An unusual pairing or trope you didn’t think would work but turned out well
I am a big fan of unusual pairings in Harry Potter fan-fiction, but even I can admit that some pairings seem strange at first. However, I always give these pairings a chance, no matter how strange they sound because you never know when you just might find a gem.
That said, one pairing I came across which I did not, at first, think would work is Harry Potter paired with Merope Riddle née Gaunt. I mean, she was the mother of his nemesis, after all. Not to mention the pesky problem of her dying before his parents were even born.
I gave it a go, however, in the form of a story called Boy Who Lived by Megii of the Mysteri OusStranger and, not only was I not disappointed, I found myself quite impressed. Boy Who Lived is, of course, a time-travel fic — how else could you pull off this pairing?
After somehow being displaced from his own time period, Harry is now an employee of the ministry. And, by employee, I mean he attends the Department of Mysteries Monday through Friday in order to be experimented upon. In return, he is given anything and everything he wants.
Apparently one of the things he wants is to help Merope and Tom as he shows up at the orphanage, heals Merope, and takes her and Tom home with him. Over time he falls in love with Merope and comes to dote on Tom like he is his own son. Boy Who Lived tells the story of his life with Tom and Merope.
I know my description doesn’t sound like much, but I assure you the story itself is so much more than the impression I am giving. The relationship between Harry and Merope works well and Harry’s relationship with Tom is a loving one, despite its ups and downs and his fears that he will be unable to divert Tom from his path.
Does Harry succeed or does Tom, despite everything, still don the mantle of Lord Voldemort? Well, you’ll just have to read the story to find out, won’t you?
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What are your thoughts?