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snarrymod ([info]snarrymod) wrote in [info]snarry_games,
@ 2008-06-02 21:16:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:entry, femmequixotic, team phoenix

TEAM PHOENIX ENTRY: Femmequixotic "Exegesis"
Title: Exegesis
Author: [info]femmequixotic
Team: Phoenix
Genre(s): Alternate Reality *Hover/Click for Games Definition of Alternate Reality* & Romance
Prompt(s): The Root of All Evil
Rating/Warnings/Kinks: NC-17; minor character death, religious/theological elements*
Word Count: ~49,150
Summary: Every culture has their tales regarding creatures of the night.
A/N: Many thanks and much love to [info]cursive and [info]ze_dragon for their beta work, and a huge, huge, huge debt of gratitude to [info]ze_dragon for Catholic-picking above and beyond the call of duty. Credit for various aspects of this fic must be given to Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Florescu & McNally's In Search of Dracula. Inspiration was also drawn from various film references including Nosferatu, Dracula (1931), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and Van Helsing. Further elements were taken from Gypsy Law: Romani Legal Traditions and Culture, A Handbook of Vlax Romani, and the various writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine.
Disclaimer: If I owned them, Deathly Hallows would have been written so very differently.







"Exegesis by Femmequixotic"





Don't forget to review!




Mod note: POLLS ARE NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE SNARRY GAMES.

MOD NOTE: This is the last entry of this year's Games. Please stay tuned for news on the Closing Games (and all the treats Team Dragon and Team Phoenix have for you!), the Voting Hiatus, the Master List, the Medal Ceremony and more! Thank you for participating in the 2008 Winter Snarry Games!

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[info]meganforthewin
2008-06-03 05:12 am UTC (link)
Wait...did I miss Aucta Sinistra's story? Or wasn't she a participant? Ahhh

Also, this story is great so far!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:41 am UTC

[info]snarry_fan7
2008-06-03 06:31 am UTC (link)
Magnificent work! I love vampire fics and this one is so unique with it's storyline and development. I love Severus' struggle throughout and how his relationship with Harry changes and grows. As a former Catholic (now atheist) I still see the beauty in Mass and I do still like the ritualistic aspects of Catholicism; I like how religion is tied in with the story. Well done.~Sophia

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:41 am UTC

[info]darkladyvamp
2008-06-03 06:40 am UTC (link)
So wonderful! Vampires and the catholic church, always a good combination! I love angsty Severus in this. Harry's so adorably cheeky enough to balance him out.

I loved the entire thing!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:42 am UTC

[info]red_day_dawning
2008-06-03 07:12 am UTC (link)
Oh gods, this is so good. This is is so wonderfully brilliant - oh no, I've just realised I'm going do one of my painfully embarrassing & incoherent comments...
This is so well-crafted, well-researched and well-written – definitely out of the ordinary - I love the depth and resonance of the theological and mythological background, the echoes of Stoker's Dracula as they travel across Eastern Europe to the Carpathian Mountains, the twining of this plot with Severus's dilemmas and terrible choices in HBP, as once again he has to kill Dumbledore for a greater good, doing the darkest deeds in search for an out-of-reach redemption and grace – this is so wonderful!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]red_day_dawning, 2008-06-06 09:32 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:43 am UTC

[info]gaycrow
2008-06-03 12:55 pm UTC (link)
I liked this story very much, particularly the way you wove canon characters together in such a different setting. You've managed to capture their personalities and characteristics amazingly well here, and at the same time, you've worked some of their canon histories in, too. Seeing them all appear here, written in such a clever and interesting way, made for compulsive reading. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to them, whether they'd survive or not. You made me care about them. Sirius's fate was inevitable, but done extremely well.

Your Snape is conflicted throughout, but at last manages to find happiness with Harry, and with his faith intact. The way you tie the end of the story up by repeating the beginning works very well for me. I love how Harry and Snape seem so settled and in tune with each other, and these sentences resonated for me:

This is not a life I would have chosen for myself, I realise. And yet. I find myself curiously content.

Perhaps I might even be happy.

I've stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this; I couldn't stop reading, which shows the strength of your story telling. I even managed to survive all the religious references, which is something I'd not normally choose to read. But if they meant so much to Snape, it was the least I could do. ;-)

What a strong and powerfully written story to finish the Games! Go you!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:44 am UTC

[info]seres_mimosa
2008-06-03 01:35 pm UTC (link)
So much vampire lore and parallels to vampire legends! I had so much fun spotting them although I'm sure I've missed a few. I loved the insular Bostonian theology academia atmosphere at the beginning and the end, and Severus confessions are brilliant.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:45 am UTC

[info]plantinshadows
2008-06-03 04:21 pm UTC (link)
lovely story! severus conflicting beliefs about the church, the friendship to father ferris and his love to harry... I loved all that. plus, of course, the science fiction element: vampires and secret orders, genious!
I loved severus cynicism, with which he regards others as well as himself.
And I loved how you included bits of canon into your story, like when severus kills albus, because he begged him to.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:45 am UTC

[info]emila_wan
2008-06-03 04:51 pm UTC (link)
Amazing story. I loved the style and flavor of it, the vampire history, the incredible detail of prayers and rituals, and of course, a tortured, celibate Jesuit!Snape. GUH.

I got a little confused about why Snape had the ability to heal Harry. Was it faith, or because he is a dhampir?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:46 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2008-06-03 04:54 pm UTC (link)
I'm still in the middle of the story and already firmly in its grip. Just a short comment regarding German terminology. The term is just "unwertes Leben", not "Lebensunwertesleben", and the translation would be "life without worth", a meaning at least just as cruel as "unworthy of life".

Now I will dive back in the story, and hopefully I will be able to make a more substantial comment afterwards.

Best wishes,
Krabat

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]svartalfur, 2008-06-03 09:03 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]svartalfur, 2008-06-03 09:09 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-06-04 09:36 am UTC

[info]torino10154
2008-06-03 04:59 pm UTC (link)
Oh femme-this is exquisite. I adored the setting. Catholic!Snape is s secret kink of mine and you wrote that so well. I loved his confessions. And the background of Catholicism, vampires, gypsies/Rom was all so well researched, well used-it brought the fic to life. As for the cast of characters-you did so well bringing canon in-Albus and Sirius were especially wonderful. Even Horace with his secret knowledge. Ferris was fantastic too. The entire trip to find Albus was perfectly crafted-from Sanguini's betrayal, to Draco and Severus's competing dealings with Albus, to Snape's ability to save Harry. I really liked however that Snape's faith remained in the end-thank you for that especially-even if he could not continue into the priesthood. Much love for the story. A perfect way to end the Games. Brava.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:49 am UTC

[info]aguella
2008-06-03 06:03 pm UTC (link)
This was a wonderful story to end the Games with. You obviously know your stuff, both with Vampiric tradition and Catholic tradition, and it makes for a fascinating and detailed read. Your characterization is wonderful, and I found myself enjoying every moment. Incredible work.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:49 am UTC

[info]melangell
2008-06-03 06:26 pm UTC (link)
Well done! This was very enjoyable. I love Severus as a slightly tortured Catholic. I always have thought his costume as a cassock. I love love love that his penance involves gender-neutral language!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:56 am UTC

[info]themadscriptor
2008-06-03 06:37 pm UTC (link)
Powerful and absorbing. I couldn't stop reading (even though I should have, heh). I'm a little in awe of how I could see all the threads of different sources - canon, lore, books, cinema - woven into a wonderfully cohesive whole. None of it felt gratuitous, and all of it felt anchored in HP despite the AR setting. Marvelous finish to the Games! I enjoyed it tremendously. :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:57 am UTC

[info]velja
2008-06-03 07:33 pm UTC (link)
Wow, I really, really, really love this story. The saying "save the best for last" truly fits, as it is a worthy ending for the Games. I loved the setting you created, the Catholicism and the vampirism and everything was so wonderfully detailed...
You reduced me to a rambling mess. I can't express myself properly but at least let me say this in the end. I completely cracked up at this line: "And you're to be my Rupert Giles?" I snort. "Oh please."
That had me laughing out loud... bloody brilliant line and brilliant story.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:58 am UTC

[info]meri_oddities
2008-06-03 07:52 pm UTC (link)
Excellent story. Well-written, wonderfully richly detailed, totally absorbing. I was hooked from the first few paragraph.

I'm not a huge fan of non- magical AR since they usually bear little resemblance to the world and characters I know and love. This story, however, is brilliant. You've managed to capture the essence of both Harry and Snape and distill it into another reality. Damned, impressive.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:59 am UTC

[info]sivullinen
2008-06-03 08:11 pm UTC (link)
Amazing.

I loved all the ties to canon (Severus. Please--) as well as the thorough researching that must have gone into this. And the vampires, and the religious themes, and and and! The ship was so well executed, too ♥ ♥ ♥

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 11:59 am UTC

[info]abigail89
2008-06-03 10:37 pm UTC (link)
Oh my god. How much did I adore this story? So much so, that I dropped everything at work this afternoon and read it. And I don't as a general rule like vampire tales. When I realized what The Historian was about, I rolled my eyes and then just plowed through because I a)had bought the damn hardcover and b)Elisabeth Kostova is an alum of the college where I work and was going to be the speaker at the friends of the library. So, yeah, had to read it. Thank god I liked it enough to finish.

But, oh my...this story is exquisite! I lovedlovedloved Snape being a Catholic, a near priest (favorite thing of mine for him). Love how you wove all the Potter characters into the story in spot-on canon roles. Loved your originals, especially Ferris, especially at the end. And Harry...oh,I adore him in all his agnostic glory.

I'm saving this to read slowly, later, with a glass of wine on a long night.

Magnificently done, teammate! *shakes red & gold pom-poms*

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:01 pm UTC
Oooooh....vampire Snape....NOT!
[info]amenaneri
2008-06-03 10:40 pm UTC (link)
What a great finale for the Snarry Games! I loved this AU--vampires instead of magic. What a great story--so many interesting touches and research. I loved how you tied in so many characters in ways that were true to them with the parallels to canon--very clever.

Moments I liked:
Snape dragging Draco off of Harry....MINE!!
Snape healing Harry with the power of grace.
Snape trying to heal the hated Sirius for Harry.
Chats in the astronomy tower.
Viktor as a Romany vampire hunter and former lover to Harry.
Snape's confessional strolls with the Boston priest...sodomy 7 times, no 8...Harry woke me up at half three...
Snape finding his faith in the choice not to become a vampire--the whole struggle with faith was a very strong part of the story.

Just a great job all around.


(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Oooooh....vampire Snape....NOT! - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:02 pm UTC

[info]galad222000
2008-06-04 12:06 am UTC (link)
This fic is religiously researched (pardon the pun) and exquisitely written. It’s a combination of HP, Narnia, and Dan Brown and I love it. It’s exiting and thought provoking and has a great, subtle sense of humor. From the beginning line of “Each patch of smooth, glittering white flooded by a streetlight was a Narnian realm of magic.” I was captivated. If this is indeed the last posting for the 2008 Snarry Games, than I can say with great confidence that the games are going out with as BIG a bang as they started… terrifically well done!!! CB

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:03 pm UTC

[info]painless_j
2008-06-04 01:44 am UTC (link)
That was bloody amazing! I read through the night even though I know I have to go to work in... aah! But I couldn't step away! I'm sure the story would run off if I did!

Wow, just wow. This seems to be my refrain after reading every story of yours lately :) I'm just completely blown away. Will be reccing. Thank you very much!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:04 pm UTC

[info]gnomad
2008-06-04 01:54 am UTC (link)
Oh, this was just wonderful, absolutely magnificent! I loved it from start to finish--the vampire lore, the Rom, Severus' catholicism and how it all interwove with each other. Brilliant!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:04 pm UTC

[info]mac_tunes
2008-06-04 02:17 am UTC (link)
Coooooool! I love vampire snarry story :p And the way you weave the Church faith in... (though all those are over my head, 'coz I'm not a christian) are so clever (words fail me again, what is that word?) Interesting concept of vampire and dhampir. My favourite part was when Severus was healing Harry. That was the sweetest moment!

Quite nice! Thank you!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:05 pm UTC

(Anonymous)
2008-06-04 04:25 am UTC (link)
I absolutely love that this fest has to *warn* for theology. But when it comes to a combination of Father Snape and bloodlust, perhaps I understand the warning!

What a fabulous tale, and Snape was so utterly Snape. And the vampire cult was *wonderful*, your descriptions of the blood and the temptation and the family and the guilt, and oh -- Snape saves Harry's life -- just simply wow. Thanks so much!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:06 pm UTC

(Anonymous)
2008-06-04 05:30 am UTC (link)
I'm running out of words to describe this to other people. The research, the melding of so many elements, it just takes my breath away. The parallels to so many HP events are fantastic. Snape's struggle to come to terms with his faith. And my home town to boot. Bravo.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:06 pm UTC

[info]simons_flower
2008-06-04 06:53 am UTC (link)
For such an unusual premise (and fascinating weaving of canon into AR), you had me hooked. Being mostly agnostic myself, I'll admit to not knowing about the Catholic rites, but you covered them pretty well and I wasn't as lost as I'd expected to be.

The genealogy you used here, though, was just wow. OK, I know I get a funny little bump in my chest when I read about Bram Stoker after having gone to the Stoker museum in Dublin, but for you to find a way to link Harry and Lucius and Voldemort and Grindlewald and Dumbledore... I just stand sit in awe.

And this: "Sodomy," I say bluntly. "Seven counts--" I catch myself, considering. "No, eight. Harry woke me up last night around half-four." was brilliant. Found myself giggling.

All in all, a wonderful fic even if you are on the other team.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - [info]femmequixotic, 2008-07-14 12:08 pm UTC

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