Harry Potter fanfic poetry links

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Poetry

The great majority of fannish poetry is just... abysmal. Much of it is almost indescribably bad. Yet I learned when I was first interested in Star Trek and Blake's Seven fandom, twenty-odd years ago, that if you plough through the dross there are a fair number of decent pieces out there, which have something interesting to say and say it competently - and there are a precious few which are of the highest professional standard, and could stand alongside any poem ever written and not look shabby. So I've done the ploughing for you, and turned up lots of decent hard-wearing flints and a few nuggets of real gold.

This is not, btw, an exhaustive list of all the "real" Potter-verse on fanfiction.net. At time of writing this I am still working my way through them, and in any case there have been some poems which were perfectly proficient, "proper" poems but which I decided against because I didn't find them very interesting; while at the same time I have include some pieces which are technically a bit ropey but which I thought were interesting and original. Poems which I consider to be of exceptionally high standard, such that even someone who wasn't a Potter fan might want to read them just for their quality, are marked with a star -

See also A Note to Aspiring Poets on the FanFiction Follies page, for some advice on things to bear in mind when writing poetry.

2 poems by dreamcatcher
The names of the two poems are sirius in azkaban and the moon godess to remus lupin, which should be fairly self-explanatory....

addict by WildeOne
This is (bizarrely in my opinion) supposed to be about a slash relationship between Hermione and Pansy, but it could be anyone thinking about a female ex friend or lover they are trying to get over. Tiny, elegant almost-haiku.

After the Fall by savageland
Elegant, sad sequence of poems tracing Snape's fate after the death of Dumbledore. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story.

After the Match by Ember Nickel
A series of viewpoints in sonnet form, surrounding the scene in PoA where Dementors invaded the Quidditch pitch.

Afterlife!Snape by Minerva McTabby
A humorous look at Snape exploring his options in the afterlife.

Again.... by kestinstewart
An intense, harrowing little look at Snape having fallen into Voldemort's hands.

Alone by Kitsuchi
Petunia wondering why Lily got all the glory and she got none.

Alone by QuidditchFlea101
Snape takes a perverse pleasure in the thought of dying as alone as he has lived.

Among These Thorns by Karbon Okapi
Hermione nurturing a secret yearning for Snape.

And Because He Loved Her by yesterday's footprints
Short, dreamy series of sketches of a couple stealing a kiss on the eve of battle.

Andantino by Noldo
On Andromeda Black, turning away from her sisters.

and death did apart them by miss Foxears
A tiny but neatly-constructed piece about Lily and James - well worth a look despite the somewhat mangled English.

And we all fall down by Lotten
Sinister little piece charting the fate of the Marauders, as fate knocks them off one by one.

Anyways by Ron
Bittersweet little conversation between Snape and Poppy Pomfrey.

As The Clock Stops by emmareth
Fate is ticking onwards for Draco, leading him down dark paths as he regrets the friendship (or more?) which might have been possible between himself and Harry, and is now lost to him.

As Winter Falls on Hogwarts by NefertariHime
A series of vignettes of different characters, seen as the snow begins to fall. The author has attempted a complex rhythmic structure which sometimes goes hopelessly haywire, but where it works it works well and the poem is full of beautiful images.

Atropos by Buckbeak's Revenge
A look at the workings of fate in the Harry Potter universe.

Attribute/A Tribute by duj
A companion-piece to the chapter What Hermione Did Next of Borolin's (which is to say, Dyce's and my) story Lost and Found, based around the structure of Emily Dickinson's poem Pain (but more powerful, IMO). Snape has been retrieved after months of torture by Voldemort, and is slowly recovering, but memory still has the power to paralyse him with dread. The court referred to in the poem is his own self-judgement.

The Automaton and The Automaton Revisited by White Silence
Somebody is not what they seem....

Avada Kadvra by Avatar000
Prose-poetry rather than poetry: Harry thinking about how he had to become a killer to stop a killer.

Avada Kedevra by Gil-Estel of Mirkwood
A killer (possibly Voldemort) contemplates the pleasure of the kill, in Shakespearean sonnet mode.

Aware by Purple Rubber Ducky
Draco as a self-harmer, trying to get some sensation other than the icy cold his father trained him up to.

Barely There by My Sharpie Is Green
Narcissa thinks of herself as a blank canvas.

Beautiful Affliction by spheeris1
Harry and Draco as obsessed lovers (the writer is kind-of obsessed - but she does it so well).

Beauty Beheld by Phoenixburning16
Somebody (unspecified) looks at Harry and finds him beautiful. A poem of very high standard, in the manner of Pablo Neruda.

The Beauty of Tawny Hair and Magic by Cole Pascal
Somebody (unspecified, but probably Harry) thinks about the tawny-haired girl (unspecified, but probably Ginny) who inspires him to keep up the fight.

Beyond Yesterday by TwilightSong
Lily welcomes Severus to a peaceful (but rather passive) afterlife.

Biased by whitehound (me, of course!)
A filk (Science Fiction or Fantasy-based folk song) about the way in which Snape is judged in comparison with the other characters.

Big boys don't cry. by lilesas
Horribly sad poem about Draco. You have been warned.

The Birth of the Phoenix by EleanorLilyPotter
Dreamy surreal piece about a phoenix coming to be.

Black by Eizoku
A look at the death of Sirius, and the appropriateness of his name.

Black by XillyriaX
Qua poetry I would say this is competentish but unexceptional - but as a look at the inner workings of Voldemort's mind I thought it was creepy enough to be worth including.

Black Humor by Tabbycat2000
The death of Sirius - from his own p.o.v..

Blanket by Jesena
I'm at a loss how to describe this, except to say that somebody male who is about to make a sacrifice (Harry, Draco, Albus, Snape, Ron - could be lots of people) is dedicating their sacrifice to various aspects of life. Maybe. Or then again, maybe not.

Blizzards by Myth1
Lupin looking for some answers about Peter's treachery. Elegant but confusing.

Blood and Fire by IckleRonniekins
Of Voldemort, being slowly consumed and colonized by Harry's blood.

A Book of Hogwarts Verse by Lucillia
A series of comic verses about various aspects of Hogwarts life: not deathless poetry exactly, but very amusing, telling little stories in verse form. You could make a musical out of this lot.

Brave by Darkaus
A look at the different houses of Hogwarts.

Breaking Down the Dragon by Phoenixburning16
Harry looks at Draco, and sees someone as tense as he is arrogant.

Breathe by tweedledumb
Somebody (unspecified, possibly Snape because it's someone who doesn't like being touched) is trapped and panicking.

Bring Your Army by Sam Vimes
Harry's riposte to Voldemort's threat in the same author's poem When I Come For You .

Broken Hero by columbine-icetree
Sirius running towards his death. I wasn't sure whether to include this or not as I felt the last verse was very weak - but I decided on the whole that it was still pretty good.

A broken spirit's hope by Alannis
Snape thinks of himself as something broken into sharp pieces, so that anyone who wants to touch him will cut themselves. Not nearly as sloppy as the title suggests, although it is really poetic prose rather than true poetry, in that it has nice ideas elegantly expressed, but very little rhythm.

Burn Baby Burn by Nest Freemark
Ginny Weasley as damaged and desperate (and gay). Totally canon-shafted by the way Ginny later developed in the books, but still a good poem.

Calm Before the Storm by gevenni
The young Tom Riddle prepares to leave the orphanage, on a quest to kill his father.... Slightly canon-shafted, but very good and very creepy.

Cards Delt by season5girl
Draco has to play the cards life dealt him.

Castle by spheeris1
Draco looks at Harry, caught up in his own myth, with a mixture of desire, understanding and rage.

Cat by Sir Francis Drake's Heir
Minerva cannot bring herself to sit at Albus's desk, in Albus's chair - unless it's in cat-form, seeking his memory.

Cause Sirius Is Camp by Thieving Gypsy
Originally written in protest at some bad Mary Sue pairings with Sirius - but also probably quite true!

Chain by spheeris1
Draco and Harry and a somewhat S&M relationship.... Dodgy though that may be, it's too well-written to pass over.

Chamber of Secrets by Serpentina
Draco invites Ginny to look inside his heart.

Cherries by Rhys Quinn
Petunia and Vernon look back at their life together, and how they met. This is only borderline as poetry - it has no rhyme and little rhythm, and is more a series of poetic monologues - but it's very readable and the ideas are interesting and quite touching.

Childhood Presumptions by LiteraryLuminary
Lupin thinking about maturity and the lack of it, and why he never quite fit in with the rest of the Marauders.

Choices by kestinstewart
A look at the choices which led Snape into and then out of the Dark. I wasn't sure whether to include this as it is erratic in a way which suggests English might not the the writer's first language, but I decided it had enough good lines and images to be worth it.

Choices by Pessimistic Poet
Young Severus is offered a choice between becoming a Death Eater and... becoming a professor.

Claventino's Verse by Resonance
The odd and archaic words that a strange youth called Hugh Claventino speaks to the Sorting Hat. Companion-piece to a very surreal one-shot just called Claventino .

Cold Abnormal Aftermath by ryanzraindrop
A series of poems about Sirius's largely unrequited passion for James.

Cold Fire by koolgirl1993
Lily brought a warming fire into Severus's life, but when he lost her, the fire was left to burn without an object.

The Colors of My House by CallaHaruka
An outstandingly good poem: in the wake of Dumbledore's death, Snape contemplates the different meanings, both good and bad, of the Slytherin colours. There is a second poem on the same page, called To Compel, which is competent but IMO nothing like as strikingly good. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story.

Come and look by Heir of Darkness
Draco contemplates suicide as a form of self-expression....

Come See by QueenStrata
A look at different characters, trapped behind a series of masks.

Could The Snape Save Hogwarts? by Moey
A very strange parody of Dr Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas - yet with a fairly serious theme.

Crabbe's Poetry Book by duj
Vincent Crabbe has unexpected depths and a rough but genuine gift for poetry. This is really a prose story, but it incorporates two poems from Crabbe's point of view.

A Creature Who Still Smells of Sea by rae-sim
A small, bright island is beleaguered by the sea. An old man defends the island and befriends a creature who comes from the waves, who desires the light and the land but can never be wholly free of the sea. The characters are not named but appear to be allegorical versions of Snape and Dumbledore.

Crucio by Amanda Swiftgold
A look at how Snape sees life, at how he would feel in extremis . Strange, elegant, obscure - and ultimately not as depressing as it sounds.

The Dance by Spiral1
Sonnet to Snape, keeping to the sidelines for fear of falling....

Date to Expire: Yesterday by rapunzel.in.black
Someone thinks of a lost love as a sort of disease, eating away at them. I'm not sure why it was listed under Harry Potter fics as there's no indication who the characters are, although I suppose it could be Severus thinking about Lily: but it's a very clever piece whoever it is.

Desire by Pheo
Formal piece, arranged as a series of cinquains. Remus tries to tell Tonks that their relationship is unsuitable, but she has better things to do with her lips than argue.

Damn you Malfoy-a correspondence of thought by Marina Floyr
Snape and Lucius thinking about each other, and each other's loyalty or otherwise to Voldemort, after the incident at the World Cup.

Dance of the Deatheater by AngeloftheOdd
Lucius looks at Snape's betrayal

The dangers of recalling the Past by EleanorLilyPotter
Snape tries, and fails, to overcome his memories of James in order to teach Harry Occlumency.

Dare by Orion's Star
Neville, thinking that the people who laugh at him would not actually be able to cope with what he does.

The Dark by lLibitina
Peter Pettigrew looks back with some regret.

Dark Mark by spoke
A tiny, creepy look at the Death Eaters' vow of allegiance.

De l'Un D'un autre by xx.just.a.contradiction.xx
Three poems, of which the first is a cool, refined and formal piece showing Andromeda Tonks contemplating the death of her sister Narcissa. The other two poems - Snape thinking about Lily, and George about Fred - are in my opinion much less successful, but the Andromeda/Narcissa one is a gem.

Dead Skin Mask by Skull Bearer
A look at how the Death Eaters' individuality is subsumed by the masks they wear.

Dead Words by imber
Of a book, desiring to be read....

Dear Tom: A Ghostly Correspondence by PallaPlease
Years after the fall of Voldemort, Ginny is still trying to deal with her feelings about Tom Riddle.

The Death Eater's Lament by Severa1
Snape at the moment when he turned his back on Voldemort.

The Death Eaters Monarchy by NocturneM
A look at what the wizarding world dreads. Starts very well and creepily. Goes on a bit.

Death of a Dream by Darkaus
Snape after Dumbledore's death, thinking that all his life he had wanted to go through the door from darkness to light, but now he's trapped on the wrong side of that door and it's closing fast.

Death Has Dark Hair by stuttermoan
Slash piece, moderately explicit - Harry sees Snape as a beautiful personification of Death.

Deep Connection by npetrenko
Creepy gnomic little almost-haiku - Voldemort to Harry.

The Dementor's Kiss by lookinginward
Portrait of a Dementor as a creature consumed by its own emptiness, drawn to human warmth like a moth to flame.... A poem of the highest technical standard.

Demon Company by Delusion
Draco looks to an offer of friendship (possibly love) from Harry to save him from the stigma of the dark company he used to keep.

Derelict Taxonomies by stuttermoan
Snape thinks about how his loyalty to Albus was carried, reductio ad absurdum, to the command to destroy the very thing he served.

The Diagnosis by SakuraxxDrops
A surreal medical examination of Harry.

Diana's Toy by Tiamat's Child
Lupin thinks about the moon as if she was his mistress, in both senses.

The Difference Between He and I by EmySabath
Salazar looks at Godric (or any typical Slytherin looks at any typical Gryffindor) and ruminates about different types of courage.

Disease by Watermelon Wishes
Harry falling for Luna.

Divergence by Lustreole
Draco and Harry catch sight of each other in the mirror, and are to some extent mirror-images of each other. Not slash.

Dog Star by AMDUSIAS
A sonnet about Sirius.

Don't Know You by TheEric
Harry realizes that he didn't really have the chance to get to know Sirius very well.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Phoenixburning16
Harry fears he may be cracking up.

Draught of Living Death by Irish Anor
Snape feels that the cold, unfeeling mask which he projects has taken him over.

drowned in memories by Kathara
After the war, Harry gradually falls apart and descends into drink-fuelled memories.

Duet for One by whitehound (me, of course!)
In order to pass as a Death Eater, Snape must rotate the dark side of his mind forwards and suppress every good thought and impulse which might betray him to the Dark Lord; but doing so isn't exactly psychologically healthy.

Dumbledore's Last Request by jennifer snape
Snape will grit his teeth and accept the insincere praise of those who had been ready enough to believe him a murderer.

The Eager Arms of Consequence by 2L82Apologize
A surreal look at Dumbledore, looking at Harry.

Echoes by kangeiko
Snape looks back on his long rivalry with James Potter - and on one single night when they were lovers, not enemies. [Written before OotP made it plain how viciously James treated the young Severus. ]

Echoes by QueenStrata
In the cemetary where Cedric died, an echo lingers....

Emeralds and Silver by SilverRaven17
Longish and very dark poem in which Ginny becomes a ruthles killer - but it has some very clever images and phrases.

The End of His Double-Life by valis2
The Death Eaters meet in dark and cold, and Snape's secret is finally uncovered.... You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story.

The End of September by Gonetoday
Ginny contemplates the coming battle.

An Entreaty of Strange Faith by Scarr C
Immensely surreal and moderately explicit Shakespearean-sounding slash poem about Draco and Harry.

The Epic of Wizard Baruffio by neoepiphany
An epic poem about one of the minor historical Potterverse characters, in a deliberately old-fashioned clunky style, complete with scholarly footnotes.

Erised by whitesilence
Hermione looks in the mirror, not to dream of her heart's desire but to learn what it is.... You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story.

Eulogy by Yulara lordhellebore
A very short piece about Snape, stranded as he is between two sides.

A Face In Shadow by Atalanta Pendragonne
Snape as a dark mage who prizes "knowledge over innocence."

Face Up On A Gravel Road by LotrNaustenfan
Elegant obscure look at the fate of the Marauders-era characters.

The fall of the Phoenix by EleanorLilyPotter
Harry pledges himself to Ginny - a bit OTT I think but has some very nice images.

a falling star by Avindara Nirvene
A series of cool, sad, atmospheric poems about Narcissa, coming to terms with the divisions between the sisters, and her new life as a Malfoy. More poems are being added..

Farewell by kestinstewart
Draco remembers Snape, who died a hero, leading his students for the light side. Adapted from a poem by AC Swinburne called Adieux a' Marie Stuart .

Father to Son: The First Lesson by Lys ap Adin
Lucius teaches Draco that he is bound always to follow the self-same pattern as his ancestors.

Fear by kestinstewart
A look at the fear which Snape feels towards Voldemort and his general situation. I wasn't sure whether to include this as it is erratic in a way which suggests English might not the the writer's first language, but I decided it had enough good lines and images to be worth it.

Feeling the Wind Storm Through in Lansing by A Darker Shade of Bright
A strange little poem about loss, only indirectly connected with the Potterverse by the fact that it inspired the prose vignette Brooding which follows it, and which is Snape thinking about self-hatred.

Fidelius by Sabrina Myst
A rhythmic piece looking at Sirius's thoughts in Azkaban.

find you empty by Ashura
Draco looks at Harry, damaged and outworn but being expected to put a brave face on things for the public gaze. Slightly slashy.

Folie by wishfinger
Remus dreams of seeing Sirius again, after his death.

For love of the dragon