Name: Ruchira_M (Signed) · Date: 08/13/12 14:46 · For: Thirty - Six / Harry: Two, Not Seven

Oh this is so cute- imagine Ron and Hermione actually spying on them- I didn't see this coming at all!!!

Author's Response: Glad you enjoyed! I couldn’t resist having Ron “double-cross” Harry while at the same time managing to surprise Hermione. Growing up amid the twins’ pranks, he can’t always be as hapless as others see him.

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 08/07/12 2:33 · For: Thirty-Seven / Harry: The Belle of the Ball

Re: "a gown that would turn heads" -- I'm a bit surprised that Harry didn't say something to the effect that she's "turn heads" regardless of what she was wearing. :-}

That back-story of the Black girls' childhood was particularly nicely done.

I suppose that the hypocrisy of Bella advising her sister "Don't break his heart too cruelly" is to be somewhat expected, given Bella's nature.

Cygnus Black's counsel serves as a stark reminder of the lack of correlation between astute observation and bigotry -- or even insanity.

Re: the color for Ginny's gown -- Id expect that red would be difficult to reconcile with her hair color.

Andromeda's crack about Cissy delegating some of the aspects of Draco's birth was quite amusing. She has an ... interesting ... sense of humor, which makes a great deal of sense.

Aunt Muriel as "the old thestral"? LOL!

So, that rather begs the question: Just how near-sighted is a flobberworm, anyway? :-)

Back to Andromeda's narration(s) -- yes, the bigotry against those who aren't like us is similar, regardless of the natures of the bigots.

Given Dumbledore's interrogation of Ted & Andromeda, it would seem that the Marauders may have got him to loosen up a bit.

Well done.

Author's Response: Your comments about Harry’s sense of style really made me laugh. If he’s anything like most young men at that age, he’s probably thinking that Ginny looks the most fetching with absolutely nothing on. Luckily, he has the good sense to not say that aloud. I doubt that he’s astute enough to realize that just because Gryffindor colors suit his dark hair, that’s not the same case for everyone. Ron, on the other hand, complains from the very first book that maroon is not his favorite color. In the end, you’re just going to have to trust Andromeda’s judgment when it comes to Ginny’s dress choice.

Glad you enjoyed the background for the Black trio; it was so much fun reshaping the little tidbits we are given in canon. I so wanted to contrast Andromeda with her sisters and using her sense of humor just seemed ideal. As for the prejudice of the pureblood fanatics, the same attitudes prevail in all societies. Such elitists are so certain that even if their narrow-minded views throw society back into feudalism, they will be the lords and not the serfs (which isn’t necessarily true).

Dumbledore is just honing his manipulative skills with Ted & Andromeda. Once he determines that their feelings are genuine, he rewards them with an oblique reference to the Room of Requirement, thereby enticing them to find it on their own. (A subject for another story, I suppose.)

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 08/06/12 1:26 · For: Thirty-Seven / Harry: The Belle of the Ball

I do love this story!!! Fantastic!!

Author's Response: Thanks! I’m so relieved that you’re sticking by this story. Real life seems to have interfered with my plans yet again, but I hope to get back to regular updates very, very soon.

Name: dawndragon2 (Signed) · Date: 06/19/12 22:07 · For: Thirty - Six / Harry: Two, Not Seven

As allways WONDERFUL!!! thank you

Author's Response: So pleased you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it taken so long to get the next one ready. Due to length, had to divide two chapters into three and that’s always a tricky undertaking.

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 06/18/12 3:55 · For: Thirty - Six / Harry: Two, Not Seven

Hurray!!!! I wondered when we would see them reconnect!! Love how you had everyone in on it but them of course and I most certainly see Dumbledore "chuckling into his beard"!

Author's Response: Hope it was worth waiting for. JKR hints so many times in canon that Ron is so oblivious about his feelings for Hermione that I wanted to show that it works both ways. Not that I could top the classic example of denial: Remus holding out on Tonks.

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 06/17/12 20:22 · For: Thirty - Six / Harry: Two, Not Seven

Cute. Good to see that the "rocky patch" -- well, that particular one -- seems to have been resolved for Harry & Ginny.

I wonder if Harry will ever admit to her that he actually was in attendance at that game. Somehow, I suspect he might ... but not particularly soon.

Nicely done.

Author's Response: Funny you should say that about Harry revealing some of his innermost secrets to Ginny. I was thinking much the same thing in the next chapter – written prior to your comment, by the way. Glad you enjoyed their reconciliation; I didn’t want to make it too trite and it seemed like just the counterpoint to Ron’s bumbling proposal.

Name: SandraJo (Signed) · Date: 06/13/12 10:58 · For: Nine / Dumbledore: On the Wings of a Thestral

This chapter could have stood as a one shot apart from the story if you wanted. It moved me to tears and I actually had to stop reading at one point to keep from breaking down and having a full out sob fest. Just a completely beautiful and heart breaking chapter.

Author's Response: This is one of my favorite chapters, too. I’m pleased that my words moved you; it’s hard not to care deeply for these characters that have carried us through so many books. I always felt that the ending to DH was bittersweet at best. Hopefully, this story will establish how these characters continue to live on – and not just in people’s memories. I’ll just leave it at that so as not to spoil anything.

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 06/11/12 1:56 · For: Thirty - Five / Remus: Thinker, Tailor, Schemer, Spy

W. O. W. Just, you know when you're reading a great book and you actually feel like you've been right there in the story just to the right of the characters and you hit the end of the chapter and reality smacks you and realize there aren't enough words in the human language to properly explain or cover the sheer awesomeness that is that chapter?! This was that chapter! Bravo! Just WOW! I feel like I need to rest along with Remus and Severus! Fantastic!!

Author's Response: Your compliments really made my day! It’s so satisfying to know that you were swept away with the adventure. That’s what storytelling is all about, that all-important escape from reality. The sensation of immersing yourself in another world is even more profound when you’re the one writing it. Remus and Snape are my favorite characters to write; I couldn’t just let them gather dust on the shelf where JKR left them.

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 06/10/12 21:05 · For: Thirty - Five / Remus: Thinker, Tailor, Schemer, Spy

Ah, yes -- the crack about W. Pauli got a LoL out of me. :-} I trust you found the information about Pauli ... interesting.

It's rather amusing for Hades to use the expression "bold as sin."

Snape seems to be on remarkably good behavior: in this life, he certainly wasn't keen on being indebted to James Potter. Lily's influence for the nonce, or has he actually turned over a new leaf (considering how many of "Potter's Circle" were helping him) ... after getting proof that Hades has no (real) claim on him...?

Author's Response: I always felt that Snape’s debt to James was repaid by giving Harry the final memories to survive Voldemort. Even though he was more intent on gaining Lily’s forgiveness, James was generous enough to welcome Snape into the afterlife. Make no mistake, Snape is still his snarky self with all though sharp edges that make him such a unique delight. But he no longer has to hide his true allegience or create enemies left and right so that everyone will perceive him as the blackguard in their midst – an essential element to his double-agent role at Hogwarts. At this point, he will do just about anything to bask in Lily’s presence, even if he has to endure James and the rest of the Marauders to do so. Since Remus always struck me as the most cerebral of the group, Snape would be more likely to stomach his presence.

Harry’s point-of-view throughout most of the seven books reveals just how much he fears and despises Snape, but that’s not to say that his colleagues always felt the same way. I always imagined that in the teachers’ staffroom, Snape’s scathing comments were often met with laughter, at least behind his back. Can you just imagine Snape deriding Umbridge (after she’d been striped of power, of course)?

P.S. Hades likes to think he’s a street-smart kind of guy but his ego is clearly in control. Not that such self-indulgence isn’t encouraged in the Underworld.

Name: ginevra_molly_always (Signed) · Date: 06/10/12 16:40 · For: Thirty - Five / Remus: Thinker, Tailor, Schemer, Spy

Just thought I'd share- this is the first story I read on MNFF and it drew me in! Now, I'm writing two stories of my own (the first chapters of which are now in the queue) and have read more fanfics over the past few weeks than i care to admit.

This is amazing, different and I love it! Please keep writing :) xxx

Author's Response: I’m thrilled that you like my story! Thanks for the compliments. (blushes) It’s an honor to know that I inspired you to try your hand at this; much the same happened to me. I’m certain you’ll do great things and I’ll keep my eye out for your name among the “most recent” entries.

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 05/20/12 2:40 · For: Thirty - Four / Remus: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Fascinating!! Beyond words!!! Just wow!

Author's Response: Thanks for all the superlatives! I had a lot of fun exploring cringe-worthy areas with my descriptions. Hope the next one doesn’t pale by comparison.

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 05/20/12 2:17 · For: Thirty - Four / Remus: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Hmmm... Snape & Lupin attempting a re-enactment Orpheus's journey? Reminds me vaguely of Lewis & Clark, rather other-directed (but with much better spelling!). The journey is interesting, but I expect that your reason for including it will become clearer with time.

BTW, it did seem a little odd to refer to "Snape and Remus" -- I'd expect "Smape and Lupin" or "Severus and Remus". But perhaps I'm a little over-sensitive to missed opportunities for parallel construction. :-}

Heh. At a former employer, I had occasion to set up a Kerberos server (); I gave it a hostname of "fluffy". :-}

Re: your request from the previous chapter's review response, please see -- in particular, the "Personality and Reputation" section at the end of the page.

Author's Response: How I love that you read so intently! It’s like a reward for my obsessiveness. Rest assured, the wording of the names is very deliberate. Since we are seeing things from Remus’ point of view, he is Remus. On the other hand, Snape rarely refers to others by their first names; it’s his way of keeping everyone at arms length. The sole exception is Lily and that tells you a lot in and of itself. Not to mention that you can’t put as much derision into the word “Remus” as you can “Lupin.” As for Remus, he tries to use the polite convention of referring to a colleague by his first name when addressing him aloud. Since Snape strives to keep him constantly off-balance, however, this uncertainty is reflected by the way his thoughts alternate between using “Severus” and “Snape.”

Lot’s of similar river journeys, no doubt about it. The search for Kurtz in Heart of Darkness comes to mind. Although with all their bickering, perhaps I should liken this journey to The African Queen – albeit with a different ending, no clichéd clinch for R & S, I promise!

Found the site you referred me to; hope you like how I integrated it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Name: Dad (Signed) · Date: 05/09/12 21:16 · For: Thirty - Three / Remus: Heaven and Hell

I have been reading this story for the last couple of nights and I am completely hooked. It is so original and yet based on cannon. In places the writing style positively glows. At this point I must say I think Ginny`s behaviour is disgraceful, but I expect you will sort it out. Waiting for more.

Author's Response: Without a doubt, those are the kindest words anyone has said to me! Thank you so much. I’m so pleased you got hooked into this tale.

I don’t have to tell you that Ginny’s main problem is that she’s immature. Barely seventeen and she’s been carted off to a cult of sports celebrity. Not so surprising that it goes to her head. It doesn’t help that her education was cut short: went into hiding during Easter term break after a sixth year that consisted mostly of planning insurrection. She’ll be back in the spotlight before much longer, don’t you worry.

Name: dawndragon2 (Signed) · Date: 05/08/12 19:43 · For: One / Moody: Limbo

This chapter was intresting I think its just like your other chapters it makes you think and i kinda like that cant wait for more :)

Author's Response: I’m so pleased to hear that this story makes you rethink certain aspects of HP canon. I always found that a lot of the most interesting aspects of Harry’s quest are the ones that happen behind the scenes, the ones we never get to see because our hero would never witness them himself. Although canon is 99% limited to Harry’s point of view, the real movers of the wizarding world, like any other, are the adults. Imaging those scenes which fell between the cracks is a constant source of inspiration for me.

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 05/07/12 2:32 · For: Thirty - Three / Remus: Heaven and Hell

Just phenomenal as always! Love it!!

Author's Response: Don’t worry, more to come very soon. Next up is the first half of a chapter than just ran way, way too long. Unfortunately, that means there’ll be the inevitable cliffhanger…

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 05/07/12 1:40 · For: Thirty - Three / Remus: Heaven and Hell

Well, that was a fairly surreal interlude. :-}

If Remus wanted to pursue other discussion-partners, I have a few to suggest -- including von Neumann, Pauli, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Tesla. :-) [There's a story about Pauli meeting the Creator; you may find it amusing.]

Well done.

Author's Response: Great suggestions! I confess your knowledge of physics far outshines mine. Any discussions with Schrodinger will need to wait until Minerva can also be present, though. Perhaps Mrs. Figg as well. Couldn’t find the story about Pauli meeting the Creator, though. Any chance you could point me in the right direction?

Name: juniper (Signed) · Date: 05/07/12 1:00 · For: Thirty - Three / Remus: Heaven and Hell

Interesting, although I don't really get the point of the chapter. You're a wonderful writer, but such an afterlife seems kind of meaningless to me.

Author's Response: Thanks for the compliment. Don’t give up on this plot arc just yet. It will explore how the choices we make in life can affect what comes after. Besides, it was the only way in which I could “bring back” some of these characters without endless flashbacks.

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 04/30/12 2:30 · For: Thirty - Two / Harry & Hermione: Collaboration

Brilliant as always!

Author's Response: Thanks. Hope you enjoy the next one; it’s a bit unconventional.

Name: dawndragon2 (Signed) · Date: 04/27/12 18:50 · For: Thirty - Two / Harry & Hermione: Collaboration

I love your work I look forward to each chapter can't wait for more...thank you

Author's Response: You’re too kind! (blushes) I’m trying to not let the wait between updates stretch too far. Hope you like the next chapters as I’ve taken some liberties with reality, but then this is a story about magic, isn’t it?

Name: Wolfs_Scream (Signed) · Date: 04/27/12 14:33 · For: Thirty - Two / Harry & Hermione: Collaboration

Re: that last scene, I'm reminded of an expression involving the destination of a road paved with "good intentions." :-}

Well done. And yes, I can see how several nominally "benign" potions or charms or transfigurations could have profound -- and possibly profoundly unsettling -- results, especially if used ... creatively.

Author's Response: I have no doubt you’re right. How else could they teach Defense Against the Dark Arts without teaching the Dark Arts, as JKR tells us over and over? Sure students learn about dark creatures and other dangers that lurk at the end of every unscrupulous wizard’s wand; but the defensive part has to be the clever employment of innocuous spells they have already learned. You can’t expect to know a counter-jinx to everything, especially when encountering the unexpected.

And of course, there’s that whole philosophical argument about whether spells are inherently evil or innocent, or does it all hinge upon the intent of the wizard who casts them?