The Light in the Dark
is a Harry Potter fanfiction written by rainbowspring. The story is set in the Marauder Era, and features a large cast. Although it is told in third-person omniscient, if you had to pick one character as the protagonist, it would probably be Lily Evans. Other important characters include the Marauders, Severus Snape, Leslie Williams, Malum Mulciber, Mary Macdonald, Bertha Jorkins, Marlene Mckinnon, and Regulus Black. The story focuses primarily on the adolescent characters and their coming of age as young witches and wizards. Oh yeah, and there's also a murder involved.
The Light in the Dark provides examples of:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Mulciber only desires Maria physically, and is implied to be attracted to the power he can reap from her being involved with him.Whatever his motivations, he clearly does not love her, while she is either infatuated with or truly loves him. Severus is in love with Lily, but whether or not his feelings will be reciprocated remains to be seen. Karen Smith of all people has a crush on him, but the feelings are not mutual. Edmund Avery meanwhile is interested in her. James fancies Lily, but she refuses to go out with him due to his bullying of Snape and other students. Evangeline is interested in Kitty, Paris Nott's girlfriend. Bertha had a crush on Alton Avery, who chose her friend Florence instead. Leslie is strongly implied to have loved Veronica romantically, but Veronica dated Regulus Black instead behind her back.
- All-Loving Heroine: Lily. There are few people she dislikes, and she is kind to nearly everyone she encounters. In fact, her kindness and loving nature serve as key driving forces of the story.
- Attempted Rape: Discussed in "Sirius Mayhem", when Remus speculates that Mulciber may have tried to do more than kiss Mary without her consent, had she not managed to escape in time.
- Fantastic Racism: As in canon, there is prejudice against Muggleborns and werewolves. Mulciber especially is prejudiced against Muggles and Muggleborns. Bertram Aubrey makes some memorable disparaging remarks against werewolves in class one day. Marlene and the Marauders don't take this well.
- Irony:
- Maria's parents are both cheating on each other, but neither of them realize they're being cheated on, and each swear their daughter to secrecy about her knowledge of their affairs.
- Mary's father's cause of death: He died trying to find a cure for Dragon Pox.
- Snape believes Lily will return his feelings if he becomes a powerful dark wizard, when in actuality his growing interest in the Dark Arts is what's placing a strain on their friendship.
