Thorn | Neville Longbottom

THANK YOU + Q&A

HI! Thank you so so so much for reading this story! I am so grateful to you! Your continued encouragement and support on my writing has pushed me to keep working on my dreams of being a full-time writer one day.

This is now my 10th completed novel (although many of them are very messy and need a lot of work before I'd let anyone look at them now). I'm thrilled though that I've been able to complete so many stories. My writing skills have increased with each one, and this novel was no exception.

Thank you for being a part of the journey of creating this story with me. I'm so grateful to all of you.

I have a couple notes, so I will answer some questions you may be wondering about. If you have questions that I don't mention, comment them here! (I read all of my comments at the moment, so I'll respond when I see it.)

Did Neville and Briar ever have any kids?

Yes. I planned to make a scene that jumped into the future a bit, but it really just didn't feel like it fit. If I write a sequel of any sort (although I'm not certain I would for this fic), you will learn that Neville and Briar had a daughter named Thalia Alice Longbottom, who was named in honor of both of their mothers. I planned to make a scene to show this, but it felt as though it took away from the solid end of the story more than it added to it though. In addition to Thalia, they of course have Teddy too.

What did Briar and Neville do for careers after the war?

Like in canon, Neville was briefly an auror before he took up a position as an Herbology Professor at Hogwarts. Briar likely just focused on healing from everything she went through and caring for Teddy for some time, but I can see her continuing to make her artwork and even submitting them to the local Muggle art galleries to make some money. I could totally see her following that passion though and becoming a well-respected artist in the Muggle community.

What did you hope we readers gained from this story?

I'm sure there are a plethora of things you could take away from this story, but an important one from my perspective is that it's okay to feel your pain and your trauma, and it's okay to cry.

It made me smile when I saw comments where readers wished to tell Briar that it doesn't make her weak to cry, or when readers yelled for her to not bottle up her emotions. This was so important to me. Even on other fanfictions I've read, when the main character cries, people will immediately call the character annoying or a baby or some other degrading name simply because the character was feeling their emotions in this way. This is not right because it's perpetuating a harmful message that feeling your emotions and letting others see that pain is a sign of weakness. Working through your pain is a sign of strength.

Even for a pain that seems "trivial," it is important to feel your feelings because all of them are valid. I wrote Briar's story with this in mind, and I hope that I created a character that reminded you that it's okay to be human and to let your emotions out. Feeling your emotions and crying are healthy reactions to pain, hurt, frustration, etc. Working through your feelings is an important step in healing from pain, and I hope you all understand that after reading this fic. 💛

Did Neville "fix" Briar?

Absolutely not. I hope the story didn't come across this way. Neville supported Briar as she healed, but he in no way fixed her, not at all. She had to work through her healing, and a lot of work she put in to get better happened when he wasn't around. Briar got better through her own strength and determination to improve and to take back control of her life and happiness. HOWEVER, having a solid support system around you is vital on your journey to healing. Don't be afraid to let others in on your pain because you deserve to feel supported and to feel that relief from your pain. If you're struggling right now, just know that you are not alone, and I believe in your ability to find healing, but a significant other will never be able to fix you as is sometimes portrayed in books/shows.

I wish I had a support system like Briar. I have no one.

I know this isn't a question, but if you're feeling this way, please reach out to me! My messages on here and on Instagram are always open, and I know that many people on here would also love to support you. If any of you would love to be a buddy, even for those of you who just want more friends with similar interests, feel free to say so in the comments for this paragraph!

What was the thing Briar did with the senses when she was panicking?

That is the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique! It's super helpful and has been established to be effective in helping those experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or dissociation/depersonalization (amongst many other mental health difficulties).

Can you share some resources if we're struggling and need some support?

Of course! So I live in the United States, so many of the resources I know about are based in the US, but I will include some international resources as well!

National Suicide Prevention Hotline (USA) - 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line (where I volunteer!) - text HELLO to:
741741 (US)
85258 (UK)
50808 (Ireland)
686868 (Canada)

https://en.m.Wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_suicide_crisis_lines

^ This Wikipedia page lists the emergency numbers and Crisis Line information for many, many countries as well!

Can you tell us a little about you as well?

Sure! My name is Lizz. I'm 20 years old, and I'm a college student currently! I'm studying to be a therapist, and so I volunteer with the Crisis Text Line in my free time! Writing is my passion, so I'd love to write full-time if able! 💛

What's your Hogwarts house?

Hufflepuff, but I have a lot of Slytherin qualities too.

What are you working on next?

I'm currently working on a Young Adult Fantasy novel, and I really hope to get that novel published one day! I'm still writing it, but I plan to write more fanfics while editing it! The fantasy novel is my priority at the moment though.

I have a sequel to The Girl Who Hid in the works, and I have plans for a Draco fanfic and a Fred fanfic! (Hint: the Draco fanfic exists in this same alternate universe storyline!)

Keep your eyes peeled for more information and announcements from me on this if you'd like to read more of my work! ☺️

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I love and support all of you, and hope that you have a lovely day. Take care, loves. <3

-Lizz