#also it wouldn't be with the same “I took that personally” like Drarry have

[thalthanmadanus]

Draco is THE antagonist of the story and I'm lowkey sick of people diminishing his character's importance in the story and to Harry's character development. so I'm writing an essay about how Draco as a character is fucking important especially his antagonistic arc

💅

1. The crumbs:

First of all, and this doesn't get mentioned often, Draco is the first magical kid Harry meets his age.

Not only that, he is our first glimpse at two major upcoming conflicts in the series: Blood Supremacy, and Hogwarts houses.

Draco plays the important role of the narrative foil to Harry. (even wikipedia references them in the "foil" page)

Draco's main function as a character is to showcase Harry's best traits, through being his most worst. Unlike, Snape and Voldemort, Draco is more concerned with creating internal conflicts for Harry than external ones.

He is the character that says mudblood the most, with the frequency decreasing every book. He is the character that plays with/teases/bullies the psychological vulnerabilities of the trio (specifically Ron and Harry). He is one of the few characters that give rational criticism (against Hagrid, calling out the trio dynamic..) that, taken outside the keyframe imposed by the author, can showcase the flaws in Harry's views and his bias. He is also the only character that shows moral self-reflection that isn't motivated by either a reward or "love", which not only serves as character development for Draco but for Harry too who grows to sympathize with Draco, a small breakup from his fixed binary morality.

Draco is also a very active character. His actions and choices affect the plot. The majority of the first book literally happens because of his dumbass. In the second book, he is our first introduction to the word mudblood, he's also the main suspect to the two main mysteries. If Draco wasn't such a bitchass, would buckbeak gave been in said place for Harry to use him to save Sirius?

He is important narratively but what interests me is his importance to Harry's arc.

What separates Draco from other antagonists is that he creates internal conflicts that stem from his personal conflicts with Harry, because of Harry as a person. Not because Harry's the chosen one standing in his way, not because Harry's lily or James's son. Because Harry's Harry. and this exchange is mutual.

Their personal dynamic is set up in their first meeting. Harry, upon hearing two sentences from Draco, reacts negatively because of deeply personal issues (Dudley). I don't think Harry reacts personally to any other characters the way he did with Draco? Considering that Draco wasn't even hostile in his first sentences.

While Draco targets both Harry and Ron, there's a clear difference in how Draco bullies them both but also how Harry and Ron perceive Draco.

Draco is crueler on Ron. And his bullying doesn't feel personal, just apathetic, humiliating and mean. It feels like Draco is more cruel on Ron because Harry chose Ron over him and it shows by Draco coming back every now and then searching for Harry's compartment, trying to egg him, to look for a way that will make Harry regret rejecting Draco.

About Harry & Ron perception about Draco, it's showcased in the second book by the two main major events Draco was suspected in

1. Opening CoS. It was Ron who suspected Draco for this, not Harry. Ron suspects Draco for an action that affects everyone in the school.

2. Sending Dobby. Harry suspects that it was Draco that sent Dobby to prevent Harry from coming to school. Harry suspects Draco of an action that targets him specifically, and his reason of suspect? "because Malfoy hates me". It's personal.

Another instance of Harry making every issue personal with Draco: In the fifth book, after the sorting hat's song about houses unity

'And it wants all the houses to be friends?' said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table,where Draco Malfoy was holding court. 'Fat chance. '

I'm also pretty sure the reason why Harry chooses not to be in Slytherin was 50% because Draco got sorted into Slytherin. the other 50% being Hagrid telling him that Slythering are eviiil. Btw a conversation that wouldn't have happened if Draco hadn't brought up houses in their first meeting.

Like I said, most of the plot in the first book goes back to Draco.

My main point is that the relationship between Harry and Draco as characters is beyond goals, motives, obstacles, moral causes bla bal bla, and is on the spectrum of "I took that personally".

2. the main plate:

Draco transitioned in the sixth book from an antagonist to a "side character" with a life. His role as character no longer functioned by his connection to Harry.

and this is where a flip of dynamic happened, where Harry became the antagonist to Draco's arc.

He's the one following him. He's the one egging him on (in the first 5 books,it was always Draco starting conversations with Harry, but in the sixth book, it's mostly Harry who started conversations with Draco) He's the one hurting him (Sectumsempra) (even on accident). He's the one trying to create obstacles to Draco's goal.

and why is that? why was Harry so obsessed with Draco?

If it were because of a moral righteousness, then why not focusing on Snape who's probably more suspicious? like who cares about Draco.. yeah he's sus but Dumbledore says it's not important..

This line of thought is more Ron and Hermione because they don't share the kind of deep personal issues towards Draco like Harry does.

so why is harry so obsessed?

"Harry, knowing and loathing Malfoy, was sure the reason could not be innocent."

This line in the sixth book explains it. Harry knows and loathes Draco with more emphasis on *knowing*.

Harry admits that he knows Malfoy, of course the fruit of labor of staring at Draco for five years, but why does he even stare in the first place? Because Harry is curious about Draco.

In comparison with Snape and Voldemort, our other antagonists,  Harry doesn't show the same enthusiastic curiosity for them. At least not the same way he does with Draco. Most of what we know about Snape and Voldemort are shown through external ways. Either their memories of memories of other people about them. Their character arcs happen outside Harry's vision,  either in the past or in a memory. It's not Harry who seeks those information. They come to him.

Draco, on the hand, most if not all of his character development happens in front of Harry. From his bullshit in the five years to him crying in the bathroom, him lowering his wand, him lying in the Manor. even the visions that Harry sees through Voldemort about Draco torturing Rowle, are happening in the present. Draco's character development is laid bare in front of Harry. 

but back to his obsession in the sixth book, it's because Harry knows Draco so well that not only he's right about him being a DE, but "Malfoy being up to something" is not something new to Harry, it's actually a normal thing that kept happening for 5 years of his life. Malfoy was always up to smtg. It's this idea of a normality that fuels like a new purpose in life for Harry after being wrecked by Sirius' death. Not only the mystery tingles his detective neurons, he knows he's right about Draco which only fuels his persistence. Draco being a person he hates also downplays the guilt/shame Harry could feel while stalking him. like I'm sorry but Harry was shameless and embarassing the whole year. The way Hermione and Ron looked at him sometimes so funny, also Hermione distancing herself from Harry when he talked to McG about Draco like "idk this person". Harry was kinda giving pre-HBP Draco vibes lowkey.

This shows that Harry himself is motivated by personal feelings (though negative) as an antagonist to Draco's arc himself.

And the important point here is the flip of dynamics. Draco is not just a mere side character in Harry's life. If anything, the moment he tries to become a side character with his is own arc, Harry is forcing himself in it. Because they're both foils to each other. It doesn't work on just one side.

The dessert:

The dynamic completely evolves again with the end of HBP as Draco gains a moral sense and Harry watching Draco's character development unfolding gains a more nuanced view than his old black/white one.

In DH, Draco and Harry are not antagonists anymore to each other. Draco and Harry are kind of heroes to each other?? as they both try to save each other like two times.

A lot of people downplay Draco's lie in the Manor, comparing it to Dudley's "You're not a waste of space" as "character development" moment.

bruh.

Dudley said that after Harry saved him. Draco literally was the one who took the initiative to lie, expecting no reward, literally had more to lose by lying, he was literally acting against his own interests, his family's life was in danger!!! Harry saved Draco after Draco saved him.

also Draco's character development started with him lowering his wand.

but back to being each other heroes. Our other comparison is Ron who is in both situations where Harry saves Draco but he's the one reacting negatively and complainig about them saving Draco, not Harry. Which is funny because Ron says "we saved you" but in both cases it's Harry who's doing the saving and Ron is  just there witnessing, and again I don't think he still realizes what was happening since the sixth year. He thinks his hostile feelings towards Draco are the same ones Harry has. That they're similar. Ron.. Harry literally almost risked your life to save Draco.

It also speaks of character development from Harry that he's not reacting negatively anymore towards Draco. He grew out of it. Like Draco also was starting to grow out of his toxic ideologies.

They're both growing up simultaneously.

And Draco was The first wizard kid Harry talked to (with no precognition or insidious motive)

Draco was the first character who he flew with

Draco was the first character who he dueled with

and so in DH,

Draco was the first character who tried to help Harry with no selfish motive

Draco was the first character that flew with Harry on the same broom (at least I think so?)

Draco was the first and only character whose wand Harry dueled with against Voldemort and won.

I wish I could write more. About Sectumsempra. About wand connection. but I'm tired.

[danpuff-ao3]

I'm afraid to inform you all that Megs (@greenmegsnoham) is not a human person, but a m a c h i n e.

Just kidding, but you probably believed me for a second there. What Megs actually is is the pure personification of Virgo, running laps around the rest of us mere mortals.

This lady writes fic, records podfic, records a podcast, makes art, runs various Discord servers, runs various fandom fests, and somehow finds the time to read and comment?? She is super openminded and openhearted. She is encouraging to others. She is creative, hilarious, and helpful. All of this in fandom spaces alone, but she also has like...a real life?? Outside of this?? How, though?

And even though real life has been kicking her tail of late, she was still making stuff happen????

Not to mention, my first podcast I was featured on was because of Megs reaching out to me! And her presence in the same episode helped me stay calm and sane. We've done multiple episodes together on both Snape Chat and her own podcast, Care of Magical Shippers. She is such a blast to chat with, and listen to. And I have to credit her big time with me opening up to new opportunities and trying new things, however scary they were. And her always being such a rock through it all.

And I'm not the only person she's positively impacted. The communities she's built have been so important for so many people, making connections and building friendships and finding support and encouragement, from people all across the HP fandom. And other fandoms, now! Multi-shipper, multi-fandom, multi-talented QUEEN.)

Anyway, Megs is a big ole rockstar and I love her to death.

Fics

Exceeds Expectations

James/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 12,000. Underage. Crack treated seriously. Minor Jegulus. Minor Snegulus. Himbo James. Size difference. Enemies to lovers. Love/hate. Jealousy. Top/bottom stereotypes. Light dom/sub. Call Me Daddy Fest 2023.

No one understood.

Yes, James was tall, fit, and a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was handsome and extremely popular, it was just always the wrong sort of attention he desired. He knew he gave off those fuckboy vibes. One look at James, and he was clearly ready to pummel them into the ground. And that's precisely what he did, again and again, but it wasn't enough. It never would be. No one looked at James and thought, 'Damn, I'd love to wreck that arse.'

Once. Just once. Was that too much to bloody ask?!

OR

James Potter just wants to be bred.

Wait For Me

Albus Severus/Draco. Rated: E. Words: 85,000. Underage. Unrequited love. Denial of feelings. Mutual pining. Slow burn. Time skips. Secret relationship. Drama & romance. Past relationships. Background relationships. Some Drarry, endgame Dralbus. Next Gen Fest 2022.

Draco had always believed that Harry had been the one that got away. His one great love—his best friend. He had tried to let go, to find that love in another. But he had failed. He'd accepted his fate—if he couldn't have Harry in that way, just having Harry in his life could be enough. 

Despite his unrequited love, Draco’s life had changed for the better in so many ways. But nothing had changed him more than holding Harry's son in his arms—darling little Albus. That day, he became the most important person in the world to Draco. 

Watching the boy grow into the brilliant and determined young man had been a treasure, as tumultuous as it was. Be it teenage angst or failed relationships, Draco had always been there to pick up the pieces for his boy. 

Even when his feelings took a turn for the unexpected, Draco wouldn't trade their journey for the world. 

Not when his great love had been there all along—waiting for him.

OR

30 years of thirsty pining for a Potter.

Worship Thy Master

Tom/Abraxas. Tom/Avery. Tom/Mulciber. Tom/Lestrange. Tom/Nott. Tom/Rosier. Underage. Pillow princess Tom. Body worship. Denial of feelings. Slither In Fest 2022.

It's their last year at Hogwarts, and everyone is tense about passing their N.E.W.T.s. Tom isn't, and he has an excellent idea as to how he can help his fellow year mates destress.

OR

Tom gets ALLS the dick and refuses to fall in love. Because he's Tom.

Podcast

Care of Magical Shippers (Host)

Ep. 13 | Snotterly (James/Lily/Severus)

Ep 30 | Fleurmione (Fleur/Hermione)

Ep 35 | Snaco (Draco/Severus)

Snape Chat (Guest)

Ep 5 | Cokeworth

Ep 7 | Snape Lives!

ProtegoCast (Guest)

S3E3 | Vegan Dating and Relationships

Podfics

For You

written by bisexualronaldweasley, narrated by Megs. Draco/Harry. Rated: T. Length: 2 minutes. Angst. Hurt/comfort. Loneliness. Blood & injury.

It was the stack of newspapers shoved against the front door. It was the stove, cold and forgotten. It was the creaks of the old house. It was the unused Floo powder, sitting in jars on the mantle. It was the Owls that took off every day and never returned with replies. 

One week without him, and you were ruined.

Don't Fuck With Florists (They'll Fuck You Up)

written by MayMarlow, narrated by Megs. Harry/Tom. Rated: T. WIP. Time travel. Fix it fic.

Unsatisfied with his post-war life, Harry decides to get to the root of all of his problems when that root was still working at Borgin and Burkes shop in the late 40s. He’s the Master of Death, damn it, he can do what he wants for once in his life.

Tom Riddle isn’t particularly happy about working at a small, dingy shop for magical artefacts, no matter how interesting those artefacts are. He’s even less happy when an insufferable stranger sets up the most obnoxious flower shop right across the street.

What follows would be a romantic comedy, if it weren’t for politics.

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.

[narcissa-black-supermacy]

love your thoughts about how people are giving regulus sirius' traits! i also feel like there's this drarryfication of jegulus happening in the fandom right now. i've seen so many posts lately being like "how did i never ship drarry, they are literally jegulus" or "same ship, different fonts" and i just... disagree? completely? like, yeah, there are similarities obviously but if you actually think about it just a little bit further than the surface level "potter boy dates slytherin who at one point was a death eater" they're entirely different

Hey there hayati <3 i told myself "keep this short" but ended up writing an entire character analysis so please excuse me for this. I highlighted my key thoughts with bold, if you dont want to read everything.

Tbh I haven't seen as much "drarryfiction" of Jegulus, but maybe that's because I barely engage with the Jegulus fandom at all anymore, so I don't see it.

There are some similarities, and I do like when people draw parallels (especially seeing how Draco is a Black as well), but not beyond anything superficial.

Drarry is by far much more nuanced and developed than Jegulus (it wasn't always like this, I remember when Drarry was also unbearably cringey and obnoxious - sadly most people remember them by that - but it's gone a long way since). James and Regulus have the potential to be even more than that, but from the fics I read, the fandom still has a long way to go with them.

Draco and Regulus are actually more similar than most people think, I wish people would let Regulus be a snobbish, arrogant, cocky jerk like Draco is allowed to be in Drarry. But I also think that Regulus would be so much smarter than him (I mean-- it took Draco a whole year to figure out how that closet [forgot the name] he let the DEs through worked, he's not exactly bright, yknow what I mean?; while Reg canonically figured out the Horcrux thing by himself, the only person other than him being Dumbledore and his 'gang').

Also while I do think that Regulus is much more arrogant and self confident than most portray him to be, it would be in a radically different way from Draco, who was raised as the only long-awaited son by Lucius and Cissy, who obviously spoiled him into oblivion. Reg on the other hand had a stricter upbringing, I think he would be more elegant about it, less "my father will hear about this" and more "do you know who I am?". I think he wouldn't necessarily go out of his way to "bully" anyone, but if someone looked at him the wrong kind of way, he would hex them on spot.

Another key difference is that Draco, the way we see it, was very much pressured and forced to take the Mark. I don't think he was willingly seeking out any "power" beyond simple school bullying. Reg, on the other hand? And that's one of my biggest pet peeves - how in so many fics Regulus is literally forced to take it by Walburga and Orion. While from every existing implication in canon, it's pretty clear that he was actively seeking out some kind of power in the war (in combination with the desire to provide security and safety to himself and his family).

But overall, I think the main difference between Drarry vs Jegulus is in Harry (vs James), not in Draco. Harry comes from the muggle world (vs James who comes from a known pure blooded family), from relative poverty (vs James who comes from riches), from an abusive home (vs James whos the only one in his friend group w a stable home life), from a position of having the "chosen one" title shoved down his throat without asking (vs James who seeks out glory). Harry is very introverted (James is loud and confident, surrounded by people), Harry is not very good w people (James is the life of the party), Harry just wants people to leave him alone in peace (James led all of his friends to join the Order and fight in the war). Harry was forced into the life he had while James chose it. In a way, Drarry both were forced into their fate, while in Jegulus they both actively chose it.

James -and maybe its an unpopular opinion but- is also a very underdeveloped character, even more so than Regulus (he was written for years as a side character with Lily to Wolfstar, and hasn't gotten any "main character" spotlight up until recently, so maybe he just didn't have the time yet?). He is often reduced to being the "golden retriever mum friend" (?) and often feels like a supporting character, even in fics where he's supposed to be the main lead character/narrator? (what?)

In this sense I do wish Jegulus was more like Drarry because in the latter, I feel like at this point in fandom, after so many years, both Draco and Harry get equal amount of attention to their issues. In Jegulus it feels like...James is just kind of there to be Reg's therapist? He is there to "fix him" while getting nothing in return?

James' main negative traits, in my opinion, are that he is very hypocritical, self-righteous and also the only one in his circle with the real privilege to see the world as strictly black and white (which in canon also eventually leads to his death). I think Regulus and Lily are both good for him in the sense that they force him to see the world in a more nuanced light. I want to see Jegulus where just like James explains to Reg "hey those words your mates are using? thats not cool", Reg also, in return, explains to James "hey people arent just bad and good, its more complicated than that".

Moving on, I also think that while Drarry is a proper "enemies to lovers" trope, Jegulus aren't really enemies right away. They do have negative opinions of e/o at first, but it's deeper and more personal than that. In James' eyes, Regulus is his best mate's little brother, who stands for all those things that hurt Sirius; in Reg's eyes, James is the guy who took Sirius from them.

This is another trope I hate in Jegulus fics - how James seems to like Reg straight away, while Regulus is wary of him at first - if anything, it would be the OPPOSITE. I can absolutely see Regulus interacting with James one-on-one for the first time and being like "hmmm Sirius might be onto something with that Potter guy" but James would NEVER like Regulus right away, it quite literally goes against everything he believes in.

This is why I think Jegulus is good for James (better than any other ship), because it's the ONLY dynamic in which he is forced to face himself and everything he was raised on and kind of re-evaluate his world view. I absolutely see James and Lily (in a reality where Jegulus is a thing and Lily find out about it) sitting down and Lily being like "hey you sure you're not doing the exact same thing you told me I was doing with Snape?" and James absolutely freaking about about it.

bonus rant feat. snape:

(and when you think about- yes, Jegulus and Snily actually have a whole lot of common. I already said this one on here and was absolutely butchered for it but I will say it again - Snily and Jegulus are awfully similar. James(/Lily) ignoring how all of Regulus'(/Snape's) surrounding and close friends are pure blood supermacists and wannabe death eaters; James(/Lily) ignoring how despite Reg(Snape) suffering, he is insistent on staying in the same place he is in (his family) and not changing anything to get out; James (Lily) justifying Regulus'(Snape's) bad deeds by telling himself that he had (has) a rough childhood and he "can fix him"; James (Lily) ignoring Regulus'(Snape's) hostile behavior towards his (her) friends in favor of a "better" version of Regulus (Snape) that only exists when he's alone with James (Lily); James and Lily both ignoring every red flag in existence until they are forced to look at the actual Dark Mark on their arm.

Regulus is actually more similar to Snape in a lot of ways than the fandom would like to admit - Reg would dislike him at first out of a "who does that nameless half-blood think he is, challenging me like that" place, but ultimately, I think they have more things in common than apart. Both followed the Dark Lord seeking power only to later turn on him, both had people they still cared for on the other side (Lily; Sirius), both had the "young mad scientist" vibes (seeing how Reg found out about the Horcruxes, I assume he was also messing with Dark Magic and spell creation at a young age like Snape))

[lunarfly]

Defending Harmione against some arguments Romione shippers use:

1. "Harry found Hermione boring."

Ok, I see where this is coming from. There is a scene in GoF where Harry thinks that Hermione isn't the same as Ron, and that having Hermione as his best friend would mean much more studying and much less having fun. But that doesn't mean he thought Hermione was boring, he just found studying and hanging out in the library boring, and since Hermione spent most of her time studying in the library, Harry didn't have as much fun. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Romione but I hate it when Romione shippers use that scene as an argument against Harmione, because Ron found it just as (if not more) boring to study at the library as Harry did! So it's completely unfair.

2. "Harry found Hermione unattractive."

Firstly, people's looks and attractiveness don't determine whether you like the person or not, you don't have to think the person is stunning to fall in love with them. Secondly, Harry didn't find her unattractive, he literally says he doesn't think she's ugly. And when Hermione was at the ball, Harry found her so pretty that his jaw dropped. He didn't expect her to look that pretty, and that's a bit sad, but once he did realize it was her, his opinion on her looks kinda changed and he started to see her as an actually beautiful girl ever since.

3. "Harry is too short-tempered for Hermione."

I've seen some Romione shippers say this, and I've been shocked every time I have. In OoTP, when Harry was having a hard time, was getting upset about everything and was yelling constantly, Hermione was the one person to handle it well and calm him down. She was the one to deal with him, she was the one who understood him best, knew exactly how he was feeling. If you don't remember, you can reread OoTP, and pay more attention to those moments, it will be clear afterwards. *Quick note though, Luna was the second person who understood Harry well, and Harry didn't have trouble talking to her, which is why I admire their pure friendship. 🥺

4. "Harry and Hermione barely even talked when Ron wasn't around."

No, that's not true. The thing is, Harry spent more time with Ron, obviously, because he shared a room with him, took the same classes with him and etcetera, and he was more similar to Ron as well, so it would have been easier to talk to him about things like Quidditch and studying. But when he was with Hermione, most of the time Ron was there too, and they discussed the most important things together, they wouldn't talk about their plans without Ron, they always included each other(🥺🥺🥺). And just like that, he barely had any time without Hermione. But when he did, (ex. GoF) he DOES talked to her about anything, and Hermione had no problem understanding him. If you've noticed (reread OoTP if you haven't), whenever Harry had a problem, he always went up to Hermione to get advice. And so many Romione shippers also use the scene from The Deathly Hallows against Harmione, when they're so shocked about Ron leaving them that they can't do anything alone and don't talk. They say it's because Harry and Hermione can't get along, and they need Ron to do something together, but that's not true at all. Actually, Harry was always the bridge to Hermione and Ron, but, forgetting about that, when Ron left them, they were so sad and miserable, that they lost all confidence, sadness took over them, and Harry didn't know what to say to Hermione, as he was very bad at comforting people, but you can tell he was paying lots of attention to her. That's why they didn't talk or interact much. And if you remember, right before Ron left, there's a paragraph talking about how Harry and Hermione were the only ones talking and Ron was sitting in the background, complaining about food. Please get the facts right before you say something. <3

5. "Their relationship would be so boring."

Ok, I don't fully understand what you mean by this. If you mean it would be boring for the audience, then you're not a real fan of Hermione. If you'd rather read about her crying over Ron for your own entertainment than have her happy but "boring", you can't call yourself a real fan of her, sorry, I don't make the rules.

But, if you mean that Harry and Hermione would be bored in the relationship, then let me say something against that. If you think they wouldn't be able to have a conversation with each other, then you need to reread my point number 4. If you're saying they wouldn't be able to interact and have fun together, then you're straight up lying. They've spent their entire lives together, they grew up together, went through all of the adventures together (including Ron too of course, but Hermione was also there when Ron wasn't, but I can't blame Ron), they've literally lived together so idk how you'd expect them to be bored. If there's something Ron and Hermione could do to have fun and not be "bored" that Harry and Hermione couldn't, name it, because I'm really curious. Yes, Ron was very funny, he has made Harry and Hermione laugh a few times throughout the series (and I love him for that), but jokes aren't all it takes to keep a strong relationship.

That is all I'm going to cover for today, there's so many more reasonable arguments against them that I'll fight against in the future, but, for now, that's it. I mostly see Romione or Dr*rry shippers say these, but others say them as well. As for Drarry, it's pure toxicity, basically the LGBT version of Dr*mione. As for Romione, it's an amazing ship. I love it so much, I'll defend Ron over Draco and I won't accept Ron bashing for anything, not even for Harmione. He deserves better than Draco stans coming at him for nothing. Romione is pure, Ron would do anything for Hermione, and vice versa. And the same things happen with Harry & Hermione. That's why these ships are so similar and I love them both very very very much. <3

Also, I'm putting this post under the Romione tag because I have also defended Ron in this, and I truly love Romione, so please don't be offended by that. 🥺 As for the Dramione/Drarry tag, y'all can be offended as much as you want. IDC.

[bakugou-ou]

Ik I'm anon and all, but I don't wanna get off it because the embarrassment would probably make it worse. I'm just tired of life… mines is pretty useless if you ask me, and according to everyone else who if ever met, I'm ugly too, I wouldn't kill myself because I'm too much of a coward to do that, but I don't know what I wanna do with my life and I can never be happy without someone ruining it That's why you and other creators' story helps me, it makes me think about my dram life I'll never get

Listen, friendo, whoever you are, you’re not ugly, and not useless. You don’t need to come off anon if you don’t want to, I get it. This is gonna get v personal here in a sec, so I’m putting the rest of this down under a cut in case no one gives a shit about my personal life and doesn’t wanna see my tragic anime backstory, but I’m sharing it with you because you said that you like my writing. This is the story of how I ended up running this blog, it’s got lots of talk about suicide, mentions of rape. It’s not pretty, so read at your own risk. Also, it’s long.

When I was four years old, I tried to jump off the balcony of my apartment, I wanted to die. It wasn’t a kid doing a stupid thing, I literally thought if I fall from this height and hit my head on the ground, I will die and then went for it. I fell onto a 7ft tall cinder block mailbox on the way down, four feet below my balcony, crawled off of it, and walked back upstairs to my parents like nothing had happened. 

What was wrong that someone barely past toddlerhood wanted to kill themselves over? I don’t know, maybe it was just that my parents were fighting all the time and hated each other, maybe it was because I have the genes for it. More on that last bit later.

When I was six, I tried to throw myself in front of a car, thinking that if a small child like myself got hit by a car going 25+ mph, I’d die. The driver hit the brakes, I played it off like I’d tripped into the road, no one knew how I really felt. When I’d told my parents I wanted to die, they thought I was being dramatic, they didn’t think a kid my age even knew what that meant, the finality of it. But I knew, and I craved it.

When I was eight, I tried to hang myself in my older sister’s bedroom with her sheets. She found me, took me down before I blacked out, and we never spoke about it again after that night. I was pissed with my sister for saving me, I cried and punched her as she held onto me.

When I was twelve, I tried to eat a bottle of Xanax, thinking it would kill me. It didn’t, it just made me really, really fucking sick. Not sick enough to go to the hospital, but very sick. I had no lasting organ damage, but I still wanted to die.

When I was fourteen, my boyfriend dumped me over the phone on a day he was supposed to come to my house, and ignored me while I cried. He had me on speaker phone, actually, and his friends were laughing about it and I could hear them. I could hear him laughing along with them. So, I decided to eat a bottle of asprin for dinner a couple of weeks later. I was stupid, it didn’t work, and I was hospitalized in the mental ward for 2 weeks.

When I was seventeen, I had just left an abusive relationship, graduated high school, and my mom told me that my ex raping me repeatedly for 9 months was my fault and that I was asking for it by continuing to date him the whole time. I was too scared to leave, I had been told by a counselor at school that no one would believe me. I tried to eat all of my antidepressants. I was hospitalized for 3 weeks in the mental ward.

When I was eighteen, I tried to do that same thing again, in conjunction to another thing my mom said about my abuser. My cousin had been raped while studying abroad, and she was talking about poor cousin, your poor cousin, it’s so traumatic, but when I mentioned that I’d been abused for three quarters of a year and no one batted an eye, she told me I was being selfish, and that my time for being the victim was over. How dare I detract from my cousin. So, again, I tried to eat a bottle of pills. I was hospitalized for one week in the psych ward.

Earlier this year, at the age of twenty, I was hospitalized because I felt like I was going to slit my wrists if I stayed home. So I checked myself into the hospital. I was there for a week while my doctor tried to find better meds for me because clearly mine weren’t working. My mom had told me that she was ashamed of my sexuality and my gender identity, and the rape issue came up again, with her saying I wanted it, that I let it happen.

I have bipolar II, borderline personality disorder, OCD, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and selective eating disorder. A lot is messed up with me. I get the anxiety from my mother, and the bipolar II from my father. The PTSD was a gift from my ex boyfriend, and the rest I just ended up with.

When I was a little kid, I loved books; my father read all sorts of books to me, all the time. Artemis Fowl was the first series we read, then Harry Potter, then my mother read me the Chronicles of Narnia, then my father read me A Series of Unfortunate Events. We also read other books, things that weren’t series. I loved reading, and I wanted to write things that made people feel the way I felt about the stuff I read. 

Both of my parents are naturally talented writers. At the age of six, I began to write fan fiction for Harry Potter. I was way too young to be on the internet, but I was online writing fanfics on snitchseeker. Some of the only validation I found in my life was from random strangers on the internet, encouraging me to continue writing and complimenting my plot lines, even if my grammar and spelling were atrocious; on the internet, no one knows you’re a little kid writing Drarry fanfic.

I was a really athletic kid, so I didn’t spend all my time writing, but a good chunk of my free time was spent writing if I wasn’t surfing, playing soccer, or skateboarding. I didn’t have a lot of friends, I wasn’t likable, apparently, and I had a really hard time in school. I got into a lot of fights because people picked on me, but I was always the one who got in trouble for defending myself. It pissed me off. I developed issues with authority. I wrote in composition books to escape all the crap around me.

By the time I turned 11, writing was my life. I had just moved to California from Hawaii, my life was basically turned upside down, and I was miserable. So, I made a myspace account, wrote fanfic on there, and threw myself headlong into it. I have a fanfiction.net account I’ve long since forgotten my username and password for, but it’s out there with dramione fanfic, sasusaku, things that I liked at the time. I need to escape everything happening around me. My dad, my best friend, wasn’t anywhere near me, my mom was a bitch, and my demented grandmother moved in with us. It was miserable.

By the time I was 15, the only hobby I had outside of practicing for orchestra, was writing. I laid in bed on days off and just sat on my laptop, writing. I stopped publishing things after I got a mean comment once, my first one ever. It bruised the ego I didn’t even have so badly that I refused to publish anything for three years.

When I was 18, I published my first fanfic in 4 years. It was a Criminal Minds fanfic, featuring an OC and Spencer Reid. I was so fucking proud of it, and while lots of people loved it, a lot of people said mean shit. So, I posted Loki fanfic, which got infinitely more love, and then I did an alternate version of my Criminal Minds fic, that one got even more hate than the original. Then I published a Wallander fanfic. I haven’t touched them in 3 years, despite people asking me for more.

Up until this time last month, I never showed my writing to anyone. I kept everything to myself, hidden, I was ashamed of it. It is my only coping mechanism, but I couldn’t share it with anyone. My parents had my computer passwords up until I was about 16, sometimes they’d look through my text files and come to me later and tell me how amazing my writing was, and encourage me to publish it. But I never believed them.

On a whim, I started this blog; I love Boku no Hero Academia, it has given me something to look forward to every week. I live Chapter to Chapter, episode to episode, I track my time with it, it’s a coping mechanism. I saw that there was a decently active fandom on here, and I wanted to be a part of it. I hesitated on making the blog for a few weeks, thinking that no one would want to read my writing.

A month later, there are nearly 600 people here, constantly asking me to write scenarios and headcanons for them, telling me they love my writing, and think I’m a nice person, and that they’re glad I’m here. Every time I get a message like that, I cry. I never thought anyone would ever care about my writing, let alone write it. When I got a single follower that wasn’t a friend I know in real life, I cried. I was so excited. When I got my first request, I was so, so excited. When people began sending more stuff in, when people started talking to me and wanting to be friends, I cried. I’ve made a dozen friends on here as a direct result of their writing, and my writing.

I love running this blog, and I love writing for everyone. I have felt useless and like a waste of space my entire life, I’ve been told that my entire life, I’m made to feel like that every day of my life even now by the people around me, save for my friends, but when I log on here, I’m reminded that hey, maybe I’m not useless. If I manage to make even one person happy with what I do, that’s all I want.

So, you saying that my writing helps you, helps me. All I’ve ever wanted in life is to make other people happy, to please them, and my writing is apparently doing that. I’m really, really lucky to be in this position.

Even if you don’t have something like this, you’re not useless. You should be here. I know you said you’d never kill yourself because you’re too cowardly, but I’ve never seen suicide as cowardly, but that’s probably because I’ve tried to do it so many times. I’ve made a total of 8 attempts in 21 years. I don’t think I’ll be trying it again, though. It’s taken me 21 years to find something that I’m kind of maybe a little good at, that makes me even a tiny bit happy, and that does some good for other people, too.

Shit sucks, life is really awful, and I completely understand the plethora of reasons any given person would feel like wanting to die. I’ve never thought it unreasonable or dramatic to feel that way, it’s just how some people feel. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life until 3 years ago, and even now I’m unsure if it’s really what I want to do with my life. I’ve got a lot going on behind the scenes that makes me feel like shite, and a lot of the time, the people around me try to ruin what little I have that I enjoy and that makes me happy…

Even with all that happening, somehow, I’m still here, and I’m writing this. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I get your feelings, I hear you, they’re valid, and I love you, stranger. Because I feel the same way as you all the time. This blog is my escape from that. It’s really the only thing I have keeping me from my intrusive thoughts.

If you never come off anon, that’s fine, but if you need to talk about things, I’m here for you, or anyone else who needs it. Really, if I can even try to help, I’ll do my damnedest to help. I hate seeing other people feeling as junk as I do on a daily basis, I want to try and make it better. If being a friend, even if I don’t know who you are, helps, I want to help. If writing things helps, I want to do it. But, for me, it’s not just helping other people, it’s helping myself. You coming into the box helped me. So, you’re not useless. You’re keeping me here, too.

[wordrage]

#Draco doesn't need a redemption arc#and Harry is more interesting than people think he is#I wanted to say more but I lost my line of thought#my whole point is Drarry is a coming of age relationship lmao#no really#jokes aside this is for the fics#that try to rewrite Draco a friend to Harry#but then end up making a new antagonist for Harry like either Theo or Pansy#um no fuck u#like why???#Draco cannot be replaced narrative wise#the story exists because of who he is as a character#you cannot just replace him with just nobody#also it wouldn't be with the same “I took that personally” like Drarry have#like it takes a Draco for Harry to forget his morality and start taking it personally#like im just saying though

tags via @thalthanmadanus

Kudos to you for putting this all together. It's why despite this ship not actually sailing in the canon, it has so much canon support it feels like canon to me.

Draco is THE antagonist of the story and I'm lowkey sick of people diminishing his character's importance in the story and to Harry's character development. so I'm writing an essay about how Draco as a character is fucking important especially his antagonistic arc

💅

1. The crumbs:

First of all, and this doesn't get mentioned often, Draco is the first magical kid Harry meets his age.

Not only that, he is our first glimpse at two major upcoming conflicts in the series: Blood Supremacy, and Hogwarts houses.

Draco plays the important role of the narrative foil to Harry. (even wikipedia references them in the "foil" page)

Draco's main function as a character is to showcase Harry's best traits, through being his most worst. Unlike, Snape and Voldemort, Draco is more concerned with creating internal conflicts for Harry than external ones.

He is the character that says mudblood the most, with the frequency decreasing every book. He is the character that plays with/teases/bullies the psychological vulnerabilities of the trio (specifically Ron and Harry). He is one of the few characters that give rational criticism (against Hagrid, calling out the trio dynamic..) that, taken outside the keyframe imposed by the author, can showcase the flaws in Harry's views and his bias. He is also the only character that shows moral self-reflection that isn't motivated by either a reward or "love", which not only serves as character development for Draco but for Harry too who grows to sympathize with Draco, a small breakup from his fixed binary morality.

Draco is also a very active character. His actions and choices affect the plot. The majority of the first book literally happens because of his dumbass. In the second book, he is our first introduction to the word mudblood, he's also the main suspect to the two main mysteries. If Draco wasn't such a bitchass, would buckbeak gave been in said place for Harry to use him to save Sirius?

He is important narratively but what interests me is his importance to Harry's arc.

What separates Draco from other antagonists is that he creates internal conflicts that stem from his personal conflicts with Harry, because of Harry as a person. Not because Harry's the chosen one standing in his way, not because Harry's lily or James's son. Because Harry's Harry. and this exchange is mutual.

Their personal dynamic is set up in their first meeting. Harry, upon hearing two sentences from Draco, reacts negatively because of deeply personal issues (Dudley). I don't think Harry reacts personally to any other characters the way he did with Draco? Considering that Draco wasn't even hostile in his first sentences.

While Draco targets both Harry and Ron, there's a clear difference in how Draco bullies them both but also how Harry and Ron perceive Draco.

Draco is crueler on Ron. And his bullying doesn't feel personal, just apathetic, humiliating and mean. It feels like Draco is more cruel on Ron because Harry chose Ron over him and it shows by Draco coming back every now and then searching for Harry's compartment, trying to egg him, to look for a way that will make Harry regret rejecting Draco.

About Harry & Ron perception about Draco, it's showcased in the second book by the two main major events Draco was suspected in

1. Opening CoS. It was Ron who suspected Draco for this, not Harry. Ron suspects Draco for an action that affects everyone in the school.

2. Sending Dobby. Harry suspects that it was Draco that sent Dobby to prevent Harry from coming to school. Harry suspects Draco of an action that targets him specifically, and his reason of suspect? "because Malfoy hates me". It's personal.

Another instance of Harry making every issue personal with Draco: In the fifth book, after the sorting hat's song about houses unity

'And it wants all the houses to be friends?' said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table,where Draco Malfoy was holding court. 'Fat chance. '

I'm also pretty sure the reason why Harry chooses not to be in Slytherin was 50% because Draco got sorted into Slytherin. the other 50% being Hagrid telling him that Slythering are eviiil. Btw a conversation that wouldn't have happened if Draco hadn't brought up houses in their first meeting.

Like I said, most of the plot in the first book goes back to Draco.

My main point is that the relationship between Harry and Draco as characters is beyond goals, motives, obstacles, moral causes bla bal bla, and is on the spectrum of "I took that personally".

2. the main plate:

Draco transitioned in the sixth book from an antagonist to a "side character" with a life. His role as character no longer functioned by his connection to Harry.

and this is where a flip of dynamic happened, where Harry became the antagonist to Draco's arc.

He's the one following him. He's the one egging him on (in the first 5 books,it was always Draco starting conversations with Harry, but in the sixth book, it's mostly Harry who started conversations with Draco) He's the one hurting him (Sectumsempra) (even on accident). He's the one trying to create obstacles to Draco's goal.

and why is that? why was Harry so obsessed with Draco?

If it were because of a moral righteousness, then why not focusing on Snape who's probably more suspicious? like who cares about Draco.. yeah he's sus but Dumbledore says it's not important..

This line of thought is more Ron and Hermione because they don't share the kind of deep personal issues towards Draco like Harry does.

so why is harry so obsessed?

"Harry, knowing and loathing Malfoy, was sure the reason could not be innocent."

This line in the sixth book explains it. Harry knows and loathes Draco with more emphasis on *knowing*.

Harry admits that he knows Malfoy, of course the fruit of labor of staring at Draco for five years, but why does he even stare in the first place? Because Harry is curious about Draco.

In comparison with Snape and Voldemort, our other antagonists,  Harry doesn't show the same enthusiastic curiosity for them. At least not the same way he does with Draco. Most of what we know about Snape and Voldemort are shown through external ways. Either their memories of memories of other people about them. Their character arcs happen outside Harry's vision,  either in the past or in a memory. It's not Harry who seeks those information. They come to him.

Draco, on the hand, most if not all of his character development happens in front of Harry. From his bullshit in the five years to him crying in the bathroom, him lowering his wand, him lying in the Manor. even the visions that Harry sees through Voldemort about Draco torturing Rowle, are happening in the present. Draco's character development is laid bare in front of Harry. 

but back to his obsession in the sixth book, it's because Harry knows Draco so well that not only he's right about him being a DE, but "Malfoy being up to something" is not something new to Harry, it's actually a normal thing that kept happening for 5 years of his life. Malfoy was always up to smtg. It's this idea of a normality that fuels like a new purpose in life for Harry after being wrecked by Sirius' death. Not only the mystery tingles his detective neurons, he knows he's right about Draco which only fuels his persistence. Draco being a person he hates also downplays the guilt/shame Harry could feel while stalking him. like I'm sorry but Harry was shameless and embarassing the whole year. The way Hermione and Ron looked at him sometimes so funny, also Hermione distancing herself from Harry when he talked to McG about Draco like "idk this person". Harry was kinda giving pre-HBP Draco vibes lowkey.

This shows that Harry himself is motivated by personal feelings (though negative) as an antagonist to Draco's arc himself.

And the important point here is the flip of dynamics. Draco is not just a mere side character in Harry's life. If anything, the moment he tries to become a side character with his is own arc, Harry is forcing himself in it. Because they're both foils to each other. It doesn't work on just one side.

The dessert:

The dynamic completely evolves again with the end of HBP as Draco gains a moral sense and Harry watching Draco's character development unfolding gains a more nuanced view than his old black/white one.

In DH, Draco and Harry are not antagonists anymore to each other. Draco and Harry are kind of heroes to each other?? as they both try to save each other like two times.

A lot of people downplay Draco's lie in the Manor, comparing it to Dudley's "You're not a waste of space" as "character development" moment.

bruh.

Dudley said that after Harry saved him. Draco literally was the one who took the initiative to lie, expecting no reward, literally had more to lose by lying, he was literally acting against his own interests, his family's life was in danger!!! Harry saved Draco after Draco saved him.

also Draco's character development started with him lowering his wand.

but back to being each other heroes. Our other comparison is Ron who is in both situations where Harry saves Draco but he's the one reacting negatively and complainig about them saving Draco, not Harry. Which is funny because Ron says "we saved you" but in both cases it's Harry who's doing the saving and Ron is  just there witnessing, and again I don't think he still realizes what was happening since the sixth year. He thinks his hostile feelings towards Draco are the same ones Harry has. That they're similar. Ron.. Harry literally almost risked your life to save Draco.

It also speaks of character development from Harry that he's not reacting negatively anymore towards Draco. He grew out of it. Like Draco also was starting to grow out of his toxic ideologies.

They're both growing up simultaneously.

And Draco was The first wizard kid Harry talked to (with no precognition or insidious motive)

Draco was the first character who he flew with

Draco was the first character who he dueled with

and so in DH,

Draco was the first character who tried to help Harry with no selfish motive

Draco was the first character that flew with Harry on the same broom (at least I think so?)

Draco was the first and only character whose wand Harry dueled with against Voldemort and won.

I wish I could write more. About Sectumsempra. About wand connection. but I'm tired.