Name: Aphoride (Signed) · Date: 13 Jul 2019 04:33 PM · For: Marked

ISOBEL!!!! So to celebrate your return (and to persuade you to vote Claw in the HP Finale :P), I'm stopping by this - I know you're working on Skulls, but this is one of yours which I've never read, let alone reviewed, and I thought it was about time ;) 

 

What I love most about this story is how you leave it entirely up to the reader, perhaps, as to who this recruit is. Is it Barty Jr? Is it Walden MacNair, who I know in Skulls really only becomes a Death Eater because of his friends - or is it someone else entirely? And then I thought: well, does it really matter exactly who it is? Because how many people ended up in terrible places doing terrible things because their friends were, because they believed the rhetoric and weren't strong enough to avoid getting sucked into the more active, violent side of things. And honestly, I really loved that you couldn't tell because there was something almost universal about it: about how it could apply to so many people, possibly so many Death Eaters; that indecision, that not-really-wanting-to-be-there-but-in-too-deep kind of thing. 

 

I loved your Lucius Malfoy. I mean, you know this already, because he's the same in Skulls and you know I love him in there. But, there's something about the way you write him: how he's such a suck-up, oozing this kind of fake servility, but he's also so menacing, so proud and arrogant of his own place and his own worth, so good at being emotionless and aloof. It creates this wonderfully scary character, tbh, and I love that - it's such a good portrayal of him. 

 

LOL I would have loved it if the new Death Eater had accidentally summoned the Dark Lord then. Probably wouldn't have lasted long in his, er, new role :P :P :P 

 

Also, I just gotta say, I loved how you described the tattoo - there's something wonderfully entrancing about how you write him looking at it and touching it, without thinking about it. And I could really feel the jolt when Malfoy nudges him to get him to stop before he does something stupid. 

 

As always, your writing is amazing. You know I love your writing: you have such a beautiful style, such wonderful description and a real talent for dialogue and ughhh it just all hangs together so well in anything you write - and really, I'm kinda jealous of how well you write shorter stories because this felt so complete, yk, and so entire and it's hard to do with something short, but you did it and it feels so easy. You're amazing, but you should already know that ;) 

 

Laura xx

Name: Dragon Quill (Anonymous) · Date: 25 Feb 2018 01:05 PM · For: Marked

Hello, my dear! It’s your Secret Cupid here with a review! 

 

This is was really interesting. It’s not often I see a story where a almost Death Eater is so reluctant to take the Mark. Usually I read where they’re more eager and almost salivating at the thought. But it is totally reasonable that there would have been some that would be having second thoughts. I’m sure they all understood that it was a life sentence. And like the thought, if he changed his mind in that moment, he would have been dead. 

 

I never really gave much thought to the masks and hoods, and how they would hinder your vision, but now that I’ve read that, he was right. And you almost feel bad for him when he speaks of not wanting to kill innocents. But in that same thought, he’s fine with killing Muggles and Muggle borns, who are entirely innocent. It’s crazy how engrained in them it is that anyone who isn’t a wizard is bad. 

 

I love the description of Voldemort here. A lot of the time authors tend to forget that he did still look human during the first Wizarding War, and write him with his slits for a nose and everything. But he didn’t look like that until Goblet of Fire. So I really appreciated that little detail here. 

 

I wonder why he did decide to join the Death Eaters. Even he doesn’t seem to be sure of why he did it. I’m assuming pressure from his “friends” probably played the biggest role in it. It makes you wonder how many were coerced into joining. 

 

This was a great piece! I’m always fascinated with Death Eater fics, and really enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing!! 

 

- Dragon Quill 

Name: Be My Badger (Anonymous) · Date: 22 Feb 2018 11:08 PM · For: Marked

Hello hello, I'm here to sprinkle a little love onto your story -- Valentine's day was this past month, don't you know? ♥

Wow.  What a powerful piece.  It was short, but that almost helped with the impact.

When I first started reading this, I thought for sure it was Draco Malfoy that was being recruited.  We know he was sort of in a grey area, not sure if he should follow in his parents' footsteps and join the Dark Lord, but it was a pleasant twist that it was actually Lucius Malfoy.  You managed to humanize him in less than 1000 words, and it says a lot that even he was questioning his decision.  

I loved this character study.  You don't really know what you're going to do until the moment it happens, and that's especially true in this piece.  I loved how he wasn't even really clear with what his reason was for joining, but that he was also here out of loyalty who his best friend, who remained unnamed -- interesting, but I think it worked for this piece. 

I loved this line: It wasn't the Dark Mark that he pledged allegiance to his Lord for, he knew that bbecause it really shows how powerful a symbol could be.  

Really wonderful job with this! ♥

Name: abhorsen (Signed) · Date: 02 Dec 2017 06:37 PM · For: Marked

Hey, I'm here for the winter wonderland's flurry from Azkaban!

 

And oooh, this is bone-chilling and creepy.

 

There's a lot of complexity here that I really commend you for - you balance the fact that Death Eaters are still people with feelings and hazy motivations with the grossness of following Voldemort really well. Starting with some pretty scary and discomforting statements about how it's totally okay to kill Mudbloods and then then winding it back to his experience in that moment is a great choice, because it keeps who he is at the forefront of the reader's mind while giving you space to examine his reasons for joining Voldemort - and how unsure he is about some of them. I can also actually see getting the mark without really knowing quite what it does, and I love that you included it. I mean, how would one even ask? "Hi, I was just curious how the Dark Mark worked" seems like it wouldn't really be appreciated by the sorts of people who generally get the mark in the first place.

 

This was such an interesting point in time to explore, and I really enjoyed it!

Name: Rumpelstiltskin (Signed) · Date: 18 Sep 2017 01:16 AM · For: Marked

Hey, I'm here for MAGIC!

So I love the idea here where Voldemort has designed his followers disguises to possibly obscure the Death Eater's vision, so that they may kill nonselectively -- it's new and particularly devious.  It seems like the MC is becoming wary of the Dark Lord's true mission, which is not only to enact the downfall of muggles but also any kind of muggle supporter (or whoever else stands in Voldemort's way).  It's an interesting prospect, being led to believe that one group is truly wrong and deserves to be punished (the Muggles), but the MC is conscience-driven to classify other witches and wizards who might not be for Voldemort's cause as innocent.

 

I also love Malfoy in this, and the MC's reaction to Malfoy.  The line 'has no emotions to show' is kind of epic, it definitely reveals the MC's true feelings of Lucius Malfoy, and leads me to wonder just what this MC is doing here? Malfoy's allegiance to Voldemort is nearly sickening, which is how my headcanon roles, too (and is largely supported by canon), so great job with that! 

 

Ah, so Rosier is the MC in question here. I'm also wondering why he chose Malfoy as a mentor -- probably has much to do with his societal status and little to do with his personality.  I can also imagine Wilkes and Malfoy being besties. They seem like they would get on well, hating on everyone and all.  

 

It's terrible for Rosier to be having second thoughts now, of all times, because he's right, he cannot defy the Dark Lord in front of his followers.  He has little choice in the matter at this point.  I feel like it was that way for many Death Eaters...the Jim Jones conundrum if you will.

 

So, overall I thought this was a wonderful little vignette, and I'm digging your Rosier headcanon! If you haven't written more of Rosier previously, I'd love to see you write more now!

Great job!

-Rumpel