Title: Mirrors and Snake Skin
Author: deirdre_aithne
Artist: coil_kitten
Fic Rating: PG-13
Art Rating: PG
Word count: 27,039
Content/Warning(s): (highlight for spoilers) *Creature!fic (Nāga/snake)*
Summary: After Arthur returns from a visit to Grimmauld Place behaving strangely, Harry decides to investigate. The last thing he expected to find there was Severus Snape, who he thought had died six months earlier in the Battle of Hogwarts, alive and well and stalking around the place as though he owned it.
A/N: My eternal love and adoration to uniquepov for all of her hard work not just betaing this, but acting as cheerleader and assistant muse whenever I would hit a rough patch, and for being instrumental in the plotting/outlining process. I really would have been lost without you on this one, bb. Thanks as well to secretlypadfoot for all of her cheerleading, and to writcraft for always feeding my Snarry muse and listening to me rant a few times when I'd get stuck. I had the idea to write a Snarry version of Beauty and the Beast months upon months ago and kept looking for both an excuse and the motivation to make it happen, and I'm fairly certain that if this fest hadn't rolled around, it might have sat on the shelf for quite a while longer before I found either to make it happen, so thanks to the lovely mods of the snape_potter comm for always giving me new reasons to write some lovely Snarry!
A/N #2: Please click on the art to make it larger.



(Mirrors and Snake Skin)

...is about to begin! *takes a deep breath*

Please remember that in an attempt to keep all Big Bang entries together, we ask that people not post to the community beginning now and ending AFTER the Big Bang Masterlist is posted. We expect this to take less than four hours. Any non-BB entries made during that time will be deleted and the poster will be contacted so they can repost later in the day. We would also ask that if you have anything more than a drabble planned to please give the authors and artists of the Big Bang a couple of days before posting a full length fic to the comm. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

As you read and view, please remember none of us are paid to do this. And while we all enjoy making art or writing stories, we are also encouraged by feedback. It helps us continue with what we do; it makes us feel like our efforts are appreciated and valued, makes us strive to improve ourselves, and in the long run, it gives all of us more to see and read. The best way to show our appreciation to an author or artist is to leave feedback on what we have seen and enjoyed.

To that end, we want to remind everyone of our Severus/Harry Big Bang Feedback Challenge with prizes of art commissions generously donated by The BB Art Co-Captains, tripperfunster and veridari and an original Snarry fic written by deirdre_aithne and starcrossedgirl. You can find details here.

We'd like to take a moment to offer our ( thanks and admiration for the tireless efforts of: )

There are so many wonderful entries from start to finish and so much variety that there is literally something in the Big Bang for every Snarry fan and we hope you'll make the time to accept our challenge and read and review. Our participants welcome squee as well as thought-out replies for both fic and art. Show us that you're up to the challenge; comment on as many entries as you can. Show the authors and artists your appreciation and support and encourage them to keep coming back to our pairing.

Enjoy!

~Accioslash & Torino10154

Is the suspense killing you yet? ;D Just one more day until the Severus/Harry Big Bang begins posting on Oct 15! Here are just a few stats to consider while you're waiting:

Total Number of Participants: 47
Total Number of Fics: 25
Total Pieces of Art: 60+
Total Number of Words (not including headers): 1,194,151 words
Longest fic: 193,210 words
Shortest fic: 25,100 words
Average Word Count per entry: Approximately 47K words

( A bit of a teaser )

*PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*

There are many entries in the upcoming Severus/Harry Big Bang that will be locked to members only per snape_potter rules which require Chan (under the age of 18) and art rated NC-17 to be locked.

You must JOIN snape_potter to see any locked posts. To join the community you must be 18 or older and have an age statement posted in your user info page. Examples of a clear age statement include ANY of the following: an actual date of birth indicating you are at least 18 years old (1/1/85), a year of birth indicating you are at least 18 years old (1985), a statement of your actual age over 18 (I am 22 years old) or a general statement such as "I am over the age of 18."

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment here or contact a snape_potter mod.

In just a short time on Monday, October 15, posting for the Severus/Harry Big Bang will begin and we couldn't be more thrilled with the entries. Your writers and artists have been hard at work on these entries since March and we have a total of twenty-five fabulous fics, all complete with amazing art.

None of us are paid to do this, and while we all enjoy making art or writing stories, we are also encouraged by feedback. It helps us continue with what we do; it makes us feel like our efforts are appreciated and valued, makes us strive to improve ourselves, and in the long run, it gives all of us more to see and read. The best way to show our appreciation to an author or artist is to leave feedback on what we have seen and enjoyed.

We all understand the reasons some people don't comment on works they enjoyed and no one is required to do so. It takes time and thought, and sometimes we don't think we can express our appreciation adequately so we don't say anything at all. But please don't let that stop you. There is always something you can say when you have enjoyed certain aspects of a story or piece of art. It's a way of celebrating the pairing. And at snape_potter we are all about celebrating all the various flavors of Snarry be they dark or light, fluffy or plotty, romantic or angsty, or any combination of the preceding.

Our participants welcome squee as well as thought-out replies for both fic and art. Show us that you're up to the challenge; comment on as many entries as you can. Show the authors and artists your appreciation and support and encourage them to keep coming back to our pairing.

And because this is a celebration in every sense of the word and because we want to encourage people to have fun, those of you who comment are eligible to win prizes. The contest begins on October 15 and ends at midnight (EST) on November 19, giving everyone over one full month to read, view, and comment on the entries.

There are 4 prizes:
•Top Three Commenters
•Luck of the Draw

And what are those prizes? In alphabetical order:

•A short, original Snarry fic (approx 1,500-2k words) or drabble series written to your specifications by deirdre_aithne.
•A short, original Snarry fic (approx 1,500-2k words) or drabble series written to your specifications by starcrossedgirl.
•Traditional media or digital art created to your specifications by Severus/Harry Big Bang Art Co-Captain, tripperfunster.
•Traditional media or digital art created to your specifications by Severus/Harry Big Bang Art Co-Captain, veridari.

The rules are simple. For the "Top Three Comments Overall" prizes we'll count one comment per person per Big Bang entry, as long as it refers specifically to the creation so it's clear you have read/viewed the entry. The top three commenters will each win. In the event of a threesome or moresome threeway tie, names will be placed into the Goblet of Fire and the winners drawn at random from that.

Because we understand not everyone will be able to read all the entries, for the "Luck of the Draw" prize we will be placing the names of everyone who comments to any Big Bang entry using the above rules into the Goblet of Fire. That means someone who made only one comment at the fest could potentially win a prize—though your odds of being selected increase with each comment, as your name will be entered once for each comment to a maximum number of BB entries which is twenty-five.

Similar to a charity auction, when the winners are announced in November, they can make their requests to the designated author or artist and it will be delivered in a timely manner but when it is convenient to both parties.

You don't need to be a member of Insane Journal, Live Journal, or Dreamwidth to participate and everyone EXCEPT the mods (accioslash & torino10154) are eligible to participate. People without accounts show as anonymous reviewers and the mods will unscreen the replies. Anonymous reviewers who sign their posts with any form of identifying information (screen name, Tumblr handle, initials) are just as eligible for the prizes as the Insane Journal, Live Journal, or Dreamwidth members.

Please remember: We're all here to have fun and we consider these prizes similar to door prizes. And even though not everyone can win one of those, we all still get a fabulous prize: the wonderful entries in the fest! Enjoy!

The Inner Eye Sees all....

"The Severus/Harry Big Bang arrives at snape_potter as the third week in the tenth month is born...."
(That's Oct 15th for those of you without the Gift.)


In just two short weeks, posting for snape_potter's Severus/Harry Big Bang will begin. \0/

The first post will go up on Monday, October 15th at 8am EDT and will continue throughout the day until all twenty-five of the Big Bang entries are posted. Once all the entries are posted, we will post the Severus/Harry Big Bang Masterlist.

Typically during our fests, we encourage members to continue to post their fic and art to the community. However, in an attempt to keep all Big Bang entries together, we ask that people not post to the community on Monday, Oct 15 from 8am EDT until AFTER the Big Bang Masterlist is posted. We expect this to take less than four hours. Any non-BB entries made during that time will be deleted and the poster will be contacted so they can repost later in the day. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Please be aware that the snape_potter community will be posting twenty-five posts in a row. While that sounds like heaven to us here, if you prefer not to have multiple Snarry posts temporarily take over your flist, you may want to make some changes for that day.

We're really looking forward to all the Snarry goodness. We have an amazing variety of stories and art, and we're really excited about posting them!

Let the countdown begin!

This post is a reminder that you have until tomorrow, September 20 to confirm that you will be able to have all your completed art for your assigned Severus/Harry Big Bang entry to us no later than Oct 3. We only want to gauge progress, so please don't be concerned if your concept sketches are VERY rough. We understand that people work at different speeds.

Since this is a Big Bang, we would like to be as fair as we possibly can to everyone involved. This date was chosen so that we could give our pinch hitters time to create a worthy gift for your author so no extensions are possible.

Please contact us at spfestmod@gmail.com with your progress.

banner and art by veridari

Just 3 more days left before we reach our September 15 deadline for OWL and all remaining NEWT candidates posting in the Severus/Harry Big Bang on October 15.

How firm is this deadline? As long as it is September 15 somewhere in the world, it will meet the deadline. However, that is the extent of the flexibility. The next deadline will be December 3 for any NEWT and OWL entries which will post on January 9. If you have any questions please ask at the support comm or email the mods at spfestmod@gmail.com.

AND the Mandatory Big Bang Artist Check-in is September 17-20. Artists, please check your email (and spam folders) for a message from the mods.

banner and art by veridari

Just forty-eight more hours left before we reach our August 15 deadline for NEWT candidates hoping to get their fics illustrated. If you have any questions please ask at the support comm or email the mods at spfestmod@gmail.com.

AND Wednesday is also the final day for artist sign-ups for the Big Bang. Claiming of completed Big Bang fic (meaning no orphaned art!) will begin at the artist comm on August 20. You can find more information and sign-ups here on DW, LJ or IJ.

banner and art by veridari

Just one week left before we reach our August 15 deadline for NEWT candidates hoping to get their fics illustrated. If you have any questions please ask at the support comm or email the mods at spfestmod@gmail.com.

AND sign-ups are in their FINAL WEEK for Big Bang artists. You can find more information and sign-ups here on DW, LJ or IJ.

ARE NOW OPEN

banner and art by veridari

As part of the sign-up process, artists will need to join and watch this community: severusharrybigbang_art. Claiming, announcements and check-ins will all take place at severusharrybigbang_art which is only for Severus/Harry Big Bang artists. You do not need to have a DW account. You can join the community via open-id.

Please use the following sign-up form:

<b>Age statement:</b> Please state that you're 18 or older. <b>Name:</b> (IJ name/LJ name/DW name) <b>Email address:</b> Please give an address you check regularly. <b>I am willing to create art for more than one BB fic. If yes, how many?:</b> Y/N <b>I am willing to be a pinch-hitter for the BB if an artist drops out:</b> Y/N <b>I understand I need to join the severusharrybigbang_art comm on DW as part of my sign-up:</b> Y/N

Post your filled out form as a comment to this entry! All comments are screened. Click the banner for a complete list of rules and FAQs. Artist only versions can be found here on LJ, IJ, or DW.

You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. Please contact us at spfestmod @ gmail.com if you do not receive your confirmation.

Artist Sign-Ups for the Severus/Harry Big Bang begin Wednesday, August 1.

banner and art by veridari

Click the banner for a complete list of rules and FAQs. Artist only versions can be found here on LJ, IJ, or DW.

...WILL BEGIN WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1.

banner and art by veridari

This year the Autumn fest at snape_potter will be the Severus/Harry Big Bang. A number of fabulous Snarry writers have been hard at work since March of this year creating their 25K+ N.E.W.T.-level BB fics.

And now we are looking for artists who want to create BB art from completed fic (not just a draft so there is no chance your BB writer won't have time to finish this round or possibly edit out a scene you chose to illustrate).

( How it works: )

( Rules for ARTISTS: )

( FAQs for ARTISTS: )

Big Bang participants: We've posted a special announcement at our Severus/Harry Big Bang community! If you could take a moment to check it out and leave some feedback that would be appreciated.

Also, we'll be posting header/submission information soon so if you haven't been regularly checking the community, now's the time to do it.

Thanks so much to everyone who has checked in already. There are still a few people we need to hear from.

The check-in runs until the 8th of June so those of you who haven't emailed us yet (spfestmod @ gmail . com) have a couple more days to get in touch.

Remember we need to know whether you are still planning to participate, are trying for your NEWT (25K) or your OWL (12K), and whether you expect to be done by the August 15th due date. With your email, please attach a copy of your rough/partial draft or your outline/notes. We only want to gauge progress, so please don't be concerned if your rough draft is VERY rough.

If we don't hear from you, we will assume you are no longer planning to participate, but we would much rather know for certain directly from you if that is the case.

Comments are screened if you have any other questions.

By now all of you should have received an email from us. This post is a reminder that you have from June 1 - 8 to confirm your participation in the Severus/Harry Big Bang. We will assume that anyone who does not reply to us by that time is no longer participating.

Please keep in mind that only NEWT entries received FULLY BETAED AND POST-READY by August 15 are eligible for art. The deadline for both OWL and NEWT entries without art is September 15.

A complete list of rules, FAQs, and timeline can be found on DW, LJ, or IJ for easy reference.

IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE AN EMAIL, PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY HERE OR AT spfestmod@gmail.com

Comments are screened.

Have you signed up yet for Snarry-a-Thon12 or the Severus/Harry Big Bang?

Sign-ups end TOMORROW - Thursday, March 15, 2012.
There isn't much time left, so please don't wait!

banner by swtalmnd and art by stellamoon

banner and art by veridari

Click on one of the banners to sign up now!

...are now CLOSED.

banner and art by veridari

One of the more popular suggestions from the feedback poll we posted at the end of last year was that we host a Big Bang in place of one of our annual Snarry fests. Since our Autumn fest has a revolving theme, this year the Autumn fest will be the Severus/Harry Big Bang.

This is a Severus/Harry Big Bang. You can have whatever background pairing you want but the primary pairing in the Severus/Harry Big Bang must be Severus and Harry. There are two levels of author participation: O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. To receive an O in your N.E.W.T.s (and art of your fic!), your fan fic must be at least 25,000 words long. Folks who still want a challenge, but don't think they can manage 25k can try for their O.W.L.s with a minimum word count of 12,000 words. Please note: There are some differences between the Big Bang and what is typically acceptable in a snape_potter fest. A complete list of rules and FAQs can be found here on IJ, LJ, and DW.

( Timeline: )

( Sign-Up form )

banner and art by veridari

Thanks to the extraordinary talents of veridari and lovetoseverus, the Severus/Harry Big Bang has pimping banners and icons. Please show your support and enthusiasm for the fest. Just copy the code in the text areas to use the banner in posts or on your userinfo.

( Icons and Pimping Banners below the cut: )

banner and art by veridari

One of the more popular suggestions from the feedback poll we posted at the end of last year was that we host a Big Bang in place of one of our annual Snarry fests. Since our Autumn fest has a revolving theme, this year the Autumn fest will be the Severus/Harry Big Bang. You can find detailed information here.

Like all the other Autumn fests, this is a one time only fest and will not be repeated here at snape_potter. While we will not be adhering to the strict definition of a Big Bang which requires fic to be a minimum of 50k, we will be requiring a minimum length of 12k for O.W.L. level participants and 25k for participants who will be trying for their N.E.W.T.s.

Since the goal of the Severus/Harry Big Bang is the creation of longer fics that focus on the relationship between our favourite Potions Master and the Chosen One, we will be holding sign-ups for our Autumn fest far earlier than usual to allow both authors and artists enough time to create something truly special.

( Rules for Authors: )


( Rules for Artists: )


( Timeline: )


( FAQs )