All I could go was "aww". The end was brilliant, this is the first time Harry has a real family. He does have extended families, but this is his own. And it came through well.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. As you say, this is his own family. It makes a difference. -N-

Soraya (xxbabewithbrainsxx) told me to read this story after I'd mentioned a similar idea in a story she beta-ed for me, though since that was something my mum told me, rather than actually experienced, yours was obviously way better. (Reviewing interrupted by dinner so this review will be far less coherent than I had hoped- sorry). The part where Harry looks at his son and talks about how it feels to fall in love, when he thought Ginny would be the only person he would fall in love with- from what I've read of your writing it's much more introspective than your other stories, and I think it's beautifully worded. Harry is no longer just Harry but a father, and that makes him stand for something else but it's also the Harry we know and love from the books. I'm not explaining myself very well, but this story is about fatherhood and love, rather than Harry and what happened next, which I think is really powerful. And you can tell it's really you talking rather than Harry. It's annoying when author's do that too often, but here it slips in perfectly. Alex

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review.

This story is, I’m certain, the most personal thing I’ve ever written (Sleepless Night is second). I hope that I haven’t stretched Harry’s characterisation, but I believe that parental love is a powerful emotion when you first experience it. When the lump in the belly suddenly becomes a tiny little person the confusing emotions experienced are overwhelming.

Harry in the books is certainly not self centred, in fact he always seems to be trying to look after others and I’d like to think that this would be his reaction. Warning, not all blokes feel like this (one of my workmates regards kids as an inconvenience).
-N-

Very cute. You nail emotion pretty well, in all of your stories.

A slight bugbear though, i think sometimes, you use a slightly more verbose term, when something clearer would do, and would obscure your meaning less, if you get where i'm coming from. As an example, i think you use 'conglomerate' near the end of this, and it seems as though it's perhaps overdoing it... Perhaps. (I speak as someone who's been told pretty much this by various people in regard to stuff i've written....!)

B'yeah, that's a very minor point i wanted to bring up. What i do love about your stuff is, it really revels in the idea that, now the canon's finished, it's our world to play wth. Great stuff.

Author's Response:
Thanks for the review.

I should follow my own advice and eschew ostentatious sesquipedalian circumlocution. :-) Actually, that is completely the wrong word there. I’m pretty certain I intended to type congregate. It seems that coming back to a story over a year later allows me to spot my errors. I have fixed it and I will look at the entire story when I get the time.

Not only is it our world to play with, but JKR has told us (in quite some detail) where it’s headed. What could be better than trying to follow a plot outline by JKR?
-N-

What a precious story! I was definitely crying near the end of it. The way you describe Harry's feelings for his little son are so real and beautiful. The ending was absolutely perfect as well! That's exactly what little babies do! :) I also loved that Ginny was angry during her labor. I'm glad you didn't gloss over that part like some stories would have. My husband and I don't have any chidlren yet, but I hope that our experience will be just as wonderful as Harry's and Ginny's. Wonderful story! Well done! :)

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. There is a lot of personal stuff in this story (more than I care to admit). The emotions (and the pain and anger) were as accurate as I could make them. I think of this as the middle one of my three “Potter family” stories. The others are It Takes Two and Sleepless Night. -N-

It's so beautifully written. You have captured the tenderness of fatherly love so well.

Author's Response: Thank you. This is the shortest thing I've ever written. But it doesn't need to be any longer. N

Great story, you go from strength to strength.
Small point, I think new born babies have blue eyes that change to their final colour in a few weeks.

Author's Response: Thanks. Most (not all) ethnic European babies have blue (or grey) eyes. I’m fairly certain that the chance of James being born with brown eyes is about 2% (not much, but it’s good enough odds for a work of fiction – look at it as being 20,000 times more likely than a million to one chance (-: ). Fred and Roxanne’s chance is a LOT higher. -N-

You are fast becoming one of my favorite fanfic authors. Lovely story. And anyone who has had ever had a baby knows of that surprise love the first time you hold them - how can you instantly love someone so much? You not only captured that, you capture all the HP characters so well - this is how I see Ginny and Harry. Please keep writing! Love to see where you take my favorite books - and you do it in canon, the icing on the cake!

Author's Response: Thank you. It is a bizarre time; frightening, distressing, wonderful and surprising for the father, and rather more painful and exhausting for the mother. -N-