Haven't you people noticed how Harry looks like a nerd - scrawny frame, nerdy clothes, unkempt hair, thick glasses, keeps to himself (didn't have any friends prior to Hogwarts)... But in Hogwarts, his actions are complete opposite - super-athlete (the youngest seeker and all that rot), leader amongst his friends, best in fighting/physical activity classes (like COMC and DADA), thinks great on his feet etc...

Many authors try to fix this discrepancy by turning him into a jock - during the summer he grows 10 inches, looses glasses, grows hair, builds muscles, learns how to act around girls, etc...

But I was thinking, why not do the complete opposite. Why not make him into a complete Ravenclaw-like nerd? Turn him into a real dork?

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For this to work, it would obviously have to be AU. Here is a way to change his upbringing...

The Dursleys decide to make a deal with Harry - he can have a room & freedom, but no one must know he's in any way connected with them. So, they stuck him up in a room (which he can leave only at night) and give him bunch of Dudley's books, TV, videos (no fucking computers - it's the 80'es for christs sake) and some Vernon's old drill & electronics - basically everyhting to keep him ocupied, so he wouldn't try to go out. When the school starts, they hire him a private tutor.

So no one knows he even lives there (except Figgs, but she thinks he's only reclussive) and he spends most of his time in his room reading books and playing with his electronics/drills...

When he goes to Hogwarts, he's sorted into Ravenclaw and spends most of his time reading books and tinkering with magic, trying to understand it. HE'S NOT A BOOKWORM - He's more interested in figuring out how magic works, than learning dry facts from books.

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So, here are his strenghts:

- Super-inteligent in every way, as long as he's away from the object of his attention. For example, he understands human relationships on a teorethical level and can easily figure out other people's motivation, but sucks at doing anything about it himself coz he's all jitery around other people... etc.

- Curious about everything. Seeks to understand how things work.

- Good at any theoretical subject and practical parts of peacful subjects (Transfiguration, Charms, Runes...).

- Powerful as much as Dumbledore and good at using it, as long as he's not under preassure.

And his weaknesses:

- Ugly little bugger - keeps appearance from PS. In single word: dorky.

- Sucks at any kind of physical activities and classes that include them, like practical DADA, practical COMC, dueling and ESPECIALLY flying, which he HATES.

- Can't act under preassure to save his arse. In dealing with enemies, he's like a spider - he can plot and execute a pre-set plan, but stick him in a straight out duel and he freezes.

- Don't know how to act around other people and... HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE AROUND THEM. None of that shit where he's wishfully watching other kids from afar - he's nerd and stays a nerd, with only few true friends (like Luna and some other outcast kid, for example).

- Wouldn't it be fun if he suffered from a bunch of allergies and phobias? Like afraid of heights, afraid of getting sick (constantly clears dirt from everything around him), afraid of snakes (that would be a blast) etc... Could put a few ridiculous ones as well - every great scientist has at least some (afraid of mismatched socks - that would certainly bring Albus & Dobby down).

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As for instigator(s) of events, that would deffinitely be Albus. Manipulative but good Albus, to be precise. He knows about the Prophecy and hopes to turn Harry into a stupid little hero from the canon. Thus, he keeps setting up action-hero kind of situations for Harry and pushing him into them.

PS is easily explainable. COS is a harder sell, but still doable (if Albus goes around and saves any kid that comes in contact with the basilisk - 5 kids that survived in the book are simply too much of a coincidence). POA is also doable, especially if Albus arranges for Harry to get kidnaped by Sirius in hope that he would catch on from his godfather's wild Gryffindor side (of course, Dumbledore learns that Sirius is innocent early on). GOF is the easiest one. OOTP is easy as well. So any of this books will do as a basis for this AU (but PS is probably the best).

Ron and the Weasleys shouldn't play any role here. I'd actually like to see bad twins for once - they pick him as their main target, so Harry is forced to fight back...

Hermione should be Harry's main competition. Of course, little bookworm wouldn't stand a chance against a true genious.

Other characters are free to mold one way or the other, but I'd like to see Luna as Harry's main outcast friend in Ravenclaw (and maybe his future girlfriend).

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I know there's already a fic similar to this one (Prodigy), but I'd really like to see what people think about something like this.

 

Lol, hell yeah! I'd read this.

 

Prodigy was the first fic I thought of, but I've seen smart, young pre-Hogwarts Harry a few other times before. General themes of this, sort of like this bunny, but it's usually more a characteristic of the larger story. Not that his nerdishness is the focus.

I remember one I think about a 'Potions Dungeon' under Privet Drive. Had like 8 year old whipping through semi-advanced potions. There's another one I can't remember right now where he went to a private school for gifted kids before Hogwarts. Think there were tons of original characters in that one (which is an easy way to lose my interest).

Quite a few that start with a young dark!Harry have him learning tons and faster than everyone else.

Can't think of any that really go the antisocial, phobia-filled physically incapable freak boy route though. And it sounds like your idea has him befriending Luna, which I'm not sure fits with the geekiness. Seems too easy to turn Luna into something un-Luna-ish. Secretly smart, acting normal, etc...

Would be interesting to see this though. Or something like Prodigy done a more interesting way (without the crush on Hermione at least). I fear too many people would go hopping over the rainbow into computer-ish land as they turn on the geek and nerd bits though.

 

Never heard of that one. You know the name? Or have the link?

I'm pretty sure that's Fayr Warning's other story, Child of Mercy. Great start, but no update for 3 months. She tried to give it away, but no one would take it, so she said she'd continue it once Reign of Power is done. Still, he's not really a nerd there, he's more like a young Tom Riddle.

I wasn't thinking of learning some stuff and then showing off for the rest of the book... More about constant state of mind - like, he's more interested in constantly learning new stuff and exploring than socialising with other kids.

Still, he needs SOME other character that could stand to be around him. And Luna, with her lost in the clouds attitude could be the perfect match for him...

Hmm, or some OC that is basically like the canon!Harry - constantly dragging the genious into trouble... Don't know, that's the hardest part about this bunny - finding Harry some friends despite his attitude.

When this story starts (80-ies), comercial-grade computers were things like Comodore 64 or ZX Spectrum - nothing overly useful... Maybe Atari is the best bet. Not sure when Mac came out, though.

In the 90-ies, when he leaves for Hogwarts, the top class PC was 286 (AT). There were BBS networks at the time, but the real Internet came only with Windows 95...

So, he would be more into pure electronics and machinery (making robots, fixing cars and engines etc...) than anything related strictly with computers.

Doesn't matter really, coz he should redirect his attention to magic once he leaves for Hogwarts...

 

Personally wouldn't read someting like this. What's wrong with keeping Harry the same as he is in canon in terms of appearance? Now that would be original :lol:

But to be fair, it would be more interesting than turning him into a macho punk. I just don't like the idea of pathetic!Harry

 

That's the whole point - Harry DOES look like a nerd, but he doesn't act like one.

I just think it'd be funny & original - there are tens of thousands of stories featuring Harry the action-hero + the sex god. Why not to change that a little?

 

Fair enough. It's just not my cup of tea.

 

Eh...I can't read a story where I can't respect the hero. And that tends to include the canon. Even Red Prince Harry has power and a way with the fairer sex despite his more questionable traits. Not really my deal either, though it is an interesting idea.

 

I like the irrational phobia! and germophobe! Harry.

Reminds me of my physics teacher last year... Great guy... But he was TERRIFIED of germs... Sprayed his room and all our papers with lysol

Every genius has an irrational fear though... My personal favorite is my own 100% irrational fear of things that are not symmetric. Its extremely ironic considering I do a whole ton of abstract sculpting with clay.

I say make Harry terrified of his own shadow... Literally! Just picture him searching through the library trying to find spells to get rid of it.

 

Oh dear.
Now I'm imagining a Harry Potter/Monk crossover.

"It's a gift... and a curse."
"A curse? Like Cruciatus?"
"How is that a gift?"
"Well, if you're casting it-"
"But then it's not a curse! Well of course it's a curse but it's not a curse!"
"You've got problems."
"Yes, I get that a lot. Wipe?"
"Constant vigilance!"
"Wipe!"
"Constant vigilance!"
"Wipe!"
"Constant vigilance!"
"Wipe!"

Oh goodness. I'm going to watch Numb3rs now and pretend I didn't think this.

BTW, this is Potions Dungeon: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2214294/1/ but that seems shorter than what I remember, so I may be confusing it with another young Harry learned potions fic. It was unfinished I remember.

 

I wouldn't read this.

Mainly because if he has phobias and stuff he'd be a right little pussy, hiding in his room.

 

I would write something like this if I got drunk enough...

 

Very interesting idea, but hard to write without making him an angsty little boy. I would surely read it!

 

Yeah, I know it's hard to write A Beautiful Mind - kind of character, without making him lame... That's why I posted this here, instead of considering actually writting it.