Stealing Harry by Sam Vimes (R, with kid-friendly chapters available)

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Remus Lupin/Sirius Black
Author on LJ: copperbadge
Author Website: Author page at Skyehawke
Why this must be read:

Okay, if you haven't read this, what rock have *you* been living under? huh? I was shocked it hadn't already been recced here. It's a great story for pulling people into the fandom, and well, that's the point here, isn't it?

So what if Lucius Malfoy got to Peter before Sirius did? And what if Sirius ended up owning a bookshop in Little Whinging (staffed, of course, by one Remus J. Lupin)? And one day, Sirius decided he'd had enough of the Dursleys mistreating Harry and decided to, well, steal him away?

This is that story.

An excerpt from the first chapter:

"Yes, well, I'll deal with Padfoot later. Are you all right?" the tall man asked. Harry nodded. "Not scared, are you?"

"Course not," Harry said scornfully. Padfoot slunk out from behind the man's legs, and nudged him again. "Hey, stop that!"

"I think he likes you, Harry," the man said, with a smile.

"How'd you know my name?" Harry asked, curiously.

"That's not important. My name's Moony," he said, holding out his hand. Harry took it, feeling very grown up.

"I know. Everyone talks about you."

Moony smiled. "Does your aunt know you're here?"

"How do you know -- "

The man waved a hand. "That doesn't matter."

"She's in the market. She won't be done for hours," Harry said, expressively. Padfoot nosed under his hand, begging to be petted, and he skritched behind his ears.

"You'd best come in now, it can't be helped," Moony said with a sigh. Harry wasn't sure he understood, but he followed Moony through the shelves, to the front of the store. Padfoot followed him, head nuzzling under Harry's arm.

"What can't be helped?" Harry asked, when they reached the front of the store. Padfoot sat next to him, tongue lolling out.

"Oh -- I was just talking to myself," Moony replied. "You like to read, Harry?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Pads, what sort of book do you think Harry would like?" Moony asked the dog. Padfoot's tail thumped on the floor. "You find something," he said finally, and Padfoot, to Harry's amazement, rose and trotted away.

"He's a smart dog," Harry observed.

"A little too smart for his own good," Moony said, cryptically.


Humor, action, romance, scary bad guys and heroes who try to stop them -- this fic has it all. A highly enjoyable read, and not just for Sirius/Remus shippers, but for anyone who enjoys AUs or the Potterverse in general.

Stealing Harry by copperbadge

Comments

good rec

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Coolness.

(I think it wasn't recced before because it wasn't finished till this summer, right?)

Re: good rec

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

It's been finished for a bit now and there's a sequel in progress, so... I dunno. I guess the last couple of reccers weren't big with the SBRL.

*emerges from under her rock, blinking*

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow. And also? Wow.

I have divided feelings on your comments that this story is a good intro to the fandom. On one hand, it seems that the reader must already have some familiarity with canon to fully appreciate this version of events. On the other hand, it’s so well written! Eight-year-old Harry is so friggin’ cute!

Thanks for listing this.

Re: *emerges from under her rock, blinking*

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

On one hand, it seems that the reader must already have some familiarity with canon to fully appreciate this version of events.

Er. Yes.

Maybe that's a personal bias, but I don't read fanfic in fandoms where I'm unfamiliar with the source text.

Glad you liked the fic, though. I hope you let Sam know.

Re: *emerges from under her rock, blinking*

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Ah. I think we're using slightly different definitions of "fandom." I probably would have phrased it, "a great story for pulling people into the fanfic," since to me, getting someone into fandom = turning them on to the canon. More of an entry-level thing, ya see. Fanfiction, and particularly slash fiction, would be level two or three.

Re: *emerges from under her rock, blinking*

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Okay, yes, I was using fandom in a more restrictive - being active in online/reading fanfic sense. And this story I think is a good intro to fanfic in general and slash in particular.

Yay

[redbeardjim.livejournal.com]

Like you, I've been very surprised that this has gone unmentioned so far. When I saw you were this month's HP reccer, I hoped you'd rectify that (and you did! yay!) -- this is possibly my favorite piece of fanfiction by any author, in any fandom.

And it's not like I'm a hardcore R/S shipper, either -- but it works here.

Re: Yay

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Well, they do have a no WIP rule, so probably the last HP person who would have recced it didn't because it was still in progress at the time, and since then, people have had other interests.

But yes, when I saw it hadn't been recced yet, I was all asquee. *g*

[lainy122.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I hadn't read this story before. I can't believe how good it was. And I seriously can't believe how much I love you for showing me the way. :D

Thank you SO much.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Heh. Glad the recs are helpful.

I hope you showed Sam some love too, for writing it.