Ooh, Soraya, this was really nice! I loved the slight bittersweet tones, and how it started off as rather frustrating for Lily but ended up being a special mother-son moment. I know that often young mothers do not feel ready to raise a child, and I realize that Lily is no exception. However, The bond of a mother and child is special, I’m relieved that she understood in the end what was important. Your fic sums up the ups and downs of parenthood quite well. :)

Lily, I think, was nicely developed in this story. She and James had married at a very young age, and with a war going on, it must have been difficult for Lily to raise Harry. I feel that her snappiness towards James, though wrong, is justified because of all the pressure she is under. To add to that, her need for sleep and her fatigued muscles, not to mention her strained relationship with Petunia, all must have piled up on her, causing her to act in such a manner. The line Lily is only Harry’s milk machine, really, is a very caustic expression of just how upset she is, because it quite aptly conveys her frustration and her despondency at herself.

Speaking of Harry, I hadn’t really considered that Harry would be premature, but now that I think of it, it seems sensible. Harry was always described as being skinny and small for his age, and though that might have been due to the Dursleys starving him, I think this is a rather good explanation as well. It also presses down on Lily -- since handling a premature baby is far more stressing that taking care of a healthy baby, further explaining her distress.

Maybe, for once, Harry doesn’t want his milk or his bum cleaned up. Maybe he just wants his mother. This line actually made me so depressed, because I thought that I was actually in Harry’s mind while reading this. It is short and simple, without any complicated wordings, rather like a child’s mentality. The latter line has such an innocent ring to it, too. This, I believe, is the turning point for Lily’s emotions, the point where she goes from aggravated to sad because she hasn’t given Harry any time -- when she realizes where she went wrong and she tries to redeem herself.

The following paragraphs are very adorable due to all the “I love you”s, kisses and hugs, and while reading them I couldn’t help but tear up a bit, remembering that in a year’s time they would be dead and Harry would be left alone. Frankly, I don’t know what would have happened if Lily hadn’t realized how much Harry meant to her. Would she be able to stand up to Voldemort? Would she have died and left Harry with the protection of Lily’s love? Maybe she wouldn’t have.

Leaving aside these off-putting questions, I think James was very in character, especially by calling Lily “babe”. I’m sure he would have called Lily nicknames she didn’t appreciate, simply to annoy her. I also agree to the fact that Harry would be more comfortable around James -- from the book I think that James seems to have that charm that drew everyone in, despite of how cocky he could be. Lily’s ire towards James is also reasonable here too, because as a mother she would want her child to be as comfortable around her as Harry is towards James. However, I’m glad that things worked out in the end.

My only quibble is that this story is short -- I would have loved to see a bit more going on here. But I absolutely loved the last line and how optimistic it is, because despite starting off with dismal undertones, you’ve ended with hope and love. I also liked the connotation here -- though I’m not sure if you meant it -- that despite of being in a war, it is ultimately love and hope that leads the way.

This was an excellent read, Soraya, thank you so much! Hope to see more from you!

--Nadia

Author's Response: Nadiaaaaaaaaaa! Thank you so much for the fabulous review :D

This was a story I had in my head for a long time, and I am just so glad you enjoyed it. I’m not a mother, ha, but I think this was written when I had a strange fondness for babies/baby stories at the time, hence why it had a definite maternal feel. But also, I think this was written around the time my baby cousin was born, and I had heard a lot complaining from my aunt (his mother), so yeah, I wanted to expand on the idea of a mother-son relationship not necessarily being perfect but still being very much special.

The thing about Lily’s age is something I sometimes forget, if I'm honest, and I'm glad you thought I did a good job with that. Again, I really wanted to put across the problems of motherhood, and I definitely think they were exacerbated because of Lily’s age and, yes, her relationship with her sister at the time.

Hahaha, the bit about Harry being premature was just something I thought of on the spot, but yes, now you come to mention it, it does make sense given Harry was skinny and small for his ages. I know quite a few people who have had premature babies, so I can totally sympathise with their stress. :(

I’m sad parts made you depressed, but I did kind of go for that, ha, and yes, I think this story is different in a way from my others because it’s a lot more simply worded. I'm glad you liked that line :)

I’m really flattered you thought the whole mother-son interaction was adorable! I’ll be honest; that bit was difficult to write because I kept thinking, “Is this cheesy?” but ultimately I did want a slightly more optimistic overtone to the story.

YAYAY, you liked James! :D I do love writing him. I personally would love it if my hubby called me babe (or if my hubby was James, full stop, lol) but I can see why Lily found it annoying. And I think, yes, James would have been good with Harry, but also, Lily was good with Harry -- it was just that Lily wasn’t paying as much attention to Harry as James was.

I would have loved to write more, but honestly, I’m not sure what else to add. I might write a followup one day; we’ll see ;)

Thank you again, Nadia, for the lovely review! This one is definitely one of my underreviewed stories so I am so happy you decided to review it. ♥

Soraya xxx

I know I was supposed to review sooner, but RL happens, lol. Let me start by saying that this was really well done! You’ve left me stunned. It was bittersweet, adorable and heart-breaking all at once. Somehow you’ve managed to put in romance, angst, sadness and humour all in one fic and it turned out to be a brilliant piece of work.

I really loved your depiction of Scorpius and Prachi. As a character, Scorpius feels quite original. He had his own personality, and yet he was explicably a Malfoy. Look at this line, for example: Normally, I wouldn’t even think of talking to such people. My parents had enough, or rather too much wealth and I had never seen that side of the world. At school, I wasn’t very kind with the kids that turned up in second-hand robes. I can imagine Draco’s son doing that! But he still somehow fell for Prachi. It was so adorable how he tried to learn Hindi just to talk to her! He had me in a fit of giggles. He was good enough to not differentiate between the rich and the poor here… but then again, maybe that was all because of love. That pesky little thing has a way to work wonders. Despite of that Scorpius did seem to have his dark side: he managed to get what he wanted in the end. He could guess that Prachi was awkward around him and I think he could sense that she felt something for him -- and he used that for his own gain. How very Slytherin of him.

I think I did like Prachi a lot more, though. She was rather adorable and snarky; her mockery of Scorpius was fun to read about! According to me, she was a well thought out character with good aspects as well as flaws. I found her to be a good natured, typical South Asian girl -- typical as in she considered her dignity to be more important that lust. She tried so hard to stop herself for falling for Scorpius, whether it was by constantly calling his Sahib in spite of his constant disallowance, or by not coming in for her duties just to avoid him. Despite her strong attempts to decline him, though, she was weak enough to give in to him in the end. She did reciprocate Scorpius’ feelings, but she didn’t know how to go about it. I felt really bad for her. You’ve portrayed the conscience of a poor Indian girl well, and to me her dilemma was understandable.

My favourite part was the kiss and the scenes leading up to it. Everything was sort of connected to the other and it was so simple how they set the wheels into motion. The rain, the lights vanishing… it’s like it was all destined to happen. It was so sweet, but behind it all lay the sense of guilt that Prachi felt. I could almost sense how she must have felt at that time: guilty, frightened, distressed, confused, yet finally, blissful. And then she realised what she had let me do - what we had done. This struck me hard for some reason; I felt that the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. It was probably the pivotal point of the whole story and you’ve managed to write it so nicely. Well done!

The initial tone was so light-hearted and calm; this lulls the reader into a false sense of security. I was so sure that like other romantic stories, somehow Prachi and Scorpius would end up together. Even up to the part where Scorpius goes to Prachi’s house I was so sure that he would somehow manage to convince her and then there would be a “happily ever after”. I was hoping against that, though -- the malicious!me hoped that Prachi would refuse and Scorpius would end up with Rose, lol. And then, after I finished reading, I suddenly I felt like I was hit by an oncoming truck. I was not expecting that twist at all! That was a mind-boggling idea, and it leaves such a strong impact on the reader that they are sure to remember for a long time.

You left us hanging in the end, though. How did she die? My first idea was suicide. She could have done so thinking that she had been “defiled” by the touch of another man who was not her husband. It wouldn’t be the first time that would have happened. Or maybe she died in an accident? My favourite idea, though, is that she died by a disease -- the same one that Scorpius had gone to gain information of. That would have been so ironic, really, how Scorpius had gone to fight the disease but Prachi had been killed by that same one.

All in all, Di, this was a wonderful read! I wish you the very best for the challenge. Love you!

--Nadia

Author's Response: NADIA!!! OMG, this is such a beautiful, lovely review! I was so, so happy to see this because this fic is very close to my heart. And thank you, thank you! I'm glad you liked this so much and enjoyed reading it! JK Rowling said that 'Scorpius was an improvement over Draco'. Well, though this does convey that maybe he was probably less of a bully or maybe less slimy and more tolerant, this also does mean that he still probably had some Malfoy-like qualities in him. I thought, maybe, since he had grown up rich... he probably wasn't very nice to poor people. The Malfoys, as JK Rowling has stated (Pottermore) were drawn towards wealth. Hence this paradox for Scorpius. He left the Malfoy Manor, lived in a developing country for a while, saw a little bit of normal life and got curious. After the curiosity, came sympathy, then appreciation and love. Love is a pesky, impossible little emotion, yes. And you're right. He was kind of a douche too. He took advantage of Prachi's vulnerability, knowing she felt something for him. :) Hmm, Prachi was a typical South Asian, wasn't she? But I'm glad you liked her. I intended the story to be based upon Prachi's Indian-ness. The prompt was, after all about travel and experiences in a new country, so I wanted to give Scorpius the Indian experience complete with a poor girl who swept for a living complete with her giggly snarkiness. And yes, these people have dignity. All of them, in fact. It's not just Prachi. The kiss. :D:D:D Ha, thank you! I'm glad you liked it. :D This kind of a kiss on a rainy evening in Mumbai... :D Yes, Prachi had to lose herself to Scorpius, somehow, and this was her moment. And you have interpreted her emotions so correctly! And I'm glad you found the awkwardness after that realistic! Ha, you know what, I think Scorpius would have married Rose after all; at the end of this. :D Maybe he went back to Britain and fell in love again with Rose (or Hugo. :p) But frankly, even though I wrote this, I couldn't imagine Scorpius with Prachi. They were good, but not meant to be-- at least according to me. A Malfoy marrying a sweeper girl would be like... O.o for the wizarding world. Of course, that wasn't why I killed Prachi-- that was just the plot. I wanted Scorpius's experience from India to be with him mentally, not physically. Just an experience... a memoir. Like I said, I imagine she died of a disease. Originally, I had plotted for her to get sick and for Scorpius to notice and not be able to do much about it, but then that interrupted the flow, so I decided to leave this vague. Dengue fever was what I had decided for her, in case you're interested. :) But that would make it medical and I didn't want that. Plus the story is about Scorpius more than Prachi, so it didn't make sense to say that much about her. This review was so, so good, Nadia! Thank you, and all the best to you, too! *huggles* Love you, little sis! :*

Jamie, this was just... wow. It definitely has to be one of the best mystery stories I've read. Your writing style and vocabulary kind of made me feel that I was inside some murder mystery show like Castle, White Collar or CSI. It was electrifying, captivating and, at some times, rather bone-chilling.

Firstly, I must tell you that I absolutely loved Harry. He was so professional and so much more mature than the Harry we've read about in the books, and yet he still retains the sense of loyalty he feels towards his friends (It’s understandable that this is the Harry Potter we know and love, especially here: nor could he quell the odd feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was somehow returning home.) I can understand how guilty he feels by suspecting Neville. Neville has been his good friend since childhood, and suddenly having to suspect him for a murder and then arresting him must have been a huge dilemma for him. Your words have managed to transfer that pressure onto me, and I found myself pursing my lips and hoping that something would come up so Harry doesn't have to do this.

For the barest of moments, Harry closed his eyes, before turning the handle and entering the office. This line was so poignant, and having it as a separate paragraph managed to increase its significance tenfold. I’ve seen you do this a couple of other times (for example, the last line of the prologue, which was completely a bolt from the blue), and they have always rendered the same effect. I ended up sighing and shaking my head when I read the line. I could tell that Harry absolutely hated doing this, but he had no other choice. Duty was duty, and he had simply had to do it. I liked how he dressed up so professionally for this, just so that Neville understood that it was obligatory, no matter how much he hated it. I felt so sorry for both of them.

One thing I found interesting was the way you included all the FACTS and SUSPECT things. I felt like listing them all so that I could form my own folder for the case, haha. This originality is really commendable. I do wonder, though, if it would be better in italics. Having it in bold sort of breaks the flow slightly and looks like a division. I think having it in italics might make it look a bit better.

I love how you so professionally and accurately wrote the toxicology report and the list of licences. As I said above, this makes the story look exactly like a real murder mystery, and I think you’ve researched really, really well... and it makes me think whether you actually deal with these stuff in your real life, hehe ;-).

So far, the case looks like it would go against Neville. The plot twists were baffling, and every piece of evidence that came against Neville was bone chilling. My eyes widened at this line: “but if memory serves, Longbottom keeps a bowl of these on his desk." I know Neville didn’t do this (knowing your reputation, I’m sure you wouldn’t make Neville a murderer, lol) but still, this was a startling piece of evidence. All these facts combined with Neville’s nervousness and stuttering undeniably indicate that Neville is the murderer. You’ve done a good job at making it look like that!

The proof against Neville is substantial. I really want to know what it was that Neville and was talking about with Marcus. While I know that it is shocking for any father to hear that his daughter is sexually involved with a boy, I really, really doubt that he would go to the extent of killing him, and especially so if the dad happens to be Neville. Frankly, I don’t think Neville would do that. That leads me to wonder who would be able to sneak into Neville’s office, let alone his private stash in the room of requirement, to get the dragonbane and slip it into the sweets. This mystery has got me perplexed.

I absolutely can’t wait for the next chapter. You’re stunning and gripping tale has got me hooked, and I am waiting with baited breath for the next chapter.

--Nadia

Ooh, Carole, this was fantastic! This is the first time I've read a Louis-centric story, and your portrayal of him has me wanting for more. I’ll definitely be trolling your author page in case you decide to write another one. =)

Making Louis have an abstract Boggart was a very interesting premise. Most Boggart stories I've read include the characters having a distinct, physical Boggart that they can see and attack, but the idea of Louis fearing something that he can’t even understand had me very intrigued. You had me gripped, and though I had a vague idea of what his Boggart could be, I couldn't rest till I found out.

Your Louis was an engaging character: slightly withdrawn and yet strong enough to tackle his own fears. I was glad that he wasn't immensely popular and had a small circle of friends -- after all, everyone couldn't be James. This makes him much more believable. I wished, though, that instead of turning a blind eye to Finch he would stand up for himself. If he had, Finch wouldn't have gotten so far. Finch was a prat, and I absolutely hated how he called Louis “Wussley.” Louis would have been more that right to tell him something from the very beginning.

Your writing was, as usual, flawless. Everything strings together perfectly, and it all flows together so naturally that I managed to get through the whole story without getting bored. You have that natural talent for writing, Carole, something that I always aspire for. =) Lines such as but there was something about the way Molly was looking at him, her blue eyes so knowing, that made him turn away. and Louis stared at the now silent wardrobe, aching for another turn, but the Boggart had gone. have a way of striking the reader and making them see the scene as clearly as if they see it through their eyes. Good job, Carole!

I loved the ending, though; it was brilliant how both Laura and Louis managed to get rid of their Boggarts without any outside help. At the end of the day, Louis’ Boggart made perfect sense, really. As shown in the first few paragraphs, he was overshadowed by his older sisters and their family name, expected to be great, but ultimately it wouldn't have mattered because he wouldn't be the first to do it. In some ways, I can draw parallels between him and Ron. In DH we saw that Ron was afraid of being unimportant, and in your story, Louis was afraid of being nothing. That was rather intriguing.

The ending paragraph was very adorable. Throughout the whole story I felt an inkling that something would end up happening between the two of them (She’s pretty when she laughs, Louis thought inconsequentially.). I realize that a kiss on the cheek doesn't really mean “ending up together,” but I do hope that in the future it might bloom into a more intimate relationship. I certainly wish to see a bit more of them.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. Well done, Carole!

--Nadia

Author's Response: I've had to stop flailing before I respond because flailing makes my typing even worse - hee hee.

First off, thank you so much for such a lengthy and in depth review. Hmm, let me go through some parts now.

I've had some thoughts about Louis because he's the one person in NG canon that I can't quite fix. But I had a line in one of my stories from Dominique who was talking to Scorpius about people and the positions they play at Quidditch. For her brother she said 'Louis flies because the rest of us did.' and it was that understatement I wanted to to explore. Now, Dominique in my canon isn't altogether 'nice' but she is fiercely protective of her family. However I can see her being dismissive of Louis and not seeing what's underneath. I'd also written him as very close in age to James, so wanted to play off that dynamic.

The fear being more abstract, I sort of took the idea from the books. Harry fears 'fear' not the Demento but what it provokes, and Hermione fears failure, so it didn;t seem completely off the wall that Loius could have a less tangible fear. The idea that he was scared of being nothing came to me, and then that mixed up with other people's perception that he was scared of nothing, made it more interesting to write. Really pleased you liked his fear and how I represented it.

Hmm, do they end up together? Not sure. Louis is still very young, but I can see them having a sweet type of relationship that fizzles out. I do think they'd remain friends, though. I also liked the fact Louis got a girlfriend before James - heh heh heh.

Thank you again for the fab review. It really made my day :) ~Carole~

PS: I have plans for Louis, just no idea when I'm writing them.

Jess, this was a very interesting story. I’ve never considered the possibility of Hugo being a Squib, but your story does this topic justice. By using the Weasleys as the affected family, you’ve managed to describe all the sufferings a family has to go through when there is a Squib in the household. The story flows well nicely, and the characterisations were very accurate, though rather depressing. Under the circumstances, though, it is exactly how I would expect each of them to act.

The first thing that drew me towards the story was the summary. It is short and concise, and I think this is more effective way to have an impact on the reader. One knows that something is going on the moment they read the summary, and this is confirmed in the beginning paragraphs of the story itself. Though we do not exactly know what Hugo is doing, phrases such as “pen stroke”, “green ink” and “expecting from his honorary Uncle Neville at Hogwarts” give us quite a clear indication of what is happening.

The initial couple of paragraphs acts as a mini-prologue, I think, and I like how there is a difference between them and the following scene. It starts off overlooking the dismal tones, and yet as it goes on, I start to notice a few hints scattered here and there. I do like how you do not straight out tell us that Hugo is a Squib, but rather use obscure hints to indicate his condition. For example, the time when Hermione think about how Ron would feel when his brothers would go off to Hogwarts leaving him alone, but Ron did still get to go, eventually. This kind of confirmed for me that Hugo could not go to Hogwarts.

This reality must have been so demoralising for him, and you’ve managed to express this really well. Hugo’s characterisation was perfect for a child of his age -- I imagine that his idea of sending a Hogwarts letter to his parents was a desperate attempt by a child who could not believe he was not going to attend Hogwarts. I especially felt sad when he actually came running down the stairs for his letter -- poor child! His certainty that his parents didn’t want him to go was also another good idea. I’ve often seen many children behave that way, and I myself was guilty of this “You don’t want me to do it” tantrum when I was a child. I also liked how he thought Mums weren’t girls … so they weren’t allowed to cry! This, I think describes a young child’s psychology well, because parents are like gods in their eyes; they are not allowed to show emotions -- just be strong for their children. Poor Hugo. He really didn’t deserve this, and I believe his character couldn’t have been written any better.

Speaking of parents, Ron and Hermione’s characterisation was spot on. I must have been devastating to know that their youngest son was a Squib, especially for Ron, considering that he was a Pureblood and cannot imagine life without magic. His reaction to the letter -- a vein on his forehead pulsed frighteningly. -- seemed accurate to me, because as a father he is bound to be mad at a person playing such a cruel joke. His fierce love for his family is well represented here, and I’m glad to see that, despite of Ron usually being the comical character, he was the strong one here. As the head of the family, he needed to be strong. I’m glad, though, that this did not shrouded the usually comical Ron; the plate crashing and the usual “bloody hell” are enough to keep Ron in his usual character. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed a bit too weak here. Then again, I guess she is allowed to be, considering her son was going through such a hard time.

I do believe that this story could have been a bit longer, though. If we got some insight about Rose, her sympathetic (or probably mocking?) nature, or maybe even the Potters or rest of the Weasleys, it would have been nice. Or maybe at the end you could describe how Hugo went on to be successful in the Muggle world? It would be lovely to see that despite all these, Hugo managed to overcome his sadness and start afresh, excelling in whatever he did.

Going through this again, I realise that the two Squibs we see in the series are usually there for slight comic relief, and hence the readers tend not to feel much for them. However, after reading this story, I can understand how hard it is for both the child and the parents to adjust to the situation. The emotions that the Weasleys show were very well done, especially Hugo’s hysterics. I felt so sorry for him, especially when the latter was snatched out of his hand and destroyed, because that was his only hope of ever going to Hogwarts. Having his dreams crushed must have been so difficult for him, and his description of “poor, tormented son” fits quite well because of that. I can’t imagine any other description that expresses his despair so aptly. You’ve handles this “sensitive” topic very well, and I commend you for this.

Thank you for the amazing read, Jess! I’ll be sure to look at more of your stuff soon.

--Nadia :)

Hi, Katrina!

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Harry/Ginny here, and from the very start, I think you’ve done a great job. You’ve captured the essence of the post-war really well, as well as the Weasley characterisations. The writing was well done, and the Harry/Ginny vibe is also perfect. Good job!

The first thing I’d like to talk about is the writing. I appreciate how you wrote this in the present tense, because that makes it more real to me, for I think that I’m reading it as it is happening, not how it happened. For me, it’s more interesting this way, and that’s one thing that drew me in. Second, I love how the mood shifted from happy and carefree to sombre. Initially, when Ginny rambles about how Christmas was as a child, it seems very innocent and has this childlike quality, for children tend to speak in one go like that. As she thinks about Fred, though, the mood suddenly shifts, and I think that was well done because for the Weasleys, losing Fred was the hardest thing and a definite transition in the emotions in the family. Even during the war, things were okay because they were together. After the war, though, their family went from being whole to broken. It was a defining moment and that’s why I think that the shift in tone while thinking about Fred was perfect -- it sort of reflected the disposition of the family, as well. This transition was very well done and seems natural to me, so well done on that.

Ginny’s emotions were very well done and I could feel her grief while she talks about Fred and her family. This is very clear in this line: “The problem is that every one of them was happy to die for the war, but none of them were prepared for going on having lost someone else.” I feel that that is exactly what war is about, and it shows just how upsetting losing a family member is. Furthermore, with lines like when her breath caught in her throat every time the post arrived and she saw the Prophet, when she watched children be tortured and heard them scream and stood by, helpless, and Her family needs her, and she will be strong. She will try to make George laugh, and support her mother who can’t stop crying and her father who is grieving more than he lets on, you define two of her most important traits: her strength and her vulnerability. In the books she was defined as very strong and unyielding, and this can be seen in the latter line when she wants to be strong for her family. Her weakness, too, as we see in PS and CoA, is depicted in the first line. These two sentences, I think are great representations of Ginny, and I believe you have nailed her character.

Her interactions with the other characters, too, were well done. Her conversation with her mother seems pretty accurate to me, due to the fighting and the bickering. That’s how their relationship always was and I think you’ve handled it well. I especially loved it when she talks about Ron and Hermione -- Ron writing longer letters to Hermione and shorter ones to the others was very funny. Ron and Hermione are two of my favourite characters in the Potterverse, and this portrayal of them is, I think, perfect. After all, Ron loved her for a long time (though he had no idea) and he’d try to express that in any way, and writing longer letters, even though if it is just mushy stuff, seems to be in his character. Silly Ron. Also, I am touched when Ginny thinks about her and Harry’s relationship and wishes to go forward. Even though he’s ignored her, I’m glad she still wants to work it out and went over to Harry herself. Probably that’s what having a crush forever on someone does to you, hah.

As for Harry, though, while I agree that he has this “saving people thing”, I don’t think he’d cut everyone off. He might be shy, but he would talk with the people closest to him. Having gone through such a big trauma, I’d have thought he would want his family to stick close to him from the beginning. Still, I do like what happened in the end! I’m glad that Ginny could pull him out of his isolation. Harry was characterised well -- I like how he was calm at first and erupted later on, because that’s always been how he was when he was mad (like with Seamus in OotP). Finally I’m really happy that Harry decided to go home and that Ginny got it through his thick skull that he needed to come home in order to heal. This part was very sweet, and it brings the story to a full circle: Happy to sad to finally happy.

Overall, the excellent characterisation and great writing style made me fall in love with this story, and I’m glad I decided to read it. Well done and thank you for that enjoyable read!

--Nadia :)

Author's Response: Hi Nadia, Thank you for this absolutely lovely review!!! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I'm glad you liked the present tense - I usually like to play around with tenses and points of view in my stories, and I agree, I think present tense gives a story a certain immediacy. I juxtaposed the innocent and childlike memories with the sadness of Fred's death to make it even sadder, so it's good that came across. And I think you've understood exactly what I meant to show - the Weasley family are broken now in a way they weren't during the war, and I think when people are fighting, they feel like they're fighting for something and itwill all be worth it, and sometiems at the end they've lost so much that it doesn't feel worth it anymore. Thanks for saying Ginny's emotions were done well - I agree, I think her vulnerability and her strength are both important. In the books, she seems to be quite strong and won't let others into her emotions, but I wanted to get inside her head and show her vulnerable side as well. And I'm glad you think I ailed her character... I"ve never written either Harry or Ginny (except as really minor characters) before, so I was a bit nervous about that. I'm glad you thought I got Ron and Hermione, because while I've always found I understood Hermione, I've found it hard to write Ron as well. BUt I think he grew up a lot in DH and he would feel so lucky to have her that he would try really hard. And yeah, his letters probably aren't the best achievements of the ENglish language, but I don't think Hermione would care. I see your point about Harry - and in a way, I think he did want his family/friends close. The way I see it is that he saw all the trauma/loss in his friends and didn't know how to handle it, whereas all the physical things he did to try and fix the wizarding world were things he knew how to do. Plus I think there's a sense of martyrdom about Harry, and he doesn't want himself to be happy while others aren't. But that's just my interpretation, and there are lots of different ones which are equally believable, so I understand why you thought that was a bit OOC. I wanted to end the story on a happy note - probably because generally I'm an optomist, and I like to think that they did fight for something worth having in the war, and they will eventually be able to heal, at least to a point. So I didn't want to end it in a "happy ever after" way, but more in a there's still hope for the future way. Anyway, thank you again so much for this lovely review, it has made my day a lot better!! ~Katrina