When did LtW join the White Council?

[Mira]

I remember an old Woj about Harry doesn't do potions anymore cause they're for people who really don't know what they're doing... Guess Harry's regressing lol.
Really hoping Harry gets his act together on his magical finesse in the next few books. I remember him mentioning it multiple times in PT/BG, when he encounters Marcones sudden mastery for instance.

But it takes time, a wizard is a perpetual student.  What comes to mind, is in Battle Ground, Marcone/Namshiel did something, and Harry commented that he'd need another fifty years of study and experience to even attempt that.  Yes, Eb and Christos are powerful wizards, they were born with the potential, but it took a hundred years or so to really develop skills.

[Bad Alias]

It is quite important than words and symbols used by wizard are not his vernacular. They do not hold like gnostic value in doing magic, they do not represent some angelic language or smth like in real-world occultism - they are foci for wizards mind.
If Carlos is from L.A. he could use some native Mexican symbolism for his spells.

He could have, but why would he when he goes to the effort of distinguishing himself from Latin American roots? That's why I say it gives us a week implication that his master identified with that language and could be part of a native bloodline.

Justin used, and taught Harry and Elaine to use, Egyptian. Is that the standard practice? Maybe. We don't have much evidence on what are traditional master-apprentice techniques and relationships. Harry, being Harry, decided to go with faux-Latin. Justin let him because it would serve to further isolate him from the Council. Or that's my guess as to why. Harry let Molly use Japanese and didn't teach her to use Latin for the opposite reason. Again, that's my guess.

He had bad study habits from the get go, he slept through Latin in high school.

He learned Latin from a correspondence course. That's why he keeps thinking "stupid correspondence course" in the earlier books. Harry did bad in Spanish in high school. Harry actually had good study habits until him and Elaine became sexual. Harry comments that the schoolwork was easy.

I remember an old Woj about Harry doesn't do potions anymore cause they're for people who really don't know what they're doing.

I've heard several where Jim talks about how they're a crutch for writers. I've heard another where he said potion scenes are boring or he doesn't enjoy writing them or something. Another one said that the pacing was too fast for Harry to have time to make potions.

So it makes sense for Harry to use less potions and maybe use some we've seen before.

Honestly, I'd prefer it if Harry made some potions at the beginning of a book every now and then that he expected he might need and didn't always end up with an opportunity to use them. It would show him being prepared, like he always goes on about, and be realistic in that sometimes we prepare for risks that never materialize. Like how I wear a seatbelt every time I get in a car, but have only needed one maybe once.

[Arjan]

There must be some woj about a planned short story with Ebenezer and listen to wind during the French and Indian war. Those two against the future Merlin I suppose.

[The_Sibelis]

From what I recall I'm thinking in the beginning Eb and LTW fought. When they made piece is when LTW gave Eb the cowboy hat.

[Mira]

He learned Latin from a correspondence course. That's why he keeps thinking "stupid correspondence course" in the earlier books. Harry did bad in Spanish in high school. Harry actually had good study habits until him and Elaine became sexual. Harry comments that the schoolwork was easy.

Yes, but if he had troubles with Spanish he'd have just as hard a time with Latin.  He blames the correspondence course, but he could have taken a night class to improve his Latin.  He could have worked a bit harder at it, which he did after Molly became his apprentice.  I don't think Harry's study habits were ever that great, he did well enough because he was bright, not because he worked hard.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

I mean one of my biggest systemic problems with Dresden Files is fact that Dresden does not seems to be doing much of research overall.
Those books are spread about year apart, with each he gets more and more very warning signs that shit is about to get really bad, but he does not seems to pursue leads, and he should really go for them at least since Blood Rites.

[Mira]

I mean one of my biggest systemic problems with Dresden Files is fact that Dresden does not seems to be doing much of research overall.
Those books are spread about year apart, with each he gets more and more very warning signs that shit is about to get really bad, but he does not seems to pursue leads, and he should really go for them at least since Blood Rites.

Yup, that was the main complaint some of us had about Peace Talks.  It was also one of the things that set the Dresden Files apart and why many of us fell in love with the series.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

It was also one of the things that set the Dresden Files apart and why many of us fell in love with the series.

Well yes I agree  - fast tempo, and urgency are hallmarks of this series, even in it's slowest moments really.
But I think that could be done - without changing it.

We leave Dresden in one moment, and then in next books he connected some dots, make some active move until another catastrophe breaks loose in his life.

Sort of like - whole Kravnos case is said in retrospect. Or like Little Chicago - just made you know about something connected to the plot.

So I was like bit annoyed when Dresden after fight with Drakul's was all mouthy towards Listen to Winds, and he said "that I have to connect all dots on my own" or something like that. Like, dude - you did jackshit for all this years to connect all those dots, unless someone forced you

[Mira]

So I was like bit annoyed when Dresden after fight with Drakul's was all mouthy towards Listen to Winds, and he said "that I have to connect all dots on my own" or something like that. Like, dude - you did jackshit for all this years to connect all those dots, unless someone forced you

True, to a certain degree, but it is hard to connect dots that you have no access to, or know about.  There has been a major conspiracy from the get go to keep Harry in the dark about a lot of things by the powers to be.  Though Harry is good at it, one can only slam one's head against that wall for so long, the resulting headache eventually force him to look for other options.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

True, to a certain degree, but it is hard to connect dots that you have no access to, or know about.

Fandom connected many dots - while having only access to Dresden's internal monologue. And we are like nerdy noobs not Wizards of White Council.
And it's not even than he had not managed to find much - it's like - we don't see him even trying, not being pro-active at all.

[Mira]

Fandom connected many dots - while having only access to Dresden's internal monologue. And we are like nerdy noobs not Wizards of White Council.
And it's not even than he had not managed to find much - it's like - we don't see him even trying, not being pro-active at all.

Yeah, well, someone keeps throwing distractions in his face...

[morriswalters]

Fandom connected many dots - while having only access to Dresden's internal monologue. And we are like nerdy noobs not Wizards of White Council.
And it's not even than he had not managed to find much - it's like - we don't see him even trying, not being pro-active at all.

Exactly what should he be researching?  He built LC. He's done multiple iterations of his wards and tools. He took on an apprentice. He built a bug out retreat. He's obviously increased his level of understanding about the abilities of Demonreach. He's honed his personal skills. He also created and supported the Paranet. He made a living using his craft.  When he does ask the question of the roster of people whom might know he gets crickets. Jim has been fairly consistent about this.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

Yeah, well, someone keeps throwing distractions in his face...

Once per year!

He built LC. He's done multiple iterations of his wards and tools. He took on an apprentice. He built a bug out retreat. He's obviously increased his level of understanding about the abilities of Demonreach. He's honed his personal skills. He also created and supported the Paranet. He made a living using his craft.

Indeed - but it's all self-improvement, not pro-active stance against some Big Bad Conspiracy - or Conspiracies - he is concious about since Dead Beat, and in fact Blood Rites where his mother's lover/murderer use the same Outsider Walker as his master should ring the bell.
At least since Dead Beat he should seriously delve in investigation - and there are multiple sources that could be used. Vast array of supernatural forces, spirits, and even muggle specialists.

[morriswalters]

Indeed - but it's all self-improvement, not pro-active stance against some Big Bad Conspiracy - or Conspiracies - he is concious about since Dead Beat, and in fact Blood Rites where his mother's lover/murderer use the same Outsider Walker as his master should ring the bell.
At least since Dead Beat he should seriously delve in investigation - and there are multiple sources that could be used. Vast array of supernatural forces, spirits, and even muggle specialists.

The evil part of me says that it is this way since Jim needs to milk the concept to pay for his lifestyle.

However. In the books there is a price to pay for asking the kind of questions that he would need to ask. And he may not want to pay that price. Even his allies don't share what they know. And the one year skip between books is history. And in his wisdom Harry picked up a child.  And parents should know what that does to your time budget. My head canon is that he has been doing a slow methodical search, which to this point hasn't borne much fruit.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

You know, I do not even need for him to get a result.
But I want to know he is really, really trying - and failing, because either prices is too high, or theoreticall allies keeps him obfuscated and gaslighted. And it can even stronger push his wizard paranoia.

Really Jim could just read this board or one of FB groups, write down theories good and bad, and just make Dresden consider all of them, and make mad graphs