I just finsihed reading this after a marathon of several hours. I really don't know what to say. This was completly breathtaking. This is exactly what I've always wanted to write. "Epic" just doesn't seem enough to describe this.

After my entire circle of friends "broke up" with me two weeks before graduation last year, this really hit home. Redemption, and how noone can despise you as much as yourself. OK, I'm rambling. But thank you for sharing this. I cried. Your way with words is so amazing and as a physics nerd the incorporation of it made it even more beautiful to me.

Seriously, this review is absolutely terrible, sorry about that.

Please, please, please, write another story!

Ok, so once I'd read the Snape Epitaph I just had to read this one as well.

It's a different tone, obviously, and I really like this one as well. Like in the other one, the humour is very, very good. It's just so Ron (who spoke of Merlin's saggy Y-fronts and the backsides of baboons) to express himself like that. And despite the fact that my fics are all high and mighty angst, the humour is probably what I love the most about HP.

I love the image of him sending up a spark in front of all the people (they've got to be many) who've come to Harry's funeral. It would've made me tear up if I didn't have to keep my coolness in front of my dorm mates ;)

Again, brilliant work. The only criticism I have this time is the constant reference to Hermione being so up-tight. Although, again, this is my own issues; I've been told so many times that I "am" Hermione, and I definitely don't want to be percieved as the strict one.

I'll be watching you as an author!

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked both of these fics enough to review both of them, thank you for that. I'll apologize in advance for the fact I'm probably going to give you a really, really, really long response again. Sorry. No, that's a lie. I'm enjoying responding to your reviews. I have to admit to you, that most of my other fics are much more dark and angsty than this series, like your fics too. These have been the only fics that I feel I have managed to successfully insert jokes into. I'm touched that I nearly made you cry, I admit I was sobbing when I wrote it (When asked about it by family, I was too sad to lie. I'm not allowed to mention HP to them anymore...) and I'm glad that a) I'm not the only sap in the world, and that b) my writing was good enough to make you feel that sad. I like your criticism, I didn't mean for Hermione to come across in this manner. l, like you, am often referred to as a 'Hermione' (although I'm pretty sure I'm more of a Luna), and it does get on my wick. Hermione isn't uptight, I just think that she has strong views on certain issues, the way that people are treated being one of them. Honestly think about it, if someone you knew and loved had an epitaph of 'the time he got so drunk he wet himself made me lol', would you be happy? I'd guess no, most people wouldn't be, that's where Hermione stands. I do know that Hermione is mentioned rather a lot in Ron's mind, but I can't imagine Ron not thinking about Hermione a lot. By this time, they are obviously married, with children, and presumably have a happy marriage (possibly resembling that of Arthur and Molly's). I can see in my mind's eye Hermione's voice actually becoming Ron's conscience. Throughout the books, she does tend to act as conscience for he and Harry. Because Ron loves Hermione so much it's her opinion that matters most to him, so whatever he writes must be as good, if not better than whatever Hermione would write. In essence, Hermione isn't uptight, or strict, she's just caring and has a working conscience. Much thanks for the review :)

I loved this, it was beautiful. I espacially loved the image of the winter forest with the frozennstreams and such,,, the words came alive and I could see it all very clearly. Beautiful work.

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I'm glad you had such a strong visual image, I usually do as well when I write and am just glad to know it's come across on screen. I'm glad you enjoyed this story. Thank you so much for reading it and for the lovely review - I really appreciate it! ~Gina :)

Soraya,

I had a five hour train journey yesterday so I was really glad to have something to do and of course I'll review this (but be warned, my reviews are in no way SPEW worthy, they're kind of crap actually :P)


I enjoyed this very much. It is definitely not the usual type of fic that I choose to read (not femmeslash per se but the style) so that I felt compelled to continue is a very very good thing (thank you, I needed new influences, getting so bored with my own taste).

What I think was especially well done is the way you reminded me of falling in love for the first time. The physical pain, and pleasure, it is to be near the one you love who doesn't have a clue and is just way too close... Reading this, I remembered all that (I sound like a really old lady) and needed to know more... That fact that Leanne is in love with a girl who is also her best friend complicates things even more and that's probably why I love slash- it's one thing to be in love with someone who doesn't know, but to see that person with the opposite sex knowing that she will NEVER reciprocate your feelings because that is just not how that person ticks.... that's devastating.

Okay, I'm going to stop rambling now and read the next chapters and hopefully I'll return with something that is more like a review and less like a stream of conciousness type of thing......

Lovisa

Author's Response: Hello, Lovisa! Firstly, thank you so, so much for reviewing this. You have saved me! :D

Your review is not crap! Really, it isn't. Even if it were a one-liner, I would be happy :) Seriously. And it's nice to know that, despite the style not being your thing (is it the non-linear-ness, by any chance?), you still seemed to like it and read on anyway. That makes me very happy.

I love the idea of best friends (regardless of gender -- for example, I'm a closet James/Sirius shipper, lol, but I also believe Teddy and Victoire grew up as best friends) falling in love, though it is sad when one friend is completely oblivious, or else brushes it off the way Katie did.

Thank you so mcuh for the review, Lovisa! I will definitely have to repay the favour sometime (probably after my exams, though). Ta lotsly!

~Soraya~

Okay, so I've just finished the second chapter and now I feel a bit confused. I do love the way you're taking this-- adding a bit more complications, parents with substance abuse and all that but at the same time I feel it's a bit sudden... No, sudden is not the right word because you do explain that Katie and Leanne haven't seen each other in a while.. but I feel it's perhaps a bit much? I know it's supposed to shock Leanne how Katie and her mother have changed but perhaps just the fact that Mary has a drug problem is enough?

Also, I do have a bit of an issue with Katie's mother doing heroin. Of course, it's hard to explain this thoroughly within the story because it's perhaps not Katie's favourite topic to discuss... But I think it would have been a bit more believable to have Mary do prescription drugs for anxiety of something like that. Those drugs are very addictive and to me they're a little more plausible for a 40 something (?) year old woman to come by and get addicted to at least if she's never done drugs before... I would probably have mentioned Mary having had a taste for alcohol or something in the past- but that's just me (terrible grammar there, sorry). On the other hand, Katie does address the fact that society (like me) doesn't really expect people like Mary to become heroin addicts.

Meh, I sound really negative, but I did enjoy this chapter a lot! Your descriptions for example are vivid and really puts the reader in the moment- I could picture Katie and her Mum very clearly and almost smell them. You do a fantastic job with that and it's also interesting to see how the Leanne/Katie dynamic has changed now that the "power balance" (don't know what else to call it in English) between them has changed. I'm just picky about drug stories because I've read and experienced way too much about it. Drugs are my "thing" (that sounds bad- I've never done any) and I've been obsessed/fascinated/disgusted with drugs and addiction since I was eleven. Basically, I know too much about it.

In conclusion; I'm really intrigued by how you have turned this story around- it was not at all what I was expecting. I look forward to the next chapter and your writing is really well done. The only objection I have is about the extent of the misery- I think it could have worked and perhaps have been a little more believable to moderate it a little. But again, this is a good story (it's definitely not crap as you said!)

Now I feel really mean, but again, I really enjoy this story! Don't hate me!

(Oh, and about what I wrote in my last review about "style"; what I meant was that I usually read verrrryyyy introspective dark Death Eater stuff- usually in first person. I want to read other stuff but the archives are so vast and I don't know where to begin so most of the time I end up reading those kinds of stories. Simply put, what I meant was that I was glad I started reading this. I should really learn to express myself better- I attribute that to the fact that it's been a while since I studied English and spoke it regularly.)

Author's Response: Thank youuuuuu for such a wonderful and detailed review. I very much appreciate it.

You're right in that it seems a bit sudden. I kind of did intend for it to be sudden, for the very reason you said, because Katie and Leanne haven't seen each other/don't know much about what's going on in the other's household anymore. I did do all the research I could, but, um, as you can imagine, all of it, pretty much, was from the internet (and that was difficult as it was). That sounds like an excuse, eeeep. What I mean is that if there are any inaccuracies, then it's entirely my fault and I really shouldn't have tried going into unknown territory. The thing is, though, the whole story's written from Leanne's POV, not Katie's, and therefore, the main focus isn't on Katie's family, but on Leanne as a character and what she goes through. I'm quite OCDish with changing POVs, especially when it's only once (I somehow don't think it would work that way :S) and I was actually thinking of doing a follow-up where the whole drugs thing is explored in a lot more depth, but I'm very much a binge-writer, unfortunately. I get sudden bursts of inspiration and then whole periods when I don't write anything >.< So I don't know, but I do want to cover it more thoroughly.

I like the idea of Mary starting on prescription drugs, actually. I understand it's a really sensitive topic and obviously one of interest to you -- I might take a second look at it and edit, because the last thing I want to do is offend anyone (and I hope I haven't :S).

On the upside, I am glad you're still enjoying it (I think so, anyway, lol). Description has never been my strong point -- dialogue is more my thing, I think -- so it's nice to know you thought I did a good job with that. And I completely understand what you mean by power balance. I think it's really interesting you pointed that out, actually, considering one of Alex's prompts was power, and another was money. I'm glad you picked up on that, because it was something I wanted to put across in the story :) Oh, and I know they are both rather angsty at this point, but... let's just say you might be pleasantly surprised if you read the third chapter.

I quite like first person, but I can't write it anymore :-/ It can be very well done, like in Thin Red Lines, for example (and Alex's other Lucy stuff). I know what you mean about the archives being so vast -- I feel like that myself sometimes, which is why I usually just review my flist and people I know are active on the boards/archives.

Thanks again for the in-depth review. You really got me thinking, Lovisa! And, FWIW, if I didn't know English wasn't your first language, I never would have guessed. You shouldn't be so apologetic!

~Soraya~

I knew this was going to be great, because I loved all your drabbles for the mini Gauntlet, but I didn't expect to tear up AGAIN, when reading the ending- Ariana slurping her soup and Albus trying be a parent and plan a birthday and then she just wants stupid socks and arghh, it's just too sad. Too well done. Gah, this entire one-shot is fantastic, but that part is painful, in a good way. Well done.

Author's Response: Such high praise! :) Thanks for reading and reviewing! ~Natalie

Oh. My. Gooooodddd.

That was just fantastic. Tiny moments of canon fleshed out to become that... Wow.

Your use of language and symbolism in this was just breathtaking. Thestrals as a symbol for grief/freedom, a thestral's wings/wishing to grow your own/feelings wingclipped, being a Ravenclaw/flying higher than any eagle... I could go on and on. Just beautiful.

I also loved the repetion of "Orla and Stewart/Stewart and Orla", it made this entire piece feel almost like poem with its cyclical structure.

But I didn't want him to die! That was evil! I mean, I guess they were doomed but still. Did Orla ever recover? Please, tell me she did. Pleeease?

I'm now going to read it again.

Author's Response: Thank you! You, know when I first started writing this, I had a very definite rhythm in my head which kept drumming at me and it was going to be more of a prose poem rather than a story. But as the plot developed (what little of the plot there is) I had to scarifice certain lines because it became too 'narrated' and not a 'read' story. (not sure this makes sense.) I had two or three lines, for instance, referring to 'that bitch Bellatrix' , but it was too rhythmic - sort of - ha ha.

Anyway, that's a long winded reply. OOOH, does Orla recover? I don't know. I think she will because she kept her dreams around her for too long and one day they'll find their wings again.

Yeah, sorry about Stewart. I admit when I wrote the last section of lines I actually came over a bit tearfil. I hate killing people and unhappy endings, but Alex is DeathLex - *sigh*

Thanks again ~Carole~