Dabble Interview 23 August 2023

[g33k]

... she had to follow all the rules about use of force and rights of the accused even when she knew she was facing the guilty.

Being able to just go out and curb stomp baddies from the get-go would be like heaven to her.

Plus -- that's what Dresden did.
And (aside from the romantic element of love), she loved that he did that.

[KurtinStGeorge]

I think “nanny” rather than “Bodyguard” Harry has made an enemy of Nameless and Miss Lapland, as a fellow Scandinavian Freydis will be able to give Harry the skinny on them. Typical rivalry between the Swedes and the Finns. I can see Harry running Freydis ragged.

This also equalises his position with Marcone.

Well, yes but does Marcone even need Ms. Gard any longer?  He might need her as a liaison to Vadderung.  Though her magical talents are considerable Marcone has Spiny Boy to advise on matters involving magic.  Perhaps Marcone might keep Gard around for sake of appearance; he doesn't want his partnership with Thorned Namshiel to become known to the general magical community.  Mab, Lara, Odin and anyone else at the post Battle of Chicago meeting already know this because Harry told them by addressing Marcone as Sir Baron, but none of them are likely to talk about what they learned there.  It's possible that Gard doesn't know, unless she witnessed Marcone change during the battle.  Even if Gard doesn't know I would expect her to find out, she's too capable not to figure it out. 

If Ms. Gard was no longer acting as Marcone's bodyguard, then she could become Harry's bodyguard.  For professional reasons Gard couldn't tell Harry anything about Marcone beyond very general information, but knowing that she had potentially critical information would be irritating to Harry, making Gard  a fun choice.
[/quote]

Who is to say that the new apprentice is an established character? The supercharged magical atmosphere of Battle Ground will have set off any number of prepubescent Wizards to be. Harry is likely to be dealing with a 10-12 year old, whose parents consider Harry a better bet than the White Council. That means someone who knows i.e. a Paranetter family.

When you think about the potential favors Harry owes to the survivors who followed his Banner during the Battle of Chicago, this makes sense.  Someone who saw Harry in action and suddenly found out their son, daughter or younger brother or sister was showing signs of magical talent, Harry would be the logical choice to that person to approach.  They wouldn't know anyone in the White Council, but they would know Harry.   

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think it would be someone who parents were known to Harry, not necessarily the Paranetters, but Lamar’s neice or nephew or Larry Fowler Jr perhaps? Someone with a beef against Harry like Charity had, or someone from the Murphy clan, one of her nieces or nephews? They are mentioned at the familypicnic yet would put Harry into angst especially if she is short and blonde.

Just think of the thing which is going to cause Harry the most grief and work backwards from that I believe that is Jim’s method of character development for the character. A Wizard Murphette would do exactly that.

[g33k]

... Just think of the thing which is going to cause Harry the most grief and work backwards from that I believe that is Jim’s method of character development for the character ...

This seems a fair assessment; grief, or just sheer complication/trouble.

[RobReece]

I had another possible apprentice thought pop into my head this morning.   

Helen Beckkit has enough power to be in the order of the big black pot, how about her daughter?   We never hear if the fake shroud had any affect on her, but Harry has the real Shroud... Think of how Sir John will feel if Harry is responsible for healing her, and she becomes his apprentice,  not to mention its affect on Helen.  The only flaw I see, is that she was a child at the time, so she would have an almost Bonny like learning curve if she wakes with power...

Thoughts?

[Mira]

When you think about the potential favors Harry owes to the survivors who followed his Banner during the Battle of Chicago, this makes sense.  Someone who saw Harry in action and suddenly found out their son, daughter or younger brother or sister was showing signs of magical talent, Harry would be the logical choice to that person to approach.  They wouldn't know anyone in the White Council, but they would know Harry. 

  Or there is a very simple or perhaps obvious, maybe too obvious, Molly has younger brothers and sisters, the wizard gene is still present.. Or another perhaps, history repeats itself, as little Maggie begins to show talent, Harry takes her under his wing, trying very hard not to make the same mistakes his grandfather made with his mother.. Question is, will he succeed? 

[g33k]

I had another possible apprentice thought pop into my head this morning.   

Helen Beckkit has enough power to be in the order of the big black pot, how about her daughter?   We never hear if the fake shroud had any affect on her, but Harry has the real Shroud... Think of how Sir John will feel if Harry is responsible for healing her, and she becomes his apprentice,  not to mention its affect on Helen.  The only flaw I see, is that she was a child at the time, so she would have an almost Bonny like learning curve if she wakes with power...

Thoughts?

I rather like this, actually... well-considered!
Right now, she's a dangling plot-thread.

As Harry's new apprentice, she's woven back into the story... in ways likely to cause all manner of troubles for Harry.  Both Helen Beckitt and John Marcone have a vested interest, and will react very-badly-indeed to Harry's interference.  But Helen is both emotionally and magically unprepared to raise a strong talent, and... well, Marcone training her would be an "over Harry's dead body" sort of thing, I think.

The child-like aspect actually works well, here; Jim hasn't shown much skill with writing teen girls (they're either too little-girl or too adult).

[Mira]

I rather like this, actually... well-considered!
Right now, she's a dangling plot-thread.

As Harry's new apprentice, she's woven back into the story... in ways likely to cause all manner of troubles for Harry.  Both Helen Beckitt and John Marcone have a vested interest, and will react very-badly-indeed to Harry's interference.  But Helen is both emotionally and magically unprepared to raise a strong talent, and... well, Marcone training her would be an "over Harry's dead body" sort of thing, I think.

The child-like aspect actually works well, here; Jim hasn't shown much skill with writing teen girls (they're either too little-girl or too adult).

 I don't see it working because Helen Becket might even be older than Harry, or at least the same age.   I don't remember Helen Becket being very childlike either, just a grieving mother and widow.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

If she is a Wizard she is both long lived meaning a couple of decades in a coma is not going to be a big bite from her life, and she heals completely over time, so forget the fake shroud she may wake up of her own accord, without the physical deterioration long term coma patients have.

Indeed the events of Battle Ground may have “woken” her up escaping her hospital and in the six months since she has been a refugee confused by the time jump and by her own power.

[Mira]

If she is a Wizard she is both long lived meaning a couple of decades in a coma is not going to be a big bite from her life, and she heals completely over time, so forget the fake shroud she may wake up of her own accord, without the physical deterioration long term coma patients have.

Indeed the events of Battle Ground may have “woken” her up escaping her hospital and in the six months since she has been a refugee confused by the time jump and by her own power.

Now I am confused... 

[raidem]

I could almost see the conversation...
Karen- I was dead a week? And already you're engaged? Did you have her crawl inside your hospital bed?

My view that there is a Mab=Murphy in some reality means Murphy dies and MabMurphy(perhaps via Mab collective) immediately that day tells Harry to marry Lara.  Has more bang I think. Also this is Harry's thoughts on the matter from Cold Days.

“You need to run a few more,” I said. “Because you’re asking too much of me. It’s more than I can give you.” “Why?” she asked. “Because your lover fell in battle?” I gave her a furious look. She took it without noticing, and I was too tired to keep it up. “You will heal. I have buried a cohort of lovers over the years, Dresden,” she said, without malice. “We won this battle. Enjoy the victory. But the war goes on—and it must yet be fought.” It wasn’t like I saw Murph’s shade standing there. That would have been too much. But I could imagine what it would look like, standing there, staring at me impatiently while Mab said things that would become no less true just because I didn’t like them.

Butcher, Jim. Battle Ground (Dresden Files Book 17) (p. 394). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[RobReece]

I don't see it working because Helen Becket might even be older than Harry, or at least the same age.   I don't remember Helen Becket being very childlike either, just a grieving mother and widow.

Not Helen, but Helen's daughter,  who, Harry can most likely heal with the True Shroud of Turin, that he collected from Hades' Vault

[Mira]

My view that there is a Mab=Murphy in some reality means Murphy dies and MabMurphy(perhaps via Mab collective) immediately that day tells Harry to marry Lara.  Has more bang I think. Also this is Harry's thoughts on the matter from Cold Days.

“You need to run a few more,” I said. “Because you’re asking too much of me. It’s more than I can give you.” “Why?” she asked. “Because your lover fell in battle?” I gave her a furious look. She took it without noticing, and I was too tired to keep it up. “You will heal. I have buried a cohort of lovers over the years, Dresden,” she said, without malice. “We won this battle. Enjoy the victory. But the war goes on—and it must yet be fought.” It wasn’t like I saw Murph’s shade standing there. That would have been too much. But I could imagine what it would look like, standing there, staring at me impatiently while Mab said things that would become no less true just because I didn’t like them.

Butcher, Jim. Battle Ground (Dresden Files Book 17) (p. 394). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I see that as Mab has no patience with someone grieving over a lover.  She needs her Knight alert and ready to fight.  I think Mab thought she was helping Harry by ordering him to marry Lara.  Kind of like getting a new puppy or kitten as soon as possible after the loss of a beloved dog or cat to ease one's grief.. 

[g33k]

I don't see it working because Helen Becket might even be older than Harry, or at least the same age...

The theory here revolves around Helen's daughter, the "Jane Doe in a coma," who Marcone tried to restore via the (fake) Shroud.

Helen had a minor talent; what if her daughter was a substantive (wizard-caliber) talent?

That whole "wizard healing factor" could have meant that she was quietly regenerating... even nerve damage that mortals cannot.

Then maybe the huge magical fallout from the Battle of Chicago could have finally tipped her into wakefullness.

###

She'd be a young woman, with the experience / education / outlook of a child... and a full-blown wizard's talent.

The White Council isn't likely to be willing to take on her training.  Helen Beckitt isn't competent to do so.  Pretty sure Harry wouldn't be willing to give her over to Marcone (Thorned Namshiel) for training.

This leaves...  Pretty much only Harry himself.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I presume that as Helen has taken the alias Demeter, that miss Beckett is called Penelope. Her father was also a minor talent.

Harry is raising two young daughters so Penny as an apprentice will make things very interesting for Harry.