Fan fiction has never appealed to me. I was first exposed to it in college. On move-in day a girl across the hall from me started regaling me with subplots of an anime fan fiction. I looked over the website she suggested, decided they had good ideas but their writing sucked, and decided it wasn’t for me. Every-so-often I’d pick up another fanfic that was “highly recommended” by a friend, just to see… but the characters didn’t sound right, they made abnormal decisions for their established personalities, or messed around with core facts of the universe.
I primarily read fantasy, romances, sci-fi, and an occasional mystery or true-crime. When I write, it’s been almost exclusively historical fiction. Haven’t touched fan fic in at least ten years. I say this to underscore how absolutely out of character it is for me to pick up a Harry Potter fan fic novel.
And I liked it.
More than liked. Loved. Could not put it down to feed my kids kind of loved.
“Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love,” by isthiselfcare as published on Archive of Our Own. About 200k words.
I think Harry Potter would be one of the most difficult fanfics to pull off. It would be so easy for an author to be lazy and not further develop characters that are already so beloved. But this one did it. She took Draco from a schoolboy bogged down with his parent’s political drama and expectations, to an adult auror that has struggled with the consequences of his decisions, but has made a life for himself.
Well, Harry and Ron did not change or mature, which made their cameo appearances hilarious.
The author was brilliant at putting the whole war into perspective as well. Reading through the Harry Potter books, the readers are caught up in the adventure and the assurance that Harry and gang are doing the right things for the right reasons, and it makes perfect sense that they should. However, throughout this fan fic, the author is able to use the 15ish years since the war to give a different perspective. In what sane world would the majority of adults allow 14-18 year old kids to become child soldiers? And what responsibility does Hogwarts play for pitting the factions against each other, creating artificial lines that magnified hostility?
Is it all serious? Hell no. There is adventure and hijinks befitting for the Harry Potter universe, and Malfoy’s snarky tone is lovely to behold. There is also building romantic tension throughout, and might be considered R rated for sexual scenes. But I don’t want to give anything away that’s not already in the title…
For me, “Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love” is the continuation I needed, and I now consider it canon. And if the author ever wants to write more, that’s one fanfic I’d jump on again.
Northern Skies Publishing 