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Reviews For Lily's Charm: The Gift
Author's Response: Thank you. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story. :o)
The beginning is wonderful, how you opened with Lily and Severus finding the house at Godric's Hollow, so happy and excited about the future and raising a family...and then the flash forward to the present with the ruined shell. It was a jolt, and a reminder that even though Voldemort is gone and the Death Eaters defeated (for the most part, I suppose), that there are still losses and some things can never be recovered. I could so sympathise with Harry...only a short while ago he was caught in a battle for his very soul, and of course his emotions are going to be raw and all churned up...and Severus' too, though perhaps he can handle it slightly better due to age, experience, and his own different personality. The poor guys are just really still all torn up and need quiet time to recover. Of course the reporters would pick just the wrong time to turn up...don't they always? But it makes me angry for both Harry and Severus, that they can't even have some privacy to heal their wounds, to grieve for the lost, without the press trying to exploit it all. It sounds like they both might have some difficulty adjusting to the world post-Voldemort, and I look forward to seeing what you have in store! Author's Response: Thanks Kristeh! I love writing Lily and Severus so much. They are just fun. And it is pretty horrible all that changed for them, when they could have been so happy. *snif* They are both torn up and both of them are suffering. It will take them time to work through it. I don't think they're gonna get much quiet time however... The press will turn up more and make things even more difficult. They always do, you're right. I'm glad you're excited for the sequel. Thanks so much for reviewing. I love to hear from you. :o)
Author's Response: Oh, good! I'm glad you found the sequel. Thanks so much for all your kind reviews. :o)
Starting the sequel with seeing the location of the house Godric Hollow at a moment in time when Severus and Lily were deliriously happy and then seeing it suddenly through Harry's eyes in its destruction was jarring, sad and frankly, brilliant on your part. I bow to your prowess as a writer. The dialogue between Harry and Severus just continues to flow so easily, and is so darn believable the way you pen it. Harry's struggle to come to terms with the events of the last 24 hours and Severus' inability to answer some of his questions (as to why James and Lily didn't allow him to pass) becomes our frustration too. Of course, we want to know as well! It's almost like I can "be" Harry when I read it, because you just write it so well. Man, you're brilliant. (I'm wondering how many times I can use the word "brilliant" in one review.) And as well as Harry's feelings, I got swallowed in Severus' as well when they visited the gravesites. His grief coming to the surface when Harry made that face which reminded him of Lily, and this sentence just killed me: "They were standing in front of the graves of the only two people, besides Harry, that Severus had ever loved." That did it...I was emotionally slayed. And it continued to kill me through the whole scene of them kneeling on those graves. Incredibly raw and powerful, it was. HOW do you do that? I wish I could hex every reporter that showed up and ruined that moment. Rita Skeeter's on top of the hit list. And I loved Severus admitting to Harry he was about to lose control right there; quite telling of his current headspace I think. Speaking of headspaces, clearly neither of our two favorite guys are in good shape here following their close and way too personal encounter with Voldemort. Of course we wouldn't expect them to be. Dancing and throwing the butterbeer party immediately afterward would be terribly suspect and make me think they'd gone nutters. But it's HOW you are depicting their current states I find fascinating. It's subtle, their mood shifts with each other and nothing we can put our fingers on (yet.) We just know not all is well in their little world and the unease and tension is downright palpable. Again, brilliant writing. (I'm up to four aren't I?) I keep pondering this part: "And again, Harry felt the drowning, suffocating sensation he had felt at the Riddle House." My ponderings have left me nowhere, but this is ominous in the first degree. Makes me shiver *brrrrr*. Because Severus reacted so strongly to Harry's state at that moment and demanded answers makes me wonder what *Severus* feels when Harry goes there. I'm probably overthinking this, but with this reaction from Severus: "You defeated Voldemort, just as much as I did. There is no Darkness in you. You are too good.” As you said, he said it with strong conviction and with more emotion than Harry had ever heard from him. Was it just that he was trying to make Harry believe it, or was he trying to convince himself as well? I think Severus is suspicious about *something* which is why he is so adament about Harry seeing Poppy. And I wish Poppy would just bodybind both those boys to bed and cast a Somnus spell and make them sleep for 48 hours. Dang, they need it, the grouches! They are certainly entitled to *be* grouches after what they've been through, but I love it when Poppy plays tough with them, hee hee. Those two worry about each other so much they just might suffocate each other. Us readers just love it though, the way you brilliantly write their interactions and we wouldn't have it any other way. Harry being a teenager and Sev trying his best to father him and being rusty at it. Love, love, love it. I await the next "brilliant" chapter (I'm up to six) with baited breath because I am terrilby worried about both guys and I'm wondering what Poppy will find (if anything). Who gets the first hug of "The Gift"? Harry is in the running, but I think he's going to need lots down the road so he'll have to wait. I give it to you, OE, for an amazing, tantalizing, and yes, "brilliant" first chapter. I know I gave you the ending one of the previous story, but that's okay. One can never have enough hugs, can they? :-) Author's Response: Yeah, it was sorta sad, wasn't it? To see the hope of all that could have been and then the decimation of what was. That's what this story is all about. Opposites...coming to terms with the wants and realities of life. Sev was about to lose it and he continues to be about to lose it. And yeah, Skeeter needs to be dealt with and she will be...don't worry. Nope, neither one of them is doing well at all. Both were very affected by what happened in the void. And Severus' even worse because no one's gonna force him to talk through it and if the man won't sleep, well there's more than meets the eye with that as well.
Well, Poppy's up next so we shall see what she has to say about it. But somehow, I really enjoy a grouchy Sev and Harry. hee hee. LOL They indeed may just suffocate each other. And Severus is way too rusty, isn't he. And with both of them being cranky, it makes a bad combination. I love writing it though. :oP
Author's Response: Nope, Voldy's been banished. All of him. ;o) Sev and Harry do have a lot of concern for each other, unfortunately Harry doesn't quite know how to express that. LOL Poor kid. Trying to take care of his father. And yeah, somebody should step on skeeter, but don't worry. She will be dealt with...eventually. :o)
I'm amazed at how balanced you keep everything in the story. Sev and Harry are continually plagued by the memory of Voldemort, but there are happy moments there too, when Sev shares a memory of Lily or gets lost in one himself. The winter air chills them as they walk through Godric's Hollow, but the sun provides its warmth too. Comparing the empty shell of the past to the fullness of the future. The frightening image of Death Eaters arriving at the cemetary being just as vicious but less dangerous reporters. The worry Harry expresses over his father in addition to the irritation at how he's taking care of himself. Sev thanking Lily and James for their sacrifice, as does Harry for the person kneeling next to him by their graves. Sev's comparing Harry to Lily while being sure he's still his own person. Harry acting like a teenager beyond his years as well as a four year old. Like I said, lots of balance. And that's amazing. Hmm...there's a lot of foreshadowing? Oh dear, I better look through this again. Ok, so maybe this leads to some type of foreshadowing, but what was up with Voldemort's body being blackened and shriveled? I'm pretty sure that the Charm didn't do that to him, or did it? Sev's remark kinda makes it seem as though it was meant to, or was he merely referring to Voldie's death as "going as planned". Hmm...but Harry didn't seem to remember the state Voldie was in, and neither do I, for that matter. Perhaps a trip to the Headmaster's office is in order? And, now my memory is being sucked away from me by stupid professors, so I apologize, but did Harry visit with Schridgemore (sp?) yet? I assume that's coming up next then. Along with more angst and awkward silences between friends...that should be interesting! And I hope that Sev and Harry get over whatever's going on between them (I'm not sure they even know what's going on) and that they don't at the same time. Is that bad? Geez. You've officially hooked me. Thanks. More addictions to obsess over. But, this is a great 'angle' to be exploring. My question is, will either of these guys, aka Harry, ever think/believe that they were getting along so well before (and aren't now) because of their common need for Snake Face to be ousted? And now that he's gone, that they will go back to their separate lives without the other? Not saying that I want them to go this far, but it kinda seems like a plausible guilt thing that Harry would do. (Trying on my new Psychology Hat I got this weekend. It's a little tight.) Hmm...I'm also expecting Remus to pop in for a tic. That'd be fun...with news of his engagement. And for Sev to be all, "ok, what does this have to do with me?" "Well, Severus, the truth is...I'd-well, I would appreciate it very much if you were my best man. Albus is going to be the maid of honor and I was thinking too that Harry and Ginny could be the ring bearer and flower girl." Hee hee...I crack myself up. Really, I suck at finding foreshadowing the first time around. After I read something all the way through, then I can spot it...*sigh* But I loved everything that went on here, from Harry and Sev's playful banter at the beginning of the chapter to the mini-argument at the end. It was perfect. And if my befuddled mind could concentrate for on one thing for more than ten seconds, I'd write more on that. Perhaps the Yahoo board will be of some assistance this weekend. I'm glad that you overcame your illness and pumped this puppy out in two days, which is absolutely amazing. Thanks for keeping us in hysterics with your lovely spoiler too. This is so perfect and I can't wait to see what comes of everything in the next chapter! (Oh, just wanted to add how fitting the chapter title and tagline were. I found myself continually thinking back to it, saying, "Yup, that's hollow." I'm floored.) Author's Response: Okay, PK! I was totally thinking bout Princess Bride when I wrote that part! I lurve that movie. Hee hee. I think this story is all about opposites. Finding the balance, as you so nicely put it. Harry and Severus have been through so much and now it's finally time to let the past go but that is going to be much harder than it sounds, especially with everything that is waiting to plague our gentlemen. *sigh* Voldy's body was planned to end up that way but you'll have wait and see next chapter. Severus was expecting it, though not quite like that. LOL Scrimgeour (unfortunately IS coming up). I don't like that man. I must say, the pychiatrist's hat looks good on you! LOL And yes, the friction is not going to end too soon. Both of our boys are waaaay too keyed up to be normal and calm right now, Severus as much as Harry. And Harry as well is finally getting the chance to live the life of a normal teenager without Voldemort looming over him. He's going to be acting out, whether he realizes it or not. And Severus (again with the balance) is still struggling to figure out what it means to be a father to an adolescent out of nowhere. And as I said to someone else, I think Sev has a tendency to treat Harry much like he did Lily, as very fragile and he's indulgent. He rarely calls Harry on anything...even the whole Pinth episode, he only actually reprimanded Harry because Harry was waiting for it. He'd rather just shoulder all the blame for the present becasue of his guilt of the past. Whew, how is that for psychology? LOL And yes, Harry is going to worry about their relationship and what it means now that Voldy is gone. Poor boys...they need help! Remus is up next, along with Ginny and Ron and Hermione. And I am hoping to finish a remus/tonks tidbit as well. Very excited! Don't be too hard on yourself with the foreshadowing. LOL You'll get it. :o) Glad you liked the good times and the bad. More is up, I promise and though it kills me to write it, I love a tetchy Sev and a grouchy Harry. Hee hee. I just like friction. My mom says I have a sickness. :oP I am well into chapter 2. I think I'm into a whole level of obsession. YAY! I'm so glad you got the chapter title. It was a fun one. Play on the Godric's Hollow but all the feeling of being hollow. YAY! Love ya, PK! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for the awesome reveiw and where, may I ask is you next chapter. *snape glare* :o)
You managed to hold my attention throughout this whole chapter, and it was as if I'd sunk into the word of LC and could never get out again. ;) People kept bugging me while I was reading, and I continued to snap at them and brush them away, because it was torture being torn away from the screen. I have a ton of favorite moments, it seems, but my very favorite, and I've mentioned this to you, but I absolutely adored the protectiveness of Severus and Harry for each other. The scene where Harry puts on his cap without question is just perfect and speaks volumes about how far he's come. I love that Harry is sixteen and still listens to his dad about doing such simple things as keeping warm. He probably didn't even realize he'd obeyed so quickly... The description of the two of them kneeling in the snow together was beautiful and vivid. I could definitely feel the cold in this chapter, but of course I felt the warmth in the midst of it...lol. Of course! I mean these two are pretty much adorable...which doesn't really seem to fit for Severus Snape, but I don't know how else to describe it. ;) The scene with Rita Skeeter just made me want to rip her head off, and I loved the image of her 'lipsticked' teeth...I could just imagine her squirming out of the crowd and lunging for the discarded newspaper like her life depended on it. And Severus' protection of Harry during that scene just made me melt...the way he shoved Harry behind him and shielded him from whatever was coming. Kind of reminded me of the unconscious 'soccer mom arm' in the car sort of thing that my older sister seems to do to everyone in the passenger seat when she makes a sudden stop. *shrugs* lol. Oh, oh, oh...the last line of this chapter made me shiver a little. How could Severus say something so softly, yet still be so intimidating? I love that they are quarreling like a father and son, and maybe I'm awful for saying this, but I can't wait for some more... I appreciate that Severus treats Harry like a mature teenager, but he still doesn't tolerate his son's disrespect, even if it's filled with concern for his sleep-deprived father. Can we have a small lecture-type scene in the next chapter? Pretty please? I love me a strict Sev. *clicks heels* Good lord above, I can't wait until you write the next chapter. I love this just as much as I loved LC, and now that I'm sensing some calming, everyday, father/son interaction, I could just squeal with joy...lol. Brilliant job, Tabitha. *applauds* Author's Response: LOL That DID sound disgusting. :oP And you know I was pretty amazed as well. It took me a whole week to recover from being sicke but then really only 2 days to write the chapter. My muses were just ready, I guess. *shrug* LOL I'm glad I got you all dragged into my little LC world again. It's fun. And this chapter particularly so. Not really sure why except I really like cranky Harry. Hee hee. And I hate it when people interrupt me! Harry and Severus are very protective of each other which manifests itself in humorous and touching ways as Harry tries to keep the vultures from attacking his dad and then not so fluffy as it comes out that Severus didn't sleep. Harry's already cranky and it doesn't help that he's worried about his dad not taking care of himself. And Sev's not used to anyone caring about him, so it's bound to create tension, but we all know I love tension. :oP It's funny that you noticed Harry putting on his cap when Severus told him to. Some of those things between them are just automatic now and I think Harry too is used to just doing as he's told where Severus Snape is concerned. Hee hee. Oh and I think this Severus is pretty adorable. He's like dad of the year or something. And it's not even OOC for this one because of his background in this world. Just finding who he was when he was with Lily. He treats Harry sorta the same way he treated Lily. As something fragile. And he's very indulgent with Harry as well. It would have been much easier to really lay into Harry at then end there and even in the middle when Harry was being a grouch, but he doesn't. He hold it together. We'll see how long that will last. LOL ( I love the imagery of the soccer mom arm--i do that too and sometime, there's only my purse in the front seat!) Severus is rather intimidating, isn't he? I love it. They are beginning to settle into familiarity with each other and coming off all that has happened to them, there are bound to be promblems between them. Don't worry, we will have a lecture. And likely not only one throughout this story. Sev's in for a ride. ;o) I love me a strict Sev as well. YAY Squeal away, Jade. You are awesome and thanks for the lovely review and again for going over the chapter for me. :o) *bows in acceptance of your applause*
could you please resize the banner so it is smaller? on my computer, the big banner forces the page to be so wide that the text goes off the edges,so i have to scroll to read every line - very annoying :( Author's Response: Is the banner better now? I'm glad you liked the first chapter. Thanks so much for reviewing and hope you continue to enjoy. :o)
Rita needs to be smashed like a bug - oh, yeah. As for your new story - Mischief Managed Author's Response: Thanks! Harry is concerned and Severus is concerned. And both of them have quick tempers. Not a good combination. Poppy will be up next chapter. LoL Skeeter does need some comeuppance, doesn't she? hee hee Thanks for reviewing! |
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