DanAngelus
Monday 4th January 2016 07:17 | These Cuts I Have |
Another brilliant chapter, great work! I love the way the characters are developing and working through their issues, each in their own way.
I've been waiting for this part with Harry for a while. I'm glad he has finally had this breakthrough. I felt like he was aware of the mistreatment he received from the Dursleys but maybe just not how bad things really were or how they were supposed to / should be with a loving family. He obviously never really allowed his emotions to surface regarding the situation until now... Shame he didn't just burn the place down (but of course that's not Harry's way)! |
tsujton
Tuesday 24th November 2015 15:59 | These Cuts I Have |
| Brava. |
RSS
Tuesday 22nd September 2015 01:20 | These Cuts I Have |
I really loved this scene. I am so fond of your characterization of Ginny and Harry post war. I have always liked/loved the troubled, dark, young man that you portray here..that I had always imagined Harry would be after the end. And Ginny is just perfect in what she says, how she is, in the way she is there for him with everything she can muster. At sixteen, she is wise and strong beyond her years. i just love them both! I am sorry Harry is having to go through so much, and re-live so many bad memories but I am glad he is finally able to see his childhood in the same light as everyone else. Now he can hopefully heal, and move on. And I am so glad he finally shared the truth he was holding back with Ginny.
It took me awhile to get down to reading, but I am all caught up at this point. I just wanted to say that I am enjoying this story very much and look forward to your next installment! |
antosha
Monday 21st September 2015 13:32 | These Cuts I Have |
Do you know, the image of Harry having to go back to the Cupboard Under the Stairs has always haunted me. Thank you for letting him acknowledge his rage. (And thank you, Arthur, for naming the truth. And also Ginny, for neither running away nor making it better.)
Whew. Glad that's over. :-)
I wonder if this Harry ever feels the need to confront or reconnect with the Dursleys. Hmm. |
antosha
Monday 21st September 2015 07:52 | These Cuts I Have |
Do you know, the image of Harry having to go back to the Cupboard Under the Stairs has always haunted me. Thank you for letting him acknowledge his rage. (And thank you, Arthur, for naming the truth. And also Ginny, for neither running away nor making it better.)
Whew. Glad that's over. :-)
I wonder if this Harry ever feels the need to confront or reconnect with the Dursleys. Hmm. |
kopfsalat2000
Saturday 19th September 2015 21:38 | These Cuts I Have |
| Great chapter! |
Felix Felicis
Friday 18th September 2015 23:50 | These Cuts I Have |
First let me apologize for appearing to be gone for so long. Believe me, I've been following your story every week but life's been so busy lately that most of my reading has been at odd times and usually on my phone. Somehow I felt it would be worse to leave half a sentence as a review than none at all but now I regret that. So this is for all the chapters I didn't comment on: They've been excellent!
Wow for this chapter! I love to see the progression in character. Harry's clearly had a breakthrough here and I think you handled it truthfully and carefully. It felt so real, his pain just radiated from the page. And what might have happened if Ginny hadn't gone back to the Dursley's with him?!? It's been a while since I read some of the earlier books that his going back to the house and reliving the memories, combined with Ginny's first exposure to it, it felt so awfully, painfully real and new, just as it would have to Ginny. This part was so hard and yet so carefully, almost lovingly, written. I appreciate your style with every new chapter! I hope Ginny has a clue how important she is and the difference she makes in Harry's life. She has saved his life and may perhaps never really understand just how critical her part was. Your writing of Harry is just spot on!
I love seeing Ron mature! He did mature in the books (though was always mistreated in the movies) but you've taken it to a whole new level which is just how I think he would have turned out. He's a man now and is starting to take on emotional responsibility, not just for himself, which would show some growth, but for those around him, which shows remarkable growth and self-assurance. He now really understands what it means to love your friends and sacrifice yourself for them. I love the person he's become and couldn't imagine him being anyone else. You've done an extraordinary job molding him and revealing him. This is perhaps the best version of Ron I've ever read!
Hermione is growing too, though she's in a unique position of being one of the last to have to deal with issues in her life so she's been focused a lot on those, appropriately. That she has come to terms with her new life, role, and family changes reveals a lot about her new state of maturity. I feel sorry for her but I don't think she would want me to. She's not so carefree as she was while in school... no, carefree isn't the right word. Maybe internally focused. In school she put so much effort into her work that it defined her in most ways. Now she's becoming an adult woman and is defined in so many other, mostly new and more important ways, that we get to see her in a new light. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow!
Thanks to Mr. Weasley for coming by and talking to George. I hope he can move to the next stage. Maybe it'll truly happen with help from his friends and family!
This was such a fantastic chapter, a turning point for all of them. I'm so exited to read more and will strive to keep up with reviews going forward. I remember how hungry I was for reviews back when I was writing so I'll do my best Thank you for sharing your gift of writing with us all. |
Arnel
Wednesday 16th September 2015 13:39 | These Cuts I Have |
Oh, Melinda, I can see why this whole chapter would be the catalyst for the rest of the story. Not only is Harry grieving for those he's lost (as is everyone else in this story), he's grieving for his lost childhood, the happy time growing up he never had because the people he lived with treated him so abominably. I'm so glad Ginny wanted to go with him to Privet Drive and not Ron and Hermione. As much as Ron and Hermione would be supportive, their particular brand of badgering or endless questions would just force what Harry needs to get out deeper into his subconscious. Instead, Ginny's proved once again that she understands Harry's thinking and that all it took for him to finally talk about his life before Hogwarts and his realization that he was the seventh Horcrux was a simple walk through a house he hates. I had to smile when Ginny decided to leave the mess Harry made. A little vengeance will make Harry's point rather well.
Ron did quite well with Harry the morning after he and George over-imbibed. I really liked how he quietly took care of Harry as if he understood how he was feeling. I hope Hermione is proud of Ron since he did exactly as she asked.
Finally, Arthur's leading question about abuse certainly must have been at the back of Harry's mind as he was going through the Dursley's house. While he's so quick to deny he was abused, his reaction to seeing the house certainly says otherwise. I hope it's Harry's turn to heal now. |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 23:01 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
Squeeee! I can't even tell you how happy I was to see your name, Arnel! You always give such detailed feedback, and it helps to know what works and what doesn't - so thank you very much!
I agree that Harry needed Ginny here. Ron and Hermione will support him, but they expect him to be the strong one, and I think Harry just needed to let go. Ginny allows him to that.
You're right about Arthur's question weighing heavily on Harry's mind. You'll see a bit more of that in the next chapter when Harry and Ginny talk. |
cutgril
Wednesday 16th September 2015 12:29 | These Cuts I Have |
| I loved this chapter! It was perfect. Harry really needed to get it all off his chest. I felt like now, he could finally start healing! Great job Melinda! |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 22:55 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| Thanks very much. You're right - now the healing can begin. |
Bagelz
Wednesday 16th September 2015 10:28 | These Cuts I Have |
| Fantastic! |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:09 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| Thank you! |
wluer96
Wednesday 16th September 2015 05:03 | These Cuts I Have |
| That was incredible. Definitely worth waiting for. No one could go through what Harry went through and NOT have a moment like this. Beautifully done. Thank you. |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:09 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| Thanks very much. I've been building that breakdown for a long time, so I'm really pleased its connecting with people. |
Author by Night
Tuesday 15th September 2015 23:17 | These Cuts I Have |
My thoughts?
Well, first, my heart breaks for Harry. Your writing of Ginny discovering the cupboard under the stairs was amazing - she's so innocently curious about it, but of course I realized exactly what she'd found.
And Ginny reminding Harry (once again) that she's also felt violated was very poignant, and I believed it. In fact, I think that's precisely why Harry and Ginny work so well together, and something I wish we'd seen just a little more in the books. I love Ron and Hermione dearly, and of course Harry does as well, but it's these moments that Harry needs Ginny. You have them witness some of his grief towards the end, though, which I think was very well done - they needed to see it, as his dearest friends, but like I said, Ginny was the one who had to do the comforting.
In other words, the last bit of this chapter was exactly why I love Harry/Ginny in the books. So thank you.
(I don't blame you for needing wine after writing it, though!) |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:08 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| Wow! Double dose - thanks much! |
dancingwitch
Tuesday 15th September 2015 22:22 | These Cuts I Have |
| FINALLY!! It's out...I never thought of that after reading DH but now I believe if JKR would have to write another Epiloge following the battle it HAS to be THIS way. I mean, to have a piece of soul of somebody else in you, it really must feel like violation or rape. And only Ginny could understand him in this way and that is the reason why they are meant to be togheter. That was really great work and you really deserve a drink... |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:07 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| The idea creeped me out, so I wondered how Harry would feel. I mean, it's a disturbing concept. Oh, and by the way, I had more than one drink when it was finished! |
mightyflye
Tuesday 15th September 2015 17:10 | These Cuts I Have |
| Outstanding. Simply outstanding. Harry has been through a lot in his life. You made him human. The unraveling (great chapter title) was inevitable, in the web you have weaved. What you did here was brilliant. You incorporated Harry's horrible past, with the issues that he has needed to deal with, regarding his battle with Voldemort, and the being the unexpected Horcrux. I hardly ever comment on a story (you've done a wonderful job with characterization in the whole epic, BTW), but this was a magnificent way to deal with the issues that Harry must go through. I look forward to the next chapter (or two or twenty-seven). Bravo!! |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:06 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
| Oh, thanks so much! I'm really honored that you left a comment if you usually don't. It always inspires me to write more when I know people are enjoying what I have to say. |
Author by Night
Tuesday 15th September 2015 13:18 | These Cuts I Have |
My thoughts?
Well, first, my heart breaks for Harry. Your writing of Ginny discovering the cupboard under the stairs was amazing - she's so innocently curious about it, but of course I realized exactly what she'd found.
And Ginny reminding Harry (once again) that she's also felt violated was very poignant, and I believed it. In fact, I think that's precisely why Harry and Ginny work so well together, and something I wish we'd seen just a little more in the books. I love Ron and Hermione dearly, and of course Harry does as well, but it's these moments that Harry needs Ginny. You have them witness some of his grief towards the end, though, which I think was very well done - they needed to see it, as his dearest friends, but like I said, Ginny was the one who had to do the comforting.
In other words, the last bit of this chapter was exactly why I love Harry/Ginny in the books. So thank you.
(I don't blame you for needing wine after writing it, though!) |
| Wednesday 16th September 2015 11:04 | These Cuts I Have (Author Response) |
Well thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I really do appreciate it.
When I started writing this story, the first image of a scene that came to me was Harry finally unloading back in his cupboard, and the rest of the fic evolved from there. I'm with you - I think H/G just work because they can relate to each other in a way no one else can. Well, that and I really think they turn each other on, lol! |
