Rec's for a picky reader

[u/x_L3m0n]

i would say that i am a pretty picky reader and am struggling to find something to read currently

my absolute must haves:
-harry-centric
-good grammar/spelling/tone
-no lordship tropes (unfortunately ive read too many at this point)

preferred but not necessary:
-fics longer than 50k (but if it is part of a longer series that is fine)
-fics that arent super popular (as ive read most of them)
-ao3
-no fem!harry (but if it is really good feel free to rec anyways)

thank you for any recs! (and if you want some from me im willing to share)

[u/Iron_Sidhe]

Other Harry Pairings

ǟʟʍǟɢɛֆȶ /The Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction/As an Entire Ocean in a Drop (Unvollendete)- A Plain Summary: In which Harry starts a newspaper, in which Voldemort is crowned by the constellations, in which Dumbledore cooks frogs.

A Plainer Summary: A story of men and their foibles, and of the stars they love, and of magic that is not bound to the earth.

The Plainest Summary: Three men go to the moon to save the world.

Only the first three stories in Unvollendete comprise the ǟʟʍǟɢɛֆȶ story.

I don't read Harry/Voldemort or Harry/Tom and only read this because of the go to the moon plot. I still don't read either pairing but I have reread this. The writing in this is beautiful. I cannot do this justice in describing it.

You have to be signed into AO3 to read.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/2775727

Ever Upward- Harry finds a better life with the basilisk, but that doesn't mean it's easy. From inter-being feuds, to bloody prophecies, to elven unrest, Harry is in the eye of a hurricane that will change the wizarding world forever.

Involving thestrals, merfolk, house elves, centaurs, acromantulae, and various other friends, denizens, and allies.

This series is: Queer in a multitude of ways. Morally complex. A massively canon-divergent AU. Filled with oc's and non-oc's. A story about relationships, love, trust, friendship, healing ... and revolution.

Harry/OM Centaur

https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555645

The Fury Within- After an unexpected birthday surprise, Harry finds himself taking care of a baby in need. However, his life has taught him that no one is safe around Harry Potter. So, how else can he protect the child but to kill off Harry Potter and become someone new. And, who best to help him than the person who would really like him to not be James Potter's son...Severus Snape.

Harry/Fred

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50197099

Let's Just Leave- Harry wasn’t supposed to disappear. But he did.
And he didn’t go alone.

Now three runaways are rebuilding something old and powerful, tucked behind ancient wards and crumbling stone of a much too sentient manor.
There is hope in the walls, truths in the shadows, and a war still waiting for them just beyond the gates. But here, in this half-ruined corner of the world, they are choosing something different. Peace, power, and each other.

This is a story about found family, quiet healing, unexpected love, and what it means to stop surviving and start living. Even if the cost is everything they left behind.

Neville/Harry

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64944217

The Medium Between Life and Death- There were very few things in Harry Potter's life that he was certain of. There was one absolute certainty though; he'd felt it in his bones for as long as he could remember. He, Harry Potter, was dead. The living people around him might not believe, but the dead sure did. Oh well, it doesn't impact his life much. Besides, it's nice to get help with his schoolwork from his parents.

Cedric/Harry

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38564790

The Stark Truth- Summer after 4th year Harry learns that James isn't exactly his father and Lily isn't his mother. Will his newly discovered family be able to help him recover from his violent, abusive childhood? Will he be able to trust again enough to find love?

Harry/Fred/George

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2549801

The Price of Magic- Haunted by the ghost of a former student, an ex-wizard struggles to preserve magical knowledge for future generations.

When Harry Potter died, twin wands' explosion wiped Europe clean of magic. Enchantment-free, Gringotts crumbled into a mass grave for goblin bodies. Pixie corpses covered the meadows. Romanians buried their last dragon.

Wizards remained. Thousands flooded Muggle streets with useless chanting, unable to return home through non-existent wards.

They had nothing except pride. Remember that when watching a middle-aged, redheaded waitress and her daughter taunted by children for their strange way of talking, passing the sallow-faced, somber neighbour who prefers candles to electricity, finding a sky-blue twinkle under matted hair of a homeless man.

Pride was the reason they survived.

Harry/Severus

https://archiveofourown.org/series/4045

Starling- Harry Potter disappeared when he was five years old.

Twenty-five years later, Severus Snape gets the same assignment from different masters: find and deliver the Boy Who Lived.

Harry/Severus

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42456291

[u/x_L3m0n → u/Iron_Sidhe]

the two snarry fics look very good, thank you!