I have to say that much like a real D&D random encounter, that chapter was hollow, tedious filler with no real weight or significance. Was that intentional? Your writing's usually more entertaining than that..

I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m not entirely certain which chapter you’re talking about, as I’m checking this rather late. Probably what you’re feeling is the shorter chapters lately, which is a result of all of the action/plot that’s been happening lately. It’s much easier for me to crank out ten pages of light comedy and parody than five pages of action and drama, and as a result I’ve had to cut back on the length of individual chapters lately. As a result, there’s less plot advancement and hijinks per chapter, unfortunately. If I had the advantage of writing in a non-serial format, I would go back and amalgamate the Harry Potter and the Save-or-Die chapters into about 1/2 to 3/4 as many as there currently are. However, due to my (theoretically) weekly publishing schedule, I have to try to get something out, even if it’s only a few pages long, and only have limited ability to change what’s already out there.

Still, hopefully you’ll enjoy the next few chapters more!