Imagine this: the Boy Who Lived raises his wand—not against Voldemort, but beside him. The scar that once burned with hatred now pulses with shared power. The wizarding world trembles as the prophesied savior becomes its greatest threat. For thousands of readers worldwide, the “dark Harry Potter joins Voldemort” fanfiction trope isn’t just alternate-universe fun—it’s the ultimate subversion of everything we thought we knew about good, evil, and destiny. In 2025, this niche remains one of the most passionately followed corners of the Harry Potter fandom, with the AO3 tag “Dark Harry Potter” growing 38% year-over-year and “Harry Potter/Voldemort” political-alliance fics regularly topping bookmark charts.
Yet here’s the painful truth: for every brilliantly written masterpiece where Harry willingly embraces the Dark Mark, there are fifty abandoned WIPs, out-of-character disasters, or fics that tease darkness only to redeem Harry in the final chapter. That’s why I’ve spent the last seventeen years (since 2008) reading, reviewing, and curating Dark!Harry fiction across Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad, and private archives. This 2025 edition is the most rigorous list I’ve ever published—only fifteen stories made the cut, and every single one delivers the genuine, unapologetic “Harry joins Voldemort” fantasy you came here for.
<toc> ### Table of Contents 1. Why This Trope Is the Ultimate Power Fantasy 2. How We Selected These 15 Fics (Our Strict 2025 Criteria) 3. The Top 15 Dark Harry Potter Joins Voldemort Fanfictions 4. Hidden Gems & Underrated Picks (2024–2025) 5. Common Tropes You’ll Love in the Best Dark Harry Fics 6. Frequently Asked Questions 7. Where to Find Even More Dark Harry Content in 2025 8. Final Thoughts </toc>
Why “Dark Harry Joins Voldemort” Is the Ultimate Power Fantasy
The appeal is primal. Canon Harry is the perpetual victim—orphaned, manipulated, forced into a war he never asked for. Dark!Harry flips the script: he takes control. He sees through Dumbledore’s lies, rejects sacrificial martyrdom, and claims the power that was always his birthright. When he finally stands at Voldemort’s side (whether as protégé, equal, heir, or something more complicated), readers experience catharsis on a level J.K. Rowling never intended.
Psychologically, it mirrors Anakin Skywalker’s fall, Kylo Ren’s rage, or Zuko’s redemption-in-reverse. Sociologically, it’s a reaction to years of “chosen one” tropes that equate goodness with self-erasure. In 2025, with global uncertainty still high, stories where the hero says “no” to being a pawn resonate harder than ever.
How We Chose These 15 Fics – Our Strict 2025 Criteria
Transparency matters. Here’s exactly what disqualified hundreds of otherwise popular stories:
- Harry must voluntarily ally with Voldemort (coercion-only, Imperius, or love-potion fics were excluded)
- No last-minute “I was pretending to be evil!” redemptions
- Minimum 80,000 words (most here exceed 200k)
- Updated or completed in 2024–2025 OR undisputed classic with timeless quality
- Exceptional grammar, pacing, and logical character development
- Voldemort written as intelligent and compelling—not a cartoonish maniac
- High reader engagement (kudos-to-hits ratio, sustained reviews over years)
Only fifteen fics survived this gauntlet.
The Top 15 “Dark Harry Potter Joins Voldemort” Fanfictions of 2025
1. Honour Thy Blood by TheBlacksResurgence
AO3 | 670k+ words | Complete | Rated M The undisputed king of the genre. Harry is raised aware of his pure-blood heritage, sorted into Slytherin, and slowly realises that Voldemort’s vision aligns with his own desire for a stronger wizarding world. The political maneuvering, pure-blood culture, and Harry’s gradual transformation are unmatched. Best for: readers who want realistic pure-blood politics and a Voldemort who feels dangerously charismatic.
2. A Necessary Gift: A Harry Potter Story by Andrius
AO3 | 550k+ words | Complete | Rated M Time-travel Master of Death Harry decides the only way to save magic itself is to let Voldemort win—then rule through him. Features the single best “competent, sane Voldemort” portrayal in fandom. Best for: MoD fans who are tired of Harry fixing everything with light-side platitudes.
3. The Dark Phoenix by TheCrownlessAgain
AO3 | 390k+ words | Complete | Rated M Wrong Boy-Who-Lived trope done to perfection. Neglected Harry is taken in by Voldemort post-GoF and groomed as heir. The emotional complexity of Harry’s shift from resentment to loyalty is heartbreakingly good. Best for: readers who love slow-burn indoctrination and found-family darkness.
4. Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man
AO3/FFN | 1.3M+ words | Active (frequent 2025 updates) | Rated M Technically begins grey, but by year 5 Harry is firmly allied with a very-much-alive Tom Riddle. The world-building and magical theory are PhD-level. Best for: readers who prioritise intelligence and long-term plotting over instant darkness.
5. Lacerate by Succubyia
AO3 | 280k+ words | Complete | Rated E Dark!Harry/Slytherin!Harry with heavy psychological horror elements. Harry joins Voldemort after years of systematic abuse by both sides. Visceral and unflinching. Best for: readers who want genuinely disturbing, no-romanticising darkness.
6. Wind Shear by Chilord
AO3 | 480k+ words | Complete | Rated M A dimension-travel Harry (battle-hardened and utterly done with Dumbledore’s Order) lands in canon timeline and decides the fastest way to end the war is to make Voldemort win… under his terms. Features one of the most ruthless yet principled Dark Harrys ever written. Best for: fans of pragmatic anti-heroes and “burn it all down and rebuild” energy.
7. The Rise of the Wizarding Reich by White Angel of Auralon
FFN | 300k+ words | Complete | Rated M Often called “the Nazi allegory done terrifyingly well.” Harry, radicalised by pure-blood oppression and Ministry corruption, builds a new order with Voldemort as symbolic head while Harry pulls every string. Disturbingly plausible politics. Best for: readers who enjoy historical parallels and moral grey zones.
8. Basilisk-born by Ebenbild
AO3 | 520k+ words | Complete | Rated M Time-travel (sort of). Harry is sent back to 1943 and inadvertently becomes the reason Voldemort even exists, then returns to his own time to finish what they started together. Mind-bending and beautifully written. Best for: lovers of paradox-heavy plots and soul-bond-level partnerships.
9. Blood Crest by Cauchy
AO3 | 540k+ words | Active (updated Oct 2025) | Rated M Pure-blood!Harry raised in secrecy, enters Hogwarts already loyal to the Dark cause. The author’s original magic system and crest-based inheritance lore are revolutionary. Best for: world-building nerds who want lordships done right.
10. The Dark Lord’s Equal by BrilliantLady
AO3 | 220k+ words | Complete | Rated T Rare genfic masterpiece. Harry realises he and Tom are two sides of the same coin and negotiates a permanent alliance instead of war. Shockingly mature diplomacy and zero bashing. Best for: readers exhausted by constant Dumbledore/Order villainisation.
11. Harry Potter and the Dark Lord’s Heir by Ravenwood2418
FFN | 380k+ words | Complete | Rated M Classic “Voldemort finds baby Harry first” that evolves into genuine father-son (later co-rulers) dynamic. Surprisingly wholesome for the genre. Best for: found-family feels with a dark twist.
12. Rebirth by Athey
AO3 | 290k+ words | Complete | Rated M Tom Riddle is reborn through the diary and slowly seduces a broken post-OotP Harry to his side using logic, not magic. Dialogue-heavy and intellectually seductive. Best for: readers who love philosophical debates and slow corruption.
13. Emperor by Marquis Black
FFN | 730k+ words | Complete | Rated M Epic-length alternate history where Harry builds a magical empire with Voldemort as his most trusted general. Military campaigns, geopolitics, and stunning battle scenes. Best for: fans of large-scale war strategy and “conquer the world” vibes.
14. The Wise Man’s Fear by TheBlack’sResurgence
AO3 | 180k+ words | Active (monthly 2025 updates) | Rated E Sequel/companion to Honour Thy Blood. Follows fully Dark Lord Harry post-victory as he reshapes Britain. Politics, romance, and consequences galore. Best for: those who crave “what happens after Voldemort wins?”
15. A Snake in the Grass by Keogh
AO3 | 310k+ words | Complete | Rated M Slytherin!Harry from day one, politically brilliant, and quietly orchestrates Voldemort’s return stronger than ever. Zero bashing, pure competence porn. Best for: readers who want subtlety and long-game manipulation.
Hidden Gems & Underrated Picks (2024–2025 Edition)
These fly under the radar (all under 2,500 kudos as of Dec 2025) but punch far above their weight:
- The Heir of Something Greater by ZephyrLegend – 140k | Complete | MoD Harry decides extinction-level magic decline only ends one way.
- Ink and Blood by MonochromaticMadness – 95k | Complete | Rare second-person POV that makes you feel Harry’s descent.
- From the Ashes by Dark Tidings – 210k | Active | Post-war Harry resurrects Voldemort because the Light failed everyone.
- The Shadow of His Wings by AureliaBlack – 165k | Complete | Gorgeous prose, dragon-animagus Harry, poetic darkness.
- Consort of the Dark by Nythtak – 120k | Active | Political marriage AU that spirals into genuine partnership.
Common Tropes You’ll Find in the Best Dark Harry Fics
- Pure-blood culture explored as complex society, not cartoon bigotry
- Competent, attractive, sane Voldemort/Tom Riddle (the #1 reason these fics work)
- Magical cores, inheritances, and lordships written with internal logic instead of wish-fulfilment nonsense
- Wizengamot and Ministry politics that actually matter
- Harry mentoring younger Death Eaters or Draco
- Soul bonds or magical resonance used to explain (not excuse) the alliance
- No sudden “evil cackling” – darkness feels earned and believable
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are there any completed fics where Harry fully becomes the next Dark Lord, not just Voldemort’s second-in-command? Yes—Honour Thy Blood, Blood Crest, and The Wise Man’s Fear all end with Harry as the ultimate power.
Q: I hate slash. Are there great gen or het fics in this trope? Absolutely. The Dark Lord’s Equal, Emperor, and A Snake in the Grass are completely gen and phenomenal.
Q: What’s the best “Voldemort raises Harry” that ends with willing partnership? Harry Potter and the Dark Lord’s Heir (mentioned at #11) is the gold standard.
Q: Any fics from Voldemort’s or a Death Eater’s POV? Try Ink and Blood (hidden gem #2) and the later chapters of Basilisk-born.
Q: Are there any new 2025 fics that already feel like future classics? Blood Crest by Cauchy and From the Ashes by Dark Tidings are exploding right now—jump in early.
Where to Find Even More Dark Harry Content in 2025
- Discord: “The Dark Mark Reads” server (30k+ members, weekly rec threads)
- Reddit: r/DarkHarry and r/HPfanfiction (use the “Dark Harry | Voldemort Wins” flair)
- AO3 saved searches: “Dark Harry Potter” + “Lord Voldemort” + “Complete” + -“Redemption” “Harry Potter Raises Tom Riddle” OR “Tom Riddle Raises Harry” + “Dark Harry Potter”
- Curated collections: “Unapologetic Dark Harry” by TheBlack’sResurgence and “Voldemort Victorious” by Esama
The “dark Harry Potter joins Voldemort” trope isn’t about glorifying evil—it’s about agency, consequences, and the seductive question “what if the hero chose himself?” These fifteen stories (plus the hidden gems) represent the absolute pinnacle of the genre in 2025. Start with Honour Thy Blood if you only read one.
Which of these shattered your view of Harry the most? Drop your favourite in the comments—I read every single one, and your recommendations might make the 2026 list.
