We could have a slumdog millionaire instead of Lord Potter-Black.

 

I would also submit that Chinese magicals are also underused compared to other non-European wizards and witches. Considering that 1997 was the Hong Kong handover, I would also guess that there's some sort of story element in there that can be used.

 

Overall on the underused Asia, I don't know, I kind of like European settings. Maybe it's because of the influx of urban fantasy set in US, where Greek gods seem to only hide ancient treasures in Hollywood or demons always invade the mortal plain through the obligatory gothic cathedral in New York.

 

But think there's a lot of story potential in a culture clash between Western/Eastern magic and philosophies. Sadly, most fics rarely world build beyond the British isle...

 

There are movies and cartoons, which have very Eastern elements.

Examples:

- Big Trouble in Little China.
- The Golden Child.
- Gremlins.
- American Dragon: Jake Long
- W.I.T.C.H.


So yes, you can like European settings, but having ONLY European settings is a bad thing.

 

Sorry, but why is that bad, exactly? Yes, my complaint might simply be the product of the fact that US publishes a lot of fantasy, and it's in English, which makes it more accessible while you don't really hear of that many popular fantasy books/whatever hailing out of Europe in recent years and that's why, at first glance, everything seems to be Amercian.

But why would a contained European setting be bad? When talking fantasy, I throw political correctness out the airlock. And yes, while HP lacks Eatern worldbuilding, I don't see it as a flaw. I think it's awesome that it promoted its own. Sure, a fic set in Asia would be something new and fresh, but in the larger scope of fiction, Europe is a great place for a fantasy setting. We have castles and vampires. My original project (of course, still in the embryo stage and it may not ever see the light of day) is based primarily in Europe.

And when it comes to Eastern cartoons/movies: isn't every manga/anime ever from Asia? lol We're not exactly hurting for Eatern fantasy settings.

 

And ancient primeval forests, and bogs and marshes, and the entire half of Europe is settled by descendants of Slavs, so mythology and legends in this region are preaty similar, but not homogeneous.

 

Hey, wouldn't it be interesting to read a Dumbledore-centric, HP/American Gods crossover?

Wizards worship Merlin so much, after all...

 

A shot story or One shot that deals with a a civilian who tries and succeeds/fails in killing one of the known Death eaters for revenge.

The story would involve how he/she plans to do it, tries to get help from other victims with a grudge but fail since people are too scared and are waiting for the BWL to save them, which makes our protagonist decide to kill Harry, make him a martyr and a symbol that people can come together under instead of waiting for him to solve their problems, they would be forced to stand up for themselves.

Could work in a dairy format.

 

Just on the European vs Asian settings I'd like see a HP story set in Africa, no particular reason why I just like the idea.

 

AllanQuatarmain!Harry.

 

That, would be awesome!

 

If I remember correctly there were a couple of one shots in Rorschach's Blot's Odd Ideas which are basically a Jungle Opera in an African setting. Sometime to do with hunting magical animals for potions ingredients or fighting zulu-esque natives with the Foreign Legion. I can't really be bothered to slog through and find the actual chapters though. Quality-wise it's about what you expect from that guy.

I'd be interested in a properly good version, though.

 

I want to see a Star Wars fic where Darth Plagueis has an inkling of an idea that the midichlorian manipulation will give birth to an extremely strong force user and then plots to have him as an apprentice rather than Palpatine. He can kill off Palpatine in a duel or something before or after secretly "creating" Anakin in Shmi.

What do you guys think?

 

I toyed with something like this once.

Post-GoF Ollivander arrives at the Dursleys to question Harry about the brother wand effect - professional interest and all. For reasons I never figured out he decides to take Harry to Africa with him while he gathers wand making supplies and trouble ensues because Africa is Africa. Dumbledore was a good guy but wasn't happy with Harry leaving the country.

Assisting Ollivander is an Allan Quatermain-esque character who serves as guide and protector.

12 chapters later Harry returns to England for Christmas, an amateur hunter of magical creatures, a respected figure in parts of Africa and a more mature person.

 

Worm/Harry Potter Crossover:

WARNING: Light Worm spoilers. If you haven't read it, I greatly recommended you google 'Worm by Wildbow' and start reading.

I think a Worm/HP crossover was already discussed in this thread or maybe the other fandom one, and it was decided that the universes couldn't mesh because of vastly different power levels and such. However, we do know that other Earths have different numbers of powers and less powerful powers.

In Worm and Harry Potter there are two main classes of people: Parahumans vs. Non-Parahumans and Wizards vs. Muggles. In this world, only magical people can get shards and instead of two classes, there are three: Parawizards, wizards and muggles. About 5-10% of the magical population has powers and because of the very low number of Parawizards, the Statute of Secrecy can still be enforced. People start getting shards around 1950. Voldemort triggers and receives a Master power. The specifics aren't clear, but during the war people who were neutral or members of the OotP suddenly turn to his side. Dumbledore doesn't trigger and during the course of the war, is assassinated. Voldemort's power makes the war end far quicker. He takes control of Magical Britain and rules it with a powered, magical, iron fist.

All of this happened before the start of the story. Harry Potter, a seventh year at Hogwarts, has been raised by his father, one of the people who suddenly turned to Voldemort's side. Harry enters the Tri-wizard Tournament and during the first challenge, triggers. While competing in the Tournament, Harry is recruited into an order of parawizards that serve as Voldemort's personal guard and secret police (Let's call them the Voldeguard).

Harry joins the Voldeguard. Voldemort uses his power on Harry, but in this world, 'the power the dark lord knows not,' is that Harry is immune. Voldemort, of course, is unaware his power didn't work on Harry, thus fulfilling the 'knows not' part of the prophecy. Shortly after Harry begins his training, Grindelwald triggers inside Nurmengard. He breaks out, and begins collecting his old allies, and making new ones. He begins taking over central Europe. Wizarding World War II begins. Voldemort, fearing a rival, invades. Harry is forced to skip his training, and like most of the Voldeguard, fight against Grindelwald.

Much of the story would be Harry fighting in the war, rising through the ranks, but eventually, he would turn on Voldemort. Maybe he sides with Gridelwald, maybe he would turn after Grindelwald is defeated. Lots of different directions and subplots are possible.

Possible Powers for Harry:
-The first task involved dementors and Harry gained the ability the control them (maybe just a couple at a time), and also immunity to their effect.
-The first task was the same as the books, and Harry can control the horntail.
-Harry can become insubstantial, and spells/physical attacks can't affect him while he is in that state.

 

I like the idea. Reminds me a lot of the Skitterleap with the massive AU changes.

Power wise, I'd go with less Master, more Stranger. Strangers in Worm seem to be the natural counter to most Masters, especially ones with powers like Imp's. Plus it's more interesting to have a powerful antagonist with a weaker (but smarter) protagonist.

 

This is more of an indulgence in my most favorite plot points, PODs and bunny elements.

Xandrel's Favorite Points of Departure

Tom Riddle is mentored by Albus Dumbledore, starting right from his visit at Wool's Orphanage and continuing after Hogwarts. Dumbledore arranges for Tom to live in Hogsmeade during summer, to be protected from the Muggle War.

While Tom is still not quite a good person (isn't that an understatement), he is becoming closer to the Transfiguration Professor.

As the years pass, Riddle does become Lord Voldemort, but not quite as we remember him in canon. He is finally convinced by Dumbledore that creating Horcruxes is not worth the risk. He does believe that muggles are inferior to wizards, but admits that muggleborns are no different (magically at least) from regular purebloods. Quite naturally, this alienates him from many Slytherins and future would-be Death Eaters. Abaraxas Malfoy, however stays close to Riddle, as Malfoys always stay close to powerful people.

The duel with Grindelwald goes differently, with Riddle assisting Dumbledore with the Resurrection Stone (mostly to distract Gellert with the Hallow). Gellert is of course defeated, as he obviously had no chance against the combined forces of Dumbledore and Voldemort (who despite his young age, is already very powerful and competent).

After the war ends and after Voldemort finishes Hogwarts, he leaves Britain to explore the world. He visits Egypt, Greece, China, Japan, South America, Eastern Europe, Canada and many places in between.

After he returns, he is recognized as Dumbledore's successor. This is helped by the fact that as soon as he arrives, he becomes the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

Voldemort however is not the type of person who would be satisfied with only teaching children. He, with Dumbledore's help, pushes muggleborn laws and agenda in the ministry, much to the displeasure of pureblood families, such as the Black Family.

Bellatrix Black grows up in a world where her family is viewed in a very negative light, she can't stand it.

After Bella begins Hogwarts in 1962, she studies as hard as she can, she aims to prove once and for all that those of pure blood are superior to the mudblooded.

In her fourth year, Bellatrix learns how to create Horcruxes. After murdering an old woman in Hogsmeade, she turns a cursed opal necklace into her Horcrux.

In 1965, Voldemort becomes the Headmaster of Hogwarts, while Dumbledore (due to Riddle's urging) has started a campaign to become the Minister for Magic. He eventually gains the position a year later.

Immediately upon becoming Headmaster, Riddle removes Divination, reinstates Alchemy and introduces Healing.

In 1971, Lily Evans begins at Hogwarts and is sorted to Ravenclaw. By chance, she stumbles upon the Room of Requirement and finds a most beautiful opal necklace. After trying it on, she is possessed. Bella's Horcurx was not designed to drain life like the Diary, instead is was created to brainwash whoever wears it into a pureblood supremacist.

Lily Evans ends up a self-hating muggleborn.

Meanwhile Dumbledore hears of a string of murders of muggleborns happening around the country. He doesn't know it yet, but it is all Bellatrix's doing.

Lily and Snape are best friends at Hogwarts, Lily cannot stand that Potter boy and his stupid friends, bunch of mudblood lovers.

In their fifth year at Hogwarts, Sirius Black tricks Snape into stumbling upon a transformed werewolf, Remus Lupin. Lupin bites Snape and Severus is forced to kill the werewolf in self-defense. Sirius is expelled for his involvement by Riddle and has to go to Beauxbatons.

James completely stops talking to Sirius, refusing to acknowledge his existence. He changes and stops pranking people. He starts hanging out with Lily and Snape.

Snape meanwhile became an outcast in Slytherin due to his newly-acquired Lycanthropy. Lily doesn't mind, a servant is a servant. However, she will not let him touch her. Instead, she searches for a proper, pureblood husband. James Potter is conveniently around.

Eventually Lily, Snape and James finish Hogwarts. Lily and James marry soon after, but unknown to James, Lily finds Bellatrix and pledges her loyalty. Bellatrix is disgusted that such a mudblood was able to find her Horcrux, but allows Lily to live and serve her.

Snape is converted soon after, he and Lily become the first Death Eaters. James is not told about any of this, he wouldn't understand or approve.

Despite being a brainwashed servant, Lily is not stupid and figures out how Horcruxes work. She turns James' Cloak of Invisibility into her own Horcrux.

In 1979, Nymphadora Tonks is born. Bellatrix is furious that Andromeda has decided to mate with a muggleborn. She orders Lily to murder the babe. However, upon discovering that the child is a metamorph, Bellatrix changes her mind and arranges for Nymphadora's parents to be murdered and she, the loving aunt, adopts the girl. Nymphadora will grow up a very useful and loyal servant.

In 1980, Harry Potter is born, James and Lily's first child. Romilda Vane is born on the same day. Quite coincidentally, the Vanes have been recently recruited by Dark Lady Bella.

In 1982, the Lovegoods are killed in an experiment gone wrong. Their daughter Luna is adopted by Narcissa Malfoy. While Lucius remains loyal to Headmaster Voldemort, Narcissa would never abandon her sister and Luna is raised hearing things that Draco does not.

In 1985, James discovers that his wife is secretly meeting the Dark Lady. He is horrified and demands she stop, but she refuses and the entire situation spirals out of control when Bellatrix herself arrives at their home. During a three-way duel, Lily unleashes a curse which kills all three of them. Harry only survives because Lily sent him to stay at Petunia's house the day before. While James is dead, Lily and Bella survive due to their Horcruxes.

As Petunia is the only living relative of Harry, the Ministry of Magic decides that he shall live with her. However, this isn't Petunia Dursley, but Evans. She never married and is single, Harry lives with her in London. Nymphadora, who was being raised by Bellatrix, is sent to live with Snape.

Harry isn't very sociable. He doesn't have any problems making friends, but simply does not make them. He does have some skill with controlling his accidental magic. And he's not a saint like in canon.

In 1991, Harry returns to the magical world when the Hogwarts History of Magic Professor Narcissa Malfoy arrives with his letter. Harry also gets a gift from Petunia, a Cloak which supposedly belonged to his parents.

At the Hogwarts Express, Harry sits with Romilda Vane who was introduced to him by Narcissa in Diagon Alley. They talk about the Hogwarts staff and the magical world in general. While Harry knew about magic, remembering it from his childhood, he has a lot to catch up.

Gilderoy Lockhart is extremely competent and a world famous adventurer (think Indiana Jones + James Bond). Alastor Moody is the Defense teacher and has been for the last 7 years after Professor Merrythought retired. Horace Slughorn is the Potions teacher.

Harry and Romilda also meet Ron Weasley (son of the respected Arthur Weasley, Unspeakable) and Harry gets into a fight with him, after Ron insults Harry's new friend.

Eventually, they also meet Hermione Granger, but Romilda does not like her for some reason, so Harry decides not to get too friendly with the muggleborn.

At Hogwarts, Harry is sorted to Slytherin, when the Hat claims that Harry wouldn't do well in other houses. Romilda becomes a Slytherin as well, due to her views on blood purity.

Initially, everything seems fine for Harry. However, whenever he wears the Invisibility Cloak, he hears his mother...

 

Yeah, that's all nice and dandy, but where's the obligatory canon!Harry arriving into this world, swiftly followed by Dark Lord Potter and squib!Harry? What about the Old Ways? Are you going to introduce those?

You don't expect me to read this gobshite on the merit of what you wrote so far, do you?

This is a joke and I fucking love your plot bunnies, may you be forever cursed for writing them into existence and then they remain stillborn.

But now, in all honesty, I find it... maybe not implausible, but merely improbable, that Riddle wouldn't fucking know about a Horcrux being in Hogwarts or that a student is being possessed by one.

 

Xandrel, this is not a plot bunny, this is an entire rabbit farm. I'm hoping that one of those days, you'll choose not to post your notes in this thread and instead write a fic and post in WbA.