By Ishtar
Reviews
that1 posted a comment on Wednesday 13th June 2007 1:15am
Another great chapter. keep it up! :-)
john2 posted a comment on Wednesday 13th June 2007 12:54am
A brilliant insight into game theory as applied to Quidditch - truly crime does not pay - at least with this scenario.
Ishtar replied:
Yep. If you always do something the same way, sooner or later the opposition will find out a way to counter it. Slytherin's been doing this for how many years now? About time someone cottoned on.
Gullwhacker posted a comment on Wednesday 13th June 2007 12:45am
Enjoyable chapters, both of them. I should really write a proper review, but I never was that good at critique. Instead, I'll note a couple of things that caught my eye.
Loved Uncle Fester's line about incinerating people.
Lighting a cigar while it's still in the pocket? Neat trick. Gomez says that he can do the same thing - how much magic /do/ the Addams have, I wonder?
Final thought for now - when Harry mentions killing Quirrel, and is asked why, it's neat to see where priorities lie.
"He was holding Wednesday hostage," said Harry.
"And he was going to feed Hermione to a huge dog, and use us to trip booby-traps," said Pugsley.
"He had Voldemort on the back of his head," said Wednesday.
Harry? Cares about Wednesday, first and foremost. Pugsley? Hermione. Oh, and that Quirrel was planning to kill the rest of them, too. Wednesday brings up Voldemort being there almost as an afterthought. The Family comes first, I see...
Anyway. Enjoyed the chapter a lot.
Alex00 posted a comment on Wednesday 13th June 2007 12:16am
Great work.
MercuryBlue posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 11:27pm
Rapid updates! Yay!
Let's see, Malfoy getting detention, the mini Marauder's Maps, (one place it says Lupin where it should probably say Remus), flushing Quirrell away, of course the kids are going after the Stone anyway, Harry's attitude towards the fouls...hard to say what I liked best. Also, Harry's and Morticia's attitude towards the school food is highly amusing.
Meteoricshipyards posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 11:21pm
Love Dumbledore's reactions. Hope that the Parents Association-teacher meeting gets some air play.
"I didn't learn that trick until I was fifteen."
LOL.
"Right. If you’re going to incinerate people, it should always be on purpose," said Uncle Fester. "Trust me, I know."
A perfect Fester line.
The "so many canines" had me confused until I remembered the Addams' cartoons. I still see John Austin as Gomez.
Nice Quidditch match. Not too long (it's a boring game to read about), and you certainly had me guessing what Wednesday was asked to do.
Nice story. Lots of fun. Thanks for creating it.
Tom A.
Quizer posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 11:00pm
Love this chapter. Again, there are many small things that add up to combine this story into the greatly enjoyable experience it is: Dumbledore pondering the Parent's Association and Minerva's ironic comment, Harry explaining the reason for Muggle cleaning to Ron, the encounter between Gomez and the Grangers...
I love the part where they dealt with Quirrel's remains. Harry stating 'I killed him' in that flat way was hilarious, as well as Gomez giving him a cigar. One can really see his Addams upbringing in his behavior.
I also like that Harry and co. aren't fooled by Remus' flimsy explanation and I'm looking forward to them looking into it. In fact, I have to wonder why Remus himself bought it. As a long-time prankster, is he overestimating the power of booby traps? I guess it is the unknown nature of the different 'bits' the teachers added to the defense of the stone, as well as the fact that Quirrell had been stopped before actually entering the gauntlet.
Liked the Quidditch match, too. You succeeded well in showing a typical Quidditch game from a Slytherin angle and making it a novel experience. I like the fact that Harry pointed out that foul play is actually a foolish strategy, and how he refused to play if this continues.
I really like the 'Gryffies' designation that you came up with. It is a great, mockingly cutesy way to mock their rival house.
Looking forward to the next chapter! Keep up the good work!
Quizer
uthamm posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 10:52pm
Your dialogue & narrative is GOLDEN. Classic, repeatable lines:
"starting a feud with one of the most influential families in Britain was not a Good Idea." Love the empasis on Good Idea.
""Right. If you’re going to incinerate people, it should always be on purpose," said Uncle Fester. "Trust me, I know." & "And Azkaban, while it has a rather bracing climate, is no place for a growing boy" Good thing I wasn't drinking anything!
I also like the characterization of the kids willing to go to authority figures they trust. Great job on a really fun story. It is on my re-read list when I need a laugh.
Jeremy DuCharme posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:53pm
Hmm, never saw a logical explanation for Snape requiring elbow grease and manual labor for his cleanups. Most seem to chalk it up to his being a sadist and/or his disdain (from his First Years Speech) for 'silly wand waving'. Though given how impressive the results might be, I'm surprised the Weasley Twins haven't tried it. Or is it they don't have that much of a death wish?
And Harry continues to sell Malfoy not just the rope to hang himself with, but the lumber to build the gallows. :) Why attack your enemy, when you can simply stand aside and let him run over the cliff himself? Though for Defense which side did Hermione land on, cool or ew?
Interesting, the bigoted thoughts of Dumbledore. Muggleborns are alright, because they are magical, or like the rest of the PTA is he more upset by the breaking of traditions for Family Night than the fact that some of the families are Muggle?
McGonagall, the latest Addams Family ally? Is she more receptive due to how they took in Remus, or just younger and more willing to look at changes that Dumbledore might reject simply because they are changes? *snickers* Figure Remus as a Muggle Studies Professor would come up with magical 'You are Here' maps.
Okay, I suspect proper diet and nutrition suddenly got added to the HPTA's Sunday meeting agenda. And worked into the traditional 'embarrassment of the children by their parents, and *that's* where Hermione gets her obsessive curiosity from' you drop an interesting tidbit. Gomez has extra canine teeth? Maybe there is some lycanthrope blood in the Addams Family Genetic Cauldron? Perhaps one of the reasons they sponsored the Reserves?
Addams Etiquette, when one kills an SOB who had it coming, make sure to clean up and properly dispose of the body afterwards.
Looks like the Four Addamsteers are going down the hatch later this year, maybe after a second thief? I'm betting Remus's trap will be as nearly vexing to a pureblood as Snapes. He's the Muggle Studies Professor, maybe like Snape the trap requires you to out think it and know how the Muggle World works?
The Quidditch Match. Well Harry got to take to the air, but then chewed out his Captain not for cheating, but being stupid about it. That tack might keep Snape from skinning him, "We are supposed to be cunning, not stupid thugs."
For examples of bending the rules, or at least cunningly using the loopholes and opposing player reactions I wonder, in Quidditch would barreling a Wonski (sp?)Feint through the enemy Chasers be a foul, or would they have to give way since the Seekers are apparently in pursuit of the Snitch and everyone else must give way? Or even if it was would they scatter thinking there was a Snitch being chased and wanted to avoid the foul if they impeded the enemy Seeker?
Ishtar replied:
The only time we see Snape using a wand to clean up a potions mess is when it's an emergency, as it was in the first class when Neville's cauldron melted and the potion ran all over everything. The rest of the time, cleaning is done by hand, and I just came up with a logical reason for it. The Twins prefer to have at least some idea what will happen - they're crazy, not stupid.
Hermione was ew, definitely ew. Can you see her passing up a chance to research something?
Dumbledore has his own comfort zone. He's willing to associate with Muggles on his own terms, is fond of some of the things they make, and can function (sort of) in the Muggle world when he chooses to. Muggles on his turf, questioning things he's accepted for over a hundred years, are definitely out of his comfort zone.
Remus is teaching Magical History, not Muggle Studies. The "you are here" maps are a less complex version of the Marauder's map.
Gomez has a mouthful of sharp teeth in the cartoons. Extra canines is one way of looking at it.
Jane Average posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:25pm
That was the most fascinating and irreverent rewrite of the first few pages of HP:PS that I have ever read :) I love the tone, how you manage to be so nice and cheery even as you distribute scathing insults on the Dursleys ;)
Crys posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:22pm
> but the very fact that she’d been there was worrying.
He WANTS to keep the House boundries up? Not much of a progressive, is he?
> "Right. If you’re going to incinerate people, it should always be on purpose," said Uncle Fester. "Trust me, I know."
Coming from anyone other than an Addams, that comment would be humorous and unbelievable. Coming from him, OtOH . . .
Good analysis, Harry.
Ishtar replied:
For all of the Sorting Hat's exhortations to school unity in canon, DD doesn't do anything to encourage it. At some very deep level, he believes in House boundaries.
dogbertcarroll posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:19pm
I see DD is a bit of a racist himself. He only approves
of 'magic' people. It makes his stand on the DDs getting
'second chances' a lot clearer. They mostly kill muggles
above and beyond anyone else, so if they could be convinced
to leave the muggle born alone then he'd probably be a
lot happier. I wonder if part of it is being of gypsy blood.
Outsiders really aren't welcome in most clans.
-"Two-faced, eh? In that case, he needed killing.
-Congratulations, Harry!" said Uncle Gomez, handing Harry a cigar.
*snicker*
A sensible view.
-"Not bad," said Uncle Gomez, as Harry plucked the cigar out of
-his pocket before it could burn his shirt. "I didn’t master
-that trick until I was fifteen."
A little wandless-tricks skill I see. Not as all encompassing
as typical mage skills, but useful all the same.
I wonder what they'll do with the rock when they get it? I wonder
if Flammel is a cousin?
Playing Quiditch fair because it's actually easier to win that way
probably never occurred to the Slytherins before.
Excellent chapter.
Ishtar replied:
DD likes things orderly. Everybody is neatly allocated into their own places. Muggles over there, wizards over here, and if wizards are somehow born to Muggles, we must get them into the wizarding world where they belong. Muggle parents in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts itself is deeply disturbing to him.
It's clear through the Addams TV show and movies that the Addamses have minor, possibly magical, talents. I decided that this is one of Gomez's. (My DH has seen someone do this very thing with a cigarette in RL, so it's not too much of a stretch, I think.)
kainboa posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:13pm
great chapter as usual, love how harry analysed the quidditch game and found out how the slytherins play.
keep up the great work :)
Paul Millsted posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 9:11pm
Great stuff
csktech posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 8:41pm
Thank You Ishtar, this made my morning. I've taken to watching the Addams Family on TV land, and you have done a wonderful job of filling out the characters so that they fit into the Potterverse. this was once again a great treat to read.
DrT posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 8:28pm
The discussion of the Quirrel's ashes was perfectly Addams. Well done. And I liked how Minerva used the PTA as well.
Interesting Quidditch game. The repercussions will interesting as well.
"T"
Mickey posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 8:10pm
Very nice, both this chapter and the previous one. I'm glad that you're not going to skip the students getting the PS. I can't wait to see what Remus' trap is.
The Unicorn
KingDark posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 7:46pm
well, I am really happy you updated two chapters recently! I already thought you had quit the story!
Keep up the writing!
Wonderbee31 posted a comment on Tuesday 12th June 2007 7:36pm
Great section here! Interesting to see Malfoy channelling Dr. Smith, now all you need is either Crabbe or Goyle to call out Danger! Danger! Ferret!, and it would rock more. Also interesting the way Albus reacts to the family's, in his own way, as this story goes, he's as much a bigot as the ones in the ministry, which actually seems to show a bit in canon as well. Oh, muggles are fine, as long as we don't have to deal with them, be interesting to see what happens next. Also enjoyed the way that Harry got Flint to think a bit, as well as the way that the other houses seemed divided between Slytherin and the Griffs, maybe the house of the brave is more of the bully house than they want to promote?
curalium lacrimo posted a comment on Wednesday 13th June 2007 3:53am