soo saad! Sometimes I wish that sev got his wish...

Author's Response: It would have been very different for them both - happier, perhaps, especially if the war hadn't happened. It's one of the biggest "what ifs" you can find in the Potterverse, that's for sure.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

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Hi Susan!

I'm making my way through duelists today. Must say it's a bit creepy doing this one 'post-mortem' :P

Serpent green eyes. I like that! I also like that this moment is cannon. I'm so glad you took the challenge - equally so that you did it with an older story. Thanks so much for sharing.

Take care!
~Ty

Author's Response: Thanks very much, Ty! It is a post-mortem thing, though the challenge (and the many fantastic entries!) inspired me to write another, though I don't think I can top this story - it has the benefit of being written soon after I finished DH, so the impact of that book resonates.

It means a lot that you enjoyed this story, and that you're taking the time to go through all of the duel entries. Those duels are a great idea! :D

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You basically took the saddest scene in all the books and extended it and made it even more sadder and poignant for me.

How could you do that?

And how could you make it even better than what I already had?

I loved how you took small moments from Sev's memories, ones we didn't get to glimpse and integrated it with his death and how he really did do everything he could for Lily, as much as he could, and how he loved her to her end and to his. Capitalizing "Her" and not having him take her name in vain shows the regard he has for her, that he places her in the status of Goddess over him. This is like how Jews don't speak their God's name and as Christians and the like capitalize "He" in reference to their deity. It was subtle but effective.

The years of longing had perfected her image, removing the little blemishes and making her into a goddess. - This is also so true. There were many years where he and Lily no longer spoke or had much interaction and he had time to wipe away any flaws. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, I have personal experience with that and I find myself doing what Sev does here.

I also liked how you kept up the running dislike/like that Severus has for Harry. It's mainly dislike due to Harry's looks (aside from his eyes) and his perceived arrogance. You had very choice lines in here that kept Snape the character we knew from Harry's POV for so long and also introduced this new aspect to him we started to know in this part of the story.

It separated her from her hateful son, who carried his father’s image, but held his mother’s heart.
Those eyes. He could not forget the first time he had seen them, in the Great Hall. Her eyes staring out the face of James Potter. It was hideous, a genetic disaster, it repulsed him. Hatred for the boy had taken root within him, and he made no secret of it.

All in all, this was a beautifully rendered scene.

xChar

Author's Response: Wow, this review! Thank you very much for reading and reviewing this story, and I can't express how wonderful it is to hear that this story was so moving. After reading that scene in DH, I thought that it was tragic and surprising, but I still needed more - there were still questions about Snape's perspective and his use of Harry as an image of Lily. It was a fascinating moment that opened up so much potential for a story. It means a lot that you see this one-shot as an effective extension of that scene in the book - it was what I really hoped for, but never thought I could actually do.

Snape's memories in "The Prince's Tale" only show the most relevant ones, those that provide Harry with the necessary information to understand both his sacrifice and Snape's motives throughout the years, so I added in one that I thought would be of importance to Snape and another directly relating to the next step he must take: death.

I'm really glad that you liked the use of the capitalized "Her" - you've hit the nail on the head with your comments on that. Rather than having him gush about Lily as a goddess, the use of that capitalized pronoun is recognizably significant without the gushy aspects. I think of Snape as subtle, shadowy, showing emotion only under great duress, yet he harbours this incredible love - not a passion, but intense care and adoration - for Lily that's always growing until it takes over everything he does. It's amazing.

Thank you again for reading and reviewing this story! ^_^

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Oh - how to begin? WHERE to begin? Do ALL your Snape stories make me cry?

Thank you, thank you for yet another marvellous piece. When I first started reading, I thought you would tell what happened when he visited Sirius's room in Grimmauld Place. But then it dawned on me. Once again, I've been crying through the entire story. You portray his thoughts perfectly, his love for Lily and his hatred for James and his son. However, the words you chose makes one doubt that at least in the latter months, Snape hated Harry so much. Dumbledore asks something similar when Harry watches his memories in the pensieve.

Also, you answered one of my burning questions: why did Snape tell Harry 'Look...at...me'. It makes perfect sense now.

Another one to my favourites!! :D

Author's Response: If it helps, my Snape stories make me cry too. I find him a very tragic character, especially in the last three books of the series - he's got such a painful past, and yet he did so much to help Harry along the way. It's mind-boggling.

This was quite a story to write - it's essentially everything I felt after reading Snape's story in DH, my reaction of his story plus what I thought could have been added. A sort of filling in of the blanks, telling the story from Snape's side rather than Harry's. I've been interested in the way that Snape sees Lily within Harry at that last moment, something that he denied to Dumbledore constantly because he saw only the surface of Harry, the James part of him. But Lily was in there, and it's sad that it took Snape so long to look past his hatred of the father to see the mother within. Even now I get all emotional about it. :P

Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! It's astounding to receive so many from you, and I really appreciate it!

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oh sob.
SOB SOB SOB.
This last line broke my heart. Why, Snape, why???
Sigh. Anyway great fic. Lurved it.

Author's Response: Thank you very much! It's a terribly sad ending for Snape, and I really wish that JKR had done more for him, something happier, maybe, or at least less tragic. I'm pleased to hear that you loved this story and that it captured that same sadness from the books. It means a lot to hear from you. ^_^

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Wow. A really heartbreaking, sad, yet strangely happy one-shot. It is excellently written, revealing a side of Snape we've never really seen before; his memories and last thoughts tug on the heartstrings and make the reader feel sorry for the man who was never truly evil; just bitter with unrequited love.

The part where he sees Lily in Harry's eyes is very cleverly done, and it's nice to think that he didn't die alone, but with the image of a loving Lily in his mind. It explains his last words very well, and the flashback scenes worked nicely; it's also nice to think that his last meeting with Lily was one where he made peace.

An excellent, emotional one-shot, really great job!

Author's Response: Thank you very much for your compliments! I'm trying to get my head around this story as both happy and sad at once, but the more I think about it, the more I see you're right. Snape is happy to have found Lily again, even if it's only in Harry's eyes - he finds peace, too, in the memories of her and the knowledge that she lives on in Harry. Rather soppy, but it suits Snape as JKR made him in the end.

I'm pleased to hear that this story made Snape sympathetic, as that for me was a very important part of "The Prince's Tale" chapter of DH, and I wanted to recreate, even heighten, that feeling in this one-shot. ;)

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Ooooh god
This is so beautiful
Just as I imagined it
Congrats

Author's Response: Thank you very much! It was wonderful to give Snape a kinder ending. ^_^

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Wow. This makes me so sad/happy. This is awesome! Can't wait to read more!

Author's Response: Thanks very much! It's great to hear that you liked it! :)

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This was amazing--so moving, and you managed to draw out some really poignant facts from this scene that I'd never realized before. I found it so interesting that you drew a parallel between Snape and Lily's death with Harry's presence--that had never occurred to me, but it's so true. The comment about Harry being "a genetic disaster" was so well-phrased. It's something we all recognize about Snape's feelings towards Harry, but I think you put it in a way that stayed very true to his disdainful and detached nature.

I really loved that scene you wrote between him and Lily as children, too. It seemed very authentic, like I was honestly reading another scene in "The Prince's Tale" in DH.

Wonderful again! :)

Author's Response: Wow, thank you very much! It was a very moving story to write - I tried to capture the same flavour of "The Prince's Tale". For Snape to have so often seen Lily's eyes in James Potter's face must have been a nightmare for him - the object of love and the object of hatred become one.

It's great that you liked this story! I really appreciate hearing from you. ^_^

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This is so beautifully done. Snape/Lily is the most compelling non-ship ship in canon, to me, and you have captured Snape's perspective beautifully - made me choke up a bit! I love how you stayed true to canon while still adding your own insight to it. His longing is so beautifully captured and the way it ends is so bittersweet.

Amazing work (why do you have to be brilliant and graphics AND writing?), it inspires me to finally write the Snape/Lily I drafted ages ago.

Author's Response: Thank you very much, Ravleen! It's fantastic that you came to read and review this story, and even moreso that you enjoyed it. :D

Snape/Lily is strangely compelling - maybe because they're such opposites, yet not having a "love-hate" relationship as there seems to be with James/Lily. It's a much quieter ship, one that's more painful and moving, and that's the aspect of it that really catches my interest. I'm glad that Snape turned out in this story - he's not an easy one to write because he's such a "grey" character and it's hard to find his proper voice.

Yes! Write that story! Then you could prove that you're just as good at writing as graphics. :P Thank you for the compliment - it means so much from you who are still a graphics legend. ^_^

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i think im going to cry

Author's Response: I'm sorry! :( Hopefully it's because the story itself is sad and not because it's poorly done.

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This made me cry when I read it. Wonderfully written, like your other stories. Very beautiful.

~riddikulus luna

Author's Response: Wow, it means a lot that this story made you cry. I never expected it to be that powerful, but it's still gratifying to know that it was. Thank you very much! ^_^

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very nice, tis very beautiful piece you wrote :)

Author's Response: Thank you very much! :D

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Wow,
Thos os so amazing very in-snape.
Well done!

Author's Response: Thank you very much! :D I'm glad I captured Snape well - he's a difficult character to write.

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That was beautiful, and very well written.

Lovely description through out the one-shots. And it all flowed together very nicely, and fitted together perfectly. And your writing style is excellant. You wrote all of this extremely well.

Your description of Snape was brilliant as well, you really caught his character. I loved the flashback moments as well. They were beautifully done too.

10/10

Author's Response: Thank you very much! I'm really glad that you enjoyed so many different aspects of the story. :)

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This was a good one shot you have here. I throughly enjoyed reading the story. I especially liked reading the descripitions within your story. I thoughly enjoyed the ending when you had Snape look in Harry's eyes. Great job on this piece.

Author's Response: Thank you very much. :)

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Poor Severus.

He really did love Lily

Author's Response: Yeah, it's a very tragic sort of romance. :(

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that was beautiful...

honestly, i sobbed when i read that part in the book, and this story was so pitch-perfect that all that emotion was just brought back up.

amazing job, really :]

Author's Response: Thank you very much! It was such a sad part of the book, and it's fantastic that you thought this matched it. ^_^

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Oh my... see, that happens to us emotional people... God, I LOVE this! The emotion is incredibly intense and cuts right to the heart. The eyes, Harry, and the last line. It was all so connected, and so devastating. I adore cursed, or rather unrequited love in writing. It's always the most influential and tear-jerking. Wonderful story. A favourite.

Author's Response: It sucks to be emotional, especially when reading a Harry Potter book. =P This part of the book needed more - for me it just hung there, like a door waiting to be opened. And thus came this story. =D Thanks so much for reviewing, Lyn. It's great that you enjoyed it. ^_^

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Wow...that almost made me cry. Wow. Amazing job with Sev, and with Lily. Great.

Author's Response: Thanks very much! ^_^

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This is perfect. Exactly as I'd pictured it, only better, heh. I've got tears in my eyes at the moment.

I love your writing, and I've been meaning to read a few more of your one-shots. I saw the summary for this one and smiled, because I knew it was going to be moving. (; Great work. You have a way with words. 10/10

Author's Response: Aw, thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it so moving. ^_^ It's a great compliment that the story touched you so - it was such a sad scene, and deserved more attention.

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Wow. I loved how powerful that was, using so few words. I hate word-wasting yarns, but every word you used here contributed to your purpose and it was great!

Interesting that Severus desperately wished Harry was his child. Never thought of it that way before, but it cast a definite shade of tragedy and sadness over the story, which I liked. A great clincher ending, too. Nice job! =)

Author's Response: That premise about the Snape-Harry relationship I guess came unconsciously from the Serevitus (sp?) challenge, but it also fit with the series if one thought deep enough (or perhaps too deeply :P). If Snape was as devoted to Lily as DH set him up to be, it seemed slightly reasonable to assume that he felt some sort of connection to Harry outside of still hating James. It's very sad to think about, with Snape longing for all the things he couldn't have.

Thank you very much for reviewing! It's great to read and receive your reviews. ^_^

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love the story. i'm a little confused about this part: There was no point in asking himself whether or not she ever loved him in return. He knew the truth, deep within the remnants of his soul, and had known it since. since the moment he had called her a... a... he would not even think that word. It should have been him there in Potter’s place, smiling with pride at the woman he had loved for almost all his life and who had, at last, loved him in return.

did that mean that Lily did love Severus, or that he just wished she did ? 20/10

Author's Response: By that part, I meant that he was picturing himself in James' place, being loved by Lily, not necessarily that Lily had loved him in a romantic way. It's a bit vague there, I agree, and I'm very sorry that it confused you.

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing this. It's fantastic that you liked it. ^_^

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Gorgeous and beautifully written. I'm not crying, but I'm pretty darn close.
We love you Sev!

Author's Response: Aww, thank you! It's so great to know that you enjoyed it. ^_^

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omigosh! That was just beautiful! You put the raw emotions of death and love into words in a believable way! Amazing!

Author's Response: Thanks so much! Wow, it means a lot that you enjoyed this story. ^_^

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