Unsorted!
The summer after 5th year, Death Eaters find Harry abandoned in the Dursley house and bring him to Voldemort. Will one particular Death Eater give up his position and his hate to save his enemy's child? Eventual Snape mentors Harry fic.
Takes Place: 6th summer
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Snape flavour: None
Tags: Alternate Universe
Categories: Parental Snape > Guardian Snape, Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape
Membership status: Member
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Reviews by wynnleaf
Rated: 16+
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Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Neglect, Profanity, Rape, Torture, Violence
Chapters: 43 - Completed: Yes - Updated: 05 Nov 2007 / 23 Jul 2007
Series: Walk the Shadows - Challenges: None
Chapters: 43 - Completed: Yes - Updated: 05 Nov 2007 / 23 Jul 2007
Series: Walk the Shadows - Challenges: None
| Title: Chapter 11: Chapter 11 | 03 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- "But finally, he gave in to the soothing, slippery voice, lifted away the last barrier and allowed the presence inside."
Indeed. Well, well, I wonder what that's all about. Slippery, eh?
Author's Response: Yep, slippery. And sibilant, mustn't forget sibilant. ;-)
| Title: Chapter 13: Chapter 13 | 06 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Awesome chapter.
Author's Response: Thanks!
| Title: Chapter 14: Chapter 14 | 08 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Snape's matter-of-fact response to Harry's tantrum was well done. And Harry's acceptance of the fact that Snape is letting him vent -- that worked well, too. Also excellent was Snape inexorably leading Harry to voice the things that have been done to him, like he's making him take ownership of it -- as in "this really happened to me" instead of just pushing it away. I thought this was one of your best chapters because much of what is going on is fairly subtle.
Author's Response: Thank you! I figure Snape can be kind of a subtle guy . . . but he also understands the need for some controlled violence in response to things that feel out of control.
| Title: Chapter 15: Chapter 15 | 10 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Very well written chapter. You write this kind of situation very convincingly.
Author's Response: Thanks, wynnleaf! As I mention to Jade (above -- can other readers see the responses?) I've worked with rape and abuse survivors, and so have an inkling, anyway, of the process they go through in recovery.
| Title: Chapter 18: Chapter 18 | 15 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- "Talk to me, Harry," the other said, the one who's magic stood like a stalwart beside him.
Really beautiful line.
Harry was broken, Severus reminded himself. And he did not like to toy with broken things.
Another wonderful line, someone else also mentioned I think.
One thing that you do so well is to have Snape both very patient during Harry's flashbacks, panic attacks, etc. -- he apparently knows something of what Harry is going through from his own experience -- and yet impatient with what might seem more run-of-the-mill examples of Harry being what Snape would see as lazy or unthinking.
You write this kind of recovery piece better than almost any I've read (and I've read a lot of them).
Author's Response: Thank you, wynnleaf! As I've mentioned, I've had experience with these kinds of post trauma disorders, and am just glad I seem to be portraying them adequately. And Snape, well. He's sort of an enigma all around, isn't he? I'm glad that the dichotomy of his character is coming out in the writing as I intended. Thanks again, --rachel
| Title: Chapter 19: Chapter 19 | 17 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- As usual, very well written.
I get the feeling Snape doesn't know whether to be pleased or wary that Harry's latest crisis lasted only 15 minutes. I would think that the techniques Harry was using would be good for clearing his mind before sleeping, but not necessarily a good way to deal with traumatic memories. My experience is that the memories gradually lose their emotional impact the more you pull them out and examine them with a fine toothed comb.
Another reviewer wondered if canon Snape (and your Snape's personality seems pretty IC to me), would have accepted Harry better if he'd been in Slytherin. My guess is that if canon Snape had been given the opportunity to see more of Harry just being Harry, he'd have gradually seen him less and less like James and more like Lily. That would especially have been true with Harry interacting with Slytherins.
Author's Response:
Exactly; it isn't clear at this point whether the cut down to 15 minutes is good or bad. And also, Harry stuffing all those things away so as to not deal with them . . . definitely not good. But we'll get to that eventually. ;-)
As for the Snape and the Slytherin!Harry conundrum . . . yes, I concur. Thanks for the review!
| Title: Chapter 20: Chapter 20 | 18 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Another great chapter. This one felt particularly intense. I can only imagine how intense some of your future chapters will be.
By the way, I have just recommended Walk the Shadows and Whelp on the AYLNO yahoo group and another yahoo group for HP recs.
Author's Response: Thanks, wynnleaf! Yeah, the intensity is gonna ratchet up from here.
| Title: Chapter 21: Chapter 21 | 22 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Harry can at least talk around the Topsham memories a little more closely than he could before -- just a little. I hadn't thought of Draco knowing and if Draco, then other students as well. A tiny step forward and two back. I can't imagine Harry being ready to be around students in just a few short weeks. He can barely stand Snape's touch and then only with warning. I know you mentioned this and that Harry might *not* be ready. I'm looking forward to finding out how he gets along and what happens when students return.
| Title: Chapter 22: Chapter 22 | 24 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- "He didn’t what that had to do with anything,"
I assume this should be "he didn't know what that had to do with anything,"
Great chapter. I'm very interested to see how you have Harry respond. I could see it going any of several directions. Why do I wonder if Harry is going to distrust this somehow? Not thinking Snape's lying or something, but I'm not sure Harry would at this point really believe an adult *wants* to take such care of him.
| Title: Chapter 23: Chapter 23 | 25 Aug 2007 |
| Reviewer: wynnleaf (Signed) |
- Great chapter. A smallish canon quibble. In this chapter Snape says that the Marauders toned down their attacks after the werewolf Prank. That's certainly what many readers assumed prior to DH. However, in DH JKR showed that the werewolf Prank happened *before* Snape's Worst Memory, meaning that as far as we can tell James, Sirius and the others didn't learn anything from the Prank and continued to bully Snape "because he exists," and continued to lack any circumspection over Lupin's being a werewolf.
Your having Snape tell Harry about the prophecy and Lily was very interesting. At this point, Snape is far past the misconceptions of canon Snape and I *can* see him doing this. And Harry's reaction was very believable.
So will Harry tell Snape the rest of the prophecy? I could see him doing it to "test" Snape, assuming as he says at the end of the chapter that Snape won't want him after that.
Author's Response: Gah! You're right about the messed up Snape chronology. The timeline I was referencing hasn't been updated for DH yet. Blech. Okay, I'll clear it up in rewrites. :-) And yes, it's likley Harry will tell him the rest of the prophecy, if only to test him, as you say. Thanks!