"Hermione overhears something she shouldn't concerning Professor Snape and decides that maybe the House-elves aren't the only ones in need of protection."
— Official summary
Pet Project
is a lengthy, plotted out fanfiction of Harry Potter that focuses on the increasingly romantic relations between Hermione Granger and Severus Snape. It is written by Caeria.
At the time of this writing, it is the highest reviewed fic for the pairing on FanFiction.Net and is considered the mother of all fics for the pairing. One notable feature is its well-thought out plot.
It is now complete.
Pet Project contains these tropes:
- The All-Solving Hammer: Tea. No, really. Ginny, Herminone, and Albus have all (at least once) offered tea as the best solution to whatever problem is presented. Lampshaded by Severus.
- Berserk Button: Out of everything that sets off Harry, Snape manages to set him off the most often.
- Black-and-Gray Morality: Dumbledore even says that many of Voldemort's followers follow him based on old loyalties and fear. The Order and many of the other protagonists are biased when it comes to any house but Gryffindor and Harry is using dark magic.
- Character Tic: Hermione sitting on her hands and sparking when she's angry.
- Cerebus Syndrome: The second half is a lot darker than the first.
- Cooldown Hug: Touch plays a big part in calming down those that have dabbled in the Dark Arts, especially Harry.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: During her magic depletion, Hermione tells Snape he has lovely eyelashes. She is horrified the next day.
- Door Stopper: Finished up at 338,788 words.
- Elemental Powers: A very rough example, but due to the concept of Affinity, several characters get an elemental touch to their magic.
- Empathic Environment: It's storming when Snape is found gravely wounded.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: The whole romance really starts after Snape is hurt and Hermione has to care for him, but really, the whole story fits.
- Genius Loci: Hogwarts, to the point of being able to project to the headmaster just how upset it is by Hermione and Snape's distress (the only other people who acknowledge the castle as alive).
- Good is Not Nice: Dumbledore. It's remarked upon by several people that the headmaster has to be necessarily ruthless at times.
- Gut Punch: Voldemort letting loose the people he had taken to Azkaban only to slaughter them is what finally makes everything descend into chaos.
- Mood Whiplash:
- Questions and Answers starts out rather funny and sweet. Then the Wham Line happens...
- Ron becoming Head Boy goes from being happy to horrifying when, in a fit of rage, Harry holds Snape at wand point.
- Not a Morning Person: Severus. Seriously, just don't say anything to him before noon.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Hermione's shorter essays and ability to stop answering every question tips Snape and the other Professors off that something is going on. They choose to believe she is just maturing.
- Shipper on Deck: A rather mild example in Dumbledore
shipping Vector/Snape. Vector and Alverez ship Snape/Hermione.
- Spanner in the Works: Hermione, despite helping, still manages to disrupt Dumbledore's perfectly laid-out plans.
- Unnecessary Makeover: In-Universe example. Harry and Ron are not happy about Lavender and Pavarti dressing up Hermione. Everyone else thinks She Cleans Up Nicely.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Harry turns to practicing dark magic, believing it is the only way he will be able to defeat Voldemort.
- Wham Episode:
- Chapter 31: And So It Begins ends with The Minister of Magic being assassinated, Voldemort installing a puppet Minister, and the news that Aurors are being sent to Hogwarts.
- Chapter 34: Blitzkrieg: Voldemort infiltrates the Ministry and launches an assault against Order members and anyone else in his way, claiming they are Death Eaters. Arthur and Molly are taken to Azkaban; the rest of the Weasleys barely escape. Lupin is killed.
- Chapter 39: Maturity: Hogwarts is closed, Harry attempts to cast Unforgivables on Snape, and Snape decides to leave everything he owns to Hermione if he dies.
