Thank you for your lovely review. I made a newbie mistak and published this one before it was finished and unfortunatly painted myself into a corner with the timeline. However, it isn't quite as abndoned as it seems. I just want the whole thing finished before I start publishing again.

I'm so glad you like it. It is my first attempt at writing fan fic, and I have made a few newbie mistakes that are giving me some difficulties. And Lavender has matured a bit, hasn't she? But she has a good sense of fun, that girl, something I think Severus needs very much. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Hopefully I will post the next chapter soon.

I'm so glad you like it. It is my first attempt at writing fan fic, and I have made a few newbie mistakes that are giving me some difficulties. And Lavender has matured a bit, hasn't she? But she has a good sense of fun, that girl, something I think Severus needs very much. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Hopefully I will post the next chapter soon.

I'm glad you like it, and I'll try. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

I had hoped he would go to another house but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. He refused.Now it begins ...Thanks for reviewing.

It never sat well with me that Sev never got a break, never got to triumph and never got the chance to have a normal life, and this whole idea was a result of that. And I'll try to keep going. It's very slow work writing in your second language ... Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

Well, you are really giving him a clean slate: not just a second chance but also in a younger and healthier body. I do understand writing in your second language will be slower than in your first but on the other hand it seems to me you really have nothing to fear. Your writing is impeccable and your story line is perfect. Please don't be insecure about your talents. You really shouldn't and real life is too short and too precious to do so. Leave that to our beloved miss Granger :-)

I bit of a cliff hanger there wasn't it? I'm glad I lured you in. Thank you so much.

Minerva is very happy to have him back. He has a special place in her heart I think. Thank for reading and reviewing, third chapter is soon to come.

I was very uncertain about this idea but went with it anyway. Now I'm glad I did. Thank you so much.

Trust is a very fragile thing isn't it. Now they can build again. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts with me.

I'm so glad you liked it. I have always felt that Severus and Minerva have a special bond and I'm so happy that came through. Thank you so much for telling me!

I'm glad you liked the Sorting Hat. It was one of the last things added to the chapter. Severus was terribly close to being hexed into oblivion. Closer than he realises probably.

I feel the same way. We have had quite enough of Bellatrix. I'm still feeling somewhat guilty about exposing poor Sev to her in the first place ...

I liked that contrast myself and I'm very happy you noticed it. And yes; dying in the presens of Bellatrix is possibly the worst imaginable death. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

I'm glad you still like it. And I'll try.

I'm so glad you think so. Thank you for reviewing. And about Bella: you'll see.

Thank you. Bellatrix without creepy, just doesn't work does she?

Thank you so much. I'm so glad you liked it. Second chapter is in vq.

I'm glad you say that, since I find it sad too. He wasn't supposed to get sorted into Slytherin when I started writing this story. The only problem was that he refused to cooperate. I tried to place him else where but no. Eventually -- odd as it sounds -- I had to write this chapter his way, but it left me with a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

It doesn't sound odd at all, since characters tend to write themselves in a way you can't always influence as a writer. And as I said: I do think it is very much in character for him to only trust what he already knows and to mistrust everything else by default. After all he hasn't really had time to contemplate his past and to think about what he would like to do different this time.The only thing I do hope is that he will be able to start trusting better experiences when he has them. Because then it will be up to him -as a concious decision- to either continue to view the world as he always did or to allow himself to get some new experiences of life. I think until now he views this second chance only as a way of having a different career without having difficult masters to obey. But still with the same mindset and the same feelings towards others and towards the world.I hope that along this way, he will discover that he can have a second chance on a more personal and psychological level als well. He can have friends if he want and he can learn to trust the world. He can become whole again. He only needs to see all these possibilities.. and get some guidance of course.

Oh, I would like to respond so much to this! I love to talk about this story!Thanks for reviewing and I'll try to post soon.

Thank you very much. I'll do my best.

I'm glad you did read my story after all, and I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the read.Bellatrix becoming Severus's savior was really my prompt to start writing this story in the first place. I liked the irony of her saving him, and I couldn't let the idea go, even if I do realise that the first chapter ended up a bit different from the rest of the story.Thank you for reading and reviewing and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter too.

Thank you so much! And I'm working on one of those chapters right now. I hope you will enjoy it.

For some reason I have always pictured Minerva and Severus as friends of sorts. Very competitive towards each other of course, but still friends. I also think they both have a pragmatic streak -- that sometimes is a bit scary -- in common.And he is stubborn, isn't he? But so is she.Thank you for the lovely review. It makes it so much easier to continue writing.

I'm very pleased that you think that Minerva and Severus feels cannon. I'm a huge fan of the books, so that is very important to me. I do have a couple of chapters ready to go, so more is coming up. I post one at the time though, since it takes me so long to write.Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm so glad you like my story. Reviews like this makes it so much easier to carry on.

Hi! I painted myself into a corner, but I'm slowly working my way out of it. I do plan to continue and I have a chapter that is almost finished now. Thank you for your encouragement.

Hi! I painted myself into a corner, but I'm slowly working my way out of it. I do plan to continue and I have a chapter that is almost finished now. Thank you for your encouragement.

I'm happy you think so and thank you for telling me. I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter ...