Hunger Games/Harry Potter crossover fics (aka The Potter Games)

Wonderful manip by fadingtales @ tumblr

Many of us readers and writers started writing fanfiction in the Harry Potter fandom before moving onto others like the Hunger Games. It's great to see these two complex story worlds melting together - you can find cool images and ideas following this tag 'the potter games' on tumblr. Without further ado, here's just a taste of the bewitching Harry Potter/Hunger Games crossovers out there at the moment!

And you are only just beginning by swishywillow
Summary: "As the castle fades into the distance, disappearing around a gentle curve, it is almost hard to believe it wasn’t all a wonderful dream." A snapshot of Peeta Mellark's seven years at Hogwarts. 
In A Word: Unusual
(Recommended by The Owl).






Tonight. by Shulik
No summary given.
In A Word: Hilarious!
(Recommended by Weekend Sinner).

The Snow Queen by Darklooshkin
Summary: Rose Potter disappeared at the age of six. In Hermione Granger's sixth year, the Goblet of Fire summons a girl trained to be the champion of a very different kind of game. They wanted a saviour. They got the Snow Queen.
In A Word: Complex

District Four by GinnyMastrani
Summary: Harry Potter is just a kid from District Four. He never wanted this. Cato is a warrior from District Two, he volunteered. When these two collide in the arena, sparks will fly. HXC Warnings inside. Complete.
In A Word: Different

Dropped by BlueMoonsAndTooSoons
Summary: Fleur, Bill, Hermione, and Draco are suddenly dropped into the arena during the 74th Games to help Katniss and Peeta win. What they don't know is how they got there and what the point of all this is. What they discover may change everything.
In A Word: Popular

Unexpected Allies by smurfette81013
Summary: Harry thought his life was going to be as normal as could be. Voldemort is gone and Harry is now Lord Potter-Peverell-Black. Life is great, until a drunken Ron Weasley sends him to Panem. Katniss finds Harry in the woods, injured, and decides to bring him back to District twelve to heal. But when Katniss goes into the arena, what happens to Harry? 
In A Word: Interesting

Happy reading,
Little Miss Mionie

Everlark and Canon Through Other Character's Eyes

Everlark and Canon Through Other Character's Eyes

Featuring guest reviewer Norbertsmom (or ffnet). 

One of my favorite conversations in Mockingjay takes place between Finnick and Katniss in District 13, when he apologizes for not warning Katniss about Snow's method of hurting his enemies by using people that they love against them:

But it wasn’t until Peeta hit the force field and nearly died that I—” Finnick hesitates. I think back to the arena. How I sobbed when Finnick revived Peeta. The quizzical look on Finnick’s face. The way he excused my behavior, blaming it on my pretend pregnancy. “That you what?”

“That I knew I’d misjudged you. That you do love him. I’m not saying in what way. Maybe you don’t know yourself. But anyone paying attention could see how much you care about him,” he says gently. (pp. 153-154)

This excerpt is thrilling, not just because it puts into words something that Katniss has been unwilling to acknowledge explicitly to herself until that moment, but because we enjoy the idea of others witnessing and acknowledging the existence of their love.  Yes, there is something voyeuristic about this but it is also an affirmation that this powerful feeling is validated by the world outside of the one in which the two lovers exist.

It is also interesting to see canon events from the point of view of other characters, both major and minor, in fanfiction.

So, my fic recs this week are those written about about either Everlark or canon events from other POVs.  For this, I must acknowledge Norbertsmom for putting together a rather extensive list of over 30 fics from other character's POV.  I'm recommending ones that are classified as WIPs because that's kind of what I do here.  If you are interested in receiving the full list, feel free to reach out to me here, my email (titania522@gmail.com) or on my tumblr (titania522).

Happy Reading!


A Lesson of the Blood by museofmirth (Peeta's POV)

Summary:  Fire had taught him a lesson of the blood. Follow Peeta's journey from the Capitol back to District 12 as he recovers from the hijacking and begins to grow back together with Katniss. Companion piece to Young Blood. End of Mockingjay, pre-epilogue.

The Hanging Tree by FernWithy (Haymitch's POV)

Summary: Haymitch's life continues to deteriorate between the Victory Tour and his first Games as mentor

The Hawthorne Monologues by Dendroica (Multiple POVs)

Summary:  A series of one-shots about the Hawthorne family, from miscellaneous events in The Hunger Games canon. Sometimes scenes, sometimes inner monologues. Generally fits canon. POV is usually Hazelle or Gale. There's no particular order, so chapters are labeled with what book they belong to.

The Melting Pot by mountain_mama (Hazelle's POV)

Summary: Hazelle Hawthorne is fed up with living in District 2 and decides to move back to District 12. What is life going to be like in D12 now that the rebellion is over? Who else is going to move back and help in the rebuilding?

Through a Mentor's Eyes by huckin-cupcakes (Haymitch's POV)

Summary:  "Honestly, unless someone's maimed, dead, or dying, I'm going back to sleep." The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins written from Haymitch Abernathy's point of view. Because I've always wanted to know what Haymitch was thinking/doing.

Fics for Holiday Tears

Happy Holidays! The Owl is back with some heartbreaking stories so you'll have an excuse to cry during the Holidays (ouch).

And of course I'm kidding!

Tie a Knot and Hang On (ff.net and AO3), by Shesasurvivor (author's tumblr)

Let's start with a Finnick/Katniss (friendship!) story. We don't see this often, and Shesasuvivor explored this relationship in this one-shot.

Summary: Finnick visits Katniss in the hospital after Peeta's assault, and shares the story of how he and Annie fell in love. Odesta, Everlark. Written as part of the Hunger Games Spring Fling on AO3.

Warnings: Rated T.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Finnick and Katniss share the stage as friends. Their conversation is what guides the plot, and this is certainly something rare in this fandom.

Why is it good?

It's an interesting journey in the author's take on Finnick and Annie's relationship. Katniss is destroyed because of Peeta (Mockingjay), and the Victor from Four brings her comfort.

Writing stuff comments:

Shesasurvivor's dialogues are very fluent, and they domain this fic's context. 1^st Person POV, Katniss' POV, Present tense, but we go into Finnick's mind by his lovely words.

Heartbreaking line:

“Was it worth it?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I had some fun around Shesasurviver's profile. Titania522 recently recommended amazing stories from a not-so-comfortable theme: prostitution. I loved her recs, and since this theme kind of enters in my jurisdiction too (obscure!fics), I decided to add this WIP.

The Tigers Come at Night (ff.net and AO3), by Shesasurvivor (author's tumblr)

Summary: Forced into prostitution in the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta find a way to seek refuge in the only people who understand: each other. But when they begin to sleep together for comfort in the supposed safety of their own homes, an unplanned occurrence makes the third Quarter Quell more difficult than it already is. Catching Fire AU. WARNING: Forced prostitution, non-con sexual situations.

(Yeah, the girl can go to the dark side too.)

Warnings: Prostitution, Non-Con, Adult Content, Abuse, Rated NC-17.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Prostitution. Not a fun theme; full of angst, fear and desolation.

Why is it good?

Katniss and Peeta are surprised by it. They are leaving a party and suddenly they have to face this reality. The first paragraphs install a setting that you can't just stop reading.

Katniss' innocence is another center theme. She doesn't know what it's going on, and Peeta has to lead. It's what canon Everlark would be.

Writing stuff comments:

Another point to Shesasurvivor's dialogues, but there are more description here. Katniss' POV, 1^st Person, Present Tense. Like the books. The description from Katniss' POV is limited due to her inexperience, but it adds to the feeling of the story.

Heartbreaking line:

" (…) and with a bow (…), ushers us inside. We exchange another glance, unsure, before Peeta cautiously steps forward, placing himself between the man and me (…)  Then the door shuts."

Burning (ff.net and AO3), by Swish Willow Wand (author's tumblr)

Entering the "minor pairing" section of my recs, I offer you this angst Gadge (Gale/Madge) story.

Summary: He doesn't know how it happened, but suddenly it's the night before the Games start and he's restless in his bed, thinking of her. - Alternate Games.

Warnings: Rated T.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Minor pairing. I recently discovered this great Gadge world, and I intend to write a full rec about Gadge stories.

Why is it good?

It is a current theme in Gadge stories, when Gale and Madge are reaped. They are both minor characters in the books, and the author is free to explore their personalities, but Swish makes them look really canon. Her take on Madge is extremely rich.

Writing stuff comments:

She likes flashback scenes and to jump forth and back the timeline, but she does the transitions skillfully, and it's a great way to present an AU. 3^rd Person POV, Gale's POV, Present Tense.

Heartbreaking line:

"Stop," she hisses, (…) "What good is it to talk like this, Gale, when we're going to die?"

Do you have any suggestions for my next review/rec? I'm on tumblr : thesagaciousowl - I'm also Miss Maia on ff.net and AO3. Leave an ask or a PM so we can chat.

Need a beta? Check out the I need a beta blog!

WIP Everlark Recs With Titania: Catching Fire Edition

This has been a crazy week for The Hunger Games' fandom.  Every time I opened my tumblr, there were countless premier pictures, official clips and stills to feed the anticipation for the next installment of Suzanne Collins' amazing trilogy.  There is no question that the director and cast of the upcoming film demonstrated a deep understanding of our beloved characters and had a ton of fun making the film too!   So, in honor of the multiple premiers, I went on the hunt for fics set during Catching Fire.  There were countless one-shots and drabbles but below are two mult-chapter fics that really deserve a reader's attention:

A Marriage Between Victors by optimus-pam

Summary:

What if the Victory Tour ended with a wedding rather than an engagement? A story that explores what would have happened if Peeta and Katniss had been forced to marry. How does this change affect their relationship? District 12? The rebellion? Rated M for later chapters. Banner by Ro Nordmann.

Favorite excerpt:

“I love you.” Katniss froze at Peeta’s words, which he sealed with a kiss to her collarbone.

It terrified to hear those words after the intimacy they just shared.

The ‘thank you” slipped past her lips before she could think of anything better to say and immediately the weightless feeling her body enjoyed just moments ago was replaced by a heavy sense of dread.

[…]

He dragged a distracted had through his hair.  “You don’t say ‘thank you’ after…” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to gain composure. “After something like this.’

He turned away from her and Katniss saw the scars he would bear forever, the high price he paid for loving her.  He left the bathroom with his shoulders slumped in defeat and closed th door quietly behind him.  Katniss dropped her head in to her hands and began to weep.  She wept in shame that her foolish heart once again broke Peeta’s

He was right, thank you was not enough for what had transpired between them.  It would never be enough.

Why I love it:

Characterization!  This fic keeps everyone in character in a credible way.  Katniss feels deeply but is still emotionally daft.  Peeta is sensitive and loving without being emasculated, as many fics end up doing to his character.  But the absolute breakout character of this fic is Gale – still angry, still rebellious but now with the added bitterness that Katniss has returned as the wife of Peeta.  This character is strongly AU but also maintains crucial cannon elements to help the reader connect to the original story.

Catching Fire and Burning Down by Tara Bear

Summary:

The effect it has on him is nothing short of satisfying. But wrong, so, so wrong, and different and not me. It's the hunger. The side of me that I didn't think would be. That wants things like this; nakedness, beds, Peeta. And so it's not really me, who reaches out and grasps his wrist when he makes to stand and leave, it's the want. The fire begging for more fuel. *Rewritten*

Excerpt:

“You make me weak,” I say, one of the hands I have slung around him, pinching his side lightly.  The accusation in my voice is overpowering.

It takes a moment, but his eyes open, eyelashes tickling my forehead.  I repeat myself when, groggy, Peeta pulls back so we are at a talking distance, but still entirely too temptingly close.  

“How?” he rasps.

“That’s a stupid question,” I tell him.  “You make me have another person to worry about. When I was young… it was only my mother and Prim.  Now I have you, and… Haymitch… and Gale…”

“Loving people isn’t a weakness, Katniss.”

“Yeah, well,” I say, stubbornly, “I don’t love you.”

“I know,” Peeta says, amusement in his voice.     `       

Why I love it:

Again, Katniss is her usual non-reflective self, which is appropriate for her character development at this stage of the trilogy – she has feelings for Peeta but for all the reasons we know, she keeps him emotionally at arm’s length.  Except in this fic, Peeta breaks down those barriers sooner, creating intense emotional drama as we see Katniss forced to confront the intensity of her feelings for Peeta.  The writer makes good use of the source material, rewriting the parts as needed to fit her narrative while maintaining cannon elements. 

AND

In honor of one of the most anticipated scenes in Catching Fire, see below a wonderful piece of fanart by ghtlovesthg.  Johanna converses with Peeta in her birthday suit while a chagrined Katniss attempts to maintain her composure.

Next Rec Theme:  Everlark and the Captiol's Depravities.

If you have any ideas for Rec themes or any fics I should look at, post a comment here or hit me up at titania522.tumblr.com.