It was terrible... No actually I don't think that's possible... there's not a single story of yours I've read which I haven't enjoyed.

What I think I liked the most about this story was how you blurred the lines... it's easy to see bravery and cowardice in a really black and white way - those who stayed were brave, those who didn't cowards, and yet Tracey did do some brave acts but didn't stay.

Tracey was a very relatable central character - as far as it's possible, I could really imagine myself in her position. I think you showed her change of attitude really well, particularly having that first section introducing how she always had been.

I pray to myself that Neville Longbottom might live long enough to hate me forever. That was just a beautiful ending; in fact, the whole last section was just so well-written. I think that line really shows some of Tracey's selflessness - she really does care about Neville.

Neville was also really in character - there's a quality about him in which he always sees the best in people, so I wasn't surprised at all that he tried to convince Tracey to stay. I thought it was good, though, that she didn't, because I think that would have been quite cliched. And as I said at the beginning, the way you wrote it does blur the lines a bit, and it makes me think what I'd do, were I in that situation.

Sorry this isn't the best review, I'm a little bit tired, but I just read this and saw it didn't have any reviews yet so I thought I should just tell you how good it is.

~Katrina

Author's Response:

Helloooo! I haven't posted anything in a while, so it's been a while between visits.

I'm all about writing the other side of the coin. Most everyone likes to think about the heroes and the protagonists and their neverending pits of bravery or about brooding, angsty pseudo-villains like Draco or Snape, but here and there, it's nice to consider the people who didn't stay and their reasons for it. I don't find Tracey to be a coward, honestly, but to be too pragmatic to stay. And as much as she might've wished she were different, she and Neville are too unalike. He would stay and fight until the world ended, but she knew that she wasn't going to find her way out of this situation.

Anyway, this is a bad, bad author response, as I'm headed out the door, but thank you very much for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and have a good evening!

~Jess

I think I've been waiting for this ever since I read the Ron/Hermione Question. This one was just as amusing, with as many things going wrong, but still ending up being very sweet.

I loved the fact that Arthur figured it out first - I think he's a lot more observant than people give him credit for. I also found the way Harry got distracted by Ginny's photograph rather amusing - and this was a great line: Only Ginny could distract me from Ginny!.

But I think this was the best line in the whole story - ‘Master has been chasing Mistress for many years,’ my house-elf tells me. ‘And he always catches her. But not until she wants to be caught.’ That was so funny, particularly since it was coming from Kreacher.

Great mixture of funny and romantic, Neil.

~Katrina

Author's Response:
~Katrina

Thanks for the review. This one took a long time for fome reason. I knew that it wasn't right, so I left it. I "rediscovered" the rough draft a few weeks ago, deleted most of it, and started again.

In most of my stories Arthur will usually know, but never tell (that dates back to "The Mind of Arthur Weasley"). The calendar episode wasn't in the original version at all, and It's one of my favourite bits.

Kreacher surprised me, but he was mellowing after only a few weeks company in DH and after a few years in a house with frequent young guests, I think he'd pick a lot of stuff up.

-N-

This was a very sweet story and I think you did a great job with both their characters. I was amongst those who, initally when DH (the book) was released, thought Neville and Luna would work together, but on further reflection and JK Rowling's statement that Neville marries Hannah, realised that Neville and Luna really aren't suited.

Yet, he knew they would not last outside of this room. If they tried to continue out there, he would either suffocate Luna’s glorious spirit with his need to be reassured that she would stay, or she would madden him with her total lack of structure in living her life. - That's justa perfect explanation of why Neville and Luna don't work together, I don't think I could have put it better.

And yet I also thought it believable that Neville wanted to hold on to Luna, because considering what they'd both just been through, she was someone familiar who he knows understands what he's experienced.

I think you did a great job with Luna, and she's a difficult character to get right. I thought it was so her the way she kept commenting on the sunrise, and the tale was something I could imagine her telling and really worked for this story. It was a little ambiguous, and I also liked that it confused Neville, because I think a lot about Luna confuses him.

I have to admit, for a while I was worried that in the "Fours Years Later" part, they were going to get together again, but what actually happened was great. I like that Luna knows Neville well enough not to just set him up with everyone (as Ginny is trying to, by the sounds of it) and actually picks someone with whom he'll be happy.

Anyway, in general I thought it was a very sweet story and well-written.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thanks. I t was Neville and Luna on the train during OOTP that brought me into the books my son was being read. I went to 4 high schools and I was a Neville-like character and the only friends I made in my last high school were Luna types. So I used that in my first story, 'Luna Lovegood and the Charmed Circle', I had Ginny trying to hook up Luna and Neville. However, Luna demures claiming that if Neville had a girl friend at that time he would spend all of his time trying to be what the girl friend wanted Neville to be and not what he could become. Neville needed to mature to be able to recognize his own worth and accept the love given. I felt Luna and her deep friendship would be the one to let him see and guide him. Thank you for you comments

I have enjoyed all your Epitaph stories sofar, and this one really measured up. I think you've really nailed the internal monologue style of writing - this feels like a really natural flow of ideas.

I'm also very impressed with the Epitaph you actually came up with - as Harry says in this story, it's hard to know how to sum up the life of a man whom everybody hated, without being hateful yourself.

But I think the most poignant part of this story was this - he made me who I am today. Without him, I’d be nothing. - I think Harry begins to come to this realisation in OotP, when he understands that he's not fighting Voldemort because of the prophecy, but because he couldn't bear himself if he didn't. Anyway, I'm going on a bit of a tangent here, but I think that is so true, because without ever meaning, Voldemort actually gave Harry a lot (obviously he also took a lot).

I also loved this paragraph. - Statistics, perhaps? The amount of people he killed? But would that be the amount he killed personally or the amount he was responsible for killing? And what about the people whose lives were ruined? How do you measure the worth of a life? Do you count Muggles as well as Wizards? Creatures as well as humans? Would you count the Death Eaters forced into his service? - I think this really shows the scope of the impact Voldemort has had, and it was really effective to do it through questions.

Your list of possible Epitaphs, as always, occasionally brought a smile to my face. Even though in his internal monologue, Harry thinks Dumbledore would want something like "Head Boy", I think what Harry actually chose would also be what Dumbledore would want, because Dumbledore is all about learning from others, and I don't think he would want anyone to pretend that Voldemort was anything other than he was.

Another well-written story, I'm looking forward to Fred's!

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thank you for your review (yet again), I think I've come to look forward to reading them. I hate to burst your bubble, but this is less of a mastery, and more that I think like Harry instead. I'm glad you liked the Without him, I'd be nothing. line, I debated with myself whether or not to include it for some time. I completely agree with you about the things that Voldemort gave to Harry, he would have been a completely different Harry had Voldemort not existed. The Statistics was really a bit of a joke for a friend of mine who claims that I only deal in melodrama, as I've always imagined that Voldemort would have affected the Wizarding World in a much larger way than he is seen to in the books, and at some point I'm sure there'll be at least a One-Shot with a more intelligent Voldemort posted by me. As to your point on Dumbledore, he's always struck me to be a second-chance time of guy. I honestly think that if Voldemort had turned up at Hogwarts, poked himself in the eyes, and told Dumbledore he was sorry with tears in his eyes that Dumbledore would have forgiven him, but that's just me. Fred's Epitaph has been posted, and is awaiting validation, so keep your eyes peeled! I look forward to the next review (hopefully!).

This was a really interesting story, and a different take on Olive. Somehow I'd always imagined her to be hardly any better liked than Myrtle, and therefore tease Myrtle horribly because she wanted to feel better than someone. But your take is very interesting.

Firstly, I loved the idea of the Queen, and the way you spoke of the other girls as "subjects". I think that particularly worked, because it showed not only that Olive was admired, but that she controlled those around her.

I also liked the idea that Olive finding the body and presumably feeling some sort of guilt - as opposed to Myrtle haunting her - was what really caused the change in Olive. I think you showed two sides of haunting - the way Myrtle physically haunts Olive, and the way Olive's memories haunt her, and you showed that the latter was more powerful and more painful. She could still hear Myrtle everywhere, mocking her, taunting. Even without a ghost, how could she forget the body on the bathroom floor? - I really just loved that part, it was so well-written.

I think it's interesting how both of these girls/women ended up ruined for life - because even though at the end, Myrtle has power over Olive and takes a mean sort of pleasure from it, her "life" is mostly very unhappy, and Olive is also unhappy.

Just a small tense problem - you've written She's had enough - which is in present tense, while the rest is in past. It should be "She'd had enough."

Anyway, I loved the story, as all your stories are, it was very well-written and different.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thank you!

This was a very enjoyable and amusing story... I have to say that I really believed Jenny was a Muggle... at least initially. When Alicia first mentioned Quidditch, I was suspicious, but I wondered if you'd just made a mistake, but it was her thoughts about pounds technically coming from trees that made me realise.

I loved the idea of someone getting back at Fred and George - highly amusing, although no doubt at least Fred will be keen to get the two girls back again.

I loved the bit when Fred and George were making names up for themselves... it feels like the kind of silly thing they would do.

I think you did a great job with the dialogue, which often carried the story, and always felt natural for the characters, even though what Fred and George said was occasionally ludicrous... but then, that is really part of their characters.

Usually in canon we see them in control of situations - basking in the success of a prank - so I smiled at George improvising, and initially thinking he was quite good and then realising he had made a complete mess of it.

Great job with the characters and making this an amusing and enjoyable read.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thank you! Your comment made me re-read my story and gain a whole new perspective on it. I can't read the story without noticing the hints I dropped about Jenny being a witch, because I know they're there. But from an outside perspective, her identity could technically be in doubt until the very end, which adds a new twist. I've always thought Fred and George deserved to be the victims for once :)

Even though this is a fairly common basic plot (the Ron leaving the Auror department and going to work for George part), this story felt really unique. As other reviewers have said, your characterisations are really fantastic.

I loved seeing a George who has clearly suffered and been through a lot, but who has also found something he loved and really moved on with his life.

I also really enjoyed how you portrayed Ron and George's relationship - while they were at Hogwarts, Ron seemed to be a common victim of Fred and George's pranks and they riled him a fair bit, so it was great to see that they've moved beyond this. I particularly loved this line “I think it comes of being a Weasley and living with two brothers who plagued the life out of you.” from George - it was humorous, but still a recognition of the past.

I loved your Hermione, even though she only makes a small appearance. I thought it was typical Ron that he'd expect her to tell him off for leaving the Auror department, and typical Hermione to have been perceptive enough to see he was unhappy and of course to immediately offer to help him find someting else.

I thought you also did a great job with Hannah, as to be running a bar she obviously matured well beyond the 15-16year old who had panic attacks. Also, as much as I believe in a 'reformed' Malfoy, it is nice to see him just being a git sometimes... and getting what he deserves.

And last, but not least, your characterisation of Ron was just absolutely spot on the whole way through.

So all in all, this was a very enjoyable read :).

~Katrina

Author's Response: Katrinaaaaaa! Thank you very much for the review. I enjoyed writing this story because I don;t write a great deal of Ron but I love him as a character in the books. I'm pleased you liked the characterisation and thought they were all IC. I have a problem when George is always depressed post-battle. I know he would never have been quite right after Fred died, but he's too much of a Weasley Twin to be permanently depressed.

I like Draco redemption fics as well, but I get the feeling he'd never change in Ron's eyes and would always be a git in front of him. Plus, I like git Draco as well - hee hee.

Thanks again for the review. It is much appreciated. ~Carole~

This was a great story, I think you did a great job of handling second person, present tense and grasping these two characters.

I liked how, in a way, although Remus was telling the story, it's almost more about Sirius... or equally as much about both of them. The second person really put me in Remus' position and made me consider what it would be like to have Sirius as a friend.

I loved how you showed two sides of Sirius - on one hand, he remains his old jokey self, or at least he tries to. I loved his comments to Remus about Tonks, I think that really showed that underneath what he has suffered, he is still Sirius and Remus is a close friend.

I adored this paragraph - You become aware of his hands. Those tremors, those ever present trembling fingers were not there before. You notice the way that if the window is open, if a whoosh of wind is heard, your old friend seizes up, closing his eyes, bracing himself against chills of a nonexistent Dementor. You take in the way that at loud noises, if someone yells in surprise, Sirius will cover his ears, blocking out his old inmates screams. (Perhaps you could say "fellow inmates' screams", as they were inmates of Azkaban, not Sirius - also you missed the apostrophe.) I think it's great how you dwell on the small things, like the trembling of his hands, because it is really in those things that you can see the change. That paragraph in particular created the idea of a haunted man, perhaps on the edge of insanity, and it worked very well.

Guess they needed a bit more than love in their case. You stare at him, and he avoids your eyes. I'm just saying that they would have benefitted a lot more with a knife to Wormtail's throat than any more bloody love. - That line was so in character for Sirius and really showed the sort of mood he was often in during OotP, when obviously the loneliness and the uselessness he felt got the better of him.

And finally the last section - that is just glorious. I love how you rely on dialogue for it, whilst there is no dialogue in the rest of the story. The rest of the story feels a little reflective, even though it's in present tense, whereas in the final section I was right in the excitement of the moment. Plus it's just such a Marauder-ish thing to do. It was just the perfect ending for the story - particularly this line "Well, it means we're bloody incredible so we're going to live forever.".

I have just a little bit of criticism:
This line - It’s after a conversation with Arthur Weasley that you see it. Arthur had asked about Sirius, wondering how he was doing. The phrasing just felt a little awkward, perhaps you could just get rid of the second sentence, I think the story would make sense without it.

Also just one time you slipped into past tense - It was after the conversation that you watch Sirius more carefully, - it should be "It is..."

Anyway, I really did love this story, I think it really captured the essence of Remus and Sirius and what became of them.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thanks for the lovely review Katrina! Yes, I didn't realise while writing it, but I guess I really had to delve more into Sirius's personality then Remus's, the fic really is more Sirius-centric, even if it is from Remus' point of view. I went back and fixed the errors you mentioned, thanks for pointing those out, I also agree with the awkward phrasing, I took your advice and got rid of the second sentence. Thanks for the praise on the last part, though it tore me apart inside, I really enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

This was a very enjoyable story - it was light, but also excellently written. Your characterisations of all three were fantastic and the dialogue really seemed to flow between them seamlessly and naturally.

I think this was just a beautiful moment to capture - as other reviewers have said, there is a bittersweet tone to it, especially in the line “We’ll take him out next year,” James promised, stretching an arm across her shoulders. “All of us - I refuse to let Remus and Peter take our holiday shifts next year.” - because of course we all know where they all are the next year. But nonetheless, I think you really showed their happiness despite the war. This story is a lovely reminder that these three characters were young and could enjoy themselves, despite the tragedy which later surrounds them.

Also, I loved all the humour in this - particularly the swearing - it was amusing but also felt very natural for the characters to be saying.

Anyway, I think I'm starting to repeat myself... this was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read!

~Katrina

Author's Response: I squee-ed when I saw I got a review from you :). Thank you so much for commenting on the story - I'm glad you thought the characterization and humor were nice, especially humor because I feel like that's where I struggled the most. I'm also happy you thought it wasn't entirely sad; I wanted it to be more of an uplifting story in seeing how the Marauders weren't always shrouded by darkness and death. Thank you again for your lovely review! xx Ariana

This story is an interesting concept, and I think you did a great job of showing exactly why Narcissa made that choice. I think it's an interesting choice, and as with many other things in canon, ultimately it comes down to love.

My favourite line is definitely this - Maybe I had more in common with them than I thought. I think that's really an idea that could go both ways, and it's often something that comes up in war, when those fighting recognise that their enemies are simply human. And I loved how you connected it through Tonks, and through the idea of having a son for whom you would die.

I thought the idea that Narcissa hated dead bodies and almost seems repulsed by death is very interesting. In general I think she's an interesting character, because as far as we know, though she had ties with the Death Eaters, she never joined like Bellatrix did, and I think in this story you really show why not. Because I think Narcissa has experienced love in a way her eldest sister never has, which is why I think the idea of death repulses her. This line was great - Maybe I had more in common with them than I thought.

Somehow I think this story would have worked even better in present tense (not that I imagine you'll change it because that takes a considerable amount of time), just because of the immediacy of Narcissa's thoughts, although that is just m opinion.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable read, and you really fitted it around canon very well.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I loved that line too when I wrote it. I agree with what you've said about Narcissa, Bellatrix feels very blasé about death because she's never had anyone who she truly cares about, and can't even imagine what it would feel like to lose someone close to her because it's simply not a possibility. However, Narcissa has a family she loves and can't imagine losing, so that combined with her sister's cavalierness about death and such is what gave her a bit of a phobia of death, corpses and such. Thanks so much for the review, I'm glad you liked it!