You deserve NO REVIEWS.

Unless you update soon.

Author's Response: I have updated! I'm sorry it took so long :/

Natallieee

Did you know that this was the very first fic I EVER read (fanfic, haha). And I'm SOO glad I did because it like inspired me to make an account and write.

I heart this. I think think think it might be my favourite of yours (maybe tied with Lacuna Mentis.) I love your characterisation of Rita, and all your OCs are really great.

I liked the way that you described how Rita became Rita--she's one of those characters that Jo just says "okay, she's this way, deal," but I loved your back story. I hated Margaret :D

This was just a great read :) I was looking through my reviews, and then realised I hadn't reviewed this story, and then I went to go read it again, and it was just as fabulous as I remembered :) This is going to sound really melodramatic but this story is really probably what inspired me to make an account here.

Lily xxx

Author's Response: Hello! :)

Just as good as always, even though the wait was making me wonder if you would ever continue! I can't wait to figure out what's going to happen next!

Author's Response:

I'll do my best to only make the wait a couple of weeks, not a month, but I'll always continue. I've never left a story incomplete and I never will. Readers (and the characters!) deserve better.

<3

Omg! You should totally continue this? Well you got me...

Author's Response: I'm having some trouble with the plot from here-on-out... But I do really want to continue, and I'm glad you like it.
:) Megan

Aww!! Finally?? I love this story so much and the only reason I haven't reviewed is because I wanted to get to the next chapter faster. This was great! Please try to post quickly!
--Lily

Hey Gina ,

This story was so many things. You could say that it was heartbreaking, which it was, or beautiful, which is also was. I hate the idea of this, but at the same time, it’s brilliant and I love it. It’s absolutely excruciating to think of Harry dying this way and I think Ginny was a perfect perspective to tell it from.

At the beginning of the story I thought it was told from Ron’s POV, because even though Ginny was his wife, I think Ron knew him better than Ginny did at that point in time, since Ron really knew what he was feeling and going through. I thought the second person tense was done really well; it really got you into Ginny’s mind, and I think you really needed to have that in order to really understand what Ginny was going through.

I also thought the present tense was done well. I kind of think that if you had told it in past tense, it would have seemed like Ginny was reflecting on what happened and feeling kind of hollow afterwards, if you could say that. But since it was told in present tense, you saw everything the moment it was happening, which made it a lot more heartbreaking.

I thought this was just a really interesting outlook on Harry—you rarely see him weak, or even sick at all, and even though I know this wasn’t a character study, it almost felt like one (and I mean that as a highest compliment!) In a story such as this, you really have to nail the characterisation, and you did so. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is related to Alzheimer’s disease either, because I always feel like that happens to the person you would least expect it to, and that definitely occurred with Harry.

I did think it was a little odd that you made up a spell, but not bad. A lot of the time when people make up spells (especially that lovely contraceptive charm) they have no good reason for it other than the fact that it exists, and I liked that Ginny didn’t believe in it at first.

I loved this line: Your father watches over the family, trying to stay strong, but it is hard; you have already lost so much, and now you are all losing Harry. I did think it was interesting that Arthur was really the one watching over them. He was a wonderful man, but he wasn’t the one to stay as strong as he could; you definitely saw Arthur’s weak spots.

The ending of this was satisfying in a way, but in an awful way. I feel a little happy for Harry that he got put out of his misery (imagine going through that!) but also terrified for Ginny. I loved the last few words: he is gone—shattered. And so are you. I hate to think what Ginny would go through after Harry’s death.

Anyway, this was just a really fulfilling story, and I’m glad I clicked on it while perusing the archives, because it was a wonderful, if heartbreaking, read.

Lily xxx

Author's Response: Lily - a very belated thank you for the amazing, lovely, wonderful review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! And I totally get the "I hated the idea of it/loved it" feeling because I remember feeling sort of the same way when I was done with it. Kind of like - what have I done? What did I just write?? But it just flew from my fingers, I remember that. I'm glad the spell didn't put you off too much. I happen to like inventing cool spells, lol. And there needed to be a pretty powerful spell for this to happen. The present tense was definitely intended to make it more immediate, more intense - the second person surprised me, though. And again, I'm glad it didn't put you off too much. Yes, the end is heartbreaking. Think how close it could have been to happening - no Harry! No James, Albus, and Lily! Eep! I don't tend to explore major AU much, but this was one I couldn't resist. Thanks again for reviewing, it made my day when I read it (and I've read it so many times since!) ~Gina :)

This was really awesome. I'm not surprised it won first place. It (kind of lamely) inspired me. To do something heroic.

What that's gonna be, I don't know yet.

Author's Response: Right on, sister/brother. =)

Actually it's kind of fantastic to hear I inspire that kind of urge in someone - although please don't get hurt. Or arrested. Because then I'd have that on my conscience. ;)

Hi,

First off, I don't think I've ever seen a story like this before. Not like I've been on MNFF for too long, but I have read a lot of stories and this one is definitely original, at least so far. Not saying there's nothing else on Gideon and Fabian, but this is a brand new plot at least in the first chapter. I congratulate you for being original and writing such a juicy and enjoyable chapter for me to review on.

However, there are many things about this chapter that could have been better. You tend to focus on narrative instead of dialogue, and it makes it a little hard to follow. For example, when Gideon is talking to Aunt Muriel, she says,

"She’s your whore, boy,” said the old lady, not deterred in the least by being singled out, “and you don’t even see it. No, you love her, don’t you?”

This could have been very well brought into a bantering segment between Muriel and Gideon. However instead of inciting dialogue you went into great detail about Muriel being the matriarch of the family. You also interrupt dialogue with phrases. For example:

“She slid on something, tripped, I think, and hit the concrete hard when we got back to the shed,” said Arthur, nodding. He handed her a glass of water. “She just fell.”

You make the dialogue sound choppy and indirect by interrupting. You could easily have waited to say that Arthur handed Emmeline a glass of water.

Don't get me wrong, I think that this story has great potential. I also, however, believe that there is a lot to be done to improve it. I look forward to seeing the next chapter!

--Lily

Author's Response: Lily, The two points that you point out here have me taking different views. Not to be defensive, no, but to explain my process. Okay, if I had pointed out that Aunt Muriel was indeed the matriarch and was entitled to a raving opinion, what’s the point of standing there bickering with her when it’s simply going to fall to deaf ears? Why bicker back and forth like teenagers to egg her on when their grown? As a negotiator, Gideon would know how to read people, yes? So why have pointless dialogue just to have it? That is why I paired that as narration. And the reaction from Arthur would have been choppy and disconnected, I think, because he was surprised that she had fallen and lost the child. Especially for a man who bred child after child with success, seeing a woman just loose one would knock him off balance. Don’t you think? People, and characters, can do actions whilst they speak. The last part was indeed supposed to come off as incoherent; I hope that makes sense now. I’m floored that you think this is an original piece and I hope you stay with it. Thanks for the review. Sorry for the slow response. -Jenn

So, me being me, I was hunting down your list of fics looking for Wild Card. And then I see one with the title "If You Only Knew," and I was like, oh my goodness, Shinedown! (Their album has been on repeat on my iPod for the last week because I got it for Christmas xD) So I clicked on it, even though I don't really ship H/Hr anymore.

And you're ze SPEW queen, so I shouldn't give you a *flail this was so good* review. And so I shall try not to.

But oh my goodness, Jess, this was just fabulous. I loved the talk about soul mates, although I would have thought that Harry would believe in them. And I liked how this was still pretty much canon, not a Harry-and-Hermione-go-run-off-into-the-sunset fic. Although I hated that Ron and Hermione broke up.

I do agree with what Harry thought, though, I never saw any romantic spark between Harry and Hermione. At all. Once I thought about it, that's what made me stop shipping Harmony.

But even though I don't ship Harmony, this was still a fabulous fic. And Shinedown is still equally fabulous xD

Lily xxx

Love it! The 'chorus' line told in italics is my favorite part. You have a good ear for meter and rhyme, but the rhyming doesn't make the poem sound stupid. It makes it even better!

Author's Response: The chorus was fun to work with. And I love rhyming - it's one of my favorite things to do with poetry. (Well, that's a lie. I hate it while I'm doing it because it's a pain in the butt. But I like the results. ;) ). Thanks for your review!