#albus is very brave

[trolleybitch]

trolley does nano days 22-28!

in the immortal words of miley cyrus and/or x factor winner joe mcelderry, i can almost seeeee it, that dream i'm dreeeeaming

look how close we are friends!! there are 2 days left of nano and my total is currently standing at 45,877 words. we did not come this far to fall at the final hurdle! i managed to carve out some writing time alongside work/various outings this weekend and i am so close to properly catching up after the great appendicitis flatline of week two. my health is still not 100% but i will be damned if i don't make it to 50k.

tomorrow will be short on free time, but on wednesday i should have the whole evening free to sprint to that glorious finish line. wish me luck and many, many words!!

[foursaints]

“I don’t care what [Barty] says, Dumbledore’s not stupid”: On Barty as Machiavel

i think we're all forgetting the moment where harry explicitly draws a parallel between barty & remus and i wrote the world’s longest post about it 

under a close reading, moody!barty operates in a manner that is SO distinct from canon!moody, and i think it’s made especially apparent in the way he interacts with students & the virtues he emphasizes in his lessons. even when disguised, barty has a machiavellian tendency that comes through consistently in several different moments. 

i think this quote is a weaker example, but “very tactful” is NOT something that would be used to describe canon!moody under any circumstances. c!moody’s lack of social tact is a known characteristic, and barty uses his tactless reputation to get away with his machinations (see: the dustbin excuse, breaking into snape’s office, even the ferret to an extent).

on the other hand, BARTY is clever and subtle and manipulative, and we see this coming through in how he handles neville. the biggest difference between him and c!moody is the way that barty!moody tends to openly value or praise Cleverness & Craftiness above more moody-ish virtues like bravery, loyalty, or Taking Care of His Students’ Safety… but i think the most interesting part of all this is the way that harry reacts to it.

the hp books notoriously do this clumsy thing where the morality is starkly Black/White (as ursula leguin rightfully criticized). but seemingly arbitrary categories like “gryffindor” or “slytherin” are also conflated with this strict Good/Evil dichotomy. which results in these random-ass traits like “brave 😎🦁” and “cunning 💀🐍” also taking on moral associations within the world of the text (jkr has also done this with physical traits & racial stereotypes, which is vile) 

but an overarching theme in hp is harry grappling with this dumbass in-world black/white morality & unlearning part of it (ex: snape, the epilogue w albus severus about slytherin). but i think it’s sooo interesting that one of the few characters (aside from snape & dumbledore) to demonstrate & valorize a machiavellian tendency AND be admired for it (by harry) is LITERALLY barty jr. 

like! barty’s tact is not a good thing in-canon! he uses his tact to get away with murder & torture & elaborate terrorist plots (he’s part of a group of death eaters described as having "managed to talk their way out of azkaban” p. 527) but i looove that the same trait which allows him to do all sorts of Dastardly Evil is cast as positive and remus-like in this moment. obviously i don’t think jkr was doing of this on purpose, but i love how these little things are unintentionally more compelling than whatever the hell she was trying to do with snape. and it goes deeper!!

this moment is especially telling of barty’s character, to me. subbing out the names, “I don’t care what [Barty] says… Dumbledore’s not stupid” is a CRAZY line. 

it’s lowkey THE barty!moody thesis in comparison to c!moody: nothing we’ve seen from c!moody would even remotely suggest that he’d EVER imply that dumbledore is stupid. (c!moody adopts the “it’s imperative that we blindly trust dd’s mysterious plans” attitude that most of the adults in harry’s life take, that hermione re-emphasizes here). but barty’s attitude is something that harry heavily fucks with in this moment!! 

that’s all i really have to say about The Implications or whatever. but i want to call more attention to moments in canon where barty’s tendencies shine through his disguise because (unlike most marauders characters) his personality is really fleshed-out. especially this aspect of it. my silly 

i. "mind works the right way, granger"

barty speaking about dumbledore like he’s stupid (💀) is enjoyable for several reasons up to & including how big-dicked it is of him, but most importantly i think it’s symptomatic of an overarching theme of his character. in GOF, barty has a tendency to take stock of the people around him, according to what appears to be a really concrete & consistent set of internal values: he values cleverness matched with a certain degree of ruthlessness. 

this bit with hermione is fun. there are about ~6-7 other instances where he praises cleverness, but that’s not really a unique or noteworthy thing to value? but the phrasing in this quote is my favorite. i know that it’s in reference to the skillset required of an auror, but the phrasing of “mind works the right way” can be applied to so much of barty’s character if you reach hard. i love that barty’s language almost casts the mind as something rote & mechanical which can function right or wrong. 

but anyway it only becomes interesting when placed in context of THIS earlier interaction: 

there are endless ways barty could have gone about guiding harry to use his firebolt here, so his specific phrasing holds a lot of weight to me. (keep in mind: he’s prompting harry to feel that he came up with the firebolt/accio idea, but this whole plan was concocted by barty himself much earlier. he’s on the “convince harry to do my broomstick dragon thing” step of his overarching scheme) 

in a sense, by “inspiring” harry to do what HE already independently decided was best, he’s sort of… giving away his own reasoning, a little? the italicized emphasis on enabling oneself to “get what you need” feels… unnecessary, in context? i love that THAT is where emphasis slips into his voice because it betrays his values. 

barty’s Revenge Scheme is insanely fucking convoluted, but at every stage i think that logic is there. in his villain monologue where he rehashes the deranged level of micro-managing he was doing to get harry to resurrect voldemort, at every individual step he was following his own advice. to barty, sometimes murder is just the Simplest Spell to Get What He Needs. 

according his own advice, barty sees the clearest path between two points, and generally has 0 ethical qualms about closing that distance by the Simplest means possible. he later confirms this by describing harry’s morality introducing complications as “contend[ing] with [his] stupidity” (676) 

ii. “good boy,” growled [barty]. “i can make good use of this…”

the scene where barty acquires the marauders map is CRAZYY.. for a moment, barty is so excited & taken aback that we see a few of his genuine reactions. i love that absolutely nothing manages to faze him EXCEPT genuine delighted shock over an interesting new tool he can implement in his schemes. (sidenote: he probably recognized the marauders’ nicknames, which is so funny)

that fact that we have a canonical barty crouch jr “good boy” makes me claw at the walls. anyway. i feel that i don’t need to explain how “i can make good use of this… this might be exactly what i’ve been looking for” supports characterization of barty as a scheming little machiavel because it’s pretty much explicitly stated right there. 

but this quote stands out for his genuine preoccupation with it. from the instant that barty sees the map, his eyes don’t leave it— his eye “whizzed over [it’s] surface” (491), he questions harry about how his name appeared when he searched snape’s office (”’Crouch,’ he said. ‘You’re— you’re sure, Potter?’” (491))— all while harry is sinking into a trick staircase & getting concerned that moody is ignoring him.

“penetrating glare” ← top barty rights! 

the image of him getting new information, questioning harry about it tactfully, and then spending A FULL MINUTE silently integrating it, is one of my favorite instances of him in the book… it’s like you can hear the gears in his head whirring. i like that we can see this type of assessment that he does extends to other people, when he turns it on harry and “size[s] him up”. 

AND ALL OF THIS IS WITHOUT EVEN GETTING INTO WHAT HIS LESSONS WERE LIKE

this post is long enough as it is! but all that’s left to say is that barty will always be at his most interesting when you pay attention to canon… there’s another longpost that could be written about barty!moody’s differences in disposition. the jokes he cracks, his relative lightness, and the sheer number of times he was openly like “FUCK the law i do what i want” (while literally masquerading as a literal wizard cop) are so intriguing. but that’s for another time 

[daddymortfest]

Daddymort MasterList 2023

Here are the submissions that made it for the Daddymort fest this year! I had so much fun plotting and chatting with you all. Hopefully we will see you all next year <3

In no particular order....

Mary Magdalene

vash (hanamichi)

For youknowmevj.

Based on a prompt for the Daddymort fest: when Harry tries to destroy four of Voldemort's seven Horcruxes they turn into babies instead and latch on to Harry like ducklings. or: SCANDAL! Young Mother Of Four Claims Dark Lord Hasn't Been Paying Child Support

How I Met Your Mother

apocalypseWallflower

These are all the times that Harry Potter met Voldemort but hated him, and the time they fell in love. OR Set to the backdrop of someone who has never seen nor interacted with the show/or otherwise “How I Met Your Mother” but still took very light inspiration from the memes.

For a War Drum

Saeva

Get some Pull up the ladder when the flood comes Throw enough rope until the legs have swung Seven new ways that you can eat your young Come and get some Skinning the children for a war drum Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns It's quicker and easier to eat your young - 'Eat Your Young', Hozier Discovering that Harry Potter has been left to the pitilessness of the Muggle world and its hate for magic, Voldemort decides there might be another way to deny Albus Dumbledore his child weapon. After all, killing the boy would be such a waste of powerful potential.

what he truly wanted

acydpop

For greenmegsnoham.

When Voldemort adopted Harry, he was given everything he could ever want or need, so imagine Harry's surprise when his adopted father kept him from dating. After his 7th date running out of the manor crying, Harry confronted his father. The confrontation became heated in more ways than one. ;)

(You) Set Me Aflame

rgemma

For greenmegsnoham.

When snakes emerge from brumation, they mate. Parselmouths are much the same.

His Brave Boy

LiquidLuckandStuff

Harry should have died when Voldemort came to his house all those years ago. He should have died under his relatives care, but now there was a voice in his head guiding him and teaching him. Sometimes, he even gets bedtime stores about heroes who befriend giant snakes and save the things they care about the most. Harry loves his father until he is forced to forget him for their own safety. Now, years later when he should have died by Lord Voldemort's hand yet again, Harry sees the broken form of the horcrux at Kings Cross station and remembers. ______ Scarcrux raises Harry. Hurt/comfort and a happy ending as promised.

He Will Slay You with His Tongue

evaleon70

Prompt fill for Daddymort Fest 2023: "Harry distracts Voldemort (without thinking) by calling him "Daddy" in the middle of the battle in Parseltounge. It works and Voldemort loses his mind. People ask him what he said but he is too ashamed to admit it, only that "hey it worked." Harry's comments keep getting filthier and filthier when they fight until Voldemort can't take it anymore."

[aithusarosekiller]

fic recs, some positivity for your blog!!

(all on ao3, it's all i use)

"only the brave" by solmussa is genuinely my favourite fic ever (in my years of obsessive fanfic reading), it's got jegulus, wolfstar, dorlene, rosekiller, pandalily, amazing ocs (elspeth fawley my love my darling my beloved), MOONWATER FRIENDSHIP SUPREMACY, regulus being an evil (not actually) mastermind and literally i like fucking cannot. i cant even begin to describe how much i love this fic, 100/10 absolutely recommend reading if you haven't already [completed, 64 chapters, 645k words]

"go east" by xinasvoice is a wolfstar howls moving castle au, literally need i say more [completed, 11 chapters, 84k words]

"threes family" and it's sequel "eights company" by darkbluedark, im obsessed with marauders time travel fics if you couldn't tell [threes family is complete, 5 chapters, almost 20k words; eights company is a wip, 3 chapters, 15k words]

"the golden king" by maladaptivewriting, another time travel fic!! jegulus, wolfstar, drarry, regulus being a slayboss icon as per usual [wip, but already has 123 chapters and almost 500k words]

"like real people do" by arins_writings has jegulus, wolfstar, dorlene, time travel (yippie!!!), enemies to lovers, forced (ish) proximity and all sorts of shit that makes my autism happy [completed, 60 chapters, 201k words. sequel is a wip, 6 chapters, 16k words]

"into the dark" by phantomgrimalkin another time travel fic!!! wolfstar, jily, drarry, bastard rat ass motherfucker albus dumbledore [complete, 20 chapters, 88k words]

"(i will) wear you down" by rainiris is an amazing motherfucking concept, really slow updates but is absolutely worth it. jegulus, wolfstar, marylily, dorlene, past jily (and harry!), basically regulus fakes his death but james goes looking for him, the cutie patootie [wip, 18/32 chapters, 121k words]

"you only live twice" by drift99 is also really good, it's wolfstar, jily (jegulily later on ehehe), polyamory time travel bullshit (literally my favourite kind of bullshit). remus and hermione saving the world, underrated friendship tbh [completed, 47 chapters, 95k words]

"anti-hero" by rweoutofthewoods has jegulus, wolfstar, bamf regulus, moonwater friendship!!! regulus fakes his death, but remus finds him. platonic soulmates istg. also has marylily but it doesn't end well for them :((… [completed, 41 chapters, 237k words]

"dear your holiness" by mollymarymarie is basically, at it's barest bones, a wolfstar fleabag au. priest remus lupin, modern au, sorta-partly-kinda texting fic, very very sacrilegious, and a happy ending! [completed, 12 chapters, 142k words]

"saccharine" by moonymoment is a sweet little (maybe not little, but shorter than my usual 100k+ word fics) wolfstar modern ghost au! background jily, happy ending, basically sirius is a ghost that haunts remus' apartment and its really domestic

if you've read any/all of these pls lmk what you think i love to talk about the marauders

OMG HIIII

I also only use ao3 so don't you even worry 😭 ao3 is my baby I live there

THIS IS PERFECT TIMING bc i started only the brave last year big for some reason stopped? Idk if it was school work or something but I've been telling myself that this summer im gonna read it all the way through because I remember loving the writing and the story so I can't wait to sit and get all the way through it again. I've already seen so many spoilers but I'm gonna pretend I haven't 💀

I've been subscribed to the golden king since Reg's first Diagon trip and it LOVE IT SO MUCH 😭 the bond with Harry, the relationship with Sirius creeping back, the entire MESS with James. I love it. So good.

Okay about like real people do 😭 I SWEAR I MUST HAVE READ IT???? I love time-travel and I love Jegulus and I love long fics....and I SWEAR it rings a bell in my mind so tell me why I just went over to ao3 to double check and I literally cannot remember it 😞 maybe I read a bit then lost the tab???? Or started smth else and forgot to go back???? Either way it's going back onto the tbr bc why the hell would I not have read it all that's insane. Thank you for reviving my pea-memory so I can come back to this one 🙏

I LOVE ANTI HERO SO SO MUCH DUDE like I remember reading it last year and not putting my phone down until it was done, it's a PROBLEM. Whenever I think about reg lives I think about that even when I've read so many others with the concept it's just so...AAAAA. The desert scene of forever stuck in my mind for some reason idk 😭

I personally will probably not read the others (the people who know my blog could smell this coming, I see you) because wolfstar and jily aren't really my thing anymore (I dealt with a few elitist/aggressive fans over the years which has unfortunately just completely put me off being able to enjoy any content for them anymore :( still makes me sad icl) but!! I will tag it with them so all the people who DO love them can see these recs and go and read them if they haven't already because the premises look SO cool

[thedoewitch]

THE TRUTH ABOUT HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS

In the last few weeks, I've seen many arguments between the stans of different characters in the HP Fandom. And this, this exact post is about my opinion, mixed with canon (books) and how they normally should have been perceived.

This is part one of the series explaining the characters in the Harry Potter Universe. It will be long, seeing as many are hateful towards characters who did nothing wrong, or love them for all the wrong reasons.

Two big arguments will be explained in this post. Two biggest arguments about Anti-Character vs Pro-Character.

Anti-Dumbledore vs Pro-Dumbledore;

Now, there are many people who are on the anti-Dumbledore side of the fandom, and I can understand why. It is not a surprise, considering what has been done by Dumbledore in the series.

However, Albus is one of the many-layered characters. He was a Blood Supremacist throughout his life, even as an adult, until his sister Ariana Dumbledore died.

He is, like many others, a flawed character, just like us real humans are. He was in love with Gellert Grindelwald (Which he has no fault in, you cannıot control who you fall in love with), and was willing to take the world under their control just because Gellert wanted to.

In the Marauders and Lightening Era timeline, he did many horrible things. He went as far as using Fudge to gain things to his favor, he used Severus and Harry, and even Remus and Sirius and Rubeus (Hagrid) as the events unfolded, and he even neglected other students while trying to control everything that he can, even though he is a HEADMASTER, a person who s supposed to keep the school's students safe. And the fact that he left Harry in the Dursleys' footsteps and not checking on him properly was disturbing, no matter if Arabella Figgs was there. He didn't care to check up properly.

He did all of that, yes. There is no arguing about it, it is in The Fantastic Beast, in the Harry Potter books, in the Secrets of Dumbledore, in the Crimes of Grindelwald. He did all of those things that nowadays seem impossible to do.

But- He also did good things. He accepted Remus into the school, albeit it was stupid of him to do so with only a place he can transform that he can break free easily if not strictly controlled. He accepted him because he wanted people like him to have a chance.

We even see another werewolf student in the game called Hogwarts Mystery, which I liked and enjoyed. He is not prejudiced against them, and it makes their life easier.

He gave Harry and other students support throughout their life at Hogwarts. It excluded Slytherins, sadly, but he did try to be a good role model and also tried to relieve the students from stress by doing things like canceling the exams and even saying seemingly ridiculous words during the meals. He was truly afraid that Ginny was taken into the chamber, it is obvious in the CoS book when Lucius paid a visit to Albus.

He supported the adults like Alastor and Kingsley and Tonks, warned Sirius and the like against doing things that could be dangerous for their lives. He did care about them. Even, I'm sure, Marlene and Dorcas had a place in his heart because he does everything to help them win the war and live in peace.

Anti-Snape vs Pro Snape;

Severus Snape, like Albus, is a many-layered character. He is defensive and strict and is a bully throughout his adulthood. He is brave and courageous, stubborn and selfless.

Snape is not dark or light. He is not black or white. He is a Morally-Grey character through and through. There is no arguing against that.

Severus as a kid has done nothing wrong. The argument of him being obsessed with Lily when he was NINE is a very wrong thing to say. He was, as explained in the Pottermore likely abused by his father who was a drunkard, and from the writing in the books, his mother was likely neglectful as well. A kid who has gone through that will not have good social skills, or know how to talk to anyone politely. The fact that he is living in a dark neighborhood is probably an aspect of this as well.

He used accidental magic on Petunia, and he had no fault in it just like Harry had no fault when he deflated his aunt. Petunia insulted his mother, just like Marge insulted Lily. He had no control over his emotions, and thus, the accidental magic is not him being a hater.

During the train ride, all he said was he wanted to be in Slytherin. Why? Who knows, maybe his mother was sorted there and he wanted to feel closer to her. James and Sirius immediately attacked him with their words after that. Again, he is a kid. An 11 years old kid. He did not have a fault in that.

During his years at Hogwarts, he faced many more of the Marauder's bullying. And, yes, it was bullying, J.K Rowling said it, in the books even Harry thinks it is bullying, and Sirius accepts that fairly easily.

In his fifth year at Hogwarts, he is a fifteen-year-old and Sirius is 16 years old, Sirius sent him down the Willow Tree in the full moon. Why? Of that, I have a few theories but we don't know if any of them are true. He sent him down there on a FULL MOON, where Remus transformed, wanting to get a laugh of it.

He was almost killed, but saved by his enemy James Potter at the last second. He was forced to keep shut about this, which definitely added to his many traumas throughout his life. He was punished while he was the definite victim in this situation, along with Remus who was used by his best friend.

After this werewolf prank, it is obvious that the bullying got worse. It is probably because the Marauders had to do something to not let their friendship crumble, and blaming the whole situation on the victim, who is someone they hate or at the very least dislike seemed a good idea in their eyes. And thus, Snape's Worst Memory happened.

Lily and Severus' relationship was already falling apart by the fifth year. After the prank, they confronted each other and talked about the things they witnessed.

It is very disturbing how Severus did not care that Mulciber and Avery used dark magic on an innocent Gryffindor called Mary MacDonald. However, he also points out that the Marauders used a hex to grow Bertham Abrey's, a Slytherin's head grow his head twice its size. It is not Dark Magic, but clearly illegal. This hows that Marauders bullied everyone they could from Slytherin, and Sirius even admitted that himself.

Both of them are set in their ways. Lily doesn't acknowledge that Severus has to spend time with the Slytherins as he is a Slytherin himself. And Severus doesn't acknowledge that using Dark Magic to harm others is disturbing when others use Light Spells to hurt others instead, not realizing that both of them are wrong.

In SWM Lily definitely doesn't do everything she can do, along with Remus. They both are prefects but Remus stood back, and Lily only confronted the Marauders, not bothering to inform a professor at the very least.

Severus was very wrong in saying Mudblood to Lily. Sure, he was under a lot of stress, and he is a Half-Blood so the term also applies to him, but it was the last damage to crumble the wall of friendship the two had between them. But he did not deserve to get his trousers to get taken down and get threatened to be stripped completely. That was sexual assault, and no one deserves that.

After all of that, he apologized and left Lily alone. He was not obsessed with her. I'm sorry, but no one is saying that you cannot love a person who is in another relationship. It is not a crime, and he didn't even tell Lily about his feelings. (And I do not believe that 'feelings' were romantic. It was most definitely platonic, It is written like one, and the strong lesson the HP Series has is the power of Love.)

He went Dark after graduating, but when he discovered that he was going to be the cause of his ex-best friend's death he deflected quickly. I do not understand how people find this creepy. Regulus 'deflected' (not fully) for Kreacher, Narcissa, and Lucius for Draco and Albus for Ariana.

He agreed to be a spy for Albus and took a Vow to completely submit himself to a cause he had not yet believed completely in. After Lily's death, his life was devoted to protecting Harry.

He was a bully during his adult years. Now, it is mostly because traumatized people act mature, but their mentality goes backward, and the proper age of becoming fully mature comes later on. With his state, it would be at the very earliest when he was 53 that he would be fully mature, but it is also because he cannot let go of the past and heal from it.

He treated Harry and Neville horribly when not in class. And in class, he was strict with everyone. Even the others were the victim of his bad attitude.

However, no matter how mean he wanted his students to be safe. He protected Harry because of the Vow, that is true, however, he also protected and attempted to protect every other student, like the time he was worried for Ginny when he was taken into the Chamber.

He was a shitty person with a shitty backstory. He had no control over his emotions when he was with Harry, and bullied him because of his looks leaning towards James. It was not acceptable, and he was most definitely a bully, but he was not an abuser.

He despised physical punishments and refrained from physically attacking others, and the only exception was when Harry invaded his privacy when he looked into the pensieve.

He truly believed in the reasoning of the Light after all those years under the Vow. When it was clear that Harry was going to die no matter what he did, he did not go off to Voldemort to give him the secrets Dumbledore told him, no, he tried to protect his students and aided Harry secretly to destroy the Hocruxes.

He died a hero. Without him, the first Wizarding War would be won by Voldemort and everyone would be at Riddle's service to torture or kill or use. If he was loyal to Voldemort, the Battle of Hogwarts would end up with Voldemort truly killing Harry, and the whole fate was on his shoulders.

He is the bravest man throughout the series. He is a Hero, He is an Anti-Hero, he is an awesome spy, he is a bully, he is bitter, he is selfless, he is stubborn, he is loyal, and he is many more combined together.

He is not a villain, and he is not an evil reincarnate of a Nazi. He is a good person with bad doings. He is not innocent but he definitely deserved to be both praised and put down for all of the things he did.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Under The Christmas Tree - Sirius Black X Female (Wife) Reader

Title: Under The Christmas Tree

Sirius Black X Female (Wife) Reader

Additional Characters: James (Mentioned), Lily (Mentioned), Filch (Mentioned), Molly Weasley (Mentioned), Charlie Weasley (Mentioned), Minerva McGonagall (Mentioned), Harry Potter (Mentioned), Peter (Mentioned), Remus, Albus (Mentioned), Harry's Aunt and Uncle (Mentioned), and Hagrid (Mentioned)

Requested by Anon!

WC: 3,370

Warnings: Death mentioned, murder mentioned (J&L), slight angst, pregnancy mentioned, unapproving parents mentioned, Azkaban mentioned, Prisoner Of Azkaban timeline mentioned, Order Of The Phoenix references, grief mentioned, depression mentioned, anxiety, nervousness, teasing, bittersweet, abuse mentioned very briefly, crying, family reunion, pranks mentioned, Reader's children have chosen names, nervous Sirius, Sirius is smitten seriously, emotional, alcohol (wine), Reader is somewhat a Muggle, family fluff, and romantic fluff

You hummed to a Christmas song that was playing on the radio in the kitchen as you hung the fairy lights up on the ceiling of the living room, standing on the near top of the ladder you were on. You tried to reach up to hook the line of the lights to the hook on the ceiling, wobbling slightly as you tried to maintain your balance. After you managed to hook the last of the lights, you hopped down the ladder, brushing off imaginary dirt on your hands. You continued to hum as you turned on the lights, watching them with a smile as the lights twinkled and shined. You placed your hands on your hips victoriously, slowly turning around the small living room, admiring your finished work. Candles lit, the fire raging in the fireplace, and stockings hung over it. The Christmas tree was up, lights wrapped around it, and ornaments along with it; hung with the help from your children. Filius and Sybill Black, your twins, your pride and joy, had helped make sure everything would be perfect for tonight’s celebration. They called themselves 'Mom's Little Helpers' and you thought it was quite adorable. The house smelled like warm spices and pine needles as you breathed in deeply, smiling softly at the smell. With everything ready, now, you just had to find your husband.

Sirius Black was your one true love, and no other could compare to him. He made you feel whole. You had gone to Hogwarts with him, but your love didn't blossom until the fifth year. Sirius was such a great wizard, talented, kind, brave, and funny, not to mention incredibly handsome. It was easy to fall in love with him when you spent so much time with him and the other Marauders. 

Somehow, you had bewitched Sirius, making him fall for you completely. It was one of those sudden realizations for him, seeing you laughing and talking with your friends. He knew then. He knew that he loved you. He found himself only caring about you, and only you; completely forgetting about his playboy antics. He didn’t dare look at another witch. He even asked you to marry him when you were seventeen, after dating for three years. Your parents had opposed it, naturally, but you didn't care about them. In fact, they weren't worth thinking about anyway; you married Sirius right after you both graduated from the magical school, a couple months after Lily and James. 

You bought a small home, a cottage at the edge of a small wood, and only a couple minute walk from the closest town. You spent your days there together, reading, enjoying each other's company, and planning your future together. You loved your home. This place felt like a sanctuary, away from unapproving parents. A true place you could both call home. But, Sirius was taken away to Azkaban after you both found out that Lily and James were killed. You knew he didn't do it, he didn't kill Lily, James, or those twelve Muggles. You knew your husband. You knew your Sirius. If he was this so-called killer, why didn't he kill you? Being a Muggle-witch yourself. You tried to do something, but you couldn't and in the night… They took him away.

And that was the night you found out that you were pregnant. 

Your children, Filius and Sybill were born nine months later, twins. They looked just like their father, with curly, black hair. But, they had your beautiful eyes and your smile. It was hard in the beginning, seeing your Sirius's features on your children. You missed your husband so much, especially when your children started asking about their father and where he was. But, it wasn't your children's fault... It was Peter's. You tried to let go of the past, going forward with your life with your children, becoming a stay-at-home mother while Remus helped with some home expenses. You were so thankful that you had Remus to lean on when things become difficult. Especially Albus, he helped with clothing and small gifts for the twins. Even Minerva came to visit sometimes.

Because Sirius was taken from you, you cherished every moment with your children. Taking them to parks, having reading time in front of the fire, and even going through old pictures of you and Sirius. The kids loved seeing pictures of their father, and they loved being told stories by you about Sirius. It was bittersweet, but you wouldn't say no to your children if it ever came to them wanting to know more about their father. Soon, a couple years later, your children were sent letters from Hogwarts, and you had a blast finding their books, pets, and wands. Sybill, you little prankster, like her father, had chosen an owl, and Filius, sweet and a book fiend, like you, chose a cat. Their names were Feathers and Mittens The Third respectively. 

~~~

You were insanely proud of your babies, helping them run through the brick wall with ease. There was where you were reunited with Harry. You didn't know if he remembered you, he probably didn't, but you had taken care of him for a couple of months before he left to live with his aunt and uncle. You had heard from the grapevine that they were terrible people, and you hoped that Harry would stay safe at home and at school. You reintroduced yourself and your kids to the boy, telling him how you knew his parents, and how proud they would be of him. You were surprised when he said that Minerva spoke of you, and he thanked you for your kind words. You felt your heart warm as you wished him luck in his third year, and you were pleasantly surprised when your children began to bond with your godson. You shed a few tears as you watched Harry, Filius, and Sybill all get on the train, after hugging them all goodbye. Your twin's nerves dissipated as Harry helped them with their luggage, and they waved goodbye to you as the train started to rumble and go down the track. You smiled to yourself as you left the train station, beyond happy.

But, one night, there was a knock at your door, and you were confused. You weren't expecting anyone, not even Remus, and your children were at Hogwarts in their first year. You stood up from your comfy chair and opened the door. Looking down, you stared at the large dog in front of you with wide eyes. Not in fear, but in awe. You recognized that dog, your Sirius in his animagus form. You were quick to usher him in, finding a pair of his old clothes and finding out what had happened... How he escaped. That was two years ago and you were so happy to have Sirius back again. And you were never letting anyone take him away again. 

You sighed, leaning against the doorway of the bedroom, watching as Sirius tried to finish wrapping the presents. You bit your lip as you watched him struggle with the tape, before secretly using his wand to perfectly finish wrapping the gift. Sirius was beyond wonderful with the twins. He was a bit surprised at first and even a bit nervous when you had told him that you were pregnant the night he left. He felt terrible, but Sirius went right into 'dad mode' after he met them.

You loved to replay their meeting in your mind. You, yourself had been a bit nervous, but your excitement quickly overcame you. The children had known of their father's escape from Azkaban during their first year, along with hearing it from Harry and his friends. They were hesitant with the news, but they knew from you that their father would never harm anyone. You picked the twins up from the train station during the beginning of the holiday break, and drove them home. They told you how exciting and fun Hogwarts was, even with all the dangers they nearly dealt with. You were immensely worried for their safety, but they were insistent that they would be alright. They would protect each other.

You felt so excited as you entered the home, your children behind you. There, they froze upon seeing their father in the living room, sitting in his old chair. 

“Syb, Fili, honeys. This is your father, Sirius.” You spoke up, as Sirius fiddled with his hands before him, looking down at the two children before him with a small smile. “Sirius, this is Sybill and Filius.”

“Hello,” He spoke up, before you felt all the stress and nerves leave you as they ran into his arms.

“Dad!” They both cried, Sirius wrapped his arms around them tightly, holding them both close to him. He looked at you, his eyes filled with tears of complete joy as he smiled, before pulling you into the family group hug.

“They look just like you.” He had muttered to you and you couldn’t stop the tears that fell down your cheeks. “They have your beautiful smile.”

“Well, they have your hair. It’s sometimes unmanageable.” You laughed, before your children began to ramble and bombard Sirius with questions.

“Dad! Is it true that you pranked Professor McGonagall?” Filius asked, looking up at his father as Sybill jumped up and down beside him.

“Is it true that you pranked Filch with Slugulus Eructo? And does it work? I want to prank Franklin in my class, he stole my quill.” Sybill spoke as Sirius smiled with the shake of his head. 

“I did, but I wouldn’t do that spell, try Dungbombs, they work splendidly in stinking up the place.”

Sybill grinned mischievously, “I could hide a few in his bag.” She stated and Sirius laughed proudly, ruffling her curly black hair.

“Excellent idea, my dear!”

You let out an amused huff as you cursed yourself for retelling Sirius’s pranks, but it was nonetheless a beautiful sight.

~~~

You sighed again, laughing lightly as Sirius looked up, noticing he had been caught.

"What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders, "I can't use this... Muggle tape." He spoke slowly, finding the right words for the item that had been discarded on the floor. 

"You can use it, Siri..." You spoke, pushing off the doorway and walking over. "You just have to be careful." You gave him a smile, sitting down in front of him as he smiled weakly, taking the tape into his hand once again. He then put the last present in the pile in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just still getting used to this." He spoke, finally being able to peel off the tape. "It's been a long time." He muttered and you nodded.

"I know, baby." You began, placing your hand on top of his, making him look up at you. "You don't have to apologize. What matters now is that we're together again." You smiled softly, stroking his knuckles with your thumb. "We're here now. We're together." You finished, your gaze falling upon the twins as they ran past the room with Mittens The Third chasing them. "If you'd rather, you can use your wand. The kids won't know the difference."

"Remus will." Sirius spoke with a smirk, "Too smart for his own good."

You pat Sirius's hand, nodding, before scooting around to sit beside him, leaning your head on his shoulder. "He won't say anything though." You chuckled, "He's as polite as he is smart."

Sirius hummed, finishing the last present before setting down the tape and his wand. His arm came to wrap around your waist, pulling you closer, your head resting on his chest. He kissed the top of your head before laying his cheek on the top of yours. Tonight was going to be a long night.

~~~

The party was in full swing, Remus was with Sirius in the kitchen, drinking some wine as Bill and Fleur were chatting in the corner of the living room. Molly was with the twins, having gifted them matching red homemade sweaters with their initials. And even Albus was there, sitting by the fire with Hagrid. Music danced in the air and you could tell everyone was enjoying themselves. You leaned against the entranceway of the kitchen, swirling your drink softly in the tall glass as you watched everyone have a great time. 

Suddenly you heard a whistle, your guests chuckling in your direction as your daughter, Sybill, pointed up above you. "Mistletoe, Mom!"

Your eyebrows furrowed, "Mistletoe..? I didn't hang any of those." You looked up and sure enough, there was a little mistletoe above you, dropping your shoulders, you turned around as you heard quiet laughter. Narrowing your eyes, you crossed your arms as you stared at Sirius and Remus. "Sirius..." You scolded knowingly as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

"It was partially Remus's fault." He tried to blame but Remus shook his head, nibbling on a bar of chocolate you had gifted him.

"I tried to advise that he shouldn’t..." Remus spoke, "But we both know he doesn't listen."

You nodded, before speaking, "Sirius, get over here." Sirius said nothing but strutted over proudly, taking you in his arms, you blushed heavily as the guests of the party watched, cheered, hooted, and hollered. "I'm getting you back for this." You muttered as Sirius leaned down, his nose softly caressing yours. 

"Forgive me?" He whispered.

You couldn't stop yourself from smiling, "Of course." You whispered back.

"Good," Sirius responded before kissing you deeply, your fingers running through his hair. The guest cheered as Sirius pulled back slightly, looking deep into your eyes. "Happy Christmas, my love." He whispered, smiling as you nodded.

"Happy Christmas, my Siri." You replied.

You both turned as you watched Filius with his hands covering his eyes, he peeked out from them, and let out a breath as he noticed you had both stopped kissing. "Gross."

Sybill nudged her twin's arm, "You'll be doing that too when you're older, you know?" She spoke knowingly as Filius stuck out his tongue in disgust. 

"Ew, bloody hell, no!" And everyone let out a laugh at his remark.

~~~

The night was coming to an end, people had already left for their homes, whether with some Floo Powder or otherwise; the party was over. Your children were passed out on the couches, Sybill clutching a dragon plush from Charlie Weasley, her idol; Sybill dreamed of working with dragons someday. And Filius, little Fili, was on his back, mouth open as he softly snored, his new book from Albus on his stomach; raising up and down with each breath. You hummed, finishing the rest of your drink as you watched Sirius close Filius's book and place it aside before tossing blankets over both his children, making sure they are tucked in and warm. Sirius was such a good father, always protecting them from harm. He made sure they were healthy and safe whenever they were gone at school and he kept the house clean and even did the dishes. A perfect father, a perfect husband, and a perfect Sirius. He, himself, was perfect.

Sirius let out a sigh as he stood straight, peering down at his children as he played with the curl of his mustache, a small nervous habit of his before he turned to you. His small frown turned into a smile as he walked over to you, taking you in his arms as he gently swayed with you, humming a soft tune. You leaned your head on his chest, your arms looped around his waist. 

"I love you, Y/N." He muttered, planting a kiss on your head.

"I love you too." You answered before lifting your head. "I love you so much, Sirius." 

Sirius gazed down at you, his eyes soft as he pulled you into a deep kiss, holding your face with one hand as he held your waist with the other. You smiled softly, loving every second of your time with your husband. As he pulled away, his eyes widened slightly in realization. 

"I forgot," He began, pulling away from you to quickly speed-walk to your shared room. You bit your lip, excited and yet confused as you watched him come back down the hall to you with a small box in his hand. "Your present." He gifted it to you, placing it in your hands.

You smiled as you looked down at your gift, terribly wrapped with pieces of sticky tape. The wrapping paper was gold and red striped, reminding you of his house at Hogwarts. You loved it. Sirius watched with anticipation and anxiety as you walked to the tree, and sat down. Sirius followed, plopping down in front of you as you began to unwrap it, revealing a red box. You continued to worry on your bottom lip as you felt your heart skip a beat. Opening the box, you gasped. It was a small notebook, and on the cover, was an old moving photo of you and Sirius. Back when you were still in school. You were in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in Sirius's lap, your hand in his hair as his arms wrapped around your waist. You were laughing at something, as Sirius stared at you with such adoration. You remembered that night, he and James had just won the Quidditch cup. That was the night Sirius had asked you to marry him. 

"Oh, Sirius..." You sighed, tears forming in the corners of your eyes as you closed the notebook. "This is beautiful." You looked up at him, your hands gripping onto the fabric of his slightly unbuttoned red shirt tightly, "Thank you." You smiled as he wiped a tear from your cheek with the soft pad of his thumb.

"I thought maybe you'd need another notebook. You've been writing a lot lately." He explained as you let out a wet chuckle.

"Yeah, I have." You looked down at your new notebook. "Thank you, my darling."

"Of course," Sirius muttered, a smile enveloping his face as he felt his own cheeks flush. “Anything for you.”

You gently placed your notebook down beside you as you grabbed the last present under the tree beside you. It was a bit smaller than the box Sirius gave you. You felt your heart continue to race as you passed the box over to him, wrapped perfectly in red with gold stars, and a thick white ribbon. Sirius did his best to unwrap the present, making sure not to rip the wrapping paper as he did so. Revealing a brown box, he hesitated before he opened it. His reaction was identical. His eyes grew large as he saw what was inside, and you couldn't help but grow a bit nervous.

"I know you lost most of your things when... When they took you..." You began, swallowing thickly as you let your smile soften. "I was able to find another ring for you. The same one as the first, just... A bit different." You explained as Sirius took the silver ring out of the box. He held it up slightly, the soft fairy lights glinting beautifully off of it. Tilting it, Sirius noticed the small inscription inside of the ring, 'You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to.'

He smiled as he muttered the quote, before glancing up at you, "Well, done, my love. And thank you." He spoke, before sliding the ring on his ring finger. "I might have to steal that."

"Absolutely," You chuckled softly, placing your hand on his, your ring shining next to his. "By all means."

Sirius intertwined your fingers with his, the two of you scooting close together, before falling back on the ground as you stared up at the sparkling lights of the tree above you. The two of you lay there enjoying each other's company in silence, only broken by the sound of crickets chirping and the occasional owl hooting somewhere in the distance. Wrapped tightly in each other's embrace, your fingers caressing the tattoos on his chest, your breathing slowly evened out; eyes drifting shut. The two of you quickly fell asleep under the Christmas tree.

[scorbusdefensesquad]

Scorbus Halloween Master List 🎃

we don't have to pretend by dustyspines

"Hey, no," Albus began, tilting Scorpius' chin up so they were looking at each other again. "It's never too late to talk about her. If the feelings are still as raw as they were that day, which they clearly are, and you still both are grieving, then it isn't too late. It'll never be like that." He finished, leaning inwards towards Scorpius and, before either of them could really register what was going on, pressed their lips together. It was short, sweet and slightly too wet (in Scorpius' eyes anyway), but it happened.

"You just kissed me." Scorpius said, in a comment that was meant to remain internal, but of course it slipped out.

Halloween 2021 by torestoreamends

It’s been a year (or forty years, depending on how you look at it) since the events of Godric’s Hollow. A lot has changed in that time, almost all of it for the better, but it’s still Hallows’ Eve. It’s never been the easiest of days.

The Vigil by torestoreamends

Harry and Albus visit Godric's Hollow on Hallow's Eve, to join the vigil taking place outside the Potter's destroyed house. What Are You Putting In The Pumpkin Today? by Wyrdmazer

What will you choose this evening: head or a head? Or maybe more heads?

And, yes, it is a word-play.

Oh! You Pretty Thing by orphan_account

It’s 2021, Albus and Scorpius are in fifth year, and Headmistress McGonagall has surprised the student body by allowing some school-sanctioned mischief to go down over Halloween. It’s all fun and games until someone takes the idea of Trick Or Treat too far, resulting in both Albus and Scorpius getting the wrong end of the stick about a very important matter. Have they done the unthinkable and ruined their friendship forever, or will they come out of the other side stronger (and closer) than ever?

Featuring bats, Boggarts and more David Bowie than you’d expect from a canon-compliant one-shot!

Around the Bonfire by BookofSpells

Albus and Scorpius are invited to a spooky Halloween Bonfire in the Forbidden Forest. It's scary, but not nearly as terrifying as Albus' feelings for his best friend.

Another Deathday Disaster by Hang_In_There_Baby_Crookshanks

When Rose Weasley is invited to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party, Scorpius Malfoy is desperate to secure his own invitation. As his loving boyfriend, Albus Potter needs a plan to make sure his boyfriend gets to attend. Somehow leading to him joining a club, making friends with a small Ravenclaw, and a disaster in the great hall.

But, it's Nick's deathday, when did anything ever go right?

Memories Of A Night In Time by Augurey_Ray

After two years Albus and Scorpius return to Godric's Hollow. Albus' mind wanders to the memories from his first visit.

Fight for your fairytale by emotionalsupporthufflepuff

Albus decides to push himself out of his comfort zone on Halloween.

A Confusion of Coordinated Costumes by heatherwiththeweather

Albus and Scorpius have their first date to the Hogwarts Halloween dance, which means only one thing-costumes. But of course, nothing can ever run smooth with this pair and on the day of the dance, they realise there has been a costume malfunction which does nothing to help with their increasing first date nerves. It's safe to say that dating isn't as simple as it looks.

Al O'Lantern by Ms_Peppersimp

Albus and Scorpius are carving pumpkins on Halloween and a not-so coincidence occurs when they reveal their designs.

Happy Halloween by CQueen

Five year old Scorpius Malfoy is very sad. Not only is his grandfather being very mean, but against his will Scorpius has been forced to dress up as a kitten for a Halloween party.

The icing on the gross cake of his life is that his magical kitten tail has trapped him outside, and it's up to a very brave little lion to save him.

And not only does the boy in the lion costume save him…but he has a proposal for him. Of marriage.

What?

The Board of Spirits by BookofSpells

“How does it work?” Albus asks, his curiosity piqued. He picks up a small, heart-shaped block of painted wood with a magnifying glass in the centre and taps it against the board. Nothing happens.

“It’s like a game,” Scorpius explains, sitting on the bed and gesturing for Albus to join him. “The kids put their fingers on the planchette and pretend to perform a séance. Supposedly, the spirit communicates with them by moving the planchette over the letters and numbers on the board. There is always one cheeky kid that moves it themselves, to trick the others.”

Albus has been hiding his feelings for Scorpius for as long as he can remember. It takes a bit of luck, a spirit board, and four whimsical spirits to show him what's possible.

The Witches' House by TrueMeg

“I dare you to go to the witches’ house!”

On Halloween night, ten-year-old Albus is brought along with James and his friends to go visit the house at the edge of their village, where a family of witches is said to live. But when Albus ends up stuck at the house, he sees the witches for himself. And learns they’re much more like him in more ways than one.

Untitled by xphineasx

Halloween at Hogwarts by: Sirius Owens Hogwarts has a new Halloween event, costumes. Dressed as a Zombie, Scorpius gains two weird new friends and finally gets a chance to act upon his crush.

[whorediaries-09]

eyes like sinking ships;

pairing- sirius black x reader warning(s)- angst, violence, blood. a/n- hello hello! let me know your thoughts!

prequel masterlist series masterlist little train.

voldemort's red eyes and cat like pupils stared into yours. the mark burned on the skin of your forearm. he laughed, a high cruel pitch of laughter from his throat. his nails dragged along the mark, his touch cold and bitter.

'you're one of my servants now,' he said, as a dark mask slowly developed over your face. your breathing was suffocated by the warmth of poisonous blood that flowed out of your pricked veins. you nodded.

it was pure madness. your heart leapt, your guts trying to spew out of your mouth. your stomach churned in pure disgust as every single person you loathed crept their hands upon body. their touch lingered upon your skin like venom sinking hot and furiously into your body.

'you should be grateful for this position. you're one of us now.' a voice sneered from behind your back. you knew that voice oh so well. and you knew how to handle the speaker so well. you turned around,

'i'm so grateful mr. malfoy,' you said, stroking your left forearm. he lifted his mask with a flick of his wrist. with his narrowed icy gray eyes, he stared at yours. his gaze was cold, settling deep into your heart, as if you sunk into a terror of frostbites.

'are you?' he said, his finger stroking your cheek. your reflex told you to flinch, but you didn't. no.

this was the time to remain strong, and fight. fight endlessly for peace. fight to protect.

and be the goat for slaughter.

*-

your screeches echoed throughout the room. however they only reached your eardrums. you were sinking like a battleship.

'YOU CAN'T GO AROUND LIKE A FUCKING HERO SAVING FACES, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!' you said, warm tears rolling down your cheeks. the old man stood by you as you screamed at him. his blue eyes fell upon your forearm which was covered by the long sleeved shirt you were wearing.

'now it's very obvious of you to be angry,' he said, calmly. you stared at him through the haze of your tears, your hands flailing over the things on his desk. cruelly, you laughed.

'you put me out like a fucking goat for slaughter.' you whispered.

'you knew the circumstances going into the order didn't you?' you looked at the man with pure putrid hatred. you didn't think you could hate him after all that he'd done for you. but here you were, seething at the sight of the man you never thought you could hate.

cause when you used to fight, he'd tell you that you were brave.

'you're going to kill me.' you said, your lips quivering. if you were on fire, he'd be made of ashes too.

the battleships had sunk beneath the waves.

you'd turned into your worst fears.

*-

the tip of your wand was illuminated. the paintings on the peeling walls were wretchedly old. as your foot laid down each step, you could interpret painting on the walls. with every painting, the message became more and more clear. it was about muggle-borns. and how to destroy them.

you didn't expect much from malfoy manor.

'having a nice time snooping around now, are we?' a cold voice you thoroughly recognized spoke from behind you, startling you. before you could act upon it, invisible ropes flailed across your body, tying you down. the force sabotaged your movement, as you tried to free yourself. you felt your body slide towards the source of the voice.

'i've finally got you,' he said, his voice cruel and high. in his icy gray eyes was a madness you'd never seen. he flipped your body over, your head hitting the floor hard, the pain excruciating through every inch of your body.

'you could only get me because i allowed you to get me, lucius,' you spoke. his eyes widened,

'you filthy mudblood,' he sneered, thrusting the heel of his polished shoe onto your chest, 'you dare speak my name?' you looked into his eyes, before spitting on his shoe. he kicked you under your jaw. you felt your neck crack, blood pouring out of your mouth.

as the metallic taste filled your mouth, you coughed out the deep crimson liquid. he held you up with a swish of his wand, letting you float in mid-air.

'doesn't this feel familiar?' he whispered, letting you down on a chair. you were quick and agile enough to block your thoughts.

your head lolled to the side. you were unable to keep it up straight. yet you looked him in the eye as he walked in the room.

'i've got you, now you filthy mudblood. i never trusted you,' he spoke. you laughed, spluttering out blood.

'poor you, your little dark lord is too stupid. he trusted me well enough.'

'if you think i'm his little servant, do you? you insolent little mudblood, i work for him, for a little power,'

'then what's the difference between you and i?'

he withheld his tongue.

'i'm going to call severus now. hand you and your little secret over to the dark lord. you know the fate of unloyalty within the posts.' he replied.

with a swish of his wand, he was gone, leaving you tied up, wandless, without any hope to escape.

****************************************

original idea posted by - @lilwnet

taglist - @reggieisfit @siriuslycaptainofthedawntreader @jamespottergf @eternallybipanicking @fictional-magic @iamgayforyourmom1510

taglist (for series) - @urbansaint

(if you want to be tagged please send a request through my inbox.)

****************************************

[hamliet]

So, Harry Potter ask here:

This one might sound a bit controversial to comment on, I hope it doesn't bother you. What is your opinion about the narrative redeeming Snape, a former Death Eater (the blood supremacists guys), just because of his guilt and love for Harry’s mother. I see a lot of discussions on this topic (Snape himself is already a controversial character, so I guess it's no surprise there are so many discussions around him), remembering you I got curious to know what your thoughts on this subject.

No worries!

I see Snape as a character who is far and away the most complex character of Harry Potter. Now, HP's a fairy tale in principle, so most of its characters are not overly complex. But Snape is (and so is Dumbledore). But I think some people can have trouble processing complex characters inside fairly straightfoward, simple stories, which isn't necessarily the fault of the story.

While She Who Must Not Be Named has had a lot of "..." takes to her own works (and horrid takes elsewise), I do think she's not wrong about her statement on Snape: that he was a hero, and he was a bully, both at the same time. He just was. There's no excusing his treatment of his students. His heroism and sacrifice without any guarantee that he would be remembered as anything other than a traitor was brave.

So, not only is Snape complex, but he embodies the old adage "hurting people hurt people." His childhood is also extremely hard to read about--it sounds agonizing. Snape does grow up to bully others because he was himself bullied horribly--not just by his peers, but at home, where his father abused both him and his mother.

Another potential stumbling block for Snape's "redemption" is that it gets to the heart of what a redemption is. Is it actually a change in character? Or is it a change in how the reader perceives the character? Because technically, in universe, Snape's been redeemed since before Harry was born. It's just that our reactions to him change after the reveal in the last book. And, he was still hurting people while being a hero. (Antihero?) So, how should we feel about him?

I'm going to say that's exactly the question we're supposed to be asking, actually.

And to determine what asking that question gets us, let's look at Snape as a foil to other characters. Snape is a very good foil for Dumbledore, Harry, and Voldemort. Actually, these four all foil each other quite a bit, and it's in their foilings that we come to an understanding of the story's themes.

Like Dumbledore, Snape is somewhat morally gray. We're meant to ask the complicated questions at the end of the last book, which was all about wrestling with the legacy of heroes who turned out to be very flawed. Snape is cruel to Harry, but is ultimately determined to keep him alive no matter what because that is what Lily would have wanted. Dumbledore is loving and a good mentor to Harry, but does all of this while knowing that Harry would have to die in the end. Snape even calls Dumbledore out on this. Dumbledore also allows Harry to stay in two abusive situations--the Dursleys and Snape--for the ultimate benefit of protecting him... so he can eventually sacrifice himself.

If someone is horrible to you but ultimately determined to keep you alive no matter what, are they a worse person to you than someone who is nice to you and believes you must die, even if they are devastated by this?

This is why I really roll my eyes at people not understanding the purpose of "Albus Severus Potter" at the end. It's so dismissed and derided, but it's narratively perfect. (Especially in! A! Fairy tale!)

The names aren't about Harry and how he feels about these men. They are names that are significant symbolically for showing how Harry has reconciled these two complicated legacies, and will keep reconciling with them because their legacies are literally alive and living on (and the weight of having legacies and the question of whether you're seen as yourself is exactly what The Cursed Child explores.)

In the end, both Snape and Dumbledore achieved their goals: Harry is alive, and he died to vanquish Voldemort. All is well. Their legacies live on in a literal new life, who gets to decide for himself what his own legacy will be in TCC. Meaning, even if Harry acknowledges their flaws, he chooses to appreciate their lives. Instead of being kept in the dark, ignorant about his endgame and ignorant of his mother's history, he sees, and he gets to determine how he feels about it all. It's empowerment, not capitulation. It's maturity, embodying the macrocosm (appreciating the big picture) in the microcosm (a single person). (Also, yes, Dumbledore's "the greater good" struggles with Gindelwald tie into this idea, wherein via Snape and Dumbledore's opposite approaches/reasoning to protecting Harry, we see that the greater good vs the individual is not necessarily a dichotomy after all. So having a character literally embody both in the end is--perfect.)

Snape, Harry, and Voldemort all grew up unloved. The difference is that Harry is able to find himself surrounded by loving friends at a point. Snape is able to find one person to love. Tom Riddle isn't able to find anyone, and hence he becomes Voldemort. That shred of love inside Snape saves not just himself spiritually, but Harry physically. Because love is like that. It's the most powerful magic, after all.

As for the whole idea of showing Snape as redeemable thanks to love--I mean, listen, as someone raised in a cult, people need to realize that people inside these cults--even extremist, evil ones--need someone or something to motivate them to leave. They were a person before their joined the cult (unless you were brought up in it) and they're still a person. Giving someone ties to the outside is exactly how most of them will come to realize they have options. No, not everyone has to forgive them or be willing to extend a hand. We can't be everything to everyone. But if someone can, that doesn't mean they're excusing the inexcusable. They're just recognizing the humanity inside them. And even if no one does, the person in the cult can decide to love someone and leave. It's hopeful. It's a fairy tale, and love wins.

[fanfictionroxs]

A Flower and a Bird

Longer version posted on AO3

And if I tell you all that Eileen used to give Lily and Severus lessons on Gobstones? That Severus found them ridiculous, but Lily delighted in the foul smelling liquid the stones spat out? That Eileen and Lily would gang up against Sev on those very rare quiet moments and snigger as he sputtered with the nasty smell all over him? What if I told you that Lily never grew impressed with Quiditch like James and Sev because she had already fallen in love with Gobstones? That James once curiously asked her how she was so good at it and she told him about Sev's mother teaching her. What if I told you Eileen and her still corresponded even after everything, that Eileen apologised to Lily for failing to teach her son... everything, it seems. That she asked Lily to, if not protect, then at least not kill Severus, should they come face to face on the battlefield. What if I told you that Lily promised Eileen this, but wondered if Sev would afford her the same consideration. And Eileen laughed at even the thought of her son hurting that sweet girl (and isn't that what she thought about Tobias and oh how that backfired). What if I told you that Severus confessed to his mother what he did as she was still absorbing the news of Lily's death whose words come back to haunt her. And she looks around the silent house, missing the tyrant that used to haunt it thanks to the brave mad girl who smashed his head in trying to stop him from hitting Eileen ("Don't tell Sev, please! Just say he ran away or something!"). A gift in return for the marvellous set of Gobstones Eileen had gifted her. And she looks at her son, the boy who killed the girl he should have cherished, and for the first time she sees only his father.

What if I tell you Eileen leaves Cokeworth that day, leaves Severus because she cannot even look at him without seeing Lily Evans in whom she always sensed the wish for reconciliation. She leaves the country where prejudice seeps in every corner, corrupting and killing her son and her daughter.

What if I tell you years pass and Severus dies, but Eileen lives on in Japan, making a home for herself among the mountains where she plays Shogi with muggle men and women, and Gobstones with the magical folk, running her little vegetable noodle shop. Her son is gone, finally reunited with his friend and four decades have passed where Eileen has healed the scars from her marriage, from the endless wars, from the family that couldn't accept her views, from the loss of the children she loved so very much.

What if I tell you a couple stumbles into her shop, the blonde among them looking worse for wear, yet on the path of healing like her. What if I tell you his husband tells her of finding a cure for the family curse ailing his love. What if I tell you she congratulates the exhausted men on their successful adventures. What if I tell you as the men leave, the dark haired man introduces himself to her, abashed at having forgotten his manners in his exuberance to share his happiness.

"Albus Severus Potter, ma'am," he shakes her hand with a wide grin.

Eileen looks into Lily's eyes, at the last vestiges of Severus and smiles.

"Nice to meet you, son."

[trolleybitch]

trolley does nano days 18-21!

we are getting this show back on the road. bit by bit!

after the great hospital/pain/sleep deprivation flat of mid-month, my little graph is gradually making its way back towards the goal line. i ended up on another unfortunate no-writing day yesterday, but i managed 2400 on day 19 and 4300 (!!!) today. the next few days are going to be quite up and down in terms of available writing time, but by god i am determined to steamroller my way back towards that bloody line if my life* depends on it!

(*except not literally. this is fanfiction after all)

when it comes to my giant solstice planning/record spreadsheet, my wordcounts tab is looking delightful. my complete column for my chapters has only three 'N' for 'not started' chapters now, and look at that sea of 'Y' for 'yes'. 'P' is for 'partially complete' and yes chapter 11 haunts me. it needs a rework of the last third of the chapter and i simply cannot be bothered until the editing stage. my grand total wordcount is also rapidly approaching the 200k mark, which feels like a colossal milestone. it's a very odd but very good feeling to have the end of this story firmly in my sights!

[yourlocalbadgerscales]

Guys. Albus Dumbledore is a master manipulator and it’s took me so long to realise it. But now that I know it, I feel sick to the stomach.

This topic is talked about a lot, so I’ll only bring up a few things that come to mind right now. Firstly, there’s a scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that I read the other day, and with a new mindset it’s very difficult to read this one sentence without being a bit suspicious. I can’t give y’all the exact quote, since I only have the books in Swedish, but if anyone has the time to find it in English and put it here in the reblogs, it would be very welcome!

Anyways. In this one particular scene, Dumbledore is talking to Harry after the whole thing in the chamber has already happened, and he mentions Fawkes coming to Harry’s rescue. He tells Harry that the fact that Fawkes came to him meant that Harry must have shown Dumbledore “true loyalty” down there. Or else the bird wouldn’t have arrived in the chamber in the first place.

When I read this, knowing about Dumbledore’s manipulative nature, I was shocked. It’s also mentioned how his eyes “twinkled” after saying this. Harry paid no mind to it, but I will. Because you know what? What kind of sick behaviour is that? Dumbledore knew that something would happen, and he sensed that Harry would be involved in it, and this old man goes “Oh well, I’m only going to help and save this boy if he shows me true loyalty first. If he does, I know he’ll be on my side through and through. If he doesn’t, he’s not worth keeping alive.” This isn’t about you, Dumbledore. It’s about to whole Wizarding World’s safety, and to make sure that Harry’s loyalty for him played a crucial part in Harry’s survival is sick and twisted. Dumbledore made the whole thing about him, again, for no reason whatsoever.

And the worst part for me is: Harry falls for it. Then again, Dumbledore is a manipulator, isn’t he?

It’s well known that Harry feels a constant need to prove himself. Even the Sorting Hat said it (can’t submit this quote either, sadly). After all those years of abuse (a situation that a certain Albus Dumbledore put him in, by the way), Harry does anything to prove himself worthy in front of everyone. So when Albus Dumbledore praises him all the time, saying things like how brave Harry is, how wise for his age he is, how valuable he is… Harry can’t help but be proud, can he? I don’t blame him. Real manipulation does stuff to you (any Harry slander in the replies of this post will be taken care of by me 🫶 Harry my boy deserves the world).

Therefore, it somehow shocks Harry when he realises that other people in the Wizarding World know Dumbledore as closely as himself (or at least how closely he thinks he knows Dumbledore, until later on). And that makes him look like a fool one or two times. One thing Harry doesn’t ever seem to learn, though, is how Dumbledore is like Slughorn in a way. He collects his trophies, and the people he doesn’t like… well, it doesn’t end well for them.

Oh, and also a horrible thing that someone pointed out in another post a looong time ago, that I feel like bringing up again. Because when I read this, it did something to me, and I won’t recover from it in the first place.

Albus Dumbledore did everything, not only to keep Harry alive, like a pig for slaughter, long enough to do what he had to before sacrificing himself… Albus Dumbledore also made sure that Harry’s life was as much of a living hell as it could get, so that when the time came for Harry to go on his suicide mission, he would go willingly.

[swallow-the-bird]

Do you have any favorite Harry Potter ships?

Well, besides my all-time favorite Grindeldore, I’m actually quite eclectic in my tastes! 🤣

Snarry, Snamione, Snily, Jily, Hedric, Dnarry, Sirry… I’ve read fanfictions about all of them, and I’ve enjoyed them. Perhaps it’s because the Harry Potter fandom has so many talented writers. As long as the story is captivating, I’m thrilled to read it!

There’s another pairing that I initially thought was improbable, but later became infatuated with—

Harrymort/Tomarry!!

***** ‼️ LONG post alert ‼️ Oh, whenever I get to a topic that excites me, I always end up being such a chatterbox🤣Please also be aware of what I say below is only my VERY SUBJECTIVE opinions ‼️ *****

While Harrymort/Tomarry seem to have a lover-enemy dynamic similar to Grindeldore, the premise for each is vastly different. Gellert and Albus once passionately loved each other in their youth, while Tom/Voldemort and Harry share deep animosity and are destined adversaries. How could they possibly be together? Moreover, I once believed that Tom Riddle was an emotionless monster. (But I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense!)

While Gellert might be categorized as a sociopath, capable of true loyalty and emotions towards a select few - Albus Dumbledore- and taking a lifetime to learn how to love, he at least has the capacity to love. This is evident when he ultimately understands the true meaning of remorse and willingly sacrifices his life to protect another’s grave.

But what about Tom?

In my eyes, Tom is a complete psychopath. Perhaps his traumatic childhood twisted his moral compass, but some characteristics seem innate and psychological. Tom’s emotional blunting seems more pronounced. He inherently lacks empathy and remorse. Even if he can comprehend others’ emotions and manipulate them, he doesn’t genuinely understand or empathize with them, which is why he can’t grasp the concept of remorse. Hence, he chose to become Voldemort. This made me question:

How can such a person love? He doesn’t even understand what love is.

This mirrors Gellert’s scathing taunt to Voldemort, “…there is so much you do not understand—!”

Yes, Tom Riddle—Voldemort— does not, and cannot understand love. But can he?

Some of my favorite authors have remarked:

“Yes, Tom Riddle—Voldemort— does not understand love, and he may never be able to. But just because you don’t understand something, does that mean you can’t have it?”

Harry is like a reflection of Tom Riddle. While Tom Riddle, in his hatred and fear, denied love and chose to become Voldemort, Harry, despite facing the same hatred and fear, came to understand what courage meant and chose love.

“Just by letting Harry see even the tiniest hint of Voldemort’s humanity, he will bravely embrace that one-in-a-million hope.”— Oh yes, hope. This is how many Tomarry/Harrmort fictions begin their stories.

Harry might harbor hatred for Voldemort for a lifetime, but the essence of forgiveness isn’t the absence of hate; it’s about learning to move on. If there’s anyone willing to embrace a shattered soul with such heinous crimes, it would be Harry Potter. Just as he has embraced death with the same courage, it’s this Harry who, when confronting his lifelong nemesis, still chooses “Expelliarmus”.

This love-hate story is inevitably not just about the hopes and courage of love, but also about its pain and despair. It makes us question the nature of love, hate, life, death, and humanity.

Harry understands love, so he believes in humanity, which gives him hope and courage, especially when mired in human flaws and tragedies.

“You see the world in such a unique way; I believe even despair seems colorful to someone like you.”—this is a line from one of my favorite Harrmort stories, “One thing he will never know”. In it, Harry chooses to cling to that sliver of hope in Voldemort and falls hopelessly in love with him. When Harry grapples with guilt, Dumbledore leaves him with this wisdom.

"It may seem terribly wrong, but if I may venture a guess, it must also feel so right," were Dumbledore's last words to the boy, "Harry, I don't think there is any shame in love. You must never doubt that when someone has been loved like this, it always leaves a mark, and that it will eventually change everything. You are much braver than I ever was.”

Thanks to these brilliant fanfictions, I’ve come to believe in the heart Voldemort thought he never had. Even if it’s fractured, it still exists, and a sliver of humanity remains. Perhaps we all need a broad perspective to see the world:

Not understanding love doesn’t mean you can’t have it.

I just realized I wrote so much! Maybe it’s because I’ve never shared my love for Tomarry/Harrmort with anyone after Grindeldore. Here’s my chance!

PS One of my favorite fanfictions, “One thing he will never know,” is written by a talented Taiwanese author in Chinese.If you’re interested, you can check it out here:

(* I've taken the liberty of translating some of the lines that impressed me most into English, as I wrote above.)

I also have read many excellent Tomarry/Harrmort stories from the English fandom. If you have any recommendations, please share them with me!

[gh0stlyfixation]

A match made

Paring: goddess Melinoe x Severus Snape

Summary: Albus has searched for the perfect help to aid in the war with the dark lord, only to find out she and Severus are soulmates.

I’ve have SEVER writers block and I’m on a Harry Potter binge and it’s inspired me to write but literally only for Severus and Lucius because they have OCCUPIED my mind and I apologize, so here👀 (also, I know this will flop but I needed to get this idea of of my head)

“I found help, a very powerful being,” Albus says, he’s vague, almost suspiciously vague and it makes Snape squint his eyes. “She is blood-related to Hades and Persephone,” Albus says.

Snape eyes him, “How related?”

“She is the daughter.” He confirmed

“She’s the goddess, princess of the underworld?” Snape says uneasily.

“Precisely, powerful, strong, brilliant, and beautiful. She’s agreed to help us. With her, we are powerful, unstoppable.” Albus.

“It’s the deal with the devil essentially!” Snape snaps.

“So it seems,” an unfamiliar bored voice says. Snape turns around and sees a woman checking her nails. His breath hitched as he sees her, he was being pulled towards her and the birthmark on his side is throbbing. Her long blond hair, almost white, longer than his, her eyes black, and she wore a red long-sleeve dress. Her gaze meets his and she feels the pull Snape feels soulmates. Her birthmark on the back of her neck burns as well.

“This is Melinoe, the goddess of Ghost,” Albus states, slightly weary of her.

“Severus, pleasure.” He says holding his hand out. The goddess connects her hand to his, and a bright flash of light is shown signifying that the soulmates have met. Albus is beside himself witnessing this miracle.

“I thought all these years, I’d never find my soulmate,” Melanie says quietly. Her usual personality has left her. She isn’t brave at this moment, she’s nervous. Nervous that he will reject the idea of her. Who wouldn’t? We deals with the dead.

“I as well.” He says breathlessly. His fears are washed away. He isn’t worried about he who shall not be named. He isn't afraid of his future because she is here. She calms him in a way he’s never felt.

Albus watches the two, unaware of what he brought together. He’s happy to finally see Severus in a state he’s never seen, contentment and calm, something he hasn’t felt in years.

“Albus tells me you’ve been marked by him?” Melinoe says with a hint of disdain.

“I was young and looking for the attention of some sort. It’s one of my biggest regrets-,” Severus starts.

“Which is why he came to me, to keep him safe so long he gives me intel. He hasn’t proven me wrong, he’s loyal.” Albus clears Severus quickly.

Severus was also worried he would be rejected by her and why wouldn’t he be? He’s a servant of the dark lord, a grumpy man, with a weird nose. “I don’t care honestly, just want to be sure I’m not with a traitor and if Albus trusts you then I see no problem trusting you as well Severus.” She says stepping closer to him, “I hope you accept this bond, my parents would be happy to hear the news.” She speaks again.

Severus sighs in relief, she accepted him, “I hope they will be.” He tells her with a smile, one he didn’t have to force.

“As much as I love seeing this, we have a business to discuss,” Albus says, interrupting their happiness.

[saintsenara]

more unhinged plz one for every weasley

Ginny/Lucius

Ron/Dumbledore

Fred/Voldemort

George/Trelawney

Percy/Narcissa

Charlie/Wormtail

Bill/Severus

Arthur/Sirius

Molly/Myrtle

cheers anon, glad to see you've still not turned from your evil.

lucius malfoy/ginny weasley

i think if you're going to do the classic independent!harry "ginny is a gold-digging slut" nonsense, you ought to commit to it properly and have her trying to wheedle her way into the will of a rich older man who canonically tried to kill her. revenge is a dish best served while looking fabulous in diamonds he paid for.

albus dumbledore/ron weasley

i am on the record as a great supporter of the early 2000s fan-theory that ron is time-travelling dumbledore. so i back this because fucking yourself is what any reasonable person would do if they found themselves thrown decades into the past.

lord voldemort/fred weasley

they die reasonably close together, and i'd put cash on fred not wanting to go on while george still lives, so why shouldn't they hook up to pass the time in purgatory?

sybill trelawney/george weasley

people who have suffered traumatic losses are often vulnerable to charlatans, with "psychics" very prominent among them. why shouldn't george believe desperately that she's genuinely receiving messages from fred from the beyond?

narcissa malfoy/percy weasley

i absolutely believe that the ministry would demand the malfoys catalogued their estate so that it could be sold off for reparations after the war, and i also believe that percy is exactly the sort of jobsworth [who owes kingsley a lot for not having him sent to prison for his collusion with the regime] who'd end up being sent to do this. being forced to spend hours on end shut in a room with a sexy older woman who keeps disputing your figures? hot.

charlie weasley/wormtail

i have an enormous amount of respect for the common headcanon that charlie is on the ace spectrum, but that doesn't stop me also having time for the idea that he might prefer the company of dragons in the salacious sense instead...

rats aren't giant lizards, obviously. but any port in a storm...

severus snape/bill weasley

you just know they were screaming in each other's face at any and all order meetings, and that they could probably have achieved the same effect by just banging on the kitchen table.

sirius black/arthur weasley

i genuinely back this one. i know that fandom likes to focus on the tension between molly and sirius in order of the phoenix, but it's clear in canon that the older weasleys assume an enormous amount of responsibility for sirius' wellbeing during the year he's trapped in grimmauld place. i think you can very easily picture all sorts of circumstances in which arthur and sirius end up discussing the mission they've found themselves on together - especially ones which would lead to sirius' canonical belief that arthur is a brave and principled man who understands that "there are things worth dying for" - before a romantically-roaring fire...

myrtle warren/molly weasley

flopping. myrtle would call her roast chicken dry.

[litsetaure]

I’m just throwing this out there.

Harry wants to name his child after a brave Slytherin. Okay, fine, no objections there. He also wants to choose someone who made bad choices, but who saw the light in the end. Again, great.

But - here’s the thing. There’s PLENTY of brave Slytherins besides Snape. Slughorn for one. Narcissa Malfoy for another.

Admittedly, Albus Horace Potter doesn’t scan very well. Albus Narcissus kind of does, though…

But you know what REALLY scans nicely and I absolutely love??

Albus Regulus Potter.

I mean, you want a brave Slytherin? How about the kid who figured out Voldy was making Horcruxes, succeeded in stealing one and getting it out of Voldy’s clutches, and drowned in a cave of Inferi, when he was…what, eighteen????

(Side note, it bloody KILLS me that Sirius died never knowing the truth about what his brother had. Partly because you just know that, had he known, he’d have been right there in that cave with him. Yes, he’d think he’s a reckless idiot, but come on. They’re both reckless idiots. All those brains, no common sense. And I’ll die on the hill that Sirius loved his little brother - even if he was deeply disappointed and frustrated with his choices - and was devastated when he heard he’d died.)

I also feel like James Sirius’ name should’ve been the other way around. Partly because, again, Sirius James scans so much better. Mainly because it’s such a great middle finger to the Ministry. And the Black family, for that matter. Also, Sirius Potter has a really nice ring to it. (Makes me wonder why Sirius himself didn’t change his name when he ran away, surely wizards can do that??)

But. Consider this.

James and Albus actually go by their middle names. As in, they go by Sirius and Regulus.

And then one goes into Gryffindor and the other into Slytherin.

Oh, you want to make it better? Okay. In the original gang, as we know, Sirius goes into Gryffindor, Regulus goes into Slytherin.

But this time??

It’s the other way around.

And, somewhere in the afterlife, Sirius and Regulus Black are watching and smiling.