Harry Potter/Fanfic Recs/For Want of a Nail

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Harry Potter For Want of a Nail fanfic, 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. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

Prince of the Dark Kingdom by Mizuni-sama (link)
 * Recommended by Eccitaze, Elenor, Unclouded TJ
 * Synopsis: A "what if?" story where Harry's parents fled with him to Germany. Voldemort winds up winning the war, and establishes a dictatorship, but instead of killing all the "mudbloods," he simply segregates the wizarding world even further from the muggle world.
 * Comments: A very interesting fic where Voldemort mentors Harry, with an interesting take on what happened to the characters (specifically, the ones who were on the losing side) and an incredible re-imagining of a lot of the characters, the Weasleys especially.
 * Elenor could tell you that it has eveything from culture examinations to political intigue, but that makes it sound like something we've all seen before a hundred times. It's not, its really not. As for how you'll end up feeling about everyone, I think this quote sums it up nicely, "Tonks sighed, and ran a hand through her leopard print hair. She missed the days when you could support your allies with the same enthusiasm you could oppose your enemies."

The Lie I've Lived by jbern
 * Recommended by Looney Toons
 * Synopsis: Not all of James died that night. Not all of Harry lived. The Triwizard Tournament as it should have been and a hero discovering who he really wants to be.
 * Comments:
 * boonerunner: Harry James Potter combines Harry's raw power and James's experience, but he makes his share of significant mistakes and he has trouble relating to the other kids his age. Well written.
 * Your mileage may vary HEAVILY on this. It is without a doubt well-written but the author is a flagrant basher, who villainizes a few characters just to make some scenes work. That is laziness my friends. You want to know what characters he bashes? Krum and the Weasley Twins of all people. Not the usual victims of villianization but far from acceptable targets.
 * USA Bobcat : As a sidenote, I've always passed this fic by on this page, believing it was a crack fic. When I finally ventured in to read it, I was surprised beyond measure. It is most definitely not a crack fic, though if you only hear bit and pieces and anecdotes from it, especially from the later chapters, it will seem like one.
 * Dethryl: Full disclosure, Jbern is an acquaintance of mine. This one starts out a bit rough, what with the Sorting Hat's vulgarity being more Tourette's Syndrome than any kind of purposeful story element. I very much enjoy the new Tasks, and the characterization of Fleur is refreshing. YMMV, naturally, but EVERY character is worthy of villianization. If you don't think the twins can be mean, it's time to re-read canon. Between turning Ron's teddy bear into a spider and scarring him for life or shoving Montague into the Vanishing Cabinet so he disappears for more than a month (and neither they nor the Trio tell a teacher!), they're not angels. It takes a good author to challenge what you think you know about a character, and I think Jbern has done a wonderful job with this fic.

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Less Wrong (pseudonym of Eliezer Yudkowsky) (link)
 * Recommended by Looney Toons
 * Synopsis: Petunia married a man other than Vernon Dursley...a scientist. The Harry Potter they raise is bright, bookish, rational, and frustrating beyond all belief to the wizarding world. He starts pointing out the logical fallacies from day one, and never really stops. Looks to be a Ravenclaw!Harry story.
 * Comments: Honestly, I never stopped laughing reading this story. There's one OC, Petunia's husband, but he's only there for the plot, and his back-and-forths with Harry and everyone else while they talk about magic range from amusing to hysterical. It gets particularly good when Harry actually goes to Diagon Alley for the first time, as that's when the lampshading really starts. Not very far along yet, but updated regularly.
 * User:Looney Toons: Strongly seconded. Chapter five is hilarious. Apparently growing up in a supportive family environment allows Harry to develop some of the troublemaker traits he inherited from James Potter.

Luna's Hubby by Meteoricshipyards
 * Recommended by Fuzzy Boots, Unclouded TJ, Don Julio, Mazz
 * Synopsis: 7-year-old Luna Lovegood sees how happy her parents are in their marriage and decides that she wants the same. Having heard from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter is a good catch, she borrows their family broom and kidnaps him, refusing to tell her parents where she found him. After realizing the abusive environment Harry came from, Selene and Xenophilus adopt Harry into their home, figuring that they can dissuade Luna from the marriage plot later.
 * Comments: A very sweet and crazy fic. It's unabashed Harry/Luna shipping and it works spectacularly. The story ends at a slightly changed Triwizard Tournament where
 * This story began as one of The Blot's Odd Ideas (see below for details) but grew from there. Considerably Lighter and Softer than its source material, but in a good way.

Goodbye, My Brother by Hermione-Anti.Twilight
 * Recommended by mermaidgirl45
 * Synopsis: After the final battle of Hogwarts, Harry dies. Ron is haunted by his death, until Harry appears as a ghost to comfort him.
 * Comments: This is only two chapters, but is very sweet and moving. There are some discrepancies, but it's good writing, and it really captures the grief and pain of the battle, the personality of the characters, especially Ron, and is interesting to read.

Yes, I Am Harry's Brother (Revised version), by 1411eastwest (old)/Ynyr (new)
 * Recommended by Looney Toons
 * Synopsis: A few years after the events of Halloween 1981, the wraith of Voldemort finds 4 Privet Drive and Harry Potter—and is accidentally incarnated into a near-clone of Harry's 6-year-old body when the soul fragment in the child's scar rejoins with the Dark Lord's spirit. Using every bit of his cunning and experience, the re-youthened Voldemort then escapes and begins a long process that results in him returning to Privet Drive at age eight in the guise of Harry's half-brother, the result of an affair James Potter had with an American woman—with the goal of studying Harry to learn what the prophecied "Power he knows not" might be. Along the way, Voldemort kills many, many people—and gives Harry a much happier life. Then comes Hogwarts...
 * Comments: Intriguing fic with some interesting ideas that defy fanon and fan convention without violating canon, and well-written as well, told entirely from Voldemort's point of view. Voldemort is a Complete Monster, of course, except we learn that there's far more to him than just the homicidal maniac that the canon Harry sees once a year, and maybe—just maybe—he's Becoming the Mask from playing Harry's half-brother even as the death toll among canon characters at his hands keeps escalating. The author is very subtle about it though -- "Vito Potter" sometimes feels like he's just a few weeks from a Heel Face Turn, and then he'll turn around and a professor will be dead for getting too close to his secret; the reader is never sure which part of his personality is the "real" one. He seems strangely protective of Harry and even some of their friends, while at the same time plotting their eventual destruction when he comes back into power. Complete, and definitely worth a look if you want something different among your Harry Potter fanfics.
 * The story has its ups and downs, especially towards the start, but steadily declines as it unfolds. It's an interesting read, especially if you don't mind rampant character bashing, but it doesn't really stand out from all the other OC/Super!Harry (even if it's not actually Harry in this case) by the end.
 * User:Looney Toons: I will agree, the ending is somewhat anticlimactic.
 * I liked the ending. It was a bit anticlimactic...until I read it again, tied together the bits about the Stone, and realized.

Magical Relations by evansentranced (AU)
 * Recommended by Anthiens, Lavanya Six
 * Synopsis: Harry didn't just get a letter—Dudley does, too. Quite a bit of unexpected character developments, including a Hermione/Dudley friendship, Draco still being his bratty self yet being portrayed as human and Harry being in Slytherin. Extremely well done and up to fourth year.
 * Comments: Anthiens: This story focuses largely on the relationships and the changes both Harry and Dudley go through. A number of people get very different interpretations... including Vernon. I don't read HP fanfic often, but this is tops.

Another Prisoner, Another Professor by Marauder the Slash Nymph (incomplete, eventual Sirius/Remus, LJ link, FA link)
 * Recommended by sauronlulz, Eversor
 * Synopsis: In Harry's third year he must learn the many truths about the new DADA teacher, Professor Black, and an escaped convict, Remus Lupin.
 * Comments: The first few chapters come off as "the third book with Sirius' and Remus' names switched", but the fic gradually takes on a life of its own as more small details diverge from canon and the author makes up her own subplots. All the canon characters are IC (but Ron gets added snark!), the invented dynamics between characters who didn't meet in canon (e.g. Sirius and Draco) are done brilliantly, and OC Brutus Swift is hilarious. Remus has not yet come onstage, but the hints of Sirius/Remus are handled well. Best of all, Harry and Sirius' relationship gets the time and growth it didn't get in the books, making it Better Than Canon. Updated very slowly, but luckily not a deadfic. Now has a TV Tropes page.
 * Seconded by This Troper. It actually makes more sense than canon in places - for example, an escaped mass murderer who's also a werewolf is a much better reason for the near-paranoid security measures. Plus, from where it's heading, it looks like it'll be Remus/Sirius, which should have been canon in my opinion.

Promises Unbroken by Robin. Also included: its sequels Promises Remembered and Promises Defended.
 * Recommended by Wookiee, johnhancookie, Dethryl
 * Synopsis: A look at Harry's first year at Hogwarts and the political climate outside the school in an AU where Sirius was the Potters' secret-keeper.  dying rather than betray his friends, Lily and James are alive, Harry has parents, Voldemort is still at large, and the first war is still raging outside the castle walls.
 * The brilliance of this story lies in the combination of making some things exactly the same as the books while radically changing other aspects. This is not a bland dark apocafic, but a very well-thought-out and detailed extrapolation of what could have been. What this author has done with the characters of James and Lily, Remus, and Peter is remarkably believable and logical, and the way a Harry who never went to the Dursleys views a much more divided wizarding world is a blend of both new twists and familiarity. The portrayal of the Marauders' friendship, including flashbacks, is beautifully rendered and heartfelt, and is the best aspect of the story. While non-orphan!Harry's personality may be a little too bland for this troper's liking, the characterizations of the rest of the characters makes up for it.

Freaks Aren't Allowed by lastcrazyhorn
 * Recommended by orpheus-izanagi
 * Synopsis: After nearly freezing to death outside his relatives' home, little Harry is rescued by first a spirit and then a snarky git! The adventure isn't over yet though, as Snape soon realizes that his charge's problems aren't limited to just frostbite.
 * Comments: This story is excellent for fluff: between the interactions of child!Harry and Snape, this manages to get just the right amount of fluff. It's tempered with a separate Dumbledore subplot, so if there's too much fluff for you, you can always look at that.

On the Way to Greatness, by mira mirth (link)
 * Recommended by Fiddlesoup, SelfCloak
 * Synopsis: As per the Hat's decision, Harry gets Sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival in Hogwarts—and suddenly, the future isn't what it used to be. Spoilers for all books.

Faithful Only He by Nimori
 * Recommended by Valjean, force42, Fenro
 * Synopsis "And if Sirius had been their keeper..."
 * Comments: A heartbreaking and devastatingly raw, real look at what could have been if Sirius had been the Potters' secret-keeper. The title might give a hint. This AU is beautifully written and the way it follows the simple, logical consequences of the life-changing choice is brutal but feels exactly right.

Forging The Sword by Myst Shadow
 * Recommended by Shadow AI
 * Synopsis What does it take, to reshape a child? And if reshaped, what then is formed? Down in the Chamber, a choice is made. (Harry's Gryffindor traits were always so much scarier than other peoples'.)

Rectifier by Niger Aquila
 * Recommended by foxintime
 * Synopsis What if during the first Chamber incident, Professor Dumbledore had caught Tom Riddle red handed? Actually, life would have been amazing for both Tom and Albus (friendship). Until, that is, when one night Professor Tom M. Riddle decided to check out if Alternate Universes do exist. Takes place around Half-Blood Prince in the canon universe. WIP.
 * Comments: I like how author chose not to bleach Voldemort, but give him a reason not to go down canon path of another Dark Lord. He is a bad boy here, both of them are. Friendship with Dumbledore is made of win.

Dagger and Rose, by Perspicacity
 * Recommended by Hiraku Joutei
 * Synopsis: What if Dumbledore took Harry as his apprentice, after hearing the second prophecy? When Harry takes him up on the offer, he is cast into a world far darker and much more dangerous than he could imagine. With all of the lies and betrayal, can Harry see through to the light to find his one true love? Or will it suck him up, turning him into the very thing he has fought so hard against?
 * Pairings: Harry/Fleur
 * Comments: Set in the Fourth Year. One of the best fics I have read (and I've read hundreds), dark and suspenseful, with a hint of hope. Masterfully written by an author with professional experience, this story manages to avoid the pitfalls of many other For Want of a nail fics. I can also guarantee that the ending will have you pulling out you hair. This story is complete.
 * The story does have some issues with Harry getting special magic with the Runes, some character are quite derailed, with the most blatant maybe being Ron. The new ultra secret and powerful secret organization and the shift of focus to it instead of Voldemort is also potentially annoying. Aside from that, the fic is quite a bit darker than canon.

Arc of Sacrifices, by Lightning on the Wave (link)
 * Recommended by Lost Lenore
 * Synopsis: A seven-part series which is a long read, but worth it. An AU in which Harry has a twin, Connor, who is the Boy Who Lived. Lily and Dumbledore train Harry from an early age to always protect Connor, but then Harry is sorted into Slytherin...
 * Pairings: Mainly Harry/Draco later on. (Warning: smut from the sixth book onwards.) There are other pairings, but they do not get nearly as much time in the limelight. The other one of note is Connor/.
 * Comments: Better than canon, in my opinion; the characters undergo a lot more development. It makes minor characters from canon into characters that you actually care about. Plus, it's the only fic that has made her cry.

A Different Fate, by Lordhellabore
 * Recommended by fatrat, Fenro
 * Synopsis: JKR portrays Harry as completely unaffected by the Death Curse cast at him. But how would things have gone if it had been different? Drabble series, five drabbles per chapter.
 * Pairings: Petunia/Remus
 * Comments: A sweet sensitively written portrayal of a version of Harry given severe learning difficulty by Voldemort's curse. Also features a much nicer version of Aunt Petunia and Protective Dudley.

Between Ruin and Salvation by Kihin Ranno
 * Recommended by Lost Lenore
 * Synopsis: What would've happened if Harry had followed Sirius through the veil at the Department of Mysteries? A Darker and Edgier version of what might have been.
 * Pairings: Draco/Luna
 * Comments: The main pairing was a little too out there for my liking, but that was all. The author does a very realistic job at everything else, including fleshing out a completely plausible AU. It's a lot bleaker than canon, with several major character dying or going insane. The fanfiction.net version, posted above, is free of smut but has sexual references. Definitely interesting and thought-provoking.

Harry Potter and the Descent into Darkness By Aya Macchiato
 * Recommended by Rabid Cookie, Naomi Hansen
 * Synopsis: 4th yr. Through an accident Harry and Voldemort's Horcrux begin to interact and Harry slowly begins to change. He becomes stronger & slowly grows aware of the sinister events that have perpetuated his entire life.
 * Pairings: Harry/Voldemort
 * Comments: This is probably the best "Harry turns dark" story I've ever come across. the entire premise is that Harry finds the horcrux in his mind and decided to let it out, due to his friends abandoning him right after his name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. The horcrux doesn't turn him evil right away, it just makes Harry a bit more wary and a bit more morally ambiguous. The author does throw in a lot of rather stereotypical plot devices but she plays them well enough that you won't care.

Torn by Neurotica
 * Recommended by Thagomizer
 * Synopsis: AU. An escape from Azkaban has called for drastic measures to be taken. Five-year-old Harry Potter is taken from his relatives' home and relocated with two of his parents' remaining friends. No slash
 * Comments: An absolutely superb story with absolutely flawless characterization. Sirius escapes a few years early, prompting Dumbledore to relocate Harry with Remus. Fantastic plotting and pace, with writing that approaches a professional level. Mad-Eye, in particular, perfectly continues his streak from Canon of being hilarious and a badass at the same time- if you can make it though him going undercover as a polyjuiced Harry-a four-year-old Harry- without laughing, you are made of some very strong stuff.

The Real Memory by Enigmaticrose4
 * Recommended by KittyKat848, Mazz
 * Synopsis: AU (sort of) Voldemort strikes and Harry falls. When he comes back to himself he isn't at Kings Cross with Dumbledore. Instead he's at the Dursleys, going to Stonewall High instead of Hogwarts. Why?
 * Comments: This is one of the weirdest stories I've ever read, in a good way! The suspense is definitely here and the author brings us to the same level as Harry in quite the same way that JK Rowling herself did. I love that I could feel Harry's confusion along with my own. Aside from the excitement and adventure there is a warmth and family atmosphere that truly makes this story feel genuine.

Harry and the Mysterious Curse of the Girl-Who-Lived by Lord Jeram (link)
 * Recommended by Mazz, Chaosjunction
 * Synopsis: Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived. So why does everyone think he's Harriet, the Girl-Who-Lived? Wizards are nutters... A Mysterious Curse makes everyone but seemingly the Dursleys see Harry as Harriet and can't hear otherwise, much to Harry's annoyance.

Harry Potter and the Magic Unleashed by Sooner90
 * Recommended by Mazz
 * Synopsis: On Halloween night of 1981, Harry was rescued from the ruins of the cottage in Godric's Hollow by the Potter family elf. He is subsequently raised by said elf and a portrait. Hilarity and drama ensue. It hasn't updated in over a year, though. Dead Fic?

An Aunt's Love by Emma Lipardi
 * Recommended by Week Old Pizza
 * Sypnosis: Harry comes home from school and Petunia is upset at the change in her nephew. Petunia decides to do what she should have been doing all along. Dumbledore had better stay away. Petunia Dursley is upset. - It's a fantastic fanfic that shows a different side to Petunia's character. Its interesting, original and shows that Lily's sister actually has a heart. Its over 60 chapters long however it hasn't been updated for a while. Still worth reading.
 * Super powered harry is quite annoying, Voldemort seems to be extremely out of character, as are quite a few other characters. Mass of OC can be tiresome, but it works decently within the premise. The writing itself is pretty decent ignoring the previously mentioned problems, so it can be worth reading.

When in Doubt, Obliviate by Sarah1281
 * Recommended by: Fuzzy Boots, boonerunner, Mazz, Fenro
 * Synopsis: Gilderoy Lockhart is passing through when he runs into Sirius Black on the night of November 1, 1981. Upon hearing that Harry Potter has been orphaned, he realizes his golden opportunity, Obliviates Sirius, and takes Harry Potter out of the country to raise him as his own. Eleven years later, Harry receives his admission letter and is accepted in Slytherin. The story takes the mickey out of every silly aspect of the Harry Potter universe, but does so in good humor. Imagine Methods of Rationality with a Harry who still acts like a kid and lives in a non-crapsack world.
 * Ron is particularly hilarious: he treats it as a personal betrayal when Harry is sorted as a Slytherin. He finally manages to recover his equilibrium by deciding that Harry was simply sorted incorrectly and proceeds to plot a series of increasingly outrageous schemes to "redeem" his friend from the perils of being in the wrong house.
 * Written by the same author of "Oh God Not Again!" a well recommended fic on the Harry Potter page.
 * Tags: Humor

Mirror Image (Previously named "Second Chance") by snakes and lions unite
 * Recommended by: Mazz
 * Synopsis: His whole life, Tom Foster has had reoccurring dreams about a boy nearly identical to him, Tom Riddle. But when he discovers that they are really memories, he must make a difficult choice - to remain a reflection or to find his own destiny. AU. NO SLASH. Tom/Harry friendship.
 * Tags: Friendship

A Butterfly Effect by Slygoddess (link)
 * Recommended by: jennifersbody, johnhancookie
 * Pairings: fem!Harry/Ginny, (main and final)
 * Synopsis: A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and a tornado brews in Texas. A simple choice: Today or Tomorrow? Conceived a day earlier, the Boy Who Lived was never born. He wasn't even a glimmer in his parents' eyes. But she was; Harriet Lily Potter... Harry; the girl that grew up in a cupboard; the girl with safety-pinned knickers; the girl that was never wanted by the only family she had left; the girl that would give anything for the slightest bit of love. What happens when the shoes of a hero are filled by the feet of a heroine? How does the world change? How do relationships change? How important can one person possibly be?
 * Warnings: Mature Themes, Underage, Violence, Child Abuse
 * Comments: - Easily the best fem!Harry I've ever read. Also, in terms of exploring canon without contradicting it, A Butterfly Effect is one of the most well-reasoned fanfics in existence.
 * Tags: Romance, Action, Drama

The What If? series by hpgirl7777
 * Recommended by tclittle
 * Pairing: All Canon ones, but emphasis is on Harry/Ginny
 * Could've Had Ages
 * Synopsis: Harry takes Ginny to the Yule Ball and it kick starts their relationship.
 * The Difference Between
 * Synopsis: What if James and Lily had actually survived that faithful Halloween night?
 * They Might Be Muggles
 * Synopsis: Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
 * Missing a Hero
 * Synopsis: What if Harry had died on that faithful Halloween night?
 * Haven't read it in a while, but I remember really enjoying them. CHA abd TDB have some really fluffy moments, TMBM is Tear Jerker with some Yank the Dog's Chain moments and MaH is a Tear Jerker throughout, but they are definite reads nonetheless.
 * Sadly, the fics appear to have been taken down. Whether this is deliberate or just an accident is unclear. If the fics get re-uploaded, or if they exist on another site, posting them here would be wonderful, as they sound like they have really interesting premises. Here is the link to the stories, still up on wizardtales: https://web.archive.org/web/20101222060535/http://wizardtales.net/viewuser.php?uid=260
 * Note that while some are completed, others are dead. The author hasn't uploaded anything since 2007. Which is rather unfortunate, because The Difference Between had a lot going for it...

The First Step is Fatal by Qilin
 * Recommended by: TheForgottenOne, wijackson, Mazz
 * Synopsis: Harry enters Hogwarts under strange circumstances where he is sorted into Slytherin. Not what he expected when he fell down the stairs and died at home on Dudley's eleventh birthday. Possession would have been Harry's last guess at a second chance. AU 1styr.
 * I'll give this one a tentative seconding. It's an interesting premise, but the writing needs work.
 * Apparently going under grammatical revision as of October 4, 2011. New chapter due to be release after completion.
 * Tags: Friendship, Adventure, Dead to Begin With, Inhuman Human, Spirit Advisor.

Blood Magic by GatewayGirl
 * Recommended by: Robin Zimm
 * Synopsis: The premise of the Severitus Challenge is simple: what if Harry Potter's father wasn't James Potter, but Severus Snape? GatewayGirl manages to take this idea and produce a serious and thoughtful story of reconciliation, subterfuge, misunderstandings, forgiveness, and growing up as Harry and Snape deal with discovering their relationship and the consequences thereof in their respective circles. (Contains Snape/Lupin.)

The They Shook Hands series by Dethryl (Original version: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 (incomplete); Post-Canon Revision: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6.)
 * Recommended by: LeoArchon, Jay Llenrup, SteakAddictsAnonymous
 * Synopsis (taken from Year 1): Suppose Draco Malfoy introduced himself before he started acting like an ass. What if he had asked Harry's name before insulting Hagrid? A friendly handshake in Madam Malkin's leads to an alternate but realistic universe which is eerily like the canon, featuring a cast of first year Slytherins as you've never seen them: normal children. Join Harry Potter and his new friends as they discover their magical talents and help him to explore the world that has been kept from him these past ten years.

Eschew Obfuscation by buddyblack
 * Recommended by ranichi17
 * Synopsis: Harry dies during his battle with Voldemort in the Triwizard Tournament and wakes up reincarnated as a 4 year old. Apparently a Dead Fic as it was last updated in November 2009, but don't let that stop you from reading it.
 * Don't see how this is a For Want of a Nail fic. Also, Evil Dumbledore and Good Voldemort is pretty annoying.

Silver and Blue by AceDetective
 * Recommended by ranichi17
 * Synopsis: Severus and Lily had a secret relationship while at Hogwarts. What's more, they were married after graduation and had a daughter! But when Voldemort comes, and ruins everything, now it's time for Selene's adventures, and to find the truth.

Possessive Mythology by Lycan lover
 * Recommended by ranichi17
 * Synopsis: Hermione is the daughter of Priam, King of Troy. Draco is the Greek God of War. Events have been set into motion by the Fates that cannot be undone, even by the King of the Gods himself. As the Trojan War continues Hermione falls deeper under War's spell

Impulsive Mythology by Lycan lover
 * Recommended by ranichi17
 * Synopsis: Sequel to Possessive Mythology: They were forced to hate each other for the rest of time, a curse put upon them by the Goddess' Aphrodite and Hera. Doomed to walk the earth loathing each other the descendents our greek couple struggle to cope, after all love is impulsive.The two of them are at Hogwarts for their seventh year, with the war over Hermione can't help but notice a change in Draco. Ever since she saved his life in the Battle of Hogwarts he's been acting strange. There's something going on that she's determined to find out about.
 * Can she enlist the help of a wounded, heartbroken Lucius Malfoy along with her friends to solve the riddle of Draco before he does something he might regret?Or will it happen all over again. The Gods are watching. There's nothing they can do about it, after all... It's an impulse.

Emperor by Marquis Black
 * Recommended by Milarqui
 * Synopsis: Some men live their whole lives at peace and are content. Others are born with an unquenchable fire and change the world forever. Inspired by the rise of Napoleon, Augustus, Nobunaga, and T'sao T'sao. Very AU.
 * Comments: this story is highly recommendable. While at the start it seems to be the typical fanfic in which Harry's parents survive, things change really fast, starting from the moment they decide to leave England for the continent - which they mention is constantly at the edge of a new war - to avoid being used by Dumbledore as propaganda weapons. It turns out that there is a point of divergence in real history, with the failure at the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forefather of the European Union, and this has changed many things, including the lack of reasons why the European nations should collaborate with each other. The whole story is told - mostly - from Harry's point of view after he swears to do everything in his power to protect his family.
 * The war scenes in which Harry manages to use his full power as a magician to destroy the enemy forces in Spain (which was democratized after Franco was killed, but a few years later an Ultranationalist party got voted in) are quite impressive, especially for the level of destruction and cunning Harry is able for. However, this ends up in a slight failure when the Masquerade is revealed to the world, and everyone has to deal with the consequences of this, including a civil war in England and . In the end, it turns out that there is a second, far more important, point of divergence in history:

How Xenophilius Lovegood Saved Britain by Arpad Hrunta
 * Recommended by Mazz, Eversor
 * Pairings: Harry/Luna
 * Synopsis: A simple letter sent by one Gabrielle Delacour to a depressed Harry in the middle of his 5th year changes everything. It's a brilliant one-shot that tends to not take itself too seriously. Written entirely in letters from one person to another or in a similar format. Reportedly the best "power the dark lord knows not".

Slave Child by Kristen Hudson
 * Recommended by mad4t
 * Synopsis: At the end of their fifth year, Draco duels Harry as revenge for landing his father in Azkaban. Draco hits Harry with a previously unknown curse, that forces him to be the slave of the first person to touch him afterward: Severus Snape. Harry and Snape are now stuck with each other and have to overcome their differences while Dumbledore tries to find a way to break the curse. Not Slash.
 * Comments: It's a beautifully written, sad story. The author does a decent job with developing the relationships over time instead of making Snape "nice" right off the bat (although it still may seem to happen to quickly for some). Deals with some very hard topics, though, such as slavery, abuse, and suicide.

Growing Up Black by Elvendork Nigellus
 * Recommended by Newt, Eversor
 * Synopsis: What if Harry had been rescued from the Dursleys at age six and raised as the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient, etc.?
 * Comments: Harry is taken away from the Dursley's by his squib aunt and uncle from the Black side of his family tree. He is then raised by the extended Black family, who are unaware that he is the Boy-Who-Lived. An entertaining read. Not a Slytherin Harry story.

First Place Sinner by Daystar Clarion
 * Recommended by FatRat
 * Synopsis: In which Harry has Petunia's love, though it makes him bleed. contains extreme Mutual Sadomasochism, Basicly Harry and Petunia ritualisticly punish each other for each others "sins"
 * Tags: Masochism, language, child abuse, violence, drug abuse, underage drinking.
 * Excerpt: "He liked to think their bodies mirrored one another; they had scars in all the same places, the word 'sinner' carved down their spines. He took great pride in that one, because he had sat on her back for hours, carefully carving the letters down each bump of her spine, listening to her repeated hiss of pain with each slice. He knew the intricate sounds of her pain like he knew his sins. His were that he had been born to Lily Potter. Hers were that she could not keep Uncle Vernon from leaving, though he imagined she blamed him for that too."
 * Comments A great Horror story but not for the faint of heart.

A Changed Destiny by 1CharmedPhoenix
 * Recommended by MandibleBones
 * Warnings: M rated.
 * Pairings: Ginny Weasley/
 * Synopsis: Thanks to a twist of fate, Ginny Weasley is sorted into Slytherin due to Tom Riddle's diary's influence on her. Given the opportunity, she becomes a Death Eater - and a spy for Dumbledore.
 * Comments Interesting exploration of the concept, with realistic consequences. Continues well past the end of the war. Ginny may seem a little high-powered at first glance, but compare her to canon Severus Snape and suddenly not so much. The author is pretty good about explanations for most of the divergences from canon, eventually.

Paging Dr Bell by zArkaham
 * Recommended by templar627
 * Warning: M rated
 * Pairings: Harry/Multi
 * Synopsis: The 15 year anniversary of Voldemort's defeat is near so Luna is writing the behind the scenes look at what the 'power He knew not' was all about. She turns to Dr. Bell, famous psychologist, for her unique view of the B-W-L. Mature!
 * Comments: This fan fic provides an interesting view into the wizarding world and answers a lot of questions about what Dumbledore did. It hinges on the idea that Harry meets and befriends Katie Bell and because of that things change. Also there is Les Yay in relation to how the magicals grow up and how that affects them as puberty happens.

The Wizard of the Kaleidoscope by OnTheImportanceOfLungs
 * Recommended by templar627
 * Warning: M rated
 * Pairings: Harry/Hr/Dg
 * Synopsis : What does it take to destroy something completely? Some would be fine with eradicating its soul. Others would argue that you must erase even the concept of the object from existence. AU, with a notoriously complex Magic system.
 * Comments: This fan fic poses the idea that harry has a sharingan, and because of that changes the entire story and makes everything more badass
 * Reads nicely, as can often be expected from the DLP crowd, but it's also targeted PURELY for a young male audience and despite being a young male myself, bits here and there made me eye-roll on multiple occasions. All in all, it was enjoyable and I will give this rec a tentative seconding. That being said, does this really belong in For Want of a Nail? Most of canon is essentially thrown out the window here and it pulls elements directly from Naruto lore. Maybe general AU recs?

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
 * Recommended by Mazz, Eversor
 * Synopsis: Snape visits Minerva while she's making out letters to the students and happens to snare Harry's. Upon finding that Harry's address is a cupboard, he sets out to determine what's gone wrong. He decides that the best revenge he can have on James Potter is to help raise his son in a proper way.
 * Comments: It's a generic premise, but well-executed. Snape is mildly amoral in how exactly he deals with Harry's situation, but avoids crossing the line too severely. Both the Wizarding and Muggleborn cultures receive some jabs, including an interesting commentary on how exactly Hermione's know-it-all personality would have distinctly rubbed the Wizarding community the wrong way. Most interesting for me, it features a Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy who somehow manage to be blood purists and yet very likeable in their own way.

Switch by corvidae9 (AU)
 * Recommended by capeclare, Mazz, Eversor
 * Synopsis: A "what if?" A prank by Fred and George confuses the Sorting Hat in Harry's first year, resulting in horrible house mismatches. "The Sorting Hat has sorted thousands of students in the course of its life. If it makes a mistake or two, who's to say it's wrong? Certainly not Fred or George Weasley." Written for the [info]omniocular September challenge - The Harry Potter AU Extravaganza prompt
 * Comments: A very interesting fic where despite being humorous and cracky in its brilliant way but is also an excellent and dramatic fic where everyone stay in character but manages to live up to their own house. This fic also has very unique and interesting analysis on what houses mean and their effects on the students' lives and personalities. (May be a dead fic but was near the end of third year and is definitely worth a read.)

Broken Lives by Chandagnac
 * Recommended by capeclare, Mazz, Eversor
 * Synopsis: "AU. The story of some very damaged people doing the best they can to patch things up in the wake of the First Wizarding War." Remus Lupin finds out from Mrs. Figg that Harry has been mistreated by the Dursleys. On his way to confront Dumbledore over this, he bumps into Severus Snape and they join forces (it's an Enemy Mine situation) to confront the Headmaster and try to persuade him that Harry can have a happy childhood and still stay alive.

Bright Star by Carrie Swinton, and its sequel Bound by Garlands of Her Own
 * Recommended by Chaosjunction, Eversor
 * Synopsis: Lacerta Malfoy, the twin sister of Draco Malfoy, has been raised with the impeccable manners that denote her pureblood heritage, and has always expected to be sorted into Slytherin when she started Hogwarts. When she's gets into Gryffindor instead, her whole life takes a different route...
 * Comments: I know that this is one of the most cliche plots in Harry Potter fanfiction: daughter of Death Eater gets Sorted into Gryffindor and befriends Golden Trio. However Bright Star separates itself from the pack by virtue of being not only well written, but of being poignantly emotional at the oddest of times in a way that isn't entirely thoroughly cheap. Lacie's relationship with Hermione, especially is rather interesting for this type of fanfiction.

Harry Potter & the Halfblood Auror by chelseyb1010
 * Recommended by capeclare
 * Synopsis: In his quest to stop Malfoy in his sixth year, Harry turns to an old friend for help. Along the way he finds new allies, a Horcrux, & someone to stand by his side. AU. Rating for language & violence.
 * Comments: This is not a typical fic. The changes start in Harry's first year when he accidentally gets acquainted with Tonks then meets her again in his third year and fourth year before she has even joined the Order. Both Harry and Tonks are in character and their friendship is enjoyable to read as their relationship develops.

Harry Potter and the Enemy Within and Harry Potter and the Chained Souls by Theowyn of HPG
 * Recommended by: Almagest, Eversor
 * Synopsis: Enemy Within: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry's mental link to Voldemort is stronger than ever. Can Snape teach him to control the nightmarish visions? And is their connection the key to ending Voldemort's reign? Chained Souls: Harry must discover how Voldemort cheated death. He faces Death Eaters, shadowy Ministry officials & suspicions that threaten to tear his own allies apart. But the answers lie in the mind where victory can only be won by freeing the chained souls.
 * Pairing(s): Only canon ones
 * Status: Complete