#hp rare pair fest

[hprarepairfest]

Post Fest Round-Up

The fourth edition of the rare pair fest has come to an end! And with 81 submissions, it's safe to say it's been a wild success!!

With so many fics, it's a bit much to do a masterpost so we've summed up the highlights below!

Pairings:

This year, the fest featured 66 different pairings, the most popular being: 🍐 Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson in first with 5 fics, 🍐 Harry Potter/George Weasley in second with 4 fics, 🍐 Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Rodolphus Lestrange in third with 3 fics!

Those 66 pairings featured 68 different characters, with the most popular being: 🍐 Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy tied for first with 10 fics each, 🍐 Pansy Parkinson in second with 9 fics, 🍐 Neville Longbottom, Regulus Black, and Remus Lupin tied for third with 8 fics each!

Also, this year we had several tag-launching fics! 💞 fire burn and cauldron bubble launched the Merope Gaunt/Romilda Vane tag 💞 Forever in Your Debt launched the Mary Cattermole/Ron Weasley tag 💞 Heliotrope launched the Mafalda Hopkirk/Fabian Prewett tag 💞 Let Me Help You, Mr. Lupin launched the Lyall Lupin/James Potter tag 💞 A Purrrfect Evening launched the Blaise Zabini/Dolores Umbridge tag

Art:

This year, the rare pair fest featured 2 art submissions! 🎨 At the Library of Delphi 🎨 We got a lot of bridges to burn, tables to turn

Fic:

The remaining 79 submissions were fics with the following highlights ⌨ Most prolific author: PhantomGrimalkin with 4 works ⌨ Longest fic: God/Monster at 34,654 words ⌨ Most popular tag: Fluff with 13 fics ⌨ Most common rating: Explicit with 31 fics

And finally!

We want to give a big thank you to every one who participated in this year's fest. Whether you prompted, claimed, beta-ed, left kudos, commented, or shared the submissions with others, you've all made this year a rousing success! Next year we'll be taking a break as the mod team is currently running the Rare Pair Fest as well as the Rare Pair Secret Santa Exchange and have decided to host them on alternating years. So next year, we'll be hosting the second Rare Pair Secret Santa Exchange followed by the fifth edition of the Rare Pair Fest on the following year.

If you want to see the whole collection, click HERE!

If you want to discuss and share rare pair fics in the interim, we have a non-fest server dedicated to rare pairs so please feel free to join us!

Thank you again to everyone for all of your effort and enthusiasm!

[thecouchsofa]

Evergreen

Harry/George | Rated T | 23k words | thecouchsofa

Written for the HP Rare Pair Fest IV

Summary:  “You’d better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will have gone.” Fred leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, clearly thinking that he’d now exceeded his allowance of brotherly wisdom for the day.

“Who are you going with then?” Harry asked suddenly. He looked between Fred and George, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Harry asks George to the Yule Ball because it’ll be a laugh and he’s in dire need of one of those. If George can continue to keep his crush under wraps it should all go swimmingly.

Tags: POV George Weasley, Pining, Teenage Awkwardness, Teenage Crushes, Yule Ball, Hermione acting as Harry's wingman, Ron being whatever the opposite of a wingman is (without realising), Hogwarts Fourth Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Weasley family feels, Healthy sibling rivalries, a general torment of Ron (but in a loving way), Everyone loves Harry (as they should), Discussions of underage drinking, Ambiguously spiked pumpkin juice, Christmas, Gift Giving, First Kiss, Canon Divergence

Read on AO3 here

[goldenbi]

Let Me Help You, Mr. Lupin [E, 2k] by goldenbi Lyall Lupin/James Potter

James nodded, his eyes lowering to Lyall’s neck and then back up. “Yeah, Mr. Lupin. I want to help you.” “How’s that?” Lyall couldn’t figure out how a young man like James Potter could help him grieve his wife. She’d been dying for years, he had known it was coming; he knew, and still it had caught him off guard. “I want to fuck you,” James said. Lyall spilled the whiskey across his lap and swore. He reached for his wand and cleaned himself up, placing the glass safely on one of Hope’s coasters. “Excuse me, I must have misheard—?” James’s expression was fond, “I want to fuck you. I want to lay you in bed, open you up, and fuck you so hard that you forget about everything other than my body. Then, you are going to sleep.” 

Thank you to the mods of @hprarepairfest!! This is my first ever fest like this and I am so happy I had the opportunity to use this prompt for something bigger.

This is actually the FIRST of it's tag on ao3!! That's what I love about rarepairs!

Self-Prompt: James Potter/Lyall Lupin - James comforts Lyall after Hope's death.

read more on ao3

[jamesunderwater]

Friends!! fr, you should sign up! It's really incredible the amount of effort the mods have put into making this exchange enjoyable to everyone. The options for what you can create are so vast, so it can be as large or as simple a project as you want, and you get to be very detailed in what you'd like to gift and receive.

And I know all my fandom friends ship at least one ship that is considered a rare pair for this event, so c'mon, join the fun!

🎄HP Secret Santa Rare Pairs 2024 🎄

We are excited to announce the second iteration of HSS Rare Pairs!! Run by the HP Rare Pairs and HP Saffics Discord servers, this is an anon, multi-ship, multimedia gift exchange focused on HP rare pairs. You do not need to be a member of the server to participate, although it is encouraged.

This fest is for you if...

❄️ You love rare pairs! ❄️ You're looking for a low-key winter time exchange! ❄️ You aren’t a writer or artist but would still love to give and receive gifts!

🎁 2024 Schedule 🎁

Sign-ups: Aug 13-Sep 3 Gift Submissions Due: Nov 15 Gift Giving: Dec 1-Dec 25 Creator Reveals: Dec 30

Rules, FAQ, and important links will be posted soon. Follow our Tumblr or join us on Discord for updates! We can’t wait to be back this holiday season and spread the rare pair love 💖🍐

Graphics by the amazing @venom0usbarbie!

[horriblegoosefest]

Coming Soon: HP Horrible Goose Fest

Are you a writer avoiding your WIP by enjoying a nice lunch with a friend?

Or playing a fun game?

Or tending your garden?

Well, not for long.

It's a lovely morning in the Harry Potter fandom and we're here to find you a horrible goose.

Announcing HP Horrible Goose Fest!

If you're a writer with a WIP that needs a little bit of encouragement to get over the finish line, we'd love to help you find a goose (horribleness optional) to pester, prod, or push you along.

And if you make a great fic cheerleader, maybe you'll find that your angel wings are actually of a more avian variety, and you should think about joining us as a goose.

More details to come soon!

Your mods: @apricitydays-lazynights @geesenoises @oknowkiss @saintgarbanzo @thehoneybeet

[thewritingheirsofslytherin]

Introducing a Harry Potter fest to haunt you…

...as not all that goes bump in the night is meant to be feared…

Gothic Fantasy Fest is a Harry Potter fanworks fest dedicated to and centered around our love for the gothic horror genre!

This fest is hosted by The Writing Heirs of Slytherin Discord Server.

Fest Information

The inspiration to host this fest came out of our desire to see more fanworks in the fandom where the darkness within us all is celebrated, embraced, and reveled in.

The premise for this fest is simple: Create any fanwork (fic or fanart) you like, ensuring that your main protagonist of your work is a Slytherin!

But, and this is where the challenge comes in... your fanwork must incorporate one of the gothic horror prompts that we have provided and must be in the gothic horror genre!

We hope, through participating in this fest, that you’ll allow yourself to indulge in what haunts you most!

Fest Schedule

Sign-ups & Claiming Open: Aug. 5th at 12:00pm PDT

Sign-ups & Claiming Close: Aug. 13th at 11:59pm PDT

Fanworks Due: Oct. 17th at 11:59pm PDT

Fanworks Revealed: Oct. 29th at 12:00pm PDT

Authors & Artists Revealed: Oct. 31st at 12:00pm PDT

For the remainder of our fest rules, read on!

Fest Rules

All levels of writers and artists are welcome! Even if this is your first fest!

All pairings and ship types (platonic, couples, and polyships) are allowed in this fest. You may also choose to focus your fanwork on only one character.

Ensure that your main character of your fanwork is a Slytherin (no exceptions)!

Any Slytherin from any of the Wizarding World eras is welcome. You may also choose to headcanon a non-Slytherin character as a Slytherin.

Your fanwork must incorporate one of the 99 gothic horror prompts that we provide. There are 12 additional Author/Artist’s choice prompts, however, those are first come, first serve. So, they will go quick!

Ensure that your fanwork qualifies as gothic horror. Read our full rules at the link listed below for further clarification on this.

The darker your fic the better, as this fest is the perfect opportunity to create some dark, morally gray, and/or dead-dove works!

Authors: there is no maximum word count for your work. But there is a minimum word count of 1,000 words.

Artists: As long as you follow the guidelines above, you may submit any form of fanart you like, including moodboards! However, AI-generated work and commissioned work from other artists may NOT be submitted!

This fest is an Author/Artist Revealed event. Your fanwork will be revealed on the dates listed above. When the fest is over, we will highlight your fanwork across our social media from Oct. 31st - Nov. 9th.

You do not have to be a member of The Writing Heirs of Slytherin Discord to participate in this fest. However, we do recommend joining so that you can be in contact with other Gothic Fantasy Fest participants! It’s also the quickest way to get a hold of the admin team!

Note: Our server has a 30+ age requirement to join, but this fest is open to fic writers and artists of all ages!

For a complete list of our fest rules and submission guidelines, please click here!

Disclaimer:

Due to the darker subject material of the prompts, please be mindful that the process of creating a submission for this fest may be triggering. So, take care of yourself, honor your limits, and enter at your own risk.

Important Links

Prompts & AO3 Collection

Discord Server

Official Fest Spotify Playlist

Official Fest Mood Board

Fest Tumblr (Follow for all important GFF updates)

[slitherinfest]

💚 Welcome to the Slither In Fest 2024

A fest made specifically for Bottom Tom Riddle | Voldemort works.

Greetings, fellow sinners. We are thrilled to launch this year's Slither in Fest for bottom Tom | Voldemort works!

We are so excited to showcase even more fanfic, fanart, and most importantly, ass, of our beloved Dark Lord. We hope you'll consider joining us.

There is no minimum requirement for an entry. Please feel free to produce anything you’d like! This includes drabbles or one-shots for writers, or sketches and doodles for artists. All forms of art are welcome!

Use tag #slither in fest or mention @slitherinfest in your WIP posts or snippets and we'll reblog them here!

Quick Links

Fest Timeline? Check here!

Fest Rules? Check here!

AO3 Collection? Check here!

Discord Community? Join us on Discord at Voldemort’s Bathtub (our 18+ Tom Riddle | Voldemort rarepairs server)!

Still Have Questions? Ask here or email us at slitherinfest@gmail.com!

Bonus Bottom Bingo

This year, take bottom one step further by participating in our BINGO challenge. We encourage you to create one (or more) works to achieve BINGO on the scorecard below!

There are no hard rules for what counts as 'completing' a square. Feel free to interpret each item however you like. BINGO is achieved by completing five squares in a line (horizontal, diagonal, or vertical).

Be sure to share your result before, during, and after posting your work to our collection!

Special thanks to @dividawrites for providing our icon and header art!

Sign-up for this fest HERE.

[change-is-perceivable]

A Percy Weasley Appreciation Week!

Do you have positive feelings towards Percy Weasley, like I do?

Do you want to join in making little things to show that affection?

Then this may be the event for you!

A whole week of Percy Weasley fanworks!

Set to run from August 22nd to August 28th. (So in two months)

I have provided two prompt options for each day to use as inspiration. Feel free to use both or only one completely up to you!

If this at all sounds fun to you I hope to see you there!

This event follows the three big rules of fandom YKINMKBYKIO - Your Kink is Not My Kink, But Your Kink is Okay Don’t Like;Don’t Read SALS - Ship and Let Ship

Any sort of harassment will not be tolerated.

- Any work created should center Percy Weasley in some way or another. -  Works should be newly made for this event and you can start creating anytime! - Works should be added to the Change_is_Perceivable_2024 collection over on Ao3 (it’s closed for now but I'll open it on August 22nd) - Fic minimum: 100 words no max - Art can be any medium and no minimum on what you can make. A sketch, a doodle, a moodboard. If you want to show love to Percy I will not hold you back. - AI-generated pieces will be not be accepted - Feel free to combine with other fests if they also allow it! - For anything that's done using someone else’s fic (Podfic/bookbinding) make sure they allow it. By either asking directly or looking for a blanket permission statement on their account - If you tag your works on tumblr with #ChangeIsPerce2024 I’ll reblog it c: - This is a very low stakes event. Feel free to participate everyday or for only a single day.

If you have any questions feel free to send an ask over on tumblr!

There are no wrong answers when it comes to the prompts.

Feel free to use them however they inspire you!

Prompts are as follows:

Day 1: Promise - Monster Day 2: Confession - Puzzle Day 3: Rebellion - Sleep Day 4: Comfort - Goblet Day 5: Freckle - Alone Day 6: Facade - Captivate Day 7: Change - Perceive

Alt 1: Photo Alt 2: Bathtub Alt 3: Star

[pato-roldnart]

Art claim!! my piece I did for @unleashed-fest

based on @crazybutgood prompt :3

Hogwarts Fourth Year: While Ron is grateful for Pigwidgeon, he sometimes finds himself wistfully remembering the times he spent with 'Scabbers' -- before the reveal in Third Year, anyway. One such night, he's startled and wary to find a rat scampering around, until Viktor appears, looking for his escaped pet. They eventually bond over pets, grief, comfort, Quidditch, and many other things as they start to develop feelings for each other.

I'm including two more sketches i didn't have the time to finish :3

And, thank you @orange-peony for making me like these two, now i ship them harder 🥺

[sitp-recs]

Dronarry Fest 2024 - Sitp Recs

Slowly catching up with the Dronarry Fest as I try to find my way back into reading, I thought it would be fun to share my favourite reads so far. Anyone else reading along as it posts? I’d love to hear your thoughts and recs, let’s spread the love for these gems! You can find the full collection HERE.

💐 Nightswimming by @sweet-s0rr0w (M, 5k)

Weasley flicks the light on. “I got off with a guy once, you know,” he says, casually, holding the torch up between his gloved fingers. “What?” says Draco, glancing over sharply. “No, you didn’t.” “I did,” Weasley insists, and there’s an air of mischief about him now. “Just after the divorce.”

Draco tightens his grip on the steering wheel and wills his eyes to stay on the road, a dozen different scenarios playing out vivid in his mind. “But Harry’s never—” “Yeah, well.” Weasley clicks the torch back off. “Turns out Harry and I don’t share everything, after all.”

🪩 Hear Me Out by @rainstormradish (E, 5k)

“I know this is all just a big joke to you,” whispered Draco, his lips inches from Ron’s ear, his breath on his neck, his hips pressed against him, Merlin, “but I need you to fucking commit to the bit here, Ron.”

♟️ Borrowed Time by @the-starryknight (E, 7k)

Harry woke in someone else's bed, sleeping beside someone else's lover. Leaning in is the worst possible solution, right?

❄️ Snowdrift by @wolfpants (E, 8k)

London is drowning in snow, and Draco and Ron get more than they bargain for when they comfort Harry after - another - bad break up.

🥓 Dick Chicken by @oknowkiss (E, 15k)

This is a story about nothing.

🕰️ Permanent by @citrusses (M, 14k)

"Harry's always been fixated on older men. Have you ever noticed that, Ron?” Granger asks. “Have I ever noticed—Hermione, we’ve lived with the bloke for years! He doesn’t bring them home much, but I’m not blind. I see who he’s shagging.”

“And David, an older man, tells Harry ‘Saviour Complex’ Potter he needs him to save the world?” “He didn’t stand a chance,” Ron agrees. “Fascinating,” Draco says, in a strangled voice.

💦 Some Nights by @thecouchsofa (E, 23k)

Ron fucks up his Silencing Charms in the dorm one night. Then Malfoy does. The rest, as they say, is history.

[hprarepairfest]

Claiming Is OPEN!!

Claiming is open, so get ready to raise those mainsails and make some waves because these ships are about to set sail! 🛳️

Claiming Form

How claiming works

Claiming runs the same as it always has, and how most fests operate.

In case you're unfamiliar with the claiming process, the gist is: ⚓ Claiming is "first come; first serve" - we'll grant prompts in the order they're received. ⚓ You'll submit your first, second, and third choice prompts; whichever is the first one available on that list is the prompt you'll have! ⚓ We'll update the gallery as prompts are claimed, and reply to your form via email to confirm which of your selected prompts you got. ⚓ There is a section on the claiming form for self-prompting! ⚓Participants are allowed to claim multiple prompts, but are only allowed one prompt at a time. If you want to fulfill multiple prompts, please complete and submit your current submission before filling out the form to claim another prompt. ⚓ Patience is key.

Prompt Gallery

Fest Rules

If you have any questions, reach out to us here, via Discord, or via email!

~Mods

[hpkinktober]

HP Kinktober will be running for 2023! All HP pairings and ships are welcome. We're not sure if we'll be able to do daily graphics/posts of the prompts this year, so save this list!

AO3 Collection: HPKinktober2023 Tumblr: hpkinktober

Rules:

1. Please tag your fics as accurately as possible. 2. Due to the nature of this fest, this is 18 and up only.

More information and the list of prompts can be found below the break.

It's encouraged that you post on the day of the prompt if possible, but you can really post whenever you want. Prompts can be combined all into one fic, written as one-shots, or mix and match—it’s all up to you!

All HP pairings and ships are welcome.

Hosted by: @manixzen, @anaxandria-writes, and @withgreatelan

This collection is open and unmoderated, so viewer discretion is advised, and please tag your works as accurately as possible.

Daily Prompts

1. Devil's snare 2. Orgasm Denial 3. Werewolves 4. Cockwarming 5. Firewhiskey 6. Collaring 7. Sex Pollen 8. Pensieve 9. Omegaverse 10. Mandrakes 11. Dragons / Dragon Eggs 12. Breathplay 13. Bathing 14. Voyeurism 15. Owl Post 16. Wings 17. Closets 18. School Uniform 19. Dungeons 20. Breeding 21. Brooms 22. Legilimency 23. Monsterfucking 24. Power Imbalance 25. Portkey 26. Bondage 27. Room of Requirement 28. Remembrall 29. Knotting 30. Formalwear 31. Aftercare

Alternatives (Can be swapped out for any day) Alt 1: Object Insertion Alt 2: Age Play Alt 3: Threesome (or more) Alt 4: Wandless Magic

[twhos-fests]

[Sign-ups & Claiming Closed] Gothic Fantasy Fest 2024: Last Day to Sign-up and Claim!

Only 36 prompts remain, my fellow spookies! 🦇

So far, we've had 77 people claim the Gothic Fantasy Fest prompt of their dreams. We've also already had a fest participant turn in their fest submission for early review.

Don't let the opportunity to participate in this fest pass you by.

Sign-ups and claiming for Gothic Fantasy Fest close at 11:59pm PDT today (August 13th, 2024).

Claim your prompt before the day ends! 🪄

How to Sign-up

Claim your prompt on AO3: Sign-ups & Claiming Closed

Fill out our sign-up form: Sign-ups & Claiming Closed

Join our 30+ Discord Server (Optional)

Follow this account for all Gothic Fantasy Fest Updates!

A Few Reminders

For this fest, there is a one claim per prompt policy.

The only exception to this is our Author/Artist’s choice prompt, which we are allowing up to 12 people to claim. However, once those 12 slots are gone, they’re gone.

You must claim your prompt on AO3 first, then, sign-up. Why? The form will ask you for the prompt # of the prompt you claimed.

You may only claim one prompt at this time. Later on, after sign-ups close, and if there are any prompts left, if you happen to submit your fanwork for your first claim before the fest deadline, you may then claim a second prompt. But remember, the Oct. 17th fest deadline will still apply. 🪄

Don’t have an AO3 Account?

You can still participate in this fest! For the first time ever, we will be accepting fest submissions via the submission feature here on Tumblr. Look out for our post on submissions guidelines later on this week for more info on that. 🦇

For now though, complete the following steps to officially sign-up for the fest:

View our remaining fest prompts here: GFF Tumblr Prompt List

Fill out our sign-up form here: Sign-ups & Claiming Closed

Follow this blog and our main tumblr here. (You must be following these accounts to submit your completed fanwork for the fest)

And if you are looking for a community of HP writers and other Gothic Fantasy Fest participants, Join our 30+ Discord server!

The Remaining Fest Info is under the cut!

Fest Schedule

Sign-ups & Claiming Open: Aug. 5th at 12:00pm PDT

Sign-ups & Claiming Close: Aug. 13th at 11:59pm PDT

Fanworks Due: Oct. 17th at 11:59pm PDT

Fanworks Revealed: Oct. 29th at 12:00pm PDT

Authors & Artists Revealed: Oct. 31st at 12:00pm PDT

Fest Information

The inspiration to host this fest came out of our desire to see more fanworks in the fandom where the darkness within us all is celebrated, embraced, and reveled in.

The premise for this fest is simple: Create any fanwork (fic or fanart) you like, ensuring that your main protagonist of your work is a Slytherin!

But, and this is where the challenge comes in... your fanwork must incorporate one of the gothic horror prompts that we have provided and must be in the gothic horror genre!

We hope, through participating in this fest, that you’ll allow yourself to indulge in what haunts you most!

Disclaimer:

Due to the darker subject material of the prompts, please be mindful that the process of creating a submission for this fest may be triggering. So, take care of yourself, honor your limits, and enter at your own risk.

Fest Rules

All levels of writers and artists are welcome! Even if this is your first fest!

All pairings and ship types (platonic, couples, and polyships) are allowed in this fest. You may also choose to focus your fanwork on only one character.

Ensure that your main character of your fanwork is a Slytherin (no exceptions)!

Any Slytherin from any of the Wizarding World eras is welcome. You may also choose to headcanon a non-Slytherin character as a Slytherin.

Your fanwork must incorporate one of the 99 gothic horror prompts that we provide. There are 12 additional Author/Artist’s choice prompts, however, those are first come, first serve. So, they will go quick!

Ensure that your fanwork qualifies as gothic horror. Read our full rules at the link listed below for further clarification on this.

The darker your fic the better, as this fest is the perfect opportunity to create some dark, morally gray, and/or dead-dove works!

Authors: there is no maximum word count for your work. But there is a minimum word count of 1,000 words.

Artists: As long as you follow the guidelines above, you may submit any form of fanart you like, including moodboards! However, AI-generated work and commissioned work from other artists may NOT be submitted!

This fest is an Author/Artist Revealed event. Your fanwork will be revealed on the dates listed above. When the fest is over, we will highlight your fanwork across our social media from Oct. 31st - Nov. 9th.

You do not have to be a member of The Writing Heirs of Slytherin Discord to participate in this fest. However, we do recommend joining so that you can be in contact with other Gothic Fantasy Fest participants! It’s also the quickest way to get a hold of the admin team!

Note: Our server has a 30+ age requirement to join, but this fest is open to fic writers and artists of all ages!

For a complete list of our fest rules and submission guidelines, please click here!

Important Links

Prompts & AO3 Collection

Discord Server

Official Fest Spotify Playlist

Official Fest Mood Board

Fest Tumblr (Follow for all important GFF updates)

[remuslupinfest]

Today, 10 March 2023, is Remus Lupin’s 64th birthday!

To begin celebrating this very important day, we’re releasing the two first works of the Fest! 

There will be about four weeks of posting, with an Anonymous round-up at the end of each week. After the last week, we will release a list of reveals with all authors’ names.

Authors will receive an e-mail with the week’s schedule when it’s time for their own works to go up (this week’s should be sent out shorly!). We ask authors to please not divulge which work is theirs before reveals.

It’s going to be a fun and diverse fest, with works for all tastes.

Stay tuned for lots of quality content to come! Check us out on AO3!

[hssrarepairs]

❄️ SIGN-UPS ARE OPEN!! ❄️

Sign-ups for HSS Rare Pairs 2024 are open! Please read the Rules and FAQ before signing up. If you have any questions about the form, don't be afraid to ask us! Remember, the more details you include on your form, the better your matches will be :)

Happy sign-ups and happy rare pairing!!

🍐 🎁 🍐

Sign-up HERE!

[schmem14]

Hello friends! Recently, I participated in the fourth HP Rare Pair fest, and with 81 unique and beautiful entries it was a veritable FEAST for the eyes and heart and soul. (Check out the whole collection here)

I wanted to take a moment to post highlights of the fics that just really brought me to my knees in hopes that you’ll fangirl/boy/person over them with me!

1. Evergreen by @thecouchsofa (23k)- Harry Potter x George Weasley What would happen if Harry asked George to go to the Yule Ball with him instead of Parvati? This GOF Yule Ball AU is sure to slay you with sheer adorableness. I couldn’t stop smiling and squealing through the whole thing. This rare pair is one of my favorites, and this fic went above and beyond, plus it’s the perfect holiday read! Rating: T

2. Lonely Creatures by @apricitydays-lazynights (5k)- Severus Snape x Giant Squid The prompt to put these two together could easily have been pure hentai crack nonsense (which is a brilliant option) but this story did things to me that I can’t even put into words. It’s tender, melancholy, and cuts to the heart of Severus Snape’s isolation and longing to be seen and loved. The details of this are so richly woven, and I particularly enjoyed the authors’ focus on Mermlish/Merfolk. Standing ovation to this fic! Rating: E

3. Slice of Night by SquibNation10 (9k)- Aurora Sinistra x Severus Snape This was the fic that took me the most by surprise. I love the creativity in taking a character who gets very few canon details and making them real and beautiful and believable. Auror Sinistra is divine in this, and I’ll give some honorable mentions to both Argus Filch and Rolanda Hooch as excellent supporting characters that also don’t typcially get a lot of spotlight. What a gorgeous slice of life fic! Rating: T

3. Quick Quotes and Quibbles by RainstormRadish (3k)- Luna Lovegood x Rita Skeeter Rita and Luna have to work together to cover the wedding of Neville Longbottom and Pansy Parkinson. There’s just something about a story told in unconventional medium that will always ALWAYS pull me in! This unlikely pairing comes together in the sweetest way, their strong personalities balancing each other out until they become a formidable team.  I particularly loved the graphics and paper trail memos/epistolary style storytelling. Rating: T

4. Your seat, it’s the best seat by @the-houseryn (17k)- Ron Weasley x Draco Malfoy MOVE OVER only one bed, there’s a new trope in town and it’s the ONLY ONE SEAT trope!! This was sexy, flirtatous, and hot AF. I’m always down for a Dron fic, but this one is one of the best I’ve read in a while, with some delicious pining and a predictably oblivious Ron. Do yourself a favor and indulge in the lap-sitting fic of the year! Rating: E

5. Vivaldi and Hot Chocolate by @patriceavril (6k)- Percy Weasley x Stan Shunpike What was Percy up to in OTP/HBP? What a lonely life that must have been! This fic was soft and sweet, giving some much-needed love to a character that we all wrote off in canon for being a stuck-up prick. I love how Percy seeks out the warmth and comfort of the Knight Bus, coming back for more because of the kind-hearted and bubbly Stan Shunpike, who always insists on giving Percy free hot chocolate. I never expected to be so enamoured by this pairing, but I am! Rating: T

6. The monster you feed by @ghostfelicis188 (11k)- Regulus Black x Remus Lupin This canon-compliant fic tore me to shreds. TO SHREDS. Like, I am such a simp for tragic Remus romances, and this took the cake. Features: pining artist Remus, and shit-eating cruel Regulus who toys with Remus the whole damn fic. If you like hurt no comfort, this is the fic for you. *Chefs Kiss* Rating: M

7. Gilded Web by @emilyrickman AlihotsyTotsy (8k)- George Weasley x Blaise Zabini I cannot believe that this understated fic packed such a punch in 8,000 words. George agrees to an undercover operation to investigate the mysterious deaths of Mrs. Zabini’s deceased husbands. He is so pure in this, his characterization charming and believable, I just need more of this George! Bonus points for references to “the Sting” Rating: M

8. Sleeping with Ghosts by @ghaniblue (21k)- Harry Potter x Regulus Black x Draco Malfoy My initial thoughts when encountering this relationship tag was something akin to a bewildered head scratch but OMG the best thing about this fest is having expectations completely upended! This fic slayed hard with a slow burn, found family, semi-sentient house renovation angle that had me completely melted by the end. Rating: M

9. The Last Trial of Peter Petegrew by @sleepstxtic (20 k)- Peter Petegrew x James Potter If possible, I’d like to ram this fic down the throats of all my mutuals with a plea to PLEASE READ THIS FIC. I can’t begin to describe in a tiny paragraph what this did to me. Often Peter Petegrew is relegated to the traitor bus in fandom (understandable) but this took every mean and traitorous part of his character and made me almost like him despite his treachery! The format of this was also a delight to read, and I love that Hermione presents the case for Peter Petegrew in this meta purgatory-style courtroom drama. Rating: M

10. Anatomy of a memory by @venom0usbarbie (9k)- Ginny Weasley x Tom Riddle This story was pure poetry wrapped in a sinister diary-shaped package. I love the self-fulfilling prophecy nature of this time loop style storyline, as well as the toxic obsession and manipulation played out between Ginny and Tom. What a mindfuck ending that was, too! Kudos to the “Tom Riddle is his own Warning” tag. Rating: M

11. Sweet Boy by @maraudersaffair (6k)- Narcissa Black Malfoy x Harry Potter A not-quite-fake dating fic with lots of smut, thirst, and mommy/praise kink? Yes, please! I was literally panting by the end of this, Harry and Narcissa are so hot together! Rating: E

12. Growing Suspicion by nocturn (1.8k)- Neville Longbottom x Marcus Flint Someone keeps mutilating Neville’s plants, and he’s going to get to the bottom of it OR that time Marcus expresses feelings but doesn’t understand proper plant care. This fic was A-DOR-ABLE. Love me a good Hogwarts professors/staff fic, and this was just a bite-sized delight to read. Rating: G

13. For Your Burning Gaze by SquibNation10 (22k)- Neville Longbottom x Pansy Parkinson The fic that I most want to see a sequel for award goes to… this Twilight Zone post-war marriage law fic complete with creepy house elves and a very troubled Pansy, who seems to be the only one realizing that something is not quite right! This is one of the best Panville fics I’ve read, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Rating: E

Thanks to @hprarepairfest for putting on another amazing fest!