Harry Potter: The Scholomance Series
Some history for this. Back in the year 2000, after Goblet of Fire and before the first movie, I had a few happy months in HP fandom, and among other things I wrote several connected stories in what I'm now calling The Scholomance Series. These stories didn't stand alone, the last one ended kind of brutally with blithe promises for a quick sequel, and from this I learned a very important lesson, which is that I can't post WIPs of any kind, because I cannot trust myself to stay in a fandom long enough to finish them.
Anyway, for the last seven years I've been trying to finish this last story -- I had about a quarter of it, and then it gradually got up to a half, and every so often I would take it out and noodle on it some more, usually after I got some fresh canon to get the motor running; at one point I even tried starting from scratch; but it just wouldn't go very far. I was about ready to give up, and earlier this week,![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1)
resonant8 started clearing out her HP locker, and I decided yeah, it was time, I was going to just post it, whatever, and then I opened it up to do some formatting, and then boom, I finished it after all.
*takes victory lap, raised fists in the air*
(Oh, and then I turned the started-from-scratch version into an extra side-story.)
So, here it is, the whole thing (I suspect the new stories won't make sense without the old ones). Diverges wildly from canon after Goblet of Fire. Adult, explicit (in Prodigal), and bloody. Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, hints of other pairings.
The Scholomance Series
⊕ A RARE DESCENT ⊕ PASSING THROUGH ⊕ THE ELEVENTH DOORKEEPER ⊕
⊕ THE SEASONLESS WORLD ⊕ THE LAST VISIT ⊕ PRODIGAL ⊕
And here are the two new stories, with many thanks to, I am ashamed to admit, more betas than I now remember, although I knowelynross looked at Prodigal along the way, and cesperanza has gone over them for me now. ♥
The Last Visit (588 words)
It has nothing to ask you. It has only something to say.
(Note: this story fits into Prodigal -- I think it works better read first, but it's not a standalone.)
Prodigal (13,850 words)
...his greatest terror was that someone would respond to him.
omg yay
Anyway, for the last seven years I've been trying to finish this last story -- I had about a quarter of it, and then it gradually got up to a half, and every so often I would take it out and noodle on it some more, usually after I got some fresh canon to get the motor running; at one point I even tried starting from scratch; but it just wouldn't go very far. I was about ready to give up, and earlier this week,
resonant8 started clearing out her HP locker, and I decided yeah, it was time, I was going to just post it, whatever, and then I opened it up to do some formatting, and then boom, I finished it after all. *takes victory lap, raised fists in the air*
(Oh, and then I turned the started-from-scratch version into an extra side-story.)
So, here it is, the whole thing (I suspect the new stories won't make sense without the old ones). Diverges wildly from canon after Goblet of Fire. Adult, explicit (in Prodigal), and bloody. Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, hints of other pairings.
⊕ A RARE DESCENT ⊕ PASSING THROUGH ⊕ THE ELEVENTH DOORKEEPER ⊕
⊕ THE SEASONLESS WORLD ⊕ THE LAST VISIT ⊕ PRODIGAL ⊕
And here are the two new stories, with many thanks to, I am ashamed to admit, more betas than I now remember, although I know
elynross looked at Prodigal along the way, and cesperanza has gone over them for me now. ♥The Last Visit (588 words)
It has nothing to ask you. It has only something to say.
(Note: this story fits into Prodigal -- I think it works better read first, but it's not a standalone.)
Prodigal (13,850 words)
...his greatest terror was that someone would respond to him.
omg yay
I'm so glad you finished them.
would there be lots of knowledge of the books required to understand your Scholomance Series??
or, err, do you have some kind of summary of your fic somewhere? :)
Congrats on the completion!
World of Warcraft
Those were pretty much the first HP stories I read that I remember - every so often I'd reread and be sad that they wouldn't be finished ever. And now I can just click through and read how it ends! You rock so much. Thank you!
*off to read*
I'm always interested in seeing what you write, but this series holds a special place for me. I remember you posting these stories on, um, some mailing list that I cannot remember the name of for the life of me. Somewhere in my boxes, I printed and bound the first stories. I loved them while you were posting them, and was excited to see them.
When the end didn't come quickly, I concluded that the series was going to be on of those great unfinished story cycles. Sad, but it happens. No cause to stamp my feet and pout, or to bother you about the series. But, now you've finished it, so before reading I just want to say thank you.
The dead coming back, you made me cry. Fred and George should never be separated - i'm glad they found each other.
And Draco...oh. I liked him so much, he tried so hard and did so well. Yay, for Draco!
The 'good' side and their arguments are so damn annoying. Heh.
This was interesting and different and i liked how it was from different pov's and about different people. Good, good stuff!
*yes, i'm totally unspoiled for the last book*
:)
I remember stumbling onto these ages ago. I'm pretty sure I found 'The Eleventh Doorkeeper' first and read it and was in love and then went back and read the rest in order. And I remember loving them and thinking 'this is so amazing' and I'm pretty sure this series is what made me hunt down the rest of your fanfic in the first place. And now you finished it.
More comments will follow, which may or may not be more coherent.
And there is also one sort of random thing I especially loved, which is dude! you used a Greek spell! Egkataleipo FTW!
"Prodigal": omg, the bringing back the dead spell is genius. A very beautiful piece of writing, actually, how it begins with a whisper on the edge of Harry's hearing and transforms into something full of joy and weirdness and loss -- to have Ron beside him again and Dumbledore's wisdom shining again, and it's utterly perfect that everyone is strong enough to say goodbye to their dead except for Fred and George, refusing to be parted again. Gorgeous.
But really: all I wanted from the finale was to have Draco come back and kick some ass with the eldritch power he painfully acquired in Scholomance. And he did! So I'm happy! Yay! He may be twisted out of true and half-insane with loneliness and bitterness, but he's a hero all the same. That Snape's acerbic remarks to that effect are so happy-making!
I can't help feeling the conclusion felt a little bit rushed and I would have liked a little more of insight into Ginny's mind, but I can't argue with the results: Harry + Draco and a little baby! heh. Bet this vision of utter domesticity ever crossed Draco's mind in Scholomance as his ultimate destiny.
I'm struck by how perfectly in character you write everyone, especially since I just finished DH. Nicely done.
I'm pleased you started with Neville, and making him a Seer struck me as wonderfully imaginative. He makes a more than apt Cassandra.
Finally, enthralled!Ginny definitely came across as the creepiest element.
*flails gleefully around the room*
Will comment later when I have time to read, since I want to re-read all the previous ones.
Tons of hugs,
Lhug
Anyway, just to say I really liked the ending, and that reading from the beginning to the end, I can see that your writing has sharpened up and gotten better, although I couldn't put my finger on exactly how the last story is better written than the first.
For some reason, that is the part that kills me.
I hate the idea of the twins being separated. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. So this was one of those beautiful-horrible things.
You're brilliant. I think I'm going to go cry some more.
(hi! I stumbled across this series through del.icio.us.)
I just re-read the Scholomance Series again, and then realized that I hadn't commented the first time. So, to make up for it here you go.
I love and adore this series, particularly Prodigal. When the dead return it consistently makes me cry like a baby, which is a good thing since I assume that's what you were going for. Fred and George refusing to be parted is utterly perfect, and hits every cord I've got. And Dumbledore warning Harry that they'll have to let the dead go again is also note perfect.
I would really love to see an epilogue to the whole thing with Harry, and Draco, and the unnamed baby, and the newly freed wizarding world. But, that's me. I like to end with a smile. This ends with a smile through tears though, and that's okay too.
(Anonymous)
ch. 4
I realize you are very busy right now (ps: congrats!), but wanted to give you a heads up that I recorded a podfic of the Scholomance Series for this year's podbang. It's up here. Thanks for writing it and I hope you enjoy the recording :D
<3
boom-queen
Thank you.
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(")_(") baby bunny