rhianona: (war icon)
rhianona ([personal profile] rhianona) wrote in [community profile] crack_van2010-04-08 02:30 pm
Entry tags:

Across the Universe by Mira Mirth - T

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Gen fic but there is James/Lily as background
Length: 3,881
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Mira Mirth's FFN profile
Why this must be read: How many times have you read a dimension travel fic where Harry arrives and everyone is thrilled to see him, he's happy as a clam to be there and everything is wonderful, even if there are some tensions with his parselmouth abilities and whatever other so-called "dark" abilities he might have? No one ever has an issue with his (or others) arrival and even if he's come straight from his war, he's totally fine being around others who've died in his dimension.

This isn't one of those. Mira Mirth's story, while short, packs an emotional punch that leaves one reeling. This is a fic that I'm torn between wanting more of - and knowing that making it longer would probably ruin it. The Harry that travels to this dimension isn't happy. He's depressed and suicidal and has PSTD and his family doesn't really know what to do with him. Told from the point of view of James, this is a story about healing and love and acceptance and family. And as a relatively short one-shot this fic does more for the dimension travel genre than most - maybe because it's both dimension travel and dealing with the aftermath of a war where you're one of the few survivors.

Warning: Suicide discussed within the fic

James pours Firewhiskey into two glasses and sits down on the couch, extending one tumbler towards his unbidden, but not entirely unwelcome guest.

It is the only thing they can do under the circumstances, really. James's head swims. Inter-dimensional travel. A young man, claiming to be Harry Potter, refusing to believe in James's or Lily's existence. His eldest son, alive, although he had been killed on Halloween, 1981. Dumbledore's frown. Amazement in Lily's brilliant eyes. And hope. Hope that this is somehow his son, returned to him, through a miracle.

Only it isn't his son at all. Harry – might as well call him by his given name – gracefully accepts the whiskey and sips with the air of a person who's drunk a lot of this stuff. He's got trademark messy hair, Lily's green eyes, but he's thin, with premature stress lines and an unfriendly disposition. Bespectacled eyes too guarded for a boy of his age, reflexes too honed. This boy isn't at all like Aaron, his and Lily's fourteen year old child. They surely look alike, except that Aaron's eyes are hazel, but Aaron is wilful, smiling, careless and free, the way James and Sirius had been at school. Harry reminds James of Mad-Eye Moody, if anyone at all.

Whoever has been taking care of him in James's stead, they haven't done a very good job.

Across the Universe can be read here
trialia: Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), head down, hair wind-streamed, eyes almost closed. (Default)

[personal profile] trialia 2010-04-08 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow. Thanks for the rec - this fic is fantastic.

[identity profile] retsuko.livejournal.com 2010-04-09 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Seconded. What a wonderful piece of writing!