#also albus can absolutely give as good as he gets

[yannfredericks]

when I think about albus and polly becoming friends, I’m lowkey reminded of these two boys in my high school cooking class who got paired up and were like “miss noooooo!!! we hate each other, miss! no seriously, we don’t get on please don’t do this, put us with anyone else” and their friends being like “no, for real they’ve been picking on each other since year 8, don’t do this”

and then they proceeded to get on like a house on fire. like, after a week or two they were laughing and chatting the entire time and it was obvious to everyone that even though they still claimed to hate each other that they were obviously having a lot of fun and actually worked really well as a team. they were so proud of their baked goods 😭

anyway that’s polly and albus in like fifth year potions

[sarascamander]

Reading the cursed child (scorbus, norvelize version in a03). I read the script years ago when I was 11 (funfact it was the first harry potter book I've ever bought). So I'm rereading it again because I have a scorbus brainrot suddenly (11 y/o me shipped Scorpius and Rose so hard but now I grew up let just say my taste had change lmao).

List of thought gonna go longer as I read:

- yo Albus surly personality is basically me when I was 15 it was like looking into a mirror. Hold on there baby I understand you 😭

- I want to write a whole essay on Albus and Harry's relationship. They both are so precious but they just have a hard time with each other.

- Scorpius is the sunshine most sunshine cinnamon role ever. I would kill for him. I would die for him.

- ALL THOSE BULLY BETTER STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY OUTCASTS BABIES.

- “And be my good friend.�� what if I die.

- why do people love to torture the cinnamon roll??? I want to hug Scorpio so bad like baby you deserve the moon and the sky and the world. And the fact that he's still trying to be so cheerful and optimistic. THE WORLD DOESN'T DESERVE HIM.

- Albus and Harry's father and son angst is killing me but it is also so delicious I relish in it (it's just so complicated I love it).

- "you’re kind, Scorpius. From the depths of your belly, to the tips of your fingers." Is the sweetest thing I've ever heard anyone said. I love this quote so much I want it tattooed on my forehead.

- Again, Scorpius deserve the fucking world.

- Scorpius and Draco's relationship is SO GOOD, SO PURE, SO SOFT. They love each other so much 😭

- brb I'm going to cry at the fact that Dark AU Ron and Hermione die in such a terrible way a few minutes after they finally confess their feelings (they were scared). 😭😭😭😭😭😭

- Snape is so dramatic. Girl "you're giving up your kingdom for Albus... All it takes is one person." he made it sound like they're in a romance fantasy novel (they are).

- Head empty. Scorpius happiest memory with Albus is strong enough for him to produce a patronus.

- Scorpius is once, again, a cutie pie that deserves everything.

- Delphi is more manipulative than I realized when I first read this lmao.

- GIRL the way Albus said that he and Scorpius ran away to start a new life in the muggle world as an excuse — what do you mean you're eloping at 14??? (Out of chronological order but I just remembered this)

- Delphi when I catch you —

- Never thought I'd be rooting for Draco and Harry duo yet here we are (did I say I love Draco as a dad?? I don't think he's appreciated enough. He's a brilliant dad! THIS is his best redemption arc).

- "What did you say to our son, Harry?" GO OFF QUEEN (Albus is a confirmed mommy boy)

- RON WANT TO MARRY HERMIONE AGAIN. I don't quite ship them in the book/movie but they're just the sweetest in here 😩😩

- I just had the sudden realisation that Scorbus might be the only couple that I ship in hp that is so close to canon (and was canonised by some play if I heard correctly).

- that time where they were in godric hollow and Scorpius was surprised that Albus never knew the full story of his grandparents or visited the place just bc he was being a petty, moody uninterested teenager hit so hard (he is me and I am him). And the shame he felt was real too. I always regret those years in my life where I acted like that and I don't even have a daddy issue like Al did, what's my bloody excuse lmao (I blame fucking hormones) 😩😭

- okay so finished it!! When I was a kid I don't quite like the time travel thingy and find it very confusing but I think it's because it's a screenplay yk, and it was meant to be watched not read. But the novel version did help a lot (and I give the author my hundreds of gratitude, her writing is absolutely beautiful! And she captured the characters perfectly! If you're scared to read The Cursed Child, read her novel version in ao3!!!).

I'm surprised that I actually love the plot more than I thought I would. Yeah it can get a bit unrealistic at times but all in all it's very entertaining and Albus and Scorpius are very well written, very rounded and nuanced characters that carry the book. I'm glad their parents didn't overshadow their personality etc (like them being mini-copies of Harry and Draco). They're their own person and I love that about them!!

They're not Drarry or even Jegulus as I've seen people say, they're in their own league. There are no enemies or hatred or tension between them; Scorpius and Albus genuinely like each other so much from the first they laid their eyes on each other and I adore them for it.

I read a theory that Albus was sent in Slytherin because he subconsciously wanted to be in a house with this kind boy met on the train and it made me want to cry (they were made for each other). (Although I do think Albus have many Slytherin traits, Scorpius I was less sure he screamed Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw to me but admittedly he can be cunning to).

So yeah, I don't think it's that bad as everyone said (and my 11 y/o self). It's fun and I actually cried a lot at the end of it (I have to watch Jily die, do you have any idea what that did to me???) (I don't even ship them but i swear this book set me to default back to canon).

I really want to watch the play, would die for it but it's impossible and I can only dream.xoxo

[blueberrymash]

james sirius potter - the star boy

·˚ ༘ just some headcanons on what I think harry potter's eldest son would be like

·˚ ༘ 1.4k words

- he's a big marvel fan and he lovess miles morales (he literally wants to be him), if he had a girlfriend he'd beg her to go as miles and gwen for halloween. literally don't talk to him about any superhero stuff though, he'll talk your ear off he's such a fanboy and gets like a little kid whenever he talks about batman, spiderman or captain america.

- he's extremely popular like almost ridiculously so. he has a huge friend group and everyone except maybe for the slytherins like and respect him. nobody says that they don't like james sirius potter and if anyone within the gryffindor house would even utter one bad word about him, they would definitely be frowned upon

- some say he's like a carbon copy of his father, because they're so similar in so many aspects (they're both sassy boys).

- OH he's absolutely a fuck boy. there's not a single doubt in my mind that he is. he's not against having a girlfriend but she'd definitely have to be super popular as well and stand out from the masses. he'd never date someone shy or introverted, since he's like "if the word 'extroverted' was a person" if you know what I mean. he just wants somebody to match his freak and do crazy irresponsible shit with. he's also the type of person who loves to go out & socialize so he'd need to date somebody who's also like that. he also needs to release the pent up energy inside him so staying in all of the time just isn't an option for him. but he would have introverted friends.

- he likes to make out with hot girls at parties and forget their name in the morning. he likes to drink and sometimes smoke as well. he's the life of the party, always animating everyone to dance and drink and play games, always doing smalltalk with everyone and remembering little details about them but forgetting the big things (like their name lmao). he's a beer pong champion and in general really good at all the party games. he's just like a party animal

- he always knows the right things to say at the right time and people adore him for it. he genuinely cares about everyone in his year, even the slytherin outcasts. if he sees someone crying or hurt he doesn't care who you are or which house you're in, he's cheering you up

- he likes to be the center of attention. whenever his dad is followed by paparazzi or journalists, he makes a show out of talking to them, posing for the cameras until he's pulled away by ginny. she's honestly so done with him by now because he's such a sucker for attention lmaoo. but then he ends up in like famous wizard magazines (even the daily prophet) and he just has the biggest, most smug grin on his face when he sees his picture, it definitely encourages him to keep giving the paparazzi what they want

- he's also a family guy even if he doesn't get along with albus that well. he loves his little sister lily though and his mom and his dad. christmas with his family is his favorite thing because he loves their little traditions. he always puts great care in what he gets eveyone as a present and he loves it when lily's face lights up when he gets her that exact thing she wanted. he also loves his grandmother (slayy grandma molly) and he always proudly wears the sweaters that she knits him! the whole weasley-potter-delacour and whatnot family always has a big get-together ont the 25th or 26th of december and that's where james whips out his guitar and performs the christmas songs he's been working on perfecting all season.

- he lovesss quidditch and dancing and he'd actually be the type to start kpop dancing or something and he'd be AMAZING like actually breathtaking. he's the only thing you can look at while he performs on stage, he's just the golden boy. he'd go to training like everyday when he's at home and while he's at school he'd practice on his own! he really looks up to celestia warbeck and wants to be the male version of her when he's older! definitely he's really dedicated and I can imagine him being in like a boy group when he's older or going on to be a solo performer

- he can also sing and play the guitar, bro writes his own songs! his voice is the one of an angel and whenever he sings at a gryffindor bonfire or party, the whole room is drawn to him, falls for him. he dreams of being an entertainer or professional quidditch player later in his life and he's honestly made for it as well. the scouts who watch him play or dance always eat whatever he does up. he's literally destined to be a superstar, plus he also has great advantages from being a nepo baby.

- he's not that good at school though, except maybe for flying class and some random subject like divination (let's be honest, only because he flirts with professor trelawney), he'll just get some ravenclaw girl to tutor him though

- he's the type to take feminist literature to a café and pretend he's reading it lmaoo. it's not like he's not a feminist or doesn't support women's rights (he loves women), the boy just doesn't read books, like at all. he just wants to pick up women with the feminist literature and he'll pretend like he's read the book.

- honestly he'd even listen to lana del ray or taylor swift and he's not embarrased or scared he'll be seen as gay or soft. he knows he's straight (maybe even a little heteroflexible) and cis and he doesn't feel threatened in his masculinity when a gay boy comes and flirts with him, he sees it as an honour and politely declines, I mean, he even has gay friends and gay cousins and bro let's be honest, even though he isn't out yet, his brother's definitely a bit fruity for his best friend scorpius. he's not scared of rumours about his identity or sexuality, people can misinterpret him, he literally doesn't care.

- unbothered king!! you either love him or you hate him but he literally doesn't care, he can be so nonchalant and can definitely break a girl's heart cause he literally DOES NOT CARE TUT and he's definitely gotten himself into a lot of situationships (like I said, he's a fuckboy) but he will only ever get with a girl he is in love with, he doesn't just bring any girl home to his momma, she'd have to be special

- apropos, he is such a mama's boy! not like those boys who's momma is in love with them and hates every girlfriend their son brings home, no, that's obviously not ginny, but he just honestly loves his mom! he likes to go shopping with her and lily or go get their nails done with them (yes, he also loves those pretty nails with designs, not the long acrylic ones obviously but the short ones. he practically advanced from just painting his nails black to getting designs on them)

- the best way to be in james' life is honestly to either be one of his cousins or friends. his friends are literally like family to him and he's so loyal to them. also he's such a fun friend and always comes up with the best ideas, it's never boring with him. he's also open to doing so many different things, depending on what his freinds are like. if you're introverted and like staying in, he'll literally just do that with you and yes, he'll even watch gossip girl and do face masks, he doesn't mind, he just likes spending time with his friends. he'll enjoy whatever he does as long as its with a friend. and if you're one of his cousins he'll literally treat you like a sibling / best friend because all of his cousins are his best friends

- he's sooo generous and caring. you haven't eaten all day and feel like you're about to die from starvation? have his entire sandwich and let him bring you a plate of food from the house elves kitchen to your room. you feel like throwing up? bbg he'll hold your hair while you're puking and give you back rubs. you don't have anything to do in the summer holidays? come with him on the potter family holiday to spain! he literally just wants his loved ones to be happy and he'll do anything for their happiness

y'all want more?

[rockingrobin69]

competitive arse

They’re not supposed to participate, only to observe, and perhaps step in to referee if there’s trouble: and yet, again and again Potter makes his way down to the pitch, to give ‘helpful’ tips or just ruffle everyone’s hair a little and say what a good job they’re all doing.

And grin, and nod, and yell ‘go team red’ when blue and yellow are playing, and flaunt his huge arms and thick thighs and that absolutely ridiculous arse Draco doesn’t see in his dreams. Often. And stretch, with the old Gryffindor Seeker top that leaves a fair bit of his belly on display, dark and hairy and driving Draco out of his mind. What? nothing. He’s fine, absolutely fine. He’s agreed to do this.

Under wand-point, yes, but—Merlin’s balls, what is Potter doing now? On all fours on the grass and letting one of the kids ride him like a pony. One of the—it’s Scorpius. It’s Scorpius. Holding on to Potter’s hair like reins and laughing. Draco… hmm? No, he can’t, ah. Think. Anymore.

He’s going to kill Ginny. He’s going to kill her, and Astoria, and then Potter for good measure, and then he’s going to lick that glisten of sweat all the way down his neck and—argh! Not good not good not good. They’re in public and Draco’s bloody son is playing pre-broom Quidditch. Meant to be playing, too busy making heart-eyes at Draco’s forever-crush. Forever-nemesis, he means. Oh, fuck, Potter took his shirt off? When. No, why. No, when, and also, what, and also, oh, no, oh, fuck, he’s coming closer.

What to do? What to do. How to, ah, survive this now, and also what to fucking—

“Malfoy,” two steps down and a thick grin like he’s so pleased about something. He didn’t shave this morning, face full of stubble, and Draco dreams of rash and tickles.

Says: “Potter.” And then, once he’d cleared his throat of this awful, er, thing, “You make the rest of us look bad.”

“Hmm?” Potter is distracted with something on Draco’s lips. What on earth has he got? Jam from breakfast (and Ginny and Astoria holding him at wand-point), mud from the tackle-hug Scorpius gave him, grass in his hair, what, what?

“What,” Draco says without fully intending to. Shaking his head, “I mean. You’re so—all the other parents are just sitting there watching.”

He laughs. The sound is so distracting, Draco almost manages a smile. “Yeah, ‘Mione’s already told me I’m showing off. Can’t help it, though. They didn’t tell me you’re coming today.”

“Yes,” Draco agrees, because Potter is flexing his arms and Draco would quite like to choke in between them, and then, “What? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Potter says. Is that winking? Is he winking or having a fit. Draco’s face feels awfully warm and he’s pretty sure he’s losing whatever competition they’re currently on.

Breathes in, out, looks to the sky (blue-blue and unhelpful. Where is lightning when you need to be struck). “Well,” he says when nothing more catastrophic happens, “I suppose I could come every week-end, if, ah. If this is the kind of show I can expect to get.”

When Potter’s grin turns luminescent: “I meant the kids! The way they played was so, ah, they’re so enthusiastic and it’s great to see, ah, stop it, stop, you absolute goon.”

“Yes, you’re only here for the kids,” with a hand in his disastrous hair, disastrously handsome, coming—ah—coming closer, for some incomprehensible reason.

“Stop it,” Draco says, when he truly means—something? Potter’s so close. His chest is bare. It's, ah, stunning. “What, what do you want.”

“Usually we go to the café across the road, after,” Potter smiles from under his thick lashes. Draco, who's milked every last detail regarding the Quidditch Junior League from Astoria for the past three months, knows this to be a definite lie. “Just some of the parents and the kids. You’ll have to come too. Scorp and Albus are just starting to get along, it's be such a shame, to tear them apart.”

It’s a weak excuse and Draco’s weaker. “Of course,” he coughs. “If that’s something you usually do. Who am I to break such a sacred, ah, tradition.”

They both know they’re full of it. On the ground, the actual coach has grown a peculiar set of tentacles, and is carried away by one of the parents who happens to work at St. Mungo’s. The kids are all cheering, and Scorp looks up to the stands and smiles. It’s… a bright sunny day, and Draco was threatened with a bad haircut if he backs out, and besides, he wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.

(For flufftober day 27. Find the soft AO3 collection here).

[anxiousnerdwritings]

obscurial!Reader gives himbo vibes and no one can tell me otherwise

like, yeah, maybe he’s incredibly book smart but people skills? right out the window. poor man has no survival instincts. he’s been beaten and broken so many times that the need to be good outweighs anything else even if it puts him in dangerous situations. and people think the kindness comes so easy to him when his laugh lights up a room but Merlin none of them know the truth.

I absolutely love this and I’m so totally down for Himbo!Obscurial!Reader!! Like, this poor guy has been through it, just so much; physically, emotionally, and mentally, that he just wanted one good thing in his life but never had it so he instead became that good thing himself. For the most part he hides what he went through and the severity at which he suffered extremely well, whether he does so consciously or not, and to those around him except a select few wouldn’t be any the wiser to any of it. But Albus and Minerva especially have picked up on or have knowledge of what Himbo!Reader has gone through, there’s little things that give it away. Maybe it’s the semi-obvious way he flinches when someone moves too fast or when there are loud noises, maybe it’s in how he must needs to constantly be reminded to take care of himself otherwise he won’t (strictly because he forgets to, not seeing himself and or his wellbeing as a priority by any means). Or how he goes into habits of shutting himself away from others only to act like nothing of it when he comes back, waving off anyone’s concern or questions about it. Himbo!Obscurial!Reader isn’t used to anyone worrying about him or checking up on him so it’s all new for him once he starts working at Hogwarts and has the students and other staff members sticking close to him and keeping an eye on him. Minerva especially is keeping a very close eye on the Reader and has a very deep fondness for him.

I imagine Himbo!Obscurial!Reader being muggle book smart but of course being completely clueless about the magical world and everything pertaining to it due to his growing up but I absolutely think that in his childhood he found solace in reading. Books were the only thing that allowed him to experience a vast variety of whatever he wanted to be a part of and that’s what helped him along the way, it was his way of escaping and it still is. I feel like Hermione and Percy would definitely stock the Reader up on books, both magical and muggle ones. I think the two of them would feel more connected to Himbo!Reader that way. And if the Reader were to recommend any or give either of them books from his own collection they would absolutely adore it. You can bet the books they get from the Reader will be so taken care of and loved. Also, I imagine that the books the Reader reads/has are strictly story books, nothing really educational unless it’s about baking/cooking or animals and or botany, just hobby/interest related stuff. I also like to think that Himbo!Obscurial!Reader formed his own personality and way of seeing the world through the books he read (and of course from the terrible treatment he suffered) and that’s why he is more generally naive about things and just blindly getting himself into situations. It also doesn’t help that now he’s being brought into the magical world after all this time and is still trying to figure things out but he’s got a good attitude about it and his happy to go on this adventure. Not to mention he has all these new people by his side which he’s even more happy about.

Speaking of which, I imagine that Obscurial!Reader didn’t have many friends, if any, growing up so whenever he meets someone new he automatically claims them as his friend, no matter who it is. Which down the line is definitely going to cause issues but what’s comin will come and he’ll meet it when it does (spoiler: it’s more yanderes!).

Imagine everyone else’s reactions when they find out what Himbo!Obscurial!Reader had endured for most of his life?👀 All hell would break loose and the people who hurt him will surely pay for all of it, slowly and painfully.

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest, Day 16

Full disclosure: I don’t really read crack fic very often but the ones I’ve loved left a big, lasting impression on me so choosing recs for today’s @hprecfest was the easiest thing ever! I’ve def mentioned both fics before but I still consider them lowkey hidden gems so I’m taking every opportunity to give them a shoutout again. If you haven’t come across these before run don’t walk! I guarantee they will make you feel light and cheerful after a rough day. I love finding joy and comfort in fics that make me laugh, they make me remember why I love these two sassy idiots so much. A massive thank you to both authors who I admire so much especially when it comes to their brand of humour - it’s right up my alley and never fails to make my day better. I’m so pleased to be reccing them today!

Day 16) a fic that made me laugh:

Drarry

Per my last letter (I hope you choke on it) by @fluxweeed and @lastontheboat (T, 10k)

Or: the one where Harry has writer’s block and Malfoy isn’t helping.

one of my top favourite feel-good fics, this is absolutely hilarious and so very charming! flux is the epistolary queen and I’ve had sooo much fun with the porn identity element here. their voices are spot on, the relentless banter is just hysterical and the slow burn is so surprisingly sweet I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. this story leaves you giddy and full of joy, the jokes and mutual pining and the whole crew coming together as chaotic Drarry supporters is 👨‍🍳💋 epistolary can be tricky but flux nailed it in an effortlessly light and organic way.

Rare pair

Sardines by @shiftylinguini (Jeddy + Scorbus, E, 4k)

It’s bad enough his cock is hard from listening to the impromptu midnight pornography of his brother getting off; Albus is not going to add seeing it to the list of reasons why he lost his mind, and presumably his eyesight, on the eve of his grandmother's seventieth. Scorpius, though, doesn’t appear to have any such qualms.

sardines will always be an iconic fic for me, it’s a shame it’s still underrated because it’s not only hilarious - it’s also hot af and a brilliant piece of writing overall, clever and genuinely endearing. idk how shifty was able to create this unique atmosphere, light and playful, carefully toeing the line between what’s appropriate and inappropriate brotherly teasing between four walls 🌝 the dialogue and characterization are top notch as always: James being a little shit, Albus pure confusion and horny exasperation, while Teddy and Scorp are simply indulging their better half and going for the ride as the disasters they are 🤣 truly impressive work with sexy, fun and sweet dynamics all around!

[goodboyaudios]

i’m evil like that muahaha~ also!!!!! congratulations on 40k!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m sure you’ll be getting way more recognition in the future:D

since you gave permission:

you said you’re finishing off uni, did you always know what you wanted to study? i’m at the (depressing) stage in life where i’m fully realizing how many curve balls life throws at you:) the path to success usually isn’t linear, so i’m curious about your journey!

it seems like you’re always asking for feedback or addressing issues, etc. do you have any feedback for us (as in, the community)? most people i’ve interacted with are pretty chill, but idk maybe there’s we could improve on?

this one might be a bit personal, so feel free to ignore! do your friends or family know about your channel/work? i’d imagine it’d be nice to have someone you could bounce ideas off of before publishing stuff! if not, how do you manage to hide all that stuff hahah~. you’ve built an entirely different universe, so i refuse to believe a sane man can keep all of that in his head and live a normal life simultaneously:p

if you could befriend any oc of yours, who would it be and why?

i’m not sure how to word this question properly, but are there any endings/plot points that you had initially envisioned differently? like, did you think a story was going one way and changed your mind half ways through?

you don’t have to answer all of these! you did ask for it, but i hope i’m not overwhelming you haha~

Absolutely not. School didn't do anything to prepare me for the world. My college has done less than nothing in preparing me to get a job in my field, YOUTUBE HAS DONE MORE FOR ME THAN COLLEGE AT THIS POINT and if I'm completely honest with you? That's fuckin sad. No, I had no idea what I wanted to do and I wish I was that kind of person who knew right out the gate. (lucky bastards) Okay, I'm done with my rant lol

I didn't know what field I wanted to study in, so I took a chance and jumped into something I knew I had some knowledge in and hoped for the best. Really that's all you can do. I have learned that, when you get out of highschool and you don't know what to do, do everything until something sticks. Trial and error. It's not the most efficient, but it works!

Any feedback to GIVE to the community? Let me think. Honestly, the community has been very wonderful to me. Occasionally something pops up, but it's usually squashed. The discord server is full of wonderful and creative and talented people who have always had my back and support the work I do. I hear all the time about drama in fellow creator servers and toxic behavior in the communities, etc...but my end of things has always been super nice! (that might have something to do with my lack of NSFW content) But yeah! No notes really! Everything good in our little neighborhood!

My family is aware AND so is my extended family lol! They are supportive, but they don't really give me ideas to bounce off. I have other fellow writers and creatives or that! And I do write everything down and go back to it in case I forget something. But typically speaking its all in my head, yep! I just...don't know how to do other things! Like...dress fashionably or...function in a normal society...you know useless stuff like that!

Zed. He needs a friend lol

Only with Bastard Warrior actually! Every story, I envision how I want it to end first, but with Bastard Warrior, I had thoughts of changing it because it was supposed to be enemies to lovers, yet the canon ending isn't Albus getting with Faith. So, I made 3 endings to appease everyone lol

Hope I got all of the them lol!

[firendgold]

Oh god the order left sirius to rot in prison take is back. I hate it so much they never take into account the bigger picture. "People knew he was very anti voldemort why wouldnt they think of that" well everyone in the order knew there was a spy among them and remus thought that was sirius, I wouldnt be suprised if other members thought it as well. And everyone in the order was anti voldemort. "Dumbledore didnt even hear sirius side of it when he heard out death eater snape" like snape asked to meet with Dumbledore and never do we hear of sirius requesting to speak to him while in jail. And as soon as sirius actually speeks to Dumbledore he realizes sirius is innocent. And they never seem to take into account how sirius never tried to prove his innocence, he seemed actually to rather do the opposite. So heres the case sirius the secret keeper betrayed the potters and hunted down and killed Peter qnd 12 other people and when they get to sirius he says i killed them. And with how the chaos of those days i can see how people wouldnt question he was guilty. The order didnt fight for him well he didnt fight for himself either and how are you gonna start doing that when sirius as good as said he was guilty.

That "take" generally recycles itself among newer readers and fanfic writers who are excellent with prose but should really know better than to whitewash certain characters, and who have a bad habit of not referring back to canon when doing their fix-its.

I generally ignore takes that sound like they're either from the "Marauders fandom" or from people who haven't read the books in a while. The "people let Sirius rot and they will all pay for it in my bashing fic" crowd fall into those two holes and also the hole called "has literally no imagination for or grace to give to things that aren't explicitly stated in the text". Sirius, Remus, and other characters who were in the Order the first time all talk about how they were grossly outnumbered and there was an aura of mistrust because people knew someone was leaking secrets, but not who it was or if it was just one person. Once Sirius' seeming betrayal came out, it makes perfect sense that a ragtag group of adults whose trust in each other was already frayed were ready and willing to attribute all the other traitorous acts to this same person.

The key thing is what you pointed out so long ago: Sirius never tried to prove his innocence. We don't know if he had a trial or not, but at the end of the day that doesn't matter either. It's canon that Veritaserum doesn't force people to tell the absolute truth (this is a common misconception), just the truth as the person sees it, and people with skill in certain magical disciplines like Occlumency can lie under its effects. So the equally common argument in every damn fic of "wHY diDN't tHEy JUsT uSE vERITaSERum" doesn't work in-universe.

The same fandom members who are just SO SURE that if Sirius had had his day in court he would have been freed, forget that Sirius made no moves to proclaim his innocence before, during or after his pursuit of Peter in 1980. Just a quick word to literally anyone about what had happened with Peter and the Fidelius and where he was going might have saved Sirius jail time, and yet.....

It is possible to love Sirius and acknowledge that he has a ridiculous guilt complex and consistently fucks himself over with reckless actions throughout his life... but a lot of his fans don't seem to agree, and would rather make Albus or someone else his scapegoat.

There's a hypocrisy in a lot of these fanfics and meta conversations and inaccurate readings, where these people assume Albus wants to control every single person (he doesn't), and that he SHOULDN'T be responsible for everyone's welfare (he doesn't want to be, and isn't, except when operating as the leader of the Order with every adult character's consent to being "ordered around" and sent on dangerous missions). Albus was the Order's leader, but he's not anyone's parent. He had directions, he made suggestions, but he didn't know everyone's business or he would have known about the Fidelius switch. He wasn't responsible for minding every Order member.

The argument's even more ridiculous when you remember the Ministry employees that join the Order in the Second War. Do you ever see anyone arguing that Albus knows every detail of Kingsley Shacklebolt or Nymphadora Tonks' lives? That he controls everything they do and is responsible for any danger they get into, even though their day jobs are literally being the magical police for Magical Britain? No, because it's ridiculous.

[emsuemsu]

@hprecfest day 29: post-canon

I had such a hard time to come up with recs for this! I feel like I say that about each and every one of these prompts 🥵 Like I could've had a field day with some good drarry content, but I wanted to talk about some of my favorite next gen/cross gen fics! These are not Cursed Child complaint I guess, since I don't really regard that as canon. Does anyone??? I don't read next gen as much as I'd want to, but these stories have a piece of my heart with them:

oh, i'm gonna let the future in by @thealmostrhetoricalquestion 🩵 41,480 words, scorpius/albus

Al doesn’t know what he’s doing. Not just with the new apartment, but with his life in general, and it doesn't help that his family quietly looks down on him. It feels as if they’re always waiting for him to do something spectacular, but without actually expecting it of him. They’ve given up on expecting anything of him. Al only speaks English, and he sings in the shower, badly. He likes tea, and he cleans when he’s stressed. He sees a therapist. He has a total of two friends, and one of them is his cousin. He isn’t smart; he’s simple. He wishes that could be enough.

🥹 it's been a while since I've related this much to a character in any form of media as I relate to Albus in this fic. And reading the comments to this story it seems like I'm definitely not the only one. That makes me personally feel pretty warm, like okay I'm not the only one who feels like a walking human dumpster fire at times. This is one of my all time favorite fics, I always come back to it for some comfort. It's so real and touching, the first time I read this I had to throw my phone away and sob just finishing the first part of the first chapter. It’s serving some certified middle child vibes. Lovelovelove this.

Brighter Than the Sun by @goldentruth813 🩵 12,842 words, draco/james sirius

James Sirius Potter is gorgeous. He's also half Draco's age. Getting emotionally involved with him would be a complete and utter disaster. Fortunately for Draco, he's had a lifetime of practice compartmentalizing his feelings. Draco can definitely handle fucking James—young, beautiful, rash James Sirius Potter—with no strings attached.

Now when I said I've read smut so good I've cried this is one example of that. This fic is so fucking hot in all the ways and more, I adore both Draco and James in this so much. And it’s not only the smut that gets you good in this fic – it’s the feels also. I’m absolutely wrecked by this fic. Now unfortunately the goorrggeeoouuusss art by @mzuul is no longer available for some reason, I have some hazy memories of the pieces and I’d give my hypothetical first born child to see them again 🥺

[racfoam]

Rarepair tag game

Rules: List the top rarepairs that you like outside of your OTP, and why you ship it! (Criteria for what makes a rarepair is up to your own discretion.)

Thank you for the tag @limonium-anemos ! I read a lot of rare ships by divida, and I’m pretty much up for anything, really.

Female Voldemort/Harry - This one is my favourite. I know, it probably isn't considered a rare ship since it's still Tomarrymort, but this is my favourite. You all have Vish @youknowmevj to thank for it and their fic Closer The Better

Volmione (Voldemort/Hermione) - I mean snake-face Voldemort with Hermione. Which I think are rare, therefore it's here. The one that introduced me to Volmione itself (though I was very much searching for snake-face Voldy & Hermione) is the greatest fucking Volmione fic by the absolute genius @mrmxlemons Apple Of My Eye. It is everything I ever needed in Volmione. Poetry and prose and beautiful descriptions.

Also, another Volmione rec is The Ivory Tower but fair warning, it ends with Voldy dying.

Harry/Delphini - Listen. Delphini being obsessed with Harry just like her father was and sneaking around to make him hers does something for me, all right? Again, there is a wonderful fic by @youknowmevj Like Father, Like Daughter that got me into the ship.

Delphini/Albus - Albus and Delphini together are the cutest. I read a fic and I always liked the idea of these two together and divida's work just made me very happy because we got some very good content. 

Harry/Barty - This would be such an interesting dynamic to explore, if Barty found out Harry is Voldy's Horcrux he'd be getting on his knees for Harry and treat him like royalty.

Teddy/Delphini - I love them together just as much as I like Albus & Delphini together. They are my favourite next gen ship. Teddy is cute, Delphi is a bit mean but very direct on what she wants. I don't think Teddy could refuse her — not that she’d give him a choice. 

Voldemort/Albus - Voldemort corrupting Harry's son… hell yeah.

Voldemort/Lily Luna - I don’t think this one is popular, if at all? If there is something better Voldemort can do to get revenge on Harry, it would be taking Harry’s only daughter. I like the thought that Lily would be interested in meeting the Dark Lord. Of course, he’d use that to his advantage. But I think Lily wouldn't be that easily fooled, but also, she'd be a cutie. If I were to have a fic idea, it would be Voldemort surviving the battle and time-skipping to where Lily has to take care of him because he’s old and grouchy and she's a Healer and insists everyone deserves to get health care. I think Voldemort would loathe her at first, be annoyed with her because she is Potter’s spawn, but later he’d tolerate her. 

Tom/Abraxas - I think they’re neat.

Tom/Dolohov - Same as above. Murder boyfriends. Absolute chaos.

Harry/Nagini - You heard me. Two of Voldemort's Horcruxes together? Sign me up.

Delphini/Harry/Voldemort - I have no explanation for this. None. Zero. 

Harry/Merope - I don’t know why but I like the idea of time-travelling Harry saving Merope from the Gaunt shack before she meets Riddle Sr or helping her after Tom Sr leaves her. Without the love potion plot. I did read a fic where Merope love-potioned Harry and even though it is Tomarry, I liked the potential for a darker side of the relationship Harry must be going through with Merope.

Hermione/Fleur - Need I say more? Two girl bosses girl bossing.

Voldemort/Tom - He's enjoying himself (pun intended)

Harry/Cedric - I don’t know if it’s considered a rare ship but I definitely love them.

No pressure tags: @maidenwychelm , @isalisewrites , @youknowmevj , @tommarvoloriddlesdiary ,@riddlemeharder , @loneamaryllis , @purplewitch156 , @itsevanffs , @cordeliawrites , @crowcrowcrowthing , @shouldertallabyss , @mishqua , @louveclaviere , @rudehellion, @monsieurclavier, @metalomagnetic, @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger

[greenerteacups]

love how you write snape ie. with the acknowledgment that he is the single funniest character in the series. i don’t think jk really hit all the notes she was going for with him but he’s genuinely thee most entertaining character, especially once alan rickman gets involved. like every single year harry is convinced that the meanest teacher in school is out to get him and every year PSYCH he was protecting you the whole time, which is super doubled down on in the final reveal. sorry harry his heinous behavior towards you was not because he is aligned with the evil faction but bc he personally hates your guts for extremely petty reasons. yes i will save potters life but i will not be nice about it. beautiful. anyway you’re doing such a good job with him i love the dynamic you’ve given him and draco with draco coming to his classroom to sit and bitch on his desk while snape brews evil potions and ignores him <3

thank you <3 snape is so much fun to write because his life sucks SOOO bad but he literally does it to himself. everything about his situation because cosmically and stupendously funny when you realize he Does Not Have to Be Here. at first you think albus dumbledore is punishing him by making him hang out with snotty kids (whom he hates) while protecting harry (whom he LOATHES) from his former boss (evil death god) and also doing secret dumbledore-work behind the scenes to keep harry from fucking his life up (hey can you protect this immortality stone i think voldemort wants to steal? oh whoops your leg got chewed up? sorry severus :( also maybe be careful bc there's a basilisk on the loose in the castle. whoops. oh and hey can you go grab harry and his pals? a werewolf is about to eat them :) thanks severus). on a TEACHER'S. SALARY. why? lily is dead, snape's stated reason for switching sides is gone, it's obviously not like he was philosophically compelled by the Not Being Evil of it all, so like... why? the "always" scene is clearly supposed to be this beautiful expression of undying devotion but in context it's actually snape going "how DARE you accuse me of giving a shit about this child" and then demonstrating emphatically that after 17 years he has absorbed absolutely NO fealty to the Cause or the Order or the principle of Not Being Evil, he does not care about Harry or any of the hundreds of other children he's saved, bc he's still doing this out of love/guilt/grief for a married woman he hasn't actually talked to in like. 22 years. so it's like ok ok ok you loved her enough to betray your cause and put yourself through excruciating mental and physical toil for literal decades and risk your life for people you don't know or care about and basically become the handservant of albus dumbledore, right, okay, but you DON'T love her enough to not be a dick to her son? like not once will you say ANYTHING nice to this kid. you'll rip your life apart at your seams for her memory but when it comes to not shitting on her one living descendant it's too far. okay. okay. insane. character of all time

[wearingaberetinparis]

Fic Author Self-Rec

Thank you for tagging me @missgryffin and @kay-elle-cee! Those that know me, will recognise that I find it very difficult not to be critical of my own work, but I need to be proud of what I write more often, so this is good practice! (Also: how do you choose anyway? Every fic is my baby and there are so many memories attached to writing them.) Rules: When you get this, reply with your favourite fics that you've written. Then pass it on to fice other writers. Spread some self love.

Shout Out To My Ex (Series)

Phoenix Radio is going through a rough period with the arrival of the new and controversial Riddle Radio. Albus Dumbledore, founder of the country’s number one radio station, asks his team to get ready to rebrand. Gone are the days of family friendly radio, a show where two exes talk about where their relationship went wrong and deliver relationship advice live on air, named Shout Out To My Ex, is exactly what Phoenix Radio needs. Who better to co-host this show than Lily Evans and James Potter, two Phoenix Radio employees who absolutely despise each other, or do they? A Jily Modern AU inspired by Rachel Lynn Solomon’s "The Ex Talk". LINK HERE

ocean eyes (Series)

Lily Evans had been eleven when she and her family moved in next door to the Potters. It was the summer before she would start her year at Hogwarts, a prestigious school for gifted students. From their bedrooms, James and Lily witness each other’s highs and lows, watching the other grow as they go through life apart and yet very much together. A Jily Neighbours/Coming of Age AU LINK HERE

(Didn't I?) (Didn't I?) Didn't I See You Crying?

James Potter has fancied Mary Macdonald for as long as he can remember. Everything about her is practically perfect, except for – if he were being honest and he always liked to be – her choice in friends. For Mary’s best friend, Lily Evans, is a right shrew and, much to his dismay, the Head Girl to his Head Boy. Lily Evans had disliked James Potter with a passion after their first interaction on the Hogwarts Express. A dislike that turned into hate – never mind that she also has an infatuation going, but no one needs to know about that – as soon as he decided to make her life a living hell. Unfortunately for her, he also decided (a few years earlier) that her very best friend in the world was the worthy object of his affections. (Which was fine, really. She wasn't about to cry over it, for Godric's sake. She was a strong and independent young woman, thank you very much. And yes, perhaps she was a little in love, but it was all for nothing, so she had to keep calm and carry on.) Certainly, their complicated past would result in major disaster if common ground was not soon established. For the love of Merlin, though, why did either of them think it would be a good idea for Lily to help James woo Mary Macdonald? LINK HERE

The Very (Un)Ladylike Guide To Fortune-Hunting

"Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." (Jane Austen) Lily Evans finds herself wanting, or: so her sister seems to believe. While out on the hunt for a fortune - again: that would be Mrs Dursley mostly - the affection of a number of suitors is most welcome. Especially when a young Viscount's heart is set aflame. A Regency Jily AU. LINK HERE

Lily In The Sky With Diamonds

A series of interviews with the UK’s hottest band, The Marauders, and the singer-songwriter Lily Evans, conducted by Nymphadora Tonks, as they prepare for the UK Tour after the release of their album “Lily in the Sky with Diamonds”. Everyone worships The Marauders. Everyone loves Lily Evans. Together they make hearts bleed. Inspired by "Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid. LINK HERE

Tagging anyone that would like to do this, but @annabtg and @practicecourts as well. I'm sorry if you did this already. I was obviously MIA for a couple of days.

[kazuza-art]

Thanks for the tag @the-paper-monkey and @chemfreakwriting

Tagging any author I know off that had not been tagged yet because everyone I can think off had done this already XD

Rules:

1. Post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),

2. your top 4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year,

3. your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,

4. your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

5. and your number 1 favorite line you’ve written this year!

5 works

I don't have five works this year XD so I'll post only the two I'm the proudest off I guess!

My first long English written fic! I really wanted to write Tom and Albus relationship as people of the same age! I dropped every kink and plot bunny I love on that one XD

Time travel, Stockholm syndrome, possessiveness, age difference, young revolutionary Albus, Tom finding someone that gets him truly, Gellert facing a younger version of his lover that still believe in him and the cause, alternative sexuality, and so much more!

It's the most ambitious piece of work I ever work on, especially because I'm writing in English. (I wish I could write it in french XDDD) and my sincere hope is to be able to 1 spread the Riddledore/grindeldore 2 to finish it XDD

This is my favorite piece of work on HP fandom. I really wanted to write what I love about the Grindeldore pairing, the angst, the anger and resentment only two people that had loved each other passionately can feel. Albus and Gellert playing mind games with each other is my jam 100000 percent! I also LOVE writing about young Albus, before he became broken and jaded by war and despair.

Despite my terrible English, I also feel it's the one that turned out good XD

my first riddledore fic ever! It's part of a series that explores a dark lord Albus Dumbledore and his relationship to other. I like that one the best maybe because it's the first one I was confident enough to post.

4 WIPS

In plain sight

A long Grindeldore one-shot inspired by @laeveteinn 's Blood quills and lady fingers actually XD

One of them have to give in and Gellert decides it'll be him. Or Gellert takes advantage of Albus's obvious belief that Hogwarts is the safest place on earth and disguises himself as a teacher to worm his way through England and his ex-lover's heart. And if he had to kill Gellert Grindelwald and become another, then so be it.

I absolutely adore Graves!gellert seducing oblivious Albus fic. Like this is my fav trope ever but this time I wanted to explore a more darker, twister way love and obsession can take roots in a man

It will be very dark and probably not safe for most people to read, but if I there was only ONE fic I would want to write it would be this one.

As above so below spin off

Tom/harry fic where Tom had not turned into Voldi but being raised by Albus, turned out like a well-adapted psychopath and became British first minister of magic.

Harry is a driven young Auror that find himself in the wrong place at the wrong moment and become the unwilling Horcrux of the most famous man of England. A great game of cat and mouse, begin. Will harry be able to prove Tom Riddle is a terrible corrupt man or will Tom managed to corrupt him?

It'll be a light funny fic I think (with angst tho cause that's my jam)

Harry tom is not my stuff in general, but I like the plot of that one so I'll probably give it a try

Time travel grindeldore

Young Grindeldore manage to time travel in the future and are warmly welcomed by a 60 year's old Grindelwald at Numengard. The man is charming, warm and funny, the world seems at peace thanks to him and everything looks like the perfect future they dreamed together.

Soon however they realise the reality is very different from what their host said and that he's not willing to let young ALbus go home.

A dark Grindeldore series I had in mine from quite some time.

3 Improvements

I finaly dared write long fic in english! IT SUCKS BUT I DARED XD

I settled for myself a writing set of rules. I was procrastinating, and I was so frustrated cause there is so many plot idea I want to write... So I decided to follow Stephen King advice and kick my own ass XD

I forced myself to sit down every evening, no matter what and write 500words at the minimum (more if I feel like it but min is 500). And it WORK!

I try to think in english instead of just translating french to english when I write, I think it did improve my writing a lot, but jury is still in on that one AHAH

2 Resolutions

Find myself a native English speaker beta reader (i really don't want native speakers to cringe when they read my stuff ç_ç )

impove my damn english! (and finish fics XD)

1 Favourite Line

I don't have any. Reading my crapy English makes me cringe XDD

[min-kit]

you know... more and more I keep wondering if Gellert really got expelled from Durmstrang because his “dark experiments on students went too far” or if that’s just... what people said was the reason he got expelled. Cuz idk its just not adding up in my head no more... 

I 100% believe that Gellert was interested in “dark magic” but because Gellert loves all magic. Magic isn’t inherently dark, it’s how you use it--and we all know Durmstrang is a bit more... lax in the dark arts department. I just have the very strong feeling people at Durmstrang didn’t like Gellert. He was incredibly smart, incredibly confident, arrogant (in the same Albus is tbh), talented, and I just have the feeling he wasn’t very well liked by neither students nor teachers. He was weird (coughs Queer coughs), and students (and teachers) didn’t really like this part of him... 

I could totally see Gellert having been attacked first but, obviously, Gellert is a much better wizard than whoever would’ve attacked him and he fought back and used, yes, dark magic to defend himself. The professors conveniently ignored the circumstances and used the opportunity to expel Gellert. We don’t know his family history (I know some people are starting to headcanon that he may be muggleborn. Idk if I like that idea myself because it almost gives him... too much in common with Voldemort and FB3 already seems to be retconning some things to make him more Voldemort-ish because ppl were agreeing too much with his ideals in FB3 lmao. While Tom is not muggleborn technically, basically was since he was raised in a muggle orphanage), but after his expulsion he went to stay with his aunt in Godric’s Hollow to research the Deathly Hallows (but also perhaps because his home life with his parents was never all that great)

Like I’m going to ignore the muggle hatred they’ve retconned to in FB3 because it literally makes absolutely no sense to me and is NEVER how I thought of Gellert in 15 years, but Gellert’s whole thing is to rule over muggles for their own good. Others have pointed out, but when Gellert was expelled and met Albus (two queer boys at the turn of the century with so many ideas and so much knowledge and talent!), they  both really wanted to help make the world better for magical kind, but in a way, even muggle kind (and lets be real, look at where the world is now; where us “muggles” have taken this damned place. Our earth is literally dying and people can’t agree on how to handle a fucking pandemic and here in the states more and more anti-lgbt laws and even racist laws are being passed). Time was ripe to do this! Times were changing, things were changing so rapidly... sure Gellert wants power. He’s a sixteen year old boy more powerful already than wizards twice his age, but the reason he wants power is for the betterment of his own kind... he ends up taking things too far, yes, but... and I think Mads really sells it in FB3. He’s not the magical world’s enemy (then or now--altho ofc, I do think 50% of that was purely speaking to Albus).

So like... would a boy like this, someone so heavily convinced he can make the world a better place for magical people, and even muggles (though they need more direct ruling over cuz muggles are literally destroying everything), really get... expelled from school because he was running dark arts experiments on other students?? I don’t know.

Its just not adding up in my head.

[stonedregulus]

Hey bestie! Can you give us a list of your top 3 favorite fics? It doesn’t matter what pairings, just your top 3. :)

SCREAM i’m so excited to share these!!!

1. This Must Be the Place

author: @aibidil

rating: E

pairings: james sirius potter/teddy lupin (background harry potter/draco malfoy & albus severus potter/scorpius malfoy)

summary:

When your dad is Harry Potter, your face shows up in Teen Witch, your social media videos go viral, and sometimes your life depends on pretending to date your metamorph godbrother, whom you've been over for years, thank you very much. Or, the one where James and Teddy do animal yoga and risqué karaoke and their families could do with seeing fewer videos of them snogging.

i cannot even explain to you how much i adore this fic. jeddy is one of my favorite ships and this is a great depiction of them. i also really love the world this author created and the different wizarding(and otherwise) mental disorders they included. i find that kind of stuff, the mundane normal human life experiences that a lot of people just skip when they're writing magical world fics, so fascinating. also, the whole idea of a soul-bond/mind-bond is super fucking cool. 10/10 would highly recommend.

2. The Devil's White Knight

rating: E

pairings: harry potter/draco malfoy (background james potter/regulus black & sirius black/remus lupin)

summary:

When Harry wakes up in an alternate timeline--a timeline where Voldemort was defeated long before the first war--he discovers everything is different. His parents, his godfather, his friends--and him. Harry must deal with the consequences of who he would have been if he had been raised by his parents, and figure out where he stands with his casual hook up, Draco Malfoy.

guys... STARCHASER DADS... WOLFSTAR DADS!!! i am dying. this is just... this fic is absolutely everything to me. the drarry part is... well if you know me you know I'm not a drarry person (i say that and yet here I am recommending two drarry fics to you *face palm* i know wtf but whatever) BUT i am not mad at the drarry in this... i actually like it... WHAT?! yeah. i know *shrugs* i don't know. anyways, regulus as a dad makes me insanely happy. he is the perfect dad. i absolutely adore him. the sirius/harry relationship in this makes me cry so fucking much it's unreal. anyways, super cute, may actually be my fave fic of all time.

3. Blends

rating: M

pairings: sirius black/remus lupin & james potter/lily evans

summary:

Words got in the way sometimes, but Remus got the sense Sirius knew what he was trying to say. - Another coffee shop au.

look, if you haven't heard of this yet i would be somewhat shocked. i know some people hate coffee shop aus, but just... trust me on this one, okay? it's so fucking good. one of the reasons i love it is because it feels so real. i kind of mentioned that with my first rec up above, but i love when the author puts in an effort to make things relatable to real life, and this definitely has that. i also love the way this author portrays sirius, james, remus, and lil. sometimes i feel like people just don't get it right (my own opinion of right, i know, i know) but this author really gets them and writes them well. if you want a great modern wolfstar au, this is it my friends. also, it has a sequel that is still in progress :)

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

In your latest post, you said that Dumbledore MEANT to put Harry in a abusive household. That, or when he found out he did nothing to stop it. Why is that?

You’re going to get a lot of people angry with me. Well, I suppose they’re already angry. Somewhere out there, on the wider internet.

Right, anyway, the evidence of Harry’s abuse is so overwhelming that it seems improbable to me that Dumbledore wasn’t aware of what was happening. More, every interaction he has with not only Harry, but characters in similar circumstances, lends me to believe that in the event that Dumbledore does know he’d take no action.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Scene 1

We start out the entire Harry Potter series with Minerva and Dumbledore waiting in the early dawn for Hagrid’s arrival and to place Harry with the Dursleys. Minerva immediately announces her discomfort with this, 

She specifically says the following:

"You don't mean — you can't mean the people who live here? Dumbledore, you can't. You couldn't find two people who are less like us."

Lily Evans’ relatives are infamous enough such that Minerva McGonagall, who is presumably not as close as her like aged peers (i.e. Sirius, Remus, and Peter) knows about them.

Granted, some of this is anti-muggle sentiment. Minerva isn’t sure that suburban muggles raising a magical child like Harry Potter is a good idea. Nevertheless, she has deep misgivings, and relays them to Dumbledore.

We know from further evidence that Dumbledore is perfectly aware of what Petunia and Vernon are like as well. He gives Harry to the Dursleys anyway.

Dumbledore, for his own reasons, chooses not to listen.

Dumbledore’s Letter to Petunia

Dumbledore writes a letter to Petunia, knowing it is highly necessary, as he gives Harry to the family. The letter is... vaguely threatening but in a very polite Dumbledore way. It pretty much implies “Take Harry, or else, also be nice to your dead sister.”

The point is, Dumbledore is aware that this letter is highly necessary. And then... other things happen.

Dumbledore Sends Hagrid

Dumbledore sends Hagrid to pick Harry up.

Ordinarily, in such circumstances, Minerva is sent to introduce muggleborn children to the Wizarding World. “Perhaps she was busy,” you say, too busy for Harry Potter? Wizard Jesus and the child of perhaps her favorite students who she openly favors throughout the series?

“Perhaps Dumbledore was being nice to Hagrid, and he had an errand to do anyway,” well, it’s all well and good to be nice to Hagrid, but is he really the best guy to introduce anybody to the Wizarding World?

This is Hagrid, the likelihood of him having taken Harry to an exotic pet shop where Harry then gets eaten by the Chupacabra is 95%. The 5% where it didn’t happen is because Hagrid went to the pet shop alone and some, distant, rational part of his brain told him that Harry would want the pretty owl vs. the one-eyed blood sucking rat demon in the cage next to her.

You don’t send Hagrid if you want a child returned to you with all its limbs intact.

So why do you send Hagrid?

When you want someone who’s so painfully oblivious, loyal, and stupid that they could stare a hellscape in the face and wouldn’t even notice.

Hagrid gets a firsthand view of Harry’s living conditions. He learns that Harry’s relatives have been actively blocking Harry’s letters, that they have run across the country to avoid them. He sees the state of Harry’s clothing in comparison to Dudley, how thin Harry is in comparison to Dudley, and the way the family interacts with each other.

Harry’s child abuse is staring Hagrid right in the face.

Minerva would demand that Harry be placed somewhere else, they can find some other means of protecting him.

What does Hagrid do?

He gives Dudley a pig’s tail illegally and proceeds to tell Harry that Dumbledore is the greatest man who ever lived. 

Other Evidence Comes to Light

Other characters start getting pretty big warning signs that all’s not right at the Potters.

Ron and Hermione know the situation is “bad” and that Harry’s relatives “hate magic”. They’re also kids and don’t really understand what this means, the idea of being abused and hated by your guardians is unthinkable to them and Harry doesn’t come out and just say it.

That said, they’ve seen enough that they drop hints to those around them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are told about the bars on Harry’s window. Ron was so concerned about Harry in the summer after first year that he steals his father’s car with Fred and George to go pick him up. That is not normal behavior, that is deep concern for your friend.

Despite all of this... nothing happens.

Hermione spends far more time at the Weasleys then Harry ever does. Every summer, he returns to Privet Drive, and it’s likely if Arthur and Molly did have concerns Dumbledore told them off.

Arabella Figg

Arabella has been keeping an eye on Harry for years. She’s noted some very disturbing trends and been witness to years of the Dursleys interacting with Harry Potter.

She passes this information on to Dumbledore.

He knows how bad it is.

Harry Potter

Harry tells Dumbledore he does not wish to remain at the Dursleys, he notes that they don’t like him and he doesn’t like them. Now, he tries to downplay it, but this is a child saying some pretty disturbing things. You don’t brush this off.

Dumbledore does.

Dumbledore Visits the Dursleys

In book 6, Dumbledore visits the Dursleys and sees, in person, how bad it is. However, he shows no surprise, only vague disappointment in Petunia. Tsk, tsk, Petunia, I thought you were better than this.

He offers a few threats and then he and Harry go on their merry way.

Severus Snape

Snape is Dumbledore’s spy who reads Harry’s mind for half a year. Granted, Snape is a bastard who loathes Harry Potter, but he sees evidence of the Dursleys abuse of Harry.

We know, from what he relays to Dumbledore later, that he had at least some concern for Harry and was very disturbed by Dumbledore’s plan to murder him in cold blood due to the horcrux.

I think it’s very likely Severus Snape knew and told Dumbledore that Harry was being abused. I’m sure Albus’ response was, “Bitch, I know, would you like a lemon drop?”

Point being, there is no conceivable way that Albus Dumbledore, even if he was the world’s dumbest man, didn’t know exactly how bad it was. He let’s it happen anyway.

But What About the Blood Wards?

Dumbledore eventually tells Harry that the reason he can’t run away from Privet Drive is because of the blood wards created by his mother. They can only be applied if he lives with blood relatives and protect the Dursley house as long as Harry considers it home.

Now, this is a bit suspect given that Harry really considers Hogwarts his home, Privet Drive is just that hell hole he has to go back to every summer. Even the Burrow is more his home than Privet Drive so... That doesn’t sound right.

More, though, there are other means of protection.

There’s the Fidelius which Dumbledore casts on Sirius’ house in book 5. Given that, Harry really could have lived with Sirius (well, Sirius is not in a good place to have a kid around and that would be a disaster and a half). Point being, Harry could be raised elsewhere and there are wards that could protect him.

More, Voldemort and the Death Eaters are out of commission for thirteen years. Indeed, we see Dumbledore up Harry’s security detail by secretly assigning the Order to tail him after fourth year.

So, for a very long time, it’s not about Harry’s protection and when it does become that we see Dumbledore make significant changes.

So, what could it be?

Well, let’s look at Dumbledore’s other actions. Dumbledore prevents Harry from becoming prefect because “he thought it would go to his head”. Which, Harry should absolutely not be made prefect at all, and Ron’s a laughable candidate too but...

To me that’s very telling.

I hate to say this, but this is Dumbledore, but I think he has a very similar reasoning behind Harry going to the Dursleys.

He doesn’t want Harry to be corrupted by the Boy Who Lived persona. He wants him in a certain state of mind when he enters into the wizarding world and... Frankly, he wants him vulnerable. Dumbledore, in time, will need to either murder this boy or have him kill himself. If Harry has a halfway decent guardian, that task becomes a hell of a lot harder.

Harry has to love the wizarding world so much, trust Dumbledore so much, that these things are worth dying for.

You Mentioned Something About Dumbledore’s Other Actions?

Dumbledore has no sympathy for victims of child abuse.

Tom Riddle, an impoverished orphan loathed by those in his orphanage, he thinks is the very devil and sends him back into the Blitz with a smile and a wave. Enjoy the bombs, Tom, hope you die.

Severus Snape, the half blood child of an abusive muggle father and absentee mother, who is nearly murdered by Sirius Black via Remus Lupin, is told to shut the fuck up and sit down before he ruins the lives of his betters.

Dumbledore has a very bad track record with this and, well, Harry Potter is not an exception.

To be fair, I think the wizarding world has not concept of CPS or even child abuse. There’s no hint of a foster system, you go to the closest relative of the godparents. So, I think to them, you’re stuck with whoever you’re stuck with and if your uncle rapes you then it sucks to be you.