Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 20 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Vicki! You have left me so many wonderful reviews over the years, and I'm so happy to take this chance to return the favor, at least a little bit. <3

 

For me, your story idea is perfectly emblematic of why I adore fanfiction: you're filling out all these previously-unknown gaps in the worldbuilding of the Harry Potter universe, adding layers upon layers of fresh details and exciting backstory. It almost feels like rediscovering the magic in the original canon-verse, drawing back to when I was a child who was experiencing the books for the first time & absolutely adored every single delightful detail that JKR included in the Wizarding World!

 

I love that you're delving into the possibilities of homeschooled students -- which makes perfect sense!! The cost of living at Hogwarts seems a bit steep at times, considering all the materials that they need to purchase before the school year even starts, not to mention it's quite a ways away from many parts of the UK. If it was previously REQUIRED that all magical students attend Hogwarts, I think that might be considered a form of kidnapping. And I also love that it's only during the Ministry's iron, censoring rule over the Wizarding World, that these homeschooled students are forced to go, to control their education & ensure there are no secret vigilantes in the making. It makes such perfect sense, I'm so thrilled by your ideas!

 

Howard being an older student is SUCH an interesting concept, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. He already seems so calm, collected, and knowledgeable -- clearly with an excellent grasp on magic, and with a certain unwillingness to just mindlessly follow the Ministry's rules -- and I am so stoked to see how he gets on during this strange, strange year at Hogwarts. Wonderful work, Vicki!!

 

Love,

Eva

Author's Response:

Oh, Eva, thank you so much for writing a review for The Crofter and The Snake!  Nothing could make me happier.  It is a special story for me, many years in the conception and full of rich scenes and ideas, and now I realize that I have to do the hard work of getting it all written down and posted before I get run over by a truck or have a heart attack or some such, since it is unthinkable to me that it should not see the light of day in its entirety.

 

You are so right --  there are many gaps in the vast Potterverse that can be filled in by us "secondary" writers, an endless number of stories that could be written about all these characters through all these years.  I began this project when taking a class in Writing Missing Moments at Mugglenet Fanfiction back in 2013 -- we had to pick a Missing Moment from the body of the canon and study how to develop it, and finally write a one-shot as our final exam, so I picked the line on page 210 in "Deathly Hallows' where Remus tells Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "Attendance is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard."  That line was an opening into a whole other area of story-telling for the 1997-1998 school year at Hogwarts, and I don't think that anyone else picked up on what the experience of those formerly-homeschooled students might have been like.  I quickly developed a huge head canon for my character Howard Sutton, and I had to pick a little bit to be my final exam; that story was Greenhouse Seven. (Also connected are The Friar's Unexpected Army and Carried in my Heart, both one-shots that you would probably enjoy reading.)  Meanwhile iI plug away on Crofter/Snake, and wish me luck to keep going to the end.  It will be the longest story I have ever written,  but probably not so long as "War and Peace," (which my daughter says is a good book).

 

I am so glad that you are enjoying Crofter/Snake!

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 15 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 1: Chapter One

Oh my goodness Courtney let me tell you, as soon as I read the summary I favorited this story. Your writing style is so wonderfully suited for period pieces and I KNEW I would be in for a good time! The opening sentence had me cackling even before I knew who Maria really was, it's got so much personality while including some of that witty crispness that comes with your sort of style. It's so much fun to read, and you absolutely nailed it!

 

"Maria hid her embroidery scissors in her pocket with the express purpose of putting up a fight should a skulking figure advance unwontedly in her direction" -- HAHA I think I will be using the phrase "skulking figure advancing unwontedly" in everyday life now. I must note that one down. There are so many little gems in here but this sentence was absolutely my favorite (your writing style in general, though, is beautifully descriptive and always brings a very vivid image to mind, whether it's funny or lovely).

 

Gerry is such a devious, secretly good brother... I was clutching my chest throughout the whole flashback, he's such a little angel. It's such a funny sibling thing to do, when you do the kindest, sweetest thing for your sibling but refuse to get all sentimental about it. LOVE it. He also seems to know her so well.... I would be frightened to death to mess with one of my siblings' treasured belongings, even if it was to make it a more practical & usable experience for them, but he just bowled right on through! Perhaps that's a lesson in life, sometimes having extra confidence & just doing what you think will be helpful to others is the way to go haha. If they hate it, well. Alas. :P

 

In particular I am intrigued by her moods, and really appreciate that you've taken the time to create a character who struggles with her mental health, all while avoiding modern language that'll completely remove us from the setting. It's so relatable for a Regency Era character to be flooded with anxiety when all the attention is on her -- Jane Austen is the Queen, but all her protagonists are so collected in their own individual ways that I could never truly imagine myself in their shoes. But with Maria, it's so easy! I think that's wonderful!

 

I'm so excited by this story, and will try to keep reading throughout the winter event. Thank you for sharing your original fiction!!!

 

Love,

Eva

Author's Response:

Eva, thank you so much for this review! I am so glad you connected with Maria as a modern woman and her struggles, even though she's existing in another time period. I wanted to show that mental health issues existed, they weren't properly understood, but people found ways of coping. And while my rendition of this won't be perfect, I thought it was important to represent it, yk?

 

And omgawsh Gerry is such a good, mischevious boy. I love him to bits and pieces. <3

 

I'm smiling that the bit with the embroidery scissors landed so well with you. And omgawsh, that the humor in general landed so well. I don't view it as a personal strength, so it means a lot to hear you say it! 

 

Thank you again for this very thoughtful review! I am so appreciative of it! :)

 

<3 Courtney 

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 13 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 2: Month 1: September

Oh my goodness when the AWPBD initials popped up I turned my whole head around trying to make sense of them, like who in the world has that many names??? Is it organization?? But then I saw Marietta's hysterical "Dumbledore?????" right underneath and genuinely laughed aloud, it was unbelievable. Of course it's Dumbledore. How could I not recognize his fifteen middle initials. What organized chaos this bulletin is!

 

My favorite running gag is Cho being the moderator and having a fifty-fifty success rate with her fellow Housemates. I particularly enjoyed that bit when Alfred tried to start something on Snape (titling the memo SNAPE), and then in response Cho titled the memo ALFRED dsjghjds. Good on you for calling him out, Cho! Go you! I suppose her powers of intimidation are not always at their peak, since her stern tone of voice with Marietta only bumped the bets up higher. (Can I just say, I love that Ravenclaw is basically running an underground gambling ring, incredible.)

 

Delighted that the debates remain a part of this House's weekly tradition!!

 

Absolutely marvelous! I have to stop here for now, but it's such a ridiculously fun story. You are so gifted with the epistolary style!!

 

Eva

Author's Response:

Hi, Eva!

 

So you know the Beyonce??? gif? Please imagine that for the Dumbledore bulletin. That was the vibe I was going for, and I don't want to admit how many times I mistyped his initials. I always get the P and the B confused. Or was it the W and the P? I don't know. So many things have to be checked every single time I write this.

 

Cho is both more likely to join into the chaos and likely to moderate it, like you pointed out. She's not always successful in moderating it, but she tries so hard. So very hard. TBH, George is kind of... well, he's no Evan. He tries, but there was just something in Evan that's missing in George. Cho is definitely the main character this time around, but I'd say that Audrey and Evan shared that role fifty-fifty last time.

 

Debates always happen! No matter what! Even when Cho is tired! Not that she always has to debate, of course. She gets to watch them and laugh at everyone. And, sometimes, she gets to moderate those too, though I have a feeling that she enjoys wielding the gavel more than she does moderating the bulletin board. Alfred doesn't debate much, surprisingly. Funnily enough, he is also either Evan's brother or George's brother. I think he's actually George's brother. Or he's yet another Fawley cousin. I have it written down somewhere, but I can't for the life of me remember which one is which. They're all at least cousins.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and thank you so much for the really nice compliment! I hope you have a lovely day!

 

-A

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 13 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1: A General Notice

AH THERE'S A SEQUEL. (Here for the Winter in Town event, and ready to snuggle up in the Robin's Nest Bookshop to read this story. <3) I was so thrilled and tickled by the first story (and am still so happy you submitted it for my challenge), and can't wait to get into this one!

 

I love that though this note is signed both Cho Chang and George Fawley, she evidently penned the whole thing and then just had him stick his name at the end. Your Ravenclaw characterization is just absolutely spot-on and adorable -- she's so stern ("these rules are not of a democratic nature" got a good chortle out of me) and dryly humorous ("Seeing as there is no Ministry spy at Hogwarts this year . . . I would like to take this chance to remind everyone that there will be no wishing for professors to be sacked"). Nothing makes me happier than hilarious little comments hidden throughout formal notes.

 

I can't wait to read the rest of this!!!

 

Eva

Author's Response:

Eva!!!!! Thanks for stopping by!!!

 

I always get so happy when I see your reviews on this series because your challenge is what inspired it, thus I have you to thank for all of this.

 

Fun fact: I didn't make George up until the end of this chapter, so, uh, yeah, Cho wrote the whole thing and then stuck his name on. Oopsie. Well, who said that reality can't inspire fiction? I don't remember if he's Evan's cousin or brother at this moment, but he's one of the two. I think?? he's Evan's younger brother, but tbh, he might be his cousin. There are so many Fawleys.

 

Cho was a lot more difficult to write than Audrey, probably because Audrey is an OC (well, kind of. She's technically not, but her characterization is) and Cho is not. But I had a lot of fun writing Cho because she's a lot more chill than Audrey is, especially with all of the fun little comments. It's definitely a slightly different vibe this time around, also because HBP is a bit of a different vibe than OOTP.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day!

 

-A

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 13 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 2: Tuesday

!!! I wasn't expecting the present-day trio to reveal the fates of the Marauders & Lily so soon! That's a really interesting twist, and creates so many little pockets of possibilities.... Are they going to be able to change their fates, now that they know? Or despite everything, will they still somehow walk into their deaths as the universe originally planned? I can't imagine what it would be like knowing how and when you would die... I wonder if that would make your current existence feel more meaningful or less so, if it would make you more thoughtful of the people around you or more careless.

 

I love how readily James and Lily accepted that they were Harry's parents hahaha. It must be quite a shock to their system, to suddenly consider this teenager as their son (I assume they are all around the same age, so that must make it even weirder)! But they seem to be taking it all in stride, which is excellent. I'd love to see what happens when some random student accidentally overhears Harry calling James "Dad," haha! The chaos that would ensue!

 

Extremely fun to read so far! <3

 

Eva

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 13 Dec 2022 · Title: Chapter 1: Monday

OH <3 Chiara, it has been far too long since I've read one of your stories! Every single one of them just exudes this delightful, joyous, unflagging energy, and it always makes me feel a little more pepped up for the day! I absolutely adore this premise, and I love that you brought the young Marauders to possibly the most chaotic part of the HP timeline hahaha, when Old Sirius is still thought to be a traitor and when Hermione is at odds with the rest of the Golden Trio. It's so funny that this fiasco only started because James was intent on showing off... Of course he would do that. AND of course his magic would randomly be powerful enough to cause such a catastrophic result!

 

I feel so sad for poor young Sirius, who must've already been completely bewildered by the change of decade! And then to be hit with accusations of betraying his friends! Before any of this has happened yet! If I were him I would probably sit down and have a cry (although getting taken care of by sweet, sweet Hagrid is a good alternative, for sure).

 

The interactions that I'm most curious about are the ones between Harry and his parents. Especially since his parents haven't "gotten together" yet! Neither James nor Lily know that he is the product of both of their genes! What a delightful conundrum for the narrative to sort through.... I wonder if Harry will let it slip at some point, and how that's going to affect the James & Lily romance. They're still at odds with each other at this point, haha.

 

So happy to be reading one of your stories again! I've missed you terribly! <3

 

Eva

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 06 Jul 2022 · Title: Chapter 1: Chai, Carrots, and a Surprise

Hi there-

 

I honestly think this story changed my life. I think about it so much, years and years after I read it for the first time. I was in a nostalgic mood these past few days and so binged your whole Chai series again, and I still come away with this endlessly comforting happiness settled warmly in my chest. Your Hannah makes me SO joyful. The way her cooking, her bilingualness, weaves so gently into her adorable romance with Neville! The way she teases, and acts dorky around him, and dimples!!! I am so envious of her, I wish I had that strength of connection to Chinese food & language.

 

Neville's perspective is perfect. I don't want it any other way. I don't want Hannah any other way. I love that you've made this quiet, wholesome, endearing, open space for these two to pine after each other, in this special, lovely way.

 

<3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 17 Jan 2022 · Title: Chapter 21: xxi. sharp beaks the whitened ocean plough

It was decidedly unnerving and disarming when Antares Selwyn actually seemed to exhibit a sense of humor, especially after how stiff and cold and unmaternal/unpaternal Andromeda's parents are....I DON'T TRUST IT. I feel a bit disturbed by how easily he tossed out "Carnally?" -- somehow it feels like he doesn't take Andromeda quite seriously enough which I do not like at all. It's such a strange feeling because I want to like him (I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing that he wouldn't require Andromeda to pretend to enjoy having sex with him) but he is a little too comfortable with her for my taste.

 

I can't get over how unsettling it is that Andromeda's parents are more than happy for her to seduce various agents to obtain information for Voldemort. Just such a good way to show their priorities and what kind of people they are despite their claims of purity and such nonsense.

 

But that ending section, when for a moment Ted doesn't recognize her! My heart broke for her. Especially since it carries the facade concept over (brilliantly) from the start of the chapter, how even the seemingly slightest of changes to Andromeda's face and posture and clothes can make her feel so uncomfortable in her skin and so unrecognizable even to the one who loves her best. And it's also so sad how it's something she evidently forgot about by the end, like she got so used to playing the role that eventually it started to bleed into her natural self-presentation, just a little bit. Every chapter I tirelessly admire Andromeda's abilities and efforts -- and although it's not remotely the same sort of spywork as in "The Commandos" I got that same feeling with Nicole.

 

I just wanted to end this review by shouting my deepest appreciation for the phrase "to spread affection over his forehead, his unfair cheekbones, the tip of his nose" as a way of describing kisses. I cannot begin to describe the kind of pleasant tickles (and sometimes outright giddiness) your writing gives me! It's so good!

 

So so excited for what you have in store next. <3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 16 Jan 2022 · Title: Chapter 20: xx. in swift flight through empty space

The Tedromeda moments in this chapter!!!! I was absolutely charmed -- I caught myself smiling foolishly at multiple points throughout the chapter. I'm just gonna make a list of quotes that just filled me with complete and utter warmth and joy! "Andromeda looks at them and feels her whole body go soft and besotted" -- I am so in love with their love, that looking at plants draped across hooks makes her melt at the thought of him!!! "Oh, she thinks, oh no. She’d known it, on some level, for a long time, but that doesn’t stop her reactions now" -- I LOVE this line, how she never thinks the full phrase "I love you" but you can tell she is unbelievably fond (and a bit concerned that she's unbelievably fond). You have made "Oh, oh no" into one of the most romantic things I have ever read in my life, I swear you have a gift. "Oh, Merlin — she cut that line of thought off ruthlessly, vaguely embarrassed with herself, and then angry for being embarrassed, and frightened and still, somehow, happy underneath it all. Oh, no." -- just beautiful, perfect, splendid, marvelous! By this point my cheeks were so worn from smiling so hard I was just beside myself, HOW is she so cute and funny with her feelings for lovely Ted. And the last one I will quote but by no means the last line that sent me into high gleeful spirits, is when Ted tells her, "You don’t need to smile at me like that." I love that we don't get her smile in-narration but just through this little snippet of dialogue, it somehow seems Extra Fond that way and I am obsessed. I love them so much.

That was an absolute mess of a paragraph but I simply couldn't get enough of your writing for these two this chapter. I am also desperately excited to see where the next chapter takes us!! I am very anxious about the upcoming mission.....fingers crossed it goes well.

<3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 16 Jan 2022 · Title: Chapter 19: xix. short is the hour and swift the time

My gut was twisting all chapter for Andromeda; what a horrible, unenviable position she's in! “I’m going to try,” she says, and is dreadfully afraid she means it -- this is such a good line, she has such an admirable moral backbone even if it clashes terribly with her survival instincts. The 'dreadfully' does such good work in that sentence.

It's so interesting that Andromeda is a secret from other Order members. I don't think I've considered this before but of course it makes sense that they have no idea that she's not part of the enemy, otherwise every captured Order member would be at risk of spilling secrets that would compromise her. But it makes it so painful when Gladiola Hartford here is slandering Andromeda's name and mocking her, even after all the quietly tedious, delicate work she did to find Gladiola. I'm so so curious to know what kind of thoughts and plans are brewing in Andromeda's head. Even though she's been receiving so much negative judgment from those on her side, and even though it's affecting her sense of self and goodness and safety, she's still going to try! I have faith!

Ted is such a sweetheart. Clearly Andromeda's morals are such that she feels extremely shameful for considering not helping Gladiola, and so can't accept that Ted might feel differently, but I just love how understanding he is. The comparison of Gideon vs. Dumbledore's opinions was super fascinating (of course Dumbledore is utilitarian). I love how varied the cast of characters is. Just sublime!

Beautiful writing, as always!!! Every time she is fully aware of Ted's movements and touches I absolutely melt.

<3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 04 Dec 2021 · Title: Chapter 18: xviii. incarnadined with blood

OH HOW GOOD. Picking this is up again is like meeting an old friend, it is genuinely good times (even when it gives me a million feelings dshghjs). And this is just excellent value, as always!

 

I can never get enough of the way that you write Tedromeda interactions. I have jotted down some quotes! A great favorite is the line about Ted's sweet compliments -- "usually, 'You did well,' sometimes, 'You did the best you could,' always, 'Thank you.'" The way he values her work and appreciates the risks she takes! He never lets her feel poorly about her contributions! You have crafted dozens of some of the most romantic lines I have ever read ever, and this is absolutely one of them. It's so simple and understated and perfect.

 

And this one made me smile -- "'What about your house?' Ted asks – bravely, because she is still in the prickly stage of failure" -- because I can so easily imagine it in the context of a cute domestic conversation, where Andromeda is grumpy after some mundane incident and Ted is being extra tactful and gentle so as not to stoke the flames shdjshds. But of course there are greater stakes than that, but it's just such a cute picture of their relationship. The "bravely" is a fantastic addition to the sentence, I keep giggling every time I think about Ted braving Andromeda's porcupine-y mood hehe.

 

My heart aches for Andromeda, who always has to be so restrained and calm even when being tugged one way or the other -- like she has that moment where she briefly dreams about in-fighting Death Eaters, but quickly brushes it away as simply not to be. And the ending line, which sums up this sentiment so well! "So she keeps her mouth shut, and fucks off." God poor Andromeda!

 

Another MAGNIFICENT chapter, as always. I will absolutely be back. <3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 04 Dec 2021 · Title: Chapter 5: Night and morning

CHIARAAA. It's been too long since I've read one of your stories! I'm sending a million snowball hugs and the bestest holiday wishes for you. <3

 

You know how much I loved "The Lark and the Nightingale" so I was beyond thrilled to find a sequel on your page! And I just ZOOMED through the six chapters. What I really love about this story is how original it is -- since the characters are all out of Hogwarts and the setting is in Italy, it really feels so fresh and creative. Most of the characters here are even OCs, which is fantastic! I love how much you've broadened the universe.

 

I am never going to be over the brilliance of adapting the Montague & Capulet feud to a magical world. I also love that this hatred has gotten to the point that there's a whole resistance unit -- I'm so curious about what their plan is. It's actually quite scary that despite the fact that they're meant to be rebelling against the feud, that members got caught up in a Montague v. Capulet fight nonetheless....I wonder if there's a larger, scary power lurking somewhere, driving the feud onwards (perhaps with a curse) to further their own goals. Or perhaps the resistance is simply not nearly as organized and cohesive as they'd like to be? Curious, curious!!!

 

I also love the expanded roles of their parents (specifically their mothers) in this story -- the first chapter was so cute and showed so much about their mothers' personalities. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them. :D

 

Also never apologize for the infodumps at the end of each chapter. I am genuinely excited to get to them each time sdhjshds, they're so interesting and I feel like I'm learning a little bit of Italian with every chapter I read HAHA.

 

You're fantastic and wonderful and I love you! <3

Author's Response:

EVAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

I was so, so excited to see you around again in december! <3 And I'm so happy you decided to stop by my AP... and that you read through this TLATN sequel! I'm so happy you are enjoying this so far! :D Also glad you are enjoying the originality here! It was fun to write in a setting more close to my experience and with a mostly original cast! Glad you liked the worldbuilding here! :D

So glad you like the Montague and Capulet feud adapted to the Potter-verse :P And the resistance group! (Who doesn't love a resistance group, right? :D) I think it's mainly the second, that they aren't quite as cohesive and organized as they'd like to be... I'm not quite sure if Giulia and Sofia even know what they are doing (I know I don't... but that's irrelevant... :P)

Silvia and Anna are absolute legends! What's better than a mother coming to the rescue, after all? Glad you liked the opening chapter with the parents, btw! <3

I'm so glad you like all the historical and cultural details in my author notes! And that you are enjoying the Italian, and maybe even learning a bit of it! :D

Thank you so, so much for this absolutely wonderful review! So happy to see you back around here!

Biggest snowball hug ever,

Chiara

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 31 Aug 2020 · Title: Chapter 1: Wasted Days

Hi hi, B! <3

I’m utterly in love with this story and how you drew parallels between Aurora Sinistra and Penelope Clearwater in this way! You have the most amazing way with minor characters (and OCs), assigning backstories and personalities to them in completely unique ways!

I never would’ve thought about Penelope’s trauma after her petrification if it weren’t for this story! And it makes complete sentence too -- in a sense, I imagine that the basilisk’s petrification powers are a bit like Medusa’s, where she’s so grotesque to look at directly that she frightens people into stone, so I loved that detail about Penelope being scared of that one corner in Hogwarts. I also loved the way you wrote Percy as a somewhat emotionally unintelligent boyfriend; it’s entirely fitting for his character at the time. (I remember as a child I was really rooting for him and Penelope, but now I’m really glad they ended up breaking up. :P You made their relationship so realistically untenable, in so few words!)

And Aurora!! You gave her the most incredible story. I was so invested in her life, and so nervous about her boyfriend. I’m in awe that this whole story is under three thousand words, because I love Aurora so much already -- and you basically invented her entire character. :D The fear accompanying her boyfriend’s slow descent into madness was so palpable, I got chills eeep.

The way they connect at the end is just! *chef’s kiss* perfect! I love it so so much.

I will read anything you write till the end of time, I love you so much!! <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Aw, Eva! Thank you so much! You're so gorgeous and I really appreciate this review!

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 29 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 16: Dream On

HIHI ELI. <3

I always do this, where I read the chapter ahead of time and then review them far too late down the road!! This was another snug-as-a-bug-in-bed read for me, which I may make into a habit, it’s so lovely. But anyway, I am here now to shower you with all the compliments and praise you 1000% deserve for this beautiful story! I adore this chapter, more than anything in the world. I mean, they finally kissed!!! YAYAYAY.

Okay, but first, I wanna say how much I love how well you write these characters!!! It’s like magic, how Ron and Hermione come to life, how you bring out all their intensity and passion and humor and temper! I mean: “Nodding his head at his reflection, knowing he was being surprisingly smart about this, Ron left the bathroom.” THIS IS SO FUNNY. THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY RON. The image of him nodding at himself, surprised at his own reasonableness! I love him! I love the way you write him! And this: “She also nearly went into a frenzy when she had learned Ron was neglecting this task.” This is the most Hermione thing I’ve ever read!! I can so easily imagine her meticulously documenting all her dreams even though I can see how she’d be at odds with this sort of thing from her poor Divination experiences, hahaha. <3

In sum, you are amazing. The queen of Romione!

SDGHKL the ridiculous difference in how Ron and Hermione presented their dream journals to Harry tickles me to no end, I love them both so much!! I also love the babies. They are both so cute. <3 (And I’m looking forward to Ginny’s discoveries re: memory dust! I’m so glad that she accidentally stumbled across it the other day!)

That section where Ron is just enthusiastically encouraging Hermione because he KNOWS she can do it made me so happy! He supports her! He wants to boost her up and help her succeed!! And I love the way that he did it, too -- just with his encouragement and positivity!! The way Hermione blushed omg, I too blushed. I loved how close they were, and how it was perhaps because of this lack of clearheaded thinking, this lack of calm rationale, that she managed to succeed at all!

“Now, I don’t know why, as usual, but I have this weird feeling you are over-thinking it, putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.” He knows her! Even without having talked to her about it, he knows her!!

HE COMPLIMENTED HER SPARK. SOULMATES.

THAT KISS LEFT ME GIDDY FOR DAYS. Will I ever not smile when I think about it?? Probably not!! This whole chapter was so perfectly steamy and brilliant and cute, and I will love it forever. I’m so sorry for this incredibly scattered, shout-y review omg, I just need you to know how much I love this chapter. :D

(I am so intrigued about what will become of that dream! Her memories are fighting back, perhaps? I wonder if it’s at all connected to her emotional breakthrough with Ron earlier, whether their continued companionship might trigger more memories?)

The most amazing chapter!! <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Hello Eva, don't ever worry if it takes some time to review, because your review are so totally worth waiting for!!!

I remember being very nervous about this chapter when I first wrote it, because the kiss was actually very spontaneous for me as well. It was one of those things where your characters just take off and run from your rules and plan and do what they want, but I liked it :) There's this pull between them that happened naturally and so I appreciated it happening and left it in the story.

Haha, yeah, Ron has never been that great with doing homework, what the dream diaries essentially are, and Hermione always tries to do her best until she reaches a point when she becomes convinced something is pointless. She's still at that point of being very determined and following instruction, not really knowing what else to do in a situation like this. And wouldn't it be super frustrating to see Ron neglecting it and getting away with it at the same time? :D

AWWWW EVA, no one has ever called me the queen of Romione and I feel like it's one of the most flattering things someone has ever said to me *breaks down crying* because, like, I love them so much and sometimes I'm so worried I'm not really doing them proper justice, so...THANK YOU! <3

I think that even if Ron sometimes was annoyed by Hermione being so smart, etc. he did appreciate her drive and knowledge, and would never knowingly put her down for it. So many people just blow up that little moment in PS/SS where he calls her a nightmare (which is just him being a normal kid, tbh) and forget all the million other moments where he supported and praised her and stood up for her when Snape was being an ass to her for knowing things. Ron loves Hermione's intelligence and talent and no one will ever convince me otherwise! And also, him being so down-to-earth, he's just able to ground her as well, balance her out. Ron is smart, too, only in other ways, he's practical and intuitive, and that I think is what Hermione needs at this point.

HAHA, YES, THE SPARKS! <3 I adore your reaction to it SO MUCH. It's so brilliant and thrilling to know my writing has made other people feel things, it's so precious, thank you so so much. Your love and support mean the world to me, Eva! I'm beyond excited to know what you think of the rest of the story.

ILY <3

Eli

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 27 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1

HI JO. You posted about this story in the Hufflepuff chapter updates thread, and I realized that I haven’t even read the original one-shot! And it’s amazing -- the form of this !! The short, fragmented snapshots of Harry and Neville’s life! The beautiful use of the second person! I adore everything, how you manage to capture their entire relationship in such a short amount of space. The part that particularly melted my heart was when Harry realized that Hermione invited both him and Neville on the same card -- she is quite an observant one, isn’t she? :P

Anyway, I think this is utterly beautiful. I’ve never read a Harry/Neville story before, I believe, but I absolutely adored this one! <333

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Thank you so much for this review, Eva!

I loved it so much on the first read and then when I was trying to make progress on my unanswered reviews I noticed that you'd already left me such a lovely review on this.

So thank you for making the effort to leave a review twice!

Love,
Jo

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 17: Q - Quarantine

I love how topical/timely this is. I related to everything so strongly, how it’s crazy that lives and real humans are being reduced to numbers because the scale is so large. (It’s particularly maddening when even then the numbers don’t seem to matter?? At least in the United States.) I particularly love how the majority of this drabble consists of questions because it’s so true. Everything is one big question mark right now and there’s no way of knowing how it’ll all end.

When you referenced society’s expectations I wanted to exclaim and shout because YES that’s exactly how it feels! And it’s such a hard thing to continue doing in this madness, as all the days blur together. “Every day is the same as the one before, and the same as the next. The only sounds keeping you company are the ambulance sirens.” This is so bleak but stunningly written.

I love all your drabbles omg. I absolutely cannot wait for more! <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

This was obviously drawn from my personal experience of the last few months... :( Yes, it's crazy, and so sad, how human lives are reduced to numbers... but also, it's sort of inevitable, I think?

And I'm so, so sorry that the situation in the US has been dealt with so bad... *sending hugs*

It is all a big question mark, isn't it? :(

I'm glad you could agree on the society expectations' bit... it is maddening... and it's so difficult in this time when all days feel the same... I'm glad you thought I expressed all this well! <3

Ahhh, thank you!!! You are the best!!! Hopefully I'll have more drabbles for you soon!!! <3

Huge snowball hug,

Chiara

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 16: P - Pianoforte

This is the most beautiful description of piano music ever omg. I love how you aren’t afraid to step outside the realm of musical language !! I feel like often when I read descriptions of music, it’s by musicians who are wonderfully musical but perhaps not the most elegant of writers, but this! This is so good! From your “tiptoe of notes” to the “war of fingers,” I could practically imagine this piece on an almost symphonic scale. I don’t know if you were thinking of any piece in specific, but either way this drabble is amazing.

“And finally silence, and fingers resting on motionless keys.” This ending! It made me pause in awe, in that way that I do at so many beautiful performances.

You are amazing. <3333

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

I was particularly thrilled about your opinion on this one, since you are a pianist yourself! <3

And I'm so glad you liked my descriptions here!!! And I'm glad you liked this less technical and more... metaphorical, I guess? way to describe music! <3 And no, I didn't have any specific piece in mind, just the general idea of piano music... :P So glad you liked the ending, too! <3

YOU are amazing!!! Thank you so much again! <3

Chiara

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 15: O - Ocean

This is so utterly hypnotic -- I swear I read this in a trance. The repetition does SO MUCH to illustrate the ebb and flow of the ocean (and the words you chos, “conquering and retreating,” are so beyond perfect sdkghsl I love everything about this so much).

“as if nature is blushing, embarrassed by that soft touch of water and air” oh my gosh I could drown in your beautiful language! This is gorgeous!! And describing the ocean as a “sleeping giant” is so heartachingly beautiful, I truly don’t think I’m going to look at the ocean the same way after this. <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Hypnotic is such a great way to describe this? :O I'm so glad you liked this piece, with the repetitions and the description of sunset (I am quite proud of that bit... :P) and the image of the sleeping giant...

I don't really know what else to say, except, once again, thank you so much! <3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 10: J - Journey

Oh my goodness how do all your drabbles fill me with such longing, I just want to go out into the world like this brave adventurer and live a life separate from the often-claustrophobic houses and schedules and time constraints! The idea of going on a bus and riding into the unknown is so thrilling but scary, and will I ever actually do it? I do not know, but this drabble just completely reignated my desire to.

“houses and trees out of the window escaping in the opposite direction” omg...this line. BIG heart eyes, forever. <333

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

I wish I had the courage to just leave everything and follow my dreams/travel the world too... I know that I would never actually do it... :P But I feel you for desiring it! <3

So glad you liked that line! <3 <3 <3

Love you!

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 4: D - Dancer

The imagery in this one is SO powerful. I practically felt breathless and exhausted just reading these 100 words about the poor sacrificed young woman! I could hear the rhythmic music, feel the thrumming excitement -- I was so immersed in this awful sacrifice ritual! And again, you do such an amazing job with the theme; like the previous drabble, she is surrounded by people but as far removed from them as perhaps possible. She has to face this insurmountable, horrible future alone, with no one to care for her.

“her braids have come loose; her veils are soaked with her sweat” I LOVE THIS??? I read this and saw the most vivid, incredible image -- it’s beautiful and striking and frightening! You’re amazing omg. <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

I'm not sure why I decided to write about this... it just... happened? But I'm so glad you could imagine the scene, hear the music, feel the exhaustion...

That's exactly what I was going for. She's surrounded by people, she's even the centre of attention, but it's almost like she's in a completely different dimension, trapped with no one to help her out...

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 3: C - Crowd

This one hit me so hard. I tried sitting down and quoting all the lines that hit me most but then it turned out I was quoting all of them. I don’t even know how you captured something that resonates this much, but you did! Particularly at the end when potential shared smiles or hellos are lost because everyone needs to go go go somewhere, I felt this stab of bittersweetness and lost opportunity; you captured that incessant, tugging rush that plagues all of us in our daily lives so unbelievably well. And it is absolutely so isolating, I never ever would have thought to write about solitude in this way, but you did and for that I’m so thankful!!

SO BEAUTIFUL. This collection is absolutely a work of art I adore it so much!

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

I think that, with how our society works, we all experience this kind of isolation in our lives. We are always running, rushing, needing to go somewhere, and we don't even have the time to acknowledge the existence of the rest of the world around us. I'm so "glad" this resonated with you (not glad that you experience this, glad that you thought I expressed the feeling well! <3)

Thank you so much! All your reviews make me so happy! <3

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 2: B - Boundaries

I think you picked the most most most perfect theme, and the many amazing, unique ways you chose to interpret it will never cease to amaze me! I absolutely love this depiction of a princess in her tower -- it follows so smoothly after the previous drabble, too, with the “fairytale” language continuing into this one! -- and how her privilege/“elevation” above everyone else means that she misses out on the most fundamental human connections. She misses out on the appreciation of beautiful everyday things around her !

This part made me go all starry-eyed and wistful: “of fields turning gold with wheat in the summer”! Y e s omg, what a beautiful image!!

“surrounded by beauty, by diamonds and jewels, by the most fragrant of flowers and the sweetest of fruits” the way this opens omg, I lovee. It all sounds so beautiful and luxurious on the surface, but there’s nothing deeper in what she has, and the way you illustrated that is so good!

What I also love is the ambiguity of the princess’s decisions -- who’s to blame for her unintentional isolation, her parents for raising her this way, or herself for being content with this? It’s just so sad because she doesn’t even know what she’s missing… This one is so so good. <33

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Aww, thank you! <3 Yes, I guess the theme of solitude is pretty versatile for this, I'm glad you liked the different ways I used it... :P

I'm glad you liked this little fairytalesque drabble! I think I was going with Rapunzel's vibes here? But different, because this princess is not even aware that she's missing out on something... it's really sad, to be honest... :(

I do love that line about the wheat fields, too! <3

That's exactly what I was going for... apparently she has everything that can be desired, but it's all empty and meaningless. And I wouldn't say that I blame her, because she just doesn't know better? I see her more as an unaware prisoner. But I guess it's free to interpretation... ;)

Thank you so much again!!!

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 24 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 1: A - Ace

Oh, Chiara, these are absolutely incredible!! I read all of them while I was eating breakfast, but my breakfast ended up neglected because of how unbelievably good these are! Your writing is so poetic in each of these, and the way you use this small form so deftly ! I have no words, I’m sorry, but each of these drabbles really touched me in the best of ways! I’m going to try and go through all of them and leave (hopefully coherent) thoughts! I really must thank Emily for coming up with this challenge omg. <3

The first one reads so personally -- I loved it. Like, from the opening words, I found myself so so engrossed in this drabble! Its subject is so important, too. In particular, this line -- “The fairytale they've been telling you since you were born” -- is perfect. I love the use of “fairytale” because it does two incredible things in the context of this sentence: (1) it implies that what they tell you is fabricated, made-up, which is so true because not everyone needs a partner or “the one” in their lives, no matter how much people around you say so, and (2) it really really hits home how they tell you these things ever since you’re a small child.

This whole drabble left me feeling this weary sort of sadness, if that makes sense -- I can’t quite put it into words properly but my chest is filled with Emotion which I think is so amazing. This is such a beautiful first drabble!! <3

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

EVA!!!

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review all of the drabbles posted so far (I really need to start working on the rest of the collection... hopefully I'll get some inspiration soon... :P)

I'm so, so glad all of these touched you! You are way too sweet to me! And yes, Emily had a wonderful idea with this challenge! <3

This first one is sort of autobiographic... I don't really get to talk much about my sexuality (mostly for all the reasons I listed here and because I'm still sort of questioning?) but it was good to use this occasion to express myself a little? And yes, that's exactly what I was going for with the fairytale bit... we grow up with this image of "the knight in shining armour rescuing the princess and they lived happily ever after" and we are led to believe that's how it is supposed to work, but it doesn't work like that at all... not for everyone, at least...

I'm so glad this filled you with emotion! It is kind of sad, I guess... Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it means a lot! <3

Love you,

Chiara

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 23 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 3: The Name

I loved hearing Cho’s POV! She’s given so much dimension already, which I appreciate a lot! It seems as though she has a lot of baggage and regrets, and even though I don’t know what they are just yet I am already rooting for her to overcome them! I worry that if Maisie continues down a similar path that she’ll end up a little like Cho, actually.

Yay, they found him! It’s so funny to me that he works in IKEA -- that somehow feels very perfect for him?? So an excellent choice (both for HPFTers for picking it and you for pulling it off so well)!

Maisie getting stranded and missing all the delightfully espionage-y action omg, the poor girl. I mean, that stuff with the comment cards was pure genius.

I’m really enjoying this story so much! I hope there’ll be a new chapter soooon. <3

 

Love, Eva

Reviewer: justawillowtree Signed
Date: 22 Jul 2020 · Title: Chapter 2: The Stake Out

The opening paragraphs to this story!! It’s so relatable; everything is, after all, very pleasant and lovely in that foggy half-asleep state. It makes sense that even Maisie (perhaps especially Maisie, as someone who’s so cynical in her waking hours) would feel that way.

AW, SIBLINGS. It’s so sweet that they gave her a surprise birthday greeting! I am a little concerned about Maisie’s dad, though -- she panicked at the idea of him falling asleep in front of the TV and I want to know whyyy. I think you’ve done a really good job setting up Maisie’s character; she’s jaded and quiet and interesting.

“I wish I knew what I want.” AHH this is so relatable. Maisie’s around 23-ish, right? It makes sense that she would be struggling to define her passions; most people at her age don’t even know what kind of career they’ll be heading towards.

TEDDY IS SUCH A WHOLESOME FELLOW. “...two clipboards (in case Cho and Maisie wanted to do a crossword at the same time as me)...” This made me laugh sdghsk, what an over-prepared young man. I don’t know what house you’ve put him in, but that felt so distinctly Hufflepuffy (though the idea of carrying clipboards around in all their clunky glory makes me shiver).

The stakeout was so fun! Curious to read on! :D

 

Love, Eva

Author's Response:

Eva! <3 

I wasn't expecting another review! Goodness, I am so spoiled. 

Maisie and her family: oooof, the Cattermoles are in for it in this story. A lot is going to happen to this little family! Maisie is actually turning 26 in this story--she spent the first couple years out of Hogwarts kind of wandering around, picking up odd jobs before her resume was built up enough for a job in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. (This detail will be further explained in the future!) But yes, Maisie is jaded and quiet (and I'm glad you find her interesting!)

And Teddy! I love writing him so much. To get into his mindset, I deinitely try to view the world as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I can, lol. And, drumroll please.... Teddy IS in fact a Hufflepuff! I am thrilled that he came off that way in this chapter (and I'm stoked that an actual Hufflepuff mentioned this!). 

(for the Battleship HC Opener)