Title: The Chosen
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Crabbe/Harry
Categories: Marriage of Convenience, bonding, humor, drama
Length: Medium (9,869 words)
Warnings: Death-fic

Author on LJ: allecto
Author Website: Home of Scribblings

Summary/Excerpt: Numbers never lied. Vincent learned that at an early age, learned that numbers were the only things that didn't lie. Mothers lied, and fathers home from Azkaban, they lied a lot, and friends certainly lied. Numbers, though. Numbers never called him names, or sold him out to tall, cold men. Numbers were exactly what they claimed to be, and rather than manipulate him, Vincent could manipulate them. Numbers were cold, hard fact.

Numbers were telling him to marry Harry Potter.

Well, to be accurate (Vincent placed great store in accuracy), Hermione Granger was telling him to marry Potter. But she was using Arithmancy to do it, and having gotten his only N.E.W.T. O in Arithmancy, Vincent was inclined to believe her. Unfortunately.

Review: The Chosen is haunting and utterly superb. Allecto weaves a stunning Crabbe POV that is both gripping and engaging. She gives you a new, previously unseen side to Crabbe and Slytherin/pureblood mentality while still managing to keep a canon root. She gives you a glimpse into their strict sense of honor, lineage, and traditions (while still maintaining their anti-Voldemort POV) that Harry's never seen more than the fringe of and seamlessly makes you believe.

Crabbe is so well done and completely in character that it's almost disappointing when you finally finish the fic and realize it's most likely the first and last fic you'll ever find with such a perfect portrayal of him. Harry is exactly himself here as he is in canon-- stomping around in anger, oblivious to others, ignorant in his immaturity, and yet unable to stop himself from caring as he's swept into this mess against his will without full knowledge of what it all entails until it's too late.

Oh, and in case you missed the warning above, this is a death fic (where the characters die and stay dead.)-- something you will only ever see me recommend once or twice (ever), but please do not let that stop you because this fic is worth the angst. In the very beginning, there are hints that this bond Crabbe creates with Harry are damaging him-- not to mention the ominous phrase, "A life for a life."

The Chosen gives you more than enough time to prepare yourself for the upcoming death as Harry finds out the consequences of their bond about halfway through as Crabbe grows progressively more ill. While he's shocked to learn the full extent of the spell and how much Crabbe's giving up for him, Crabbe (and Snape) have known it all along and have long since accepted it. The ending is still a little tearjerking, however, so keeping a box of tissues nearby is recommended. All in all, this fic is absolutely one of my most favorite HP fics despite the sad (and somehow perfect) ending.


The Chosen :: (Back-Up)