This chapter, in my opinion, is not up to your usual standards. It reads like you wanted to do something, couldn't find a good way of doing it, and so just wound up pulling something out of your hat. The result is a plot bunny gone horribly awry.

I don't see any particular reason why Harry and Ginny's Patronuses should change. Nevertheless, I'm not particularly opposed that you did it; I have grave problems with the way you did it. Much of this episode does not really mesh with what we see in canon. Some of it doesn't even flow naturally from what you have already done in the story. Taken together, these factors break my willing suspension of disbelief.

The problems with canon. Legilimency, Patronus changes, and even potions don't seem to act these ways in the books. Despite the movies, a Leiglimens does not actively interact with whatever they see inside their target's head. While there is canon support (barely, depending on how you interpret it) for a Legilimens seeing a dream, Legilimency is portrayed, at most, as seeing what in the head of the target. A Pensieve journey made directly into the other person's mind. And a physical injury sustained by what happens in the dream? I thought this was Harry Potter, not A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I suppose a fight with Freddy Krueger ... sorry, dream Dementors ... would be enough of "a great shock ... an emotional upheaval" (HBP 16) that it would change one or both Harry and Ginny's Patronuses. But would their Patronuses change at the same time into the same creature? A creature that is not readily connected to each other? I could easily accept that Harry's Patronus becomes a stallion or that Ginny's Patronus becomes a doe; that would be consistent with both what we've seen in canon and what Rowling has said about the Patronus charm. Unless you're trying to say the real love of both their lives is Dumbledore, changing both their Patronuses into phoenixes just doesn't make much sense.

A Patronus Charm is enough to effectively counteract a potion because it contains "Dementor essence?" In canon, the effects of a potion are never counteracted by a spell. Only two things have ever been shown to reverse the effects of a potion: an antidote (i.e., another potion) and time (i.e., the effects wear off). If a potion could be counteracted by a spell, there would be no point in researching antidotes, as we've seen Hogwarts students doing on more than one occasion. Indeed, if a potion could be counteracted by a spell, that would pretty much defeat the point of having potions to begin with.

Some of this might be forgiven if we had been properly set up. You could have had Byers identify the Dementor essence way back in chapter ten. Then you wouldn't need the fiction of "possible Dark Magic" for it to be an Auror's case. Indeed, you could have had somebody go back to London and get the ingredient list of the potion Byers did identify, instead of having Hermione, Luna, and Fenella try to come up with an antidote based on what they think was in the potion (in fact, Hermione and Luna should have known better in the first place). Or if nothing else, use a Pensieve to get at Ron's memory of the potion recipe. You could have fed Linny the antidote the women tried and then used the Patronus Charm, then hand waved it to somehow fit Golpalott's Third Law. That would have still stretched credibility, but it would have at least looked like you were trying to keep things consistent with what we've seen in canon.

There are good things in this chapter. Luna giving the others a job at the Quibbler is pretty good. Everyone is in character (though one might argue Hermione should have picked up where Luna was going first, it is not out of their characters for Harry to do it); Luna's line "I'm as sane as I've always been" is a nice allusion to her line in The Order of the Phoenix movie; and the ease of getting around security is perfectly consistent with the books. The parallel "all Aurors alert" with the previous chapter is also a nice way of alerting the reader that the timelines are now synched up.

I'd like to close with a question. In the previous chapters, you had a Scottish judge issue a search warrant for a residence in Wales. Would that actually work in the Muggle U.K.? Given the semi-sovereign nature of the individual states, it would never work in the U.S. A California judge could not issue a warrant to search a location in Arizona, for example.

Author's Response:
Sorry for the much delayed reply to this epic review.

I can understand your concerns at aspects of this chapter, and I really should go back and re-edit a couple of the earlier chapters (and this one, too. There is a change, but only a slight one, in my proposed denouement which made sections of this chapter necessary.

Partonuses can, and do change. I did not want Ginny to become a doe to Harry’s stag. Nor did I want Harry to become stallion to Ginny’s mare. I gave a lot of thought to alternatives and finally chose a phoenix. Why? First: James, Lily, Arthur and Molly were all members of the Order of the Phoenix. Second: Harry’s life (and by default Ginny’s) was saved by Fawkes in the Chamber. Third: the phoenix is a symbol of both change and constancy, which I see as applying to their relationship.

In the books the only time we see Legilimency, it is being used to seek out memories. Although it seems that Snape does use it to try to read surface thoughts (to determine whether Harry (or Draco) is lying). This use was certainly outside anything we’ve seen, but in the books we’ve never seen anyone accept (or at least not fully resist) an intrusion into their mind. In every case, the person being invaded has been fighting back against an enemy, not facing a friend or lover.

Snape says that potions can “bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses”, so I don’t think I’ve taken great liberties with the potion. However, you’re right about Byers, and you’re right about Hermione, Fenella and Luna, too. Sometimes I make plot mistakes, and I don’t always spot them. So, thank you for this. I’ll go back and look at doing some fairly extensive rewriting in order to improve the plot. It’s always good to have your errors politely pointed out, and I try to listen to my critics.

Thanks for the final compliments, too. The Luna/press conference section has been written for an absolute age, much of the rest was written around it.

As for the judge, a warrant would actually be issued by a District Judge, but in the UK a District Judge does not cover a district, he moves from District to District and (so far as I know) can issue a Warrant for any property provided that that there are reasonable grounds for believing that “there is material (at the address) that is likely to be relevant evidence and be of substantial value to the investigation.” Someone who knows (rather than has simply researched) UK law may correct me on this.

-N-

Can't wait for the next chapter !! Love the suspense, but it's still killing me.

Author's Response: Thanks. I’ll try to update soon. -N-

Eeek! An update! I don't think I've told you (today) that I love this story!another marvelous chapter.

Author's Response: Thank you, more soon, unless Lavender distracts me. -N-

That was a tour de force, another wonderful chapter.
Phoenix patronuses, dementor spit, dark magic what more can you ask for in a story and Harry and Ginny friends again.
Keep up the good work.

Author's Response:
Thanks, there was certainly a lot happening.
Only a couple of chapters left (unless it's ends up being three). More soon, I hope.
-N-

Absolutely great chapter and now I don't know how I'll wait for another chapter. It's a wonderfull idea that turn their patronus to a phoenix. Thanks a lot.

Author's Response: Thank you. As it's my intention to get this story marked complete by the end of next month, I hope that you won't have long to wait. -N-

Ahh.. Best/worst cliffhanger yet! Mostly because there's no "next" to click to keep reading! I can't wait for the next update. I read that you're hoping to have the story complete by the end of April, and I must say I'm very pleased. (If only I could convince you to work on finishing A & S next. ;) )

Author's Response: Thanks for the review.
The next chapter (Lioness Snarls, Badger Baited) is now back from one of my betas. I'll be readig through it over the next few days. Can I possiblu use the same cliffhanger three times in a row?
I have a ridiculous number of unfinished chaptered stories, so I've been alternating between this and "Strangers". Once H&P is finished, I'll be returning to A&S (and continuiing with Strangers.
-N-

Hi again and thanks for explanation. I understand. Now it was makes sense. I will read it but as you say, not chronologically. Can I ask when you will update it?

Author's Response: Thanks for the review, and sorry for the delay in my reply. Personal issues have stopped me writing for the last two weeks. The next chapter is almost ready, and I’m hoping to be able to mark this story as complete by the end of April at the latest. -N-

So this is how Mark and Lavender met for the first time. It's actually really romantic. Keep writing. I love this story as much as everything else you've written. And I hope you hold on to whatever notebooks or disks you have all this planned on because when I win the lottery I want to buy them. You really manage to keep all the small details in line and never contradict yourself. Amazing! And you manage to make your male characters very real which seems to be a struggle for many authors even ones that have been published.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review.
Yes, the events in this story are referenced in Brown, which I wrote first, but I've had this planned for a long time.The overarching what happens when is little more than a series of cells in an excel workbook. The master spreadsheet covers October 1996 (The Hufflepuff) to August 2027 (James and Me). There are more detailed sheets for my longer stories (this story is plotted on a day by day basis). As I'm male, it's the female characters which present me with most problems. :-D
-N-

I loved it looking forward to more
thanks

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. More soon. -N-

I thought Mark did everything exactly right in this chapter. I love it when characters make the logical choice -- ask the receptionist out! Let go of Daphne when you grab her inappropriately! Put the card in your pocket!

I really hope Mark gets a nice date with Cara before being caught up in the Lavender whirlwind. Not too nice, though. And considering who he just ran to save from a burning building, my hopes aren't too high.

Oh yes. I also thought Mark's action to run toward the burning building was exactly right. I am so proud of him this chapter! (So, well done writing him.)

Also, for some reason I immediately understood that Erasmuson was saying to boil your head. I'm going to start calling people numpty.

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review.

Mark may regret some of his choices, but that’s life. He probably should have held on to Daphne, regardless of where he was holding, I’ve no doubt that Polly Protheroe would have.

According to my timeline it’s now March 2000, and Moon is set in March 2005, so Cara will have a nice time, and Mark will keep in touch with Rhys. Lavender has a lot of misadventures to get through, too.

I had a lot of fun writing Erasmuson, though I’m worried that a true Scot will find errors.

-N-