FanficTalk Archive
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I am a naive fool and I should not have hoped that Methuselah would be alright -- oh, I am so unbelievably saddened by this. I loved him as a character so much; you crafted such a remarkable OC with him, and my heart is broken for Selena. You gave each and every one of your characters (because really every character in the Next Generation is an OC, as we have pretty much no canon information on any of them from the books) an amazing degree of depth, and I truly think this story will remain with me for a long, long time.
Scorpius and his matchmaking is unbelievably hilarious, and I hope that he set them up for a happy relationship together for the rest of thier lives. :D I love how he stood up for himself against his dad, how he has his own loving family to be with -- I love everything. There’s not a single thing in this story that I disliked.
I am still extraordinarily sad about Methuselah and I probably will be for the next many many many weeks [sob]. Thank you for writing such a wonderful novel -- it’s been an amazing experience reading and reviewing my way through it!!! I love this story so much! <3
Love, Eva
NO NO NONONONO NONO !!!! Methuselah can’t have died, please please please let him still be magically alive somehow -- please let the healing magic keep him alive despite the odds! I am entirely aware that this story has been complete for a while, I’m just hoping more than anything that Methuselah gets to live a happy rest-of-the-year at Hogwarts with Selena, pleaseee! I am so sad right now, I don’t even have the words to express this agh!!
I loved seeing their Patronuses for the first time in this chapter -- Albus’s mustang, Scorpius’s fox, Methuselah’s eagle! They were all beautiful, and you described them so wondrously.
I can’t get my mind off of Methuselah -- I’m just going to rush onto the next chapter and hope that everything’s okay. I feel so much for Selena, aHHhhHH!!!! This was such a good chapter, but I am an emotional mess right now omg.
Love, Eva
I was smiling so much throughout this whole chapter, from beginning to end! Everything was heartwarming and adorable and sweet and romantic and touching AND SO GOOD. Scorpius following his own romantic advice re: chocolates!! Rose calling him “sweetie” partway through the chapter!! Selena comforting Methuselah at the end!!!
It is truly a mark of dedication for Scorpius to dig through five boxes of chocolates to get the swirly strawberry ones (a flavor that I absolutely cannot get behind sgkhls what is Rose thinking), and I love him more for it! Their kiss was unbelievably sweet -- I’m so glad that they’ve progressed to this point where they can savor these delicate, soft kisses. <333
I love Lockett so much. I love everyone so much. Am I repeating myself? I absolutely am, but all your characters are so so good, I could weep.
Selena is correct in that Methuselah is oddly insecure for being the smartest person that Hogwarts has seen in forever, but I love that. We all have our insecurities, even if it seems like people “shouldn’t” -- which isn’t really a fair assumption to make for anyone.
<333
Love, Eva
YES. YES. YESS. WHAT AN AMAZING CHAPTER.
Downing: “He’s going to gut you, y’know.” This somehow gave me intense Selena vibes skdlghs. I could literally imagine her saying this, which unfortunately made me like Downing a little more for his happy tendencies to speak the brutal truth haha. And oh my goodness omg omg omg Scorpius felt better looking at the pocketwatch Harry gave him!! He’s absolutely an honorary Potter now, and after this is all over, I hope he gets to spend a wonderful summer with the Potter family, away from his horrid, horrid father!
HOUSE ELF ARMY, I GENUINELY LAUGHED ALOUD WITH DELIGHT. I LOVE HARLEY WITH ALL MY HEART.
“But I do have something else up my sleeve”.....did Thane just make a pun? Literally pulling a wand out of his sleeve?? Hahaha he’s such an amazing villain! I’m so glad that he has a conscience -- even though I fear that Scorpius will feel that he didn’t actually defeat Thane, it’s absolutely because of his ceaseless efforts and his ridiculous bravery that Thane eventually gave in. I’m so so proud of Scorpius, and how far he’s come since the beginning of the story -- it’s truly been an amazing journey, watching him grow!
That conversation between Harley and Scorpius was SO GOOD. I always supported Harley in the Harley vs. Scorpius feud, haha, and I am unbelievably happy that Scorpius has finally acknowledged Harley’s concerns and worries about being used by wizardkind without proper credit. I really really hope that Harley gets the acknowledgement by the public that he deserves. <3
ROSE IS OKAY, YAYAY.
Such an amazing chapter!!
Love, Eva
I love Selena and her neverending fountain of cold, hard facts. Warning Scorpius against doing the “stupid guy thing” indeed! The foresight required to level such an accusation! Gosh, I love her more than anything. And it hasn’t actually occurred to me that Selena feels burdened by a personal weight of guilt, regarding her part in spreading Miranda’s rumors, but I’m so thankful to her for her apology. She’s so aware of herself and others, and that kind of emotional understanding is really rare in people.
The contract, oh no! What is Scorpius’s plan! Please let this work please please please. I am four chapters from the end and I am so tense and excited to see how everything gets resolved here!
Selena and Methuselah! Their awkwardness and shyness -- gosh I could flail about them forever and ever. I love that they’ve not gone very far physically, but that they still take the most intimate comfort from sleeping together in bed. It sounded so comforting, and I hope that both of them got a good night’s sleep as a result. <33333
Harry’s letter made me tear up. Harry being the father figure that Scorpius never had, after Harry’s own poor abused childhood, is the most beautiful, heartwarming thing that could’ve possibly happened. And that letter was perfect -- the entire time, my throat kept tightening because I wanted to cry. The love that Harry shows for Scorpius is something that he absolutely deserves; he’s missed out on having a true family because of his father, and I love the poetry of Harry being the one to fill the gap. I love that so so so much. Thank you for writing such a beautiful moment. <3
Love, Eva
Oh, there are so many difficult, troubling themes in this chapter, all of which you wrote absolutely beautifully. I love the moral ambiguity of Albus’s behavior in particular; it was so hard to read about but at no point did I ever think less of him for reacting the way he did. I just wanted him to retain his own humanity, rather than stooping down to the same cold-blooded, emotionless level of Downing. Villains who are calm and in control no matter what situation has befallen them are so scary!!! It’s always the worst when they somehow smile even when they’re supposed to be howling in pain! :P
Harley and his absolutely fantastic, admirable, amazing morals! I adore him! I think that Harley should absolutely be promoted once the whole thing’s over -- the way he feels protective of these kids and their consciences, the way he feels protective of the school! He deserves everything. <3
LOCKETT HAS RETURNED. The interview is so epic omg -- I love the quick-paced back-and-forth that you’ve written out! It’s so smart and impressive and made my eyes go wide in admiration for this woman and the sheer force of her brainpower, and I loved every moment of it. The use of Veritaserum seems very controversial, and I understand why; Lockett’s flagrant disregard for potions ethics makes me slightly nervous haha, but I for one am glad that she decided to risk that in order to get some answers.
The fact that she has an idea on how to cure it is AMAZING. Please let her be able to save Rose, too, please please please. <3
Love, Eva
I SHOULD’VE KNOWN BY THE CHAPTER TITLE THAT SOMETHING BAD WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. This is one of the only chapter titles that doesn't reference heat in any way -- there’s “Break the Ice” earlier but even that has the implication that the coldness is being forced away! But the title for this one only mentions cold and ice! D:
Perhaps that’s just a reference to the snowy battle, but I feel like it can’t be a coincidence where the one chapter title that is strictly cold-related involves one of the survivors getting fatally injured! You have such a way with emotions -- I’ll feel my heart pounding in the adrenaline-fuelled battle, I’ll feel triumphant at their victory, and then I’ll feel sick with dread at Rose’s injury!!! I am so anxious to get to the next chapter right now omg, I just want to make sure that Rose is okay.
That man was so much more capable and dangerous than I imagined; even though I knew he would be a competent dueller, I didn’t think that he would actually shoot curses that could wound the students fatally. Perhaps I was lulled into a false sense of security when Thane released Scorpius and Rose. At the end of it all, they’re all just teenagers who haven’t had much experience fighting real battles, so Selena’s very very correct on that front. So really I am so so proud of them, that they managed to defeat him!
BUT ROSE. I’m gonna rush along now to the next chapter to see how she is! D:
Love, Eva
I love Scorpius, so so so so much. Even though Scorpius’s treatment of Rose is really unfortunate at times, I understand why he feels that way, of course, because your characters are always amazing in that way! The thing is, your characters make so many mistakes and yet they’re always good; they warm my heart and fill me with happiness and I love them to death. Scorpius says so many things that he doesn’t mean as a result of his awful, awful father’s abuse and nastiness, and I know that he realizes that Rose was going through a really rough time, and I just. I didn’t realize it was possible to love a character this much???
YES, THEY LOVE SCORPIUS. THEY SURPRISED HIM. THEY’RE GIVING HIM PRESENTS. I almost teared up when I saw how much the whole of Britain loved him -- he deserves all of this and more, and I absolutely hate Draco for taking away what should’ve been a moment of genuine happiness for Scorpius. HOW DARE HE. I feel like this chapter addressed it most head-on, that Draco’s cold letters of abuse have taken deep ugly root in Scoripus’s mind, twisting his thoughts and making him think that he doesn’t deserve anything good in his life.
“Almost lose his daughter, get congratulated. Actually lose a broom, disaster” QUEEN SELENA SDKGHLS.
I’m really glad that Rose approached Scorpius after he ran away, that she forced him to confront her and to lower his walls. I love her and her willingness to fight so much, and I love him and his ability to recognize his own errors. I love the way he grasped her wrist gently as he acknowledged that things were hard for her and that he shouldn’t have pushed her so much. I think it’s a good idea to not kiss for a little bit, as tempting as Scorpius may find it haha, because they need a bit of time after all the exhaustion and drama. <3
I just have so many feelings about Scorpius right now omg I love him!!
Love, Eva
THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER WAS A FREAKING DELIGHT.
SDGLHSL SELENA ATTEMPTING TO INSULT THE RAVENCLAW KNOCKER INTO SUBMISSION IS SUCH AN ON BRAND THING FOR HER TO DO. I have never been more charmed by a romantic scene, ever ever ever -- it’s so beautifully awkward and poignant and genuine, and this is something that I feel like is missing from so many romantic scenes! I absolutely loved how Methuselah has his insecurities, how he just hides them better than the others do. I absolutely loved how Selena confronted them directly and communicated so openly with him -- the healthiest relationship dynamic! AND SELENA AND METHUSELAH KISSING. My heart! <3
ROSE’S GROWING FRIENDSHIP WITH SELENA IS FAB, TOO. I was over the moon to see that the two of them were getting along so swimmingly, when way at the beginning of the story they were constantly at each other’s throats! I am all for strong female friendships, and I really really hope that this is an opportunity for Rose to become close-knit with someone, like she said to Albus the other day. Their gossip about Methuselah SENDS me sldgkhsl.
I never thought I needed Scorpius giving Methuselah dating/love advice in my life, but there it is! This story is teaching me so many things about myself hahaha. I’m just so amazed because normally I’m not at all invested in OCs, but I am in this story! Very much so! I want Methuselah to be happy with Selena, so so much!
What is being planned in the Owlery? :O And does it have anything to do with Scorpius’s belated birthday?
Amazing, amazing chapter! I absolutely adored it -- I think this was my favorite one so far! <3
Love, Eva
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, SCORPIUS. It’s probably not a good time for celebrations, but I’d like to give him a virtual hug. <3
Aw, I wish Scorpius had been allowed to live with his mother. It really seems like he misses her, and I’m wondering why she hasn’t messaged him? It’s too heartbreaking to think that she doesn’t care -- surely she does, with such a charming son as Scorpius! -- so I’m going to hope it’s just some massive miscommunication issues. Like, maybe Draco’s purposefully withholding letters from Scorpius or something.
Please please let Lockett come around soon. Alcoholism is a hard problem to overcome, but I have faith in her. <3
I LOVE ALBUS. (Really, I love everybody! :D) I love how he’s so good at taking charge, how he’s a natural leader and dueller. Sometimes Scorpius speaks like a stand-up comedian, which has me CACKLING -- his spiel about satisfaction was the single funniest thing he’s said this entire story!! And he’s been plenty funny all throughout!!! I’m so intrigued by his gift with illusions; I hope this is something that he develops in the following chapters, because I love love love good deceptive magic!
“Toys for charlatans and tricksters” oh no, is this something that Draco’s knocked into Scoripus’s head regarding illusions?? Scorpius’d better get it out of his head, while I go give Draco a good hard kick.
I love this entire chapter -- it’s the most lighthearted chapter we’ve had in a long time, which absolutely makes sense! They finally have the chance to blow off steam and to set new achievable goals for themselves, which HAS to be satisfying after weeks of struggling and depression and anger and plague!
It makes a lot of sense that Methuselah can’t cast a Patronus because of his general methodical nature, but I’m wondering if there’s a deeper reason behind it? I mean, is it simply because he often doesn’t think emotionally, or is it because he’s genuinely unhappy most of the time? I completely understand the frustration of not being able to achieve something that others are achieving, and so I really really hope that Selena can get something out of him!!
This was such a good chapter omg, I loved it!
Love, Eva
Selena is so wise omg. I love the way she talked to Rose about the Hector situation, and acknowledged that, yes, Rose did something very wrong, while firmly stating that there are nuances to different circumstances. I adore how you wrote that part -- it’s so much wiser than any of my paraphrases could manage! I found myself smiling fondly at Selena like a lovestruck dummy once she was finished with her speech, hahah. Never did I expect, when Selena first walked through the Slytherin common room, that she would become such an important part of the story! And become such an incredible, inspiring, amazing character! I love her so so much, and I’m so thankful that you’ve created her!
Everyone is so unhappy and that makes ME unhappy because I just want all these wonderful, brave, intelligent teenagers to live a good life. But alas!
OKAY, BUT THERE’S A NEW PLAN OF ACTION. I love the way this story works -- when they hit a roadblock, they tackle it from a different angle, and now they’re REALLY switching up their strategy for defeating this curse! I feel like their plan to steal secrets of the cure from one of Thane’s men definitely has to work -- they’re such talented kids, all in extremely different ways, and together they’re going to be brilliant. Once again, I’m really curious about what Thane’s goal is; why is he (or his employer) doing this? Anyway, I’m so so excited for the chapters to come!!!
Love, Eva
Oh no oh no oh no OH NO, Scorpius wants to be left alone, that’s not good at all. No no no! Please let Tim be okay!!
Okay now having read the chapter, I am completely devastated -- there was so much hope at the end of the previous chapter, with the beautiful rare potions ingredients and the dazzling sunlight. And everything came crashing down so much harder than I ever imagined it could. Never ever ever did I expect for poor little Tim to become an Inferius, one that Scorpius would have to BURN DOWN. That’s a truly horrific part of this apocalyptic crisis that I did not see coming -- that in addition to this horrible plague, they have to suffer the undead, too.
I really, really do feel for Lockett. I’ve mentioned numerous times how much I love your complex characters, even when they make mistakes and cope in truly unhealthy and irresponsible ways, and this is no exception. It absolutely makes sense that she feels unbearable amounts of guilt for this -- everything that’s supposed to cure students rests on her shoulders. No matter how brilliant Rose or Methuselah is, they’re not the ones making these leading theories and brewing the final potions; everything goes with Lockett’s “okay.” And not knowing what caused the death -- whether it would’ve happened inevitably, or whether one of her own potions did the deed -- must be absolutely torture. I don’t approve of her drinking, but it’s really hard to pass judgment when they’re all suffering so so much.
I do feel so sorry that now the weight of Hogwarts rests solely on the shoulders of five alone teenagers, who are all traumatized and upset and lashing out. I understand Albus’s anger towards Lockett, and now I’m really scared that her “hero” prediction will come true -- that now Albus will shoulder everything to the point where if things start falling apart and people die around him, he’ll blame himself.
ARGH THIS IS SO PAINFUL, I LOVED TIM SO MUCH. AHH.
Eva
Oh my god, Scorpius is THE MOST EXTRA. I LITERALLY CAN’T BELIEVE IT WORKED. I’m so glad that he managed to get Albus and Rose out (or, managed to get them out in style, while Methuselah did all the grunt work :P), and I’m so so so glad that it appears that things have been forgiven, at least for the moment. Of course there’s more to be done to patch up his relationships, but! progress has been made!!! I wonder what his guitar looks like? :P I remember a while ago, he mentioned that he played some classical guitar -- but I can’t quite imagine the strings of a classical guitar producing the dramatic screeching noise that accompanies a door being blasted off its hinges hahaha. Does he have a guitar that shape-shifts as he needs? That would be very cool! :D
Aw, Selena. I want to give her a big hug! This is the first time I’ve seen her genuinely upset, I think, which is truly amazing given the circumstances. I do think that Methuselah likes her a lot, way more than anyone else he’s met, because of how he said he didn’t want to worry her in the previous chapter. But he’s still Methuselah, and so it’s noticeable that this is the first time Selena feels a little at a loss when he’s being himself, and staying behind to nerdily poke around the headmaster’s office.
PLEASE LET LITTLE TIM BE OKAY. PLEASE. D:
“When a life hung in the balance, nobody cared about the cost.” This line absolutely hit me -- it’s such a beautiful sentiment, and so powerful given the circumstances, and I really, really love it. And it’s also something that’s been patently untrue in the United States these days, as the government weighs whether the economy is more important or human lives. It’s really amazing, what Lockett’s doing.
I love the description of the sunlight ingredient omg. It’s so unbelievably magical, I think I genuinely paused and held my breath as the light reflected through the room.
The way Scorpius described the poor child being like a younger brother -- I wanted to weep forever. PLEASE LET HIM BE OKAY AHHH.
Eva
I LOVE SELENA. Dragging Scorpius by the ear and calling him an “obnoxious little troll”? Amazing! I have to keep that insult in mind for potential RL uses in the future! Scorpius truly has these strokes of genius -- he was the one who initially wanted to rally the house elves in the first place, and then he thought of the wireless idea, and now he’s thought of the house elves again. It didn’t /work/, but it was at least an out-of-the-box idea.
But the way he treats the house elves truly doesn’t sit right with me -- every single time he snarled at Harley, who’s been doing so so much for all the kids of Hogwarts without dragging his but about and complaining the way Scorpius does, I wanted to give him a good smack. What he said about wizards “freeing” house elves was far too similar to what right-wing people say about white men “freeing” slaves; the nobleness of it all kinda disappears when you remember that the oppressors forced the oppressed into enslavement to begin with.
“You can't give someone freedom. You can't give 'em rights. You can't give 'em equality. It was always ours, you just trapped it.” THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL LINE. With every rebuke that Harley threw at Scorpius, I found myself nodding along vigorously -- it’s so so true. And I’m really glad that you gave the house elves such a strong voice in this story! I really hope that Scorpius picks himself up and really thinks about what he’s done to the house elves, treating them like dirt and all.
Aw, I empathize so much with Rose’s lack of connection to her classmates. With such a small pool of people, there’s always bound to be someone who doesn’t click with the people around her. And all those revelations about how she was really bitter that she lost her best friend, her favorite cousin, were so heartbreaking and raw and emotional, and I loved every second of it. I really hope that going forward, their relationship will be so much closer!
GASP. MIRANDA CHEATED WITH HECTOR??? Obviously, this doesn’t make what Rose did right, but I suddenly feel a million times less bad for Hector than before omg. What a freeing feeling! Even Albus agrees that it’s ridiculous to tiptoe around someone like Hector! I hope this whole situation can be sorted out soon omg, I’m so excited for Rose’s confrontation with Hector. :D
Eva
I love the way you write the Marauder’s Map voices! It’s like the Marauders have come to life, with their silly bickering and quips and insults, and I positively love it. I am astonished at how strong your characterizations are, even for voices of dead characters that exist on a two-dimensional page! It’s so good!!!
The concept of the wireless is so so beautiful. It’s reminiscent of Potterwatch, in a way, providing that shining beacon of hope in dark times. As I read, I felt so many warm feelings -- I think it’s an incredible thing, what Scorpius is doing. Allowing human connection and communication between loved ones in times of crises is so so important, and I am so proud of him for thinking of this idea.
OH NO, ROSE AND ALBUS GOT STUCK. The detail of tapping the Map to switch to looking at different levels of the castle is so clever??? I don’t remember that from canon so I’m assuming that you made it up, which is SO smart. I’d honestly never thought about it before; I just assumed the Map showed the castle as one level somehow, which was truly dumb of me. :P I’m really glad that they’re getting the opportunity to spend time together, to have heart-to-hearts -- I feel like so much of their miscommunication comes from just missing one another a lot and not being able to confide regularly in one another. But also, more pressingly, I really really hope they can get out of the headmaster’s office hahaha.
Perhaps while they’re stuck, they can sort through issues regarding the wards. Hopefully that’ll occupy them while people figure out how to save them -- though how that’s going to work, I have absolutely no clue. Will they try feeding Stubbs the potion and getting him to tell them the password?
I LOVE METHUSELAH AND SELENA. They’re so different -- I never could’ve imagined that they could be charming together -- but they work. Her incredibly high EQ and empathy levels make up for Methuselah’s hyperfocus on his studies, and they’re just so so cute together. I’m so curious about whether there’s a chapter from Methuselah’s perspective; I really want to know what he thinks of her, whether he likes her too or if he doesn’t think about that at all hahaha.
Amazing!!! I loved this!
Eva
I HAVE SO MANY COMPLICATED EMOTIONS ABOUT ROSE AND SCORPIUS. She feels the burden of guilt on her shoulders, when I think she shouldn’t -- or, at least, not this much more than Scorpius does. Though everything would’ve been much better had they restrained themselves, I think that the guilt that Rose feels is a sign that she understands that she did something complicatedly wrong. But how does one proceed from here? I definitely understand her unwillingness to affect Hector’s recovery with negative information, but it’s not going to be much easier once he wakes up, is it?
Oh, I don’t know. I wish Scorpius would talk to her, haha! Grr they got themselves into such a rough situation, these teenagers!
Scorpius actually reminds me so much of Moist von Lipwig from Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal -- partially because he’s in charge of letters, haha, but also because of how complex he is as a character. AND I LOVE IT. I love all his complicated traits, all his insecurities, all his beliefs that he’s not a great person but that he’ll make an attempt anyway! He’s angry and frustrated but he cares so much, and that’s what makes him amazing, even if he’s rude and belligerent and grumpy. Of course I want him to overcome his sense of self-worth -- it’s this deep-rooted issue that deserves attention from the people around him who love him -- and of course I want him to apologize, but still. He’s such a good character. I could ramble about him forever!
The conversation between Rose and Albus was so so touching. I found myself smiling really fondly at them! Albus has his own insecurities, which makes him so much more lovable and huggable (despite his massive size), and I just want to reassure him forever. Though Rose already did a very good job with that! It makes sense that Albus would be all out-of-sorts being THE Boy-Who-Lived’s son, and I’m glad that Rose addressed this so directly.
I wonder what sort of new dumb shenanigans they got up to???
I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE WIRELESS. I am less thrilled about the possibility of death magic being pumped through the bodies of all the young Hogwarts students. :P But that’s such a creative idea omg. This whole story is so creative, I’m so in love!
Eva
I absolutely ADORE the growth that Scorpius experiences throughout this chapter. He’s still not perfect by any means -- he still needs to atone for his genuinely horrible words -- but he began this chapter feeling actually insulted that he’d be asked to deliver letters while others were saving lives, and he ended this chapter by heartwarmingly helping little Tim read and write his. (I think Tim may be another one of my favorite characters, despite his 2.3 minutes of screentime. :P I think he’s adorable! He likes Scorpius so much! He’s like Scorpius’s protege, I love him.)
I know they decided that owls couldn’t contract the disease and act as carriers, but is it possible that the items that the owls carry -- like letters and packages and things like that, all touched by sick humans -- can transmit the disease? I’m really nervous about the influx of letters now; it should be okay hopefully, but it’s just something that I’ve been weirdly paranoid about since the coronavirus hit hahaha, so now I’m projecting my fears onto these fictional characters.
I love how complex your characters are! I truly do feel admiration that Scorpius is making a serious effort to judge people as they are, and not based on information passed through the grapevine. Lockett in particular is amazing to me; I believe her 100%, and her motivations are much more well-intentioned than I’d hoped. I still don’t like how she kinda dragged Hermione (and Rose), but it is true that both those women can jump to conclusions, and it wasn’t entirely fair for Hermione to discuss Lockett in the black-and-white way that lawmakers seem to speak sometimes.
All this to say, I regret being suspicious of Lockett in previous chapters! And though she definitely has room for improvement, I am so glad that she was able to get her story off her chest, and that Scorpius was willing to listen. And I hope someone listens to Scorpius in the future soon!
ALSO, THE FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON REFERENCE. I kinda love Lockett a little more for that. It’s heartbreaking that she had a stronger reason than “improved academic achievement” for working on the Elixir of Clarity this whole time, wow.
Amazing, amazing chapter!
Eva
“I’m not angry, I’m disappointed” THE CLASSIC PARENTING LINE. It’s so funny to hear this coming from Hermione Granger’s mouth omg. I am utterly enchanted with Hermione and her otter patronus’s delightful expressions, and how her grumpiness is visible! through the otter’s face!!! Listening to her one-sided argument with Harry and Ron is priceless! “Apparently they also like undermining my parental authority in a time of crisis” A PEEVED HERMIONE GRANGER, I LOVE HER.
I love the description of the Hufflepuff common room! Rounded edges and circles are absolutely the most comforting shapes -- I suspect that’s why the Hobbit home from the Lord of the Rings movies are so enchanting. :D
But everything that happened afterwards was so intense and yell-y and decidedly less comforting/enchanting -- so well-written, but also so sadness-inducing!!! I really, really understand Rose’s predicament here; the best course of action should have been for her to not have kissed Scorpius back at all, but because that’s something that happened in the past, there’s nothing much to be done about that. And the whole time she was speaking with Hector, I just felt so bad -- an ill person who needs all their energy to recover shouldn’t be receiving bad news! That does make sense! But now this makes the whole situation a lot harder because he was *conscious* during the time when Rose had kissed Scorpius, and assumed she was still his girlfriend, so when he’s properly cured later on, then “cheating” accusations will be a lot more founded.
IT’S SO HARD.
Oh, my goodness, I just realized that Scorpius’s entire reputation was ruined because of cheating rumors. Is something similar going to happen again once everyone wakes up? Where it doesn’t matter what he’s done to help save the Hogwarts population, where the only thing that people pay attention to is the fact that he kissed Rose while she had a boyfriend?
Scorpius was so mean and awful to everyone, but I do understand that kind of emotional intensity, where you feel so angry and awful that somehow other people’s pain makes you feel a little better. But it’s definitely not a healthy state of mind, and the hurtful things that he says can’t be taken back -- I was wincing at everything he said, particularly to Albus. He’s going to need to make up for this with so much apologizing and so much repentant behavior, and even then it might take a while for Albus to forgive him…
This was a REALLY well-written chapter!
Eva
!!! KISSES. I’m glad that their feelings are out in the open now!!! I absolutely loved it when Scorpius realizes that he survived a near-death acromantula attack and therefore he absolutely has the guts to kiss the girl he likes. :P I love the way you wrote that!!! He’s on an adrenaline high of sorts, relieved to be alive, so everything in his day-to-day life is put into perspective -- and I’m so delighted that Rose reciprocates! I was blushing like crazy when Scorpius was telling Rose about how he wanted to kiss her in the records room, by the lake -- their chemistry is ridiculous and I love them both!
There’s still the Hector issue, of course, which is a very real issue, but I am glad that Rose has thought about it. To be honest, because this whole situation is very hairy and bizarre, I’m less bothered by the cheating than I usually would be! Rose, at this moment, is experiencing time and consciousness and feelings, so as her feelings change to determinedly not liking Hector, then those are valid emotions. And in regular circumstances she likely would have broken up with him at this point, but there’s no way for her to officially do so because he’s asleep. :P I just found it so funny though sdkglhs when Scorpius, after giving Rose a bunch of heated kisses, only remembered Hector after she started tugging at his clothes.
I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRITE THESE TWO, THAT’S ALL. This version of Scorpius and Rose are absolutely perfect for one another -- I am so looking forward to the minor awkwardness and fond bantering in future chapters! And perhaps more kisses. :P
Onto more serious issues hahaha. Lockett honestly makes me a little nervous. I love Hermione so much, so I automatically get defensive when characters don’t -- and it really seems as though Lockett doesn’t. So I really hope she doesn’t begin this like vengeful streak of proving herself amidst this crisis. And Albus! Poor Albus! I definitely understand why he’d feel left out. Hopefully their next adventure will include him!
I wonder if he does know about Rose and Scorpius, or if he’s just genuinely pleased that they’re getting along better! I’m betting it’s the latter, though. :P
SELENA CONTINUES TO BE ICONIC.
Such a good chapter!!!
Eva
AGH I WAS INTERNALLY SCREECHING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CHAPTER. It has been so long since I’ve read something so action-packed and intense and thrilling omg -- I generally stray away from thrillers because my dumb body has the stress tolerance of a lump of oatmeal, but this was just so good. I found myself unable to tear my eyes away! It was just that amazing! For any other story, I likely would’ve been cowering in a corner, haha.
There’s so much to unpack about how Scorpius feels about himself. He seems to simultaneously (1) genuinely believe that he’s more worthless than the others because he doesn’t immediately contribute to solutions, and (2) behave in this self-sacrificial manner to stick it to his father. Which are both such saddening mindsets! It must be really awful for someone as free-spirited and good-natured as Scorpius to have suffered such oppressive parenting, and it seems like that lingering self-consciousness/trauma is plaguing him in the worst of times. I’m cheering for him -- I really hope that he can overcome this mental boundary, and come to realize how valuable it is to keep the surviving people from falling into pits of despair as a result of his humor.
The way that you described the acromantulas from the bird’s eye view omg. I genuinely shuddered with every mention of gigantic spidery legs. I AM SO FREAKED OUT RIGHT NOW, TYPING THIS REVIEW. I can’t imagine the insane bravery it must’ve taken Rose to go down and handle the acromantula skins on her own??? That’s ridiculously impressive -- I always liked her, but my respect for her shot up like a million-fold. But when she called Scorpius down and he LEFT HIS BROOM HOVERING, I was internally screaming for him to HOLD ONTO IT. But I’m glad that they ended up being safe...ish.
Thane is this fascinating enigma. I have no idea why he’s doing anything that he’s doing -- it seems to kinda fit in line with the mercenary angle that they were discussing before. He doesn’t seem quite wicked enough to want to plague a castle of children entirely on his own, so maybe he was paid? And as a result, he now feels a sort of neutrality towards the issue, which is why he helped Rose and Scorpius escape with their lives?? ??? I AM EXTREMELY CURIOUS.
This was such an exciting chapter, and I hope that Rose and Scorpius make it home safely!
Eva
SCREAMING. THE ALMOST-KISS??? I am so conflicted because Rose has a boyfriend, one who is terribly sick and one who’ll wake up assuming that Rose is still his girlfriend, and so it would be really unfortunate for her to let herself get involved with Scorpius at this time. I really, really hope that they can manage to restrain themselves until the crisis is over -- but I feel like that’s not going to happen haha. :P Alas, if only Rose had the foresight to break up with the unpleasant Hector Flynn before this whole situation happened!
Hahaha, I feel like in the grand scheme of things, this is a very silly plot point for me to be concerned about. Aside from the potential cheating, I found the almost-kiss to be so enchanting!! I’ve been waiting, holding my breath, for Rose’s stray lock of hair to become something that Scorpius becomes entranced by, almost without his knowledge. And it happened so suddenly, like it snuck up on him without him realizing. I am a BIG fan of soft touches and stray locks of hair! BIG FAN.
Never have I wished more that Hector Flynn could suddenly vanish off the face of the planet. Not that I’m saying that I hope he dies ahaha, please don’t let him die now omg.
I adore how intelligent your characters are. Whenever Methuselah and Lockett and Rose are off rambling about their nerdy discoveries, I’m just nodding along blankly -- they genuinely sound like academics! And I have no idea how you managed to write that, for a magic system that’s so different from anything we know, and it’s amazing! I was so impressed the entire time I read Lockett and Rose’s dialogue about their Potions discoveries.
I am also conflicted about Lockett. She sounds like someone who doesn’t quite have a strong sense of morals, and I’m unsure if she’ll be able to continue leading the healing efforts respectably. WE’LL SEE. I really like her, so I hope Hermione’s concerns are unfounded!
If Albus and Rose and Scorpius go into the Forbidden Forest (as I suspect they will), they’d better not kill Aragog. :PP
Such a good chapter, as always!!
Eva
Aw, it absolutely hurts my heart to think about Hermione being cold to Scorpius because of his parentage. I definitely understand her perspective -- it’s not as though children are so isolated/independent from their parents that there’s no way viewpoints won’t be shared, and she has good reason to dislike Draco Malfoy, more than anyone, really -- but knowing who Scorpius is as a person makes her coldness hurt more. He tries so hard to distinguish himself from his family, and I honestly think he’s about as far away from Draco as he could possibly get, personality-wise -- he cracks witty jokes all the time, all of them good-natured, and he never, ever targets someone for a shallow demographic. He wants the best for people, and is never malicious, and I like him as a character so, so much. I hope that soon everyone will be able to see him for who he really is!
This Prometheus Thane person sounds so elusive and frightening, and I am honestly really nervous to learn more about him. He sounds almost indestructible as a person -- if he was reported DEAD but is now alive and well, then how does one make sure he doesn’t weasel his way out of law enforcement’s hands, if they ever catch up to him? I HOPE THEY CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
(Rose’s support for Scorpius when her mother questioned his memories, though!! Absolutely warmed my heart. <3 And the entire truce scene by the lake made me want to go out and dance in the sun -- every little inch of progress between these two makes me smile! Artemis is an icon, as always. I like that she can be used as a threat against Scorpius. :P)
Ugh that letter from Draco made my blood boil. How dare he speak so formally to a son who has had like a million near-death escapes??? What kind of awful parent???? I wonder what Scorpius’s relationship with Astoria is like -- I’d imagine he’s not terribly close with her either, but it seems like most of his worst parent experiences have been from his dad’s side.
Yay for the Marauder’s Map, though!!! I hope it helps them in the future. Such a wonderful chapter! :D
Eva
Arghhh it’s so hard to stop reading after just one chapter and leave a review! I keep wanting to just binge everything all in one go, so that the cliffhangers don’t torture me as I type my reviews. :P THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD.
“Piss on you, cat!” sounds delightfully Shakespearean, and I actually laughed aloud when Scorpius uttered that hilarious curse. What a creative fellow omg. I don’t believe I’ve talked about Artemis yet, which is unforgivable! She is the absolute best kitty who I truly think should become an emblem or mascot or something; her regal, petty personality is my favorite thing ever, and I love how she exemplifies the superiority that cats always seem to feel when looking down upon us peasants. :P
Both Scorpius and Rose having serious revelations about one another this chapter is AMAZING. I’m glad that progress is happening! I’m glad that Scorpius has realized that Rose has human emotions, particularly after she found him comatose on the ground -- he really should’ve been more pleased about her niceness earlier! And that entire conversation between Rose and Selena made me want to cheer! Even though the two ladies bicker with one another ceaselessly and seem to hold a general distaste for the other, I love that Selena finally managed to crack through Rose’s prejudice against Scorpius! Once again, Selena is the hero of the chapter.
Lockett just explicitly stating that Scorpius is a great class clown is actually...extremely fitting??? Like, this whole time I’ve been thinking fondly to myself, “Oh, he’s such a clown!” but I didn’t realize that Lockett herself actually acknowledged this fact haha!
OKAY METHUSELAH AND SELENA!!! His intensity of focus and ability to research thick tomes, and her ability to coax logical, intelligent answers and solutions from his ramblings are both incredible. They are absolutely a power couple. I love the two of them so so much! Particularly when Selena realizes that Methuselah never lies, that it’s something that just doesn’t occur to him...meeting genuine people like that is so rare. I wish I could be like him and provide that same reassurance to people I know, but sometimes I get so nervous about people judging me that lies just...happen. :P But he doesn’t seem to have that problem!
Scorpius’s paranoia regarding the eagle knocker is ridiculous! He’s ridiculous! Such a dramatic, crazed human being!! And I love him dearly.
Such a good chapter omg!
Eva
!!! What a powerful chapter! I was particularly struck by the emotional conversation between Albus and Rose -- my heart went out to the both of them. I feel like Albus spends so much time thinking about other people and putting them first that he so rarely ever lashes out on his own behalf, but he really deserves to! No one should be ignoring their own care and mental health, so I’m really glad that he managed to speak up about his hurt in this chapter! Sometimes, all one needs is a cascade of emotion for a conflict to really get resolved!
And Rose, poor Rose! I want to wrap her up in warm blankets and just feed her tea all day long -- Albus is so right that everyone has their own way of coping but that doesn’t mean that the method is healthy, necessarily, and Rose’s definitely isn’t. (And neither is Methuselah’s, and neither is Lockett’s, and I hope someone can help them handle things more healthily, too.) And I want them all to take care of themselves first, because as hard as they’re trying to work in order to save lives, they can’t do that if they themselves aren’t in good condition!
The earlier segment of Scorpius almost flaunting his bare chest and his relatively minor scar made me laugh. How is he so funny! I’ve never met a version of Scorpius that I’ve liked better in my life, I think!!!
You do an incredible job with these characters. I love how you portray the stress and anxiety they’re under, with the weight of the entirety of Hogwarts on their shoulders. I love the snippets of new information that we found out about the group of people -- and I am extremely scared about what their connection to the fire river / death has to do with all of this. Are they trying to restart the world? Is Hogwarts just the first step?
WONDERFUL CHAPTER.
Eva
This battle scene was so intense but also charming?? I love the image of Albus and Scorpius struggling really hard to rid themselves of these bloodthirsty gnome-sized figures -- and I found myself admiring the tenacity of the redcaps as the battle continued. :P But the question remains! Where did they come from? And how did they know to retrieve the crates? I’d imagine that the forces behind the plague are still in control of certain areas of the Forest...so is that how the redcaps came to randomly lay siege on these crates?
SDGLHKS I know the situation is dire but I could not help but laugh myself silly when Scorpius literally shot himself in the foot. He must’ve been so embarrassed, hahahah. It’s so lucky that Rose was around with her capable spellwork, otherwise that truly would’ve been the most embarrassing way to die. :P
I do want to say that I’m proud of Scorpius. I know his initial reaction was to run, but really it takes someone way above average not to freak out (like Albus). But despite Scorpius’s general averageness, he managed to stall the redcaps successfully enough for reinforcements to be called! He’s truly trying his best, and I really respect that!
BUT NOOO WHAT’S IN SCORPIUS’S BRAIN. I can’t believe how intricate this plot is -- it’s so delightfully complex and exciting and mysterious and I find myself amazed at every turn! I never could’ve seen this coming but now I’m just ridiculously curious about what it could be -- is it something placed there from the strange figures who caused this mess to begin with? Is it some key to his immunity? Whatever it is, I hope Rose’s spell doesn’t harm him as a result!!!
Eva
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