Title: Harry Potter and the Hogwarts Rift
Author: Illyich
Rating: T (listed as 15+)
Genre: General, Romance, Action/Adventure
DLP Category: General Fics
Pairing: Harry/Luna
Status: Complete
Summary: Harry Potter's 6th year features a strange circular romance; the arrival of Viktor Krum at Hogwarts, who is repeating his 7th year, and a growing rift in the student body that can no longer be ignored.
Link: Harry Potter Fanfiction

Alternate sixth year that diverges cleanly from canon fifth year. I posted this in the Almost Recommended thread a few days ago, but have since decided to take the plunge and throw it up for evisceration here. It's old (first chapter went up in 2005), unambitious, and hardly ground-breaking, but it excels despite of this. The story feels like it could have been written by an edgier, pre-shark-jumping Rowling who doesn't pull stupid magic contrivances out of her ass.

A few words of warning. Harry's relationships with Snape and the Dursleys both initially seem to be heading in cringe-worthy directions (they don't). Not all that much happens in the first few chapters (hello, Rowling). Illyich is unable to spell "Legilimens" in the third chapter (sigh). He dances around even the most minor obscenities (apparently "orgasm" and "arse" are dirty words). His chapter notes make him seem incoherent (he isn't).

Ignore these things. It's an emotionally charged piece that left me feeling punched in the gut in a couple of places. The characterization is stellar and development progresses logically from canon. The foreshadowing is subtle and only becomes apparent in retrospect. An atmosphere of tension is gradually built up and solidly maintained. Voldemort is competent and scary. And it's worth reading all the way to the end before rating -- the last few chapters are really what make this story special.

Of particular note is this fic's Luna. Illyich's approach to her character is one of the most realistic and refreshing approaches that I've seen. He writes her with passion, giving her substantial and logical flaws without weakening her character. Goes without saying that there's no horny!Luna, perfect!Luna, or notreallyloony!Luna bullshit.

There are two sequels that look like they might be overly ambitious AU wankfests with ten billion OCs (haven't read them), but The Hogwarts Rift is reasonably self-contained and ties up most loose ends.

4/5

 

Come on, now. I thought you said it doesn't head to cringe worthy territory?

The sudden failing in love shit in chapter 2 is utterly insane. This fic doesn't have a trace of realistic character interaction in it. The emotions and actions are all completely arbitrary.

Harry is also, apparently, a complete retard.

Jesus fucking christ.

Sorry, this is a 1/5 from me.

 

Yeah yeah. Figured people would get hung up on that (I almost did), but the Dursleys disappear forever after chapter one. First few chapters are definitely weaker than the rest of the story.

Edit to address later edit: Makes about as much sense as canon Harry/Ginny. Teenage infatuation is not all that sensible in general, and this story doesn't have any TWULUVFOREVA soul bond garbage. I think the teenage romance is handled realistically.

I agree that scene with Ron isn't great (although not as bad as you make it out to be). Liked that scene with Hermione, though. Meh.

 

I tried it out when it was first recommended and barely got three chapters in - picked it up again to finish it for the stellar ending and was disappointed. I won't say it was a 1/5 and lacking any good qualites, but the bad far outweighed the good.

2/5

 

2/5 I was NOT entertained.

 

I've read a good portion of it, and I would most likely finish reading it. However, I do think this would be better placed in the Almost Recommended thread; the character interactions are a little ridiculous in places, especially early on, and the simple fact that Harry bursts into tears over insignificant things drops this story below the 4/5 mark. That said, if you're hard up for a Harry/Luna relationship and don't mind dealing with an annoying ass Ron, a whiny Harry and like Hogwarts stories, you'll like it.

I'd say 3/5.

 

Did you fucking READ canon? In the first book, Harry Potter met the Weasley family, and the shy redhead girl was also the first witch he met(there's a trope about that, but cbf to link). In the second book, he saved her life. Over the next three years, she obviously got over her crush(which was just as obvious!), and the two of them started dating. It may not be totally lifelike, but it's at least possible, and in-character for the both of them.

I don't get why people mindlessly bash H/G. Sure it's the stock pairing, and doesn't make much sense when comparing it to the real world. Neither does magic, and yet people accept that all the same.

 

The trope is First Girl Wins:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FirstGirlWins

Harry/Ginny makes sense, it was just poorly written because JKR can't write romance.

 

God damn it, fucking tv tropes links! I never think twice about clicking on them....

Goodbye, three hours >.>.

 

Dizstance pretty much summed up my reactions to this fic. Fought to get through the first chapter but the second was even worse. 1/5

 

Fixed that for you.

 

That's retarded. Do you start showing interest in someone over a year before you start dating IRL? No. You get interested, you ask them. That's what happened.

 

Justification for moar Harry/Petunia goodness? I THINK SO!!

 

I read the first two chapters before I stopped. I could already tell where the story was headed from my earlier years of reading FF. In the first chapter Harry comes off as wimpy and the next chapter he's angsting but "can't do anything about his situation". Ya definitely know where this is going. However the writing was coherent.

2/5.

 

Significant difference between someone you just met, got interested in, and ask, and someone who you've known for five years and never once paid more than a passing glance to, except when you pulled her out of a thousand year old dungeon.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't Harry and Ginny friends in Order of the Phoenix? They obviously weren't extremely close friends like Harry was with Ron or Hermione, but they at least knew each other/ talked to each other on occasion. I mean, she covered for them when they were breaking into Umbridge's office, didn't she?

It's not exactly unheard of for two people who have been friends or at least acquaintances for a while to end up in a relationship. My first boyfriend and I were friends for a couple of years before he asked me out.

Anyways, this is kind of off-topic.

This story belongs where it was originally posted it, in the Unrecommended thread. Definitely not good enough for the library, but it's at least somewhat readable.

2/5

 

Eh, the quotes in the second post completely killed my interest: after fifth year, Harry wouldn't be such a fucking pussy and take that sort of abuse from Vernon. Heck, I don't think that he'd of taken it post-third year.

I'm surprised that Vernon didn't get a china shard suppository, after he'd chucked the plate at the wall.

2/5.