Chapter Seven

Confronting the Faceless 💀 Complete
October 12-18, 1997
"We are only as strong as we are united"
 
"This is a terrible idea and we're going to die."
 
Gabriel Beaux rolls his eyes skyward. "We will not." He groans. "If you are so scared, then you can leave."
 
"And then you'll die alone and I'll feel terrible forever." Nathan Corner replies, half out of breath as he scrambles after Gabe towards the top of the Astronomy Tower. "Besides, you told me this is a two person job so if I leave you'll just try to do it alone, fail, and then your death won't even be worth anything."
 
"Comforting, thank you." Gabe snipes back. "If you are not going to say something useful then do not keep saying things please."
 
Nate mutters something that's definitely a slur against French people but does remain quiet. For a few minutes anyway, very little can actually shut him up long-term.
 
"Really though this is a terrible idea. We came up with it before Finnigan was hexed in front of his Defense class, remember? Back when Weasley and Longbottom and that Ravenclaw girl - Micheal keeps telling me her name but I forget what it is again - broke into the Headmaster's office and only got a night in the Forbidden Forest as punishment we thought hey, that's not so bad, maybe being scared stiff by the idea of what the Carrows could use as punishment was silly and they won't actually do anything too bad but then Finnigan got really hurt and I'm thinking now-"
 
"You think a lot and very loud." Gabe interrupts. Honestly, of all the people he could become friends with after transferring from Beauxbatons the previous year he somehow ended up with the one person alive who seems to have zero idea of what a filter is. Nate can go on for literal hours if someone doens't interrupt him - Gabe has tested it before out of curiosity. It was fascinating to study then, but most of the time it's just annoying. "Either shush and help or shush and leave, but shush."
 
Nate purses his lips, clearly debating something mentally before he again opens his mouth. "Last thing, I swear." He promises. "If you're still determined to magically rappel down the side of the tallest tower on the Grounds to break into the Carrows' office and burn everyone's essays then find and dandy, but please actually listen to me Gabe?"
 
It's the plea that does it. Gabe doesn't have much patience for most people's emotions but the fact does stand that Nate was the only person who really welcomed him back when his grasp on English was embarrassing at best, and who patiently helped him practice. He owes the other boy this much and he knows it.
 
"Fine, one thing." He grudgingly allows, turning and leaning against the wall of the stairway so he can look directly at his best friend.
 
Nate gives him that stupidly bright smile that the girls all swoon over. "Thank you. Okay, so, you know my older brother? Seventh year Ravenclaw, he got eight OWLs, second highest grades in his - right sorry, going to stay focused." He adds when Gabe glares at him. "So my brother, two years ago, he and Longbottom and the girls were all part of this group together, that Potter and his friends were in charge of."
 
Gabe doesn't know where this is going, but at the very least it sounds like it will at least be a semi-interesting waste of time.
 
Nate looks pleased that he still has Gabe's attention. "Okay, well, after Finnigan two days ago I was talking to Micheal about it and he sort of let slip that they might be making the group again, you know to fight against the Carrows like how they fought again Umbridge two years ago. Remember the whole mess-"
 
"Only a little, I was not there and you never explained." Gabe points out. He understand English just fine now of course, but last year he was still learning, and that took up all his concentration. Yes he knew something had gone down with famous Potter and his posse the year before he came to Hogwarts, but he'd never cared much to get details when Nate couldn't explain it well.
 
Nate coughed. "Um, right, sorry about that. I didn't totally get it either, Micheal is a little overprotective and - yes right, not the point. The point is the group is probably going to meeet up soon and I can get the details from my brother for sure. So, just hear me out, maybe we wait until after the meeting to do this? I mean, some of the seventh years might know a useful charm to make it safer, or we could get a bigger group so we have lookouts and stuff? Or even extra hands to help find stuff in the offices?" He's starting to ramble again, so Gabe quickly holds up a hand to cut him off.
 
"Okay." He says, a bit resigned. He hates putting off a brilliant plan of rebellion, but Nate is right that with more people they could do more damage and lower the risk of being caught. "But we do it after the meeting."
 
Nate beams. "Absolutely. Come on, let's go back down. Maybe we can get to the Great Hall before dinner is over and get some steak and liver pie."
 
Gabe is definitely feeling a little grouchy as they head back down. He hates when a plan is stopped before it can start, but he recognizes that in addition to Nate's points about this supposed 'group' if his friend isn't fully onboard then he'll become a liability to the overall plan. Nate may regularly tell him that thinking ahead isn't his strong point, but Gabe isn't stupid.
 
"This better be some group." He mutters as they reach the bottom of the stairway and head towards the Great Hall.
 
Nate's grin looks more nervous now. "It is. Micheal-" He cuts himself off, a rare enough thing that Gabe knows exactly what could have caused it. Either Nate's crush du jour just walked into view, which he doubts considering everyone should be at dinner right now, or one of the Carrows did.
 
Sure enough he turns to find Amycus Carrow stalking down the hallway, sneering unpleasantly.
 
"Well well what are you two doing here? Dinner is on the other side of the castle." He declares as he waddles closer, and Gabe can feel Nate tense beside him.
 
"We were working on our Defense essay, sir." He lies smoothly. "We did not realize how late it was."
 
Nate nods jerkily next to him - really his friend is awful about lying, he has to work on that - but by some miracle (or more likely just due to Carrow's low brain-cell count) the man buys it.
 
"Well then I'll be looking forward to those essays." He grins cruelly, getting far too close to Gabe's face to be comfortable.
 
"Yes sir." Nate bites out before grabbing Gabe and dragging them both down the hallway as Amycus continues on his way towards his office. Once they're well out of earshot - and Gabe is starting to lose feeling in his fingers from Nate's tight grasp on his wrist - Nate spins around, eyes wide.
 
"He was going to his office, we would have been caught red-handed." He hisses. "This is why we need a group."
 
Gabe just rolls his eyes. "You do not know that for certain." He points out. "And it would have been very worth it." He adds, grinning at the thought of burning up all those awful assignments they're forced to do.
 
Nate shakes his head. "Look, I've got patrol with Hannah Abbott tonight so I'll talk to her, Micheal says she was in the group too so she probably has meeting details okay? I'll update you on it tonight. In the meantime please don't get yourself killed."
 
Gabe hums vaguely in agreement, his mind still playing through multiple scenarios of how he would have gotten them out of the office without being spotted so he only half hears what Nate is saying. He does see his friend rolling his eyes so he offers a grin in consolation.
 
"We probably would have been fine."
 
"In your imaginary dream world maybe." Nate grumbles. "I'm taking your desert by the way. You owe me that much."
 
They do manage to make dinner, and Nate does steal Gabe's treacle tart as promised, but Nate also keeps his other promise.
 
Gabe waits up in the common room after the rest of the House has gone to bed, working on his Defense essay because it has to be brilliant now thanks to Nate making them backtrack and run into Amycus earlier that evening.
 
Nate arrives back from patrol just before midnight and jumps when he spots Gabe.
 
"I thought you'd be in the dorm." He mutters, keeping his voice low so as to not wake anyone up.
 
"Trevor and David are both still here, I do not want them waking up and hearing us talk." Gabe points out. Just his luck that all the Gryffindor Muggleborns in their year were girls - insufferable Romilda Vane gets her whole dorm to herself and he still has to squish into a space with three other growing teens (it's all terrible of course, but one can't help noticing, particularly when Romilda has flaunted her extra space multiple times already).
 
Nate huffs and drops onto the couch next to him. "Fair enough. I talked to Hannah, she says it'll be tomorrow evening just after dinner. Ginny or any of the seventh years can show us where to go for the meeting, and she gave me a code to use when asking them."
 
"Do I not get to know it?" Gabe asks, definitely a little annoyed by the implications of that.
 
Nate shrugs. "Sorry, the fewer who know the better. We'll probably recruit more down the line but Hannah said they're wary about too many new people at the first meeting. We're only in because-"
 
"Your brother?" Gabe guesses before Nate can start rambling too much. His friend grins sheepishly.
 
"That would be the reason yeah. Sleep?" He suggests, and Gabe waves him off.
 
"Essay to finish, I did not actually write that stupid Defense paper." He explains.
 
Nate just snorts and heads up the stairs. "Good luck then, it was a nightmare to get through. See you in the morning."
 
Gabe stumbles into bed around three in the morning according to his Tempus, and the essay is probably based on the fact he was ranting against the Carrows mentally the entire time he was writing it, but really he doesn't care at the moment when his mattress is right there, beckoning him to rest.
 
He feels like he's barely gotten any sleep when Nathan rouses him and drags him down to breakfast. Gabe lets him since he's frankly too tired to complain about it. He wakes up some once he's gotten food into his system and belatedly remembers the meeting they're going to tonight. That wakes him up even more.
 
Classes seem to drag particularly long that day, though thankfully they don't have any with the Carrows (less thankfully they end the day in History of Magic which is painfully long already). By the time dinner finally arrives Gabe is about ready to screw the meeting and go blow up the Carrows' offices with or without Nathan.
 
But he did promise his friend, and considering Nate is his only friend in the school he really should keep said promise. Plus he's gotten this far - it's only a few minutes more at this point.
 
Once dinner is over Nate holds Gabe back from getting up right away. His eyes are slightly clouded, a clear sign that the brain he rarely seems to put to use is actually active at the moment, and Gabe sighs but lets him think.
 
Finally Nate nods. "Okay, we're gonna go find my brother. It's less noticeable that way." And with that they're up and Gabe barely stops himself from just running over to the Ravenclaw table and demanding Micheal Corner tell them exactly where the meeting is. They are still in the Great Hall, and even if Snape is gone the Carrows are lurking at the teacher's table. They're idiots but not blind, even Nate knows that much.
 
"Why are you two skulking around still? Up to something stupid again?" A female voice, loud and confident, breaks through Gabe's impatience and instantly turns it into annoyance. "How far should I be to avoid the inevitable splash zone?"
 
"Dégage Romilda." Gabe snaps, and she laughs.
 
"I think I might be fluent in French swearing now. Seriously though, splash zone?" The slim ravenette flicks a tight curl out of large dark eyes that gaze with falsely innocent curiosity at the two boys.
 
"Just leave Rom, it doesn't concern you." Nate sighs, rubbing lightly at one temple.
 
Romilda huffs. "I'm trying to be friendly." She grumbles, but shockingly she does turn and stride away, the strength of her aura alone effortlessly carving a path through the other departing students.
 
"That was weirdly... less aggressive than normal of her." Nate observes after a moment. Then, "Let's go find my brother."
 
Gabe is more than happy to not waste another thought on Romilda Vane, gossip extraordinaire and general pain in his arse for both years that he's been at Hogwarts, as he follows Nate through the crowd towards the Ravenclaws.
 
Micheal spots them first and he breaks into the usual annoyed grimace he gets when his brother is around. Gabe doesn't blame him, the poor guy has to live with Nate's nonexistent filter.
 
"I can't help you study for your OWLs Nate." He says as soon as they're in earshot, and Gabe snorts when his friend's ears go red.
 
"That's not it! This time. Are you sure you can't because I'm going to embarrass mom if I don't get at least six and there's frankly no way-"
 
"Nate." Gabe groans. "Get to the point?"
 
Nate grins at him apologetically and clears his throat.
 
"Hannah mentioned last night you're still recruiting? Because believe me Gabe is more than ready to join the war."
 
"And you little bro?" Micheal asks.
 
Nate shrugs. "If Gabe's in I'm in. Besides, someone needs to reign him in."
 
"I am right here." Gabe snipes. So far he isn't hearing any grand secret phrase and it's frankly very annoying.
 
Micheal snorts. "You are. Fine, come along then."
 
Gabe blinks. "That was it? I thought-"
 
"Low profile, anything obviously out of place could alert anyone who happens to be listening." Micheal points out. "Keep up."
 
Gabe grumbles under his breath. He's shorter than both Corners (he knows he has a growth spurt coming and he's going to rub every inch of it in Nate's face once it arrives) so he has to move a bit faster to keep pace with them.
 
Micheal leads them to the seventh floor and then to a dead end corridor.
 
Nate frowns, but Gabe feels a slight thrill of excitement. He read a lot about Hogwarts when his parents told him he'd be switching schools back in his third year, and that included looking up rumors. One of which involved a secret hidden room that appears for people that really need it.
 
And sure enough, a few paces in front of the wall later, a door appears where the dead end had been before.
 
Nate is gaping, and Gabe grins as he manually shuts his friend's mouth.
 
"The Room of Requirement?" He guesses, feeling a bit giddy. The rumor had said this room only appeared once every few generations - the fact Gabe is getting to see it is beyond amazing.
 
Micheal raises an eyebrow, his mouth quirking up into a half-grin and clearly impressed. "Correct. Come on in, the meeting isn't for a bit but I can introduce you to a couple people."
 
Nate apparently already knows a decent number of the students gathered in the room as he promptly bounds away from Gabe and Micheal to talk with a couple Hufflepuffs standing in the corner.
 
"The blonds are Ernie and Hannah." Micheal says. "They're the Hufflepuff prefects for our year. The other girl is Susan and I'm not sure about the guys if I'm honest, they weren't part of the Army last time. I think their last names are Griffith and Hopkins though. Anyway Anthony and Padma will be here too, they're the Ravenclaw prefects but I don't see them here yet." He hums, scanning the other students in the area. "Obviously you know Ginny and Neville and the Ravenclaw with them is Luna, Terry is the one practicing his patronus in the corner with Shay - he's determined to be the first Ravenclaw to get it from our year - aaaaand Lavender and Parvati aren't here either so. Still waiting on a few people. I'm not sure Smith will even show up." He sneers, clearly not a fan of 'Smith'.
 
Gabe does his best to keep up and put names to faces, but Micheal is only vaguely pointing at groups, but if he's honest he's less concerned with that than with a particular term Micheal had used during the monologue.
 
"You said 'the army'?" He prods curiously.
 
Micheal looks over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Wow, Nate once again utterly failed to provide useful and relevant information, didn't he?" He asks, clearly amused. "For how much he talks it's amazing how often that happens. We're called Dumbeldore's Army, or just the DA. Ginny named it, she's right brilliant you know." He gets a bit of a dreamy look on his face and Gabe promptly realizes that rambling about nonessential information is a Corner family trait.
 
"Excellent, she is the leader then? I would like to speak with her if that is the truth."
 
"Well restarting was Neville's idea from what I hear, but Ginny and Luna are obviously going to help, like Ron and Hermione did in fifth year." Micheal replies, at least having the decency to look embarrassed by his momentary distraction. "I can introduce you to Gin if you like, we're talking again."
 
"Bad breakup?" Gabe can't help but ask as they walk towards the red-haired girl Gabe actually has heard a lot about. Apparently she's absolutely terrifying, though looking at her he wouldn't guess it.
 
"Bad for me." Micheal mumbles. "It was a couple years ago now though. Anyway hi Gin! This is Gabe, my brother's best friend. He wanted to meet the mastermind behind the meeting."
 
Ginny Weasley glances over with a quick smile and a hand held up in the universal symbol for 'just a moment.' She shares a few more words with Neville Longbottom before turning to face them fully.
 
"Hey Micheal, glad you could make it. And Gabe, it's good to have you onboard." She gives a smile and offers him a handshake, which he accepts out of politeness despite thinking it a needlessly formal and proper gesture for this sort of gathering.
 
"Always happy to rebel. Would already be rebelling but my helper is a coward so we are here instead."
 
Micheal snorts and doesn't contest the comment. Ginny just raises an eyebrow.
 
"Well we're always glad to have more hands on deck." Is her only reply, and then more people come in through the doorway and she's off to greet them. Gabe recognizes two of the girls from the Gryffindor common room, and assumes the others must be the Ravenclaws Micheal had been blathering on about.
 
Nate finds him soon after and drags him to the edges of the gathered group. It's only a few moments later that Ginny shouts for everyone to "shut it and listen up!" Gabe immediately likes her more.
 
Neville Longbottom looks a bit out of place and awkward as Ginny and Luna push him forward to address the group. He clears his throat, shifts on his feet, and then nods firmly.
 
"Hello everyone, um, thanks for coming out." He starts, and Seamus Finnigan whistles which gets a grin out of Neville. "As you all know the Carrows are kind of the worst." More cheers, and Gabe adds his own assent to this round. "I remember in fifth year with Umbridge, Harry would stand up to her and it gave everybody hope that things would get better. And so we're restarting Dumbledore's Army so that we can give that hope to the students of Hogwarts this year."
 
This is the loudest cheer yet, and Neville looks quite pleased. Ginny and Luna move forward to stand with him.
 
"We may not have Harry, Hermione, or my brother," Ginny starts, "But most of us here today learned directly from them, and we can build on their legacy, bring in new people and teach everyone how to defend themselves. This meeting today is mostly a chance to meet again, dispense new coins for communication, and to circulate ideas. With that said, does anyone have any ideas on how we can start our rebellion?"
 
"Nate and I were going to burn the Carrows' offices." Gabe declares immediately, and the group turns towards him and Nate, who promptly starts squirming under the scrutiny.
 
Ginny laughs. "I like the way you think, but that'll be a massive undertaking - we should hold off on it until we're a bit more settled as a team."
 
Gabe bites back his irritation as others begin offering (stupid) ideas like refusing to answer questions in class, and instead puts his mind to spinning the best possible idea to start their rebellion with a bang. He's clearly already impressed Ginny but he intends to show the entire group exactly what he's made of before they all head back to their common rooms for the night.
 
He runs his mind over Neville and Ginny's short speeches and lets his mind grab snippets of other people's ideas if they catch his attention. He comes up with quite a few ideas, but all of them seem a bit too big to be a first move - at least according to the constraints Ginny had put on things when she'd shot down his first suggestion.
 
The Army is about giving hope - they're planning to be an active rebellion but don't want anyone too hurt and they don't yet know what other punishments the Carrows will be handing out in the months to come - and they want a larger team of people helping the movement.
 
It's the last fact that snaps things together for him, and he grins before striding forward, ignoring Nate's yelp and attempt to get him to stay put.
 
"Excusé moi, I have come up with the perfect first move for this rebellion." He declares firmly, loud enough to be heard over the other Army members.
 
It's Luna Lovegood who looks over at him this time with too-large eyes and a vaguely off-putting smile. "Wonderful! The wrackspurts in here have been avoiding you, so it must be a very good one." She exclaims, and then watches him expectantly.
 
Gabe has no idea what she just said, and based on Nate's expression when he glances back it's not because of the language barrier. So he shrugs it off and decides to take the apparent compliment. "Thank you. So, here is the plan."
 
Gabe leaves the meeting feeling very pleased with himself. The group had been more than enthusiastic about his idea, and he'd even hammered out a majority of the plan of execution (one of the Ravenclaw had offered a few suggestions that had been accepted, which while annoying doesn't put enough of a damper on Gabe's mood to take away from his overall happiness).
 
"Friday night feels like forever from now." Nate breaths softly as they sneak back to the Gryffindor common room ahead of the other Gryffindors. Almost no one is leaving the meeting in anything larger than a pair to minimize the chances of being caught, so the two of them are once again on their own sneaking through the corridors. At least Nate is familiar with the prefect patrol routes so he's quite good at directing them down hallways that aren't checked.
 
"We have to make sure everything is in place - four days is the smallest time needed." Gabe reminds him, though honestly he agrees. The waiting period had been one of Terry Boot's accepted suggestions, not part of Gabe's original plan. Still it's better than nothing, and it will be quite the spectacle once they pull it off.
 
Nate hums and makes a shusshing noise, and they don't say anything else until they're safely back in the common room. Even then it's just Nate groaning an exhausted goodnight before they fall into their beds.
 
The week absolutely drags for Gabe, and he complains about it to Nate on multiple occasions. It's only made worse by the fact Romilda Vane has upped her usual nosy nonsense and has started following them around as though they're friends or something. Nate isn't helping - he's actually being nice to the condescending prick.
 
Friday does finally come though, but even then Gabe can tell the day will be a long one when Romilda settles herself right next to him at breakfast as if that's a totally normal thing for them. "Good morning boys. Ready for Moronic Subjectivism this morning?"
 
One thing Gabe will give Romilda - she manages to come up with a new demeaning way to refer to Muggle Studies every time she talks about it. He still refuses to actually answer her though, leaving Nate to the unpleasant task.
 
"Is anyone ever?" His friend groans. "I'm about ready to say 'screw caution' and turn in an essay about how my mom is the best witch to have ever graced the Earth."
 
Romilda snorts. "You should. I'd make one about Eliza if you did. Gabe, you got a Muggleborn you can write about? We'll make it a whole movement."
 
Gabe refuses to smirk, though he does want to. Nate had actually be repeating one of Gabe's DA ideas so he's of course not opposed to it at all. He's just opposed to Romilda being involved.
 
She still tails them to Muggle Studies and Nate keeps talking to her. Gabe refuses to acknowledge her - she's a gossip and had been an absolute trou de cul when he'd first arrived at Hogwarts, giggling and mocking him when she wasn't fawning over Potter like a pathetic child.
 
Class is, of course, awful, but Gabe has gotten very good at tuning out and spends the forty-five minute block devising even more plans to present at the next DA meeting. Sure Neville had said at the end of the last meeting that they would probably spend more time practicing useful spells at the next gathering but Gabe doubts they won't have at least a few more minutes of brainstorming for the rebellion, and he has ideas that would be a shame to keep unrealized.
 
Romilda thankfully has to run off to Divination after Muggle Studies while Nate and Gabe head to the library.
 
"Why are you talking with her?" Gabe grumbles to Nate as they walk. "I was thinking you hated her as much as me."
 
"She's lonely Gabe, all her friends were Muggleborns. And she wasn't that bad last year."
 
Gabe gives him a sour look. "She every day called me Snob Boy and tried to poison Potter with a love potion. If that does not make you wary of her I do no know what does."
 
Nate grins sheepishly. "Okay given, she wasn't nice last year. But, you know, people can change. Isn't it better to give them the benefit of the doubt?"
 
Gabe just rolls his eyes in response.
 
As expected the day does drag - especially their double potions block - but they at least don't have any shared classes with the Slytherins which is alwasy a bonus in Gabe's book. The entire House seems to be content to sit back and let the Carrows be awful, assuming they aren't actively encouraging said awfulness. And finally the end of the day does arrive, and Gabe is beyond ready.

Most of the people working this job are Gryffindors, though Hannah Abbot and Anthony Goldstein are the distractions/additional lookouts since they're both on patrol duty that evening, and Luna is involved because everyone considers her a default leader figure. Nate is around as well, but on the opposite side of the castle with a sixth year Slytherin he's in charge of keeping busy.
 
Gabe himself is stuck on guard duty, which definitely does piss him off but he's with Luna who actually proves to be rather amusing to talk to so he figures it could have been much worse.
 
"So what are Wrackspurts? I have not heard of them." He prompts, initially just to fill the silence but he's surprised by how enthusiastic she is, and how interesting, if odd, her theories are. They end up falling into a debate over the logistics of the Heliopath army the Ministry supposedly has which lasts them right up to when the other three people on the mission rejoin them.
 
"Have you two actually been keeping an eye out at all?" Finnigan sounds distinctly amused.
 
Luna beams. "Not really, but no one comes out this way so we would have heard them. Gabe here makes some excellent points about Heliopath diets."
 
Neville raises an eyebrow in confusion while Ginny just laughs softly.
 
"Glad to hear it Luna." She bumps shoulders with her frined lightly. "Now we all need to get back to our dorms before we're discovered. I know it's Hannah and Anthony on this route tonight but it would still be better not to cross paths with anyone just in case."
 
Gabe ends up falling asleep before Nate returns from patrol, and they can't talk in the morning due to their roommates being up and about. Based on Nate's, well, being back Gabe assumes things went fine on his end. As for Gabe's side, they're about to see the effects first hand.
 
There's already a commotion in the Great Hall as the Gryffindor fifth year boys approach it, and Gabe resists grinning despite the strong urge to do just that - it would be silly to give himself away in the home stretch.
 
They enter the Hall and Gabe finally lets himself smile - after all, most of the students are.
 
Scrawled in bright red at the front of the Great Hall, spelled firmly in place despite the Carrows' pathetic attempts to remove it, are four words:
 
DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY, STILL RECRUITING
 
Gabe hums as he settles at the Gryffindor table. A good start to the rebellion indeed.
 
Author's Note: This... is probably the happiest chapter of the entire story OTL There *might* be a couple of others with a lighter overall tone but this hopeful and fun with nothing too negative or terrifying happening? Hope you got your fill here because that's not happening again xD This chapter honestly was just more setup but I think with enough action that I can count it as not setup and stand by my claim that September was the setup month ^^''
 
Next Week: What to Expect When You're Defecting
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unqua911
So I'm thinking I might do a final 'afterwords' chapter to share my thoughts and feelings on writing this story, if that's something people would be interested in? I'm also open to answering any lingering questions people might have there as well!

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Susan15
#1
Chapter 57: Hi!
I'm so sorry for taking so long to comment, but shall we begin!

I swear I should have made a bet omg. The moment I first heard of Python I was like "hmm.. what if she was Percy's Audrey?" And even though I knew that our Audrey would be Percy's girlfriend, I always thought how it would be nice if Python and him were endgame, but honestly... they wouldn't last long haha

I want to thank you for being so passionate about the story and truly understanding the characters and doing your best to give them justice. I loved how you put so much effort on everything!

When I first saw this story I first imagined a muggleborn with a fiery personality so after seeing that Tangi was created you have no idea how happy I was.
Claire was my first character for the story. When I thought about her I wanted a strong woman who was conflicted between her believes and her family, but who definitely couldn't turn a blind eye to people in need. Then I thought if she was an insider probably no one would suspect her because of her family, so she would have some advantage!
I'm truly proud of how she grew up. She was such a lonely girl who had only Bill and her cousin Petra as her friends. Then she loved her brother and her parents but she always thought that he didn't care about her. She didn't agree with her families believes and she truly had to do something to free herself from her fears and allow herself to be who she was. And being one of the leaders of the underground made me very proud of her! Especially after Max was able to change as well and they now became stronger together as a family. Honestly I wonder how Claire decided to do in the future, if she stayed in the ministry, if she dedicated herself to her family and if she made friends (because I'm so happy that she at least became friends with Python, she truly deserves friends), whether she ended up married or not, well I'm curious but I think if she ever got married she would choose someone she truly trusted and who she could be herself and for God sake, someone who could make that poor girl smile, because come on she looks so gloomy xD But I'm happy that she made at least one friend and that she got closure with her brother, so I'm blessed :) Ps: I always thought that Claire wouldn't make it until the end xD I always thought she would be killed or that she would sacrifice herself to protect someone.

Theo... Oh my little boy. When I visualised Theo I thought about a broken boy who always wanted his parents approval. Theo was meant to be an adult version of Draco Malfoy. When Kent appeared in the picture I imagined the rivalry such like Draco and Harry and that only made the adult version I imagined more lively. Theo was lucky to have a friend like Kent, even if he didn't understand what a friend truly meant. Theo lost his mother, his uncle hated him, his father well... they didn't have the best relationship, he didn't manage to be captain, he didn't manage to be a prefect, he had to give up on his dream, he couldn't trust anyone. Well everything about Theo was supposed to be tragic. His partnership with Zara was just amazing, I believe he saw himself on her (even though she was pure evil), and he believed that maybe people could change if someone believed in him. He betrayed his family, he betrayed his colleagues for something he believed to be the right thing, Kent could have abandoned him and Kingsley could have hit believed in him and hand him over. But people believed in him, he was the same person his mother believed he was. Seeing him trying to get thought his trauma was sad, but it fit him. I'm so so happy that he found happiness somehow. Val loved him by who he was, she didn't see him because of his family, blood heritage or even his mistakes, but she saw his pure heart and that is just beautiful. And of course Theo and Kent's bromance are still one of my favourite parts of the whole story! Thinking about the future, I wonder if he managed to keep working or his stability is not well yet, but he has Val, Kingsley, Kent, all of his friends, so he will he fine :)

I will miss these kids, but I'm making room for the new kids so hopefully we will have a more funny time on UFF rather than a more serious and gloomy one :) I hope everyone who made it to the end are now happy and even if they don't make a cameo on UFF, that they have success and find their happy endings :)
Once again, thank you so much for this ride. I just can't believed it already ended, it seemed like it was yesterday that Aiden made his first pov ;-;
This won't be a serious goodbye because we will still talk and of course I will still be hyped with UFF and I'll be commenting every single chapter :p
Oh and I'm curious, as you know I'm like a huge fan of Oliver :p did you imagine him getting married? I can totally imagine him marrying someone from his work honestly.
Ok now for real, thank you so so so much. You are an amazing writer and I want you to know that I anticipated every single chapter every week and reading it made my day, seriously, even if it took me a while to comment in the chapter.
I wish you the best and I hope you have a lot of fun writing UFF and finish this trilogy which I believe will bring tears of joy and will bring you the best feeling of accomplishement. You deserve it Dani! Thank you so much *takes off my hat* farewell Ctf, thank you for the ride, you will be always remembered!
From the bottom if my heart, thank you Dani, thank you very much! <3
I won't say goodbye so have a nice week and see you around ;) take care of yourself.
luv_kero
2415 streak #2
Chapter 57: I've been anticipating the Afterword chapter so much ever since you mentioned it, and I absolutely loved reading all of your thoughts on the cast and how you went about developing their arcs!! <3 Some of the things I knew (thanks to me loving spoilers and our insanely long back-and-forth responses via comments and PM, HAHA) and some of the things were a complete surprise, so it was so cool getting to learn and relearn these behind-the-scenes tidbits!! ^^

One thing I had no idea about (but probably should've figured out, LOOOOL) was Python's intended role as canon!Audrey Weasley!! Looking back now, it totally makes and I should've known you'd make sure every aspect of Percy's story was covered, even if they weren't intended to truly be endgame with the planned divorce. :P Does that mean Python would've been leading the MII with Cadi instead of Audrey Blishwick if the latter hadn't been submitted??

Ahhhh, not a day goes by where I wish Evera were still here with us, even though I know that her death was necessary. :') I take a lot of comfort in knowing that her death served so much purpose in the story and that it wasn't meaningless (not that anyone's death was ^^;) in the grand scheme of things. :) I do wonder how the story would've changed if she had stayed alive, since I imagine Kent would've been a much less broken man. But then his motivation to really get plans in motion within the Order of Phoenix wouldn't have been as strong as it was after suffering such a devastating loss. OTL All in all, Kent and Evera will always be the best dynamic duo, and I will never stop thanking you for bringing them to life in such a beautiful way!! <3 And I guess I don't know if they'll make cameos in UFF, but I'd love to know what happened to Drake and Jemma (and even little Roderick from H:aH, LOOOL, if you ever got to planning his future XD) after the events of CtF if you have that information readily available. ^^; If not, no worries!! I'm just very attached to my original trio, HAHA. :')

I'll be reiterating a lot of stuff I've said in previous comments and/or messages, but Channer was the first character I fully conceptualized when you announced CtF and its plot. I'm honestly drawn to charismatic, outgoing male characters (Kent, Drake, Landon), so writing a coward like Channer was such a fun challenge for me since I got to really step out of my comfort zone. I think part of me subconsciously wanted him to eventually join Adeline in the Underground, since I'm a er for the good side, but I loved that he stayed neutral throughout since I think that's the path truest to his character. It wouldn't have made sense if he had joined up and although it was painful to see him get bested by Yurina, I'm really happy that he's learned to hold his family a little closer now. <3

And now, MY FOX QUEEN, MISS YURINA NAKAYASHI!! I honestly don't enjoy writing Slytherin-like characters, but she was such a fun character to create and I became so attached to her in such a short amount of time. I really think it was her background that cinched it for me. The tiger parent mentality is often lauded by Asian parents as the "right" way to raise your child and while I do think there are some great parts about it, I also think it can be incredibly toxic with the wrong parents and the wrong children. So giving Yurina such a lonely childhood made me sympathize with her so much, even though I knew I was creating an evil character who really shouldn't be redeemed. ^^; I think I would've been really sad to see her caught by Abeni, so I'm stoked that UFF saved her in a way and I can't wait to see what mischief she's planning now!! :D Even though she's probably going to be defeated in UFF, at least she got a happy ending in CtF, HAHA. XD No matter what happens, she'll forever be my queen of darkness. <3

And then we have Odette, the strongest Fugitive out there who's absolutely killing it in life now, which she completely deserves after everything she went through during the war. :') Even though I made her to get tortured, I don't think I envisioned just how much she'd have to go through and my heart broke every time her situation got bleaker. OTL I honestly feared for her life the most out of my main four, especially after Evera died, since I knew that a Fugitive death would be incredibly possible. My other Fugitive characters, Xander and Cassie, were much more capable and resourceful than Odette was, so I figured that if a Fugitive had to die, she'd be the one. OTL So knowing that she ultimately made it out alive, even with immense trauma, made me so happy because I would've been crushed to bits by her death. ^^; Odette's a strong girl who shows that persistence and sheer will are key, and I'm so glad that sunnier skies graced her future. <3

I know I didn't write about everyone, basically focusing on my own characters, but I absolutely loved reading about every single member of the cast and seeing their stories get woven together in this amazing tale. Just as it was for H:aH, it was truly the greatest honor to be part of this story in some way and I'm eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity to help shape the HoM trilogy with my imperfect characters. :') They've all grown immensely over the course of CtF and I'm beyond ecstatic to see what kind of magic you'll weave next with UFF!! x] You know I'll be there writing essays after every chapter, because I can't stop myself from spazzing over even the tiniest details and I'm actually going to cry when it's all over. I would've cried when CtF ended, but knowing that there's still one installment left kept the tears at bay, HAHA. :') But we'll worry about UFF ending when the time comes, since it's just barely begun at this point and it's time to ENJOY what's about to come!! :D

Again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for writing Confronting the Faceless!! <3 You're forever one of my writing inspirations and a friend I've grown to cherish so much after getting to know you these past few years, and I will never stop saying how grateful and lucky I am to have stumbled across Hogwarts: a History back then. x] You're the absolute best, Dani!! <3
Susan15
#3
Chapter 56: Hi!! Ok I believe I am ready for this overwhelming final chapter ;-;

Honestly, I always thought about what would happen to Ava. A part of me continuously compared her to Claire, but I think Ava is a coward. While Claire didn't agree with the values that most of Slytherins believed, she actually tried to do something about it, and a good part was that she met Bill and had her cousin. Ava had Astoria and her friend wasn't what Ava thought about the others. I think she was obsessed with "I'm better than them" to the point that she disliked Clary who was different from what she hated and also she was shocked about Kingsley, someone she saw as an example, only to find that he was a Slytherin. She put all her hatress into the house instead of growing up and understanding that not everyone is the same.
I liked how everything wrapped for her, it was the best outcome became she herself did not grow up much within all those years. And I'm really happy that she and Anwen got to become friends :)

Theo... I'm so... shocked! And happy? I'm truly glad he managed to find peace with himself (or something similar to that) and that he found someone who went through something "similar" and somehow could understand him and love him by who he is. I actually wonder if he managed to face his father since he always wanted to make him proud on top of everything and honestly I wonder if he got to see his uncle getting arrested, because well he deserved that! And I'm so happy that Kent was the best man! Ok I'm happy by how everything just went, Kingsley too. And I'm so so proud of Max and it was great to see him and Claire at Theo's wedding. I hope Theo and Val can make things work and finally forgive themselves.

Aiden as a grandpa is the strawberry on top of the ice cream xD Mia is so cute and YES ONE OF MY SHIPS SAILED!! I'm so happy Logan and Susan got together! And am I sensing a rivalry between Albus and Mia? xD Or maybe something more? :p I'm so happy and proud that Aiden was able to retire and be happy, he deserves and honestly he is one of my favourite characters. It was not easy to be a adoptive father and now he became a proud grandfather, I'm so happy for him.

Minki and Padma got together <3 and they had twins omg poor Minki! But I'm so happy and proud that he was able to follow his dream even if it was smaller than his bigger one. Oh my and Terry and Parvati wow I wasn't expecting that! Friends becoming lovers is something I live for haha. I'm so happy that everything worked out. I know that he is probably the most neutral character in the story, I don't remember, was he in the battle?

Odette! And she is the final pov ;-; Omg Dean got married and they became friends, that's so great. I wouldn't have guessed that Dean would marry a muggle! Dirk would be proud of how both of them grown up so much after everything that happened. I'm so proud of Odette and happy too, she deserves all the happiness in this world!

I can't believe this story just ended. I believe I can speak by everyone that we became attached to these characters and I'm not ready to say goodbye. I love every single character and I believe you made such an incredible story that I don't have enough words to express what I feel. Thank you so much for your time, passion and for making this amazing story and capturing our hearts. You are a great writer and I hope you feel proud of yourself just like I'm proud of you :)

I hope you have a great weekend and honestly I'm making fingers crossed to see them somehow again in UFF because I think I'll miss some of them too much xD
Thank you so much and see you Sunday to see your amazing thoughts and feelings through this story <3. Take care of yourself and have an awesome time :)
Susan15
#4
I'll give you a proper comment about the final chapter but yes please, I'd live to read your thoughts and feelings!
I'm so happy and shocked at the same time with the final chapter, but I will leave it to another time!! I just wanted to let you know how much I loved it and that I really do want to hear what your opinions :)
Have a nice week and I hope to read your feelings and thoughts next sunday :')
luv_kero
2415 streak #5
Chapter 56: Oh my gosh, it's the final epilogue. I'm not ready. OTL

Dang, I legit wasn't expecting Ava to be an ice cream shop owner after twenty years, LOOOL. :P But yikes, I can imagine that leaving Hogwarts definitely turned the "Slytherin=bad" sentiment on its head. I don't blame Ava for thinking that way during her school years, since she was a teenager and she hated not fitting in with her house. But at least she's become more open-minded and chill now, and it does show a lot of her character growth. :) It's also really sweet that she revived Fortescue's ice cream shop, since it's such a cornerstone of Diagon Alley and it broke my heart when Florean disappeared. :'( But omg, I also didn't expect Anwen to have had a whirlwind romance with a Muggle, so I'm glad that she also seems to be a lot more open-minded now as an adult. ^^ Although it that it didn't work out and I hope Anwen is doing okay as a single mother, since I know that can be difficult. >___< The cameos of Albus, Rose, and Scorpius were also super cute and I love that they're this generation's trio, hehe. x]

Oh gosh, Theo looking at little Evan and thinking of his guilt towards Evera's death had me gutted too. Q___Q But also, I'M SCREAMING AT KENT BEING HIS BEST MAN!! AND I'M ALSO SCREAMING AT THEO MARRYING VALERIE???????? FORGET WHAT I SAID ABOUT AVA. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OUT OF ALL OF THE EPILOGUES. I'M SO SHOOK. THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST SHOOK I'VE EVER BEEN. NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID I EVER EXPECT VALERIE AND THEO TO END UP TOGETHER. Like it totally makes sense with them bonding over their trauma in this support group and I bet Valerie felt AWFUL for getting caught in Branwen's web after she found out Branwen was a Death Eater. T^T It's so so so cute that Theo and Valerie eventually fell for each other, and I'm so happy that Theo gets to experience this beautiful moment because he deserves it!! And ahhhhh, I love that Kent is Best Man (best boi forever!!) and Evan is the ring bearer (/cries i love this kid so much already help) and Zac also got happily married and Valerie's family is there, and Theo has so many friends and people who care about him. :') AND JUST THAT ENDING, OMG. SHOT ME IN THE HEART. *o* I'M DED FROM HOW CUTE THEY ARE. PROCLAIMING MYSELF AS CAPTAIN OF THIS NEW SHIP NOW, HAHAHA.

Ahhhh, Logan and Susan got together!! x] And Mia, like all the kids, sounds so adorable and Aiden is definitely best grandpa!! ^^ And ooh, looks like Oliver is teaching at Hogwarts now after retiring from the professional circuit?? :D Gah, that reminds me that he's also old now too. OTL And omg, I'm ded at Mia and Albus having a Quidditch rivalry. XD Try-outs will be a battlefield this year with those two gunning for positions, HAHA. And LOOOOOL, I also wasn't expecting that kiss comment from Mia. :P I imagine Albus will definitely be a heartthrob, especially when he gets older, and Mia will be one of many who have a crush on young Potter, LOLOLOL. But ahhhh, so happy that Aiden has such a beautiful family and that he's enjoying life so much now!! He completely deserves it after everything he went through!! And I also love that Ava made an appearance at the end, even though they never actually met in the main story, since everyone's stories are ultimately tied together in this epic. :)

Haha, definitely not surprised that Minki opened up a dance studio. XD He really suffered the least overall out of everyone in CtF, I think. Him and Venus. And awww, so cute that he and Padma ended up having twins!! x] And ooh, Padma is also a teacher now?? :D What kind?? (also there's a tiny typo where you wrote parvati instead of padma and i was like, wait which twin is which?? is padma the gryff and parvati the ravenclaw?? XD) And awwww, I wasn't expecting Terry and Parvati to get married, but I can totally see them together and it's so cute that the two best friends each got married to one of the twins, HAHA. :P They're all one big happy family now!! ^^ Minki and Padma's banter is also so cute, and I love how chill Minki is now in comparison to how he was in seventh year. :') And ooh, what does Terry do in the Department of Transportation?? Guess he followed the more traditional path of working for the Ministry while Jerome went traveling, LOOOOL. XD

And now, we're here at last at the final epilogue. T^T Odette was the last of my main characters submitted to CtF, she was the last POV chapter of the story (and the last Fugitive to be rescued), and now she's the last of the epilogues. But that doesn't mean she's last in my heart, because she's far from it!! <3 I figured she would eventually strike up a friendship with Dean, since they both had the connection of being on the run with Dirk at some point, and I bet they've shared a lot of stories about Dirk with each other over the years. :) My heart hurts knowing that Odette still suffered so much for so long, even though it's completely understandable that she wouldn't have mentally healed in an instant. That's just not possible when you've gone through what she did. And ahhhhh, HARRY COMING THROUGH TO GIVE HER A CHANCE MAKES ME SO HAPPY!! TRULY AN ICON. AND AHHHH, SO SO SO PROUD OF ODETTE FOR BECOMING HEAD OF THE IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE!! *o* SHE OVERCAME ALL OF THE OBSTACLES LIFE THREW HER WAY AND WE LOVE SEEING FEMALE MUGGLEBORNS GETTING RIGHTFULLY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR WORK IN THE MINISTRY!! x] Again, restating what I said in Kent's epilogue, I completely relate to Odette and Dean talking to Dirk's gravestone so this definitely hit home for me. It's a way to stay connected with them, even though they've passed, and I think it's very powerful that Dirk was able to create a very unique bond between Odette and Dean, even though he had long since passed. :) And I love that the ice skating figurine managed to survive the war!! It's definitely a beautiful, subtle reminder of the past before the war. ^^ And ahhhhh, that final sentence really pulled at my heartstrings. :') Everything is going to be just fine, Odette!! You've made it this far and you're only going to continue climbing to the top!! <3

Also, a big resounding YES to your A/N!! I'd love an Afterwords chapter!! :D I'll save my final CtF comment for then, hehe. ^^
Susan15
#6
Chapter 55: Hi!!

Omg yes! Venus had her dream come true, I'm so proud of her!
Oh and is she getting interested in that man?? :p
I kind of imagined her with someone from work since she would probably be a professional most of the time and she wouldn't go out on dates with just anyone, especially because she would care a lot about her job and would dedicate 100% of her time to that, so I truly see things work out between them :)

Tangi!! Our precious child who is not a child anymore :') I'm so glad she and Xander kept their friendship and managed to still be a part of each other's life!
Aw and Hazel made it out alive! And I can definitely imagine their marriage :) I'm also so happy that Clary and Kingsley got married too, like omg yes!

Gabe!! I truly thought that he was the groom!! I was shipping him with Romilda ;-; but it's still good that they kept being friends all this time. Same goes for Nathan, I'm truly happy that the two of them kept their friendship after all this time! Gabe also speaking in french with Fleur was just perfect haha.

Kent!! Aww I love the name Evan as I bet Evera would love it! He truly acts like a proud dad! And Tori already grown up omg ;-;. Why am I imagining those two in Hogwarts having the time of their lives? Haha. Kent is now a married man with two beautiful kids and I bet he feels the happiest man on Earth. Evera would be really proud of him. The final scene is just heartbreaking :') farewell Evera.

And finally but not last, Audrey!! I'm so glad that she and Percy got serious and started having a life together and forming a family. Their daughter Mai is really energetic haha. And I'm so glad to see that Audrey and Python still remained friends! Omg Lucy... that hit my poor heart ;-; I bet Lucas would feel proud and happy for her. I can imagine little Lucy in Hogwarts as a happy kid and perhaps who knows, maybe she would also become a healer! And Python becoming her godmother is just amazing!

I can't believe that next chapter is the last ;-; it's been a long journey and to see that everyone have grown up and becoming happier (even Yurina haha) is so heartwarming and we became attached to all of them so it will be hard to say goodbye. I hope that maybe some of them may make a cameo in UFF :')
I'm preparing tissues for the last chapter which will take another 10 years after this one and since it's set prior to the UFF events, I'm quite curious!

Thank you for this chapter, for the "romantic and couples" chapter haha. It's good to see everyone getting their dreams came true and them having their own families.
I hope you have an incredible week, great classes and I wish you everything the best :) Rest well and take good care of yourself.
I will see you later for the story's finale ;-; see ya~ :)
luv_kero
2415 streak #7
Chapter 55: Good on Venus for becoming the youngest ever Unspeakable!! Just like Rajani, we love seeing female Slytherins achieving their goals!! ^^ At the beginning of the story, I would've never expected Venus to be working in the Love Chamber. But after her work with identifying the loss of hope during the war, it does make sense that she'd end up in the chamber that's all about unraveling the mystery behind emotion. And omg, I wasn't expecting Cadfael to be an Unspeakable as well!! :D He's so much more chill now after his angsty Hogwarts days. XD Hopefully life has been much kinder to him since then. :') And ooooh, do I spy some sparks flying between him and Venus?? :P I can definitely see them together, bonding over their Slytherin days at Hogwarts, both of them with their air of mystery and very small social circles, haha. And since Unspeakables can't really share what goes on with their work, I imagine it'd be nice to be with someone who'll understand any workplace frustrations and such. ^^

Awwwww, love that Xander and Matangi are still so close after the war!! x] And yaaaay, so glad that Hazel survived and is thriving now!! :D It's so awesome to see that she's become an activist and hopefully things change for the better for the LGBTQ+ community with her leading the charge. :) And omg, Kingsley and Clary made up and married each other!! Ahhhhh, that's so sweet!! ^^ Wow, look at Clary, going from worrying about her grades in Hogwarts, to a bittersweet relationship with Lenox, to being one of the best Auror trainers in the Ministry, to being a member of the Underground, to becoming the Minister of Magic's wife while also being the Head of Magical Law Enforcement!! Again, we love seeing successful female Slytherins killing it in life!! :D And yesss, Xander is gonna be amazing in his new job and I'm so happy he's ending his dueling career on such a high note!! :D And ahhhh, Matangi and Hazel's wedding will be absolutely beautiful, and I really hope they'll be able to wed soon!! x]

Haha, you really threw me for a loop there in thinking that Gabe was the groom. XD I wonder who David is and how Romilda met him. :P But it's awesome to see that Gabe, Nathan, and Romilda are still best friends and as close as ever after all these years. ^^ And ooh, love the little bonding moment between Gabe and Fleur!! :D And also, dang, it's very cool that Gave is working as an investigative reporter. I definitely wasn't expecting that to be his career, since I thought he might go the Auror route or something similar. He was such an explosive kid, always gunning for justice. :P But I can see why he'd choose investigative reporting instead, especially since it does have a lot of freedom and traveling is so much fun. ^^ And he still gets to pursue justice, albeit in a more roundabout manner, LOOOL. And I guess he's going the Charlie route and staying a happy bachelor for the rest of his life, which is awesome and I'm glad he's happy without needing a partner to fulfill him. :)

Oh wow, another Weasley kid to add to the clan. XD They just don't stop coming. :') And it's funny that Mai is so different in temperament from her parents and Percy must have his hands full trying to make sure she doesn't upend everything in their lives. :P And it's so cute that Audrey Caldwell is still known as Python, even after all these years, HAHA. It's definitely a very cool nickname, even without the Underground attachment, so I can see why she'd keep it, LOOOOL. And omg, ahhhh, it's so sweet that Audrey decided to name Lucy after Lucas. T^T He really meant a lot to both her and Percy, so it's very beautiful that they're choosing to honor him through the newest addition to their family. :) He still lives in everyone's hearts, even though he's long gone now, and I'm sure he would've loved doting on Mai and Lucy if he had survived. >___< And I just realized that this means Audrey will have a pre-teen at home and a teenager at Hogwarts while she's dealing with stuff in UFF, LOL. What a busy woman. :')

And oh my gosh, Kent, my lovely boy, I don't think I'm ready to let go of him yet. Q___Q He's one of my absolute favorite OCs and I'm so happy I got a opportunity to expand on him for this story. <3 Like he was already an amazing side character that I loved to bits, but getting the chance to see him under the spotlight made me so incredibly happy, despite everything that happened to him during the war. :') And awww, Tori's a teenager now and I love how sassy she's become. XD Reminds me a lot of Holly in H:aH, LOLOLOL. :P And omg, so cute that she considers Jemma an aunt too, and I'm so so curious to know how Jemma and Drake are doing nowadays!! ^^ And omg, Ebony is such a beautiful name for Holly's daughter, hehe. x] It's awesome that Kent and Willow were able to find their way back to each other, even though it was so rough. Totally understandable that they broke up after the war. Kent was still grieving the loss of Evera and Willow then had to go through the exact same thing with Laurel. They definitely needed to grow separately as they processed their grief. You don't want to be at 50% when you're dating someone, using them to fill that other 50%. You want to be at 100% and dating another person who's at 100% for it to be a healthy, long-lasting relationship. At least that's my belief, LOL, although I don't have any personal experience to go off of (so who knows if I'm spouting nonsense). ^^; But Evan is such a great name, and Evera would've loved him and Sammy to pieces. x] And oh my gosh, my heart is dying because the end of Kent's epilogue is at Evera's grave. T^T I'll be very honest here, I talk a lot to the gravestone of one of my loved ones (and I use it as proxy for the other gravestones that I can't physically visit), so Kent talking to Evera this way was something I wholly related to. And my heart is breaking all over again, because I miss Evera so much and I don't think I'll ever get over her death. But I will stay strong, because she was a strong girl and Kent is staying strong too. I hope there're only clear skies for him for the rest of his life, even though I know things will get crazy with raising two boys in the house and there's still UFF's events to come ten years later. ^^; And omg, I just realized that Evan (and maybe Sammy) will be at Hogwarts when UFF starts!! XD Not that it's super relevant in the grand scheme of things, LOL, but I will have fun imagining the newest crop of Sylvesters at the best school in the world, having shenanigans of their own. :') And I'm just really really really happy that Kent got a happy ending, because he deserves it and I love him so much. He and Evera will always be my favorite pair of siblings, forever and ever, and I'm so happy that their bond will never be broken, even by death. <3

OMG, the final epilogue is coming soon and it's set right before UFF!! :D I'm not ready at all for CtF to end though. OTL But I'm also super excited to see the five remaining POVs and catch up with them twenty years later. ^^
Susan15
#8
Chapter 54: Hi!! Sorry for taking so long to comment!

First of all, my heart is hurting for Lucas. He was one of my favourite characters and honestly I feel like since half of the story he was making a rough path and the signals to his tragedy were there ;-; His last pov and Odette's pov showed how he was overworking and not taking care of himself. I liked him a lot, but somehow I feel like I knew that he would have a bad ending. I'm glad he had a painless passing and I'm sad that he didn't do a check up with Python because maybe he could have survived, but that's so Lucas.. And I'm really sad for his mother, she suffered so much and losing a son is like losing a part of her, especially since it's not natural. Oh my ;-; rest in peace Lucas.

Oh Channer ;-; poor boy, he must feel so guilty. But we all never know what is going to happen tomorrow so it's normal that we don't say "I love you" everyday. But of course it's truly painful and the last interaction is always what is pressed in our minds ;-; I know you will be able to process your grief and you will be better with time. You have your mother and sister, you will be fine!

I'm so glad that Max made it out alive. Now Claire and Max can really talk and pour their hearts to one another. They just "lost" their father who will be imprisoned after waking up (if he eventually wakes up), so they just have one another and their mother. And I truly understand what she means that everyone is biased and already settled their minds that everyone in the losing side is guilty. Fitz!! I'm so glad to see him!!! And I'm super glad that he is fine!!! Willow and Theo omg guys ;-; I'm so proud of Theo to try helping out and prove that everyone deserves a second chance like he had, because of their family environment and ideals. And I bet Willow feels like she compensated a lot from what she did. Everything is good now, I'm happy for them.

Oh Farrah :( you need time to heal my poor child. I understand that Christian is very important to her but he wouldn't understand what she has been through and she definitely needs to have a support near her who truly understands her and even though I know that Christian was what kept her sanity, she created a version of him in her mind who probably doesn't exist, and she needs time for herself now. You can get well child ;-;.

Yurina queen of the evil! Always causing trouble, really haha. Abeni must have a huge grudge on Yurina, because she is quite a pain in the haha. Let's see how Yurina will cause problems in Uff because I know you're involved young lady!

Wow next epilogue is 10 years from here! We're going to see the Hogwarts kids as grown ups!! I hope Venus and Minki managed to follow their dreams! I'm quite curious how Ava and Gabe became as adults haha. I bet everyone else is doing well now :)
I can't wait for the next epilogue!!
I hope you have a nice week, take care of yourself, rest well and see you later ;)
petitreveur
#9
Chapter 54: I told myself I was going to properly comment at the end of the three-part epilogue but I know I had to drop a comment after I read the first POV. NOOOOO LUCAS NOOOOOOO :"( Why do all my fav characters have to die hurhur /cries/ First Evera, then Laurel and now Lucas. My heart was literally squeezed tight when I read the line "He doesn't wake up" and I'm like NO NO NO, THAT CAN'T BE TRUE :"( I should have realised that foreshadowing when he was feeling way too exhausted than ever, that he w-wouldn't make it pass the night. Idk why but his death hits so much harder than anyone else's?? Lucas was (fk, I have to use the word 'was' now) such a golden boy, he did so much as a Healer and contributes sooo much as part of the Underground!! Although he didn't "fight" in the war, he was a true war hero!! I guess it's...relieving that his death wasn't a painful one and he passed in the comforts of his house....he will definitely be sorely missed :"( I can't imagine how broken his mother would be when she realises that her son is never going to wake up again >.< OH GOSHH, THAT START ALREADY SCREAMS DEPRESSING!! (I literally paused for five whole minutes before going on to the next POV)

Glad to see that Channel survived the war!! That sibling dynamic between Channel and Adeline has drastically changed. Damn, those two siblings must feel rather awkward and apologetic to each other but I feel it's neither their fault that things turned out that way. It's the awful circumstances that caused things to spiral out of control >.< It's so heartwarming to see Adeline and their mother visiting Channel in the hospital. , Channel must be feeling even more horrible and guilty for not actively doing anything during the war after learning that their father had passed away in Azkaban. Despite the awkwardness between the siblings, I'm sure Adeline never actually blamed Channel for ousting her and that's what family is all about. They are there for you no matter how much you might have forsaken them and at the end of the day, they still worry about you and welcome you back with open arms ^^ Things are never the same but Channel still has Adeline and their mother and things will get better with time :-)

Another POV that reflects the phrase "blood is thicker than water". Even though Max was a Death Eater, Claire can't bring herself to hate him or cut off ties with him. Sure, she does not agree with his dealings but after all, he is still her brother, her family. That conflicted feelings within her must be chewing her up for she knows that her brother deserved to be punished for the greater good but at the same time, Max is her brother, they are related by blood, and it must be hard to see him locked up in Azkaban (when their father was already sentenced while in a coma, big oof!) That grey area would always be grey ^^" Oh wow, I would have never thought Willow to be on defence (should I say that Max is very lucky to have Claire as his sister? LOL) and Theo to be the final witness!! Looks like Max doesn't have to live in a crammed cell anymore :')

Poor Farrah :'( She is suffering so much but I'm glad to see the tiniest progress that she is making since the day she was admitted into Mungo's. It that she doesn't really have any close friends around her except for Clara as all of her friends are all Muggles who wouldn't be able to understand what she had gone through because of the Statue. And now Clara is feeling slightly wary around her >.< Well, I don't blame Clara, she must be at a huge loss of what to do with someone so utterly broken, she had never been in her situation before and neither is she a trained medical professional. But it's great that Farrah is seeing a therapist and I can tell that Ellie is a good psychiatrist to her. Oh nooo, it must have been a last straw for Farrah when she heard that she's not allowed to see Christian as it was Christian who kept her fighting on for her life in the cells >.< Yet again, Christian prolly wouldn't be able to understand what happened to Farrah as a Muggle. But maybe, it's just the presence of Christian that she needs? Somehow, I don't think that Clara is a mean friend to Farrah or anything, it's just that Farrah is just so delicate right now and Clara obviously can't be there 24/7 for her >.< It's draining for both girls. Perhaps, a longer hospital stay would do them both good? The impact of war is just so harsh :"(

Da boss lady is in the house!! And she is getting straight to work!! With her schemings!! Poor Amos, he is so naive to think that he can get a taste of her LMAO and Yurina is using that to her strength, obviously. And voila, now she has information about Abeni Akingbade, which leads me wondering what exactly happened over the past twenty years?? The Akingbades must be pretty influential people in Nigeria?? And I'm pretty sure Yurina managed to wreck chaos in Nigeria and overthrew the government in some way or another?? I swear this little Japanese lady just doesn't stop :P Abeni must have gone through much turmoil, seeing the UFF's first teaser. Damn, everything is getting juicier and I can't wait for the tea to be spilled xD
luv_kero
2415 streak #10
Chapter 54: Oh man, I should've figured Lucas would end up dying from overwork. :'( The signs were all there, especially during his final main POV. T^T Him overworking himself was a constant theme and it so much that he had to go out this way. It reminds me a lot of karoshi, "overwork death" in Japanese, and I'm just glad that he got one final night with his mother and that he died in the comfort of his home. OTL But oh my god, his mother is going to be absolutely heartbroken when she finds him in the morning and my heart hurts so much for her, because she was probably so thankful that her son wasn't directly on the battlefield, but he ended up being a casualty anyway and she'll still have to bury him with all of the others. T^T In a way, Lucas' death sort of has a numbness to it and both Audreys are probably going to be devastated when they receive the news as well. :'( As well as Percy, Jemma, Jun, and anyone else who knew Lucas. ;~; He was a great guy though and he really did a lot for the war effort. In the end, he definitely died a hero like the others.

Oh my gosh, I've been anticipating the conclusion to Channer's story ever since his final main POV and I'm so glad he's in a much better state than some of the others. <3 Granted, things aren't perfect and they never will be, especially since Timon is dead, but at least he has a chance to make things better and that's what counts the most. Channer is still so young and he has his whole life ahead of him to strengthen the bonds he has with his remaining family members. It's something I'm personally trying to work on as well, although our circumstances are admittedly very different. One thing I definitely fear is leaving things unsaid when it's too late, and my heart hurts so much that Timon and Channer never got to properly bond before Timon died. :'( It's definitely going to weigh on Channer a lot from now on, and I hope that he'll be able to process his grief and regret in a healthy way. On the plus side, I'm so happy that Henry is okay and it's so cool that Adeline stayed with his dad while she was in hiding!! ^^ If anything, maybe Henry and Channer can become eventual friends with Henry easing some of Channer's regrets with stories of Timon in Azkaban and how Timon was always talking about how proud he was of his kids. It won't alleviate all of the pain, but it might help a bit, knowing that even though he never verbally expressed his feelings to his dad, Timon still deeply loved and cared for Channer until the very end. Linette, Adeline, and Channer are definitely going to struggle for years to come, but at least they have each other and that's what matters. <3

Oof, it does that Claire's still stuck between both sides, even after the end of the war. But it's nice to see that short moment between her and Fitzwilliam, and he's grown so much from his school days, ahhhhh :') And oh my, I guess since Claire does technically have a stake in the other side because of her family, what the Order is doing for clean-up probably does feel a lot more harsh to her, even though they probably feel completely justified in doing so. It's a very gray area and at the very least, Willow and Theo came through by helping out, even though they had no obligation to. I do wonder why they did. Maybe it was Holly asking for a favor, since she knew Claire?? Maybe it was just Willow not wanting someone else to lose a sibling after she did?? Maybe it was Theo knowing that Max was like him, brought up with Death Eater ideals but still capable of change?? At the very least, I'm glad that Claire doesn't have to lose a family member who's so precious to her and she's much luckier than most who've been affected by the war.

Oh wow, good to see that Farrah also survived Azkaban!! I'm guessing we'll find out Hazel's fate in Matangi's epilogue. Anyway, it's awesome that Farrah is already seeing a therapist and Ellie sounds wonderful. :) And considering how broken Farrah already was back in February, I'm not surprised she was even worse by the time all of the prisoners were released from Azkaban. Her fantasies were probably the only thing keeping her going while she was at Azkaban. x___x But yikes, I don't know if a happy ending with Christian is in the cards. Considering what she's been through, she'll really need someone by her side who'll understand the extent of this war and since Christian is a Muggle, I don't think he can be that person, realistically. >___< Maybe if this were set during UFF's time with magic finally being revealed, Christian could become her caretaker and they could have their happily ever after. But considering how Clara is Farrah's best friend and Clara's reaction to Farrah's breakdowns, I doubt Christian will be able to last long either. >___>

And finally, my beautiful and strong queen of darkness, Miss Yurina Nakayashi!! <3 Going to America was definitely the right call, HAHA. (Since no pandemic to worry about and the US was in a much better state back then OTL If this were 2020, I'd be like, NOOOOO, GO BACK TO ASIA!! ANYWHERE BUT THE US!!) And yesssss, what a QUEEEEEN, living in the lap of luxury in Vegas!! XD Love love love that she's already scheming and recruiting people to her cause!! She isn't wasting any time in making plans for world domination. XD And ooooooh, I've been so so so curious to find out about the bit with soap operas that you asked me about a while back and it's so cool to finally see it here!! :D And oof, looks like Amos is her newest puppet and I love her puppeteering so much!! XD She'd never give him a second glance if it weren't for the information he's gathering for her. He's too much of a lust-driven doormat and Yurina is WAY above that. x] If she ever does fall in love, it'll be with a man who can provide a challenge and keep up with her intellectually. He'll have to REALLY impress her with his cunning and capabilities, and men like that are few and far in between, especially relative to Yurina. She has no time to deal with small fries like Amos and he's probably only got an Avada Kedavra in his future once she's done with him. :') But ooh, Abeni better watch out since Yurina has her eye on her now!! The fox is on the prowl and no one is safe now, hehe <3

Ooh, super curious to see what life will be like ten years from now!! Definitely a lot happier than this, since most people will have healed considerably by then. :') And wizards probably won't be affected by everything that's happening in the Muggle world, LOL (collapse of the housing bubble, Great Recession, etc.) :P