Author banner by Emily (HorseLover), Knight of the Turnip Table.
Hello everyone, I'm an adult female student from India. I'm obsessed with fanfics, like everyone else here at MNFF.
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In case you are a Sorted MNFF Beta Forum member and want to know more about my writings, click here to go to my Duelling Club thread.
Ah, Maia ... you have a good way of stunning your readers.
Harry woke up, sweating and panting. It had only been a dream.
I was stunned on reading this. I was thinking something like "It was all a dream?" I think you've heard of an old theory - "Harry will wake up at the end of Book Seven and realise that it was all a dream ... blah blah blah ..." - I was reminded of it in an instant.
“I don’t want to know what happened in your room last night,” he said bluntly.
This dialogue was very Ron! Oh, he's so over-protective ... your characterisation is excellent, as always.
The conversation between Harry and Narcissa is very captivating. It had a lot of tension, even though I think that it would have been much more hostile. Then again, I've always thought that Narcissa is more subtle than Draco.
“Harry Potter,” she said, “do feel free to visit me. I live in London. Should you wish to come by, owl me and I’ll send you my address.”
I did find it hard to imagine this, though. Narcissa isn't this friendly to Harry in canon. Something tells me that Harry doesn't owl her or meet her after this meeting. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm sorry if I sounded a bit too critical; I was just trying to give you some concrit.
Author's Response: You sound in no way too critical! I love getting proper, constructive reviews.
This dialogue was very Ron! Oh, he\'s so over-protective ... your characterisation is excellent, as always.
Thank you! I thought it was a Ron thing to say. I\'m glad I managed to capture him with as few lines as he had.
No, the conversatioin with Narcissa may at first seem a bit OOC. But I have always been of the oppinion that Narcissa isn\'t really a bad person. She cares about her family; indeed, she loves Draco enough to tell Severus about the Plan, even though she wasn\'t meant to speak of it to anyone. With both her husband and her son gone, her sister in Azkaban, and no other living relatives, Narcissa is really quite desperate, and would want whatever company she could get. She senses from Harry\'s attitude that he and Draco were somehow friends towards the end, which would actually make Harry the only friend Draco ever had.
I honestly don\'t know whether Harry will contact her or not; I leave this as an open ending. The real challenge lies in the alternate sequel (which I still don\'t know what to call).
Thank you very much for a gread, constructive review! I do so enjoy getting them from you. I\'m so happy you enjoyed my story! :)
Wow, this was an intense and powerful story! I'm pretty picky when it comes to romance fics and I'm glad that the summary drew me in. Plus, you're a familiar author. :D
The characterisation and plot are very good. This is one of the very few Harry/Draco fics that didn't seem rushed to me.
It was the first time Draco had killed someone. It was not the person he had been sent to kill. This man was a fellow Death Eater, and somebody he had gone to school with. It was somebody he had shared a common room with, and spoken to on several occasions. This man had been sent with him to make sure the job was done. And now he was dead.
These lines are very powerful and they're in the right place. These lines make the reader feel for Draco a lot. Mind you, this is coming from a person who doesn't fangirl Draco, Snape or any Slytherin in general.
“The strongest you have,” said Draco, flicking his wand unnoticeably under the counter, wordlessly pronouncing an incantation.
A subtle way of informing the reader about the Memory Charm.
The initial conversation between Harry and Draco was completely in character, and gripping as well.
One of them raised a wand, and said the words, and as a jet of green light came at him, seemingly in slow motion, the wind blew in the trees and Draco laughed. Nothing really mattered anymore.
The ending took me by surprise. I do find it hard to believe that Draco would accept death so quickly and abruptly. It was good, though. This is one of those dark romances ...
It was an amazing read with substance, and made perfect sense. Well done, Maia!
*grumbles* The server logged me out when I hit the submit button first. Luckily, I'd copied this review prior to its submission. I hope you get many more reviews for this!
Author's Response: Wow, long review! I love long reviews!
First of all, thank you so much for reviewing, and I\'m so very glad you liked it! I\'m also very happy that it didn\'t seem rushed. I was kind of afraid that it would, since it all happens in one night, but I also felt that it was logical and realistic that Draco, the night before he knows he\'s going to die, clings to whatever little love he can find.
It also pleases me to know that I can make a reader who\'s not the fangirl I am feel for the character of Draco. I think that Draco is a far more complex character than people seem to give him credit for. There\'s more to him than meets the eye. The conversation between him and Harry is possibly the most dificult dialogue I\'ve ever written. I rewrote it so many times, because I needed it to be realistic at the same time as leading up to the major plot point, which would be the romance.
The ending took me by surprise. I do find it hard to believe that Draco would accept death so quickly and abruptly.
I can understand that you would. Draco is initially a person who is afraid of death, pain and everything else. Basically a model Slytherin; ambitious, but not willing to sacrifice his own skin. However, I think that at the point when he failed to kill Dumbledore, Draco\'s entire attitude to death changed. Things would have stopped mattering to him, because right then he was sure he would die anyway. Such an experience will leave you numb and out of it for a while. Snape saved Draco\'s hide, but life stopped mattering much. In the end, he pretty much just wanted to be rid of life, but was too much of a coward to do it himself.
Again, I\'m really glad you liked it. Thank you for a wonderful review. Hope you\'ll read the sequel too, when I get it up! :)
Author's Response: Wow, chunk of text... I wish there was a preview button here... Ignore it, try again:
Wow, long review! I love long reviews!
First of all, thank you so much for reviewing, and I\'m so very glad you liked it! I\'m also very happy that it didn\'t seem rushed. I was kind of afraid that it would, since it all happens in one night, but I also felt that it was logical and realistic that Draco, the night before he knows he\'s going to die, clings to whatever little love he can find.
It also pleases me to know that I can make a reader who\'s not the fangirl I am feel for the character of Draco. I think that Draco is a far more complex character than people seem to give him credit for. There\'s more to him than meets the eye. The conversation between him and Harry is possibly the most dificult dialogue I\'ve ever written. I rewrote it so many times, because I needed it to be realistic at the same time as leading up to the major plot point, which would be the romance.
The ending took me by surprise. I do find it hard to believe that Draco would accept death so quickly and abruptly.
I can understand that you would. Draco is initially a person who is afraid of death, pain and everything else. Basically a model Slytherin; ambitious, but not willing to sacrifice his own skin. However, I think that at the point when he failed to kill Dumbledore, Draco\'s entire attitude to death changed. Things would have stopped mattering to him, because right then he was sure he would die anyway. Such an experience will leave you numb and out of it for a while. Snape saved Draco\'s hide, but life stopped mattering much. In the end, he pretty much just wanted to be rid of life, but was too much of a coward to do it himself.
Again, I\'m really glad you liked it. Thank you for a wonderful review. Hope you\'ll read the sequel too, when I get it up! :)
Hmmm. That was an interesting Harry/Draco songfic. I must say, it's good for a first fic. The relationship has some depth and the part about Hermione dying just after Ron proposed to her is very moving.
But I felt that there could have been a more convincing explanation for their relationship. Otherwise, it was an entertaining read.
Wow! That was very poignant and you've depicted Sirius's feelings very accurately. I'm a big fan of Dark/Angst, so this short and stirring poem did attract me. But Sirius did have more hope than what you've depicted. And the rhyming was pretty good and soul-stirring, too! I'm getting really repititive *chuckles*. Though I admit that I don't understand the nuances of poetry very much. :( Can you please read and review a few of my one-shots?
Now, I've really enjoyed all your other stories and I'm sad to hear of your suspension. Good luck in resolving that!
Mini.
Author's Response: I guess this poem was during one of his depressive stages, because I think he might have said in the books that there were times when he did nearly go mad, but in the end it was the realization that he was innocent that kept him sane. I doubt that thought would give me much, if any, hope if I was in his situation. Oh, and I\'ve already got the suspension on HPFF solved--it actually took place a few months ago. Haha, I love Mugglenet so much more because of them!
Just like your other story, It Matches Your Eyes, even this one is very ... real and moving. I was a little surprised on reading the summary about one of the Patil twins in a same-sex relationship, because our culture is conservative and many people know this, therefore they don't write one of the twins in a slash ship (though I have no problems with slash and femmeslash). I like how Parvati eventually accepts Padma and Cho's relationship. Padma's naming of the adopted child as Parvati was the most moving part. Great story!
~Mini.
Author's Response: I love your reviews, Mini. *giggles* Thank you! It was a little difficult to write in that I kept wondering if it was correct. I\'m American and not religious, so I don\'t know much about the Patils\' beliefs or that culture. I hope I didn\'t make any big mistakes with that. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! :)
Ah, quite amusing ... :D All the hints at a blood relationship between Harry and Hermione ... *sighs*
This "flashback" chapter's most comical part was the one in which Ron and Hermione become Prefects. Ron's comical arachnophobia ... *roars with laughter*
However, I did feel that there was OOCness in this one (especially with Mrs Weasley - she isn't as anxious and excited as the standard Molly in the books). Plus, it was a little less funny than the previous chapter. Otherwise ... this humour fic is still one of the outstanding ones that aren't likely to leave a fanfictioneer's mind. I'm looking forward to more laughs from The HP Literary Storm.
Author's Response:
^^ Well, \'quite amusing\' is pretty good, in my opinion, especially considering - dude - the last chapter was one of my favourites. And in my opinion, it really goes up from here. *Is so itching to post chapter six*
Wow, OOCness kind of feels like an odd concept in this context. To me, anyway. I really hope the Snape in Chapter five, part two goes down well. *Crosses fingers*
As usual, many, many thanks. You\'re reviews are always so warmly welcomed.
What a nice and happy AU ending!
I like the part where Ron (finally) changes into a true hero. That's different from most humour (and, at times, even serious) fics where Ron remains an idiot.
The comparison to action movies (climatic fight scenes and stuff like that) is very witty too. I had a good laugh reading about Harry and Ron's new-found genius and their silly-yet-clever tactics. I was laughing throughout the duel scene, even though I knew what to expect.
“Ark bomb rapple von Tom Dum Zucker zucker Beezle-pop!”
Of course, translated, this meant roughly,
“Someone’s been exploring my Pyramid! The scoundrels, eh, Beezle-pop?”
Much more worried now (particularly considering he had just been called ‘Beezle-pop’ by a Giant), Voldemort left his comrade to guard and fix his own Pyramid.
The Giant language is very funny indeed ... and Voldemort's nickname (Beezle-pop? How did you think of that?) is even more so. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't send an Avada Kedavra at the giant for daring to insult him ...
I love the way you compare the fictitious "literary storms" with real ones by using the Category classification. Good job with this humour fic, and I hope to read more of your stories, humour or otherwise. Good luck!
- Mini.
*dies laughing*
I'm still astonished at your talent for humour ... that was awesome.
*sniggers*ExtremelyStupid"Secret"!Cedric was highly amusing. In fact, the whole graveyard scene was making me giggle like mad ...
You have an awesome ability of transforming utterly serious scenes into hilarious ones! This story keeps getting better and better!
"I’m going to turn you into a cactus!” he shouted to Voldemort. “And then I’m going to step on you!”
This will have to be the best line in the entire chapter.
I wonder how Wormtail feels about his complete absence from this story. *chuckles*
~Mini.
P.S.: I'd like to have a few reviews in return, if you don't mind. [/shameless begging]
Author's Response:
*HISS*
How is it that, every time I write a complex review or response and then forget to contol+c it before submitting, it never, ever works?! No fair!
Anyway, to outline what I wrote:
1. Obviously, Peter Pettigrew is feeling a range of utterly non-descript emotions at his near-absence from this story.
2. I feel sorry for Cedric fangirls, and can imagine Dumbledore\'s would-be eulogy. \'I know Cedric Diggory didn\'t die tonight, but whenever you get the choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember that he could have, had Voldemort chosen a slightly more intelligent and/or magically adept right hand man...\'
3. Then I said something cryptic about not having to worry about Ron fan-people and then something about my redemption
Finally, I remember thanking you for review and, since I value said review and your words that have and hopefully will come on the topic of this story, I\'m going to go check out your bio.
I\'m just weak like that.
THIS time I\'m making a copy of this review, just in case.
This is an amusing and cleverly-constructed chapter, because it isn't extremely random humour. I love the way you use those discarded book titles in the plot and highlight them: I was giggling when I spotted that pattern.
Those plot twists are pretty amusing as well, with magical creatures we've seen earlier. This is one of the few stories where Idiot!Ron seems entertaining instead of stereotypical. I was snorting in amusement everytime he faints in the chapter. Poor Ronnie - he's fainting a little too much these days, isn't he? *winks*
Predictably and unoriginally, it burned Green. However, something far more interesting happened than the area simply growing lighter, bathed in an odd, gloomy light. In the middle of the floor, several little statues had appeared, smaller than dolls’ houses. They were like little pyramids, and they were only visible because of the Green Flame, which reflected uniquely off the small structures.
I love this paragraph, because it is not only a well-constructed pun at the Green Flame Torch, but it also pokes fun at the ridiculous Pyramids of Furmat title and makes use of JKR's funny reply - all at the same time.
Well done, Georgia! I'm sure the last part of this super-long chapter will be the best one, even though it will be sad to say goodbye to the fic. Good luck!
- Mini.
Author's Response:
Ooh, thank you! What an in depth, thoughtful review!
^^ Haha. I couldn\'t leave out the discarded book titles, and even now there are some I couldn\'t jam in there. But I mean, please. The Pillar of Storge? The Toenail of Iclibogg? What kind of a rumour-mocking humour writer would I be if I ignored those insane (yet somehow brilliant) ideas?
I\'m so glad that you don\'t mind Ron in his idiot form. This is eleven long chapters of poking fun at his non-canon idiocy, so if it\'s still deal-able, then that\'s great.
Well, the last chapter\'s definitely the longest - I hope it fulfills expectations., Again, thank you so much for all your supportive reviews!
*giggles* Quite funny, and even more original than before. The flashbacks were particularly entertaining, especially the ones involving 'witches, wizards and rabid wolves with flashing and/or rotating eyes.'
It's interesting to see more of your mad AU characters, especially Jackie. I have a feeling that O'Brein seems to be a little flat, but maybe that's just me.
I loved the chapter with Ron and Hermione too. Ron sounds very frank, matter-of-fact (and kind of dumb, but I love this fic so much that I don't mind Idiot!Ron), which makes me giggle.
“No,” replied Hermione. “My family are all non-magical, non-freaks, and all of Ron’s family are dead.”
I like Hermione's plainness in this sentence, that's quite unusual (and amusing).
This was a really clever chapter (an alliteration! Yay!) and I wish you the best of luck for the next part.
- Mini.
Author's Response:
Aha! Reviews! I thought it was odd for the chapter to be up and so few reviews. Then, I realised my computer had spontaneously turned off the email option O_O
Yay! You\'re still here! *Waves* Happy\'s not impressed though. He\'s not speaking to me because I\'m delighted and grateful for this review even though it makes the suggestion that he\'s a little flat, right after complementing Jackie. *Prods Happy* What a self righteous genius.
Your points are all quite valid, and Jackie really is great fun. The thing about Happy though is that... *Tries to put it into words*... He\'s been worked and developed as far as he can go? Being a perfectionist, I end up with a whole lot of deep thought on characters like Happy, Jackie and even Martin Malovski Saint Clair. But Happy\'s already completely full of himself, so there\'s really not a \'next stage\' for his character, save for the completion of his stories - Jackie, on the other hand (and I know it\'s odd to have this discussion considering the nature of this story) is growing and changing throughout, believe it or not. Obviously, it\'s not exactly a prolific journey, but-
Yeah, you get the point, I think.
And the flashbacks were really fun. There were these moments from previous books I really wanted to write but didn\'t, so *bink!*. Second chance.
I\'ll shut up now, because this is incredibly long. Thank you so much, as usual, for your review!
*giggles*
Ah, more delightful canon-twisting! I loved all the complex blood relationships ... I found the fainting!Ron extremely funny *giggles*.
Of course, I just love the Superman references. *grins* This has got to be one of my most favourite humour fics. Good luck with the forthcoming chapters!
~Mini.
Author's Response:
Yup; Fainting!Ron, he\'s a good guy. As is Superman, of course ^^
Thank you so much for sticking with this story, and I hope you like the chapters to come!
Wow! Awesome canon-twisting in this chapter ...
Argo Pyrites Slughorn! That sounded so funny, for some bizarre reason. I love the way you've Transfigured JKR's "Professor Bicycle" joke and changed Slughorn's first name. By the way, all those (somewhat confusing) name-changes were extremely amusing.
That deliberately mis-spelled RAB note was ingenious! I loved the way it poked fun at people who use netspeak in their stories (and unfortunately, I have come across a few really bad fics riddled with typos).
The various identities of R.A.B. are really, really funny. I was highly amused and perplexed at the same time.
I just love that map! I didn't think the ending was bad at all ... how can I think like that, when I've done that myself?
- Mini.
Author's Response:
Hey! It\'s you! *Mad waving* Halloooo!
Thank you so much for poppin\' over here and leaving another review. And I\'m really glad someone commented favourably on the topic of the Slughorn family - I really tried to make that make... well, at least SOME sense.
Haha ^^ And huzzah for endings like that. I\'m the most novice of novices when it comes to anything even vaguely resembling a cliffhanger. So - yup. =)
Again, thanks for reviewing!
Haha! Awesome and hilarious chapter. Nice play on 'Femog' Jones. Reading about your mad AU characters is always fun. Your ways of twisting canon (making Harry, Hermione and Sirius blood relatives) and mild OOCness (dumbing down Snape's reaction) never failed to amuse me. The chappie was good for a few hearty laughs.
Good luck with the forthcoming chapters!
Sorry for the short review, I don't have too much to comment on this particular chappie.
~Mini.
Author's Response:
*Confidence returns*
Thank you! As usual, your review has made me smile. See? =) And the fact that this is up is very good news, because it means that the long awaited (by me) chapter six is on its way...
Anyway, yeah, it\'s always great to hear from you!
Oh wow! It's an extremely hilarious fic! I love your way of poking fun at ridiculous rumours and scenes that are in the movies (like the Durmstrang march and CAPSLOCK!Dumbledore).
Happy O'Brein and his equally mad team of anonymous authors are extremely entertaining. I can't even think of ways to improve this story: it's that awesome and original!
Experts describe this as the ‘fantastic literature’ syndrome.
I just loved this sentence - it was humorous and well-crafted! And the (somewhat insane) Albus fangirl in me could tolerate the 'Dumbo' adjective - it was quite funny as well, because The Harry Potter Literary Storm is a humour fic.
I'm perplexed why this story hasn't become a massive hit yet - it certainly has lots of potential!
~Mini.
Author's Response:
I could dance. I\'m so amazingly glad that someone noticed the CAPSLOCK!Dumbledore thing. I can\'t believe I\'ve never seen that in fanfictions before - I mean, what is humour fanfiction for if not to make fun of such things?
And the (somewhat insane) Albus fangirl in me could tolerate the \'Dumbo\' adjective...
Wow. I just realised how terrifying the entire humour section could be for you Albus fangirls. May the force be with you.
I\'m flattered that someone\'s had the passing thought of why this story\'s not one of those massive hits! Happy\'s says that it\'s about time. Excuse me while a wack him...
Anyway, thanks so much for this review! I really hope you like chapter four, part two. It\'s one of my favourite scenes.
Ah, I love the characterisation in this story! It's really light-hearted, and you've brought out James's big-headed nature perfectly!
The story itself was amusing! I love the title! Oh, Snivellus was right about James ... *dies laughing*
I wish I could leave a longer review, but I can hardly think of anything else! This little one-shot was pretty amusing!
~Mini.
Author's Response:
Aww - thanks. I\'m delighted that you reviewed at all. This little ficlet feels particularly uninteresting up against... well, just about everything else O_O
But if it\'s fun, it\'s absolutely worth it! Thank you!
That was really adorable and cute! Even though chocolate is an overused way to pair two characters up, I couldn't suppress a grin while reading this. Ron and Hermione were very in-character! Hermione's surprised reactions on encountering chocolate frogs in almost every nook and corner of her house was quite amusing.
Their relationship didn't seem rushed at all. But I felt that Ron was over-doing his Chocolate Frog thing a little. ln spite of that, I loved the ending! How did you come up with the number 83, by the way?
Overall, it's a fluffy, yet good R/Hr fic: it's cheered me up on an otherwise boring day!
~Mini.
Author's Response: Thank you so much! Chocolate has been used a lot, but it\'s so RON, isn\'t it? I\'m very flattered you think I kept them in character, thanks! 83 came from left field, honet. I pulled it out of nowhere and it became Ron\'s love number, that simple. Thanks so much!
Wow, that was really funny and in-character! I was roaring with laughter when I was reading all the sarcastic references to Snape! This story is perfect for a Snape-hater like me ... :D
Even though the story is AU (Crabbe and Goyle never passed their OWLs), it's really enjoyable. Crabbe and Goyle's
silly antics with their wands cracked me up.
But, I did notice some punctuation errors, especially with the possessive case. For instance ...
Snape stared down at Rons essay, disbelieving.
'Rons' should be 'Ron's'.
Déjà vu, he thought, before drifting off into a land of dreams.
Awesome ending sentence! You've got lots of talent, especially with humour! I hope to read more of your stories!
~Mini.
Author's Response: Thanks a lot. I\'m glad you liked it and that I actually made someone laugh! Yah-ness.
I didn\'t even realize the Crabbe and Goyle thing, thanks for pointing it out.
And yes, I am very bad with possessives. XD
Author's Response: Thanks a lot. I\'m glad you liked it and that I actually made someone laugh! Yah-ness.
I didn\'t even realize the Crabbe and Goyle thing, thanks for pointing it out.
And yes, I am very bad with possessives. XD
Simply excellent. You've portrayed Remus really well: I can't see him casting a successful Unforgivable on a human. The rest of his character - his desperation and determination - and all the suspense is also well done.
Fenrir Greyback, of course, is as cold, sinister and hateable as ever. His characterisation is also done extremely well. Anyway, both characterisations make this story sound very ... realistic.
You do have a lot of skill in writing gripping and fast-paced action scenes. The twist was really surprising; Remus Imperius-ing the alpha wolf was something completely unexpected.
Overall, this is an outstanding D/A fic!
~Mini.
Author's Response: Thank you very much! The twist at the end was the first thing thought of, the rest of the story built up from it -- or to it. I\'m always a bit worried about whether action scenes will come across as plausible, and I wasn\'t sure about whether the characterisation here of Greyback in particular was too cliched so I\'m glad to know they worked.
Quite amusing. It was good for a few chuckles, and I'm glad that this story is on an awesome site like MNFF!
Good job in maintaining the casual humour. Your language and tone didn't sound serious, which, I feel, is perfect for this kind of story.
I like the characterisation of the Muggle PM and his little niece. The Prime Minister sounded just like he does in canon, and you've shown his pompous and flamboyant side in only a few amusing sentences. As for Annabel, she sounds like a cute six-year-old: funny and realistic at the same time.
The last scene was an unusual, yet entertaining portrayal. I laughed out loud when Teacup bit her. Overall, this is a really cute fic, I loved it!
However, I did notice some formatting errors, which made it a little tough to read. Otherwise, I didn't find any technical errors - it's good to read meticulously edited fics.
~Mini.
Author's Response: Hi, Mini! I got a MUCH better response for this on MNFF than fanfiction.net, which is cool.
I\'ve never written anything like this before, but I had fun trying out a different writing style rather than copying JKR\'s writing style like I\'ve been doing in my other fic.
Yeah, this definitely wasn\'t serious! It was a random idea that popped into my head ages ago just when I was falling asleep. I thought, \'hmm, that could be fun to write!\' and then zonked out. But I remembered it in the morning, luckily.
The PM reminds me of a character in a book I read when I was little, where you sort of get the impression he\'s not hugely intelligent and takes childish pleasure in a lot of things most mature adults wouldn\'t even notice. It\'s been annoying me because I can\'t remember which book is was! Might\'ve been a Roald Dahl... that\'s going to bug me even more now :)
Annabel sounds cute? Whoops. That wasn\'t meant to happen! She was supposed to sound like a spoilt brat. Oh well. As long as you like her!
I think the Teacup-biting-her-and-getting-thrown-across-the-room-thing was really similar to when Scabbers bit Goyle and was thrown into the window on the Hogwarts Express. I only realised that a while after I posted. Probably it was lurking in my subconscious somewhere.
Formatting errors? Oh dear. I\'m not quite used to MMFF yet. Is there any way of editing stuff after you\'ve posted?
And yeah ... meticulously edited is right. I take a lot more care on this site than fanfiction.net, seeing as it\'s so irritating when you send it to moderators and it isn\'t accepted.
Thanks for such a detailed review! That really made me very happy, and seeing as I\'ve been feeling slightly blue all today it was JUST what I needed!
This little Darkfic is sad, heartbreaking and amazing - all at the same time.
Your way of surprising the reader is simply astounding. When I read the summary, I assumed that the portrait is question was Dumbledore himself. Obviously, I was wrong - Hermione's portrait was a complete surprise!
You've got her characterisation perfectly. The bossy, stern woman simply comes alive in your writing. Even though your OC Linda is not the main focus of the story, I would have loved to know more about her. That is the only qualm I have.
The final battle scene was very touching. I was hooked and nearly moved to tears at the same time. It was nice to see Hermione finally getting a long-deserved rest in the epilogue. As for the letter: it was very realistic and heart-wrenching.
Overall, it was a beautiful and entertaining story!
~Mini.
Author's Response: Thank you, Mini, for those very kind words. The story evolved the way it did because it originally was to be posted on SIYE, which has a rule against killing off either Harry or Ginny in a one-shot story. The different styles and surprises came about as a result of that, as well. Thanks again. --Ken