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• The Real Epilogue

  (#) jbstarnes1 2007-08-31

  The lack of humanity is truly repellant. I can't tell who is more abhorrent, the 'heroes' or the 'villains.'
  
  I've noticed one of the strange dichotomies in all of the these stories is the criticism of Wizarding Britain as a hierachal, prejudiced, nearly fuedal society, and Harry's desire to either fix it or abandon it to its problems (like some little boy who, not getting his own way, is going to take his toys and go home), while at the same time efforts are made to make him a genuine aristrocrat complete with vassals and often concubines. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. It's good thing he's not also the handsomest, richest, most powerful wizard in the world or he'd start turning into one of those characters from George Elliot's Silly Novels by Silly Women Novelists.
  
  I was no particular fan of Deathly Hallows or its epilogue, but if this is the 'real' epilogue, I'll take the crap one. At least it had a couple of actual human beings in it, instead of a load of unbelievable screaming motherfuckers.
  
  Now I have to go and wash my eyes out with soap after having read this.

  Author's response

  Well, if you think unthinking bigots who fail to learn any lessons from the horrors of war and therefore try to make things at least a little better using the system as found are 'actual human beings', well, that's sad.
  
  "T"

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) Meteoricshipyards 2007-08-31

  Much better than JKRs epilog. Like the reason for "albus severus." Thanks for the "fix."
  
  Tom A.

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) BenRG 2007-08-31

  Well, that was an unexpected ending. Although I really can't see Hermione turning out to be an agressive dominating woman (in terms of controlling others), it is not out of character given her bossy "I know best" attitude.
  
  Ginny was the only one really OOC as far as I can tell. It really doesn't seem to match her personality for her to submit so totally to humiliation, even if it means getting Harry.
  
  Overall, a more adult view of what would happen at the end of the tale. Certainly worth the read.
  
  BenRG's Rating: 7/10

  Author's response

  I agree that, of course, this Ginny is 'different', but really, canon!Ginny is (in my view) very much a cipher, who changes as needed. So I just changed her in a way I wanted, just like Rowling.
  
  "T"

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) brad 2007-09-01

  An entertaining story, although I was taken unawares - and a bit squicked by - the explicit sex stuff in chapter 2 and/or 3. Always a risk in one of your stories I guess.
  
  I'm a little ... put off ... by the ending you've presented here. The characters all seem rather 'detached'. Unlovable. You've got Harry believing that he loves Hermione, but he's only with her for a few weeks a year. Hermione herself is a bossy, dominating woman whose nature precludes a long-term loving relationship. Ginny is a submissive little girl, still operating in 'crush mode', and Luna has only an 'intermittent, long-term' affair with Harry.
  
  Definitely not the sort of 'happily ever after' ending that I would have preferred! Although probably still better, in my eyes, than JKR's version. A pity, maybe, that you didn't have Harry and Hermione set up a home somewhere, with Ginny stashed away in her own wing, largely out of sight. If Hermione was such a bossy-boots that Harry could only stand being with her for four weeks a year as an adult, how was it that they were such good friends for seven years at Hogwarts? Ah well. You do have Harry ruminate that 'over the years her need to dominate had become so pronounced'. Which brings her back to my 'unlovable' denouncement before. :-(
  
  Interesting little internal mental tussle you had with Ron ... 'he could not conceive of true self-sacrifice'.
  
  'Albus Serverus' -- Poor kid. Amen!! A horrible, unbelievable ending to the series.
  
  And you ended with 'scar'! Well done!

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) BJH 2007-09-04

  You know something? I've been mulling over this story for a bit now, since you posted the final bit actually. And I just can't decide how I feel about it. In the end no one gets what they really want but everyone gets something and they accept it. They make the best of what they have and find happiness where they can.
  
  I guess in the end that's all any of us can hope for.
  
  BJH

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) Roo 2007-09-11

  ... okay. I read the entire story, and...
  
  ...I'm just so disappointed. As I said in my review for the first chapter, you have a solid writing style, interesting ideas and a good grasp on dialogue.
  
  This could have been an interesting alternate take on the epilogue, and with interesting commentaries on the wizarding world and inter-species relationships (there are certainly some hints of it here), but it all drowns in the fact that this story feels basically like a big hate-letter to Dumbledore, Ginny and Ron (and to a lesser extent, Percy).
  
  The "bonding" thing makes absolutely no sense, and seems to be done purely to paint those three characters in a bad light.
  
  Harry isn't even remotely IC, and seems to be not so much a character as an "author's mouthpiece," a role that is shared (though less obviously so) by Hermione and Luna... with the result that this is one of the few stories I've ever read where I actually dislike Luna (usually one of my favorite characters). All three characters come across as colossal selfish jerks, and none of the other characters ever call them on it because apparently they're "right."
  
  As for "concubines" -- servile concubinage went out with the Romans in Britain. I know the wizarding world is old-fashioned and backwards in many ways, but I really don't believe that it would, in the 1990s, condone the kind of bonding you describe here as legal or even morally acceptable. Hell, I'm the first to admit that the wizarding world of the books is bigoted, unfair and rotten to the core, but even I think this is a huge stretch. In trying to "fix" things you have created a situation, and characters, that are ten times as despicable.
  
  No matter what I might have thought about the actual epilogue, this was not an improvement.
  
  I honestly think you're a better writer than this.

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) Crys 2007-09-29

  Hmm. Very entertaining attempt at a coda that makes the "19 years later" palatable. I may disagree with a few points of that (swinger!Harry) but overall it makes sense.
  
  Especially liked how Albus Severus was named.
  
  Thanks for sharing all of your great stories with us masses.

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) Crys 2007-09-29

  Hmm. Very entertaining attempt at a coda that makes the "19 years later" palatable. I may disagree with a few points of that (swinger!Harry) but overall it makes sense.
  
  Especially liked how Albus Severus was named.
  
  Thanks for sharing all of your great stories with us masses.

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) dexterz 2007-11-18

  i don't think anyone would name their kid after people who destroyed your life would they?? btw a very nice take on the epilogue or as i have come to call it crapilogue...R/Hr is one thing that can happen when hell freezes over ...the same about H/G ...canon could've been better...4 excellent books followed by 3 books which seem to be written by a 12 year old on high

• The Real Epilogue

  (#) dennisud 2008-01-16

  Well... he got them all this time, and to me plausible given the British Wizarding view of things. ya know as he was 'both' lord Potter AND Lord black he could have had Luna as Mr.s Lovegood-Black!
  
  Maybe thi can get you to write one with Harry with 'just' Hermione and Luna!
  
  dennisud

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