Carole! Aw, I love this song. And I never thought I'd ever see something vaguely Severus/Lily from you :)

Anyway, I rather do like this. I can feel the song interwoven in it, and you capture Severus' love for Lily perfectly. You've got the whole kinda bittersweet tone down, and I can really relate to Severus.

I really enjoyed this. Sorry I don't have time to give you a better review, but I had to comment :) Thank you xx

Author's Response: Thnaks spire. I'm glad you know the song as otherwise I don't think it works. Hmm, I do write one sided Snape/Lily, just not Au where they end up running off together - ha ha. Thank you for the review. ~Carole~

Ah, this was so sweet. A very nice snapshot of Charlie and Tonks, and though the scene in itself is simple, the timeline, as such, of their relationship, bulked the story out that much more. The back-story gave a sense of depth to the characters that wouldn’t have been there so much if you’d just kept it to them chatting next to the lake.

I’m sure I’ve probably told you this before, but it can’t hurt to say it again. I love your characterisation of Tonks. There’s something very distinct about the voice you’ve created for her, that you keep consistent every time you write her.

A line that really stood out to me was: They had made the effort to stay friends despite their respective housemates’ surprise and faint scorn. It’s amazing how few people at Hogwarts seem to be friends, close friends, with people from other houses. It’s not until Dumbledore’s Army that Harry, etc., made friends outside of Gryffindor, and even then… That was something I’d never really thought about before, so thank you.

And finally -- poor Charlie. You did a beautiful job of building my sympathy for him, particularly through his guilt at choosing to spend Easter away from home. I almost wish this pairing was canon, and they stayed together… but I like Remus finding love more. :p

I really enjoyed this. I like the Easter chocolate theme underlying it all too. Minor aspect, but you incorporated it well. Great story. xx

Author's Response: Thank you very much for the review, Spire. I'm pleased you liked the line about the surprise and faint scorn from their houses. I do think it was hard to be friends with members from other houses - Slyths and Gryffs I can understand the rivalry, but Hufflepuffs tens to get patronised so much in the books, whereas we know how amazing they are - LOL. ~Carole~

I love love loved this story. I read this yesterday night, and all day it’s been popping into my head, it was that good.

The backwards structure was a really interesting approach; I don’t think I’ve seen it used before. It made the story so much more engaging than I think it would’ve been if you’d done it chronologically -- I was able to piece together what had happened to the world as we moved backwards in time, but this information was revealed gradually, so that you kept my curiosity throughout.

In addition, the build up to the beginning of the catastrophe made the ending so much more powerful in my opinion. By then, I’d seen the devastation that has been caused, and it makes it so much more devastating that it is all down to Luna (and her father) -- a character that I think you can’t help but love. This was supported by your characterisation of her, I think, as you capture her excitement and enthusiasm at finding the creature perfectly through her actions, but also her overall trust. She reaches out because Xeno believes it’s okay, and ultimately that’s her downfall. Their relationship was beautifully written, in that respect.

Elsewhere, I really enjoyed your characterisation of everyone -- particularly Ron. His bravery when he turned and shot Harry was in keeping with the bravery that Gryffindors exhibit. That scene could have easily been a show of brutality, but instead it shows how much Ron respects his best friend, by allowing him to escape the zombie-life.

Draco was also interesting. You showed his survival instinct by his willing to take Muggles into his home, but also a more sympathetic side that I don’t think we really see until the Malfoy Manor scene in the last book. It was ironic, really, that Hermione and Ron collaborated with Malfoy after years of being enemies -- it shows how dire the situation in the story is, and how they can’t afford to be enemies.

Finally, the third person present point of view is very effective. It pulled me into the story, to the point where I really believed what you were describing was happening -- and perhaps that’s why I’m still thinking about this story 24 hours after I originally read it (something that rarely happens with a short story). Alongside the dark language used, etc., each sentence is used in a way that every word is relevant to the story -- none of it is redundant. This is helped by the exclusion of the exact details like what happened to Molly and Arthur. You hint at what’s happened, but leave most of it to the imagination -- this just emphasises how alone Ron and Hermione are becoming in the world, and shows how they are doing their best to cope by not dwelling on what has happened to people they love. This keeps the focus on their fight perfectly.

Genuinely, I really enjoyed this. Thank you for the excellent read. :)

Author's Response: Wow! Thank you so much! I am flattered that this fic has stayed with you. Draco was a lot of fun to write, not just because of the snark but also because I found the dynamic between him and the situation and Ron/Hermione incredibly interesting. Like you said, it showed the direness of the situation that he was willing to live with Muggles and team up Ron and Hermione to survive. I wanted to parallel the scene in the Room of Requirement with the Fiendfyre. Anyway, thank you so, so, so much. Apologies for taking so long to reply but I was in awe of the responses I've got for this fic. This review made me smile like a maniac. Thank you.