Review of Aftershocks
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:date: 2017-06-15T17:22:53
:category: faith
:tags: review, blogComment, HarryPotter

Some thoughts on the fan fiction Aftershocks_.

    We need to know without a shadow of a doubt that Padma did not
    kill Parvati before we can move on.

I am extremely confused about this whole work. On the one hand
there are some parts which are really trully excellent. Whole
situation about Padma loosing her twin sister and all the pain
around is written in completely excellent manner, which is quite
rare anywhere. I really really like your Lovewoods (Luna is
perfect, but Xenophilius as a lawyer is just so awesome idea, and
very well done, small thing but lovely is Lovegoods living in the
hobbits’ hole), I really like your stories about recovering from
trauma and shock and grieving about unexplicable loss. I think
this only makes this work worthy of being read and finished.

However, there is then a scene with the trial of Padma and I
cannot believe how tortured and poorly designed it is. In the
cannon Kingsley Shacklebolt seems to be a fair, level-headed
wizard, and especially the one with quite understanding of law,
regulations, etc. Such person would just not be physically able
to say things like the quoted above. It is just exactly opposite.
They have to know without a shadow of a doubt that Padma DID kill
Paravati before they can move on. If they don't find her guilty
(and it is quite unlikely because of horrendous lack of
evidence), they have to move on with treating her as innocent.
Yes, it is possible that some administrative measure can be used
for obviously distressed witch, which can be danger to her
surroundings in her mental state (like temporary removal of her
wand, or keeping her under supervision of her guardians), but it
is absolutely horrible just to imagine society where people could
be punished without proof of their guilt. You then put this
seemingly post-Voldemort wizarding society on the same level with
the worst dictatorial regimes of the twentieth century (namely it
was only Soviet Russia in 1930s when people could be found guilty
without sufficient evidence; even the Hitler’s Germany at least
kept up pretences of the rule of law). This is hardly improvement
from the times of all previous Ministers of Magic (including Pius
Thicknesse), and if Mr. Shacklebolt cannot do better than an
imperiused Death Eater, there is something wrong with his rule.

However, even in the middle of in my opinion rather disastrous
trial, there are scenes of utter brilliance. Of course, Neville’s
speach about the guilt of all teachers of Hogwarts, all those
thoughts about keeping too many secrets by Dumbledore and Harry,
are excellent.

I really wish this novel was finished, it could be really lovely.
And yes, some story between and George and Padma would be
awesome. I always love stories looking at the history from the
point of view outside of the Weasley-Potter clan!

.. _Aftershocks:
    https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11858501/1/Aftershocks