#orphanhood

[nanalacana]

Agalma Ἀγάλμα: The Thing Beyond

There is a word in Greek: Ἀγάλμα (Agalma). At first glance, it seems to signify something concrete—an ornament, a piece of jewelry, a devotional offering. The verb ἀγάλλω (agallō) means to adorn, to glorify, to take joy in, revealing a deeper ambiguity within the term. In classical Greek, agálma was often used to describe sacred statues—not just decorative objects, but embodiments of devotion, desire, and symbolic excess. It is that which is bejeweled, yet also that which holds hidden value (Lacan, Chapter X, 1991). In Lacanian thought, Agalma becomes a figure for the elusive object of desire, a thing whose radiance is not inherent, but projected onto it.

What we chase is never just the object itself—but what we believe it conceals.

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

They were seated in the large bedroom of her new home. The lights were dimmed. The sweet, beloved cat lay at their feet on the carpeted floor. Her dusty grandmother’s Art Deco coiffeuse dressing table stood on the right, adding that unmistakable French chic to the space.

She hadn’t seen her good friend Fa in a long time—nearly a year now. Yet, in her mind, in the time that passed, they had shared many serious dialogues. They carried that special bond, the kind unique to the Femme. An unspoken love of sisterhood that stretched beyond words.

Nana had always been drawn to these old makeup tables: the little fine boxes, the jewelry, the large and small mirrors reflecting all the different angles of oneself. It made her think of whispering secrets. Fragments of truth when one unmasked. The dialectics and interplay of the Imagined and the Real.

All while one removes her makeup at the end of the night.

Yes, there was something mystical about it. Enticing. Intimate.

She thought back to their early years as friends. Fa had always stood slightly apart, a woman whose fate as an orphan girl had been an ever-present, unspoken weight—massive, heavy, and painful. It was almost totalitarian in its castrating effect, threatening her very sense of existence for as long as she could remember.

And yet, now, in her mid-thirties, as orphanhood had finally materialized from the Imaginary to a Real objective fact in her existence, she looked lighter. More relieved. Freer than she had been in a long time.

She spoke about money—the burden of it. Of the financial debts she had accumulated over the years. The relief of knowing she could finally repay them with her inheritance. Together, seated like that, engaged in their analytical loving dialogue, they tried to articulate that burden.

“Was it the money itself? Or what it represented?”

“Both,” she replied. As Reality is as concrete as it is elusive.

Suddenly, Nana’s eyes fell upon a particular item: a peculiar little jewelry box, elongated yet square, its edges softened by time. The gold, though slightly dulled, still shimmered under the dim light, catching glimmers of mystery in its curves. Something elusive and nostalgic about it.

And as she grasped it and placed it in her hands, moving it, her thoughts drifted to that word she had been contemplating all week—Agalma.

“It was my mother’s,” Fa said.

She was sitting at the edge of the bed, leaning forward to observe their shared object of interest. Her long, dark hair draped over her shoulders and arms like a cape. Beautiful—piercing dark eyes, unblinking, looking straight into you. As if there is no Other standing between you and her. Almost a transgressive experience.

That unique quality had always been what Nana liked most about her.

"It's an interesting thing," Fa began, "my mum used to hide her hashish in here. I remember being obsessed with it. This little golden box."

A moment of silence fell. The small treasure, lying peacefully, innocently, in Nana’s palm.

“Why is that?”

She turned it around, trying to open it, as if searching for something hidden—something to be discovered. Some thing to be revealed.

“I don’t know. I was really small. But I, of course, knew my mother was sick, and in my mind, I knew that whatever was inside the jewelry box wasn’t good for her. I don’t know why exactly. But I just felt strongly about it. I would look for it and then hid it away from her.”

“An attempt to save her?”

“Yes, I guess so.”

“So this little jewel of a box— in a sense was replacing, or representing, symbolically speaking, something else”

"In a sense, yes” she sighed. Then took a moment to think as her hands caressed the edges of the box, her eyes focused inwards, trying to choose the right words.

Perhaps death itself had been embodied, objectified within it. She thought.

"Yes indeed. It gave me a sense of control. It felt like an attempt at removing the symptom away from my mother. An attempt to keep her alive."

A few more moments passed like that. Nana's gaze turned slowly to the mirror on her right. She observed herself carefully. At the image reflected back at her. She saw her own gaze, her lips, her hair. She suddenly thought of the word “I.” She recalled herself as a little girl, opening that second drawer in her mother’s dressoir, going through her intimate belongings. The golden shoes, wrapped in silky cloth, the scent of new leather. The basket with the delicate lingerie, the stockings. The large grey makeup box whose opening clip was already broken. The smell of it. The powder, the red lipstick. The silver jewelry.

She too, just like her beloved friend, was in a way obsessed with it. She remembered how each time her mother left the house, she found herself drawn to that drawer in search of that thing she couldn’t fully concretisize. That thing within it that she could never grasp. Her mother’s Agalma.

“You need to press it here.”

And as Fa took the little box from Nana’s palm and gently showed her how to open it, there was a sense of shared joy and sorrow. Entwined. Two friends unraveling a lost treasure.

A subtle sound of 'click.'

The box opened.

And as they sat there in silence, their bodies close to one another, palms open, observing the emptiness within.

In a wordless understanding, their gaze met—briefly, wordlessly. Beyond.

REFERENCES:

Lacan, Jacques. The Mainspring of Love. In Écrits: A Selection, translated by Bruce Fink, W.W. Norton & Company, 2002.

[dirtytransmasc]

imagine if Kiri had been born human, from Grace's human body (had she been kept alive in a comatose state) or her avatar (the human body conceived the child while the avatar gestated it), doesn't truly matter.

do y'all think she would have been treated like Spider, or would her existence make everyone involved look like total hypocrites? cause I think we all know the answer to that one.

the double standard goes way deeper than "he was human! it would be too hard for Jake or another Na'vi or Norm with his family to care for him!" like people try and argue.

like let's just acknowledge they doomed and abandoned that boy cause of his father and move on.

it was never about Spider being human. if anyone gave even a speck of a shit about that kid, he would not have spent 16 years as an orphan with no one but siblings he couldn't call his own and fosters that never actually gave a shit about him.

and had Kiri been born human, she never would have faced a day of that treatment. Jake and Neytiri, Norm, all the rest of them, would have moved mountains to care for her. like any child deserved. but Spider wasn't any other child, and they allowed, outright, him to suffer because of his father.

they punished him for sins he never commited.

[yellowocaballero]

you know what'd be a really jerk move? if your coworker/best friend (who may or may not have a crush on you, you don't know for sure) got a promotion, and right after they got the news you whispered for them to meet you later... and you invited half your other coworkers, and it was all to make plans to celebrate your bff-coworker's rival's promotion.

anyway, canonically rin did that to obito.

RIN MAN WHY YOU GOTTA DO OBITO DIRTY LIKE THAT NO MATTER HE WENT EVIL.

Canonical 14yo girl levels of thoughtfulness and empathy for the feelings of teenage boys. My favorite thing about Naruto is its dedication to having the shittiest children alive.

[apopcornkernel]

and did bruce not, in the end, have a hand in jack drake's death as well? did tim becoming robin not seal his father's fate? we can talk in circles about the delegation of guilt but batman's quest to make no more orphans has, undeniably, made an orphan of robin

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

Another comic headcanon for the books

Ambrosius doesn't know his own birthday

He was an orphan before the institute got their hands on him, most likely abandoned as an infant since he has no knowledge or memory of his parents. I hc that he was only a month or so old at the time

So baby Amb was always sad that he didn't have a birthday (even though like half the kids at the Institution didn't either) because he wanted to feel like a normal kid. Ballister tried to convince him to just make a birthday up. "You know you arrived in September and were about a month old, just pick any day in August" but he didn't want to because it wouldn't be his "real" birthday.

So like. 10 year old Ballister in typical Ballister fashion lied about going to his old orphanage and checking the dental records and finding out that they dated his birthday to exactly August 11th and got him a cupcake. Ambrosius was so happy.

It didn't take long for him to figure out that was an entirely made-up story but he still celebrated his bday on that date because it meant a lot to him that Ballister gave him a birthday.

He didn't celebrate it for the entire fifteen years they were separate. If someone else threw him a party, he'd allow it, but stuff like that rarely happened and he never did anything on his own.

When they first got back together he was so used to not celebrating his birthday that he'd forgotten it, but Ballister didn't. Things were still too fragile to make a big deal of it, but Ambrosius woke up to find Ballister making pancakes in the kitchen, and he'd gotten him a cupcake and rented a disc of his favorite musical to watch.

And yeah he was beside himself.

[noxexistant]

[feeling a wave of indescribable grief and complex trauma overwhelm me] i need to project on jack kelly right fucking now

[ammanannaanadhhaashramam]

Causes Behind Mental Disability Orphanhood in India

India is home to a significant number of orphaned orphas, with millions living in vulnerable conditions. Understanding the reasons for orphanhood is crucial for addressing this pressing issue and implementing effective interventions. This article delves into the primary causes of orphanhood in India, shedding light on the challenges these mentally disabled orphans face and the steps needed to create a better future for them.

1. Poverty and Economic Insecurity

One of the primary reasons for mentally disabled individuals becoming orphans in India is poverty. Families struggling with financial insecurity often find it difficult to meet the additional healthcare and caregiving expenses required for a mentally disabled family member. When these burdens become overwhelming, abandonment becomes a tragic reality.

2. Social Stigma and Discrimination

The stigma associated with mental disabilities in India compounds the problem. Families often face social ostracization, leading to shame and isolation. In some cases, the pressure to conform to societal norms forces families to abandon their mentally disabled members, who are then left to survive without a support system.

3. Lack of Awareness and Education

A lack of awareness about mental health conditions and available resources exacerbates the issue. Many families perceive mental disabilities as incurable or even as a curse, leading to neglect or outright abandonment. Education on these matters remains inadequate, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged regions.

4. Death or Absence of Primary Caregivers

The death or incapacitation of parents or primary caregivers often leaves mentally disabled individuals without guardianship. In the absence of extended family willing or able to take responsibility, these individuals are left orphaned and vulnerable.

5. Insufficient Government and Institutional Support

India’s social welfare infrastructure for mentally disabled individuals is still evolving. The lack of adequate government facilities, funding, and trained professionals means that families have limited external support. This lack of resources can result in abandonment when families feel they have no other options.

6. Urban Migration and Nuclear Families

The shift from joint to nuclear family structures due to urban migration has reduced the traditional support system that once cared for disabled family members. In urban areas, where resources are already stretched thin, mentally disabled individuals are more likely to face neglect.

7. Cultural Beliefs and Practices

Cultural misconceptions and deeply ingrained beliefs can lead to the mistreatment or abandonment of mentally disabled individuals. In some cases, these individuals are viewed as burdens or bad omens, leading families to disown them.

8. Inadequate Healthcare Access

The lack of accessible and affordable mental healthcare in India plays a significant role. Families often lack the means to diagnose or treat mental disabilities, which can result in neglect and, ultimately, abandonment.

Conclusion The rising number of mentally disabled orphans in India is a multifaceted issue rooted in poverty, social stigma, and systemic gaps in healthcare and education. Addressing this crisis requires a concerted effort from policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and society at large. By improving awareness, providing financial and institutional support, and fostering an inclusive society, India can take significant steps toward ensuring that mentally disabled individuals are cared for and empowered to lead dignified lives.

Also Read: Towards a world without Orphan

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[freefallintothevoid]

Dick Grayson's unmatched success as a child vigilante makes a lot more sense when you remember the Court of Owls was a thing and that Dick was meant to be the next Grey Son.

There is no way that someone at Haly's Circus wasn't there keeping an eye on him while he grew up. A future weapon needs to be trained and monitored after all, and a circus, a place where weird skills are completely normal, is actually a great place to secretly train a child.

You know, just some knife tricks that translated really well into actual fighting. How to get out of restraints and pick locks while under a time limit. Death defying acrobatic stunts that coincidentally do wonders for parkouring. That sort of thing. Nothing that seems out of place for a boy growing up around circus performers to learn, but would literally any where else.

I mean, while I fully believe that most kids would want to kill the man responsible for their parents deaths, Dick was weirdly prepared to go through it. He tracked down Zucco with way more ease than any normal child should have too. He became the first child vigilante, for goodness sake. The first Robin! He only started getting formal training after he basically forced Bruce into it!

Bruce himself has no idea that this kind of competency in a child is unusual, considering he was much too blinded by the similarities between his and Dick's tragic orphanhoods.

Alfred is in a similar boat because he’s desensitized to weird children after he somehow managed to successfully raise Bruce 'The Batman' Wayne, so he doesn't clock the hyper-competency as abnormal either.

By the time the other batkids start popping up (Jason 'The Audacity' Todd, borderline-street rat with no fear) (Tim 'the greatest stalker in Gotham history' Drake, child genius, also bullied his way into becoming Robin) (Barbara 'raised by the only uncorrupt cop in gotham' Gordon) (Stephanie 'daddy issues and spite' Brown) (Duke 'Pretends he's the normal one and people believe him' Thomas) it's too late.

It would also explain how Dick got along so well with Damian out of all of them. Similar childhood with different approaches and all that. On some subconscious level, Dick recognises and resonates with the murderous ten year old assassin with strong familial ties to a secret elite assassin organization.

It isn't until after the whole Court of Owls and Grey Son reveal that suddenly Dick realises a whole lot of things about his childhood that suddenly make a lot more sense.

[deagodplease]

tiya was talking about how i dont like my name because my family doesnt say it with the vowel, that the rdyn is all slurred together when my family says it so it feels jarring and aggressive when people pronounce it without an accent and im bout gonna cry !!!

:(

[edgarallen-foe]

are you still an orphan if your parents die after you're old enough to move out?

[loumandism]

the iwtv fandom is always having the discussion of who of the established characters would actually stick up to marius when he returns to abuse armand again and what’s really fucked up is the only real answer is claudia. there’s louis (historically not very sensitive when it comes to armand’s “daddy vampire” and armand’s biggest hater atm), lestat (victim blamer who wants to fuck marius) and daniel (who basically implied armand lied about the entire thing). but then there’s claudia, who because of their shared experiences with white supremacy, class, sexual assault, orphanhood, sexually violent and abusive makerdads, and a lack of a true “home” to stake a claim to (“dad didn’t want me”) she’s on an infinitely more even emotional playing field with armand than anyone else in the show. there’s no major gap in understanding like is present with all of armand’s other relationships, whether it’s the french aristocrat or the former pimp. the only one who really got him, saw right through him, was and remains claudia. it would be her sticking up to marius, if she were still around. if armand did not doom the only person he’s met in hundreds of years that understands him. but the brutal truth is that it is exactly because of this shared understanding that armand could not tolerate her existence; in dooming her, in insisting upon the death of all too similar to him, he dooms himself.

[dirtytransmasc]

you ever think about how everyone, the fandom included, denies Spider his orphanhood? how Spider isn't given the grace of being an orphan because it was Quaritch who was his father, so it basically doesn't count? that grief doesn't deserve space?

cause I do. I think about it

it's not said outright, but the way a majority of this fandom treats Spider reeks of it.

Spider is not an orphan who was alone for a majority of his life. thrown at the first "suitable" fosters. never having a true home or family. never felt true love. he is shunned for desperately trying to fit in. to cling to the love he feels from his siblings. he was just expected to.... be ok? to not grieve? to not be desperate for a home?

it's just crazy to me. he was no one's responsibility, yet he was also supposed to turn out perfectly normal?

like don't grieve, don't miss your parents, don't ask about them, don't bring them up, but also don't expect anyone in your life to step up for you, don't take up space anywhere, don't partake in the culture you're surrounded by. also no one here is truly gonna give you a home or family, unless you count the siblings you can't even count as your own, or love. you just have to be ok with the <3. and this is gonna go on for 15 years before the man you have come to respect as your chief is gonna repeatedly try and get you to turn yourself in to the RDA, y'know, the people you are despised for being related to, before abandoning you entirely.

that's insane to put on a kid. and the fact that it's nodded to in the movie/comic, but the fandom does this the most genuinely rots my brain. y'all looked at that orphan, who behaved like an orphan who never once got the support he needed, and continues to act like one, desperately clinging at the scraps he's given, when his dad is handed back to him in the worst way possible... and y'all decided he was the villain who deserved every terrible thing that happened to him and more? he deserved death?

[aethon-recs]

30 Tomarrymort Recs for 2024 — One-Shot Edition (Part 2)

2024 recs continued! Here's a round-up of some of the most compelling one-shots that I came across in 2024 that I hope showcases the diversity of talent in our ship across a broad range of tropes and themes and ratings 🤍

Criteria for this list: one-shot, complete, published in 2024. Can be read in 1 sitting. Overall for 2024, I've split up the year-end recs into 3 parts: (1) Completed Multi-Chapter Fics, (2) One-Shots, (3) WIPs. Here’s the link back to Part 1: Completed Multi-Chapter Fics. 

The 3rd and last part of this list (WIPs/Longfics updated in 2024) will be posted soon. Happy reading!

*

A Moment of Curiosity (or Weakness) by koel7 (E, 6k, complete)

“I’m having these dreams,” Harry says. “You’re in every one of them. I think you’ve been in them for a long time, I just didn’t know it was you.” Tom inclines his head, and Harry sees the red eyes. He sees deathly, pale skin, and a flash of green light. “Do you remember?”

a pale horse by @ictyn (E, 7k, complete)

Harry, a penniless orphan, struggles to survive under the superstitious judgement of his isolated puritan community. One day, a vile omen is left before the church, an omen which portends only doom. The elders choose to cast Harry out, sending him as a sacrifice to a crumbling castle. The Dark Lord waits within, ravenous for the taste of his blood and the sweetness of his soul.

A Prank Unlike Any Other by A_Single_Cactus (E, 2k, complete)

It was April Fools’ Day. Harry decides to prank Riddle by acting differently. He decides to act nice. It doesn’t go as planned.

Adhesion by @telelli-writes (T, 5k, complete)

Overachieving sixth-year prefect Tom Riddle is on the fast track to be Head Boy next year, a Department Head by thirty, and Minister for Magic by forty. Harry Potter, Quidditch star and the most popular boy in school, doesn't factor anywhere into those plans or Tom's life. Until Professor Slughorn pairs the two of them together on a Potions project.

bad guy by @circleofplanets (M, 5k, complete)

Considered the power couple of Hogwarts, Tom Marvolo Riddle and Harry James Potter have been the topic of interest ever since they got together. A series of interviews getting close and personal with their friends and their outsider perspective on the famed couple.

Blood of the Covenant by @solelyseeking (E, 10k, complete)

Perhaps more than Parseltongue ran through Tom's veins. The Gaunts carried a hunger in their blood- not just for power, as is their right- but for each other. Tom thinks of the way their legacy had dripped from Harry's tongue, later that night, as his wrist works beneath the covers. He feels no shame for his urges. Tradition is sacred, after all. And Tom had always wanted a family.

Consume by @known-concepts (E, 4k, complete)

Something goes awry during Voldemort's resurrection, the balances of life and death are upset, and there is only one way to fix it.

cult classic by @aitafrog (G, 3k, complete)

For his whole life, Harry’s been looking forward to leaving behind the Dursleys and making his own fresh start. He’d envisioned endless opportunities ahead of him, with countless ways of reinventing himself. But for all of his daydreams and plans, he never quite imagined his fresh start involving the infamous cult leader Tom Riddle.

Customer Service by lilacscented (T, 6k, complete)

Furious at Borgin & Burkes’ blatant false advertising and shoddy customer service, Harry spends his Christmas Eve on a quest for Justice. Tom, meanwhile, is just punching the clock for some holiday pay. Both of them end up getting more than they bargained for.

deadbolt by @duplicitywrites (E, 8k, complete)

Tom is stunning at sixteen. He has always been an exception in a sea of mediocrity, a chameleon of sorts, conducting himself with the arrogance of genius astride the pity of orphanhood. Each facet of Tom Riddle is a domino on the path of Voldemort; it is up to you to divert them. Or: Harry goes back in time again, and again, and again.

don't blame the stork by @theonceandfuturequeenoftarts (T, 10k, complete)

Harry feels a little adrift after the war, so Magic decides he needs a baby, Magical Britain decides he needs to be Minister, and Voldemort decides he needs some company.

Eternal Hunt by @metalomagnetic (E, 3k, complete)

Harry wants to be good. Tom wants Harry.

Fearsome Thing by @0p4l3sc3nc3 (NR, 13k, complete)

It was him. The angel. "P-pleased to meet you," Tom murmured, and then cursed his tongue for the stutter, and his throat for the raspy tone of his voice, and his heart for being a traitor. And the angel—Harry, he had to remember that name now, it was of utmost importance—smiled at him. "The pleasure is mine.”

Heartbeats by @cyandenial (T, 10k, complete)

Harry Potter, a medical student, volunteered to help in St Mungo's hospital for the summer, to gain extra credits and some practical experience. He was assigned to look over one old man, a task no one wanted, because Tom Riddle wasn’t making it easy for anyone. His horrible attitude brought about every nurse to tears, and Harry was determined not be among those who cried. To everyone's surprise, he managed somehow… Until he didn't.

his love life and death by @noctelier (T, 5k, complete)

Tom Riddle doesn’t get sick. His immune system, just like the rest of him, is extraordinary. Incomparable. No one would dare suggest otherwise. Which is why everyone goes silent when he starts to cough. Or: Tom contracts Hanahaki Disease, knows what he must do about it, and decides he’s better than all that (until he doesn’t).

Ho, Ho, Ho by @moontearpensfic (E, 3k, complete)

Tom's parents take him shopping at the mall, where he scopes out snake paraphernalia and a Santa Claus with pretty green eyes.

if the moon should ever doubt by @fericide (M, 6k, complete)

They meet in the Astronomy Tower.

Mistletoe Managed by @tommarvoloriddlesdiary (T, 3k, complete)

“What’s so bad about magical mistletoe?” Harry asks. Hermione sighs, “Well, magical mistletoe won’t let a person go until they share a heartfelt kiss... So he'll be there a while.”

O Come, All Ye Faithful by @shyinsunlight (E, 3k, complete)

The sanctity of midnight mass requires dignity, composure, and absolutely not dropping the thurible when Harry fucking Potter walks in fifteen minutes late. Harry, who hasn’t darkened the church door since last Easter, and who’s apparently decided Christmas Eve is the perfect time to make his triumphant return to worship.

paint your eyes with sunsets by @boyneptunee (T, 5k, complete)

Tom moves to a new apartment building where he more or less gets himself a boyfriend and a family. Oh, and there's also a cat.

Resonating Souls by @endlessburningdarkness (E, 4k, complete)

Minister Riddle has an unusually dream filled night.

Roughly 19 Years Later by @dividawrites (E, 2k, complete)

Platform 9¾ is a nice place for reunions.

seven by lilacscented (T, 7k, complete)

Harry meets Tom Riddle on the first day of school. He has just turned seven. “So you’re like me,” he says, a statement, not a question. “Meet me in the woods later this afternoon.”

Soil by @ratzeebatz (T, 11k, complete)

The thing about Tom, and many people were aware of this, is that he had a combination of traits that made him both dangerous and infinitely appealing to anyone that spoke to him.  Or: Tom Riddle is a murderous herbologist, and Harry smells better than anything he's smelled before.

stumbling into wonderful by @satflesk22 (E, 5k, complete)

The Ministry sees fit to meddle at Hogwarts in an attempt at curtailing rising pureblood sentiments, to try and lure prospective recruits away from the Dark Lord Nott. Unsurprisingly, the Heir of Slytherin is stuck together in a room with the Chosen One. The worst part is that it bloody works.

The Betrayal (and Boon) of One's Own Biology by @riverxsong-ao3 (E, 7k, complete)

Tom Riddle had always known he was destined for greatness. As a young wizard, he was certain he would present one day as an Alpha - strong, powerful, in charge. When he did not, he came to accept that he must, in fact, be a Beta. Then, one day, everything changed.

The Descent by @chaos-bear (E, 5k, complete)

Secrets, grief and blood magic collide in the depths of the Austrian Alps.

The Good Knight by @mosiva (E, 9k, complete)

Harry and Tom drifted apart at Hogwarts, and Harry hasn’t seen Tom in years as she’s off travelling the world. But Harry doesn’t have time to be sad about it. She’s got problems closer to home – like helping the Order of the Phoenix to combat the recent rise of one Lord Voldemort.

the thing lay dead by @duplicitywrites (E, 7k, complete)

In the end, there was one body that all refused to touch. It unnerved people to see even the corpse. Harry tended to him, this man made mortal. Smooth, alabaster skin and thin, brittle bones. Peaceful in death as he had never been in life. No longer a monster. Now a body, just like everyone else.

this is my persona, secret lover (he's my collar) by souliloquium (M, 3k, complete)

Some things are the same, some things are different. Harry is not the Boy Who Lived. He still finds the locket. And Tom finds him.

We Bow to Each Other, Harry by @liquidluckandstuff (T, 4k, complete)

Harry falls asleep with the Horcrux around his neck and has a very strange dream.

When the Weight is Gone by @marrythemonstersao3 (M, 7k, complete)

In the quiet after the war is over, Harry feels the empty space in his soul like a missing limb. Eventually, his grief and longing come to a head when Death offers him a choice: to move on for good, or go back and do it over again.

*

[pippindot]

My sister is watching my girls. One is taking her new orphanhood better than the other.

[ouroborosmoons]

The Journalist Wahaj Bani Mufleh on the martyrdom of the three-year-old child Laila Al-Khatib who has ascended to martyrdom after being shot by the IOF in the head in the village of Muthalath Al-Shuhada, south of Jenin:

She is her mother's only child, and her father died two years ago in a traffic accident.

Glory to the martyrs.

She lay stretched out before me, wrapped in the flag of Palestine, as though the homeland that failed to protect her in life was now trying to embrace her in death. An orphaned child, who lost her father before she even learned to say the word “father,” now following in his footsteps. Far too young to die, yet burdened by the wounds of a homeland that did not do her justice.

As I gazed at her through my lens, it felt as though the world had paused for a moment. How could a child who barely experienced life carry so much sorrow in her farewell? How could her innocence be stolen so cruelly? Her shroud was white, draped in the flag of Palestine, yet she looked as though she were merely asleep, waiting for a hand to pull her out of this nightmare.

I was taking photographs, but my heart was not that of a photographer. It was a father, a brother, a child searching for an explanation to this injustice. This child, who never found the safety of a father’s embrace in her life, also found no safety in the world. They left her alone, just as she lived her solitude in her orphanhood.

Her image will never leave my memory. She is not just a photograph, but a testimony to an unforgivable crime. It’s as if she’s telling me—and the world—“I am not just a child they killed. I am the story of a homeland. I am stolen innocence. I am a soul that will never be forgotten.”

[velvet4510]

Harry James Potter was so utterly failed by Wizarding Child Protective Services (assuming that even exists, which is doubtful) throughout his childhood that one of my favorite headcanons is that as an adult, he did some serious advocacy for child abuse victims. Give me a Harry whose job as DADA teacher enables him to get a close look at and easily pick up on signs of domestic abuse or neglect among his students because he knows what that’s like, he remembers what that’s like, who becomes a safe haven for troubled kids who need one of their professors to understand why they don’t want to go home for Christmas break, who immediately files reports and pulls all necessary strings without stopping until those children get better homes, thus giving the ULTIMATE middle finger to a certain Albus Dumbledore and a certain Severus Snape. Give me a Harry whose time as a healer introduces him to young patients who have been beaten up or starved at home, who bangs on every door in the reformed Ministry until that child is with safe guardians, giving the ULTIMATE middle finger to a certain Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Give me a Harry who transforms 12 Grimmauld Place from an empty shell to an orphanage or child abuse victim shelter, allowing so many children to also be “The Boy Who Lived” or “The Girl Who Lived” by having a safe place to go when their families fail them, giving the ULTIMATE middle finger to the Black family legacy of cruelty. Give me a Harry who, instead of following the heteronormative norm and biological parenting norm, ADOPTS a child or two or more with Draco, whom they rescue from orphanhood or abandonment, whom they CHOOSE to love and raise REGARDLESS of the children’s biological blood status, giving the ULTIMATE middle finger to the pureblood supremacy ideology itself.