10 Best Harry Potter Fanfiction Stories to Read This Year

The world of Harry Potter fanfiction is vast and all-encompassing. If you’re a die-hard HP fan, you’ve probably fallen down the rabbit hole more than once, devouring fics that happen in the original Harry Potter timeline but which feature unlikely pairings as well as fics that tackle time traveling, romance, adventure, and drama alike. The 10 best Harry Potter fanfiction stories below have surprised me with their creativity, cheekiness, and intensity.

They may not be your typical Harry Potter fanfics, but they each have an interesting, thought-provoking story to tell. If you’re looking for your next favorite fic, I hope my reviews will convince you to give these a shot.

Fiction Rating Key

• Fiction M – May contain adult themes, language, and suggestions. Not appropriate for children and teens under the age of 16.
• Fiction T – May contain violence, minor suggestive adult themes, and minor coarse language. Not appropriate for children under the age of 13.
• Fiction K+ – May contain mild coarse language but not adult themes. May contain minor violence without serious injuries. Recommended for mature children age 9 years or older.

1. Isolation

Author: Bex-chan
Rating: Fiction M
Pairing: Hermione G., Draco M.
Themes: Romance/Angst
Words: 278,881
Chapters: 48
Author Summary: “Post HBP. Ron and Harry are Horcrux hunting and Hermione has been left at Hogwarts to help the Order make it safe for the other students. Draco is forced by Snape to stay in Hogwarts for his own protection, but he can’t leave the room he is given; Granger’s room.”
My Rating: 5/5

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Reaction upon reading:

Sneaky snak snak

I have to confess I was quite skeptical of the whole Dramione fanfiction hype, since I’ve never quite understood how a character as exceptional as Hermione could ever develop feelings for someone as problematic as Draco. Well, this fanfic completely changed my mind, which says a lot.

This is more than your typical Draco and Hermione love story. While the romance (and erotic) scenes are sure to be enjoyable for anyone craving a little smut, the story goes deeper into a world that people are quick to judge as black and white, only to prove that there are many shades of gray (no pun intended) in between.

As a Slytherin who’s constantly bothered by the bias against my house, it was refreshing to read a story that portrays the realistic growth of a character that’s deeply flawed and has made many mistakes throughout his life. I particularly liked the scenes told from Draco’s POV, because they show how tormented he was and how ingrained the notions of Pureblood and Mudblood were in him before Hermione acted as a catalyst to change that.
The action is not rushed (hence the 48 chapters), which is why the author has time to dwell not only on character development and romance, but also on the world under Voldemort’s rule and the dynamics between what is considered typically “good” and “evil”.
I’m by no means gonna go as far as to say that this is better than the actual Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince novel, but I do wish JKR would have portrayed the wizarding world as nuanced as Bex-chan did in this story, especially in times of tremendous turmoil, when one’s allegiance can change at a moment’s notice.

2. The First Day

Author: little0bird
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Harry P., Ginny W.
Themes: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Words: 251,033
Chapters: 55
Author Summary: The first year after the battle.
My Rating: 5/5

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Reaction upon reading:

Same, Daniel, same

Definitely one of my favorite stories ever, the second best Harry Potter fanfiction on this list made me tear up more than once.

Hats off to the author who has managed to create the most gut-wrenching, raw depictions of life after the battle of Hogwarts, which as you can imagine, is not all sunshine and roses. The scenes are emotional, with everyone being hurt, tired, and overall devastated, in a way that we don’t get to see in the original books.

Compared to the other fanfics mentioned here, this is, in my opinion, the most realistic, in that the action we follow could have easily happened in the HP books if JKR had decided to continue past the seventh book.
We get to explore the feelings of guilt that Harry experiences for being alive while his friends have died for a cause that he led, which I would argue border on survivor guilt. We also see the teenagers who were involved in the battle as unsure of what to do with their lives now, after so many years of struggling just to survive.
Ginny was a favorite of mine in this story, because as opposed to her character in the movies, who JKR and the directors didn’t do justice to, she was quite the complex, badass character. Harry is also a memorable character, as we get to see the slow-paced, realistic depiction of his struggles, PTSD, and nightmares.

I particularly liked the fact that the author takes time to develop all of the characters (not just Harry and Ginny), and gives us plenty of scenes with all of them, including some back at Hogwarts and some in the Ministry of Magic, according to what the characters decide to do next.

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The story touches upon many thought-provoking details that any devoted Harry Potter fan will appreciate, such as how the sorting process might not be so fair after all, as the Sorting Hat is given a lot of power to decide someone’s fate so early on. These kinds of details are what made me fall in love with this fic.
Another aspect I have to mention, as it is one that really struck me, is that the fanfiction depicts the ripple effect the death of someone you love can have on you. For instance, after Colin Creevey’s death, his brother Dennis, tries out for the Seeker position just because it is something Colin would have been happy about. This shows how we tend to live in the past for so long after we have lost someone, and how every decision we make is somewhat influenced by that.

3. To Shape and Change

Author: Blueowl
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Harry P., Severus S.
Themes: Adventure
Words: 232,332
Chapters: 34
Author Summary: AU. Time Travel. Snape goes back in time, holding the knowledge of what is to come if he fails. No longer holding a grudge, he seeks to shape Harry into the greatest wizard of all time, starting on the day Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley. No Horcruxes.
My Rating: 5/5

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Reaction upon reading:

“I can’t believe I have to be nice now”

If you’re tired of reading Harry Potter fanfictions that revolve around the romance between two main characters, I suggest this adventure fanfic following Harry and Snape. Once you get used to how wonderfully different Snape acts towards Harry in this fic, you’re going to love the dynamic between the two.
Prepare for a rather different trajectory for the Golden Trio, as Harry makes other friends and gets sorted into a completely different House (that I’m going to let you discover on your own). As others before it, this story invites us to imagine a world in which, through time travel, characters struggle to change the tragic ending that will befall them if Voldemort wins the war.
The author goes into detail regarding the potential of Harry’s magic and how it can be shaped and influenced by different decisions regarding his upbringing at the Dursleys, his dedication in class and so on. This is a concept I’ve never given any thought to, but one that not only makes sense, but is also a wonderful catalyst for a delightful story.

The relationship between Harry and Coral (his pet snake. Yes, pet snake) seems to somewhat mirror Voldemort and Nagini’s relationship. I’m not sure the author had this in mind when writing this fic, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable nonetheless, particularly in light of the Nagini reveal in the newest Fantastic Beasts movie.

Still, the concept of parselmagic (healing people with the help of magic and snakes), which is very important to the story, is very enthralling and it has managed to capture and hold my attention. What I don’t find as believable though, is the way Harry talks, thinks, and carries himself for a child of his age, but that is a completely different story.
Harry is not the only character who has the possibility to be different when he is given another chance at living his first years at Hogwarts. Draco is on the same boat, and it is a much more believable Draco that we see here, as opposed to the Draco caricature that we often have in the original novels.
Make no mistake, there are still many elements of Harry that we recognize from the HP books in this Harry Potter fanfic. For example, Harry is famous in this story as well and he still makes the front page of newspapers. However, this time it is for different reasons, which in my mind are better.

The final thing I want to mention is something that has always bugged me in the Harry Potter novels, namely Harry’s stubborn insistence that he knows better and that professors or other adult figures of authority cannot be trusted with his secrets. In this story, Harry finally learns to deal with his trust issues and to share his worries with the adults close to him. This leads to a completely different narrative, where he gets the help that he should have gotten in the first place.

4. A Different Halloween

Author: RobSt
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Harry P., Hermione G.
Themes: Adventure, Romance, Friendship
Words: 124,549
Chapters: 20
Author Summary: Could a chance meeting change history? What would a different Halloween in 1981 mean for wizarding Britain?
My Rating: 5/5

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Reaction upon reading:

All of the good things, all at once

As the title suggests, this fourth best Harry Potter fanfiction story is a what could have been of the night when Voldemort killed Harry’s parents. What would have happened if when Voldemort arrived at Godric’s Hollow, Lily was having tea with Emma Granger, Hermione’s mom whom she met when taking her son to a doctor’s appointment? Intrigued by the premise? You should be.

This is the kind of story you want to curl up with on a rainy Sunday afternoon, a cup of tea in hand. It’s long, captivating, and brilliantly written. If this were a full-length book, I would buy it without a moment’s hesitation.

Even though Harry is alive, Voldemort is still gone, turned to dust by a different young boy, Dudley. The story reverses Lily and Petunia’s fate. Instead of the former sacrificing her life for her son, her sister does so with Lily’s help. This means Lily has to take care of Dudley now, in a home where Harry, Hermione, Dudley, Luna, and Neville will have to get to know each other as kids. What could go wrong?
Young Harry and Hermione are adorable, and the interactions and instant friendship that forms between Lily and Emma makes me believe they would have loved each other if they had the chance to meet. There are a lot of relationships in the story that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, especially those between the adults.
Because we’ve been so starved of actual adult friendships in the original books, it’s fascinating to watch the interactions between the parents and imagine how they would all have been friends if it weren’t for the tragedy that hit the Potter family. And speaking of relationships, you might want to keep an eye out for an interesting tidbit regarding Snape and Dumbledore’s relationship.
Prepare for a lot of political talk and background because this is a very detail-rich story, but don’t worry, you won’t get bored. It weaves these details in with cute moments between the characters, plenty of action, comedy, and more.

5. A Hero

Author: Celebony
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Dudley D., Harry P.
Themes: Drama
Words: 18,108
Chapters: –
Author Summary: Dudley begins to see his family in a different light. Warning: strong language and themes of child abuse. WINNER: Best One-Shot at Quibbler Awards
My Rating: 5/5

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Reaction upon reading:

I was not ready for this

Not your typical Harry Potter fanfiction story, A Hero switches the focus from our usual hero, Harry, to an unexpected hero, Dudley. The premise of the story is that after reading a book about abuse and discussing it in class, Dudley realizes what his parents are doing to Harry is undeniably abuse. Following that realization, Dudley starts second-guessing everything he thought he knew about both the Dursleys and Harry.
The story progresses nicely and it doesn’t feel rushed. Dudley refuses to acknowledge the abuse at first, not wanting to believe his parents would do that, and also because he is not educated on the topic of emotional abuse. He also goes through a brief phase of blaming the victim, saying Harry deserves it, which is not an uncommon attitude.
His efforts to protect Harry once he finally comes to terms with the truth are admirable. He admits to himself that he took whatever his parents said for granted, didn’t second-guess it, and didn’t even think of Harry as human before. The author adds to the realism of the story by having Dudley not know what to do since his parents don’t seem to want to listen to him. He even tries to pretend everything is normal because the thought of seeing his parents (especially his dad) be abusers is just too much for him to handle.
This fifth best Harry Potter fanfiction story is often uncomfortable and unbearable to read, especially since the abuse is worse than what we see in the original story, but it’s still masterfully done. While I was reading it, I was worried for both Harry and Dudley. I’m not going to give away the ending, of course, but the entire thing is a rollercoaster.

A Hero made me wonder about Dudley’s life following the events in the last book. We know he started having second thoughts about his attitude toward Harry the last time we see him. Still, I would like to know whether he ever realized what was happening in the Dursley home was abuse. Moreover, I’m wondering if that shaped his relationship with his kid in any way. Did he try to be a better father than Vernon was to Harry? Did he ever realize the way his parents treated him, while coming from a good place, was also a form of mild abuse?

6. The Lip-Lock Jinx

Author: Cassis Luna
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Harry P., Draco M.
Themes: Romance, Humor
Words: 21,436
Chapters: –
Author Summary: It’s a jinx that renders the victim mute, unless he/she serves the purpose of the jinx and kisses the person that they desire. It’s just Harry’s luck that he’s in love with Draco. HPDM, oneshot, eighth year.
My Rating: 4/5

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Reaction upon reading:

Basically Draco throughout this entire story

I had to satisfy the large Drarry fan base out there, so I went looking for some excellent Harry and Draco fanfiction stories. The Lip-Lock Jinx caught my attention because it seemed a premise silly enough to be entertaining and to make for some very charged scenes between the Boy Who Lived and the young Malfoy.
As it turns out, while the story does have a dose of silliness to it, it goes into more serious and complex themes as well. The war is over, Voldemort has been defeated, and Draco is different from the Draco we know. He is on probation and spends his time in the castle avoiding everyone for fear of getting jinxed.

The students’ treatment of Malfoy and Harry’s subsequent desire to protect him is the first thing that drew me to the story. Harry makes an excellent point about Draco not being a Death Eater anymore (and having been forced to be one to begin with) and people needing to be more open-minded and accepting. Harry has a very forgiving and introspective nature, and that’s something I would have liked to see more of in the actual books as well.

Ron and Harry’s friendship is still awesome; only it has an added layer of intimacy that’s just perfect. For instance, they seem to be much more comfortable with physical displays of affection such as hugging. Even though Ron has a hard time understanding Harry’s attraction toward Malfoy, he makes an effort for his friend.
Another relationship I think the story aced is that between Harry and Ginny. We hear that after being a couple for a while, the two decided to just stay friends. I couldn’t help but feel a bit vindicated by this because I always thought they work better as friends, so I had to include the story in my best Harry Potter fanfiction list.
The story has a nice flow to it, and it shifts perspectives from Harry to Draco, which gives the reader a lot of insight into what each of them is thinking. I also want to give props to the author for the pacing of Harry and Draco’s relationship development. It is realistic and believable, and it makes you think this is not such a far-fetched scenario — a short and sweet story for all Harry and Draco shippers.

7. Harry the Hufflepuff

Author: BajaB
Rating: Fiction K+
Pairing: Harry P.
Themes: Humor
Words: 29,190
Chapters: 6
Author Summary: Luckily, lazy came up in Petunia’s tirades slightly more often than freak, otherwise, this could have been a very different story. AU. Not your usual Hufflepuff!Harry story.
My Rating: 4/5

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Reaction upon reading:

Harry realizing he’ll never have to use a broom for cleaning purposes again

A rewriting of the first Harry Potter book, but one in which Harry gets sorted into Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor. The story is, as it claims, not your usual Hufflepuff Harry story. A word of warning for Hufflepuff readers our there: you might get annoyed when reading the beginning. First, it seems as though the story is trying to say Harry got sorted into Hufflepuff because he’s lazy. However, as it progresses, you see that Harry’s laziness doesn’t have anything to do with him being a Hufflepuff or the other way around.

Harry’s philosophy seems to be not to put effort into anything. This is a tactic he developed while living with the Dursleys, a strategy of laying low and not trying to fight whatever’s coming. It’s an interesting take on how Harry’s entire personality could have been different from the one we know as canon depending on how he chose to cope with his trauma.

Even from the very beginning, we get a sense that there’s more to Harry than meets the eye. Sure, he may be lazy, but he is not stupid or lacking talent. In fact, he quickly becomes everybody’s go-to guy at Hogwarts when he starts inventing things that help him live his life putting in as little effort as possible.
As the Sorting Hat informs us, his only ambition is to be left alone to have a quiet and easy life. However, as Hermione astutely points out, sometimes, he puts more effort into finding ways to avoid work than it would take to get the job done. That doesn’t stop Harry, though, whose laziness has its perks as well, perks such as using your brain to make things easier for yourself.
His attitude also helps him when it comes to dealing with bullies. The same attitude that made Dudley and his gang leave him alone also stops him from being bothered by anything Snape throws his way. The more I read, the more impressed I became by Harry’s brilliance. He’s an inventor, a businessman, and a chill guy all at once. He’s also not necessarily lazy, just not an overachiever either. As he tells Hermione, he does his best, but nothing else.
This is not a dialogue-heavy story, so if you’re into that, this might not be the best Harry Potter fanfiction story for you. However, it’s fun and more than worth it. Especially at the end, when you find out that Harry got out of all of Quirrel’s sabotage attempts just by trying to make his own life easier.

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8. The Green Girl

Author: Colubrina
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Hermione G., Draco M.
Themes: Romance
Words: 150,467
Chapters: 22
Author Summary: Hermione is sorted into Slytherin; how will things play out differently when the brains of the Golden Trio has different friends? AU. Darkish Dramione.
My Rating: 4/5

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Reaction upon reading:

I was not prepared for this

This HP fanfic was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I went from doubting that a Slytherin Hermione could ever persuade me to suspend disbelief, to being genuinely shocked at the journey the author decides to take their characters on. Throughout the last two chapters (particularly the final one), my reactions ranged from “Wait, what?” to “Ohmigod I did not see that coming!”

Let’s just say things are not what they seem in this, the fourth best Harry Potter fanfiction story and there is a twist in there worthy of the great Severus Snape. In the spirit of keeping this spoiler-free, let me tell you some of my other thoughts on it.
First of all, the premise of the story, though not unique, is undeniably gripping. I know I imagined the Harry Potter novels with Hermione as a Slytherin more than once. If anything, I don’t think the story underlines just how lost Harry and Ron would have been without their brainy friend enough.
We still get glimpses of the Gryffindor Hermione every now and then, particularly towards the end, but overall, she is undeniably Slytherin, so if you can’t even stand the thought of a malicious Hermione, I do not recommend reading this.
However, if you want to look at important events in the books through the Slytherin lens and see how everything changes once the perspective is shifted, this will be right up your alley. Gryffindor favoritism is thoroughly noticeable once we take a moment to analyze some key scenes and this story makes that reality staggeringly obvious.
That said, I’m not sure one of the main arguments of the story – Slytherins accepting Hermione even if she is Muggle-born just because she is one of them, while still hating and harming other Muggle-borns – stands. The idea of “Oh, I don’t hate you, I just hate everyone else that’s like you.” is ridiculous in my mind, albeit an argument people actually use in real life, sadly.

Make no mistake, even though there are many instances that could potentially redeem Hermione, she is still a frequently malicious, morally culpable character and I quite like the fact that the ending doesn’t change that and that the author doesn’t try to completely excuse her actions.

Hermione’s perspective is, nonetheless, an interesting one. We get to see how her biggest fear upon confronting the Boggart is Draco calling her a Mudblood and not wanting to be friends with her, which explains a lot about her internal struggle with being a Muggle-born Slytherin. Oftentimes, we also get the feeling that she might have chosen a different group of friends had she felt she had the choice.
The romance between the two main characters (predictably Hermione and Draco) is played out nicely as well. It is neither instant nor rushed. Now, the relationship between Hermione and Voldemort (yes, you heard that right) is what interested me more, and also made me cringe at times. Hermione knows she is still in danger around him for being Muggle-born, while Voldemort seems to be using her at times to seem more inclusive.

9. The End and the Beginning

Author: muggledad
Rating: Fiction M
Pairing: Harry P., Hermione G.
Themes: Romance/Adventure
Words: 144,392
Chapters: 14
Author Summary: “My stab at the Harry travels through time genre. Significant inspiration from “HP & Nightmares of Futures Past” with a twist. Harry/Hermione”
My Rating: 4/5

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Reaction upon reading:

An autobiography.

This is a Harry Potter fanfiction story for people who want to read adventures as far away as possible from the canon. In order to enjoy it, you have to get out of your own head. Reading this with the mind of someone who knows the Harry Potter novels by heart (and loves them) won’t do. You have to read it like a completely new and entirely different story, as if the original Harry Potter never happened.
That said, if this is what you’re after, this can be a particularly compelling read. While it mainly focuses on the love story between Harry and Hermione, this is not just a Harry-Hermione fanfiction. The depth with which certain topics are explored is what made me enjoy it. I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance, but I did appreciate other things enough to make me keep reading. Ron is completely disregarded as a character, so if you’re a Ron fan, you might not like how the author decides to play this.
One of the main things I enjoyed is how this HP fanfiction strengthened my belief that there are many serious issues in the original books that are just skimmed over by J.K. Rowling, such as the Dursleys being abusive to Harry. A character that this story particularly does justice to is Luna, who I love and who isn’t particularly prominent in the books. We get to see an interesting and creative backstory to her, as well as to many other characters, such as McGonagall.

This fic deals with intense topics, which is why I must mention some trigger warnings for extreme violence, gore, and sexual assault. It shows how at times even good people can end up doing regrettable things (such as killing other people) in order to save themselves and their loved ones. Fortunately, the story doesn’t skim over this, but chooses to explore the mark that this leaves on you, which makes it raw and believable.

The interesting take on the character of Dumbledore is another thing I liked, because I always thought the series didn’t do him justice. He is a complex character for sure and one that you can never seem to be able to fit into one category, even though the story clearly leans towards “evil Dumbledore”, as opposed to the books.
The author focuses very much on family as well, and not the family you are born into, but the family you choose, especially during particularly difficult times in your life. Characters form unlikely alliances and end up being there for each other when no one else is.
Finally, a little word of warning: the language takes some getting used to if you’re accustomed to the way the characters speak in the books, as it feels out of character.

10. Weary Wizard

Author: Yunaine
Rating: Fiction T
Pairing: Harry P., Hermione G.
Themes: Adventure, Humor
Words: 18,450
Chapters: –
Author Summary: When a few inappropriate questions derail the meeting at the Hog’s Head, Harry lets the situation play out. Eventually, he refuses to commit his free time to teach a bunch of easily distracted fools. – Set during fifth year; Harry/Hermione
My Rating: 3/5

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Reaction upon reading:

Me at every adult in the story

If you’re willing to suspend disbelief for a while and completely disregard everything you know as canon, chances are you’ll really enjoy this story. A word of warning, though, most of the characters people love in the Harry Potter series, such as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Ron are not exactly the best people.
That said, the story is good at two things: 1. Pointing out plot holes in the original books, and 2. Stressing the “consequences of inaction,” as the author puts it. To give you an example of a plot hole I’ve often wondered about, Harry tells a shocked Hermione that there was no logical reason for him having no choice but to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. As for the consequences of inaction, this is a fault most of the teachers have. For instance, even when Dumbledore finds out what Umbridge makes Harry do in detention, he doesn’t intervene, and his lack of action has consequences.
If you can get over the fact that the story might make you hate all of the adults in the Wizarding World, except for Sirius and Molly, the author does a great job of depicting pure chaos and madness. It is the best Harry Potter fanfiction for the anarchist in you.
Things progress very quickly, in the story as well as in the central relationship, that between Harry and Hermione. Even if it starts during their fifth year, it fast forwards to events similar to those in the last book. It culminates in Voldemort’s defeat, not at the hands of Harry but those of someone I’m going to let you discover for yourself. All I can say is that it’s shocking.
Shocking is a word that came to mind a lot when reading this, particularly when it came to a main character’s sudden death. Things can get dark pretty quickly, but at the core, the story shows us how things might have gone if Harry had chosen a different path for himself.

Finally, I’m going to leave you with some food for thought – When wizards like Dumbledore inconvenience (bordering on assault) non-magic people such as Petunia and Vernon with the help of magic, does that just reinforce the family’s claim that magic is evil and should be annihilated, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle?