Well, in many Harry Potter AU fanfictions, travel to an alternate universe can happen due to a disruption in time. If a time - turner is misused or there's a major magical event that messes with the time - space continuum, it can lead to an AU. Also, some fanfictions depict that a character's strong emotions and desires can trigger a journey to an AU. Say a character has a deep longing to see how things could have been different, and their magic responds by sending them to an AU. It's all very creative and varies from one fanfiction to another.
Love is a very common theme. Since they are a couple in the original series, in the au fanfictions, their love often has to overcome new obstacles in the different universes created by the authors. For example, they might be from different magical houses with long - standing rivalries.
Well, in AU Harry Potter fanfiction related to traveling, you might encounter unique magical creatures that don't exist in the original universe. These could range from friendly, helpful beasts to terrifying and dangerous ones. The social structure of the wizarding world could also be different. There could be new political systems or different ways that pure - bloods, half - bloods, and Muggle - borns interact. And don't forget about the magic items. There could be new, powerful artifacts that drive the story forward, or existing ones with different properties or backstories.
A great antagonist could be a corrupted teacher. For instance, a teacher who is secretly working for Voldemort but has been hiding in plain sight at Hogwarts for years. They could manipulate the Triwizard Tournament to their own ends, causing all sorts of trouble for Harry and his friends.
There's also 'Ginny's New Path'. In this fanfic, Ginny embarks on a journey to become a powerful witch independently, and her interactions with Harry are filled with unexpected twists. It delves deep into their characters in this alternate reality. They face new challenges together that are different from the original story, which makes it a very engaging read.
One idea could be that Harry discovers a new, hidden magical ability within himself that helps him in the final battle against Voldemort. For example, the ability to communicate with the spirits of Hogwarts founders for guidance. Another could be that the relationships between the characters take a different turn. Maybe Hermione and Ron have a huge fight early on and Hermione teams up with Draco for a while out of necessity, which changes the dynamics of the whole group. Also, Neville could have an even more prominent role, leading a secret group of students who are training in a new form of magic that they hope will give them an edge in the fight.
A great plot twist could be that the Dementors are being controlled by someone other than the Ministry. They start attacking students more frequently and specifically target Harry because they are being used to find something that Harry unknowingly has. This would make the already dangerous situation in the third year even more intense.
Maybe in this fanfiction AU, the relationship between Harry and Hermione develops romantically during the fourth year. This would change the dynamics of their friendship and how they interact with Ron. They could face challenges together in the tournament, relying on their newfound feelings to get through difficult situations.
One idea could be exploring the Triwizard Tournament from the perspective of a new, original character. This character could be a transfer student who has a secret ability that helps Harry in some way during the tournament. Another plot could involve a mystery related to the Dark Arts that is intertwined with the events of the tournament, like a cursed object that is affecting the champions. Maybe a long - lost relative of one of the main characters shows up during year 4, causing chaos and confusion as they try to interfere with the events at Hogwarts.