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Post-Hogwarts: Can it Work?

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by Skeletaure, Feb 24, 2011.

  1. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Recently I've been seriously craving a fic in which Harry is a healer.

    So far as I am aware, there is no (good) fic where this is the case.

    It got me thinking about why this might be so. The problem is, I think, a problem with post-Hogwarts fics in general. They just don't seem to work very well.

    There seem to be 2 cases where post-Hogwarts fics work:

    1. Crossovers, where Harry goes to another universe.

    2. Fics that stretch out the Voldemort conflict to extend it beyond Harry's 7 years at school.

    The real problem, I think, are post-Hogwarts stories in which Harry lacks a good villain. In (1) he gets the villain of whatever fandom he's gone to. In (2) he has Voldemort.

    A good story needs conflict, but in a post-Hogwarts post-Voldemort fic the big time villain has already been defeated.

    A post-Hogwarts fic therefore seems to create conflict 1 of 2 ways: either it brings Voldemort back (cheap and I've never read one that worked) or have some other villain. But having a different villain doesn't seem to work either, as they invariably feel like no big deal after Voldemort, and we expect them to be defeated with little effort.

    So, my question to you: how do you think conflict might be generated in a post-Voldemort fic? Or is it not possible?

    (I suppose you can have political conflict, or romantic conflict, or psychological conflict. But I think these are fairly niche offerings.)
     
  2. iLost

    iLost Minister of Magic

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    A villain from the past maybe? Maybe Grindelwald had a horcrux and was not killed that night, and comes back into the world.

    Or, as I had thought to do at one point, was have one of Harry's children turn into the the Dark Lord via a little help from the shade of Grindelwald. I posted some of the idea somewhere in the plot-bunny thread.

    You could go the route and make it more fantastical. Would could be worse than Voldemort? Maybe something otherworldly emerging from the Veil. (I guess that would be an x-over with an original idea.)

    I think it could be done with some pretty creative ideas, though I don't think it would be easy to be pulled off.
     
  3. Jormungandr

    Jormungandr Prisoner

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    Well, we know that canonically Harry eventually goes on to be head of the Auror dep', and has 2.4 kids with Ginny.

    But after that and '19 Years Later', we don't actually know anything, and JKRowling hasn't mentioned anything past that point in time; Harry's family could get killed, and he could descend into madness as a result.

    Hell, he could even begin an affair with Hermione, Fleur or Luna.

    And that's only if an author stuck with the 19 Years Later garbage; if you believe in the multi-verse theory, there could be a parallel universe where Harry did decide to go back to Hogwarts for his 7th and final year, or where he never got back together with Ginny after the War.

    Either of those examples would result in butterfly effects that would drastically change the future that would of resulted in '19 Years Later'.

    Hell, he could of decided to keep the Hallows/find them once again, and be driven mad as a result of it, or could decide to leave and live his life in solitude like a Merlin/Monk cross, with the people he knows traveling to try and find him.

    There could be a chance for Voldemort to come back in some form or another, but would it really be worth it? His flayed and...well, ruined soul (or what's left of it) is in limbo, so what would happen if the Master of Death, or if he/she who has the 'Stone used it to try and bring him back? Would it work, or would it fail since Voldemort hasn't passed on to the afterlife?

    And then there's the Veil; not much is known about it, aside from that it's a one-way entrance/ticket to the Realm of the Dead, and its insta-death by touching it; could something come out of the apparent 'one way' opening? Who made it? A god/goddess? Powerful wizards/witches? Merlin? Morgana? The Tooth Fairy?

    Honestly, I think a new antagonist would be best, but trying to bring up a new/old character as an 'up-and-coming Dark Lord' would pretty much fail due to the changes in the Wizarding World post-Voldemort, and with Harry's presence. It'd also be fairly boring to read, if handled wrongly.

    Then there's Harry himself; his known Destiny/role is over. The Prophecy has been fulfilled, and he no longer has a mortal enemy, nor any dreams linked because of it.

    Using a member of his family (eg, son or daughter) could work, but who would want to read about an adventure of Albus Severus Potter that roughly mirrored his father's seven year saga with a new antagonist? :facepalm

    One idea that I did have is the result of two things:

    That a divine entity (such as one of the old Celtic gods/goddesses or even Death itself) decided to toss a coin and if it landed on Heads, it'd interfere with Harry/'The Master of Death's' life once again, but if it landed on Tails, he/she/it'd do nothing and let life continue on as normal (leading to the canon 19 Years Later crap). Although that would be an original element, it'd still be ambiguous, meaning that there's nothing in canon to contract that choice if it had existed, unlike an extreme change such as making Malfoy Harry's brother, or some crap like that.

    That being the Master of Death -no matter how short a time- gave Harry the potential of being shoved into the 'shadows between the realms of Death and of Life', and of being naturally inclined with necromancy/death, that is 'kicked in' when the above mentioned influence makes the choice. Again, nothing in canon to contradict this, as it would just be like an unseen 'road not taken'.

    Being naturally inclined with death magic/Necromancy would basically and fairly slowly curse him with not being able to either sleep nor eat, and with his most basic spells being tainted/changed in some way.

    (For example, a cutting charm cast from his wand wouldn't cause the spell to impact and thus cut a block of wood, but actually neatly 'rot it'; the end result would be similar to a cutting charm result. Another example would Harry casting a charm that would clean the air of a place; instead of fresh smelling, the -albeit still breathable- air would smell/taste dead and stale, and possibly stink of rot/decay).

    The eventual effects would wreck any relationships that he had, and turn people in general against him for being 'Dark'.
     
  4. Remmy

    Remmy Fourth Year

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    I would actually like to see a decent romance involving Harry/OC as a focus and Harry being conflicted because he still loves Ginny too. Some angst, but a lot of madness and conflict born from Harry's love for Ginny but his inexplicable attraction for OC driving a wedge between the happy couple. Hell, the OC could be anyone so long as she's a crazy enough bitch to want to take Harry 'all for herself', so that meant bye-bye Gin-Gin. A lot like The Game Is Afoot except Harry isn't a saint. Btw, will that fic ever have a sequel written?

    On a more fantastical scale, what I would really love to see would be the daemons from Hell emerging from beyond the Veil to specifically torment Harry. The puzzlebox story by Ruskbyte I think it was, I can't remember the name. It would be an amazing horror story and create all sorts of conflict because Harry is the Master of Death so he can't be taken, but can still be tormented.

    But if its anything involving the brats of the future having their own 7-year-madness at Hogwarts, I would hit the back button. Unless one of them becomes the nest Dark Lord, or follows in the footsteps of the next Dark Lord or some such.
     
  5. wordhammer

    wordhammer Dark Lord DLP Supporter

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    I think Post-Hogwarts stories are very do-able, but not by the general fandom. This is a job for DLP.

    It's true, a good story needs conflict, but it also is about change. When last we left Harry (ignoring the epilogue, since we're dumping that in all but the most constrained attempts at canon-compliancy), he was very surprisingly alive. He wasn't prepared for adulthood, and his world is not 'all well'. The next story would be for Harry to discover his place in the world. It would require that the writer have a world where Harry has a purpose.

    The story itself can show the growth of Harry from a teenage fairytale perspective of good vs. bad into the much murkier waters of politics, compromise and accepting that you can't destroy evil; it's a force of human nature that at best can be monitored, managed and handled when it tries to grow out of control.

    I had a plot bunny around here somewhere...

    'Victory Plus One' OR 'Five Letters'

    One year has passed since the final defeat of Tom Riddle, known as the Dark Lord Voldemort.
    Celebrations subsided and restoration in swing, Harry takes a look around for a happy ending and realises that Hell has a fresh coat of paint.

    Severus Snape survived the bite of Nagini and returns to run Hogwarts as the last officially inducted Headmaster. The board of governors led by the 'redeemed' Malfoy family block any change in leadership, citing an old rule that prevents the naming of a new Headmaster unless the current one dies, steps down or is removed for cause. As Snape has been hailed as a heroic spy who lived constantly with the threat of death beneath the gaze of a madman, his character and actions during his first year of tenure are not subject to review.

    Hermione finds herself in a contentious relationship with Ron Weasley, but seems to be holding back her moralizing tongue a little more every day.

    Ginny raced to return to Harry's arms, but his overall depression from the culmination of his struggles has left her speaking for him more than to him. Their 'love' was consummated in an embarrassing fumble that left Harry humiliated from his own performance and with deep suspicions over Ginny's obvious skill.

    Draco has spent the year in fierce focus on gaining a Potions Mastery with the aid of his godfather, and now stands to be named the youngest new teacher in the history of Hogwarts.

    Luna finds herself swept away by the maddening crowd to land alone once more, her father a shell of his former self.

    Kingsley Shacklebolt is close to being ousted as Minister so that he can take the blame for all the costs and hardship the Ministry has shouldered since Voldemort's fall.

    Sitting in Harry's hands are five letters.

    An offer to try out for a spot as Seeker for Puddlemere United

    An offer to take the position of instructor for Defense Against the Dark Arts

    An offer to join the Auror Corps as part of the 'bootstrap initiative'

    A contract of Marriage from Arthur Weasley for the hand of Ginevra Molly Weasley.

    A letter from Luna, asking Harry if he could bring the Hallows to the Lovegood home, in hopes that it will energize her father's failing health.

    Trouble part 2:
    Harry, finding himself in the need of advice, returns to the Forbidden Forest and Summons the resurrection stone- without success. Someone else has it
    Returning to the school Harry visits Dumbledore's grave and realizes that it has been opened since last he visited- the wand has been replaced
    The previous year's DADA instructor dies over the summer, leaving the position open and the belief that Riddle's curse on the position remains in effect.

    Snape engages Harry in a 'friendly duel' to verify his readiness to take the DADA position and Snape hands him his arse (defeating him and taking control of the Elder Wand); he's hired anyway

    Draco and Snape are hoping to trap Harry at the school rather than leave him politically active, and even better if the curse kills him in the following year (since nothing else seems to be able to do it- Riddle may be the only one who could have, and this is his last gasp).

    Harry's existence is no longer cursed by the original prophecy- he can live and thrive now. Too bad Albus left him with no ability to do that- his life is defined by conflict and he has no ambitions aside from finding a girl he can trust with whom to build a family. There are NO candidates- Ginny is 'handling' him and was not loyal, Hermione's brain is being leeched out by Ron following betrothal traditions (he may be under floating-brain influence), and Luna is as unhinged as ever (possibly from tampering by interested parties hoping to destroy the Quibbler's fragile legitimacy).

    Susan, Padma, the Chasers- they are all trying to piece together the remains of their lives damaged by Riddles rise.

    Who will help Harry?

    Andromeda Black, please step forward.

    With her husband and daughter dead and her grandchild parent-less except for the lost-seeming Boy-Who-Lived, Andi has to re-engage the world she had left behind.

    (This isn't meant for Harry/Andi as a pairing; he needs a mentor for the next stage in his life.)
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2011
  6. Dr_Orpheus

    Dr_Orpheus First Year

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    The biggest problem with political stories is that it requires a major AU change of character for Harry to have a chance of not drowning in that sea of muck. While Voldemort's death failing to improve things much is very believable, Harry being able to do anything about it is much harder to swallow.

    We know how easily the populous can be turned against him. The "Daily Prophet" could start a smear campaign by discovering (thanks to the Malfoy family) that Voldemort's real identity is an abused half-blood orphan named Thomas Riddle. The paper could then describe similarities in Harry's upbringing and imply that this could lead him to become the next Dark Lord. I'm sure many of Harry's contemporaries at Hogwarts who come from "respectable" families would be willing to put in their two knuts about how dangerous Potter is.

    Harry is a mediocre wizard with no political skills and a long list of enemies. Hardcore Voldemort supporters (many of whom avoided prison) would want vengeance, members of the Ministry will want to silence a threat to the status quo, and wouldbe Dark Lords (including plenty outside of the UK) will desire to make a name for themselves. Realistically the smartest and thing Harry can do post-Voldemort is run away before he gets killed or imprisoned.

    I'm not saying it is impossible to write a good post-Voldemort political story, but it would require a skilled author to pull it off. Given the level of corruption seen in the British Ministry of Magic, it would appear that only a violent revolution would have any chance of improving things. Unfortunately, revolutions often end up creating new bosses that are just as bad as the old bosses.
     
  7. Sesc

    Sesc Slytherin at Heart Moderator

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    ... lots of TL;DR when the simple answer is that Post-Hogwarts stories obviously work, because there are Post-Hogwarts stories, q.e.d. It's like asking if electric light works :|

    I dunno, I kinda fail to see the sense here, Taure. I don't see what Healer!Harry working or not working has got to do with Post-Hogwarts stories in general working or not working; and even the latter breaks down at your premise, which is that Post-Hogwarts stories need a big bad villain at all. Since when is that the only way to write a story? It's not even true for the majority of actual books.

    You almost realised that yourself:

    Yes, and those aren't niches, those are what makes up 90% of all post-Hogwarts stories. Why wouldn't that count? :confused:
     
  8. Portus

    Portus Heir

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    Actually, I've read more than a couple post-Hogwarts fics that (a) didn't suck and (b) more or less fit what you're talking about. In fact, post-Hogwarts fics are my preferred type of fic.

    I agree that the Achilles heel of these stories is the difficulty in establishing suitable conflict, but I think the reasons are not that an OC villain is less imposing than Voldemort, because let's face it, Voldemort was, in the end, not even remotely as bad-ass as he /should/ have been. The problem is that Voldemort is the /known/ villain, the Big Bad that we're used to and most comfortable with as far as HP fandom goes. It takes a lot of work and set-up to establish any antagonist other than LV, and even then there're no guarantees.

    So, some of my favorite post-Hogwarts fics are
    As Yet Untitled by bellerophon30 (DH-compliant w/o epilogue)
    After the End by Arabella and Zsenya (Sugar Quill on FFN)
    Breach of Contract by our own MattSilver3k
    The Golden Age by Arsinoe de Blassenville (epilogue-compliant!)

    There are others I'm forgetting, and I know I've seen at least one Healer!Harry that I thought didn't suck /at the time/.

    Huh. Looking over my list, the post-Hogwarts genre /is/ a bit sparse, at least if you're looking for quality. Perhaps that genre could be one of the DLP Monthly Challenges?

    If I can ever buckle down and write more than a few scenes (I've only managed to write fun ones thus far. Imagine that.) of the story I've been planning and plotting for well over a year, I hope to present a post-DH story with a set of believable antagonists. <fingers crossed>
     
  9. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Because they're all shit, just like all those other post-Hogwarts fics you like :p
     
  10. Nae

    Nae The Violent

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    This so reminds me of the time I thought supernatural was a goner after Lucifer had come and gone.

    As you say, a good story needs conflict. But it doesn't necessarily means it needs villians. Apart from the resonance series (which isn't canon compliant), I've yet to read a story in which Harry's Auror training is shown extremely well.

    It could simply be like a monster of the week episode(Harry and company going all over the place battling the remaining force of the death eaters, and several tyrants now looking to fill the void left by the dark lord. The creatures like Giants and Werewolves are still loose, etc), with a bigger story arc in the background(no idea what that could be, but doesn't have to have a villian). You could try that. The action would be awesome if done well.
     
  11. Silens Cursor

    Silens Cursor The Silencer DLP Supporter

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    I think this comes down to a fundamental difference in opinion here, namely the treatment of Voldemort as the solitary/only relevant villain in the Harry Potter universe... when, if we go via a canon-interpretation of the character, is really not saying much. In fact, with a canon version of Harry after DH, we're not getting much either.

    Little effort? How about Harry's fight against Voldemort at the end of DH if we want to talk about 'little effort'?

    Let's be honest here, the ending of DH was a copout by Rowling, and Voldemort was defeated because Harry got lucky. In my opinion, it sucked a ton of the dramatic weight from the fight, and even though Voldemort was primed as the 'big-bad', he ultimately went out with no grandeur and no dramatic force.

    Here's my argument, and I know you're going to disagree with this, Taure, because we've argued about it before, but why can't Harry have other, just-as-relevant-as-Voldemort villains to fight? Okay, so Voldemort is dead, prophecy fulfilled, and sure, it took an annoying-as-fuck scavenger hunt to get to that point and Harry had to quasi-sacrifice himself to get to that point - I dunno about you, but I can point to a number of fantasy heroes who have gone through FAR WORSE and still have relevant battles to fight at the end of the run. Although I really hate to mention this series, in the Sword of Truth arc, Richard went through plenty of enemies and evil plots that pushed him to limits far beyond Harry Potter and there was still plenty of dramatic tension with each new obstacle - and in nearly every case, Richard had to sacrifice something and there was nearly ALWAYS prophecy involved.

    But you might say, okay, that's a different series. What can we make work within HP?

    Well, for instance, several of his Death Eaters survived the Battle of Hogwarts, and there is canon evidence that suggests several of these witches and wizards were just as feared as Voldemort at points - and in these cases, Harry doesn't have the fluke connection with Voldemort's wand, making the conflict that much trickier. These enemies are likely to be cagey due to the loss of their leader, and the story does not have to be written as a 'mop-up' action, particularly if the group is skilled or modestly intelligent. I can see ways this can work very well, particularly if this group can fight a way to bring a forgotten army of Inferi once created by Voldemort into play, or harness the Dementors.

    Or let's flip it a different way: in the advent of Kingsley becoming the Minister, he begins guiding the nation towards a path that is detrimental for the country or into war with another wizarding nation. Depending on where Harry stands, you've got a interesting and passable story that can be written here, as he either chooses to fight with Kingsley or stand against him.

    I understand where you're coming from here - in essence, you want the epic quest of Harry's to continue despite the loss of Voldemort, and since you consider him the ineffable 'big-bad', you can't see how to replace him in the conflict, and that you don't really want these factors as major conflict concerns in the story to distract from the HERO'S JOURNEY.

    And you know what? For the most part, I agree with you here, in that while you can frame the plot of the story behind any or all three of these conflicts, but it might not deliver the epic sweep of the story you're looking for.

    But here's my argument - presuming you intend to follow and consider the epilogue canon (which most won't), you still have nineteen years to work with. The Dresden Files have only roughly spanned twelve or thirteen years, and Butcher packed tons of dramatic conflict into each story. Or fine, even considering that James is in second year when the epilogue occurs (and by extension, 12 years old), that still gives you roughly six or seven years to work with. Six or seven years, and that's if you want to work within the constraints of the epilogue!

    Taure, to be honest, I think you need to get past the idea that Voldemort was the one and only enemy for Harry - new enemy forces can rise up and be just as relevant, even if they don't have the prophecy to back them up. They can still test his physical, magical, psychological, and emotional limits and be just as relevant. You just have to be creative - and there's no shortage of creativity on this forum.
     
  12. enembee

    enembee The Nicromancer DLP Supporter

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    Aptly put Silens.
     
  13. Sesc

    Sesc Slytherin at Heart Moderator

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    Well duh, Taure. My answer, then, is to stop looking for your healer!Harry fic: You won't find one that you like, because you don't like Post-Hogwarts stories in general ;)

    /thread


    Or well, to continue Portus' list, with fics I enjoy:

    Amer's Lost Time
    Tinn's The Song of the Trees
    Heather's Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod
    My own stuff

    Something from non DLP-members I liked:
    The Death Gate Trilogy by Kevin Voigt
    Life Outside Quidditch by Black Knight 03, a small variant on your typical Quidditch fic, which is an entire sub-genre of 'Post-Hogwarts'
    Curse Breakers: The Maya by Jonathan Avery


    There's more, even some romance fics I quite liked, and I cbf to dig through my links currently. But I think it gets the point across -- it's kinda the definition of a post-Hogwarts or post-War setting that it doesn't deal with Voldemort, and that the conflict is generated through other means (crime, mystery, political, romance, ... all genres that you can think of, basically); in fact, it's usually the other way round: you want to write/read a story that isn't about Voldemort or his likes, that's why you set it after Canon in the first place. So looking for Canon, only set after Canon, isn't working, yes >_>
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2011
  14. Trig

    Trig Unspeakable

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    Agreed, add Hallows and Pathos and these pretty much my favorite post-Hogwarts fics.

    And although all of these pretty much fit Taure's
    categories, they aren't niche offerings in my opinion. After Voldemort I rather enjoy conflict without a sole, clear cut villain.

    Another post-Hogwarts fic I'd like to read would be a story about international warfare/conflict, either caused by the previous war or something else like the aforementioned divine entities/demons.

    PS: I immensely enjoyed The 100,000 Sons of Maréchal Potter as well.
     
  15. Lyndon Eye

    Lyndon Eye Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

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    Another explanation for the low quality of post-Hogwarts stories is that more than anything, the author needs to be able to write mature, adult characters. I think it takes a mature, adult writer to be able to pull it off.

    The only template canon really gives us is OCD/brainy Hermione, jealous/Quidditch-obsessed Ron, and angsty/Hero Harry. We get glimpses of a more three-dimensional personality throughout the series, but never a complete picture. We don't really know what their hopes and dreams are, what their likes/dislikes are, what their moral views are, what their hobbies are, etc. In short, we really don't know what sort of people they're going to grow into.

    I've read all-too-many stories where adult Harry/Ron/Hermione act very similar to their 4th year versions. Ron still eats too much, gets jealous, and obsesses over Quidditch, the only difference being that he's thirty and has grown a few inches. It's hard to wade through a story like that.

    I think writing realistic characterization and and coming up with an engaging post-DH plot (because face it, no one wants to read about Harry's happy marital life) are the primary challenges for this genre.
     
  16. Rin

    Rin Oberstgruppenführer DLP Supporter

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    So you want a Healer!Harry, and you need some conflict?

    Try a Lorenzo's Oil approach. Albus Severus, at the end of his first-year Winter break comes back to Hogsmede only to see a tired old ruin of a long forgotten castle. His friends have no problem seeing Hogwarts in all her glory, but Albus Severus can't and what's more, the closer he gets to it, the more he just feels the need to walk away and do something else. His friends guide him into the castle and when classes resume, he can't cast the simplest charm where he was once the top of his class. After a few days, he seemed to turn back to normal, but off and on, he'd completely lose the ability to cast spells and it was happening more often than not. Something was turning him into a squib.

    Healers at St. Mungo's say he's got a very rare magical disease that will eventually make him a squib permanently, and that there's nothing they can do.

    Harry refuses to believe it will work and begins researching on his own until he eventually finds the cure. Part of his quest to find a cure involved a healer's apprenticeship and him eventually becoming a master healer.

    For an extra sappy ending, turns out that the cure also works on other squibs because the disease isn't as rare as people think - it just developed in kids at too young an age for anyone to notice. The "rarity" is in fact, post-11-year-old wizards developing it. Not that it's something they catch - it's congenital.
     
  17. Portus

    Portus Heir

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    Fuck me; I can't believe I forgot that one. A cursory glance at my FFN faves is all I did, so I need to make sure H&P is on there.

    I also forgot Song of the Trees?!? Senility is approaching, I guess...

    I'll be honest that I haven't read a lot of the others, however. :eek:
     
  18. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Silens: it's not that Voldemort is the only legitimate villain. While Voldemort is still alive we can have plenty of "side-villains" who exist by virtue of his protection. The problem is Voldemort being defeated.

    Voldemort being defeated means that the good guys > the bad guys. Post-Voldemort, the balance has been tipped. The Ministry is back in power. A post-Voldemort villain must be either:

    1. Nearly as great as, or greater than, Voldemort.

    2. Not as great as Voldemort.

    In the first we're likely to reject the villain outright. I know I do. Wizards of Voldemort's power are meant to be few and far between. Two occuring consecutively is highly unlikely.

    In the second whatever conflict we're going to have is short lived. Hell, Harry doesn't even have to defeat them himself. He can just call the Aurors, who are now once again top dog. And that's discounting the fact that most post-Hogwarts fics are likely to be non-canon compliant (any Healer Harry would have to be) and likely to follow an alternative defeat of Voldemort timeline in which Harry just dicked all over him.

    It seems whatever conflict we're left with is the kind of conflict that can't be solved by just duelling your opponent in to the ground (either yourself, or by law enforcement).

    And that's fine, I suppose. It creates nice little self-contained stories in which the conflict is less obvious. Man vs. self, verbal or idealogical conflict, or romantic tension.

    But as you say, I think I'm just going to be unsatisfied if I want war-like conflict post-Voldemort, given that it seems -

    Wait, no, I just came up with a way to have what I want. We've all been thinking about war-like conflict between a Dark wizard and Harry/The Ministry.

    A way to have a war conflcit without breaking incredulity is international conflict. Britain goes to war with another nation. Conflict of that scale would mean that we shouldn't expect an easy win, but nor are we incredulous that the opposition is powerful. It makes sense that there would be other nations that can rival Britain's power.

    Lol, wait, you already thought of that possibility. Cool beans.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2011
  19. Admonkeystrator

    Admonkeystrator Seventh Year

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    270
    Give healer!harry a Lawful-Good alignment... because it doesn't always mean Lawful-Nice!
    Villain!Healer!Harry.

    Deatheather? Harry's gonna heal the fucking shit out of you, whether you want it or not!
    "Mr Malfoy, it's time for your prostate examination.. now think warm thoughts!"
    "Expeliarmus!"


    But seriously, if you want war like conflict post-voldemort.
    Harry did kinda fuck up Gringotts and "steal" one of their dragons.
    They don't like thieves...
    To me, "Goblin rebellion" seems the go.

    Setting up a time line for it would be tricky though.
    Harry learns all his gold is gone due to goblins
    Harry has to get a job to eat and stuff
    Harry says fuck it, and just grows his own veg...and makes money selling his home grown chronic that's under a fidelus charm, just outside the Nimbin, Australia.
    erm I mean decides to become a healer.
    A shamanistic, witch-doctor style healer that uses a whole host of Psilocybes and other hallucination inducing alternative medicine.


    ^ I can't see any reason Harry would want to become a healer, other then resorting to drug induced escapism - and then wanting to share his "healing journey" with the rest of the world.
     
  20. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    See, the mistake you're making here is the assumption that a villain has to be the magical juggernaut that Voldemort was. Voldemort may have been the (second) most powerful wizard in the last century, but he never really acted in a smart, planned, consistent way. The way Rowling wrote him was as a psychopathic butcher with no goals but assuaging his own ego. Just give Harry an antagonist that is smart. That thinks his way through problems instead of blasting through them. Give him an enemy like Snape and you'd have a much more dangerous opponent than Voldemort's brute magical power ever was.
     
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