Reviews For Not My Own


Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 01 Feb 2020 01:46 PM · For: The Uncertainty

Hello, it’s me again for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

This was such a melancholy chapter – with the news of the dementors now having license to kiss Sirius on sight, it makes a lot od sense for James to be perpetually on edge. The dementor’s kiss is such a horrific concept, it’s unpleasant to think about that happening to anyone and all the more so if the potential victim is someone you considered to be your best friend for a decade. I’m also inclined to agree with James that anything that makes Snape gloat like that can’t be good news.

 

James’ feelings towards Harry are so brilliantly conveyed, too! Facing his son without him knowing who James is must be incredibly hard on any given day, but it’s exacerbated by the dementor situation. James’ fatherly pride making want to reach out to Harry and hug him, but him being unable to was such a tender moment!

 

I also love how you’re developing the friendship between James and Minerva! It’s easy to believe that, with a group as rambunctious and troublesome as the Marauders, that would be a very memorable time for teachers as well! It’s oddly comforting to see that James feels so at ease with her that he slips more into his old behaviour as James (rather than his role as Remus, if that makes sense), talking about Quidditch and broomsticks. It’s nice to see that there’s someone he feels comfortable being himself with, even if that does compromise his position.

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 01 Feb 2020 01:34 AM · For: The Patronus Lesson

Hi, I’m back for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

I really liked that you included the interaction between Filch and James at the beginning! I thought it was a really good idea to separate the heavier, darker scenes from the end of the last chapter and later in this chapter with something a bit more light-hearted, and it was quite funny to see how Filch seems particularly annoyed when he finds out he’s actually doing Remus a favour in asking to have the boggart removed!

 

I’d been looking forward to reading about James teaching Harry the Patronus charm for a while, and of course it’s every bit as heart-wrenching as I expected it to be! You capture the range of emotion James is going through so well, it’s all a confusing mix of fatherly pride and concern, with James so pleased with Harry’s progress but ready to step in any given moment, with an addition of grief and desperation at what Harry is going through, it’s so easy to get swept up in it. No wonder James feels in over his head, it’d be all to easy to drown in all those emotions – but Harry is willing to continue the lesson, so James is ready to accommodate his son’s wishes, because learning the Patronus will ultimately keep him safe.

 

Reading about Harry telling James about how who he thought was his father died was especially poignant – of course, James had already known Remus had been willing to sacrifice his life to protect James’ wife and child, but to have it confirmed by Harry is so much more painful. And to then have Harry ask whether he’d known James – it must have taken all of James’ self-control to not just spill his heart there and then.

 

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 01 Feb 2020 12:45 AM · For: The Return

Hi, I’m back for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

I’m only briefly going to brush over my thoughts of Dumbledore as a horribly manipulative schemer because I think you’ve had rather enough of me complaining about it, but of course I’m not surprised that he mainly views the werewolves – like everyone else, really – as another token to move around in his great game of war. And you’d think he’d be a bit more forgiving towards James, when it really shouldn’t be James apologising for a tiny slip-up like that.

 

James really hasn’t returned to the easiest of situations, but I love how his enthusiasm for Quidditch shines through even when everything else seems so bleak: The fact that he instantly knows the firebolt is the best model on the market, the fact that, were he in Harry’s shoes, he’d just have bought it himself, and the fact that he seems just as keen as Harry for his son to have the broom returned are lovely reminders that James does still know who he is, and that he does allow his own personality to shine through at times – I’d worried before that he’d lose who he is, pretending to be someone else for so long, but, like James says, deep down he isn’t Remus, and I’m so glad that, when he seems to have lost everything else in his life already, he at least gets to hold on to his identity!

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 01 Feb 2020 12:15 AM · For: The Holiday

Hello, it’s me again for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

I know I’ve already aired my misgivings about Dumbledore before, but I feel like Rhea’s got a pretty good reding on him – he does view James as his lapdog, and he probably has little problem discarding off him when’s he’s done with him. It feels like this entire mission was pointless, and only designed to keep Remus away from Harry over the holidays. It doesn’t look like there was any change at all in the werewolf community, except in location, so I don’t think there ever even was any intelligence to be gathered. All this silly mission achieved was so keep James away from Harry at a time when it would have been very easy for them to get to know each other better, given that most of the school’s other occupants went home over the holidays.

 

I’m also incredibly worried about James – from the books we know that Remus was sent to live with the werewolves again later, after Sirius died (which, again, is so much sadder when it’s James who’s yet again sent away from Harry), and it looks like the pack hasn’t exactly loosened its requirements for James to re-join them. And I still can’t see James ever agreeing to inflicting another person with lycanthropy, but at the same time I can’t really see any other way… It’s an awful situation, incredibly unsafe, and once again James putting his life on the line for Dumbledore.

 

Also, I feel like the chapter summary could easily be a fairly accurate summary of James’s entire adult life.

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 31 Jan 2020 11:29 PM · For: The After Effects

Hello, I’m back for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

God, I didn’t think it was possible for me to be even more critical of Dumbledore than I already was, but he really does make it extremely easy to dislike him. He’s so infuriating as a character, the way he doesn’t care about other people’s individual safety at all when he thinks they could benefit his greater cause. To ask James to essentially risk his life for some werewolf intelligence when he’s already got so much on his plate just really doesn’t sit right with me – especially seeing as Dumbledore was so insistent on keeping James in the castle, ostensibly to keep Harry safe, but now that he needs him for something else, he seems to have no qualms about sending James off. I’m beginning to think Dumbledore’s insistence on calling him ‘Remus’ is because he thinks Remus is more easily manipulable, like Remus would put up less resistance than James does.

 

The interaction between James and Harry is so sad, too. It’s devastating to think that the only way the two seem to be able to bond is over their shared – but forcibly kept apart! – trauma, that the way they most understand each other is their trouble with dementors, and being more strongly affected by them because of their terrible memories. Still, James is quick to reach out to Harry and to comfort him, only to have Harry relate how Lily died – that moment was especially tender and heart-breaking, and James’ helplessness then is just overwhelming, because what do you say to your son who just told you about how your wife died?

 

I’m really excited about James’ future encounters with Harry, you always manage to convey the conflicting emotions he feels so tenderly and beautifully that I always look forward to it, even if it does end up making me sad!

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 31 Jan 2020 10:31 PM · For: The Search

Hello, I’m back for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

God, I just love how you revisit these familiar concepts and put your own spin on them – I’d always thought that, while understandable, Remus’ decision not to tell anyone about Sirius’ animagus abilities was a bit selfish, but with your reimagining it as James’ decision, that’s completely different! Ultimately, they’re protecting the same person (Remus), but coming from James that’s obviously a much more selfless act, and one that fits very much with your portrayal of James throughout the story! Throughout all of it, James has always acted to protect others, even if that would put him in danger, and he’s no different when it comes to protecting Remus!

 

Of course, Snape is being his ever unpleasant self, and without his knowing, his insults and insinuations sting even more fore James than they would have for Remus, so it’s no wonder he nearly loses his temper after having spent hours grazing every inch of the grounds for Sirius, only to be accused of aiding the murderer of his wife. And with James in such an emotionally vulnerable state, he blames himself for not doing enough for Harry, for failing as a father, which was so painful to read when every decision James has made, he made with the express purpose of keeping Harry safe :(

 

And, ughh, I was annoyed at Snape, but I find Dumbledore even more aggravating! I still find it unnecessarily cruel every time he addresses James as ‘Remus’, and now he’s suggesting James should get to know Harry better – as a family friend! The nerve of him, honestly, talking about ‘Harry’s father’ as though he were a mere memory when he’s standing right in front of him! God, I felt so sorry for James in that brief moment when he thought he was actually allowed to get to know his son, and reveal his true identity, only to have that hope instantly squashed by Dumbledore without so much as acknowledging it! That felt like such a massive, final blow, especially as James then refers to ‘James’ in the third person, as though he himself has now also given up on his identity as James Potter – that felt like the saddest moment yet in the story.

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 31 Jan 2020 09:37 PM · For: The Unexpected

Hiya, it’s me again for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

That first scene is brilliant, I love James’ method of teaching Snape to respect other people’s privacy! And it provided some much-needed levity before what I’m sure will be a number of very hard-hitting scenes. I’d been looking forward to what you’d make of the events surrounding Halloween for a while (and dreading it at the same time, because it was bound to make me sad) because while Halloween might be an awful time for anyone involved in the First War, I can’t help but think that it might be the worst for James, who lost all of his best friends, his wife, and contact to his child all in one night.

 

And, of course, Halloween in this instance also marks James’ first real interaction with Harry since his son was a baby, and reading about it was at once sweet and painful: It was lovely to see James’ joy at seeing his personality (and to a lesser extent, their mutual disdain for Snape) reproduced in his son, but at the same time, it was incredibly sad to see James purposefully withdraw and push Harry away for fear of getting to close and accidentally revealing who he really is.

 

So after that emotionally taxing encounter and even more turmoil after going through old photos, I am once again thankful for Professor McGonagall, who is an absolute sweetheart in looking out for her former student and colleague! Even if she’s grieving herself, she knows that it must be worse for Remus (or, in this case, James), and reaches out to him, and she’s just the kindest, most thoughtful person!

 

You’ve also left us at an absolute cliff hanger – your pacing here is excellent! – and I can’t wait to read the next chapter!

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 31 Jan 2020 09:05 PM · For: The Transformation

Hiya, it’s me again for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

I love how you can take the smallest details, and put your own spin on them, to reflect James’ personality, like the fact that he calls Snape by his first name! In the books, when it was Remus doing that, I only ever interpreted that as an attempt to be friendly, but I love how you’ve framed it as James being deliberately aggravating, because he knows it will infuriate Snape – that puts a new layer on ‘Remus’s’ being mild-mannered, and that’s just such a cool way to integrate your story into canon events! It’s so incredibly clever how you manage to do that without – outwardly, from the POV of other characters, if that makes sense – changing anything, and I’m super impressed with your ability to subtly manipulate the material!

 

Your depiction of the transformation is so great, too! The image of bones stretching out and especially grinding down is really harrowing – I don’t think I’ve ever come across that particular phrasing before, and for some reason I find it much more disconcerting than that of bones breaking – maybe because it seems like such a more prolonged process. I also liked how, despite James being able to keep his mind, there are still wolfish influences; I particularly loved the detail of James-the-wolf turning three times before lying down “as it didn’t feel right to do any less”, it’s such an amusing combination of animal instinct and human reasoning! I’ve also never stopped to consider how wolfsbane potion would affect the physical aspects of transformation, but it makes so much sense that the transformation should be worse when you’re of sound mind, anticipating what’s to come – and it seems like such a cruel trick to have the time spent as a wolf be more bearable, and most importantly safer, only for the transformation to be more agonising for the patient.

 

And I’m so glad Minerva has come to see him because James could really do with a friend right now!

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 31 Jan 2020 08:30 PM · For: The Potion

Hiya, I’m back, this time for Round Two of the CMDC review event!

 

I absolutely adored the interactions between James and McGonagall! It was really fun to see James’ expectations of his former teacher overturned, and to have him discover new sides of Minerva! It’s so true that you never really stop to think about your teachers outside of school, and it seems like McGonagall is quite the funny woman, with a bit of a tendency for hijinks, if her impersonation of Trelawney is anything to go by, outside of the classroom! It was so fun to read about the two off them slagging off Trelawney, especially as apparently both of them have a natural penchant for mischief!

I also loved seeing Minerva’s caring side – I imagine she knows so precisely when the next full moon is because she never really stopped counting the days, and worrying about her former pupil, which is at once deeply sad and heart-warming. And I loved how she comforted James about the upcoming moon and his anxieties about the students finding out – of course, she thinks she’s addressing Remus, who I feel always lacked James’s natural confidence, and would therefore have needed the assurance all the more, which makes it all the more touching that McGonagall would go out of her way to comfort her former pupil!

 

I also loved how you portrayed James’ worries about Harry throughout the chapter! Even if he’s not allowing himself to get to close, he’s still worried about his son, and the way you depict that worry as permeating James’ every moment, even if that’s sometimes in quite a subtle way, was so great! Harry might not always be on the forefront of his mind, but in some ways he’s always there, and I loved how that shone through in your writing!

 

Of course, Snape is being a git, but that was to be expected! I’m still a bit worried about how the transformation will go, but hopefully McGonagall managed to assuage the worst of James’ anxieties!

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 26 Jan 2020 11:13 AM · For: The Lesson

Hello, I’m back again for the Medical Crisis Review Event!

 

I love the different nuances on how the different houses reacted to James and his lessons! And of course the Gryffindors, who are probably the most mischievous and adventurous of the lot overall, would be most impressed by the boggart and by James besting Peeves!

 

Uggh, Snape is so unpleasant – even more so when you consider that he knew about the boggart in the staff room, and about James’ plans to bring in the third years. To think that he stayed behind by design, specifically to be nasty to Neville is such a horrid thought! Their teacher should never be a student’s greatest fear, and James is right to get angry about that and point it out to Snape!

 

Another thing I noticed about James is that, the longer he is impersonating Remus, the more like him he seems to become? Of course, there might be a lot of reasons for this, like the fact he’s no longer twenty, but now in his mid-thirties and might have just mellowed out a bit anyway, or the fact that he might have been worn down by lycanthropy and poor living conditions, but it’s kind of sad to see their personalities merging together like this… It makes perfect sense of course, and the subtlety with which you portray it is excellent – it took me a couple of chapters to catch on, in the very least – but I do get sad thinking about how James is losing his own identity more and more.

 

Much Love,

Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 10:58 PM · For: The Boggart

Hiya, I’m back for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

I can totally understand James’ anxieties about properly seeing Harry again for the first time after the disastrous train incident – of course he’s worried about seeing his son, but how could he not also look forward to it, when that’s his son, who he hasn’t seen in a decade? At the same time, the pain of not being able to reveal his true identity is all too real. And the shock of seeing Sirius in the paper, and James' reaction to that felt like another punch in the gut. No matter how much he wants to go after Sirius, his main priority is Harry and keeping him safe, so he chooses to stay in the castle despite his initial instincts.

 

I love James turning the full moon boggart into a snitch, that’s such a fun allusion to his time as Gryffindor’s star quidditch player! I love how you bring out details about your characters in such seemingly small details! I also adore your usage of ‘magical phrases’, like “What the Dragon Pox?”. It’s such a cool way of really anchoring your story in the wizarding world, and I always love coming across phrases like that!

 

It’s also lovely to see that James seems to enjoy teaching, and how excited he gets about planning a practical lesson, even if he was a bit mean to Draco – I also absolutely need to know what happened in Draco’s life to make him scared of tea cosies! That’s such a bizarre fear I can’t begin to imagine where it came from but I’m certainly intrigued!

 

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 10:34 PM · For: The Start

Hiya, It’s me again, back for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

Right off the bat, you hit me with that conversation between James and McGonagall, and it’s so bittersweet – obviously I love how supportive she’s being, thinking she can help her former student finally achieve his life’s ambition, and then I get so sad when I think about how this is James fulfilling his friend’s ambition when Remus never lived to see the day, and I get so sad again (which is beginning to be a bit of a running theme in this story, but you do it so well!).

 

I also loved the conversation with Flitwick! It was some much needed relief for my poor emotions to read something that didn’t make me sad, and I loved seeing a different perspective on the Hippogriff incident – it’s good to know that Hagrid has the support of his colleagues, and that everybody thinks Malfoy’s a bit of a git! I’m also glad that James isn’t going to spend the year in utter misery but can experience a semblance of normal in bonding with his colleagues!

 

(Also, this is hardly relevant to the story, but James’ opinions on tea are not valid – although it’s likely that I’m just a bit of a snob, but I love loose leaf if I can get it :P)

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 09:57 PM · For: The Trip

Hello, I’m back for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

I’m really echoing what I said at the beginning of the previous review, but God, is this heart-breaking. I’ve always felt so sorry for Remus to wake up in the Hogwarts Express and be confronted with the spitting image of his childhood best friend, but to have it be James who sees his own son, that he never knew and who in turn will never know who is really in front of him is doubly painful, and you convey the hurt and conflicting feelings of wanting to reach out but not being able to so well, it brought tears to my eyes. Harry’s reaction to James, or rather his apathy towards him were also super painful; of course, for Harry he’s just some teacher he just met, but for James that just brings home how much he failed him, and he nearly convinces himself that he’s no longer worth being Harry’s father :(

On a side note, I’ve never considered why Remus was on the train during PoA in the first place, but your explanation of it being close after a full moon, and as an added protection against Sirius makes a lot of sense!

 

And of course the first person at Hogwarts James has to deal with is Snape, who’s always brought out the very worst of him, and keeps on purposely riling him up – and already James finds it difficult to stay in character, though luckily Snape is too busy being nasty to notice. God, this really isn’t going to be easy on James.

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 08:55 PM · For: The Mission

Hello, I’m back for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

God, poor James… I have a feeling I’ll be saying that a lot for the coming chapters, but life really hasn’t been kind to him. I don’t blame him for dreading meeting Dumbledore again when all his last meetings with the Headmaster have gone so poorly and ended only in tragedy and heartbreak for James. It also looks like Dumbledore hasn’t been in contact at all with James over the past thirteen years, only once to tell him to keep away from Harry? To be fair, I wouldn’t really have expected anything else of him – can you tell my opinion of Dumbledore isn’t the highest? – but I would have hoped he could have at least kept James informed about happenings at Hogwarts. For all James knows, Harry has led a perfectly normal childhood, and hasn’t been confronted with Voldemort twice in as many years, and this ignorance too, is extremely painful. Like, as far as James knows, his staying away has kept Harry safe when that isn’t the case at all, and once he meets Harry, it’s going to be obvious that he could have (should have!) been involved in Harry’s life from the very start, and the boy wouldn’t have been in any more danger than he already was. So James is about to be dealt another blow and I feel so incredibly sorry for him.

 

And now when he’s finally allowed to meet Harry, he still can’t tell him who he really is, and be as close to his son as he’d like, the idea is incredibly harrowing. And not only is he about to meet Harry, James will also be confronted with so many people and places of his youth, none of which will know him for who he is – I feel like this continued pretending to be Remus is going to be much more difficult now; before, James was mostly isolated or around people neither Remus nor James had met before, so he didn’t need to keep up appearances as much. He could still be James in his own mind, if that makes sense, but now that he’ll be exposed to people who know him as Remus, and will address him as such, it’s going to be much more difficult for him to keep sane, and, God, I’m so worried for him.

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 07:31 PM · For: The Change

Hiya, it’s me again for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

God, this chapter really was painful to read – it’s so tough to read about James’ elation when he hears about Voldemort’s fall, thinking that he’ll be reunited with his wife and child… when we know that he’ll never see either again (or at least not for a very long time, in Harry’s case) and that, because he’s pretending to be Remus, he won’t even be allowed to grieve properly and that he won’t be able to reach out to Harry – that thought is utterly heart-wrenching.

 

And of course it only gets worse for James, when he finally meets Dumbledore to tell him his whole world ended – I find it so cruel of Dumbledore to insist on calling James ‘Remus’, after having lost literally everything, Dumbledore robs him even of his identity. Even if I could understand keeping up appearances in front of others, the fact that Dumbledore denies him his identity as James even in a private conversation seems needlessly heartless. (But very in character for Dumbledore, who always seems to focus on the big picture rather than the individual.) And being told he’s unfit to raise his own son, after going to such lengths and doing everything in his power to keep him safe is such an enormous blow, I don’t blame him in the slightest for taking it out on Dumbledore – he deserves it.

 

Even still, James – as he has proven time and again – is willing to do anything he can to keep his son safe, even if that means giving him up and staying away from him, because if he thinks something’s the best thing for Harry, he’ll do it in a heartbeat, without stopping to think how he himself might be affected – but by God, do I wish he’d considered his own happiness as well for once.

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 06:57 PM · For: The Plan

Hiya, it’s me again for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

I’d foolishly been working under the assumption that this story was set completely AU because of the switch between Remus and James, so I didn’t expect Sirius to suggest switching secret keepers at all – to have this suggested to Remus – unwittingly to Peter and Sirius of course – is extra heart-breaking at this point! If this follows canon – and at this point I’m too scared for my boys to check! – and also ends with James (or Remus’, I suppose) and Lily’s deaths, after they went to such lengths to avoid that fate is utterly devastating. And especially knowing that James-as-Remus was never told about it, and that Sirius distrust Remus specifically and tells him so, when he (as James) has to listen to that… God, that’s a truly heart-breaking thought!

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s talk about what actually happened in this chapter! I loved the interaction between Remus and Lily; like Remus, I’d assumed that Lily was in on the plan, and fine with it, especially since James never mentioned anything to the contrary. But it makes so much more sense that she wouldn’t be, that she’d much rather face any threats coming their way with her husband, even if other people may be objectively better qualified – they’re a family and should stay together. Of course, this also puts Remus into an even more difficult position: He’d been thinking that he was helping two of his friends, that he was fulfilling both of their wishes, but it now turns out that, in helping James, he’s inadvertently betrayed Lily. The poor bloke’s already under so much pressure, and to add this to the pile of worries certainly isn’t going to make this any easier on any of them.

 

And then you end with that bombshell of a suggestion from Sirius, I’m immediately hooked to find out what happens next! Your pacing throughout this entire story is so good, you know when to end scenes at precisely the right moment in terms of suspense and story-telling!

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 25 Jan 2020 05:49 PM · For: The Ultimatum

Hello, I’m back for the Disease Control Review Event!

 

I love how you talk about James’ assessing of Remus character – Remus is always pictured as the calm, quiet Marauder, and I find it incredibly interesting how you contrast that with the wolf and the struggle to keep his feral nature at bay, but from James’ perspective; it’s such a unique way to give us insight into both of those characters at the same time. I also love how James equates the wolf with the ‘dark thoughts’ he’s experiencing, that kind of reminds me of Churchill referring to his depression as a ‘black dog’, and I think that’s a really interesting metaphor to combine lycanthropy and mental health struggles  -sorry if that’s a bit far-fetched, but that just came to mind so I thought I’d mention it.

 

And I love James for how his first thoughts are not how he can deal with the situation he’s in right now, but how Remus must feel, and what he can do to make him feel better – I’ve always imagined James to be the most loyal of the Marauders, like the glue that held them together, so I loved seeing that reflected in your portrayal, too.

 

The way you create tension and suspense is so good! I love how James – and the reader – is already on edge because of the horrifying dream, and you keep up that tension throughout the interaction with the werewolves, as James tries to piece together what he remembers from Remus’s notes, and has to impersonate his friend! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire conversation with Rhea!

And the offer she makes him is of course utterly horrific, James is right that neither he nor Remus could live with themselves if he agreed to such a thing – so I’m terrified to think what will happen during and after the full moon because I can’t see James as willingly attacking anybody, but with it being his first full he might not have enough control or experience to prevent anything… I’m just speculating, of course, but you’ve left me with a lot of questions (and concerns for James’ safety), so that’s a perfect way to end the chapter!

 

Love, Julia



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 24 Jan 2020 09:44 PM · For: The Switch

Hiya,

 

 I’m here for the Centre for Magical Disease Control Review Event, round 1!

This is such an interesting premise for a story!

I love how you portray Remus – that he feels he is the natural choice to be turned into a scapegoat because of underlying prejudice that even his closest friends still experience is incredibly sad, but of course Remus is convinced he is the perfect candidate, so he agrees, no questions asked. That line about the wolf in sheep’s clothing is such a brilliant metaphor, too! And I love how you convey the atmosphere of mistrust and insecurity that pervades because of the war, with the order always being forced to moved, and how Remus is so jumpy at the sound of Dumbledore’s voice – you really manage to portray how suffocating  and miserable a world they live in!

 

I also love how you leave the reader a bit lost in the conversation between James, Remus, and Dumbledore, that we have to fill in the blanks bit by bit – so that we don’t realise right away what horrifically life-changing (literally!) thing James and Dumbledore are asking. And once we do find out, that really brings home just how desperate everybody is, that they would go to such lengths.

 

The way you describe the actual switch, and the aftermath of it, is also incredibly fascinating, I love the attention to detail in the little things Remus notices – or rather, doesn’t notice anymore. I’m also super intrigued to see how they will pull this switch off without anybody noticing – sure, they’ve known one another for years, but to imitate them without anyone else noticing is going to be incredibly difficult, so I’m curious to see what happens next, and how other people are going to react!

 

Love,

Julia



Name: starbuck (Signed) · Date: 04 Mar 2019 03:42 PM · For: The Switch

hey, i'm here for EvS, team emerald!

 

with remus being so self sacrificing in the books, i can absolutely see him taking on the role of the spy in the order. he already feels guilty for being a werewolf, so i can imagine it wouldn’t have taken dumbledore a lot of convincing to get remus to agree to the plan – he would feel like it was his way of giving back to the order, of doing his duty.

 

i loved the way you wrote the meeting with dumbledore, especially the beginning, how they say the stuff only the two of them would know – it feels so natural, and it also reminds me of remus and harry.

 

the whole idea of james and remus switching bodies is incredibly original – how did you even come up with it? it’s something i would’ve never imagined…but it’s so cool! james is probably going to feel so so guilty after lily&remus’ murder…and him having to stay away from harry? how is he going to take that?!!

 

what an awesome first chapter! you really draw the reader in ^_^

 

kris



Name: potionspartner (Signed) · Date: 13 Jan 2019 03:39 PM · For: The Plan

Someone has suggested this to fit one of our Mangerie Themes and I must admit I’m intrigued. It’s a bit like the movie, Freaky Friday, although no one would find this situation funny.


Could anyone really act like another person even if the had known them for years? I have to give them both credit. They are really thinking it through. How would this person act? Etc. even if it’s against their nature. I was honestly they didn’t give more notice, so each could prepare, both psychologically and think of everything the other needed to know.  

 

You’ve set them with with great problems to deal with (Rhea’s proposal and Lily’s anger.) Then Sirius walks in the door with Peter and a my stomach dropped. Is it really that close to Halloween? Is it time to make the fatal decision? Is it actually Remus that makes the fateful decision that kills them? Oh, the guilt of a great cliff hanger.



Author's Response:

Thank you for the review.  It is a little like Freaky Friday but not as hurmorus.  I didn't even think of the movie when I started this tale but now I'm inclined to think a verson of that movie set to the HP world could be fun of course that version would be filled with crazy silly shenanigans. 

 

I will say I think the reason that this switch could work is becuase it was only supposed to be temporary, and James was not going out much and Remus was with the werewolves.  Mood swings happen when it comes to wolves so minor discrepancies are easy to cover.  Additioanlly I didn't leave time for the plan to sit as that gives it time to be revealed to others and secerecy is paramount and I also fell like if the idea was left to percolate for any amount of time someone would think twice and back out.  Namely Remus would have backed out of it given time to think and James is truly a rash sort and when he gets an idea he jumps at is with narry a second thought. 

 

Of course, the idea of 'the best laid plans' comes into play here and indeed the characters were placed into a very sticky perdicament right away.  I tend to not waste time or pull punches, when it comes to everything that happens.  Also Remus agrees to go with Sirius' plan becuase that is what James would have done.  Save for the switch this story is pretty dead on with canon.  I figure the fun here is seeing it through the eyes of James rather than Remus.



Name: Felpata_Lupin (Signed) · Date: 31 Dec 2018 05:22 AM · For: The Start

Hi! I'm here (last minute, of course...) for your wishlist, dear! Happy holidays!

I'm always happy to have an excuse to get back to this story! I love it so much!

Poor James, insomnia is the worst... when you are exhausted but your mind just won't shut down... I hate that feeling... and then, that nightmare! Not only it was so terribly scary, but it made me once again so sad about the way James sees Sirius... I know he will find out the truth soon, but I kind of want him to know right now... :(

Oh, btw, I loved the conversation with Professor McGonagall, I love how supportive she is of Remus. And it is totally my headcanon too that Remus always wanted to be a teacher and that he would confess it to her during his orientation meeting, so I love that you mentioned this!

All the feelings James has about having to teach Harry soon... it's cruel that he can't reveal himself to him. But he's getting the chance to know him, at least? I guess? I can't wait to get to the Boggart chapter!

And Buckbeak's incident... I'm curious to see if James is actually going to take his little revenge on Malfoy, I'd love to see it... :P (I'm a bad person, sorry... but Draco is truly horrible in PoA, he deserves a lesson. Poor Hagrid...)

This was a great chapter! I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but you have a lovely writing style. You have such great pacing and lovely descriptions... so good! (I will need to read your novel sometime, it's not a promise because I'm the worst reader ever, but if I do, I do promise that I'll let you know what I think, aka sing your praises forever!)

Lots of love and happy holidays again, my dear!

Chiara



Author's Response:

Chiara,

Thank you so much for this incredibly lovely review.  It was quite the surprise!  (Most people opted to gift graphics or WJ questions - not that I'm complaining in the least I loved everything I got!)  Still, I'm glad you got a chance to come back to this story.  I need to come back to it myself and finish the tale!  

Anyway, you make me blush when it comes to your remarks about my writing style and how you wish to eventually read my book.  It literally made my day to hear that.  I just cannot express how that makes me feel but it is an incredible feeling and it's something I feel like I needed to hear now more than then as I relpy to you.  So thank you!

I am glad you like the head canon I did with Remus and how Professor McGonagall is asking.  I am quite fond of her as a chracter and I can see her being a bit of the motherly sort toward Remus as he was a good student and had lost so much over the year.  Talking about it makes me want to just give her a hug even if that would surprise her to be randomly hugged.  As for the Boggarts those are some of my favorite chaptes - I had particular fun writing Draco, and don't you worry I wasn't the kindest toward him in the chapter.  He is an interesting character that I like to explore but he was something of a turd in the 3rd year and needed a few lessons taught to him!

Thank you again for such a lovely review and I look forward to hearing from you again in the furtre as you read this tale.



Name: MrsDarcy (Signed) · Date: 15 Dec 2018 01:51 PM · For: The Change

 

NOOOOO! You killed Remus? I'm almost crying. I did not expect this. At all (although maybe I should have). 

 

One good thing: Harry's dad's still alive - in a way - I'm sure this will be revealed to Harry later on in the story. 

 

But. I. Can't. Even. Darn. Did not see this coming. I'm very excited to see where the story will go though, James living the rest of his days as a werewolf in another man's body. His relationship with Harry. Again, with the very original concept. 

 

As I mentioned in my first review: you're writing is excellent, it's smooth and soft like silk (lol) - I could never write like that. 

 

As a manic Remus-lover, I'm sad, but intrigued. Amazing.

 

- Beth 

 



Author's Response:

Beth!

Thank you so much for the review.  Yeah I killed Remus, it nearly killed me to do it but it was a necessary evil for this story to go the way it needs to go.  As for Harry... well it may not go as you expect.  Save for the switch between Remus and James I hold pretty cannon in this tale.  I do hope you like the read as you continue with the story though!  

Also you honor me with your compliments to my writing style.  I makes me feel warm and fuzzy becuase I always wonder about my style.  I've always wanted that voice that just pulls you in like a warm blanket, don't know if I've achieved it and honestly I don't exactly 'try' for a tone/style I just honestly tell the tell in the way that feels right.  I feel like writing is part studies, part practice and part gut instinct.  I rely on the later a lot, dabble in the first and the middle comes naturally as one constantly writes as a writer. 

Anyway, I can't wait to see/hear your reactions to later chapters.



Name: MrsDarcy (Signed) · Date: 11 Dec 2018 06:41 AM · For: The Switch

 

Hi Carrie

 

I really like the idea behind this fic, very interesting and original. Why doesn't it have more reviews? That surprises me, since your writing is impeccable. It just flows. 

 

I really like Remus' "voice" - the biggest issue I have with fan fics is that it's hard to "imitate" an already established character and, of course, people have different interpretations. I like that he has exiled himself (that isn't in the books right? or did I just forget about it?), at least I think this is something Remus would actually do. 

 

Can't wait to read about his interactions with Lily and Harry, pretending to be a "normal" man, something I'm sure he has always wanted. I hope there'll be some emotional complications, maybe feelings for Lily? Or would that be too complicated and ruin his friendship with James? Guess I'll have to wait and see!

 

I'm going to read it in bits, since I'm a bit busy, just wanted to leave my thoughts this far. 

 

Overall, awesome first chapter, original idea, great writing, love your Remus

 

- Beth 

 



Author's Response:

Thank you love for your incredibly kind review.  This was a lovely surprise this morning.  I am so glad you are enjoying what you are reading presently.  You have made me feel really good about my writing in general and I am hopefully going to get another chapter written soon - I know you are only at the start and taking things in pieces but I wanted to say that you have helped encourage my writing so thank you.

I am glad you like my Remus voice.  He's a character I've been working with and writing since 2004ish.  Remus to me is my baby.  His exile is not canon in the books but made sense to me.  There was a reason why Remus was not chosen at all to be a secret keeper at all, there is a reason why Harry has no photos of Remus at James and Lily's wedding but has Sirius.  This is me providing a reason.  

I will admit now that there is not a lot of interaction with Lily and Harry on Remus' part but you will get some in I believe it is chapter 3, if I recall 2 focuses on James (it's hard to remember to be honest)

I can't wait to hear from you again!  I'm so glad you enjoyed and I deeply appreciate your review.



Name: Finefrenzy__ (Signed) · Date: 30 Jul 2018 10:26 PM · For: The Switch

Heya, I'm here with your Hotseat review :)

 

I must say, I am really intrigued in how this story is going to play out. It is a really interesting concept of switching Remus and James.

 

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!

 

Does this mean that James actually survives, and Remus is the one that dies when Voldemort comes to attack them? Does it mean that James is permanently trapped? Does he as actually get to see his son grow up after all?

 

I'm cant wait to read on an see what happens.

 

Great job!

<3 Finefrenzy__



Author's Response: Hey! Thank you for the lovely review. I am so glad you like the concept that is this story. Admittedly all of your questions are answered in the chapters following this one so sadly no answers for you here in the response. I do hope to hear from you again as you read further!


Name: Nix (Signed) · Date: 25 May 2018 11:12 AM · For: The Mission

Nix here for Team Silver!

 

I feel so bad for Remus. Sure, he finally gets to meet his son, and help protect him, but he also has to do so under the guise of being his father's friend, and cannot tell Harry the truth. And only because Sirius is on the lose, Sirius who was his best friend but is now known for giving up James and Lily's location and killing Peter.

 

I'm kind of sad you didn't touch on James finding out about Sirius and his being put in Azkaban for betraying everyone. But maybe that would have thwarted the progress of the story. 

 

Dumbledore's always great at asking favors, isn't he? I did like how you touched on that. Dumbledore, always asking too much of the people around them, asking them to put their lives constantly on the line... But that paragraph made it sound like it was Dumbledore's idea for James and Remus to switch places... when in the first chapter James said it was his idea? That was a little confusing. But maybe James just said that to convince Remus to agree? Not sure.

 

Anyway, great chapter!

xxNix



Author's Response: Yeah James getting to meet his son but cannot say that Harry is his son is kind of the exact reason I wanted to write this story. The emotional field here is a gold mine. I love playing with and writing emotions if you can't already tell. Admittedly I didn't mention Sirius going to Azkaban the new wouldn't have been a large scene but maybe I'll consider putting in a small line regarding it, as I don't want to slow the story down further than it is by inserting a whole chapter/scene. As for Dumbledore asking too much. I am admittedly not a huge fan of Dumbles. So I am working to paint that balance between the not nice person he is and people looking up to and respecting him. In regards to switching places, I will have to re-read the paragraph but I know I was meaning to indicate that Dumblesore is blames some for insisting that the spell continue to be kept secret. Though, I could hand wave and say that time convolutes memories and opinions. Still thanks for pointing it out an I will certainly give it a once over again in the future.


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