HP fic recs?

[springgreen]

I have finally seen the last movie! I have no real commentary, as I had completely forgotten everything from the books, save the endless forest scenes from the first movie. As it were, I kept leaning over and asking people, "Was that in the book too?!"

And now I want fic! I haven't read HP fic since probably around 2005 or so, so older recs are good as well.

Things I am looking for:

• Snape backstory. Snape/Lily and AUs also good.
  
• Lily getting to be an actual person instead of a love interest or a dead mother.
  
• Narcissa
  
• Luna and/or Neville, either character studies (especially with Neville's parents! Or Longbottom backstory), or ship fic. I could probably ship them with nearly anyone.
  
• Stuff complicating the Slytherins, since I don't believe the entire house could be evil. That said, I am not a Draco fan, nor am I interested in Harry/Draco.
  
• Dystopic AUs under Voldemort rule or backstory from the last time he was in power, preferably with a focus on the women instead of the Marauders.
  
• McGonagall being awesome.
  
• Stories about Hogwarts in the seventh book, particularly during the events when all we see in the book is Harry, Ron and Hermione in the forest. Students and professors rebelling, like in OotP, etc. Stories about Hogwarts right after the big climax in the end also good.
  
• Stories about the wizarding world recovering from Voldemort.
  
• Politics in the Ministry of Magic.
  
• What's going on in the rest of the world as Voldemort climbs to power again.
  
• Something really complicating the human vs. non-human dynamics in the books, especially re: the house elves.
  
• Female friendships in the books.

I am not looking for most ship stories (I make an exception for Luna and/or Neville, and also for femslash). I'm fine if there's shippy stuff happening in the fic, but I'd rather that not be the focus of the story. I am also not a fan of teacher/student fic, unless it is post-Hogwarts. I'm not particularly interested in more about Harry, Ron, Draco, Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, or James. I do want more about Snape, but I like Snape as a complicated, petty, heroic, cruel character.

Basically, I want things that expand on the worldbuilding. I love the history in the books, the generations lost to battles with Voldemort, the politics in the Ministry, the sense of bigotry and oppression and rebellion. I like stories of ordinary people being extraordinary. I have a weird liking for Hermione and Snape, but less as a ship and more as intellectual interaction. I love the HP series, but I also want to complicate it and poke holes at it and critique and put more layers in.

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

My friend liseuse wrote me a sweet Luna/Ginny fic ages ago. She writes lots of HP femslash in general (particularly Pansy/Hermione), but I think some of it is missing from her AO3 account. Hm.

[springgreen]

Eeee, I will check that out, thank you!

[esmenet]

In Loco Parentis is just about my favorite fic ever. The author's summary:

'It's not just Death Eaters that kill Muds. After the Second World War, the Muggle civil rights movements got started. Black rights, and feminism, and gay rights. We -- wizards -- we never had the sixties, because we just kept replaying the war, over and over again: Grindelwald in the forties, then Voldemort in the seventies, then Voldemort again in the nineties. I just hope this time it's really finished, and we can sort out our own fucking house.'

Hermione is back at school after a summer in the Muggle world, and everything is changing. But getting closer to Harry doesn't get her any closer to the war - until she's unexpectedly enrolled in the Order of the Phoenix, and meets Hestia Jones, the founder of Mud Pride.

The works of Vera Rozalsky will also likely be of interest to you. Her main works are post-DH, hard-hitting and beautiful. Amends, or Truth and Reconciliation especially contains much Neville, plenty of human/non-human politics & culture clash, female mentorship (lots of), and the wizarding world being dragged up out of the Dark Ages by a small, determined group of people as best they can. Also Hermione is complicated and interesting liek whoa. (There is some Draco, but you can probably live with him.) Lots of minor and less-minor characters feature: Dean, Luna, Justin, Lavender, and Neville's Gran are ones I am particularly fond of.

You might enjoy A Law to Herself, a Marriage Law fic in which Hermione marries Snape for the practical reason of not liking her other options, and he marries her because he wants an excuse to be nearby watching when she rips the government to pieces.

[springgreen]

Those look like exactly what I am looking for, thank you!!

[torachan]

All my HP recs are on delicious, under rec and rec+. I read a wide variety of stuff, pretty much any characters as long as the summary sounds interesting, so you might find something in there.

Some Narcissa-centric fics I liked: The Death of Narcissa Black, We Will Be Whole Again, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

[springgreen]

Oooo, thank you for the recs! Will be poking through those.

[rachelmanija]

I haven't read her HP stories, but Minisinoo's X-Men fic is excellent, so her HP books should be worth checking out. I think they're Cedric-centric.

[springgreen]

Awesome, will look for those!