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. Phase 2, which involves Harry's time as a Durmstrang student and building up his power base, has also been completed. Ironically, in writing the story, I found myself re-treading territory covered in such stories as Harry Potter and the International Triwizard Tournament by Saliient91 and several others similar. I elected to pursue this path because one of the greatest flaws of (one of) my favourite fics of all time, Emperor by Marquis Black, was its disconnect from the more familiar aspects of the magical world. Phase 2 was my attempt to tie in the story organically between the exploratory elements of phase 1 and 3 with the more familiar fanfic territory of magical education and tournament arcs. While I anhor the thought of reccommending an incomplete experience, should you find yourself unable or unwilling to stomach the elements of phase 1, then consider skipping to chapter 19, where phase 2 begins. I hope that there will be sufficiently unique worldbuilding to grant you some measure of enjoyment and wonder. The final phase, which we are currently on, will involve a global wizarding war, and will represent the culmination of all the work in phase 1 and 2. I have a rough plot of the arc, so hopefully this will make publication more smooth.

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. 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 stew in your thoughts! I'm not a legilimencer, nor do I have either twinkling eyes or greasy hair!

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. As I begin my academic journey at university, updates are going to be significantly scaled back. Currently, I aim for roughly one update a week when term starts, though if the advice of prior students is merited, then the workload at my university is going to be massive. I will update my projected schedule here once term actually begins and I have a better idea of what I can manage 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. I am doing this solely for the enjoyment of readers. As if this needs to be said, J K Rowling and Warner Bros own all the rights to the Harry Potter franchise and its contents. Anything else, I hereby declare as free for any other creator to co-opt into their work without hesitation. A shoutout would be nice though, just saying. We also have a small but growing discord, server code is: Jew89k8Jp8.

10. I want to thank you all for the support thus far. We have achieved over 90000 views as of 14/9/2021, which is a milestone I never thought I would manage to reach. Your support means the world to me, and I want to thank each and every one of you who have joined me in this journey! If you enjoy the story, please consider leaving a follow, favourite, and comment, as it helps give others the confidence to start this story. It also happens to brighten my day! If you really loved the story, consider sharing this story with someone you think might appreciate it! I get that this is not for everyone; we cover some really dark territory that is designed to make both you as a reader and me as a writer uncomfortable. That, in my ignorant opinion, is the point of literature: to invoke a journey of self-exploration and discovery. If we don't challenge our every notion and thought, how can we achieve that?

With all that said, I welcome you, dear reader, to Harry Potter and the Raven.