The Prank

[zia_montrose]

Part III
Title: Some Act of Glorious Heroism (conclusion)
Word Count: 3,369
Rating: PG-13 for some swearing and violence
Genre: Drama
Summary: (Missing Moment as outlined in Prisoner of Azkaban) [James] went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life... Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel.

Written to complete my entry in

Comments

[forest_rose]

I really enjoyed this! The use of the mirrors to set the scene was a really original take on the infamous Prank, and I really felt James' tension in the last chapter. Snape was really quite creepy in this! I'm fond of him, but I can see from your writing why the Marauders hated him. And Fawkes' appearance at the end was otherworldly and spine-tingling. Great story!

[zia_montrose]

Oh, thank you for your review! ‘Tense’ and ‘spine-tingling’ are just the kind of feelings I wanted to achieve in this scene, so I’m glad to hear that. And I do think Snape is an immensely intriguing and clever character so I tried not to short-change him here, even though my loyalties lie with those Marauder boys. ; ) Your creepy-yet-fond comment made my mind skid to Lily, lol.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I always appreciate knowing something I wrote was enjoyed. <3

[werewolfsfan]

Oh, another excellent installment. This feels letter perfect as a missing moment! Even "knowing" already that James and Severus come out of this adventure alive, I could feel the desperation of the run! And James wandless! But of course, it makes perfect sense as he was in detention. I think you've captured the problems inherent here. Skulking, creepy Snape with insatiable curiosity and ambition. Impulsive Sirius and James who is just that fraction more stable and level headed but still a teenager. Interesting but probably true that James knew Snape would curse him on site without waiting for an explanation or a confrontation. This was a thoughtful and at times thrilling read. Might I hope for another chapter?

[zia_montrose]

Thank you for such an encouraging comment. I’m glad to hear it lives up to expectations because the challenge, in writing this part, was that the given plot is very linear-James runs down the tunnel and retrieves Snape. Gosh, I was hoping not to end up with something that felt entirely formulaic, especially after getting to play with mirrors and separate detentions and all sorts of open-ended ideas in the setup. Not to mention that there isn’t as much opportunity for dialog in this part.

James being without a wand turned out to be an interesting detail to work with, as did probing all the characters’ motivations. Your finding it ‘thoughtful’ and ‘thrilling’ and ‘desperate’ is great reward for trying to solve those riddles, thank you!

I do have some ideas on how things would happen next, but it’s not any sort of work-in-process at the moment. The short answer is, yes, there’s hope! ; )