Name: Stella Blue (Signed) · Date: 07 Apr 2018 02:47 PM · For: Chapter 1

*Transferred from HPFF where I originally posted this anonymously as The Hanukkah Dreidel for a holiday secret gift thing (or something?)*

 

Hi! I'm the Hanukkah Dreidel and I've been spending this festive time of year by spinning around and here I have landed in one of your stories!

Wow, this was really an incredible story and I can't believe it doesn't have any reviews yet. I just... I don't even know where to start with this one, because it has such a broad focus and covers so many years and radiates so many feelings, and is so good that I don't know how my review can do justice to this story!

First, the way you've set it up how Remus is narrating the events of his Hogwarts years with the lens of many years having passed; it has this nostalgic feel to it that's only present in the type of story where the narrator recalls long-ago events. And, as we find out halfway through the story, that nostalgia is particularly special because Sirius is still in Azkaban at the time Remus is narrating it, so there's the added dynamic of Remus still being in love with Sirius despite the fact that Sirius is in prison for the murder of their best friends. Because I noticed, not once did Remus say he hates Sirius for what he did, or really even anything bad about Sirius - despite everything, he still loves him. He doesn't understand why Sirius would do such a thing, and hates what he did, but he doesn't hate him. There are so many layers to this nostalgic tone and I LOVE IT.

Okay and let's talk about the way you wrote the Marauders, because you did really well with their characters. I like how you portrayed James' and Sirius' easygoing natures and how Remus is so thankful for that as everyone else is far too interested in what's wrong with his face and Remus just wants to be normal. And James and Sirius treat him like he's just a normal kid, one who wants to goof off instead of doing assignments, and invite him to do just the same with them. That was an adorable scene.

I also like the way you approached the topic of secrecy - there's a lot about Remus's continued secrecy and lies, not only to protect himself from ridicule and losing friends, but also kind of to keep any of his new friends from getting too close and seeing that he's got a lot of stuff he's dealing with beneath the surface of his calm and quiet exterior. And James, Sirius, and Peter keep a secret too, only because they want to surprise Remus with it. It shows so much about all of them, how Remus is so terrified to be vulnerable and holds his feelings so close to his chest, and the others not only show him that they aren't put off by his darker secrets, but that they are real friends willing to do a lot for him. And they do it all through keeping their own secret. I don't know, it was just really cool how the two sides came across in this.

Lastly, I can't forget to mention how much I love the way you wrote Sirius/Remus in this story. Gah. They are both quite messed up people, but in opposite ways and it kind of makes them perfect for one another. I love how you developed their relationship from just easygoing friends in the beginning, to close friends that are brought together by sharing their difficult secrets, to more than that. I liked the way Sirius admitted his crush on Remus- he wasn't too forward about it, at risk of freaking Remus out, but he definitely wasn't subtle (because I don't think that's a quality Sirius posesses). Of course it is just like Remus to figure out who Sirius is talking about and then keep quiet and not act on it for MONTHS because he thinks Sirius deserves better. Anyway, the way you portrayed their relationship - as one that began in secrecy, was out in the open for a bit, and then was destroyed by distrust - and yet at least for Remus, there are still feelings there despite that Sirius is in prison. It's so beautiful and I love it.

My one question is about the werewolf prank, which is mentioned as being seventh year here, but I thought it was fifth? Anyway, that's a really minor detail and doesn't take away from the fact that this was a lovely and impressive story. Well done. You should be so proud of it. Happy Holidays!