Title: Stunning Shifts
Author: mindcandy
Rating: Fiction T
Genre: Adventure/Friendship
DLP-Category: The Alternates
Pairing: none
Chapters: 15
Words: 93,621
Updated: January 14, 2016
Published: November 14, 2011
Status: WIP
Summary: During a publicity stunt, Harry and 5 others are sent to another world where a well timed Stupefy made all the difference. As Harry looks for his peers and a way home, another Harry investigates the odd arrival of his doppelganger. (Canon, EWE, dimension travel, AU)

Link

Post DH Dimension travel fic in which Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Malfoy and Zabini are transported to another dimension where his parents are still alive, among other things.

A rather strange cast aside, it sounds like the standard dimension travel fic. That's because it kinda is. It definitely starts out like one of those, but the author introduces multiple plotlines soon enough, and the story is pretty fast paced.

The writing and characterizations are definitely a few notches above the standard fic of this kind. I feel that Draco is definitely somewhat OOC, even considering the possibility of post canon redemption. His friendship with Harry (and the others) does throw me off a bit. Still, you get used to him soon enough. Ron and Hermione are both very similar to canon, which to me means that Ron is fun and Hermione is somewhat annoying, but YMMV. Luna is surprisingly well written too. This is one of the very few fics that doesn't get her character voice gratingly wrong.

Both Harry Potters are characterized well. They aren't the same character, and the differences in them make sense considering the differences in their upbringing. Canon Harry's reaction to his meeting his parents is believable and not over-the-top like so many similar fanfics, so the story dodges that bullet. It also avoids making Harry unbelievably OP, another bullet dodged.

I don't care either way for Zabini, except in that I would have preferred Ginny or Neville to him.

Overall, a fairly good story, even if it isn't anything unique. Well worth reading.

 

Holy shit this has actually been updated? I literally checked it only a few days ago and it was still at November 2013.

Guess I'll get caught up again.

 

Only ding against it to me is the Malfoy characterization, but given he's kind of just a caricature of his father in canon, it doesn't bother me /that/ much.

I read this way back when it was first being posted, and recall enjoying it, despite the characterization flaws.

 

I think it's enjoyable, it's good for a fic of the dimension travelling genre. The plot is enjoyable and fast paced, most of the characterizations are good, though as has been mentioned in this thread, Malfoy's characterization is a bit off. The writing is decent enough, while it's not top notch, it's still good enough to keep me interested in the fic.

My biggest nitpick against the fic is, while I haven't noticed more than one cliché I still think the one cliché in the story is a bit annoying. From what I have noticed Harry is being portrayed as very powerful, I think at various places it goes too much out of it's way to portray that. For example at one point they (I think it was alternate timeline Harry) talk about original timeline Harry's patronus as if it was so amazing and so powerful. Later in the fic one of the characters said that Harry was immensely powerful.

Furthermore I don't mind Zabini, but I'm kind of annoyed at Ginny's complete absence from the story, none of the original timeline characters mention her, nor is she even mentioned in the alternate timeline. It's as if she never existed in neither timeline.

Ultimately I'm gonna rate this a 3.5 rounded down to 3 (4 if the author do something about that cliché, and it also depends on whether the author atleast explain the complete absence of Ginny even though a lot of other less important characters have been included, like the lovegoods, various order members etc.)

Edit: It seems I missed a small bit about explaining Ginny's absence, so that's not going to count against the score. I still think the Harry is so powerful thing is rubbing me the wrong way, but eh I guess it's a minor thing and the rest of the story is good, but nothing to write home about, so I'm revising the score to a 4.

 

I quite liked it. It's an engaging read and the plot does move rather quickly (even if the update rate is...depressing). Stan's review was pretty much on target for how this fic distinguishes itself from most dimension hopping fics.

I give it a 4/5 because with such a unique cast of characters I expect their individual histories to affect their group dynamics more. The first chapter starts to do this, but then it gets interrupted by the rest of the plot and it's never quite picked up again. Zabini is...a non-entity, Hermione functions as research machine and love interest, and Malfoy is a plot device for the Death Eaters. There's not enough depth to their character interactions yet that would move them beyond these descriptions.

 

Well, 'good' automatically corresponds to 4/5 on the rating scale.

The story is good, but nothing about it really stands out. The writing flows well and gets the job done, but I'm not going to be waxing lyrical about its prose anytime soon. The characterizations are very solid, but many of the characters lack the meaningful depth. The overall plot is engaging enough to keep your interest, and there are some interesting little subplots (like alternate!Hermione), but the story isn't breaking any new ground there. There are no moments that make you go "That was awesome!" or get you all emotionally invested.

TL;DR This is an enjoyable story, but not a very original one and probably not one whose particulars you would remember six months from now. So: 4/5.

omnipotentatus : I think you forget that Harry's patronus is exceptionally powerful in canon. In DH, both Ron and Hermione's patronuses fail against the Hogsmeade dementors, but Harry's patronus drives them off almost instantaneously. Hell, in the final battle, Harry's patronus was more effective than Luna, Ernie and Seamus's patronuses combined.

 

She is mentioned in the alternate timeline. Apparently she

Spoiler

committed suicide. It is implied this has something to do with the basilisk.

I enjoyed the character development and the differences between the two Harrys, Rons, etc. Having Zabini and Malfoy with them makes this more interesting I think than having Neville or some other known "good" guy from the original timeline. Plotwise, we'll see. I haven't decided yet if I like how Tom can walk around so easily, how he came across each Harry and his relationship with Voldemort.

 

I'm not too much into these kind of stories, but as far as they go, it's certainly at the top of the list. I really have to applaud the author for keeping the characters so much in character, which is really a rare feat. Sure, Malfoy is just a bit less of an idiot than usual, but let's be honest here, if he was completely canonish it would make the story insufferable. Even the characters who are virtually OCs are done well, like Harry's counterpart. Unlike in 99% of fics, they don't feel like strawmen.

The writing is standard in a good way. No grammatical errors, and a smooth flow. The only thing that hinders it is that the dialogue, and especially arguments, feel somewhat repetitive - though it might just be because I've read the same dialogue and arguments in hundreds of other fics.

Can't say I like the plot very much - it's mostly centered around the characters discovering the dimensional travel and engage in kidnapping wars - standard fare for this type of stories, but at least it's done in a believable way. As it is, it seems that before the latest update, the fic didn't reach beyond that stage. Which is slightly disconcerting, considering that it's four years in the works. I can only assume that the author was more interested in the initial premise of dimension travelers meeting their counterparts, rather than actually doing anything about this world.

3/5 simply because it's an example of competent writing and well rounded storytelling.

 

I couldn't enjoy this, at all. If anything, this Harry is not only much more impulsive, and emotional than in canon, but was also robbed of any kind of creative thinking and puzzle solving.

Spoiler

H/Hr/Z are camping, Harry is up first, making breakfast outside of the tent and Zabini comes out, conjures plush chair—and Harry gives him cheek for it. That was my breaking point—I don't want to read about powerful Harry, who uses magic as a last fucking resort. I want to read about him embracing all kinds of magic.

So I'll rate 3/5 for competent writing, I just don't enjoy it.

 

It's certainly your right to read and enjoy what you like, but I wouldn't look at that scene as Harry "using magic as a last resort". Harry basically told Zabini to toughen up and sit on the ground. Harry wasn't avoiding using magic, he just viewed it as completely unnecessary.

 

There's something about this story that makes it quite enjoyable. Of course, you have to get over the extreme OOC-ness at times, but beyond that, this fic is quite fun to read. There does seem to be a well thought out plot from what I've read so far. There's mystery, adventure and some action.

Most other similar fics just jump to whatever main plot they have haphazardly whereas this fic tries to actually fit the characters into an existing parallel timeline.

I especially liked the ending of chapter thirteen where Harry meets Tom.

4/5 and my only notable gripe was the OOC-ness.

 

Yes. And that's stupid, in my opinion. This "toughening" doesn't serve absolutely anything, except having less experience casting some spells—which I think is contraproductive.

Since you don't have anything like "mana points", and you know that casting magic makes you better—both with the spell, and with the movements you used— it would actually serve you better if you "pampered yourself" and used magic every opportunity you got.

That's my headcanon — and that's why I don't enjoy this story.

 

4/5
I actually found the story really good. It kept me engrossed, and I didnt find a single thing about it annoying. Maybe it is because it has been a long time since I have read a fic long enough that I actually liked, but I was tempted to give it 5/5.

In any case, I am certainly looking forward to more chapters in the future.

 

What a pleasant surprise. I remember this story, that fact is a good indication that the story is good. Reread it just now. It's a good adventure, with nice combination of tension and relief. My only gripe is that it's too damn angsty, the common trend is I have to read half a page of person's angsty thoughts before he forms a reply. The angst is repetitive. That, and Harry's reaction to the Horcrux and then to Riddle junior, leaves me wondering.

 

I got an alert for this story when it updated and had no clue what it was. Kind of reluctant to re-read the entire thing for a single chapter that's come out after more than 2 years, could one of you guys just reading it now give a basic plot summary up until the latest chapter? Just enough to jog my memory so I can jump right back in.

 

Spoiler

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Malfoy, and Zabina have a meeting at the ice cream shop as a publicity stunt to promote mutual understanding. They talk for a bit before Fawkes appears and the six are transported to an alternate universe, one in which Voldemort is alive and waging a secret war. Harry's group take a while to figure out what the fuck is going while the Order tries to figure out how there could be two Harry's and Ron's. Eventually, Harry and Dumbledore figure out that the group was pulled into this universe through magic similar to the Deathly Hallows. Only this magic involves Phoenixes and dimension travel. The Order is trying to figure out to convince this group to help them while Harry and co. are debating over whether they should get involved or if they even have a choice (as it might be the only way they can go back to their own universe).

 

I am in chapter 12 right now and what I read so far was quite good.

It really is 'just another dimension travel' story, but definitely one of the better fics I have read. The writing is great, it's not too fast paced but not too slow either.

It starts with the group travelling, apparently randomly chosen, except that they already managed to kind of work together in their eighth year at Hogwarts.

Zabini is more or less a blank slate for me, except that scene in the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of book six, but Draco, as far as he was mentioned, is imho more or less in canon!character. The way Zabini is described could count as Slytherin, i.e. trying not to attract attention and way less scrupulous than Harry, without being dark or evil.

In contrary to Stan I see Luna as the stereotypical omniscient!Luna plot device: a tool for the author to be used when convenient, but without any real character on her own, and not really feeling like canon!Luna. Harry's interaction with her and her parents was good, but the end was off, or at least Harry's behaviour.

As it was said before, canon!Harry does feel out of character quite a few times and acts beyond his usual abilities. I.e. he shouldn't be able to charm Luna's old DA-coin (too advanced for him) and he is too impulsive, (though imho not when rescuing Ron).

The differences between the two worlds are well done, for now. The two worlds apparently 'split' in 1980, and the results are convincing, with the anti-Muggleborn stance of this world and the fates of dead and alive characters. But we didn't get much insight in the real problems of this world, for now. There are some open questions and possible plotholes.

Compared with most dimension hopping stories this easily deserves a 4/5, but it definitely isn't worth 5 stars.

 

I remember reading this a while back and I really liked it back then. Enough for me to reread it now anyways.

While Malfoy is indeed a bit OOC, I got used to him quite fast and well, the story is good enough for me to overlook a only slight bump like an OOC Malfoy. It is fast paced, entertaining and doesn't bore me. Oh yeah, it has some plot holes, but again nothing that makes me frown too deeply.
Considering that I've always had a thing for dimension travel fics, this is easily a 4,5/5 for me.

 

Ok i now that i have read all current chapters(up to 15) and all i can say is that this is pretty much my definition of a 4/5(Good) version of a standard dimensional travel fic.

It's well written with nothing(good or bad) standing out, the story itself is interesting enough for me to add it to follow it and probable read the updates when i have the time.

The same goes with the characters they are well written with nothing standing out in either direction.
Now i have seen some discussion about some characters being OOC but in the opinion of someone who haven't actually read the books in years all i can say is that all of them seemed plausible and i am going to leave that discussion to someone who actually knows what they are taking about.

All in all a 4/5 and i would recommend it to anyone who find any interest from reading the description.