#I know it's usually Hermione that's in Ravenclaw in these different houses AUs...

[omgrachwrites]

Playing The Hero - Chapter Five

Pairing: Harry Potter x Ravenclaw!Reader

Summary: Soulmates have a way of seeing and feeling each other’s emotions by a gem that is set in the palm of their hand which glows with magic. The colour of the gem on the palm of your hand, erratically changes between different colours. Unbeknownst to you, every time the gem on your soulmates palm glows blue he feels very over protective and worried. That’s just what happens when your soulmate always plays the hero. Soulmate Au

Warnings: fluff, lil bit of angst

Words: 1992

A/N: This is just a filler chapter, the action will be in the next one, hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! I love you all! xxx

masterlist

Yellow - Happy, Secure, Excited

Red - Scared, Nervous, Unsure, Angry

Grey - Stressed, Worried

Blue - Sad, Hurt, Frustrated

Orange - Overprotective

Chapter Five

Tensions were running high as you made your way into The Great Hall, completely kitted out in your Quidditch uniform, you were elated to be Ravenclaw’s Captain this year. It was the second match of the season and Gryffindor had won their match against Slytherin so pretty much the whole of Ravenclaw house were looking to you today.

With a smirk on your face, you walked up to Harry, Ron and Hermione, Hermione was the only one who was facing you and she was looking at the two boys with annoyance plain in her eyes. Though, if you were being completely honest, annoyance towards Ron and Harry seemed to be Hermione’s default setting.

“Ready to lose today, boys?” you snickered as you slid onto the bench beside Hermione. Ron looked almost green as he looked down at his half eaten breakfast but he was always nervous before a match so it didn’t really surprise you.

What did surprise you though, was the tight smile that Harry shot you, not rising to your banter like he usually did. He’d been acting a little strangely lately, almost secretive, you wondered what was going on.

“Are you okay, Harry?” you raised an eyebrow as you reached out to grab a goblet of pumpkin juice, “you’ve been looking glum ever since Slughorn’s dinner party. Was it really that bad?” you giggled, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Before Harry could reply, Hermione spoke up in a hiss, “yes, Harry. Why don’t you tell Y/N what’s been going on?” you had never heard Hermione sound so annoyed before and you bit your lip as you glanced over at Harry.

Harry looked furious as he glared at his friend but his emerald eyes softened as he looked at you and met your eyes. He sighed and ran his fingers through his already messy hair, “you’re mates with Malfoy, aren’t you?”

You were so surprised by his question that you almost choked on your pumpkin juice, “I uh, know him pretty well but I wouldn’t exactly say that we’re friends. Why are you asking, Harry?” you asked, eyeing him warily.

Hermione shook her head as she went back to reading her newspaper once more and Ron chose that exact moment to drop his fork on the floor with a deafening clang and he disappeared beneath the table.

“Do you think that he’s been acting weird? It’s just with Voldemort coming back, it seems like it’d be a smart idea for me to keep an eye on my enemies,” he shrugged it off like it was nothing, like it was the most natural thing in the world. But to him, perhaps it was the most natural thing.

For a moment, you just sat there dumbfounded, but Harry was looking at you so intently that you thought you’d better come up with an answer for him, and quickly, “uh… no, I don’t think he’s been acting weird, not any more than usual though,” you let out a weak laugh but Harry didn’t seem too impressed.

Harry nodded with a disappointed look on his face, the disappointment made your heart hurt and the opposite of butterflies swarmed in your stomach. He took a drink from his goblet and glanced down at his watch, it was painfully obvious that the conversation was over. You couldn’t help but feel deflated and disappointed yourself. It got even worse when Hermione shot you an apologetic look full of sympathy.

With a shake of your head, you got up from your seat, intending on getting yourself some breakfast, “I’ll see you guys on the pitch, I guess.”

“Y/N, wait,” Harry sighed and you glanced back at him with hopeful eyes, practically holding your breath, “if you see anything odd, you will tell me, won’t you?”

The hopeful bubble that had begun to form in your chest abruptly burst and you could almost feel the pang from it. You scoffed, shaking your head, you just couldn’t believe him. The gem on the palm of his hand caught your attention and you saw that it had turned blue. You knew exactly what Harry’s soulmate was feeling, you were wondering what they were upset about.

“Good luck, Ron,” you smiled over at the freckled red haired boy, who had promptly emerged from beneath the table. He gave you a weak smile in return as you glanced at Hermione, “see you later, Hermione.”

Without so much as a backwards glance at Harry, you stormed down the length of The Great Hall and through the huge oaken doors, you were much too angry to eat breakfast now. The cool air felt good on your heated skin as you made your way through dew soaked grass. On your way to the Quidditch pitch, you bumped into Pansy Parkinson who was smoking a cigarette. From the look of her red eyes and the streaks of mascara on her cheeks, it was obvious that she’d been crying.

“Buzz off, Y/L/N,” she sighed, her bottom lip trembling but she fell into step with you all the same.

“Please, Pansy, I’m in no mood for this today,” you grumbled as you rubbed your temples, when the Slytherin didn’t say anything to retaliate you glanced over at her, “are you okay?”

You expected her to ignore you or tell you to go away again so you were very surprised when she actually answered you, “Draco Malfoy is a prick,” she sniffled.

You rolled your eyes as you tied your hair up, why was everyone so obsessed with Malfoy all of a sudden? It seemed to you that Pansy should be spending her time with someone who actually noticed her and was worthy of her time.

“Yeah, I already know he’s a prick,” you mumbled, “if I were you, Pansy, I’d tell him to fuck off.”

Pansy scoffed at your words, “shit, if only it was that easy.”

You had no idea why Pansy was so into Malfoy, sure he was handsome and all but his horrible attitude and his prejudice ruined his good looks.

The Quidditch match was a really close one, Ron was doing really well once he’d got started and it seemed as though he had plenty of adoring fans in the stands. Ginny Weasley was an exceptionally good player and it was difficult to save some of the goals that she sent your way. Harry was just as distracted as you, but unfortunately, he wasn’t distracted enough, because he ended up catching the snitch just as you’d seen it, securing the win for Gryffindor.

Your team – and you – were of course, disappointed with the outcome of the match, but you were glad that you didn’t go down without a fight. As you were walking back up to the castle, intent on getting some good food in your stomach, Ron caught up with you.

“That was a great game, Y/N!” he grinned, his cheeks flushed from the chilly wind.

You smiled, “it was a good game, you did really well, I don’t know why you don’t have more confidence in yourself, Ron, you’re a great Keeper.”

Ron’s cheeks nearly went as red as his hair and he mumbled something beneath his breath as his graze dropped to the frosty ground.

“I’m sorry about this morning, by the way. Harry was being a real prat.”

You rolled your eyes at the memory as you walked into the blazing warmth of the castle, “it’s fine, it’s hardly your fault. I just wonder when Malfoy and Harry will be making their love affair public.”

Ron snickered with a shake of his head, “oh, don’t worry, I’m sure that it’ll be any day now.”

As you walked into The Great Hall, you ran into Neville who was flushed and looking very nervous, “I’ve been looking for you, Y/N,” he bit his lip as he fiddled with the sleeves of his jumper.

“Are you alright, Neville?”

“I was just um wondering whether you could help me with Snape’s essay that’s due in a couple of days,” he stuttered and looked at you with wide eyes, almost as if he was scared of the answer.

You smiled, “oh Neville, of course! I’ll meet you after dinner in the library tomorrow?”

Neville nodded, looking so relieved, “thank you so much, Y/N,” he hugged you before wandering off to get some food.

It was deathly quiet in the library; the only noise was the incessant patter of the rain against the windows as Harry looked through the bookshelf with a sigh escaping his lips. This was a mess, he felt like a weirdo, watching Y/N help Neville from the corner of the library but he was too nervous to go up to her – especially when she was with one of their classmates – after the way he’d acted the previous day.

He heard a breathy laugh from behind him and he didn’t need to turn around to know that Hermione was making fun of him, “what?” he grumbled.

“I don’t understand why you won’t just go over there, and apologise to her,” her voice was distracted and when Harry turned to look at her, he discovered that she had her head in a huge dusty tome.

With a raised eyebrow, Harry scoffed, “yeah, there’s no way that I’m going over there while Neville is there.”

“So, you can go up against Voldemort, but you can’t go and talk to Y/N while Neville is there?” Hermione ignored Ron’s wince and sputtered protests as she peeked at Harry from around her book.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her but she’d already gone back to her book, The Chosen One sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair and pushed his glasses up his nose as he looked around the bookcases again. Neville was currently packing up his books so Harry deemed it safe to go over, he shelved his pride and got to his feet, ignoring the annoying smirk on Ron’s face as he finally emerged from behind the bookcase.

As Harry was walking towards Y/N, Neville was walking away and their paths crossed, “hi Harry.”

“Hello, Neville,” Harry smiled wanly at him as he approached Y/N who was scrawling on a piece of parchment. Harry cleared his throat, but she didn’t look up, “Y/N.”

With a small sigh and a raised eyebrow, she finally glanced up at him, “hi Harry, what’s up?” she asked as she went back to whatever she was writing on the piece of parchment.

Harry suddenly started to feel nervous and hot around the collar as he fiddled with the sleeves of his jumper, “look, I’m sorry about yesterday, okay? I was stressed over Quidditch, and I really thought that Malfoy was up to something but maybe I was wrong,” he mumbled, he knew he wasn’t wrong but maybe it would appease her if he told her he was.

The surprise was plain on her face as she glanced back up at him before she shook her head, quickly recovering in the process, “don’t worry about it, it’s not like I was really bothered anyway,” she shrugged.

Harry swallowed, trying to ignore the pang in his chest and he was so close to asking her if that was true but he didn’t dare. Instead, he only nodded, “well, I just wanted to say sorry anyway,” he mumbled, “I’ll see you later.”

He turned to walk away but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her speak up, “Harry wait,” she sighed and he glanced over his shoulder to look at her, “you guys played amazing in yesterday’s Quidditch match. If you really want to make it up to me then you can invite me to the party when you win the cup,” she laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, for sure. I’ll give you the password,” he grinned.

“Great, see you later Harry,” she smiled and went back to her parchment, when Harry finally left the library he felt so much lighter.

----------------

@annemagus @smiithys @elayneblack @amelie-black @pregnant-piggy @justadreamyhufflepuff @yoitsalexxxxx @potters-heart @voiddylanobrosey​ @wilddxchildd​ @padsfirewhisky​ @lozzybowe

[sonybees]

random harry potter characters headcanons because i am bored

includes: fred, george, harry, ron, hermione, ginny, luna, seamus, dean, neville, padma, parvati, cedric, angelina, alicia, katie, cho, draco, adrian, blaise, and pansy.

warnings: slight modern!au, swearing, food mention

these are all headcanons i made on the spot so i’m sorry if they suck. i’m just really bored. it is also all over the place. a lot of these are collabs between some characters. i hope you enjoy though!

(by the way, the little dashes are just dividers)

rest under the cut!

fred would dance around his room at 3 am to literally any song.

jazz, classical, rock, metal, pop he does not give a fuck.

he woke up george once by jumping on his bed and playing all star on his electric guitar.

probably a song writer

uses “life is short” as an excuse to act on his bad decisions

dancing in the rain is one of his favorite things to do

sleeps at 3 am or pm, you decide.

hopeless romantic

good old fashioned lover boy by queen is his song

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

-

george loves birds and bugs. completely unrelated to the last one but it’s true.

saw an injured bird outside his room when he was 5.

he cried and immediately took it in.

also cries when someone kills a bug.

thinks the bug’s family would be angry and disappointed in him.

enjoys painting random objects in his room

loves being called pet names

something like dear, honey, or hubby would make his heart burst

loves using them for his significant other as well

hopeless romantic part 2

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

harry is a night owl and he likes reading comic books.

he likes listening to rock music. i said what i said.

prefers being alone

likes quiet places and probably has a hideout

usually doesn’t understand poetry until he reads it like 20 times

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

ron adores ducks.

tears up when he sees them and always used to beg molly to keep them.

still tears up to this day.

not a big fan of seagulls though

he’s scared of them

but eagles are cool

likes country and rock music

also takes an interest in photography

the breakfast club is his favorite movie

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

-

hermione loves listening to taylor swift.

reads to her songs always.

ravenclaws save her a special seat in their common room because a lot of them grew quite fond of her

a taste tester for hufflepuffs who go to katie’s lessons you’ll understand this later

she actually enjoys dressing up as well even if there wasn’t an event

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

ginny accompanies dean while he draws.

she just likes looking at other people do what they love so it’s not only dean.

she sometimes zones out looking at hermione read a book, always taking note of the facial expressions and guessing what she just read,

catching harry push his glasses up or cleaning them,

also is with luna every time she paints.

luna has a few artworks with ginny as her muse.

gin likes the simple things in life.

loves board games

sometimes a little too competitive

struts down the hallways with her significant other

she’d never admit it but she loves 10 things i hate about you

has a soft spot for slytherins

-

luna almost always goes with neville to the gardens.

she helps him with whatever he needs and sometimes draws a few stuff.

she’s a photographer too so she loves waking up early in the morning and taking photos.

amazing at braiding hair

and making flower crowns

likes reading royal fantasy books

watches 10 things i hate about you with ginny

has a soft spot for slytherins

-

seamus also hangs out with luna sometimes,

talking to each other about whatever.

he thinks she’s interesting and would make great conversations.

she does.

he also took some painting lessons from her

meditates

loves pumpkin juice

likes the movie my girl

has cried more than he will ever admit

has a soft spot for slytherins

-

dean has a wall in the boys dorm room where he puts up all his drawings.

the guys love it and always just stares at all of them in awe.

they’re all so amazing

is usually the first to notice when someone is sick

takes care of them immediately

loves sweaters

knows how to speak in latin

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

-

neville goes to hagrid way more often than anyone thought.

he learned how to take care of the creatures, make some awesome tea,

he also sometimes helps hagrid clean his own house.

helps others in herbology

likes green tea

loves overalls

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

padma holds a record of the fastest writer at hogwarts

yeah, she’s amazing at it

ended up publishing her own fantasy book starting at hogwarts

sold out faster than expected

she is also a singer

amazing singer

movie marathons are her thing

prefers crime shows/movies

soft spot for gryffindors

-

parvati is very very very protective over her sister

does archery and is amazing at it

a very chill person until you mess with her loved ones

loves sixteen candles

adores puppies

watches big bang theory

soft spot for slytherins

-

cedric plays the piano.

the ravenclaw common room is where the only piano is at hogwarts so he goes there quite often.

everyone loves hearing him play.

other students gather around with their instruments and sing along as well.

wears glasses for reading

netflix type of guy

probably a theatre kid

has a soft spot for gryffindors

-

angelina also took piano lessons from cedric.

she just asked him one day where he learned it and he said his father taught him and he could tell that she wanted to learn.

so, he offered to teach her.

she was a natural at it and the lessons are always fun, even for the ravenclaws

angelina is also a tutor at hogwarts.

it all started with george and fred and she realized that she actually quite enjoyed it.

all her students love her

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

alicia is always the group leader in every group work she’s ever done.

she’s also usually the main organizer for any event at hogwarts.

she’s usually there with the help of angelina and katie.

they all work very well together

has a soft spot for slytherins

-

katie has a passion for cooking.

she’s friends with a lot of hufflepuffs and she meets a lot of them by the kitchens.

in there, they watch her cook amazing dishes and baked goods.

she was able to teach a few others how to as well.

the house elves love her.

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

-

cho has an interest in fashion designing.

mcgonagall found her making a dress once in an empty hallway with some cool music playing.

minnie was amazed.

she was also able to start a fashion club at hogwarts.

luna, katie, dean and a few other were apart of this club as well.

likes pudding as much as luna does

has a soft spot for gryffindors

-

draco plays the violin.

pretty unexpected to his friends because he never really told anyone til goyle walked in on him playing in his dorm room.

he is actually very good at it.

combs his hair too often

the type to take too long at the water fountain

finishes his water bottle after like less than two hours of getting it

acts ‘ominous’ to the point where it’s funny

soft spot? for ravenclaws

-

adrian teaches young students how to play quidditch

his favorite color’s green for nature

actually loves reading and writing poetry

“most respectful”

has a soft spot for gryffindors

-

blaise seems very intimidating but is actually very sweet

shouts at quidditch games (much to everyones surprise)

loves the rain

likes dark academia movies

it’s basically his whole aesthetic

holds a record for most botts beans that fit in the mouth (without puking)

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

-

pansy has a whole drawer of jewelry as she should honestly

actually soft for cats but it’s not like she’ll ever tell anyone

loves playing with other’s hair

massages her friend’s backs

they do the same for her

a goddess at card games

is actually a gymnast

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

-

bonuses: george and fred’s favorite movie to watch together is bill and ted’s excellent adventure

all the gryffindors have a movie night at least once a week and others from different houses join along as well

hermione, ginny, luna, parvati, padma, angelina, alicia, katie, and cho have girl nights

the same with the guys though it was quite awkward at first due to draco being there but they eventually warmed up to each other (after like 4 months)

no one really knows how draco and the slytherins even got there but yk

they never tell anyone that they’re comfortable with each other now though

tags: @quadrupledeckertaco @audreysmusings @georgeweasley19 @krasivayadarling @crookedhag

and others who i think would enjoy this: @lunalovecroft @whizboyhalo @darthwheezely @sirlorelai @puntuations @cherryweasleys @amourtentiaa @whatthefuckimbisexual @gredmforge (you don’t have to read if you don’t like!)

[cafeacademia]

Love Between The Pages | Chapter 2

Blaise Zabini x Reader

Part summary: Blaise spends his second meeting with the book club and begins to get to know you more while he decides that perhaps book club isn't so bad after all

Warnings: None, just fluff, one use of the word "mudblood", but not in a malicious way, some light teasing/banter, this is turning into an "everyone is friends AU".

Word count: Approx 2100

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A/N: Hi loves! I hope you enjoy this part, I had fun writing this, to be honest this series has been really lovely to write in general! I'm really looking forward to writing the next part, I have some fun things planned for the next chapter!! Enjoy! 💕💕

“She’s a mudblood Ravenclaw.” Draco hissed at his friend. “Muggleborn.” Blaise pressed, though he did not glance up from his book as Draco tried to emphasise how much he didn’t like that fact about you. “It doesn’t matter. Why do you care for her attention anyway?” Draco asked. “Perhaps it’s because she’s quiet.” He ground out, Draco looking at him rather shocked as Blaise tried desperately to finish the last chapter of the book he had borrowed the previous week during his first book club meeting. Of course, it had been for punishment that he had to attend and not even for a fault of his own, but Blaise had to admit to at least himself that he was rather enjoying himself.

Books were his quiet escape. He found things he did not in his day to day life. He found functional families with fathers and a stable mother, of which he did not have himself. He found romance blossoming in the most poetic of ways. Oh to experience the nuances of love. And perhaps most importantly, books were his escape. Blaise was a stoic, quiet person and he was a loner at the best of times. As much as he enjoyed his friendship with Draco, because whether others believed it or not, the pale blonde was not as bad as he appeared to be on the outside, Draco did have a gift of pulling everyone else into his messes. Blaise just wanted to be left alone so he could fully indulge himself in the worlds of the books he read and the little stories he wished he could be a part of too.

“If you’ll excuse me, I want to read the end of this book before the club meeting starts.” Blaise said, Draco still staring incredulously at him. “Suit yourself, I don’t care, I’ve not even read much of my book.” Draco replied matter of factly. “For someone who doesn’t care,” Blaise paused, looking up from his book to give Draco a pointed look. “You’re awfully early to the meeting.” Draco glared at him, his fist tightening as he stood up as tall as he could in front of his friend. “Shut up, Zabini.” He said it, perhaps meaning it in a more angry tone than it came out, but despite his best efforts, it came out as a weak little whine, Blaise looking up to smirk at him and getting a snort of amusement and a lopsided smile back from Draco. “So dramatic.” Blaise rolled his eyes.

“I don’t see the problem.” Cho said as you walked along the corridor towards the library for your book club meeting. “The problem is that he’s a Slytherin.” Hermione huffed. “Oh stop it, you only don’t like Slytherins because of Draco.” You rolled your eyes. “Well, Draco-.” “Is Draco, not the entire house.” You said, Cho giving an approving look around you at Hermione. “It’s just because that Zabini boy asked you to read with him.” She huffed. “Mm, and you’ll continue to read with Draco just like last time, will you?” You teased, Cho unable to stop herself from giggling, because whilst the pair had squabbled the entire time last week, they had actually managed to read in each other’s company too. “That was different. He wouldn’t leave me in peace.” Hermione scoffed, but all three of you knew she could have very well gotten up and moved somewhere else in the library. Hermione had a habit of making sure others knew they were disturbing her, whether she meant to be a little bit brash about it or not.

With one last knowing look between you and Cho, the three of you entered the library together.

Ginny had arrived only moments beforehand and was pulling her robes off to sit more comfortably, while Neville was likely running a bit late, which was usual on a Thursday afternoon after Herbology. It was so often that he would spend a little bit of extra time in the greenhouses, forgetting the time completely, he’d even missed a couple of meetings because of it, not that anyone minded of course.

“Ah there you are. A bit late are we?” Draco announced as he walked out into the main part of the library. “We are perfectly on time.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Where’s Theo?” Ginny asked, receiving only a shrug from Draco before he went off to squabble with Hermione.

Walking up to an empty chair, you pulled your school bag off your shoulder and placed it in the seat before you wandered off to find your book for this week. It was a few minutes later as you began to explore the shelves that you peeked around the end of the bookcase to clock Theo and Neville walking into the library together and you wondered if they had been in Herbology together.

It was then that your fingers grazed over the back of an old copy of Sense And Sensibility, your eyes catching the subtle glint of the gold gilding of the title pressed into the spine. It was a hardback, bound in a deep blue cloth with gold and white detailing. Stepping up on your toes to get a better grip on the book, you reached up for it, but someone took it before you could. Deep toned fingers gripped the copy of Sense and Sensibility, carefully lifting it off the shelf for you. “What are we reading?” Blaise asked softly. Turning a little to see him, you saw him looking down at you with a hint of a smirk on his lips. He wasn’t standing too close to you, but he was close enough that you had to really look up at him.

“Sense and Sensibility.” He read out loud. “Romance?” He asked, garnering a silent nod from you in response. “I thought so.” Blaise smirked. “Romance is often in your hands.” He said, his conversation making you feel flustered already and you wondered if you were good enough at hiding the effect he had on you or if he saw what his confident, mostly stoic demeanor did to you.

While Blaise was usually the quiet one, he knew you were more shy than he was, so he hoped that by speaking to you in small bursts wouldn’t be so intimidating, especially as just a week beforehand, you had looked at him, Draco and Theo with fear in your eyes when those fireworks had hit your table. He’d never forgive himself for not stopping Draco.

“Any suggestions for fiction?” Blaise asked. “Yes, actually.” You replied softly, your cheeks instantly warmed by the courage it had taken to respond and the surprise that the words had left your lips. Taking a few steps down the aisle, you crouched down to a little nook near the bottom where a purple and floral patterned copy of Pride and Prejudice perched. You carefully pulled the book free from the shelf before standing up straight, Blaise holding out the book he had been holding onto for you while you held out the one you had picked for him. “It’s a good read.” You told him as you took the Jane Austen novel from his gentle grip as he took the book that you held out from him. “I’ll just have to trust you then.” Blaise smiled softly at you.

Sitting down at a table, you smiled when you saw Blaise settling down beside you, his gaze landing on yours for a moment before he opened his book and began to read. Glancing over at your friends, Ginny and Cho were both giving you knowing smiles as they looked up from their quiet chatter together, Hermione happily sitting beside Neville with Theo on the other side of him as they discussed the books they had read last week. While Draco seemed to try his best not to look like he was interested in anything, he was paying an awful lot of attention to their conversation.

You became more relaxed next to Blaise as you read, losing yourself in the pages of the book you had chosen, enjoying the setup of the story and the feel of the book in your hands. There was nothing quite like calm, quiet company while you read a good old hardback book with pages that smelled like an old library, the smells of candles wax sconces and the distinctive wood polish the tables were buffed with each week.

It wasn’t long before a good half an hour had passed, though it only felt like mere minutes had passed by when you looked up from your book. Blaise considered it for a moment as he looked up from his book, his fingers poised at the corner of the page, ready to turn it over. Glancing to his side to see you, he wondered for a moment, hesitating to speak up. Feeling his gaze, it warmed you as you turned to look up at him, meeting his soft eyes, his lips curving up into a barely there smile, but one that you could tell was genuine. You couldn’t hold back the bright smile that the soft look Blaise had given you had elicited.

“What is it?” You asked softly, his smile widening as he fondly shook his head. “Sorry, I was just wondering,” Blaise paused as he considered the thought on his mind. “Why is it that your club never seems to read somewhere else?” He asked. “It’s always the library, why not a quiet spot by a tree or…” He trailed off. Why had you never thought of that? Going to sit out in the grounds on a warm spring afternoon to enjoy the fresh air and the nature as you all indulged yourself in books and discussion about various authors and their writings. “Do you have a quiet spot by a tree?” You asked, barely above a whisper, Blaise giving you a little smirk. “I think I do, actually.” He nodded. “Then, why don’t we all read there next week?” You asked, the warmth in Blaise’s smile becoming softer and brighter and you almost melted at the way he looked at you, gentle and sweet and captivated on every word you had to say. It made you feel shy in the best way, your stomach floating with butterflies and head light with an almost whimsical warmth, giddy and flustered. “I would love that.” Blaise said, leaning back in his chair before looking back down at his book and turning the page.

Blaise already held a fondness for you, he had for a while, but now he was starting to realise that it wasn’t just a little school crush, his feelings were telling him there was something much more to that attraction than just something as simple as a crush.

By the time the clock tower bell rang again to signal the turn of the hour, even the boys that had been the least liking of the book club just a week ago seemed to be disappointed it was over. Theo had been sitting with Neville nearly the entire time, somehow the two of them getting into a conversation about The Secret Garden, which Neville had suggested he read. All while Draco had gotten himself so stuck into a book that he looked disappointed when the low toll of the bell sounded to tell the hour.

“Enjoy yourself?” Blaise asked as he approached Draco. “Of course not.” He scoffed in response, but there was no heat behind his words. Blaise knew just from the tone he had used that Draco had in fact enjoyed the hour, even if he wouldn’t openly admit it. “Neville’s lent me his copy of The Secret Garden.” “You mean Longbottom?” Draco asked, though he couldn’t help but give the faintest of smiles when he looked up to see the pure joy the book in Theo’s hands had brought to his face. Perhaps this book club business wasn’t so bad after all.

“What’s going on with you and the mud- muggleborn?” Draco asked, correcting himself mid sentence as he, Theo and Blaise began to pack their things away while you chatted with Cho. “We just read together, she’s sweet.” Blaise smiled to himself as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and rested his hands in his trouser pockets. “You like her.” Theo grinned, Blaise chuckling softly before he took a few steps away from his friends. “I’ll see you at dinner.” He told them over his shoulder as he made his way over to you.

“Can I walk you to your common room?” Blaise asked as you picked up your books and tucked them under your arm, his words making you feel warm and like you wanted to hide away out of the shy, excited feeling you got when he spoke to you. “I’d like that.” You replied quietly, the Slytherin smiling as he took to your side with his hands tucked comfortably in his pockets, looking down at you as you walked towards the exit together.

Perhaps Draco getting him into trouble wasn’t so bad in the end and hopefully next week, Blaise could enjoy the warmth and comfort of spring outdoors with you and your friends.

Blaise Taglist (OPEN):

@paintballkid711 @megantje123 @chaotic-fae-queen @slytherinwh0re @frecklesandfirecrackers @starofthedawn @mingyuahjumma @dracosaccount @90smalfoy @fuckingdraco @loving-life-my-way @cpetrova @miraclesoflove @struggling-bee @weasleywhore @little-me204 @dreaming-about-fanfictions @ur-local-reality-shifter @wh0re4blaise @cherie-draco @lazypeachsoul @sistheselenophile @sw33tgirl

[lucky-katebishop]

I spent a month reading harry potter fanfics and here’s what I learned

So for the past three and a half weeks, I’ve been doing basically nothing but reading Harry Potter fanfics and now I kind of just want to talk about them. No one cares but future me will! I tend to get caught in obsessions fairly easily (for instance, two months ago was comic books and last month was video editing and then k dramas). I’m feeling like my Harry Potter obsession is fading which makes me really sad cause it was a fun ride. I went from Drarry to Hinny, time travel to alternate realities, obscuris Harry to Dark!Harry, MCU AUs to Doctor Who AUs. I must’ve read more than 50 fics.

I’ve learned that I hate Dumbledore

Snape makes for a great mentor but I will only like him with proper character development

also where did Snape being Draco’s godfather come from? I don’t think this was in the books? I’m not angry, just confused

I read a fic that was so sad that I was physically unable to finish reading it -- actually I read two of those, one of them was a DID fic and the other Voldemort adopted Harry

the Voldemort one is quite possibly the most tragic thing I have ever read and even though it’s been two weeks I still haven’t been able to recover -- I was only halfway finished too GOOD LORD

another fic I read that was so fucking depressing was a time loop situation where Harry literally couldn’t get out of and it ended tragically

obscuris Harry is interesting but I really only like the ones where Newt is actually involved but I couldn’t find any finished ones

I don’t like it when Harry’s appearance changes, it throws me for a loop

there was this one where Harry got sent back in time and his figure got disfigured and so he didn’t even appear like himself anymore

I just find it odd for Harry Potter not to look like Harry Potter, idk

I also have a headcanon that his hair is very curly rather than shaggy

I haven’t been able to find a fic where Harry goes back in time to the Marauders era and has the right amount of angst but the right amount of fluff

I’ve read some good ones where the Marauders travel to Harry’s time but like,,, it isn’t quite what I’m looking for? I’m gonna have to write it, aren’t I? 

this doesn’t happen with irondad fics, literally everything you’ve ever wanted you can find it there

I read one where Harry did go back in time but she (fem!Harry) didn’t really interact with her parents or the Marauders that much, she became friends with Regulus instead

Regulus should’ve been in Gryffindor

I’ve not only read fics where Draco has been a Ravenclaw, Slytherin, but also a Gryffindor. I haven’t found one where he’s in Hufflepuff

I’ve read fics where Harry’s in every single house - the Ravenclaw one might be my favorite so far, it had to do with him going to a different timeline where there’s another Harry and he’s a major dick

Hufflepuff Harry one was funny, but it got distressing cause Dumbledore didn’t trust him and tried to get him expelled

actually the Hufflepuff one made my heart hurt cause Harry was put in the body of a Harry who isn’t the boy who lived and barely spoke and was basically like an even more traumatized Neville

Slytherin Harry is everything to me and he should’ve been in Slytherin

Ravenclaw Draco is something that can be so personal

I’m tired of reading Year One fics, I get it, there’s a stone, let’s move on

Year Four fics are my favorite however, there was one (which is my favorite) where Harry’s a necromancer and in the graveyard scene he calls corpses from the graves alive to help him get out of there it was so cool

I am partial to Harry/Draco but Harry/Luna is cute

there was a Pokemon Harry/Luna one that’s adorable and I’ve read it twice already

I like when there’s a ton of lore involved

especially Hogwarts lessons - like ancient runes can fucking get it, I love runes fics

there was an MCU AU one where I read Harry didn’t have his magic anymore, not as potent as it was, but he did have ancient runes

LISTEN I tried to get into Dark!Harry but after that Voldemort adoption one I can’t do it anymore, I will start crying literally right now -- he just wants to be fucking useful! He just wants to be loved! Is that too much to fucking ask for? 

however Harry doing dark!magic but isn’t actually on the dark side is cool

Death Eater Spy Draco! It makes me distressed but also I am so here for it!

Jenkins if you’re out there I love you (if you get this reference I love you)

I read a ton of Avengers adopt Harry when he’s younger but I don’t care for younger Harry fics, I prefer when he’s a teenager and I don’t have to read the first few years at Hogwarts, it can get repetitive

Give me all the angst with Harry being a horcrux please, I’m living for the drama

Lily is not a fan favorite weirdly enough, when the Marauders are in fics she’s usually not there which is unfortunate because I just really want a good Harry/Lily bonding moment

one of the saddest fics I read was where harry, luna, hermione and neville find themselves in an alternate dimension where Lily and Remus are married and alive, James is a dick but has other kids, and every single person that had died in their world is alive

I don’t like it when there’s Ron bashing, he’s one of my favorites, but if I have to, I’ll read some of them

there was this Sherlock fic (listen, I went in fucking deep, it’s been a weird month) where fem!Harry is on the run from the Ministry because I don’t actually understand and Ron and everyone is out for blood for her

Eleventh Doctor/Harry is a pairing I was not aware of but I actually kind of love?

Master of Death Harry is fucking OP and I love him for that

mcu aus is something I never knew I needed

Holly Potter and the Midlife Crisis is fucking everything

So is On Punching Gods and Absentee Dads, I realized it was the same author when I read in the author notes that the author was going to some volcano convention thing and I was like this is way too niche for it to be a coincidence

I’ve read Tony is Harry’s dad, Loki is Harry’s dad, Harry is just weird friends with Thor, ones where Natasha is Harry’s aunt

listen everyone is related to this boy

I will not read a fic if it doesn’t involve Harry, he’s my boy, he’s my love, I care only about him and him only I’m so sorry

you know that meme where people say nobody’s favorite character is harry potter, the titular character? Well meet me! He’s my favorite!

in battle of hogwarts fics, Remus almost always dies. Why is that? Why do you guys hate him so much? It’s always half and half for Fred, I never know if he’s going to live or not

In all of the good fics I’ve read I saw in the collections area of ao3 the same collection and I was like! You get me! 

if it says Gammily’s Bookshelf on the fic, it’s gonna be a really fucking great fic let me just tell you that right now

Parseltongue gets me so riled up, I fucking love Parseltongue, it’s so cool

there’s a reason I usually filter out non/c*n but I decided to let it flow and I ran into a few that fucking d e s t r o y e d me why do you guys read shit like this, it broke my heart

that being said I read one that was really nuanced and actually really good but it’ll never be finished and I’m very mad about that

Either we have a better understanding of how goblins could be utilized  than JKR or we’re just ignorant of how powerful they can be

weird coincidence that I’ve read two completely different fics where Harry thought having a threesome meant kissing three different people

Dumbledore’s a bitch and I hate him, every fic I’ve read so far agrees with me

there is a person out there that is CARRYING the bucky barnes/harry potter pairing on their back and I hope whoever that is knows how much I appreciate them

remind me never to click on a fic that hasn’t been updated since 2015 ever again, C’est La Vie I will miss you so

this is just a fucking quarter of the harry potter fics I’ve read but thanks for reading if you did, let me know if you want to know some of the titles

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Soooooooo... because I’ve completely lost my mind: “Light and L in Hogwarts during the year that Harry Potter was” AU ideas (and I know a lot of people have already written them into Hogwarts, so I’m probably just unknowingly copying people’s ideas. But shh).

Light is a Gryffindor and L is a Slytherin (same year). Really, Light should also be a Slytherin, of course. But this helps them to be rivals better. He probably asked the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor--ala Harry--and the Sorting Hat took his choice into consideration.

And they are rivals. Because like in canon, they’re very much the same and Foils to each other. They both definitely become prefects and Head Boy of their year (sorry, Ron. I guess I’m stealing prefect from you for this AU. I’m so sorry, baby!). And everyone is constantly comparing the two, so they hate each other at first. They’re also both on their respective Quidditch teams, because of course they’d be. I’m imagining they’re Beaters, because “he who attacks first, wins”, and since Harry’s still got to be Gryffindor Seeker.

And getting the obvious out of the way: L loves Honeydukes, of course.

But I imagine the reason these two start to become friends is this: Light realizes there’s something wrong with Snape jumps down Harry’s throat on his first day. Like, he reads fear and humiliation on Harry’s face or something--or knows that even the most basic wizard should have known the answers Snape was asking about--he questions him about it... To which Harry admits that he didn’t even know he was a wizard--or about the wizarding world--until a few days ago. Though I doubt Harry would be this open about it to a stranger, but shh. And this ticks Light off--to know that Harry’s aunt and uncle treated him so dirty, and that Professor Snape just made this poor, defenseless kid look like an idiot--and he plans to go to Snape about it. But anyway, L had secretly been listening this whole time--but hiding like a cat--and he makes his appearance known now. He’d come to the same conclusions and also wants to help Harry out, because he’s “justice” too, after all. And it’s here that Light and L develop a grudging respect for each other. And they probably do go to Snape. But Snape being Snape doesn’t listen to them, and he takes points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin for their “insolence”... At which point, they might decide to make Snape’s life a living Hell, and thus a friendship begins.

The two of them totally become aurors when they graduate, and enjoy seeing Harry and Ron at work.

Light and L may think that Ron isn’t the smartest wizard in the world--and somewhat un-deserving to hang out with Harry and Hermione--at first, but their opinion of him changes pretty quickly. And even when they did think this of him, they didn’t dislike Ron. They liked the dude pretty well, since Ron’s pretty sociable, but just didn’t think he would ever be a rival to them. Let’s put it that way. But when they learn about all that Ron does in his, Harry, and Hermione’s adventures, they give him mass respect.

Light and L are the biggest supporters of Neville Longbottom that you’ll ever see, as they both saw his potential and realized pretty soon that it was abuse keeping him from unlocking his full potential. 

Light and L are “fans” of Harry at first--though not starstruck--and then just flat-out respect the Boy Who Lived once he just becomes one of their peers. Granted, they don’t think baby Harry really did anything to earn all his fame... but you’ve still got to give it to the infant that somehow tripped up Lord Voldermort and stopped his reign of terror.

Light and Hermione... get on pretty well. I’d maybe go as far as to say they’re acquaintances. And, naturally, everyone thinks they should date: since they’re the two smartest Gryffindors and prefects. But this would never happen. They probably even laugh at the idea together. Hermione has just never had any interest in Light, for whatever reason (maybe because she had a crush on Ron pretty early on). And Light is most definitely gay.

I forgot to mention that L in this is probably a clue to the Golden Trio earlier on that Slytherins aren’t all bad.

Speaking of: L and Draco are friends (but only because Draco’s pretty much the best person he can find in Slytherin house). And this maaaaaaaaaybe convinces Draco to switch sides earlier than in canon.

As he would, Light definitely loves to use avada kedavra against evil people... Though no one really has a problem with this, because most people use that spell during a war (in fact, even our heroes in Harry Potter often don’t understand why he won’t use the killing curse). L maaaaaaaaaaybe tells Light that he thinks this is a bad thing. But it isn’t something they’re going to turn into enemies before. And L’s certainly used the spell himself in dire situations. But similarly to Death Note canon, Light thinks that all criminals should be avada kedavrad. L questions that one time, though, in asking Light, “You want them to suffer for what they’ve done, yes? So wouldn’t it be worse for them to live out their years in Azkaban? Or have their souls sucked out by the Dementors?”

But back to Light and L still being rivals... There’s one time where they’re both in the halls after curfew--probably because Light and L sometimes get roped into the Golden Trio’s adventures, or their own adventures, because they’re too smart not to be--and L leans over to Light and says, “Know that I love you,” before kissing him on the lips... He then gets on his broom, or something, and quickly flies away so he won’t get caught, but Light is and Gryffindor loses points. So the game is on.

I feel like Light and L would probably hate and dislike Dumbledore, after they realize some of the shady stuff he does. L might somewhat respect his cleverness, but ehh.

Also, Light and L are brilliant... So they never once doubt that Voldermort is back when Harry says he is. And they do, in fact, join Dumbledore’s Army and help Harry teach... Even though they probably hate the name. They also help bring it back with Neville, Luna, and Ginny, when the Golden Trio are away in year seven.

They fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, of course. And in the battle in Hogwarts at the end of book six.

L is probably the first Gryffindor to stand up to his house, like “Uhh, no. We’re not going to sacrifice Harry to Voldermort to save ourselves.” And speaking of... there’s a chance that a good portion of L’s house hates him for clearly siding with Harry over Voldermort when the war begins.

I had some ideas about Misa, but I’m sort of forgetting them now. She’s definitely a Hufflepuff... But I want to do something different with her, than most people usually do. Yes, Light is kind of annoyed by her because he thinks she thinks they’re dating or is trying to force it? (She probably does something to help him? And then Light thinks she’s insinuating he owes her. IDK?) But what if in reality, she’s ace or something and just wants a friend? And Light is just assuming the worst--and for once, being dumb--by just not talking to her? But eventually he does, and then they’re sort of cool with each other. And she then sometimes helps Light and L, because this is the happy Death Note AU (in Hogwarts), everybody.

...I feel like I had so many ideas, but now I think I’ve forgotten them all. Oops. I’ll add to this if I remember them, I guess. 

Also... there’s a good chance that Light and L figure out the Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew thing before anyone else--near instantly, when they learn about it--but I also don’t know if I want to commit to that? Because I don’t want to steal the Golden Trio’s thunder too much here? But at the same time, if I’m not going to have the Death Note characters slightly change things, what’s even the point?

Edit: The two geniuses probably do create some new spell or potion or something together. 

Edit 2: Harry and L totes bond over being orphans.

Edit 3: All the students in Hogwarts know that Light and L are gay for each other. And are constantly like, “Where’s your boyfriend at?” to their annoyance, probably because even in this universe Light and L are in denial about their feelings for each other for the longest time for some reason.

Edit 4: Light and L have the same patrous (to their annoyance. And at first, it’s not because they love each other--though maybe later it partly is--but because they’re that much alike). And it’s probably a cheetah or something.

Edit 5: Back to the whole Light and Misa thing, L actually realizes she doesn’t want to be Light’s girlfriend and is cool with her before even Light is. Since, oddly enough, it seems that Slytherin and Hufflepuff are close, and Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Later, when Light asks how he figured it out first, L sites his deductive reasoning schools and this as the reason.

Edit 6: I just thought of how this gets dark, and how Light and L maybe turn against each other... Light being tempted to create horcruxes by using the kills he makes in self-defense. L tells him not to do it: to not be like Voldermort. And Light perhaps listens to that... or doesn’t, in being so arrogant that he thinks he won’t become a dark wizard if he’s tasted immortality. On one hand, I feel like Light wouldn’t want to rip his soul apart. But if he thought it was for the greater good--so he could continue fighting crime as an auror--then he might do it...

Edit 7: Light and L do probably resent their professors some, in thinking that they’re more capable than they are.

Edit 8: Light and Hermione might actually go on one “date” together. To “The Slub Club”, because they want to make Ron and L jealous.

[sxrensxngwrites]

“false direction” pt. 2 — cedric diggory x reader

not my gif

summary: cedric and cho are the newest couple in school and everyone seems to agree that they were made for each other. everyone except harry and y/n, who are each pining after cho and cedric respectfully.

tags/warnings: fake dating au, reader is any house but Gryffindor, platonic!harry x reader, reader and harry are both a mess, i low key hate this my bad

word count: 1.4k

part one || part two || part three

masterlist

crossposted on wattpad and ao3

Keeping up appearances as Harry's girlfriend was harder than [Y/N] had originally thought.

It was odd having a boy a year younger than her, one that she had always seen as a brother, guiding her around like a well-intentioned puppy. Not only was it odd, it was awkward.  Harry tried his best to act like the whole debacle was normal, but it was easy to tell that he was put off by pretending to be someone's boyfriend.

He now walked her to class and carried her books. He even held her hand when he felt like someone was watching them. She had begun to hang out with him and his friends on trips to Hogsmeade, and not to mention supporting him at every Quidditch match. It would've been a wonder if Cedric and Cho hadn't seen the two at that point.

The Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had been all anyone had been talking about all week. Whoever won was going on to play against Slytherin in the finals, and the crowds were eager to see the results.

The same excited chatter filled the stadium as it always did, and the seats were nearly filled to bursting. Blue and silver colored scarfs and sweaters decorated one side of the stadium and red and gold the other. The atmosphere of any Quidditch match at Hogwarts was usually above and beyond, and this one wasn't any different.

[Y/N] had taken her seat amongst the heart of the Gryffindor stands, perfectly posed for her facade of supporting Harry. It wasn't like she wouldn't support her friend if they weren't pretending to be a couple, but she might've been sat away from the action if she wasn't.

To complete the illusion, the girl was wearing a Gryffindor sweater. She had borrowed it from Hermione, although the rumors that were circulating said it was Harry's. She smiled in satisfaction, knowing that if who her sweater belonged to was amongst the gossip this week, then perhaps word of her and Harry's "relationship" had reached Cedric and Cho.

Hermione and Ron sat on her right engaged in conversation, but she herself was studying the faces in the stands and keeping her eyes peeking for the one and only Cedric Diggory. They had sat together once or twice before, whenever Cedric wasn't playing. She remembered the times fondly, even if not many words were spoken. She crossed her heart that Cedric would repeat the past and sit with her, although she knew it was a foolish notion. He would probably sit with the Ravenclaw section to support Cho, like she was supporting Harry.

"Whatcha lookin' for?"

She practically jumped out of her own skin when she heard Cedric's voice. He definitely wasn't supposed to be in the Gryffindor cheering section!

"Uh—just watching everyone warm up." [Y/N] covered, her face flushed.

Cedric nodded and turned to look down at the pitch. Luckily, both teams were actually running drills on the pitch before the match began. Cho was currently weaving up and down the field, preparing to catch the snitch. Harry was also on the field, although currently in a huddle with the Weasley twins and Oliver Wood.

[Y/N] looked up from the Gryffindor team and back at Cedric.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brings you up here?" She asked, her palms slightly sweaty.

Cedric chuckled. "I came to sit with Mikey and Curtis like I usually do, but it seems like they decided to clear out." He shifted his glance from the field and onto the girl in the Gryffindor sweater.

"I could ask you the same." He joked, giving the girl a nod. "Last I checked you weren't a Gryffindor."

[Y/N] laughed at that one. She gave the handsome boy a shrug.

"Well I—"

"Wait, lemme guess." Cedric turned his entire body away from the pitch and towards the girl. His brow furrowed and he rubbed his chin as he pretended to theorize. "You and Potter."

She gave him a nod, and watched as he shook his head.

"I'm gonna be honest," He laughed as he leaned over the railing of the stands. "I didn't wanna believe it when I heard it."

What was that supposed to mean? [Y/N] looked at him once more, her own brow furrowed.

"How come?"

"Well, I consider both you and Harry my friends. It just caught me by surprise when I heard about you two being a couple. I didn't know you two really knew each other."

The same could've been said for him and Cho.

"Yeah, we'd talked before. He asked me out to Hogsmeade about two weeks ago." The lie came out of her mouth like clockwork. She'd been telling the story that she and Harry had made up for the past week and a half, but she couldn't help but feel slightly upset telling Cedric. She'd been waiting all this time to plant the seed of her master plan, but it didn't feel right.

"Enough about me." [Y/N] quickly said before her disappointment could seep through the cracks. "What about you and Cho?" She attempted to wag her eyebrows, another sorry attempt to seem lighthearted.

Cedric laughed. Although, one could hardly call it a laugh. More so, he let a puff of hair blow out of his nose.

"We broke up."

Merlin's beard.

[Y/N] stared at Cedric for longer than she'd like to admit. Did she hear him right?

"What happened?" She caught the words flying out of her mouth before she could stop them. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Cedric looked up, and the girl next to him could only imagine that he was focused on one of the tiny flags atop one of the Quidditch towers. He exhaled, and [Y/N] could only think about how handsome he was.

"We jumped into it too fast, I suppose. We agreed that we worked better as friends." Cedric looked back down at the girl in the Gryffindor sweater and gave her a smile. "No hard feelings at all, you know?"

Said girl nodded, and suddenly felt very sick to her stomach.

"Let me know what love's like, because I'd love to know."

***

[Y/N] quite literally had her face buried in a book on the library table. Her cheek was flush with the pages as she groaned for about the fourth time this hour.

"How could we be so stupid?"

She picked up her head only to throw it back down onto the book once again.

"Why'd you let us do this, Hermione? You're supposed to be the smart one." She continued.

"If I remember correctly, both Ron and I tried to warn you against it." Hermione didn't bat an eye at the girl next to her, and continued to shuffle through book after book.

[Y/N] flopped her head to the left to glare at Hermione. "Hush up."

"So you mean to tell me that not two weeks after you two begin your fake relationship, Cedric and Cho are already broken up?" Ron was leaned up against a bookshelf with his arms crossed, a smug look on his freckled face.

"Yes, exactly that. You don't have to rub it in." Harry grumbled from another chair at the table, his own face propped up against his arm.

"And what's stopping you and Harry from 'breaking up' and getting who you fancy?"

"Because, Ronald." [Y/N] flew up, the bridge of her nose red from where it's been shoved against the book. "The entire castle just found out about Harry and I last week, and it doesn't reflect well on either of us to break up with each other just after Cedric and Cho did. It'd be obvious that we were faking the whole time!"

"Sounds a bit complicated if you ask me." Ron gave a mumble and turned his back on the group, clearly done with the whole ordeal. Whether [Y/N] liked to admit it or not, she was making this more complicated than it needed to be. Sure, her and Harry's egos might be a bit wounded after, but she'd have to toughen up and swallow her pride.

"What are we gonna do, Harry?"

"We've got to end this fast, before it gets too out of control." He nodded. "Before Cedric and Cho change their minds." He joked.

"So it's decided," [Y/N] said to her partner in crime. "You need to break up with me in front of the whole school."

"Agreed."

[krreader]

BTS (Hogwarts!AU) → soulmates, but from rivalry houses.

pairing: bts x reader fandom: bts warnings: non idol!au ; hogwarts!au ; soulmates!au ; language genre: angst ; fluff word count: 2.3k+

a/n: you are a treasure @jminacious​ and I really hope you like this ♥

kim seokjin (you touch your soulmate, your respective color appears on them)

It wasn't usually this hot. If you had to guess, you'd say someone messed up a spell and changed the weather, but according to your friends, that wasn't possible (they've never met Hermione Granger then.)

Nevertheless, you and your group of friends, not caring about the rules of not bathing in the Great Lake, obviously did just that and were having the time of your life, until a group of Gryffindors came along and decided to ruin the mood.

“You can't be in there,” you knew the guy. Kim Seokjin. He was one of the top students, one of the most liked students and the one that every girl fell for. And he was handsome, but he was also a little stuck up in your opinion.

“Oh, come on, Jinnie,” you giggled, getting out of the water and pushing your hair back.

“Don't call me that.”

“I know you like that, though,” you grinned and touched his cheek, your eyes immediately widening when you saw green on his skin, then sparks flying out from under your hand before you finally pulled it back.

And then the awkward silence began and the only one who didn't know what was going on was Jin, because he hadn't seen it himself.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“Oh my god, I can't believe HE'S your soulmate!” your friends said, even Jin's friends staring at him weirdly.

“Stop playing around, you guys, this isn't..-” but when Jin wrapped his hand around your wrist, red lines appeared on your skin and traveled all the way up your arm until Jin let go again.

You didn't hate each other, you just didn't really like each other very much either, so being soulmates was.. weird. You didn't understand it and neither did any of your friends, but you couldn't stop thinking about that day for weeks after.

You pretended like you didn't care, but the reality was a much different one.

A few weeks later you waited for him, made sure he was alone this time to have a little talk with him.

“If you have a problem, then just..-”

“Can I..-?” you weren't sure how to even ask this. Can I touch you? That sounded very wrong. But while Jin was surprised, he seemed to know what you meant, you raised your hand and waited for his small nod to gently place it on his cheek like you had done the last time.

And even though the light was green, something that Jin could see in the reflection of your eyes.. he didn't hate it.

It.. made your eyes look.. beautiful.

min yoongi (telepathic communication)

'God, I really need a drink,' Yoongi thought to himself as he watched countless of couples laugh around him, while he sat there on his own, drowning in self-pity.

The Yule Ball was supposed to be a fun event, but Yoongi hadn't asked anyone to go with him because he had pretended like he didn't care and now he was here on his own and really regretted his decision.

'Didn't anyone ask you, Min?'

He immediately rolled his eyes, 'I thought we agreed not to talk to each other like that anymore. Or at all. I don't want you in my head, (Y/L/N).'

'Aw, admit that you're lonely and that you like this.'

Out of every single person in this world, his soulmate had to be a Gryffindor.

'Leave me alone.'

“No, I think I'd rather join you.”

For a moment Yoongi was confused because he thought he had really heard your voice and when he turned his head you were indeed standing there with two drinks in your hand.

“What are you doing here?”

“You said you needed a drink, so I brought you one,” you sat down next to him and gave it to him, “These balls suck anyways. All you can do is drink.”

Yoongi looked at you for a long time and even though you didn't say it, he heard you say in your head: 'But only if nobody asks you to go.'

Yoongi didn't respond, he simply sat there with you in silence and the two of you drank.

And drank.. and drank.

Until everything was black and the next thing you remembered was waking up in bed next to him.

And even though he was still asleep, you could hear his dreams.. and he was.. dreaming about you. Positively.

So you laid your head back down onto his chest with a smile and stayed until he woke up.. and then even longer.

jung hoseok (you remember your past life together when you touch)

You've never talked to Hoseok before, so you were pretty indifferent towards him.

He was incredibly handsome, but he was from Hufflepuff and there was this unspoken rule that nobody talked about but everyone knew, which is that it's best to stick to your own house and not befriend, let alone fall in love with, someone from Ravenclaw. It was kind of like the dynamic that Slytherins had with Gryffindors, but less hostile.

It happened every now and then and people obviously didn't kill you for it, but you'd get weird looks from your friends for sure.

You had class one day, the only empty seat being next to you and Hoseok came in last – even though still on time and ended up sitting next to you.

You didn't even look at him, even though he said hello, you just kept your eyes on the board and waited for the teacher to come.. which unfortunately took longer than expected, because she was running late.

People started talking to the ones next to them, most of them laughed, while you and Hoseok just sat there awkwardly.

You turned to your left, wanted to grab the chapstick out of your jacket but ended up dropping it instead.

You wanted to lean down and grab it, but Hoseok did the same, your heads colliding with each other.

And you'd think that minimal pain would be the issue, but no.

Because suddenly there were flashes. Flashes of you and him in a life that wasn't yours but.. seemed to have been at one point.

You were laughing, his arms were around you, a girl, not older than two, ran into your arms, you turning around and smiling at him, him smiling at you and saying that he loved you and..-

“I'm so sorry, I ran into Professor Trelawney on my way here and she had some new visions she wanted to tell me,” the professor said with a laugh as she closed the door, everyone else in class laughing.

Everyone but you and Hoseok.

“She said that..- oh!” the professor watched you run out of class with furrowed eyebrows, “What's gotten into her?”

Hoseok sat there as stiff as a stick, not moving even an inch.

He just met his soulmate.. hadn't he?

kim namjoon (when you touch each other, you die)

“I always wondered, Professor.. why did you put me in Gryffindor?” Namjoon and Dumbledore were in the Astronomy tower, just talking.

The two had a good relationship with each other, so this wasn't anything out of the usual.

“Why? Don't you like it?”

“On the contrary. I love it. It's just that I had always assumed I would end up in Ravenclaw.”

Dumbledore thought for a moment, then he let out a sigh, “You know, Namjoon.. sometimes us teachers have to intervene with what happens at Hogwarts for the sake of our students. No matter the situation.”

“So.. you're saying I'm right?!” that genuinely surprised Namjoon. He thought he'd get an answer like: Because you're a great leader with great potential but.. Dumbledore just admitted that he was the reason he ended up in Gryffindor? He kind of manipulated it so he’d be sorted into a different house?

“I can't tell you why I did it, just know that I did it for your safety. For yours and that of someone else.”

Dumbledore had known about yours and Namjoon's soulmate connection the moment the two of you entered the halls of Hogwarts as children. He had seen how Namjoon had smiled at you and how you had smiled back at him and he instantly knew that if he didn't do anything to stop this, the two of you would not survive the first week at Hogwarts due to your.. connection. Or rather, curse, in his opinion.

He put you in Slytherin and him in Gryffindor, hoping the long rivalry between the two houses would prevent you from ever speaking to each other.. and his plan had worked perfectly.

Now, the two of you didn't even look at each other when walking down the hallways anymore, you were strangers.

Dumbledore regretted not being able to do more, somehow fixing the connection between you two, but keeping you two alive had been his priority. So until then, this would have to do.

park jimin (you get a symbol on your body that represents your soulmate)

Everyone at the age of 17 got the tattoo, the fun part was figuring out what it meant.

Well, for everyone but you, because on your 17th birthday, you got a tattoo that made all of your friends gasp, because your soulmate was the enemy.

You got a fucking snake.

“Stop this,” your friend pulled you back from the sink, “You'll rub off your skin at this point.”

“I want it gone!” you cried, “Please, make it go away!”

“I can't,” she sighed, gently patting your arm dry, then pulling down your sleeve, “I know this is not what you wanted.. but remember, just because that person is your soulmate doesn't mean you have to be with them. A lot of people decide not to be with their soulmates. And if you really hate it so much, there are a lot of people who specialize in changing the tattoo. We can go during our next break. I'll go with you.”

You were so determined to do that, really. 

But then you ended up going for a walk that same day and found a guy from Slytherin sitting on his own, staring at his tattoo with a heavy sigh.

He seemed to be as unhappy about it as you were.

And only when you got closer did you see the lion.

Jimin noticed. He got up and pulled down his sleeve, staring at you with wide eyes, as if you had just found out about his great secret that nobody should have known about.

“You’re Park Jimin.. aren’t you?”

“And you’re (Y/N).”

You let out a sigh and pulled up your sleeve, exposing the one thing you were so ashamed of. Just as much as he was.

“I think you and I are in the same boat.”

And when Jimin pulled up his sleeve, both of you just knew.

But for some reason, neither of you felt resentment in that moment. It was more like.. home. 

kim taehyung (colorblind until you look into the eyes of your soulmate)

You knew of Taehyung, but you had never really spoken to him before, there was just never a reason as to why. He had his friends in Hufflepuff, you had yours in Ravenclaw.

But today, Professor Trelawney had decided to pair him up with you.

She had said it was time that ‘the rivalry houses see that there is nothing to hate about the other’.

She had told everyone to start out with closed eyes and then when she'd say the word, everyone should open them and try to look ‘into the soul of the person in front of you’.

Everyone had laughed, probably thinking what you and Taehyung thought as well.

‘This is some major bullshit’.

But, see.. sometimes it is best to trust the teacher. At least in your case it was.

Because once you opened your eyes and Taehyung opened his, your vision suddenly became clearer and you started to see, what you only assumed to be, colors.

“THERE! THERE IT IS! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!” Professor Trelawney said with excitement as she pointed at you and Taehyung staring at each other with open mouth's, “THEY'RE LOOKING INTO EACH OTHER'S SOUL! THEY’RE SOULMATES PEOPLE!”

She hit the nail on the head with that one.

jeon jeongguk (same injuries as your soulmate)

When Jeongguk had signed up for the Triwizard Tournament he surely hadn't thought about anyone but himself. Bringing glory to the house Ravenclaw and to himself.

God, he had been so proud at first, walking down the halls of Hogwarts with his head held high as every single person now looked up to him.

But it was right after the first challenge that he realized it wasn't as simple as it all seemed.

He had defeated the dragon, had gotten the egg, but he had injured himself badly.

And as he was lying in the bed of the hospital wing, he overheard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking to his right.

“How is this possible Albus? She wasn't even there!”

“The same? The exact same?” the headmaster asked.

“Yes, sir. Exactly the same as him.”

There was a moment of quiet, Jeongguk furrowed his eyebrows and sat up straighter, trying to figure out what was going on there, but there was no need for it, because the two professors were about to tell him himself.

“Jeongguk.. do you know a girl by the name of (Y/N) (Y/L/N)?”

“I don't really talk to people from other houses.. she's Hufflepuff isn't she?”

“She is,” Dumbledore put his hands behind his back, “And I suggest you talk to her once she wakes up. It seems like the two of you have more in common than any of us would have assumed.”

The soulmate phenomenon was incredibly rare to happen between two students, especially not from different houses. But Dumbledore knew that this was the only option.

“Wait.. why?!” Jeongguk tried to ask, but the two professors were already leaving.

And all he could hear was Madam Pomfrey say: “Poor girl.. you never signed up for this, haven't you? Us girls are always the ones who get hurt involuntarily because of a man's pride.”

Jeongguk gulped down hard, suddenly not feeling proud at all anymore.. but.. he didn’t know why yet.

[normal-thoughts-official]

ok idk if u like harry potter (either way fuck jkr) but have u thought about sh characters and hp houses? for magnus i’m torn between hufflepuff and ravenclaw, alec hufflepuff ?? maybe?? and idk for anyone else

its a weird thing because i've always hated hp, even when i was a kid, but i'm kinda interested in discussing the whole houses thing? possibly because the choice between traits is so fucking random and absurd like idk it makes for funny character analysis. so in short let's go

but also, i'll warn u that my takes on this are usually considered kinda spicy. mostly because other ppl r wrong and interpret the characters terribly i go by the canon that the house ur sorted into represents what you value the most, not necessarily what you are (which is why hermione is gryffindor and not ravenclaw for example, and if i'm not mistaken so's neville? idk idc her worldbuilding is bad) so yeah

magnus is definitely hufflepuff for me, no argument about that. like yes he is very smart but i don't think that he values knowledge/intelligence above all else. wisdom maybe, but even then, magnus' character core is and has always been kindness and loyalty. he values kindness and mutual support and community and equality. it's indisputable that he's hufflepuff for me, not only in values but in personality and actions

i like slytherin alec, first because it fits his character arc. like big racist family who loves fascism and is very traditional sounds like slytherin, and at a very young age he'd be their golden boy tbh [EDIT: ive already gotten anon hate over this so please read these posts before freaking out over this part please and thank you] so like, makes sense. but even later alec i think fits slytherin, although in a different way. family above all else, tradition, and ambition? sounds like him. he's a political shark, he's very traditional, and he's loyal as fuck to his family. i'm not against hufflepuff alec per se but i wouldnt say, even by the end of the series, that alec values kindness/community/equality above all else, tbh

raphael is hufflepuff. again, loyalty, community, kindness. i could maybe kiiiiiindaaaaa see why ppl think he fits slytherin aesthetics with his power suits and shit but also raphael is the least ambitious person in like, this entire show lmao his happy ending is literally to become a priest (like i hate the whole mundane thing but u cant argue that that's an ambitious man lol). throughout the show his whole motivation was always protecting his people and his family, and he was shown to be kind and caring even to shadowhunters. and yes okay there was the heidi plotline but like a- it made no fucking sense anyway (both for his character and just plot-wise, like, she wasn't a daylighter, why would he be after her and not simon, what the fuck) so i simply ignore it, and b- even then it doesn't define him or his values. if ppl can see hufflepuff alec when he handed meliorn over to be tortured for basically no reason and was never shown to be particularly caring beyond the people closest to him, i can say hufflepuff raphael when he continuously extended his hand to people who literally betrayed, used and tortured him

maia is hufflepuff and look i know that this sounds like "all my faves are hufflepuffs" but really tho. endlessly loyal to her pack, wants to build a family, her whole thing was always about making the downworld better and making sure her family was okay, i don't see how community and equality aren't defining values for her. "oh muh muh muh she was willing to kill ppl" there was a war going on buddy. it doesn't mean that maia isn't kind and caring. also, again, she is fierce on her ideals, which happen to be family, equality, and community (both as in the pack and the downworld as a whole, see how hard she tried to mend vamp/wolf relationships). she's a hufflepuff

meliorn is a hard one. i think gryffindor or slytherin? tbh i don't think any of the houses really super fits them because again jk's worldbuilding makes no sense like the four personality traits are kind, smart, brave, and racist there are no other ones you sjw snowflake. and okay i know that i just called slytherin the racist house but that was a joke and i can see slytherin meliorn because loyalty and tradition. not really ambitious but not not ambitious either. tbh i could make points for meliorn in all houses, i think wisdom is definitely something they seek and care about, as is bravery (they're literally a knight), as is community, as is tradition. but also i could see them being like "hey sorting hat put me in slytherin i'm a 'mudblood' they're gonna be super pissed". and going there just to be defiant. but no actually i changed my mind completely, they're ravenclaw. i think wisdom and temperance are what they seek the most, because they want to be a good leader/asset for their people. which kinda circles back to hufflepuff but still.... wisdom. i think it suits them

simon is another hard one for opposite reasons like i don't think he truly fits any of the houses? like meliorn fits them all simon fits none. i know ppl always go with hufflepuff simon cuz they think hufflepuff is the dork house and simon is an anxious bean but fuck that noise, hufflepuff isn't the dork house, it's the house for those who believe in mutual aid and support and equality and that's literally canon, hufflepuff existed because it was the only hogwarts founder who believed that everyone had equal right to education. hufflepuff is a fierce house of sjws and people who want to change the world for the better and YES i am aware that for someone who thinks harry potter sucks i sure have strong opinions about it. but that's the thing like there are so many interesting places jk rowling could've gone and instead she chose to write the most superficial shit ever. anyway my point is that hufflepuff is not the dork house so i'm not gonna sort simon there just because he's a dork. but anyway i wouldnt say that he particularly values any of the house's traits. maybe ravenclaw for creativity? or gryffindor because clary is there and he's like "please sorting hat do me a solid" lol

which okay i guess leads me to clary. definitely gryffindor. bravery with a side of recklessness is definitely her thing. she is fierce and she is proud of it. no argument about that

j@ce is also gryffindor in the most annoying obnoxious way. he's just like man i sure like violence watch me prove how macho i am and the sorting hat is like oh no it's one of those gryffindors

izzy.... i can see gryffindor cuz again bravery and just again fits her character arc as she would go there specifically as a fuck you to the lightwood's traditional slytherin shit. but really tho, ravenclaw. she values knowledge, she is hungry for it, she wants to see the world and learn and invent and create you know?? so like yeah ravenclaw

cat.... either ravenclaw or hufflepuff? she just cares about people as a whole but also about wisdom and knowledge so could go either way imo

ragnor... man i really have no idea for ragnor. again aesthetic fits slytherin but is he actually proud, ambitious, cunning? i don't think so. fucking ravenclaw maybe? just like "yes i value knowledge very much now put me in the nerd house where people will leave me alone" lol. ok tho ravenclaw it is

madzie... gryffindor? idk she seems like she would want to have adventure. it's so hard to do this for sh minor characters when their personality was basically based on the shape of the writer's poop that day tbh

camille is slytherin because duh and if we really wanna do a h*gwarts au for some reason, it adds some angsty juices as magnus once again falls in love with a slytherin and doesn't know how to open up and trust (once he meets alec, i mean)

luke is ravenclaw methinks. i guess could have been slytherin because character arc as shadowhunter but like... he's just a wise and caring figure. i could see hufflepuff but i think his thing is less equality/community and more family, but post-sh luke doesn't exactly fit "proud, ambitious, cunning" either. so yeah methinks ravenclaw. same for alaric i guess

who else exists lmao. i feel like i'm forgetting somebody but idk who so i guess i'll reblog or edit if i think of someone elsIT WAS DOT okay so i think either hufflepuff or ravenclaw. kinda hard because her whole personality was "cares about clary" so idk but like loyalty and care seem like character traits that suit her? also she was knee deep in trauma and still cared about helping magnus so... yeah hufflepuff

[bosstoaster]

Have you already answered the question of house sorting for the folks of Voltron? I feel like the twins would have different houses.

I have not, tho I have the Harry Potter AU series that does go into what I think for each member of the team.

Buuuut!

Shiro - HUFFLEPUFF.  Patience is literally his signature virtue, and everyone who says he has to be Gryffindor because he’s literally can eat my shoe.  Without teeth.  Because I kicked them out.  He’s calm, hard-working, and level-headed.  He’s Cedric Diggory, but level 20.

Ryou - This one’s actually a toss-up for me?  I do love the twins in Hufflepuff in an AU with them both, because they both have that steady core to them, and it’s fun to imagine them both in Hufflepuff (to the occasional confusion of their peers).  I could see an argument for Slytherin as well, since he’s a Sneaky Boy and a self-professed liar.  But he’s not really ambitious or out to prove himself to anyone, or even to climb ranks.  He just wants to be loudly himself, and that kind of individualism, and his more academic leanings, tend to lean me toward Ravenclaw.

Pidge - Slytherin.  I will not be taking questions at this time.

Lance - I do see the Slytherin argument for him (he’s an ambitious boy, and he wants EVERYONE to know it), but I actually don’t see the Puff that other people do.  He’s not really a ‘buckle down and get things done’ guy?  He’s a ‘what’s the fastest way to blaze through this and look good doing it’ type.  And, hey, that’s me too, so I respect it.  He doesn’t usually want higher positions for the benefits or actually using them, but he wants them so other people SEE him as cool and good.  If it was between his image to others and getting something he wants, I think Lance would pick his image, which I see as a Slytherin trait.  If not, Gryff for sure.

Hunk - literally the ultimate Hufflepuff, Helga Hufflepuff would adopt him

Keith - How does anyone ever say Keith is anything but a Gryffindor?  His chief traits are Gotta Go Fast and Don’t Tell Me What To Do.  Reckless, noble, courageous.  Check, check, check.

Allura - Gryffindor.  The very Hermione style, where she’s going to drag everyone into doing the right thing by their ear and then tell them exactly how to do it.  She’s also very rambunctious, and I see her diplomacy as more of a learned trait than a natural one, so she’s pretty likely to do things by brute force if she thinks she can.

Bonus Coran!  The man is a Ravenclaw, of the Luna Lovegood variety, and I love him for it.

[taromilkmagic]

Notes: Cursed Child NY 27 November 2019

My first time watching CC was in Melbourne during previews, and I had an amazing time. A few months later I absorbed myself in the cc fandom here and on twitter and I became more and more obsessed with the incredible casts and crew that are a part of this amazing production all over the world. So yesterday, I finally treated myself to a second viewing of HPCC, but this time with NY Cast 2. I was taking frantic notes in between parts because I wanted to unpack and reflect over it, but when I first saw the play I wasn’t as absorbed into the fandom, so there may be things that are obvious that I’m finding new. Anyway if you’re interested in reading my thoughts on this cast/performance and how I found it different to Melbourne I’ve dumped a rant below...

Part One

Act 1

Nick Albus looking at his family and smiling, so excitedly, when they are about to enter platform 9 3/4, is everything I need in my life. But it really is heartbreaking to watching Albus’s progression from excited and hopeful to isolated and resentful.

Everyone in the background at the station is captivated by Matt Ron’s trick. This time around, I noticed that they are all incredibly grossed out when Ron plucks Lily’s ���nose’ from his behind (accompanied by a loud fart noise), simultaneously leaning away from the Potters and Granger-Weasleys. It’s these little extra details that really lift the comedy in the show for me.

Bubba Scorpius is anxious and tense, but in a quiet/soft way. While I remember Will having very frantic nervous energy, Bubba is much more reserved and closed in on himself—both emotionally, but also physically. He is permanently hunched over and withdrawn, and his movements are smaller—not as wild— and stiffer than Will McKenna’s (James Snyder does a good approximation of this in the Polyjuice scene). When Scorpius is being sorted, he clenches and unclenches his hands. Then, when the sorting hat declares SLYTHERIN! he slowly closes his eyes. Rather than going ‘oh, as expected!’ like Will does with his head tilt and eye-roll, Bubba Scorp seems a combination of relieved and resigned.

As a sidenote, Bubba was staring emptily in my direction at the start of third year while taking to Albus. So I was a crying mess, but I also felt extremely uncomfortable because it felt like he was looking directly at me with his sad eyes 😂

Something that struck me about Nadia’s and Jenny’s Rose and Hermione: the similarities in how they carry themselves and the way they speak. They both radiate fast-paced Type A energy and you can tell that Rose is every bit like Hermione by her brisk mannerisms and alert eyes.

Jenny’s Hermione has a mischievous streak that isn’t as obvious in Paula’s drier, authoritative Hermione (disclaimer: I love them both). In Harry’s office, the toffee line is sung in an enticing tone. Tof-fee? Translation: Are you sure you don’t want one? Apparently, Jenny was quieter than usual during this performance, but I have to say that I didn’t notice this at all. As my first introduction to her Hermione she was both vibrant and funny. 

Nick Albus and Bubba Scorp are much more tactile than Will and Sean (at least compared to when I saw the Melbourne cast in previews). Some moments that stood out — Nick touches Bubba’s shoulders and back a LOT, including on the train at the start of their third year, and then at the start of fourth year when he escapes Rose’s efforts to (re) befriend him and plunges into Scorpius’ train compartment.

Another instance of cute Bubba-Nick Scorbusness in the visit to St Oswald’s. Scorpius stands directly behind Albus, turned toward the audience and away from Amos, for most of the conversation. He flinches away several times when Amos is talking, essentially sheltering behind Albus. Have I talked enough about how Bubba’s Scorpius really is adorably awkward? When Albus earnestly assures Amos that they know about the danger they’re about to embark on, Scorpius leans in to Albus and says “Do weee?” Albus turns around, and Scorpius immediately spins around and peers at the wall details—he even squeaks Oh LoOk!! (*in small twitter font). Overall, Bubba Scorp feels vulnerable—more vulnerable than Will!Scorp, who is a bit of a drama queen at times—and must be protected at all costs.

Right before drinking his Polyjuice, Bubba did his trademark forehead shzzzzap, and it was art.

Act 2

When Albus and Scorpius decide that Delphi should not travel back to the first task with them, and Delphi is storming off after kissing Albus, Sara and Bubba do that thing where they both almost run into each other and block each other, then feint/dodge in the same direction as each other twice. Bubba Scorp says “OHkay!” in an exasperated voice before going around her. It was an incredibly awkward and funny moment and you could feel the tension between Scorpius and Delphi.

The Edge of the Forest scene was beautiful, as always. I didn’t notice this but at stage-door Nick told me that he stuttered and struggled to say “Look-L-look its-look it’s Hogwarts.” And then he said that Bubba was side-eyeing him like >_> the whole time. Bubba definitely seems like the sort of person who would passive-aggressively judge you at your worst moments, but I love him anyway.

Interestingly, the lighting is different here compared to the Melbourne production. The theatre is lit up with soft golden lights which make it sort of look like golden hour, casting everything in a comforting glow. In the Princess theatre, they go for a more literal Hogwarts-through-the-trees, with gorgeous dappled shadows on vibrant blue and orange stained glass windows. Both of these work wonderfully.

In Dragons, James Romney’s Slytherin student being in the wrong House section and having to squish through everyone was very funny. Kevin Reyes as [Craig Bowker Sr?] was doing something funny in the crowd during the first task as well but I can’t remember it for the life of me sadly. But it made me realise how amazing and constantly on point every single member of the cast is, even when the spotlight isn’t on them. Sitting in row D was a massive change from being in the balcony in Melbourne, and it made me realise and appreciate the actors who are carrying out their own stories in the background. 

Nick’s Albus looks both a little put out and surprised when Hogwarts’ audience has a mixed response to Harry in the first task. 

Interestingly, James Brown III’s Bane is more human than horse here than Melbourne Bane (MelBane?), who would neigh and snort every few sentences. The only horse noise he makes is a loud snort as he backed away into the shadows. 

Albus was having nightmares in the hospital wing during Harry’s conversation with Dumbledore. Several times, he mumbles “Dad?” in his sleep as he tosses and turns. It’s actually kind of heartbreaking. 

James Synder and Nick Podany both pretend to eat the chocolate. The chocolate itself is fake and a Lie. I just thought everyone should know that. 

There is a noticeable difference between Paula’s Hermione and Jenny’s Hermione in the first AU, particularly the DADA classroom. Jenny is much more aggressive and explosive, getting in Ravenclaw girl’s face with a loud nOOO??!!? Her soft, dangerously cold voice was terrifying and a different take to Paula’s terse, irritated, authoritative tone. This AU Hermione seems angry and vindictive, rather than just disillusioned and bitter. In Melbourne, Paula presented her AU Hermione as a possible version of the same person—someone who could grow more and more unhappy with the world over the years. Jenny’s AU Hermione was different; her energy simply felt so wrong and at odds with her usual character, and I think this performance emphasised how unnatural and completely off the new timeline itself is. It definitely made me empathise with how shocked and bewildered Albus would have been, and it reminded me of my experience reading the script for the first time as it gradually dawned on me how messed up the timeline had actually become.

Staircase Ballet in New York made me just as emotional as it did in Melbourne. I don’t think that scene will ever get old for me. Bubba did some incredible face-acting that I was glad to be able to see from my seat. His Scorpius really looks completely broken and despondent as he stares downwards and then, later, at Albus.

Sara’s Delphi is soft (wait what?? I know...) when she speaks to Scorpius about him and Albus. Madeleine Jones had more of a “silly billy, of course you should just talk to him, he’s your best friend!!” big sister vibe when I saw her in Melbourne—gentle, but talking down a little bit (still in a friendly way). This Delphi is much softer, which only makes the reveal more shocking and upsetting when she later reveals her real motives.

Bubba Scorp blowing Polly Chapman a kiss twice in a row to distract her from Delphi under his cloak was so LOUD and breathy and cringe that I may have died from second-hand embarrassment.

The library confrontation! Incredible! @lumoshyperion observed something about Melbourne’s Louis!Scorp in her (incredibly detailed and poetic) review/recap, where he falters and holds himself back at the end of each sentence or phrase during the library confrontation. This was definitely true of Bubba as well! He would sort of trail off and fade away as he spoke, rather than crescendoing continuously to a shout.

When McGonagall came into the library and the two boys were hiding, Nick SKIDDED across the stage and FELL flat on his face, knocking a chair over. It looked really painful and I was like 😶. I asked him about this at SD after, and he said he was okay but that he and Bubba immediately started laughing while they were hiding under the invisibility cloak. After McGonagall left, Bubba casually put the chair back up right before he sat down.

The two boys were both vigorously wiping their eyes during the library confrontation. When Nick hugged Bubba, Bubba made a 😬 and stuck his arms out straight.

When Draco said “The girls’ bathroom on the third floo...ooorwhat on earth would they be doing there.......”, it was so ridiculously deadpan and disappointed and exasperated all at once. I haven’t written many notes on him but Jonno truly is an amazing Draco.

Being from a close seat this time, I was able to see the second task. It definitely didn’t look like a projection this time and that made it feel much more dynamic and engaging.

Bubba Scorp gets immediately self-conscious after the “Consider me engorg-impressed” joke and steps quickly back from Albus and the sink (where he was casually leaning), wrapping his robes around him tightly.

Lauren Myrtle was hilarious as I assume is usual. Lauren’s Myrtle did that thing where she poked at Harry with her foot with every word she said. He flinched back every time, it was hilarious. Diane did a full flinch and staggered back four feet from Myrtle’s hISSSS. 

Lauren looked upside down—DIRECTLY at Albus—when she said the “....and BOYS” line, and Albus immediately started fidgeting with his hair, with his hands behind his head. HE KNOWS THAT SHE KNOWS. In general, Lauren’s Myrtle was just as hilarious as Gillian, although a lot growlier. There was, as there was in Melbourne, a large round of applause as the second task began, presumably for Myrtle! 

I realise I have zero notes about any of the 'adult’ characters but they are just all-around excellence anyway so there’s not that much to say. Matt Mueller is a fantastic Ron, but very different to Gyton. He’s just as cheesy and cheerful, but not as jolly and laidback (if that makes sense...it’s a little hard to describe). Diane Davis as Ginny is Soft™, and very clearly understanding and caring. It’s easy to see that Harry depends on her as a source of advice, wisdom and emotional support. She generally doesn’t “roar” like Lucy Goleby’s Ginny does, so when she shouts it tends to come out in one angry punch—i.e. “My son is missing!” “SO is MINE!” (as opposed to SO!!! IS!!! MINE!!!!). As for James Snyder’s Harry, his anger and frustration in the alternate timeline is scarily believable, and it’s upsetting to see how it affects Albus and Ginny. It made me think of Angery Harry in Order of the Phoenix (I’m not @ing the people who say Cursed Child Harry is OOC, but...maybe I am). His American accent popped in a few times, but I barely noticed it and he was such an incredible Harry that I did not care in the slightest. The woman next to me was marvelling at how much he resembled Daniel Radcliffe, but to me this wasn’t even a fraction of why he felt like an authentic and well portrayed Harry.

Part Two

I have much less notes for Part 2. Part of this is because I was too much of a weepy mess being swept up by the art of Bubba and Nick’s Scorbus and part of it is because my phone died. I hope you enjoy what I DO have though!

Act 3

After being assigned this investigation, I can report that I am pretty sure I saw Bubba drool (?????) in the Dark AU office scene and I don’t know why or how or what... I didn’t even know this was a thing that happened on the daily but yes, yes it did. If anyone can provide more information on this... And yes, Bubba did look amazing in the Dark AU outfit. Thank you for the warning. I was still unprepared.

Spinella Snape was great! He has the deep voice down, and the dryness was Dry. Something interesting that happened in the Snape classroom scene is after he opens the secret passage in the chalkboard, Snape takes Scorp by the shoulders and gently guides him toward it. It’s a surprisingly protective and ~mentorly~ action and it reminded me a little of Snape getting in front of the Golden Trio in the PoA movie. ~Obviously~, Snape is a terrible person. But I guess he’s also capable of looking out for others! Stephen Spinella did an incredible job at actually endearing his character to me.

Ron fumbling with the wand for ages before pointing it at Scorp in the Dark AU. Unlike Gyton (and the script), Matt didn’t point it at himself this time. But he fumbled with his jacket a ridiculous amount before finding his wand and it got a lot of laughs, including from me!

Bubba was so out of breath after getting out of the pool that he had to take a long pause between the first “Harry!!!!” And “HARRRYYY POTTERRRR!”

Fiona Reid’s Petunia, in the graveyard scene, was visibly emotional. You could hear her voice getting choked up as she thought about Lily. I didn’t pick this up the first time I watched the show, but here I got it and I even teared up a little.

The jump scare GOT ME.

During the Slytherin Dorm scene, Bubba Scorp leaned over the top of Albus’ bed and yelled directly over his face to wake him up. This was both hilarious and adorable. And Malfoy the Unanxious: this whole scene was pure gold. Bubba doing weird hip-swaying dances in the air on tippy toes. Bubba waving his hands in weird and wild gesticulations (a contrast accentuated by how stiff and closed up he was prior to this). Aaah. He must be protected at all costs. 

Bubba said the ‘It’s time that time turning became a thing of the past” line very solemnly, and leaning in very close to Albus’s face (!) rather than standing (sitting?) next to him and gesturing proudly, which is what I remember from Melbourne. It’s an interesting take and a more serious one. It’s also more Scorbusy, so I’m not complaining. 

When Harry and Ginny and Draco walk in on Ron and Hermione kissing, Diane Ginny said OH! really loudly and, without a pause in her stride, immediately circled around and started to leave 😂

Jonno Draco acted so disgruntled when Specialis Revelio didn’t work. It was hilarious how grumpy he sounded when he said it was worth a try

Sara’s Delphini was much more menacing than I remember from Melbourne. I think what Madeleine did great in Melbourne is make Delphini seem like Ralph Fiennes’s Voldemort — powerful, ambitious, confident, a little bit dramatic. She DECLARED her lines: it was very Shakespearean. Sara was more sneaky and sinister. You get a sense of how she easily tricked Albus and Scorpius. Also, when she was mocking Albus for being naive, she did the little leg-kick dance that she did when she was saying he was becoming quite some wizard. I don’t remember if this is something that always happens with her or with other casts, but this is the first time I was paying close enough attention to notice it and I got CHILLS at the return. Sara’s Delphini is just that sinister and bone-chillingly terrifying.

Act 4

I have a lot of Feelings about Part 4, but not many details, sadly. Mostly because I was too absorbed by the incredible acting by everyone on stage.

James Snyder jumped around a lot when he said “Clever boy left me a message!” and it was such a pure and adorable move compared to his previous Angst that the audience laughed and cheered.

Jonno was wiping his eyes a LOT in the scene in Harry’s office. Several times, as Draco spoke about Astoria and her death, he got so choked up that he had to pause and take a breath before going on. It was a teary scene for all involved and a great testament to Jonno’s acting ability. 

Since we’re on Jonno, his delivery of “Look at the thatched roofs.......and......is that a farmer’s market?” SENT ME. He genuinely sounded kind of intrigued, interested and hopeful. I guess Joward Draco isn’t the only one who loves a good farmer’s market.

When Draco and Scorpius hugged in Godric’s Hollow, they hugged for a long time. He held onto Scorpius for a long time after, repeatedly craning his neck to be closer and holding him close as if afraid to let go again. Throughout subsequent scenes, Jonno kept his hand firmly on Bubba’s arm/inner elbow. You can see how shaken Draco was at losing Scorpius, and how fiercely protective he is now that he has his son back.

When Nick hugged Diane from her side, sitting on the bench in St Jerome’s, he knocked her down a little and she said oH! as she lost her balance. It was such a spontaneous moment and showcased the bond between Albus and his mum.

In the second to last scene, and perhaps most importantly in this entire recap...When Nick Albus says: “You better ask Rose if that’s the right thing to do!” (in response to “this new version of us”), Bubba keeps his hands firmly gripped on Nick’s arms, and stares at his face for a full three seconds before going “oh-ahaha...yeah!” and laughing awkwardly. Then, when he goes off and the stairs start spinning to bring Nick into the Nice Day scene, Nick keeps his head facing to the side where Bubba had exited—Albus’ gaze lingering distantly on Scorpius. Not saying Scorbus is canon (I really am), but Bubba Scorp’s last scene presented him as a very believable Confused Bisexual.

Finally: Nick and James rushing into a hug right as the lights went down.

“We almost broke like four times” — Nicholas Podany, 2019, on his scenes with Bubba. We are so blessed to have them.

[attacked-by-visuals-since-071813]

Bully Problems and Dark Arts Part 1 (BTS Hogwarts AU)

193. “If you walk out that door, you’re no longer one of us. You’ll be one of them and that means I’ll treat you like one of them.” 

Warnings: Hard Angst (Eventually), Smut (Eventually), Dark, Violence, Dark Aftermath of the War

Word Count: 2,636

“Let’s see....bravery....so much more cunning.....and loyalty...but above all that is your intelligence and craving for knowledge... let it be Ravenclaw!”

10 years after the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort, the Wizarding World has since begun the process to rebuild and become more inclusive to the parts of its community that had been neglected due to the last 20 years. Now there is more magic. The light won the war against the dark, but in doing so, gave way for greater magic. More natural and powerful and overall grey. But all things can turn dark and all light can dim. The war left more than the British Ministry in shambles, several branches of government around the world collapsed as Dark Lord Voldemort had recruited and killed leaders mercilessly. Nearly a million children born just before Dark Lord Voldemorts rebirth, during the war, and just before the final battle were displaced and orphaned.

The first thing I noticed about Hogwarts was the grandness of the castle. I could feel its magic miles away on the Hogwarts express. After the fall of the Dark Lord that was Voldemort, magic tried to balance again and failed due to the blinding light that won the war. So, she blessed the recent and future born witches and wizards with ancient magic that had either died out or been dying out. There have been 3 Dark Lords within the past 200 years and the lull of the dark turned the eyes of most of the Wizarding community from other forms of magic and practices. Ministries labeled Grey magic and practices as Dark out of fear. There has been a surplus of magical born from the muggle world and the wizarding community. A big BOOM you could say. Several years after the Battle at Hogwarts, Minister Shaklebolt along with Hermione Granger found evidence that muggle-born witches and wizards were all descendants of Purebloods and that Squids indeed carry an affinity for magic but cannot possess it, so their children are born with magic. 

There were so many orphans from the war that the Ministry had trouble placing children and babies with the next closest of kin. I am an orphan of war. Born in 1998, my parents took me to hide in the muggle world but were killed when we were found. Like many others, they refused to join the Dark Lord and became one of the many parents and young couples made an example of. With so many children displaced, finding family was a long effort and the Ministry was in shambles at the time. They grouped us, orphans, together until any family came forward or they could perform an identification spell. With all of the unconfirmed casualties and missing witches and wizards, many orphans were left in our makeshift communities. Since it was hard to find my next of kin, I stayed in one of these communities. My name is Y/N and I am a Ravenclaw.

My first year started out fine. All of us first years were nervous. Dubbed the new generation to officially mark the 11th anniversary since the fall of one the most notorious Dark Lords, we were given much-unwanted attention. Much like the children of the Golden Trio. Rose and Tulip Granger-Krum, Hermione Granger and Viktor Krum’s twin daughters. Hugo Weasley, Ron Weasley and Romilda Vane’s son. Lily Luna Potter, Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood’s daughter. Our magic is more raw and different from those who fought the war. The wizarding community had to add classes and curriculum for arts and practices not taught to students in centuries. Thankfully, the studies were actually accurate given that these arts were well documented, just not practiced without a real affinity for it. Outside of the basic Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy:

Healing Magic and Incantations

Natural Magic or Elemental Magic

Illusion Magic

Psychic Magic and Dream Magic

Necromancy

Runes and Blood Magic or Conjuring

Obscured Magic or Emotion Magic

Chemical Magic or Potions

Dark Arts or Alchemy and Matter

Rituals and Dance Rituals

Hymns

Everyone wanted to meet the descendants of the Golden Trio. The train ride was full of students trying to get inside the compartment the children shared. Thankfully, they had me and my dear friends Jungkook and Taehyung already inside when they burst into our compartment to wave goodbye to their parents. The three of us simply sitting and watching the joy and fear on their faces at leaving their parents for several months. When we cleared out of Platform 12 3/4, they finally saw that they had entered an already occupied compartment.

“Hello,” Jungkook, Taehyung, and I said.

We were greeted with nods and they introduced themselves to us, the twins first,

“Hello, we are Rose and Tulip Granger-Krum.”

“Hi...I’m Hugo Weasley....”

“Lovely meeting you all, I’m Lily, Lily Luna Potter,“ a nearly serene smile on her face.

“Nice to make your acquaintance. This is Jungkook, Taehyung, and I am Y/N.”

Confusion clouded the twins' eyes for a moment before they realized why I did not include any last names. 

“Oh....”

Taehyung spoke up at their sudden mood drop,

“No need to be sad. We’re all friends. yes, we are among the majority of the orphans attending Hogwarts this year and making friends would be nice.”

Jungkook piped up then,

“Yeah, most of us on the train already know each other. We are mostly from the same community, so we usually don’t have to make many introductions to new people.”

The four descendants smiled at us and sat adjacent to us. After the compartment being bombarded three times after they were sighted by passing students, I locked the door and drew the blinds wandlessly. Not giving any thought that these four probably haven’t had many interactions with the more powerful of our generation until I saw the slightly shocked looks on their faces. Taehyung and Jungkook were already used to it.

“Sorry, I forgot that....”

Hugo shook his head,

“No, it’s fine, honestly. Our parents explained to us that-”

“That many of the students that would be attending and are attending Hogwarts were more powerful and gifted than any of the past 6 generations.” 

Lily Luna Potter interrupted her friend and gave him a pointed gazed that made Hugo look down in embarrassment. She then continued,

“Hugo has a way with words. A way of accidentally insulting others.”

I smiled at her explanation,

“Some of the other kids in our community are like that. Except, they have a way of being socially inappropriate. One guy, he talks in innuendos accidentally because his affinity is for Hymns and Song Magic.”

The rest of the ride was peaceful and the sorting had the Granger-Krum twins and Potter join me at Ravenclaw. All us orphans were sorted first. It was awfully awkward when several students would step towards the stool when their first names were called. Thankfully, I was the only Y/N.

It was my second year at Hogwarts that things changed and I only had my friends, Lily, Rose, and Tulip. It was my friends from my community that changed. Most of us having not been claimed and growing up together, we were family. But then...after being sorted and passing through our first year with Exceeding Expectations and Outstandings....families started coming forward. Apparently now ready to claim their lost child, sibling, grandchild, cousin, niece, or nephew. Our big community was shattered into pieces. These pieces contained small groups now, of 3 or 4 students. But there were a few that remained larger. Several groups contained 5 or more. Despite being in different houses, they remained close. The groups were gendered and everyone was now within only 1 to 4 years within the age of each other. Funny enough, no one separated based on powers or blood status, we remained mixed in that notion. It was a nightmare however, pranks started and the pranks turned into prank wars. I don’t know how it could have happened. Everyone who was one so close refused to acknowledge each other in halls. Referring to each other by last names now that they officially knew what they were. 

Not everyone was at each other's throats though. But they all still pranked nonetheless. Bangtan Boys are the prime example of that. Sometimes intermingling with EXO or GOT7, but a majority of the time, they kept to their own close group. Kim Seokjin- Ravenclaw.... is the oldest, kept their pranks from starting all-out wars with Healing Magic. Min Yoongi- Slytherin..... is the second oldest and the calmest looking, but he has a tendency towards darkness with Runes, Blood Magic, and Incantations. Jung Hoseok- Hufflepuff..... next being the brightest of the group, has an affinity for Natural Magic. Kim Namjoon- Ravenclaw..... is by far the most level headed, the balance of light and dark with Incantations and Conjuring. Park Jimin- Hufflepuff....flirts and likes to dance with the darkness but is light, with Dream Magic and Illusion Magic. Kim Taehyung- Slytherin.... is the lightest grey of magic I have ever seen, with Elemental Magic, Healing Magic, and Obscured Magic. Lastly, there is Jeon Jungkook- Gryffindor, he was my best friend and my big brother, he has Natural Magic, Incantations, and Potions. All were from my community but we might as well be strangers now.

It was also this year that many of the non-orphaned students began to display their affinities. Lily’s was Dance Rituals and Incantations. Tulip began displaying an affinity for Dance Rituals, Healings, and Chemical Magic. Rose showed signs of Matter Magic and Potions, but she had a clear affinity for Dance Rituals.

My third year at Hogwarts started with an awkward confrontation on the Hogwarts Express while Lily, Tulip, and Rose were visiting other compartments to find Hugo. I was on my own in the compartment when a group of four girls came into and huddled around me.

“Listen Y/N. You are one of the few from a community in our year that hasn’t chosen a group yet. We can’t accept this. We are offering you a chance to join us. I know we weren’t the closest in the community but we were always nice to each other then.”

“She’s right Y/N. We are stronger in numbers. Loners get picked on easily and you don’t want a target on your back.”

“We want to look out for you. Especially since the Bangtan Boys have nothing to do with any girls since they formed.”

“You were just a pet to them Y/N. But it’s girl versus guys now. You don’t want to be one of the few girls getting snagged and dropped like the rumors we’ve heard.”

I could only laugh as I looked at these weak girls. Two Healing Magic, a Dream Magic, and an Incantation. They may mince their words and play at being the hero they feel I need. But they know better.....They know much better...

“You think you can help me? That I need your help?”

The room was suddenly icy, but it did not bother me. They all turned from warm and falsely pleasant to growling annoyance.

“Y/N you need to choose us. Who else is going to take you?”

“Bangtan Boys? Oh please, they are boys. What use would you be to them except for another toy?”

“The way I hear it, Karen, all her other friends who left her were their toys too.”

“No-no Rebecca, they only wanted to get close to the guys for their powers. Those boys are among the strongest of us.”

“All of you shush. As if Y/N wouldn’t accept our offer. No one has made one to you before right? We are the firsts and the only ones interested in your barely existing ass. So, why don’t you show some respect and say thank you for letting you join us?”

The icy cold became very bitter and the girls were suddenly shivering. My emotions got the better of my mind. I let them seep out to give a warning through the temperature in the room. Would harming these selfish bullies be worth it? Would it be worth the questioning? 

I arouse from my thoughts to the sensation of a stinging on my face. Karen was it, had taken advantage of my momentary lapse in thought and actually slapped me. Fucking Karen. Abruptly I stood and they jumped slightly but tried to maintain their illusion of dominance over me.

“And just what are you going to do?”

“You’re a weakling.”

“You excel in classes but you perform each spell and incantation so basically.“

“Is there anything special about you at all?”

“I doubt it, Cameron. Look at her. Thick, round face and eyes. Doey-eyed. Innocent little orphan baby with no relatives to claim her.”

“More like, no one would want to come forward to claim her. The only people who would ever want her are already de-”

Physically, my magic threw Cameron into the window of the train. A small crack and indention in the glass from where her body hit it. Instantly, Karen went to her side and pulled her up. Through this distraction, I began to make my way to my compartment door when Shelly screamed at me,

  “If you walk out that door, you’re no longer one of us. You’ll be one of them and that means I’ll treat you like one of them.”

A switch flipped and looking directly out of my compartment window I could see his worried eyes. Those eyes that refused to look my way since last year and all I could do is smile in that way that always scared him when we were growing up in the community. Sending a wink his way, I flicked two fingers and the shades to the compartment were drawn. Turning, I faced the girls with this smile and all illusions of grandeur were gone from their faces and eyes. My magic: Obscured, Natural/Elemental, Conjuring, Chemical, and Dream. I am a dark gray that borders dark and sometimes, the dark likes to snuff out the little grey there is in me. As Rebecca, Shelly, Cameron, and fucking Karen were about to learn. Yes, it is worth it.

At the sorting feast of my third year, I felt seven pairs of eyes on me. He told Bangtan. Of course, he did and now they’ll be watching me again. But it’s not like they care. It’s because of their fear. Kim Seokjin was sitting only several seats away from me. Observing. Min Yoongi was watching me from his seat at the Slytherin table, waiting to strike if needed it seemed. The others were merely glancing at me throughout the meal. 

It was the following morning that I became the talk of the Great Hall. Three black Ravens, carrying several house sigils, approached the Ravenclaw table and landed in front of me. Lily looked at me with sorrow and Rose and Tulip with curiosity. The three sigils in front of me were from The Most Ancient and Noble House of Ravenclaw, The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, and The Most Ancient House of Lestrange. 

[drarryangels]

I’m a new follower and I love your acc. You don’t have to do this but- an au where every student gets re-sorted each year because morals change. Most people stay in the same house their whole life, but there’s an occasional ravenclaw turned hufflepuff. Harry has always been almost sorted into slytherin, and every year he turned down, getting placed in Gryffindor. By eighth year he just doesn’t care anymore and imagine Draco Malfoy’s reaction when the golden boy gets sorted into his house.

Thank you so much for this prompt! It was really interesting to think about, and I definitely think the re-Sorting would’ve made more sense for canon but you know whatever. Sorry this is so late!! It took me foreeeever to write this. Hope you like it.

ps. if someone knows how answer box things work pls message me and lmk. srsly. idk how to do the keep reading and tags on ask box prompts. 

Year 1:

“Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.” A pointy faced boy held out his hand to Harry.

“I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks,” Harry said, glaring up at Malfoy.

Malfoy sniffed and walked away just as a tall woman with a tight bun strode up to the top of the stairs.

“We are ready for you,” she said, smiling stiffly, and beckoning the crowd of tiny first years after her.

Harry’s stomach churned with anticipation in what was awaiting him wherever this strict teacher was taking them. Professor McGonagall, he thought her name was. In any case, he was just hoping he wasn’t going to get kicked out of school before the first day of classes. It seemed likely for someone like him. He had never been worth much. Although, maybe he could change that here, away from the Dursleys and his old school.

Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a set of large oak doors and turned to smile slightly at the first years before pushing the doors open.

Harry’s eyes widened as the doors opened, revealing a great hall full of students. Four long tables lined the room, with one table heading the room, where the teachers must sit. Every table was heavily laden with glimmering plates and sparkling silverware, the likes of which Harry had never seen. Mass amounts of staring eyes lasered down on Harry, making his face flush up in a wave of heat. His vision waved and dotted in front of him with the heat of the eyes, and he looked down hurriedly at his feet.

“Potter, Harry,” Professor McGonagall said after a long list of names.

Harry looked down even further at his feet, wishing desperately for everyone to disappear. Or, even better, for himself to disappear. Unfortunately, no such thing happened, and Harry walked up slowly to Professor McGonagall, where she held a mangy, trembling hat.

Malfoy’s snickering whisper followed Harry all the way up until he sat on the stool in front of the whole student body. Harry’s knees knocked shakily as the hat was put down over his eyes.

“Hmmm,” a rough voice sounded in his ear. It took Harry a moment before he realized the voice belonged to the hat speaking to him in his head. “Not Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff? No… too much desire to prove yourself. In that case, Slytherin would be a good choice.”

“Not Slytherin, please,” Harry whispered.

“Not Slytherin, eh?” the hat responded.

“Not Slytherin.”

“Well, alright then, better be… GRYFFINDOR!”

Harry sighed in relief and nearly ran down to the Gryffindor table to sit next to the new red haired friend he had made, the one with the big family. Oh, yeah. Ron.

Harry smiled as the Sorting finished up. Malfoy had gotten Slytherin, of course. He really was going to turn out rotten.

Year 2:

“I can’t believe we didn’t get expelled,” Harry muttered to Ron, climbing up the stairs to the common room.

“Me neither,” Ron said, his mouth still full of the sandwiches Professor McGonagall had given them.

The two walked in silence along the corridors of Hogwarts up to the common room until a familiar nasty smirk caught Harry’s eye as they passed the passageway that split up to the Ravenclaw tower.

“Malfoy,” Harry said flatly.

“Potter,” Malfoy snorted. “Enjoy your ride to Hogwarts?”

Harry started forward, but Malfoy stepped back, the green crest on his robes flashing up at Harry. Harry shook his head and walked away with one last glare thrown over his shoulder.

“Doesn’t surprise me a bit he got Slytherin again,” Ron said, finally finished with his sandwiches.

“Again?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Ron nodded, “we’re all re-Sorted every year, although the older students are Sorted separately from the first years. Wish I knew where but…” Ron trailed down, looking down at the snapped wand held in his hand.

“It’ll be alright, Ron,” Harry said, pulling him along to hurry up to Gryffindor tower. Ron scoffed as he was dragged along.

“There you two are,” Hermione said from behind them as they reached the portrait hole.

“Hermione!” Ron said, his face lifting.

“Save it, Ronald. I know what happened.”

“Hermione,” Harry began, “what are you doing here?”

“Waiting up for you,” Hermione sniffed. “You can’t as well get into the common room without the password, now can you?”

Harry and Ron looked down at their feet. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled slightly.

“Come on, boys. McGonagall is waiting to re-Sort you. Honestly. She’s been sitting on my armchair for the last half hour.”

Once Harry was sat down on a chair with the Sorting Hat on his head and more than a few eyes watching carefully, the Sorting Hat began again.

“Mr. Potter. Still want Gryffindor, yes?”

“Er..yes. Not Slytherin.”

“Gryffindor,” the hat said tiredly to the room.

Year 3:

“Not Sly-”

“Not Slytherin. I got it Potter,” the Sorting Hat grumbled. “Can’t understand why you hate it so much. Never thought I’d say this to you, but you’re sounding a little prejudiced.”

Me? Prejudiced? Harry thought.

“Yes, you. I’m sure the Weasleys have told you plenty about Slytherins, but foul wizards end up in all Houses, Potter. You would do well to remember that.”

What do you mean?

“Better be….”

No, wait!

“GRYFFINDOR!”

A collective whoop rose up from the Gryffindors as Harry walked out of the side room and took his usual place at the Gryffindor table.

Ron was already seated and was happily chattering with Seamus about his summer holidays in Egypt, while Dean dozed off with his head propped on Seamus’s arm.

Hermione walked out of the side room, her face tipped with crimson, and Harry waved her over, hoping for someone to talk to. Hermione gave him a small wave as she walked straight past him.

Huh? Did Hermione not want to sit next to him? Harry was trying to think of what he might’ve done wrong when Hermione sat by herself at the Ravenclaw table. Ron had stopped talking and was staring gobsmacked at where Hermione was now sitting.

“You’re joking me,” Ron said, stunned.

Harry just stared.

“I mean we all knew she would end up there, I suppose,” Ron said with his mouth still hanging open. “But still. Some part of me thought she would always be in Gryffindor.”

“Yeah,” Harry muttered. He looked down at his empty plate. A sinking feeling filled Harry’s stomach. Anticipation for this year climbed up his throat as he realized how different this year would be without Hermione over their shoulders in the common room constantly. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice when Draco Malfoy emerged from the side re-Sorting room and sat down across from Hermione at the Ravenclaw table.

Ron noticed though.

“But that’s Draco Malfoy,” he gasped.

Harry looked, and sure enough, Hermione was glaring at Draco from across the Ravenclaw table.

He looked at her, said something, and then looked down.

Ron started up from the table, but Harry grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down.

“No, Ron. Look.”

Draco Malfoy was shaking hands with Hermione Granger from across the table. He wasn’t smiling, but when his robes shimmered and changed from green to blue, he didn’t look completely displeased either.

Harry thought about what the Sorting Hat had said to him about not all bad wizards being Slytherin. This year really was going to be different.

Year 4:

“I don’t know why you two have got your knickers in such a twist,” Hermione said with annoyance as they filed into the re-Sorting room once again. “I thought last year went fine even when we were in different houses. We just spent less time in our common rooms, and more time in the library.”

“I wouldn’t consider that an improvement,” Ron grumbled. He was lucky Hermione hadn’t quite heard him.

“Look,” Hermione said. “Ron, I know you’re upset about this because of Draco-”

“Draco?” Ron’s face was full of disgust.

“Yes, Draco,” Hermione glared. “I don’t know why you’re so fussed about it. Even him and Harry are polite now. Granted, they’re not friends. But they’re civil at least. Why can’t you give him a chance?”

“Are you kidding?” Ron said, his voice rising. “He called you a- a you-know-what, and is a jerk! He tormented us first and second year! You can just ignore that?”

“He apologized! You don’t know what it’s like for him!” Hermione huffed.

“Oh, I sure don’t. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be hopelessly rich and to have everything I need whenever I need it.”

“Ron,” Hermione said in a warning voice.

“Seriously, Hermione! He’s like your new best friend or something!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Hermione said, color rising quickly on her face. “You two are my best friends. No one’s going to replace you. You know that. He’s just a friend. Among some of my other Ravenclaw friends. You don’t complain about them!”

“Because they’re not evil!”

“He’s not like that anymore, Ron,” Harry said quietly.

Ron fell quiet. “You too, then?” Harry stayed silent until Ron stormed off.

Draco Malfoy chose that moment to walk by and wave at Hermione. He sent a nod in Harry’s direction, who returned the gesture.

“Long year ahead of us, hm?” Hermione said, looking after Ron.

“I’ve got a feeling,” Harry nodded.

Year 5:

“Mate, you’ve got to stop going on about these invisible creatures,” Ron said across Gryffindor table.

“I just want to know what they are!” Harry said, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Loony Lovegood seemed to know,” Hermione snorted around a sip of her drink. She was looking well and happy with a Gryffindor tie hung loosely around her neck.

“Leave her alone,” Malfoy said, coming to sit next to Hermione. “Hullo, Hermione.”

“Hi, Draco. I know she’s nice, but still!”

“Malfoy,” Harry nodded and took a bite of his potatoes.

“Potter,” Malfoy said. “Weasley.”

Ron grunted and Malfoy raised his eyebrows and looked away.

“Lovely Sorting this year, wasn’t it?” Malfoy asked.

“Happy to be back in Slytherin, huh?” Ron said.

“Perfectly fine either way, thank you very much. Although I will be happy to avoid my father’s wrath this year,” Malfoy said.

Harry looked up sharply and stared at Malfoy at that.

“Your father’s wrath?” Harry asked, leaning forward subconsciously. Hermione nudged Harry in the side, although he didn’t seem to get the hint.

“Yes, Potter. My father’s wrath. Unlike your perfect life, we can’t all avoid being hit by our parents at the very slight of their whim,” Malfoy said offhandedly while reaching for the jug of pumpkin juice. Ron choked and Harry stared. Hermione put her hands over her face with a sigh.

“My perfect life?” Harry said.

“Yes,” Malfoy said sarcastically. “You, Potter. I know you really have it bad over there.”

“Malfoy. I live with my Muggle uncle and aunt.”

“I’m well aware,” Malfoy rolled his eyes.

“They….” Harry hesitated.

“What, Potter?” Malfoy finally set his utensils down to look at Harry. “Spit it out.”

“They hit me, too. You shouldn’t assume things you don’t know about people’s lives,” Harry said quietly.

Hermione had stopped cold in her movements and Ron’s face was rapidly turning purple.

“Why did you never tell us?” Hermione said softly.

“Didn’t seem important,” Harry shrugged. Ron gripped his fork tighter.

“Oh boys,” Hermione closed her eyes and set one hand down over Malfoy’s hand and the other over Harry’s. “Less trouble this year, okay?”

“Sure, Hermione,” Harry said with a growing smile.

Year 6:

Harry sat down heavily on the stool he had sat on every year since coming to Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat was set on his head, and for the first time, it didn’t slip over his eyes. He closed his eyes anyway, squeezing them tightly until the Sorting Hat yelled out Gryffindor after a long deliberation.

“Where’s Malfoy?” Harry asked Hermione as he passed her seat at the Ravenclaw table. Hermione shrugged and pointed to the Slytherin table.

Malfoy sat completely alone with his head on his arms and a sad look etched into his features.

“What’s up with him?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know,” Hermione sighed, standing up from the Ravenclaw table to join them at the Gryffindor table.

“Ravenclaw again?” Ron asked as she sat down.

“Yeah,” Hermione said.

“Where’s Draco?” Harry asked, looking around. A strange streak of nervousness spiked through his stomach.

“Slytherin table,” Hermione said. “He’s been ignoring me.” She shook her head and looked down with a distinct expression of concern.

“Ignoring you?” Harry said, still scanning the tables.

“Harry…. Are you…” Hermione paused. “Are you blushing?”

“Me? Blushing? No!” Harry stammered. But his face only heated up more and the nervousness settled into Harry’s stomach.

“Oh my god! He totally is!” Ron let out a bellow of laughter.

“Shut up!” Harry shoved Ron off his seat.

“Oh, Draco!” Harry called, standing up and waving as Draco’s blonde hair bobbed past the Gryffindor table in green robes.

“What do you want, filthy half blood?” Draco snarled as he passed. Harry sat down with a plunk and expression of shock.

“Draco?” said Ron, stunned.

“Don’t want to hear it, blood traitor.”

“Did he just…?” said Hermione.

“I thought he was….you know, on our side,” Ron said.

Harry sat blankly in his seat, his eyes following Draco across the Great Hall, and a look of sharp pain in his eyes.

With another swish of green robes, Draco was gone.

Year 7:

“I miss being at Hogwarts,” Hermione said. “All of the magic and wonder.”

“I miss the food,” Ron sighed.

“Oh, Ronald,” Hermione rolled her eyes. She looked over at Harry out of the corner of here eye. “Harry you’re going to have to talk to us at some point.”

Harry shrugged from his seat on the armchair where he was curled with his chin on his knees.

“Look,” Hermione knelt by the foot of Harry’s chair. “I know… I know you’re upset about Dumbledore still. And I know…that you miss Draco. And that you feel betrayed by what he did, but-”

“Please stop speaking to me as if I’m your patient, Hermione,” Harry turned his head away.

“Harry…”

“Please, Hermione.”

“Harry, you need to talk about how you’re feeling!”

“I’m scared, Hermione!” Harry sat up. “For him. I knew he got the Dark Mark, and he wouldn’t talk to me all year. Avoided me at every turn. Shoved me away. Every time. We had actually become friends, and he couldn’t even look me in the face. Now I can’t stop thinking about him at Hogwarts, surrounded by darkness and evil that he’s a part of!”

“Mate, he made his choice and you made yours,” Ron said. “I’m sorry to say this, and I get that you liked him, but you really need to get over that now.”

Harry shrugged and buried his face back in his knees. Hermione sat down next to Ron with a groan and leaned over.

“He loved him. You get that, don’t you? Harry loved Draco,” Hermione whispered.

“Loves him, more like,” Ron snorted.

“Sh! Either way. I don’t think he can get over him,” Hermione put her head in her hands.

“He’s going to have to.”

Year 8:

“It is wonderful to have you all back,” McGonagall  stood regally in front of the High Table. “Although we have experienced trying times for many years, our world, and your education, is now safe once more. Our annual re-Sorting for each year will take place in the same locations as always. First years are on their way, and their first Sorting will be witnessed by the whole student body. I’m sure some of you have noticed by now that we have some old faces for an extra year. An additional eighth year has been added on for those who missed out on their education the previous year.” McGonagall sniffed. “Let the re-Sorting commence?”

The freshly minted eighth years filed into the same old room for re-Sorting that they always had and waited quietly for the Sorting Hat to reach their room. Some quiet chattering filled the room, but for the most part, it was silent.

Harry could see Draco in the corner of the room. Thin and tired looking, with bruises under his eyes. Harry thought he would be angry when he saw Draco again, but there was nothing but the familiar swooping of his stomach and the flushing of his skin. It was almost infuriating how through everything, his reaction to Draco remained the same. Harry looked away quickly when McGonagall finally entered the room.

He waited patiently while the rest of his classroom was re-Sorted, most staying in the Houses they had always been in. Hermione was back in Gryffindor, which she seemed very happy about with Ron at her side. Neville also remained in Gryffindor, and Draco stayed in Slytherin. A nasty look flashed across his face when the Sorting Hat called Slytherin, but it was so fast that Harry was half convinced he had imagined it.

After what felt like hours, Harry’s name was called. The feeling of the Sorting Hat being set on his head was all too familiar.  

“Ah, Harry Potter yet again,” the Sorting Hat said, “vanquisher of the Dark Lord.”

It’s not all glory.

“Of course not. So what will it be this year? Gryffindor again?” the Sorting Hat sneered.

Harry left his mind blank for a moment.

To be honest, I really don’t care anymore.

“Really?” the Hat said interestedly. “Even if I said Slytherin?”

You know better than I do.

“Finally you admit it,” the Hat laughed. “SLYTHERIN!”

Harry opened his eyes to the stunned faces of his remaining classmates. Ron and Hermione both had their mouths wide open, and Neville had dropped his latest potted plant.

“Slytherin?” Harry heard someone mutter.

Harry’s eyes met Draco’s. His skin was whiter than usual, and his hands hung loose at his sides. His mouth was opening and closing as if he was choking on his own air.

“Hi,” Harry said, coming to stand in front of Draco.

“You’re in Slytherin,” Draco said, his voice scratchy.

“The Sorting Hat has been trying to put me in there for years,” Harry smiled a little stiffly.

The two stood in silence in front of each other until Draco finally looked down.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Harry stood in silence, his eyes widening. “I did it to protect Hermione, and Weasley, and… you. I thought if I stayed away, they wouldn’t come after you. But then once I was there, they offered me so much. I was so stupid.” Draco threw his head back in annoyance with himself. “I thought they would really give me what they promised. Safety, happiness, riches, fame. And then those things never came and,” Draco’s voice came quicker, “and then they were threatening me, and hurting me, and I couldn’t back out. It was too late. I already had the Mark.”

“It’s okay,” Harry said quietly.

“No, it’s not,” Draco said.

“No, I guess you’re right,” Harry said. “It’s not okay. But I forgive you.”

Harry stepped a little closer and cautiously wrapped his arms around Draco in a hug. Draco straightened for a second before he hugged Harry back with loose arms. Harry held him a little closer and smiled.

Maybe this year, things might actually go the way Harry wanted them to.

[ladyhallen]

Mermaid AU part 5

Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6

Professor Snape was the only teacher who didn’t adjust to Amy’s disability, given that he pretended she didn’t exist.

The Gryffindors, who had adopted her, tended to hex people who insulted her with extreme prejudice.

Naturally, this would cause an explosion. In the literal fashion, because Neville was loyal but a bit of a klutz with potions.

Amy got very very good at dodging exploding potions.

.

.

There was an unexpected side-effect in being adopted by a pack of feral Gryffindors.

People couldn’t really bad mouth her in the vicinity of said pack of feral Gryffindors without some repercussions.

Except.

Everyone seemed to forget that Hermione was a Gryffindor.  

And one unfortunate Ravenclaw said in Hermione’s hearing, “Why can’t Potter find a spell to use for her mouth. I can’t understand her!”

The Ravenclaw’s friends spotted Hermione and frantically tapped on her friends shoulder, but the Ravenclaw continued obliviously, “It’s not even attractive to look at!”

Hermione’s hair got bushier the ever, almost sparking with magic.  

“Excuse me,” Hermione said with a nice smile, making the speaker jump in surprise and everyone else around them freeze. “What were you saying about my friend?”

They looked at Hermione’s Gryffindor tie and seemed to want to melt to the ground.

“Because honestly, that you can’t understand my friend is not on her, it’s on you,” Hermione said, still smiling. It looked less like smiling and more like a baring of teeth. Her front teeth, which had seemed a bit big at a first glance, looked incredibly sharp and perfect for tearing out throats. “She’s speaking a different language, and if you want to understand her, you can learn the it yourself.”

Ron, who had already received that lecture from Percy, nodded sternly.

“And you call yourself Ravenclaws,” Ron added blithely.

All Ravenclaws listening in stiffened, House loyalty making them all outraged.

The two friends swept off, not noticing that they’d left a near riot behind them.

Within a week, Amy was delighted to discover that she could talk to a lot more people than before.

.

.

Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall were her favorites and the reason was that both of them stayed after hours to help her with her spellwork.

She had finally understood what emotion was needed for Charms, but Transfiguration tended to go with whatever object she needed to transfigure.

“It’s difficult, but I think I got it now, Professor,” Amy signed. Both of them had learned basic signing just for the efficiency in communications. Privately, she thought Flitwick just liked the challenge.

“You’re learning this faster than your mother, Ms. Potter,” Professor Flitwick said. “She could speak, but she had the same problems with emotions needed in spells like you.”

Which was weird, but maybe it was a bloodline thing? Amy wanted to know, but she couldn’t possibly ask anyone but Aunt Petunia...never mind.

“Thanks Professor!” she signed happily.

.

.

Hagrid invited her over to tea and Amy was pleased to ask if she could also invite Hermione and Ron.

The two people who were her first friends, who made her stay in Hogwarts the best thing in the world and made it home.

“You settling in okay?” Hagrid asked.  

Hermione and Ron had squeaked and stiffened in terror when they saw him in daylight. Then they saw his smile through his bushy beard and the kindness in his eyes and unwound.

“She says she’s fine,” Ron translated. “But spells are hard.”

“Aye, your mother had the same problem,” Hagrid nodded, repeating what Professor Flitwick had said. “She could cast charms like Merlin himself, but let her try out Transfiguration, and she’d turn red as her hair.”

“How does that happen?” Hermione asked. “Because I’ve never heard anyone else having this problem.”

Ron looked uncomfortable. Hagrid exchanged a glance with him and said, “Well, usually wizards who have that problem have a ... mix, somewhere in their bloodline.”

Amy already knew she was a mermaid, but she had never considered the implications of why that was.

“Is that common?” she asked.

“It’s more common than you think,” Ron told her. “If you look really closely, you can sort of tell. But your blood must be really strong.”

The mermaid thing was unsaid in front of Hagrid. Some secrets were still too new to be said around other people.

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re a freak,” Hagrid told her sternly. “I figure someone’s been telling you stuff like that. But no, you’re not a freak, Amy. You’re precious and wonderful.”

Amy hugged Hagrid extra tight when they left and the man’s hands were gentle on her shoulders.

.

.

Amy received her first Christmas presents, and among them was an invisibility cloak that made Ron look incredibly shocked.

“It must be an heirloom, it looks incredibly old. And that’s expensive, because they don’t last that long,” Ron explained.

An invisibility cloak!

All of a sudden, the entirety of Hogwarts lay before them for exploration.

“Wanna go anywhere?” she signed, looking excited.

Ron’s smile reminded her that yes, he was related to the Weasley Twins.

“Let’s visit abandoned classrooms and see if they got anything interesting?” he asked.

They had a week more of Christmas break.

Amy was incredibly interested in what all those other classrooms had that got them abandoned in the first place.

And with that, both of them stumbled on the Mirror of Erised on the second night of exploration.

.

.

The following asked to be tagged:

@hi-pot-and-news, @north-peach, @ruelukas22 and @tomoe-san

[aidanchaser]

Harry Potter and the  Half-Blood Prince: Everyone Lives AU

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero, @magic713m, @ccboomer, @somebodyswatson, and Aubs

Chapter Eleven Hermione’s Helping Hand

Hermione Granger was easily stressed, and this year’s lessons were exacerbating that particular flaw of hers. Each day felt as if she was cramming weeks of content into her head, and the subject matter itself was more complex than she was used to. Transfiguration theory was growing far more challenging than her Arithmancy classes, which were already complex enough. Nonverbal spells were expected in all lessons, which while challenging, was not as frustrating as Harry’s new-found success in Potions.

Hermione believed in concrete, factual, evidence-based research. It was why Divination had been such a struggle for her. Divination created patterns where there were none and broke rules it created itself. It was why Hermione loved Arithmancy, because all theories were observable and provable. Potions was supposed to be more like Arithmancy. She followed the instructions, she learned about ingredients, their properties, and how those properties interacted with each other. To find that this Half-Blood Prince, and by extension Harry, suddenly knew more than she could learn from her textbook did not make sense to her. This was why Harry’s success bothered her. It had nothing to do with jealousy nor frustration that her usual position as top of the class was crumbling beneath her.

At least, despite her struggles to keep up with Harry in Potions, Slughorn had easily picked her out as one of his best students. It felt nice to be recognized for her hard work in Potions, for a change. The tradeoff was that Defense Against the Dark Arts was more challenging than ever, but Hermione was slowly getting a grasp of nonverbal spells, and a lot of her success was a result of Harry’s teaching. It was surprising to see Harry struggle in Defense, a subject he was usually at the top of. Hermione was certain that it had less to do with a nonverbal spell-block and more to do with a Snape-block.

Snape wasn’t the only professor they were having issues with. Hagrid was no longer speaking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. At least, he pretended not to hear their greetings at mealtimes. None of them had yet gathered up the courage to tell Hagrid they hadn’t had an interest in taking Care of Magical Creatures at the N.E.W.T. level, and it had clearly upset Hagrid.

“We’ve got to go and explain,” she said at breakfast that Saturday morning.

Ron made a noise of protest around his orange juice. He swallowed and said, “We’ve got Quidditch tryouts this morning. And we’re supposed to be practicing that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?”

It was Hermione’s turn to whine in protest. “We didn’t hate it!”

“Speak for yourself, I haven’t forgotten the skrewts. And I’m telling you now, we’ve had a narrow escape. You didn’t hear him going on about his gormless brother at the Welcome Feast — we’d have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we’d stayed.”

“I hate not talking to Hagrid,” said Hermione, looking upset.

Harry, eyes focused on his plate and studiously ignoring Ron and Hermione, managed to interject with, “We’ll go down after Quidditch.” He put his fork down and ran his hands through his hair suddenly. “But trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied. I dunno why the team’s this popular all of a sudden.”

Hermione, though she could tell how nervous he was, rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Harry. It’s not Quidditch that’s popular — it’s you! You’ve never been more interesting, and frankly, you’ve never been more fanciable.” She glared briefly at Ron as he choked on a foolishly large bite of his kipper. “Everyone knows you’ve been telling the truth now, don’t they? The whole Wizarding World has had to admit you were right about Voldemort being back and now that they’re calling you ‘The Chosen One’ — well, come on, can’t you see why people are fascinated by you? And you’ve been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway —”

“You can still see where those brains got a hold of me in the Ministry, look,” Ron interrupted.

“And it doesn’t hurt,” Hermione pressed on, “that you’ve grown about a foot over the summer either.”

“I’m tall,” Ron said.

Before Hermione could remind Ron that it was Harry who needed cheering just now, the post arrived. Two square brown packages thudded to the table in front of Ron and Harry while a rolled up copy of the Daily Prophet arrived for Hermione.

As she unrolled her paper, she saw Ron peel back the brown paper to reveal, Advanced Potion-Making.

“Oh good!” said Hermione. “Now you can give that graffitied copy back.”

Harry laughed. “Are you mad? I’m keeping it! Look, I’ve thought it out.” He pulled the wretched and abused cheater’s guide to Potions out of his bag and tapped the cover of his book with a muttered spell. The cover fell off neatly, and Hermione strangled a gasp. Then he did the exact same thing to his new book. He swapped the covers, said a quick, “Reparo!” and had two books sitting neatly in front of them, undamaged. One with a pristine cover, straight from Flourish and Blotts, but with insides scribbled on and marred with ink, and the other looking worn and battered, but with freshly printed insides.

“I’ll give Slughorn back the new one,” Harry said, tossing both books into his bag. “Now he’s got a brand new copy to lend to students, and I can keep this old thing.”

Hermione wished that she had power as a prefect to take the book away, but short of telling Slughorn — which she would never do — she could not stop Harry. With as much distaste on her face as she could muster, she disappeared behind the Daily Prophet.

“Anyone we know dead?” Ron asked, as if he were asking her to pass the pitcher.

Hermione hastily scanned the front page. Only one name jumped out at her. “No — but there have been more dementor attacks. And an arrest.”

“Excellent,” said Harry. “Who?”

“Stan Shunpike.”

“What?”

Hermione read the article to them. “‘Stanley Shunpike, conductor on the popular Wizarding conveyance the Knight Bus, has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Mr Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night after a raid on his Clapham home.”

“Stan Shunpike, a Death Eater?” Harry’s voice was still full of disbelief. “No way!”

“He might have been put under the Imperius Curse,” Ron suggested. “You can never tell.”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Hermione said, though she wished she could deliver Harry better news. “It says here he was arrested after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters’ secret plans in a pub. If he was under the Imperius Curse, he’d hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?”

“It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did,” said Ron.

“I dunno what they’re playing at,” Harry said, his disbelief taking on a darker tone, “taking Stan seriously.”

Hermione chewed on her lower lip. “They probably want to look as though they’re doing something. People are terrified. You know the Patils’ parents want them to go home? And Eloise Midgen has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night.”

“What!” Ron gaped at her. “But Hogwarts is safer than their homes, bound to be! We’ve got Aurors, and all those extra protective spells — and we’ve got Dumbledore.”

Hermione, though she largely agreed with Ron, glanced at the staff table and Dumbledore’s empty chair. “I don’t think we’ve got him all the time. Haven’t you noticed? His seat’s been empty as often as Hagrid’s this past week. I think he’s left the school to do something with the Order. I mean… it’s all looking serious, isn’t it?”

Harry and Ron looked down at their plates, and Hermione wished she’d chosen different words. Of course to them it had been serious for much longer, hadn’t it? Their parents were in the Order. She may have spent a summer at Grimmauld Place and a summer with Ron, but she didn’t spend her year worrying that Death Eaters would attack her parents in the middle of the night or while they were out shopping. Caught in a Muggle attack, perhaps, but not targeted. It would be nothing like what happened to Mr Weasley last Christmas or to Mr and Mrs Potter last summer. Or to Hannah Abbot, who had just been pulled out of Herbology because her mother had been found dead.

Their meal was quiet after that. Hermione decided to abandon her homework and support Ron and Harry at Quidditch tryouts that morning. She felt it was important to stay with them, even if she would end up sitting in the stands alone.

On their walk through the light rain, they passed Lavender Brown, who paused her conversation with Parvati to give Ron a wide smile and a wave. The dour mood of breakfast hardened into sharp relief and Hermione glared at the stadium ahead of them in lieu of glaring at Ron’s foolhardy strut or Lavender’s overly giddy smile. When they reached the Quidditch Pitch, she left the boys for the stands without comment.

Hermione did not count the number of applicants on the pitch, but it seemed to her that at least half of Gryffindor had turned up, and even a handful of non-Gryffindors. At least this year the Slytherins hadn’t turned up to heckle the players.

Harry quickly whittled through the hopefuls by giving them a basic flying test. First years, a few Hufflepuffs, a pair of Ravenclaws, a group of giggling girls comprised of all three houses, and a handful of incompetent fliers were sent from the pitch without getting their feet up off the ground.

The stands, which had been occupied by just Hermione, the Patil twins, Lavender, Sophie and Sally, and a few seventh years who might have been friends with Katie Bell, quickly filled with the removed competition. The giggling of girls each time Harry blew his whistle never ceased.

Those who had been deemed flight-capable stood on the edge of the pitch, just below Hermione’s bench. She could hear each of their hopeful comments and a few gushing comments about Harry’s brilliantly green eyes. She had her own opinions about who was right for Harry, but she at least trusted that Harry had the sense to know who was wrong for him.

She also overheard Cormac McLaggan make several comments about Ginny as she flew in the first group of Chasers that made Hermione’s ears red. They were mostly connected to how she rode her broom, and other things she might ride. He wasn’t terribly kind about Ron, either, nor the Weasley’s reputation for sympathizing with Muggles and struggling with money. Hermione thought that if Harry was sitting beside her, he would have hexed the mouth off of McLaggan.

It took Harry nearly two hours, but he managed to work his way through the group of players with relative efficiency. He took them in groups: first the Chasers, from which he selected Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, and Ginny Weasley; next the Beaters, which he narrowed down to Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote; and finally, the Keepers.

Hermione wished Harry had done the Keepers first, but instead the stands had filled with not only the dismissed applicants but also plenty of other students who had found that they had nothing better to do after a late Saturday breakfast than heckle the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

To make matters worse, while each of the other applicants saved perhaps two goals out of the five chances they were given, Cormac McLaggen was on track for a perfect record. Ginny, Demelza, and Katie lobbed Quaffles at the hoops and McLaggen blocked the first, the second, the third —

When he saved the fourth, Hermione decided to lend Ron and Harry a hand. For the sake of her friends and for the sake of the Gryffindor Quidditch team she was not about to let someone like McLaggen through the tryouts. The trouble was that she wasn’t great at silent spellcasting, not yet. Perhaps it wouldn’t even work. But she was at least going to try. She put her hand on her wand, aimed as subtly as possible, and concentrated.

McLaggen shot off in the opposite direction of the Quaffle.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and tried not to look like she was cheering too hard as she clapped along with the crowd who laughed and booed in equal measure. She leaned forward as Ron took his turn. He looked so pale and unsteady on his feet, she was about to call out some encouragement to him, all coldness forgiven, when Lavender Brown, in an overly-cheerful voice and a dramatic wave shouted, “Good luck!”

Hermione buried her face in her hands.

She lifted her head just in time to catch Ron saving the first goal. She was on the edge of her seat for each one, praying, hoping, desperately for Ron to save all five. She knew Ron would be utterly miserable all year if he did not make Keeper, but more than that she wanted Ron to succeed. She may not have understood Quidditch or appreciated it the way Harry and Ron did, but she knew it was important to them, and she wanted them to be able to enjoy it, especially since last year had gone so dismally.

When Ron saved the fifth goal, Hermione was so relieved she rushed onto the Quidditch pitch.

“You did brilliantly, Ron!” she shouted.

She reached a very proud Ron, just as Harry, after a brief confrontation with McLaggen, was confirming with all of the team that their first practice would be the following Thursday. Then, as Harry had promised, the three of them headed down to Hagrid’s.

While they walked, Ron had a bounce in his step, and seemed, somehow, taller than usual.

“I thought I was going to miss that fourth penalty,” Ron said. “Tricky shot from Demelza, did you see, had a bit of a spin on it.”

Hermione could not help but grin with him. “Yes, yes, you were magnificent.”

“I was better than that McLaggen anyway. Did you see him lumbering off in the wrong direction on his fifth? Looked like he’d been Confunded.”

Hermione tried to maintain her smile, but her cheeks grew very warm. She let Ron carry on about each of his saves, just as he had after his successful Quidditch match at the end of last year. She’d known what she was getting into when she’d helped him get on the team.

Ron was still describing his fifth save when Hagrid’s boarhound, Fang, let out a loud bark that carried across the grounds and bounded over to them. His enormous paws nearly knocked Ron to the ground, and Hermione had to use her scarf to wipe his slobber from her cheeks.

“Oi!” shouted Hagrid, coming around from the back of the hut. He wore a flower-print apron over his rugged groundskeeper robes and his thick, dark beard was full of stray leaves. “Yeh mangy mutt — oh. It’s you lot.”

Hagrid took in the sight of the three students approaching his garden, then strode into his cottage without a word. He let the echo of his door slamming shut speak for him.

“Oh dear,” Hermione said. She knew Hagrid was upset with them, but she had hoped he’d at least hear them out.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Harry. “If I can talk Sirius round from one of his tantrums, I’m sure I can manage Hagrid.”

He strode up to the door and knocked as hard as he could. “Hagrid! Open up. We want to talk to you!”

Hagrid did not answer, not even as Fang barked.

“If you don’t open the door, we’ll blast it open!”

“Harry!” Hermione said, shocked to see him actually pull out his wand. “You can’t possibly —”

“Yeah, I can! Stand back!”

But before Harry could throw a spell of any kind at Hagrid’s door, Hagrid yanked the thick wooden door open. He towered at least five feet over them and glared down at them from beneath thick, bushy eyebrows

“I’m a teacher!” he shouted, though they were right in front of me. “A teacher, Potter! How dare yeh threaten ter break down my door!”

“I’m sorry, sir,” said Harry, throwing an unusual emphasis into the “sir.” Despite his cheek, he did put his wand away, to Hermione’s relief.

Hagrid was as still as if Harry had cast a Stunning Spell. “Since when have yeh called me ‘sir’?”

“Since when have you called me ‘Potter’?”

The growl in Hagrid’s chest was deep, low rumble, like distant thunder. “Very clever. Very amusin’. That’s me outsmarted, innit? Alrigh’ come in then, yeh ungrateful little…”

Whatever he was going to call them was lost as he turned away from the door to give them space to enter. Hermione’s lip trembled as she hurried in after Harry. She’d known Hagrid would be upset with them for not taking Care of Magical Creatures, but she had not expected this kind of cold treatment.

“Well?” Hagrid said as they sat down in the oversized chairs that had been squeezed into the one-room cottage. “What’s this? Feelin’ sorry for me? Reckon I’m lonely or summat?”

“No,” Harry said. “We wanted to see you.”

“We’ve missed you!” said Hermione, and she could hear her voice crack as she did.

“Missed me, have yeh? Yeah. Righ’.” Hagrid continued muttering to himself, but despite his irritation with them, he was the same host he always was. He grumbled as he took the kettle off of the fireplace and poured dark, bucketfuls of tea into enormous mugs. Hermione knew from experience that it was exceptionally bitter, but she sipped it to be polite, especially because she knew she would risk breaking a tooth if she tried one of his cakes.

“Hagrid,” she said, “we really wanted to carry on with Care of Magical Creatures, you know.”

He snorted, loud enough that Fang lifted his head from Harry’s lap to see what was the matter.

“None of us could fit it into our schedules!” she insisted. Which was, at least for her, very true. And Harry and Ron were terrible enough with time management, especially with Quidditch in their schedule.

“Yeah. Righ’,” Hagrid grunted

Hermione wanted to protest again, but a strange squishing sound in the corner distracted her. When she saw the giant barrel of slimy, wriggling, enormous pale maggots she could not help but scream. Even Ron jumped from his chair and moved to the other side of the table.

Harry was the only one who did not seem bothered. “What are they, Hagrid?”

“Jus’ giant grubs.”

Ron raised an eyebrow. “And they grow into…?”

“They won’ grow inter nuthin’,” Hagrid grunted. “I got ‘em ter feed ter Aragog.” And then he burst into tears.

“Oh! Hagrid!” Hermione hurried to his side and put an arm around him. She hardly could reach around his shoulders, but she patted his back. “What is it?”

“It’s… him…” Hagrid said between large, gulping sobs. “It’s Aragog…. I think he’s dyin’. He got ill over the summer an’ he’s not gettin’ better…. I don’ know what I’ll do if he… if he…. We’ve bin tergether so long….”

Hermione had never met Aragog, but she’d heard about him and his children from Ron and Harry, who had braved the Forbidden Forest while she was Petrified in the hospital wing. Aragog may not have tried to kill Ron and Harry, but he hadn’t done anything to stop his vast numbers of enormous spider children from trying to kill them.

“Is there — is there anything we can do?”

Ron, terribly pale, shook his head, desperately trying to avoid a commitment to helping Hagrid. They’d smuggled a baby dragon for him, raised Blast-Ended Skrewts, and tried to reason with his giant brother — not just giant in size, but a literal giant. Hermione did not blame Ron for not wanting to help with this, but Hagrid was their friend, and it seemed the polite thing to say.

Thankfully, Hagrid did not ask for their help.

“I don’ think there is, Hermione.” He wiped his cheeks with his floral print apron and blew his nose into it. “See, the rest o’ the tribe… Aragog’s family… they’re gettin’ a bit funny now he’s ill… bit restive…”

“Yeah, I think we saw a bit of that side of them,” Ron grumbled.

“... I don’ reckon it’d be safe fer anyone but me ter go near the colony at the mo’. But thanks fer offerin’ Hermione…. It means a lot….”

Hagrid blew his nose again, and they chatted about their lessons. Hermione was glad to know that there were some students at N.E.W.T. level, and Ron was eager to recount his success at Quidditch tryouts. Harry was quieter than usual, even when Defense with Snape came up. He did not mention to Hagrid that he’d earned himself a detention on his first day of lessons.

When they left Hagrid’s that evening, Harry moaned that he was starving. “And I haven’t got much time for dinner, before detention with Snape tonight….”

They walked as quickly as they could, hoping Harry could stuff something into his face before heading down to the dungeons. As they walked through the enormous castle doors, Hermione caught sight of Cormac McLaggen attempting to walk into the Great Hall. He ran into the wall on his first attempt, stepped away, puzzled, and reoriented himself to walk in. Hermione’s face grew warm and she looked at Ron, but Ron only laughed and headed into the hall himself.

Hermione, relieved, went to follow, but Harry caught her arm.

“What?” she snapped, perhaps more sharply than she’d meant to.

“If you ask me, McLaggen looks like he was Confunded this morning. And he was standing right in front of where you were sitting.”

Hermione considered lying to Harry, but though Harry was a terrible liar, he was rather gifted at knowing when he was being lied to.

“Oh, alright then, I did it,” she hissed. “But you should have heard the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny! Anyway, he’s got a nasty temper — you wouldn’t have wanted someone like that on the team.”

“No, no I suppose that’s true. But wasn’t that dishonest, Hermione? I mean, you’re a prefect, aren’t you?” But his tone wasn’t accusing. His grin said he was teasing.

“Oh, be quiet,” she snapped.

Ron reappeared in the doorway, none too happy with being ditched. “What are you two doing?”

“Nothing,” they said at once, and hurried after him.

They were nearly at the Gryffindor table when Professor Slughorn appeared so suddenly that it was as if he had Apparated, though Hermione knew he couldn’t have done.

“Harry, Harry, just the man I was hoping to see!” he said. “I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my rooms instead? We’re having a little party, just a few rising stars. I’ve got McLaggen coming and Zabini, the charming Melinda Bobbin — I don’t know whether you know her? Her family owns a large chain of apothecaries — and of course, I hope very much that Miss Granger will favour me by coming too.” Slughorn even gave her a polite little bow, though he ignored Ron entirely.

“I can’t come, Professor,” said Harry. If he had meant to sound regretful, he had failed spectacularly. “I’ve got a detention with Professor Snape.”

Slughorn’s pleasant smile turned crestfallen. “Oh dear! Dear, dear, I was counting on you, Harry! Well, now, I’ll just have to have a word with Severus and explain the situation. I’m sure I’ll be able to persuade him to postpone your detention. Yes, I’ll see you both later!”

Harry shook his head as he, Ron, and Hermione finally took their seats in the hall. “He’s got no chance of persuading Snape. This detention’s already been postponed once. Snape did it for Dumbledore, but he won’t do it for anyone else.”

Hermione could not help but whine. “Oh, I wish you could come. I don’t want to go on my own!” She did not know Melinda, but she knew McLaggen, and she was not interested in spending an entire supper with him.

“I doubt you’ll be alone,” Ron grumbled. “Ginny will probably be invited.”

Hermione thought about saying something comforting, but the Evening Prophet arrived. She quickly buried herself in its contents while she ate.

“Anything new?” asked Harry.

“Not really…. Oh!” she flattened the paper out on the table. “You’re dad’s in here, Ron — he’s alright — It just says he’s been to visit the Malfoys’ house. ‘This second search of the Death Eater’s residence does not seem to have yielded any results. Arthur Weasley of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects said that his team had been acting upon a tip-off from the Auror Department.’”

“So she did say something!” said Harry. “I told Tonks about Malfoy and that thing he was trying to get Borgin to fix. Well, if it’s not at their house, he must have brought whatever it is to Hogwarts with him.”

“But how could he have done, Harry?” Hermione folded up the newspaper. “We were all searched when we arrived, weren’t we?”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Were you? I wasn’t.”

“Oh — of course you weren’t — I forgot you were late. Well, Flich ran over all of us with Secrecy Sensors when we got into the entrance hall. Any Dark object would have been found. So you see, Malfoy can’t have brought in anything dangerous.”

“Someone’s sent it to him by owl, then” Harry suggested. “His mother or someone.”

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Harry’s persistence. “All of the owls are being checked, too. Filch told us so when he was jabbing those Secrecy Sensors everywhere he could reach.”

Harry looked to Ron for help, but Ron still looked sullen, and when Hermione followed Ron’s gaze, it ended on Lavender Brown. She buried herself back into the Evening Prophet.

“Can you think of any way Malfoy —?

“Oh, drop it, Harry,” Ron snapped.

“Listen — it’s not my fault Slughorn invited Hermione and me to his stupid party. Neither of us want to go, you know.”

“Well, as I’m not invited to any parties, I think I’ll go to bed.” Though it was ridiculously early for such a dramatic pronouncement, Ron abandoned the dinner table and left the Great Hall.

Hermione considered, briefly, going after him, but if he wanted to be hurt by something she and Harry had no control over, that was a choice he could make for himself. She and Harry ate in silence, her poring over the paper and Harry, she assumed, still trying to puzzle out how Draco Malfoy was planning to do the Dark Lord’s bidding here at Hogwarts.

When they finally got up to leave, they ran into Atalanta Shafiq, a third-year Slytherin and former member of Dumbledore’s Army.

“Harry?” she said, a little shyly.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got a message for you.”

“From Professor Slughorn?”

Though Harry had said he didn’t want to go to the party, Hermione noticed the hopeful note in his voice.

“No — from Professor Snape. He says you’re to come to his office at half-past eight tonight to do your detention — er — no matter how many party invitations you’ve received. And he wanted you to know you’ll be sorting out rotten flobberworms from good ones, to use in Potions and — and he says there’s no need to bring protective gloves.”

“Right. Thanks.”

[ffismynotsoguiltypleasure]

Isn’t there anything else to talk about?

Hi, this time I have ventured into HP universe.

Teacher/student AU.

*********************************************************************************************** After five years of attending the Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hermione Granger thought, that she was used to many of the ocurrencies of the magical world, even though she was of non-magical descent. But as it usually is, the suprises come, when you least expect them. There was no way of knowing, that her sixth year would turn out to be quite life-changing. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. That first day of September was just like any other beginning of the school year. She had breakfast with her parents, who took her to the King's Cross station in London, from where she took the train towards another school year at Hogwarts. What she didn't know however, was that the Fate had prepared for her a completely different school year, far from anything she could have imagined. And it all started that day. The train ride was relatively unveventful. Apart from patrols on the train and some snide comments from Pansy Parkinson, everything seemed fine. Hermione spend the rest of the ride with her friend Neville, trying to find his ever escaping pet toad. Upon arrival to the castle, all the students were ushered to the Great Hall to await the first years' sorting ceremony and the following feast. As ordinary as it might have seemed (she has been through it each year of her Hogwarts studies), this moment was supposed to have far more greater significance for her, but she didn't know it yet. When she entered the Great Hall, she felt unusually excited without any apparent reason. They sat at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table, but Hermione was fidgeting, as if something were bothering her. 'Hermione, are you okay?' Neville asked. 'What? Oh, sorry, I'm fine. I think it's just a little bit of stress from starting new school year, with the bigger workload due to preparation for NEWTs next year. Don't worry,' she smiled at her friend. Her eyes roamed the hall. The starry sky above them somewhat calming her. The doors opened and a group of around twenty first years entered, their looks mostly nervous, a bit scared and definitely amazed. The sorting could begin. Professor Flitwick brought a wooden stool with an old ragged pointed hat. The seam above the brim opened up and the Sorting hat started singing its song, presenting the four houses of Hogwarts, each of them enhancing a different personal quality. Then the sorting itself started with Andrews, Sonia (Ravenclaw). Hermione really tried to pay attention to the hat and the new students, but her mind simply could't focus on what was going on. It was as if she had an out-of-body experience, watching herself from afar, sitting there at the Gryffindor table with Neville and the rest of her housemates. The only thing she could really see and absorb, was a new person sitting at the teacher's table. He had dark hair, pale skin, he was wearing black robes. The bespectacled man seemed to be around his mid-twenties. He was seemingly watching the sorting, though his gaze seemed a little bit unfocused. When the sorting came to an end with the last student joining the Gryffindor table, the headmistress McGonagall stood up to give her annual speech. She stressed all the rules (do not roam the hallways at night, do not enter the Forbidden Forest, no spells in the hallways...) and after that came the time to introduce the new members of the teacher's board. 'Let me welcome between us our new professors, professor O'Connell, taking over the Astronomy classes, and professor Potter, who will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts.' In that moment all of the students started talking among themselves. No one could contain their excitement. The Boy-Who-Lived, the savior of the wizarding world would be their teacher? How is that possible? Did anyone know about it? 'Quiet, please.' McGonagall's voice echoed through the Great Hall. 'Professor Potter will be a teacher like any other in this school and I request you to treat him as such. He is by no means to be treated as a spectacle and I expect all of you to respect his privacy. Thank you.' After the final words of the headmistress, the tables filled with delicious food and the students and professors dug in. *********************************************************************************************** After the feast, Hermione helped the fifth year prefects gather all the first years to take them to their common room. Neville was waiting for her at the door, so they could walk together and talk a little before going to sleep. 'So,' Neville started hesitantly, 'what do you think?' 'About what?' Hermione asked. 'A-about the new professors?' 'Well, to be honest, even though I respect professor McGonagall, I don't think that selecting a celebrity like Harry Potter is good for the students.' 'What? Why?' surprised Neville asked. 'He beat You-Know-Who, he survived the death curse. Twice. He-' 'I know. I have read all about that in his biography and in The Great Wizards of The Current Times and Magical Society of 20th Century. But it all seems so far fetched, unreal, like he survived only by sheer dumb luck. And I'm not entirely sure that qualifies him as a suitable teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. That is all.' 'But Hermione, he worked as an auror. I'm sure he must have had some skills when it came to battling dark magic,' Neville argued. 'I guess we will see in the next DADA class.' Hermione ended their debate as they entered the Gryffindor common room. As it seemed, the new DADA professor was all the students were talking about. The boys were excited to learn new spells, guaranteed to best all their opponents, while girls were gushing about his good looks and fame. There were also some comments on his private life, but Hermione couldn't be bothered with all that. She wasn't really the type to judge the book based on its cover. She walked the stairs to enter the dorm room she shared with two more girls, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Both of them were currently sitting on their beds in their pyjamas, chatting excitedly about something. 'Hi, Hermione. How was your summer?' Parvati asked. 'Hello, it was nice, we went to France with my parents. How about yours?' 'Oh, don't even ask. My family and I went to India to visit our family there. Apparently, my great uncle was trying to set up an arranged marriage for me. He introduced us to the guy he picked, he must have been at least thirty. Ewww!' Parvati scrunched her nose. 'And how did it go in the end?' 'Well, my parents politely declined saying, they have already selected a partner for me here in Britain. Which, of course, is not true, but worked well enough to get great uncle to stop looking for suitable suitors for me.' 'What about you Lavender?' Hermione asked the other girl. 'Well, you know how it goes. We went to my grandma's and stayed there for almost the whole summer. But,' Lavender held up a finger, 'this summer there was a very yummy boy staying in the house across the street. So he made my summer a little bit more bearable.' Lavender said with a smirk. 'But let's get to the real topic of the day - what do you think of our newest addition to the teacher's board of Hogwarts?' 'Why is everyone so smitten by him? Isn't there anyone or anything else to talk about?' Hermione couldn't hold back her annoyance. 'Isn't there any other juicy piece of gossip worthy your time other than Harry Potter?' Parvati, surprised at Hermione's outburst, replied: 'Not at the moment.' 'Aaargh!' Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to prepare herself for bed. 'What is so special about him?' 'He is the Boy Who Lived,' Lavender started. 'The only known person to survive death curse.' 'Also he was the Chosen One, the man who defeated the Dark Lord,' Parvati continued. 'And, of course, he is a celebrity in the wizarding world, the Prophet is following his every move.' 'And his good looks may have also something to do with it.' Parvati finished their rant. 'Oh my god, is this really what it's going to look like during the whole school year?' Hermione asked horrified and somewhat irritated, even though she didn't exactly understand the reason for said irritation. 'Trust me, that we are far from the worst, Hermione,' Lavender replied with a sympathetic smile, that turned into a grin she usually sported when she was about to reveal a really scandalous information. 'I have heard Romilda Vane from 7th year gushing about how gorgeous he is and how she is determined to get him no matter what it takes. Even at the cost of a love potion.' 'This is exactly what I meant!' Hermione exclaimed. 'How can any of us prepare for the exams and NEWTs when the professor himself is such a distracting element?' 'I wouldn't mind him distracting me...' Parvati grinned and winked at both girls. 'Why do I even bother?' Hermione gave up, gathering her things and heading to the bathroom. She heard girls behind her laugh, their giggles muffled by the closing door.

[ladyknightleyisundercover]

Take Your Child To Work Day

I am a BIG FAN of Emily’s @glisseowrites Professor Potter AU and wanted an excuse to play around in it, so I hope this passes muster! You totally do not have to have read her (wonderful, amazing) fic to get this one; literally all you need to know is that it’s an AU in which Harry takes the job of DADA professor. But also if you haven’t read her wonderful, amazing fic, go and do so AT ONCE. AO3

“Um...excuse me...Professor Potter?”

He tried to ignore Ginny’s snort of laughter at hearing him addressed in this way, and turned around, smiling. He’d clocked the group’s reflection in the shop window and recognised about half of the girls from his sixth-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

“Yes? It’s Emma, isn’t it?” he addressed the girl who’d spoken. Emma looked pleased.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “Um...we were just wondering...is this your son?”

He toyed, briefly, with the idea of denying it, saying James was just some random toddler he’d kidnapped for the day, but worried that this was the sort of joke that could have him struck off the teaching register, so simply nodded and smiled. “This is James,” he agreed.

“He’s adorable!” This was from a blonde-haired girl whom he didn’t recognise—with Defence being an optional subject for sixth and seventh years, he knew far fewer of the upper school. They all knew him, however, which made for an interesting day so far. He and Ginny had become used to wandering about Hogsmeade of a Saturday together, which was usually a restful way to spend the day after the rigours of a teaching week. Unfortunately, he had completely forgotten that today was a Hogsmeade day—the last one of the term—and so they’d spent most of the day dodging the Hogwarts students peppering the village, all of whom seemed to find it completely stunning that he did not, in fact, live in the stationary cupboard and appear just to teach them.

Although, to be fair, many of their other teachers live at Hogwarts, so that probably wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. He, however, lived with Ginny and James in a little cottage on the outskirts of the village, which was just what he wanted. Except the nights, like last night, when James had woken them up every hour, on the hour until five am, when he’d point-blank refused to go back to sleep at all. Sometimes, he thought it would be nice to have rooms at Hogwarts so that he and Ginny could take it in turns to go up there and occasionally get a good night’s sleep.

“How old is he?” Emma asked, coming a little closer.

“Sixteen months,” Ginny said. “And he’s not adorable, he’s an absolute monster. Aren’t you, Jamie?” she cooed.

“He doesn’t look like a monster!” said the blonde. “Hello! Hello, Jamie!” She and another girl crouched down, pulling faces to try to make him smile, and Ginny encouraged him to wave at the girls. He did, and they squealed with delight, until the noise overcame him and he buried his head in his mother’s chest, coming over all shy. This made the girls laugh, and they started peppering Ginny with questions about him, which she was more than happy to answer.

The fifth member of their little group hung back, however. Harry recognised Aly Rathbone, as she was one of his best students in the NEWT group. She was quiet, but sharp; her essays were excellent; she was always utterly fearless when they had a practical session, and he often wondered if it had crossed her mind to apply for a position with the Aurors. She would make an excellent one, for sure. Unless, it appeared, she was ever called upon to work with children. Currently, she was looking at James with a facial expression akin to Ron’s when he was in close proximity to Aragog.

“Sorry, Sir,” she said, noticing him looking at her. “I’m no good with children. Especially babies. They leak out of every orifice and cry all the time. I just don’t see the appeal. No offence.”

Harry and Ginny both laughed. “None taken,” said Ginny.

“To be fair, that’s a pretty fair assessment of him at this stage,” Harry said. “Though I do agree with you, Emma. He is adorable, too.”

The group of girls laughed. “You should dock her marks on her essay, Sir, for being rude about your kid,” Emma suggested.

“Or lose some house points, at least,” said the blonde.

“Mia will do anything so that Gryffindor don’t have the lead any more, but that’s so never going to happen! Professor Potter was a Gryffindor, he’ll never dock points from his own house,” said Emma smugly.

“Oh, but has he ever told you about how many points he used to lose for his house?” asked Ginny. Their eyes lit up. “There as this one time, right, that he and a friend flew this car—” But fortunately for Harry, at that point James let out a loud wail, distracting Ginny.

“See, this is because you’re bullying him, Aly,” Mia teased.

“Just because I think children are leaky and smelly and boring does mean I’m a bully,” Aly said, rolling her eyes. “Er, no offence again, Sir.”

“That’s quite alright,” Harry said magnanimously. “I’ll disagree on the last one for sure, but you are not wrong about the first two. But I tell you what: you all do your homework on time and behave properly in my lessons, and I’ll leave him firmly at home, so you needn’t be in danger of being leaked on or smelled at. Sound good?”

They all laughed again, then moved on, cooing goodbye at James.

“Come on, Professor Potter,” Ginny said. “Someone’s going to need changing soon, and I want to at least have started our Christmas shopping before that happens!”

*

“No response,” Ginny said, pulling her head out of the fire. “At home or at work.”

Harry cast around desperately for someone they hadn’t yet tried. “When’s Charlie due back?”

“Not until late next week; he’s still in Romania,” Ginny sighed, sitting back down at the table. Harry zoomed another spoonful of porridge into James’s mouth, to his delight, and Ginny drummed her fingers on the table. “...Hagrid?”

Harry shook his head. “He’s teaching all morning, and he’s got two groups of fifth years,” he explained. Ginny looked at him blankly. “Blast-ended skrewts lesson,” he amended, and she wrinkled her nose.

“Yeah, best not.” She sighed again. “I guess there’s only one thing for it, then. I’ll have to cancel.”

James was supposed to be spending the day with his grandparents, but Molly had floo’d this morning to let them know that Bill and Fleur’s kids had all come down with the Dragon Pox, which they’d caught from Teddy who’d come down with it two days earlier. She was going over to help out as best she could, and adding a destructive toddler to the mix would help no one, so Ginny had said not to worry, to give her best to the kids, and poor Bill and Fleur, and that she’d find another babysitter.

This had proven easier said than done: all their other options were unavailable. Andromeda was busy with poorly Teddy; Ron and Hermione were on a pre-Christmas mini-break; Percy was out of the country at a work summit; and George and Angelina were, apparently, unreachable (although, to be fair, this was the busiest time of year in the shop, and Ron was away too, leaving them a man down). Luna had been touring South America for months, and neither of them really wanted to leave James with their only remaining option—Great Auntie Muriel.

Still.

“You can’t cancel,” said Harry. “You’ve been waiting for this opportunity for months!”

Ginny was supposed to be interviewing Henrietta Hagglepuff, who had this year turned 100, but in her twenties had captained the Holyhead Harpies to ten successive League victories and had gone on to play for England. She was a legend in the game, but was also legendarily crotchety, and only granted interviews once in a very blue moon. When the Prophet had approached her, asking if she’d like to be interviewed to celebrate her centenary, she had agreed—on the condition that it was “that Ginevra girl” who did the interview. Ginny had been honoured, until she’d realised how much hard work it was to pin Henrietta down to a date. It was almost Christmas, and Henrietta’s birthday had been in early March. If they were going to get the interview in print before the end of the year, she had to do it today.

And now, this.

It was no one’s fault—she was sure Bill and Fleur would much rather their children didn’t have Dragonpox, after all. But being a working mother—even one who was a journalist, and who no longer played Quidditch professionally—was hard.

“I’ll have to cancel,” she said, resigned. “Can’t exactly take him with me, can I? You know what Henrietta’s reputation is like. No, I’ll just floo through to the office and tell them—”

“That’s it!” exclaimed Harry. “You can’t take him with you, but I can.”

“Oh, no, I don’t think—” began Ginny, but he cut her off.

“Why not?” he asked. “It would be different if I still worked at the Auror Office, but I’m only up the road now. He wouldn’t be in any danger, and I’ve got PPA time until break.” She gave him another blank look, this one bordering on irritation. “Planning, preparation and assessment time. No kids. Just marking. But it’s the end of term, I’ll catch up with that over the holidays. No kids until after breaktime, and even then it’s only Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff third years, they’re a doddle. Then my sixth years, but they’re a breeze, too, then it’s lunch, and I bet you’ll be back by the end of it.”

“Well...” she said, clearly trying not to sound too hopeful. Harry knew how much this opportunity meant to her, though, so he barrelled on.

“Ginny,” he said firmly, bouncing James on his knee. “I’m his father, not his babysitter. I’m as capable of looking after him as you are.” He scooped up some more porridge and zoomed it towards James’s mouth again. “He’ll be absolutely fine coming to work with me for one morning. And even if you’re not done by lunchtime, I’ll still be fine. Thursdays are my easiest days, and it’s the last but one day of term. It’ll be fine. Won’t it, Jamie?”

James took a big mouthful of porridge off the spoon, then promptly sneezed, showering both himself and his father with beige gooeyness. Harry could’ve sworn he heard a snort of laughter from Ginny, but when he looked back at her, her face was a picture of gratitude.

“It would mean a lot to me,” she said. “As long as you’re okay with it?”

“Of course I am,” he said, very firmly. “Look, if nothing else, it’s an opportunity to perfect my Scourgify spell.” She did laugh at this. “Go on, get your quills!” he added. “Or you’ll be late. Go on, go!”

*

Having essentially bullied her into leaving before she could change her mind, Harry set about getting himself and James ready for school. After nearly a term there, he had perfected exactly how long it took to walk at a brisk pace between his home, and his classroom (six and a half minutes, though if he jogged most of the way, he could do it in four). He duly set off at his usual time, and arrived fifteen minutes after lessons had started.

As it turned out, tugging a toddler along was much more time consuming.

Fortunately, as he had pointed out to Ginny, his first lesson was just planning, so no one noticed he was late. For fifty minutes, he played with James on the floor of his classroom (he’d been sure to pack plenty of toys and almost as many books as Hermione had taken with them on the Horcrux hunt) which James had enjoyed immensely. Everything had been totally fine, until five minutes before the end of break, when he’d waved his wand and tidied away all the toys in one fell swoop.

This, it turned out, was the wrong thing to do. James’s bottom lip started trembling wildly. “It’s okay, Jamie,” Harry said hastily, swooping him up into his arms, which usually stopped him from the worst of any meltdown.

James let out a loud wail.

“Ssh, ssh, ssh,” Harry said. “Everything’s okay!” Even James didn’t look like he believed this.

“Toy!” James wailed, pointing at the bag.

“Okay, you can have one toy to play with,” Harry said. He reached into the bag, and pulled out the first two he came to which didn’t come with excessive noisemaking facilities: a very beloved old teddy bear, and a wooden boat.

“OAT!” James said, cheering up immediately. Harry, somewhat surprised, passed him the boat, and James hugged it delightedly. He was able to tidy the rest of the classroom, easily then, hearing his third years line up outside, he went to open the door. He’d already given James a pep talk about being good whilst the pupils were there, and he hoped the boat would serve as a distraction.

“OAT!” James cried again.

“That’s right,” Harry said. “Boat!” He took a deep breath.

“Okay, guys,” he called to his class. The third years had been even noisier than usual, lining up outside, but he put that down to pre-holidays end-of-term spirit. They all fell into a sudden silence on seeing James, which was in some ways even more unnerving than when they were all overexcited. “Come on in, take your seats please.”

He led the way, and deliberately spent a while shuffling papers on his desk, James still on his hip, whilst they sat down. He could hear a low level hum of intrigue—but then, none of his teachers had ever turned up with a baby in tow. He couldn’t blame them. When he turned around, about half the class were looking at James with the classic oh my goodness isn’t he adorable gaze usually reserved for puppies and kittens, and the other half looked incredibly wary.

“Right guys,” he said. “I’m aware we have an addition to the classroom today: this is my son, James. My babysitter fell through at the last moment, but we’re going to go on with the lesson as planned. Don’t worry, he won’t bite.” Unfortunately, at that moment, James was overcome with a sudden shyness, and, in turning into his father’s body, managed to bash him on the nose, hard, with the wooden boat.

The smart bought tears to his eyes, and Harry pressed his lips together, trying not to show weakness in front of the kids. Or swear in front of them, either. That would probably be frowned upon more.

“Don’t worry sir, he could’ve clocked you somewhere far more painful!” called Michael Hickton, a Hufflepuff and the self-designated class clown. Fortunately, this broke the tension, and everyone laughed, Harry included.

“Right guys,” he said, once they’d settled down. “You’ll be pleased to know that my Christmas present to you all is no homework over the break.” The class cheered. “However, I am going to take in your Grindylow essays. Put them on your desks, please.”

There was much shuffling of papers in bags, but Harry was pleased to see that most of them appeared to have at least something he could mark—how good they would be was another story. Some looked remarkably short, or were filled with writing so large he could see it from his desk.

“Michael,” he called. “I can’t see an essay on your desk.”

“Er...forgot?” Michael offered.

“You forgot to bring your beautifully completed essay, or you forgot to do it?” Harry asked, in his best strict voice.

“Er...” Michael said again.

Harry had found the most successful tactic in situations like this was to just wait it out, occasionally raising an eyebrow, McGonagall-like, for maximum strictness. Most kids usually admitted to their misdemeanours, especially if you added “I’m waiting,” in suitably irritated tones.

Unfortunately, James had other ideas.

“BAD,” he said very firmly, having picked up on the general vibe.

Even Harry had to join in the laughter. “Yes, very bad,” he agreed. “Right, Mr Hickton. If that essay is on my desk by five o’clock tonight, no more will be said of the matter. If not, you can come back during lunchtime tomorrow and finish it then, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Michael said ruefully.

“Accio,” Harry said, collecting in the rest of the essays. “Right then. Hinkypunks.”

The rest of the lesson went smoothly, for which Harry was very grateful. James was happy to be carried around as he went desk-to-desk, chatting with the pupils, and the whole lesson was fairly relaxed. He wished them all a good holiday when they left, and a few of them even dropped Christmas cards on his desk at the end of the lesson. He was touched—he’d had a few drift in from some of his other classes, and each one made him smile—but also relieved. An extra toy for James to play with would not go amiss, and his son was delighted to be handed them, immediately shoving one particularly glittery number into his mouth.

Even more fortunately, his sixth-year class went even better. Some of the group of girls he’d bumped into in Hogsmeade with Ginny were also in the class, and they all treated James like a minor celebrity, except Aly Rathbone, who gave him as wide a berth as possible. James continued to behave himself, though, so the lesson—which was supposed to be a fairly relaxed one, anyway, it being their last of the term—went fine.

“Christmas treat for you all: no homework,” Harry said, as the bell rang for lunch, and they cheered again. “Have a good break all of you, and I’ll see you in the new year.”

They filed out with many ‘Merry Christmases’ and ‘Happy New Years’, and some cooing over James. Although everything had gone fine, Harry was glad to see them go. When he’d first started teaching, by the end of the day he’d been absolutely exhausted by the sheer effort of it all. As term went on, and he’d grown more relaxed, he’d felt less tired—or at least, not ready to absolutely pass out by six o’clock in the evening. Doing everything as he normally did, but with James strapped to his side, though, had bought it all flying back. He had no idea how he was going to get through his afternoon classes if he was already feeling as shattered as this. He wondered if Ginny was back yet...

“You alright, kiddo?” he asked, as James let out a cheery gurgle. But then...

“Mama!” James said, looking around. Uh-oh thought Harry, spotting a tremulous wobble in his lower lip.

“Very soon!” he promised, crossing his fingers. “Look, it’s Teddy the bear!” He summoned him out of the bag of toys, and charmed the stuffed toy so that it danced in front of him. “That’s right, I’m Teddy the bear,” he said, in his special growly-bear voice. “And I’ve come to eat you up, yum yum yum.” He waved the bear gently in James’s face. To his relief, his son giggled, tears temporarily forgotten. Harry continued to make the munching noises, until—

“Um...Professor Potter?” Aly Rathbone had stepped back inside his classroom—somewhat hesitantly, it had to be said. “Sorry, I’m not interrupting, am I? I can come back if this is a bad—”

“No, no, not at all!” said Harry, who was just about passed being embarrassed by this point. He passed James the bear (he immediately started trying to eat its legs) and switched him to his other side. “What can I do for you?”

“Well,” Aly said, walking over towards the desk. She lingered halfway across the classroom, which Harry at first thought was because she wasn’t keen on babies. But then he realised that something more was going on: she seemed to be working up to something, and he so tried not to push.

“Um, well. There’s this programme the Auror Office run over the summer, for Sixth Year students, a week long residential course to see if you’ve got what it takes to join them and see if you really do want to be an Auror,” she explained, like Harry himself hadn’t had a hand in setting up the course. “Which I do. Um, want to be an Auror, I mean. So I want to apply to the programme.”

“For what its worth,” Harry said, “I think you certainly have the skills in Defence and stand a very good shot at the programme.” Aly blushed, then clearly tried very hard not to look too pleased.

“You have to get the application in by the end of January, so I’m going to work on it over the break,” she explained. “What I wanted to ask was...would you be prepared to write me a reference?”

“I would be delighted to write you a reference,” said Harry, smiling. “As soon as you’ve got your application written, send me a draft and I’ll see if I can give you any pointers on it, too.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” said Aly, beaming back at him. “I know you’re really busy, so I really appreciate—ow!” She broke off as a teddy bear sailed through the air and clocked her squarely on the nose.

“What—James!” Harry was horrified. “I’m so sorry Ms Rathbone! That was very naughty,” he added, looking severely at James. “I’m very sorry,” he said again, turning back to Aly, who looked like she was trying not to laugh at him. “Are you quite alright? Is your nose okay? I can send for someone to take you to the hospital wing if you need—”

“I’m fine, honestly!” Aly assured him. “It was only a teddy bear, it didn’t hurt at all. It just surprised me! Here.” She handed it back to him, and Harry hid it from James immediately.

“I am so sorry,” he said again.

“It’s fine, really,” Aly said. “I suppose I’ll have to get used to being assaulted, right, if I’m going to make it as an Auror?”

“You’re not wrong, I’m afraid,” Harry said. “But you’ll no doubt be delighted to know that there’s generally very little working with children involved.

“Thank Merlin,” she said quickly, then looked guilty again.

“I don’t blame you at all,” he replied, grinning. “Now, are you quite sure you’re okay?” Aly assured him that she was. “Excellent. Bring me that application as soon as you’re back, and I’ll sort you out with a reference and anything else you need. Have a good holiday.”

Aly left, thanking him again, and Harry turned to his son. “You,” he said severely, “are an absolute terror.”

“Ah-BAH,” agreed James.

Harry sighed, ignoring James as he reached for the bear again, and checked his watch.

It wasn’t far to their little cottage in Hogsmeade, but by the time he walked there and walked back, lunch would be over, and he was starving, not to mention the fact that he’d have to find time to feed James. If he knew Ginny was home, that would be one thing, but if she wasn’t, it would essentially be a wasted journey. And he had his second years straight after lunch, and there were more than a few troublemakers in that class...

“Is it worth risking the floo?” he asked James rhetorically. His son almost certainly didn’t understand the question, but started to grizzle, groping for the toy Harry had taken off him.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Harry sighed, trying to soothe him. James wriggled discontentedly.

Ginny’s Mum assured them that all children got travel sick apparting, using the floo, or travelling by portkey, and promised that, once James got older, he’d certainly grow out of it. For now, they simply avoided any form of magical transportation as much as they could, and, where they really couldn’t, travelled with a spare set of clothes for James—and often for them, too.

Harry didn’t have any more clean work robes, and the walk to and from home would take the remainder of lunch, leaving him with no time to feed his son who was getting grouchier by the minute.

“Not worth risking it, is it mate?” he asked. James wailed. “I know, I know, you’re hungry. I’ll feed you as soon as I can. I’m just wondering if we could get home to see if your Mum’s back...”

“Mama!” cried James.

“I know, I know,” Harry said vaguely. “Right,” he said a moment later, pointing his wand at the various accoutrements James had managed to fling across the room and doing his best to tidy up one handed. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll drop you with Uncle Hagrid, floo home, see if Mama’s home, and if not I’ll come back and we’ll—”

“Professor Potter?”

Harry jumped, the familiar voice and familiar tone registering before the use of his title. He immediately felt guilty, then reminded himself that he was a fully grown adult and that Professor McGonagall (he still couldn’t call her Minerva to her face) was not about to dock him any house points or issue him with detention.

“Er, hello, Professor McGonagall!” he said, his voice about twelve octaves higher than usual. He fought the urge to try to hide James behind his back.

“And what have we got here, then?” she asked, sweeping into the classroom and holding out her arms.

“Hello, young man! How are you today?” The thing about Professor McGonagall was that she absolutely wasn’t one of those people who talked to children, no matter how young, in that annoying, cloying baby voice. Rather, she addressed James in precisely the same tone she had used the other week on the inspector from the Ministry who had come to assess the school. This meant that, for a short moment, Harry wasn’t sure if it was him or his son she was talking to.

James, whose mood changed like the weather, burbled cheerful nonsense at her. “I see,” she said gravely, when this had finished. “I entirely agree. Now, come on, do hand him over!” She motioned to Harry, who jumped to it. “There, now. Right. Off you go, go and get some lunch in you.”

“Uhhh...” said Harry.

“Lunch!” said Professor McGonagall again. “I take the welfare of my staff very seriously, and you cannot possibly expect to teach on an empty stomach, it’s not good for you at all. Especially as you’ve got those dreadful Cresswell twins this afternoon. For goodness’ sake, go and have a sandwich, Merlin only knows you’ll need it.”

“I was going to go and see if Ginny’s back, to see if I could take her James,” he said, only half aware of what she’d just said. Whilst he was sure there was technically no rules against taking your child to work, it probably wasn’t exactly encouraged either, and it also probably wasn’t a good idea to go breaking even the unwritten rules in your first term as a teacher.

“She couldn’t take him today—there was an emergency—no one hurt—well, there is the dragonpox—but that’s Ted and Vic and that lot, not James—so I had to—” He babbled on, aware himself that he wasn’t making much sense, but too tired to start again.

“Harry,” Professor McGonagall said loudly after a moment, cutting him off. Harry gulped, aware that she had used his first name. “You do not need to explain yourself to me. We are a friendly and welcoming staff here, or at least, we try to be. Even those of us who do not have children are aware that sometimes, parents face challenges and last-minute changes in babysitting plans. That you bought James in today, the day before the end of term, is no trouble.”

Harry’s shoulders, which had been somewhere up around his ears, dropped in relief.

“However,” she continued severely, and he immediately tensed again. “I have to say that I was very disappointed that you did not come to me immediately this morning.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Harry said at once. “Sorry—I should’ve known that there’d be some risk assessment form I’d need to do—I can go and fill that out now if you—”

“Nothing like that!” barked Professor McGonagall. “No, I simply wondered why you did not ask me to look after him? You know I don’t have any classes on Thursdays.”

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again. Why hadn’t he thought of Professor McGonagall? She would’ve been the perfect choice.

“Never mind,” she said, before he could formulate a response. “You can make it up to me by not forgetting again.”

“Of course, yes, of course,” Harry said, nodding vigorously. “If Ginny has something on at work again and I need to bring him in—of course you’ll be my first choice. Of course.”

“Excellent,” smiled Professor McGonagall, rearranging a now very contented James in her lap. If Harry hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he wouldn’t have believed it, but as he watched, she bent down and kissed James very gently on the forehead.

She straightened up. “How about every Thursday morning, then?”

Harry grinned. “Sure thing, Professor.”