Five Thrilling Harry Potter Fanfics by The Fictionist

I’ve been on a fanfic binge since mid-May, so I want to talk some more about fanfiction. When I’m not reading Drarry fanfics, I like seeing AU interactions between He Who Must Not Be Named and Harry Potter. One of my favorite fanfic authors is The Fictionist, and she satisfies my need for seeing those interactions. Today, I’m sharing the stories she’s written that I’ve read over and over again because they’re good.

Many of these stories have been translated into other languages, which she lists on her profile. She has written several Harry Potter fanfics, focusing on possible relationships between Harry and Tom/Voldemort. She has also written a couple of fanfics in the Hannibal universe, but I haven’t watched Hannibal. Writing as Simone King, she also published a fantasy novel, Blood Lines, which I reviewed a few years ago.

As I made this list, I realized she deleted at least one Harry Potter fanfic that I loved in the last overhaul of her profile. I don’t know why it’s been deleted, but I did like the honorable mention, Monster in the Mirror, which was a twist on the events in the Department of Mysteries in Order of the Phoenix.

Warning:

• Some of these stories have spelling and grammar errors.
• There may be some inaccuracies to certain terminology in the books, e.g. the difference between “Parselmouth” and “Parseltongue.”
• These stories may have content that you find reprehensible, like torture.

Solace in Shadows

When Harry is kidnapped by a seemingly sixteen year old Tom Riddle at the end of his second year, he’s convinced that he would do absolutely anything to escape – but “anything” can be a dangerous conviction to have, and even heroes can grow tired of fighting without hope. Sometimes, survival means making a home in the dark… Warning: Deals with Stockholm Syndrome and dark themes.

I have thought that so much could have gone differently in Chamber of Secrets, and this fic captures that idea wonderfully. If you like fanfics that focus on trying to turn Harry dark or those that have Tom/Voldemort raise him, I think you will enjoy this story.

This story is rough in a few places after the halfway point, and that is to be expected for an author’s early work. I think this happened because there were long breaks between updates on certain chapters without rewriting the entire story. I recommend Solace in Shadows for the concept and the angst more than the later narrative flow. This fanfic isn’t complete, but it has 66 chapters posted.

Kisses Cursed

Fairytale AU. Loosely inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Some said he was once a man, cursed, and some that he sold his soul to demons and became one in turn. Others said that such evil as he could never have been human. That he was instead a nightmare, left lingering upon the earth a very long time ago. Harry just knew it wasn’t safe to walk near the Riddle House after dark.

If I made a list of dark fairy-tale retellings that I love, this would be on the list. The world building for this is unique, and the way the Beast is cursed is intriguing. It’s truly a give-and-take story with a lot of twists and turns.

The Circus of Riddles

Even today, fairies manage to lure unwitting humans into their circles. And the Fey King is perhaps the worst of them all.

I like this one more for the creepiness of the Fey and the circus. It’s a short story, but it’s fun to revisit, even though it’s not character-driven. This is more in the vein of Kisses Cursed, so if you find you liked that story, try this one.

Butterfly Heart

AU. Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal inspired. After recent events in his life, Hermione refers Harry to the renowned psychiatrist, Doctor T. Riddle. He is unlike anything Harry ever expected or imagined, and soon proves to be a great help against the very shadows and name that haunts his waking hours. If only it remained that simple.

Remember how I said she has written stories in the Hannibal universe? This is technically one of them, but in the world of Harry Potter. The most I’ve ever been into the Hannibal universe is this fanfic and The Silence of Lambs movie, and there was plenty to go on without knowledge of Hannibal.

Even though I know it’s based in the Hannibal universe, I enjoyed Riddle’s manipulation of Harry. I like how magic is involved and that Harry is an adult in this story. The character development is exciting, and so is the general horror of Riddle’s work.

Fate’s Favourite

You always get the stories where Harry goes back into Tom Riddle’s time, then either stays or gets sent back. End of, unless he tries to make Voldemort good. But what if things went differently? What if, just once, someone followed a time traveller back?

So, this one has 150 chapters in it, but it’s a fanfic you’ll want to devour. Tom and Harry have a friendship already in this story, and you can get more insight into it by reading the prequel, though it’s not a requirement. I love this comedic and creepy relationship between Harry and Tom. This story is labeled as “Friendship/Drama,” but there are a lot of scenes that make me laugh—mostly for the cheek. This is not slash because this was written when The Fictionist was (and is) “frustrated by the view that intimacy between two characters necessitates sexual or romantic components.”

I also highly recommend its abandoned prequel, Past’s Player, which isn’t required reading for this story, and its completed sequel, Destiny’s Darling.

>^..^<

Have you read anything by The Fictionist? Do you have recommendations for similar fanfics?