hp-unspeakables

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 5): Fragment of a Soul

Summary: Unspeakable Granger was sent to investigate strange occurrences in the countryside related to a fairy circle. What she discovered was a fragment of Voldemort’s soul that wasn’t destroyed in May of 1998. What lengths will she go to keep him in the fairy realm?

Characters: Hermione Granger, Tom Riddle | Voldemort

Rating: Teen

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 5): dum spiro spero

Summary:

Every man and his owl are in agreement: the Department of Mysteries contains twelve doors. It is an objective fact, boring and undeniable.

So when a thirteenth door appears, out of nowhere, on a Monday afternoon, is is also an objective fact that something is afoot and worth investigating. And who better to take charge of the mystery than the department's dullest Unspeakable? The only man in the Ministry of Magic to whom nothing exciting ever happens.

I do hope nothing goes wrong...

Relationship: Tom Riddle/Augustus Rookwood

Rating: Teen

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 4): When You Can't Find A Hero, Become One by meandminniemcg - a Podfic

Summary: After Harry Potter's mysterious disappearance, wizarding Britain moved on. Some moved on because they didn't care, some to keep the pieces of their lives together or to be strong for their traumatized loved ones. But Draco couldn't move on. He decided to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to Potter. And Slytherins are good at doing whatever it takes.

Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Neville Longbottom/Blaise Zabini, Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Rating: Mature

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 4): What is lost can be Found

Summary:

One of the unidentified doors leads to a room very similar to the Room of Hidden Things. The Chamber is called the ‘Chamber of Lost Objects’, where every lost magical object ends up to be cataloged and stored by the Unspeakable assigned to this room.

That just to happens to be one Hermione Granger, who quite enjoys the solitude her job affords her. Especially since not a single item has ever been ‘found’ as it were, from this Chamber. However, that all changes when something unusual arrives Lost—a person!

Now Unspeakable Granger has to break that streak in order to figure out how a person ended up in the Chamber and how to get them back where (or when) they came from.

Relationship: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape

Rated: Teen and Up

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 3): Shadowside

Summary: On her first day as an Unspeakable, Hermione finds that there are thirteen doors in the anteroom of the Department of Mysteries, not twelve. And it seems as if she is the only one who is able to see it.

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger & Padma Patil, Hermione Granger & Ginny Weasley

Rated: Explicit

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 3): Wishing for the stars

Summary:

Unspeakable Harry Potter loves the stars.

The Minister Tom Riddle loves Harry Potter.

Relationship: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle

Rating: General Audiences

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 2): Sock It To Me

Summary: Hermione receives her first assignment as an Unspeakable. Why do socks go missing, and why do they all end up in the Department of Mysteries?

Characters: Hermione Granger, Saul Croaker, Luna Lovegood

Rating: Teen

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 2): Figments & Spectres & Ghosts, Oh My!

Summary: As Unspeakable Hermione Granger found out, summoning ghosts is incredibly easy. The difficult part is figuring out what to do with them. If she can ever stop summoning them, that is.

Relationships: Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape

Rated: Teen

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 1): The Complexities of Bulstrodian Dynamics

Our second work up is The Complexities of Bulstrodian Dynamics.

Summary: When Auror Ron Weasley is suddenly incapacitated after a hex job that should have been routine, Unspeakable Millicent Bulstrode finds herself challenged not only by goblin magic; there are prophecies she's a part of she had no idea. The ultimate challenge: confronting her feelings for her business partner and housemate of two years, Luna Lovegood. F/F, eventual Millicent/Luna, Mature rating for some language, but mostly for themes that include references to past suicide, not-exactly-subtle-planned eugenics (that has completely unintended consequences), and adulting even when it sucks.

Relationship: Millicent Bulstrode/Luna Lovegood

Rated: Teen

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Unspeakables Fest (Day 1): On the Cultivation of Time Sand

Our first work up is On the Cultivation of Time Sand.

Summary:

Bibliography:

Avery, F. D., Time and the Problem of the Muggle, 1978

Cosima, A., Time, Space, Eternity, and all things very small, Cambridge, 2010

Crabbe, B. S., Muggle Ideas About Magic, 1943

Characters: Lily Luna Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Hermione Granger

Rated: Teen

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Claiming is Open for the HP Unspeakables Fest!

We have 117 amazing prompts to choose from! We are allowing multiple claims for each prompt, but we also encourage everyone to spread the love and consider an unclaimed idea if you’re undecided.

Claiming will remain open until August 25, with works due September 14. You will receive an email from unspeakables.fest AT gmail.com within a week of claiming to confirm your choice.

GALLERY: https://airtable.com/app5yRlYK8gV6RQJH/shrM1MTFX0ulvdQXL

CLAIMING FORM: https://airtable.com/app5yRlYK8gV6RQJH/shrilH99OELJvph0x

And join us on Discord!

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Prompting is Open!

Prompting is now open for the Unspeakables Fest! You can submit up to 10 (now 20!) Department of Mysteries-centric and magical theory prompts here on the prompting form.

And check out all of the current prompts here in the gallery.

Prompting will remain open until June 18! We're so excited to see everyone's ideas!

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Eight days left until prompting opens for Unspeakables Fest!

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Unspeakables Fest prompting begins in 23 days. Are you ready?

If you are, come join us at https://discord.gg/sVXy8arn.

[hp-unspeakables]

Is this you? Well, get ready for HP Unspeakables Fest!

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Frequency Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can works be cross posted to another fest? Yes! As long as your work fits within the themes of both and follows the rules of the other fest.

Can I write my favorite ship or OC? Can I make a character an unspeakable who is not an unspeakable in canon?

Yes & Yes! As long as the work is set in the Harry Potter universe and follows the fest rules.

Will this fest be anonymous? Works will be anonymous initially on AO3, but participants are welcome to discuss them during the writing or creating process. We encourage you to talk about your works within the confines of the DoM, but please feel free to go wherever you’re most comfortable. Five days after works are posted to AO3, reveals will begin. We are currently planning to have all reveals occur on September 21, 2024, but may change this depending on the number of participants. We will let participants know and update the FAQ, if needed, once claiming has closed.

Can I claim more than one prompt at a time? You can claim a second prompt only after your first work has been submitted and approved to the fest. If you wish to claim a prompt after claiming closes, please email mods for consideration. Participants can submit a maximum of five works.

What do I do if I need an extension or need to drop out of the fest? Email the mod account as soon as you think you might need an extension, and we will do our best to work with you. If you can no longer participate, please send us an email and let us know. Please be sure to send us an email rather than a DM as it will help us stay organized.

Can you explain what you mean by writing stories (or making art) about the known areas of study of the Department of Mysteries (i.e., love, death, prophecy, mind, and space/time)?

Love:

What precisely did Lily Potter do that gave Harry the protection against the Killing Curse? How did the ward on the Dursleys’ house based on that protection operate, exactly?

Dumbledore told Harry “Love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark.” Was he speaking literally? How does love manifest in one’s magic?

Example Story: Beyond the Draught of Destiny by Jaxon

Mind: Legilimency, Occlumency, Thoughts, Memories.

Do memories shift over time? Are they fully removed from one’s mind when placed in the Pensieve?

Is Occlumency strictly magical? Can a squib with determination block a wizard? Can ADHD confuse the attacker? Are those proficient in meditation impossible to read?

Space/Time: Apparition, Time Travel, Aging, Alternate Universes

Is only closed loop time travel possible? Can you create a multiverse through your actions? Is the grandfather paradox possible? How, exactly, does apparition work in terms of physics?

Example Story: When Midnight Comes by Curly_Kay

Death: Soul vs. Body, Reincarnation, Afterlife

Is Death final? What is the nature of the soul vs. body in death? Can death be reversed?

Example Story: Beyond and Again by In_Dreams

Prophecy: Free Will vs. Determinism, Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Are prophecies self-fulfilling? Or do they happen regardless? What happens if you try to fight prophecy? What happens if a prophecy is made and no one hears it? (Is there free will -- yes or no)

The Unopened Doors:

Magic & Families: How is magic passed down? What about muggleborns? Why do squibs exist? Does marrying a Muggle, in fact, dilute magic?

House Elves, Goblins, and Creatures, oh my!: How does their magic work and interact with that of wizards?

Magical Ethics: What sort of discussions happen before magical communities decide not to intervene, even if they could solve a muggle issue?

Nature: Ley lines and fairy circles.

HR and Intake: What is the hiring process like to become an Unspeakable? Do applicants have to complete challenges or tasks?

Example Story: Falling by anoesis

Matter: How do spells that interact with matter work? Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration?

Example Story: SUS AIRBNB by nocturn

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Unspeakables Fest Submission Rules

(1) At least one character in the story/art is an Unspeakable.

(2) The story or art needs to explore a question about the nature of the HP Universe. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to write and make art about the known areas of study of the Department of Mysteries, which are love, death, prophecy, mind, and space/time. Examples will be included in the FAQ (to be posted).

(3) We strongly encourage all stories to be beta read prior to submission.

(4) Use of ChatGPT and other generative AI in fest submissions is prohibited.

(5) Common potential triggers, dark content, and squicks MUST be appropriately tagged. Here is a list of common triggers for reference:

https://trigger-warnings.tumblr.com/tags

(6) Word count minimum of 1k, maximum of 25k for fic and podfic. All works must be complete at the time of submission.

(7) SALS: Ship and Let Ship. This fest is open to multiple different ships as well as gen fic. Please be respectful.

(8) If you choose to self-prompt, we ask that you email the mods at the fest email (unspeakables.fest AT gmail.com) and describe your story in 1-3 sentences. The email should be submitted when you claim self-prompt on AO3.

For more information, visit us on Discord!

https://discord.gg/ju2WCgufX5