|
Challenges
Summary: Harry has always dreamed of a family that would love him but knows his only relatives are the Dursleys or are they? James and Lily both had other siblings, Lily and Petunia's sibling is someone that even Petunia fears and doesn't trust, yet she doesn't want her nephew either. Sometime before Hogwarts to his third year, Harry runs away and goes missing. Naturally this sends Dumbledore/the Order/his friends (if having started Hogwarts) into a panic and they begin searching for their savior. Harry eventually comes across one of these estranged aunts or uncles and they take him in only to find out how their nephew has been treated and vow to protect him from any who would seek to harm one of their blood.
Requirements:
- Potters must still have died Halloween 1981
- Takes place Pre-Hogwarts (9-10 minimum) to 3rd Year (13)
- James and Lily must have siblings that the Marauders don't talk about, somehow Severus knows of these siblings and becomes concerned enough to try to look for Harry
- The new family member becomes Harry's permanent and legal guardian (magical & muggle), throwing a wrench into Dumbledore's plans
- Dumbledore must protest Harry being with this aunt or uncle and their family as well as Sirius and Remus if it takes place third year
- Harry must go to another school (one of the known wizarding schools) for at least 2 years
- Harry must be helped in Muggle schooling in addition to his wizarding education
- Must be Gen fic until his fifteenth birthday, then dating can happen
- Severus, when he learns the truth, must feature prominently in the story somehow (he either transfers to the new school, takes Harry under his wing as a mentor/apprentice relationship, etc.)
- Harry has cousins, more aunts and uncles through marriage
- Harry becomes better at his studies/Smart Harry
- If taking place in Harry's 1st or 2nd years Harry must be affected somehow by the Basilisk and/or "killing" Quirrel
- Gradual progression of magical power (Harry cannot become powerful overnight or because of an inheritance/horcrux being removed.)
Optional:
- Harry's new school is represented in the Triwizard Tournament
- Exploring other cultures; Muggle and Magical.
- Sirius and Remus fighting to get custody of Harry which leads to kidnapping him
- Harry having no more than two wives (one for Potter, one for Peverell)
- Harry gets a new wand & gets his eyesight fixed
- Harry inherits a forgotten magic from the Peverell bloodline
- Creature Inheritance (werewolves, vampires, veela, dragon, nekomata, kitsune, naga are forbidden)
- Harry is an animagus (limited to 1 animal form)
- Severus is an animagus and is injured when finding Harry, leading Harry to take care of the poor creature and giving Snape insight into Harry's change in life (both before at the Dursleys and now with his other family)
- Harry has a sister (blood or half) that is a Maledictus
- Snape and Harry have the same Muggle hobby or hobbies
Forbidden:
- Harry being Snape's son or adopted by him
- Heir to Black fortune, only Potter & Peverell
- Harry being given custody to Sirius (Remus is out since he's a werewolf)
- Harry being heir to the founders, Merlin/Morgana/Mordred/several other titles (Muggle or Magical)
- OP/Godlike Harry
- Slash
- Harems
- Conquest lordships
- Ginny/Harry, Harry/Hermione, Harry/Daphne, Harry/Luna, Harry/Fleur, Harry/Tonks, Harry/Susan; must be an OC (Magical, Muggle or Squib) or someone that is a background canon character
- mpreg
- Soul Bonds
- If Voldemort is resurrected, Harry's power being "love" that defeats Voldemort. It must be something else.
- Potters coming back to life
- Harry's Parseltongue being a result of Harry being a Horcrux
- Snake Animagus/Snake Patronus
- Multiple Animagus forms
- Multiple Patronuses
- Magical animagus, must be a mundane creature and reflects his personality
Bonus If:
- You show how Harry's former professors at Hogwarts react to Harry living with these black sheep
- Harry developing an intellectual rivalry with Hermione and someone at his new school
- Harry does not easily accept the guardianship and acts rebellious like any normal teenager
- Harry developing a Muggle hobby or two in his spare time
- Harry's reactions to having a normal couple years and not having to worry about his fame for being the "BWL" because that only matters in the UK. Nobody else really cares.
- Over-Protective family of Harry and Snape if he joins in with the family in keeping Harry's whereabouts a secret
- Harry getting a Muggle pet
- Harry getting a job in the Muggle world during his school years (could be how Snape or even Sirius & Remus find him)
- Harry traveling the world, whether to visit family in different countries or just learning new forms of magic and how other people live
- Harry has the horcrux/scar removed and fixed
- The Horcrux affects Harry in some way (drains his magic, makes him prone to acting out/causing mischief, etc.)
- Harry's patronus (if in 3rd year) changes from a stag to another animal
- One of the wizarding schools Harry goes to is something aside from Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons or Durmstrang
Summary: Harry’s life at the Dursleys is bad enough that his magic is so used to keeping him alive that when he gets to Hogwarts his magic is noticeably weaker than other students, or completely ineffective. Harry is considered a disappointment and a freak by many people who had thought he would be a hero and powerful because he ‘vanquished’ Voldemort. Snape never had any illusions about Harry being a hero and thus is in a unique position to realize that the boy’s magic is being almost completely spent on protecting Harry from harm. As Snape confronts his own issues regarding Harry Potter, will he be able to help the first year heal from trauma? Will Harry’s magic ever return to normal?
Summary: Harry is so unused to being treated kindly that he doesn’t even bother to question Snape’s dislike of him and insults/bullying from Slytherins and/or Malfoy. He can still be friends with Ron and Hermione, but he must secretly think that they A. wouldn’t really like him if they knew more about him, and/or B. that they will reject him for other friends later on. Snape should be the first to realize that Harry isn’t phased by his insults and begins to investigate things. He should have to reevaluate his opinions on Harry and at some point in the story apologize directly to Harry. I’d really like to see Hermione and Ron be supportive of Harry and Harry slowly realize that he does deserve friendship and kindness, though it’s entirely up to you how big of a role Harry’s friends play in the story. I do want Snape to have a big role and become a mentor/guardian/parent to Harry eventually.
Summary: Write a story where Harry has nyctophobia (fear of the dark) or strongly dislikes being in small dark places because of being in the cupboard for weeks on end at the Dursleys. Snape must discover this and try to help Harry.
Summary: Professor Snape teaches something other than Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Option 1: When 1st-year Harry arrives at Hogwarts, this has always been Snape's subject of teaching.
Option 2: Harry starts a new year at Hogwarts and it's announced that Snape is now teaching that subject instead of Potions.
Rules:
- Must be in-character.
- Keep Snape's skills/experience intact. Whichever subject he's teaching must be something that makes sense for the skills and knowledge he has - such as Herbology. You can adjust them if necessary, but don't give him entirely new skills or remove canon ones to justify which class he teaches. Headcanons and interpretations of his canon skills or potential are allowed.
- Harry must take the class (such as, if it's an elective like Care of Magical Creatures than Harry should at least be in 3rd year).
- Minimum of a few chapters. However, this challenge does not need to be the focus of the story itself (it can be - but that's optional) just a prominent aspect. If you want to combine this with other challenges or plots, go for it.
- Snape is still Head of Slytherin.
- Harry should attend the class often throughout the story - not just once or twice shown and that's it.
It's up to you if Snape chose to teach this subject and enjoys it, or not. And how Harry performs in this class, based on his own skills and/or Snape's teaching methods - and does he therefore do better/worst in Potions with someone else teaching it? What about Neville? Snape can still brew potions in his spare time and have his own storage cupboard, as well as give Harry Potions advice. There's a lot of potential for different interpretations and character interactions here so have fun!
Summary: Something happens (you choose what and how but make it plausible), and Severus ends up in an alternate timeline or universe. The timeline he left was one in which he had adopted Harry (you choose how long he had had custody of Harry) and they had a loving relationship. The timeline he finds himself in is the one we know and love from canon. He finds himself in a timeline where he and Harry are bitter enemies. Severus can't find a way back and he can't reconcile himself to leave his relationship with Harry as it is in this new timeline. He also can't watch the Harry of this timeline continue down the self-destructive path he's on without a parent because he loves him too much.
Rules:
1. Make it plausible.
2. Make it realistic. No rushed relationships.
3. Keep Snape and Harry in character. I hate reading stories where their dialogue is unrealistic for their characters and when they do things their characters just wouldn't do.
4. No slash.
Other thoughts:
Snape probably tells Dumbledore at some point what's happened and where he came from as that would just make things easier (and actually more interesting as Dumbledore probably finds the concept of Snape having adopted Harry in any universe an interesting one).
Preferably I'd like to see a story in which Snape does not return to his original timeline and doesn't think overmuch on 'his' original Harry. Maybe something happened and the other timeline was actually destroyed, so 'his' Harry isn't left wanting for his father in another time and place. I also think it would be more interesting (although it's up to you) to have Harry be 13, 14, or 15, so he's a teen and his personality is already set. I can't see it being all that interesting with a younger Harry and if Harry is older that doesn't leave Harry any room at all to see how having Snape as a father figure would be beneficial as he'd be almost an adult by wizarding standards. All other details up to you. I'd love to see multiple entries for this challenge.
Summary: Write a story involving Severus dancing. Any kind of dancing. Not because of any kind of magic, but because he actually wants to.
Summary: An abused Harry discovers there are house-elves, and that these creatures do all the cooking and cleaning. Since Harry had been treated as one for as long as he could remember he decides to join them in their duties.
I would really like it if Harry starts living with the house-elves and refuses to go back to his dorm.
Summary: Au with implements from His Dark Materials. Every witch and wizard is born with a Daemon, a physical manifestation of your soul in animal form. Harry is no exception to this, but his Daemon is a bit...odd. Of course, chaos ensues.
Summary: What if Harry isn't James and Lily's child, but James and Severus'? Bonus if Sev is Harry's "mom".
|
