With the amount of fuss over Harry Potter's 'Boy-Who-Lived' status, wouldn't he be considered on the same level of royality to wizarding-raised half-bloods and purebloods? Even if said fame did sort of tape off during the course of the novels.

 

Recently, I had a plot bunny I will probably never write, and if I did, it wouldn't be as good as it could be.

When Voldemort made multiple horcruxes it had consequences he didn't expect. When he attempts to kill Harry and the killing curse rebounds, Voldemort's soul splits six ways. One piece in Harry and one piece is absorbed by each of his horcruxes. It gives each of them the consciousness and power to reach into the world around them, find someone and use their life force to create a body in the same way the diary did to Ginny.

Harry Potter must defeat five Dark Lords, instead of one. All of them would be vying for power, against each other and all of them would be tied to this world by Harry.

 

Interesting. Would it also work if Harry's subconscious is fueling some of the behaviour?

 

I didn't even think of that, but yeah. Harry would be connected to all five of them in the same way he was to the canon Voldemort. Could even make the piece in him larger or more active and have him bear more of Tom Riddle's traits. Or if they return while Harry is young he could definitely be affected by extremely violent visions without any rational explanation.

If you or anyone else wants to write this, you have my permission. I probably wouldn't get much done if I tried, especially with school starting pretty soon.

 

This has a lot of potential. Enemies whose behaviors are influenced by Harry's subconscious, or even going so far as being embodients of certain aspects of Harry's psyche.

One form this story could take could be set in a Gothic-themed kind of world. One where it would feel realistic to have Dark Lords rampant throughout the landscape, murdering and spreading chaos. Basically treating modern Britain like a ruined kingdom, set upon by these incredibly powerful entities that are these Hocruxes come to life, that have crushed muggle civilization, and are assaulting the last pieces of it, as well as the wizarding world.

This Harry has a complex history and personality, with major incidents, and relationship with his family and friends, and enemies, all having shaped his pscyhe. These elements, like his fear, ambition, rage, regret, resentment, hope, desire to be a hero, and a secret desire to destroy, are exernalized with these Horcruxes.

They act accordingly, the Dark Lords drawn to different realms or places in the wizarding and muggle worlds based off Harry's history with them, and sometimes doing strange, erratic things. I can't think of clever examples, but they each suggest a psychological link to Harry, and will be seen as clues to help Harry resolve these elements of his character.

Some of these living Horcruxes could be more primal beings, reacting out of paranoia, or out of rage.

One is gentler, and has withdrawn into hiding, representing the kindness of Harry. A good plot development would be to have the other Dark Lords hunting for this one.

Harry's journey to vanquish them is tied with his inner progression.

But there's the most powerful of the five. Tom Riddle is dominant in this entity, but for a small part of Harry's essence embedded within it. But this synergy of Riddle and a key part of Harry leads to this fragment being able to transcend the normal boundaries of great sorcerors, because it contains Harry's unpredictability. His irrationality. Or something else.

This is the Dark Lord who has the most sophisticated of the overarching plots, and is most dreaded.

The premise looks kind of like a fairytale/epic hybrid. A few games and books have dealt with the protagonist facing the storm of his psyche in the world around him. Like American McGee's Alice, with Alice's and Wonderland's relationship, kind of, except here it's Harry and the Hocruxes.

 

An idea for a one shot or contest entry (when there's eventually another).

Title would be something cheesy like ~ Believe in Nothing.

The story expands upon some cliche elements, mostly stemming from the idea about the prophecy. Voldemort believes in it, and as such, it becomes truth. It is also essentially self fulfilling since Harry would go after Voldemort whether or not it existed, but as Voldemort believed in it, the prophecy slowly began to fulfill itself.

The story also plays on the idea that you need to believe in yourself and your magic in order for it to work, otherwise it may rebel against you, fizz, backfire, whatever. Case in point; Neville. He's not confidant in his ability to perform magic when he's younger, and in return, his magic is mediocre at best.

Perhaps it may work on the idea surrounding Peeves, and how he's a product of all the ambient chaotic magic in Hogwarts.

Harry has the Elder Wand. It's Legendaryness is of Mythic proportions, and it has tales about it for as long as tales have been told. It's power is second to none. or is it?

Everyone believes the wand to be some super wand of renown. Dumbledore did amazing things with it. Harry did amazing things with it. Harry can do stuff with the wand that he couldn't do with his Phoenix feather one. People have killed over it.

Then, he meets Ollivander, who inspects the wand and tells Harry that while it's old, it has no special powers. It's just a wand.

This breaks Harry's belief in it. Harry's magical ability becomes subpar, and he can no longer cast the best of his spells. He loses confidence in it.

The wand is a victim of its own notoriety.

It takes months, even years, just for Harry to get close to the proficiency he had with the Elder Wand, but he will never be as a good or as strong as he was when he used it when he believed in its powers.

Then, someone tells him something ground breaking. It wasn't the wand that gave him specials powers. The wand is just a wand, a focus for his magic, a tool. The true magic comes from within. Harry could only be as powerful as he was, inside. So, all the great feats he could do were coming from him, because is confidence and belief were at an all time high. All his belief was fueled by the legends, and belief is a powerful magic in its own right.

Now, with his newfound knowledge and understanding, he regains his former power (which he never actually lost, he just lacked his confidence to use it).

Stuff happens. The end.

 

I can see Phineas&Ferb special episode from this.

 

So basically, it's a villain with all the advantages of a hero. With the other Voldemorts, I would read the shit out of this story. Seriously. Someone type this up and I will follow it like a cultist.

 

I have this idea for a Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell/HP crossover, but I haven't the foggiest how it'd work out. Regency era HP in the thick of Napoleanic Wars is something that sounds insanely awesome and daft at the same time.

I've even got a bit of an snippet worked out:

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One particularly soggy London afternoon Jonathan Strange was in his study, bent over a book. The author of this particular tome, Of Magicks Held Most Dear, had an unhealthy fondness for the ambagious, and appeared to have sunk to such depths of circumlocution and diversionary wordplay that he seemed to thoroughly confuse himself by the third chapter. The author, Martin Thomas Childeroy was a minor 13th Century magician, generally well regarded but not thought to be important, was chiefly known for the strange madness which afflicted him during his later years. He became convinced that a cabal of rival magicians and their faery servants were conspiring to murder him in his sleep and steal his secrets. Thus he spent the last years of his life devising elaborate ciphers and writing the impenetrable ‘Of Magicks’ which supposedly contained his jealously guarded secrets; he collapsed shortly afterwards from lack of sleep and died, surrounded by mirrors that he employed to guard against assassins sneaking up on him from behind. However, it was one of the rare few books of magic that Strange had managed to procure before Mr. Norrell could snatch it from beneath him, and as such it behoved him to study it.


Currently, Strange was midway through the fourth chapter, which seemed to be primarily concerned with the correct procedure for boiling a cabbage (for maximum flavour, averred Childeroy, one should boil the cabbage on the night of the vernal equinox in an iron cauldron that has not suffered the touch of a woman). Sighing, Strange put down the ponderous text, and wondered, for the hundredth time that afternoon, that any secrets to be had from this book surely were not worth the effort expended to decipher them.


There was an insistent knock on the door and Jeremy, Strange’s servant, stuck his head in.


“Mr. Childermass here to see you sir, with a message from Mr. Norrell,” he said.


“Yes, let him in then,” said Strange.


No sooner than Mr. Strange gave permission for him to enter did Childermass come stumbling in. He was out of breath and looking a lot more dishevelled than Mr. Strange was accustomed to him being.


“Mr. Strange! Come quick, Mr. Norrell. Mirror – another magician, with a wand!”

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First post!

I've had this idea for a while now, and I'm sure that it or something similar has been done before even if I haven't seen it. Anyway I'm not nearly skilled enough at this point to do more than outline it. Basically there is a spell or artifact (author's choice) that would come into contact with Harry at some point in his school years (4 or 5 would be my choices.) Magic happens and poof in addition to Canon up to that point Harry! there would be three additional versions of him.

In my version they would be Harry from alternate worlds where he would be in a different house than Gryffindor. In addition they would all be Harry from a different point in his life.

From that point I can picture the story going in several directions, and that is my main problem with the idea. I can't pick which path to take it down. I'm sure there are many here who could do interesting things with the idea... or destroy it. Whatever works.

 

I would make them so that only Harry could see them, or possibly they're only in his head, and make sure to maintain doubt - both on Harry's and the reader's parts - about if they're real trans-dimensional travellers or if he's just gone nuts.

 

Harry's sectumsempra on Draco in the bathroom goes deeper than in canon and Draco dies. Freaking out he runs to Ron, hermione and Ginny.

He and Ron decide to get the hell out of dodge before they get thrown in azkaban (remember the ministry had almost been taken over by this point) now I can't remember if Harry and Ginny had kissed by now or what but if they haven't then I reckon I could make it more emotional by having him "confess his feelings".

Hermione and Ginny stay back to cover for them, not sure where Harry and Ron will go but it'll be very different to the British wizarding world and it would have to be somewhere far from Voldemorts influence.

Then while away they'd hear about the ministry being completely taken over and the muggle born commission etc and go back find the horcruces, possibly with hermione and Ginny or I might have them be captured at some point or in azkaban. Actually that would be interesting I can't think of a fic where hermione or ginny are in azkaban.

I'd like to make this a full on coming of age type thing and follow both strands of the story, Harry with Ron and hermione with Ginny. And of course a very emotional reunion at the end.

What do you guys think?

 

Speaking strictly on the quality of the idea, it's fine. But the actual interest value is nonexistent, to me at least, due to DH.

I don't even dislike DH, it's kind of strange. When I think of HP fanfic reading material, DH literally doesn't even occur to me. And when you bring it up, it's like an alien concept to me. "People, even HP-tards, actually write about the seventh book?" That's how barren of interest value any DH-related fic is.

 

The ministry was not nearly taken over at this point. This was when Scrimageour was in power, at pretty much the height of public support for Harry, after he was proven right about Voldemort's return. I reckon if Harry said a convicted Death Eater's son had tried to use an unforgivable on him, and Harry killed him in self defence Harry could get away with it.

They hadn't kissed by this point. But I don't really see Harry as someone who'd confess his feelings. Particularly as it might get Ginny into trouble or put her in danger, and we saw at the end of HBP that he'd rather break up with her than allow that to happen. I think you'd be better to leave the romance until later in the story, because then you can avoid the ridiculous amount of angst that could come from getting them together and then separating them instantly.


Hmm, Andro's post made me realise that I can't think of a single DH-related story that I've read, and I don't know why. They must exist, right? I'd like to see this just to correct that absence of reading.

 

Sure they exist, though at the moment I recall only one from DLP - A Story of Hallows and Horcruxes by Johnny Farrar.

 

They do exist, but there isn't much you can read in the way of fanfiction where only reactions are changed from canon, as opposed to introduction of new characters or events.

DH was the finale. The board was basically completely set, and there was only a few things that needed doing before the series could end. Dumbledore is dead, the MoM is near collapse, Voldemort is back, and we know about horcurxes. Without retconning things in, and without bringing in huge elements, you are very limited in what can actually happen. And unless they are deliberately sticking close to canon, writers will want to diverge.

The only one I can recall reading recently that I actually finished was a H/Tonks one, and she comes along on the camping trip. It wasn't fantastic by any means, and very little changed anyway.

 

I've always liked the thought of:

The Harry Potter plot, but occurring far earlier historically, 7th century British Isles.

I'd stylize the title of such a story as: Brytenwalda (after the mod for Mount and Blade, FYI).

A Middle Ages historical setting, back when everyone's names were Old English, Welsh, Irish.

Non-unified Britain, struggling under tyrants, warring lords, young Harry's living in a hamlet with his family trying to hide from the bloodshed. Typical of this kind of literature.

But in all of this, magic resides.

It's existence is unknown. Wandering bards, sages, gleemen, and the like are wizards who watch for muggleborns in their travels. They find their own kind, and bring them to a handful of monasteries where they instruct them in the ways of magic.

Voldemort's identity is reimagined only slightly. He's the bastard son of a highborn ruler, begotten when Merope tries to marry into a noble bloodline. Like in canon, he murders his father. This act is a huge catalyst in the instability engulfing Britain. He wants to prevent the Muggle world from ever unifying, and is gathering a following among the branches of wizarding communities, trying to convince them to reveal themselves and subjugate Britain.

The plot would revolve around Harry as he learns of magic, trying to end the wars and power struggles, and eventually fulfilling his destiny to give life to the future realm of Northumbria.

What would make this worth reading? The timeline gives us a framework for a fascinating setting that is entirely unprecedented. The only fic that even slightly resembles this would be Grinning Lizard's Assassin's Creed crossover. That kind of atmosphere just can't be duplicated in the modern setting JKR chose. If you're the reader following Harry's journey, and he's in Surrey, then there's no drama in the consideration of what's going on 50 miles away. Simply because it's the 20th century, and you know there will be neighborhoods, roads, restaurants, petrol stations, museums, bookstores...

But in this kind of setting, 50 miles away could be something completely differnent.

This makes for a cool overarching plot, and creates a staggering amount of potential for epic storytelling.

Harry striving to create Northumbria sounds pretty fucking badass to me.

The main plot threads, like Harry's story, or Voldemort's, and the story on the societal level, are all potentially interesting. A lot of incredible plot developments are possible, such as the arrival of Dementors from overseas over the waters, who not even the wizards have ever seen before. Maybe Merlin's descendants or disciples are still alive, and play a part in things.

Wizarding society might not have advanced so far either. I mentioned branches of wizarding communities because there really isn't a singular magical society, but branches created by certain teachers, their students, families, who want to protect muggleborns as they are born to superstitious parents,

But because wizardry and witchcraft might be devilish, the majority of muggleborn children are slaughtered the moment their hair color changes, or they vanish and reappear. This would make Voldemort more compelling, because unlike canon, he'd be fighting for the lives of his kind. Enslave the Muggles, make a system where the lives of muggleborns won't be ended by their own families before the wizards can reach them. That'd be powerful, he'd win rightful support, and this leads to a huge schism in the magical world.

 

Harry Potter, the infant who lived, suffered terribly when brought to the edge of death with the killing curse. No magic rests within the boy today. And yet, an owl did deliver a letter to the Dursley household, one addressed to a young wizard, Dudley Dursley.

So after reading The Cupboard, I'm hankering for a Dudley protagonist. Harry has no magic anymore, effectively a squib. The boy who lived cannot stand aganist voldemort, and without a savior, can the wizarding world stand against him? What can one muggleborn bully do?

Currently, the answer is nothing, resulting in Voldemort winning and bad times for all, and I can't really find a way to turn it into a story.

 

There was a story of a Harry Potter who dies (in the final confrontation with Voldemort) and is "reborn" (or timetravells to) in a Dudley's 10 year old body, with another Harry Potter there. And the Harry without the memories turns out to be a squib, and Dudley has magic, because something.

Sounds familiar, but would be a bit more interesting if done well. Maybe. Just because reading about pure Dudley would be boring, and this way there's at least Harry involved.
I don't really remember where I read that story so it might have been horrible to decentish.

 

After reading The Cupboard I was thinking about the same idea, but from different side of things - what would be Dursleys' reaction to this turn of events? I was thinking about a story where they would drift apart from Dudley and embrace Harry as their "normal" kid (and since he had no magic to begin with he wasn't abused like in the canon, but mostly ignored). How these two would react to this change? What kind of people would they grow up to be?

Could be interesting one-shot.