Springfic: "The Box" for crjace

[springmod]

Title: The Box
Author: Kerrymdb
Recipient: crjace
Character(s): Emmeline Vance, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape with a Neville Longbottom cameo.
Rating: PG
Word-count: 6,300 words
Warnings (highlight to view): None
Summary: Murder at Hogwarts? Enforcer Vance investigates. But what happens when her faculty liaison is also her prime suspect?

Comments

[werewolfsfan]

I really, really enjoyed your tale. I had been wondering lately if there were good mystery stories in Potterverse and here it is! I'm especially glad that it's a gen story as a pairing would be an unnecessary distraction. I like the layers in this tale from the wizarding world still being shaky in the aftermath of thirteen years of terror. Also, the still present prejudices over the different types of magical beings and MoM departments and the lingering resentments over known or even suspected DE who aren't in Azkaban. The characterizations are sharp too. Good work here mystery author!

[fannyt]

I loved all the little details you included about the House Elves in this -- how they're not allowed to marry, how they "police themselves" and oh, how they can "protect themselves". (And the Ministery lab guy's line about "crimes with real victims"...) It was like you opened a door (a kitchen door?) into this world that's been there all along, but that we haven't seen enough of. Really interesting. Also, I truly enjoyed Snape's characterisation, how he's generally despised as a former Death Eater and how nothing gets "solved" in the end -- how Emmeline leaves Hogwarts, still thinking he is a right bastard.

Oh, and I'm a sucker for a good mystery, so a big thank you for that. :)

[magentabear]

This was so much fun to read! I think mystery plots are hard to keep suspenseful and interesting without being melodramatic but you've done it brilliantly. So many real life touches and I adore how you introduced the story with Neville and his grandmother. All the characters were so well done, which again I think can be too rare in a mystery plot. But this was excellent and I had that lovely "of course it was him!" moment when Daryl showed himself at the end.

[shiiki]

Wonderful story! Excellent set-up of the mystery. I loved how you tried to throw in the red herrings (although I knew it couldn't possibly be Snape) and Daryl certainly did get blinking neon lights flashing.

I especially enjoyed your subtle foreshadowing with this line:

Best be careful in the future, Vance. I might not be there to save you one day.

Very chilling, in light of future canon events!

The Box

[catsintheattic]

I really enjoyed your story.

I liked the start, with Augusta being so bitter about the loss of Frank and about having to raise Neville. I found it cruel that she silenced Neville - *hugs him* The stuffed frog is such a nice foreshadowing of Trevor!

Emmeline putting up with Augusta's remarks showed her as someone with persistence, and a really good friend to Alice, too.

Dumbledore assigning Snape as Emmeline's liaison made me grin. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Loved your Snape. He certainly knew how to attract annoyance and wouldn't budge a bit, carrying his personal suffering all by himself. So canon!

Liked your portraits of the house elves, too. There were so many interesting details about their culture and personalities.

The whole story, too, had so many layers about women's life and career choices, about the post-war morale and about the wizarding society and equal rights for different magical beings. I lied that a lot.

The murder mystery was exciting to follow and I liked that you wrote a rather open ending, too.