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Reviews

David Chamberlain posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 8:34pm

Damn good read.

Sammy's characterization is spot on, as are the Trio's and I love your next to last scene with Ron! The idea that the most reactionary of the Trio would manage to become the calmest most in control one of them all was priceless and a wonderful way to show the ways that time changes people. I'd have to echo his words on Ginny too. Her behavior was incredibly selfish, by refusing to tell Harry she stole from him a chance to properly grieve /with/ her while she was alive--made only worse by actively seeking an end to her life. The only thought that comes to mind in Ginny's defense is whether or not she was in her right state of mind when she decided to go out this way; after all-- it's not just her own life she was risking if something went wrong, is it?

What I'd like to know is what will Harry's reaction be once he realizes that Sammy knew and didn't tell him? Or assuming he already knows, whether this will terminate the possibilities of a romance between the two of them before it can even start?

--David Chamberlain aka the bornagainpenguin

Euphemism posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 8:12pm

Absolutely wonderful. I have to say, I especially liked the style of writing here - I think it's Sammy's first person sections - and though it was easy to see where the story was going once Ginny mentioned her disease, the little parts here and there are what made this really enjoyable.

Chris Stephens posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 8:08pm

All I can say is great story!

Ingerslev71 posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:57pm

It's usally not easy to make me cry at a story, though it's been done. But if I'd known where this story was going, I wouldn't have read it in the office where people wandering by would wonder why the lady in the corner has tears on her face.

Other than the embarassment, however, I must say I quite liked "These Dreams". One of my own early fic efforts (a fanfic for the Farscape universe) dealt with a very similar theme: a character facing the prospect of a degenerative, debilitating illness and wanting to spare those he loved the pain of having to watch him die that way. It's a subject I find compelling, which may explain my emotional reaction to your take on it.

I've loved just about everything I've read of yours (both of you, Jeconais and Kokopelli), though that subset is limited to just the Harry Potter stories. This one went somewhere I didn't expect, and that is always refreshing.

I look forward to seeing more when you get inspired again!

OneEye

Kokopelli replied:

As to crying - I wrote the Ginny dies scene (which Tim didn't like much in its original form) and I did so at work during my lunch hour. I'm sitting at my keyboard and tears are running down MY face. Just then a client pops the door to my office open and asks if I'm alright.

"Uh, sure, it's just allergies. . . ."

Yeah, right.

Sean Dillon posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:53pm

Wow. I can't think of anything in the first two pieces that foretold this ending. Have to wonder if Harry and the Boys would have taken as destructive a turn at the cartel headquarters if they'd known Ginny was hoping to die on one of her missions.

sean

Bethany1 posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:42pm

Wow...

Just wow.

zac posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:38pm

wow...thank you both so much for this. This was an amazing end to a great story...or was it the end? i cried hard when i realized what was going to happen and even harder when she actually died. I think that my favorite part though was when harry and the weasley brothers got revenge. "Death’s Avatar" what an amazing description of Harry. Brilliant.

Aaron posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:36pm

I love how Ron is angered by Ginny's choice. At first you're shocked, and then you understand and you (or I, anyway) agree with him. And I liked how you have "bad" magic that can't be countered, like the poison and the disease.

moonstonemystyk posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:35pm

Fantastic! I loved the whole series. I cried when Ginny died, but couldn't wish for someone better than Sammy to follow her.

Brian Figus posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:18pm

I always enjoy your work and this story is certainly no exception. While it was somewhat depressing in a sense, it was skillfully done in a manner that had the actions and reactions of the characthers involved depicted in a realistic manner.

That said, I must say that the actions of both Ginny and Sammy left me with a rather sour taste in my mouth. Ginny way more so than Sammy. Ginny put Sammy in a horrible position of forcing her to keep the secret of her illness and allowing her to remain on active duty. I can understand Ginny's point of view as I myself would rather go out in a blase of glory and die in the line of duty rather than waste away. However Ginny was an Auror and her sucidal tendencies endangered every single one of her fellow Aurors and countless civilians. When you're fighting alone going out in the manner Ginny wanted to, and did, is one thing. But when you not only part of a team but responsible for the safety of civilians it's something else entirely.

All said though, great story and keep up your excellent writing as I truly enjoy it.

Kokopelli replied:


Samantha was bound as a healer to maintain the confidentiality of Ginny's discussion - which put her into a big jam, because Samantha the friend of Harry and Ginny wanted to tell Harry that his wife was bordering on suicidal. As an attorney, there are times that I know horrible, terrible things, but my oath to maintain inviolate the confidences of my client makes me bite my tongue and hum John-Phillips Sousa tunes.

cmzanna posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:13pm

wow. a logical reason for Sammy to fixate on Harry, a plausible way to get this particular Ginny out of the picture - I can definitely see it happening that way, given her actions in the previous story. Truly an interesting and unusual story from each of you... I agree it does seem to be a true collaboration and quite an amazing mix of your two styles. Well done. I'll read anything either of you would like to pass our way. Thanks for letting us have the chance.

Jon posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 7:06pm

touching story, with a rather unique and refreshing style... Excellent!

dstorres posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:49pm

A very interesting tale to say the least. Not at all what I was expecting but very well done. Kudos to the both of you.

Jim_xinu posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:45pm

I really enjoyed this piece.

Thanks for sharing it. The two of you should collaborate more, if this is the quality of work you can produce together. :-)

Joseph posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:20pm

It was good. I liked everything about this story so it's rather difficult for me to pin point what I liked best. However, gun to my head, I liked the narrative style used. It made the story more personal and real. So kudos on you guys, it was a very enjoyable read.

Sean Melton posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:17pm

Very nice, and I'd have to agree that it wasn't your usual type of story.

While I very much enjoy reading your more typical Harry, he who is cool and calculating and has his shit together completely, this was a nice change of pace. You've portrayed him as a man who has suffered a terrible loss and is worse for the wear (without invoking the mopey, bitchy, suicidal Post-Veil!Sirius Harry that I grew to hate in so many pre-HBP stories).

I'm not sure how I feel about Harry and Sam in a romantic sense, because at the end of the day Harry played a significant role in raising her; if they hook up he can never go back to being "Uncle Harry."

Anyway, great story.

-Sean

Crys posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:15pm

"Oh, wait, you mean going crazy like that Veela character in the old romance story Faith and Charity!"
*snerk!*

Well, you certainly managed to thread the needle, here. You got H/G and yet clearly are also going to end with H/Sammy. Without treating any of them badly, even.

That wizarding Alzheimer's . . . From a slight distance, I watched a grandfather disappear from that disease. Though Ron (and perhaps one or both of you) disagree with me, I can see and sympathize with the choice Ginny made.

"Dragons are way cool" Says Charlie's daughter. No kiddin'.

Harry's devastation there toward the end was well written. Sammy's increasing panic as she can't get close to her Uncle Harry . . .

Jec, for an author who once said something akin to, "I don't co-author very well," you certainly seemed to do this one pretty good.

Haeton posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 6:02pm

Excellent collaboration!

DJ posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 5:48pm

WOW you guys did a grate job. I saw in reviews of ALONE someone ask you to do this. I never thought you could do it this well congrats to both of you.

Verahsa posted a comment on Wednesday 25th January 2006 5:45pm

Errr... in addendum to my previous review... it dawned on me that in my haste to read, and my emotional needle reading somewhere in the 'dear god' range, i failed to notice that this was co-authored.

This did explain a few nuances. :) Wonderful collaboration, I might add. Thanks Kokopelli, your works, like Jeconais', are something I have saved both on my HDD and on CD in case the hdd fails. :p

Seeing you both write together is quite a pleasure. I think (from my perspective, now that i've thought about it, re-read it, and realized my error) that you balance each other well. You're both a bit stuck on the fairy tale, which I thoroughly enjoy, just in completely different fashions. =)

Thanks for writing for us, for yourselves.

Also, please forgive me for not noticing up front...

(please?)

Nicholas