Thank goodness the Potters are okay. I was getting really worried there. Also, I like that you set up the "I came back because I heard about father" excuse by mentioning that Sirius' dad has been sick in multiple previous chapters.

Lastly, SQUEAL finally some Sirmione. I like that this fic doesn't make the romance the main focus but I also felt my heart tug at the ending of this chapter. Thank YOU

OH SNAP. I'm sad that my musings from a few chapters ago became relevant. I'm assuming there's a (plot) reason Hermione couldn't create duplicates of each horcrux to leave behind so people wouldn't notice. I wasn't expecting Voldemort to find out at all, which means this was a great plot twist.

That ending - yikes. Poor Sirius

Poor James - I loved seeing his character in this chapter. I love his protective brother side come out, for both Sirius and Hermione. I love how you included Lily in this too. I love that Lily soothes Hermione, like a mother figure. This chapter, though it was not cheerful, was wonderful

Ooh...can Hermione go to Ollivander's and just get her same wand back since it hasn't been "picked up" in this time? Or I guess it technically has been taken already because she had it and ~the fates~ wrote a story for her in this time. Yeesh time travel stuff is confusing. My guess is that she goes to Ollivander's and ends up with Harry's wand for all the weird wand core things that have to occur. And because if she was able to go and just re-get her wand, it wouldn't matter to the plot.

Hermione's conversation with Lily was so sweet.

I'm curious if the fact that Hermione DIDN'T make a duplicate of the locket, like Regulus did in canon, is going to matter in the future. Actually she hasn't made any duplicates which worries me a little. But then again, Voldemort would be able to tell it's fake immediately so does a duplicate really do anything?

I LOVE drunk Remus. I didn't know I needed it but whew I am here for it. I also LOL at your A/N about Sirius and his motorcycle being the true OTP haha. I like that you're having them find and destroy each horcrux separately. I've read a lot of fics where they wait until they have all of them to destroy them but I think the way you did it is a natural way to progress the storyline: having them find them without having too many plot lines going at once.

I'm excited for Lily to find out but I can tell she's hurt by Hermione's secrecy...now that she knows about it

AH okay thank you for clarifying in the A/N about why Hermione doesn't know about Merope already. I enjoyed this chapter. At first, I wasn't sure how realistic it was for Sirius and Severus to put to bed years of bad vibes to work together. But I think you did a great job of centering it around 1. saving/helping Regulus (which they're both invested in), 2. having them still have tension/snark with one another like in this chapter while not hexing each other at every opportunity, and 3. both of them understanding Hermione needs the other for her mission. It makes it a lot more realistic than Severus just hanging with the Marauders all of a sudden haha

I love seeing Hermione's thoughts on the guilt she feels about lying to Lily. I also love that Sirius couldn't lie to this mates lol. It's very on brand. At first, I felt like they could have just said they were going to hang out, just the two of them, and their friends would've left them alone (after lots and lots of teasing) haha but then I realized maybe they would've been confused why they weren't going to Hogmeade still just with one another so the way you wrote it makes a lot more sense.

Lastly, I know it's been years since you've written that A/N but I wanted to say that I'm sorry people suck, especially cowardly people who hide behind Guest reviews. In case you couldn't tell by all my gushing so far, I have really been enjoying reading this fic. It's amazing how you can include so many characters so naturally AND the pacing are perfect. Literally, you do this for free. I don't get how someone chooses to show unkindness to someone doing something that makes others smile with no expectation of anything in return. I'm glad you kept writing the story despite the awfulness!

i'm glad to see the new chapter
waited a long time for this!

I feel like it's genius to have Regulus have to prove his loyalty and that being the motivator for Voldemort trusting him with the locket.

Sirius has got to be joking about this mandrake leaf. A whole month? Madness haha. I could honestly see McGonagall popping into their meeting to check up on them and out of sheer curiosity haha. I also like that Hermione isn't super drawing attention to herself by being the "top of the class" since I think a low profile will help keep her off Voldy's radar which is one of the best strategies.

Hmm if Hermione traveled back in late sixth year, wouldn't she know about the ring? I haven't read HBP in a while but I feel like she should already know and/or Dumbledore would've told her in his knowledge dump before sending her but I'm suspending my canon belief - I just wanted to ask! I'm also surprised Sirius doesn't have knowledge of the Gaunts since they're an old pureblood family and one of the Sacred 28. Maybe it's too far removed or maybe he didn't pay attention in the "Purebloods 101" classes he probably had to take in his childhood haha. Yeah, I'm thinking the latter

Such a tease to start this chapter off NOT with Hermione telling Sirius who she is. Thank you for getting to it eventually - it was like my favorite shows when they leave off on a cliffhanger and then start the next episode with a scene of different characters haha.

I'm surprised the RoR didn't conjure a pensieve when she said "we need a pensieve"

I love the ending. I wasn't sure what the name was going to be but SPEW is so perfect. No one will WANT to hear Hermione talk more about it and so it's the perfect cover. I also like the parallel of Lily wanting to lead this dueling club while Harry does it in OotP. It warms my heart. Sirius asking "what exactly is it you're planning to start?" almost feels like it was a planted question which makes me laugh haha

I agree with your A/N at the end. Why is Lily so cool? You wrote her great

dun dun dun. I love these cliffhangers! I also love that I can just hit next and read the next one haha. Poor Severus - I can't imagine him having the future unwillingly unloaded on him and him just sitting with it for months after the forest incident. I'm curious if Scabior has any inclination that Hermione was behind the forest too. He's got to know, right? It wasn't that far from the Potter's and it seems too much of a coincidence. I do like their interactions. It's sarcastic, it's flirty, and it's good relief in the rest of the darker story. The new prophecy also makes sense to me since it had to change with all the changes Hermione's been making

Wow so much happens in a chapter and I love it. I like the idea of occlumency being able to be used against the horcrux. The point Sirius made about Death Eaters knowing that it wasn't them that cast the fiendfyre but that it was "Dark magic" was astute and I feel like Hermione's going to have to be a lot more careful.

I like the idea of Sirius continually stumbling upon Hermione about to do dangerous things and being worried. I also like the VERY slow burn we're getting between the two of them so far - idk if they're endgame, and I kinda enjoy the unknown in that, but I like the small interactions they have had regardless. I'm curious how Lily and Severus's friendship will play out post-lake scene. It seems like they're still a bit rocky for the moment and I'm curious how things will mend (or not)

Ooh I like watching Hermione's plans unfold. I also think it's pretty realistic that she doesn't want to tell ~everyone~ about where she's from. I kinda like that it's only one person who knows for now. I loved Lily's arrival haha and James asking if they could just stay a little while - so endearing.

I also feel like it's realistic to have Regulus and Severus both join the Death Eaters as spies instead of finding a way for them to escape that fate. Since she joined them in their fifth year, it doesn't really make sense for them to all of a sudden not want to be Death Eaters after years of being interested. I like that Regulus is slowly softening to Hermione while still having some snark hah

Scabior's family being behind fiendfyre is an interesting plot tidbit. I'm a fan. I love the incorporation of Xenophilius Lovegood. The conversation between Hermione and Severus felt very on-character. Phew

I like how you're including so many different characters. I think it could make the story feel spread thin but instead, it's just nice to see all these characters that we know in canon. I also have been curious for a few chapters why Hermione didn't just keep the diadem in the RoR since it obviously was able to stay there for decades without any hint of discovery. I do like the idea of Tom possessing her similar to how he possessed Ginny through the idea. Well I don't like it but the idea makes sense to me.

Lastly, Ted Tonks was muggleborn and not a muggle I think. But I could see Voldemort not caring about the difference haha

Ah I wasn't expecting this ending at all. I also wasn't expecting Severus to actually find out after all the other fake outs we've had so far :D even though the occlumency lessons sounded like a BAD IDEA.

I'm not sure how I feel right now haha but I think this was great writing. I'm just sad. It just doesn't seem like Hermione being here is changing much but I'm hopeful it is and that the sands of destiny really do allow changing things unlike the time turners.