Bitch, since when did Dobby ever wear matching socks?

There's no way he's putting those on.

:awesome

 

@T3t

But this Harry is supposed be pretty weak. Maybe that strategy might work against a student, but unless Voldemort is really pathetic, how would Harry's 'really weak' spells ever distract him enough for him to step on a booby trap? Voldemort would just defend with a shield or apparate away.

Hell, even if Harry was a powerful wizard, I still think it'd be a tough strategy to pull off on who is supposed to be a really powerful Dark Lord.

 

Voldemort stumbling on a pincushion would be pointless as there were no needless in the pincushions when they are transfigured. They used hedgehogs for the base material and then tested to see if they'd done it right (Organic and animate to inorganic and inanimate in this case). If the pincushion curled into a ball like a hedgehog, when they brought a needle close to it, it was considered a fail.

And most of those spells aren't useless, they are introduction for new levels and types of magic, starting off with simple stuff and then moving to harder spells each year. We don't see half the stuff they actually do in the lessons so we have no real knowledge about what they actually learn. Hell look at Harry's second year, we have no idea what they were actually supposed to learn in Defense -classes.

The problem is that the "quid pro quo" has the danger of turning Harry into an 11-year old adult. And that at least on this site is really hated.

Now before you slaughter me, think about the Wizarding Wold and what we know about it. Think real hard. We have seen that prejudices exist against muggleborn, but also against everyone in the Slytherin -house. People like Rita Skeeter are also easily able to create like or dislike in the masses with a few simple articles. That also makes most witches and wizards pretty much sheep who listen to the loudest bark or the one with the most money.

Now Harry is a celebrity, there is no denying that. You have read about the reactions during his first days in school and his visit to the Leaky Cauldron. However he has also been sheltered from the magical world. Despite his fame only a few people bowed to him every now and then, but no one contacted him. We know for a fact that owls can find people even if the people sending letters have no idea where that person is (aka Hedwig finding Sirious when he was in hiding and even going as far as going to Hermione, who was in another country at the time, on her own initiative to get Harry's birthday present).

Yet Harry never got any letters, which can only mean that Dumbledore stopped him from ever getting them. As we already know Dursley's reaction to Harry getting anything related to magical world, if he had gotten any letters before his Hogwarts -letter, we probably would have known about the immediate explosions that would have followed.

How much are you willing to bet that the fact that Harry was in the Diagon Alley ended up in Daily Prophet on the same or the next day? Or the fact that he was sorted into Gryffindor?

Now if Harry went to Slytherin, with that information in mind, think real hard what would happen in the canon!universe? That would almost instantly turn most of the three other houses against him, people like Rita Skeeter would instantly paint him as the next dark lord (And let's face it, she would do that in a heart beat if she thought it would earn her a few more galleons. The bitch doesn't care how old someone is or if she ruins their life, just as long as she makes money). Cue similar hate letters to what Hermione got, when Skeeter made a remark about her playing with Harry's heart.

There is also the fact Slytherin is the base of the bloodpurists and Harry was the "reason" why the idol of the extremists of that group was defeated. While most of the Death Eater -kids were his age, their parents would still try to use them to influence him, if not even going as far as to try to kill him. And there is no telling what some of the upper year -slytherins might do. Snape would also be on his case even more, despite his oath to protect the kid.

Don't forget that Lucius is a sick, twisted, evil fuck. He murdered and tortured who knows how many muggles and magicals during Voldy's first reign. He knowingly gave a magical diary to a little girl knowing that it would lead to the Chamber of Secrets being opened and he knew that Ginny would eventually die. All so that he could get Dumbledore sacked and "mudbloods" would be killed. The only reason why he and his family switched sides was because they fell from Voldemort's good grace after the Department of Mysteries -failure. The entire family should have been locked up in Azkaban till the end of their pathetic lives, not pardoned after the war. One right (Narcissa covering for Harry being alive) does not negate a thousand wrongs.

Harry being sorted into Slytherin would literally end up with him hating the magical world and almost every one in it. He might literally turn into a bitter wreck or a dark lord or go as far as to off himself because of the harassment. That is the sad fact about the universe that Rowling created.

Anyone who really thinks that Harry going into Slytherin is a pleasant experience for Harry does not understand the finer mechanics about Rowling's writing or HP -universe.

The reason why manipulative!Dumbledore usually fails is because people write him as incompetent. The canon!Dumbledore was manipulative, but not evil. He played things so that Harry would be able to live despite the fact that he had a piece of Tom's soul in his scar, but also at the same time Tom would be defeated for good.

And Dumbledore's positions aren't all that powerful or useful if he isn't liked enough. In OoTP he was rather easily removed from both ICW and Wizengamot and just barely clung on to his position as the headmaster.

And his old age has nothing to do with it. Dumbledore pretty much dueled Voldemort into a draw, if not even won just slightly, which is why Tom tried to possess Harry. Even in HBP despite being cursed and dieing Dumbledore was powerful enough to drive back dozens of Inferi with a single spell. Hell he did that after he was even more injured by the poison he drank. Had there been no curse and poison, do you think that he would have even considered allowing Draco's little plan to get off the ground?

 

@Dantrag: While I generally agree with what you're saying, a lot of it is indicative of flaws in Rowling's writing. The people of the wizarding world remind me at times of the brainwashed masses in repressed regimes, but the problems is that as far as we can tell, the ministry doesn't really brainwash anybody and there isn't any significant censorship (maybe the ministry has a stake in the prophet, but they don't repress other content). This indicates that the wizarding population is inherently malleable and incredibly lazy, something I find myself only marginally able to accept due to the ease of living that magic provides (which they don't even take full advantage of, most of the time).

So either you go with Rowling's flawed universe and have stupid tropes like sheeple, politic!11-year-olds, and incompetent!everybody, or you fix things and get raged at for making people seem more like actual people.

 

True, you are bound to get bad reactions no matter what you do. I personally would be satisfied with more intelligent people around and maybe making the bad guys more competent as well (of course if the latter happened, a slytherin!Harry would be in for real Hell). Of course just fixing HBP and DH would do a lot for a good story.

I mean Harry finally gets a good combat spell and is immediately discouraged from using it just because he used in on a bastard that tried to use Cruciatus on him, which no doubt would have been followed by an Avada Kedavra. Why the hell couldn't Harry find the Sectumsempra during the fifth year, it would have made the DoM -battle a bit more interesting.

Hell the Death Eaters are supposed to be sadists and know a ton about dark arts yet all they seem to use are Cruciatus and Avada Kedavra. Damn it, that shit just gets repetitive and boring.

How about something a bit more gruesome. Why not transfigure a person's blood into acid? That would be a very painful and slow death, which would really suit the whole evil bastards theme. And there's also the fact that such a transfiguration is entirely plausible, so it should not make people jump into arms for it being overly ridiculous like some of the other stuff you see in fics. Heck why not modify Aquamenti for that effect or the damn Wine -conjuring spell that Ollivander used, instead of normal wine, it would contain poison? A steam of acid blasted straight into someones face, cue instant gruesome disfiguration (Hell I think I still have my old list of good spell ideas and other magical applications gathered from fanfiction all around somewhere on my hard drive).

Maybe a detailed sticky about free to use spell ideas and what not would be in order?

 

^
What Sesc said. And you're a killjoy for pre-empting my rant Sesc.

So Dantrag, to summarize Sesc's tl;dr: You're a retarded assclown. GTFO.

 

Few days ago I watched Let me in movie and thought if it could be used for crossover material with HP. Some spoilers for the movie ahead, so don't read if you want to watch it.

The first part of story, before Harry knows he's a wizard, is almost writing itself. I can think of many similarities between him and Owen, so that's a good setup for his relationship with Abby. He's also different enough to not make it simple repeating the movie. There is also interesting choice of who should be with her by the time they meet - do we ignore the movie or not.

What I don't have any good idea is a second part of story, once Harry gets the Hogwarts letter. Making him a vampire has a potential (especially when he is still a kid), but I've yet to read a story that didn't make it fail instead and I doubt I would do it better. Can't see how Abby could be involved in his school adventures.

I suppose the story could end before all this, but I dislike finishing stories just because I can figure out what interesting events could possible happen in the future.

 

I have a small bunny which could turn out into a great story if written by a good author.

In my opinion, woman can start or end wars. My bunny is that Harry turns dark because he wants some girl but she rejects him.

I agree, this doesn't seem doable. But with correct characterisations, it will be great.

EDIT
Example is: Equal & Opposite by Amerison. (somewhat similiar)
My IQ is 130. I am not retarded. I just am unable to express my idea properly above.

 

WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN

 

...

There should be an IQ test in the forum registration form.

 

That's just one basic type of conflict, not a plot bunny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_(narrative)

 

Taken.

<10char>

 

It can be done.

Bill Weasley and his young brother Ron negotiate peace between Hogwarts and the Ministry. Ron has fallen in love with Hermione (and likewise), the wife of vice-minister Harry Potter, and smuggles her back to Hogwarts with him. Infuriated, Harry vows revenge. He approaches his mentor and friend Tom Riddle also know as Lord Voldemort, the Minister who has conquered every army of Britain, and now commands them. Riddle who has wanted to conquer Hogwarts for years (which would give him control of the whole Britain), uses this as a justification to invade Hogwarts. General Dolohov asks him to take hero warrior Barty Crouch Jr, to rally the troops to the cause.

With the Ministry surrounding Hogwarts, Ron challenges Harry to a duel to settle things. Harry agrees, however Riddle plans on attacking the castle regardless of the outcome. Ron is easily defeated, and wounded, but not killed. Bill intervenes and kills Harry. The Ministry charge the Hogwarts lines but are forced to fall back when they are nearly wiped out by wizards on Hogwarts' walls.

The next day, Barty approaches the gates of Hogwarts alone and demands Bill to come out and face him. The two fight an evenly matched duel at the start, but Barty soon takes the advantage. In the end he kills Bill. He then ties the body to the back of his broom, dragging it back to the Ministry camp, leaving all the wizards at Hogwarts shocked. That night, Albus Dumbledore visits the Greek army's camp to retrieve Bill's body. After he makes his plea Barty acquiesces to his request and allows him to take Bill to be buried, promising him the 12 days for funerary rites.

During the twelve days while Hogwarts mourns Bill's death, the Ministry plan to enter the city using a hollowed-out wooden horse, devised by Peter Pettigrew. The Ministry leave the horse at their camp, then depart. Albus believes that the horse is a gift. Assuming victory, they take the horse into the castle and celebrate. A band of Death Eaters come out of the horse at night, opening the gates to the castle, allowing the main army to enter. The unprepared wizards of Hogwarts are overwhelmed and slaughtered. As the castle burns, Riddle fight his way with his army to the palace, killing Albus in the onslaught and then everyone else.

The End

 

That could work, and Achil-Barty seems to be really in character for this setting.

 

To be perfectly fair, that is a very widely utilized... theme... Well, maybe it's not a proper bunny, but the idea isn't nearly as terrible as you're making it out to be.

 

Um, Helen of Troy anyone? The plot device is older than Jesus.

 

This is actually something that I'm using in a fic that I'm working on, though I was going to make it work a bit faster than acid. I was thinking a wet form of concrete; kill the motherfucker fast before he can reverse damages.

It starts out like most of those stories where Harry goes to Gringotts the summer after Sirius dies. Cliché I know, but that would be where things go wrong. The debt of the Black family is absorbed into the Potter vaults leaving him slightly less destitute than a Weasley. He withdraws everything he has left, and on his way out of the alley it gets stolen. So he follows the thief and kills him, by accident. I'm thinking by strangulation. Harry's attack was heard so he quickly gathers his money and the dead man's wand before running from the scene of the crime. When he finally makes it back to Privet Drive he is a mess, and something Dudley says/does sets him off.

Harry uses the cruciatus curse on his cousin and later obliviates his aunt and uncle. He leaves and figures that he might as well take out Voldemort before he gets sent to Azkaban. So he finds an abandoned warehouse and works on a plan. He practices switching liquids for one another (i.e. a glass of milk and a glass of juice, blue and yellow dyed water until he can do it with out having traces of green.) He does it while blindfolded. He does it until he can perform it silently.

Without revealing my entire plot, it ends with Harry in Azkaban after he destroys Voldemort. He did kill a wizard, a death eater (probably will be Draco), and cast crucio on a person. I figured that I would make the unforgivable curses come with a price emotionally. Or something along those lines.

 

Ah yes, the old story of how Jesus Christ went from faithful yew to Dark Lord after the wicked Mary Magdalene turned down his advances. Most people believe he's gone now, but his most loyal followers know he has never truly left and will one day return with vengeance.

A classic, really.

 

Sounds better than the Bible. But you might wanna read things in more detail.