The Maddest House - busaikko
An older and beautiful fic set in a WolfStar-raising-Harry AU where we see Sirius fighting the war by finding compassion, love and a self-located locus of control. I’m drawn to the less-often explored reality of being in hiding, where lack of income and poverty are a reality for those who must conceal themselves, and making ends meet is the larger part of the daily struggle. Beauty in existence despite adversity is carefully navigated; I’m never left with the feeling that the life lead is romanticised as a result of difficulty, but that poverty can still leave room for contentment, and that struggle can coexist with peace. The apocalypse comes here, not in flames, but in the normalisation of devastation. Evil is defeated not through violence or single heroic acts, but in compassion for the afflicted, and the recognition that we all carry darkness, not as something to be eradicated, but as an inevitable component of existence. What is important for Sirius and by extension, Harry, is that pain and darkness require compassion and forgiveness, not only for others but for ourselves. Remus and Sirius are a beautiful current running throughout this, a fluctuating keystone, as is learning to exist with grief for loss of life, loss of normality, and loss of love. There are, to my mind, no over-egged moments of high-adrenaline drama, but rather a spectacular management of emotions where the reader holds cognitive dissonance and key events are handled with grace. Thoughtful and moving, a masterclass in contradictions, I recommend this fic most if you have room to contemplate and reflect, and if you aren’t engaging with it, come back to it later. There will be a time and a mood where it’ll come into its own and feel resonant, unexpected and necessary.
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