#harry potter essay

[sennenrings]

Gryffindor Common Room, 1973

please do not repost my art

[del-stars]

okay, but. imo sirius would not have walked onto the hogwarts express, picked out james potter, and said 'oh good, my parents will hate you.' he's eleven, and he hasn't been sorted into gryffindor yet - he's still very much in his parents' favor at this stage. baby sirius wants to do good and impress them; he's so sheltered that he's never even met someone who didn't uphold their beliefs. james is the first. i really think that being sorted into gryffindor broke baby sirius' heart, because he knows even then that it creates an irreversible divide between him and his mother. he befriends james not out of spite, but because he's james - he's nice, he's welcoming, and he's a kid. carelessly, james kicks his feet up on the bench, eats his food with his fingers, and lets his shirt go untucked. james is sirius' first taste of freedom, his first realisation that he can do things he isn't really supposed to, and still turn out a good person.

walburga comes to despise james potter not just because of his family's reputation, but because of the noticeable effect he has on sirius. it's like someone has taken her son and replaced him with a cheap copy: sirius burps at the dinner table, refuses to dress properly, and has started using foul language. worst of all, he writes to james. he talks of missing james. walburga has been desperate to get sirius back into her arms from the moment he left, because sirius is walburga's entire life, and it's becoming clear that sirius is destined for more. he's learning there is a life for him outside the walls of their house. sirius' existence is the culmination of her life purpose, and she is no longer her favourite person. she hates him for this.

the heartbreaking thing is sirius genuinely doesn't know why. he isn't trying to upset his mother, but he has to make friends, right? the slytherins won't talk to him, his cousins have shunned him, and he spends a lot of time around james. for a little while, he thought the gryffindor thing wouldn't be that big of a deal. parents are supposed to love their children regardless, right? this is where sirius begins to hate his mother, in turn: her love appears to be conditional. he seeks it from others, obsessively, to spite her.

[karistiltskin]

remus, regulus, and lily would be sooo disappointed in me this exam season

[ghostinwinterfell]

sirius really spent 12 years in solitary confinement with nothing but dementors for company, only to be locked up in his abusive childhood home for a year, and then murdered by his own cousin the one time he left it to protect harry.

it’s no wonder that sirius was such a healthier parental figure to harry during goblet of fire. he may have been alone and on the run, he may have been forced to live in a cave and to eat rats, but at least he was free.

[daiziesssart]

a humiliatingly long character analysis of lily evans

Someone sent me an ask that briefly mentioned how misunderstood Lily is, and before I knew it I was typing out this monster. I am. sorry. This is literally just me rambling about her, what I find compelling about her character, and why her character is so often misunderstood.

This is long as hell so I'm putting it under a read more lolol

Part of the reason I like Lily so much (other than my being ginger and projecting onto any redheaded female character I see) is that even though she isn’t explored as much as her other Marauders Era counterparts, we know enough about her to start building the framework for her character. And what I see is a girl who was incredibly interesting, kind, and flawed.

One thing I always think about in regards to Lily is that she was dealt with a pretty unfair hand. As soon as she receives her letter, she’s basically torn between two worlds, both of which have been less than welcome to her. On one hand, we have the muggle world that she’s known all her life, but once she starts integrating into the wizarding world, she likely feels a bit of a disconnect with that world. To twist the knife further, her sister- whom she loved dearly and grew up so close with- starts outwardly resenting her with such unbridled hostility that they likely couldn’t even be in a room alone together without major conflict. 

On the other hand, we have the wizarding world– a world she’s not as familiar with and one she soon learns holds a demographic of people who hate everything she is and would rather see her excommunicated or even dead. And even though finding out you’re a witch/wizard is probably such an exciting and life-changing moment, I can’t help but also take note of the difficulties, especially if you’re the only one in your family with magic. You’re essentially uprooted from the only way of life you’ve known at an already complicated age, and now you have to quickly become acclimated to this new world that you only just found out existed. Not only that, but now you’re suddenly attending a school with classes that are primarily focused on this world of magic (which is still brand new to you), and you have to work extra hard to play catch up in order to do well. Like, that all seems like… a lot for a kid to handle.

And then I remember how young she was when she was thrown into that mess. She was only 11, and kids that age desperately crave any sense of belonging. I mean, that’s something that still holds true for adults, but it’s especially critical for a developing child. So imagine Lily, ages 11-15, struggling to stay afloat in this weird purgatory between these two parts of herself, both of which have been the cause for major and traumatic experiences relating to rejection in her life.

(I say it was the “cause” even though it’s obvious that those things were never her fault at all, but when you’re a young kid navigating the world, the only thing you’re able to process is that the common denominator is you, therefore you’re the one who must shoulder the blame.)

So now we have this tween-teenaged girl who has a dysfunctional relationship with two major parts of identity and probably feels absolutely lost. 

This is why her hesitancy to end her friendship with Snape makes sense to me. Even though by fifth year he’s already well past toeing the line with the dark arts, Lily was willing to overlook some pretty egregious and troubling things in order to maintain the relationship. I kind of interpret that as her way of desperately clinging on to any sense of belonging she has left; her relationship with Petunia has already been poisoned, and now there are people who resent her existence as a witch; if she loses Severus too, what and who else does she have? And what tone does that set for her, if everyone and everything she’s come to hold close to her ends up turning her away?

It’s also important to note that not only is Severus one of her few remaining connections to the muggle world, but he’s also a wizard who grew up in the muggle world; he understands her, and I don’t doubt that he gave her some stability at times when she needed it (her finding out about her being a witch, her having trouble acclimating to the wizarding world, etc).

I see this as being one of her flaws and I can actually appreciate how relatable and realistic it feels. Lily is not a bad person; on the contrary, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone to describe her as such. Not to get all clinical and boring, but the interesting thing about (unhealthy) coping mechanisms is that it can actually be really hard to identify them in your own behavior. Unless you’re in therapy and/or are actively psychoanalyzing yourself, you likely don’t even realize how many of your common behaviors are born from self defense mechanisms put in place by your brain after past events.

To me, it makes sense why she avoided actually confronting the idea that Snape was too far gone. We know that she was aware of the path Severus was taking, but it almost seems like she was still convinced that she could save him, and could possibly steer him back in the right direction. It’s only when she becomes the target of his bigotry that she realizes that the Snape who called her a ‘mudblood’ was not the same Severus who was the one who held her hand and introduced her to this new, exciting world.

In a general sense, yes, it is selfish, to only take a stand when something starts affecting you personally. But I also think it’s important to note that it’s unlikely that this was a conscious decision on Lily’s part. In my eyes, it was easier to delude herself into thinking she still had a chance to save him before it was too late when she was able to separate him from his actions (considering, a lot of the time, she was only hearing about them after the fact, rather than seeing them firsthand). But the elusion is shattered once she sees that the Snape she grew up with– her friend, Severus– is, in fact, the same person who’s out there calling other students slurs, dismissing the malicious use of Dark Magic on others as just “a laugh”. There we see a Lily who is actually revealed to have been somewhat aware of Snape’s involvement with the darker side of magic, and genuinely feels pretty ashamed about her inaction.

That moment in SWM is probably somewhat of an epiphany to her. It’s like a dam that’s been broken, and now she’s overwhelmed with the realization of exactly how much she overlooked in order to keep their friendship afloat. And for someone like Lily Evans, someone whom we know is opinionated and unafraid to call others out on their bullshit, that can be hard to swallow and feel pretty mortifying and shameful. And I think this was a huge turning point for her- at that point, she doesn’t have the luxury of avoiding uncomfortable truths anymore and now that she’s getting closer to graduating and being thrown out into the world on the brink of war, this was probably a really sobering discovery.

This is where we don’t have as much info to go off of, and a lot of it is up to interpretation. But we actually have little crumbs to go off of following her graduation and leading up to her death.

One of my favorite little tidbits isn’t in the books, and @seriousbrat's post reminded me about it. Here's the actual entry on Pottermore for anyone who's interested, but I'll summarize: after James and Lily began dating, Lily brings James to meet newly engaged Petunia and Vernon. Everything goes downhill, because Vernon is a smarmy asshole, and James is still pretty immature and can’t help but mess with him (which… fair, I guess). Petunia and Vernon storm out after Petunia letting Lily know that she had no intentions of having her as a bridesmaid, which causes Lily to break down into tears. I mention this because I also think it’s a pretty important aspect of her character; like we’ve seen in her past friendship with Snape, Lily seems more than willing to forgive others most of the time. Petunia is a bit of a complicated character herself, but she was objectively very cruel and unfair to Lily once it became obvious that she was a witch and Petunia was not.

Something that always stands out to me is just how desperate Lily is to earn Petunia’s trust and approval again. Even up until her death, she was more than willing to mend the relationship, were Petunia ever to consider. 

This is a detail about Lily that I feel is misunderstood quite a bit. I’ve seen a lot of instances of her character being reduced to a one-dimensional archetype with little to no complexity. And often, that archetype is “know-it-all, prudish, self righteous bookworm who is also a goody two-shoes with a stick up her ass”. What annoys me is that the reason for this is most definitely the scene in which she blows up at James in SWM for bullying Snape, and hurls quite a few insults at him directly after an extremely devastating and overwhelming situation for her. This frustrates me because we know for a fact that she’s the polar opposite of this archetype I’ve seen her reduced to. 

In actuality, she’s referred to as popular, charming, witty, bright and kind. From flashbacks we also are shown that she’s opinionated, bold, and not afraid to challenge others. With other context, like her interpersonal relationships, we can also see that she’s pretty emotionally driven and wears her heart on her sleeve. 

(I know Remus didn’t mention Lily much in the books, but I really love how he described her in the movies. He tells Harry that the first thing he noticed about him was not his striking resemblance to his father, but his eyes, the same eyes Lily had. He also calls her a “singularly gifted witch” and an “uncommonly kind woman”.

“She had a way of seeing the beauty in others, even and perhaps most especially, when that person could not see it in themselves.”

I know there are mixed feelings on whether or not the films count as canon source material, so take it with a grain of salt, but I personally cannot see a world in which Lily and Remus didn’t become close friends.)

Here we have a direct description of what she was like and who she was, corroborated by recounting of memories of her, and yet for some reason, this feels like the thing that is most commonly lost in translation.

I don’t think I can say why I think that is without mentioning the dreaded M word (misogyny- it’s misogyny), but I also don’t want to get too off topic so I’ll be brief: female characters are typically not given the same grace as male characters. When we have an undeveloped male character, he’s awarded the assumption that despite his lack of depth, there still exists a complex and multifaceted character– it’s merely just potential that hasn’t been tapped into. Whereas when we have underdeveloped female characters, they are taken at face value, meaning that not much exists beyond the little information we have of them. They are not presumed to have a life or a story that exists beyond the surface of what we know like male characters are. That’s why I think characters like Regulus, Evan, or Barty (just to name a few) are more popular than Lily, despite being less developed than she is.

(Before anyone gets defensive, no, I don’t think it’s an individual problem that you alone need to be shamed for. I think it’s the result of a deeper issue regarding misogyny in media as a concept; these are things that we’ve all unknowingly internalized and while it’s not our fault, we still have to do the work to deconstruct those learned prejudices.)

What I find really cool about her character is that despite how much she’s been hurt, she’s also still known as one of the most loving, kind, and considerate characters. There were so many times in her life where the love she received was conditional and ripped away from her– and I think that’s what makes her sacrifice even more poignant. She was able to protect her infant son from an extremely powerful dark wizard, wand-less, knowing that her husband was just murdered in cold blood, just from how much love she felt for Harry. Her love was a force of nature on its own, and I just think that’s such an amazing thing about her. 

I know I’m biased, given that she’s one of my favorite characters, but even upon delving into this, I still just find it so incredibly hard to understand how anyone can actively hate her (not indifference, but actual dislike). In my opinion (again, no one is unbiased, and she is a favorite character of mine, but trust me when I say that I’m trying to be objective as possible when I say this), she’s probably one of the most likable characters of the Marauders Era. I think perhaps a lot of people haven’t given her a chance or really taken the time to learn about her character, but it could be a myriad of other reasons that I’ll never understand. 

There's so much more I could say but this is long enough and I will stop myself

Lily Evans, u will always be famous to me

[lena-thinks-too-much]

Okay, so anyone who says Tim is a Ravenclaw is WRONG. If you think Tim is a Ravenclaw then you don't understand Hogwarts houses outside of "the cool kids, the smart kids, the nice kids, and the mean kids".

Like you mean to tell me Tim "I blackmailed Batman to make me Robin" Drake isn't a Slytherin?

Tim who has more contingencies than Batman and is the only Robin that can LIE to batman?

Tim decides something needs to happen and then makes it happen. Like that isn't the most Slytherin trait ever.

Slytherin's are cunning, resourceful, and ambitious. If you don't think that describes Tim Drake then you clearly haven't read the Red Robin comics.

I mean let's take a look shall we?

He realizes that batman didn't really die, and not a single person in the entire hero community believes him, so what does he do? He decides to find and save batman himself. AND HE SUCCEEDS.

There's the ambition.

Tim fought seven powerful metahuman assassins, whose abilities he did not know of before, while protecting a civilian, AND WON.

Resourcefulness.

And do we really need to talk about how many times Tim faced Ra's in a battle of wits and won?

Cunning.

So yeah, Tim Drake is a Slytherin and if you still don't think so, fight me.

[accio-sriracha]

Sirius: *convinces Remus to read over his transfiguration essay for him*

Remus: *hands it back an hour later*

Sirius:

Remus:

Sirius: Moons this just says 'what the fuck' in red ink at the bottom.

[winn-wynn]

Oliver looking at Percy before looking away at his unfinished essay: lord have mercy, we must stay focused brothers we must stay focused

[vanillesuiker]

As a chemistry student, the fact that potions class (one of the closest thing to chemistry/general lab work in the wizarding world) takes place in the dungeons pisses me off so badly.

Like what do you MEAN they're heating stuff up in a poorly ventilated BASEMENT? That's not... safe? If your friend inhales a dangerous substance, how are you going to get them to fresh air as soon as possible when you are literally underground?

There's also no fume hoods (I really hope this is the correct translation for this, because I dont think acid cabinet is the right one lmfao). Literally look at any laboratory and there's a 95% chance you'll find atleast one fume hood there. We constantly see all sorts of fumes coming from the cauldrons, that can't be safe??

Also why did Percy Weasley have to write a report on standardised cauldrons bottoms?? And everyone was like "oh haha there goes Percy and his useless little report" NO??? That's like... so dangerous and he's right!! It's been said here before but he was right!!! But why did he have to write that. Why was that necessary? Why wasn't it the standard already??

In conclusion, idk how the fuck wizards have a longer lifespan than muggles because they seem to do everything in their power to make it shorter.

[bawbawbridgie]

WE DONT TALK ABOUT THE SCRIPT CHANGES ENOUGH AND I WILL STAND BY THAT. I COULD WRITE A WHOLE ESSAY ON IT AND WHY IT IS SUCH A BIG DEAL BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE DO NOT REALISE HOW DIFFERENT IT IS COMPARED TO THE OG SCRIPT AHHHHHHHH

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

Many of JKR's approaches to social class seem to me to reflect precisely the same mind-set that she so loudly and shrilly denounces in her depiction of the Dursleys. People like the Dursleys, JKR tells us, are wickedly regressive -- brutish, even. They and their ilk should be scorned, as should the things that they tend to believe in. Things like corporal punishment. Things like the death penalty. Things like disdain for the lower classes. Things like suspicion of the aristocracy. Things like jingoism, and law-and-orderism, and political paranoia, and the belief that foreigners are intrinsically dubious, not to be trusted. Things like "blood will tell." We are treated to this at the beginning of each novel, almost as if JKR wants to establish her progressive credentials from the very outset. Once we move on to the meat of the text, however, it can sometimes become a bit difficult to avoid the suspicion that in some indefinable way, the spirit of Aunt Marge is pushing the hand that holds the pen. Blood really does seem to tell in the Potterverse, and foreign names do often serve as a marker of dark allegiance. The lower classes are stupid and beneath notice; the aristocracy is sinister, and very likely sexually perverse as well. Corporal punishment is precisely what children like Draco Malfoy deserve, and although Hogwarts does not itself permit this, the narrative voice positively exults whenever the little brat gets physically smacked down. The political approach of Crouch Sr. was regrettable, of course -- but all the same, you know, his son really was guilty...and besides, Fudge is ever so much worse. And Sirius Black, whom Vernon Dursley so brutishly classifies as gallows-bait, was innocent all along. Pettigrew was the real culprit -- and the narrative voice rather gives us the impression that the author believes that he really does "deserve to die." It is troubling, this, and it casts the Dursley sequences which open each novel in a strange and somewhat disturbing light. The broad slapstick viciousness of these passages—often strikingly stylistically out of kilter with the more subtle shadings of the rest of the text—almost begin to read like expressions of authorial self-hatred, or perhaps even as failed authorial attempts at self-exorcism. JKR rings her little bell and lights her single candle: she sneers at Vernon; she blows up Aunt Marge. But the values that these characters represent cannot be so easily dismissed. Their personifications may receive all manner of public thrashing in the first chapter or two of each novel, but it would seem that their spirits are lodged somewhere deep within the author's very soul. When it comes to the Dursleys, the closet conservative doth protest too much. The result—much like the homophobic rantings of those trapped in a somewhat different closet—is strangely unconvincing. On some fundamental level, we simply do not believe in the Dursleys in at all the same way that we believe in the rest of the fictive world. The explicit condemnation of their values doesn't carry the same weight as the implicit approval that these same values are granted by the rest of the text -- in very much the same way that JKR's use of stereotypes as a form of humor so often fails to quite convince readers that she really doesn't, deep down in her heart of hearts, genuinely believe the things that she passes off as "nothing but a joke." JKR wants to be a progressive. But there's a rock-solid streak of conservatism in her writing, and even though she herself seems to dislike it, she nonetheless seems incapable of banishing it even from her very own text.

via Elkins's essay on Class in Harry Potter. Notably, this was written before the last two books were released and is very insightful on things that would later be revealed both about the authorship, Rowling's views as a writer, and her general social views in the following 15 years.

[danandfuckingjonlmao]

“no one gets this female character like i do” and the female character is the 2016 film swiss army man directed by the daniels and produced by a24 starring paul dano and daniel radcliffe

[fugamalefica]

From Christopher E. Bell's essay 'Riddle Me This: The Moral Disengagement of Lord Voldemort'.

[maxdibert]

Your post on muggleborn discrimination honestly opened my eyes and predictably I don’t see the general fandom (or maybe just the marauder fandom) being receptive to this idea because it sort of challenges a lot of what Rowling was trying to set up with her shallow ideas of politics and systems of oppression.

I think it’s really interesting how muggleborns are sort of considered “the most oppressed group” within Harry Potter (especially by certain fandoms) when clearly they are not, giants seemed to have been through a sort of genocide in Europe, elves are literally enslaved, werewolves aren’t allowed within “normal society” and every other non human being is treated along these lines. But once they started targeting muggleborns, well they’ve gone too far! Those are humans! Sure they don’t have the same magical parents that we do, but it’s not like they’re goblins or anything! And this attitude is so present within the series it really makes you question the order and whether or not you can really call them “progressives” “who fight for what’s right” (note the apathy towards all non human beings shown by the members except maybe Hermione, whose extra goals of furthering the rights of these beings is looked down upon. Also note Bill Weasleys odd comments about goblins in deathly hallows)

anyways I like to think there was another group of progressives in hp that weren’t the order, filled with working class people, squibs, werewolves, goblins, elves, etc. that would operated in a different way. they weren’t just trying to end Voldemort or fight in combat but build community, give aid to those who needed it, and protect each other. Idk at this point I’m just very disillusioned with the whole “the order is a radical group of progressives” especially as it’s usually coming from marauders fans who most likely have never had any experience with any radical groups of progressives, they just like the idea and aesthetic. The order really was a group of elites, (with a few tokens that were treated as such) that’s one purpose was to win a war, nothing more, nothing less.

Sorry for coming here quite late, but this ask was so interesting and allow me for make a huge meta about this topic and i didn't have so much time this week so i was waiting for have a time to answer properly.

Well, this is gonna be long because THIS IS THE MAIN FUCKING TOPIC.

In the wizarding world, there are clearly two main categories: humans and non-humans. Humans are considered political subjects with rights because when we talk about beings who are not discriminated against, we’re not really talking about “people” in the general sense, but about political subjects. If you're not a political subject, you're not seen as a person because in order to be recognized as a person within a society, you must have political rights and be treated as a subject, not an object.

This is why the political recognition of women and racialized people as subjects with individual rights has been so historically significant. Before they were granted those rights, they weren’t considered people: they were property. Women belonged to their husbands, fathers, or brothers, and racialized people were literally the property of their enslavers. It’s crucial to clarify this, because when we say “people,” we often assume it includes the general population, without understanding that from a sociopolitical perspective, only those recognized as political subjects are truly considered people. Everyone else exists in subordination to them.

With that said, in the wizarding world, the only beings considered political subjects with rights are humans. Non-humans are not. They’re seen as inferior beings. They have no right to study in the same magical schools as humans, no right to hold high positions within the institutions that shape society (like the Ministry), and in some cases, they don’t even have the right to autonomy over their own lives. And we’re talking about beings who are canonically shown to be cognitively capable whose only “flaw” is not being human.

This also applies to semi-human beings like werewolves, who aren’t considered full political subjects either. The only way they can access any of the rights humans enjoy is by hiding what they are. If they don’t, they can’t even legally hold a job.

Now, even among humans—excluding the semi-human category for the reasons stated above—there is a clear system of internal discrimination. You have humans with magic and humans without magic. And only those with magic are considered political subjects in the magical world. If you’re a human without magic, you may be regarded as marginally above goblins, house-elves, or centaurs but you're still beneath magical humans. You have no right to the same freedoms, and you have absolutely no voice in the political, social, or legal decisions made in the wizarding world.

Take squibs, for example. They’re born into magical families, but are pushed to the margins of magical society simply for lacking powers. They’re denied the right to attend the same schools as magical children, denied the ability to influence magical governance, and denied recognition as full participants in the society they were born and raised in. Their exclusion starts with being denied access to magical education, a critical first step in institutional exclusion.

And then there are muggles. Muggles not only lack rights within the magical world: they don’t even have the right to know it exists. And yet, wizards feel completely entitled to intervene in their lives and make profound decisions on their behalf like erasing their memories. Wizards hold muggles in such low regard, they see them as third-class beings whose minds they can freely tamper with.

Even Hermione, one of the supposed paragons of morality, erases her parents’ memories without asking them, and the story presents it as an act of kindness, responsibility, even love. But it’s not. It’s a violation of the most fundamental human right: the right to own your life and make your own decisions. Wizards couldn’t care less: they trample over that right with no remorse.

So, at this point, we have several castes:

Lowest caste: All non-human beings, treated like animals, sometimes as slaves, sometimes as mere creatures to be kept at a distance.

Slightly above them: Semi-human beings. Still treated like beasts, just with more evolved minds.

Second-class citizens: Non-magical humans, where squibs rank slightly above muggles (at least squibs know about magic and can prepare for it).

Highest caste: Humans with magical powers. This is the elite: the privileged class. They have access to education, employment, political voice, ownership of property, and even the right to hold others—sentient beings—as slaves. And this includes all magical humans, regardless of blood status.

There is no point in the timeline—before Voldemort takes over—where magical humans of different blood statuses don't have the same rights. Muggle-borns have the same access to education, healthcare, government jobs, private property, and business opportunities as pure-bloods. Nothing in canon suggests that a muggle-born couldn’t own a house-elf, for example. Muggle-borns are granted the full legal and social privileges of the magical elite.

So what’s the real problem muggle-borns face? Where’s the actual discrimination? The only issue is that there's a conservative, extremist minority that wants to push this already privileged group out of the elite. That’s it. And yes, that’s awful, but let’s be real: Harry, who’s half-blood, inherits Kreacher, a sentient being. Harry owns a slave. Just like Hermione could have. And nobody bats an eye. So are we seriously going to equate the plight of muggle-borns with that of racialized people in the U.S.? Or compare Death Eaters to the KKK? Are we really going to draw parallels to the historical persecution of Jewish communities or apartheid? Because that is politically and academically inaccurate. There’s no basis for that.

Muggle-borns, like half-bloods and pure-bloods, are full political subjects, the top tier in a deeply unjust hierarchy that excludes the vast majority of other sentient, cognitively evolved beings in the magical world. So, honestly, everything that happens in the series is just internal warfare between privileged people fighting within their own elite bubble. Yes, horrible things happen, but being a goblin, a house-elf, or a centaur in that world is far worse. Being a Muggle is worse, having your memory wiped without consent, being used, manipulated, and treated like you're expendable is worse.

So no, I don't buy into the idea that muggle-borns are the most oppressed group in the wizarding world. That’s simply not true. From a social and political standpoint, they’re not. They’re part of the most privileged class, the only group that has full political and legal rights. The only ones who are truly free. Everyone else exists under their control.

[lotus-lianmei]

Okay harry potter fandom hot take(maybe..)

The relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald isn’t unrealistic or doesn’t NOT make sense.

Hear me out okay..

I’ve seen quite a good amount of people criticize the canonization of their relationship between these two over the years.

Complaints ranging from it being unrealistic and improbable for it to have ACTUALLY been romantic. Brushing off any confirmation to just consider them close friends or say it’d be better off that way, to people just straight up dismissing Dumbledore’s sexuality all together.

Now, I’ve been in this fandom awhile and these are just some things I’m pulling from the top of my memory bank.

I feel like it is entirely possible for it to have been romantic and have happened. Its not unrealistic, not at all.

One of the main criticisms is that it was too quick. Two months to be exact. It’d be completely unrealistic for two people to be friends, become so completely infatuated with each other. To the point where they’re already planning an entire future together.

But, its not.

Take into consideration they clicked so quickly even Bathilda Bagshot took note of it. It’s really not all that unbelievable especially considering the place they were in their lives. Albus’ mother JUST died and he missed a trip he’d been looking forward to more than anything.

Meanwhile Gellert had just been expelled from Durmstrang, likely also in a not good headspace. I can imagine like Albus, he was lonely. They were both so LONELY in that point of their lives.

So, to find someone you instantly get along with and have things in common, such as an obsession over the Deathly Hallows or a clever mind. Someone to actually talk to, to feel good with. It wouldn’t be unrealistic for them to become quickly attached to each other.

Also take into consideration they were 16 and 17. Teenage relationships go 0-10 really quickly. Especially if there’s an instant connection there. They were two teenage boys in a hard place in their life who NEEDED someone there. Then found someone and hell broke loose.

Pulling from my OWN personal tragic romantic experiences. I had a situationship last for less than a month and it utterly destroyed me for a whole WEEK. I was shattered and heartbroken.

I literally could not stop crying and my chest physically hurt.

THAT WAS LESS THAN A MONTH. I can’t IMAGINE bonding with someone so much over a course of two months just for it to end the way GGAD ended.

Especially since what they found within eachother they never found in anyone ever again.

The point of GGAD isn’t that it’s healthy. It totally isn’t. It’s problematic, messy, traumatizing and tragic. undeniably completely & utterly romantic… and ultimately realistic.

You don’t need years to bond with someone or to feel shattered once it ends horribly. It doesn’t take a fully committed relationship to be left empty and heartbroken. It certainly doesn’t take years or months to fall in love with someone either.

They were soulmates and not all soulmates are meant to work out or live happily ever after. It’s a tragedy.

Besides this is a fandom about magic and skringly creatures who the hell cares about realism.

This is MY hot take and if you disagree or agree great. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but this is mine. Feel free to argue or agree in the comments I like having debates lol. Just don’t be too mean to me.

Alright thanks for reading about doomed yaoi xoxo

[eclecticpaperchild]

IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ!!!

I am currently writing an essay for a college course about the role of attention in communities and am using fandoms as an example for how attention plays a role in identity.

I need as any people as possible who are okay with what their response possibly be included in my essay respond to this post with the your answers/opinions about at least one or more of the following:

-What is Arcane really about?

-If you consider yourself to be apart of the Arcane Fandom, why do you enjoy Arcane so much?

-What is the purpose of fandom as a whole?

-What aspects make up fandom?

-Is canon important? (Loaded question, I know)

-What is The Silmarillion really about?

-In your experience, do certain themes presented in a any piece of work, including but not limited to tv shows, movies, and written works, effect how likely you are to be a fan of said piece of work? (Basically do you have a “type”)

-What do you personally think about, or is the role of, attention and/or collective direction in fandom?

-Is there anything, either directly or indirectly, related to my essay and/or any questions that I have asked that you would like to mention?

-What is the relationship between fandom and canon?

-If you have ANY questions or concerns please dm me. If you would like to share your input but want to remain completely anonymous in my essay if your response is included, please let me know. If you want anything clarified or have certain conditions as to how your response is allowed to be presented in my essay, please dm me.

This essay is a homework assignment and unless both me and my professor believe what I have written is worthy of publication, I have no intention of publishing it or publicly distributing it in any way.

I will be eternally grateful to anyone who responds and/or reposts. Despite the essay only being a homework assignment, this is something I have always wanted to write about/explore and I swear to be respectful with all of your responses.

This essay is not ment to bash or hate on the Arcane or Silmarillion fandom (which I consider myself to be apart of) or fandom culture in general. My essay is only exploring the topic of attention in communities.

TLDR: I would really appreciate it if people can respond to this post with their answers to my questions because I am currently writing an essay on attention in communities for a college course and I need help.