History FanficRecs / HarryPotterForWantOfANail

''FanFic/OnTheWayToGreatness'' by mira mirth
* Recommended by: Fiddlesoup, @/UncloudedTJ, @/MtheR, @/Sheaman3773, Fenro, @/FollyMolly, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead; last updated September 2014
* Synopsis: As per the Hat's decision, Harry gets Sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival in Hogwarts -- and suddenly, the future isn't what it used to be.
* Comments:
** @/MtheR: I have some nitpicks with this one, in regards to grammar and characterization and theme. I'm not sure that I buy all the character reactions mira mirth puts forward--something rings particularly false about Ron's, and Harry occasionally seems smarter than a teenager has any right to be--and I haven't decided whether elements such as the [[spoiler:retconned explanations for why [=GoF's=] plot was so complex]] are amusing, annoying, or necessary. On the whole, I'm hoping that Harry's something of an UnreliableNarrator. On the other hand, it's certainly the best Slytherin!Harry fic I've yet read, and definitely a good read for anyone who loves ridiculously convoluted political plots. Plus, sarcastic Harry is my favorite flavor of Harry, and this fic has plenty of that.
** I found the retcon above to be quite good, actually. This sequence of events makes quite a lot of sense, including the explanation for the double-portkey.
** Agreed with the above statement. I especially liked how the Magical Binding Contract, and some other rules of magic, were explained; it actually made some of the canon events more understandable. Also, while the characters' dark side seem to be exaggerated a lot, I think the portrayal of the characters stay true to canon.
[=[[reviews:OnTheWayToGreatness]]=]

* There is way too much in the entire story to cover in one comment, however, be prepared for a Tom Riddle who is not an obvious Dark Lord, a Snape who is not unreasonable (though, his character is still portrayed with proper justice) and a Harry who wishes to become a Potions Mistress (to James Potter's dismay). I do not want to spoil the book, but most of the things Harry does needs to be taken with a pinch of salt (not to say she is a MarySue, however, her work schedule resembles canon Hermione's - something that is appropriately lampshaded many times by her friends). All in all, a highly entertaining story, I would recommend this to all Harry Potter fans; at least do not judge until after reading the first chapter.

*** Harry's a total MarySue, with no psychological trauma at all, despite absolutely HORRIBLE things happening to her, despite claims that the relationship will progress realistically it... doesn't. The people involved are far too young for it to be even remotely romantic, and it's rather disturbing if you think about the context. The story is unrealistic, and many things are beyond explanation. It's definitely not worth a recommendation. Yet. The author, despite all these flaws, is a good writer. The stylism is good, as is the spelling and grammar. It's just that there are severe problems with the story and all the characters, and as the troper above me stated, there's a myriad of flaws that take a story with the potential for excellence and turn it into precious little more than power fantasies and softcore porn. Involving eleven year olds. I'm not trying to be rude (Well, okay, I'm being a bit rude), but the author really does have potential - it's just not met here at all. I'm disappointed. Especially since I have yet to find a good Fem!Harry (Femslash nice but not requisite) fanfic that doesn't fall into these traps/is gratuitously sexist.

* Notes: Has three sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10093402/1/ Initiate]]'' (complete), ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10858061/1/ Identity]]'' (complete), ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11732213/1/ Impose]]'' (complete), and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12899733/1/Intensity Intensity]]'' (ongoing).

* Notes: Has currently three sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8239413/1/ The Serpentine Subterfuge]]'' (complete), ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10041727/1/ The Ambiguous Artifice]]'' (complete) and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11911497/1/ The Futile Facade]]'' (ongoing).

* Recommended by: @/JackTheRiffer

''Fanfic/PrincessOfTheBlacks'' by Silently Watches
* Recommended by: Download, D.Fox, Lustheron, Dame-Amaryllis, GoldenAlex
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Sirius searches for his goddaughter and finds her in one of the least expected and worst possible locations and lifestyles. How was he to know just how many problems bringing her home would cause? Dark!Fem!Twin!Harry.
* Books:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8233291/1 Princess of the Blacks]]''
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9937462/1 Black Princess Ascendant]]''
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11510729/1/ Coronation of the Black Queen]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12168884/1/ The Black Queen's War]]''
* Comments: Pretty much an original take on the 'Twin is the BWL and Harry is dumped at the Dursleys' fic. Very good, certainly not for children. [[spoiler: Jen (Fem!Harry) spent over half a decade working in a child brothel.]] Jen is ''not'' fond of the Potters at all, for good reason. The author does a very good job of fleshing out under-used characters like Narcissa and Andromeda, and gives an excellent reason for the 'imaginary' creatures that Luna Lovegood talks about.
[=[[reviews:PrincessOfTheBlacks]]=]

[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626497/chapters/67591873 A Different Professor]] by https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsphodelWolf15/pseuds/AsphodelWolf15 AsphodelWolf15]]

''FanFic/WhenInDoubtObliviate'' by [=Sarah1281=]

''Fanfic/PrincessOfTheBlacks'' by Silently Watches
* Recommended by: Download, D.Fox, Lustheron, Dame-Amaryllis, GoldenAlex

* Synopsis: Sirius searches for his goddaughter and finds her in one of the least expected and worst possible locations and lifestyles. How was he to know just how many problems bringing her home would cause? Dark!Fem!Twin!Harry.
* Books:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8233291/1 Princess of the Blacks]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9937462/1 Black Princess Ascendant]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11510729/1/ Coronation of the Black Queen]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12168884/1/ The Black Queen's War]]'' (Ongoing)
* Comments: Pretty much an original take on the 'Twin is the BWL and Harry is dumped at the Dursleys' fic. Very good, certainly not for children. [[spoiler: Jen (Fem!Harry) spent over half a decade working in a child brothel.]] Jen is ''not'' fond of the Potters at all, for good reason. The author does a very good job of fleshing out under-used characters like Narcissa and Andromeda, and gives an excellent reason for the 'imaginary' creatures that Luna Lovegood talks about.
[=[[reviews:PrincessOfTheBlacks]]=]

[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/1087368 There is Nothing to Fear]] by Callmesalticidae
* Recommended by: Yla
* Status: Ongoing

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12760426/1/ Her Mother's Love]]'' by inwardtransience
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis

* Synopsis: Albus still didn't fully understand what magic young Lily had wrought that night. At the time, he'd only been grateful her noble sacrifice had earned them peace, however temporary. He should have looked into it deeper. He should have done something. Unknowingly, long dead, that arrogant girl might just have ruined everything. (Fem!Creature!Slytherin!Harry)
* Notes: Alternate [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/10076366/chapters/22454279 link]].
[=[[reviews:HerMothersLove]]=]

''FanFic/LilyAndTheArtOfBeingSisyphus'' by The Carnivorous Muffin
* Recommended by: feral, @/UncloudedTJ, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Ongoing

* Shipping: None announced. The fanfic has only reached year three so there aren't likely to be any for some time.

* Recommended By: [=EmperorMax2019=]

* Recommended by: Chaosjunction, Flairina, Eyikl

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14800721/chapters/34243049 In The Black]]'' by izzythehutt
* Recommended by: TheCyanStar

* Synopsis: Regulus Black survives his adventure in the cave and brings the locket to an unlikely ally: his estranged older brother. The ex-Death Eater strikes a bargain with Dumbledore, cooperation in exchange for his family’s safety. Sirius Black is faced with his toughest mission yet: managing Walburga and Orion Black—who, to his surprise and dismay, decide they rather enjoy having both of their sons back, and very quickly scheme to make this temporary family reunion permanent. AU of the First Wizarding War in which stealing part of Voldemort's soul brings a broken, dysfunctional family together.
* Tags: Regulus lives AU
* Notes: Has an ongoing sequel, ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457248/chapters/35881359 Black Mask]]''.
[=[[reviews:InTheBlack]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9469064/1/ Innocent]]'' by [=MarauderLover7=]
* Recommended by: Quinnec, omegaman
* Status: Complete

* Comments: The first few chapters come off as "the third book with Sirius' and Remus' names switched," but the fic gradually takes on a life of its own as more small details diverge from canon and the author makes up her own subplots. All the canon characters are IC (but Ron gets added snark!), the invented dynamics between characters who didn't meet in canon (e.g. Sirius and Draco) are done brilliantly, and OC Brutus Swift is hilarious. Remus has not yet come onstage, but the hints of Sirius/Remus are handled well. Best of all, Harry and Sirius' relationship gets the time and growth it didn't get in the books, making it Better Than Canon. Updated very slowly, but luckily not a deadfic.
** Seconded by This Troper. It actually makes more sense than canon in places - for example, an escaped mass murderer who's also a ''werewolf'' is a much better reason for the near-paranoid security measures. Plus, from where it's heading, it looks like it'll be Remus/Sirius, which should have been canon in my opinion.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9969014/1/ Seasons of Change]]'' by [=MPRose=]

* Notes: Has a sequel Weasley Girl: Secrets of the Past, which is also complete.

''FanFic/WeasleyGirl:SecretsofthePast'' by Hyaroo

* Synopsis: An attempt to go against a popular trope. What if, instead of becoming dark/grey and gaining more power that way, Harry had been a little more considerate? Begins with a small change in first year, and sticks close to the original, but sometimes small changes can add up to change the world.
* Shipping: None announced. The fanfic has only reached year two so there aren't likely to be any for some time.

''At least a year without an update, or killed by the author, at least two years without an update, or Author Existence Failure.''

* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, boonerunner, Mazz, @/UncloudedTJ, Fenro, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/{{Robinton}}

''FanFic/WeasleyGirlSecretsofthePast'' by Hyaroo

''FanFic/WeasleyGirlSecrets of the Past'' by Hyaroo

''FanFic/WeasleyGirl:Secrets of the Past'' by Hyaroo

* Status: Ongoing

* Notes: Has a sequel Weasley Girl: Secrets of the Past, which is ongoing

[[/folder]]

!Ongoing fics
''Updated regularly or semi-regularly.''

[[folder: Ongoing fics]]
''FanFic/{{DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches}}'' by [=LeadVonE=]
* Recommended by: sfu

''FanFic/WeasleyGirl'' by Hyaroo
* Recommended by: Chaosjunction, Flairina

* Synopsis: Just what would Harry's life at Hogwarts be like if his best friend wasn't Ron Weasley, but Veronica "Ronnie" Weasley?
* Notes: Has a sequel Weasley Girl: Secrets of the Past, which is ongoing
* Comments:
** Chaosjunction: Fem!Harry fanfics are extremely common, but Fem!Ron fanfics are far rarer. Plus, this fic makes some interesting changes to the Harry Potter universe.
** Flairina: The premise may not sound terribly interesting at first, but things spiral out in a believable, quite interesting way that seems very OriginalFlavor. The shipping fixation that plagues so many of these gender flip fics is notably absent, and the plot is all the better for it.
[=[[reviews:WeasleyGirl]]=]

''Fanfic/PrincessOfTheBlacks'' by Silently Watches
* Recommended by: Download, D.Fox, Lustheron, Dame-Amaryllis, GoldenAlex
* Status: Ongoing

[[/folder]]

!Ongoing fics
''Updated regularly or semi-regularly.''

[[folder: Ongoing fics]]
''FanFic/{{DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches}}'' by [=LeadVonE=]
* Recommended by: sfu
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Harry Potter has been banged up for ten years in the hellhole brig of Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, and his traitorous brother, the not-really-boy-who-lived, has royally messed things up. After meeting Fate and Death, Harry is given a second chance to squash Voldemort, dodge a thousand years in prison, and snatch everything his hated brother holds dear.
* Comments: A story with a lot of worldbuilding, hidden information and interesting original characters. It is using canon elements while also going extremely into alternate universe territory.
[=[[reviews:DodgingPrisonandStealingWitches]]=]

''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMysteriousCurseOfTheGirlWhoLived'' by Lord Jeram
* Recommended by: @/UncloudedTJ, Mazz, Chaosjunction
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived. So why does everyone think he's Harriet, the Girl-Who-Lived? Wizards are nutters…[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A Mysterious Curse]] makes everyone but seemingly the Dursleys see Harry as Harriet and can't hear otherwise, much to Harry's annoyance.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheMysteriousCurseOfTheGirlWhoLived]]=]


''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11191235/1/ Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin]]'' by The Sinister Man
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis,bgottfried91
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: What if Harry were a Slytherin? What if everyone thought his twin brother was the BWL? What if someone tried to do something creative and innovative with the two most overused cliches in HP fanfic?
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndThePrinceOfSlytherin]]=]


''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12760426/1/ Her Mother's Love]]'' by inwardtransience

* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Albus still didn't fully understand what magic young Lily had wrought that night. At the time, he'd only been grateful her noble sacrifice had earned them peace, however temporary. He should have looked into it deeper. He should have done something. Unknowingly, long dead, that arrogant girl might just have ruined everything. (Fem!Creature!Slytherin!Harry)
* Notes: Alternate [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/10076366/chapters/22454279 link]].
[=[[reviews:HerMothersLove]]=]

''FanFic/LilyAndTheArtOfBeingSisyphus'' by The Carnivorous Muffin
* Recommended by: feral, @/UncloudedTJ, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: In which Lily Potter is not quite a normal little girl. Her uncle Death seems to be convinced she's the grim reaper. And her ever political and invisible best friend Wizard Lenin just thinks she should take over the world. On top of all that the secret society of wizards think she's Jesus. Fem!Harry.
* Notes: Also recommended on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterHumorCrack page.
** Has a lot of one shot side stories, not all of which fit in its own canon.
[=[[reviews:LilyAndTheArtOfBeingSisyphus]]=]

[[/folder]]

!Dormant or Dead fics
''At least a year without an update, or killed by the author, at least two years without an update, or Author Existence Failure.''

[[folder: Dormant or Dead]]
''Fanfic/AnotherPrisonerAnotherProfessor'' by Marauder
* Recommended by: sauronlulz, @/LostLenore, Eversor, Eyikl
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: In Harry's third year he must learn the many truths about the new DADA teacher, Professor Black, and an escaped convict, Remus Lupin.
* Comments: The first few chapters come off as "the third book with Sirius' and Remus' names switched," but the fic gradually takes on a life of its own as more small details diverge from canon and the author makes up her own subplots. All the canon characters are IC (but Ron gets added snark!), the invented dynamics between characters who didn't meet in canon (e.g. Sirius and Draco) are done brilliantly, and OC Brutus Swift is hilarious. Remus has not yet come onstage, but the hints of Sirius/Remus are handled well. Best of all, Harry and Sirius' relationship gets the time and growth it didn't get in the books, making it Better Than Canon. Updated very slowly, but luckily not a deadfic.
** Seconded by This Troper. It actually makes more sense than canon in places - for example, an escaped mass murderer who's also a ''werewolf'' is a much better reason for the near-paranoid security measures. Plus, from where it's heading, it looks like it'll be Remus/Sirius, which should have been canon in my opinion.
[=[[reviews:AnotherPrisonerAnotherProfessor]]=]

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12950901/1/Mortis-Magister Mortis Magister]] by That Posh Wanker
* Recommended by: ~dilaudidXdreams~
* Status: Dormant; last updated October 2018
* Synopsis: This is a 1940s ForWantOfANail AlternateContinuity, with former BigBad Voldemort instead being a teen-age AntiHero with the knowledge of Hermione Granger and the morality of Friedrich Nietzsche. The implication is that being given the opportunity to study Alchemy to ward off death takes away the temptation to murder etc. Per usual 1940s tradition, the BigBad is implied to be Grindelwald (we haven't met him yet), possibly Hitler, ThoseWackyNazis, and NazisByAnyOtherName. Per WordOfGod, story will continue through the school years of the Marauders and the Trio, and will include an alternative epilogue.
* Pairing(s): None known.
* Tags: ForWantOfANail, FixFic, WarFic, AlternateContinuity
[=[[reviews:MortisMagister]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8451329/1/ Another Beginning]]'' by [=MaiKanon=]
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2015
* Synopsis: Voldemort was faster in regaining his body than he had been in canon, and thus, he had begun to go after Harry while the boy-who-lived was still a small kid. Will a rather sane Voldemort find out, and use, the similarities there are between him and Harry to his favour, and change the wizarding world in a way no one had expected?
[=[[reviews:AnotherBeginning]]=]

''Fanfic/AnAuntsLove'' by Emma Lipardi
* Recommended by: @/WeekOldPizza
* Status: Dormant; last updated September 2018
* Sypnosis: Harry comes home from school and Petunia is upset at the change in her nephew. Petunia decides to do what she should have been doing all along. Dumbledore had better stay away. Petunia Dursley is upset.
* Comments: It's a fantastic fanfic that shows a different side to Petunia's character. It's interesting, original and shows that Lily's sister actually has a heart. It's over 60 chapters long; however, it hasn't been updated for a while. Still worth reading.
** Superpowered harry is quite annoying, Voldemort seems to be extremely out of character, as are quite a few other characters. Mass of OC can be tiresome, but it works decently within the premise. The writing itself is pretty decent ignoring the previously mentioned problems, so it can be worth reading.
[=[[reviews:AnAuntsLove]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/581539 Blessed of the Ancients]]'' series by inwardtransience

* Status: Dead (last updated November 2017)
* Synopsis: Concerning Fae relations at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Fem!Gay!Grey!Harry.
** ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8494264/chapters/19465939 The Long Game]]'': Britain has been at peace for nearly a century — protected from the devastation of Grindelwald's war, free of conflict of their own. Charissa Potter, raised surrounded by family and friends more numerous than she can count, never really expected this to change. But hidden forces, it seems, have been playing a long game. (Indefinite Hiatus)
** ''War of the Open Realm''
* Notes: Alternate [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11762909/1/ link]].
[=[[reviews:BlessedOfTheAncients]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7764968/1/ Broken Lives]]'' by Chandagnac
* Recommended by: capeclare, Mazz, Eversor
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Remus Lupin finds out from Mrs. Figg that Harry has been mistreated by the Dursleys. On his way to confront Dumbledore over this, he bumps into Severus Snape and they join forces (it's an EnemyMine situation) to confront the Headmaster and try to persuade him that Harry can have a happy childhood and still stay alive.
[=[[reviews:BrokenLives]]=]

''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' by [=SlyGoddess=]
* Recommended by: @/WastedInJackson, @/EphemeralNight, jennifersbody, johnhancookie, @/FollyMolly, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2013
* Synopsis: A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and a tornado brews in Texas. A simple choice: Today or Tomorrow? Conceived a day earlier, the Boy Who Lived was never born. He wasn't even a glimmer in his parents' eyes. But ''she'' was; Harriet Lily Potter... Harry; the girl that grew up in a cupboard; the girl with safety-pinned knickers; the girl that was never wanted by the only family she had left; the girl that would give ''anything'' for the slightest bit of love. What happens when the shoes of a hero are filled by the feet of a heroine? How does the world change? How do relationships change? How important can one person possibly be?
* Pairing: Fem!Harry/Ginny
* Comments: - Easily the best fem!Harry I've ever read. Also, in terms of exploring canon without contradicting it, A Butterfly Effect is one of the most well-reasoned fanfics in existence.
** Contains both femslash AND het.
*** Which, as we all know, is blasphemous beyond belief, but is also extremely refreshing. A heartfelt seconding of this recommendation here.
** Thirded. ''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' is brilliantly plotted, brilliantly written, and possibly the most [[BetterThanCanon emotionally real]] ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fic [[Tropers/EphemeralNight this troper]] has ever read, and is especially notable for depicting a main character that is both convincingly-female ''and'' convincingly-Harry, while ''avoiding'' the gratuitous sexism that is so often prevalent in fem!Harry fics.
** Harry's got a bunch of fandom cliches (including absurd abuse and absurd power levels) for no readily apparent reason. Relationships are just totally out of character for the age group. I'm talking hints of porn (including an orgasm) while everyone involved is in ''first year''.
*** Harry's a total MarySue, with no psychological trauma at all, despite absolutely HORRIBLE things happening to her, despite claims that the relationship will progress realistically it... doesn't. The people involved are far too young for it to be even remotely romantic, and it's rather disturbing if you think about the context. The story is unrealistic, and many things are beyond explanation. It's definitely not worth a recommendation. Yet. The author, despite all these flaws, is a good writer. The stylism is good, as is the spelling and grammar. It's just that there are severe problems with the story and all the characters, and as the troper above me stated, there's a myriad of flaws that take a story with the potential for excellence and turn it into precious little more than power fantasies and softcore porn. Involving eleven year olds. I'm not trying to be rude (Well, okay, I'm being a bit rude), but the author really does have potential - it's just not met here at all. I'm disappointed. Especially since I have yet to find a good Fem!Harry (Femslash nice but not requisite) fanfic that doesn't fall into these traps/is gratuitously sexist.
*** The above troper is TRULY disillusioned. ''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' fleshes out the Potterverse with extraordinary skill and creates an overarching plot that is both gripping and endearing. The changes in the Potterverse characters are all direct results of Harriet's existence... which I believe is part of the point of 'a butterfly effect.' Also, Harriet, while seemingly perfect on the outside, has a plethora of psychological flaws that stem from her needy personality and trauma from abuse. To say she is a Mary Sue is utterly ridiculous. The dark themes are scarring for all the characters and you can tell from the way they're developing. Furthermore, the sexual themes prevalent in the first 6 of 23 chapters (first year) are tastefully conveyed and that sexuality hasn't stretched belief since the second the characters turned 13. They are now 14. And honestly, if you don't want to read stories with mature themes, then don't pick up anything with an 'M'/borderline 'NC-17' rating. It's somewhat odd to criticize a 'Mature' story for being mature.
*** [[@/RIPRowling This particular troper]] doesn't think a character can be called a Mary Sue when said character has [[FatalFlaw fatal flaws]] out the wazoo. Also, it helps that Harriet doesn't read like a Sue either; she's rather like a blend of the entire trio with a bucketful of teenage angst thrown in to mix things up. And because she reads like a real person, one constantly empathizes with her when tragedy and setbacks befall her.
** Whether it's worth my initial recommendation... well, you should check the 800+ reviews, 90% of which are glowing and come from articulate, intelligent readers.
** The fic as a whole does a marvelous job of creating logical and interesting background stories for some of this troper's favorite HP characters including, but not limited to: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindelwald. The author takes the tiniest of vague details, such as Dumbledore's slew of apparently-meaningless titles, and creates massive plotlines that weave seamlessly into the existing Potterverse. Also, another great feature of this story is its inclusion of multiple narrative perspectives, which was a very smart writing choice on the author's part. As we frequently see Harriet's world from the eyes of secondary and sometimes even tertiary characters, we as readers aren't restricted to the viewpoints of an OC whose femininity takes several chapters to get used to. And so, in summary, I heartily second (fourth?) this recommendation.
** @/FollyMolly: Seconded so hard. This fic strikes a bracing dynamic between mushy drama and fierce, brutal action. One minute the characters are sharing a tender moment, and the next, someone is being violently tortured. I couldn't say if this is a byproduct of the author's inexperience or mastery, but it certainly seems to be intentional. The fic is a wide-ranging collection of emotional ups and downs that switch about so suddenly, the reader is left feeling dizzy and breathless. While some may not like that sort of story progression, I personally enjoyed the ride.
** It's an interesting story. Not this troper's all-time favorite, but I know quite a few people who swear by it.
** Way, ''way'' overly grimdark. Many of the changes made to the plot have absolutely no relation to Harry being a girl, and it seems like the author just tossed them in there to be 3edgy5u. The author literally states that the rape was added just to establish what an evil guy Voldemort/Quirrell is, which is both entirely unnecessary and a mark of poor writing. In addition, the characters are incredibly oversexualized for the 11 year olds they're supposed to be. The premise is interesting, but frankly the story needs a complete rewrite to be worth reading.
[=[[reviews:AButterflyEffect]]=]

''FanFic/TheDarknessSeries'' by Athey
* Recommended by: @/RabidCookie, @/NaomiHansen, feral, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: 4th yr. Through an accident Harry and Voldemort's Horcrux begin to interact and Harry slowly begins to change. He becomes stronger & slowly grows aware of the sinister events that have perpetuated his entire life.
* Pairing: Harry/Voldemort
* Comments: This is probably the best "Harry turns dark" story I've ever come across. the entire premise is that Harry finds the horcrux in his mind and decided to let it out, due to his friends abandoning him right after his name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. The horcrux doesn't turn him evil right away, it just makes Harry a bit more wary and a bit more morally ambiguous. The author does throw in a lot of rather stereotypical plot devices but she plays them well enough that you won't care.
[=[[reviews:TheDarknessSeries]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8923291/1/ DID You Hear The Rabbit Cry?]]'' by demon lilith

* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: It seems that Harry has [[SplitPersonality Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)]]. To him, this is nothing new. He's known of his alters for as long as he can remember. Magic, however, is a different story entirely. When he finds himself sorted into Slytherin, he finds that the choices he must make are more important than he ever imagined.

** Mallfacee: A good fic but a bit confusing and hard to follow. There are roughtly 15 different personalities to follow and it's difficult to figure out which alter is doing what. ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8916654/ Shattered]]'' by Lillielle takes the same concept but presents it in a way that's easier to follow.
[=[[reviews:DidYouHearTheRabbitCry]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9702269/1/ Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' by The Carnivorous Muffin
* Recommended by: feral, Coffeemocha
* Status: Dead; last updated November 2014
* Synopsis: Having spent over fifty years as a notebook the fragment of soul who still refers to himself as Tom Riddle regains influence of the mortal plane and finds reality to be an ephemeral thing while Harry Potter, a young boy of eight, discovers that things both are and are not what they seem.
[=[[reviews:DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6996054/1/ Dreams and Darkness Collide]]'' by Epic Solemnity

* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Inspired by ''Series/{{Dexter}}''. JK Rowling's once said: "That if Merope had lived and raised Voldemort, he would have turned out to be much different, probably a better person." But just how much different? And how much different would Harry be if he was given a life with a loving family and a life without the expectation of saving the world? How different would he be if his hero-complex was still intact, but so consuming, so twistedly dark, that he had to go through desperate means to hide it?
* Pairing: Harry/Tom
[=[[reviews:DreamsAndDarknessCollide]]=]

''FanFic/{{Emperor}}'' by Marquis Black
* Recommended by: Milarqui
* Status: Dead (last updated July 2017)
* Synopsis: Some men live their whole lives at peace and are content. Others are born with an unquenchable fire and change the world forever. Inspired by the rise of Napoleon, Augustus, Nobunaga, and T'sao T'sao.
* Comments: This story is highly recommendable. While at the start it seems to be the typical fanfic in which Harry's parents survive, things change really fast, starting from the moment they decide to leave England for the continent - which they mention is constantly at the edge of a new war - to avoid being used by Dumbledore as propaganda weapons. It turns out that there is a point of divergence in real history, with the failure at the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forefather of the European Union, and this has changed many things, including the lack of reasons why the European nations should collaborate with each other. The whole story is told - mostly - from Harry's point of view after he swears to do everything in his power to protect his family.
** The war scenes in which Harry manages to use his full power as a magician to destroy the enemy forces in Spain (which was democratized after Franco was killed, but a few years later an Ultranationalist party got voted in) are quite impressive, especially for the level of destruction and cunning Harry is able for. However, this ends up in a slight failure when the Masquerade is revealed to the world, and everyone has to deal with the consequences of this, including a civil war in England and [[spoiler:the death of most of the Royal Family]]. In the end, it turns out that there is a second, far more important, point of divergence in history: [[spoiler:the Trinity Project, the development of the first nuclear weapons, failed completely, thus forcing the Allies to launch Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan, with the expected high number of casualties.]]
[=[[reviews:Emperor]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4815342/1/ Escape to Darkness]]'' by kmfrank
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: After Voldemort's resurrection, Harry awakens to a cold stone floor. After years of toiling with a "reformed" dark wizard willing to aid his revenge, Harry escapes from Nurmengard and finds that the Wizarding world has changed...
[=[[reviews: EscapeToDarkness]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4621236/1/ Eschew Obfuscation]]'' by buddyblack
* Recommended by: ranichi17
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Harry dies during his battle with Voldemort in the Triwizard Tournament and wakes up reincarnated as a 4-year-old.
[=[[reviews:EschewObfuscation]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6781360/1/ The First Step is Fatal]]'' by Qilin
* Recommended by: [=TheForgottenOne=], wijackson, Mazz
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Harry enters Hogwarts under strange circumstances where he is sorted into Slytherin. Not what he expected when he fell down the stairs and died at home on Dudley's eleventh birthday. Possession would have been Harry's last guess at a second chance.
* Comments:
** I'll give this one a tentative seconding. It's an interesting premise, but the writing needs work.
*** Apparently going under grammatical revision as of October 4th, 2011. New chapter due to be release after completion.
[=[[reviews:TheFirstStepIsFatal]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3557725/1/ Forging The Sword]]'' by Myst Shadow
* Recommended by: @/ShadowAI, @/UncloudedTJ, @/Sheaman3773, feral, Kogut, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated August 2014
* Synopsis: What does it take, to reshape a child? And if reshaped, what then is formed? Down in the Chamber, a choice is made. (Harry's Gryffindor traits were always so much scarier than other peoples.')
[=[[reviews:ForgingTheSword]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6518287/1/ Growing Up Black]]'' by Elvendork Nigellus
* Recommended by: Newt, Eversor, feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: What if Harry had been rescued from the Dursleys at age six and raised as the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient, etc.?
* Comments: Harry is taken away from the Dursley's by his squib aunt and uncle from the Black side of his family tree. He is then raised by the extended Black family, who are unaware that he is the Boy-Who-Lived. An entertaining read. Not a Slytherin Harry story.
[=[[reviews:GrowingUpBlack]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7746111/1/ Harry Potter & the Halfblood Auror]]'' by chelseyb1010
* Recommended by: capeclare
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: In his quest to stop Malfoy in his sixth year, Harry turns to an old friend for help. Along the way he finds new allies, a Horcrux, and someone to stand by his side.
* Comments: This is not a typical fic. The changes start in Harry's first year when he accidentally gets acquainted with Tonks then meets her again in his third year and fourth year before she has even joined the Order. Both Harry and Tonks are in character and their friendship is enjoyable to read as their relationship develops.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheHalfbloodAuror]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5249207/1/ Harry Potter and the Magic Unleashed]]'' by [=Sooner90=]
* Recommended by: Mazz
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: On Halloween night of 1981, Harry was rescued from the ruins of the cottage in Godric's Hollow by the Potter family elf. He is subsequently raised by said elf and a portrait. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity and drama ensue]].
[=[[reviews:HarryAndTheMagicUnleashed]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8920787/1/ Harry Potter and the Path of Indifference]]'' by Born of Prayers
* Recommended by: Leid
* Status: Dead (last updated November 2015)
* Synopsis: A fic where Peter Pettigrew died as a hero, Harry Potter is brother of the Boy-Who-Lived and his parents are still be alive, but he starts out feeling neglected in his brother's shadow. Meeting with an American witch early on taught him to look at the world from a different point of view and started his journey through Ravenclaw. Twin!Harry, WBWL.
* Comments: Starts out kind of angsty and stereotypical until after the first few chapters. Then it gets fleshed out and goes off the rails a bit. One of the changes include [[spoiler:Snape being a legitimate traitor against the Death Eaters]].
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndThePathOfIndifference]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4003405/1/ Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge]]'' by kmfrank
* Recommended by: feral, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2013
* Synopsis: When Harry returns home to Privet Drive after the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries, he finds that Voldemort's possession released the Horcrux inside of him. In addition to the companionship of "Tom", Harry has his knowledge, and must learn to use it.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheUnlockedKnowledge]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8914586/1/ Harry Potter: Junior Inquisitor]]'' by sprinter1988
* Recommended by: Lustheron, feral
* Status: Dead ( last updated August 2016)
* Synopsis: Before the start of fifth year, Dumbledore changes the plans. Unfortunately, he didn't bother to inform Harry. At his trial, Harry realises that it is down to him to save his own skin. To do so, his Slytherin side must come out to play, and once it's out, it sticks around. Now Dumbledore and the Ministry alike must watch their backs…
* Comment: Fair warning, recent chapters have seen the story go from 'Harry getting his act together' into rather dark and strange territory. This includes [[spoiler: Dumbledore drugging Harry and then all but seven students in Hogwarts to turn them into his slaves, [=McGonagall=] and Flitwick happily agreeing to this, Alastor Moody hunting students down, the entire student body being stunned by the Order (who have apparently taken over the school) and Sirius happily helping Dumbledore use the Marauder Map because 'Harry isn't using it to hook up with girls'.]] While still a good fic, the sudden twist (with no forshadowing) and utter OOC of the entire cast may leave a bad taste in your mouth. May be best to avoid this one until the author gets his/her act together.
* Comment: While the story does have a very interesting premise, is very well written and a promising start, it quicky unravels into a HateFic with arguably the most evil [[RonTheDeathEater Manipulative!Dark!Dumbledore]] ever written, to the point that Voldemort becomes irrelevant for a good chunk of the story, eclipsed by increasingly evil deeds that seriously pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief past the breaking point.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterJuniorInquisitor]]=]

''FanFic/{{Heir}}'' by Na'hiel
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: When Harry was five, [[NotSoImaginaryFriend he met his best friend]]: [[SuperpoweredEvilSide the sliver of another man's soul living inside of him.]] Things would never be the same again.
* Pairings: Voldemort/Snape, Harry/Draco
[=[[reviews:Heir]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9399640/1/ In Bad Faith]]'' by Slayer Anderson
* Recommended by throwaawy, Kogut, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: I never pretended to know what I was doing in my last life. Why should I pretend to know anything about this one? Well, the other option is a horrific and bloody death, so...I better start learning how to be a witch. SelfInsert.
[=[[reviews:InBadFaith]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4457149/1/Last-Chance Last Chance]]'' by [=Laume=]
* Recommended by: Charsi
* Status: Dead; last updated June 2016
* Synopsis: Dumbledore is a good pedagogue and gives little Tom the help he needs.
* Comments: A really heartwarming story.
[=[[reviews:LastChance]]=]

[[/folder]]








''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11500936/1/Long-Live-The-Queen Long Live The Queen]]'' by offside
* Recommended by: @/JackTheRiffer

* Synopsis: In the days prior to his Underage Magic trial, Harry Potter sends a letter to Queen Elizabeth II in hopes that she might be able to help. What follows are changes not just to Harry's life, but Magical Britain as a whole. AU story that ignores Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows.
* Comments: While it starts off slow, this fic is an enjoyable read that does a remarkable job of showing what would happen if the non-Magical government of Britan got involved with the Wizarding side. Has a flawed, but sympathetic, portrayal of Dumbledore, although he gets a particularly great ReasonYouSuckSpeech down the line. [[spoiler: Voldemort getting headshotted by a sniper mid-Killing Curse]] is my personal favorite scene. -@/JackTheRiffer

''Fanfic/LunasHubby'' by Meteoricshipyards
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, @/UncloudedTJ, Don Julio, Mazz, Puidwen, @/{{Robinton}}

* Synopsis: 7-year-old Luna Lovegood sees how happy her parents are in their marriage and decides that she wants the same. Having heard from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter is a good catch, she borrows their family broom and kidnaps him, refusing to tell her parents where she found him. After realizing the abusive environment Harry came from, Selene and Xenophilus adopt Harry into their home, figuring that they can dissuade Luna from the marriage plot later.
* Comments: A very sweet and crazy fic. It's unabashed Harry/Luna shipping and it works spectacularly. The story ends at a slightly changed Triwizard Tournament where [[spoiler:Harry's animagus form, a rhinoceros, accidentally tramples Voldemort and Wormtail during a massive Auror raid on the graveyard.]]
** This story began as one of The Blot's Odd Ideas (see below for details) but grew from there. Considerably LighterAndSofter than its source material, but in a good way.
[=[[reviews:LunasHubby]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3446796/1/ Magical Relations]]'' by evansentranced
* Recommended by: Anthiens, Lavanya Six, @/TyrannoStorm, [=Dexterfans1s2s7=]
* Status: Dead (last updated March 2016)
* Synopsis: Harry didn't just get a letter -- Dudley does, too. Quite a bit of unexpected character developments, including a Hermione/Dudley friendship, Draco still being his bratty self yet being portrayed as human and Harry being in Slytherin. Extremely well done and up to fourth year.
* Comments:
** Anthiens: This story focuses largely on the relationships and the changes both Harry and Dudley go through. A number of people get ''very'' different interpretations... including Vernon. I don't read HP fanfic often, but this is tops.
** [=ShayGuy=]: I kinda liked this one's character interactions and ideas, but thought it fell short in the realm of actual ''conflict''. The bit when [[spoiler:they realize that the basilisk is still on the loose, but without a master]] is about as good as it gets, and that didn't even last very long.
** @/TyrannoStorm: Dudley's joining Hogwarts affects very little. The story is from Harry's point of view, and the main difference is Harry joining Slytherin [[spoiler:and befriending most everyone in it.]] As [=ShayGuy=] says, this story has little conflict. Personally, I found the lack of suspense a welcome change.
[=[[reviews:MagicalRelations]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8045114/1/ A Marauder's Plan]]'' by [=CatsAreCool=]
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis

* Synopsis: Diverge after ''Prisoner of Azkaban''. Sirius decides to stay in England after escaping Hogwarts and makes protecting Harry his priority.
[=[[reviews:AMaraudersPlan]]=]

''Mary Potter'' by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6435796/LeighaGreene LeighaGreene]]

* Status: Dormant
* Synopsis: What if there was no Harry, but Mary ''call me Elizabeth'' Potter instead? What would change? Fem!Slytherin!Harry.

** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11437578/1/ Book 1: The Call to Adventure]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11587512/1/ Book 2: The Heir of Slytherin]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12124827/1/ Book 3: The Chained Servant]]'' (Dead, just barely; last updated February 2018)
* Side Stories:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12564264/1/ Tea]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12416212/1/ A Little Like This (Hermione's First Kiss)]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12325004/1/ The Night Before Christmas]]'' (Complete)
* Prequels:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11898266/1/ An Intermediate Beginning]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12078201/1/ Coming of Age in the House of Black]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12353660/1/ Regulus' Assignment]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12405167/1/ Scenes from a War: It Looks Like You Might be One of Us]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12668019/1/ Scenes from a War: The Perils of Becoming a Consummate Liar]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12668010/1/ Scenes from a War: The Marriage of Alice and Frank]]'' (Dead)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11797103/1/ What's in a Name?]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11994237/1/ The Changing of the Guardian]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12057308/1/ Coda: Not the Time]]'' (Complete)
* Not-Canon Sequels:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11522056/1/ Book 4 Preview: Lily Evans]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12385752/1/ Invitation to Collaborate]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11971977/1/ Tom and Hermione's Excellent Vacation]]'' (Complete)
[=[[reviews:MaryPotter]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9323225/chapters/21128351 The Meaning of Mistletoe]]'' by Endrina
* Recommended by: Eyikl
* ''Status'': Complete
* ''Synopsis'':“Just… tell me. Tell me what is going on, Snape.”
What was going on was that Severus Snape had no trouble tracking down one Petunia Evans, now Dursley, to a little town in Surrey where he saw how exactly she was treating her nephew. Which somehow led to last night and Severus knocking on Lupin’s door with a toddler half-asleep in his arms.
* ''Pairing'': Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
* ''Comment'': The first in a series of four, all of which are complete.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4345945/1/ Mirror Image]]'' snakes and lions unite
* Recommended by: Mazz, feral

* Synopsis: His whole life, Tom Foster has had reoccurring dreams about a boy nearly identical to him, Tom Riddle. But when he discovers that they are really memories, he must make a difficult choice - to remain a reflection or to find his own destiny.
[=[[reviews:MirrorImage]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2870906/1/ A Mistaken Sorting]]'' by Silver Pard

* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: The Dunce Who Lived and his unfortunate brother have finally arrived at Hogwarts. Snape is both manipulative and placing bets. WBWL. Snape POV.
* Notes: Has a short prequel, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2861750/1/ Mistaken Identity]]''.
** Also recommended on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterHumorCrack page.
[=[[reviews:AMistakenSorting]]=]

''FanFic/{{Moratorium}}'' by [=Darkpetal16=]
* Recommended by: @/SanDemonMax, @/UncloudedTJ, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Harry Potter was never a good little child. Harry Potter learned the hard way early on, that the good only won in stories and fairy tales, and so to adapt, Harry Potter chose not to be such a good little girl anymore. Fem!Gray!Manipulative!Harry
* Pairing: Fem!Harry/Tom
[=[[reviews:Moratorium]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695783 Muggle Management]]'' by Lady Winterlight & NerdyKat
* Recommended by:Eyikl
* ''Status'': Complete
* ''Synopsis'':In a fic where Harry suffers phyisical abuse, Hermione notices during the first year. The Grangers get guardianship over Harry, and Hermione forms a movement to help abused students at Hogwarts.
* ''Comments'': first in a series of five, all complete.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5165369/1/ My Nephew Harry]]'' by Creator/{{Lucillia}}
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, @/UncloudedTJ, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: After a traffic accident results in Vernon and Petunia being laid up in the hospital, Aunt Marge is forced to take Harry and Dudley into her house. She realizes that Harry is not the delinquent everyone makes him out to be and that Dudley hasn't been raised properly at all. Naturally, the only thing to do is to raise the runt right, as taught by her father, something that her brother Vernon seems to have forgotten, probably due to the poisonous influence of his wife.
* Notes: Has a sequel, ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8464273/1/ My Nephew Harry 2: The Hogwarts Years]]'' (dead).
* Comments: What makes this fic particularly good is that Marge is depicted in fairly unflattering terms, rigid and unbending, the product of a strict upbringing that flirted with psychological abuse. She's bigoted against other races, thinks that children should be regularly beaten to toughen them up, but she also has a strong moral core and insists on Harry growing up to his full potential even if she hasn't figured out how his "magic" thing works scientifically. Moreover, she definitely seems to be an UnreliableNarrator, particularly as concerns anything involving Vernon's culpability in the abuse.
[=[[reviews:MyNephewHarry]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/561032/chapters/1002157 A Necessary Gift]]'' by Cosette_Aimee
* Recommended by: Leid, feral
* Status: Dead (last updated February 2016)
* Synopsis: The war drags on after Voldemort's defeat and the Order of the Phoenix are fighting a losing battle. When Harry is hit by yet another killing curse, he wakes up years in the past and in an alternate universe. As an unknown child in an unfamiliar world, Harry has a chance to change the outcome of the war - while dealing with new magical talents, pureblood politics and Black family drama.
[=[[reviews:ANeccessaryGift]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8993792/1/ One World]]'' by Stellar Magic
* Recommended by: Omeganian
* Status: Dead; last updated March 2015
* Synopsis: Sirius and Hagrid weren't the first in Godric's Hollow. Hermione's dad was.
[=[[reviews:OneWorld]]=]

''FanFic/OnTheWayToGreatness'' by mira mirth
* Recommended by: Fiddlesoup, @/UncloudedTJ, @/MtheR, @/Sheaman3773, Fenro, @/FollyMolly, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead; last updated September 2014
* Synopsis: As per the Hat's decision, Harry gets Sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival in Hogwarts -- and suddenly, the future isn't what it used to be.
* Comments:
** @/MtheR: I have some nitpicks with this one, in regards to grammar and characterization and theme. I'm not sure that I buy all the character reactions mira mirth puts forward--something rings particularly false about Ron's, and Harry occasionally seems smarter than a teenager has any right to be--and I haven't decided whether elements such as the [[spoiler:retconned explanations for why [=GoF's=] plot was so complex]] are amusing, annoying, or necessary. On the whole, I'm hoping that Harry's something of an UnreliableNarrator. On the other hand, it's certainly the best Slytherin!Harry fic I've yet read, and definitely a good read for anyone who loves ridiculously convoluted political plots. Plus, sarcastic Harry is my favorite flavor of Harry, and this fic has plenty of that.
** I found the retcon above to be quite good, actually. This sequence of events makes quite a lot of sense, including the explanation for the double-portkey.
** Agreed with the above statement. I especially liked how the Magical Binding Contract, and some other rules of magic, were explained; it actually made some of the canon events more understandable. Also, while the characters' dark side seem to be exaggerated a lot, I think the portrayal of the characters stay true to canon.
[=[[reviews:OnTheWayToGreatness]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6783306/1/ Paging Dr Bell]]'' by zArkaham
* Recommended by: templar627, @/UncloudedTJ
* Status: Dead; last updated August 2014
* Synopsis: The 15 year anniversary of Voldemort's defeat is near so Luna is writing the behind the scenes look at what the 'power He knew not' was all about. She turns to Dr. Bell, famous psychologist, for her unique view of the B-W-L.
* Pairings: Harry/Multi
* Comments: This fanfic provides an interesting view into the wizarding world and answers a lot of questions about what Dumbledore did. It hinges on the idea that Harry meets and befriends Katie Bell and because of that things change. Also there is {{les yay}} in relation to how the magicals grow up and how that affects them as puberty happens.
** @/UncloudedTJ: Due to the nature of this story you might disagree strongly over the whole magical puberty deal as preteens will have risky encounters. However, it's very well done story, despite the apparently generic Manipulative!Dumbledore that shows up, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. Also, a majority of the story takes place in the appearance of flashbacks so don't expect a chronological depiction of events.
[=[[reviews:PagingDrBell]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7247199/1/ The Paths Diverge]]'' by Vaneria Potter
* Recommended by: Omeganian
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Because there was NO WAY leaving a toddler on a doorstep in the middle of a winter night could POSSIBLY go wrong...
* Comments: Harry being brought to someone else instead of the Dursleys or taken right from their doorstep is a common premise. But here, there is a minor twist... Harry simply crawls out of the crib himself. It is also common for Death Eaters to be taken out with guns. This fic uses frying pans instead.
[=[[reviews:ThePathsDiverge]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8429437/1/The_Perils_of_Innocence The Perils of Innocence]]'' by avidbeader
* Recommended by: Kizuna Tallis, {{@/Robinton}}
* Status: Dead. Last updated September 2017, but the author's still active.
* Synopsis: In 1986, the Dursleys, unable to deal with Harry's bursts of random magic, drop him off at a psychiatric ward for children. The doctors spend time studying and trying to understand Harry's abilities, and their work attracts the attention of the Grangers and the Thomases. Then the Wizarding World enters the picture...
* Notes: Alternate [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/495672/chapters/867718 link]].
* Comments: An interesting AU fanfic that manages to also have a few elements of [[DeconstructionFic deconstruction]] as well, yet also keeps the characters very much in-character with their responses to the different circumstances that occur around them.
[=[[reviews:ThePerilsOfInnocence]]=]

''Fanfic/PrinceOfTheDarkKingdom'' by Mizuni-sama
* Recommended by: Eccitaze, Elenor, @/UncloudedTJ, @/IHaveAHeadAche, [=AnUnConcernedCitizen=], [=FractiousDay=], Rasdra

* Synopsis: A WhatIf story where Harry's parents fled with him to Germany. Voldemort winds up winning the war, and establishes a dictatorship, but instead of killing all the "mudbloods," he simply segregates the wizarding world even further from the muggle world.
* Comments: A VERY interesting fic where Voldemort mentors Harry, with an interesting take on what happened to the characters (specifically, the ones who were on the losing side) and an incredible re-imagining of a lot of the characters, the Weasleys especially.
** Elenor could tell you that it has eveything from culture examinations to political intigue, but that makes it sound like something we've all seen before a hundred times. It's not, its really not. As for how you'll end up feeling about everyone, I think this quote sums it up nicely, "Tonks sighed, and ran a hand through her leopard print hair. She missed the days when you could support your allies with the same enthusiasm you could oppose your enemies."
** @/{{Nornagest}}: This is a frustrating read. It's readable, in fact fairly good, but very obviously inadequately edited; a few more revisions with an effective beta would bring it up to "excellent", but they're unfortunately lacking. A few out-of-place animesque elements don't help.
** Inadequately edited or not, it has to be said that once one gets into the story it is very easy to simply overlook most of the spelling and grammar mistakes and only a few manage to really shake the reader out of the story. In any case, this should not stop people from reading the story, because nearly everything else about it is rather brilliant and absolutely worth the read. Mizuni-sama has managed to write a fanfiction that draws the reader in and makes him unable to stop reading in the same way that the real HP books do. As was said, Prince of the Dark Kingdom, despite its faults, is definitely worth the time one needs to read it.
** [=AnUnConcernedCitizen=]: While there are some spelling and grammar issues that can be a little off-putting to a reader, once you really get a few chapters into this fanfic you don't even care anymore. It's that good. The way the author presents the alternate universe is believable, the characters stay consistent with their development and personalities throughout the story, and the Harry/Voldemort relationship is done so well that you actually understand why Harry can stand being around him. With the amount of garbage fanfics I start reading and then quit reading within 3 chapters, finding this diamond was awesome. If you want an intelligent read, this is what you're looking for.
** [=FractiousDay=]: Incredibly complicated fic, the author had literally completely redesigned the Harry Potter universe. Definitely worth reading, however, a few complaints. Firstly there's this pervasive kinda weird 'pagan' vibe running through it that is somewhat off putting. Also, make sure you read it continuously, otherwise you begin to forget things, you'll pick it up again and find yourself not understanding what's going on.
** [=calamondin=]: That's not even a complaint, Pagan!Harry simply is not found often at all, so OBVIOUSLY it would be "slighty-off putting" to encounter it, no matter how much bloody animal sacrifice were present! I for one thought it was a deliciously fresh interpretation of the folklore of the U.K., let alone canon's simplistic perversion of it all...
[=[[reviews:PrinceOfTheDarkKingdom]]=]

''Fanfic/PrincessOfTheBlacks'' by Silently Watches
* Recommended by: Download, D.Fox, Lustheron, Dame-Amaryllis, GoldenAlex
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Sirius searches for his goddaughter and finds her in one of the least expected and worst possible locations and lifestyles. How was he to know just how many problems bringing her home would cause? Dark!Fem!Twin!Harry.
* Books:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8233291/1 Princess of the Blacks]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9937462/1 Black Princess Ascendant]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11510729/1/ Coronation of the Black Queen]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12168884/1/ The Black Queen's War]]'' (Ongoing)
* Comments: Pretty much an original take on the 'Twin is the BWL and Harry is dumped at the Dursleys' fic. Very good, certainly not for children. [[spoiler: Jen (Fem!Harry) spent over half a decade working in a child brothel.]] Jen is ''not'' fond of the Potters at all, for good reason. The author does a very good job of fleshing out under-used characters like Narcissa and Andromeda, and gives an excellent reason for the 'imaginary' creatures that Luna Lovegood talks about.
[=[[reviews:PrincessOfTheBlacks]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8766329/1/ A Promise From Her Boy]]'' by [=PsychoCellist=]
* Recommended by: @/Powerupz77
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: It did not occur to Harry Potter to wonder why his Snowy Owl Hedwig was so much more affectionate than average. It did not occur to him he would ever need to care. That's why she waited to tell him.
* Pairing: Slight Harry/Hedwig which soon dissolves. The animal-human bond is greatly expounded upon with very different implications for both creatures. No smut or hormonal teenage boys running loose here, but intimate moments take place.
* Comments: This fic focuses on the relationship between Harry and Hedwig. The thing is, Hedwig is an animagus. A really cool fic that ends up keeping this AU rather canon. Be prepared to bawl your eyes out though.
** More Parallel than Alternate,with just a marvelous twist to keep it in the category of he latter. Highly unusual and lovely story from the perspective of one of the most overlooked character-pets in fantasy.
[=[[reviews:APromiseFromHerBoy]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1248431/1/ Promises Unbroken]]'' by [=Robin4=]
* Recommended by: Wookiee, @/LostLenore, [=DragonRidingSorceress=], johnhancookie, Dethryl
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A look at Harry's first year at Hogwarts and the political climate outside the school in an AU where Sirius was the Potters' secret-keeper. [[spoiler: Apparently]] dying rather than betray his friends, Lily and James are alive, Harry has parents, Voldemort is still at large, and the first war is still raging outside the castle walls.
* Notes: Has two sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1567001/1/ Promises Remembered]]'' and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2204188/1/ Promises Defended]]'', as well as a prequel, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4881348/1/ Promises Honored]]'', all complete.
* Comments: The brilliance of this story lies in the combination of making some things exactly the same as the books while radically changing other aspects. This is not a bland dark apocafic, but a very well-thought-out and detailed extrapolation of what could have been. What this author has done with the characters of James and Lily, Remus, and Peter is remarkably believable and logical, and the way a Harry who never went to the Dursleys views a much more divided wizarding world is a blend of both new twists and familiarity. The portrayal of the Marauders' friendship, including flashbacks, is beautifully rendered and heartfelt, and is the best aspect of the story. While non-orphan!Harry's personality may be a little too bland for this troper's liking, the characterizations of the rest of the characters makes up for it.
** @/LostLenore: Seconded. Admittedly, I find that Voldemort is a little underpowered (and perhaps slightly OOC?), but that doesn't really stop this fic from being great. Although it's set in the Trio Era, it really focuses on the bond between the Marauders. Since Rowling unfortunately employs TooCoolToLive on the Marauders in canon, their friendship here is quite bittersweet, as you see what might have been. But it's brilliant nonetheless. The third part is particularly good, and you might want to grab the tissues.
** [=DragonRidingSorceress=]: Thirded. I also recommend the various other 'Unbroken Universe' fics Robin has written.
** [=NamonakiRei=]: Fourthed. It's an amazing read, the characters are, for the most part, spot-on, and what divergences there are from the books are because the story was started before the end of the series. Note that Promises Defended is not finished on sugarquill.net.
[=[[reviews:PromisesUnbroken]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7613196/1/ The Pureblood Pretense]]'' by murkybluematter
* Recommended by: [=Mana001=]
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Harriett Potter dreams of going to Hogwarts, but in an AU where the school only accepts purebloods, the only way to reach her goal is to switch places with her pureblood cousin—the only problem? Her cousin is a boy. ''Alanna the Lioness'' take on HP.
* Notes: Has currently three sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8239413/1/ The Serpentine Subterfuge]]'' (complete), ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10041727/1/ The Ambiguous Artifice]]'' (complete) and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11911497/1/ The Futile Facade]]'' (ongoing).
* Comments: Do not be fooled by the ''Alanna the Lioness'' reference, this story is quite original in the depiction of all of its characters. Even though the story reflects a female Harry, we see quite a bit of divergence from Canon!Harry that allows it to have its own flair, which increases the enjoyment of this story exponentially. However, let it not be said that there are no attributes of the original character present. As you will see in the choices and decisions Harry makes, she is as true to her new character, as she is to the old one. The Pureblood society and the entire world building is taken on very seriously, and is quite nicely done. Characters have been stretched to fit into this new world (notably Draco, who is still a spoilt child, but with most of the malevolence gone). I personally greatly enjoy the deception Harry and her cousin Archie orchestrate, as well as the ingenious solutions they come up with in order to prevent the possibility of getting caught.
* There is way too much in the entire story to cover in one comment, however, be prepared for a Tom Riddle who is not an obvious Dark Lord, a Snape who is not unreasonable (though, his character is still portrayed with proper justice) and a Harry who wishes to become a Potions Mistress (to James Potter's dismay). I do not want to spoil the book, but most of the things Harry does needs to be taken with a pinch of salt (not to say she is a MarySue, however, her work schedule resembles canon Hermione's - something that is appropriately lampshaded many times by her friends). All in all, a highly entertaining story, I would recommend this to all Harry Potter fans; at least do not judge until after reading the first chapter.
[=[[reviews:ThePurebloodPretense]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6563043/1/ The Real Memory]]'' by [=Enigmaticrose4=]
* Recommended by: [=KittyKat848=], Mazz
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Voldemort strikes and Harry falls. When he comes back to himself he isn't at Kings Cross with Dumbledore. Instead he's at the Dursleys, going to Stonewall High instead of Hogwarts. Why?
* Comments: This is one of the weirdest stories I've ever read, in a good way! The suspense is definitely here and the author brings us to the same level as Harry in quite the same way that JK Rowling herself did. I love that I could feel Harry's confusion along with my own. Aside from the excitement and adventure there is a warmth and family atmosphere that truly makes this story feel genuine.
[=[[reviews:TheRealMemory]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2595818/1/ Rectifier]]'' by Niger Aquila
* Recommended by: foxintime, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Robinton}}, @/TheMightyOne
* Status: Dead; last updated January 2013
* Synopsis: What if during the first Chamber incident, Professor Dumbledore had caught Tom Riddle red-handed? Actually, life would have been amazing for both Tom and Albus (friendship). Until that is when one night, Professor Tom M. Riddle decided to check out if Alternate Universes do exist. Takes place around Half-Blood Prince in the canon universe. WIP.
* Comments: I like how author chose not to bleach Voldemort, but give him a reason not to go down canon path of another Dark Lord. He is a bad boy here, both of them are. Friendship with Dumbledore is made of win.
[=[[reviews:Rectifier]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9783012/1/ Reign of the Serpent]]'' by [= AlphaEph19=]
* Recommended by: @/{{Roo}}
* Status: Dormant; last updated June 2018
* Synopsis: In a world where the confrontation between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin went differently, a seemingly-immortal Salazar rules wizarding Britain according to the principles of blood purity, wizards split into a rigid caste system with the Serpent caste on top and the Mudblood caste at the bottom. Muggle-borns are taken from their families at an early age and raised to become cannon fodder for the war on the Dark creatures. But a few select "Mudbloods" who excel with exceptional talent or intelligence might gain the privilege of being raised to the Badger caste, and be allowed to attend Hogwarts... and Hermione Granger, recently taken from her family, is determined to attend Hogwarts and to shake up wizard society in any way she can.
* Comments: ''Massive'' AU, in which the Hogwarts House system is replaced by an all-encompassing caste system. Most of the familiar characters are present, if in unfamiliar roles -- in this universe, Dumbledore is a feared outlaw and the Order of the Phoenix are revolutionaries who want to overturn the caste system, while the role of Headmaster of Hogwarts has gone to Tom Riddle, here a decorated war hero with a shady past. The main focus is on the children, though; Hermione is the main protagonist, along with her fellow Mudbloods Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Harry (in this universe a fairly normal, if hotblooded, young wizard who was raised by his parents) also has a central role, as do Ron, Neville and even Draco Malfoy.
[=[[reviews:ReignOfTheSerpent]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6275865/1/ Remus Lupin, PI]]'' by Larry Huss
* Recommended by: Raiglory
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Remus Lupin didn't graduate from Hogwarts to become an odd-jobs man. He always knew he would be fighting the good fight, he just didn't know on which side of the Law. In the end,he made his own side.
[=[[reviews:RemusLupinPI]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9969014/1/ Seasons of Change]]'' by [=MPRose=]
* Recommended by: MariSkep
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: An attempt to go against a popular trope. What if, instead of becoming dark/grey and gaining more power that way, Harry had been a little more considerate? Begins with a small change in first year, and sticks close to the original, but sometimes small changes can add up to change the world.
* Shipping: None announced. The fanfic has only reached year two so there aren't likely to be any for some time.
* Comments: While the writing and premise are why I recommend this fic, it's the way [=MPRose=] uses subtlety that made it a must finish for me. The characters never need to scream or shout to communicate what they're feeling and it makes the scenes feel much more real. What isn't said is as important as the dialog itself. Very much in the light hearted spirit of the first book and relies on similar humor so if either of those things is a turn off for you then you're not going to like this fic. But I do think [=MPRose=] managed something that's unique as far as HP fanfiction goes and that it's worth reading.
[=[[reviews:SeasonsofChange]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2762511/1/ A Shattered Prophecy]]'' by Project Dark Overlord

* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A twist of Fate... an opened window... a cradle robbed... two frantic parents... a lost hope, along with a shattered Prophecy. Dark!Harry, Assassin!Harry.
[=[[reviews:AShatteredProphecy]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12302907/1/ Si-Vis-Pacem-Para-Bellum]]'' by Mister Cynical
* Recommended by: BlackVictorCachat
* Status: Ongoing
* Trope page [[Fanfic/SiVisPacemParaBellum here]]
* Synopsis: All they wanted was a normal school year and now they're willing to fight for it. An alternative take on the Trio's fourth year.
* Comments: A highly entertaining story as Harry and his beloved friends work to become dangerous enough to survive what is to come, deal with the immense stress they are under, and despite all the paranoia and violence stay kind and keep it humorous without delving into Dark Humour.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4037437/1/ Slave Child]]'' by Kristen Hudson
* Recommended by: mad4t

* Synopsis: At the end of their fifth year, Draco duels Harry as revenge for landing his father in Azkaban. Draco hits Harry with a previously unknown curse, that forces him to be the slave of the first person to touch him afterward: Severus Snape. Harry and Snape are now stuck with each other and have to overcome their differences while Dumbledore tries to find a way to break the curse.
* Comments: It's a beautifully written, sad story. The author does a decent job with developing the relationships over time instead of making Snape "nice" right off the bat (although it still may seem to happen to quickly for some). Deals with some very hard topics, though, such as slavery, abuse, and suicide.
[=[[reviews:SlaveChild]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/581596 Sorceress of the North]]'' by inwardtransience
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated November 2017
* Synopsis: Concerning the early life of the Grand Sorceress Melantha Black, also known as the Sorceress of the North. (Male-to-Female, Fifth Year AU)
** ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8495269/chapters/19468255 To Reach Without]]'': He hadn't wanted to be Harry Potter anymore. Things would be simpler, he would be happier. He had been almost positive he would be happier if he were quite literally anybody else. At the moment, he couldn't think of a better demonstration of the warning "be careful what you wish for". (Indefinite Hiatus)
** ''The Nine''
** ''Empty Spaces''
* Notes: Alternate [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11862560/1/ link]].
[=[[reviews:SorceressOfTheNorth]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/689909/chapters/1267386 The Spellmaker]]'' by [=SonnyGietzel=]

* Synopsis: Latin; a dead language with no practical applications except perhaps the deciphering of old texts and as a particularly quaint party trick. Thankfully, as Harry finds out, Latin is not as dead as he was first taught when he decided to learn the language. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, of course; he loved Latin, and would have been proud to know it even had it been as useless as it was pretty. But in the world of Wizards, the world of Magic, Harry realizes his rare talent with words is particularly valuable in the highly complicated and controversial subject of Spell Creation, a subject he soon becomes enamored with despite having to hide his interest from everyone. Besides, it's not like he's going Dark, after all. Smart!Harry, Dark!Harry.
[=[[reviews:TheSpellmaker]]=]

''[[http://corvidae9.livejournal.com/344634.html Switch]]'' by corvidae9
* Recommended by: capeclare, Mazz, @/UncloudedTJ, Eversor, Puidwen, @/{{Robinton}}, [=TheFlyingHamster=]
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A prank by Fred and George confuses the Sorting Hat in Harry's first year, resulting in horrible house mismatches. ''"The Sorting Hat has sorted thousands of students in the course of its life. If it makes a mistake or two, who's to say it's wrong? Certainly not Fred or George Weasley."'' Written for the [info]omniocular September challenge - The Harry Potter AU Extravaganza prompt.
* Comments: A VERY interesting fic where despite neing humerous and cracky in it's brilliantway but is also an exellent and dramatic fic where everyone stay in character but manages to live up to their own house. This fic also has a very uniqe and interesting alasization on what houses mean and thier effects on the students lives and personalities. (may be a dead fic but has almost finished third year and is definitly worth a read.
** @/UncloudedTJ: I've found it hilarious so far as it takes things both seriously enough but also distorts it enough to make everything perfectly in character as well. Also the Weasley Twins working together with Luna Lovegood of all people is worthy of their one word: ''Fear''.
** [=TheFlyingHamster=]: One thing this troper loves about this fic is that the characters who've been 'incorrectly' sorted grow into their houses. It really addresses the issue of 11 year old being put in houses for the next 7 years based on their 11 year old self's personality.
[=[[reviews:Switch]]=]

''Fanfic/TheyShookHands'' by Dethryl
* Recommended by: [=LeoArchon=], Jay Llenrup, [=SteakAddictsAnonymous=], atrasicarius, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead (last updated October 2017)
* Synopsis: Suppose Draco Malfoy introduced himself before he started acting like an ass. What if he had asked Harry's name before insulting Hagrid? A friendly handshake in Madam Malkin's leads to an alternate but realistic universe which is eerily like the canon, featuring a cast of first year Slytherins as you've never seen them: normal children. Join Harry Potter and his new friends as they discover their magical talents and help him to explore the world that has been kept from him these past ten years.
* Notes: This a complete rewrite of canon, book for book. It dies near the end of year six.

** [=LeoArchon=]: I am astonished that this one has not made the list yet. I think it fits ForWantOfANail pretty well in terms of fanfiction. And this author makes Slytherin!Harry ''work''. I was astonished when I first started reading this series, but I came to love it. It's an alternate interpretation of all of Harry's years at Hogwarts, and how they've been altered by being in Slytherin. RonTheDeathEater is not ''quite'' in full effect, though he despises Harry just because they're in different Houses. The author has changed a ''lot'' from the canon plot, and the changes fit the new Harry. As the Slytherin House Rules say, 'Slytherin does ''NOT'' mean Junior Death Eater'. The first four years are complete, and the fifth is in the works. It will not be published on FF.net OR Fiction Alley, the two main sites Dethryl uses, until it is complete. Though, in all honesty, this troper believes Dethryl could hardly do worse than the original Book 5.
** [=SteakAddictsAnonymous=]: This is the one fic I read which sounds like you are actually reading Harry Potter. I am talking as a person who disdains pretty much all Harry Potter fanfiction for the reason of not being canon, being too much of a wish-fulfillment, being something Harry wouldn't do, for simply not sounding like JKR, and pretty much everything and anything. (I wind up reading almost everything tongue in cheek.). The author does an excellent job of taking the text and making it JKR's style. It changes from the canon plot, but in such a way that could have happened it is almost like an alternate Harry Potter. (A Real Alternate Harry Potter. Like if JKR wrote the story differently and sold it, not like a fanfiction that has an alternate outcome.) This is a true For Want of A Nail Fic, and I highly recommend it to everybody. I particularly like the way the Slytherins are expressed, as the author said "as children".
*** And here, is the counterargument by @/MakiP: The story is very good, there's no denying that, the characterization is excellent and it does a good job showing Slytherins as people; the problem is Harry. I'm afraid Slytherin made him an unpleasant person, he's arrogant, buys into the whole "blood purity" thing and [[spoiler: he declared himself the Heir of Slytherin!]]; also Dethryl seems to be an anti-Gryffindor bias. Oh and [[spoiler: Hermione being killed by the basilisk after she's been bullied by Harry's little friends]] is enough for me to despise the story
*** 'Buys into blood purity'? You clearly haven't read the whole series yet. Harry will readily remind ANYONE that he himself is a half-blood, going so much as to quote one of the rules of Slytherin house: 'Blood matters. Ability matters more.' And since when is having an anti-Gryffindor bias a bad thing? It's a refreshing change from all the fics that depict Gryffindors as heroes who can do no wrong. [[spoiler: As for the whole thing about Hermione, look at things from Harry's perspective: she's an insufferable, know-it-all bookworm who thought it was proper to gawk and make statements about his fame without asking. If she's your favorite character, then I apologize. But no one said you had to read it.]]
*** I have to agree with Maki P here. The story is written well, but the author's anti-Gryffindor bias, Harry's far less than stellar attitude and a few other things definitely make it subjective. For example, [[spoiler: Hermione getting sent to Hufflepuff because Millicent Bulstrode bribed the Sorting Hat, Harry allowing and enjoying Crabbe and Goyle beating up Ron and his friends, the treatment of Percy, the whole switching Houses deal, etc.]]
*** [[spoiler:Keep in mind, Ron has been nothing if not an utter slimeball to Harry in this series. Besides, Harry does stand up for Neville at one point in first year, and tells off the other first year Slytherins for picking on pure-bloods outside of Slytherin. Except Ron, because Ron's gone out of his way to antagonize them. As for Hermione, well, wouldn't you be a LITTLE upset if someone starting pointing and gawking about you, rambling off interesting yet irrelevent facts about you like you were an exhibit at a zoo rather than a person? That's how Harry felt, and bribing the Hat to sort her into Hufflepuff was his idea of payback.]] And, again, what's wrong with anti-Gryffindor? Rowling's anti-Slytherin, so turnabout is fair play. But, as you say, it's all dependent on your preferences.
*** [[spoiler: True, Ron has been less than nice to Harry, and that smacks of {{Ron The Death Eater}}, (where do people get this idea that Ron would go out of his way to antagonize Slytherins from?), but then again Harry has acted much, much worse to Ron, so he has no reason to talk. As for Hermione, yes she was a little rude there, but far from unbearably so, and certainly not deserving that kind of revenge. that fact that the Sorting Hat could be bribed at all doesn't come off well.]] Well, in any case, it is a balanced portrayal of Slytherins, since aren't stereotypical monsters, but far from nice people, so Dethryl deserves a clap for that at least.
*** The statement that Harry has bought into the blood purity and racism of Slytherin is incorrect and shows that Maki P has not read the whole series. Harry's problem is with Muggles, not Muggleborns. Slytherin fed into his hatred of the Dursleys, and from his limited worldview, Slytherin is right about Muggles (violent, barbaric, etc.). In fact, by Y4 [[spoiler: Harry doesn't care about blood at all, only magicalness. He gets into a confrontation with Theo and brings up the fact that the Muggleborn Hermione Granger beat Theo in every subject in first year to try and crack Theo's attitude about blood purity.]]
*** Harry explicitly believes in the improtance of Blood Purity in this story. He puts it second only to ability. That means it's more important to him than morals and overall attitude. If you like the story, just say so. But don't pretend the story's lead isn't exactly what he's being accused of being.
*** @/MakiP again. No, I haven't read the whole thing, and that's part of the problem; the "heroes" seem too detestable for me, and I found the extreme anti-Gryffindor attitude hard to swallow. I think this has to be said, so readers know what they were getting into. (I wasn't, and I think I got hurt for that.)
*** @/Silverwind91: It's not just the extreme anti-Gryffindor attitude that is hard to swallow. I will freely admit that i did not get very far into it myself, but that was because it's as Slytherin-can-do-no-wrong as much as other fics are Gryffindor-can-do-no-wrong. There are token 'evil' house members to be better than, but for the most part it feels like the story was written by slightly less morally bankrupt Tom Riddle.
** I myself didn't like the writing style, I find it stilted, there's no flow to the characters speech, at least in what I've read. I don't think the writing even remotely resembles JKR, though the plot is decent.
[=[[reviews:TheyShookHands]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6036153/1/ Torn]]'' by Neurotica
* Recommended by: Thagomizer
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: An escape from Azkaban has called for drastic measures to be taken. Five-year-old Harry Potter is taken from his relatives' home and relocated with two of his parents' remaining friends.
* Comments: An absolutely superb story with absolutely flawless characterization. Sirius escapes a few years early, prompting Dumbledore to relocate Harry with Remus. Fantastic plotting and pace, with writing that approaches a professional level. Mad-Eye, in particular, perfectly continues his streak from Canon of being hilarious and a badass at the same time- if you can make it though him going undercover as a polyjuiced Harry-a four-year-old Harry- without laughing, you are made of some very strong stuff.
[=[[reviews:Torn]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18020687/chapters/42578318 Veracity]]'' by ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/users/faemalenomad/pseuds/faemalenomad femalenomad]]''
* Recommended by: shingen012
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Severa (called Vera by her one and only friend, much to her annoyance) is having a rough Fifth Year. She's not getting any notice from her peers about her proficiency in the Dark Arts, and she's losing the only person she cares about to her own ambition. After an agreement with her rival, James Potter, they have decided to put their differences aside after a series of bizarre circumstances involving blackmail, break-ins, near-werewolf experiences, Unforgivables, and illegal potion making - to discover a plot to blackmail the Minister while trying come up with a plausible cover story for their partnership. With a life-debt in the mix, will these two find common ground? And who is using who?
* Notes: Snape is a girl named "Severa" and even in school never buys into blood purity, thus avoids the original event that ended their friendship with Lily. James and his group are still bully her but through circumstances work their way past their longtime antagonistic relationship. These changes lead to significant changes to the course of all of their lives.
* Comments:
** [=shingen012=]: I have long found that a number of fanfics set during Lily, James, and Snape's school years have the tendency to "pick a side" in the sense that it will either portray Snape as a paragon of virtue who was cruelly tormented by the evil ruffian that is James Potter; or Snape is a devil-incel incarnate poisoning Lily's life until she is rescued by the dashing James and his merry band of heroic Marauders. This is perhaps this first fic I've seen that introduces nuance to the whole situation, by portraying James, Snape, and (most importantly) LILY as complicated people. It show each character with their flaws intact but also shows their redeeming qualities. Snape (or Vera) is shown as someone that could be reasonably thought to have been Lily's long time friend, but also someone that struggles with their darker impulses. James's bullying of Snape is shown as the cruelty that it was, however, his willingness to grow beyond that as well as his loyalty to people he considers friends is demonstrated in full force. And finally Lily is written so that she isn't defined by her relationship to either of them. One of my favorite Potter fics, easily my Favorite "Marauders' era" fic.

''[[http://ink-splotch.tumblr.com/post/106737310659/what-if-when-petunia-dursley-found-a-little-boy Untitled]]'' by ink-splotch
* Recommended by: Komodo Classic, @/{{Kazeto}}, @/{{Robinton}}
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: What if, when Petunia Dursley found a little boy on her front doorstep, she took him in? Not into the cupboard under the stairs, not into a twisted childhood of tarnished worth and neglect—what if she took him in?
* Notes: Also recommended on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterOneshots page.
* Comments: A heartbreaking oneshot about what could have been, had Petunia looked at her nephew and seen a person, one worth raising like her own son.
[=[[reviews:InkSplotchUntitled]]=]

''FanFic/WeasleyGirl'' by Hyaroo
* Recommended by: Chaosjunction, Flairina
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Just what would Harry's life at Hogwarts be like if his best friend wasn't Ron Weasley, but Veronica "Ronnie" Weasley?
* Notes: Has a sequel Weasley Girl: Secrets of the Past, which is ongoing
* Comments:
** Chaosjunction: Fem!Harry fanfics are extremely common, but Fem!Ron fanfics are far rarer. Plus, this fic makes some interesting changes to the Harry Potter universe.
** Flairina: The premise may not sound terribly interesting at first, but things spiral out in a believable, quite interesting way that seems very OriginalFlavor. The shipping fixation that plagues so many of these gender flip fics is notably absent, and the plot is all the better for it.
[=[[reviews:WeasleyGirl]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/427653/chapters/719529 The Well Groomed Mind]]'' by Lady_Khali
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: On Halloween 1994, [[HeelFaceBrainwashing Harry learns his mind isn't his own.]] On Samhain morn, he vows to question everything. Armed with logic and an unlikely ally, Harry makes a last-ditch bid to reclaim his life. The goal: survive at all costs. Manipulative!Dumbledore, Sane!Voldemort.
* Notes: Has a sequel, ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/545550/chapters/971012 The Mind's Guardian]]'' (dead).
[=[[reviews:TheWellGroomedMind]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8106168/1/ Weres Harry?]]'' by [=DobbyElfLord=]
* Recommended by: feral, @/{{Robinton}}

* Synopsis: Dark curses don't play nice- not even with each other. When nine-year-old Harry is bitten by a werewolf, the horcrux fights back. The result could only happen to Harry Potter.
[=[[reviews:WeresHarry]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3559907/1/ What Would Slytherin Harry Do?]]'' by Big D on a Diet
* Recommended by: feral, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Robinton}}, Dame-Amaryllis

* Synopsis: A series of short-stories exploring how Slytherin!Harry would have handled key moments from the books.
[=[[reviews:WhatWouldSlytherinHarryDo]]=]

''FanFic/WhenInDoubtObliviate'' by [=Sarah1281=]
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, boonerunner, Mazz, @/UncloudedTJ, Fenro, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/{{Robinton}}
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Gilderoy Lockhart is passing through when he runs into Sirius Black on the night of November 1st, 1981. Upon hearing that Harry Potter has been orphaned, he realizes his golden opportunity, Obliviates Sirius, and takes Harry Potter out of the country to raise him as his own. Eleven years later, Harry receives his admission letter and is accepted in Slytherin.
* Notes: Written by the same author of as ''FanFic/OhGodNotAgain'', a well recommended fic on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterPeggySue page.
* Comments: The story takes the mickey out of every silly aspect of the Harry Potter universe, but does so in good humor. Imagine ''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' with a Harry who still acts like a kid and lives in a non-crapsack world.
** Ron is particularly hilarious: he treats it as a personal betrayal when Harry is sorted as a [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Slytherin]]. He finally manages to recover his equilibrium by deciding that Harry was simply sorted incorrectly and proceeds to plot a series of increasingly outrageous schemes to "redeem" his friend from the perils of being in the wrong house.
[=[[reviews:WhenInDoubtObliviate]]=]


''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8192853/1/ Yes, I am Harry's Brother]]'' by Ynyr
* Recommended by: @/LooneyToons, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Seraviel}}, feral, Kogut
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A few years after the events of Halloween 1981, the wraith of Voldemort finds 4 Privet Drive and Harry Potter -- and is accidentally incarnated into a near-clone of Harry's 6-year-old body when the soul fragment in the child's scar rejoins with the Dark Lord's spirit. Using every bit of his cunning and experience, the re-youthened Voldemort then escapes and begins a long process that results in him returning to Privet Drive at age eight in the guise of Harry's half-brother, the result of an affair James Potter had with an American woman -- with the goal of studying Harry to learn what the prophecied "Power he knows not" might be. Along the way, Voldemort kills many, many people -- and gives Harry a much happier life. Then comes Hogwarts...
* Comments: Intriguing fic with some interesting ideas that defy fanon and fan convention without violating canon, and well-written as well, told entirely from Voldemort's point of view. We learn that there's far more to him than just the homicidal maniac that the canon Harry sees once a year, and maybe -- just maybe -- he's BecomingTheMask from playing Harry's half-brother even as the death toll among canon characters at his hands keeps escalating. The author is very subtle about it though -- "Vito Potter" sometimes feels like he's just a few weeks from a HeelFaceTurn, and then he'll turn around and a professor will be dead for getting too close to his secret; the reader is never sure which part of his personality is the "real" one. He seems strangely protective of Harry and even some of their friends, while at the same time plotting their eventual destruction when he comes back into power. Complete, and definitely worth a look if you want something different among your ''Harry Potter'' fanfics.
** The story has its ups and downs, especially towards the start, but steadily declines as it unfolds. It's an interesting read, especially if you don't mind rampant character bashing, but it doesn't really stand out from all the other OC/Super!Harry (even if it's not actually Harry in this case) by the end.
** An incredibly dark story where TheBadGuyWins and most of the heroes either die or are irredeemably corrupted. Also contains a good deal of squick in the form of multiple cases of pedophilia and some rather gruesome murders along with genocide. Do not recommend.
** @/LooneyToons: I will agree, the ending is somewhat anticlimactic.
** I liked the ending. It was a bit anticlimactic...until I read it again, tied together the bits about the Stone, and realized [[spoiler:that Voldemort had won completely and utterly]].
** The early bits and Voldemort's pairing with a certain much older somebody seem unrealistic....until you realize that Voldemort is taking full advantage of 50+years of social and magical experience and preparation. Voldemort is never redeemed, he loses much of his power and has to work to regain it, and isn't quite invincible, what with having to be far more manipulative than powerful. To summarize, it's Troll!Voldemort going on a rampage all while pretending to be super innocent. Vernon and Dudley meet a deserving end.
** Therefore, not worth reading.
** Easily among the best fanfics to date, especially how it makes subtle jabs and jokes of favorite fanfic tropes while being and enjoyable read throughout.
** The most interesting thing about this fic is Voldemort's cynical, calculating narrative voice which gives a very different perspective on Hogwarts and the characters from the books. The story varies in tone from moderately to extremely dark, and the latter moments generally involve canon characters meeting terrible fates, so beware of that. The structure is somewhat weak; most of the plot takes place in the first two years at Hogwarts, whereas I was hoping for more of a slow burn. It's also totally straightforward, with Voldemort facing no real setbacks and experiencing minimal character development in the course of his mission, which is why the ending feels so anticlimactic. The combination of Voldemort's perspective and your own expectations about redemption in storytelling may make you tempted to root for Voldemort, but if you do then you will be in for a series of gut-punches culminating in the biggest gut-punch of all in the final chapter. The story is very true to Voldemort's character in the sense that he ultimately views everyone and everything but himself as a disposable tool, but it can be perilously easy to forget that at times. As a last note, Harry's dialogue makes him sound immature to the point of having an AmbiguousDisorder, even at 12 years old. This could very well be a result of Voldemort's grooming, but I found it very distracting. Ultimately, despite my complaints, I found it to be an absorbing read. If you can tolerate some painful moments, I tentatively recommend it.
[=[[reviews:YesIAmHarrysBrother]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7331278/chapters/16653022 Hermoine Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run]]''
* Recommended By: [=EmperorMax2019=]
* Status: Complete
* Pairings: Ron/Hermoine, Draco/Harry
* Synopsis: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.
* Comments: An intriguing fic with a very interesting premise: what would happen if for some reason, Harry never recieved his Hogwarts letter, and his first introduction to the magical world is six rebellious Hogwarts dropouts hoping to find him before the Death Eaters do. The author puts a lot of focus on the character dynamics and emotional arcs, as well as examining how different things would be if Harry had never gone to Hogwarts. The story is also full of delightful references to 90's pop culture, on account of both the time period, and the fact that the characters spend more time in non-magical areas as a consequence of the plot. The main focus of the narrative is the heroes' emotional arcs and CharacterDevelopment, and the author does not wish to rehash the Horcrux hunt, so the story stops before Voldemort can be defeated, and the specifics of how he and the death eaters are thwarted are left to the reader's imagination.


''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12092024/1/When-Harry-Missed-the-Trick-Step When Harry Missed the Trick Step]]''
* Recommended By: dmcreif

* Comments: This fic explores what would've changed if Harry had missed the trick step and thus, Barty Crouch Jr. was caught and exposed midway through the ''Goblet of Fire''.

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12950901/1/Mortis-Magister Mortis Magister]] by That Posh Wanker
* Recommended by: ~dilaudidXdreams~
* Status: Dormant; last updated October 2018
* Synopsis: This is a 1940s ForWantOfANail AlternateContinuity, with former BigBad Voldemort instead being a teen-age AntiHero with the knowledge of Hermione Granger and the morality of Friedrich Nietzsche. The implication is that being given the opportunity to study Alchemy to ward off death takes away the temptation to murder etc. Per usual 1940s tradition, the BigBad is implied to be Grindelwald (we haven't met him yet), possibly Hitler, ThoseWackyNazis, and NazisByAnyOtherName. Per WordOfGod, story will continue through the school years of the Marauders and the Trio, and will include an alternative epilogue.
* Pairing(s): None known.
* Tags: ForWantOfANail, FixFic, WarFic, AlternateContinuity
[=[[reviews:MortisMagister]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8451329/1/ Another Beginning]]'' by [=MaiKanon=]
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2015
* Synopsis: Voldemort was faster in regaining his body than he had been in canon, and thus, he had begun to go after Harry while the boy-who-lived was still a small kid. Will a rather sane Voldemort find out, and use, the similarities there are between him and Harry to his favour, and change the wizarding world in a way no one had expected?
[=[[reviews:AnotherBeginning]]=]

''Fanfic/AnotherPrisonerAnotherProfessor'' by Marauder
* Recommended by: sauronlulz, @/LostLenore, Eversor, Eyikl
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: In Harry's third year he must learn the many truths about the new DADA teacher, Professor Black, and an escaped convict, Remus Lupin.
* Comments: The first few chapters come off as "the third book with Sirius' and Remus' names switched," but the fic gradually takes on a life of its own as more small details diverge from canon and the author makes up her own subplots. All the canon characters are IC (but Ron gets added snark!), the invented dynamics between characters who didn't meet in canon (e.g. Sirius and Draco) are done brilliantly, and OC Brutus Swift is hilarious. Remus has not yet come onstage, but the hints of Sirius/Remus are handled well. Best of all, Harry and Sirius' relationship gets the time and growth it didn't get in the books, making it Better Than Canon. Updated very slowly, but luckily not a deadfic.
** Seconded by This Troper. It actually makes more sense than canon in places - for example, an escaped mass murderer who's also a ''werewolf'' is a much better reason for the near-paranoid security measures. Plus, from where it's heading, it looks like it'll be Remus/Sirius, which should have been canon in my opinion.
[=[[reviews:AnotherPrisonerAnotherProfessor]]=]

''Fanfic/AnAuntsLove'' by Emma Lipardi
* Recommended by: @/WeekOldPizza
* Status: Dormant; last updated September 2018
* Sypnosis: Harry comes home from school and Petunia is upset at the change in her nephew. Petunia decides to do what she should have been doing all along. Dumbledore had better stay away. Petunia Dursley is upset.
* Comments: It's a fantastic fanfic that shows a different side to Petunia's character. It's interesting, original and shows that Lily's sister actually has a heart. It's over 60 chapters long; however, it hasn't been updated for a while. Still worth reading.
** Superpowered harry is quite annoying, Voldemort seems to be extremely out of character, as are quite a few other characters. Mass of OC can be tiresome, but it works decently within the premise. The writing itself is pretty decent ignoring the previously mentioned problems, so it can be worth reading.
[=[[reviews:AnAuntsLove]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/581539 Blessed of the Ancients]]'' series by inwardtransience
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead (last updated November 2017)
* Synopsis: Concerning Fae relations at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Fem!Gay!Grey!Harry.
** ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8494264/chapters/19465939 The Long Game]]'': Britain has been at peace for nearly a century — protected from the devastation of Grindelwald's war, free of conflict of their own. Charissa Potter, raised surrounded by family and friends more numerous than she can count, never really expected this to change. But hidden forces, it seems, have been playing a long game. (Indefinite Hiatus)
** ''War of the Open Realm''
* Notes: Alternate [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11762909/1/ link]].
[=[[reviews:BlessedOfTheAncients]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7764968/1/ Broken Lives]]'' by Chandagnac
* Recommended by: capeclare, Mazz, Eversor
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Remus Lupin finds out from Mrs. Figg that Harry has been mistreated by the Dursleys. On his way to confront Dumbledore over this, he bumps into Severus Snape and they join forces (it's an EnemyMine situation) to confront the Headmaster and try to persuade him that Harry can have a happy childhood and still stay alive.
[=[[reviews:BrokenLives]]=]

''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' by [=SlyGoddess=]
* Recommended by: @/WastedInJackson, @/EphemeralNight, jennifersbody, johnhancookie, @/FollyMolly, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2013
* Synopsis: A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and a tornado brews in Texas. A simple choice: Today or Tomorrow? Conceived a day earlier, the Boy Who Lived was never born. He wasn't even a glimmer in his parents' eyes. But ''she'' was; Harriet Lily Potter... Harry; the girl that grew up in a cupboard; the girl with safety-pinned knickers; the girl that was never wanted by the only family she had left; the girl that would give ''anything'' for the slightest bit of love. What happens when the shoes of a hero are filled by the feet of a heroine? How does the world change? How do relationships change? How important can one person possibly be?
* Pairing: Fem!Harry/Ginny
* Comments: - Easily the best fem!Harry I've ever read. Also, in terms of exploring canon without contradicting it, A Butterfly Effect is one of the most well-reasoned fanfics in existence.
** Contains both femslash AND het.
*** Which, as we all know, is blasphemous beyond belief, but is also extremely refreshing. A heartfelt seconding of this recommendation here.
** Thirded. ''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' is brilliantly plotted, brilliantly written, and possibly the most [[BetterThanCanon emotionally real]] ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fic [[Tropers/EphemeralNight this troper]] has ever read, and is especially notable for depicting a main character that is both convincingly-female ''and'' convincingly-Harry, while ''avoiding'' the gratuitous sexism that is so often prevalent in fem!Harry fics.
** Harry's got a bunch of fandom cliches (including absurd abuse and absurd power levels) for no readily apparent reason. Relationships are just totally out of character for the age group. I'm talking hints of porn (including an orgasm) while everyone involved is in ''first year''.
*** Harry's a total MarySue, with no psychological trauma at all, despite absolutely HORRIBLE things happening to her, despite claims that the relationship will progress realistically it... doesn't. The people involved are far too young for it to be even remotely romantic, and it's rather disturbing if you think about the context. The story is unrealistic, and many things are beyond explanation. It's definitely not worth a recommendation. Yet. The author, despite all these flaws, is a good writer. The stylism is good, as is the spelling and grammar. It's just that there are severe problems with the story and all the characters, and as the troper above me stated, there's a myriad of flaws that take a story with the potential for excellence and turn it into precious little more than power fantasies and softcore porn. Involving eleven year olds. I'm not trying to be rude (Well, okay, I'm being a bit rude), but the author really does have potential - it's just not met here at all. I'm disappointed. Especially since I have yet to find a good Fem!Harry (Femslash nice but not requisite) fanfic that doesn't fall into these traps/is gratuitously sexist.
*** The above troper is TRULY disillusioned. ''FanFic/AButterflyEffect'' fleshes out the Potterverse with extraordinary skill and creates an overarching plot that is both gripping and endearing. The changes in the Potterverse characters are all direct results of Harriet's existence... which I believe is part of the point of 'a butterfly effect.' Also, Harriet, while seemingly perfect on the outside, has a plethora of psychological flaws that stem from her needy personality and trauma from abuse. To say she is a Mary Sue is utterly ridiculous. The dark themes are scarring for all the characters and you can tell from the way they're developing. Furthermore, the sexual themes prevalent in the first 6 of 23 chapters (first year) are tastefully conveyed and that sexuality hasn't stretched belief since the second the characters turned 13. They are now 14. And honestly, if you don't want to read stories with mature themes, then don't pick up anything with an 'M'/borderline 'NC-17' rating. It's somewhat odd to criticize a 'Mature' story for being mature.
*** [[@/RIPRowling This particular troper]] doesn't think a character can be called a Mary Sue when said character has [[FatalFlaw fatal flaws]] out the wazoo. Also, it helps that Harriet doesn't read like a Sue either; she's rather like a blend of the entire trio with a bucketful of teenage angst thrown in to mix things up. And because she reads like a real person, one constantly empathizes with her when tragedy and setbacks befall her.
** Whether it's worth my initial recommendation... well, you should check the 800+ reviews, 90% of which are glowing and come from articulate, intelligent readers.
** The fic as a whole does a marvelous job of creating logical and interesting background stories for some of this troper's favorite HP characters including, but not limited to: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindelwald. The author takes the tiniest of vague details, such as Dumbledore's slew of apparently-meaningless titles, and creates massive plotlines that weave seamlessly into the existing Potterverse. Also, another great feature of this story is its inclusion of multiple narrative perspectives, which was a very smart writing choice on the author's part. As we frequently see Harriet's world from the eyes of secondary and sometimes even tertiary characters, we as readers aren't restricted to the viewpoints of an OC whose femininity takes several chapters to get used to. And so, in summary, I heartily second (fourth?) this recommendation.
** @/FollyMolly: Seconded so hard. This fic strikes a bracing dynamic between mushy drama and fierce, brutal action. One minute the characters are sharing a tender moment, and the next, someone is being violently tortured. I couldn't say if this is a byproduct of the author's inexperience or mastery, but it certainly seems to be intentional. The fic is a wide-ranging collection of emotional ups and downs that switch about so suddenly, the reader is left feeling dizzy and breathless. While some may not like that sort of story progression, I personally enjoyed the ride.
** It's an interesting story. Not this troper's all-time favorite, but I know quite a few people who swear by it.
** Way, ''way'' overly grimdark. Many of the changes made to the plot have absolutely no relation to Harry being a girl, and it seems like the author just tossed them in there to be 3edgy5u. The author literally states that the rape was added just to establish what an evil guy Voldemort/Quirrell is, which is both entirely unnecessary and a mark of poor writing. In addition, the characters are incredibly oversexualized for the 11 year olds they're supposed to be. The premise is interesting, but frankly the story needs a complete rewrite to be worth reading.
[=[[reviews:AButterflyEffect]]=]

''FanFic/TheDarknessSeries'' by Athey
* Recommended by: @/RabidCookie, @/NaomiHansen, feral, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: 4th yr. Through an accident Harry and Voldemort's Horcrux begin to interact and Harry slowly begins to change. He becomes stronger & slowly grows aware of the sinister events that have perpetuated his entire life.
* Pairing: Harry/Voldemort
* Comments: This is probably the best "Harry turns dark" story I've ever come across. the entire premise is that Harry finds the horcrux in his mind and decided to let it out, due to his friends abandoning him right after his name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. The horcrux doesn't turn him evil right away, it just makes Harry a bit more wary and a bit more morally ambiguous. The author does throw in a lot of rather stereotypical plot devices but she plays them well enough that you won't care.
[=[[reviews:TheDarknessSeries]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8923291/1/ DID You Hear The Rabbit Cry?]]'' by demon lilith
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: It seems that Harry has [[SplitPersonality Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)]]. To him, this is nothing new. He's known of his alters for as long as he can remember. Magic, however, is a different story entirely. When he finds himself sorted into Slytherin, he finds that the choices he must make are more important than he ever imagined.
* Comments:
** Mallfacee: A good fic but a bit confusing and hard to follow. There are roughtly 15 different personalities to follow and it's difficult to figure out which alter is doing what. ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8916654/ Shattered]]'' by Lillielle takes the same concept but presents it in a way that's easier to follow.
[=[[reviews:DidYouHearTheRabbitCry]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9702269/1/ Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' by The Carnivorous Muffin
* Recommended by: feral, Coffeemocha
* Status: Dead; last updated November 2014
* Synopsis: Having spent over fifty years as a notebook the fragment of soul who still refers to himself as Tom Riddle regains influence of the mortal plane and finds reality to be an ephemeral thing while Harry Potter, a young boy of eight, discovers that things both are and are not what they seem.
[=[[reviews:DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep]]=]

''FanFic/{{DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches}}'' by [=LeadVonE=]
* Recommended by: sfu
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Harry Potter has been banged up for ten years in the hellhole brig of Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, and his traitorous brother, the not-really-boy-who-lived, has royally messed things up. After meeting Fate and Death, Harry is given a second chance to squash Voldemort, dodge a thousand years in prison, and snatch everything his hated brother holds dear.
* Comments: A story with a lot of worldbuilding, hidden information and interesting original characters. It is using canon elements while also going extremely into alternate universe territory.
[=[[reviews:DodgingPrisonandStealingWitches]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6996054/1/ Dreams and Darkness Collide]]'' by Epic Solemnity
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Inspired by ''Series/{{Dexter}}''. JK Rowling's once said: "That if Merope had lived and raised Voldemort, he would have turned out to be much different, probably a better person." But just how much different? And how much different would Harry be if he was given a life with a loving family and a life without the expectation of saving the world? How different would he be if his hero-complex was still intact, but so consuming, so twistedly dark, that he had to go through desperate means to hide it?
* Pairing: Harry/Tom
[=[[reviews:DreamsAndDarknessCollide]]=]

''FanFic/{{Emperor}}'' by Marquis Black
* Recommended by: Milarqui
* Status: Dead (last updated July 2017)
* Synopsis: Some men live their whole lives at peace and are content. Others are born with an unquenchable fire and change the world forever. Inspired by the rise of Napoleon, Augustus, Nobunaga, and T'sao T'sao.
* Comments: This story is highly recommendable. While at the start it seems to be the typical fanfic in which Harry's parents survive, things change really fast, starting from the moment they decide to leave England for the continent - which they mention is constantly at the edge of a new war - to avoid being used by Dumbledore as propaganda weapons. It turns out that there is a point of divergence in real history, with the failure at the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forefather of the European Union, and this has changed many things, including the lack of reasons why the European nations should collaborate with each other. The whole story is told - mostly - from Harry's point of view after he swears to do everything in his power to protect his family.
** The war scenes in which Harry manages to use his full power as a magician to destroy the enemy forces in Spain (which was democratized after Franco was killed, but a few years later an Ultranationalist party got voted in) are quite impressive, especially for the level of destruction and cunning Harry is able for. However, this ends up in a slight failure when the Masquerade is revealed to the world, and everyone has to deal with the consequences of this, including a civil war in England and [[spoiler:the death of most of the Royal Family]]. In the end, it turns out that there is a second, far more important, point of divergence in history: [[spoiler:the Trinity Project, the development of the first nuclear weapons, failed completely, thus forcing the Allies to launch Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan, with the expected high number of casualties.]]
[=[[reviews:Emperor]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4815342/1/ Escape to Darkness]]'' by kmfrank
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: After Voldemort's resurrection, Harry awakens to a cold stone floor. After years of toiling with a "reformed" dark wizard willing to aid his revenge, Harry escapes from Nurmengard and finds that the Wizarding world has changed...
[=[[reviews: EscapeToDarkness]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4621236/1/ Eschew Obfuscation]]'' by buddyblack
* Recommended by: ranichi17
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Harry dies during his battle with Voldemort in the Triwizard Tournament and wakes up reincarnated as a 4-year-old.
[=[[reviews:EschewObfuscation]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6781360/1/ The First Step is Fatal]]'' by Qilin
* Recommended by: [=TheForgottenOne=], wijackson, Mazz
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: Harry enters Hogwarts under strange circumstances where he is sorted into Slytherin. Not what he expected when he fell down the stairs and died at home on Dudley's eleventh birthday. Possession would have been Harry's last guess at a second chance.
* Comments:
** I'll give this one a tentative seconding. It's an interesting premise, but the writing needs work.
*** Apparently going under grammatical revision as of October 4th, 2011. New chapter due to be release after completion.
[=[[reviews:TheFirstStepIsFatal]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3557725/1/ Forging The Sword]]'' by Myst Shadow
* Recommended by: @/ShadowAI, @/UncloudedTJ, @/Sheaman3773, feral, Kogut, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated August 2014
* Synopsis: What does it take, to reshape a child? And if reshaped, what then is formed? Down in the Chamber, a choice is made. (Harry's Gryffindor traits were always so much scarier than other peoples.')
[=[[reviews:ForgingTheSword]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6518287/1/ Growing Up Black]]'' by Elvendork Nigellus
* Recommended by: Newt, Eversor, feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: What if Harry had been rescued from the Dursleys at age six and raised as the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient, etc.?
* Comments: Harry is taken away from the Dursley's by his squib aunt and uncle from the Black side of his family tree. He is then raised by the extended Black family, who are unaware that he is the Boy-Who-Lived. An entertaining read. Not a Slytherin Harry story.
[=[[reviews:GrowingUpBlack]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7746111/1/ Harry Potter & the Halfblood Auror]]'' by chelseyb1010
* Recommended by: capeclare
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: In his quest to stop Malfoy in his sixth year, Harry turns to an old friend for help. Along the way he finds new allies, a Horcrux, and someone to stand by his side.
* Comments: This is not a typical fic. The changes start in Harry's first year when he accidentally gets acquainted with Tonks then meets her again in his third year and fourth year before she has even joined the Order. Both Harry and Tonks are in character and their friendship is enjoyable to read as their relationship develops.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheHalfbloodAuror]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5249207/1/ Harry Potter and the Magic Unleashed]]'' by [=Sooner90=]
* Recommended by: Mazz
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: On Halloween night of 1981, Harry was rescued from the ruins of the cottage in Godric's Hollow by the Potter family elf. He is subsequently raised by said elf and a portrait. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity and drama ensue]].
[=[[reviews:HarryAndTheMagicUnleashed]]=]

''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMysteriousCurseOfTheGirlWhoLived'' by Lord Jeram
* Recommended by: @/UncloudedTJ, Mazz, Chaosjunction
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived. So why does everyone think he's Harriet, the Girl-Who-Lived? Wizards are nutters…[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A Mysterious Curse]] makes everyone but seemingly the Dursleys see Harry as Harriet and can't hear otherwise, much to Harry's annoyance.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheMysteriousCurseOfTheGirlWhoLived]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8920787/1/ Harry Potter and the Path of Indifference]]'' by Born of Prayers
* Recommended by: Leid
* Status: Dead (last updated November 2015)
* Synopsis: A fic where Peter Pettigrew died as a hero, Harry Potter is brother of the Boy-Who-Lived and his parents are still be alive, but he starts out feeling neglected in his brother's shadow. Meeting with an American witch early on taught him to look at the world from a different point of view and started his journey through Ravenclaw. Twin!Harry, WBWL.
* Comments: Starts out kind of angsty and stereotypical until after the first few chapters. Then it gets fleshed out and goes off the rails a bit. One of the changes include [[spoiler:Snape being a legitimate traitor against the Death Eaters]].
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndThePathOfIndifference]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11191235/1/ Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin]]'' by The Sinister Man
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis,bgottfried91
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: What if Harry were a Slytherin? What if everyone thought his twin brother was the BWL? What if someone tried to do something creative and innovative with the two most overused cliches in HP fanfic?
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndThePrinceOfSlytherin]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4003405/1/ Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge]]'' by kmfrank
* Recommended by: feral, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead; last updated February 2013
* Synopsis: When Harry returns home to Privet Drive after the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries, he finds that Voldemort's possession released the Horcrux inside of him. In addition to the companionship of "Tom", Harry has his knowledge, and must learn to use it.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterAndTheUnlockedKnowledge]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8914586/1/ Harry Potter: Junior Inquisitor]]'' by sprinter1988
* Recommended by: Lustheron, feral
* Status: Dead ( last updated August 2016)
* Synopsis: Before the start of fifth year, Dumbledore changes the plans. Unfortunately, he didn't bother to inform Harry. At his trial, Harry realises that it is down to him to save his own skin. To do so, his Slytherin side must come out to play, and once it's out, it sticks around. Now Dumbledore and the Ministry alike must watch their backs…
* Comment: Fair warning, recent chapters have seen the story go from 'Harry getting his act together' into rather dark and strange territory. This includes [[spoiler: Dumbledore drugging Harry and then all but seven students in Hogwarts to turn them into his slaves, [=McGonagall=] and Flitwick happily agreeing to this, Alastor Moody hunting students down, the entire student body being stunned by the Order (who have apparently taken over the school) and Sirius happily helping Dumbledore use the Marauder Map because 'Harry isn't using it to hook up with girls'.]] While still a good fic, the sudden twist (with no forshadowing) and utter OOC of the entire cast may leave a bad taste in your mouth. May be best to avoid this one until the author gets his/her act together.
* Comment: While the story does have a very interesting premise, is very well written and a promising start, it quicky unravels into a HateFic with arguably the most evil [[RonTheDeathEater Manipulative!Dark!Dumbledore]] ever written, to the point that Voldemort becomes irrelevant for a good chunk of the story, eclipsed by increasingly evil deeds that seriously pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief past the breaking point.
[=[[reviews:HarryPotterJuniorInquisitor]]=]

''FanFic/{{Heir}}'' by Na'hiel
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: When Harry was five, [[NotSoImaginaryFriend he met his best friend]]: [[SuperpoweredEvilSide the sliver of another man's soul living inside of him.]] Things would never be the same again.
* Pairings: Voldemort/Snape, Harry/Draco
[=[[reviews:Heir]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12760426/1/ Her Mother's Love]]'' by inwardtransience
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Albus still didn't fully understand what magic young Lily had wrought that night. At the time, he'd only been grateful her noble sacrifice had earned them peace, however temporary. He should have looked into it deeper. He should have done something. Unknowingly, long dead, that arrogant girl might just have ruined everything. (Fem!Creature!Slytherin!Harry)
* Notes: Alternate [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/10076366/chapters/22454279 link]].
[=[[reviews:HerMothersLove]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9399640/1/ In Bad Faith]]'' by Slayer Anderson
* Recommended by throwaawy, Kogut, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead
* Synopsis: I never pretended to know what I was doing in my last life. Why should I pretend to know anything about this one? Well, the other option is a horrific and bloody death, so...I better start learning how to be a witch. SelfInsert.
[=[[reviews:InBadFaith]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4457149/1/Last-Chance Last Chance]]'' by [=Laume=]
* Recommended by: Charsi
* Status: Dead; last updated June 2016
* Synopsis: Dumbledore is a good pedagogue and gives little Tom the help he needs.
* Comments: A really heartwarming story.
[=[[reviews:LastChance]]=]

''FanFic/LilyAndTheArtOfBeingSisyphus'' by The Carnivorous Muffin
* Recommended by: feral, @/UncloudedTJ, Dame-Amaryllis

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11500936/1/Long-Live-The-Queen Long Live The Queen]]'' by offside
* Recommended by: @/JackTheRiffer
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: In the days prior to his Underage Magic trial, Harry Potter sends a letter to Queen Elizabeth II in hopes that she might be able to help. What follows are changes not just to Harry's life, but Magical Britain as a whole. AU story that ignores Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows.
* Comments: While it starts off slow, this fic is an enjoyable read that does a remarkable job of showing what would happen if the non-Magical government of Britan got involved with the Wizarding side. Has a flawed, but sympathetic, portrayal of Dumbledore, although he gets a particularly great ReasonYouSuckSpeech down the line. [[spoiler: Voldemort getting headshotted by a sniper mid-Killing Curse]] is my personal favorite scene. -@/JackTheRiffer

''Fanfic/LunasHubby'' by Meteoricshipyards
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, @/UncloudedTJ, Don Julio, Mazz, Puidwen, @/{{Robinton}}
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: 7-year-old Luna Lovegood sees how happy her parents are in their marriage and decides that she wants the same. Having heard from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter is a good catch, she borrows their family broom and kidnaps him, refusing to tell her parents where she found him. After realizing the abusive environment Harry came from, Selene and Xenophilus adopt Harry into their home, figuring that they can dissuade Luna from the marriage plot later.
* Comments: A very sweet and crazy fic. It's unabashed Harry/Luna shipping and it works spectacularly. The story ends at a slightly changed Triwizard Tournament where [[spoiler:Harry's animagus form, a rhinoceros, accidentally tramples Voldemort and Wormtail during a massive Auror raid on the graveyard.]]
** This story began as one of The Blot's Odd Ideas (see below for details) but grew from there. Considerably LighterAndSofter than its source material, but in a good way.
[=[[reviews:LunasHubby]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3446796/1/ Magical Relations]]'' by evansentranced
* Recommended by: Anthiens, Lavanya Six, @/TyrannoStorm, [=Dexterfans1s2s7=]
* Status: Dead (last updated March 2016)
* Synopsis: Harry didn't just get a letter -- Dudley does, too. Quite a bit of unexpected character developments, including a Hermione/Dudley friendship, Draco still being his bratty self yet being portrayed as human and Harry being in Slytherin. Extremely well done and up to fourth year.
* Comments:
** Anthiens: This story focuses largely on the relationships and the changes both Harry and Dudley go through. A number of people get ''very'' different interpretations... including Vernon. I don't read HP fanfic often, but this is tops.
** [=ShayGuy=]: I kinda liked this one's character interactions and ideas, but thought it fell short in the realm of actual ''conflict''. The bit when [[spoiler:they realize that the basilisk is still on the loose, but without a master]] is about as good as it gets, and that didn't even last very long.
** @/TyrannoStorm: Dudley's joining Hogwarts affects very little. The story is from Harry's point of view, and the main difference is Harry joining Slytherin [[spoiler:and befriending most everyone in it.]] As [=ShayGuy=] says, this story has little conflict. Personally, I found the lack of suspense a welcome change.
[=[[reviews:MagicalRelations]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8045114/1/ A Marauder's Plan]]'' by [=CatsAreCool=]

* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Diverge after ''Prisoner of Azkaban''. Sirius decides to stay in England after escaping Hogwarts and makes protecting Harry his priority.
[=[[reviews:AMaraudersPlan]]=]

''Mary Potter'' by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6435796/LeighaGreene LeighaGreene]]
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dormant
* Synopsis: What if there was no Harry, but Mary ''call me Elizabeth'' Potter instead? What would change? Fem!Slytherin!Harry.
* Books:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11437578/1/ Book 1: The Call to Adventure]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11587512/1/ Book 2: The Heir of Slytherin]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12124827/1/ Book 3: The Chained Servant]]'' (Dead, just barely; last updated February 2018)
* Side Stories:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12564264/1/ Tea]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12416212/1/ A Little Like This (Hermione's First Kiss)]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12325004/1/ The Night Before Christmas]]'' (Complete)
* Prequels:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11898266/1/ An Intermediate Beginning]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12078201/1/ Coming of Age in the House of Black]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12353660/1/ Regulus' Assignment]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12405167/1/ Scenes from a War: It Looks Like You Might be One of Us]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12668019/1/ Scenes from a War: The Perils of Becoming a Consummate Liar]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12668010/1/ Scenes from a War: The Marriage of Alice and Frank]]'' (Dead)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11797103/1/ What's in a Name?]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11994237/1/ The Changing of the Guardian]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12057308/1/ Coda: Not the Time]]'' (Complete)
* Not-Canon Sequels:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11522056/1/ Book 4 Preview: Lily Evans]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12385752/1/ Invitation to Collaborate]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11971977/1/ Tom and Hermione's Excellent Vacation]]'' (Complete)
[=[[reviews:MaryPotter]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9323225/chapters/21128351 The Meaning of Mistletoe]]'' by Endrina
* Recommended by: Eyikl
* ''Status'': Complete
* ''Synopsis'':“Just… tell me. Tell me what is going on, Snape.”
What was going on was that Severus Snape had no trouble tracking down one Petunia Evans, now Dursley, to a little town in Surrey where he saw how exactly she was treating her nephew. Which somehow led to last night and Severus knocking on Lupin’s door with a toddler half-asleep in his arms.
* ''Pairing'': Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
* ''Comment'': The first in a series of four, all of which are complete.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4345945/1/ Mirror Image]]'' snakes and lions unite
* Recommended by: Mazz, feral

* Synopsis: His whole life, Tom Foster has had reoccurring dreams about a boy nearly identical to him, Tom Riddle. But when he discovers that they are really memories, he must make a difficult choice - to remain a reflection or to find his own destiny.
[=[[reviews:MirrorImage]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2870906/1/ A Mistaken Sorting]]'' by Silver Pard
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: The Dunce Who Lived and his unfortunate brother have finally arrived at Hogwarts. Snape is both manipulative and placing bets. WBWL. Snape POV.
* Notes: Has a short prequel, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2861750/1/ Mistaken Identity]]''.
** Also recommended on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterHumorCrack page.
[=[[reviews:AMistakenSorting]]=]

''FanFic/{{Moratorium}}'' by [=Darkpetal16=]
* Recommended by: @/SanDemonMax, @/UncloudedTJ, Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Harry Potter was never a good little child. Harry Potter learned the hard way early on, that the good only won in stories and fairy tales, and so to adapt, Harry Potter chose not to be such a good little girl anymore. Fem!Gray!Manipulative!Harry
* Pairing: Fem!Harry/Tom
[=[[reviews:Moratorium]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695783 Muggle Management]]'' by Lady Winterlight & NerdyKat
* Recommended by:Eyikl
* ''Status'': Complete
* ''Synopsis'':In a fic where Harry suffers phyisical abuse, Hermione notices during the first year. The Grangers get guardianship over Harry, and Hermione forms a movement to help abused students at Hogwarts.
* ''Comments'': first in a series of five, all complete.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5165369/1/ My Nephew Harry]]'' by Creator/{{Lucillia}}
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, @/UncloudedTJ, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: After a traffic accident results in Vernon and Petunia being laid up in the hospital, Aunt Marge is forced to take Harry and Dudley into her house. She realizes that Harry is not the delinquent everyone makes him out to be and that Dudley hasn't been raised properly at all. Naturally, the only thing to do is to raise the runt right, as taught by her father, something that her brother Vernon seems to have forgotten, probably due to the poisonous influence of his wife.
* Notes: Has a sequel, ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8464273/1/ My Nephew Harry 2: The Hogwarts Years]]'' (dead).
* Comments: What makes this fic particularly good is that Marge is depicted in fairly unflattering terms, rigid and unbending, the product of a strict upbringing that flirted with psychological abuse. She's bigoted against other races, thinks that children should be regularly beaten to toughen them up, but she also has a strong moral core and insists on Harry growing up to his full potential even if she hasn't figured out how his "magic" thing works scientifically. Moreover, she definitely seems to be an UnreliableNarrator, particularly as concerns anything involving Vernon's culpability in the abuse.
[=[[reviews:MyNephewHarry]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/561032/chapters/1002157 A Necessary Gift]]'' by Cosette_Aimee
* Recommended by: Leid, feral
* Status: Dead (last updated February 2016)
* Synopsis: The war drags on after Voldemort's defeat and the Order of the Phoenix are fighting a losing battle. When Harry is hit by yet another killing curse, he wakes up years in the past and in an alternate universe. As an unknown child in an unfamiliar world, Harry has a chance to change the outcome of the war - while dealing with new magical talents, pureblood politics and Black family drama.
[=[[reviews:ANeccessaryGift]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8993792/1/ One World]]'' by Stellar Magic
* Recommended by: Omeganian
* Status: Dead; last updated March 2015
* Synopsis: Sirius and Hagrid weren't the first in Godric's Hollow. Hermione's dad was.
[=[[reviews:OneWorld]]=]

''FanFic/OnTheWayToGreatness'' by mira mirth
* Recommended by: Fiddlesoup, @/UncloudedTJ, @/MtheR, @/Sheaman3773, Fenro, @/FollyMolly, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead; last updated September 2014
* Synopsis: As per the Hat's decision, Harry gets Sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival in Hogwarts -- and suddenly, the future isn't what it used to be.

** @/MtheR: I have some nitpicks with this one, in regards to grammar and characterization and theme. I'm not sure that I buy all the character reactions mira mirth puts forward--something rings particularly false about Ron's, and Harry occasionally seems smarter than a teenager has any right to be--and I haven't decided whether elements such as the [[spoiler:retconned explanations for why [=GoF's=] plot was so complex]] are amusing, annoying, or necessary. On the whole, I'm hoping that Harry's something of an UnreliableNarrator. On the other hand, it's certainly the best Slytherin!Harry fic I've yet read, and definitely a good read for anyone who loves ridiculously convoluted political plots. Plus, sarcastic Harry is my favorite flavor of Harry, and this fic has plenty of that.
** I found the retcon above to be quite good, actually. This sequence of events makes quite a lot of sense, including the explanation for the double-portkey.
** Agreed with the above statement. I especially liked how the Magical Binding Contract, and some other rules of magic, were explained; it actually made some of the canon events more understandable. Also, while the characters' dark side seem to be exaggerated a lot, I think the portrayal of the characters stay true to canon.
[=[[reviews:OnTheWayToGreatness]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6783306/1/ Paging Dr Bell]]'' by zArkaham
* Recommended by: templar627, @/UncloudedTJ
* Status: Dead; last updated August 2014
* Synopsis: The 15 year anniversary of Voldemort's defeat is near so Luna is writing the behind the scenes look at what the 'power He knew not' was all about. She turns to Dr. Bell, famous psychologist, for her unique view of the B-W-L.
* Pairings: Harry/Multi
* Comments: This fanfic provides an interesting view into the wizarding world and answers a lot of questions about what Dumbledore did. It hinges on the idea that Harry meets and befriends Katie Bell and because of that things change. Also there is {{les yay}} in relation to how the magicals grow up and how that affects them as puberty happens.
** @/UncloudedTJ: Due to the nature of this story you might disagree strongly over the whole magical puberty deal as preteens will have risky encounters. However, it's very well done story, despite the apparently generic Manipulative!Dumbledore that shows up, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. Also, a majority of the story takes place in the appearance of flashbacks so don't expect a chronological depiction of events.
[=[[reviews:PagingDrBell]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7247199/1/ The Paths Diverge]]'' by Vaneria Potter
* Recommended by: Omeganian
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Because there was NO WAY leaving a toddler on a doorstep in the middle of a winter night could POSSIBLY go wrong...
* Comments: Harry being brought to someone else instead of the Dursleys or taken right from their doorstep is a common premise. But here, there is a minor twist... Harry simply crawls out of the crib himself. It is also common for Death Eaters to be taken out with guns. This fic uses frying pans instead.
[=[[reviews:ThePathsDiverge]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8429437/1/The_Perils_of_Innocence The Perils of Innocence]]'' by avidbeader
* Recommended by: Kizuna Tallis, {{@/Robinton}}
* Status: Dead. Last updated September 2017, but the author's still active.
* Synopsis: In 1986, the Dursleys, unable to deal with Harry's bursts of random magic, drop him off at a psychiatric ward for children. The doctors spend time studying and trying to understand Harry's abilities, and their work attracts the attention of the Grangers and the Thomases. Then the Wizarding World enters the picture...
* Notes: Alternate [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/495672/chapters/867718 link]].
* Comments: An interesting AU fanfic that manages to also have a few elements of [[DeconstructionFic deconstruction]] as well, yet also keeps the characters very much in-character with their responses to the different circumstances that occur around them.
[=[[reviews:ThePerilsOfInnocence]]=]

''Fanfic/PrinceOfTheDarkKingdom'' by Mizuni-sama
* Recommended by: Eccitaze, Elenor, @/UncloudedTJ, @/IHaveAHeadAche, [=AnUnConcernedCitizen=], [=FractiousDay=], Rasdra

* Synopsis: A WhatIf story where Harry's parents fled with him to Germany. Voldemort winds up winning the war, and establishes a dictatorship, but instead of killing all the "mudbloods," he simply segregates the wizarding world even further from the muggle world.
* Comments: A VERY interesting fic where Voldemort mentors Harry, with an interesting take on what happened to the characters (specifically, the ones who were on the losing side) and an incredible re-imagining of a lot of the characters, the Weasleys especially.
** Elenor could tell you that it has eveything from culture examinations to political intigue, but that makes it sound like something we've all seen before a hundred times. It's not, its really not. As for how you'll end up feeling about everyone, I think this quote sums it up nicely, "Tonks sighed, and ran a hand through her leopard print hair. She missed the days when you could support your allies with the same enthusiasm you could oppose your enemies."
** @/{{Nornagest}}: This is a frustrating read. It's readable, in fact fairly good, but very obviously inadequately edited; a few more revisions with an effective beta would bring it up to "excellent", but they're unfortunately lacking. A few out-of-place animesque elements don't help.
** Inadequately edited or not, it has to be said that once one gets into the story it is very easy to simply overlook most of the spelling and grammar mistakes and only a few manage to really shake the reader out of the story. In any case, this should not stop people from reading the story, because nearly everything else about it is rather brilliant and absolutely worth the read. Mizuni-sama has managed to write a fanfiction that draws the reader in and makes him unable to stop reading in the same way that the real HP books do. As was said, Prince of the Dark Kingdom, despite its faults, is definitely worth the time one needs to read it.
** [=AnUnConcernedCitizen=]: While there are some spelling and grammar issues that can be a little off-putting to a reader, once you really get a few chapters into this fanfic you don't even care anymore. It's that good. The way the author presents the alternate universe is believable, the characters stay consistent with their development and personalities throughout the story, and the Harry/Voldemort relationship is done so well that you actually understand why Harry can stand being around him. With the amount of garbage fanfics I start reading and then quit reading within 3 chapters, finding this diamond was awesome. If you want an intelligent read, this is what you're looking for.
** [=FractiousDay=]: Incredibly complicated fic, the author had literally completely redesigned the Harry Potter universe. Definitely worth reading, however, a few complaints. Firstly there's this pervasive kinda weird 'pagan' vibe running through it that is somewhat off putting. Also, make sure you read it continuously, otherwise you begin to forget things, you'll pick it up again and find yourself not understanding what's going on.
** [=calamondin=]: That's not even a complaint, Pagan!Harry simply is not found often at all, so OBVIOUSLY it would be "slighty-off putting" to encounter it, no matter how much bloody animal sacrifice were present! I for one thought it was a deliciously fresh interpretation of the folklore of the U.K., let alone canon's simplistic perversion of it all...
[=[[reviews:PrinceOfTheDarkKingdom]]=]

''Fanfic/PrincessOfTheBlacks'' by Silently Watches
* Recommended by: Download, D.Fox, Lustheron, Dame-Amaryllis, GoldenAlex
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Sirius searches for his goddaughter and finds her in one of the least expected and worst possible locations and lifestyles. How was he to know just how many problems bringing her home would cause? Dark!Fem!Twin!Harry.
* Books:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8233291/1 Princess of the Blacks]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9937462/1 Black Princess Ascendant]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11510729/1/ Coronation of the Black Queen]]'' (Complete)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12168884/1/ The Black Queen's War]]'' (Ongoing)
* Comments: Pretty much an original take on the 'Twin is the BWL and Harry is dumped at the Dursleys' fic. Very good, certainly not for children. [[spoiler: Jen (Fem!Harry) spent over half a decade working in a child brothel.]] Jen is ''not'' fond of the Potters at all, for good reason. The author does a very good job of fleshing out under-used characters like Narcissa and Andromeda, and gives an excellent reason for the 'imaginary' creatures that Luna Lovegood talks about.
[=[[reviews:PrincessOfTheBlacks]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8766329/1/ A Promise From Her Boy]]'' by [=PsychoCellist=]
* Recommended by: @/Powerupz77
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: It did not occur to Harry Potter to wonder why his Snowy Owl Hedwig was so much more affectionate than average. It did not occur to him he would ever need to care. That's why she waited to tell him.
* Pairing: Slight Harry/Hedwig which soon dissolves. The animal-human bond is greatly expounded upon with very different implications for both creatures. No smut or hormonal teenage boys running loose here, but intimate moments take place.
* Comments: This fic focuses on the relationship between Harry and Hedwig. The thing is, Hedwig is an animagus. A really cool fic that ends up keeping this AU rather canon. Be prepared to bawl your eyes out though.
** More Parallel than Alternate,with just a marvelous twist to keep it in the category of he latter. Highly unusual and lovely story from the perspective of one of the most overlooked character-pets in fantasy.
[=[[reviews:APromiseFromHerBoy]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1248431/1/ Promises Unbroken]]'' by [=Robin4=]
* Recommended by: Wookiee, @/LostLenore, [=DragonRidingSorceress=], johnhancookie, Dethryl
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A look at Harry's first year at Hogwarts and the political climate outside the school in an AU where Sirius was the Potters' secret-keeper. [[spoiler: Apparently]] dying rather than betray his friends, Lily and James are alive, Harry has parents, Voldemort is still at large, and the first war is still raging outside the castle walls.
* Notes: Has two sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1567001/1/ Promises Remembered]]'' and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2204188/1/ Promises Defended]]'', as well as a prequel, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4881348/1/ Promises Honored]]'', all complete.
* Comments: The brilliance of this story lies in the combination of making some things exactly the same as the books while radically changing other aspects. This is not a bland dark apocafic, but a very well-thought-out and detailed extrapolation of what could have been. What this author has done with the characters of James and Lily, Remus, and Peter is remarkably believable and logical, and the way a Harry who never went to the Dursleys views a much more divided wizarding world is a blend of both new twists and familiarity. The portrayal of the Marauders' friendship, including flashbacks, is beautifully rendered and heartfelt, and is the best aspect of the story. While non-orphan!Harry's personality may be a little too bland for this troper's liking, the characterizations of the rest of the characters makes up for it.
** @/LostLenore: Seconded. Admittedly, I find that Voldemort is a little underpowered (and perhaps slightly OOC?), but that doesn't really stop this fic from being great. Although it's set in the Trio Era, it really focuses on the bond between the Marauders. Since Rowling unfortunately employs TooCoolToLive on the Marauders in canon, their friendship here is quite bittersweet, as you see what might have been. But it's brilliant nonetheless. The third part is particularly good, and you might want to grab the tissues.
** [=DragonRidingSorceress=]: Thirded. I also recommend the various other 'Unbroken Universe' fics Robin has written.
** [=NamonakiRei=]: Fourthed. It's an amazing read, the characters are, for the most part, spot-on, and what divergences there are from the books are because the story was started before the end of the series. Note that Promises Defended is not finished on sugarquill.net.
[=[[reviews:PromisesUnbroken]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7613196/1/ The Pureblood Pretense]]'' by murkybluematter
* Recommended by: [=Mana001=]
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Harriett Potter dreams of going to Hogwarts, but in an AU where the school only accepts purebloods, the only way to reach her goal is to switch places with her pureblood cousin—the only problem? Her cousin is a boy. ''Alanna the Lioness'' take on HP.
* Notes: Has currently three sequels, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8239413/1/ The Serpentine Subterfuge]]'' (complete), ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10041727/1/ The Ambiguous Artifice]]'' (complete) and ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11911497/1/ The Futile Facade]]'' (ongoing).
* Comments: Do not be fooled by the ''Alanna the Lioness'' reference, this story is quite original in the depiction of all of its characters. Even though the story reflects a female Harry, we see quite a bit of divergence from Canon!Harry that allows it to have its own flair, which increases the enjoyment of this story exponentially. However, let it not be said that there are no attributes of the original character present. As you will see in the choices and decisions Harry makes, she is as true to her new character, as she is to the old one. The Pureblood society and the entire world building is taken on very seriously, and is quite nicely done. Characters have been stretched to fit into this new world (notably Draco, who is still a spoilt child, but with most of the malevolence gone). I personally greatly enjoy the deception Harry and her cousin Archie orchestrate, as well as the ingenious solutions they come up with in order to prevent the possibility of getting caught.
* There is way too much in the entire story to cover in one comment, however, be prepared for a Tom Riddle who is not an obvious Dark Lord, a Snape who is not unreasonable (though, his character is still portrayed with proper justice) and a Harry who wishes to become a Potions Mistress (to James Potter's dismay). I do not want to spoil the book, but most of the things Harry does needs to be taken with a pinch of salt (not to say she is a MarySue, however, her work schedule resembles canon Hermione's - something that is appropriately lampshaded many times by her friends). All in all, a highly entertaining story, I would recommend this to all Harry Potter fans; at least do not judge until after reading the first chapter.
[=[[reviews:ThePurebloodPretense]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6563043/1/ The Real Memory]]'' by [=Enigmaticrose4=]
* Recommended by: [=KittyKat848=], Mazz
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Voldemort strikes and Harry falls. When he comes back to himself he isn't at Kings Cross with Dumbledore. Instead he's at the Dursleys, going to Stonewall High instead of Hogwarts. Why?
* Comments: This is one of the weirdest stories I've ever read, in a good way! The suspense is definitely here and the author brings us to the same level as Harry in quite the same way that JK Rowling herself did. I love that I could feel Harry's confusion along with my own. Aside from the excitement and adventure there is a warmth and family atmosphere that truly makes this story feel genuine.
[=[[reviews:TheRealMemory]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2595818/1/ Rectifier]]'' by Niger Aquila
* Recommended by: foxintime, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Robinton}}, @/TheMightyOne
* Status: Dead; last updated January 2013
* Synopsis: What if during the first Chamber incident, Professor Dumbledore had caught Tom Riddle red-handed? Actually, life would have been amazing for both Tom and Albus (friendship). Until that is when one night, Professor Tom M. Riddle decided to check out if Alternate Universes do exist. Takes place around Half-Blood Prince in the canon universe. WIP.
* Comments: I like how author chose not to bleach Voldemort, but give him a reason not to go down canon path of another Dark Lord. He is a bad boy here, both of them are. Friendship with Dumbledore is made of win.
[=[[reviews:Rectifier]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9783012/1/ Reign of the Serpent]]'' by [= AlphaEph19=]
* Recommended by: @/{{Roo}}
* Status: Dormant; last updated June 2018
* Synopsis: In a world where the confrontation between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin went differently, a seemingly-immortal Salazar rules wizarding Britain according to the principles of blood purity, wizards split into a rigid caste system with the Serpent caste on top and the Mudblood caste at the bottom. Muggle-borns are taken from their families at an early age and raised to become cannon fodder for the war on the Dark creatures. But a few select "Mudbloods" who excel with exceptional talent or intelligence might gain the privilege of being raised to the Badger caste, and be allowed to attend Hogwarts... and Hermione Granger, recently taken from her family, is determined to attend Hogwarts and to shake up wizard society in any way she can.
* Comments: ''Massive'' AU, in which the Hogwarts House system is replaced by an all-encompassing caste system. Most of the familiar characters are present, if in unfamiliar roles -- in this universe, Dumbledore is a feared outlaw and the Order of the Phoenix are revolutionaries who want to overturn the caste system, while the role of Headmaster of Hogwarts has gone to Tom Riddle, here a decorated war hero with a shady past. The main focus is on the children, though; Hermione is the main protagonist, along with her fellow Mudbloods Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Harry (in this universe a fairly normal, if hotblooded, young wizard who was raised by his parents) also has a central role, as do Ron, Neville and even Draco Malfoy.
[=[[reviews:ReignOfTheSerpent]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6275865/1/ Remus Lupin, PI]]'' by Larry Huss
* Recommended by: Raiglory
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Remus Lupin didn't graduate from Hogwarts to become an odd-jobs man. He always knew he would be fighting the good fight, he just didn't know on which side of the Law. In the end,he made his own side.
[=[[reviews:RemusLupinPI]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9969014/1/ Seasons of Change]]'' by [=MPRose=]
* Recommended by: MariSkep
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: An attempt to go against a popular trope. What if, instead of becoming dark/grey and gaining more power that way, Harry had been a little more considerate? Begins with a small change in first year, and sticks close to the original, but sometimes small changes can add up to change the world.
* Shipping: None announced. The fanfic has only reached year two so there aren't likely to be any for some time.
* Comments: While the writing and premise are why I recommend this fic, it's the way [=MPRose=] uses subtlety that made it a must finish for me. The characters never need to scream or shout to communicate what they're feeling and it makes the scenes feel much more real. What isn't said is as important as the dialog itself. Very much in the light hearted spirit of the first book and relies on similar humor so if either of those things is a turn off for you then you're not going to like this fic. But I do think [=MPRose=] managed something that's unique as far as HP fanfiction goes and that it's worth reading.
[=[[reviews:SeasonsofChange]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2762511/1/ A Shattered Prophecy]]'' by Project Dark Overlord

* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A twist of Fate... an opened window... a cradle robbed... two frantic parents... a lost hope, along with a shattered Prophecy. Dark!Harry, Assassin!Harry.
[=[[reviews:AShatteredProphecy]]=]

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12302907/1/ Si-Vis-Pacem-Para-Bellum]]'' by Mister Cynical
* Recommended by: BlackVictorCachat
* Status: Ongoing
* Trope page [[Fanfic/SiVisPacemParaBellum here]]
* Synopsis: All they wanted was a normal school year and now they're willing to fight for it. An alternative take on the Trio's fourth year.
* Comments: A highly entertaining story as Harry and his beloved friends work to become dangerous enough to survive what is to come, deal with the immense stress they are under, and despite all the paranoia and violence stay kind and keep it humorous without delving into Dark Humour.

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4037437/1/ Slave Child]]'' by Kristen Hudson
* Recommended by: mad4t

* Synopsis: At the end of their fifth year, Draco duels Harry as revenge for landing his father in Azkaban. Draco hits Harry with a previously unknown curse, that forces him to be the slave of the first person to touch him afterward: Severus Snape. Harry and Snape are now stuck with each other and have to overcome their differences while Dumbledore tries to find a way to break the curse.
* Comments: It's a beautifully written, sad story. The author does a decent job with developing the relationships over time instead of making Snape "nice" right off the bat (although it still may seem to happen to quickly for some). Deals with some very hard topics, though, such as slavery, abuse, and suicide.
[=[[reviews:SlaveChild]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/581596 Sorceress of the North]]'' by inwardtransience
* Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
* Status: Dead; last updated November 2017
* Synopsis: Concerning the early life of the Grand Sorceress Melantha Black, also known as the Sorceress of the North. (Male-to-Female, Fifth Year AU)
** ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8495269/chapters/19468255 To Reach Without]]'': He hadn't wanted to be Harry Potter anymore. Things would be simpler, he would be happier. He had been almost positive he would be happier if he were quite literally anybody else. At the moment, he couldn't think of a better demonstration of the warning "be careful what you wish for". (Indefinite Hiatus)
** ''The Nine''
** ''Empty Spaces''
* Notes: Alternate [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11862560/1/ link]].
[=[[reviews:SorceressOfTheNorth]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/689909/chapters/1267386 The Spellmaker]]'' by [=SonnyGietzel=]
* Recommended by: feral

* Synopsis: Latin; a dead language with no practical applications except perhaps the deciphering of old texts and as a particularly quaint party trick. Thankfully, as Harry finds out, Latin is not as dead as he was first taught when he decided to learn the language. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, of course; he loved Latin, and would have been proud to know it even had it been as useless as it was pretty. But in the world of Wizards, the world of Magic, Harry realizes his rare talent with words is particularly valuable in the highly complicated and controversial subject of Spell Creation, a subject he soon becomes enamored with despite having to hide his interest from everyone. Besides, it's not like he's going Dark, after all. Smart!Harry, Dark!Harry.
[=[[reviews:TheSpellmaker]]=]

''[[http://corvidae9.livejournal.com/344634.html Switch]]'' by corvidae9
* Recommended by: capeclare, Mazz, @/UncloudedTJ, Eversor, Puidwen, @/{{Robinton}}, [=TheFlyingHamster=]
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: A prank by Fred and George confuses the Sorting Hat in Harry's first year, resulting in horrible house mismatches. ''"The Sorting Hat has sorted thousands of students in the course of its life. If it makes a mistake or two, who's to say it's wrong? Certainly not Fred or George Weasley."'' Written for the [info]omniocular September challenge - The Harry Potter AU Extravaganza prompt.
* Comments: A VERY interesting fic where despite neing humerous and cracky in it's brilliantway but is also an exellent and dramatic fic where everyone stay in character but manages to live up to their own house. This fic also has a very uniqe and interesting alasization on what houses mean and thier effects on the students lives and personalities. (may be a dead fic but has almost finished third year and is definitly worth a read.
** @/UncloudedTJ: I've found it hilarious so far as it takes things both seriously enough but also distorts it enough to make everything perfectly in character as well. Also the Weasley Twins working together with Luna Lovegood of all people is worthy of their one word: ''Fear''.
** [=TheFlyingHamster=]: One thing this troper loves about this fic is that the characters who've been 'incorrectly' sorted grow into their houses. It really addresses the issue of 11 year old being put in houses for the next 7 years based on their 11 year old self's personality.
[=[[reviews:Switch]]=]

''Fanfic/TheyShookHands'' by Dethryl
* Recommended by: [=LeoArchon=], Jay Llenrup, [=SteakAddictsAnonymous=], atrasicarius, @/BaronPraxis
* Status: Dead (last updated October 2017)
* Synopsis: Suppose Draco Malfoy introduced himself before he started acting like an ass. What if he had asked Harry's name before insulting Hagrid? A friendly handshake in Madam Malkin's leads to an alternate but realistic universe which is eerily like the canon, featuring a cast of first year Slytherins as you've never seen them: normal children. Join Harry Potter and his new friends as they discover their magical talents and help him to explore the world that has been kept from him these past ten years.
* Notes: This a complete rewrite of canon, book for book. It dies near the end of year six.

** [=LeoArchon=]: I am astonished that this one has not made the list yet. I think it fits ForWantOfANail pretty well in terms of fanfiction. And this author makes Slytherin!Harry ''work''. I was astonished when I first started reading this series, but I came to love it. It's an alternate interpretation of all of Harry's years at Hogwarts, and how they've been altered by being in Slytherin. RonTheDeathEater is not ''quite'' in full effect, though he despises Harry just because they're in different Houses. The author has changed a ''lot'' from the canon plot, and the changes fit the new Harry. As the Slytherin House Rules say, 'Slytherin does ''NOT'' mean Junior Death Eater'. The first four years are complete, and the fifth is in the works. It will not be published on FF.net OR Fiction Alley, the two main sites Dethryl uses, until it is complete. Though, in all honesty, this troper believes Dethryl could hardly do worse than the original Book 5.
** [=SteakAddictsAnonymous=]: This is the one fic I read which sounds like you are actually reading Harry Potter. I am talking as a person who disdains pretty much all Harry Potter fanfiction for the reason of not being canon, being too much of a wish-fulfillment, being something Harry wouldn't do, for simply not sounding like JKR, and pretty much everything and anything. (I wind up reading almost everything tongue in cheek.). The author does an excellent job of taking the text and making it JKR's style. It changes from the canon plot, but in such a way that could have happened it is almost like an alternate Harry Potter. (A Real Alternate Harry Potter. Like if JKR wrote the story differently and sold it, not like a fanfiction that has an alternate outcome.) This is a true For Want of A Nail Fic, and I highly recommend it to everybody. I particularly like the way the Slytherins are expressed, as the author said "as children".
*** And here, is the counterargument by @/MakiP: The story is very good, there's no denying that, the characterization is excellent and it does a good job showing Slytherins as people; the problem is Harry. I'm afraid Slytherin made him an unpleasant person, he's arrogant, buys into the whole "blood purity" thing and [[spoiler: he declared himself the Heir of Slytherin!]]; also Dethryl seems to be an anti-Gryffindor bias. Oh and [[spoiler: Hermione being killed by the basilisk after she's been bullied by Harry's little friends]] is enough for me to despise the story
*** 'Buys into blood purity'? You clearly haven't read the whole series yet. Harry will readily remind ANYONE that he himself is a half-blood, going so much as to quote one of the rules of Slytherin house: 'Blood matters. Ability matters more.' And since when is having an anti-Gryffindor bias a bad thing? It's a refreshing change from all the fics that depict Gryffindors as heroes who can do no wrong. [[spoiler: As for the whole thing about Hermione, look at things from Harry's perspective: she's an insufferable, know-it-all bookworm who thought it was proper to gawk and make statements about his fame without asking. If she's your favorite character, then I apologize. But no one said you had to read it.]]
*** I have to agree with Maki P here. The story is written well, but the author's anti-Gryffindor bias, Harry's far less than stellar attitude and a few other things definitely make it subjective. For example, [[spoiler: Hermione getting sent to Hufflepuff because Millicent Bulstrode bribed the Sorting Hat, Harry allowing and enjoying Crabbe and Goyle beating up Ron and his friends, the treatment of Percy, the whole switching Houses deal, etc.]]
*** [[spoiler:Keep in mind, Ron has been nothing if not an utter slimeball to Harry in this series. Besides, Harry does stand up for Neville at one point in first year, and tells off the other first year Slytherins for picking on pure-bloods outside of Slytherin. Except Ron, because Ron's gone out of his way to antagonize them. As for Hermione, well, wouldn't you be a LITTLE upset if someone starting pointing and gawking about you, rambling off interesting yet irrelevent facts about you like you were an exhibit at a zoo rather than a person? That's how Harry felt, and bribing the Hat to sort her into Hufflepuff was his idea of payback.]] And, again, what's wrong with anti-Gryffindor? Rowling's anti-Slytherin, so turnabout is fair play. But, as you say, it's all dependent on your preferences.
*** [[spoiler: True, Ron has been less than nice to Harry, and that smacks of {{Ron The Death Eater}}, (where do people get this idea that Ron would go out of his way to antagonize Slytherins from?), but then again Harry has acted much, much worse to Ron, so he has no reason to talk. As for Hermione, yes she was a little rude there, but far from unbearably so, and certainly not deserving that kind of revenge. that fact that the Sorting Hat could be bribed at all doesn't come off well.]] Well, in any case, it is a balanced portrayal of Slytherins, since aren't stereotypical monsters, but far from nice people, so Dethryl deserves a clap for that at least.
*** The statement that Harry has bought into the blood purity and racism of Slytherin is incorrect and shows that Maki P has not read the whole series. Harry's problem is with Muggles, not Muggleborns. Slytherin fed into his hatred of the Dursleys, and from his limited worldview, Slytherin is right about Muggles (violent, barbaric, etc.). In fact, by Y4 [[spoiler: Harry doesn't care about blood at all, only magicalness. He gets into a confrontation with Theo and brings up the fact that the Muggleborn Hermione Granger beat Theo in every subject in first year to try and crack Theo's attitude about blood purity.]]
*** Harry explicitly believes in the improtance of Blood Purity in this story. He puts it second only to ability. That means it's more important to him than morals and overall attitude. If you like the story, just say so. But don't pretend the story's lead isn't exactly what he's being accused of being.
*** @/MakiP again. No, I haven't read the whole thing, and that's part of the problem; the "heroes" seem too detestable for me, and I found the extreme anti-Gryffindor attitude hard to swallow. I think this has to be said, so readers know what they were getting into. (I wasn't, and I think I got hurt for that.)
*** @/Silverwind91: It's not just the extreme anti-Gryffindor attitude that is hard to swallow. I will freely admit that i did not get very far into it myself, but that was because it's as Slytherin-can-do-no-wrong as much as other fics are Gryffindor-can-do-no-wrong. There are token 'evil' house members to be better than, but for the most part it feels like the story was written by slightly less morally bankrupt Tom Riddle.
** I myself didn't like the writing style, I find it stilted, there's no flow to the characters speech, at least in what I've read. I don't think the writing even remotely resembles JKR, though the plot is decent.
[=[[reviews:TheyShookHands]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6036153/1/ Torn]]'' by Neurotica
* Recommended by: Thagomizer
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: An escape from Azkaban has called for drastic measures to be taken. Five-year-old Harry Potter is taken from his relatives' home and relocated with two of his parents' remaining friends.
* Comments: An absolutely superb story with absolutely flawless characterization. Sirius escapes a few years early, prompting Dumbledore to relocate Harry with Remus. Fantastic plotting and pace, with writing that approaches a professional level. Mad-Eye, in particular, perfectly continues his streak from Canon of being hilarious and a badass at the same time- if you can make it though him going undercover as a polyjuiced Harry-a four-year-old Harry- without laughing, you are made of some very strong stuff.
[=[[reviews:Torn]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18020687/chapters/42578318 Veracity]]'' by ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/users/faemalenomad/pseuds/faemalenomad femalenomad]]''
* Recommended by: shingen012
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: Severa (called Vera by her one and only friend, much to her annoyance) is having a rough Fifth Year. She's not getting any notice from her peers about her proficiency in the Dark Arts, and she's losing the only person she cares about to her own ambition. After an agreement with her rival, James Potter, they have decided to put their differences aside after a series of bizarre circumstances involving blackmail, break-ins, near-werewolf experiences, Unforgivables, and illegal potion making - to discover a plot to blackmail the Minister while trying come up with a plausible cover story for their partnership. With a life-debt in the mix, will these two find common ground? And who is using who?
* Notes: Snape is a girl named "Severa" and even in school never buys into blood purity, thus avoids the original event that ended their friendship with Lily. James and his group are still bully her but through circumstances work their way past their longtime antagonistic relationship. These changes lead to significant changes to the course of all of their lives.
* Comments:
** [=shingen012=]: I have long found that a number of fanfics set during Lily, James, and Snape's school years have the tendency to "pick a side" in the sense that it will either portray Snape as a paragon of virtue who was cruelly tormented by the evil ruffian that is James Potter; or Snape is a devil-incel incarnate poisoning Lily's life until she is rescued by the dashing James and his merry band of heroic Marauders. This is perhaps this first fic I've seen that introduces nuance to the whole situation, by portraying James, Snape, and (most importantly) LILY as complicated people. It show each character with their flaws intact but also shows their redeeming qualities. Snape (or Vera) is shown as someone that could be reasonably thought to have been Lily's long time friend, but also someone that struggles with their darker impulses. James's bullying of Snape is shown as the cruelty that it was, however, his willingness to grow beyond that as well as his loyalty to people he considers friends is demonstrated in full force. And finally Lily is written so that she isn't defined by her relationship to either of them. One of my favorite Potter fics, easily my Favorite "Marauders' era" fic.

''[[http://ink-splotch.tumblr.com/post/106737310659/what-if-when-petunia-dursley-found-a-little-boy Untitled]]'' by ink-splotch
* Recommended by: Komodo Classic, @/{{Kazeto}}, @/{{Robinton}}
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: What if, when Petunia Dursley found a little boy on her front doorstep, she took him in? Not into the cupboard under the stairs, not into a twisted childhood of tarnished worth and neglect—what if she took him in?
* Notes: Also recommended on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterOneshots page.
* Comments: A heartbreaking oneshot about what could have been, had Petunia looked at her nephew and seen a person, one worth raising like her own son.
[=[[reviews:InkSplotchUntitled]]=]

''FanFic/WeasleyGirl'' by Hyaroo
* Recommended by: Chaosjunction, Flairina
* Status: Ongoing
* Synopsis: Just what would Harry's life at Hogwarts be like if his best friend wasn't Ron Weasley, but Veronica "Ronnie" Weasley?
* Notes: Has a sequel Weasley Girl: Secrets of the Past, which is ongoing
* Comments:
** Chaosjunction: Fem!Harry fanfics are extremely common, but Fem!Ron fanfics are far rarer. Plus, this fic makes some interesting changes to the Harry Potter universe.
** Flairina: The premise may not sound terribly interesting at first, but things spiral out in a believable, quite interesting way that seems very OriginalFlavor. The shipping fixation that plagues so many of these gender flip fics is notably absent, and the plot is all the better for it.
[=[[reviews:WeasleyGirl]]=]

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/427653/chapters/719529 The Well Groomed Mind]]'' by Lady_Khali
* Recommended by: feral
* Status: Complete
* Synopsis: On Halloween 1994, [[HeelFaceBrainwashing Harry learns his mind isn't his own.]] On Samhain morn, he vows to question everything. Armed with logic and an unlikely ally, Harry makes a last-ditch bid to reclaim his life. The goal: survive at all costs. Manipulative!Dumbledore, Sane!Voldemort.
* Notes: Has a sequel, ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/545550/chapters/971012 The Mind's Guardian]]'' (dead).
[=[[reviews:TheWellGroomedMind]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8106168/1/ Weres Harry?]]'' by [=DobbyElfLord=]
* Recommended by: feral, @/{{Robinton}}

* Synopsis: Dark curses don't play nice- not even with each other. When nine-year-old Harry is bitten by a werewolf, the horcrux fights back. The result could only happen to Harry Potter.
[=[[reviews:WeresHarry]]=]

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3559907/1/ What Would Slytherin Harry Do?]]'' by Big D on a Diet
* Recommended by: feral, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Robinton}}, Dame-Amaryllis

* Synopsis: A series of short-stories exploring how Slytherin!Harry would have handled key moments from the books.
[=[[reviews:WhatWouldSlytherinHarryDo]]=]

''FanFic/WhenInDoubtObliviate'' by [=Sarah1281=]
* Recommended by: @/FuzzyBoots, boonerunner, Mazz, @/UncloudedTJ, Fenro, feral, Dame-Amaryllis, @/{{Robinton}}

* Synopsis: Gilderoy Lockhart is passing through when he runs into Sirius Black on the night of November 1st, 1981. Upon hearing that Harry Potter has been orphaned, he realizes his golden opportunity, Obliviates Sirius, and takes Harry Potter out of the country to raise him as his own. Eleven years later, Harry receives his admission letter and is accepted in Slytherin.
* Notes: Written by the same author of as ''FanFic/OhGodNotAgain'', a well recommended fic on the FanficRecs/HarryPotterPeggySue page.
* Comments: The story takes the mickey out of every silly aspect of the Harry Potter universe, but does so in good humor. Imagine ''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' with a Harry who still acts like a kid and lives in a non-crapsack world.
** Ron is particularly hilarious: he treats it as a personal betrayal when Harry is sorted as a [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Slytherin]]. He finally manages to recover his equilibrium by deciding that Harry was simply sorted incorrectly and proceeds to plot a series of increasingly outrageous schemes to "redeem" his friend from the perils of being in the wrong house.
[=[[reviews:WhenInDoubtObliviate]]=]


''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8192853/1/ Yes, I am Harry's Brother]]'' by Ynyr
* Recommended by: @/LooneyToons, @/UncloudedTJ, @/{{Seraviel}}, feral, Kogut

* Synopsis: A few years after the events of Halloween 1981, the wraith of Voldemort finds 4 Privet Drive and Harry Potter -- and is accidentally incarnated into a near-clone of Harry's 6-year-old body when the soul fragment in the child's scar rejoins with the Dark Lord's spirit. Using every bit of his cunning and experience, the re-youthened Voldemort then escapes and begins a long process that results in him returning to Privet Drive at age eight in the guise of Harry's half-brother, the result of an affair James Potter had with an American woman -- with the goal of studying Harry to learn what the prophecied "Power he knows not" might be. Along the way, Voldemort kills many, many people -- and gives Harry a much happier life. Then comes Hogwarts...
* Comments: Intriguing fic with some interesting ideas that defy fanon and fan convention without violating canon, and well-written as well, told entirely from Voldemort's point of view. We learn that there's far more to him than just the homicidal maniac that the canon Harry sees once a year, and maybe -- just maybe -- he's BecomingTheMask from playing Harry's half-brother even as the death toll among canon characters at his hands keeps escalating. The author is very subtle about it though -- "Vito Potter" sometimes feels like he's just a few weeks from a HeelFaceTurn, and then he'll turn around and a professor will be dead for getting too close to his secret; the reader is never sure which part of his personality is the "real" one. He seems strangely protective of Harry and even some of their friends, while at the same time plotting their eventual destruction when he comes back into power. Complete, and definitely worth a look if you want something different among your ''Harry Potter'' fanfics.
** The story has its ups and downs, especially towards the start, but steadily declines as it unfolds. It's an interesting read, especially if you don't mind rampant character bashing, but it doesn't really stand out from all the other OC/Super!Harry (even if it's not actually Harry in this case) by the end.
** An incredibly dark story where TheBadGuyWins and most of the heroes either die or are irredeemably corrupted. Also contains a good deal of squick in the form of multiple cases of pedophilia and some rather gruesome murders along with genocide. Do not recommend.
** @/LooneyToons: I will agree, the ending is somewhat anticlimactic.
** I liked the ending. It was a bit anticlimactic...until I read it again, tied together the bits about the Stone, and realized [[spoiler:that Voldemort had won completely and utterly]].
** The early bits and Voldemort's pairing with a certain much older somebody seem unrealistic....until you realize that Voldemort is taking full advantage of 50+years of social and magical experience and preparation. Voldemort is never redeemed, he loses much of his power and has to work to regain it, and isn't quite invincible, what with having to be far more manipulative than powerful. To summarize, it's Troll!Voldemort going on a rampage all while pretending to be super innocent. Vernon and Dudley meet a deserving end.
** Therefore, not worth reading.
** Easily among the best fanfics to date, especially how it makes subtle jabs and jokes of favorite fanfic tropes while being and enjoyable read throughout.
** The most interesting thing about this fic is Voldemort's cynical, calculating narrative voice which gives a very different perspective on Hogwarts and the characters from the books. The story varies in tone from moderately to extremely dark, and the latter moments generally involve canon characters meeting terrible fates, so beware of that. The structure is somewhat weak; most of the plot takes place in the first two years at Hogwarts, whereas I was hoping for more of a slow burn. It's also totally straightforward, with Voldemort facing no real setbacks and experiencing minimal character development in the course of his mission, which is why the ending feels so anticlimactic. The combination of Voldemort's perspective and your own expectations about redemption in storytelling may make you tempted to root for Voldemort, but if you do then you will be in for a series of gut-punches culminating in the biggest gut-punch of all in the final chapter. The story is very true to Voldemort's character in the sense that he ultimately views everyone and everything but himself as a disposable tool, but it can be perilously easy to forget that at times. As a last note, Harry's dialogue makes him sound immature to the point of having an AmbiguousDisorder, even at 12 years old. This could very well be a result of Voldemort's grooming, but I found it very distracting. Ultimately, despite my complaints, I found it to be an absorbing read. If you can tolerate some painful moments, I tentatively recommend it.
[=[[reviews:YesIAmHarrysBrother]]=]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7331278/chapters/16653022 Hermoine Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run]]''
* Recommended By: [=EmperorMax2019=]

* Pairings: Ron/Hermoine, Draco/Harry
* Synopsis: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.
* Comments: An intriguing fic with a very interesting premise: what would happen if for some reason, Harry never recieved his Hogwarts letter, and his first introduction to the magical world is six rebellious Hogwarts dropouts hoping to find him before the Death Eaters do. The author puts a lot of focus on the character dynamics and emotional arcs, as well as examining how different things would be if Harry had never gone to Hogwarts. The story is also full of delightful references to 90's pop culture, on account of both the time period, and the fact that the characters spend more time in non-magical areas as a consequence of the plot. The main focus of the narrative is the heroes' emotional arcs and CharacterDevelopment, and the author does not wish to rehash the Horcrux hunt, so the story stops before Voldemort can be defeated, and the specifics of how he and the death eaters are thwarted are left to the reader's imagination.


''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12092024/1/When-Harry-Missed-the-Trick-Step When Harry Missed the Trick Step]]''
* Recommended By: dmcreif

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12302907/1/Si-Vis-Pacem-Para-Bellum]]'' by Mister Cynical