#J.K. Rowling is my hero

[glittergelf]

[maxdibert]

Hi! Could you tell me your top 5 least favorite Harry Potter characters and why?

My 5 most hated characters in Harry Potter are:

5 - Molly Weasley: I can’t stand this woman. I can’t stand how she acts like a morally superior, pure-blood yet holds endless prejudices, especially (and mostly) toward other, younger women. I don’t like her tradwife vibe, and I don’t like how overbearing and suffocating she is. Seriously, in real life, I’d feel the urge to tell her off—she’s that typical annoying woman who doesn’t know where the boundaries are.

4 - Remus Lupin: Zero sympathy for a man almost forty who got a 24-year-old girl pregnant and then abandoned her. Remus Lupin is a coward and a piece of trash, a bullying accomplice who keeps his head down regarding his own actions and needs a 17-year-old to teach him a lesson in manhood. I really wish Tonks had left him and taken off with Teddy to get as far away as possible from that pathetic excuse for a person.

3 - Dumbledore: Starting with the fact that the entire problem of the story basically stems from his irresponsibility with Tom Riddle, which already showed that he was a terrible teacher. He only shows concern for students who can serve his purposes or suck up to him, and his involvement throughout the story shows a moral stance I find nauseating. I mean, he’s a guy who has the nerve to lecture his former students who “chose the wrong path,” but when those same students were under his care, he constantly neglected and rejected them just because they didn’t belong to a certain house. He had the audacity to call Severus Snape “miserable” when it was Dumbledore himself who allowed Snape to be bullied and almost killed without lifting a finger to stop it or punish the bullies. This same Dumbledore scolds Draco Malfoy for not trusting him when from Draco’s first day at Hogwarts, all he saw from the old man was favoritism toward a certain house and certain students, completely ignoring the rest. Honestly, I’d have banned him from teaching. There’s a lot said about Snape as a teacher, but Dumbledore was responsible for everything, allowed terrible things to happen, and turned his back on many vulnerable children and teenagers. Then he acted all surprised when they ended up in bad places. Screw him, hypocritical old man.

2 - Ginny Weasley: The “I’m not like other girls,” the “shut up, Hermione, you don’t know anything about Quidditch,” the “everyone look at me, I hex people, I’m one of the boys, I’m not vain but I’m hot, but I’m not prissy,” the “I make fun of girls who are pretty, flirty, and feminine because I’m a textbook pick-me girl” who is shoved into the end of the series. She’s a character who didn’t matter at all throughout the story; she’s barely mentioned in some books, but suddenly she’s Harry’s love interest because J.K. Rowling needed all her characters to end up married with 468749284 kids, and Harry needed to be part of the Weasley family. So, they had to do something. Ginny is a terrible character, going from irrelevant to some sort of Mary Sue who even the Slytherins drool over and who, of course, is not a “typical girl” because being a “typical girl” in Rowling’s world is somehow the original sin. So, she’s great at sports, hexes people, pulls pranks because she’s so cool, uh uh uh, she’s not like the others, uh uh uh, but she has internalized misogyny that you can smell from here to China. Honestly, someone should have slapped her for being so damn stupid.

1 - James Potter: There’s nothing I haven’t already said about James Potter. He’s a character who really grinds my gears because they try to sell him as some kind of hero, but he was just a spoiled rich kid who decided to torment a poor, vulnerable boy simply because that boy was friends with his crush. He used his social power and status to get away with all the crap he pulled, attacked in groups, lied to his girlfriend saying he’d stopped bullying people when he really hadn’t, and when he was supposed to be locked up in a house with his wife and son, he was off fooling around with his best friend. James Potter was an ass, and defending him is defending classism, elitism, and whitewashing social classes. I’m not going to explain why.

[some-triangles]

I found a video essay which is about Neil Gaiman but is also a critique of fandom culture from the left. It's fun! My guy dresses up as Death from the Seventh Seal and talks about Roland Barthes in rhyming couplets. It's too long and overly pleased with itself but hey, leftists.

I took a break while watching it to go on a milk run to the bourgeois grocery store (might as well not abbreviate it under the circumstances) and saw this:

Given that the video was just talking about Gaiman being more a brand than an author I took this as a sign to share my two cents.

The cents are these: beyond considerations of fandom, parasocial attachment, Death of the Author and capitalism, which the video covers admirably*, can we posit that the art you find yourself the most attracted to as a teenager might not be stuff you should be buying as an adult?

*(they do quote an Alan Moore article from The Fucking Guardian in which he says he hates the growing trend of treating authors as "part of the costumed entertainment" without pointing out that the man wears a costume at all times, which is part of his branding, just like Gaiman. Also maybe given the company he keeps we should start asking more questions about Lost Girls. But I digress.)

Do you want to live in the moral universe of C.S. Lewis? J.D. Salinger? J.K. Rowling? J.R.R. Tolkien? (Maybe going by one's initials is the problem here, actually.) A grown person who thinks for a living shouldn't be going around saying that Neil Gaiman is one of their heroes. Even if you like his books, you've got to admit that the dude's mostly style and reference, that his actual insights don't go beyond those of a bright teenager. It's commodified rebellion for rebellion fans, sitting on the shelf next to Rowling's commodified conformity for conformity fans. We can still have fun with pop but we have to understand that the people who make it are in the sales business. (Yes, even Kendrick.)

The reason this stuff is constantly sold back to you is that it's really easy to sell things to children. The less like a child you become, the harder it is to market to you, so it's in the interests of money to draw you back to your childhood in a million different ways. So: grow up and get some esoteric, contradictory tastes, just to fuck with them. Cut out the hero worship - don't respect people for their "talent" any more than you would respect them for being rich. This will make you less likely to be starstruck enough to follow around a third-rate tumblr daddy dom who thinks he's a wizard.

(no, not me)

Finally, because I'm also a leftist, here's the overlong and self-satisfied part. I read a lot of Gaiman in high school but I also read a lot of one of Gaiman's heroes, Harlan Ellison. He was my favorite! I liked him because he was stylish, aggressive, arrogant and brutal. Teenagers like power and he had it. The fact that none of his stories had real people in them and that he seemed to have a problem with women in particular was nothing to me in the face of his Muscular Prose. Then I went to college and met some people who were smarter than me.

I ended up dumping Ellison for what was in his work, long before I knew much about all the other stuff. Same thing with Gaiman. So if you're worried about being let down by one of your heroes, I suggest looking at all of them carefully. Particularly at their feet. (Not for horny reasons.) And then maybe stop looking at them at all and go do something else.

[mossy-green-aka-ferrythem]

I like. Have not played a single Hoyo game so it is quite shocking to see people take deeper looks into the games and their themes to uncover just how DEEPLY racist Hoyoverse is.

When I say racist I mean like. Painting this fantasy, ideal, "aesthetic" world that only wears the face of multiculturalism, while explicitly making it so all the heroes and good characters are white, while making the enemy characters typically with a darker shade of skin. Like just. In fucking Genshin. Look at the Hilichurls. They've literally got pitch black skin and masks, and despite having their own culture, are constantly and consistently treated nothing more as "pests". Like just. I swear to god there are so many "Hilichurl" like examples of weaving weird racism into video game enemies in the wider media sphere, but I digress.

What really gets me is like. I saw some shit from fucking Honkai or whatever where there is an entire character who was born black, but bleached her skin out of shame. Like. What. Also this is all second hand, so forgive me for getting details wrong, but doesn't she just. Keep hating herself for her skin color and her heritage? Also the way her mother is drawn is just like. Somehow both a racist and transphobic caricature rolled into one. Like they illustrated her in a way that doesn't feel done in good taste. It fees like they want to evoke a sense of confusion and maybe disdain. Perhaps they wish for you to sympathize with the girl who bleached her own skin (???) and like. What the fuck is this writing HOW DO PEOPLE JUST NOT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THIS??????

Also. There is of course ZZZ. The issue here is more what people have already mentioned and something I don't feel like fully relaying. Which is the sort of heavy emphasis and inspiration from Hip-Hop and Rap culture, but without any black characters actually in the setting. Ben Bigger is like. Legit the blackest character there, problem is that he ISN'T HUMAN. Like it shows that they would sooner create an anthropomorphic bear, a fantasy character, than a black character that actually displays their culture in a proud way. Not really my place to say all of this, since others have said it much better than I ever could. Last thing I would say is that the Black edits of the characters (especially Ellen Joe), make the character designs leagues better.

To cap off this messily organized tumblr post and rant, it brings me to my biggest issue: erasure. The fact that when you search up Tighnari, you only get that dogshit anime boy, hell, the issue even still persists somewhat when you specify for Al-Tighnari. I am not well read on who Tighnari is, but even skimming past a description of that man is truly breathtaking. He sounds like a very well traveled, very wise man who likely had a sizable impact on the world. Thing is. When you search up Tighnari you don't see this man anywhere. When you bring up Tighnari, it is unlikely people actually recognize who the man himself was. Instead you have this character, who's skin is as white as a sheet, actively acting like a shroud being thrown over an old cultural icon. His design has been criticized endlessly for how little it lines up, but that's not the point. The point being is that Tighnari in Genshin has uprooted knowledge of the original in the public eye. This is but one example, and doesn't even BEGIN to touch upon the absolute shitshow that is Natlan. However, people have already exhaustively described what is wrong with it so I digress there. Oh and I said I would close this out but like. Fucking Star Rail or whatever has a character with Dark Skin who has "shacklebreaker" as one of their main skills and like. This is some J.K. Rowling type racism. Like what. What the fuck?

Look what's really important here is that I am just so fucking taken aback by learning the extent of it. I always bore a minor grudge against Genshin, but the clarification, and the knowledge of how deep this shit goes... just makes me realize this. There is no longer any confusion about how this got so popular, because racism is excusable in general fandom spaces. Racism isn't considered a dealbreaker to many people, and that is the root of the issue I believe. How general online fandom communities and people as consumers are just so unbothered by racism that they will just not criticize it, pass it off as normal, and will actively engage in racist tendencies, rather than making any effort to better themselves and to be more tasteful in what they choose to support financially, and what they choose to consume.

[dinarosie]

Snape’s Legacy Goes Beyond His Flaws: part 1

I wrote this post to highlight moments when, despite his personal wounds, Snape still chooses to save the lives of the Marauders. My goal was to show how, no matter how flawed, Snape acts as a brave hero who prioritizes human life. The comments below genuinely surprised me, and they actually make me want to quote specific passages from the books to showcase Snape’s actions. I'm splitting this post into two parts, as including all the quotes from the books makes it quite long.

It’s honestly hilarious when some people keep telling: 'read the books,' while they seem blissfully unaware of how things actually go down in the story. One can only hope that one day they’ll realize fanfics aren’t the original books. Shocking, I know—but those are just fans playing with their own imagination, not a hidden version of the canon.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, THE PRINCE’S TALE: dark night: He was accompanied by other hooded Death Eaters, and ahead were Lupin and a Harry who was really George. . . . A Death Eater moved ahead of Snape and raised his wand, pointing it directly at Lupin’s back — “Sectumsempra!” shouted Snape. But the spell, intended for the Death Eater’s wand hand, missed and hit George instead — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, HERMIONE'S SECRET: “I don’t know — Harry, look at Snape!” Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.

Let me lay it out clearly: in this scene, Snape’s priority is to save the lives of four people and uphold justice:

Snape is taking the most honorable approach here. He knows that three of his students have directly disobeyed him, put themselves in harm’s way, and even teamed up with Black, a known fugitive, against his warnings. Yet he controls his anger because his first priority is their safety and getting them back to school unharmed.

Snape believes at this moment that Black has conspired with Voldemort, betrayed the Potters, orphaned their son, killed Pettigrew, and murdered twelve innocent Muggles. It’s no wonder he feels Black deserves the Dementor’s Kiss. Even Harry, when he believed these things about Black, felt that justice should be served and saw no issue in Black paying the price for such crimes. And remember, when Black learns the truth about Pettigrew, he’s furious enough to try to kill him on the spot. Yet, Snape has the composure and discipline to restrain his rage and sees it as his responsibility to bring Black back alive. He leaves the punishment to the legal system and to justice, refusing to take it into his own hands.

And let’s not forget: just an hour before, Sirius was openly willing to drag Snape’s unconscious body to the castle, fully prepared to bash Snape’s head against the ceiling—purely out of lingering childish hatred for Snape’s appearance and background. Sirius had no regard for the injuries he might inflict on Snape.

Barbara: I was very disappointed to see harry use crucio and seem to enjoy it his failure to perform that kind of curse in the past has been a credit to his character why the change, and did harry later regret having enjoyed deliberately causing pain J.K. Rowling: Harry is not, and never has been, a saint. Like Snape, he is flawed and mortal.

His character flaws don’t erase all the good he’s done or the impact he’s had. If you believe that being “flawed” or “grey” prevents someone from being a hero, then you’ve missed one of the core messages of the Harry Potter series. By that standard, no one in the books would be a hero because nearly every character has their own set of flaws. Even J.K. Rowling herself draws parallels between Snape and Harry, calling both of them imperfect. If you find Snape unforgivable, then logically, you’d have to find Harry Potter unforgivable, too.

Snape is a hero because he spends his life atoning for his mistakes. He stays on the right side even when there’s no personal gain, saving lives, healing others, and standing by his principles despite losing his way in darkness. He has the strength to return to the right path and stay loyal to it for years. Thanks to his courage and sacrifices, the wizarding world is freed from a dark wizard’s crimes. Because of him, innocent children like Harry aren’t left orphaned, and young mothers like Lily don’t lose their lives and families. Because of Snape’s loyalty, teenage souls like Draco Malfoy’s don’t get lost in darkness.

[lakecountylibrary]

LCPL WRAPPED 2024

Ok DON'T PANIC, this post is still true - it just broke containment a bit so we don't know how many people saw the original tags and might therefore be a little concerned to see THIS post.

We don't know what you, personally, checked out.

We have to track total circulation stats to make sure we're doing our job correctly and keeping a healthy collection (and to defend our budget), but these stats are anonymous!

Is one person responsible for every single One Piece check out? Is James Patterson artificially inflating his numbers by visiting our library constantly? Who knows! The only thing we know is that kids(?) really, really like Jeff Kinney books.

And so without further ado, here are the most checked-out items of 2024:

Want to compare to 2023? Here's 2023 wrapped

(ID: Images are lists of books; each list is typed out in the post under the image. /ID)

Most Checked-Out Adult Books:

Adult Fiction:

James Patterson was #3 last year, too, though with a different book.

1: The Women by Kristin Hannah 2: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston 3: The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson 4: A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci 5: The Exchange by John Grisham

Adult Nonfiction:

Prince Harry and Matthew Perry dropped a rank from 2023 to make way for Britney!

1: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears 2: Spare by Prince Harry 3: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry 4: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson 5: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Adult eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Format doesn't matter - people were reading The Women however they could!

1: The Women by Kristin Hannah 2: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 3: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros 4: Funny Story by Emily Henry 5: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Most Checked-Out YA Books:

Teen Fiction:

Welcome back reigning champ Suzanne Collins!

1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 2: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 3: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Teen eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Major gains from Sarah J. Maas in this format - she didn't make the list with teens last year!

1: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 2: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin 3: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 4: Powerless by Lauren Roberts 5: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Teen Manga:

This is the first year we're sharing the top check-outs in this category!

1: One Piece by Eiichiro Oda 2: Bleach by Tite Kubo 3: Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura 4: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto 5: My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi

Most Checked-Out Kids' Books:

Kids' Fiction:

AKA Mr. Kinney's House

1: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney 2: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney 3: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 4: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney 5: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney

Kids' Graphic Novels:

Return of Babymouse! It was popular in 2022 but didn't rank in 2023. (Though, we also didn't separate out kids' graphic novels in 2023.)

1: Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm 2: Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland 3: Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey 4: Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers by Dav Pilkey 5: Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey

Kids' eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Rick Riordan with the steel chair?? I suspect we have Disney to thank for this revival.

1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 2: Claudia and the Bad Joke by Ann M. Martin 3: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney

[ballerinarina]

Now playing Teen Idle - MARINA

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌၊|• 4:14

𐙚my details:

𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: cece, cissy

𝐚𝐠𝐞: twenty years old {a may 2004 baby}

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𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬: the dreamers, whiplash, secret garden (1993), pearl, big hero 6, august rush, ballerina, my own private idaho, my sweet orange tree, the little prince (1970)

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𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 & 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬: river phoenix, ana paula arósio, froy gutierrez, taís araújo, mia goth, fernanda torres, jamie bower, wagner moura, lázaro ramos, aidan gallagher

𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: my candy love, omori, undertale

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: sasuke, mike wheeler, hiro hamada, dipper, ray, nico di angelo, eleven, taki tachibana, adrien, ash lynx, five

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[ssamaraxx]

My Favourite and Least Favourite Characters in Harry Potter (and Why)

Villains have always been my favourite characters across almost every universe. Even as a child, when I watched Snow White for the first time, I instantly preferred the witch—brewing potions and reading grimoires in her old castle—over the bland and naive Snow White. Naturally, my love for villains carried over to the Harry Potter series. Here we go!

1. Lord Voldemort

I think J.K. Rowling crafted an exceptional character in Voldemort. From Tom Riddle’s tragic beginnings to his chilling resurrection, he’s always fascinated me. He’s also my favourite character to write about—there’s so much depth to explore. That said, I do feel Rowling (and the films) didn’t fully do him justice in the final instalment. His characterisation seemed to lose some of the complexity that made him so compelling earlier in the series, which was a bit disappointing.

2. Albus Dumbledore

I honestly think Dumbledore is more of a villain than a hero. He’s an incredibly flawed character with good intentions, which makes him fascinating to analyse. I appreciate the complexity of his character, particularly his many mistakes—like falling in love with a dark wizard and completely mishandling his interactions with Tom. Take their first meeting at the orphanage, for example: Dumbledore could have been wittier, less confrontational, and far more compassionate. That approach might have changed a lot of things for Tom.

3. Harry Potter

Contrary to popular opinion, I think book Harry is a wonderfully interesting character—both touching and impressive. His Slytherin side doesn’t get enough credit, especially in the films, but I absolutely love his disregard for rules, his sassy and impertinent comebacks, his rebellious streak, and above all, his sarcastic sense of humour. He’s also a loyal and supportive friend who has to endure a lot of nonsense (Ron can be particularly annoying). His fear of rejection makes him relatable and, in my opinion, one of the most human and touching characters in the series.

4. James Potter

I think James gets a lot of hate—and for good reasons—but I love him. James is the ultimate best friend: a spoilt brat, doted on by his ageing parents, and undeniably privileged, yet he chooses to befriend three outcasts. Sirius, from a prominent racist family; Remus, a werewolf; and Peter, an unpopular kid—none of them were obvious choices for a golden boy like James, but he was fiercely loyal to them. In truth, the only one who truly deserved that loyalty was Sirius (and I’ll explain why later).

Yes, James was a bully, especially to the Slytherins. But let’s be honest, Slytherins bullied Gryffindors too. Nobody deserves to be tormented like Severus was, but let’s not pretend Severus was an innocent victim. He was a bitter, cruel boy with deeply racist ideals. Between the two bastards, I’ll take James: at least he was funny, unresentful, and brave.

5. Sirius Black

It’s simple—I don’t understand how anyone could hate Sirius. He breaks my heart. He’s the embodiment of loyalty and rebellion, a tragic figure who deserved so much better. I wish with all my heart that he had lived a happier life.

6. Bellatrix Lestrange

I adore her. She’s the ultimate romantic! Bellatrix is the most loyal, faithful, and devoted character in the series. She loves fiercely and unapologetically, in a way that consumes her entirely. In fact, I’d argue she has Gryffindor-like qualities. In my headcanon, Voldemort even noticed this about her and teases her about it at some point (but he secretly likes that ;)).

Least Favourite Characters

1. The Weasleys

With the exception of Ginny and the twins, I don’t like the Weasleys. Molly and Ron, in particular, annoy me to no end. They’re loud, nosy, and overly involved in everyone else’s business.

2. Remus Lupin

I have a big problem with Remus. I hate how he abandoned both Sirius and Harry, leaving them to face such sad fates alone. For more than a decade, he never once checked on Harry or tried to see if he was happy living with the Dursleys. No visits, no letters—it’s heartbreaking because I know Sirius would have done better.

I also despise how easily he believed the lies about Sirius without making the slightest effort to investigate or talk to him. James and Sirius risked everything to support him for years, yet Remus didn’t show the same loyalty when it mattered most.

And don’t get me started on his treatment of Tonks. He’s a coward, just as Harry called him out for.

3. Severus Snape

Snape is one of my least favourite characters for a long list of reasons. He’s resentful, dishonest, and oozes incel vibes. The way he bullies Harry for years because of James, while claiming to have loved Lily, is infuriating. Harry deserved none of his cruelty.

Snape somehow gained the trust of both Voldemort and Dumbledore, but I don’t see why. He was lucky—he escaped Azkaban and never truly paid for betraying the Potters AND Voldemort. His so-called “love” for Lily was selfish and obsessive. He begged Voldemort to spare Lily’s life, but had she survived, would he have told her the truth? That he was responsible for her husband’s and son’s deaths? I don’t think so. I think he would have preyed on her vulnerability, and that thought disgusts me.

[magicalhideoutengineer]

Newt & Theseus

Crimes of Grindelwald:

Callum Turner: I play Theseus, who is Newt's older brother, even though I'm younger than Eddie, which is interesting! He's kind of the opposite of Newt. He's gone through the same schooling obviously, but once he got out he decided that the establishment was the way to fight the good fight. Theseus is or may be quite more rigid or just part of the establishment. You know, he's the head Auror at the Ministry.

Yeah, I mean, he's the opposite to Newt. I guess he's more rigid, and he's conformed to the way that people want you to … he's become one of them I guess, and he went to Hogwarts. He was taught by Dumbledore. He’s from that school, and he became this, which you can take...

- Collider

What are Theseus’s thoughts about the creatures? What are his relationships with them?

Callum Turner: Yeah, I think he has bigger fish to fry and it’s his little brother’s thing. That’s his sort of looking down on his brother.

- Collider

Callum Turner: He'd been educated at Hogwarts underneath Dumbledore the same way Newt had, but for some reason he'd separated and it always felt unnatural that Theseus had become part of the establishment when his natural instinct would probably not to be that, but like Newt, you know, they are brothers. There's a similarity. But he's somehow like closed that bit off and he's gone that way and he's gone really high up into the Ministry of Magic and pretty much runs it and that's how he decides to fight the good fight. As Newt is part of the rebellion so I look at it, and Theseus is part of the establishment, and that's the kind of main difference between two brothers. Apart from that, very similar.

- ChicagoSciFi

Eddie Redmayne: I'll never forget. I don't know if you ever saw it. I saw an early version of the script in which the young guys were...

Callum Turner: The flashback.

Eddie Redmayne: Yeah, flashback when they were at Hogwarts together. He [Theseus] came like flying past the window on a Quidditch team, on his broomstick. He was clearly like a schoolboy sporting hero.

Callum Turner: Like a jock.

Eddie Redmayne: Definitely. The antithesis of Newt.

- Movie'n'co UK

Eddie Redmayne: Thank you. He's kind of the opposite of Newt. He is like the schoolboy hero. He was great. I'm sure he's like a brilliant Quidditch player, so they have a bit of tension and animosity, and yet they also have great love for each other, and that's kind of what you see through the film, is they start kind of not on the same side, but they progress through, and that thing that family does, like however much your brother irritates you, there's still some－I have three brothers who I love dearly. They never irritate me－They feel great sort of affection for.

- Dingo Movie

Eddie Redmayne: But also she [ J.K. Rowling] watches and she even says the way Callum’s character, Theseus, was written in the script was quite like, he was quite a bit mean to Newt, but the way Callum played him made him so human in trying to do the right thing and ‘I’ve got my own struggles’ and when Jo saw that and said to me that … when she then sees that footage she then responds to that in how she writes the characters going forward so it is kind of a lovely dance in some way.

- Knockturnal

Eddie Redmayne: It is really complicated. [Theseus] is an Auror, he’s very establishment, and Newt is kind of the antithesis of that. But what I loved, actually, was the way Jo had written their relationship. It was quite antagonistic to begin with, and it certainly is filled with complexities. I mean, his brother is engaged to this girl who he had a huge affection for growing up, so there’s obviously a real tension there. But one of the things I loved is, actually, Jo said to me seeing what Callum [Turner] was doing and how David was directing – there was a lot of love there – that she progressed the relationship as a consequence of that.

- Buzzfeed

Callum Turner: Theseus is the polar opposite of Newt. In a sense they're both fighting the good fight, but Newt is part of the rebellion movement and Theseus is the establishment.  

- MTV News

Callum Turner: The focus was very much about the brother relationship. I don't have a younger brother. I have a younger half-brother, but we didn't grow up with each other and I got these stories and it's very much the older brother shouts at the younger brother a lot and so bullies him in a certain way because there's a responsibility. It's all about two people just playing at the same patterns they had for years.

- Evanna Lynch Interview

Callum Turner: Theseus is head Auror at the British Ministry Of Magic - it's a tongue-twister! - and is really straight-laced. And Newt's not. He's the complete opposite, and he actually wants him to get in line and try to save the world. Because he knows he's special, but he won't do that. And that's the tension. That's what's going on between the two brothers. A brother trying to boss his other brother around, basically!

- Total Film

Callum Turner: He's an establishment man. He's worked really hard and rose to the top incredibly quickly. His brother won't conform. Newt sort of sits on the fence, and Theseus is a man of action.

- Entertainment Weekly: The Ultimate Guide to Fantastic Beasts

Callum Turner: He [Theseus] decided to fight the good fight by joining the Ministry, whereas Newt is part of the rebellion. They're both on the same side, but fighting in very different ways. Other than that key detail, the brothers clearly care for one another. While Theseus may be a bit more self-assured and confident than Newt, they share a deep sense of humanity.

- The Archive of Magic: The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Callum Turner: What was important was not to focus on that friction but to try and understand maybe why. You look at the facts: [Theseus] is very successful through the establishment, and wants Newt to join and fight the good fight in the way that he knows how and the way that he thinks best. Newt doesn’t want to do that.

- Fandom Interview

Callum Turner: He is on the promise to fight the good fight in the ways he knows how, which means that he has to conform to the rules and the regulations of which the wizarding society is deemed acceptable within the establishment. He doesn't think that Newt's doing the right thing. Spiritually, I think probably Newt is the one that has figured it out. Yeah. He's doing what he wants. 

- HBO Asia

Callum Turner: He’s risen to the top of the ranks at the Ministry, he’s the Head Auror, and is fighting the good fight in the way he knows how. He’s incredibly stubborn and wants his brother, who he understands to be a more powerful, special wizard, to join the fight on his side, through the establishment, which obviously Newt is repelled by and I think that's the journey he goes on. Maybe he's making mistakes or had made mistakes.

- Futurepreviewsllc

Turner wracked his brain trying to figure out why Theseus would be so desperate to get everyone close to him to join the Ministry, and found a simple answer: Protection. “[Theseus] wants to protect his brother, he wants him alongside him, he wants to [know] that his brother will be OK.”

- Fandom Interview

Callum Turner: I think Theseus and Newt are complete opposites. He's worried about his brother and he wants his brother to basically do what he wants and to fight the good fight in the way that he know how, which is through the establishment. He does it through love. It's like an overbearing thing and that's obviously the worst thing possible for Newt.

- Crimes of Grindelwald UK Premiere

What does your character think of Newt’s newfound success? Does he resent him at all for it?

Callum Turner: I think there’s a sort of a relief. Theseus is really successful. He’s a very determined man to reach the top, and I think having his younger brother sort of float around in this obscurity, in a sense, was quite worrying for him.

- Collider

Callum Turner: And with Newt, the thing that drives Theseus actually is love. It’s very important to him, the brotherly thing. It’s not that he’s the older brother and, ‘You’re going to do what I say.’ There is that element to it, too, but I think the friction really is in Theseus suffocating Newt. Theseus is overprotective of Newt and doesn’t allow him space. But really that comes out of love.

- No More Work Horse

Callum Turner: As brothers separate at times, this is the moment that they have. We refind them. He's risen to the top of the Ministry of Magic and he's quite successful, quite stubborn, but this is a man that loves and this is a man that cares deeply about humanity in the wizarding world and his fiancee and also his brother, and I think that's where the stress comes between the two is that he wants to protect Newt and he wants to look after Newt, but Newt doesn't need it, but Theseus can't see that. And that's the dynamic. That's why older brother telling younger brother what to do, younger brother saying, "See you later."

- Sensacine

Callum Turner: I didn't grow up with a younger brother -- I have a half-brother but we didn't grow up with each other -- and my research was to understand what that's like, and to get into why Newt doesn't like him and why they don't connect. The communication has gone bad. Theseus is very head-in-the-sand in a sense. He's blind to what Newt needs, and, objectively, there's a selfishness to that and an arrogance to that and a brute force-ness to that. But subjectively, it's about protection and it's about love and it's about caring. Theseus is a carer. He's described as a hugger, and I think he's trying to hug the whole world. Newt, in particular. When you aren't able to give what someone needs, to facilitate what they need, you then either push them away -- which he does -- or suffocate. I think the friction between them is Theseus doesn't understand what Newt wants, and he is overbearing. It's almost like he's got him in a big, old bear hug and Newt doesn't want that at all.

- Etonline

The actor [Callum Turner] also found that it was easy to find similarities between the two characters, both from a character standpoint (they’re both “stubborn in their ideologies”)

- Fandom Interview

Callum Turner: I had obviously seen the first film, and then I looked at Newt and thought I’d do the complete opposite – because Theseus is the complete opposite.  Even though they’re very similar – and the similarities are through their stubbornness, and being successful, driven and powerful – it wouldn’t make sense if they were the same. There were little things, like having ankle swingers, I call them, in the costume; that was a nod to being brothers. But then, the writing’s so brilliant and layered and textured that it was awfully free, really.

No More Work Horse

Callum Turner: We tried to find loads of little touches that would draw the brothers together, like little details in the pocket square, or the tie pin, or having the trousers a little shorter at the bottom, that would link the two together. There’s a panache to Newt, and to Theseus, too — but it’s subtle. He’s engaged to Zoë Kravitz, so he’s got to have some style.

- Fandom Interview

Eight years Newt's senior ( although Turner is nine years younger than Eddie Redmaync), Theseus is less eccentric to the eye. 'Generally, he is part of the world, dressed in a fine suit,' says Turner. 'But there are tiny similarities between his and Newt's look: ankle swingers, a pocket square, these wizard-ish touches in the shapes of the lapel and the collar.'

- Lights, Camera, Magic!: The Making of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Hair and makeup designer Fae Hammond didn't have to do much with Callum Turner's hair in order to make it look like he and Eddie Redmayne were brothers, just lighten it. Her challenge, however, was that Callum has no freckles. and Eddie has a well-known smattering across his face. 'So one of my team ... Carefully freckled him up,' says Fae. 'But its a work of art and really necessary,' she confirms. Freckling took about fifty minutes each day.

- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: Movie Magic

Rebuffed, she comes to a halt. NEWT walks away toward THESEUS, who is very like NEWT, but more outgoing, easier in manner. THESEUS winks at LETA before turning to NEWT.

- Secrets of Dumbledore: The Original Screenplay

Callum Turner: He’s my younger brother. They love each other. It’s a lot of fun playing an older brother as well, someone who’s very sturdy, a war hero and we’re doing a scene today and Eddie gets slapped by Grindelwald with a spell and I was like my instinct in this kept saying, “Get up." You know. "Get up.” Not like, "Are you OK?” “Get up.” Like looking after him. I have a half-brother and a half-sister, but they grow up in Australia, so I didn’t grow up with them. So I didn’t know what it was really like being an older brother, feeding into that “get up” thing. Normally I’d be like, “Are you OK?” I actually did a lot of research for that. That was an important thing for me, to find the essence of being an older brother, and someone... I mean Newt is a worry for Theseus.

- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries and Magic: Chapter 7

Callum Turner: And with Newt, it was very important not to play the hardened brother because that's not what he is. And I think the relationship between Newt and Theseus is that Newt is running away. Theseus is worried about Newt. He thinks he's slightly odd, he's not part of the same society or the system that he's in, and Theseus is actually trying to drag him into line, into what Theseus thinks Newt should be. And I think that's the mistake. But actually, it's born out of love. It's not born out of authority or anything. He's worried and he realizes the world around them is crumbling. He says it to him at the beginning of the film. "You have to pick a side. You have to make a choice." And that's the theme of the film, for me. And actually, what he's doing is suffocating him. He's not allowing him to breathe, instead of that "Easy, easy." I'm sure Newt, then, would be like, "Hey, Theseus, what's going on?" But he's not. He's like, "Do this. Do that. Because I know best." And that's the similarity between the two. They're so stubborn. Theseus says, "Do this," and Newt just goes, "No," straight away. He doesn't even think about... and that's the beauty; by the end of the film they're in line and they take force of the situation that they're in. But their ideologies combine, in a sense.

- Mugglenet

David Heyman: Family is a big part of it, and, you know, it's both the family you're born with and the family you make. That's a big part of, I think, of the themes of Jo's work. So family is a part of it, including the relationship between Newt and Theseus. Seeing Eddie and Callum next to each other, they really do feel like brothers, and you know, Theseus is a Ministry man, but Newt is still his brother, and that relationship is really beautiful and strong. So to answer your question, yes, family is very much a part of it, where you come from, who you are.

- Collider

David Heyman:  Callum brings such an authority and an authenticity to the part. I mean, you really believe that he’s Eddie’s brother and, as he so rightly said, they are opposites and yet are very clearly brothers. And what he did so brilliantly in his audition – and it’s in Jo’s [J.K. Rowling’s] writing, as well – was that you had a sense that these two people have a history. So, there is both an affection, but also a little bit of that brotherly or fraternal thing, which I think really comes across. And, you know, Theseus is a Ministry man. Newt is not a Ministry man. That brotherly love, I think, is one of the heartbeats of the film.

- No More Work Horse

THESEUS: This isn't going to be like the other times. This is . . . Just try and keep an open mind, will you? And maybe a little less— A wordless gesture indicates Pickett, NEWT'S blue coat, and his messy hair.

NEWT —like me?

THESEUS (not without affection): Well, it can't hurt. Come on, let's go.

- Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay

David Heyman: But what I love about brothers in this film is that ultimately, brotherhood is more important than anything and that the two of them begin on opposite sides of it. Theseus is a Ministry man and Newt is anti-establishment. And yet, even while that is going on, Theseus whispers in his ear, "They're following you," which is a betrayal of the Ministry, but it is his brother and he's trying to get his brother to go to him. He's trying to help him, I think, not because he wants him to be on the Ministry's side. He knows what's true for Newt. And he wants to help. So the way these people both move, Newt comes through realizing he's going to have to join the battle, and Theseus realizes he might have to do it outside of the traditional Ministry platform. They're doing it as brothers, stronger together.

- Mugglenet

Callum Turner: I hope they are friends. I hope they they are best buds. I think they deserve to be friends, right? There’s been a lot of bad press in the press about their relationship. I’m sick of it. 

Eddie Redmayne: I feel like by the end, they really bond in this film. It’s an amazing thing in family, isn’ it? Where you have difficult times and dynamics, moments when there’s friction and then something happens and you kind of lean into each other a bit. I’m excited for the prospect of the Scamander brothers taking on the world together.

- IGN España

NEWT shuffles over awkwardly to the bereft THESEUS. NEWT hesitates, struggling to find words of comfort. Then, for the first time in his life, he puts his arms around his brother. They hug.

- Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay

Secrets of Dumbledore:

Eddie Redmayne: One of the key themes is siblings really. It's there with my brother Theseus played by Callum Turner who I adore, and the complexity of those relationships in families when you're all of the same blood, but you've got completely different personality traits, and you have great love even though you are entirely different people.

- ChicagoSciFi

Eddie Redmayne: Newt is not a social animal. He is much more at ease with his creatures. He' s not inherently someone that' s good at being part of the system and he didn' t really fit in at school. In fact, he ended up being thrown out! Whereas Theseus is very much the schoolboy hero who' s gone into a life within the Ministry, was a war hero himself and has a physical authority and a facility with people that Newt just doesn' t have. So they' re sort of chalk and cheese and yet because in this movie they have to work together they begin to realise that actually they complement each other quite well.

- Secrets of Dumbledore: The Original Screenplay

Callum Turner: Between the brothers, they're re-entering a stage in their relationship that they haven't been there for a long time probably since they were kids, both of them trying to be more open with the other, I'd say that Theseus maybe a little bit more than Newt, and they're developing an understanding, a respect for the way that the other person thinks and using that for the greater good.

- ChicagoSciFi

Callum Turner: Well, I think what's so brilliant about the way that Steve and J.K. wrote this relationship is that it's complex. It's like two brothers that have a fractured relationship of growing apart, unfortunately, for every reason, and I think the reason is that they both think they are right. With this one, they align themselves. They both allow themselves to be slightly more flexible and see the way the other fuses the world a little bit more, and that allows them to come together to fight the good fight together.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Interview

[mik3stuff]

About Me

Mike / Miguel / Michael / Billy / Guilherme / William | He/Him and They/Them and a bunch of neos you can ask about

Fandoms | Bluey, Hilda, Blue Period, The Owl House, Adventure Time, Fiona and Cake, Monster High, Amphibia, Gravity Falls, Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, Kane' Chronics, Magnus Chase, Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel (not exactly, also I'm Not A Vivziepop Apologist neither a fan. i recognize is not a good work and just put is here bcause sometimes i post or reblog about it. i like the idea but not the creator and i think it was badly executed), Marvel Comic's (specially Loki, Gwenpool and Spider-Verse), DC (specifically Batfam but i'm new to the fandom so i might not know some characters like Mia but i'll look after it), Steven Universe, Good Omens, FNAF, ATLA, LOK, MHA, My Little Pony, Sakura Card Capture, Yaelokre, Poppy Play Time

DNI

Racists, Ableists, Xenophobics, Atheistphobics, People with religious prejudice at all

Homophobes and Transphobes in general (Lesphobes, Biphobes, Polyphobes, Poliphobes, Panphobes, Ominiphobes, Aphobes, Queerphobes, Neophobes, Demiphobes and any kind of Homophobia or Transphobia at all)

Fascist or Nazi Supporters

Sexualize Minors

Anti feminists, TERF/Radfem, Incel and MGTOW

Poser punks

MCU apologists

Anti Comunists, Socialists and or Anarchists (like, that's okay if you're not one of them but respect)

J.K. Rowling Apologists

Vivizypop Apologists

NSFW accounts

HP

DCxDP

Batcest

BYF

I'm biracial and Brazilian, sometimes I post things in Portuguese (Bolsonaristas e antipetistas fiquem longe)

I'm (much probably) Autistic and ADHD

People who stand Israel, Trump, Kamala etc.

Random info bout me

My main color palette is spring and my main colors are olive green, jade and confetti

My current hyperfocus is Batfam (DC in general including my mutuals oc's) and I have a special interest in history in general

I identify as gender-faun and as poliromantic, aroflux and ace

I'm writing a original story so, idk, you can ask me about me oc's? if you want?

I'm Grunge, Lamp, Cottagepunk and KidCore

Apollo/Demeter Child (not sure yet but trying to find out)

Airbender

RPG and LARP player

Dog, Ghost, Wolf, Vampire, Bat, Fairy, Cat and Star kin

Therian, Furry and Kemonomimi (I think)

I play Minecraft and Stardew valley

I Listen to Cave Town, Mother Mother, Marina and The Diamonds and Arctic Monkeys

Oc's Masterposts

Billy Cane (DC/Batfam S/I) (going to be remade)

Things You Can Request Me

Art (simple stuff like sketchs, chibis, etc. I don't take comissions yet so nothing too complicated :D)

Moodboard (ship, oc, crossover, stimboard, characters, series, aesthetics, etc.)

Edits (coloring art, changing bodytype, skintone and hair, icons. etc. i do NOT edit nsfw or other people art)

Tips and Advices (tho idk why would you want that from me lmao)

Headcanons and Dialogues (only SFW ones)

Icons | pfp (with pride flags, edits, etc.)

Things You Can't Request Me

NSFW

Anything at my DNI

Really depends on what you are requesting but I'll avoid doing Hazbin and/or fandoms I unknown

I don't do ships like Percabeth and some others, you can ask me about the one you want me to make

Proships

( please don't expect me to be quick! i'm a rather lazy person, tho i'll try to make it as fast as possible )

[effypcfcwrites]

Percy Jackson and The Olympians

(Originally posted on my personal Facebook dated February 1, 2024)

I've been meaning to write another review of a piece of media that I liked for a while now, following my extensive review of The Owl House back in mid-2023, so here goes me again, rambling about it.

When the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and The Olympians was announced some time ago, me and my high school self were excited to know the series would be in good hands, coming from the same place that gave us gems like Star Wars: Andor and WandaVision, this time, with much more participation from author Rick Riordan himself, AKA, the cooler, less-problematic version of J.K. Rowling. For context, Percy Jackson and The Olympians is technically a Disney property, since it was distributed by Disney-Hyperion Books back in the day. Don't get me wrong though. At this point, I have no love for the multi-billion corporate titan that is Disney. I am more invested in the stories they tell, which I wish would just exist as their own thing, independent of the looming shadow of The Mouse.

Disney+'s Percy Jackson and The Olympians did a good job so far, in my opinion as a fan of the books, to adapt The Lightning Thief (the 1st entry in the OG series) into the age of streaming with a Herculean debut 1st season. Writing-wise, I acknowledge the effort put into it being a more loyal adaptation of the source material compared to the cheesy and gods-awful movies of the early 2010s, even though it threw in some creative liberties here and there, which I have no qualms with. I felt like what it did best was to focus less on all the wide-eyed fantasy of Greek Mythology and all its gods, monsters, and heroes, and explore more of the grounded human emotion and familial relationships of its cast of characters, from Percy and his mother and the subsequent quest to save her from the Underworld; the messy family of the Greek Pantheon and its bloody history; to even Medusa, whose story is a grim reminder that the Greek gods are problematic and flawed figures that should not be put on a pedestal willy-nilly.

Acting highlights for me were Walker Scobell's performance of Percy, that managed to portray the witty and world-weary personality of his character properly; Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Close Enough) as the sarcastic Dionysus, who makes it clear he is not enjoying his punishment on Camp Half-Blood, denied the hedonism of alcohol and festivity, which he is best known for; Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights, Encanto) as Hermes, who plays a more serious role of a father acknowledging his part in the emotional damage he has caused his family; Lance Reddick (John Wick, White House Down) as Zeus, who was stern and imposing as you'd know the head Olympian to be, making it a memorable posthumous performance, following his passing back in March 2023; and Adam "Edge" Copeland as Ares, who channeled the feral energy of his WWE persona into the unhinged fire-starter god of war.

The music and score were able to instill all the drama of Greek hero stories, mixing glory, tension, and melancholy well, and the cinematography and effects wonderfully brought to life the worlds and the multiple monsters of Greek myth as well as other concepts from the books, like gods showing their true forms, which was said to be fatal to mortal beings should they lay eyes on them. Fortunately, unlike what I just mentioned, it was all a great sight to witness.

If you're a fan of the entire PJO/Heroes of Olympus/etc. universe that Rick Riordan has brought out into the world, then I think you'd be in for a treat when you give this series a spin.

[vivisandg]

‼️I NEED SUGGESTIONS‼️

I now have a WATTPAD account(finally😂😭)! And I may or may not need suggestions/requests for a fic(we’ll start with a one shot to experiment💀). I’ll have the link to my wattpad in my bio FAST-TRAVEL 👉 https://www.tumblr.com/vivisandg || IMPORTANT STUFF AT VERY BOTTOM

Let’s start with stuff I will write:

Smut

Pregnancy stuff

Any sexual orientation(les/gay/straight/bi/etc.) and any genders(she/he/they)

Kinky stuff(WILL FURTHER EXPLAIN IN THE NOTS⬇️)

Fluff

Flirty(if I can even write that😭🤟)

Slow burn

ENEMIES TO LOVERS

And the fandoms that I will list below the NOTS

Stuff I will NOT write:

Age gap(3 yr tops)

Illegal age gaps

Pedo kinks and knife play

Somnopheilia

Torture(as kink, if the story has it in the plot then yes)

Anime stuff(IM SORRY)

If smut, no anal, it just sounds gross, sorry

Now the fandoms… these are just fandoms that I know fs I can write, I am open to anything, I’d just have to do research.

Maze Runner(James Dashner)

Criminal Minds

Percy Jackson(Rick Riordan)

Heroes of Olympus(Rick Riordan)

Hunger Games(Suzanne Collins)

Divergent(Veronica Roth)

Red Queen(Victoria Aveyard)

Young Elites(Marie Lu)

The Giver???(Lois Lowry)

Twilight(Stephanie Meyers)

Httyd: all movies, Riders of Berk, Race to the Edge(Cressida Cowell)

Harry Potter (J.K Rowling)

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them(J.K Rowling)

Fifty Shades of Grey(E.L James)

This is all I could think of for the time being, feel free to request a new fandom or specific character from a fandom. I will list the characters that I will write for and maybe what those writes will entail in another the post here after this one. Thank you!!❤️

[mitchipedia]

When your heroes fail you

Isaac Asimov was one of my heroes when I was a boy and into my 20s. Years after he died, I learned about truly awful behavior he engaged in routinely.

For many years after that, I held Asimov in contempt.

But now my respect for him is restored. I once again admire him today, for the qualities I admired in him before I knew about the other things. I admire his talent, work ethic, intelligence and nerdy charm.

Harlan Ellison was one of my heroes as well. His reprehensible behavior was always apparent — even his friends say oh yeah Ellison could be a colossal asshole. But I continue to admire his talent, intelligence, work ethic, loyalty and courage to do the right thing, publicly and loudly.

I was a Mel Gibson fan until he went publicly Nazi. I haven’t been able to watch anything with him in it since.

I never was a Harry Potter fan but I admired J.K. Rowling personally, before she became a professional transphobe.

Orson Scott Card was one of my favorite writers in the 70s and 80s. I haven’t read his work since he became a professional homophobe. I don’t miss it either — there are still about a million great works of fiction that I will never have a chance to read. Even without Card, I have no shortage of books to love.

Everybody loved Bill Cosby, me included.

Sometimes I can compartmentalize feelings about a public person I admire when horrible and credible allegations surface against them. I can still admire their good qualities and hold those qualities up as a standard to aspire to myself, while eschewing their bad qualities.

Other times I can’t compartmentalize in that fashion, and I can no longer tolerate a person I admire who reveals themselves to be personally reprehensible.

[vhs-n3cr0mancing]

Welcome!

We are a system in our 20s (21+) who enjoys a variety of fandom content. Sometimes we have ideas and make moodboards and shipboards of our own system and our partner systems. We wanted a place to post these as well as just make others. We will allow requests once we have finished putting this blog together and are in the mental space for it! You are still welcome to follow if you enjoy what we have created until then!

We don't really have a DNI aside from don't be a dick to other people. This includes ableist and bigoted language. If you don't like me for whatever reason just block us!

Minors beware there will be 18+ content on this blog and I would prefer if you do follow to block the nsfw tag. However I would prefer to keep this blog 16+.

Requests: Open (2/5)

Current tags:

18+ content - #📼blank tapes📼 Alter made content - #📼home videos📼 Requested content - #📼loaned tapes📼

Read more for whitelist/blacklist

Whitelist(Media we have watched/played/have alters from so therefore would be easier to make stuff for)

-Arcane -Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/MDZS -Heavenly Official's Blessing/TGCF -Scum Villian's Self-Saving System/SVSSS -Devil May Cry -Resident Evil -Jujutsu Kaisen -Assassin's Creed -Banana Fish -My Hero Acadamia/BNHA -Castlevania -Degrees of Lewdity(18+ requesters only) -Creepypasta(Fanon included) -The Lost Boys(1987) -Stranger Things -Twin Peaks -To be updated with remembered media

Blacklist for Media/Ships(exceptions for introjects only): This is all for personal reasons not anything moral. Fans are still allowed to interact!

-Anything made by J.K. Rowling -Explicitly Christian media (Bible movies are exceptions) -CaitVi -JayVik -Vanco/Zaundads -Star(TLB) X Anyone -May be updated later

[lthienofdorthonion]

Through My Window

Chapter IV: It's never too late

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, inspired by the Harry Potter universe and the characters I love so much. I am not trying, under any circumstances, to take authorship of J.K. Rowling's original work. All rights belong to the creator of this incredible saga.

Author Notes: While Draco does not appear in this chapter, it plays a crucial role in setting the stage for future character development. Please be patient—he’ll be making his entrance soon, and once he does, his presence will be featured just as much as Hermione’s in the chapters to come.

The wind was blowing hard as the rain began to become almost a storm. The drops that had previously fallen timidly now hit the ground furiously, bouncing off the puddles that had begun to form. The brown-haired girl, drenched and breathing fast, decided it was time to head home. The sound of her hurried steps on the cobblestones echoed in the cold, humid night.

When she got home, the first thing she noticed was the silence. No sign of her parents.

—It’s already after eight…— she whispered to herself, trying to hide her growing concern. —Maybe they decided to stay a little longer.

She sat resolutely on the armchair in the living room, turning on the television without much desire. That device had never caught her interest; She found the hustle and bustle of empty programs monotonous, even irritating. Soon, the background noise began to stress her out, and with nothing better to do, she headed upstairs to seek refuge in her favorite place: her room.

That corner of the world had always been her refuge. The walls filled with shelves containing books piled up in a haphazard manner, the soft aroma of old paper... In her room, she felt like she could disconnect from the world, find solace among the pages of her novels, where heroes and magical creatures lived together in harmony. There, she could lose herself for hours, immersed in stories that seemed to understand her better than anyone else.

As she lay in bed, her mind wandered to those times when adventures were not only in books, but also in her own life. Friends. That word resonated in her head with a distant echo. Two faces appeared in her mind, clear as if she had just seen them: piercing green eyes behind round glasses, and a carefree smile accompanied by messy red hair. Memories of them, of those endless afternoons of laughter and mischief, enveloped her in a mixture of nostalgia and warmth, but also a touch of sadness.

There was something in that nostalgia that now made her feel emptier, more alone. What once seemed like an eternal friendship was now a distant memory. The distance had been created without her doing anything to prevent it. The unspoken words, the looks they no longer shared, the lack of contact… it felt like a weight on her shoulders.

She sighed, closing her eyes tightly, as if she could squeeze her memories in an attempt to hold them in just a little longer. But when she opened his eyes, she realized that, although the memories would still be there, reality was now different. Her room, her refuge, no longer offered her the same peace as before. Now, instead of comfort, it seemed like a reminder of what she had lost.

Harry and Ron.

—I miss you both so much…— she murmured to herself, with a heavy sigh that seemed to carry all the weight of the time she had spent without seeing them.

She remembered their jokes, the endless talks in the Gryffindor common room, the complicit looks when they planned something together. She missed them so much that it sometimes hurt her to think about how far apart they had been for the past few years. Two years had passed since they had last seen each other, each one following their own path. Hermione had continued her academic career in the Muggle world, while Ron and Harry had gotten lost in their own worlds, perhaps so entangled in their own problems that it hadn't even been easy to keep in touch.

Ron always made her smile, a mix of affection and sadness tugging at her heart. Always so loyal, and a little impulsive—sometimes too much. The afternoons they spent in the Great Hall or the moments when Ron would lose his temper over the smallest things felt like an integral part of who he was, a cornerstone of their friendship. Yet, over time, something had shifted in him, and although she had never said it out loud, Hermione had sensed that the tension between them went beyond mere differences in personality.

Ron had also been possessive of her in ways that were subtle but also glaringly obvious. At times, when they talked about Harry, Ron couldn’t hide the irritated expression that crossed his face—a look Hermione never fully understood. He was so protective, but not in the same way he was with Harry. It was different, a kind of protectiveness that made her feel stifled, even trapped.

/FLASHBACK/

It was the beginning of their seventh year at Hogwarts, a time when everything seemed on the brink of irreversible change. Hermione and Ron walked together through the castle’s stone corridors, the distant sounds of laughter and footsteps filling the air. Light streamed through the high windows, casting long, almost melancholic shadows, as though the castle itself could sense what was coming.

Ron came to a sudden halt, making Hermione stop short behind him. There was something in his face—something tight and unreadable—that made her frown.

—Hermione— Ron said, his voice unusually serious. —What’s going on between you and him?

Hermione stared at him, bewildered by the question. Her mind raced to find some context for what he was saying, but none of it made sense.

—Who are you talking about?— she asked at last, frowning as she tilted her head slightly. Her eyes searched Ron’s for a clue, some sign of what he was really trying to say.

Ron took a step closer, his blue eyes darkening with a mix of frustration and something sharper. —Harry,— he said bluntly, too quickly for it to sound casual. —It’s always Harry, isn’t it? Last night, I heard you two talking in the common room. After hours. You didn’t even tell me. What was that about?—

Hermione frowned, taken aback by the accusation. —What? Ron, we’re friends,— she said, her tone confused but edged with irritation. —He was upset about something, and I just happened to be there. I’d gone back to grab a book I forgot, and he needed someone to talk to. That’s all. You’re being ridiculous.—

But Ron wasn’t backing down. He crossed his arms tightly, his jaw tense, eyes narrowing as if piecing together a puzzle that didn’t fit. —It’s not just that, though, is it?— he said, his voice quieter now but laced with something possessive. —It’s like… he always turns to you. Like you’re the only one he trusts. The only one who really gets him. And where does that leave me, Hermione? What’s my place in all of this?—

Hermione’s heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. The way he was looking at her, the frustration and vulnerability mixed in his gaze, was something she hadn’t seen before. It felt... different. Heavy.

—Ron…— she began, but he took another step forward, and the distance between them seemed to shrink.

—I don’t know, Hermione,— Ron said, his voice soft but tight with frustration. —Sometimes it feels like I’m just… not part of this. Like I’m invisible, or I’m not enough. I try, but it’s like no matter what I do, it’s always him. You’re always there for him. And I don’t know how to fix it. How do I compete with that?—

Hermione’s breath caught in her throat. —Ron, you are enough,— she said quickly, trying to reach out to him. But the tension in the air was thick, and it was hard to know what he needed to hear. —You’re being ridiculous. Harry and I are friends. That’s all there is to it. You don’t have to compete with anyone.—

Ron’s eyes flashed with frustration, though he tried to mask it. —But that’s just it, Hermione. You always defend him. You’re always with him. And I— I’m right here, but it’s like I’m not the one you turn to. Like I’m not the one you rely on.—

Hermione felt her pulse quicken as Ron’s presence grew more overwhelming, pushing her back against the wall without him even realizing it. The air felt thick with something unspoken, a pressure that made it hard to think. Ron’s eyes were locked on hers, searching, waiting.

—Ron,— she said again, but her voice faltered, not sure how to handle the intensity of the moment.

Ron’s gaze shifted for a second, and then it dropped to her lips. The silence was deafening, and Hermione’s heart hammered in her chest. “Why was this happening? Why did it feel so wrong? So unfamiliar?”

He didn’t move. He just stood there, watching her with that same intensity, as if her words were being weighed against something he’d never said out loud. His shoulders relaxed, but there was still an edge to his gaze, something she couldn’t quite place.

Hermione felt her throat tighten. She had no idea what was happening, but she had to break the silence. —Ron,— she said softly, her voice trembling, —You’re not… you’re not being pushed out. You and Harry are both my best friends, and I need you both. You mean the world to me, both of you.

For a moment, Ron didn’t move. His expression softened, and he exhaled, as if letting go of a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The tension in his shoulders eased, and a small, relieved smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

—Yeah?— he asked with a low voice, almost casual, but strange with a hint of something more under the surface. —You really mean that, Hermione? Because, you know… you can tell me anything. And I’m always here for you. Always. I’m not going anywhere.—

There was something in the way he said it, the way his eyes softened yet didn’t quite leave hers, that sent a strange chill down her spine. But Hermione couldn’t put her finger on it. Instead, she nodded, her own unease passing over her as she smiled weakly, unaware of the tightening grip Ron seemed to have on the situation.

—Of course, I mean it, Ron. We’re a team, always.

Ron looked at her for a moment longer, and then he gave a little nod, his face breaking into that shy, grateful smile she knew so well. He didn’t need to say anything more—his look said it all.

The space between them felt easier now, and the air that had been so heavy a moment ago was finally clear. Hermione sighed, feeling the weight of the tension lift.

—Thanks, Hermione,— Ron muttered, still a little awkward, but it was genuine. —I just… I don’t know, sometimes.—

Hermione gave him a reassuring smile, and for a moment, they both just stood there, the understanding between them simple but solid. The unease was gone, replaced by the comfort of their friendship, reminding them both that no matter how complicated things got, they were in this together.

/END OF FLASHBACK/

At that moment, she thought of Harry, her other best friend, and a pang of pain shot through her chest as she remembered everything he had endured. From the very first day she met him, she knew there was something different about him, something that went far beyond being The Boy Who Lived. It was the weight of the losses he had experienced since he was just a baby.

First, his parents, taken from him before he could even remember their faces. Then his godfather, Sirius, a spark of hope that had been cruelly snatched away. And later, Dumbledore, a figure of guidance and wisdom who had also been lost in the unending fight against darkness. After the war, there were even more deaths—more people Harry cared about, taken too soon. Each loss felt like another blow, leaving invisible but indelible scars on his soul. She couldn’t even imagine the level of suffering Harry faced every day. All that pain, all that loneliness, and, as if it weren’t enough, the constant shadow of Voldemort haunting him relentlessly until he was finally defeated.

Yet despite it all, Harry was still Harry: someone with a pure heart and selfless kindness that shone through even the darkest adversity. There was something profoundly admirable about his ability to keep going, to care for others even when it seemed like the whole world was against him.

From the moment she truly grasped the enormity of what Harry carried, Hermione made a decision. She would be his unwavering support, his family, the person he could trust without hesitation. She would be his shelter in the storms that never seemed to end. And no matter how dark his life became, she would be there for him—not because it was her duty, but because she cared for him deeply, with a love that went beyond words. Harry was her friend, but he was also like a brother—a bond she couldn’t and wouldn’t break.

She had always felt protective of Harry, not because she thought he was weak, but because she saw his strength and knew how much it cost him to maintain it. She wanted to be the pillar that held him up when everything else threatened to collapse. And although Harry rarely spoke about his feelings, she understood, with an almost magical intuition, how much it meant to him to have someone who was simply there for him.

Their friendship was something pure, a bond built on trust, respect, and a deep love that didn’t need labels or explanations. She had never wanted anything more than Harry’s happiness. She always advocated for him, for his right to find some peace, to be happy after so much suffering. Because if anyone in the world deserved happiness, it was Harry. 

/FLASHBACK/

The night was quiet, yet heavy. Hermione had finished her nightly routine, preparing for bed in a pink pajama set—pants and a shirt with small embroidered details on the sleeves. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, secured with a ribbon in the same soft shade, and her expression revealed the exhaustion of a day full of studying and responsibilities.

As she carefully placed her books in her trunk, her gaze lingered on one of the empty shelves.

Her Transfiguration book was missing.

—Oh, Merlin!— she muttered with a sigh of frustration.

She realized she had left it in the common room. Resigned, she adjusted her ribbon and descended the stairs with quick but quiet steps, wanting to retrieve the book as soon as possible so she could finally rest. 

When she reached the common room, she saw him.

Harry was sitting alone by the fire, staring at the flickering flames. His posture was slumped, and the shadows on his face made him look even more weary than usual. But it was the streaks of moisture on his cheeks that stopped Hermione dead in her tracks.

He was crying.

She’d seen him upset before, but not like this. Harry rarely let anyone see him vulnerable, and to see him like this made Hermione's heart ache.

For weeks, she’d noticed the weight he was carrying—Voldemort was constantly on his mind, and the pressure was taking a toll on him. The dark circles under his eyes and his distant attitude were more than just signs of exhaustion—they were signs of someone who was at the breaking point.

Quietly, Hermione walked over to him, her footsteps barely making a sound on the carpet. When she reached him, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Harry jumped, quickly wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as he turned to face her.

—Hermione?— His voice was hoarse, and he quickly tried to pull himself together. —What are you doing up at this hour?

She looked at him, her heart heavy. He was trying so hard to hide it, but she could see through it all.

—I left my Transfiguration book on the table,— she said softly, pointing to where it was. She kept her tone calm, like she didn’t want to disturb him any more than she already had. —And Harry nodded, his eyes still shining with unshed tears. There was something in his gaze that she’d rarely seen—a vulnerability he kept so carefully hidden.

—I had a vision,— he confessed after a long pause. —Voldemort… he came to the castle. He killed so many people.

His voice faltered, and the tears began to fall again.

—Hermione… I can’t… I can’t keep doing this,— he whispered, his hands shaking as he covered his face. —I don’t want anyone else to die.

Hermione felt her own throat tighten as she watched him crumble. Without thinking, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. She stroked his hair, as if her touch could somehow shield him from the weight of the world.

—I know it’s hard, Harry,— she said quietly, her voice trembling. —But you’re not alone. You’ve got me, and Ron, and we’re going to keep fighting. We’ll defeat him, I promise.

Harry’s forehead rested against her shoulder. They were close—maybe too close—but Hermione didn’t pull away.

—I can’t lose you or Ron,— he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back just slightly to look at her, his green eyes full of pain. —I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Harry gently cupped her face with one hand, and the warmth of his touch sent a jolt through her, though she didn’t move away.

—You’re so important to me, Hermione,— he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. His smile was faint but full of pain, and he stroked her cheek with the lightest touch.

Hermione froze, her thoughts a jumbled mess. Her heart raced, and she wasn’t sure what to say.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Harry pulled her into a tight hug, his arms around her like a lifeline. He held her close as though he feared she might vanish.

—Sorry,— he mumbled into her hair. —I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… I don’t want to be alone.

Hermione, caught off guard by the rawness of his words, didn’t misunderstand. Harry was always so guarded, so seeing him like this, so open, only made her heart swell with affection for him.

—You’ll never be alone, Harry,— she whispered, her hand gently rubbing the back of his neck as she ran her other hand through his hair. —We’ll get through this together. Always.

As the fire crackled in the hearth, the Gryffindor common room became a haven for the two of them, offering a brief respite from the looming threat they faced.

/END OF FLASHBACK/

—Would it be too late to...?—

She left the sentence unfinished, but an idea began to form in her mind. A slow, sincere smile spread across her face. Without wasting any time, she got out of bed and headed to her desk. With trembling hands, she pulled out two pieces of parchment, a quill, and an ink bottle. She couldn't wait any longer.

Dear Harry and Ron, I know this letter is long overdue, and I’m truly sorry for not reaching out sooner. It’s been far too long, and I can’t help but think about both of you constantly. Seven years of friendship… I still can’t believe it. Despite everything we’ve been through, I know none of us have kept the promise we made to each other. I can’t help but feel a bit guilty about that. We’ve faced so much, and it hasn’t always been easy. There are still difficult memories that linger, but I keep coming back to the good ones, the moments we shared, and how much they mean to me. Two years have passed, and I haven’t tried to reconnect, and that’s something I deeply regret. I often wonder if you still think of me, if you remember everything we went through together. I hope you do, and I truly hope you know how much you both still mean to me. I think of you every single day, and it makes me long for the days when we were together. I would really love to reconnect, to find a way to bridge the distance that has grown between us. Please forgive me for not writing sooner. Life has been overwhelming, and I let that get in the way. But I don’t want to be distant anymore. I need you both. Sending all my love, Hermione

She stared at the parchment for a few seconds, smiling as she imagined her friends' expressions when they received the letter. Without a second thought, she rolled it up, stood up, and went to find her owl. As she watched the creature take flight with her letters, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

The night passed in the blink of an eye. The next morning, Hermione woke up earlier than usual. She descended the stairs full of energy, almost floating with happiness.

—Good morning, Dad! Good morning, Mom!— she greeted with a smile that lit up her face.

Her mother looked at her in surprise, noticing that, for the first time in a long time, her daughter seemed genuinely happy.

—Good morning, dear,— her father replied, delighted to see her so cheerful.

—Would you like some breakfast?— her mother asked.

—Of course! I'll be right there!—

Suddenly, a noise from her room caught her attention. Hermione jumped, and her eyes lit up with excitement.

—It's here!— she shouted, running up the stairs.

She entered her room, and there it was: an owl with two letters on its talon. With a smile that illuminated her face, she thanked the owl and took the letters. She immediately recognized the first handwriting.

—Harry, your handwriting is still the same,— she murmured with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with emotion.

She opened the letter and began to read:

Hermione, It was such a relief to get your letter. I’ve been thinking about you and Ron a lot too, more than I probably let on. Please don’t apologize, we’re just as much to blame. I can’t really understand why we never wrote to each other; looking back, I think we were all a bit foolish. Even after everything we went through, I still care about you both, and I always will. I think we’ve been avoiding seeing each other because it feels like there’s so much we haven’t talked about, but maybe it’s time we finally did. We’ve been through so much together, and we also have so many good memories. I want you to know that you’ve never been forgotten—not for a second. I’d really love for us to reconnect, to catch up properly. Maybe we can plan something soon. With love, Harry

Hermione smiled with tears in her eyes. Before she could fully process the emotions, she grabbed the second letter. She opened it quickly and read eagerly:

Hermione, Blimey, it’s been ages! I was really glad to hear from you. And as soon as Harry got your letter, he wrote to me straight away. I’ve already told Ginny, and everyone’s thrilled to hear from you, especially Fred and George. You probably already know, but their shop in Romania’s doing so well that they’re expanding like mad. Even the shop in Diagon Alley’s getting bigger. I’ll be in London for a few months, working with dragons, a job I got through Romania, so I’m planning to visit Fred, George, and Ginny while I’m there. It’d be great if we could all meet up. Harry and I were thinking of getting together at the Leaky Cauldron next Saturday. What do you think? Can you make it? You’re always going to be our friend, Hermione. Don’t feel bad about not writing sooner. We all should’ve done better. But we’ve never forgotten you, not for a second. Ron  

Hermione let out a deep sigh, but this time, it wasn’t one of sadness—it was pure happiness. With an even wider smile, she quickly wrote a reply accepting the invitation.

The rest of the week passed in the blink of an eye, and the long-awaited day finally arrived. Eager, she put on a simple black dress that reached just above her knees. The cut was basic, perfect for a casual day, but the way the light fabric gently hugged her waist accentuated her slender figure. The dress gave off a relaxed vibe, while the classic white and black Converse shoes she had chosen added a carefree, youthful touch to her look.

As she left the house, a soft breeze tousled her curly hair, which fell gently down her back and shoulders. She decided to wear it loose, and without realizing it, looks began to follow her. Men of all ages turned their heads to watch her as she walked down the sidewalk, drawn to her natural beauty. She, absorbed in her thoughts, never noticed the attention she was attracting, walking calmly, unaware of the eyes that followed her every step. For her, the outfit was simply a comfortable choice, but for others, her presence was impossible to ignore.

Despite waking up early, she was running late by the time she arrived. She found a table and sat down, biting her lip in impatience. Time seemed to drag on, and after half an hour, discouragement began to settle in. She stood up to leave, when suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

—Hermione?— said two familiar voices in unison.

Her heart skipped a beat. She turned on her heels, hope burning in her chest, and there they were: the faces of those she had never stopped missing…

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

✨Chapter I: Secrets

✨Chapter II: Memories

✨Chapter III: Truths that hurt

✨Read all chapters (full story) in AO3 here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60701563/chapters/155010175

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Salomé Sibonex

Published: Jan 29, 2024

I’ve been seeking a reprieve from the ugly sides of our world lately and I found it in Hogwarts Wizarding School of Magic.

Even though Harry Potter’s world isn’t utopian, the whimsy of magic and the drama of a battle between good and evil helped wash away the ugly banality of the real world’s problems. There was one problem I couldn’t find a reprieve from, though. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry encounters a problem I’m all too familiar with and that lives at the core of many societal issues. At this point in the series, Harry’s known for his infamous past as a child who survived a direct attack from the embodiment of evil, Voldemort, and his battles against evil and chaos conquering Hogwarts. And yet, even Harry Potter in a world of elves and flying brooms can’t escape the ever-present human problem of conformity.

Watching Harry Potter struggle to overcome other people’s desire for conformity and disdain for anyone who threatens it made me realize: many people cheering this fictional protagonist on would fight against him in real life.

Despite having proven his loyalty, courage, and inclination to fight against evil, Harry Potter’s warning that Voldemort has returned is met with annoyance and disbelief from everyone but his close friends and the embodiment of wisdom, Dumbledore. This problem introduces a crucial element of what causes a lot of today’s destructive conformity: motivated reasoning. Similar to confirmation bias, motivated reasoning happens when someone is motivated to either agree or disagree with new information based on their current beliefs, thus letting that motivation shape their response more than whether the information is true.

You often hear people lament how, despite having access to all the information in the world, it seems like people are getting dumber. A big part of why access to information alone doesn’t reduce ignorance is because of motivated reasoning. People today are inclined to fight against information that challenges their worldview, often because it’s just easier than updating it.

It would be easier for his peers and the authorities if Harry Potter was wrong about danger on the horizon, so they decide to believe he’s wrong, regardless of whether he’s wrong. They deride and dismiss him with accusations I’ve faced myself when sharing inconvenient truths; his classmates scoff “he just wants to be famous!”, which our culture has shortened to “grifter!” Harry Potter—the infamous beacon of hope and repeated warrior for good over evil—is accused of grifting by his own classmates simply because it’d be easier if that were true. Unfortunately for them, it’s not. 

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is a masterpiece for many reasons, but one reason is that her characters and the stories they live out are so real despite happening in such a surreal world. Watching the scene where Harry Potter tries to warn people about a problem he’s proven himself trustworthy and competent to assess—only to be shouted down by people who want the easy route today at the risk of hardship tomorrow—felt uncomfortably real.

I criticized the manipulative pressure activists used to make people pledge allegiance to BLM without researching the organization (which turned out to be corrupt) or the movement itself (which turned out to be a guise for spreading destructive ideas in the name of “anti-racism”). When I speak about that today, I’m praised. But then the Israel attack on October 7th happened and suddenly the same message against letting social pressure rush you to pledge allegiance to positions you don’t understand now got me derided for not “using my platform” properly. The pattern repeats.

You can be the same person with the same message, but other people will respond to you differently based on where the winds of culture have blown them this week.

Unprincipled people are constantly shifting their targets because their worldviews aren’t tethered to anything deeper than seeking social approval and avoiding cognitive dissonance. They will wish death on you for not posting a flag emoji while claiming to hold the moral high ground.

Unprincipled people believe their frantic rushing from Current Thing to Current Thing is proof of their moral character, but it’s actually proof of how unreliable the opinions of anyone but your close friends and personal Dumbledores can be. Just look at J.K. Rowling’s experience. 

While the fact that people with Harry Potter tattoos were the quickest to turn on the creator of their favorite story simply because her opinions didn’t sway with the ever-changing winds of culture (she maintains the once-uncontested reality that trans-women are trans-women and biological women are biological women), that’s only one example of a conformist culture that hates heroes. Harry Potter himself is the perfect litmus test for whether we have a culture that praises heroes or villains.

Forget about Harry’s magic abilities. What truly makes Harry Potter a magical character isn’t his ability to wield magic, which most of the magic world can do—it’s his character that makes him stand apart from all others. If Harry Potter were a real, non-magical person in our society today, his unusually strong character would make him a pariah. Unlike most of the magical world’s people, Harry Potter is pursuing a goal far bigger than himself; this makes him the target of both disgruntled plebs and power-hungry tyrants. People who don’t have a strong and honorable mission in life hate seeing people who do—it either reminds them they’re wasting their lives or threatens their ability to fulfill their evil mission. A lot of arm-chair internet activists and government officials would hate Harry Potter. 

It’s not just that Harry has a unique destiny that makes his character compelling—it’s the fact that he has the courage and determination to pursue that destiny and develop the necessary skills to do so that makes his character admirable. Every person—especially in an individualistic culture that valorizes people who make their own way in life—wants to feel like they have a unique life path that leads to greatness. Luckily for those living in a free society, they do. Unlike in centrally-planned economies like Cuba and China, where your destiny is mostly determined by what your government allows, people in free countries can determine the course of their lives.

The government doesn’t dictate what you can study, what businesses you can open, how many kids you can have, or how much money you’re allowed to make. We’re free to imagine a future for ourselves and set out to develop the skills needed to achieve it. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone will.

Businesses fail, personal tragedies happen, and obstacles appear. The people who give up on their journey or never get going but believe they could’ve done otherwise harbor regrets, and those regrets easily turn to resentment. These are the bitter people who see the hope and success of others as a stinging reminder of their failures. People who’ve given up or never tried to forge the future they wanted would hate some as determined and ambitious as Harry Potter.

Despite being an orphan, a victim of neglect by his step-family, stalked by a violent gang of death-eaters working for Voldemort, and a childhood victim of assault, Harry Potter doesn’t wear the label of victim.

In a culture like ours that sees victimhood as a hierarchy that dictates your treatment, an individual who refuses to identify as a victim is inherently subversive.

Instead of demanding special treatment because of his hardships, Harry Potter strives not just to overcome them, but uses his hardships as fuel to make him stronger than he would be without them. One might argue it would’ve been better if Harry Potter’s parents were never killed by Voldemort and thus he would’ve never been fated to fight him—and if your idea of a good life is ease and subsistence, that would be true—but your life would make a terrible story. Harry Potter’s victimization by Voldemort’s evil is what imbued him with the ability to become a hero. With darkness comes light, but in a culture that doesn’t believe in light, many people linger in the dark and resent anyone who reminds them their darkness is a choice.

Harry Potter is the archetypical hero. He pursues a mission that starts with his personal journey of understanding himself and helping those close to him, which leads him to help the world. He goes above and beyond what others do to become worthy of the future he wants. He never identifies with the many ways he’s been victimized, but instead transmutes his hardships into victories. And for all these heroic qualities, Harry Potter would be maligned by our culture as privileged, “alt-right,” and much like his creator has experienced, his efforts to do good would be met with hostility and accusations of grifting from people who care more about the ease of clinging to their worldview than discovering the truth. 

Entire countries end up on the wrong side of history when they stop cheering for heroes.