angelmorph
Wednesday 7th October 2015 09:27 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Another excellent chapter. I most enjoyed the interaction between the two sister, particularly Lily's line “I’m here to do something you never managed – I’m here to help my sister’s son,”
It was also interesting to watch Petunia look back on the past with a fresh perspective, notice things differently from when she was living them. |
gymnastgal19
Saturday 10th January 2009 16:21 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| haha that showed petunia! i cant believe that she was still defending "didders" though |
GhostWriter
Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:39 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Nicely done!
I'm just now getting to read this, as my online connections were spotty over Christmas break. Excellent characterization as always. You really have a talent for making me despise the Dursleys. |
BookRose
Tuesday 23rd December 2008 17:51 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| Wow you're writing skills are still as sharp as ever, this is such a great story, its too bad you might not finish in time for Christmas. One thing though, I noticed in Charles Dickens classic that the past showed him most of his life: Childhood, Teenage-hood, his first love, and all that. I know that our focus here is how utterly reprehensible Petunia was in her treatment of Harry, but maybe more could have been explored, as far as her childhood with Lily, her jealousy of Hogwarts, how she met Vernon and cemented her belief system. It's just a thought and this story is really a true treat to read so I hope you are able to update real soon! |
J.R. Lewis
Monday 22nd December 2008 18:37 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Can't wait to find out who is the Spirit of Christmas Present. Arthur Weasley, by chance??
Shame. I could imagine Arthur in a muggle house with a muggle like Petunia. 'That was very wrong of you, Mrs. Dursley, very wrong indeed. And could you explain this thing called elektikity and how it relates to plugs?' |
Avanelle
Sunday 21st December 2008 09:12 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| Beautifully written-as usual. My heart breaks for Harry and Lily. It's so interesting to read a story written from Petunia's POV, especially because I never could understand how she could be so hateful to Harry. |
The Seeker
Friday 19th December 2008 17:31 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Hi Melinda,
You already know how much I enjoyed this chapter, so it felt like I was revisiting an old friend! Out of the many wonderful touches in this chapter, how you showed his parents' laxity reinforcing Dudley's ill-behavior really stood out for me. Even when Petunia saw her son's actions, she still fought to maintain the status quo.
Each time I read this I find more nuggets - like Tuney complaining about her own casserole. But we know what waits for Harry's dear aunt in the next chapter.
What a wonderful and timely treat you've given us, Melinda!
Best, Jim |
J.R. Lewis
Wednesday 17th December 2008 19:21 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| Can't wait to find out who is the Spirit of Christmas Present. Arthur Weasley, by chance?? |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:24 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Heh - nope! The Ghosts are all people who have passed. |
aharkins
Wednesday 17th December 2008 13:43 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| I really hate that Petunia never realized how horrid she was acting. Thank you for showing her where she went wrong. I can't wait for the next installment to this story. You are one of my favorite authors. Thank you for sharing your talent. |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:23 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Aww, thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. |
yiota
Tuesday 16th December 2008 16:26 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
he was such a healthy boy! The zipper was stretched taut across his round little belly, and it was pulling in several spots.
I just had to laugh when I saw this. I imagine the doctor who checked Dudley's blood cholesterol level must have fainted when he got the results! |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:22 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Heh - Petunia is very good at deluding herself though. |
hedwig5221
Tuesday 16th December 2008 12:49 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
This is a great story...and I'm looking forward to Christmas Present and Christmas Future...Petunia is such an irritating character...so self-righteous. I can't wait to see how you continue this one.
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| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:16 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! She does tend to drive me nuts - and I think she fits the Scrooge roll well. |
potterlovesginny
Tuesday 16th December 2008 12:26 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| This should be really interesting, I can't wait to see what the Ghost of Christmas Future will show her. I just wish it was set maybe while Harry was at Hogwarts, (so Petunia could see how much his friends love him) or iduring the year when he's on the Horcrux hunt, so Petunia would see him crying at Lily's grave. But since its after that, it should be interesting to see what Dudly is doing now. |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:15 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Ghost of Christmas Present is up next, and that takes place the Christmas immediately following the final battle. You'll get to see Dudley there, too. |
lantis222
Tuesday 16th December 2008 09:55 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| That was so sad. The one I feel the most sorry for is Lily. For Harry it's all over with, but poor Lily. Having to watch what had happened and unable to do anything about it. I bet mother tiger syndrome in full force. I know I would want to kill anyone who did that to my children. Poor Lily. anyway, great chapter. Update soon! |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:10 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| I know - my heart goes to Lily, too. Still, I think the rage would have come when it originally happened, now that it's in the past, and Harry did come through, I think she'd just feel very sad. |
hoss
Monday 15th December 2008 17:08 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| Great Job but right now I'ed like to go and slap Petuina. Looking forward to the rest. Thanks |
| Thursday 18th December 2008 19:02 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! I'd like to slap Petunia, too. |
Shannon
Monday 15th December 2008 14:44 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
I was so happy to see an update of this story! The scene was just heartbreaking! I'm not sure that Lily's reactions were strong enough. Reading about Harry made me teary. Thinking about it being my own son makes me feel murderous! Even if Lily were ten times more saintly than I am, she still should have taken the opportunity to knock Petunia around a bit. I would have liked to read that too!
Did Dudley have a girlfriend named Deirdre in one of your other stories? That sounds familiar to me.
Also, I can\\\'t imagine a four year old that could cook bacon and eggs.
I don\\\'t mean to sound negative! I\\\'m really enjoying this story. It\\\'s a great concept -- transferable to so many other nasty characters in the potterverse as well. Maybe Draco could have a few visitors next. I\\\'m sure you have nothing else to do at Christmastime! |
Shannon
Monday 15th December 2008 12:18 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
I was so happy to see an update of this story! The scene was just heartbreaking! I'm not sure that Lily's reactions were strong enough. Reading about Harry made me teary. Thinking about it being my own son makes me feel murderous! Even if Lily were ten times more saintly than I am, she still should have taken the opportunity to knock Petunia around a bit. I would have liked to read that too!
Did Dudley have a girlfriend named Deirdre in one of your other stories? That sounds familiar to me.
Also, I can\\\'t imagine a four year old that could cook bacon and eggs.
I don\\\'t mean to sound negative! I\\\'m really enjoying this story. It\\\'s a great concept -- transferable to so many other nasty characters in the potterverse as well. Maybe Draco could have a few visitors next. I\\\'m sure you have nothing else to do at Christmastime! |
Shannon
Monday 15th December 2008 10:27 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
I was so happy to see an update of this story! The scene was just heartbreaking! I'm not sure that Lily's reactions were strong enough. Reading about Harry made me teary. Thinking about it being my own son makes me feel murderous! Even if Lily were ten times more saintly than I am, she still should have taken the opportunity to knock Petunia around a bit. I would have liked to read that too!
Did Dudley have a girlfriend named Deirdre in one of your other stories? That sounds familiar to me.
Also, I can\\\'t imagine a four year old that could cook bacon and eggs.
I don\\\'t mean to sound negative! I\\\'m really enjoying this story. It\\\'s a great concept -- transferable to so many other nasty characters in the potterverse as well. Maybe Draco could have a few visitors next. I\\\'m sure you have nothing else to do at Christmastime! |
| Monday 15th December 2008 12:03 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
No worries - constructive criticism is what it's all about, right?
I thought about Lily's reactions for a long time. As a mom, I wanted to smack Petunia - but Lily is a ghost here, she really couldn't do that. Also - I think by this point, Lily knows how Harry grew up, and she knows how he turned out. I think the sadness with it all might have overtaken the outrage. This was her sister. I tend to see Lily as being very sad during this scene - for so many reasons.
As for Harry making breakfast at four. Well, I think it could be done. Canon tells us he'd been preparing breakfast for years, and he was only 11 at the start. Four year olds can be very resourceful when they need to be - and I don't think the Durselys would've treated mistakes kindly, so Harry would've learned fast. |
oliversgal
Monday 15th December 2008 07:16 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| You know I think that scene was perfect. Petunia and Vernon of xmas past were exactly as expected but the reactions of Petunia with Lily was brilliant. When Petunia was able to look at the situation as an outsider, she started to see the reality of the situation but refused to believe because of her resentment. I whooped out loud at Lily's comments and looks that made Petunia feel guilty. Can't wait for the Ghost of Christmas Present! |
| Monday 15th December 2008 11:58 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! I had fun writing this story, and I hope it shows. |
yiota
Monday 15th December 2008 03:05 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| You know, I never realised just how much Harry was mistreated by the Dursleys. hen the story starts, Harry is almost eleven, and he doesn't let them get to him. But as a small child... I think you've described Petunia perfectly. And Dumbledore was right: she and Vernon have damaged Dudley. I'm looking forward to te next chapter. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 11:58 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! Your review thrilled me, because Harry's younger days are always SUCH a huge point of irritation for me. I'm thrilled if I could help highlight it in any way. |
rhetor
Sunday 14th December 2008 23:18 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Ahh, now I see -- you're analogizing the Dursleys' treatment of Harry with Scrooge's treatment of his own nephew and Bob Cratchit. I'd forgotten the similarity between Little Fan's early death and Lily's. Fascinating.
I think, if I were doing it, I might have had Lily start by taking Petunia earlier, as the original GoCP did with Scrooge -- taking her back to a time when she didn't resent Lily, or didn't feel the need to deny magic. In Dickens, this gives Scrooge a starting point where he still had a heart and affections. Here, because we start by seeing Petunia's mistreatment of Harry in favor of Dudley, naturally Tuney is inclined to engage in self-justification; what's amazing (maybe too amazing?) is that she recognizes any flaws in her memories at all. The Petunia of DH saw no worth in Harry even as he was acting to save her life.
The way you got around this problem, I think, was to make Lily the GoCP. Having the dead mother of the mistreated child (your own sister, no less) with you in the room as you abuse her son, is a great way of getting the beginnings of a conscience. That's an excellent device: Petunia sees her own behavior through Lily's eyes, simply by virtue of Lily's presence; it's a kind of enforced empathy.
(They did not have a four-year-old handing the frying pan with the bacon. Not even the Dursleys.)
Definitely still hooked. Want to see the other two ghosts. Badly want to know what it is that Lily wants to do for Dudley.
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| Monday 15th December 2008 11:56 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
Heh - I think you give me far more intellectual credit than I deserve! Still, I'm glad you're enjoying it. This idea originally came to me last year, and I coudn't get it done in time. I started early November this time, but I wish I'd actually watched the movie before I started. I saw it yesterday on one of those cable channels, and there are several things I'd change - including your suggestion of going back earlier into Lily and Petunia's childhood.
Still, I am pleased with how it turned out. It was the plot bunny that just wouldn't die. |
Grandma Kate
Sunday 14th December 2008 22:28 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| I'm shivering from reading this chapter. The older Petunia may have a chance to learn from the three visits. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:47 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Petunia is stubborn, isn't she? I always tend to dwell on what it must have been like for Harry as a tyke, poor kid. |
bbnaz
Sunday 14th December 2008 21:45 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Excellent (but too short). Even with the brevity of the chapter, you conveyed so much that it made me greedy for more.
In so many ways I am sorry for Petunia.......and she never gets redeemed except for hopefully here.
Chapeau! |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:46 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! Yes, the chapters are shorter than my norm, but I enjoyed that, actually. I think I despise Petunia even more than Vernon since she treated her own sister's child this way - and no, she never gets redeemed in canon. As you know, I'm pretty much a canon stickler - but...I think I have a little wiggle room with the epilogue. I hope you enjoy it. |
Wolf\\\'s Scream
Sunday 14th December 2008 19:41 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Very nice. So we wait until the next chapter to see who her next visitor is, eh?
The scene from the Past was well-painted. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:43 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! Yes, The Ghost of Chirstmas Present arrives next. Any guesses? |
majolie
Sunday 14th December 2008 19:18 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| So glad to see the next installment. Reading this reminds me of how much I have enjoyed all your past efforts - you write fabulously. I love the way Petunia is being slowly forced (kicking and screaming) to see through her biases. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:42 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Oh, thanks much! Yes, Petunia is stubborn, isn't she? She's in for some harsh truths - and you'll get to see Dudley next chapter. |
Felix Felicis
Sunday 14th December 2008 18:37 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| Wow, what a wonder it is, reading this story. I'm so impressed by your ability to capture my attention and carry me through the scene as if I was standing in the background. Very well done. You wrote a perfect example of the unfairness of the situation, on many different levels. Petunia has so much to learn, and she'll have no choice but to learn if she's confronted again and again with images of the past like this. It's sad right now, seeing the treatment of Harry by his relatives. My only solace is knowing that he came out right in the end and that Petunia has one last chance to make things right. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:41 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
Hello! It's nice to see you again! Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it. This story just wouldn't let go - so here it is.
I've always been obsessed with Harry's younger years. I just can't understand Petunia, so I thought it'd be fun to explore it this way. |
skippy agogo
Sunday 14th December 2008 18:13 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
| A very well told rewrite of a classic. Although, it might have been better to have the introductory spirit that could more closely resemble mr. marley. If Lily is going to show her xmas past, does that mean James shows her xmas present? Who's xmas future, Marge Dursley? |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:39 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
I thought of a Jacob Marley type character when I started, but nixed it as I thought Lily could simply give the message that there would be threee visitors, and I wanted Lily to get to be the Ghost of Christmas Past. My heart just bleeds for Lily having to witness her own sister doing that to her child.
As for the ghosts - they're all people you'll recognize who have passed...but that's all I'm going to say. |
Amamama
Sunday 14th December 2008 16:49 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
Ooh! Good. Though it hurts to read it, terribly so. Yes, I think this is a rather accurate portrayal of Harry\'s Christmases in the Dudley household.
Now, you asked who I thought the other ghosts might be... Who\'d be present-day, and who\'d be future? Would the ghosts be someone Petunia knew? Snape? Dumbledore? Or would other, non-magical ghosts appear? Since Daddy was mentioned, maybe he\'s the next? Argh, I\'ve no real clue, I don\'t know the original well ehough to see if some person in particular would fit, but I do know I love this and look forward to the next part.
Thank you so much for writing this, it\'s a wonderful Christmas gift to get. |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:34 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I love the guesses on who the ghosts might be. I promise you wont' have to wait too long to find out. |
shimotsuki
Sunday 14th December 2008 16:30 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol |
I'm really enjoying this. It's especially nice how you have the older, wiser(?) Petunia noticing subtle details that she knows she didn't see the first time around. Poor Harry...and poor Lily, knowing all that was going on.
I look forward to a few more ghosts! |
| Monday 15th December 2008 06:33 | A Potterverse Christmas Carol (Author Response) |
| Can you imagine being Lily and unable to do anything about how her child was treated? Shudder. I'm always apalled to think of poor Harry's younger years. |
