The Phoenix is a very gentle creature, so I am not sure why Dumbledore wanted to stun it. He could have ducked! Otherwise this was an original and sympathetic story.

Author's Response: Yes... I suppose he could have... Thanks for all of your reviews!

Perfect! I like the fact that they are both thinking so much of Harry

A shame that you are giving this up - I was really enjoying it.

Love it! The description of Hermione as an over-excited teakettle made me laugh, and I love Snape's disconcern at the end when Harry upchucks into his cauldron. Can't write any more, I'm going on to the next chapter!

Author's Response: I had a lot of fun writing that scene with Snape! He's so interesting to write, because he can do and say things that are totally outrageous!

I thought Grawp and Ginny was just too funny. Also I liked the coughing fire bit. It is getting really interesting, with the hints of plot lines to come, and you manage to make the story so entertaining and yet sympathetic. I am putting this on my favourites!

Author's Response: I'm glad you enjoyed my little Ginny-Grawp bit. Everyone seems to comment on it. One of these days when I've got time maybe I'll write a humor fic about their romance. It would probably be very strange, but it could be funny as well.

Excellent! I love your rants. Especially Pansy's and Cho's. It always struck me as unfair to be a Hufflepuff - you were doomed from the start to be in the house nobody wanted to be in! And there is no way Voldemort could surround himself with just Slytherins - if ambition is the Slytherin creed, he would be constantly in danger himself. What he actually needs is brave but foolhardy Gryffindors!

Author's Response: Oh, I do love writing a good rant. I feel the same way about people's impression of Hufflepuff! And I totally agree with that "vying for power" thing, if Voldemort were smart, he'd try to find more people like Peter... Ah, Peter... Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it so much!

Hi all my reviewers - I love all your reviews, and am very grateful that you have taken the time to review my work, but unfortunatly a there is a glitch that is stopping me responding to you all. Thank you very much for your reviews, and as soon as I am able, I will answer them all.

Mary-Anne

Author's Response: Can\'t delete this. Oh well.

I loved the two sisters, and I am glad she seems to be safe enough right now. Love the story so far.

Author's Response: Hey! i remember you from Moony's story! You give great reviews, and thanks! Tell your friends!

Ooh! Getting darker! I am SO sorry for Remus. I am very glad I have this story, as otherwise I wouldn't have liked him that much after DH. However I don't really think he was a "spineless coward" even in that book. He wasn't the same person he had been - after all, he had been through awful things after he left school, including the death of James and Sirius. I could see that he thought Tonks might be better off without him. Did you write the bit about Randolph before or after you read DH? It ties in so very well and gives a real reason for Remus to be so unhappy in his marriage to Tonks.

I see the "Snape Incident" the same way you saw it - as occurring before the "prank". So after frowning for a second after I read that, I rearranged things quite comfortably, and am going with your story as the prequel!

I really like the way you have merged it with the whole series. Are you going to give us a tiny bit of Snape? Or at least show us how the common room reacted to Snape apologizing to Lily? Or are you not going to tell?

Congratulations and heartfelt thanks for writing Remus so that I loved him and made excuses for him in DH! Without your story, I wouldn't have liked him enough to do so.

Author's Response: Oh, gosh, Buckbeak22, this review makes me feel so wonderful and makes me want to cry all at the same time. It absolutely breaks my heart that you \"wouldn\'t have liked him that much after DH.\" At the same time, it reinforces my purpose and makes my mission to make people love him all the more important! (But also more difficult.) Thanks so much for the encouragement. I think I need it!

I am rather ashamed of my \"spineless coward\" comment now. First of all, I feel terribly ungrateful for having so harshly, and openly criticized JKR\'s writing at all. She has given us so much enjoyment and lets us take her characters and write these stories...But I was disappointed (in very few things in light of the enormity of the series). I think it would have been impossible for anyone not to find something they disliked in such a huge epic tale; however, I probably was a little too critical. I agree that, ultimately, Remus was definitely not a coward. The part where he was considering leaving his family didn\'t really bother me all that much, because I agree with you about him thinking it was best. I have always thought Remus sometimes made errors in judgment (and he has and will continue to in MoB). I think he really wants to do the right thing, but sometimes doesn\'t quite live up to his desire, or doesn\'t even really know what the right thing truly is, as with leaving his family. I agree that he honestly thought it would be best for them. The thing that made me rant about being a ‘spineless coward’ was that he sat silent during the attack on Snape when it was revealed that this happened after Sirius’ ‘prank’. But I won’t rail on that anymore. Thank you for the kind words on my version. I really needed to hear it. Though I try to be the grown-up I am and just let it go, it doesn’t hurt to receive a little encouragement. *blush* So again, thank you so much!

I am trying to merge things, but obviously can’t make everything fit. Thank goodness for the Book 7 Disregarded warning, though I might still need the AU if I go far enough. I will probably eventually edit some of the earlier chapters to provide hints to things that were revealed in DH in regards to Snape/Lily, though I won’t really be going into it much, and probably not until I’ve finished the story. Since Snape’s apology has already happened by this point in MoB, I’d have to go back and write it in. I’m letting it slide for now and going with the argument that it wasn’t a major thing for Remus to focus on, though I really think it would have been quite a big deal to James, at the very least, but I might just leave it the way it was worked into this chapter and let it go at that. I am faced with some tricky issues with the Sirius ‘prank’ coming up and haven’t decided if I’m going to completely ignore the Lily/Snape issue or somehow incorporate it, though clearly it will be different than canon, since they ceased being friends after O.W.L.s. I may very well take the easy way out and rely on the fact that this is from Remus’ PoV and he probably isn’t going to be too worried about Lily arguing with Snape about anything at that point. He’ll have plenty on his mind, as it is. The advantages of 3rd person limited over omniscient! *hehe*

I am so hugely gratified to know that my story helped you love Remus. He is just such a wonderful, heartbreaking character, flaws and weaknesses and all. *sniffle* I still love him, too. Thank you, thank you, for this inspiring review.

Author's Response: Oh, and in my rambling, I forgot to answer your question. Randolph and his wife have been part of the rough draft of the story since before HBP. :)

Wow, Poor Remus! I am getting a little worried about Lindi though, I can't believe her friends didn't back Peter up, and stop her going to the party.