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thirtyforthree ficlet! Only this one isn't really a fic-let, considering it's over 7,000 words long. *bites fingernails* Um. Anyway, it's the third of my scene-shift AUs -- like "Ripples in a Pool" and "The Rules of the Game" -- in which I judiciously kick canon in the knees at a couple points and watch what happens.
I'm particularly fond of this one, even if it does crib rather heavily from PS/SS, and I still have occasional frothing fits of frustration while trying to write from Harry's POV. The two changes are ones that I've seen handled very badly in a lot of stories, and it was fun trying to make them happen more smoothly, logically, and in-character.
So. Without further ado:
Theme: #6 - If only
Warnings: LONG!
Note: The idea for this story struck me just after midnight one day back in January, whereupon I went home and wrote it down in about three hours. It involves two slight changes to first meetings in PS/SS, and spirals outward from there, with fascinating effects on the entire HP universe. Significant portions of this story are copied or paraphrased from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
( More Subtle Than Any Beast of the Field )
---------------------------------------------
Further Notes: For comparison purposes, here is the original version of Harry and Draco's Diagon Alley meeting:
"My father's next door buying my books and my mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No," said Harry.
---------------
And here is the altered version:
"My father's next door buying my books and my mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own -- I might try to smuggle one in somehow -- wouldn't you?"
Harry shrugged, and then felt horribly embarrassed when Madam Malkin said, sharply, "Stop moving while I work."
The boy frowned and said, "It isn't as though you're pinning things to his shoulders right now." Madam Malkin huffed under her breath, and the boy turned back to Harry. "Anyway, have you got your own broom?"
"No," said Harry, suddenly wishing that he did.
---------------
...It's a little scary how easy it was to tweak instant antipathy into a tentative friendship, and how much that affected Harry's reaction to later events and conversations. One altered line of dialogue, a bit of business with Madam Malkin, and bang, Harry's predisposed to like Draco, because Draco is now the second person, ever, who's offered him anything like friendship. (Well, the second person he remembers.)
Of course, he's still Harry, so even with more gnawing doubts he's not going to buy into Draco's prejudices, and he's not going to cut Draco that much slack. But that initial sympathy can change a lot. If I played this scenario out further, it would affect other people too -- note how Harry already got both Ron and Draco to shut up and think for a moment about their prejudices. As for the effects on the plot, well, everything's up in the air.
The change to Ginny and Harry's meeting is fairly obvious; I let Ginny talk. :-)
---------------
If anyone wants to extend this AU, be my guest. There are three rules:
1. Harry must end up either in a threesome or a Trio-like friendship with Ginny and Draco.
2. No bashing Hermione and Ron just to play up Ginny and Draco. Sidelining them, however, is fine.
3. Please don't change things that Harry's house affiliation has no reason to change. In other words, Draco's a jerk, Snape hates Harry, Lucius Malfoy is evil, Dumbledore is good and at least attempts to be tolerant, Sirius is a hothead, and so on. Harry's house affiliation does not change any of this, though it will probably alter the way those characteristics play out in relation to him. (For example, Snape's hatred may be less blatant since Harry is now in his house.)
Beyond that, anything goes.
thirtyforthree ficlet! Only this one isn't really a fic-let, considering it's over 7,000 words long. *bites fingernails* Um. Anyway, it's the third of my scene-shift AUs -- like "Ripples in a Pool" and "The Rules of the Game" -- in which I judiciously kick canon in the knees at a couple points and watch what happens.I'm particularly fond of this one, even if it does crib rather heavily from PS/SS, and I still have occasional frothing fits of frustration while trying to write from Harry's POV. The two changes are ones that I've seen handled very badly in a lot of stories, and it was fun trying to make them happen more smoothly, logically, and in-character.
So. Without further ado:
Theme: #6 - If only
Warnings: LONG!
Note: The idea for this story struck me just after midnight one day back in January, whereupon I went home and wrote it down in about three hours. It involves two slight changes to first meetings in PS/SS, and spirals outward from there, with fascinating effects on the entire HP universe. Significant portions of this story are copied or paraphrased from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
( More Subtle Than Any Beast of the Field )
---------------------------------------------
Further Notes: For comparison purposes, here is the original version of Harry and Draco's Diagon Alley meeting:
"My father's next door buying my books and my mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No," said Harry.
---------------
And here is the altered version:
"My father's next door buying my books and my mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own -- I might try to smuggle one in somehow -- wouldn't you?"
Harry shrugged, and then felt horribly embarrassed when Madam Malkin said, sharply, "Stop moving while I work."
The boy frowned and said, "It isn't as though you're pinning things to his shoulders right now." Madam Malkin huffed under her breath, and the boy turned back to Harry. "Anyway, have you got your own broom?"
"No," said Harry, suddenly wishing that he did.
---------------
...It's a little scary how easy it was to tweak instant antipathy into a tentative friendship, and how much that affected Harry's reaction to later events and conversations. One altered line of dialogue, a bit of business with Madam Malkin, and bang, Harry's predisposed to like Draco, because Draco is now the second person, ever, who's offered him anything like friendship. (Well, the second person he remembers.)
Of course, he's still Harry, so even with more gnawing doubts he's not going to buy into Draco's prejudices, and he's not going to cut Draco that much slack. But that initial sympathy can change a lot. If I played this scenario out further, it would affect other people too -- note how Harry already got both Ron and Draco to shut up and think for a moment about their prejudices. As for the effects on the plot, well, everything's up in the air.
The change to Ginny and Harry's meeting is fairly obvious; I let Ginny talk. :-)
---------------
If anyone wants to extend this AU, be my guest. There are three rules:
1. Harry must end up either in a threesome or a Trio-like friendship with Ginny and Draco.
2. No bashing Hermione and Ron just to play up Ginny and Draco. Sidelining them, however, is fine.
3. Please don't change things that Harry's house affiliation has no reason to change. In other words, Draco's a jerk, Snape hates Harry, Lucius Malfoy is evil, Dumbledore is good and at least attempts to be tolerant, Sirius is a hothead, and so on. Harry's house affiliation does not change any of this, though it will probably alter the way those characteristics play out in relation to him. (For example, Snape's hatred may be less blatant since Harry is now in his house.)
Beyond that, anything goes.
