In desperate need of a re-reader. Any native speaker with a lot of patience is accepted.

Challenge and Before Reading

BASED ON:

"Don't Fear the Reaper" challenge, by user Reptilia28

This challenge was originally posted on Reptilia28's user page. However, the user has since disavowed and removed it.

STORYLINE:

*) Harry is killed at 17 during the fight with Voldemort. He's sent to his Death's office (explained later) and finds out that this isn't the first time that this has happened.

*) Harry's Death (who can have a human name) is mad at his arrival. Apparently, people dying before their time is a black mark on the various Deaths' records, and Harry is getting perilously close to getting this particular one fired.

*) When Harry asks what was supposed to have happened, Death goes off on a rant saying how he was supposed to have killed Voldemort, found his soulmate ("Some Granger girl…") and lived to be a centennial age. But since Harry keeps getting into life-threatening situations for one reason or another, he keeps dying before that happens. Harry is surprised about the soul mate part.

*) Death gives Harry a paper to sign that allows him to retain his memories (the previous times, he wasn't given this option for some reason). Harry is deposited to a previous time of the writer's choosing.

*) Eventually, Harry gets it right. He kills Voldemort, gets the girl, and lives to a ripe old age of whatever. And Death doesn't get fired.

REQUIREMENTS:

*) Harry must have died at least three times before this one

*) The memory keeping contract must be included

*) Death must refer to Hermione as "some Granger girl" when Harry's soul mate turns up in his rant

*) Obviously, must be H/Hr (Or any pairing without Ginny)

*) Have fun

OPTIONAL:

*) Dumbledore's manipulations can be a factor in Harry's premature demises"

MY TWISTED CHALLENGE

Well…well…well

I'm going to make it a reverse.

I mean, I'm going to make my own challenge by twisting almost every condition in the challenge.

STORYLINE:

*) Hermione [anyone but Harry but preferably Hermione] commit suicide [or anything except being killed but I strongly support suicide as opposite of murder].

They are sent to their Death's Office. (subverting the challenge by keeping the main point: Don't Fear the Reaper! ) and find out that this isn't the first time this has happened.

[A little help on my part for Hermione's route:

-The troll

-The Basilisk

-The time loop

-Drown under the Black Lake

-Killed by Dolohov

-… (I have nothing for year 6)

-Murdered by Bellatrix

Alternative:

-Follow Harry and killed by Quirrel (to get the stone)

-Possessed by the Diary (instead of Ginny)

-The time loop again (but with a younger Hermione living her life instead suicide in the time loop.

- (She is too clever for her own good and there is so much threat in year 4, just be creative)

- One word: Umbitch

-… (Something might happen in the chaos of the late chapters. Or friendly fire with Sectum Sempra.)

-Literally could have died at any point in the tome 7.

You're welcome!]

*) The reaper is mad, everything according to the plot.

*) When they ask for what was supposed to have happened, the Reaper goes off on a rant. Be creative about the rant as it can't be the same as for Harry. (But I like the reverse with Hermione and to keep the soulmate thing.)

*) No retain of memories. It's really too cheap. Really, A redo knowing anything is really too much. What I give my main character is one day, one single day to change a life. Choose wisely and go wild. The younger self who cannot remember anything might understand something was off on that day and might even question theirs own sanity.

So the contract they signs is a 'one day for a life contract'.

To the readers: On a matter of fact, if you could change one day of your choice in your life (but only one) which one would you pick?

*) Eventually, the younger main character deal with their own issues, got a better ending thanks to their older self…

…unicorn are all pink, the sky is all rainbow and the black lake turn into chocolate. (OUTRAGEOUS BLOOD VOMITING HAPPY ENDING REQUIRED!)

… I'm kidding. Look, every ending is fine and relevant. It might be good to have a twist and to betray expectation but not too much. There is a good and bad betrayal and bitter end are rarely good. (But personally, I'm not that good with twist.)

REQUIREMENTS:

*) Main Character must have died at least three times before this one. Please try to include one Darwin Award if you are creative!

*) Keeping (totally accurate) memories in the long term is a definitive NO. I'm fed up of cheap Revenge/Redemption/Redo stories with no kind of real challenge.

At least, if you want to keep some memories or play tricks on your characters (remembrances, dreams…) try to ensure the changes in the timeline are so drastic that the memories are partly irrelevant.

*) No pairing required!

(Personally, I would go for Hermione/Harry; Ginny/Luna ; some undecided pairings yet; But Ron would end up alone and miserable for cause of minor bashing.)

*) Have fun

(The most important requirement if you ask me.)

OPTIONAL:

*) Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley and Ron Weasley own agendas can be all responsible for things going south. If used, the Main Character cannot know about it before going back in time.

*) The Grim Reaper being not that much helpful or even downright incompetent is a bonus.

*) I'm starting my own novel after the events of the infamous Curse Child. Whatever the plot, I would appreciate grey humour and dark undertone.

This reverse Reptilia Challenge have been in my mind for a real long time under the codename [Disenchanted] so if you are ever tempt by the challenge I would appreciate if you include it in the title or refer to it as the [Disenchanted: Don't Fear the Reaper Challenge].

PERSONAL THOUGHT:

As you would guess from the [Disenchanted], my writing attempts are all destined to adults readers (despite the total lack of adult content) with a tough bitter love for Harry Potter. The first three tome of the series are still my favourite and are sacred to me.

I think the thing went south starting with the Goblet of Fire despite the obviously good ideas in the later tomes (the Horcrux, the Hallows, the Order of Phoenix Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestranges, which are possibly the most charismatic villains.)

The universe is freaking great (even if JKR didn't invented it entirely on her own, since there is legit accusation of plagiarism.)

The narration and plot is great at first… (Primarily for kids but with darker subtle details for adult audience)

But the plot of the tome 4 is cheat. Really? Putting Harry name in the Goblet and making him win the tournament only to kidnap him and kill him?

Sure… It would have put the UK wizards and witches into despair if it worked. The most promising young wizard and boy-who-lived to boot, killed and put into display on the very day of Voldemort revival. It screams of genius.

But… It's overly too ambitious for Voldemort, which is in a desperate predicament at the time, with no body, most of his followers in jail in the time. It's a plan, which is too early, too grand and too crazy at the time.

It's almost too good to be true that such a plan didn't backfired as much as it could have.

The plot of the tome 5 and 6 are comparatively empty and unambitious. They are a waste of opportunity as well as a waste of lore and insanely good (evil) characters.

The tome 7 is satisfying but not conclusive enough. It left so much unfinished business, so much unanswered question. It's for me a good book but an entirely unsatisfying conclusion.

The final battle is anti-climatic while logical and within expectation (it end as it start with Voldemort spell backfiring again). The Dark Lord never learned his lesson, each time using false excuse: Lily's Ancient Magic and the linked wands, never addressing the right issue. (The Death Curse is defective and failed him twice despite the reputation of that spell).

The epilogue and the Curse Child are adding rubbing salt.

Really, especially after reading the tome 7 (but even without reading it) I'm totally in the team "no happy ending for Ron". And no, I'm not biased by the movies.

Ron is bad-mouthing everyone which one is ironical with his table manner. He has great ambitions but do nothing to achieve it. But he is still envious of anyone doing better than him. Sure, he help Harry at a few occasion but let's be honest, he is dragging everyone down.

Really, Neville Longbottom would be a better replacement for Ronald Weasley in every possible way.

Neville have the same self-confidence issue as Ronald but he is gentle, he has no jealousy and he is hardworking (despite his lack of result – yet his growth and character development in the later tomes is amazing). Neville also have the same background and common sense as Ron with personal story that would make him empathize for Harry more than Ron could ever have done (Ron is seeing his sibling as rivals, he never understood how lucky he was to have a family, even if rather dysfunctional – Neville loose both is parents like Harry and his terrified of his own Grandmother.*)

((* It's almost as if Albus Dumbledore prepare Neville Longbottom as the Boy-who-Lived alternative 'back-up' on purpose. But I keep Dumbledore bashing for the fic.))

That does conclude my challenge and before-reading speech.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

/!\ IF you want to beta-read, be my guest. (I'm already using word and grammarly - most of the time - but obviously, this is still not enough)

I need to insist on the fact that you are reading a early draft. This story is full of mistakes, poor phrasing, everything you can think of, you name it, I probably did worse. This fiction could totally be publish to wattpad instead. I consider it an early access on the fic. If you want to beta-read, there is a lot of work and I don't have anyone yet.

Sorry but because of recent events, I have less time to write so please bear with it. Chapter 24 and onward are still in progress.

Unlike my other fic, I'm going to write on-the-go, no chapter ahead, no promise to ever finish. I'm totally an underachiever, not for my lack of trying.

So this time I'm going to be brutally honest.

This is my under COVID attempt after years of silence. I have about thirty different drafts for a same fic going by the same codename of 'Disenchanted'. I'm so truly fucked IRL that this fic is my therapy.

I don't have the confidence to handle bad review and hate mails so don't bother. Be it good or bad, I won't read a single line.

I'm writing in English despite not being a native speaker or even that fluent about it because I read Harry Potter books and fanfiction in English and I fall in love with the language.

It would be rating Mature for uncensored but none-graphic violence. It won't be cheap misery-lit garbage either. People are growing through hardship but the main point is to overcome it, not to bath in it. Also, it's fiction and in my point of view, supposes to be offering some relief and a fair bit of optimism.

My Characters might be greys and in some case truly darks, the tone might also be rather dark but it's only to make the rays of hope shine even brighter.

Then, Thanks you for reading my rant and see you soon! (Hopefully~.)