Variations on a Happily Ever After

Variations on a Happily Ever After by GM Weasley

Summary: All was eventually well, but it took nineteen years to get there. Drabble Collection, 7,400.

Why You Should Care: This is a wonderful series of drabbles centered around the women of the Harry Potter universe and life beyond the epilogue. Insightful, thoughtful, and occasionally even mundane, these little snatches of the painfully ordinary process of moving on after the end of the story are well worth your time. Angelina’s thoughts on her wedding are particularly well done.

Why You Might Not Care: These drabbles could have been tighter, and occasionally they suffer from awkward syntax. A couple of passes from a sharp-eyed beta would have alleviated this problem.

All Those Empty Spaces

All Those Empty Spaces by JackieJLH

Summary: She never noticed all the empty spaces in her life until they started to fill up with memories. Oneshot, 2,202 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is an absolutely fantastic character piece on Petunia that sketches her character as well as her thoughts on many other characters, which is often just as revealing.  The language is just completely amazing, and the whole thing reads like a drabble in the way that every word has been carefully crafted to fit with all the other words — nothing is out of place or extraneous.  Petunia is in a place where there is nothing for her to do but think, and while her thoughts stray far and wide there is a thematic cohesion to them that makes me sigh.

Why You Might Not Care: I often run out of witty things to say here when I have nothing of value to say here.  I was tempted to just leave it blank….

Group Therapy

Group Therapy by Calliope08

Summary: An unlikely pair finds consolation at the funeral for James and Lily Potter. Oneshot, 1,140 Words.

Why You Should Care: It’s hard to find a good Potter’s funeral fic, but Calliope’s spare, fond style fits the bill perfectly. It’s the combination of the profound and the just plain mundane – this fic is very honest; the conflicting thoughts of the characters perfectly in keeping with the tone of the whole piece. Both Remus and Petunia are very humanly characterised – enjoyable and thoughtful.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s another Potter’s funeral fic, albeit a very good one. Also, too short, in my opinion: I’d’ve liked to have seen a little more from Petunia. But you can’t have everything.

All Those Empty Spaces

All Those Empty Spaces by JackieJLH

Summary: She never noticed all the empty spaces in her life until they started to fill up with memories. Oneshot, 2,195 Words.

Why You Should Care: There’s something about Petunia that is easily overlooked by the average writers, and it’s the same thing that immediately strikes the best writers. Who’d have thought that some of the best Harry Potter fanfiction out there would be about Petunia? This is not quite poetic; it is memory seeping into the cracks and spilling over. It is carefully and lovingly written by a talented author. Excellent.

Why You Might Not Care: Something about this fic touched me, and I don’t quite know what it was; I only know I give it my highest recommendations.

Home is the Place Where

Home is the Place Where by Kyra Cullinan

Summary: Petunia and Harry at the end of the world. Oneshot, 1,151 Words.

Why You Should Care: There is so much bitterness here. The depth of absolute loss, of hopelessness in triumph, and the knowing that not even the face of complete destruction is enough to heal old wounds aches in nearly every word. Petunia is all angles, unable not to cut after years of sharpening herself for it, and Harry is a hero who never wanted to be and hates a world that made him so. They share a moment of understanding in deep tragedy, but no more. Richly sad.

Why You Might Not Care: Some stories do not have — cannot have — happy endings. We’d like to see Harry glory and move on and lead a quiet, happy life, but some heroes are not destined for that end and — perhaps — Harry just might be one of them. Terribly sad, and for some maybe too sad.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Admins’ — AU

Twice As Bright

Twice As Bright by Thirty2Flavors

Summary: She introduced him as James Potter, he shook your hand, and you knew, instantly, that she’d outdone you again. // Petunia reflects on the differences between the Dursleys and the Potters. Oneshot, 1,243 Words.

Why You Should Care: Character pieces on Petunia Dursley – especially ones that focus on her thoughts about the Potters – are few and far between, but this is a must read for everyone. It’s just as much about the Potters as it is the Dursleys, as seen through Petunia’s shrewd lens. Excellent!

Why You Might Not Care: Even if Petunia isn’t your thing, read it anyway. Even if the Potters aren’t your thing, read it anyway. This is what quality writing is, people. I suppose if you’re one of those jaded readers that only reads fluff or slash or smut or something, but even then… read it anyway.

Awards: 2007 Hourglass Award, Oneshot – First Place.