#it wasn't voldemort who had to be afraid it was THE MARAUDERS

[atlasdoe]

"Who's afraid of little old me is about Regulus!!!!"

Have y'all ever heard of Peter Pettigrew????

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Hi, please free to ignore( huge fan of your metas btw)

What are your thoughts on Peter pettigrew? In swm we saw him fanboying over james to being responsible for his death. Just because he was afraid or he never really loved his friends. Many people say James and Sirius treated him shitty thats why he betrayed. Some even say he was just a tag along. Please share your thoughts.

First of all, thank you!

(also, unless they are rude, I don't ignore any questions, it might just take me two years to answer)

Peter Pettigrew

My very controversial opinion on Peter is that I love him (as a character).

To me, Peter is one of those characters who represent how Rowling's clear lack of self-awareness as a person translates in her work into her being unable to recognize her strengths as a writer. The majority of the most interesting things she comes up with are not the ones she focuses on.

And that's the case for Peter Pettigrew, who might be the Marauder with the most interesting story.

It's way too easy to reduce him to a coward as the author seems to want you to believe. And even claiming he didn't love his friends is a flattening of his character.

You can have a tendency to be influenced by peer pressure all you want but you don't become an unregistered animagus to help someone if you don't love the friend you are doing that for and you don't have a bit of courage (especially considering how long the whole thing was and that he wasn't particularly talented). He risked extremely severe consequences on his body due to the possibility of the process going wrong and he risked Azkaban for being unregistered.

That's fundamentally the opposite behavior of the one he later has with the Potters.

I also think it's important to point out how Remus is not a close relative (father, son, brother) and how the help Peter provides is not essential to Remus' survival, it's emotional comfort. The lack of necessity of the animagus matter and the easily cancellable bond with Remus increase the braveness and love of Peter's act (in contrast for example with something like what Narcissa does with her son by lying to Voldemort).

I think Peter's story is the one of someone who lost his courage, not the one of a person who never had it.

Doesn't this also make it so much more delicious how his downfall is caused by the return of a glimpse of honor?

I do agree with the fact that in SWM, James and Sirius don't treat him particularly well, especially Sirius, but I don't think they are that aware of it, especially James. They are a bit crude, and they are arrogant. They are two bright posh 16yo guys in a boarding school in the 70s. I don't expect from them a particularly high level of sensitivity in how they talk to people, especially to someone they take for granted knows to be their friend. Sirius is probably more aware of it, but I believe James to be quite unaware of himself at this point in the timeline. This is before his maturation really kicks in, his whole interaction with Lily shows a lack of self-awareness in how he talks to people (we know Lily turns him into a bit of an idiot, the problem is that he doesn't seem to be aware of it). Sirius on the other hand seems a lot more self-aware than James. A lot of people are not going to like what I'm about to say but: James is canonically a better person than Sirius.

And yet, it is abundantly clear that both James and Sirius love Peter.

James gives into Peter's hands his own life and the ones of his wife and son. Sirius gives in Peter's hands the lives of the family he chose.

In the Shrieking Shack, under all the pain Sirius has for the death of James and Lily, it is evident that there's also the pain that comes from the betrayal of a friend.

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" - Chapter 19, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Lily herself is very attached to Peter, in her letter to Sirius, she calls him Wormy (how cute is that?). And, let's remember that she too puts her life and the ones of her husband and son in Peter's hands.

It's too easy to say Peter was just a tagalong, that they didn't love him. It incredibly diminishes the pain of his act.

I also would like to point out that Peter isn't stupid. He was a double agent, he managed to frame Sirius by using in his favor people’s low opinion of his skills (and Remus and Sirius' rocky relationship). James, Sirius, and Remus might have thought of themselves as smarter than Peter but I don't think they actually believed him to be stupid. Considering who the Marauders are, their knowing how good of a liar, and how cunning Peter could be, would be a perfect explanation of why they became friends in the first place.

Does this mean they all loved Peter but Peter only loved Remus out of his friends?

We can't really be sure of his feelings for Sirius, but the admiration he shows for James and the sense of guilt we know he has for his double agent activities don't really align with that image.

I think Peter's fear for his own life ended up winning over the love for his friends.

But why at this point? Why not at Hogwarts?

Something quite interesting is how Peter's father is the only parent of the Marauders who is never mentioned, not in the books, not in any additional material. Doesn't that align just so well with Peter always putting himself at the service of the most important male figure around? First James, and then after school, with the war going on, Voldemort.

Isn't it such a fitting image, Peter growing up without a father, with a too-cuddling mother whom he ends up resenting, faulting her for the absence of the father? It's so natural to paint him as a young man crushed by a sense of inadequacy towards an image of masculinity he idealizes but can't fulfill, supported by a society filled with a very toxic sense of masculinity and an absent father he can sew on any fantasy he wants.

When Peter was at Hogwarts, being friends with James, and being part of the Marauders, gave Peter a sense of security that allowed him to be brave enough to prioritize his love for his friends over himself.

Out in the real world, though, Voldemort is the dominant man and being positioned against the Dark Lord takes away the sense of security he had as a student. Both times Peter goes to Voldemort, he does it because he doesn't feel safe.

It's also abundantly clear how Peter's siding with Voldemort doesn't come from ideology. He becomes an animagus for Remus, he's a dear friend of Lily.

Peter dies because Voldemort doesn't trust him, and he is right in not trusting him. Somewhere in Peter, there's still the boy who risked his life for a friend.

Try to tell me this is not an interesting character.

He's still a coward overall, but a complex one.

Also, Peter Pettigrew is a clear victim of pretty privilege when it comes to the fandom. I'm ready to bet whatever you want that if he had been described as handsome the most popular ship with Sirius would be Sirus/Peter.

Actually, he didn't even have to be described as handsome, he just needed to not be described as ugly. Draco is described as having a pointy face and people have been lying to themselves claiming he's incredibly handsome for the last twenty-five years.

[whenlilyfallsinlove]

lost

a/n im sorry in advance

fred weasley was your best friend. you were attached at the hip. well all three of you were, you him and george. best friends. your parents were friends with molly and arthur when they were at hogwarts, so it was only fate that you would be friends with the twins. especially as you were the same age. you loved george as a brother, you would die for him. he was your rock, and the best advice giver. fred, on the other hand, was different.

you were in love with fred. you had been since you were 5. you remember the day well. you, fred, george, bill and charlie were playing a mini game of quidditch in the fields, near the burrow. of course, only being 5 put you, fred and george at a severe disadvantage but it was you 3 against the other 2. you remember it clearly. charlie hit a bludger, and (accidentally) of course, it came hurtling towards you. before it had even registered in your little mind, fred has flown in front of you, taking the hit. fred had a killer bruise that summer, but he didn't care. he felt brave for saving you. ever since that day, you had loved him.

you wished life was as simple as it was back then. you'd pay galleons to take you back to those times, when you were all young and carefree and didn't have to worry about voldemort. you'd also pay galleons to take you back to your time at hogwarts, whether it'd be when the three of you first discovered the marauder's map, or the hundreds of pranks you were dragged into. even the detentions. at the time it was annoying, but godric you'd do anything to go back.

it wasn't so simple now. your families and friends were in danger from the rise of voldemort, and you all had to fight back. it wasn't easy, george lost an ear, a mere month ago. he was fine now, but at the time you were scared, shrieking for help as you were paired up with him. you knew this war was ruthless. voldemort didn't care. he killed people you loved. life was too short, you needed to tell fred you loved him, at some point.

"it'll be okay boys." you stood in between the twins, looking over at the death eaters approaching hogwarts.

"you scared y/n?" george asked you, his tone genuine.

"very scared georgie, are you freddie?" you turn to look at the boy, who was already gazing at you.

he nods. in return.

you pull the two of them into a hug. this could potentially be the last time the three of you would be together, if worst came to worst.

"we'll be fine." george whispers.

you nod, and fred holds you tighter. you realise he is more afraid than he's letting on.

some form of spell is shot in your direction and you realise it's time.

"i love you boys." you look at them, your wand out, ready to fight.

"we love you too." they respond.

you had lost the twins at some point during the battle. it was hard, to stick with friends. you were tired. your head pounded. you didn't know if it was adrenaline or fear.

your thoughts were interrupted by a death eater shooting a spell at you. you recognised him, he was one of your old classmates. you were 90% sure he was your old potions partner.

you shot a spell back, you didn't want to hurt him. no you really didn't. you knew his parents probably forced him into this mess and he couldn't say no. but this war was merciless.

"stupefy." you mutter, sending him flying back unconsicious.

you run. you wonder how you were sorted into gryffindor when you felt as scared as this.

you run and run until your met head first with a broad body.

"y/n?".

"freddie? oh thank godric." you wrap your arms round him tightly.

"careful woman, we're still in the middle of a bleeding war here." he teases, but hugs you back tightly.

"is george okay?" you mutter.

"yeah i saw him not that while ago. hes fine." he whispers back, reassuringly.

"good. listen fred, this might not be the best time in the world for his but i thought i may as well considering this is life or death. i love you. a lot i have since we were five. i couldn't imagine anything-" your words were cut out by freds lips on yours.

"bloody finally! i love you too y/n." fred smiles at you. you grin back.

"maybe this isn't the best time for this though" he chuckles. "we can finish this later, when this war is finished." he winks at you cheekily.

you shove him playfully.

at least in this time of darkness, you had each other.

you stuck together for a while. fighting death eaters. high fiving each other when the other had produced a particularly good spell.

you started fighting this ministery of magic guy, the one that you remember was percy's boss. that turned him against his family.

you shot a spell at him, disarming him, and knocking him unconscious. fred in the meantime was a few metres away from you, sending a stunning spell to another death eater.

after he had saw what you'd done, fred laughed, "that's my girl, y/n this is why i love-"

you had just ran to join him, when you heard a massive explosion. darkness.

"FRED" you screamed. but it was too late. fred was dead. your best friend, the love of your life. gone. forever. with his smile directed at you still etched on his face.

this war was ruthless. even if your side did win, it felt like a loss. as you and george clung onto each other, sobbing, you knew it wasn't really a win. nothing was a win without fred.

[ayvayenildi]

Snupin First Wizarding War Headcanon I Cannot Stop Thinking About

Just imagine Remus Lupin being a spy for the Order of Phoenix during the First Wizarding War and infiltrating the werewolfs that serve Voldemort as just another desperate one except he encounters Severus Snape, who very obviously knows who Remus is and how loyal he is to his friends. Surely, Remus is afraid that Snape will denounce him in a matter of seconds but instead he offers a deal: he will turn a blind eye on Remus' presence if Remus tells him how Lily is doing or, at least, whether she's still alive. This Snape is not yet a spy but he isn't very devoted to Voldemort's cause either plus he still cares about Lily above all else and knowing nothing about her drives him mad.

Remus doesn't like the idea but he doesn't really see a way out so he starts feeding Severus pieces of information. Slowly but steadily they grow closer and begin to cover each other's asses (Remus needs quite a lot of ass covering as he still tries not to hurt anyone and that makes other werewolves and Death Eaters suspicious). What started as a forced alliance becomes a real friendship as they are both in a desperate need of someone close; that's the time where some people in the Order start suspecting that Remus is a double-agent and is actually working for Voldemort — the Marauders seem to canonically think so as well, at least that's why (according to Sirius in the third book) they didn't tell Remus about Peter as the Secret-Keeper.

Imagine Remus and Severus growing so close over time that one morning after getting way too drunk for all the worst reasons they do actually wake up in the same bed. Imagine them both embarrassed as hell (Remus still has this big fat unrequited longing for Sirius and Severus is in a sort of situationship with Lucius), and they try to act as if it didn't happen except they both can't and keep coming back for more. Imagine them just finding some comfort in each other's embrace amidst what they both (wrongly) consider to be the worst time in their lives. That little thing they have quickly grows out of control.So, when Lily dies, and Snape desperately needs to blame someone for what had happened (he already blames himself but that’s simply not enough to calm the pain), the only person he can think of is Remus. It's Remus who distracted him and made him lose control. If it wasn't for Remus, he might have been able to save her.

Well... at least that's how I explain why Remus in the third book stubbornly calls Snape by his first name, thank you for coming to my TedTalk, bye!!

[sofoulandfairaday]

I actually do tend to put most of the Order we see in the photos around the same years, but my headcanon is that there were other older members but they all died by the time that photo was taken because they were trying to protect the younger kids. I like to imagine that Moody is the only surviving older Order member and he had to watch his peers die one by one and then had to watch as so many of those kids they died trying to protect were killed themselves

Soooo. I can see this working if well justified. There is a line that does justify it in canon, actually- "[...] look, I can’t promise no one’s going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we’re much better off than we were last time, you weren’t in the Order then, you don’t understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one...”

Voldemort would most likely send his Death Eaters after the best and strongest Order members first, even though they were more likely to take down many of his followers- it's not like he didn't have the numbers. BUT I'm afraid it's a little unrealistic. The weakest fighters in a fight to the death are those who get killed first even with protection.

Just for funsies, though, I'll give you my personal headcanon of the Order members' rough ages. I'm usually flexible if they're changed by a couple of years, but the generations should be kept.

This is the list of confirmed Order of the Phoenix members in the First Wizarding War:

Albus Dumbledore

Aberforth Dumbledore

Alastor Moody

Arabella Figg

Dedalus Diggle

Elphias Doge

Emmeline Vance

Mundungus Fletcher

Rubeus Hagrid

Sturgis Podmore

Severus Snape

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

Peter Pettigrew (who turns spy for the Death Eaters in 1980)

All these people survive the war. Then we also have:

James Potter

Lily Evans Potter

Fabian Prewett

Gideon Prewett

Frank Longbottom

Alice Longbottom

Edgar Bones

Benji Fenwick

Caradoc Dearborn

Dorcas Meadowes

Marlene McKinnon

Now. The only girl confirmed to be one of Lily's classmates is Mary McDonald and she's not part of the Order (and I choose to believe that she wasn't; she sympathised, maybe, but I like the headcanon that she's so scarred by Mulciber and Avery's bullying - and that the event that Lily references to Severus is not the only time they use Dark Magic on her - that she wants nothing to do with the fight). I am maybe one of the two (2) people with a mild appreciation for BlackKinnon, and I don't mind Marlene as someone in the same age bracket as them (but I can also see her being older). She is murdered along her entire family, though, and it's unclear whether she was a mother, a sister, or a daughter. I will say that some of their Hogwarts years overlapped.

Dorcas I find way less likely. She was killed by Voldemort himself - the man wouldn't have bothered if she wasn't an Amelia Bones-level witch at least, which means she was mighty, which means she most likely wasn't twenty-one. I like to think that she was an Auror, or a Ministry high-ranking employee with sound principles that just would not bend to the infiltration of the DEs in the Ministry or to Barty Crouch Snr's ruthlessness.

Frank and Alice Longbottom are the same, to me. They're older than the Marauders, I would make them (just like Dorcas) around Bellatrix's age, maybe even older. That makes them around 30yrs old in 1981. Which means they would have had a full decade or more to become the most respected Aurors in the Wizarding World, so well known that what happened to them sparked major outrage, the kind that led to a manhunt for their torturers, and the sentencing of a pleading nineteen-year-old boy. (Of course, Barty jr was guilty, but they didn't know that, didn't know just how loyal to Voldemort he truly was. The Lestranges sentencing - an old wizarding family, a Lestrange had even been Minister for Magic - was clearly one sparked by public outrage. People were crying out for their blood.)

The Prewetts were Molly's older brothers, so they were way older than the Marauders. They were also killed by a group of Death Eaters led by Antonin Dolohov after what appears to have been a truly brutal fight, so nope. They weren't the Fred and George types of the Marauders Era (also. the Marauders were that!)

Edgar Bones had a wife and children and was considered to be one of the best of the era, so I doubt he was as young as the Fantastic Four. We really don't know enough about Caradoc Dearborn or Benji Fenwick to say, but I somehow doubt it.

Of those who survived.

We know that Albus, Aberforth, Moody, Elphias Doge, Mundungus, and Arabella Figg are all way older than the Marauders, and I've always pictured Dedalus Diggle as a middle aged man (but we only know he's tiny and excitable, so it could go either way). Sturgis Podmore's description fits someone that could have been in the Marauder's year or maybe slightly older, but still one of their peers.

So, really, the green-faced youths that fought with the Order were: the four Marauders, Lily, maybe Marlene and Emmeline Vance (who isn't even listed as fighting with them in the First War, only the second), and maybe Sturgis Podmore. On the side of the Death Eaters: Avery, Mulciber, Barty Crouch jr (who was two/three years younger than the Marauders!!!), Regulus Black and of course Severus Snape.

And, no. Evan Rosier's age is never disclosed, and since he brutally maims fucking Alastor Moody - possibly the greatest Auror ever - I'm inclined to believe that he was at least Bellatrix's age (so 8-9 years older than the Marauders). In my personal headcanon he's even a tad older - but no less cuntier for it. My boy serves as much cunt at 27 as he did at 17 (<3).

[aelenavelaryon]

𝘼 𝙂𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙚 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩

The Beginning

Princess Visenya Targaryen was Queen Rhaenyra's firstborn daughter. It had been Viserys, Aegon, Visenya, Aemond and Aera. Visenya was far more serious than her brothers and younger sister. She preferred to read and train rather than gossip or anything else. Unlike her brothers and sister, Visenya chooses to attend Hogwarts. Visenya was well known, she was smart but she kept to herself. She didn't talk much and people seemed to be afraid of her or intimidated by her. 

It wasn't until her third year that she made friends, or somewhat friends with Remus Lupin. Lupin was close friends with Sirius Black and James Potter. He had yet to introduce them to her because Visenya was the only person he had that was his own. They were good friends, they both enjoyed reading, mostly muggle books, she enjoyed those. Her eldest brothers, Viserys and Aegon visited her often, they missed their sister, although she was more quiet and reserved she understood them in a way that not even the two men could. They trusted her with their lives. 

The young prince Viserys would often say that if he did not marry he would make her his heir, and perhaps even if he did, his chosen heir would be his sweet sister. They were not far apart in age, many did rumor that prince Baelon and Prince Aemon were her sons with her two brothers as they were born during the summer time and the princess was not at school. Her brother's wives were not of Targaryen descent, they were Baratheon's and Martell. The rumors never died down and they never would as both princes and their wives would not be there to raise their own children.

After the summer, fourth year started once again, it was then that Remus introduced Sirius, James and Peter to her. She fit in their group pretty fast, by mid fourth year, wherever Visenya the four marauders were never far behind. Visenya would give James tips to woo Lily Evans but Remus and the rest saw that his vision would often be on Visenya more than Lily and that was a shock for the three men as he had always had eyes for Lily. During fifth year, their friendship dynamic change when the four boys fell for her but they knew they could never be with her. James took a leap of faith and shot his shot and won. She agreed to a date and everything was history from there. They dated until seventh year, before the end of the school year, Visenya saw Lily kiss James, that was not the problem, the problem was that he let her and even continued the kiss. Visenya broke up with him that same day and she never spoke to him after that, at least for quite some time.

Her friendship with Peter, Sirius and Remus remained strong and after they graduated she visited them every chance she got. It was in one of those visits that she found out James had gotten Lily pregnant and they were going to marry soon. To their surprise, she married before James, she married Robb Stark, he was of noble house and pureblooded as well. That same year, their first son, Jacaerys was born. He was all his father, but the eyes were that of his mother. His birth had been announced to the entire realm, everyone who was a wizard or witch, or anyone who resided in Westeros had heard of the firstborn grandchild of the queen. Prince Lucerys, was born the same month as his cousins, Aemon and Baelon. Oddly enough, Harry Potter was born that same month as well. Four children had been born that July and that was what started the war that would end in nothing but bloodshed. 

When prince Jacaerys turned two, and his brother almost turned one, everything changed. The war was fully on. Her brother's had just become parents. They lost their wives first and then, she lost them. The both of them, one right behind the other. Aemond had killed them both and Visenya would never forget that. Aemond and Aera had tried to kill her son's and nephews but she did not let them, it was then that she learned that Voldemort was coming for Harry, Peter had betrayed his friends and ratted them out to the Dark Lord. After making sure her children were okay she rushed to were James and Lily were. She got there in time to save James, he passed not knowing she had saved him. She heard Lily said she would let Voldemort kill Harry if he let her live and he agreed, she watched her run past her. She entered seconds later, fighting Voldemort off, saving Harry. Harry remembered her since. He never forgot her, even though he was young, her face stayed with him for over a year. 

The war had ended and Voldemort had been defeated. The princess was praised for killing him but she knew deep down he was alive and she had voiced her concerns but no one listened. That year, she lost Robb to Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters. They were sent to Azkaban where they would spent the rest of their lives. Sirius Black was there too but he was soon released thanks to the princess. The year Robb died, princess Visenya was pregnant and lost one of the two babies she was having. She lost the girl. She named her Lyarra, the name Robb wanted to name his little girl if he ever got to have one. The boy survived and was named Robb, after his father, he was the spitting image of his father, from the hair to the eyes. It was Robb Stark born again. 

A few months after Robb was born, princess Visenya was named heir to the Iron Throne by the majority of votes. Her son, Prince Jacaerys was named her successor. Prince Lucerys was named heir to Winterfell, he would take after his grandfather's passing. Peace came soon after, the princess disappeared, soon she would marry. She took her cousin Ser Laenor Velaryon as her second husband. She gave him three children. Aethan Velaryon who would take over Driftmark after his father, and twin girls Baela and Rhaena who both named after important people in her family. Visenya lived away from everything for some time and that is when she reunites with her old friends but things are never the same, especially when there was love involved. Can the old friends get over their problems and move on and start over? Or will their anger and resentment push them farther away from each other? Only time will tell.

(Not Edited)

[fensherohair]

The Marauders & The Metamorphic Witch Part 14

Words: 1.6k Warning: None Pronouns: She/Her use of (Y/N)

Returning to Hogwarts for the fourth year was different from the previous three. Perhaps it was being halfway through the education or the new expectations placed upon each student. Or maybe it was the dark shadow of the growing threat of war hanging over the entire wizarding world. Voldemort was growing in power—no one could deny that. His followers were growing in numbers, and his influence was getting stronger with every passing day. 

"Alright, Pumpkin Head," called James, throwing his words to Allegra and her group of friends, reminding them of the chaos at the end of last year. The last week had been filled with students standing up to the group of girls; the older students hadn't done much in the way of stopping it; prefects had turned the other way with a quiet chuckle while the head boy and girl of the houses had simply instructed the younger students on their method. By the time the professors had come around to investigate, it was as if nothing had happened at all. 

"Shut up, Potter," yelled Allegra in response. Her voice was harsh and colder than normal. Tucked under her arm were a few books on Dark Arts. Since returning to school for the fourth year, Allegra had changed too. Spending her time studying Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, and dangerous Magical Creatures. It wasn't uncommon for Allegra to be in detention now, openly being mean to others around her outside her little group of friends. Everything about her had changed, as if she'd undergone a dark makeover during the holidays, something Isolde had confirmed. 

"What is it with all the changes lately?" asked Peter, noticing others had also begun to change. Marlene had lost her mind filters over the summer holidays when she'd once been polite with her wording. She was anything but to those who dared torment her now. Lily and Snape had become more distant as if a rift had formed between them. Isolde had gained confidence now, where she'd once been afraid to show affection to those she loved both romantically and plutonically. She now pridefully displayed it. 

(Y/N) was about the only girl to remain the same; although more sensible than before, she was still as clumsy as ever, mischievous, and curious about everything. Hunter still needed to keep her on track and out of trouble. 

"We're older now, mate; we're expected to start acting like it," began Sirius, recalling McGonnagal's visit to the tower mere days after the welcoming feast. She'd made it clear that she expected those of the fourth year and upwards to set a good example for younger students; they were young adults, after all, and it was time they began to act like it. "Plus, some are vying for Prefect next year." 

"Pfft, who wants that responsibility?" James said, acting offended by the idea of being a prefect. All the responsibility, no fun, and having to run around after younger students. Nothing about it appealed to him, although the idea of winding one up was something he'd enjoy doing. "Sounds like a nightmare to me. Can you imagine chasing Wolffe around the castle?" 

"Don't we already do that?" asked Remus, a chuckle flowing from his lips mere seconds later. "She's not called the Bane of Hogwarts for nothing." 

"Never did find out how she got old Peeves to listen to her," commented James, recalling witnessing the chaos the poltergeist caused at (Y/N)'s request—everything from popping out of blackboards to following people around making farting noises. A few unlucky ones had been locked in suits of armor or had things dropped on them. 

"Speaking of Wolffe, we've barely seen her since the holidays," stated Peter, recalling (Y/N) hadn't been in the train compartment with them. Most of the time, he'd seen her during breakfast and dinner, but after that, it was as if she just disappeared entirely. Immediately Remus glanced over to Sirius, suspecting the pureblood could shed light on the mystery. When his eyes found Sirius, however, the fizzy-haired wizard seemed lost in thought; sadness swam in his icy eyes. 

"Didn't go as planned, huh?" asked James, remembering Sirius mention he planned to talk to (Y/N) over the summer holidays and tell her how he felt. He'd been excited about it before, grinning from ear to ear, that goofy smile. After that, everything changed. Sirius had been almost lost, and (Y/N) all but avoided them as if they were the human incarnations of Dragon Pox. 

"It wasn't (Y/N)," voiced Sirius, beginning to open up as they approached the portrait hole. Remus speaking the latest password to the portrait of the fat lady, interrupting her latest attempt at singing. "It's how our parents reacted. Mine weren't pleased, did their expected routine about upholding traditions and whatnot. The Wolffe's reaction was based on my parents; to say they don't think highly of them is an understatement. They approved the idea of Hunter and Isolde but asked (Y/N) to keep her distance." 

"So (Y/N) didn't think you were joking?" asked Peter in an attempt to lighten the mood a little bit. "Guess I owe Moony 5 Galleons," he added, hearing James stifle his amusement by whipping a hand over his mouth. Remus, on the other hand, could only look around in confusion, holding up his hands to plead his innocence. 

"Come on, Padfoot. We all know that's not going to stop you from chasing her," said James, grabbing hold of Sirius' shoulder in the hopes of conveying the encouragement all three of them would willingly give. "She's the ying to your yang. We can all see it. It's like Remus and Marlene when they finally get past the awkward stage." 

"Think of it this way, Padfoot," began Peter, suspecting his words would both lighten the mood and offend, "At least you're not pining after someone to an embarrassing degree like Prongs with Lily," he added. This time, it was Remus who tried and failed to stifle his laughter. James let out a squeak as if trying to show his offense without speaking a word on the subject. Sirius could only grin, offering a nod of thanks to Peter even more so when it was Wormtail who had wordlessly encouraged each of them as they chased after the three girls. 

"It's too quiet in here," spoke Fennec as she returned to the common room; looking around, she was met with the Marauders seemingly minding their own business, Lily and her group of girls on the opposite side of the tower to them, appearing on to be studying. Allegra, Samantha, Georgie, and Ulrica all gathered around the fire, a stack of books between them, whispering among themselves while pointing to several students coming and going from the common room. 

"It's because there's no mischief, random explosions, or unexpected jump scares," casually replied Finnick from the walkway above the stairs. As he spoke, he glanced at the four boys around one table and the girls, specifically (Y/N), around another studying. "Not even Peeves is causing havoc this time."

"Good, that stupid poltergeist is terror; it should be banished from the castle," said Allegra, recalling the poltergeist's years of antics. The poltergeist seemed to ignore everyone: staff, students, and ghosts, with the exception of the Bloody Baron and the few he actually liked, mainly those who loved mischief. 

"He's only a terror to those who don't have a sense of humor," called Isolde, not sparing anyone's feelings or even bothering to look up from her book. Lily let out a small chuckle at the comment, suspecting Isolde was right to an extent. There was no end of times poor Filch had found himself running around the castle chasing Peeves and cleaning up the chaotic messes the poltergeist made. Those who had a love and talent for mischief always missed Peeve's antics or got the lighter side of the pranks and jokes, maybe a few water balloons rather than a bag of scorpions or lit torches. 

"We have good senses of humor; you sad idiots just don't understand it," spoke Ulrica, the tone suggesting she had taken offense to Isolde's words and was trying to defend herself. 

"That's because terrorizing people isn't funny. As you lot found out last year when you got a taste of your own medicine," voiced James, suspecting the previous year would repeat again in terms of their behavior. Once again, they would believe they were above the rules and play victim when they were rightly caught and reprimanded for their behavior. By the end of the year, those around would be fed up with them and once again play their game back at them. Only this time, likely with a few more creative spells. "Oi, Wolffe, how did you create that pool on the seventh floor?" asked Prongs, calling over to the metamorphic wich the opposite side of the tower. 

'The same way I cause all my mischief," (Y/N) replied, her signature grin slowly painting on her lips. "Magic" 

"You walked right into that one, mate," Sirius commented lightly. 

"Ah, so you are still causing pandemonium on a smaller scale," Finnick voiced from the walkway above, a light chuckle escaping him. 

"Was there any doubt?" (Y/N) asked. 

"Some," answered Fennec, moving to sit at another of the empty tables. She threw her feet on the table before opening the latest charms book, figuring she'd take the quiet time to do a little studying of her own. The sixth year was just as important as the seventh. Everything they were set to learn would appear in their NEWT exams at the end of the seventh year. 

Series Masterlist

[potentialbreakupscng]

"i'll bring whomever into this that i'd like to bring into this." much like her partner, lily has no problem standing up for the people she loves. between the four of the marauders, she had always been closest to remus. the two of them consistently found themselves away from their far more rambunctious friends and would be buried in a book. of course she's seen the effect this has also had on remus, someone who's being there for both him and sirius -- she's not sure that he's even had his own time to grieve the loss of someone who meant so much to everyone. "the only reason he hasn't said anything or pushed anything is because of how much he loves you -- and i'm so tired of walking on eggshells around you."

her eyebrows shoot up, her hands falling to rest on her her hips. "you don't? you don't want this? you certainly act like you want this." the reason why she's so angry and so heated is because she's worried. she's so worried about him that she can't control it. lily's thumb runs over the ring that still resides on her left finger -- practically hearing james's voice in her ear and feeling his hand on her shoulder to try and get her to calm down. so passionate and so worried. green eyes snap up to his and she shakes her head. "you have things to live for too, sirius. you have remus -- you get to go home to someone every night. you have harry -- me." because despite his self-destructive behaviour, despite it all lily potter still loves him. it's why she's so angry. her small hands clench into fists, and she looks at him -- shaking her head. "because we love you, sirius. because we trust you. we -- i trust you. because there was no one else better for the job than you." because she knows, deep down, that sirius would do anything to protect harry.

she can't help but wonder if it had been her that hadn't survived, if this would be a conversation they'd be having. if any of them would be so torn up by her being gone -- but especially sirius. if he would have lost himself in such a way -- and then she immediately regrets thinking any of it. the guilt of being the one that survived eating away at her. her child's name is all over the papers, the boy who lived -- the one who defeated voldemort before he was even two years old. someone has to take care of harry -- and even if that's her only purpose in life now, she has to accept it. that's her son. she doesn't get to slip through the cracks that so desperately try to pull her down -- even when she barely has the energy to fight it. that imaginary grip on her shoulder seems to tighten -- knowing if he was here he'd be lecturing her about asking for help, about how it was okay to need help, and she'd laugh and tell him that he needed to take his own advice.

it always seemed like james knew something was going to happen. once they went into hiding, james began working more in his office. she had to pry him from his desk to get him to sleep -- and it wasn't until his passing that she knew what he was working on. so many documents he put in her name, and then harry's in case something were to happen to both of them. the potter fortune in both of their names, a fund set aside specifically for harry. everything had been prepared -- the brilliant man had genuinely thought of everything. he'd never been afraid to die, she knew that -- but she knew what he was afraid of; his family not being okay of something were to happen. and it did. and they weren't okay.

lily only lifts her head when sirius approaches her, feeling his hands take her own and her emerald eyes turn glossy as tears pool in them. "sirius -- padfoot please," her voice is barely above a whisper, one of her hands turning to grip onto his while her left hand moves to cradle his cheek in her palm. the silver of her wedding band glistens in the light, the jewel in the center missing since halloween. tears roll down freckled cheeks and the grip on his hand tightens. "i need you." something that is so hard to admit for someone who tries to remain so strong. that invisible grip on her shoulder loosens as she lets out a soft sob, eyes closing as her head falls onto his shoulder -- her hand falling from his cheek to grip onto his collar as she sobs freely for the first time in front of him -- the wall she's been so desperately patching up with shoddy work crumbling in the blink of an eye. "i can't do this without you."

had  there  been  a  part  of  him  that  had  always  been  jealous  of  james  and  lily  ?  no  ,  his  feelings  for  james  had  not  run  in  that  direction  but  his  possessiveness  had  been  an  active  party  in  their  relationship  .  from  day  one  ,  sirius  had  clung  to  james  potter  like  a  lifeline  ,  whispered  the  secrets  of  his  childhood  in  the  dark  of  the  night  and  allowed  that  boy  to  turn  him  into  something  less  cutting  ,  something  easier  to  be  around  .  he  feels  that  glow  dimming  out  in  his  chest  ,  and  he  sees  himself  ruining  everything  .  remus  is  going  to  leave  him  if  he  doesn't   stop  this  ,  and  lily  will  cut  him  out  entirely  .  it  is  her  goodness  ,  her  loyalty  to  james  whose  sheer  belief  in  sirius  black  is  the  only  thing  that  keeps  him  standing  when  he  wants  nothing  more  than  to  follow  his  best  friend  into  the  darkness  .  "  don't  bring  remus  into  this  .  don't  even  go  there  .  "  his  voice  is  low  ,  dangerous  —  because  he  knows  that  he  is  losing  remus  to  his  grief  ,  and  he  will  not  be  reminded  of  it  . 

"  you  say  that  like  you   want  this  !  "  he  laughs  ,  humourless  as  he  holds  out  his  arms  ,  gestures  to  the  skinny  shell  of  a  thing  he  has  become  since  james's  death  ,  all  of  his  beauty  withering  under  pallid  skin  ,  drinking  himself  to  death  because  the  war  is  over  and  there's  nothing  to  fight  for  any  longer  .  he  feels  the  way  he  looks  ,  like  an  open  wound  ,  a  dying  animal  —  a  mercy  killing  would  be  kinder  .  "  you  have  .  .  .  something  to  live  for  .  you  have  harry  to  keep  going  on  for  .  .  .  "  he  chokes  on  his  words  and  the  realisation  that  his  own  life  is  withering  painfully  under  his  neglect  .  he  can  see  remus's  familiar  hands  reaching  for  him  across  the  bed  but  he  isn't  there  ;  he's  never  there  anymore  . 

sirius  stumbles  to  the  couch  ,  head  falling  sadly  into  his  hands  .  the  sorrow  which  has  hung  around  his  whole  life  like  a  bad  smell  is  taking  over  .  though  most  seem  to  know  the  basic  details  of  his  upbringing  ,  it  was  only  to  james  that  sirius  had  whispered  every  particular  of  the  things  they  had  done  to  him  .  taking  turns  with  his  small  body  flung  in  front  of  regulus  ,  desperate  to  protect  as  is  his  lot  in  life  —  but  he  couldn't  protect  james  from  the  death  that  had  taken  him  ,  and  now  he  cannot  protect  lily  from  himself  .  "  yes  ,  it  was  a  mistake  .  you  two  know  me  better  than  anyone  .  why  the  fuck  would  you  choose  me  ?  "  he  laughs  out  a  bitter  sound  ,  and  they  all  know  it  should  have  been  remus  who's  kindness  is  greater  than  sirius's  selfishness  .  "  i  love  harry  .  i  love  him  enough  to  know  that  he  deserves  better  than  that  .  "

self  pitying  ,  stupid  boy  .  sirius  orion  black  —  that  son  of  a  bitch  .  he  was  as  hated  as  much  as  he  was  adored  back  at  hogwarts  ,  watched  with  eyes  which  either  admired  or  despised  the  heir  of  the  noble  and  most  ancient  house  of  black  who  walked  the  castle  like  it  was   his  ,  spurred  on  by  the  precious  friendships  that  had  made  him  feel  like  he  might  rule  the  world  .  "  i  don't  know  what  i  would  have  done  .  maybe  i  would've  succeeded  in  killing  wormtail  .  maybe  i  would  be  the  dead  one  .  "  he  swallows  his  poisonous   what  ifs  like  bile  .  he  knows  little  but  this  pain  ,  to  the  outside  he  knows  it  must  look  like  he  revels  in  it  ,  the  deteriation  of  his  life  despite  how  much  he  still  holds  in  both  hands  .

"  i  know  i'm  selfish  ,  lily  .  that's  the  whole  point  .  "  he's  tired  ,  not  quite  looking  at  her  ,  the  terrible  sadness  wrecking  the  pair  of  them  as  they  throw  their  anger  so  fiercely  at  one  another  .  what  would  james  think  ?  he  is  sure  that  she's  right  and  he  would  be  so  very  disappointed  in  him  for  not  doing  the  right  thing  .  throwing  money  at  the  problem  does  not  fix  it  ,  but  it's  all  he  really  knows  anymore  .  it  is  as  though  he  has  forgotten  how  to  be  her  friend  ,  to  hold  her  through  this  when  he  knows  so  intimately  exactly  how  it  feels  to  yearn  for  the  comfort  missing  from  both  of  them  now  .  those  words  devastate  him  ;  they  level  sirius  black  who  isn't  sure  what  else  there  is  in  this  world  than  that  boy  who  is  all  that  remains  of  james  potter  .  losing  him  would  end  it  all  ,  he  thinks  .  his  life  would  become  the  bottle  and  remus  would  leave  ,  taking  his  future  with  him  .  why  hasn't  he  done  it  yet  ?  why  does  he  stand  around  so  beautiful  and  sad  and  allow  sirius  to  become  this  thing  who  sits  with  his  head  in  his  hands  and  sobs  until  there  is  nothing  left  to  do  but  drink  some  more  . 

"  i'm  sorry  ,  "  his  voice  is  like  a  whimper  .  it's  wet  ,  reluctant  and  destructive  ,  soaked  in  firewhiskey  and  his  sorrow  which  is  sinking  him  in  painfully  slow  motion  .  he  stands  then  ,  paces  the  length  of  the  room  on  skinny  legs  ,  a  small  and  terrified  creature  who  doesn't  know  what's  next  for  him  .  "  i'm  sorry  i  —  i  don't  want  to  shout  at  you  .  i'm  not  .  .  .  i  shouldn't  be  taking  this  out  on  you  .  "  he  sniffs  ,  finally  looks  at  her  with  glassy  eyes  as  he  approaches  her  like  a  startled  animal  and  takes  her  small  hands  in  his  own  ,  beautiful  and  elegant  fingers  disguising  the  truth  of  what  a  terrible  thing  he  is  .  "  but  maybe  it's  best  if  harry  doesn't  get  to  see  me  .  i'm  the  problem  here  .  i'm  the  one  making  this  worse  for  everyone  .  "  he  wonders  ,  as  he  looks  at  her  ,  if  she  might  consider  it  and  keep  harry  far  from  him  .  perhaps  then  oblivion  can  take  him  ,  and  he  won't  need  to  keep  fighting  like  this  .

[anahira]

Sugar Refinery : Marauders Era AU

Part 5 : Draco's nostalgic travel

Draco had never really felt understood by the other students at Hogwarts. The Slytherins were shaped by their parents' radical ideas, the teachers only saw him through the prism of the Slytherin stereotype, and to top it all off, Harry hated him because of that ginger bastard Ron Weasley. Their parents not getting along was one thing, but ruining any chance he had of getting along with someone he'd always admired and looked forward to getting to know was another, and one he felt was unjustified. He was lonely, even more so now that he had become a Death Eater to punish his father for failing his mission. He didn't belong there, his parents had prepared him mentally, but he had always admired those who fought against Voldemort: James Potter, Lily Potter, Harry Potter, and so on. He admired the Potters. He wished he was a Potter.

Without really knowing why, his steps led him to the Room of Requirement. He was not thinking about anything, anything other than the Potters and the life he could have had. So when the door opened, he expected to see a warm and welcoming house, but instead he found some kind of strange hotel that was totally unfamiliar to him. He didn't understand. Where had he ended up? Taking a few steps inside, he arrived at the empty reception area, where there was a board with multiple keys. One was missing. Looking around, he quickly saw which door it was, room 777. A beam of light shone through the corridor from underneath the door and he could hear a few snippets of voices that were unknown to him. He didn't know what he should do, he wanted to get closer so he could hear and possibly see who the speakers were. But he was afraid, afraid of what he might find behind that door and the effect it might have on his life. After all, the last time he'd had the absurd idea of going to see what was going on in this kind of situation, he'd stumbled into a meeting of Death Eaters with Voldemort, he was barely 14. But this time it wasn't the same. He was in the Room of Requirement, nothing dramatic should happen to him. So he gathered all his courage and began to walk forward, step by step. The closer he got, the more surreal the light seemed and the more distant the words felt. Then he started to run and suddenly opened the door 777 with a gasp.

What he found behind it made him freeze. Sitting on a red carpet were three young boys and a girl who must be his age. None of them had turned around when he had burst in, as if he wasn't there. He was invisible now. The four friends continued their cheerful conversation. They took turns talking about quidditch, potions lessons, McGonagall almost catching them, and Severus Snape. It was when the red-haired girl called by their names and gently scolded them for the umpteenth mistake they had apparently made, that he realized. James, Sirius, Remus, and he assumed the last one was Lily. The Marauders. He had before him a memory of the Marauders that this place had kept secret from everyone. He had wanted to meet them and become part of their family, but here he was seeing them at his age. They looked so composed and relaxed, as if nothing could touch them. Maybe it was this detachment that killed them after all, the Potters. Joviality is not a good thing in this world. The discussion continued. They talked about unimportant things: crushes, jokes and other trivia. Until a topic came up that was introduced by Sirius, Sirius Black, his uncle banished from the family for treason: children.

-"I want a little boy who's going to romp around in the garden and laugh his head off!" exclaimed James as he leapt to his feet and spun around theatrically.

-"I just want healthy children who can enjoy their lives.", answered Lily

They laughed in unison, Sirius and Remus making no comment about the children they would like to have. They just looked at each other. Perhaps they were hiding something that Draco didn't know about, he was sure of it. But upon hearing those few words that sounded so simple and obvious, Draco slid back against the wall and curled up against his knees, letting a few tears slip out of their permitted perimeter. He wished he'd had that childhood. He thought of Harry too, who could have had this childhood without any tragic events. They could have been happy with 'ifs'. If only those 'ifs' could come true...' he muttered to himself. He was just a child who wanted happiness and kindness. He just wanted a family, a real one.

Written by me and @belovedbastardremus

[atlasdoe]

THE HOGWARTS CLASS OF 1978 - pt 19

PETER PETTIGREW

Name - Peter Pettigrew

Blood Status - Pureblood

Date of birth - 8th August 1960

House - Gryffindor

Academic achievements - None

He changed sides and spent 12 years hiding from his own guilt. He was later strangled by his own silver hand

Cannon

He was a hatstall as it had didn't know if he should be in Slytherin or Gryffindor

Was an animigus and changed into the form of a rat

Lily Evans described him as being "down" during the first war and assumed that it was because of the death of the McKinnon family

He was James and Lilys secret keeper but betrayed them and pinned it all on Sirius Black

* He went to retrieve Voldemort's wand, then travelled to Albania where he learned from the rats there of a place in the forest where the creatures feared to travel. They said a dark shadow (Voldemort) took over the animals and killed them. While there he ran into Bertha Jorkins and brought her to Volemort where he tortured her for information and later killed her

* Voldemort would call him Wormtail cause he's nasty like that

* Over time, Peter tried unsuccessfully to convince Voldemort to use a wizard other than Harry Potter to rebuild his body. Peter offered to capture if Voldemort would permit him to leave his side for a few days, but Voldemort saw this as an attempt at desertion and claimed that Peter was regretting ever returning to him in the first place. Voldemort noted how Peter always flinched when he set eyes upon him and shuddered when touching him, which further enforced his belief that Peter would have escaped if given the opportunity. Knowing that, if Peter was not there to milk Nagini's venom and feed him, he would lose his strength, further enforcing his inability to let his servant leave. When Voldemort ordered Wormtail to turn his chair around so he could face Frank Bryce, Wormtail whimpered before doing so.

Resurrected Voldmort by cutting off his own hand, to which Voldemort gave him a replacement hand made of silver
Killed Cedric Diggory in the graveyard

It can be assumed that this event, along with Sirius Black's later death at the hands of his own Death Eater cousin Bellatrix Lestrange, made it apparent to the public that Peter was alive and an active Death Eater.

After Peter helped Voldemort return to full power and attain a fully regenerated body, Peter was sent to Severus Snape's house at Spinner's End to "assist" his childhood nemesis. However, Snape treated Peter as a mere servant, committing him to menial tasks such as housecleaning and guest reception. Peter, while very dissatisfied with how lowly he was being treated, made very feeble protests that heavily implied he was too afraid to request reassignment.

In the summer of 1997, Peter was staying at Malfoy Manor, the headquarters of the Death Eaters, and acted as gaoler for those imprisoned in the cellar there.

In mid March 1998 he was sent to check on the people in the cellar when he was tackled by Ron and Harry, who had freed themselves of their restraints. Ron managed to wrestle Pettigrew's wand from him. He began to strangle Harry, but Harry reminded him that he owed him a life debt. When Peter hesitated, his brief moment of mercy caused his silver hand to turn on him, strangling and killing him, despite Harry and Ron's best efforts to restrain it

Headcanons

Part Irish

Would visit his family in Ireland four times a year (once every season). There he met Marlene McKinnon and became good friends with her

Along with the other Marauders, he was very close with Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, Sybill Trelawney and Wren O'Brien

He liked that his animagus was a rat because it meant he could hide in small spaces, spy on people and wasn't expected to fully fight a werewolf every month

Biggggg gossip. He new everything about everyone

He was very interested in divination and even though he didn't have the sight he worked hard in the subject and did well in it

According to Marlene McKinnon, he was a different person around the other Marauders then he was with her

He's one of those people that's really quiet when you first meet them but the more you get to know them the louder they get

He was with Sybill from their sixth year up until Sybill had the prophecy

She never told him the real reason why she broke up with him (she didn't know that he would betray them but just having a prophecy like that about his friends made her uneasy)

[shakespearean-snape]

"Popular doesn't always mean liked," is a good way of phrasing it. It's also a very well defined trope, with Mean Girls being one of the better modern examples, but the classic "us vs the populars" is pretty much a staple in adolescent storytelling. In many ways, it's a repackaging of the "nobles vs us" and "wealthy vs us" because so much of adolescent school years are microcosms of what comes after and "populars vs us" is just their own way of enforcing and playing with the concept of a social hierarchy.

With that comes another inevitable truth, we do often love to watch those on the upper tiers fall because they don't represent a majority of us and tend to be out of touch. Be it the Kardashians or Regina George or the Marauders people who are "popular" for reasons others may feel are undeserved, particularly if they use their popularity in negative ways, often want to see them knocked down to earth and humbled. It's perfectly reasonable to think that the Marauders, particularly James and Sirius, may have been "popular" and also argue they may also not have been universally liked or even as well liked by their own peers as someone like Lily may have been. Wanting to be someone because of what they have or represent in the social hierarchy isn't the same as liking someone for who they are. If it was, there are plenty of old English royals and noble families who wouldn't have been loathed by the masses. James Potter was canonically stated to be a well-loved child whose parents indulged him to the point of spoiling him. He wasn't accustomed to being told no, Lily did exactly that along with giving him a list of all the reasons for why she was telling him no that let him know she (and quite possibly other people) were paying attention and had his number.

I also find it interesting you brought up Tom Riddle because he's also a character who seems to have learned to adapt his social behaviors. At the orphanage all the other children were afraid of him and he knew to tread carefully with the adults but was an unabashed bully with the other children because he could get away with it. None of the other children had magic. Then comes Dumbledore, who humbles him, and by the time of Hogwarts we see that Tom Riddle has completely retooled his behavior so he's charmed all his teachers and other students want to follow his lead.

While I'm not arguing James Potter is as bad or on the same league of evil as Voldemort, I do believe after SWM much of the change we saw in him was due to that event and Lily humbling him and we also saw a readjustment to his behavior. We're told in canon he didn't stop hexing Snape, he merely stopped hexing him in front of Lily and since she and Snape were on the outs that wasn't as much of an issue. However, because Lily wasn't on the outs with everyone else at Hogwarts, he also pulled back from hexing other students besides Snape entirely. Then we have the dinner with Petunia, which proved to be the final break in her relationship to her sister, and James appears to have been the catalyst. That alone tells you that James didn't overhaul his personality from before SWM so much as he adapted it according to Lily's biggest objections about him to make himself someone she would finally stop saying no to, because James like so many spoiled children wasn't someone who handled being challenged or told no in any way other than persistence until he got the yes.

The idea he might have been scaring off other people with an interest in Lily is an interesting one that I had never considered, but it certainly isn't so farfetched given what we have in canon as to say it would be completely outside his character. More than anything though, and coming back to the Regina George comparison, I really do think that the most telling bit of evidence that Sirius and James could have been people that were popular but not necessarily universally liked is in the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew (in the same way Regina's "friends" eventually hit a breaking point and turned on her for belittling them). People so often point to his cowardice (which I don't necessarily think is the right descriptor for what his character was, cowards don't hack off their own hands or fingers so matter-of-factly as Peter does, I would argue he's an extreme example of a person with a strong survivalist mentality and instincts to match) for why he defected but reading SWM gives you additional context that could just as easily point to the fact that while Sirius and James were on the top of the social hierarchy at Hogwarts he was going to cling on (survival 101) but they didn't give him many reasons to particularly like them enough to swear over his loyalty or his life post-Hogwarts when his world got bigger than the adolescent, school hierarchies. Just look at how they treated him.

'I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail,' he said anxiously, 'but I couldn't think what else--' 'How thick are you, Wormtail?' said James impatiently. 'You run round with a werewolf once a month--' 'Keep your voice down,' implored Lupin. [...] James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded. After five minutes of this, Harry wondered why James didn't tell Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but James seemed to be enjoying the attention. Harry noticed that his father had a habit of rumpling up his hair as though to keep it from getting too tidy, and he also kept looking over at the girls by the water's edge. 'Put that away, will you,' said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer, 'before Wormtail wets himself with excitement.' Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned.

In the same vein as they showed themselves to be callous towards Remus, they were openly insulting towards Peter. Ironically, Voldemort also mistreated him and did very little to inspire his true loyalty. It was Harry, who spared Peter's life when Sirius and Remus wanted to kill him in vengeance for his betrayal, that received a brief act of recognition for it and broke through his survivalist mentality. I would argue that Peter followed Sirius and James because he wanted to "be" them and they represented security for someone who was always looking out for his own survival and well-being but that he may not have particularly "liked" them in the same vein as he probably didn't like Voldemort as a person very much either. Both assumed and demanded his loyalty, both asked him to risk his own well-being for them (Sirius by making him the Secret Keeper under a logic that was quite honestly insulting and Voldemort by forcing him to perform the ritual that brings him back only to discard him once he stopped being of us and keep him on the outs), and both didn't seem to give him very much reason to like them enough to really want to.

I can appreciate all the fun headcanons about the Marauders as good and supportive friends to each other, popular kids that were well liked at Hogwarts but canon tends to paint a very different picture. It does seem of the Marauders, Remus and Peter hung on in part because of the protection and in part out of gratitude for how that insulated them at the school but they were very much the most vulnerable and had the most reason to feel unease because it was Sirius and James that primarily ran the show. In some ways, you could even argue that Peter was drawing from history, Sirius once made use of Remus for a prank to his own detriment, then Sirius came to him with another "prank" of sorts by pulling a switch on the Secret Keeper and making him the butt of his joke. That was his breaking point that saw him turn on them and turn towards even bigger bullies, because at that point why not throw his lot in with them instead of wait for them to figure out what Sirius had done and come after him. I would argue that Peter's betrayal is just a little more evidence that the Marauders were not the original Golden Trio, and that Sirius and James may not have inspired feelings of loyalty and fondness in everyone the same way Harry or even his mother may have.

It says a lot to me about the Snape fandom and the issues a lot of people have to deal with, that so many responses to that imagining (not even headcanon) of what happens in the rest of SWM that we don't see are just assertions of human nature being terrible and that no one would have cared.

I'll skip the tangent on how that's not even what the post was about (it wasn't about people becoming sympathetic towards Snape, and it wasn't about James becoming a better person - it was about the effect of seeing that degree of bullying on the students who witnessed it). I'm just... a little worried about the cynicism I'm seeing?

Bullying makes most witnesses uncomfortable. They pretend it doesn't when it's happening because they don't want to stand out from the crowd and be targeted next. And because they often don't know what to do even do about it. Most people don't realize how much agency a bit of confidence (even if feigned) can give them. They want to fit in and be like everyone else, and everyone else is either ignoring the bullying or teasing the victim too, so they think they're being weird and everyone else is fine with it, so they should be too. But, as it turns out, most people aren't fine with it. Sure, some are, and some people are also just terrible people and are bullies themselves. But if you've ever talked to adults who witnessed someone else being bullied when they were a kid, most of them say they felt bad for the victim, they felt awkward, but didn't know how to speak up or were afraid to. There's a lot of "better them than me."

I'm not saying it's OK, by the way. Bystanders being cowardly is still shitty. But people are much more complex and inherently empathetic (that's not naivetee, that's proven by sociological studies repeatedly), partly because we all see ourselves in others. It's an ingrained part of being social mammals. So this idea that a group of onlookers can see their fellow student being made vulnerable and helpless while he's humiliated, and they wouldn't respond to that in any negative way and see it purely as entertainment, is... a profound misunderstanding of how people work.

James went as far as he did because of his contempt for Snape, but the others in that crowd didn't feel as strongly. James was acting out his feelings of "I hate this guy and how he's friends with the girl I like while she keeps rejecting me, I hate that he's smart and talented when he's from a clearly working class background and doesn't belong in the same class as me and my privilege." The crowd saw Snape as "that weird kid none of us are friends with." In SWM James basically acts on his own feelings fully, and my personal imagining (that no one has to agree with just please can people maybe try to express their disagreement in a way that doesn't assert it as fact, because it's weird y'all, it's weird when you posit your personal HC as fact) is that the gap between how much James hates Snape and how much the crowd just dislikes him becomes too wide, and James' actions no longer align with the crowd's sense of what Snape, as a weird kid, deserves. "Well, back then it was just what you did, there was always a kid who got beat up all the time" is often followed with "I felt bad for them, sure. Everyone knew their bully was a bully. But I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to end up getting beaten up too."

My point is, there's a lot of internalized abuse victim and also some unintentional (?) enabler behavior I'm seeing on this post and I just... hope y'all are OK.

[therandomfandomme]

Okay but just imagine

He got his height from his dad and not in a tall way. (Something the Marauders loved to remind James off).

Dudley who also had that extra height advantage. Vernon who towered over little Harry as he yelled at him for nothing. Petunia who looked down at him from even higher.

In first year, he's just a little smaller than the others, the walls just a little higher, the teachers and his fellow students just a bit more intimating. Whispers floating behind him about how the Boy Who Lived wasn't all what he was cracked up to be, a whisper that would haunt him for the rest of his school life and fuel his desire to prove himself.

In second year, he looks so small next to Lockheart in the papers, something that didn't slip Draco's attention. Lockheart who tells him not to worry because a good camera angle can fix anything my boy. But the tunnels don't seem that cramped and he's more agile, although that snake is very large. A Harry who is just as tall as Ginny and curses himself for that fact, because that means he can't carry her away from the danger.

In third year, Remus who finds a copy of his childhood friend, still so small, but he has to hide that surge of protectiveness, despite the voice in his head telling him that James would've been strangely happy Harry wasn't going to tower over him too soon. A Harry who hated that he couldn't fight these faceless attackers who towered over him, like everyone always had. A Harry who stands eyes to eye with Peter as he confronts the man who betrayed his parents. A Harry who is nearly half the size of Sirius but the same width, who worries about this family member he just discovered.

In fourth year, he's not only the youngest of the champions, but also the smallest, making him stand out even more, something that's highlighted in every article Skeeter writes. He doesn't escape the bullying, along with the buttons people call after him about how he should still be in diapers with how tiny he is and not pretending to be a competitor like the others. And when he and Ron fight he has to look up at his friend and he's reminded by Dudley and for a second he's a afraid Ron will use that height against him. It doesn't happen and later he hates himself for that thought. A Harry who struggles getting a body back with him that is so much bigger with him and a the heavier for it's youth. A Harry who was thrown around so easily by Voldemort and takes that helplessness and turns it into anger, an anger that grows when he isn't believed.

In fifth year, his hearing is all the more intimidating with everyone looking down at them from their high seats. A Harry who feels like he's standing alone and feels so small. A Harry who is the same height as some of the first years he's teaching in the DA. A Harry who knows what hugs feel like that wrap you up entirely in love and warmth and knows he cannot lose that as he barges into the Ministry. A Harry who hates how easily Remus can hold him back and wishes he has just a bit more height to throw around so that he can fight the grip and rush after his Godfather.

In sixth year, everything is becoming grimmer and grimmer and he feels like he has to lead, to help, but he doesn't know how to inspire people, adults, when he still looks like the kid he is, the kid he wants to be, without all the responsibility. The kid who clutches to a helping voice only to find out it's the teacher who always spat at him from his high horse with condensending words. The kid who allows Dumbledore to get killed, while the voices of Death Eaters ring in his head about little Harry who thinks he can play with the grown ups.

In seventh year, he's all alone with Ron and Hermione, who stand around him protectively when needed. A gesture he appreciates, but makes him feel fragile like he can't allow himself to feel, because they are so much taller than him. A Harry who hates how there are bodies in the Great Hall who are smaller than him. A Harry who still feels so tiny and light in Hagrids arms. A Harry who faces yet another enemy who looks down on him, while he has to look up.

A Harry who is small, but so angry at everything. A Harry who has to prove himself even more worthy, because of something so small.

Just give me tiny angry Harry.

I refuse to believe Harry is anything other than a small 5ft bundle of rage, no matter what the books might say and no I do not take any criticism