(Untitled)

[jackiejlh]

Title: Hoping for Normal
Author: jackiejlh
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter, Dudley Dursley, Vernon Dursley
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: Many thanks to pyjamapants for beta-reading this in its original form, and to verus_janus for Brit-picking. Originally this story was a set of 20 different 100-word drabbles. I wasn't entirely happy with it, and so

Comments

[entrenous88]

Very powerful! You really made me feel for Petunia, her helplessness, her desperation, her exhaustion.

[bettb]

Ouch, I can really feel Petunia's pain, and for once understand a reason why there never were any more children in that household, in Vernon's fear of magical genes. But it is heartbreaking to see the poor child Harry suffer so terribly, and even worse that she feels she should be allowed to help him but is bullied out of it by Vernon, to the point where she believes it herself. The amount of pain in this story speaks to how very well it is written, however! Excellent characterizations.

[bluemermaid]

Wow, this is an amazing look at Petunia and the early years. Brilliantly written.

[thimble_kiss]

Wow, that was ouchy and brilliant - it really made me feel for Petunia (and feel terrible for Harry), and I think it was a very thoughtful and plausible way of making the different things we know about the Dursleys, Lily and Harry's childhood come together. Wonderful job!

[inkvoices]

Very interesting. I love seeing how Petunia goes from not knowing what to do with Harry, because of what's happened to him as much as anything, to still not knowing what to do with Harry and accepting Vernon's orders on what to do even though she knows that it doesn't work. And the origins of Petunia spoling Dudley, since she feels guilty about his childhood and wants to 'make it up to him'. Her frustration, exhaustion, guilt and her feeling just stuck in this situation she can't change, so just goes along with it, and Vernon, and everything else... Fantastic word painting. :oD