Help me solve a moral dilemma (for my Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

[GetTheGoodLookingGuy]

I've recently re-picked up a Harry Potter Fan Fiction series I started writing about a decade ago. I'm in the middle of book 4, but have vague plans for all 7. I completely own that they are almost completely devoid of plot (I have long since accepted that I am good at characters who have little episodic lives and suck at over-arching plot. It is what it is.) but I'm enjoying it and a handful of people on a fan fiction site seem to like them, so...

I'm currently thinking ahead to books 6/7 where my main character embarks on a relationship with an ex-student. Initially, I had planned for him to be offered a part-time Quidditch coaching job so he'd be around in book 7, but I'm now thinking that them having a relationship whilst he was technically a staff member would be rather morally questionable. Is there a possible situation where they would say "since it's a pre-existing relationship then go ahead by be discreet", or is this a definite no? If he was told to take the job or keep the relationship he'd chose the relationship, so maybe I would have him offered the job right at the end of book 7 for next year when she would have left. What do you think?

If I'm not going to down the Quidditch coaching job route, I obviously want another way to have them together sometimes during that book, more often that just Christmas and Easter. So I'm thinking that it could be a rule in 7th year that students have more freedom coming and going from the castle. They could be allowed to go home for weekends and go out to Hogsmede when it's not a Hogsmede weekend. I feel like this is a resonable thing to happen because all the 7th years would be of age. Also, since Harry etc never did 7th year, that could be why this was never mentioned in the Harry Potter books. Harry never really paid much attention to what older students were doing, so it's possible this could have been going on whilst he was at Hogwarts and he just didn't notice. Thoughts on this?

I'm only answering if the coach is D.M.... 🐍😁----

My thoughts are that you can't have a teacher in a relationship with a child. It's as simple as that.

Nothing else is relevant.

Nope This is a next-gen fan-fic so he's about 40. He does show up though. I have one spin off story which is him and Neville writing letters to each other...

Although I'd say a defo no to teacher/student thing.
Could he be working in Hogsmede somehow, trainee Apothecary?

HP fanfic rules say you either get over this with a marriage law, someone (hermione) finding and archaic law that allows it or by Dumbledore realising the staff member and student are getting close and making it all OK by having the student sit their Newts early and immediately become a student teacher/apprentice and teaching the first years.

Either route is somewhat dodgy!

I think going home for weekends might be difficult given everyone rocks up on the train and they are clearly miles from anywhere, so your idea around more freedom to visit Hogsmede at weekend for 7th years seems like a better one, as you say HP wasn’t there for that year.

Could he not be staying on an additional year to take extra NEWTs?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

But… even if she’s of age, so not technically a child?

Even if he’s a “coach” rather than a “teacher”? (He would be taking over from Madam Hooch. Although she would be Quidditch Captain which would pull them into closer proximity than he would be with any random 7th year).

Hmm, the Hogsmede idea is a good one, but no in that job. He’s already had a short professional Quidditch career which was cut short by a Bluger to the head brain injury. So he was looking into alternative careers which are still Quidditch related without having to be able to play.

Big reader of HP fanfiction here! Though never heterosexual, always Drarry.

i think if the age gap is too big then he needs a different job for a while. I don’t think Mcgonagall would let it happen unless it was say Harry working at the school the year he leaves and Ginny finishing her final year. Maybe something in hogsmead like at the Weasley’s shop or maybe he keeps a flat there?

i do think it’s entirely plausible for 7th years to have the freedom to roam to hogsmead as they wish, evenings and weekends with a curfew. I’ve seen it in other fics and it does work. 7th year they are 16/17 and in the wizarding world 17 is classed as an adult. They can get their apparition licence and the restrictions taken off their wands.

If they were of age they could apperate, so no need for trains. Much like the addition in films where Harry is trying to get a date with the waitress in the underground cafe.

Student teacher relationship is never acceptable because people use literature to justify real life.

Yeah, probably Hogsmede freedom is the way to go. Although since all the 7th years would have had opportunity to pass their Apperition (can’t spell!) test then maybe they could walk outside the gates and disapperate?

Edit, meeting someone could be much like...

Ooo so travelling salesman for quiddich supplies so at school to fit Hogwarts team for gear for schools world Cup.... opens a sports bar in hogsmede. Opens a sporting goods shop?

Could he work in the (newly opened) Hogsmede branch of quality quidditch supplies?!

No, he’s a bit older (my brother/beta reader hates this!). He was Head Boy when she was a first year, and gave her some Quidditch coaching because she wanted to be a Keeper like him. They wrote to each other for a while, but lost touch around the time of his accident when she was a fourth year. Then in sixth year she was Triwizard Champion and he came to watch because he’d started working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They both saw the other as if seeing a new person rather than the person they had previously known. Cue months of moping around each thinking the other person would never see them as anyone other than the little kid they taught to fly/the Head Boy who gave them some Quidditch coaching, until her best friend is sitting with him at he third task, puts two and two together and tells him to go snog her.

(Of course, I’m still mid book four and haven’t written any of it yet so it’s all subject to change, but that’s how it goes in my head right now).

Is he not some member of staffs child or cousin who comes to help with quidditch while either recovering from injury or helping with some niche renovation or cataloguing the library?

With all the updated info, could he be a quidditch scout who’s based himself in Hogsmead preferring it for the lower level flying he can do rather than London? So he travels around little leagues but particularly hogwarts to get kids into teams as they come out. It would mean spending a fair bit of time with 7th year too.

I have no suggestions, but i really want to read your fan-fic! It sounds great.

Link?

Maybe rather than coaching he is writing an academic history of Quidditch and is at Hogwarts as a mature student just to use the library? Special permission kind of thing. So still a student. So totally doable?

With the updated information - Quidditch journalist / commentator? Gives him an excuse to attend the matches.

@IstayedForTheFeminism and @Tryingandhoping2020 I’ve PMed you a link.

Could he be a talent scout for a quiditch team, and go to watch games & recruit players for aftrr they leave school

Ooh, lots of good ideas for Quidditch related jobs he could do which get him around Hogsmede/Hogwarts! Some sort of Quidditch scout or commentator/journalist would tie in with him working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports (my first idea was to have him do Quidditch coaching part time and work for the Ministry part time, but this would combine the two).

He’s a muggle born, so can’t be someone’s relative.