I read this story for the first time five months ago. Back then, I was not a registered user so I couldn’t leave a review. Now, I think, is the time to tell you just how much I love it.

There are many reasons why Visits from Fred was my first favorite story on MNFF. The characterization is superb. You not only captured major characters like Fred and the Trio, you even gave us a convincing Charlie Weasley. I love how you portrayed each of them differently, gave them different perspectives on Fred’s death, and yet managed to keep the same Fred throughout. Ron’s anger, Percy’s remorse, Arthur’s tendency of holding his emotions in- everything was tastefully done.

The story also succeeds at invoking an array of emotions in the reader. We laugh and we cry by turns. Fred never forgot his trademark sense of humor, not even when he had come to handle deeply grieving people. His jokes were as funny as ever. You know, I cried so hard the first time I read it; tonight was no different. And the funny thing was, I was laughing at the same jokes.

However, the biggest reason why I love this fic is that it helped me cope with Fred’s death. When I read that chapter in Deathly Hallows, I was in shock – how can Fred die? How can the laughter end? I pondered over his death from a dozen angles, trying to understand why it had to be him, why he had to die. And you gave me the much needed explanations through this story. I can never thank you enough.

Now that you praised my last review so much, I feel as if I have a standard to live up to. :D

Like I said earlier, I am really happy that you gave Regulus not only personality, but also an intense vitality. His story, as told in the books, is almost like a puddle on the roadside; a large number of readers hardly feel the need to try its depth. A puddle is a puddle is a puddle. Yet they can’t really be blamed because the only two characters who actually give us some knowledge of the man are Sirius and Kreacher, both of whom divide the world in black and white.

I think Rowling sort of intentionally left him in the mercy of her readers. She paints her world in a vibrant array of colors. If there is a Molly Weasley and a Bellatrix Lestrange, there is a Dolores Umbridge and an Augusta Longbottom. Regulus was (another repetition), I feel the perfect foil to Draco and Barty. All of them are three rich pure-blood wizards raised with strict principles and by dominating, and consequently, imperfect parents. Their main aim in life was to prove themselves, to throw themselves into a blinding light for all to see, away from the shadows of their fathers or brothers who so imposingly stood tall before them. However, they were not really the same- Draco was cowardly, Barty was clearly courageous in spite of his revolting cunning and barbarity, while Regulus had, as you succinctly put it, “a quiet sort of bravery.” It shows us in the way she tells us the story of his redemption. His defeat of Voldemort was a hushed and personal affair. It was almost as if Rowling was giving us a clue of how Regulus must have been in real life- intelligent, determined, and independent but also, I daresay, irresistibly conscientious. He was taking his revenge not only for the pains Kreacher had suffered, but for the far more indelible scars his own servitude to Voldemort had left on him, for all the dashed dreams and illusory ideals.

And I think with Rowling, everything tends boils down to parentage (or lack of it) in the end. She made a humongous effort to show us a wide variety of fathers and mothers. She said somewhere that Arthur Weasley was the best father in the entire series. I say he was the best parent. Molly was a great mother but the standards she set for her children took their toll on some of them, like Percy and Ron. I am bringing up this point because your portrayal of the Black couple runs parallel to this theme (This is a point I left out in the previous review. Sorry!). Walburga and Orion expect too much of their sons and both crack up. One runs away from his home, his hatred for his parents irrevocable and irreversible; the other is forced to stay back to parrot their beliefs as well as compensate for the lost son. You put the spotlight on this battle of willpower time and again, successfully proving without so much as pointing it out in words, the consequences of bad parentage.

Err…the review already looks like an essay and I haven’t even got to your latest update. Sorry about that.

The sudden shift in tone and pace caught me by surprise. Now, there was an urgency of purpose very unlike how Regulus had felt when Bellatrix asked him to join the Death Eaters. Stripped of all illusions, he knows his life is hanging by a thread now. A deadline is set for a near-impossible task and Regulus…does not care as much as he should. Which is actually something I like him for. The difference between him and his brother is once again thrown into sharp relief. He is less reckless, more methodical.

I marveled at his predicament. Seriously. He must either fathom Dumbledore’s brilliant mind or Voldemort’s. And he gives the higher priority to the more deadly one. Here, I want to congratulate your beta reader; your Voldemort is just so believable and seductive. I love the fact that someone other than Dumbledore, one who makes his conclusion with immeasurable wisdom, is studying the intricate nature of Voldemort’s mind. Especially since that someone shares a more intimate relationship with the man.

I also loved the way you provided glimpses of the Order. It is interesting to see them working through a non-member’s perspective. Peter is already a double-agent, isn’t he? Stinking rat! The fact that Regulus isn’t aware of this makes me sad somehow. It would have saved his brother a lot of trouble later.

And what a cliffhanger! I can’t wait for the next chapter.

Author's Response: Thank you so much for another amazing review! Don't worry about trying to live up to your last review, yours are always wonderful. :) I'm really flattered that you describe Regulus as having an "intense vitality." Looking back at the finished story, I worry that he didn't have enough personality, and didn't make enough definitive decisions on his own, without being pushed into it. I think he's a little more assertive in the second half of the story, though. Aw, he was never a puddle to me. I remember I started writing a one-shot about each of the Black cousins, and the one I got stuck on was Regulus. I couldn't write anything about him, because he seemed to complex to me. Eventually the one-shot turned into this. XD

It's interesting that you mentioned the way in which J.K. Rowling told Regulus's story. I agree with what you said -- it was almost brushed to the side, like an act of supreme bravery that no one ever knew about. I think that was one of the main things that fascinated me about Regulus's story... the fact that he did this thing and never felt the need to tell anyone about it. It wasn't for attention or any sort of pu,pblic redemption. It was a private redemption he wanted; he was squaring with himself. I think the saddest part of the whole story is that Sirius died never knowing that his brother was a hero, and a very good person. Sirius's opinion of his brother in OotP convinces me that he never knew his brother's true convictions.

Parents were a really important theme in the Harry Potter series, largely because Rowling lost her mother right as she began the series. :( I definitely tried to continue that theme, as you mentioned. Also, I'm a psychology major, so that might be part of it too. :P Yes, I'm fairly convinced that the Black parents were fairly terrible... not Orion so much, who was merely negligent in my mind, but Walburga, who was a vicious fanatic of the worst sort. Sirius reflects that terrible upbringing with his heavy drinking, his womanizing, and his reckless disregard for rules, not to mention an addiction to adrenaline. Regulus reflects it with his blind obedience, his cowardly demeanor, and a deep mistrust of himself. Parent-child relationships are fascinating to me, and I guess it shows in this story. :D I'm glad you noticed a change in tone and immediacy, because I meant for Regulus to become increasingly more paranoid, more desperate, as the story went on. I think the reason he doesn't care as much as he should is because you're starting to see the first signs of him losing his rationality and his perspective of the world. Thanks, about the Order. They always fascinated me too and it was hard not to write more about them in this story lol! Yes, Peter is already a double agent, the fool. I don't even think Regulus knew his name sadly... :( He was a very plain and talentless boy from what I understand, definitely not 007 material like oh say Sirius. ;) And do you think Regulus would have told Sirius that Peter was a double agent? I'm not so sure... he was a double agent of sorts as well. But probably in the end he would tell his brother, you're right.

Thanks again for the incredible reviews... they make my day, really they do. I act like a little kid on Christmas whenever I get a lengthy review, so thank you! :D

There is something about your writing that…I actually don’t know how to put it in words and say exactly what I want to say – it’s a silly contradiction where language fails to function for itself. But, let me try - there is something about it that sucks me into the story, moves me and makes me cry. I am irrevocably involved.

I am going to divide my review into two parts, one for each chapter.

Principles of Opposition

I like the way you use action in your fic. It is never hurried, even though it doesn’t come often. And when it does, it makes up for the absences. I really liked the scene with the Aurors. I think I was holding my breath along with James there. By the way, I think this is the closest that you came to the James I have in my mind – his protectiveness for Sirius has never been shown to this extent in this story before. What I loved most about this scene was Regulus’ escape – it was brilliant (literally or not lol). This shows us, once again, Regulus is not all about theorizing – he can do magic with the best of them.

Elise – I was a little unsure about the Elise in this chapter. In the chapter that you introduced her (Chapter 3, Cain and Abel), I got the feeling that she was going to be a piece of work, not as crazy as Bellatrix (she did express distaste at the torture), but surely a notch above the rest. Suddenly, I felt that she was less than I expected, as though she was just one of the Death Eater statistics.
“She traipsed placidly along, secure in the assurance that Lord Voldemort would take us to a suitable, if not desirable, location.”
This was one of the few parts which seemed in character for me, as it shows us about her idealization of Voldemort.

Gideon and Fabian – You wrote a great Gideon. At first, I wondered about Gideon not acknowledging Regulus, or being acquainted with him at least, seeing as pure-bloods like to stay in touch, and they are related by marriage. But, then, I remembered, Sirius and Molly did not seem that close in OOTP either. In any case, I think you try to stay as close to canon as possible (in fact, you have an ingenious was of weaving your way into and around it), so I thought Gideon being held for torture in the cellar without Fabian was a little odd. I thought they fought five Death Eaters and died then and there (Moody’s words). Then again, I think using Gideon was a good idea as we need someone significant being tortured in that cellar. Merlin! This para sounded like useless rambling.

Il Sombra – That part was fantastic. I can totally imagine Voldemort skipping the part where the woman tries remorse, or scoffing at her for it. Which is a kind of pity because in DH, Harry suggests he tries remorse, and he does not understand what the boy is trying to tell him. Guess he wasn’t paying attention. But this part again solidifies your characterization of Regulus; he hadn’t just stumbled into Voldemort and his Horcruxes (sadly, Rowling left me feeling thus), but he was actually aware of it before Kreacher returned from the episode in the cave.

Dumbledore – Your characterization of this spectacular character was just that – spectacular. This line:
“For a moment, Mister Black, I believed you to be your brother. Silly of me . . . I haven’t been quite up to standard lately. Fawkes, my phoenix, could tell you all about it.”

This line is classic Dumbledore – he says that he confused Regulus with Sirius, seemingly drawing attention to their sameness, but actually highlighting the difference! Another thing that I loved about him in that chapter is – he is actually giving Regulus a chance. Sadly, though, he hasn’t really got the whole picture, has he?

Quantum Immortality

I will always remember this chapter, especially the last part. Always. When I read about Sirius burning the letter, there were tears in my eyes (which was kind of embarrassing as I was still at office, and the person sitting next to me was like, “What happened?”).

I had a funny sensation while reading this chapter. Something like a rollercoaster ride that was unsure of its speed, and all the more better because of that. It started with the urgency of a mission, then slowed down as we moved on to Adele, then things accelerated with Sirius because then I knew, the end was too near and Regulus was going to act, and commit one last act of unsung bravery.

“Morality was an inexchangeable currency – no matter how much good you did, you couldn’t erase the bad, or even negate it.”

This line (or the thought behind it), I think, is the source of Regulus’ inner turmoil. He cannot, will not, ever forgive himself. He does not see himself deserving Sirius’ forgiveness, or Adele’s love. He thinks he is a coward, but really – to refuse what Sirius was offering him on a silver platter, a chance at forgiveness – to refuse that in order to destroy Voldemort, to leave his own bravery in obscurity forever more, is not that being the exact opposite of cowardice?

I love how you characterized Severus Snape in this fic. True, it includes so mnay personality traits which have become Severus, for instance, his refusal to to accept he’s done enough wrong (pre-Lily’s death), his intense dislike of James, his resentment against Lily, the fact that he could never understand why Lily would like James, that he believed he deserved her and wanted so much more from her, that he hated his life and lastly, the fact that he was a true Slytherin.

Most of these themes are explored in Severus fics, but what set your story apart from others is that it lays his emotions bare while avoiding the tendency to paint him as a tragic hero or a misunderstood villain. For once, Severus is completely honest, almost naïve in his unflinching assessment of things. But he is not spluttering, he is not throwing a temper. He’s almost resigned in his contemplation, even though the anger, hurt and resentment are bubbling under the surface. And he proves that he never quite understood Lily, in spite of his love for her.

Also, you employed the perfect narrative technique – Severus’ POV, second person narrative. Usually, our judgment gets clouded because it is so hard to empathize with the sulking, vindictive student. And even if the essential point is not lost, it is nice to read an optimistic Severus for once (even though we know his hopes are going to be dashed).

Brilliant work!

HA HA HA! scorpius was amazing. can't believe that old man is still swaggering.

Author's Response: Lucius may be down, but he's never defeated. :D

Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! I sat there with my mouth open for ten seconds. Oh no! I can't imagine...I mean, the grief that Tom is going to feel just now. This is a brilliant story, my friend. Brilliant!

Author's Response: Why thank you. Two chapters to go. And, to be honest, Tom was just a bit too content. ;-)

Hello again (again)!

What an odd way to write a trilogy. Lol!

Ah…my heart! I feel all sad and warm and gushy and mellow right now. Although you started the trilogy with this, it was a satisfying end to the story cycle. Again, you had me guessing. I thought Harry would give him something like a letter until they reached the forest.

That was just so selfless of Harry. The incidents of The Forest Again was a very personal experience for Harry…which is probably why he understood Teddy needed it, too. The boy needed the strength, didn’t he? And who can be the better source than those whom he loved the most?

Really, Hannah, this was wonderful to read. My only nitpick would be that Victoire was born in May (and named in honour of the victory over Voldy).

Keep writing!

~Natalie

As the person who told the story about Rita Skeeter’s progression into degeneration, I have to say, I rather loved this story. (Excuse the arrogance, but I am rather attached to Rita. Urgh!)

Rita is tricky to write. Yes, she is a complete cow in many sense of the word, but it is hard to get her right. You can’t always portray her as a supremely cocky person all the time, because she has her Achilles’ heel, which is mainly the fact that without her writing, she is nothing. No one to love her, no one to support her. And I could see that vulnerability shining through when she pleads with Amanda (she can’t bear to have her name associated with such a “prosaic” article), and when even the editor himself confesses his dislike for her. One nearly feels sorry for her, but only just.

You captured her arguments really well. True, Rita clothes facts in fabrics of her choice instead of presenting them naked, but you can’t argue the logic behind it. In fact, you can’t even not admire the sheer brilliance of her trickery.

“I don’t make up scandals, Miss Claybourne,” Rita sneered. “I find them. I may exaggerate them, I may choose to feature only a specific and pointed viewpoint, but I write starting from facts. As long as someone despises someone else, and I promise you, everyone is despised by someone, there is scandal to be found.”

Amanda’s face scrunched up. “You certainly don’t stick to the facts,” she said. “You make lots up!”

Rita shrugged, unconcerned. “I do. Details, opinions, perspectives, sources— but the facts! The meaty, sordid facts are real.”

“No, they’re not!” Amanda insisted, her face turning red. “You’re just a liar. You don’t tell the truth unless you’ve got a wand to your head.”

Rita Skeeter laughed out loud. “You silly girl!” She perched herself on the edge of Amanda’s desk. “We don’t sell papers to tell the truth. We give the people facts. It’s not the same thing at all.”

This part was brilliant! You can’t help but concede – she makes sense, she does. And isn’t it true? Don’t people like reading scandalous news?

Amanda Claybourne was a good OC. In her case, I’d have to disagree with the previous reviewer. I pictured her as hating Rita from before (and you do highlight this point early on), and Amanda never really came across as someone who would suck up for brownie points in the office. Besides, you could see that her hard work had been shunted aside for frivolous journalism. I personally wasn’t the least bit surprised by her snappy retort.

Apart from the characterization, you also showed the readers what it is like in a newspaper office. The “business” of the whole place was done nicely, and the editor also seems like a cunning person himself. You know, the type who could run such a whimsical paper like The Daily Prophet.

My only nitpick is that I felt the ending could have been written with more…justice? That isn’t really your fault, though. You wrote it for a challenge, there were word count limits to obey – that can be daunting sometimes.

All in all, I enjoyed reading it. It was funny and enlightening.

~Natalie.

Hello again!

Now, I understand. : ) I’d beta-ed on of your stories a long time ago and I asked you why Andromeda had died so early. : (

The fic definitely started with tension; I kept wondering what could have happened to make Teddy experience that irrational foreboding. And it hit him out of the blue, didn’t it? Andromeda was not old; she was strong and healthy, and had survived through a lot to just give up like that. She was a fighter. But how well do we know people?

While in my personal canon, I see her as a resilient survivor, I’m pretty much open to your interpretation because of two things: (a) grief suppressed over a long time could kill people, and (b) the way you handled the story.

Andromeda had a lot to deal with – her pure-blood family, being ostracized for marrying the man she loved, and then losing her husband, her daughter, and her son-in-law. And it is amazing how she has to handle all those deaths within a short time span. What if Teddy hadn’t been there to look after? I don’t think she could have gone on.

But there was Teddy, and she had to pull herself up. There was this young, wonderful boy to look after, to give her company, to bring her some happiness in his life, and while I personally see that as a reason for her to continue life, I can also get the angle you took. It is possible she suppressed her grief for the sake of this child. It is possible that when he wasn’t there, all she lived with were a few gaping holes. It is possible that she didn’t embrace those voids as long as she had to be strong for Teddy.

Coming back to my second point, I was at first conflicted over the ending. I felt that it wasn’t complete and more should have been added. It was too pessimistic. But then, I thought about the abruptness of her demise. It was realistic. In real life, things like these are seldom drawn out. Besides, he had Harry. That counted for something!

I really enjoyed reading this, Hannah. It was a bittersweet experience.

~Natalie.

Nice one, Amanda!

Ginny was so in character – bold and mischievous. She is obviously as reckless as Harry. Lol! Harry was a surprise though…ah! Who would have thought he would turn out so – romantic? Or maybe, we all knew that somewhere deep down, but never really gave it a thought, eh?

I suppose this is one of those “stolen hours” Harry was thinking about in DH. ;) I like you you have tied in the two fundamental aspects of their relationship in this one shot. One, yes, they are very much in love. Two, they may not be together always – in fact, they may be together only for a short time.

But for now, let those shackles be forgotten. The night indeed is young…

Author's Response:

!!! AAAHH!! I can't believe I didn't responsd to this! *Hangs head in shame.

Anyways, thank you for the lovely review. I adore Ginny, she is one of my favorite characters...and one of those I have trouble writing for some reason. I'm glad you thought she was IC. And I think that Harry is a different person with her, and like most men, isn't always articulate with words. But that he knows he feels something for her and that he wants to tell her that somehow. And that the feels that time is short as well...

*blushes* Anyway, thank you!

~Amanda