#i.e. when they had severus and he started showing signs of being magical

[sneverussape]

sweeping her off her feet / falling head over heels

—

eileen knew they had talked about her, how eileen prince could have gone and married a muggle.

her response if she hadn’t stayed her tongue was this - who wouldn’t have fallen in love with a muggle like tobias snape? although older than her by a number of years, he was steadfast, loyal, and honorable. a soldier through and through and worth at least three wizards.

how could she have known then how they would have ended up?

she couldn’t have.

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

In your latest post, you said that Dumbledore MEANT to put Harry in a abusive household. That, or when he found out he did nothing to stop it. Why is that?

You’re going to get a lot of people angry with me. Well, I suppose they’re already angry. Somewhere out there, on the wider internet.

Right, anyway, the evidence of Harry’s abuse is so overwhelming that it seems improbable to me that Dumbledore wasn’t aware of what was happening. More, every interaction he has with not only Harry, but characters in similar circumstances, lends me to believe that in the event that Dumbledore does know he’d take no action.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Scene 1

We start out the entire Harry Potter series with Minerva and Dumbledore waiting in the early dawn for Hagrid’s arrival and to place Harry with the Dursleys. Minerva immediately announces her discomfort with this, 

She specifically says the following:

"You don't mean — you can't mean the people who live here? Dumbledore, you can't. You couldn't find two people who are less like us."

Lily Evans’ relatives are infamous enough such that Minerva McGonagall, who is presumably not as close as her like aged peers (i.e. Sirius, Remus, and Peter) knows about them.

Granted, some of this is anti-muggle sentiment. Minerva isn’t sure that suburban muggles raising a magical child like Harry Potter is a good idea. Nevertheless, she has deep misgivings, and relays them to Dumbledore.

We know from further evidence that Dumbledore is perfectly aware of what Petunia and Vernon are like as well. He gives Harry to the Dursleys anyway.

Dumbledore, for his own reasons, chooses not to listen.

Dumbledore’s Letter to Petunia

Dumbledore writes a letter to Petunia, knowing it is highly necessary, as he gives Harry to the family. The letter is... vaguely threatening but in a very polite Dumbledore way. It pretty much implies “Take Harry, or else, also be nice to your dead sister.”

The point is, Dumbledore is aware that this letter is highly necessary. And then... other things happen.

Dumbledore Sends Hagrid

Dumbledore sends Hagrid to pick Harry up.

Ordinarily, in such circumstances, Minerva is sent to introduce muggleborn children to the Wizarding World. “Perhaps she was busy,” you say, too busy for Harry Potter? Wizard Jesus and the child of perhaps her favorite students who she openly favors throughout the series?

“Perhaps Dumbledore was being nice to Hagrid, and he had an errand to do anyway,” well, it’s all well and good to be nice to Hagrid, but is he really the best guy to introduce anybody to the Wizarding World?

This is Hagrid, the likelihood of him having taken Harry to an exotic pet shop where Harry then gets eaten by the Chupacabra is 95%. The 5% where it didn’t happen is because Hagrid went to the pet shop alone and some, distant, rational part of his brain told him that Harry would want the pretty owl vs. the one-eyed blood sucking rat demon in the cage next to her.

You don’t send Hagrid if you want a child returned to you with all its limbs intact.

So why do you send Hagrid?

When you want someone who’s so painfully oblivious, loyal, and stupid that they could stare a hellscape in the face and wouldn’t even notice.

Hagrid gets a firsthand view of Harry’s living conditions. He learns that Harry’s relatives have been actively blocking Harry’s letters, that they have run across the country to avoid them. He sees the state of Harry’s clothing in comparison to Dudley, how thin Harry is in comparison to Dudley, and the way the family interacts with each other.

Harry’s child abuse is staring Hagrid right in the face.

Minerva would demand that Harry be placed somewhere else, they can find some other means of protecting him.

What does Hagrid do?

He gives Dudley a pig’s tail illegally and proceeds to tell Harry that Dumbledore is the greatest man who ever lived. 

Other Evidence Comes to Light

Other characters start getting pretty big warning signs that all’s not right at the Potters.

Ron and Hermione know the situation is “bad” and that Harry’s relatives “hate magic”. They’re also kids and don’t really understand what this means, the idea of being abused and hated by your guardians is unthinkable to them and Harry doesn’t come out and just say it.

That said, they’ve seen enough that they drop hints to those around them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are told about the bars on Harry’s window. Ron was so concerned about Harry in the summer after first year that he steals his father’s car with Fred and George to go pick him up. That is not normal behavior, that is deep concern for your friend.

Despite all of this... nothing happens.

Hermione spends far more time at the Weasleys then Harry ever does. Every summer, he returns to Privet Drive, and it’s likely if Arthur and Molly did have concerns Dumbledore told them off.

Arabella Figg

Arabella has been keeping an eye on Harry for years. She’s noted some very disturbing trends and been witness to years of the Dursleys interacting with Harry Potter.

She passes this information on to Dumbledore.

He knows how bad it is.

Harry Potter

Harry tells Dumbledore he does not wish to remain at the Dursleys, he notes that they don’t like him and he doesn’t like them. Now, he tries to downplay it, but this is a child saying some pretty disturbing things. You don’t brush this off.

Dumbledore does.

Dumbledore Visits the Dursleys

In book 6, Dumbledore visits the Dursleys and sees, in person, how bad it is. However, he shows no surprise, only vague disappointment in Petunia. Tsk, tsk, Petunia, I thought you were better than this.

He offers a few threats and then he and Harry go on their merry way.

Severus Snape

Snape is Dumbledore’s spy who reads Harry’s mind for half a year. Granted, Snape is a bastard who loathes Harry Potter, but he sees evidence of the Dursleys abuse of Harry.

We know, from what he relays to Dumbledore later, that he had at least some concern for Harry and was very disturbed by Dumbledore’s plan to murder him in cold blood due to the horcrux.

I think it’s very likely Severus Snape knew and told Dumbledore that Harry was being abused. I’m sure Albus’ response was, “Bitch, I know, would you like a lemon drop?”

Point being, there is no conceivable way that Albus Dumbledore, even if he was the world’s dumbest man, didn’t know exactly how bad it was. He let’s it happen anyway.

But What About the Blood Wards?

Dumbledore eventually tells Harry that the reason he can’t run away from Privet Drive is because of the blood wards created by his mother. They can only be applied if he lives with blood relatives and protect the Dursley house as long as Harry considers it home.

Now, this is a bit suspect given that Harry really considers Hogwarts his home, Privet Drive is just that hell hole he has to go back to every summer. Even the Burrow is more his home than Privet Drive so... That doesn’t sound right.

More, though, there are other means of protection.

There’s the Fidelius which Dumbledore casts on Sirius’ house in book 5. Given that, Harry really could have lived with Sirius (well, Sirius is not in a good place to have a kid around and that would be a disaster and a half). Point being, Harry could be raised elsewhere and there are wards that could protect him.

More, Voldemort and the Death Eaters are out of commission for thirteen years. Indeed, we see Dumbledore up Harry’s security detail by secretly assigning the Order to tail him after fourth year.

So, for a very long time, it’s not about Harry’s protection and when it does become that we see Dumbledore make significant changes.

So, what could it be?

Well, let’s look at Dumbledore’s other actions. Dumbledore prevents Harry from becoming prefect because “he thought it would go to his head”. Which, Harry should absolutely not be made prefect at all, and Ron’s a laughable candidate too but...

To me that’s very telling.

I hate to say this, but this is Dumbledore, but I think he has a very similar reasoning behind Harry going to the Dursleys.

He doesn’t want Harry to be corrupted by the Boy Who Lived persona. He wants him in a certain state of mind when he enters into the wizarding world and... Frankly, he wants him vulnerable. Dumbledore, in time, will need to either murder this boy or have him kill himself. If Harry has a halfway decent guardian, that task becomes a hell of a lot harder.

Harry has to love the wizarding world so much, trust Dumbledore so much, that these things are worth dying for.

You Mentioned Something About Dumbledore’s Other Actions?

Dumbledore has no sympathy for victims of child abuse.

Tom Riddle, an impoverished orphan loathed by those in his orphanage, he thinks is the very devil and sends him back into the Blitz with a smile and a wave. Enjoy the bombs, Tom, hope you die.

Severus Snape, the half blood child of an abusive muggle father and absentee mother, who is nearly murdered by Sirius Black via Remus Lupin, is told to shut the fuck up and sit down before he ruins the lives of his betters.

Dumbledore has a very bad track record with this and, well, Harry Potter is not an exception.

To be fair, I think the wizarding world has not concept of CPS or even child abuse. There’s no hint of a foster system, you go to the closest relative of the godparents. So, I think to them, you’re stuck with whoever you’re stuck with and if your uncle rapes you then it sucks to be you.

[whysosirius-james]

James Sirius Potter + Questionnaire (1/??)

trigger warning ; alcoholism

ORIGINS & FAMILY

Name:

James Sirius Potter (adopted name)

Bernard Vernon Dursley (birth name)

Nickname(s): James, Jimmy, Jim-Jam, Bernard (sarcastically)

Reason for name:

James is his adopted grandfather and Sirius is his adopted father’s godfather. They were two men Harry looked up to and loved and in turn, James aspires to be them.

Bernard is a Dursley family name and Vernon is his biological grandfather’s name. He has not used this name since he was adopted and has no intention of changing it back in the future.

Birthday: Thirteenth of November, 2003

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Somewhere in England, exact location unknown.

Places lived since: 

In the unknown location for a few weeks with his mother

With his biological father in Little Whinging for nearly six months

With his adopted parents and siblings in Godric’s Hollow following his adoption

Hogwarts from age eleven to eighteen for most of the year

With Mackenzie in a house they bought together in Hogsmeade following his graduation

Parents’ names, backgrounds, occupations:

Dudley Dursley - Biological Father - He is the son of Vernon Dursley and Petunia Dursley (nee Evans, deceased as of 2020) and maternal cousin of Harry Potter. He is a muggle and was a bully as a child, especially towards Harry, which he has since come to regret. He had an affair with Samoan witch - unaware of her heritage at the time - and Bernard was the result. Dudley asked his cousin to take Bernard, to be named James, as his own when he started showing signs of magic so that he would not receive the same treatment Harry did growing up. He currently works as a salesman in the position Vernon held before he retired. He had another affair which resulted in James’ muggleborn half-brother, Fletcher (who he does not know about). Dudley got married in 2007 and has no other children.

Talia Leapei - Biological Mother - She is a pureblood, Samoan witch. James does not know who her parents are. She had an affair with Dudley Dursley early 2003, resulting in her pregnancy. She kept him for a few weeks before leaving him at Dudley’s doorstep. In 2021, she wrote to her son to get in touch and they have since been in contact. She is currently a florist in Samoa, is unmarried and has no other children. James met her in 2023.

Harry Potter - Adopted Father - He is the son of James Potter and Lily Potter (nee Evans) - both are deceased - and the maternal cousin of Dudley Dursley. He is a halfblood wizard, Gryffindor alumni and was the captain and seeker on his school’s Quidditch team. He led Dumbledore’s Army and defeated Voldemort at seventeen. As a favor to Dudley and to keep a child from abuse for being magic, Harry agreed to adopt James - then Bernard - and pretended that he was his and his new wife’s biological son.  He is the current Head of Auror Office and occasionally guest lectures for Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. He is married to Ginny Weasley-Potter and is the father of two other children, Albus Severus and Lily Luna.

Ginevra “Ginny” Weasley - Adopted Mother - She is the daughter of Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley (nee Prewett). She is a pureblood witch, Gryffindor alumni and the chaser - and at one point seeker - on her school’s Quidditch team. She fought in the Battle of Hogwarts alongside Harry, Ron (her older brother) and Hermione (friend, now sister-in-law). She agreed without hesitation to adopt James with her husband, Harry, and used her sabbatical from her career to hide her “pregnancy” and maternity leave. She is the former chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and former senior Quidditch reporter for the Daily Prophet. She currently works as the Sports Editor for the Daily Prophet . She is married to Harry Potter and is the mother of two other children, Albus Severus and Lily Luna.

Number of siblings: Two

Albus Severus Potter (adopted, younger brother)

Lily Luna Potter (adopted, younger sister)

Edward “Teddy” Lupin (god-brother / “adopted” brother)

Fletcher Duke (younger paternal half-brother)

Relationship with family (close? estranged?):

James loves his adopted family; parents, siblings and numerous cousins. There is nothing more important to him than them and he would take a bullet for each and every one of them. He has a unique relationship with each of them. Their bond has only grown strong since they found out he was adopted and accepted him for he knew that they would love him no matter what and vice versa.

Before knowing that he was his biological father, James’ relationship with Dudley wasn’t much to talk about. Harry always insisted on his three children visiting his cousin. James never understood why and was always reluctant to go until he received the letter with the truth when he was eleven. After that, he made much more of an effort and writes to him frequently.

Up until 2021, Talia Leapei and James had no contact. All he knew was her name. She wrote to him out of the blue which had a major impact on him. It took him months to respond and they’ve exchanged only a few letters. They met in 2023 and she was invited to his wedding, even organising the flowers for it.

James does get along with Fletcher despite not knowing they are related. They are not close but if James ever did find out, there is no doubt that he would want them to be.

Happiest memory:

The day Lucy was born. It was the best birthday present ever. 

As of 2024, his marriage to Mackenzie Finnigan-Thomas

Childhood trauma: Most of James’ trauma occurred in his teens / young adulthood when he became an alcoholic in his sixth year - since recovered - and when his girlfriend Mackenzie and cousin Lucy were kidnapped by Death Eaters in 2022.

Children of his/her own?: N/A

PHYSICAL

Height: 5′ 11″ /  1.8 m 

Weight: 161 lbs / 73 kg 

Build: Athletic

Nationality: English & Samoan

Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): Alcoholism (in recover)

Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birth marks): Two small moles on his left cheek close to his jawline, otherwise totally clear complexion

Hair color: Ginger

Usual hair style: Messy

Eye color: Dark Brown

Glasses? Contacts?: N/A

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): James’ style is very casual and comfortable (i.e. jeans, t-shirts and sneakers). He generally wears very plain shirts with the occasional logo or slogan written across it. He is also prone to wearing plaid shirts or bomber jackets over said t-shirts.

Health: James is rarely sick. He keeps in good shape for Quidditch, eating well and working out frequently, especially since finishing rehab. When he does get sick, he’s quite stubborn about it and lives in denial until someone literally forces him to rest.

Grooming: James showers every morning after his jog and again in the evenings after Quidditch practice. He tends to wear clean clothes. He does not wear makeup or pluck his eyebrows (although every now and then one of his female cousins plucks them for him but he never asks). 

Tattoos? Piercings?:

James has a tattoo that represents each of his siblings and cousins:

A teddy bear for Teddy on the top of his right arm.

Lightning bolt on left ring finger for Albus.

An orange lily on the back of his left shoulder for Lily.

On the back of his right shin he has a rose for Rose.

A flame on the back of his right shoulder for Hugo.

A laurel wreath for Victoire on the outside of his left forearm.

A blue shell on the inside of his left forearm for Dominique.

For Louis, there is an anchor on the inside of his right ankle.

To represent Fred, there is a tattoo of a crown on the inside of his right wrist.

There is a joker’s hat on the inside his left ankle for Roxanne.

For Molly, there is a tattoo of a sun below Lily’s on the back of his left shoulder.

There is a pinky promise tattoo on the outside of his right upper arm. This is a a matching tattoo he has with Lucy.

James has ‘adventure’ tattooed on his inner upper arm.

A golden snitch can be found on the front of his right shoulder.

No piercings.

Accent?: British

Unique mannerisms/physical habits (bites nails, talks with hands, taps feet when restless):  He gets twitchy / shaky - especially his hands - when he feels like he needs a drink and also tends to tap his feet and fingers against surfaces.

INTELLECT

Level of education (high school drop out, undergrad BA/BS, PhD, MD, etc.): Hogwarts graduate

Gifts/talents/skills:

James is a very talented Quidditch player. He was the chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and later became captain. He currently plays a a chaser for the Montrose Magpies.

James is a very gifted prankster. As a Wotter, albeit adopted, he has access to the best pranking tools and ideas from his Uncle George and his shop.

James started to play the guitar at age twelve and his knack for it has only developed.

Alongside his guitar playing, James can sing and has written songs. His most significant example is the song he wrote for Mackenzie right before they got together. He spent a year working on and perfecting it.

Shortcomings: 

James has addictive tendencies, shown through his year of alcoholism. During that time he also smoked and did the occasional drug. Now he stays away from anything addictive substances, including caffeine.

He can be overly protective of his loved ones to the point of annoying them but he means well.

Despite not having Weasley blood, James certainly has their temper. He can get so angry especially when someone hurts the ones he cares about. 

Style of speech:

James usually speaks in a loud and confident voice. His tell when he’s upset or anxious is when he speaks quieter than usual.

Religious stance: Atheist (was not raised with any religion)

Cautious or daring?: Daring

Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: His adoption and his former alcohol addiction

Optimist or pessimist?: Optimist

Extrovert or introvert?: Extrovert

RELATIONSHIPS

Current marital/relationship status: Married to Mackenzie Finnigan Thomas

Sexual orientation: Heterosexual

Past relationships:

Penelope Hawthorne - This relationship was a bit of a roller coaster. They were together when his alcohol addition developed and when he went into rehab, he broke up with her and shut her out. At the time, he believed that she was the root cause of his addiction and thought it was best to stay away from her. They have recently made amends due to a mutual friend dealing with addiction and are trying to be friends.

Level of sexual experience: 

Normally, James only sleeps with people he has an emotional connection with. Altogether he has slept with four people, including his wife Mackenzie.

Most comfortable around (person): Mackenzie Finnigan-Thomas & Lucy Weasley

Oldest friend: Lucy Weasley

Pets?: Barn Owl named Hedwig II

VOCATION

Profession: Chaser for the Montrose Magpies

Past occupations:

Student

James worked three summers in Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

Passions:

Quidditch

Music

Pranking

Attitude towards current job:

Quidditch is James’ passion and there is nothing he would rather be doing.

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees:

James’ team is like his family and gets along with all of them.

SECRETS

Phobias:

Thanatophobia - fear of dying and losing a loved one

Atychiphobia - fear of failure

Life goals:

James’ main goal in life was to play for a professional Quidditch team, either the Montrose Magpies or the Wimbourne Wasps. He has achieved this goal.

He would also like to work his way up to team captain of the quidditch team he plays for.

His only other goal is to find the perfect woman and settle down and have a large family. His wife, Mackenzie has been told that she may not have children but he has no doubt that they will have kids one way or another.

Greatest fears: 

James is afraid of losing his family in any way, physically or emotionally, above all else.

Most ashamed of:

James’ biggest shame is lying for seven years about his adoption.

His year of alcoholism and partying was a shameful time for him especially when he started lashing out at his family.

Compulsions:

Alcohol Addiction (formerly)

Crimes committed: N/A

What he/she most wants to change about his/her self/life?:

Despite the flaws he knows he has, James would not change much. If he had to say anything, it would be to have more control over his temper sometimes.

DETAILS/QUIRKS

Daily routine:

On weekdays, James wakes up at six for a run and follows that with a shower. He eats breakfast with Mackenzie normally, which they take turns making. He then goes to practice for most, if not all, of the day, only taking a break for lunch and water. When he gets home, he eats dinner with Mackenzie if she’s home. They might watch a movie or he’ll write to his relatives before going to bed. He tends to go to sleep fairly early especially if he has practice early the next day.

On weekends, he still wakes up at six for a run and eats breakfast, occasionally he’ll make breakfast in bed for Mackenzie. If he has practice on weekends, his routine is similar to the weekdays or he will spend his day relaxing or hanging out with his friends and family. For a while after graduation, James would spend a lot of his day’s off unpacking and renovating the house that he and Mackenzie live in together. His weekend evenings are similar to that of the weekdays.

James will always spend his holidays with his family. He will likely go back to the Burrow, bringing Mackenzie with him if she’s available. This is still the case after graduation.

Night owl or early bird?: Early Bird

Light or heavy sleeper?: Heavy Sleeper

Favorite food: Anything Grandma Molly cooks

Favorite book: Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp

Favorite movie: Citizen Kane

Favorite song: Do The Hippogriff by the Weird Sisters

Favorite color: Dark Green

Coffee or tea?: Tea

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?: Crunchy

Type of car he/she drives (or wishes he/she drove): James doesn’t plan on learning to drive. He thinks that apparating works better and more efficiently.

Lefty or righty?: Righty

Cusser?: Definitely

Smoker? Drinker? Drug user?: No / Formerly an Alcoholic / Formerly Though Recreational