InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "whhhhhhaaaa?"

Beth H (bethbethbeth) wrote in hp_beholder,
@ 2012-05-11 12:36:00

Entry tags:

abraxas malfoy, alastor moody, beholder_2012, draco malfoy. kingsley shacklebolt, fic, rating: nc17, severus snape, slash

FIC & ART: "Fantastic Beasts and How to Tame Them..." for leela_cat
Recipient: leela_cat
Author & Artist: snapelike
Title: Fantastic Beasts and How to Tame Them: a Guide For the Seasoned Auror
Rating: NC-17
Main Characters: Moody, Kingsley, Draco, Snape, Abraxas. For further pairings information (spoiler) highlight to view: *Moody/Draco, Kingsley/Abraxas, Severus/Lucius, mentioned Moody/Kingsley*
Word Count: 78,800
Medium: Pastels on Ingres
Warnings/Content Information (Highlight to View): *Minor character death - and you have to trust me on this one!*.
Summary: The summer holiday is approaching and Alastor Moody has a plan: he is going to investigate a cold case he has never forgotten. He is joined on his quest by a bored Minister for Magic, a Snape who will rather be in Azkaban and a Death Eater who can't sleep at night. Together they attempt to solve the case that has haunted Moody for a decade. Together they face immense dangers as they land on the Unplottable Isle of Drear. To solve the case, the group of determined wizards must learn to cooperate, solving the riddle of the mysterious disappearances. Moody, however, finds more than just the answer to that. Much more.
Author's/Artist's Notes: For leela_cat who wanted plot, dialogue and inventive uses of magic. Dear Leela, I hope you enjoy this romantic suspense drama; I think I managed to fulfil at least a few of your wishes on the way. I have enjoyed many of your stories, so it was a great pleasure to write and draw something for you. Thanks to my wonderful and helpful beta, G, for her never-wavering support. Without her, I could't have accomplished this. Also thanks to bethbethbeth for patience, encouragement and a bit of hand-holding. Thanks, Beth, you are great! <3 The full text of the 1542 Witchcraft Act can be found here.

Fantastic Beasts and How to Tame Them: a Guide For the Seasoned Auror

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

(note: the link now goes directly to AO3, where the entire story can be read in one section)

(Post a new comment)

	leela_cat 2012-05-11 11:27 pm UTC (link)
	Oh wow. I'm so happy to see this. I've got a busy weekend coming up, but I'm also going to be reading this wonderful gift. I'll comment again when I've finished the story. ♥ (Reply to this) (Thread)

Part 1

leela_cat
2012-05-16 05:20 am UTC (link)

I just finished reading Part 1 of this wonderful gift.

The art -- of Wagtail, Halcyon, and Draco - is simply gorgeous. The colours bring them all to life. And I just want to mention Halcyon, because I've never seen a portrait of an Abraxan and he just is exactly how I've always imagined the winged horses.

The story... I'm kind of speechless right now. I don't want to give away spoilers of the plot, but you've brought these characters to life. Even Lucius, who barely appears on screen in part 1, is so believable as an extension of what we see in the books. And Abraxas is fantastic. With hints of Lucius at the beginning of the books, and yet his own self as well.

As for the plot, I'm really looking forward to seeing where you go with this next.

This story is exactly what I was hoping to get. More comments after I've read Part 2.

Thank you so much... ♥

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leela_cat
2012-05-23 01:53 am UTC (link)

Finally finished reading Part 2. I'm sorry it took so long but there's been work and travelling. And every time I got a moment, I read a little more of this story.

It's so wonderful. I loved the plot, the backstory to the Quintapeds. And, OMG, what you did with Draco and Sally-Anne, the solution to that problem was just so perfect that you took me by surprise.

I want to quote lines, so many of them, but I don't want to spoil people. You caught their characters so well, it's amazing. You made me believe that the pairings could happen, that they made sense for the couples, even though I had no idea how you'd get there when I started reading.

This line: Somehow Moody found it a little hard to breathe. A shiver went through him. Maybe he was getting a cold? Reluctantly, he let go, only to realise that he hadn't wanted to. made the perfect turning point in Moody's ability to lie to himself, to avoid acknowledging what he didn't want to be feeling.

And, see that! I found a line that didn't contain any spoilers. Do you know how hard that was?

Seriously, the plot, the magic and the interrelationships between all the characters are so well and completely integrated that it's impossible to quote all the lines I want to quote and not spoil readers who haven't finished this yet.

Thank you so much for this gorgeous, long, and plotty character-driven story. Love it so much!

♥

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Art

leela_cat
2012-05-23 01:55 am UTC (link)

The art that went with this story is so beautiful. I love the colours and how well they brought their subjects to life.

Wagail — oh Wagtail — is the brave Crup that he is in the story.

Halcyon's gorgeous wings just make him shine as much as he does when he's flying and fighting.

And Draco just looks so much like himself.

Gorgeous art. Thank you so much.

♥

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Art

snapelike
2012-05-27 10:47 pm UTC (link)

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it; it was an absolute pleasure to write and draw for you, I must admit and not only just to pay back a little the absolutely wonderful fic you wrote for me last year, and this year. I have been immersed in this universe for more than a month, and I had so much fun with it. I'm glad, too, I made That Pairing make sense, the characters in question were quite adamant about it. ;)

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	wow. selmak 2012-05-12 02:16 am UTC (link)
	I am absolutely stunned by this. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: wow. snapelike 2012-05-27 10:47 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you! (Reply to this) (Parent)

winterwitch
2012-05-12 09:01 am UTC (link)

There is unfortunately no way I'm managing to read a fic of this length anytime soon, but I'm really looking forward to it, as some glimpses into it made clear to me. But I already wanted to say how much I love the wonderful arts that go with this extraordinary piece. I absolutely love the technique and the colours, and the subjects of each single one are just lovely and truly well done.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 10:48 pm UTC (link)
	No, I can certainly understand that. Thank you for the nice comment on the art. :) I haven't touched a pencil for four years, so being very rusty, I'm glad I managed something that people like. (Reply to this) (Parent)

gingertart50
2012-05-12 10:09 am UTC (link)

Oops - deleted my first comment (made at bugger-all o'clock in the morning after staying up far too late reading this fic) to remove spoilers!

Oh wow! I loved this fic - LOVED it! Loved the delightfully wicked Malfoys, gruff old Moody with the soft heart, handsome clever Kingsley, snide cynical Snape, not to mention the animals, loyal brave little Wagtail and the glorious flying horses. The plot was great - won't spoil it this time! A fantastic ride, I enjoyed every minute of it. Well done, mystery author!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 10:49 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks, hon. And thanks for the lovely rec. I am so glad you enjoyed reading it; I am so in love with this universe and the main pairing so it makes me very happy. (Reply to this) (Parent)

songquake
2012-05-13 08:58 am UTC (link)

This is an amazing, wonderful piece of work. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes at the end of it (brought on by what happens at the end of the story, not just by the fact that it has ended).

I love how flawed and trying-to-figure-things-out all your characters are; love the flesh you've given to all of them, and LOVE LOVE LOVE the magical theory involved. (Magical theory is a total kink of mine, and you've done wonders with it!) The backstory to the 'peds is fantastic, as well.

I really do hope more folks find time to read this (and comment!) soon. It's astonishingly good.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 10:52 pm UTC (link)
	hugs Thanks. I am so glad you liked it; I used hours on building magical theory and considering the various options of mixing spells and potions, so I am very glad it worked well. The back story to the Quintapeds is JK's own, though. There is a page on them in Fantastic Beasts and How to Find Them, very inspiring. I added some, of course, to it. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	chantefable 2012-05-19 09:51 pm UTC (link)
	An engaging, complex story. A great adventure! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 10:58 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you! It was extremely entertaining to do the world and magic-building. (Reply to this) (Parent)

atdelphi
2012-05-20 12:00 am UTC (link)

Dear Brilliant Mystery Author,

If you're anything like me, you might get a little antsy waiting for comments after a story is posted. I knew when I read the header, though, that I was going to really enjoy this story, and I saved it for a lazy weekend when I could curl up with my laptop and enjoy it uninterrupted. Boy, am I ever glad I did.

Believable characters, warts and all, an immersive world, clever backstory, great relationships, and absolutely brilliant magical theory. I can't tell you what a pleasure this was to read.

Thank you for the absolutely marvellous Saturday!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 11:00 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you. At 80K, I suppose one needs to have a bit of patience. ;) I am thrilled that so many has cared to read and comment; I didn't really expect this on a fic of this length. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that I helped make your Sunday lovely. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	secretsolitaire 2012-05-20 02:28 am UTC (link)
	A very enjoyable read! The magic was really interesting, and you made me care about all the characters. The art was gorgeous. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 11:03 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you. Inventing new kinds of magic was so much fun. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	wwmrsweasleydo 2012-05-20 08:24 pm UTC (link)
	What an absolutely epic saga! I loved every minute of it. The artwork was gorgeous and the story, characters and settings riveting. Your gruff old Moody was quite loveable and -- surprisingly -- just right for the person he ended up with (to avoid spoilers). Great beast lore and magical theory, too. Thanks for entertaining me so well! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 11:05 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks. I am so pleased you liked it. And as Moody was quite insistent on that person, I am very glad it worked; it is not the first person you'd pair him up with, I suppose. The world building and magic in this was such fun, so I'm glad it ended up entertaining. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	pauraque.dreamwidth.org 2012-05-22 05:58 pm UTC (link)
	To be honest I have no idea when I'll find time to read a story of this length, but I do quite like the drawings! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 11:06 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you. I swear that I'm going to write 3K of PWP next year. 80K is quite time consuming. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	snapesgirl 2012-05-26 09:53 pm UTC (link)
	This is just awe inspiring. I bookmarked the fic to read at my leisure and am very glad I finally got time to read it. Fabulous plot, wonderful handling of the characters. leela_cat is a very lucky person to receive this gift. bravo, mystery author (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-05-27 11:07 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks, and I'm glad you found the time, too. I am extraordinarily happy that the characters work for you. And Leela is such a wonderful writer, it was great writing something for her in return for the great fics I've received from her. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	geri_chan 2012-06-03 09:16 pm UTC (link)
	You already know how awesome I think this fic is, but just coming back belatedly to say that I love the illustration of Draco--it's really beautiful! (And I'm sure he knows how beautiful he is, too! ~_^) And once again, I really love it that you totally got me hooked on a pairing that I never could have imagined working until I read this fic! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-06-03 09:28 pm UTC (link)
	hugs Thanks, hon. And again thanks for helping me out--it certainly turned out to be something of a job for you. I am totally sold on the pairing. I am around 10K into part 2 - they wouldn't stop bothering me about it. I don't think Leela had seen that one coming either, judging from the above. :D (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lash_larue 2012-06-05 02:22 pm UTC (link)
	Wonderful story! Very inventive, I loved the whole McBoon business, especially the resolution of it. Perfectly natural for such an assemblage of wizards to make it too complicated. Leave it to a young girl to set them straight. I also really appreciated the whole Abraxan subplot, I can see Draco and Moody being very happy there in time. Kudos, L (Reply to this) (Thread)

	snapelike 2012-06-05 04:02 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you! I had so much fun inventing the magic and elaborate on JK's short description in Beasts of the MacBoons. Somehow Moody/Draco ended up making a lot of sense to me, despite everything. I'm happy if that came through. (Reply to this) (Parent)

liz5843
2012-07-18 11:41 pm UTC (link)

What a delightful story. Usually Abraxas if he apears is some kind of vilain. I loved this guy. 3 great pairings. Great setting and plot.Such very witty dialog; everybody gets some great lines. Poor dear Lucius, I'm sure he'll get better and get out and he and Severus will live happily ever after, which is my OTP. However you really came up with some other great pairings in this story.

Liz Matthews

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snapelike
2012-07-19 12:04 am UTC (link)

Oh, I had planned a more in-depth Sev/Lucius side story as they are my OTP as well, but at 80K, I had to stop or I'd never finished. I had to beg her Modly Highness Beth for more time several times! *blushes*

And of course they'll live happily ever after, Lucius and Severus! :D

Thank you for your sweet and thoughtful comment, I am glad you enjoyed Abraxas and the rest of the story. I like him, Abraxas, and I doubt he's half the villain that Lucius is.

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