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a-reverii · 1 year ago

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▸ A FAITHFUL COMPANION⌇sirius black.

› pairing ━ ꒰ dark!sirius black x muggle!reader ꒱

› in which ━ ꒰ a black dog seems to keep you company wherever you go. ꒱

› content warning + notes ━ ꒰ stalking ; obsessive tendencies ; swearing ; breaking & entering ; violence & blood ; degradation (not specifically sexual) ; allusions to kidnapping ; reader is in college/university ; etc. i felt like sirius would totally use his animagus abilities to his advantage (if he was a yandere), so here is this fic. ꒱

› word count ━ ꒰ 2 . 8k ꒱

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A BLACK DOG.

That was the first thing your eyes laid upon when you exited the decrepit old vehicle that was the bus that took you to and from your college. A single, average-sized, black dog.

You'd always had a certain fondness for animals. From infancy to adulthood, this was a fact that didn't change. Cats, bunnies, birds, dogs ━ it didn't matter the kind. All that mattered is that you could pet it. You'd since, of course, learned that not all pets or animals were one for such forms of affection, but you nevertheless adored them all the same.

You didn't think much of the dog after you began making your way back to your home, only really took notice of it when you caught it in the corner of your eye, trailing behind you by a few meters. Were it not for the late hour or the fact that you were walking on your own, you may not have been so paranoid as to look behind you every once in a while, and, by extension, notice the animal, but you were glad you did.

You slowed down, and so did the dog. Strange, you thought, but you supposed animals were simply like that. You then continued, and noticed that it too resumed its leisure pace.

So, making the decision to act off of impulse, you paused your walking once again, before turning around and squatting down, offering the creature a friendly demeanor. The dog seemed to understand your openness, as it then approached, smelling the fist you extended towards it and allowing you to give it a good scratch behind the ears.

It was, most likely, very unsanitary of you do do this ━ the animal could have had all sorts of diseases or aggressive tendencies, but you'd always loved animals to a fault, so you decided to take the risk.

The dog's fur was remarkably soft, you realized, as you brushed your fingers against it. Much softer than that of a wild dog would be, or a stray, at the very least. Perhaps the animal was lost.

"Hey, little guy. Do you know where your home is?"

The dog, of course, did not respond, but you let out a small chuckle as it leaned into your touch and even went so far as to try to lick your face. This, you tried to avoid, wanting to maintain some level of safety and cleanliness, but the animal managed to give you one good kiss after numerous attempts.

"You're an affectionate one, aren't you?" You murmured under your breath, shaking your head. "Well, you're cute, but I'm going to have to head back home. Hope you find yours, buddy."

You gave the dog an affectionate few pats on the head before standing up fully and resuming your walk, not aware of the fact of the figure that then trailed behind you carefully, now hidden by a veil of darkness.

* * *

The next time you saw the dog, exiting the bus as you always did, you felt an eerie sense of deja vu pass over you.

That was, of course, until you realized that this very situation had occurred only the day prior. Still, it almost unnerved you ━ the way the animal sat so perfectly still. Were it not for the occasional breeze that brushed its fur in an almost imperceptible manner, you would have been sure it was a statue.

"A creature of habit, huh?" You mused as you stared at the animal in some attempt to soothe the odd feeling that was growing in your stomach.

The dog followed you, closer this time, and you didn't bother it. Despite the irregular nature of the whole ordeal, you supposed that if this dog was at your side, it would hopefully ward off any unwanted interactions with strangers or people with malicious intent. You never knew the true intention of people these days.

And so, days passed on like this, and a sort of companionship blossomed. The dog would appear in the same place at the very same time every day, and it would accompany you on your walk home. And, although your were originally slightly apprehensive towards the animal, you grew a quick liking to it. Its presence made you feel safer during what once were your lonesome walks home, and the animal itself was rather friendly.

It never seemed to follow you to your doorstep, however, always disappearing the moment before your house became visible. And, in a sense, for this you were glad. You'd most likely feel too guilty to deny the animal shelter if it pleaded with you on your doorstep for such, even though you hadn't the money or the space for it. So, for now, the brief but frequent walks were sufficient.

* * *

You sat in the large, imposing library of your college, chewing on the edge of your pen as a matter of habit. Before you on the table sat several pages of lined paper, the likes of which you were supposed to have an essay written upon in no less than a week.

"Shit."

You cursed perhaps too loudly, as a few heads turned your way, though no one made any comment as to reprimand you. It was rather unfortunate that every word seemed to echo ━ that every sound seemed to reverberate in the large building. The walls were high and the ceiling curved into a sort of arc, though as beautiful as it was, the architecture seemed to be the main cause of this. It made everyone inside of the library keenly aware of every word uttered ━ every sound made.

It was as a result of this that you'd been struggling for the past hour or so to write down so much as a single sentence. You'd gone to the library to have some peace and quiet, but you seemed to have neither.

Your eyes darted about the room, looking for something to focus on, something to ground you. The rain ━ yes, that would be it. Your eyes wandered over to the large window that occupied the wall beside you, and you did your very best to pay attention to the pitter-patter of the raindrops. You'd always found a certain calmness accompanied the rain.

It was, then, by watching the window so very intently that you spotted a black figure in the distance, unmoving amongst the chaos that was the rainstorm. In some attempt to discern what it was that stood there, you leaned forward in your seat ━ not that it was of much help, of course ━ and squinted your eyes.

It was a dog, you realized.

A black one, you suspected, though you couldn't be very sure as the fog and rain distorted its color, but of this much you were certain: it was a dog, and it was staring right at you, sitting perfectly still.

Instantly, you imagined it must have been the black dog that so often followed you, but you quickly realized that the distance from your college to the bus stop was too considerable a trudge, so you concluded it must have been a different mutt that had found itself upon the grounds of your beloved college.

Still, you couldn't shake the feeling that it looked so hauntingly familiar.

When the rain finally cleared up, the dog was gone, and you wondered if it was a trick of the light, or an image your own mind had conjured up. It was of no importance, however, you quickly reminded yourself, as you remembered the papers in front of you. Work, they seemed to whisper. Write something. And yet you couldn't seem to get the image of that dog out of your mind.

When you took the bus back home, having wasted an entire afternoon, the black dog was there to greet you, and you let it.

And so, days passed, and eventually weeks, and eventually months. And with the time, the black dog ━ the name of which you still did not know in spite of the amount of time you'd spent with it ━ became a familiar presence, one that seemed to follow you in the most peculiar of places ━ from your bus station to the outside of your bedroom window to perhaps, even, following you inside of your college campus.

Of course, some of the times you'd seen the dog you were sure were figments of your imagination, but you found it odd all the same ━ how this one dog seemed to infiltrate your mind so powerfully. You loved animals, yes, but you'd never realized to what extent ━ and you surely never expected that your mind would conjure up this creature everywhere you went. You'd certainly never expected to begin hallucinating the poor thing.

After yet another long day of schoolwork, you stepped off of your bus, your eyes almost immediately searching for that black dog that had so quickly became your partner ━ one you never found. Your eyes narrowed as you scrutinized the landscape before you, which now seemed barren without the creature.

It felt strange now, walking home completely alone, but you supposed that the dog may have found its home or had wandered off to somewhere new, and for this you could not be mad. You could only hope that the creature was now safe, wherever it was.

You let out a soft sigh as you felt the hardwood floor of your home underneath you and swung the door shut behind you, collapsing on your small couch. Your legs ached from the walk from the bus ━ one that was always far too long for your liking. You desperately wished that it could simply drop you off to your front door, but, alas, you were a struggling college student, and such luxuries were not ones you could afford.

After spending what you thought of as a considerable amount of time resting, you stood up with the intention to heat up some food ━ leftovers, most likely, as you'd hardly eaten all day. On your path to do so, however, you felt your stomach sink upon noticing a man in your kitchen, his back to you as he stared at an object you could not yet discern.

You stood, paralyzed for all but a moment, though it didn't take long for him to sense your presence, and to turn around, a devilish grin painting his features.

The man seemed to be about your age, perhaps slightly older, with long, dark hair, brilliant blue eyes and rather distinct look about him. You did not know how or why, but instantly you knew that he was no normal man ━ not in the slightest. Something was off about him, something equal parts alluring and eerie.

"Who are you?" Your words came out in a rather weak manner, and you wanted to hit yourself for sounding so vulnerable in front of this most likely dangerous stranger who had, for some reason, broken into your house. You weren't quite sure why he was here, of course ━ you didn't have anything of real value stored away in your home.

The man in question titled his head at you, as if observing your expression, before returning his gaze to the object in his hand ━ a picture frame, you realized. One you'd placed on the counter with the intent of moving long ago, though you'd never really had the time or put in the effort to do so.

"You muggles and your silly questions. Why does it matter who I am? If I were you, I'd be asking why I'm here."

Your brows furrowed at his words. Muggles? What on earth were those?

"Why ━ why are you here?"

At the question, the man's smile only seemed to grow. He did not reply, however, instead opting to continue staring at the picture in his hands.

"I don't know why you chose to live in such filth. I've never seen a wizard occupying such a small, dirty home. Tell me, Y/n ━ do you wish for your life to change?"

Wizard. The word rang in your ears, loud and clear. This was a madman you were speaking to, surely. What was he on about?

And ━ moreover, how did he know your name?

"I... wha..?" The more questions you had, the more they seemed to impede your question-asking abilities. You could hardly get a word out.

"I could buy you a much better home than this. Much bigger, cleaner. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Something luxurious."

His words were confusing. A house? Why would he buy a house? You felt as though you were lacking some crucial piece of information.

"Why are you here? Please, just ━ you can take anything you want. Just ━ please, leave," you finally managed to say.

The man raised an eyebrow, his head raising to stare at you. He looked almost amused. "Excuse me?"

"Please ━ please leave. Or I'll ━ I'll call the police."

"The police? What are those?"

Your brows furrowed. "I'm not ━ this isn't a joke. I'll have you fucking arrested ━ I'll do it if you don't... Just, get out of my home."

"No need for such harsh words, love. And we needn't escalate this so quickly. I don't plan on harming you."

"Then why are you here?"

Once again, that devilish smirk returned, but this time with a response to your question. "To take you to somewhere... better."

"Who are you?" Your mind was now buzzing, but you wanted answers. This man seemed to know something about you, and you wanted ━ needed to know what, a need that seemed to transcend your practical thoughts. You should have already called the police by now.

"Sirius Black."

"How do you know who I am?"

The man ━ Sirius, took a step forward, and you in turn took a step back. He then frowned.

"You muggles aren't very bright, are you? Or is that just you?"

"What?"

"I've known who you are for a long time now, Y/n. I've been... watching you. Up close and from afar. I suppose you could say you've caught my eye."

"What do you want from me?"

"Want?" Sirius echoed. "I do not want anything from you, my dear. What I want is to help you, is all. Now, whether you accept that help or not is entirely up to you."

"And... if I don't?"

"Then I'll simply have to see to it that you do."

You tried to control your breathing, which had grown increasingly erratic from his cryptic responses. Your eyes darted about your kitchen until finally you spotted your telephone, on the right wall, behind Sirius.

Shit.

He seemed to pick up on what you were doing as his eyes followed your line of sight. "I wouldn't do anything if I were you. It'll be easier for both you and I if you cooperate."

You bit the inside of your cheek. You had to try. Your eyes searched for something to use ━ a weapon of sorts. It found no other than a plant vase that sat on the counter, but within reach. Unconventional, you supposed, but you didn't have many other options.

In a single, ragged motion, you ran towards Sirius before hitting his head with the vase and ━ to your partial surprise (you hadn't swung with very much force) ━ shattering it completely. You tried not to pay mind to the stinging on your hand or the small but numerous shards that had embedded themselves into your arm as you ran towards the phone. Your hands trembled as you tried to tap the numbers 9-1-1, but just as your finger brushed against final one, a harsh force pushed you against the ground.

Sirius loomed above your now bloodied form, a dangerous expression on his face. His eyes were wide with the kind of paranoia that made your heart skip a beat. He looked beastly ━ almost animal-like as he bent down, hovering only inches above you.

"See what happens when you don't cooperate? Look at the mess you made. I was going to be nice. But now look at what you've done ━ " You shivered as his hands came to caress your cheeks, softly at first, before then digging into your skin with his unnaturally sharp nails. You bit back a whimper.

"Yes ━ nice, I was going to be very nice. But you've ruined it all, you stupid muggle. But that's fine. Your cooperation isn't needed. I only hoped for it."

He then took out an oddly shaped wooden stick ━ or something of that sort from his pocket. Sirius smiled wildly, as a predator would upon catching their prey.

"Sweet dreams, my dear. I suppose we can only hope you are ready for what comes next."

And then, everything went dark.

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voldylockswrites · 1 year ago

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Dark Festivus Fic Exchange Sign-ups open in 5 days...

Holiday gift exchanges are a time to bring on the fluff – unless you’re participating in this one. The Dark Festivus Gift Exchange is where the holidays get dark and gritty, from angst and smut to Death Eater schemes.

How it Works

Sign up on October 6th. Keep an eye on this blog for the sign-up form, or to ensure you stay up to date on any and all Dark Festivus announcements, join Harry Potter Fest Hub on Discord.

Fest mods will match you with a giftee. We'll tell you all you need to know about what your giftee likes and doesn't like in fanfiction and/or fan art.

You'll create a work for your giftee and submit it to the fest collection. The fest collection will open on AO3 when sign-ups go live.

Wait for reveals! Your job is to keep your gift secret. When it's time for gift reveals, you, your giftee, and other fest participants will see what's been created for you all.

Rules & Information

Do not create a work featuring your giftee's dislikes/triggers, and try to stick with ships/characters your giftee suggests.

All works must be kept anonymous until reveals. This means you may not tell people which work is yours, nor hint at it, until your name is revealed.

You may have one alpha or beta. Your alpha or beta may NOT be your giftee.

All Wizarding World characters are allowed, including characters from the Fantastic Beasts series, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hogwarts Mystery.

Visual arts (art and comics) may NOT feature characters under 18 in sexually explicit scenarios, even if reference models are of age. This is for legal purposes.

You may not receive any extensions. We recommend starting early.

Art Requirements - Minimum: 1 character, B&W, Undetailed; Maximum: 5 characters, Color, Detailed

Fanfiction Requirements - Minimum: 1000 words; Maximum: 12,000 words

FAQs

Help! I love angst but I can't go too dark. Be clear about this when you sign up, so the person gifting you a work can work within your likes and dislikes. This fest is for people that love angst or dark works. The only content we can't accept is tooth-rotting fluff. How dark does my work have to be? All themes must be angsty, grey, or dark. The level of darkness will be dependent on your giftee's dislikes and your own comfort level. Not all works need to be Dead Dove here; in fact, most probably won't be. When you sign up, be sure to tell us what you like to write and what you absolutely will not write. This will help us match you with someone appropriate.

What if I can't finish my gift work in time? If you cannot finish your gift work in time, you will need to inform fest moderators via Discord or email as soon as you know you won't be able to finish. Please do NOT wait until the last 48 hours to tell us. To ensure everyone gets a gift, we will have pinch-hitters trying to fulfill outstanding gifts, but they need time to create.

Can I create multiple works? If you would like to create multiple works, sign up for pinch-hitting. You may be able to save the day for someone who wouldn't be receiving a gift.

How do I contact fest mods? You may ask generic questions in the #dark-festivus channel on Discord. For private questions concerning your giftee, please reach out to LadyVoldy or Kate Thorne via Discord. This is the easiest way to reach us. You may also email us at [email protected], but you are likely to get a faster response via Discord.

#harry potter fanfiction #fanfiction #harry potter #writing #fan art #dark fiction #dark fanfiction #darkfics #death eaters #tom riddle #harry potter fests #draco malfoy #fanfic #harry potter fanfic #hp fanfic #voldemort

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mundrakan · 2 years ago

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Darkfic

I am obsessed with my newest long-fic, I started to post on AO3. I had to reread it for editing just before that and now it won't leave my head. Usually I get rid of that by writing. But it IS written. 90k ready and done. So... what do I do now? Send help!

#ao3fic #harry potter fandom #snack hp #darkfic #mind the tags

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consistentsquash · 11 months ago

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Rec twins today <3 I love those fics :D

@hprecfest: a fic with an ending you can't stop thinking about

And Mine the Gall

by perverse_idyll (@perverse-idyll). Rated: E. Words: 5,505. Sequel to In Infinite Remorse of Soul (Albus/Severus, Harry/Severus).

It's one thing to deny oneself; it's another to be denied. In which Albus learns (again) that sins of omission have consequences, even unto the next generation; and that what he denied to Severus shall be visited upon Harry.

These 2 fics are dark and delicious and AMAZING AND PERFECT AND I'm obsessed and will think about them forever. It also features a line that has lived rent free in my head fOR YEARS.

"Severus," he sobs, an explosion of defeat, because the love that will poison his life has a name.

See my other recs here!

#hp #hprecfest2023 #danpuff recs #hp slash fic recs #hp darkfic recs

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freya-fallen · 5 months ago

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Scheherazade sneaky peek on patreon

#patreon #tomione #fanfiction #fanfic #dark hp au #hp era #darkfic #hp darkfic #hp fanfic #tom riddle #tom riddle era #hermione #orphan hermione #hermione granger

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magpiefngrl · 11 months ago

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HP Rec Fest Days 9-11

It's super late but I've had a frantic December and now that I'm on hols, I thought, well, why not talk about some fics I love even if I missed the deadlines? Never too late for that, and some people might discover something new and fun to read.

(most of these are going to be fairly old fics, mind you)

Day 9: A rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics on AO3)

Step after Step by tofsla (Madame Hooch/Irma Pince, 6 fics in total on AO3) DELETED :(((

Beautifully written, with a great Irma voice.

Burned Silk, Buckled Leather by @ruinsplume (Sirius/Draco, 129 fics in total on AO3).

Hot, beautiful, profound. A stunning work.

Day 10: A fest fic

with exactness grinds he all by thistle_verse

This is my absolute favourite, both as a fest fic but also one of my faves of all time. But I love sooooo many fest fics, it was incredibly hard to choose. Here's a few others:

The Sleeping Beauty Curse by who_la_hoop Two Starts, One Finish by @lqtraintracks

Re: Harry's Crush by @lettersbyelise

Death Dreams by @writcraft

Day 11: A dark fic

Distortion by DorthyAnn

Darkfic, twisted, a series of bad decisions one after the other but with clear, understandable motives behind them. Absolutely thrilling.

Powerful Men by Frayach

Phenomenal. Awesome voice. Angsty as fuck. Outsider POV with Harry and Draco far in the background.

Thank you @hprecfest for this initiative!

(All my recs here)

#hprecfest2023 #my recs #magpies 2023 hp recs

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broomsticks · 1 year ago

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fic rec list: some not-on-AO3 faves

[FFN] End of the Line by shewhoguards: King’s Cross afterlife fic. HP canon compliant, discworld crossover but no familiarity with that needed. ignore the summary, it’s not Snape-centric beyond the first of eight chapters. ensemble fic, featuring a number of characters who died in DH and before. remadora, marauders friendship (the peter bits are my favorite part!!), black sisters, crouch family.

[FFN] A Feast In Azkaban by Nyx Fixx. A canon compliant look at Sirius’s years in Azkaban and preceding backstory. Loved the prank HC and Bellatrix HC. Darkfic, CWs for incest, noncon, underage.

[forgiving-eyes] Le Tourbillon // 35k, E // Wolfstar, Jily, Prongsfoot, Lilypad, implied SiriReg. delicious debauchery, summer sexcapades, enjoy the ride :D

Also taking this as a sign to go read through the HP Beholder fics from a lifetime and a half ago. So far, have really enjoyed:

Cat Ladies // 2k, PG/T // Arabella/Dolores. epistolary!! postwar! dismantling preconceived notions, regret and redemption!

Come Back to Haunt You // 4k, T // Myrtle/McGonagall. intriguing, such lovely tension and pacing, and I always love the viscerality of a good 1POV

Lots of pre-AO3 livejournal fics to rec too: I’m most familiar with the wolfstar folks remuslives23 and musesfool, and also the snapecase fest!

There’s also Fiction Alley’s archive, which has a bunch of classic Wolfstar, like ignipes’ Man-Eaters of Kumaon - lost years Remus monster hunt angst — and KabeyK’s Dating Disasters of Sirius Black - a once upon a time ship classic!

Some more wolfstar authors on FFN recced by a friend on the ship server (thanks julai!!)

oony

Children of the Shadows

DragonDi

please feel free to reblog with specific recs or links to more fics hosted outside of AO3!

#wolfstar #hp femslash #fic rec list

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consistentsquash · 11 months ago

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I really love Frabjous and The Headmaster! <3 Those are two fics I love a lot but also really scared to rec because I don't think I can do them justice. Your recs are brilliant like always!!! <3

Frabjous was written for me. I love that fic but it's really hard for me to write a good rec for it because I love it too much and get emotional about it and emotionally writing a rec for a complicated fic doesn't really work out for me because I can't even words :/ Eldritcher is insane for a lot of things but I got to see their working style when they were writing this because we had some discussions about Snape's characterization. I got to be Snape Consultant on that fic :D They did an insanely detailed storyboarding for Snape/Aberforth, Snape/McGonagall, Snape/Albus, Snape/Charity as well as Snape & Malfoys, Snape & Voldemort relationships for that fic. Also the prose. They made it more descriptive because they know I am a sucker for it. <3

The Headmaster by kellychambliss is a brilliant fic! I love that one a lot! It gives me serious Hitchcock vibes. It's an intense fic. 100% dark and delicious. I didn't know it was written for a fest. Need to check out the other Deeply Horrible fics :D The Year of the Thestral by perverseidyll actually gives me The Headmaster vibes on some level. The Snape/McGonagall relationship is pretty different but the Snape characterization esp the "methodically de-humanizes himself" DH vibes have a similar feel :/ Gosh. Also the Snape characterization itself is pretty different from the general characterization in Kelly's other fics which works for this plot 100%. It's an incredible intense fic.

HP Rec Fest -- Day 11

Prompt 11: A dark fic @hprecfest

O Frabjous Day

Characters: Aberforth Dumbledore, Charity Burbage, Harry Potter, Severus Snape

Pairing: Aberforth/Severus

Creator: eldritcher

Rating: M/R

Word Count: 5,169

Summary: Snape sabotages The Plan.

Why You Should Check It Out:

Yet another wonderful piece by eldritcher, this one written for consistentsquash, this is a gorgeous, painful story of beautiful, ruined people.

I love the way the story subverts canon (and Albus's plans), and every line oozes with delicious obervations, particularly when Snape contemplates his Dark Lord.

The author uses second-person POV here, and it works because this Severus is such an unsparing observer of everyone, but especially of himself.

Only Right

Character: Dolores Umbridge

Creator: @kellychambliss

Rating: T/PG-13

Word Count: 200

Summary: It's All Hallows' Eve, and Dolores Umbridge is released from Azkaban.

Why You Should Check It Out:

An appropriately chilling little tale of revenge featuring everyone's favorite pink horror, Dolores Umbridge.

The Headmaster

Characters: Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, Severus Snape

Creator: kellychambliss

Rating: M/R

Warnings: torture (mostly offstage)

Word Count: 5,250

Summary:

Decent human beings couldn't or wouldn't do the things the Headmaster was required to do -- ergo, he couldn't be decent.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This fic, written for the 2012 Deeply Horrible fest on LiveJournal, is a painful and masterful exploration of the lengths Severus has to go to to survive both physically and psychologically (as long as he must). It's the literary equivalent of one of those extreme close-ups that makes one unconsciously draw back in one's seat in the movie theater. The reader gets to go along for the ride as Snape methodically de-humanizes himself for the sake of the Greater Good.

#hprecfest2023 #squibstress recs #talking about fics i know #adding the others to my tbr #yay rec month is giving me new fics to read #hp #hp fic recs #hp darkfic recs

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consistentsquash · 11 months ago

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Pandemic by eldritcher

Harry/Voldemort. Rated M. 260000 words.

Fest - @hprecfest. Day 14 - A favorite series.

Today's rec is an obvious choice! The first fic I recced :D

"...we, in our imperfections and desperate loneliness, crave to seek and hold and be held, as is the course of human things."

Pandemic is a fic about loneliness, hope and healing. Harry is so lonely during the pandemic and his depression creates an Obscurial.

This is a sweeping epic which shows the mental health and social tolls of the covid pandemic, takes us on a ride through 20th century history of Europe framing it in Wizarding history to underline that we still have the same human wants/needs.

Also a fic about destiny. Delphi's destiny! I have a lot of problems with CC but a big one is about how Voldemort's kid is evil like it's a DNA thing. Pandemic is a brilliant deconstruction of that trope. This is the best Delphi I have read. She is literally The Cursed Child in Job's Coffin. Job's Coffin is the name for the stars at the heart of the constellation of Delphinus "the Dolphin".

Four stars forming the shape of a coffin representing the four men who influenced Delphi (Harry, Voldemort, Dumbledore, Grindelwald).

Just like how the sentient houses and castles in the Wizarding World are the coffin for the wizards/for magic. Also just like how you don't need magic to be in a coffin because sometimes families are coffins/house of blues like the Dursleys are for Harry.

This is not a story about coffins! This is a story about escaping them!

Catullus 16, which I recced yesterday, uses a lot of One Thousand and One nights stories. Pandemic is literally the story behind the story. It's about Sultan and Scheherazade, about loving the unlovable, about being incredibly incredibly resourceful when you are hopeless. It's about breaking the power of Harry's Obscurial/the power of the Sultan's fears/breaking free from the coffin of loneliness :D Sorry went poetic! But it is a poetic fic!

Obviously this series is really deep and I suck at explaining. So I am going to skip that. I really love the characterizations.

Voldemort is somebody looking for a name/an identity his whole life because his birth identity gives him so much dysphoria. He is pretty selfish but also he loves his daughter. Delphi is incredibly happy/cheerful because he's literally using love magic to make her happy when a lot of tragedies happen. Lily used it to save Harry. The parallels are. Yeah. Fate's gonna go where it's gonna go and Voldemort doesn't want to accept that.

It's people and their loneliness. Dumbledore locked up Grindelwald. Snape is his own coffin. Always! Narcissa Malfoy doesn't really leave the dysfunctional Black family coffin. Harry is lonely because he doesn't want to give anybody a chance if they are not The One.

The finale is intense so you are going to be haunted forever. The ending is bittersweet. Harry and Voldemort are together, Delphi survives. Hawthorn will heal your heart after wrecking it first.

recs I made during this fest

lots of love for paddidi who help me a lot on the complicated recs yesterday and today <3

#hp fic recs #hp #hprecfest2023 #hprecfest2023 squashrecs #harry x voldemort #harrymort #hp slash fic recs #hp slash darkfic recs #oof #another oof fic #so have to do an oof rec #recs

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