Harry Potter Fanfiction – Read Over 85,000 Stories!

Hello, Mrs. Claus here, and I've been put in charge of handing out special Christmas in July gifts to the lovely members of this site!

This was just fabulous, and so very thought provoking. I've always wondered what makes someone attracted to things that are broken, and I think I understand Colin's reasoning. They're things that have a story to tell, a history, if you will. It's about finding beauty in the cracks and scratches, a light in the dark, as Dumbledore would say. Colin really was a special child, always looking past what others saw, and that might be one of the most special gifts you can be given and a blessing to keep.

I feel like these two brothers really did have a bond, and it's so tragic to see it brake by a tragedy such as this one. To think of all that could have lay ahead, it really is heart braking. 
Such a great job at the descriptions too. I could really feel myself there, and everything flowed so seamlessly.

A lovely job, and now I must be off. But first, a clue to relay. While I've been claiming it's been a little birdy directing me to stories, a bird isn't what my helper is...

Author Response

Awww, Mrs Claus! What a very lovely review. &hearts;

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I love your analysis of Colin's character, why he's drawn to broken things and the stories they hold. And you're absolutely right, of course. That's Colin: I see him as a little immature, excitable, curious and always compassionate, though somewhat insensitive and naive sometimes. Sigh, now I want to go write more Colin fics. Although Dennis is the true love of my writing life. &hearts;

I love the Creeveys, and I wish there would be more stories of them on the archives, not just focused on Colin's death, but on other aspects of their lives.

Thank you for this wonderful review! &hearts; Thanks for the clue, too. I'll figure you out...hopefully?? :D You're far too generous, and I'm so grateful you chose to stop by my AP with your lovely anon gift!

&hearts;

-teh

Hi Teh,

This story has been on my Reading List for ages, and since I can't sleep tonight I was lucky enough to read it at last. There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said far more eloquently by someone else. But the quality of the story compels me to say what I can.

Your writing in this piece is true artistry. It doesn't read like words on a page (er... screen). It reads like.. oh, how to describe it? It reads like rain pouring down and drenching me in a story. That's the best I can do.

Also, it makes me want to go back to every piece I've ever written and make it powerful the way this story is powerful. 

Sometimes when I read an especially awe-inspiring piece like this one, I wish it wasn't fanfiction. There are a lot of people out there who don't understand what we do at this site, and it's a crying shame for them when they're missing out on a gift like yours. But I suppose that makes your writing a lot like Colin's photographs, in a way, doesn't it?

Lovely in every way. And heart breaking.
~MuggleMaybe (Renee)

Author Response

Hi Renee! &hearts;

I've got a whole heap of reviews to respond to, but I'm going to answer yours first because I simply cannot resist answering reviews for this particular story, which holds a very dear place in my heart.

I'm so honoured that this humble story of mine has been in your reading list! I wrote this story for myself and I honestly can't believe sometimes that it's had such wonderful, positive comments from reviewers.

Your compliments are amazing; thank you so so much. I don't really know what else to say, except this means so much to me, and your kind words have absolutely made my night.

Thank you for reading, for saying such beautiful things about my writing, for this review. &hearts; &hearts;

-teh

teh! 

I can't seem to stay away from your stories. And I'm kind of becoming lost for words because I keep saying the same things over and over and the words 'amazing' and 'wonderful' and 'perfect' have somehow lost meaning and so I will try to say how much I loved this without using them. Also, it's late and I'm sort of a mess of happy/sad feelings right now so prepare for sentimentality.

Okay, the descriptions. Seriously, your descriptions are amaz-

See? It all goes down that road. But I will not. give. in.

For example, the part about the trash on the beach. That's an ugly thing. And if you love the sea (like I do and like I assume, you do), it is a heartbreaking thing. And there you go and describe it so impossibly well, using these unusual words and all sorts of similes and metaphors that it just feels pretty, you know? You make 'polypropylene' sound like the most beautiful thing in the world. And it's not that it's just pretty, it also makes us visualise everything you describe so vividly and clearly that it doesn't even feel like reading, but more like seeing. 

Things like this: ''Hands on her hips cutting a pair of triangles along her sides.'' and also this: ''There's something like disgust on my face, and my eyeballs are rolled up into my forehead and my mouth is ajar, poised at the rim of speech.''

How does your brain work, teh? :D How do you come up with these things? Every time I read one of your stories I'm left in complete awe over your stunning imagery and how you describe the real world in a real way but using a language that is, frankly, not real. It's ethereal! Yes! There has never been a more suitable world! 

I actually googled the expression 'rim of speech' and got nothing but it's funny how in my language, there is an expression that is an exact translation of it. It goes: 'na rubu govora'. It's weird seeing these words here with all this English around. Uh-oh, almost forgot! Dennis calling his mum 'Mam' was so cute and I loved it so much (maaaybe because it sounds a lot like the way I call my mum).  :) 

I loved Colin. His portrayal was so honest and gentle and convincing. HP series are overflowing with all these interesting minor characters and Colin must be one of the best and I am so happy that 'you can write the book' exists on the site. It's a perfect extension of his heartbreaking story and I'm so thankful that you wrote it. :) 

And his brother! I loved that we got to see Colin through his eyes, especially because Colin was always the one looking at others. The part at the end, where he is holding the photograph and finds Colin in it, barely visible, standing in the crowd and enjoying the spectacle - that was the best possible way to end this story. You've said so much through this little detail and I would be lying if I said I didn't cry (what is this site doing to me lately?! :D).  

And Dennis' voice. It was filled with so much suppressed pain and sometimes suppressed love and it gave a lovely characterisation of him in such a subtle, unimposing way.
 
Doris. I could write so much about Doris. There was something heartbreaking about the scene where she sees the photographs of herself - it's like she is forced to finally look at her own life, which is a sad mess, and she can't stand what she sees. Doris is that sort of old person who lives in a house at the end of the road and as a kid you run by it and she is outside, just sitting, or maybe yelling at you for ruining the flowers and that's all you and most people ever know about her. And then there are children like Colin who want to learn more. And I just loved that whole part so so much because Doris and Colin are a lot like some people in real life, and they deserve to be written about. I truly truly loved it. It made me all poetic and stuff. :P

I checked the list of the Dobby winners and there was no quote next to the link so I was wondering which quote exactly had won? I mean, there is a link there so I wouldn't be surprised if the whole story had won, as one giant amazing quote. That would actually make complete sense to me. :)

If that short story collection you mentioned in your A/N has inspired you to write this, I will have to read it. Judging by the name, I might not be able to find it in this god-forbidden country that I live in but I have to read it and I will find a way. :D

teh, you're brilliant. I want to hug you because of how brilliant you are. :)

Andy 

P.S. Even if this review makes your day, please don't post it in the 'reviews that made your day' because I sound all sappy and I don't want other people to see it, hahah! I'm usually all YAY! if I notice you post my reviews there but this one is a bit bonkers.

Author Response

ANDY! &hearts; &hearts;

YOU ARE SPOILING ME. YOU ARE SPOILING ME WAAAY TOO MUCH.

*turns off capslock*

My goodness, thank you SO MUCH for this review &hearts; I honestly did not expect this at all, and your compliments have taken away all my speech abilities. I was really fond of this little story when I first wrote it, and to this day, this is a very special piece for me. So to read feedback like this is such a privilege; seriously, thank you so much!!

Your comment about this fic being not so much like 'reading' but 'seeing'. THAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT ONE COULD EVER GIVE FOR THIS STORY! I mean, this fic is basically just a series of snapshots, literal snapshots taken by Colin, as well as snapshots of Colin's own life as seen through the viewer of Dennis's perspective. And it's really all about observation, of making observation a celebration in itself. So, to read this compliment from you is incredibly incredibly gratifying. I AM HUGGING MY LAPTOP TO MY CHEST. 

Dennis is my favourite character to write. It pains me a bit to write him in such a way; I wish I could write him a happy ending, but it's hard for him to find proper closure after such a tragic and sudden event.

"And I just loved that whole part so so much because Doris and Colin are a lot like some people in real life, and they deserve to be written about. "

^ *cries*

Why are you so kind Andy?!?! One of the reasons I wrote this fic in this way was to diverge a little from Colin Creevey-centric stories who paint him as a war hero, who is glorified for his deeds, and yet the simple humble details of his ordinary life are never celebrated. This fic is very much a celebration of the ordinary, of the banal, of all the clutter and the minutiae that makes up daily life. Dennis knows his brother well; he dissociates all of Colin's posthumous fame and heroism with the everyday version of his brother.  

Yeah, this story surprisingly won a Best Quote Dobby. :P I have to say I'm very astonished myself; I didn't expect it. I can't actually remember which is the actual quote that won, because I never every thought this story would be 'quotable' in the least, but if I remember correctly, the quote came from this part:

"In the end he got a shot of me, grimacing, looking past the camera with a deliberateness that he didnÃ¢Â€Â™t comment on, blood dripping from my knee. A wave hit the rock and spray flared up, poking me in the eye, drenching me. Now with that old picture in my hand I can see and feel everything as they must have felt all those years ago Ã¢Â€Â“ the barnacle fragments sticking into my skin, salt burns on my lips, and the quick blinding light from his camera finding its way to me, catching me mid-flicker, like a star."

Yeah, I know. Seems like a strange quote for a Dobby. :P

I doubt you'll find that particular short story which influenced this fic, though. It's quite old, and it's written by a local author, and I don't think that collection is being produced anymore. But you could keep looking!

ANDY YOU'RE BRILLIANT. Yes you are, Andy. &hearts; &hearts; THANK YOU. THank you. And thank you. All of the hearts, my dear.

-teh

Hi teh!  I've been meaning to come and read this story for absolutely ages as well and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it!

I know that Dennis Creevey is one of your favourite characters and I absolutely loved the way that you portrayed him in this story.  You've captured the little boy that we see in the books and made him into a real and believable character.  He could easily walk off the page (or screen, in this case) and into real life.

I loved the way that, from the start, you brought the whole Creevey family to life and made them seem very real, just with little aspects and touches that don't seem that important when you first read them.  It's great to see that you've taken the tiny details we know about them from canon - that their father was a milkman, that they were both Muggle-born brothers - and expanded them into something much bigger.  Having Dennis refer to his mum as <i>mam</i> gives him more of a regional accent in my mind and places him somewhere in the country straight away; follow that with the fact their holidays were a weekend trip to the seaside and we realise they're from a family that isn't very well off.  I know they're only tiny details but it's things like that I love in stories like this one, as they really help to make the narrative believable and authentic.

I think my favourite thing about this (which is hard to say, because I loved the whole story) was the way you captured Dennis's voice.  I feel like it would have been so easy to show him as a child, but here he sounds like a man, who's grown and suffered and seen a lot of things.  He misses his brother, and that strong relationship really comes through well, but at the same time there's a hint of anger sometimes.  Anger that he's been left behind, and that his parents are grieving so much for their eldest son that they can't seem to pay proper attention to Dennis.  There are so many conflicting emotions that I can see in this piece and that makes Dennis seem so realistic and believable, because I think those sorts of things are exactly what anyone would be feeling in a similar situation to his.

Another thing I loved was the concept of telling this story through the photographs that Colin had taken.  It's really interesting to see what each of them triggered for Dennis in terms of the memories that accompanied them when he viewed them, because they mean a lot more to him than they would to the average viewer.  Colin's love of photography is something that we know so well from the books but I loved your interpretation of it, which made it seem original.  I liked the idea of Colin having all these different projects, and that was why he wanted to take so many photos of Harry Potter - not that he was so in awe of him as a person, but that he was interested in the way that the camera would capture him.

It was brilliant that you included the fact that Colin was petrified, too, but rather than just mentioning the fact, you explore it.  I've never seen a story that includes any sort of explanation of what being petrified must have been like and it was actually worse than I imagined in this, since he wasn't actually unconscious and could only concentrate and see one thing.  For someone like Colin who's so intent on exploring the world, it would be even more frustrating.

The ending was just brilliant.  I loved the way that all of these pictures built up an image of different people and were, in a way, memories of Colin for Dennis because of what they made him think of, but at the same time, there weren't any physical reminders because Colin was always the one behind the camera lens.  For Dennis to have used the camera once and taken an inexperienced photograph which actually has his brother in must be something really special for him to see and remember him by.  Not, clearly, that Dennis is in any danger of forgetting Colin, but the fact that he's there, captured in a photograph, shows that he was real and living and not just a memory.  Something like that is really important and I thought ending the story the way you did was incredibly poignant.

I could ramble on for a lot longer but it would mostly include quoting a ton of lines back to you, so I'll just say that I absolutely loved this story and it was amazing!

Sian :)

Author Response

Waaahh! SIAN! &hearts;

I don't know what I've done to deserve all these wonderful reviews from you but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This was a huuuge surprise and an absolute joy to read! Yay!!

And thank you for reviewing this little fic of mine! This holds a very special place in my heart; you're right - I do adore Dennis Creevey, though it's been some time since I wrote a fic really focusing on him. *updates to-write list*

When I first wrote this fic nearly two years ago, I wanted to create a life for both COlin and Dennis, a very normal life, quite different from how magical children would have been brought up, and definitely not a life most people would think of as extraordinary, heroic. Telling it through snapshots seemed like a natural choice, given that Colin's so into photography. Dennis is definitely putting together Colin's life again, in whatever pieces he has. It's never complete because Colin isn't really in those pics, and Dennis is filling in the gaps himself. Until of course that last picture.

I'm so glad you like his voice! I don't believe he sounds like the typical fourteen or fifteen year old, but he has gone through some serious life-changing stuff (a war, for instance), and I do feel that he's lost more than a brother by the end of everything. I'm glad you noticed how alienated he feels from his parents. It's somehow my headcanon that Colin with his lively personality was the apple of his parents' eye, and losing him was a dreadful blow to everyone.

I included petrification because I thought it would create an interesting contrast to the idea of precious moments being 'frozen' in (Muggle) photographs. Except with Colin's petrification, it was himself being actually frozen and paralysed and unable to perceive the world around him. It must have been awful for poor Colin. :( Dennis won't quite understand that.

The ending is my favourite favourite ending ever to write bahaha! I think you analysed it amazingly well; it's an ending that means a lot to me, and to hear your detailed, thoughtful comments about this is just so wonderful!!

Thank you so, so much for this brilliant review, lovely! &hearts; And for all the amazing reviews you've left me in the past.

-teh

Beautiful. That is all.

Author Response

Hello there! Thank you so, so much for reading and reviewing! &hearts; I'm so glad you enjoyed this; this has been one of my favourite one-shots to write, and it always means a lot whenever I receive such wonderful feedback for this small story of mine. Thanks again, love! &hearts;

-teh

Well, then.  Thanks for making me just about cry! 
Honestly, though, this was beautiful! You reviewed /my/ Colin one-shot at some point today, so I decided I'd check out your work!  And Merlin, I was /not/ disappointed!  

I love the way you described Colin in all his cheerful glory, and the passion he felt towards photography. It was truly spot-on!  It's also brilliant how you included the bit about the basilisk and the effect it had on poor Colin.  Just like a lot of people forget that he died in the war, lots of people also forget his role in the second book.  But you didn't!  And for that I commend you!  :)  

Anyway, brilliant job!  I'll be sure to check out some of your other stories.  ^.^  

Thanks,
~MN

Author Response

Hello! Aww, what a lovely surprise review! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read and review. &hearts; And I'm sorry for the feels! Poor Colin. :(

I love the way you described him - "cheerful glory". That's him, completely. That's who Dennis sees, all the small, banal moments that make up Colin's life rather than the war hero that he's posthumously recognised for. And I'm glad you like the inclusion of the basilisk attack. CoS is the book in which Colin appeared most frequently, so I felt that I had to mention something about that in the fic.

Ah, Colin and Dennis - they're the forgotten brothers of the series. Everyone remembers the Weasley twins and mourns for them, but the Creeveys get significantly less attention, which is such a sad thing, seeing as they were just as brave, and they were Gryffindors as well.

Thank you so much for this lovely review, my dear! It has absolutely made my day!

-teh

Hi Teh, and Merry Christmas, I'm here with your secret Santa gift and couldn't resist reviewing some of your wonderful writing.

I loved this story from the first paragraph. I love that you used 'Mam' instead of Mum, because where I'm from (the North Pole obviously) we say that too :D 

I love the description you use, it's something I've been envious of since the first time I read your writing. In the early chapters when you describe the photographs, I can see them perfectly in my head.The one of the beach was my favourite, I swear I could smell the sea air when I was reading it!

Through Dennis' eyes you've painted this completely wonderful other side to Colin, not a complete 'fangirl' as I like to call him, but a big brother, a son, and someone who can see beauty in everything. You've given him a personality that is all yours and yet fits with JKR's character perfectly.

The slight hint of comedy in this is excellent too, 'I did not want to write a bloody book' was completely unexpected and made me laugh out loud, something that is rare for me when reading fanfiction. 

The transition from Colin coming home from his first year at Hogwarts and his death was brilliantly effective, I liked that it kept in keeping with the photography theme and the memories you chose were so descriptive even though they were short (seriously, how do you do it?) The one describing his death hit me like a ton of bricks and made me angry at JKR all over again for killing him!

It's not often I cry when reading fanfiction but this truly made me shed a tear, his parents' reactions and Dennis drinking sherry with Doris and the fact that he didn't go back to Hogwarts is just so sad :( (A total credit to your writing though!) Then I had just composed myself and you go and write about that last picture with the fireworks...you killed me Teh! The little hint about Dennis' lack of photography skills was a lovely addition though.

Anyway, in case you didn't already know, I loved this. It was happy and heartbreaking all at the same time, completely flawless writing.

Author Response

Ooh, HELLO THERE, Santa! &hearts;

Aww, aww, thank you for this brilliant review gift! And thank you for choosing to read this little story of mine, which I wrote nearly a year ago now. It's making me feel all nostalgic for it, and wow, do I have so many Dennis Creevey companion oneshot plunnies to this piece! But I'll hold them off for now.

I'm glad you like the descriptive parts and the photograph structure of this story; it's what inspired me to start writing this piece in the first place. Bahaha, Dennis the fangirl! I love that. Oh no, more plunnies...

I'm so glad I was able to make you laugh and cry with this piece; it's about Colin's life more than it is about his death, and it's about those who survive (Dennis). Ugh Colin's death will bring out more tears in me. ..

And can I say how overjoyed I am at your comment about Dennis' lack of photography skills?!? I'm SO delighted that you picked that up; I think you're the only reviewer for this story so far (and there are quite a lot of reviews for this fic) who mentioned that. YES. &hearts; Dennis and Colin both notice the details, the minutiae of life, but only Colin has the skill to capture it. A bit of skill, at least. Dennis just doesn't have it, nor does he even want to try.

THANK YOU for this smashing review, Santa! &hearts; &hearts; You've made my day!

teh

*apparates in, wobbling slightly, struggling to regain balance*

O-M-G.

I've already read th...oh wait I forgot to say that I'm here with your 'I think I'm crazy review'...anyway, I've already read this and I was filled with awe afterwards. I never made the connection though that you wrote this though when you commented on my status. 

You have the amazing talent of just drawing the reader in and engrossing them with your wonderful words. Anyone can put words after a word but you do it wonderfully and if the standard of your writing is the same of the first two pieces I have read I'm going to be so pleased! ( and envious!)

*paces from side to side, looking for the right words*

There were so many lines in this which made me smile. It was so smooth and easy to read and really quite sad.

'But there was a funny sort of glow in his eye and he put a hand on my shoulder and pressed me back down, saying, “Wait a moment. Mind if I get a shot of you?”'

I think that line ^ is a perfect reminder that even though a picture never lies, there's always more to it. I don't know if that was something you were getting at, but throughout this all I could think of was 'there's always more to a picture.' 

*reaches for tissues*

I really like Colin and his death was so tragic and annoying, but heroic and I think every reader grew to love him. and this did him proud. He was smarter and braver then anyone ever gave him credit for, you show how smart he is with a camera, how his mind works.

Your writing is just incredible I know I keep saying it but it is. What is your secret ;) I loved the last line as well! I mean you told the basically all of it through a camera, so good.

It might take a while to get through all of your work, I want to leave proper reviews, rather then half-hearted ones so hope you don't mind.

Cannons!

*Turns on the spot and disapparates*

Author Response

Awww, Cannons! Another lovely review from you! &hearts;

AND on one of my favourite pieces, too! I haven't written a story since 'you can write the book' that I've been as happy with; this fic really does have a special place in my heart, even though, if you think about it, nothing actually /happens/ in this story.

Colin and Dennis really have such a sad story, as sad as the Weasley twins. Colin's death is so sudden, and unfortunately, no further mention of him is given after that awful moment in the final battle. He's always been a bit of a funny, character - slightly on the ridiculous side, and not exactly the most popular of people in Hogwarts. With this fic, I wanted to explore not his heroic actions and foolhardy Gryffindor bravery etc., but his normal life - and all the tiny trivial details that come with it.

I'm glad you like that line! I think you're the first reviewer to point out that sentence, which is great, because it's quite deliberate. I put it in there to not only depict Colin's knack for capturing the simplest but sometimes inappropriate moments and making them, but also to show some nuance of the brothers' relationship with each other.

Well! I certainly don't know if the rest of my writing will be up to the standard of what you've read so far! :P But I hope you'll find the rest of my stories enjoyable. I do feel like my writing varies a great deal over my stories, stylistically as well as in terms of plot and character.

Thank you so much again for doing this! *hugs* &hearts; Take your time going through my stories; honestly, your reviews really mean so much to me. Thanks again!

teh

Great writing. I don't think I've ever read anything from the perspective of Colin Creevey's brother before.

Author Response

Thank you so much for your kind review and for taking the time to read :)

-teh

I just decided to flit by because I saw your post in the Squee Topic and was like, "I should read more of teh's stuff!" And I am SO GLAD I DID. Really, this is just a useless review because I'm just sort of scampering around, making grabby hands at various sentences. But really, your writing is fabulous. Your flow is amazing; I got half way through this before I even realized I had read that far. The characters are believable, the narrative is superb. Anyway, really, really strong stuff.

"And there’s half our Dad over there – the margin of the print slices clean through his face and so he’s one-eyed, quarter-nosed, with an unfinished smile." - THIS sentences is just... lovely. It was the first one that stopped me and made me really happy, for some reason.

I loved reading through the photographs, too, because I could feel everything you were describing. I guess that was the point, but it was done really well, and I didn't even notice that I was so immersed in the story until my iTunes stopped working and I was jarred out of that rapture that you get when you're reading really good stuff. Do you know what I mean?

"Snap. Me arriving at Hogwarts for the first time, with its turrets cutting upward into the sky in a crooked sequence of steps, the yellow windows burning in the stone." This just paints such a beautiful picture; it's perfect.

It feels like such a personal narrative, and you've constructed it just right. It's intimate but I don't feel uncomfortable reading it.

GAH. I could go on but I feel like I'm just rambling so I'll stop before I get totally nonsensical. Lovely, marvelous, wonderful, etc.

xx Rin

Author Response

RIN!! &hearts;

Waahh, this is such a lovely and totes unexpected review! Thank you so much; I am not worthy!!! And it's NOT a useless review at all.

I'm so glad you picked this story to read; it's a story that I have a special fondness for, because I really enjoyed writing it, and showing things through Dennis' perspective. The Creeveys are such underwritten characters! And in the books, Colin was more of a ridiculous figure than anything, and we hardly hear anything about Dennis.

I'm glad you like some of the sentences! I enjoyed trying this structure out; it's clearly not an original idea - as mentioned in the disclaimer, I was influenced by a real life short story, and I was excited to try things out and consequently, this story was born. And I'm SO SO GLAd that you thought it flowed well! The snapshot structure could have been a bit jarring for some, especially since I jump around a lot, but I'm glad you found it easy to read!

FD;AKSDJASJ 'personal narrative' is pretty much an accurate description of this story. I wanted to avoid all that big, public "heroism" of the postwar situation - Colin would have been lauded a hero, definitely, but I don't know how many would have actually realised or been interested in what a simple, completely ordinary life he once led. Dennis, of course, knows all this, and I chose to show things in a different way (without all the big hero stuff) through his POV.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ONCE AGAIN, RIN &hearts; &hearts;

And my goodness, i think it's definitely high time that I read more of your stuff! You yourself are such a brilliant, talented writer! *hugs*

teh &hearts;

Aww...I really love this. It's so touching, so heartwarming. I feel like I really know and understand Dennis better after this! Thanks for writing this! I really enjoyed reading it :)

Author Response

Hello! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a lovely review! This was a wonderful surprise :D I'm glad you're able to see Dennis in a clearer way through this story; this was just my interpretation of his character, and I'm so glad you found it heartwarming.

Thank you so much again! &#9825;

-teh

Tag!
I thought this story was really well thought out and executed. The transitions were really smooth, and the spelling and grammar was impeccable. I loved how you portrayed the characters, like Colin wasn't just this boy that went around taking pictures for no reason, it was so much more than that. Dennis had so much depth to his character it was amazing. The reactions of the parents and the people were really realistic, and I love how you described the feeling of grief, it was really relatable. I honestly think you out did yourself with this story. I kind of cried. 
But anyways please keep on writing, because it's beautiful.

Author Response

Hello! :D Thanks for your absolutely wonderful review, and apologies for taking so long to respond! I'm so glad you thought the transitions were smooth, despite the snapshot structure of this story. And I'm very happy to hear your comments on Dennis. Depth of character was precisely what I was hoping to achieve, especially with my use of first person. I wanted to make both brothers appear very normal and almost mundane average people (Colin is a bit of a ridiculous character in the series, and there's nothing much about Dennis). So it's really rewarding to hear that this piece was realistic and relatable. I'm sorry you cried! *hands over tissue*

Thank you for your wonderful review again!

-teh

Excellent, really beautiful. I could see it all. You're wonderful.

Author Response

Aww, thank you so much for your lovely words! &hearts; And thanks for reading; I'm so happy you liked this &hearts;

teh

This is exquisite.  Truly exquisite.  I'm sorry for taking such a terribly long time to finally review the challenge entries, but I'm here now.  I honestly have no critiques.  This is, as I said, an exquisite piece of work.  You do such an amazing job of drawing the reader's attention to the details that they normally wouldn't think they have to notice - the details that make the story come alive.

Your use of imagery is fantastic, the onomatopoeia poignant.  I cried.  I honestly cried the first time through.  Thanks for this lovely work.  It makes me want to read the original it's based off of.  I'll be reading the rest of the entries soon and PMing the results soon.  Thanks so much for entering.  Apology again for the delay, and also for this flimsy review.  But honestly, if I went through listing everything I liked, I'd never finish!

I like how you broke up the snippets in time and brought us along to the end.  And the way you wrapped up with a focus in on Colin was just - wrenching.  I don't know if that's helpful, really, but just keep doing what you're doing.

x cypress

Author Response

Hello again! I've already responded to your other review! Thank you again &hearts;

Again, I am blown away by your writing. I love the way you told this story in photographs - it gives a kind of disjointed feel which naturally complements Dennis's emotions after his brother's death. I really enjoyed seeing something from Dennis's POV as well, considering how overlooked he is generally.

I love your attention to details and your descriptions. They are so vivid and it makes it so the whole story seems like a photograph. Wonderful job on this story! 10/10

Author Response

HAII &hearts; &hearts;

Poor Dennis :(

This is a story I really enjoyed writing :D Well, it's sad and all, but IMO it has a bit of hope in it, a bit of hope for Dennis. I think he'll get better...I think. And there are so few Dennis stories on this site! I guess the Creeveys were hardly the most popular of characters, and Colin and Dennis certainly don't compare to Fred and George :(

I'm glad you liked the detail! I was a little worried that I was going overboard with them, but these are the sorts of things that Dennis notices - he doesn't care much for them, to him they're just there, existing. It's Colin who would be struck by all these things, these silly irrelevant things and he'd get all excited about them. At least that was what I was trying to convey in this story...not sure if I succeeded :P

Thank you so much once again for all your wonderful reviews &#9825;

teh &#9825;&#9825;&#9825;

PS: I just noticed you joined the forums recently! Welcome &#9825; And feel free to drop me a message or PM over there anytime!

Tag!

This story was INCREDIBLE! I absolutely loved everything about. It was so touching and heartbreaking. Dennis is such a minor character in the books and in fanfiction in genral, so it was really nice to get to read something from his POV. I think that you've portrayed his loss and his grief in such a beautiful way, and letting photography be the theme of the whole story makes perfect sense, and it works really well! Your description said that both of the Creevey brothers had an eye for details - well, so do you! Your descriptions are incredible and very vivid, and they really add a lot to the story!

All in all, this was very sad, very beautiful and very touching. I loved the ending, when he looks at this happy moment and sees Colin in the photo, even if he's just in the background. It's absolutely perfect. I loved this! Well done! :)

Author Response

Hello!

Aww, I'm glad you liked this story so much :) Those are some really lovely compliments you dished out to me and I'm eating them up greedily and I think my ego is being overfed to obesity. Er...right, sorry. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing Dennis in this story, his painful meandering voice going round and round the memories, unearthing those photos of Colin, recapturing the tiniest and most useless of details. Which despite their insignificance, do actually mean a lot to him. 

Eep, I'm really flattered to hear you say that I have an eye for detail ^.^ I'm glad you didn't find all that too overwhelming - these little sorts of things are quite important to Dennis but I was also a little worried that they might clog up the story too much...

Thanks for this lovely review! It's made me nice and happy :D

-teh

Hello!  I'm Shelby (aka WeasleyTwins).  I'm getting back into the groove of reading and reviewing here at HPFF (I'm an older member who lurks in the shadows) - anyway, I kept seeing your name pop up here and there, so I thought I'd drop by and read and review one of your stories.

Oh. My. Holy. Harry. Potter.

I have to be honest when I say that I did NOT expect that.  Who are you and where in the world do you get your talent?  I was utterly astounded.  I'm an avid reader in and outside of HPFF and thus rather picky.  I like to read something worthwhile.  Something with feeling or adventure, something that hits me.  And oh my word, did you just send me into a spiral of emotions.  I don't know whether to be awe-struck, jealous, depressed, or hopeful.  I envy your abilities.  How long have you been writing?  Now that I'm done fangirling and acting a fool - 

Your descriptions are to die for.  I'd consider myself a critic of descriptions, in particular, in any story.  I don't want to read an excess of nature and feelings and actions, I want cohesion, something that strikes me to the very marrow of my bones.  By goodness, that's exactly what you've done - my English major sensibilities are all dancing around doing the mambo.  Your descriptions are literally perfect - it isn't purple prose in the style of the Victorians nor is it the sparse, bland descriptions of many stories of the 21st century.  Rather, it's these snapshots that you bring to life with your style and diction.  There is no other way to describe it as other than striking - like a spear to the heart and in the moments before it reaches your chest, you see everything and feel everything with such clarity.  I enjoyed the mixture of scenic and action descriptions coupled with the emotions related to the events of the moment.  It was enthralling and I was utterly entranced.  

I did notice one mistake - you seem to keep with canon, at least, that's the way it appears - however, when you first mention Doris, you describe her as "Muggle" which the boys wouldn't know about until Colin goes to Hogwarts. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I just thought I'd point that out! :)

I've read several oneshots about Colin, but never something quite this loving - you portray him so well and his characterization is so wonderful.  It took everything I had not to cry.  He's not this obsessed little boy, but an inquisition young man with a passion for capturing a moment that sometimes only a photograph can do.  I applaud you for taking an alternate route than that of tradition Colin fanfics and giving him so life and purpose.  Seeing Colin through Dennis's eyes is wonderful, just astounding.  We only truly understand the magic of a friendship and relationship when that person is dead.  

I also thoroughly enjoyed the beginning "and you can write the book" - the metaphor and theme is prevalent throughout the entire oneshot.  Dennis is writing the book, not that of Harry, but of Colin, of a boy whose memory lies in the hundreds of photographs.  Speaking of photographs, I thought that your description about them were amazing - Dennis spoke to the audience as if we could see the photographs, sitting in his living room as he reminiscences about his brother.  That particular technique is ingenious and effective - it is the icing on the cake.

I'm not quite sure what else I can say.  Usually I go on and on, but I'm so astounded by the talent you exhibit and the story itself.  I'm so glad that I decided to stop by.  I've found myself another story to add to my favorites (and an author to add to my favorites list!).

Splendidly done.

Shelby

Author Response

So. I'm going to do my best to restrain myself and /not/ come off as a complete idiot A;OIUGHJASN;JDJ

HAI SHELBY &hearts; I'm teh ^.^ I didn't know my name was popping up that often! But I'm a newer HPFF member, having joined the site last October. That's when I began writing fanfic seriously, I suppose.

And GAH this fabulous review. OK, where to begin. Aaaahhh I kinda secretly love it when someone compliments me on my description, because that does take some time to write and to think through. I understand what you mean when you said you don't like reading something about an "excess of nature and feelings and actions". It can quickly become purple prose and a little bit tedious if not done well. So I do try to make the descriptive bits in my stories as precise and as detailed as possible, and more importantly, relevant to the characterisation. But all that being said, this little fic of mine is not particularly well known for its descriptiveness, so I am a little surprised but grateful that you liked the descriptions!

Ooh, about mentioning Doris as a "Muggle" - you're quite right in thinking that the boys wouldn't be familiar with the word during that time. However, the entire story, is being narrated by Dennis, who's actually in a post-Hogwarts moment. So he's sort of looking back at the past and narrating bit by bit from the present. Which is why he tells some things but doesn't explain the rest. There actually is a sort of time frame in this piece :D Umm, apologies if that sounded a bit convoluted; it certainly is a lot easier writing it than explaining :P

Gaaah, I just loved how you described this story as "loving". My ego is honestly a hot air balloon right now and somebody needs to put a pin through me and bring me back to earth. But yes, Dennis &hearts; The Creevey brothers are not characters I particularly cared about during the books, but they are the sort of people I like to write - a bit odd, a bit embarrassing and a bit silly at times. But  I really did feel for Dennis when I began writing this. His voice was very clear in my head, and out of all the fics on my author page, this was one of the easiest to write; I didn't even plan it much.

Ahahaha, I'm not the first person to use this technique of speaking to the audience, and in fact, this story was greatly influenced by an OF short story I read a few years ago, as mentioned in the disclaimer :) That being said, I hope that I did put a bit of my own spin to it :D

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS FAWESOME FEXCELLENT SHMAZING REVIEW. And for favouriting alkjhp;fiaush. &hearts; &hearts;

-teh

REVIEW TAG! I'm so sorry for the wait to get this review! I had a client walk in right when I was starting my review. ugh.

I've been wanting to read more of your stuff for a while now, so review tag was a perfect reminder. And oh boy am I glad I chose this. This was such a heartbreaking but real one shot. There are things that will always make me sad no matter what. Like the Marauders death, Fred's death. but Colin's isn't one of them. I think it's incredibly sad and everything, but he's not one of those character I just instantly feel sad about reading a death story of theirs. So the fact that you broke me to pieces with this one shot means so much more.

I didn't get sad because his death makes me sad, it really doesn't do much other than make me go, awww... but I got sad because of how well you crafted this story. It's a perfect example of what a one-shot should be, and just tugs at every emotion I have. The way you told the story through other stories... through each photograph, was just outstanding.

Then on top of that, your ability to describe the photographs without feeling like you're describing them is just amazing. Focusing on things like the placement of his father in the pictures is just so creative.

I like that Doris came back! Dennis didn't know exactly why he wanted to go back to see the woman, he just wanted to and it felt like something he needed. But everything else around that section, his parents just deteriorating, his mother's inability to be around any of them... it was all just so painful. 

You have a really amazing writing style, m'dear. This piece was awesome, and I'm so happy I read it. 

Jami

Author Response

Jami &hearts;

Aww, thanks for this too amazing review! And don't worry about the wait!

I know what you mean about Colin's death in the books. The Marauders and Fred...well those were well-loved characters, characters that JKR had gone into some detail to develop and then to have their lives cut short like that was just terribly tragic :( But Colin...Colin wasn't as well-developed. He was always this annoying kid and when he died I only felt a small twinge at how young he was but I didn't get too teary like I did over the others. At least not until I started writing this story through Dennis' POV :)

Ah, can't say how much it means to me that you loved the style :D I'm glad it works!

Thanks so much again for this absolutely lovely review, Jami!

-teh

Hi Teh! living.free / Leslie here for the review exchange. I really enjoyed this and thought you captured the true extent of what it feels like being on the outside looking in while snapping pictures of what's happening before your eyes. A photographer really is the watcher, watching all these participants doing these things without actually participating in what they're doing himself.

Also, despite how little we know of Dennis, I though you provided just enough characterisation for us to really see what his character is like and how he felt about his brother. We already knew that Colin and Dennis were close based on the fact that they always seemed to spend their free time while at Hogwarts together so the fact that you wrote their relationship really shows that closeness that they had for one another. I also liked how you showed Dennis feeling isolated from everyone after Colin's death and you really did a great job showing his isolation with his recalling how he had felt taking that photo of the fireworks with his brother just barely in the shot, as if he was disconnected from everything and everyone else around him.

The only critique I have is from a sentence that was awkwardly worded: '...whenever anyone entered the room she was in she would throw up her arms...'. You don't need 'she was in,' so instead it would flow better as '...whenever anyone entered the room she would throw up her arms...'. Aside from that I didn't notice any other awkward sentences so I guess that just slipped by when you were editing. Anyway, excellent chapter, Teh, I really did enjoy it and will have to read more of your stories when I have more free time. (: 10/10

Author Response

Hello there Leslie! 

Thanks for your lovely review :) I'm so glad you enjoyed it; I'm quite happy with this little story myself. The Creevey brothers certainly are a sad story; they were such an odd, quirky and not exactly popular pair at Hogwarts. I'd even say that most people found them (especially Colin) pretty annoying :P

So for this fic I felt like giving both of them lives of their own, lives beyond their oddness, their silliness and everything. I don't know a whole lot about photography, but yes, I wanted there to be plenty of snapshots to capture the detail of life, to flesh out their missing lives a little bit more.

Thanks for pointing out that sentence! It certainly is clunky and I'll be fixing that :) Thank you once again for your review!

-teh

Tag!

I’ve never read any Colin centered stories which seems a little odd, considering I have soft spot for him, so I was glad that I could read this story :)

I thought that you captured Collin’s delight with the camera, excellently! The way he observed every piece of it, and saw it a much finer detail than everyone else, showed that he was a true photographer, and loved his art.

I was just wondering whether in this story Colin’s Irish? As only the Irish tend to say Mam, and the rest say Mum. It’s not a criticism, just me wondering really, as in my head Collin was English.

I really loved how Colin wanted to capture everything, not just the perfect moments. I guess it showed that he knew life wasn’t perfect, and that there were always blemishes in it.  This is sort of reflected in his death really, as it was cruel that he was taken at such a young age, but nothing’s perfect. 

You have a knack for including little details, which make the story so much more special. I think it was most effective when Dennis was talking about how he could only remember snapshots. I think it was the fact that you included those details into his snap shot memories, made it somehow more poignant, and memorable. It shows that while you think you’re focusing on the bigger picture, it’s the little things which stick in your mind. 

The way you dealt with Collin’s death brought tears to my eyes. Dennis seemed to be so blunt about it, and just the way he told Doris he was dead, and no further explanation. I thought it was great though, as it linked into the idea of Collin being a photographer, and his life ended as quickly, as photo is taken. The imagery you used to described his body, was so vivid, it will probably be stuck in my head all day, and make me cry!

I thought this was an amazing one-shot. It seemed to present so many new perspectives you never really think about. It also provoked so many emotions, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster throughout. I thought the choice of how to end it was great, as it was a relatively sorrowful one-shot, but you choose to end it when Collin was pure happiness. I thought it was good idea to do, as it showed that life isn’t just trials and tribulations, but happier moments to! A definite 10/10!

-Kiana :D

Author Response

Hiya Kiana!

Goodness, thanks for such a detailed review :D Aww...you've given me so so many compliments. I'm a little lost for words here! 

I'm so glad that you liked this story, that the details worked for you. There wasn't much of a plot; it's more of a snapshot...a moment in Dennis's life when he's looking at a bunch of old photos, and the story sort of moves through vertical time, er...sort of going deeper into the moment rather than forward...I know I'm probably not making sense here but it's 2am and bah! I'm getting incoherent.

I didn't want to use too much figurative language for the moment describing Colin's death - it's just supposed to be blunt and somewhat flat. And judging by your reaction and your comments, I think it might've sort of worked :)

Baha! I researched about the 'Mam' thing before I started writing...I know Seamus says "mam" but I didn't know anything about Colin. Somehow Google told me that Mam is used by people living in the north of the UK. So i just sort of thought, cool! The Creeveys are northerners! Well, you're probably right that they're actually English! I have never been to the UK or to Europe before :)

Anyway, thanks so much once again for this lovely review! It's completely made my night and I'm so glad you liked the story!

-teh

Review Tag!

Wow, this was amazing! Your descriptions were so intense and brilliant, they totally captivated me throughout. And OMG Colin and Dennis!! I just want to hug the two of them! You wrote this so well, really, I cant be coherent while writing this review! The ending is just so amazing and powerful too!! Merlin, this was just beautiful! I enjoyed this a lot and I have so many feels right now! asdfghjkl; 

Anyway, being a little coherent, I just wanted to say, I really loved this story. You wrote it wonderfully and I absolutely was enraptured while reading this amazing piece. You have portrayed Colin and Dennis really well, and in such a touching manner. The whole plot concept of taking pictures and such, was just expressed wonderfully. This flowed so smoothly too, and I was hooked. All in all, this is a masterpiece of writing!

Great job! 10/10

Cheers!
AD

Author Response

aklsjdhljkafs

Yes, POOR COLIN AND DENNIS :(

Oh thanks for this absolutely wonderful review! Your reviews are always so full of lovely compliments that I get a bit overwhelmed sometimes :DDD *teary* 

So happy you find the flow good :D So happy you liked this! Aah, I'm a bit incoherent myself...just...THANK YOU SO MUCH OMG.

&hearts; teh

It was beautiful. Thank you.

Author Response

No, thank YOU so much for reading and taking the time to review &hearts; I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

-teh

Tag!

Well, this was absolutely mind-blowing. What won me over was the end. This: "You’ll have to look a little closer to find him – but he’s there."

While I was releshing in you wonderful descriptions, something in the back of my mind was being all picky and kept nagging at me with "Where is this going? What are we seaching for in these memories?" And then that one sentence allowed everything to fall into place. We were looking for Collin, one of the most minor characters that, despite going practically unnoticed, still left a tiny yet meaningful rift in wizarding history.
I also loved how you concluded everything with fireworks. It reminded me of the ending of Blue Valentine - I don't know if you've seen the film, but the use of fireworks is very similar. There is something dangerous and exciting about lights exploding everywhere :P They symbolize both destruction and new beginnings, and are easily connected to war as well. It's a very subtle and clever analogy. 

Another of my favourite moments was how you described the parents' reaction when they found out. It's a situation that not everyone has experienced personally but has seen overdone in literature and film so many times, it takes some effort to let the individuals still shine through their grief. The way they rocked back and forth, while awkward - and possibly because of it -  was incredibly touching. 

Let's see...Oh yes, and I loved this sentence: "And there’s half our Dad over there – the margin of the print slices cleanly through his face and so he’s one-eyed, quarter-nosed, and with an unfinished smile." That, besides evoking a very vivid image, was a neat way to foreshadow the tragedy to come.

That said, I just couldn't get over your use of the word "folks"...I know it's kind of nitpicky, but I just can't see it fitting with the rest of the narration.There is something provincial about it that stands out. I'm not British, so I really don't know how widespread the use of the word is, but - ugh, ok, it's up to you, really :P

A few more things I found a BIT les perfect than the rest of the story was, first, the abundace of details. On the one hand, they do create some vivid magery that I enjoyed very much, but they were also a bit distracting. This mostly occured in the sea-side scenes. This sentence, for example: "During our stay there we’d always stop at the local takeaway for fish and chips, which came parcelled in newspaper, oily blotches soaking through the print." It's wonderfully descriptive, but I didn't find that it added anything towards moving the story forward. I'm not even sure what it depends on, actually.For exampe, when reading about Doris, I thought the tea-bags were a perfect touch, but couldn't say the same for the description of her arms and her knitting. I suppose what unites the details I found superfluous is their lack of interaction value. The diner and the knitting say alot about the places and people they describe, but not much about the relationship of the narrator and other characters to them. I hope that makes sense! Keep in mind, this is the most minor bit of CC in the world and it's really not important at all :P

Also, I found that Collin's memory of his coma was a bit of a strange addition. Staring at cracks in the ceiling is sort of a cliché, in my reading experience. Also wouldn't he have been more focused on the people around him? He seemed to have an endless amount of curiosity and awareness of people and, considering the unusual circumstances of that year, there would have been people fussing over him constantly, right?

Don't pay much attention to my CC, it's really the most insignificant of details. it's just that when I read something that is nearly perfect, I become more aware of places where I, personally, could imagine improvement. This was a wonderful piece of writing and I hope to read more of your work!

Cheers!

Author Response

Whiskey &hearts;

Ugh, sorry for taking twelve billion years to reply to your very lovely and incredibly detailed review! I have absolutely NO IDEA WHY you would give such a great review along with some very honest and thought-provoking concrit, only to end  it all with saying "don't pay attention to my CC..." -_-

I need the CC and I can't thank you enough for it :D

This is a fic I didn't plan too much at all. I borrowed the starting line from another story and just began writing :) I'm glad you liked the ending; that was one of the easiest parts of the story to write because it just came so naturally to me. 

It's so interesting to read your interpretation of the story. In my mind, as I was writing this, Dennis isn't actually searching for anything. He's just...feeling aimless and all, feels like he's stuck in some rubbish place and of course, his brother is dead and all. So he looks through his brother's stuff and photos without thinking he'll find much. But I like your interpretation of the fic! How Dennis might actually be searching actively for some hint of his brother, some fragment of him in the photos. It's a very logical interpretation, of course.

Glad you liked the way I showed the parents' grief. You're right about these sorts of things being overdone in films and books - there's always that danger of things become overly melodramatic. I'm so happy you thought I handled this well :)

As for the "folks" bit, I'm not British either :P I was intending for the Creeveys to be from the northern UK or somewhere...hence the way Dennis says "Mam". I don't know if people over there use the word "folks" or not :P I probably need the advice of some locals of that region!

Ah, yes the details. I know there are plenty of details, and not all of them relate well to each other. I did intend some of them to be random, things and images to leap around, like Dennis' attention is drawn to all sorts of the most trivial of all details. The Creevey brothers are indeed very observant, though Colin is fascinated by everything, Dennis just notices things with a certain distance and indifference (probably due to his present state). At least that's what I was trying to convey, don't know if I succeeded!

However, I do think you are right about the seaside scene. That bit is certainly out of proportion; it's much heavier on the detail and description compared to the other parts of the fic, and I have this nagging suspicion that it's because I was trying to fulfil the requirements of The Five Senses Challenge.

And yes, probably Colin's memory of being Petrified is a little out of place. I've always had the nagging suspicion that it wasn't supposed to be there, and I'm so glad you pointed this out :D You're a great detail-oriented reader! I will try to fix this bit a little. I don't think people would have really fussed a lot over him during his stint in the hospital wing. Colin was never a really popular kid :)

Thanks soso much for your review, Whiskey! It's been so helpful! And apologies once again for the huge delay in responding! 

-teh

AHHH!!! What are you doing to me? This is something i'm not sure i can put words to! BUT COLIN!! *squishes him and Dennis to pieces* I started loving his character in ToujoursPadfoot's story and this has just added to how cool the kid is.

Okay, i'm going to try and put some coherent thought to this review.  I really like the style you wrote this in. It seems almost innocent to start out with. Like something you'd hear a child saying when he's trying to explain how something works. I think it just makes the emotions, the intensity of the piece stand out that much more because it just shows how young some of these students were and yet they had to fight. 

I love the details you chose to share with us, whether it was the patterns and the colours on Doris' hands to the yellow bits after taking the pictures off. (that scene in particular was so emotionally charged, the way you use that 12+ word in that moment just seemed to really portray Dennis and how he was coping with all of it.) 

I almost started crying when you talked about him being petrified because i honestly hadn't thought about what it would be like for them. I don't know why because it seems like it would be something you'd think of but I hadn't. I suppose it really helped see Colin in a different light. You see him as someone who's gone through something, who isn't just someone who obsesses over Harry but a real, living human being. 

You characterization of them is great! Honestly, there are so many details in here that it's hard to pick out which ones i liked best but each one you included really helped portray them both in a really lovely way that gave them both so much flesh. Even though we never see Colin, we almost learn all about him through his photo's, these captured moments of time show who he was as a person. 

I've really enjoyed reading this and I honestly don't have anything to critique with it! It's just a wonderfully constructed story that you should be very proud of.

Author Response

Hello Zayne :D

My goodness, what is this amazing review you've given me!? THANK YOU :DDD And you don't know how incredibly happy I am to hear how this story has increased your love for poor Colin (and hopefully Dennis too!). And yes, gah! Loved Toujours Padfoot's 'Run' to pieces!

Oh, I'm so glad the style worked for you! I really wanted to capture Dennis' colloquial voice rather than have a more formal narration. 

Hmmm...several reviewers (including you) have mentioned how they never thought about Colin's Petrification incident. It really does show, then, that he is quite an overlooked character both in the novels and in fanfiction! And yes, making him human (and showing him through the eyes of someone close to him - Dennis) is what I've really tried to do in this story. 

All these little details, I think, make him more human and more real. I have this unpleasant feeling that after the final battle, Colin is hailed as a hero, put on a pedestal, everything...but people will never really know the real side of him - the side that makes him human. Hero is just not human enough for me :)

So yeah. That's what I tried to do. OK, my response is a little garbled! It's just that you gave me such an amazing review! 

Thank you so very much once again! And I'm so so happy you enjoyed this :D

-teh

hey im sorry i saw all ur other reviews and they were so so long! but sorry i cant currently write such a long review but i wanna say that ur story's a fab!! omg purely purely fantastic and well written loved it :)

keep on writing stories...
shinichi

Author Response

Hello! It's OK, you don't have to leave a long review! Just the fact that you've taken the time to read and leave a review is absolutely wonderful! Thank you so very much, and I'm so happy you enjoyed the story :)

-teh

Reviews (38 found)

JOIN HARRY POTTER FANFICTION