I had this idea for the beginnings of a dark!Harry. Nothing as extravagant as a plot-bunny though

So Harry's parents survive, but Voldemort is vanquished nonetheless. Harry grows up having everything, becomes spoiled. When Voldemort comes back to life again and the war starts, Harry's parents can't find the time to pay attention to Harry with all their duties to the Order. So basically being a spoiled brat he becomes bitter, because his parents suddenly stop paying attention to him.

Basically this would have to be an arrogant!Harry and being spoiled he wouldn't exactly be the most studious of people, so no forgotten-knowledge-possessing!Harry Maybe he would be about canon!Harry's level regarding knowledge. After all, he grew up in a magical household and picked up a few things. Extra spells like the Patronus would have to be left out, since that was more like a self-preservation instinct than studiousness during canon.

Of course then Voldemort plays with Harry's feelings of bitterness and persuades him over to his cause. Harry would have to be fairly powerful to attract Voldemort's notice. So the Dark Lord teaches Harry the Dark Arts, maybe a torture scene or two, because an arrogant brat would no doubt oppose Voldemort even if minutely.

Then the fic could go in all kinds of ways depending on the author. Maybe dealing with the Light's reaction to traitor!Harry for a more angsty fic, maybe a typical action-packed hunt.

For variety's sake let's say that Lily and James DON'T have anymore children.


So tell me what you think. Maybe it's been done before but I haven't read anything of the like.

 

Thing is is that arrogant!Harry would not go down well. The thing which makes Harry so attractive as a character is that he's the opposite of Draco Malfoy.

 

So, you want a Draco Malfoy!Harry type. LT2000 pulled off an arrogant Harry off quite well, but other than that, not too many people would like it or be able to write it well.

 

He can be arrogant without being a total prick to those around him. AKA, Malfoy

 

Decent idea. I agree with MS about how most people wouldn't want to see a Malfoy type Harry. Perhaps if the reason Harry's parents start ignoring him is because they realize their son is spoiled brat and useless to the order. Then Harry is motivated to work in order to prove that he is as good as them and in his quest for power falls under Voldemort's wing. Harry could still be an arrogant prick but wouldn't have the Malfoy traits that everybody hates.

 

I think I read already a story like that. Though I'm not sure if Harry had siblings or not. He was arrogant, spoiled, etc. I think it had something to do with Snape too. I'm not sure it was a long time ago I stumbled across this.

 

I'm not arguing that many people don't like Malfoy's personality, but maybe that's because stupid fangirls made him a hateable character with their crap.

This story could focus more on his transformation at the hands of Voldemort from a Draco Malfoy type to a Lucius Malfoy type, arrogant but with skills to back it all up, which admittedly is what most dark!Harry fics paint him to be.

Brooklynight -- though it's a good idea, I don't think spoiled people tend to think of others and parents who've been spoiling their child since forever don't have a sudden eye-opening experience that their kid is useless. Furthermore they love Harry and won't just abandon him because he's useless to the Order.

 

How about this: Harry grows up after he figures out what the real world is like. This turns into a sincere wish to prove himself to everyone that he is powerful in his own right, and he fights against Vodlemort--eventually defeating him and many of his minions, before working to take his place. Or, he's working to take his place as he's fighting Voldemort, creating a third party thrown into the mix.

 

Modify that slightly DarkSov and you have an interesting premise. Start with an arrogant Harry. He is not a Draco Malfoy asshole, however he is the BWL and knows it. He is not spectacular in classes however he is pretty powerful/smart, and gets pretty good grades. Nothing like Hermione or the really studius students, however he is moderatly skilled and powerful. Then he learns of the real world and how insignificant he is next to his first real opponent (Inner circle member, Voldemort, maybe he sees Dumbledore wiping out entire squads singlehandedly) and this culmiates into a sinceare desire to improve himself and make himself useful for the war effort.

However peoples viewpoints colour his actions. People know he was arrogant and see his throwing himself into his studies and such as his plan to make himself the next Dark Lord. Harry of course has no such intention. But whenever people see him using the spells he has researched people believe he is preparing to take Voldemorts place or some such. How that turns out could be quite facinating. Perhaps people like Dumbledore and such try to 'turn him back to the light' which cunfuses poor Harry who has not stepped into the dark arts at all

 

Belgarion213, your idee is pretty good ,but, I would propose a James! like Harry where he isn't overly concerned with studies but still more powerful than average. I don't think that witnessing a duel with Dumbledore is the best course of witnessing. I propose a duel with a random Slytherin female like say....Daphne Greengarss were he gets his ass totally and utterly kicked. He develops an obbsesion as to how easily she beat him and thus learns more, and gets recruited in the Dark Lords army because of following her .He gets tortured a bit, decides that isn't for him and together they betray Voldemort....but it has to contain a HP/DG pairing....no?

 

Rake, Harry would suck being somebody's lapdog. Personally I can't imagine Harry licking Voldy's boots even if he were painted to be an arrogant prick. How bout sticking with Belgarion213's idea?

 

Yea....now that I think of it, it wouldn't actually work very well.

Let's stick with Belgarion213's idea

 

Okay, I just got another, totally unrelated idea. Though I suppose you could make them related. So here it is:

When Voldemort hit Harry with the AK he left a piece of his soul in Harry, giving him Parseltongue and maybe something else. So in 2nd year Harry discovers his ability to talk to snakes. At the end of the year after defeating the Basilisk, Dumbledore gives the same explanation as in canon, saying that Harry got some talents from Voldemort.

So instead of being a good puppet he explores what else he got. Maybe make it so that continual use of Voldemort's talents slowly merges his soul with the leftovers of Voldemort's with all of it's dark taint.

This could be a separate story altogether, or blended into one magnificent super-story


I like the idea with a fem!Slytherin using Harry for a mop, and him getting obsessed with besting her. Then them getting together naturally

And the excuse that he wouldn't be licking boots on his life. Well with over-protective parents who keep Harry on a tight leash for fear of retribution against the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry would probably do anything for a sense of freedom. After he joins and sees what it's like, he doesn't like it and tries to escape with his hide intact or something like that.

 

I loathe the idea of Harry joining as a lapdog, even for a minute. I can see him joining for a position of importance, however I can't seem him being Death Eater Joe.

As for the idea of Fem!Slytherin! using him as a mop it seems to simple. Make it much closer to even. Harry and the slytherin are very nearly equels. His raw power compensating for her broarder range of knowedge. She manages to defeat him, showing that skill trumps power, however it is a very close thing. Harry, as an arrogant James like charecter, becomes obsessed with this girl who defeated him. Perhaps a bit of self delusion, Harry justifiying to himself that she beat him because she had great power/knowedge. A totally ridiculess notion, however in Harry's mind he becomes convinced that this Slytherin is going to be the next Voldemort/Dumbledore. A virtual magical goddess. Harry throws himself into his studies in an attempt to keep his postion of near equal with this character, little knowing that he is exceeding her as time goes on.

 

Arrogant Harry only really works if he has the skillz to back it up. If not, then he's just pathetic, and people don't like their main characters to be pathetic, as it is with the main character, our protagonist, that the reader sympathises with.

Personally, when I read a story, I picture myself as the main character. When I read Harry Potter, I am Harry Potter. When I read LotR, I am Aragorn, or Frodo, or whoever is the main character of that scene.

If I were to read a story where the main character is pathetic, this is a major turn-off as you want your main character to be strong.