I've seen the word "compelling" a lot in response to this fic, and I think I like it.  It implies that the reader is both compelled to read through to the end (which isn't exactly far from the beginning, admittedly) and to think about the story after finishing it.Which is awesome.  I hadn't really read about this Hermione before—one who has created her own path in the face of impossible choices.  There are slave!Hermiones who are seething and plotting revenge and whore!Hermiones who embrace the Dark Arts and happily kill former friends and there are broken!Hermiones who have allowed the captor to "win."  But this Hermione is different; it's almost as though she has killed the game by ignoring it.  She reimagines the walls of her cage into something she can accept.  (Oh, Lord.  Now I have images of Hermione as a hamster in an environmentally realistic habitat.)

That's true.  The only other place I've seen a similar Hermione--one who just *survives*, no matter the cost, is a story called "When Good Wizards Go Bad"  (it's on ff.net, at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3789385/1/When_Good_Wizards_Go_Bad)  Sorry to plug.  It's not mine or anything, just an interesting interpretation.

Wow.  As certain Discworld characters might say, "Where can I put my face?  I am so ashamed!"  (That might have no meaning to you.  I tend to think in Discworld and Eddie Izzard.  It's a quirk.)Again, wow.  You left such a thoughtful and intelligent comment, and I never let you know that I appreciated it.But better two years late than never, eh?  Thanks for the compliment—and for reviewing.And I agree; I have very warm feelings for this piece, even after so long.  It's not comfortable.  It explores some of those aspects of human nature that might not be what the JKRs of the world would consider noble.But whenever I read it, I come away feeling content with the way Hermione's situation worked out.  Certain readings of the story might see it as accepting, even supporting, mysogyny and exploitation and powerlessness.  I would agree that it's not a story where strength of character overcomes adversity, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.  Humans are more likely to adapt to survive—even when adapting means accepting a horrible reality—than we are to resist something that seems inevitable.I think that might be why, as you said, "one can... understand why Hermione both loves and hates her life."  We got to follow Hermione as she made each of her decisions and discoveries and adaptations, and the choices she makes don't seem so outrageous.  Can we say with certainty that we would do things differently?So I guess I'm twisted, because I always find hope in this story, in Hermione's unstated determination to survive.  It isn't pretty, but it seems real to me.There you go.  An extra-long meta response to fill that two-year gap.Again, my apologies and thanks!

I spent last summer in what used to be East Germany, and half of that time I "worked" in a home for elderly people. I'm in my early twenties, and most of the residents were my age during Hitler's rise to power and WWII. Their stories were really fascinating.One of the few men who didn't have dementia (and was therefore lucid and could tell me his story clearly) was in the Nazi Marine Band. Before he was conscripted into service, he had been studying music at one of the most famous German conservatories in Weimar. After the war, when the Soviets were in control of the DDR, he went to work in factories and farms.I learned a lot about the things people tell themselves to survive and the power of fear as a motivator. In the U.S., we tend to be horrified with "the Germans" and their failure to stop Hitler's campaign of terror, but there are so many other factors to consider. "The Germans" in the Nazi army were only rarely there by choice. The women I knew almost all were married to men who were Nazi soldiers, but their husbands weren't Nazis and neither were they. They were simply, as they put it, the "little people," forced into an impossible decision. (I have a lot of thoughts on this, if you couldn't tell.)Anyway. I don't think I could have written this story a year ago. Or, if I could have, I might have wanted to dictate some sort of resolution or moral pronouncement. And this whole little monologue is mostly to say that I do agree that, as you say, "people do what they must in order to survive." It doesn't mean that they turn themselves "Dark" or betray their convictions or completely and without reservation embrace their new lifestyles (as some Hermiones have done in other stories I enjoy); rather, I think it's a testament to how much a person can and will endure in order to remain alive.

Well, thanks for taking the time to respond!  I know that I prefer reading chaptered drama/romances, and that this isn't the Lucius I would consider a part of my personal canon, so I understand what you mean about "usual reading."Hermione's adaptation is really the heart of this story, so I'm glad that you found it interesting.

I've taken a look to others reviews and the debate is great. It's rare to have author's response longer than the the response itself.

I'm glad you did go and read Inell's story; this Hermione is a direct result of that story's Hermione, and I find her fascinating.Evil!Lucius isn't really my Lucius, I don't think. Lucius is my current fictional fixation, but I like him better as "morally ambiguous" than full–out–evil—it gives his character more depth.The real story, of course, is Hermione; the fact that we don't know what the Dark Lord is doing with her research (and that she doesn't care) is really indicative of her perspective on the situation and the way she has given over control of her life. It's the difference between exhausting herself—endangering her existence—by fighting at every step along the way (something Inell's Lucius warned her against) and enjoying the remainder of her life. I think, anyway, that this is how she saw her options. She doesn't ask questions to which she doesn't want answers, and she doesn't concern herself with things that are outside of her control.Thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts.

I find that the words "ambivalence" and "ambiguity" are both relevant in discussing this Hermione's situation. After reading inell's story, I had a mental image of Hermione in a shadowy doorway wearing simple clothes—she seems like some rich person's ward, a charity-type girl—and a group of wealthier women walking past and looking at her with pity, like they know what her situation is, and it must be awful. And I couldn't see inell's Hermione appreciating their "concern." Hermione is stubborn and willful and a little bit self-righteous; she wouldn't want to be "saved," because she is saving herself.And, like I said to lulabelle, the unanswered questions and subjective judgements really appeal to me. Is Hermione insane? Is she broken? Has she betrayed her friends? I don't know; I only drew the picture that presented itself to me.Thanks for this review. The feedback on this piece is always fascinating.

Inell's piece (I highly recommend giving it a read; it's linked in the Acknowledgments.) really explores Hermione's choice to live in greater depth. In the end, she chooses to accept Lucius' terms and remain alive, which is a choice I found extremely courageous.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Yes. This is not, perhaps, the life Hermione might have chosen for herself, but it is still her life, which, in the end makes all the difference.

Thank you for reviewing and sharing your thoughts.

That "Dark, yes, but..." is exactly why I feel a bit conflicted about classifying the story as "Dark." It really is Dark, of course, but it's not angst, is it? Hermione's almost perfectly content in her new life, but she's not Evil, and her own Darkness is a matter for debate.

Thank you for reviewing and sharing your thoughts. TPP is one of those places where I know I can count on an informed audience, which is a rare and beautiful thing for any author.