teehee! i want to see where this goes!
since it was short, i really dont have much to really say as to how ot improve it. when your next chapter comes out, i will have a better evaluation! keep it up!

Author's Response: Thank you so much! The next chapter is just waiting to be validated, so hopefully it'll be up soon. =]

I really enjoyed reading this in PA and now I still love it here! It's not too short! :) how did you get it updated so fast? My poem has been in the queue for nine days...
I especially enjoyed the last line- its comforting to know that he got to see her again after he died.

~Nagini Riddle

Author's Response: Thanks for the review and the crit in PA. I also love to think that Severus gets to see Lily again. Even after she's gone, he dedicates his entire life to her.

Augh! i did not see this coming, until Ginny was holding flowers!
great job, though! it was great to find out what the families were doing after the war, and able to move on with their lives. Out of curiosity, how did Harry die?

Oh, GinnyPotter! I love your wit! :)
This poem is still beautiful, and I would have given it an honorable mention for the challenge! Cheers!

Author's Response: Thank you thank you thank you soooo much for being my first review! This was just a quick thing I thought of for the challenge. Had to do the repitition for this though. Thanks again!!!!~Nidhi

wow! i am all for odd pairings, and i really enjoyed this! what a dark/angsty story! you are really good at this. :)
maybe you could try another strange pairing?

Author's Response: I'm glad you like odd pairings. I blame Jess (ToBeOrNotToTypeThisAllOut) for Ron/Pansy. And, yeah, D/A is kind of my thing. I'll try another odd pairing, soon; I promise. I'm glad you like it, and thanks for the review!

Ellie

Again, I just loved this poem! It is so wonderful! I cannot fault it!

Author's Response: Yay! *Bows down low* My deepest gratitude, my dear.

Typical Hermione! :) I loved how you characterized both George and Hermione! Ron seemed really mature! Although, I did like how he opened the door the office with his wand! I really enjoyed it!

Author's Response: Thanks.
In my opinion Ron matured very rapidly in DH. His abandoning his friends was the catalyst. Malfoy Manor confirmed his feelings for Hermione, and the battle forced him to grow up. But he's still not afraid of using magic to shortcut things.
-N-

Augh! :) Remind me who Louis is again... Who are his parents?
What an interesting view! I think I liked it. Although, I'll admit, I was a little squeamish. However, I can tell that you are a very strong writer! Great job. :D

Author's Response: Wow, thank you! I'm really glad you took the time to read this, even if it made you uncomfortable. And Louis is the son of Bill and Fleur. Maple

I'm a Death Eater! Okay not really. :D
I of course loved it. I noticed, though, that the first two stanzas sort of rhyme, and the last two don't. What I mean is, in the first stanza, "masks" and "past" share the same vowel sound, and therefore give a sense of rhythm and rhyme. The same happens with the second stanza with "pink" and "eat." Just something I noticed. :)
I really enjoyed the spider imagery. It reminded me of the story, The Spider and the Fly, in which the spider does all he can to flatter the lady fly, and she finally gives in and he ties her up for a later meal.
Chills are running down my spine...

So, I have returned to give a much longer (okay, much more in depth) review! :)

First, I am amazed at the ideas you came up with to describe Gellert, because I always have trouble coming up with these types of connections that don't actually exist in canon but have to come from my own perceptions. So kudos to you! The first stanza is rather perfect- I mean, you captured Grindelwald's intrigue and tempting personality, but showed how dangerous he was, and you did so in a refreshing way. True, sweets are usually used to show temptation, but I loved that Grindelwald was a "basket...[l]ined with glass shards." It really demonstrates the effect that he has on other people, pulling them in with his dreams and ideas, but he is not altogether a good person- that is, he is ambitious and his morals allow him to do just about anything in order to achieve his goals, and therefore, he is very much like sharp glass in a basket.

The second stanza, I think, is my favorite of them all. First, you used "lilting," which is quickly becoming one of my favorite words. So that definitely gains you some stars. But this is where I felt you really captured the image JKR painted for us readers- that of a laughing, golden-haired boy. Here is a playful nature associated with him, and he pretty much has a youthful spirit.

The next few stanzas once more reiterated that sense of Grindelwald reeling people in. It's what people in power do: they want followers. And people who are seeking power seek followers as well. So for me, this shows that Grindelwald has been the same man all his life, always enticing people into his plans and gathering followers.

Shift in tone! I am assuming that the second to last stanza refers to his reign, and subsequently, his downfall with the battle against Dumbledore. Here, though, is where his true colors are shown. What I really liked was the tie-in here to Harry- it was interesting that you described Gellert as a lightning bolt when one decorates the forehead of Harry. :) Not sure if it was intentional, but I think it's a nice way of relating lightning to power, and perhaps not always good power. I mean, Zeus was the god of lightning- and he wasn't exactly friendly or kind. And the lightning bolt on Harry came from an evil curse and power. And here, Gellert has power, but he is misusing it, and the chaos he creates is similar to a lightning storm. It was an excellent analogy. :)

And then the last stanza captures him in his last days. He is no longer a basket, but a bag of bones. The transition was very nice! It kind of makes me pity Gellert, because in the end, he is just like any other man, destined to die, and all that power couldn't have stopped it. If only he had seen it sooner...

So, in case you couldn't tell, I loved this poem! I liked the transitions, and how this poem not only defined Gellert, but also followed the path he took in life, demonstrating that the choices he made only led to him regretting what he had done, instead of being a happy man in power. It's a good lesson to learn, really: power doesn't necessarily equate to happiness and invincibility (and immortality). You would think man would have learned that by now from all the history we learn. Alas, men always seem to think they can do better than those before them.

Okay, enough of that tangent. Great poem, Carole. :) I have enjoyed reading and learning from it! ~Nagini

Author's Response: Thank you very much. Yes, i like the word lilting, too, but I possibly overuse it, especially in poetry - ooops - so I'm trying to wean myself off it - ha ha.

The lightning bolt and Harry reference was intentional because we always associate lightning with Harry and something good, but really he had the scar because of something destructive. And Gellert was a destructive person, until the end when I think he showed real regrets. -sigh- Thank you, again ~Carole~