#if he's joining the death eaters at least he gets something of his own

[butterli5]

Unhinged Regulus who sits in the DE meetings held in Grimmauld, he heard about the werewolf who works for Voldemort, the same man who had no pity when he turned a four year old boy, the same boy who grew up to fear looking up in the sky or watching his shadow at nighttime in fear of knowing how much time he had left before the next moon, the same boy who became the best man Regulus he had ever known.

He gets the mark so they trust him more, he becomes one of Voldemort's favorites, until one day he is assigned a mission with Fenrir Greyback. He shreds him to PIECES, I mean every dark curse you have ever learned, making his demise slow and painful, skins him alive and drains his blood with a manic smile on his face.

GIVE ME THIS UNHINGED DARK REGULUS I BEG YOU!!!!!

[dinarosie]

Even if Snape's inner motivation for joining Voldemort was a desire for acceptance, control, power and belonging, surely to achieve that he must have harbored some toxic beliefs about muggles and muggleborns? I cannot imagine someone as intellectual as Snape would not try to justify the dislike for muggles and muggleborns of the other purebloods in his head? He probably thought muggleborns were lesser in some ways to purebloods and muggles were ruining the world or something. He couldn't rationalize Lily's hatred for the dark arts and people like Mulciber, therefore I think he held delusional and negative beliefs towards muggleborns and muggles because his mind distorted the truth to fit his selfish narrative. He was moving in pureblood circles, heared their opinions all the time I believe he started believing some of that stuff too even if he wasn't violent about it. He tried to appease Voldemort, strived to be his follower he must have internalized some of the anti muggleborn beliefs in order to do that. What do you think?

Prejudice in the wizarding world isn’t something exclusive to the Death Eaters or even to one specific time. It's woven deeply into magical society, and even after the Second Wizarding War, we don't see convincing evidence that these biases are completely eradicated. Throughout the books, we see that many characters even those like mcgonagall, Hagrid and Weasleys, who oppose Voldemort's ideology still display some prejudice toward Muggles and other magical beings. They may not condone Voldemort’s tactics, but for example they actively try to sever all ties with their Muggle relatives as if they don’t exist at all or they show amusement at using magic to fool Muggles (think Ron, teenage James and Sirius). This reflects a norm and heritage within wizarding culture, a subtle acceptance of superiority that has been passed down for generations. This societal undercurrent of prejudice was so pervasive that, in the early days of the First Wizarding War, many actually supported Voldemort’s rise, at least until his methods became excessively violent. If the prophecy hadn’t intervened, he might have won, showing how ingrained these biases were.

When it comes to Snape, I get frustrated with interpretations that try to paint him as some "mini-Nazi" from age nine. Looking at his childhood, it’s clear that young Snape didn’t have a love for the Muggle world—and honestly, can you blame him, considering the harsh, painful reality his family life created there? To him, magic was a ticket out, a lifeline. But what’s interesting is how he responds to Lily’s magic, a Muggle-born witch. Instead of seeing her as “lesser,” he immediately recognizes her as one of his own:

“You are,” said Snape to Lily. “You are a witch. I’ve been watching you for a while. But there’s nothing wrong with that. My mum’s one, and I’m a wizard.”

Here, he embraces her as part of the magical world. He doesn’t see her as an outsider; instead, he’s excited to introduce her to magical world and help her feel like she belongs. This moment shows that even from a young age, Snape saw her magic as normal and valid (natural and valid like him and his own mother), even if she was Muggle-born.

I think it’s reasonable to believe teenage Snape (like most of the wizarding world) had some biases, especially given the difficult conditions he grew up in and the House he was eventually sorted into. But I don’t think these biases were the main driving force behind his choices. His prejudices weren’t extreme enough to fuel violence against Muggles or Muggle-borns. There’s no evidence that he ever wanted to actively harm someone simply because of their heritage, even in his Death Eater days. So, while he likely absorbed some prejudices from the pureblood-dominated world he was in, it’s clear that these beliefs didn’t reach the fanatical level they did with the other Death Eaters. And as he matured, these biases seemed to fade even further, to the point where he ultimately sacrificed his life to protect people.

Part of the differences between Lily and Snape’s perspectives on the Dark Arts, I think, can be traced back to Hogwarts’s own black-and-white view on magical disciplines. In some wizarding cultures, Dark Arts are studied and understood as a form of complex magic, not inherently evil. Interestingly, these communities, despite their engagement with Dark Arts, don’t necessarily produce other Voldemorts, so perhaps the Dark Arts have legitimate applications beyond harm. This difference in perspective is, I think, part of why young Snape couldn’t fully grasp Lily’s rejection of Dark Arts. To him, the Dark Arts were an area of knowledge, filled with awe and potential power, rather than just danger and malice. He believed that by mastering these aspects, he might impress her. Rowling’s narrative makes sense this way; Snape wasn’t trying to seduce her with dark ideas, but rather to share something he found fascinating and intellectually rich, even if misguidedly so.

[roonilwazlib1234]

Many people in this fandom are just not ready to hold Snape responsible for his actions. It's always someone else responsible for Snape's own actions and bad decisions in life. But when it comes to doing something good then Snape is the saint reincarnated.

He was prejudiced against muggleborns and kept using the M word for them? He had to do that to survive in the slytherin house of course.

He used that word on Lily? It was just the heat of the moment. Lily didnt have to overreact!

He lost Lily's friendship? She should have been the bigger person and not ended their friendship on a mere word.

It was more than just that one word, it was the culmination of all his bad words and actions she had been trying to ignore or overlook for the sake of that friendship.

And even if it was just that one word she still would have been well within her right in doing so because how dare he? If my friend used that kind of slur on me, a slur people who wanted me stripped of magic, the people who wanted me dead used, literal terrorists used than I would never even want to see the face of that person in my life again.

And if she is expected to overlook that supposed slip of tongue then why isn’t Snape expected to make efforts to overcome his prejudice for the sake of their friendship? For his supposed love of life? Why isn't he expected to see the error of his ways and not become a deatheater? If you had read the story carefully enough you would know that she gave him a chance to backtrack, but as she said, he didn't even deny that he was gonna join Voldemort. So much for trying to save the friendship!

And oh obviously, he was not responsible for becoming a death eater, that was on the Marauders. If only he wasn't bullied by the evil, devil incarcerated Marauders then he would never have chosen that path. But James and Sirius bullying him is solely their own fault (it totally was their fault in that memory, they were arrogant douchebags alright. Some of us have enough sense not to defend the bad actions of even those characters that we like. That's what makes them our favourite characters, their flaws and the growth they show by overcoming these flaws).

And don't even get me started on the whole prophesy fiasco. The reason some people heroworship him is because he changed sides for Lily. Are you serious? Thats what you got from that scene? He literally condemned an infant to death by delivering that prophesy to Voldemort! Just for a moment forget about all the good and bad of Snape, James and Lily, forget them all for a moment. Focus on this, he delivered the prophesy to Voldemort fully aware that Voldemert is gonna hunt down and kill a new born child. HE DID NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT AN INFANT'S LIFE!

The only reason he changed sides was because that was Lily's kid so obviously Lily was in danger too. At least he had the realisation that she was not gonna step aside and let her child die after he made that disgusting request to Voldemort of killing the child and sparing her life, that or well Voldemort is not gonna keep his word. Whatever it was, it was not a sudden change of heart or him seeing the error of his ways, it was just one small human side in him which didn't want Lily to be murdered. Ironically he joined a group which wanted to murder her in the first place.

But yes, he would have been completely fine if Voldemort had chosed to kill Neville, what a great hero! His bit of humanity only woke up when it came to Lily's life. Her small son's life did not matter, after all it will be one less Potter in the world (2 if you count James but we are not talking about him here, I don't expect any care about his life from Snape, he at least is entitled to not give 2 cents about James's life), No matter that she would never be able to get over the grief of seeing her child get murdered in front of her eyes. So as Dumbledore rightfully said "you disgust me"

Now that Potters finally die and Harry comes back to Hogwarts after spending a miserable 10 years with Dursleys, Snape had the gall to hate him, bully him and belittle him in front of everyone every chance he got. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THAT BOY ORPHANED YOU STUPID BITTER MANCHILD. You are responsible for getting him hunted down by the greatest dark wizard to ever live, you are responsible for starting a chain of events which made the first 17 years of his life a living hell. And you still hate him because he is James Potter's son? The man you yourself got killed by your master? You hate him for being Lily's son and hence responsible for her getting murdered by Voldemort? Even though its you responsible for getting her killed not that innocent child who did nothing wrong but being born on a specific date.

And even though it is Snape responsible for everything that's wrong in Harry's life, still Harry is supposed to make up to Snape and match his standards? You expect Harry to be the bigger person and make amends with dear professor Snape even though all he ever gets from that teacher is verbal abuse every single time they come face to face. Sorry, if I had a teacher like him who singled me out on the very first day of class and insulted me without any fault of my own just because he hated my dead father(the father who is dead because of said teacher), I would never respect that bullying git in my life. Funny how Harry is expected to show adult behaviour and not the literal adult himself because again it's Harry's fault for not taking the insults quietly and always replying back with sass. It was Harry's fault that Snape hated him because he was a trouble maker who broke school rules, even though that is what saved that whole school from Voldemort multiple times, at the cost of his own life.

Because as I said before, Snape is never responsible for his own actions, its always someone else's fault. Every thing that went wrong in his life was because of James, Sirius, Lily and Harry's doing.

But on the other hand James and Sirius are slandered to bits because of what they did to snape. Even though they grew up, stood by their friends in times of need (becoming animagi for Remus, James welcoming Sirius in his home), joined the Order of the phoenix to fight the evil forces of Voldemort (noting that they really didn't have to if you think about it. Both of them were so called pure blood wizards. They would have been completely fine and even stayed protected and alive without going if they kept quite and never went against Voldemort due to their blood status) but they fought bravely, chose to do the right thing even at the cost of their lives. But still they are the real villains of the story because they hated Snape and attacked him unprovoked in that memory (I'll say again, they were both arrogant douchebags in that scene and Lily rightfully called them bullying toerags, no justification for their behaviour), Still their whole character is assassinated based on their interactions with Snape in school but their triumphs, their bravery and growth is overlooked and glossedover to justify Snape's actions, they are not the Heroes but worse than deatheaters.

I don't know about you, but being a death eater is way worse than being a bully in my book. And your favourite character was both, a deatheater and a bully to literal children, his own students, students he is responsible for.

Do you want to know a character in whose life everything went wrong due to the action of someone else? It's Harry and the responsibility lies with Snape.

But you will still justify all of Snape's actions and wrong choices because obviously Snape is never responsible for his own actions, its always someone else.

You want Snape's good and right actions to be celebrated, yes he was very brave for being a double agent, not many could have achieved that feat. Yes may be he later on overcame his prejudice against muggleborns (I am remembering that scene from Prince's memories in which he asks the portrait not tp use the M word), but a that took years and years of growth but I would acknowledge whenever he does a right thing.

But when in the same memory he shows shock at the revelation that Harry has to die and his whole life's work of Protecting him has been for nothing you moon over his care for Harry. Even though it was still not for Harry. When Dumbledore said that he has grown to care for the boy he was disgusted by the mere notion. It was all for Lily.

As it love for Lily? I don't think so. You don't destroy the life of the person you love. Was it guilt for getting the only person he ever cared a out and who ever cared about him? Yes for sure. At least his guilt made him do the right thing.

But he was not the hero you portrait him to be. He was not evil yes but he did more bad than he ever did good. He was just a darker shade of grey. May be that's what makes his character interesting. But you all are hell bent on making him a saint and putting the blame of his actions and choices on other heroes of the story.

Who do you put the blame of James a d Sirius's wrong actions on? Can't think of anyone? Neither can can I because they themselves hold that blame.

No one else is responsible for our choices, no one but ourselves.

But Snape is always an exception to this rule isn't he?

The double standards are mind-boggling!

[ruinofchimera]

“No one confirmed Barty Crouch Jr.’s house, and thinking of him as a Ravenclaw is just a headcanon.”

Fine, sure. But to shove him into Slytherin? That’s bloody lazy. Worse, it’s dead wrong on every level that matters.

As Sirius put it, it was a “nasty little shock” for a man like Crouch Sr.—a ruthless crusader against Death Eaters and their pure-blood supremacy filth. But if Junior had been sorted into Slytherin, the shock would’ve hit with the force of a blunt spoon, not the gut punch it clearly was. Slytherin, home of Death Eater wannabes, would’ve set alarm bells ringing in Crouch Sr.’s head. He would’ve been preparing his “I knew this was coming” face right after the Sorting—a bloody bright red flag waving in his face.

And word would’ve spread. If the son of one of the Ministry’s most relentless Death Eater hunters had slithered into Slytherin, people would’ve talked. People would’ve wondered. It’d be irony so sharp it could draw blood—Crouch, the man so desperate to stamp out darkness, watching his own heir settle into the snake pit. It’d reek of defeat, right where it stung most.

But no. The shock told a different story. It wasn’t the expected disappointment of a son straying down a dangerous road; it was the stunned disbelief of a man hit where he least expected. Barty Jr.’s fall into the Dark Arts came from nowhere—or at least nowhere his father could’ve foreseen. No whispers. No ominous signs. Just a good little boy turning bad when no one was watching.

See, if Barty had been sorted into Slytherin, no one would’ve asked “how did this happen?” No soul-searching, no hand-wringing—just a shrug and the usual mutterings about Slytherin breeding dark wizards. The wizarding world would’ve talked for about five minutes before collectively shrugging and saying, ‘Well, there’s Slytherin for you.’ Simple. Easy. Neat.

But here? People are confused. Baffled. Almost pitying. The surprise reflects the public’s belief that Barty wasn’t bound for darkness, which is a far cry from how they might react to a Slytherin, whose behavior they’d likely see as an inherent part of their nature. With Barty—a boy who had that clean, respectable look—they’re left staring at the wreckage, wondering where it all went wrong.

Oh, and that’s where it gets fun. Sirius Black—who would rather join a knitting club with Kreacher than entertain the idea of a good Slytherin—actually hesitates to condemn Barty Jr. Why? Because Junior wasn’t a Slytherin. That’s the crux. Sirius has never been one to mince words about Slytherin; his bias is carved into his very bones, thanks to growing up surrounded by them. The fact that he’s hesitating? That’s bloody significant. That’s the lack of Slytherin stench working its magic. Without that mark, there’s room for doubt. Room for pity. Something no Slytherin would ever be granted, not from Sirius Black.

Now, imagine Barty had been sorted into Slytherin, hanging around with the likes of Regulus, who practically had “Voldemort’s fanboy” stamped on his forehead. Would Sirius have hesitated then? Not a chance in hell.

Hate to be the killjoy here—but no, not really. If you’re going to drown me in this ridiculous headcanon, pulling it from every half-baked corner of fandom, then you’re practically begging for this. It’s not exactly shocking that the fandom, with its talent for boiling characters down to their most shallow traits, has latched onto the idea of Barty being a Slytherin. Fans love to scream about how canon is too prejudiced toward Slytherin; then they turn around and double down on the same damn stereotypes they claim to hate.

Slytherin has become this lazy shorthand for villainy in their heads, reducing complex characters to cardboard cutouts of what they should be. Instead of appreciating Barty’s complexity, the fandom stuffs him into the Slytherin box, slapping on the label “Death Eater” like it’s a personality trait. Because for them, Death Eater equals Slytherin, and to hell with nuance.

But here’s the point: Barty’s story is all about nuance. What makes his fall so stomach-turning is that no one—no one—saw it coming. And when it hits, it hits—a proper, jaw-dropping shock. The insistence on cramming him into Slytherin? It misses the point entirely, ripping away the layers that give his arc its weight.

You don’t need to stare long at Barty Crouch Jr. to figure he could’ve landed anywhere but Slytherin.

[midnightstargazer]

Do you have any favourite regulus headcanons?

So, so many of them. Where do I even start?

He had a summer birthday, making him almost two years younger than Sirius but only one year below him at school

His favorite cousin was Narcissa - even as a young child, but especially after Sirius was disowned. While everyone else expected him to be pleased at being the heir now and eager to be rid of a "blood traitor," she spoke with him in private and told him it was okay if he had mixed feelings or missed Sirius. She was the only one who considered that that might be the case, because she had gone through something similar with Andromeda.

He was naturally bright, but not so much that everything came easily; he still had to work hard in order to do well in school. He did excel at some subjects, though, especially Ancient Runes and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He dropped Divination and Herbology as soon as possible, the former because he didn't have the Sight, and the latter because, as far as he was concerned, digging around in the dirt was beneath his dignity.

He was nearly but not quite a hatstall and spent his Sorting ceremony absolutely terrified, begging for Slytherin while the hat considered the pros and cons of the various options. One of the reasons it hesitated so long was that it could tell he wanted to go there at least partially out of fear and thought he might have more room to grow as a person in one of the other Houses. It was probably right - but that doesn't mean it was wrong in its final decision.

He loved playing Quidditch and was really good at it.

If he had been an animagus, his animal form would have been a crow.

He was prejudiced about blood status, but could be polite when it suited him. Especially at the Slug Club. He wasn't friendly or welcoming towards Slughorn's Muggle-born favorites, but he carefully avoided showing any overt hostility - at least when Slughorn was watching.

In another life, he might have been a scholar (he was very interested in the academic side of magic), an artist (he painted the family crest above his bed himself), or a dueling champion (he was highly skilled with combative magic).

He joined the Death Eaters entirely by choice.

He was the youngest person ever recruited as a Death Eater until Draco Malfoy during the second war. Narcissa was well aware of this, and it was one of the reasons she insisted Draco was too young.

He had a soft spot for Kreacher. He didn't necessarily see him as an equal, but he felt genuine affection for him and appreciated his loyalty. He was furious on Kreacher's behalf when he found out what Voldemort had done.

He didn't get along with Sirius and would probably have said he hated him, but he never stopped thinking of him as his brother.

He went to the cave expecting to die and preferring to die on his own terms rather than be made an example of by Voldemort.

As he was drowning, he regretted not trying harder to survive.

[pieceofshitregulus]

I'm not brave enough to write for this fest, lol. But I have prompts.

In the movies, Regulus was in the Slug Club - along with at least two Muggle-borns, Lily Evans and Dirk Cresswell. I'd love to read something about his interactions with them, and how he felt about Slughorn showing favoritism to people he considered his inferiors.

Regulus was a Death Eater for about a year, according to Kreacher, and probably committed serious crimes during that time. What's the worst thing he's ever done? What does he regret most when he decides to betray Voldemort? (Those can be the same thing but certainly don't have to be)

The first time Sirius and Regulus meet at Hogwarts after Sirius was disowned - preferably with Reg's attitude being more like "you betrayed our family!" and not "why didn't you take me with you?"

AU where Regulus survives, goes to Dumbledore as a defector, and is allowed to change sides - but then ends up annoying and offending everyone from the Order who he comes into contact with. He may be anti-Voldemort now, but he's still a blood purist and a snob.

Sincerely,

A very tired Regulus fan who has heard the words "forced to join the Death Eaters" a few too many times

These are some great prompts!!! I am getting some ideas of my own. 🤩

I would also hope that everyone that wants to join feels comfortable to do so, so let me know if there is anything that could make you feel more comfortable taking part in fest! It is possible to stay completely anonymious - I will make a post about this. (:

[rubusart]

lte me spam a little for character ask 😂

2, 8, 27, 32, 49 for sirius and severus 👀

Let's go! (I apologize in advance for possible mistakes.) 2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on Sirius: He is smart. Like, very smart. I don't like it when in fics or headcanons Sirius is portrayed as just a goofy handsome man, when in canon everyone literally admires his talents, like McGonagall and Slughorn, for example. I won't be surprised at all if I find out that both the motorcycle and the mirror are his own inventions. Severus: The reason he joined the Death Eaters was partly because Voldemort was able to come across as a father figure to him. When Severus first showed him the spells he had invented, Voldemort said "Very impressive, son!" And after that, Snape was ready to do anything for him. Later, as the head of Slytherin, Snape tried to become a father figure for the children himself, so that they would not look for someone else and would not repeat his mistakes. 8. Unpopular opinion about them Sirius: He didn't really care about Regulus. Otherwise, I cannot understand why, being locked up on Grimmauld, Sirius never went into his brother's room to at least understand how he lived in recent years. Or did not try to find out what really happened to him. It's pretty clear from the books that Sirius will go to any lengths for the people he cares about. But Regulus doesn't seem to be one of them. Severus: I really believe that in the scene from the third book in the teachers' restroom, Snape was trying to be friendly with Lupin. And his phrase about Neville was a kind of "peace pipe". A friendly tip for a new colleague. He's like a cat who brings you a dead mouse, fully convinced that it will make you happy. Unfortunately, Lupin didn't get it. 27. Their guilty pleasure Sirius: Severus He drinks juice or milk straight from the bottle.

Severus: Muggle sci-fi books 32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh Sirius: Puppies, kittens and children. Yes, he is one of those guys. Severus: Good pun. 49. Favorite toy as a child Sirius: His broom. He loved to fly, he loved the feel of the wind on his face and the speed, but he had always found the broomstick to be not very convenient. As we know, when he grew up, he found the perfect vehicle for himself. Severus: When he was a child, his mother made him a Potion Master's set out of old utensil and garden herbs. Instead of a magic wand, there was a thin willow branch. Of course, when his father found all this, he broke these toys.

[blackbat05]

Golden Trio of Tennis ⭐️🎾 - Order of the Phoenix

Note: I think I might have gone crazy with these headcanons . Excuse me😂 If you have any ideas on what I should do next, drop me a DM!

Dark times. Fear is running high. Everyone has different ways to deal and manage with their emotions. Including our trio.

Carlos

Carlos is passionate 3000% in fighting back. He makes it known to everyone that he’s a rebel. That has gotten him into a lot of trouble.

The back of his hand is badly scarred as he exits Umbridge’s office for the sixth time this week. But he’s already planning the next revolt.

It’s brutal on the Qudditch Pitch. The Slytherins are out for Alcaraz’s blood. He almost had a bludger taking out his head.

So he sends a well aimed bludger to their Keeper and that’s how he got disqualified from the match.

Carlos rarely gets mad. He’s usually the happy go lucky one that shines brighter than the sun. But there are always exceptions.

Like now as he chucks his broom aside and glares at Umbridge for that decision.

That’s how he ended up in her office for the seventh time.

His scars are starting to become worse and Carlos cannot simply ignore it.

Jannik. But security is much higher now since Umbridge took over.

Wait a minute…

The golden retriever limps towards the Ravenclaw tower and waits outside until someone from the house sees him.

A second year boy ends up scooping the injured dog into his arms and informs Jannik about it. (Yes, they know that this Golden belongs to Jannik. Or at least comes to look for Jannik every single time)

Jannik

Jannik was deep into his potions assignment when the boy comes. He can’t believe his eyes.

Sweet, mild tempered Jannik could feel his rage bubbling in his stomach. That foul b-

He forces himself to cool down quickly to prepare the potion for the injuries from his diminishing potions kit.

He puts it in a dish and coaxes dog Carlos to drink it. But the dog only whines and crawls into his lap.

“Carlos… you have to drink it.” Jannik is weak at the sight of his friend who usually is so full of energy. But Carlos just wants to sleep.

So Jannik puts him on a pillow, wrapped in his Ravenclaw scarf.

He’s not as vocal as Carlos about disagreeing with Umbridge’s methods. But he does it in his own way by studying so much harder since Defense classes are literally a joke.

Somehow with Umbridge’s presence, students whose parents have been associated with Death Eaters get 1000% cockier. Jannik doesn’t give a shit though.

Some 7th year Slytherin tried to hex Jannik while he wasn’t paying attention but Jannik was too quick for him, hexing him right back with a jelly leg jinx.

WITHOUT being caught by Umbridge.

Because he also hexed the Slytherin’s big mouth.

Never, ever cross Jannik. He’s quiet but he’s a deadly fighter. When you hurt his friends, he’ll give it back to you tenfold.

And this time, someone has his back.

Holger

Although he’s from Slytherin, he’s almost if not even more reckless than Carlos and Jannik combined.

He openly talks back to Umbridge about her teaching methods and she can’t do anything about it.

Now this is where it gets funny.

Every evening, Holger would turn into his Animagus form, and find a way to sneak into Umbridge’s office when she’s away and take a piss on her desk, seat and on every surface that’s possible.

Ooooh the way Umbridge was seething during morning breakfast, Holger couldn’t help but to snicker.

During one DADA lesson, Holger’s retort had rendered her speechless.

“Cat got your tongue, Professor?”

Umbridge knows that Holger has something to do with this. She doesn’t understand why the child from an esteemed pure blood family would join those filthy half breeds and m*dbloods

Carlos is sitting beside Holger, having recovered from his injuries. He gives a happy Holger a fist pump under the table.

Yeah… Holger’s probably planning what to do next to terrorize that good for nothing woman. If it means that Carlos is back to his old self again.

[indigo-scarf]

Character Profile: Theodore Nott

Decided to start a series profiling characters I like: I'll pick a character and compile canon facts, extra-canon, and my own headcanons about them. This way I can organise and share my thoughts, plus maybe help or inspire other fans' characterisations of my faves. First victim: Theodore Nott.

I. Canon

• He is lanky and weak-looking

a stringy Slytherin boy (OP21) 

a weedy-looking boy Hermione whispered was called Theodore Nott (OP26)

• He can see Thestrals

a stringy Slytherin boy standing just behind Goyle was watching the horse eating with an expression of great distaste on his face (OP21)

• His father is a Death Eater

“[Slughorn] asked me about Nott’s father when I first arrived. They used to be old friends, apparently, but when he heard he’d been caught at the Ministry he didn’t look happy, and Nott didn’t get an invitation, did he? I don’t think Slughorn’s interested in Death Eaters.” (HBP7)

• He is a pureblood supremacist, or at least acts like he is

“No, I don’t think so, sir. I’m Muggle-born, you see.” Harry saw Malfoy lean close to Nott and whisper something; both of them sniggered, but Slughorn showed no dismay; on the contrary, he beamed and looked from Hermione to Harry, who was sitting next to her. (HBP9)

• He is a competent student

The scene above takes place in a N.E.W.T. level Potions class.

• He’s sceptical about the power of (obsessive) love

“[Amortentia] is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes," [Slughorn] said, nodding gravely at Malfoy and Nott, both of whom were smirking sceptically. “When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.” (HBP9)

• He doesn’t bully Harry

Harry never interacts with Theodore at all, just observes him from afar a few times. One of these times, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all react aggressively to seeing Harry, while Theodore doesn’t do anything noticeable:

[Harry] saw [Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle] with their heads together later that afternoon in the library, together with a weedy-looking boy Hermione whispered was called Theodore Nott. They looked around at Harry [...] and Goyle cracked his knuckles threateningly and Malfoy whispered something undoubtedly malevolent to Crabbe. Harry knew perfectly well why they were acting like this: He had named all of their fathers as Death Eaters. (OP26)

• He doesn’t usually hang out with Draco’s gang

In addition to not being present whenever Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy are taunting Harry (or Hermione), Theodore is also not present in the few scenes that show the Slytherins by themselves.

In the train compartment scene (HBP7), even Blaise Zabini is sitting with the aforementioned Slytherins, but Theodore is not. The same goes for when Ron looks for Draco in the Marauder’s Map:

“There!” said Ron, after a minute or so. “[Malfoy’s] in the Slytherin common room, look ... with Parkinson and Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle …” (HBP18)

The only times Theodore interacts with his House-mates are the ones cited above: when they have a Potions class together, and even then it’s Draco that initiates the interaction; when all the sons of Death Eaters are pragmatically brought together by news concerning their fathers.

• He and Draco are on decent terms

Harry saw Malfoy lean close to Nott and whisper something; both of them sniggered (HBP9)

There are “four Slytherins” in that class: Draco, Blaise, Theodore, and one of the girls, and Theodore is the one Draco picks to joke with. Theodore, in turn, gives Draco a validating reaction.

Compare and contrast with how Blaise and Draco compete in the train scene (HBP7).

+ Extra-canon

Notes from JKR’s site about a scene cut from the books (which I accept as canon):

I know much more about Theodore Nott than has ever appeared in the books. Raised by a very elderly widower and Death Eater father, Theodore is a clever loner who does not feel the need to join gangs, including Malfoy’s. However, in this scene Theodore’s father (the same Nott who was badly injured in the closing chapters of ‘Order of the Phoenix’) goes to visit Lucius Malfoy to discuss Voldemort-related business and we see Draco and Theodore alone in the garden having a talk of their own. I really liked the scene, firstly because it showed the Malfoys’ home, and the difference between the place where Draco has grown up and number four, Privet Drive; then because we rarely see Draco talking to anybody he considers a real equal, and he is forced to see Theodore as such, because Theodore is just as pure-blooded as he is, and somewhat cleverer. Together these two Death Eaters’ sons discuss Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts and Harry Potter, with all sorts of stories that the Death Eaters tell about how this baby boy survived the Dark Lord’s attack.

Also from JKR’s site:

In my notes Nott is also described as ‘rabbity’ in appearance.

Rabbity = timid, cowardly; more prey than predator, therefore aware of his surroundings.

II. My Headcanons

[nobodyexpectsthe]

okay i've been enabled into a ff14 verse & that means i wanna get fucky with it.

crackls my fingers. beneath the cut is bullet points.

cw for light body horror.

The Bloody Banquet actually succeeds and the WoL (a qesir xaela) is killed.

Hydaelyn, knowing her Champion is dead and she still needs one ends up grabbing one of his shards and shoving it into his body. This is supposed to trigger a merger buuuuuuuuut.

This shard happens to be a male viera from the First and He's pulled just as the Flood of Light starts & he's getting obliterated by it.

That makes shit go wrong, and he's saved but basically rendered as a lesser Ascian. Who is now fully conscious and in the body of the previously dead WOL.

The whole transfer is pretty traumatic! When Pirith awakens he cannot remember either life particularly well, but doesn't have a lot of time to think on it. Alphinaud has him up and on his feet & they basically don't stop running until they hit Ishgard.

plot happens. the WoL suddenly knowing fuckall is thought to be a result of his injuries, as the killing blow had been one to the head.

The echo is basically constantly saving his ass because he's getting echoes from his own body.

Pirith meets Ardbert and co and recognizes them but cannot put his finger on why.

?????????? plot fuzzy more thought later but from heavensward to shadowbringers he's having a quiet identity crisis and constantly feeling like his body isn't his own. like he's done something unforgivable by existing like this and has no ownership of this flesh.

which you know

starts to make sense the deeper into the plot we get and ascians are flitting about.

he has at least three separate crashouts about the notion of being an ascian without knowing. which!!!!!!! he kind of is.

emet-selch thinks this is the funniest fucking thing to ever happen and spends most of shadowbringers tormenting this poor confused lizard-rabbit. he knows full well that's a shard in a source body and mocks him for it relentlessly even though pirith has no fucking idea what he's talking about.

genuinely doesn't know who the fuck g'raha is.

pirith re-meets his brothers in his lizard bod. they do not recognize him and he is having a whole crisis about how when he thinks about them he remembers his hands being... different.

growing increasingly unsettled by how much he knows of this world and how this body is definitely not his body and he is not this person so whose fucking body is it.

every time he eats a light warden shit he gains more aether and this is also slowly turning him into a lightwarden.

a conscious fragment of the original wol is his body and has become a sin eater. turns out the two of them were supposed to merge - pirith was meant to be fuel for the wol to revive, not take over his corpse - and a portion of the wol's soul ended up in his body.

and like you know

turned into a sexy monster

boss fight with forgiven devotion

beat the shit out of forgiven devotion

the wol is able to regain their mind thanks to the echo and the two of them are able to have a conversation & the wol thanks pirith for saving his world and taking care of his friends. knowing that he died and there is no curing death, the wol says he gives pirith everything freely & willingly and merges together with him.

joining with the WoL both cures the impending sin-eaterfication and restores pirith's original bunny boy bod.

sobbing reunions with both of his brothers

[thistlecatfics]

If you’re still doing therapy asks…Mr. Daddy Issues, Barty Crouch Jr. (Any age!)

When I clicked on the inbox, it only showed me the first part of this ask, and so I misread it as if you were addressing *me* as Mr. Daddy, and I felt such a need to clarify that I am in no way a Mr. Daddy. I am a very subby femme lesbian. Definitely not a daddy. (Open to butch daddies. But not myself a daddy.) That oversharing aside, let’s go to Barty!

From canon we know Barty is super smart, got a crazy amount of NEWTs, had an abusive (or at least very harsh and cruel) dad, and joined the Death Eaters young. 

I kind of think this kid would be a nightmare in therapy and would be extremely opposed to participating. I imagine he only ends up in therapy because Dumbledore makes him or something. (And sixteen year old Barty is like “Dumbledore is the one who needs therapy,” and he is not wrong. And maybe the therapist agreeing with him would be the first step to building a rapport.)

If we can manage to get some sort of rapport going, I think the main themes of therapy would be agency and self-determination and power and control. He is raised in a rigidly controlling house, then he uses academic achievements to gain his own sense of control and stability. 

I imagine he’s a very rigid and black-and-white thinker. His father is either all good or all bad – and he spends childhood idolizing his father and then rapidly switches up once he gains a bit of distance and is able to individuate or after there is a final straw. He is either all good or all bad. Some of the work would just be about getting a smidge of cognitive flexibility and ability to hold shades of gray. 

I also imagine him as a teenager as someone who flips from extremes – either he is studying for a month straight and barely sleeping or he is getting black out drunk and trying whatever illicit potion is available. He does not do moderation. He compartmentalizes intensely. 

At first in therapy, he is super defensive about his father and cannot stand any hint that he may be imperfect from the therapist, and he gets angry at the therapist for insulting his father by implying that anything he did might have had a negative impact on Barty. Then, pretty suddenly, he is wildly opposed to his dad and everything he is and everything he stands for. This of course comes with interest in joining the Death Eaters where he starts putting that idolization on Voldemort instead. 

He would be a difficult client. I think the main place where therapy could be helpful would be intervening before he makes that switch against his father and towards Voldemort – if he can more gently recognize the negative impacts of his father’s behavior and allow himself to feel that hurt from not having the father he deserves. And maybe even talking to his mother about his feelings, if she is a safe person to do so with. If we could get him to just feel a tiny bit of his own vulnerability - not covered up and soothed by academic achievement - then maybe we could help him.

After he takes steps to join the Death Eaters, I think it would be like trying to get a young person out of a cult, and I'm pretty pessimistic about how therapy would go at that point.

[soup-of-the-daisies]

You talked about rambles so uhm.. have this essay i guess?? sklfjd this got wayy longer than i thought it would:

Sirius and Regulus and especially the was Sirius talks about Regulus is SOOOO interesting to me? probably because i'm also an eldest child

"my idiot brother who was soft enough to believe [our parents]" is just so.. bitter? resentful? hurt? to me? I firmly believe Sirius used to believe W&O too, but then got to Hogwarts and was in for a Rude Awakening and slowly changed. It can't have been easy, even if he had prior doubts, to learn to disregard and actively denounce everything his parents ever told him.

They were harsh and strict and expected so much from him. Put him in all these little boxes and made him jump through hoops because he had to be the perfect little heir to the Black name (basically royalty) but they were his parents and parents love their children. They care. He was eleven when he started to not only doubt his parents ideals, but also their love for him because with every "no" and "that's not true" and "muggleborn, not mudblood" they (especially Walburga) get harsher and harsher.

Maybe he even went to Regulus with it in his letters in the year Regulus wasn't at Hogwarts yet? "Potter said [something going directly against what their parents told them] and was completely serious about it! Can you believe it?" "Do you think father was right when he said ... because Potter said ..." "James told me mother was wrong about ..." And he tried to explain his own wavering belief in their parents and Regulus, who was still firmly under their thumb, refused to listen.

Maybe Regulus talked to their parents about these letters and he got an furious letter from Walburga. Or he got the cold shoulder when he got home from his first year not knowing why until they brought it up icily during dinner?

I believe that Sirius saw Regulus believing their parents over him as a personal betrayal. "soft enough to believe them" aka he loved/respected/trusted them more than he did me or he would have listened to me

honestly i don't know if any of this made sense but it's certainly rambling

Yes. Yes, this is good. VERY good.

In my perspective, Sirius calling Regulus ‘soft’ and an ‘idiot’ is, apart from hurt for a little brother who ‘betrayed’ him/his trust, also something that he’s parroting. Like that his parents used to say it, you know? Sirius is intelligent, headstrong, magically powerful, and a leader at his core: ideal for the future head of the family. I’d say his rebellious tendencies and sharp retorts were initially encouraged (amusing, cute, and impressive; he was an outgoing and sharp child, and people who don’t like children like that), until it backfired on them.

Regulus, while being clever himself, I’ve always seen as significantly less outgoing. He’s not mentioned until OotP, though he could’ve been mentioned (at least in passing) during both PoA and GoF. I don’t see him as having been very… outstanding, I suppose. Probably quiet at home too, and agreeable. Not something you’d want in an heir, ideally. Calling him a soft idiot could easily be a way for O&W to force him out of his shell, be more Sirius-esque without the need for rebellion.

But then he joins the Death Eaters, and his parents (though perhaps unhappy that he’s such a follower) are at least proud that he agrees with their ideas, and Sirius just thinks—they were right. Apart from the cold shoulder or the tattling after Sirius started Hogwarts, he’s radicalised now as well, listened to their parents’ ridiculous bigotry and agreed with it to the point of becoming a follower of Voldemort. Voldemort, who obviously doesn’t care about people’s lives, least of all about the ideas he’s spouting (how many purebloods got killed by DE’s, in comparison to muggles and muggleborn? How is that superiority?). It’s a confirmation: Regulus is soft and can’t think for himself, Regulus is an idiot who decided to side with a extremist maniac instead of genuinely considering the facts.

I do think Sirius cared for his parents, a little bit. He flees to his mother’s room when he’s upset, and he doesn’t take the opportunity to slander his father for his paranoia in protecting Grimmauld with spells. I think he cared for Regulus more though: soft, idiotic Regulus, who was too quiet to think to disagree, too stupid to think further than the ideas he surrounded himself with, too scared to consider his brother’s rebuttals to the bigotry.

It’s hurt, yes. Because it could’ve been better. Because Regulus could have lived.

[fandom-nursery]

Beel agere headcanons

Regresses between 2-8 years old 

Regresses fairly infrequently, usually around once or twice a month on his own but he is easily triggered into regressing when he can feel that belphie is also little 

He doesn’t have a lot of control over his regression and he isn’t very good at identifying when he’s beginning to slip into headspace 

He likes that his regression is something he gets to share with his twin but he sometimes feels bad that when he’s little he can’t be very helpful to his family 

Little Beel doesn’t have  a lot of his understanding of his own size and strength which can be a bit hazardous

He tends to mess up his words in a way that can be hard to understand. Belphie is usually a pretty good translator if no one else can figure out what Beel is saying 

He is very calm when he’s little and is usually very easygoing 

He is very forgetful while little and his memories tend to get a bit foggy in headspace 

He doesn’t usually nap but he will almost always lay down with Belphie if his twin is napping just to keep him company and protect him 

He is a big boy and there aren't really a lot of people strong enough to carry him but he does find it soothing on the rare occasion it happens 

He’s not a huge fan of baths which is unfortunate because he gets the most messy out of all his brothers while little and needs them constantly. When he is in the bath he has to be watched so carefully or he will eat soap  

Loves to play games outside like catch or tag 

Beel is also more than happy to sit quietly with belphie and play with him or to sit by another one of his brothers while they do something and just watch 

He will put anything that can fit (and several things that can’t) directly into his mouth and watching him while he’s little is a constant game of “what’s in your mouth??!!” 

Messy messy eater. His face, hands, thair, clothes, the table, and the floor are always covered in food after mealtimes. He wears a bib while eating to try and keep him somewhat clean but that usually doesn't do much 

Seeing his twin is his biggest comfort. Really seeing any of his loved ones. Beel can get a bit of separation anxiety while regressed and likes to be able to go check on everyone to make sure they are still there and doing ok. He’s a bit like a herding dog that way and if he is able to get his entire family into one room where he can see them all at once he will 

Big fan of overalls 

Beel was banned from paci’s because every time one was in his mouth too long he would forget what it was and accidentally eat it 

All his brothers know about his regression although Belphie was of course the first to know. You find out when a regressed Beel knocks on your door and insists on you joining everyone else in the living room for a movie 

Belphie takes care of him when he’s big but because his regression tends to trigger Belphie’s regression he does like to have at least one other person in the family who is around and can help if belphie is also small 

Loves food based nicknames! Pumpkin, cutiepie, honey, sugar, dumpling and carrot top are all very popular although they do make him feel hungry 

He started regressing after Lilith died. The guilt he felt over her death and the grief his entire family was feeling really got to him

[starwrittenfates]

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐄𝐫𝐚 --

The Werewolf Incident - Sirius told Severus that Lily was in danger and went to the shack, hence why Severus risked himself to go in and save her, not knowing it was a set-up.

Tobias Snape broke Eileens’ wand out of rage and disgust for ‘her kind’, hence why she was later powerless against him and the abuse grew more severe.

Despite the fact Eileen could be neglectful at times due to Tobias abuse that was not only directed at Severus, but at her too, Severus had the strongest bond with his mother. He loved her and looked up to her. He couldn't give a shit about his father though.

The Sorting Hat told Severus that he’d be good in Gryffindor for his courage and bravery, but after his interaction with James and Sirius on the train ride there, it was an immediate "NOPE" to that. Slytherin was always his goal. However, he did hesitate, knowing Lily was part of that house too.

Severus was bullied by his own House in hopes of "toughening him up", hence why we don’t see any Slytherin jump to his defense when bullied by the Marauders. Slytherin had this rule of: "Only the strongest survive."

Over the years, the Slytherin's in his house would get on Severus for being friends with Lily ("Why are you friends with that Mudblood? You can make better friends with us instead.") At first, Severus was good at ignoring it, staying true to his word about blood status not mattering. However, over the years, some in his house (Mulciber and Avery in particular) had voiced threatening to go after Lily if Severus didn't join them, especially once they graduated and became Death Eaters. Besides the constant bullying he received from the Marauder's, this was just another thing to keep him on edge and guarded at Hogwarts. And something that caused Severus to start distancing himself from Lily, and in turn, their friendship start to crumbling.

Having come from a poverty stricken neighborhood and a broken home with an abusive father, Severus never liked it when someone took pity on him. Pride is his downfall and it is because of these reasons that when Lily ends up standing up for him during one of the Marauder's attacks that Severus snaps at her with embarrassment despite not meaning to call her a Mudblood. And of course this leads to becoming his Worst Memory, not only because he lost his friendship with Lily, but mostly because of the fact he hurt her.

From that moment on, Severus learns to never let his emotions get the best of him like that again. He tries to learn how to control them, or at least choose his words carefully, so he can never have a repeat of that moment ever again.

He takes on the title "The Half-Blood Prince" sometime in his Sixth Year. It's something to bring him comfort as he is still dealing with the loss of Lily's friendship and enduring bullying from the Maruaders. It is also him trying to give himself some power, purpose and shedding anything that makes him feel the opposite. Calling himself "The Half-Blood Prince" is Severus' way of saying: "No matter how many times you may try to kick me down, I'm still worthy as a person, even as a Half-Blood." It's a declaration during what he thinks to be the darkest time of his life.

His father died of Alcoholism after his 16th birthday. There was a small moment of bliss in the Snape Household because of it. Severus enjoyed these small moments with his mother. However, Eileen ended up passing away on his 17th birthday, but not before leaving Severus his childhood home to him in a will.

Despite not sharing any of their beliefs about Muggle-Borns, Severus ends up joining the group of future Death Eaters, becoming one after graduation because he feels he has no other purpose in life. He had already lost everything (and because Voldemort can actually be a very persuasive, manipulative person, he promises Severus that his greatness and talents will shine in his ranks and he will never be treated terribly ever again.)-- "You can have everything you want, just shake my hand and sign your life away."

At first, it all seemed promising. He could start to see himself having a future again and everything the Dark Lord had promised. However, after overhearing a prophecy about "the Dark Lord and the one to defeat him" being read and reporting it back to his master, the reality of the situation and just how much he had lost himself in the darkness came back to bite Severus when Voldemort set his targets on Lily (and her family.)

Severus used Felix Felicis to ask Voldemort to spare Lily (not because he needed the courage to do so. It was strictly for the luck of Voldemort agreeing to do so.)

[itsjaywalkers]

hi laurie <3 how is your health? do you feel better?

there’s another big discourse about regulus character, what is ooc for him, what is not, was he right, did he deserve redemption or did he deserve to die as villain. you know, same old conversation, but it made me curious about your vision of his character! how do you view him in canon? do you think he was more morally dark than grey or more grey than dark? tell me everything please <3

hi lovely!! my health's fine, i'm completely recovered!! it was a tough week but i survived that stupid chest infection

oooooh u know i don't care about discourse but i love how u just brought it up to . turn it into a nice lil debate and ask about my portrayal of a character <333

we obviously don't get a lot about reg in canon but i think we get enough!! a couple of what could be core traits (since what we learn of him is all from sirius pov who's . quite biased) and some of his backstory!! so yes, he's kind of a blank slate of a character, which is incredibly fun when it comes to fanfiction but also . i truly believe there's a foundation here, even if a tiny unstable one yk??

anyways, to me, regulus is quite morally grey, but i don't think . he's more dark or more grey . the lovely kat (@messrsage) wrote a very interesting post about this a while ago, they talked about how the black brothers are both morally grey, and that sirius isn't more good or regulus more bad. they move up and down the spectrum, depending on who they keep as friends, on what influences them and their environment. i think the word kat used was morally fluid?? or something along those lines. and i absolutely agree!!

i don't believe sirius was better or inherently good. i just think that they had different responses for the same trauma. that they surrounded themselves by very different kinds of ppl. neither of them is in the right or in the wrong, yk?? they're both victims!! regulus thought that . obeying and listening to their parents and doing what he was told was the best course of action and there's nothing wrong with that

sirius implies that reg wasn't . capable of thinking on his own . that he was 'soft enough to believe them' (referring to their parents) which has always made me think that . despite reg definitely believing in blood supremacy and all that bullshit, at least for a while, it wasn't because he rationalised the whole thing all by himself and thought it was True and Right and Genuine, but that walburga and orion said this was how the world worked and he didn't think of questioning it. sirius did and look where that got him, right?? and besides, those are his parents, and despite how strict and cruel they can be sometimes, they love him, regulus knows they do, so why would they lie. i think he was comfortable, in a way, in the life that his parents made for him, and if not fighting back and agreeing with everything also stopped the abuse then even better

it's like the death eater thing. i'm sure his family had a lot to do with it!! and sure, it was also implied that reg had this weird nerdy fixation with voldemort, but i don't think that means . he was bad . voldemort was such a powerful wizard, and his family, or at least part of it, supported him and chose to follow him, so why wouldn't he find him interesting?? or even worthy of admiration?? he ended up betraying him and sacrificing himself the moment he realised what voldemort actually intended to do. besides, he was a fucking kid. people tend to forget that he was literally 16 when he joined the death eaters. and idk about u, but i was a fucking idiot at 16. not awful or anything, ofc, but i still did and said a lot of shit i'm not proud of, simply bc i didn't know better. but the thing is that i wasn't expected to!! bc again, i was just a kid!! doesn't excuse any of my mistakes, but i do think it's a fact that u gotta take into account when u try to judge someone

i think regulus wasn't a hero, but he wasn't a villain either. i think he was a terrified boy trying to survive. trying to make his family proud. and by the time he finally realised his mistake, it was too late. he still tried to fix his shit, and i think that matters. does that make him a good person?? nah, not really. but i think it makes him human

on a more surface level, my regulus is . proud . stubborn . spoiled . posh . mean in a non-targeted way, it's never personal to him (or not usually) and he's not trying to hurt anyone, it's just . a defence mechanism?? part of his personality, in a way. he isn't trying to be cruel on purpose. i think he's also a curious person, but it's a part of him he tends to ignore or supress, bc his parents don't like it. i think he's a follower and that he hates being the centre of attention, but at the same time, he's jealous of the way sirius seems to have everyone's eyes on him when he enters a room. he can be petty and resentful, but he's also shy and quiet and so very soft. it's a side of him that not a lot of ppl get to see, bc it's weak, but it's very much there, and i think that's the regulus that sirius knew most of his life. the regulus that he knew (or at least wanted to believe) was still there, which probably make him speak of him in such a . gentle way?? like yes, he called him an idiot but he has no qualms about cursing the rest of his family out, and he's pretty mean to all of them (with good reason) except andromeda and regulus. to me, that means he still loved his brother, and if sirius is still capable of . caring about regulus, at least to a certain degree, without even knowing about his change of heart . well . he couldn't have been that awful

there's also quite the debate about the kreacher thing, and whether reg was actually kind-hearted enough to believe and defend elves' rights or if it was simply the fact that it was kreacher, his house elf, and nothing else. personally, i don't think it matters that much. whatever his reason was, he still decided to betray voldermort over it, and tried to do the right thing, even tho the risk was High and he didn't know if he'd make it. that's what i believe says more about his character than what his exact tipping point was

and god i'm gonna shut up now, this turned out to be so ridiculously long i just . find regulus so interesting SORRY NONNIE😭

[seriousbrat]

i have a hypothetical for you !! if sev hadn’t called lily a mudblood — thought it, sure, or said something else cruel, but not, in that moment, put the final nail in the coffin of their friendship — how do you think they would have ended? because obviously, he was pretty far into the deep end of ideology that directly opposed her humanity. being able to bite his tongue one (1) crucial time wouldn’t change who he was or what he was already comfortable with. but if lily hadn’t gotten that reality check, how do you think things would fall apart? was a big blow-up show-down inevitable for them? would it be a slower deterioration? would lily end up isolated from her friends if she kept picking him while the war gained traction? would sev have remained on the edges of the death eaters rather than jumping in head first with nothing to lose? i’m curious to know what you picture!!!

Good question! Honestly I think their friendship probably would have ended anyway. Even if SWM hadn't happened, something else eventually would have, it was only a matter of time. Snape was trying to play both sides and that's always a tenuous state of affairs, there was only so long it could last. I imagine there were a few "near breaking points" previously to SWM, and that Snape was sort of desperately trying to keep the friendship together while also maintaining his friendship with Avery and Mulciber.

I also think Lily was already getting there on her own. She's clearly not happy with him during the pre-SWM conversation and I doubt it was the only one of its kind. If SWM hadn't happened it might have taken a bit longer, but honestly I'd give it a year at absolute maximum, because seventh year was when Lily and the marauders started becoming serious about joining the Order. Sev was already doing things behind her back that she would have disapproved of.

It might not have been as public of a blow-up though, or as hurtful for Lily. Honestly, she might have reached the point of sitting him down and saying "sorry, but I don't think we can be friends anymore" which at least would have been a more civil break. Yes, SWM was a wake-up call for Lily but it was also the last straw, it didn't come out of nowhere. She says that she'd been making excuses for him for years; as Lily grew older, and the war grew more serious, this would have been increasingly difficult to do.

As for whether Sev would be on the margins of the Death Eaters-- honestly I think he was anyway, at first, as a poor half-blood. I think it was his ability and intelligence that distinguished him among the DEs and helped him rise in their ranks. Sev, like any good Slytherin, is motivated by a desire to prove himself, to be recognised, which I think is what drew him to Mulciber and to the Death Eaters and Voldemort in general.

I see Mulciber as detecting this in Sev and very ably playing on his thirst for recognition. Also, in my mind Mulciber would be clever and manipulative enough to pretend to be supportive and understanding of Sev's friendship with/desire for Lily, at least at first, so in Sev's mind it would have been Lily who was forcing him to make a choice-- this is obviously just my version of Mulciber though, and it's not to say Sev wasn't at fault haha. He was so desperate to be recognised for his ability that he didn't realise until it was too late that it's much better to have a friend who loves you no matter how talented or clever you are.