#minister fudge

[adekalyn]

*Britain’s magical population complaining about Fudge’s incompetence*

Fudge, offended: I do the bare minimum, but I don’t do less than that.

[winn-wynn]

It be hella funny everytime Percy threatened to quit fudge upped his salary

[hollowed-theory-hall]

hello! do you think percy would be a good minister of magic? i have been reading a fic that explores this path for the character that's amazing but i was wondering if what we know about him in canon would really allow him to be a good one

No, I don't think he'd be a good minister. Or that the position would be good for him.

Listen, I like Percy, I honestly think he's an interesting character, and I like his arc (even though I wish the ending of it would've been a little different) but that guy is not minister material.

Percy as a minister would be pretty similar to Fudge. He's a bureaucrat who'd be constantly chasing the approval of other influential people (he'd have his limits, but, he'd still do it). He is not particularly charismatic, and while he is intelligent, he's not the wisest. Specifically, because he chooses to be blind when it suits him (like, not realizing something is up with Ceouch Sr, because Percy got to do the job he wanted).

Percy idolized Crouch Sr. Percy as a minister, especially if we're immediately after the war, is going to crack down on all Death Eaters like Ceouch Sr did. Percy was out for vengeance after Fred died, and I don't think he'd be sated once the war is over. He'd 100% use his position to make life difficult for anyone associated with the Death Eaters and improve his own family's standing. What I'm saying is that he'd be pretty corrupt. Not that he'd see it as corruption, that's just how the ministry is and always was, and he'd see no issue with it because the ministry is perfect in his eyes.

(Also, I would've actually preferred seeing him step away from the ministry, at last for a bit post-canon. I think the environment there is doing Percy no favors, frankly. Him going back to work in the ministry post-canon is like going back to the abusive ex that gaslit you)

Yes, he had an arc, but his arc wasn't about seeing the faults in the system at large. I mean, I don't think he really sees the problems with the ministry as an organization.

Even post-canon, he'd think (like most characters, to be fair) that the problem in the ministry was the specific people there. That if they replaced some of the people in power, Death Eaters and Voldemort wouldn't be an issue again. He wouldn't consider that the problem is the system itself and how the ministry operates (part of that selective blindness I mentioned). It means that, just like Fudge, when Hermione or someone would come to him like: "yo, there's a problem with how this works" he'd say: "that's impossible! that's how it always worked! We can replace the person in charge and that'll fix it" and call it a day. He could be convinced to add some reforms for the sake of muggleborns, but I don't think he'd come up with them himself. And maybe he could be convinced to get the dementors out of Azkaban under the right conditions but I won't hold my breath for it.

Percy loves rules and bureaucracy, and he adores the ministry (as an organization) the way it is. He isn't going to be the solution to the WW issues.

Also, I think Percy is the kind of boss who'd be a horrid micromanager, and that is a potential recipe for disaster in the ministry. He just likes when everything is done to perfection and how he thinks it needs to be done, so he'd constantly check on his subordinates and annoy the shit out of them. I don't think he'd survive more than one term. (Hermione, might also do this as a minister — one of the reasons I'm not a fan of her as the Minister of Magic either)

Do I think his tenure as minister would damage the Wizarding World? Probably not. It'll stay more or less the same. He'd be pretty efficient in getting what he wants done, but what he wants is probably not what the Wizarding World in Britain needs.

(Though, he might just be chosen/elected because they don't seem interested in actually solving their issues, yk?)

Do I think he'd be a good minister? Not particularly. He'd be there for his term(s), not change anything big, and keep the status quo more or less intact. History would remember him as an okay if forgettable minister (like Fudge would've been remembered had Voldemort not returned in his term). Like, I think he'd be better than Fdge in certain aspects (he has more of a spine), but, like, that's a pretty low bar.

[loonyloopylupin96]

The fact that the Minister for Magic didn't know you can't disapparate from Hogwarts honestly speaks volumes about the state of the government

Tell me you don't have a department of education without telling me you don't have a department of education

[iamnmbr3]

The muggle prime minister sooooo fucked Fudge. Alone how Mr. bowler hat behaves when he is in that office.

Fudge worked for that statue of secrecy!

I feel like @saintsenara has answered an ask about this ship but I can't find it. Anyway. Yes sure I'm here for it. The enemies to lovers ship we deserve. I'm very entertained by the crack potential here.

Though also you could do something interesting with the power dynamic between them - on the one hand, Fudge is a wizard (and let's face it, probably the kind of wizard who feels superior to muggles even if he'd never outright say it the way some of the hardliners would) and thus possesses power and knowledge that a muggle man simply does not. On the other hand, the muggle prime minister is still in office, and for all his political troubles, still successfully maintaining his role as a national leader. Meanwhile, by book 6 Fudge has suffered a disgraceful fall from glory that has left his career and reputation utterly in tatters with no prospects for recovery. You could do some really interesting things playing with their shifting power dynamic over the course of their acquaintance and the various ways a romantic and/or sexual relationship could interact with or subvert that.

[arliedraws]

Ooh consider a timeline in which Barty Crouch Sr. gets the top job after Voldemort’s defeat and his regime is not unlike the government we see in Deathly Hallows… Imagine how full Azkaban would become.

[demigodofhoolemere]

Why are there official character wands you can buy for literally every character who was ever onscreen for one even just minute in Harry Potter EXCEPT for Fudge who was in multiple books/movies in a decent-sized role as the Minister of Magic and was played by beloved British icon Robert Hardy. I don't care about Fudge but what if people me really like Robert Hardy as an actor and want something of his character for the sake of it. Did they ever think about that.

[sleaze4sleaze]

First time in my history of playing genshin and hsr that I am actually pre farming materials for a character. Boothill you better come home or i’ll cry

[saintsenara]

Top five most kinky Harry Potter characters vs top ten least kinky Harry Potter characters, go.

Personally I think Voldemort is probably into roleplay.

thank you very much for the ask, anon. what an important question.

the top five ten kinky legends in the series are obviously:

1. harry potter, who hears mcgonagall say the word "wood" and immediately thinks he's going to be caned. 2. peeves. he's the ultimate switch: filch's dom - in public, no less! - but the bloody baron's sub. 3. parvati patil, since she canonically fancies a horse and isn't shy about letting people know it. 4. percy weasley. he spends most of chamber of secrets fucking in public places and clearly gets off on the thrill of being caught, and then in prisoner of azkaban it's revealed that he and penelope also have a findom dynamic to their relationship. 5. rodolphus lestrange. let's be real, he invented the cuck chair. 6. nagini, who makes dozens of people watch - for fucking hours, presumably, given how long it takes snakes to finish a meal - as she eats charity burbage. 7. barty crouch jr. - he involves the entire government in his daddy kink, leaves several people dead while doing it, and doesn't even get to enjoy the newly-resurrected voldemort whacking on a double-breasted suit and saying he's proud of him. 8. dobby, who would make such a good sadist dom if he did the basic fucking work of understanding that you have to ask other people's permission before you try to break their bones with cursed bludgers. 9. petunia. idk i just get a vibe from her. 10. horace slughorn, who canonically ejaculates in a room full of people.

and the ten vanilla heroes? well, they're obviously:

1. hermione granger. she canonically doesn't enjoy anything too out of the ordinary - she likes candles and things being as expected and receiving lots of eye contact from her hot husband, and i love that for her. 2. nearly headless nick, who's clearly excluded from the headless hunt because they know he wouldn't enjoy the fact that they're swingers. 3. albus dumbledore. not because i think his tastes don't align with the kinkier side of life, but because he's unwilling to live a little and try out a bit of exploratory fun. although this is understandable, given what aberforth's into... 4. crookshanks, who famously disapproves of any form of rowdiness and who hates canonical voyeur peter pettigrew. 5. dolores umbridge, due to her canonical revulsion for monster-fucking. 6. borgin, who wants no part in either lucius or draco malfoy's attempts to dominate him. 7. james and lily potter. they absolutely fuck - obviously - but i think the reason they fuck so well is because they stick to the fucking they're good at. 8. cornelius fudge, because if he was into kink then he'd enjoy scrimgeour negging him in front of the prime minister more than he canonically does. 9. sirius black, which i accept is a controversial one, but his repeated failure to take the hint in order of the phoenix that both snape and kreacher want him to tie them up and call them a little bitch means it's the only viable conclusion... 10. draco malfoy, as a natural reaction to being made to observe his father's flagrant humiliation kink while the dark lord lives in their house.

and when it comes to lord voldemort himself? well, the thing we have to remember is that deviance thrives on the subversion of expectations.

which is to say, the idea that voldemort would be into things like blood-play and leather gimp masks and humiliating his partners? stale. flavourless. tired. uninspiring.

the idea that he's got a praise kink, wants to be showered with presents and gently caressed, and gets off on being told how worthy of love he is? objectively correct.

[artemisia-black]

Can we talk about how Peter did this and how absolutely traumatising this sounds. Even Fudge says he still dreams about it (aka has PTSD).

“ I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I — I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming”

Peter is responsible for a terror incident and is a serial killer.

[dinarosie]

Re-Reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Snape’s Moment of Unyielding Bravery

The scene I want to highlight in The Goblet of Fire is one that carries so much weight, and each time I re-read it, the gravity of the moment only increases. Imagine the setting: the hospital wing. It’s packed with people—Cornelius Fudge, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Bill and Molly Weasley, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. All eyes are on Snape as he steps forward, pulls up his sleeve, and reveals the Dark Mark burned into his skin.

“There,” said Snape harshly. “There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff’s too.

Let that sink in. Snape isn’t just showing a Mark; he’s exposing the deepest, darkest secret of his life. He’s standing in front of his students, his colleagues, and—let’s not forget—Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, and he’s admitting something most people would bury forever.

What makes this even more remarkable is that the choice to do this wasn’t something Dumbledore told him to make. This isn’t part of some grand plan discussed beforehand. Snape makes this decision on his own, in the moment, fully aware of how it will tarnish him in the eyes of others. Why?

Because Snape understands the stakes. Fudge’s denial of Voldemort’s return endangers the entire wizarding world. By exposing the Dark Mark on his arm, Snape hopes to convince Fudge to take Voldemort’s return seriously. His goal is clear: to push the Ministry into taking precautionary measures and preparing the wizarding community for the battle ahead.

And then there’s this haunting line:

“…We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord’s vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold.”

What Snape doesn’t say, but what we understand, is that he knows he’s facing the exact same fate. When Snape goes back to Voldemort, he knows he’ll be met with pain, torture, and humiliation and even death. Where Karkaroff sees only a way out, Snape sees his duty—a stark contrast that underscores Snape’s resolve.

Here’s what makes this even more powerful: Snape is so determined to convince Fudge that he uses the suffering he knows awaits him as evidence. He stands there, knowing that returning to Voldemort will mean enduring unbearable torture, and he uses that as proof of Voldemort’s return. Snape essentially says, “I know what’s coming for me, and I’m still standing here to tell you the truth.”

Then we reach the next turning point in this scene:

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready . . . if you are prepared . . .”

Look at Dumbledore’s approach here. He’s cautious, almost hesitant. This is a sharp contrast to Half-Blood Prince, where Dumbledore gives Snape direct orders about killing him. Here, Dumbledore knows exactly what he’s asking of Snape: to return to Voldemort, to put himself in unimaginable danger.

And Snape’s response?

“I am.”

That’s it. Two words. No hesitation, no complaint. J.K. Rowling describes him as pale, his cold, dark eyes glittering strangely. Dumbledore, too, is described as watching Snape leave with a trace of apprehension on his face. Both of them know that Snape might not come back. Both of them know he’s walking into the lion’s den. And yet, Snape doesn’t waver.

This moment is a masterclass in bravery, but it also completely dismantles the argument that Snape’s good deeds are purely motivated by guilt over Lily or his promise to Dumbledore.

This scene also shows us that the promise Snape made to Dumbledore after Lily’s death wasn’t just about protecting Harry. It was about choosing a side. Snape made the decision to fight against Voldemort, no matter the cost. From that moment on, he dedicated himself to sabotaging the Dark Lord’s plans, enduring unspeakable pain and danger in the process.

And let’s not overlook this: Snape doesn’t just fight when Harry is in danger. He fights Voldemort at every opportunity because he knows it’s the right thing to do. He does it not because of guilt or obligation, but because his own moral compass demands it.

This scene in The Goblet of Fire encapsulates everything that makes Snape such a complex, fascinating character. It’s raw, vulnerable, and incredibly brave. Snape isn’t perfect—far from it—but this moment proves that he is so much more than the sum of his flaws. He’s a man who chooses to stand and fight, even when it means sacrificing everything.

[blitheringmcgonagall]

Do you ever think about the fact that Sirius Black was so mentally strong that despite being imprisoned in Azkaban for 12 years; 12 years basically in solitary confinement because he’s hardly chatting to the Voldy crowd; and we are told he was ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY GUARDED in the entire prison - despite all this, During Fudge’s visit to Azkaban, Sirius casually asked if he could have Fudge's newspaper (since he missed doing the crossword), which the unnerved Minister handed over?

Because I do.

And do you ever think about the fact that despite surviving 12 years of hell, then other stuff like eating rats in a cave and risking getting his soul sucked out by Dementors, the only time we see Sirius Black in a bad way is when he is stuck in Grimmauld Place for the first time since he ran away as a 16 year old. Stuck there reliving old memories and old losses and unable to help Harry (his whole raison d’être), drinking and low in mood. He gives Buckbeak his mother’s old room (does he want Buckbeak to ruin it or an excuse to go into it, Probably both) and leaves Regulus’ room completely untouched, unchanged, like a shrine to his ‘idiot, too soft’ baby brother?

Because I do.

[mirrorofliterature]

also I have been mulling over a fanfic where, instead of umbridge - the senior undersecretary to the minister - is dada teacher, fudge instead chooses his junior assistant -

a.k.a. percy weasley.

percy has the grades, and he's under fudge's thumb as far as fudge is concerned.

percy: I will make sure that these children get at least one year of competent dada instruction to spite dumbledore or Merlin help me

as a teacher, I think percy would be similar to McGonagall - strict but fair.

he would submit his curriculum and be like: 'this complies with the exam expectations for dada owl and newt students'

fudge: why are there practical spells :/

percy: it would reflect on the ministry poorly if students couldn't competently complete the practical aspects of dada exams, sir

fudge: proceed :)

[that man has zero brain cells, istg]

of course, fudge (in his incompetence) aided by dumbledore pushing it off for longer than he should have (in his greater incompetence) only give percy one week notice.

and percy is like. ah shit this is going to be awkward teaching my siblings who hate me and I worked really hard for this job -

and then he sees the alternative is umbridge.

he takes the job.

he asks remus for his course notes because he was his only competent dada teacher.

fudge: what is this curriculum based off?

percy: a well-respected, established and experienced dada expert with prior teaching experience.

fudge: proceed :)

anyway chaos ensues.

[ldrfanatic]

r2 mattheo riddle

the truth from my red lips

mattheo riddle x gryff!potter!reader

r2 - “you and me would be a BIG conversation”

taylor swift lyric prompts

slytherin boys works

“y/n!” you turned at the sound of your name. colin creevy, a second year, was running up to you with the two issues of the daily prophet. on the first was a picture of your cousin, harry potter, bloodied and stunned following his win at the triwizard tournament. the front of the second sported another stunned headshot of him at his trial for underage magic in the presence of a muggle. (dudley, the disgusting boy on your the other side of the family).

with the new school year it was all anyone could talk about. well that, and that he and dumbledore had both gone mad spouting “nonsense” that voldemort had returned. especially since the lovely minister of magic cornelius fudge was vehemently denying it.

the boy brandished the papers in front of you once more.

“can you have harry sign these?”

suddenly, you were reminded of why you’d never ever wish to be as famous as harry. sure people recognized your last name here and there, but most people hadn’t even known that james potter had a brother, let alone that that brother had children. your father cut all ties with the rest of the family after an unfortunate fallout with your grandfather.

it wasn’t until you came to hogwarts and were sorted into the same house that you and harry got the chance to connect. now that your parents had passed, you lived with your mothers best friend. she was the closest thing that you had to family until you found harry.

in any case, with no prior mention of you, potter was a common enough surname that no one outside of your friends suspected that you were related.

that was until rita skeeter at the bloody prophet decided to do some digging and out you in her mission to completely expose the boy who lived during last years tournament.

before you could respond, a deep voice sounded behind you. “bugger off!”

the boy shrugged, undeterred, and took off in the direction of a familiar head of curls down the hall. you said a silent prayer for hermione. you turned around with the intention of thanking your savior but the words died in your throat when you took note of who it was.

brown eyes met yours and a smile broke out over a scarred face.

“riddle.”

“potter.”

unlike yours, mattheo’s voice held no malice. you recognized the playful glint in his eyes.

mattheo riddle had been chasing after you since third year. you’d think that the boy would have let up by now considering your cousin and his father were sworn enemies.

still, you were probably one a few people to take note the way that mattheo flinched when his father was mentioned. and in a rare moment of softness, he’d even shared with you that he’d run away from home to live with theodore after his father lashed out at him once, causing the scar that stretched from the center of his forehead to his jaw.

it wasn’t exactly surprising to you that tom riddle wasn’t father of the year.

yet mattheo had proved to be a pretty good guard dog. you felt yourself snort at the pun, completely intended given the boys animagus. all things considered, he’d saved you from bloodsucking fame-fuckers more than once. so, pushing your feelings aside, you offered him a smile. you weren’t ashamed to say it was probably the first time you’d ever smiled at him.

“thanks.”

you stuck around long enough to see your theory proven correct as shock started to take over mattheo’s face. the boy stared at you, jaw opening and closing like a fish out of water for a couple of minutes.

you turned on your heel and waved over your shoulder at him, wishing you could watch his awe forever but having to make your way to potions.

-

what you’d apparently failed to realize is that this year, the gryffindors had potions with the slytherins. you’d found your spot next to hermione and whispered to her while you waited for class to begin.

a familiar mop of curls waltzed into the room. mattheo had a rather smug look on his face that was admittedly unnerving. he approached snape at his desk and whispered indistinctly to him. suddenly, snape stood from his desk.

“potter!”

harry stood from his seat and stared expectantly, no doubt wondering what he’d done this time.

“not you…”

snape’s words caused your heart to jump into your throat. fuck. a large hand swept in your direction, confirming your fears. he fixed you with an intense stare and then motioned to the empty seat next to a grinning mattheo.

you bit back a groan, knowing the indignation would do little but land you in detention. hermione flashed you a pitied look as you gathered your books.

once you’d plopped yourself down next to mattheo, he grabbed the leg of your stool under the table and slid your chair closer to his until his knee touched yours and the smell of his cologne wafted in the air. evil prick aside, he smelled rather nice.

“today we’re brewing the invigoration draught. I doubt that any of you will do it successfully…”

snape’s gravelly tone continued in the background while you tried desperately to focus on anything besides mattheo’s cologne. finally, he seemed content on his berating of the students and released you to gather your ingredients.

you flipped the book open to page 16, brow furrowed. you had every intention of passing your o.w.l.s this year. yet, if mattheo’s current behavior was any indication, it was going to be a stupid long year for you.

out of the corner of your eye, you caught mattheo staring at you. his chin rested on his palm, elbow on the table. you turned to him with the intent of deterring him, but he matched your stare with a sharp grin. trying to ignore the flipping in your stomach, you scratched down the list on a piece of parchment and made for the ingredient cupboard.

ailhosty leaves… dried billywig stings… peppermint… stewed mandrake… infusion of wormwood… honeywater…vervain infusion… scurvy grass…

as you looked at the ingredients in your hand, you were certain you’d forgotten something. the longer you stared, however, the more your memory seemed to fail you.

a shadow was cast in front of you. you felt the feel of a broad chest against your bad and the now familiar scent of mattheo filled your senses. a large hand reached up, grasping a jar from the top shelf. he held the jar out to you, chest still pressed against you and voice deep but oddly soft as he spoke.

“lovage leaves.”

earlier confidence now evaporated, you slipped out of his embrace and scurried back to your seat where you began to mix the first ingredients of the potion.

mattheo’s cockiness had now also disappeared and he was staring at you with a notably intense look on his face.

“you’re staring, riddle.”

“go out with me, y/n.”

you tried not to show how much the use of your first name affected you. it took you a moment to answer, and part of you had to silently applaud mattheo’s patience.

“you and me would be a big conversation.”

“so? let them talk. they’ll see what happens. when have I ever not protected you?”

you shot an annoyed look at him.

“what like I owe you?”

“no! that’s not what I— y/n look at me.”

mattheo’s hand wrapped around your wrist which was currently stirring a budding invigoration draught.

“that’s not at all what I meant. you don’t owe me anything. I just meant that I’ve never done anything to hurt you and I’ve never let anyone else hurt you either.” he took a breath and continued. “seriously. you hold me to this earth, you hold me down and I’ll protect you with my life.”

it was hard for you to care about what people thought by this point. after so many years of cat and mouse, you were the only person who knew mattheo like you did.

“one date, mattheo riddle. one.”

—

< mattheo taglist >

comment to be added!

06.14.2024

[yearofthesnape]

Meta: Snape and Forms of Address

I was doing some speech analysis for my own writing research and thought I'd share it with all of you. Essentially, I wanted to examine when Snape uses titles (Professor, Mr./Miss) versus full names versus last names only versus first names, and what this might signify.

Using Titles

The most obvious instance that comes to mind is Snape addressing Voldemort as "my Lord," which is also his last usage of any form of a name chronologically. This title was probably required by Voldemort, however, as all the Death Eaters use it, despite their different personalities. Similarly, Snape's use of "the Dark Lord" falls into this category; as Harry observes in OotP, the Death Eaters use this name for Voldemort. Snape reacts in a strongly negative way to Harry's use of "Voldemort," saying by implication that he does not feel secure in using this name. (It is interesting to note that Dumbledore constantly uses "Voldemort" around Snape, and while Snape never corrects him, Snape also never deviates from "the Dark Lord," which Dumbledore also never corrects.)

Snape has a high awareness of titles of respect, both for himself ("This may not be an ordinary class, Potter, but I am still your teacher and you will therefore call me 'sir' or 'Professor' at all times," OotP) and others. Snape himself is never said to call anyone "sir" (or "ma'am"), but he does use "Headmaster" sixteen times (ten as indirectly referring to Dumbledore, six directly addressing Dumbledore), "Headmistress" once (to Umbridge), and "Professor" eleven (once for himself when he's trying to compel the Marauder's Map, four times as direct address, six times to indirectly refer to someone). All of these forms of respectful scholastic address take place in books 2-5. Snape sometimes refers to Dumbledore as "the headmaster" when he is speaking about him to an adult with children apparently not present (as when he speaks to Fudge in PoA), but he only addresses Dumbledore as "Headmaster" when he is expecting to be observed, and he only uses "Professor" as a way of referring to his colleagues when speaking to or in front of children. Conspicuously, while he generally speaks of Lupin as "Professor Lupin" in front of the DADA class in PoA, he speaks to Lupin as only "Lupin" whether students are present or not. In a reversal of this formality dynamic, Snape uses "Minister" when speaking to Fudge, but "Mr. Fudge" when speaking about him. (This might have something to do with the fact that, in the first case, Fudge was helping work against Sirius Black, while in the second, Fudge had just allowed a Dementor to Kiss Barty Crouch Jr.) Filch is "Filch" to his face when students aren't there, "Mr. Filch" when being referred to. Hagrid is always "Hagrid," but that's what everyone seems to do.

When it comes to students, Snape is generally inconsistent about calling them "Mr./Miss" or simply using their last names. "Draco" is the only student we see him use a first name with, and that begins in OotP, after a good deal of "Malfoy" and "Mr. Malfoy" in the books before that. Ron gets both "Weasley" and "Mr. Weasley." Seamus gets both "Finnigan" and "Mr. Finnigan." In general, girls always get "Miss," with the exception of the Ravenclaw girl Snape catches in the rosebushes in GoF (and possibly Hermione, who is referred to as "Granger" in Snape's report to Fudge in PoA, though this might be by parallelism with "Potter" and "Weasley" in the phrase "Potter, Weasley, and Granger." "Finch-Fletchley" is mentioned once with no courtesy marker, as is "Stebbins," but once is too little to establish a pattern. Snape uses "Crabbe and Goyle" without any markers, but everyone does that. Neville and most of all Harry are conspicuously addressed without any "Mr." at any point.

Full Names

Used mostly for emphasis. "Harry Potter" gets this eleven times, mostly to evoke Harry as a concept rather than an individual, often tied to his fame — "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter," CoS; "famous Harry Potter," PoA — or to speak of Harry in Snape's capacity as Death Eater — "If I had murdered Harry Potter," HBP; "the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter," DH; "Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva?" DH. If Snape's saying "Harry Potter," he is Not Doing Well.

Similarly, Snape uses "Sirius Black" either to report ("Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black," PoA; "it certainly helped dispose of Sirius Black," HBP) or to remind Dumbledore of his trauma ("Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," PoA).

"Barty Crouch" gets an exclamation of surprise using his full name, but only after Snape uses the more familiar last: "Crouch! Barty Crouch!" (GoF). He also gets the full-name treatment in a report to Dumbledore. "Mad-Eye Moody" gets a very unusual usage of a nickname, but his nickname seems to be taken as a first name by nearly everyone. This again happens in a negative context: "Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club," GoF.

"Lucius Malfoy" gets the full-name treatment in the middle of Snape's fight with Sirius in OotP, where it parallels Sirius's own use of Malfoy's full name.

"Albus Dumbledore" and "Emmeline Vance" get the full-name treatment in Snape's conversation at Spinner's End in HBP, which is full of full names and cautious distances.

"Dolores Umbridge" gets her full name used when Snape is talking to Harry, thus showing his distance from her (other professors get their titles or their last names).

Lily gets one "Lily Evans" during Snape's initial distress over the prophecy, one first-name only, and one "Lily Potter," in that order, thus showing the progression of Snape's thinking, as many Snape commentators have pointed out.

Interestingly, Snape gives himself his full name twice, once to invoke his authority over the Marauders' Map and once to distance his inner personhood from betraying Dumbledore in the clause "[Dumbledore] has never stopped trusting Severus Snape, and therein lies my great value to the Dark Lord."

Last Names

Using last names is very much Snape's default. Both Lupin and Karkaroff attempt to address Snape by his first name, thus establishing a less formal relationship than he wants with them; he responds by using their last names instead, though he acquiesces to using "Igor" with Karkaroff when they are not in class. When Sirius calls him "Snivellus" in OotP, Snape responds using his last name too.

Snape's last-name preferences date from childhood, where James and Remus are "Potter" and "that Lupin." Nor are they restricted to enemies only; the last words reported as Snape's in the story (as opposed to his chronological last words) are "Don't worry, Dumbledore. I have a plan..."

First Names

The people Snape addresses or refers to by first name alone are few in number: Igor Karkaroff (the first to be so, in GoF); Draco (the only one in OotP); Narcissa, Bellatrix, Lucius, Nymphadora Tonks (the lack of nickname here has been discussed elsewhere); Alecto, Minerva (the last to be so, chronologically); Lily (the last to be so, in terms of what we see in the story).

Oddly, Snape uses "Aunt Bellatrix" when talking to Draco in HBP; perhaps he is putting things in Draco's terms here? Though it's "Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see," not "Your Aunt Bellatrix..."

Draco gets his first name used the most, 17 times. Narcissa gets it 10 times, all in the Spinner's End conversation; Bellatrix gets 9, 8 of which are in that conversation; Lucius gets 5, three here and two with Dumbledore; Minerva gets twice. The others get once.

Nicknames

"Wormtail" and "Mad-Eye Moody." (And, arguably, "the Dark Lord.") Snape using your nickname is not a good sign. Perhaps this stems from his feelings about his own?

Concluding Thoughts

Snape's uses of different name forms do not follow a straightforward rule, but several things are clear. The name he uses for someone is always intentional, showing the sort of relationship he has with the person in question (or that he wants to project that he has). Snape and McGonagall, for instance, enjoy a mutual "Professor Lastname" status in their dealings in front of students (rarer, for McGonagall), but "Severus" and "Minerva" without students apparently present (which we see in DH — markedly, this is one of the only times Snape responds to his first name by switching everyone to a first-name basis, although he usually reacts to antagonism by taking the distancing road of a last name). Students sometimes get a "Mr." to show they're not "Potter," sometimes merely as a normal form of address when they're not misbehaving (which ups the chances of no "Mr./Miss" for everyone, though not Hermione). Sometimes, though, a last name is just quicker to say. Full names mean more distance; the person is treated as a concept. Nicknames are not friendly. First names show either projected friendliness or genuine friendliness, to an equal or a student (never to Dumbledore); most cases could go either way (though I think Snape has no real fondness for "Alecto").

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Is Ignatius Prewett Molly's father or uncle?

Now, this seems to have an obvious answer, since Sirius says this:

“The pure-blood families are all interrelated,” said Sirius. “If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods your choice is very limited, there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur’s something like my second cousin once removed. But there’s no point looking for them on here — if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it’s the Weasleys.”

(OotP)

And in the family tree, we indeed see Ignatius Prewett married Lucretia Black (Sirius' aunt):

Them being "cousins by marriage" means Ignatius is Molly's uncle and the brother of Molly's father. Great, case closed.

Except "Ignatius" is Percy’s middle name:

“Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley — ”

(OotP)

(I love that the contradictory information appears in the same book... *grinding my teeth*)

If we look at naming patterns in the wizarding world, you'd first name a child after their parents, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles (the parents' siblings), and only then other relatives (such as a child's great uncle/aunt).

We know Bill is William Arthur Weasley, sharing a name with his father.

We don't know Charlie's middle name, but I always headcanoned it to be "Septimus" after Arthur’s father.

I headcanon Fred and George's middle names are Gideon and Fabian (Molly's dead brothers), as it makes sense with the naming conventions, and I think it's cute.

We know Ron is named after Arthur’s brother "Billius", which means that they didn't run out of brothers and grandparents yet by the time they reached Ron. It means Percy would more likely be named after Molly's father or brother than her uncle.

So, is Ignatius her dad or her uncle?

I kind of assume Ignatius is Molly's father and that JKR messed up with the Black family tree. Again. Or that Sirius remembers incorrectly if we're going for a Watsonian explanation.

I mean, it's very possible Sirius didn't bother to memorize his family tree and from the "something like" he uses when describing Arthur's relation to him, it seems he isn't 100% certain of all the familial connections. So he says "cousins by marriage" even though they're just cousins.

The other possibility and my new headcanon now, is that Ignatius is Molly's father. He had Molly with an unknown first wife and married Lucretia later. If Lucretia is his second wife and Molly had a different mother it would explain how Ignatius is her father but she's Sirius' cousin by marriage.

Now we don't know if Gideon and Fabian were older or younger than Molly. I always assumed they were older due to what is said about them by Moody:

Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes ...

(OotP)

But it's possible they are her younger brothers born of Ignatius and Lucretia after they married. (They could still be in their mid-20s or even late-20s when they die in 1979 as Molly was born in late 1949 or in 1950)

So, this is my new headcanon for Molly's family.

Ignatius and some other witch had Molly, Molly's unknown mother died and Ignatius married Lucretia and had Fabian and Gideon with her, making them Molly's half brothers, if we're being technical. This makes everything about the family tree make sense.

(I really need to draw a full Black family tree with all my headcanons one of these days... I just feel like there's still stuff I haven't unpacked here)