Agreed. A certain degree of paranoia is understandable, given what James knows or believes to know, but this development seemed extremely rushed.

Regarding the prologue and its relevance to current or future events, something I have deliberated over for some time now is the identity of the Death Eater spy at Hogwarts in 4th year or, more accurately, their assumed identity. There is something of a hint/potential red herring in the most recent chapter that it might still be Moody:

However, I have a hard time believing that Harry wouldn‘t immediately sniff out Moody not being Moody.

I wonder whether we‘ll get someone like Elphias Doge in his stead, teaching history, or some sort of newly-established club. Or maybe it‘s a friend working for one of the other schools. In any case, it‘s a reveal I‘m quite looking forward to finding out more about in roughly three years‘ time.

 

Yeah despite the problems that the fic has the main plot (as infrequently as it is metioned) is very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the payoffs for some of the longer running threads.

 

@Ched
Author's probably gonna use the newborn infant as voldefetus fanon.

 

Without the prologue, I'd be a lot more keen for this story to go places. Knowing what happens at the end of 4th year in as much detail as there is in that prologue really cuts into the story, to the point where the interactions between the Potters and Harry made no sense towards leaning that way until James went psycho and Jim uncharacteristically mentioned that he'd heard of the Prince of Slytherin before. The characters grew away from that prologue naturally throughout the story, but then the author shoehorned it back in, which just comes across as being forced. Furthermore, knowing things like Theo still being no name at the end of book 4, and the ways the characters will interact by that point, removes a lot of the power of otherwise good scenes. The reconciliation between Sirius and Snape was well done, and creative in execution, but because I already knew that it happened, it didnt carry nearly as much of an impact.

The pacing is a big problem as well and it's getting worse. We are in January 3rd year, clocking in at 830k words. We'll be over a million words into the story before 4th year starts, and we'll be closing in on 1.2-1.5 million by the time it arrives at the prologue. And each chapter, one thing, maybe 2 things on a particularly plot heavy chapter, moves the plot forward. Slowly. The character development is all well and good, but I dont need or want to read so much about Mrs Weasley's side business, nor Umbridge's mother problems, Fred and George's spatting, Crabbe not wanting his little sister to be forcibly wed, Hermione being a seer, Hermione's Rune's project of great secrecy and 0 importance, The Pureblood Club, The Slewyns, the Deathly Hallows conspiracy involving Blaise and his co-conspirators and so many other sidequests. One or two of these would be welcome but all happening at the same time, the story just drags so much more. 2nd year, the best year of the story by far, had comparatively far fewer of these sidequests, which tended to directly relate to the main plot a lot more.

And its a shame because cutting out half of the words or so, there is a really good story in there. But there's so much attention paid to everything that it makes the rest of the story suffer from not knowing where it should go. 830k words in, I should not be hoping to reach the prologue in plot. We are 200k words shorter than the entire Harry Potter series at this point. Pick. Up. The. Pace.

 

I keep hearing that there is a great story under all the subplots. Someone please summarize it for me. Once you cut out the sidequests, what is this great story everyone swears is hiding in there?

Best as I can tell from following this thread, the sideplots are the main plot of this story and this is in fact a convoluted anthology that people have deluded themselves into thinking it's not.

 

I think this baby was chosen because no one will miss it and it is a pureblood which would be important to Crouch and Narcissa.

 

I would not doubt that the prologue will probably need to be rewritten a third time given how some characters have changed. That said I sat down and reread all of the Death Eater Menace since I ignored the last few fanfiction.net updates and it comes together better when you have multiple chapters to read,but yeah there are a lot of subplots that will need to come together. Although when and if they do I expect a massive payoff

 

Too convoluted by far.

 

The statement can stand by itself. What would more words add? Brevity is essential, as Hood learns in Malazan.

But here:
The story has become too convoluted. Too many plot points cropping up without previous ones being resolved, turning it into a complex mess. Sure, the writing and ideas are solid, but without a clear goal in sight, this will probably end up abandoned, especially seeing that there's so much more that has to happen before Harry and LV face off finally.

It's basically the ASOIAF problem which appears to have put GRRM in a conundrum as well. Too much plot to be resolved, yet the author keeps adding in new stuff. Needs a solid editor to tell him to stop being in love with the sound of his own voice.

 

No worries, mate. Kinda new to the whole DLP thing (mostly been a lurker). I quite liked the story when it began, but as someone above mentioned, the time between updates and the lack of plot progression means this would probably be better read as a whole when it's done than following the updates.