hp_goldenage | Salt and Pepper 2024 Claiming Post

Before you sign-up, please read the rules and guidelines for this fest here.

A few quick things:

1 - Prompts can be claimed once for Fic and once for Art and are first come, first served. We will indicate as soon as possible if a prompt has been claimed for either fic or art and strikethrough it if it's been claimed for both.
2 - We will email you as soon as possible to confirm you got the prompt you wanted (or your second choice if your first was already snagged, etc.) so please sign-up with an email address you check regularly.
3 - The prompts were placed in the category where they seemed to fit best but please look through the entire list as some could have fit into either section.
4 - Remember, your creation is not a gift, so if you stray a little from the prompt, want to substitute in a different character or a pairing, that's perfectly fine.
5 - Conversely, if none of the prompts strike your fancy, but you still want to participate, you may sign up to create your own idea! You may also use any unclaimed prompts from previous years.
6 - Sign-ups via proxy are allowed.

Sign-up Form

To sign up, fill out the following in a comment below. Comments are screened as this is an anon fest! :D

Specific Pairings or Characters

1 - Prompt: Meeting for the first time in years at a funeral for a mutual old friend
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Severus, any
Theme/Tone: somber, friendly, pleasant surprise

2 - Prompt: reunion in an [ahem] awkward location/situation
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Severus, any
Theme/Tone: humor

3 - Prompt: "You're now doing *what*?"
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Severus, any
Theme/Tone: humor or dismay, both work

4 - Prompt: Remember when...?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Percy/Oliver, Oliver/Marcus, Percy/Oliver/Marcus
Theme/Tone: Reminiscing, romantic, funny.

5 - Prompt: Retiring from a career that is a whole lifestyle wasn't easy but luckily Charlie had a few ideas in mind
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Charlie Weasley
Theme/Tone: adventurous, comedy, smut, anything 😄

6 - Prompt: Remus has been fighting a loosing battle for his health for years now. Can Sirius keep himself together to brew the last potion for his life partner? Dying during the strain of full moon is the only option offered by St. Mungos
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Remus Lupin/Sirius Black
Theme/Tone: N/A
Additional Info: Book characterization

7 - Prompt: Kreacher's epilogue
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Kreacher

8 - Prompt: A day in the life of an old squid
Suggested Characters/Pairings: The Giant Squid

9 - Prompt: A gentleman may not be up to visiting a club anymore, but company is always one floo call away
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco?

10 - Prompt: The first Christmas celebration at Hogwarts since the second war ends.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Minerva McGonagall, but any Hogwarts staff over the age of 50 would be great too
Theme/Tone: N/A
Additional Info: None

11 - Prompt: Albus and Gellert never met again after the duel in 1945 -- or did they?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald

12 - Prompt: Newt and Tina attended their grandson's wedding.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Newt/Tina
Theme/Tone: fluff/humour
Additional Info: what do they think of Rolf? Luna? Rolf and Luna?

13 - Prompt: five times Harry thought he was too old for his job and one time he was
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry Potter
Theme/Tone:angst / dark humour / humour
Additional Info:Could be dark or it could just be silly fun.

14 - Prompt: Even after all these years, people wonder why they work as a couple but they still do.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Ron/Hermione
Theme/Tone: Fluffy, smut.

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 15 - Prompt: the three Black sisters reunited after the war and now have weekly afternoon tea well into their 60s/70s/80s/older
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Narcissa, Bellatrix, Andromeda
Theme/Tone: angst, fluff, angst that becomes fluff, hurt/comfort, humour
Additional Info: ideally they’ve forgiven each other and made up but if you’d prefer them to hold a grudge well into their 90s that would absolutely suit their characters

16 - Prompt: on her retirement, Minerva reflects on her time at Hogwarts
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Minerva Mcgonagall, Minerva & the other Hogwarts staff
Theme/Tone: bittersweet, nostalgic
Additional Info: is she reluctant to leave the place behind? or can she not wait to get the hell out of there and spend her days reading and drinking tea?

17 - Prompt: The year is 2036 and Hermione Granger is now the headmistress of Hogwarts. What has changed since her school days and what remains the same?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Hermione with ensemble
Theme/Tone: Could be serious or could be humorous.
Additional Info: Whether there's a pairing/romance is up to you.

18 - Prompt: Harry is forced to come out of retirement when a new Dark force threatens the hard earned peace of the Wizarding World. But does he still have what it takes?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry and ensemble
Theme/Tone: Mystery, some angst
Additional Info: Could be humorous instead, if you prefer.

19 - Prompt: Hermione and Ginny grew closer as Ron succumbed to a terminal illness. Can they move past their grief and make a new life together?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Hermione/Ginny
Theme/Tone: Bittersweet, hopeful, romance
Additional Info: N/A

20 - Prompt: Harry and Draco's legendary rivalry continues as they become grandfathers to the same newborn.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: background Scorpius/any next gen Potter
Theme/Tone: Humour, fluff, family feels
Additional Info: Whether Harry and Draco are still married or divorced (and end up together?) is up to you.

21 - Prompt: They love a mature woman, especially one that can take care of them, and Minerva is the perfect woman.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Minerva/anyone
Theme/Tone: any

22 - Prompt: Seeing each other after all those years sure brought back some memories, and maybe they can make some new ones.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Snape/Karkaroff
Theme/Tone: any
Additional Info: In canon they are pretty young, but in the movies they are both older men.

23 - Prompt: The kids are finally out, while they love their kids, and grandkids, they thought they had a few years of peace between the newest additions to the family.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Molly/Arthur
Theme/Tone: any

24 - Prompt: Snape knows about Neville's boggart, Mrs Long bottom also knows about Neville's boggart, what happens when Mrs Longbottom shows up at school for a parent/teacher conference?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Snape, Mrs Longbottom
Theme/Tone:any

25 - Prompt: Mrs Zabini might be older, but she still has the power to entrap husbands.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Mrs Zabini
Theme/Tone:any

26 - Prompt: A future where the marauders weren't split up by war, where they get together as older men to reminisce about their time at school, or where their lives took them.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Marauders
Theme/Tone: any

27 - Prompt: The sorrow of realising she can't have more kids, while at the same time being blessed with a grandson.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Narcissa
Theme/Tone: any

28 - Prompt: Nicolas Flamel lived a long life with his wife when they decide to let life run it course
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Nicolas Flamel
Theme/Tone:any

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 29 - Prompt: He fancied her when he was younger, now as an adult he finally gathered the courage to ask her out.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Ron/Madam Rosmerta
Theme/Tone: any

30 - Prompt: Being the Dark Lord has has it's perks, realising the age gap between himself and his followers is not one of those perks.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Voldemort
Theme/Tone: N/A
Additional Info: Also possible to be AU where he never died and so his body is closer to his actual age.

31 - Prompt: Severus just wants to live out his retirement in peace. Too bad Sirius didn't get the memo.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Severus/Sirius
Theme/Tone: Humor
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

32 - Prompt: They stumble into a friends with benefits situation and end up falling in love
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Severus/Remus or any Severus pairing
Theme/Tone: Smutty

Multiple Pairings and Open

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 33 - Prompt: "I've wanted to meet you for so long!" A fan corners someone in public.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Oliver, Harry, Severus
Theme/Tone: Humour, romance

[CLAIMED FOR ART] 34 - Prompt: what to do in retirement?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any
Theme/Tone:. optimistic, humor

35 - Prompt: having time/money/etc. for traveling solo for the first time ever
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any
Theme/Tone: optimistic, adventurous,
Additional Info: where would they go? be creative!

36 - Prompt: an adult child they were not aware of tracks them down
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any
Theme/Tone: humor or dismay, both work

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 37 - Prompt: It's finally time to find a second love.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/any male, Draco/any male, Oliver/any male
Theme/Tone: Romantic, hopeful
Additional Info: Ex could be either divorced or dead.

38 - Prompt: Retirement was never going to be easy.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Charlie, Oliver, Minerva
Theme/Tone: Hopeful, angsty

39 - Prompt: I've loved you for so long, but never allowed myself to hope.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco, Harry/Charlie, Severus/Rosmerta
Theme/Tone: Romantic

40 - Prompt: The local wizarding theatre is recruiting, which empty nesters and retirees are going to meet and create the best play ever? Will the drama be on the stage or the backstage?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any, wildest cards? :D

41 - Prompt: The pineapple on the cabin door, glamours and the Caribbean
Suggested Characters/Pairings: [any]
Theme/Tone: N/A
Additional Info: Pineapples=partner swapping

42 - Prompt: Wixes and their gardens
Suggested Characters/Pairings: [any]
Theme/Tone: N/A
Additional Info: a storyline or vignettes?

43 - Prompt: The sheer life experience of the vampire sitting opposite captivates her
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Hermione Granger or anyone!

44 - Prompt: Picking up a new hobby or pursuing a childhood dream after retirement.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50

45 - Prompt: Rekindling an old flame many years later.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50

46 - Prompt: Haunted by ghosts
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50

47 - Prompt: At the age of fifty (or whatever 50+ age you like), life is good.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50

48 - Prompt: They've been around for a long, long time.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50
Theme/Tone: A little spooky

49 - Prompt: Salt and pepper
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any over the age of 50

50 - Prompt: The only time they see each other these days is at funerals.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Members of Dumbledore's Army (Harry, Neville etc)
Theme/Tone:angst / dark humour
Additional Info: Maybe an odd pairing arises from these meetings?

51 - Prompt: Freshly divorced in his fifties, Harry wasn't expecting to date again: he was wrong.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Luna, Harry/Parvati, Harry/Katie
Theme/Tone: fluff and smut

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 52 - Prompt: a marriage proposal that comes 40+ years into a relationship
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any! canon or non canon! femslash if you’d like!
Theme/Tone: any!
Additional Info: maybe it was never the right time because of the war, life got in the way or maybe they just never got around to it

53 - Prompt: Severus invents a new arthritis potion. Some of the side effects are. . .unexpected.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Severus and any 50+ willing to be his guinea pig. . .Minerva, Harry, Arthur, Ron, Horace, Lucius, Hermione, Rosmerta, etc. Can be romantic with pairings or not.
Theme/Tone: humorous, not crack

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 54 - Prompt: "Here I go again / I hear the trumpets blow again / All aglow again / Taking a chance on love" at age 50+
Suggested Characters/Pairings: I love me some good Minerva/Severus or Aberforth/Severus or Minerva/Hermione, but anyone you choose is fine.
Theme/Tone: anything but crack
Additional Info: I have a teacher/student squick (as a teacher myself). . .I'd love it if any student characters were beyond student age

55 - Prompt: Portrait!love. It must get very boring, being a Hogwarts portrait. What do the 50-plusses get up to beyond the frame? What are their relationships like?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Albus, Minerva, Severus, Phineas Nigellus, the Fat Lady, Sir Cadogan, Dilys Derwent, anyone who might end up as a Hogwarts portrait. . .go wild
Theme/Tone: anything but crack

56 - Prompt: As their life nears its end, a character looks back. . .
Suggested Characters/Pairings: any
Theme/Tone: anything but crack; angst is fine, as is bittersweetness, comfort, etc.

57 - Prompt: "Grandma [or Grandpa], what's this?" -- a grandchild helps a grandparent sort through a closet and finds an artefact from the past. What's the story?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Choose anyone for the grandparent that you like -- can be someone who is already over 50 in canon or can be Trio Era or younger, but now aging.
Theme/Tone: anything but crack

58 - Prompt: After a life of wild adventures, Luna settles down again in Ottery St Catchpole and unexpectedly finds romance.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Luna/Bill, Luna/George, Luna/Percy, Luna/Ginny
Theme/Tone: Light, whimsical, fluffy
Additional Info: Whichever Weasley you prefer works.

59 - Prompt: Severus Snape made a new life for himself in Europe. Much to his dismay, an old acquaintance stumbles upon him.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Severus/Minerva, Severus/Lucius, Severus/Harry, Severus/Hermione
Theme/Tone: Mystery, romance, light angst
Additional Info: How long it is after the war will depend on the pairing one chooses.

60 - Prompt: Scandal rocks the Ministry as a disgruntled mistress (or hired escort) threatens to name names.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Mystery or humour
Additional Info: Picturing "politician" types here with various (multiple?) clandestine relationships.

61 - Prompt: Everyone thinks they're the perfect couple. Maybe they're just good at keeping up appearances.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Any
Additional Info: N/A

62 - Prompt: Hermione, thinking like a Muggle, doesn't realize she needs to worry about pregnancy after 50. Ooops!
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Hermione/Ron or Hermione/Draco, Hermione/Harry, Hermione/Severus, etc
Theme/Tone: Humour, fluff
Additional Info: If you have a different pairing you'd prefer, go for it!

63 - Prompt: Severus never expected to make it out of his thirties. Now, he's elderly with a spouse and their family gathers at their house every Sunday for dinner.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Severus, Severus/Sirius, Severus/any
Theme/Tone: Humor, reflective
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

64 - Prompt: Hijinks at the retirement home.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Humor
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

65 - Prompt: It's time to put past resentments behind.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Reflective, melancholy, hopeful
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

66 - Prompt: Their book club was just an excuse to have tea and gossip. (Or any other activity like knitting.)
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Humor
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

[CLAIMED FOR FIC] 67 - Prompt: Character A only has one item left on their bucket list.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Any
Additional Info: No character bashing

68 - Prompt: Character A was a grumpy person. Then one day someone new moved in next door.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Any
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

69 - Prompt: Character A fancies themselves a brilliant matchmaker, and why, all those widows and widowers need companionship, right?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Humor
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

70 - Prompt: Character A decides to contact their first love.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Any
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

71 - Prompt: Character A and Character B decides to take a senior bus tour around the country.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Any
Theme/Tone: Humor
Additional Info: No character bashing, MCD

72 - Prompt: Some things getting better with age
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Neville/Hannah
Theme/Tone: Fluff and smut

73 - Prompt: At least one of them knows what they're doing.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Neville, Ron/Seamus, Hermione/Luna
Theme/Tone: fluff and smut
Additional Info: The trio member is new to same sex relationships and the other is more experienced and easing them in.

74 - Prompt: They looked retirement in the face and decided they weren't having any of it.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Newt Scamander, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter
Theme/Tone: Character study
Additional Info: could be canon compliant or not.

75 - Prompt: There's been many others, but you were my favourite.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Sirius/Charlie, Severus/Rabastan, Oliver/Marcus
Theme/Tone: Angsty, romantic, hopeful

76 - Prompt: Their creature inheritance only appeared once they had met their mate in person.
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Anyone who didn't meet in canon

77 - Prompt: Scorpius and Lily Luna are married/have kids and Harry & Draco navigate being grandpas
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Gen or any
Theme/Tone: Humor, old rivals, H & D FINALLY putting their childhoods aside to be friends/lovers etc
Additional Info: This doesn't need to be Harry/Draco but it could be!

78 - Prompt: Wrinkles, creaky joints, cramps... This was the part of aging he was not looking forward to!
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hannah/Draco
Theme/Tone: Humour

79 - Prompt: Discovering kinks
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Draco/Harry, Blaise/Ginny
Theme/Tone: Sexy!

80 - Prompt: After her divorce, Ginny finds herself caught between Neville and Draco. Who will she choose?
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Ginny/Neville, Ginny/Draco
Theme/Tone: Romance, fluff, light angst
Additional Info: Feel free to include polyamory if you'd like.

81 - Prompt: Bath time
Suggested Characters/Pairings: Severus/Kingsley or Sirius/Kingsley
Theme/Tone: hurt/comfort, smutty, fluffy