persephone_kore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
persephone_kore) wrote2004-09-09 12:07 am
persephone_kore) wrote2004-09-09 12:07 am
Stronger Than They Look -- Red Monster -- PG
Story Title: Stronger Than They Look
Author: Red Monster
House: The Dark Arts
Rating: PG
Found: Checking updates.
Link: http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Red_Monster/
Summary: Despondent over the loss of Sirius, Harry's summer goes from bad to worse when he falls terribly ill. A letter from Mrs. Weasley, a reluctant Aunt Petunia, and a raging fever converge to pull Harry out of his grief and guilt and show him things he never thought he'd see.
This isn't the only story that develops Petunia or Dudley or both, but it's certainly my current favorite. I thought it might be especially appropriate to recommend now given that one recent Niffle has involved particularly atrocious behavior by the Dursleys and one that I'm thinking about has some that's pretty bad.
As the summary states, Harry kicks off the story by getting sick -- nausea, high fever. Naturally enough, he doesn't expect much from the Dursleys. What this fails to take into account, however, is that they are still afraid of the Order (and resentful with it, admittedly) and more interestingly that at least Petunia and Dudley are not quite immune to discomfort at seeing him ill and helpless.
They're all in character, never fear. Petunia in particular -- in some ways more the focus of the story than Harry is -- manages to be sympathetic without being at all unlike her usual self. Frustration and resentment occupy her thoughts much of the time, especially when she imagines Harry to be amused that he's inconvenienced her and when she finds herself writing to Mrs. Weasley so that the Order won't descend en masse upon not hearing from Harry when he's too ill to write... not to mention when Mrs. Weasley's reply contains advice to be nice to Harry and inadvertently lets her know that Sirius Black wasn't the murderer she'd feared. She still baby-talks her fifteen-year-old son.
But she also falters in her anger when she finds Harry limp on the floor, and she does use the potion Mrs. Weasley sends when Harry doesn't respond to Muggle medication... and when he's a little better, she listens to him describe the Weasleys (with a few edits, especially regarding the twins and Percy) and tells him about Lily.
Harry, of course, thinks he's hallucinating.
The background Red Monster invents for Lily's and Petunia's childhood is delightful. She deftly elaborates on the sisters' affection and on the reasons for Petunia's fear and resentment, often in the same little anecdote. I particularly recommend "Stronger Than They Look" if you're among those who have wished to hear more about Lily to balance what we've been told about James.
Author: Red Monster
House: The Dark Arts
Rating: PG
Found: Checking updates.
Link: http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Red_Monster/
Summary: Despondent over the loss of Sirius, Harry's summer goes from bad to worse when he falls terribly ill. A letter from Mrs. Weasley, a reluctant Aunt Petunia, and a raging fever converge to pull Harry out of his grief and guilt and show him things he never thought he'd see.
This isn't the only story that develops Petunia or Dudley or both, but it's certainly my current favorite. I thought it might be especially appropriate to recommend now given that one recent Niffle has involved particularly atrocious behavior by the Dursleys and one that I'm thinking about has some that's pretty bad.
As the summary states, Harry kicks off the story by getting sick -- nausea, high fever. Naturally enough, he doesn't expect much from the Dursleys. What this fails to take into account, however, is that they are still afraid of the Order (and resentful with it, admittedly) and more interestingly that at least Petunia and Dudley are not quite immune to discomfort at seeing him ill and helpless.
They're all in character, never fear. Petunia in particular -- in some ways more the focus of the story than Harry is -- manages to be sympathetic without being at all unlike her usual self. Frustration and resentment occupy her thoughts much of the time, especially when she imagines Harry to be amused that he's inconvenienced her and when she finds herself writing to Mrs. Weasley so that the Order won't descend en masse upon not hearing from Harry when he's too ill to write... not to mention when Mrs. Weasley's reply contains advice to be nice to Harry and inadvertently lets her know that Sirius Black wasn't the murderer she'd feared. She still baby-talks her fifteen-year-old son.
But she also falters in her anger when she finds Harry limp on the floor, and she does use the potion Mrs. Weasley sends when Harry doesn't respond to Muggle medication... and when he's a little better, she listens to him describe the Weasleys (with a few edits, especially regarding the twins and Percy) and tells him about Lily.
Harry, of course, thinks he's hallucinating.
The background Red Monster invents for Lily's and Petunia's childhood is delightful. She deftly elaborates on the sisters' affection and on the reasons for Petunia's fear and resentment, often in the same little anecdote. I particularly recommend "Stronger Than They Look" if you're among those who have wished to hear more about Lily to balance what we've been told about James.