My Favourite Snarry Fics from Timeless Classics to Stories I Keep Coming Back To
A quick note before we start. This article was originally written for my Czech readers, so most of the links lead to Czech and Slovak versions of the stories, either original Czech and Slovak fics or Czech translations. Wherever I managed to find the English original, I link it as well, so you can read it in English.
Anyone who has known me for a while probably knows that I have a serious soft spot for Severus Snape. And when someone pairs him with Harry Potter, there is a fairly good chance I will at least open the story. That definitely does not mean I read everything tagged Snarry. Over the years I have come across absolutely wonderful stories, but also ones that left me wondering what on earth the author was trying to say. Some I never finished, some have stayed in my head to this day, and a few I keep rereading even though I know perfectly well what happens in them.
It is those last ones I want to write about today. I decided to put together a list of my favourite Snarry fics, but please do not expect an objective ranking of the best the fandom has ever produced. These are my opinions, my experiences and stories that caught my attention in one way or another. Some I will praise, others I will not spare from criticism, because even my favourite fics are not perfect. And honestly, I see no reason to pretend otherwise.
Think of this as a first introduction. In the future I would love to write more detailed reviews of individual works, not only from the Snarry fandom but also from the other Harry Potter sections you can find on my website. That is why I will try not to spoil too much today, even though with some stories that will be quite a challenge. At the same time I want to give you at least a rough idea of the plot, because recommending something just because I liked it would not be entirely fair.
And one more thing I want to mention right at the start. On this list you will find original Czech and Slovak stories as well as translations of works by foreign authors. For the translations, I will also try to name the people who made them available to Czech readers. I know very well that translating a long fanfic is not an afternoon's work, and it feels right to appreciate their effort.
What exactly is Snarry and why do I love it so much?
For those who have not come across the term yet, Snarry means fanfiction focused on the relationship between Harry Potter and Severus Snape. The name comes from combining their names, and it is one of the best known slash ships in the Harry Potter fandom. If you would like a more detailed explanation, you can also take a look at Fanpolis (in Czech).
I understand that for some people the very idea of a romantic relationship between Harry and his former professor is completely unacceptable. Their relationship in the original books is complicated, there is a significant age gap between them, and Severus is definitely not someone who is easy to get along with. But in my opinion this very conflict is one of the reasons they are so interesting to fanfic writers. They share a past, a lot of unresolved problems, and their opinions of each other are not exactly flattering. If the author knows how to work with all that, the result can be a really compelling story.
I do, however, have one essential condition that I simply cannot get past. I do not like OOC, that is, Out of Character. It bothers me when an author takes a well known character, completely rewrites them and does not bother to explain why they suddenly behave in an entirely different way. And with Severus Snape I am especially sensitive to this.
That does not mean I want to see him in every story just as nasty, closed off and unapproachable as in the original books. Quite the opposite. A broken Severus who has been through trauma, who is learning to live differently or slowly healing, can really capture my interest. Likewise, I have no problem with him falling in love, starting to trust someone or showing tenderness. But I need to believe in his change. I want to see what led to it, how he copes with it and why he makes the decisions he makes.
Severus can soften, but I still need to recognise Severus Snape in him. His way of thinking, his irony, his unpleasant nature and all the traits that make some people unable to stand him. If, within a few chapters and without a single good reason, he turns into a smiling romantic hero who constantly showers his partner with compliments, I have a problem. And a pretty big one.
I feel similarly about crossovers, that is, stories that combine two or more different fictional worlds. I understand that some people find the idea of characters from different fandoms meeting exciting, but such stories simply do not appeal to me. When I open a Snarry fic, I want to read a story from the world of Harry Potter. Alternate universes or a different course of familiar events do not bother me, but mixing together several completely different universes is not for me.
To be fair, the same rules apply to Harry. And although he is generally not one of my favourite characters, he can pleasantly surprise me in fanfiction. Especially when he gets the chance to grow up, start thinking differently and finally make his own decisions.
My holy trinity of Snarry fics
Let me start with three works that hold a special place for me. I am not claiming they are objectively the best or the best written, or that everyone has to agree with my order. This is simply how I see them, and I do not think that will change any time soon. Even though I could name plenty of other stories that deserve the same attention, these three are the ones I love coming back to.
1. Desiderium Intimum by Ariel Lindt and Gobuss
My absolute number one, even though I could list so many of its flaws that you might wonder why I recommend it at all. Desiderium Intimum is a fairly dark story in which you will definitely not mistake Severus Snape for a romantic hero. He is a bastard right to the very end, and that is exactly what sets it apart from most of the Snarry stories I have come across over the years.
Usually I run into two versions of Severus. Either he is a misunderstood, ugly Potions professor who hides a good heart under his unpleasant shell, or he is an amazing and incredibly sexy misunderstood Potions professor. I am exaggerating a little, of course, but I think you know what I mean. In Desiderium Intimum Severus is much more complicated. The authors managed to keep his unpleasant nature and at the same time put him in a situation where he can be both repulsive and attractive. And importantly, they do not try to excuse him at all costs.
The plot begins when Severus gives his least favourite student a mysterious and above all dangerous potion that reveals his deepest desires. Harry has to face truths he may not even have known about himself, while Severus gains information that suits him very well indeed. I do not want to go into detail, because the gradual unveiling of Harry's desires and the way Severus handles them is a big part of what drew me into the story.
The fic is not flawless, though. I have not read the original, so I cannot judge whether some of the inconsistencies came from the writing or from the translation. At times the narrative gets so tangled that I had to go back several paragraphs just to understand what had happened. Still, I love returning to Desiderium Intimum. I like that it does not try to make Severus a better person just so a relationship with Harry can happen. His character stays problematic, and some of his decisions simply cannot be excused.
When it comes to the Czech translation, I would also like to highlight the work of the people who made it possible for us to read this story at all. The translation was gradually done by yellow, Adelaine and above all Eloii, who took on a large part of it. Whatever my reservations about the final text, I definitely do not want to overlook the amount of work that translating such a long piece represents. I know that bringing a story into another language is not just a matter of replacing words. You have to preserve the atmosphere, the dialogue, the characters and above all the meaning of the whole narrative.
That is why it feels important to me to thank the translators. Without their work I might never have discovered Desiderium Intimum, let alone be able to call it my favourite Snarry fic today.
So why does it work so well for me? It is not a story about perfect people who fall in love and suddenly everything is beautiful. It is a story about characters with some very unpleasant sides, and the authors managed to use them in a way that, despite all the flaws, still keeps me hooked.
2. Elysejský klíč (The Elysian Key) by Alice O'Really
In my opinion Elysejský klíč is one of the great classics of the Czech Snarry fandom, and also a story I have a truly special relationship with. At around 318 thousand words it is definitely not a short read for one evening, and yet I have read it three times. Every time it managed to surprise me with something, and every time I found something I had not noticed before.
I have to admit that during my first read I went through a really wide range of emotions. From heart palpitations and held breath to moments when I felt like a genuine anxiety attack was coming. Some situations are so unpleasant and intense that you cannot just skim past them. And that, I think, is one of the greatest strengths of this work. The author creates situations that do not feel like artificially manufactured drama, but like something that could really happen under the given circumstances.
The characters are believable, which matters a lot to me as a reader. They make mistakes, they have weaknesses, sometimes they make absolutely terrible decisions, and sometimes I would love to give them a good shake. But I believe them. I understand their fear, their uncertainty and why they act the way they do in certain situations. And even though I would handle some things completely differently, I can understand what drives their decisions.
Severus here is again very different from the one we know from Desiderium Intimum, and yet I still recognise the familiar Potions master in him. He has a backbone, his own opinions, and he can stand up to things others would rather ignore. At the same time he goes through situations that force him to rethink some of his attitudes. And that is exactly the kind of character development I love. It is not a change that happens within a few chapters just because the author needs to move the romance forward. Everything has its reason and its time.
The relationship between Harry and Severus develops slowly and sometimes really painfully. This is not a story where two characters wake up one day, realise they actually love each other, and all their problems are solved. Their shared past, experiences and personalities have a huge influence on the whole relationship. That is precisely why their gradual coming together feels natural to me, even though the road to it is anything but easy.
A very important role is also played by Severus's relationship with Albus Dumbledore. And that one, to be honest, really got to me. I have seen similar takes in other Snarry stories, but usually it is not something I look for or something that particularly speaks to me. In Elysejský klíč, however, it is completely different. Here I could not imagine the story without it. If the author had left it out, it would be almost like cutting off one of the story's legs, because this relationship is hugely important for the meaning of the whole work.
I do not want to reveal specific events, because it would be a shame to rob you of discovering everything gradually. But I can promise you that if you dive into Elysejský klíč, you will probably not escape a whole range of emotions. You will cry, laugh like idiots, grin stupidly at your screen and quite possibly scream or swear too. And above all you will hope that some things can still turn for the better.
Personally, I think that anyone who has not read Elysejský klíč is hardly a real Snarry fan. I mean that with a wink, of course, and I definitely do not want to judge anyone. I just feel that this is one of those works every fan of this ship should at least try. You do not have to like it, you do not even have to finish it, but in my opinion it definitely deserves your attention.
And one more thing I want to appreciate. Elysejský klíč is not a translation of a foreign fanfic, but an original Czech work by Alice O'Really. Its popularity has long since crossed the borders of the Czech fandom, and the story has started to be translated into other languages as well. I think the very fact that such a long Czech fanfic managed to reach readers abroad is remarkable.
If you would like more detailed information, you can also look at the analysis of Elysejský klíč on Fanpolis (in Czech). Here I deliberately stick mainly to my own impressions and try to avoid major spoilers.
News for all fans! Elysejský klíč is getting a printed book edition! The print run has been organised and the book is now waiting at the printing house. The lady who decided to give us this opportunity and organised the whole thing deserves a huge round of applause. Thank you!
3. Kámen manželství (The Marriage Stone) by Josephine Darcy
My third place goes to The Marriage Stone, which I consider one of the truly original fanfic achievements. And that is despite the fact that it works with the forced marriage trope, which appears quite often in the Harry Potter fandom. What matters is not only which premise an author chooses, but above all what they manage to do with it. And here, in my opinion, the result is something that stands out quite clearly from ordinary Snarry stories.
At the beginning Harry finds himself practically pushed into a marriage he definitely did not want. And his future husband is none other than Severus Snape, who is not exactly thrilled about the whole affair either. But the circumstances are such that their marriage is connected to Harry's ability to fight Voldemort. Why that is and how the two of them deal with the situation, I will leave for you to read.
The Marriage Stone departs from the original canon quite dramatically, but that is exactly what I enjoy about it. The author works with the familiar wizarding world, creates new rules and puts the characters in situations we would hardly find in the original books. And yet their reactions make sense to me. For me that is the crucial difference between a well built alternate universe and plain OOC, which I have such a problem with.
Of course the story is not flawless, and one important thing needs to be pointed out. Josephine Darcy's original work was never finished. So if you expect to reach an ending written by the original author, I am afraid I have to disappoint you. The continuation was later taken on by an author called Lynne, who tried to bring the story to an end according to her own idea of how it might continue.
And I do have some reservations about this continuation. I definitely do not want to say it is bad, because I appreciate the very effort to finish such a huge project. For my taste, though, it is in places unnecessarily drawn out by long descriptions and passages that pulled me away from what interested me most about the story. The narrative sometimes turns almost into a diary or reads like war reporting. I understand that some people may enjoy exactly those parts, but I could have done quite well without them.
I prefer it when a longer story focuses on character development and the relationships between characters, without lingering too long on details that, in my view, do not move the plot anywhere. Of course that does not mean every chapter has to be full of dramatic events. I just like it when the narrative has some rhythm and the author knows when a passage needs to be developed and when it is better to move on.
The people behind the Czech version deserve special recognition here. The original Marriage Stone was translated by Pyriel, with Georgia, Mandragora and Jezinka helping with proofreading. Lynne's continuation was then translated by larkinh, thanks to whom Czech readers can follow Harry and Severus's further adventures. Other people also helped proofread individual chapters of the continuation, for example angie77 and Nixerwil.
Especially with such a long story, I think this kind of work deserves enormous recognition. It is not just translating a few dozen pages, but a long term project that requires a lot of time, patience and the willingness to return to the text again and again. And it is thanks to these people that we can read The Marriage Stone in Czech today.
So even though I have my reservations about the continuation, I am definitely glad someone took it on. The Marriage Stone truly deserves its place among my favourite Snarry fics.
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And now comes the problem. How do I choose the rest?
When I started thinking about this article, I had a fairly clear idea of my favourite three. But then I remembered the Tea series, Cambiare Podentes, Banshee, Dear Severus Snape and a whole lot of other stories I would also love to include. And suddenly I wondered whether it would be better to expand the list to my six favourite works.
But that probably would not have helped much. I would most likely end up at ten, then fifteen, and in the end I would still feel I had unfairly forgotten someone. So I decided to keep the top three as they are and not number the rest. I love them for different reasons, and comparing them with each other would feel quite unfair.
Krvavý polibek (Bloody Kiss) by VelvetExtasy
What drew me to Krvavý polibek was above all its premise. After the war Harry did practically exactly what everyone expected of him. He was supposed to marry Ginny, so he did. But that is basically where his willingness to follow other people's ideas ended. He decided to finally start making his own decisions, and one of them was to become a Potions master.
And since it would not be a proper fanfic if everything went smoothly, Harry also decides to perform a certain ritual that definitely should never have been used again. As you can probably guess, the consequences do not take long, and Harry ends up in a situation I certainly do not envy him. I do not want to give away more, because the gradual revealing of the consequences of his decision is part of what I enjoyed about the story.
In my opinion the big strength of Krvavý polibek is its humour. Grumpy Severus is simply divine here, and some of his reactions really made me laugh. At the same time the story is definitely not just a light comedy. You will also find more serious moments in it and one original character who grabbed my heart so firmly that I did not escape a properly cracked heart.
I do not want to reveal who it is, because I think that would be a shame. Either way, this storyline hit me much harder than I originally expected. And even though I really did not avoid some emotions while reading, it definitely did not stop me from coming back to the story.
The Tea series by Telanu
The Tea series is one of the works that made me doubt whether it is even sensible to put together a ranking of my three favourite Snarry fics. For a long time I considered placing it among my absolute favourites. But then I would have to start thinking the same way about Cambiare Podentes, Banshee or Dear Severus Snape, and very quickly I would find myself unable to decide anything at all.
It is a series of seven connected stories that gradually grow into a much more complicated and darker narrative. It all starts quite inconspicuously, with a conversation between Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore over tea. After that, Harry and Severus begin to find themselves in situations that gradually change their relationship. Harry's vision, in which Snape ends up in mortal danger, also plays an important role.
The later parts deal with a secret relationship, the events of the war and the consequences of the decisions Harry and Severus make. And even though the title may seem fairly innocent at first glance, I definitely would not judge the content by it. This is a story for adult readers, with no shortage of violence, darker themes or complicated relationships.
I find the scope of the whole series really interesting. The individual stories vary in length and together follow the development of the relationship over a longer period, so it is not just a single romance that ends the moment the characters finally get together.
And here I would especially like to thank Adelaine, who took care of the Czech translation. Her work truly means a lot to the Czech Snarry community, because besides the Tea series she also translated other well known and lengthy foreign stories. Translating a series like this is definitely no small thing, especially when the individual parts differ in length, style and difficulty.
Just a heads up that the Czech translation's website still says it is not finished. So if you dive into the Tea series in Czech, I recommend first checking which parts are currently available in Czech.
Until Proven and A Nick in Time by Tira Nog
Tira Nog is one of the authors whose stories have really captured my attention. In Until Proven, Severus Snape finds himself in a very unpleasant situation when he is accused of sexually harassing a student during detention. Harry Potter steps into the whole affair, but he is no longer the young student we know from the original books. He is a professor who decides to help Severus.
The premise alone creates an interesting basis for their relationship. Severus, who has been used to relying mostly on himself for most of his life, suddenly finds himself needing help from someone he would probably rather not see at all under normal circumstances.
What I enjoy most about the story is how it works with trust and gradual closeness. I am not a fan of stories where the characters, after a few conversations, suddenly realise they have actually loved each other all along. That is why I appreciate it all the more when their relationship has to go through some development and the author lets them overcome problems that fit their past and their personalities.
The Czech translation of Until Proven was made by Slimča, whom I would like to thank. It is a long story, so the sheer length of the translation represents a solid amount of work.
From the same author I would also like to mention A Nick in Time, known in Czech as Prasklinka v čase. The story takes place eight years after the war with Voldemort and follows Severus, who discovers that the isolation he so carefully built no longer suits him. But making friends is not exactly easy for someone with his personality, especially when he never learned to form such relationships naturally.
That premise is exactly what caught my attention. The idea of Severus realising after years of solitude that something is missing from his life does not have to mean OOC at all. On the contrary, it can offer a really interesting space for gradual change in his character, as long as the author can handle it believably.
A Nick in Time was translated by Casiopea, who has my thanks not only for the translation but also for making this story available to Czech readers.
Strom poznání (The Tree of Knowledge) by Philo
Strom poznání works with a rather interesting idea of Harry, who returns to Hogwarts after the summer for his seventh year and decides he no longer wants to just watch how the wizarding world works. So he starts taking his own steps to change established customs and founds a class at the school dedicated to healing magic.
That initial idea is what caught my attention. Harry does not just throw himself into another ordinary conflict with Voldemort, but actively tries to change the world around him. And that opens up space not only for new relationships between characters, but also for questions the original books did not explore much.
A mysterious Alex Johnson, whom Severus meets at the Leaky Cauldron, also plays an important role in the story. And what does Alex have to do with Harry Potter? I will not tell you that, because uncovering connections like this is part of what can keep readers hooked.
The story has 44 chapters and is one of the longer finished Snarry stories. The Czech version was prepared by Sallome, whom I would like to thank for the chance to read another interesting foreign work in our language. Niki.Moonlight also helped with proofreading, so my thanks go to her as well.
If you like alternate takes on the school years and wonder what happens when Harry decides to start acting on his own ideas, Strom poznání could be a great choice.
Uvidět bez očí (Seeing Without Eyes) by Womiska
Uvidět bez očí has a rather special place on my list, because it is the first story I decided to turn into an audio version. And really, behind all of it is a friend of mine. When I started thinking about which story I should begin with, I asked her for her opinion. That conversation became the first impulse that started turning my idea into something concrete. In the end I chose Uvidět bez očí.
The story itself takes place after the war and deals with a very difficult situation Severus Snape finds himself in. He loses his sight and has to come to terms not only with the disability itself, but above all with the fact that he suddenly cannot function the way he has been used to all his life. For a man with his temperament, pride and need to keep things under control, it is a truly hard test.
Harry enters his life, this time as a healer, and their relationship gradually begins to change. It is not only a question of whether Severus can see again, but also whether he can accept help from another person at all. And that motif feels very interesting to me for Snarry. Severus is not a character who likes to admit weakness, let alone allow someone else to take care of him.
Stories like this can offer believable space for character change. Not because Severus suddenly decides to be a nicer person, but because circumstances force him to reconsider things he had always taken for granted.
Until then I had mostly just read fanfiction, but turning it into spoken word was a completely different experience for me. Suddenly I had to look at the text from the perspective of someone who would read it aloud. I started paying much more attention to the rhythm of individual sentences, to dialogue and to how certain passages feel when spoken out loud. Some things you might not even notice when reading normally take on a completely different meaning.
And because it is an original Czech story, I would like to thank its author Womiska directly. Not only for the story itself, but also for the fact that her work became part of the beginning of my own audio project.
That is why Uvidět bez očí is not just another item on my list of favourite Snarry fics. It also reminds me of the beginning of something I might not have started in this way if I had not asked my friend back then.
If you are curious how I got on with audio stories, you can also check out my article Audio Story Seeing Without Eyes.
Sňatek z rozumu (Marriage of Convenience) by Diana Williams
I like Sňatek z rozumu, but compared to some of the previous stories it feels simpler to me. It works with the theme of an arranged marriage in the wizarding world, where Harry and Severus have to deal with a relationship they would probably never rush into under normal circumstances. But sometimes even an originally practical decision can grow into something neither of them expected.
The arranged and forced marriage trope appears quite often in Snarry, and I personally like it when the author can explain well why these two particular characters should be together. In this case, though, I have reservations about how the main characters are written, because Harry and Severus feel too OOC to me in places. Some of their reactions simply do not seem convincing enough.
Still, it is a pleasant and fairly relaxing read. The relationship between the two main characters develops gradually, and their coming together is one of the reasons I like the story. Not every story has to be emotionally exhausting or full of complicated plot twists. Sometimes you just want to read something that lets you unwind a little.
The Czech translation of Sňatek z rozumu was made by Adelaine, who once again has my thanks. When you look at how many well known Snarry fics reached Czech readers thanks to her work, I think it shows very clearly how important people like her are in the fandom.
If you decide to read Sňatek z rozumu, I will also point out the AU label and the mention of mpreg, that is, male pregnancy, in the original description. For some readers this may be important when deciding whether the story is for them.
Cambiare Podentes by Jordan Grant
Cambiare Podentes is another series that made putting this list together really complicated. It consists of two parts, Invocare and Madurare, and Czech readers can enjoy it thanks to the translations by Hajmi and Alcea.
The story itself works with a very dark premise. A new prophecy appears that foretells Harry's death and the enslavement of the wizarding world unless Harry voluntarily agrees to a drastic solution. That solution is a magical bond, as a result of which he becomes Severus's slave.
And this is where a very complicated story begins, about power, dependence, free will and the relationship between two people who definitely did not end up in this situation under ordinary circumstances. So do not expect a classic romance where Harry and Severus grow closer after a few arguments and everything is lovely. Cambiare Podentes also deals with coercion, sexual violence and their psychological consequences, so it is a story intended for adult readers who can handle such themes.
That is why I would recommend it mainly to those who enjoy more demanding and longer stories. And although I considered including it in my top three for a long time, I decided to give it its own place. I definitely want to come back to it one day in a more detailed review.
I would also like to highlight the work of both translators. Cambiare Podentes is a truly long work, and translating it into Czech is an exceptionally demanding project. Hajmi and Alcea worked on the Czech version to different extents, and it is thanks to them that readers can get to know the story in our language too.
And if you have ever read a fanfic with dozens of chapters and wondered how much work it took to write, try to imagine that someone has to go through the same length once more, translate it and adjust it so the resulting text makes sense in another language. I think that alone earns the translators a huge thank you.
More Snarry fics I do not want to forget
And now we get to the part where, while putting the list together, I realised I could go on practically forever. Snarry definitely does not end with a few of the best known authors and titles. There is a huge number of stories written in different periods, on different platforms and in different languages. Some I read years ago, some I still return to, and with others I am still sad about how hard they are to find today.
So I decided to add more recommendations that I do not want to leave out just because I would have to write a separate review of each story. Where possible, I will at least outline the plot. With some older and harder to find stories, though, I would rather stick to a link than tell you something I have not verified.
Banshee and Zbloudilá duše by Adéla Šefrová
In Banshee we get one of the more interesting supernatural motifs. In the story, a banshee is a mysterious being the wizarding world knows little about. She does, however, have a very unusual relationship with death, which she not only does not fear but can to some extent gain power over. And her very existence begins to affect Harry and Severus as well.
You do not need to worry that the title automatically means Harry Potter is mixed with some other TV universe. In this case it is a supernatural being used within the wizarding world, not a crossover.
Zbloudilá duše (Lost Soul), on the other hand, builds on the relationship between Harry and Severus, who hate each other practically from the first moment. Professor and student, Slytherin and Gryffindor, two completely different personalities. But when one of them gets his memories of the past back, their relationship starts to change fundamentally. And the hatred gradually turns into something much more complicated, something that comes very close to obsession.
From the same author I would also like to mention Láska nezná hranic (Love Knows No Boundaries, in Czech), which is also on my list of recommended fics.
Oboustranně výhodná dohoda (A Mutually Beneficial Deal) by Ivík Bublík
Oboustranně výhodná dohoda works with the fake relationship trope, which is quite popular in fanfiction. Hogwarts is holding a debutante ball where witches and wizards choose their partners. But Lucius Malfoy decides that for his social standing and financial interests it would be very advantageous to court none other than Harry Potter.
Harry is of course not thrilled by the idea at all, so he has to come up with a solution. He needs someone who could discourage Lucius and, if necessary, defeat him. And who would be better suited than Severus Snape?
Severus, however, has his own reason to agree to the deal. He would love to get rid of Dumbledore's constant remarks that he should not stay alone. So the two of them strike a bargain that should, in theory, benefit them both. But deals like this have one inconvenient property. Sometimes they turn into something neither side originally counted on.
Láska je sestrou nenávisti (Love Is the Sister of Hate) by Jerry_potterhead
This story goes back to the period after the fifth Harry Potter book and works with one of the most classic Snarry motifs. Severus Snape begins to realise that his feelings for James Potter's son have long stopped being only the hatred he showed for so many years.
But realising something like that is one thing and actually doing something about it is another. Especially when you are Severus Snape and the person you have feelings for is your student, whom you have belittled and insulted for years.
So the story stands mainly on the question of whether Severus can even come to terms with his feelings, let alone tell Harry about them. And if he finally finds the courage, whether he has any chance at all that his feelings will be returned.
Vers l'avant by AnnieMirai
Vers l'avant is one of the stories with a really interesting starting idea. The war with Voldemort is over, but Harry's problems definitely are not. Even though he became an Auror, he finds himself on the run from the very people who, in theory, should be on his side.
During one Apparition he also loses his magic and ends up in the middle of a snowstorm. His situation is not exactly enviable, and his only chance of survival becomes a randomly discovered cabin where an unknown Potions master lives.
And since we are in the Snarry fandom, I probably do not need to hint much about who might be hiding behind this character. The story works with escape, hidden identity and the consequences of the decisions that brought Harry into such an unpleasant situation. If you like post war stories and a Severus who lives his own life far away from everyone else, Vers l'avant might appeal to you.
More Czech and Slovak fics
I would also love to include Spojeni magií and Pod pláštěm mlhy by smilingxqueen, Dvě duše v jednu by LokiPrincOfAsgard and Ve stínu věštby by Wertschy. All of them are in Czech.
From Slovak writing I do not want to leave out Bolestivá cesta ku šťastiu by Nyssa_ff, and from the remaining Czech titles, for example, Spravedlivá válka by Blanch or Dokud budu živ by FemmeFragile. The last one was unfinished when I put together my original list, so I recommend checking its current status before reading.
And of course I cannot forget Spojení by AnnieMirai.
I know it would be better to give each of these stories more space. But I would rather not write generic blurbs that only tell you it is a dramatic work full of emotions and unexpected twists. I would rather come back to them gradually and properly than offer you several practically identical paragraphs.
Dear Severus Snape by Elizabeth01Prince
Dear Severus Snape is one of those stories whose premise grabs me simply because it is so simple and at the same time so painful. After the war ends, Harry tries to come to terms with everything that happened. He carries a lot of losses, regrets and unresolved feelings, and one of the people he can never talk to again is Severus Snape.
So he starts writing him letters. Severus is dead, though, and Harry's words have no one to reach. Or at least that is what Harry thinks. Writing letters becomes his way of processing his own memories, his guilt and the things he never got to say.
I find this motif really interesting, because it does not focus only on the relationship itself, but also on the aftermath of the war and the need to come to terms with the past.
There is also a sequel, Dear Harry Potter, so if the first part draws you in, you do not have to say goodbye to the story right away.
A Czech translation once appeared too, but it remained unfinished. Unfortunately I can no longer find it. I do not know whether it was removed, moved somewhere else or simply disappeared along with one of the original platforms. If you know anything about it, please let me know, because I would really love to find it. I would also like to thank the person who started the translation, but I have not yet managed to find their name.
Among other English stories I would also mention If I Could Turn Back Time by InsufferableKnowItAl, which is also tagged as Snamione, and Black-and-white by PJACLIEBE, including its sequel Black-and-white, Life Is Beautiful.
Older Snarry classics that should not be forgotten
The fanfiction world of course did not begin with Wattpad or AO3. In the past there were many personal websites, fan archives and blogs where authors and translators published their work. Some of them still exist today, others you can only find because someone tried to save or archive them in time.
That is exactly why I would like to remind you of a few older titles that I think deserve attention.
Nights in the Garden of Gethsemane by StarCrossed
Nights in the Garden of Gethsemane is the first part of a trilogy by StarCrossed, who also published under the name Kayla Frost. It is definitely not a light romantic read. Harry is captured by Voldemort and ends up completely cut off from other people. His only constant companion becomes Severus Snape, who is supposed to oversee his imprisonment.
So Harry has to cope not only with the captivity itself and the treatment by the Death Eaters, but also with being dependent in practically everything on a man he does not trust at all. And Severus may not be exactly who he seems at first glance.
The story is told from Harry's point of view and has a very dark atmosphere. Violence, psychological pressure and sexual violence are all present, so I definitely recommend paying attention to the author's and translator's warnings.
An interesting thing about the whole trilogy is that the second part, Invictus, tells essentially the same events, but this time from Severus's point of view. And I think that is a really fascinating way to show readers how much two interpretations of the very same situation can differ.
The Czech translation is once again the work of Adelaine, whom I would really like to thank. Katharine Colt and Sitara also helped with proofreading Noci v zahradě Getsemanské, and I definitely do not want to overlook their work.
I think large projects like this beautifully show how big a role translators can play in a fandom. Without their work we might never have had the chance to get to know stories that later became part of our own reading memories.
Můj kocourek (My Little Tomcat) by Lady Corten and Exa
Můj kocourek is one of the stories that work with one of my favourite magical motifs, Animagi. But what happens when someone dives into something they do not have fully under control?
That is exactly the situation the story is built on. Becoming an Animagus does not always turn out the way the wizard imagines, and sometimes a failed transformation can become a really serious problem.
Given the title, it will probably not be a big surprise that a cat form plays an important role here. But even a very unpleasant situation can bring something good in the end. And it is from unexpected circumstances like these that interesting relationships can grow.
I would also like to point out that this is an original Czech work, written by Lady Corten and Exa. Both authors deserve thanks for a story that is definitely worth remembering among the older Snarry fics.
Ashes of Armageddon by Emily Waters
Ashes of Armageddon, known in Czech as Zkázonosný prach, is a long finished story of 69 chapters and an epilogue. And this time, get ready for a really dark plot.
Severus Snape survives Nagini's attack, but then spends five years in a coma. When he finally wakes up, he discovers that the wizarding world is no longer the one he remembers. Instead of recognition for his role in the war he faces condemnation and falls into the hands of Harry Potter, who in the meantime has turned into an immensely powerful, but also cruel and vengeful man.
The situation is, however, more complicated than it seems at first. Severus claims things most people refuse to believe, and it gradually becomes clear that the wizarding world may once again be influenced by dark forces.
Ashes of Armageddon is definitely not a relaxing romance. It deals with violence, slavery, revenge and the psychological aftermath of war, and it is meant for adult readers. If you like demanding stories with a distinctly darker atmosphere, it may appeal to you. I would just really recommend not underestimating the content warnings.
The Czech translation was made by Patoložka, whom I would like to thank. I think her work deserves special recognition, because she also translated other well known Snarry stories and has been making them available to readers on her website for a long time.
A PDF version is also available on the translator's website, which I personally consider a big plus. Especially with such long stories, I appreciate being able to save the text and read it comfortably without constantly jumping between chapters.
With Eyes Wide Open by suitesamba
With Eyes Wide Open works with a motif I have already mentioned several times in this article, a marriage between Harry and Severus. This time, though, the reason for the wedding is a life debt.
Narcissa Malfoy asks Harry for help repaying the life debt he owes her. She wants Severus to be able to fulfil his grandfather's last will and gain the ancestral Prince estate. But for that he needs a husband, so Harry agrees to marry Severus and live with him for a year and a day.
As you can probably guess, everything gets complicated very quickly. Prince Manor hides its own secrets, and its garden is far from as ordinary as it might seem. On top of that, it gradually becomes clear that even Narcissa's intentions may not be entirely selfless.
So Harry has to deal not only with a complicated relationship with Severus, but also with matters connected to the Malfoys, family inheritance and magic that has a crucial influence on the whole story.
So if you like mysterious old manors, family secrets and forced marriage tropes, With Eyes Wide Open might be for you.
This story was also translated by Patoložka, with Aneri helping with proofreading. And since I know how much good proofreading can shape the final text, I would like to thank them both. A translator does not have to do everything alone, and the work of beta readers deserves the same recognition as any other collaboration on the finished work.
A Snowball's Chance by Sheankelor
A Snowball's Chance, known in Czech as Mizivá šance, follows Harry and Severus and a rather unusual deal with Death. This supernatural element gives the story an interesting dimension and raises the question of the conditions under which two characters might reach something they would never be granted under normal circumstances.
The story consists of three longer chapters and further connected material from the Snowball Universe. Other authors also contributed to stories from this world, among them YenGirl.
What is also interesting is that Patoložka, together with other fans, turned this story into a puppet show, which was performed at the Fantazie festival in 2015. And I think that is a beautiful example of how far fan creativity can reach beyond the written text itself.
The Czech translation was once again made by Patoložka, with Claire helping with proofreading. Both have my thanks. And in Patoložka's case I would also like to appreciate the enthusiasm with which she brought a fanfic not only into Czech, but eventually into a completely different way of storytelling.
Nullo Modo by KalamityJane
Nullo Modo is another interesting Snarry story that works with the forced bond motif. Harry's summer holiday, from which he originally hoped for some kind of change, very quickly turns into a nightmare. And Severus ends up in the whole situation practically without really understanding how something like this could happen to him.
The two of them are then forced to work together, even though under normal circumstances they would probably rather avoid each other. But this time they have a really serious problem. If they cannot come to an agreement and start pulling together, the whole situation could very quickly turn into a disaster.
I think a starting point like this offers quite an interesting space for the relationship between Harry and Severus. Both of them have to overcome their own resistance and prejudices, without being able to simply choose never to see each other again.
And I cannot forget the Slovak authors
Slovak fanfiction of course also has its place in my selection. And since Czech and Slovak are so close that reading Slovak stories is no real problem for most of us, I think it would be a shame to overlook them.
Do posledného dychu (To the Last Breath) by Tesska
Do posledného dychu is a Slovak one shot in which Nagini, Severus's memories and one kiss that can really hurt play an important role. I do not want to give away details, because with short stories like this even a seemingly innocent piece of information can spoil a large part of the reading experience.
If you like stories that can hit hard in a small space, definitely give it a chance. And maybe have some tissues ready.
SS a tajomstvo Stonehenge (SS and the Secret of Stonehenge) by Tesska
From the same author I would also recommend the longer chaptered story SS a tajomstvo Stonehenge, which has more than thirty chapters. You can find it on the author's website in the section Slash z Tessinho brka.
Just one practical note. The chapters on the website are sorted from newest to oldest, so if you want to start from the actual beginning, you first need to get to the end of the list. It may sound trivial, but anyone who has ever hunted for the right chapter order on old fan websites probably knows how annoying it can be.
And since this is original Slovak writing, my thanks go directly to Tesska, who wrote both stories. Especially with older fanfics, I think it is important not to forget their authors, whose work was often created at a time when publishing this kind of writing was much less easy than it is today.
Am I really just a Snarry fan?
Sometimes I feel that people think I read nothing but Snarry. Which is of course not true, because I love a whole range of other Harry Potter ships, and while we are at it, completely outside this fandom I also ship Larry Stylinson.
I do admit, though, that Snarry has a somewhat privileged position for me. If I had to rank the individual Harry Potter ships by how often I reach for them, Snarry would probably come first. Right after it would be HarryLu, closely followed by Snamione. I like the others too, but I do not come back to them as often.
Even after so many stories, I do not feel there is nothing new left to discover in Snarry. Authors keep coming up with different plots, alternate universes and new interpretations of familiar situations. Of course there are also stories where everything is predictable after a few paragraphs, but then you come across something that truly surprises you, and suddenly you remember why this fandom caught you so strongly years ago.
A big thank you to authors, translators and everyone who saves old fanfiction
At the end I would like to mention something that, in my opinion, deserves much more attention than it usually gets. Old fanfiction websites are gradually disappearing, and with them, unfortunately, a huge number of stories, translations and reader comments. Sometimes their owners simply stop, sometimes the whole platform the authors published on shuts down. And if nobody backed up the content in time, it may be gone forever.
Anyone who has been in the fandom for a while has probably at some point searched for a story they remembered almost by heart, only to find out that the original website no longer exists. That is exactly why I want to thank everyone who has tried to archive, save and share older fan works with other readers.
I would also like to thank all the authors, translators and beta readers who worked on these stories. Even though this article is mainly about my favourite fics, I am well aware that without their work I might never have been able to read many of them.
In my opinion the work of translators is often unfairly overlooked in the fanfiction world. Readers remember the title of a story, its plot or the name of the original author, but they often do not remember the person who made the story available to them in Czech. And yet translators spend an enormous amount of time preserving the atmosphere of the original work, bringing the dialogue into our language and allowing us to experience the same story fans abroad could read.
And then there are the people who proofread, run their own archives, fix broken links or try to rescue stories from disappearing websites. They may not be very visible, but without their work part of our fandom's history would simply not exist today.
Of course it is also important to respect the wishes of the original authors and translators, because preserving a story and sharing it further in public are not automatically the same thing.
Still, I think everyone who dedicates their time and energy to fan works deserves a big thank you. And if you have older stories saved at home or know where some of today's broken archives moved, I will be happy if you share your tips.
And what are you reading?
This is of course not a final list. If I wanted to write down all the Snarry fics that have caught my attention over the years, I would probably be sitting at my computer for a very long time. I have definitely left some out, I will remember others in a week, and with some I will wonder how I could have forgotten them at all.
But that is exactly why I would like to look at individual stories in more detail in the future. Some of them really deserve it, and it would be a shame to dismiss them with just a few paragraphs in a long list.
And now I am curious which Snarry fics you love most. Do you agree with my top three, or would you arrange Desiderium Intimum, Elysejský klíč and The Marriage Stone completely differently? And is there a fic you love despite all its flaws?
Because I clearly have more than enough of those.
And one more thing for my English readers. I read a lot of Snarry in English too, and I have my English favourites as well. I will be writing about them in a separate article, so stay tuned!
Yours, Mimosa
Mimosa Confiante
By day, I work somewhere between marketing, copy and campaigns; by night, I usually end up somewhere between fanfiction, cosplay and yet another “what if” that refuses to leave me alone. I write mainly in the Harry Potter and Mo Dao Zu Shi fandoms, most often Snarry, Snamione, HarryLu and WangXian. My healthcare background means that anatomy, medicine and far too much research occasionally find their way into my stories. Cosplay is another way for me to play with the characters I love, whether I stay close to canon or turn them into my own fanfiction and AU versions. In Diary of a Slytherin Girl with ADHD, I write openly about life with a brain that usually has far too many tabs open at once.
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