#marg represents everything she was & wanted to be & could have been if she could have let go of her own self destructive ways

[rosecrowned]

saddest thing is I really do think it's plausible that cersei will kill marg in the books. it might not go down like how it did in the show but I think cersei making this happen will be the point of no return for her.

[hugheses]

ellen weinberg

a lot of people online like to praise her because they love her kids, but before she was mama hughes, ellen weinberg was an even more accomplished athlete than her wikipedia page can tell you. well i have way too much time on my hands and an affinity for googling things, so here is a not-so-little primer on the matriarch of hockey who has contributed far more than just her superstar children.

(basically anything not sourced is from the cammi & aj podcast i have a transcript of)

born in st. louis, she was told she couldn't play hockey because girls couldn't play on boys teams in the state of missouri, and there were no girls teams. went to bob johnson's hockey camp in aspen at age 7. moved to dallas at age 8, where she was allowed to play on the boys team. at age 12, is featured in a news clip "girl hockey player" where she says she wants to one day play professional hockey.

at 15, wins nationals with her U-19 soccer team, the dallas sting, and they are sent to represent the US in the first ever FIFA-sanctioned world women’s tournament in china and proceeded to win gold against all expectations becoming the first US team to win any international soccer competition, male or female. also on this team was her best friend, future woso legend carla werden (overbeck). 1, 2

other noteworthy teammates: she played with mia hamm on her state team and was roommates with brandi chastain at her first youth national team camp for soccer.

she was recruited to lots of top schools for soccer, but chose the university of new hampshire because it was also offering hockey. she describes this as "the lack of landscape really drove my next move" because there was only 31 D1 women's soccer programs in the country at the time, and none in the state of texas.

she reached out to the women's hockey coach at unh, russ mccurdy, and told him she was being recruited for soccer but was really coming to unh because she wanted to play hockey, and he told her that it was unlikely she would make the team. so bob johnson called and asked him to give her a shot, and he said ok. he allowed her to have a one week tryout once soccer season was over, and after the first day, he asked, "what size skates do you wear?" and that was it, she was on the team.

the women's soccer coach, marge anderson, was also a lacrosse player, and encouraged ellen to join the lacrosse team that needed more players. so she did. in her own words:

"I wasn't very good. I could run, but my stick skills- and I learned and I did everything, and it was great, and we went to the Final Four, but I was out at that point. So everybody always says I played three sports like, I was on the team. I was, you know, three sports at that level. I was done at that point and I stuck with soccer and hockey after my first year. But it was a really cool experience."

she may have not been very good but she did go on to coach her own kids teams in lacrosse (and potentially owen power, who is confirmed to have played lacrosse with them but it is not confirmed that it was when she coached them)

(she was #21)

she was an elite skater and creative player, and "would often find herself in trouble in Durham for rushing the puck from her defensive post or trying things like a spin-o-rama".

she helped UNH win 3 hockey championships in 4 years, made the all-new england team (soccer) as a freshman, was named an unh athlete of the year finalist after an injury that kept her out for an entire school year, was named to the ECAC all star team, was an ISAA senior recognition award winner, was soccer co-captain in 1990, and then captain of both the soccer and hockey teams as a senior X

in april 1991, she participated in the Eastern Regional Tryouts of the US National Women's Hockey Team

"We've got it pretty good, playing defense," says senior Ellen Weinberg to fellow defenseman Weston. "There aren't as many of us to choose from. But then, when you look at who's there, they're all good!"

she then went on to pursue a graduate degree at UNH where she was an assistant coach for both soccer and hockey for two years, all the while contributing to historical hockey research to the point that she is named in the acknowledgements of Hockey: A Global History by Hardy & Holman

“It was my way of staying involved because I had nowhere to play. Then I participated in the 1992 World Championship, finished my master's degree. Then I really had nowhere to play." (google translated)

The New Hampshire Vol. 83 No. 18 (Nov. 6 1992)

then in 1992, she played for the women's national team in both soccer and hockey.

the soccer team didn't play in any big tournaments that year, but for hockey she went to women's worlds in tampere, finland, where she was an alternate captain. the US won silver, with ellen scoring 3 or 4 assists in 5 games (depending on which source you believe) and ellen was named to the all-star team by the media as the top player in her position.

also in 1992, she was a power skating coach at the summerland female hockey academy, teaching future star hayley wickenheiser.

there was hope that women's hockey would be a part of the 1994 olympics, but when that didn't happen, ellen went to norway anyways to grow the game.

“They were hoping women’s hockey was going to be sanctioned in the ‘94 Olympics and it wasn’t, so the Norwegian ice hockey federation had all this extra funding so they asked USA Hockey for an ambassador to go over and help grow the women’s game,” she said. “We had played in the ’92 World Championships and I was one of the older people and they offered me that opportunity to go over and work with the Norwegian ice hockey federation and what I did was I lived in Oslo. “And I went around to all the little towns and taught the girls how to play. It was awesome. Since Norway was such a small country with four million people at the time, they needed all the buses during the Olympics so everyone went on holiday, so my job stopped for three weeks.” X

ELLEN WEINBERG of Boston and the University of New Hampshire was interested in Coach TIM TAYLOR's tactics at practice. The 25-year-old Weinberg, one of America's best female players, is advising Norway's women's teams. Women's hockey becomes an Olympic sport in 1998. "They complain in Norway that I coach too long on the ice," she said. "They should see this guy, always instructing." X

she was invited to camp in lake placid for the 1994 women’s worlds (which took place every two years then), but suffered a serious knee injury that she believes is because they didn’t have proper support/training facilities

“We didn’t have a gym at the time. It was so different. We just played relying on our athletic instincts. If I got injured, it’s probably because I didn’t have the ideal support,” (google translated) X 

by 1996 she was playing for the itech blaiders roller hockey team in NJ (and her then-boyfriend, jim, was coaching the new jersey rockin’ rollers) while also working in broadcasting

she had been considered a lock for the nagano olympics, despite being “old” but that “blown-out knee effectively ended her competitive career” :( 

she ended up in nagano anyways as a reporter for cbs, one of her first big gigs in her media career, which i can do a part 2 on if there's interest.

and currently she’s on the USA hockey foundation board and is a player development consultant for the women’s national team

[reginarubie]

I like your brutally honest thoughts on ship. Reading your thoughts I wanted to say something. You can disagree with this. I felt show Sansaery wrong in other ways. Sansa(14) and Sophie(16 I guess) were minor in s3. Marg might be 18-20 while Natalie was in her early 20s something. It was clear that Marg was manipulating Sansa more in lines with Olenna but she also was fond of her. Her line about Sansa could enjoy Tyrion in bed feels wrong to me even she said in good intention. Sansa was seen naive in the whole situation. Basically reminding me of how Cersei told her periods, babies and bedding. Then later Marg was shown to seducing Tommen with sex was icky to me. Many started shipping Sansaery because of the show. I feel it will have some grooming aspects considering Sansa age if they go along with it. Sorry for this long rant. I hope I don't sound rude. It's just I wanted to share opinion.

Ciao anon!,

First of all thank you! I am happy you like my brutally honest opinions!

post being referenced to, this one. In which I explained why I think Sansaery works only outside of canon, and not inside of it. It's true that most have started to ship them because of the show, tho, as I've said Sansa's book quote of “Margaery's kindness had been unfailing and her presence had changed everything” it's pretty potent one, but it also showers light over the fact that it's all a manipulation on Margaery's part for however fond of Sansa she may have grown, because Sansa had been treated like a social pariah after Ned's execution, and she is finally able to spend time outside of the Red Keep thanks to Margaery as well as being welcomed in a circle of girls around her age...

...even though even that is soured by her “they have no interest to know me” vibe, which is right, as it is all part of Margaery plan to give Sansa what she had lacked since she had been alone, an hostage in KL after Ned's execution.

Margaery's manipulation is a gentle one, but a manipulation it still is, no matter if the Tyrells actually grew fond of the Sansa, especially since Olenna had no problems framing Sansa for Joffrey's murder, no matter the consequences that could've taken place if LF had not been obsessed with her and Cat.

And even then, Olenna is a smart woman, I have no doubt she might have had a inkling of LF less than savory intentions toward her and what more she would not have relinquished the hold of the key to the North so easily. Possibly she had planned to use the Tyrell's influence to get Sansa to walk out of the trial innocent, at that point with Tyrion taken out of the equation the key to the North would be again free for the taking, and the Tyrells would have been looked at favorably as they had helped the girl and that would've meant gaining Sansa's gratitude and loyalty.

They treated Sansa as a coveted piece of their board game, they wanted her but had no remorse in using her as they saw fit. They may have grown fond of her, but were always ready to sacrifice her if it came to that.

Kindness can be a weapon as much as any other, especially when wielded for one's purposes, which is what the Tyrells (Margaery included) did. Never forget they had been aiming for the Iron throne long before Ned even stepped in KL, to the point Renly showed him a painting of Margaery asking him if she bore any resemblance to Lyanna Stark, in hope they might manage to uncover Cersei's lies and put Margaery on the throne representing a willing Lyanna Stark in Robert's mind.

The fact that they use kindness on the people they mean to use, sours all the more any genuine fondness that may have grown. Also, I don't doubt they would have treated Sansa well if she ever became a Tyrell and she might even fall in love with Willas and she would be the wife of the Lord of the Reach, so it was scarcely in those times a bad match especially in that context, still if we're talking of shipping there are too many shady points imo.

Also, I had not considered it that way, but yes...grooming in a way could also be applied as a definition to what Margaery did to Tommen in the show and to what she could've done to Sansa. In the books it's more nuanced, but still Cersei worries that Margaery is doing exactly that...Tommen is even younger in the books and Cersei realizes that Margaery manipulates him way better than she could have Joffrey, because he is more pliant and less dangerous.

So yeah, icky.

Don't worry! I enjoyed reading your opinion and never worry about expressing your opinion. I want my tumblr to be a safe heaven for anyone (whatever they ship and whatever their fav character) as long as we are polite and you certainly were. Nothing rude about your opinion, don't worry!

Anzi, thank you for sharing, nonny!, I had not considered that angle but it fits.

I hope you have an amazing day!

[glenncoco4]

You Can Count On Me

A/N: Chapter 8

••••

Marty Deeks has been patient his entire life, whether that be waiting until Christmas morning to open presents or until a new Donnie & Marie album was released, but when it comes to one Kensi Marie Blye becoming his fiancé, he’s anything but. So he’s not at all deterred when he steps into the small antique shop in search of a ring. Her ring, without getting a yes first.

No, she hasn’t said yes to his proposal yet, but she did confess that she wanted everything with him. So even if it’s not a yes right now, it will be eventually and he wants to be ready. 

Now here he is at the fourth store today, considering how large Los Angeles is and the amount of people, he thought it’d be easier than this. As he examines the display of unique and elegant jewelry, he begins to lose hope once again, nothing catching his eye. 

The shaggy blonde’s attention is suddenly pulled away from his perusal when he looks over to the man behind the counter and the older lady that’s holding out something to him. He’s only a few feet away but the delicate features of the solitaire diamond ring scream out to him. 

The older black woman feels the shaggy blonde’s stare, she turns, studying his face as his focus continues to stay on the ring in her hand. There’s one thing she’s learned in her 70 years of life and that’s the look of a man in love, but not just any love, a love that’s all consuming. 

He’s pulled out of his trance, realizing that the two have stopped their conversation completely and the woman’s gaze is now on him. “I don’t mean to stare its just...”

“No need to apologize, I recognize that look on your face. Reminds me of my Henry.”

He flashes her sad smile, knowing just by the reverence in her voice that she’s talking about him in the past tense. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He was my first love...my only love. Some people don’t get that in life, we were lucky.”

“I know what you mean.”

Something in the way he drifts off for a minute with a dreamy gaze makes her consider her ring and the love she hopes it will be a part of again. “Tell me your story.”

Never missing the chance to talk about his girl, Deeks feels his lips pull into an automatic smile. “I met Kensi when I was 11 years old. My mom and I were in a bad situation at home and her family took us in. That first night we were there I had a flashback of sorts, as I was sitting there paralyzed in fear, she wrapped her arms around me and some part of me knew that I was finally home.” Shaking his head, he thinks about how easy it is for him to tell this woman with deep brown eyes full of understanding how much his best friend means to him. “I know its crazy, she was 8 years old, I was 11, but it made sense in my mind. Growing up we were inseparable, still are. We experienced so many life changing moments together and apart, but no matter what we were there for the other. She’s my person...the person I go to for everything, no matter how big or small it may be. I’ve always felt like I’m my most true and authentic self around her and she around me. We’re just synced. A few weeks ago we finally realized what everyone else around us saw from the start, we’re in love. It’s been 20 years and she still makes me feel like that safe little 11 year old boy. I didn’t see any point in waiting any longer, so I proposed to her a few days ago.”

The older woman takes a look around the store, expecting to see the young woman since he’s already proposed, she’d imagine they’d want to pick out the ring together. “Where is she?”

He feels the heat rise to his cheeks, a little embarrassed. “Well, she hasn’t said yes yet. My Kensi’s a thinker, she likes to look at a situation from all views.”

“But you’re still looking for a ring?”

“Yeah, because I know that she’ll be ready one day and when that day comes I want to give her something special with meaning behind it. I’ve been looking everywhere for the perfect ring and I was losing all hope until-“

“You saw mine.”

He smiles hopefully as she finishes his sentence. “Yes, ma’am.”

Without hesitation, she extends the delicate piece of jewelry towards him.

He hesitantly reaches for it, looking to her for confirmation. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. This ring deserves to continue being a representation of our kind of love. It represented mine and Henry’s for 50 years and now its for you and Kensi.”

“It’s so beautiful, I’m sure you could get so much more for it than what I have.”

“How much do you have, son?”

“Four thousand.”

It’s not about the money for her really and that’s when the idea strikes her. “I think we can make that work, but on one condition.”

It takes everything in him not to wrap the woman up in a bear hug. “Anything.”

“You let me meet this woman of yours.”

Nodding his head, he can’t agree fast enough. He thinks about his love and how sentimental she is, especially when it comes to their relationship. She’ll definitely want to meet that’s given them something so special. “I’d like that...we both would.”

••••

The next day at work its as if the universe is helping him out when the death of a marine who had suddenly come into a lot of money lands on their front door step. Of course its tragic but the shaggy blonde can’t help smile at the opportunity this case is bringing him. 

Once the two pair of partners return from their respective assignments they gather in the bullpen, trying to figure out the different angels that could’ve resulted in the marine’s untimely demise. 

“Maybe he was here to spend it.” Kensi speaks up, snowballing off of Callen’s statement about leaving behind a paper trail. 

Sam’s eyebrows raise, nodding his head at the strong possibility that she may be right. “Corporal Peterson said he was thinking about getting married.”

“An engagement ring from Tiffany’s?” Deeks questions, knowing Corporal Porter had a serious girlfriend and it would be logical he’d be hunting for a spectacular ring now that money wasn’t really an issue. 

The brunette locks eyes with her partner, flashing him a small grin. “You have no idea what that little blue box means to a girl.”

He smirks, thinking about the small delicate ring that’s in the black satin bag tucked in his wallet between a photo of them and Marg’s information. One of the main reasons he went in search at an antique shop is because he remembers the gaudy diamond ring Jack had proposed to her with and how it screamed the opposite of what his best friend was. That should’ve set off warning bells from the get go, because if there’s one thing Kensi Blye is not, its flashy. His girl isn’t one for bling and he knows the story behind the ring he bought will mean more to her than any content of a little blue box could. “Oh, but I do.”

••••

She’s been feeling him stare at her on and off all day...well more than usual. It’s when they’re walking towards the home goods store to question Porter’s girlfriend that she’s finally it. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

His brow furrows at her accusatory tone, shrugging his shoulders. “What, a guy can’t look at his fiancée?”

“I didn’t say yes.”

“Didn’t you?” He smirks, knowing good and well that they’re as good as engaged. 

She shakes her head. He’s right, but there’s no reason for her to voice that, not that there’s really time to before they’re already at the front of the store.

As her partner goes off to distract Diane’s manager, Kensi’s able to question the blonde without interruption. It’s when the young woman talks about she and Porter picking out rings that she suddenly feels a strange kinship with her. 

When Jack had proposed to her all those years ago she hadn’t really thought about how gaudy and so unlike her that the ring truly was. It wasn’t until he was off in Afghanistan that she would catch herself staring at the large diamond thinking that it didn’t belong there. Everything was different with him, she realizes that now that her rose colored glasses are off. 

She’s been having these moments ever since Marty proposed, finding herself imagining what kind of ring he’d give her. He loves her like no other, he knows she’s not into blingy things. It makes her smile when she remembers all the times he’s seen women with large diamond rings and spouting off something about someone overcompensating. She’d laugh and that would make him laugh, and in turn they’d get stares from strangers making them laugh even harder. Never in her life has someone made her laugh the way Marty Deeks has. 

Kensi’s focus goes back to the woman standing in front of her, against her own will the image of their roles reversed comes to the forefront of her mind. What if it was Marty that had been killed? The answer brings a gut wrenching ache over her. 

••••

The jewelry store op had been a bust. As soon as the man behind the counter got a glimpse of Kensi’s bracelet the air shifted and they were immediately asked to leave. It may have not turned out like they planned but Deeks can’t help but love the fact he and his partner got to deceive their coworkers once again by “posing” as a couple. Kensi didn’t seem too keen on showing affection however, especially when Sam and Callen were just outside. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when the sharp point of her heel lands directly into the top of his foot.

So now here they sit in the bullpen, in silence, trying to figure out the team’s next move. He took over Callen’s chair so they could work more closely but neither have come up with any links to their victim in the myriad of old case files piled on each desk. 

The shaggy blonde takes a look next to him, smiling at the pout that’s displayed on his girlfriend’s face. She hasn’t spoken a word in the past 30 minutes which is kind of worrisome. Afraid that he pushed to far by calling her his fiancée, he speaks up in hopes that she’ll respond. “Are you mad at me?”

“Dogs go mad. People...people get angry.”

The spark in her mismatched orbs makes him want to forget this nonsense and kiss her right then and there, but he quickly remembers the terms of their bet and knowing Callen isn’t anywhere around, he continues this little charade...for now. “Is this about the jewelry store? Listen, I was just trying to sell the fact that we were a couple.”

“Yeah, whatever. Like anybody would believe that we’re a couple.”

He has to hold back a laugh at her words because ever since middle school that’s all people thought they were. “You’re right. You are so not my type.”

••••

It takes longer than any of them anticipated but eventually Porter’s killer is caught. As Hetty congratulates them on a job well done, she hands Kensi a small ring box. The contents of said box are a delicate simple ring much like Diane had described. 

She thinks back to the woman and her heart aches for the loss that she’ll never get over. The life that she’ll never get to experience with the man who she loved. She’s drawn out of her thoughts at the distinct laughter of her love filling the room. Looking across to Hetty’s office she watches as he exchanges some verbiage with Sam making Callen laugh and she could swear there’s a hint of a smile on the Operation Manager’s face. It’s then she realizes that she wants to accept Marty’s proposal. Who the hell cares that they’ve only been dating for a few weeks. They’ve known each other their whole lives and she doesn’t ever want to live without him. There’s just one thing she has to do first.

Taking out her phone, she presses call on the newly added number “Diane, hey, Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS. I was wondering if I could drop by. I have something that Tom left for you.”

••••

Deeks watched from the passenger seat of the SRX as his partner handed over the small box to Diane. As she pried it open, tears immediately sprang to the woman’s eyes and before either knew it her arms were wrapped around the junior agent in a giant bear hug. It suddenly made him think about what if he were the one that died, leaving Kensi all alone. The thought alone breaks his heart in two.

A few minutes later the pair bid their farewells and part ways. He’s surprised a little at the look in her eyes, its not one of sadness but there’s something else, something he’s not sure how to describe. 

The shaggy blonde is so focused on his girlfriend that he doesn’t realize she misses the turn towards his apartment, instead she keeps going for a few minutes until she hits the Santa Monica exit. A few minutes later they’re back in the same spot at the overlook where they were just a week ago. 

“What are we doing here?”

She turns towards him, that unrecognizable look still swirling in her mismatched eyes. “Well, I’ve been thinking.”

[pulaasul]

Harry Potter and the Dying Will Flames

Harry discovered things about himself, about his aunt’s family, and about the world. Harry Potter discovered the Dying Will Flames and this has changed everything within the Wizarding World.

FFN I Ao3

---------

It all started when Harry was on his second encounter with his parents' killer, Lord Voldemort. He was dying from the basilisk poison in his body, by the time he finished stabbing the basilisk's fang on the dark enchanted diary and say his instructions to Ginny. He was about to collapse, lethargic from the poison's effects.

When he thought about it as he rested at the school's hospital wing, after the fact, something strange had happened within his body. From what he had read on the page that Hermione ripped from the book about basilisks, he should've already died by the time Fawkes the Phoenix cried on his wound.

The pain was still there, the excruciating pain of having his entire body doused with boiling water, was indeed present but he was still alive, barely conscious, but still alive, enough for Fawkes to cry on his wound and destroy the poison from inside of him.

The next weird thing happened when he was at the Dursleys, his maternal aunt's home. He was doing the dishes, when he accidentally dropped one of the plates that he was washing, but the plate didn't break, he still got an earful and was imprisoned in his room after the incident but the plate was never broken.

Both his uncle and aunt had been livid about that.

Then someone representing his uncle's extended family came. Harry didn't know where the glee came from, but he was extremely glad to know that the freakishness, as the Dursleys had dubbed it, also existed in his uncle's family.

---------

"Great grandfather left Italy for a reason Alberto!" Vernon growled at the visitor. "With your nonsense about different colored fire having other properties other than burn things to cinders," He sneered. "I cannot understand why you returned to the family in the first place."

"You know why we're here Vernon." Alberto fired back. "We're here because of the Omerta." He sighed. "It's also the same reason why my family decided to fold back in to the family."

"Omerta?" Dudley curiously asked.

Vernon's face turned pale at the word his son repeated.

"Someone in your family became flame active, it is in our best interests to at least train the recent flame active person to help them control the flames."

Vernon gulped at his uncle's insinuation, he was sure he wasn't flame active and neither was his wife. He just hoped it wasn't his son, he didn't want his son to be involved in the mafia.

"Who?"

"Your nephew."

Vernon's face became red with rage.

"Don't tell me you're angry that someone unrelated to you became flame active when you don't want to have anything to do with the famiglia?" Alberto raised an eyebrow.

"That boy is already a freak and this would make him even more of a freak." Vernon growled.

"I have a theory, why don't you call your nephew?" Alberto ignored Vernon's outburst. "I want to ask him some questions."

-----------

Harry was confused when his uncle called for him, normally his uncle would do anything to lock him up in the room whenever visitors would arrive at the house.

"Hello boy, I am Alberto Dursley, might I inquire what your name is?" The man, Alberto, formally asked for his name.

Harry gulped as soon as the man revealed his full name.

As soon as Harry knew how this man was related to him was, he started dreading how this man would treat him, considering how his aunt Marge interacted with him.

In an attempt to at least prevent the confrontation that was soon to come, he responded to the man with a polite tone.

"I am Harry Potter sir."

"Tell me, Harry, have you been in a life-or-death situation?" Alberto was oblivious to Harry's internal struggle.

Harry blinked a few times, he was caught off guard with the man's attitude towards him, totally different from how his uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge was to him.

Soon after, his narrowed at the question. He knew he can't just say 'I was almost killed by a basilisk in my school' to this man for various reasons. Muggles don't even know about basilisks are in the first place.

Secondly, there was the statute of secrecy, which Professor Snape hammered into his head at the beginning of term.

"Answer the man, boy." Vernon growled.

"There's no need to rush Vernon, I'm sure it's all traumatic for the boy." Alberto admonished his nephew. "I can understand the boy's reservations with sharing such critical, likely traumatic, information to a virtual stranger."

"I was poisoned?" Harry offered after much self-deliberation.

"Was it fatal to you?" Alberto followed up.

"The doctor said that it was a miracle that I even survived in the first place."

"Lightning or Sun flames." Alberto whispered with narrowed eyes.

Alberto shook his head and restrained himself from forming plausible theories about the boy.

"Was there anything weird that happened after you were poisoned? Like being able to punch through a wall or healing a wound?"

Harry was confused, extremely confused. The man, Alberto's, questions sound awfully a lot of the questions the Hogwarts teachers asked muggleborn students when explaining magic to them and their parents.

He was already attending Hogwarts.

"I accidentally dropped a plate once but it didn't break." Harry decided to humor the man's question.

"I take it your family and your nephew are largely ignorant of the family business you left?" Alberto faced Vernon.

"I swore that I would stamp out any freakishness in this house!" Vernon growled. "We failed at my wife's nephew because they were insistent I won't have another instance of that freakishness in my house!"

"You know Vernon, if you hate the child so much, why keep him?" Alberto sighed. "Why subject yourself to such stress, why subject the child to such torture?"

"No!" Petunia exclaimed. "That boy cannot leave this house!"

"Petunia!" Vernon growled.

"Why is that Petunia?" Alberto questioned his nephew's wife. "Is there a reason why you are sheltering the boy despite your clear hatred for him?"

Petunia clamped her mouth shut, she refused to give any more information to her husband's uncle.

"Our family has the Omerta, her family has the Statute of Secrecy," Vernon explained. "As the name suggests, they aren't allowed to say what she meant by that." He glared at the boy.

"Statute of Secrecy," Alberto hummed. "That's familiar," His eyes narrowed in concentration before it opened in realization, "By any chance is this the statute that prevents the magical world from intermingling with the non-magic populace?"

"H-how?" Vernon and Harry questioned.

"Did you really think that there were no magic people involved in the family business Vernon?" Alberto raised an eyebrow once more. "If you have forgotten Vernon, the business has ways to gain such information."

"If he knows…" Petunia trailed off.

"Go ahead." Vernon gave the approval, still glaring at Harry.

"Potter's here because I'm what's left of his mother's family, I'm his mother's sister." Petunia snarled. "The blasted headmaster of his school erected blood wards around the house to keep him protected, or so the letter that came with him said."

"I see, blood wards." Alberto hummed. "Let me see what I can do, but worst comes to worst Potter'll have his training nearby."

----------

Alberto had decided that Harry's training would take place near his place of residence, this will serve to preserve the blood wards placed on his place of residence that kept him and his maternal aunt's family protected from the magical terrorist's cult and the terrorist himself.

Harry and Alberto were currently in a nearby park where no one would visit so that they could train in secrecy.

"What we call them, Harry, are Deathperation flames, some call them Dying Will Flames." Alberto informed Harry. "These flames are what made you survive the poison that should've killed you." He explained."

"Why?"

"There are seven different types of flames, all named after a certain weather," Alberto continued his spiel. "We don't have any means to know what your flames are but from what you described, you mostly have lightning flames, flames with the property of hardening anything you wish, like the plate that you dropped but didn't break."

"What does that have to do with my being poisoned?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"There are different types of poison, ones that solidifies your blood, and another is one that would disintegrate your internal organs like how acid does with everything it touches," Alberto answered. "The poison you've been induced with was something that would disintegrate your organs had you not applied lightning-flames on them to keep them from being destroyed."

"So basically I'm being trained to control this power?" Harry asked.

"In a sense, yes." Alberto nodded. "This is a power that can prove fatal to yourself or others if activated accidentally. You've been lucky so far that every accidental activation has been to save your life, or a thing, so far."

Harry gulped at the man's implications.

"Can Dudley have this power too?"

"Despite popular belief, everyone is able to have this power, it's all on the will of the person, their will to live, and that's why it's called dying will flames."

"So how do I do this?"

Alberto smiled at the query.

"Now I want you to close your eyes and imagine a ball of flame," Alberto instructed. "Try not to call for your magic."

-----------

With Alberto's presence, Harry didn't have much of a hard time living with the Dursleys. His teacher didn't stay in the house but the knowledge that his uncle's uncle was training him was enough to keep them docile towards him.

However the week before Marge visited the Dursleys, Alberto had to leave him, which turned their docile attitude towards him into a hostile one.

However, he doesn't miss a beat every time he pointed out Vernon's relation with Alberto and the green-colored flames he apparently had.

Everything changed once Marge arrived and was subsequently blown up.

Luckily there were only a few days left of summer break when he left the Dursleys and got himself checked into the Leaky Cauldron.

-----------

Harry had so many reasons to be happy at the end of his third year at Hogwarts. First, he knew that he was loved and he has a godfather in the form of one Sirius Black, a werewolf for an uncle in the form of one Sirius Lupin, he was discovering family members he never knew he had.

Harry has decidedly ignored one Peter Pettigrew's presence in his life.

While it was unfortunate, that Sirius wouldn't be able to take him away from the Dursleys, at least the Dursleys that were connected to Harry's mother, the knowledge that he'd be learning more about the Dying Will Flames, especially his lightning flames, was another reason for his happy demeanor.

Of course, none at Hogwarts were in the know of this secret, not even his best friends Hermione and Ron. He may not have been connected to the so-called family business that his uncle Vernon has left, he knew enough that the business has its equivalent of the Statute of Secrecy that Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall has hammered into his head during the start of his second year.

"What exactly do you do Alberto?" Harry inquired as he sat on the pavement, tired from his training.

"Why don't you apply your lightning flames on that twig and I'll answer if you're successful this time." Alberto smiled.

Harry nodded and picked up the twig he had dropped earlier. He closed his eyes in concentration as green electrical arcs formed from his hand and coated the twig he was holding with both of his hands.

He opened his eyes and saw that the twig he was holding was coated in green electrical arcs before the arcs promptly faded from sight.

"Good." Alberto smiled as he took the twig from Harry's hands.

Alberto produced a scotch tape from his person taped it onto a nearby lamppost. He then stood straight before striking the twig with the palm of his hand.

The twig in question snapped in half which made Harry groan in displeasure.

"Why're you groaning?" Alberto asked.

"The twig snapped." Harry pointed out.

"It may have snapped but I felt that the twig was a lot sturdier than normal," Alberto showed the twig's indention on his hand. "Last year we've only covered the activation and now you're imbuing something with your flames," He continued. "I count this as a success in my book."

"Really?"

Alberto smiled.

That was it, Harry has decided that Alberto was the best teacher ever.

"Now to answer your question." Alberto's shift in tone made Harry nervous. "What do you know of the underground Harry?"

"Underground?"

Alberto sighed once more, unsure how to break to the boy the news. He knew that the kid was emotionally abused by his nephew but for his training to proceed he needed to know the truth.

"The mafia." Alberto amended his words.

"The mafia?" Harry questioned once more. "What's that?"

Alberto gulped at the boy's innocence that he was about to destroy.

"It's an organization that does crime is the most basic summary I can give you," Alberto sighed. "A crime organization so to speak."

"Like the Death Eaters?" Harry muttered to himself.

"Death Eaters?"

"Sorry, I can't answer that." Harry apologized. "I was just thinking of something similar in that world." He admitted.

"You do know that the Statute does not apply to me right?" Alberto smiled. "But this is good, it means I can trust you not to divulge what I'm about to tell you to anyone, not unless divulging would save your life."

Harry nodded.

Alberto came clean to Harry as soon as he confirmed that Harry wouldn't blab to just about anyone what he was doing.

Alberto told Harry about the flames of the sky and how the Vongola and their allies in the mafia were the sole users of said power.

Harry was also told about the Vindice prison and the instances of how one would be sent there. He was also told about how no one messed with the Vindice and its enforcers.

Lastly, Harry was told about the Omerta. Normally Harry and the Dursleys, barring his uncle, would remain ignorant of the mafia world, but the moment he became a flame active person he was unofficially inducted into the underground, specifically the Famiglia that his uncle was supposedly trying not to get involved with.

"No one really escapes the mafia, Harry," Alberto explained. "One must die in order to escape the underground."

"How come uncle Vernon believes that your great grandfather has actually escaped them?"

"You'll understand when you get older, I'd imagine that there's no escape from your world as well." Alberto offered. "Your aunt certainly hasn't escaped it, despite not involved in it."

That was when it clicked to Harry about the meaning of Alberto's statement.

"You can never unlearn what you knew," Harry stated thoughtfully. "We can pretend but there's really no escaping it."

"That and we protect our own." Alberto nodded. "Did you ever question how we were able to visit you as soon as you showed signs as a flame-active person in the house?"

"The Famiglia has been watching the Dursleys." Harry realized.

"The number of unbelievable things some of the Famiglia members reported when you were brought to them were downright absurd," Alberto chuckled. "But in hindsight, it does make a lot of sense, a cat turning into a woman, it was like an episode of Bewitched."

Alberto noticed the questioning look Harry sent his way.

"A telly series in the Americas." Alberto supplied. "In any case, starting tomorrow a few of my colleagues will help me in training you, something basic like honing your reaction time."

"Why would I need that?"

"Believe it or not kid, people will seek you out because you're flame-active," Alberto explained. "Some of them might not take the talking approach, this way you can defend yourself, or at the very least escape, without resorting to using your other talents."

----------

"Remember Alberto, I'm only doing this because you paid me to." A small person clicked their tongue. "Why do you want this child to be trained in something that should be exclusive to the Vongola and her allies?"

"Apart from the fact that he became flame-active since last year?" Alberto raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were all for preserving the secrets of the mafia and honoring the Omerta Mammon?"

"There are ways to honor the Omerta Alberto, you know that." The small person identified as Mammon scoffed. "Like for instance, take him back to Italy and train him there."

"Statute of Secrecy."

"A member of the magical society then." Mammon clicked their tongue. "I will be asking for more as soon as this child's training is concluded, if you must know, I detested that society."

"Oh? This is new information."

"And you'll be getting nothing else from me."

------------

"Harry, I want you to meet Mammon." Alberto gestured to a small cloaked figure. "They will be helping me to train you."

Harry did a double-take as soon as he saw who was with Alberto when they arrived at the usual training spot. The small figure looked like a baby, a baby that was cloaked and was walking on two legs.

What in Merlin's name was happening?

"A baby?" Harry couldn't help but voice out. "How's a baby going to help me?"

Suddenly a man in black clothes appeared behind Harry and shot the gun he was holding, grazing the Potter's arm.

"Gah!" Harry screamed.

The Potter looked behind him just in time for the gunman to fade away like smoke as he held his arm to stop the bleeding.

"I can see why you needed my help, Alberto." The cloaked baby nonchalantly commented. "He has poor reaction time."

"What is going on?!" Harry yelled. "Someone just shot me and you aren't doing anything."

"Come off it." Mammon scoffed. "You were lucky the bullet merely grazed your arm."

Alberto shook his head at the person's nonchalance, it's what you'd expect from an assassin of their caliber. He approached Harry and bandaged the graze wound on the boy's arm with his handkerchief.

"Full transparency, there was actually no gunman, what you experienced was an illusion," Mammon explained. "The beauty about illusions is that I can kill just about anyone I please without ever lifting a finger."

"No need to regale the kid with your assassination exploits Mammon." Alberto admonished.

"Shut your mouth Alberto, I'm training the kid now," Mammon fired back. "The only reason why you're still breathing is because of the Vindice and no money in the world would satisfy me for the trouble killing you would entail."

"Glad to know your priorities Mammon, even you wouldn't dare invoke the Vindice's rage."

"How come I was still wounded when you've only shown me an illusion?"

"The brain is very weak that way," Mammon explained. "We simply manipulate all your senses and the brain does the rest of the work, like say tearing your skin to simulate that you've actually been grazed by a bullet."

"If one can identify that what they're seeing is an illusion, none of its effects will take root." Alberto continued. "However knowing that one thing is an illusion and believing that it's an illusion are two different things."

"With that explanation out of the way, let us continue the training." Mammon clicked their tongue.

Four men in black suits appeared in front of Harry, each carrying a pistol. They took aim at the boy.

"Why don't we start small first Mammon?" Alberto suggested.

"I suppose children will do for the moment."

The four men morphed into four kids, two boys and two girls, each carrying a handful of pebbles in one of their hands.

"Be prepared to dodge kid."

Harry gulped as he eyed one of the boys taking aim at him. As soon as the boy threw his stone, he immediately ducked.

----------

"Gah!" Harry gasped as he was hit by a plate on the arm.

"You're slowing down boy," Mammon yelled. "You may have dodged rocks, small balls, and sporting balls but you have yet to dodge a plate."

Harry merely panted, unable to form any coherent response from the cloaked baby.

"I say he has improved greatly under your tutelage Mammon." Alberto offered as he gave Harry bottled water. "He came from barely dodging pebbles to dodging sporting balls entirely."

"That's because sporting balls are big and slow." Mammon fired back. "If he can't dodge a plate thrown by an angry housewife, what hope has he have of dodging projectiles faster than a plate, like an arrow or even a bullet? I say it's far from passable. I'd give it a Troll grade."

"Y-you're a wizard?"

"A squib," Mammon scoffed. "Just so you know I truly detest your society, I'm training you because I was paid."

"B-but how…"

"Like I told when we first met, I am merely using illusions, I'm tricking your brain into thinking that anything thrown at you is real."

"There were actually times where you would actually believe that what you're seeing isn't real, but those were rare instances." Alberto pointed out.

Before Harry could even form a reply, he was suddenly clutching his head trying to alleviate the sudden headache he was having.

"I guess we'll call this a day." Mammon sighed. "Illusionary poisoning has taken hold." The cloaked baby clicked their tongue. "I must admit that each day your limit to being subjected to illusions is increasing by the day, I guess in that regard you are improving."

----------

Harry's training with that weird person, who definitely looked like a baby, started in the middle of July just after Alberto had reviewed him on the basics of activating his flames whenever he needed it. He had originally wanted to test his lightning flames on his wand, remembering how easily Ron's wand was broken at the start of his second year.

He was, however, cautioned against doing so because no one knew what could be the repercussions of attempting such a feat.

When Harry's training with Mammon began, he had suspected that his very small teacher was actually a wizard or witch but disguised it as illusions so as not to trip the Statute of Secrecy, it was kind of a shock to him knowing that he was technically on the mark but instead of being magical, Mammon turned out to be a squib.

Harry could admit to himself that he doesn't understand how Mammon's abilities worked, especially after the reveal that they were a squib. It didn't make sense to him, he had witnessed Mammon perform feats of conjuration and transfigurations, conjuring fully grown men and transfiguring them into children.

Days before the Quidditch World Cup, Mammon ended their training with him, at least for the year, stating that they were being sent on a mission by their boss.

He can still remember the words of caution the baby told him.

"Be careful when you use that power Potter. Vindice doesn't care whether you used it in self-defense or not, for them, it counts as divulging the mafia's secrets to unrelated people. You'd end up in a prison far worse than Azkaban."

What could be worse than Azkaban?!

------------

Harry wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially to Mammon considering how much of an ego the baby has, but his training with the cloaked baby was definitely helpful during the Triwizard Tournament especially with his third encounter with his parents' killer.

"Kill the spare."

Harry ignored the searing headache he had and faced his fellow Triwizard Champion.

"Locomotor Wibbly!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry's Jelly-legs curse hit Cedric's shocked form causing the older boy to collapse on the ground and make the light of the killing curse sail above the Diggory's head.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Incendio! Confringo! "

Harry decided to cast multiple stunners, a jet of fire, and a blasting curse right at the traitorous Marauder, distracting the death eater enough for him to grab his fellow champion out of harm's way.

Despite Harry's small nature, he was able to carry the much older and bigger boy than him over to the other side of the graveyard.

Harry grabbed a few pebbles that were scattered on the ground and positioned it surrounding Cedric then cast an engorging spell on them.

"H-harry, what's going on?" Cedric managed to ask.

"You were about to be killed so I cast the jelly-legs curse on you," Harry admitted. "I want you to cast the counter-curse once I leave you, you need to get back to the cup."

"And leave you here?! No way!" Cedric protested.

"This is not up for debate," Harry growled. "Wormtail wants me, you heard what that voice said, you were the spare they'll immediately kill you."

"Harry, I'm of age, it is my responsibility to protect you." Cedric tried to reason.

"No." Harry shook his head. "We're not at Hogwarts anymore Cedric, your authority as a prefect won't work here."

"Not like you followed the prefects in the past." Cedric muttered to himself.

"Cedric, you're a good bloke and I don't want you to die here." Harry tried to reason out. "You've got so much in store for you."

"How will you get back then?"

"I'll think of something."

"Where is Potter, Wormtail?!" The same hoarse voice from earlier demanded. "This is one failure too many." The cloaked bundle expressed its displeasure.

"The cup is still here milord." Peter expressed. "Potter is still here."

"Yet you failed to kill the spare."

"Potter was quick milord." The Pettigrew reasoned. "It seemed like he was prepared for this to happen."

"Silence! I want you to find Potter right this instant Wormtail or else Nagini'll be feasting on your flesh."

"Yes sir!"

"You heard them." Harry pointed out.

"But what about you?"

"I'll figure it out myself."

As Harry conversed with Cedric, he was imbuing the stones he had enlarged with his lightning flames, ensuring that none of them would be destroyed by at least three killing curses, or so he hoped. He wasn't taking any chances and he wasn't going to let Cedric die here.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry fired a disarming spell at the traitorous rat, which had been blocked, and ran far away from where he had deposited his fellow Triwizard champion.

"Stupefy, Expelliarmus."

Harry continued firing off spells at the traitorous rat and continued to run away from where he had last seen Cedric.

Harry's luck ran out as he tripped on a tree's root.

"Hurry Wormtail." The same voice groaned out.

"Yes milord!"

Peter tied Harry on an angelic statue as fire lit up under the cauldron and its contents began boiling. The rat animagus then started chanting the potions' instructions as he followed it to the letter from pilfering Voldemort's paternal bone to dismembering himself to procuring some of Harry's blood.

Harry was not about to give up, his utter defiance caused him to unconsciously wrap lightning flames all around his body and hardened his skin to the point where a simple slice of the knife Pettigrew was using wouldn't be able to penetrate the Potter's skin, let alone get some of his blood.

It didn't mean it wasn't painless for Harry, but he persevered nonetheless, despite his screaming.

Frustration clawed into Pettigrew's very being as he forcefully attempted to embed the knife into Harry's arm but to no avail.

The sudden impenetrable nature of Harry's skin only served to infuriate the rat animagus even more that he gave in to his frustrations and forcefully stabbed the knife into the Potter's arm, but that only resulted in the knife he had to snap in half.

Growling in frustration, Pettigrew frisked himself for something sharp to continue his tasks when he noticed the tear on Harry's pants that showed off the gash that the Potter got when the boy tripped earlier.

Smiling to himself, Pettigrew used the snapped knife to scoop up some of Harry's blood that came from the boy's gashed knee.

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Pettigrew chanted as he added a few drops of Harry's blood into the cauldron.

Not a moment soon, everyone in the graveyard witnessed the return of one Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Lord wasted no time in summoning his Death Eaters and tormented Harry some more. The confrontation evolved into one one-sided duel between the two of them, which ended with a dome of light and few gray people – ghosts? – helping Harry with his duel.

----------

"Flippendo! Depulso!"

As soon as Harry broke the connection between the wands, Cedric chose this time to reveal himself and cast a few knockback and banishing charms at the Death Eaters present in an effort to aid Harry to escape the one-sided duel the Dark Lord forced the Potter in.

"After him!" Voldemort growled.

The Death Eaters were quick to oblige and chased after the Potter while others turned their attention towards Cedric and wordlessly cast a few spells at the Diggory.

"Focus on running towards me Harry! I've got your back!" Cedric ordered.

Harry responded by running towards his companion.

Cedric, satisfied with Harry's response, turned his attention to the Death Eaters. He cast a few spells wordlessly and caused a few of them to get blown away.

"Aqua Eructo! Glacius"

Cedric cast a water eruption charm on the ground behind Harry and created a spout of water. He then promptly froze it causing it to fall over the Death Eaters chasing after the Potter, creating a physical barrier between his fellow Triwizard champion and the Death Eaters.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

Cedric used the exploding charm to further deter the Death Eaters who managed to get past the icy barrier that he had set up, blowing them away to the house that Wormtail came from.

"Reducto! Flipendo! Depulso! Experlliarmus! "

Cedric noticed that the Dark Lord had joined with the chase, fearing for both his and Harry's safety, he cast a number of jinxes, curses, and charms at the resurrected Dark Wizard from the reductor curse to the knockback jinx to the banishing and disarming charms.

The Dark Lord expertly blocked the spells all the spells coming at him and cast a few of his own.

Cedric managed to evade a few of the spells that Voldemort has used and some had managed to hit him, tearing off a few pieces of his clothes.

Some Death Eaters joined their master in firing spells at Cedric, who made the decision of hiding himself behind the pebbles that Harry had enlarged earlier.

To the surprise of every Death Eater, the stones held strong and wasn't blown to dust despite the many spells that hit it, even from the ones that the Dark Lord has cast.

"Lacarnum Inflamari!"

Cedric, at this point, was desperate, Harry was still a few paces away from him from all the zigzagging the Potter was doing just to evade some of the obstacles and the spells coming his way, he stood up from behind the enlarged pebble, and conjured a fireball at the tip of his wand and threw at the Dark Lord.

In what could be called an incident of pure luck, the cloak that Voldemort was wearing caught fire and managed to distract the Dark Lord from his pursuit of Potter.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry cast the disarming spell that went right by Cedric's face, who was rightfully distracted from attempting to block the Dark Lord from approaching both Triwizard champions.

The Diggory looked behind him and found a Death Eater, one disarmed Lucius Malfoy.

"Depulso"

The Malfoy was thrown towards a tree far away from both Triwizard champions with the banishing charm that Cedric cast on the Death Eater.

"Accio!"

As soon as Harry bumped himself unto the Diggory he immediately pointed his wand at the idle Triwizard Cup and summoned it to his person and both champions were transported back to Hogwarts, tired, afraid, and vigilant but alive.

-----------

Harry found himself waking up in the school's hospital wing a week after the third task of the tournament.

The last thing Harry remembered was Cedric escorting him to the hospital wing after the Professor Moody-impostor tried to get him after returning from the graveyard.

From what Harry had heard, it was all thanks to Cedric's quick thinking that the impostor wasn't able to do anything to him other than gloat at him for seemingly fooling everyone else, especially the school's headmaster.

Harry looked around, he saw Cedric was asleep, wrapped with bandages, on the bed to his right while Ron and Hermione sat beside each other, with the Granger sleeping on the Weasley's shoulder.

When Harry saw an issue of the Daily Prophet by Cedric's bedside, he carefully retrieved it, making sure he wasn't making any sounds and not disturb his sleeping companions. He read the front-page headlines and sure enough, his words of warnings were used against him.

What else was new?

"You really shouldn't read that paper when you just woke up." Hermione advised.

"I got curious." Harry offered.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you knew that."

"Wha-? Who killed Crookshanks?"

"Oh Wake up Ronald." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hey Harry." Ron waived at his best friend. "You gave us quite the scare, you and Diggory did."

Harry was extremely glad that his friends never changed, they still continued to act like nothing happened, arguing like they always did like his name wasn't destroyed by the local newspaper, he didn't experience intense torture under Voldemort and his followers.

"Are you really certain you saw him Harry?" Ron couldn't help but question everything Harry revealed earlier..

"Ronald!" Hermione admonished.

"So you don't believe me, Ron?" Harry questioned bitterly.

"I believe you, I truly do!" Ron tried to assure his best friend. "It's him, you know, it's you-know-who, a part of me wants to deny it all," He admitted. "The Dark Lord who everyone fears to even speak his name."

"He has returned alright," Cedric inserted himself into the conversation. "I was there, I saw it all."

"Which reminds me, why didn't you grab the cup when I gave you the chance?" Harry turned his attention to his fellow champion. "You could've died in there Cedric."

"Was I supposed to leave you there to die yourself Potter?" Cedric responded. "I am already of age and it's my responsibility to protect the students younger than me."

"Bloody Hufflepuffs." Harry swore.

"Harry!"

"You knew they wanted me for something." Harry pointed out. "You on the other hand were just a spare in their eyes, Wormtail cast the bloody killing curse as soon as they saw you."

"You know what would've happened next Potter." Cedric rebutted. "You-know-who would've killed you as soon as he was done toying with you, without the portkey back here, you would've died."

"Out!" Madam Pomfrey interrupted. "My patients need to rest!"

"But-"

"Out!"

Hermione and Ron reluctantly acquiesced to the hospital wing's matron's orders. They waved goodbye to both Harry and Cedric.

"Look Cedric, you're a good bloke." Harry sat on his bed, his back on the bed's railing. "I owe you my life but you really didn't have to risk your life for me."

"Are you really that desperate to die Harry?" Cedric questioned. "I just don't understand why you're so quick to sacrifice yourself to save everyone else," He added. "I remember the fat friar telling some of the Hufflepuff prefects about what happened at the Chamber of Secrets. You were bit by the basilisk and was saved by the headmaster's phoenix."

"H-how."

"The ghosts are knowledgeable about whatever happens inside the castle," Cedric explained. "The bloody baron probably told the fat friar what happened."

Harry swallowed whatever was in his throat as he tried to organize his thoughts and answer Diggory's question.

"It's not that I want to die, I just want to save Ginny from the Basilisk at the time, I didn't think of the consequences." He admitted. "As for what happened at the graveyard, I was responsible for bringing you there, I suggested that we take the cup at the same time, therefore had you died there, it'd be on me."

"In the end, it was my decision." Cedric sighed at the Gryffindor. "I chose to grab the cup with you, so no my death wouldn't be on your hands."

"But-"

"But you sure are one powerful wizard Harry." Cedric grinned at the young boy, completely derailing their topic. "A simple finite wasn't enough to undo the jelly-legs curse you cast on me, quick thinking by the way."

Harry simply blushed at the compliment, thankful for the change in topic.

----------

The end of the year was a huge feast.

Cedric was declared the winner of the Triwizard Tournament with Harry in second place. The headmaster used their performance in the previous tasks to break the tie that the Potter and Diggory held in the tournament, Headmaster Dumbledore and Headmistress Maxime both deemed the Diggory's performance outweighs that of Potter's.

With Diggory's win in the tournament, he also secured the house cup victory for his house as well. It was the first time in forever that Hufflepuff had actually won the house cup. In celebration, Madam Pomfrey added more food on the table for every house to celebrate their win.

It did help that the house-elves knew beforehand to cook more food than the usual.

While the Triwizard tournament winner had a prize of galleons, the other participants didn't come empty-handed. Harry, Fleur, and Viktor all received money bags for their participation in the tournament, to which the Potter promptly gave his winnings to the Weasley twins.

-----------

"Of course, you have latent sky flame," Mammon growled. "That would explain why I was drawn to you on a certain level despite already having a sky of my own."

"Sky?"

"Alberto, have you really explained to the child the different flames of the sky?"

"I simply gave him the basic idea of the other flames and went extensively on his lightning flames," Alberto admitted. "I didn't think he'd have sky flames at all, they're a rarity."

"Sky flames are rare." Mammon began as they landed in front of the Potter.

"If your Lightning flames are good for defense as it can harden anything you imbue with it, Sky flames on the other hand are the flames that accept just about anyone." Alberto supplied.

"You're muddying the concept Alberto." Mammon pointed out. "I will be asking for another fee later for explaining to Potter about the Sky flames."

"Greedy little bastard." Alberto muttered to himself.

"Money makes the world turn Alberto, surely you know that."

Mammon turned their attention back to Harry and continued explaining about the Sky flames and began explaining the characteristics of Sky flames with Alberto chiming in once in a while.

Both Mafiosi moved on to explain how the Sky's harmonizing factor affects just about everyone around Harry.

"It's a bit hard to explain, especially as someone who doesn't possess Sky flames," Alberto admitted. "But that's the gist of it."

"Enough talk." Mammon declared. "Let us continue the training."

Five teens appeared in front of Harry, all equipped with BB guns and open fired.

------------

It came as a surprise to Harry when Mammon appeared in the Ministry of Magic to represent him.

He wasn't aware that one of his mentors was present when he was attacked by dementors while on a rare break from training with his flames.

Speaking of training, it was prematurely stopped as neither Alberto nor Mammon had any way of entering the Grimmauld place where he currently resided alongside the Order of the Phoenix, the Weasleys, and even the Diggorys.

"Wizards and witches really have low attention spans." Mammon scoffed as they floated beside Harry, passing by an equally bewildered Dumbledore. "I've been here the whole time and none of you ever noticed."

Harry almost wanted to roll his eyes at Mammon's display. He knew for a fact that the cloaked baby was using their Mist flames to hide themselves from everyone, but he also knew how Mammon despised the Magical society hence the rather condescending attitude towards the wizards and witches present.

"Who are you?!" A woman wearing pink under her Wizengamot robes demanded. "How dare you enter Ministry premises without permission?!"

Mammon ignored the woman in pink. "I am here to represent Harry Potter against the case filed against him."

The woman in pink clothes cleared her throat, garnering everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry but you seem to be under the impression that we will allow such a thing from happening? Not only has Potter arrived late, but you also have the gall to interrupt the proceedings."

"I see how it is," Mammon hummed. "Since Potter is receiving a full court trial, with the entirety of the Wizengamot present, I suggest that we call the attention of the ICW to hear the proceedings."

Minister Fudge paled considerably at the suggestion.

"It is the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy that Mr. Potter has allegedly violated after all."

"Surely the honorable council members of the International Confederation of Wizards need not concern themselves in Britain's proceedings." Minister Fudge offered.

"You seem to be under the impression that I'm a British Magician," Mammon stated. "I am from Italia, since I have been involved, calling for the attention of the ICW seems prudent, isn't that so Mr. Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "As the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was violated and a citizen of another magical nation was involved, it is the Standard Operating Procedure to call forth the attention of the ICW, not unless the witch or wizard involved agrees not to call them."

"Surely we can compromise Mr…" Minister Fudge trailed off.

"Call me Mammon without the gender-specific honorifics." Mammon replied.

"Surely you agree, Mammon, that the honorable council members of the ICW need not be bothered for something as minor as this?"

"I disagree," Mammon bluntly replied. "Mr. Potter faces the entire British Wizengamot for violating the Statute, he is, therefore, tried as if he was an of-age wizard. However, I can be convinced otherwise, if you let me represent Potter for this case."

From Minister Fudge's pale complexion, Harry was sure that the Minister didn't see this coming. He was sure that with him sent to Azkaban for violating the statute, no one would ever believe him and in turn, no one would believe that you-know-who has returned.

From what Harry had heard from Hermione and the Weasleys, he was sure that sending him to Azkaban was the Minister's aim.

"Yes, you may represent Mr. Potter." One witch identified as Amelia Bones spoke.

Minister Fudge and the pink toad, whatever her name was, sent a glare in Amelia's way.

With everything settled, Harry was read of all his charges, and in every turn, he was denied to explain his reasons for doing so.

"Objection." Mammon floated towards the Minister's face.

"O-objection?!" Minister Fudge sputtered. "We are in the middle of interrogating the accused."

"Without giving him ample time to give his reasons." Mammon scoffed. "Normal court proceedings should start with the Yes-No questions then ask for the accused's reasons." The cloaked baby descended towards Harry. "From what I have observed, you fail to ask the boy for his reasons, even Muggle courts have followed such courtesy to the accused."

Somehow Harry doubted that. He knew of Mammon's actual occupation, they have little to no contact to normal court proceedings let alone doing things legally. With the Wizarding Britain so removed from muggle society, they won't know that his mentor was bluffing. He even doubted that the witches and wizards of Britain were subjects of the Queen no matter how removed from muggle society they were.

"How dare you interrupt court proceedings?" The pink toad exclaimed. "We may have allowed you to represent Mr. Potter but you are still an outsider."

"Mr. Potter, explain your reasons on why you decided to perform the Patronus charm, in front of your cousin, who is already aware of the magical society."

"I did it because of the Dementors!" Harry exclaimed, as loud as he could.

Harry's reason was met with silence, the people that comprised the Wizengamot were in turmoil as to the recent turn of events.

Dementors in Little Whinging?

"You think that Mr. Potter is lying, don't you Minister?" Mammon garnered everyone's attention. "You think that all of this was a well-rehearsed story in an attempt to justify the boy's use of magic in front of his muggle cousin."

"What else could it be?" Minister Fudge smirked.

"Madam Bones, are we allowed for the extraction of the accused's memories?" Mammon faced the witch in question.

"Under normal circumstances no." Madam Bones answered. "The use of Veritaserum is the normal procedure to determine whether the accused is guilty or innocent and the use of the Veritaserum on children is illegal."

"As Mr. Potter is tried as an adult, shouldn't he be given the privilege of testifying to the court under the Veritaserum's effects?"

"No matter the circumstances, using one on Mr. Potter is illegal." Madam Bones insisted.

"As this is a special case, would it be amenable for the entire Wizengamot to extract Mr. Potter's memories to prove whether he's lying or not?"

Harry wanted to smile that at the fact that Mammon was defending him despite the person's utter hatred towards the magical society, but a cynical part of him reasoned that the baby was probably paid to defend him.

"Get the Pensieve." Madam Bones announced.

"No need for the Pensieve Madam Bones, I know of a spell to let everyone see the memory at the same time." Mammon declared before facing the boy. "Mr. Potter, I warn you that my method of memory extraction is painful, it is to ensure that any and all modifications to your memory wouldn't appear in the memory I extracted."

Harry only had time to narrow his eyes in confusion before he was suddenly screaming in pain as he felt that something was constricting his right arm and bit him, he looked at the arm in question, and sure enough, a yellow snake was coiled on his arm with their fangs embedded to his skin.

The next thing Harry knew was that Mammon was holding a wand and the small indigo orb that was attached at the tip of the wand began to expand and covered the entire Wizengamot in an indigo-colored haze.

As soon as the haze cleared, everyone saw the moment where Harry and his cousin were chased by Dementors, even to the fact that his cousin was kissed by the said creature before it was chased away by Harry's Patronus.

It did not escape everyone's attention that Harry cast the Patronus charm away from muggle eyes, under a street tunnel, where no muggle or cars ever passed through.

"I believe that that memory alone proves Potter's innocence." Mammon voiced out as the scene cleared and revealed the Wizengamot chamber.

Harry was flabbergasted at the display of magical prowess, he had been so confused about what was happening, not until Mammon told him after the trial that his mentors were present during the Dementor's attack.

The woman in pink cleared her throat, garnering everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry Mr. Mammon, but you seem to be insinuating that the Ministry would attack a boy such as Potter."

"I believe I did not insinuate that Madam Umbridge," Mammon responded. "Neither Mr. Potter nor I have accused the Ministry of doing such thing, did we Madam Bones."

"I believe not Mammon." Madam Bones shook her head.

"Wherever did you get that idea Madam Umbridge?"

"Only the Ministry has ever implemented the use of Dementors as Azkaban's wardens," Madam Umbridge reasoned. "By saying that a Dementor has attacked Potter and that alone presents an accusation that the Ministry would attack the boy."

"Is that so Madam Umbridge?" Mammon clicked their tongue. "I seem to recall an incident where a wanted criminal has escaped your famed prison and when the Dementor found this particular criminal, these wardens of yours was close to performing a demented kiss on both the criminal and Potter."

"I also recall an incident that Potter was almost kissed at the start of his third year in Hogwarts on the Hogwarts express," Dumbledore offered. "Among a few other students, thankfully the DADA teacher at the time was with the students on his way to the school and was able to ward off the Dementors by performing the Patronus charm."

Harry nodded in agreement, he didn't know when, where and from whom did Mammon get his information but considering where the cloaked baby's loyalties lie, he knew not to question it.

"There is also the incident last year wherein the clearly alive Bartemius Crouch Jr. was unceremoniously kissed by a Dementor as soon the Minister responded to his summons at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore added.

"Doesn't that prove that these wardens of yours could go rogue at any time?" Mammon offered.

Madam Umbridge's face was red both in humiliation and rage.

------------

With Mammon's intervention, Harry was acquitted of all charges and the Ministry was even forced to compensate Harry for being tried under the entire Wizengamot, much to the Minister's disdain.

As soon as the trial was done, Mammon informed Harry that his training for the year has ended citing the Vindice as the reason. He was also tasked with giving Alberto a message of paying the baby as soon as he made contact with his other mentor for defending him from the Wizengamot earlier.

Soon enough his fifth year at Hogwarts started and he was displeased to know that a certain Dolores Umbridge would be teaching, in the loosest sense, his favorite subject, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry instantly knew that Umbridge, as soon as she handed him detention for speaking about the Dark Lord's return, was singling him out due to the actions of his mentor early in the year, and the fact that she was drunk on power that she justifies everything she does was legal as she was in the school on the behest of the Minister of Magic.

In a stroke of rebellion, as soon as Umbridge announced that casting of magic in a magic school in this particular subject was prohibited, he formed the Defense Association alongside his best friends Ron and Hermione.

One of the very first to join them was his fellow Triwizard Champion, Cedric Diggory, who was also facing attacks against his character for corroborating Harry's story of the Dark Lord's return.

Harry was forever thankful for the Hufflepuff because he never felt like he was left to flounder in the air.

As a result, Harry had some seventh year, especially seventh-year Hufflepuffs, to help him teach the younger students, and himself, the spells that should have been covered during the year but with the ministry's influence, they were never going to learn them ever.

---------

"Apart from the disarming charm, another spell that would help us tremendously is the disillusionment charm." Cedric stood beside Harry. "I'm sure Professor Flitwick will teach the fifth years this spell as the year progresses but it's never wrong to prepare." He supplied.

As Cedric showed everyone the basic wand movement of the disillusionment charm, Harry made sure to follow through with the older boy's instructions.

"There are two wand movements for this spell, one for targeting others and the other is targeting oneself." Cedric continued his spiel. "What we were just practicing just now was the wand movement for targeting other objects and people."

Everyone from Dumbledore's army mirrored Cedric's actions trying to accustom themselves to the wand movement for the spell.

"Alright, let's learn the incantation for this spell." Cedric clapped and garnered everyone's attention. "It's occulta talpa."

"Occulta Talpa." The people inside the room repeated.

"Good, try saying the incantation a few more times, without your wands."

"Occulta Talpa."

As Harry continued to practice the incantation, with his wand safely kept inside one of his pockets, he couldn't help but notice one Dennis Creevey, unconsciously waving around his wand, practicing the incantation.

Harry was about to approach the younger Creevey when he saw Hermione approach Dennis, likely to reprimand the boy about his wand.

"Dennis, it's not Ta-pa but Talpa."

Harry would admit that he had a hard time hearing what Hermione was saying considering almost everyone was practicing the incantation at the same time and the noise everyone made muffled any and all sounds made in the room, but knowing his best friend, he knew that the Granger was correcting the boy's incantation.

"Occulta Tunica?" Dennis asked, unsure if he had heard the older girl right.

Suddenly, as soon as Dennis finished asking his question while unconsciously drawing a circle with his wand, a blue orb shot out from his wand and hit Cedric, who was busy tending to his older brother, making Cedric's shirt vanish, exposing his torso.

"Wha-"

"Okay, that happened." Cedric chuckled.

Everyone fell silent, attempting to process what just happened.

As the students tried to process the recent turn of events, some of them tried to hide their blush from suddenly seeing Cedric's bare torso.

"I guess I should have insisted for everyone to keep their wands, sorry about that."

"Hey, Pretty Boy Diggory!" Fred called out.

"Do you feel cold?" George questioned.

"Come to think of it, no." Cedric shook his head. "I think I can still feel my robes on me, it's just that they've turned invisible." He assessed.

"Neat don't you reckon Forge?"

"I'd say so Gred."

"It's not every day,"

"That a second year invents a spell."

The Weasley twins chuckled as Dennis himself blushed as he was finally able to process what happened.

"Don't you dare use that spell as a prank!" Hermione warned the twins.

The Weasley twins merely raised their hands in mock surrender.

The younger Creevey on the other hand immediately approached Cedric and apologized profusely to the older Hufflepuff.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's alright Dennis." Cedric ruffled the young boy's hair. "Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. I'm just happy it was not as drastic as having a buffalo's horn on my chest, or yours for that matter."

"I thought Professor Flitwick told us that to caution us into saying our spells properly." Hermione gasped. "A fictional story of caution."

"Yes, that was to caution us into saying our spells properly." Cedric nodded. "Why does that mean that it wasn't true?"

"I guess we'd call it a night, don't we mate?" Ron suggested. "We don't want Perfect Boy Diggory to be caught outside the dorms without clothes, don't we?"

"Right you are ickle Ronniekins." George grinned

"Didn't know you had a working brain in that head of yours." Fred followed up.

"Why don't you give Perfect Boy Diggory-"

"-Your robes ickle Ronniekins."

"We promise to get you to the Gryffindor Dorms."

"In one piece."

The Weasley twins grinned at each other as Ron paled at the implications.

Harry knew that Ron's siblings were up to something when they suggested for Cedric to wear his best friend's clothes. He already knew that the twins were already in the process of mass-producing and inventing new products for their soon-to-open joke shop.

Harry was sure that the twins were looking forward to testing some of them on their sibling.

"No need." Cedric smiled at everyone. "This is a perfect situation to demonstrate the disillusionment charm's uses.

"Occulta Talpa"

Cedric drew a circle above himself with his wand before ending it with the wand's tip pointing at his person.

The desired effect of the spell happened, Cedric Diggory faded from their very eyes, invisible to everyone.

"Finite"

As soon as Cedric uttered another incantation, he was immediately visible to everyone in the room with his torso completely covered by his shirt.

"As you can see, you're very much undetectable when you're under the effects of disillusionment charm." Cedric lectured. "Placing the charm on cloaks and you get an invisibility cloak."

"In time, the charm loses the effects." Ron voiced out.

"Weasley's right, the disillusionment charm has a certain time limit, if you want to continue its effects, you need to cast the charm constantly."

The lectures continued as Cedric's shirt was now visible to everyone while Hermione was making sure that Dennis, and the others, kept their wands inside their robes. A few moments later the students practiced the charm on the cloaks that the room they were in provided, and eventually on each other and themselves.

"I think it's imperative that we all cast the disillusionment charm when we come here." Ron voiced out. "That way, Umbridge and her cronies wouldn't be able to catch us."

"That's brilliant Ronald!" Hermione praised. "You are brilliant!"

------------

Over the course of the month, the Defense Association has continued learning different spells, charms, curses, and counter curses during their time in the Room of Requirement.

Things they should be learning in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

As with any other group rebelling against a person of power, their luck ran out. Someone ratted out the group which brought this situation.

As with Ron's suggestion, as soon as everyone had at least a small grasp about the disillusionment charms, everyone went to the Room of Requirement under the effects of the said charm.

For the students who have yet to successfully cast the spell, they went with the people who knew how to cast them, fortunately, every year level from each house had at least nine students who were quite adept with the spell, as such they were able to continue Defense of the Dark Arts lessons undiscovered.

When Dobby the house-elf appeared in front of Harry, with a fearful look on his face.

"Umbridge?" Harry questioned the house-elf he had been acquainted with. "Is she coming?"

Although from what Harry could see from the house-elf's facial expression, he already knew the answer.

"Yes! Harry Potter yes!" Dobby exclaimed as he beat his bare feet on the floor.

Harry immediately faced his schoolmates, who were motionless and terrified at the revelation.

"What are you waiting for?!" Harry bellowed out. "Run!"

"No!" Cedric was quick to compose himself. "No one panic!"

"D-Diggory! Umbridge is coming!" Ron argued.

"Panicking could escalate the situation to uncontrollable levels." Cedric reasoned. "We would all be caught as we run for safety."

"What do you propose we do?" Hermione challenged.

"First off, Dobby, stop punishing yourself and go back to the kitchens with the other elves," Harry ordered, "If someone asks if you warned me, lie and say no and I forbid you to hurt yourself."

The house-elf complied and disapparated from the room.

"Everyone, use the disillusionment charms," Cedric stated his own instructions. "You all need to find a corner before using the charm on yourselves." He continued as he gestured towards the four corners of the room. "As for Harry and I…" He trailed off.

"What will you do?" Cho asked, worried for her ex-boyfriend.

"I want you to follow my lead, Harry."

"Well?" Harry, Cedric, and everyone else heard Umbridge's shrill voice from outside the room. "Where were you supposed to meet?"

Harry and Cedric stared at the wall where the voices came from with narrowed eyes.

"I-in there." A stuttering voice answered.

Harry closed his eyes and placed his hand at the wall, from where he was hearing the voices of both Umbridge and the traitor student, and concentrated. He utilized his lightning flames on the wall and hardened them.

"Bombarda."

Umbridge can be heard casting a blasting spell on something, which shook the castle.

"Augh?!"

"That should buy us a few minutes at best." Harry shared. "I think everyone should leave the room."

"Okay," Cedric nodded. "Everyone, don't dispel the disillusionment charms, only dispel them once all of you are at the stairway." He instructed.

"What about you two?"

"As much as it pains me to say this, Harry and I need to stay so that the traitor won't be sent to Azkaban for relaying false information, you know how despicable our current minister is."

"What?!" Hermione and Ron growled. "Why would you want to save the traitor?!" Ron sneered. "You're supposed to be angry at them!"

"Oh I am," Cedric growled with his eyes narrowed. "If there's one thing I hate the most and those are traitors."

"Then why?"

"Bombarda Maxima."

Everyone was silent, staring at the wall as if it were to break any time.

"To answer your question, the three of you know how the prisoners of Azkaban are treated," Cedric reasoned. "Would you really, knowingly, sentence one of your fellow students to Azkaban despite their actions today?"

"But."

"The three of you know what he was like when he met you."

"H-how." Harry stared at Cedric.

"Padfoot and I talked," Cedric admitted. "There were times that the both of us were alone in a room."

"I…" Hermione trailed off. "I suppose you're right." She sighed. "I hope the charm I cast on the list would be enough punishment for them." She muttered.

"Bombarda Maxima."

Another blast shook the room as the wall that Harry had placed his hand on earlier began to show signs of cracks, it wouldn't hold out much longer.

"All of you should really head back." Harry urged.

"Be careful all of you."

"Incarcerous."

A piece of rope appeared at the tip of Cedric's wand and bound Harry's torso.

"Follow my lead and struggle a little." Cedric whispered.

As soon as the Diggory was able to relay his instruction, he exhaled loudly and put on a show.

"Potter what were you thinking! Why would you still insist of visiting this place?!"

"Bombarda Maxima."

An explosion shattered the wall that Harry had hardened earlier and some chunks of the wall were flung in every direction.

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Umbridge's sweet voice exclaimed.

"Potter, Diggory I expect that you both know what we're here?"

"Yes," Cedric replied. "I followed Potter here knowing what he came for here."

"I just wanted to see them." Harry exclaimed.

"Who might you want to see Mr. Potter?" Umbridge questioned with the same shrill in her voice.

"I wanted to see my parents." Harry replied glared at both Ministry workers.

"Wha- Boy your parents are dead!" Minister Fudge face went red at the exclamation. "I see where this is going, since people were smart enough not to believe about you-know-who returning, you resorted to lying about your parents."

"Actually he's not lying Minister," Cedric interjected. "There's a magical object in the school that allows for such a feat to happen."

"Galloping gargoyles! A dark artifact in the school!" Minister Fudge exclaimed. "And you said Potter's been using said artifact daily?"

"What's it to you?!" Potter growled.

Uncomfortable at the boy's answer and glare, Fudge opted to move the discussion to the headmaster's office.

As soon as they arrived, Umbridge and Fudge questioned both Harry and Cedric on what they were in the office for.

"I believe I answered the question earlier Professor Umbridge." Cedric offered with a smile. "I was there to stop Potter from using a magical object to see his parents."

"Ah the Mirror of Erised, an artifact of this school since before I attended Hogwarts." Dumbledore hummed. "I believe I had warned Mr. Potter from using the artifact during his first year, many witches and wizards had gone crazy over the artifact." He nodded.

"So it is a dark artifact." Minister Fudge exclaimed.

"Hardly Minister." Dumbledore shook his head. "The mirror of Erised simply shows the user what they desire the most, for example, what I see in the mirror are a pair of wooly warm socks."

"I've seen the mirror myself and what appeared was the Hufflepuffs getting the respect we deserve." Cedric offered.

"Diggory my boy, you embody the loyalty and acceptance that Helga Hufflepuff expects on the members of her house." Dumbledore praised.

Umbridge cleared her throat in that annoying fashion and immediately garnered everyone's attention.

"Regardless of the Dark Artifact, We are here to question Potter whether he was in direct violation of existing Ministry Decrees, do you know Mr. Potter?" Professor Umbridge smiled at him.

Harry's eyes went to Dumbledore before he answered.

"Ye-No."

"I beg your pardon?" Minister Fudge sputtered.

"No." Harry firmly stated.

"You do not know why you are here?"

"Apart from the mirror, No I don't."

Minister Fudge glanced at Potter, Diggory, and Umbridge a few times. He questioned the Potter a few more times before visibly sagging.

"If I may Minister," Umbridge silkily voiced out. "We might get better results if our informant is here."

"Yes, yes!" Minister Fudge straightened his body. "Please do, there's nothing like a good witness is there, Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all Cornelius." Dumbledore nodded as Umbridge beckoned for a person hidden in robes to step forward.

"Don't mind the marks dear." Umbridge urged the robed person.

The robed person nodded and removed the hood from her head before gasping in shock and immediately reapplied the hood on her person, but not before everyone saw the marks on her face that spelled 'Sneak', and identified as Cho's friend: Marietta Edgecombe.

Despite the Minister's and Umbridge's urgings, Marietta remained tight-lipped which forced Umbridge to relay what the Edgecombe girl told her.

"I admit to attending such gathering Professor Umbridge." Cedric voiced out, earning a wide-eyed glance from Harry. "However, I believe there were no ministry decrees that prohibited such meeting in the first place, at least at that time."

"You are right, Diggory, my boy," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You can't very well consider Mr. Potter's actions as illegal."

"However the decree has existed for weeks wouldn't you agree that continuing the meeting would be considered illegal, Dumbledore." Umbridge sweetly challenged.

"Do you have evidence that such meetings continued even after the decree was established?" Dumbledore politely questioned. "Even Mr. Diggory's testimony belie you're your assumptions, Dolores."

"Evidence? Why do you think Ms. Edgecombe is here Dumbledore?"

"Can she tell us weeks' worth of meetings then?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

Umbridge began to coax an answer out of Edgecombe but the girl denied everything, apart from the first meeting.

In frustration to the recent turn of events, Umbridge began to manhandle Edgecombe but Dumbledore's glint and the present aurors' level-headedness stopped the recent DADA Professor from hurting the girl more.

Umbridge proved to be more thorough as she retrieved a piece of evidence from her person, a list of students who were present at the meeting at Hog's Head. Imagine the horror and surprise of the minister as soon as it was revealed that the list of names was titled 'Dumbledore's Army.

Due to that revelation, Hogwarts's Headmaster was forced out of the school and escape capture on the grounds of rebellion.

-----------

While in the middle of Umbridge's detention, just before Umbridge was able to complete the incantation for the Cruciatus curse on Harry after catching them red-handed snooping around her office, Hermione was able to convince the newly-minted Headmistress from uttering the last syllable of the curse, on the pretense that Dumbledore prepared a weapon against the Ministry.

Or so what the others had told Cedric after catching them casting a few stunners on the members of the inquisitorial squad.

"You know Harry." Cedric offered. "He has this hero-complex and just has to save everyone and won't be told otherwise."

"That's what Hermione thought too." Ron agreed.

"In any case, I'm guessing you'd be accompanying Harry at the Department of Mysteries then?" Cedric questioned.

"He can't stop us!" Ginny responded haughtily.

"Good because I'm coming as well." Cedric smiled

The Diggory conjured a few pieces of ropes from his wand and immediately restrained the stunned members of the inquisitorial squad.

Moments later, the group of five intercepted both Hermione and Harry as they ran back to the castle. They then relayed what happened between Umbridge, the Centaurs, and Grawp.

"I didn't know Hagrid had a younger sibling." Cedric voiced out.

Harry didn't really want to bring anyone else to the Ministry of Magic to save his godfather however Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Cedric were insistent on coming up until Harry pointed out that he had no way of bringing a large number to the ministry all by himself.

"We could ride on top of the thestrals." Luna suggested.

"I'll do you one better, let's use Floo in Umbridge's office," Cedric grinned. "We'll be there instantly."

-----------

Harry's fifth year ended with him grieving the loss of his godfather and revelations of the prophecy that was apparently about him.

-----------

The summer into his sixth year, Harry had a curious dream that felt all too real. It showed some things that happened right after Sirius's death. Everything right after Voldemort's defeat.

Apparently, he was involved in a mafia war sometime in the future when he was inducted into the Vongola Famiglia and assisted the assassination squad his mentor was a part of during this war.

This also gave him some insights into the upcoming war. He remembered the supposed fictional stories his future self told two kids he somehow knew as Lambo and Ipin soon after meeting the kids in question.

More importantly, he remembered the bits of information he told another baby, Reborn, on how he was affiliated with the Vongola, how Mammon mentored him and taught him to use flames.

Harry also doesn't know how to feel with the knowledge that his aunt, uncle, and cousin, not to mention Aunt Marge were among the very first casualties in the war against someone named Byakuran. It was probably Alberto's connection to them that caused their deaths.

Speaking of his favorite mentor, he felt very sad upon learning of Alberto's demise. He did feel a lot better once he realized that it happened in the future, in the years to come.

He still has a chance to change that considering that Reborn and his students didn't use time turners to travel through time, unlike what he and Hermione did.

It was time for training with his mentors when Harry found himself face to face with both of his mentors adopting a very somber expression.

Two days had just passed since he received those weird memories or dreams.

"I see you're addled with a prophecy." Mammon broke the silence.

"I take it that the dream was real?" Harry asked.

"As real as it can get." Alberto nodded.

"We need to up your training considerably."

------------

And the training was upgraded significantly, not only was Harry trying to dodge bullet fire from illusory assailants, he was also dodging spellfire from illusory wizards and witches, but instead of firing green beams of death, it just fired off indigo beams.

On top of upping his reaction time, Mammon also added environmental awareness to the mix.

Alberto told Harry everything he knew, from utilizing rocks as a means of distraction to using sand to blind one's enemies.

The brief lesson with Alberto was immediately put to the test with Mammon, who was relentless in training Harry up to at least the lowest Varia grunt standards.

Alberto on the other hand, apart from teaching Harry environmental awareness and environmental utilization, taught the boy about information gathering and stealth.

By the end of the training for the month, Harry was able to blend himself into his surroundings and able to gather some information but he still has trouble identifying what information was relevant to his tasks.

"We need to finish the training early," Mammon floated towards their student. "The arcobalenos need to get in touch with each other and gather any useful information we may need. Unfortunately, the whole time the boss candidate was in the future, most of us were busy reforming ourselves from within our pacifiers."

"At the cost of Uni's life." Harry muttered under his breath.

"Think nothing of it," Alberto squeezed Harry's shoulders.

------------

Harry discovered for himself, while he was training for information gathering, that he fancied riding the trains of muggle London and that was what he did after Alberto and Mammon departed from England to complete their respective goals from within the mafia.

While it was a bit reckless, considering how Voldemort wanted to kill him badly, he still went on trips using the train and ate at a diner at the train station.

One might be curious why Harry eats at a diner but when you know Harry Potter, you'll know why he likes to eat outside.

Dumbledore commissioned his presence and they recruited a former teacher to teach at Hogwarts. The Headmaster was not shy in explaining to Harry why his presence was needed, and frankly, he can understand the reason.

Once the recruitment process was done, he was unceremonious apparated near the Weasley's burrow where he remained for the rest of the summer.

-----------

During his sixth year in Hogwarts, Harry was preoccupied. He was preoccupied with the memories he received as a dream that detailed the war that happened after Voldemort. The war that will happen years after Hogwarts.

While he was thankful for the information his future-self's memories gave him regarding the second Wizarding war, it was incomplete. He has a very vague idea on what kinds of things he would be searching but what specifically those were, he had no clue.

"Something the matter mate?" Ron questioned his best friend.

"No, nothing," Harry shook his head. "Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"Voldemort and this whole war."

"We can think about Voldemort later, we're going to be late in Professor Slughorn's class." Hermione gasped as she dragged both boys with her.

Professor Slughorn, the Professor, Harry, and Dumbledore visited one summer evening to convince that he go teach back at Hogwarts.

As soon as the academic year started, Headmaster Dumbledore began giving Harry private lessons and during one of those lessons, the headmaster explained to him the reason why Professor Slughorn had to come back to the school, and how he was tasked in acquiring very vital information.

It took Harry a few more tries before he resorted to using the Felix Felices, liquid luck, to finally gain the information he and Dumbledore needed to confirm how many Horcruxes the Dark Lord made which, if Harry was being honest, he already knew beforehand.

One of the things he remembered in the set of memories that were given to him in a dream were the things that Voldemort placed his soul fragment unto A notebook, a ring, a locket, a cup, a diadem, and a snake.

"If I tell you to leave me and save yourself, you will do as I tell you?" Dumbledore questioned, testing the boy's resolve.

"I…"

"Harry?"

"Very good," Dumbledore nodded. "Go fetch your cloak and meet me at the entrance hall in five minutes' time."

The next thing Harry knew was that he was in a cave with the Headmaster, trying to locate one of the six Horcruxes that Voldemort made.

He quietly cursed his future self for not saying anything specific about this Horcruxes in the conversation with Reborn, the baby questioning him of how he came to be related to the Vongola in the future.

As soon as every obstacle was passed, every trap neutralized, Harry and Dumbledore made their way on the island inside the very dark cave using a wooden boat that was conveniently placed right at the edge of the lake.

"You remember, the condition on which I brought you here with me?"

Harry was very reluctant to follow Dumbledore now, even if he did give his word to the wizened wizard to follow every order.

"B-but sir-"

"You swore did you not, to follow any command I gave you?"

Harry gulped.

"Yes, but-"

"I warned you, did I not? That there might be danger?"

"Yes… but-"

"Well then," Dumbledore raised an empty goblet from his sleeves. "You have my orders."

"Why can't I drink the potion instead?" Harry decided to question the headmaster.

"Because I am much older, much cleverer, and much less valuable," Dumbledore answered. "Once and for all, do I have your word, Harry? Do I have your word that you will do all in your power to make me keep drinking?"

Harry wanted to protest but Dumbledore wasn't listening and kept cutting him off from his reservations towards the actions the old man was making him do. In the end, he relented and gave his word.

Harry first watched the wizened wizard dip the crystal goblet Dumbledore produced into the potion and drank it. He watched this process repeated two more times before he was forced to force-feed the potion unto the old wizard.

Harry repeated empty words of assurance, in an attempt to make the old wizard, and by proxy himself, feel better.

Once the pedestal was emptied of the potion, Harry tried to relieve Dumbledore of the negative effects the potion put the old headmaster in but to no avail, the goblet simply drained all the water from the water making spell before it reached his companion.

Harry tried more times to relieve the old professor of the ailments when a slimy white hand grabbed his arms and dragged him towards the lake.

"Sectumsempura! Petrificus Totalus! Impedimenta! Incarcerous!"

Harry defended himself against these slimy white creatures by liberally casting charm after charm, curse after curse on the slimy creatures, the inferi he realized. He even tried to climb back up where Dumbledore laid, hopelessly trying to relieve the ailments from the potion had on the professor.

Soon after, Harry was overwhelmed and was carried to the lake's waters were more of the slimy creatures submerged him and dragged him towards the bottom of the lake.

Why can't his lightning flames electrocute these creatures? He can always turn the inferi to stone, but he was still having a hard time summoning his sky flames, despite its latent nature.

When Harry was ready to succumb to the hopelessness of the situation, wisps of flames began attacking the inferi, burning them to cinders despite being underwater. He immediately swam back to the surface and there he saw Dumbledore, now on his feet, controlling the flames with ease, even in his weakened state.

The pair were able to escape the inferi-infested cave as the inferi had a sense of self-preservation to escape the fire.

-----------

Under his invisibility cloak, Harry unwillingly watched as Malfoy try and attempt to kill the weakened headmaster, as per Voldemort's orders.

As Harry watched the student and headmaster talk about Malfoy's orders, about how he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he struggled quietly to undo the effects of the freezing charm someone apparently placed upon him.

As soon as he was able to move, Harry retrieved his wand but he was immediately stopped by the timely appearance of Professor Snape, who simply gestured for him to be silent.

"You're going to kill him aren't you?" Harry questioned. "There has to be another way to save him."

Harry remembered the supposed fictional story he told Lambo and Ipin about how a lion urged the snake to kill him. With Dumbledore's pleas to Malfoy not to go through with Voldemort's orders, there could only one person associated with the snake, and that was Professor Snape.

Apart from actions and conversations, the memory of his future self also told him his future self's thoughts and mindset during those times, including why he told Lambo and Ipin his story at Hogwarts.

Professor Snape's face was stoic, there was no outward reaction to Potter's question.

"The Dark Lord is ruthless." Professor Snape shook his head.

As soon as Professor Snape left Harry, few more Death Eaters appeared and walked towards Draco, egging the young Malfoy to cast the killing curse on the weakened headmaster.

"No."

"Severus Please."

"Avada Kedavra"

Harry gulped as he watched the light of the killing curse erupt from Professor Snape's wand and hit Albus Dumbledore's chest, throwing him off of the Astronomy tower, dead.

The Death Eaters, alongside Draco and Snape, were quick to make their escape, with Professor Snape dragging a very shell-shocked Draco along by the cuff of his dress robe.

Harry gave chase to the fleeing Death Eaters, casting curse after curse at the fleeing group but in the end, Professor Snape proved to be a powerful wizard on his own, able to flawlessly block every spell he cast.

"Using the spells I invented against me, Potter?" Professor Snape sneered. "Yes, I am the half-blood prince."

------------

Harry's sixth year ended with him losing another person he cared about a lot, Headmaster Dumbledore. Even with the benefit of knowing the events to come, he wasn't able to save Dumbledore's life.

Harry failed to stop Professor Snape from fulfilling the late headmaster's wishes.

Harry simply shook his head as he exited the 9 3/4 platform to enter King's Cross station and waited for his uncle to pick him up from the station.

Imagine Harry's surprise when he saw Alberto and Mammon arrive at the station.

"Get in the car, we're planning for the war." Mammon ordered.

Harry complied.

---------

Alberto dropped Mammon and Harry off at Privet Drive before he went somewhere else.

Harry was surprised that a lot of people were already inside. He can immediately identify the other arcobaleno present, from his mentor to being reintroduced to Reborn.

"Potter." Reborn greeted.

"Reborn."

"A war."

"Yes, Volde-"

"I'm going to stop you there," Reborn cut Harry off. "Your future-self told me that mentioning the Dark Lord gives away our position." The baby with the yellow pacifier then turned to his mentor. "I thought you trained your student well Mammon?"

"Shut up Reborn, unlike you I'm not a Spartan trainer," Mammon scoffed.

"Reborn." A kid with brown hair groaned.

"Apparently you still need training Dame-Tsuna." Reborn clicked his tongue as he admonished his student in Japanese.

"Where are my uncle and his family?"

"They're at a hotel somewhere and will return here once we're done laying the plans for the evacuation of the Dursleys." Mammon answered.

"If I told you about Riddle, that's his real name, then I also told you of the policies enacted during his reign in Wizarding Britain."

"We will accept." The kid with brown hair declared in English.

"Dame-Tsuna don't go making decisions without hearing them out." Reborn admonished his student as he hit him…

With a green paper fan?

Suddenly the green paper fan transformed into a green lizard…

That happened…

Transfiguration?

Harry decided to pin what he just witnessed at a later date.

"We have a lot of contacts in Wizarding Britain that we can confirm where their loyalties lie," Mammon intoned. "It does help that a majority of them are muggleborns, as this country likes to call the magical born to the magicless, they will be protected by Varia grunts under my command."

"The tenth family will ensure the smooth sailing of the mission as well as grab the muggleborns that are to be arrested." Reborn supplied.

"We have already checked the muggleborn and their families you have provided us in the future," Mammon stated. "They are merely waiting for their children to return from the school before they will be evacuated somewhere where Riddle couldn't reach."

"Oi Dame-Tsuna." Reborn switched to Japanese once more. "Call your guardians and plan the mission with them."

"Hieee!" Tsuna screamed before fishing out his phone and called.

"To help you understand the language, a few wizards in the Famiglia gave me a translating spell that you can use." Mammon gave Harry a piece of parchment.

"Apparently it works both ways, for you to understand what we're saying, and for us to understand what you're saying." Reborn sipped on his espresso.

-----------

The members of the Order of the Phoenix came, they were telling the Dursleys that they were to be evacuated from their home. That was when Mammon appeared out of thin air and told the wizards off.

"I'm sorry gentlemen but the Dursleys go with me," Mammon floated in front of Vernon Dursley. "They will be protected in Italia where your so-called Dark Lord can't reach them."

The two wizards looked at each other.

"It's okay." Harry diffused the tension. "They're with me." He gestured towards his mentor.

"Are you sure this is wise Potter?"

"They're Family."

"Very well, Mammon."

The wizards Disapparated out of the Dursleys' house.

"Do not dilly dally Vernon," Alberto barked as soon as he got inside. "We have a plane to catch."

-----------

With Harry's future knowledge, he was able to locate all of the six Horcruxes without so much trouble. He, Ron, and Hermione got in a bit of a disagreement because he won't tell them how he came across such information.

It'd be hard to tell them, especially Hermione, who wouldn't believe about another way to time travel.

In the end, they were still able to collect Voldemort's Horcruxes and destroyed them on Hogwarts grounds.

As soon as they arrived on Hogwarts grounds, before they destroyed all of the Horcruxes Harry, Hermione and Ron had on hand, he channeled his lightning flames and infused the castle's structure with it.

Imbuing the whole castle took a lot out of Harry, he was winded by the time he was done.

"You alright mate?"

"What did you do Harry?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Harry dismissed Ron's and Hermione's concerns.

"But…"

"Go!"

Imagine the Death Eaters' reaction when they realized the castle's walls weren't crumbling at all even when they were hit by their most powerful spells, even the killing curse proved to be useless against the walls.

"Fred!" Percy managed to yell as soon as he noticed that the wall beside his brother was hit by a spell.

"Wha-" Fred was cutoff mid praise by his brother's scream.

"Reducto!" Ron immediately yelled and hit the death eater responsible right at the chest.

----------

When Harry learned of his status as one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, the way Professor Snape worded the events that should happen, he was reminded of Uni's fate.

Harry audibly gulped before he headed to the forest where Voldemort was to meet him. He did wonder why his future self didn't mention the fact that he had to die to win the war.

Something must have happened to his future-self that prevented his death but still win the war against the Dark Lord.

Still, it wasn't a difficult decision to make.

Without everyone's notice, Harry went to the forbidden forest where he would meet his end, to give everyone a fighting chance against Voldemort.

"Like falling asleep." Sirius answered his question.

"Will you be there with me?" Harry asked the souls of his loved ones.

"Always." Harry's mother answered.

With one last breath, Harry resolved himself to confront Voldemort and let the Dark Lord cast the killing curse on him, maybe he could even emulate his mother's example and use his sacrifice to protect everyone he cared about.

To protect Hogwarts.

To protect Vongola.

----------

Harry was surprised that he took to surviving the killing curse for the umpteenth time this fast, from his conversation with Dumbledore, it turned out that the blood that Pettigrew took from him actually tethered him to life.

In some twisted way, Voldemort became his Horcrux, minus the killings.

Harry shook his head as he faced Voldemort one final time.

----------

Harry and Voldemort were right in the middle of the Great Hall when they faced off against each other.

Utilizing the training he got with Mammon and Alberto, Harry didn't engage Voldemort directly. He retrieved one pebble he had already infused with his lightning flames beforehand and threw it in the air.

"Engorgio"

The pebble grew in size that it managed to hide Harry's form from the Dark Lord. The pebble shielded Harry from the killing curse Voldemort cast.

Voldemort tried using the killing curse multiple times but the pebble wasn't even scratched and this annoyed the Dark Lord to no end.

"Coward Potter?" Voldemort taunted.

"Coward? Never." Harry retorted as he got out of hiding and pointed his wand at the enemy.

"Aqua Eructo."

High levels of water pressure pushed the Dark Lord back a few paces, the Dark Lord was able to regain his footing and defend himself from the water expelling charm Potter cast. He was, however, soaked from head to foot and was now standing on a puddle as a result.

"Glacius."

Cold wind began to be expelled from Harry's wand. It froze the water puddle and Voldemort in his place while frost began to form on the Dark Lord's cloak and skin.

"Clever Potter," Voldemort praised. "Clearly Dumbledore managed to teach you before he passed, but not clever enough."

Voldemort drew a circle above his head with his wand and conjured flames that encircled him, melting frost and ice off of him.

"Saggita"

Harry flicked his wand in Voldemort's direction a number of times and sent an equal amount of arrows flying towards the Dark Lord.

With a simple flick of the wand, Voldemort was able to defend himself from the conjured arrows, none of them made were even able to graze him.

"Arrows, Potter? I suppose you were raised by those detestable muggles."

Voldemort soon went on the offensive as soon as the last of Harry's conjured arrows were destroyed. He sent a number of curses in the Potter's direction.

As soon as Harry realized that his opponent was on the offensive, he immediately cast a shield charm before hiding behind the enlarged pebble he set up earlier.

"Where's that Gryffindor courage Potter?" Voldemort questioned as a bluish beam was expelled from his wand. "Are you just going to hide like the Hufflepuff with you back at the graveyard?"

"Excuse you!" Harry flared. "Cedric wasn't a coward, I chose to hide him so that Wormtail won't kill him."

"Reducto"

Harry sent a reductor curse towards his opponent as soon as he finished defending his friend.

"If Hufflepuffs were cowards, we wouldn't be fighting today!" Cedric called out as slabs of stones rained down on the Dark Lord.

Voldemort drew an arc facing the falling stones, disintegrating them into dust particles.

"You insult Hufflepuffs," Harry called out.

"Saggita"

Harry summoned arrows once more and sent them flying towards his opponent.

"But they're the one thing you aren't!" Harry continued his spiel once he finished incantation for his attack. "They're humble and loyal."

Voldemort ignored Harry's words as he opted to cast more spells towards his enemy, to which Harry was able to defend against or evade altogether.

The exchange of spells between the Dark Lord and the boy who lived continued for a few moments until Voldemort declared.

"I tire of this Potter."

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Two beams of light were expelled from both combatants' wands: one green and one red. They met at the center and tried to overpower the other. It didn't take long for the fighting around Harry and Voldemort to cease as they watch history unfold their very eyes.

Cedric's eyes were on Voldemort and Harry all the while casting levitation charms on small glasses, to which he positioned it around both battling wizards. As soon as he was finished, he enlarged them, preparing himself if things would go wrong.

If there was one thing Cedric was able to take away from his time as a Triwizard Champion and battling at the Department of Mysteries, both events were him and Harry up against Voldemort and his band of Death Eaters, it was to be prepared for every outcome.

The killing curse might nullify shield charms, but it can't pass through tangible objects.

If for one moment Harry's disarming charm would be overpowered, he can immediately dispel the levitation charm and let the glasses and intercept the killing curse.

It didn't long for the beam of the disarming charm to overpower the killing curse. As soon as the dark lord was disarmed, through the charm, for a brief moment Voldemort's body was coated with the light of the killing curse before he fell to the ground, lifeless.

Everyone can agree that the way the Dark Lord fell was anticlimactic. Voldemort was someone who instilled fear into the hearts of many and his anticlimactic death was evidence enough that he was merely human.

----------

As with the nature of war, there were many casualties during the Battle of Hogwarts. However, the casualties would have been greater had Harry not used his flames on the castle itself to harden its properties.

Harry knew that if that had not been the case, Fred would have died when he praised his older brother.

Everyone was recuperating from the war, mourning for their losses when black mist appeared suddenly, and with the mist came three men covered in bandages under cloaks.

"Harry Potter, for violating the mafia laws, you are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed. "What do you mean violating mafia laws, we're wizards and mafiosos!"

"Hermione, calm down," Harry tried to appease his friend. "I knew it was a matter of time."

"But Harry, yo-you're not part of the mafia, are you?" Hermione questioned.

Harry looked away, unable to answer his friend's question.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Molly growled. "Who are you?!"

"We are the wardens of the Vendicare Penitentiary, we are here for Harry Potter for his violations of the mafia law, one of which is revealing to the populace the powers held secret within the world.

"Harry Potter won't be coming with you." Someone spoke in Japanese as a number of people arrived from the bridge.

"Vongola Famiglia." One of the Vindice wardens acknowledged.

"Are you going to negotiate for Harry Potter's release Vongola Tenth Boss candidate?" The Vindice wardens questioned, speaking in the same language as the speaker from before.

"Harry Potter cannot be incriminated from the crimes in which you have committed."

From the mist, a brunette with orange eyes looked at the wardens directly.

"What crimes did we commit that we are supposed to pass unto Harry Potter."

"The reveal of the mafia society and the world's secretive abilities to the people around us was your doing," The brunette stepped forward until he was beside Harry. "The castle walls are indeed coated with lightning flames, however, it isn't noticeable by the non-mafia people who dwell in this place."

"Very well, you've made your case quite clear Vongola Tenth Boss candidate, Tsunayoshi Sawada." Black mist began to surround the three wardens. "However, let this be your warning Harry Potter, revealing the mafia world's secrets will only be met with one punishment.” The wardens switched to English.

"I understand." Harry nodded.

"They were surprisingly lenient," Mammon commented. "I suppose we won't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Good work Dame-Tsuna, I guess I'll make a good boss out of you yet." Reborn smirked.

"Hiiieee! What was I thinking?!” The brunette named Tsuna screamed in terror. "I willfully crossed paths with the Vindice!

"As expected of the tenth!" A silver-haired boy looked starry-eyed at Tsuna.

"Thank you for that Tsuna," Harry smiled at Tsuna. "I owe you one."

"Remember the Vindice's warning Harry."

"I will Reborn."

"Dame-Tsuna stop screaming we're leaving." Reborn kicked his student's back.

"Hiiieee!"

"We'll reconvene at Privet Drive." Mammon gave the final world before all four of them disappeared from view.

Everyone looked at Harry with wide eyes and mouth, taking too long to process what just happened.

"Mafia?!" One muggleborn screamed.

"Harry tell us, what did those wardens mean?" Hermione looked concerned for her friend. "Tell us what you are allowed to tell us."

"To make a very long story short, I acquired some abilities that are apparently unique to their world, after the events of the Chamber of Secrets," Harry slumped to the wall behind him. "Frankly, I don't know why they took this long to come to get me, I actually expected them to get me after the Triwizard Tournament."

"You used your abilities when we first faced Voldemort in that cemetery." Cedric pointed out. "Why?"

"I can't let you die Ced."

"You risked a lot when you saved me." Cedric concluded.

"And I was ready for the consequences, it could also mean that Voldemort won't be able to touch me there." Harry admitted.

"Although, knowing what I know now, it wouldn't kill Voldemort for good." Harry whispered to himself

"You're good bloke Potter." Cedric ruffled Harry's hair.

Percy, unexpectedly, rushed towards Harry and hugged the boy as tight as he could.

"Percy's gone loony." Ron commented.

"Ronald!" Hermione admonished

"Thank you, thank you," Percy expressed his gratitude. "If it hadn't been for you, Fred would've died."

"Oi! What are you talking about?" George called out.

"If Harry didn't use his ability on the castle, the spell that hit the wall near Fred…" Charlie Weasley hummed.

"It would've collapsed on Fred." Bill shared his realization.

George's immediate response was to hold onto his twin tight as Molly immediately engulfed her twin sons in a tight hug.

"Oi mum."

"Let your mother have this boys." Arthur shook his head.

"So you're really keeping the Elder Wand?" Ron questioned.

"I'm storing it someplace that no one knows, no one from the Wizarding World would know."

"Wouldn't putting it back inside Professor Dumbledore's grave work?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione's right," Arthur nodded. "It was one of his prized possessions after all."

"We can't risk the elder wand falling into the wrong hands," Harry shook his head. "It was already stolen when it was inside Dumbledore's grave once.

"Wouldn't that be called hiding in plain sight?" Bill offered.

"While that would work for a few short time but some people would be willing to risk robbing Dumbledore's grave once more on the off chance that we were indeed loony to store it back to the place where it was once stolen," Ron offered his advice. "Harry's plan to store it somewhere where no one from the wizarding world knows is good."

"I see your point." Bill nodded.

"You've grown Ron." Percy praised.

"It's Brilliant." Hermione grinned. "He's brilliant."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a knowing smile.

----------

The days preceding the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry was busy.

Harry's first order of business, before even taking the time to recuperate was to ask Reborn or Mammon of a secure place to hide the Elder Wand. Muggles have no use for the wand but waving it around could cause irreparable damage or casualties.

After resting for a few days, Harry attended all the funerals for the people that lost their lives in the war, he felt like it was his obligation. He can't stop feeling like the whole second wizarding war was in his name.

The teachers found themselves thanking Merlin at the fact that the casualties were only from the ministry workers and aurors and no one from Hogwarts's student body perished, even the students who were forced to stop attending.

The muggleborn students that the Vongola has taken under their care, with their families included, were back on British soil attending the academic year following Voldemort's defeat.

The Dursleys were also back on British soil but they did not return to Privet Drive, opting to find another place of residence. Vernon was still vehement that he was out of the Family business, to which Alberto and the higher-ups of the Famiglia respected.

Harry never met the Dursleys once more after their evacuation from Privet Drive.

Time passed and Harry found himself affiliated with both the Wizarding World and the Mafia World. He saw no reason in using his flames outside the Mafia World's jurisdiction but he found every reason to continue using magic even outside the Wizarding World.

It does help that one of the people holding a seat at the ICW was a member of the Vongola.

Speaking of the Vongola, Harry found himself leading a wizarding squad to protect the Vongola boss from attacks that were magical in nature. All the while holding a position as an Auror for Wizarding Britain.

One would normally think it'd be impossible holding two posts from two different organizations but he has someone he can trust within the Vongola and his best friend within the auror corps.

The next thing that happened was Tsuna succeeding the Vongola throne after the younger boy graduated from high school as he himself found himself siring children with Ginny.

------------

Harry's marriage to Ginny forced him to tell his best friends, the entire Weasley family, and the Lupins about his mafia connections.

Surprisingly, they took it well.

"We had Hermione explain it to us mate," Ron smirked. "And we all agreed that there could have far worse things that could've happened to you as soon as you got those flame-like abilities."

"Honestly Harry." Hermione groaned. "How do you get yourself into this situations?"

"The three of us have asked the same question ever since Hermione, you know that."

"He's got you there, Hermione." Ron chuckled.

"Fair point."

-----------

After the war, Kingsley Shacklebolt was appointed by the ICW as Minister. He soon stepped down and appointed Percy Weasley as replacement three years into his reign.

Percy, who was a workaholic, felt like he has had neglected his family, and stepped down as Minister three years into his first child and took up his father's old position in the ministry under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects.

Most of what his office has confiscated were counterfeit of his twin brothers' products.

Cedric Diggory was elected as Minister of Magic right after Percy stepped down. Shacklebolt's and Percy's reigns as Minister of Magic were transition periods for Wizarding Britain from Voldemort's take over.

Cedric's reign as Minister came right after he retired as a professional Quidditch player. Diggory's reign was rehabilitation of the magical places that were destroyed from the wizarding war. He also changed the maximum interval of when the elections were to be held: from seven years to five years.

Coincidentally that was how many years Percy reigned as Minister of Magic.

He was largely successful in his reign as minister but he realized soon after his second term that the tensions between the pureblood and muggleborn wizards will still be there as long as he remained in office.

For the greater good, Cedric stepped down as Minister halfway into his third term and appointed Hermione Granger as his replacement, to quell the resentment of the muggleborn wizards born from the wizarding war.

As soon as Hermione took office, she immediately opened up two advisory slots, one of which was occupied by Cedric, under her request and the other by a fellow Gryffindor and photojournalist turned politician: Colin Creevey.

Another change Hermione has established into wizarding Britain was the abolishment of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

With her muggle knowledge, she was able to make wizarding Britain fear the very notion of in-breeding, citing examples of what happened to the Gaunt and Black families and their demise because of it.

Due to her intimidation tactic, it ensured that less and less witches and wizards would suffer the same affliction that plagued the pureblood families of old.

The transition periods that Ministers Shacklebolt and Weasley reigned on top of Minister Diggory's successful reparation of the different places affected by the war and his charisma helped Minister Granger foster an era of coexistence between the witches and wizards of wizarding Britain regardless of blood status.

[inkdrinkershadowsinger]

Thoughts/Background Prisoner of Azkaban

First all, let me state that without Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that we would not have had a franchise. We would have had three movies then done. One hundred percent. This movie changed everything from the sharpness that was lacking in the first two, to the creative that stayed pretty true throughout the rest of the series. This made it less wholesome and sweet like One and Two, and channeled just everything into a solid direction that was edgy and new.

No magic outside of school. No wonder the ministry is watching his ass.

I’ve heard that this scene is supposed to represent Harry masturbating, and if that is true, then we sure have gone in a new direction.

No wonder he can’t sleep Vernon, you keep busting into his room every night.

The first two movies, I felt like Harry was rather young looking, but in this one, Harry and all of the others really grow up, and may I say, “Glowed up” as well.

Just look at the sharpness and clarity in this movie. It was filmed wwith a different camera entirely.

Marge is a bitch. I hate her guts. Umbridge is the number one villain, then her, then Voldemort.

Harry thinks he wins, and then he can spell some shit about to pop off.

And since Harry is a Gryffindor, he cannot keep his mouth shut when this horrible woman is insulting his parents.

And Harry has probably heard even at school that his mother just because of her blood wasn’t as good as anyone else, and to have that compounded when this horrible turnip comes to stay was probably way too much for him.

Dudley couldn’t care less. Petunia is very concerned that this is going to ruin her dinner.

See how Harry runs!!! He’s like, “Time to go.”

I love that we get this shot of Lily and James dancing in nearly every movie.

Try me, bitch.

Marge is floating away into the night sky. I would hate to be the person who had to fly up and get her down to be obliviated.

It looks like he is near a park, is the park that is adjacent to the one that Harry is in at the beginning of Ootp?

SIRIUS!!!!!!

Stan is amazing. He just states the obvious in the funniest of ways. If there wasn’t such an age difference with the suspected death eater activity, him and Luna would have been cute.

What does that red sign say above Stan’s head on the bus? It looks like it says, Black Pepper Impi???? I’m sure about the Black Pepper, but I’m not sure about the last or the first word.

Stan says the most iconic thing her, “Don’t you tell me that you’ve never been hearin’ of Sirius Black.” Stan’s incredulity is amazing here because every knows about Sirius. And everyone should, dang beautiful man.

Tom sure transformed for this movie.

I love that he would have a car out front. You could activate the alarm to keep Muggles who got to close to run off.

It looks like that quill is dictating what the minister is saying. He is most likely making a formal decree as he is telling Harry that everything is all well and good and he is getting off with a little slap on the wrist.

Sirius Black. This is one of the best names in literature. It is just perfect. It could be corny and ordinary but it is perfect.

I love that from the windows of the Leaky you can see both Diagon and also the Muggle world. It is a nice meeting point.

You know the shopkeeper was selling what, a hundred of these monster books, and no one thought to tell any of them how to open them without getting ripped up?

I love all the details in this movie. The guy stirring his drink with his hand, the maid here. I love it all. This movie is very detailed oriented.

The only known shot of who is probably the hottest Weasley brother, if not figuratively then definitely literally.

There is art on the walls of the Leaky, but none of them seem to be moving.

The person in the background is carring like 70 plates as they wobble above their head.

The tea is pouring itself.

Let me just tell you that perhaps you may actually get murdered this year, but no big deal, just keep your nose down. This seems to be such a British sort of thing, like keep your head down, and nothing bad will happen.

I hate those wanted posters because they look like they were taken upon intake, and Sirius has just lost everything, and the loss and angry and desperation portrayed here really messes me up. Like I know that they aren’t real people, but dang, those emotions are real.

Percy in the background here. I never noticed him before.

They all look so grown up. My gosh.

Lupin!

You can always count on Ron to tell the truth.

That bottle of water right there by Lupin’s head. I take it two ways. One, that’s legit all Lupin could probably afford on this trip. And two, it would be a good way for him to keep his face hidden, but see inside of it to see whose reflections are present so he can know who took the compartment with him. I also headcanon, that this is after a full moon night which is why he is a bit lethargic.

The reason that Harry passed out, and no others did was because the dementors were feeding off of him. They took at least three pulls from Harry, but not anyone else.

If you have any questions about whether Hogwarts curriculum is up to snuff just look at any movie. These kids should get a crash course in all the crap that could kill them immediately so that they are aware. I wonder what the accidental death rate is at Hogwarts?

The chorus!!! I know that this was an add in from the director, but I love it, and it should remain canon. I also like they copied it, though with a more nefarious sound during Half Blood Prince.

“Something wicked this way comes!”

Snape claps like three times.

Why would they seat him next to Snape in the first place? Dumbledore is a shit stirrer, and completely planned that.

Draco is a punk bitch. But at this point, you can just see that it is teasing more than anything nefarious. He’s a little bully.

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light. This is one of the most iconic quotes of the series.

Everyone is watching the Fat Lady perform. I love that they brought her to life more, but kept that sassy attitude.

This scene is pure gold. It brought a lot of needed MAGIC to this movie about magic.

I love that Hogwarts is this super prestigious campus with bridges and fountains.

The way that the Womping Wilow is used to portray time is amazing.

She has all of the tea cups stacked behind her. Are those from an earlier class that need to be washed?

This whole film was shot using VIVID from Iphone.

Everyone behind her just leans into see what new stuff Harry Potter is going to get up to this year.

Ron, get some glasses, that clearly looks like a fucking dog. Dang.

Ron is keeping track of his girl. It took them too long to get together.

I don’t care what anyone says about Hagrid as a teacher this lesson was amazing.

Some things are just so second nature to Hagrid. It is proof that different types of intelligence are ral.

When your friends are that choreographed to mock your enemies, like that is some commitment. I stan the Slytherins a bit for this.

In the books, Harry actually steps up for Hagrid instead of being volunteered by everyone else.

Drapple, part one.

That girl behind Ron and Hermione looks to be about twenty seven years old. Someone got into Hogwarts from this reality, and I am pissed that it wasn’t me.

Just the scope and grandeur of Hogwarts, and the grounds really just gets me.

Malfoy is such a whiner. But I assume that he isn’t quite used to pain, any pain really.

The ghosts, also, in this movie are way more dynamic then the ghosts in the previous films.

You really get a sense, a subtle one, of blossoming emotions between members of the opposite sex.

I never noticed that there are hands holding Sirius for this mug shot. It looks to be at least two people that are physically restraining him for this shot.

Lupin calls on Neville of all people, and I am obsessed with him forever because of this. It is popular fanon that the Marauders knew Frank and Alice. It would make sense that Lupin had heard something about Neville from the rest of the teachers, and decided to help bolster this child of his friends.

That image is seared into Neville’s mind.

Can a boggart touch people? I made a headcanon about that, but it would be nice to see what you all think.

I would have really liked to have sseen Hermione’s boggart. I know that the boggart scene in Fantastic Beasts left a few people underwhelmed, but I wonder if Hermione’s would have been just as tame.

McGonagall is authoritative. The perfect teacher balance.

I wonder how hard it was for Remus to stand on this bridge with Harry. I wonder what instance he is talking about here. Lily was there for him when no one else was? When? What instance? This is why we need more information about the Marauders era, and why I did a thing. If you want the thing, message me.

Is it weird that I’m a bit thirsty for head boy Percy’s voice?

She said the same thing to Sirius when he was a student. “Eyes like the devil.” But she probably didn’t mind as much then. We all know Sirius is smoking hot. Have you seen that Tumblr posts where Harry Potter series is ranked based on how attractive Sirius is described?

This might be the most beautiful that the ceiling of the Great Hall gets.

Snape knows how to assert dominance even as a substitute.

That projector is amazing looking.

I love that their school books in DADA are separated by creatures who sleep at night verses the day.

Malfoy isn’t even using that sling.

Hogwart’s professors do not give extra time on assignments okay, unless you are litearlly dead. If Harry had rolled up in there as a ghost, Snape would still be like, “Where is my essay?”

Is that supposed to be Cedric?

Why is Harry actually seeing the Grim though? Who is sending him these signs? How? Why?

That was a long way to fall.

We only see Dumbledore use his wand on a handful of occasions. Harry, the boy who will save them all, is literally falling out of the sky, and he still doesn’t use it.

You can see the Hufflepuffs in the background. I wonder who they were visiting. Madam Pomfrey probably can’t go one match without having a room full of patients afterward.

Fred Weasley looking fine.

The music here is amazing and soothing.

I imagine that kids swim out to that little island all the time during the warmer months.

Another reason Harry is not in Ravenclaw: It took him at least three Hogsmeade weekends to figure out that he could use his cloak to get there unseen.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs = My boys

I love when Fred and George speak in unison.

It looks like they make their own candy at the bottom of the shop.

Harry just took Neville’s lollipop though he can’t eat it as he walks down the street because it is on the outside of the cloak.

Hermione who grew up in the Muggle world instantly knows that it is Harry. Ron, who grew up in the wizarding world legit thought that it could have been ghosts from the Shrieking Shack.

Harry is someone who values loyalty above all else. It is why he eventually stands up for Neville and Luna because they were there for him at one point in time. To know that Sirius, the person who was his father’s best friend betrayed him is something that would have made Harry feel physically ill. It would be something that he wouldn’t entirely be able to process, and as a teenage boy, his feelings resulted in this show of anger and frustration.

Everything in this movie is visually stunning, and really sets the tone for the other films.

I wonder what Remus is thinking about in this situation. Is he wondering just why Harry doesn’t have many memories that he can draw on? Is he wondering what his life has been like? What his life would have been like if Lily and James had lived and thinking that he would have had all the happy memories in the world if they had?

You can see the instruments tracking the heavenly patterns.

So, does a Boggart take on all of the traits that the creature it is mimicking? If it takes the shape of a lethifold can it kill you? If it takes the shape of a dementor can it suck out your soul for real? What are the limitations?

And a train set? Does Remus have a thing for trains?

I wish that we would have got some more emotion here from Remus. Harry is giving all of himself here, and Remus is just quietly taking it all in.

Crookshanks in the house.

I love Hagrid’s outfit here.

Best Ron/Harry interaction. You kick those tape dance wearing spiders arses, Ronald Weasley.

In the previous two films we have those lights that blaze with fire like motion activated flames, but this hallway is dark and dank for dramatic effect.

At this point, Harry doesn’t believe in the maps infallibility so it would make sense that he doesn’t really go to anyone and explain what he say on the map. Also, how would he know that someone wouldn’t take it from him? He would have seen this as his only way to get to Hogsmeade with his friends, and he wouldn’t have wanted to give that up for anything.

The Marauders were some of the most intelligent students that have ever walked the halls of Hogwarts. They charmed this piece of parchment in what fifth year? They mapped almost the entire school, found several secret passageways, and helped out their friend in one of the most epic ways possible. I love them. (Peter found most of the passageways in his animagus form)

Read: Charming James Potter was one charming mother f-er. BET.

One of the only times Harry was pleased to read in front of a teacher.

Lupin to the rescue.

Snape is not subtle. It’s no wonder Hermione figured it out. Legit half of the Slytherins know, but they are so tired of having subpar defense teachers that they just go on with their business as usual.

I really wanted to see some more emotion on Lupin’s face. I want to see some subtly in the way that he looks at Harry or the way that he plays a scene. I want to see some longing for his lost friends or his friends son. I wanted to see more. I love this character, but I think it could have had more nuance.

Even the amazement at hearing Peter’s name is sort of dulled here. Idk.

Hermione is one hundred percent the person who cheats at board games, and who wrecked the board when she lost as a little girl. Only child syndrome.

This is the most visually pleasing classroom. You can see Sirius’ face in the crystal ball.

And does Harry tell anyone about this prophecy? Nope. No. Not anyone important.

Draco is instantly afraid because he knows that Hermione is a bad bitch. Also, he might be terrified because he knows how easy it is for people to lose control of their wands.

The Stonehenge like structures here are so interesting to me. They reach to the Heavens, they are in a circular pattern. If you’ll notice in movie 5, the chamber that the trial is in looks like it was built on top of an older chamber. It just makes everything feel as if the new is breeding from these old ancestral power lines or something of that nature, and I just love that idea.

Hagrid is the most responsible adult in this movie. Dumbledore and McGonagall are like, “Yeah, go ahead and meddle with time, no worries.” Hagrid is like, “Don’t worry about me and my feelings about Buckbeak, just get out of here, and be safe heading back to the castle.”

You have to think that even though Sirius spent 12 years in Azkaban that Peter’s time as a rat was never really all that perfect either. Being covered in bugs, constantly on the floor, people don’t really care for you, people who forget to feed you, 7 children all wanting your attention and pulling at you being the only pet that can’t fly in a house full of kids.

I always thought that was a very distinctive stone for Hermione to find and throw.

The time loop here always confused me.

The most awkward hug ever captured on film…no, wait....lol

When you are as blind as Harry James and I, losing your glasses means that you can’t see shit. You can’t see anything but swatches of color.

The Womping Willow has not forgotten that Harry and Ron threw a car into her. And she ain’t going to forget anytime soon.

“If you want to kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us too.” Loyalty, my friends. Absolutely crazy, we’re going to get sliced up by an escaped criminal loyalty, but loyalty none the less.

Sirius has spent twelve years in Azkaban, but is still a ten. I just read that Buzzfeed list about which HP characters had the most BDE, and I was not surprised to see Sirius Black on the list. Also, Professor McGonagall, who honestly should have held the top spot.

Lupin flirting from the word, “Go.”

Lupin has dealt with manic Sirius before. Several times.

“I did my waiting twelve years of it… in Azkaban!!!” Is one of the most iconic lines ever.

I had not yet read the books when this movie came out, and I remember be literally so surprised. “The rat is a man?? WTF?”

Snape, here, believes up to this point that Sirius is the reason that Voldemort was able to find Lily in the first place. He believes that Sirius is the reason that the only person Snape ever really cared about is dead. If Snape was a Gryffindor he would have went for the immediate gratification of AK’ing Sirius, but instead, Snape is a true Slytherin and that means that he is vicious, he wants to make sure the revenge is as bad as it can be. In that vein, he wants to let the dementors suck out Sirius’ soul. He wants Sirius to feel like he has felt all the years, like a body with no soul. Lifeless. Death, Snape would think, would be too easy for someone who had taken so much away from him.

Remus is like, “Okay, no, no negotiating or touching Severus at all, gotcha.”

Sirius is goading Snape even at wand point. You want to think that this is the Black family madness or Azkaban insanity, but it is just Sirius being a cocky bastard, overestimating himself and underestimating his opponents.

Sirius and Remus argued like this all the time. Snape gets the old married couple vibe, and honestly, me too.

This is how the Marauders argued. All standing, pacing the room is various shades of annoyance with one another, wishing the other would shut up, shouting “reason”, casting spells, Peter crawling under furniture to avoid said spells, aggressive politeness, “We do not say, “Shut up!””

I would kill Pettigrew for the insipid voice of his.

Why would Dumbledore put a piano in the shrieking shack in the first place.

This is one place where Remus shows some nuance. He wants to kill Peter, intensely. He only stalls and reluctantly at that, because Harry says something.

Sirius looking at the castle and saying that one day he wishes that one day he could walk inside as a free man fucks me up. Hogwarts to Sirius must represent the reverse of everything that Azkaban did. The two places that Sirius spent most of his life. The happiest and the unhappiest memories that he has. The place where he had his friends and then the place where he only had their memories.

I hate this. They all just gradually glance at the moon like something has gone wrong. Like they are calling attention to some fun little oddity.

I wonder how many times Sirius tried to talk to Remus in the form of a wolf. Did he really think that it was possible to call back Remus from the wolf? Had they tried that before? Did it work?

Snape still tries to protect the kids even after they stunned him. Snape has a pathological fear of werewolves, and yet, he stands in its way.

I feel like if Remus was honest with everyone, Dumbledore and Harry that he could have told Harry that meeting up with Sirius and James and Peter in their animagus form while he was the wolf and that they kept him from hurting people would have given Harry more confidence in Sirius’ ability to handle Remus and he wouldn’t have run off with him in the first place. Sirius might never have gotten caught. They all might have made it back to the castle. I don’t know. Honesty is the best policy.

What is that little ball of light that floats out and then in of Harry’s mouth? What is that? Is that supposed to represent his soul? Because Sirius’s soul would be blazing red, yellow, and orange.

The way Dumbledore says, “Scabbers”, like he legit thinks that Ron’s rat could have had a hand in the trouble.

Me and Ron are the same. Dumbledore is just so cheery about the prospect of these two kids going back in time to SAVE LIVES. They aren’t going to the store to get milk, Dumbledore, this is serious business.

Buckbeak is living his best life.

Harry really wants to believe that his dad conjured this Patronus. He has just seen Sirius who isn’t a mass murderer at all, but someone who loves him intensely. He thinks that he is going to get away from the Dursleys. He just blasted the teacher that he hates. He has literally just gone back in time to help save his friends and catch the real bad guy. I mean, why wouldn’t he even consider the possibility that his dad could have somehow cast the Patronus? For Harry, it would seem at least possible if not probable.

I hate when Harry says, “He will come.” Harry is someone who has always only been able to depend upon himself, but in this moment, he thinks that he can depend on someone else to come to his rescue. I know that he finds his own empowerment here, and is able to cast a super strong charm to help get himself and Sirius out of trouble, but he, once again, had to stand up and take care of things himself.

The explanation that he gives on how he casts the patronus doesn’t make sense to me either, Hermione, don’t worry. Time loops are tricky business.

Sirius is down for this ride. Don’t tell me he never played Quidditch. I will fight you. He mocked James for it at first, but then was just as fanatical.

The way that Sirius holds Harry’s face just messes me up. It is like he is trying to memorize every detail in his face.

Remus moved so many small personal objects into this office. It gives you the feel that he really thought that he might be able to stay, and I hate that he was forced out. He is using a cane the night after the full because it was so rough.

The twins are beautiful mischief makers and I love them. I wish we had more of them in these films, but they are sprinkled in wonderfully.

Even Percy has to see this broom in action.

This was the best end for this film because while Harry didn’t get freedom from the Dursley’s he did get some fun which is what godfather’s are for, right?

The art for this film is out of its mind. It is creative and wonderful, and really takes you inside of the theme for this movie. I love it, and even the credits draw you further in to this universe. This is one film that makes all the others better just because it exists.

[vanessakirbyfans]

Vanessa Kirby is no Princess Margaret any more. After all, as The Crown star takes on her latest high-kicking role as an Mi5 agent in Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, the only crown jewels are the ones she’s kneeing between the legs. The Queen and Lord Snowdon are gone without a trace and in their place is none other than Jason Statham, her new on-screen sibling, and The Rock, her new love interest. Talk about a holy trinity.

In the talented hands of Vanessa, this is no damsel in a dress, or, in, fact distress. In between dangling out of a moving car shooting a gun and having The Rock caught in a headlock between her thighs, there is real depth to Kirby’s Fast and Furious wing woman. Finally, we have an action heroine we can actually believe in and root for.

Here, in another edition of GLAMOUR Unfiltered - the celebrity interview franchise where guest powerfully open up about the obstacles they have had to overcome– Vanessa discusses overcoming school bullies, body hang ups and how she altered her mindset to seek validation from within… GO VANESSA!

How did you get this high-kicking, badass on for Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw?

I channeled the inner Marge (Princess Margaret). It’s everything she wanted to do to her sister and anyone. It was the inner rage. It was very therapeutic!

When you were filming this, were you ever like, ‘oh my Christ, my life is in jeopardy!’?

Every day. I was constantly in pain, but my sister was in the production team and I had some of my favourite people from The Crown in the costume and makeup department too. So, we had a little crew and we just laughed the whole time at the absurdity of things we had to do.

What’s the key high kicking move you’ve learnt?

It’s the elbow move! The stunt team realised quite early on that my punches would knock nobody out and so they were like, ‘how are we going to make this remotely believable?’ Instead of doing a straight punch, which I tried to do badly, you rotate from the hips and use your whole body. You can’t do a follow through; you’ve got to reverb! It’s also a great dance move!

One of the best lines in the film is, ‘I am done with your alpha male bullsh*t.’ When you came to do a film like this, did you have any reservations about coming into a very male dominated space?

This is part of the reason why I chose to do it and I was really clear about what kind of female she should be. I felt like it was so important as the lead female that she wasn’t falling into any tropes like she’s never got saved by the guys, she was a capable fighter and she never got rescued. I wanted to make her a bit scrappy, weird and not some traditional version of female action we’ve seen before.

Do you have to deal with everyday sexism?

Less so now but for years, yeah! Before the last couple of years, it was on such a subliminal level and it was something that was so accepted. It definitely has changed. Everyday (on this film) I was like, ‘nope let’s not wear this costume, let’s do this!’ There were lots of ways in which we tried to take care of that presence in a movie that’s really about men.

What would happen and what would people say when they were being sexist to you?

Day-to-day stuff that every woman has experienced but also work-wise in terms of the scripts you read. Always without realising she would be the girlfriend. She’d never be out there fighting on the field. She’d be the woman waiting at home to see if the man survived and saved the world for her. That’s the difference now. People are really open to the conversation. Universal is run by a woman who is incredible and she’s so passionately hot on this stuff. Even having a presence like Hattie in a movie like this is unusual and that felt really important for me to take care of as an actress because you can talk about wanting to change things and wanting to represent someone on screen but can you go into a seriously alpha male world that’s generally regarded as testosterone and try and inject a feminine presence into it?

What have you learnt about your power as a woman through Hobbs and Shaw?

I was really hard! Every day we showed up and talked about it. I was able to say what I thought and made sure as a fighter, she got fights that were her own.

The body is looking banging in this! Did you go down the gym?

I did not go down gym! I was at the National Theatre doing this play and eating so much chocolate to get me through it because it was a really tough part and I was not down the gym. They would take me to stunt training in the morning and I would train but I’d be out of breath and all these stunt guys - like the world’s best stunt guys - would be really polite and gracious whilst I was tripping over stuff. I had to squat in front of mirrors and my legs would be wobbling. You feel like such an idiot. I couldn’t do a roly poly at the beginning. I kept going sideways and hurt my head loads. The very first day we shot, we’d finished the last show the day before. We finished on Saturday night and on Sunday morning at 7am, I was on set having to do this one long take in MI6 gear, so I was wearing a helmet, guns everywhere, a balaclava and I had to take out 6 guys and do this flip roll. It was my first day, so I was so scared anyway - no one knows anyone - it’s really awkward and it’s up to me to get it in one take. It was a nightmare. It was like a tortoise when you land on the shell.

You seem very in tune with your body image in Hobbs and Shaw? What has your journey with body image been like?

It’s just an act - I tried really hard to act it. On The Crown I was called Bambi, especially by the costume department - I fell over all the time! So, it was really risky doing a movie like this. With body image, I am always conscious of my bum - my sister is the same. But I have come to realise you only get one and you only get you. You can’t think your way out of it. You have to enjoy it for what it is. I have been trying to do that more and more. I didn’t feel more in tune with it filming this - I was aching so much and hobbling around a lot.

You have gone through a journey of empowerment in your life - you have been bullied at school – what has that road been like for you?

There was a drive in me to prove myself. I have always been really interested in where we feel like we are not enough is who we are. Especially when you are bullied you feel in yourself you are not enough as you are or try to be something different to please other. Whether it’s for friendships or relationships you need to find the best version of you that you are the most comfortable with.

What have been the turning points in your own empowerment?

Working with War Child has changed my life forever. I also think learning to be ok as you are. More and more I try everyday to practice self-care and self-love. I would summarise self-love as sometimes noticing the thoughts that you have about yourself are so negative and more negative than anyone would be to your face. You would never be that negative to someone else. It’s so bazaar we have this inner critic. I used to really struggle with it at work and in my life generally. I have had to really nurture that part and say, ‘why are you doing that, why are you saying that about yourself?’ The practice of catching it and replacing it with something positive is so simple. Would you ever say the things you say about yourself to anyone else? Absolutely never! If were talking to a friend about their fears or anxieties, how would you talk to them? I don’t talk to myself how I would talk to a friend. It’s a key to empowerment is catching that thought.

What do you tell yourself in those moments of self-doubt?

I talk to myself like how I would talk to a small child. If am doubting myself, freaking out or feeling super anxious I go, ‘you are ok, it’s all cool, remember you are enough.’ Because I think we look for outside sources to do that be that validation from relationships, affirmations from the outside too - be that owning things or being something more, achieving something - and those things are transient. They come and they go, they are not constant. But your mind could be if you practice it.

You have become an activist as an ambassador for War Child. Can you remember a moment during that experience that has changed you?

The very first trip with them when I met some of the Syrian refugees. When you actually meet those families, I just felt that parts of me shifted forever. I am so privileged. I am so lucky and live somewhere where I don’t worry about my life every day - as in danger of my actual life. We have freedom and we can choose what we want to do. The refugees come from the most horrific experiences, then they come to camps which some of them have been living in for six and a half years. They are stuck with nothing to do, like a prison. It’s unimaginable. Then you come back here and think, ‘What? Why do I worry about that! I can choose what I eat in the morning. I don’t have the same powdered food every day.’ That’s helped my inner critic. Experiencing the lives of others that are far worse than anything I deal with. It makes anything I have to deal with much easier.

[prairiesongserial]

Windfield Pass 9

TW: Amputation

Anna and Marge both looked like they might faint.

“You might have guessed by...our impolite appearances, that Owl and I have had a hard journey,” Agnes began, slowly.  “We ran into some trouble in the waste, on the way from Pickton.  Owl was badly scared by a mutie.  A Weeper.”

Agnes felt ill, besmirching Selkie’s name after she had saved their lives.  But it would all have been for nothing if Owl lost her placement in Windfield.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Anna said, taking one of Owl’s hands.  “You must have been terrified.”

Owl frowned.  “Agnes was more scared than me. I’m not afraid of anything.  Selkie is nice, and I rode on her back.”

“Selkie?”

“The motorist,” Agnes managed.  There was no opportunity to tell Owl to shut her mouth, not without seeming extremely suspicious.

“Strange names down in Pickton,” Marge muttered.

“That’s not true,” Meredith said, getting upset.  “Owl told me she was friends with the muties in the waste, and she’s probably a mutie herself.”

“Now, Meredith, that’s a terrible thing to say...” Marge said.  But she was looking more and more uncomfortable.  “Let’s sort everything out with Mayor Willin, yes, he’ll get everything straightened out…”

Marge urged them toward the door, apologizing to the still stunned Anna. Owl sulked as she was called away from the barrel, and Agnes was beginning to promise that they would go back for the kidney beans later, when she stopped short.  As the bell on the doorframe tinkled behind her, Agnes realized that the streets had changed in the small group’s short absence.  A party of hunters was stumbling down the main road, travel worn and miserable.  They bore one of their own on a stretcher fashioned from rough hewn branches and prairie grass, dogs yapping at their heels.  People spilled out of their homes and businesses to watch the procession.

The dogs scared a scream out of Owl, and she hid behind Agnes.

“Nothing to fear,” Agnes told her, in barely a murmur.  “Don’t say anything else about Selkie, hear?”

“Why?” Owl said quietly.  “I like Selkie.  Is Selkie bad?”

Agnes squeezed Owl’s shoulder, then approached the hunters.

“Dr. Hopper,” one of them said in amazement.  “You were supposed to have left.  Hey, it’s Dr. Hopper!”

The rest of the hunters - few in number, only three - stopped and crowded her.

“Can you save him?” the man asked.  “Damn Llorona got him.”

Agnes inspected the man on the stretcher.  Selkie had ripped one of his arms to ribbons.  It seemed so unnecessary, until Agnes realized it was his right arm - it would likely be his shooting arm.

“If he loses the arm, maybe,” Agnes said.  “Get him inside, anywhere, and bring me a belt, and the town mason.  And something that can cut stone.”

Agnes had done field amputations twice before, and only one of those patients had lived.  It was an exhausting operation, and it had been so many years, she wasn’t sure she could do it anymore.  She would have to take an unorthodox tack.     

The hunters scattered.  Agnes heard her name, heard whoops and hollers of an almost religious bent, one of the hunters calling back, “We’ll make today Hopper Day if you save ‘im, Doc!” The hunter’s friend hit him in a friendly, though chiding way and said, “Don’t say that, idiot, you aren’t the mayor.”

The hunter who had asked if Agnes could save the man on the stretcher stayed behind.  He donated his own belt, and helped her drag the wounded man into Anna’s general store.  Owl watched in awe, along with Meredith.  There was no time to worry over them, though Agnes did wonder how Owl would feel if she found out her beloved Selkie had done this.

“Why is he like that?” Owl asked, creeping closer.

Agnes cinched the belt tight below the wounded man’s shoulder.  He looked bad - his fellows had been dragging him for days.  There was no way they could have gone through the Windfield pass with a stretcher in tow, which meant they had braved the mountains too, or perhaps cut north through mutie territory.  It had been as hard a journey for them as it had been for Agnes and Owl.

Owl reached out and touched the man’s shoulder, as if she couldn’t believe he was real.  The man’s eyes rolled to look at her, and he smiled - or maybe he was baring his teeth.

Agnes gave Owl a sharp look, and she drew her hand away.

“Save the arm, Dr. Hopper?” the wounded man said, breathing shallowly.

“Certainly not,” Agnes said.  “If you live you’ll be lucky.”

The man squeezed his eyes closed.  Shortly the other hunters returned, the town mason in tow.  She was a young woman with deep-set eyes and brown curls twisted back into a sensible bun.  She was still tying her stone-working apron on as she passed through the door.

“My God,” the mason said, fumbling with the knot.  “Dr. Hopper, I - ”

Agnes searched the woman for her tools.  She had brought a masonry chisel, perhaps misunderstanding her task.  Behind her, two hunters staggered under the weight of a strange contraption which must have been a wet saw.  It was operated by pedals and gasoline, and barely fit through the door of the general store.  Agnes might have been better off calling the butcher for a cleaver.  But no, she couldn’t trust the strength of her arm, nor could she trust the resolve of the butcher - or anyone else - to make a clean chop.  The saw, on the other hand, cut clean, regardless of the resolve of its user.

“Alright,” Agnes said, and gestured to the mason.  “You there, you can use that thing, so that’s what you’ll do.  You all in the back, hold him still, at a right angle for her, and listen to everything she says.”

“You aren’t going to do it yourself?” the wounded man asked nervously.  “But you’re the doctor.”

“I’m also an old woman,” Agnes snapped.  “Get started.”

The mason’s hands trembled as she got her contraption ready.  The hunters scrambled to move their compatriot into position.  And Agnes herself chose the line onto which the mason would lower the saw.  She checked the tightness of the belt.

“Someone run to the nearest house and bring me a shovelful of hot coals,” she said.  “Anna, get a basin ready with strong spirits, set it nearby with a rag - a clean one.  Owl, get my pack.  There’s a little vial with a red syrup…”

She trailed off, thinking of the symbol Selkie had drawn for her.  She had never identified herself with any of her tools.  The symbol for doctor or medicine in the northwest was an intersection of green lines at a right angle.  But to Selkie, it was this, this little tincture that took away pain.  The most superficial of her tools - but the most empathetic. It was funny that Selkie had chosen painkiller to represent Agnes, when Selkie had been the one to necessitate its use today.

The general store buzzed with movement, the wounded man breathing shallow, anxious breaths with his arm posed just so under the saw blade.  In seconds, Agnes had all she needed before her.  Coals, alcohol, bandages.

“What is that?  Why are you doing that?” Owl asked from underfoot. “Agnes, why is he like that.  Agnes, what is that thing?”

“Give him a healthy swig of the syrup, Anna,” Agnes said, ignoring Owl.  The wounded man was distracted by the vial, and at that moment Agnes silently signalled the mason, who fired up the saw.  In less than a second, it was done, the wounded man too surprised to scream.  At least for a moment.

“Hold him still,” snapped Agnes.  She moved quickly.  With heat from the coals, alcohol, and many layers of bandage from her pack, the wound was soon sufficiently clean and cauterized.

“Mason, thank you,” Agnes said.  “Go home and have a drink.”

“Thank you, I will,” she muttered, stunned.  And she left, staggering onto the porch.

Mechanically, Anna retrieved a mop and attended to the blood on the floor.  Bodies moved this way and that in the store, mostly silent, cleaning up or caring for the wounded man, muttering in low voices about where to take him, and who would care for him.  Agnes thought she caught a strange, mistrustful look in one of the hunter’s eyes.  But he soon left, and Agnes put the thought out of her mind.

The general store began to clear out, leaving only Agnes, Owl, and Anna behind.  Meredith had gone home as soon as the excitement was over, and Marge, likely overcome with the need to tell someone about the goings on in Anna’s store today, had left long before.

Anna dragged her mop bucket outside to dump the bloody water in the grass.  Agnes watched her carefully.  She was a narrow, strong woman, who set to a task, no matter how gruesome, with grace and hard work.  And apparently she wanted a child.  Most in Windfield had had parenthood thrust upon them, and made do.  And their children made do, too.  

Agnes cleaned the blood from her hands and clothes with a damp rag.  Owl had appeared at her side at some point, watching Anna clean blood from the floor with more rapture even than Agnes, lost in her reverie.

“Why did you do that to him?” Owl said solemnly.  “Why did they cut off his arm?”

Agnes reached down and squeezed Owl’s hand.

“Sometimes you need to be hurt more in order to get better,” she said.

“Oh,” said Owl.  “I don’t get it.”

Anna returned with a fresh bucket of water.  Agnes let go of Owl’s hand and stepped forward to meet Anna at the door, where they wouldn’t be overheard.

“In the last hour you’ve had enough excitement in your shop for several weeks,” Agnes said.

Anna leaned back against the doorpost, letting the mop lean next to her.

“No thanks to you,” she said.  She wasn’t hostile, just honest.  Agnes liked her.

“It would be silly to ask you to commit to Owl today - I’m sure the mayor can place her temporarily somewhere until someone in town adopts her.  Or until someone sends word to me to find placement for her somewhere else.”  Agnes smiled grimly.  “Allowing Marge to handle a delicate affair was my mistake.”

Anna offered her half a smile in return.  She slapped the mop back against the floor and resumed cleaning.  The woman was exhausted.  Agnes supposed she had better go.

“Come along, Owl,” Agnes called, re-shouldering her pack.  “We have another errand or two before the day is done.”

Reluctantly, Owl pulled herself away from the rhythmic motion of Anna’s mop and followed Agnes out the door.

Windfield Pass 8 || Windfield Pass 10 

[dreamplagued-blog]

If I should die before I wake ; part 2

This was a role-play I had with a very talented Freddy. Decided to share it here, even if incomplete. The blog is new so hopefully these samples will give you an idea as to my writing style.

This bit was not written by me but by my former Freddy. And, yes, I have his permission to post it: :)

One. Two. Freddy's coming for you. Fred always did do what one would consider his best work to the unsuspecting. The children never truly knew what horrors would find them until it had been far too late. With quite the wicked grin spreading over his charred features, the criminal did listen from the other side of the door. Off to school, Little Nancy? Perhaps. But not in this nightmare. The fog, huh, Glen? Wait, aren't you dead? The monster's smile broadened. How difficult it had been to put an end to this Thompson girl. She had managed to pull him out of his own world and that kind of behavior simply could not be allowed. Not again. Freddy was eternal, having been kept alive and feared by those on Elm Street for decades. Those playground whispers. The way kids just loved to talk about what they could not understand. It gave him all the more reason to continue to plague their feeble minds. Three. Four. Better lock your door. Knives crept over the face of the inside of the door. Just as Nancy felt a peace wash over her for the first time in weeks, stepping into that car as though she would ever see happiness again. That woman? Off the booze? How pathetic of Nancy to fall for such an inconceivable lie. Those familiar stripes crept over the cab of the automobile. The teenagers scramble in terror, attempting to claw their way out of Krueger's hand. "Scream for me." Came his growl from behind the door as the car pulled away, seemingly all on its own. Surely the girl knew by now that he was alive and well. "Mother can't save you now." And with a single motion, the clawed hand crashed through the glass, grabbed the unsuspecting woman across the chest and pulled her into the window. Freddy would ensure that Nancy could do nothing but watch. Five. Six. Grab your crucifix. The one on the wall. Hm. Slender burnt digits would carefully remove the cross from beside the door and, with a single fluid motion, send it directly through the heart of the mother that Nancy so desperately called after. Seven. Eight. Gonna stay up late. Beneath the hat, a pair of gleaming eyes would peer out of the newly broken window to watch the car stroll down the street and off to Freddy's next playground. The only way for Nancy Thompson to lose everything all over again would be for him to give it back. A brief moment of serenity to bring her spiraling back down into Freddy's world would serve as a lesson to teach her just how powerless she truly was. Nine. Ten. Never sleep again. ---

THIS POINT AND BEYOND IS MINE C: : 

Petrified Nancy glanced at the mirrors, and didn’t see her reflection like she thought she would; instead she watched the dream demon drag her screaming mother through the door with just one striped arm, much like a movie she wished she hadn’t seen. She sucked in an involuntary whimper and aimed for the steering wheel, attempting to turn the car around in a moment of desperation and hope. Such hope was dangerously naive and foolish, but in all the madness she remained obstinately level-headed and didn’t let her vulnerability devour her right to action. “Krueger, you bastard!” she cried, with fingers that slipped and a grip that was warm and unusually clammy. “Glen,” she yelled, “help!” She looked down at the the steering wheel and felt her heart swell in her throat. Crimson fluids lubricated her delicate, flower-like hands in a thick, sticky coating. Nancy called out for him a second time before being greeted by a most deafening silence. She turned a little to find her partially puréed boyfriend with his defined jaw abnormally slack and eyes impossibly wide, and all her friends seemed to share a similar fate with the boy - only, they represented their previous deaths. She stared at their corpses as if they had taken away a piece of her soul, then, with blood-curdling cry, she thrashed in her seat and darted to the window. To contemplate her next action was costly, and, taking advantage of the adrenaline coursing through her veins, kicked repeatedly at the very center of the window. The result wasn’t instant; it was increasingly painful with each kick and she sounded her anguish and more so when it finally happened. She was showered in glass that seemed a little more fragile than it would have been in her own world. One thing was for sure, she couldn’t have found a safer way to toss her fragile body out of the car. The car sped up ever faster, the roads were a blur. She had a hunch she wouldn’t survive the fall. But she had to try. Her injuries were so apparent, so painful, that she lost her voice and could only give way to a gasp. Her glossy nails were caked in dried blood, her pretty clothing muddied up with an unhealthy balance of crimson and dirt. Battered and woozy, she had to reinforce her purpose for there was a moment where she was sure she wanted to die. Her light baby blue eyes were wide with agony, the lashes that framed them like curtains were moist with the tears of her fury. Nancy sprang to her feet in a clumsy stagger, and could hardly stand: but before she had taken a couple of lousy steps forward the sidewalk extended itself, and she watched it do so in a daze. Nancy looked at the empty streets through which the striped car tore through with such rapidity, and a familiar sentiment of helplessness took possession of her. She would not openly admit to herself that she was driven to desperation at the time it would take for her to reach the house from where she stood on foot, but the ambient fog was a reminder to her that the longer she waited, the less likely she was to save her beloved mother from Freddy. And yet the disorienting visage of a seemingly peaceful neighborhood and vastness of the streets overwhelmed her. “Leave her alone, Freddy.” She said this barely above a whisper, her breath ragged with hate and quivering authority, as if in a trance. “It’s me you want. You want my blood on your filthy claws,” she taunted softly, clawing at the air with unconventional grace, “don’t you? I’m here.” Her eyebrows shot downward and creased her childish countenance. “Come and get me, fucker.” She snapped, realizing too late that she was sinking through the gray cement. ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ the mental cussing began as she looked for anything to hold onto, but nothing or no certainly no person came to her rescue - a usual occurrence in the cursed life of Nancy Thompson. She looked to the tranquil sky, stretched out her hand to capture the last beautiful thing she’d see before vanishing into the muck. Nancy fell through the ceiling of her home. Her body collided with the soft couch her mother often rested on after one of her many drinking sessions, and she rose her hands over her face defensively before their very cleanliness confused her. She understood a long time ago that dreams weren’t very predictable and logic often never followed the premise of how they worked. Her legs were no longer encased in cement, only, they very much felt that way when she stood up for a moment to orient herself further. “Five, six grab your crucifix.” She mouthed inaudibly, drifting through the hall that led to the door and whirled around to see the gloved man making a grab for the holy object on the wall. A slave to her distress was she that she impulsively propelled herself forward, and though she was charging at a great pace; Freddy’s movements were quicker, for he managed to pierce the heart of Marge Thompson. With something like a horrible curse on her lips, she dropped to her knees before him and tried with all her might to remove the cross, but Marge seized her hand. Nancy clasped her tinier hand over hers, holding back her tears. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of Krueger. Marge pulled her closer and whispered hauntingly into her ear: “Run.” Nancy did just that. She ran.

[processingstupidity]

In Defence of "The Nag".

I have been working on an extended project recently that has lead me to take a deep dive into heteronormativity and other such social norms and I also recently watched a video by The Take on "The Nag" stereotype. It got me thinking. So I present this defence of "The Nag".

"The Nag" is a trope in media whereby a female partner is seen constantly berating her male partner to his annoyance and this is usually played for laughs at the female partner's expense. The reasons for nagging have been various: in The Simpsons, Marge is constantly seen nagging Homer to be more responsible; and The Goldbergs' Beverly - when not helicopter parenting her children - is often seen in conflict with her husband Murray about his pessimistic and cheapskate attitude that she feels doesn't allow for fun or romance in their relationship. Although the reasons can be varied they all in my view seem to have a common thread under the lens of heteronormativity and gender roles. They all pertain to either the husband not performing a duty that is typically seen as the husband's job and thus not holding up his end of the bargain or the husband seemingly not giving adequate compensation to the wife for all that she does and has had to do in order to keep her end of the bargain. Now I would like to clarify that this post is not in defence of rigid gender roles and harmful heteronormative practises. It is solely in defence of the women (real and fictional) trying their best under such conditions to do what they have been taught their whole life is their job, when their partners - who stereotypically benefit in some way from these oppressive systems - when it comes down to it, have not been as strictly held to them as their wives are.

Women of a certain era (the era often represented in the media or by the characters within the media in which "The Nag" is present) were taught that in order to have a good life they needed to attract, secure and keep a man. To do this they had to follow a myriad of rules and often supress who they truly were and what they truly wanted. Until recent decades women didn't have their own financial independence. Their security, prosperity and "freedom" in life was dependent on what their husband provided and allowed. Whereas men could live a single and responsibility free life as long as they chose, because they were the ones with access to financial independence as well as social freedoms that women did not and still do not fully have. So where the media has tried to portray "The Nag" as disgruntled, demanding and superficial, what i see in this trope is, from his wife's perspective, a husband who still during marriage enjoys the male privileges he had as a bachelor. Who, because of this privilege, is not used to nor enjoys being told what to do or being criticised for not doing enough and so complains and mocks his wife who, having given up everything for love or through having no other choice, is just trying her best to hold up her end of the bargain.

It's like if a professional actor was taking part in a paid performance with someone who is just getting their start in the industry and instead of following the script, the person with less to lose starts to change the narrative and mess up the performance. It doesn't mean as much to them, so why bother trying to put on a good show? And all the while, their scene partner is desperately trying to make the best of the situation, while internally screaming.

I'm giving this performance my all, why won't you do the same?

And yes, there is an argument to be made about just ditching the dead weights and assuming for themselves the traits and behaviours that they're begging to see from someone else. To find someone better. However, this doesn't change that these characters and many women in real life often were indoctrinated from childhood into these stereotypical expectations and invested a lot of time and effort into it: giving up careers, hobbies, isolating themselves even, in order to start families etc.. and that sacrifice, even if it was unnecessary, has already happened and in those cases, still deserves reciprocation and respect from the person who benefits from it: The Douche Who Complains To His Friends About His Wife Expecting More Than The Bare Minimum From Him Because From Her Perspective, This Is All She Has To Work With. The idea of "The Woman Who Has It All" came too late for some women.

I believe that men wrote "The Nag" into their media as a way to make a joke and therefore deflect from the fact that for so long, women had to put up with the bare minimum. Rather than showing male characters who treat their wives better and strive to provide a better life for those who are dependent on them, they preferred to mock the wives for wanting a better life and a better relationship, and for feeling unable to simply go out and achieve this themselves.

And so what if "The Nag" is disgruntled and bitter? You would be too if you were trapped in a situation where you are constantly held to a higher standard than the person you depend on and in return your reward was mockery and resentment, all of which you must tolerate because to them you are a ball and chain, but to you they are maybe the only chance at having a good life.

The Take: "The Nag Trope - It’s Time to Write It Out."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO_sw-nAlEI

[damdamin-ni-margo]

10 — pagtatapos

June 23, 2021.

Today’s our watch party and last session for the semester.

It was honestly bittersweet, and believe it or not, I’ve been so excited for this session ever since because:

1. I haven’t been in synchronous sessions (that’s fun, ha) in such a long time.

2. I missed the energy of the entire class.

3. I’m stoked for my classmates’ performances!!!

Sadly, we weren’t complete, but I still was able to watch each performance and enjoyed every bit of it. If I could praise my classmates for their hard work and how well they presented and produced their ‘plays’ 24/7, I definitely would. But we were pressed for time, so I wasn’t able to voice out my comments as much I as wanted to. Which is why I’ll use this opportunity to give my comments and praises here!

Deeper Than Divide - Margs and Allie Wanted to start first with Allie and I’s performance before anything else. I wanted to say how proud and happy I am to be working and acting with Allie again, given that we’ve been partners in crime since day 1 of college. This project is really going to be memorable for us since it encapsulates what our friendship really is. I just wished we were able to squeeze and compress our content into 10 minutes just like the others, but I’d also like to believe that everything in the video was hand-in-hand and necessary to put so that the story would be complete. Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out and I enjoyed producing and watching it. I’m excited to watch this 5-10 years from now and reminisce about it.

Me and My Jowapp - Abby and Lance I have no words, sobrang galing!! Haha, super halata na hasang hasa na si Abby and Lance; it shows how well they know what they’re doing, at parang gamay na gamay na nila entire flow. I loved the graphics, I loved the thrilling and mysterious concept, and I super appreciated how unique and all out they went. They also incorporated so many challenging elements, at na-pull of nila lahat! Kudos!! 

Keiko’s Performance Hay grabe, so much emotions felt in this performance. I felt everything and related a lot in almost every scene. The concept is just so applicable to everybody, not just music majors/artists. It really is something everyone is going through, and ate Keiko perfectly representing and showing that realistically was something to applaud for. It’s also very refreshing to see ate Keiko in this light, as someone who personally knows her as the bubbly type, it’s amazing to see her do something very different from what she normally does. Galing, and as the only one working on it - super hands down!!

Caren and Luke’s Musical Performance Sobrang tuwa at aliw!! Didn’t cross my mind at all to do a musical, given that it’s so hard to do online pero naitawid nang bongga nila Caren and Luke. My eyes started to get bigger from the moment it started at lalo na siyang lumaki at bumulwak when they were singing an original?! Wala akong masabi hahaha napakagaling! I know Caren and Luke as our undergrads and it’s nice to see them shining like this, doing what they love to do the most. Ang saya kasi kitang kita sa mga mukha nila na sobrang enjoy at damang dama nila bawat salita at kanta. Galing talaga - onting tweak at add lang sa storyline, pwedeng pwede na i-produce sa big stage!! Kakaproud!

Initiating Gian.exe - Dan Simula pa lang ng sem, amazed na amazed na ako sa utak ni Dan. From the moment he showed his skills and capabilities and how his minds works when he instroduced himself to the class, to the final project of this class, in awe talaga ako of Dan. I’ve always admired theatre artists who always produces and presents somethings simple, pero sobrang laki ng impact at ang deep ng message. For this final output that he did, ganun pa rin, tuwang tuwa pa rin ako sa ginawa niya. It was well-thought of, and to be in one scene for 10 minutes, ‘tas tahing tahi lahat - super enjoy panoorin. Didn’t even feel like 10 minutes at all! I just know Dan will go far. Bravo!!

Yuka’s Performance I appreciated Yuka’s performance a lot because I got to know her better! Shows how passionate she is with sharing her life story and being able to share to the world her talents, skills and capabilities. I’m glad to be hearing more of her and what’s ahead of her, and that I’m rooting for her all the way! <3

Jinky’s Performance Heartwarming performance, as expected of ate Jinky <3 This is the type of stories you’d share online for everyone to engage in and relate to. The concept or theme she showed has been prevailing talaga in this pandemic, and the way she acted just perfectly encapsulates the heavy emotions and feelings brought about the situations and challenges that are being experienced. Super nice to see ate Jinky so good with her craft, and showing to the entire class what she’s capable of. Nakakaproud ulit, at super nakakataba ng puso makita na mga gantong storya sa mga mata ng kaklase ko. :)

----------

I have to say, I got excited for this session for a really meaningful and big reason!! I’m so so happy to have watched all the performances and saw the labor of love and the hard work my classmates have put in in the stories they had to share. My heart was feeling sad a bit since it was the last session, but it was even more grateful that I got to meet, interact and got to know such wonderful and talented people in the class. I got to hear their stories and what they all had to say about certain things, which gave me so much more perspectives in life. I’m so thankful for Ma’am Uleb and the entire class. This is definitely one of the most memorable classes I’ve had in this pandemic school year. Hopeful for the coming years that this class would make the same impact, if not more, once things go back to normal. Artista ng bayan, laging lumalaban!

[connorrenwick]

Still House: A Quietly Beautiful Respite in a Fast-Moving City

In a bustling, ever-moving city like New York, finding or creating a place of calm and serenity is a priority, at least for shop owner Urte Tylaite of Still House. Nestled in a small but airy and light-filled space in the East Village, Still House is indeed that tranquil respite New Yorkers and out-of-towners crave when the metropolis gets too overwhelming. With her thoughtful sensibility and eye for local + international design, Urte has curated a shop that’s filled with more than just beautiful objects – it’s filled with purposeful design that helps you cultivate an intentional lifestyle, one where each object not only fulfills a need but also elevates the act of fulfilling it.

At Still House, Korean earthenwares, Japanese planters, Danish lighting, Brooklyn-crafted vases, and candles hand-poured in California are displayed next to one another without any interruption in aesthetics or break in form, as if they were always meant to be next to each other. It’s this level of curation and skill for perfectly styled still life vignette that sets Urte’s shop apart from other boutiques.

Photo by Sharon Radisch

In Still House’s new storefront (the shop recently moved earlier this year), Urte has expanded the store beyond just a shop. It now also exists as a platform for local artists and designers to showcase their latest exhibition or body of work. With Still House’s own in-house jewelry line rounding out the boutique shop, it’s no wonder that the store is a design destination favorite in the city. Read on as we chat with Urte about her history with New York, the shop’s upcoming events, and her process for curating beautiful pieces for her shop and her home…

Photo by Sharon Radisch

Why did you pick this city and neighborhood?

I moved to New York in 2003 and fell for this city immediately. It’s very stimulating and inspiring.

I found myself spending a lot of time in the East Village, working weekends in restaurants during college, and assisting a jewelry designer post graduation. The East Village has a very interesting history and a strong sense of community. It is the birthplace of many artistic movements and is considered a center for all things counterculture since the 1960s. Even though it has changed a lot since then, I would argue that its core character is still strongly intact.

The idea behind opening the shop was to curate a collection of objects for the home produced by local artists. The process of how they are made and the intention behind them gives each piece purpose. It is an alternative way to create a distinct environment at home. The East Village felt like a natural home to fuel this concept.

Where did you get the name for the store?

I was very interested in the idea of calmness as a juxtaposition to New York’s bustling daily life. What better place to create it than home which we return to every evening. I played around with multiple synonyms for ‘calm’ and ‘home’ before arriving at Still House.

Photo by Sharon Radisch

Installation of Formations by Pat Kim; Photo by Sharon Radisch

Has it changed much since it opened? How?

The most recent change was our move to a new storefront earlier this year. We stayed in our beloved East Village, but moved a couple of blocks over to 9th Street. The original location opened in 2011 and I was itching to renovate the interior. Sometimes these simple changes in the surroundings, in my case a redesigned storefront, affect us in unexpected ways. The final result energized me to share the new store with a wider range of artists by hosting exhibitions and events. Our first show was Formations by the artist Pat Kim. The show opened back in May 2018 and consisted of a collection of ten one-of-a-kind wooden sculptures.

We also hosted a photography and drawing show by the artist Emily Johnston titled What Hildegard Heard this summer consisting of three diptychs of photographs and drawings by the artist.

Installation of What Hildegard Heard by Emily Johnston; Photo by Emily Johnston

What’s one of the challenges you have with the business?

I have to admit it is difficult to name only one. At this moment, workflow organization seems to be the top pain-point. There are always new projects, collections, and ventures and it can be hard to allocate time for everything. No two days are ever the same but that’s part of the fun of it. Even though our team is lean, we always make it work!

What other stores have you worked in before opening this one?

Home-goods and jewelry store in Carroll Gardens called Swallow, and a jewelry store called St. Kilda, that was located in Park Slope.

Champagne glasses by Sugahara Glassware

What’s your favorite item in the store right now?

Matte Black Glassware by Sugahara Glassblowing Studio in Japan. I am obsessed with its satin finish.

What is this season’s inspiration?

I always organized displays by monochrome color. One shelf would be dedicated to white, another to yellow, a third to green, and one more to black. This season I am intrigued by introducing bold color accents. I am combining bold greens with creamy whites and strong reds with more neutral beige tones.

Marge Lurie ceramics; Photo by Colin Athens

Marge Lurie ceramics; Photo by Colin Athens

Are you carrying any new products and/or undiscovered gems you’re particularly excited about?

I am a huge fan of Manhattan based ceramicist Marge Lurie’s new black underglaze series. I love the juxtaposition of her classic forms in this strong minimal tone.

What’s been a consistent best seller?

This season, the Carrie LED Lamp by Menu has been very popular. Lighting is a new category for us, so it’s very exciting to see it attract so much attention. The light has three settings from dim to bright and is charged via USB. It can be used as a lantern, as an ambiance light in the living room, or hung on the wall as a night light. I believe this versatility is what draws our customers to this design.

Carrie LED Lamp by Menu; Photo by Colin Athens

Carrie LED Lamp by Menu; Photo by Colin Athens

What’s your process for selecting + curating the objects in your shop?

I primarily look for hand-made and locally made pieces with a minimal aesthetic. This search most often starts within our immediate community. The artists we work with recommend we take a look at their colleagues’ work or our customers recommend us studios they have come across. These types of connections lead to the best discoveries, though we try to attend design fairs and always go through all artists submissions in our inbox. Over the past few years, I have also come across a few international design studios I could not resist.

Yoon Young Hur ceramics; Photo by Sharon Radisch

Yoon Young Hur ceramics; Photo by Sharon Radisch

Any special events/exhibits/pop ups/collaborations coming up?

I am very excited to host the debut show Antecedere by ceramic artist Yoon Young Hur opening on Thursday, November 15th 6-9pm. She is creating a grouping of sculptures inspired by the ancient Korean ritual earthenware “toggi”. Her contemporary take on these ancient vessels serves as an introduction and exploration into the deep cultural and historical ties between contemporary ceramics, ancient rituals, and the human experience.

On Thursday, December 6th, we are hosting the opening for the photographer Emily Johnston. Her new body of work is called Ash Drawings. The photographs on display will be a documentation of drawings she made by casting ashes into the snow; an act of release, but also of divination.

Do you have anything from the store in your own home?

Oh yes. A lot actually. Tall stacking glasses by Toyo-Sasaki, dinner plates by Mondays, a vase by Robert Hessler, but pieces by Hasami Porcelain are the ones I use every day.

Hasami Porcelain tea set

Still House jewelry

How would you describe your jewelry line? What makes each piece so special?

Jewelry was part of the store’s curation since the it opened in 2011. I love representing other jewelers’ pieces, but when I launched the line I was interested in exploring what jewelry treated as a design object would look like. In 2013, with this intention in mind, Still House Jewelry was born. I aim to create pieces that are beautiful to look at and are comfortable to wear. They are dainty, minimal pieces full of subtle detail. All gold is recycled and I source my diamonds from Canada.

Still House jewelry

Still House jewelry

Still House jewelry

What’s one lesson you’ve learned since opening your store?

One of the most important lessons I learned is to stay true to myself. Over time in any work field certain tasks become repetitive and decision making can naturally develop into automated action. It’s a lot easier to be swayed by current trends when in this state, rather than focusing on longevity. I have created the best work and have the most fun when I take a step back and focus on what it is that I am most curious about.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to follow a similar path to yours, what would it be?

Create an atmosphere where people around you feel welcomed to share their honest opinions. It takes a strong team to grow a business.

Photo by Sharon Radisch

Stop by Still House at 307 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003!

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Bureaucrats on TV: 'The West Wing,' 'Parks and Rec,' 'Veep'

http://styleveryday.com/2017/07/04/bureaucrats-on-tv-the-west-wing-parks-and-rec-veep/

Bureaucrats on TV: 'The West Wing,' 'Parks and Rec,' 'Veep'

There are plenty of reasons to hate The Simpsons’ Patty and Selma Bouvier. For instance, their sour attitude makes their sister Marge’s life a living hell and they’re exceptionally mean to Homer but perhaps worst of all, they’re lifers at DMV.

The Bouvier twins aren’t the only TV characters who have given civil servants a bad name over the years. President Underwood and his staff on Netflix’s House Of Cards are so craven, they’d get even Machiavelli to cry “Uncle.” Leslie Knope’s team on NBC’s Parks and Recreation usually seemed more concerned with their personal issues that public policy. And for every heroic Fox Mulder, Dana Scully or Jack Bauer, there always seems to be a devious bureaucrat eager to undermine their work.

“There are two different ways government officials get portrayed on television,” explains Zach Patton, executive editor of Governing, a monthly magazine that offers policy insight and analysis for state and local governments. “One is with police and fire departments and public defenders, who are seen as mostly positive and heroic. Then, there’s every other government employee, who for the most part are portrayed as bored or unmotivated or totally incompetent.”

Sure, there have been exceptions to television’s relentless use of government employees as whipping boys and girls. There’s NBC’s beloved The West Wing, of course, and more recently, CBS’ Madam Secretary. For the most part, though, from Selina Meyer’s self-obsessed staff on HBO’s Veep and the vicious world of Scandal’s Olivia Pope all the way down to sitcom mailmen Cliff Clavin and Newman of Cheers fame, the people who work for taxpayers more often than not come off as lazy, self-absorbed or downright evil.

“There’s definitely a mismatch between what you see of public servants on television and who these people really are,” says Patton. “I’d love to see more positive portrayals because the vast majority of people at all levels of government are good people and good public servants. I don’t doubt that the buildup from constantly seeing these people negatively can eventually affect how people feel about their own government.”

It’s pretty clear that at this point in history, it’s not particularly a feeling of love and understanding. A Pew Research Center study this year found that faith in government was nearing an historic low. Roughly 68 percent of Americans said they trust the government only some of time, with an additional 11 percent noting that they never trust the government to do the right thing.

There’s no recent research to quantify whether a constant barrage of cynical civil servant characters on TV leads to a cynical view of civil servants in real life or it’s the other way around. Given that we now have a longtime television personality as president, though, it’s safe to say there is at least some linkage between what we see on the screen and how are views on government reflect that.

“Entertainment does affect the way we see lots of things. People used to get their sense of self and right and wrong from church and family but now, it’s just as often from what they watch,” explains Madam Secretary executive producer Lori McCreary.

This might explain why government workers come up to her on a regular basis “to say they’re so glad we’re showing another side to what they do.” It’s not like Madam Secretary never explores the dark side of federal employees but for McCreary, the goal is to keep the primary focus on the little-known civil servants who still believe in what they’re doing even if the public they work for does not.

“I hope our show will allow people to see not just the five or six major people who make the news in government,” she explains. “Behind them, there are thousands of people who make our government work. And hopefully by seeing what they do, viewers might even think they could be one of those people.”

Despite those good intentions, though, there’s no denying that TV government employees frequently seem to possess all the comfortable charm of a paper cut. Professor Robert Lichter, director of George Mason University’s Center for Media and Public Affairs, has studied the connection for two decades now and figures the “negative portrayals are a crutch. People are more likely to be impressed by a show that takes that approach than on that takes a positive approach. It’s the easy way out when you do something negative about the government.”

And it’s been that way for a while now. Things started to sour in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, according to Lichter, courtesy of the way in which Watergate, the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement started “delegitimizing government. Television has usually tried to reflect the views of the mass audience in order to appeal to them and once it created its own vision of reality, people start buying into that.”

Even four decades later, TV is still feeling the after-effects of the Watergate era.

“There’s definitely been an arc to politician characters on TV for several years,” says Veep showrunner David Mandel. “In the early days of television, they went incredibly into one direction, getting put on pedestals. That led to shows were we saw that one day, they’d eventually break your heart. And that’s where Veep lives.”

Similarly, 24 executive producer Evan Katz admits that his show might never have become what it was were it not for the Nixon administration. Look no further than the deeply corrupt President Charles Logan character (played by Charles Itzin) for proof.

 “Watergate made it clear to most Americans that the president can be crooked, which freed people to tell more critical stories about government,” he says. “I feel like the default position for politics on television now is that the government is corrupt.”

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A little skepticism can come in handy when it comes to portrayals of elected officials in particular.

“TV tells stories and reflects the time in which we live,” explains Mike Schur, the co-creator and executive producer for Parks and Recreation. “And the current way government is represented is more honest across the board than it was in the old days. TV used to put a happy face on everything from government to marriage to other institutions and I far prefer a world where television is more honest.”

To be fair, there have been plenty of crusading TV characters in shows like The X-Files, 24 and Homeland who try to do the right thing. However, the villains they’re crusading against are frequently fellow government employees.

“It’s ironic that when you do get a positive portrayal, you’re almost automatically going to have an equally negative one,” says Lichter. “That fosters the notion that the whole system is corrupt and while our heroes can fight against it, they’ll never entirely win.”

Of course, civil servants are definitely not the only TV characters who have been portrayed in a negative light over the years. However, Patton believes “it’s more dangerous when it happens to public officials. If you see negative portrayals of a chef or a lawyer, it doesn’t affect you in the same way because you’re not paying the salary of those folks. I won’t say that TV has a responsibility to show government workers in a positive light because that’d be really boring but absolutely there are consequences from the way they are shown.”

That’s something Barbara Hall is keenly aware of. The creator of Madam Secretary, CBS’ peek at the inner workings of the State Department, grew up in a military family and spent plenty of people who worked in government. So, while she doesn’t consider it her job to provide good PR for a career in public service, she does try to provide a more encouraging view of folks who have those jobs.

“I want a more realistic depiction,” she explains. “I want to focus on people who are doing this for all the right reasons. Our show tries to be a bit aspirational in that way. The No. 1 obligation is to entertain people but when that’s done right, there’s no way to doubt you’re making a contribution to society.”

Take Cliffy from Cheers, for example. The character was designed to be a know-it-all blowhard, admits one of the show’s former executive producers, Cheri Steinkellner. That made for good comic relief having “this guy taking his duty as a civil servant seriously to the point where he gets ridiculed by others.” At the same time, though, there was still something about Cliff Clavin that endeared him to audiences.

Says Steinkellner, “He wore his uniform with pride, even though he was a lower-status guy in the bar than even Carla. That put a human face on him and maybe for other mailmen.”       

It’s one thing for a show to get some laughs out of an arrogant postal employee. Their professions are ones most of us deal with on a personal level at some point. We can form opinions about them based on our own experiences. When it’s a government gig that mostly happens behind closed doors, though, what viewers see could clearly have more of an impact.

“When you have aspects of government that are kind of like a black hole for a lot of people, it’s always possible that someone’s perceptions could be affected,” Patton explains.

That element of the unknown may carry more responsibility for writers and producers but it’s also what attracts them to the topic in the first place.

“TV is at its best when it’s an invitation to a world you know but don’t really know,” says Frank Pugliese, co-showrunner on Netflix’s House of Cards. “We pull a curtain aside and invite people in. It’s up to viewers to decide how they want to take what they see.”

Adds fellow Cards showrunner Melissa James Gibson, “There have been many shows about government at this point, and well before The West Wing they were already offering different perspectives. Now we’ve got Scandal, Veep … not one of them claims to portray the reality of government. Everything should be seen through the point of view of each individual show. The obligation is to serve the story.”

In other words, series featuring civil servants “don’t aspire to be accurate,” believes West Wing co-executive producer Kevin Falls. Each one should be viewed on its own terms and not as part of a trend influencing America. “House of Cards takes a darkly cynical look at government. Veep is hilariously satirical. Scandal is outsized soapy,” he explains. “West Wing went for inspirational.”

The plan seems to have worked. Patton has heard over the years from a generation of public policy students who tell him, “I went into public service because of The West Wing.” The series is also indirectly responsible for one particular group of TV bureaucrats.

“When we pitched Parks and Recreation, we described it as a comedy version of The West Wing because that seemed like the perfect reference point,” says Schur. “It’s just that the stakes in West Wing were China moving troops in Kazakhstan and for us it was the boys and girls soccer teams both booking the field for the same time. This was not a show about lofty ideals on a national level. Things happen on a federal level that don’t or won’t affect people for years to come. It’s more abstract. Our interest were much more concrete. We wanted to tell stories that reflect where people live.”

That might explain why for all her staff’s occasional indifference to their work, the central character — ever optimistic Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) — has become a bit of an icon for civil servants around the country. Schur says he’s heard anecdotally that local government employees “have said that her hopeful vision of government was helpful in times of crisis.” There were even Leslie Knope signs spotted at the Women’s March in January.

“There’s an aspirational quality to Leslie,” explains Schur, whose current NBC comedy The Good Place features an afterlife that’s also stymied by bureaucracy. “She offers a kind of blueprint for how we might go about curing certain problems in government.”

Given all our current level of satisfaction with how government is operating, we could probably use some new Leslie Knopes. If the disillusionment of the Watergate era drove television to all the subsequent negative portrayals of civil servants, there’s always the chance that the Trump era might do just the opposite.

“I think there’s no question what we’re experience now will eventually be reflected on TV,” says Katz. “I’m just not sure how that’ll happen, whether the approach will be things getting more cynical or something that gives people hope that things can get better. A lot of our institutional norms about how we look at people in government are up for grabs at the moment.”

The doesn’t mean “every show has to be a documentary that restores the public trust in civil servants,” adds Patton. “At the same time, though, I’d love to see someone start mixing in more portrayals of government employees who are dedicated to what they do and doing it well. If you can’t make them heroes, at least let them be good role models.”

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