Compared to its original version called Infernal Affairs, The Departed was just another average American remake.

As for a story idea, not bad, but I would go another way. Instead of faking betrayal, because it would be hard to make it convincing enough, how about killing some young, not yet marked DE and taking his place? It could be someone using Polyjuice Potion or Tonks. It would add another layer to this story, because the spy would not only ask himself a question - is he is still a good guy or became DE, but - is he even himself after so long in form of another person.

 

This is a plot bunny which I actually plan to start writing soon.
Inspired by all the terribad stories in the TwinWhoLived thread.
My problem was that for various reasons, James and Lily treated Harry horribly compared to his twin. Oftentimes these reasons were facepalm-worthy. So inspiration struck at 1 AM this morning and told me to kill-off the two of them. While I could have them treat the twins equally, I would likely end up with something far too similar to Santi's story. Over the next five minutes, this bunny mutated into something dark and horrible. Also with a female twin (hint hint). Of course, this isn't exactly a butterfly effect fic - I'll be making various major and minor changes to the storyline independently of the influence the twins have. Most importantly, neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort are insane or stupid, and no character in the series is holding the idiot ball. Of course, people make mistakes, but those mistakes are understandable in context.
I want to avoid canon-rehash, so I'll have timeskips and only cover the major scenes until the action starts (probably year 4 or 5). The story will be heavily focused on the twins and their interactions with each other, other characters, and various difficulties they have.
I've finished plotting the story out up to the end of year one, but I'm not sure whether I want to keep horcruxes or not. On one hand, they're a terrible plot device. On the other hand, they're a ready-made plot device. I don't particularly mind indulging my creativity, but I'll still have to figure out a way to make Voldemort survive his death at Godric's Hollow. I'm currently disinclined for him to have horcruxes - either he has to be stupid/insane and hide them in obvious places, or they'll be impossible to find and destroy, and neither are desirable for my story.

So, DLP: I ask for your input.

 

He did do a lot of horrible ritual, so as you said he isn't stupid with these things either. Deviating from the horcruxes he should make a deal with a demon/higher-being/munchkin/mudkip maybe for half of his soul( this come with prize,maybe no positive emotion etc) he gets on chance not to die when he is dieing....

 

So, to rehash: Words. Twin who lived. James and Lily die. One twin is a chick and Harry will fuck her. No horcruxes. You want the story dark and horrible.

If your past posts are anything to go by, the "horrible" shouldn't be hard to manage. A lot will hinge on what you haven't told us, like what these unspecified major changes are and how they affect Harry and his twin. I would mention that it's the asymmetry of treatment of the twins that makes twin-who-lived fics work--and yes, even in The Santi's story (or perhaps, especially in that story). If they're both shoved into the same cupboard, both made to do the same chores, and both bullied similarly early in life, then it sort of defeats the purpose.

 

About TwinWhoLived - I've actually written a story (in Polish) where Harry manipulates the past and because of this he has a twin brother who in the original time line died shortly after their birth. But instead of making them both BWL, I made them both normal boys.

Actually, Harry was BWL, but nobody was aware of this and everyone assumed that it was wards protecting Potters Mansion that killed Dark Lord. From there I made it so that James and Lily weren't really happy couple and ended in separation with Harry standing with his mother and his brother with his father.

Well, it wasn't perfect story, used few cliches and deus ex machina to set this idea up, but to this day I'm rather proud of the Duel Tournament I did in it, because I still haven't seen anything similar attempted in any other HP fic.

 

How 'bout a twin-who-lived piece where the twin (girl, because they're more emotional) is the marked prophecy child while the other (Harry) ends up with the Horcrux. Harry learns that he has to die for his sister to fulfill the prophecy, but she doesn't want him to. Next comes either crack where Harry's complex suicide attempts are constantly foiled or an overly dramatic piece about the love between siblings.

How 'bout a story set in the future where the world is suffering through a major energy crisis to the point where conflicts arise across the world as people fight for resources. Then comes in a mysterious new business that claims to provide cheap, clean energy. Everyone rejoices and the company gets rich and becomes a mega-corporation. Meanwhile, disappearances in the magical world have been increasing. The story is about Harry investigating the situation. Turns out that the company is forcing magical people to use their magic and spin turbines. Ends with awesome fights, espionage, etc. Might have a member of Harry's family disappear for more drama.

 

Why do I have a Final Fantasy flashback?:awesome

 

@Pers:
You haven't told me anything useful. I'm not sure why you think a lack of asymmetrical treatment of the twins is a requirement of the genre - especially given that one of the changes I didn't mention was that neither twin was marked. The story could very easily focus on other things and create conflict without requiring other characters to be retarded. Even with one marked twin, no real universe suddenly has 11-year olds turn into gossip hounds upon encountering the other twin.
This I know from real-life experience of a similar situation. Obviously without the magic part, just the celebrity levels.

 

I wouldn't know; I've only played FFX. Which one are you thinking of?

 

None... Just how you describe the company it looked like Shinra for me.... Epic fight... I think you get it...

 

Give up and take up knitting, instead? :awesome

 

:facepalm

It isn't that terrible, is it?

 

I actually didn't get it 'till I googled Shinra. Wikipedia helped me out more. My idea does have a disturbing coincidence with FFVII. I had never played the game or watched any of the movies, so I knew nothing about it.

My idea actually came more from an old mmorpg, Anarchy Online, where a mega-corporation Omni-Tek is mining something that turns out is destroying the alternate Shadowlands world. (I may not have this exactly correct.)

Doesn't really matter though, I don't expect to ever come up with something truly original.

 

You spent a lot of words saying very little, not even providing a plot bunny, really, which is the whole point of the thread, and then asked for input. I gave it, which amounted to a general observation of these types of stories. Obviously, I can't comment on whatever you have hidden, which basically amounts to your entire story: the essential conflict, who the key characters will be, what the obstacles are, what the narrative hook is, why anyone should care to read it, etc.

This is pretty much like your other posts: post some crap, someone comments, and then you get all argumentative because you didn't hear you what you want. It gets a little tired, man. (Putting you on ignore).

 

My first suggestion would be to split up your wall of text into paragraphs that don't hurt my eyes to look at.

 

Are you serious? I've only ever even argued on the Magic System and WBWL threads, and you decided I'm an argumentative idiot who doesn't listen? It's not like I ignored what you posted here; similarly, I didn't throw the first insult. Which posts of mine have been "horrible" (beyond a couple for review threads, which I didn't even bother to attempt to defend)? What's got your panties in a twist?

 

Well...snap?

On the plot bunny front: I don't think that I've ever seen a humor/crack/parody orientated fic' (on the level of 'Flying without a Broom') that has various female characters fighting/being very catty/bitchy with (with different motivations, etc) one another over Harry and for his affections, without him or anything of the other principle members of the cast (except for maybe Hermione, if she's involved, and the teaching staff who take a detached, amused/neutral view) knowing (and remaining blissfully/very cluelessly unaware to an almost retarded level of the background 'war' for him).

That kind of fic' would be a good opening for quite a few of the 'background'/less important characters (such as Lavender, Susan, cliche!Daphne etc) to be fleshed out a tad for our amusement. Heck, throw in some more prominent female cast members (eg, Fleur, Tonks etc) just for the lulz.

Edit: could be a piss take on the whole straight!male veela thing?

 

He never even said that. :|

 

Close enough.

 

Not really. He said you get argumentative. Which you've proven quite well in this thread. :?