Hey Molly! I really liked this story. It's a good portrayal of Hermione in her childhood. Her characterisation is good-- I like the part where she practices her piano for exactly twenty minutes a day. So typical! And it's nice to know that Hermione, like the rest of us, does get into trouble once in a while. The ending was particularly cute, with Hermione going into her mentally blank state. I would imagine her doing that if she broke a rule without intending to. And this was the law. LOL.

However, I do have a few nitpicks. There's a particular paragraph where you seem to have made a few mistakes.

Hermione exactly what they were talking about.

I think you have forgotten to type a 'knew' over here.

She remember they well...

You have two typos here. It should be she remembered them well.

And lastly-- ...they had been laying, gathering dust...

I think that should be 'lying'.

I guess you should just do a bit of a scrutiny check on the story for typos. Otherwise, it's wonderful! :)

Cheers!
Pooja

Author's Response: That's for the advice. I'll have to fix it all.

Hmm... Nice first chapter! I giggled throught the chapter when I read Tash and Bri's conversations. Also, I must say you have an innovative way of presenting their school. Hehe. I don't have much to say right now, except that, keep writing! :D

Author's Response: thanks a lot, Di! Bri and Tash's conversations are a lot like my friend's and mine :P. and the school took a LOT of work, and the only reason it's even presentable is because of Emily, my lovely Beta :) Thanks for the review, hon!

Okay, I had read this a while ago and I've been meaning to write you a gigantic review for it. Forgive me for not reviewing a little earlier but oh my God, Jess, this HAS to be my new favourite fic! I barely have words for this piece-- it is absolutely fantastic. Your prose style is lovely-- it flows without breaks and it is easy to grasp and read. The plot totally kept me on my toes throughout and kept my eyes racing through the story anxiously, wondering what was about to happen next. I love the slight addition of humour-- it made me chuckle a fair few times and made my Mum wonder about what I was up to.

The story was well thought-out and planned. I loved your characterisation. The next-gen characters are almost OCs because JKR hasn't told us much about them. However, your Al stood out from the stereotypical, whiny fellow (who ends up in Hufflepuff sometimes, mind) and Scorpius drew me in with something-- I don't know what to call it, so I shall call it Slytherin charm. I loved how Al reacted at having to disguise as a woman-- it was wonderful. Also, the fact about Al being straight but eventually falling for Scorpius was very, very believable. The emotions, confusion, desire, sadness... everything was well captured. It was realistic. I could be sure that this would be the exact thing going on in the mind of a fellow who is straight but finds himself falling for another man.

Also, I love the fact that Al fell for Scorpius-- his character, and how you described love as being an emotion that you basically develop for someone based on who they are, and without consideration of external appearances. It sounded plausible for Al to be straight and still like a guy because of his character. As for Scorpius, I loved how he managed to finally accept that he loved 'Melinda' for the character, and that he accepted Al when he realised that Al was disguised as Melinda all along.

Jenkins being with the Knights was definitely a shocker-- I didn't see that one coming. The mystery was well kept; the secret well hidden. It was definitely a thrill to read that last part-- but it was a thrill to read your whole story anyway.

I feel no amount of words can describe how much I loved this fic. You are a very, very talented author and this fic deserved its nomination. I don't generally read slash in fanfics because I don't ship any same-sex pair, and even though I don't ship Albus/ Scorpius, reading this fic was a pleasure. You're just too good. :)

I have been only following majestic_ginny's fanfiction for a while now because moving to college and lack of internet supply (the wi-fi doesn't reach my room for some reason) forced me to stop reading fics. I didn't want to read them if I couldn't review them. But this was the best I could ask for after my fic-reading hiatus. Really, Jess, I don't know if saying this much is even enough.

I'll definitely take a peek at a few more of your fics when I get time again. Until then, well, we have LJ, don't we? :D

Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful story!

~Pooja

Author's Response:

I’m going to be completely honest in saying that I LOVE getting reviews for this story more than any others for one key reason: the shock factor. I wrote this story with the knowledge that it could be either completely ridiculous or completely original, if not a bit of both, so it’s always a mystery as to whether readers will love it or ‘wtf’ it and shake their heads. I wanted it to be just bizarre enough for someone to think ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ but madcap enough to feel bad for Albus.

Ooh! A twist in the very first chapter! Wow, Carole! *huggles*

Anyway: I did enjoy reading this piece. I love your portrayal of Daphne Greengrass, especially and the cigarette in her hand does make me wonder. Hmmm! ;)

I was also worried when you said Astoria was carrying Draco's child. I wondered about Scorpius, but you sorted that one out! ;) I also absolutely adore the way you write dialogue. You write a current amount of it and you write it well. :)

Only The Quibbler ignored her (but then The Quibbler ignored anything that wasn’t blibbering)

^That one was definitely lovely! :D

As for the plot, I love how fast moving it is-- reminds me of Dan Brown's books. :)

All in all, you are indeed one of the best authors on MNFF. Your plot, characters, dialogue, language... everything is well pruned and is presented in a very, very interesting way.

Lastly, I love how this chapter introduces questions into your mind, like-- 'Pansy Parkinson? HUH?' and also, 'Where on EARTH is Astoria Greengrass?' 'Who would want to murder her?' 'How was Pansy murdered?'

I sure can't wait to read more of this! Good luck, and cheers! :)

Author's Response: Secret ... it's fast moving because I wanted to get to the end. I am so lousy at mysteries, but I also prefer the fast paced shows like NCIS and CSi to slow moving shows like Midsomer Murders. Hmm, have i sorted out the fate of Scorpius? Maybe I forgot the AU tag ... hee hee - Thank you very much for the review. I am just so bad at mysteries but this was fun to write because I like writing Oliver and snarky Draco so much. ~Carole~

Hey Gina!

I got to this story because it was recommended in the romance class on the forums, and I am glad I did, because I really enjoyed this. It felt different to me right from the beginning, and progressed to a well-plotted, well-spun tale.

The first thing that struck me about your story was the writing style. It is elegant, just like the story -- just like the setting, in fact. Your narrative is smooth and it flows well with the scenery you’ve given us here. It really set my mood the way you wanted it to be -- relaxed. I was at ease, and I had a vivid mental picture of everything that was going on. Speaking of which, I love how you wrote a detailed description of what the wedding was like, because it really gave me an insight into Audrey’s personality.

I quite liked how the story was from Charlie’s perspective. I wondered why he never got married, and getting into his head was really nice. I agree with the way you’ve written his thoughts -- he simply didn’t feel the need to settle, perhaps. But then, the summary mentioned Daphne Greengrass, and I was intrigued. I really wanted to know how that would work out.

As I read further, I quite liked how Charlie and Daphne got acquainted. I could see that Charlie was quite the smooth talker, and I enjoyed the conversation between him and Daphne. I couldn’t believe how friendly Daphne seemed at first, but I waved it off as Charlie being charming. Of course, we find out the reason for that much, much later. But the way things progressed between Charlie was extremely well written and believable. The sexual tension and mild sexual overtones were well expressed. I could see that Daphne really interested Charlie, and the transformation in his mind from wanting to be single, and then suddenly liking the idea of companionship was well done.

I wish Charlie had worked on his intuition about Daphne just wanting some scoop on him. But then his attraction overrode that, and I can understand. I absolutely loved that Charlie forgot to get back to George because he was trying to pursue Daphne. It really made me laugh, and then harder when George discovered the two of them.

I loved the characterisation in this story. Audrey is different from all the versions I’ve read of her. I never imagined she could be a rich woman with an estate with taste in everything royal, but I can imagine Percy marrying such a woman. And then there was Charlie -- and I think he was written very well -- smooth and engaging. George was spot on. I enjoyed all his dialogues, especially this one. "Yeah, we haven't told anyone yet, though. The little Snitch is due this autumn." And I think George’s ‘new father’ grin was absolutely adorable. I know how hard he can be to write, so really, great job! And then, there’s Daphne. I liked the mystery she exuded, and the fact that she was so Slytherin. She turned out to be intelligent and manipulative in the end, and it for the image you had created of her.

The end really saddened me. I was really hoping that this was it for Charlie, but apparently not. I hope she does go to visit him in Romania, though. A sequel, perhaps?

I really, truly enjoyed this story, and again, I’m so glad I decided to read it. It was a wonderful experience. Good luck with the Cotillion, and hope this review motivates you to write some more Harry Potter stuff! :)

Pooja

Hey Carole!

I just read this a while ago, and I honestly have no idea why I hadn’t read it all this time. I am so glad that you put it in the list for recommended stories in the class, though, because it would have skipped my mind otherwise.

I think what sets this story apart from others, first of all, is the format and the style. I loved the letter-exchanges. I’ve never actually read anything like this, and it was a breath of fresh air, as well as a marvel. I have never seen a Percy/Audrey romance written this way either. I’ve read the more serious ones, but now that I’ve seen this, I think this fits best with canon.

I loved how the letters started out formal. Audrey was patient and courteous in the first two, and then, I could understand what she felt as she wrote the third one. Percy’s pompousness is so visible there, and I’m glad she told him off for ignoring her application. And then of course, was Percy’s reply. He seemed so indifferent to her frustration, I was amused. And then the letters just started getting less and less formal. Audrey seemed so annoyed, and Percy was all the more indifferent, and it got to the point where I was laughing out loud despite myself.

I liked how the characterisation was so spot on, despite the lack of dialogue or narrative. Expressing Percy and Audrey through their writing was no mean feat, I’m sure, and I must applaud you for this. I was amused, and at awe at how Percy was so very recognisable from the books — pompous, smug and proud. And I was even fonder of how Audrey turned him down for it. She’s confident, intelligent and unafraid of letting Percy know that he’s wrong. They were well matched, and it’s difficult not to ship them at this point.

Then there’s the plot. The letters formed a progressive, wonderful plot, as they got angrier at each other, and then slowly more acquainted. At this point, we discover that Percy has been noticing Audrey at mealtimes, and vice-versa, which makes their union in the end all the more believable. I can also imagine how fond Audrey would be of Arthur if she had worked under him, and the fact that she enquired about Arthur made me like her even more.

The humour component in this story is fantastic. It was mostly the tone that got me laughing, and there was also the way that the insults escalated. This particular part got me laughing so hard, I had to take a breather before I could continue to the next one: I tried boiling my head, but it only made my hair redder and my freckles more pronounced. . Also, the name of Audrey’s book about Wendelin the Weird was unexpected (it fits, now that I look at it). Humour needs a lot of planning and talent, and you now are an all-rounder in my eyes. :)

All-in-all, great story! It lightened my mood considerably, was romantic and funny, and fit snugly into canon. What more could I ask for? I’m not surprised at all that this one a QSQ, because it is that amazing. Great job there, Carole!

Pooja

Author's Response: Wow, thank you. This is probably the story that I had the most fun ever writing (although Zacmac comes close) and it was certainly the one that took me the least amount of time. It has received a fabulous reception, though, so perhaps I should write everything on a whim and a prayer.

Basically this started off as a drabble for SBBC which I expanded for Minna because I knew she liked the letters style of it, and she's also a Percy fan. I very much liked putting them together as a couple, although it doesnt quite reconcile with my version of Audrey in my other stories, who is far more austere. I'm not so sure Audrey was 'unafraid to let Percy know' he was wrong, as just more convinced that she was right. After all, he is actually right and the Minister couldnt employ a secretary with SUCH bad spelling - ha ha.

Thank you, again, for the wonderful review. ~Carole

Hello! :)

I’ve been meaning to read one of your Ronmione fics for a while now and am so glad I actually did it this time round, because this fic was beautiful. I’m an absolute Ronmione shipper and this fic made me so, so happy. The intense emotions, and yet the light-heartedness of it all, and most importantly, the characterisation were so well written, and so beautifully expressed, that I was completely lost in a different world.

I could see it all. I could see Ron and Hermione’s house, Ron’s face as he fought with Crookshanks, and Hermione waddling about, telling Ron off for being mean to Crookshanks; I could make out their expressions, their gestures and everything, and that is because of the way you’ve written this story. It was like watching a movie in my mind. I can shut my eyes and watch your entire fic as a movie. So, I must say, you’ve done a fantastic job with the descriptions.

It is very difficult, I think, to write Ron and Hermione as adults. I have experimented on this, and I found that it wasn’t easy to characterise them as older people. But you have adhered to their characters. They were mature, and yet the same. Ron still had some of his teenage tendencies, along with some of the understanding of an adult. He was so recognisable, and he complied very easily with the Ron we know from the books.

Ha, Hermione was evil! Somehow, I imagine her as a softer person who isn’t always direct with her anger-- she seems to show a suppressed temper; but the way you’ve written her works very well for her. I guess the fact that she was pregnant contributed to her mood, but she was spot-on, I must say. There is no single correct way to characterise the trio as adults, though, and I quite enjoy reading different interpretations of how they would be as older people, or even parents.

Both Ron and Hermione’s emotions through the fic were handled very well. No man would really be prepared to deliver his baby at home, and if it came to that, I’d imagine his emotions and reactions would be exactly like Ron’s. The rush of emotions that followed once the baby came out were so beautifully described. He leant forward and kissed his baby on the forehead, taking in its unique smell, knowing full well he would give his life for this piece of perfection without batting an eyelid. This line in particular, is so lovely-- I remember watching 17 Again, and reading this reminded me of Zac Efron’s dialogue about holding his baby for the first time. I loved both that dialogue and these lines, because it’s so difficult to put those emotions into words, especially since you aren’t a parent (they have a whole different set of emotions we can never understand unless we experience it, I guess), but you’ve written it perfectly well. That line touched me and made me think of my own parents.

The narrative was hilarious--mostly because it was Ron’s point of view, of course, but then again, making people laugh isn’t easy. It’s been long since I’ve read Ron like this: light-hearted and nervous, and it was lovely to see him that way again, especially since I’ve written a very angsty Ron in my own fic. Oh, I could just discuss Ron with you for ages, he’s my favourite character to read and write, and you’ve done him so much justice. Narrating the story from his point of view was a definite risk and you took it, and succeeded in making it work. Also, the situations were so funny-- Hermione wanting to sleep, Ron telling Hermione that he isn’t crying when he really is, Crookshanks and Ron in general, and the last line-- oh, the last line: "Yeah, but she takes after you." This had me cracking up! I loved that Rose hit Ron, and that Ron cracked this line. Ending the story on this note was a good choice, because it left me grinning for a good while even after reading the story.

Finally, the medical details. Well, being a med student myself, I must say, it was very well written. You certainly didn’t make mistakes-- perhaps Ron asked her to push a little too early, but I never thought of it as your mistake, and I still don’t think so. I think it fits in naturally with the character and the situation. He’s not a medical professional, and he’s not Hermione, so he’s bound to make mistakes on this one. :) Anyway, I don’t think you should be worried about any incorrect medical facts, and you have researched well!

All in all, this was a fantastic story. I absolutely enjoyed it and am delighted to have read it. You are a wonderful author, and I will remember to check more of your Ronmione delights once I have some more time. Good job! :)

Pooja

Author's Response: Hi! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! This actually started out as a straight forward humour fic but it soon became clear that it needed to a be at least a little serious. As you said, no one expects to go through this so I had to bring in everything that went with that - glad you think the mixture worked well! Saying this was like a watching a movie is an amazing compliment so thank you! Hermione is definitely one to suppress her anger but she always seems to lose control when Ron is involved - especially when she is this stressed! Like you said, there is no right way to write the characters as adults but it's nice to know that you liked my versions. It is a bit like 17 Again, isn't it? I'm not a parent so I have no idea what that moment must be like so I probably have subconsciously copied it from some film, haha! It would've been hard to have written it from anyone else's POV! Hermione was a little bit distracted and Crookshanks was probably a bit bored by it all. Ron is my favourite character too - especially when he is this kind of situation. He is doubted himself, but is still strong and his humour is still ever present. Getting another Ron fan's approval is great :)T

Author's Response: Hi! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! This actually started out as a straight forward humour fic but it soon became clear that it needed to a be at least a little serious. As you said, no one expects to go through this so I had to bring in everything that went with that - glad you think the mixture worked well! Saying this was like a watching a movie is an amazing compliment so thank you! Hermione is definitely one to suppress her anger but she always seems to lose control when Ron is involved - especially when she is this stressed! Like you said, there is no right way to write the characters as adults but it's nice to know that you liked my versions. It is a bit like 17 Again, isn't it? I'm not a parent so I have no idea what that moment must be like so I probably have subconsciously copied it from some film, haha! It would've been hard to have written it from anyone else's POV! Hermione was a little bit distracted and Crookshanks was probably a bit bored by it all. Ron is my favourite character too - especially when he is this kind of situation. He is doubted himself, but is still strong and his humour is still ever present. Getting another Ron fan's approval is great :) Good to know that I didn't make any major medical mistakes either! Even if it is a story about magic people giving birth in crazy circumstances, a sense of realism is always useful. Anyway, thank you so much for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed the story :)

This is a wonderful piece. It was such a beautiful read... short and yet bursting with emotion. I really loved it and it also made me sad for Molly.

It is true that when you're at a boarding school/ college hostel, your friends there tend to know you better than your own family and sometimes, your friends back home. It's an amazing experience, though. So in the beginning, Molly's grief for leaving the school behind was sad and understandable and then when Fliss was mentioned... I felt terrible. I wasn't expecting it, really and it suddenly made the fic so much deeper. Unfortunately, I have experience there too-- I have lost a good friend (though not my best friend) here and I'm sure I'd feel terrible leaving this place after college because of the memories. I remember when I'd got the news that he'd died-- I was home for my holidays and I suddenly couldn't stay there anymore and I just wanted to come back to college because this is the place that I've known him alive. And then when I came here, I couldn't stand the memories and I wanted to go back home. But now, all those small memories just make me smile. When I'm at class, or at the cafeteria, or near the hostel gates... I remember some of those moments and the good times.

Basically, what I'm trying to say there is that you were very realistic with Molly's emotions. Often, when we write about stuff that we haven't personally experienced, we don't get the magnitude of some of the emotions involved in these situations and it's either overdone or half-done. Yours was just perfect and the autobiographical narrative made it better.

Without too many words, you've created an amazing, poignant picture of what's going on in Molly's mind. And I wish she'd get the job-- it was so sad that she didn't. I hope she does get it later on and that she has her closure soon enough.

All in all, this was a fantastic story. I have no nitpicks and I really loved it. Great job! Pooja :)

Author's Response: Thank you so much, it's lovely to hear such positive feedback! Like Molly says, when you spend seven years of your life somewhere, it's bound to become your home, and I'm glad that you felt that was true. I'm lucky enough to have never really lost anyone close to me, so I drew upon my experiences with depression to write this. So the fact that you found the exploration of her grief to be perfect really means a lot to me, as I desperately wanted Molly's sadness to resonate. I think that Professor Vector was right to refuse Molly a job, as Molly really wasn't in the right state of mind, regardless of her age. I think the thing I most wanted to convey is that depression/grief knows no bounds, whether you're a teenager or an adult it can overwhelm you just the same. Even now I feel like I want to help Molly to find her own kind of closure... which I guess means I'll have to write a sequel! Thank you so much for the review, it means a lot that you took the time to write such a lovely and in depth review, and I'm really touched that Molly's story resonated with you. Fenella x

Ha, we've both written the same character for the same prompt, I guess, though you haven't hacked Albus to as many pieces as I have. :p But you did make me feel terrible for him. I was mentally apologising to him as such, while I was writing my own fic and now I read this...

This was so well-written, Soraya! This is the first fic of yours that I'm reading (whilst wondering why I didn't come up to your author page earlier) but I was waiting for this one to get validated because the pairing really, really interested me. How Albus, in the beginning, struggles over the fact that he is attracted to a cousin is so... well written. I know a lot of people who are marrying their cousins and all, but the thing there is-- they're already told in their childhood that they have to marry each other. They never look at each other like, "OMG, he'she is my cousin!" so there is no such struggle. So Albus's feelings here were very well done. And the topic was very well handled.

Albus's character. Oh my God, you've written him in such detail-- every little snippet of him is so clear! You developed him very, very nicely! He was such a clear-cut picture in the end. As for Rose, I liked the mystery surrounding her, as much as I loved the little bits of information about Al.

Yes, Rose. God, I hated her. I don't generally hate her, but I did this time. How can she be so mean? :'( I felt terrible about the way she used Al just for sex. That really wasn't fair because Al is so sweet and loving in this story. And she was also mean when he asked her why she hadn't been present for Harry's birthday. You did make me really dislike her in this fic. I'm not sure I can handle her in my own fic for a while now. :p Though, she's very different there. :D Ha! Well done on writing her, though. It takes a lot more than making a character murder people about and be evil to get your readers to hate him/her.

The smut was good. You handled the awkward sex well and I remember you were having trouble with that. :) But yes, you wrote it well and I particularly loved this:

Though Rose had changed substantially, he could still see the suppressed tears in her eyes and smell their mingled sweat and feel the indentations her fingernails had left when they had dug into his back.

It's sad... and sexy and awkward. LOL. That was very nice.

The theme of the story was rather soft and... I don't know how to put this-- silent. Um... meaning, it was not noisy... er... I don't know how to describe that, it was just a feeling I got in my head. :D The rain in the beginning made it gloomy and I somehow know that this wasn't possible going to end well.

So, Soraya, you entertained me entirely with this fic. It was a wonderful, wonderful read! Have a pleasant Ramzan! See you around!

Pooja

Author's Response: Really? I thought I would have hacked Albus to quite a few pieces in this, considering how pathetic he appears and everything. I hope it's a good thing that I made you feel terrible for him, lol. And I know what you mean -- a lot of cousins in Asian culture are betrothed from a really early age, so I do see what you mean. That's why the dynamics of British cousin pairings fascinate me so. I'm glad you thought I handled the pairing well :)

I'm really flattered with how much you liked Albus! Ultimately, it's more focused on him than Rose, hence why Rose remained a mystery, and you knew far more about Albus. And, ha, you're the second reviewer to say you hated Rose. Ngl, she annoyed me too, even in Blood and Roses (my chaptered Scorose mystery), but like I said, she was in a bad place, and Albus just happened to be there, lol. And Rose is generally rather snarky -- understandably so, though. She did just dump Scorpius, after all.

Awkward smut is SO HARD to write. I'll be avoiding that one again in the future, haha. And I'm very flattered to hear that it was, um, sexy, lol.

Oh, no, I do see what you mean about the story being kind of silent/soft. Because the thing is, the story is almost entirely character-driven (even their banter/interactions generally) rather than plot, which is probably what would make the story noisy. I so get that -- great way to put it, actually :)

I'm really flattered that you liked it this much! I wasn't entirely happy with it, and I still am not, so it means a great deal to me that you liked it. Thank youuuuu for the review and for the banner which I shall now wear in my siggy <3

~Soraya~

Hi Maple!

After reading all the three fics in the series-- I just loved the story arc so much. Best friends, with one of the duo falling for the other, is an old concept, but it was so fresh in this fic! I enjoyed reading this with the simple writing, engaging plot and lovely characterisation.

The introduction to the fic was very well written. Introducing friendship and comparing it to bones-- it went well with the title, which I’m sure was what you were going for. And then the quick flashback through the two other fics was adequate-- not too long or short, and though it spoiled the crux of your other two stories, it definitely didn’t reveal enough to not have to read them. This is a good scheme-- it will make the reader curious, and get them to read those two other fics. :)

I liked how all the next-gen characters were so alike, and yet so different from their parents. I could imagine the kids in the future being just this way. The awkwardness, and Lily’s thoughts at finding Scorpius, Rose and Andrew on the guest list was well written. I think first person style is best for this kind of a narration because it’s so much easier to dive into the person’s thoughts and dig out all their emotions. Lily is no different from any other teenager, and each and every emotion she went through was very well written, or rather, I must say, painted.

Coming to the actual interaction between the characters, I loved how smoothly you managed to pull out all the dialogue-- again, the awkwardness-- Lily and Andrew are forced to talk for the first time after Lily lost her virginity to him. It would be awkward for anyone and I loved that your Lily didn’t shrug her shoulders and just talk to Andrew again. The same goes for Rose and Scorpius. The entire dinner was very good and I really, really enjoyed that part.

The apology part was lovely too. I hated Rose and Scorpius on reading Unspoken, but this made me like them (a little) once again. And Lily’s reaction to everyone’s apology was spot-on too! She didn’t become best mates with them again, and indicated that she’d forgive them, but would take her time with it. This line, in particular, portrayed Lily’s thoughts well: It was like the bone had been reset and put in a cast. It would mend, but it would take time. Often, I’ve seen that in a hurry to wrap up the story and add in a happy ending, the author just winds back the plot to where everything was well. People forgive the worst of mistakes and all is well. However, it was not that way in this story, and that gave it a very realistic touch. This didn’t mean that the story was sad-- it had a touch of finality to it in the end, symbolising that everything was over, or perhaps not over-- what happens next is open for interpretation, and I feel, allowing the readers to experiment with their imaginations like this is a very good idea.

I really loved Neville popping up and talking to Lily! It was nice and I loved his characterisation too. He was the Neville we knew from the books, but a grown-up Neville. I find Neville hard to characterise, as he could be written as a sniffling man-child very easily, or even as an extremely uncaring man. These are extremes that are not very easy to avoid and you have done well avoiding them. He is sensible, mature and the brief dialogue exchange between him and Lily goes very well with his characterisation, as it was in the books. Also, the character changes he’s gone through after the war are well reflected by you and I liked these aspects of Neville very much.

That said, apart from some minor typos (you did say that some editing is required), this story was fabulous. The title fits well with the events, emotions and characters and I am curious to know how the Lily/Andrew storyline proceeds. I need a sequel to this one. I really do. Good job! :D

Author's Response: Thanks for the review, Pooja! I'm very glad you liked the story arc - it's one I'm rather proud of :). I'm clad you didn't find the intro too much - I find the hardest thing about writing fics in a series is that you have to give a quick run down, but you don't want to bore your readers. You don't know how excited I was to read that you liked my dialogue. I struggle with dialogue so, so much, so to know that it worked was really exciting. I'm really happy you liked Neville's characterisation. I was a little worried as to how it was going to go over, so I'm glad you found it realistic! As for Lily and Andrew...I think that I need to make an outline, because the next fic I write will be chaptered and will hopefully finish up their story :D Maple