Tears are prickling my eyes!! :'[

I was searching for stories featuring at least one Hufflepuff student for the SBBC when I stumbled over your story. It engaged me immediately and didn’t let me go until the end, when it left me breathless and heartbroken all at the same time.

I really like how you switched between Hannah, Ernie and the Death Eaters throughout the story. It makes this feeling of running out of time more pronounced and lets it dominate the atmosphere of the whole story. Hannah and Ernie were the perfect couple for this storyline. I could easily imagine Hermione and Ron in a similar situation, but I think using those two wouldn’t have done the storyline justice. Plus, it’s nice to see some Hufflepuffs being important and doing something to help the school for a change, they are vastly underrepresented in fanfiction.

When Yaxley mentioned the Inferi for the first time, my heart nearly stopped. I didn’t think the teachers could stand a chance against a whole army of Inferi and I was sure Hogwarts was doomed. Especially since you had mentioned before that the new defences weren’t fully in place yet. The protection spell, that makes Inferi burst into flame as soon as they enter Hogwarts was very well thought out, it shows that Harry shared his and Dumbledore’s experiences in the cave with McGonagall, or she probably wouldn’t have thought to put such a spell on the school, because she didn’t even know that Voldemort had Inferi at his disposal. Very nice way of working that part of HBP into the story, if only indirectly.

Hannah and Ernie were very nicely characterised. There was enough in there for us to recognise them, but you also took them and developed them a bit, seeing as you needed to make them seventh years. I found it adorable that Hannah still wears her hair in pigtails like she did when she was in first year. Ernie’s wish to fight and prove himself to Hannah and to the teachers was exactly what I would have Ernie expected to want to do. Hannah’s concern and worry were very nice as well. Hannah in particularly displayed the Hufflepuff trait of loyalty, when she defended Ernie against Adney in the end and then died for him. She also displayed bravery, that isn’t usually associated with Hufflepuffs, but that I have always thought closely associated with loyalty.

One thing I noticed that made me pause were these lines: Hannah hadn’t been in Dumbledore’s office since he died. It was still the same circular structure, but the unusual objects and items were gone. I know that we haven’t heard a lot about the Hufflepuffs in the books, but I can’t imagine Hannah having been to Dumbledore’s office while he was headmaster. As far as I always understood it, not even the prefects, the Head Boy and the Head Girl have been to the office and it is highly unusual for Harry to have been there not once but several times. I might be wrong, but I find it highly unlikely that every prefect should have been in the headmaster’s office, so Hannah wouldn’t know the differences between now and before. I realise that you were trying to show the differences between McGonagall and Dumbledore as expressed in the different ways they furnish and decorate their offices, and I liked the way you did it, I just don’t think Hannah would notice these differences.

Now, the ending, that just broke my heart! Finally they have the courage to admit their love to each other and then Hannah dies! It’s sad, but in a way it’s perfect for this story. I fell in love with Hannah and Ernie while reading and I would have loved to see them happy and together in the end, but this way the ending was much more emotional for me, it’s tragic and that makes it all the more moving than it would have been if you had put in a happy ending.

This story simply doesn’t give you the chance to not feel and I loved it for this in particular, but for lots of other reasons as well. Lovely!


Author's Response: Thanks for such a long and lovely review! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

i liked that you used your own charectors for the most part

That was the most amazing story I've ever read. Wow. I'm practically speechless. I'm practically in tears. 1000/10

Author's Response: Wow! You managed to review virtually all my fics! *is surprised* Thanks for taking the time to read them all!

Well, I wanted to see why your story beat mine, and NOW I KNOW!!!!! That was amazing. I am a 14 year old boy who does not like hufflpuffs that much, and I was in tears at the end. You discription was superb, and your character's were very well writtin (if that makes sens). It was an houner to lose to you! You get a full 10!