:O wow. what a bomb!! LOL... :) I enjoyed reading this and im just going to go and read the sequal now!!! Loved it!! And i like how you made the ending possible, its not farfetched and was very clever!! ;) :)

Author's Response: Thanks Niclovegood! I always enjoy hearing that people like the story. I hope you enjoy the sequel (and the third part if I ever get around to finishing it)!

- Anders -

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well, that was bloody brilliant, cant wait to start on the sequel!

Author's Response: Thanks Lfg!

- Anders -

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Wow! You should get an award for the most unlikely ending ever. That was such a surprise to me. I had been fully convinced that Ellie had survived. Even at the end of the last chapter, I had thought that Ellie was just having a bad dream.

And now this. Did Ben know about the pregnancy? I should have seen it coming. That's why Ellie was so hesitant to get back together with him, that's why she was acting so strangely at times and absolutely didn't want to date.

And of course, it was Blake who had killed her. It couldn't have been anyone else.

Wow, you've woven a great story and pulled all the threads together in the end. What an amazing work!

Author's Response: Hahaha. I can't lie; I felt so cruel and unusual when I came up with that plot twist. It was awesome.

Some of the questions you have are answered in the second and third installments of "The Swift Chronicles," so I won't answer them here (don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone). I will say that this story was an absolute joy to write and I really came to love the characters deeply. Killing Ellie was very very tough to do, but I felt it was necessary and helps to tie all three parts together. Ellie's death has a huge impact on the people she loved most, so it's been great to be able to explore their reactions.

And I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story! I write first and foremost for myself; I enjoy what I write and if no one else does then that's ok. The fact that so many people have enjoyed the story as well, however, makes it all the more amazing for me. Thank you so much!

- Anders

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Awesome! I like how you wrote Professor Dumbledore in this chapter, the joke about the lemon drops was so like him!

Sorry, I don't have much else to write. I feel like I'm repeating myself too much lately. Once again, this was a great chapter. The only thing I'm still unsure about was how the Aurors found Ellie. They must have arrived just in time to save her because the last scene in the last chapter was a Death Eater turning Ellie around. Was it Quinn who informed them?

Author's Response: It was. He told his grandparents what had happened the moment that they stumbled out of the fireplace and his grandfather took over from there. He was able to warn the Ministry and, due to his high rank, Aurors were able to arrive fairly quickly.

And I really wanted to add a scene with Dumbledore in it (he's just so lovable), so it was great to have the chance to do it in this chapter.

- Anders

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Wow! What an amazing battle scene! I'm really impressed by your writing. That was so great and I love how Ellie sent her siblings to safety first and sacrified herself for them. From what I've gotten to know of her in the story, this is exactly something she would do.

There is, by the way, an error in the first part when they go to see Ellie's aunt at the hospital. The healer says, "Witnesses claim she was injured during the attack on Diagon Alley earlier today" - but it was a couple of weeks ago, wasn't it? Anyway, that scene with Quinn howling and crying was so intense! Well done!

Author's Response: Shoot! I didn't notice that! Thanks for letting me know, I'll change the copy I have on my computer.

And it was in Ellie's character to do that. Quinn and Isabella were more important to her than her own life. To have her do anything else would have been way too out of character. :)

- Anders

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There's something about Ben... I don't know but I feel like there's something else, something that we don't know about yet. In any case, I find him a bit creepy, always being around Ellie. But maybe that's just because he's in love with her?

That narcoleptic discussion is hilarious. I can't believe you know how to write such scenes, I wish I could do the same! Also, I loved how Ellie managed to create a Patronus, that was such a strong moment.

Ah, Lily has finally come around. I'm still surprised how she could manage to stay mad at Ellie for so long. I do, however, totally understand Ellie's reaction. Lily's behaviour was less than nice.

Author's Response: The narcoleptic conversation is actually one I had with my co-workers when I was in college a few years ago! It was one of the funniest conversations I've ever had and I felt like I needed to throw it into the story. It struck me as something they would have found interesting.

Ben is a little creepy sometimes, but with the war waging, Ellie having a huge target on her back, and the fact that they're in the same house it's a little tough for him to stay away from her. He feels protective of her, but I agree that he does take it too far sometimes (mostly out of concern because of the war).

- Anders

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You know, I really like how you write James and Sirius. They're always the funny guys, the ones who never fail to have a smart answer and drive all their teachers insane. You're excellent at writing them exactly how I imagined they'd be.

Sirius, by the way, was very cute when he asked Ellie how she was doing. All awkward about it and having no idea how to comfort someone. It was so funny when he told Ellie that they had drawn straws and he had lost!

I'm sorry, I would write more but I'm too eager to get on to the next chapter. But that's a good thing, too, isn't it? At least it means I'm so caught up in this I absolutely need to know how the story continues.

Author's Response: I loved the scene between Ellie and Sirius. We only got a brief glimpse of him as a teenager in the Fifth Book, so fleshing out his younger character was definitely a very rewarding experience for me. I always pictured him as being slightly awkward when it came to discussing his feelings or the feelings of others, even with James, and I think it's because he was never close with his parents or brother. He didn't have anyone to really confide in when he was growing up, except for Andromeda.

- Anders

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"Well thank you for asking," James said with a grin. "It's always nice when someone asks for permission before interrupting a conversation."
That sentence was brilliant! So funny, it made me laugh out loud and it's just something that I can imagine James saying.

Another great chapter here. So Ellie has forgiven James, at least partly. And with everything that happened, I'm not too surprised. What surprised me, however, was that Ellie's mother had come to school. For a moment, I was seriously scared that she'd take Ellie home.

The battle between the Blake and Ellie (and the others) was great! I like how you made up some spells, especially the fire that turned into birds. You were creative there and I enjoyed reading that scene. Also quite cool was James' invisibility cloak and Ellie having no clue about what's going on. Good work!

Author's Response: The fight scenes are always my favorites to write. I love getting to come up with ridiculous spells for them to use!

I think Arabella reacted in a very maternal manner in this chapter. Her one big fear is that she'll lose her family. Her husband has already been arrested and so she clings to Ellie, Quinn, and Isabella even more.

And yeah, James is just hysterical to write. :)

- Anders

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Oh, what was it that Sirius showed to Ellie? I totally didn't get it. Something like a cup? A bottle? But covered with something? Sorry, but I think I'm very, very slow when it comes to those things. :D

Another great chapter. I'm usually not one for scenes where nothing happens but I even liked the beginning when Ellie is alone in the tower and has a moment of reflection. That part was very well-written.

I finally had to look up the meaning of obnoxious today to understand the argument between Ellie and James. Wow, James has blurted out her secret. No wonder that Ellie ran off. This is going to create lots of tension! And then the muggle-borns being attacked and the use of the word 'swiftly' promise lots of action. I'm looking forward to what's going to happen next.

Author's Response: Hahaha! The object he was showing her is. . . something I'm not going to say because I don't want to corrupt you, poor innocent child.

After all the things that happened in the past few chapters, I thought a slower opening with just Ellie reflecting would be a nice change of pace. Glad to see I succeeded!

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Hello Anders,

I really liked this chapter. We get to see a lot of Remus here which hasn't been the case before. It was especially great to read since I, contrary to Ellie, know that Remus is a werewolf so I understand much better why he wants to protect her from being harmed for something that's not her fault at all.

Also, I've come to like how you're writing Peter. There must have been something great about him or he wouldn't have been part of the Marauders. I hate all stories where he doesn't appear so you've got a huge plus for including him. At times, I can understand why he's friends with the other Gryffindor boys. And yet, you write him so he's always been the odd one, the one who cannot stand up for himself. That's great!

Oh, and Ben's reaction to Ellie offering him a kiss was very good. I would have hated if he had taken that kiss. ;)

I'd write more but I'm too much looking forward to the next chapter!

Author's Response: Hahahaha. I loved writing Peter in this story! He was such a little perv! I've written characters like that before, but the previous ones have always been funny and endearing; Peter is just plain creepy. I've always pictured young Peter being like Neville Longbottom (before the Fifth Book); lost, left out, and overlooked. But where Neville turns into a very brave and heroic young man, Peter turned into a traitor. I thought it would be an interesting spin on him, so I'm glad you're enjoying it!

And I have a soft spot for Remus. I always felt like he needed a hug or something, so I wanted to try and include him more.

- Anders

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To be honest, I was a bit surprised at this chapter. I get that people were staring at Ellie when she came back to Hogwarts, but why did she get that much attention? It was a time of war, so there'd be families targeted on both sides every now and again. Then again, maybe it was just Ellie. This is written from her point of view, so of course, she'd notice every little stare.

What I didn't really get is Lily's reaction. Ellie turned her father in and apparently, Lily knew that. Lily also knew that Ellie had always been loyal to her family, that family came first for her. So why blame Ellie if she had been the one to save her life? I think Lily's overreacting a lot here.

Anyway, besides that, it was once again a great chapter. I especially loved the train ride and how you described it. You created a wonderful image of Ellie being curled up on her seat and waiting for time to pass, always dozing off until to wake again. Great job!

Author's Response: I think you got it absolutely right with why Ellie got so much attention. She would have noticed the attention much more than, say, James would have simply because it was directed at her. The fact that she turned in her own father and attempted to give authorities the names of his accomplices only magnified the amount of attention she received.

Lily did overreact to what happened. When I was writing this chapter (and the subsequent ones) I wasn't sure how she should react. I decided to have the breach in the friendship because it shows how much pressure and fear Lily has been living with as a muggleborn. She's always been a staunch defender of her friends, so for her to react the way she did shows how scared she truly has been since the war started.

Thanks!

- Anders

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Ah, I'm sorry, I should be reviewing more often. I keep reading and forget to tell you how much I like your story. This is one of the most interesting chapters so far, mainly because it shows a character development that Ellie goes through. She's always been the good daughter, never doing anything that will not please her parents. She didn't even date because they requested it! But now that there's something at stake, the lives of many, she's broken out of this stupor and that was so interesting to read. In a moment, the world as she knew it ends and suddenly, she's not the good daughter anymore, she's doing what she believes is right. I really liked that part!

In the last chapters, you always made Ellie say that family was more important than anything else. I never really understood how that came to be. This chapter, you finally tied it all up.

What surprised me a bit was Ellie's father. I would have thought that he felt guilty at having written that list, after all, he had always stood up against the Death Eaters. Surely a part of him must have been happy about having been caught? That doesn't show at all - or maybe he was just too shocked.

Anyway, this is a great chapter and your story is developing nicely so far. I'm going to read on now. :)

Author's Response: I almost had a heart attack when I logged on and saw how many reviews you left me! So I just want to start off by saying thank you for taking the time to write me!

I think that with Isaac's reaction it was a mixture of shock, complete terror (that Arabella would find out about his affair), and a tiny bit of relief that he was caught mixed together. You only really get that one quick glimpse at his emotions though before he's locked away, so all the remorse and regret he has winds up being bottled up inside for a very long time.

- Anders

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Oh wow! Your story is so good that I forgot to review until now. Shame on me! You're a good writer, always keeping lots of tension in the story and making me want to read on. Also, I like Ellie and how you characterise her (even though I still don't understand how she can be so vain - it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of her character). But she's a great main character to read about and I love the dynamic between her, Lily and the Marauders.

You manage to create a perfect 'beginning-of-war' atmosphere. Everybody's scared and yet, life goes on. The war is temporarily forgotten - until bad news come and everybody is reminded of it again. And yet, even when they're not aware of it, it's always hanging at the edge of people's consciousness.

The only thing I didn't really like is the Italian you used. It's one of the languages I don't speak and even though I was able to understand a bit, I missed out on important parts. I wouldn't even have a problem if it wasn't something so central to the story. Maybe you could add a translation at that point so everybody knows immediately what Blake says?

But besides that, your story is brilliant! It's getting very late, but I'm looking forward to continue reading tomorrow.

Author's Response: Hi Iloenchen!

I'm glad to hear you like the story so much! I never really got how Ellie could be so vain either. I kind of just pictured her as the prude female version of Sirius Black and went with it.

I thought about putting in translations when I first started posting, but I decided not to specifically because what Blake says is very important to the plot of the story. I wanted to leave people unsure of what he was saying to add some suspense and keep it hidden that he wasn't just a jerk but a really rather horrible person.

And I got a lot of inspiration from Half-Blood Prince when it came to writing this. Rowling is, quite simply, the master.

Thanks again!
- Anders

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Wonderful Story.

But what I love most of all is how we don't see the Marauders' and Lily's reactions to Ellie's death. It leaves me hanging, but it shows how sudden deaths were in the First War.

This leaves me with high hopes for the sequel!

Author's Response: Thanks! I purposely left out their reactions because it does make it seem more sudden. I got that idea from Norman Mailer actually.

- Anders -

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I LOVE THIS STORY it's awesome. Well Done x :)

Author's Response: ::Grins:: Thanks Lallen. Glad you enjoyed it!

- Anders -

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I've just read the entire fic for the first time, and i have to say i really liked. there were a few things that disturbed me a bit reading it:
1. the characters felt a little to self-aware. they were all very conscious of their problems, and they were very specific when describing them.
2. this last chapter felt a bit like it didn't really belong. i'm not sure if it was repeating everything that has happened, or just the ending in general, but it was.
3. i felt the revelation that Isabella was Ellie's daughter was a bit off. maybe if you had put it there earlier, but they way it was revealed made it feel a bit unnecessary. anyway, i have to admit i kind of guessed it already, but that's not a bad thing, because spoilers dont really bother me. :)
any, i want to be clear that even though i mentiond only those points, i really did love your story. the characters' complexity was very well written, and the dialogues and story line in general were written very well. i almost cried when it was revealed that everything that happened wasn't real and she died. the way you left the ending open, too, of how the rest of the characters would deal with her death was good.
anyway, just to sum it up, i really did love your story and can't wait to read allegiance.

Author's Response: Hey charlie_black,

Yeah, I kind of did the whole self-aware thing on purpose. I thought it would be interesting to have characters that were pretty aware that they had issues rather than just have plot twists where they have huge revelations about them.

I wanted to write the ending that way as a type of catharsis. The entire story was rather dark and depressing and the last chapter was a lot lighter and easier to get through. I thought it would also be nice to show the dynamics between Isabella and Quinn because they feature prominently in the sequel (Quinn is actually the main character).

As for Isabella being Ellie's daughter, it had a specific reason for not being revealed earlier. Ellie's pregnancy was a huge source of shame for her parents, so they hid it and decided to raise Isabella as their own. At the end of this story, Quinn made the decision to tell her because it helped to wrap up the entire story and it also gave me a chance to explore the affects of the truth in the sequel.

Thanks for letting me know those things though and that you enjoyed the story(I'm glad you liked it so much and sorry I made you cry!). I'll try and be twice as careful while working on the sequel. ;)

- Anders -

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This is absolutely incredible. it made me cry. Fantastic job!

Author's Response: Thanks AmberEyes! I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I'm sorry you cried!

- Anders -

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Today was pretty much my fanfiction reading day. And I came across your story on someone's favorites (actually I think they had favorited another story that I had in mine, so I went and looked at theirs...) and it looked pretty interesting, so I was like, what the heck, I've read longer stories in one sitting. Except, then I couldn't stop! Your writing is very good-its original, with that touch of mystery and thrill that can draw anyone in. I loved your characters from the beginning, and throughout the story, I admired you for making them so complex. It was a relief to read a good fanfiction where Peter wasn't evil (although rather questionable at times), James and Lily were already together, and Sirius was much more realistic. Have I mentioned that I loathehatedespise Isaac and Blake and Sal and all the other stupidbutt Death Eaters (and Voldemort...he pretty much sits on the pedestal of grossness). Gah! I mean, honestly, when its your family or people that you're insanely close too, I don't think I could ever do what Isaac did. It was so selfish and it wasn't like he couldn't think of the repurcussions. Because, you never do that to the people you love. It basically shows how weak you are. And, what about having your own morals. Freaking flamingos, I wanted to slap them across the face occasionally. Hehe, I felt rather strongly about blaming them. But, wow, Ellie. It was such a complicated and plot-twisty story that I'm kind of amazed at your creativity. And willpower, because I honestly don't know if I could let one of my characters die after investing so much. But, oh poor Quinn. My heart kinda broke when Ellie died in the last chapter. As it did for Sirius, surprisingly, not Ben. And Lily. Because I feel like Sirius could have had so much more with her, or Ben I guess. And Lily, poor Lily, finding out her best friend was murdered and she was never really fully forgiven. And Quinn, because he probably played Ellie's parting lines to him over and over again, as you wrote in the last chapter. It was actually one of the most sobfest endings ever, especially after the hallucinations, where I had built up so much hope for her. And Isabella being her daughter! Makes so much more sense about Ellie's rule following thing. And actually adds a whole another dimension especially to the parts where she holds her/rocks her to sleep. I almost cried when she died, just because I had sat down and read it in one period and was like, ohmygoodness it might actually be happy. But I have to say, it wouldn't have been as powerful if you had done it any other way (which is pretty much the highest compliment I give...rare is the fanfiction that is truly powerful) and every character had a purpose. So, since the review rambles slightly on and on, I hope you got how much I absolutely loved this story and its characters. I fell in love with your writing, and was actually touched by the very well-written story (which proves that you should write a novel...I would go out and buy it!). Amazing job!
P.S: Sorry about the insanely long review. I got a bit carried away :)

Author's Response: Wow! I think that was by far the best review I have ever gotten for any story. Thank you so much Amulya_HPfan for letting me know you enjoyed the story so much!

It was very difficult to kill Ellie. She drove me crazy at times, but I grew very fond of her over the months that I wrote this story. I knew from the beginning that she was going to die, but I didn't like it one bit.

Just so you know, I'm currently working on a sequel to the story titled, "Allegiance." It probably won't be out until 2010, but it focuses on Quinn and Isabella a bit more.

And I do have plans to write a novel one day, if I could only come up with an original idea and follow through with it. :)

- Anders -

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Wow! that was absolutely EPIC!! I never ever could have seen that coming (Ellie being Isabella's mother), but I did wonder why she was so overprotective of her little sister. And I never thought that Ellie would die! That was an amazing story, really well written. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Author's Response: ::Grins:: Thanks Essie! I'm hoping to get the first chapter of "Allegiance" up before the end of the year.

And yeah, I love throwing my readers for a loop when I can. ;)

- Anders -

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Congratulations! This was a great story from beginning to end, and the final chapter was truly original. You should be very proud.

I'm really looking forward to 'Allegiance' - publish soon, eh?

Nice work!

Paloma

Author's Response: Thanks Paloma! I quite enjoyed that plot twist as well!

And I've started writing parts of the first chapter for "Allegiance," already. I'm hoping to be able to start posting it by mid-December or so.

And I wanted to say thank you for not only reading the story, but also for being nice enough to review it as well. I really appreciate the feedback you gave me over the course of posting this story. :)

- Anders -

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Wow -that last passage was intense. No time to comment - must read on.

Author's Response: :)

- Anders -

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Those dreams reveal so much of what has happened to Ellie - terrific job writing them.

I'm also impressed by how sweet Ben is being, even though he clearly has ulterior motives!

Off to read more. Paloma

Author's Response: Hahahaha. . . Yeah. Boys will be boys. ;)

- Anders -

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Oh - I was so nervous when she was giving Peter all of those specific details of the attack and the protective spell on her grandparents' home! I'm not sure where your Peter is on his journey to evil, but the passage still felt very uncomfortable to me.

Great chapter - off to read more. Paloma

Author's Response: Hehehehe. . . I love Peter. He seems so harmless most of the time and then you have those brief moments where you aren't too share about that.

- Anders -

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Pool Ellie. She went through so much.

Loved this passage: 'As she sat in her bed staring out the window, she mentally counted up the things she had gained and lost. She had gained a house and some money, but she had lost both parents, an aunt, and whatever innocence she had still had.

Not to mention her beauty.'

You've said so much about this character's loss in just a few word. Nice work, there.

Paloma

Author's Response: Thanks Paloma! I'm quite partial to that quote as well.

- Anders -

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HOLY CRAP. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN COMMENT ON THAT FREAKING HUGE EXPLOSION OF PLOT IN MY FACE. It all makes sense now, though. Geez. I have to give you MAJOR props for creative thinking - who could've seen that coming? Nobody? Though, Isabella is somewhat irritating as an 8 year old :P but besides that, just, wow.

I'm like, half-speechless. I don't know what else to say. It's been an amazing series and I can't wait for Quinn's tales :D ♥

Author's Response: Hahahaha. . . Yeah, I was hoping to kind of draw a comparison between how Quinn was when he was younger and how Isabella was. I myself find it hysterical that he is just as annoyed with her as Ellie was with him.

And yeah, I didn't tell anyone about Isabella being her daughter, so I'm quite proud of myself for keeping the under wraps. "Allegiance," will explore that a bit more, but it'll also explore Quinn having to deal with actually trying to put the effects of what happened to his mom and sister behind him in the past. :p

- Anders -

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