7 of the Best Harry Potter Fanfictions

If you grew up reading the Harry Potter books back when they were originally being published, you knew the agony of having to wait a year or two to get your hands on the next installment of the series. (Of course, this is nothing in comparison to what poor A Song of Fire and Ice fans have been going through.) So how did you satisfy your Harry Potter craving in between novels? You turned to the internet to get your fill of some HP fanfiction.

Sure, they didn't completely fill the quaffle-sized void in your life, but they did offer some pretty entertaining distractions in the forms of alternate universe plots, next generation stories, and of course non-canon romantic pairings. Maybe your Draco-Hermione fantasies didn't get played out in the actual series, but you can find dozens of stories about them written by fellow shippers. Or maybe you wanted more tales of post-book seven Harry and the gang. The fanfiction community has you covered there, too!

Getting paid to go back and read some of the best pieces of Harry Potter fanfiction was the highlight of my week. I was in full-on nostalgia mode. Some stories were excellent, some purposely ridiculous, and a few definitely NSFW, but they all took me back to the days when I obsessively consumed every bit of Harry Potter culture I could get my hands on. Below are seven of the best pieces of fanfiction that can still be found online today. If you want to spend the next week going down the HP fanfiction rabbit hole, I certainly won't judge you.

1. Destiny Reversed by chattypandagurl

Once we learned that Neville, not Harry, had the potential to be the Chosen One, we all wondered: what if Voldemort had attacked the Longbottoms instead of the Potters? This fanfiction imagines Harry falling asleep and waking up in a world where his entire family is still alive. Which means that now Neville is the one fighting Voldemort. Harry now has to choose between living happily ever after or helping his friend defeat the Dark Lord. While the concept might not be original, this story adds a nice twist by making Harry aware of the reversal.

2. Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness by Thanfiction

Ever wonder what the DA was up to while Harry and the gang were out looking for Horcruxes, or how Neville became such a rebellious badass? Finally someone came along and filled in those holes for us! Be warned, this story is violent, but if you're more interested in some of the series's supporting characters and want to read a pretty cool retelling of what was happening at Hogwarts during Deathly Hallows , I would highly recommend taking the time to read this story (the first in a trilogy!).

Deathly Hallows, $4, Amazon

3. Double or Nothing by Calico

HARRY POTTER/N*SYNC CROSSOVER SEXY FANFICTION. You probably never expected to see those words together, but Calico has a way better imagination than you. The Weasley twins are at a party attempting to pick up Muggle men when they're both seduced by Lance Bass. Sexy wizard/popstar hijinks follow. NSFW, but definitely worth reading for the sheer hilarity of this bizarre (but pretty well-written) piece of fanfiction.

4. The First Day by little0bird

After the battle for Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows , J.K. Rowling immediately jumps years into the future, showing us a Harry who is happily married with children. But what about the battle-scarred Harry who has just defeated his greatest enemy but watched many of those closest to him die? This fanfiction picks up directly after the battle and deals with Harry's struggle to cope in the aftermath of Voldemort's downfall. While some of your favorite couples do get attention, this story is way more about PTSD and dealing with the loss of loved ones than romance.

Deathly Hallows, $4, Amazon

5. My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie

Most readers of harry Potter fanfiction are familiar with "My Immortal", but if you haven't heard of it (you Prep!) let me give you a rundown of this masterpiece. Widely known as the best/worst piece of fanfiction in Harry Potter history, this story revolves around 17-year-old Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way, a vampire witch who goes to Hogwarts and likes to attend Good Charlotte concerts with Draco Malfoy. Yes, it is every bit as terrible and awesome as it sounds, and its a true fanfiction classic.

6. Isolation by Bex-chan

Rejoice, Hermione/Draco shippers! Harry and Ron are out searching for Horcruxes and Hermione's been left to help Professor McGonagall run Hogwarts. Hiding from Voldemort, Draco Malfoy is put under Hermione's watch to keep him safe and make sure he doesn't escape. Can you guess where this is going? Draco battles his prejudice against Mudbloods while Hermione slowly begins to view her old enemy as a love interest. Obviously, sexiness ensues, but the story's a lot more interesting than that.

7. Scorpius Malfoy and the Improbable Plot by opalish

Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius has befriended the Potter children and has become something of a surrogate son to Harry. After an explosion, Harry, Scorpius, and the rest of Harry's family end up in an alternate reality in which Voldemort is alive and Harry has died. But honestly, the plot's not that important. What's important is that this fanfiction is absolutely hilarious and contains chapters called "In Which Harry Dies Inside, A Little" and "In Which Snape Is Irritated, For A Change." You read this one to laugh, not for the plot.

Images: Giphy (7), Warner Bros.