for Unforgivable Curses8/23/2023 c7 
1Cosmic Skygate
I really like this portrayal of Hermione's feelings for Antonin. Even though she feels something, she doesn't simply trust him right away and still lets her mind guide her, and is sensible enough to realize that even if he's crushing on her - which he does, but to her so far it's still a guess - that alone isn't a good reason to trust him since he also expressed feelings for Bellatrix. Which starts giving us more insight into Antonin's backstory, certainly an interesting point.
Yeah, the big bads often abuse their minions and then it's no wonder that they will turn against them. Thought it can be also be seen that Antonin's turn wasn't entirely out of being mistreated, but on principles, since he hates the ministry for how they employed dementors, he can't stand the fact that Voldemort is doing the very same thing, which comes as a shock only to Antonin.
I liked the comparisons between Cyrus and Hermione too. I'm pretty sure Cyrus must have been a great student, top of his class, like Hermione is. Cyrus is just more cunning, Slytherin-like, looking out for himself (and his family) first, but clearly not in an evil way.
About the favor of finding out about Horcruxes from the Dark Lord himself, it's pretty clear that Hermione considers it tabled, but Antonin doesn't, and we surely are going to get a big payoff later.
Cyrus definitely is not aware of how "comfortable" Astoria made Ron feel lmao
The ending cutting short the talk about the Imperius Curse and the beginning about what kind of spells Cyrus is into tie in perfectly.
And the cliffhanger is a great set up for us to think Harry, Ron and the others will find Antonin and Hermione in a very embarassing situation in the library.
1Cosmic SkygateI really like this portrayal of Hermione's feelings for Antonin. Even though she feels something, she doesn't simply trust him right away and still lets her mind guide her, and is sensible enough to realize that even if he's crushing on her - which he does, but to her so far it's still a guess - that alone isn't a good reason to trust him since he also expressed feelings for Bellatrix. Which starts giving us more insight into Antonin's backstory, certainly an interesting point.
Yeah, the big bads often abuse their minions and then it's no wonder that they will turn against them. Thought it can be also be seen that Antonin's turn wasn't entirely out of being mistreated, but on principles, since he hates the ministry for how they employed dementors, he can't stand the fact that Voldemort is doing the very same thing, which comes as a shock only to Antonin.
I liked the comparisons between Cyrus and Hermione too. I'm pretty sure Cyrus must have been a great student, top of his class, like Hermione is. Cyrus is just more cunning, Slytherin-like, looking out for himself (and his family) first, but clearly not in an evil way.
About the favor of finding out about Horcruxes from the Dark Lord himself, it's pretty clear that Hermione considers it tabled, but Antonin doesn't, and we surely are going to get a big payoff later.
Cyrus definitely is not aware of how "comfortable" Astoria made Ron feel lmao
The ending cutting short the talk about the Imperius Curse and the beginning about what kind of spells Cyrus is into tie in perfectly.
And the cliffhanger is a great set up for us to think Harry, Ron and the others will find Antonin and Hermione in a very embarassing situation in the library.
7/29/2023 c6 Cosmic Skygate
I really like how you strike a balance with both Antonin and Hermione between their rational side and their emotional side, and their constant slips from one to the other, Hermione letting slip that she found the kiss unforgettable, Antonin letting slip "kiss" rather than "kill" (small difference, right? XD) Also Hermione's conflicted feelings between enjoying Antonin's presence and her fear of him as a Death Eater are very well worked in this chapter.
I don't expect Bellatrix to hold any feelings for Antonin, but I'm curious to eventually find out if Ron will (or not) reach the same rational conclusion as Hermione, that their back and forth has to end. Of course, receiving "attention" from Astoria helps, but it remains to be seen if their relationship will sink or sail.
I like the quiet scene at the library, and I'm wondering when Antonin will eventually break his accidental promise of not trying to kiss Hermione, I definitely think this is a great slowburn for now.
Nice work!
I really like how you strike a balance with both Antonin and Hermione between their rational side and their emotional side, and their constant slips from one to the other, Hermione letting slip that she found the kiss unforgettable, Antonin letting slip "kiss" rather than "kill" (small difference, right? XD) Also Hermione's conflicted feelings between enjoying Antonin's presence and her fear of him as a Death Eater are very well worked in this chapter.
I don't expect Bellatrix to hold any feelings for Antonin, but I'm curious to eventually find out if Ron will (or not) reach the same rational conclusion as Hermione, that their back and forth has to end. Of course, receiving "attention" from Astoria helps, but it remains to be seen if their relationship will sink or sail.
I like the quiet scene at the library, and I'm wondering when Antonin will eventually break his accidental promise of not trying to kiss Hermione, I definitely think this is a great slowburn for now.
Nice work!
7/14/2023 c5 Cosmic Skygate
The chapter is very fittingly named "Cyrus". What an entrance, dominating SIX aurors with the imperius curse, and taking a page from Obi-Wan Kenobi's book (these are not the wizards you are looking for)
Being on the run, tired, exhausted, and injured, it's no wonder that Ron took Cyrus' offer. He surely knows a lot of people in the wizarding world like Cyrus by their reputations (I do wonder from who he learned about Cyrus' neutrality - it would be quite ironic if the Prewett brothers as well as Dolohov had been helped by Cyrus during the first war, and Molly herself told Ron he could trust Cyrus) Obviously, if Ron knew Dolohov would be there too, he would have never taken that offer.
Cyrus offering Antonin romance advices is a great scene. I wonder if he will do that for Hermione at some point as well. "The press would be all over it" Maybe back then Rita Skeeter was actually a good reporter? haha Just kidding, I'm sure there were others who would have told Antonin's story and, yeah, it would look bad for the ministry.
Again, Harry and Ron, tired and exhausted, being offered "comfort" by two pretty girls, it's very hard to say no to that lol Astoria eyeing Ron like a piece of meat and Ron doesn't mind that at all XD And Daphne taking a page from Astoria's book and taking the initiative with Hotter, I mean, Potter.
Love how Cyrus' neutrality also plays in picking candidates to marry Daphne: Draco or Harry, both "good" (rich), depending on who wins and he wants to be covered on all sides, though it seems Daphne has her own preference for Hotter.
And Hermione catching Astoria giving Ron a b...job is a great cliffhanger, loved it.
Congrats for another fantastic chapter that made a perfect introduction for the Greengrass family as big players for the story moving forward
The chapter is very fittingly named "Cyrus". What an entrance, dominating SIX aurors with the imperius curse, and taking a page from Obi-Wan Kenobi's book (these are not the wizards you are looking for)
Being on the run, tired, exhausted, and injured, it's no wonder that Ron took Cyrus' offer. He surely knows a lot of people in the wizarding world like Cyrus by their reputations (I do wonder from who he learned about Cyrus' neutrality - it would be quite ironic if the Prewett brothers as well as Dolohov had been helped by Cyrus during the first war, and Molly herself told Ron he could trust Cyrus) Obviously, if Ron knew Dolohov would be there too, he would have never taken that offer.
Cyrus offering Antonin romance advices is a great scene. I wonder if he will do that for Hermione at some point as well. "The press would be all over it" Maybe back then Rita Skeeter was actually a good reporter? haha Just kidding, I'm sure there were others who would have told Antonin's story and, yeah, it would look bad for the ministry.
Again, Harry and Ron, tired and exhausted, being offered "comfort" by two pretty girls, it's very hard to say no to that lol Astoria eyeing Ron like a piece of meat and Ron doesn't mind that at all XD And Daphne taking a page from Astoria's book and taking the initiative with Hotter, I mean, Potter.
Love how Cyrus' neutrality also plays in picking candidates to marry Daphne: Draco or Harry, both "good" (rich), depending on who wins and he wants to be covered on all sides, though it seems Daphne has her own preference for Hotter.
And Hermione catching Astoria giving Ron a b...job is a great cliffhanger, loved it.
Congrats for another fantastic chapter that made a perfect introduction for the Greengrass family as big players for the story moving forward
6/7/2023 c4 Cosmic Skygate
Yeah, refusing to punish the 'thieves' with a torture curse, that's definitely the breaking point that makes Antonin realize that Hermione is not really Bellatrix. Though I like the hints that he seemed suspicious before already ("The goblins were right."), perhaps his own success on pursuing his romantic feelings blinded him from realizing the obvious before.
The greatest twist here is definitely the reveal that Antonin is already sick and tired of the Dark Lord himself - not that surprising considering his treatment of his servants - and not only willing to let the trio go after that tense conversation, but also help to destroy the horcrux. Of course, another great twist are the the mind games played by Voldemort's spirit on Antonin, giving insight into Antonin's character and guilt. The psychological aspect of the scene, where Elina accuses Antonin of not avenging her death certainly parallels the illusion pulled on Ron in "Deathly Hallows." as he himself noted. I don't think for a second that the real Elina would act like that to Antonin.
Glad that it ended well with Hermione being able to finish off the spirit remain from the horcrux. Antonin definitely still has to deal with the consequences of his past actions as a Death Eater (and his crush on Bellatrix), but that ending definitely gives us the feeling that Antonin and Hermione can still help each other against the Dark Lord in the future and develop a deeper bonding beyond that undercover kiss - which is still something that I'm sure will be a big thing on their minds in the future.
Congrats on the chapter!
Yeah, refusing to punish the 'thieves' with a torture curse, that's definitely the breaking point that makes Antonin realize that Hermione is not really Bellatrix. Though I like the hints that he seemed suspicious before already ("The goblins were right."), perhaps his own success on pursuing his romantic feelings blinded him from realizing the obvious before.
The greatest twist here is definitely the reveal that Antonin is already sick and tired of the Dark Lord himself - not that surprising considering his treatment of his servants - and not only willing to let the trio go after that tense conversation, but also help to destroy the horcrux. Of course, another great twist are the the mind games played by Voldemort's spirit on Antonin, giving insight into Antonin's character and guilt. The psychological aspect of the scene, where Elina accuses Antonin of not avenging her death certainly parallels the illusion pulled on Ron in "Deathly Hallows." as he himself noted. I don't think for a second that the real Elina would act like that to Antonin.
Glad that it ended well with Hermione being able to finish off the spirit remain from the horcrux. Antonin definitely still has to deal with the consequences of his past actions as a Death Eater (and his crush on Bellatrix), but that ending definitely gives us the feeling that Antonin and Hermione can still help each other against the Dark Lord in the future and develop a deeper bonding beyond that undercover kiss - which is still something that I'm sure will be a big thing on their minds in the future.
Congrats on the chapter!
6/7/2023 c3 Cosmic Skygate
Hermione is doing a fine job at acting, maybe not as a really accurate impersonation of Bellatrix, but definitely more than good enough to keep Antonin distracted. Though she isn't really acting when she kisses Antonin, is she? haha The expected unexpected happened and the complexity of the conflict within Hermione during the kiss was great, her inner struggle between her desires and her principles.
And the trio would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling treasure trap! Hermione was still clever with the polyjuice claim, but with Ron's attack on Antonin and Harry's presence revealed I wonder for how long can she keep Antonin from realizing the truth and keep her friends safe (Ok, I did read the next chapter already, but I'm writing from this chapter's perspective alone and this cliffhanger is really tense without knowing what happens next and Antonin's goals - you did a fine job here creating an unpredictable situation)
Congrats on the chapter! It was an engaging read from beginning to end
Hermione is doing a fine job at acting, maybe not as a really accurate impersonation of Bellatrix, but definitely more than good enough to keep Antonin distracted. Though she isn't really acting when she kisses Antonin, is she? haha The expected unexpected happened and the complexity of the conflict within Hermione during the kiss was great, her inner struggle between her desires and her principles.
And the trio would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling treasure trap! Hermione was still clever with the polyjuice claim, but with Ron's attack on Antonin and Harry's presence revealed I wonder for how long can she keep Antonin from realizing the truth and keep her friends safe (Ok, I did read the next chapter already, but I'm writing from this chapter's perspective alone and this cliffhanger is really tense without knowing what happens next and Antonin's goals - you did a fine job here creating an unpredictable situation)
Congrats on the chapter! It was an engaging read from beginning to end
6/3/2023 c7 Guest
Wow I like it your really good at writing
From J1
Wow I like it your really good at writing
From J1
5/16/2023 c2 Cosmic Skygate
Once again, the dynamic set up here is very interesting. Antonin considers a simply "thank you" from Bellatrix to be a "major victory" - that already is a strong indication that he's not in love with the real Bellatrix, but with the an illusion that he fabricated on his own mind. As Hermione correctly realizes, the real Bellatrix would not be polite like she was, and if Antonin really loved Bellatrix, he would be quick to caught on that, but he doesn't. The way it looks like, Antonin is actually looking for someone with a nice personality (similar to Hermione), and projecting that notion into Bellatrix.
So, Antonin has Bellatrix' ID and thinks if Bellatrix finds out how he got it, she would be mad at him. I wonder if that plot point will come back in the future, with the real Bellatrix finding out that Antonin got her ID.
Smart thinking on Ron's and Harry's part on Ron/Dragomir only following if Bellatrix requested. Yeah, "Dragomir" would be a complete stranger to the real Bellatrix, so inviting him to tag along is a good confirmation that the woman with Antonin is Hermione and not the real Bellatrix.
Very nicely done.
Once again, the dynamic set up here is very interesting. Antonin considers a simply "thank you" from Bellatrix to be a "major victory" - that already is a strong indication that he's not in love with the real Bellatrix, but with the an illusion that he fabricated on his own mind. As Hermione correctly realizes, the real Bellatrix would not be polite like she was, and if Antonin really loved Bellatrix, he would be quick to caught on that, but he doesn't. The way it looks like, Antonin is actually looking for someone with a nice personality (similar to Hermione), and projecting that notion into Bellatrix.
So, Antonin has Bellatrix' ID and thinks if Bellatrix finds out how he got it, she would be mad at him. I wonder if that plot point will come back in the future, with the real Bellatrix finding out that Antonin got her ID.
Smart thinking on Ron's and Harry's part on Ron/Dragomir only following if Bellatrix requested. Yeah, "Dragomir" would be a complete stranger to the real Bellatrix, so inviting him to tag along is a good confirmation that the woman with Antonin is Hermione and not the real Bellatrix.
Very nicely done.
5/14/2023 c1 Cosmic Skygate
"It is part of what kept me sane all those years." (...) As for his sanity, she had serious doubts.
Yeah, I'd seriously doubt that too. I'd be inclined to believe the reverse: his time in Azkaban wrecked Antonin so badly that he now is "in love" with Bellatrix. Considering of course that this is Antonin/Hermione, he will surely grow out of it. But the initial setup works greatly in benefit of this story, since it gives Antonin a credible reason to pursue Hermione (at this point in canon, it's easier to see him having feelings for Bellatrix than for a girl he tried to kill), and for Hermione to go with it (she must maintain her cover intact). Of course, considering Hermione being so smitten by the kiss, I can already imagine her inner turmoil. Great start!
"It is part of what kept me sane all those years." (...) As for his sanity, she had serious doubts.
Yeah, I'd seriously doubt that too. I'd be inclined to believe the reverse: his time in Azkaban wrecked Antonin so badly that he now is "in love" with Bellatrix. Considering of course that this is Antonin/Hermione, he will surely grow out of it. But the initial setup works greatly in benefit of this story, since it gives Antonin a credible reason to pursue Hermione (at this point in canon, it's easier to see him having feelings for Bellatrix than for a girl he tried to kill), and for Hermione to go with it (she must maintain her cover intact). Of course, considering Hermione being so smitten by the kiss, I can already imagine her inner turmoil. Great start!