I had to run and errand, so a mini-commute and post. But a heck of a lot has happened.

They escape the ministry, but with Yaxsley hanging on. Yaxsley now has access to Grimwald place although he wouldn't be a secret keeper, so I think it would only be Yaxsley, nonetheless not good. I hope Kreature is ok, but I suspect he will be.

Ron has had his nasty splinch (why is splinching gruesome now, but not before, oh well) and had it repaired. Again Hermione is awesome with her preparations. They have their tent set up (with a tent-erecting spell) and wards in place thanks to Hermione yet again. Harry would be totally screwed without having Hermione around.

More speculation on how the death eaters found Harry that first time, but apparently it isn't working this time because no death eaters. Maybe it takes a bit of time though. It can't be the connection between Voldemort and Harry, because then Voldemort would know it was Harry and there would have been death eaters everywhere that first time. Well maybe it could be the link but Voldemort doesn't know the exact location. If he could see what Harry is seeing he would just forest and that wouldn't pin down the location. OTOH, Hermione told him where they were and hey, she told him a general location last time too. Maybe. Now I'm just rambling though.

I had to leave off while they are pondering what happened to Reg and his wife.

Also, why can't they just summon Kreature? If nobody can track a wizard who apperates, surely an elf would be even harder. I guess someone could be holding on to creature, but I think Dobby once apperated while Harry was holding him back in book 2. I can't really remember. Well, story-wise it should just be the three of them, but it seems like a bit of an oversight.

tent-erecting spell

giggles

t is twelve

Harry would be totally screwed without having Hermione around.

I wouldn't mind reading a good fic about Hermione's actions prior to the book, all her preparations, her grim determination, her parents. It's a very compelling story.

I wouldn't mind reading a good fic about Hermione's actions prior to the book, all her preparations, her grim determination, her parents. It's a very compelling story.

oh, yes. I would love this!!!

I've never read HP fic but I really want to read about Snape as headmaster. And maybe his time at Hogwarts .

Hermione's preparation with her parents made me cry and cry.

I finally started to read the French versions I have of HP 1-3 (someone gave me them years ago but I never bothered to read them through). The translation is fairly dry and most of the proper names are the same, although sometimes with minor spelling spelling changes (Draco Malfoy becomes Drago Malefoy). I've gotten to the first sorting and the only major name changes so far are Snape, who has become Severus Rogue, and Neville, who is now Neville Londubat.

Place names, spells, and many of Rowling invented words are different (Hogwarts is Poudlard, muggles are moldus), and sometimes it takes me a minute to figure out the original reference. My favorite translation so far is for the Sorting Hat, which has become the Choixpeau Magique (chapeau being hat, and choix meaning choice).

Lard=bacon?

Poud=?

OTOH, they could have went with "Verrues de porc" says AltaVista mis-translator.

Well, I'm assuming it's a contraction of pou de lard, which would (sort of) translate to pig lice. The way pou is used in everyday speech, it's a pretty good equivalent of wart. You don't really get the warthog/hogwarts reversal, but lardon is slang for kid so I'm assuming that's why the translator chose it, versus cochon (pig/hog) or sanglier (boar).

I was out of town on Friday and couldn't listen this weekend, but I'm finally able to listen again. WooHoo!

Things are looking bleak. At the end of book six I wondered how on earth Harry was going to find the last horcruxes. He has no idea where one is and doesn't even know what the last one is aside from it probably belonging to Ravenclaw at some point. The issue hasn't been ducked so far, they don't seem to have any idea what to do next. I didn't even think about the task of destroying the locket though, I wasn't expecting that to be so hard. Also, the locket is creepy.

I'm now officially puzzled by the Gregorivich thing. Voldemort wants some Gregorivich has, or rather had, instead of something Gregorivich knows? It must be a wand or some wandmaking thingamajig. Whatever it was, it appears to have been stolen by Dumbledore's childhood friend. There it is again, Dumbledore's past. I wonder if Dumbledore's friend corresponds to someone existing character or, more likely, someone who is descended from Dumbledore's friend? Maybe they'll have a new ally now the road. There's not enough information to figure that out now.

Right now I'm at the point where lack of food has made tempers short and Hermione has figured out that Harry has had a heavy burden being the ringbearer....I mean locketbearer.