HP: Hogwarts: The Lost Generation - An Under-Explored Post-War Playground
TL;DR: coin ‘Lost Generation’ for Hogwarts ’98–’08; invite original-character-centric stories about rebuilding, reconciliation, and non-main-cast lives.
In we go:
I would like to propose what may be a gap in both fandom terminology - and fandom exploration.
One that I think there would be both writers and readers for, if given the chance.
I'm naturally referring to the state of Hogwarts and the lives and issues of its students from 1998-2008 (give or take a few years). The rebuilding era. The generation in the immediate wake of the war. The kids who lived through the consequences rather than the plot.
Come on, guys, we already throw out the epilogue often enough. May as well consider exploring some of why 'all was well' is a little... under-considered.
For angst writers: Students who experienced a year under the Carrows. Students who lost people in the war.
For drama writers: Muggle-borns who lived through the war. Muggle-borns coming in later and learning about the war. Young Slytherins trying to navigate whatever post-war state of things you envision. The experiences of new professors brought in, and the on-the-ground rebuilding of Hogwarts as feeling safe... likely in all of the wizarding world's clumsiness.
For the friendship/fluff/humor writers: Probably some awkward attempts at post-war reconciliation. "Cross-House Unity Parties" or the like. Kids trying to be normal and have their own issues while the adults deploy various politicking post-war band-aids. Kids making those cross-house friendships through the awkwardness. Quidditch 'mixed squads' week. A disastrously earnest professor's pairing of students for group projects.
For romance writers: overlap with any or all of the above depending on your taste. Enemies-to-tentative-allies. Awkward-side-eye-to-slow-burn. Idk, I don't write romance genre, you probably have better ideas than I here.
I'm sure there's more.
There's a lot of places one could go with it. The Lost Generation takes place in a time period usually reserved for eighth year or postwar main cast recovery. I'm not saying anything against those. I'm saying there might be space for something new. Room to explore the people who weren't at the heart of the war, yet live in its consequences - the fallout, policy changes, and haunted corridors.
Elephant in the room time.
Yes, this effectively requires original characters. And to that I say... so? The premise is real. Just because we got traumatized by a handful of thirteen-year-old writers in 2005 doesn't mean original characters cannot stand on their own. We were all thirteen once. I wouldn't want my thirteen-year-old writing to cause a two-decade creative ghetto either.
Star Wars EU (among other worlds) was expanding its universe's corners with new faces decades before My Immortal or anything similarly silly existed. Surely it's not only okay when corporate does it. Since when has fandom abided by that?
Original characters are workable. And so is, I think, the lost generation.
Hope someone else loves the idea as I do.
If someone has written this... I'd love to see it! Still in Fine, I'll do it myself territory. I'm practicing what I preach. But I'd be gladdened to know I'm not alone.
