I really like the idea of smart harry. Not like intelligent op harry, but like one who actually has common sense and, yk.. studies, instead of just relying on hermione or only researching when its important.
Bc its, like, obvious that the Dursleys didn't want harry being better than dudley. Most likely, if he was in any capacity, dudley would throw a fit and then the dursleys would get mad and yada yada. I belive harry probally just stopped trying in school, so that dudley would always be better than him grades wise.
But. Harry was, at the very least, a heavily neglected child. He would of been forced to use his brain and some cunning to survive, the hat did want him in slytherin for a reason.
Then he's thrown into this whole new world that he wants to know all about, yet doesn't even try to study or learn anything? One of his main character traits is his curiosity, yet only in times of peril or when something suspicious happens? It, personally, didn't make sense to me.
A harry with even a slither more common sense, and who actually tried learning about this whole new world he's curious about, well, he would've been incredibly strategic and actually competent.
I might expand on this some more, do some incorrect quotes, prompts, ect on it but idk it just seems like a really interesting idea to explore, bc even a slightly more competent harry would've been powerful in his own right.
Let me know if you want me to do anything on it!!