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The Fool, the Emperor and the Hanged Man
Ten years after the fall of the Dark Lord, Hermione Granger leads of life of self-imposed obscurity, that is, until the day Headmistress Minerva McGonagall is murdered and a certain 'hero' is responsible.
562 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 2, 2016
My Dramione heart needed this. That's all.
July 1, 2023
It's been years since the war ended and years since Hermione stopped being Hermione Jane Granger and just became Jane.
After Harry and Ginny got married, Hermione decided to get away from all the memories of the war and the War Heroine name that followed her. So she packed all her things and moved into the Forbidden Forest, in an abandoned shack that only a few people knew about.
Aside from going to work as an Unspeakable and having a few visits to Hogwarts to have tea with Hagrid and McGonagall, Hermione isolated herself from the world and everyone she knew.
But fate had different plans for her and the night that McGonagall was killed by Harry Potter, Hermione's life would change forever.
Apparently Harry has been going insane and he is in search for the Hallows. He wants to change history and kill Voldemort the night that he came back to life, no matter the means necessary and Hermione is the only one that can stop him.
This fic is one of the original "Best Dramione fanfic" and one of the classics that has marked its place in the fandom. All of the older readers have either read it or at least heard of it and now it's made a comeback since alot of new readers are recommending it.
Even though I have been part of the Dramione fandom since the late 2000's and have been an avid fanfic reader for over a decade, I hadn't read this story until now. Apparently I didn't miss out...
Before anyone comes at my throat about my review, let me start by telling you that English isn't my first language. It isn't even my second.
Why is that important?
Well.... The grammatical errors in this fic were terrible.
I don't normally pay any attention toward spelling mistakes or grammatical errors but there were very apparent in this fic, so much so that every chapter had a few of them.
I may had an older "unedited" version at my disposal but I had a hard time ignoring the mistakes and it made it harder for me to focus on the story then the spelling.
Second,
It's been a hot minute since I've read a fic that has been written in first POV and a few years back, it was my prefered POV but now, I wanted to abandon the fic because of it. It didn't help that I didn't like Hermione in this story, which bring me to...
I didn't like Hermione!
I found her annoying, whinny, arrogant yet insecure.
I didn't like how highly she thought of herself and how no one else could do what she did, in her thoughts.
She was mean to Neville, Ron and all the Weasleys for no apparent reason, while they were nothing but polite to her and showed her affection.
Fourth,
I didn't like the liberties the author took with the characters and how she made them totally OOC. The changes she made, didn't seem like an artistic choice rather than some ignorance towards the canon details.
Hermione's middle name isn't Jane, it's Jean. There were many more things like this but I can't really remember them now.
Lastly,
The story didn't make any sense and the ending was disappointing.
Why was Hermione and Draco allowed to make some changes in time that helped their past selves but they weren't allowed to prevent major things from happening?
Instead of Draco going back and forth in time for 9 years until he returned to Hermione's timeline, he could've stoped Harry from getting the Hanged Man and not aid him throughout his quest.
There also never an explanation for why Hermione was the only one that could stop Harry and why all those things happened other than that it happend before so it must happen again.
It was very lackluster and didn't give me the kind of closure I needed from the story.
I don't really know why this story is so popular and why it's count so highly on readers minds but I can say that I didn't really like it and I don't think I will reread it ever again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2015
One of the best Dramione fanfics ever. It's a long read (28 chapters!!) and seems daunting at first, but once you get through the first chapter, you will not want to stop. The characters are very real and I could empathize with them. There are also certain elements that will catch you off guard at the very end, which makes this a compelling read from start to finish.
June 26, 2023
I enjoyed The Fool, The Emperor, and The Hanged Man, but something about the story was just a bit off. The first half of the story and the last half of the story are vastly different from one another. The story was extremely well written, but something seemed to be missing. However, I cannot pinpoint exactly what that is.
May 29, 2015
Uno de los mejores dramione que he leído. Un thriller como la copa de un pino que incluye escenas muy fuertes (no aptas para todos los lectores).
Read
October 24, 2024DNF 70 % something. I can’t take any more Jane Eyer \ v from vendetta Listless maiden Hermione. Fascinating ideas though.
April 28, 2021
Always a treat to read DRAMIONE fanfic 🔥
January 7, 2023
30% was good i couldn't sleep i needed to finish this fic in one sitting bc the plot was really interesting but the characters and their actions make me go ???
50% onwards was just me skimming through the information i needed so i can finally figure out what the hell is going on
the romance was alright but everyone was ooc and i understand that there was a 10 year time skip and people change yes yes ik but h annoyed me bc she wanted to impress draco sm it was embarrassing 😭 idk that just didn't sit right with me. i'm too used to d being impressed with whatever h does without her even trying. the trauma she went through was shocking.
draco reminded me of that guy from that ice skating enemies to lovers book with his teasing (i didn't really like it). my fav characters were definitely lucius and narcissa in this fic i love them
the concept of time was interesting and the plot twists were okay but the writing kind of drags with moments that aren't really relevant to the plot. as the antagonist, i appreciated how the author decided what harry's motivation was, though it was predictable. regardless, harry was so fucking dark here. the spells he used scared me as i was reading this at 3 am (it was just uninhibited use of evil magic it seemed almost demonic).
overall it was an okay read (the plot was good). i just wish the execution was handled better. it seemed like as the story progressed, hermione never really developed and draco character was a stranger for me (again the characters are ooc).
50% onwards was just me skimming through the information i needed so i can finally figure out what the hell is going on
the romance was alright but everyone was ooc and i understand that there was a 10 year time skip and people change yes yes ik but h annoyed me bc she wanted to impress draco sm it was embarrassing 😭 idk that just didn't sit right with me. i'm too used to d being impressed with whatever h does without her even trying. the trauma she went through was shocking.
draco reminded me of that guy from that ice skating enemies to lovers book with his teasing (i didn't really like it). my fav characters were definitely lucius and narcissa in this fic i love them
the concept of time was interesting and the plot twists were okay but the writing kind of drags with moments that aren't really relevant to the plot. as the antagonist, i appreciated how the author decided what harry's motivation was, though it was predictable. regardless, harry was so fucking dark here. the spells he used scared me as i was reading this at 3 am (it was just uninhibited use of evil magic it seemed almost demonic).
overall it was an okay read (the plot was good). i just wish the execution was handled better. it seemed like as the story progressed, hermione never really developed and draco character was a stranger for me (again the characters are ooc).
December 23, 2022
2014: 1st read, 3 wonderful stars
This book brings all the other mystery books to a shame!
Was this book unexpected?
HELL YEAH!
Did I still like the ending?
It was okay but just woah, unxpected! O_O
2018: 2nd read, 5 stunning & beautiful stars
When I initially read this, I always felt like I'd like it better if I was older, cause come on I was 13 then. Anyway, I loved it then and I love it even more now! This fic is absolutely brilliant and I'm pretty sure I'll be going back to read it again and again. Draco and Hermione are portrayed almost perfectly in my opinion for the situation they are in and it's just so hard to wrap up endings but this was simply amazing!
The whole mishap with the time travelling annoyed me for like a minute but then I realized it would've been way too simple if the drama hadn't happened so yeah, everything was definitely worth it in the end!
This book brings all the other mystery books to a shame!
Was this book unexpected?
HELL YEAH!
Did I still like the ending?
It was okay but just woah, unxpected! O_O
2018: 2nd read, 5 stunning & beautiful stars
When I initially read this, I always felt like I'd like it better if I was older, cause come on I was 13 then. Anyway, I loved it then and I love it even more now! This fic is absolutely brilliant and I'm pretty sure I'll be going back to read it again and again. Draco and Hermione are portrayed almost perfectly in my opinion for the situation they are in and it's just so hard to wrap up endings but this was simply amazing!
The whole mishap with the time travelling annoyed me for like a minute but then I realized it would've been way too simple if the drama hadn't happened so yeah, everything was definitely worth it in the end!
February 1, 2015
Let's see...after reading Out of the Silent Planet, I had the sudden urge to drown in more Dramione fanfiction. As expected, the story did not disappoint.
October 18, 2020
Es una historia que te atrapa desde un inicio y hay tantos giros en la trama. Estoy encantada con como la aurora hilo de esa forma todo
December 10, 2022
This one was unique and written very well. I enjoyed it. I would reread.
June 5, 2023
It had so much promise until the end.
February 6, 2026
If I could give this 3.5 stars I probably would, that being said, it was certainly closer to a 4 than it was to a 3.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and while I felt as though the first half was more captivating than the second in its writing style, it was still quite good. Good enough that I read it in one 8 hour sitting, with the exception of maybe an hour to make & eat dinner.
I found the plot to be ingenuitive and really enjoyed reading something in the dramione world that I hadn’t yet. Most of my appreciation for this work stems from that.
I do think that the draco-hermione relationship could have been written a bit better, I felt as though Hermiones character was off in more ways than one & was frustrated with some of the decisions regarding her character towards the end. That being said, it was still very entertaining and fun to read.
When you consider that these works are written by people, essentially as a hobby, you really can’t ask for much more.
Also, one last note, it was a bit difficult to find on ao3. I ended up finding the link to the ao3 listing through a post on a random page from a separate website. I did try to type in the exact title and the author but couldn’t manage to see it, i could just be a bit blind though & may have missed it, lol.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and while I felt as though the first half was more captivating than the second in its writing style, it was still quite good. Good enough that I read it in one 8 hour sitting, with the exception of maybe an hour to make & eat dinner.
I found the plot to be ingenuitive and really enjoyed reading something in the dramione world that I hadn’t yet. Most of my appreciation for this work stems from that.
I do think that the draco-hermione relationship could have been written a bit better, I felt as though Hermiones character was off in more ways than one & was frustrated with some of the decisions regarding her character towards the end. That being said, it was still very entertaining and fun to read.
When you consider that these works are written by people, essentially as a hobby, you really can’t ask for much more.
Also, one last note, it was a bit difficult to find on ao3. I ended up finding the link to the ao3 listing through a post on a random page from a separate website. I did try to type in the exact title and the author but couldn’t manage to see it, i could just be a bit blind though & may have missed it, lol.
December 31, 2022
The pacing was a bit awkward and the characters are, I wouldn't say completely ooc, more like they suffered from extreme ptsd and thus their personalities changed (which is definitely a thing that can happen after trauma and psychosis so I wouldn't call it ooc). But the magic description, the world building, the added lore, the richness of the story more than make up for it.
Dark Harry was a concept that always fascinated me, but after how hurt I was reading this I know now I do not have the stomach to regularly read dark Harry. My poor boy :(
All in all only a well written story could make keep talking/thinking about it so much a year later, wake such strong feelings in me. And I need a detailed account of every wizarding holiday celebration by the Malfoys.
Dark Harry was a concept that always fascinated me, but after how hurt I was reading this I know now I do not have the stomach to regularly read dark Harry. My poor boy :(
All in all only a well written story could make keep talking/thinking about it so much a year later, wake such strong feelings in me. And I need a detailed account of every wizarding holiday celebration by the Malfoys.
January 3, 2022
Despite the OOC-ness of the characters, this is one of my favorite dramione fics. I liked the premise of all the characters going to somewhat extremes to deal with their PTSD -particually Harry. Given how much pressure that was put on him growing up, the epilogue (cannon) made him seem so normal. I was surprised myself by how he didn't go crazy with all the pressure placed on him at such a young age. This fic really was a rollercoaster
January 14, 2023
Really could've benefitted from a beta - significant grammatical a spelling errors made it difficult. Ideas were okay and execution was poor, felt like another fanfic author trying to imagine a Jane Austen HP rewrite. Also could've (should've) been half the length & characters weren't consistent and didn't make much sense.
Lastly - please: use contractions in dialogue!
Lastly - please: use contractions in dialogue!
December 27, 2023
4.5 stars. This was a completely different take on the normal Dramione fanfiction. It was brilliantly written, engaging, and overall an excellent story. It is quite dark so that is definitely important to keep in mind.
There were a few moments that made me shake my head but I don’t think I’ve encountered a book that doesn’t make me do that at least once.
There were a few moments that made me shake my head but I don’t think I’ve encountered a book that doesn’t make me do that at least once.
March 26, 2024
Loved this story, great use of the magical lore and intrigue. Loved the slow burn, wasn't too angsty. And the reveals just kept coming.
I like the malfoys story, I felt it fitting.
Not sure I like Draco with long hair tho but to each his own. I even listened to some of the music whilst reading Bach suited it well
I like the malfoys story, I felt it fitting.
Not sure I like Draco with long hair tho but to each his own. I even listened to some of the music whilst reading Bach suited it well
July 4, 2018
Quite dark and heavy reading material,a bit rushed at the end but written from a very interesting perspective.
Imagine it The Epilogue wasn't all so happy-ended, and what happens when the world gets to be a bit too much.
Imagine it The Epilogue wasn't all so happy-ended, and what happens when the world gets to be a bit too much.
March 22, 2022
DNF at like 0.1%
Seriously, I got a couple of paragraphs in, saw that it was narrated in first person and that Hermione goes by her middle name (which is Jane in this fic, and not Jean for some reason) and gave up.
Seriously, I got a couple of paragraphs in, saw that it was narrated in first person and that Hermione goes by her middle name (which is Jane in this fic, and not Jean for some reason) and gave up.
May 16, 2023
Somewhere around 2,5 stars, I think? The story simply didn't flow like I wished it to flow. There were some aspects I really enjoyed, e.g. the way the Malfoys celebrate celtic festivals, but there were some parts that simply did not flow with me, e.g. some parts of Hermione's inner monologue.
September 15, 2025
Mi primer crazy harry y la premisa
Me intrigo , pero esperaba más, el plot twist estuvo bien pero no wow
El dramione fue el que menos conexión sentí y es decir mucho porque ellos siempre están en un nivel wow
Me intrigo , pero esperaba más, el plot twist estuvo bien pero no wow
El dramione fue el que menos conexión sentí y es decir mucho porque ellos siempre están en un nivel wow
April 19, 2021
with a plot like no other, this book truly draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go until you have finished every last word. truly fantastic read.
Did Not Finish
November 27, 2021DNF @32%
All characters are so different from canon, and the only explanation is "10 years passed". Plot per se is interesting, but that OOC-ness prevents me from really enjoying this fic.
All characters are so different from canon, and the only explanation is "10 years passed". Plot per se is interesting, but that OOC-ness prevents me from really enjoying this fic.
January 1, 2022
DCI Draco and Unspeakable Hermione track Serial Killer Harry Potter across Wizarding Britain and Time. 2.5 stars. Very dark. TW for graphic sexual assault
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
3.5 stars - The plot to this fic was very interesting and something I haven’t come across before. However, I did think certain plot points could have been fleshed out better.
April 21, 2022
This was good. I’m still a newbie at Dramoine fics. So far this hits top 3.
May 25, 2022
2.5. Interesting idea, the first 50-60% is a good build-up, the remaining is a chore to read. After reading the closing of the 2nd last chapter, I could not stomach one more word of this novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews