I don't really have a favorite scene from a Harry Potter fanfiction, but if I had to choose, I'd choose A Sad Winter by Auspicious Autumn. It's got problems. Plenty. But the way that this scene is written hits me in the feels:

But, my all time favorite scene is from a Sherlock Fanfiction:

 

Is this quite old? I feel like I've read this but can't seem to pin down anything other than the name sounds familiar.

 

The Pureblood Princess is a story that, for the first 90% or so, is quite average with many of your common Harry/Daphne tropes (though slight points for being from Daphne's POV). The (first*) epilogue, on the other hand, may well be my single favorite chapter in all of HP fan fiction. And the ending is, as far as I'm concerned, perfect:

Spoiler

For context: Harry had believed Daphne to be dead, and in fact she has lost all memories and knowledge of the wizarding world and was living as a muggle. He was able to re-kindle their relationship (without telling her about magic), got married, and had a daughter who is about to turn 11.

*: The author eventually added another epilogue from Harry's POV that takes place right before the original epilogue, apparently as a result of losing a bet. I very much believe that it was wholly unnecessary and in fact detracts from the story, especially as most people will read it after the original epilogue. But alas.

 

Just a reminder that neville killing bellatrix would have been better

 

Pretty much all of "A Black Comedy" by nonjon, but this is great:

Spoiler

"Dammit," Sirius called out wondering where Harry and Bella were. "You know what I just realized?"

"I'm in the Muggle Room," Harry's voice called out. "What did you realize?"

"I realized," Sirius ruefully admitted, "That 'Parselcrotch' is going to sell way more shirts than any of my lines. Hell, I want a shirt that says 'Parselcrotch' on it. Maybe with a picture of a giant spitting hooded cobra."

 

Welp, time to go read about a dozen old fics I'd forgotten about. Thanks, thread.

In canon, Voldemorts resurrection sticks with me. At that point in canon, none of the "good guys" have died yet. It's a scene to transition between the old books for a younger audience and the new, darker books to come after. And even though I prefer the first 4 books to the others, this scene just hit me like a brick on my first read-through of the series. I think a lot of people forget how unexpected and brutal this moment really was.

In fanfiction... damn there's a lot, especially since it's been a while since I read the great old fics. I'll come back and edit this once I've thought about it and re-read some stuff.

 

I know Black Comedy has been cited several times already, but there's one scene in there that hasn't been mentioned that never ceases to make me laugh

Spoiler

Harry shrugged with a smile as they reached the main street in Hogsmeade. They both slowed down when they spotted Sirius chatting up a couple of ladies in the middle of the village.

"Is that…?"

"Yeah," Harry slowly answered.

As they got closer they saw Sirius was pushing a mentally challenged-looking man with thick bulbous goggles and a red plastic helmet around in a wheelchair.

Harry glanced at Jimmy worriedly. "Sirius is so going to hell."

Jimmy opened his mouth and then closed it. He feebly argued, "There could be a completely rational explanation for that."

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden exclamation from the helmeted blonde in the wheelchair. "I was born Lucius Malfoy, Junior!"

"Okay," Jimmy conceded. "You're right. Hell it is. But probably a funny hell."

On a less comedic note, I've always loved the custom wand-making scene from Reign of Power. It gives a great air of reverence, as well as call-backs that explain the thematic elements of each component without being overblown. By today's standards I guess it feels a bit overwrought, but over a decade ago it (and so many other elements of this story) was innovative and experimental.

Spoiler

The backroom although a small area was impressive in the shear amount of things stacked in shelves against all four walls. In the middle there was another worktable with a large mortar.

"Custom wands are a little different than those you purchase on sight. For one the ingredients are more diverse. Custom wands usually hold two or more ingredients that serve to tune the wand more to your magic wavelength so to say. Look at the walls and pull down any jars or boxes that call to you."

Harry glanced uneasily at the walls. Some of the glass jars had things that looked suspiciously like eyes while others were as red as newly spilled blood. For that matter Harry wasn't all that sure it wasn't blood. Working with feathers, hairs, and heartstrings must be a lot less…icky.

Harry tried not to read the name tags. It wasn't pleasant confirming the fact that that really was a hippogriff heart's.

One jar called to him near the top with a coarse grey hair in the middle. As soon as he read the name memories began assaulting his mind.

Cerberus Hair(age: 73)- Three wide-eyed children who knew nothing of death. Wands and hearts guarding each other and the final forging of a friendship that would keep him sane in the years that would follow.

His hands moved under their own direction, knowing more than the wizard to whom they were attached to.

-Unicorn Blood(Age:23)- His innocence shadowed as a monster sought return to the world of flesh. A ruby stone he did not want and a turban wearing professor that could not touch him. The third to die in the battle between Harry and Voldemort.

Basilisk poison(Age: approx. 400)- A giant snake in the depths of the castle. A school ruled by fear as the events of the past were being repeated with dangerous results. The scapegoat is born.

Phoenix Tears(Age:unkown)-His champion. Pain and death before the stone eyes of Slytherin. A red phoenix battling the cold that spread from the bite on his arm. Death denied yet again.

-Werewolf blood (Age:43 Name: Holix, exile of the Lycaen Clan) Amber eyes, a protector and teacher. A calm against a school seeded with unease.

-Dementor Skin- (Age:unknown) Endless cold and sightless eyes. Frail shadowy death that traveled with deadly intent. His parents last moments immortalized and their screams forever trapped in the presence of the soul-eating creature.

-Horntail Dragon (Age: 255)- Flying and freedom intertwined. The foolish exhilaration of taunting a dragon and reckless joy of out flying its temperamental fit.

-Wizards blood (Age:not available)- A terrible night in a graveyard; the return of a man and the rebirth of a war. The binds of blood and magic that grew between the boy and the Dark Lord.

-Grim claws(Age:51)- The first Christmas he had ever celebrated with someone he could rightfully and willingly claim as family. Blue eyes that shone with love and the feeling that home existed somewhere.

-Veritaserum( 1981)- Truth and lies intertwined, carved into his hands as false penance. Foe and friend alike played a dangerous game of half-truths and omissions. His name slandered, his mind questioned. Idols pushed from their frail pedestal.

-Vampire Blood(Age:792 Name: Elder Ivren Fhrelx of Clan Thyluir) Immortal gold eyes that saw the damage on a child's soul and pale hands that guided a boy from the Darkness he had fallen in.

-Essence of ghosts(Age: 3 A.D)- Silent watches and intruding poltergeists. His minders and captors charged with the duty of keeping the Boy-Who-Lived a prisoner. Remnants of life suspended. Was it ever a wonder Harry blended in so well?

-Augury Feathers (Age: approx. 80)-Whispers and light, the lost and the other. Senseless words and odd feelings.

With every jar Harry pulled down the demented grin on Verti grew. It didn't bother Harry a whole lot. He hadn't exactly expected any friend of Beau Vautour to be all that in tune with reality.

Verti gave him an eerie grin.

"You are either deeply conflicted or schizophrenic."

"ehh…thanks."

"Cerberus is the Guardian, Unicorn is Purity, Basilisk is the Assassin, Phoenix is Rebirth, Werewolf can either be the Pack or the Moon, Dementor is the Soul and Nightmare, Dragon is Fire and Flight, Blood is Power, Veritaserum is Truth, the Grim is the Herald, Vampire is the Dark and the Immortal, Ghost is Sorrow, and Augury is the Seer and all of them are you one way or another. I caution you. Let only those things that called you reside in your wand. Too many volatile ingredients have called you. Only because you exist can they be combined."

Verti began the delicate process of stirring all the bloods. Harry preferred not to think about how all the ingredients came into his possession. Silently he offered his own blood as the Wizards Blood needed.

"When this wand is finished only you will ever be able to touch it. Most wands contain a more general core that allows most of similar core to use the wand. The stronger the wand the fewer that can use the wand. The stronger the wizard the more wands of different cores they can use. This wand will hold too many variables for any one else to be compatible and safely use."

"What happens if someone does use it?"

"If this had been a less volatile wand I could safely say they would receive a nasty shock. Because this wand is so specific I would guess they would get a rather vicious backlash." Verti sounded entirely too pleased by the idea.

Harry grinned. He would like to see Priori Incantatem now.

Picking a wood was easy enough. Losing tension he wasn't aware he had Harry bypassed yew. Surprisingly enough holly didn't call out to him.

It was ash that called him, pale grey with an odd red sheen to it.

"Igdrasil, the Ash-tree of existence or so say the Norse. Rooted in the kingdom of Death it reaches toward the heavens and spreads across the universe. At its root sit three Fates—the Past, Present, Future. From there flow two streams—that of the knowledge of things past and that of the knowledge of things to come. The Norse believed Man himself was formed from Igdrasil, the Sacred Tree." Was Verti's only comment.

Harry stared at the ash wood warily with a look that said it-had-better-not-be-Igdrasil-wood.

The finale product was beautiful—fourteen and a third ash wand coated in fire ruby dust for stability and the oddest core Verti had ever seen.

Finally, from outside of Harry Potter, another scene that always makes me laugh is this bit from What's New Naruto, in which Naruto and Killer Bee are confronted by Deidara and Hidan:

Spoiler

"Looks like we caught some beasts with our trap, yeah." Deidara said, leering. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a fucking retard or something?" he asked, smirking, "We knew you were there the whole time. Inwardly, Naruto was thinking something else.

Fucking shit, I didn't even notice these fuckers.

"Oi, Deidara! Let's spill some blood!" the other Akatsuki member said, grinning. Naruto looked over at him.

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked, never having seen him before, "Akatsuki letting just anyone join these days?"

"Fuck you!" Hidan cursed, "I'll fucking gut you like a fish!"

"This is Hidan." Deidara introduced, "He's immortal."

Hidan looked at the two jinchuuriki smugly, slinging his red scythe onto his shoulders. Naruto looked over at Killer Bee, who had been quietly observing, no doubt taking in information on their two deadly enemies.

Or thinking up a rap. Naruto never knew with him.

"So which one you wanna kill, Bee?" Naruto asked casually, "Bomb dude or immortal guy?"

"We could flip a coin for tails or head, but it doesn't really matter cause they already dead." Killer Bee rapped. Deidara grinned.

"Interesting, yeah. I wonder how you'll do against my art." the blond said.

"Art?"

"Art is a blast!" Deidara said with great vigour, "My explosions are a true art; true art only lasts for a few moments, but you'll remember it for the rest of your life!"

"Kind of like a stillbirth?" Naruto offered.

"Yeah! Kind of like... a..." Deidara started, trailing off and glaring at the blond, "Man, fuck you."

 

I greatly enjoyed the Time-Travel chapter in https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9911469/34/Lily-and-the-Art-of-Being-Sisyphus