So this will include my thoughts for this story, what I thought might happen, where I got stuck, things I changed, etc. This will give so many answers and insights into a story I had so many hopes for. Sorry, the summaries are roughly written. It would've been better if I actually got to write it. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

Italics are my personal comments on everything.

Plot

So this is what I can remember about the basic plot that was left

George, Terence, and Oliver have joined our ambivalent group to take down Tom. Shit goes down over a period of time. I can't tell you what would happen. I can't remember. Terence dies. The New Order falls. On December 31, Hermione, Theo, and Draco take on Tom together. Daphne also goes into labor. The final stand is between Hermione and Tom. Theo and Draco made their sides clear during their fight. Tom, who is very weak, reminds Hermione about everything he did for her. He reminds her of how he never abandoned her. She casts Avada Kedavra, but Tom lives. The key to the spell, if you all recall, is intent. She didn't intend to kill Tom in that instant. As she casts it, he flinches. That was a test. "Family doesn't flinch, Tom. You just flinched." And she casts it again and this time he dies because she intended for him to die. She chose her side.

Epilogue

So obviously I do remember this part because I'm crazy like that.

This is 11 years in the future. Laurel Nott is getting ready for her first year at Hogwarts. She is a quiet girl who has learned it is worth it to pay attention. Her parents have friends over ready to wish her luck. She leans at the top of the stairs and listens. Hermione is still Minister of Magic. Her mother runs the Department of Mysteries. Draco became Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Her father still runs the MLE. Theo has a hand in a lot of things though. He, Hermione, and Draco pretty much have influence all over the wizarding world. Pansy still helps run The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, but she is focused now on empowering female witches after her and Daphne's various experiences, and even Hermione's. The group mentions how they plan to go see a Quidditch game later that day. Marcus now coaches Puddlemere. They mention too that Adrian is on his way back from Germany after being there for almost a decade. At this point, Laurel comes downstairs. Pansy asks if Laurel is excited about Hogwarts. She says yes and she's looking forward to her Uncle Neville teaching herbology, Aunt Astoria teaching charms, and she's heard amazing things about DADA Professor Potter. So at some point after Tom's defeat, Harry was able to wake up once he was taken to St. Mungo's to great the correct treatment. Harry and Hermione were still friends after she explained everything...and also the fact that yes she made it known he was a hero but also helped keep his fame at bay which he greatly appreciated. The group says their goodbyes to Laurel. Theo and Daphne take Laurel to the train station. No one pays attention to them or questions their presence. Laurel had noticed that over the years people have the group their space and did not ogle them even though they were heroes. Each parent gives her advice based on what they've gone through. Laurel knows everything her parents did, even though they don't know she doesn't know. She promises to make them proud and make an impact for the best just as they have done. The parents smile. She gets on the train and heads off to Hogwarts.

Characters & Other notes

This section is all my thoughts, insights, and other facts about the characters. A lot of the characters I picked to feature in this story are not seen often, which means little is known about them and leaves room for a lot of creativity. I also like the Slytherin characters for this reason. I think there is so much more to them than we know. Same with all the characters.

Hermione: Hermione was supposed to be the main focus. She was supposed to be a leader. She was to be the main focus. The story all along was a focus on her relationship with Tom and what her choice would be: would she choose the man who had been there for her from the beginning or would she pick what is, to all but Tom, the right path. In the end, she and Tom would go separate ways but I wanted them to work hand in hand for the longest time.

Draco: I wanted to give a more internal struggle to Draco. I didn't succeed as much as I had hoped with that. There was also supposed to be endgame Dramione, but I'm not sure how I feel about that anymore. I'm not sure if it'll work out anymore or, well, would have worked out.

Theo: Theo is my favorite minor character even though we know nothing about him. His lack of background let's me think of so many different stories. He's one of my favorite characters to write about because his story allows for creative expression. This Theo will be one of my favorites. He became such a major part of the story. Hermione was supposed to be the main focus but Theo grew to be just as important.

Daphne: Daphne became one of my favorite characters to write. I loved the idea of her being this "pureblood woman" but being a badass. This is how I imagine how Narcissa Malfoy acts. I feel that being underestimated is quite powerful. This was her strength. If I write more Daphne, this is probably how I'll write her a lot. This is a version I enjoy. Daphne and Theo were originally just supposed to be a secondary established couple but damn they became my focus. I loved writing them so much. There may be more of them in the future. Perhaps I'll rewrite their story somehow.

Pansy: Pansy is always portrayed as an evil bitch or a sassy boss bitch. There is never an in-between it seems. Making her flaw her beauty I thought was a good idea since she was usually referred to as a pug but beauty is defined differently by everyone. Pansy was another character I felt I failed.

Blaise: I did Blaise bad. I ended up forgetting all my plans for him and his storyline.

Adrian: Go read about Terence first and then come back. … So eventually Adrian got back in tune with his emotions. And yeah that happened right after Terence's death. His lack of emotion led to his demise. After everything, he went to Germany. Honestly he could've gone anywhere but I picked Germany because as Adrian is trying to move on with his life he meets Terrance Higz. Adrian falls hard, like more than he did for Terence, and he doesn't let this one get away. I had better hopes for Adrian at first, being inspired a bit by people in my own life who aren't connected with their emotions and rarely acknowledge them. I like the secondary characters of the series because they offer so much potential to explore.

Marcus: I loved the backstory I created with him. I wanted Marcus to be a strong character. I liked making him the one true Flint. Giving this backstory to Marcus I think also maybe helped explain why he acted as he had in the series when we saw him. I also wanted to give him an emphasis of love for quidditch like Oliver. They're two opposites of the same coin, kind of, with Oliver on the good/light side and Marcus on the other. I had so much hope for so many characters and Marcus was one of my top ones.

Oliver: Oliver is another minor character I love. If you can't tell, I love the minor and underrated characters. I don't know why, I just do. I wanted to explore the relationship between Marcus and Oliver. Originally, I was planning for it to become Flintwood, but I realized I started liking them more as friends. I ended up seeing them married more to the game. I also wanted to explore some of Oliver's Gryffindor bravery.

Terence: So he died during battle or something. Like I planned to kill him when Adrian finally admitted he loved him. His death was important in progressing Adrian as a character.

George: George is my favorite character in the series. I love both the twins so much but George is my favorite twin. I wanted George to be a part of this story because I feel post-battle of Hogwarts he could have reacted in so many ways. I wanted him to keep Fred's spirit alive and fight for a cause. He's a smart man. I knew he and Hermione would create a great plan...along with Theo.

Neville: I always felt Neville and Hermione deserved a stronger friendship focus in the books. I think they would have a great friendship. Having Neville backup Hermione was his form of paying her back for all the years she helped him. Sadly then I shoved Neville to the side a bit rather than keep a focus on him.

Astoria: At first I didn't plan to have Astoria be a big part of the story, eventually she grew a bit more but then I got stuck as to what I wanted her to accomplish. While writing, I realized that she and Neville, in this story, would make a cute couple. Two strong, underrated characters.

Ron: Ron's quick assumptions aren't that out of character. He did it a few times throughout the series. Ron's dream was always to be noticed. Him taking control of a rogue Order was a way to fulfill this. Eventually, it was my hope to turn Ron around and realized that Hermione still has a plan like always and that Tom is the enemy. Ron didn't deserve to get a full dirty deal.

Harry: Harry wasn't a big part, or even truly a part, of this story and that was intentional. I wanted to explore what it was like to continue the fight if Harry wasn't around and wasn't the "chosen one" in this case. I also wasn't sure how Harry would respond to the situation so yes I knocked him out because I didn't know how to write him.

Tom: I love versions of Tom/Voldemort where he's twisted in a different way. I felt Tom was the best fit for this story and I do enjoy how intriguing and mysterious Tom Riddle can be if done right, which I wanted to attempt. I wanted to explore the idea of Tom having influence over Hermione. Having him act as a guardian was something I have not seen. As the story would go on, Hermione would've gone on to reflect on those past moments with Tom. Also as the story continues, Tom would've become more like the Tom we are used to because that's his true nature.

Leopold Nott: In a majority of stories containing Theo's father, he's a mega asshole and purist and abuses his son. I wanted something different. I wanted a man who yes did follow tradition and was a Death Eater but cared deeply for his son and also a wife. For many pureblood families, family is the most important part. I wanted to explore this dynamic where family is important. We see this briefly in book 7 with Narcissa, and the Weasleys are also a good example of this. I wanted also a connection to Tom's past that started the whole story. When Leopold dies, he only lets go when he's sure his family is as safe as he can be. Leopold dying also initiated a shift in Tom and also the others.

Laurel Nott: Laurel was named after Daphne. I looked up once and discovered Daphne was from Greek origins and meant laurel. This made perfect sense for me to use since (1) winners in ancient times were crowned with laurel wreaths, (2) in my own head cannon Theo's mother is Greek, and (3) Laurel Nott flowed well and sounded good. She was born on December 31 when everything happened. In my mind, she was born at the same moment Tom died. I'm not sure which house she would be in. Most likely Slytherin like her parents because those were the traits she was exposed to and saw as valuable. I could see her also being in Ravenclaw.

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Again, thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate it. I will be back. I will write more. The way I wrote some of these characters I absolutely love and want to write again. I don't want to let anyone down again. Keep reading and keep supporting. Love you all!