Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 14 Nov 2022 12:58 am
Reviewer: cavehack (Signed) [Report This]
    I love the kin-sa-dor training! What a great way for Harry to develop strength, confidence, agility, and skill in combat. I especially love the imagery of Severus as a more skillful practitioner of the art.
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 16 Jul 2010 6:16 pm
Reviewer: tobydog (Anonymous) [Report This]
    I have been enjoying your story very much. I must admit, however, that I skipped most of the beginning of this chapter, just skimming through. While I admire the details you've created, sometimes too much detail is just that -- too much. Anything you spend that much time on should be essential to moving the story forward, and I can't see here how that is the case.

    Author's Response: The beginning of this chapter is meant to show more bonding between Severus and his sons and also show how they can use martial arts as well as magic to defend themselves. This will be important later on in this book, when they need to fight enemies, and it is detailed to show how difficult it is to master and present Severus as something other than a mere Potions Master, and teach the boys necessary discipline and combat techniques that they'll need later on.  Simply saying that they praciced so and so does not give readers a sense of how much dedication and practice is needed to master kin-sa-dor, and how much time it took Severus to become a master. It needs to be shown.  Many readers had questions for me about this martial arts thing I invented, so this chapter was designed to answer them and provide some more backstory on Severus and his teacher, as well as privide a safe outlet for the boys to spar against each other without killing each other.
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 03 Sep 2009 5:53 pm
Reviewer: N_Forest (Signed) [Report This]
    I envy Draco and Harry, I wish I could fall asleep as easily as they did. It was interesting to learn more about Severus as a spy. It doesn't seem to follow the books. I'm confused to whether or not he took the Dark Mark as a spy. You said that he was disgusted by the ceremony and the wine mixed with blood, but then most people would be. Was he loyal until he heard the prophecy? Or is this story different from the books?

    Author's Response: No, my version doesn't. Yes, he took the Mark, but he was never a real DE, he never joined them except to spy upon them at Albus's urging. Yes, he heard the prophecy, but couldn't save Lily in time. Or Harry either.
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 20 Aug 2008 2:12 am
Reviewer: Mel (Anonymous) [Report This]
    Wicked, loved the way they sparred and how Severus talked about being a spy, sounds like it was a really tough thing to do. And I loved the way they all fell asleep together!

    Author's Response: It was and Sev ought to be rewarded for doing it at all.
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 16 Jul 2008 8:46 pm
Reviewer: Anonymous (Anonymous) [Report This]
    Now that was a picture I would take: the three of them napping :)

    Author's Response: So would I, for sure!
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 09 Jul 2008 8:19 pm
Reviewer: Lady Julie Snape (Anonymous) [Report This]
    Awww...

    The family's sleeping. Adorable and, you know what? they deserve it. The lesson was very interesting and I loved your reference to the grace of the Snape line.

    I apologize for not reviewing my dear. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But I'm going to give you one anyway. We're moving so we have to get everything ready for sale and it's been very hectic.

    I will read the next few chapters when I can. Right now, I really need to finish chapter 3 of Breaking Dawn before someone decides it's time to hunt me down and roast me alive.

    Yours,
    Jewels.

    Author's Response: That's all right.  Good luck with your move and all.  And keep writing I really want to read your next chapter!
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 06 Jul 2008 6:04 am
Reviewer: Jamie (Anonymous) [Report This]
    This story is really good. I can't wait until they go to school, that will be interesting. Keep up the good work. :)

    Author's Response: Thank you! The boys will have some other interesting adventures at the manor before going back to Hogwarts, so be prepared!
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 05 Jul 2008 5:01 pm
Reviewer: iluvchocs (Signed) [Report This]
    The thing I really loved about this chapter were the different levels of expertise Severus, Draco and Harry all had for kin-sa-dor. Far too often, super!Harry intuitively picks up martial arts in a very short space of time, rarely practicing or meditating. Thankyou for the realism shown.

    Author's Response: You're very welcome.  For this chapter I used a lot of my brother's advice, as he's the martial arts expert in my family.  He's trained in three disicplines, holding master titles in two, kung fu and ninjitsu and he also knows Jeet Kun Do, the martial art form that Bruce Lee invented.  I asked him a bunch of questions and then took what he told me and wrote this chapter.  He said that it would be unrealistic if I had any student advance too fast, since martial arts takes time, even if you've a natural bent for it. 
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 04 Jul 2008 8:46 pm
Reviewer: DrSnape (Signed) [Report This]
    Great job, I loved it all! I'm not a big martial arts fan, but you did this chapter so well that even I could understand it. And I felt really bad for Sev having to endure all the crap by those scum DE's.

    Author's Response: Thank you, my brother is a ninjitsu and kungfu master so he helped me with this one!  And Severus has endured a lot as a spy, poor thing!
Title: The Art of Being a Shadow 04 Jul 2008 8:43 pm
Reviewer: Judy (Signed) [Report This]
    Thought I left a review for this one, but I guess not! I really liked it. We learn some martial arts in the Air Force as part of our self defense program and this was very similar to our sessions, though we don't have an animated dummy, of course, we mostly spar against live instructors and other classmates. Very well done! I also liked Severus's little talk, as intelligence officer, I know all about gathering information and it's not easy!

    Author's Response: Wow really! I'm glad it seemed realistic to you! As for being a spy, you know you see it on TV, but I doubt it's really like that in the real world.

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