Amazing fic!! Loved how you explored Harry's family- this narrative of the Potters having the same prejudices that every pureblood family would had have to have in order to keep the family "pure" is something that Ive always seen as the narrative that makes the most sense, but it's not something that is explored a lot. Similarly, I'm obsessed with stories that document how Tom Riddle transformed himself into Voldemort; I think the idea of a muggle-raised halfblood choosing to embrace blood-bigotry, despite the fact that he faces as much violence from wizards as he does from Muggles, is an area with a lot of interesting things to explore. This is one of the few fics I've read that pushes back the timeline on Riddle getting acceptance from the Slytherins, and I'm excited to see how Harry (a "pureblood") interacts with a Tom that is not in the position of power and respect that Harry might otherwise expect.
What a great premise! There are so many threads in this first chapter that raise my interest. Thanks for writing and sharing!!
wow thanks so much for leaving such a detailed comment!
I couldn't just give poor harry a picture perfect family - where's the fun in that? The Potter's were known to be an old, respected line, and I think families only manage to keep that power on purpose, which in the wizarding world would mean a certain amount of gatekeeping re: blood purity and who gets let into the family. To Harry's shock, of course, since he had a really rose colored view of his sainted, light family line! I'll be exploring more of that tension in the future.
As for Tom's position in Slytherin house ... I have a lot of opinions about how I think that would go (lol). Tom has magical power and, once he discovers his lineage, a powerful name ... but that's it. Materially, in terms of connections, prestige, and - very importantly - money? He's relatively powerless. And in the real world, that matters, and I think Tom knows it - as do his Slytherin housemates. I just can't buy Tom torturing and humiliating students from powerful families whilst in Hogwarts, because he and they would know that as soon as they step out of Hogwarts the power positions would reverse, and Tom would be vulnerable.
Imagine him curcio-ing a Malfoy at school, and the second they step away Malfoy tells his family, who then proceed to either blackball Tom and ruin his life, or get him sent to prison (because the Malfoys would have enough clout to escape whatever blackmail Tom has on Malfoy, lets be real). Tom wouldn't get to the place where he could freely torture and abuse his followers until he's secure and untouchable - and that's not while he's at Hogwarts. I think it's much more realistic (and interesting) to see Tom get Slytherin house under his thumb using charm and manipulation rather than brute force (though he would use a little bit of that).
Anyway, you didn't ask for that meta, but i hope you enjoyed it lol
I absolutely appreciate that meta!! So true that class analysis is usually downplayed; the fact that Tom works a service job in Knockturn Alley is treated as a purely strategic decision- and undoubtedly, he was pursuing his own agenda, but like you say, his options are severely limited.
It's the type of thing that I don't focus on too much because its so foundational to the Harry Potter stories and fandom, but generational wealth is almost more instrumental to changing Harry's life than the discovery of magic. If he had to attend Hogwarts without the magical shopping trip and its material/embodied status, if he was told again and again as he went through the Alley that yes, he may be a wizard, but not the right *sort* of wizard (because wizards have familiars that he can't afford, or spellbooks in good quality, or potions ingredients that arent moldy, etc, etc) his experience of the wizarding world would have been completely different; a continuation of the fact that as a muggle, he would have been forced to attend middle school in a stinking patched uniform that immediately labled him as undesirable to his peers. Money in the HP fandom, then, is so often a plot device solving every problem for Harry, without any acknowledgment of the system that makes that possible.
Idk, its part of the reason why I'm so excited to see this initial tension in your story. They are both orphaned half-bloods with terrible, isolated childhoods, but in the public world of this fic, Harry is a rich pureblood Champion with tutors who have prepared him for Hiership-the embodiment of privilege, for all of his alienation from all of these labels- vs. Tom, the nameless poor Muggleborn orphan. It will be interesting to see how they interact, given that the typical power dynamic is somewhat reversed/subverted.
Sorry for writing a whole other essay in response!! Just very into this type of meta! Thank you for your comment that set me off!
Oh my god!!! PLEASE do not apologize for writing a meta essay - this conversation has been super generative for me. I went into my chapter two draft and expanded on some scenes and added another after thinking about what you said re: generational wealth (and now chapter 2 is at 8,500 words and I still need to add the Tom POV at the end. Oops?). While I still plan to focus the story on Tom and Harry's relationship, rather than injustices of the wizarding world, I am so glad I kept in this line of tension, and will continue to play with it now that I know others (you!) are keen to explore it! Thank you!!!
!! Oh I'm so so excited- really glad that this has been generative for you! I think that these aspects don't always need to be the focus; because it's fiction, it's just fun for me to find these areas of tension in interpersonal relationships. Not to be too cliche, but I'm super drawn to Harry / Voldemort I Tom because they make such great narrative foils, and can be used to exemplify the borderlands of worldbuilding. Thank you so much for your response- it left me smiling through a really busy day!!
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