The Same but Different

by Somewhere’s Sword

Harry spends the whole summer before fourth year feeling restless. He chalks it up to the weird dreams he's been having, assuming Voldemort is responsible. And for some dreams, that's true - but what about the other ones? The ones that feel... familiar?

Back at school, things change one morning in September, when he and three other students wake up with the memories of the four Hogwarts founders in their heads. They don't know why they've returned, or how it happened, but they know one thing - they changed the Wizarding World before, and they're going to do it again. It's about time they shook things up a bit.

Tagged underage for Harry/Cedric (14/17)

Genres: Fan Fiction, Fantasy, Harry Potter, Romance, LGBT

388 pages, ebook

First published April 3, 2020

About the author

Somewhere’s Sword on Ao3 (now orphaned) and FF.net (fics deleted).
Retired from fanfiction.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun, super good. I do wish we'd seen more of Cedric's gender exploration and identity. I think it would have been really interesting to delve into.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's my (I think not-too-spoilery, since surely you expected a happy ending) end-of reading comment, easily emphasizing the positives (since there were mainly positives):

I've read a number of "Founders' *heirs*" stories, but I think I like this premise even better as you have done it, and (even though I usually favor Harry/Hermione), these pairings are lovely! Cedric's necessary adjustment of self-image seemed well-handled and touching to me.
It might take at least a full generation before their new/old ideas are truly accepted and internalized by their people (their final head table reminded me a bit of Cair Paravel, but I have little faith in the Potterverse wixen public), but it's warmly satisfying to see them on their way. Also, to go back a little (since I tore through the story, only really commenting here at the end), Harry's cover story about Golemmort's efficient destruction was a clever way to avoid revelations they were far from ready for.
Thank you for this fine tale. I'm definitely planning to read your other Potterfics, too (though the megalong one will probably have to wait a bit).

Here's my bookmark annotation, for comparison:

This pairing won me over easily, and I felt the duality of who the four of them were was generally handled well in a satisfying and original plot. I'm just a bit skeptical of whether things would really work out so well so soon, with Snape, with Draco, and in the rosy denouement~epilogue — but I'm sometimes cynical, and the story is sweet (with just enough ruthlessness towards their irredeemable foes).

To be a bit blunter, I prefer, for example, when Snape has a redemption arc, getting a better understanding of how his bitterness led him into equal unfairness and abuse of authority, but this literally-Slytherin!Harry just seems to believe that Severus was overall being a good Head of House to his cards-stacked-against-them snakes, which... well, it made me question Salazar's wisdom. *shrug*

Oh, I said "This pairing won me over" in singular because Neville and Luna are both sweet and courageous in their own ways, and I didn't need to be won over in their case. They're not as large a focus, though, as our Seekers. I realize the boys' few years' age difference (Harry physically still a minor) might seem questionable to some readers, but it's slow burn before either of them are ready to get physical in their present bodies, and it's definitely Harry|Salazar's choice. They're already emotionally married, and that's not going to change.

Oh, btw, how did Goodreads get just 169 pages, when its stated length on AO3 is 90.6K words? That's somewhere between 362 pages (@250wpp) and 279 pages (@325wpp). They must've used a different total — on FF.N, and/or before later edits, perhaps? "Somewhere's Sword"'s works have been purged from there. (Quotes because their AO3 account is under simply SomewheresSword.) **I sent the Goodreads Librarians Group a Page Numbering correction request.**

archiveofourown.org/works/22144981
Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Underage Sex (14/17)
Categories: M/M, F/M
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Additional Tags: Reincarnated Hogwarts Founders, Harry Potter is Salazar Slytherin, Goblet of Fire AU, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Non-Conforming Cedric Diggory, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore

[mirabilos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is nice.

Ignore the gender nōnsense in the tags, that’s just not an issue.

[rixx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author just gets queer fanfics. Nice takes on reincarnation, dysphoria, old wisdom and new hormones.

[lu :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

[Astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fascinating premise! I read this after Lily’s Boy, even though it was written before, and loved the cross over details.
I also just love Sirius as wearing skirts.

[Tailtiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/221...