#hogwarts legacy meta

[superconductivebean]

#1389: promo for all my stuff

My posting tends to be sporadic, somewhat random and appear on time of day when it can be easily missed. A short list of what I have:

Headcanons for:

Characters: Imelda Reyes, Poppy Sweeting, Sebastian Sallow, Nellie Oggspire, Mirabel Garlick, Aesop Sharp, Dinah Hecat, Victor Rookwood

Ships: Imelda Reyes x Poppy Sweeting

MC and MC stuff:

my mc Julia Wright tag || her story tag

Hogwarts Legacy Meta:

Hogwarts Inquires Masterpost — for those of you who don't mind translating walls of text from Russian;

Hogwarts Inquires Archive — my archive page that counts reblogs under the same Hogwarts Inquires tag; I was lazy to come up with a new tag for reblogs. Contains a vast array of posts written in English, except for my own aforementioned series. Posts are made by different people across the fandom over the span of a year;

Hogwarts did-you-knows — trivia about the game's little details

My fanfictions:

I write wlw and wlw smut on my sideblog, enoughyi. Ships I write for: Imelda x Poppy, Imelda x f!MC, Poppy x f!MC, and Imelda x f!MC x Poppy (<- my OTP). Kinktober is currently in the works.

Individual reblog chains and posts:

Mysterious symbols from the Forbidden Forest

Writings of the Boards in the Undercroft

Out of bounds areas: Faculty Tower || DADA Tower || Bell Tower || Korrow Ruins || Aranshire Marshes || The Dragon Lair

[chocoramo-cow]

*cracks fingers evily*

Want meta/ a head canon that will hurt your feelings?

The first time I heard the post-imperio line i was like huh that’s a *vastly* different tone than the one Ominis has used with us previously (save for the first meeting if you’re a slytherin but I also have a sad^tm hc for that because I hate fun).

From Ominis’s perspective we are this random ass person that showed up one day and started hanging out with his best friend and getting in trouble with him. He lets it be known he isnt particularly fond of us (he yells at us outside the undercroft for getting Sebastian detention, he constantly calls us a try hard, he dismisses our dueling accomplishments and calls us cocky etc) and I mean again we *are* enabling his best friend to go down a very dangerous route, one that triggers Ominis’s own trauma.

He mentions the dark arts are the reason why he doesn’t have a family anymore and we know the Sallows became his family since he was 11 and now he feels he is losing Sebastian to that very same thing.

As seen above, if we don’t imperio him he will remain (rightfully) snarky and hostile.

So why is he nicer to us if we use dark magic on him?

He’s fawning.

I 100% agree that he was in so much pain from choosing his best and now last remaining friend (he considers he already lost Anne despite her being alive) or sticking to his core values. It’s an incredibly triggering situation for our poor boy.

To add insult to injury, this person who keeps getting Sebastian into trouble (as far as he’s concerned) goes “hey let me cast an unforgivable on ya pal”

His first reaction is shock, distress, he calls it insanity and can’t believe we are asking that of him (a very similar reaction to the one he has if we attempt to convince him to cast crucio in the scriptorium) but alas if we really want to go down the casting an unforgivable curse on the boy who was abused with unforgivables by his own flesh and blood, we emotionally blackmail him into thinking if he doesn’t agree to this he will lose Sebastian.

The second mc goes “he will never forgive you” he stumbles over his words and relents yet he still calls it unfathomable. If we try reasoning with him we still use the “this might save your friendship” angle (albeit nicer but still) and he *doesnt* stutter he, doesnt stumble, he’s annoyed but he relents.

Before we cast it he warns us about the dark arts yet again mentions once more that they are a slippery slope then he takes a shaky breath and says “I hope I don’t regret this” and later on he says “do what you have to do. Cast it before I change my mind” his tone changes significantly from the beginning of the conversation. His voice is soft, resigned, with a tinge of bitterness to it.

The delivery of that line always struck me as a bit helpless. He truly felt like he had no other choice.

Now where else did he feel like he didn’t have a choice in a situation where dark magic was involved? When he was forced to torture muggles by his family after they tortured him.

Sure in the hp text we know that imperio has a pleasant feeling but it still completely removes autonomy from the person.

We know how Ominis feels about the dark arts and once again here he is at the receiving end of one feeling like he has no choice in the matter.

So what exactly *is* fawning? Fawning is a trauma response characterized by placating, people pleasing, appeasing, and avoiding conflict to ensure safety. It’s a response that is commonly seen in people with complex childhood trauma (being brought up in a household where your family tortured you as punishment and tortured others for fun fits the bill pretty well).

Examples of fawning Ominis displays:

-ignoring his needs to take care of somebody else (Sebastian)

- being unable to say no

-not having clear boundaries (sure he does say no to the dark arts being used at all but he doesnt *stand* on that boundary the second we confront him with the possibility of performing an unforgivable on him he doesnt stick to his boundaries most likely due to his trauma being triggered and feeling like he needed to go into survival mode. What guarantee did he have that we wouldn’t cast it on him even if he said no? So he fawned)

Fast forward we talk to him after putting him through a very triggering event, he uses a very pacifying tone (once again very soft, a parallel to his usual manner of speaking) and reassures us (also appeasement).

I love the contrast between these two clips because it gives us really good insight into who Ominis is and how he copes with trauma

Can we speak about the option to cast the Imperius curse on Ominis?

It's a very controversial topic, but I like the grey moral the game presents.

Of course, bringing someone into the state of blind obedience (no pun intended) is a definite no-no, and even though we can do it only with Ominis' permission, it's supposed to be a horrible solution, especially considering how much he had been suffering because of dark magic. This all is obvious. But.

Listen to these. It's how Ominis speaks with MC the first time they meet after that quest.

It's after the "good" choice - without casting Imperio on him.

And it's after the Imperius curse.

Compare the intonations. Does he sound almost... grateful? Dunno, guys, I just can't help but see Imperio as a painkiller for him at that moment.

Because of how desperate Ominis should be, how much must he be afraid to lose his friendship with Sebastian to be ready to go to extreme lengths like this?

Like, "I'm afraid for him. I can't follow him the way he's going now. And even though I'm ready to sacrifice my friendship with him and fight with him for what I believe is right, the faintest idea of it hurts so much. So please, just MAKE ME let him leave."

Also, the first thing I thought after seeing that cutscene - how much should you trust someone to grant them full control over you? 

Is it so just because Sebastian was there, as insurance that MC wouldn't give orders beyond the agreement? No, there's an option for us to cast Imperio and tell Seb about it only afterwards, as a matter of fact. So Ominis, the same Ominis who "never confides in anyone", just allowed himself to be MC's puppet, completely at their whim.

How is it possible that even that dark and somewhat tragic moment shows how strong the bonds between all three of them are?

[kirain]

What evidence do you have that Sharp is in physical pain?

I mean, not much. If he wasn't in physical pain he would still limp, since it seems to be a muscular/tissue issue. That said, if he didn't feel any pain at all he probably wouldn't wince when he stands up, slowly lower himself when he sits down, or gasp and grit his teeth when he walks.

He'd also have no reason to sit like this.

Or stand like this.

He wouldn't instinctively do these things if he was numb. And honestly, his entire walk looks exhausting. His back probably hurts, too. As well as his right leg for depending on it so much. My grandmother walks with a limp and it seriously wears her out.

[heidi891]

Sebastian Sallow: Evil or Innocent?

I’ve seen people expressing two discrepant opinions: either Sebastian has been manipulative from the beginning and deserves to be sent to Azkaban or he’s just a victim of his difficult circumstances. I don’t agree with either of these.

Firstly, there’s some truth in the statement that his circumstances are difficult. His uncle was abusive to some extent, though I wouldn’t paint him as malicious. He most likely had PTSD, he had no experience nor support in raising children, there were no education nor therapy available. Yet he had to deal with a wayward teenager and the only way Solomon knew was “tough love”. Unsuprisingly, he ended up hurting his nephew.

Sebastian—like Harry Potter—ended up distrusting adults and looking for solutions to his problems on his own. His loneliness and lack of support (a few classmates don’t constitute appropriate support) led him to feel more desperate about Anne’s condition since he saw her as his only true family. This also led him to research the Dark Arts in hope to find a cure.

I don’t think he’s been manipulative. I think he’s never had the greatest social skills to begin with as he’s had to deal with emotional abuse and lack of proper support for most of his life. He was more likeable in the beginning, then his desperation kept growing, as was his infatuation with the Dark Arts.

I suspect the relic was influencing him negatively, amplifying his desperation and anger, making him more reckless and aggressive. For example, when we encountered goblins near Isadora’s house, he had some normal reaction, while later, after finding the relic, he became hateful. During the In the Shadow of the Relic quest Ominis comments that Sebastian is behaving strangely, not like himself. Of course, it might be just a sign of his further corruption, but the relic’s influence might also be a factor.

However, if that is the case, then Solomon was probably affected by the relic too, since he was the one who destroyed it. That might’ve made him more aggressive too and led to that unfortunate duel in the catacomb.

Sebastian’s situation is sad. But he has commited a murder. Solomon is dead and is not coming back.

I refused to learn the Unforgivable Curses and chose to oppose every stupid idea that Sebastian came up with. Unfortunately, the game didn’t give me much to choose, my character ended up saying “Not sure, but let’s do this” every single time. It made her complicit in his actions to some extent and made the final choice more difficult. However, if the murder was ever found out, my character could be found guilty too for hiding the crime. Sebastian isn’t her close family, he’s just a friend she’s known for a few months. Is he worth risking going to Azkaban for?

Some people claim Sebastian is remorseful afterwards and I’m not convinced (including his reaction when he’s not turned in). He’s clearly upset and overwhelmed by what’s happened. But is that true remorse? Does he understand his grave mistakes? Does he want to atone for his crime? There’s too little information in my opinion. Can he get better afterwards? Well, he’s still alone. He’s more alone than ever since Anne has cut contact with him. He’s got only Ominis and the main character. And how has it worked out so far? They were faintly protesting, but kept enabling Sebastian. Why should it change now? And Anne is still dying, so Sebastian may find another Dark artifact, claiming it’s the last time.

Last but not least, Sebastian keeps ignoring Anne’s wishes. He’s focusing on his pain and loss, he’s not there for her.

While, as I’ve said, I don’t view him as evil and manipulative, I also don’t see him as innocent and justified. He’s emotionally unstable but also very gifted which together with his lack of strong moral beliefs make him dangerous.

Azkaban is a terrible choice. Enabling him further is a terrible choice too.

I imagine my character has some influencial family in the Wizengamot and IF Sebastian is really remorseful, he’ll end up like Hagrid—expelled but free.

[potions-of-dark-devotion]

I made Severus in Hogwarts Legacy!!! What’d you all think!?

Feel free to reblog with your own interpretations.

[kiwiplaetzchen]

"Nosy! Nosy, sweet little King, come here! I got something for you, I saw you run into this broom closet!"

Will walks in and closes the door so that there is more space inside.

"I got you something! You are a connoisseur of sorts, are you not? Always eating the best cakes and the best snacks! Mama Will has got something *special* for you!"

The smell in the closet is getting more and more stuffy. A little mouldy and rather pungent. Surprisingly sweet as well.

"I got you one of the *best* things I've tried in my life! Here, take it! But careful, better close your eyes when you do!"

Will gets on his knees and stares into the darkness excitedly. He loves to spoil the little menace, even when Nosy doesn't always eat his vegetables and makes William chase Nosy around with his prefect badge in his paw. 

Will is unsure of where Nosy is. The only weak source of light comes from below the door behind William who is currently in the way. 

Oh, Will notices with surprise, it almost seems like the piece of cheese in his hand is also glowing.

Nosy snickers menacingly in the darkness, his little paws tapping lightly against the wooden shelf. Oh, how he adores these little games with the pretty Prefect! He loved it when Will played with him, especially when it involved surprises like this.

Peeking out from his hiding spot, Nosy watched as Will entered, his excitement palpable even in the dim light.

But then, something caught Nosy's attention. What was it? A strong smell wafted through the air, hitting his sensitive nose before he even noticed the glowing orb in Will's hands. It was strangely sweet yet pungent, a combination that piqued his curiosity.

Fascinated by the shiny yet smelly piece in the Slytherin's hands, Nosy takes a big leap without a second thought, jumping down from his hiding spot and landing squarely on Will's back. The little menace scrambled further up, reaching his favourite perch on Will's shoulders. From there, he had a clearer view of the shiny, smelly orb. What was it? What could it be? The scent seemed so familiar...

Curiously climbing down the Prefect's arm, Nosy deftly snatches the cheese out of his hands and hops down to the ground to give the stinky piece a closer inspection. Tossing and turning the cheese in his little paws, sniffing it all over, the little menace just couldn't figure out what that smell was. It seemed so oddly familiar to him, but he just couldn't quite place it.

With a few generous test licks and a honk of approval later, Nosy decided he liked the taste, even if it did irritate him that he couldn't quite figure out what it was. However, the Niffler Mama was right - it DID taste good!

And so, Nosy, a Niffler who would always selflessly share his snacks, broke off a little piece of cheese and shoved the rest into his belly pocket, the piece still wet from his licks.

Turning his attention back to the Slytherin, the little Niffler honked at him as if to say, "Good job. You did well."

The little menace grabs onto Will's tie, climbs up to his face, and shoves the chunk lovingly inside the red head's mouth. Then, with a few well-done pats on Will's cheeks and a small peck, Nosy hops down and waddles between William's legs towards the door, squeezing himself through the slit.

Off and away to find Sebastian, Nosy was eager to share his delicious chunk with his beloved companion. After all, sharing is caring!

[ogatalove]

So, I was watching the original Hogwarts Legacy launch trailer and thought it was super interesting how different Professor Sharp seemed from the character that made it to the game at launch.

He's a little more wild and unkempt, a bit more Mad-Eye Moody/Sirius than Snape/Sirius. We know from student chatter that he's "obsessed with poisons" which definitely makes me feel that he has that Auror's Paranoia like Moody, too. I wonder if that part of his character was given to Hecat who has surrounded herself with eyes and mirrors?

Also, notice the way he kinda slams the potion bottle down, far differently from how he gently and reverently sets down the Wiggenweld in the live game.

The pain in his leg seems more obvious, also he kinda stomp-limps rather than the quieter live game version.

I kinda want him to randomly shout CONSTANT VIGILANCE whenever we’re near him.

Gif version for your pleasure.

[serpensortiamaxima]

This is a long ramble but my brain plagued me with it and I need to get it out.

As an ex-Magic: the Gathering player, I find that the Hogwarts house system makes more sense once you assign it MtG's colour wheel system to it. It's not flawless because there are more colour than there are Hogwart houses and the colour wheel is...more complex, but it does help see how certain characters end up in a certain house despite clearly having attributes from other houses.

I'd cut it down this way:

Gryffindor: Red

Hufflepuff: Green

Ravenclaw: Blue

Slytherin: Black

White would be a wildcard because the values it represents (morality, order, uniformity, structure) are not only essential to Hogwarts as a school but also not house-specific in that any individual within a house could align with these values or not. The existence of the house system itself is a "white" thing.

Sebastian's case is interesting because there is a lot of talk about his Ravenclaw leaning, which would, in colour wheel terms, translate to Blue. But then, if you look at his motivations, he actually has a story that is a lot like planeswalker Liliana Vess (who is mainly mono-black aligned). Both have a sibling that has been cursed somehow and both have sought out some kind of cure to save them by exploring the darker forms of magic (necromancy in both cases too).

In MtG, the colour black embodies the idea that "the only measure of right and wrong should be whether or not an approach leads to success" and that is exactly Sebastian's mindset regarding the Anne's cure. Now, what the colour wheels allows to do that Hogwarts houses don't, is to have allyships between colours. If we assign the values of MtG's Black to Sebastian, we can quickly see that he also embodies the qualities of the two colours "Black" is compatible with: Blue and Red: "Black has an ally in Blue, as it appreciates its subtlety and use of cold logic. Black is also allied with Red, respecting its desire to do things on its own terms." Cunning, in MtG's framework, is a very Blue-Black principle. Recklessness is a Red principle.

So while Sebastian does display attributes that we would associate with Ravenclaw (research skills, curiosity, thirst for knowledge etc.) they serve a specific purpose towards his goal. In MtG terms, his impulsivity and recklessness would add a touch of Red to his personality that otherwise wouldn't necessarily match with Gryffindor, but he'd still be easily be categorized as primarily Black, with Blue and Red as secondary colours.

I guess the question remains of whether or not 11yo Sebastian was like this from the start when he got sorted into Slytherin, or if there was something else that got him sorted into this house. I personally think a younger Sebastian would be much more Red-Black aligned than Blue-Black like he became, perhaps due to the exposure to other Slytherins or simply due to Anne's curse.

[teaforthotxxx]

Honestly, given the hp discourse. I just wanna say the best era in hp was the marauders era cause it was almost 99.9% fanon content. Like James being a rich kid that adopts poor meows meows and brings them home during the holidays? Fanon. Wolfstar secretly dating because of internalised homophobia? Fanon. James and Peter supporting them regardless? Fanon. James being smitten w Lily and actively being defending her against mud blood comments? Fanon. Lily and Remus/Peter friendship? Fanon. The marauders’ rs with Mcgonagall!! We made that up!!

You know whats not fanon? The stuff we dont talk about in the marauders era. Aka Lily choosing to get tgt w the guy that tormented Severus (her childhood friend) in school. Which means canon!Lily wasn’t loyal and just chose the rich pure-blood headboy. In fact, the whole marauders bullied Severus thing is really icky. Their demonisation of Slytherins? Also eww but its canon. Ofc this is just jk rowling’s own perception of Slytherin spilling into her writing. But, that said, it does paint a v different picture of the marauders than the one we know aka the one we came up with.

I think the reason why marauders era will always be my favourite is because it was written by the fans (people who loved the crumbs of characters that we were fed). Maybe, this is also why it was easy for me to say HP or rather Jk rowling is given more credit than she deserves in creating Hogwarts AU as a cultural phenomenon. Because, my favourite parts of hogwarts growing up were fanon-based. While i liked the books as a child, i don’t know how much I would have liked Ron’s treatment of hermoine now or even the way that Draco is consistently painted as a shallow boy (rather than a daddy issues kid with nepotism expectations thrust upon him).

[seriousbrat]

I don’t think Voldemort ever tried to recruit James and Lily… I think it was everyone’s assumption because he targeted them specifically, but at the time the prophecy was a secret so nobody knew why. All they knew is that they were very talented.

I think it was maybe even some post-rationalisation. “James and Lily’s baby destroyed Voldemort, so they must have been an exceptionally powerful couple and Voldemort must have wanted them on his side.”

I don’t think Voldemort would have a reason to recruit a muggle-born and a blood-traitor with an obvious loyalty to Dumbledore, as they were probably unknown to him until they joined the Order. I don’t think two teenagers fresh out of school would have built enough of a reputation to draw Voldemort’s attention this way.

I could be wrong! Maybe Snape could have made a case for Lily and piqued Voldemort’s interest (since he seems to like and respect Snape) - but he’d still have no reason to want to recruit James.

I do believe James and Lily were exceptionally talented wizards, I just don’t see how they’d be on Voldemort’s radar before the prophecy.

What do you think?

Well the thing is JKR confirmed that he did. It was heavily implied in Philosopher's Stone, then confirmed in a later interview:

So it depends on how much importance you give to the extra content outside the books that has released over the years, which is just up to every individual. I really like these interviews (from a simpler time before JKR became what she did...) and I've found them very interesting and useful. Personally I generally take everything apart from Cursed Child and the Fantastic Beasts films (mostly bc I never finished the FB films because after the first one they were bad lol) as canon. The way I see it, the stuff in these interviews and on Pottermore was already part of the author's canon at the time of writing, at least most of it, and in general I think it's quite good. It's background that is directly relevant, rather than being an add-on, created by someone else in the case of CC.

In this case, since it was implied in the actual book and then confirmed that that was the intent, I do consider it canon.

It's up to you though, but like I said, I do think there are ways around it where it makes sense. We know he recruited Greyback, so there's a precedent for something similar. And as I said, if Voldemort really wanted James (remember that James is not only pureblood but very wealthy, and his closeness to Dumbledore would make him an effective spy) he would have known James wouldn't join without Lily, even if he planned to dispose of her after-- perhaps he even offered Lily's safety as a bargaining chip. And Voldemort himself gives another reason in PS, when he asks Harry to join him:

As for how they'd be on his radar, I think instead of Voldemort seeking them out specifically, they more likely just stumbled across his path, and it was then that Voldemort saw how they'd be useful.

Moderate spoilers for my fic but this is how I handled it myself:

Voldemort uses legilimency on James, and he sees: 1) the potters' gringotts vault 2) lily and james fighting for the order 3) james's love for lily. So from that he determines that James would be useful to him, that there's no way James would join without Lily, and that he can leverage Lily's safety to persuade James.

I think that's believable, personally!

[kirain]

A few questions. Do you think Aesop Sharp is in pain? Why doesn't he use a cane? And what do you think his curse is? Also what leg is injured? I can't figure it out and I need to know for a fic. Every time I watch the clips I get confused because it looks like his right but then it looks like his left.

I can only guess at a few of these questions, but I'll do my best.

First and foremost, Sharp does have a cane, as well as a wheelchair in his bedroom. If I had to bet on it, I'd say he's probably been told to use these items, but he chooses not to in front of his students and peers. He strikes me as a very proud man who doesn't want to use auxiliary means in their presence, likely out of fear of seeming "unworthy". In other words, he's stubborn.

As for which leg is damaged, it looks to be his left leg, the same side as the scar on his face. Whenever he shifts his weight, he leans to the right to take the pressure off, and when he walks he drags his left leg behind him. He doesn't seem able to lift it or move it too far in front of him, which tells me it's a problem with his hip or his thigh or both.

That said, I don't think Sharp is cursed at all. I think his injury is purely physical. From what I gathered from his optional conversation covering his time as an Auror, he and his partner were ambushed and hit with offensive spells; likely Expulso, which would certainly explain his scars. In addition, every health potion/spell in the wizarding world (with the exception of Skele-Gro) is only capable of healing mild to moderate injuries. Sharp's injuries were likely severe. Remember, his partner was killed in the same attack and he barely escaped with his life. My guess is he suffered irreversible tissue (muscle) and bone damage.

This brings me to your final question: is he in pain? It's impossible to say for sure and I'm not a doctor, but it's my understanding that it's rare for any lameness not to be accompanied by pain. In fact, if we watch his reactions to sitting down and standing up, he clearly shudders. The attention to detail in that regard is actually incredible.

[heidi891]

I don’t think Sebastian was interested in the Unforgivable Curses before the game.

When he teaches MC Confringo, he presents it as something awesome and forbidden, but is it really so much worse than Bombarda that is taught at school? I used Confringo a lot… for Merlin Trials! What a truly horrible spell. So frankly speaking, I think Sebastian’s bar for dangerous spells was initially set rather low.

I believe he taught himself Crucio (or rather—read a lot about it, because as far as we know he’d never cast it before) to understand what Ominis had been through. I don’t think he had malicious intentions behind it.

He probably taught himself Imperio after he read in the spellbook that it might be needed to find the relic.

Then he started to become more angry and aggressive, thinking about dead goblins… and I guess sometime along the way he decided to teach himself Avada Kedavra as it was even more useful than Imperio in his eyes.

[talks-at-the-leaky]

*if you are getting spammed by me suddenly reblogging a lot of your posts it's because i'm currently going through my main blog's likes and sharing them on this (freshly made) sideblog. i guess it will take a while because i can't do it all in one sitting. i'm sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience!

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/663370772509802496/do-you-know-what-the-origin-of-the-sold-to-one

So I was looking at this old post of yours (in your fandom meta tag) and has anyone else noticed that Hogwarts AU fanfic and meta about if this or that character from another fandom would be Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw has completely disappeared? I assume that this is related to JKR’s transphobia making her (understandably) persona non grata to a lot of online queer people of the kind who dominate fanfic fandom at least on AO3 (I’m less familiar with Wattpad or other corners of fandom that are overwhelmingly cishet and writing het, and the Bridgerton drama has taught me a lot about just how out of pace a lot of them are with even elementary queer stuff, yeesh). but I was wondering if others have noticed that. It did seem to really start to crater around 2019-20 when she stopped being coy and blaming it on “middle aged moments,” and started openly making transphobic tweets and writing essays about it rather than just “liking” others’. Like when I was into Yuri on Ice circa 2016-18, it was still all over that fandom, even though people were already souring on the actual official franchise stuff such as those terrible Fantastic Beasts movies.

So I’m mostly active in anime, JRPG and Western genre TV fandoms so I was curious if this was also happening elsewhere. I’m also wondering if the fact that actual HP fandom seems to be increasingly divorced from canon (like fanon pairings of characters who never interacted in canon being the most popular lately) is related to this too.

Cuz having a Hogwarts AU used to be a sign that a fandom had Arrived. I remember in 2016 you saw people doing house sortings for the people on the frickin 538 political podcast. Now I never see any of that even with huge fandoms.

It’s interesting to me given that it feels like her transphobia hasn’t dented much of her popularity with non online nerd culture. Like the third Fantastic Beasts movie failed but those had never been good and had been declining in box office numbers already. But the Hogwarts Legacy game sold really well. You still see HP in stores all over the place with other nerd culture staples like Star Wars and Marvel. Still constantly see brands doing collabs. I often find non online friends and family, including many who are genuine allies to the trans people in their lives, who have no idea about her transphobia. Or they’ve only heard a little and assume it’s some weird insular online culture thing that is just fans nitpicking, maybe having heard about some other Twitter “canceling” over nothing and figuring it’s like that. They’re always shocked and horrified when I tell them what she’s actually saying and doing.

--

Interesting question.

For me, as an Old, it just feels like Hogwarts AUs are part of my childhood, and why wouldn't they be less common now? But realistically, if they actually are declining, it does mean something.

There's no way for us to know if the "Would X be a Hufflepuff?" posts are really a thing of the past. That could be a question of whom one follows or of fans leaving one's platform. But we can at least poke at some AO3 tags and see if they show a pattern.

The relevant tags are Alternate Universe - Hogwarts and its metatag Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting.

There are 21,426 works in the metatag. Obviously, not everything uses the tag, but it's a starting point. (Some cursory playing with filters on big tags makes me think that maybe around 3/4 of HP AUs are actually tagged with a relevant AU tag.)

If we look at the AU tag itself, the numbers have come down in the last few years. (This year is obviously only half over, so we'd expect those numbers to be smaller.)

But we have to take into account how big the archive itself was. It's been growing significantly since it opened to staff accounts in late 2008 and then more widely in late 2009, so the overall rise doesn't mean much, but the recent drop might.

It does seem like there's a downward trend lately, but it doesn't look like it's falling off a cliff.

[centrally-unplanned]

Everyone in my life when I am thinking of writing Hogwarts Legacy coverage/discourse meta-posts

[heidi891]

I also don’t believe in the shed theory, the shed is too far in my opinion, it must belong to some poor man. I’ve seen the same shed in Marunween or somewhere.

The Sallow Home

I know that the “Solomon makes Sebastian sleep in the shed” thing is a popular theory, but I disagree with it. I actually think that since their home is so small and that Sebastian is away at Hogwarts for the majority of the year, Solomon conjures his bed away when he’s at school and brings it back during the summer. This is likely what they do for Ominis too since he stays with them during the summer, so it’s not far fetched to say Solomon would be conjuring beds for both of them and then conjuring them away when they leave.

You know that little section in their home behind the curtains where Anne’s bed is? I think the left side of that section is Anne’s “room” and the right ride is Sebastian’s “room,” and that’s where Sebastian’s bed is conjured when he comes back for the summer (His bed might even be transfigured into that clock when he's at school). They probably conjure another curtain between their "rooms" so they can each have privacy. I'm guessing when they take baths they put the bathtub in whoever's room is using it (Solomon must either use it in the main room or in Seb's room).

Anne’s “room” has some potions and books on shelves above her bed. She also has a potion kit, and wrote a note to Sebastian telling him, “This is my potion kit, not yours. Leave my things be.” Anne's side is slightly larger than Sebastian's side, which makes sense considering she's Solomon's favorite.

Sebastian’s “room” has a lot of books. I’m sure some of those are probably Solomon’s (and maybe some that used to belong to their parents), but I can imagine Sebastian having a lot himself. Something I found very interesting is that there are what appears to be Graphorn Horns on his side. Has he been taking Graphorns down during the summer? Perhaps to brew potions with Anne’s potion kit in attempts to cure her? According to the HP Wiki: “Graphorn horns were highly prized potion ingredients and were used in potions such as the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons.” Sebastian has probably been experimenting with them and trying to create something for her. If not a cure, maybe he thought he could devise a treatment to make her symptoms bearable so she could return to Hogwarts.

What do you all think? Maybe I’m overthinking everything because I’m desperate for some new content but I do think it makes sense that they’d each have their own little space in the house.

(Even if you still believe in the shed theory, I don’t know where else his bed would have went besides there so that was likely his “room” before he was sent to the shed. Anyways, I don’t believe this. Ominis visits every summer and there’s no way Solomon sends em’ both to the shed, that would be wild.)