Proof that the remaining 10% is worth watching your best friends die for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for authors and sites of Harry Potter fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. You can do it by expanding on the notes about the author or website, or linking similar or related authors or websites. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
Barb
- Recommended by Bufu, Unclouded TJ, boonerunner, Pastykake
- Comments:
- Bufu: I'm rather surprised that Barb hasn't been mentioned already — she was one of the bigger names in the fandom just a few years ago. Guess many of her readers have grown up and moved on — she was most active in that productive period before Order of the Phoenix's publication. Anyway, her entire Psychic Serpent trilogy is some of the best written stuff I've had the pleasure to read. Yes, the romance can get dramatic to the point of soap opera melodrama, and yes — since this was written at the half way point of the series, much has been revealed to be completely different from the world she created. Nevertheless, I still consider her work some of the best I've read, and would highly encourage you to check it out, starting with Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts — I'd like to hear them, even if you don't agree with me. Trying to get in that pre-OotP mindset may help.
- Unclouded TJ: Her work was the first good fanfiction I'll admit to reading. The second in the trilogy, Harry Potter and the Time of Good Intentions, is one of the best looks at an AU I've ever seen and how it comes about is shocking. Granted I think it went downhill towards the end of the trilogy but up to the middle of the third story it was all very well done work.
- vick86: The Psychic Serpent trilogy is one of the best examples of Growing the Beard in fanfiction. The first book does suffer from a number of bad (Harry Potter) fanfiction cliches. This is to be forgiven however when one considers that this is one of the earlier book-length works and most of the cliches weren't cliches when it was written, but rather became cliches after other works started using some of the same ideas. The second book throws the AU curveball and it turns into one of the best series you'll ever read. It's definitely worth it to sit through some of the bad stuff in the first book to reach the greatness of the sequels.
- Bufu: I'm rather surprised that Barb hasn't been mentioned already — she was one of the bigger names in the fandom just a few years ago. Guess many of her readers have grown up and moved on — she was most active in that productive period before Order of the Phoenix's publication. Anyway, her entire Psychic Serpent trilogy is some of the best written stuff I've had the pleasure to read. Yes, the romance can get dramatic to the point of soap opera melodrama, and yes — since this was written at the half way point of the series, much has been revealed to be completely different from the world she created. Nevertheless, I still consider her work some of the best I've read, and would highly encourage you to check it out, starting with Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent
Albus Potter Series by Vekin87 (link here)
- Recommended by windweaver19, nomnom07, Pastykake
- Synopsis: Starting out as a basic Albus and Slytherin fic, Vekin87 expands J.K. Rowling's world by introducing a variety of new characters, including the likes of wizarding vigilantes and morally ambiguous villains. Vekin's stories touch on themes like totalitarianism, the constant struggle between the public and the government, and ultimately, whether or not killing is right.
- Comments: When I first read these stories I had to remind myself quite harshly that it wasn't canon. Vekin does a good job of blending canon bits with his own ideas for an entertaining read that is still very reminiscent of Rowling's story. Several of the characterizations are funny and he's almost as good at sparking Epileptic Trees among his fans as Rowling is. Story is in progress and has just recently finished book 5. He is currently working on his sixth book. He is the first (or one of the first) Harry Potter fanfiction authors to be on the road to completing all seven books. An absolutely amazing read. Some say his last few books are even better than Rowling's. Now that the series is finished, it's obvious what a Door Stopper it managed to become, with a word count higher than the official series, by about 100 thousand words, the 6th book being even longer than the infamously long Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
- As of this writing, the entire series is now complete.
1 Review- Recommended by Micah, Doma Doma, Nocturna
- Comments: She writes with a dry but periodically hilarious tone and plots of the inevitable-in-hindsight variety. I'm particularly fond of The Adventures of Icarus the Invisible Poltergeist and Running Close to the Ground.
- Seconded by Doma Doma: Agreed. My favorites are Mordant and Correspondence Course — the latter of which, alas, being the only one completely unscathed by new canon in the whole ensemble. Still, if you can get into that between-books mood, fantastic stuff.
- Thirded by Verity, who would also highly rec her Remedial History.
Harry Potter Comics by Travers & Rioux Jordan (link here)
- Recommended by Swiftbow, Pastykake
- Comments: This is an ongoing webcomic (done with Harry Potter legos) following the plot after the epilogue of the books. It follows several different story arcs, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their children at Hogwarts, a set of villains who have combined muggle technology with magic, and a displaced muggle sheriff and his deputy. From Texas. It updates twice a week.
- Seconded by Darkmane. Works unexpectedly well as a comic book, with pictures made from photos of lego toys. There's a highly interwoven storyline and it's done with a very generous touch of humour. Read with an open mind and do not expect anything too serious. Haters of comic books stay away, by contrast it's a must-read for comic book fans, as they will recognize and enjoy the change in narration, which works very well in graphic novel format.
Neville Longbottom series by Sonorus
- Recommended by e of pi
- Comments: One of the best takes on the "Neville Longbottom is chosen instead of Harry" storyline I've seen. The author has written AU versions of the first four books and nine chapters of "Order of the Phoenix." He's a very regular poster, and the story is top-notch. Moreover, much like in DA & the Year of Darkness, we really see the evolution and emergence of the sword-waving Neville a lot earlier, rather than some "Neville is chosen" fics where Neville's pathetic failures are just an excuse for some Harry-Potter-saves-the-world action.
- Seconded by PhoenixFTW
- Thirded, even though it unfortunately hasn't updated in almost a year.
The Shoebox Project by LadyJaida and Dorkorific (link here) (Non-graphic slash, incomplete)
- Recommended by Rinny, Yo Adrian
- Comments: It's pretty much the only fanfic I still even bother to read. Shame it isn't updated quite as often anymore, though.
- Strongly seconded by Yo Adrian: Oh god, where to start. Best Marauders-era fic I've ever read. The humor is superb — Rave and Jaida have a knack for teenage-boy hijinks. Young Peter Pettigrew has a very well-done Start of Darkness, and is treated as a real character. There are several beautiful nods to the mythology, at least one of which made this troper cry. Many of the background characters in the books get a bit more flesh on them, such as the Prewett twins — the Marauders' idols. Definitely worth a read — doesn't update very often, but worth the wait.
- Thirded by Yessiika: Beautiful, beautiful fanfic. One of the best ever written. Unfortunately, both authors have practically confirmed its status as a Dead Fic. However, what has been written is glorious; all of the characters, even some of the minor ones that the books mention in passing, have been fleshed out wonderfully and despite being a truly hilarious piece of writing, it has quite a few touching moments at times. The original home-page link is dead because someone hacked the site in late 2008 but thankfully, Lomara converted each and every file into PDF.
- Fourthed by this troper: It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. If you haven't read it, go read it NOW. It's the Marauders in the flesh, funny and moving and so utterly them. Honestly, would probably sell my soul to be able to write like this. The slash isn't very obvious, by the way, so don't be off-put by it.
- Fifthed by this other troper: it's bloody fantastic. All the characters are written perfectly. Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Snape, even Peter — all of them are completely three-dimensional people, with character progression that clearly leads them towards becoming their older canon counterparts we know from the books (and it thankfully doesn't fall into traps with the characters which are all too common in Harry Potter fandomnote ). As for the story itself, it's brilliant — and while there is slash, it doesn't read as contrived or out of character. In my mind, this fic is to JK Rowling's books as The Thrawn Trilogy is to the Star Wars movies.
- Sixthed by Lost Lenore: Pulled an all-nighter to read it and would do it again in a heartbeat. Definitely not in love with this fic's version of Remus. Touching and funny and oh so right. Has a high rereading value, too.
The Dark Prince Trilogy by Kurinoone (AU, some child abuse, some fighting, Dark Harry — kind of)
- Recommended by Elenor
- Pairings: All canon pairings. Lily/James, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, etc.
- Comments: The trilogy in order is The Darkness Within, A Part of Me and Deepest Reflections. So far the first one has been translated into Spanish, German, Russian, Portuguese, and French. The first two have been nominated for awards. This is honestly the best AU I have read. The characters are consistent and believable. Everyone is given depth so you can understand what drives them instead of the author making "good guys" and "bad guys" as subtle as a sledge hammer. No one changes in a day. Even the OC is likable and clearly not a self-insertion or a (shudder) Mary-Sue.
- Clendy 82: There is only one drawback that I see: Damien Potter? Seriously? You couldn't have gone with, I don't know, Jason? Or Brandon? Derek? Daniel? Of all the names out there for an obstinately non-evil character, you had to pick the most ridiculous of the lot? Despite the overall goodness of the story so far, the sheer idiocy of that name almost made me shut it down right then and there.
- It has to be said: I personally love the name Damien, although this could be influenced by my love of the character.
- Clendy 82: There is only one drawback that I see: Damien Potter? Seriously? You couldn't have gone with, I don't know, Jason? Or Brandon? Derek? Daniel? Of all the names out there for an obstinately non-evil character, you had to pick the most ridiculous of the lot? Despite the overall goodness of the story so far, the sheer idiocy of that name almost made me shut it down right then and there.
Dazzleberry's fanfics
- Recommended by Kilyle
- The trilogy of Still Waters Run Deep, Bittersweet, and Tomorrow We May Die (which is now housed offsite for some reason) is the one I read the most, although I don't much like the first one. Very OC for Snape, IMO, although it does play his angst up pretty neatly, and works well with how he feels as a double agent (hugely at the end of the second story). Still, it's one of the fanfics I've found to meet these criteria: Snape as main character, love as major plot, not filled with pointless sex, heterosexual, and not Snape-with-Hermione.
- Oh, and Dazzleberry has a fic highlighting how the Ministry of Magic messes with Lupin's life through unending rules and regulations, and that fic runs parallel to the second (?) part of the trilogy. Both fics, by the way, work within the basic underpinnings of the story, but from Snape or Lupin's point-of-view, rather than that of the kids, and the kids are portrayed a bit less sympathetically than normal; there's major Wangst at points, and Snape's love ends up pregnant by the end. And the story branches off from canon early on, due in part to being written while only half the series was published (the author debated about changing things to line up with canon, but decided to just go with what she had).
A. J. Hall's trilogy. (Slash Draco/Neville)
- Recommended by Robert:
- Some unconventional characterization, but is well written, and includes a cross-over with Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series.
Squib Tales by Ozma
- Recommended by Robert
- A series from Filch's point of view. Good characterization and world building.
The Stealing Harryverse by Sam the Storyteller (aka Sam Vines aka ''Copperbadge)
- Recommended by Lavanya Six, Ms. Byrd
- Pairing: Remus/Sirius
- Comments: An AU stemming from a simple question: What if Lucius Malfoy, not Sirius Black, had caught up with Peter Pettigrew first? Well, basically, Sirius stays a free man and (along with Remus) takes the place of Ms. Figg in watching Harry grow up at the Dursleys... until one day, when Harry is eight years old, Sirius and Remus find out just how badly the Dursleys treat Harry. AU through the middle of Year 3 so far.
- I have to give this fic the highest recommendation possible. The dialogue, plot, and character development is top notch. Sam's world building is very insightful into things canon takes for granted, like the makers of the Mirror of Erised or the historical origins for Purebloodness being rooted in Roman colonization of the British Isles.
- Now officially a Dead Fic, with a summary of what was to have been up. Damn it.
- Possibly a detail that only I find irritating, but one of the minor justifications for him being taken away from the Dursleys is that he has a blood connection to Remus through his paternal grandmother. There are several reasons that this is irksome. One, since we're working off the idea that Lily Potter did something to protect her son, logic dictates that the relative be of her blood. Two, Harry's paternal grandmother was Dorea Black, aunt to Walburga Black(nee Black) Sirius' mother; which would make Harry and Sirius, not Remus, second cousins. And this is before you consider that Sirius' father was also a Black, so it's really a closer relationship on a genetic level. Three, they don't even consider the other people related to Harry, like the Weasleys or the Tonkses, assuming that we're going by the thought that any relation will do.
- You need to remember the age of the fanfiction. It was released in 2005 before it was well known in the fandom that Harry was related to the Blacks. It's possible the writer either didn't know that or took artistic license with it. The argument about relative close to Lily may count, but not having read the fic I can't be sure.
The Dangerverse by Anne Walsh (Alternate sites here and here)
- Recommended by Lizzie; Seraviel; Paddy Murphy
- A superb multiverse spawned from the existence of an older, college-age, sister for Hermione. More intricate than Canon.
- Looney Toons: Cautious second. The initial stories sweep you up and carry you along with their writing; the author is very skilled and does a great job at an alternate universe that feels right and manages to hew closely to the general outline of canon while still being highly divergent (that's not a contradiction, much as it seems like it might be). My caution is that after the first four or so installments, and the first few branchings into various parallel universes within the series, I lost track of where I was and subsequently lost interest in following the stories. Without a good solid central thread to follow, I had no motivation to keep reading. If you're better at that, or less concerned about it, then ignore my caution and jump right in.
- Seraviel: Fourth. The length of the main stories might stump new readers, but the quality makes it worthwhile.
- Roo: Fifth, but mostly for the first story, Living With Danger. The later stories begin dragging a bit and introduces some really cringe-worthy plot points... and it's clear that Anne Walsh is much more at home with writing Harry and co. as small children rather than teenagers, which is probably why later stories don't feel anywhere near as inspired. A few of the other AUs are quite decent, but with the possible exception of the surprisingly fun Till We Reach That Day (which was rewritten into True Colors, which I haven't read yet), none of them are quite as engaging as that first story.
- Ran Mouri: Whole-heartedly sixth. The writing in the first isn't spectacular, but it gets much better. YMMV, but I think they're all very good, and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for book 5. I do like the first better than the rest of the main series, due to some plot points that feel a little shoe-horned in, the Heirs, but they're still great stories. Also, the AUs and crossovers are not to be missed. Be Careful nearly beats Lw D for me, and the Fix Fics A Little Slice of Heaven, and Till We Reach That Day are some of the best Fix Fics I've ever read. Major WAFF warning, but it's never overdone.
- Recommended by J the Drafter
- Everything she's written is hilarious, especially Harry Potter and the Overdone Plot Devices. She hasn't written anything new in a while, though.
Sacrifices Arc by Lightning on the Wave (Very Long Completed AUs, Heavy Violence, Slash)
- Recommended by Ms. Byrd, notsarah, starryblue, The Blood Sharpie, Lost Lenore
- Comments: A seven fic series and related oneshot "Maze of Light," each novel-length work replaces its corresponding canon counterpart, and Lightning increasingly diverges from the source. Despite the oft-(mis)used premise "what if Slytherin!Harry had a BWL!twin," the plot manages to stay original and creative throughout, with truly inspiring shout-outs to canon events. Canon characterizations aren't exactly possible, but there's a surprising amount of Original Flavor nonetheless. Snape is especially brilliant, and while Lightning never loses sight of the reality that spawned him, he progresses to the point of possibly being better than what JKR ever got around fleshing out. BE WARNED: the author really knows how to turn on the water-works, and pays careful attention to everything — which means that while character interaction often = Heartwarming Moments and setting establishment/development = Made of Win, wartime realities = Nightmare Fuel. The dark tone does threaten to overwhelm things occasionally, but Lightning somehow knows just when things are heading towards unbearable, and is as good at inducing Funny Moments as she is at creating tension.
- Recommended by Tikigod 784, Looney Toons, Mcnickel
- Comments: Recommended because this author takes many of the stereotypical situations you often see in fanfiction (such as Dark!Harry and Peggy Sue) and writes them well. It should be noted that Dumbledore bashing is prevalent, but explained clearly in every story. Harry also tends to be more logical and cautious than canon. To be perfectly honest, if you read two or three of his stories, you'll know what reading his other HP stories (as well as his 'Naruto' stories) feels like.
- Looney Toons: Seconded; note that DisobedienceWriter already has at least one story recommended elsewhere on this page, the cracktastic A Bad Week at the Wizangamot.
- Mcnickel thirds this, and has added another of his stories (Knowledge is useful, but Power is Power) to the For Want of a Nail page.
- Recommended by J Blaze
- Comments: Highly recommended if you happen to like Draco/Harry slash. This author has written over 100 fics of varying lengths (some very long, and some meaty oneshots too) — all of them some of the very best the fandom has to offer. The Ceremonies of Strife trilogy is especially recommended for one of the best continuation series I've read. Lomonaaeren is one of those rare authors that doesn't neglect plotting to get to the romance.
- Seconded by generalwinter: A very strong second. In particular, Forgive Those Who Trespass is probably the single best horror fic I've ever read. In general, Lomonaaeren somehow manages to update consistently with next to no dip in quality. Characters that are usually demonized in Harry/Draco stories (you know who I mean) are often prominent side characters who are important to Harry throughout whatever story is being told. And there are a lot of stories being told. Just about every one of Lomonaaeren's fic has a completely original storyline, often with magic involved that is either something from canon that is expanded on in an interesting way or something the author invented that feels like it could be canon anyway. Also, as of this comment, Lomonaaeren has over 300 fics up. So even if you're still unsure, it's well worth it to glance at their works, because chances are something they've written will appeal to you.
- Recommended by RoamingShadow
- If you like excellent writing, wonderful characterization, comedy, and the Marauders, you should check out all of her Harry Potter fics. She currently has seven HP fics: three complete and four in-progress. They're all worth the read. The author was previously Princess Marauder but had to make a new account due to technical glitches with their laptop.
- Recommended by RoamingShadow
- All the author's fics are Harry Potter and all of them are possibly the best I've ever read! All the characters are perfectly in canon, even in her Next Gen fics. It appears the author either doesn't know about the canon Next Gen or they decided to let their imagination flow and made characters of their own. Either way, their writing is amazing and worth the read.
- Seconded by Roundoffbackfull. The author created her Next Gen characters before JKR's revelations. Her stories all agree with each other and are full of well-written original characters plus realistic depictions of familiar ones. All her stories are highly recommended.
- Recommended by Joyce 13
- All the author's fics involve Severus Snape in some way, and most of them have him finding out about Harry's horrible life with the Dursleys and adopting him or marrying Lily and becoming Harry's stepfather.
- Recommended by Blacknumber, Pastykake
- Blacknumber: Dr. Platypus, first and foremost knows how to write. His Fan Song and Voldemort Song are amazingly well-written and funny as well. He's also got a pretty fleshed-out American Wizarding story that's 100% complete to read through. Give him a try if you like good characters, full worlds, and exploring J. K. Rowling's world all over again through new, American eyes.
- Pastykake: Seconded for the short stories that delve into history and imagine the origins of the names of Hogwarts and its founders, or of Durmstrang's mysterious location.
- Recommended by Chaosjunction
- Pinky Brown writes the most amazing Ron/Hermione fics I have ever had the pleasure to read. Her characterization of both Ron and Hermione is superb, but especially Ron, considering the way many fanfic writers treat him., or don't bother with him at all. All her stories are highly recommended.
- Recommended by Aust Kyzor
- Drift primarily writes Harry/Hermione Alternate-Universe fiction. If you dislike books 6 and 7, Harry/Ginny, and especially hate Ron, this author is for you. His work includes two complete overhauls of Goblet of Fire, and a time-travel story with Harry and Hermione sent back in time two years before the events of books 6 and 7
- Recommended by Namikaze Artemis
- The Fictionist is one of the best- and perhaps only- non-slash writer for (young) Tom and Harry. Her Fate's Favourite series has three stories, the original, the one-shot selection, and the prequel. The original is already completed, spanning over 150 chapters and 350 000 words. Her characterization of Tom is very realistic, not to mention the characterization of the other characters. She has also written a CoS AU that while is still in its starting stages, is already looking like a good story. Did I mention her plots are to die for? If you're a fan of time travel fics, or even if you're not, I highly recommend you check her out.
- Recommended by Roo, Pastykake
- Northumbrian claims that although he appears to be writing several stories, he is in fact only writing one. In practical terms this means that all his stories can be placed into one long continuity, which in turn fits around canon events and beyond, and explores bits and pieces of the wizarding world and its various characters that canon for various reasons only glances at. Though Harry and Ginny are the stars of most of the stories, several of them focus on secondary or minor characters and explore what they're getting up to while the big plots take place. The characterizations are good, the OCs who show up are engaging (such as the muggle couple who end up as Harry and Ginny's neighbors, whose children make friends with James, Albus, and Lily), and the dialogue sounds a lot like something that could have been in the canon books.
- Recommended by Rasdra
- With nearly 10000 reviews and over 4000 followers, Mizuni-Sama is the author of 'Prince of the Dark Kingdom'. The story is massive spanning over 1 million words and is still being updated and takes the basic overused plot idea "The Dark Lord won" and took it to a new level. Highly detailed and in-depth storytelling had me and thousands of others hooked in this alternate world. Have a look, don't be intimidated by the word count -its split into several 'books' one for each year it just isn't split into multiple stories.
- Recommended by Peggy Pegs
- Don't be fooled by their cover photo. White Angel of Auralon writes Harry Potter fics and creative Fix-its within the Harry Potter Universe which attempt to mend some of the many holes within the Harry Potter canon. From one-shots to multi-fic stories, White Angel gives well written stories with a multitude of plot lines that make you think "huh, never thought of that before." Another plus is that they always work to end their fics and all but those they are working on are left incomplete.
- Recommended by shade6116
- Whatever fic trollnexus writes, whether it be EWE or slotting more closely in with canon, it always contains realistic banter that more than once got a laugh out of me. —shade6116
- Recommended by Senor P
- A very comprehensive and well-thought website of fanfics, flashfics, essays, and other useful resources.
- Recommended by Dame-Amaryllis
- This author writes a lot of oneshots of the What If? variety, as well as a few multichapter stories and crossovers; almost all of them are character-driven and play with Plot Holes in the canon material.
- Recommended by Pastykake
- Incredible prose, in a mix of serious and humorous fics. Mostly one-shots, with a few chaptered stories.
Imogen - members only but many also available at fanfiction.net and Phoenixsong.
- Recommended by OwenoColwyn
- Funny and engaging Pre-OotP stories focused on a Harry/Ginny relationship.
The Adventures of Harriet Potter Also available on fanfiction.net
- Recommended by LS-Kun
- Rating: Teen
- Comments: While this story sounds like it simply takes Harry Potter and makes him into a girl or even genderswaps the whole cast, it's a little different, only changing Harry and Ron into girls while keeping everyone else the same. However, it also adds plenty of new characters and plot elements to the story, keeping the story fairly fresh and unique while managing to stay understandable. The author, while managing to keep a consistent pace, has finished four of the seven books and is currently working through book 5. As a warning for readers, over the course of the story, Harriet slowly develops a fetish for bondage. However, the progression of her interest is realistic and mature, staying as a very minor character element of hers. But if this is a deal breaker, this is your warning.
- Recommended by Pastykake
- Some stories are set in alternate universes and some are canon-compliant. Most feature a Harry/Ginny relationship. Sometimes things get explicit, but it's tasteful, intimate lovemaking rather than porn. Some stories depict magic the likes of which are seen in canon and only rarely in fan fics: truly mysterious magical phenomena, large-scale workings that affect the entire community, etc.
- Recommended by The4thDimension
- Mainly writes oneshots focusing on the background characters. Usually gen. I consider their work some of the best I've ever read. Many of them bring me to tears.
- Recommended by Phoenix-21
- Has of now written over a hundred Harry Potter works largely focusing on the extended Potter-Weasley clan. They're gen and canon compliant, ranging from pre-canon era, over missing scenes from the canon era, to post-canon and next generation fics. They're all from the same verse but can be read independently. Most fics are one-shots, but there are several longer works. The characterization is really spot-on across the board, and the fics are equallly funny and touching. In particular the missing scenes series is very engaging and gives insights into various characters.
- Recommended by: Victorio M Wolff-Haddock
- From Yu-Gi-Oh! (Link)to Resident Evil Village (Link), this author has produced many Crossover with Harry Potter, among other things
