InsaneJournal

Snarry Games Day Seven - Anders Svartalfurinn and Leela
All caught up! *dances* For about another five minutes... *g*


Polyjuice Pertinacity or the Tale of the Auror and the Whore by svartalfur
Genre: Post-war
Prompts: Career Change, Infidelity

This is a gritty story about a Knockturn Alley turned red-light district, wizarding bank robbers threatening whose antics might expose the wizarding world, Harry the unsatisfied Auror, and Snape the prostitute. While I was constantly riveted by the fic, I found it a bit confusing overall. The newly-improved Polyjuice Potion (a star feature in the fic) makes it difficult to keep track of who is actually who (part of the fun) and the timeline isn't always straight-forward. This is the kind of fic that requires rereading to get all the details in the right place.

I really like the way Anders captured the feel of a post-war Knockturn Alley. When the story crosses over the wards surrounding the Alley, you immediately get a feel of the weather, the street under your feet, the sounds of the whores calling their tricks... it's a very real place, and somehow Severus and Harry both fit there.


Imaginis by leela_cat
Genre: Alternate Universe
Prompts: Tip Jar, Portrait

This was one of those fics where you occasionally glance at the scroll bar, hoping it hasn’t moved at all. I wanted it to go on forever. Harry Potter is an Auror; Severus Snape is the owner of a bookstore that straddles Wizarding and Muggle London. After Harry saved Snape’s life, they are perfectly content leading entirely separate lives. Fate has other plans, however, when Severus finds a “tip” about a planned bombing in his “tip jar” at the bookstore. Suddenly Harry is thrust into an undercover position as Snape’s employee, and both men race to unravel the mystery before the wizarding school (not Hogwarts) is blown up.

I adored so much about this story. Harry and Snape are both their stubborn selves. Regulus Black makes a fantastic appearance as a portrait, watching the antics with amusement and exasperation. Draco Malfoy is dating Charlie Weasley, and Ron and Hermione are suffering from the sleeplessness known only to parents of a newborn. Each of these relationships blossom in their own way as we nagivate a difficult investigation, hampered by suspicions of the Auror office, Snape’s other employees, the staff at St. Mungo’s, and the unreliable press.

Leela has combined the excitement of an investigative story with the subtlety of a new relationship, and she achieves an excellent balance between the many tensions inherent in the various threads. Go read; you’ll only be disappointed there aren’t another 50,000 words.