Welcome, stranger, to my latest world, one of suffering and survival. The world of Harry Potter is a wonderful one, yet most forget the backdrop of an equally interesting world that took place in our own, that of the late Cold War. The story you now embark on is one of tragedy and misfortune, in which Harry must grow up in a world far crueler than that which Rowling introduced to us.
This is not a light story, and there will be dark elements drawn from both our own history and Harry Potter canon explored. Be warned, that the tale you embark on is one which may scar. For those who decide to continue, I welcome you to a world of pain and suffering. Perhaps together, we might just see through it all and emerge shaken, but stronger.
Perhaps it is wise to turn away now, to live in ignorance and bliss. Perhaps you might not be able to stomach the horrors which this story will entail. I am but your humble guide, neither light nor dark, neither with you against you, merely here to ferry you on this journey. Take heed of my warning, stranger. If you enter, there is no turning back.
With the obligatory themed introduction out of the way, allow me to offer a few notes:
1. The Harry in this story will be extremely powerful. A prodigy in the mind arts and trained to utilise wandless magic, he will be far more powerful than the average witch and wizard. He will be a centennial wizard, one that defines the century they are in. Other examples of this include the four founders, Herpo the Foul, Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindlewald and Emily Ridde. While he was already magically strong at birth, he will grow stronger through reasons explored in the story. This, however, does not mean that he will be able to waltz into Hogwarts at age eleven and defeat Dumbledore with both hands tied to his back. While he has the potential and will reach it eventually, this will happen over the course of the story, not all at once. This is not a power fantasy.
2. There are currently plans for three phases: the first phase, that of Harry's origin and time as an agent of the Soviet Union, has been completed. We are on phase 2, which involves Harry's time as a Durmstrang student and building up his power base. The final phase will involve a global wizarding war, but that will take some time to reach.
3. I enjoy worldbuilding significantly, and may occassionally go on tangents. They are there for a reason. This story will explore subjects such as runes and their subbranches such as rituals and wards much more in depth than in canon and most fanon. This will be sprinkled throughout the story, but some exposition to establish a framework is inevitable.
4. The story will not shy away from dark topics. The primary focus of this is to be authentic towards the suffering that Harry will face and explore how he grows through it. Most characters will fall into the moral grey area. Keep in mind that the narration, while generally reliable, will be centered on one character, and that some of the bias may slip in as thoughts or commentary. Note that the earlier chapters are mostly from Harry's perspective. General Warnings: Rape, Cannabalism, Torture, Gulags will be mentioned
5. This story is constantly evolving and improving. As the first project of this style I've written, there will be mistakes. However, I do solemly swear that I read through all your feedback and seek to improve. As such, there may be minor edits to prior chapters, though the plot will remain consistent and unchanged, so do not feel the need to reread prior chapters. If there are any significant changes, unlikely as I believe that to be, I will place it in the author notes of the latest chapter. As of 19/6/2021 this has not happened yet. I am focused on getting writing out. While I do proof-read, it will not be publisher quality and occassional mistakes will be made. This is in addition to the formatting issues that possesses, notably combining paragraphs for some reason. While I endeavour to correct these as soon as possible, early viewers may experience some difficulties in this regard. As such, be sure to leave comments: I welcome all feedback whether positive or negative. The latter is especially important as I try to improve and develop as a writer. We are on this journey together! So leave your thoughts! Don't just think them! I'm not a legilimencer!
6. Note that most characters will be OOC. As to why I did not write a completely original work, it is because I love the worldbuilding that exists in Harry Potter, and will be using it as a foundation for what is to come. Additional characterisation to such characters as Voldemort, or Emily Riddle, will be given, so she is not the simple 'big bad' that we see in canon.
7. There are no long term pairings at this moment. This is not a romance focused story. Mentions of it will be tied to another aspect of the story, and likely be unpleasant and malintentioned.
8. My current aim is to provide 1 chapter a day ranging between 3000-5000 words. There will be some better days and some worse days. But rest assured this story is being regularly updated. So be sure to follow for story updates!
9. This is a work of fiction, and the author does not in any way, shape or form profit from this. As of this moment, I do not, no plan to, open or anything of the sort. As of 6/7/2021 the story's discord server has just been created. I am currently looking for moderators and admins to help expand the server. If you are interested, then please dm me on discord. The server code is this: 8tE6SmXETw
10. I want to thank you all for the support thus far. We have achieved over 2000 visitors and 22000 views as of 6/7/2021. Your support means the world to me! If you enjoy the story, please follow, favourite, leave a comment, and share.
With all that said, I welcome you, dear reader, to Harry Potter and the Raven.
