Fanfiction, or fanfic, has been around forever, but its rise in popularity can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the sci-fi television series “Star Trek” aired, and its fanzine, “Spockanalia,” took off. Over half a century later, fanfiction has expanded into every fandom imaginable and, in increasing cases, has become adapted into books and broadcast media. Ever heard of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “After,” or “The Love Hypothesis?” Well, they were once “Twilight,” One Direction, and “Star Wars” fanfiction, respectively. Or, what about the international best-selling book series “The Mortal Instruments?” It was originally a “Harry Potter” fanfic called “The Draco Trilogy,” which centered around Harry Potter’s nemesis, Draco Malfoy, and his eventual romance with the witch Ginny Weasley.
Speaking of “Harry Potter,” the series has received a new wave of attention due to the impending Max television adaptation (and the controversy surrounding it). BookTok and Bookstagram influencers have also contributed to this renewed interest, with content creators like Kierra Lewis sharing their experiences diving into the series for the first time. This recent “Harry Potter” hype has led to a surge in fanfiction inspired by the series, but the characters at the focus of these fanfics aren’t necessarily who you’d think.
This past year, one “Harry Potter” fanfic, “Manacled,” took social media by storm, with nearly 52,000 posts under #manacled on TikTok and over 113,000 ratings on Goodreads, which led to a Draco Malfoy fanfiction boom unseen since the days of DracoTok (you had to be there). Set in a “Harry Potter” meets “Handmaid’s Tale” alternate universe ruled by the dark wizard Voldemort, “Manacled” follows Hermione Granger, plagued by memory loss, as she’s forced to become a surrogate to Draco Malfoy for the Death Eater repopulation effort. Hermione’s amnesia, however, is hiding valuable war secrets in her mind, and it’s Draco’s job to dredge them up.
While originally published in 2018 on the fanfiction site Archive of Our Own, or AO3, “Manacled” is now among a swath of Dramione (Draco and Hermione) fanfics being adapted into novels. But isn’t that plagiarism? Not exactly. To avoid copyright infringement, authors must alter the elements of their fanfics enough for them to be recognized as original works, which has been the case for “Manacled” and its author, SenLinYu (@senlinyuwrites). In “Alchemised,” the novel adaptation of “Manacled,” SenLinYu constructs a new dark fantasy world of necromancy and alchemy while retaining the essence of her original fanfic and its characters.
“Alchemised” is set to release on Sept. 30, following the July 8 release of two other Dramione fanfics-turned-novels, “Rose in Chains” by Julie Soto (@juliesotowrites) and “The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy” by Brigitte Knightley (@brigitteknightley). “Manacled” as well as “The Auction,” the fanfic predecessor of “Rose in Chains,” were removed from AO3 on Dec. 31 in preparation for their novel adaptations. However, the fanfic, “Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love,” that inspired “The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy” will remain on AO3, as the novel is a completely new story.
At this point, those of you who are “Harry Potter” fans may be feeling a bit queasy, repulsed even. Hermione picking Draco over Ron Weasley? Unthinkable. Of course, in the “Harry Potter” canon, Hermione and Ron have always been endgame. There’s no argument there. That’s why most Dramione fanfics are AU, or alternate universe, because authors recognize that Draco and Hermione’s relationship wouldn’t necessarily work in the canon and are asking fans to question if things were different, how might these two characters work together.
Dramione also challenges J.K. Rowling’s portrayal of Draco, a flawed character who has the potential for a memorable redemption arc yet never receives one. Raised by narcissistic, pure-blood bigots with insurmountable wealth and weighty expectations, it’s obvious why Draco is the way he is–cruel, arrogant, and vindictive. But as much as I am loath to quote Rowling, she herself has said that there’s “some unextinguished good” in Draco, often emerging in moments of internal conflict.
Even after Draco is forced to become a Death Eater, he struggles to kill Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and later in “Deathly Hallows,” he risks his life when he lies to protect Harry’s identity from Voldemort. But then his character plateaus, only marginally improved by his marriage to Astoria Greengrass, a pure-blood witch with a more tolerant view of Muggle-borns. This isn’t just an unsatisfying ending for Draco but a missed opportunity for his character–and it’s exactly what Dramione fanfics seek to rectify. I mean, what could be a more dramatic character arc for Draco than falling in love with Hermione–the exact person he has been taught to hate, to fight, to kill.
Maybe the ending Rowling chose for Draco is more honest, more accurate to his character–more like life, but after all of the suffering and death in “Harry Potter,” Draco’s redemption could have been a surprising inevitability–an ember of hope for an evolving wizarding world. Maybe that’s wishful thinking. Maybe I, too, am just one of the girls Rowling says are “apt to romanticize” antiheroes like Draco Malfoy. Or, possibly, I’m confronted by my own faults when I look at Draco and wish that, if I were in his position, I had the chance to change my fate and become something better.
Words by Alex Armbruster
Graphic by Eve Friday