Title: Bonds of Blood
Author: LiteraryLuminary
Rating: K+
Genre: General/Angst
DLP Category: General
Pairing: None
Words: 3,337
Published: May 4, 2005
Status: Complete (One-Shot)

Summary: Today marks the end of her debt to Lily, paid in blood. On Harry's 17th birthday, Petunia bids farewell to her nephew. She anticipates freedom the instant he is placed in his guardian's care, but is given poetic justice in its stead.

Link

An interesting, if short, read. Although it starts off quite similarly to your cliched farewell scene between Harry and Petunia, where we see the latter giving stuff that used to belong to Lily back to Harry, it differs in the author's portrayal of Petunia.

Make no mistakes, there is none of that inexplicable 180-degree U-turn in attitude towards Harry that was endemic in fics like An Aunt's Love. The author does not try to absolve Petunia of her role in the mistreatment of Harry, but writes her quite realistically as someone filled with remorse and guilt, but is unable to overcome her prejudices.

That said, poetic justice is indeed served to her, and in truth, without the ending, this one-shot would just have been another dull read.

3.5/5 for the sterling ending as well as generally solid writing.



Checked by Minion, March 29, 2013

 

A rather interesting read. I usually shy away from oneshots but I'll admit this one was halfway decent.

3.5/5

 

Everything Lucullus said was spot-on: okay writing with a solid, provocative ending. 4/5 from me.

 

nothing special. Nice writing, nice end. 4/5

 

Interesting. Nothing spectacular, but it was an original and realistically written bit off poetic justice.

3.5/5

 

Solid and interesting. I rarely read much less like the Harry leaving fics but this one is worth it. 3.8/5

 

Nice read to pass the time.

I wonder if it is something that only she can see? I'd assume so...

I'll round up to a 4.

 

Im fond of oneshots like this. I dislike Petunia for her actions defenitly, and even Remus, whom I am fond of, I get a little angry for the character of Harry Potter that he left the child there whether a mentor person said so or not. Back on topic however, the eyes can be symbolized as many things, but I believe it is a much simpler meaning.

Throughout the book, Harry is belittled by Petunia for his magic and then Snape for his father-looking just like him and therefore being their ghosts. "You have your father's looks, but you have your mother's eyes, Harry." This is something that comes up a lot. This would be like Snape looking into a mirror (in the few fics where he has a heart at least) and finding James Potter staring back at him.

By giving Petunia the emerald eyes of the sister she lost to magic and the nephew she never allowed her self to hardly tolerate, Lupin gave her guilt and shame.

Its not a long fic. Its a oneshot. It did its job, and though it may not be excellent it fulfills all expectations and even mentions the cupboard (I can never get over that), so all in all... 5/5.

 

I think I shall give my stamp of approval to this oneshot - it really had a nice little twist on it. Amazingly written? Nah, not really, but it has just the right "twang" on it to really hit the reader between the eyes. A bit rushed in places, seemed like it was really trying to get to the end - but the ending - whoo, it was nicely done.

3.5/5
-J

 

Ending was quite surprising all right, but I somehow found the punishment lacking... But that's just me....meh

I can't believe Petunia feeling remorse after 17 years... never will. So

3/5

 

The part with the cupboard was confusing. Harry says he's going to check his cupboard, no the cupboard he once lived in. Lupin shouldn't of gotten suspicious really, or at least not until he saw the bed.

The ending was fitting, but why did Lupin do that? He did not know that

Spoiler

Petunia feared Lily's eyes. So why, not to mention how, did he turn her eyes green?

Other than that, it was a good read. The aforemention things knock my rating down to 3.5, round up to 4 for the voting.

 

Lupin can tell she feels shame and guilt for her treatment of Harry after Petunia's request for him to take Harry away and let her forget everything to do with him and Lily.

There is also no doubt that Lily's eyes are her most distinctive physical feature. By changing Petunia's eyes to look like Lily's, he ensures that she will never forget how she let her sister down.

 

I really liked it. The ending is what makes it.

4.4/5

 

While the medium wasn't the best I've seen, this author did their characterizations well. Harry is Harry, or at least, that's how I imagine someone like the Harry I've come to know might act, and Petunia is still herself while still being able to appreciate at the culmination just what she's done. Even if their not so great at how they communicated the idea, I can appreciate a good story, and this one defines a moment that perhaps should have been used in canon. I don't remember much of DH, having forcibly suppressed it, but I remember that the parting scene with the Dursleys was sort of disappointing. But that might just be faulty memory. I would've been okay with this had it been canon.

 

Great oneshot, at first I was going to hit the X button. But, luckily I didn't the story is different from most of the same genre. And it made it seem relatively plausible. 4/5

 

I didn't realy like it, but that probably because I'm not in the right mood atm. 2/5

 

Well, the idea wasn't bad but I didn't think it was written as well as it could have been, nor was Petunia's character developed to a point that made me feel like we gained anything from this fic. I've seen her written better, also her almost sorry attitude sort of left the story without a solid punch. I'd have preferred to have her trying to justify everything till the end.

Also the dialog between she and Harry was without flavor, felt like something I'd read before. Cliche language can do that I suppose.

Also there was too little logic behind some elements. Why would Harry check the cupboard, why would Lupin jump to the conclusion that it was his room. If some said, 'my cupboard' I'd just assume that it was where he stored his stuff. Also might Remus wonder why he has so few belongings. That seems a better way to go about it.

Perhaps the only redeeming aspect was Remus's curse. That was clever, although the way it was written had me guessing the result prior to 'seeing' it.

As I say not bad, but the writing was bland and the story didn't reveal anything new. And in general, for a oneshot that was supposed to be about character, no one's was developed much.

2/5 (because I'm nice)

 

I thought it was really good. The "Lily's Trunk" cliche is forgivable, considering the rest. I thought the blandness of it all was very fitting, being symbolic of Petunia's bland existence. Fairly original, and decently written.

4/5

 

Better?

Della, I agree that Petunia could have been better characterized but it wasn't meant to be some long rambling fic. It did it's job. It's a good oneshot fic, though of course, there are better.

And then there are worse.

Don't look at a good fic through its anus!

 

This piece had potential to be much more, though I found the punishment fitting and Ironic.