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Review:Debra20 says:
First of all thank you so much for entering my challenge. It means a lot to me. It's the first one I've been able to fully follow through despite having some real life difficulties here and there.

On a general note, I simply loved reading your entry. The flow was just spectacular. Everything fitted with how I imagined Neville's life to have been after the war (well more or less, because you never imagine things exactly the same as someone else). In your story it's only been a year since the Final Battle took place, so it's only natural for him to experience all those feelings. His turmoil felt so real, so alive, as if it had a life of it's own. A will of it's own, torturing Neville endlessly. As if what he had lived wasn't enough.

Your story is the first I read that tried to enter Neville's mind post the Second War. I especially congratulate you for keeping him very in character (at least in my opinion). This is one of the most important aspect for me when reading a story. I may suck at grammar and all the writing mechanics but I usually have a feel for characters (which is usually spot on) and it's very difficult for me to read stories that change the feel I have for a character just to fit a certain plot.

As off as this might sound, I am very pleased that Neville didn't change his mind about Snape so quick. I have a feeling you left that possibility open ("Neville Longbottom would heal eventually, the way all battle scars did") but as he said he was there when Snape stood idly to the horrors the Carrow's ensued at Hogwarts. And not only that, but Snape has been psychologically terrorizing Neville since day one in school. It wouldn't have been very believable if he would have managed to forgive him so fast.

Your story is pure feeling. I can empathize with Neville so much, but can't help feeling sorry for Snape. He has lived his life as a hero from the shadows and even after his death the scars he has left in people, even if for the greater good, are too deep to heal.

I'm very happy to have had you aboard on my challenge and very happy that my idea was food for your thought. I know you love Snape and as a fellow Snape lover I am very grateful to have partaken in your creativity process involving my favourite character :)

Author's Response: Thanks for issuing such a great challenge! I love Snape so it was really interesting to explore his character through the eyes of someone who maybe wasn't as fond of him as I am.

So actually, in my story it's only been a month, not a year, so the happenings are very fresh and recent and I'm sure that Neville would have difficulty with the PTSD kind of stuff. And I'm sure he would have had a very difficult time with this kind of thing, you know, trying to return to an everyday, normal life.

Keeping Neville in character was one of my biggest worries to be honest with you because he tends to be a very light hearted character and it was difficult to balance that and really see the inner workings of his mind, which must be so very tortured so soon after the battle.

Yeah I don't know that Neville would ever be able to fully forgive Snape for everything that happened to him, both the mental turmoil which Snape did knowingly and for pleasure while he was younger, and also the things that he let happen under his tenure as headmaster, whether or not he was ok with them. i think Neville would have to deal with that for a long time in the future.

I'm so glad that you liked my story and I had a great time writing it for you challenge. thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :)

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