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Tweak says, "That's what you think..."

Beth H (bethbethbeth) wrote in hp_beholder,
@ 2012-05-04 12:41:00

Entry tags:

beholder_2012, fic, ollivander, ollivander/hagrid, rating:pg, rubeus hagrid, slash

FIC: "Choosing the Wizard" for synn
Recipient: synn
Author: albalark
Title: Choosing the Wizard
Rating: PG
Pairings: Garrick Ollivander/Rubeus Hagrid
Word Count: 14,390
Warnings/Content Information (Highlight to View): *[None]*.
Summary: Garrick Ollivander is a lost soul after everyone leaves Muriel’s house to go fight in the Battle of Hogwarts. How will he fit back into a world where he feels responsible for handing Voldemort the ultimate deadly weapon?
Author's Notes: Beta’d by my dear friend B, who is, I am sure, regretting her rash offer to beta this story, since she got it over a weekend when both of her boys were sick. Thank you, my dear, you went above and beyond the call. Any remaining mistakes are my own bloody fault.
I hope this fic is to your liking synn, though I profusely apologize for the lack of pr0n. The two main characters had a long, plotty story to tell and by the time they were done, I ran out of both time and room (see the ridiculous word count). It is a bit angsty, though I don’t think it’s excessively so, but I think you will like the ending. :-)

Choosing the Wizard

(Don't forget to return to this page to leave feedback for the author!)

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	alisanne 2012-05-04 07:16 pm UTC (link)
	exhales That was utterly delightful! From this pitch-perfect Luna to Severus/Minerva to the role Hagrid played in that last year (how much do I LOVE that you made him into Severus' confidant!) and all the rich details you scattered throughout... I thoroughly enjoyed this story. And the wand lore was brilliant. I love wand lore. happy sigh Bravo! (Reply to this) (Thread)

albalark
2012-05-27 10:22 pm UTC (link)

Thank you Alisanne, I am so glad you liked this! It makes me happy that in particular you thought Luna came out well. Other than Severus and Minerva, I'd never written any of these characters before, and I was worried most about Luna. She is so hard to get right without seeming either underdone or over the top. And I'm always happy to know another wandlore geek! *g*

Thanks again for your lovely comment, dear, it is much appreciated!

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songquake
2012-05-05 04:29 am UTC (link)

Ohhh... I'm all smiley now that I'm done.

There were two lines in particular that actually had me applauding as I read:

He couldn’t stop the swell of hope any more than he could have the flood of worries which had precipitated Severus’ intervention. Great man, Severus Snape.

This just...captures Hagrid's voice better than anything.

And:

Hagrid’s hair was standing practically on end, which was a sight to see,

PLEASE SOMEBODY MAKE ART OF THIS!!!

Seriously, the tone of this story is magnificent, and I'm just pervy enough to want to see the sex scene that comes right after.

AND I love your Luna, your Severus, your Minerva. I love Severus's account of Minerva telling him off, and how Hagrid repurposed it for his own ends.

Just...WELL DONE.

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albalark
2012-05-27 10:39 pm UTC (link)

Thank you for such a lovely comment, Songquake! It pleases me immensely that you enjoyed it and think it caught Hagrid's voice well. And if anyone is feeling the urge to make art of Hagrid's wand core being fused, I'd be delighted to see it! :-D

I love Severus's account of Minerva telling him off, and how Hagrid repurposed it for his own ends. I was hoping people would like that - it's one of my own favorite parts of the story. :-)

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	wwmrsweasleydo 2012-05-06 12:11 am UTC (link)
	This is fabulous. An incredibly rare pairing which works perfectly. I love the thoughtfully created immediately post war world which you show. Also, a great way to save Snape. Hagrid was just wonderfully warm and nurturing and accepting, making him exactly what Olivander needed. Great story of hope. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	albalark 2012-05-27 10:41 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you so much - I am so glad you liked it and that it came across as intended. :-) (Reply to this) (Parent)

snapelike
2012-05-07 08:12 am UTC (link)

"On the surface, it looks ungainly and unattractive. But under the surface lurks a wood of surpassing loveliness, prized not only for its beauty, but for its interlocking grain which makes it uncommonly strong and resilient."

What a declaration of love...

This was sweet and painful and so very well written. What a love story. The innocent, honest Hagrid is described so well here. Ollivander... oh, yes. That is precisely how he'd feel.

One part of this I especially liked was their account of the wands of the wizards and witches killed by Voldemort. Very sad and painful.

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	albalark 2012-05-27 10:45 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you so much, Snapelike, for your lovely comment, and for generously rec-ing this story on you journal; both were much appreciated! It pleases me that you liked it so well and thought it well written. I struggled with this pairing and I really wanted to do it justice. Thanks again! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	secretsolitaire 2012-05-07 12:21 pm UTC (link)
	This is wonderfully done! Very nice look at how Ollivander might have been feeling after the war. I love your Luna, and I like the idea that Snape had someone to confide in during that long year as headmaster. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	albalark 2012-05-27 11:03 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks so much for taking the time to read it and comment on it. It makes me happy that you feel I caught Luna well; I was very worried about making her IC. It's good to know that you liked the result! :-) It was so unfair of JKR to leave Severus so all alone that year, so I decided to correct that! g (Reply to this) (Parent)

lash_larue
2012-05-08 04:51 pm UTC (link)

I am going to try very hard to break my tradition of leaving rubbishy comments, because this is a jewel.

"(though he heard a protesting squeak from one of the dormice in his coat pocket)"

One of many little details that go to make up such a fully realized story.

"There will be no Miss Lovegood to comfort me and tell me that I am better than I know that I am and that we’ll see the sun again soon."

Heartbreaking, and revealing of how very brave and special Luna was throughout the books.

"On the surface, it looks ungainly and unattractive. But under the surface lurks a wood of surpassing loveliness, prized not only for its beauty, but for its interlocking grain which makes it uncommonly strong and resilient."

All of the best things about Hagrid, and indeed a fair number of people, in two sentences. There is a great haiku buried in there.

“You deserve better, Hagrid, than a broken-down old wizard who can do no more for you than putter pointlessly around your house.”

Selfishly, I might say that same thing to someone dear to me, and it resonates, as did all of this marvelous story.

* Tugs forelock *

Marvelous,
L

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	albalark 2012-05-27 10:50 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you, Lash, though I am of the opinion that you don't leave rubbishy comments, it makes me happy that I got an extra-special one! :-) It pleases me more than I can say that you read and enjoyed this, as I know it's not your usual cup of tea. Thanks, too, for the rec on your journal, which is a great honor indeed. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	atdelphi 2012-05-10 03:52 am UTC (link)
	Oh, I love this. It's full of such perfect and perfectly in-character details that take two broadly portrayed characters and makes them and their world and their concerns compelling and real. I just want to hug this story. Thank you for writing it, Mystery Author! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	albalark 2012-05-27 10:54 pm UTC (link)
	Gosh, Delphi, you're welcome! ::hugs you back:: g Seriously, it's very flattering that you like it - it pleases me more than I can say. Thanks for taking the time to read it and tell me you liked it! (Reply to this) (Parent)

kelly_chambliss
2012-05-15 11:06 am UTC (link)

What a delightful story. I love the world you've created here, the marvelous characterization of Hagrid, the depths of your Ollivander. I especially enjoyed all the bits of wand lore and the beautiful, tactile descriptions of wood and core. Then there are the well-done cameos, particularly Luna and Snape (and what fun to find Minerva/Severus, my het OTP.) Overall, this is the sort of story I like best: one that is hopeful and yet doesn't ignore the darkness that haunts all of us.

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	albalark 2012-05-27 11:00 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you Kelly, for your generous comment! I am so glad that you took the time to read it, especially since it kept your mind occupied when you needed a distraction (though I hope it wasn't just the sense of relief that lead you to leave such a lovely comment XD). (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kelly_chambliss 2012-05-27 11:20 pm UTC (link)
	though I hope it wasn't just the sense of relief that lead you to leave such a lovely comment XD). Ha! Not at all. My critical acumen is unaffected by such external issues /g/. I know a fine story when I read one. And this is one. (Reply to this) (Parent)

synn
2012-06-02 12:29 pm UTC (link)

I have been horribly remiss in responding to this lovely gift- I'm so sorry : ( It's no reflection on the story and completely due to the chaos of my rl right now.

First, thank you, thank you for writing Hagrid! You captured his inner strength perfectly, which is so hard to do. I love the care he gives Garrick, and that it's snape who helps him when he falters - just needing that little push/help on the next step.
And Garrick! He's so broken, which is heart-breaking in the best of ways. The delicate tension between them when he stays at hagrid's is just delicious, and I like that they both seemed aware of it without having to say anything, knowing it wasn't right yet. The little mentions of magic here and there, and the way you touched on other post-war issues (luna, snape), without over-dramatizing them is so well done and one of my favorite things to see in post-war stories. This was a joy to read, quiet and flowing beautifully together with a mix of sadness, hope and love. Thank you so much

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albalark
2012-06-16 01:24 pm UTC (link)

I was stupid and forgot to track the entry, so I didn't see your comment until someone else told me about it - sorry! :-)

It pleases me that you liked it! This is the first I've ever written either of these characters as anything more than a cameo appearance in another character's story, so I was very anxious about making the both of them sound authentic. Hagrid is easy let lapse into buffoonish cliche (even JKR did it on occasion!) and I wanted to avoid that while not stripping him of everything which makes him such a sympathetic figure. I am glad that you think I succeeded and enjoyed it. You are very welcome, and I hope rl improves!

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gingertart50
2012-06-04 03:14 pm UTC (link)

What a stunningly beautiful fic! I loved this; two characters whom I would never have thought to pair together, plus the fabulous background of Severus/Minerva (Yay! for saving Snape!) and the delightful Luna. The magic in this was glorious and the ending so heart-warming and so right. I'm so glad that I noticed a rec for this and came back and read it, otherwise I would have missed a real jewel.

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albalark
2012-06-16 01:35 pm UTC (link)

Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I am sorry that I didn't reply sooner - I stupidly forgot to track this and I just found out about it.

I am blushing from your praise, here. :-) Many thanks to you and to whoever rec-ed this story and led you to come and read it! I know that I probably would have overlooked a story with this pairing myself - it's not the usual fare for most of us. So thank you for taking the time to read and comment and I am very glad you enjoyed it!

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therealsnape
2012-06-15 12:25 pm UTC (link)

As soon as I saw the reveals, I knew there was a treat in store for me. And now I've had the time to enjoy this. What a wonderfully-told story. Ollivander's despair and brokenness are so realistic. And his slightly-oldfashioned, courteous style in addressing Luna is spot on.

I love your Luna, btw. Perceptive, gentle, and courageous, and beautifully IC, too.

And Hagrid! What a triumph. Exactly the qualities one feels he has, and his new wand fits him so very well.

I loved the Snape/Minerva cameo's, too. Minerva telling Snape she'll kill him if he dies on her, and that wonderful 'put a sock in it' speach of hers.

What a true delight. Straight to the bookmarks!

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albalark
2012-06-16 01:43 pm UTC (link)

Thank you, my dear, for taking the time to read this rather out-of-the-way, not-so-little fic, and for the heads-up; I've finally tracked this so I'll know if anyone else comes to visit. :-D

What a true delight. Straight to the bookmarks! I felt the same way about yours (and I've very rarely found Slughorn so compelling and never so delightful!). So thank you for reading and for pausing to comment. It makes me happier than I can say that you liked it!

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