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Unsphere the Stars
When you can't change time, but you can't go forward, what is left? Hermione learns how to be the protagonist of her own story.
TOMIONE
TOMIONE
857 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
34 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
May 25, 2023
— 4.5 stars ☆
SHUT THE FUCK UP OKAY the way i love them is so fkn unnatural 🥺💘
academic rivals >>>
ACADEMIC RIVALS WHEN SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HIM BUT HE'S ON HIS KNEES FOR HER >>>
i adored this fic so much. it resonated with me at an intellectual level so deeply tbh. it was chefs kiss fr. istg, i couldn't fully focus on a single book during when i was reading this and that's the complete truth 🦋😩 the way both hermione and tom played this cat & mouse game that neither of them knew how to win, but hermione always had to try to stay few steps ahead of him in everything. the way tom protected her, was obsessed with her, wanted to wreck her, ruin her, destroy her beyond words could possibly convey. the way their dynamic was literally EVERYTHING. they were almost like bonnie and clyde lol.
this was beautiful and ethereal in a way i truly did not expect in the beginning tbh. i thought i was gonna enjoy it from the start, and i thought it was fun in the beginning. however, the way it was written. the sheer emotion in the writing, in the way the characters were written and developed. unmatched 😩💘
SHUT UP they're the most dramatic and enigmatic duo 🤩 iconic in the way no one else can be fr. i love them more than words can ever describe 🥰 also the way tom was unconcerned about his own mortality but the fact that SHE COULD DIE GASP (especially considering everything that happened later on and in the og series)
get u a man who loves you as much as he loves power 🥺
step on my neck archchancellor granger dearborn pls i'm begging you -
she was such a badass!! she's such a practical romantic (like me 🤭), she knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. i love that and her, so much.
i wasn't a huge fan of the writing from the start ngl. it was a lil wonky and disjoint, but then it got so much better and UGH THE WAY I LOVE THIS FIC IS UNREAL. almost as much as tom is obsessed with hermione (well honestly i can't even come close to that sort of possessiveness but i can dream).
hm that's interesting 🤣😭
the way he doesn't know he's obsessed with her but he always wants to know all her secrets, her thoughts, her dreams, her passion, EVERYTHING. 🤍
BFFR THAT WAS TOO REAL 😭 it just touched me in a way i rlly wasn't expecting and i love that so fucking much. 🥺
the plot was mind-blowing in the best way fr. LIKE I WAS OBSESSED, genuinely. and i rarely care about the plot so you can tell how much i love it. 😭
why do some fics have some horrible endings though, i'm genuinely wondering. love, obsession, something in between, whatever it was, it was only for them and i love them. the "greatness inspires envy" line is also so true sometimes and i adored how it related for them.
this fic only comes second to altered state in all the tomione fics i've read (so far!) and i love it so much. 💘
“You are the finest thing I have ever seen,” he muttered. “How are you encased inside a bone and flesh shell like any mere mortal when I know you are as much a storm as you are a witch?”
SHUT THE FUCK UP OKAY the way i love them is so fkn unnatural 🥺💘
[...] he held her as though the world could come crashing down around them, sky and sun and stars all together in an apocalypse of ash and fire, and he wouldn't let go.
academic rivals >>>
ACADEMIC RIVALS WHEN SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HIM BUT HE'S ON HIS KNEES FOR HER >>>
i adored this fic so much. it resonated with me at an intellectual level so deeply tbh. it was chefs kiss fr. istg, i couldn't fully focus on a single book during when i was reading this and that's the complete truth 🦋😩 the way both hermione and tom played this cat & mouse game that neither of them knew how to win, but hermione always had to try to stay few steps ahead of him in everything. the way tom protected her, was obsessed with her, wanted to wreck her, ruin her, destroy her beyond words could possibly convey. the way their dynamic was literally EVERYTHING. they were almost like bonnie and clyde lol.
this was beautiful and ethereal in a way i truly did not expect in the beginning tbh. i thought i was gonna enjoy it from the start, and i thought it was fun in the beginning. however, the way it was written. the sheer emotion in the writing, in the way the characters were written and developed. unmatched 😩💘
“I don't know how to do this, Hermione.” It was stark and blank and unfumbled; a confession unburdened by pride. “As you well know, I have no yardstick by which to measure the normal affections of a man and a woman. All I know is that you're magnificent and you're mine, and I will kill anyone who touches you.”
SHUT UP they're the most dramatic and enigmatic duo 🤩 iconic in the way no one else can be fr. i love them more than words can ever describe 🥰 also the way tom was unconcerned about his own mortality but the fact that SHE COULD DIE GASP (especially considering everything that happened later on and in the og series)
There were two beautiful things in this world; power and Hermione Dearborn.
He understood he'd kill anyone who took her away. That when she looked at him, she saw him.
“Are you my making, or my ruin?” he wondered aloud.
get u a man who loves you as much as he loves power 🥺
I'll rebuild the world in my image, she'd told him, and they'll love me for it.
step on my neck archchancellor granger dearborn pls i'm begging you -
One day, she vowed silently to herself, staring up at the castle, one day it's going to be a very different world. This one if going to burn up in a fire of hate and then I will use the ashes to help a new order come to pass. I swear it.
she was such a badass!! she's such a practical romantic (like me 🤭), she knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. i love that and her, so much.
i wasn't a huge fan of the writing from the start ngl. it was a lil wonky and disjoint, but then it got so much better and UGH THE WAY I LOVE THIS FIC IS UNREAL. almost as much as tom is obsessed with hermione (well honestly i can't even come close to that sort of possessiveness but i can dream).
He wanted to know every inch of her skin, rip it off and look underneath, dive inside her mind and eyes and body and ransack her secrets until she was flayed open beneath him, empty and open and burning hot.
hm that's interesting 🤣😭
If he ripped her open, would her secrets be burned into her skin on the inside? Would she tell him then?
the way he doesn't know he's obsessed with her but he always wants to know all her secrets, her thoughts, her dreams, her passion, EVERYTHING. 🤍
She had once believed you fell in love with someone for who they were. She had not known you could fall in love with the person for what you could forge them into. For the person you became with them.
BFFR THAT WAS TOO REAL 😭 it just touched me in a way i rlly wasn't expecting and i love that so fucking much. 🥺
the plot was mind-blowing in the best way fr. LIKE I WAS OBSESSED, genuinely. and i rarely care about the plot so you can tell how much i love it. 😭
He had put his heart in a locket for her, and she'd turned away. (He had put his heart away in a locket for her, and he had found an empty chest was a grey and lonely thing.)
why do some fics have some horrible endings though, i'm genuinely wondering. love, obsession, something in between, whatever it was, it was only for them and i love them. the "greatness inspires envy" line is also so true sometimes and i adored how it related for them.
Tom Riddle was a liar and a dreamer and a doubter and he made his lies real and his dreams become truths and his doubts a leash.
this fic only comes second to altered state in all the tomione fics i've read (so far!) and i love it so much. 💘
November 1, 2022
3.5 stars ✨
🔮 all this time shipping dramione when THIS SHIP EXISTED?? i truly didn't know what i was missing. i'll always love draco BUT there's such an appeal to shipping hermione with the ultimate villain. and tom riddle, or at least this fic's version of him, was suuuch a good match for her 🙏
🔮 the best thing about this ff? tom's pov. i'm on my knees for this man and his possessiveness. i was worried that the author would try to make him a good guy but fuck no 😌 he did a lot of questionable shit and i was eating it all up. my favorite was when he spread the rumor that hermione was a blood supremacist who hated muggle-borns just cause it served his own interests, so no one would question his fascination with her and potential recruitment to his cause 🤪✨
🔮 yet he could still be so romantic. the way he fell for her, the stuff he said, how he thought everyone in the world was an idiot but hermione 😩🦋 even the letters he sent to her while they were already apart and he was a full on villain. i was a MESS.
🔮 the writing was beautiful, ao3 writers are so talented i swear to god 😭 but it could also get long and tedious at times. whenever the MCs weren't interacting i found myself getting distracted, and this happened a lot tbh. i liked that there was a plot beyond the actual romance, but i was in the worst slump before this and i didn't have the patience for some of the stuff that went down here.
🔮 not sure i'm a fan of the ending.
🔮 still a very good, romantic, beautifully written fanfiction that i recommend for when you have the time and patience (it's 230k words long after all). i'm off to find some more tomione fics now 🏃♀️
“Are you my making, or my ruin?” he wondered aloud.
“Both,” she muttered sleepily, stirring at last.
🔮 all this time shipping dramione when THIS SHIP EXISTED?? i truly didn't know what i was missing. i'll always love draco BUT there's such an appeal to shipping hermione with the ultimate villain. and tom riddle, or at least this fic's version of him, was suuuch a good match for her 🙏
🔮 the best thing about this ff? tom's pov. i'm on my knees for this man and his possessiveness. i was worried that the author would try to make him a good guy but fuck no 😌 he did a lot of questionable shit and i was eating it all up. my favorite was when he spread the rumor that hermione was a blood supremacist who hated muggle-borns just cause it served his own interests, so no one would question his fascination with her and potential recruitment to his cause 🤪✨
🔮 yet he could still be so romantic. the way he fell for her, the stuff he said, how he thought everyone in the world was an idiot but hermione 😩🦋 even the letters he sent to her while they were already apart and he was a full on villain. i was a MESS.
He wanted to know every inch of her skin, rip it off and look underneath, dive inside her mind and eyes and body and ransack her secrets until she was flayed open beneath him, empty and open and burning hot.
🔮 the writing was beautiful, ao3 writers are so talented i swear to god 😭 but it could also get long and tedious at times. whenever the MCs weren't interacting i found myself getting distracted, and this happened a lot tbh. i liked that there was a plot beyond the actual romance, but i was in the worst slump before this and i didn't have the patience for some of the stuff that went down here.
🔮 not sure i'm a fan of the ending.
🔮 still a very good, romantic, beautifully written fanfiction that i recommend for when you have the time and patience (it's 230k words long after all). i'm off to find some more tomione fics now 🏃♀️
He turned to her, and his eyes burned with confidence and passion and belief and she understood, really understood, why people would follow him all the way into the dark.
November 10, 2022
"You're in my veins, he'd written to her afterwards. Nothing else. Love letters from the Dark Lord.
The angst was strong with this one. Why can’t a dark wizard love me like this? 🥹
I'm torn on the rating between four and five stars, because, well, there were some parts that I didn't care about in the slightest, but the parts that I did (everything before this very specific woman died and the last few chapters) I was obsessed beyond reason! I feel like I need to reread this because I blew through it way too fast.
Reread Nov 3:
So let me just touch back about the rating. I am going to give this four stars (4.25) (one spoiler tagged at the very end of this review)
This story starts with post-war Hermione being sent back to 1944, and since there is no current solution to send her back to her time, she goes to Hogwarts as a 7th year along with Tom Riddle.
What was so believable about their growing relationship was the academic rivalry they shared. Hermione at first tries to fly under the radar, but after few weeks she can't take Tom being the teacher's pet. ☠️ Not only because she knows who he's going to become but because she knows she can challenge him in this way. This grows for Tom into an obsession with her. (Also, him being low-key jealous of her little fling *catnip*)
I loved how he described her and his feelings because you can understand that he really has never had any positive relationships in his life. 🤕
Tom feeling mushy and pining for Hermione and then realizing he doesn't know wtf is going on:
I mean he literally thought she might have poisoned/spelled him to feel this way.🤣
The experience is a little different for Hermione.
Hermione first half of the school year every time Tom even looks at her:
but of course, she is drawn to him against her wishes because of his mind, but since she knows everything, she tries her hardest to stay as rivals/potential enemies until she can't anymore.
Once they actually got together, it was the best of times. I have so many highlights in this section, I would basically be reporting the fic in this review, so I'm going to limit myself. I loved how ruthless he was and how he only cared about two things - her and becoming the dark lord. He didn't have the capacity to, really. Which made it all the worse to watch him make the mistakes we already knew he would make. 💔
As much as I didn't want to read it, it was also great writing to include the crumbling of their romantic relationship. The hope she had, the sadness when she realized nothing was changing. Along with the fact that he didn't even understand what was happening when she did. 🥺
So for the part that I didn't care for... It actually wasn't like the section between the HEA and the downfall of tomione, was unnecessary.. it was needed because it made this story about more than their relationship and about Hermione's journey over the years and how she becomes this badass able to make all her changes to the wizarding world. But it felt so dense, and I was ready to see how she was going to get her HEA with Tom. So not going to lie I skimmed a lot during those few chapters. 🌚
Overall this was my first Tomione fic, and it was so good. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves angst and strong female leads. I wish there were more completed stories of this pairing to read. Leave your recs below if you have any ⭐️♥️
The angst was strong with this one. Why can’t a dark wizard love me like this? 🥹
I'm torn on the rating between four and five stars, because, well, there were some parts that I didn't care about in the slightest, but the parts that I did (everything before this very specific woman died and the last few chapters) I was obsessed beyond reason! I feel like I need to reread this because I blew through it way too fast.
Reread Nov 3:
So let me just touch back about the rating. I am going to give this four stars (4.25) (one spoiler tagged at the very end of this review)
This story starts with post-war Hermione being sent back to 1944, and since there is no current solution to send her back to her time, she goes to Hogwarts as a 7th year along with Tom Riddle.
What was so believable about their growing relationship was the academic rivalry they shared. Hermione at first tries to fly under the radar, but after few weeks she can't take Tom being the teacher's pet. ☠️ Not only because she knows who he's going to become but because she knows she can challenge him in this way. This grows for Tom into an obsession with her. (Also, him being low-key jealous of her little fling *catnip*)
Except her. That Salazar-damned girl with her quick mind and her impeccable spell-work, unafraid to be challenged, unafraid to challenge. Most of the time. She was different and he didn't know why, but she was fascinating, and yet she was still pretending to be ordinary. Running around with that complete sap...
I loved how he described her and his feelings because you can understand that he really has never had any positive relationships in his life. 🤕
He'd been convinced she'd put a spell on him - or someone had on her behalf. He'd actually taken a bezoar (just in case) although he'd deny it til the world burned if anyone asked him.
Tom feeling mushy and pining for Hermione and then realizing he doesn't know wtf is going on:
I mean he literally thought she might have poisoned/spelled him to feel this way.🤣
The experience is a little different for Hermione.
Hermione first half of the school year every time Tom even looks at her:
but of course, she is drawn to him against her wishes because of his mind, but since she knows everything, she tries her hardest to stay as rivals/potential enemies until she can't anymore.
hates herself for wanting him
Was it true? She asked herself. His dark eyes gleamed in her mind and – No. Of course she didn't want him. She didn't hate him for ignoring her, for avoiding her. She didn't burn to feel his eyes on hers again.
You are loved by a Slytherin as I was.
"Help," she whispered to no one. "Help me."
But there was no one there.
Once they actually got together, it was the best of times. I have so many highlights in this section, I would basically be reporting the fic in this review, so I'm going to limit myself. I loved how ruthless he was and how he only cared about two things - her and becoming the dark lord. He didn't have the capacity to, really. Which made it all the worse to watch him make the mistakes we already knew he would make. 💔
But this was not what they had. This was elevated far beyond what those fools called love. There were two beautiful things in this world; power and Hermione Dearborn.
As much as I didn't want to read it, it was also great writing to include the crumbling of their romantic relationship. The hope she had, the sadness when she realized nothing was changing. Along with the fact that he didn't even understand what was happening when she did. 🥺
Hermione did not wear the locket for long, for she left to one place and he to throw away another piece of himself, but for the time she had it, it was more hers than any other part of him he had left.
So for the part that I didn't care for... It actually wasn't like the section between the HEA and the downfall of tomione, was unnecessary.. it was needed because it made this story about more than their relationship and about Hermione's journey over the years and how she becomes this badass able to make all her changes to the wizarding world. But it felt so dense, and I was ready to see how she was going to get her HEA with Tom. So not going to lie I skimmed a lot during those few chapters. 🌚
Overall this was my first Tomione fic, and it was so good. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves angst and strong female leads. I wish there were more completed stories of this pairing to read. Leave your recs below if you have any ⭐️♥️
July 7, 2020
I should preface this review by saying that I'm a complete newcomer to the world of fan-fiction. In a fit of pique at the entirely unsatisfactory resolution of the Darkling's character arc in Leigh Bardugo's "Shadow and Bone" trilogy, I recently turned to the internet in search of catharsis (in the form of like-minded fans venting their own angry sentiments in Goodreads reviews and reddit sub-threads) and discovered, among various laments for the Darkling, anti-Mal vitriol, and satisfyingly searing critiques of Alina's romantic choices, a reference to "Unsphere the Stars". My delighted surprise at realising that I was not alone in harbouring a guilty attraction to Tom Riddle all these years, combined with the implicit offer of rectifying another heinously misguided literary pairing (matching Hermione with Ron is nothing short of a travesty), made me click through to the text.
While I had pretty unfavourable prior beliefs about the quality of fan-fiction prose, I was pleased to discover that "Unsphere the Stars" is well-written; in particular, the characterisation of Tom and Hermione, and of their relationship, is wonderfully executed. After only a few chapters, I was already enraptured by the narrative, and was firmly convinced that these two are meant for each other. Their relationship is incredibly attractive: Tom and Hermione recognise each other's brilliance, revel in it, and never settle for anything less than each other's intellectual best, challenging and questioning everything with an insatiable appetite for knowledge (they would both make excellent Ravenclaws). They discuss literature, compete with each other in the classroom, and debate the relative merits of policies for the magical community in Britain with the same passionate intensity that characterises their romantic entanglement, and the combination is nothing short of exhilarating. Aside from the, er, unfortunate megolomania, Tom Riddle really is the boyfriend of my dreams.
CocoArtist does a particularly fine job of evoking the magnetic charm of Tom's charisma; in one scene, Hermione watches him after a particularly heated debate, his eyes "burn[ing] with confidence and passion and belief, and she understood, really understood, why people would follow him all the way into the dark". It is to the author's credit that the reader is able to share Hermione's realisation in this regard.
Further, CocoArtist gives her characters - notably Tom, Hermione, and Dumbledore - a rich complexity that is absent in the original Harry Potter books. Tom is not inherently evil, as he is in Rowling's conception. Instead, he is motivated by a powerful sense of his own ability and of the things due to him as a result, and by a resentfulness at having been denied those things, particularly as a child. His desire for Dumbledore's regard and attention is particularly telling in this regard; even his interest in Hermione is born of a sense of fury that Dumbledore should prefer her over himself. This burning desire to be seen, and recognised, and respected, is also made manifest in the manner that Tom's "evil" actions are as much performative as they are vengeful: he simultaneously seeks vengeance on those who enjoy the privileges he feels are his due, and thirsts for their approval and acceptance, which he believes he can achieve only through demonstrations of power.
Likewise, CocoArtist's interpretation of Dumbledore displays an intriguingly ambiguous morality. Reeling from having had to kill his former lover Grindelwald, he is cold to Tom out of a fear of, once more, playing a role in the rise of a Dark Lord. Ironically, his alienation of Tom is a key factor in bringing about precisely that outcome.
Finally, the ending of this novel is incredibly satisfying: I very much enjoyed watching Hermione fulfill her enormous potential, and rise from the position of sidekick in the Harry Potter books to powerful protagonist in this one. Equally, the resolution to her relationship with Tom is beautifully handled. Both feel very well-earned.
If any of this sounds at all interesting to you, read "Unsphere the Stars" right away. You won't be disappointed. I'm already itching for a re-read. Tomione forever! ❤️
While I had pretty unfavourable prior beliefs about the quality of fan-fiction prose, I was pleased to discover that "Unsphere the Stars" is well-written; in particular, the characterisation of Tom and Hermione, and of their relationship, is wonderfully executed. After only a few chapters, I was already enraptured by the narrative, and was firmly convinced that these two are meant for each other. Their relationship is incredibly attractive: Tom and Hermione recognise each other's brilliance, revel in it, and never settle for anything less than each other's intellectual best, challenging and questioning everything with an insatiable appetite for knowledge (they would both make excellent Ravenclaws). They discuss literature, compete with each other in the classroom, and debate the relative merits of policies for the magical community in Britain with the same passionate intensity that characterises their romantic entanglement, and the combination is nothing short of exhilarating. Aside from the, er, unfortunate megolomania, Tom Riddle really is the boyfriend of my dreams.
CocoArtist does a particularly fine job of evoking the magnetic charm of Tom's charisma; in one scene, Hermione watches him after a particularly heated debate, his eyes "burn[ing] with confidence and passion and belief, and she understood, really understood, why people would follow him all the way into the dark". It is to the author's credit that the reader is able to share Hermione's realisation in this regard.
Further, CocoArtist gives her characters - notably Tom, Hermione, and Dumbledore - a rich complexity that is absent in the original Harry Potter books. Tom is not inherently evil, as he is in Rowling's conception. Instead, he is motivated by a powerful sense of his own ability and of the things due to him as a result, and by a resentfulness at having been denied those things, particularly as a child. His desire for Dumbledore's regard and attention is particularly telling in this regard; even his interest in Hermione is born of a sense of fury that Dumbledore should prefer her over himself. This burning desire to be seen, and recognised, and respected, is also made manifest in the manner that Tom's "evil" actions are as much performative as they are vengeful: he simultaneously seeks vengeance on those who enjoy the privileges he feels are his due, and thirsts for their approval and acceptance, which he believes he can achieve only through demonstrations of power.
Likewise, CocoArtist's interpretation of Dumbledore displays an intriguingly ambiguous morality. Reeling from having had to kill his former lover Grindelwald, he is cold to Tom out of a fear of, once more, playing a role in the rise of a Dark Lord. Ironically, his alienation of Tom is a key factor in bringing about precisely that outcome.
Finally, the ending of this novel is incredibly satisfying: I very much enjoyed watching Hermione fulfill her enormous potential, and rise from the position of sidekick in the Harry Potter books to powerful protagonist in this one. Equally, the resolution to her relationship with Tom is beautifully handled. Both feel very well-earned.
If any of this sounds at all interesting to you, read "Unsphere the Stars" right away. You won't be disappointed. I'm already itching for a re-read. Tomione forever! ❤️
February 18, 2022
There are no words and I will never recover
July 25, 2022
I killed him, she'd said.
Mine, he'd thought. Mine mine mine.
uh oh the 'possessive tom riddle' AO3 tag is becoming quite the issue for me
Mine, he'd thought. Mine mine mine.
uh oh the 'possessive tom riddle' AO3 tag is becoming quite the issue for me
April 7, 2020
This is everything we needed and more!
I’ve become a huge stan of both Hermione and Tom Riddle after this.
I was so shocked to see that the author kept the essence og the characters, and it just blew me away of how authentic it felt. Truly.
Even though it felt near and familiar to the Hermione and Tom we knew from before, the author really put a special kind of magic to it, and I am sold. What an imagination!!
I love it. Everyone should read it.
I’ve become a huge stan of both Hermione and Tom Riddle after this.
I was so shocked to see that the author kept the essence og the characters, and it just blew me away of how authentic it felt. Truly.
Even though it felt near and familiar to the Hermione and Tom we knew from before, the author really put a special kind of magic to it, and I am sold. What an imagination!!
I love it. Everyone should read it.
January 24, 2022
I am not even sure what to feel after reading this, but I am officially wrecked.
This is a post-war, time travel, Tomione (Tom Riddle / Hermione Granger) fanfic. The basis being 20 year old (post Deathly Hallows) Hermione Granger gets sent back in time to 1944 Hogwarts by Dumbledore. As everyone who knows HP canon Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort is in his 7th year at Hogwarts in 1944. Was Hermione sent back in time to stop him becoming Lord Voldemort, can she change him? The answer there being no, since as it is stated in the story, the past cannot be changed as it has already happened. So why did Dumbledore send Hermione into the past? It's definitely worth the read to find out.
Things I liked were that we very much so get manipulative/unapologetic Tom Riddle and a Hermione Granger who does not change her core personality/morals upon falling for one another. There are a few moments in the story where they felt slightly out of character (insert weird Tom Riddle train wink), but for the most part the characters stayed true to their respective core personality traits. Yes, they do change a little throughout the story, but it makes sense because that is character development, the story would be boring without it. People change over time due to life experience's and choices.
Cedric Dearborn should be canon, I loved him so much. Cedric and his castle in Wales reminded me so much of the "Alchemist/Professor" in the Chronicles of Narnia Books. Honestly, the whole Dearborn family needs to be canon they are just that great. The Dearborn Christmases made this book for me.
The romance is was what I would call a medium burn, it wasn't immediate but it developed realistically overtime. Not a lot of smut, there are some "romantic" scenes but nothing described in depth, not fade to black exactly but not like paragraphs of smut.
I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but as soon as the locket gets created it drags. I wish there would have been more detail in the years during the war between Hermione and Tom. Stick in there though, because the ending is great :).
I would recommend this fic to anyone who likes a good villain romance with a heroine who challenges and does not try to change said villain.
This is one of those fics that should be a fully published novel if it could be.
This is a post-war, time travel, Tomione (Tom Riddle / Hermione Granger) fanfic. The basis being 20 year old (post Deathly Hallows) Hermione Granger gets sent back in time to 1944 Hogwarts by Dumbledore. As everyone who knows HP canon Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort is in his 7th year at Hogwarts in 1944. Was Hermione sent back in time to stop him becoming Lord Voldemort, can she change him? The answer there being no, since as it is stated in the story, the past cannot be changed as it has already happened. So why did Dumbledore send Hermione into the past? It's definitely worth the read to find out.
Things I liked were that we very much so get manipulative/unapologetic Tom Riddle and a Hermione Granger who does not change her core personality/morals upon falling for one another. There are a few moments in the story where they felt slightly out of character (insert weird Tom Riddle train wink), but for the most part the characters stayed true to their respective core personality traits. Yes, they do change a little throughout the story, but it makes sense because that is character development, the story would be boring without it. People change over time due to life experience's and choices.
Cedric Dearborn should be canon, I loved him so much. Cedric and his castle in Wales reminded me so much of the "Alchemist/Professor" in the Chronicles of Narnia Books. Honestly, the whole Dearborn family needs to be canon they are just that great. The Dearborn Christmases made this book for me.
The romance is was what I would call a medium burn, it wasn't immediate but it developed realistically overtime. Not a lot of smut, there are some "romantic" scenes but nothing described in depth, not fade to black exactly but not like paragraphs of smut.
I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but as soon as the locket gets created it drags. I wish there would have been more detail in the years during the war between Hermione and Tom. Stick in there though, because the ending is great :).
I would recommend this fic to anyone who likes a good villain romance with a heroine who challenges and does not try to change said villain.
This is one of those fics that should be a fully published novel if it could be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2024
Holy shit, dude.
Better than the original work. The characterization is fantastic-I’ve never read a more real, raw, relatable Hermione.
And Tom? I was SO skeptical going into this, because he’s like evil, bro. This fic breaks him down into so many parts and gives such a different perspective.
The magic is the most beautifully written aspect of this story. Reading this made me feel like I was digging deeper into the magic system than the OG books allowed, it was awe inspiring.
The twist…. I shall not say more but I screamed. It was set up so surely but I was SURE it wasn’t going to happen?!? I was like no way bro. The events that took place after that seemed a little crazy even for such a magical work of art but honestly I support both Women’s rights and Women’s wrongs.
This is canon for me, sorry haters!!!!! Harry can stay mad. I have so many feelings.
Better than the original work. The characterization is fantastic-I’ve never read a more real, raw, relatable Hermione.
And Tom? I was SO skeptical going into this, because he’s like evil, bro. This fic breaks him down into so many parts and gives such a different perspective.
The magic is the most beautifully written aspect of this story. Reading this made me feel like I was digging deeper into the magic system than the OG books allowed, it was awe inspiring.
The twist…. I shall not say more but I screamed. It was set up so surely but I was SURE it wasn’t going to happen?!? I was like no way bro. The events that took place after that seemed a little crazy even for such a magical work of art but honestly I support both Women’s rights and Women’s wrongs.
This is canon for me, sorry haters!!!!! Harry can stay mad. I have so many feelings.
August 6, 2021
Hands down the best Tomione fanfiction I’ve ever read. The characters really felt in character, and this was honestly a fic that had me in from page 1.
Read
April 24, 2024Soooo many pages with a boring story ..mmmm.. I think i can't handle that 🤷♀️
February 26, 2024
I am miserable and broken beyond repairs.
Magnifique.
Magnifique.
August 1, 2022
The best tomione fic I have read so far !
October 8, 2025
Even though it had a slow start, I still liked the first half. But then I got bored in the middle, except for when Tom talked or was in a scene. I expected something more, but it wasn’t quite there. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece like others do, but it wasn’t a complete letdown either. I loved the young Tom, he had so much potential. The ending felt rushed for such a long fanfic. Overall, I’m torn between giving it a 3.5 or a 4. This definitely won’t be my last Tomione, because I love the pairing.
April 10, 2024
Still can’t believe how amazing these fanfic writers are. This book was so creative and well written. I love reading a fic that expands the HP world!
February 22, 2023
a massive thanks to Clarice for recommending this fic, I am forever grateful!! you’ve also made me a tomione shipper and I need much much more.
Hermione was often a character I aspired to be when I was younger, but that feeling got lost in her characterizations in some fics. This Hermione however brought back that feeling full force.
also this has inspired me to start bookbinding again because I need this on my shelf nowwwwww
Hermione was often a character I aspired to be when I was younger, but that feeling got lost in her characterizations in some fics. This Hermione however brought back that feeling full force.
also this has inspired me to start bookbinding again because I need this on my shelf nowwwwww
August 14, 2023
2.5 stars
I heard so many good things about this fic but it was a let down, and I really wonder if people love it so much just because it’s one of the rare complete fics with tomione as a pairing that is decently written.
The beginning was a bit boring but I still read it without skipping too much pages. I thought that the romance with Marcus was unnecessary: no one cared and Hermione clearly wasn’t in love with him so why did she even bother? She never struck me as the type to date a guy just because he’s interested in her.
The fic finally took off when she begins dating Tom… which is around the 50% mark. Now, I like slow burn but it was TOO MUCH especially since the fic is super long. But starting from there I started to really enjoy it and for the next 250 pages or so I really thought I’d give this fic at least 3 stars. I really enjoyed the rest of Hermione’s Hogwarts’ year and even the “travel the world” chapters with Tom. I admit I skipped the pages where she was in Norway (I still don’t get the point of her going there but okay). But I enjoyed it UNTIL…
She basically broke up with him. Actually we don’t even really see her breaking up with him, we read her memory of it happening. I thought the ending was super rushed which is ironic since it lasted at least 100 pages. I think the author was maybe tired of writing and didn’t know exactly where to go so she rushed to the ending. I had no interest in whatever Hermione was doing after that and I skipped a lot of pages.
I thought it would get interesting once she came back to the “present” but it really wasn’t. ALL of the characters starting acting OOC and I didn’t like that at all. Some events were also super confusing but no spoil. When I read the epilogue I thought “thanks god”, because I was happy to finally be done with this fic.
To answer a question I know I’m not the only one that wanted to know: no there’s no smut. There are a couple intimate scene that are tastefully written, but I would not describe them as smut.
I’m glad I read it but I don’t think I’ll read it ever again and it’s clearly not in my top fanfics.
I heard so many good things about this fic but it was a let down, and I really wonder if people love it so much just because it’s one of the rare complete fics with tomione as a pairing that is decently written.
The beginning was a bit boring but I still read it without skipping too much pages. I thought that the romance with Marcus was unnecessary: no one cared and Hermione clearly wasn’t in love with him so why did she even bother? She never struck me as the type to date a guy just because he’s interested in her.
The fic finally took off when she begins dating Tom… which is around the 50% mark. Now, I like slow burn but it was TOO MUCH especially since the fic is super long. But starting from there I started to really enjoy it and for the next 250 pages or so I really thought I’d give this fic at least 3 stars. I really enjoyed the rest of Hermione’s Hogwarts’ year and even the “travel the world” chapters with Tom. I admit I skipped the pages where she was in Norway (I still don’t get the point of her going there but okay). But I enjoyed it UNTIL…
She basically broke up with him. Actually we don’t even really see her breaking up with him, we read her memory of it happening. I thought the ending was super rushed which is ironic since it lasted at least 100 pages. I think the author was maybe tired of writing and didn’t know exactly where to go so she rushed to the ending. I had no interest in whatever Hermione was doing after that and I skipped a lot of pages.
I thought it would get interesting once she came back to the “present” but it really wasn’t. ALL of the characters starting acting OOC and I didn’t like that at all. Some events were also super confusing but no spoil. When I read the epilogue I thought “thanks god”, because I was happy to finally be done with this fic.
To answer a question I know I’m not the only one that wanted to know: no there’s no smut. There are a couple intimate scene that are tastefully written, but I would not describe them as smut.
I’m glad I read it but I don’t think I’ll read it ever again and it’s clearly not in my top fanfics.
July 30, 2022
This is one of the BEST Tomione stories I have had the pleasure of coming across. I binge read this entire story over the course of two days and got about seven hours of sleep combined haha! The plot was sublime and tied in so perfectly all the way throughout. Everything was so magical, so exhilarating, so very very good. The characterization was spot on. Your Hermione is very believable, and I admire her so much. Tom’s devastatingly charming traits are on full display as well. I’m in love with Cerdic, Sophia, and all the other marvelous characters you created. This story is exceedingly unique amongst Tomione fics. What you did with Tom/Voldemort and the ending was perfect. Thank you for writing such a detailed fic, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And thank you for feeding my Tom Riddle obsession! 😂
April 9, 2020
I have no words to explain what this books means to me or how much I love it. Just know it's one of my favorite books I've ever had the pleasure of reading and I'm forever grateful to the author for writing something so special. TOMIONE FOREVER.
May 17, 2025
Stunning! Reading this story is like drinking a cold glass of water, only to find out halfway through it’s twisted into a bitter sweet and bitingly delectable wine.
The thoughtful world and character building enchanted me. I found it crisply refreshing to read a fantasy/partial romance story beyond just falling in love with someone; but rather, the process of falling out of love and learning to live for oneself and own dreams/ambitions first. I do wish more time had been spent on this part of the story, with as much gut wrenching horror as was spent on the heroine falling for the “monster” against her better judgement. Given how masterfully the author had me rooting for their success, I would have liked to feel so fully numb and heartbroken instead of removed by a degree, viewing the fallout partially through the eyes of a separate character.
That being said, masterfully penned tale, refreshing, snd insanely creative! I will be thinking of this tale for years to come.
The thoughtful world and character building enchanted me. I found it crisply refreshing to read a fantasy/partial romance story beyond just falling in love with someone; but rather, the process of falling out of love and learning to live for oneself and own dreams/ambitions first. I do wish more time had been spent on this part of the story, with as much gut wrenching horror as was spent on the heroine falling for the “monster” against her better judgement. Given how masterfully the author had me rooting for their success, I would have liked to feel so fully numb and heartbroken instead of removed by a degree, viewing the fallout partially through the eyes of a separate character.
That being said, masterfully penned tale, refreshing, snd insanely creative! I will be thinking of this tale for years to come.
July 31, 2022
What a glorious epic beautiful story. Truly there’s no other better way to describe this yet Im also at a loss for words. This was a romance. But also a story about redemption. About pain and loneliness. And what happens when you want to play God. Wow. My favorite parts were when they were finally getting together for the first time. The prose really shined there and all of the actions held such weight. You could feel the shifts of their relationship as everything starts to inevitably unfold. And the way it all tied up in the end!
The only complaint I have is with the end. I only wish we would have gotten more banter between them and have been able to read more about how they dealt with the fallout of everything.
The only complaint I have is with the end. I only wish we would have gotten more banter between them and have been able to read more about how they dealt with the fallout of everything.
May 30, 2022
Probably the best thing I've read in the ff world and I've been there for over a decade.
January 3, 2023
4,5
🥹🥹🥹 one of the best tomione I’ve read so far
🥹🥹🥹 one of the best tomione I’ve read so far
March 25, 2024
I can fix him x
"He is good to me but he is not a good man. I hope he can be, but I fear he can't."
——————-
The vibe is very much the quote ‘When you are not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.’ But add in a couple of war crimes
This was so, so interesting, the premise of the story is risky as can be very easily poorly executed - but it was so effective and really thought provoking.
Overall it was a slow intricate story that goes deeper than redemption vs rehabilitation and how much of a product of our environments are we in the end etc etc.
It was subtle, meaningful and vast.
Honourable mention for:
“She fell in love with his passion, with his gentleness, with his hand around her neck.” So many impactful quotes laced with double entendres
"He is good to me but he is not a good man. I hope he can be, but I fear he can't."
——————-
The vibe is very much the quote ‘When you are not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.’ But add in a couple of war crimes
This was so, so interesting, the premise of the story is risky as can be very easily poorly executed - but it was so effective and really thought provoking.
Overall it was a slow intricate story that goes deeper than redemption vs rehabilitation and how much of a product of our environments are we in the end etc etc.
It was subtle, meaningful and vast.
Honourable mention for:
“She fell in love with his passion, with his gentleness, with his hand around her neck.” So many impactful quotes laced with double entendres
April 16, 2020
"Unsphere the Stars" is one of the most masterful stories I've had the pleasure of reading on Fanfiction.net. All characters were "in tune" with J.K. Rowling's creation, while also adding very interesting and complex original characters as well. The story took a hard look at some difficult questions such as, "Are people born evil?" It was well researched and the literary craft of the world was stunning and well-delivered. I highly recommend, but it isn't for everyone.
March 24, 2020
This book is incredible and I'm so happy I gave Tomione a chance, you seriously won't regret reading it.
July 6, 2022
I loved it, but only one thing made me a little bit sad - WHAT HAPPENED TO HENRY?
I really wanted to know
I really wanted to know
dnf
June 22, 2025dnf at 50%
March 12, 2025
“I'll let you burn the world to ash," she told him, "and then I'll come in and build it up in my image. And they'll love me for it."
✨✨✨
SUMMARY: Hermione is sent back to 1944 by Dumbledore on her 20th birthday. Without past Dumbledore knowing how to send her back to the future, she must build a life until they can figure it out. She goes to Hogwarts where Tom Riddle is head boy and tries to keep her head down but this is Hermione Granger, she isn't someone who fades into the background and Tom Riddle has noticed her. The only other person who has ever matched him intellectually.
Unsphere the Stars is a Tomione masterpiece & yet again a fanfiction that is better than most published books. I was hesitant in such an ominous pairing, but it.. makes sense. I felt more emotions reading this than I have in months. I laughed, I sad cried, I giggled & kicked my feet, I felt absolute despair, I felt relief. A characterization of Tom Riddle that is realistic & canon compliant. You understand why he was so alluring & people would follow him into the dark. A dual POV into the mind & creation of Voldemort. And a reminder that you can’t manipulate the events of time. Everything happens for a reason.
✨✨✨
“For Tom Riddle, looking at Hermione was like looking straight at the sun before it sets, still ablaze but low in the sky and golden, setting the world aglow. He'd watched her, eyes burning, but unable pull them away. She was dazzling and dangerous and she lit up everything and everyone around her. He hated her for it.”
“He wanted to tear her open and look to see if there really was fire inside. Did flames dance through her blood? If he ripped her open, would her secrets be burned into her skin on the inside? Would she tell him then?”
“Tom walked back to the library, alone, wondering how much of himself he'd have to spill to slice her open.”
“You are the finest thing I have ever seen," he muttered. "How are you encased inside a bone and flesh shell like any mere mortal when I know you are as much a storm as you are a witch?"
“He wanted to know every inch of her skin, rip it off and look underneath, dive inside her mind and eyes and body and ransack her secrets until she was flayed open beneath him, empty and open and burning hot.”
“You and I are very similar, Harry, in the way we see the humanity in others. Albus couldn't afford for you, his sacrificial lamb to the slaughter, the sword of justice he had to wield beyond his own death, to see Tom Riddle as anything but an inhuman enemy. Especially when you already identified with him so much. And had you seen more of him when he was young perhaps you would have seen too much of the human in him and not enough of, shall we say, the monster that you needed to see to give you the strength to defeat him."
“You are the single shining light in a world of hideousness”
“You're the only one in this place, perhaps in this whole world, that measures up to me. I've always known I was extraordinary, but I never expected another might be."
“Be better, she'd told him, the first person to ever really see him, and believe there was more to him than brilliance and power, than cruelty and ambition. I believe that you can.”
“He turned to her, and his eyes burned with confidence and passion and belief and she understood, really understood, why people would follow him all the way into the dark.”
“Hermione, whatever brought us together was surely worth any cost–and yet, I find bringing you pain is something I now find so wholly abhorrent that I can only regret such a foolish act. Being without you, even for such a short space has been unbearable. Wherever you came from, you are my only peer in this world. What is dark within me you illuminate. You burn so bright, Hermione. Know this. I am on your side, now and forever. Forgive me. Yours, Tom”
“This was elevated far beyond what those fools called love. There were two beautiful things in this world; power and Hermione Dearborn.”
“Perhaps she was deceiving herself and he was already a monster. A murderer, certainly, but so was she. She wondered what made someone a monster. She wondered if she was one too.”
“Tom made the world sharply technicolour, and the grey tinged miseries of her past and what she'd lost became unfocused, fading into the background until she could hardly see them.”
“He is not tame, she thought. He is a wild thing, and this is borrowed time.”
✨✨✨
SUMMARY: Hermione is sent back to 1944 by Dumbledore on her 20th birthday. Without past Dumbledore knowing how to send her back to the future, she must build a life until they can figure it out. She goes to Hogwarts where Tom Riddle is head boy and tries to keep her head down but this is Hermione Granger, she isn't someone who fades into the background and Tom Riddle has noticed her. The only other person who has ever matched him intellectually.
Unsphere the Stars is a Tomione masterpiece & yet again a fanfiction that is better than most published books. I was hesitant in such an ominous pairing, but it.. makes sense. I felt more emotions reading this than I have in months. I laughed, I sad cried, I giggled & kicked my feet, I felt absolute despair, I felt relief. A characterization of Tom Riddle that is realistic & canon compliant. You understand why he was so alluring & people would follow him into the dark. A dual POV into the mind & creation of Voldemort. And a reminder that you can’t manipulate the events of time. Everything happens for a reason.
✨✨✨
“For Tom Riddle, looking at Hermione was like looking straight at the sun before it sets, still ablaze but low in the sky and golden, setting the world aglow. He'd watched her, eyes burning, but unable pull them away. She was dazzling and dangerous and she lit up everything and everyone around her. He hated her for it.”
“He wanted to tear her open and look to see if there really was fire inside. Did flames dance through her blood? If he ripped her open, would her secrets be burned into her skin on the inside? Would she tell him then?”
“Tom walked back to the library, alone, wondering how much of himself he'd have to spill to slice her open.”
“You are the finest thing I have ever seen," he muttered. "How are you encased inside a bone and flesh shell like any mere mortal when I know you are as much a storm as you are a witch?"
“He wanted to know every inch of her skin, rip it off and look underneath, dive inside her mind and eyes and body and ransack her secrets until she was flayed open beneath him, empty and open and burning hot.”
“You and I are very similar, Harry, in the way we see the humanity in others. Albus couldn't afford for you, his sacrificial lamb to the slaughter, the sword of justice he had to wield beyond his own death, to see Tom Riddle as anything but an inhuman enemy. Especially when you already identified with him so much. And had you seen more of him when he was young perhaps you would have seen too much of the human in him and not enough of, shall we say, the monster that you needed to see to give you the strength to defeat him."
“You are the single shining light in a world of hideousness”
“You're the only one in this place, perhaps in this whole world, that measures up to me. I've always known I was extraordinary, but I never expected another might be."
“Be better, she'd told him, the first person to ever really see him, and believe there was more to him than brilliance and power, than cruelty and ambition. I believe that you can.”
“He turned to her, and his eyes burned with confidence and passion and belief and she understood, really understood, why people would follow him all the way into the dark.”
“Hermione, whatever brought us together was surely worth any cost–and yet, I find bringing you pain is something I now find so wholly abhorrent that I can only regret such a foolish act. Being without you, even for such a short space has been unbearable. Wherever you came from, you are my only peer in this world. What is dark within me you illuminate. You burn so bright, Hermione. Know this. I am on your side, now and forever. Forgive me. Yours, Tom”
“This was elevated far beyond what those fools called love. There were two beautiful things in this world; power and Hermione Dearborn.”
“Perhaps she was deceiving herself and he was already a monster. A murderer, certainly, but so was she. She wondered what made someone a monster. She wondered if she was one too.”
“Tom made the world sharply technicolour, and the grey tinged miseries of her past and what she'd lost became unfocused, fading into the background until she could hardly see them.”
“He is not tame, she thought. He is a wild thing, and this is borrowed time.”
October 19, 2022
4.5 Stars
never thought i’d say this but dramione may not be my favorite non-canon ship in the hp universe anymore. tomione/volmione’s potential for the academic-rivals/enemies-to-lovers tropes knows no bounds. tom’s charm and propensity for magic, the pursuit of knowledge, anddarkness greatness makes him hermione’s equal in every possible way, and vice versa. i fear this fanfic has made an obsessed monster out of me
“He said it's because too much magic can be a dangerous thing... But I am already a dangerous thing, my love, and so are you, and I want to find out what, if any, limits exist."
"What if you lose yourself along the way?"
"I won't. I have you to tether me to myself.”
never thought i’d say this but dramione may not be my favorite non-canon ship in the hp universe anymore. tomione/volmione’s potential for the academic-rivals/enemies-to-lovers tropes knows no bounds. tom’s charm and propensity for magic, the pursuit of knowledge, and
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