Before you burn me at the stake, hear me out.

Now, don't tell me that it would be better to develop it as original fiction, because that is not the point here.

But I so want the Harry Potter story redone in a cyberpunk setting. Yes, still with magic. No, not like Shadowrun.

It would be set in a random future year, let's pick 2071. There has been a nuclear world war sometime in the early 90s and the muggle population has been lowered, but has eventually developed to a cyberpunk-like society.

Muggles have cybernetic implants, biological modifications and all sorts of crazy technology. There is functioning virtual reality and stuff. To make the story work, I say we must have electronics work near magic (that is the entire point anyway).

But how the wizarding world would have been changed in this setting? I think it is more interesting to say that they weren't affected strongly. Sure, they have noticed the war, but their magic has allowed them to hide from the fallout. Though, most magical creatures and plants are sadly lost (nothing to save your random acromantula from nuclear radiation), wizards and witches survive still hiding from the muggles.

Of course, if we are changing the date from 1991 to 2071, then we have to adjust the characters. Harry's birth would be 2060 etc.

The Dursleys aren't the 'normal' folks we see in canon. Here they are the types of people you'd expect to see in a movie like Blade Runner or Robocop. Harry's childhood must have been really interesting (to say the least).

Anyone cares to add some suggestions? Should the Statute eventually be removed (by either accident or design)? What would Voldemort's rise in 2050 look? How would the muggleborns look in this alternate/future timeline? Would Hermione have cyber-upgrades like artificial eyes?

Don't start discussions about magic vs technology, because I don't want this thread ruined.

 

I'm thinking no statute. Wizards were trying to help to reconstruct following the nuclear war; maybe doing so has elevated them to a higher class (ruling class) and muggles have no say in the governing aspect of the world.

Plot idea: Some wizards are starting to fabricate magical device that mimmik certain spells, giving access to magic to the second class citizen (muggles/squib/half-breed) and there's a big revolution following that.

 

"The sky ... was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." - Neuromancer (first line)

The essence of cyberpunk is deterioration. Apathy and isolation define the outlook and humanity seems less human each year, as body parts are replaced with machine, clothing and even skin is rented out to advertisers just to maintain a meager standard of living. Innovation is both constant and absent- any new idea seems to be gamed out to its furthest use before patents can even be registered. Diversity is everywhere, making it homogenous. Crime is everywhere, making it societally acceptable, even contractural.

It's a corporate-driven worldwide culture of consumerism without context.

And what is magic? Wonder, framed by belief and empowered by a connection to life.

Of course the theme is magic vs. technology.

Assume that all the magical monsters (large or hard to ignore) have been either killed or domesticated. The magical world was revealed but the only ones who believed it were the kooks and the power-brokers at the top, who immediately saw the potential of untapped technologies and the threat of a race dedicated to cutthroat commerce (goblins).

The problem came as magic got harder to squeeze in or sneak by. Reality had a way of imposing itself through its observers- if people couldn't believe that a dragon was really flying above them, it wasn't- it became a weakened monster, no doubt escaped from some lab and likely to give off toxic fumes as it decomposed.

In this environment, magic doesn't disrupt technology; tech disrupts magic.

Somewhere down in the dregs, in the infrastructure where the simulated sunlight and security monitors don't penetrate, where the hum of motors and clanking of pipes is vibrating the cement apart, is where the last Potter is raised by her father. As he lay dying, he charges his daughter with a quest- "Go find the magic. I've told you the stories told to me. Find it. Bring it back. Do the impossible, as often as you can, until they start to believe again."

 

A good analogue to the 'Corporations-Rule-the-World' from various Cyberpunk settings. I dig it.

I'm not so sure about this. I can get behind invisibility cloaks used by muggles (and even then in rare occasions as the cloaks are themselves rare), but giving them access to spells is too much considering that they have now futuristic hax technology.

EDIT:

Wordhammer, you magnificent wordhammer. That was great.

 

More along the line of little trinkets that reproduce certain spell. Let's say a 'reparo stick' - Touch anything with it and it'll be back anew!

Or magical eyeball ala Moody, etc.

 

That could work, but going with the corporation route Wordhammer introduced, have the magical trinkets only work for a limited time, then it is time to buy new ones.

"Did you see the new MagiCube 3000? It has six spells installed and a lifetime of 6 months!"

 

It's like you've thought about this or something. :3

 

Thought about, yes, but hand-to-God I wrote that whole thing in the half-hour between reading the prompt and posting the reply. Sometimes my mind is firing on all thrusters. I'm as stunned as anyone.

 

I've just spent the last two hours on Cyberpunk 2077 forum for the first time and I was coming to ask how the Cyberpunk setting would work for Harry potter and Wordhammer pre-emptively answered.

 

That is all I read from that wordhammer.

 

And choose the coward's way? Never!

 

Well now I want a Deus Ex/HP crossover.

 

And a skull-gun?

 

Are there actually any HP fanfiction in a cyberpunk universe?

 

I hope so. If not, they need to be written as soon as possible. Preferably by a DLP member.

EDIT:

What's that? An actual HP/Deus Ex crossover! I don't know if it's any good, but I literally just found it after searching for 'cyberpunk' among HP stories. It may actually be shit, I don't know.

The Apex of Human Achievement by Apex Writer

EDIT #2:

Now that I'm actually reading it, it's terrible. Don't bother.

 

Depending on how it develops, it might be close enough: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9037762/1/I-Fall-out-to-Pieces

 

Speaking of Cyberpunk stories are there any pure amazing Cyberpunk fics out there? Really want to get into the fandom in preparation of 2077 and I can't play the PnP games.

 

Well it's not like I'll say no...

 

Well not really fics, but you could read some cyberpunk books. Like Neuromancer or Johnny Mnemonic.

Wikipedia Cyberpunk Novels