Brainstorming, Plot Ideas, and Story Help
@heatherlly I'd stick to the Latin title in your case. On a personal level, either is fine, but it would be in line with your other fics that tend to have Latin titles. It also makes the title stand out more, I remember your titles more easily in general due to them being in Latin.
@fredriq I totally agree. While I don't mind using English titles for shorter works, using Latin for longer ones has pretty much become my trademark. I also love the way this one sounds in Latin, so that's what I've decided to go with. 🙂
I use a lot of Latin in my chapter titles as foreshadowing, but if you guys want some assistance with the language, check out the subreddit r/latin for assistance with translations and whatnot. You can post a request, and someone can help you find the correct Latin translation for an English word/phrase you need. They are really good, and there are a lot of people well-educated in the language to help.
They are very useful, especially in creating your own spells and incantations.
Not a new post, just moved the one I made yesterday here as this place is more suitable.
I'm not a writer but sometimes I do end up with many different ideas. This is another crazy one.
So I'm into darker AUs and after reading "The Long Road Home" I started craving stories that feature a Snily after the first war.
What if Voldemort won the first war?
Voldemort goes after the Potters but instead of Lily, he gives James the choice to join his Death Eaters and let him through, James refuses and this provides the necessary sacrifice needed for Harry's protection. Voldemort doesn't kill Lily, instead he just stuns or otherwise incapacitates her until he deals with her son. Voldemort doesn't vanish after firing the killing curse but is weakened and retreats thinking the threat is eliminated. As per promise, Lily is spared and Snape is summoned to collect his reward prior to the Dark Lord retreating. While Lily refuses to leave her baby behind and fights Snape tooth and nail, they suddenly notice that the Harry is still alive. The killing curse did not actually kill him, he was only temporarily dead or only appeared to be like In DH. Obviously the dark Lord can never know of his survival. Snape uses a potion to alter Harry's features permanently and forges a new identity for the kid, the child of a Prince relative who joined the Death Eaters but was killed by the aurors. Snape took him supposedly in as he felt responsible for the last Prince and to make sure the kid is raised into a proper Death Eater.
Voldemort takes over the Ministry after recovering and tries to defeat Dumbledore. Things do not look good for the light, Dumbledore vanishes with the help of Fawkes and stays hidden until he can mobilize more order members. Sirius is still arrested and taken to Azkaban for openly defying Voldemort, Remus is on the run.
The wizarding world is under the control of Voldemort but he's not as insane as canon. He only kills those who openly defy him, he is keeping the statute still in tact for now but issues a lot of laws regarding muggleborns.
They're not threatened but obviously treated as second class citizens with limited education and limited job opportunities. Wizards and Witches are no longer allowed to marry muggles or muggleborns or procreate with them. Muggleborns are removed from their family after their first performance of accidental magic, their parents obliviated and the children given to Death Eater and Pureblood families to raise. They are practically homeschooled, not allowed to attend Hogwarts and are taught basic magic or specialize in whatever will serve their pureblood families. Essentially, they're a little above house elves. Hermione ends up with Severus and Lily and they teach her everything they can.
During the early years, Snape is forced to imperio Lily when Voldemort or the Death Eaters are present because he doesn't trust her to control herself. They don't question it, after all Snape needs her body not her mind. Snape later on convinces his colleagues that the events of 1981 and being under prolonged influence of imperio have damaged Lily's mind, she's no threat and believes Snape's "nephew" to be her dead son Harry. Should Voldemort ever look into little Harry's mind, this will be the explanation of any loving memories with his mother and why he is called Harry. Lily, has meanwhile, perfected the art of occlumency and impeccably empties her mind whenever the Death Eaters are present.
Snape is still involved with Dumbledore and helps him gather the Order members. Sirius breaks out of Azkaban and looks for Remus, they try to rescue Lily from Snape but she explains to them what is going on and reveals the Order's secret Headquarters to them. There are multiple assassination attempts against Voldemort but all miraculously fail, Snape infers that Dark Magic must be involved and Lily starts her research until she comes across horcruxes.
Let the hunt begin.
During the early years, Snape and Lily are a total mess together, Lily can't forgive him and believes he's enjoying this situation. They're constantly fighting but she settles down a little after realizing that she has no other choice but to stay with him. She later comes to understand Snape's true loyalties and their relationship improves. They may just have a platonic relationship or it could develop into something of a romantic nature later on.
@winters-shade too bad you're already occupied, I thought I found a victim...*cough* volunteer
I love darker fics with a somewhat dystopian setting but most of the ones I come across are the exact opposite of what I want, the protagonist often turns into an evil maniac but I prefer the good guys to win in the end...I just enjoy seeing them walk through hell and back until they get there.
I came up with an idea for a fanfic and would like to get your opinion about it.
So here is the idea:
After Severus death he is not greeted by Dumbledore but by the four founders of Hogwarts. They tell him that Hogwarts was meant to be a shelter, a home, for children like him. They know that it never was for him, that it was a place where he was tormented and pushed into the darkness.
The founders inform him hat they couldn’t accept that someone shall die with more bad than good memories made in Hogwarts.
They talked with Death but there are two catches about his second chance:
- At the end of his last day as Student of Hogwarts he will be visited by Death. Should he be able to hand the Deathly Hallows to Death he will be granted to continue that life, if not Death will take Severus with him.
- He only has two school years to accomplish the task, meaning he does return on the day of the train ride to his 6th year.
For Severus the offer doesn’t really sound appealing, he already had his fallout with Lily at this point and doesn’t know how he shall make any happy memories in that time. It just sounds like more painful memories, just being a servant again.
The founders notice that he is leaning towards declining the second chance and step up once more, telling him that each of them will bless him with a gift if he should decide to take the second chance.
A gift that will help him to accomplish what he does wish and want.
Helga Hufflepuff: ??? Does anyone have an Idea ???
Rowena Ravenclaw: She gifts him the knowledge of his past life.
Godric Gryffindor: He gifts him the magical abilities of his past life, informing him that he could be the greatest wizard to have ever lived.
Salazar Slytherin: He gifts him the place as his heir and with that the ability to speak Parseltongue. Salazar admits that he understood his opinion about muggles and muggle-borns was wrong.
As you notice the fic will be mainly set in Sev's sixth and seventh year at Hogwarts.
Sev/Lily will be the main pairing.
What do you think about the idea?
And do you happen to have any idea what Helga could give him as gift?
I really like this premise already; I've never even considered a Snape Time Travel fic with those conditions put in place.
I think one suggestion would be to alter some of the gifts.
- Ravenclaw could grant him the knowledge and magical abilities he had in his first life (as the two are innately tied together).
- From Gryffindor, it would make more sense if he was attuned to the sword, and that it would come to him if needed.
- From Hufflepuff, maybe something to do with the Room of Requirement? The room seems very Hufflepuff to me.
- As for Slytherin, I'm a little hesitant to say Snape should be made the heir and that he should know Parseltongue. But I could definitely see there being a connection to Slytherin-related artifacts, which could help him find the Resurrection Stone.
Quote from The Gestalt Prince on July 11, 2023, 3:39 pmI really like this premise already; I've never even considered a Snape Time Travel fic with those conditions put in place.
I think one suggestion would be to alter some of the gifts.
- Ravenclaw could grant him the knowledge and magical abilities he had in his first life (as the two are innately tied together).
- From Gryffindor, it would make more sense if he was attuned to the sword, and that it would come to him if needed.
- From Hufflepuff, maybe something to do with the Room of Requirement? The room seems very Hufflepuff to me.
- As for Slytherin, I'm a little hesitant to say Snape should be made the heir and that he should know Parseltongue. But I could definitely see there being a connection to Slytherin-related artifacts, which could help him find the Resurrection Stone.
It makes me really happy that you do like it! 🙂
Your suggestion to alter the gifts makes sense, it is true that knowledge and abilities are tied together and so should be given by Ravenclaw.
The idea for Gryffindor gift is nice, and makes sense as he might need the sword later on.
I also like the idea for Hufflepuff, she could give him a special connection with the room so that, as an example, he can enter it from wherever he is in the castle.
My thought about Slytherin:
Slytherin isn’t making him the heir and gives him the gift of speaking Parseltongue without a plan behind it. He knows his house wouldn’t be easy to repair but thinks that the heir, that can prove it through Parseltongue, might be able to. He also knows that Sev will need to get to the basilisk, and for that he does also need Parseltongue.
But I will give that some more thought.
I think Slytherin gift would be fine with just Parseltongue and not involving making him the heir of Slytherin.
I like the Hufflepuff gift involving entry to Room of Requirements by will anywhere. He'll need to train anyway and going to Room of Requirements manually will involve going to Gryffindor territory which is a risky business with Marauders.
So going over the Deathly Hallows, Snape would know what the first one is (Elder Wand). Would he be told the identities of the other two, or would he have to figure it out?
Quote from The Gestalt Prince on July 11, 2023, 4:29 pmSo going over the Deathly Hallows, Snape would know what the first one is (Elder Wand). Would he be told the identities of the other two, or would he have to figure it out?
Well, he obviously knows that it must be a stone and cloak from the tale.
But he doesn’t know where the stone is and who owns the cloak.
I think if he would directly know it would make it boring.
Actually I did consider that on the beginning of the last day he only has two of the three Deathly Hallows and so does start to say his goodbyes to the friends he made and the people that fought on his side.
