Writing Next Generation

[LunaStellaCat]

Okay, first off, I don't know if this the proper place to post this, but I want to legitimately have this converation.  I'm finally in the head space of personally accepting the Epilogue and "The Cursed Child" as canon.  Yes, it took this long. Don't judge.  Just kidding.  Take it away and judge.  :)

 

So, this morning I woke up with an idea to write a thing about Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, and perhaps the Potter brew doing what they do.  Not just cliche Weasley stuff, a story.  So, here's my question, and when you read this it will sound negative.  Because I just got Next Generation in my headspace. 

 

Do you write the Weasley and Potter crew from inspirations from the parents or do you invent your own crew?  That being said, how do you walk the line from keeping your own interpretation of the Potter/Weasley gang from from not being OCs of a story that has already been told?  Merlin, tell me that maketh sense.  .

 

Third question. Canon says Mr. Neville Longbottom joined the ranks of the Ministry of Magic as an Auror before becoming a Herbology professor.  How long do you think that lasted?  When did Hannah take over at the Three Broomsticks?  Was Neville also HoH of Gryffindor? 

 

Right, I know this is a lot.  This is part of my healing with accepting Next Generation.  (I had to do the same with Remus/Tonks.).

 

Thanks for your input.

[Margaret]

I don't see any reason why the next generation shouldn't become OCs. Most of them basically are, although we do have some hints at Rose, Albus and James's personalities. I think the fact they are pretty much blank slates (I will admit I have not read Cursed Child) is what I love about next gen. It means we can write about and read about different characters and what the world is like without war and from different characters' points of view.

 

When writing next generation I take the parents' personalities into account but not in the sense of modeling the next generation on them - after all, I am not particularly like either of my parents, so why should they be - but in the sense that their parents' personalities will have affected them. Percy's children will probably have been raised quite formally and strictly and he is likely to have high expectations of them. They may try to live up to that or they may rebel completely, but it will definitely have an influence. George on the other hand is likely to be far more laid back and to even encourage a degree of mischief in his children. Harry, Ron and Hermione's children will have to grow up to some degree in the shadow of their parents. We are also told that Rose has Hermione's brains. Scorpius is going to grow up as part of a family likely to be rejected by both sides.

 

I don't see why they would be part of a story that has already been told. We have a completely blank slate as to what we can do with them. We can write romances or adventure stories or stories about pressure at school or bullying or the stress of living up to famous parents. We can write about them in any career. There are so many options, it is far easier to find something original than it is when writing stories set during canon or Marauders' era when we are limited by what we know happened. The next generation could get caught up in another war or could live in an era of peace. The statute of secrecy could be broken. There could be a political crisis. There could be a completely different issue like conflict with vampires or a war or political crisis with another wizarding nation. They could travel abroad.

 

My next generation characters are as such:

 

Victoire: The eldest. A caring older sister type.

 

Dominique: A bit of a tomboy. A year younger than her sister but very different. Aiming to play professional Quidditch.

 

Louis: Two years younger than Dominique and basically a playboy. Good-looking and knows it, lazy and selfish.

 

Lucy: Smart and responsible but a perfectionist. Same age as Louis.

 

Molly: Younger than Lucy, Lily's age. Overweight and of average intelligence. Generally overlooked and ignored by her father. Left out a lot.

 

James: A prankster. Irresponsible and arrogant. Teases his younger siblings and cousins but is also quite protective of them when the chips are down.

 

Albus: The sensitive one. Quiet and lacking in confidence. He feels he will never live up to his popular brother, smart cousins and hero parents and aunts and uncles.

 

Lily: Like Albus, she is anxious to prove herself, but is more pushy about it. She is determined to prove herself the equal of her family.

 

Rose: Smart and bossy like Hermione, but having grown up in the wizarding world she has none of Hermione's insecurities. Often too sure of herself and possessed of a temper. She can also be somewhat insensitive at times due to her own certainty of her own opinions. Responsible and mature.

 

Hugo: The annoying younger brother. As Rose is the sensible child, he is the one who gets into scraps. Good friends with Lily.

 

Fred: About three years younger than Lily, he doesn't really appear much in my stories so far, but is inclined to mischief and occasionally gets annoyed at being ignored and treated as a baby by Lily and Hugo.

 

Roxanne: The baby of the family, about 8 years younger than Albus and Rose. Again doesn't appear much due to how young she is, but inclined to mischief like her brother.

 

Teddy: Dating Victoire. Very concerned about social justice due to how his father was treated. Works for Hermione. Caring and responsible but can be somewhat hot-headed and is impatient at how slowly the wizarding world is changing.

 

Scorpius: Obsessed with Quidditch, determined to make it his career. Something of a loner due to growing up an object of suspicion in the wizarding world. Friendly with Rose and Albus but generally keeps his own company.

[abhorsen.]

I agree with Margaret; I don't see anything wrong with next-gen characters essentially being OCs, and I don't think I've read any stories that are essentially just retelling the HP books. Even when there's a new dark wizard, there are significant differences - Harry was in such a specific situation that I don't think that's an enormous amount of danger that one might retell the story. There's a basic backbone to next-gen, but that's it - there's so much room to fill in everything else, and that's one of the best things about it.

 

When I first started writing next-gen, I definitely used their parents as closer inspiration than I do now. I still keep their parents in mind, but they're not carbon-copies by any means. At least half of them are also written with ADHD in mind, though I don't have a formal diagnosis attached to anyone.

 

Under a cut, because it's long:

 

 

Teddy Lupin (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2009-2016): In some kind of romantic relationship with Victoire. (Exact nature depends on the time - he falls for her at some point during his seventh year and starts dating her before her seventh year. They ultimately move in together and get married.) While he has a sense of humor, he tends toward being more serious and protective of everyone else, and he's much more aware of responsibility than they are - though he tends to surround himself with people who are volatile. He ultimately becomes a Curse-Breaker.

 

Victoire Weasley (Ravenclaw; attends Hogwarts 2012-2019): In some kind of romantic relationship with Teddy (see above). She's playful, hyperactive, and very easily bored; she will pretty much always push the little red button. Fred (who she's very close to - see below) likes mischief - Victoire likes danger. She ultimately joins the DCB, which was started by Seamus Finnigan a few years after the war and is currently run by him and Lavender.

 

Fred Weasley (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2012-2019): Fred was born several years before his parents married; neither Angelina nor George were really ready to have a child at that point. Bill (who was the only one of the Weasleys to already have a child) ultimately ended up stepping in and providing a great deal of support throughout Fred's early years in particular. Partially as a result, he and Victoire are very close. Fred has inherited an intense love of blowing things up and causing trouble; however, unlike his father and uncle, he never veers into the bullying category.

 

Molly Weasley (Ravenclaw; attends Hogwarts 2014-2021): Molly grew up with a father who was strict and very focused on the rules; she internalizes enough of that to ultimately become Head Girl, but she sometimes struggles with getting things like schoolwork done. She tries to avoid putting her cousins in detention when at all possible, and even sometimes helps Victoire sneak out to see Teddy in her seventh year.

 

Dominique Weasley (Ravenclaw; attends Hogwarts 2014-2021): Like her older sister, Dominique likes danger. She tends to have tunnel vision; she wants what she wants, and nobody will stand in her way. She loves dragons, doesn't see romance as a priority, and has been obsessed with Arsenal since a friend's Muggleborn father took them to a game when they were five or six. (This football fixation confuses her siblings and her cousins.)

 

Louis Weasley (Ravenclaw; attends Hogwarts 2015-2022): Serious and quiet; becomes a Hit Wizard.

 

Lucy Weasley (Hufflepuff; attends Hogwarts 2015-2022): Playful and supportive; joins the Department of Mysteries. Rooms with Rose when Rose finishes school.

 

James Sirius Potter (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2016-2023): James is a walking case of hyperactivity and questionable judgment. He's insightful and very good at reading people, but he also tends to see any excitement as good excitement. He's broken limbs playing Quidditch more times than he can count, and he tends to poke and prod at people in ways that are genuinely hurtful without necessarily being aware of it. He and Roxanne are close throughout their childhood and adolescence, but their relationship suffers after he breaks one of her best friend's hearts in their seventh year through callousness and avoidance. He, more than anyone else, really steps over the line into genuinely problematic behavior as he reaches adulthood, and that's something that he ends up needing to grapple with. James, like Victoire, ultimately joins the DCB.

 

Roxanne Weasley (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2016-2023): Roxanne loves to cause trouble, but she's also one of the most dedicated (and intelligent) of the next-gen Weasleys. She takes 7 NEWTs and gets high marks in all of them, and becomes a Beater for various professional Quidditch teams. After her Quidditch career is done, she joins St. Mungo's research department to brew potions - her best and favorite subject in school.

 

Albus Severus Potter (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2017-2024): Albus probably should have been a Hufflepuff. He argues very hard that he should be allowed to join the Gryffindors, because he wants to be with his brother and Rose (who he correctly assumes will be Sorted there as well), and the Sorting Hat eventually relents. Albus is all about interhouse cooperation, makes close friends with Slytherins (including Scorpius Malfoy), and usually assumes the best of people. He's got a danger-loving streak too, though - he joins the Aurors.

 

Rose Weasley (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2017-2024): Rose loves creating havoc. She doesn't partake in organized mischief the way Victoire and Fred (and later James and Roxanne) do, but she loves to sit back and watch it happen, and she's not above helping out when the occasion calls for it. She's incredibly loyal, but has an unfortunate habit of eavesdropping, particularly on Scorpius Malfoy (which doesn't amuse him, especially once they start dating). She also joins the DCB.

 

Scorpius Malfoy (Slytherin; attends Hogwarts 2017-2024): Albus's best friend, and eventually Rose's boyfriend. Scorpius can see the fault lines in everyone and knows where to hit them so it hurts, but he rarely actually uses the knowledge. He's friendly, loyal, and very well-liked. He becomes a Healer. (Poor thing.)

 

Hugo Weasley (Hufflepuff; attends Hogwarts 2019-2026): Hugo is fairly quiet and idolizes his sister and Teddy Lupin; he gets generally good marks and also joins the Curse-Breakers.

 

Lily Luna Potter (Gryffindor; attends Hogwarts 2019-2025): Lily is a gentle person and has a hard time with her family's love of danger. After James lands himself in St. Mungo's (again) and Albus spends more time joking with James than recognizing the gravity of the situation, she runs away to live in second cousin Edwin Dursley's closet. She eventually falls in love with a Muggle.

 

 

As far as Neville and Hannah go - Hannah actually takes over the Leaky Cauldron, though I also have her at the Three Broomsticks atm (though I may change it).

 

I see a lot of Harry's classmates joining the Aurors immediately after the war, including Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Hannah Abbott, and Anthony Goldstein. However, I don't think many of them stayed on for very long; I see Neville leaving after 6-7 years to become a Herbology teacher and, after a few years, the Head of Gryffindor.

 

If you're going to write next-gen, here's my advice:

 

Don't focus on canon. That doesn't mean deviate from canon intentionally, but if you're going to write a next-gen story that's vibrant and creative, it's almost certainly going to end up going against canon at some point, because new stuff keeps coming out. That leaves you with two options: hedge your bets and leave yourself room to constantly adapt the story, or shrug and decide that adhering to random Pottermore information or even CC is not that big a deal to you. Let your own imagination guide how the characters develop and what struggles they face.

[dirigibleplums]

Branwen and Margaret have pretty much covered it all. I think what's so brilliant about next gen is that they're essentially blank slates. This was certainly what attracted me to them in the first place - you are provided with the bare basics with this era and then essentially given free reign. No one's there to tell you that this character seems OOC because at the end of the day they're your characters and they are somewhat like OCs in that way.

 

That being said, I do think there are certain niches that the 'main' characters (the children of the Golden Trio + Scorpius) have as fanfiction has developed. For example, James is often portrayed like his grandfather - a prankster, someone who revels in chaos, a bit of a ladies' man too - but it's not necessary to write him like that. Steering away from it is perfectly fine; modelling him after James I is as equally okay.

 

Keeping their parents in mind is still essential, I'd wager. Even if they're not carbon copies of Harry or Draco - and it's likely they won't be - parents still leave a lasting impression on their kids, even in unlikely ways. A bad relationship with a parent might mean that a character is extremely close to their sibling. A good one might mean that when a character messes up, they have no qualms lying about it because they don't want to face the disappointment of someone they love. As Margaret said, the children of the Golden Trio will always live in the shadow of their parents' actions and that will affect the way they behave. Scorpius is undoubtedly a product of the Malfoy name and everyone's responses to it.

 

I've ventured into next gen a lot with various projects over the years and have dabbled with different portrayals of the characters. I have to admit that I tend to focus on the 'main' ones - Dominique, for example, is quite vague in my mind - but I've found that any sort of portrayal can be done justice with your story.

 

Al, for example, is almost always a Slytherin in my stories. Sometimes, this distinction between him and Harry is something he latches onto - he might look like the carbon copy of his dad, but he clearly isn't in what he values - and other times, I've had him resent it. In the fic I'm currently working on, he absolutely despised it when he was in first year and it influenced his actions negatively. However, I also once portrayed him as a Gryffindor, one who grew out of his shell and became quite confident in later years. One thing I love to keep constant about him is his love for Quidditch though and his dreams to pursue it as a career (another little thing that separates him from his father).

 

Scorpius is always a Slytherin to me. My personal thoughts are that the boy latches onto his Slytherin cunning to maneouver his family into society's good graces once more. As the future of the once great House, he has a lot of pressure on him from both sides. In one fic, it's even the initial reason he seeks out Al's friendship - but I much prefer the thought that they just genuinely click.

 

Rose is lovely to experiment with. I've written her as an obnoxious Gryffindor - bossy, proud, unafraid of inserting herself at the top - and also written her as a Ravenclaw who still manages to rebel against her Mum's image and expectations in terms of academic ability. In the fic I'm writing, I've put her in Hufflepuff for the first time and she's really quite sweet. Whenever I put her in anything other Gryffindor, I like to think that it leaves a mark on her. Since Al is always a Slytherin in my stories, she's fiercely protective of him since they're both outsiders and my current story shows her no differently. Not being quite as in tune with the rest of her cousins, especially because she's in a house that's usually looked down upon, means that she naturally gravitates to Al more.

 

Sometimes, I have quite firm ideas about the rest of the characters, even if I don't necessarily do much with them. Lily's sweet, cheeky and has her brothers wrapped around her finger. Freddie is James' partner-in-crime, all about family first, and sometimes doesn't realise that what he's doing is hurtful - very much 'act now, think later'. Louis exercises his Veela abilities to their full potential and gives off the impression of someone cool, older and untouchable. Teddy's everyone's favourite guy, the cool older cousin who can charm the socks off anyone. James has also been similarly charming, someone who revels in the attention his surname gives him unlike his younger brother. In one fic, however, I wrote him as a social introvert: he can stay at the heart of the social circles, be incredibly popular... but he also needs time to recharge away from it all.

 

Others are more ambiguous. Vic, Dom and Lucy have never been truly defined in my mind. Molly was once very much like her father, serious and studious; in another fic, she was the girl who controlled the black market of Hogwarts. Hugo is sometimes quiet and shy, sometimes very similar to Ron. Once he was someone whose defining feature was his filthy mouth. I've portrayed Roxanne as mischievous, as the scariest Weasley to walk the planet and now as someone who's always at the heart of attention and proud of it. In my fic, the reason for this last one stems from the fact that she's the apple of George's eye and the daughter of a very popular man. Once again, the parents are shaping the way their children are.

 

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the next gen kids. As long as their characterisations work for you and your story, anything you do with them is completely fine. I mean, I don't even class CC as canon anyway - I never thought I'd actually be saying something like that - and I'm sure many agree with me so any characterisation works. Either way, you're okay.

 

As for Neville, I'd say he was an Auror for as long as the Death Eaters were still an imminent threat. By that, I mean that there was still a lot of rounding up to do, questioning of suspects, sorting out the mess left by Voldemort, neutralising any neo-Death Eaters. When things were starting to die down and they weren't a very prominent threat, when peace didn't seem to be so fragile anymore, I'd say he left. How long that period lasted is up to you, really. I do think that Neville became the Head of Gryffindor after he left and I often like to write him as Deputy Head too

[grumpy cat]

i love writing next gen characters and giving them my own spin/making them original characters - and a lot of the reviews i've received on my fics seemed to notice that and appreciate it. i mean, i started writing fanfics because most of what i've read up until that point was very... similar or just generally fluffy and something i couldn't quite relate to due to my own real life experience. so i ended up taking the next gen characters and uhh well made them fucked up. a lot. not all of them, but for some reason i chose victoire weasley as the one who i relate to the most and as the one who i write the most similar to myself, along with teddy lupin and their relationship. then there's dominique who i relate to the most after victoire and if we disregard my own mental health issues - she's the chaotic bisexual disaster we all need