signed Date: 2010.05.07 - 11:01AM Title: Ridiculous
whew, for a second there I thought you'd killed EVERYONE off, including Harry and Ginny. glad you hadn't. I like the idea of using the boggart spell to defeat Riddle. very different
Reviewer: ProfessorBinns Signed Date: 2007.11.05 - 01:16AM Title: Ridiculous
Great plot idea! Really, better than "Expelliarmus!" one last time...
Author's Response: Glad you enjoyed the bunny . . .
Reviewer: Raven_Boheme Signed Date: 2007.05.01 - 11:15PM Title: Ridiculous
Honestly, I feel like this is possibly the most original end-of-war oneshot I've read. Period.
I've recommended it to friends.
You're a bloody genius for coming up with such an original plot. Btw.
Always looking for new stuff from you :) Keep up the lovely work.
Author's Response: Thanks for the kind words. I think there are a lot of really creative people out there, and some of the other one-offs of the Big End have been pretty amusing too. More is coming, including some one-shots.
Reviewer: Ginny Weasley Signed Date: 2007.03.21 - 09:55PM Title: Ridiculous
Wow, simply fabulous. It's ridiculous how much I love this story (lame pun, I know).
This is a simply fantastic theory, and I can't help but wonder if this is what J.K. Rowling intended for her books all along. If not, she would most certainly have changed her books after reading your story!
Please continue writing. Stories like this amongst the horrible ones keep me sane.
Author's Response: Thanks for the kind words. As you can probably tell from my other work, I enjoy a good pun. I doubt JKR would be suckered into the black hole of a Boggart Riddle, but thanks for the kind assessment. I've got a few more one-shots that are, err, "out there" plot-wise . . . lurking in the wings. Anyway, thanks for the review, and the kind words. I've got more ideas than I can write, sadly, so my plot-bunny file is just way out of control. Keep your eyes peeled, one may show up when you least expect it.
Reviewer: Chreechree Signed Date: 2007.02.20 - 05:26AM Title: Ridiculous
I have to reply to your response to brad’s review: Don’t need a beta? Weeeeeellllll, all things are relative, I suppose. We did say that at one time, didn’t we? Then we started working on Echoes and changed our minds rather quickly. I think you could’ve gotten away without having one, and most people wouldn’t have noticed certain plot holes. Some of us are just more observant than others. Sniff à la Hermione. But, yes, when you read a story as closely as we do when we beta, you’re going to pull out the red pen and the glib/ sarcastic/ prodding remarks start flying. We do what we can to keep your readers from being completely lost in the vagueness that sometimes is Josh. To anyone reading this review, don’t get the wrong idea. You are witness to an obnoxious mutual admiration society between the author and his betas. We’re proud to work on Josh’s stuff as it’s so good.
Since I'm here, I guess I should review properly (thought I already had - whoops!). This little gem was such a surprise. Wonderful premise to really consider. While this won’t be canon’s reality, it possibly could work. How sad for Riddle. His life was taken from him. He might have been a nasty piece of work, but wouldn’t it be interesting to have something as simple as a boggart responsible for all the pain caused by Voldemort. It’s such a fun possibility to mull over. Yes, what would a boggart do if it got its hands on you? Surely it isn’t resigned to merely advancing and being menacing. Not much to be afraid of even if it looks terrifying.
~ Christine
Author's Response: Ahhh, that fugue of distractions and plots that enshroud even the simplest of things I get involved with. Obnoxious mutual admiration? Well, I\'m not sure admiration is necessarily right. Shock, awe, hero worship, those are far more descriptive for my Fairy Zombie Betas :)
What would a boggart do? Drag you off to Hollywood, make you go on binge trips, plaster you with the fasion sense of a poisonous snake, and make you star in movies as inane as possible. Oh, wait, wrong story. Makes you wonder what Snape would do if he actually got his hands on you -- well, at least while Dumbledore was alive, you\'d wonder. Now you\'d be the stock of a new potion, no worries.
Reviewer: brad Signed Date: 2006.12.23 - 07:36PM Title: Ridiculous
Good story! Excellent writing (really effective; you painted the predicament in which Harry and his friends were mired really well) and an intriguing, innovative idea. Thanks!
Author's Response: Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. I have to give a lot of credit to my incredible beta team. Getting even a one-shot like this into the form you read is a lot of work all the way around. They deserve a huge thanks from all the people that enjoy the writing. (Mind you, these are the same people that told me I don\'t need a beta, and them promptly butcher everything I send them.)
Glad you enjoyed the plot bunny and the implications. A lot of the material you read about in DADA just seems ... well, odd. Why is it there, and not CoMC for example? Lots of weird things to think about lurk therein. And, of course, having a diseased mind...
Reviewer: _kb_ Signed Date: 2006.12.20 - 11:32AM Title: Ridiculous
Hey, that was pretty funny. Haha! :-) A very imaginitive way to portray Voldie and to get rid of him; congrats on that. A very nice one short! I'll give you a 10. ;-)
Author's Response: Thanks for the generous assessment. It was a bunny that just struck me one day. What would happen if a Boggart grabbed someone? Why do they learn about them in DADA? Ergo... bunny.
Reviewer: Wolfric Signed Date: 2006.12.20 - 12:22AM Title: Ridiculous
Pretty good. Thanks, W
Author's Response: Thanks for reading and leaving feedback!
Reviewer: Chunky Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 08:49PM Title: Ridiculous
By all means: Ridiculous! But as scary as it is: It is damn right possible. I had a good laugh on that thought, no doubt, and it would make sense for the story too ^^ Scary Lord Voldemort nothing but a self-powering Boggart. Thats something to chew on...
Anyway: For a oneshot, a good one indeed.
--Chunky
Author's Response: I\'m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. While on first reading, it may sound outrageous or over the top ... but when you stop to think about it, well, who says it isn\'t true?
Reviewer: sideline Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 07:05PM Title: Ridiculous
Josh,
I often find your writing too smart for the quick break from daily life I like to get from fan fiction. I don't get the surface level enjoyment I should from it because it requires a great deal of thinking to get underneath the words and into the ideas. After a long day of staring at numbers and charts my brain is shot so I tend to skim it and re read much later. I hope that comes across as the compliment I intend it to be.
With that said, I'm on Christmas break and this is much less intimidating to look at than Echoes. I have no idea why, but the image of Charlie soaked in blood stood out. I suppose that means it was well done. I like the premise and the exposition. If not for the fact that this is fiction,the excerpt could have come from an academic journal. The last line was a perfect use of dry British humour.
Cheers,
Joel
Author's Response: Hi Joel, I\'m glad you enjoyed the little plot bunny. Sometimes they strike me without warning. I appreciate the kind words for my work on Echoes -- I know what you mean. I tend to be very careful reading some other fics, like NoFP, for the same reasons. As for this little ditty, sometimes it all just comes crashing down and I need a brief escape from the details and more details layered in Echoes. I\'m glad you can read this quickly without having to worry about side effects in your mental health. As for the academic journal, well, I have been known to write and be published in scientific literature -- conferences, journals, that kind of thing. Unfortunately, the writing style of fanfic and those other things really don\'t mix well. So my excerpts invariably become like what I would normally write -- sans equations and citations and what not. As for the end... it\'s not Harry\'s fault the reporter misunderstood, now is it?
Reviewer: hjp74 Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 05:20PM Title: Ridiculous
great one shot although it left me a bit confused as to what exactly happened.
The action sceans were great and all those little details of how the others member of the order pereshed was a nice touch.
It was also good to see that the four main charecters made it out in more or less one pice
Author's Response: Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. Sorry you got confused -- are you referring to the fight scene, or the aftermath? It was meant to be slightly disorienting, as Harry is (after all) in a near-death situation and somewhat dazed by it all.
Reviewer: calgary Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 04:10PM Title: Ridiculous
Oh wow...could not believe my eyes reading this. A combination of melodrama and black comedy, and LV gets defeated. Just another one of your stories sitting out in left field, and I loved it.
One question....Your other one shot (I was led to believe) was part of Echoes. The same with this? You could write the same story from another perspective. In fact, you wite fan fiction that stands on it's ears Very cool.
Author's Response: I\'m glad you enjoyed it. It was a silly little thing, wasn\'t it?
I\'m a bit surprised you think either of the one-shots are related to Echoes, though. Both stand alone, no relation to Echoes of Power. I started a series to just loosely hold all the one-shots together (mostly tinkering with how Series work here), but no ... neither story is related to Echoes. While they _could_, conceivably be related to each other (Doors of Perception to Ridiculous, that is), they aren\'t.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Reviewer: Miri Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 04:07PM Title: Ridiculous
Ahh...mea culpa Moshpit. When I read this very early this morning, I only had up until the end of the textbook excerpt and thought that was the end of the story (I've been having download problems the rest of the day, so something is apparently up with my computer...oh joy...). After reading your review reply, I went back and checked and read the bit of the story I missed this am. Yes, that is much clearer as to what happens and much better. Thanks and a Merry Christmas to you and your family, especially the new little one. (I hope you're all getting some sleep).
Author's Response: No worries. I\'m not operating on all five, err, three, er, however many cylinders in the morning either. Not until I\'ve had my repeated caffeine emergency doses. Then I start to become somewhat dangerously coherent. (My betas would debate the coherent bit.) Enjoy your holidays, but hopefully your computer will be working in time for Echoes 19.
Reviewer: Sovran Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 09:23AM Title: Ridiculous
Now there's a fun idea. Not implausible, either.
You've managed to stir up the genres (attributes?) quite nicely. Is it tragedy? Humor? Drama? Romance? Angst? Parody? All of the above? Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . realism?
I had a lot of fun reading this one.
Author's Response: Not necessarily plausible, either. :)
The question is, what really happens if Boggart Snape gets his grubby little hands on Neville? And you know I think the genre system is not properly set up, so why not just tag any label that suits my fancy? Some day it shall all be fixed, and then I can rate my stories appropriately.
Reviewer: LolaPotter Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 08:08AM Title: Ridiculous
:-)
but i really thought they were dead
Author's Response: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I assume you mean you thought they were dead at the end of the fight scene, and not the end of the story. I\'d hope it\'s clear they all survived the events that unfolded.
Reviewer: cwarbeck Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 04:58AM Title: Ridiculous
Hiya Josh. Well, being your beta does have its perks. At least I get first jab at your amazingly complicated plot bunnies. This was really very original, and something I certainly would never have thought of, but it is possible, and just way too funny to imagine Voldemort as a giant fluffy pink rabbit. I have to admit that in the end, I kind of felt sorry for the old man who died as lonely as he was when he was an orphan boy.
Great story!
Author's Response: It\'s always fun to work with you and the others. I have to agree, the end of Tom Riddle was sad, and he deserved the compassion that Dumbledore always tried to offer him. If only the truth were really known, eh? Thanks for all your hard work, Fairy Zombie Editor!
Reviewer: Miri Signed Date: 2006.12.19 - 03:41AM Title: Ridiculous
Gee, I'm not quite sure what to say. You're one of the few authors for who I would set aside my self-set rule of reading no "dead Harry" stories (meaning a permanently dead Harry or any other of the Quartet for that matter) and the summary does seem to indicate a dead Harry.
This is a very well written, haunting story with a *really* unique twist on Voldemort and for that it deserves high commendation. But what nightmare plot bunnies have been inhabiting your keyboard? Although the sort-of epilogue strongly suggests that Harry does indeed survive, there are enough dead friends, terrible mayham and uncertain fates for other treasured friends to distress a good many readers.
But, since the "marking" system is more for objective judging of writing skills, IMHO, and less about the more subjective pleasure in reading a particular plot, this really deserves a lot of stars, but it's not a story I'll rush to read again with delight. Sorry, that's just my personal take on this. I'll turn with relief to waiting, somewhat patiently, for the next update of "Echoes".
Author's Response: I\'m flattered you would be willing to read my works, even if it seems like the main character(s) die during it. I of course wanted the fight scene to imply that they were all dying -- after all, when your life flashes before your eyes, strange things happen, and weird connections get made. Just enough to let you understand it all more clearly.
You could ask my betas about my nightmare plot bunnies, but I don\'t think you\'d like the answer. Sometimes my mind is a pleasant and fun place. The rest of the time, it\'s dark with lots of strange things moving in the shadows.
Now, just to be clear - the foursome all did survive. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny. I\'m kind of surprised that didn\'t come across to you. It might be more clear if you note the dates in the three segments. The middle segment, the textbook written by Harry, is many years later. The press article at the end is the day after, and it states all four will make a full recovery...
As for the next two chapters of Echoes, my betas have Real Life too, and sometimes one of our schedules gets in the way. Both Ch\'s 19 and 20 are in very late beta, so hopefully you\'ll have one before Christmas and one by the New Year.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
