lomonaaeren | Yet another novel-length story to ambush me

Yet another novel-length story to ambush me

This one has no title, which makes it even more inconvenient. I suppose I can refer to it as "that clichéd thing" for a while, especially since it probably won't get written until after Secondhand Heroes, Written by the Losers, and Aurea Mediocritas.

This is Harry/Draco, and epilogue-compliant, though most of it takes place four years after the epilogue. Ginny finds out that someone's cast an entropic curse on her. The curse inflicts damage and eventually death on anyone in her family who she spends a lot of time around. She goes into St. Mungo's for as much treatment as the Healers can afford her, and then goes traveling. She and Harry- who's devastated- agree on a divorce; over the years they've achieved a companionate marriage rather than a passionate one, so this leaves them still as friends but free to pursue other sexual partners if they'd like. The Healers have been able to reassure Ginny that the curse wouldn't strike any second family she tried to raise, but was aimed directly at Harry and the Weasleys. They're also able to find out that it was cast five years ago, at the time when James first went to Hogwarts, and probably in King's Cross. The power driving it is malice against Harry. But given the number of people in King's Cross at any one time, there's no way to be sure who the culprit is from that scant evidence.

To say Harry is furious is an understatement. He throws himself into discovering who cursed Ginny, to the point that his job performance takes a dramatic nosedive. And that is a bad, bad thing when there's a murderer on the loose, a murderer who kidnaps children and then returns them piece by piece. The case is an absolute PR disaster for the Aurors, with a child taken every full moon and killed by every dark, seven times so far. Karen Whitcomb, the harassed Head of the Auror Department, does something she thinks will redirect Harry's attention to the case in front of him until it's solved: she orders a telepathic bond spell performed between him and Draco. Draco is also an Auror, very good at the parts of his job that can be performed individually, but so arrogant and prickly his partners won't stay with him for long. The bond spell, Whitcomb hopes, will not only distract Harry but center and ground Draco by giving him a partner who can't help but understand him.

Harry and Draco, of course, protest. Whitcomb overrules them. Draco wants to keep his job to maintain a good reputation for the Malfoys, and Harry needs the resources of the Aurors to hunt down his enemy, so they can't just quit. They find themselves sharing thoughts and emotions involuntarily until they learn to establish barriers. Then it's dreams. Then they know each other's general state of being- where the other man is and if he's hurt, for example. And then things start getting really weird. Whitcomb, in her desperation, neglected to read the fine print on the telepathic bond spell- including whether it can be reversed.

If it were only the central bond idea, this story wouldn't need to be novel-length- and that was the idea that first came to me. But I crossbred it with other ideas, as I like to do, and now there's a lot of bustle going on: the kidnapping case, the search for the person who cursed Ginny, Harry and Draco struggling to come to grips with their bond, Auror politics and PR (Whitcomb is probably going to be a viewpoint character, if only to show how the Auror Department's public reputation is decaying as they fail to find that kidnapper), Draco's tumultuous family life (he's also divorced, but that doesn't prevent problems with Astoria and Scorpius), Harry's relationships with his children and the other Weasleys (some of whom approve his search for the enemy who cursed Ginny, others of whom think Harry is entirely too obsessed), and Ginny's letters from abroad as she travels and finds love.

Finding a title that suits this whole thing is going to be a challenge. And I am ~~distressed~~ bewildered by how much seems to happen in the stories I come up with lately.

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Oh, at first I thought it was going to be Draco who cursed Ginny. ;)

I like the premises with this curse and Ginny but I don't see how it connects to the Head Auror's decision with this bond spell. After all, she could have just treatened Harry with losing his position or a disciplinary procedure - a bonding spell is really an over the top reaction, and it shows that you only created the premises for the sake of this spell. Btw, I think a Head Auror would be responsible enough to read the small print.

But, as an alternative, you could make it an accident: perhaps Ginny cast the spell because she and Harry agreed to remain in contact and this was the easiest way, and they never intended it as temporary, either, but it somehow went wrong. Perhaps she used the expression "partner" and the spell interpreted it not as ex-spouse but as work partner... something along those lines? Or the other alternative is that the Head Auror is the evil guy and she did it on purpose, but then you'll have to find a believable explanation for Harry and the readers to believe why she went for a so extreme solution. (Like being mentally addled after working too much, or perhaps after having just returned from a raid where a Dark wizard got her with an unknown curse, and she didn't know that her judgement was influenced by a spell.)

Er. Sorry for picking apart your bunnies.

Thank you!

It's true I'd rather have a story that's too ambitious than one that doesn't do enough. But I have lost control of stories before because too much was going on in them (too many different plot aspects or too many different emotional relationships). That's one reason I try to be cautious about how much I put into any one story.

Thank you!

Thank you!

I can't imagine that either Harry or Draco's children will be pleased by this. Harry's children will still be suffering from the loss of Ginny. Scorpius, in this story, is secretly frantic that his family is drifting apart from him, and wants them back; his father having such a permanent and deep bond to a person who's not him is going to drive him crazy.

Not fully formed, no! The usual process is that I come up with a lot of little individual plot strands (for example, "I want to write a novel-length story where Harry and Draco solve a mystery together") and then I add them to each other. Unless the story is very short and focused around a single concise idea, I find it difficult to get enough substance otherwise. Nearly all my stories are hybrids.

Ah, I understand a problem with beginnings! I find the planning process easy and enjoyable, and then I can keep going once I'm into it, but writing that first chapter is often hard.

And it's not a problem. :) I think a lot of it is just that I do have an environment conducive to story-munching (academic work) and for a very long time I was writing original work in a single fantasy setting that built on itself and easily added new ideas. When I left that setting behind, I took the ability with me.

Not a problem! You've given me some things to think about. And while I don't really mind having a plot that uses some plot devices transparently (hey, I've written Veela fic and divorce lawyer fic!), I like to make the plot more organic to the characters' psychology when I can. In this case, that's even more necessary than usual. It's already busy; I can't afford unnecessary plot strands.

I don't think the Head Auror can be evil; I'll be writing a few scenes from her viewpoint, and that would kind of show up. :) But desperate, yes. She's going to be hounded by a public certain that the Aurors- who've worked very well in the past few years, partially thanks to people like Harry and Draco- should be able to solve the kidnapping case now, plus some individuals who are specifically fixated on Harry himself being able to solve the case. (Nothing about the way the wizarding public treat Harry has ever been sane). Plus she'll have pressure from her superiors, her own sense of duty wearing her down, and her frustration that Harry is focusing on his own personal problems rather than the case at exactly the wrong moment damnit. The mistake with the bond spell and her insistence on it over all Harry and Draco's protests will speak well to her being at her utter wits' end; it's the kind of thing she'll be horrified about later but thinks is a good idea at the time, in the way you do when you're sleep-deprived.

Thanks for the critique!

Oh, you could introduce some Umbridge-like character in the Wizengamot who had a grandchild kidnapped and they didn't find him/her in time and now the character is really pissed off or just feels hurt and vindictive and forces the Head Auror's hand. And you're right. Canonically, Aurors cannot be bad. But you could make her single and a career woman so she of course wouldn't understand family matters and would think that work is first.

True! I'd want to be careful so it didn't sound like I was just replicating Umbridge, but that could add extra weight.

Canonically, Aurors cannot be bad.

I'm not sure this is true, or it's more likely more of them would have been part of the Order of the Phoenix. But in this case, I want the villain to be somewhat buried.

Well, JKR said that there was some ultimate character test that doesn't let people with character flaws become Aurors how the hell did Ron pass that? Or Harry, for that matter. *cough*Imperio*cough*Crucio. But I think that's more about leanings towards Dark Arts or having loose morals, being accepting of bribes. I don't know how she'd imagined that an Auror's characteristics wouldn't change over time, but at least they start out squeaky clean. I believe all the Aurors who worked for Voldemort were in some way coerced, confounded or under Imperius. And I have a feeling that they adhere more to the law and written rules than to their sense of justice if the two happen to clash. But I don't think the Head Auror would turn out to be a Dark Wizard, that's something I'd consider extremely out of the universe. Not that yours runs the danger of becoming one. :P I just remember reading someone's reaction who adheres to canon rather strictly that this would mean that Draco wouldn't stand a chance of becoming an Auror. *shrugs* My Draco would totally find a way to if he wanted to. :D

I hadn't heard that bit about character tests. Come on. It's hard to see what they would even test. Honesty? Reluctance to harm others? I could envision situations where you'd have to lie or hurt people as part of the job. (But then, I picture Aurors as more like wizarding cops).

And I have a feeling that they adhere more to the law and written rules than to their sense of justice if the two happen to clash.

Yep. And you can get some interesting characters that way- even people who would use Dark Arts if they thought it was necessary, or less evil than doing something else. (There were, after all, those Aurors who had power under Crouch Sr. to use the Unforgivable Curses; I can't imagine there'd be much point to granting the permission if they thought it was impossible for Aurors to use the curses).

And yeah, I think Draco can become an Auror if he really wants to. I'd imagine other obstacles, like his name, would cause more a problem than passing the Auror tests.

I picture Aurors as more like wizarding cops

I think those are the Hit Wizards. Aurors are more like head hunters - only go after Dark Wizards while Hit Wizards go after the normal criminals. Or at least the lexicon says so (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/ministry/auror.html):

The Aurors are an elite group of witches and wizards who battle the Dark Arts. They operate in some ways as soldiers but more often as intelligence agents, seeking out Dark wizards and defeating them, often in fierce wizard duels. Alastor Moody and Frank and Alice Longbottom were famous Aurors. Aurors are sometimes refered to as Dark Wizard catchers.
...
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement maintains squads of trained Hit Wizards whose job it is to capture dangerous wizarding criminals. A group of these Hit Wizards captured Sirius Black after he supposedly killed Peter Pettigrew. The Hit Wizards are not the same as Aurors. Hit Wizards, it would seem, are sent primarily against criminals while Aurors track down and capture Dark Wizards.

And see, I pictured them the exact opposite way around, just because "Hit Wizards" sounds like "hit men" to me- someone whose primary job is to strike hard and fast and in very specific places. Also, I think it's odd that Sirius wouldn't be considered a Dark wizard when he supposedly killed thirteen people with a single curse. But then, it's never very clear what the definition of Dark magic is in canon, either, beyond the Unforgivables.

In that light, Harry should be a Dark wizard, since he had used Unforgivables.

I hope you don't mind my bucking into your bunny, but I have some questions. Maybe you are yet to figure it all out, but...

1) How did the Healers find out the exact date when the spell was cast. I realise magic has a lot of very useful quirks but this is a bit too specific. If you keep this up you'll have to come up with a good reason why the Healer could pin-point the date of the curse.

2) I don't see how a telepathic bond to Draco will make Harry more concentrated. More like having to deal not only with your own emotions but someone else's too would lead to the opposite effect.

3) The Head Auror does it over their heads. I see it more likely that if not Harry (though in the desperate state you describe him, I wouldn't discount it) then at least Draco would try to use any connection available to stop the spell from taking place, to the point to use lawyers claiming it harms his person and rights to his own thoughts and feelings that he shouldn't share.

4) I saw that it was mentioned that it's unlikely the Head Auror would be so air-headed as to not read all the fine print.

In the light of this all, maybe you should consider how exactly the spell comes to life.

This has potential, but I guess that the idea needs some polishing. It will be interesting with POV apart from Harry and Draco - the Head Auror and to a degree Ginny (via her letters).

oooh! That sounds like a good story. An Infliction of Time maybe??? just throwing it out there. :D

Yep, I think so too. I don't hate (hate is such a strong emotion anyway, I think it's strange to hate a fictional character...) her at all; I just don't like what she symbolises or means in the books. I'd like to see her from a different side.

1) How the Healers figure it out has to do with the nature of the curse. It builds from a small point and starts slow, then gathers speed. They're able to figure out it's five years advanced. I probably won't have them pin it down to the exact date after all, but they can tell how long since it was cast simply by the effects it's manifesting.

2) The Head Auror makes an initial promise that as soon as Harry solves the kidnapping case, the bond will be reversed. The bond is more like something to keep him as focused on the case as possible. She fully expects that he'll hate the emotions he feels so much he'll work to get rid of it. She does this because she's at her wits' end as to how to make Harry concentrate on the case otherwise; she offered him personal time so he could pursue the curse-caster and come back to work when he'd found him or her, but Harry refused because he wants to use the Ministry's resources.

3) The Head Auror does it suddenly, without warning. And if she has Wizengamot pressure from above, both Harry and Draco wouldn't find it easy to simply hire lawyers and be done with it; a lot of very powerful people want this case solved and now.

I do see what you mean about concerns, but the Head Auror isn't going to consider the consequences fully, and the section where she decides on and casts the spell will be from her POV. On the other hand, neither does she warn them ahead of time. A lot of the mess in the story comes from people acting without considering the consequences, including Harry, who somehow thought he could remain an Auror but devote all his time to searching for his personal enemy only.

Thank you!

I think I've decided on Their Road to Infinity as the title, but thanks for the suggestion.

I think I see what you mean, but still, trust me that on point 1) there's a problem. First of all in real life no sickness ever bothers to read the textbook and develop according its description. It always has a quirk typical for one patient only and that's it. Now considering that Harry has a long streak of history defying magical laws it would be strange how a a curse centered on him and not only that but on many others would evolve by the book. ANnd the longer the time since the onset the harder to determine the initial time-frame, so this sounds a bit too comfortable to be realistic.

On point 2) I think so far it sounds unconvincing that a spell that binds two people to such an extend is legal and not restricted on some level. I realise that Harry chose to stay at the Ministry to use the sources, but still I am not sold on the idea that weighing someone with not only his unsolved emotional baggage but someone else's will in any way help in the described situation. It sounds like too weak an excuse to me.

3) OK, I guess this way it'll work, especially if you go the way with a kidnapped grandchild of a Wizengamot member (and the member doesn't even need to be Umbridge-type, their desperation to get their grandchild back would be enough of a urge and motive).

In the end the Head Auror will end up seeming like a very unbalanced character either too easily swayed by the media/Wizengamot (when a person in such a position should be used to dealing and managing such intervention and leverage). I am starting to not like her as soon as right now.

I seriously don't mean to be rude, but I love your works and I'd hate to see you write anything less than the quality you normally deliver. I even try to not offer anything as a possible solution as I'd hate to interfere. Still I wanted to be honest and say what doesn't work for me.

I do appreciate you being honest. However, I think there are some things we simply can't agree on re: 1. After all, in general the magic in the HP universe does not behave exactly like a disease; most people wouldn't use magic if it were that unpredictable. There are cases that do, but they're exceptional (Gilderoy Lockhart's brain is devastated by a misfired Memory Charm, but he apparently cast Memory Charms many times himself with effects that were more or less the same). Lycanthropy, which is treated a lot like a magical disease, is very regular in being tied to the full moon and affecting werewolves in a lot of the same ways. Maybe I won't set the curse five years back, only one or two, but I won't be treating it exactly like a disease in any case; the reason Ginny goes to the Healers is because, in canon, they're the ones who try to help with spell damage.

Perhaps it won't be the Head Auror who casts the spell after all, but a desperate Wizengamot member who doesn't really care about legalities (or sees himself as above the law, in the same way that a divorced parent kidnapping a child might). What I really, really don't want to do is have Ginny or one of Draco's family be the one casting the spell, as was suggested earlier. It would be too easy to demonize them.

And I do think that the Head Auror may come across as unlikeable. On the other hand, someone who's so arrogant he can't find someone to work with him in twenty years' time or someone who is ignoring all his responsibilities, including being a good father, in a desperate attempt to find one enemy isn't exactly the most likable person either.

I think I see why I didn't understand your point on 1. We were looking at it from different perspectives, It's your bunny/baby, you have infinitely more back story to work with and you don see it as I do. I only viewed it as a sickness and proceeded from there. Form your examples I see what you mean. I won't trouble you any longer and will just wait for the story which it seems is a long way coming.

After all, the evidence so far points to you being able to develop and back up your stories very well, so I will read it and not judge it prematurely.

And I agree that the Harry and Draco you describe seem to have a lot of problems and don't come across as excellent persons, but me being a bit prejudiced towards loving them I didn't really think about it.

That's all right. Since I said "entropic curse" at first and said it inflicted decay and death, I can see how you might have thought it was a disease. But really, it's more like a bout of extreme bad luck, which is why they don't notice much at first.

And I do think I have another candidate for casting the bond spell that I probably wouldn't have if you hadn't asked questions. So thank you!

I like the sound of this one a lot. Great plot!

Very good ideas here. I admit I was expecting the bond to become sexual in nature for spice. Please keep up the good works in progress for we depend on you to brighten our routine real world lives.

ooh. that sounds like a good title. You're welcome. :)

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Yet another novel-length story to ambush me

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Re: Without Recourse

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