I am thoroughly enjoying this story. The fact that Croaker has done more for Harry in a week than Dumbledore has done for him in fourteen years says a lot about how Dumbledore prioritizes what really happens to him. I like that Harry trusts his coworkers enough to show him his memories and that maybe something good will be learned from the subjects the four of them will be researching. Besides, he's suddenly with people who value him for himself and not just his title.

I loved the scene with Madam Longbottom. Even though it's short, she knows who Harry will eventually become after he turns seventeen and is willing to make sure he knows. I also liked her teaching method: teaching someone else what you've learned actually helps the teacher more than it does the learner. I have a feeling Neville will recall more of what he's learned over the years than he thinks he will because suddenly the subject has relevance.

Finally, the letters Harry sent to the other five students who went with him to the Department of Mysteries have probably done more than he knows. Ginny's and Luna's reactions made me smile as did Hermione's discussion with her father. Ron's made me giggle, especially since he managed to escape un-lectured. Well done.

Again, I appreciate your traversing new terrain!

Thank you...

Yeah, Harry's concept of "extra danger" might differ a bit from the norm.

Dunno if you should have mentioned cutting heads off -- I immediately thought of the Hydra, which lead to a "Hydra-Tom." :-}

It's good that someone thought to jot down names of the folks who came (at the graveyard).

Nice way to get Harry to consider Ginny's reaction to the events of her first year (vs. his Canon obliviousness).

I'm imagining Lucy as a test subject; somehow, I doubt he'd be all that appreciative.

Yes, teaching something is one way to ensure having learned it. :-}

It's good that Neville is (finally!) getting his own wand.

Yes, including Neville in the letter-writing is a good idea: I'm sure Hermione would note the discrepancy, otherwise (should she have occasion to compare notes).

Hermione's father's discussion of his experience in the Royal Army reminds me of one of Bill Mauldin's cartoons (collected in a volume called "Up Front!"), the caption of which was "Nonsense. S-2 reported that machine gun silenced hours ago. Stop wiggling your fingers at me." [Said "fingers" were thrust through the holes in the GI's helmet.]

He (Hermione's father) seems all right. :-)

Indeed: given Molly's reactions to things like Forge "rescuing" Harn taking the car to Hogwarts, it's quite plausible that "epic" would summarize her reaction to the events at the Department of Mysteries.

It's good to see McGonagall providing Dumbledore with some honest feedback. And yeah, I can readily imagine that she wouldn't be best pleased about said feedback being ignored (as far as she can tell).

Author's Response: Haha! Yes, Harry's concept of "extra danger" is a little different and you'll see that in a couple of chapters, IIRC. Hydra-Tom is funny. Writing that scene did make me think think of a hydra, but I didn't take the 2nd step. Lucy is going to be a test subject next chapter, but not in the way you're probably thinking. No, he will not appreciate it. :) Hermy's parents are going to have a little larger role than in the books; not huge, but larger. Now you know a little about them. I also wanted a learning experience for Hermy, so her dad helped her understand more. There are a few things I really wished JKR had done in the books: 1) explained her universe more; 2) developed her secondary chars more; 3) given more PoV in the story (I think only 3 in the entire series weren't Harry's). Number 3 is something I'm trying to fix here so you find out a little about what happened at the Weasley's after the kids came home after the DoM battle (Molly "let them have it" verbally), some of Neville's life (he had to give a memory to his uncle about the fight), Croaker's views on security and his own failings. You'll find out about Hermy's family response in the next chapter. I suppose in a way I'm also doing #2. Kevin