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Random thought . . . is there such a story?
Posted on: Mon, 07/19/2010 - 17:38
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Random thought . . . is there such a story?
I had an odd thought while commuting the other day, and I know it's been attempted*, but I have no idea if a quality interpretation exists. Does anyone know of a good, well thought-out story in which James and Lily Potter's child is a girl? I don't mean that Harry changes gender in any way (blech), just that the Potters have a daughter rather than a son and the story proceeds from there. I'm not so much interested in who wears what or looks like whom or makes moon eyes at soandso. I'm especially not interested in anything rated beyond R, because I'm sure they're out there. What I'd really like to see is how inherent gender differences (where relevant) affect the canon storyline. How does the child's time with the Dursleys differ, if at all? How about her years at Hogwarts, given that she has to be very similar to canon-Harry in fundamental ways? What dynamics do gender difference add to her interactions with the various secondary characters (friends and foes)? So, basically, I'm curious about the canon story, with a focus on plot similar to JKR's, as experienced by a female.
Preferred "rules" for such a story:
1. The child's gender is the only fundamental change, though trivial things like changing the pronouns in the prophecy are allowed
1a. If absolutely necessary (and I think it's not), the Longbottoms' child can also be female
2. The child cannot be homosexual (too easy and too unlikely), unless you can really sell the idea from a characterization standpoint
3. Maintain JKR's basic ratings, i.e. PG or PG-13 for couple-stuff and language, and perhaps R for violent content
4. If the kid is a Slytherin, it'll have to be very convincing
5. No rape (as usual for me)
Does anyone know of such a story? Alternatively, does anyone want to write it?
Dave
* I use the term so very loosely.
Comments
Grrr... I'm following one at the moment, but I don't remember the title and I can't find it after a quick search. But maybe someone will recognize it:
The summary says something about Petunia being prim and proper, and Harry wanting to be everything but. She's friends with the Twins, doesn't really like Hermione (since she's too proper ^^) or Ron, she's very much a tomboy, doesn't get along with Slytherins, etc. She wasn't abused in any way, isn't dark... can't think of anything else atm. Hopefully someone recognizes it.
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The more people I meet, the more I like my cat
It is called Harry Potter And The Girl Who Lived by Agnostics Puppet. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4040192/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Girl_Who_Live...
This one isn't quite what you asked for, but I liked it. It's been a while since I read it, so I can't remember if it had spelling and grammar problems or not. The back story is that Harry defeated Voldemort and traveled the world learning all he could about magic, becoming more and more powerful. One night while camping in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest near the lake, he somehow ends up in a parallel world. How is explained later. The important thing is he meets Rose Potter. The daughter and only child of Lily and James Potter. It's her fourth year and after her name came out of the Goblet of Fire, her friends have turned their backs on her. After hearing her life story from her, Harry realizes that the same events are happening to her and resolves to help her so she doesn't suffer the hardships that he did.
The story does lead to a romance between Harry and his female alternate self. If you can deal with that, then you will probably enjoy the story. At least a little. It did lead me to wonder. If you traveled to a parallel dimension and met your opposite gender self, and became romantically involved, would that count as incest or masturbation?
Because of the nature of the romance, this story is not for everyone. It isn't mature rated, only teen, but otherwise it doesn't quite fit what you were looking for. Who knows? You may enjoy it anyway. The prose wouldn't win any awards, but I didn't think it was too terribly bad.
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If you strike me down now, I shall become more annoying than you could possibly imagine.
The incest part was actually resolved rather 'swept under the carpet' sort of way with a spell the determined that they were genetically unrelated. How that works I don't quite get it. But overall I liked the story.
How ever for the challenge? I think it wouldn't be that hard to keep to canon, but I disagree on making the Homosexuality easy especially with the Ginny conundrum. The idea I've gotten so far was rather humorous that Dumbledore lead the world to believe rather subtly through the use of the Daily Profit (With some help from Omega13a on the idea) that Harriet is actually a boy named Harry and it wouldn't even be realized until some time after Harriet is in first year or just starting first year. But I can see Ginny's initial crush potentially carrying through all that... but the effects on both her and Harriet could quite easily be devastating if done wrong and done realistically.
I don't think I'm going to buy that parallel-universe incest thing. If nothing else, the two of them are from the same genetic code by definition, which means that their offspring would be subject to genetic flaws. That's the core of incest, really, and there's no rational way around it. And, frankly, that sort of plot device is the sort of thing that makes me avoid a story completely.
Making female-Potter-child homosexual is too easy, I think, in that doing so would allow the author to make her "Harry" with different bits. She could have the same basic relationships and react in the same basic ways, all on the premise that she's a tomboy or something. That's cheap, and it doesn't address the core question in which I'm interested. I can imagine a scenario in which she is homosexual, but it would depend on misandry due to the Dursleys' treatment, and that's not a recipe for a well-adjusted individual of any persuasion.
I don't think I'm going to buy that parallel-universe incest thing. If nothing else, the two of them are from the same genetic code by definition, which means that their offspring would be subject to genetic flaws. That's the core of incest, really, and there's no rational way around it. And, frankly, that sort of plot device is the sort of thing that makes me avoid a story completely.
You call it a parallel universe, we call it Norfolk ;o)
I don't think I'm going to buy that parallel-universe incest thing. If nothing else, the two of them are from the same genetic code by definition, which means that their offspring would be subject to genetic flaws. That's the core of incest, really, and there's no rational way around it. And, frankly, that sort of plot device is the sort of thing that makes me avoid a story completely.
You call it a parallel universe, we call it Norfolk ;o)
Careful, my parents still live there and the task of rebuilding their defences at night is taking its toll on them.
I mention these more for the ideas on the girl Harry-Slytherin type than the stories themselves. Since they are exactly what you don't want, that might help. They were my way to the dark side, so, yeah...
Jamie:
Equal and Opposite by Amerision
Summary: Left bitter and angry when his female self leaves him, Harry decides he will do anything for revenge. Nobody will stand in his way. Because desperation and anger can turn even the most noblest of hearts into darkness... HarryFemHarry COMPLETE
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2973799/1/Equal_and_Opposite
Classic evil twin girl!Harry makes Harry evil himself...
Holly:
Holly Evans and the Spiral Path by wordhammer
Summary: Girl!Harry walks a bizarre version of Harry's life at Hogwarts, until she makes her own Mark. Darker!Everyone. Rated for complexity, violence, sexuality and bio-squickiness.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4916690/1/Holly_Evans_and_the_Spiral_Path
This one is really more interesting and was great to read. It's written in a journal-transcript style, but you don't get lost or bored for a second. Holly, Hermione and Lily (don't worry she's dead, just her mentioned history) are great here. The ideas, plot and characters really got me interested, he wasn't kidding when he mentioned complex.
Might give you ideas, or further refine thoughts...
Now I'm curious about female Harry ... I've not seen a story but a plot bunny just jumped past where little!girl Potter got on the Hogwarts train after being collected by Hagrid, forming a friendship with Ginny on the platform and getting a huge crush on Ron!
I'm not so sure it's a *good* thing!
*shoos it back into it's box ...
Now I'm curious about female Harry ... I've not seen a story but a plot bunny just jumped past where little!girl Potter got on the Hogwarts train after being collected by Hagrid, forming a friendship with Ginny on the platform and getting a huge crush on Ron!
I'm not so sure it's a *good* thing!
*shoos it back into it's box ...
That's bad, very bad! Shame on you!
Hey now - I put it straight back into the box!!!!
Now I'm curious about female Harry ... I've not seen a story but a plot bunny just jumped past where little!girl Potter got on the Hogwarts train after being collected by Hagrid, forming a friendship with Ginny on the platform and getting a huge crush on Ron!
I'm not so sure it's a *good* thing!
*shoos it back into it's box ...
This one?: I rather like it a lot
A Butterfly Effect
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6008512/1/A_Butterfly_Effect
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter and all properties hereto and forthwith… come on. Get serious. Its JK's world, but with my imagination's spin on it.
Full Summary: A butterfly flaps it's wings. Conceived a day earlier, the hero was never born. He wasn't even a glimmer in his father's eye.
But she was. Harriet Lily Potter... Harry.
How does the world change? How do predestined relationships change? How important can one person be? What happens when the shoes of a hero are filled by the feet of a heroine?
Follow Harry down the familiar path. Follow her as she steps off it. Walk with her as she creates tiny ripples that change history as we know it... for better or worse.
Rating: M fore violence, gore, language, and sexual situations (17+ in select chapters)
Genre: Action/Adventure; Romance; Drama
Pairings: Overwhelming H/G with H/R, H/D, H/? not telling you, R/Hr, D/P (main pairings H/G, R/Hr, D/P)
If you don't see your favorite pairing or see a pairing you don't like and decide to bail right now thats cool, but you'll miss out on a badass story.
If you do a story search on Fanfiction.net for "Girl who lived" there are about 450 stories in HP that are found. Most of these are barely started or abandoned. I did find one author who wrote the first two books on thjis premise and started the thrid: kamuinoyume ... http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1949209/kamuinoyume
I haven't read it and don't really intend to, but I have thought of how I would write such a story, and I do have a few ideas below: For the sake of nomenclature I am using TGWL to indicate "The Girl Who Lived"
The Trio:
I don't see TGWL becoming friends with Ron. Perhaps she might think he is interesting, but I think Dudley's behavior toward her as well as her uncle's would probably make her shy away from male characters at first. I would see the Trio starting with TGWL and Hermione. IF Ron entered the equation, it would be in the troll incident, but I would lean more toward Neville becoming part of the Trio and being a possible romantic interest.
PS - There will need to be changes in the plot to get to the final confrontation, but the traps and confrontation would not be any different.
Severus:
The relationship between Severus and TGWL would be incredibly complicated as TGWL would be Lilly with Jame's eyes or some such thing. No matter what Severus is disturbed and bitter and broken. His relationship with TGWL could range anywhere from ignoring to hatred to inappropriate in later years.
Draco:
I think TGWL makes a much better catalyst for the redemption of Draco that is sort of played out in the original books. I would make their relationship highly antagonistic in the first years, after a failed romantic interest from Draco. TGWL would never like a bully and egotist like Draco. However, subtle changes and gestures over years would slowly develop a relationship that would spur Draco to fight his father's influence and allow for him to confess what he has done in book 6 in the hopes to stop it. Of course, it isn't stopped, but it then gives the jump to Draco helping in Book 7 and being a part of winning the war. I am not sure if Draco and TGWL would be paired up by the end, but it would be a large possibility. As an aside, I'd have Dobby show up in CoS because he overheard Draco wanting to help and get to know TGWL better. This would allow Dobby a more helpful role in CoS.
CoS
Ginny still gets the diary, but she looks at TGWL as a role model. She would have grown up hearing stories of a girl, like herself, doing amazing things. It would be empowering rather than endearing. They will not have a romantic relationship, but she may become the third member of the Golden Trio in PoA with all the boys hanging on the outside.
I can't think of many other things at the moment, but I'm not interested in writing this, so if anyone wants it, please go ahead and run with it.
-Jonathan
- “Perhaps, in those days, there were a few among men, a few of clear sight and clean soul, who refused to surrender that word ["I"]. What agony must have been theirs before that which they saw coming and could not stop! Perhaps they cried out in protest