I can only assume the title is ironic because this fic does everything but move for at least 60k words.

I'd like to agree that Voldemort is well characterized enough to almost make up for the lack of shit that happens, but he isn't. He would be, if he didn't read like one of those 'fix everything' Harrys who looks at his past and complains about how stupid he was compared to right now.

Harry's characterization is pretty close to canon, and the author makes the effort to keep his reactions realistically childlike. Unfortunately, canon Harry is bland as shit and children are poor vessels for POVs due to their simplicity, and Voldemort doesn't carry the narrative well enough to make up for it.

When the plot finally does start to crawl towards the divergence that one expected about 40k words prior, it's in the direction of an adoptive Malfoy family 'saving' Harry from his relatives.
Which is handled better here than in any other fic to my limited knowledge of something so absolutely retarded, but that doesn't mean that it isn't shit to wade through.

From what I can gather, the adults are meant to carry this story and the reader's interest while Harry acts like a perpetually bewildered conduit. If that's for you, then enjoy a well written but somewhat dry story about a less unhinged Voldemort attempting to reconnect and revive himself via Harry.
It sure as fuck wasn't for me.

 

It was... all right, but I enjoyed it if that makes sense. It's certainly nothing special, but I don't regret reading it, I'd even go as far as to say I liked it. I'll definitely keep following it. The writing is well above average, and I like Voldemort's characterization, I suppose. I do think it'd be better if it didn't pick up when Harry was eleven. The above critique does ring true (both pertaining Harry and the overall plot), looking at it - Harry is kinda superfluous to the plot (well, I'd like to say this is true, but there's not enough plot) at the moment.

3.5, rounded up to 4.0 for having a lot to dream on pertaining my likes. High ceiling story I guess.

 

I have been following this one for a while a enjoying it. It seems like the future conflict in the story will be between Harry's identity as Voldemorts agent and his identity as his own person and also the conflict between Voldemort in Harry's head and Voldemort the shade.

The closeness of Harry to canon Harry is admirable, he is slowly diverging which is pleasant.

My concern is that the story will never leave the setup phase - still 4/5 for me.

 

Been following this story for a while.

Voldemort is what canon!Voldemort should have been: persuasive, charismatic, ruthless, with sympathetic views if not methods.

Pretty good. Probably library-worthy.

 

I really like Voldemort in Harry's head stories, and this one is by far the most developed and thought out one I have ever read. It is pretty much grammar error free and is recently updated. 4/5.

 

While there are definitely some problems with this fic, most notably the over the top abuse, I did enjoy it. However, I do agree with Drisful that its very slow paced; the Christmas break especially seems never ending. Been reading this for a while as new chapters are released so its not too bad, but I can defintely see how reading in one sitting would be a bore.

Things that I liked include seeing the beginning of a powerful Harry (he's 11 and can already cast a disillusionment and is currently learning spells that he didn't know for several more years in canon), Harry's slow progression towards Voldemort's ideals, and the exploration of pure blood culture. While this exploration is somewhat cliche by now, there were aspects to it that I thought were a bit unique (honoring ancestors on Halloween, celebrating Christmas but not really caring about it since it has no real meaning to them).

Also loved the last few sentences of chapter 19 and actually laughed after reading it:
"Harry was outvoted, so he made his way back obediantly. He wasn't sure when the inside of his head became a democracy.

Its not, said Voldemort, a statement Harry chose not to pursue."

Overall, I think its worthy of being in the library and rated it 4/5.

 

My main problem with this story is plot progression. We're already 20 chapters or 100k words in, but Harry is only halfway through the first year. Harry may be realistic, but I don't enjoy (maybe especially because of the good characterization of 11-year-olds) reading about children and their little insignificant problems. If only that was skipped, everything would be much better.

 

I think the slow pace is neccessary to believably show how Harry's character changes in order to adapt to the extremely hostile enviroment he's growing up in.
Pretty good fic, hope that doesn't change.

 

Personally I don't think it being slow is an issue.
The story did seem to be moving all right. It is slow only if you measure the story in the sense that each year is one book.

I didn't get the feeling that its dragging on anywhere to be honest.

4/5 for me.

 

It's charming and a nice time waster. I don't mind the slow plot. The author said they were writing this story for fun, and I enjoy the casual atmosphere about it all.

4/5.

 

I aggree. It is a good read, but nothing too spectacular.

I especially liked characterization of Harry, and his interactions with Voldemort. I am not so sure about characterization of Dumbledore, though. If it will turn out to be one of those "Dumbledore bashing" stories, it will be disappointing. His characterization was (in my opinion) less than perfect. I am not quite able to point out the problem, but this whole thing with Harry's key to the vault was somehow familiar. I just hope that author is not aiming for "manipulative Dumbledore", because it is only a step away from bashing.

I also suspect that author will not put much thought into plot, and that he will just copy canon with some minor changes. Well, I am just saying that the story could do with more originality during normal school year.

I am rather hesitant about 4/5 rating, though. It is a good story, but it still could go downhill.

Spoiler

By the way, am I the only one who thinks that there was an inconsistency during first flying lesson between how Harry acted and how he acted previously? He didn't seem to think much about Neville previously, and suddenly, he was trying to save his Rememberall.

 

Going to echo what the others have said - I'm giving this story a tentative 4/5, if only because we need our neat little natural numbers and I do think this story is library-worthy. If barely.

That being said, I don't think the plot moves too slowly. It's halfway through year one - IIRC, Philosopher's Stone was about 90,000 words, and this fic is currently at just above 100,000. If it takes 200,000 words to finish up each year (assuming the fic will go through all seven years, isn't heading for a timeskip or is going to cover Harry's life as an adult etc.), I don't think I'd have any complaints.

Though then again, I'm someone who both reads faster than most and has a preference for long, detailed stories, so that might just be me.

He didn't in Canon either, really.

Harry's still recognizably the Harry from the books at this point, with the differences being fairly mild. Those events have every reason to make Harry uncomfortable, especially since they're probably hitting rather close to home.

 

Up until the latest (Christmas) chapter I would have disagreed with this. He stayed realistically wary of their motives in "saving him". In this chapter it's one small Death Eater mention and the rest is a little too comfortable while he's alone with them.

I found it the exact opposite. The abuse wasn't over the top as the typical abused-Harry fics out there including multiple scars, broken bones, disfiguring burn marks, etc. The one mention of non-canon abuse was when Harry blows the door and half the wall away from his cupboard. That's the point Vernon gets physical and bats Harry upside the head which inevitably hits the random table (TM) and concusses him. He even points out a few times that he's never been this bad.

If Vernon whipped off his belt and started beating him (or the like as most abuse fics out there) I'd call that OTT.

This.

It's up to Christmas, while a tad slow, I think the entirety of the story is more realistically done than spending a chapter or three showing him training and reading a few books to become Super!Harry. The author is actually showing realistic progression which is what a lot of people here bitch about when bad-mouthing 90% of the fics on ff.net.

I thought it was a fairly decent fic up until the latest chapter, nothing to right home about. The author seems to be skirting the edge of a lot of cliched plot devices, but not falling abruptly into an unrecoverable hole.

I supposed the next couple of chapters will determine whether or not I stick with it. If the Malfoy's become simply misunderstood, and Harry jumps on the Dark Magic is bad only if you use it for bad things, bandwagon, them I'm outta there.

Right now it's borderline 3-4/5. Average; nothing I haven't really seen before, just done a little better.

 

Pretty sure Malfoy's are not gonna be just misunderstood.

Spoiler

Especially, since Lucius just tried to sic the diary on Harry.

 

I usually dislike it when the Dursley's are abusive, but I can let it slide this one time. For once it actually looks like the author is going to use it for something in the story other than a way to make Harry's life even more shitty. The article of Harry being abused will stoke anti-muggle sentiment and Harry's interview with Skeeter will probably cause the Muggle Protection Act to not get passed.

 

I like this. Voldemort is great, Harry is believable, and their interactions are really interesting. I'm about halfway through what's there at the moment, and right now I'd rate this a solid 4/5. Very enjoyable.

 

I'd be happier if this fic moved a bit more briskly. Often I get bored by HP fics and I need a sprightly storyline to keep me interested. Maybe that's something that is wrong with me, but I cannot in good faith give a fanfic that cannot engage me more than 3/5 stars. The writing is good, sure, but the plot needs more galvanization to keep my attention.

 

I like this story. I'm a big fan of a sane Voldemort, so watching them interact is of course a big plus for me. I did not have the impression that the fic is too slow, the overall character progression is handle fairly well and compensate for its slow paced.

I'm going to disagree with some about the abuse being over the top. There was no more abuse then there was in canon. Harry just blew the door off its hinge, Vernon is scare of magic and has always been borderline on his treatment of Harry (w/e you guys have to say, the way Harry was treated in canon prior to year 1 is considered to be abusive beharvior). The fact that he went over the top and hit him is not out of the realm of possibilities and I believe it was done fairly well in this case.

4/5 for me.