#alice through the looking glass cosplay | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

blorger · 11 hours ago

Text

(possibly) controversial opinion time: I honestly think that Draco wouldn't have been able to cast the Cruciatus on Harry when they fought in Myrtle's bathroom .

I admit freely that I'm an unrepentant Draco stan and therefore have rose tinted glasses permanently on when it comes to anything that involves him, 'tis but one of the burdens I have to carry in this wretched life, yet when I originally came upon this conclusion I believed I was being somewhat objective in my assessment.

To check if my theory holds as much water as I've always believed it does, I went looking through canon for clues. During my investigation I stumbled upon one confusing factoid after another so obviously I had to go and write this rambling essay about it; feast your eyes on this,

PART 1: THE CURSE

The Cruciatus curse, cast through the use of the word crucio (latin for "torture")* is considered to be one of the wizarding world's worst curses and is fittingly prohibited by law and placed in the "unforgivable" class together with Imperio and Avada Kedavra.

We first learn of its existence in book 4, thanks to a helpful demonstration courtesy of Barty Crouch jr. (cosplaying as Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody) as part of his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It's quite fitting that he's the one to make this introduction as Barty is what you'd call an expert. As a matter of fact, most of the information we receive on the Cruciatus curse comes by way of two veritable crucio savants, the aforementioned Barty Crouch jr. and Bellatrix Lestrange. As far as reliability goes, I'd say these two are truly top notch since they went to Azkaban for their use of that very curse in what is perhaps the most notable instance of Cruciatus in the books; I'm talking, of course, of the mind-breaking torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

The Longbottoms no doubt give us a very big indication of what happens to people subjected to the curse, even though theirs is an extreme case that doesn't reflect the average victim. Let us start our investigation into the Cruciatus with Harry's case instead since, in his dual role role as protagonist and main pov in the books , he can provide us with a firsthand account of the curse's effects. To quote Harry:

(from GoF, courtesy of Voldemort)

Fake Moody puts it plainly when he explains crucio's purpose as

(from GoF, Harry's first class with Barty is Eventful)

Fittingly for a universe where intent is perhaps the strongest component of any spell, the Cruciatus curse requires the caster to be in a very specific frame of mind. To quote Bellatrix:

(from OotP, Bella kinds takes it upon herself to teach Harry about magic)

and I'm inclined to take her word on account of both her experience in the field and the fact that she is never contradicted.

Getting back to the ABCs of crucio, I will now take a brief moment to describe the effects of prolonged Cruciatus use through what we learn from its effects on Frank and Alice Longbottom.

The Longbottoms' condition is never explained to us in detail, all we have to go by comes to us by way of casual utterances from their friends, family and colleagues. Moody (the real one this time) gives us a very succinct recap on how we're supposed to feel about what happened to them:

(from OotP, Moody does a brief "where are they now?" on the OG members of the Order)

But what is this terrible condition that leads many characters to feel as though the Longbottoms life is not worth living?

They are mentally ill. That's it.

(seriously)

To quote Dumbledore:

(from GoF, Dumbledore divulges information that is not his to share)

This is treated like a Brave and Noble sacrifice, as they were tortured for an unusually long time because they refused to give informations on Voldemort's whereabouts to their tortures (the fact that they didn't have said information is treated as irrelevant)**. As Augusta Longbottom puts it:

(from OotP, spoiler alert: Augusta doesn't behave like she's proud)

The Longbottoms are called "insane" and "mad" by various characters so we can somewhat extrapolate from that that Cruciatus overuse leads to cognitive impairments of some kind. The medical consensus seems to be that the damage done to them, whatever it is, is irreparable as they are kept in the Janus Thickey ward, the wizarding equivalent of an insane asylum***.

Since the use of Cruciatus leaves no physical signs and its only outcome manifests itself as unmeasurable pain on the target's part, it is often theorised that the Cruciatus works by acting on the victims' pain receptors. This, of course, is just speculation but the books do seem to indicate something to this effect.

*= brief latin intermission

"cruciatus" in not a conjugation of the verb "crucio" in the active form (as in "I'm torturing someone"). It is, however, a conjugation in the passive form (as in "i'm being tortured") and can be more or less translated to I/you/he/she/it am being tortured or I/you/he/she/it was being tortured or I/you/he/she/it will be tortured (so, like, the opposite of what you should name a torture curse).

"Crucio" IS a conjugation in the active form and it translates roughly to "I torture", though it's not the tense I'd use if I were to issue a torture command (like, I'd use the imperative, you know?)

latin intermission over

**= as an aside, the narrative glosses over the fact that Frank and Alice were tortured for basically no reason and there was nothing they could have done to avoid their fate; we are supposed to view this as a noble sacrifice instead of the senseless tragedy it is and that grinds my gears greatly. Also, why does everyone seem so sure that this is what happened? As Dumbledore puts it, the post-torture Longbottoms were viewed as unreliable so we don't know this from them since they weren't even able to tell aurors who the culprits were and there had to be an investigation to find them. From what we can gleam by wading through Dumbledore's pensieve memories, the Lestranges + Barty weren't exactly cooperative with the investigation so, again, why is everyone so sure of what happened?

***= I used the (outdated and tasteless) term "insane asylum" intentionally since the Thickey ward doesn't look to be in any way shape or form similar to mental wards, psychiatric hospitals or halfway houses; from the little we do see the magical world doesn't seem to be terribly up to date on mental health as a whole and I shudder to think what jkr herself thinks on the matter.

PART 2: SUCCESSFULLY CAST CRUCIOS

SInce its introduction during Goblet of Fire, we see and/or hear of the Cruciatus curse being successfully cast 12 times. Those are:

5 TIMES IN BOOK 4

done by Fake Moody on a spider (for illustrative purposes)

done by Voldemort on Peter (as seen by Harry in a dream, as punishment for incompetence)

done by the Imperiused Victor Krum on Cedric Diggory (during the third task of the triwizard tournament, courtesy of Barty jr)

done by Voldemort on Avery (right after his resurrection at the cemetery, punishment for the twin sins of disobedience and general unfaithfulness)

done by Voldemort on Harry (toying with Harry at the cemetery)

1 TIME IN BOOK 5

[Voldemort performs crucio on Sirius in the vision that brings Harry to dept. of mysteries but since that doesn't actually happen I'm not counting it ]

done by Bellatrix Lestrange on Neville (at the dept. of Mysteries, for funsies)

6 TIMES IN BOOK 7

[Aberforth recounts being crucio'd by Grindlewald decades before over a disagreement but I'm not counting it, just like I didn't count the crucio-ing of the Longbottoms, because it happens before book 1 and isn't even witnessed by Harry indirectly]

done by Draco on Thorfin Rowle (as witnessed by Harry in a vision, done under threat of crucio)

done by unknown Deatheaters on the Tonkses (happens off-page with the aim of getting information on Harry's whereabouts)*

done by Bellatrix on Hermione (at Malfoy Manor, with the aim of getting information on the sword of Gryffindor)

done by Voldemort on Ollivander (happens off-page, with the aim of getting information on wandlore)

done by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle on various Hogwarts students ( several instances condensed into one for lack of information, as recounted by Neville)

done by Harry on Amycus Carrow (during the battle of Hogwarts, because he spat in McGonagall's face)**

*= one would think that, since this event parallels the crucio-ing of the Longbottoms, it'd get more attention, and yet the event is told to us by Remus in a throwaway line.

**= I'm not even going into the OOC-ness of this moment. Plenty of people, far more eloquent than me, have written about the perversion of Harry's character that this moment represents, also I truly lack the words to describe my rage at this scene.

PART 3: UNSUCCESSFULLY CAST CRUCIOS

During the events of the books we witness almost as many unsuccessful Cruciatus undertakings as we do successful ones. These attempts are:

by Dolores Umbridge on Harry, for funsies (INTERRUPTED)

by Harry on Bellatrix Lestrange, in revenge for Sirius's death (INEFFECTIVE)

by Bellatrix on Harry immediately following his attempt (DODGED)

by Draco on Harry in Myrtle's bathroom, as part of the escalation of their fight (INCOMPLETE CASTING)

by Harry on Severus Snape following Dumbledore's death (BLOCKED)

by Amycus Carrow on Ginny, creepily* (DODGED)

by Vincent Crabbe on Harry in the room of hidden things (MISSED)

by Voldemort on "dead" Harry, to humiliate his corpse (INEFFECTIVE)

Taking the instances where the curse was dodged aside, I would like to focus on the occasions where the curse was ineffective.

Harry and Bellatrix's instance tells us a lot about the mechanisms of the curse as Bellatrix takes time out of her busy schedule to school Harry on the intricacies of torture. Harry has at this point in time just witnessed Sirius's murder and is being taunted and goaded by Bellatrix; this is how his emotional state at the time of casting is described:

Instead of the desired effect, however, the curse merely topples her.

Hatred, it seems, is not the emotion required to successfully cast a Cruciatus. As Bellatrix states immediately afterwards, the spell requires a degree of sadism on the caster's part.

The other mention of a failed casting comes right at the end of the books, when Voldemort crucios Harry's "corpse". The spell, just like in the instance described above, merely knocks Harry about, to the delight of onlookers. This is greatly implied to be because the wand Voldemort is using - the elder wand- recognises Harry as its true master and is therefore unwilling to truly harm him; In this case it's not the caster's will that is lacking but the wand's.

To close out this section, I would like to highlight Umbridge's attempt: after having captured Harry &co. in her office, she decides it's the perfect time to threaten unforgivables. As Harry stares defiantly at her, Umbridge states

and, relishing in the anticipation, she goes about deciding where to cast until she's successfully distracted by Hermione. This is notable since it's the only instance in the books where a caster implies the possibility of somehow directing the curse. Umbridge is described as moving her wand over Harry's body and trying to decide on the most painful spot possible; since no-one else ever mentions the possibility of concentrating the Cruciatus on a particular body part it's unclear wether this is actually possible or if Umbridge is just an inexperienced torturer.

*= Amycus's words as he casts crucio are "you can't dance forever, pretty" since Ginny has been successfully evading him so far. I'm pointing this out because of the grossness on jkr's part of using attempted torture as an opportunity for telling us that Ginny is smoking hot. Also, in a "look how the tables have turned" moment, Amycus will, in a year's time, become Harry's only crucio victim

PART 4: INCONSISTENCIES

In going through the previous lists, a few inconsistencies appear:

Even though we've been told that intent is paramount when attempting the Cruciatus, an imperiused Viktor Krum is able to successfully cast the curse in book 4. In the same vein, Draco is able to crucio Thorfin Rowle even though he is shown to be unwilling to do so; somehow, being ordered or otherwise compelled fulfils the criteria of casting the Cruciatus. Harry, as he witnesses the scene form Voldemort's pov, recounts that

Even if we take into account the fact that Voldemort, who is directing the operation, is more than willing to crucio Rowle, neither Draco or (possibly) his wand are so why is he successful? How can one force oneself to crucio his fellow men if their will is lacking? This remains unclear.

Now we come to Draco and Harry's failed castings of the Cruciatus in book 6:

Draco is in the heat of battle as he duels Harry after he's been caught crying in Myrtle's bathroom (the horror), the scene is described as fast-paced and hectic:

Notice how Draco is able to get two thirds of the word out before he is hit by Harry's curse. Let's compare that with Harry's attempt on Snape, as he runs away from Hogwarts in the immediate aftermath of Dumbledore's "murder" (aka suicide by underling):

Notice how Harry is able to get an even smaller fraction of the word "crucio" out of his mouth than Draco yet somehow his curse was already partway formed and visible, twice: there needed to be something tangible in order for the curse to be blocked by Snape, and not only did he succeed but he was also able to parry it. This is in direct contrast to Draco, who was saying the incantation with no visible effect. The inconsistency remains even if we take into account the possibility that one's ability to cast nonverbally could come into play, since Draco, during the bathroom duel, had just demonstrated his ability to cast without speaking not one minute before:

Both Harry and Draco are shown casting non-verbally to great effect, even though under the strain of battle, yet only one of them is able to physicalise the curse when need be.

[I'm not even going to go into the ridiculousness of Harry somehow being able to shout a four syllable word in the time it takes Draco to get one half of a two syllable word out. Just know that the logistics of the scene are not well fleshed out.]

PART 5: CONCLUSION

Even after going through all the books with a fine tooth comb I continue to find myself rock solid in my belief that Draco's crucio wouldn't have been in the least bit effective. Not only is there a lack of physical evidence of his intent, like there is with Harry in the same book, but I truly do not believe that Draco was in the right frame of mind.

Even taking Draco's demonstrable aversion to physical violence aside, there is no indication that Draco was anything other than furious at the time of the sectumsempra incident, which makes his situation similar to Harry's failed casting in book 5.

The books tell us plainly that rage alone is not sufficient to cast the Cruciatus and we are shown by Draco's only actual crucio (and also Krum's) that at least someone needs to be in the right frame of mind in order for the curse to succeed, even if it's just the person directing the proceedings.

Of course, all of this is just speculation. Don't take my word as fact and feel free to come to your own conclusions, this essay mostly exists to demonstrate why I believe what I believe, though I hope it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

xoxo

#hp #hp meta #harry potter meta #the blorger special

31 notes · View notes

l4v3nd3r-bl00d · 5 months ago

Text

i thought i'd do an updated introduction post since i’ve been so inactive, so new mutuals/followers can know more about me!😊❤️

my name is kittie, i am 18, i have been diagnosed with autism & adhd since i was 15 (important to know because it explains why i am the way that i am lol) i don’t mind what pronouns you use for me, literally any are fine. i am just a person. 😁

i first started collecting violet exacts in 2019 however my collection has grown pretty slowly since i can’t hold down a job because disability.. disables. 🥲😭💔

i enjoy old things quite a lot, at the moment my main areas of interest are in: gothic architecture, silent film era (georges méliès films are my fav), skeleton keys, children’s books & toys from the 40s-70s, taxidermy, postcards, and vintage fashion/lingerie from the 40s-70s.

i also cosplay, i just don’t post it on the internet very much, my favourite anime are: kamisama kiss, vampire knight, nana, paradise kiss, love live, k-on, the future diary and chobits.

my main/oldest special interest is japanese fashion subcultures! (lolita, mori kei, fairy kei, dolly kei and cult party kei to be specific)

i don’t game regularly but my favourite games/game franchises are: american mcgees alice & madness returns, fran bow, sally face, little misfortune, stray, silent hill, elder scrolls, resident evil, skyrim, bloodborne, life is strange, the walking dead, the last of us and batman: arkham knight.

some of my favourite shows/movies: ahs (obviously), the office, dexter, the walking dead, its always sunny in philadelphia, lost, kamikaze girls, ghost world, sharp objects, wayne, a series of unfortunate events(both the series and the movie), gummo, ginger snaps, donnie darko, twin peaks, black mirror, and every wes anderson, tim burton and a24 project ever.

okay now here is a dump of all of my fav albums because i feel it’s very telling

blonde redhead - misery is a butterfly & 23

scarling - sweet heart dealer & so long, scarecrow

air - le voyage dans la lune & talkie walkie

oingo boingo - only a lad

brennan wedl - holy water branch

daniel johnson - hi how are you

teen suicide - dc snug film/ waste yrself & i will be my own hell

fox academy - luxury beverage

sidney gish - no dogs allowed

s.maharba - s.maharba

mcr - i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love & three cheers for sweet revenge

katie jane garside - lullabies in a glass wilderness

roar - impossible animals & i’m not here to make friends

candy claws - ceres and calypso in the deep time

imogen heap - speak for yourself

ricky eat acid - three love songs

dandelion hands - bleak week

catatonia - equally cursed and blessed

mort garson - mother earths plantasia

black box recorder - england made me

lady radiator - bounce energy hear me out

coma cinema - posthumous release

color filter - sleep in a synchrotron & i often think in music

jenny01 - jenny01 best & cluster

otto benson - songs before bed

marysgate - special memory

fear before the march of flames - the always open mouth & odd how people shake

the avalanches - since i left you

elysian fields - queen of the meadow & ghosts of no

leslie gore - i’ll cry if i want to

my bloody valentine - loveless

smashing pumpkins - siamese dream & mellon collie and the infinite sadness

jack off jill - clear hearts grey flowers

colour filter - sleep in a synchrotron

elliot smith - xo

panic at the disco - a fever you can’t sweat out & pretty odd

maple bee - chasing eva & home

nastyona - another secret

heartsrevolution - kitsune hearts japan

rasputina - transylvanian regurgitations &cabin fever

chris vrenna - american mcgees alice

queenadreena - taxidermy

bunny boy - Shelly & the bunny tree & did the angels come to kiss you

hole - live through this & celebrity skin

akira yamaoka - silent hill 2

hooky - something to look forward to

jack stauber - micro pop & pop food

satanicpornocultshop - arkhaiomelisidonophunikheratos

sparklehorse - its a wonderful life

susumu yokota - symbol

every album by the cure ever

i’m not very interesting so i don’t have a whole lot to say about myself on a personal level, i just like to share the media that i enjoy lol. don't be shy to message me if u ever wanna talk, especially about anything music, fashion or fandom related, just a heads up though that i sometimes really suck at replying(i apologise in advance)🥲

here are links to my other social media if you want to follow me elsewhere, though all personal accounts, not violet or ahs related.

tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kittiebot?_t=8pZwtHs5DjU&_r=1

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kittiebot13621?igsh=MnFpbzlpaWo0enpn&utm_source=qr

pinterest: https://pin.it/4Rlko08SX

spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/qenp8br378218on2h77lzldq8?si=-sS3g8ATQECdosiCSmBVyw

- kittie😇❤️

18 notes · View notes

theprincesstears · 11 months ago

Text

🌸 welcome! 🌸

My name is June (she/they/fae), I’m an alter in a DID system. I’ve been host a few times before but not currently. This is my own personal sideblog for girlposting purposes.

(Posts tagged 🦢 are from another pink girly in the system who doesn’t want her own separate sideblog, or to talk to anyone!)

Body age mid-20s, my perceived age is early 20s but my system says I kind of have a middle schooler’s mindset. I have autism and am very emotionally sensitive.

I’m not exactly a goth, but I do listen to some goth music, and I find goths to be the most relatable people (my in-system twin is a goth! I love them sm).

I’m a femme4femme asexual grayromantic lesbian, I definitely like pretty girls but it’s in a sort of queerplatonic way? I just wanna hold hands and have sleep overs and kiss a little bit 😊

Please come talk to me, I am lonely!!

🌸 likes 🌸

music: SRSQ, yeule, Alice Glass, the Birthday Massacre, purity ring, Ethel Cain, jpop, vocaloid, Olivia Lufkin/trapnest, nicole dollanganger, evanescence, boygenius, Paris Paloma, t.A.T.u.

movies/tv: coraline, corpse bride, studio ghibli, tinker bell, classic Barbie, but I’m a cheerleader, mlp, Mama Mia, virgin suicides

books: Disney fairies, Alice in wonderland & through the looking glass, magic attic club, the faerie path series

anime/manga: Shugo Chara!, kitchen princess, nana, k-on!, clannad, chobits, Tokyo Mew Mew, lucky star

fashion/subculture: coquette, kawaii, sweet lolita, creepy cute, princesscore

misc: fairies, Sanrio, Strawberry Shortcake, youtuber pixielocks, stationary & snail mail, cosplay, baking, Blythe dolls, vintage my little pony and carebears, bubble baths, ballet, perfumes, zillenial girl internet nostalgia (girlsgogames, old Barbie site, etc)

🌸 here’s my pinboard! 🌸

#actuallyautistic #actually did #osddid #girlblogging #im just a girl #actually cptsd

4 notes · View notes

aloramarieboutique · 10 months ago

Link

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Coleen Atwood Disney Alice Through The Looking Glass Designer Collection Tunic.

0 notes

thenewnio · 1 year ago

Text

OTGW Sequel Idea: Return to the Unknown

Wirt and Sara's daughter, Bea, believes her uncle Gregory's stories of the Unknown are just make-believe. All that changes one Halloween night, when she accompanies her classmates to a spooky abandoned house, where an accident lands her into a coma, whereupon she finds herself in the same Unknown from her uncle's tales. On her quest back to consciousness, she is joined by William, a meek wizard in training, Cornelia, a skeletal resident of Pottsfield, and Raymund, a sarcastic talking dodo. As these group of friends make their way through the Unknown to find Bea's way home, they encounter many odd characters and dangers, from Mr. Whittles, a hunter who uses animal bones for his "ivory" carvings, to William's monstrous Aunt Beldam, who looks like a gigantic floating wooden face with trailing tentacles. They are also stalked by the witch Evanor, a follower of the deceased Beast, who seeks to resurrect her master at all costs.

Tropes

Actor Allusion: This isn't the first time that a character voiced by Crispin Glover starred in a creepy production with a mention of the "Beast". And with Elijah Wood, no less!

Nor is it the first time Jim Conroy voiced a funny Talking Animal with a happy-go-lucky attitude.

Jim Belushi also voiced a crazy hunter character in a certain show about monsters.

Anachronism Stew: Justified by Enoch, who tells Bea that the Unknown is a realm located "betwixt and between". Below are examples from the different eras:

Bea's Halloween costume consists of a Regency era dress (like her namesake wore), a crop military costume jacket and a tricorn hat from a pirate costume.

William's outfit is inspired by 1650-1690 clothing, like his mother's.

Ray wears a Victorian-era vest, as part of the reference to Alice in Wonderland.

Mr. Whittles is dressed in classic 18th-century hunting clothing.

Evanor's attire is inspired by Jane Stanford, a "robber baroness".

Bizarre Dream Rationalization: Bea is in disbelief when she realizes she's in the Unknown, but quickly brushes it off as she's dreaming. That is, until she looks down a magic well and sees herself being loaded into an ambulance.

Coming of Age Story: The series has a lot of elements of this for Bea.

Chariot Pulled by Cats: Enoch the cat drives a wagon pulled by turkeys.

Don't Go in the Woods: The whole sequel, like its forerunner, is about being lost in the woods and trying to get home. Although Bea wound up in the Unknown after falling through a rotted floor in an old house, as opposed to through the woods or nearly drowning in a pond.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Bea enters the Unknown after a fall. On her journey to return home, she learns a valuable lesson along the way.

Earn Your Happy Ending: In the end, Bea is finally able to get home after defeating Evanmor.

Facial Horror: Aunt Beldam, being the demon who once possessed Lorna, and has now taken the Beast's place, is now covered in Eldewood faces.

Friendly Skeleton: Cornelia, being an inhabitant of Pottsfield.

Homage: Bea's journey is reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Raymund is even an Expy of the Dodo from that story. Likewise, Snap the dragonfly is a nod to the Snap-dragonfly in Through the Looking-Glass.

Bea's crop jacket is inspired by the military outfits in Attack on Titan. (Probably from a cosplay.)

Cornelia's pumpkin mask resembles one of the two classic sock and buskin masks. More specifically, the Comedy one.

The giant anthropomorphic bugs of Bugtown are inspired by Mr. Bug Goes to Town, as well as an old book, The Public and Private Life of Animals.

Aunt Beldam is a reference to the Creature from the film Wonderwell, while her name brings to mind the Other Mother from Coraline.

Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: The entire sequel, like its predecessor, takes place on Halloween night.

Mundanger: The early reveal of Bea being in a coma after she falls and lands in the Unknown.

Near-Death Experience: Bea realizes that she's going through this, and so journeys to find her way back to life.

Nightmare Face: Aunt Beldam is a literal example, taking the form of her "sister" Lorna's face with the Beast's eyes, as a result of ingesting the oil from the Beast's broken lantern.

Spin Off Spring: Bea takes over her father's role as the main character.

Wham Line: From Aunt Beldam: "It's been such a long time since I sorted the bones from my meals..."

Wham Shot: After Bea falls through the top floor of the abandoned house, she finds herself in the Unknown, believing herself to be having a weird dream, from which she assumes she will wake up, but for some reason can't. Before encountering Aunt Beldam, she realizes why: Looking down an old well, she sees her own comatose body being loaded onto an ambulance stretcher.

Likewise, Aunt Beldam's first appearance, having Lorna's face with the exact same eyes and texture as the Beast.

Wild Card: While Aunt Beldam no longer relies on eating people to survive, she still threatens to eat Bea when they first meet. Nevertheless, she comes off as this to the residents of the Unknown.

#Over the Garden Wall #Featuring my OCs

1 note · View note