#like a death eater themed one and an ootp themed one and and and

[nicolinocolino]

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[starrylayle]

Marauders Fandom > "There is no canon !!" and other rhetorics

Guess who's back in their marauders phase after 2-3 years of being dormant lmao?? ((spoiler its me lol)). Anyways, a lot has changed since 2021 in this fandom so I just wanted to talk about the direction i think it's going.

I remember in 2020-21 the fandom started to boom in popularity on tiktok --> esp with the rise wolfstar + atyd. I remember people were so suprised with remus' characterization as 'rougher around the edges' instead of the 'soft boi' thing, and how that influenced the new wolfstar dynamic. [Just want to add that the atyd characterisation is much more complex than this and its one of my fave fics --> I'm more talking about the fandom at large's reaction to this)

And since fandom is incapable of having two nuanced and characters who are not stark opposites,, their roles were basically reversed and now Remus is the toxic dom alpha male and sirius is the cute girlyboy twink --- which um,,, the oc-ification is so real its embarrassing but whatever (omg don't even get me started on jegulus 💀)). I just assumed these would stay as headcanons. But now we have people saying, that 'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' or 'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' which i have sO many issues with so let me just try and compile my thoughts into dot points for the sake of coherency.

'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' ---> First of all, Remus, Sirius and Severus are fully fleshed out characters in the og series -- why do you think people would care enough to create an entire fandom based on their backstories if they were 2d flat characters in canon?? Like bffr. I saw a post on here (forgot who it was by, let me know if u know!) that said, 'I didn't cry over sirius' death in OotP just for ppl to say that we know nothing abt him in canon'. Like, its just mind-boggling to me lol.

'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' --> Ok y'all. For a fandom to work, there have to be some guidelines, some kind of source material, some point of reference so people can build upon it and make content. I think we can all agree on that. One reason why HP is such a popular place for fandom is the world-building and potential plots/storylines. I see some people argue that jk rowling was a shit writer anyways so might as well contradict everything she says. Now, I don't disagree with that point in particular, Jo is a pretty mediocre writer and a terrible person. HOWEVERrr, I'd argue that it is a lot more fascinating when people expand or work on the concepts in HP. JK Rowling has a lot of great ideas but executes them terribly -- I love when fic writes do this, which prolly explain why I love atyd as it is still very much canon compliant but executes themes on class, disability and queerness that jkr could barely do in subtext. This doesn''t mean I only think canon compliant fics are valid. That's not the case! I think as long as the charcterization is consistent to the character and the particular circumstances/world they're in, its fine! In fact, I love seeing how the same character would function if in a different place! I also love seeing explorations of the magic and magic systems in aus or fix it fics (or even canon compliant ones) that still fit in with the canonnical system that we know.

I guess what I'm trying to say I wish the marauders fandom explored the world and charcterizations more deeply instead of creating shallow oc-fied version of the characters that fit into whatever's trending -- like just write your own book or smth lol -- booktok will eat it up i promise.

Also, kinda related kinda not but um,,, why are we romanticising fascists -- like babe no evan rosier is not your babygirl he canonnoically tortured multiple ppl and became a death eater soo... not saying that I wouldn't want an exploration of his character or even a relationship with barty -- (who's not some cool dairk-haired edgelord but a actually a cowardly fascist murderer with blond hair -- yes the blond hair is important) -- I'd just want them to be portrayed as the not morally good people they are. Like,, if u want to oc-ify a character like pick someone whos not a death eater or has little info on them like dirk cresswell or frank longbottom,,, or ya know,, one of the MANY female characters in the fandom ((This fandom also has a problem with women and sapphic ships in general but that's a whole other issue lol).

I know this 'babygirlification' of death eaters doesn't mean to do this, but it also ends up watering down the themes of oppression, bigotry, etc and leaves us with not nearly as complex characters. Also one of the issues I had with the og HP world is that JK will introduce concepts like wizard racism and slavery and then just like,, not really do anything about it or just have half-arsed redemption arcs whilst not ever actually exploring the root of the issue. And now i feel like the fandom is following in those footsteps unfortunately.

Anyways, i've been rambling for too long so I'll just leave it here. Sorry if this came off as mean spirited in anyway,, I just have a lot of thoughts™ and my family is sick of hearing them lol. These opinions are not set in stone however so I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject! At the end of the day this is fandom and we're supposed to have fun -- so yeah !! thanks for reading if you made it this far!

[cerise-grenadine]

Hello!

For the Snapedom AU Ask game, can I get your answers to 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 26?

1.) Do you have a name and/or a tag and/or a master post for your AU (so I can peruse your blog and admire your creativity)?

2.) What is the premise of your AU (one sentence summary, tropes, your big “What-if” question, etc.!)?

5.) What are the major divergence points in your AU?

6.) Is there any part of the canon narrative you really like to build off of or interrogate with your AU?

9.) How and why does your AU!Snape differ from the canon!Snape?

26.) Does Severus have any major interests (mycology, astronomy, sci-fi, baking elaborate puff pastries, art forgery, etc.) in your AU that we never got to see canon!Snape indulge in?  Do these interests play a major narrative role?

i'm sorry, if you ask me about my AU, i will infodump 😔🙏🏻

1.) Do you have a name and/or a tag and/or a master post for your AU (so I can peruse your blog and admire your creativity)?

Yes! SlythenclawAU!Snape. it's quite meh but i never really took the time to think of one.

2.) What is the premise of your AU (one sentence summary, tropes, your big “What-if” question, etc.!)?

A long time ago there was a teenager in boarding school who got tired of waiting for the 5th Harry Potter book and decided to make a Snape-centered sequel herself (it's not particularly focused on anything but the ✨ fluffy romance 💖).

5.) What are the major divergence points in your AU?

Honestly, it’s easier to point out the parts in common 😅 It’s only canon-compliant up to Goblet of Fire (with some parts of OOTP included now), meaning Severus was pretty much a blank canvas. We knew he was a smart skinny bastard who disliked the Marauders and was about to resume his job as a DE spy, that was it. As a result, his background is completey different. He has a different family, a different childhood (still terrible), different motivations, different traumas, and Lily was never even a thing.

6.) Is there any part of the canon narrative you really like to build off of or interrogate with your AU?

Not so much one part in particular, but there are themes I like to think about (I won’t say write, I haven’t written a thing in years). Everything that has to do with guilt and forgiveness is interesting to explore with Severus, because he’s both a victim and a culprit: how to forgive, should one forgive, how to make amends, isn’t asking for forgiveness selfish and placing the weight of the pardon on the victim, how to live with guilt when some things can’t be forgiven... In the same vein I like to explore his guilt towards Lucius, who is a genuine friend and a genuine Death Eater; he feels guilty for betraying his friend, and feels guilty for still considering the man a friend.

9.) How and why does your AU!Snape differ from the canon!Snape?

I think the major difference (apart from no Lily) is that he’s more adjusted as an adult. It’s not necessarily visible to the Hogwarts staff or students 😬 the teeth incident or his breakdown at the end of POA are still a thing and the British wizarding world really brings out the worst in him. But he actually has a solid support network in the form of siblings and adoptive parents he met when he was 21. They live abroad and he keeps them secret to avoid DE retaliation so they don’t meet often, but still they are very supportive and it has helped him a lot sorting things out during his late twenties/early thirties. Having this one anchor, being loved and loving them back, has really done him a lot of good and he strives to better himself (at least in private). By the time his love interest appears, some things have healed enough that it’s not her job to fix him, she merely becomes yet another support to help deal with the rest (and the first one in the Brit WW). Don’t worry, he still has nightmares, and tons of guilt, and petty tantrums, but overall he’s in a better place than canon!Snape and has hope for the future. Also I don’t usually include Occlumency/Legilimency. Ho and he’s very French (sorry not sorry)

26.) Does Severus have any major interests (mycology, astronomy, sci-fi, baking elaborate puff pastries, art forgery, etc.) in your AU that we never got to see canon!Snape indulge in?  Do these interests play a major narrative role?

Yes! he’s a huge nerd (the kind who solves equations for fun when he can’t sleep), so he likes to study a lot of things.

Apart from normal magic things, he’s very knowledgeable about human anatomy and medecine, it makes him a better brewer and practitioner of healing magic (also his brother studied Muggle medecine for a while + his brother’s adoptive father was a heart surgeon). He is also an exellent cook (who doesn't eat much), because what’s the difference between Wolfsbane and mayonnaise, you just put stuff in a big saucepan and stirr dutifully it’s the same thing really.

Both those skills are pretty much background stuff; but there is one big hobby that is very important in his life, for several reasons: playing the piano 🙌🏻✨

He is very attached to it because his mother taught him (and she died young) and it’s his one pastime and antidepressant. He will focus on fast-paced pieces when his anxieties keep him awake, will hammer away his anger when he’s had a row with someone... it helps him calm down and clear his mind, and sometimes he will learn complicated parts just for the fun of it simply because he enjoys himself. He is a selfish pianist however. Music is very private to him, he is not a performer and will only do it sometimes for very close people he loves. He owns two pianos, his mother's grand piano at home (which has been through some stuff and is his most prized possession), and a baby grand at Hogwarts gifted by his siblings when he started teaching (it was needed for his mental health and the not-murdering of students). He’s learned how to tune his piano the Muggle way (the only true way, it sounds better, and yes of course he’s pedantic about it) and can talk about the links between mathematics and music for hours. Also +30 years of piano training have given him an acute sense of rhythm and very precise motricity skills that are highly valuable in potions work.

His lover being a musician herself (of the performer kind), music is very important in their relationship and has been central in their getting together. In fact, she first kissed him as they were playing together, so his sister jokes he would never have gotten laid if not for the piano she gifted him (she’s right)(his entourage also jokes sometimes about the kind of fingering skills a pianist with decades of experience has)(he hates it)(because he’s a giant prude)(they’re also right)

[staghunting]

sirius' motorbike, part 2

[link to part 1]

at the time of POA-OOTP i think hagrid really is the defacto owner of the bike, or he was discouraged from giving it back to sirius since the man couldn't really use it while he was under arrest.

similarly, sirius must not have thought about the bike due to the danger everyone was in plus it would've held some heartbreaking memories for sure, and figured it'd be better off with hagrid anyway in the streets

what we do know is that the bike hagrid rides in to rescue harry in DH1 is the same motorbike but modified by arthur weasley

this ride is actually two parts! the motorbike here is the royal enfield 500cc bullet classic– smaller engine than the bonneville, but still a proper british motorbike, also used in the military during WW2. the watsonian sidecar that does look like a bullet with ridges is made by the british company watsonian squires.

now, i think the look of it makes sense in canon. arthur weasley was the one who modded it for hagrid to retrieve harry from privet drive. Turning sirius' motorbike from street-illegal cafe racer to a passenger-friendly sidecar– it is such a father-of-seven thing to do.

while sirius is dead at this point and couldn't give an opinion as to whether he'd approve of the changes to his bike, it is notable to remember that mr. weasley at the time was rebelling against the government. he also kept an illegal muggle vehicle in his house and enchanted it outside of ministry regulations (though he didn't intend for his underage son and his friend to drive it, he swears!)

also, fred & george did get 50% of their genes from him.

aside from smoke, the exhaust pipe also ejected a large net, a solid brick wall, and dragonfire— it would've made the death eater chase a hilarious scene if overlaid with the benny hill theme song i think, but those other enchantments made the bike breakable

(extra-canon, arthur weasley kept the bike, fixed it, and gave it back to harry, who would occasionally lend it out to hagrid. but ohhhhhh if sirius survived or raised harry who knows what sort of mischief they'd get up to).

however, I do have my beef with this, since I also have my own headcanons concerning sirius' motorbike in the books—

—namely, he should've been riding a Vincent Black Shadow.

this was the part in DH right after hedwig dies (RIP beloved) during the chase. the bonneville model has TWO exhaust pipes on both sides, being a v-twin engine.

the royal enfield bullets have one exhaust pipe, so that's fine. however, i wanted to have something more classic that sirius would've bought for himself as a rich kid gearhead, and the VBS is soooooo iconic

this hunter s thompson review was the one that got me into the whole motorbike rabbithole in the process. how vividly he described the vincent black shadow's insane capabilities. the vincent company is no more, but their VBS was just a classic 50s bike.

sirius could not have gotten one made in the same year he was born as they stopped manufacturing in 1955, but the rarity of it would've intrigued his posh sensibilities. plus, the power it holds is capable of is insane even for the seventies— clocking in at almost a 1000cc s, the bike was fast, it was dangerous, it IS trouble on two wheels.

now technically this bike is also a v-twin, but the two exhaust pipes from the engine merge into one long tube– which looks so much cooler.

now, for the bike he gives harry in the story i am definitely not writing anytime soon!

the vincent black lightning would be a really cool parent-child thing to have, as it is the same bike from the same company but modified to be faster. but that is a boring and unimaginative choice for a gift from a rich, newly-escaped, on-the-run godfather. if we're going for the fact that sirius bought harry the newest model of a top-of-the-line sports-regulation broom, then it has to be a sports bike made in the 1990s.

i know what you're thinking. the honda fireblade is soooo similar to a firebolt by name and by performance, harry HAD to have gotten this crazy fast japanese bike from his godfather. and you would be correct! but you would not be right.

look at this. it's beautiful. it's powerful. the front wheel is smaller than the rear wheel, and the design for the engine and the frame made the honda cbr1000rr/cbr900 so light that even the smallest twitch made it crazy fast especially for the twist and turns.

it is a perfect ride for a seeker!! it revolutionized sports bike design at a time when it was still growing to its full potential!! it can still outperform and outlast most sport bikes born in the 21st century!!

even this model pictured here, the one released in 1993 (the previous one above it is the 2020 model) looks amazing, if a bit clunkier looking than its latest model

It is soooo beautiful. however, while the fireblade was a well-performing motorbike, having the speed of a literbike with the weight feel of a 600cc, it did not impress riders with its spec sheets. it sold incredibly well, but also other sportsbike manufacturers at the time took their cue from its design and engineered shit rapidly.

the fireblade is the nimbus 2000.

the actual firebolt would be a ducati 916.

it was designed to be incredibly aerodynamic and is considered by many to be the 'most beautiful' motorbike (subjective!), it had the ducati trademark trellis frame. its design would remain virtually unchanged for years. it is also incredibly fucking high maintenance, prone to overheating, and not generally recommended outside of the racing track for long periods of time, though it didn't stop people from buying it.

it is a bit similar to how the firebolt had a very distinct design, and it is incredibly fast. although an experienced flyer could technically perform better on slower, older brooms than an inexperienced one on the fastest broom, the firebolt was still expensive and iconic.

the 2010s ducati panigale design was heavily influenced by this, similar to how in extra-canon the 90s firebolt would only be surpassed by the firebolt supreme manufactured in 2014.

also, the 916 had a splashing debut in 1994. loud, bold, and bright, for me this bike is a better fit for the harry potter who, at eleven years old, thought nothing of buying a solid gold cauldron the moment he got money. it's incredibly flashy rich kid shit- and they would looove it

but yeah that's mostly what motorbike headcanons i have.

[yletylyf]

Borrowing Against the Past

Regulus Black does not go to the cave. As a result, he is alive a decade later when a most infamous prisoner escapes from Azkaban: Sirius Black.

Gen

Characters: Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Harry Potter, assorted Black family members

Rated: Mature (actually probably teen or even general audiences, I have no idea why I thought it needed this rating)

8620 words

Read on ao3!

Written for Regulus Black Fest 2022. Thoughts under the cut – with massive spoilers, which imo materially lesson the enjoyment of reading the fic, but up to you –

I have always wanted to write a fic about Regulus as a Death Eater. Death Eaters tend to be my favorites characters, and I mean, he is one, right? So @ncoincidences ​I fell in love with your prompt at first sight and claimed it about five seconds after claiming opened 😂

Since I like to talk about where I got titles from - this one is not a quote from anything, but it sums up the theme of the fic. Regulus’s pleasant domestic life was all borrowed against his past, and the past has come to collect the debt. Oops.

Anyway, I wrote a little Q & A about questions that occurred me while writing the fic, and a few questions that I got in the comments section:

Q: Will you write a sequel?

A: No. A sequel would have to make plain whether Regulus is a loyal Death Eater or not, whereas I tried to leave it ambiguous in this fic where his loyalties lie. I think the fic works better if that’s left ambiguous! I hope it’s obvious that he sincerely cares for all his family, including Sirius and Sirius’s godson Harry, but it’s not at all obvious what Regulus will do now that Voldemort is back and called his Death Eaters back to service.

Q: Why did Regulus join the Death Eaters?

A: Despite being canon divergent, I meant to incorporate most of Regulus’s background as canon compliant up until the cave, so he would have joined the Death Eaters for the reasons he did in canon. There is a lot of speculation on his exact reasons but I think Sirius and Kreacher were probably both somewhat right - he thought he was a “right little hero” for joining and he was also pleased and proud at the opportunity and the honor. He also fangirled hard for Voldemort, as illustrated by the clippings on his bedroom wall like a poster of a movie star 😂

Q: What happened to prevent Regulus from going to the cave?

A: Pick anything you like; I also tried to leave it ambiguous whether he happened to not go to the cave, because he was sick or out that day or something when Voldemort asked for house-elf volunteers for a mysterious mission; or whether he found out about Horcruxes and everything and chose not to go. Another question a sequel would have to answer, probably.

Q: Why is Orion alive, despite JKR saying Orion passed away in 1979?

A: I like to think that Orion died of grief shortly after Regulus died, because their death dates are so close to each other. In a world where Regulus doesn't die, Orion doesn’t either.

Q: Then why kill off Walburga just as JKR did?

A: She died of a sickness (or maybe a curse!) in my take on canon and in this AU. Regulus surviving didn’t change that.

Q: Why did Sirius know in OotP that Regulus was a Death Eater, yet no one knows in this AU?

A: Regulus didn't tell his family he signed up to be a Death Eater. It wouldn't have been at all prudent to do so. My take on canon is that after hearing the story of Kreacher and the cave, Regulus was distressed enough to confide some things in his mother. That is why she spread the rumor (that Sirius would hear later) that Regulus was in too deep and tried to get out, and that he was probably killed by his own side. None of that would have happened in this AU.

Q: Why isn't Regulus in Azkaban, if he's a Death Eater?

A: Regulus was circumspect. He wouldn't have been seen by anyone in public in Death Eater regalia. And he was very young when Voldemort fell, only 20ish, so realistically he couldn’t have done much for Voldemort in the first war. He also flew under the radar because everyone was focused on Sirius and his mass murder, as Voldemort alludes to at the end of the fic.

Q: Why didn't Regulus know that Sirius was innocent and not a Death Eater?

A: Regulus knows he didn't know the identity of every other Death Eater out there. Like Karkaroff said in GoF, Voldemort operated in the utmost secrecy. Regulus was not a highly placed Death Eater and would never have expected Voldemort to share secrets with Regulus. At most, his feelings might have been hurt that Sirius hadn't come to him and confided in him—but then, maybe he thought Sirius wouldn't have known Regulus was a Death Eater either.

[heyjude19-writing]

Im the list anon again and boy do I have more for you but this time I also have some questions as well if your time allows and you are willing to answer of course. First with the other things I loved:

1) the fact that Ron warmed up to Draco so quickly! I genuinely think thats so much in character. Ron is not a distrustful person and as a middle child as they come is very easygoing and would for sure make stupid jokes at Draco

2) The patronus. My god the Patronus. I seriously put the phone down and made a small slow clap during that chapter. At first I was like hmmmm *insert unsure kombucha girl face* because almost all fanfics have him with a dragon patronus and leave it at that (and lets be honest at this point my expectations of you were quite high dont blame me blame your bloody brilliant writing) but then, and I dont know if you did this on purpose or not (I have a feeling you did) but the fact that the dragon was the same (pale white) wounded but still feral dragon that Hermione FREEED (!) from a bank (£££) dungeon, malnourished and used for its nature, surrounded by darkness, wealth and misery!! And it was Hermione who broke its chains!!!!! Is just *chefs fucking kiss* slow clap*

3) the way you describe sex scenes are so natural! Ive never read a fanfic or book that doesnt make me gag a little bit (I am not a fan of smut at all but ill go with it because of a good story) until I read yours. Its so simple but yet intricate and you make the entire act so intriguing and normal and intimate. Bravo.

4) I LOVE SASHA. I love that Theo fell for her head over heels and the way you portrayd her reminded me of a friend of mine who works as a sous-chef in London so I always pictured her when reading it!

5) Dracos inner voice is ON POINT. Like I genuinely think you shoud own the rights to that character now.

6) Ill say it again. I love Ginny. You should also own the rights to her character too.

7) my interest for Quiddich (even when reading the books/wathcing the movies) was on par, if not lower than Hermiones. You managed to get me interested in that too so yes another slow clap to you

7.1) Also such a clever career for Draco!! Made si much sense!

Now to some questions

A) What was the deal with Malfoy referring to Ginny as Weasly and refusing to aknowledge her Potter surname. And why did everyone kept correcting him? It was hilarious granted but I wanted to know whether the reason you included this time and time again had to do wih something deeper? Or was this included as just a funny recurring joke?

B) Why did you choose for Draco to have a “fantasy” to produce a patronus and not for example for him to have had to do that after theyd exchanged “i love yous”. Very interesting angle and i liked that it was sort of a loophole to all the ‘death eaters cant have patronuses’ but quite curious on the thought process

C) Why did you opt for Draco to remove his mark? Do you think that stands as reward for him more or for Hermione? Very smart solution by the way

D) if you have the time- Could you please elaborate a tad more on what the soul-bonding means? Why was it so taboo? At furst hand it seems like a very romantic/amazing thing to do with your partner right?

Lastly- Do you ever itch to make a second part to this? And in the most acceptable case that you dont, I always wondered what you had in mind for them in the future- because of the soul bonding thing, you mentioned that the generational curses will be erased, which means I guess that the Malfoys can have more than one child now, and girls as well. (I cannot believe im asking for this as I am the one to avoid any pregnancy fanfics but) do you imagine them with children and if yes, how many? How do they integrate muggle devices(I know youd agree wit me that Hermione would definitively bring some muggle stuff over!) and which devices would Draco really secretly like?

Pleasewriteasecondpartwhereyouelaborateyourthoughtsonthisthankyou.

Ok rant done. :D

List anon! You’re back with another amazing ask. I’ll do my best!

1.) I like to think Ron matured a lot post-war (not enough to stop making terrible jokes, though.)

2.) Regarding your beautiful analysis of my specific dragon breed for Draco’s patronus: How many points would you like for your Hogwarts house of choice? I will add that according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Ironbelly’s scales are normally a metallic grey. I will also add that I subscribe more to book canon than movie canon. In the book version of events of the Gringotts escape, Harry breaks the chains and Hermione (with eventual help once the boys catch on) destroys the ceiling so it can have a way out. The partially blind dragon does the rest of the work on its own.

3.) Thank you, that’s very flattering.

4.) Does your friend also get you into fancy restaurants and can they make salted caramel bread pudding???

5.) Thank you, it was one of my favorite aspects of writing this story.

6.) Thank you, she’s so fun to write and flesh out from her book portrayal.

7.) Haha, I felt so validated by that line of dialogue in Cursed Child when Draco tells Harry he wanted to play quidditch professionally, but wasn’t good enough.

Now to some answers:

A.) It’s definitely a recurring joke. It’s up to the reader to interpret Draco’s actions here: is he doing it to be a massive troll? Or is he genuinely not retaining the information of her married name because he considers this fact so unimportant that he does not bother to keep it in his brain? Troll, snob, or both, you can decide!

B.) I’ll address the second part of this first, because it was not intended as a loophole. I 1000% do not understand the “death eaters can’t have patronuses” thing. It makes absolutely no sense. Snape has a Patronus. But beyond that… Umbridge has a Patronus (a cat). If we’re letting that woman have a Patronus, then yeah, I think Draco can cast one. As for the vision that Draco used to conjure it… up to you whether that’s a fantasy or a glimpse of a certain ritual actually working. Draco’s thoughts on the matter: “An image of such striking tangibility that he might have already lived it, or perhaps experienced time in such a way that he lived it now.”

C.) I wanted Draco to have a choice, obviously a recurring theme for him in RN. For my characterization of him, that symbol on his arm causes him nothing but shame and self-loathing (see the end of chapter 36 during his heart-to-heart with Hermione). He’d already exercised almost every known avenue to rid himself of it before Hermione entered his life (he lists these in chapter 44). Hermione already loved him (and has told him so) by the time she’s figured out how to remove it: “I love the man you are today and I will love that man tomorrow, bare forearm or not. I simply wanted you, for once, to have the choice. It’s your body.”

D.) Ooh anon, you are tempting me here. I really hate to be coy, but you might see some future writing on this very topic.

I can at least answer the taboo part: I think soul magic in general (horcruxes, the use of unicorn blood) is quite taboo in the HP universe. As no one knows what happens after death (not even ghosts, Nearly Headless Nick says as much when Harry asks him point-blank in OoTP) I think most magical folk would think the intense ritual (blending magical cores) an unnecessary thing anyway. As Draco explains in chapter 48, since no one actually knows the effects or if it works, it’s considered a bit over-the-top since it’s probably futile anyway. It is also not a Vow with a death component; Narcissa is obviously alive in this story even though Lucius is already dead. I wrote the generational curse protection theory in as a dig at Cursed Child for the way they handled Astoria’s character.

The idea of it I think is romantic, but I will stress it is very dependent upon the intent of the two participants. To quote Draco in chapter 48 again: “To twine one’s soul to another showed a willingness to not only physically tether one’s self during your time here on earth, but to commit to a blending of your magical cores, putting faith in your magic to recognize its bonded counterpart in another life. Should other lives even exist.”

If you re-read Draco’s experience during the bonding ceremony in chapter 51 (starting from this bit: “The cognizance of his own powers never felt sharper, more familiar, but suddenly another power pulsed within to join with his.”) you might find it bears a resemblance to the trajectory of their relationship.

Lastly- I’ve left Draco and Hermione to their wedded bliss. I’ve got nothing planned for them beyond where they are in the final lines of chapter 51. I don’t have that itch to write more into their future because it would feel forced. Draco laid out his two envisioned futures with Hermione in chapter 48 when they discuss having or not having children. They are happy and content in the life they chose together. That’s all I ever wanted for them.

You will see more from this story though. I have an entire series of one-shots and outtakes from the published Remain Nameless timeline that I’ll start posting soon.

Thank you so much list anon! These were fun to answer!

[peripetual]

the order of the phoenix is just, so good?? i will never understand people who hate it for being “too long” because it is Packed Full of fantastic content.

it is absolutely the best HP book, for three primary reasons:

for the sake of everyone who never asked for this (read: everyone) i’ve put it all under the cut ;)

1. CHARACTER WORK. you get new characters like Luna, some amazing development for old characters like Neville, Ginny, Fred & George, and even side characters like Dean and Seamus. Hatred-inducing though she is, Umbridge is one of the most compelling villains in the series. McGonagall is as iconic as ever, Snape starts becoming *slightly* less one-dimensional. A healthy dose of moral ambiguity for the Marauders, which is perfect considering that Harry is at just the right age where people tend to start seeing the flaws in the adults around them. Even better? For the first time we get to meet adults who aren’t just Harry’s teachers. Tonks, Kingsley, (the real) Mad-Eye, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the context of them being members of a secret society instead of just Ron’s parents. Which leads me to-

2. WORLD EXPANSION. We started getting a little bit of it in GoF with the Quidditch World Cup and the introduction of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, but OotP takes us into the actual world of Wizarding adults and answers so many of our questions as to how their world actually works. We explore the Ministry and St. Mungo’s, we learn about all the different careers that Hogwarts students can pursue, we learn more about the first war and the people who fought on both sides of it. Other tidbits of magical history like the introduction of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black just add to the goodness.

3. COMPLEXITY. The themes of these books steadily increase in complexity throughout the series, and OotP is no exception. It’s still founded primarily on notions of friendship and resistance and courage, but it’s not so clear-cut anymore. Harry’s friends follow him into a trap, and they make that oh-so-realistic teenager mistake where the adults failed to give them all of the relevant information, and instead of blindly trusting their instructions the kids thought that they knew better and plunged headfirst into a situation that ended in someone they care about dying. They resist Umbridge’s grip on Hogwarts, and this manages to both be as hilarious as ever and genuinely unsettling. There is a crisis of authority; until now, Hogwarts was a haven of safety under Dumbledore’s protection, but now they’re not just fighting Dark wizards on the horizon, they’re fighting to survive in their own school. Umbridge (and Fudge) may not be practitioners of the Dark Arts, but their ignorance and political power are just as dangerous. A third side emerges in the conflict; like Sirius says, the world isn’t divided into good people and Death Eaters. And these people, buoyed by corruption and fear, pose a much more real threat to the Order and any hope they have of defeating Voldemort. Moreover, this is a threat that we as an audience can connect with far more than we can with the threat of Death Eaters. And finally: the courage of these six teenagers isn’t enough anymore. The war has very much begun, and it’s clear that they’re in over their heads. This isn’t just Ron versus a wizarding chess set, or Hermione cleverly solving a logical potion puzzle. It’s not even Harry defeating an evil serpent with a magical sword. This is Neville facing down the escaped convict who tortured his parents into insanity, who then brutally defeats her Auror niece in a duel and turns right around to murder her own cousin, laughing all the while. While GoF detailed Voldemort’s rise back to power, he still didn’t pose much of a tangible threat. He may have murdered Cedric, but it was a single incident, and in the graveyard when it is just him and Harry he still felt like a single threat to be apprehended. In OotP, we see the full scope of the havoc he will wreak: devoted, sadistic, and highly skilled Death Eaters like Bellatrix, connections in the Ministry to twist the government to his will, complex and in-depth plans that prove his intelligence and all-consuming dedication. The revelation of the prophecy at the end of the book seals the deal; it takes everything that has happened up to this point, contextualizes it, and sets up HBP to continue along these themes of raising the stakes and examining Voldemort’s own schemes and motivation. 

I absolutely adore HBP as well, and while I read OotP I can only marvel at all the ways in which it set up the former for success. HBP deepens these themes and further explores these characters and this world.

I’ll admit there are points where the book suffers from its length. The situation with Hagrid and Grawp is highly skippable, and the whole ordeal with Cho is, frankly, draining. Angsty Harry can be grating at times, even though we know it‘s a side effect of the ever-increasing control Voldemort has over him and the lingering psychological effects of GoF. But with the rest of its 860 pages, OotP manages to raise the stakes in this world while fleshing it out more clearly than ever, making us love the characters more deeply while creating new ones as well. More importantly, perhaps, it manages to do all of these things while remaining as funny and delightful as ever, making it the perfect balance between the more lighthearted action of the first four books and the frightening and weighty drama of the last two. 

[geniejackman]

Harry Potter: What the Movies Got Right

Because the movies get a lot of shit for the ways that they differ from the books, here is a way too overly-detailed list of moments from the Harry Potter films which IN MY OPINION improve upon the source material.

Sorcerer’s Stone:

The Norbert Storyline: Cutting out the whole midnight hand-off of Norbert to Charlie’s friends story-line was a good move. It slowed down the plot in the book, and come on, how were Charlie’s friends able to sneak into Hogwarts in the first place? There are literally entire chapters of people trying to figure out ways around the schools security.

 Chamber of Secrets:

Nothing to add, the book and movie are almost entirely one and the same (Sure wish they’d followed through with this on some of the other movies. Lookin at you Half-Blood Prince).

-ONE THING THOUGH; at the end when Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into freeing Dobby and you can hear him start to cast ‘Avada Kedavra’ at Harry. It’s a small and HILARIOUS addition. Like, really Lucius? The killing curse? At this little twelve-year-old, right in front of Dumbledore’s office, in broad day-light, over literally nothing? I heard somewhere that this was because Jason Isaacs thought he should say some spell but nothing was scripted, and Avada Kedavra was the only one he could think of. But it’s just really funny to think about Lucius legit about to murder a kid in public over losing his house-elf.

 Prisoner of Azkaban:

-Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake: I love that Marge blows up and floats out of the house, rather than just bouncing off the walls like in the book. Hysterical!

-Lupin scenes: Lupin talking about how Lilly “was there for me at a time when no one else was” and how she had a gift for finding beauty in people “even and most importantly when that person could not see it in themselves”… just… fucking David Thewlis man. Actually, all the Harry & Lupin conversations in the movie have this sweet parental energy that was mostly there in the books, it just feels so much more potent here thanks do Dan & David’s incredible chemistry.

-Harry’s Patronus Lessons: the powerful memory that finally gets him to cast the spell is thinking about his parents talking with him. Kind of an understated change from the books, but it helps to underscore that the memory doesn’t need to be big or even all that happy, just emotionally poignant.

 -“WHY DON’T YOU RUN ALONG AND PLAY WITH YOUR CHEMISTY SET?!?!?!?”

-Snape protects the kids: Even though Snape was being a dick the entire time in the Shrieking Shack, he still acts as a HUMAN FUCKING SHIELD between the kids and Wolf Lupin and even takes a blow to the chest while protecting them. Book Snape was unconscious the whole time. Also, Movie Snape is so much more sympathetic than Book Snape, fight me. More on this down the line.

 Goblet of Fire:

-Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, because there ain’t much.

-David Tenant is fun as hell as Barty Crouch Jr: I mean, there isn’t much fleshed out motivation in the character in the movie besides being bat-shit-fucking-crazy, but hey, it’s fun to watch! Also, I love the added detail (which I believe was improvised by Tenant) of Jr’s lip twitch and how this gives him away when he’s pretending to be Moody in front of Crouch Sr.  

-Cedric’s bravery: It’s a very small thing, but in the book when Cedric and Harry realize something’s off in the graveyard, they don’t really react much, or even say anything. When Harry’s scar stars burning, my man Cedric has enough presence of mind to draw his wand, ask Harry what’s wrong, takes a defensive stance, and shouts “Who are you? What do you want?” bravely to an approaching Pettigrew. Guy spends his last few moments being an absolute champ. Hollywood did you wrong Robert Pat.

 Order of the Pheonix:

-The DA training sequences: They’re wonderful and full of teen-whimsiness and the score makes me happy. Seriously, go listen to the ‘Dumbledore’s Army’ track, it’ll make your day! https://youtu.be/fZane0CwAGg

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Harry’s cheesy one liner which somehow still manages to be great: “Every great wizard has started out as nothing more than what we are now, students. If they can do it, why not us?”

-Neville’s Character growth: “We’re gonna make them proud Neville. That’s a promise.” Man, I really wish there had been scenes of Harry and Neville talking about their families in the books. There’s so much that they share in terms of past traumas. I like that they bring it up in the film, even if it’s a very quick scene.  

-Fred and George: It’s been said before, but the scene with Fred and George comforting a young student who’s had the Umbridge hand-slicing treatment is UNPRECEDENTED and I LOVE it. This helps show them as more than just loveable jokesters.

-“Neville Longbottom is it? How’s mum and dad” “Better, now that they’re about to be avenged!” FOUR FOR YOU NEVILLE LONBOTTOM, YOU GO NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!

-Possession: I’m gonna be honest, this movie is my next-to-least-favorite of the adaptations. I’d be prepared to write it off as a bad movie altogether if it weren’t for the way they decide to end with the Ministry battle: In the book, Voldemort finishes dueling Dumbledore and starts possessing Harry, who tells Dumbledore to kill him. Possessed Harry says: “Kill me Dumbledore, death is nothing compared to this. Kill me. And I’ll see Sirius again.” This moment is really quick, and it’s not really made clear until the next book that Harry’s love and grief in this moment is what drove Voldemort out. In the movie, the scene gets more time and attention and shows Voldemort possessing Harry, forcing him to remember his worst memories of losing people he loves. For anyone who’s ever suffered from depression or anxiety, the way these horrible memories overwhelm Harry is shockingly familiar. But then, Ron, Hermione and the others come running in. The sight of them makes Harry remember all of the best moments with his friends: “You’re the weak one. And you’ll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you.” HOLY HELL. All the tears. Just all of them. I fuckin love this moment. Congrats Possession scene, you single-handedly saved this movie for me.

Half-Blood Prince:

Oooooh boy. Full disclosure, I kind of hate this movie. It’s just… it’s not ABOUT anything. Like, SO much was changed in Order of the Pheonix to make it tonally different from the book, AND YET: Sirius’s line in the OOTP film about how “we all have light and dark inside of us” is so cliched and not from the book at all, but it PAYS OFF and shapes the theme of the movie at the end when Dumbledore reinforces “It’s not how you are alike. It’s how you are not.” So yeah, not really from the book, but it’s at least trying to have a theme. HBP the movie is a mess. Instead of having a central theme, the main idea for the movie appears to be: “stuff is happening”.

-Despite this, there were one or two instances of “stuff is happening” which the film added that built positively on the book. One of those is, hear me out, the Burrow attack. HBP the book is pretty void of any action until the very end, and this addition (nonsensical as it is. Did they ever explain how the Death Eaters were able to break through the Ministry’s protective charms to get to the Burrow?) gives us some pretty cool visuals and some much needed tension. Too bad it’s totally meaningless as we see in the first few minutes of Deathly Hallows Part 1 that the Weasley’s have completely rebuilt the Burrow. Cause, ya know, magic.

-Draco on the Hogwarts Express: “Hogwarts. What a pathetic excuse for a school. I think I’d pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower if I thought I had to come back for another year.” HA! Oh the irony.

In general, the characterization of Draco is so much more engaging here than in the book. The fact that the movies are less exclusively only what Harry thinks and sees gives us opportunities to see more into other characters perspectives. Draco’s experiments in the Room of Requirement really add a lot to the characters emotional struggle. And boy howdy does Tom act the HELL out of the bathroom cry scene. Really makes you wish they’d followed through on that redemption arc in DH part 2 (more on that later).

-Last but not least; Slughorn and the Lilly fishbowl. HOLY SHIT is this scene powerful. Not only is it an incredibly touching story, but we get to see the parental and emotional aspects of Slughorn’s ‘collecting’ of promising students over the years. And the sadness of Slughorn’s unfinished sentence; “the day the bowl was empty… was the day that your mother….” Just, damn. I both love and hate this moment, because it adds something positive to HBP and that makes me mad because I guess I can’t totally hate it now.

 Deathly Hallows Part 1

-Opening montage with Hermione Obliviating her parents. In the book, Hermione tells the boys about how she did this in order to make them see how much she’s already sacrificed to their cause. But damn. SEEING it really makes it even more devastating.

-Hedwig’s Death. Damn, just typing those words hurt my heart. I really liked that Harry lets her fly free at the beginning, only to have her come back during the sky battle to save Harry. It’s sad in the book having her die in her cage, but they really amped up the cry factor for the movie by having her sacrifice herself.

-“Hey losers! He isn’t here.” Goddamnit, Neville just keeps wracking up those ‘Biggest Badass’ and ‘Best Character Growth’ points. It’s great foreshadowing for what’s to come with his hero moment in the Final Battle.

-Harry and Hermione’s dance. I know some people have called this scene unnecessary and awkward, but here me out. The dancing itself is, in my opinion, EXACTLY how awkward fools like Harry and Hermione would dance, and the moments where they slowly change from depressed and dead-eyed to light-hearted and goofy, it shows you that despite all the hardships they’ve gone through, they’re just kids. A little awkward, a little uncertain, but still able to enjoy the small things in life. Also, the little moment where they linger for a moment all serious after the dance always played to me like “hey, you know how Ron just stormed out after accusing us of having a thing? Maybe there’s a possibility that we actually do… nah.” It’s a nice little moment.

-Scabier’s creeper moments with Hermione. That scene in the forest when she’s put up the enchantments so they can’t see her, but he can smell her. It’s a great acting moment between Emma and the dude playing Scabier (even if this should have been Greyback).

-Draco at Malfoy Manor. Small but touching scene; when Draco is brought in to make sure the Death Eaters have caught Harry, he does the same thing in the book where he claims he “can’t be sure”. In the book, Draco says this while refusing to look Harry in the eye. In the movie, he looks Harry dead in the face and looks scared to death while asking “What’s wrong with his face?” Just… the concern and fear dripping off of him is DELICIOUS. (AGAIN WITH THE REDEMPTION ARC!!! THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE WARNER BROTHERS!!!!!)

-Hermione Tortured. Not really all that much was changed for this scene, but Bellatrix carving ‘mudblood’ into Hermione’s arm and the way it evoked Holocaust concentration camp victims was a stroke of genius.

-Dobby at Malfoy Manor. Way to give this ‘lil dude a moment to shine! Specifically; “of course I can, I’m an elf!” “Dobby never meant to kill anyone. Dobby only meant to mame or seriously injure!” And then… the death scene. I love that in the movie, Dobby gets a longer farewell. “Such a beautiful place… to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend. Harry Potter.” UGH! At least give me some warning before you rip my heart out.

 Deathly Hallows Part 2

-Snape vs. McGonagall; I’m torn, because I love the scene in the book where Harry defends McGonagall against the Carrows leading into the scene where she confronts Snape, but I also really love this big dramatic scene in the Great Hall with the “How dare you stand where he stood?” and McGonagall dueling Snape. Alan’s expression as Maggie steps up is PRICELESS.

-Harry and Malfoy in the Room or Requirement; “Why didn’t you tell her? Bellatrix? You knew it was me.” Yeah Warner Brothers, why didn’t he tell her? Gonna maybe follow through with this redemption-arc you seem to be building up? No?? OKAY THEN!!!

-Snape’s death scene. Changing the setting was a stroke of genius. This scene is wonderfully done and we all know it.

-The Prince’s Tale. Okay, I feel like I’m going to take some flak for this. At first, I wasn’t thrilled with how much was cut out of Snape’s flashbacks concerning his friendship with Lilly and their falling out. But when you really think about it, they cut out all of the really gross stuff. For instance, it’s never implied that he enjoys bullying people for fun, he doesn’t call her a mudblood, he isn’t shown being toxic towards Lilly and jealous of James, never has the moment where he asks Voldemort to kill Harry & James and leave Lilly for him, and in general is WAY less problematic than in the books. This might be an instance of a ‘less is more’ win in favor of the film. I know, I’m as shocked as you are.

-Malfoy’s Redemption: So this might be confusing for some folks since this wasn’t in the final cut, but here’s a link for what they originally had in mind for Draco’s redemption arc: https://youtu.be/hS5Z2YbyePg

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I am SO MAD that this was left out of the final cut, since it’s so obviously built up in part 1. Also, it would have been a HUGE improvement on the source material since Draco effectively has NO character growth there. This moment, where he makes a huge stand by yelling “POTTER” (also, GREAT inverse from the way we’ve become accustomed to hearing Draco sneer at Harry by invoking his surname over the years), throws him the wand, and runs back to join the fray, is a great addition to the series. I really wish the filmmakers had stuck with this plan.

 Incredibly long ranting list over.

[the-ink-bottle]

Harry Potter and a Critical Review of Film Aesthetic

I originally intended this to be a glowing review of the various film sets, due to my history of and passion for set-making. Unfortunately, copyright and other evils make it hard to find pictures of the sets alone. So instead I’ll be talking about the colors and aesthetics of the films, with my own tidbits about the sets along the way. I apologize for the photo quality, as most of these are just screenshots taken by my phone, and none of them (of course) belong to me. Credit to W. Bros and Jo, etc. 

1) The Sorcerer’s Stone: The first movie is the happiest, as it is mostly an introductory piece wherein we learn all about the magical world of Hogwarts. In this film we see lots of primary colors - the greens of Slytherin and the countryside; the blues of Ravenclaw and the castle; the yellows of Hufflepuff and warm candlelight; and the reds of Gryffindor and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A certain lack of film technology (I shouldn’t say lack, everything looks beautiful, but there certainly is a different tone to the CGI than what we’ll see later) makes everything in this movie have an air of nostalgia. Anybody born before the 2000s (with the exceptions of those blasted 1995-2001 kids like my generation) should recognize the fuzzy warm quality of films from this time. Produced in 2001, T.S.S. is the most cheerful of the films regarding its bustling and colorful set designs.

2) The Chamber of Secrets: Released just a year after the first, the sequel film of the Harry Potter series still features our warm colors mentioned above. In this film we get a lot less of the blues and yellows, instead seeing a lot of green, red, and orange. Green is heavily featured in regards to all the snakey stuff happening in this film, but we also see quite a lot of red: red in blood, red on Fawkes the Phoenix. We also see orange, in both the Weasley’s home and hair. Speaking of which: the Weasley house is one of my favorite places in the HP world, with all of its knick-knacks and moving objects. The inclusion of simple details, such as the self-knitting sweater, really tied that part of the set together.

3) The Prisoner of Azkaban: Most people love this movie the best. While I have a special place in my heart for the first book/movie, i will say that POA has fantastic set design and high aesthetic value. This film is where we see a darker theme setting in, with cold blues and foggy greens making their appearance. This is symbolic of that dreadful dementor feeling we’re getting, as the happiness is leeched out of everything. The exception to this is Trelawney’s room, which actually inspired this post. I loved the attention to detail in her room, where there are not only the famous silk hangings and crowded cushions, but also artfully-created stacks of teacups that have been made into all sorts of shapes. If you look closely while watching the film, you can see that the cups have been arranged into quirky sculptures that give us a taste of Trelawney’s strange personality.

4) The Goblet of Fire: From POA onwards, we won’t be getting many warm colors. The Goblet of Fire is mostly blue: blue flames, blue and white winter scenes, blue water, and blue-gray statues. This movie always scared me when I was younger because of the morbid opening scene, where we see Nagini exiting the statued mouth of a skull. While the competition scenes have plenty of boisterous music, even those have a sort of gray and misty feel about them. Offsetting this are glimpses of Gryffindor red, which remind us that Hogwarts is still doing alright for itself and hasn’t quite fallen into a depression just yet. 

5) The Order of the Phoenix: If I were to talk about OotP in terms of plot, we would be here for a long time. Instead I’ll stick to the aesthetic portion. This is another blue movie, with excellent design detail involved in the Ministry of Magic. The endless aisles of shelves filled with ghostly memories make the perfect setting for a cold and creepy face-off between Harry’s group and the Death Eaters. We can truly see an age progression in this film, even without paying attention to the plot, as Harry is no longer enjoying the warm and fuzzy scenery of the first film, not surrounded by the splashes of warmth from 2-4. In fact, the only real change of color we get is from Dolores Umbridge. In this instance, J.K. Rowling (as well as the film designers) played an interesting trick. She took pink, known as the sweetest and most feminine color, and turned it into a sign of evil. When we see pink in OotP, we associate it with torture and injustice. By filling Umbridge’s office with fuzzy pinkness, the designers have created a somewhat subconscious association that pink=bad, blue=depression, and red=gone from this movie, because no happiness is allowed.

6) The Half-Blood Prince: THBP is somehow even more depressing than OotP, which is hard to do given the death of certain characters in the previous film...ahem. Aesthetically speaking, we aren’t given much respite from the grays and dark greens of this movie. Fog around the castle, crashing ocean waves, and stark shadows in the Room of Requirement let the audience know that some Bad Shit is about to go down. I’ll take a moment to talk about the Room of Requirement, actually, as it’s another of my favorites. I recall watching an interview wherein the cast of HP bemoaned this set, as they were forced to climb up mountains of furniture over and over again. The fascinating part of this is that little CGI was used for the room. Those stacks of chairs, statues, books, baubles, and absolute clutter are all made up of real objects. This, much like Trelawney’s room, shows how authenticity can really add to the spirit of a scene. 

7) The Deathly Hallows: Alright, I’ll admit I got a bit lazy here, as I’ve combined the two films. Though I will argue that their aesthetics are the same, just about, so you can’t yell at me too much. While these two films utilize CGI to the fullest, making lots of swirly shadows and evil snake puppets, we also have a lot more scenes that are placed outside of Hogwarts. This is the first time we see a forest other than the forbidden one. We also get to visit Godrick’s Hollow, which appears in a quaint village. Bits of color appear in these places, such as in the dance scene between Harry and Hermione, as a bit of relief from all the despair. The mood changes most at the end of the novel, when at last sunshine breaks from the clouds and tells us that all is well.

[narcissa-black-supermacy]

Quirrel: possessed by Voldemort, sends a troll into the castle that could’ve killed a student, the whole fiasco with the Stone

CS: there’s a basilisk roaming about petrifying students, the last time this happened a student died and the person accused of it lives on the grounds, several students could’ve died if it hadn’t been for the reflections, Ginny almost died

POA: a man escaped from Azkaban and planned to kill someone, albeit not the person everyone thought he was after

GOF: Harry is illegally entered into a contest that he’s underage for and has killed participants before, Cedric is murdered, Voldemort rises

OOTP: Umbridge is casually torturing students, the Ministry is going nothing regarding Voldemort, a bunch of teenagers have to teach themselves defense because their teacher will not, there’s a mass breakout from Azkaban, six kids break into the Ministry and have to fight off Death Eaters

Surprised nobody went “when isn’t there something nefarious going on, like an attempted murder” by the time HPB rolled around. At some point, they’ve just gotta factor the chaos and murder plots into their plans for the year

Yeah. I know it's for the sake of the story, and there would be no books if none of that happened, right? But I feel like even taking into account all of that, HP is very unnecessarily dark and violent at times.

The entire theme of the series is violence and ambiguous morality, so it's so weird when people single out specific incidents or characters as "bad" when the entire series is just one violent act after another.

I love the dark side of HP, honestly.

[dramioneficindex]

Title: Country Matters Author: oracle_bones Rating: MA/NC-17 Genre(s): Humor, Romance Chapters: 1 Word Count: 7,101 Summary: There are faint red imprints on her skin, leftover from the elastic’s pressure; they stand apart from the less uniform blotches of blood pooled under the surface. Malfoy scrapes a thumb over a shallow red dent that circles her waist, beneath her navel.“I should think that this is where you—oh. Yes, I think you’ve got the idea.”“Yes.” He pulls his mouth off of her in order to sneer. “I might have the hang of it.” Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, EWE Published: January 28, 2015 Themes: Magical Items [Books], Shakespeare Draco: Ministry Employee, Snarky, Witty Hermione: Bossy, Know-It-All, Ministry Employee, Witty Locations: Malfoy Manor, Ministry of Magic Characters: Arthur Weasley, Lavender Brown

Title: Couplage Author: msmerlin Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, PWP Chapters: 7 Word Count: 32,829 Summary: When the Ministry decreed all persons with Veela heritage must make the pilgrimage back to Les Champs D'accouplement for a mandatory two week stay to their most sacred grounds, Draco was far from happy. Little did he know his connection to the Veela Queen and just how upside down his world would turn after his short stay. PWP. Non-War AU. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts, No-War AU Fest/Exchange: DFW Halloween Trope Fest Published: October 10, 2018 Themes: Magical Creature [Veela], Travel, Ministry and Politics, Bonding, Ancient Magic Draco: Veela Hermione: Veela Friendships: Lucius/Narcissa Characters: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Original Characters Warnings: Explicit Sexual Situations, Threesome and Moresomes

Title: Couples Counseling Author: scarlettcat Rating: T Genre(s): Romance, Humor Chapters: 1 Word Count: 9,244 Summary: Narcissa suggests that Draco and his new wife seek couples counseling. Hermione has a thing or two she’d like to suggest to her meddling mother-in-law. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, EWE Fest/Exchange: Otter & Ferret Published: April 16, 2013 Relationship: Already Married Themes: Conflict/Bickering, Counseling/Therapy Draco: Redeemed, Sex God, Snarky, Witty Hermione: Bossy, Campaigner, Feisty, Know-It-All, Unspeakable, Witty Locations: Malfoy Manor Characters: Cho Chang, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Theodore Nott

Title: Courage Author: ashleyfanfic Rating: PG Genre(s): Angst Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3,135 Summary: Draco finds it difficult to move on after the war, and he receives help from his mother and an unexpected person. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, EWE Fest/Exchange: dmhgficexchange Published: December 10, 2009 Relationship: Engaged/Married (at some point) Themes: Alcohol, Counselling [Draco] Draco: Broody, Draco’s Feelings, Emotional Hermione: Campaigner, Compassionate Locations: Malfoy Manor Friendships: Hermione & Narcissa Characters: Narcissa Malfoy Character Point of View/POVs: Draco

Title: Covered in Crimson Author: cklls Rating: MA/NC-17 Genre(s): Drama, Angst Chapters: 30 Word Count: 152,159 Summary: Draco awakens in an unfamiliar place, having committed an unspeakable crime, with no wand, and no memory of how he got there. Will he save her from death, or will he be the coward he’s always been? Status: Complete  Timeline: Year 6, Year 7 AU, War, Post-Hogwarts/War AU, Compliant until OoTP Alternate Links: FF.net Published: June 20, 2010  Completed: November 5, 2010 Pregnancy/Children: Children Names [Louisa] Themes: Abuse/Assault/Hurt Emotionally [Rape], Addiction [Draco], Apologies [Draco], Arrest/Questioning, Baths/Showers, [Draco], Cooking/Baking [Draco & Hermione], Drugs, Forced Partnership/Together, Healer/Patient, Injuries [Hermione], Kidnapping/Imprisonment [Hermione], Memory Modification [Draco], Muggle Life, Potions, Psychological Trauma/Disorder, Redemption, Sharing a Bed, Speaking Another Language [Draco speaks French], Trapped Together, Wandless/Non-verbal Magic [Hermione] Draco: Broody, Death Eater, Emotional Hermione: Campaigner, Compassionate, Order Member, Weak/Vulnerable Locations: Malfoy Manor, Ministry of Magic Side Pairings: Rodolphus/Bellatrix, Lucius/Narcissa Characters: Albus Dumbledore, Bellatrix Lestrange, Ginny Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Narcissa Malfoy, Nymphadora Tonks, Pansy Parkinson, Rodolphus Lestrange, Severus Snape, Ted Tonks Anti/Pro-Characters: Pro-Lucius, Pro-Narcissa Additional Notes: Flashbacks Warnings: Explicit Sexual Situations, Implicit Sexual Situations, Yew List: Non-con/rape Sequel: Consequences and Complexities - MA, 34 chapters - Sequel to Covered in Crimson. It really wasn’t his fault, but there had been consequences to his actions. They would both be dealing with the results for the rest of their lives. What does the future hold for Hermione? And how will Draco deal with what he’s done?

Title: Coveting Madness Author: rlassie  Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 2 Word Count: 12,849 Summary: Sequel to Stark Raving Mad but can be read alone. “She was leaving him.” In a world turned to chaos, the female third of the Golden Trio makes a decision that ends up tearing her and her lover apart. How will her possessive Slytherin cope in her absence? On which side do his loyalties really lie? Dramione two-shot, rated M for language, violence and adult content. Status: Complete Timeline: War Published: January 4, 2014 Completed: February 1, 2014 Relationship: Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Forbidden Love/Secret Relationship Themes: Battle of Hogwarts, Cruciatus Curse [Hermione is tortured], Injuries [Draco & Hermione] Draco: Draco’s Patronus [Otter], Redeemed Locations: Malfoy Manor, Room of Requirement Characters: Alecto Carrow, Ginny Weasley, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Severus Snape Prequel: Stark Raving Mad - M, one shot - Take one Christmas party, a cocky, overzealous Gryffindor, a bushy-haired bookworm and an arrogant, possessive, platinum blond Slytherin, who may or may not be a jealous git. Now, mix them all together and what do you get? One hell of a headache!

Title: Co-Workers Author: Dramione84  Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Friendship Chapters: 1 Word Count: 1,119  Summary: Hermione has always had a practical mind. So when she realises she has an attraction to her MLE partner, Draco Malfoy, she resolves that the only way to concentrate again is to do something about the attraction she feels.  Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War Alternate Links: ffnet Published: December 31, 2016 Completed: December 31, 2016 Themes: Co Workers Office Partners, Secret Feelings, Dreams Draco: MLE Officer Hermione: MLE Officer  Friendships: Hermione & Pansy Characters: Pansy Parkinson Warnings: Explicit Sexual Situations 

Title: Crashing into Love Author: mutt712 Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Family, Humor Chapters: 20 Word Count: 71,497 Summary: “Granger…you were my breath of fresh air, and I see the world differently because of you. Stay with me, you’re my world now,” - Draco and Hermione find each other amidst the most troubled times of their lives.  Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, Semi-Epilogue Compliant Published: March 28, 2013  Completed: May 11, 2013 Relationship: Engaged/Married (at some point), Friendship Pregnancy/Children: Children Names [Isobel], Pregnancy/Child Birth, Single Parent [Draco has a son (Scorpius)] Themes: Alcohol, Apologies [Draco], Cooking/Baking [Hermione], Co-workers/Office/Partners, Cuddling/Spooning, Endearments/Pet Names, Hermione Sits in Draco’s Lap Draco: Auror, Divorced, Redeemed, Single Father Hermione: Bossy, Emotional Locations: Diagon Alley, Hermione’s Flat/House, Grangers’ Home, Malfoy Manor, Ministry of Magic, St. Mungo’s Side Pairings: Blaise/Daphne, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Astoria Friendships: Draco & Blaise, Draco & Ginny, Draco & Harry, Hermione & Ginny, Hermione & Harry Characters: Astoria Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley, Grangers [David and Norah], Hannah Abbott, Harry Potter, James Sirius Potter, Ron Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy Character Deaths: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy

Title: Craving Author: Inell Rating: R Genre(s): Plot? What Plot? Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3,370 Summary: Hermione has a craving….for Draco  Status: Complete Timeline: Year 7 Published: March 2, 2004 Themes: Head Boy/Head Girl Hermione: Blushing Virgin Locations: Hogwarts Express

Title: Creature Comforts Author: Bunney Rating: NC-17 Genre(s): General Chapters: 1 Word Count: 5,033 Summary: Hermione finds an injured transfigured Draco and nurses him back to health. Contains elements of bestiality. Status: Complete Timeline: Year 7, AU Fest/Exchange: hp_squick Alternate Links: LJ Published: October 23, 2005 Relationship: Fast Romance Themes: Injuries [Draco] Draco: Animagus [Ferret], Vulnerable Hermione: Compassionate Locations: Gryffindor Tower

Title: Crescendo Author: dormiensa Rating: T (or M15) Genre(s): Fluff, Humor Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3,605 Summary: Hermione and Draco are celebrating a milestone. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, Epilogue Compliant, Mature Dramione Fest/Exchange: dramione_duet Published: October 27, 2013 Relationship: Already Married Pregnancy/Children: Children Names [Eolande] Themes: Anniversary [Dramione], Bantering Draco: Redeemed, Witty Hermione: Bossy, Witty Characters: Rose Weasley  Warnings: mild violence, some sexual innuendo

Title: Crimson with a Silver Lining Author: Lady Cailan Rating: M Genre(s): Tragedy, Romance, Angst Chapters: 77 Word Count: 411,902 Summary: It is six years since the fall of the Ministry to Voldemort. Those other than purebloods are deemed less than human. When Ginny’s daughter ends up in grave danger, Hermione sells herself to the Death Eaters to save her life. Draco/Hermione. Not fluffy. Status: Complete Timeline: War, Post-War Published: July 11, 2011 Completed: December 10, 2012 Relationship: Engaged/Married (At Some Point), Forbidden Love/Secret Relationship Pregnancy/Children: Children Names [Leo Frederick Etamin], Pregnancy/Child Birth Themes: Apologies [Draco], Cooking/Baking [Hermione], Cruciatus Curse [Hermione], Draco’s Dark Mark, Events/Celebration [Party], Injuries [Hermione], Love Triangle, On the Run, Polyjuice [Hermione], Scars [Hermione’s Scars], Travel, Voldemort Wins Draco: Death Eater, Draco’s Feelings, Emotional, Ministry Official, Possessive/Protective, Smoker Hermione: Emotional, Feisty, Slave Side Pairings: Blaise/Lavender, Charlie/Angelina, Draco/Astoria, Neville/Hermione, Neville/Pansy, Seamus/Ginny Friendships: Hermione & Ginny Characters: Albus Severus Potter, Angelina Johnson, Astoria Greengrass, Bellatrix Lestrange, Blaise Zabini, Charlie Weasley, Dean Thomas, Fenrir Greyback, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, James Sirius Potter, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Lavender Brown, Lily Luna Potter, Luna Lovegood, Marcus Flint, Mulciber, Neville Longbottom, Padma Patil, Pansy Parkinson, Percy Weasley, Seamus Finnigan Character Deaths: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley

Title: Crossing Paths Author: xfsista Rating: G Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 1 Word Count: 2,500 Summary: Life has a funny way of pushing people together. A Regency era AU… Status: Complete Timeline: Pre-Hogwarts, Post-War, Historical Era Fest/Exchange: Otter and Ferret Published: April 14, 2014 Relationship: Friendship Themes: Duelling, Events/Celebrations [Party], Injuries [Draco & Hermione], Polyjuice [Hermione] Friendships: Hermione & Harry, Hermione & Ron Characters: Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy, Ron Weasley

Title: Cruisin’ Through Love Author: widthsandcurves Rating: PG Genre(s): Humor, Romance Chapters: 3 Summary: Sometimes love is smooth sailing. Most times, it’s stormy waters. Not to worry, when you’ve got Rose and Scorpius at the helm of the ship. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, Epilogue Compliant Fest/Exchange: dmhgficexchange Published: May 7, 2011 Themes: Apologies [Hermione], Illness/Sick [Draco], Matchmaking/Blind Date [Matchmakers: Rose and Scorpius], Muggle Life, Summer, Travel [Nice, France; Mediterranean Sea; Florence, Italy; Capri, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia] Draco: Ministry Employee,Snarky, Snob Hermione: Feisty, Know-It-All, Ministry Employee Characters: Grangers, Rose Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy

Title: Crumple Author: MissiAmphetamine  Rating: M Genre(s): Angst, Drama Chapters: 11 Word Count: 93,903  Summary: As the war rages on two years post-‘final battle’, Hermione is captured by the other side and Malfoy is the only hope she has of surviving. [“Granger?” His voice is urgent, but she just sits there and breathes for a moment, feeling violated and still radiating pain, her eyes staring blindly at the cell wall opposite her, her brain frozen in what she thinks dully might be shock.]  Status: Complete Timeline: War Published: July 7, 2014  Completed: October 13, 2015   Themes: Kidnapping and Imprisonment [Hermione], Abuse and Assault, Curses and Spells, Injuries [Draco and Hermione], Nightmares [Draco and Hermione], Master and Slave, Spying, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothing Draco: Death Eater, Spy, Protective and Possessive Hermione: Prisoner, Compassionate, Emotional, Weak/Vulnerable  Locations: Malfoy Manor Characters: Voldemort, Theo Nott, Crabbe Sr, Gregory Goyle Warnings: Rape, Torture, Mentions of Suicide 

Title: Crying Author: l0stinl0ve Rating: T Genre(s): Romance, Hurt/Comfort Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3,886 Summary: There is a kind of crying I hope you have not experienced, and it’s not just crying about something terrible that has happened…a crying that can only be diluted by someone holding you as your shoulders shake and your tears run down your face. EWE. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, EWE Published: November 24, 2012 Relationship: Engaged/Married (At Some Point) Pregnancy/Children: Children Names [Cassiopeia, Scorpius], Pregnancy/Child Birth Draco: Emotional Hermione: Emotional Side Pairings: Blaise/Luna, Ron/Pansy

Title: Cupcakes and Kisses Author: X-Midnight-Lady-X Rating: K+ Genre(s): Romance, Humor, Fluff Chapters: 1 Word Count: 1,030 Summary: Hermione is not having a good day! And it’s her birthday! So Draco tries to cheer her up with a little present.  Status: Complete Timeline: Year 7, AU Published: August 15, 2010 Themes: Head Boy/Head Girl, Sweets Character Birthdays: Hermione

Title: Cupid Cards: Trapped Author: SiriuslyPadfoot’sGal Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Humor Chapters: 1 Word Count: 5,157 Summary: Draco and Hermione have one thing in a common, something that is unimportant three hundred and sixtyfour days out of the year. Lucky for us, today is day number three hundred and sixtyfive. Happy Valentine’s Day! Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War AU Holiday: Valentine’s Published: February 13, 2007 Themes: Co-Workers/Office/Partners, Elevators, Trapped Together Draco: Redeemed, Snarky Hermione: Feisty Locations: Ministry of Magic Characters: Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan

Title: Cupid’s Fool Author: ammiva Rating: K+ Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 2 Word Count: 11,475 Summary: It’s Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts. Draco is searching for his mystery Valentine writer. Hermione is searching for her lost sonnet. What will they find? A short and sweet little bit of fluff.  Status: Complete Timeline: Hogwarts Years Holiday: Valentine’s Published: October 16, 2004  Completed: October 29, 2004 Themes: Abuse/Assault/Hurt Emotionally [Draco] Characters: Gregory Goyle, Harry Potter, Lavender Brown, Lucuis Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Pansy Parkinson, Parvati Patil, Ron Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, Terry Boot, Vincent Crabbe

Title: Cure for a Headache Author: y3llowdaisi3s Rating: PG-13 Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 1 Word Count: ~1,100 Summary: Hermione has just woken up from a night of - she’s not even sure - with a huge headache. Status: Complete Timeline: Year 8 Holiday: Christmas/New Year’s Fest/Exchange: HP Mini Fest Alternate Links: AO3 | ff.net Published: December 29, 2012 Themes: Cuddling/Spooning, The Morning After Side Pairings: Harry/Ginny, Ron/Luna

Title: Curious Malfoy’s Author: lezonne Rating: T Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3,001 Summary: Those Malfoy men are some curious fellows… Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition round 13 and the OTP Boot Camp prompt #50. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, EWE Published: December 11, 2013 Themes: Adultery/Cheating [Draco is cheated on], Martial Problems/Divorce Hermione: Tutor Locations: Malfoy Manor Side Pairings: Draco/Astoria, Macus/Astoria Characters: Astoria Greengrass, Scorpius Malfoy

Title: Curse Me, Kiss Me Author: jess_lovecat Rating: NC-17 Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 1 Word Count: 7,322 Summary: Hermione hears Draco is going to join Voldemort and tries to stop him Status: Complete Timeline: Hogwarts Years Fest/Exchange: dmhg_ficathon Published: May 13, 2004 Themes: Contracts/Deals, Duelling Hermione: Campaigner, Feisty Locations: Great Hall, Forbidden Forest Side Pairings: Ron/Original Character Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley

Title: CustomMade Boots Author: Bobotuber Pus Rating: K+/PG/PT Genre(s): Humor, Romance Chapters: 1 Word Count: 2,269 Summary: Christmas Fluff. Draco snoops. Hermione surprises. Status: Complete Timeline: Post-Hogwarts/Post-War, AU Holiday: Christmas/New Year’s Published: December 16, 2003 Relationship: Already Married Pregnancy/Children: Pregnancy Themes: Presents/Gift Giving 

Title: Cute, Little Stinker Author: RZZMG Rating: PG-13 Genre(s): Humor Chapters: 1 Word Count: 2,400 Summary: Draco’s got a secret… a secret… a secret. And it’s kind of em-bar-ras-sing! When he tells Hermione, his fellow Head Girl, hoping she’ll be able to help him somehow end the curse (she is the brightest witch of their age, supposedly), things don’t exactly go the way he’d planned… Status: Complete Timeline: Year 7 Fest/Exchange: hp_drizzle Published: September 28, 2013 Themes: Curses/Spells, Head Boy/Head Girl, Rain, Sharing Clothing Locations: Black Lake Characters: Ginny Weasley

[bcdaily]

"If your argument is Snape putting himself at risk to be a mole is what makes him a hero, I’m gonna call bullshit.". Then what do you call continuing to be a spy AFTER Lily died then (which by that point he has NO reason to stay a spy)? What do you call Snape's "Lately those I cannot save" in reply to Dumbledore's "How many people you seen die?". What do you call him allowing his own image to be destroyed by killing Dumbledore on Dumbledore's order?

Let’s take this point by point. (And, I’m sorry, I am not brief.)

“Then what do you call continuing to be a spy AFTER Lilydied then (which by that point he has NO reason to stay a spy)?”

Okay. Hold up. Before I get to the actual idea of Snapespying and what that does/doesn’t mean…why on earth would you think he has no reason to stay a spy??

Let’s assess Snape’s position post-GOF, okay? Voldemort hasnow returned. Half the ol’ Death Eater squad has immediately flocked to hisside. The ones that haven’t because they’re no longer believers (?), or feellike they’ve been disloyal enough in the interim not to be welcome, have fledfor their lives because Voldemort is one vengeful bastard. So here we haveSnape: still unrevealed as an old mole. A teacher inside Hogwarts, Dumbledore’sturf. What are Snape’s options?

Flee into the night and live as a fugitive, hoping no one finds him.

Go join back up with Voldemort

Turn in a blaze of glory, joining Dumbledore’s side in the open

Play his old game as a spy

It’s bad opinions all around, self-preservation-wise. That’swhat happens when you’re a shady ass motherfucker. (1) would likely be veryunappealing for many reasons, and leaves everyone wanting to kill him. (2) isalso unappealing–because you know who elseis a vengeful bastard? Severus damn Snape. And from the second Voldemort wentafter (and then killed) Lily, Snape wuzdone. He had no ties to the Death Eater cause, except for the personal power and validation it seemedto give him. His ties have always been to his own self-interest. Voldemortsevered that self-interest by threatening Lily, and Snape called it dunzo. Thereis no reason for him to change his mind about that now. We know he’s still hung up on Lily. It’s his sick raison d'être. And added bonus: Dumbledore would be after him likea fiend, and likely would straight-uptell Voldie that Snape once spied, and then it’s bye-bye Snape. (3) See abovere: vengeful bastards, where Voldemort would hunt Snape down as a traitor likewhoah. (4) No one wants to kill him. Unless he gets caught. Then Voldemort definitely wants to kill him. But Voldemortalso wants to kill him in basically every other scenario, too. And this way, hegets to remain at Hogwarts, living life as he does, being miserable andbullying students, the great joys of his life.

Now…look. I’m being glib here, and likely I think in realitySnape’s decision had more complexity than just “what’s the best way to save myown hide”…but the idea that there was no reason for him to spy after Lily diedis laughhhhabbbbblllleeeee. Voldemorthad done him wrong. Snape is UNDENIABLY a very selfish, vengeful person. Hewanted that dude destroyed. Moreover,his life was in danger no matter what route he chose, and he found power in hisposition at Hogwarts. I don’t see any reason why he would want to give that up.And even if you’re giving his decision a terribly rosy-eyed view, claiming heturned spy because it was the right thing and he wanted good to prevail overevil…I’m side-eyeing you for that, but even so, I’m back to my originalargument from the last post: Shitty people do good things all the time. Evengood things for the right reasons. That doesn’t make THEM good.

Honestly, that’s the hill I’m really going to live and dieon. I have high doubts that Snape’s motivations for spying were pure and for thecause, because it was the right thing to do, but even if they were: that does not erase the previoustwo decades of being a generally horrible, selfish, abusive motherfucker, who only got on this side of the fight because he was personally manipulated and betrayed. Itjust doesn’t. And so a “heroic”action does not make a hero. It doesn’t even make an anti-hero. It makes…aninteresting character in which to look at the themes of good vs. evil that are prevalentin the book, but which should ultimately leave you at the same point: Snape isnot a hero.

What do you call Snape’s “Lately those I cannot save” inreply to Dumbledore’s “How many people have you seen die?”

I really like this quote because of “lately”. Oohhh, you know, lately. It emphasizes the fact that,once upon a time, Snape was DeathEater who blithely watched men and women die from the wrong side of the goodvs. evil war line and didn’t raise a hand to stop it until it affected himpersonally. Just as, you know, a reminder.

But here we are now, inside the “lately”. And the thing is,I’m actually more inclined to believe this line is a more general reference toHarry, the primary person Snape has been trying to save and has just learned,lol, jokes, Dumbly needs him dead. But to be generous about it, in the courseof his spying throughout OoTP/HBP, I’m sure Snape’s information saved people. Maybethat’s what he means here. Not tugging people out of the way of a ravenous werewolf(lol who did dat?), but saving with his espionage. And I’m sure he did that,not because he valiantly wanted to save these people as individuals, butbecause their lives were bodies on his side in the fight to defeat Voldemort.Snape wanted to defeat Voldemort. Voldemort killed Lily. Snape hated him for killing Lily. Even laterin that EXACT SAME CONVERSATION, when Snape is so horrified about whatDumbledore has done to Harry, when Dumbledore asks if his anger is because hecares for Harry, Snape’s response is LITERALLY “For him?” ACTIVE SCOFF. Then heproduces his patronus. Even Harry, the single person Snape has ACTIVELY BEENATTEMPTING TO SAVE THE MOST, has not come to affect Snape personally. He’s ameans to an end. For Snape, this is ALL ABOUT LILY–or really, this selfish,more-about-him-than-her, tunnel-vision, unhealthy obsession with avenging her. THAT’Shis motivation for everything, his love that’s not even really love because he’s a broken man who doesn’t know what thatmeans. (BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.)

So…what’s the argument? That Snape’s spying may have saved lives, and that makes him a hero? Again, I go back to: motivation,motivation, motivation. His actions may be good, but Snape is not. He can givetwo shits about the collateral damage or collateral victories that go on here.It’s all about him and what isimportant to him.

Selfish, Selfish, Selfish:An Autobiography by Severus Snape.

What do you call him allowing his own image to be destroyedby killing Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s order?

LOL, YO, WHAT IMAGE??

My darling, no one hada good image of Snape. Nooooo onnnnne. If you’re talking about the members ofthe Order of the Phoenix and their ilk believing that Snape betrayed them…like,it wasn’t a far jump. Most of them never trusted him in the first place. So hejust kind of cemented his spot as a dubious character. It was prettyuniversally acknowledged that Snape is a miserable son of a bitch. After Dumbledore’s death, he’sa murderous traitor, miserable son of a bitch. If Snape ever once cared aboutany of these people’s opinions, maybe this would be a valid argument. ExceptSnape cares about no one. So…what?

I think it’s important to remember that even in his timeduring OoTP/HBP where we see Snape as an active member of the Order…this isn’tsomeone who’s looking for community or redemption or even camaraderie-in-a-joint-causefrom the group around him. Snape seemed to give fuck-all about every one of them. He’dbeen living his miserable, isolated life exactly the same way and wasn’tlooking to change it. He was on a mission to defeat Voldemort for his ownreasons. That. Is. Fact.

Sooo…I don’t know. Where does this leave us? I’m back to mysame Hill Point, really: Bad people do good things. That doesn’t automaticallymake them good people. Snape is not a good person.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

What’s your favorite vs least favorite HP books and movies? My favorite books and films are POA and GOT. And my least favorite books is probably the Deathly Hallows and the Half Blood Prince and the best of the movies are pretty much on the same level for me, though I think the Chambers of Secret and the Half Blood Prince is the ones I like the least.

Ooh, this is an interesting question to answer, thanks for asking! 

When it comes to the movies, my favourites aren’t necessarily the ones that I view as being the best but the ones I’ve got more of an attachment to mostly due to rewatching them over and over as a child. So it’s a toss up between the Chamber of Secrets and the Goblet of Fire. I have no idea why these were the two movies I gravitated to most as a child, but I watched them repeatedly and now I have such a nostalgic and fond feeling when I watch them that I think I’ll always consider them as being my favourites. 

I remember getting GOF on DVD for Easter from my mom (usually she gets me an Easter egg but I begged and begged and begged her to spend the extra to get me the DVD and managed to win her over) and it was in my DVD player for the next 6 months. I never even took it out I just watched it over and over. GOF wins out as being the best movie for me based on Voldemort’s return alone. The first time I saw that scene I was just in awe and I watched it over and over. The Triwizard Tornament is also an interesting plot that kind of separates it from the other movies in my mind. I also love it because I feel like it’s the turning point where things start to get darker. Chamber of Secrets is a weird one because I’m aware that it’s probably considered the worst movie in the series by most people. I think a lot of it is to do with the fact that it came out when I was 9 years old and when I was just reading the books and really getting into it, so when the new movie came out I fixated on it. I enjoy the lightheartedness of COS that is lost pretty quickly by the time we get to POA and GOF. Harry and Ron stealing the car and getting caught in the Whomping Willow, the introduction of Gilderoy Lockhart and Dobby and the polyjuice potion plot always made me laugh as a kid. But at the same time there was the plot with Ginny and the diary which had me gripped and it introduced us to a new side of Voldemort by showing us Tom Riddle. I just feel like COS is very representative of the childness of Harry Potter which I think gets lost in the later movies and I think watching it as a child that’s why I loved it so much. 

As an adult, I developed a love for POA (but as a child it was one of my least favourites out of the movies) because obviously it is amazing. I think POA is so good and well loved because we get to meet Sirius and Lupin and it steps up from COS which as I said was very childlike, to incorporate darker themes. I love the time travel, Buckbeak, The Death Eaters, Sirius’ plot, Harry’s relationship with Lupin, the Marauders Map. Like so many amazing things are introduced or expanded on in this movie and it really is enjoyable pretty much from beginning to end unlike a lot of the others that lose their oomph in parts. 

My least favourite movies are basically all of the later ones. I really don’t know why, but I never connected to or enjoyed the later movies in the same way as the early ones (by which I mean the first 4). I feel like by the time we got to OOTP they’d lost that Harry Potter feeling to me. Deathly Hallows part 2 is by far the best movie of the later half of the series because it’s the big finale to everything and payoff for everything that happened. But OOTP, HBP and Deathly Hallows part 1 are all meh to me. I appreciate OOTP for the simple fact that Sirius is in it and I love Sirius, but I feel like nothing at all really happens. HBP is pretty much the same in terms of nothing much happening. When I sit here and think about HPB literally the only thing that comes into my head is “Sir!” because that scene is honestly probably the funniest one across the 8 movies and I still laugh at that now even as an adult. Deathly Hallows part 1 is probably my very least favourite. I can’t recall liking a single thing about that movie. It’s boring, Ron annoys the shit out of me, there’s too much Harry/Ron/Hermione, Dobby dies (will never forgive JKR, why!?) and nothing at all happens. I think all of these movies feel like filler in the build-up to Deathly Hallows part 2 and they’re just so forgettable. 

When it comes to the books, it’s harder for me to say which are my favourites and least favourites because I actually haven’t read them since I was at school and I’m sure if I re-read them now as an adult my opinions and tastes would be different. So I’m basing this on my younger self, but the Deathly Hallows is definitely my favourite. Harry Potter as a general book series is well paced but there are times when it bored the shit out of me, but Deathly Hallow really picks up in pace (particularly in the second part). One of my lecturers at uni who’s a huge HP fan was actually talking about her favourite book and she’s convinced that JKR didn’t even write the last one because it was such a huge jump in quality and change in writing style. I can’t say whether or not I agree with that because it’s been a while since I read it, but I do agree that it’s quite a jump in quality. 

My least favourite book is ironically GOF. I don’t know how it can be my favourite movie but not my favourite book, but man, that book draaaaaags. Like I said, if I re-read it now maybe I’d appreciate it more because I think the length did just put me off when I was younger. But I think that as the books continued JKR tried to bush the boundaries and see how long she could make the books, but she seemed to forget the target audience was kids and what kid wants to read a book that big? It’s too daunting for a lot of kids. 

If I’m being honest (and I’ll probably be burnt on the stake by the HP fandom after saying this) I’m a huge advocate for the movies being equal (if not better) than the books. The books are good to add to your understanding of the movies and learn more about the characters or read about characters that were completely cut out of the movies, but I feel like the movies do an overall good job at depicting the story, particularly considering how limited they are with time in comparison to the books. I think people tend to jump on the bandwagon preaching about how amazing the books are and how they’re so much better than the movies, but in my opinion, it’s simply not true. HP is by far the best series I know that’s been transferred from book to screen and the only downfall I can see of the movies is that they had to cut back on the material in order to condense it down, there are some small inconsistencies due to different directors working on different movies and it restricts people’s imagination by providing visuals (which isn’t an issue if you’re like me and read the books before the movies and have a good imagination anyway). But in terms of overall quality, I don’t think the books are any better than the movies. The two just simply offer different experiences of the story and depending on the person, some will find more enjoyment in the books and others in the movies. 

This isn’t me hating on the books either, because I love the story of HP and what JKR created with the HP universe, but I just don’t find her writing to be that compelling. I have tried to re-read the books as an adult, but the truth of the matter is that I just haven’t been able to get through them because they don’t hold my attention. But since I’ve finished the semester I’m determined to give them another go for old time’s sake. I might even start with GOF just to see if my opinion has changed. 

Sorry for the long response by the way, I hope I didn’t bore you too much haha. 

[dramioneasks]

FAQ Fics: Pro-Snape

A Quest of Paladins by bambu345 - MA, 18 chapters - After the disastrous events atop the Astronomy Tower, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape flee wizarding Britain. After months on the run, they join forces with those of The Chosen One and his two friends. Will they be able to succeed in defeating Voldemort? (Need to have an LJ account and be a member of the community to read this fic)

Take My Second Chance By: Glalie773 - T, one-shot - Severus lost his first chance. He's giving his second one to Draco. "Essentially, another Potter would win another Lily Evans from another Severus Snape." That. Could. Not. Happen. D/HG, one-shot! Snape-centric

The Killing Curse By: Dragons and Otters - T, 19 chapters - Though no successful attempts have been properly documented, love is a powerful magic that can even prevent death. HP Second Wizarding War AU story. Dramione. Follows canon until the skirmish at Malfoy Manor where Hermione was not saved along with Harry and Ron. HEA. EWE. [alternate not-HEA ending] COMPLETE.

I Am Jack's Broken Heart By: Kyonomiko - M, 26 chapters - Draco returns to Hogwarts for his final year, unknown to nearly everyone. Through a magical mishap, Hermione Granger discovers his secret. She just gets the secret really wrong. Dramione EWE. Dramione Fanfiction Awards Spring 2017 and Enchanted Awards 2017 Finalist

Blood Traitor By: Zalia - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy has been living a lie to protect the girl he loves. He has inherited the Veela gene and on his next birthday he will become the first male Veela for three hundred years. Canon, (except the epilogue of HPDH).

Children of the Dark - Year 1 By: cleotheo - T, 12 chapters - It’s time for Harry, Hermione and Draco to start school. But what happens when two of the golden trio aren’t who they appear to be and are best friends with a Slytherin? Dark Hermione! Dark Harry! First in a seven part series.

Children of the Dark - Year 2 By: cleotheo - T, 16 chapters - The trio are back for their second year at Hogwarts, and this time they’re armed with the knowledge of how to open the legendary Chamber of Secrets. Things are about to get dangerous at Hogwarts. Dark Hermione! Dark Harry! Part two of a seven part series.

Children of the Dark - Year 3 By: cleotheo - T, 22 chapters - It’s third year for Hermione, Harry and Draco. With Voldemort preparing to return to full strength, he has no mission for the trio. But it’s hardly going to be a dull year with an escaped prisoner of the loose and a new Defence Professor, both of whom seem to have a connection to Harry. Dark Hermione! Dark Harry! Part three of a seven part series.

Children of the Dark - Year 4 By: cleotheo - T, 28 chapters - With Voldemort back, and the Triwizard Tournament taking place at Hogwarts, it should be an exciting year for the trio. As the trio face their fourth year at Hogwarts, romance blossoms for Hermione and Draco, while danger lurks for Harry. Dark Hermione! Dark Harry! Part four of a seven part series

Children of the Dark - Year 5 By: cleotheo - T, 40 chapters - It’s fifth year for the trio, and it’s finally time for Voldemort to strike and get rid of Dumbledore. But before that changes are afoot in the wizarding world. It’s time for a new Minister of Magic, and of course, a new Defence Professor. Then of course there’s the matter of one final year undercover for the trio. Dark Harry! Dark Hermione! Part five of a seven part series.

Children of the Dark - Year 6 By: cleotheo - T, 36 chapters - It’s sixth year and the truth is finally out about Harry and Hermione. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a quiet year for the trio as the Order are still out there, vowing to take down the dark. Dark Harry! Dark Hermione! Part six of a seven part story.

Children of the Dark - Year 7 By: cleotheo - T, 40 chapters - It’s seventh year and the trio are entering their last year at Hogwarts. With the dark in control and the Order all but defeated, things should be plain sailing for Hermione, Draco and Harry. But their final year of school, will be just like the previous six - full of adventure and excitement. Seventh and final part of a seven part story. Dark Hermione! Dark Harry!

The Demise of Severus Snape By: Rumaan - K, 6 chapters - After half his classroom is destroyed by yet another argument between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape snaps and hauls the Head Girl in front of Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster ropes him into a bet concerning the irritating pair and, before long, he's having to use his wiles to stop them from falling in love. AU EWE

Scar Tissue - TheWildChild - T, WIP - A few years ago, Draco's life changed for the worst. Still, he could live with it, he could adapt. But when another werewolf comes to Hogwarts to teach the students, it starts to get dangerous. Their absences and behavior towards each other raise some eyebrows and Draco is afraid that a curious mind might even end up seeing right through him.

Lily Potter's Biggest Secret By: StrongHermione - M, 47 chapters - Following a moment of passion, Lily Potter finds herself in a difficult position. She does her best to hide it. What happens when seventeen years later, her biggest secret comes to light? A story chronicling the formation of a family. Rated M for swearing and suggestive themes. AU, EWE?, Post War, Mild OOC, Spoilers. Pairings: HG/DM HP/GW SS/OC - COMPLETE

Presque Toujours Pur - ShayaLonnie - M, 38 chapters - Bellatrix’s torture of Hermione uncovers a long-kept secret. The young witch learns her true origins in a story that shows the beginning and end of the Wizarding wars as Hermione learns about her biological father and the blood magic he dabbled in that will control her future (Slight AU OotP—DH) Dramione - Pureblood!Hermione - Rated M for language, violence, and sexual scenes.

Marked By: olivieblake - M, 39 chapters - Two dead. Three missing. The Order is down a leader and another innocent takes the Mark. Where is the Chosen One, and who killed Draco Malfoy? Dramione, sequel to “Clean.”

The Dragon’s Bride - Rizzle - M, 61 chapters - 7th year. Draco & Hermione awaken in a Muggle hotel room, naked, hung-over and tattooed. They also happen to be married. Thus begin a desperate search for a solution to their sticky situation.

Through the eyes of a child by jamies_lady - NC17, 75 chapters -  Life changes forever when a child falls through time and lands in Malfoy Manor.

Bound - goldhorse - NC17, 58 chapters -  When your worst enemy becomes the key to your survival, how do you cope?

The Inevitable By: Beanacre0 - T, 21 chapters - Hermione Granger’s world fell apart the night her parents died. Now, to make matters worse, Ginny has turned Harry and Ron against her. She is wasting away, but no-one seems to notice. Can the Slytherin Prince save her? Alternate Endings. Ginny bashing

A Year and A Day - Mistrus - T, 53 chapters - It’s one thing to marry your enemy but it is completely idiotic to actually fall in love with him. Could it be Stockholm Syndrome? I doubt it. It could have been necessity, I mean I was abandoned by Harry and I felt alone. That must be it.

Out of the Silent Planet - ianthe_waiting - NC-17, 39 chapters - Hermione Granger fulfills Severus Snape’s final wish, to journey to Japan to ‘retrieve’ something of importance.

Desperate Measures - cleotheo - M, 36 chapters - When the war against Voldemort drags on, what lengths will Hermione go to, to be with the man she loves?

Riddle This By: CJRed - M, WIP - Everything Hermione knows about the war, herself, and the wizarding world is a lie. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends, and Dumbledore is not a leader of justice and light. With Snape as her mentor and a father she never expected, Hermione will ensure Harry's survival and kick it to the ministry. Dramione. Lemons. Character deaths. Weasley Bashing. Updates weekly. (M)

Tender Vengeance by Margot Le Faye - MA, WIP -  Setting out to capture Ginny Weasley, the Death Eaters also take Hermione Granger. Instead of killing the Muggle-born outright, Voldemort subjects her to an insidious bit of dark magic which turns her into a prize for one of his faithful.

The Griffin and the Dragon By: Lizard23 - T, 22 chapters - Reeling after the loss of one of her closest friends, Hermione continues in her search for the remaining Horcruxes. An unlikely ally arises from the dust as the final battle looms ominously ahead. HGDM. AU to Deathly Hallows.

The Wager By: Andy'sGirl4485 - M, one-shot - Draco makes a bet with Blaise that will change everything. "You pick the girl and I'll have her eating out of my hand by Valentine's Day." "Any girl at all?" Blaise's grin was positively evil. Funny bit of fluff I wrote for Valentine's Day. AU one shot.

Love in the Time of Death Eaters  By: gnrkrystle - M, 24 Chapters : Hermione makes a plan to lose her virginity. When she offers it to Draco, it changes everything. With a new prophecy and a war approaching, what will this change mean for the Golden Trio and the outcome of the war?

The Painting Knows By: frostykitten - T, 24 chapters - “Well, I vote we prove destiny wrong. There’s no way we’re meant to be together or any nonsense like that.” Draco said. Hermione forced a smile, knowing that it probably looked like a grimace. “I second that.”

The Bandit and the Cinder Girl  By: xfsista - M, 3 chapters - The story of a servant girl and a prince, both with secrets to hide. A familiar fairy tale with added magic and a Dramione twist. AU

A Veela Tale By: Severus’ Malfoy Maiden/Bunnyhops - M, 18 chapters - He turns 21 tomorrow. He’s worried. He will come of age and it will start. His father told him what to expect, but still… fear of the unknown. He would soon know what his fate held.

Future Adventures By: cleotheo - M, 11 chapters - During a joint Potions/Charms lesson, Draco is accidentally given an overdose of a potion that will allow him to experience time in the future. During his time in the future he sees plenty of unexpected things, but will he like how his life is going to turn out?

Love always conquers By: MoonShadowAMR - T, 16 chapters - eventh year at Hogwarts, brings Hermione face to face with her biggest fear. The death of her parents. So her life takes another turn? Over 50.000 hits. WOW!  

17 By: emzi-jayne - M, 48 chapters - 17. Seems like an ordinary enough number. But to me it was when my life changed. I am Hermione Granger. And my whole life was a lie.

Thanks to all those who helped.

[hogwartswelcomesyou]

Slytherins Speak: Favorite Harry Potter Book/Movie

Tory (Slytherin Mod)

Favorite HP book and why?

Prisoner of Azkaban, hands-down. I’ve read it more than any of the other books combined, and you can tell just by looking at my copy – the covers are all frayed, and there are even pages that have come out of the binding and now just sit loose between the still-connected pages. This book has so many of my favorite scenes in the entire series – Harry receiving birthday cards for the first time; Professor Lupin’s classes; Harry sneaking into Hogsmeade; the Marauder’s Map sassing Snape; Gryffindor finally winning the Quidditch Cup; the Shrieking Shack confrontation and exposition; Sirius promising Harry that they’ll be a family; and of course Harry finally summoning a Patronus to save Sirius, his friends, and himself from the dementors. Something I really love about the book is how it transfigures Sirius Black, a terrifying, treacherous Dark Wizard who has gone mad and wants to kill Harry, into a brave, deathly loyal father figure and friend. This is also the first book where we really got to learn about Harry’s father’s past (which we hadn’t known previously) – I love everything to do with the Marauders and their history! Remus Lupin and Sirius Black are two of my favorite characters in the whole series, and I just love their beginnings in this book and how much Harry bonds to both of them and how much he learns about his family from them.

Favorite HP movie and why?

Order of the Phoenix. Although POA is my favorite book, I don’t think the POAmovie does it justice at all (seriously, the whole Shrieking Shack scene is so sloppily scrunched up that barely any of it sinks in, not to mention all the plot holes made by the abrupt continuity changes, the overly dark tone, Harry using magic to light up his wand not getting him in any trouble and yet he does get in trouble for blowing up Marge, the bizarre design of the werewolf, Hermione wearing the Time Turner out in the open even though it’s supposed to be a secret, the cinematographer’s sudden obsession with monochromatic grays, Remus talking about Harry’s mum more than his dad even though he was CLEARLY James’s friend and not Lily’s, the removal of Ron and Hermione’s argument that took up a good chunk of the book and explained so much about Scabbers and so Crookshanks was basically pointless, AND Hermione stole Ron’s best line in the whole series! ARGH!!). Order of the Phoenix, however, which was based on my second favorite book in the series, does. It cut A LOT from the original book, which is understandable as OOTP has the most pages in the series, but in my opinion it matched the overall spirit of its respective book the best. The film has a very good balance of light and dark – we have a lot of levity and talk about love and friendship that is then inter-spliced with real danger, suspense, and loss. Even if the world is becoming darker, we care about our characters because they are the light in this dark world, and we want to see them make it through. In some parts of the films I find that the darkness used by the filmmakers overwhelms everything else to the point that we almost forget how likable and charming the main characters are, but in this film, that doesn’t really happen. And yet the darkness is still threatening, lying in wait so that it can attack at the right moment. Imelda Staunton is a perfectly brilliant Umbridge, and all of her scenes make her just as despicable as she is in the book. I also like a lot of the stylistic choices made for this film – the final battles between the Order and the Death Eaters and Dumbledore and Voldemort were really creative in their choreography, pacing, and visuals. I particularly like the part where Voldemort shatters all of the glass around him, making it puncture the huge poster of Fudge hanging in the background. I still think the movie oversimplifies some themes and cuts out some important moments (Marietta betraying the D.A. willingly to protect her parents’ jobs, Neville’s character development, Umbridge’s prejudice against “half-breeds,” and Harry blowing up at Dumbledore, for example), but I think it got most of the feelings from the original book down, even if it skipped over a lot of the details.

Squish (Slytherin Mod)

Favorite HP book and why?

Deathly Hallows honestly -- just the way it starts, how you begin in the middle of something and you get that feeling of excitement like ‘ooh, it’s going down’. I’m all about Sherlock Holmes and things like that, so that book was really the most satisfying for me. I don’t like the movie as much, since the book explains so much more (as books tend to do). How Dumbledore explains himself and how...well…just everything fell into place was absolutely brilliant. I remember reading the very end of it in a small Vietnamese restaurant, closing the book, and just looking around examining each person’s face. I remember thinking, ‘I just went through so much, yet you all have no idea. Yeah, eat your soup and let me silently drown in my emotions.’ Also, when you compare the writing, how the characters talk and think to the first book, it’s all so different. I love how Rowling did that, as if the first book was written for an eleven year old, while the last one may have been written for a seventeen year old. It really makes you feel like you’ve watched the Golden Trio grow up, like you’ve raised a child. It brings you to cling to the characters more. You finally see it all.

Favorite HP movie and why?

Probably The Goblet of Fire. I think that movie really signifies the beginning of Harry’s journey. It’s the starting point to which the children suddenly mature and that effects the watcher by showing them more, It’s the emotion the actors show. It’s the way Harry wept over Cedric Diggory’s dead body, it’s the way Mr. Diggory called out his son’s name and how you could almost see his heart break in two as he realizes his son is dead. He’s gone. He’s not coming back. All these memories you have of him are suddenly going to matter even more because you can’t make any more. Also the way Hermione shows the way she really thinks of Harry as a brother. They really emphasized that in this movie, with Rita Skeeter. I like how it shows that they are friends and there is such thing as a girl and a guy just being friends. That’s one of the reasons I really like the Golden Trio; the Hero isn’t the one who ends up with the girl who helped them for once, but he still respects her and would probably try to kill anyone who even tries to get close. Otherwise I really like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them because OMG THE EFFECTS AND THE TIME ERA IS JUST AMAZING AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH OMG NEWT IS MY SMOL CHILD AND MUST BE PROTECTED.

[wandchoosesthewizard]

Which one of your characters would be the most dangerous if challenged?

Dark wandchoosesthewizard show me… || Still Accepting

So I kinda sorta answered this before. However that was in a much broader sense the question did not, for example, include the ‘if challenged’ part so I answered it as more of a ‘general’ thing. I have also added three more muses since so, under a cut for length because-

-I think this time, it’s actually harder to answer?? Because before it was just more of a ‘which of your muses is most likely to kick the shit out of mine’ where as this time it’s like… If I threatened to kill your muse, who’d kill me first? And frankly, quite a few of them… And I’m not sure I’m going to settle on an actual answer this time. (spoiler alert: through a hella long discussion w/ myself where I slowly discredit people, I do come to some kind of conclusion)

So I’m going to try and base this on; magical power, proclivity towards violence / murder and some kind of notion about willingness to take a life which is basically the same as the last point but the last point is more about the ability to do so? Whatever. We all know you’re looking under here for my inarticulate waffle, and if you’re not - well, surprise! That’s what resides here!

Immediately, once again, I’m sorry to her, but Braith gets taken out. While she would give as good as she got there is still no escaping that she’s an underage witch who is deaf. While she might have an upper hand with nonverbal magic - this advantage is eradicated by the fact that she cannot hear her opponent. Also - and this will be a reoccurring theme for some of them but - even were she to succeed, she’d be less likely to deliver a fatal blow - she’s a CHILD.

And after Braith it gets difficult because In a life or death situation? The rest of them are capable of killing, with varying degrees of willingness to do so - and the idea that for example - Peter would try to avoid the conflict seems like a cop out which I fully endorsed using last time. 

Narcissa certainly would kill to save herself, or her family - if no other avenues remain she certainly could. Leandra has killed before - and not to save her own life - so it is doubtless to me that she would do it again. Both of them are magically adept - but Narcissa is not a duellist and would potentially lose to someone with more skill. Leandra who is a skilled duellist is easy to underestimate, but she is more than willing to use that to her cause. She is not, however, trained like an Auror and would also, potentially be bested by someone better trained or more powerful. Helga would be hesitant to kill, and while magically very powerful - she again is not a duellist - Wendelin, who favours experimenting with her magic and has fought with it before may not be as talented as Helga - but certainly more likely to defend herself to the death.

I think if we go through my Auror babies - or my idiot sandwich as I sometimes think of them - we can rule out Tim. Tim is unlikely to kill an opponent through her own actions - she favours defence over offence - so you are more likely to get taken down by your own deflected spell or her partner than you are by her. I mean, when pushed, of course, she’ll go offensive but I think - I think there’s a chance for hesitation there that would be her undoing. 

I’m going to briefly segway into Severus here, because - he may have a similar issue. While he had killed before, while he has a certain proclivity for hexes and dark magic - and while he championed my most dangerous muse list last time for general badassery / being one of the most powerful with the greatest control - the Severus we see in the books does not kill just ‘because’. He duels multiple other Hogwarts professors - OOTP members - and does so without killing them. He is hesitant to kill - although, he is quite dangerous to his ‘allies’ (I’m fairly certain as he removes George’s ear he is, in fact, aiming for another death eater). And while you can read all the really cool reasons my boy could kick your ass through a month of Sunday’s in the link up there. He’s not going to kill you if he can help it.

Back to the Aurors.Percival is no doubt the most powerful of the three but there is a level of control there that the junior Aurors don’t have. He will overpower and capture you where possible. Killing you is not a decision made lightly - If he kills you it is a calculated risk - weighed against his soul, versus the paperwork he has to do - and a final option. If there is another choice - he will take it. Patrick however, has a violent streak, and if Percival represents control, Patrick is chaos. In the heat of the moment - he could take a life - and yes, he’d feel shit about it later - but that person is still dead. As a wild cannon, he is possibly the most dangerous of the three, simply due to that alone. 

Peter who was discredited last time I did this due to his cowardice and unwillingness to fight is actually a pretty big player this time around. While typically seen as weak and cringing - when pitted against Sirius Black, he framed the latter for the murder of his two best friends (or at least, for leaking the information that lead to their deaths) killed twelve? thirteen? muggles and blew up half the street. Peter - as a coward - is exponentially dangerous. He will do anything to save himself - maiming himself, murdering others and using the most underhand tactics to gain a win for himself. While less skilled in duelling than others I have - he has a sharp edge of desperation. 

So that leaves Gellert and Credence. 

Gellert is incredibly dangerous. He does not give enough of a fuck. He has killed hundreds, thousands. I have obviously said about how easily I can switch his ‘Edge Lord’ personality on. He can, in my mind, torture for funsies. I prefer him when he doesn’t when he has more depth than that - but the fact that he will still torture, but for reasons - is maybe just a shade less terrifying?? He is incredibly powerful and we know he fucks shit up for somewhere in the region of 20-30 years and is only eventually defeated by Dumbledore. For which, I personally am fond of their beings Reasons for. But yes. He is a mass murderer. The only thing that would save you is that, were you magical, he might - at a certain point - prefer to imprison you rather than kill you but - he has no moral obligation to keep you alive and if it comes down to him vs. you? He wouldn’t hesitate. 

Credence, however - might just take the crown on this one - I spoke in my other post about how OP he is - and how he lacks control. And that’s kinda sorta what makes him more dangerous? Like. He has killed people and Mary Lou had it comin’. And sure, Shaw was a dick but - all he did really, was call Credence a freak? That’s not really worthy of a death sentence… (And okay, maybe he felt sorry after but, again. Dead is dead). And like - sure, whatever, Fantastic Beasts movie. Credence destroyed a fucking load of New York - Sure wizards put it back together but you cannot tell me that there was not one single person who didn’t get hurt in that attack? In any of his attacks? I call BS. And let’s be honest had Newt / Grindelgraves not been apparating the fuck outta the way?? They’d be jam. If you threaten Credence - or challenge him, sorry - he will turn into a literal monster and shred you, and if not contained and destroyed (and let’s be honest, the fact that he probably-almost-in-canon survived that???) will happily fuck the fuck outta several city blocks??? 

So, in the most roundabout way - Probably Credence for sheer force of nature like power, and while I wouldn’t say he’s as torture-porn-y as Gellert or as down-with-the-sickness-and-by-sickness-I-mean-murder as some of my muses - he has killed, and would easily kill again if that’s what it took to survive.