u/lilac-scented

I absolutely NEED to drop a rec for The Death Eater Summer Camp! It’s a really unique and creative AU that fuses canon HP elements (everyone has wands, magic etc) with the technological and pop culture trappings of the 90s—flip phones, grunge bands (but all the band names are slightly altered; Cradle of Filch anyone?) and lots and lots of iconic fashion, lovingly described. The whole thing is set at a summer camp for…well, the title kind of says it all, and the “camp activities” are just as wild as you’re imagining. Harry is the same age as Regulus and they were raised as brothers. Harry is just such a hilarious moody, broody little shit in this and Tom (who is still Voldemort, but Harry is too oblivious to realize at first) is head over heels from the word go XD The supporting cast is really amazing too (this is a must for Pansy Parkinson fans), and the smut in the later chapters is ohhhhhh so worth it! It’s a breezy, fun 25k and fully complete, go check it out if you want Tomarry laughs and smexiness <3333

Here‘s the link if you’d rather skip my rambling and just check out the fic: By The Sea by Dementor_Queen

I just finished reading this fabulous fic, WOW! It’s a Mer!AU and the worldbuilding is OFF THE CHARTS incredible and detailed, with different merfolk species, political factions, and cultures (we see multiple international mer communities over the course of the story, and they all feel really distinct and accurate to their regions), and even a fully fleshed out magic system that goes quite a bit deeper than the books.

Harry and Tom are both super powerful in a way that feels earned; there are tons of descriptions of them honing and training their magic and finding innovative ways to use it, yes they’re OP but the author makes you understand WHY. They are true equals, complementing and challenging each other, and they each have a real growth arc (Harry really comes into his power and learns to lead, while Tom becomes more willing to compromise and listen—though he’s quite in character and his inner darkness is well intact).

The plot felt like a genuinely intriguing epic where I was excited to see what happened next; the action scenes moved really well and the more political stuff had lots of actually clever plans and schemes by all the characters (and we get to see a lot of them here, especially the Black family and the Marauders). There were several twists that made my jaw drop and things take a bit of a dark turn during the final arc, but the ending is very happy I promise :)

Finally, the author just has an obvious passion for ocean creatures and marine biology, so the merfolk setting becomes way more than just an aesthetic. The way nearly every aspect of the books was somehow represented by a clever undersea equivalent just kept delighting me (wait till you read about the Mer-Azkaban!) The different mer communities are even called “Schools” (as in school of fish) and they’re each named after one of the canon magic schools, Harry calls Tom a “coconut crab” instead of a magpie, it’s so much fun.

The fic is 80k words and was finished almost a month ago; I cannot BELIEVE it has under 300 kudos and I’m kinda making it my mission today to get it the love it deserves, so apologies for the wall of text. I finished it in just two days and that’s SUPER rare for me, not a single line or chapter felt like filler, if anything I wished there was a lot more of my favorite parts. Please please please, if anything about this sounds appealing or if you just like Tomarry with deep and original worldbuilding check this out, you will NOT be disappointed!

LINK AGAIN for anyone who read this far, I swear I haven’t been paid to hype this fic, I really did just love it that much <3

”Okay, class,” he said on the first day, excitedly floating up art prints and monochrome photographs so everyone could see. “The movement is widely acknowledged to have been founded by Hugo Ball, who wrote the ‘Dada Manifesto’ in 1916. As those of you also taking Muggle Studies might suspect, its origins are deeply tied to the horror and unreality of the First World War…”

I just see DADA written out as “Dada” sometimes, and something about the idea of Harry taking the excuse to get Hogwarts really, really pilled on avant garde Muggle art tickled me. Who knows, it might strike a chord with another generation traumatized and disillusioned by a war.

I remember that in the time between HBP and DH coming out, there were a fair number of fan theories floating around that Dumbledore’s death was faked (possibly with Snape’s help). Yes, in hindsight we were all smoking copious copium, but at the time some of the “evidence” seemed pretty compelling. I was thinking that it might make for some good divergence fics where he fights from the shadows for awhile and then re-emerges at the opportune time to help fight Voldemort (with a semi-redeemed Grindelwald at his side, perhaps? Who knows), but I haven’t really come across anything like this. But the fandom is huge and I may just be looking in the wrong places! Anyone have recs? They don’t have to be Albus-centric, just include a “surprise, actually alive” reveal.

EDIT: just be clear, I’m not only looking for fics that were written between HBP and DH; anything using this concept is intriguing to me

Contrary to some rumors, Voldemort didn’t set up a Taboo during the First War; he didn’t have the Ministry access to do that yet. Instead, he trademarked his name and made a deal with the goblins (who will deal with anyone as long as they get a cut of the profits) to charge anyone who used it without his permission a small fee, to be transferred automatically from that person’s vault to one he set up for this purpose. Within a few weeks (filled with splashy, headline-grabbing raids and attacks), he had enough Galleons to fund the entire Death Eater operation even without his pureblood supporters’ money, and the entire country was calling him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

After he was vanquished by a baby Harry Potter, the goblins stayed mum on whether the deal was still in effect (client confidentiality!), so people kept it up just to be safe. This is also the reason Dumbledore’s the only one who’ll say the name; he’s exempted, because Tom’s too chickenshit to steal from the Only One He Ever Feared.

…I just saw an ad for a Harry Potter game with “Lord VoldemortTM” in the text, and the sheer absurdity of it inspired this prompt out of whole cloth.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I meant for this to happen during the *first* war, before the books take place. Obviously he goes ahead and sets up a real Taboo once he takes over the Ministry in DH.

I just imagine this would take place at Grimmauld sometime in book 5, when Albus has been ignoring Harry for months on end. All of a sudden he puts on his benevolent granddad act and Harry, having none of it, reveals he’s switched sides😂 Am I crazy right now or is this perfect