Ha! I just had a great idea (or not?).

A crossover between Harry Potter and Batman Begins (or any Batman story)! Through <plot device> Harry ends up in Gotham City, is adopted by the Wayne family who found him in <plot location>, and grows up to be the Dark Knight! He discovers his powers, and after the tragic death of his family, assumes the identity of Batman! His developing wandless magic skill (of course, he doesn't call it that) giving him rudimentary flying skills (think self-targeted Leviosa) and help in his crusade against <plot negative virtue>. Maybe instead of the League of Shadows, a Dark Arts group that teaches him about magic?

Has it been done before? Is it doomed to failure? Should I never post an idea again?

 

"Has it been done before?"

Not that I know of.

"Is it doomed to failure?"

Most likely. It would take a very imaginative author to make this into a feasible plot. How is Harry going to appear in Gotham City and WHY would the Wayne family adopt HIM?

It would be pretty cool to see Harry mixing muggle technology with magic (although I usually don't like stories like that, Batman doesn't seem like TOO MUCH of a stretch) and of course, going through a League of Shadows type training sequence (as long as it went in depth into it).

BUT the plot itself would just be too hard to put together IMO.

"Should I never post an idea again?"

I haven't been on DLP very long, but this isn't the worst "challenge/idea" I've seen. That said, it's not the best either.

I'd just advise you to actually develop some of the plot devices rather than saying "by a random plot device Harry does this". Give some background information and it will be easier for someone to pick up the challenge, ya feel me?

I guess that means you can post again

 

I'd totally read that if it were done by the right author. Batman and Harry have a lot in common. They're both the last scion of a rich family and both had their parents murdered by a psychopath at a young age. A dark-independent harry could step right into that role. Batman always had an edge to him that I liked a lot. He didn't just send his enemies back through the prison revolving door. When a bad guy pissed him off enough, he killed them.

 

I don't know about this. What I liked about Batman is because he doesn't have powers like any other hero. He only relies on technology and his fighting skills. Putting magic into Batman, however, would totally destroy the name Batman. Anyway, as for their characters, I have to agree that they blend rather well. I'm not saying that this is doomed to failure. Actually, I'd like to see a great author pull this one off.

 

With a little tweaking, this could actually be a pretty good story.

My ideas:

Having Harry end up in Gotham City due to Vernon getting transfered or whatever doesn't look good, and is pretty much a cliche. Have it the other way around. Just after losing their son in a tragic mugging (a ten year old Bruce took the bullet for his mother) the Waynes decide to take a vacation to England.

While touring through Surrey, they come across a muddy and ill-fed ten year old Harry Potter who, fed up with being the family punching bag (verbally or physically) has decided to run away.

After a bit of coaxing, the Waynes are able to get the truth out of Harry. The male Wayne, a sympathetic soul, decides to use his contacts to rapidly and discreetly adopt Harry, while getting the Dursley's nailed for child abuse.

So Harry disappears off of Dumbledore's radar when he moves with the Waynes back to America. Growing up Harry Wayne, he learns to control his accidental magic and practices in secret, while living the life of the heir to the Wayne fortune until age 16, when his parents are tragically murdered by a deranged killer.

Distraught, Harry vows to find the murderer, and so goes through the process of becoming Batman. By the time he is 18, he's buffed out, packed with all the latest gadgets, has firm grasp on wandless magic and ready to kick some ass.

After he kills his parents murderer, Harry retires the Batman persona, and begins to live the life of a young billionaire. One day (at age 20-25), when his picture is put in newspapers all over the world for inventing a fabulous new product, Albus Dumbledore (who reads the muggle newspapers in canon) sees his scar, and immediately goes to recruit Harry to help fight Voldemort, who has been reborn and is terrorizing wizarding Britain for years.

At this point, the author can pretty much do anything they want. Have Harry be reluctant, be eager, what ever they want. The point is, with a bit of fine tuning and decent writing, this could be a bitching story.

 

Muttering, that is bitchin'. Somebody needs to pick this up. I'd love this if it ended up done right.

 

Yeah, you proved me wrong. Although it has already been said that Batman doesn't have powers, just skills, this would still be a refreshing story if someone wrote it: the more brutal the better

 

The plots already here. Now I just wish a great author like Nonjon or jbern picks this up.

 

I have to agree with you there Averis, brutal is better. The original comic book had Batman portrayed as a the true Dark Knight. He was a ruthless, powerful, and sometimes sadistic vigilante. I mean, when the Joker was gassing people so they suffocated from laughing to death, Batman was out kneecapping and curb-stomping anything that got in his way.

So I like the idea of RuthlessBatman!Harry. A strong, violent, and powerful Harry, completely worthy of the title of The Dark Knight.

 

Hmm... I know I read a story where Alfred Pennyworth takes in Harry to raise him after Petunia and Vernon either boot him out or get killed. Trying to remember where it was or what happened. I think maybe even the timeline was pushed way back and while Alfred raised young Bruce, he was also raising young Harry.

But even still, I know this crossover has been around a while and predates the latest movie:

Sufficiently Advanced Technology by Laurel Romm
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1936472/1/
Chapter 18 up FINALLY! WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS for all five Harry Potter books! BatmanHP. While investigating a series of mass murders in England, Batman spends his spare time trying to work out the technology he believes is behind Hogwarts magic.
Batman - Fiction Rated: K+ - English - Fantasy/Action/Adventure - Chapters: 19 - Words: 46,687 - Reviews: 249 - Updated: 6-22-05 - Published: 6-29-04

Though I don't think I've read any that are really the 'dark' dark type stuff you're all looking for. Most of the Batman type crossovers are more comic-based considering how much more canon there is.

EDIT: Crud. I didn't read an Alfred raises Harry story. I just imagined it in my head. The idea was posed and I'd thought about it back in November in this post on a yahoogroup. That's why I couldn't remember any details.

 

I want to read this. It's a great story idea. Can somebody lean on Nefar and Muttering Condolences to get this idea posted in the challenge section please?

 

I'm about to do it if they don't.

 

I don't know about this. I really don't like the idea of harry becoming batman. Hell if Harry were to be adopted and gets a new brother, then there might be something.

I mean, growing up, harry and bruice are like best of friends then tragic hits. In batman begins, Bruice goes on some self discovery trip and Harry goes with him...or Harry doesn't follow him and goes on his own path, learning magic. Meh! Who knows.

I really don't want to see a magic wielding batman. Batman is so popular because of his own strengths and not through something else. I don't want to see that destroyed because Harry wants to be batman.

 

Well Akaash, you could always have it a different way:


Harry hits his head during the school year and comes to believe that he is Robin. Watch as he attempts to pass for this 'Potter' person in this strange world. Watch as he desperately tries to convince Severus Snape that he is Batman. Watch as tries to undo the 'brainwashing' of his mentor.
Will he succeed? Will 'Batman' regain his memories? Will Snape survive with his sanity intact?

Will the Dark Night rise again?

 

I have to admit that this thread has gotten me interested in the concept of a Batman Begins/Harry Potter crossover.

The basic idea that I'm tossing around makes things a bit AU for both Batman and HP, but not hugely. The problem I'm having is how to avoid cliché story elements. I was hoping to get some ideas.

I'm working from the angle that Wayne Enterprises (the modern name of the Wayne family business interests) and Potter Investments (working on a better name) have worked hand-in-hand for several hundred years. While the Waynes are as muggle as they come the Potter family has always worked its investments in both worlds in order to increase its profits. This working relationship between companies would put the Waynes and Potters on a social level, but not too friendly.

Timelines will get meddled with a bit, but in '81 the Potters are killed as per usual. The difference will be that (stealing the idea from my own challenge) the Potters made arrangements for Harry to be raised in the muggle world by a trusted family friend. This ensured that Dumbledore wouldn't get a hold of him, and that he would be familiar with his family's legacy.

In '89 the Waynes are murdered and Harry and his Guardian attend the funeral. This marks the first time Bruce and Harry meet, but both understand they share something in common. Harry returns to England and his life and Bruce goes about his in the US. In '91 Harry declines his invite to Hogwarts, choosing to follow his parents plan to study independently. When word spreads that Voldemort made an attempt to steal the SS Harry realizes Voldemort will be coming back at some point (with the pointed advice of his guardian).

Long story short (too late), both Bruce and Harry end up on separate, but converging, paths to learn what they need to know to avenge their parents. Their paths meet up in the culmination of their training...somewhere.

This is where I'm stuck trying to avoid the cliché. Do I stick with the Batman Begins story and have them meet up to train with the League of Shadows? Do I alter the story to have them meet elsewhere? I'm just not sure. Input would be appreciated.

Now, after their training Bruce and Harry have formed a brotherly bond, but realize they each have their own battles to fight. This leads to them choosing to help one another when/where they can, but for the most part go their separate ways.

The timeline has now moved to around '01 and the Wizarding world has all but given control to Voldemort. Gotham is pretty much the same way...only minus the evil wizard aspect. Much ass-kicking ensues.

...so yeah that's as much as I've got worked out at the moment. Ideas? Suggestions? Help to avoid cliché plot elements?