I think you're imagining Harry to be more independant than he really is in canon. Harry wouldn't figure out Dumbledore wanted him to die; Harry doesn't think like that in canon. He would figure Dumbledore might have something planned, and depending on the timeframe, he'd be happy or frustrated by that. Harry isn't the world's softest egg; he's a somewhat thick-skinned schoolboy who is slightly mature for his age.

It would most definitely take more than a nudge from canon Harry to make him disbelieve Dumbledore enough to side with his worst enemy, Voldemort, enough to practice dark magic. At his angriest in OotP, Harry wants to destroy some of Dumbledore's things and maybe hit him. Harry obviously has some sort of system to hold himself back from bad things, because he didn't attempt to cave in Dumbledore's face.

Yes, Harry knows in theory that Dumbledore can't stop him from going into his own house. But he also knows that if he shows even the slightest signs of wanting to leave, Order members could possibly report to Dumbledore that he's anxious, etc, and have Dumbledore come mess everything up. If he's so paranoid, he would figure it to be his best bet to maybe send a letter to Dumbledore asking if he could go to Grimmauld Place, and stay where he is supposedly safe until Dumbledore responds.

 

Yes, it couldn't possibly be that it wasn't in control of his magic and said magic just did what it wanted to do. I don't think Harry was thinking man I'd love to break some of Dumbledore's shit that will teach him a lesson. Here's another wild idea. Maybe, just maybe, Dumbledore is a good enough wizard to stop some uncontrolled magic from harming himself. I know the idea that the greatest wizard whoever lived could stop a 15 year old boy is too crazy, isn't it?

Dumbledore ignored Harry for the good part of the year, he didn't explain enough to Harry, and Sirius died at the end. Harry has shown enough independence in previous years to go after Hermione, try to stop the theft of a stone, fight a basilisk, go back in time to help a convict escape, etc. He stood up to the Ministry of Magic even when everyone was telling him to lay low for his own good. Yeah, he couldn't possibly be willing to buck authority when it seems like no one else is willing to get the job done.

Does Harry have his moments of fucking up royally? Yes, he is a lot more like Dumbledore than I think many people realize. I don't mean in the magical prodigy sense either. I'm talking about the I don't really care what you say I'm right and if no one else is going to do a damn thing about it then I sure as hell will. See Draco in HBP. A little thing like his friends, Dumbledore, and everyone else telling him he was crazy stop him from investigating the little prick and bringing it up over and over again. Also, when Harry fucks up, he really fucks up.

It all depends on which way you choose to view Harry. He shows a lot of tendencies towards doing what needs to be done when his back is shoved up against the wall. A few months with very little food feeling lost in the wilderness seemed to do wonders for his ability to want to toss around some dark arts.

 

Absolutely YES!
ROFLMAO

And really, he knows that'll happen, so why wait?

 

It's been over a year since I read Deathly Hollows, but I don't remember any point where Harry really used dark arts. Besides, if he did, he had a reasonable motivation, and if he did it was probably in a situation where he was stressed. If he studied the dark arts at school, that's basically the difference between pre-meditated murder and manslaughter.

Yes, Harry had no trouble ignoring authority. But most of the time, he wasn't worried about his own health in these situations, and thus he felt the warnings didn't apply to him. In MissOddity's plot (which I'm assuming this is still about), Harry is a paranoid self-conscious person, who would probably take into consideration Albus Dumbledore's opinions on things.

But yes, I agree that Harry could do the dark arts, if written reasonably and thought out. However, most of the shitty stories that have him becoming dark don't do either of those, and just become a waste of time.

 

Reasonable motivation? That works for using the Imperious during the Gringotts heist, but not so much when he hits a Carrow with the Cruciatus for spitting on McGonagall.

Harry in DH has ethics on magic use that change by the situation, so it isn't really difficult to see that starting earlier, if given the right push.

On the other hand, the Juggler is right--Most stories which feature Harry using dark arts don't seem well thought out, or even slightly believable (in characterization). I'd love to see it done well, though.

 

Harry's Inferno (WIP): A story I came up with about a month ago very randomly. It starts late DH when Harry is between life and death and goes from that scene to the border of hell. Basically the general idea is some sort of morbid parody of Dante's Inferno starring Harry going through the nine circles, discovering everyone he ever knew (give or take) was there in some fashion after he failed to stop Voldemort. Like I imagined Gluttony having Hermione eating books, Lust having Lockhart making love to himself, and so on. Not sure where I want to go with it right now, but the idea intrigued me and I have been poking at it here and again, currently writing Limbo, finding it hard to really give a proper start to the fic. I have a good feeling about this eventual story though. It is going to be nine chapters and if I find it within me each chapter will be exactly 9000 words, for symbolism reasons.

 

Gluttony would probably be better as Dudley, seeing as he's the biggest eater in canon.

As a proper start, just start Harry where he gets killed by Voldemort, but instead of Dumbledore popping up, you could just have a hellish-looking train there. The only thing I see missing is a suitable ending, but I imagine you could work that out easily enough.

 

Well, there is more than one person in each circle embodying the different sins, but I am not going to pass up Hermione eating a book whole, my mind just won't forgive me if I do.

Also a train to hell... Instead of that being the proper start that might not be a bad way to send him into the actual hell instead of a boat.

Here's the the start I have as is, pre-hell:

" Albus Dumbledore gazed upon the whimpering form of Harry Potter with a look of concern on his face. According to his calculations Harry should have been able to stand on his feet without aid if he was indeed a Horcrux. Dumbledore stroked his beard for a moment and pondered the possibility that he had misestimated Voldemort’s plans and psyche. If this was the case Harry probably was not going to be too pleased about the whole situation.

“Pr-professor?” The weak moan that escaped Harry Potter pained Dumbledore’s heart. Although Dumbledore mused to himself that the pain in his heart at the sight before him was nothing compared to the pain in his ass if he didn’t fix this by the time he met Lily and James in whatever place afterlife had to offer him.

“Harry, you need to stand up my boy. Be strong.” Dumbledore’s voice had no small amount of panic in it, which seemed to register in Harry’s mind as he staggered to his feet with the aid of Dumbledore’s hand. Dumbledore looked over Harry and was disturbed by how gaunt the boy looked. This was his spirit, one of the brightest he had ever had the pleasure of knowing. If his spirit was in such an advanced state of decay Dumbledore feared the worst.

“Professor, what’s wrong?” Harry was now looking Albus in the eye with a look of worry in his own eyes. It appeared that Dumbledore was not as good at hiding his thoughts from Harry here.

“Harry, I had theorized and was very sure that Voldemort had made you a horcrux. If this was the case this place should be a way-station between worlds, one that you are not anchored to. You have nothing to worry about my dear boy, you only need to decide your fate to leave this place.” Harry breathed a sigh of relief. If Albus Dumbledore said everything was going to be OK then there was nothing to fear.

Just as this thought crossed his mind a demon appeared from a crack in the ground and dragged him to hell.

Albus Dumbledore blinked and then said the most appropriate thing he could think of at the time.

“Oh fuck.”

I got the whole demon appearing thing from the commercials for the Dante's Inferno game, and it seemed delightfully random.

 

Well, if you're gonna run it as a comedy as opposed to a horror, that would be a good start. Maybe describe the surroundings a bit more, as if the reader never actually read DH, but w/e, technicalities. Good luck and stuff.

 

Running it as a horror might not be a bad idea. I am more of a humor loving guy but perhaps you have the right idea.

 

Err guys its dying not dieing!

Here's a good rule of thumb, you never see three vowels in a row in one word. It just doesn't happen, very rare.

Also a plot bunny.

What if Harry Potter was a wizard, and went to a magical school... for house elves by mistake?

----
Dear Harry Potter,

You are invited to attend the Hogelves School of Elvish Sorcery....

----

"You're a wizard, Harry," said Hagrid at Harry's fifteenth birthday.

"That's a lie! I'm a house elf!"

----

Dobby moaned to himself, drowning his sorrows in a bottle of butterbeer.

"What's wrong?" asked Wobby.

"It's the great Harry Potter," Dobby said, "The darkest elf the world has ever known. Why he refuses to clean toilets, or do any sort of service. He's even... even forsaken the tradition of master and elf. He's dark... and what's worse, he's got influence among the elf population."

"Oh my," Wobby said, helping herself to a sip of butterbeer. She felt she needed a strong drink. "But we can't leave our servitude. We're in a magical contract-"

"That's the thing, Elf Potter is breaking the contract and is gathering an army of house elves to bring hell down to the wizarding world!"

"You have to stop him, then," Wobby exclaimed, "You are the chosen one. You survived his cleaning spell after all."

 

I lol'd a bit when I wrote it.

 

Somebody get rid of this motherfucker. I can't stand it anymore.

 

Eh? What did I do?

 

How long have you got?

 

What do you people think of this idea: Harry and Voldemort thanks to a freak accident during the final battle are thrown into the Twilight universe, there the two enemies have to work with each other to kill as many sparkly vampires as possible and find a way home.

This of course is a parody.

I am now awaiting your thoughts on this.

 

Make it so that people who haven't read Twilight can understand and you'll get me following it.

 

My disinterest for Twilight is kinda strong (think raging, impassioned, visceral apathy). I don't believe I care enough to wish to read even a curb stomp. Others might; good luck with it.