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Adults Adulting

So often children's literature is possible because the adults in those stories are incompetent. Sometimes they are well-meaning, sometimes they are not, sometimes they are _trying_ and failing, other times they are effectively negligent. Sometimes they are simply effectively absent. Irregardless, the story is only possible because children are doing things that adults should have taken care of. The Harry Potter series is no exception, though it differs from many in that it features adults in _all_ of these categories.

This is a collection of fan fiction stories that are note-worthy primarily because they showcase some aspect of adults being … adults.

Harry Potter and the Burning of Bridges
Author: ZebJeb
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-05-06
  • Updated: 2020-01-19
Comments:

This is a series of one-shots, so it is tempting to bookmark individual chapters. The first chapter features a responsible Poppy Pomphrey taking Hagrid to task over the dragon. Some of the following chapters are simply silly, but chapter 5 is mildly interesting, and 6-7 have some interesting nuggets in them. Chapter 8 is a disturbing might have been.

Lessons Learned
Author: The Mother Rose
Date(s):
  • Published: 2017-03-10
Comments:

This relatively short one-shot features a neighbour of the Dursleys looking back and explaining to a younger relative how it is that he, and the rest of the neighbourhood, came to overlook Harry's living situation. It then enters the Responsible Adult alternate universe by positing that people might have realised that Petunia was lying about Harry's secondary schooling and treated him like a missing child. This story is noteworthy because prior to reading this, despite the fact that I am, or ought to be (based on my own rants on the topic), fully aware of just how caste based English society can be, I had overlooked just how effective Petunia's lies would have been to that audience.

The Paths Diverge
Author: Vaneria Potter
Date(s):
  • Published: 2011-08-03
  • Updated: 2019-01-23
Comments:

What would happen if someone saw Harry between when he was left in the basket outside the Dursleys and when Petunia found him the next morning? While most people who stay in the magical world may not have an ounce of logic, not all do stay, and one woman without magic can do more that most magicals expect anyway.

Petrification Proliferation
Author: White Squirrel
Date(s):
  • Published: 2015-05-22
  • Updated: 2016-05-29
Comments:

In this story a basilisk is treated as a weapon of mass destruction. There are mandatory procedures in place that are actually followed.

The Three Professors Visit No 4 PrivetDrive
Author: Priya Ashok
Date(s):
  • Published: 2016-05-07
Comments:

This one features an out of character Snape. I am unsure how much of his speech patterns are an affectation of the role he is playing, and how much is the author's interpretation of the character. If the former, it is brilliant, if the latter, it is a flaw. It would require a second chapter were we see Snape talking to others to begin to figure out which is going on though. What makes this one memorable is the back and forth between Snape and Petunia, with McGonagall's introspection interspersed. Petunia does a masterful job of destroying [Dumbledore] and McGonagall, only to be equally destroyed by Snape. Meanwhile McGonagall shows that underneath all that tarnish there really is some silver by realising that much of what is happening is deserved on all sides.

[Dumbledore]: /Harrypedia/people/Dumbledore/Albus Percival Wulfric Brian/

Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue
Author: White Squirrel
Date(s):
  • Published: 2016-05-23
Comments:

Considering British Common Law does not have a concept of Emancipated Minors, I rather doubt that either Wizarding Law or Goblin law does.1 Other than that Americanism, much of this work is a very much needed critical look of what would happen if the non-magical world actually did decide to intervene in the Harry Potter books. Overall, I suspect it is reasonably accurate.

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia. "Emancipation of Minors" Last edited 2022-10-12. ↩

The Boy Who Never Knew
Author: dunuelos
Date(s):
  • Published: 2011-01-24
  • Updated: 2011-02-02
Comments:

What if Vernon and Petunia didn't hide the letter, and thus Hagrid wasn't Harry's first introduction to magic? In this story, Tom the bar keep is that introduction, just as the Leaky Cauldron officially opens. Hufflepuff Harry spends the year keeping his head down and isolated from the rest of the school, only to be suddenly attacked by Riddle's wraith at the end of the year. As a Hufflepuff, he has rather more of a support network than as a Gryffindor. This really should have been developed at least a chapter or two further. Some key things are left unanswered, but it is an intriguing start unfortunately marked complete.

The Sound Of Silence
Author: birdwoman95
Date(s):
  • Published: 2016-10-03
Comments:

Similar in some ways to The Boy Who Never Knew, this story also features a Hufflepuff version of Harry whose abuse is discovered because of his sorting into that house.

Defending Sirius Black
Author: Luiz4200
Date(s):
  • Published: 2021-03-10
  • Updated: 2021-04-21
Comments:

This is one of several works by this author in which Vernon directly or indirectly pushes for Sirius to have a trial as a means of getting rid of Harry. I include in it in this section because he is, whatever his motives, forcing the other adults to act responsibly, however unwillingly they do so.

Downfall of Snape
Author: cornholio4
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-07-16
Comments:

This one-shot shows that things could have been quite different if nearly any adult had been willing to take responsibility for dealing with Snape's behaviour towards students.

Blindsided
Author: MBurris
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-12-18
  • Updated: 2021-04-21
Comments:

I am reluctantly putting this story into this category. While the story features a number of incredibly irresponsible adults, ultimately Hermione is, although I doubt she realises it, able to succeed because she ends up in the care of a few who do, for a variety of reasons, take some level of responsibility. The most interesting things about this story is the detailed thought that has gone into addressing both Hermione as a flawed character and the wizarding culture into which she enters. While I dislike a few of the author's decisions, I really like some of the author's ideas on the culture, and the honest look at Hermione is refreshing, especially for an author who features her so prominently.

I object!
Author: PseudonymousEntity
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-03-11
Comments:

Legally Blonde might have been made for a Harry Potter crossover. A lawyer who cannot quite fit in totally fits in with the way Mrs. Rowling depicts wizards as being unable to quite grasp non-magical fashion. The contrast between Elle Woods and Umbridge is incredibly funny. I have seen this tried a few other times,1 but none do it quite so well.

Footnotes

  1. including but not limited to

    ↩
A Wizarding Reckoning
Author: Anafandom
Date(s):
  • Published: 2022-04-24
  • Updated: 2023-01-01
Comments:

This is yet another collection of one-shots. In fact, several one-shots per chapter. The first snippet in Chapter 1 is … unlikely. McGonagall will not be proactive that way. The second is better. The third is an awesome AU. The one marked "5" in Chapter 2 shows what it would take to redeem Lupin as a character. The one marked "6" is what I would like to see in a Goblet of Fire fan fiction. Too often these involve bashing characters instead. "7" in Chapter 3" demonstrates exactly what is wrong with Snape's obsession with Lily. #s 8-10 are effectively a single work. It shows a redeemed Sirius. #12 (Chapter 4) shows a redeemed Sprout. #13 is fatally flawed - though it shows why Snape could not have delayed his return, by showing what would have happened had he done so.

Harry Potter's Suicide Attempt
Author: Ravengrad
Date(s):
  • Published: 2020-03-16
Comments:

I dislike the way the choice of title and some of the handling of the first scenes legitimises Harry's choice in this, but it is for the time after he leaves non-magical care that I am noting this story. The idea that a few adults merely needed a slight push to rock them off of dead centre is an interesting one. I think the author did reasonably but not great with Neville and his grandmother. There are hints of the transition that would have taken place with the tutor offsetting the negative influences in young Neville's life.

Making a Difference
Author: Anafandom
Date(s):
  • Published: 2022-12-18
  • Completed: 2022-12-21
Comments:

My personal theory is that Azkaban truly messed with Sirius' brain, and that the man we meet in the books is not at all the man he was before them. That being said, he is rarely given a fair representation in fan fiction, and it is nice to see a different take for once.

The difference a good solicitor makes
Author: RoseLilian
Date(s):
  • Published: 2018-08-29
  • Updated: 2021-04-20
Comments:

This story has a number of thought provoking elements, but is ultimately fairly obviously establishing an alternate universe.

  • In this story, soul magic is inherently dangerous, society knows this, but did not know Riddle was using such magic until too late.
  • It is strongly implied that the Death Eaters made magically binding oaths to Riddle that oblige their obedience. Many of their children are aware their family members regret these oaths.
  • Society has responded by adding a class on Magical Theory to Hogwarts. This puts a very different slant on the Slytherin students, which the author has used to different degrees in different particular students.
  • There are some inconsistencies in its definitions of magical classification. This may be because the book admits that knowledge is generally hoarded and not shared, as research requires for success.
  • Magical mind healing is considered a real profession in this work.
How Molly Weasley Saved Britain
Author: stevem1
Date(s):
  • Published: 2022-04-09
  • Updated: 2022-08-15
Comments:

I am often highly critical of Molly; this work in a sense validates my view by showing what could have been if she had acted the incredible mother Mrs. Rowling would have her be.

The Aftermath of the Boggart Lesson
Author: DemonBanisher
Date(s):
  • Published: 2020-05-11
Comments:

Just as I am critical of Molly, I am highly critical of Lupin. This one-shot is one of several places he might have deviated from his passivity and blind obedience and redeemed himself.

Harry Potter gets smart and takes control - The Goblet
Author: YoullNeverCatchMeAliveSaidHe
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-06-10
  • Updated: 2021-12-20
Comments:

I dislike dealing with incomplete works, authors too frequently abandon and/or remove them. I am doing so because this one, as I re-read it, is so incredibly typical of a pattern that irks me, so much so that I am unsure why I subscribed to the story. I see much promise in it, but the flaws are quite disastrous. I ended up writing quite the rant about it here.

Beyond those, like many books that want a redeemed Snape, it ends up bashing James. All and all, I am persisting in the re-read trying to find out why I have not unsubscribed in the past. While it is great to see Bill step up, and there are indications a few other characters will as well, the flaws are getting really hard to swallow.

How?
Author: Labgasod
Date(s):
  • Published: 2023-01-03
  • Completed: 2023-02-09
Comments:

This is another that assumes that Amelia is a competent adult. I admit its a tempting departure point since [Riddle] does in fact kill her off fairly early after his return. This work features a redeemable Snape, which isn't my favourite. There is a semi-reasonable attempt to make it plausible. It is ... semi-reasonable. It features fairly reasonable Ron bashing, and almost but not quite over the top Molly and [Dumbledore] bashing. Of particular note is that the premise for [Dumbledore]'s actions is more thought out than most bashing works.

[Dumbledore]: /Harrypedia/people/Dumbledore/Albus Percival Wulfric Brian/

Taking a Stand
Author: FMPtrumpets
Date(s):
  • Published: 2012-04-26
  • Completed: 2012-05-10
Comments:

This one takes two minor plot points.

  • Riddle wanted to teach as far back as graduating from Hogwarts. If that was in fact a real desire, and not a fake ambition, he might have a small scrap of humanity. This assumes he does. Children are to be educated. If they must be killed, unless they are Harry, it is to be done rapidly and painlessly. Thus Riddle takes offence at Umbridge's actions (because she harms all students).
  • Amelia is actually as honest and hard working as Arthur claims.

While I think the first plot deviation ... unlikely, it is possible and an interesting theory. The second plot point is desirable but, unfortunately, she is actually a typical adult. a later work in the same series shows an earlier plot departure point that would have occurred were she actually responsible.

Mad-Eye Moody's Little Marauder
Author: selenaquana
Date(s):
  • Published: 2019-12-08
  • Completed: 2020-04-24
Comments:

I have always wished that the author had chosen to make this into a series about this relationship instead of an abortive series about unrelated possibilities. This particular work is the only one in the series worth reading. It is an utterly fascinating take on what Mad-Eye could have been. It also features a version of Amelia Bones who deserves the praise she is given, and a redeemed Lupin. It would have been truly interesting to see the ripples through the rest of the timeline if the author had continued it beyond Harry starting at Hogwarts. This is mostly because I see [Dumbledore] as being as much a "dark lord" (if of a different kind) as [Riddle] is, and because I believe that both are symptoms of a badly flawed society.

[Dumbledore]: /Harrypedia/people/Dumbledore/Albus Percival Wulfric Brian/ [Riddle]: </Harrypedia/people/Riddle/Tom Marvolo/>