didodikali ([info]trickofthedark) wrote,
@ 2004-04-02 18:50:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:fanart, hp fanart, hp fanfic, illustrated stories

HP Widdershins: Part 1. (What I did on my Summer Holiday)



What I did on my Summer Holiday
By Harry Potter.

An alternate universe, OOC, illustrated fanfic
in which Harry Potter grows a brain.
This is SO not gonna happen...

19th June
Before I even got into the car, while we were still in sight of my friends from school, I handed my aunt the form that would allow me to practice magic over the summer. I handed her a pen, too. She signed it. Excellent! As soon as we reached 'home', or the Dursley's house, I owled it off to the appropriate Ministry office.

Hedwig returned an hour later with my special permission slip and then I sent her away again to Gringott's requesting a full accounting of all my funds. She returned after a while and I gave her some owl treats from my trunk and I sat down to read the lovely ornate goblin calligraphy.

I had a lot of money. Really, a whole lot of money.

If I was dead it wouldn't be much use to me though. How much of this wad should I blow in an attempt to save my life?

...All of it.

First though, I had to decide if I was just going to take the money and run away to Brazil or stay here and fight. I decided my chances were perhaps slightly better if I stayed to fight. Slightly. Good enough.

I got out some parchment and wrote a letter to Remus Lupin offering him twenty thousand galleons to tutor me three days a week over the summer in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Apparating. Hedwig was still looking chipper. I gave her the parchment and sent her out again.

I made a list of who I might be likely to wish to talk with in the likely event of heinous evil doings happening in my general vicinity. About thirty, maybe forty people. Then I went downstairs to talk to Dudley and we wrote out a contract together. I promised him one thousand pounds plus expenses and costs for him to go and research cellular calling plans and phones and find me the best deal in Britain for buying phones in bulk. I wanted a bushel of phones, all with text messaging and all preprogrammed with each other's number and I wanted Dudley to program them all for me. He agreed for only a thousand pounds. Dudley's cheap.

Hedwig returned and scratched at the window. Remus Lupin had written me back. He was delighted to accept my terms. Hedwig looked tired. I decided that was enough for the first day.



28th June
I sent a letter to Hermione, Percy Weasley, Blaise Zabini and Luna Lovegood offering each one of them five hundred galleons to independently prepare for me a fifty page paper giving me an overview of the last three hundred years of wizarding history. I asked for Hermione to approach the history from the point of view of the Muggleborn, Percy to pay particular attention to the history as seen from within the Ministry, Blaise to give me the Pureblood point of view, and Luna to give me the complete conspiracy whackjob collection.

Dudley waved printouts at me and babbled at me about phones and tech and how much time it was all taking him. I promised him another thousand pounds and he went away.

My Dada lessons with Remus are really interesting so far. I practiced apparating with him as well, which, like flying, seems to be one of those things I'm naturally good at. I took myself to Diagon Alley, walked into Ollivander's with a box of Galleons and bought five more wands for myself. Some worked better than others, but they were all okay. I commissioned Professor McGonagall to transfigure them into objects I could unobtrusively slip about my person. Things like shoelaces and- well, other things.

I sent Hedwig to Professor Trelawney, asking for a private audience. I crossed her palm with silver to tell me what that stupid prophesy was. I've got it all written out here. I don't think it will help, but at least now I know.

10th July
I've been getting a lot of use out of that annoying dayplanner Hermione gave me. I have a lot of appointments. I have delivered and explained about twenty of the phones to my cohorts. They have been enjoying them mightily, which was not part of the plan, but what the heck.

Hermione didn't want to be paid for the history paper I commissioned from her, but I insisted. I read hers and the other three papers one after the other. They were interestingly different from each other, but in general the wizarding world seems ...shockingly stupid. Okay, then!

I bribed Remus another thousand Galleons to give me a complete unexpurgated history of the Potter Family and Friends and in revenge Remus suggested that I start up the Occlumency lessons again with Professor Snape. I badly did not want to do this, but I decided to write to him anyway. He was not easily hired. It cost me stupid money to get Professor Snape to come to my house and teach me twice a week, and we both hate every second of it, but I suppose it's working. The nightmares have slacked off anyway. I'm no longer spending the lessons on my knees, either.

I have to make a list of who I have to visit now to give phones to. Professor Dumbledore is on the list. After reading the history papers, I think I may have changed my mind about giving him one though. No, that would look too suspicious. I have to give him one.

Dudley claims if I could give him all information on the dates and times of Death Eatery appearances that he could run it through a computer and distill some useful pattern out of it. I think he's just angling for me to subsidize a software update for him, but I'll bite.

Maybe tomorrow I'll join a gun club.



20th August
I asked for more suggestions from everyone I knew, every Professor and every student. The ideas from the Weasley twins were easily implemented; they just wanted more cash. Neville's idea was eminently sensible, too. And no one will ever suspect that I- Um. Nevermind. Yeah, I reckon I'm as ready I can be.

Actually I can't wait.


Part 2 is here.



(Post a new comment)


[info]halimede
2004-04-02 08:47 am UTC (link)
I love the practical approach. :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

practical harry?
(Anonymous)
2004-07-21 10:31 pm UTC (link)
no, no, no!
Harry is not allowed by his creator to be practical
He is so full of sloppy thought that the only
way he is going to kill V is by drowning him in
treacley goo!
or maybe -- V will win, and Harry will DIE!!!

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]sibylle
2004-04-02 09:58 am UTC (link)
yay!! for a Harry that I could like so much more ... :-)

(Reply to this)


[info]kate_nepveu
2004-04-02 01:17 pm UTC (link)
I worship at your feet.

(Reply to this)


[info]neotoma
2004-04-02 02:38 pm UTC (link)
They were interestingly different from each other, but in general the wizarding world seems ...shockingly stupid.

Word.

I like the idea of Harry getting a clue and taking charge of his life. Especially his using his Muggle background to organize his allies and getting off his duff and hiring his own help. I'd love to see more of this.

(Replies frozen)


[info]thistle_chaser
2004-04-02 04:12 pm UTC (link)
If only he'd follow this! You're the best! :) Love your art, as usual!

(Replies frozen)


[info]millefiori
2004-04-02 04:15 pm UTC (link)
Oh, this is delightful! I love your clever, opportunistic Harry -- he's well on his way to becoming the new just-a-little-bit-gray Lord! I wonder how long it'll be before he's recruiting away all of Voldemort's best henchmen?

Are you planning to continue this? (IhopeIhopeIhope!)

(Reply to this)


[info]katiescarlet
2004-04-02 06:49 pm UTC (link)
I majorly ♥ ♥ ♥ this, and you! ^_^
This Harry is more likable than OotP!canon!Harry. XD

(Reply to this)


[info]desdenova
2004-04-02 07:33 pm UTC (link)
Cute.

But really, if Harry were this practical, he'd be Voldemort.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]kate_nepveu
2004-04-02 08:15 pm UTC (link)
You think Voldemort is *practical*?! Mister "I have a deep-cover mole working at Hogwarts who is unsuspected by anyone and trusted by Potter, but instead of having my mole just *hand* Potter a portkey, I will go through the very chancy rigamarole of the Tri-Wizard Tournament to get him into my clutches"?

(Now, if I were going to nitpick, I'd point out that text messaging was probably not so widespread in 1996 . . . )

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]trickofthedark
2004-04-03 04:08 am UTC (link)
Ooh, good point about the text messaging.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]catriona_malfoy
2005-05-25 09:26 pm UTC (link)
Yes, but instead of tring to negotiate the muggle problem he decided to do the practical thing and just kill them. Avada Kadavra. Quick, easy, painless (probably), cheap. I see no down side. Except the dead muggles of course. But he can have the dursleys. ^^

(Replies frozen)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]rianax
2006-01-02 04:10 pm UTC (link)
Real quick, but where did the fablous pics from your icon come from?

(Replies frozen)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]catriona_malfoy
2006-01-02 09:15 pm UTC (link)
http://eneadart.narod.ru/hp.html it takes a while to load though, so be patient, cause it is soooo worth it. I didn't make the icon, btw.

(Replies frozen)(Parent)


[info]archangelbeth
2004-04-02 09:53 pm UTC (link)
*rousing applause*

(Reply to this)


[info]sinick
2004-04-02 09:58 pm UTC (link)
Maybe tomorrow I'll join a gun club.

"Guns?" Snape snarled, storming into the room and slamming down the shamelessly-snooped-through diary in front of Harry. "Are you out of your minuscule muggle-obsessed mind? Have you never considered that there is a reason why blades are the only non-magical weapons used in wizarding combat? Tell me, Potter, what do you get if the edge of a stray curse, even something as relatively harmless as a Reducio or Engorgio, catches a sword? You get a sword which is longer or shorter, but still just as effective at killing, don't you? - Don't interrupt, Potter, that was a rhetorical question. - Now what do you get when a stray Reducio or Engorgio catches a gun? You get blown to bits when the gun jams and misfires or the bullets are compressed into exploding; so much for the Boy Who Lived Only To Redecorate The Landscape With Shrapnel!"


*ahem* Now where did he come from?

Seriously though, I adored this, Dido. If only certain Boy Heroes had even a tiny fraction of your common sense.

And your drawings were delightful, as always.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]trickofthedark
2004-04-03 03:41 am UTC (link)
Harry looked at the man who had stormed into his room holding his very secret diary. He pulled his air-powered paintgun out of the back of his pants and shot Snape at point blank range. The paint pellets smashed into Snape's chest, spreading sparkley green goo all over his front. The goo sank through Snape's clothes and the magic began to work. "Aiiiiiiiiiii!," said Snape.

"Good point," said Harry, "I'll take that under advisement."



*erm, sorry about that. The Harry in my head has gone all evil. And thanks! ;)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]sinick
2004-04-03 09:54 pm UTC (link)
*grins hugely* My, that is a deliciously evil Harry you have there! Delighted to make his acquaintance.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]neotoma
2004-04-04 01:19 pm UTC (link)
What the heck was in the paintball? Calming Potions?

I can just see Snape slumping in the corner and giggling.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]trickofthedark
2004-04-04 01:52 pm UTC (link)
...Um, still not sure. Something that painfully or embarassingly renders someone utterly harmless and incapacitated. Let's see...

I'll think we'll call these paintballs The Midas Touch, made from a potion made from a lump of purest Green. One splatter renders one utterly immobile and paints one bright, cheesy, fake-looking, spraypaint gold all over. Severus is now a dumb blonde. Well, he can shriek obviously, but not move his jaw or tongue to speak. We'll be nice and allow him to blink.

Howzat? =)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]frankie_lee
2004-04-14 06:33 pm UTC (link)
a lump of purest Green

For indeed there is a market for jewelry that looks like snot.

Loved this fic-- you've really got a Harry voice down pat. And the idea that Dudley is his tech consultant is just great. =)

Wish-o-wish JKR would let Harry do something even remotely like this in book 6. He's pissed off enough, you think the energy would go somewhere.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]azurelunatic
2006-08-04 02:53 am UTC (link)
That sounds like a Gred & Forge potion, there.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


(Anonymous)
2005-04-17 07:43 am UTC (link)
"Good point," said Harry, "I'll take that under advisement."

He then returned to his desk and checked his list of spells his real gun should be enchanted with, comparing prices to what he could afford. His bankbook still showed humongous numbers, but Wizards of the Cost inc. demanded ridiculous amounts of money for weapon enchantements.

"Damn those moneygrubbers! These prices are just air, my broom was twice as difficult to make and cost tenth as much!" he grumbled, deciding to study the subject more as soon as Voldemort was defeated. If he survived, he would need a job and this seemed like well-paying one.
And if ol' Vol survived again, maybe Harry could design a better weapon for the next "last" battle.

Ah, the old poison-in-paintballs trick. Easier to change ammo than squirt guns and less likely to leak.
Wizards of the Co(a)st refers to the RPG company. While the magic rules vary, RPGs _always_ make magic items extremely difficult and expensive to make, so the player characters have to go slay the dragon to get that dragonslaying sword instead of forging one themselves. Meanwhile, children play with magic toys and people use magic tools, but nobody explains how somebody could afford to pay 50.000 gold for a toy horse.
The problem with this, and the magic candy and such in Harry Potter, is that if magic items like those are so easy(and cheap) to make, why all the useful magics are so rare.
Yes, I know it is a plot device, but it is a stupid, cheap, overused and unrealistic plot device. And just because the story has magic does not mean it can get away being unrealistic.

Paul Bergman
pmb@zahadum.com

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]katiescarlet
2004-04-03 04:05 am UTC (link)
LOL!
I love "The Boy Who Lived Only To Redecorate The Landscape With Shrapnel!" XD

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]sinick
2004-04-03 09:57 pm UTC (link)
Heh. Thank you! I think Snape's of the opinion that "Invective should be inventive."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]mysticowl
2004-05-03 12:56 pm UTC (link)
Dido this is precious! Really funny, if you're going to continue this, I can't wait!

One minor thing, though. "I bought more extra wands." Unless he already has one or some extra wands it should be either "more wands" or "extra wands."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]trickofthedark
2004-05-03 03:26 pm UTC (link)
Thanks and thanks also for the english tweak. (I fixed it.) I had no plans to continue; this was just meant as a oneshot. Harry sure does seem well on his way to instantly and ruthlessly taking out Voldie though. It amuses me how so many find his practicality to be a little 'evil', but find Dumbledore's manipulation 'good'. There could be a bunny in that contrast, but it hasn't emerged yet. =)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Yeah, that surprises me, too...
[info]catherinecookmn
2004-06-12 03:49 pm UTC (link)
...that so many people associate evil with practicality.

I associate evil with laziness, both physical and intellectual. Evil people are constantly looking for "short cuts" for various things, and since they're not usually the best of thinkers, their ideas are usually silly. See Dick Cheney for a prime example thereof.

They can do cunning, and they use a total lack of scruple to get what they want -- and it really helps if they have the press in their hip pocket, so stories like the ones about Cheney's Halliburton being investigated for bribery never make it to the evening news. (They know that most Americans get their news from either TV or radio. If a news item never makes it past Page Z48 of the papers, then the American public will never know about it.)

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]alexandramuses
2004-05-31 08:02 pm UTC (link)
Oh, this is great! Is there going to be more of this intelligent Harry?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

PLEASE?
(Anonymous)
2004-09-08 05:43 pm UTC (link)
I want you to continue.
that's really good

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]cdkobasiuk
2005-01-25 08:44 pm UTC (link)
Utterly brilliant! Nothing like a dose of common sense and pragmatisism.

Love the pics too.

cdk

(Reply to this)

Great stuff
(Anonymous)
2005-04-11 12:22 pm UTC (link)
I really enjoyed reading this - it does seem like it would make more sense to work this way. I also like how you've added an interesting side to Dudley - cell phones and computers WOULD be something that he would understand, wouldn't he?

Sorry to nitpick, but in England, the idea of a "gun club" in the American sense is almost unheard of. It is VERY VERY difficult, if not impossible in some places, for British civilians to get weapons permits, especially sixteen-year-old boys. That being said, I can't believe that nobody has tried to deal with Death Eaters "the muggle way" - Moody at least, I am sure is packing. *grins*

I love your artwork, too!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Great stuff
(Anonymous)
2005-04-17 08:07 am UTC (link)
I think most stories with magic or monsters(BtVS, various anime) assume that bullets are easy to stop with a spell all mages use constantly, and monsters have a rubber-kevlar skin. "Demons can only be harmed by bladed weapons" happens to be one of anime laws of nature.

Maybe magic only considers the weight(5-10 grams for most bullets) instead of the scientific Energy=mass*velocity*velocity formula. So arrows make more damage because they are bigger and bladed.

If I were a DE, I'd spend some effort to ward my person against basic attacks. As a member of an evil organisation my chief worries would be knife in the back by some jealous co-conspirator and random objects thrown by a victim who seeks to distract me or has realised his puny magics cannot pierce my counterspells.

Getting a gun when you are a mage with lots and lots of money should be easy. In fact magic can probably take care of the two biggest problems: finding a seller and avoiding getting robbed-or caught by the police.

Paul Bergman
pmb@zahadum.com
PS. The story is great.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]busaikko
2005-07-04 05:23 am UTC (link)
Lovely, lovely, so-not-going-to-happen but goregous nonethless!

The typical canon apathetic!Harry (never asking questions like, "What did my parents/grandparents do?" for starters) really drives me bats, so utilizing-his-assets!Harry is a real trip. I don't think he's evil! (Tho' if he figures out how to cross-breed a mobile with a wand he'll have the world at his feet!) Lovely pictures, as well!

(Reply to this)


[info]azurelunatic
2006-08-04 02:55 am UTC (link)
*giggle*

*extended giggle*

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]pauamma
2006-11-28 01:58 pm UTC (link)
I hate you. :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]azurelunatic
2006-11-28 03:35 pm UTC (link)
That's just because I know where the good crackfic is.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]trickofthedark
2006-11-28 05:21 pm UTC (link)
It's not her fault. I'm the one who's producing this appalling thing.

*beams proudly as I survey the horrified readers*

=D

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]pauamma
2006-11-28 09:20 pm UTC (link)
But she's the one who pointed out to me. I'm not gonna let her get off that lightly. There Will Be Steps Taken. :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]tiferet
2006-08-04 08:15 am UTC (link)
HOW DID I MISS THIS? Waah. Will rec. You rock.

(Reply to this)


[info]lisafeld
2006-08-04 01:54 pm UTC (link)
Gah! This is awesome; how did I miss this!?

(Reply to this)


[info]janlowell
2007-07-24 04:46 am UTC (link)
Maybe I'll join a gun club

That is brilliant! lmao.

(Reply to this)


Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…