Thanks to a Snake (Harry/Daphne)

Thanks to a Snake by lucky14now
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6926581/1/Thanks-to-a-Snake

Just so you know I love Slytherin Harry because lets be real with that kind of background it would be a miracle for him to be in Gryffindor, home of the loud, outspoken, bullying cannon fodder. This is a great story although the first chapter is a little rushed and seemed to have every cliche about Harry's first trip and independence move. But it gets much better afterwards. This is a believable Harry not super powerful or super whiny my like sucks. Thanks to his parents he has a marriage contract with Daphne Greengrass and finds himself with a family. Snape pulls his head out of his ass an realizes that blaming the son for the sins of the father is stupid not to mention he is tired of dancing to Dumbledore's strings. Dumbledork is his usual manipulative self and does not like the fact that his plans are falling apart. About 1/2 way through the story when I am sure of what they are planning for Dumbledork the writer surprises the heck out of me and settles it differently, I was torn between laughing and going WTF. This story is definitely NSF and not just for the parts that make you laugh, there is real friendship tested under hardships, betrayal, loyalty, love and family and a world that make sense, where the adults realize they should get off their asses and do their job instead of depending on a teenager, albeit a powerful one, but still a teenager to solve their problems. I love the relationships that surround his friends, no one is perfect but they all work together.

Master of Genjutsu (Naruto/Kurenai)

Masters of Genjutsu by Tsukune08
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7026800/1/Masters-of-Genjutsu

A very good story even though there were parts that I was not happy with but that is personal preference and not related to the story itself. In this one Naruto happens upon Kurenai bathing and after surviving becomes attached to her. In return she begins to tutor him in the basics of Genjutsu and finds an eager and surprisingly talented student. Naruto soon earns a name for himself in the Bingo Book as Naruto Uzumaki Konoha's Blade of Illusion. I like the fact the author brings up that Kitsune are known for their illusions and Naruto brings in his own brand of insanity and makes some of the illusions real. The story line is good, the action is great, and while parts move too fast I love the way Naruto interacts with others. I am not enthusiastic with the Kurenai arc, I understand it but I am not thrilled with it. The interactions with Kakashi and Sasuke are well done. Naruto manages to grow in more then one way and I do like the arc with Samui. Naruto is a BAMF and as expected takes great pride in following his own nindo. Unfortunately the author ends the story with an ambiguous ending. Does he move past his relationship with Kurenai, continue on his terms, turns on her in revenge or forgive and forget? There are no answers and that may annoy some people. Like I said some parts are definitely worth the reading and others including the ending make you go WTF but overall a good story that was recommended to me.

The End and The Beginning (Harry/Hermione)

The End and The Beginning by muggledad
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5783428/1/The-End-and-the-Beginning

Very good story even though the story line has become commonplace especially for the Harry Potter fandom. Time travel if done well then becomes an interesting way to change canon. I love a good time travel story especially when more then one person comes back. In this case everything turned to hell after Sirius is killed and Dumbledore poisoned. In the end Voldemort becomes emperor and the European world is falling. When Hermione is killed Harry finds a way to change the past or possibly just dying at his own hand, at this point he really does not care. When the ritual is over he opens his eyes to find himself staring at Buckbeak and knows that Hermione is right behind him. What he did not realize was that since he did the ritual over Hermione's grave he had dragged her with him. Together they can face anything and it becomes a wild ride on deciding what to do, who to trust, who to kill, why does everybody keep putting 2 and 2 together and getting time travel, and most important is the Wizarding World really worth saving.

Haunted (Harry/Luna)

Haunted by Mrs.InsaneOne
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7532674/1/Haunted

Awesome, Awesome story, long too over 400,000 words but so worth the reading. This is one of the older stories I saved for reviewing based on someone's recommendation, can't remember who since it was more then a year ago. This story is a crossover between Harry Potter and Natsume Yujin-Cho. Let me say first I have never watched this anime and everything I know about it is from Wikipedia. This takes place after Takashi is an adult and in going through his grandmother's things he finds out he has relatives in England. Once he begins investigating he finds a prophecy that ties him and unknown relative together. After finding his cousin Harry he also finds that he is subject to another one in Britain pertaining to the Dark Lord.

 In finding him he also finds that 1) Harry has spirit energy and can see Youki, 2) he has magic and 3) his guardians are not suitable to raise a child with special needs. After meeting  Dumbledore, whom he is not impressed with, he does agree that Harry should learn about his heritage. While Takashi agrees that Harry needs to go to Hogwarts he makes some demands first. Harry will attend under his new name of Ryuu, he will continue any training, he will continue studying his mundane education with other proviso to be added as needed. Takashi dealt with everything as a teenager with little to no training and wishes for the opposite for Harry. He makes contact with the Japanese magical community and begins Harry's training early. Harry is under a disadvantage in that due to his fear of the Youki he has become a mute. He begins to gather friends and trainers that become family. Their is action galore and Hogwarts is not prepared for a Japanese Magical Samurai in training. The adventures are there but with a different take and the main characters are different enough to keep this story from being just a rewrite. No one finds out that he is Harry Potter until fourth year. There is a lot of Harry whumping due to Dumbledore's and Voldemort's manipulations as well as his own rushing into things. There are twists and turns and some real cliff hangers and parts that make you want to cry from the sheer pain. The ending is one hell of a twist and all I can say is that it will make you laugh and cry.

Dumbledore wanted a pawn, a martyr, a minion of the light to follow his orders; instead he got a strong wizard with a core of steel, someone willing to kill to protect those he loves, a samurai who know how to lead and when to follow. There a clashes of temperment and wills. But as long as he has his family, his familiars and his love Luna then he can do anything.

Why is this person not a professional writer. There are some parts that are weak with some grammar or editing problems but all in all a kick ass story.

Wizards Fall (Harry/Hermione)

Wizards Fall by Bobmin356
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8837257/1/Wizards-Fall

Honestly there is nothing by this author that I do not love and while this is a slightly darker fic it is great. The Wizarding world once again shows it lack of common sense, bigotry and all around stupidity. Once Harry defeats Voldemort the pure-bloods decide that the reason for all their problems was that he was a half-blood so they  begin to show the muggleborns and half-bloods their true standing in society which is of course beneath their feet. Harry begins to gather around him the ones that have be persecuted, imprisoned and tortured just for being different. Luna Lovegod is one such person and she is well versed in muggle technology and science and devises a plan to make the Wizarding world fall. Hermione realizes the only way to save themselves is to disappear like Avalon and Atlantis. They just need a very powerful wizard luckily one just happens to live down the beach.