Blindness
is a Harry Potter For Want Of A Nail Alternate Universe Fanfic in which Harry is blinded by Voldemort's Killing Curse during his fateful attack on the Potters at Godric's Hollow.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Heroism: The Dursleys.
- Affectionate Nickname: Hermione's is Viola, from the latin Violaceus, due to the fact that Harry sees her magic as purple light.
- Alternate Universe: Obviously.
- The Archmage: While he's not there yet, many characters that interact with him recognize Harry as one of these in the making.
- The Atoner: Neville and Ron after the troll ordeal, feeling guilty for not going looking for Hermione sooner.
- Big Brother Instinct: Dudley to Harry.
- Butterfly of Doom: Ginny dies in the Chamber of Secrets. Sirius and Remus receive the Dementor's Kiss because everyone thinks they're dark wizards.
- Challenge Seeker: Harry and Hermione. They seek to prove anything the Wizarding World says is Beyond the Impossible is possible. In their studies they defeated key principles of Charm theory, discovered wand movements are useless if visualization is done properly and created new transfiguration theories.
- Child Prodigy: Harry, whom quickly gains fame in the muggle world as a genius.
- The Chooser of the One: Dumbledore takes this role, passing the role of The Chosen One to Neville after finding out Harry is disabled. To test him he gives many clues about the Philosopher's Stone which he takes on eventually leading him, Ron, Seamus and Dean to face the obstacles. Neville ultimately faces Voldemort and defeat him.
- Contrived Coincidence: After the troll ordeal leading her removal from Hogwarts, Hermione is transferred to the same school as Harry.
- Disability Superpower: Harry's accidental magic, which was already huge in canon, adapted to his blindness by making any objects be removed from his path. Also he sort of develops Super-Senses.
- Dream-Crushing Handicap: Harry does not go to Hogwarts because of his blindness means he can't aim a wand at a target or read spellbooks because the Wizarding World doesn't use braille.
- False Flag Operation: Dumbledore sets up one to disguise the fact Harry is blind, making everyone in the wizarding world believe Harry is being taught by Aurors in secret. It falls apart when Harry is selected as champion by the Goblet of Fire.
- For Want Of A Nail: Because of Harry's blindness making it impossible to teach magic, he never goes to Hogwarts. One of the immediate consequences is that he's not there to save Hermione from the troll. While she survives, she suffers from speech impediment and her parents have her be homeschooled.
- Neville is given the Cloak of Invisibility, mostly because a blind person has no use for such an item;
- Harry is given a Magic Staff which actually contains the magical core of his wand;
- The Chamber of Secrets is never found. Instead, Tom Riddle succeeds in becoming physical once again and attacks the Great Hall with the Basilisk.
- Homeschooled Kids: Harry initially, because of the many burst of accidental magic but he later gains enough control to be able to go to muggle schools. Hermione, after the ordeal with the troll.
- Magic Staff: Harry gets one from Olivanders, because a Magic Wand is unfit for him and that they're also boring.
- Medieval Stasis: Played for Drama. The Wizarding World is unprepared to take care of disabled people, mostly because magic can't fix eyesight.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Neville facing Quirrelmort.
- The Poorly Chosen One: How Dumbledore comes to see Harry after his blindness is revealed, due to the near impossibility of teaching him magic.
- Super-Senses: Harry's magic adapts this way to compensate for his blindness. They are similar to Daredevil's senses, although far less impressive. Instead of a world on fire, Harry sees nearly everything covered in different kinds of lights, with certain objects such as plastic and synthetic fibers being shadows. These "shadowed" objects also feel unnatural when touched.
- Technicolor Magic: Harry's Super-Senses detect Hermione's signature magic as a vibrant blue-violet light.
- Telekinesis: As a result of Harry's blindness, his accidental magic makes all objects move away from his path.
- True Companions: Dean, Seamus, Ron and Neville who are dubbed the Heroes of Hogwarts.
- Kill It with Fire: How Dumbledore kills the basilisk after it attacks the Great Hall.
