Why would she even presume herself close enough to Harry at that point in time to even dare to ask?

 

Hey, that does sound like a good start for a story! In the hands of a decent writer that could turn out in a nice story.

 

Sounds to me like a cliched plot-device. Or maybe I'm just jaded and cynical.

 

Like they say, when the wine turns bitter, it's not the wine, it is you.

 

You mean the part that I quoted? I don't know about it being cliched, I haven't raed anything like that before. It all depends on how story continues from the point when Harry realises he's been fooled his entired life. There is a whole mine field of cliches.

 

Aye, I guess the idea could very well go into cliched territory. However, I haven't really read anything along these lines that involves Fleur. So to me at least, it would not be cliched.

And err...I am sorry stalicon but that is just stupid. Why wouldn't she ask? Why would Fudge have Crouch Jr. Kissed without questioning him first? You do remember that this is the wizarding world right? Commen Sense and Logic are not very important here. Plus it is a hypothetical plot for a fanfiction...


Ok, yea. Corrected the spelling there. If it makes you feel any better, I did bang my head on the table a few times for making that mistake.

 

You infidel!! It is spelled Fleur as in ''Flower" in French. All jokes aside, the biggest obstacle for a Harry/Fleur story is breaking the ice. The two know each other, but not well enough to talk to each other, send love letters etc etc.

The first step needs to be an event that brings the two closer toghether. I am afraid to say Fleur would not write to Harry before Ootp to ask about Gringotts. Perhaps it could be done, but I hold my reserves.

 

Your probably right. However, what is the difference between writing a letter to someone about something like that and calling a female you barely know and seeing if she is intrested in going on a date? Err..got to break the ice somehow, right.

Truthfully, though, I do agree with you. It's just that I really don't see many other ways to actually get them to talking without involving Bill or something.

 

Drajjen,

It would be kind of hard for Fleur to be a "Pureblooded" princess.

While the ideas aren't bad, I tend to dislike the fannon cliches that have popped up over time such as Harry being richer than Bill Gates.

This is just personal opinion, but I tend to prefer that things stick to what we know of PS ~ DH. For AUs, it's fine to deviate from the plot, but I'm wary of introducing non-canon items, or changing how the world works.

 

The thing is, it's not that hard to believe anyone in the magical world to be richer than Bill Gates. Just think about how easy it'd be to rob a bank with imperio?

Hell, now I'm starting to wonder why the Weasley don't get of their lazy butts and get their money from the muggles. It ain't that hard.

 

There are several reasons for that.

One, the Weasleys are inept creatures, and not even JKR's propaganda about Molly killing Bella will convince me otherwise. Bellatrix is alive somewhere, plotting the rise of the Dark Arts once more.

Two, there are probably Ministry regulations against such things, and it would be slightly hard to explain how Arthur got his hands on several million pounds when he went to the Exchange counter.

 

Alright, I've got a small plan for mine. It's still very rough, and could use some fine tuning.

It starts off in the week before the Yule Ball. Fleur, as we know, is going with Roger Davis. Fleur wants the ball to be perfect, as she's involved, and anything she's involved can't be less then perfect (OK, at the start of mine, Fleur is also a stuck up bitch). So of course, she needs to make sure Davis knows how to dance.

Fleur tries to practice dancing with Davis, but he keeps using as a chance to cop a feal or look down her shirt. She can't have that. After all, if she's going to let anyone do that, she's going to say when and how. In her mind, Fleur is going to be in charge of any relationship she's invovlved in, and that's that. So Fleur dumps Davis.

Davis is now highly pissed. First, he's been dumped by the hottest girl he's ever seen. Second, he is supposed to be the popular Ravenclaw Quiddich captain and can't go stag to the dance. So he goes up to the next reasonably attractive girl he sees and asks her out. The girl happens to be Padma, who says yes on a reflex.

Now Ron doesn't have a date. Harry, fealing that he could try to get another date and that he doesn't want to strain his and Ron's friendship anymore, asks Parvati to go with Ron. She's not happy about it, but when he asks as a favor to him, she reluctantly agrees. Now, though, Harry's dateless, and there's no one else for him to take.

Fleur, meanwhile, has been systemactically going through the boys of the three schools, and finds that Harry is available. With thoughts of papers singing her praises for 'putting aside any differences she might have with other, illegally entered, champions', she goes up and informs Harry in no uncertain terms that he will be taking her to the ball.

Harry, strapped for options, agrees. They go to the ball together, and spend the entire evening sniping at each other. Eventually, Fleur notices Harry staring at Cho and makes a few remarks that pretty much say that Harry could have just used his money, fame, and power to sweep her off her feet, screw her, and leave her. Harry replies with statements akin to calling her a heartless bitch, and leaves.

After that, it gets kinda hazy. I'm thinking of the two having more meetings in halls that end in insults, followed by them both ranting about how insuferable the other is. Finally the more mature one, probably Harry, goes over and apologizes. The other accepts it, and they start to get on better terms.

Right now, the two aren't friends, let alone lovers, but it would evolve slowly over the course of the rest of the tournament. Fleur could help Harry think of things to use in the Second Task, and Harry could help Fleur get further then the grindelows.

The friendship, of course, causes problems. Problems with Ron, who still has a thing for Fleur. Problems with Hermione, who is just extremly jealous and feels pathetic next to Fleur. Problems with Ginny, who... I just don't like. Oh, and she still has a thing for Harry.

That's the beginning of the outline I have. Any thoughts?

BTW, this is my longest post ever on this forum.

 

I'd get rid any ideas you have about them helping each other in the tournament, it is after all a fairly big thing and they are for all intents and purposes, enemies.

Apart from that it's not bad, having them dislike each other rather than suddenly deciding how great the other is could be interesting to read about.

The second task could be the turning point, keep it the same as cannon, and have it so that even though Harry still dislikes Fleur a great deal at this point he still stays behind to make sure all the captives get away and rescues Gabrielle.

After that they start getting along a bit better, Fleur becomes a bit less bitchy, he just saved her sister after all. Perhaps Gabrielle develops a case of hero worship starts following Harry about asking questions etc etc and through her Harry hears more about Fleur what she's like in private (if she's any better with her family).

 

It is a solid idea to get them toghether.

What I would work upon/suggest:

Give Fleur's characters some more background, such as what her father does, what position does she have back in France etc. Try to create an enjoyable character while maintaining the haughty style that I personally enjoy.

Be very careful with the writing:

'arry I despise you! must not turn into 'arry moi, I 'espizzze youe

In my story, which I will post a teaser soon, Fleur is old enough to have learned solid English pronunciation and I will steer clear of frenchizing her words. In your case, I would recommend asking a French person for advice.

Expand a bit on the action of the fic. How is the Harry/Fleur added interaction change the plot? How do others react? etc etc.

Good luck by the way, and congratulations upon being the first to post something. I look forward to seeing your chapter 1 on FFN or in Work by Author.

To the rest (myself included): we'd better start bringing up the Pulses soon if we are to meet the 20,000 word mark by 2008.

 

Some (probably stupid) thoughts on where this could go:

Have Roger just ask Pavarti straight out--she's the prettier of the twins. Esp. if Pavarti knows Harry can't dance anyway, so she knows she's in for a wretched night. (Besides, a brilliant Padma could be a bit too intimidating for the womanizing Roger). Stealing Harry's date a few days before the Yule Ball is rather tasty payback for Harry's having handed him his tail in Quiddich the past years. Can you say vindictive?

Ron and Harry just aren't that chummy yet--they are still cool to each other and they are in "truce" mode by xmas, so no way Harry helps him out by "giving" Ron his date. Though Ron could attempt convincing a fiercely independent Padma to go with Harry (part of Ron's trying to make amends, if clumsily), which results in both being dateless.

Harry asks Fleur, who reflexively, and mockingly, turns him down (she eventually attends with a Slytherin 7th year). In desperation, Harry asks one of Ginny's friends, a 3rd year, the day prior to the ball. Fleur scoffs at the "Leetle boy and his, what's ze word, prepubescent date and her silly robes," pats him on the head like he's a child, and escalates the tension between the two. A few more verbal snipes between the two at the dance and the days following the holiday, and eventually Harry's had enough. He pulls her aside for a fierce tete-a-tete in an abandoned classroom. Nasty insults are hurled, wands draw, spells fly, Fleur realizes that, though she is much more experienced magically, Harry is stronger magically and has more innate talent. Harry realizes that she's more than a pretty face and a repertoire of charm spells. They fight to a near draw (she beats him in the end), which earns mutual respect, if only for each others' talents. Rita espies the whole thing and plays it up in a highly embellished Daily Prophet piece.

More cold exchanges between the two, but with an undertone of grudging, though growing respect (set against growing alienation from Hermoine and renewed jealousy from Ron). After the 2nd task, Harry's and Fleur's relationship officially starts, though slowly. In the competition, they are fierce competitors. Off the pitch, they share a friendship that develops slowly into a quiet courtship after the tournament "monkey" is off each others' backs. This segues into "open water" for all sorts of pre-fifth-year possibilities.

 

It's been a while since I read GoF but I'm pretty sure Harry left getting a date pretty late. Fleur on the other hand seems like the type to have everything for a Ball sorted out quite a bit in advance. So perhaps Fleur is able to dump Davis and ask Harry before he even asks Parvati, and Harry seeing an easy solution to one of his many problems says yes.

This also leaves the story open for an interesting sub-plot with Ron as he's now the only one without a date and he and Harry might not be on the best terms again yet after his betrayal.

*EDIT*

At that point in time Harry would have no reason to ask Fleur in the first place. So it would be a rather cheap way of starting a story.

Also perspicacity, you have to remember that despite Harrys constant claims to being 'Just Harry' he is in fact the boy who lived, so it's quite probable that a large portion of the Hogwarts females if asked would dump their date for the chance to go with Harry. Harry wouldn't even have to know they were already going with someone, he asks, they say yes without even telling him they'd need to dump someone.

So odds of him needing to settle for a third year are fairly slim.

 

Perhaps. But he's also a shy, brooding 14 year old who can't dance and was stranded a few days before the ball. And he's now been turned down by three ladies, enough to shake confidence in even the most intrepid of manslags. He could be lamenting his situation in the common room, be overheard by Ginny, and have a date offered to him as an easy-out. Given his situation, he might opt for a "sure thing" over trying his luck with fickle fame in an ordeal he doesn't even wish to attend.

 

Wouldn't Ginny jump at the opportunity and offer herself as a date though? I don't see her altruistically passing one of her colleagues when she can wrap her ninth hand robes around Harry.

 

True, I threw that in more as an afterthought, the biggest problem I can see with your idea is I just can't see Harry asking Fleur; it's too much of a jump.

Remember at the time of the Ball all Harry knew of Fleur was that she's 1/4 Veela (wand weighing) and that she insulted him after his name came out of the goblet of fire, not exactly great reasons for him to ask her to the Ball. As far as I remember he’s never even spoken to her he didn’t even reply to her ‘little boy’ insult.

I just don’t see any reason why he’d ask her, it’s far more likely he’d ask a Gryffindor maybe one of the chasers failing that all their classes can’t be with Slytherin so that opens up the other houses 4th years.

 

You're completely right. No way Harry would ever work up the nerve to ask her. Perhaps she passes by the trio while Harry angsts, Ron or someone suggests he ask her loudly enough for her to overhear, make eye contact with Harry, and turns and scoffs, "As if." I had only put that in as an admittedly lame device to start the two off with more tension and distance.

Correct me if I'm wrong (it's been awhile since I read GoF), but hadn't Ron already offered Ginny up to Harry as a possible date, only to find that she was going with Neville? So she already had a chance to jump ship for Harry.