Brave New World

Brave New World by Theatresm

Summary: The tale of the professor of Muggle Studies, as she raises her troubled nephew and comes to terms with her job, her colleagues, and the difficulties inherent in being a Muggle teacher at a magical school. Trilogy, Novel Length, approx. 150,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is the other of two major Snape/OC Trilogies that I think any self respecting Snape fan would need to read before really committing to the character. The narrative is in first person, and Miranda Hunter hardly ever so much as whispers the name “Mary Sue”; her relationship with Snape takes as much time to develop into fruition as a relationship with Snape ought, spreading from mutual dislike to mutual grudging respect and then like and then eventually beyond that as well. As for Snape, he never trips away from canon, and even in his softest moments he is as much the cruel bastard as we could hope for, but Miranda has been cunningly crafted to match him well. Furthar, one of the most compelling relationships in the story is that between Miranda and her young nephew, Ian; a young boy with his own journey to make. Every canon character in this piece is spot on, and every original character feels as though they might just be canon. The prose is dynamic, and rolling with style. This is not how JKR would have written it, and yet it honours the intent. A landmark piece, written before the release of OotP.

Why You Might Not Care: Oh boy. Do not venture here if you harbour any thoughts that Snape is not the prick he seems to be, because here the author never tries to dull his edge which — to the true canon Snape fan — will only make you want more. This is a man that was a Death Eater willingly, and perhaps in moments of weakness longs to be again. In places, it’s a story about a dead man trying to move forward and being just as startled as anyone to find there may be a part of him alive yet. Also, this fiction was written before OotP came out, so while it once fit canon perfectly, it now sits firmly in an AU category.

Awards: Round Four Multifaceted Awards, Best Original Character – Runner Up.

Darkness and Light Trilogy

Darkness and Light Trilogy by R.J. Anderson

Summary: A young blind woman comes to Hogwarts on a secret mission, only to find herself allied with the one man she has been warned not to trust – Severus Snape. Trilogy, Novel Length, 113,525 Words, Complete.

Why You Should Care: Anyone who claims to adore the character of Snape should have already read this, or is lying. There are only a couple of highly respected Snape/OC fics and this is one of them for a very good reason. In lesser hands, Maud Moody could have very easily become a Mary Sue, but under Anderson’s pen she never entirely falls that way but instead becomes one of the most memorable original characters in the fandom. This fiction was written between GoF and OotP and while it has since been adjusted to reflect OotP canon, the plot carries through to Voldemort’s defeat and thus it is now firmly AU. However, the plot of this piece is one of its very best features: brilliantly and thoughtfully constructed, back before OotP it was entirely plausible.

Why You Might Not Care: Snape is not quite canon, here. Time and nods to canon give us at least a passable explanation why that is, and creates a sort of AU Snape that turns out to be as dynamic and dimensional – if less ambiguous – then his canon counterpart. The central romance does have a remarkable age gap that’s hard to believably overcome, since Maud comes to Hogwarts as a seventh year student from Durmstrang. I think what made it work for me is that the author isn’t afraid to admit the huge differential in age and sometimes puts it front and centre, admitting that yes, it is a problem, but sometimes other things matter more. Their relationship might be a tad rushed, but only just.