What If Harry Was In Slytherin is a Harry Potter fanfiction created by Super Carlin Brothers, that imagines how the entire story would change if Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor.As of now, the entire series can be viewed in this playlist
This fanfic contains examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion:
- This series adds more lore to the Basilisk and Slytherin's locket. It is established that the Basilisk is to Slytherins what Gryffindor's sword is to Gryffindors i.e. a power they can invoke in time of need. The locket is there to reveal this power to any worthy Slytherin.
- Lily's sacrificial protection plays a larger role in Deathly Hallows, more accurately Voldemort using Harry's blood to resurrect himself. Because Voldemort transferred this sacrificial protection inside himself, a part of Lily lives inside of him. When he thinks the Elder Wand chose him, it actually chose Lily. After Lily's wand accepted Harry as its owner, the ownership of the Elder Wand also transferred to Harry.
- Adaptational Heroism:
- Draco Malfoy gradually plays a more active role in defeating Voldemort, as opposed to halfheartedly turning his back on the Death Eater cause. He is even let in on the Horcrux secret and destroys the Diadem of Ravenclaw.
- The Basilisk gets this of all characters. After Harry spares its life, it becomes one of his most powerful allies.
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- While not really being friends with Harry, Draco does not have the same antagonistic relationship with him as he did in the original series. He also gradually develops into a useful ally to him in his fight against Voldemort.
- Snape is willing to see Harry as an individual instead of automatically deciding that Harry is exactly like James, so their relationship isn't as bad. Then the Slytherin quidditch team wins match after match thanks to Harry, which only improves Snape's opinion of him.
- The Antichrist: Supplemental material written by Rowling herself reveals Death Eaters believed Harry's victory over Voldemort as a baby heralded him to become the next Dark Lord. Harry being sorted into Slytherin reinforces this belief in this fanfic. However, it quickly gets shot down when Harry foils Quirrel.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Draco slowly becomes a stalwart ally to Harry when the latter saves him from the Tom Riddle inside the diary Horcrux.
- Flaming Sword: In the original series, the Sword of Gryffindor is established to absorb every element that makes it stronger into itself. In this series, it is hit with and absorbs Fiendfyre, allowing it to become this trope.
- For Want Of A Nail: This fanfic starts with Harry and Draco not meeting at Madame Malkin's in Philosopher's Stone. Because of this small change, Harry never heard about Slytherin House's bad reputation and never asks the Sorting Hat to not be placed in Slytherin. This small change heralds some huge changes in the story. Most notably Draco and the Basilisk becoming allies.
- Heel–Face Turn: The Basilisk becomes an ally to Harry in this story.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: When Draco is forced to torture Death Eaters who failed Voldemort in Deathly Hallows, he uses Sectumsempra instead of Crucio. Voldemort likes this form of torture, as it leaves visible marks. He also gives every Death Eater inflicted with this torture silver replacements for their damaged bodyparts. These are enchanted the same way as Peter Pettigrew's silver hand, causing them to kill the wearer whenever they doubt Voldemort or his cause. When Draco displays Voldemorts cruelty and hypocrisy in front of all of his Death Eaters, many of them start to get second thoughts and are promptly killed by their silver implants. Voldemort basically killed his own army.
- In Spite of a Nail: Despite Harry being in Slytherin, he still becomes good friends with Ron and Hermione.
- The Mole: Draco gradually develops into this. He uses his position within Voldemort's circle to sabotage their efforts.
- Mundane Utility: The DA meetings are held at the Chamber of Secrets, rather than the Room of Requirement. Humorously, Harry enlists the basilisk to transport the DA members back to the surface.
- Redemption Demotion: After having performed a Heel–Face Turn, the Basilisk's eyes are healed by Fawkes, but lost their Deadly Gaze.
- Rule of Symbolism: Voldemort killing The Basilisk has Draco bring this up as a negative to his claim as the heir of slytherin. After all, how could the true heir kill their prized beast?
- Spared by the Adaptation: Subverted. Several characters die later than their original counterparts.
- Cedric survives the events of Goblet of Fire, due to Harry receiving more of a head start compared to him. Therefore, Harry grabs the cup on his own, meaning Cedric never became "the spare" to be killed off. He becomes a member of Dumbledore's Army, but is killed by a Death Eater when joining the group at the Ministry of Magic in Order of The Phoenix
- In Deathly Hallows Dobby dies during the Battle of Hogwarts at the Room of Requirement when Harry was searching for the Diadem of Ravenclaw, as opposed to earlier in Malfoy Manor.
- The most notable example is the Basilisk. It survives its canonical death in Chamber of Secrets and becomes a recurring ally in several of the subsequent installments, only to die in Deathly Hallows
- Story-Breaker Power: The basilisk is this during the second Triwizard task. Harry uses it as a mount to easily reach the merman village and is allowed to free all the hostages, as the mer-people are too afraid of the basilisk to prevent harry from doing so. This makes Harry actually win the second task, giving him a huge head start in the third.
- Talking the Monster to Death: Harry talks the Basilisk into performing a Heel–Face Turn through sheer logic in this version of Chamber of Secrets. The Riddle manifested by the diary Horcrux kidnapped Draco instead of Ginny. Harry convinced the Basilisk to turn on Riddle, as Riddle planned to kill the pure-blooded Draco, while the Basilisk is actually bred to protect the pure-bloods from the muggle-borns.
- Token Evil Team Mate: While Draco genuinely abhors Voldemort and works as The Mole to defeat him, he employs some questionable methods to do so. He most notably mutilates Death Eaters with Sectumsempra when Voldemort forces him to torture them. In canon, he only tortured them reluctantly. Here, he does so deliberately as to make them less effective for Voldemort.
- What If?: The basic premise of this story.
