Nice start -- I'm hooked. 

Ooh... ominous. "Fraud," eh? Yup, that addressed the issue I had with that part of the epilogue. It seemed rather OOC for Hermione NOT to sit her N.E.W.T.s even though they gave her honorary ones. I love JKR, but did she not know the character she created at all?And I love the bitter, sneaky Snape you're alluding to.I am intrigued! Off to a great start! I've bookmarked it and am looking forward to your next chapter.

OHHHH GOOD START CANT WAIT FOR NEXT CHAPTER!!

Oooo, I've got chills from that last sentence. I can't wait to read the next chapter, and I'm already on pins and needles waiting for Severus' first appearance. I honestly love the way you write him. It reminds me of a book written by C.S. Friedman, and there's this part that says " Civilized man longs for the illusion of barbarism. Either his culture fulfills this need by adopting its outer trappings, or he will be seduced by his first contact with a culture that does."

Intriguing beginning. It will be interesting to see how Snape has kept himself occupied and out of the public eye for so long.And the book - It must have come from him. But did he scorch "fraud" across the cover because her NEWTs were only honorary? Or because he thinks the author and its contents are not work the parchment it is printed on?So many questions. I can hardly wait for answers.

wow!  what a start!  i look forward to the unfolding.  thanks so much

Great, dark story.  Can't wait to see where you take it.  Glad it's on here as well as Ash.

Author's Response: Thank you! Next chapter is up. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

wow...just wow.  thanks

Hmm I wonder if that really happened and Snape obbleviated her or if it was indeed a dream. A dream is possible in Hermiones current state i guess... Hmm I guess even if Snape doesnt get close to the others he will have his revenge, the whol ewizarding world know snow because of the quibler and Hermione and Ron wont get married. I still wonder if he will be satisfied concerning Minerva and Harry. Ah good girl, dont be the victim fight back! do some hurting of your own. Wow this idneed was twisted and it got a lot of adrenaline going! We need a sequel though I am not sure if it can live up to this!

If he doesnt take his revenge on the others then we really need a sequel. I bet snape can do it quickly without Hermione noticing. Snape as the God of Vengeance, lol. Wow, i bet Hermione got hit by shock when she found out SOMEONE had brought her to the entrance hall. Paranoia wont begin to describe it. Hmm on the other hand, maybe Snape thinks if he exacts revenge on Hermione it will go to the others as well bu tI thought he would want to do it personal to all of them. They wont believe Hermione. Oh, I wonder if Snape is inducing these dreams for her, man he is obsessed with her. I guess he is jealous especially of her since she may have a bit of his character but still has a happy life while she should have done right and he especially thought she at least would. Of course he wont see this in this way now though with all the bitterness and maybe even insanity, who would not snap aftwr all what Snape has been through.... Well at least Hermione is taking measures now to rectify her mistakes, I like that about her, she may not be perfect but she confronts things when they happen she does not run away. Wow Snape missed his chance there with ron. all alone... Wow this is really too short! The adrenaline is rushing though.

Hmmm I wonder if Snape will kill malfoy. I hav enever been a great fan of him although I was happy Draco did not have to fight in the final battle. Hmmm I wodner what he has in store for minerva/albus (I always thought they would make a good couple) Ginny Harry and Ron and maybe for Lucius too. Hmmm I thought Snape would hold onto his Language Skills better but I guess he has been through a lot and doesnt care about upholding any sort of image anymore. Hmm I guess the trio arent the only people he is angry with, take Albus for example and Minerva (although Minerva did not know I guess and Albus is already dead by his hand). Man this story is too short, should have been longer, lol I hope he will do the others too before the end not just Hermione.

Hmm I wonder why nobody got back for Snape, I mean I can udnerstand Harry Hermione and Ron more or lessm, they were children but minerva and dumbledore were adults and should have been used to this from the first war, anyway they were leaders and snape was their spy and had been in their service for many years. I dont think Dumbledore, or Minerva for that matter once Dumbledore had explained the situationto her, would have just left Snape there. Although i still dont udnerstand why Jkr let Snape die in that way, I hate her for it and I hated the epilogue to book 7 as well. I mean come on he had lost so much for tHEM, I know he was a miserable sod, but still..... It would not have had to have been a big grave.... I wonder if Snape is watching her leaving hogwarts and oging back to her past, at least SHE is confronting it. Man, I love this. Finally some p[roper ANGST! I wonder if this whole fic will focus on Hermione, i hop eit will, or on Snape of course but I hope Hermione an dhow she experiences everything. I think Hermione like the others had repressed all the memories of the war, trying to go on with he rlife but never really working through them and making peace. I guess thats what you get without psychiatrists! Still, knowing Hermiones character she wasnt satisfied with it and it kept worrying her. Wow, I wonder if Snape is watching this macabre show from somewhere. Waaw this is good, i love my horror stories. Hermione is strong though and intelligent, wholly different from all those dumb people in horror movies. It will be nice to see their battle once Hermione has collected herself. I always loved darkish/brooding intelligent sarcastic characters. Susan Kays version of phantom of the opera for exmaple or Hannibal LEcter and of course Snape. Wow if Wisdom is anything like it I really need to give it another chance!

Hello, I like this fic, I got started a few yers back on van wisdom I think (I am troesnaja on fanfiction.net) but did not really like the Hermione in it. I like this on ethough. I am always itnerested in angsty/dark fics although I do respect Hermione and Snape and owuld prefer her not to be irrepairably damaged or killed by the end of it. I am maybe somewhat of a romantic at heart, even though not the pwp-or soppy kind, simmer and boil. Also I like my Snape to be in-character although not neccessarily a total twisted bastara, he can have some emotions even good ones. Just not soppy or wracked by remorse all of the time. I must admit I had to peek at the end of this fic (very bad of me I know) to see if my fears would com etrue, I am happy that I will be able to read this one through, lol. My reviews are always like a stream of consciousness when I am reading I just write down what enters into my mind at that point so I might be posing questions which I will already know the answertoo when the chapter ends. Oh yes I think Hermione can be obsessive at times, a control freak actually always wondering what she oculd have done better, quite insecure in fact but of course she tries to hide it. I also think she mnight have done well in other houses then gryffindor, she is quite brilliant and ruthless when she thinks it is needed. I refound this particular site through mmadfans fics on ff.net, I am happy I took a look here. I love horror movies lik enightmare on elm street. This fic seems twisted and dark but not as disturbingas one of shivs darker offerings. Oooooh stalking Snape..... I hope Snape heard her conversation with Ron and knows that she, at least has not forgotten the past. Although that does not mean the role she played changed in it of course. I love sarcastic and brooding Snape. I hate it though when people change his appearance. He is the way he is and should not be changed. This really is one of the more interesting fics I have read in a while! Good ss/hg is scarce especially since I dont just read everything, there muyst be intelligent plot and conversation in it, no smutfests for me (mostly). I wonder if there were any other entries to this challenge? Very interesting! I love the fact that Snapes revenge starts Subtly. It is best served cold after all and prolonged I guess.
Although I said I am a romantic at heart, i dont really enjoy stories that are entirely romances and nothing else or that are soppy or quick about it, no romance without pain or developm,ents.

Wow.. Creepy read. But I like it...such a different pace than most fics of how severus survives. I can completely understand his want and need for revenge and hermiones guilt of leaving him behind to rot. Very nice writting!! A Sequel would be very interensting. I look forward to one if you decided on it.

wow...what an incredibly powerful story.  i would enjoy a sequel, too.  thanks so much

it all makes sense.  beautifully written.  thanks so much

There is so little darkfic, I really enjoyed this.  Thank you!

Not as disturbing as I thought it would be. I don't quite get either of them!

I just read the whole story in one shot.  It was different but seemed to be more cannon Snape than most of the stories out there.  I think I would have liked to see him torment Ron and Harry also not just Hermione.  I think her going mad would have been a better ending or with this being a dark fic her commiting suicide from all of the guilt she was feeling and no one believing her story of Snape being alive.

You remained faithful to the prompt and wrote a totally absorbing story of the struggles people must wage against regret and resentment.  This ending, with Severus and Hermione sharing a bed and their emotions, is well written and leaves this reader with a hunger to know what happens next.  I'm glad that there will be a follow up, and I'll be on the look out for it whenever it appears.Thank you for this tale of revenge that may end up being something far different.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!Beth

Well somebody already beat me to the punch, that was at the top of my list of things to do, ask for a sequel that is. Although I am very satisfied with this ending, Snape getting his own back and Hermione submitting quite nicely!

Hermione's reaction to seeing the robes on her bed and then clutching them to her body was not what Severus expected.  But surely he wouldn't hurt her... I have got to go to the next chapter to find out what happened.Great chappie, BTW!Beth

This chapter clearly spells out Severus' reasons for wanting to "settle the score."  Such a passion for vengeance!  I can only imagine what Severus has in store for the Golden Trio.It was interesting to see how Lucius has fared after the war.  Since realizing that Lucius had been able to recognize Severus, I found myself wondering if Hermione would recognize him, too.Beth

OMG!  This is dark, indeed!  The gutted cat, the blood, the torn black robe, the message written in blood... any one of them would have been enough to send me screaming to the outside.  Hermione is a brave witch.  Or perhaps she has to set her ghosts to rest at all costs.Great chapter!Beth

This chapter perfectly sets the tone for this story, and stays true to the prompt.  Good job!Beth