Settle in, this is going to be a long review.
I have just spent the last week reading the entire story, and I have to say it is one of the best older Harry/Sirius stories that I have ever read. You clearly have experience with emotionally and psychologically damaged people (I know you're a Special Ed teacher, but it's more than that). The care you bring to these two primary characters.

I love that your Sirius has grown past his anger/frustration/recklessness of the books into a man who not only strives to be the best guardian he can be for Harry, but who has learned that while he doesn't want to emulate his upbringing and parents, there are benefits of being rich, knowledgeable and a pure-blood wizard right now. You've made him much more than the goofball, womanizing, pain in the arse most stories make him out to be.

As for Harry, he is so meticulously crafted that I feel like I could sit down to coffee with him. The demons he battles are so overwhelming -- my heart breaks for him. However, he's learning not to be a sacrificial lamb, which always bothered me about canon. Is it responsible for the adults around him to let me go on being little more than a doormat with the ability to self-sacrifice? This young man is smart, able and beginning to see that he is more than just someone who needs to battle Voldemort. I know you're sticking with his wanting to be an Auror, but the young man you're creating feels like a natural teacher. (I know my passion for teaching was in me from the time I was small, I bet it was the same with you.) I would love to see him study and then give to the next generation.

Thank you too for making his relationship with Ginny more than her hero-worship and his desperation to be loved. They work together because so much goes unspoken between them. It's a well written first love. I also believe you can meet your forever person while young. My husband and I met at ages 16 & 18.

Also, I have to thank you for letting me use Meridee's law in my story, I can only hope I gave your idea justice.

Brava,
MNF

Author's Response: Thank you! Sorry it's taken me so long to respond; I've not had much opportunity for fanfic with the challenges of work and school I'm currently facing. Experience with emotionally and psychologically damaged people... for one, I do, and not just as a Special Ed teacher, but as a friend who has been trusted with the knowledge of burdens carried by those who have been deeply hurt. And more than just experience with people is personal experience as someone who has been through trauma. Writing is my way of processing what I've been entrusted with as well as what I have personally suffered. It warms my heart to see that acknowledged. Sirius is such a complex character, and I love exploring that. To be honest, there was some inspiration drawn from Breanie's story "A Second Chance" in Sirius wanting to do and be more while still being a funny bloke, and I hope I continue to do him justice. And Harry... oh man, he has absolutely been through so much, and there's more to come his way, but I wanted to see him learn how to stand on his own two feet, and he's definitely beginning to see his worth beyond the prophecy. He's still going to struggle with that burden, which means more angst and much-needed conversations are on the way, but it's all worth it to see him being his own person in the face of Dumbledore's plans and what lies ahead (sorry, it's going to be utterly heart-breaking in about 15 chapters when we start hitting the climax of the story). It took me some time to fully understand my own passion for teaching and hone it to the specific area I'm in now, and that's actually more of the long-term plan for Harry. I was hyper-focused on a different career until I graduated from high school, and then I waffled for some time before understanding that it was teaching I really wanted. I love Harry and Ginny's relationship, and I'm so glad you're enjoying it, too! I met my husband when I was 20, but his twin brother and his wife were high school sweethearts and have fought through so many challenges to still be together after 13 years of marriage and 3 years of dating before that. Lastly, you are so welcome about the use of Meridee's law in your story. When I'm not so swamped with life, I plan to sit down and read it. Thank you so much for your incredible review!

Oh, I knew what I wanted to say about this chapter, but that end scene just chased everything else out of my head. I LOVE Harry and Ron bonding, and Ron was so good here. Of course Harry is worried, and I loved that it was Ron who talked him down. Really great scene!

I'm worried what Hermione is looking up regarding Memory charms. Is it just about her parents, or is she considering wiping any of the groups memories if they can't keep quiet? Hermione has been sneaky like that before.

And Sirius destroyed another one. I liked how he and Bill maneuvered the Goblins to get to it.

I don't think Luna is a very good teacher. Like her or not, she can't use her oddball ideas for comparison if no one knows what she's talking about in order to make the comparison. That's not teaching them anything.

Author's Response: I thought of you when I was writing that final scene, actually, because I know how much you love those bonding moments between the boys. Hermione... I'm not gonna say anything on that. You'll just have to wait and see what happens. Sirius and Bill outmaneuvering the goblins was something I chuckled about while writing. I'm curious to see if anyone can guess who will destroy the remaining Horcruxes? I've got it all planned out, and I'm pretty excited about it. As for Luna, she's... yeah. Her role should be more of facilitating than teaching, but moments like this will crop up because of her odd beliefs. I'm still trying to figure out how that plays out in future chapters (thank goodness I have a gap between what I've posted and what I'm working on!). Thank you for the review!

Thanks for letting your readers know what's going on in the real world for you. I believe you all other teachers are truly courageous Gryffindors to brave the uncertainty of the upcoming school year.

I'll start my review by saying that you write Professor McGonagall especially well. You had her observe, but not interfere when Harry stepped in to mediate Luna's group and it made me grin when she awarded him five point for a job well done.

However, I think it's the combined efforts of Ron, Ginny and Hermione to remind Harry that Voldemort lies, Harry is not alone and that he's loved... and just might have a future beyond the prophecy. It was nice of Ron to have a brother to brother talk with Harry. I think that will have more lasting results than anything else, barring Ginny's particular brand of "magic" with Harry, of course.

Well done!

Author's Response: There is a lot of uncertainty for sure. I can only hope it doesn't end in disaster. The president of my teacher union shared with the district that back during the flu of 1918, children stopped going to school and didn't go back until 1921. Three years! Can you imagine? I hope it isn't like that this time, but who knows? Anyway, I love Professor McGonagall, and I'm glad you saw and appreciated her role in that D.A. meeting as Harry mediated Luna's group. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione are instrumental in Harry's recovery without a doubt, but also in giving him hope in a future beyond the prophecy as you stated. He needs those reminders. I think for all of Harry's sass, people can forget that he's also quite self-deprecating and struggles with suicidal ideation (something I have experience with, unfortunately) because he keeps his emotions on such a tight lockdown. It's been important for me to have his friends really break through those emotional barriers so he can really heal. Ron's talk with Harry was also super important to me, and I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you!