Review for Like Some Song You Can't Unlearn

Like Some Song You Can't Unlearn

(#) janeaverage 2007-03-05

Here from CaerAzkaban Y!Group, and I'm so pleased I bothered to read those messages this weekend. The whole time/dimension travelling/"redo" genre is one of my favorites, and this is a really original take on it. I hope I'm not reading too much into things when I say it looks like you have a lot of little subplots you're weaving together, and I'm looking forward to seeing where you take them. Ginny has intrigued me -- I'm debating with myself whether it's more likely that there's still some Tom in her, or the mess she's become is the result of others' reactions to the CoS incident (as coloured by the lack of Harry as scapegoat/savior/distraction/etc.)

I'm thrilled with the Narcissa dynamic also. Harry's, well, much smoother than canon, but not the god that fic often makes him out to be, and you've managed to keep him and her both grey, rather than going over the top on his descent into darkness or her "redemption." I was kind of ambivalent about her thoughts on Draco -- in canon, whatever else we may say about her, it's clear she loves her son. So I'm curious to see where you take that -- perhaps the lack of Harry-influence has changed their family dynamic enough that she's less attached to him, or maybe it's just that she hasn't realized how much he means to her in this dimension, since he's not exactly been placed in a life-or-death situation where she might lose him altogether.

And speaking of Draco... even aside from the HBP-plans, which may not be necessary since Lucius doesn't seem to have earned any "punishment," it'll be interesting to see how he handles dear Professor Harris, who killed his dad and is canoodling with his mum. I'm anticipating some interesting (though, since it's Draco, ultimately failed) revenge plots :)

In short: Fascinating, I can't wait to see what you do with it! :)

Author's response

Well thank you for your kind words. I'm not sure about interweaving too many subplots, there will be several but mostly straight lines I think. I'm Glad you're intrigued with Ginny, we will be finding out more about her in a couple of chapters. Harry has to deal with Luna first before he gets to her. As for Narcissa and her relationship with Draco. She thinks she keeps her life fairly compartmentalized. She is Draco's mother, as we saw at the station where she waved him off even though he wasn't looking. In fact, since the events at the DoM in this world still resulted in Voldemort being outed, Draco was once again given his two tasks... Oops, did I say two? Oh well. Narcissa's relationship with Harry is, in her mind at least, totally seperate and distinct from Draco. She is a senual creature with Harry and what she considers to be a nuturer with Draco. Now, does Draco seperate the two that way? I don't think so, he simply hates Harris for a different set of reasons than he hated Harry. BJH