I've recently been wondering why I haven't seen any stories using this plot devise before.

Harry is small, unassuming, a quick runner, and has a good head on his shoulders. It's not too much of a stretch to think that something unexpected could change Dudley's opinion on his cousin, or at least his usefulness.

An attention craving-little boy would also be pretty likely to give up on his elders, and seek some more receptive company, or at least some acknowledgement.

Granted, nothing in canon supports this development, but perception can often change quite easily, especially during childhood.

I think Petunia would be pretty likely to become more friendly to Harry if he was in Dudley's perfect little group. She has an unnatural ability to ignore everything unappealing about her son, why not some stupid freakishness that perhaps might not ever surface? Ignorance and denial are pure bliss.

Vernon would probably just go with the flow, at least while his perfectly normal existence remains undisturbed.

I know that this plot is far from being the most original thing in the world, but I feel it could be a solid backstory for a Dark!Harry tale.

Thoughts?

 

Not quite this same thing, but I'm writing a Dark!Harry fic that I'm a few chapters into - along with a few other pieces, darn it - that has Harry taking control of the gang, with Dudley and the others as his minions. Petunia and Vernon interaction is...not quite what you mentioned, though. He's terrorized them with magic like a certain other orphan we all know and love (who was a better villain pre-Hogwarts, I think).

But yeah, Memory, interesting idea!

 

^ Having Harry taking control of Dudley's gang/manipulating Dudley from behind the scenes. That idea is full of win.

Making Harry into the new Pierre Polkins is not.

 

Hehe, thanks Kalas.

I'll eventually post that Dark Harry, but I'm afraid too many people here might fap to it! Haha.

Not really, but there are really some win scenes in it that I think people will like a lot.

 

I know I will

 

Starting to utilise the possibilities of Harry's childhood differently was hopefully a step in the right direction, though. I didn't originally think of him as a mindless thug like Polkins, he would have been the brain behind the operations, working in the shadows. I can see perfectly where you're coming from however, writing something like this requires balance.

Kmfrank: Very interesting idea, good to know that someone is writing something like this.

The only reason I went for the Dursley interaction in the OP was that I was aiming for gradual development of Harry's powers. I personally don't have anything against well written super-awesomeness, but not everyone shares my sentiments. Making them fit in with a manipulative nature works quite well, however, I definitely think you will be able to pull this off.

 

Actually I can see Harry as more of a runner. Someone who is told to grab shit then run.

 

A fat!Harry interaction would be funny. Befriending Dudley, liking roundish Neville instead of skinny Ron and the like. Might be funny ^_+

 

Get out. That little wink face is so badly done it can't compensate.

 

C'mon, at least it's original. If a good author did a one-shot fat!Harry, I'd probably read it, as it's bound to be funny.

Even thinking about how differently people would react to a morbidly obese HP makes me chuckle.

 

Harry + Hargid = BFF

 

Would be fun to see the broom shatter under Harry's weight during the first Flying Lesson. He should also sit on the ugly baby thingy during the graveyard scene, Voldemort might even think death preferable to never-ending suffocation.

 

"You're a bit more developed around the middle than I expected 'arry!" said Hagrid.

"You calling me fat? bitch." snarled Harry who promptly waddled over to Hagrid and sat on the owl that Hagrid was tying his letter to.

Fat!Harry is fail for me.

 

So that's how Harry 'bounced' the AK back at Voldemrot.

 

"I eat AK's for breakfast"

Yep, that works.

 

Mike Smith, my favorite Harry Potter reviewer, has something to say about this:

 

That quote sure killed anything I was going to say. Dudley seems like 3 characters in one.

Maybe have Harry be the big bad bully instead of Dudley. Harry's aunt and uncle seem pretty afraid of him, if he controlled his magic early enough he'd have them in submission.

 

I'd read it. But then again, I read everything that remains unmoving long enough.

 

Having Harry learn about and use his magic early in life and/or bully his family seems to me to be both cliched and often leading to more cliches, including extremely over-powered Harry.
By having Harry join Dudley's gang both makes sense and also is an idea I haven't seen used before.
That said, if it's well written, I'll read either.

 

Harry does not like Dudley. At all. If, through the grace of...whoever, Harry managed to ingratiate himself into Dudley's gang, he'd either (a) take an even further descent to being a lazy shit than canon portrays, or (b) beat the shit out of Dudley. First scenario is fail, second scenario is maybe one-shot worthy.