Terms of Matrimony
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:date: 2019-02-07T23:48:04
:category: literature
:tags: review, harryPotter, blogComment, fromReddit

(my comments on “`Terms of Matrimony`_” by Galad Estel)

First of all, this story has broken link on `Fanfiction.net`_, so 
I have had to look up and down all over the Internet to find that 
only working copy known to me is at ff2ebook.com link shown 
above. Even the dump on archive.org is incomplete and plain text 
only. Thank you fflai_ on Reddit for pointing_ in the right 
direction.

This is obvious another example why serial writing is quite 
problematic. It seems to me that the author after writing 
introduction (first 23 chapters or so) lost interest and the end 
is stitched together with a very very hot needle (Czech saying) 
and it shows.

Having said that, the setup of the story is really nice. It is 
one of the most persuasive stories of Petunia-Snape relationship. 
It is dramatic (not like crazily talkative and generally absurd 
“`A magical love affair`_”) and generally persuasive: one Death 
Eater (Macnair) uses Imperius Curse on Vernon Dursley to try to 
get to Harry (who is then six) and kill him. However, Vernon is 
stopped in the attempt by the magical protection by Harry’s 
mother and he kills himself (still under the influence of the
curse, in order to cover tracks). Petunia with kids is on the run
and she must hide in the magical world. However, her status as
a single Muggle mother is very uncertain in the Magical world, so
Dumbledore decides and manipulates her and Snape into a marriage
to get her some standing.

Petunia and kids are hiding for a month at Weasleys’ and while
staying there she decides in the end to take a little bit of
control over her life and (charmingly with the help of
ten-year-old Percy Weasley) drafts eponymous marriage contract,
which she sends to Dumbledore, so she accedes to the pressure but
still keeps some of her dignity and autonomy. What follows is
nice and quite persuasive but already a bit brief struggle of all
involved to find their role in the new situation: Petunia is
forced to be suddenly real mother and wife, Snape has to learn
how to care about somebody else, Dudley suddenly has a father who
strictly requires following orders, and Harry has somebody who
cares about him.

Unfortunately, in this moment, when one would say that it is well 
prepared for nice story (how could at least reasonably working 
family containing one very smart wizard face the challenge of the 
Dark Lord and how could they resist the machinations of Albus
Dumbledore? etc.), so when the reader looks forward to start of
nice story, it ends abruptly with Remus *ex machina* showing up
and discovering immediately that the rat is Peter, and we get
brief collaboration of two former enemies, just to be interrupted
by the evil Veela (interesting concept, but why not?) sent by
Lucius Malfoy, who immediately kills Pettigrew in order to
protect the mystery and keep Sirius in Azkaban. Next chapter,
whole family (& Remus) runs away to America. End of the story.

It’s a pity, it really has a foundation of good novel, but it
never fulfils this promise. I would suggest reading it at least
for the exposition, but be prepared to dream about continuation.

.. _`Terms of Matrimony`:
   https://ff2ebook.com/direct/?id=9931566&source=ff&filetype=epub

.. _`Fanfiction.net`:
    https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9931566/13/Terms-of-Matrimony

.. _fflai:
    https://www.reddit.com/user/fflai

.. _pointing:
    https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/comments/anwh68/looking_for_two_stories_lost_on_ffnet_terms_of/efx4vv6

.. _`A magical love affair`:
   https://www.wattpad.com/story/138566101-a-magical-love-affair