Enter any bookstore worldwide, pick up any book from the children's section, and undoubtedly, you will find something magical about J.K. Rowling's phenomenal, multimillion-dollar franchise - 'Harry Potter'. While Harry's adventures and dilemmas in the wizarding world brought joy and escapism to millions, some fans felt the need to imbue the original plotline with their conceptions, giving rise to the genre of 'Harry Potter Fan-fiction� One of the most intriguing presumptions is 'How things could have been.' Let's explore eight different aspects related to this concept.

The Dursleys

With a different approach, Harry's non-magical relatives might have appreciated his magical abilities instead of shunning him. In several fan fictions, the Dursleys look after Harry with kindness, providing a comfortable childhood which further boosts his self-esteem and courage in the wizarding world.

Hogwarts House Allocation

Fan-fiction takes the liberty to place Harry in other Hogwarts houses, such as in Slytherin alongside Draco Malfoy, changing his personality development and friendships. Some others place him in Ravenclaw, emphasizing more on his intellectual growth than his bravery.

Harry and Hermione's Relationship

While the original narrative had J.K. Rowling pair Hermione with Ron, fanfiction often focuses on the bond between Harry and Hermione. This tie is significant because these two characters�intellectual rapport further enriches the story. Yet other fanfictions see Harry and Hermione remaining platonic friends, thus highlighting the essence of friendship over romantic love.

Dumbledore's Role

Fanfiction often debates Dumbledore's character. Some perceive him as manipulative, altering the characters' interactions with him. This change leads to exploring more severe or darker themes where Harry battles not just Voldemort but Dumbledore's machinations.

Sirius Black's Fate

Fans were heartbroken with Sirius Black's untimely death, which led many to rewrite his fate. In some fanfiction, Sirius survives and becomes a more prominent influence on Harry's life, providing him with emotional support that Harry lacked in his original story.

Voldemort's Backstory

Some fanfiction gives more depth to Voldemort's character and his past, portraying him as more than just an embodiment of evil. This perspective lets the readers understand the reasons behind his dark path and arouses more sympathy towards his character.

The Wizarding World War

Many fans felt the depiction of the war against Voldemort was quite simplistic. Fan-fictions address this by creating a more complex, realistic portrayal of the conflict, dealing with political machinations, ethical dilemmas, and its impact on various characters.

The Epilogue

The 'Nineteen years later�epilogue was unsatisfactory to many fans, which led to re-writing of it in fanfictions. Some focus on the immediate aftermath of the battle and its effect on the characters, while others delve more into Harry’s adult life.

The Role of Fanfiction Websites and Apps

Websites and apps like FanFiction.net and Archive of Our Own (AO3) have given a platform for fanfiction authors to publish their works. These sites allow fans to interact with the authors, express their views, and even share their works. AO3, with its sophisticated tagging system and absence of content restrictions, is popular among Harry Potter fans, while FanFiction.net boasts a more extensive base of stories since its inception in 1998.

Written Q&A

Q1: Why do readers create alternate scenarios in the Harry Potter series? A1: Readers do this to explore different themes or develop characters in ways not touched upon in the original books.

Q2: What's the difference between FanFiction.net and Archive of Our Own (AO3)? A2: FanFiction.net is more traditional and has stricter content guidelines, while AO3 provides more freedom and has a more sophisticated tagging and filtering system.

Q3: Why is Harry and Hermione's relationship a major theme in fanfictions? A3: Many readers wanted to explore the potential romantic bond between these two characters, providing an intriguing contrast to the original narrative.

Harry Potter fanfiction, like 'How things could have been�allows readers to step into a different yet familiar world, providing endless entertainment. The original story may have ended, but the fandom continues to thrive in these euphoric imaginations, proving that indeed, 'The stories we love never truly leave us'.

References

J.K. Rowling, H. (2020). Harry Potter. Bloomsbury.

Strange, D., & Leung, S.O. (2019). The Impact of Fan Fiction on the Harry Potter Series. Cardinal Publishers.

Asher, J. (2018). The Ultimate Guide to Fanfiction and Fanfiction Sites. Kindle Publishing.

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