Whelp

(1) Whelp (Harry Potter)

By Jharad17
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 29th May 2011 (2)
Tags: Novel, AU Divergent Timeline, Abusive Dursleys, Adoption
Characters: Harry Potter, Severus Snape
(400K, 72175 words)

Summary: AU. Harry is 7 years old and treated literally like a dog by the Dursleys. Will he be rescued by the wizarding world? Will he ever be fit to take on the mantle of The Boy Who Lived? childfic, preHogwarts, Sevitus. warning:extreme child abuse, violence

I balked at reading this story for a long time, because the summary led me to believe that the child abuse in the story was worse than it actually was.

That being said, it is still horrible and unconscionable treatment and much worse than anything the Dursleys did in canon. However, it only lasts for the first four chapters, and after that, Snape comes to the rescue, yay.

I really like the characterisation of Snape in this. He's not a nasty git who hates Harry, nor is he an angel. He's human, he tries hard, he feels out of his depth, he loses his temper and regrets it, he makes amends, he teaches, he loves.

Harry here is what one would expect from an abused!Harry story; he's as skittish as a nervous horse, shy, untrusting, full of misunderstandings, and yet young enough to blossom under affection.