I absolutely LOVED this chapter! I love the drama between Lily and Regulus! (Lol, they don't but of course I do. :P)

Author's Response: Haha, no, they don't, but I'm glad it's interesting. This one is one of my favorites.

Thanks for another fabulous review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

As usual, this was awesome! I must say this has turned out to be one of my most favorite stories on the archives! I will defiantly check out your other stories soon! :D

Author's Response: You're awesome for saying that, and I certainly hope you do! It's been great hearing from you today!

Thanks for your lovely review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Ooh, the chapter title made me excited! And the chapter was not at all disappointing! Wow, is all I can say!

Author's Response: Thanks! I'm glad you were intrigued by the chapter title and enjoyed the chapter itself.

Thanks for your sweet review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

You are an awesome writer!! I just can't explain how much I love the way you write! No cliches, no boring plotline--I admire your talent very much. :)

Author's Response: Thank you once again! I know this story is a little unusual compared to most other Marauder-era stories out there, and I was hoping that wouldn't be a turn-off to readers. I try very hard to balance a good pace with keeping things interesting, and I always try to either avoid cliches or put new twists on them.

Thank you for another kind review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

L-O-V-E-D IT! :D :D :D

Author's Response: Thank you :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

omg I love you. This story is getting better and better!

Author's Response: Haha, thanks! That's such a relief to hear!

-Amanda

 Report Review

I love the way you write Lily. (And everyone else for that matter!) I'm gonna keep reading! :D

Author's Response: Thank you! I like Lily a lot--I've tried to make her interesting and multidimensional here.

Thanks for another very lovely review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Yet again an awesome-tastic chapter!!! *Hops off to read the next chapter*

Author's Response: Thanks so much :D

-Amanda

 Report Review

The mood in this chapter was excellent! Great job! :D

Author's Response: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Ooh, I like where this is heading! :O

1000/10

Author's Response: Thanks!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Ooh, I like where this is heading! :O

1000/10

Author's Response: That's great to hear! Thanks for the review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

I love the description on this. I like how you wrote Sirius too. :) Keep on writing! :D

Author's Response: Wow, thank you! This slew of reviews was so awesome to wake up to this morning :) AND you pushed me over the 150-review milestone, too!

I'm so glad you like my Sirius and the description. I wanted to show what I thought it would look like inside the Black house, which seems to be mostly uncomfortable. Speaking of discomfort, I also wanted to show that Sirius clearly isn't getting along with his family without having to make it a blatantly abusive household. I would think, given the Blacks' concern with self-image, that the tension would be much more subtle than that.

Thanks again for your lovely review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hello! Here with your requested review!

There's some action in this chapter? I am so psyched!

Haha! I actually laughed out loud when James kicked Sirius. I don't know why, but it was funny. That's something I like about this story, actually. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but there are just these little moments, no more than two lines, which are fun and humorous and light, and just remind me that these people aren't all doomed characters in a tragedy. I mean, even Romeo made innuendo-filled jokes with his mates from time to time!

Also, how on earth did Peter get into Arithmancy and why is he by himself? And does Sirius even take any classes? If he's got the entire morning off, does he even go to school?

Oh, how sweet of Regulus to actually like school! He actually wants to learn things and do well, whereas Sirius is all like, "I'm too intelligent for school", even though he is, but that's hardly the point.

I chuckled again at the remark that Wilkes could read. Good to see the faith Regulus has in his apparently, one and only friend.

Severus is becoming creepier and creepier every time we meet him. If you're a Snily shipper, I can appreciate how difficult it is to depict a character that you actually like in a less flattering light. It's quite difficult, and I think you've done a really good job.

The scene between Sirius, James and Severus was very quick. There wasn't really much to it as such, but I dunno... it was really well written and everything, but it felt a little off. It's a difficult feeling to explain... as if the situation was a molehill being made into a mountain. That wasn't very eloquently explained at all, and I'm sorry that I couldn't help with that more! It just felt that with the entire pacing of the chapter, this one scene didn't quite fit in. But I'm being a bit of a nit-picker here. Your writing skills are superb, so I have to work really hard to find something to "criticise"!

And the suspense! I think the note's from Regulus. It sounds like his handwriting to be honest. And I think it might be about time that the plot started moving forward. Regulus knows how Severus feels about Lily, and he's also seen the two of them interacting with each other now.

Here's to hoping for some plot excitement in the next chapter!

Author's Response: I'm glad you like the humor! I've never been very good at laugh-out-loud humor in stories, but I do like my little moments of levity, and it's great that they make you stop and chuckle once in a while.

I don't like the stereotype of Peter being the dumb sidekick, so I explored the idea of him being somewhat smart and capable in this story. He just happens to be the only one who wanted to take it, since it's an elective class. And yeah, of course Sirius takes classes. He just doesn't have any in the morning for this day--I modeled it after canon, when Harry and Ron would have had some time to themselves if they hadn't signed up for Slughorn's potions class in their sixth year.

Anyway, I'm pleased to hear that you like how Regulus has an interest in what he's learning, and that you enjoyed watching him interact with Wilkes. I want to make it clear that he's multidimensional, as with everyone, and that he's got some nice characteristics along with the nasty stuff that comes with his background. I hope you're still a fan of him as a character and like getting to know him.

Hah, thanks! It has been difficult to purposefully work in these really creepy moments with Severus, but I think I've really learned a lot through trying to do that. It's sort of the flip side of the time when I tried to humanize James and make him a character I could really live with and understand. Also difficult, but also a great learning experience.

Your critique about the fight is helpful. I tried to model it off the couple of arguments we saw in canon, where it seemed like the skirmish happened because of little comments made by one side or the other, and also some of Harry and Draco's episodes of barb-trading. I got the sense that the flow might have gotten thrown off a bit there, and I'm still working on improving in the area of writing action sequences overall, but like I said, your comments are helpful, so thank you.

I do think the plot will start to take off more from this point. It was important to me to take it slow, based on feedback I'd gotten on prior stories, and to take my time introducing the main characters and giving them time to meet before jumping into the plot. But I think now we're ready to introduce more drama.

Thanks for your lovely review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Heya! Finally writing that requested review!

Am I up to chapter four already? I am so proud of myself! Looking forward to some Regulus/Lily interaction!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I love that little homage you (or Celestina's parents) have paid to the singer! I like to believe that she's like Norah Jones. It makes for an interesting mental image!

It breaks my heart to see the two sisters so. Sirius and Lily are similar in so many ways, I think, and I do believe that this might contribute somewhat to their deep friendship later on in the series. I hope you play with those similarities a little bit! Or perhaps you'll play with them a little differently, through Regulus?

I like the way you've portrayed McGonagall here. She seems a lot younger and a touch softer than what we, as students alongside Harry, know her as, and I'm enjoying reading a different side of her. She's still in her capacity as a teacher, but it's nice the way that you've shown her the way she might have been twenty years ago, before two wars ravaged her community.

Oh, my goodness! The drama! I should feel a bit worse than I do about the death of a young innocent person, but as far as plot devices go, I am so excited! My mind boggles at the moral ramifications and intense character exploration this could open up for Regulus!

Was that little exchange between Sirius and Lily the fragile beginnings of a beautiful friendship, or just Sirius' irrational and erratic behaviour? I really hope it was the former!

I think one of your points in the areas of concern was whether Lily and Regulus were in character whilst interacting with each other? On first impressions alone, I think they are. Regulus is as formal as ever and Lily is polite, which seems to be the modus operandi for the two of them! I'm not sure if this is just your take on Lily, or perhaps a bit OOC, but she seemed to notice pretty quick that Regulus' mother is quite pushy and he does a lot of things because of her (something he shares in common with his brother!). I just don't know Lily well enough to know if this is normal or not. Perhaps I missed something, or this is the first introduction of this particular character trait of Lily's?

What I did find a little out of character for Lily was her preoccupation with her food. It seemed a little weird to me that she wasn't trying to converse with the other people on her table, just out of sheer politeness. So far, my impressions of her are that she is quite polite, and it felt a little off. However, I was pleased to read that Lily also seemed to agree on this slight lapse in manners!

And Regulus eating the tart was funny, but also seemed a little out of character. I don't know why it should feel off, though. Regulus is a teenage boy who probably likes to eat, and I know I thought that the fallen custard tart felt like a waste. This little thing, or Lily's "rudeness", shouldn't really be an issue though, because I think it proves that I just don't know the characters well enough yet. They both have little quirks hidden away, and obviously share an appreciation for good food.

Concerning their conversation on the way to the kitchens, Regulus seemed a little franker and more open than I thought he would be, but Lily felt quite natural - this nice, polite girl, making semi-easy small talk. And, the Snape comment - awkward, much, Regulus? I think it served as a reminder that this boy is many things, and subtle and sensitive aren't those things.

The other thing you mentioned was flow. I thought it was quite good, overall. There were just a couple of parts where the point of view changed from Lily to Regulus, I think, and there was little warning, and that threw me a little. It wasn't anything major - I am a little tired, so I mightn't have been paying as much attention as I ought.

I was glad to read this, as things finally seemed to start happening!

Author's Response: Hi again! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you think I'm re-requesting too much. I really want more feedback on this story, and your reviews have been so helpful, but I don't want you to feel like I'm chasing you down :)

Hah, thanks! I figured it was a cute idea, considering how Molly loved Celestina Warbeck. Celestine is an interesting character.

Sirius and Lily are definitely similar in terms of feeling left out of their families at certain points. That similarity also extends to Severus. You'll definitely see me bring it up more in the chapters to come. I'm glad you picked that out and saw it for yourself.

McGonagall isn't quite as war-weary as when we get to know her in canon, but I hope it's obvious how much this loss weighed on her. The idea of students dying disturbs her deeply, especially combined with the knowledge that other students could be their killers. I really wanted to make the war a very salient part of the plot, not an afterthought.

Actually, that brief moment was meant to show that James has changed, not only in the eyes of the reader but also for his friends. They acknowledge that he's trying to present a more mature persona when around Lily, and as his friends, they try to be supportive there. Naturally, Sirius won't always be so mature. Never fear, though, there will continue to be some emotional tension between Sirius and Lily that doesn't have to do entirely with James.

I think you might be reading further than I intended into that comment about Mrs. Black. It was more so about how Lily observed the family being pushy with the train attendants at the station, and now she's noticing that Regulus is sort of quiet and mature-seeming when not with the rest of his family. She draws a contrast between this temperament and Sirius's more immature personality, or at least that's how she perceives the two of them. I will say that you're right about Lily being perceptive and thinking about things a lot; she doesn't like being caught off guard.

Yeah, I try to introduce a little bit of behavioral inconsistency, because that's how people are in real life. Like you pointed out, she did acknowledge it and felt a bit embarrassed. I just didn't want her to be like a bird, barely picking at the delicious spread.

Re-reading this chapter, though, I guess it does make sense that Regulus wouldn't want to eat half-eaten dessert that was left over. I think I got him a little confused with the kinds of characters his faceclaim tends to play. My Regulus does tend to be a little sassy at points, breaking out of the pureblood mold, and maybe he is too open at times. I'll try to keep an eye on that and make an effort at tempering it in future chapters, so I do appreciate the critique, very much so. I'm glad you liked the awkward comment about Snape--I meant to show that Regulus isn't always smooth and put-together, and he's still a teenage boy struggling to be "proper."

Thanks for your comments about the flow, too. Please let me know if the point-of-view switches continue to be a bit rough; they happen about once a chapter from here on out, and I can smooth them out if necessary. Any future suggestions on how to do that effectively would be helpful for me as well.

Thanks for another fabulous review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

I like this. I don't normally read Maurader's era stories, but I really enjoyed this. I've always been curious about Regulas and his back story. You've written this so well, it sounds like it should be a companion to the books. Your descriptions are awesome. They really paint a great picture in the reader's mind. It compels the reader to continue.

I love the difference you show between the two brothers and how their parent's treated them, even the house elves. You've did a wonderful job with this. Congrats!

~Celtic~

Author's Response: Hey Celtic, nice to see you here! :)

I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed this first chapter despite not normally being a Marauders' era fan. I agree that Regulus is really interesting, and I've had a lot of fun so far in exploring his character for this story. It's great that you liked the descriptions and felt like this fit in okay with what we know from canon.

I'm also happy to hear that you liked the Black family dynamic. I didn't want them to be yelling and screaming at each other, but I definitely wanted to convey that there is a tension between Sirius and his parents and an obvious favoritism for Regulus. Regulus's relationship with Sirius will continue to be important as the story progresses. I hope you continue on later and see more of what I've done with Regulus--I'd love to get your feedback.

Thanks for this really lovely review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hello! Here with your requested review!

So, I'm going to assume that because you came back for round three, you don't mind my reviews. I have a tendency to blabber on and sometimes I forget to address the points that you want addressed and then I have to hastily put them along at the end. But here goes!

Oh my goodness, it's a Regulus chapter! I am so excited! I am far too attached to this character after only one chapter for this to be a healthy thing.

I'm not particularly surprised that Regulus' closest friend doesn't seem the type to talk much. It seems to fit Regulus' personality, and probably his appreciation for companionable silence, considering he probably doesn't get much of that at home. I also think it speaks volumes about Cassian that he seemed so unperturbed about the raid on his home. Being a Slytherin, I'm assuming that he's very good at hiding his true feelings, so he might be putting it on, but either way, it makes him quite an interesting character, and one I'd like to learn more about.

First impressions of Slughorn leave me with the same feelings as when I first met him in the books. He's just so oily and manipulative, yet is still friends with Dumbledore; like, how is that even possible? It makes you wonder just how much more manipulative Dumbledore can be!

I like the way you write Slughorn's dialogue. In the films, he's portrayed as a bit of a scared bumbling fool, but he can't be because he's done so well for so long. I get the feeling that he's very careful with his words, and something that strikes me as a little different is that he sounds more formal than what he did in the books. I'm not sure if this is the case just when he talks with Regulus or another Slytherin, because that's the way they communicate, but I think you show a lot about what Slughorn is like through the way he talks.

You know what? I'm going to say this in practically every chapter of yours that you'll ask me to review, but it's something that I really admire in your work. Your descriptions are amazing. I could literally see the Slytherin common room that you described in my mind's eye. I loved that!

Holy Merlin, I did not expect Death Eaters to be talking about Death Eating so openly and casually! Wow! I think you've done well to show two different things here really well. First, that these Slytherin Death Eater buddies are dead serious about this stuff and really believe in the cause and everything. Secondly, that Voldemort is powerful enough even then that his followers feel comfortable enough talking about it in a relatively public area. Sure, it is the Slytherin common room, but still - anyone could walk in!

Ah, another sign of Regulus' humanity. Already, the seeds of his doubt are being sowed. Characterisation wise, I think this makes Regulus even more conflicted and complex a character!

Severus is so infatuated, it's actually a bit creepy. Is he supposed to be creepy? Because he's making me feel creeped out. If that was the desired effect, then well done! I think you mentioned you're a Snape/Lily shipper, and that's cool, but I can't imagine the Lily I met in the chapter before being entirely comfortable with the Severus I'm seeing right now. I think this will make for an interesting relationship... or lack thereof - however the story goes.

Flow wise, I didn't have any issues with it. I'm wondering if the pace might pick up a bit, but I get that it might not for a few chapters yet as you're setting up the scene and introducing characters and everything. I thought the transition between chapters is working well as well. They're all chronological with no overlaps or huge gaps in time, which tie each of them together well. I think this is important because you've swapped the points of view for each chapter so far.

I hope I covered everything you wanted me to... let me know if I missed anything!

PS: Well done on another good chapter!

Author's Response: You write such awesome, detailed reviews. I usually need some time to take it all in and look over all of the great observations you've made. This story has plenty of reviews, but it's not as popular as some of my others, so I'm really pleased that you've been so generous about reading it and checking in on my areas of concern. Thanks so much :)

I don't know that anyone has ever commented on Wilkes, so thank you for that! You're right that he's a little on the quiet side. I was worried that he came out too much like Ron, except for the obvious difference in the callous way that he discussed the raid on his house. You're probably right that Regulus would want some peace after being doted upon night and day by Orion and Walburga.

I'm happy that you like Slughorn, too. He's one of my favorite parts of this chapter (and the story in general) because he adds that comic relief without being over-the-top silly. You do get a sense from canon that he has his own sort of wisdom under the cheerful surface. More than anything, I think he really cares about his students and feels really dismayed by how many of them turn to the Dark Arts. Yet I don't know that he really does enough to work on actively preventing that.

I wanted the Death Eater scene to be jarring. Regulus can't avoid this stuff, not at home and not at school. Part of the openness is that the students are young, excited and impulsive, but I do think it reflects the general sentiment in the common room. I would think there would always be a pocket of current and future Death Eaters making plans somewhere. (Also, I love that you used "death eating" as a verb. That's just... stellar. Haha. I love it.) Anyway, Regulus's journey and his tendency to doubt his path will continue to be important.

Severus is definitely supposed to be creepy. I think I've mentioned this before, but I have this tendency to pity him and be somewhat kind to him in fic, so for this story, I really pushed myself to explore his darkest parts. If Lily has any sense, she would be uncomfortable with who her friend has become. She also has the weakness of being kind, which may make things complicated.

I think--I hope--the pace picks up more later. Please let me know if it doesn't seem to do so. I know Marauder era stories tend to be popular on the archive, so I'd love it if you could tell me if you spot anything that might deter readers from checking this out when it hits the Recently Added list. It could definitely be that I don't update fast enough, and I could see the Snape/Lily pairing being a turnoff, but if you notice anything else, please mention it.

Thanks for another wonderful review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hi! Here with your requested review!

So, again, you've opened with some nice description. I think you do this really well! I don't feel overwhelmed, but I can still imagine the scene. I think what makes the experience so special, as well, is that there's enough description so we know what you want us to see, but also room for us to embellish it the way we want. It's quite the collaborative effort!

I don't know if this is just me, but I felt an almost instant connection with Regulus. I didn't have that with Lily. This isn't a bad thing, of course, as it can be quite nice to get to know a character slowly. But was that intentional? Are we supposed to feel more for Regulus, or is that just me?

We can already see that Lily is sympathetic. I'm wondering if you were trying to put that bit in the Prisoner of Azkaban film, where Remus is telling Harry about Lily, into context? If you are, I think it was really well done! Subtle, yet obvious, at the same time (I realise that makes like, zero sense)!

Sirius' behaviour with the bags threw me. I agreed with Lily, that he should've been polite. At the very least, I thought he might have been nice just to spite his mother. I guess this is going to be a different kind of Sirius than to what I usually see. I'm looking forward to it!

Concerning Lily's view of the Marauders, I think it's more realistic than some I've seen. She doesn't hate all of them on principle; she's friends with Remus, and seems to understand Peter's tendencies when it comes to James and Sirius. I think this reflects well on Lily - she's not so biased and blinded by her hate for James that she ignores everyone with whom he's associated.

The scene between James and Lily was really cute, I think. James seemed to be behaving himself, which I think is really nice. We know he's an idiot when they were in fifth year, and a perfect gentleman by seventh year, but the change to have occurred on the cusp of seventh year doesn't make sense. I think it's nice that you've started to show that James is beginning to change. I thought the way Lily handled the situation was very mature - and other thing that reflects well for her character. She didn't fly into a screaming rage, nor was she as cold as ice. She was feeling bemused by the entire situation, and that showed.

Finally! I thought Lily had no friends! Their entrance was late, that was all! We don't really get to know them, yet, but I hope that changes in later chapters!

And our first meeting with Severus! Yay! I don't like Snape, like, at all, but I felt kind of sorry for him. I think he is sorry for calling Lily a mudblood, but he isn't really willing to do anything about it. I wonder where this might lead...

As far as interest goes, I think this was a good chapter. I liked the first chapter more, but that just may be the novelty of Regulus. It might also be because I connected with Regulus more than I did with Lily, which I think I mentioned before. But I think that's just me! It was still quite an enjoyable read!

I hope it's a Regulus chapter next!

Author's Response: Hi, thanks for coming back for round two!

I used to struggle a lot with being too heavy on the imagery, so I'm glad you feel like the amount was just right here, and that you had room to fill in the gaps if you chose to do so.

It wasn't intentional, no, but I've heard that from a lot of people. I think it maybe has to do with the fact that Lily is written a lot more than Regulus, and so maybe you have your own ideas about what she should be like, or maybe you're just enjoying getting to know him better because he has more obvious flaws. It's interesting to theorize about!

Remus's comments about Lily in that moment basically define how I view her. Her tendency to care for those who need to be cared for will crop up again and again in this story, so I'm very glad you feel like it's a good direction.

My Marauders are a bit different from a lot of other Marauders I've seen around the archive. I take a lot of material from canon, obviously, but I also try to make them my own--so James won't always be immature, and Sirius won't always make bad decisions, and the friendship will be an important foundation. I couldn't come up with any reason why Lily would be so short-sighted as to turn her nose up at James's friends if they're nice enough people. She and Remus are especially close.

I really don't ship James/Lily, but I like writing them in this story. It was crucial for me to avoid that cliche of them always yelling at each other. I like to stick more to that slight tension that's always there between them. Like you mentioned, this is the time when James is finally starting to grow up and realize that being a bully isn't going to win Lily's heart. Lily, in turn, is confused by this change, partially because it makes him more alluring.

You'll get to know Celestine and Ellery more. They aren't major characters, but yeah, Lily has to have some girlfriends!

I'm a Snape/Lily shipper--although I tried to balance it with lots of James/Lily in this story--and so I'll work hard to get you to feel some sympathy for Severus. At the same time, though, I'm challenging myself throughout this story to portray him at his worst moments, just because I have a tendency to fall on the pity side with him. Please do let me know if you feel like it's not balanced enough or if he seems unrealistic.

The next chapter is more Regulus-focused, yes. The first few chapters kind of alternate, but eventually Lily and Regulus cross paths, which is where the "real" plot takes off :)

Thanks for this wonderful review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hello! Here with your requested review!

So, before I even begin reading, I'll comment about some stuff because you mentioned hooking your reader in. Your summary sounds super intriguing! I haven't seen much of Regulus around the archive, but I have a feeling he's a bit of a lurker, so I think the story's really interesting already, just because it sounds like Regulus is gonna be a main character! Also, looking at the length of your first chapter; it's on the shorter side as far as chapters go, and for me, that's always a good thing, especially for early chapters when you're just trying to set stuff up and get readers to continue reading.

The first two paragraphs, I think, are really beautiful pieces of description. As this is something I suck at, I really appreciate it in other people's works! It sets the scene nicely and quite descriptively, but it doesn't have the feel of too many words used. It's still quite clean and succinct, which is really nice!

The first character we meet is Kreacher and as far as first characters go, he's pretty cool! You can kinda see him starting to get old and senile, but there's still elements of his "younger self" shining through. I think this is a really nice marriage of your unique take on him with the canon version we know from the books.

The first glimpse we get of Regulus had me feeling a bit disturbed (but in a good, I-wanna-know-more-about-him kind of way). He's neat and orderly, like me, so there's already something with which I can relate to him. However his collection of newspaper clippings about the rise of Voldemort, which he has on display, really freaked me out. I guess I forgot that Regulus was a Death Eater before he became a martyr, so that little thing really drove that point home! His further interactions with Kreacher however, are building quite the complex character, already! This is a big plus point for me to keep on reading, because I want to know where Regulus' character will go.

Sirius' character is also interesting. A lot about what we know of him before we meet him are just the differences between the two brothers: Regulus is neat, Sirius is messy; Regulus likes to please his parents and is cordial towards them, Sirius is not. So I was wondering if this would be the case throughout the first chapter at least. I was really pleasantly surprised to find this not to be the case. Already, Sirius is being developed as his own character, which is really nice. Also, what I really liked was the way you’re describing their relationship. Clearly, they don't hate each other, but I get the feeling that there is distance between them. It is nice though the way Regulus seems to want to protect Sirius from their mother, by hiding the muggle magazines, and lending his wand.

For some reason, I found it really strange that Orion was into Quidditch. It shouldn't be weird, but I guess I'd always imagined him as being too restrained for something like sport. It's really obvious that Orion and Walburga favour their younger son, and the tension in the family is palpable. We don't know how Sirius feels about it, but you can tell that Regulus isn't comfortable with it. He may be happy that he was chosen over his brother to receive the family ring, but he isnt quite okay with the outright hostility that's directed towards Sirius. And aside from joining really evil organisations, the Black family reminds me a lot of families where there are high expectations placed on kids. On that level, I can relate a lot to their dynamic, dysfunctional as it may be, and that’s really endearing.

Overall, I think this is a really interesting story, and I’m eager to learn where it will go!

Author's Response: Hi! Thanks for coming by :)

Yes, Regulus is one of the two main characters here! I've really had fun writing him so far, and I agree that he seems to be a tad underloved. It's great that you like the summary; I've changed it a couple times since I first posted this story, and I like this one a lot.

I'm happy you liked the way I set the scene in Number 12, Grimmauld Place with Kreacher. I anticipated that he would be tough to write, but he's actually worked pretty well for me. I've been trying to work on not overloading the description, so if you ever feel like I am, please don't hesitate to point that out to me.

It's so great to hear that you got that intersection of normalcy and foreboding with Regulus. I wanted to emphasize the fact that he's still so young, way too young to even comprehend the life he's setting up for himself, with the help of his parents. I think part of why I portrayed him and Sirius as still being somewhat like typical brothers was to "save" him in some sense, to keep him from rushing forward into Voldemort's ranks. In that way, Sirius is comforting, because he's still a typical messy teenage boy at this stage.

It was very important to me not to portray the Black family tension as being over the top. I didn't want there to be yelling or discussions of abuse. I felt like it would be palpable but still somewhat subtle, given the Blacks' social standing and the general creepiness of a family that is moments away from imploding. That goes not only for the relationship between Sirius and his parents, but also for his slowly weakening relationship with Regulus.

Huh, that's interesting about Orion and Quidditch. I think that's a good point--hopefully it wasn't so weird that he seemed out of character :) I was trying to find a way to bring the tension into the forefront without making it too obvious, like I mentioned before. You're right that Regulus is really the one with the most visible emotion in this scene. It's neat that you feel like you can relate to the family in a proximal way, just in the sense that they're clearly quite imperfect.

Thank you for this really lovely review! I hope you don't mind if I skip over now and re-request :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hello! First i must say how sorry i am that it has taken me this long to finally start reading and reviewing your story. I very much enjoyed this chapter and seeing lily and regulus finally interacting was amazing! I look forward to seeing how you are going to be able to pull this off, with lily somewhat becoming friends with regulus and trying to reunite sirius and regulus as brothers. I think that youve made your story really stand out by adding this element to it. It was really fun seeing peeves still make a mess of things even though slughorn made it hard to do. This was a great chapter and i look forward to reading the next.

~Slytherinchica08~

Author's Response: Hi Erika! Thanks for coming by, and I hope to see more happy reviews as you keep reading :)

I think the Regulus/Lily dynamic is interesting, and I'm a little surprised that the possibility of them running into each other hasn't been explored more in fanfiction. As you'll see, reuniting Sirius and Regulus is a huge task!

I'm also glad you liked Peeves and the Slug Club party. Slughorn is kind of my way of inserting humor into this story at opportune times, and I really do love writing him.

Thanks again! No worries on the wait :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hi Amanda,

OMG, i love this chapter! I love how you tell the story from the viewpoint of all characters, that is hard to do as it requires in depth character development (do you take writing classes?)

I particularly like how you can sort of see Regulus struggle with liking Lily. He clearly likes her (just as a friend) but he also holds on to his old beliefs of being superior to ‘mudbloods’. You sort of already know that he is not like Rosier and the rest of them and can probably never be a true and loyal servant to Lord Voldemort. I think that in the books there wasn’t much space for Regulus’ change of mind; when he turned against Voldemort. Voldemort mistreated Kreacher and this must have upset Regulus, but I have always felt that this could not be the only incident or reason Regulus decided to turn against everything he had ever believed in. I love how getting to know Lily and being forced to look past her blood status gives us more insight into Regulus’ eventual turnaround.

As for Lily, I really like that she knows Severus is desperately in love with her. It’s not clear from the books whether she is aware of Severus’ feelings for her, but being an intelligent girl, i think it unlikely that she had absolutely no clue. On the other hand, he so completely misunderstood her by thinking that he could impress her by becoming a death eater, it wouldn’t be unthinkable that she would question hints about his obsession with her and maybe thinking she misinterpreted his behavior.

As for Severus, i cannot wait to find out what he has in store for Regulus!

Can't wait to read to next chapter!

P.s. sorry for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes; English isn't my first language

Author's Response: Hello Lilian, thanks for stopping for a review :)

Nope, no writing classes, though my background is in psychology. I've always loved to write, but only recently has it become a full-time hobby.

I figure that Regulus's constant exposure to Lily must have been challenging in terms of his maintenance of his family's beliefs. She's obviously caring and honest, even when he's not all that nice to her, and so to put that up against the standard of the "filthy Mudblood" must have been tough for him. I think you're absolutely right in that we have all these markers that he's not going to be a good Death Eater, that he'll regret that decision. Stay tuned, because things are only going to get more difficult for him in that arena.

Like you, I thought that Lily would have figured out that Severus wanted more than to be her best friend. I think part of her dilemma is trying to balance her compassion for him with her better judgment about his activities, like the use of the word "Mudblood" and his friendships with people on track to become Death Eaters. As you pointed out, his tendencies toward her have become clearly obsessive in nature, as evidenced by his sudden lack of ability to reason through his plans and her likely reaction to them. I think there could have been a point when he would have seen enough reason to abandon them; I suspect he's too far past that now, though.

I'm so glad you're hooked. The next chapter is already written (and it's fairly long, too), and I'll be posting it soon. Hope to hear from you again when it's up! Thanks for the kind review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

So, I'm a big fan of Heroes. In fact I'm watching it now, and if you've seen it, you'll know why James' horn-rimmed glasses impressed me. It should be a little creepy, but it's way too sweet how he often looks for Lily on the Marauders Map.
I loved the conversation between Regulus and Severus. It showed that Regulus isn't just an evil toerag. He actually cares about other people.I particularly enjoyed when Regulus said 'Goodnight, mate.' It reminded me of Sirius.
This line was amazing.

"Sirius was never so solemn. That was the great irony of his existence."

It was so smart and poetic. I always wanted to know how Sirius ended up with the Potters. I like the way you've done it. I think James inviting Sirius to in a way join his family, would have been quite a big moment in their friendship.

Author's Response: My husband was obsessed with Heroes, and he's been trying to get me to watch it for forever, but I haven't yet. I'll have to try it out and look for this reference. Anyway, I agree that it's a little creepy, but like you, I found it oddly romantic.

I'm glad Regulus reminds you of Sirius a little. I wonder if that's part of what makes people like him in this story. Well, that and, as you mentioned, he's not totally evil. He's still very human and very young--too young for what's about to happen to him, sadly.

I love that line, and I'm glad you like it, too. I'm glad you liked that moment between James and Sirius. I wanted to use it to play more with that characterization of James.

Thanks for another lovely review! I'll be back to visit your story once again sometime soon.

-Amanda

 Report Review

I loved this chapter! I liked the whole Moony/Moody thing. I can't remember how private the Marauders were about their nicknames in the books. All I know is that somehow Voldemort was made aware of Peter's nickname, which he then went on use himself. Weird, in my opinion.
In fact I liked that entire scene, so many things going on. Celestina trying to hint at Sirius, who's distracted by Lily and his feelings towards his brother. Then there's James being incredibly quiet and avoiding eye contact with Lily. In that one scene you managed to sort of progress multiple plot lines.
I feel sorry for poor James, getting a detention from Lily. He didn't do anything. And of course, poor Severus certainly didn't do anything. I'm glad he didn't get a detention.
Is the note from Regulus? Oh, I'm so intrigued!!

Author's Response: It is weird, isn't it? I figured they would want to keep their Animagi secret until it became the right time to reveal them to someone, for whatever reason. You'll see if you read on :)

I'm glad you liked the bit of awkwardness between the characters here, and that you felt sympathy for both James and Severus. I don't like James inherently, but I like him as I've written him here, and I do feel a little bad for him.

Hmm, you'll have to see :)

Thanks for this very kind review!

-Amanda

 Report Review

Hi Amanda,

I just wanted to say that i so enjoy reading this fanfic; it's one of the best I've ever read (not exaggerating here) Please update soon!

Author's Response: Hi Lilian! It really means a lot to me that you took a moment to leave a review, so thank you! I'm always happy to get feedback on my work.

I've been working on some new stories to publish in February, but soon I'll be getting to work on the next chapter of this story. I hope to see another review from you when I post it!

Thanks again :)

-Amanda

 Report Review

Amanda! Hey! So we can both agree that I'm a ...pooper head (let's go with that) and I'm sorry it took me so long to get here;p I've been forced by RL to step back from HPFF and I've surprised myself by being extremely content without it, so I haven't really been thinking about it. But anyhow, onto the actual review?

I think we've already established that you're a brilliant writer...?Yes?Yes. Well, here it is again. You've got some serious talent and I'm just flabbergasted. Your characterization is subtle and strong, which I adore. The imagery is pretty good, which further impresses me because you do it in a way that seems effortless.

Great job, and sorry about the wait..

xx

Ever

Author's Response: Hi Ever! Yeah, I know real life gets in the way sometimes. Thanks for coming by to swap.

Well, thanks very much for all those lovely compliments! I wish you had given me a little more feedback about the specifics of this chapter, though... I don't get feedback from you much anymore and I would have liked to know your opinion in a more specific way. Anyway, thanks again for the kind review.

-Amanda

 Report Review

I always mean to leave a review, and then I just get too excited for the next chapter to do so! I really do like where this story is going, and the way you've had things planned out. I like the way you're showing the way Snape is kind of his own worst enemy. I really am not sure that he could make the stretch in his mind to thinking that Lily would actually be impressed by things Voldemort could teach him though... he knows Lily really well, and she's flat-out told him that the Dark Arts is one of the reasons she can't be his friend. Just a thought. Also, I'd really like to get to know Celestina and Ellery better. I know they probably don't figure too much into your plot, but I think it would bring more to the story to get a fuller idea of the other people Lily spends her time with. Can't wait for your update!

Author's Response: Hello! I'm happy to see you once again :)

I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. As for Snape, what I meant to show with his motive there is that he's in a very desperate place with Lily, so much so that his feelings might be overriding his sense of logic. I imagined that perhaps that was where his insistence on controlling emotion came from, later in life. You're right; he should know that Lily won't be impressed if he joins the Dark Lord. His primary motive for doing so was likely to increase his own power and to try to get some control in his life (re: his father and the Marauders), but I would imagine he'd have to rationalize it somehow where Lily is concerned.

With regard to Ellery and Celestina, I think you make a good point there as well. They aren't the main characters, like you said, but I can see that it would be interesting to include and flesh them out more. I'll have to consider that in the next chapter and those to come.

I've been working pretty hard on a couple of new stories, trying to get them finished before the semester starts so I can get them posted, but I'm going to get to work on the next chapter of Post Scriptum soon. I appreciate you being patient with my updates and continuing to follow the story. And of course, thanks so much for your very kind review :)

-Amanda

 Report Review