It occurred to me, while reading a fic, that I haven't found a fic where Harry, or any other character, is an explorer. Imagine if there was an entire unexplored world full of wizards and magic that even the Ministries don't know about. I've seen Atlantis done, even a few South American and African-based stories, but I've never seen a magical world completely of the author's design. It seems like the type of undertaking only DLP would be able to convincingly pull off, and I suppose this post is a way of encouraging someone to write such a story, or at least lead me there if you know of something like this.

Plot Bunny: Years after Voldemort has been put to rest, while doing research, Hermione finds mention of a city that vanished behind a veil similar to the one in the Department of Mysteries. A mysterious key is thought to be able to open the veil, which had been locked from the other side, so that one can freely travel between the two worlds.

When a relic turns up, inscribed with a message that indicates it is the key to the veil, Hermione decides to experiment before entering. Unfortunately, she makes a mistake and tumbles in to the veil, leaving the relic, as well as all her notes, behind, and drawing the suspicion of Ron and Harry, who still believe she is alive behind the veil. Banned from the Department of Mysteries, they once again break in at night and, though they don't know how to use it, they take the relic and Hermione's notes with them.

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From there, I could see any author on this site making a great story. Adventure, Mystery, Drama, Action -- it's all there.

 

What links this to the Potter world though? sounds too much like Original Fiction.

 

There have been a few stories like this - mostly Buffy or Dresden crossovers.

 

I vaguely remember a fic where Harry travels to another dimension that Dumbledore had previously been to when he was younger and became a famous figure there.

 

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2686394/1/Hell-Eyes

Also this^ one almost recommended I would say, but it was pretty interesting.

 

Didn't Tinn write something along those lines ages ago? Song of the Trees I believe is what it was called.

Admittedly it's not precisely a match and I can't recall how well it holds up,

 

There was one along those lines from way back, a Harry/Tonks story if I recall correctly. It was original, but the quality was maybe a 2.5/5 at best. I'm fairly sure I've seen a few others along those lines with original magical worlds, but none of them were any good.

I want to say the name of the H/T fic is War Mage, but it's been years.

 

It's not a bad story, but I spent most of it wondering why it featured Harry Potter. It was like reading a crossover where the main character was replaced with HP, and I couldn't help but feel that I would have preferred to have been reading the original story (that doesn't actually exist).

 

Found it. It's called The Zealot by Amerision. Knew it was by a DLP author, couldn't quite remember which one.

 

For anyone planning to follow this link: Prepare to be infuriated. :fire

This post sums up my feelings on the story (which is even more frustrating than linking to an old post full of typos you can no longer edit).

You can skip the spoiler-spaced section, unless you've already read the story.

 

^Pretty much this. I was looking foward to Harry and Lush getting together when Harry has gone to Olympus like place...

But it didn't happen. And I was sad.

 

Precisely this. I seem to remember forlornly wondering why the author didn't tell us what it was crossed over with.

 

Plot Bunny seems to have a fairly complicated set-up just to get into this other world. How about something like Spirited Away? Crossing an empty riverbed and happening to stumble on the spirit world. Or passing underneath a natural bridge like this: http://www.naturalarches.org/big9_files/FairyBridgeDownstream1680.jpg.

It seems to be a bit more...magical (?) if the method of "passing through" is coincidental instead of researched with keys and such.