Reading this in 2020, seven years after it was posted. Well written but an eerie read...

This is the second time I've read this story, and although the first is pretty much just a faded memory now, I know that the impression of excellence is the same. Thank you so much for this creative, tragic, and hopeful story!

Very, very good story. Extremely well written.

This seriously needs more reviews. It really is fantastic

Isn't it the Firth of Forth?

I really enjoyed this.

Damn... Hermione will definitely get blisters turning that enough times to get back far enough. That being said, I don't usually ship Dramione, but your fic is beautifully written, as well as in-character, so perhaps I'll delve more into that pairing :). I have to be honest- even though it explained the story, I found the history bit quite dry- but overall a good fic. I wonder how it'll go between them this time...

I really like time turners. Wonderful job with this one.

Okay, here's the thing. I'm totally a Romione girl. Always have been, always will be. That said, I've always had a soft spot for Dramione. (Not sure if I'm allowed to ship both, but I'm a rebel. Sue me. :p) The problem is, roughly 90% of Dramione fics I come across have some sort of Ron-bashing thrown in as a method of justifying the Dramione pairing. So the first thing I'd like to applaud you for is not doing that. Thank you for not ignoring the fact that Ron and Hermione were friends, and -whoa!- are actually still friends! It's refreshing to see that in a Dramione fic for a change.

Considering the pairing isn't canon, you still did a great job keeping everyone in-character. Draco in particular I found to be very convincing. He's no Prince Charming, and a lot of Dramione writers tend to forget that. Even his change of heart post-war wouldn't (and shouldn't) completely alter who is is at the core. I really enjoyed that while you did mature him, you still kept his cynicism and snark.

The historical references are wonderful. You obviously did a lot of research, and I really appreciate when an author takes the time to make things as accurate as possible in a story. This isn't done nearly enough in fan fiction, I'm afraid, so definitely keep this up in future writing. It makes the story a million times more believable.

Another thing I really liked was the fact that while this was a story about a pairing, the pairing didn't dominate the story... if that makes sense? The romance was something that /added/ to the plot rather than consumed it. Draco and Hermione were still their own people and weren't completely dependent upon one another; the fact that they were together was an added bonus.

Overall, this was an intriguing, original story that I enjoyed immesely. Thank you so very much for sharing it with us in the Showcase! :D

This was rather interesting. The idea of a curse that powerful is cool. I like how you dealt with it. I have to admit that I think the section where it was set in the past was a little unnecessary, but it would've been better placed at the beginning of your story. Having a section like that in the middle of the chapter disrupted the flow and I spent most of the section trying to figure out if I was reading the right story.

I was also confused by the ending. Hermione managed to go back. Did she manage to save everything?

But I really liked your characterization of Hermione. And her parents were really lovely. I loved how you incorporated them into the story.

Overall, nicely done.

I must say, before anything else, that I picked this story because of the pairing – I am a Draco/Hermione fan through and through! So I read all of it. I’ve always enjoyed stories which explore Draco’s good side, however deep it may be buried, because it’s definitely there. In the beginning you gave a short but meaningful insight into that – his ‘abhorrence to needless loss of life’, as part of his ultimately sensitive nature. Yep, I totally agree, he is a mostly misunderstood character – just like you mentioned.

The association between the wizarding world and the ancient history in chapter 1 is really original, especially with referring to the expansion of the Roman Empire. I see you inserted some real historical characters into that – such as Scipio and Hasdrubal – kudos for that, it definitely gives the story a vibe of ‘authenticity’ and makes the plot more ‘plausible’ and logical. I also like how the whole action (Aulus’ attack on what was left of Carthage) is described, quite vividly, with plenty of detail and you clearly did your homework on Roman tactics ;) As the whole plot gradually revealed itself along the unwinding of history, one can see it’s very well thought of!

I like the resemblance you pointed in chapter 2 between Harry and Dumbledore, I really think it’s fitting and they were alike, yes, sharing the same resignation and the same “what must be done must be done” attitude in a (very slightly) exasperating manner…:)

Hermione’s visit to Edinburgh is sort of heartbreaking, at least in my opinion. It’s very sad to see her – still a young woman who would otherwise have had her whole life ahead of her – remembering her good times like a person who has lived a lifetime.

“It turned out that knowing it was inevitable was quite different to the reality of it” – so true!
Oh wow! I never anticipated the Time-Turner twist, excellent! (I had completely forgotten about it from the books). And the last chapter made me smile, they were back to square one, so to say, but things were full of hope now. All in all, a lovely story, very well and maturely written, I enjoyed all of it! Great job!

And there it is-success but with the same frustrating lack of details that would so have annoyed Hermione :) I like how you left the ending open as to how their friendship/relationship develops.

A wonderfully creative and imaginative story, well-executed-thanks for including it in the Showcase!

I really, really liked Hermione and Draco's goodbye; despite very little in this story on their relationship, it feels dramatic and epic and /real/. I also loved Hermione's characterization here: her determination, her realism, the traces of grim humor, the way she makes time for her parents even though they're not really what she's focused on, the way she plunged herself into this project completely although the results could be disastrous, both globally and personally. That "throw caution to the winds for a worthy cause" is the most Gryffindor thing about her.

But I'm a little worried about what it means that she doesn't remember seeing her future self ... is that good or bad?

I loved the conversation between Hermione and Harry-so beautifully in character for both of them, both Harry's stoic pragmatism and Hermione's stubborn refusal to give up. I also appreciated the scene between her and Ron, as I think it's important not to disregard their childhood friendship even when people pair them with someone else later. I must admit, Lucius's noble gesture to die alone surprised me a bit, but now I'm really curious as to what the bees have prompted Hermione to do. Losing her mind won't be quite like anyone else losing theirs...

Wow, what an intriguing start! You've obviously done a lot of research and even more creative thinking to set up the plot, and I'm interested to see where you go with it.