I’m always leery reading a fic with a Slytherin as a protagonist, at least during the Golden Trio era. I go into the fic with high hopes only to have them dashed when I find the story filled with Dumbledore-and-Gryffindor-bashing, Ron the Death Eater, and Draco in Leather Pants. Even the relatively mild Dumbledore-bashing in the otherwise great The Best Revenge left a sour taste in my mouth. I gave this fic a go because I had already read one of the author’s (currently unfinished) fics, and found it fantastic. There is no character bashing and Alternate Character Interpretation in this fic. Yes, the four protagonists are Slytherins who are often resentful of the mistrust and hostility directed to Slytherin by the other Houses, especially Gryffindor. But the Gryffindors are not painted as self-righteous, arrogant bullies like in so many other Slytherin fics, indeed only two (one being McLaggen) can be considered bullies. The mistrust and hostility isn’t presented as wholly unwarranted, as one of the conflicts of the story is the protagonists’ attempts to redeem Slytherin’s reputation despite the fact that most of the House seems eager to live down to it. The bulk of the jerks are Slytherins, with many being, as in the canon, casual bigots or outright Voldemort supporters. Slide remembers what many forget, that Snape, while ultimately a good guy, was still petty and unfair. However, while often not at all unwarranted, Slide demonstrates how the other Houses can be unfair to Slytherin, assuming the whole House to be Dark wizards-in-training (we even see elements of this in the Harry Potter books, such as the constant assumption on the part of some of the Harry Potter protagonists that being in Slytherin equals guaranteed evil, Weasley twins booing an eleven-year-old simply for being Sorted into Slytherin in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, or Lee Jordan’s assertion that all Slytherins should be kicked out in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; despite the fact they, while unpleasant, were innocent of the crimes). The central tension of the story is about the four trying to find a place to stand when caught between Slytherin pureblood supremacists and the ingrained dislike of the other Houses.
Also, the “Dumbledore-favors-Gryffindor-and-hates-Slytherin” notion is gloriously deconstructed.
I don't usually write a review for something I recommended, but considering the heroes, an explanation is in order
I’m always leery reading a fic with a Slytherin as a protagonist, at least during the Golden Trio era. I go into the fic with high hopes only to have them dashed when I find the story filled with Dumbledore-and-Gryffindor-bashing, Ron the Death Eater, and Draco in Leather Pants. Even the relatively mild Dumbledore-bashing in the otherwise great The Best Revenge left a sour taste in my mouth. I gave this fic a go because I had already read one of the author’s (currently unfinished) fics, and found it fantastic. There is no character bashing and Alternate Character Interpretation in this fic. Yes, the four protagonists are Slytherins who are often resentful of the mistrust and hostility directed to Slytherin by the other Houses, especially Gryffindor. But the Gryffindors are not painted as self-righteous, arrogant bullies like in so many other Slytherin fics, indeed only two (one being McLaggen) can be considered bullies. The mistrust and hostility isn’t presented as wholly unwarranted, as one of the conflicts of the story is the protagonists’ attempts to redeem Slytherin’s reputation despite the fact that most of the House seems eager to live down to it. The bulk of the jerks are Slytherins, with many being, as in the canon, casual bigots or outright Voldemort supporters. Slide remembers what many forget, that Snape, while ultimately a good guy, was still petty and unfair. However, while often not at all unwarranted, Slide demonstrates how the other Houses can be unfair to Slytherin, assuming the whole House to be Dark wizards-in-training (we even see elements of this in the Harry Potter books, such as the constant assumption on the part of some of the Harry Potter protagonists that being in Slytherin equals guaranteed evil, Weasley twins booing an eleven-year-old simply for being Sorted into Slytherin in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, or Lee Jordan’s assertion that all Slytherins should be kicked out in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; despite the fact they, while unpleasant, were innocent of the crimes). The central tension of the story is about the four trying to find a place to stand when caught between Slytherin pureblood supremacists and the ingrained dislike of the other Houses.
Also, the “Dumbledore-favors-Gryffindor-and-hates-Slytherin” notion is gloriously deconstructed.