Heya. First off let me thank you for entering my challenge. It's the first I managed to go through with it and I'm really happy to have had you on board.

Now then. Let me say this: wow! I can't even begin to imagine how many you know about plants/flowers, or if not, how much research you made for this story. I really enjoyed reading it. I admit, I was curious how this would turn out when I read that you chose Pomona as the character to recall Snape and now I can safely say I'm not disappointed.

Pomona felt very in character in this little one shot. Her idea to commemorate the war victims with a garden is fabulous. Her care for everything to be perfect, the plants she chose to represent every 'grave'.

In spite of myself, I felt very emotional at Pomona's memories with Snape. I felt like she and Minerva were the only ones that were truly sad about his departure. Not to mention his burial. That almost ahd me in tears! Everything was very symbolical: the plant chosen to grow over the place of his rest, how so few attended the actual funeral and how she went back there. Those scenes were very well handled and very emotional.

I can't thank you enough for this incursion in the thoughts and heart of Professor Sprout!

Author's Response: Hi! Thanks for hosting the challenge so I could write this piece, and thanks also for your kind review. :)

I know a little about plants (my dad is the real gardener in the family, I have always been better at eating the stuff he grows than helping to grow it) but I did do quite a bit of research within the books and online.

The idea for the story started with the nettle wine, and it made sense to me for Sprout to be the one to make the connection between Snape and nettles. I think she epitomizes Hufflepuff, so of course she would want to treat him fairly and see that he's cared for as well as everyone else. I thought she would also want to keep everything simple and close to nature, which is where the idea for the garden came from.

I also think that she and McGonagall would view Snape differently than many of the other characters, because they taught him and watched him grow up, then worked with him for many years. They wouldn't have been scared of him like the students were.

I decided not to explicitly name any of the other people who I think would attend his burial, but rather leave it up to readers' imaginations. I think most characters would have complex reasons for choosing whether or not to attend.

I really enjoyed writing this piece, so I'm glad you enjoyed reading it! :)

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