Name: Felpata_Lupin (Signed) · Date: 12 Nov 2022 05:13 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hello, Vicki, my dear! Here for our swap! Sorry for the wait! :P

Thank you for suggesting me this one-shot! I really loved it! There aren't enough Hufflepuff fics out there, so that's extra appreciated! :D

I really loved this glimpse into the Carrows' year from a more lowkey viewpoint than the main crew. And I especially loved Ernie's character arc and how his and Hannah's relationship evolved across the story. I think it was all very cleverly crafted, from the initial reunion (where Ernie feels a bit awkward because he failed to support her during her absence, but still naively thinks that everything can be just like it was before) to very quickly recognizing that Hannah has changed (which makes a lot of sense... nothing like grief changes people, and I guess especially when you lose someone in such a sudden and violent way... of course Hannah wouldn't want to just sit here like a target... I can totally see her taking into the role of the younger students' protector/mothering Hufflepuff house as a whole. It just seems like what Hannah would do! <3) to drifting apart a little from each other to the final adventure that brings them back together again/allows Ernie to see that their resistance matters more than personal glory or an educational qualification. And I'm so proud of him for the way he just jumped in to help Hannah in her quest to find Miranda. I have to say, I was a little bit annoyed at Ernie through the story till that point... although, to be totally honest, I can't judge him too harshly... I think a lot of people in that situation would rather keep their heads low and just mind their business and just try to hang on until the exams are over. I would probably be that person, too. But of course, as soon as there is an immediate, tangible emergency, Ernie doesn't think about it twice and jumps into action (and again, I can totally relate to that :P)

You had me hold my breath as they were searching for Miranda. You captured the atmosphere just right! Such tension and anticipation! Fortunately, it all went smoothly... they were even too lucky, to be honest, but that's okay, I wouldn't have liked it if they got caught and something bad happened... I have to say, I thought for a moment that Miranda had got into some serious trouble, that she had been hurt by Carrows or something... I'm glad she just fell asleep in the Library... poor thing, she must've been so scared... :/

I bet Snape was totally aware that it was an act :P But we know that he was acting, too, and secretly trying to keep the students safe from the worst of it, right? At least, that's what I like to think. :P Maybe he just believed Ernie's story... but I don't think so... or maybe he just decided that he didn't care to find out if it was true or not... either way, they were lucky to run into him and not someone else. And it was very gracious of him to escort them to the Hospital Wing (the way he recommended that they stayed all there for the night makes me even more certain that he knew it was an act, but who knows... :P) Poor Madam Pomfrey, she was so confused, lol! :P

I loved the little references to Neville & co's resistance acts, btw! The burning essays was a stroke of genius, so clever! :D And I loved the graffiti, and the disappearing door! Such cool ideas! I love how you tied this with C/S, too! Wayne being the contact between Hannah and Neville... I always forget that Hannah and Neville are canonically destined to be a couple, so it was interesting to see them collaborating here, even if in an indirect way. I wonder if their collaboration in the resistance is what will eventually bring them together? ;)

Great story! I enjoyed reading it a lot! Thank you so much for the swap! :D

Snowball hug,

Chiara

Author's Response:

Hi, Chiara!  I'm glad you liked this story.  It's always had a special place in my heart.  Exploring Ernie's and Hannah's personal development during the terrible years of the Death Eaters was very interesting.  In the books we see how the Gryffindors were affected during those years, but not really the students of other Houses.  And Ernie and Hannah had been Hufflepuff prefects together during their fifth year, so they knew each other well at that time.  But now in this, the seventh year, things are a lot different at the school, and students react in different ways.

 

Yes, Ernie did expect, at first, that their relationship woud be the same as it used to be (everything can be just like it was before), with him taking the lead, but now he sees that she has changed, matured, and what "taking the lead" means now is very different from what it meant two years ago.  Hard for Ernie to accept because he is so committted to being Mr. Number One. It's hard for him to see that just getting the best grades is not the top priority nowadays for the well-being of the students in the school.  It's hard to change your perceptions sometimes.

 

I think that Resistance in the general sense didn't resonate very much for Ernie, so I can understand why you (and Hannah) were a little bit annoyed with him, but it finally became personal for him when it was not just Resistance, but the actual danger to one of their own Hufflepuffs.  That was something he coud not ignore, an emergency he could wrap his head around.  I think that his willingness to jump into action was also impelled by his old desire to be "taking the lead," something he prided himself on in the old days.

 

I'm glad that you say that I managed to create an atmosphere of tension and anticipation during their search for Miranda.  Yes, they were lucky, but I wrote it that way because it's not impossible that they would be lucky (the kids who painted the slogans on the walls at night did not get caught, so far as I know), and there weren't that many people out in the corridors at night.  If they had bumped into patrolling prefects from Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, it's quite possible that those prefects would not give them away.  And if they had been unlucky, that would have caused complications that would have made the story much longer than the word limit for a one-shot.  I also wanted Ernie to have success, not a catastrophe, in his first attempt to participate in the Resistance, thus encouraging him to be more open to participating in the Resistance in the future.

I was careful to avoid writiing sentences that woul reveal what Snape was thinking, but, as you say, he probably suspected strongly that it was some kind of an act.  What kind he didn't know, but as you say, he just decided that he didn't care to find out if it was true or not.  

Whatever it really was, he saw that the three students had a barely plausible cover story (as opposed, say, to being caught with paint brushes and buckets of paint in their hands), and whatever their caper was, it didn't seem to be dangerous for the school or even for the Carrows' regime. So he maintained his gruff persona while ensuring that they stayed safe.

 

I imagine that Miranda still had some residual chill on her face as a result of the chilling charm, but obviously no pain or disability.  And we can safely assume that Madam Pomfrey would not give her away, even after Ernie and Hannah explain to her what it was all about.

 

I have a series of three drabbles and one short (2500K words) story that explore the relationship between Neville and Hannah.  They are in my AP.  Read them in this order: Trust Me, Hanging On, Finishing It, and Unstoppable.

I also have two drabbles, not posted here (I have to find them) about Neville in Prague, when Hannah comes to visit him there.  The first one is at Christmas, when Neville has been in Prague for only a few months, and they are at one of those traditional open-air Christmas markets in the town square.  The second one is when he is graduating from the Škoda Institute of Herbology, and Hannah and his grandmother attend the ceremony.

 

Thank you so much for this lovely and insightful review. <3

 

Vicki

Name: Pixileanin (Signed) · Date: 12 Nov 2022 01:28 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hello!  I am finally here for our review swap. Sorry for the delay!

 

I seem to have missed that Hannah’s mother was killed in canon, (because I am rubbish at details unless I am researching them for Reasons) but it certainly dramatizes the theme, and heightens the differences between Hannah and Ernie’s time apart. She’s not versed in the political goings on like Ernie is, but she’s had real-world tragedy touch her. Hannah must be severely gutted, and coming back to a place where they can be watched closely is just terrifying. These students must feel so helpless.

I can already tell that Ernie has a soft heart, already worrying about the new Hufflepuffs who might be joining them in their house. He is a comforting sort as we can see from how he supports Hannah on the train. I was nice to see them catching up and finding the bright spots in their memories to share with each other. I felt so bad for Ernie that he had wanted to write that letter and never got to it. But yes, what do you say? Nothing seems adequate, and the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. They have this small moment of levity, but I’m sure it won’t last. And oop… there it goes.

Oh my gosh, I cannot imagine Blaise and Pansy as Head Boy and Girl together. That alone is a frightening thought, and definitely heightens the danger. But Hannah, through Ernie’s eyes, has definitely grown into someone capable and focused. She has definitely learned some survival skills, and it’s good to see her passing it on to the younger students. It’s interesting to see Ernie struggling with this different Hannah, and trying to place where he will fall in the future hierarchy of things. When your childhood plans start to change in ways you don’t imagine… you feel that growth and you don’t quite know how to deal with it. 

“He told himself that it was because they were studying different things.”

Yes, it is apparent that Hannah and Eddie are studying completely different things. They are surviving the situation in completely different ways. Ernie is surviving by playing the game they want him to play. Hannah is surviving by subverting the game. He’s using his exams as an excuse not to get involved, but you’ve already set up his nature to be one who doesn’t tip the boat, who doesn’t reach out in uncomfortable situations. What is there to say, when something horrible happens? He never wrote that letter.

 

 

I was struck in the middle somewhere by Blaise's anger at the graffitti that he couldn't get to go away during his rounds. It seemed that he would have some kind of punishment as well for not being capable of either preventing or cleaning up the mess. It never occurred to me that he too would have dire consequences for other people's actions. But of course he would, because that's the kind of environment they are living in. He's fuming, because someone else is going to be the cause of whatever his consequence is. That seems entirely unfair, but also completely in line with what the Carrows were up to. 

It’s also quite apparent that Ernie is quite unnerved by all the “skullduggery” that Hannah and the others are involved in. And then when he gets personally involved, when there’s a concrete reason to put himself in danger for the sake of protecting someone else, he goes full throttle. It’s gratifying to see him go through all the emotions of fear and apprehension, and finally, the elation of having succeeded. The moment also seems to bring Ernie and Hannah closer together, as if she was waiting for him to See the Reasons and Accept that it was the Right Thing to look after the students who were more vulnerable than themselves. I half expected this to end in tragedy, but I’m so glad that Ernie found his bravery in the end. 

Looking back at how you began the story, I was struck by how knowledgeable Ernie thought he was, through reading the Prophet, through knowing the rumors about the missing students, and then by how isolated Hannah was, not having access to the news that was circulating, but then also having the experience of losing her mother because of it. It was like Ernie had the knowledge of the propaganda, and Hannah had the knowledge of what was really going on, where the stories didn’t matter, only the cold hard facts did.  That shaped their characters for the purpose of this story. It was cool to see how it all played out in the end.

A fine piece of writing! Thanks for recommending this one!

Pix

 

Author's Response:

Hi, Pix!  Thank you so much for this lovely review.  It's long, comprehensive, and very analytical.  I really appreciate that.

 

When I write stories, I mainly go for straight-out storytelling, although of course there are undercurrents which I hope will be discernable by the readers.  And usually they are, and that's very gratifying.  And when I write a story, describing what my charaters say and do, those descriptions themselves have undercurrents that I'm not always completely aware of, but the readers see them and comment on them.  So I get a lot out of reading reviews such as yours.

 

I figured that during this academic year, when the Death Eaters were in charge, it would be a given that the Head Boy and Girl would be Slytherins, and Blaise seemed like the best choice out of the five candidates.  Head Girl was less obvious, but I went with Pansy because we see a little more of her in the 7 books than we do of the other Slytherin girls.

 

Both you and Chiara/Felpata_Lupin were half-expecting this expedition to end badly, but the story was long enough (8700 words) for a one-shot without being dragged out ever farther by complications, and I wanted Ernie to have success in his daring attempt to counter the evil that was infiltrating the school.  That was a learning experience for Ernie, as you say, seeing the reasons and accepting that it was the right thing to do.  And success on this night would probably bolster his courage to be more active in the resistance later.

 

Thank you so much for doing this swap! <3

 

Vicki

Name: crestwood (Signed) · Date: 10 Mar 2019 11:35 AM · For: Chapter 1

Hello Vicki! Here to review this for EvS!

You know that I love this school year already, but I’m not sure if you’re aware of the fact that I also have a large soft spot for Ernie Macmillan himself. I was so excited to see a story in which he was a main character that I rushed right over here to review.

His friendship with Hannah is really well depicted in the beginning here, even though there is a bit of awkwardness here and there because of the circumstances. I thought it masterful to have Hannah spend her time away from the Prophet because it gives a very good opening to fit in some pointed exposition and get the takes of these two on the events happening around them.

It’s all too real how Ernie put off sending that owl. Every bit of his reasoning - first that he couldn’t word it and couldn’t write without saying something about her mum, and then that it felt it’d been so long it’d be worse to send it than not to, and suddenly it’s been a year - I could feel myself nodding along.

The apprehensive evident in their discussions is so well done. ‘Are we fools to still be here?’ is a question that I think a lot of students would be asking themselves in these times. I’m excited to see that they will still be prefects!

This year is a tragic one and I’m not shocked to hear that courses have slackened quite a bit. Everyone’s got a lot else on their minds, I’m sure. Ernie’s idea that the concept of ‘top student’ had shifted in and of itself is so astute. You’ve put that into words so deftly.

Ooooh, Wayne Hopkins! So excited to check in on him. I see he’s got a bit of a militant streak. Hannah is entirely correct in her disagreement with Ernie, I must say. He is far too worried about marks in a year where the school is falling apart around him.

The vanishing of the door is genius! I wish I had thought of that one.

There is something of this last section - the search for Miranda, finding her and convincing her to act sick, running into Snape - something of it made me incredibly emotional. I’ve come to expect you to end chapters on a high note, and this was incredible. There was such a palpable tenseness to their mission and seeing Ernie finally start to get why they do all of these things to keep these children safe was so cathartic. Just moving work, as always. Such a great read, thank you for writing!

 

Joey

Author's Response:

Hi, Joey!

 

I had no idea that you had a soft spot in your heart for Ernie Macmillan, so I'm glad that you found a story you particularly liked.  Ernie is such an interesting character.  How did he change from the fifth-year student who was bragging about how many hours he spent studying for his O.W.L.S. to the young man in May of 1998 who shouted, "And what if we want to stay and fight?"  A lot of maturation in two short years.  On the train with Hannah in September, he said, concerning healthful food, that it was necessary to take the long view, but now he sees the long view, not just in the matter of tangible items like food choices, but in abstract ideas of good and evil.  He has come to the point of risking his short-term values in favor of supporting higher values.  He's a neat guy.

 

Wayne Hopkins is a character I have come to love.  Being nothing more in canon than a name on a list of students by JKR, he can be whatever I want him to be.  He is in my one-shot "Greenhouse Seven", appears briefly in "The Crofter and The Snake" (not transferred to this site yet because it needs revision), and will be in my WIP (if I ever get it done).

 

Hannah also is not a particularly strong character in the seven books, but I wanted her to be stronger here, so I assumed that her year off from school had matured her and made her braver and more of a leader.  

 

Like you, I love this school year because it is so important, and yet the canon books say so little about it.  You know what would be fun?  To gather all these 1997-1998 at-Hogwarts stories into a single book of short and long stories, just to see all the rich and varied visions of that year.

 

Thank you so much for your lovely review!

 

Vicki