Old Country
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Old Country |
| Author(s): | astolat |
| Date(s): | 13 September 2007[1] |
| Length: | 40,639 words / 3:49:55 hours |
| Genre: | crossover, slash |
| Fandom: | Supernatural, Harry Potter |
| External Links: | Old Country (author's site) Old Country (AO3) Old Country (audiobook) |
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Old Country is a Sam/Dean Supernatural/Harry Potter crossover by astolat.
Author's Summary: Sam and Dean go to Hogwarts. (spoilers for All Hell Breaks Loose, Deathly Hallows)[1]
Leyna55 made an illustration based on Old Country which was then used as the podbook cover.[2]
- In the story, Sam and Dean end up at Hogwarts after the end of season 2. Sam learns magic and obsessively researches in the hope of finding a way to save Dean's life. This picture isn't a scene from the story (which is told from Dean's POV) but is instead a moment with Sam. Late at night, Sam takes a break from his studies.[2]
FayJay podficced the story in 2009,[3] and it's available at the Audiofic Archive. The audiobook uses Leyna55's illustration as a cover.
The story was translated into Russian in 2011 by Fate & Фиолетовая Лиса.[4] In Nov 2011, Russian vidder Rumrouz made a brief vid trailer for the story which can be viewed at YouTube.[5]
Recs and Reviews
"This is not only an amazing crossover, set post book seven for Harry Potter and mid season 2 for Supernatural, but is one of the reasons I started watching Supernatural in the first place. Dean’s reaction to the Wizarding World, and Hogwarts, is spot on and priceless. The Wizarding World’s reaction to Dean? Even better. Funny, with enough emotional umphf to make you pay attention."[6]
This story IS Wincest, and as such I can understand non-Wincest people eschewing it - BUT, if you're fond of Harry Potter and of SPN, it's still well worth reading, because the 'shippy bit is only a very small part of the story, and the first time I read it I just sort of fastforwarded through that bit. The whole thing of Dean being in Hufflepuff and Sam in Ravenclaw, and the stuff with the Impala, and the goblins, and the unicorn, and the inherited Slytherin mansion...there's an awful lot to love about this story, and the bowmchikabowmbowm bit is only very brief. Mostly it reads as Gen.[3]
It's an AU - going alternative after 2x22, and changing the battle of hogwarts from 1997 to 2007. Most of you know, I'm a stickler for canon (and especially a stickler for accurate timelines), so the fact that I'm recommending an AU that messes with timelines really says something about how good this fic is.It's also a "Winchesters are actually Wizards" fic - which again, is not something I would normally go for....but they really pull it off. ESPECIALLY with Dean. I love how they found a way for Dean to be a wizard, without making him a wizard. They basically make Dean a subtle wizard - in that not even Dean realizes he's doing magic when he is doing it. He practices magic like goblins do - in craft form...and I think it's an amazingly brilliant idea, and suits the character brilliantly.
I love the fact that you still have the Sam-might-be-evil storyline - that Sam's obsession with saving Dean still leads him down dark roads.
Basically, this fic goes AU from the story, but keeps the characters true to the show.
In terms of the depiction of the Harry Potter universe: I love the insight into Hufflepuff house. The fact that they made Dean a Hufflepuff is actually true to his character, I think - loyalty above all else. I also love how the Slytherins are not cut-and-dried-evil. You still have the same questionable morality, but at the same time, they also look out for Sam.
So, yeah...if on the off chance you haven't read it. I recommend it.[7]
Okay, yes. The summary sounds like crack. But a strong argument could be made that you don't know brilliant storytelling until you've read this fic. It is truly excellent.[8]
References
- ^ a b astolat. Supernatural/HP: Old Country (Sam/Dean), 13 September 2007. (Accessed 13 June 2011)
- ^ a b Supernatural AU - "Old Country" illustration, 16 September 2007; WebCite(Accessed 13 June 2011)
- ^ a b pandarus in hp_podslash. Podfic: 'Old Country', by Astolat, SPN/Harry Potter, NC17, 08 August 2009. (Accessed 13 June 2011)
- ^ Translation page at crossroad-blues.net, Archived version.
- ^ WebCite for Vid Trailer.
- ^ A is for Astolat (Accessed 13 June 2011)
- ^ "Rec: Fic - Old Country by Astolat (HP/SPN Crossover)". Archived from the original on 2020-04-28.
- ^ "Supernatural Fic Primer #2". Archived from the original on 2020-04-28.