They Shook Hands

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They Shook Hands is a series of Alternate Universe Harry Potter stories written by Dethryl

Original version: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Post-Canon Revision: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Year 5 is currently in-process and will be posted when complete.

The Point of Departure (for Harry, anyway) is when he meets Draco Malfoy in Madam Malkin's robe shop. In TSH, unlike canon, he introduces himself to Draco. They shake hands and decide to be friends. They spend the next month before school exchanging letters, and on the train Harry is introduced to other children Draco knows. We see Ron and Hermione, but Harry doesn't interact with them. Things really deviate from canon when Harry is Sorted into Slytherin.

This fanfic is an attempt to tell the big overplot of the Harry Potter series using the Slytherin characters. The functional POD is that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have a child before Draco, and consequently their development is slightly different. By the time Draco meets Harry, he's realized the value of friendship and is more open of a person. He's not Draco in Leather Pants, but his friendship with Harry is slowly morphing him into a better person.

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This fanfic provides examples of:

• Dark Is Not Evil: A recurring theme in the series. See Hitler Ate Sugar below.
• Death By Adaptation:
  • Hermione is killed by the basilisk in Year 2.
  • Wormtail is given the Dementor's Kiss as a result of Snape actually listening to Harry in this timeline.
• For Want of a Nail: Harry's first friend in the wizarding world is Draco Malfoy, not Ron Weasley. This changes the entire foundation of his introduction to the magical world.
• Hitler Ate Sugar: Slytherins very much resent being labelled Junior Death Eaters. Just because Voldemort was a Slytherin doesn't mean all Slytherins believe as he does.
• Pet Monstrosity: In Year 2, Harry takes control of the basilisk instead of killing it.
• Slowly Slipping Into Evil: Though the series isn't finished, Harry has journeyed into Darkness. It remains to be seen if he'll pull himself out before he crosses the Moral Event Horizon.
• Took a Level In Badass: Harry, in comparison to his canon self, learns several spells far sooner (including the Furunculus curse, which develops into his favorite). By the time the Triwizard Tournament rolls around, he is able to take the lead handily in the first two events.
• Took a Level In Jerkass: Tim (Theo in the revision) takes several levels in Year 4, because his dad has been ignoring him.
• Well Intentioned Extremist: Lucius Malfoy is not a Complete Monster. Also Even Evil Has Loved Ones, Even Evil Has Standards, and Not Evil Just Misunderstood.