Fic Rec Fridays 2019 - part 13
Mar. 29th, 2019 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katajainenChapters: 5/5
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Dudley Dursley/Undisclosed
Characters: Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Lily Luna Potter, James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Dudley Dursley, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant
Series: Part 1 of Memories and Dreams
Summary:
Minerva needs help delivering another letter to #4 Privet Drive. At forty, Dudley is not at all what Harry expects. A long overdue conversation ensues. DH cannon compliant, but probably not the way you think. Prologue to "Snape's Memories".
I'd call this one an appetizer.
Not that it isn't a nice serviceable slice-of-life on its own, but it contains so many intriguing beginnings that you're inevitably sucked towards the next installment. This prologue story isn’t too concerned about plot, rather than setting the stage for the main action, but the rich characterization and description - not to mention the judicious use of OCs - are plenty enjoyable on their own.
Also I will never not be invested in stories where Harry and Dudley meet as grown-ups and have to deal with the aftermath of having to grow up in Number 4 Privet Drive. And here the author excels in doing what canon refused to do: calling abuse by its name and considering the long-term consequences in a mature and balanced way, without reveling in them. Because while the past did happen, people are more than the sum of their scars and tragedies.
That said, it might seem strange to say this is a feel-good story, but it is that. Or rather, a restore-my-faith-to-humanity story. For every bitter bit that's hard to read, there's a hopeful one, and by the end of the series, the hope well outweighs the despair. Or - as someone once said - there's still good left in this world, and it's worth fighting for.
P.s. When it says 'Canon-compliant' in the tags, note that this predates The Cursed Child. Which is only a good thing in my book.