HP/Avatar fusion musings

[timepiececlock]

I spent about 10 minutes pondering the lack of entertaining Avatar/Harry Potter crossovers on the internet, and pondering whether I wanted to bother even outlining one. I decided I didn't-- HP fanfic is just too hard to write. Takes too much preparation and research. Even 2 years ago, when I was writing plenty of HP fic, I frequently invented my own magic names and stuff because I couldn't be bothered to fact-check with the books.

But I couldn't resist making a "What If They Were Sorted" list for the ATLA characters. Here you go.

Slytherin:
Toph
Azula
Mai
Jet

Ravenclaw:
Sokka
Teo
Song

Gryffindor:
Aang
Katara
Yue
Haru

Hufflepuff:
Zuko
Ty Lee
Suki
Jin


Toph is a born Slytherin, from the secret combat identity to lying to her parents to hustling street-people to being a pain in the ass. Love that girl.

Azula and Jet are also Slytherins, for basically the same reason. They just also happen to be crazy and malicious, two things Toph is not.

Sokka is a Ravenclaw, because even though he's an idiot, he can be smart sometimes, and seems to relish in knowledge for knowledge's sake.

Aang, Katara, Yue... Gryffindor, because they each have the hero's heart. So does Haru, though he's a bit like Neville I think.

Ty Lee, Suki...Hufflepuffs. These are awesomely talented and professional ladies who know their stuff and practice till they kick ass. I stuck Jin here because I've no idea where to put her.

Zuko is a also Hufflepuff, because his most defining feature is that he never gives up, he never stops trying, and he never backs down. He may be an immature asshat sometimes, but you can't say he's not a hard worker. (Second choice would be Gryffindor; anyone who thinks he'd be Slytherin needs their head examined)

Comments

part 1

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Exactly. THe only LOTR fic I've written was a drabble crossover between Buffy and LOTR, and it takes place in a dream. (this is on ff.net, btw) LOTR is even more intimidating that HP, because with HP you can fake it.

When I was writing HP fic, my solution to not remembering the names for things was simple: just make sure I'm always writing about something that isn't in the books. That way I could make up all the spells I wanted, and not worry about it. Also, I simplified A LOT. Instead of saying the spell itself, I'd describe what the spell did and let it go unsaid.

In terms of epic, masterful LOTR pieces... I've only read two that I really loved, and both were about Legolas, one of the hardest characters to write good fanfic about.

1. The Price Of Freedom: a fanfic of unspeakable awesomeness. Epic adventure, gradual, painful, soaring romance built on friendship and solidly developed in a gorgeous action/adventure AU. It takes the unusual pairing of Eowyn and Legolas, and it makes it work. It gives both characters stellar treatment, and has great fight scenes to boot, as well as a host of original villains that feel real and dangerous. I... I just can't praise this fic enough. Just rereading my old reviews of it now, I want to read it again! I have to give you a warning, though... this fic may forever altar your shipping tendencies, if you have any for LOTR. In one sitting I was completely changed from an Aragorn/Eowyn shipper to a Legolas/Eowyn shipper, despite little to no actual ship-worthy content in the original books. Thus the power of good writing! Anyway, it's a trip and you should go read it like RIGHT NOW.

from the prologue, which takes place in The Two Towers:

"I will trust you," she said steadily. "You have told me more of the truth than those I have loved and trusted my entire life. For that, though not for that alone, I will call you friend if you do not think me too bold."
"I think," he said gravely, "it would be a great tragedy if you were ever anything less than bold, Eowyn Elvellon."
"Elvellon?" She repeated.
"Elvellon," he said again. His smile was like the sun on budding leaves in spring, warm and full of hope, like a child's smile. "It means 'Elf friend.'"

From my original review:

"And then, of course, there's your Eowyn. She's fabulous. Though I just started looking at Eowyn fic, your version is the best characterization I've read by far. While reading, I feel like you got her voice, her thoughts. This is not a fan's attempt to emulate Eowyn-- this *is* Eowyn I'm reading about. And that's a precious quality to be found in writing.
This is no woman who falls before the feet (or the gilded hand) of a man-- this is the woman who cut the head from the Nazgul Witch King. It makes me want to cheer at the thought. Her leadership here is amazing (even when she makes misjudgements)... and yet she has retained her femininity, if only for her strength in not apologizing for being what she is. She is no man!"

"You've managed to make Legolas come off as everything that I liked about the original character, without selling out to cheap melodrama, unrealistic fanon qualities, or overembellished romanticism. He seems like an elf here-- very stoic and pretty and kind... but passionate of soul. He doesn't talk to much or too little, and you've managed to give him that warrior's practicality and efficientness that came across in the film."