The author describes this story as "a serious look at the perils and consequences of playing dangerous games with dangerous people." It is that, and it's clear that she's put serious effort into writing it. Not only are her characters carefully thought out and fleshed out, but it's filled with both overt and subtle references that show how well she knows her source material.
At the same time, it's funny. Harry is indeed in the middle of dangerous games for high stakes, but she was raised by three of the Marauders; she's able to poke fun at herself and see the humour even in difficult situations. She can even use it as a weapon against foes who are easily provoked to anger.
With the divergence point being fifty years earlier, Tom Riddle taking a different path, society is now very different, from top to bottom, and yet, the characters feel very recognisable. The Weasleys, Dumbledore, Sirius, Cornelius Fudge, are all present in varying degrees and very much feel like themselves; even characters who never really showed up in canon, like James and Lily Potter, seem to slot naturally into place. When characters are noticeably different, such as Draco Malfoy being much more amiable, there are logical reasons for it; Hogwarts contains only pureblood students, and his father never having fought in a war, so although he's still deeply prejudiced, there's nothing to set him off, leaving him flawed but likeable.
In many cases, the familiar characters and events of canon are both reimagined and expanded, whether it's the boggart taking on a greater role in Remus' teaching, helping the students to understand and manage their own fear responses; the streets beyond Knockturn Alley proving to be a whole separate community, the lower socio-economic part of magical London; or the whole Triwizard Tournament becoming not just an interesting way to frame the year's plot, but a carefully planned political move by Tom Riddle, using sports and spectacle to sell his political aims to the masses. Many aspects of canon are examined more closely, resulting in a more nuanced and complex villain, who is nonetheless still extremely dangerous and needs to be stopped.
All in all, this series is a serious contender for Better Than Canon — and that's speaking as someone who very much enjoyed Harry Potter canon. It is sprinkled with spelling and grammar mistakes, but no more than other fan works, and that's something easily fixed once the author has time for it. The main character is, perhaps, remarkably skilled, and yet, it doesn't take over the narrative, just enriches it.
Fanfic An epic reinvention of the Harry Potter world
The author describes this story as "a serious look at the perils and consequences of playing dangerous games with dangerous people." It is that, and it's clear that she's put serious effort into writing it. Not only are her characters carefully thought out and fleshed out, but it's filled with both overt and subtle references that show how well she knows her source material.
At the same time, it's funny. Harry is indeed in the middle of dangerous games for high stakes, but she was raised by three of the Marauders; she's able to poke fun at herself and see the humour even in difficult situations. She can even use it as a weapon against foes who are easily provoked to anger.
With the divergence point being fifty years earlier, Tom Riddle taking a different path, society is now very different, from top to bottom, and yet, the characters feel very recognisable. The Weasleys, Dumbledore, Sirius, Cornelius Fudge, are all present in varying degrees and very much feel like themselves; even characters who never really showed up in canon, like James and Lily Potter, seem to slot naturally into place. When characters are noticeably different, such as Draco Malfoy being much more amiable, there are logical reasons for it; Hogwarts contains only pureblood students, and his father never having fought in a war, so although he's still deeply prejudiced, there's nothing to set him off, leaving him flawed but likeable.
In many cases, the familiar characters and events of canon are both reimagined and expanded, whether it's the boggart taking on a greater role in Remus' teaching, helping the students to understand and manage their own fear responses; the streets beyond Knockturn Alley proving to be a whole separate community, the lower socio-economic part of magical London; or the whole Triwizard Tournament becoming not just an interesting way to frame the year's plot, but a carefully planned political move by Tom Riddle, using sports and spectacle to sell his political aims to the masses. Many aspects of canon are examined more closely, resulting in a more nuanced and complex villain, who is nonetheless still extremely dangerous and needs to be stopped.
All in all, this series is a serious contender for Better Than Canon — and that's speaking as someone who very much enjoyed Harry Potter canon. It is sprinkled with spelling and grammar mistakes, but no more than other fan works, and that's something easily fixed once the author has time for it. The main character is, perhaps, remarkably skilled, and yet, it doesn't take over the narrative, just enriches it.