InsaneJournal

Fuzzy fic categories: wartime and postwar
I've been thinking about different fic categories for the past few days. Mainly because of snarry_games, but also because I keep a rec list where I organise fics into different categories. The categories I've been thinking about are the wartime and postwar categories.

I've been asked a few times why I haven't divided the fics on my rec list into wartime and postwar categories too, as they seem to be quite popular categories. The reason why I haven't done it is because I sometimes find them confusing. I'll explain why they're confusing below.

First, there are two other categories which are similarly fuzzy. The categories Hogwarts and post-Hogwarts are two of those, or have been ever since the HBP introduced Horcruxes to us. When a fic focuses mainly on the Horcrux-hunt, and especially when Horcruxes are not hidden within Hogwarts, it's difficult to put that fic into the Hogwarts category.

For example, there are a lot of fics out there which are set right after Dumbledore's death, and which describe the Trio looking for Horcruxes. These are often fics where they decide not to attend Hogwarts that year, so it's difficult to say those fics are Hogwarts fics. They don't go to classes, sleep in a dormitory, play Quidditch, eat in the Great Hall, and do other Hogwartsy things. All of the Big Bang II fics are that type of fic. To say these are Hogwarts fics would be misleading. On the other hand, the Trio are also 16 / 17 years old, so these fics are not post-Hogwarts fics either, as those are usually set after the end of their schooling, or, if they haven't completed their education, when they're adults. But this can be solved by putting them into a third category, Horcrux-hunt or something similar, for those fics where the Trio are not adults, but where they're not attending Hogwarts either, because they're looking for Horcruxes.

Wartime and postwar are a bit more difficult to solve though. It all depends on what you consider wartime. For example, Voldemort is dead. Death Eaters, however, are still out and about, and are attacking people, blowing things up, etc. Paris (R, Harry/Draco), by abbycadabra, is a good example of this type of fic. Just because Voldemort is dead doesn't mean the violence stopped. But does that mean that it's still wartime? Or does the fact that Voldemort is dead automatically mean the fic should be categorised as postwar?

Or, for example, say that Voldemort is dead (yet again). All of his Horcruxes have been destroyed. Or at least people think so. They don't know that there's one Horcrux left and that somebody's trying to resurrect Voldemort. An example of this type of fic is Redeem Me (NC-17, Harry/Draco), by samaelthekind. In this fic Harry is a Horcrux, but he doesn't know this and he thinks that Voldemort is completely dead. Is the fic a wartime or a postwar fic?

Or, Voldemort is weak and is in hiding, and so are the Death Eaters, at least for the most part. People (e.g. the Trio) have grown up and are living their lives. They know Voldemort is out there, but he hasn't done much. (I can't think of an example fic right now, but there are loads of fics like that out there.)

Or, another scenario. Let's say that Voldemort is really dead. There are no Horcruxes left, and nobody is trying to resurrect him. However, the Death Eaters are in charge. But things are also relatively peaceful. An example is Unnatural Selection (NC-17, Harry/Snape), by joanwilder. In this fic Death Eaters are in charge of the Ministry and are trying to "retrain" people. Does this mean this fic is set postwar? What if the Death Eaters were persecuting Muggleborns? Would it then be a wartime fic?

Or, Voldemort is alive and he won (completely). Is it still wartime or is it postwar? He won the war, and there is no resistance left, so the war is over. At least from his point of view. An example fic is Famous Last Words (NC-17, Ron/Draco), by jordangrant. There are a lot of similar fics out there.

So, how would you categorise fics like that? Who has to win for the war to be over? Who has to die? How many Death Eaters have to be locked away? How much Death Eater activity makes a fic not postwar? Think of all those Auror fics -- Which can be categorised as postwar? Does anybody else find these two categories confusing? At least in some cases maybe? What are your definitions of wartime and postwar? I'd love to know what you all think. :)