I suppose a way to work Little Whinging in is not necessarily to change anything in regards to a dojo or OC Muggle friend, but rather to have Harry's experiences change how he views Muggles and Muggleborns. Like if he had always known that he was different than the people around him, better in a way. They couldn't make things happen if they really wanted like Harry could, etc. Hagrid showing up and confirming that it's true, that he can do magic, would just prove everything right and increase his dislike for Muggles.

It does sound like a set-up for a bad Slytherin!Harry fic, or at the very least an increase in similarities between Harry and Voldemort (which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I'd like to see an expansion on the 'same origins, mirrored paths' vibe between the two we had in CoS and HBP), but that doesn't have to be true. It could just make Harry more driven, more desiring to learn about the Wizarding World than his canon counterpart's half-interest. A sort of 'I've felt as if something was always missing, now I know what it is, time to find out EVERYTHING about it' mentality.

@Invictus: There's actually a lot of moments in the canonverse that we could have gotten Harry/Hermione. JKR herself said that it'd could have easily gone that way. It's more that Ron and Hermione were far too antagonistic towards each other while Harry and her got along just fine, with Hermione usually picking Harry's side over Ron's, and the fact that Ginny got practically no characterization and very few scenes with Harry prior to the end of the series, that runs the pairing.

 

While escaping Dudley's gang, he stumbles upon a Deep One wearing a human veil. This sets Harry on a path toward realizing his Cthulhu animagus form. (Too bad that it's been done.)

A less silly and thread-topical way to use his Little Whinging time than the stereotypical dojo: have Harry take up fencing. It's arguably an equally demanding physical activity taxing reflexes, footwork, balance, coordination, etc., a lot of the same motions one might imagine commute into magical dueling in the HP magical world. Petunia could see paying for Harry's membership at the local fencing club (which provides club gear, so he wouldn't have to buy his own) as a way to get the spawn of her Freak sister out of the house for three or four afternoons a week. This early exposure fosters an interest in magical dueling and combat once Harry learns of his heritage. Harry, away from Dudley's influence, thrives in the environment.

Youth competitions would offer a plausible way to arrange for Harry and Fleur to meet prior to Harry's attending Hogwarts. They could see each other continually throughout the summers, etc., as they go through their school years, developing a closer friendship that eventually blossoms into something more, etc.

 

If I was to do more with Little Whinging than just trying to get past it as quickly as possible, it would be just before 4th year so old enough but less angst, and it would be focused on how Harry is no longer a Muggle- he hasn't seen the films, hasn't heard the news, hasn't tried any of the drugs, he's used to magic solutions for simple things. He's trying to fit in, but completely failing.

There would be two obvious ways to take this. The first is a realisation that he is a wizard with a wizarding society- a push towards being more interested in magic and actually working at it rather than thinking of himself as being a Muggle with a wand. You can then shove in whatever political bullshit you want.

The second is that Harry starts to reconnect with the Muggle world. This would have to be careful to not just be a list of references and going on about how amazing Star Wars is (why is it always Star Wars? Why not something closer to the time like Biker Mice from Mars or Neighbours or Funhouse. By the way, I can't actually remember much of 1994 so those references may be 3 or 4 years wrong. I'm trying to remember now when Tamagotchi happened and completely failing. 1996?) It would have to be more character based- Petunia getting past her sister ignoring the Muggle world, Harry having to work at making friends rather than them coming to him (does Harry ever actually try to befriend someone who didn't introduce themselves to him or tag along with an existing friend?)

 

Harry takes to riding around Little Whinging on a bike, finding joy, he decides to become a professional cyclist. Unfortunately for him, some kind of vague approximation to canon happens.

Fast forward a number of years, its post Voldemort and Harry can finally achieve his dream; using magic, cheat like a motherfucker and win the Tour de France. Something something Fleur is french so he gets french bitches something something.

A perfect idea!

 

How is this different from canon Tour de France?

 

@Cebee, best crack fic I've read in months.
@DrSarcasm, I can't truthfully answer that because I am biased. I don't like Hermione very much, her personality annoys me sometimes and I think that many people just like her because she is Emma Watson. I wanted a different girl as romantic interest, someone as, I don't know how to put it, as "awesome" as Harry, someone that wouldn't be on his shadow. And what we've got? Canon! Ginny, that must have been the biggest fuck you since Ronald Mcdonald swore vengeance on the cows of the world.

 

This is more than a little plausible. Is it okay if I run with this one?

 

The funniest statement I've read on here in months. Truly a scholar, Monsieur Pers. Kudos to Ceebee for the idea, as well. I must ask, however, does Harry have to lose a nut to become champion? Deus ex machina?

 

Go for it. I suspect that Harry, scrawny as he is, would probably do foil, maybe epee. Definitely not saber. Fleur could do any weapon, though she favors epee in my mind-canon.

 

I've always wanted to read a story where Harry takes part in pro duelling. This premise of yours is very interesting Pers. I'm hoping someone can make something of it!

 

De-lurk more. We need more stories.

If you pair them as adolescents, you have the age difference to contend with. Fourth-year stories have a 14 year old Harry and a 17/18 year old Fleur. While three years is nothing between adults, it's a chasm at that age in maturity, both physical and emotional, and you'll be fighting this no matter what you write. (In U.S. high school terms, 4th year fics are the equivalent of a Freshman male dating the super-hot Senior female. It's theoretically possible, though highly improbable.) I cheated in Dagger and Rose by time-turner abuse, advancing Harry's age a year and a half, but this was a pretty hackneyed cop-out at the time. This whole age thing is a tired and overdone conflict that I think is best avoided if possible.

An option, given that in your world there is no prophecy and you're traipsing pretty far outside of canon, is to make Harry a few years older than his canon self, similar to how it was handled in the fic Knowledge is Power by Oblong/SerpentSannin/Fettucini/MrJoe. This means you can write a straight-up AU with a believable Harry/Fleur that isn't bogged down by age-difference baggage, freeing you to write a more interesting and less contrived romance than the norm in this pairing.

How about letting Voldemort take over and then have magical society adapt to a new dreary norm, rather like Cuba after Castro's rise or Russia under Stalin? You could have the Potters be declared blood traitors and have their assets seized by the state. It'd be a believable way to send Harry from riches to rags. Also, if you aren't setting Harry in opposition with Voldemort, then why not just explore the idea of what magical society would look like under his rule for a decade or two? We got a taste of things in Deathly Hallows, but that could well be a transitory period as Muggleborn were systematically purged from society.

Also, if possible, don't make it a steady climb out of impecuniousness for Harry. Having him lose his small fortune again and again and pushing him back to the brink of being destitute will make the eventual triumph that much sweeter when he finally does get there (similar to Rothfuss's protagonist). Perhaps Harry's being poor is the major impediment to his seriously pursuing Fleur, as her family (like all old families) is very status-conscious in the new regime. Harry's family's blood-traitor designation may work against him here, particularly if the Dark Lord's reach extends to France and much of the rest of Europe.

You're more likely to get constructive criticism. We all want more new, good stories to read.

Edit: remembered the story name.

 

Perspicacity's idea sounds pretty cool. Kind of reminds me a bit of the Skitterleap, although there are obvious differences. Writing that kind of massively AU dystopian wizarding world can be difficult though, so if you wanted to write a story where the war against Voldemort is still ongoing and the world is more similar to canon you could have Harry be some sort of war profiteer. Sort of like Tony Stark in Iron Man 1, pre-Afghanistan.

Harry is an obviously talented wizard so he's being pressured to choose a side and fight against Voldemort or whatever, but that doesn't really work in his best interests because he wants to sell shit to both sides and prolong the war. Not sure what he'd be selling - maybe he hired the twins and has them creating stuff. Or he has a monopoly on healing supplies and whatever other shit Aurors need. Fleur could be the Pepper Potts to his Tony Stark, or the Order has assigned her to tempt him to their side or something.

Or (going back to massively AU here) you take this thing international and have the war be between England and France, and Fleur is Harry's French counterpart and they are literally direct enemies and competitors trying to outdo each other. That could be pretty interesting. Voldemort could be French too if you changed his back story a little bit and his name is already French, so...

To be honest, I just watched Iron Man 3 recently and I really want to see a Harry who's personality is similar to Tony Stark. That would be pretty freaking awesome, if hard to pull off.

Also, I agree with Pers in that 17 year old Fleur and 14 year old Harry is pretty lame. Either have them older, or change someone's age in whatever you end up doing.

 

You could drawn inspiration from the Lord of War movie. A great movie. Harry and Yuri could be a lot like. But instead of losing everyone and become devasted, he flip the table. And Badass shit happens! Really, if you haven't seen the movie, download it or rent, Just see it.

Your plot and Lord of War already seems similar to me. Much more than Iron Man. But a mix with insanely talented, arrogant, witty and simply awesome Tony Stark with deadpam snarker, cynic, black comedian and amoral Yuri Orlov would be simply, awesome. Too freaking awesome.

 

Basically Lord of War is about how a guy, Yuri Orlov, played by Nicolas Cage in his best (by far) role, goes from a a poor ukranian immigrant in the US to become the biggest private arms dealer in the world.

He is a snarky motherfucker. When someone points a MP5 against him, he offers to sell them a silencer to the gun. He is complete amoral. He sells guns, he is insanely good at it and he knows it. When he falls in love with a model he nearly bankrupts himself by organizing a fake photo sessions and pretending to be a millionaire to get to know her. 3 years later and when they are getting married he is more rich than what he was pretending.

The problem is, his world falls apart because while he doesn't care what people do with the guns he sells, his family does. And he loses them all. He has a wicked black sense of humor, he doesn't give a fuck to anything and he is very good at what he does. For what my opinion is worth, you should really see it. I highly recommend it.

Is someone going to use the Harry fencer plot? I want to give it a shot. Loved the potential. Personally I wouldn't make Harry older, because Fleur being older is half the fun. Like someone said, the shy freshman getting the ultra popular senior girl is highly unprobable, but In Harry We Believe! Also, is there a fic where Harry is the Perfect English Gentleman? You know, extremely classy, highly cultured and the epithome of stiff upper lip?

 

I'd seriously like to try it, but I'm quite sure I'll never finish nor post anything so eh. Anyway, it's up for grab, so go ahead and give it a shot!

 

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I didn't see it in while skimming through, so here it goes. If the story is being cannon complient, should Fleur accent be written or would it be better to just say she has a thick french accent?

 

While JKR wrote her with a thick accent, she was a minor character in the series. This is impossible to read if she has more than a handful of lines in a story. At most, use phonetic spellings sparingly in a H/F story.