#but the first book i read was deathly hallows

[dramaticals]

DRAMIONE FIC RECS + WHY YOU SHOULD READ THEM — 100k+ words edition

hogwarts: a home by coralcollective — reimagined horcrux hunt. draco is so down bad for hermione and the smut is crazyyy. theo/hermione friendship. pansy is the breakout character and you'll love her. there's nsfw art and inappropriate use of the malfoy signet ring. please check the tags! (it says incomplete on ao3, but it's only missing epilogues so don't be afraid of starting it)

word count: 372,978

chapters: 67/70

the commoner's guide to bedding a royal by olivieblake — god, this fic!!!! it's a modern royal au and the ensemble of characters make this whole world feel so alive. it's inspired by will/kate and harry/meghan and it's sooo cute. theo and daphne were the breakout characters and i love them dearly. if you're looking for a lighthearted romcom-esque, occasionally angsty (because duh!) fic, this is it!!! i probably read this in two days which is insane considering the word count, but that should just tell you how lovely this whole fic was. there's a second part to this if you're itching for more afterwards (and it's just as good!)

word count: 503,570

chapters: 45/45

draco malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of being in love by isthisselfcare — honestly if you haven't read this yet..... this is god tier. a CLASSIC. this should be taught in the schools. hermione's a magical researcher / healer and draco's one of the best aurors out there. he's assigned to protect hermione because she's in the midst of a big discovery. hermione's not happy about it and draco isn't either. slow burn!! idiots in LOVE!! forced proximity!!!!! EMBEDDED ART!!! honestly this is the fic that made me want to learn how to bind which is so serious and if you haven't read this yet you need to.

word count: 199,548

chapters: 36/36

the disappearances of draco malfoy by speechwriter — this is my new canon. it's a deathly hallows rewrite where draco accepts dumbledore's offer to fake his death and go into hiding with the order. enemies to friends to lovers. i honestly can't even remember what happened in canon because this is IT for me.

word count: 289,780

chapters: 33/33

this world or any other series by olivieblake — includes clean (book one) and marked (book two). anything by olivieblake should be a must-read, i swear to god. this one starts as a year 6 slow burn. draco and hermione are assigned partners for potions and it all snowballs from there. olivie writes so beautifully and her characterizations for hermione / draco are so good. slight warning for marked: this destroyed me and i pretend it doesn't exist, but it's still a must-read.

word count: 118,892 & 178,268

chapters: 31/31 & 39/39

rights and wrongs series by lovesbitca8 — you want fluffy dramione? read the first two parts of the rights and wrongs series. you want dark and heavy dramione? read the auction, an alternate universe of the fluffy dramione, where voldemort wins and they all get auctioned off to death eaters. please check the tags for the voldy wins au! all three were chef's kiss and coming from someone who isn't a fan of dark aus, reading the first two helped me get through the auction because you know where draco's coming from / what's in his head. you can just read the auction without reading the first two parts unless you like catching parallels and having more depth / context (which i very much love).

word count: 174,911 & 160,297 & 325,876

chapters: 36/36 & 24/24 & 41/41

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hey there, here's a question I've been thinking of and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

Who is the strongest Death Eater Harry could defeat in a one-on-one duel?

I think by the time of Deathly Hallows the strongest Death Eater Harry could beat would be Bellatrix. Every other Death Eater I can see Harry beating, to various degrees of difficulty, but Bellatrix would be his greatest challange.

She is considered one of Voldemort's most dangerous followers, perhaps only weaker than Snape and Voldemort himself, both of whom are in a league of their own. She is the top Death Eater for a reason.

True, Bellatrix was killed by Molly, though I'd say that is because, while Molly is no slouch in a duel and was fueled by motherly rage, Bellatrix clearly underestimated her and wasn't taking the fight seriously. Also, Bellatrix was probably tired from essentially fighting all night up to that point.

Needless to say, I think Harry could defeat Bellatrix in a duel, but it would definitely take everything he's got. He'd have to pull out all the stops to win and he'd be exhausted afterwards.

Beyond that, I think the only two Harry couldn't beat would be Snape and Voldemort. Snape soundly defeated Harry in HBP and Voldemort's went toe-to-toe against Dumbledore who had the Elder Wand in OOTP. I think in the future Harry would reach their level, but by the time the series ends he hasn't got there yet.

Like, you're talking to Harry's number one defender and believer here and after just reading the first two sentences of your ask, I was like:

"Voldemort. He could go one-on-one with Voldemort,"

And then I read the rest of your ask, and I understand where you're coming from, and I don't think Harry has the most advanced spell repertoire, or that he's the best dueller when it comes to finesse (because that boy is not a polished dueller), but I think by book 7 Harry can go and hold his own against both Voldemort and Dumbledore in one-on-one duels if he was pushed to it.

What I mean is that Harry is a very "depends on the situation" type of person. If you put him in a position where he has to defend himself (and others) from any opponent(s) and he lets his instincts do what they do best — I think he could survive 1v1 duels with anyone. I'm not saying he won't struggle, I'm not saying he would necessarily win, but he'd get out alive to fight another day. Against any Death Eater (and even multiple Death Eaters, I think, under the right conditions)

I mean, in book 4, we see a 14-year-old Harry go 1v1 with Voldemort. And sure, Voldemort is toying with him there, he isn't trying to kill Harry for most of the duel, but Harry resists the Imperius, he does dodge out of the way of spells. He does shot spells back and fights in a way many can't:

“You won’t?” said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. “You won’t say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die. . . . Perhaps another little dose of pain?” Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort’s father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him. [...] he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort’s feet . . . he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible. . . . Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone, Harry stood up . . . he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort. Voldemort was ready. As Harry shouted, “Expelliarmus!” Voldemort cried, “Avada Kedavra!”

(GoF, Ch34)

And yeah, the Priori Incantatum was lucky, but luck wasn't enough to save him:

The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry’s wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers — He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious, fixed . . . and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way . . .

(GoF, Ch34)

Harry needed a stronger force of will and concentration on his magic than Voldemort. Harry won against Voldemort on pure magic, will, and focus when he was 14. He barely survived a 1v1 with Voldemort, but he did so on a combination of luck and talent, and force of will. Harry is insanely talented with low self-esteem, but this feat he pulled at 4th year is utterly insane:

“I will say it again,” said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. “You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard’s burden and found yourself equal to it — and you have now given us all that we have a right to expect.

(GoF, Ch36)

Dumbledore is right. This shit Harry pulled is so incredibly impressive and most adults in the wizarding world (including almost all Death Eaters) would not have been able to pull it off even if they had the same twin-core wand situation. There is a reason Harry is considered Voldemort's equal. He is.

He's just young, inexperienced, and unpolished.

We see the Death Eaters that were at the Graveyard like Lucius are wary of him after the above display:

“You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!” “Oh, you don’t know Potter as I do, Bellatrix,” said Malfoy softly. “He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter.”

(OotP, Ch35)

And in OotP, we get the answer regarding Harry and various Death Eaters as the fight emerges:

The second Death Eater, however, had leapt aside to avoid Harry’s spell and now pointed his own wand at Hermione, who had crawled out from under the desk to get a better aim. “Avada —” Harry launched himself across the floor and grabbed the Death Eater around the knees, causing him to topple and his aim to go awry.

[...]

Harry seized his chance: “PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” The spell hit Dolohov before he could block it, and he toppled forward across his comrade, both of them rigid as boards and unable to move an inch.

(OotP, Ch35)

And we see Harry's limited spell knowledge in full display. He doesn't have the experience to duel them properly, so he just fucking tackles Death Eaters to the ground or elbows them. That's what I meant by Harry would find a way if he was pressed. It's what he does.

By the end of the fight in OotP, before the Order arrives, Neville can't cast, Ron is high and attacked by the brains, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna are all out of commission, leaving Harry alone against Bellatrix, and all other Death Eaters that weren't dispatched yet:

“Let — let the others go, and I’ll give it to you!” said Harry desperately. A few of the Death Eaters laughed. “You are not in a position to bargain, Potter,” said Lucius Malfoy, his pale face flushed with pleasure. “You see, there are ten of us and only one of you . . . or hasn’t Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?”

(OotP, Ch35)

It was Harry vs 10 Death Eaters (including Bellatrix) and Harry was managing at 15.

Yes, he had the prophecy so they weren't shooting to kill him (for the most part), just incapacitated but, like, that's still incredibly impressive. Especially since he also managed to make sure none of his friends were killed. Harry wasn't just fighting for himself as for a good portion of the battle he and Neville were dragging unconscious friends with them.

And later, the same 15-year-old Harry chases Bellatrix on his own, and he manages fine:

She aimed a curse over her shoulder. The tank rose into the air and tipped. Harry was deluged in the foul-smelling potion within. The brains slipped and slid over him and began spinning their long, colored tentacles, but he shouted, “Wingardium Leviosa!” and they flew into the air away from him. Slipping and sliding he ran on toward the door. [...] Bellatrix was almost at the telephone lift at the other end of the hall, but she looked back as he sprinted toward her, and aimed another spell at him. He dodged behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren; the spell zoomed past him and hit the wrought gold gates at the other end of the Atrium so that they rang like bells. [...] “Potter, you cannot win against me!” she cried. He could hear her moving to the right, trying to get a clear shot of him. He backed around the statue away from her, crouching behind the centaur’s legs, his head level with the house-elf’s. “I was and am the Dark Lord’s most loyal servant, I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to compete —” “Stupefy!” yelled Harry. He had edged right around to where the goblin stood beaming up at the now headless wizard and taken aim at her back as she peered around the fountain for him. She reacted so fast he barely had time to duck. “Protego!”

(OotP, Ch36)

Yes, he's fighting very defensively becouse he lacks experience, but his instincts and responses are quick enough to dodge, evade, and face her without suffering an injury. He succeeds in casting a Crucio on her, not the other way around. None of her spells hit him. And she definitely tries.

He manages so well that Voldemort comes in to help Bellatrix:

Harry laughed again because he knew it would incense her, the pain building in his head so badly he thought his skull might burst. He waved his empty hand from behind the one-eared goblin and withdrew it quickly as she sent another jet of green light flying at him. “Nothing there!” he shouted. “Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that —” “No!” she screamed. “It isn’t true, you’re lying — MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED — DO NOT PUNISH ME —”

(OotP, Ch36)

Personally, I don't think he just came into the ministry to save her, but many Bellatrix fans say Voldemort came in to save her, save her from who then? — well, if we read the scene, the only one he could save her from at the moment he entered is Harry.

So, by Deathly Hallows, I think Harry could definitely defeat Bellatrix one-on-one. I think Snape would also struggle to duel Harry by that point. If Harry is in his element the way he is in the battle in the DoM, Harry would've been able to avoid Snape's spells at the end of HBP. Snape does beat Harry in HBP, 100%, he does so almost easily. But, I think it has a lot to do with Harry's emotional state and exhaustion at the moment. He did just drag Dumbledore back from Voldemort's Zombie Cave of Doom and fought his way through the castle after watching Dumbledore die. Harry was not on his A-game (though, I do think he'd struggle against Snape even at his best at 16, but it won't be such an easy defeat is what I'm saying).

I do want to raise the moment right before the iconic "there's no need to call me 'sir', professor," line:

“Pathetic, Weasley,” said Snape, after a while. “Here — let me show you —” He turned his wand on Harry so fast that Harry reacted instinctively; all thought of nonverbal spells forgotten, he yelled, “Protego!” His Shield Charm was so strong Snape was knocked off-balance and hit a desk. The whole class had looked around and now watched as Snape righted himself, scowling.

(HBP, Ch9)

When Harry is in a fighting state and running on instincts alone, I think he would be able to live through and even defeat Snape in a 1v1 duel even if Snape was actually trying.

Again, it's not that Hary won't struggle against Bellatrix/Snape/Voldemort/Dumbledore, he would. But Harry's fighting strategy is to evade getting hit and then hit once back, and make that one hit fucking count. Harry is really good at dodging, casting shields, and in general not getting hit. He's really good in defense, no joke. He's got these Seeker reflexes. He's good at it even against fast opponents (becouse his responses tend to be faster when he isn't super spent/in pain/etc.), and that's what matters because really, his opponent's magical skill doesn't matter if none of their spells land. And Harry rarely gets hit in duels when he's actually fighting. (Against Snape at the end of HBP he kinda just stood there, he wasn't really doing his regular dodging and moving around).

So becouse regardless of who Harry faces, he would be very skilled in evading, I think he could definitely hold his own in a one-on-one duel with Voldemort/Dumbledore/any Death Eater. As long as he doesn't get hit and he lands one good hit (which he proved he can accomplish against both Snape and Bellatrix) he could potentially win. He just has really good battle instincts, but I won't say he knows how to duel "properly". He doesn't.

We see Harry's quick reflexes in DH, as well (even when there is no threat):

The two workmen made identical movements, and Harry mirrored them without conscious thought: All three of them drew their wands.

(DH, Ch9)

Ron jumped off the bed, skidded on a discarded Chocolate Frog wrapper, and smacked his head on the opposite wall; and Harry instinctively dived for his wand

(DH, Ch6)

“You—crawl—back—here—after—weeks—and—weeks—oh, where’s my wand?” She looked as though ready to wrestle it out of Harry’s hands and he reacted instinctively. “Protego!” The invisible shield erupted between Ron and Hermione. The force of it knocked her backward onto the floor.

(DH, Ch19)

With Harry, it's all about quick reflexes and raw magical talent. His reflexes are transferable skills from Quidditch, while his magical talent is something I spoke of extensively here, here, here & here.

Besides, I, at least, have complete faith in Harry's abilities and will. I mean, it's Harry, if he feels he needs to do something, he'd find a way to do it. Especially if he needs to protect others. It won't necessarily be a pretty or elegant duel, but he'd do what needs to be done.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Ka/taang has literally torpedoed my expectations for canon couples bc as a narrative it’s just so backwards. Not even in terms of its message or whatever, but solely in terms of like, how the relationship develops over time.

Lots of people compare Dramione with Zutara and by extension, Romione with Ka/taang. I sort of had this POV in the back of my head until last month, when I found my old HP books and read them for the first time since I was like…twelve. For most of it I was like “ugh, I can’t believe Ron and Hermione are endgame,” only to be shocked and bamboozled when Ron and Hermione…grow? And their relationship improves?

Setting aside the question of whether Ron and Hermione are a good match in general, Ron and Hermione are a way better match at the end of the Deathly Hallows than in, say, the Prisoner of Azbakan. Ron becomes more cognizant of Hermione’s feelings, no longer lashes out at his friends, doesn’t make his jealousy Hermione’s problem, etc. (Hermione did most of her growing in PoA and HBP).

Due to my ATLA brain rot I literally forgot that romance arcs are supposed to be arcs. Which develop and improve over time. Not all fictional relationships need to be healthy or linear (that would be very boring) but when the wholesome canon ship is worse at the end of the show than at the beginning…like okay

[saintsenara]

This is too hopeful, but is there any chance Regulus was never invested in Voldemort's cause and always had grandiose ideas of taking him down from the inside? That the Voldemort-fangirl cutouts on his bedroom were actually research of patterns of activities?

This is the first thought I had when I read the book as a teenager, and maybe it's a simplistic and immature assessment - but what made sense to me was not the rosy idea that "he was good all along", but how I saw his potential relationship with Sirius.

I imagine Regulus did not have a happy childhood because his best friend was the house elf, and the Black home sounds like a horrible environment, even if you toe the line to do your best to live up to the name's expectations.

I just imagined him as a quieter younger sibling who wanted to prove himself smarter than the boisterous outspoken older sibling by approaching the situation completely differently. Failed dismally, obviously.

But again, I was a teenager, and I read many different meta pieces on Regulus, including some of yours (I think). Just wondering if you think there's space for this interpretation.

this is very cute, anon. the teenage commitment to wanting to see the best in a sad-eyed boy is universal, and i respect it enormously.

but no. it's not what's happening here.

regulus serves two very interesting purposes narratively.

the first is that - across order of the phoenix and half-blood prince - he serves as the narrative parallel to draco malfoy: someone whose interest in the death eaters is inextricable from his perception of his role as a pureblood son from an extremely class-conventional family; someone who wants to be perceived as important in contrast to a rather more impressive family member; someone whose blood-supremacist beliefs are completely sincere and whose support for voldemort is completely genuine, but whose understanding of how voldemort intends to achieve his aims is hopelessly naive; someone who gets in over his head and then panics; and someone whose relationship with voldemort is seen by harry as entirely subordinate.

[he never assumes draco will succeed in his mission, for example. nor that draco will be able to outfox voldemort in any way. why he pities him is because he thinks draco's going to be murdered by the dark lord any minute, but he also views this as - essentially - a skill issue, which wouldn't be a problem for him...]

but in deathly hallows, regulus' narrative purpose shifts. the revelations about his turn against voldemort become the dress rehearsal for the reveal of snape's true loyalties at the end of the book - he's someone who had a damascene conversion when voldemort threatened somebody he cared for, gave his life to bring the dark lord down, and did so in a clandestine way [i.e. by ordering kreacher not to reveal what he'd done] in order to protect the surviving member of the family he loved from voldemort's wrath.

[although the idea that kreacher was his best - or, indeed, only - friend isn't actually stated in the text. regulus is implied to be someone fairly lonely by the narrative - the photograph of him as seeker (the only player who acts alone) follows harry seeing the photograph of sirius and his friends - but all we ever learn about his relationship with kreacher is that it was kind. and, indeed, that it was similar to walburga, narcissa and bellatrix's treatment of him - which hermione says, and kreacher doesn't correct her.]

regulus' second narrative purpose - along with his parents - is to underscore that blood-supremacy is a mainstream political view.

the series dispenses with this in deathly hallows, when voldemort's malevolence becomes much more singular and the conflict narrows to the final confrontation between good and evil, but prior to this book it's clear that the death eaters' political rhetoric is just speaking the quiet part out loud. pretty much everyone thinks that being pureblood is better and there are too many muggleborns knocking about being annoying, they just don't say it.

orion and walburga don't support voldemort because they're uniquely immersed in dark magic. they support him because they're mainstream and conventional and conformist - while sirius, the family's free-thinker, is none of those things and therefore not a voldemort fan. the same thing is being implied by them supporting voldemort as by vernon reading the daily mail - that they're small-minded and conservative, but not radical. vernon would be horrified by a radical right-wing terror group who sought to destroy the status quo he values. orion and walburga pivoted away from voldemort because his violence became similarly radical.

regulus joins the death eaters, then, due to convention. he wants to prove himself - absolutely - but he wants to do so within a social structure he's familiar with and which he and his family value. his doubts about voldemort clearly begin when it becomes apparent to him that voldemort wants to destroy the wizarding social order and build it anew.

and his best parallel here is percy weasley.

percy is - by far - the most conventional of the weasleys. his estrangement from his family in the latter half of the series is meant as a criticism of this conventionality - percy believes what he's told and doesn't think for himself and conforms to the group and so on - and his estrangement from his family is also clearly intended by the text of order of the phoenix to provide more context than the surface-level narrative is able to about sirius and regulus' relationship:

"I'm just s-s-so worried," she said, tears spilling out of her eyes again. "Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this... and P- P-Percy's not talking to us... What if something d-d- dreadful happens and we had never m-m-made up?"

percy gets written a lot by the fandom as someone who was a secret resistance fighter during the thicknesse regime. i'm afraid i've always thought this is nonsense - not because i think he was a death eater [i don't!] but because i think his position, as someone who clearly doesn't like to go against the crowd, would be to keep his head down and try to get through the war without rocking the boat.

his decision to fight in the battle of hogwarts is him rejecting his earlier conformity and taking a stand. so is regulus' decision to turn against voldemort. and the implication of the text is that both of these decisions are reasonably abrupt "shit or get off the pot" moments.

and this is why the narrative considers them impressive.

the central theme of the series is choice - and, specifically, the choice between what is right and what is easy. the narrative wouldn't care about snape if he'd always been a double agent, it cares because he had once sincerely believed in voldemort and then chose to do the right thing and reject him.

in the text's eyes, then, regulus' choice to sacrifice himself to defeat voldemort is actually much more impressive if we assume he was a loyal death eater than if we assume he saw through voldemort straight away. and notwithstanding the moral question, i also think it's much more interesting.

[dinarosie]

hi i am actually very interested in the fact that you are "anti-marauders" because i have a strong feeling you've never actually had a conversation with a (real, not tik-tokified) marauders fan. i don't particularly "hate" snape, but i do NOT think he's a good person. i have a lot of similar nuanced feeling pertaining to peter, and i will admit that james and sirius are often childish and did bully snape. i've decided to reread half-blood prince, and rewatch the movie, so i can have a real conversation of my opinion on snape, and i will send in another ask later.

also, sectumsemprus (is that it?) is his SIGNATURE spell- for reference, voldemort's signature spell is avada kedavra, and harry's is probably expelliarmus. do you know how many times you have to use a spell for it to become your signature spell?

Hi there! Thanks for reaching out.

First, I want to clarify that I use anti-Marauders tags not because I created this blog solely to spread hate against them or to harass their fans, but because it’s a general Tumblr rule. For nearly any post criticizing a character, you’re expected to use anti tags, as fans of that character might not want to see critical posts about their favorite. This ensures fans who may not want to see criticism of their favorite characters can filter or avoid it if they choose.

Now, you mentioned that I probably haven’t talked to a “real” Marauders fan, which is why I have anti-Marauders posts. But honestly, I don’t think all fans of the Marauders share the same views, nor is it possible to talk to every fan before making a post. I see a lot of anti-Snape content daily—much of it from Marauders fans—and often get an idea for a post that I decide to share. I imagine most bloggers do this; it’s part of engaging with fandoms online. I try to offer thoughtful critiques when possible, but that does take time. Sometimes, seeing particularly harsh, illogical, or double-standard comments pushes me to post a short, sarcastic response—one that mirrors the style of some of the content I encounter.

Overall, I wouldn’t call myself “anti All of Marauder fans.” Yes, I use terms like “Marauders fans” and “anti-Marauders” tags, but my issue is only with fans who unreasonably hate Snape and mock him (even for things like his background) or who attack Snape supporters, labeling them with hurtful terms simply for supporting him. Outside of those specific cases, I have no problem with other fans.

As for your question about Sectumsempra, I understand you’re suggesting it became Snape’s “signature” spell through frequent, harmful use. I looked up the reference you mentioned, and here’s the passage from Deathly Hallows where Lupin speaks of Sectumsempra:

“He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape’s. I wish I could say I’d paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood.”

It’s worth noting the term Lupin uses here: specialty, not signature. Sectumsempra first appears in Half-Blood Prince as an unknown spell by an unnamed creator. After Harry uses it on Malfoy, it’s still an unfamiliar spell until Snape admits to creating it at the end of the book. But in Deathly Hallows, right after the Battle of the Seven Potters, Sectumsempra becomes widely associated with Snape (via Lupin’s words).

While in Half-Blood Prince the goal is to keep the creator of this spell anonymous, in Deathly Hallows it’s crucial to know exactly who used Sectumsempra during the Battle of the Seven Potters. The inconsistency here seems intentional. The author isn’t referencing Sectumsempra’s notoriety here to highlight Snape’s past; rather, I believe she brings it up as an important clue about the future. This clue gains significance after we view Snape’s memories, especially after reading Dumbledore’s line to him just before the Battle of the Seven Potters:

And Severus, if you are forced to take part in the chase, be sure to act your part convincingly… I am counting upon you to remain in Lord Voldemort’s good books as long as possible, or Hogwarts will be left to the mercy of the Carrows..."

But in THE PRINCE’S TALE, we see that Snape defies Dumbledore’s advice—he steps out of his role as a Death Eater and targets another Death Eater with a spell that’s highly conspicuous, one that could jeopardize his cover. (If successful, and had it hit another Death Eater, they would have immediately recognized the spell as Snape’s own.) So why would Snape make such an irrational choice? Why take such a risk? To save the life of Remus Lupin.

This scene is one of many that show Snape’s growth and commitment to doing the right thing—not out of loyalty to Lily, not for Dumbledore, nor for any personal reward.( And that's exactly why, in the chapter where Snape's true loyalty and the real story behind him are finally revealed, this spell and its backstory are brought up.) As he admitted in his iconic line to Dumbledore, he had grown weary of watching lives be lost when he had the power to save them. Whether it’s an old bully, Lucius and Narcissa’s son, or James and Lily’s, Snape steps in without hesitation to protect a life—even if it endangers his own

Another reason I don’t believe the author’s aim here is to highlight Snape’s crimes as a Death Eater is that there are numerous scenes throughout the series discussing Snape’s actions during that time. Yet, we never see any indication or hint from the author that Snape committed serious harm or atrocities while serving as a Death Eater. In fact, in his argument with Bellatrix, it’s mentioned that Snape actively tried to avoid participating in missions. During his planning conversations with Dumbledore, we’re also told that his soul has never been tainted by murder. And in Karkaroff’s trial, there’s no crime or accusation he can use against Snape.

[the-colourful-witch]

The All the Young Dudes book covers project

I've been working on this fun project in my time off from social media. It consists of three illustrations to use as book covers for All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 on Ao3. This book has been the foundation of my involvement in the fandom. It's the first fic I read about the Marauders and I loved it so much! I laughed, and I cried, it was a real rollercoaster. After making the cover for A Brief History of Dragons by Eyra, I caught the bug and started thinking of more covers to illustrate. I loved working on the first cover, but I didn't love doing it on my tablet. At heart, I am a traditional illustrator and for this kind of illustration, I felt paper might work better. So I got to work. I knew I wanted to make three covers. From what I've seen online most people bind their own copies of All the Young Dudes in three parts: Year 1-4, Year 5-7 and Until the End. Therefore, I made three covers. I have not yet digitalized these illustrations, but I'll turn them into downloadable covers for binders to use for their book projects. I am working on binding my own physical copies of AtYD too :) It's fun! Right, to the covers. There's so much to say!

Book One

This is the start of Remus' life at Hogwarts and his friendship with the other Marauders. I wanted it to feel a bit like reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for the first time. It's the realisation that magic is real, it's that first spark you get when picking up a book you instantly connect with. That was the feeling I wanted to incorporate in this first cover. There are a bunch of little easter eggs for the story and I hope you'll pick them all out. Let me know in the comments what you think they are. Also, for this project, I studied the language of flowers. I am not sure if all my information is correct, but in this one, I put dandelions in the top corners. Dandelions represent new beginnings :)

Book Two

The second half of the Marauders' time at Hogwarts. This part is all about love and loyalty; something I liked a lot! It's also the time when the Marauders complete their animagus transformations. The animals had to be on the cover! That, I knew for sure. I went for a forest theme for this second cover, because of all the mischief the Marauders got up to in the Forbidden Forest during full moons. I used flower language here as well. For every Marauder I picked a flower I felt represented who they are. For Peter, at the top, I chose Bleeding Heart and Belladonna. Both of them represent betrayal and death. Nice and cheery :) For Sirius, on the Right, I chose Bluebell, which represents loyalty. For Remus, on the Left, I chose Acacia, which represents secret love or forbidden love, because he's hiding his sexuality for most of the book. But it's a love flower and in his core Remus is caring and loving, despite his rough edges. For James, on the bottom, I chose violets. And violets represent love at first sight. I know we all know why <3 I like this cover a lot. The picture is a bit grainy, but like I said, I'm still working on digitalising.

Book Three

Last but certainly not least. This book is about war, love and loss. It was definitely the most challenging piece out of the three, but worth the trouble. On this cover, I put Hogwarts at the top, because that's where it all started and where it ends. On the bottom, there's a prophecy, which is about Harry and Voldemort. There are a few gravestones at the bottom. Very cheerful, I know, but if you pay attention, you see a Deathly Hallows on one of them. On the sides are my favourite parts. I like the lily flower in the arms of death, because it's obvious, but also beautiful. I like the Death Eater on the other side because it's spooky. The snakes represent rebirth and Slytherin House, which is important to the story of the Second Wizarding War, connecting good and evil. Once again I put all the flowers in this piece, scattering them around because they're all interwoven in each other's stories. Finally, I want to say something about the three central images. In the first we see Remus as a child. He's alone and scared of the big scary wolf. The three images are a timeline. It represents Remus' relationship with the wolf in him. At first, he despises it and is scared of it. And finally, he stands with it, not quite embracing it, but he's not scared anymore. In the middle, I wanted to show Remus with his friends, because they banished his fear whenever they were together. With his friends, the wolf didn't control Remus and he could control the wolf. I hope it's all clear. I loved working on these pieces and I hope you like them too!

[jeahreading]

Same!!!!

And that's actually pretty helpful I think(I haven't had the chance to go to the library this year at all -_-)

SDFGHJSKFGHGH THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DECOMYTREE MESSAGE!! It was really sweet :(( youre really sweet!!

also are you into reading classical literature? I'm thinking of reading some of Shakespeare's works because we now have a section for him in our school library

<333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

I really want to read some classical literature but rn my tbr is sky high and it's not my first priority, but I do have all the words of Shakespeare (got them as a birthday gift lmao) and I'm definitely gonna read them some day.

[sisididis]

The parallels between Anne Sallow - Ariana Dumbledore, Sebastian Sallow - Albus Dumbledore and Solomon Sallow - Aberforth Dumbledore 

I’ll preface this deep dive into the Sallow family’s tragic fate by asking if anyone else found it oddly…familiar? I’ll admit that re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows right before becoming invested in Hogwarts Legacy made uncovering the “strange likenesses” between the Sallow family and the Dumbledore family considerably easier. 

The fate of the Sallows is reminiscent of the Dumbledores’ in more ways than I can articulate — from the untimely deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Sallow, and Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, to the tensions between the new and reluctant patres familias, Solomon and Albus, and their resentful charges, Sebastian and Aberforth, and the tragic killing of their family members. 

Let’s start with the history of the families, whose first common element is their short-lived wholeness. Albus, Aberforth and Ariana became orphaned in the aftermath of two tragic events — first, their father’s imprisonment and later death in Azkaban, due to his assault on the Muggles who had tortured his daughter, and, second, the killing of their mother during one of Ariana’s fits of uncontrollable magic. 

According to Ominis, Mr. and Mrs. Sallow too had untimely deaths, caused by an undetectable toxin emitted by their faulty cellar lamp. At that time, Sebastian and Anne “had no magic yet." We suspect that means the children were younger than 11 years old, the age when signs of magical ability should already manifest. 

Another common element is the reluctant take-over of the two new patres familias, Albus and Uncle Solomon, after the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Dumbledore, and Mr. and Mrs. Sallow. Fans of the books will remember the reason why Albus was reluctant to assume his new role in the first place — the long-awaited Grand Tour. Albus and his close friend, Elphias Doge, were planning on going on a Grand Tour after their graduation, but the sudden death of his mother right before he was meant to leave forced Albus to stay behind and provide for his siblings. In Chapter 35, King’s Cross, Albus claims that he loved his family, but upon his return to Godric’s Hollow, he felt “trapped and wasted.” 

Aberforth recalled that moment, too:

“So that put paid to Albus's trip round the world with little Doge. The pair of 'em came home for my mother's funeral and then Doge went off on his own, and Albus settled down as head of the family. Ha!” (P. 435, Chapter 28, The Missing Mirror, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

We are not sure where Uncle Solomon’s reluctance to care for his nephew and niece comes from, aside from the obvious disruption of his quiet retirement, but while his anger at this unexpected responsibility is justified and should be directed towards his late brother, it backfires on Sebastian instead:

“I know what's best for Anne – and Sebastian. They are my stubborn brother's children. Especially Sebastian.”

Sebastian himself comments that his uncle often compares him to his father:

“After Anne was hurt, he only grew worse. It's as though he blames me somehow. Always calling me 'my father's son.' As if that's an insult.”

Here’s where the interesting switch happens. The new guardians’ resentment at these unexpected burdens does not go unnoticed. Both Aberforth and Sebastian saw the new patres familias’ reluctance to assume their new role and thought that they would have been a better fit for it. Much like Aberforth and Ariana, Sebastian and Anne were infinitely closer to each other than to the rest of their family:

“Anne won’t survive this. She’s withering away - inside and out. Solomon’s never been there for us. Not really. He gave up on Anne. I’ll never give up on her."

Aberforth echoed this sentiment: 

"He didn't want to be bothered with her. She liked me best. I could get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for my mother, I could calm her down, when she was in one of her rages, and when she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats.” (P. 434, Chapter 28, The Missing Mirror, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) "I'd have looked after her, I told him so, I didn't care about school, I'd have stayed home and done it." (P. 435, Chapter 28, The Missing Mirror, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

The way I see it, both Albus / Sebastian and Aberforth / Solomon thought that they had Ariana’s / Anne’s best interest at heart. While Solomon thought that making Anne “comfortable” was the best path of action, Sebastian saw this as resigning themselves to Anne’s sure death. “There is no cure! When will you accept that?” asks Uncle Solomon, to which Sebastian replies adamantly, “Never! I can never accept it.” The same stubborn conviction is exhibited by Aberforth after he uncovers Albus and Gellert’s plans. 

"I told him, you'd better give it up now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following. He didn't like that.” (P. 435, Chapter 28, The Missing Mirror, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) “You may mean well, but I know what's best for Anne – and Sebastian. They are my stubborn brother's children. Especially Sebastian.”

The pairs’ irreconcilable differences did not stop there. In Sebastian’s efforts to heal Anne and Albus’ efforts to create a better world for wizard kind, the pair aspired to leave no depth of magic unplumbed, dark or otherwise, an issue which often sparked conflict with their family. Aberforth did not agree with teenage Albus’ plans “for the greater good”, because he did not prioritize their sister’s safety.

Sebastian’s own stance on using Dark magic to save his sister is in perfect antithesis with his uncle’s aversion to the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, in both cases, the tensions between the brothers and nephew and uncle culminated in the death of their family:

“And then . . . you know what happened. Reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me. I did not want to hear that I could not set forth and seek Hallows with a fragile and unstable sister in tow. (…) The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being. And Ariana . . . after all my mother’s care and caution . . . lay dead upon the floor.” (P. 549, Chapter 35, King’s Cross, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 

Sounds awfully familiar to the scene in the catacomb, doesn’t it? Not only did uncle and nephew turn their wands against each other, but Anne had to bury their uncle alone, much like Albus had to bury Ariana alone after Gellert fled Godric’s Hollow. After Solomon and Ariana’s deaths, all that the Dumbledore and Sallow siblings had were each other. Unfortunately, the death of their family did not inspire a renewed sense of closeness. On the contrary, Solomon and Ariana’s deaths caused an irreparable rift between the siblings. 

“To add to his misery, the loss of Ariana had led, not to a renewed closeness between Albus and Aberforth, but to an estrangement.” (P. 20, Chapter 2, In Memorandum, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

The breakdown of the Sallow twins’ relationship is reflected in Anne’s letter to Sebastian:

“Sebastian,  Too much has happened. I needed to get away from here for a while. I miss Uncle Solomon. I need time. I will always love you, but I don't know if I can ever forgive you.  Anne”

What do you think?

[chaztalk]

Alrighty then, let’s get this essay over with.

Before I start, I’d like to preface the most people will vehemently disagree or not like this opinion I have, both canon shippers and Harmony shippers alike.

The basis of the essay is explaining how me, a Harmony shipper, completely despises the Harry Potter movies, and how other Harmony shippers shouldn’t like it as much either.

I’ve complained about the movies a couple years ago, but now, since I’ve flipped through the original scripts and watched all the deleted scenes, I have a firmer grasp of the movies.

The funny thing about all of this is that the reason I became a Harmony shipper was because of the movies. I became obsessed with the dance scene in the tent in Deathly Hallows Part 1. I’d watch the scene over and over again on YouTube. I’d eventually read comments on the videos which was a mix of different opinions on it, like liking it, disliking it, noting that the scene wasn’t in the books, saying that the canon pairings were more fleshed out in the books, etc. So I picked up the books to confirm my suspicions, and despite reading it all the way up to the epilogue, I still remained a Harmony shippers.

That’s the lore of how I became a Harmony shipper.

Moving on, this is my thesis statement: I despise the Harry Potter movies because of the way they portrayed the canon pairings in a way that made people think the romance in the book was far better than in the movies, the way they portrayed Harry and Hermione’s relationship which clouded people’s judgment, and Harry and Hermione’s relationship wasn’t even that good in the movies.

This is will be the shortest explanation of the 3. The movies don’t do a great job at selling the romance in the series, and this is mostly about Harry and Ginny’s relationship cuz it is bad in the movies. No chemistry, uncomfortable kissing scenes, their scenes felt forced, which is quite on par with canon. But canon will not see that. They will focus on the bad and cringey scenes that weren’t in the books and that they were more fleshed out in the books. Ron/Hermione in the movies is a mixed bag. Some people like it, some people hate because Rupert Grint isn’t attractive enough to match with Emma Watson. Canon shippers are heavy on Ron’s treatment as a character in the movies moreso than Ron and Hermione’s relationship.

“Why do people ship Harry and Hermione together? Because of the movies.” “I ship Harry and Hermione together, but only in the movies.” This is what I see when there is discourse on Harmony. Harmony shippers do not realize that the movies actually did irreparable damage to the ship. 99% of Harry/Hermione scenes in the movies are not canon. Not putting in canon scenes between them is bad because it’s so easy to forget if you are a biased viewer. People will forget their scenes in the books and will just focus on how the movie “had to add non-canon scenes” between them.

And lastly, the most controversial topic to do as a Harmony shipper: shitting on the Harmony scenes in the movies. After reading the books, reading the original scripts, and watching the deleted scenes, I have come to the conclusion that the Harmony in the movies is just not good. There’s always something wrong with a certain scene between them. I’ve seen the movies several times so I can pretty much remember every Harmony scene.

The first and second movie are pretty similar to the books with a few minor changes/things left out, so they can get a pass.

Prisoner of Azkaban is the most Harmony-friendly movie because a good chunk of the movie was Harry and Hermione adventuring together. However, this is where people started thinking Harry was a third wheel cuz Hermione went to cry hug Ron when they thought Buckbeak was getting executed.

Goblet of Fire is the worst movie for Harmony. I would say Hermione hugging Harry before he begins the 1st task a top Harmony scene in the entire series, but once I remember what movie that scene is, it becomes worthless when the same movie has Hermione snapping at Harry twice when that didn’t happen in the books.

Order of the Phoenix is the antis’ 2nd favorite movie because there’s barely any harmony in it at all

I’ve spoken before about the Half-Blood Prince movie, how Harry confirms that he sees Hermione nothing more than a friend when Dumbledore asked him about his relationship with her (out of nowhere) and how Hermione still rejected Harry and decided to go with Cormac to Slughorn’s Christmas party.

The infamous Deathly Hallows Part 1. I like the tent dance scene because it was goofy and the song fit the scenario, but the way it ended is nothing more than a ship tease and a reminder that Hermione still ended up sad. The other ship tease is the “why can’t we stay here, Harry… and grow old” scene. And what how did Harry respond to that. With silence.

There are no explicit Harmony scenes in Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Going over the original scripts and deleted scenes is a dreadful as a Harmony shipper. Rewinding back to the HBP movie, there’s the scene at the end of the movie where Ron’s in the background while Harry and Hermione are talking. It’s a well known scene that pisses off Ron stans and canon shipper. Little do people know that there is an extended scene where both Harry and Hermione joke about “keeping their (Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione) snogging to a minimum” when the other (Harry or Hermione) is present. “Movies are Harmony fanfic” my ass

In conclusion, the Harry Potter movies do a disservice to Harry and Hermione’s relationship, distorting people’s perceptions of their relationship and the canon pairing’s relationships.

[xoxonxo]

What’s your favorite Romione moment?

hi ml, thanks for asking! i love answering questions.

as a HUGE romione fan (if you can’t tell, i LOVEEEEEEE them) i have so many huge moments in both the books and the movies where i absolutely adore them. of course i love their kiss scene in the movies (in the chamber of secrets) and in the books (ron defending house elves and hermione kisses him). but of course there are little moments that i also adore. sorry if this is long.

in the books:

1. “I love you, Hermione," said Ron, sinking back in his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily.Hermione turned faintly pink, but merely said, "Don't let Lavender hear you saying that."

-the halfblood prince

i honestly thought the first time i read this that if i were hermione i would GO NUTS. i love this little part so much because i feel that although ron is saying it for the laughs, he means it deep down.

2. “Good luck, Ron,”said Hermione, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the cheek. “And you, Harry” Ron seemed to come to himself slightly as they walked back across the Great Hall. He touched the spot on his face where Hermione had kissed him, looking puzzled, as though he was not quite sure what had just happened.

-the order of the phoenix

for anyone who says hermione doesn’t have guts, ihy. this part of the book nearly KILLS me each time i read it. i love love love love it!!!!

3. “Er-my-nee,” croaked Ron unexpectedly from between them. They all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring.

-the halfblood prince

i don’t think there’s anything more romantic than this??? like wow?? being poisoned on your birthday and you say hermiones name in your sleep. WOW??

in the movies:

in deathly hallows part 1: when they’re asleep and they’re holding hands??? PLEASE I LOVE THEM.

in the halfblood prince, there is an entire moment where ron is trying out and is super nervous. so hermione using the confundus charm and just supporting him makes my heart hurt.

spearmint toothpaste. NEED I SAY MORE?

deathly hallows part 2: “THATS MY GIRLFRIEND YOU NUMPTIES!” and then when goyle sets the place on fire he run to hermione and drags her out, not even paying attention to harry.

in conclusion, i love ron and hermione in so many levels. thanks for asking !!

-xoxo

[v-a-l]

What's your top 10 Harry Potter favorite characters and favorite book?

ten is too many I think XD. I like Sirius, I suppose that's a given, Harry, Ron and Hermione. I adore Moody and McGonagall, Luna, Neville, James even though we don't really get much of him in canon. I'm attached to the universe, I grew up with it, and whilst I imprinted largely on Sirius, I do have significant fondness for most of the characters.

Favourite book, hmmm. Probably Goblet of Fire. I think PoA is lovely for how much we learn about Harry and where he comes from, and OOTP is great for learning about the first war, and Deathly Hallows is great for the resistance movement that exists beyond Harry and the one man war he's been fighting since book one, but I've always had a fondness for Goblet of Fire and the way the stakes are raised and the characters we are introduced to, I loved learning about Crouch and side characters like Bertha Jorkins who though briefly mentioned, add so much colour to the narrative. I love the conversation in the cave,

“How d’you know?” Hermione shot back. “How d’you know where he Disapparated to?” “Come off it,” said Ron incredulously. “Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?” “It’s more likely he did it than Winky,” said Hermione stubbornly. “Told you,” said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, “told you she’s obsessed with house —” But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron. “When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry’s wand, what did Crouch do?” “Went to look in the bushes,” said Harry, “but there wasn’t anyone else there.” “Of course,” Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, “of course, he’d want to pin it on anyone but his own elf … and then he sacked her?” “Yes,” said Hermione in a heated voice, “he sacked her, just because she hadn’t stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled —” “Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!” said Ron. Sirius shook his head and said, “She’s got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

Chef's kiss.

“He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic,” said Sirius. “He’s a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical — and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter,” he said, reading the look on Harry’s face. “No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side … well, you wouldn’t understand … you’re too young. …” “That’s what my dad said at the World Cup,” said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. “Try us, why don’t you?” A grin flashed across Sirius’s thin face. “All right, I’ll try you. …” He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, “Imagine that Voldemort’s powerful now. You don’t know who his supporters are, you don’t know who’s working for him and who isn’t; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You’re scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing … the Ministry of Magic’s in disarray, they don’t know what to do, they’re trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere … panic … confusion … that’s how it used to be. “Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch’s principles might’ve been good in the beginning — I wouldn’t know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort’s supporters. The Aurors were given new powers — powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn’t the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you — plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic.

We learn so much about Sirius in this one conversation. How strong his morals were, how he definitely did not believe in a binary world where you're either evil and deserve extreme punitive measures or you're good. Here is a Sirius Black who vocally disagrees with the use of Unforgivables against Death Eaters. He is passionately against aurors being empowered to inflict unquestioned brutality during the war. This probably added to why he seemed all the more suspicious to the ministry, Sirius is not one to be silent about his disagreements. And note that the law allowed the use of Unforgivables against suspects. Can you imagine what they'd have done to Voldemort's supposed right hand? Regardless, Sirius here clearly believes in not just achieving victory in war but achieving a victory that is rightful and just and through just means. He doesn't just want to win the war he wants to achieve the objective for which they are fighting this war in the first place. Something he'd be uniquely equipped with as he comes from a lifetime of observing everything that is wrong with Wixen society and actively disagrees with it. He's not a bystander sympathising with the plight of the lesser fortunate, he's a frontline warrior who deeply believes in the cause he's fighting for, enough to give his life for it, his compassion is proactive, which is exactly what makes him a hero. Sadly all these facets of Sirius' character have largely been left behind by fandom and I miss him deeply.

I'd pay good money to read more of Sirius the way he's written here, GoF is Sirius at his best, rats, caves, detective work and all. If this is Sirius a few months out of Azkaban, I can't imagine how he'd have been at Hogwarts or during the first war. Alas. We'll never know.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

deathly hallows is so weird. i remember even when i first read it at 12 being kinda like ???? because really? this? this was supposed to be the big hyped up grand finale?

obviously book 7 isn't the only book with plotholes but there are so many more than in the others ones and they were really obvious things that just felt so lazy. like suddenly people can be their own secret keepers? meaning that the plot device that kicked off the entire series now doesn't make sense? or jkr forgetting harry canonically knows how to cook. just basic stuff like that that felt so sloppy. or harry and co breaking into the ministry to steal something that umbridge might just as easily have left at home in a drawer in her house. ?? or they somehow don't have food when they're camping even tho they can do magic and can duplicate food so they could just take a ton of stuff from a grocery story and copy it forever?

plus the pacing. it has some really good moments towards the end but omg a lot of it has no sense of urgency. or i remember as a kid after reading book 6 being super hyped to see the other cool and difficult to defeat enchantments guarding the horcruxes like we saw in book 6. but nah. in book 7 they're just lying around anywhere.

it's like jkr set up this whole horcrux hunt thing and then got bored with it and wanted to get thru it as fast as possible. and then added a bunch of poorly thought out wand stuff that contradicts prior canon. there were a ton of cool things that could've been done with book 7 and instead most of it feels so rushed.

It seems we all have secret trauma revolving Deathly Hallows.

The beautiful thing about the being your own secret keeper, of course, now means that if that was the case then someone didn't tell the Potters this or they were dissuaded from this path for some reason makes Dumbledore look very suspect.

Though I personally love the idiotic plan to bust into the Ministry to get the Horcrux rather than try to find out where Umbridge lives or trying to get a hold of her when she does her shopping in the country's one shopping district of Diagon Alley. It's just so dumb.

Or the fact that the gang suddenly survives only on mysterious mushrooms they gather deep in the wilderness of Great Britain or the time they look for blackberries in the middle of winter. Ron knows there aren't going to be blackberries, tells Harry as much, but since he's come back from abandoning this very stupid mission he now believes that Dumbledore must have had a plan.

Dumbledore had a plan.

Right?

Dumbledore?

Dumbledore?

DUMBLEDORE?!

WHY DID YOU TELL US NOTHING DUMBLEDORE?! WHAT IS THIS BOOK OF FAIRYTALES EVEN SUPPOSED TO--

(But yes, anon, it's just a bad book filled with beautiful stupidity that felt like it should have been a video game and was oddly written as if it was a video game where most of the chapters are boring cut scenes you want to skip and the game play is things like "raid gringotts" or "fetch the sword from the bottom of a pond to destroy the horcrux".)

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hello, I want to say that I really like your blog and your analyses, especially those of Harry because he is my favorite character, I always learn something new about the saga with you and I feel like I am re-reading the books. I have a few questions for you please, if you have the time, could you explain to me if it was necessary for Voldemort to kill Harry for the Horcrux in him to be destroyed or could anyone do it as long as Voldemort had his blood in his body so that he can return? And was it also necessary for him to do it with the elder wand, which at that time was loyal to Harry? Sorry if my English is a bit strange and thanks in advance, have a nice afternoon.

Hello ����

Thank you so much! 💜 and I'm glad you're enjoying my blog!

So, the answer to your question depends on which headcanon/theory regarding Harry's miraculous resurrection you consider true...

Let's first talk about the Horcrux's death. The Horcrux could've been killed by anyone else. Any method that can kill Horcruxes would've worked. I.e Fiendfyre, AK, or basilisk venom. Any other method of death might've not worked and left Harry's corpse as a Horcrux (assuming Harry didn't come back to life). We also know from the books remorse can remove Horcruxes as well.

So if some other random Death Eaters shoots out an AK, the Horcrux likely dies.

I want to talk about the sacrificial bloodcrux for a moment, because I don't think that even could bring harry back to life.

Like, Lily's blood protection was only anti-Voldemort and doesn't really protect Harry from anyone (or anything) else. Additionally, I believe that while taking the blood protection into himself allows Voldemort to kill Harry, it also ties his life to him. It's why Voldemort passes out in the woods when he kills Harry. So, the bloodcrux is essentially a reverse Horcrux for Voldemort but doesn't really help Harry with anyone other than Voldemort.

The blooscrux pulls Voldemort towards death when Harry is dead since there is no more Harry to protect, but it doesn't stop Harry from dying. I don't think so, at least. I know the not-Dumbledore Harry hallucinates at Kings Cross when he dies says Harry's survival is to do with the bloodcrux:

“Precisely!” said Dumbledore. “He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily’s protection inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!”

But that doesn't make sense!

Becouse, we see Voldemort has passed out when Harry "died". If Voldemort was the anchor that pulled Harry back to the world of the living, Harry couldn't have pulled him towards death. An anchor has to be stably rooted in its side of the veil to work, something Voldemort clearly isn't.

"He tethered you to life while he lives!" is incorrect since Voldemort isn't exactly "living" when Harry dies (as mentioned here) so he can't be a tether. It can't kill Voldemort when Harry dies and bring Harry back to life via Voldemort at the same time. It can't do both simultaneously.

(Very possible that Dumbledore thought the bloodcrux would anchor Harry to life, since it is a magically sound theory. It just doesn't seem to do so. Plus, as I mentioned I don't think that was Dumbledore at all in the Kings Cross scene, as I mentioned here)

That's why I believe Harry's survival had more to do with the Deathly Hallows.

I have mentioned in the past that I believe Harry had always been the Master of Death. That that's why he survived. If you believe this headcanon/theory is true, then Harry would've returned regardless of how he was killed and when (and in some methods, I believe the Horcrux won't die either, as I mentioned above).

So if, say, Bellatrix shot a killing curse at Harry in the DoM in OotP, Harry would've died for a moment, the Horcrux in him, would die too, and Voldemort would "die" somewhere off-screen at the same exact moment. But then Harry would sit back up, shocked, everyone else would also be shocked, Voldemort would return to life as well and the Horcrux in Harry would be dead. Dumbledore would be so incredibly relieved and pretend he has no idea how that might've happened until pressed (by Harry) and then give some cryptic answers but still just might take the information Harry was a Horcrux to his grave, Voldemort would be having a nervous breakdown, and Lucius is probably getting Crucio-ed.

So, if you subscribe to the MoD theory, Harry would come back regardless of how he died or who killed him (the Horcrux may not return, that's more dependant on how Harry is killed). If you belive he survived because of the bloodcrux, than that's more complicated since I don't think the bloodcrux could return him to life at all because it doesn't seem to be how this works.

At least, that's how I see it. Have a good day!

[vivithefolle]

You seem to be really against Hermione for the bird incident, but don’t seem to care much about Harry sending Hedwig to claw at Ron and Hermione during the summer preceding fifth year, why is that?(/gen) You also seem to ship Ronarry. Is it just because she’s the canon love interest that you’re so upset? I know Harry regretted telling Hedwig to do what she did afterwards, but I don’t remember him ever apologizing to Ron and Hermione. How can we know that Hermione didn’t apologize to Ron after he came back in Deathly Hallows but before the battle of hogwarts?(I agree with your opinions on Hermione in general, I’m just curious.)

If you don't know, I've made some jokes about how Harmony shippers are right about Harry and Hermione having something in common, which is that they both sent birds to attack Ron.

Harry doesn't interest me nearly as much as Hermione because to be frank he's pretty much just... the most boring character in the series to me. I like him for his Ron-loving potential which is pretty off the charts when Rowling isn't actively using Ron as a stepping stone for Harry and Hermione to look better.

I'm actually a pretty big Romione shipper even if I myself get confused about what I'm mad about sometimes. Honestly, it's just that I've kinda had it with people constantly writing Ron fucking up and having to make it up to Hermione, I want her to be fucking up and making it up to him and it not being considered a Crime Against Women Everywhere because yeah, women fuck up and hurt men too, men also get abused or shat on by women, it happens. Hermione as she is has a pretty toxic mentality, what with her often using violence completely casually (her first "big heroic moment" in the series is to set a man on fire) coupled with that shitty tendency of Rowling to use "Hermione on the verge of tears" as a kind of sedative to make the average reader go "who cares what Hermione did before, she's crying NOW and that's UNFORGIVABLE, PROTECT HER".

But, Harry himself also has a system like that, by virtue of being Our Poor Orphan Protagonist. Honestly, I hate to say it but Potterheads read another book because yes, Harry is nothing new, when an author wants you to root for their protagonist they give them a backstory that makes you want good things for them, yes Harry's suffering is just all destined to make you attached to him and meant to make you think everything that ever happens to HIM personally is automatically The Most Horrible Thing Ever To Happen To Anyone Ever and I'm kinda done with that as a whole because of fandom experience. I can only tell people to pay attention to what Ron goes through only to be rebuked by a "but look how hard Harry had it, in comparison Ron is a baby" so many times before I get completely soured and decide that the character they feel so sad for doesn't need any more people to feel sorry for.

... I don't know if I'm being clear. But yeah I function mostly through pure spite nowadays.

I know Harry regretted telling Hedwig to do what she did afterwards, but I don’t remember him ever apologizing to Ron and Hermione.

He did say a token sorry to Ron specifically:

He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut. ‘Oh, yeah,’ Harry said. ‘Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know –’

(I say "token" because yeah it's not really an apology given how it's immediately followed by a justification.)

Hermione however?

‘He seemed to think it was best,’ said Hermione rather breathlessly. ‘Dumbledore, I mean.’ ‘Right,’ said Harry. He noticed that her hands, too, bore the marks of Hedwig’s beak and found that he was not at all sorry.

WOOP WOOP FEEL THE HARMONY YET

How can we know that Hermione didn’t apologize to Ron after he came back in Deathly Hallows but before the battle of hogwarts?

Honestly she can have apologized anytime, I'd just like it to be shown to me, and I'd like it to mean something.

While for example @divagonzo believes that after Malfoy Manor Hermione realizes her own mortality and blunts her sharper edges, I still remember the scene where Ron isn't sure they can trust Griphook and Hermione immediately insult him for being racist. Yeah, if that's blunting her sharp edges then I sure hope she's got other ways to do it otherwise she's gonna need a lot more Malfoy Manors.

As it stands, Harry and Hermione are really underdeveloped and bare-bones. If Harry has a character arc then I've missed it entirely because while he does realize that Snape has reasons and shit he's still kinda hating on him all through OOTP, HBP and DH until the Epilogue pulls the rug from beneath our feet. Hermione has moments indicating there's some things happening - her arc with Luna in OOTP is neat, in DH she finally learned to thank Ron for complimenting her - but aside from that she never is confronted to actual failure, to actual dilemnas, to actual problems without a true "I'm right you're wrong" solution - we only see her "being right" without anything exploring what she COULD be beyond "being right".

Which leaves Ron to shoulder the burden of having to do character development for two static characters that amount to "male role model" and "female role model". Ron IS confronted with failure, with actual dilemnas to which there's no easy answer or solution, Ron IS confronted with his personal character flaws... in pretty much every book, he's kept in a loop of "complete character arc" -> "oh no JKR needs drama to happen and she can't have Role Model 1 & 2 do it because they're supposed to be Above Mere Mortals" -> "backtrack on Ron's character arc so he can cause the drama so she doesn't have to strain her brain too hard", which is pretty obviously a disservice to Ron's character. And sadly, the fandom picks up on it but takes the wrong message from it: instead of realizing "wait, Rowling is violating the rules of good storytelling by constantly backtracking on her one good and complex character's development all so she doesn't have to risk Harry and Hermione's popularity by using their character flaws to create conflict", the fandom instead goes "ugh Ron is always causing messes while Harry and Hermione always have their hearts in the right place and always want what's best and anyway if they ever did something bad it's because they were forced by the situation".

It's... upsetting.

[saintsenara]

ooh, what’s your personal outline for grindelwald's rise?

that it much, more more closely resembles hitler's than [my impression, having never seen them, is] it's presented as doing in the fantastic beasts films.

grindelwald - rather than voldemort - is clearly the books' most explicit analogy for nazism. his first introduction - in philosopher's stone - mentions that dumbledore defeated him in 1945 for a reason: any british primary-school-aged child worth their salt would be aware, as they were reading the book, that 1945 was the year the second world war ended in europe. dumbledore - who the reader, although not harry, has already met - being described as the person who defeated grindelwald is narrative shorthand for "this character should be thought of not only as important but as good" and therefore enables dumbledore to be removed from the pool of potential twist villains [it being fairly obvious, given the way these things usually go, that the trio's absolute certainty that snape is the book's bad guy is a red herring] who will turn up at the end of the story.

this analogy is maintained a little in deathly hallows - particularly in the fact that the description of nurmengard, which has "for the greater good" emblazoned over its entrance is so obviously intended to make the reader think of auschwitz [in a way, i must be frank, i find extraordinarily crass], and in the fact that grindelwald's impact in britain was markedly different from his impact in continental europe - but it's mostly dispensed with, in order to make the explicit comparison to the nazis in the text be voldemort's government and to make the revelation about dumbledore and grindelwald's relationship less abhorrent than it would be if the analogy was maintained.

[harry is - after all - basically told by every other character in the book except aberforth to get over the revulsion he feels about learning dumbledore once harboured magic-supremacist beliefs and influenced grindelwald's later expression of those beliefs...]

i think creating fictional movements which directly parallel real-life ones is a legitimate and interesting thing for authors to do [even if i don't think jkr does it particularly well]. and i think enjoying fictional characters who are direct parallels of real-life ones doesn't indicate any sort of support for the real-life inspiration.

[although i don't think it's something i've got the deftness of touch to pull off, which is why i can't ever see myself writing a grindelwald-centric story which doesn't deviate hugely from canon.]

but i can also certainly see why fantastic beasts would present grindelwald's rise to power quite differently...

[dinarosie]

Snape’s Legacy Goes Beyond His Flaws: part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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