Before I get into my review properly, I have two nit-picky things that always bother me because fan fiction writers always ignore. First Rowling does not capitalize the words house-elf and she always hyphenates the term; she's telling what species of elf when she hyphenates the name. Second, please check the first few paragraphs of chapter 12 of Chamber of Secrets for the description of Dumbledore's office. You'll find that it says the office is round rather than rectangular.

I loved how Remus-centric the first part of this chapter is. It seems he's a key to the well-being of more than one person, i.e. Sirius and Tonks. I know another author who has given Remus the important job of keeping Sirius from turning into the lonely, morose man he is in Order of the Phoenix and you're doing just as good a job as she in pointing out all the reasons why Sirius needs Remus at Grimmauld Place when Harry is not. You're also showing how Remus' relationship with Tonks is helping all three men with her sunny disposition, willingness to help even when kept in the dark about things and providing love and support for all three in the individual ways each needs. It made me grin when you made her Harry's unofficial big sister!

Finally, I love the section with the meeting in Dumbledore's office and the subsequent search of the castle. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Sirius revealed the Marauder's Map and you zeroed in on Professor McGonagall's play of expressions. While the map is very helpful in the search for the Horcrux, I'm wondering what she will do with that knowledge during the next school year. No matter what, it looks like the group is getting close to finding the Room of Hidden Things...which is a good thing.

Keep up the good work. I'm enjoying this story immensely.

Author's Response: Went back through and updated house-elf in my docs, and I'll check back on the office shape in the other parts of the fic. Tonks is a fantastic character who I wish we'd known better in canon, so I'm glad to get the opportunity here to see her shine. I had a good time writing the part in Dumbledore's office, so I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting!