Anna1 posted a comment on Sunday 20th November 2005 5:26am for Professor TwoBears

This is a really good story:) I liked a lot of things about it - it's very well written, characterisations are believable and close to canon, Harry's interaction with Muggles (or I should rather say Mundanes;)) were very well done:)

Few things seemed not very logical to me, thought, first and foremost the whole idea of Harry traveling - I would expect this sort of trip to be cancelled because of Voldemort, to many opportunities for him to attack, especially once Harry doesn't have his blood protection anymore. And Harry giving up his wand on the bus... Well, this seemed terribly risky to me. Also, it's bit strange how set back British wizarding community is in your story, when compared to America. I mean - one would expect that with so many ways of communicating quickly, any new developement would spread around the world even faster then it does in real life.

Apart from those little things, your story was really brilliant. I enjoyed the whole Avalon exodus and Harry getting the talk was absolutely hilarious. I'm also quite interested with Bart Malfoy - I wonder why Harry didn't ask him about his relation with Draco, though. I I were him, I certainly would.

Anyway, good luck and I hope you will update this soon:)

ecocd posted a comment on Thursday 3rd November 2005 10:09am for Professor TwoBears

I just caught up with this story through Abraxan, so this is kind of 19 chapters worth of reviews rolled in one.

I've enjoyed a good deal of the story. There are enough teasing open threads to keep me interested and the graveyard/Avalon scenes were a somewhat natural way to allow Harry to interact with the dead. While Sirius and his parents were obvious inclusions, I didn't see Cedric coming at all and it was a nice touch. The concept of the Grimmoires is nice and not having Harry jump some American immediately (or vice versa) puts it a cut above most of the foreign exchange stories out there. The same goes for thankfully leaving Draco back in Scotland. the sense of humor weaved into the story has me laughing or at least giggling a bit.

There are a few areas that I don't particularly enjoy, though I hope to provide some creative criticism rather than just complaints. While reading the story, it feels like the American magic world is simply better in everything magical than Britain. I agree that there would be divergences in their approaches, but the American wizarding community seems to be getting all of the benefits of being at the forefront of research without any of the dangers. The first experiences with nuclear reactors brought inexpensive energy but at the cost of toxic byproducts and disasters like Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl. The space program has had it's share of miscues and tragedy. The California Condor is nearly extinct due in large part to a pesticide. All of the technological jumps had signicant benefits, but came at a hefty cost at times. It's also a tad ironic that there aren't any House-elves in America, despite being the last civilized nation to outlaw slavery in the first place. I don't necessarily see these aspects being expressed yet, but in my opinion, a few chinks in the American magic community's armor would help round out their identity. Do the American mages know how their potion additives will behave in an enclosed dungeon, for instance?

One final comment is that the American Indians also feel like they're being depicted through rose-colored glasses. I'm originally from Wisconsin where the Ojibwe (Americanized as "Chippewa") influence is apparent by just looking at a map and reading the city names. While there are many aspects of their culture that the bulk of Americans would do to adopt, conservationism and environmentalism spring to mind, they have their own problems, as well. Unemployment, alcoholism and gambling addiction all have their unfortunate place in modern American Indian culture.

I don't make those points saying I don't like the story, but I see them as areas where the story could be rounded out bringing more depth the setting. No community or culture is perfect and their shortcomings or prejudices are just as much of their identity as their triumphs.

I look forward to future chapters. -ecocd

Wytil posted a comment on Thursday 27th October 2005 7:08pm for Professor TwoBears

I enjoy the story. I am partically fascinated by the introduction to native american cultures. Unfortunately, you seem to be or are influenced by the Lakota. My grandmother considered most of the nortern plains peoples as horse thieves. Really that is kind of silly because the People are considered the best horse thieves around. They actually have a kind of treaty with Mexico to return all the horses monthly; otherwise the true Mexicans would run out of horses and our horse feed bills would get too high. My grandmother, whoops, thats great grandmother became a nurse at Fort Apache and married the doctor. Since he was a civilian contractor who had served in the Union Army he
died in the Galveston Hurricane of the late 1800's. len_vandiveer@yahoo.com

Manatheron posted a comment on Thursday 27th October 2005 4:20am for Professor TwoBears

Interesting story... I'm not certain that I like the fact that you appear to be trying to make all minnesotians (Or at least the mages) into Natives, because I assure you that there are more of us out here than the native tribes, but I can see your point as well simply due to the fact that religion (and magic) was more entwined into the native culture.

Keep up the good work!

filodea posted a comment on Thursday 20th October 2005 11:35am for Professor TwoBears

This is one of the most interesting stories I've read in quite a while. The premise, of putting Hogwarts students into other magical cultures, is interesting in itself, but then to bring up some of the topics that are being discussed is also interesting to read.
I like how you handle the Weasleys. Some people make Molly too smothering, others make her this glorified fishwife, or simply a magical maid. I can't wait to read the next chapter.

Ron posted a comment on Sunday 9th October 2005 11:36pm for Professor TwoBears

I told my wife about your story. She read it all in one sitting, the very first time she has read ANY fanfic. Her comment: MUST WRITE FASTER, MUST WRITE FASTER! LOL.

dogbertcarroll posted a comment on Tuesday 4th October 2005 6:26pm for Professor TwoBears

Wow!

ed posted a comment on Monday 3rd October 2005 11:01pm for Professor TwoBears

Great story. I have really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.

Michelle posted a comment on Thursday 15th September 2005 4:29am for Professor TwoBears

Dorothy - fantastic! Again :) I loved Harry calling the rattler off of Bart. I'd like to see what relationship will develop between these two boys, since Harry seems to reflexively hesitate to trust a Malfoy. Also loved Two Bears' reaction to Harry's enforced ignorance - that kind of openness will surely be a refreshing change for our boy. Keep the updates coming regularly, please!

Verahsa posted a comment on Thursday 15th September 2005 2:41am for Professor TwoBears

Wonderful story so far. It's well written.

Points for and against:

I am not all that fond of him going away for 6th year. It is a unique idea, and MUCH better implemented than most "Harry doesn't go to Hogwarts" stories, but I've always felt that Hogwarts was a unique & necessary -major- part of Harry Potter stories. Yours is one of the first stories I've seen that does this that I'm still interested in.

I'm loving the character development so far. Thumbs up on current rites of passage(s). I also am enjoying the introduction of "other than assumed" magic, mystica, and mystery.

So far, wonderful. I look forward to more. =)

Shawn Pickett posted a comment on Thursday 15th September 2005 12:23am for Professor TwoBears

Outstanding, though Harry's exclamation at the end of the chapter sums it up nicely as well. I found his conversation with Two Bears very enlightening, and I'm curious to see what Harry takes away from it.

Brad posted a comment on Wednesday 14th September 2005 8:29pm for Professor TwoBears

Well, with all this talk of being a 'chief' and assembling one's "warband" I think I'm gleaning a smidgin of how this story is going to form up. I still can't wait for when Harry returns home and gangs up with his mates, seeing how the romance may fall, how that Oath that the Weasleys and Hermione took plays out, etcetera. But there's a fair ways to go before we get there, I guess.

Very ... *startling* ... this American look at the British wizarding world. Difficult to do without demeaning the whole drama of Harry versus Dumbledore. I'm getting the feeling that the Americans could just step in easily and clobber Voldemort once he tries to cross the Atlantic. I wonder if you'll have Harry get a panic attack and feel tempted to just stay over there in the USA? Nah, I guess he'd never even think it, leaving his friends at the mercy of Voldemort.

I enjoyed Harry's snake chat very much; very clever and effectively done.

Given that Harry's a parselmouth and all courtesy of his 'transferred' talents from Voldemort, I wonder if he'll a) have something other than a serpent for his totem, or b) have two totems, since in some respects he's the amalgam of two people? Just musing.

I am *enjoying* this story ... always a pleasure to take home a new chapter and read it over tea that night. Thank you for your efforts and time!

Prince Charon posted a comment on Wednesday 14th September 2005 3:34pm for Professor TwoBears

Thank you for the update.

Very, very interesting, particularly the bit with Riddle. He would have been about 18 or 19 by then, based on the timeline.

I also quite like the bit about Vision Quests.

More soon, please.