#dudley regrets a lot

[xmultifandomsx]

a haunted house

Somewhere along Privet Drive there is a house. It appears to be a very normal house. The bushes are always trimmed neatly and there's a lovely begonia bush out back. The stone path is well worn and the shutters are painted a lovely shade of brown.

The insides also appear to be very normal. The kitchen is well-loved down to the cracked coffee mug that collects dust in the cabinet. The floor is scratched around the table from the chairs scraping. There are three bedrooms each one with a bed and dresser. The carpet is worn down in familiar paths and one of the steps on the staircase creaks.

At first glance, there is a house on privet drive no different than any other house. Indistinguishable from it's neighbors, the house sits unperturbed. Upon closer inspection though, one may start to notice it's oddities.

The begonia in the backyard blooms all year, even in the winter months, and the shrubs never seem to need tending. There are divets in the stone around one of the upstairs windows, as if something had been screwed in around it. The shutters even, at times, seem to droop giving the house a dreary expression.

Inside, there are three locks on the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard itself houses a small cot, a collection of green army soldiers, and a long-dead torch, all covered in a thick layer of dust. One of the bedrooms upstairs is plainer than the rest, not as many posters hung up on the walls but the ones that are don't seem to come down. There are nails in the walls where pictures once hung.

It's just a house, Dudley thinks when he returns years later. He sits in that cupboard under the stairs with all its locks on the door and repeats this to himself. It's just a house and he was just a child. They both were.

[cobaltcreations]

Me and my partner @the-good-ol-art-corner collaborated on this AWESOME poster for one of our favorite Bendy Aus @toontiedterror by @dictatortirah !! I am in LOVE with how it came out and I am so excited to see how this story and world develops!!

I put so many details into this, it is absolutely silly, but I had a swell time doing them. Those headshots on the missing posters belong to the staff from our own Bendy project @howdy-folks-its-showtime and we didn't even intend to make two versions. But I put so much into the background... I just had to make a version without the foreground to show it off <3

[dialovers-lover-xoxo]

Mukami Brothers as Dads Headcanons!

Context is after their character development in later games where they're in a relationship with Yui but still taking into account their general personality and lasting trauma

Under a cut cuz it's long

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Ruki

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- Ruki didn't want them to be like he was as a kid. He was spoiled past the point of Dudley Dursley, he was physically abusing servants

- He's a loving and supportive parent, but firm as well

- His kids learned pretty quickly that when Dad says something, he means it and nothing will change his mind

- He'll do what he thinks is best, even if that means unintentionally disregarding his kids' needs or wants

- Over time he becomes much more open to listening to them but he remains pretty strict and controlling

- They never doubt his love for them. He makes it crystal clear how much he loves them

- He liked to have them in his lap as kids while he read them bedtime stories

- He liked having them with him when he cooked but he was kinda overprotective, even as they got older he didn't really want them near knives or fire

- Very imposing to his kids' friends, the parent of your friend that isn't warm or friendly, just polite

Kou

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- Quit his idol career. He wanted to be there for his kids and he didn't want paparazzi invading his childrens' lives

- Of course just because someone's no longer an idol doesn't mean they're automatically forgotten

- Kou had to threaten some paparazzi

- Because he grew up with nothing, his parenting is mix of wanting to give his children literally everything they ask for and wanting to teach them to be grateful for what they have and generous to others

- He eventually finds a decent middle ground but he never gets rid of his doubts about that completely

- Very affectionate and calls them his little kittens

- Cheerful with their friends

- Protective in a way where he'll have a familiar follow them or he'll see into someone's soul with his eye to make sure they're not a threat

- He'll get violent if his kids get hurt or might be hurt

- Hates yelling at or arguing with them but understands tough love is part of parenting

Yuma

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- Piggyback rides, tickles, ruffles their hair a lot

- Refers to himself as "yer old man"

- Less aggressive than you'd assume, still very protective, but in a more secretive or subtle way

- Yuma actually doesn't mind if his kids don't want to get dirty in the garden. What Yuma wants to teach his kids is the value of hard work, it doesn't matter where they channel that hard work, as long as they do hard work

- He doesn't exactly have trouble showing his affection, he will, but he might get a little blushy

- Generally friendly with their friends, he'd be considered the cool nice dad by his kids' friends

- But he is still not one to be messed with. If you hurt his children, you will regret it

- Likes to tease them

Azusa

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- Even though he can be very worrisome, Azusa is very intuitive, and as a result he can trust when his child will make good decisions

- Of course that doesn't mean someone else won't make a dangerous decision that'll affect his kids so he still worries

- Really sweet and affectionate

- He never wants his children to feel unloved and worthless, he drowns them in love

- He gets soooo excited when his kids bring home friends and doesn't understand why he kinda creeps them out with his knives and slow talking

- The only time he will ever yell is if his kids did something that put themselves in danger

- Not very good at discipline but not exactly a pushover, they listen to him. Something about his soft words carry more power than an angry parent yelling or talking strictly would

- Has his familiars follow them on occasion

- If they're ever fighting and his kid lashes out and says they hate him just in a generic fight it will destroy him even when he knows they don't mean it

- He stares at them a lot because he's just so happy they're there and he loves them so much

- Doesn't push them to have ambitions in life, he just wants them happy

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I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading!

Feedback and reblogs appreciated! ❤️

Sakamaki Version Link 👇🏻

[elolois]

What are facts that Tudor fans need to accept? (Mostly the TV show ones)

- Anne boleyn did NOT seduce Henry VIII. Letters from Henry VIII prove this. Anne left the court after Henry started pursuing her. It was her childhood dream to be Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so we can technically say that she left her dream to not to be a mistress. Anne was in love with Henry Percy. But when Henry (VIII) learned about their engagement,he sent wolsey to break the engagement. He wanted Anne as a mistress at first, and she kept saying no. Henry didn't take no as an answer. She kept pursuing her until she would say yes, but Anne never did. So, Henry started to think about divorcing Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne. He proposed to her in 1527, and this time, she couldn't say no. No women in the 1500s could say no to a king. Especially one like Henry.

- Unlike his father, Henry VIII, Edward was not an evil creature that fell from hell. He was only a child when he became a king and was manipulated by his uncles. Henry never even regretted his actions. He was completely from hell. Edward was taken advantage of by many people due to his age( even by the dudley's)

- Charlotte hope is not Catherine of Aragon’s most accurate actress. Both by looks and acting. Catherine of Aragon was short and chubby, Charlotte hope is tall and skinny. The only thing they had in common was the hair and eyes.

- If you can excuse Mary I's actions because of her past and trauma, you can excuse Elizabeth I's actions as well. Both had a bad life and were traumatised(mostly by their father). They were both victims.

- Natalie dormer is a great actress, and she is also very beautiful. But she wasn't Anne boleyn's best portrayal. The tudors portrayed Anne badly. Real Anne boleyn was way more different than Anne boleyn in the tudors. In my opinion, Anne boleyn in the tudors should not be liked. She destroyed a home and seduced Henry. If I never knew the real Anne boleyn, I would say that she deserved her fate.

- Even if you hate Mary I, you must accept that her bad actions were because of the trauma she went through. She was abused by her father for 3-4 years. She wasn't allowed to see her mother. She would not be this cruel if she wasn't separated from her mother.

- Mary, Queen of Scots, was guilty. She was not innocent. She tried to kill Elizabeth. Elizabeth never wanted to kill her, but she tried to kill Elizabeth. She was a bad ruler, not a good one. It's embarrassing how she wanted England while she couldn't even rule her own country.

- Henry VIII was NOT a good father. I've seen lots of TV show fans say that he was a good father, but no, he wasn't. He abused his first daughter and didn't allow her to see her mother, even on her deathbed. He neglected his second daughter, Elizabeth, for years. He only started to notice her in Catherine parr's reign. He neglected his son, the boy he wanted for 28 years. He humiliated Catherine of Aragon, killed Anne boleyn, and treated Jane seymour badly until he gave birth to a son. Only for him to neglect Edward. Mary was the one who looked after her siblings.

- Mary I did not hate Elizabeth when she was born or when she was a baby(before Anne boleyn died). I've seen many tudor fans say this on tiktok. It is not true. Mary loved her sister from the first moment she saw her. She referred to her as "sister" instead of her highness(which she was supposed to do since she was now a bastard). Most women in Mary's age were married, but she was not. She saw Elizabeth as her only family. She viewed Elizabeth as her own daughter.

- And Elizabeth neither despised her sister. She loved her very much. She was the one who stayed with Mary when the court abandoned her on her deathbed.

- You don't have to like a historical figure, but hating on them, insulting them, or making jokes about them are disrespectful. No matter what, the dead person deserves to be respected. (It's fine if you do it to Henry VIII!)

- Most of the Anne boleyn fans are more educated than Catherine of aragon fans. There are so many toxic Catherine fans, and they are all uneducated. (Idk if this can be considered as a fact)

- Anne boleyn and Catherine of Aragon did not hate each other. Anne's childhood dream was to be a lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon. They were most likely friends. Catherine asked her lady in waitings to pray for Anne after hearing them badmouthing her. Do not believe everything you see on social media.

- The tudors fans are annoying (Yes, this is not a fact. I just wanted to say it)

Hi! This is my first post. English is not my first language, so please, excuse my bad grammar. Have a great day/night!💕

[annerbhp]

hi!! I was rereading your works, and I wanted to ask something. In the third part of the Armistice Series you say: “They chat a while about mutual friends, Neville filling them in on Luna’s latest trip and how Seamus and Dean are doing. A lot of his stories are peppered with mentions of Hannah, as he seems to eat most of his meals at the Leaky these days.”

Was this a foreshadowing for HannahxNeville? I thought Hannah might have been ace but maybe she is not aro? I was just curious and Neville is an excellent character in Changeling-verse. Thank you in advance!!

Ahhhhh, you had to ask me about this. My great regret. So, like. I may have mentioned there having been a plan at one point. Of a fourth armistice. and then a Dudley fic. And then maybe another armistice fic. Well AFTER THAT, there was supposed to be a NEVILLE fic. My darling. This fic. the one I have all of 1000 nonsensical words scribbled about and am pretty sure will never get written.

In general, it's supposed to be a 'Augusta Longbottom dies and Neville inherits the house and tries to deal by spending all his time in the gardens and greenhouses of the old manor while various of his friends move in and out as needed' fic. Neville deciding if being an auror was really for himself or for his Gran. For his parents. And, yes, Hannah, his best friend of nearly a decade, being there to help every step of the way. It's how they both find a roundabout way to the paths and dreams they both thought closed forever to them, and fall in love along the way, even if it doesn't look quite the way they've been told it's supposed to.

You can have what little I have, if you want! Snippet of the unnamed fic below. (cw: death of a family member, grief)

Augusta Longbottom dies the way she lives her life—on her own schedule, exactly when she is ready, and with complete dignity.

Neville speaks to her one last time the evening before, sitting by her enormous bed in a stiff, uncomfortable chair. He isn’t close enough to touch her, but close enough to hear her words, quiet but still laced with steel.

“You’ve made me proud, Neville. Walking in your father’s footsteps, completing his fight. Taking up the work that needs to be done.”

It’s an ending, certainly.

The thing she doesn’t tell him is what’s supposed to come next.

**

At the wake, Ginny is there, pregnant and impatient while trying not to look like she is, Harry a bit wide-eyed and terrified when he isn’t looking at her with the soppiest grin Neville’s ever seen.

It’s been eight years since Ron and Hermione got married, but Harry and Ginny still haven’t shown any inclination, even as her belly swells. Their friends are smart enough not to say anything about it, even if the press is as stupid as ever.

Ginny reaches out and holds his hand.

“I need to go tell my mum and dad,” Neville says as the guests start to depart. He isn’t sure why he hasn’t gone yet.

“We’ll go with you,” Ginny says, voice fierce in that way that says she will not be argued with.

He doesn’t bother trying.

**

When Luna returns from her latest expedition a few months later, she moves into one of the spare bedrooms. Rolf—not her boyfriend or husband or anything else, he’s told—visits at times, but rarely for long. Luna seems pleased with the arrangement, like Rolf is someone who understands all of her, takes her just as she is and demanding nothing more.

Neville’s glad.

A few months after that, Ginny’s back to work after giving birth and recovering, and Harry is home with the baby. He comes by a few times a week. Harry claims it’s for his own sanity, but Neville still can’t help but feel like maybe he’s checking in on Neville, whose leave from the Aurors has stretched into its ninth month without any sign of ending. Rosier, at this point, has stopped asking.

It’s kind of weird to see Harry like this, baby bouncing on his lap, just as sure and capable as in a fight.

There’s been things in the papers, of course, Henpecked Potter Stuck Home on Nappy Duty, all about how Ginny has unmanned him. Or how disappointingly unambitious Harry has turned out to be, after showing so much early promise. Wiling his days away at home. As if they hadn’t spent the last decade terrified of him, of what he might try to do.

Morons, the lot of them.

Then again, most people have no idea how much Harry quietly continued to do for all of them behind the scenes, [redacted for spoilers!]

To most people Harry is aimless and dominated by his quite possibly evil wife.

Harry doesn’t seem to care less what people think.

It occurs to Neville that to most people Neville is the one who looks properly focused, but he’s really completely adrift, whereas Harry looks like he is exactly where he wants to be. It’s the same stupid feeling that’s always been there, that the two of them are somehow two sides of the same coin. Warped reflections of the other.

You know it could have been you, Harry once confessed to him during a late night together spent pouring over reports trying to run down a particularly nasty artifact. Just as easily as me.

But that is as inconceivable as ever, that Neville could in any way be anything like Harry.

Neville is in awe as always, that Harry could walk away from the ministry. Just like that. Just decide there is something else he wants, damn prophecies and expectations and gossip all the same.

When he mentions it, Harry just lifts his daughter up to his face, blowing a raspberry on her pudgy cheek. “There’s always more work to be done. And it will still be there when I get back. This little one won’t.” 

Neville can't argue with that, even if he were inclined to.

**

Spending so much time at the manor, Neville inevitably finds himself in the garden. It’s not neglected, exactly. There are people paid to care for the perfectly manicured rows of shrubs and lawn and flowering perennials. To sweep the paths. Like the one he bounced down the first time he showed any inkling for magic, Great Uncle Archie’s cackle echoing behind him.

He’s never liked the garden, is the thing. Not that he’d ever been brave enough to even think it.

Gran gave him a corner in the large conservatory for his plants, and so long as he kept it contained there, she never said anything about his silly habit. It was enough. Or so he always told himself.   

He’s thought about it, is the thing. Just selling the manor. Moving into a flat somewhere. Just leaving it all behind--the memories, the expectations. But it also feels like he’s been leaving too much behind as it is.

So on the one-year anniversary of Gran’s passing, a year since he tanked his career through cowardly attrition, he speaks out loud to the rigid rows and lifeless paths the truth festering in his heart: “I’ve never liked this garden.”

The next week, he asks the gardeners into the parlor and starts making a new plan.

[cerealboxlore]

i personally really like the idea of cap remembering the lives of past champions a lot

but like if he remembers those lives as his own then he’d have technically have killed before since back in the past champions times that would’ve been pretty normalised (also adam)

so i think it’d be pretty fun if cap mentions that he has killed before, whether it’s offhandedly or if someone says that he is one of the few who don’t kill and he admits that he has

or maybe even someone who does kill saying he doesn’t understand what it’s like to kill and his reaction to that

i’d love to see the angst it all gives billy

i actually love both billy who has killed and billy who hasn’t (honestly i love anything involving my boi)

like billy who has killed is great for him killing ebenezer (i honestly don’t even want him to kill anyone else just don’t like that guy)

but on the other hand billy who’s super against killing but technically has is a great source of angst

a billy who didn’t kill ebenezer because it goes against his values but then he becomes the champion gaining their memories and regrets it

a billy who struggles to seperate them from himself at times

a billy who desperately tries to hang onto his memories because otherwise all he’s done, all he’s believed in, becomes worthless

this can also be tied into my other angst idea where mary “dies” just to add some more flavourful trauma to the child ya know

I'm taking some time off with my assignments to finally answer my inbox mail and I am so excited to answer this one!!

Cap remembering the past lives he's lived through is such an incredible source of story potential and angst material that it's unbelievable there's not much content for this. 100% on board with the idea that cap has indeed killed before, and the only thing that holds him back or pushes him forward to kill is his host. The host connects him to what he will be and what morals he will have in that lifetime. It's really interesting and fun to play around with! Especially with cap having formerly been one with Black Adam before, that is an entire Rollercoaster of angst and emotions the two could go through together after having been the same person (technically) before.

As For A version of Billy who is not above murder and the other who isn't, these two interpretations of Billy are both good to me! Personally, I enjoy reading about a Billy Batson who doesn't see death as an option for punishment/last resort. He'd find another way to fix things, another way to offer redemption if possible, to prove his pure of heart soul. One that influences cap to not kill and bind him to the goodness in the world.

However.

Ebeneezer deserves a long walk off a short pier. Into a volcano. On another planet. That gets sucked into a black hole.

I'd honestly really would enjoy a fic where Billy desperately wants Ebeneezer to pay for his actions and crimes, but is too pure of heart to do what he wants to do. Cap hearing the voice of Billy's deepest and darkest thoughts and bringing them to life without Billy knowing, killing off Ebeneezer in an indrect way. A bit like the SQUIP from "Be More Chill" the musical.

I also really enjoy the concept of Billy having dreams about caps past lives, allowing him to peer through lifetimes of knowledge during a single night and view his predecessors for wisdom. However, it quickly turns into nightmares, as life comes with death, and the endless pain and suffering that he sees are horrors beyond his mortal comprehension, especially for a young child. Memories that arent his, haunting him, taunting him, making him feel scared and worthless. Different morals and personalities all clashing together to scream at Billy for what he does and doesn't do as the new Champion of Magic. Resulting in him coming to his classes exhausted and ending up sleeping during class, pushing forth a need to call his guardian, good ol' Uncle Dudley, to help save the day and help calm Billy down. I know Uncle Ebeneezer has traumatized Billy, but I believe Uncle Dudley will help Billy heal. He's not magical, but he's a better uncle than anyone else.

Billy truly is his own person, but with the constant stream of voices flooding his mind and dreams with their own opinions of how he should live HIS life is very intriguing. It could go further into his identity issues when growing up and cause some inner turmoil for him to resolve. I do love traumatizing this small child 💖

Bonus: the memories Billy relives through his dreams haunting him to the point they gain a portion of control over his subconscious, bullying him with forced remembrance of Mary's "death" in order to make him complacent and obedient to the morals of the former lives. An interesting antagonist/villain for a story. Maybe cap and Billy would have to pull an Avatar Korra and erase the former Champions and other lives' memories in order to bring peace to Billy.

[fullofhevrt]

[ he/him, cis man ] greetings to all of our listeners! we start today’s potterwatch with a long-awaited update on mason dursley who was finally spotted alive just last night, wandering the streets of london. for those of you who haven’t tuned in before, they are a twenty seven year old muggleborn wizard who is oddly reminiscent of lips that don’t know how to lie, faint laughter lines adorning tired eyes, arms too small to hold all those you love close, sunlight breaking through the night, losing yourself in work which makes sense considering their protective, compassionate, trustworthy, arrogant, impulsive, and stubborn nature. you might know of them as the biological child of dudley and aurelia dursley, and we’re sure that their family will be relieved to hear they’re safe and sound — or at least as much as you can be, in times like this. to all our listeners, if you catch a glimpse of someone who looks a bit like that muggle alex fitzalan, that’s them. before approaching, please be aware that they’re rumored to be affiliated with the order of the phoenix, so best proceed with caution. these are dangerous times we’re living in. well, thanks for tuning in, folks. we’ll play ourselves out with not strong enough by boygenius.

It all happened so suddenly when members of the order showed up to his door, his parents were far from excited. His mother especially. His father understood better than his mother and against his wishes, convinced her to allow him to attend school. There was always a part of Mason that knew he didn't belong and now it all made sense. He didn't understand fully what it would mean to leave his muggle home for the wizard world and the risk he would have to deal with considering he was a muggleborn or that he'd end up losing his mother along the way. Mason was raised Catholic along with his younger sister Anthea and was very involved in the church growing up. He was an alter boy and even attended catechism throughout the week. Having someone come and tell Auriela that her son was a wizard was blasphemy to her. Her emotions getting the best of her and reminding Mason if he went through with it, he would not be welcomed to heaven and that she would no longer have a son. All Mason knew was if he didn't do this then he would regret it and so he went with his father's support though it wasn't much either. Due to obvious reasons, he hasn't returned to the muggle world. Attending scholomance, Mason felt like he finally belonged somewhere. He quickly found his place in Ravenclaw and was able to make friends and even joining Quidditch as a Chaser. Learning has always been his strongest quality and so it didn't really surprise him that's where home was. Though Gryffindor was a close second. It was easy to fall into place considering at the beginning it was a lot like his muggle school but regardless, Mason always excelled in whatever he put his mind to. No longer having contact with his parents, Mason decided to stay and help his cousins and friends the most he could, finding comfort and a second home with them though he misses his sister dearly. He decided to join the order of the phoenix, moving up rather quickly due to his determination and dedication. He is currently a dragon rank, proving that he has the heart and determination to help any way he can which he's engulfed himself in fully to avoid thinking too much about everything else.

He’s always been very dedicated to his career to the point that his friends often have to remind him that there is life out there besides working but it’s just easier to Mason to engulf himself with something to do. He often needs people who will pull him away from working and remind him to breathe and just try to enjoy life though this is no easy task for them, Mason feels like he doesn’t have time to be messing around. A bit of a workaholic in that way. He has a big heart and definitely always tries to keep a smile on his face because someone has to.

Fun Facts.

He was very dedicated to his studies and is always trying to learn something new. Its the only way he's been able to keep up his positivity.

Always tries to see the best in people

Rarely ever seen without a smile, has a lot of repressed anger though

A little sarcastic now and then and over protective but always means well.

He doesn’t tell many people but he tends to push his limits with his magic.

He's finally open about his bisexuality. This was something that always caused tension with his mother as she was a very devoted Catholic and part of the reason why she cut contact with him which has lead to inner conflict within Mason even years later. He is aware that he’s bisexual but there is so much internal homophobia that he is unlearning little by little.

He is very loyal to his friends and will go to the ends of the earth for them.

[vstridb]

HSHQTASK059: FAREWELL !

when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

i joined in early (?) 2017. i had a lucky blue smith fc but that lasted for a hot minute and i ghosted LMAO. then i reapplied with astrid and as a bernadotte, i had sooo much fun <3 i don't remember ANYTHING, i'm sorry i just don't. i think irenton was still in its slowburn era. i was still in high school, about to graduate. now i have a master's degree and i'm working, crazy stuff!!!!

which characters have you written over the years ?

astrid, uriah 1.0 and 2.0, vitaliya, verona, francisco / francois, arvid, a dudley o'shaughnessy fc ( for 1 sec before ghosting )... i think that's everyone ???

what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i had a lot of fun writing chimei. i think it was the height of hshq for me so it really sticks out to me. idk if the bernadottes as a whole count as a plotline ? i'm such a sucker for them. the NUMBER one plotline though would be the russian plots vitya was part of. i think it's a sign of a good plotline when a 60-year-old character's threads are interesting and have me logging in. i don't want to name every plot but i have to give a mention to italy's stuff. i picked up verona because there was a huge hole in the hshqverse since italy had no rep, and i figured i'd survive without any nephews and nieces but then you all came back and i was so overjoyed <3 verona's story became so much more fulfilling for me to write.

what about other people's plotlines ?

i know i was kinda involved but watching the basel thing evolve was super entertaining. i liked the whole thing from beginning to the end. as for smaller plots, i think the spanish fires fucking up first zhergi and the farnauld has to be my fave thing. it was so wild and i LOVED the fact that a 3 year-old-plotline still had an effect on current threads and in such a surprising way <3

who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

astrid.... of course it's astrid. she was my age so i mirrored a lot of problems from my own life and made them hers. obviously they were exaggerated problems and shit but through astrid i got to write about emotions that were current to me. it was therapeutic and fun. i've loved all of my characters a lot though. vitya was so special because she was a character like no other. i loved creating her backstory and i had so much fun working on her psyche. a former USSR with a modest background, now an extremely influential duchess ? i loveeed it. it was so different and writing her inner monologue was so satisfying.

if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

i think the beginning of chimei. there was something about it. it moved naturally. i really miss the time.

is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

i'd speed up ilstrid so that we would actually get to write them getting together. i'll take the blame for ilstrid never really taking off lmao sry about that evy. i also wanna say that ilstrid is one of my fave ships because it was so easy and not-at-all-stressful to develop. it may have not reached its end, we didn't get a satisfying ending but i think it was so much fun to portray that kind of a love story. i wasn't a fan of friends-to-lovers trope but ilstrid is still one of my fave ships <3

what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

ilstrid akfndsjkgbsnjg but also i think i would have enjoyed writing verona as the grand duchess of austria too. i do regret never applying for an austrian. it was something that "i'll do later" and never did it. it was partly because i didn't have a plotline for an austrian and couldn't naturally come up with one :(

what is your favourite ooc memory ?

when we brought the zulus. i don't think anything topped it. we made some really fucking shady and weird online chatroom to figure out the zulus' backstory and it was so much fun. i hadn't been that excited for something in a long time!!! and i think i'll have to mention all of the late nights of chatting with people. it was a big part of the hshq experience. we were all actual friends and i loved joking around. and i'll say it here now because this is so embarrassing but honestly i've always felt so appreciated when people have used the term naomi'd. it felt like a nickname fkjsgnjkgn and i'm glad i never upset anyone with my pushiness skdgngj

where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i'll disappear, i'm sorry but i think it's inevitable. i've enjoyed the chats and like i said i've loved to joke around but i'm not a person who really does online relationships. hshq was an exception and it'll stay as one. if you guys ever start writing again, pls im me or @ me. if it's meant to be, i'll stumble upon the message at the right time <3

what else would you like to say ?

oh dear ! i have so much to say but not enough words to express my feelings ! seven years is a long time to be part of something and i never expected to remain here for such a long time. i've been allowed to write and plot and create complex and inspiring plotlines with you, and i think it's been exceptional. hshq was something else among rpgs. anyone who has been part of this, has to agree. i think it says a lot that even though the dash died, on the very day of closing, six or so members did the final task. and i have a feeling we'll see many 058 and 059 tasks this week. i've laughed a lot with you, i've stayed up until the little hours just to be part of the experience, i've cried at your writing... i think honesty hours will be the epitome of joy for me. they always made me laugh and the energy was unbeatable. hshq has given me so much joy and has taught me a lot ! about people, about writing, about the english language and photoshop !!! you guys have no fucking idea how grateful i am of this experience and i wish i could relive it --- and that's a really good sign. sometimes we are glad to reach the ending but i don't think that applies here. this spring will feel different and this week will feel horrible. i have to admit, i'm not exactly ready for this and it feels so silly because it was 'just rp' aksfdbjdsgs thank you everyone for these years, the late nights and the amazing experience <3

[pebblysand]

Hi Jo,

Huge fan of your work and I hope you’re enjoying the holidays, I was wondering if the Dursley’s will ever show up in Castles?

Canonically Harry and Dudley send each other Christmas cards and Harry even visits with the kids, so I was wondering if that is something will see happen or if you have your own thoughts on what if anything happens between Harry and the Dursley’s.

hi anon! this is such a great question and one i've dreaded one of you would ask for a while, now. 😅

long story short: this is one of my plot holes. oops. basically, what happened (which you probably can guess from the text if you squint) is that originally, dudley was supposed to make a "comeback" in act 2 (chapters 8-15). i laid all the ground work for it in act 1, with the interview that harry gives and giulia telling harry to send the magazine to the dursleys, etc. at the time, i had this story in my head of dudley replying to harry's letter and them just - i wouldn't say reconnecting, that would be a bit much, but harry sort of growing and forgiving and dudley growing and apologising. your classic dudley redemption story (which i love, by the way).

except, chapter 8 happened. and, following, every non-essential plotline just got pushed back to ... later. i don't regret it, i think committing to chapter 8 was one of the best decisions i made, but ginny/amycus was So Big and So Important that understandably, if you add the "wizarding admin" plotline of the trials + mia, etc. there just wasn't material space to add stuff about dudley. my chapters are already long enough as is. and, i do remember that i tried multiple times to make space for it, but it also just wouldn't work within the general themes that were being explored in that arc. it's hard to explain but: you know how the writing in castles sort of "spirals"? well, i couldn't find a free space within that spiral to hook the dudley story in a way that stuck.

when i got to chapter 17 last spring, i was like: here, this is my moment! 🤣. because, let's be honest, not much happens in chapter 17 (which is on purpose, i mean, that chapter is just #vibes) but then i wrote it and i finished it and it was 17,000 words already and fuck. now, you may have noticed that i did try. there's a moment where harry and ginny are talking about how dudley once tried to drown him in the toilet and this happens:

It gets easier, being with her, after a while. Being vulnerable around her. Letting her see him the way she’s let him see her. She’s not the only one with secrets in her closet. ‘I reckon Fred and George tried to throw Percy down the loo once,’ she pushes, gently. It’s a funny story. Harry smiles at it when he looks up to the ceiling. Thinks of stupid, childhood games and the way Molly probably ran upstairs to yell at them at the top of her lungs.  ‘It wasn’t like that,’ he speaks.  ‘I didn’t think it was.’ He breathes in. Out. Traces a line down her arm with his fingers. He thinks of things he’d rather not remember. ‘Not now,’ he whispers.  She smiles, nods. Slowly and quietly moves to sit on top of him, straddling him. She lowers herself down for a kiss, her palms on either side of his face. His hands settle at her hips; he feels the heat of her against his belly again. ‘Okay,’ she just says. ‘“Not now,” doesn’t mean “never,” though, yeah?’ He smiles against her lips. Pulls her so close. ‘’Kay.’

you have no idea how many times i re-wrote that scene, trying to see if i was going to take that conversation further. but, honestly, it didn't feel right to do so. again, something wasn't working. so, i pushed it again, except chapter 18 was already "full" with the abortion story, chapter 19 was full for Obvious Reasons, and now... here we fucking are 🤣.

where i'm at now: full-disclosure, i lied when i said i wasn't writing before january. i couldn't stay away. so, yes, chapter 20 is on the way. having said that, i have been struggling a lot with it, so it probably won't be released soon anyway.

but one of things i have been struggling with, actually, is this. to me, it feels very natural to bring up the topic of dudley/the dursleys as harry is having children of his own. but i think one of the things i'm struggling with is also: what i want to do with this, exactly.

because, tbh, my take on this in castles has kind of changed, over the two years that it's taken me to get to this point. i'm going to correct one thing and say that the fact that dudley and harry are on christmas-card terms isn't canon-canon, it's post-DH JKR canon, which in my opinion isn't "hard" canon. i see the stuff that she's said after the release of the books on a "keep what you like, toss what you don't like," sort of policy. i've taken a lot of stuff from it (harry becoming an auror, etc.), and even took stuff from cursed child (albus being sorted into slytherin) but i don't consider myself bound by it.

and, idk. i think part of me now feels like this could be one of the topics in castles that remain a bit "unresolved". a lot of subplots will have tight bows wrapped around them, but i wonder if the topic of the dursleys could just be: harry deciding that actually, some things are unforgivable, and that, while he doesn't necessarily hold a grudge, he also doesn't want to give them the time of day in his life. the kind of thing where he'd meet dudley at the pub once, and decide that objectively, his life is better without these people in it. he doesn't owe them anything. so, that's what i'm kind of toying with at the moment.

it is proving hard to write, though. mostly because of bigger issues i'm currently having with chapter 20, but what i do know is that this does have a time constraint attached to it. if i can't fit something in chapter 20 or 21, this will stay unresolved. 22, 23 and 24 are frankly too packed for me to include anything else.

so, i suppose, stay tuned. you were right to ask, it's one of the very few (maybe the only?) castles plot points that i'm still undecided about! 😱

[malkaleh]

So @theladyelizabeth prompted me for ‘Robert Dudley Falls Off His Horse’ OT3 verse angst and here, have what I’ve written. This is set in 1547 in the OT3 verse which is a year in which Things Happen A Lot Which Makes Everyone Very Upset.

“I should never have married you, my lord - better a marriage arranged than with a man as hateful as you have turned out to be - I never knew you at all, it seems.”

It was venom. It was designed to hurt and it was said with all the hatred Elizabeth could muster but underneath, underneath there was hurt - hurt that her Robin, Robin who she had trusted with her heart could be so cruel, could understand her so little. 

The words hit him, piercing his heart and soul. Robert had known he had gone too far before but pride, the pride that both of them had meant that he could not see how either of them could bend. 

“I am going riding, your royal highness.”

“You are running away. I will never forgive you.”

Neither of them turn back to see the others anger turn to tears. 

It had not been a year that either Robert or Elizabeth would look back upon with any fondness but for one thing - the birth of their second and third child but that, that was not yet in evidence. Instead there had been bleak horror after bleak horror and it had worn on them both and not for the better. 

Later neither of them could remember how the argument had begun - over some minor thing - perhaps a disagreement over when Nanette should have her first pony, perhaps simply that Elizabeth was exhausted, worried over everything that had happened or perhaps it was that Robert had flirted with a lady in waiting at court in a way that had worried Elizabeth - yes, they played the game of courtly love all the time (sometimes it was even pleasurable to play on each others jealousness) but Elizabeth had been worrying over old stories of what her father had done after she had been born, before Tommy. Worrying that after all Robert was a man, no matter his vows. 

Perhaps it was that Robert, feeling as though his wife was pulling away was desperately trying to get her attention back to him. Perhaps it was that they were both scared and angry and full of pride. But whatever it was that began it, they were soon yelling with real venom at each other. 

“Why must you always doubt me Elizabeth - could you not see that I am not your father?”

“Are you not - as far as I can see every man seems to be my father. You are merely worse because you vowed to me you were not what you are Lord Dudley. “

“Only one of your fathers - though the other is certainly committing adultery with a vengeance - then again he hardly came to the arrangement a virgin. Perhaps you are more alike to your royal father than you believe, Your Highness”

Robert almost stopped himself. Almost. He knew he had gone too far. Knew he had never wanted to say such a thing - he had only meant that Elizabeth’s second father had been married before he had met her parents. But that was not how Elizabeth had taken it - between that and the implication that she was akin to her father in marriage she had entirely lost herself. 

That was when she had spat that she wished she had never married him. 

That was when Robert had turned his back rather than back down. 

That was when both of them had sobbed when the other was out of sight, sure that they had broken something between them. 

It was when Robert had taken his horse out riding in the rain, hoping to try to not think or at least to hide his despair in the icy rain and mud. It was when he, trying to jump a hedge had had his horse startle at the snap of a tree in the wind had been thrown, his horse falling on top of him. It was here that he had lain, wondering if this was to be his last moments, bitterly regretting his own pride that had lead him to this place. 

It was when Elizabeth heard tell of an accident that all her anger and pride had deserted her - only too clearly she now saw she had been listening to all the insecurities of her heart rather than the man she had married. And now he lay in a bed, face contorted with pain, still shivering with cold despite the heat of the fire and the warming bricks placed in their bed. 

“I am sorry Robin. I am so sorry. My foolish, misguided pride. I am glad I married you, glad every day. It is only that I worry I can…how can I be enough for you? Can Nanette be enough for you, even if we never have another child? The world tells me it can never be true.”

Robert cries then, cries because he has never ever wanted to make Elizabeth feel that she was not enough for him, a thousand times enough for him. 

“Bess, do you remember what I told you under that oak tree, when I asked to court you?” 

“That I was your Gloriana. That you loved me beyond reason, beyond measure. That you would, you would teach me how to make bird calls perfectly one day.”

“You and I are paired flames, my darling - there could never be another. Never one who would be first in my heart. And if Nanette is our only child then she is enough. Always enough. More than enough - she is a miracle, our daughter.” 

Elizabeth leans her head so that their foreheads are resting together. They are both weeping now and are heedless of it. 

[bibliophilicstranger]

If Lily lived but was recovering for 4 years and then went to the Dursleys home to collect Harry, how would she react to his condition/how Petunia has been treating him?

There's a lot of variables in this, I think, and some big assumptions.

For one, this assumes that with Lily alive, there would still be blood protection/benefits to sending Harry to Petunia over keeping him in the wizarding world. Unless Dumbledore could give a really good reason for Harry to be with the Dursleys, I think McGonagall would intervene, especially if it was a temporary arrangement.

Sirius, if he found Lily alive, might not have gone as ballistic or held off on tracking Peter down. If events go any number of different ways, he might not go to Azkaban, thereby leading to him taking Harry. Other friends and Order members might also react differently if Lily was alive and want to care for Harry.

If Harry did go to Petunia, I think the big question to ask would be if Petunia knows Lily is alive. If she's aware her sister will one day come get Harry, I think he's treated better than in canon, because she'd be afraid of Lily's reaction. Canon Petunia was torn between a hatred of magic, jealousy and love for her dead sister (maybe even fear), and regret. If Lily isn't dead, she might not have that regret but her hatred of magic might be a little less too. Yet she'd still be afraid, a fear Dumbledore might even have played on in his letter, saying treat him well lest your sister seeks revenge.

Harry would probably have a bedroom and all the basic necessities of his own but still have some of Dudley's hand-me-downs as play clothes. He'd have chores and get necessities like clothes and school supplies as birthday and Christmas presents. He wouldn't get nice toys, Dudley would still be spoiled and bully him without much intervention, but he wouldn't get physical abuse or neglect (maybe swats to the behind as punishment but nothing that would bruise). They wouldn't lie about Lily and James, but they wouldn't talk about magic. They'd say his mum was sick and his dad was dead, maybe even that James was a bully. But no outright lies. Lily wouldn't be happy he was unloved, but she'd be disappointed and unhappy rather than wildly angry. She'd take Harry and they'd be on Christmas card terms but they'd rarely if ever speak or see each other.

If Petunia doesn't know Lily is alive--if Snape kidnaps her to heal her or something, everyone thinks she's dead and after she escapes she goes looking for Harry--and he's experienced what he did in canon, I think she responds with justified Harpy-like anger, uncontrolled magic, and possibly some hexing. Nothing death water like or permanent, but something subtle. No pig tails but maybe an honesty spell or emotional pain. She'd make a clean break and never see them again.

It's also possible that her treatment of Harry would start the first way and inch toward the second the longer Lily was gone, leading to an intermediate reaction.

[so-much-for-subtlety]

wild question to randomly submit but what kind of couch do you have and would you recommend it? From the one pic of your cat with it in the background the couch is the kinda squared, modern sits on the floor style I’m looking for in my apartment.

please help an interior design weirdo!

I chose that sofa because I wanted something that sat in the floor (don’t have to vacuum underneath) and was long enough for me to stretch out on and still have room for Dudley, and wide flat arms because I knew dud likes napping like this:

I also wanted a completely flat surface because my old sofa had tufted surface which Dudley managed to track cat litter in and was such a pain to keep clean with all the nooks and crevices.

So many places don’t have proper showrooms anymore and expect you to just order without sitting which I think is crazy because sofa can be a pretty big purchase.

I don’t actually love this sofa and regret choosing it tbh. The problem with these modern style sofas is that they have really low backs. That’s fine for a hotel lobby or a short sit, but pretty uncomfortable for watching a movie :(

I also needed a sectional because a full length sofa wouldn’t be able to get into my apartment.

I actually think that IKEA KIVAK has a lot of these good qualities, and as a bonus the covers can be removed and washed (or changed if you want a new color). I actually think IKEA makes some great solid furniture, and KIVAK is all solid construction and I think it looks good although I had one and it lasted maybe 6 years before the foam collapsed and became pretty uncomfortable.

It will cost about 3 times more, but in my shortlist was the Morton by EQ3, I tried it in a showroom and I LOVED it, but I read so many bad review online about the quality and delays (they are all made to order) but in retrospect I think I probably should have done with the Morton instead (I would have ordered as a 3 seater but I can only find photos with the chase). I really regret not taking the chance on this because it was really so comfortable and style wise had everything I was looking for. If I could go back in time this is the one I would order.

If you get any of the more expensive options I found that most companies have pretty significant sales where you can get 20% or more and free shipping etc.

Good luck! It’s so stressful choosing, but I would emphasize going for comfort over aesthetics!

[iamnmbr3]

@thick-woollen-socks Personally I disagree with a lot of the points raised here and I’m going to go through why.

First I'd like to note that of course these are just my own interpretations and everyone is free to have their own views and perspectives. There doesn’t have to be one right way to read a character or to engage in fandom. (And of course, people who are happier living in the fanon zone or who just like to read a certain character in a particular way for fun regardless of textual evidence are valid as well, even if that’s not my preferred approach. Similarly, people who prefer to take authorial intent as paramount, regardless of what the author actually wrote, are totally valid and free to do so, though again that’s not generally my preference). The most important thing is letting everyone engage (or not engage) in the ways that make them happy.

I'd also like to note that I when I talk about textual evidence I'm only focused on the original canon not the Fantastic Beasts movies or Cursed Child which I view as tacked on AUs since they aren't fully compliant with the original canon (even though they are intended to be) and thus I'm leaving out things introduced there.

Now, on to the actual topic at hand. I think something important to remember here is that there is a pretty big divergence between what JKR intended and what she actually wrote. I do think the points you raise here in defense of Dumbledore are completely in line with the intended reading. JKR meant Dumbledore to be someone who is imperfect, yes, but basically a deeply good and decent and insightful and selfless person who worked tirelessly for the good of others and who deeply regretted the transgressions of his youth.

I don’t think she succeeded in writing him that way. I think she actually wrote him as a far more calculating, cold, manipulative, dishonest (both with himself and others) and just generally twisted individual than she meant to. I personally find that fascinating. I think he often believes what he says and is a master of mental gymnastics. And I think he’s one of the more interesting villains that I’ve read because he’s not just cackling and mustache twirling. However, none of that was intentional. It was due to flaws in her writing. So what you say is “correct” in the sense that it’s what JKR meant. It’s not, however, what she wrote and I tend to care more about Watsonian readings.

I think part of the disconnect between the problematic nature of Dumbledore’s actions and the narrative framing of those actions as correct is that JKR is inserting her own perspective and knowledge that the character shouldn’t yet have. She is writing the backstory for Lord Voldemort, the villain of the series. The point of these scenes is to develop plot-relevant backstory for the series villain.

The problem is that at the time these memories take place, Tom isn’t Lord Voldemort yet but Dumbledore acts as though, he, like JKR, is aware of the rest of series and who Tom will become. But he can’t possibly know that. So actions that at the time are needlessly harsh or biased or irresponsible or downright cruel are excused by the narrative because, well, Lord Voldemort is evil. Of course he should be treated with suspicion and violence because that's the only way to deal with him. Furthermore, JKR is using Dumbledore to tell the audience things about Tom’s backstory. The problem is Dumbledore can’t always know those things so it comes across as him making wild assumptions in-universe, even though JKR’s intent is that he is correct.

Look at the difference in the framing of this encounter versus Harry's introduction to the magical world. I mean, when we meet Harry, a good character, we’re supposed to cheer when Hagrid punishes Dudley, Vernon and Petunia by frightening them and using magic on Dudley as a punishment. (And by the way, we can imagine that if Petunia found a sympathetic listener the way Mrs. Cole did she'd tell everyone all about how that no good Harry Potter set a snake on her son for no reason).

Anyway, let’s dive in to some of the actual points you raised:

“Dumbledore was concerned that Tom thought he was headed for an asylum and he did try and settle his nerves”

Dumbledore does the bare minimum of saying he’s not from the asylum…when in fact he is, indeed, not from the asylum. I don’t see any evidence of concern or comforting. Certainly Dumbledore is concerned by Tom. But he’s not concerned about him. 

Dumbledore was sent there to deliver Tom’s letter and tell him he’s a wizard. Tom has such a violently fearful reaction to who he thinks Dumbledore is that Albus can’t even get a word in edgewise or otherwise proceed with his assigned task. He disputes Tom’s claims and induces him not to flee the scene as he seems about to do. And then he just kinda…moves on. 

He does not show the concern or compassion that any responsible adult should have shown in that scenario. What Tom has just said is a massive red flag and has some extremely disturbing implications about how he has been treated by those around him and about the fear and danger he’s been living with on a daily basis.

His reaction to Dumbledore is very clearly one of fear-based aggression. This child has obviously been living in fear of being carted off to be institutionalized against his will and seems to have had negative experience with doctors in the past. He has been treated as though he is mad and dangerous. This is very concerning and suggests some quite awful possibilities that Dumbledore just…doesn’t explore. He doesn’t investigate what Tom may have been subjected to or threatened with by those around him. 

He doesn’t even especially try to establish rapport or trust - even by doing something as basic as just physically backing off a bit and giving Tom some space instead of crowding him.

So no, I would not say that Dumbledore showed any particular signs of concern or even basic pity over what Tom reveals to him in that moment nor that he even says anything especially calming. 

Now, we aren’t meant to read the interaction that way at all. Why? Well. Tom is Voldemort. His problems don’t matter. The point is just to give his backstory some color. He was a creepy orphan who came from a creepy orphanage. He’s evil. He killed Lily and James and many others. But…he hasn’t done any of those things yet. He is the vulnerable one in this situation. Dumbledore is the one with the power. Th narrative framing conflates future actions with where the character is in the story now.

Harry's introduction to the magical world is someone finally taking his side and intimidating and punishing people who were unfair to him and treating him with gentleness and affection for the first time. Tom’s introduction to the magical world is Dumbledore reading his mind against his will and setting his things on fire and (and never bothering to find out the context of any of the things Tom is accused of) and coldly insisting on Tom calling him "Sir" just when Tom starts to open up to him (more on that later).

“Tom was exactly who Mrs. Cole said he was…. he didn’t even try to hide his cruelty”

Again, that is most certainly the intended reading. But we don’t really have any evidence of that. First of all, if he’s not trying to hide things then he is in fact not the untrustworthy liar we are supposed to see him as. We know Mrs. Cole accuses him of some things he denies. We know the other children dislike and fear him. And yeah… that's it. We don’t know any more about the context. (We can surmise that some of those things are probably true based on things we learn about Tom in other books, but Dumbledore doesn't know any of that at this time. And yet he immediately seems to find everything about Tom's existence damning).

I mean. Dumbledore doesn’t know that Tom’s argument with Billy Stubbs wasn’t due to Billy mistreating Tom or that Tom isn’t in fact telling the truth when he says the didn’t do anything to that rabbit. We don’t know the context of how he ended up with those trophies or how he was treated by others around him or whether he was taking revenge for injustices done to him. We’re just meant to accept those things because Tom is Voldemort and therefore a villain and not to be trusted. The problem is, he’s not Voldemort yet and Dumbledore hasn’t read the later books so him immediately taking Mrs. Cole’s word and showing such little concern for Tom is totally biased and unjustified. 

Tom is a troubled child living in a very harsh environment. Orphanages at that time were not nice to say the least. He likely would have grown up surrounded by abuse, privation and abject poverty. Not to mention that we see he has no positive adult influences in his life and seems to view adults and authority figures with fear and suspicion. He also seems to have no friends and be hated by everyone around him. I don’t really think given the context his behaviors are that especially unusual or disturbing. Does that excuse his actions? No? Do all children who come from troubled backgrounds develop behavior issues? No. But these stressors combined with having no trustworthy adults to model good behavior can often lead to these types of behavior issues.

A better way to address that is through modeling positive behavior and through compassion and patience and building rapport. Not through immediate punishment. 

I find it absolutely appalling and inexcusable that Dumbledore sees a troubled child in a miserable environment who lives in constant fear of being dragged off and locked up, who has had no positive role models, who thinks adults are to be feared not looked to for guidance, who has no idea who or what he is (and who must wonder a bit whether maybe he really is insane or possessed by a demon or something) where his only way to exert any control at all over his own fate is through his powers, and what does he do?

He immediately takes away that tiny sense of security by showing how vastly he outclasses Tom in terms of power. And he shows him that because he is more powerful he can compel Tom to do what he wants. He can read his mind against his will. He can set his things on fire. He can deny Tom information about school and the magical world. What kind of a lesson does that teach? Tom’s already learned that harsh lesson - that the world is divided into those with power and those without.

Dumbledore is the adult in this situation. He should’ve tried to show Tom that there is another way. That having power doesn’t mean using it to to punish or control. He could have shown him mercy and compassion, things he knows nothing of. He could have shown him that power can be used to protect.

He could have established a relationship and rapport with him and shown him that not all adults are enemies to be feared. And THEN he could have started to correct unwanted and negative behaviors. Instead he does none of this. The narrative presents it as ok. But it isn’t. His behavior in this scene is inexcusable. 

Also, Tom doesn’t particularly boast about cruelty. He’s excited to finally meet someone who is like him. For the first time ever. And he opens up and actually reaches out - perhaps the first and only time he genuinely reached out to an adult. (Which Dumbledore basically immediately teaches him not to do). And he shares what he can do. Which yes, includes hurting people. Obviously this is not an appropriate use of his powers. But it’s also not that surprising given the harsh environment he is in. When Hagrid uses magic to punish and hurt on Harry’s behalf we’re meant to cheer. When Tom does something similar we are meant to see it as evidence of his later villainy.

But we don’t really know enough about the context to say that what he did was prompted by delighting in cruelty as opposed to using inappropriate means to get things he wanted in an environment of scarcity or lashing out in anger over real or perceived mistreatment. It doesn't mean what he did was right. But it does mean Dumbledore couldn't make assumptions about him based purely on this information (or rather, shouldn't have made assumptions).

In fact, I personally find Tom’s behavior at this stage much less disturbing than James Potter’s, for example. James has everything he could want and has positive adult role models (unlike Draco's parents I don't think James's parents would've encouraged violent behavior) and yet clearly delights in brutally tormenting Snape for sport. Even as an adult, we usually don’t see Tom hurting people for fun the way we see Bellatrix or Lucius doing. (It doesn’t mean what he’s doing is ok, but it is notable that he usually has a reason). And that's once he's gone wayyyyy further down the path of evil than he has at age 11.

Similarly, here what we see seems to indicate more that Tom is using his powers to exert control than simply to torture people for sport. But of course James grows up to be a Good Guy so his behavior is ok and something he grew out of and could be redeemed from whereas Tom’s behavior is supposed to be immediately and irrevocably damning. 

I reject that narrative.

“Mrs. Cole told Dumbledore that Tom was a cruel young man who hid his cruelty under fake smiles, how he had a habit of charming adults while hurting the orphans behind the caretakers backs.”

She never says any of that. She actually says the opposite - that Tom is a creepy weird little freak who no one likes. We also can see based on how she talks about him and the fact that he’s had doctors in to look at him that clearly he has failed to charm her or other adults around him thus far.

What Mrs. Cole says is: 

“He scares the other children”

In response to Dumbledore’s question about whether Tom is a bully she says “I think he must be but it’s very hard to catch him at it.” She then lists several incidents that she believes Tom is responsible for (such as the hanging of Billy Stubbs’s rabbit and and Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop being off after going into a cave with Tom).

She also says “I don’t think many people will be sorry to see the back of him”

So she certainly suggests that she thinks Tom is no good, but says nothing at all about Tom being able to charm anyone. In fact it seems that Tom is pretty universally hated. Also remember, no matter how advanced his control over his powers was at a young age, some of the things he did were certainly not intentional. Yes they may have been things he wanted to happen, but they weren’t necessarily things that he actively chose to do.

Also, we only have Mrs. Cole’s word that any of these particular incidents were Tom’s fault or that things happened the way she said. Tom himself denies them and we never get any additional context because Dumbledore takes Mrs. Cole at her word and doesn’t investigate further. Why? Well. Tom is Voldemort. Of course if someone is saying bad things about Voldemort being horrible we should believe them. Except in-universe Tom isn’t Voldemort yet. So there’s actually no reason to just immediately accept the word of everyone who says that low down no good freak Tom Riddle is the scum of the earth. 

(Do I personally think that Tom killed the rabbit? Yes. I think that's the more interesting and narratively rich reading. But we don't actually have any evidence that it happened. And Dumbledore certainly doesn't have any reason to immediately believe this woman who dislikes Tom and doesn't understand anything about what he is.)

So yeah. Tom is feared and despised and lives a miserable life of want where he scrabbles for every scrap of food and clothing and would be lucky, in that era, to even own a pair of underwear in the orphanage and had a life of little opportunity to look forward to. (I also rather think he’s hardly the only child there to have any negative behaviors or to steal or fight though he's probably much more effective at it due to his powers.)  

“Tom’s behaviour only changed to become more pleasant when he learnt who Dumbledore was, what he could do for him and how much power Dumbledore had. Dumbledore was naturally disturbed by this behaviour, to be venomous and cruel only to smile and appease when you have something to gain is heinous. it isn’t the behaviour of a stable young person, it’s the exact behaviour that Cole had warned Dumbledore of.”

I disagree with pretty much everything said here so I’m going to take it all at once. Tom was not being venomous and cruel. He was reacting out of fear. He is very clearly scared of Dumbledore at first. Fear based aggression is very common - whether you’re working with a human who has experienced certain types of trauma or with a rescued animal that has been taught to fear humans. It’s a natural response to perceived danger. Tom is backing away and obviously displaying signs of fear and distress based aggression both through his physical and verbal cues. (I can't imagine even punishing an animal that I had just met that snarled and snapped at me due to fear, much less a human being; in either case I'd try to establish a positive relationship first before moving on to correcting inappropriate or dangerous behaviors).

Then Tom finds out that Dumbledore is from Hogwarts, a school of magic, and is someone like Tom - the first person like him that Tom has ever met. Tom is still wary and distrustful, likely never having had an adult he has felt comfortable with, but he does start opening up. He’s actually being remarkably open and genuine here. At this stage, given the mental state Tom is in, Dumbledore should be doing everything he can to reward and encourage this openness and to encourage Tom to be able to feel safe and comfortable around an adult. Later, he can worry about correcting unwanted behaviors and teaching Tom appropriate ways to behave and to use his powers.

What does Dumbledore do instead? He coldly asserts their power dynamic. He exerts his authority and insists that Tom call him Sir, implicitly rebuking him for speaking to Dumbledore without the proper respect. This is just about the worse thing he can do. It's so pointless and petty and unkind.

However, by this point he has something Tom wants very badly - access to the magical world. Tom realizes he is completely at Dumbledore’s mercy and would do anything at this point to get the chance to go to Hogwarts. He can’t control Dumbledore, so in his binary world of dominance and compliance, he offers compliance. And we get this bit which I find gut wrenchingly sad:

Riddle's expression hardened for the most fleeting moment before he said, in an unrecognizably polite voice, "I'm sorry, sir. I meant - please, Professor, could you show me — ?"

He tries to give Dumbledore what he wants. In response to Dumbledore's rebuke for not respecting his authority he stops being genuine and completely closes off and instead adopts a polite and deferential mask. Yes he hates it and is angry, but what other choice does he have? He practically trips over himself to apologize, throws two honorifics into as many sentences and as many polite words as he can think of.

Look at the rhetorical change compared to his previous speaking style. He says I’m sorry. He says sir. He says please. He says professor. He speaks slowly and hesitantly as indicated by the dashes. He trails off. He doesn’t even finish the sentence. He speaks with painful politeness.

Tom lives in a world of submission and control. He can’t control Dumbledore so he’s offering complete submission. He’s not happy about it but Dumbledore has all the power here and he has none. He’s willing to do anything. And he knows it and he knows that Dumbledore knows it. And he has no idea what Dumbledore is going to do with that power. Any burgeoning trust is gone. He’s giving Dumbledore what he thinks he wants.

And Dumbledore takes it as more evidence of Tom’s inherently evil nature but that's not really fair. What else was he supposed to do here?

And I just find it so horrifying. Wow Albus. You really showed that child. What was the point of this? Why not teach him another dynamic besides "person who has the power" and "person who's forced to grovel and comply?" Tom already knows that. Why not model something better and kinder?

“at what point did Dumbledore have time to investigate an orphanage”

He didn’t. But upon learning that Tom, a magic user, is in a situation surrounded by muggles who fear and don’t understand magic (a recipe for disaster as proven by his own sister) he does nothing and offers little compassion (my original point). And he does the same to Harry as well - but I get into that later.

“this war was also a reason why Tom’s behaviour was alarming, who else could camouflage himself to fit in with a group, who else could charm those around him into believing that he was a good, caring person…. the same man who was now seeking to destroy the muggle world perhaps”

I definitely agree that one of the reasons that Dumbledore has an immediate and unfair dislike of Tom is that he reminds him of Grindelwald. (I think there are many other reasons including his own self loathing and seeing things similar to parts of himself he dislikes in Tom but that’s a whole other post). But that’s not fair. The situations are not analogous. And if Dumbledore himself could change why is Tom not given that chance? Why is he never shown another way? Why is he never shown mercy or compassion? No. He is just given more reasons to mistrust, more reasons to see the world as a cold place ruled by those with power stepping on the necks of those with less power.

This doesn’t mean that Tom definitely wouldn’t have become Voldemort if Dumbledore had acted differently. Ultimately Tom’s choices are his own but Dumbledore, as the adult in this situation, had the responsibility to at least try to model and teach good behavior and to offer compassion and do no harm. He does none of this. 

"lastly Harry, how many times do we have to go over the fact that Dumbledore didn’t have a choice every time i go onto his tag someone is claiming that there was somewhere safe for Harry to go"

He did have a choice. At the height of Voldemort's power after his return in book 5 and 6 and the beginning of book 7 Harry lives at places that aren’t the Dursleys without any problem. Grimmauld Place (or any other place placed under the Fidelius Charm) is safe. The Weasleys are able to keep Harry safe in book 6 with just powerful wards etc.

It wasn’t Dumbledore’s choice to make. He wrongfully took Harry away from Sirius, his legal guardian as designated by his parents.

Even if Harry had to live with the Dursleys there is absolutely no reason that he couldn’t have contact with the magical world. He could have been raised knowing the truth and regular checks could have been made to ensure he was well treated. The Durseleys are terrified of wizards and would not have dared to mistreat Harry if they were compelled not to.

"if we can excuse Tom’s cruelty and kleptomania then i think we can excuse a soldier from being unsure and anxious around someone who exhibits those traits"

No. Albus is the adult in this situation. Of course he can't change how he feels. But he can absolutely control himself and not act on those feelings in a way that is inappropriate and harmful. If he is unable to do that then he should remove himself from his position.

And his treatment of Tom is unique - when Draco steals Neville's Remembrall and bullies other students and later becomes a Death Eater and nearly murders several people Dumbledore doesn't treat him like this, nor does he subject the Marauders to such treatment despite their brutal cruelty. It's just Tom who he seems to have this bizarre fixation on and need to despise. Out of universe it's because Tom is destined to be the villain of the series. But in-universe it's unconscionable.

Edit: @forestdeath1 & @dufferpuffer I now see you both added things as well after I started typing this up. I think some of your points are addressed here.

It's actually kinda wild how Dumbledore, despite knowing firsthand from what happened to his sister, the potential harm that can come to magical children exposed to muggles who don't understand them, completely dismisses Tom almost immediately, doesn't really show any concern for his wellbeing, shows no alarm over the implications Riddle's immediate assumption that he is going to be forcibly taken off to an asylum, and doesn't bother to investigate his treatment at the orphanage beyond taking Mrs. Cole's word for everything. (Not to mention the situation he left Harry in.)

[wellpresseddaisy]

Letters from Petunia

Pt. 4

Dear Harry,

Dudley and I will see you at the trial. We'll have both a barrister and a solicitor with us, just in case. Don't wear yourself out fretting; they've agreed with me that the Ministry doesn't have a case at all. We're looking at possibly suing for harassment, given that they grossly overreacted and overstepped the bounds of the law. We shall see.

We may also have to name your Headmaster in the suit as he keeps making statements in your name. I have written to tell him he's no longer your magical guardian, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in yet. I do hope this won't cause you trouble this year. We're trying to avoid antagonizing him.

As Dudley said, wear the robes we sent. You won't be facing this alone.

Aunt Petunia

P.S. Your estate's investments are coming along nicely. We're investing some of the capital in restoring The Pottery for you. It's a lovely building—Tudor, I think, or possibly Elizabethan. I'll have to ask. The House Elves are anxious to meet you.

Harry still wasn't sure what to think by the time his hearing day rolled around. Aunt Petunia and Dudley seemed a lot more human, but he didn't know how he felt about it. More positive about Dudley than Aunt Petunia, perhaps? It felt easier to forgive someone your own age, he supposed.

At least he could eat something that morning, even if it was just some toast and tea. He regretted even having that much with the mad dash to get to the correct courtroom in time and Mr. Weasley practically shoving him through the door.

His stomach settled when he caught sight of Aunt Petunia, garbed like a pureblood witch, and Dudley, also wearing robes, sitting with two older gentlemen he'd never met before. They sat at a table to one side of the high platform at the front of the courtroom. A chair wreathed in chains sat between the table and the other side of the platform. Two people sat over there, but he couldn't see who it was.

He never thought he'd feel relieved to see Aunt Petunia, ever. One of the older men gestured to him before anyone could speak. Harry hurried up the stairs and mutely handed him the notice he'd received before sitting in the empty chair between him and the other man. Aunt Petunia looked over to nod at him.

"He's late." A cold voice rang through the silent chamber. Minister Fudge. Where was Dumbledore? Why was Fudge running a trial?

"Heir Potter has given me a notice he received only ten minutes ago, informing him of the change of time and venue. It is, as is Ministry practice, dated and time stamped to today, ten minutes ago. Curious, Minister, wouldn't you say?" One of the older gentlemen spoke, his clear voice heard in every corner of the chamber.

"Yes, well, Solicitor Burke, er, these things happen." That sounded more like the Fudge Harry remembered. "He'll take his seat as the accused."

"Ah, yes, Minister, before we get to that I have a few concerns as Heir Potter's solicitor. First, do you now consider Heir Potter an adult? While he has been accused of underage magic, he was forced to compete in a tournament open only to those of age. With that, ordered by Ministry officials, and now the convention of the full Wizengamot, it would seem you view Heir Potter as having achieved his majority?"

Suddenly, Harry realized that the man wanted to keep him out of that chair. He had no objections to it...that memory from Dumbledore...

"He's fourteen! Don't be ridiculous! Make him take his seat!" Fudge ordered.

"So you have decided that Wizarding law and a minor Heir's rights may be trampled on if you object to him?" Burke continued. "For I see no other reason to convene this august body for a small offense other than to satisfy a grudge. There has already been an illegal attempt to expel Heir Potter."

Murmuring started in the gallery. So they hadn't known that. Plum-robed Wizengamot members whispered fiercely with one another.

"Silence! Illegal?!" Fudge sputtered. "The Ministry—"

"Has no jurisdiction over Hogwarts." Solicitor Burke interrupted. "So yes, the notice Mr. Potter received was illegally sent. One does not have one's

wand snapped for self defense."

"The boy is lying. Has been all summer. You've seen the Prophet." Fudge blustered.

"Minister Fudge, are you making a public declaration that my client, Heir Potter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, is a liar?" Burke smiled in a way that reminded Harry of sharks and other predators with a lot of teeth.

"Of course I am! Everyone knows he is!"

"Heir Potter, have you spoken to any reporters this Summer?" Burke turned to him. "Stand and speak clearly, please."

"No, sir." Harry stood and answered as clearly as he could. "I was away from the Wizarding World with my family this Summer. I haven't even seen the Prophet since we only got Muggle papers there. No one has asked me anything, either."

The murmuring began again. Harry caught a few mutters of 'What is Fudge thinking?' and 'Could the boy be speaking the truth?' and 'This is an outrage! He is an heir!'

"Thank you, Heir Potter. How could Heir Potter be lying, Minister, when he hasn't issued any kind of statement? Would you wish to amend your previous statement?" Burke seemed to be enjoying himself.

"No. The boy has proved himself a liar." Fudge drew himself up as much as he was able. "He has been accused and will answer the court."

"Yes, Minister. The charge is underage magic before a Muggle? Yes?"

"Of course it is. You received a copy of the notice."

"Unfortunately, Minister, the 'Muggle' in question is actually a squib. I believe the file for this trial contains this updated status. And, Minister, even if he were still a Muggle, he was previously listed as a Knowing Muggle. Young Mr. Evans knows about magic and always has."

Harry slanted a look at Dudley...Evans? Dudley shrugged back. He'd have to ask later.

"Hem hem." A witch in pink robes, seated next to the Minister, interrupted. "Then it was in front of other Muggles. He used magic underage in the Muggle world. Muggles have to have seen."

"Mr. Evans, would you like to explain where you were when you were attacked?" Burke turned to him. "Please stand and address the Wizengamot."

"My cousin and I were in an alley. We'd, er, we'd had an argument and I chased him there. We were alone in the alley. We were still arguing when the ground frosted over and Harry tried to get me to run. I couldn't move and I couldn't think about anything but everything awful that ever happened. He pulled his wand out and yelled, er, I may get this wrong, but I think it was something like 'expecto patronum'? It was after that that I started feeling warmer. He got me home after that and then he got a letter while he was trying to get my parents to get me chocolate." Dudley explained the evening clearly and concisely. "He only used the one spell and it was to protect us."

More murmuring came from the rows of the Wizengamot.

"I demand a vote on even continuing this farce of a trial. Heir Potter should only have had a hearing with the Department of Education, not a full trial for self defense." A witch demanded from the higher rows before Burke could speak. "This is a ridiculous waste of the Wizengamot's time!"

The rest of the members took up the cry of 'A vote! A vote!' and Harry thought of the Prime Minister's Question Time.

"We must…" Fudge began.

"I second the Dowager Longbottom's demand." A wizard interrupted. "I move for the following vote: ayes will end this and clear Heir Potter's record; nays will have the trial continue."

"Seconded!" and "Thirded!" sounded from the rows.

Harry looked over toward Fudge. He looked as if he wanted to eat his own bowler. The pink-clad witch next to him looked as if she'd bitten into a lemon.

"By the magic that governs this chamber, I call a vote!" An older wizard stood and called.

Harry felt something shift in the magic of the room. A golden tally appeared between the platform and the rows of members.

"All in favor of ending this and clearing Heir Potter?"

Harry watched as lit wands raised all over the chamber. He tried not to crumple his robes in his hands. How many sat on the Wizengamot? Why didn't he know? Did any Muggleborn

know?

"All in favor of continuing?"

Many fewer wands lit. Harry stared hard at the tally. Sixty-five ayes and five nays. Apparently common sense and a solicitor who wouldn't give up could derail everything.

"The ayes have it. This Wizengamot trial is concluded and Heir Potter's record is cleared. Heir Potter, you're free to go with a sincere apology from this chamber."

"Stand and bow to the assembly." Burke hissed.

Harry did as he'd been told. As soon as he straightened up, Aunt Petunia swept them out of the courtroom, trailing lawyers and him and Dudley like somewhat untidy tugboats after a yacht. She went straight up to the atrium, cutting through the crowds like a battle cruiser.

Harry followed in a haze of shock. She'd done it. She'd really done it. For the first time in ages, he thought perhaps things would turn out right. Dimly, he heard 'Mrs. Dursley! Ms. Evans! Damn it all, Steward Potter!' in Fudge's obsequious tones.

Aunt Petunia stopped short. Dudley hauled him around so they didn't crash into the lawyers. Minister Fudge, out of his official robes, struggled through the crowd after them. Madam Pink struggled after him. Percy Weasley, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than there, followed her, although people got out of his way.

He shot Harry an apologetic sort of look.

"Steward Potter, I, uh, I do hope this little misunderstanding won't damage relations between House Potter and the Ministry." Fudge twisted his hands.

"Considering, Minister, that when I reached out to your office to clear all this up weeks ago I was told that you would never have time in your schedule for a jumped up embarrassment to the world of Magic and if I wrote or Flooed again I would be prosecuted, I don't think we have anything else to say. Any further communication from the Ministry to House Potter shall be routed through my solicitor's office." Aunt Petunia used that peculiarly penetrating tone she'd developed for passing information to prying ears on other doorsteps. Harry had a feeling the exchange would be all over the Ministry in minutes. "Good day. Come boys, or we shall be late."

And she swept off for the bank of lifts. Harry followed, still a bit dazed. Aunt Petunia apparently had a set of brass ones. He followed her into the lift, not wanting to ask questions just yet. She seemed a bit tetchy. They snagged a lift to themselves and Harry couldn't hold back.

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia."

"I only did what any competent adult ought to have done for you." Her tone put paid to any further appreciation.

"Where are we going?"

Dudley booted him in the ankle.

"We have an appointment with the head of the DMLE. I wrote a few weeks ago regarding your godfather's trial transcript. Director Bones wished to see us." Aunt Petunia explained. "And here's our stop."

Everyone trailed Aunt Petunia out of the lift. Harry looked around. He'd never been on the DMLE floor before. It looked, despite the memos zipping about (Aunt Petunia rolled her eyes and muttered something), like any other office building he'd seen. Plain plaster walls held notices (although these said things like 'Absolutely no automated inkpots beyond this point') and the occasional crooked print.

They passed by what looked like a warren of desks, red-robes figures wandering between them with stacks of parchment. One exasperated young person was trying to catch a small dragon circling overhead, setting fire to paperwork with small jets of flame. A group of clockwork penguins waddled by, one swallowing a memo like a fish, and Harry heard 'Damnit, Hawley! Go round up the penguins! They've only got loose again!'

Aunt Petunia sniffed and turned down a corridor. Soon, they came to a door with DMLE Director's Office in gilt on the window. The door opened to admit them without anyone touching the handle. Aunt Petunia forged ahead, bringing the whole lot of them into the waiting area. Once in, the door shut behind them. Silence reigned.

"Oh, hullo! You must be Steward Potter and...goodness, quite a party." A tall woman with a monocle in one eye stepped out

of the office. She wore a shirt (with stiff collar and Hufflepuff house tie), tweedy waistcoat, and matching trousers. Harry thought he'd last seen her clothes in one of those 1930s things Aunt Petunia liked so much. Poirot, maybe. She had the shortest hair he'd ever seen on a witch.

He liked her immediately.

"I'm Director Bones. I so appreciate you writing, Steward Potter. Would you all step through? The silencing runes sometimes fail and, well, you came past the pen." She opened the door wider and moved out of the way, stopping only to shake hands with Aunt Petunia, who de-iced fractionally at the warm smile.

"The penguins had got out again," Harry told her as he passed.

"Oh...blast it." Bones looked as if she wanted to say something else. "I told Horsfrithers they needed to be secured six times yesterday. Don't even know why we're the ones holding them. Right, everyone in?"

They managed to find seats across from the massive desk covered in stacks of parchment. Bones sifted through stacks before coming up with one.

"Now, Steward Potter, you've upended a fine kettle of fish all over the department. My assistant actually quit when we realized what had happened."

"And what, precisely, happened?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Sirius Black was never tried. We have an intake form and a transfer form and nothing else. I'll be briefing the Minister this afternoon and having the Kiss on Sight order revoked. After that, the DMLE will ask his lordship to attend a special Meet of the Wizengamot." Bones explained. "He'll be tried then."

Harry stared, his heart beating in his ears. They'd left the absence of a paper trail. They had some small bit of proof. Sirius...Sirius could be free.

Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to speak but the other lawyer beat her to it.

"And if he is found innocent? If that's the case, Director Bones, then there will be a great deal of trouble." He looked like he might not mind it.

"I know, Hadwell. We're preparing for that and for the mother of all recompense. The DMLE, is, of course. I'm on my fourth attempt to get this through to Fudge."

"And for everyone with a relative in Azkaban to challenge their sentencing?" Hadwell asked.

"Oh. Yes, that." She looked tired. "We pulled all court records for all prisoners. It was just his lordship who was...slipped through. Now, do you have any questions?"

"Will you send notice of the trial date?" Aunt Petunia asked, her hands clasped tight in her lap.

"We'll send it through Burke and Hadwell, madam. And don't worry. I'll ensure Fudge complies with the law."

Harry had no doubt she would.

"Thank you, Director Bones, for your time today, and for searching court records. I had hoped to provide some closure for Harry, but I suppose we'll have to wait." Aunt Petunia looked almost demure.

"I'll have someone keep you apprised of what's happening, madam. Please don't hesitate to write or Floo if you have further questions for me."

Harry watched as they shook hands again and slipped out the door with Dudley. Director Bones seemed to want a moment to reassure Aunt Petunia again.

"That the mental godfather you threatened us with?" Dudley knocked their shoulders together.

"Yeah." Harry managed, still stunned. "I didn't think...your mum…"

"Ugh. Mum's flirting with Bones. First Snape and now this." Dudley complained.

"Wait, what?" Harry squeaked. "They...what?!"

"Oh yes," Dudley smirked at him. "He came over so he and mum could shout at each other about you and how they treated you and I think they were flirting at the end. Anyway, I went back upstairs. But ever since...well...Mum and Dad aren't getting back together. Ever. Mum's been...I dunno."

Harry tried not to make a face, but the thought...disgusting. "Is she…"

"She'll be fine, especially if she gets to shout at a few more magicals. That bint in pink was the one who was so rude to her. Senior Undersecretary she calls herself."

That sparked something. Harry ducked back into the inner office and ignored Bones kissing Aunt Petunia's knuckles.

"Er, if you need an assistant you should poach Percy

Weasley. I don't think he's happy and he's brilliant at organizing things." It came out in a rush and he ducked back out.

Dudley just looked at him and shook his head. "There's a whole book series about you being a heroic little berk, did you know? Suppose they aren't that far off."

Harry choked.

[sherlockfreak05]

If you have more Severitus fics to recommend I'd LOVE to hear it! I can never get enough of them <3

Okay! I've been scouring my accounts on ao3, ffnet, and p&s and I have a few here that I favorited (and I like your subtitle convention, so I'm gonna use it, haha)

O Mine Enemy by KirbyLane (the one with the seer dreams) -- When Harry finds an injured Snape on his doorstep and must hide him from the Dursleys, he has no idea that this very, very bad day will be the start of something good.

*Alternate 6th summer/part of 6th year. Ignores HBP and DH. Uhh, some blood in it? Nothing terribly graphic

**probably my favorite of the bunch. I think this was the first long (61 chapters) HP fanfic I read and it's sooooo good. I cried multiple times, it hit me right in the feels so hard! I also think everyone is written really well--Snape is still Snape, but the change in character/relationship is believable. (I may or may not have re-read this over the last couple days 🤫)

The Choices We Made by JewelBurns (the cancer story) -- What if you could change your biggest regret? After a devastating event occurs, Snape from an alternate reality is given that chance, but ends up in the canon universe. Will he be able to gain back what he's lost while helping to save the wizarding world at the same time?

*AU post OotP, mentions of cancer, leukemia, medical descriptions, grief/mourning, good Dudley Dursley (for a positive note!), Dramione

**Another of my favorites, oddly enough. There are things I read in this that live in my head rent free now, like "green (but not Slytherin green)". So... it deals with cancer. Which is heavy. But the developing relationship is great. Again, the characters are well written, even though this isn't Canon Snape, but he has to step in and start living that life, which is interesting. Harry and Draco become friends, which I liked a lot (Has a currently ongoing sequel that I need to catch up on)

Resonance by GreenGecko (the auror training one) -- Year six and Harry needs rescuing by Dumbledore and Snape. The resulting understanding between Harry and Snape is critical to destroying Voldemort and leads to an offer of adoption. Covers year seven and Auror training.

*ONLY on FFdotNet, "PG-13 for occasional violence and very roundabout romantic references" Harry/Tonks and Harry/ofc (trying to do this by memory as there's no tags 🤷‍♀️)

**It's been a little longer since I read this one, but I really enjoyed it. I love my two boys and their found family. Harry turns very studious iirc and I liked it, haha. The auror training stuff I found very interesting. First part of a trilogy, sequels are Revolution and Resolution. (I started the second one like immediately and got a little burnt out on it, so I haven't finished it yet. Still good tho!)

Namesake Necklace by WiCeBa (the deaged!Harry one) -- Harry and Dudley are attacked one evening and Snape is called to fix it. A child sized Harry, who looks much more like Lily than James at this age, was not what he was expecting.

*5th summer, abusive Dursleys, neglect

**this is one of the few deaged stories I've read (I'm kind of meh on the concept, depends on the rest of the story), but I enjoyed it. Sirius is a little, uhh... overprotective, but it thankfully all works out. Harry inherits an ugly beautiful shell lamp from his mom and Mama Prince is in it and I like her a lot, haha

-----

That's what I have for now! I'm currently re-reading The Last Will and Testament of Lily Evans Potter, bc I had it saved and I am having a slightly different experience on re-read. I'll report back, lol. But yeah! I loved quite a few of the ones you already recommended (it still breaks my heart that Second Chances never finished, but I will re-read it forever). There are a lot of one-shots I like that don't QUITE fit the bill, sort of more like moments of understanding between the characters.

Oh! And I will say I hope someday you finish reading AYLNO. I enjoyed that one so much! The ongoing sequel is pretty good, but it's another one I need to catch up on

Hope you enjoy at least one of these!

[hibiscera]

Shazam First impression!!

BABY BOY BABY

First impression

Okay I think the first time I really noticed his existence was... When the movie was coming out, so when I saw the trailer in theaters? I think that was my first exposure to Shazam.

I remember my first thoughts being "hey this superhero movie actually seems fun?" and trust me when I say I have NEVER regretted anything as much as I regret not seeing Shazam in theaters.

When Shazam 3 comes out and Mr. Mind comes onscreen I am GOING to cry in the theater. but this isn't about him right now.

Impression now

SON BOY YOU ARE MY BABY BOY MY ANGEL MY SON!!!

I love Billy "Shazam" Batson so much. He is my son. He is such a good boy and I love him. Power of Shazam is probably my favorite incarnation and the biggest inspiration for my version of him in my personal DC verse. (:

I have a soft spot for the newer version too even if he's rougher around the edges. U_U He is my son boy no matter what.

Favorite moment

Something that really stuck out to me in Power of Shazam is how he was mad at his parents at first for everything, not knowing the truth of what happened. It's a small thing, but it's a detail I like and stuck with me.

Also obligatory mention of the scene from the 7 magiclands when Mr. Mind is giving Billy the "we're not so different you and I" speech because Billy's involvement in that is CRITICAL to making it one of the best scenes ever.

Idea for a story

INHALES. Okay so like, aside from me wanting to write my epic of Billy's first big encounter with Mr. Mind, which I have a WHOOOOLE THING FOR.

I very specifically have been thinking lately about wanting to write this one particular scene. Where Mr. Mind takes Billy into his mindscape and shows Billy the remains of Venus. And gives him the we're not so different you and I speech.

A big part of this is, Mr. Mind is like... for a while here, Billy's "video game companion character" like Navi or Fi, before he reveals his true role and intentions.

But for me, a very important thing about the characters is that they DO parallel each other in a way, so Mr. Mind is being very genuine when he extends a... claw to Billy, telling him they could work together because he understands him.

Of course, he does not TRULY understand Billy because Billy, while frustrated like Mr. Mind is about the hand he was dealt in life and being stepped over, he's also like... normal about it instead of world domination.

Anyways I just want to write out that scene.

Unpopular opinion

None that I can think of at the moment....

Favorite relationship

Okay so I hope everything I just said up there about parallels with Billy and Mr. Mind up there makes it clear that I love them as enemies so much, and how they can mirror each other. I love even more Mr. Mind eventually getting a villain decay arc and becoming Billy's weird uncle who is still kind of evil but at least he is not trying to destroy the city every other week.

But also Billy and Clark. 🥺 Always thinking about the one comic where Superman is going to end the wizard's life for putting the burden he has upon a child. Clark basically adopting him and looking after him always makes me so happy...

AND ALSO since Billy is news reporter, I do think it would be very cute if he looked up to Clark Kent's journalism. 😭

Also of course BILLY AND FREDDY!!! BROTHERS!!! AND MARY!!!!! TWINS!!!!

Honestly, when it comes to Billy and Relationships, I could go on and on because for me that's such a big part of his character, I put a lot of emphasis on it with my version of him and the huge found family he ends up building.

Also specific shout out to Dudley in Power of Shazam being a school janitor who's looking out for him, I think that version is so sweet. 😭

Favorite headcanon

See usually this is where I would talk about the gender and sexuality headcanon but? I don't have any solid ones for Billy except I just know he is a boy. My son boy, in fact.

However you KNOW I made this boy an autistic adhd legend!!!