NOTE BY THE ACCOUNT HOLDER: THIS STORY IS NOT MINE!

WRITTEN BY RAINING INK

NOTE BY ACCOUNT HOLDER: This will be the final bunch of notes that I'm posting to add to the story. After this it'll be over!

Raining ink had a habit of posting a 'newsletter' of sorts on the forum where she answered questions she'd been asked about the story. I'm posting the most relevant (or just most fun) of those so we get a deeper glimpse into what the story might have become (also possibly handy if anyone ever wants to adopt this story)

NOTES 3

Newsletters (or Q&A sessions by Raining Ink)

(1)

Do the goblins monitor what happens in their ritual rooms?

- Indeed they do, and it will be mentioned. Very clever of to catch on.

What did you base the Dark Holidays on?

- Wikipedia and my imagination. I don't have a particular culture in mind (though I'm interested in playing with the idea of the Celts). Midsummer happened to fall on a convenient date, and I liked the transfer of the traditional bonfire idea to the bowl of water HP uses in the ritual.

Isn't Midsummer on just one day? How could he do it all week?

- The clever and not entirely truthful reply: Oh, yes, but these special days have a temporal influence that extends beyond the specific day in question, so they can still conduct the ceremony for a few days before and after. And it's safer to do it on a day when the Ministry might not be expecting it. The honest and embarrassing answer: Harry's "mistake" reading the date out of the book on Dark traditions is actually a cover for my own error. I was researching Midsummer and thought it was in July, so I had to make some shifts when I realized that it was in June, before Draco's birthday party, which I had already written.

Is Harry going to gain new powers after what happened with the ritual? - Yes, in a way. But, don't expect them all to become obvious all at once. You guys know how I feel about making things gradual, and this won't be any different. Harry will be a pretty awesome wizard eventually, but it will take time

Will HP ever get his own Library portkey?

-Yes. But I doubt that it's going to be in a way any of you expect. ;)

Shouldn't Harry be more traumatized by Sirius's death? He seems to be forgiving Malfoy way too quickly.

- This is a difficult question for me, so bear with the lengthy reply. I had Harry write that he's "getting on with getting on" (or something to that effect) to Hermione, because that's how I see HP reacting. He was very angsty for a lot of reasons in the fifth book, then in the sixth book, he's got a better handle on himself. In this story it's the same way, only more so. HP doesn't have time to hold major grudges. He has realized that he is the Chosen One, and he has also realized that the adults in his life are fallible. He knows that he has to make his own choices and path, or it will be made for him. He's just way too busy to let himself be consumed by grief.

- As for forgiving Malfoy...I can see that point. My thoughts are that it's easier to look at a person from a neutral point of view when you're pretending to be someone else. HP couldn't act like he hated Malfoy, because he always meets him as Hephaestus...and Malfoy would of course be a completely different person to Hephaestus Peverell. As for the friendship that I plan to build- HP is new to being a Dark wizard. He barely even knows enough to call himself Dark, except that he realizes the difference and he can't do without it now that he knows. Of all the Dark wizards that he knows, Malfoy (as someone his own age who is interested in making friends) is an obvious choice of acquaintance.

The good, the bad, and the gray - How I see HP's character.

- A lot of people ask if Harry isn't going to be more gray. Or if he's going to be good or evil. I suppose a lot of people would call my Dark!Harry "gray," but in the context of the story he's definitely Dark. As for good and evil...I hate how oversimplified this gets. No, HP will never run around enjoying the slaughter of innocents. Yes, he will sometimes do things that might not be "good" by other people's standards (my own included).

Why? Because I want him to be multidimensional. HP will definitely be a likable and respectable character in my opinion, but he's going to make mistakes. Also, I plan for HP to always do what he thinks is right...it's just that sometimes it's really hard to tell right from wrong. I hope that makes sense.

How much money does Harry have?

Some of you seem concerned that HP is poor... He's not. I read an interview with JKR once that said a galleon was about 7 pounds...I went short of this but still. He has about 90,000 pounds in the Potter account, which was about 180,000 US dollars at the time I wrote that chapter. All in all, I think he'll be okay financially. ;)

The Book of Souls (thanks Stygius)

– I came up with the idea for the book because I wanted a way for Dark wizards to recognize that HP had the Peverell looks even though the family had been dead for a long time. My concept of the book is that it is a very complex piece of blood magic that updates itself every time a Dark witch or wizard dies (British ones, obviously, not the ones all over the world!). It also has their "true" portraits, with their Dark marks visible, which would be impossible for a regular portrait unless it happened to be painted by another Dark wizard.

I don't really know if the pictures in the book can talk...I pictured them moving, so I guess if they were so inclined they could do so. I'm still working out this idea. Harry won't have his own copy of the book. Families destroyed many of the books throughout the generations in order to prevent them from being taken by the Ministry and other Light wizards. It would be disastrous if a Light wizard looked at the book and knew who every Dark family was. The Malfoy library actually has two of the remaining three copies, because the Blacks (Narcissa) and the Malfoys both managed to keep their books safe. Lucius is obligated to let other Dark wizards read them when they want to, but Draco shouldn't have been showing it to Hephaestus until he knew he was Dark.

Lily's Sacrifice

– I'm glad that Ichihime asked about this, because it came to mind when I was writing. Draco tells HP that sacrifice plays a huge role in Dark magic, so wouldn't Lily's sacrificing herself for her son by a powerful act of Dark magic? I would have to say that within the context of this story's world it would be, yes. My thoughts on this: Lily was muggleborn, so she wouldn't have some of the inherent prejudices that many of the pureblood/half-blood light wizards would. The only thing we really know about her character from canon is that she was very clever...and once friends with Snape.. I can't imagine a smart person whose friend starts obviously hanging around the bad "dark" guys not at least researching it a little. Lily wasn't a Dark witch, and I doubt she even used Dark spells; but when she started having to think about the survival of her child, I bet it's not to unreasonable to say that she might have drawn from every deep magic she had ever heard of to come up with ways to protect him.

I, personally, feel there should be a bit more to it than J.K. writes into the books... tons of mothers would sacrifice themselves for their kids, and even though the "choice" is a big deal and supposedly unique to Lily, other mothers would have had choices too. Running, fighting, hiding, etc...is always easier without a baby or small kid along for the ride. Are those mother's choices not to abandon their children in order to save themselves not sacrificial enough? Anyway, that's my two cents. Let me know what you think about it! Should Dumbledore be aware of this aspect of it? Should anyone other than Dumbledore and Harry even know about the circumstances of that night? (For instance, I bet Snape or the Malfoys would be interested to know the lengths Lily Potter went to in order to protect her son.)

How do you pronounce "Hephaestus?"

-Hephaestus is the name of the Greek god of fires, forges, and volcanos. You can wikipedia it for more info, but it's not particularly relevant (except for me occasionally joking around with it like I did with naming Eeylop's owl Aphrodite.) I chose the name much the same way as Harry does in the story. He needed a Greek or Latin name to fit in with the pureblood circles, and I wanted him to have the same initials. It's pronounced most correctly as "hu-fest-us" or "hi-fest-us". My deep dark secret that I'm only sharing with you reviewers – I like to pronounce it "hu-fay-stus" in my head even though that's not correct by any stretch. So pronounce it in whatever way makes you happiest! ;)

You seem to be moving away from canon more and more...what gives?

-Umm... I'm not sure what is meant by this? Character-wise I think I'm sticking pretty close to my interpretation of canon. I'll admit that the Malfoy's are possibly OOC, but I think arguments can be made both ways. They're not cuddly-bunny-lovers by any stretch of the imagination, but they're not completely evil either (compare Narcissa to Bellatrix – that's opportunistic and sneaky versus psychotic and evil, very different). As for the plot, well it's canon all through OotP, and of course I'm not going to stick with canon after that. I'm making Harry a Dark wizard... Also, the different plot will naturally lead to slightly different character development for all the characters. I see the choices they've all made thus far as being reasonable from a canon perspective, and the progression within the story is logical as well.

Horcruxes?

-I'm working this out still. They're a cool idea, but if I do use them, then I'll change several of them from what they are in canon...mostly because Voldemort's choice of hiding places (a school full of curious kids?...a bank vault?) was extremely lame.

Voldemort – "real" Dark wizard or not?

-Definitely not a true Dark wizard presently... I still haven't decided whether I like him more as a once-dark-wizard-gone-super-evil, or if he never was at all (canon Tom Riddle would never submit himself to Magic truly). Probably the latter, but I'm open for suggestions.

(2)

PHILOSOPHY ON CHARACTERS:

- After reading several of the reviews and PMs, I feel the need to make my position on some of the characters in this story clear. For example, some people are under the impression that Harry is going to torture and torment Hermione and others are under the impression that Hermione is going to be Harry's best friend ever and that they're going to get married and have babies. Let me clarify:

Hermione: Gets a bad rap in fanfiction for little reason. She is a bossy know-it-all in canon. She is NOT Satan. Most of Hermione's canon offenses are a result, imho, of Rowling leaving Harry clueless for no apparent reason. Because canon Harry by the end of the series is A) undedicated to studying magic, B)unknowledgeable about the world he's been a part of for seven years, and C) apparently incapable of making plans for himself, Hermione fulfills all these roles and becomes something of a nag.

My Hermione: IS a bossy, know-it-all. She is a bookworm. She is a bit of a nag. And none of these things are huge character flaws. Hermione is also an independent-thinking, reasonably confident young witch. She is an intellectual elitist. She is loyal to Harry, who is basically her only intelligent friend, rather than Dumbledore. What has Dumbledore ever done for Hermione Granger? She's made herself the best student at Hogwarts all by herself. Hermione is also far more book-smart than world-smart. She doesn't handle emergencies well (she doesn't in canon either). She also looks good in a bathing suit, and she has no intention of getting married and having kids until she's progressed in a future high-profile career.

Ron: In canon, Ron is mostly a loyal friend, with little brains and a terrible temper. Ron is insanely jealous of Harry. He is not an evil person, but he is morally and mentally weak. He's a fun, easy sort of friend to have, but he's not a trustworthy one. In this story, Ron is much the same. It's just that HP is more likely to realize it.

Draco Malfoy: a jerk in canon. He is also a jerk in this story in some cases. No apologies for that. It's just that he has redeeming qualities as well. And, of course, no one knows how Draco would act without Harry around in canon. I won't argue for my Draco being "canon," but I will argue that he's more well-rounded.

THE BAD GUYS: Voldemort started out in the first books feeling like a real threat. By book seven he just seems silly. Same with the Death Eaters. I'm going with the initial assumption that they are sufficiently powerful/deadly/dangerous to take over the world and terrify everyone. My Voldemort and Death Eaters will not be silly unless I write them incorrectly. There's no reason for them to instill terror if they are.

IT TAKES YOU SO LONG TO GET NEW CHAPTERS OUT THAT I FORGET THINGS.

- Don't you just hate this? I feel your pain, because I have to reread large portions of the fic before I write every new chapter. Hopefully you guys enjoy the story enough that this isn't a burden (thanks to those of you who told me you liked the reread!), but just in case, here are the chapters that I would reread if I were you,... some of the best plot info and they were posted a while back.

Catch-up List: Chapters 4, 8, Last 1/2 of 9, 12, 13, 17, 20

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?

- I know no one actually asked this, or cares, but it hurt my soul to go through and pick out the above chapters while leaving out my favorites, so I'm going to pretend like you're interested. Not including any of the above: 5, 6, 10, 14, and 24. I apparently prefer characters and culture to plot...hmmm.

(3)

I can't believe HP told about all the other Dark wizards and then didn't even defend them to Hermione! What was he thinking?

Quite frankly I can't believe it either. Harry feels close to Hermione, and he was overwhelmed with all that had happened to him recently; and he made an unwise decision. You'll notice that he did perform a ritual that will ensure she can't ever reveal what he told her about the others. (Probably, this was one of the more frustrating scenes I've written.)

How realistic is it for HP to be friends with people like Hermione and people like Draco Malfoy at the same time? That can't work.

I'm not sure, but I think it's very doable. Too often in fiction there's this assumption that a character has to be "all or nothing" one way, and it's very limiting. I know that I have friends from wildly different walks of life, with very opposite opinions on things. Both Draco and Hermione are flawed (HP as well of course), but though their flaws exclude each other, they don't exclude Harry. Basically, Draco is prejudiced against muggleborns, but there's no reason that he could not be friends with someone who did not share that prejudice. Likewise, Hermione hates Death Eaters and she almost hates Draco and she's really not keen on the idea of Dark magic, but that's not going to stop her from liking Harry. Obviously he's going to have to avoid situations that would put the two of them together, but there's no reason he can't be friends with both. Sorry to get all soapboxy on you guys, but this is just one of my pet peeves. I've got friends who are racists and friends of almost every ethnic group, friends who have much looser moral standards than I do and friends who have stricter ones. I've got atheist friends even though I'm a Christian. It can be seriously hard to work out relationships like that, but it's often worth it. So, it bugs me big time when people point a finger at one particular aspect of a person's character and forget about everything else. End rant.

How long until Snape/Draco/Dumbledore/Ron/etc... finds out the truth about HP?

Nuh-uh. Not telling. Well...okay...Snape is the next person to find out. Of course, you all realize that Luna Lovegood is going to know the moment she sees Harry, right? Because Luna knows everything.

Is Voldemort a real Dark wizard?

No. He is not. There will be a discussion about why he has so much support from Dark wizards in later chapters. The short of it is: Dark wizards really, really want to be able to come out of hiding without fearing for their lives, so they were hoping, when Tom Riddle was more charismatic and less super-evil, that he would provide an environment conducive to their chosen lifestyle. Obviously, it hasn't worked out that way.

Whether or not he is does he have any knowledge (both current and generally) of the Dark culture and what it means?

Yes. Voldemort does have some knowledge of Dark culture. A number of his followers are Dark, and several of them chose to serve him originally based on the understanding that under his rule Britain would become a place where they could practice their magic in relative peace. Tom Riddle, during his rise to power, sought out information about all types of magic. As for whether or not he understands what it means: He loved Dark magic and black magic, but he didn't have a love for the old rituals and the sense of responsibility that is requisite for someone to become a true Dark wizard. He wants power for power's sake; and he wouldn't want others to benefit from the magic, so I think, on a fundamental level, he doesn't get what being a Dark wizard really means.

Does he have any knowledge or designs on the Peverell heir (like recruitment)?

At the present time, HP hasn't done anything impressive enough to draw Voldemort's attention. Just being the heir to an old Dark family isn't enough, because many Dark wizards aren't following him, they're just keeping their heads down. Remember that as far as the other Dark wizards know, HP is powerful but relatively uneducated; and he hasn't been shy about his muggle heritage. So far, the Dark Death Eaters haven't felt obligated to mention him to Voldemort. Of course, that will probably change at some point in the future.

IF Harry encounters Death Eaters in a fight and he knows that a DE is also Dark will he still be able to defend himself if the other attacks him? Will the Magic still punish him for hurting a fellow Dark witch/wizard when it is a case of self-defense?

No. Harry couldn't ever get in trouble for mere self-defense. To my way of thinking, he would be obligated to do everything he could to extricate himself from the situation by nonlethal means, but if for some reason that was impossible he would be able to kill the other Dark wizard. I assume you mean if the DE doesn't know HP is a Dark wizard? If the attacker knew he was a Dark wizard, and attacked him with intent to kill, then the attacker would be fair game for violating...not the "rules" as such but more like the "spirit" of Dark wizardry. Magic, in my fic, is borderline sentient (not totally capable of thought or anything, but capable of acts of self-preservation and self-continuation), so it has the capacity to respond to a degree when wizards who have sworn oaths to it try to murder each other.

What happened to Crookshanks?

Crookshanks, being exceedingly clever, took off at the first sign of trouble. He is currently enjoying the affections of an eight-year-old muggle girl who lives near King's Cross Station. He plans to be on the train to Hogwarts on September 1st. The muggle girl will be devastated, and even the dead mouse that Crookshanks leaves in her room as a thank-you present will not be able to console her.

Is HP still learning things like rituals, runes, etc... like he originally intended?

Yes. HP still reads the books he got at the beginning of the summer, and he's still studying a variety of things. Obviously some of it has taken a backseat in light of all that's happened, but he's definitely learning more magic. One thing he hasn't started studying is wandless magic. If he does that, it will be later.

Will we ever get to see all of the Dark wizards band together and cast one of the great spells like the ones Draco described in the Library?

Perhaps not by the end of Out of the Night, which I am almost positive will stop around or before the 150k word mark, but by the end of the series I plan to write a scene where they do this.

What does the promise not to "cleave to non-magic" mean in the oath that Dark wizards swear?

It means that they promise not to marry muggles. A lot of Dark wizards have extended this to include muggleborn witches and wizards, but that is definitely not the original meaning of the oath.

How many doses of the mind potion does Harry have? Can't he ask Zate to help him get some more secretly if he has only the one dose?

Harry only had the one dose of the Occlumency potion, and as Snape mentioned to Dumbledore, it can't be taken repeatedly due to dangerous side effects that could build up over time.

Is the Order Really/truly aware of what it means to be Dark or have they been brainwashed/indoctrinated to fear it without really understanding it?

Hmm...for background info, you should probably check out the post on this forum about the history of Dark magic. Some members of the Order would be more aware of what it means than others. The majority would most likely associate Dark with Death Eater and leave it at that, but others have probably lived long enough or traveled widely enough to understand that the distinction is much finer than that. Dumbledore, for his part, would be very well-informed I think; but he would still regard true Dark wizards negatively because he doesn't approve of the very way they've chosen to practice magic.

Which Oath holds supremacy to the Dark Death Eater if they ever come into conflict - their oath of loyalty to Voldemort or their Oath to the Dark?

For most, their oath to magic would hold precedence in a situation in which the two were called into conflict. They could betray that oath of course, but then everyone would know they had done it; and they wouldn't be accepted in the Dark community anymore. None of the Dark wizards have ever had to face this problem, because Voldemort hasn't had cause to order an attack on the Dark families (who tend to stay neutral if they're not outright siding with him).

When Draco was getting the Dark Mark he was experiencing this extreme pain. I assume that it is in fact out of the ordinary? Is it because he participated in Harry's coming of age ceremony and promised to stand by his side (even though not in that way exactly, but as his friend) and taking the mark is somehow contrary to that promise? (- Chucky1982)

I hadn't thought of the implications of the coming of age ceremony, actually, but I like the way you're thinking. I wish I could claim credit for the idea and make it my own... Yes, Draco felt more pain than he was expecting, but I was associating it more with the fact that he doesn't actually want to be a Death Eater. He feels like it's something he has to do for the safety of his family, and even though he's no angel (Voldemort's agenda doesn't bother him all that much), he's not interested in serving a mad and abusive master. He feels trapped and can't see other options, and so, in a way, he's not a willing Death Eater.

Why is using blood in potions and spells considered Dark? Dark magic users use ambient magic. What does Ambient magic have to do with blood. (- SeanMulligan)

Well, first of all, it's only the use of human blood that is taboo. This is one of those cases where "Light" wizards have tried to distance themselves from anything that seems remotely "Dark." Draco explains in one of the library scenes how Light wizards have tried to get rid of most elements of sacrifice in their magic, while Dark wizards have come to rely on it (up to and including human sacrfice) as a means of forging a stronger connection to the magic. In this case, it's the sacrificial nature of the magic (and the grossness factor probably...) that has made it unacceptable to the majority of the wizarding world.

Makeup and Charms to cover HP's Mark? Sounds like there's plenty of room for an accidental spell-off. (- Noitar Arat)

Muahahaha... Yes, if anyone thought to cast just a couple of spells at HP's head, he'd be in deep trouble. Poor guy. He just couldn't find anything better to do the job. As for why the Death Eaters don't try the same thing... I don't know. They really should, shouldn't they. And if Voldemort's going to insist on marking them all with a large tattoo it looks like he'd at least put it somewhere more discreet...

Does Snape have any inkling that Hephaestus and Harry are the same people?

The idea that James Potter's son, the famous Harry Potter, might really be a promising young Dark wizard is so extremely far from Snape's mind right now it might as well be in another dimension. Of course, he's a very observant man, and HP's not exactly the master of discretion...

What happens when the Occlumency potion runs out?

Doooom Dooooom.

What the heck is astrometry?

Astrometry, one of the two components of Harry's Advanced Astronomy class this year at Hogwarts, has to do with precise measuring of the positions and movements of planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. I would think this was an appropriate subject for an Advanced Astronomy, as well as for a budding young Dark wizard (It would be helpful to know for some rituals, perhaps).

ACCOUNT HOLDER'S NOTE: And that was everything! I unfortunately have nothing more to post for this fic. I hope (even with things staying unfinished) that you enjoyed reading!