The trope goes by many names: powerful Harry, OP Harry, BAMF Harry, and more.
The kinds of fics found under this tag are many and varied.
There’s a little something for everyone here, so long as you can enjoy Harry wiping the floor with people who get on his bad side.
In the following list, you’ll find time travel fix-its, dark romance, crack humor, and hurt/comfort.
There are cliches aplenty, but also surprising subversions and unique worlds.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at a handful of well-loved Powerful Harry Potter fanfics.
1. The Source of Grief by withthekeyisking
This time-travel fix-it fic has all the OP-Harry tropes you could ask for.
He’s even going by ‘Hadrian Gaunt’ now – because that name is far cooler, obviously.
Pettigrew gets his just desserts, Sirius is freed from Azkaban, and Voldemort is defeated.
In short, Hadrian is fixing the Wizarding World, and not many people are sorry.
It’s a short but complete read with two chapters and just under 15k words.
2. Snapped by TheFeistyRogue
In contrast with the last fic, Snapped melds the powerful-Harry trope with humor.
For Harry, dealing with Dumbledore’s manipulations and neglect was one thing.
When Harry has to deal with Lockheart and Malfoy on top of it, he decides he’s finished pulling his punches.
Though Harry is still in Gryffindor, he lets his Slytherin side out a little more in this story.
It’s complete with just under 20k words.
This fic does have some Dumbledore and Ron bashing in it, so if you’re not a fan, give this one a pass.
(Or if you want to take a deeper dive into Dumbledore and Ron bashing, we’ve got a post for you!)
This fic also appeared in The 11 Best Slytherin Harry Potter Fanfiction Stories in 2023.
3. Obliviate by Severitus812
This series has it all.
Powerful Harry, manipulative Dumbledore, and Slytherin politics, topped with street-kid angst.
For Harry, who is used to surviving on his own, life is “brill” when he gets to go to Hogwarts.
Snape only sees a scarred young boy overflowing with trauma and a natural talent for chaos.
Snape could also likely be diagnosed with chronic migraine at this point.
Equal parts funny, fluffy, and angsty, Obliviate isn’t a story to pass up.
After you’ve finished this, there’s plenty more.
It’s just the first in the complete Harry Potter & Seven Years of Chaos series.
4. A Place Apart by Metalduck
If you wish Harry would take his fame and power and kiss the ungrateful wizarding world goodbye, this is the story for you.
The summer before Harry’s fourth year, he decides a little vacation would do him good.
He’s tired of the nosy magical strangers gossiping about him.
Initially, he only plans to be gone for a little while…
But then Harry realizes he likes the separation, and his vacation becomes indefinite.
Some people are not too happy about having their plans ruined.
Being an animagus is helpful when you want to stay hidden, though.
This is the first of The Dragon King’s Court series.
Even on its own, it’s a hefty read at 230k words and 49 chapters.
It’s the perfect fic if, like Harry, you want to indulge in some escapism.
5. family and other wonders by resonance_and_d
Master-of-Death Harry Potter and power go hand-in-hand.
When Harry “dies” in the Final Battle, his mastery over the deathly hallows allows him to make a choice Dumbledore didn’t foresee.
Instead of moving on to the afterlife or returning to his friends to finish the fight, Harry goes back in time.
He wakes up as a ten-year-old but retains memories from his seventeen-year-old self.
Armed with that knowledge, Harry sets out to fix the abuse and neglect he suffered.
And, perhaps, adopt a family of his own choosing, one at a time.
If you like rare magical abilities, you’ll enjoy this story.
Not only is extra attention given to Harry being a parselmouth, but Harry is also a metamorphagus.
The fic is still receiving updates, and there are already 120k words of content to keep you reading.
6. Appetence by elysian_drops
Fans of female Harry should try this darkly romantic take on powerful protagonists.
In an alternate universe where Voldemort wins, he also discovers that Harri Potter is his horcrux.
Thus begins his obsession to have that piece of his soul by his side, by any means.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in a world of pureblood politics.
Attention is also given to Harri’s parselmouth abilities and an unspecified creature inheritance.
Other darker characters, such as Draco Malfoy and Snape, feature prominently.
Come to the dark side – this story has nearly 400k words!
For more Dark Harry Potter, check out our article here.
7. Conditionally by Lomonaaeren
If you’re looking for something less trope-y and more nuanced, give Conditionally a try.
The fic is set in Harry’s fifth year, which is already a dark time for the adolescent hero.
Finding out Snape is actually his father might be more than he can handle.
What is a lonely boy to do when the foundations of who he is crumble underneath him?
This fic is on the darker side, with warnings for unhealthy relationships and coping mechanisms as well as suicidal thoughts.
It’s complete, with a respectable length of around 40k words.
8. Find Me a White Knight Cloaked in Black by cywscross
Anime fans can have the best of both worlds in this crossover fic.
Set in the world of Naruto, Harry is the powerful foreigner everyone in town comes to for odd problems.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised when ninjas showed up on his front doorstep.
Being the Master of Death, it seems, is both a blessing and a curse.
Unfortunately, this story is discontinued at just over 20k words.
But if you want more of this, check out our Naruto crossover fanfic post which contains plenty of Harry Potter/Naruto crossover content!
9. On a Pale Horse by Hyliian
Dumbledore is known for his plans, both great and not-so-great.
In this fic, he decides the Harry Potter of his reality isn’t cutting it in the war against Voldemort.
So, logically, he decides to summon another reality’s Harry Potter.
A “hero” who has already defeated Voldemort.
This backfires spectacularly.
(Average, teenaged Harry Potter called it!)
The summoned Harry Potter seems to have more in common with a powerful demon than a hero.
He’s the vanquisher of Voldemort, true.
But he’s also Death personified: immortal, immutable, and nigh-omnipotent.
And, after outliving his own Earth (twice!), he’s very bored and, maybe, just a little bit, insane.
…Oops?
There’s plenty of wicked humor in this 58k-word fic.
10. Dear Family, Jump Off A Cliff by BeastOfTheSea
Trope subversion awaits!
This is a wrong-boy-who-lived fic, with a twist.
We all know the hallmarks of this cliché: neglectful Potter parents, a twin heralded as the Wizarding World’s Savior, and a pissed-off Harry.
The twist is that in this fic, Harry’s twin is pretty ticked about his brother’s treatment, too.
Enjoy brothers united in this 3k one-shot.
Powerful Harry Potter Fanfiction: Conclusion
There’s so much diversity to enjoy in the powerful Harry tag.
I found a few new favorites in this list, and I hope you did too!
Let us know if you have any personal favorites in this category by leaving us a comment!
And if you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy my Werewolf Harry Potter fanfic post too!
2 Responses
I am humbled and flattered to find Chaos listed here! Thank you so much for including it as a recommended fic. 🥹 Though… I am squinting hard for fluff moments in the works. 😉
Really, thank you. This made my entire week.
Chaos really is a very unique long-fic! I love all your portrayals of the characters. I was delighted to include it in this list!