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Harry Potter/Fanfic Recs/Peggy Sue: Difference between revisions
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''[[Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past]]'' by [http://www.fanfiction.net/~starkan Starkan] (a.k.a. [http://www.viridiandreams.net/ Viridian], [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2636963/1/ link])
* Recommended by Much Good Little Time, Yo Adrian, Chuckg, Elenor, Psalm of Fire, White Hat, Clendy82, Riti Troll, [[User:Looney Toons]], [[User:SelfCloak]]
* ''Synopsis'': Harry finally defeated Voldemort after 13 years, at the cost of everyone he loved dying in the war. With nothing left to lose, he does a [[Peggy Sue]]—by sending his memories into the past to his younger self. ''All'' of them.
* ''Comments'': The twists and rapid decay that occur due to his meddling (and the annoying force of Fate apparently working to keep events more-or-less close to canon through the ending of book 6) make for one very gripping read.
** Seconded by Yo Adrian: Very, ''very'' good fic, compellingly written, and the characters are very true to their canon selves, surprisingly. Ginny, especially, is wonderfully done. It's hard to come up with detailed recommendations regarding this fic's good points, because there's just so many of them.
** Thirded by Chuckg: This is a truly exceptional work, written by an author who understands subtlety and balance. [[Peggy Sue]] Harry is neither a [[God Mode Sue]] ''nor'' cursed to know that [[Failure Is the Only Option]]. So few [[Peggy Sue]] fics can avoid both pitfalls so skilfully.
** Can you fourth-ed something I wonder? Elenor would like to support this fic at any rate.
** Psalm of Fire: I also throw in my full recommendation. This is a compelling piece of work. On top of what the others have said I say his effort into portraying the psychological aftereffects due to what the future Harry has gone through are excellent and authentic throughout the work. But it's also a well achieved balance, as Harry's pseudo form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder does not suck the joy out of reading or bog down the story.
** White Hat: I highly recommend this, the plot is solid, the characterizations are excellent, the writing style flows in such a way that its hard to stop reading. Definitely something I recommend.
** Clendy82: Probably one of the best fanfics I have read so far. If you're familiar with the author's work on ''[[Naruto (Manga)/Fanfic Recs|Team 8]]'', then you know what to expect. The only complaint I have is a complaint common to almost every [[Peggy Sue]] fanfic known to man: The main character just acts too damn mature for any intelligent adult not to notice. The author covers it quite well, with other characters attributing it to his rough childhood and Harry's cover story of reading many books on topics he should have no knowledge of, but when Dumbledore buys into it, you know somebody's been issuing the entire supporting cast...I won't say [[Idiot Ball|Idiot Balls]]. More like Idiot Marbles. Instances like {{spoiler|Harry (age 11) walking into Gringott's, making an appointment with the executor of his estate, and arranging for Vernon Dursley and family to endure financial setbacks [[The Count of Monte Cristo]] would have been proud of, not to mention discussing possible assassination with a straight face}} tend to send up a red flag. The story avoids this pitfall better than most; perhaps better than any, but I don't think it's possible to avoid it completely. Despite this one pet peeve, the story is top-notch, with the new timeline being altered in ways that elicit at least one case of [[Fridge Brilliance]] per chapter. My personal favorite being {{spoiler|after Peter Pettigrew's capture before the start of second term. In the original timeline, Ron and Hermione get into arguments over Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, constantly being on the hunt for Ron's rat. However, now that said rat was revealed to be...well...a rat, Ron is in the market for a new pet. Preferably one specifically crossbred for intelligence and the ability to detect malicious intent...}} Brilliant. Highly recommended.
** Eighted (if I counted right) by PhoenixFTW. Amazing plot, and awesome character development. I could fill a whole page with how brilliant the story is. But I'll use just 2 lines. Seriously, this guy is awesome.
** The only reason Harry is able to get away with his maturity is by being careful in who he displays it to. Peripheral characters like Gringotts Goblins and Dobby, he can tell them pretty much anything. Other characters he has to be careful, poking and prodding them subtly. As for Dumbledore, he is forced to adopt a bitter semi-antagonistic relationship with, solely so that Dumbledore won't be able to investigate without fear of pushing Harry away irrevocably.
** Riti Troll: I love this story, but it seems like Viridian's having trouble with coming up with the next chapter. Guess it's because he's changed it so much.
** WarriorDrgnMage: If you choose one Harry Potter [[Fanfic]] to read, I recommend this one. In addition to the things that my fellow tropers have said, I would like to add how much good NoFP Harry has done for Luna and Neville. There are others that Harry has helped but these two are the ones he has helped the most. To balance this out Harry has made somethings much worse. Namely his treatment and actions towards Professor Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. For further balancing, we have Harry's relationship with Dumbledore and McGonagall. Harry's relationship with the former is... strained...at best, particularly in Harry's second year. Instead of being close to the Headmaster, Harry's 'staff mentor' seems to be McGonagall. This idea seems to be based mainly on Harry's conviction that her stern facade is just a front as well as the fond memory of McGonagall facing Umbridge down in defense of Harry becoming an Auror in OotP.
** Pyrix: While I would recommend this Snape seems a tad out of character in his anger, being almost over the top, such as {{spoiler|threatening to snap Hermione's mudblood wand.}}
*** Some of this is because the fic was started just after HBP came out, but even so, some of Snape's actions border on Flanderization or just plain Character Bashing.
*** SilverGryphon8: Almost better than the books themselves, from my view. Brilliant work, but really slow on the updating front because the author is juggling a couple other series and a real-life writing gig.
''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4101650/1/Backward_With_Purpose Backward With Purpose]'' by Deadwoodpecker
* Recommended by [Shay Guy, Jack Butler, Lavanya Six, Clendy82, Amdijefri, Seraviel, Sheaman 3773, Keshia, [[User:Looney Toons|Looney Toons]]
* ''Synopsis'': Harry, Ron, and Ginny all go back as the last survivors of the war, but find that things aren't quite as they remember them. It turns out that {{spoiler|there's ''another'' time traveler running around, who by the end of the story has made over half a dozen trips}}. ''Note:'' Moves the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]] several notches towards cynicism (though not nearly as far as ''Nightmares Of Future Past'' or ''DAYD''), and is thus much more violent than the original.
* ''Comments'': May be the only ''[[Harry Potter]]'' [[Peggy Sue]] that's actually ''better'' than ''Nightmares of Futures Past.'' ''Deathly Hallows''-compliant. Well-planned out, and reads [[Original Flavour|very much like Rowling's style]], save for the occasional profanity and the willingness to include sexual content and references. And those don't really get in the way of the story at all.
** The sequel is now complete, and a third story has been begun. If this is to be classified as a [[Fan Verse]], I vote for calling it the "Alwaysverse," after the [[Arc Words]] "always and always."
** Jack Butler: This troper was the primary editor/beta-reader for this story, and I've got to tell you, the hoops the author jumped through to get it all right... you would honestly not believe the differences between first draft and the final product.
** Lavanya Six: All the above said is right on, but let me just add that this fic was the first one to ever make me like the character of Ginny and believe in the Harry/Ginny ship. Also, Deadwoodpecker's ability to plot is ''insane''.
** Clendy82: Very well written and definitely comparable to Nightmare of Future's Past. There are just a couple of things keeping it from being truly great. The premise of the [[Peggy Sue]] is used much too potently. In NoFP, future!Harry merges with his past self, creating an amalgam of both their personalities and skills. But here, the future personalities completely take over. Leaving aside the issue of, well, basically killing off their younger selves, it puts a complete roadblock on any further character development on their part. It's incredibly jarring to the suspension fo disbelief to picture an eleven-year-old Harry speaking with forty years of experience, out-knowledge-ing Dumbledore and Snape at their own game, and so forth. In addition, the story falls into a trap common to many [[Peggy Sue]] fics, and that is to have the protagonists become much more pro-active, with the antagonists becoming reactive. Despite the fact that Death Eaters are dropping left and right, the yearly storylines proceed mostly on schedule with little adaptation. I really hate sounding like I'm bashing this story, because I'm not. It's quite well written and there are hints and peeks of a great overarching storyline; it's just that when you see the potential lying there in plain sight, that the aforementioned flaws become that much more apparent. Highly recommended.
** Amdijefri: A brilliant twist on the [[Peggy Sue]] -- I don't know if it's original to this fic, but it was new to me. Completely obvious in retrospect. I should have spotted {{spoiler|the existence of a Merlin}} ''much'' sooner.
** Psalm of Fire: The fic is swiftly paced in many places, making me feel as if I'm just reading the highlight reel, and ponderous in others where Harry spends his time stressing over the same issues. It does strike a happy medium semi-regularly though.
*** The writing itself is peppered with over-explanations ("That's ridiculous, you're driving me crazy," he said, annoyed) and adverbs. Grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spacing, all are very good.
*** The Dialog is good, and almost entirely in-character.
*** Frequent flashbacks to horrible times are hard to read -- like the awful cough medicine you're supposed to take because it's ''good'' for you so that you might appreciate the story more. I've been conditioned to cringe every time I see italics.
*** But my mind breaks at the way he treats causality. So let me get this straight, your great plan was to {{spoiler|1=let the glance=kill basilisk run around the school with all the people you've loved and come back to save? And you think that every person this basilisk encounters is going to be just as lucky as last time and only ever see the filtered/reflected image of the eyes? And you're willing to risk their deaths, their ''deaths'', when there are alternatives? I would call it lazy writing but the author is ''not'' lazy. Harry went along with this decision, nay, only contested it for Ginny's sake as if she were the only one at risk.}} At that point my suspension of disbelief shattered into many little pieces on the floor. It just seems so... heartless, unintentional though it may be.
*** Also, if we're going to compare this to ''Nightmares of Future Past'' it is important to mention that S'TarKan writes on a very emotional level, ladling it up thickly for one scene or another. BwaP strives to incorporate emotion and does, but the individual moments I've encountered {{up to chapter 9}} have never had as much build/preparation or payoff. Don't level such expectations against this fic, lest you forget to enjoy it.
*** Perhaps the author wasn't creating a bunch of "take that"s at NoFP. But if you don't like Harry's approach in NoFP, this more inclusion oriented approach may be for you.
*** '''Conclusion:''' I recommend you read it, but also that you keep your expectations reserved. A lot more love and effort went into this than much of what you will find, and for that I must give full props to the author though I remain reserved on the fic. Good work, DWP.
''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1594791/1/Backwards_Compatible Backwards Compatible]'' by Ruskbyte
* Recommended by [[User:Looney Toons]], Dor, Shadow AI, Seraviel
* ''Synopsis'': Harry comes back from the summer after Sirius' death with a new attitude, a ''lot'' more information, a talent for mixing technology and magic—and a strange accessory: a mysterious device he calls "Father" which never leaves his side, appears to be sentient... and possesses power beyond anything ever seen by the Wizarding World.
* ''Comments'': Gives the standard ''Harry Potter'' [[Peggy Sue]] implementation an interesting, nasty little twist. Unfortunately, just when things start getting ''really'' interesting, it [[Dead Fic|stops cold]]—it hasn't been updated since 2005.
** Seconded by Dor. There are definite influences from the ''[[Terminator]]'' series, including multiple [[Shout-Out]]s, but it's not ''quite'' a [[Crossover]]. If only the author would finish it, instead of [[Attention Deficit Creator Disorder|starting new stories]].
''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4068153/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Wastelands_of_Time Harry Potter and the Wastelands of Time]'' and its sequel "[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6325846/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Heartlands_of_Time Harry Potter and the Heartlands of Time]" by joe6991
* Recommended by Shadow AI, [[User:Looney Toons]], Maybe Yes Maybe No, Fiddlesoup, Sheaman 3773, USA Bobcat
* ''Synopsis'': A Time-Travel Fic in which Harry is stuck in a [[Groundhog Day Loop]] that spans several decades and in which he has lost all the people he has loved to Voldemort dozens of times over, and is trying once again to stop Voldemort before he ruins the world. Only this time around, things aren't going exactly as he remembers them... Complete, and the sequel is on its eleventh chapter.
* ''Comments'':
** [[User:Looney Toons]]: Seconded; but part of what makes this fic interesting is Harry finding
** Maybe Yes Maybe No: Thirded; This is a time travel story taken to the absolute possible maximum. The fight scenes are awesome, the pairing with Fleur is sexy, and the humour is top drawer. Probably the best lager in the world.
** USA Bobcat: Fourthed; This is [[Crowning Moment of Funny|hilarious]], [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|awesome]], and [[Nightmare Fuel|mindracking insane]] all at once. Harry is human, reacts with horror to sights that are sentimental to him, and loves his quotes and songs. His response to a {{spoiler|Ancient Daemon}}?
{{quote| '''Harry''': "I done told you once, you sonofabitch, I'm the best that's ever been!"}}
''[[Oh God, Not Again]]'' by Sarah1281 ([http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4536005/1/Oh_God_Not_Again link])
* Recommended by MKGR, Unclouded TJ, Shadow AI, Darkaros, MKGR, SunnyNights, Fenro, SteakAddictsAnonymous, Mazz, Hedgi, Serenity rose, Telcontar, [[User:Looney Toons]]
* ''Synopsis'': So maybe everything didn't work out perfectly for Harry. Still, most of his friends survived, he'd gotten married, and was about to become a father. If only he'd have stayed away from the Veil, he wouldn't have had to go back and do everything ''again''.
* ''Comments'':
** Also recommended. The story starts off as a satire with a tongue in cheek view of the story, but it quickly drops down to parody as Harry does increasingly... "awesome" things. This doesn't make it less funny, but you can tell that the author's putting less emphasis on storyline at this point. This might have more to do with Year Three's complete lack of plot and Harry bypassing every obstacle he faces with ease, but it's an interesting take.
** Fourthed! A good break from the angsty, detestable super-Harry of most of these, instead introducing a hilarious, wholly ridiculous super-Harry that is much less punchable. The author is well-versed in Peggy Sue fics (she has a bunch of them) and avoids many of the pitfalls (especially those that make the protagonist annoying as hell).
** Fifthed. You know you've done something right when ''Lockhart'' becomes a likable character.
''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4655545/1/Reunion Reunion]'' by Rorschach's Blot
* Recommended by Chuckg, [[User:Looney Toons]], Unclouded TJ, Seraviel
* ''Synopsis'': Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Susan Bones as the returnees. They're on a mission to take the timeline and tie it into a pretzel -- mainly by killing everyone who ever did evil unto them.
* ''Pairings:'' Harry/Hermione/Luna/Susan, Sirius/Professor Sinistra
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''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3693052/1/Back_Again_Harry Back Again, Harry?]'' by JediButtercup
* Recommended by Evil Midnight Lurker, Shay Guy, Agent 0042, Fenro
* ''Synopsis'': A most unusual [[Peggy Sue]] fic, one that refuses the usual powerups and exceptional maturity in favor of sending Harry back ''from his visit to Kings Cross Station'' in ''Deathly Hallows'' to a certain night spent staring into the Mirror of Erised.
* ''Comments'': Extremely well thought out and executed. Unfortunately it hasn't updated in over a year, having not yet made it to the end of ''Philosopher's Stone''... but the author plans to resume writing sometime around October 2009. Why, look what month it is! ...And J.B. was only a couple of weeks off, it's updated. :)
** Shay Guy: Possibly the most in-character [[Peggy Sue]] I've ever seen, certainly the most I've seen in ''[[Harry Potter]]'' fic.
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''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5511855/1/Delenda_Est Delenda Est]'' and its sequel, ''[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9754483/1/Para-Bellum Para Bellum]'' by Lord Silvere and Claihm Solais
* Recommended by Darkholm, Unclouded TJ, boonerunner, Fenro, [[User:Looney Toons]]
* ''Status'': ''Delenda Est'': Complete; ''Para Bellum'': ongoing
* ''Synopsis'': Harry is a prisoner, and Bellatrix has fallen from grace. The accidental activation of Bella's treasured heirloom results in another chance for Harry. It also gives him the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the young and enigmatic Bellatrix Black. Marauders-Era.
* ''Comments'': An altogether excellent story. I haven't seen a spelling or grammar error yet while reading it. The characterizations and dialogue are both believable and enthralling. Harry does not automatically become Dumbledore's favorite new person and he isn't handed the DADA position. In fact the closest thing he has to allies are the current heads of the Malfoy and Black families. Bellatrix is not wearing [[Draco in Leather Pants|leather pants]] and Harry has to restrain himself from attacking/insulting her several times. Harry is also very tight-lipped about [[Time Travel Tense Trouble|the future/his past]] and couldn't give a rat's ass about preserving the time stream.
** Darkholm: Did I mention there was no bashing and Harry doesn't follow the Marauders around like a lost puppy? Those parts have me really excited.
** The (mostly friendly) banter between Harry and [[Not Yet Evil]]!Bellatrix is witty and entertaining. The story also explores the friction between the future death eaters and their parents to show how Voldemort's rise to power (as a charismatic demagogue) might have occurred.
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[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8175132/1/HRNK Jamie Evans and Fate's Bitch] by [http://www.fanfiction.net/u/699762/The_Mad_Mad_Reviewer The Mad Mad Reviewer]
* Recommended by: The Road, Unclouded TJ, The Forgotten One
* Synopsis: "Harry Potter stepped back in time with enough plans to deal with just about everything fate could throw at him. He forgot one problem: He's fate's chewtoy."
* Pairing(s): H/To
* Comments: Essentially the best execution of the Harry Goes Back in Time, but Something immediately goes Horribly Wrong plot that I've read to date. Really, though, It's professional grade work.
** Unclouded TJ: Note that it does have some Dumbledore bashing but it's more a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] slant on him than his usual cliche villainy.
** The Forgotten One: Starts with cliche "goes back in time because everything I know I love is dead" with an interesting twist upon his return. It's dark and morbid at times, but overall interesting considering some of the moments in the story with obvious character bashing,overpowering, and a few questionable events.
{{reflist}}
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