I had to go away after I'd read this and come back later to even note my reactions, because I found this too stressful for words, hot and clever and enticing though it is. I guess I cannot bear very much reality.
Your plot is so neatly done, and such a wonderful excuse for some dead sexy scenes (even if they had me flinching).
Then there were the fascinating portraits of people we knew, but didn't know.
The Sirius who isn't Harry's godfather, who is a Slytherin (though not a 'Death Eater' or whatever Riddle calls his circle), who exploits him readily to avoid losing ground in his stand-off with Lucius, but who is kind and careful in doing it, even while he maintains a Slytherin cool and cunning I can't help feeling Gryffindor Sirius could never have supported.
The Regulus who is too nice to live (maybe literally), though he believes himself committed to and adoring Riddle. Who wants (but does not get) a kiss of affection.
The Lucius who, like the man in canon, allows himself to be overcome by selfish and trivial lusts. Who makes the incredible mistake of agreeing to (proposing!) that bargain with Harry. A Potter connection has come to them from the future, and if he submits to sexual use he will be given information, when they should be dredging his mind for it? Or rather, handing him over to Riddle to do that. I shouldn't care to be Lucius if Riddle ever finds out about this. (Or any of them, but no doubt they're aware of that, or will realise it, and have a conspiracy of silence about it. Which might create some interesting imbalances.)
And finally, the glimpses of Tom Riddle, who took a different road, and perhaps a surer one.
Then your Harry. Loving Sirius, yet knowing this isn't him. Hating and fearing Lucius, submitting, but able to defy him. Kind enough to warn Regulus (or Slytherin enough to seem so, sowing dissention), even after the shocking experience he's survived. Remembering his goal, and smart enough to pursue it successfully with Regulus at the last minute, when he might easily have reeled back to the future with nothing.
The last scene with Regulus was perfect. Then to have it followed up a step back to Walburga Black's point of view, filtering and diminishing Harry's anguish, not grasping his triumph. Oh yeah. Very well done indeed.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2007-01-11 10:55 am (UTC)Your plot is so neatly done, and such a wonderful excuse for some dead sexy scenes (even if they had me flinching).
Then there were the fascinating portraits of people we knew, but didn't know.
The Sirius who isn't Harry's godfather, who is a Slytherin (though not a 'Death Eater' or whatever Riddle calls his circle), who exploits him readily to avoid losing ground in his stand-off with Lucius, but who is kind and careful in doing it, even while he maintains a Slytherin cool and cunning I can't help feeling Gryffindor Sirius could never have supported.
The Regulus who is too nice to live (maybe literally), though he believes himself committed to and adoring Riddle. Who wants (but does not get) a kiss of affection.
The Lucius who, like the man in canon, allows himself to be overcome by selfish and trivial lusts. Who makes the incredible mistake of agreeing to (proposing!) that bargain with Harry. A Potter connection has come to them from the future, and if he submits to sexual use he will be given information, when they should be dredging his mind for it? Or rather, handing him over to Riddle to do that. I shouldn't care to be Lucius if Riddle ever finds out about this. (Or any of them, but no doubt they're aware of that, or will realise it, and have a conspiracy of silence about it. Which might create some interesting imbalances.)
And finally, the glimpses of Tom Riddle, who took a different road, and perhaps a surer one.
Then your Harry. Loving Sirius, yet knowing this isn't him. Hating and fearing Lucius, submitting, but able to defy him. Kind enough to warn Regulus (or Slytherin enough to seem so, sowing dissention), even after the shocking experience he's survived. Remembering his goal, and smart enough to pursue it successfully with Regulus at the last minute, when he might easily have reeled back to the future with nothing.
The last scene with Regulus was perfect. Then to have it followed up a step back to Walburga Black's point of view, filtering and diminishing Harry's anguish, not grasping his triumph. Oh yeah. Very well done indeed.