Recently, a helpful fan alerted us to an interesting series of coincidences; some words in a Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy fan fic seemed to be eerily familiar to people who had read Jesse's novel, The God Eaters. At first I thought it was only a few bits lifted, but then I realized that huge swathes of the original story had been lifted; the ringer was that there were extra bits of padding.
Being autistically more interested in the accurate collection of information than in preserving my sanity, I decided to find out just what had happened here. The following table shows the two pieces side-by-side. The work on the left is Jesse's original text; the work on the right is the plagiarized version.
In the original, I alternate bolding and underlining bits of text; the corresponding bits are bolded or underlined, respectively, but may sometimes be in a different order, because the plagiarist was good enough to reorder things sometimes.
As of this writing (but probably not for much longer), the plagiarized document can be found on y-gallery, and on thehexfiles, the latter being a dedicated Harry/Draco slashfic site.
The Potter fic appears to have been posted in November of 2008 or so on thehexfiles (judging by the first review comments). Interestingly, the plagiarist's account on y-gallery claims to be "a site admin", which would suggest that the user ought to be at least vaguely aware that they have a no-plagiarism policy.
For reference, God Eaters has been in print, with an ISBN number and everything, since August of 2006, according to Amazon's listing for it.
If you enjoy the original story (or even if you'd just enjoy, say, an actual story with plot and character development the rest of which is not even about sex), you may be pleased to hear that the author is a self-publishin' fool, and you can get 'The God Eaters' in dead-tree trade-paperback format from Lulu, Powell's, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or ask your local bookseller to order it for you; the ISBN is 1847288650.
UPDATE: The author apologized and took the pieces down. No real drama to be had. Leaving this up because it's an interesting piece if you are curious about how people recognize works that have been tweaked but not completely rewritten.
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Ash trembled as he knelt on the edge of the bedroll. He picked at his shirt buttons, unable to take his eyes off Kieran. Kieran laughed and pushed his hands away, began methodically undressing him. Not a speck of embarrassment.
Of course he hasn't any shame. He's done this for money. I might fear it meant as little now, if not for the way he said my name -- the way he's looking at me -- Ash swallowed hard as Kieran pushed the shirt from his shoulders with warm, scratchy hands. "When you say -- make sure -- do you mean --?" Ash gulped, unable to finish. |
Draco began to pick at his shirt buttons, keeping his eyes locked on Harry. His hands were shaking so much with anticipation and nervousness that he was having a hard time to get the shirt undone. Harry chuckled and pushed his hands away, methodically and slowly unfastening each button until he was able to gently push the shirt from the blonde's shoulders.
Draco swallowed hard as Harry's hands caressed warm and scratchy over his shoulders as he slid the fabric off. Harry brought his lips to the bared left shoulder and began to kiss and nibble his way towards Draco's neck, one of his hands tweaking at a nipple, the other going further south, rubbing against the hardness that was straining behind denim. |
| Here, we skip a few paragraphs in the original. | |
| "What I hoped for," Ash echoed. He set a hand on Kieran's chest, felt the pounding of his heart. Made a decision: he was afraid, but he needed to be connected. "It doesn't sound crude when you say it, but it feels... weird... in my mind. In my voice in my head." He sighed as Kieran's arms scooped him in closer, then took a sharp breath at what he felt beneath the covers. "Go ahead and be weird then," Kieran murmured. His voice came out as a tiny whisper, but he said it: "Please fuck me." | Draco huffed out small gasps as he pulled at Harry's robes. "Harry," the blonde cried out, lost in the pleasure and passion of the brunette's touch and the feelings from his newly discovered emotions for the Gryffindor that were combined with the spell which was swirling around them. "Please fuck me." |
| Kieran replied by drowning him in a kiss. Finished stripping him with a few efficient movements. Rolled them both in the blanket, nothing between them, skin on skin, amazing -- all tenderness now -- long slow kisses, warm dry friction of hands exploring. After sweet ages of this, when Ash was gasping hoarse breaths and could hardly see for the spinning in his head, Kieran let go and rolled away to dig in one of the packs. Came back with the tin of cooking oil. Chuckled at the look on Ash's face. |
The dark haired teen answered this coarse and arousing request by drowning the blonde with kiss after kiss as the two boys stripped each other between lip locks.
Harry rolled them both down to the bed, wrapping the blankets around their naked bodies. Now that there was nothing between them, the feel of skin on skin was amazing and they slowed their frantic movements to enjoy the feeling of long, slow kisses and the warm, dry friction of hands taking the time to explore each other thoroughly. After what seemed like ages of this sweetness, when Draco was gasping hoarse breaths and could hardly see for the spinning in his head, Harry moved to lean over the bed, reaching towards his robe that was on the floor. He dug into his pocket for a moment or two and then came back with his wand. |
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"You look like you're changing your mind."
"No," Ash said, though his voice was shaky. "Still want it." And he did, he knew he did, but he still wasn't quite ready for the sensation of oiled fingers teasing at him. He felt his eyes go big as saucers, locked onto Kieran's steady gaze and slight smile. Kieran didn't seem to think this was disgusting, or in any way shameful. It felt weird, definitely, but not bad, and it didn't hurt. Ash began to think he might rather enjoy the physical part of this connection -- and then Kieran touched something inside him that sent a scalding wave through him, and his cry was as much shock as pleasure. |
"What do you need that for?" Draco asked breathlessly.
Harry was equally out of breath, but he grinned sexily at the blonde that was lying on his back looking up at him, calling forth a spell that he had been working on for the last little while. "Traditum Lubricus," Harry intoned, pointing the wand at his hand and causing a clear oil to begin to coat his fingers. The-Boy-Who-Lived was soon chuckling again at the look on Draco's face. "You look like you're changing your mind," he smiled. "No," Draco replied, though his voice was a bit higher in pitch than usual. "I want you." Nevertheless, he wasn't quite ready for the sensation of oiled fingers teasing at his entrance and his eyes went as big as saucers when Harry pushed one in. "Does it hurt?" Harry questioned with concern, keeping his eyes locked onto Draco's. "N-n-no," Draco stammered. "It...it feels kind of weird, but not bad," he finished. Harry concentrated hard, trying to put into action everything he had learned from his little book, his tongue beginning to stick out of the side of his mouth as he moved his finger in and out of his boyfriend's tightness. He gently inserted a second finger and pushed in a bit further, searching for a certain spot that the book promised would bring his partner incredible pleasure. Draco was beginning to relax and he was rather enjoying the sensations the Gryffindor was causing, especially when Harry touched something inside him that sent a scalding wave through him. |
| The next sentence of the lifted version was in the same paragraph as this one. | |
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Kieran whispered against his cheek: "You didn't think it would feel this good, did you?"
"Ah god -- no, I didn't expect it to -- to feel good at all." The whisper moved to his ear. "You thought you were making a sacrifice?" Teeth in his earlobe, steely arm around his waist, and the red wave came again, forcing a wild groan out of him. He couldn't answer. Words were gone. When the fingers were withdrawn, he whimpered a protest, distantly shocked at how wanton he sounded. As Kieran lifted his knees, a tiny remnant of his civilized sensibilities chattered at him in horror, just for a moment, knowing the disgust society had for this. But the rest of him was unanimous: This is exactly right. It's everyone else that's wrong. |
He cried out loudly, as much in shock as in pleasure, not expecting it to feel this good.
"You okay?" Harry asked, his voice rough and husky. He was so turned on just watching the reactions he was getting from the blonde as he carefully stretched him, that he wasn't sure what was going to happen when he was finally inside the warm muscles that were engulfing his fingers. "Ahh, yessss," Draco hissed out, squirming as he tried to make Harry touch that spot again. Harry moved to lay half on and half off of the blonde, nipping and sucking at his earlobe, his right arm around Draco's waist as he continued to stroke in and out with his left hand, adding a third digit to the mix. "How's this?" he questioned, his voice rumbling deep and dark against the Slytherin's ear. That wave of pleasure crashed over Draco again, forcing a wild groan out of him. There was no way he could answer; words seemed to have disappeared from his mind as Harry caused those undulations of bliss to cover him again and again. When the fingers were withdrawn, he whimpered a protest, distantly shocked at how wanton he sounded, unheard of for a Malfoy. Draco reached up and removed the Gryffindors skewed glasses, letting them plop to the floor. Harry moved again, this time to lift both of Draco's knees and spread his legs. He positioned himself at the Slytherins entrance and waited for a moment, overcome with what he was about to do. |
| There's no paragraph break at the end of the lifted copy here. | |
| More whispers. "Relax as much as you can. This might sting a little." Breath from the words vibrated his skin, and he couldn't explain that he didn't give half a damn for 'sting a little', he wanted it now dammit, every atom in his body was hungry for it. When Kieran pushed at him, too tentative, too careful, he pushed back. Grabbed handfuls of Kieran's yard-long hair and pulled. He felt Kieran's pleased surprise. Then a shudder of hot sweetness, a hundred times better than before. He felt stretched, but that small twinge couldn't compete. Kieran overwhelmed him. His empathy opened to a new level, all at once, and he could no longer tell which feelings were Kieran's and which his own, marvelous confusion, a flood of fire and diamonds. |
The Gryffindor kept in mind the warnings from the book and resisted the very real urge to just plunge in quick and hard. "Relax as much as you can," Harry counselled. "This might hurt a little."
By this point in time, Draco couldn't give half a galleon for 'hurt a little'. Every atom in his body was hungry for Harry to enter him and when the Gryffindor pushed at him, too tentative, too careful, he pushed back, grabbing his lover's hips and pulling him closer. He felt Harry's pleased surprise and he raised his arms to wrap them around his boyfriend's neck. Suddenly, a shudder of hot thickness filled him, causing him to feel a hundred times better than before. He felt stretched, but the small painful twinge couldn't compete with the feeling of completeness he was feeling as Harry overwhelmed him and their connection opened to a new level, all at once. Draco could no longer tell which feelings were Harry's and which were his own, a blazing flood of fire and water twirling in marvellous confusion. |
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Holding him tightly, Kieran began a tide-slow rhythm, shaking from the effort of being so gentle. Ash's incoherent cries begged him to stop holding back, just go, harder faster, pound me to powder, I can't take this -- but Kieran refused. Almost-kissing, lips just touching, he breathed shudderingly into Ash's mouth, eyes half open, feasting on Ash's desperation.
Ash finally managed to sob out his name. "Kai, ah Kai please --" |
Holding him tightly, Harry began a tide-slow rhythm, his entire body shaking from the effort of being so gentle. Draco's incoherent cries begging him to stop holding back only caused his belly to tighten and his manhood to throb almost painfully within the slick walls.
'Please...go harder, faster. I need you deeper, I can't take this...too gentle,' Draco screamed out in his mind. Harry gave a start of surprise as he continued to stroke in and out excruciatingly slowly, trying to make this wonderful feeling that was wrapped around his shaft and coiling in his belly last. He had heard every word of Draco's plea in his mind, just the same as if the blonde had said it out loud, but he refused to give in and possibly hurt his boyfriend. Instead, he looked down at the boy beneath him with half open eyes, their lips just touching, almost kissing and Harry feasted on Draco's desperation. Draco finally managed to sob out his name. "Harry," he cried. "Please..." |
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"My Ashes, treasure, precious, wonder -- ediyana, kii aveh, kini, inai --"
The string of endearments was too much, and when Kieran lapsed into Iavaian, Ash could no longer bear it. This time was far more intense; started deeper, peaked higher, blew every nerve like a blasting charge, destroyed him utterly. And just as the white fire began to recede, Kieran let go restraint and thumped hard into him with a groaning cry, which brought Ash, impossibly, to a second peak. Mind ended. Self was gone. |
Harry breathed shudderingly onto Draco's mouth as he allowed himself to go a little faster, push a little harder. "My Draco," he groaned out, the only English words he said before slipping into Parseltongue and uttering stings of endearments against the blondes lips. The-Boy-Who-Lived was beyond reasoning as the blonde's muscles contracted around him and he let his hips buck forward with slightly more force, striking deeper inside his boyfriend's body.
When Harry lapsed into Parseltongue and he felt the Gryffindor's manhood drive into him, Draco could no longer bear it. The pleasure that rolled through him was as exquisite as Crucio was excruciating and this time his orgasm was more deeply intense than when they had engaged in oral sex. It blasted through him like Expelliarmus, destroying him utterly. Just as the white fire began to recede, Harry let go of the final bit of restraint he had been holding onto and thumped hard into Draco a few times with a groaning cry, which brought the blonde, impossibly, to a second peak as Harry came inside of him. |
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The world slowly reassembled. They moved apart a little to lie side by side, only half embracing, heads leaning together with foreheads touching, as if they could pass thoughts back and forth that way. Damp skin cooled. Kieran pulled up the blanket with clumsy movements. Ash finally found a word:
"Sticky. Ek." |
The world slowly came back into focus, reassembling as they moved apart a little with their foreheads touching. Harry pulled up the blankets, which had been pushed and kicked down to the foot of the bed, to cover their damp and cooling skin.
"Yuck, sticky," Draco complained as his hand found his warm semen that was spread across his stomach. |
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A breathless chuckle from Kieran. "Yeah, that happens." Several seconds later, he went on, "Was that what you wanted?"
"How could I have known to want that?" Squirming closer, Ash pushed his fingers into the heavy mass of Kieran's hair, scratching lightly. This brought a happy noise from Kieran, so he went on doing it. "I had no idea anything could be so good." "Mm. Glad." "I just wanted to be as close to you as possible." "Heh. That was about it." |
Harry gave a breathless laugh and then sighed contentedly. "Was that how you thought it would be?" the Gryffindor asked after a few moments of sleepy silence.
"Better, it was better than I thought it would be," Draco responded as he squirmed closer. He pushed his fingers into the messy mass of Harry's hair, scratching lightly over his lover's scalp. This brought a happy noise from Harry so he went on doing it. "I had no idea anything could feel so good." "Mmm, glad," Harry sighed out as his eyes drifted shut, hugging the blonde a little closer, agreeing totally. |
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"Yeah." There didn't seem to be much else to say. Despite stickiness, Ash was nodding off. He was too happy to move. He just barely managed to keep his hand going through Kieran's hair, since he could feel how much Kieran liked that. Just before he lost even that volition, he remembered one more thing he wanted to say. "I love you. I love you so much."
Kieran's answer was a faint snore. He hadn't heard. That's all right, Ash thought. Next time I'll say it before he falls asleep. Content in this resolution, he let go of consciousness as well. |
There didn't seem to be much else to say and despite the stickiness, Draco was beginning to nod off, all the emotional pain and physical pleasure of the day catching up with him. He just barely managed to keep his hand going through Harry's hair, since he could feel through their link how much the Gryffindor was enjoying the soothing sensation.
Just before he lost the desire to continue, he gathered his courage to say the one thing he now knew to be true. "I love you," he whispered out. Harry's answer was a faint snore. He hadn't heard. 'Bloody Gryffindor,' Draco thought fondly. 'He'll be lucky if I ever say that again,' he complained softly, knowing that as soon as the right moment appeared again he would tell his dark haired lover exactly how he felt. Content with the world, he gently slipped into the warm embrace of sleep as well. |