Random point of divergence.

There's a total of 198 chapters + the epilogue in the seven books. Using a random number generator, pick one to be your point of divergence.

 

The philosopher's stone provides effective immortality to Nicholas flamel and his wife. Publicly they're the only beneficiaries. Less publicly there is a group of ancient wizards who work in the shadows to guide the path of humanity, with Nicholas being the public facing member. They use well placed memory charms, legilmency, imperius curses and teleportation to subtly guide countries to align with their ideal realities, with varying levels of success.

What happens when they lose their immortality, and slowly risk exposure, once Nicholas' estate starts getting scrutinized?

 

Prompt: Harry is an apprentice

 

Prompt: What the super secret black ops squad of Unspeakables was up to during canon.

 

Post-Epilogue

Would be fun to see what DLP comes up with when they have to deal with Harry/Ginny and fatherhood. Would be a great writing practice prompt.

 

Can’t be worse than cursed child.

 

Wizards control public life with imperius curses, memory charms, teleportation and invisibility

 

Snape didn't live long enough to tell Harry he's a horctux. It's 2010 and the war is still going on and Harry Potter is missing.

 

'That's a stupendously stupid idea. Let's do it.'

(Works both as a prompt and as a reply to some of the suggestions above.)

 

More, divergent branches of magic.

For example, expand upon Dumbledore's canonical attempt at musical inspired magic at Hogwarts to do something with chanted ballads that inspire, energize, ground you, or hamper and inspire terror in opponents. Break out instruments to sharpen your rhythm. Channel the ferocity of a fifty-wizard strong orchestra belting out old Norse to bring down storms, raise or quell blizzards, paralyze you by the sheer volume. Just some stuff off the top of my head.

The point is to show off your interpretation of unusual, occult, obscure, areas of magic whether wholly separate or mixed into the canon branches.

 

“Daddy.”

 

Next-gen is the future. You’ll see.

 

Inferno

Dumbledore's ghost (Virgil) leads Harry (Dante) on a journey to explore a series of ironic punishments that he inflicted onto various members of the magical world.

 

Aftermath.(ie wizarding Chernobyl)

Something disastrous happened in the near or remote past. It was covered up and left to rot, serving as either a distant reminder of circumstances to avoid or matters too dangerous to indulge in again. But eventually the matter resurfaces in the present as a source of conflict, knowledge, power.

 

Harry Potter And The Escape From Veela Island

 

Magical Labyrinth/Tower

After Salazar fled the school, the founders went their own ways. In the later years of her life, Rowena constructed a fantastical Tower as both a place to hoard her collective knowledge and as her final resting place, a mausoleum of sorts. After her passing, witches and wizards throughout Britain flocked to this place to pay their respects-- and to test the many enchantments and protections placed upon it. Over generations, the Tower has gained a primitive intellect of its own, and welcomes those who would test themselves for the spoils inside.

What sort of challenges can you imagine? What sort of tolls, joys, adventures await? What lays in the final vault?

 

Hard to put this as a prompt option in a poll — the detail — I suspect.

 

Yeah, I was thinking to simplify it to: Magical Labyrinth-Tower.