Oh, excellent! What an ending. Mysterious and suspenseful, without being obnoxious. What will Pansy do when she meets up with Zach? And what will Zach do? I can't wait. I know this is my first review, but I've been enjoying this story very, very much.

Incredible. I'm shivering reading this. Your characterization was excellent. I really liked Peter's view of Remus. It made sense that if Peter didn't see James and SIrius as truly being friends with him that he wouldn't believe they were actually friends with Remus either.

There's one spot, where Peter Floos to become a Death Eater, where the wording gets confusing. It seems as though there's a word or two missing, and the phrase "threw up" has such a strong connotation that you might want to phrase that differently. Just thought I'd get a little nit-picky on what was an excellent story. ;-)

Truly, though, this was incredibly well-written. The mood permeated every word, and I find myself pitying Wormtail and despising him at the same time. Excellent work!!!

Author's Response: Wow, thank you guys so much for the great reviews.

Oh, this was such a fun story! I love how Junior ended up winning the race- very Ravenclaw of him to hold on to some of the butterbeer for safe-keeping! All in all, a very clever story idea. I very much enjoyed it.

That was pretty entertaining, and well-written. I think you captured the Marauders very well. The hat, however, seemed very OOC. The scene with Sirius was almost identical to the one with Harry in Sorceror's Stone, but your hat reacted very differently. Still, I guess you could say that it was necessary to the plot, as you weren't portraying Sirius's pesonality as any different. Fun speculation!

Author's Response: Hi there! Thanks for the compliments! I understand what you mean about the hat - like I told my last reviewer, the prompt was to Sort someone into a different house, so I tried to come up with a good reason for the Sorting Hat to do that to Sirius, poor guy. And I deliberately tried to parallel Harry\'s Sorting, good catch! I\'m glad it was still fun speculation, thank you for reading this story and leaving such a lovely review!! ~Gina :)

So, wow! I was re-reading this, and man! It's a very exciting story. This task in particular is eventful.... and then the mob of Muggles attacking! Alex was shot! THIS IS QUITE THE CLIFF-HANGER!!!

*ahem*

Will we ever know what happened? Let me know if you still would like me to beta the last chapter or two....

Author's Response: Hey there!!

Good to hear from you. We will indeed find out what happens... I was writing some Challenge fics and got distracted, but now I really want to finish this one. I think I can do it in one more chapter, and if you want to beta, you will be my hero!

How\'s your story life going? Ever going to write that sequel? Let me know!

--LA

Oooh, you were right- it's tenser already! Yet again, I greatly enjoyed this. A few nit-picky things:
You speak of divorce under Josephine's section. I have a hard time seeing that in the time period, especially coming from a girl who is so high-bred and well-trained as Josephine.

These Three Remain by LuthAn
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1. Faith, Hope, and Love2. Everything Changes
Author's Notes:
Hello again, dear readers. I've been re-reading "Pride and Prejudice" for the umpteenth time, so I think I've got a little better hold on the language (though that story takes place more than a hundred years after mine...) Regardless, this story is becoming an absolute joy to write, and is taking more twists and turns than I originally planned. I certainly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! Questions and/or comments are always more than welcome. Enjoy!



CHATPER TWO: Everything Changes

Love.

The carriage rattled loudly down the road leading away from Chateau Clerbise, though its two occupants remained silent. Josephine sat with her head down, her hands in her lap. She occasionally moved to fiddle with a loose thread on her traveling cloak, but other than that she sat quite still, braced against the wall of the carriage.

Her brother Remy, on the other hand, was moving constantly, twitching as though possessed by a nervous energy. Josephine knew he was anxious to return to school for his seventh and final year. He was anxious to see again his friends and his fiancée. But he was most anxious for the start of the Triwizard Tournament. Beauxbatons was hosting this year, and it was all but guaranteed that Remy would be chosen as its champion. Josephine smiled at this thought. She was proud of her brother, and knew he would honor the school and the family.

But this was the only happiness that Josephine had been able to feel for quite some days. After her confrontation with her father over Pascal, she had been thrown into a fit of doubt and despair. She knew she loved Pascal, or at least thought she could, but the fact remained that she was a witch and he not a wizard. “One hundred years ago, fine. Twenty years ago, fine. Not today,” her father had said. Not today. The words repeated themselves over and over in her mind.

He was right, of course. The country was aflutter with rumors that the International Confederation of Wizards had almost concluded their negotiations and would be passing the statute any day. The International Statute of Wizard Secrecy. It would be the end of her relationship.

True, Pascal already knew that she was a witch, so staying with him would not be breaking any laws. And true, there were many witches and wizards throughout the world who were already married to Muggle men and women–certainly they would not be made to divorce.

But the passing of the statute signaled the changing times. The entire way that witches and wizards lived their lives would be put to the test, carefully examined, and indubitably altered. Her family’s estate, for instance, currently the centerpiece of the town of Bouc-Bel-Air, would likely have to be made Unplottable. Muggle servants would have to be dismissed, replaced by wizards and witches. No longer would Josephine be able to use her wand to repair a broken toy belonging to a neighbor’s child or to clean the hem of her dress while strolling the streets of the town. The family de Tuileries did not flaunt the fact that they were magical, of course, but neither had they done much to conceal it over the years. Now, they would have to.

She let out a small sigh and turned to rest her head on the glass window of the carriage, watching the countryside pass by. Remy, sitting across from his sister, turned his head toward her. “Sister,” he said, resting a comforting hand on her knee. “Do not trouble. You will surely forget about this matter as soon as we are back at l’Academie.”

“I do not want to forget, Remy,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “I want nothing to change.”

“Everything changes, sister,” he said. “Everything. You knew this was coming, you have seen the signs just as clearly as I have. They are rioting in the East, for Merlin’s sake. Just be thankful that there have not yet been any angry mobs come knocking at our door.”

“We could withstand the mobs,” she said quietly.

This made Remy scoff and draw his hand from her knee. “Don’t be such a fool, Josephine. Don’t be so naïve. They murder wizards. They would put you to death and kill Pascal right along with you.” His normally warm blue eyes had suddenly become cold and steely as he stared at her. She said nothing, for she knew he was right.

The carriage rumbled on, again in silence.

***

A few hours later they drew up to the front gates of Beauxbatons Academy. Despite her morose mood, Josephine could not help but feel a sense of warmth and pride well up inside her as she gathered the many folds of her skirts and stepped out of the carriage. The palace was truly breathtaking, and it never ceased to amaze her.

Though the building that housed the Academy had always been grand, it had undergone renovations no more than a century ago, and now was a shimmering monument to the Baroque movement that had swept France and the Continent in general. In fact, the Muggle King of France, Le Grand Monarque Louis XIV, had modeled his own Palace of Versailles after the Academy upon the recommendation of Monsieur Geoffroi Autruche, current Headmaster of the school.

Josephine felt another pang in her chest as she thought of this fact. If the statute passed, that would be the end of the great collaborations between Muggles and wizards. No longer could she and her family dine at the King’s table. No longer would they retain their noble titles. Yes, the statute would have many repercussions…

She opened her parasol and clutched her small traveling bag as Remy instructed the footmen where to take their trunks. No doubt the house-elves were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their luggage. Remy offered his arm to Josephine, she accepted, and the two of them moved in tandem up the driveway, stopping to greet fellow students along the way.

There was always a sort of vibrant energy around the Academy when school resumed each year, but in Triwizard years, the energy intensified exponentially. It was only a matter of weeks now before the contingents from Hogwarts and Durmstrang would arrive, and despite the frequent hostilities between the three schools, they would certainly add some excitement to an otherwise routine year. Their arrival would mean stories from abroad, fresh faces, and–of course–balls. Beauxbatons was famous in both wizarding and Muggle societies for the multiple balls they hosted every year, but Triwizard years saw these balls become infinitely grander. Josephine almost had to stop to catch her breath out of excited anticipation.

They paused right before the main doors of the palace and Josephine smiled warmly at the girl to her right, turning to give her a kiss on both cheeks. It was Angeline Laplanche, one of Josephine’s oldest friends, and one of the few who knew about Pascal. “Comment ça va?” Josephine asked in greeting.

“Well, thank you,” Angeline responded, squeezing Josephine’s hand. “How are you?”

“I will be better after the negotiations are completed,” Josephine replied honestly. It was not a woman’s place to discuss politics outside of the home, but she could not resist. Angeline merely nodded and gave her another reassuring squeeze.

There was no time for further conversation, however, for at that moment the students heard a great rumbling. They smiled and exchanged looks of glee, for the rumbling could mean only one thing: the palace doors were opening.

Sure enough, the gilded gold doors were slowly pushed apart, no longer charged with the lamentable duty of concealing the glorious interiors of the Palace Beauxbatons.

Josephine felt her smile widen and she tightened her grip on Remy’s arm. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her senses eager to welcome back the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the palace. And indeed, as she crossed the threshold of the palace and beheld the Grand Foyer, all thoughts of Pascal were pushed completely–if only temporarily–from her mind.

***

Faith.

“I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that our tournament has to be hosted by Beauxbatons.”

William Warrington-Hughes heard this statement spoke, but it floated around the outer regions of his mind, not quite fully registering. He was too engrossed in his most recent letter from his father to pay much attention to anything else at the moment.

“I say, William, don’t you agree?”

The voice was louder this time, and William became vaguely aware that someone was talking to him. He looked up from his fourth perusal of the letter’s contents, and directly into the face of his friend George, who was busy readying his trunks for the journey to France.

“Oh, yes, George. Couldn’t agree more,” he said off-handedly, no clue as to what he was agreeing.

George seemed to accept the agreement as genuine, however, and thus continued on. “Their palace is just such a ghastly place. Entirely too done-up and ornate–have you seen it recently? It is truly an assault on the senses. I much prefer the understated, austere sincerity of Hogwarts.”

William allowed a nod and a non-committal grunt, and again focused himself completely on the particularly vexing letter in front of him.

“Come, William!” George said, snatching the letter from William’s hands and re-folding it. “You’ve hardly touched your trunk and we’re due to leave within the hour. Whatever your father has to say cannot be that important.”

William slowly felt the panic that had arisen as George grabbed the letter subside as the tall, dark-haired boy handed it back to him with a smile. William took it, perhaps a bit too forcefully, and placed it deep within the folds of his robe. He managed a feeble smile back as he looked around his room. George was right: his trunk was in no state to be loaded into the carriage that would transport them to Beauxbatons. With one flick of his wand, however, he saw robes and coats and stockings and schoolbooks all fly into the trunk and heard it close with a satisfying latch.

George smiled and clapped him on the back. “A nice bit of magic, my friend. Too bad you won’t be able to put your skills to good use when I am selected as Hogwarts Champion!” He winked and gave a jovial chuckle.

William returned the laugh, but said nothing in response. Normally, he would have shot a barb right back at George–that was the nature of their friendship. But today, he could not bring himself to do it. Not after the letter.

***

William took his seat next to George in the plush carriage parked on the Hogwarts lawn near the lake. He looked around and surveyed the other students that would be making the journey to Beauxbatons for the tournament: it was a larger than usual group. This year’s tournament seemed already to be marked by increased competition, and William had no doubt that victory would only be claimed after some hard-fought battles.

The schools put no age restrictions on the competitors, but the Goblet of Fire had never selected a champion younger than fifth-year level, and even that was a rare occurrence. Thus, William found himself surrounded mainly by students in his year–seventh–and the year below. Hogwarts’ finest. He felt a bit queasy at the thought of disappointing his father by not being selected Hogwarts Champion, but he forced himself to have faith and steel his courage–something he was supposed to be possessed of in abundance as a member of Gryffindor House.

"To say that he had been shocked when the Sorting Hat placed him in Gryffindor six years prior was an understatement. To say that his father had been appalled and disgusted was not." This implies that William was more shocked than his father was appalled, as "understatement" means something that was said with less strength than would be completely accurate. At least from the following explanation, I gather that this idea was not the one you meant to convey.

You mention Aleksandr's father as speaking in a "thick accent." Yet, presumably, they are both speaking in Russian?

All right, enough of that. I loved the description of Beauxbaton. While it is not exactly how I imagined it from Fleur, it makes perfect sense, especially within the time period. I love the political scene you have set up, with Josephine's family intermingling with Muggles while there are mobs in Russia. It's complex and seems to set the stage for an International Statute of Secrecy quite well. We still have that tenuous link from William to faith, but it is strengthening slightly, and the others are becoming clearer still. The story is excellently paced, and I can't wait for the moment the three threads start colliding!

I am enjoying this so much (as may have been gathered from the novel of a review I am writing) and I'm so glad you updated so quickly.

Looking forward to future updates,
~g

Author's Response: Hello there! It seems you have inadvertently copy-pasted the entire chapter in this review box; I hope I catch everything! Please let me know if I missed something buried deep in the text... :)

I definitely had a question about divorce, too, but in the end just decided to throw it in there. I think Josephine is already way too involved in the proceedings for a girl of her status, so I figured why not! Maybe she\'s not as naive as she seems... But it\'s a good point that you make!

The understatement thing is tricky. I see what you\'re saying, and now I see that the sentence definitely could be read that way. How I intended it was this: It was an understatement that Will was shocked, i.e. he was more than shocked. However, saying that his father was appalled and disgusted was NOT an understatement: it was true. Now that I think about it that way, it makes much less sense. Ha! Maybe I\'ll go back and change it... :)

As for the accent, I imagine the elder Gregorovitch has a very thick Russian accent, yes. For instance, my grandmother speaks with a very thick accent because she is from Tenneessee, so compared to me, her speech is heavily accented. I just imagine him as this very gruff, grim person, so the accent seemed normal. But yeah, I would hate for readers to think that they\'re just sittin\' around talking in English in the middle of Moscow! :)

Thanks so much for these comments. I\'m glad you\'re paying close attention to the story and the characters! That really means a lot.

I had no idea this chapter was going to be validated so quickly, so I\'m just a tad behind, but I hope to have the next chapter done soon. Thanks again for the great review!!!
--LuthAn

I'm in the middle of midterms week, so I can't leave a long review, but I just wanted to say that I like your characterization of Peter, little though you've developed it so far. He seems to think on the safe side, but without being a total wimp, a total idiot, or a total slimebag. Too many fics make him out to be someone that James and Lily never would have trusted, which is completely contrary to canon.

Thanks for an entertaining story... it's cheering me up in the middle of all my tests and papers. I look forward to the rest of it!

~g

Author's Response: Thanks very much! I really wanted to get Peter right, as I've seen him ridiculously OOC in many other fics. Glad you're enjoying and hope exams went well!

Bine, it's a very creepy story so far. Kaziah the hag terrifies me. What makes a hag so different from a witch? Will we find out? I imagine all sorts of difficult consequences that might come to Lauda for dealing with one.

I hope we get to see more of James and Lily and find out more about that spell. Poor Harry, snatched out of his timeline and given a new mother! At least he seems to like his new parents....

Also, that comment James makes about how Peter would never "rat" them out? hahahaha.....

lovely so far! I look forward to more.

Author's Response: Thank you, Greenie! *hugs* Though, another chapter might take some time again as I'm concentrating on finishing Shining Through Blackness right now.

That's what the lexicon says about hags: "Female human-like magical being, but less adept than a witch at disguising herself from Muggles (PA4, GF19). Hags are what one might refer to as 'fairy tale witches.' Hags are wild in appearance." And you're going the right way when you imagine all sorts of difficult consequences for Lauda. Dealing with a hag is nasty busines...

And more about James and Lily is to come - in a much later chapter. So stay tuned (even if updates are jotted around and rare over months, sorry!).

I take it you're a fan of the tv show Charmed? Interesting start here... a different sort of magic indeed. It will be interesting to see where you go from here.

Oh, and out of curiosity, how was Harry not nabbed by the ministry for the alohomora spell?

Author's Response: Ah yes I am glad someone noticed that its from Charmed. Thanks for your review. And the Ministry are far too busy trying to keep the Wizarding world calm after learning that Voldemort has returned to notice someone doing under age spells. But this will be explained in the next chapter in which i am working on.

Oh, poor abandoned Severus! Even the attention he gets, he gets because he isn't somebody else. It would be quite the reason for him to truly get involved with the Death Eaters. They pay more attention to him than anyone else does!

I must copy Akay and compliment the tension between Snape and his mother. It's always an interesting thing... Snape has learned a disrespect for Muggle-borns, etc., but his mum DID marry a Muggle. I think you've captured that inconsistency quite well here.

I'm a little uncertain about the timing of James & Lily's relationship here. The way Lupin & Sirius tell Harry that his parents started dating in their 7th year makes me think they wouldn't be a couple yet when they got aboard the train. Still, it's a nit-picky, personal preference kind of complaint.

That's a fantastic image of Sirius you have, and I like the tension between the Black brothers.

All in all, WELL DONE!

Author's Response: Thank you so much for the great review. I really appreciate it.

I agree the timing's a bit off with James and Lily - given what Sirius and Remus tell Harry - but I needed a very definite end to Severus' hopes. I'm glad you enjoyed the story - it was actually the first oneshot I ever wrote so I'm fond of it. Carole xxx