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Lily's meaningless sacrifice

One thing that irks me is when people suggest that in canon, Lily had any idea that Harry would survive (this is merely a canon post, nothing to do with fanfiction). It irks me, partly because it's just incorrect and that's the sort of person I am. More importantly, however, it irks me because Lily not stepping aside when she had nothing to gain from dying is fundamental to the story.

Let's start with JKR own words from an interview in 2005:

MA: Did she know anything about the possible effect of standing in front of Harry? JKR: No - because as I've tried to make clear in the series, it never happened before. No one ever survived before. And no one, therefore, knew that could happen.

Lily knew nothing about the possible effect of standing in front of Harry. Lily was faced with this choice:

Scenario 1: Steps aside, and Harry is killed.

Scenario 2: Be killed, and Harry is killed.

Scenario 1 is (on the surface) objectively better (unless you're a DE and thus want less muggle-borns around). To Voldemort, it's a simple choice: In both scenarios Harry will die, in one, Lily will survive. In fact, this is what makes a lot of people defend Severus' choice to only ask Voldemort to spare Lily. Severus could not save Harry (and apparently it's totally cool not trying to save others if they bullied you).

Lily could not save Harry.

Lily's choice, as far as she is aware, is not whether to save Harry or not, but whether to save herself. And yet, Lily cannot stand aside. As JKR points out earlier in the interview, what Lily did is not that surprising to us readers ("I don't think any mother would stand aside from their child"). Why? Love. Because, as Dumbledore reminds us on multiple occasions: there are worse things than death - most notably in DH:

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love."

Love, and life with and without love is an undercurrent in the story. Lily's sacrifice is meaningless when made, and yet it's the biggest and most understandable expression of love anyone can show someone else. Lily cannot, and does not want to, live in a world where she has witnessed her son being murdered - especially when her husband has been murdered too. A world without Harry and James is no world for Lily Potter.

It is also - bear with me - not that different from what it was like to be in the Order at that time:

[Y]ou weren’t in the Order then, you don’t understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one...

“He — he was taking over everywhere!” gasped Pettigrew. “Wh — what was there to be gained by refusing him?”

The Order operated against the odds and were being picked off one by one. As Peter asks - what was there to be gained by refusing him? What was there to be gained from standing (metaphorically or not) in front of Voldemort's victims? I've said this before and I'll say it again, Sirius' answer is powerful:

“What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?” said Black, with a terribly fury in his face. “Only innocent lives, Peter!” “You don’t understand!” whined Pettigrew. “He would have killed me, Sirius!” “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!” roared Black.

Only innocent lives. They weren't fighting this war because they were winning. In fact they were very much losing. But they were fighting because it was right thing to do. Many Order members chose to die, rather than to step aside and let Voldemort take over. Only in their case it didn't make a difference - or at least, it didn't feel like it at the time. Members were murdered, and Voldemort was just getting stronger and stronger.

What was there to be gained by refusing Voldemort?

I firmly believe this is a theme that is repeated throughout the book: not just love and choice, but the obligation to choose what is right, no matter the odds (the irony that this was written by JKR will never be lost on me), and how love is a powerful motivator to do just that. Doing the right thing might seem hopeless in the moment - wasteful even - but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing, or that in the end, it won't add up.

Imagine what Harry felt like at the end of PS/SS when he risked his life to stop Voldemort, only to realise that Voldemort would keep trying to come back:

“Well, Voldemort’s going to try other ways of coming back, isn’t he? I mean, he hasn’t gone, has he?” “No, Harry, he has not. (...) Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power.”

Harry Potter isn't about doing the right thing because it will bring you rewards, but because it is the right thing.

“Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.”

This speech doesn't sit well with a few people because it sounds like you're asked to remember what happened to someone who did do the right thing (spoiler: he died). But that's not the point, of course. Cedric wasn't killed for doing the right thing or making a hard choice - Dumbledore asks the students to remember Cedric because the enemy is willing to kill innocent people indiscriminately. Standing aside will not be good enough against people like Voldemort. There is, as Dumbledore put it, a need to keep fighting what seems a losing battle. Why? Only innocent lives.

Both James and Lily die that evening because they are unwilling to let Voldemort near their innocent son as long as there is breath in their bodies. James had no choice (this irks me because he did, he could have run away - he could have not fought Voldemort in the Order to being with. They all had a choice, but not the point). Lily had a choice. And she chose, like many had before her, to fight what seemed like a losing battle. She died, not knowing that she had saved her son. Her sacrifice was meaningless - like so many before her - and yet her sacrifice changed the world.

In the end, by choosing to do what was right, she was granted the wish she most desired: Her son lived.

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y’all are drunk on your own farts if you ever think REMUS LUPIN would stand up to Albus Dumbledore. you can project your hate of Albus onto Sirius all you want because he does actually canonically have some beef with him, Remus loves Albus with his whole heart to a slobbering extent.

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How do you imagine Dumbledore's school years to be like? (Like how he acter, what were his goals,how close was he to his peers, you know?)

This is a really good question. Thanks for sending it!

I think Dumbledore school years were probably defined by two things: his driving ambition and his fondness for other people.

We know from the summer after he graduated that Dumbledore dreamed of great things - probably being Minister for Magic - and this would lead him to be an incredibly dedicated student. He joined every club, he studied constantly, he worked hard to make important connections. Everything you associate with an intellectually brilliant politician in the making. Likely, this drive to greatness was driven in part by feelings of shame due to his upbringing - a desire to rise above his messy family. All of this is borne out by the numerous awards we know he won as a student and the many leading European intellectuals he started corresponding with.

This perhaps not totally flattering image of the young Dumbledore is offset somewhat by his genuine goodness. Though ambitious, he befriended the pockmarked Elphias Doge from the first moment he came to Hogwarts. To be clear, he got nothing from this friendship best that we can tell. He simply was being nice. I imagine that act of kindness is just the first among many hundreds that defined Dumbledore's school years - the high flying student with a kind word, a bit of homework help, and anything else his classmates needed.

That said, Dumbledore's brilliance meant he was maybe not as close to any of his peers as he would have liked. His ambition and skill separated him from them, and marked him as different. It can be hard to be on the very top because there are so few others on that level. So I think Dumbledore was probably one of these kids who is friends with everyone but also kind of lonely. Which is why when he meets someone on his level - Grindlewald - he loses it a bit.

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I would have had a crush on Tom Riddle if we were at Hogwarts together.

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Head Boy

General headcanons about Tom Riddle in his last year of Hogwarts, specifically focusing on his duties as Head Boy.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Tom always knew that he would end up as Head boy, despite Dumbledores mistrust in him. For him, the news was simply a confirmation. While Riddle didn’t initially enjoy his duties, the position afforded him many privileges aided him during his final year at Hogwarts.

Not only that, but having to give public speeches on behalf of the student body or Hogwarts taught him how to inspire an audience— which proved itself to be useful for his future as the Dark Lord.

To Riddle, it felt natural to have a crowds attention solely on him. He was confident not only in himself, but also in his looks. This only strengthened his desire to lead an army in his name.

What he disliked most about his title, was the personal aspect that came along with it. Comforting pupils in distress, arguing with rowdy boys about their lack of respect for the schools rules, or even having to tutor students who showed no interest in improving their grades were all a thorn in his side. Tom always saw himself as a leader, not a healer, nor a counselor—yet that’s what he often was expected to be.

One day, during a particularly snowy morning, he had to tend to a first year Gryffindor who fell face down on the concrete floor, because they thought they could slide over the freshly fallen snow, and ended up stained his uniform with their snot and blood, however Riddle wasn’t allowed to show his disgust nor anger towards the child.

Overall, he was remembered as one of the finest head boys, fulfilling his duties as Head Boy with ease, hence increasing his popularity amongst the students tremendously. Tom was seen as a dedicated, smart, and humorous individual with a bright future ahead of him. Of course, many girls were also smitten by him, yet most never dared to approach Tom personally.

People continued talking about him even a few years after his graduation, that’s how influential Tom was.

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Professor Quirrell After the initial D.A.D.A teachers illustration, drawing Quirrell was suddenly very easy :) He's a fun character to draw, with his stumbling, nervous characteristics. And of course, the turban is an amazing recognisable feature in his outfits. I played around a bit with the types of cloaks he wears. I wanted them to be big enough that he could hide away in them if he wanted to. I imagined him walking around, hiding his fidgeting fingers in the big sleeves of his robes. And then to realise that in the end, he wasn't nervous or bumbling at all, but a disturbed and dangerous wizard :) Still an iconic plot twist! PS: A shoutout to this wonderful moment in Starkid's A Very Potter Musical:

I watched that musical religiously when I was in high school. And it's still ICONIC!

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In honor of Dame Maggie Smith...

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the marauders as types of students:

sirius black: skives off from class and usually doesn’t take notes, especially in the classes he doesn’t like, but when he is fond of the subject, he pays attention and takes notes. effortlessly talented and aces all of his subjects without trying to and without studying. naps during the classes he finds boring. teachers know he is extremely talented, and in parent-teacher meetings, his parents are asked to motivate him further, to not “waste his potential”. when he does want to pay attention, though, his hand is always up. signed up for a lot of extracurriculars, his favourite being the debate club. tutored students from time to time when he felt like it. bagged valedictorian.

remus lupin: the kind of student that is described as “a joy to teach”. pays attention during class, takes notes and asks questions. a good student, would be mediocre if he didn’t try and didn’t study. can come across as a teacher’s pet, but is genuinely interested in learning. tutored students and was the kind of student teachers would see teaching one day. joined a few extracurriculars, but prefers spending his time in the library, reading. extremely good at revising, but can crack under pressure. helpful to the year-unders and always respectful to teachers.

james potter: part of the sports’ team (then captain), which makes him extremely popular; intelligent and charming. needs a bit of studying to get top marks. never stresses over exams, confident in his abilities. always wears his sports jersey. sits in the back of class with sirius and doodles on his books (mostly dicks on sirius’, though). seldom pays attention but somehow, when called on, always has the right answer, which infuriates teachers. gives examples from his own life on essays. skives off when he needs to, for practice (and when the rest of the class wants to). people always greet him in the halls; teachers think he’s cocky, but admire his intellect.

peter pettigrew: a mediocre student besides the classes he actually likes. trails off behind his friends and is known as the “tag along”. smokes in the bathroom and sits in the front row. gets easily distracted during classes he doesn’t like, or is the first person who suggests skipping classes he dislikes. needs to study to pass, stresses over exams and always makes his friends test him during the breaks before. kissed up to teachers (which annoys sirius) and cheats in papers he didn’t study for. lets other cheat off of him in subjects he’s passionate about and studies in.

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Idk but i’ll always love Colin Creevey. That boy was down bad for Harry, and honestly? Same.

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Jude Law Reflects on Dumbledore in the “Fantastic Beasts” Films

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Jude Law Reflects on Dumbledore in the “Fantastic Beasts” Films

Eddie Redmayne recently spoke about how he thinks fans have seen the last of Newt Scamander, except at Epic Universe, and now Jude Law has reflected on his time as Professor Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts film series, likewise not giving fans much hope for any further films.

In an interview with Variety, Law discussed how unlikely it seems that he will return to play young Dumbledore, saying that the Fantastic Beasts film franchise is “certainly on hold.”

My guess would be that, now that they’re doing ‘Harry Potter’ as a TV show, they’ll probably put their energy into that. I certainly haven’t heard that there’s anything on the horizon.

Speaking about his knowledge of young Dumbledore prior to working on the films, Law said that after he read the Harry Potter books to his children, he like felt he understood Dumbledore.

He was absolutely the sort of heartbeat of those books. Or, rather, the spirit. Harry was the heartbeat. There was something in the heart of Dumbledore — there was something in the spirit of the man that I really liked.

Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore) and Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”

Law then met with J.K. Rowling in 2017, where she gave him a rundown of the story arc she had in mind for the remaining Fantastic Beasts films, giving him “a pretty clear sense of where it was going to go.

Jo Rowling always said to me that he saw himself as a monster because of the way he had behaved in the past and he was always trying to forgive himself, but I just always felt like he was a good, kind man, and it’s nice playing good, kind men.

“And that’s why he liked Newt,” Law mentioned, “because Newt took care of monsters.” Law said Dumbledore perceived himself as “unlovable”  because of his actions with Grindelwald that lead to his sister Ariana’s death.

I think he always felt guilty that he had been misled because he was in love. It followed him. He found himself to be unlovable because he trusted his heart.

Jude Law as Dumbledore.

Despite Dumbledore’s (many) flaws, Law enjoyed playing the iconic wizard because it also brought out something good in himself.

To play him and to really feel a sense of his extraordinary powers, I found a nice place in myself. I liked his heart, and I liked playing him because of that. I always enjoyed stepping in his shoes.

While Law’s comments on the Fantastic Beasts films don’t give us any more hope on the continuation of the franchise, it’s always interesting to dive deeper into Dumbledore’s background and to hear Law’s thoughts on playing this iconic character.

[pro-dumbledores-office]

What happened, Your Grace, Lord Malfoy? Did you just decide to give up on self-care entirely?

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Love this version of Dumbledore's office.

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Hi! I've been working on illustrations for the Harry Potter fandom for a year now. I think it's time to share some of my art!

When I was working on this, I needed to come up with a theme quickly since I only had half a day to try out a screen graphics tablet. This idea came to me: McGonagall complaining about Snape when he was first hired at Hogwarts, while Dumbledore watches this colorful scene unfold. I thought it would look funny. What do you think?

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Sev

2022

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:Half Blood Prince/ chapter 26 “The Cave”

I always check headmaster’s attitude when reading Harry Potter.

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#weasley is our king

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;; people do not talk about this enough, I fear ☕️ # ౨ৎ