Title: Harry Potter and the Path to Power
Author: Traveller
Rating: M
Genre: General/Angst
Pairing: unknown
Status: in-progress
Summary: 5th year DR. When Harry returns from Hogwarts things have changed. Vernon Dursley is not the man he was. The Path begins. Thrust into Power as head of his Noble house because of Dumbledore's machinations, Harry learns that power comes in many forms

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1176312/1/

This story Was excellent when it came out..... almost 4 years ago when its content was not cliche so meh. Features Harry as Dumbledore's apprentice and interesting blaise and hot Professor Sinistra
All in all 6 out of 10

 

Decided to give it a cheeky read...

Never have I read this characterisation before

 

Traveller's story isn't bad and is actually quite readable, once one gets past the episode of obligatory Dursley abuse early in the tale. It's labeled "angst" and there's truth in advertising. Harry Potter and the Path to Power is a replacement for book 5 in canon and features a magically strong Harry supported by decent Weasleys and a competent Dumbledore. (It's one of the few apprentice stories of note, where Harry isn't trained up in his 6th or 7th years). The story only carries up through the summer before 5th year and a week or so of classes before it was abandoned, unfortunately.

As noted by earlier posters, it does employ several elements which are cliche by today's standards, yet I'm sure were not so in Jan. 2003, when the story was begun. I cut older stories some slack when the writing is good and it is in this case.

It's not perfect and some things rubbed me the wrong way, such as the annoying appearance of a bunch of periods in the middles of sentences (at least on my browser) and the drill sergeant characterization of Moody, which was sufficiently over the top as to be comical. The Dursley abuse went too long, but at least the inner transformation Harry underwent was handled well.

Some interesting elements include: proctors, quarterstaff training (no insipid katana +3s), and the characterization of Dumbledore as both subtle manipulator and wizened, competent mentor. I wish I'd read this piece before I did my own Dagger and Rose, if only so that I could have written my Dumbledore a little more artfully.

In all, I think it's a decent read and is recommended for those in search for a good 100k-word "retro!Harry" story. If we make allowances for its age, I think it's borderline library worthy, which is why I rated it 4/5 (judged in context with other stories of its era). I suspect it would have headed toward an interesting Harry/fem!Blaise pairing had it continued. Were it to have been written to completion, I think it'd be considered today to be one of the epics in the fandom. Sadly, what's there feels very incomplete.

 

The first half of the story is utterly boring and it's difficult to get through - the first 15 chapters are about Harry having nightmares over and over because he was abused - then Vernon's trial come and we have once again Harry having nightmare, yada yada.

Barely anything else happens so far.

I'd give it a 2/5 - though I'll finish the fanfiction first before rating - maybe it will get better later.