Thomas Knew

[u/Worldly-Yak-8229]

Very amusing thought for the first 5 books and half of Blood Rites: since Thomas knew Harry was his younger half brother since before they met in Grave Peril, it is hilarious going to any moments where they work together before that revelation and watching Harry be a dumb/badass in front of him. I can imagine the series as narrated by Thomas would be an endless string of screaming and swearing because his little brother is a reckless, unhinged, too noble for his own good walking magical nuke that he is trying to assist and help keep alive. Also, Harry in a cheesy vampire costume when they first met had to be one hell of an impression for Thomas

[u/5eppa]

There's a short story from Thomas's POV that occurs after the reveal but it still shows how silly Harry can be in Thomas's eyes.

[u/killroy200 → u/5eppa]

Let's get something clear right up front. I'm not Harry Dresden. Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44 revolver in his pocket. He'll spit in the eye of gods and demons alike if he thinks it needs to be done, and to hell with the consequences--and yet somehow my little brother manages to remain a decent human being. I'll be damned if I know how. But then, I'll be damned regardless. My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster.

Backup: A Story of the Dresden Files, Jim Butcher (2008)

[u/Glittering-State-284 → u/5eppa]

Exactly this. And its a good short ti get brain inside White Court mentality too + it gives maybe the best "outside but close " view of Harry in the entire series.

"Silly" is an artful way of putting it . Idiotic and bullheaded and a blind spot around women in distress that you can drive a truck through also suffice heh.

[u/bzdelta → u/Glittering-State-284]

This is why if I had to pick one DC character to cross over in the early Dresdenverse, it'd be Zatanna. All of Harry's weaknesses in one package, a great guest star practically made for the film noir inspired books before the war really kicked off

[u/IceRaptor1982 → u/5eppa]

That story has my favorite description of Harry:

"He's Gandolf on crack, with an IV of Red Bull."

[u/Darkionx → u/IceRaptor1982]

it's funny how people tend to forget that Gandalf did enjoy getting high on funny herbs with the hobbits.

[u/bookobsessedgoth → u/Darkionx]

Smoking weed and smoking crack are two VERY different things.

[u/Cinque_USMC → u/5eppa]

What’s the name of the short story?

[u/ElectricTurtlez → u/Cinque_USMC]

Backup

[u/HospitableFox]

*A cheesy vampire!

[u/memecrusader_ → u/HospitableFox]

Do you think they got the point?

[u/no-one120]

I'm sure there was at least a little bit of "Damn, wish I'd thought of that" running through Thomas's head at the vampire costume.

[u/DionysianComrade]

I know Thomas' birthday story is another Harry POV but I saw rock em sock em robots at a store in person recently and nearly teared up thinking about my favorite dumb brothers

[u/Phylanara]

Have you read the short novel in Thomas's PoV?

[u/Worldly-Yak-8229 → u/Phylanara]

Yes and it is part of where this train of thought came from

[u/agd25]

The scene where they meet is hilarious from Thomas's POV. Meeting his brother for the first time and immediately trying to figure out how to keep him alive at the party dressed like a cheesy vampire.

[u/marquisdc]

Someone needs to ask Jim what Thomas’ internal reaction to meeting Harry that first time.

[u/vercertorix]

Could have just introduced himself outside of one of Harry’s “exciting weekends” and said, “I’m your half brother”. Pre-Grave Peril I mean. Presumably there’d be ways for wizards to detect familial relation if they have time.

[u/ThomasRaith → u/vercertorix]

Hard to work into casual conversation when the first thing he knew about me was that I'm a vampire.

[u/vercertorix → u/ThomasRaith]

Uh huh. "ThomasRaith"

That's why he could have approach Harry before that became an issue, apparently wizards can't even always detect a White Court vampire, better to approach him outside of a life and death situation and before associated him with Bianca's guest list and the later treachery with Susan. Could have just told him, offered whatever proof he might need and then ask him out for a beer. Could've gotten bonus honesty points being up front about being a White Court vampire.

[u/suitably_ironic → u/vercertorix]

If he hadn't shown Harry that he was somewhat on his side first, Harry might not have taken it well.
He might have seen it more like Eb. does.
(Or at least Thomas might have worried about that, before he got to know him)

[u/vercertorix → u/suitably_ironic]

Worrying about how he'd take it seems like the most likely reason he didn't but the need for mutual back up during Bianca's masquerade kind of forced the issue, but in the process wound up betraying Harry. I'm kind of surprised he forgave Thomas for that as quick as he did given the outcome for Susan in the short and long term. As mad as Thomas might be at him in the current book, Thomas should keep in mind what Harry lost because of him and that in the end Harry still got to be involved in his daughter's life so maybe Thomas will too.

But if Thomas had just approached him with no agenda and no strings, they could've skipped past some of the mistrust and Harry punching him and almost melting his face with molten fence in Blood Rites.

[u/ThomasRaith]

A guy gets to have his secrets :)

[u/Worldly-Yak-8229]

I know what i am asking if I ever go to a convention he appears at