These stories are most notable for an interesting presentation of one of the following theories: * Dumbledore is evil. * Dumbledore is incompetent. * Dumbledore epitomizes the concept that ‘there is no one more dangerous than the person who thinks he/she is doing good.’
- How?
- Author: Lab12
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Date(s):
- Published: 2023-07-22
- Updated: 2023-08-07
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Comments:
I am bookmarking this under the “if you search for it more than twice” policy. There is something quite appealing with the premise - quite a bit of good could have come if Harry had insisted on some quite reasonable explanations of a few things. Particularly, if, as in this work, his questions had triggered the adults to even just barely notice how off some things are. It could push this into being a responsible adult story except that its primary purpose is that Dumbledore is flawed. The problem is that there is something deeply dissatisfying with the “lets rediscover that old magical families are in fact the answer to everything” idea. It essentially means “pure blood fanatics are right, except that they are murderous bigots about it.”
- No Thing Not Earned
- Author: john.mainer
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Date(s):
- Published: 2024-05-22
- Updated: 2024-11-08
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Comments:
I’ve not yet completed reading this one, but there is so much going on in it that I want to respond to.
- It is mostly a very well written work. There are a few places where I can see that things slipped past the editing process, but it is remarkably well done in most regards.
The above point that it is in fact well written makes the flaws stand out in sharp relief.
- In the series of chapters covering year two, there is a persistent plot problem, the author switches back and forth between having Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch as the current Minister of Magic.
- Worse, the sections show the different ministers saying things that only make sense if the respective canonical characters are in fact purposefully chosen.
- Still worse, in certain ways both are out of character. Crouch shouldn’t be indebted to Malfoy. Fudge should have become minister around 1990-01-01, not in the immediate post war period. Yes, this matters, it influences exactly why he is a weak minister.
- In the early chapters, as the author introduces some alternate universe aspects of magic, there is a male/female witch/wizard conflict theme that
- I don’t like this male/female witch/wizard conflict theme
- seems to be abandoned in favour of an old (wandless, wild)/new (wand based, controlled) magic conflict theme which is better. I dislike the idea of old is more powerful than new, but the author actually handles it gracefully. It is, in this work, about control and wand based magic is more compatible with both the way the Statute of Secrecy was implemented, and with political control by a corrupt government.
- except there are still some radical feminist undertones at times.
- There is a persistent theme of “parseltongue is an unbeatable super power” as if there are no other magical languages in the series (Mermish and gobbledegook to name two)
- In the series of chapters covering year two, there is a persistent plot problem, the author switches back and forth between having Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch as the current Minister of Magic.
There are some things that are quite interesting.
- Neville and the idea of a “suppression toad”
- there is a brutally honest, without being graphic, look at the scary reality of just how easy magic makes certain crimes.
- date rape is a very real threat with love potions.
- Lockhart may have had dual motives, a monetary (make seven years of students buy all seven books) and a criminal predation motive.
- Pettigrew’s rat animagus form would have allowed him to bypass the protections in place to protect the girls dorms & showers.
- We know that wizards did not always use wands, since Mrs. Rowling has included a canonical history of them. While I dislike that the story portrays the pre-wand magic as universally better, it does make sense that some of it may be useful. The persistent study of Ancient Runes certainly suggests that to be the case. While I dislike the over powered super-power decision, I do like the exploration aspect. As noted above, the author came to an interesting resolution to handle the fact that old magic is otherwise unbelievably over powered compared to wand based magic. Hence I list it both as a positive and a negative.
- The idea that there is a way to defeat a horcrux without destroying the object.
- Dumbledore’s characterization
Adults are shown as responsible, but facing a series of legal restrictions, powerful enemies, magical constraints, and cultural constraints that we see child actors that usually make sense.
- Neville’s grandmother is shown as so emotionally damaged that even she admits that she has failed him repeatedly. She’s shown as trying to do better.
- Goblins are what they are, not really good – hence we call them Goblins.
- Amelia is under constant threat of being fired (and thus unable to do anything).
- Dementors can be killed. Their canonical invulnerability is seriously wrong.