In some fanfictions, their rivalry might be explored in the context of the Hogwarts Houses. For example, McGonagall being a proud Gryffindor and Snape a Slytherin. There could be a story where they have to resolve a conflict between the two Houses, and their different approaches to the situation create a lot of tension and drama.
In many fanfictions, they are often portrayed as equally powerful in different ways. McGonagall's strength lies in her traditional magical skills and her leadership, while Snape's strength is more in his unique knowledge and his ability to adapt to difficult situations. So it's not always clear - cut who is stronger.
Another theme is loyalty. They both have deep loyalty to Hogwarts but express it in different ways. Snape's loyalty is complex and often misunderstood, while McGonagall's is more straightforward. Fanfictions explore how these different loyalties can cause friction between them. In a lot of these stories, their loyalty also brings them together in times of crisis. For instance, when Voldemort's forces threaten the school, they have to find a way to cooperate despite their differences. This exploration of loyalty makes the fanfictions really engaging.
One great 'Snape vs McGonagall fanfiction' is 'The Clash of Professors'. It shows their different teaching styles and how they often butt heads in Hogwarts' corridors. The author does a great job of portraying their personalities as we know them from the original books.
Another trope is the 'mentor - mentee' dynamic in reverse. Usually, they are both mentors to students, but in some fanfictions, they end up learning from each other. Snape might learn more about emotional openness from McGonagall, while she could learn about some of the darker arts and how to better protect students from Snape. It's an interesting flip of their usual roles.
One common theme is the clash of personalities. Snape is often portrayed as brooding and secretive, while McGonagall is more straightforward. Their interactions can be full of tension and underlying respect.
One interesting fanfiction could be about Minerva McGonagall's early days as a teacher and how she interacted with a young Harry Potter. It might show her guiding him in secret before he even knew he was a wizard.
One interesting fanfiction could be about Professor McGonagall taking Harry Potter on a secret mission outside of Hogwarts. In this story, they might encounter some long - lost magic that is crucial for the future of the wizarding world.
Definitely. You can find them on various fanfiction websites. These fanfictions often play with the idea of their mutual respect for each other's skills, despite their differences. For example, Snape's expertise in potions and McGonagall's in transfiguration, and how that could lead to an interesting dynamic in a story.
One idea could be a story where Minerva and Severus have to team up to protect Hogwarts during a new, unexpected threat. Maybe a dark magic artifact is discovered near the school and they must use their combined knowledge and skills to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.
One plotline could be that Snape and McGonagall discover a hidden threat against Harry early on. They decide to secretly train Harry in advanced magic that neither Voldemort nor his Death Eaters know about. Snape might use his knowledge of the Dark Arts to teach Harry how to counter the most dangerous curses, while McGonagall focuses on strengthening Harry's Transfiguration skills to help him in combat and escape situations.