Woo Hoo! *grins* My first review! *does a happy dance* So exciting!Okay - Sluggy, all that will be disclosed in time and you could be right... *grins* Aye, very disheartening when adults let kids down, very much so... very hard on the kids, and sometimes harder on the adults who can do nothing, or try but fail... have faith in Dumbledore though... can't go wrong there.Thank you tons for your review!

Why thank you Iron - *grins* thanks for dropping me a review and for reading.

Ah, well I'm glad you can appreciate Alastor's position, even if he is being an obnoxious, teen-aged boy at this stage in the story. Glad you enjoyed Minerva in this chapter - I think she does a pretty good job projecting her leadership, and honestly can't imagine her ever being a follower, or at least, quiet - in any case. Glad you enjoyed my interpretation.I hope to get another chapter out soon as well... I miss these guys.

 YAY! So glad you liked the chapter and my interpretation of these characters. Alastor has become one of my favorite characters and I am loving the development he's taking in Lioness - as well as Dumbledore and Minerva - I will admit, its tricky to write Minerva in a way that shows the older Minerva while still allowing for younger issues to surface - what ever those issues or traits are, incorporating them into a teen age Minerva has been tricky - so I'm thrilled to hear when someone else enjoys my attempts.Aye, Alastor's jelousy is growing and might be influential later on - we shall see! And yes, he's not so introspective but he has some ideas - he's not as logical yet as he will become later in his Auror career, but that would be expected I think, being younger and less experienced.Working on the next chapter - so tickled that you keep reading and reviewing! YAY!

Jealousy? Ya think? *grins* Dumbledore is a hard act to follow... I feel sorry for Alastor here, I really do.Oh yes - Minerva was irate with Alastor about his comments at breakfast - and would have given it to him right after Albus walked to the High Table, however... Alastor ran off before she could - and it fit this chapter - so I stuck it in there.Really glad you liked it! And so thankful you're so patient with the slow queue! YAY!

Now you have me confused - there is a secret in each chapter - or was until this one?Really thrilled you enjoyed the chapter!

Slughorn is easily influenced by people who posess powerful skills and talents - Tom has that in spades, and is highly charismatic and influential - and at this time, Tom is in his fifth year - not as far along as I'd expect that segment where Tom asked about the horcruxes - I'd think.But, I think we'll learn much more from Sluggy in Lioness.

Ahhh - yes, I do feel a bit sorry for Alastor here - but then again, Minerva is doing half of this for his benefit - after all. Yeah? You feel Minerva cracking that whip? Yeah - I have to think that even young Minerva would be a hard arse, no BS, Lioness in the making - I can't see her taking much garbage... and she's already taken a wee bit of garbage earlier in the story?Really glad you liked it - and thank you so very much for helping make this happen - remember, Lioness wouldn't be here without you!  *loves her Squibby*

Fourty seven lashes with a wet noodle! If you are negligent of reviewing - then I am certainly negligent in writing! And besides, I don't remember any contracts we drew up mandating you reviewing anything, you silly!  And so, you have nothing to apologize for! I loved your review - and I too loved that Alastor crunched Tom's nose - no worries, I share your desires on Tom getting pulverized.I have recently gotten the bug to get back into Lioness - I'll readily admit I hit a road block - wheelbarrel of reasons for that - but regardless - the next chapter is in the works. Thank you so much for stopping by!

Fourty seven lashes with a wet noodle! If you are negligent of reviewing - then I am certainly negligent in writing! And besides, I don't remember any contracts we drew up mandating you reviewing anything, you silly!  And so, you have nothing to apologize for! I loved your review - and I too loved that Alastor crunched Tom's nose - no worries, I share your desires on Tom getting pulverized.I have recently gotten the bug to get back into Lioness - I'll readily admit I hit a road block - wheelbarrel of reasons for that - but regardless - the next chapter is in the works. Thank you so much for stopping by!

Awesome! Thank you! I just sent chapter two off to my betas for the second edit and then it will be sent into TPP! Hopefully, added soon!Glad you enjoyed my interpretation of the characters! I rather like them, well, most of them. *winks*

No that wouldn't be fair!  But our Hufflepuff buddy, Stefdarlin, got it, so 10 points to Hufflepuff, I'm proud to say.

You know, I never thought about that connection, between Dippet and Riddle and Dumbledore and Black/Potter, but its a good analogy ... and something I can see happening - leadership is difficult in the best of cases and nobody ever makes all the right decisions, no matter how good their intentions are, and that is what I was trying to convey.

I'm glad that you got a better feeling about Dippet, as that is what I was trying to relay with this chapter, about WHY he made the decision he made, and his mindset, even if I disagree with it.

I'm glad you still like my Glalatea - she's become rather dear to me as well.

I too, am happy to be writing again, and I do love getting all your reviews! It makes me grin to know someone else is interested in these crazy yarns that spool around in my noggin.

Stef, what is your professed house? You got it! *nods* Bullseye - it was a quote from Wilspy ... I can't help it, I seem to do it without even realizing ... taking tidbits from Squibstress or MMADfan .. so I have to give credit where its due. (you might have guessed, but I'm a bit of a raving fan of theirs)

Ah ... Horace's potion didn't get away from him ... it was an errant student who blew up his potion ... it happens ... ever take high school chemistry? (Horace was trying to get to the student before he added the wrong ingredient - thus, he got the worst of it)

Its a wonder more schools are not burned down, though some of the more exciting experiments are no longer allowed. I will never forget setting a huge balloon of hydrogen on fire once in the chemistry department in college ... I have a wee fascination for fire ... Oops!

Ahhh ... I'm glad you appreciate all the issues the teachers/heads have to deal with in the school ... even if you don't agree with their methods, but they do have to weigh a lot out - and if you at least got that much (even if you don't appreciate Dippet's resolution or even his justification) I am glad because that was my intention - to show that dealing out judgment is complicated.

(Dippet is one of the more challenging characters to write, for me - I am trying to tie up a lot of ideas into him, which is probably not fair to the poor fella, but I have some stereotype personas to work with - such as the left-over Victorian era mindset, as well as loyalty, which I hope I've shown he has, as well as some personal bias and perhaps a bit of over confidence in his wisdom, which as we all know, leads to pride, and pride is always a problem - over all I like him but, I don't intend for him to be a simple character - which makes him harder to write - but challenges are fun! )

Do you too like Merrythought? YAY! I have to admit, I like her lots!

I am a Hufflepuff, proud and true.  =o)  I also admit I love MMADfan.  I miss her.  I haven't spoken to her in a while.  She has beta'd several things for me, and I wrote a story for her for the CR Christmas exchange one year.  I have been on a sort of hiatus and have just recently been getting back into the fandom.  My writing wasn't on hiatus, because I kept doing that, just no posting.  Life has been crazy.I can see what you are saying about Dippet.  He does seem complex.  For a moment I thought he and Merrythought might be together, and for some reason, that excited me,lol.Sigh.  Oh, well.

Hufflepuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I loves me some BADGERS! *does a dance* Badger Badger!!! Hufflepuff is actually my favorite house, but I was sorted Gryffie ... remember that pride issue I mentioned? Yeah ... that's me - so I couldn't be more thrilled to give the Badgers 10 fat points! WOO HOO!

Badger badger!! All hail Proff Sprout and the Bumblebee House! I love Hufflepuff!

Just drop MMADfan a line, she's around and I'm sure she understands life. We all have one, after all.

Merrythought and Dippet together? Well they are, I mean they've been close friends for half a century, and, though I didn't explain this fully in the story, but Dippet was Head of Hufflepuff and Deputy Head when Merrythought was a student, remember how he was telling her that she was his favorite student? Kind of similar to what Minerva is to Albus, at the moment? And while Merrythought went on with the aurors, she came back to teaching - so they are together in a way, just not romantically. Sorry ... they both be married to other people. But they are both badgers and have a long history of friendship.

Thank you kindly.

I much agree about Dippet here ... its believable and often seen that people who think they are doing the best for all involved, really aren't, and are often blinded by some very serious abuses going on right under their noses.

Glad you got that feeling about Merrythought and Dippet - that is exactly what I was trying to convey.

We shall have to see what Albus thinks about Gibber! Or if he even notices.

No plans at all for Augusta - hate to dissapoint you. I feel I've already bitten off quite a bit to gnaw on, with all the canon side characters and the OC's I've got lined up - my "resources" file for Lioness is already over 60 some pages of background info on obscure characters - eegads!Yes - Darwin is desperatly hoping to somehow, aquire a decent broom - or better yet - upgrade all the Gryffindor House brooms - for one reason or another the house brooms are deplorable.Thanks so much for reviewing!  Wheee!

WOW, you do a thorough bookkeeping, then. I use a spreadsheet, and yes, data accumulates in breathtaking speed, so I can sympathise. 

Out of curiosity, I read up on Augusta - what an exciting woman! I can see why she inspires you! Thanks for bringing her to my attention - like I said, I have no plans for her ATM, however, she's one of those kinds of characters that I enjoy knowing more about - a real lion heart. Bravery is awesome!

Thank you so much! The next chapter is in the works, but due to traveling during the holidays, it may take some time. Thank you so much for reading and responding with your review. I hope you enjoy reading about my interpretation of these characters as much as I enjoy writing them.