So what about Pansy Parkinson?

Brainstorming Good Badfic by thejadefalcon on 2008-12-18 11:55:00 UTC Reply

Okay, I have this unfortunate habit of seeing bad fanfiction and thinking ‘I can do better’. That usually leads to me at least plotting a story along the same lines, but fortunately that’s generally as far as it goes. For instance, I have a Hermione/Snape romance in the works. Well, on the drawing board, because I’m still really struggling to work it into Canonical parameters without Snape surviving the Battle of Hogwarts, which is fairly clichéd and illogical.

However, in my searches for sporkable material on AFF (pretty much everything I encountered) I found numerous stories were the females of Harry Potter are forced into sexual servitude for whatever reason… *sigh* Yeah, you can see where this is going, can’t you?

While quite a bit of me wants to forget I ever considered the idea, the other part wants to see what it would be like if everyone was in character (the women generally spread their legs eagerly and/or it’s Harry or the like doing the domination) and it was written by someone with knowledge of “consequences”, whatever they are.

So yeah, this fic is still in a state of extreme limbo. For a start, it’s the in character part that worries me. Rather sensibly, JKR didn’t introduce any serial rapists into her fandom (with the exception of Lockhart according to some). I’ve already ruled out Snape and Malfoy for being, if not good guys, definitely not bad guys. Crabbe and Goyle are a bit too thick to plan anything of the magnitude that this fic would entail. So that leaves Blaise Zabini or an OC. Yeah, sorry to focus on the Slytherins, but they seem to be the likely culprits (though if I have an OC, a Ravenclaw would also be acceptable due to their intelligence).

The woman/women in question (I’m likely to limit it only to one though, for my sanity if nothing else) is/are probably going to be Hermione, Ginny or, pushing it here, Luna. This is simply because they’re the most characterised and an OC would lose a lot of impact for this role.

Ideas would be appreciated, for both attacker and victim identity and also for ideas on how the attacker gets the victim to comply, however reluctantly. I’m thinking blackmail of some sort, because the attacker may not be kind enough/smart enough to use Obliviate. Finally, graphic or totally gloss over the sections in question? *

Of course, an overwhelmingly negative reaction will also be appreciated and may get this idea out of my head once and for all. Whatever your comments are, thanks in advance.

* What are the boundaries between M and NC-17 for sexual content on FF.net? And is sex the only factor separating the two? It’s never been very clearly explained and I’m personally not sure if the admins themselves have a standardised set of rules given some of the fics I’ve encountered on FF alone. And if I ever post sexual scenes, because I have a couple of major ones planned since they’re plot-critical, I want to know if I’m going to get kicked off for it or if I can be safe under M.

Some advice by Five_redclawed on 2008-12-18 19:33:00 UTC Reply

I know just what you mean, because I have that same bad habit. Harry Potter isn't one of my fandoms, but I'll try my best to give decent advise anyways.

What I'm really wondering here is what you mean by "sexual servitude"--do you mean consensual bondage, someone being pressured into sex, or flat out rape? If it's the last two, you must make it squicky and disturbing. I get the impression that people usually write these fics as a fantasy, so they try to make it all sexy. But in real life, something like this would be horrible and unhappy and really, really disgusting. Well, you probably know this already. But I thought I'd say this just in case.

It's also worth considering what age these guys are. I generally squick out at underage fics that aren't "first love/experiments/fumbling into adulthood" sort of things. But more than a few teenage guys have drugged their girlfriend's glass in real life, so it's not inconcievable.

And leave out the filthy details. For one, we really, really, really don't need to see all the filthy and disgusting actions implied in such a situation. Also, by taking out the descriptions of sex, you leave everything up to the audience's imagination, which just ups the horror of the situation. And remember, in this story, you should be stressing the horror aspects. Try focusing on the thought process of the predator and/or victim instead.

If you must have them keep the situation a secret, give them a good emotional reason. A lot of people just come up with a wimpy excuse and move on. Don't do that. Make them think it through before deciding. Remember, there's NOTHING WRONG with the authorities finding out about the predator in the end; watching the predator get punished gives the audience a cathartic release after reading all of the disturbing bits earlier. Alternatively, you might have the girl decide that she cannot tell anyone about this situation, and therefore must take care of the predator herself, which could lead to some sort of cat-and-mouse game...I'm really getting a little too much into this, aren't I?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ginny and Hermione are strong, smart girls. They're both very capable witches, they're both strong-minded, and they definitely wouldn't just lie down and take it. They'd do something about the situation. Take out that struggle, and I think you'd be leaving out a major part of their character.

Okay, that's all I can think of at the moment. Hope this gives you some idea of what to do.

Thanks by thejadefalcon on 2008-12-19 13:31:00 UTC Reply

"do you mean consensual bondage, someone being pressured into sex, or flat out rape?"

A mix of the last two usually. That's the one I'm doing.

"If it's the last two, you must make it squicky and disturbing. I get the impression that people usually write these fics as a fantasy, so they try to make it all sexy. But in real life, something like this would be horrible and unhappy and really, really disgusting."

Yeah, I know. I've got this one fic ("Harry Potter and the Shattered World") with a fairly graphic scene just to really rub it in that rape is not fun at all and if by any chance the victim orgasms, they won't actually want to and it will humiliate them further. And no, she won't in my fic.

"It's also worth considering what age these guys are."

I was thinking seventh year so that I don't get arrested and all that.

"For one, we really, really, really don't need to see all the filthy and disgusting actions implied in such a situation."

Usually I'd agree, but with Shattered World, I'm putting it all in so that you do see it. Because maybe, by reading it, some authors may finally understand the true horror of rape. I direct you to Bottled Feelings on FF.net (another HP fic). Perfect example of an "I've been raped give me comfort sex" fic.

" Try focusing on the thought process of the predator and/or victim instead."

Victim is a given. I try not to focus on the predator because that might give the readers some form of pity, which I don't want. There's only one rapist in my stories who deserves pity and it wasn't for the rape itself, but the circumstances that he was caught in that led him to that moment (it's hard to explain without ruining the plot, but it does make sense).

"If you must have them keep the situation a secret, give them a good emotional reason. A lot of people just come up with a wimpy excuse and move on."

Yeah, I'm trying to come up with a good blackmail thing.

"Remember, there's NOTHING WRONG with the authorities finding out about the predator in the end"

In Shattered World, they find out at the beginning. Harry's daughter's rapes and the rest of the fic is finding out who did it while he tries to help her get through it all.

"Alternatively, you might have the girl decide that she cannot tell anyone about this situation, and therefore must take care of the predator herself, which could lead to some sort of cat-and-mouse game..."

Bits of that in Shattered, too.

"I'm really getting a little too much into this, aren't I?"

Not at all. You've been very helpful so far.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ginny and Hermione are strong, smart girls. They're both very capable witches, they're both strong-minded, and they definitely wouldn't just lie down and take it. They'd do something about the situation. Take out that struggle, and I think you'd be leaving out a major part of their character."

Yeah, you see my problem. An OC wouldn't have the same impact as a character we know and love, but the Canon characters aren't weak and pathetic. All the females I can think of (Susan Bones, Luna Lovegood etc) were in Dumbledore's Army, which shows their character and their conviction.

Thanks very much for your response and for not calling the cyberpolice on me.

So what about Pansy Parkinson? by Maudlin Hart on 2008-12-22 12:56:00 UTC Reply

Or is that just too squicky to contemplate?
I know, I know, I'm too young to have a mind this pervy.

Hmm... by thejadefalcon on 2008-12-22 12:59:00 UTC Reply

I'm not sure. For a start, I don't think Pansy's been given much description beyond "ugly". Secondly, her personality would either a) hinder my attempts to make you feel sorry for her or b) change radically after the attacks, in which case, somebody would notice.

"I know, I know, I'm too young to have a mind this pervy."

Why? How old are you?

I think it was "pug-faced", actually. by Maudlin Hart on 2008-12-23 15:49:00 UTC Reply

And some pugs are cute, if you can ignore the fact that they are also mad.
Thirteen, going on fourteen.

The personality still gets in the way though... by thejadefalcon on 2008-12-23 16:37:00 UTC Reply

But, yes, you probably are a bit too young. But then again, I started plotting a fairly graphic rape scene for Shattered World earlier this year and I'm only seventeen, so I'm not much better. :P

Only physically... by Maudlin Hart on 2008-12-24 00:39:00 UTC Reply

In accumulated snark, cynicism, and looking good in hats I'm about ninety.

I just hit my 92nd birthday... by thejadefalcon on 2008-12-30 11:32:00 UTC Reply

... aged eighteen in T-5 days.