#Dark Festivus

[theresthesnitch]

The Care and Keeping of a Pet Werewolf

A Dark Festivus Fic

Summary: Sirius Black never went to Hogwarts. He never met the Marauders, was never told that the things that his parents beleived were wrong, was never shown the way to the light. Then, Voldemort decides that his most worthy servent deserves a gift: a pet werewolf.

Please check the tags. I've copied them below the cut for reference. It's not a joke

Dead Dove: Do Not Eat; Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins; First Wizarding War with Voldemort (Harry Potter); Death Eater Sirius Black; Dark Sirius Black; Death Eater Regulus Black; Dark Regulus Black; Manipulative Sirius Black; Forced Nudity; Rope Bondage; Humiliation; Humiliation kink; degradation kink; Watersports; Murder Kink; Dubious Consent; Extremely Dubious Consent; Exhibitionism; Voyeurism; Under-negotiated Kink; Unnegotiated Kink; Knifeplay; Incest; Starcest; discussion of war deaths; Toxic Relationships; Major character death - Freeform; Stockholm Syndrome; Dehumanization; Hurt No Comfort

[jelliewrites]

A Peacock in a Pear Tree

I was privileged to get the opportunity to write this gift for bookish_clf as part of Dark Festivus 2023

Ship: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter

Wordcount: 10 302

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Minor charater death; implied torture; implied non-con

Summary: Every December, Voldemort sends the Order a Christmas Gift...

This is a dark, Voldemort wins AU with a hopeful Drarry HEA 🥰

Please subscribe as a sequal is in the works...

Read on AO3

[sniperjade]

In The End There Is Only You

I wrote my first ever Tomarry for Dark Festivus. I was really happy with how it turned out especially considering how much research went into it.

Summary: Sometimes in an hour of desperate need, a powerful witch or wizard, can make a wish upon magic itself. These wishes are rare, and only granted when a true difference can be made, in order to save the world from catastrophe. When Harry is drawn to one such wish, he is sucked into the orbit of a terrifyingly powerful boy, who draws Harry to him like the inevitable pull of a black hole. One that simply has no escape.

[nightlocktime]

Forbannelsen (2022) for @ghostcat3000​

[drarryspecificrecs]

2023.12 ~ Top 5 longest fics posted on AO3

1. The Man Who Forgot by @slightweasel [E, 250k]

►After ten years of marriage, Harry forgets. The more things change, the more Draco Malfoy is still up to something.

2. Conjuring Cupid by @sugarplum-senpai [M, 89k]

►Two decades after Hogwarts, Harry's toy shop is ready for the busiest season of the year. Bolstered with an ever-growing work list, plenty of tea, and a sentient puppet always looking for mischief, his life is full. Still, at the end of the day, he’s lonely, and as the boy who lived his search looking for a match is disastrous. When his friends register him for an anonymous dating service, he’s unconvinced. Then again, maybe not knowing each other’s faces right away might just give him everything he’s longing for.

3. City of Quartz by ladygoodman [M, 57k]

►[...] It's 2012, and the granddaughter of Celestina Warbeck is pronounced dead at her home in Los Angeles. Auror Harry Potter finds the case file a little too familiar with other celebrity deaths cropping up all over the UK. The Dark Mark is making an appearance on young witches and wizards as well. There are only a few former Death Eaters who haven't been locked away in Azkaban, and Draco Malfoy is one of them. On that suspicion, Harry follows his tracks all the way to sunny Los Angeles, where he's faced with an entirely new caliber of celebrity culture. Who is Caelum West? How is he mixed in with all of this? And why does he look exactly like Draco Malfoy?

4. Nervous? by @invisible-nerd-girl [T, 46k]

►Harry gets drunk at a party, only to remember a game he over heard muggles talking about. He ends up playing with Draco who doesn't back down. Much to his surprise, it doesn't end there.

5. If I win, lose, or draw, there’s a winner in us all by MystMelody [E, 41k]

►Sixteen years ago, Harry and his England team suffered World Cup heartbreak following an agonisingly close loss at the hands of a single, incorrect umpiring decision. Many years and two World Cup victories later, and Harry is (mostly) sure that he has moved on. As Harry’s final tournament before retirement looms, he is confident that his team have what it takes to lift the trophy a third time - no matter what anyone else might say. Especially Malfoy, who has reinvented himself as a successful Quidditch reporter and seems determined to write as many awful things about the team as possible. [...]

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 15k

※ Word count: 15k ~ 40k

The Lost Boy by @youhavemyswordandmybow [M, 17k]

Dark Artistry by @sightedkarma [E, 26k]

The infallibility of unicorn hair by mindor [E, 18k]

Just Exist by Kendra_Storm [T, 32k]

More than a Legend by @romaine2424 [M, 17k]

New Beginnings Taste Sweet (Daffodils) by corazon_san [T, 18k]

O Come, All Ye Faithful by toomuchplor [E, 19k]

Secrets Undone (the Lightning Order) by @xx-thedarklord-xx [M, 39k]

Spoils of War by instead_of_sleeping [E, 30k]

What happened at Christmases by ProseMary [?, 15k]

You're Scrooged, Draco Malfoy by @fencer-x [M, 27k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

25 Days of Draco and Harry 2023 | @slythindor100

Frottage Cottage FFF

H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 | @harrypotterfesthub

Fanatical Fam Fic Exchange 2023

HP Festival of Stars 2023 | @hpfestofstars

HP Soulmates Secret Santa 2023 | @hp-soulmates-secret-santa

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023 | @hp-yuletide-bliss​

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 | @yuletide-and-mulled-wine

2023 Harry Potter Trans Comfort Fest | @magicaltrans

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.12.17

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Imaginary Playground by @xx-thedarklord-xx [T, 1k]

►Draco owns the biggest toy store in Diagon Alley, and he makes all of the wooden toys himself. Business is good, but his favorite part of the day is when his favorite customer brings in their father, even if that father is Potter.

2. Sealed With A Kiss by @jtimu [T, 1k]

►This time, Pansy is up to something.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. A Christmas to Remember by Anonymous [M, 21k]

►Draco has never liked Christmas, and for good reason. Almost all of the memories he has of the winter holiday season are at best cold and lonely, and a worst wrought with fear and danger. Will this Christmas be marginally tolerable? Or is he in for another frigid, forgettable disaster? If Harry Potter has any say in the matter, it will be...a little bit of both? ★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

2. Clear Skies, Full Hearts by Anonymous [E, 16k]

►Harry loves everything about playing professional Quidditch – the rush of flying, the rush of winning, the rush of getting off with rival seeker Draco Malfoy. Harry’s the highest scoring rookie Seeker in the history of the League. He’s also, inexplicably, obsessively, hooking up with Draco. When Draco unexpectedly quits the League and disappears from Harry’s life, Harry doesn’t stop wondering what it all meant and if he’ll ever get another chance to find out. ★ H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

3. A Peacock in a Pear Tree by Jelliebabie [E, 10k]

►Every December, Voldemort sends the Order a Christmas Gift... ★ Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 | @harrypotterfesthub

[dramioneasks]

Dramione News:

HP Snooze Fest - Posting has begun, 3 dramione fics so far :)

Harry Potter Kink Meme - Round #2, starts Oct 16th - Dec 31st.

Harry Potter Fest Hub - Dark Festivus Gift Exchange, Fest is complete, a masterlist will be posted soon.

HP Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest - Fest is complete, a masterlist will be posted soon.

HP Deflower December - Fest runs all Dec.

HP Fanfic Writer’s Guild - Comfort Zone Fest, Fics due Jan 21st.

HP Soulmates Secret Santa - Fest is complete, a masterlist will be posted soon.

HP Festival of Stars - Posting has begun, 7 dramione so far!

HP Knotfest - Claiming is open, ends Jan 15th.

Dramione Fanfiction Forum/The Slytherin Cabal - Twistmas, Fest is complete, a masterlist will be posted soon.

Wheel of the Year Fest - Fest is complete, fics this round?

HP Animagi Week - Prompts will be revealed Jan 8th.

HP Goldenage - Salt and Pepper Fest, claiming has begun. Fics due Feb 18th.

HP BardFest - Claiming is closed, fics due Feb 7th.

HP Eiffel Tower Fest - Signups and claiming is open, closed Jan 31st.

HP Yuletide Bliss - Fest is complete, no dramione this year :(

New Year’s Countdown - Posting closes Dec 31st. No dramione so far :(

HP Triad!Fest - Claiming closes Feb 7th.

The Three Broomsticks - The Twelve Days of Yule Bash, Fest runs from Dec 11th - 22nd, prompts are available to view.

Kinks of Knockturn Alley - Kinkmas, Fest runs all Dec, Prompts are available to view.

D/Hr Advent - Fest runs all Dec.

hp_bunintheoven - Prompting from Jan 6th - 18th.

Love Is In The Air Fest - Prompting and claiming open from Dec 15th - Jan 30th.

HP Trans Fest - Prompting from Mar 31st - Apr 14th.

The Great Wizarding Feast Fest - Signups open from Mar 1st - Apr 30th.

HP Springtide Festival - Prompting open from Dec 20th - Jan 3rd.

[musingsbyserena]

Yule 🎄

In the Northern Hemisphere, Yule is December 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yule is June 21st.

Like Samhain, Yule, also known as the winter solstice, is a rather large holiday in the Pagan calendar, but it is also has a large presence across the world. The biggest shadow looming over Yule is, of course, Christmas and Christmas Eve. It's the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth, but we all know that it’s the Catholic church’s way of shoehorning pagans into celebrating Christmas. Those who are blatantly against the celebration of Christmas celebrate Newtonmas, which is the same basic idea, but in honor of Sir Isaac Newton and science instead. Alternatively, you could join the Festivus gang for people who are fans of Seinfeld. Other holidays include the Jewish Hanukkah, which honors the miracle of lasting oil, the Ancient Saturnalia, a festival for Saturn and the coming of longer days, and Kwanzaa, which is actually a holiday started in America to celebrate African culture and family in much the way Christmas does. There are also a number of other holidays of varying names, and religious backgrounds that all celebrate the same core idea of family, beliefs, the coming of summer, and giving back.

At its heart, the Solstice signals the coming of longer days and shorter nights. In the midst of the dark days of winter, Yule is the promise that it won't last forever  The God has been reborn, and as a symbol of the Sun, he brings a stronger one. A sun that will melt the snow and bring new animal and plant life. Now that the Goddess has ensured the survival of nature, she can rest for the rest of the season. It is a time to celebrate hope and the power of community in surviving the hard times.

Traditional decorations really take the concept of the new sunrise and run with it. Bonfires, candles, Yule logs, and even Christmas lights all come from the same idea of bringing light back into the darkness. You could even be as obvious as hanging sun symbols and using citrus fruit in decor pieces. Pinecones and evergreens are included for the symbolization of being “ever green” and the hope of new life. We’re just looking for the general feeling of life going on through the winter, and bringing the sun back into our lives, also incorporating the standard “Christmas” colors like red, green, gold, silver, or even blue if you want to bring in the cold and snowy element.

[theonceandfuturequeenoftarts]

WIP Game

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Thanks @valkyrie-chemist for leaving the open invitation!

So, uh, I have *counts* seventy-six WIPs at some level of worked-on in my fanfic folder (whyyyyy). Here are twenty-five of the tomarry/harrymort ones.

Ten of the partly posted ones (Ao3 title in parentheses):

Ace ABO fic 2 (thrown into the nest)

hmm (There's Love (if you want it))

pen pal besties (thus, friends absent speak)

Labyrinth (like those palaces in fairy tales)

Amnesia (engrave the silhouette of you)

X.3 (part three of (won't you) lay hands on me, AKA Harry the Masochist 'verse)

QV (Arm yourself (no one else here will save you))

C.2 (unfailingly ingenious at having a good time)

B.2 (Brumation Buddies)

third? date? and WEDDING EVENT OF THE CENTURY (parts three and four of the naive melody 'verse)

Ten Fifteen of the still-unposted ones:

JRPG-style

Chikan

cauldron

Soulmark drabble

Captive-Harry gets unknowingly adopted by the Dark

fake dating yaaaasss

magical

Little Master

University AU

Festivus

Circus AU

Feral

SOMNOPHILIAAAAAAAAA

Lord Voldemort, accidental relationship counsellor

Poor kids supper club

Since I jumped in from a non-tag, please feel free to share your WIPs if you haven't done so yet! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

[r0ckdove]

The Reckoning; Chapter 1

Marcus walked through the dank hallway of Level 2, on a keen-eyed lookout for any entities. Reaching a door, he suddenly heard a deafening, distorted, maniacal laugh erupt from the room behind the door. It began to fade, as Marcus muttered; "Damn fest-heads..." Immediately, he heard a loud, excruciated shriek come from the room, that slowly devolved into a low, sickly groan.

Slowly pushing the door open, Marcus' vision was enveloped in darkness. Pulling out a flashlight, Marcus clicked it on after a small struggle, and shined the beam into the room. It appeared to resemble an odd, small storage room. Moving the light around the space, he paused. He could've sworn he'd spotted somebody dash away when he was shining his flashlight into the room. He stepped inside.

Entering the room, Marcus beamed his flashlight around. Turning to the left, through a row of large, unorganised, metal-framed shelves, he saw a person. The figure was wearing a faded navy hoodie, with the right arm duct-taped from the elbow to the wrist. Their hood was up, and covering their face was a recognisable blue mask with a frowning face plastered on it. Marcus had been wearing similar items to the odd person, so he instantly knew they were one of his team.

They were both Partycrashers.

However, something was off with this person — their mask’s frown had a badly carved smile on top of it, layered with cracks and damage galore. At that moment, the figure dashed across the room, and Marcus heard them rummage for a moment, before taking out some sort of object.

“Who’s there?” Marcus called.

There was no response.

He slowly focused the flashlight’s beam to the laboured breathing that emirates from across the room. Backed into a corner, the odd fest-head stood in a nervous stance, shakily wielding a combat knife. Muttering quickly, their panicked voice began in a stutter;

“Don’t come any closer…”

Marcus took a step forward. The figure could be easily estimated to be rather weak and skinny in build, as well as appearing to not be very skilled with their weapon — probable causes could be from a lack of experience or training. They were no threat at all.

“I’m warning you! Uhm-“ the person, seeming like a young man from his voice, stumbled over his words. “You frowny-faces don’t scare me, idiot.” This was an obvious lie based off of the fear in his speech alone.

At that moment, Marcus let out a small gasp. This was no regular Partygoer, this was Marcus’ partner in a failed mission. Two weeks prior, his partner, the unwise but eager Robin, had eaten some contaminated food and contracted the infamously brutal Sanguine Festivus parasite. It had taken a while for the two of them to realise it, but by the time they did, Robin had mysteriously deserted Marcus.

Marcus looked at the other, “Robin? It’s me, Marcus. Don’t you remember?”

Robin was surprised. Lowering his blade, he cocked his head to the side slightly and began to mumble to himself. Marcus watched his strange friend, who seemed to be having to wrack his brain through and through to remember him. Robin spoke suddenly, and in a weirdly enthusiastic tone:

“Oh! Yes! Mark! Marcus! Yeah! Hi! Hello! Hi!” His words were rapidly firing like bullets.

As Robin began to approach his newly reunited friend, Marcus froze.

“Back up, Robin. You’re one of those Partygoers now, aren’t you.” He told Robin firmly. Robin stuttered for a moment, words scrambling as he attempted to string together a negotiation.

“I am not a Partygoer! No! Incorrect! You’re so wrong! Idiot! I got… treated! Yeah! That’s it!” he argued.

“Really? Then why were you maniacally laughing like one of those wretched fest-heads then?” Marcus inquired.

“Well! Er! That brainwash crap started messing with me right before I got treated! So that just.. happens! Sometimes! Yeah! Okay?! I’m no fest-head!”

Marcus grumbled at Robin’s weirdly reasonable response. Nodding in understanding to him, he mumbled; “C’mon.”; whilst gesturing for Robin to follow him out of the dark room. He ran up to Marcus, trailing behind him as the two began to travel down the hallway once more.

The duo walked for a while through the labyrinth of industrial, dank passageways. Suddenly, Robin burst out in a short moment of insane laughter, before slam in his chest with his fist and breaking down coughing. Marcus looked at his friend worriedly, After the coughing died down, Robin groaned in pain. Marcus asked carefully;

“Dude, you okay?”

Robin quickly turned and stared at Marcus. He stared for a long minute. Then, he happily rasped, 

“Yeah! I’m fine! Totally! Mhm! Yup!”

As Robin turned away and began to continue travelling, Marcus begrudgingly followed close by.

As they turned a corner, the two stopped, noticing an odd, out-of-place elevator at the end of the short hallway. It appears to resemble something out of an office building — and incredibly strange sight to find in the industrial Level 2. Robin faced Marcus, “Wouldn’t that thing lead to Level 4?”

Marcus nodded, “Hm… oh, yeah. I’m pretty sure.”

Robin replied quickly, “We should get outta here anyway! Let’s go!”

They then approached the opening metal doors.

When they entered the elevator, Robin decided to press all of the floors’ buttons, giggling childishly to himself as he went. Marcus gave him a confused and disapproving look, while Robin responded with a stare that Marcus swore he felt burning into his very soul. 

Muttering something under his breath, Marcus took a step back. Robin continued his whimsical and strange behaviour, now pacing back and forth about the elevator. Marcus turned towards the doors.

“This is so boring! I’m so bored! Ugh! When are we leaving!? I wanna go!” Robin complained to Marcus; Marcus shot him a glare.

“Shut up.” he told Robin resolutely.

“Rude!”

Marcus grunted exasperatedly, before the metal doors finally opened.

Behind the doors was the infamous infinite office building that was Level 4.

previous | next

[lee-bella]

HP Fest Schedule: December 2023

Below the cut is a list of HP fest dates for the month of December. If you are curious about what's happening in 2024, see the full HP Fest Schedule (Google doc).

December 1

Sirius Black Fest 2023: Posting begins.

H/D Erised 2023 (Tumblr; exchange): Posting starts.

H/D Owlpost 2023: Call for pinch-hitter. Posting begins.

25 Days of Draco & Harry (LJ, Tumblr): Challenge begins.

Deflower December: Challenge begins.

Liquid Luck Roll the Dice Winter Edition: Challenge begins.

HP Chan Fest (AO3, DW): Claiming opens.

Harry Potter Rec Fest: Challenge begins.

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023: Challenge opens.

Snolidays 2023 (Severus): Challenge begins.

dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge: Challenge begins.

Rare Pair Shorts Winter Prompt Challenge (Tumblr): December challenge begins.

25 Days of Kinkmas: Challenge begins.

December 2

Marauders Mayhem Voldy's Valentines (exchange): Sign-up opens.

December 3

Blackcest Fest 2024 (Black family; incest): Prompting ends.

December 4

Blackcest Fest 2024 (Black family; incest): Claiming opens.

HP Triad!Fest: Prompting closes.

December 5

HoggyWartyXmas Prompt Fest: Submissions due.

Hoggywartyxmas Book Club: Opening post due.

HoggyWartyXmas Be Creative (non-fic/art medium): Submissions due.

Magical Trans Comfort Fest 2023: Fest & prompts announced.

December 7

HP Triad!Fest: Claiming opens.

HP Trans Fest 2024: Fest announced.

December 8

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2024 (Tumblr): Announced.

December 9

Riddle Fest (AO3): Prompting begins.

December 10

HP Festival of Stars 2023: Claiming ends.

Drarry Fans Discord Server Double Drabble Exchange (discord only): Works due.

December 11

Charlie's Birthday Bash: Claiming ends. Stories due.

Remus Lupin Fest: Claiming closes.

TTB The Twelve Days of Yule Bash (canon compliant): Challenge begins.

December 12

Charlie's Birthday Bash: Stories reveal.

December 14

HP Festival of Stars 2023: Submissions due.

Marauders Mayhem Voldy's Valentines (exchange): Sign-up closes.

December 15

R/S Big Bang 2023: Art due.

Sirius Black Fest 2023: Posting ends.

HP Soulmates Secret Santa: Works due.

HP Festival of Stars 2023: Reveal begins.

Love Is In The Air (Twitter): Claiming opens.

December 17

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest (AO3): Stories due.

Drarry Fans Discord Server Double Drabble Exchange (discord only): Reveals.

Wheel of Drarry Secret Santa 2023: Works due.

December 18

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest (AO3): Works reveals.

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange: Fics due.

HP Soulmates Secret Santa: Posting begins.

HP Saffics Secret Santa: Works due.

Wheel of Drarry Secret Santa 2023: Posting begins.

December 19

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange: Reveals.

December 20

HP Bard Fest: Claiming closes.

Marauders Christmas Fest: Challenge begins.

Wheel of the Year Fest (Dramione): Works due.

December 21

Wheel of the Year Fest (Dramione): Reveals.

December 22

H/D Owlpost 2023: Last day late gifts will be accepted.

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest (AO3): Creators revealed.

HP Soulmates Secret Santa: Posting ends.

TTB The Twelve Days of Yule Bash (canon compliant): Challenge ends.

December 23

H/D Kidfic Fest 2024: Submissions due.

HoggyWartyXmas Prompt Fest: Posting begins (tentative).

Twistmas: Claiming closes; works due.

Magical Trans Comfort Fest 2023: Posting begins.

December 24

Twistmas: Works revealed.

December 25

25 Days of Draco & Harry (LJ, Tumblr): Challenge ends.

HP Saffics Secret Santa: Works & creators revealed.

Magical Trans Comfort Fest 2023: Last day to post.

25 Days of Kinkmas: Challenge ends.

December 26

Wheel of Drarry Secret Santa 2023: Reveals.

December 30

Riddle Fest (AO3): Prompting closes.

December 31

Sugarfest: A Sugar Daddy Harry Fest: Claiming closes. Submission closes.

2023 Harry Potter Crossover Gift Exchange: Submission deadline.

HP Snooze Fest 2023: Last day to self-post.

H/D Owlpost 2023: Posting ends or until all gifts are delivered.

Remadora Fest (Remus/Tonks): Works due.

Deflower December: Challenge ends.

Harry Potter Kink Meme (Tumblr): Round 2 ends.

HP Festival of Stars 2023: Reveal closes.

Marauders Christmas Fest: Last day of challenge.

Harry Potter Rec Fest: Last day of challenge.

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023: Challenge closes.

Snolidays 2023 (Severus): Last day of challenge.

dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge: Challenge ends.

Rare Pair Shorts Winter Prompt Challenge (Tumblr): December challenge ends.

Riddle Fest (AO3): Prompts announced.

[melusine0811]

The Eat-N-Park Christmas Tree- or "Hope"

I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and there has been a commercial on TV every Christmas for the past 40 years from a restaurant called Eat-N-Park (think Hardees or Big Boy). You know, that comfortable local chain restaurant every town or borough had one of, where you hung out drinking milkshakes on Friday nights after football games or scarfed down pancakes at midnight with your friends after dancing your brains out at the Winter Formal. The commercial itself features a little star trying its hardest and struggling relentlessly to flap itself up to the top of a tree. It tries and tries again, just to run out of strength right before reaching the top, and then flutters back down into the snow. Just when it's exhausted and can't pick itself back up, the tree gladly reaches down and scoops up the star and puts it at the top. The star then is able to light the whole tree as they suddenly glow together.

I love this commercial the most because it reminds me of my grandmother, who died back in 1993 and loved it. For me, it's not Christmas until I see it, and I think of her and how much she loved Christmas--and how much I adored her and still miss her.

But I also love it because it's a message---when we pick each other up, a magical thing happens...we all begin to glow. Notice how happy the little star is and how it is able to do amazing things just out of this simple act of kindness.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Solstice/Yule, Happy Diwali, and Merry Festivus. And thank you to all of you who at ANY POINT this year picked me up and made me glow in any way (Yes that means YOU 🦋.)

We may not have talked in a few years and just casually see each other on our dashes, or we may just be mutuals. We may have talked all the time once, and don't anymore because our fandom interests diverged.

Or we may have stopped talking due to other reasons. Let us love one another and then soon FORGET whatever that reason is, because small things never hold their shape. This goes for disagreements with anyone at all. And for me, whatever the disagreement was, it doesn't matter anyway, in the long run---I forgive you because have loved and cared deeply about you. Automatically.

I am almost 44 and my life is probably halfway over. And I am definitely too sentimental. Let me tell you that from these slightly age-lined eyes that most recently saw nothing but darkness for months------

LIFE. IS. TOO. SHORT. People disappear from this world too easily, they slip between your fingers and are gone forever, like my grandma at only 57 years old. And as you get older and older, you stop giving a shit about who said what or what your own doctrine or easily dissolved principles used to be-- you can't even remember.

I am going to leave you with something my boss (principal) told us at a faculty meeting, that changed my outlook:

Almost all negative behavior comes from a place of pain.

Love one another. May you have a wonderful holiday season. (And may your tree survive your cats.🤣)

React to this post in some way to share the glow with me and with others.

[harrypotterfesthub]

The Dark Festivus Gift Exchange is open for sign-ups! This is a Harry Potter gift exchange for all things angsty and dark. Give us all your Death Eater goodness, and get something delicious in return.

Important Dates

October 6, 2023 Sign-Ups & Matching 12:00AM Eastern Time November 3, 2023 Sign-Ups End 11:59PM Eastern Time November 4, 2023 Writing Continues December 18, 2023 Fics Due 11:59PM Eastern Time December 19, 2023 Reveals 12:00AM Eastern Time

How it Works

Sign up here. To stay up to date on any and all Dark Festivus announcements, join Harry Potter Fest Hub on Discord.

Fest mods will match you with a giftee. We'll tell you all you need to know about what your giftee likes and doesn't like in fanfiction and/or fan art.

You'll create a work for your giftee and submit it to the fest collection.

Wait for reveals! Your job is to keep your gift secret. When it's time for gift reveals, you, your giftee, and other fest participants will see what's been created for you all.

Rules & Information

Do not create a work featuring your giftee's dislikes/triggers, and try to stick with ships/characters your giftee suggests.

All works must be kept anonymous until reveals. This means you may not tell people which work is yours, nor hint at it, until your name is revealed.

You may have one alpha or beta. Your alpha or beta may NOT be your giftee.

All Wizarding World characters are allowed, including characters from the Fantastic Beasts series, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hogwarts Mystery.

Visual arts (art and comics) may NOT feature characters under 18 in sexually explicit scenarios, even if reference models are of age. This is for legal purposes.

You may not receive any extensions. We recommend starting early.

Art Requirements - Minimum: 1 character, B&W, Undetailed; Maximum: 5 characters, Color, Detailed

Fanfiction Requirements - Minimum: 1000 words; Maximum: 12,000 words

FAQs

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[justinspoliticalcorner]

Elie Mystal at The Nation:

There has probably never been a president who was more ignorant of the government, the Constitution, and the laws of this country than Donald Trump was in 2017. The man came to power with a child’s understanding of civics and a mob boss’s understanding of power. Instead of using the power of government to effectuate his agenda, he thought he could simply bend the law to his will. Trump was wrong, and the Department of Justice showed him why. Trump fired FBI director James Comey (whose decision to reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails happened to be one of the proximate causes of his election in the first place) for his lack of loyalty. That led the DOJ to investigate Trump’s abuse of power. Trump likely assumed that his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, a longtime senator and an early supporter of Trump’s vile candidacy, would put a stop to the inquiry. But to Trump’s surprise, Sessions followed department rules and norms and recused himself from the case, leaving Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to handle the investigation. Rosenstein eventually appointed former FBI director Bob Mueller as a special counsel, and while Trump was never held accountable for this crime, he learned that the Justice Department could be a threat to his lawless abuse of power.

It’s a lesson he will not have forgotten if he wins or steals a second term. Mandate for Leadership, the Project 2025 blueprint for an eventual authoritarian takeover of the federal government, contains a lot of dangerous proposals for how Trump and his ruling conservatives can remake the executive branch. The authors’ ideas for the Department of Justice reflect not only their lust for unchallenged power, but also a deep fear of the DOJ’s independence—and, more particularly, the way that independence might be used against them if the DOJ is not brought to heel. Put simply: The conservatives hope to use the DOJ to make their darkest desires legal, while at the same time taking away the best legal means to stop them. As a first step, the Project 2025 Mandate recommends hollowing out the FBI. Why the FBI? Think of it this way: If Project 2025 is basically a conservative heist plot, then the chapter on the DOJ is the part where the plotters explain how they plan to take out the security cameras and floodlights so they can proceed under the cover of darkness.

The chapter begins like the Seinfeld holiday of Festivus: with an airing of grievances that the conservatives have against the FBI, including its alleged attempts to “convince social media companies and the media generally that the story about the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop was the result of a Russian misinformation campaign.” There are also entire paragraphs dedicated to railing against the FBI and the DOJ for trying to halt the spread of lies about the 2020 election—and, again, if you understand who these people are, you can see why stopping the government from policing their lies is a key goal. In order to accomplish this, Project 2025 proposes pushing Congress to demote the FBI, and its director, to a lower rung on the DOJ’s organizational chart and make the director report to a political functionary. It also wants Congress to eliminate the 10-year term of the FBI director to make it easier for the president to replace the director at will, like most other political appointees. Again, Trump got burned for firing Comey, and this proposal would make sure any future FBI director is sufficiently loyal.

If the conservatives simply wanted to destroy the FBI, I might agree with them. Even a cursory knowledge of the bureau’s history shows that the FBI is problematic: a dangerous tool of the surveillance state that, more often than not, has been deployed against civil liberties, civil rights, and social progress.

The problem with Project 2025 is that it doesn’t actually want to destroy the FBI; it wants to get rid of its independence—while keeping all of the FBI’s jackbooted thuggery so that it can hurt the “right” people. The Project 2025 Mandate calls for renewing the bureau’s focus on “violent” crime—and that word choice is important, because it leaves out nonviolent crimes like bank fraud, tax evasion, bribery, and document theft—you know, all the things that Trump or his business or donor-class friends are accused of doing. The document further suggests stripping the FBI of its legal workforce—the 300 or so attorneys employed by the bureau—which would turn the FBI into an even blunter weapon than it already is, completely untethered from the Constitution or civil rights. In line with the mission of hurting the “right” people, Mandate’s chapter on the DOJ details big plans for resuming Trump’s campaign against immigrants. Those plans include deploying the power of the Justice Department against Democrats who govern in “sanctuary cities.” Indeed, there’s a whole paragraph devoted to the wild idea of using the DOJ to sue district attorneys who use their discretion in ways that the conservatives don’t like—including, though hardly limited to, refusing to help deport immigrants.

[...] Toward that end, this chapter proposes transforming the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ into a tool to fight for white supremacy instead of against it. It aims to do this by using the division to prosecute institutions and organizations that promote diversity as violating the civil rights and equal protection of whites, and it’s the logical conclusion of the conservative assault on affirmative action and DEI programs. [...]

Using the DOJ to sue companies that hire people of color or women is meant to dissuade companies from hiring people of color or women, because according to conservative whites, anytime a person of color or a woman is hired for anything, it is because of affirmative action or DEI. This section is an attempt to whitewash America through force of law, since “the market” has rejected white supremacy (at least superficially) as a sound business practice.

When you break down what Project 2025 wants to do with the Justice Department, it’s chilling and terrifying, and yet I’m also struck by how petty and mean-spirited the tone of the document is. These people are consumed by their personal grievances (against Black people, against the media, against Hunter Biden and his laptop). There are multiple passages devoted to complaining that the DOJ has prosecuted people who threaten abortion clinics and parents who threaten school boards, as if being vile and hateful toward pregnant people and schoolteachers is their most precious “freedom.” Giving these people the DOJ is like giving a chimpanzee a gun: It’s inherently dangerous even when the chimp wields it like a crooked club.

Next time, Trump will not be handing the DOJ to people like Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr—people who wanted to use the department to further the MAGA agenda but felt bound by the rule of law. Next time, Trump will let someone like Stephen Miller, a ghoul who wants the law to promote bigotry instead of eradicating it, run the Justice Department. He’ll hand it to a devout loyalist and unreconstructed racist who wants to weaken the DOJ so it can’t hurt Trump, while weaponizing it against Trump’s enemies and the vulnerable communities he has decided to harass and terrorize. Project 2025 is telling us exactly how the conservatives plan to take away the rights of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. I beg the American people to believe them. This dystopian future isn’t a threat, it’s a certainty, should we give these people power again.

Elie Mystal wrote in The Nation that the DOJ under a 2nd Trump term would be the legal wing of the MAGA movement. The extreme MAGA movement must be crushed at all costs.

See Also:

The Nation: June 2024 Issue

[sniperjade]

CalmWriMo Goals

Ok so it's NanoWriMo this month and as amazing as that would be I just can't write 50K in November. As a mum of three it's coming up to Christmas and is the worst time in the world for me to hibernate and write for a whole month. CalmWriMo seemed like a way more manageable option. CalmWriMo is a more chilled out writing experience that still challenges me but in a more manageable way. It also has self care goals which is great for me this time of year as well because with how busy I am I do tend to forget.

Self Care Goals

Go swimming once per week. I did 650m in half an hour yesterday and I used to be able to do almost 900 in that time so I've got a bit to work up to.

Walk the dog twice per week.

Writing Goals

Finish writing Secret Santa Fic (9K)

Write another 6K of "Make It Hurt, My Pet"

Write another 6K of "Bad Professor"

If I finish all my other stuff I can make a start on my Dark Festivus fic

[drarryspecificrecs]

HP/DRARRY Fic Fests 2023

★ Sources : potterfests, @hpfests & @lee-bella || as of 2024.02

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JAN

Knot Another Writing Fest 2023 @hpknotfest : AO3

FEB

H/D Candy Hearts Fest 2023 @hdcandyheartsfest : AO3

HP Kinkuary 2023 @kinkuary : AO3

HP Shipuary 2023 @hpshipuary : AO3

HP Call Me Daddy Fest 2023 @call-me-daddy-fic-fest : AO3

Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange : AO3

MAR

HP Fruit Fest 2023 @hp-fruit-fest : AO3

Salt and Pepper Fest 2023 hp-goldenage@DW : AO3

Dronarry Fest 2023 @dronarryfest : AO3

APR

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2023 @dracotops-harry : AO3

HP Poetry Fest @hp-poetry-fest : AO3

HP Trans Fest 2023 @hptransfest : AO3

HP Triad!Fest 2022/23 Magical Creatures Edition @hptriadfest : AO3

MAY

Lights, Camera, Drarry Fest 2023 @lcdrarry : AO3

H/D Mpreg Fest 2023 @harrydracompreg : AO3

Basilisks & Staircases 2023 @gameofdrarry : AO3

JUN

HP Pride Fest 2023 @hppridefest2023 : AO3

HP Wedding Fest @hpweddingfest : AO3

JUL

H/D Wireless 2023 @hd-wireless : AO3

Drarry Disability Fest 2023 @drarrydisabilityfest : AO3

HP Cest Fest 2023 @hpcestfest : AO3

Harry James Potter Week 2023 @harryjamespotterweek : AO3

AUG

HP Bodice Ripper Fest 2023 @hp-bodiceripper : AO3

HP Law of Attraction Fest @hp-lawofattraction-fest : AO3

SEP

Drarry Let's Play 2023 @drarry-lets-play : AO3

Kill Your Darlings 2023 @hp-mcd-fest : AO3

HP Cottagecore Fest 2023 @hpcottagecorefest : AO3

HP Drizzle Fest 2023 @hpdrizzle : AO3

HP Soulmates Fest: Fated to Be @hp-soulmates : AO3

OCT

H/D Career Fair 2023 @hd-fan-fair : AO3

H/D Suds Lite 2023 @hdsudsfest​ : AO3

HP Dead Dove Fest 2023 @hpdeaddove : AO3

HP Kinktober 2023 @hpkinktober : AO3

HP Snooze Fest @hpsnooze : AO3

Pumpkin Spice Fic Fest 2023 @pumpkinspiceficfest : AO3

Unleashed! Fest 2023 @unleashed-fest : AO3

Discord Cultober Fics : AO3

NOV

Bite Me Delight Me Fest 2023 @bite-me-delight-me-hp-fest : AO3

Drarropoly '23: Here There Be Dragons @gameofdrarry : AO3

HP Socmed AU Fest : AO3

DEC

H/D Erised 2023 @hd-erised : AO3

H/D Owlpost Winter Fest 2023 @hdowlpost : AO3

25 Days of Draco and Harry 2023 @slythindor100 : AO3

Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 @drarrymicrofic : AO3

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 @harrypotterfesthub : AO3

HP Festival of Stars 2023 @hpfestofstars : AO3

HP Soulmates Secret Santa @hp-soulmates-secret-santa : AO3

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023 @hp-yuletide-bliss : AO3

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 @yuletide-and-mulled-wine : AO3

Fanatical Fam Fic Exchange 2023 : AO3

Frottage Cottage FFF : AO3

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