#rereading poa AS I DO

[gigglesandfreckles-hp]

i’m sorry but there is nothing funnier than hermione calling sirius “mr. black” and sirius almost blacking out from discomfort

[harryjpotter-shitpost]

How come I never noticed that he was crying??

[nocturnal-phantoms-fandoms]

okay i know you are on the same shack scene agenda as me and i need to dissect it even more so please tell me your thoughts about what remus is thinking/feeling when he sees peter on the map and decides to go after sirius 👀

What do we know? He finds out Peter is alive and he immediately finds it highly suspicious - nobody casually fakes their death after all. He goes straight to the willow and on his way he tries to make sense of it all. He knows that whatever he believed/was told is at least questionable. And the way through the tunnel is long so he has time to think.

I believe that Remus figured out what happened in October 1981 - more or less - the moment he entered the shack. When he asks how it is possible that Peter is alive, he is thinking out loud. He already went through every possibility, checking how probable each one was in the context of what was happening in the last couple months of the war and then he comes to the conclusion - you switched - and he is sure there is no other option. So when Sirius - who’s words he shouldnt really have any reasons to trust* - nods, he doesnt question it at all and gets straight to business to murder the rat. 

*That is, assuming he truly and fully believed Sirius to be the traitor.

I like to think that it took quite long for him to accept it and that it was mostly due to Dumbledore convincing him. He has no reason to doubt Dumbledore - and Dumbledore has no reason to think what he knows isn’t the whole truth - but what Dumbledore says doesnt make any sense (and even Rosmerta agrees!). But even if he doubs his words he has no means of going against him or proving him wrong so for the sake of his own sanity he has to accept it. 

And even then - when he was told Sirius was responsible for all those murders - he didnt think he deserved the Dementors Kiss. And we know that he holds James and Lily (especially James) in high regard and how much their friendship, support and acceptance meant for him bc of his childhood. Yet he is very quick to murder Peter - not even waiting for the kids to leave the scene jesus christ remus - when they find out he was the traitor. Yes, the point of his question for Harry about the Kiss was to show that it’s fate worse than death but come on - in front of my salad the kids?

Also Im not sure what to make out of his excuse of not telling dumbledore about the map/secret passages - that he convinced himself Sirius was using tricks he was taught by Voldemort and also that he is Dumbeldore’s doormat. Its a very very poor excuse  and. couldnt he just. show him an opened map and point to the secret passages and say they should be blocked/guarded? say he found this mysterious artifact of unspecified origins somewhere in the castle? anyways for me it doesnt make much sense until we consider that he had this thought - about sirius potentially maybe not being guilty - at the back of his head. maybe even subconsciously at this point. 

that or he was very gay for sirius. 

also I forgot to take my shipping goggles off, shit, my bad. 

I would love to hear your thoughts though, they happen to make more sense than mine >.<" 

[queerpotters]

I'e been fairly clear about the fact that I don't like Draco (I stand by this), but I will say his arc wouldve been far more coherent if he hadnt tried to actively capture Harry during the battle of Hogwarts. As it is, he made a few steps towards the beginning of what could be a redemption arc, and then ran 20 ft backwards, slapped someone on the head, and everyone reacted like he had taken steps forward. maddening.

Having him helping Harry would be out of character I think (even if you like him, you have to admit that Draco Malfoy's primary, most consistent and enduring trait is cowardice), but even that would work better than what happened

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hi there, what's your take on Lupin's atitude towards Harry and their relationship

I think that the scene at Grimmauld Place, on deathly hallows is a very cathartic one. Harry is seeing one of his last father figures fall from a pedestal, and for me Harry acted on the right here, what do you think?

Like, their relationship is one that I'm a little weird about. Like, I'm not a big fan of Lupin, as I mentioned here. And I kinda hate when fanon treats him like Harry's cool uncle or similar to Sirius in his treatment of Harry. That is so not the case with Lupin. Like, Lupin is an expert at messing his social life up, so any relationship he's part of can't be simple.

I saw another post once that stated that it's telling that Harry calls the Mauraders: James, Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail in his head, and yes, that is telling. The fact he keeps calling him Lupin even after Lupin makes him his son's godfather is telling regarding their emotional closeness — or lack thereof.

Harry doesn't trust Lupin the way he trusted Sirius. During 3rd year, he's the one pressing Lupin and chasing him to teach him the Patronus Charm. Lupin never mentions, in all their interactions that he knew Harry's parents. In the movies, Lupin was much more paternal towards Harry than in the books. Book Lupin is having a mental breakdown every time he looks at Harry and sees his dead friend. He lives in a constant state of guilt and I think, in book 3 he has no idea how to even approach Harry and this topic since he knows it'll bring up uncomfortable questions such as: "Where were you for 12 years?" along with digging up memories of his past that Lupin doesn't seem interested in reminiscing about until Sirius forces him to.

“All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn’t do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I’d betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I’d led others along with me . . . and Dumbledore’s trust has meant everything to me.

(PoA, 356)

He says the above regarding Sirius, but the same is true for anything else in his life. Especially when it comes to his treatment of Harry. He wants to reach out, he wants to say something, but then he gets stuck wondering if he should and ends up not doing anything. He chickens out, basically.

Then Lupin disappears for, like, the entirety of book 4. Harry's in a death tournament? well, Lupin doesn't seem to care. Like, I think he does care, in a general sort of way, but he got wrapped in his own guilt and indecision that he just never makes an appearance. He probably convinced himself Harry would be worse off if Remus was there because that's what he does. He made joint appearances with Sirius and the Order in book 5, where he's clearly saying everything he needs to say to please as many people as possible because he wants to be liked. I do want to note this scene from book 5 that I feel is overlooked:

“Excellent,” said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. “We’ve got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we’re ready. Harry, I’ve left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry —” “They won’t,” said Harry. “That you’re safe —” “That’ll just depress them.” “— and you’ll see them next summer.” “Do I have to?” Lupin smiled but made no answer.

(OotP, 54)

I hate this passage so much, you don't even know. Like, in my most recent reread of OotP once I read this line I closed the book and took a month-long break from my reread. Like, reading this is chewing glass for me. Because the only question on my mind is: "How could you, Remus?"

Like, I just can't imagine having an ex-student of yours, or even worse, the son of your dead best friend, tell you they don't want to go back home, that their relatives would rather they won't be safe — and all you do is give a cryptic half-assed smile.

Like, if we go with the most generous interpretation of Lupin's character, we can say he does feel awful about it but he, again, is trapped in his own indecision. Dumbledore gave him orders, and according to them Harry must return to the Dursleys, but he also cares about Hary's well-being in a vague sort of way. So, that smile we see here is Lupin trying to be reassuring through his guilt and failing miserably.

Then, of course, we can go with less favorable interpretations of how he, like many other characters, is a product of his society and upbringing. The Wizarding World doesn't really have the concept of social care and they don't really see abuse the way we do. That he honestly thinks Harry is speaking in hyperbole and is smiling because he thinks Harry's being dramatic like James used to be.

I think the truth is somewhere in between these two options, tbh.

Then he has his romance with Tonks, but Harry isn't really privy to most of it and it doesn't really concern him.

Then, we get to book 7 and that scene you mentioned.

Now, obviously, I think Harry is in the right. I think Lupin is, once again, being an indecisive cowered. Something he is very aware of. I think Harry is right in calling him out, although, perhaps it could have been done better. Both Harry and Lupin lost their tempers a bit during this scene and it shows. But, still, Harry is right about everything he says and Lupin knows this. That's why he gets angry enough to actually attack Harry. Because he has no way to argue against the truth.

“Tonks is going to have a baby.” “Oh, how wonderful!” squealed Hermione. “Excellent!” said Ron enthusiastically. “Congratulations,” said Harry. Lupin gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace, then said, “So . . . do you accept my offer? Will three become four? [...] “Just—just to be clear,” he said. “You want to leave Tonks at her parents’ house and come away with us?” “She’ll be perfectly safe there, they’ll look after her,” said Lupin. He spoke with a finality bordering on indifference. “Harry, I’m sure James would have wanted me to stick with you.” “Well,” said Harry slowly, “I’m not. I’m pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren’t sticking with your own kid, actually.” Lupin’s face drained of color. [...] “You don’t understand,” said Lupin at last. “Explain, then,” said Harry. Lupin swallowed. “I-I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and I have regretted it very much ever since.” “I see,” said Harry, “so you’re just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?” Lupin sprang to his feet: His chair toppled backward, and he glared at them so fiercely that Harry saw, for the first time ever, the shadow of the wolf upon his human face. “Don’t you understand what I’ve done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I’ve made her an outcast!” Lupin kicked aside the chair he had overturned.

(DH, 184)

He knows Harry is right, but he also truly believes marrying Tonks was a mistake for how she and the yet unborn Teddy would have to live their lives with him being a werewolf. He feels guilty and awful and he's trying to do here what Lupin always does — run away from his problems. Except, in the above scene, Harry doesn't let him have a pretty excuse for running off. Because when Lupin runs from his issues, he always makes sure to have an excuse. Somehow the excuse is always: "I'm a werewolf, and I'll make everything worse". I mean, he quit being the DADA teacher before they could fire him. All he does is run before the other shoe drops. Because Lupin is convinced the shoe is there. He lived all his life with this constant fear. The moment Lupin sniffs an uncertain situation he bolts in the other direction.

Like, I know some call Pettigrew the cowardly Maruader, but, really, it's been Lupin all along. (Peter is also a coward, but a very different flavor of coward).

And I think, later in book 7, when Lupin makes Harry Teddy's godfather, that's his way of apologizing for the past 16 years. He's apologizing to Harry for wanting to run away from Tonks, (and Harry, and everything else). This decision is a sort of 'thank you' to Harry for convincing him to stick around and not be a coward for once in his life, and it turned out good. It's also a decision that basically promises Harry Lupin isn't going to disappear from his life again. That, to me, was Lupin's character development and apology. It's him saying he's stopping with his guilt-ridden indecision and that he is settling down. He isn't running anymore and he wants Harry as part of his and his son's lives.

But, we didn't really get to see that happen, if he'll really stick to it or run away again because he died.

[trothplighted]

Like Marietta who seem to have been created just to betray Harry and be disliked… a character that never sat well with me was Cedric! I always felt like he was primed to earn our sympathy - he was a good son, good student, handsome, nice to Harry, and by all accounts didn’t “deserve” to die. I always found that cowardly. What do you think?

I finally have consistent enough internet to answer this! (Yay storms…)

The difference imho between Cedric and Marietta is that Cedric is well-utilized throughout GoF and Marietta is a vague whisper of a character in the one book where she’s a significant player. Cedric is primed for our sympathy for the whole book, and this is because we are supposed to feel like him dying was an injustice - because it was. He was a seventeen-year-old boy, he was at the beginning of his adult life, he had a family who adored him, he was popular and kind and brimming with potential. He’s present enough to have an impact on Harry’s life.

But I don’t think you’re wrong to have a kind of :/ reaction to a lot of this, especially since someone as famous in-school and as exciting and as handsome as Cedric would, I think, have logically been a bigger presence in the story up to this point. And yet, because Joanne doesn’t really plot out things beyond This Specific Book She’s Writing Right Now, we don’t get nearly enough of Cedric to make his death feel earned in quite the same way. I would have liked to see him be sort of a school legend or a big man on campus as early as book 1, and it would’ve been cool if that had happened.

GoF is, I think, the best-written and best-constructed of all the Harry Potter books. It’s the point where she took the writing level-up she achieved through PoA and applied it to a longer story with great success. It’s also the last point at which her editor had anything useful to do in the process of writing and publishing these books - she was very open in interviews and in discussion about OotP/HBP/DH that she’d essentially been given free reign to do whatever she liked, and that she didn’t listen to her editor beyond basic proofreading, and that she liked it that way. As a result it stands as the first really big book in the series, one that integrates an adult supporting cast well and sets up and pays off all of its major plot points. It’s a serious delight to reread, more than the first three even, and it’s also tight in a way we don’t see either before or after. And yet, it falls victim to the fact that Cedric can only be a character in this specific book, because she never included him before and can’t include him after.

I do actually think someone had to die in GoF to make the threat of Voldemort feel real, because Harry was always going to escape (and this is easily his most narrow escape, and the only one of her deus ex wandlore plots that pays off emotionally for me, because it’s desperate and uncertain and still requires him to make a run for it and survive by his own wits) and we needed to take Voldemort seriously to really feel the absolute pants-shitting dread that Harry feels in that sequence. I think Cedric was an obvious choice, as someone who really was too good for this sinful earth in the classic tropey sense and as someone whose death would catalyze sustained efforts to fight misinformation because of how good he was, but I think you’re right to feel like he doesn’t quite live up to his full potential here.

[junkiepunkie]

okay I’m not one to talk about canon Harry Potter events but I’m rereading POA and Goblet of fire (don’t worry I’m not spending a penny on Rowling. I’m borrowing a friends old copies) for a wolfstar fic and I just had to say this. Do you guys remember the bit in the goblet of fire where they’re at the quidditch World Cup and the attack is happening and Harry, Ron and Hermione run into Draco and Draco’s like (this is paraphrasing);

“You should be inside Granger they’re coming for mudbloods next”

Why were they like “shut up Malfoy”

no. No actually he has a fucking point doesn’t he???? GET THE FUCK INDOORS YOU IDIOTS!!! You are HARRY POTTER, a WEASLEY, and a MUGGLEBORN!!! You are literally the PRIME TARGETS right now.

like I get it, Draco is being mean and you don’t like him but tf??!?!?! Listen to the man he’s trying to save your life!!

[goldenprophetwrites]

✨Opening Line Tag Game✨

thank you @tealeavesandtrash for the tag ❤️❤️❤️

to be very honest, i probably reread my own fics conveniently often (write what you want to read and whatnot)… but this is one i rarely talk about anymore, and i kinda wish got more love.

this is the beginning of You Will Be (my rest and peace), the sirius pov companion fic to my poa canon divergent series (which was also my first time writing wolfstar/marauders so be gentle).

The horror stories Sirius had heard about Azkaban paled in comparison to the real thing. It was a place of pure despair, the deepest depths of human suffering. The tortured screams and manic laughter followed him as he swam away, paws fighting against treacherous currents and fur soaked in icy water.

He’d learned to deal with the Dementors in his eternity confined within the four walls of his tiny cell. He discovered early on that they completely ignored him as Padfoot. They were mindless creatures, existing only to feed on the joy of their unlucky victims. He could not fault them for their nature more than he could any other wild predator.

The human guards, however, were beyond his comprehension. How could they choose to be in such a terrible place? How could they laugh and joke, safe under their Patronuses, as they made their rounds? How could they look into the eyes of the worst of the worst and go about their days? How could they return to their families after tossing slivers of chocolate onto filthy floors and cackling as he scrambled for a taste? How could they sit and read the news in those dire halls?

He couldn’t even hide as Padfoot when the human guards were around. He still had enough sense to know that if he was discovered, they would find a way to take it from him. He couldn’t lose Padfoot, his last piece of sanity, his last remnant of before.

oh i forgot to tag other people but anyone who sees this is welcome to do it 😙

[saintsenara]

i'm laughing irl because a lot of what you dislike about PoA is, i think, why i like it so much. it's sooooo petty!! so much of it is sooo low-level and dumb!! "lucius malfoy throws a pta parent bitchfit because his kid got bitten by some animal in an elective class literally the year after he set a giant murdersnake on the school to murder people, lucius wyd" is a major subplot! the inevitable yearly "snape is up to something dastardly this time we swear" plot gets nipped in the bud bc lupin's like "yeah no he's just giving me my meds, still hate the guy tho d'ya wanna see him in a dress again lmao"! there's time travel but only for the purpose of attending classes! "hermione's cat is collaborating with the alleged main villain" is also a major subplot somehow! hagrid, who got expelled at 13 or 14 and was in jail the previous year, is back and now a teacher! we don't even see the alleged main villain do magic, in a book about magic people at a magic school, until he's confirmed not to be a villain! even with the dementors the stakes are almost entirely personal! and this is right between the genuine horror plot that's CoS and the murder and worldbuilding extravaganza that's GoF! absolute literature, lol. (and tbh I think CoS was a little too dark for most of its target audience of middle schoolers, which may have contributed to how well-received PoA was? anecdotally, i've largely seen that people who read the books as they came out did not like CoS at the time, but liked it a lot more on rereading it as older teens/adults -- might have a biased sample though)

screaming!

look, we all love lucius malfoy strutting into the ministry of magic in an effort to get hagrid fired. you know he spent hours getting his look just right.

we also love sirius keeping crookshanks booked and busy.

i've always been a chamber of secrets ride-or-die, entirely because it's basically detective fiction, which i love. i've never heard anyone say it's too dark for the target audience, but i'll concede i had slightly... wednesday adams-ish vibes as a child...

[thegirlwhowrites642]

I just reread cos i sort of felt annoyed at weasley brothers esp. Twins ( I know they are very beloved in fandom but I found their lack of common sense annoying sometimes) Do you think in cos weasley brothers were sort of neglectful? I can understand ron he is only one year older & has his own insecurities but fred and George were 14 & percy was 16. I am not saying its their fault but still. I am older sis myself I just can't imagine not noticing ( god forbid) my younger sibling going something like this. Maybe it's a brother thing to be like this. Anyways sorry for long rant,please share your thoughts.

I totally understand your point of view because I'm an older sister too, and there would have been no way in hell I would have missed something like this about my younger sibling. Though I have to say, Percy at least understands there's something wrong and we also know Ginny at eleven is a very practised liar that doesn't like to ask for help and doesn't have much faith in her family being in her corner (the Quidditch training in secret is such a perfect back story for the diary).

I think when the Weasley brothers really fail is after Ginny's first year.

A lot of people seem to believe that the worst things Ron did were not believing Harry in GoF or the Horcrux thing but I completely disagree. Those things are frankly very minor all considered and influenced by a lot of circumstantial reasons. The one thing that really always kind of stuck with me that was really shitty of Ron was when he shoves away Ginny at the start of PoA. Your sister has been possessed for a whole year by a dark lord fundamentally because she grew up very sheltered and all her brothers decided to ignore her while an evil dark object amplified all her insecurities and the year after you decide to behave with her in the same exact way?

And I get that Ron is jealous of his friendships due to his insecurities but there's a limit to what is justifiable (he grows out of it at least so kudos for that).

And then after the dementor's attack, it's not even Ron who takes care of her while she trembles.

And of course, the fact that Ginny searches for Ron even after he sent her away tells you something about the other brothers (maybe Percy had prefect things to do so he might be excused, but why wasn't she with the twins?).

But after all, it's one of the big themes of Ginny's story: she doesn't have anyone in her corner but herself.

Ginny starts the story victim of unimaginable horrors because of her loneliness but she becomes someone whose greatest strength is her ability to stand on her own (the girl is a rock) and who takes care of the people forgotten by everybody else. She once was the injured girl on the floor of the Chamber and she becomes the one who takes care of the injured girl on the grounds (soon after her brother died I might add).

[note: it's also a full circle moment for Harry and Ginny because, in the scene in DH, Harry is projecting on the injured girl]

[seriouslysam8]

Hey Sam i' m rereading the MIT series btw it's just as I remembered aka fucking great anyway I wasn't around tumblr at that time so my question is threefold:

1 when did you get the idea to start writing Petrichtor?

2 what sparked that idea?

3 why choose this specific moment to start your AU? Why not the end of POA for example?

Thanks!

Surprisingly enough, I started writing Brumous back when I was writing Brontide. I have an original first chapter draft where the story starts in the DOM. Instead of fighting, Sirius is more intent on getting Harry the fuck out of dodge. They’re trying to escape the Ministry when they run into Voldemort in the atrium. The Dumbledore/Voldemort duel happened. Sirius and Harry kept being stopped from trying to get to the fireplaces with explosions and flying debris. The Aurors and Fudge show up to see Voldemort AND Sirius. Then, that’s all I had. But people were really into Brontide at the time and I decided to make MIT instead. So that story was put on the back burner for YEARS.

When I started to fall out of love with MIT, I was trying to think about what I wanted to do next (if anything at all). I went back to that little blurb I started years ago. I debated a lot of where I was going to start the story. I did consider POA and have Sirius be freed at the end as the start of the AU, but I had ZERO interest and rewriting the GOF. Like, honestly, that’s one of my least favorite books. So, I just decided to start at the Easter egg scene because I read once that JKR said that Harry would have noticed Ginny during that moment if they hadn’t been interrupted. My Hinny loving heart decided that’s where I needed to start.

[ashesandhackles]

Prisoner of Azkaban reread (Part 2)

Chapter 17,18,19,20

The details of how furniture being gouged out makes you think of adolescent werewolf that Remus was (cooped up and aggressive), and why he would enjoy the full moon runs with Marauders. ('best times of his life' as he says. Whatever feelings he has of the near misses, his spirit in Forest Again is "happy to be back in place of adoloscent wanderings". This is important for Remus' characterisation)

Ron standing on a broken leg to yell at Sirius ("if you want to kill harry, you'll have to kill us too!") moves him (show of loyalty? After all of these years?) but also makes him feel guilty: "Lie down. You will damage that leg even more."

Hermione, who was petrified and asking Harry to be quiet - the moment she spots Harry is in danger from Sirius, she kicks the person she was petrified of moments before (book Hermione is nuanced!) XD And Ron throws himself on Sirius' wand hand. Basically Sirius is getting beaten up by kids.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" - ah, Sirius. He feels enormous amount of guilt for their deaths and doesn't deny that he "killed them". Sirius goes completely silent when Harry says, "You never heard her, did you? My mum trying to stop Voldemort from murdering me". He tried to plead his case before Harry said this, and now, he basically hands over the power to Harry in the scene and let Harry do whatever he wants. He even tries to push Crookshanks off, to get him out Harry's wand's way. (Crookshanks' love for Sirius is deeply endearing btw)

I know people focus a lot on the cracks in Sirius and Remus' friendship, but this wordless communication where Remus figures out who was the actual traitor (Sirius doesn't say a word, btw - he just points at Scabbers, and Remus immediately gets it) is… utterly radical after 13 years of suffering.

"Get away from me werewolf" - to show Ron say this, a child from largely progressive Weasley household, is to show deeply prejudiced the wizarding world is.

The fact that Remus is on his side after 12 years, makes Sirius sit on bed with a "shaking hand". It is similar to Remus' voice that was shaking with "suppressed emotion." (Crookshanks goes to comfort Sirius, and goes to his lap)

One of the ways Remus' guilt at not telling about Sirius' animagus form manifested is that he watched Harry on the map, in a way to handle the untoward incidents that may happen himself. (i mean he would have done it regardless, but this is way to keep his secrets as well)

There are two desires in Sirius - the desire to protect Harry, the desire for vengeance against Peter. The stronger desire, we see, even in the smaller moments is to do right by Harry. It is exactly what Remus invokes when Sirius tries to grab Scabbers from Ron - "You owe Harry the truth, Sirius" and he immediately stops struggling.

"My mind seems to be less so when I was with them" - the Marauders granted a very deep-seated need in Remus, a way to experience his wolf as not a terrible monstrous thing, but a source of joy, a way of integrating that self into his identity without shame.

Remus uses "err" when he is minismising the severity of a situation. "Sirius thought it would be - er - amusing to tell Snape.." (adding @urupotter and @thecat-isblogging-blog thoughts on this when we discussed )

Also, Hermione's role as an advocate in these chapters begins here - she asks Remus the right questions, and she will continue to do so in coming chapters, making sure everyone's story is heard. It is in keeping with the book's ideas of justice and mercy - and while Hermione is the advocate, Harry is the deliverer of justice - one who decides what to do.

Chapter 19 - POA

Snape having to play nursemaid by bringing Lups his goblet of Wolfsbane would not have endeared Lups to him. XD (But it also shows Snape's gritted teeth approach to things he considers danger and how to neutralise that danger)

Snape's first set of dialogue is "I told Headmaster again and again you have been helping Black into castle..". Translation: My father figure that I unfortunately projected onto has been dismissing my feelings and my concerns and now I can spitefully show him the proof. ("I will be very interested to see how Dumbledore takes this")

And Remus lets his anger show up more openly and it is cold and dismissive: "You fool. Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

Hermione tries to advocate for Lups, saying he should be heard. This is her role in the chapter - when Harry is too emotional and Ron is too confused, she takes over as the advocate in the chapter, while Harry is the judge.

Harry sees that Snape is beyond reason, so he decides to follow Hermione's lead and advocate for Lups instead.

"You would have died like your father too arrogant to believe that he was mistaken in Black" hints to what Snape is feeling in this scene, not to mention being inside the Shrieking Shack where he was sent by Sirius once as a trick, make him regress even more. (Also he dies in Shrieking Shack in Deathly Hallows)

When Snape threatens Harry, "Get out of the way or I will make you" - the trio try to disarm him at once and he gets knocked out. I love Ron and Hermione don't hesitate to do this (even though Hermione panics, "we attacked a teacher"). They are truly ride or die for Harry.

Sirius breaks, and Remus in response "gets a steely note" in his voice ("give me that rat"). The moment Peter appears, Remus will begin to grow colder and colder in the scene.

"His wet eyes seemed to be burning into his face". "fathomless eyes" "sunken eyes suddenly overbright". There is so much emphasis on Sirius' eyes for his emotion - even in GOF, his eyes "shuttered" when talking about his imprisonment. Such a powerful description of his energy and emotionality. It makes you feel his presence as a character.

"Well hello Peter, long time no see" "You might have missed finer points when you have been squeaking around on bed" LMAO. the passive aggression in this man.

Voldemort's closest supporters, most likely the Lestranges, are aware that Peter is the informant. Not everyone seems to be aware - Snape clearly isnt. This is to show hierarchy within Death Eaters. There is also an implication that Lucius may be aware - which is fun again when you look at power dynamics in his "friendship" with Snape. The implication in DH is that Lucius took him under his wing, something that Snape is clearly grateful for (he reacts unconsciously to him being named as DE in GOF), but Snape is not in on the Chamber of Secrets plot, nor about Peter. Also Snape is working against the Malfoys. So many criss-crossing loyalties. XD

"Throat too tight to speak, Harry nodded." - an indication that Harry is near tears too.

Remus rolling up sleeves to get ready to kill Peter. What a gentleman.

When Peter speaks to Harry, Sirius loses it. And then when Peter invokes James to manipulate Harry is when Remus comes forward along with Sirius to throw Peter to the floor. (it's a subtle detail because Remus is quiet and asking polite-sarcastic questions - but it shows how angry he is). For me, the interesting part about Remus' behaviour in the chapter is that he is already on Sirius' side without question. So all the questions he is asking Peter is almost like he is working up his rage more and more.

"You should have died, died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!" "You should have realised, if Voldemort didnt kill you - we would." Sirius is talking about the loyalty Peter refused to show (that they would have showed), and Remus is doling out what would be the expected punishment for that lack of loyalty: "Goodbye Peter"

I am in awe of the fact that Sirius, who was in prison for 12 years and has much right to decide what to do with Peter as much as Harry does, immediately hands over the decision to Harry when Harry asks it. And even when Sirius is threatening Peter, "if you transform, we will kill you", he checks with Harry, "you agree Harry?"

The chapter ends with this sentence, "Crookshanks led the way out of the room, his bottle brush tail held jauntily high." LOL, he has been vindicated!

Chapter 20 - POA

the awkward way Sirius offers Harry a home. He is so unsure! He dominates the scenes of previous chapter, and he is a powerful personality despite being pretty much a walking corpse with alive eyes. And then he turns into something very endearing, when he is all: "of course I though you wouldnt want to -I understand. I just thought-"

And then - when Harry assures him he wants to live with him, "Sirius' gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference made it startling, as though a person ten years youngers was shining through the starved mask" . I imprinted on this relationship right then and there, and there is no other dynamic that moves me as much as this in the series.

Harry gropes in the mist for Sirius' arm, and grabs onto him when Dementors come. "They werent going to take him". Adding link to my meta which explains in more detail the beginning of the intense bond between Harry and Sirius.

Chapter 21

Madam Pomfrey having a chocolate the size of a boulder that she has to break apart with the hammer. XD And then she tries to shut Harry up by forcing a chocolate down his throat.

"You surely dont believe a word of Black's story?" "Sirius Black proved he was capable of murder at 16. You havent forgotten he tried to kill me?" Ah, Snape. Dumbledore is siding with Marauders again in his head, and that, among other things, will trigger his final lash out.

Harry understands Dumbles' broader intention (fly Buckbeak to Sirius' window) and Hermione thinks of bigger plans: "If we steal him now, the committee is going to think Hagrid set him free." And Harry spots immediate threats: the werewolf that might run right at them.

"How can you stand this? How can you stand watching it happen?" - Harry doesnt know how to not act. It is one of the reasons in Deathly hallows that when he decides to not go after the wand, it is the scariest thing he had done in his life. He could not remember not acting.

"Get your filthy hands off it" - Harry's dislike for Snape deepened in this book, and gains even more personal edge than before. (it is also in reaction to Harry's anger when Snape suggests they have been confunded. "We' re not confunded!" Harry roars)

"Where are you Dad? Come on" : Harry realising he had seen himself, but conjures a Patronus in the shape of his father's Animagus form is just poetry. Legit one of the most beautiful moments in the series. (And Harry realised… "Prongs," he whispered). This book is also the most contained and stand alone when it comes to Harry's development.

Chapter 22 - POA

It is interesting here that Dumbledore is a bit amused by Snape's meltdown, Snape incensed - but by middle of GOF, their dynamic develops to this ("Sometimes I think we Sort too soon"). It was pointed out by econteacher on discord about how Barty Crouch Jnr as FakeMoody would play this book's fracture against Dumbledore and Snape, since they dont seem to be properly communicating in GOF ("Dumbledore happens to trust me. I refuse to believe he gave you permission to check my office" and how Jnr arrives at the scene of his father's murder: "Snape said something about Crouch."). The Dumbledore-Snape relationship is reaffirmed and repaired by end of GOF book, by Snape's show of loyalty to Dumbledore in front of Fudge (where Snape straight up shows his Dark Mark to Fudge to stop him from mouthing off Dumbledore), and him going to Voldemort on Dumbledore's orders.

Lups confirming to Hagrid he didn't eat anything in the night points to interesting stuff about his memory when he is transformed.

Lups wanting to leave as quickly as possible because he feels he has let down Dumbledore - by keeping Sirius' animagus form a secret back in school to now, and the fact he was loose on the grounds in the night.

Ron takes Pidwidgeon out of harm's way when he notices Crookshanks eyeing him. XD And then he gets Crookshanks to sniff him. "What do you reckon? Definitely an owl?" this moment is so adorable. Crookshanks purrs, and Ron decides, "Thats good enough for me"

"I only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey " ahhhhhh kill meee

Sirius gifting Ron an owl as an apology of what he put him through.

Harry threatening Vernon cheerfully with Sirius name rofl "He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and is on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me though.. keep up with my news.. check I'm happy"

POA ends on such a bittersweet hopeful note.

[yearofthesnape]

The Silencing of Lavender Brown

"Lavender Brown got done dirty by the narrative" doesn't begin to cover what happened to this girl. I'm three books in to a reread of the whole series, scouring them for every mention of her name, and she only just said her first words in Chapter Six of PoA. Every other named first-year Gryffindor has been speaking since Book 1. (I really hope I'm overlooking something — I'm doing this manually, after all, not having the ebooks — but I was reading quite carefully.)

Here are Lavender's first quoted words. Note that she isn't even permitted to say them at normal volume, nor does she get a sentence to herself.

Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"

Her words, about a boy's experience, are tacked onto a sentence about a different boy's feelings, expressing their concern about a third boy's situation.

Now, it makes sense for Harry to notice Ron's reaction first, but it makes no sense at all for Harry to have never observed Lavender saying a reportable word for over two years before this point. The year before, for instance, when Hermione asked about the Chamber of Secrets, Harry noted Parvati and Seamus and Dean, but not Lavender, asking for further details. Lavender, however, had been one of the first to become interested in the discussion. We could argue that Lavender was shy, but people who are too shy to ask follow-up questions about a topic that really interests them in class are not usually people who are comfortable with extremely public displays of affection, as Lavender certainly is. Possibly Lavender just really came out of her shell over the years. I'm suspicious, though.

[sugareey-makes-stuff]

And here's the last batch of fic recs I have to wrap up @hprecfest and 2023! Feel free to give these some love, or else add them to your TBR for later to kick off your 2024!

Day 27: A Muggle AU Fic

Of Bookshelves and Baby Carriers by poppunkpadfoot (Wolfstar, T, 11.8k)

The customer standing in front of him is quite possibly the most beautiful man Remus has ever seen. Like, he looks like a model or something. He has long, black hair, flattened by water, and just the slightest amount of scruff on his face, and… And a baby strapped to his chest. Okay.

This fic is cute AF! 😍 Doing a reread of this again made me squee about how Remus is such a precious cinnamon roll who needs more hugs, Harry is adorable, and Sirius' flirting is hilarious. So much flangst, this is a bookshop fic, and 1000% a pick-me-up if you need something to brighten your day. A+++ aka go read this ASAP!

Day 28: An Under-Rated Fic

Chimera by Literallyliterary (Flintbell, E, 11.5k)

Years after Hogwarts, years after the war, Katie Bell finds herself traded from the Harpies to the Tornados and into the hands of team captain Marcus Flint. It’s a lot easier to ignore a childhood crush when you have to take orders from him, right? …Right??

I always love a good Quidditch fic, and this one seriously delivers, especially with all the UST built up from Hogwarts days. The way Marcus and Katie push each other's buttons but are clearly attracted to each other is amazing, and there are just so many Feelings waiting to spill out, especially after they get physical. It's spicy, it's got that fiery Gryffindor-Slytherin relationship dynamic we all love, the mutual pining is for real, and the competitive streak is so alive. For the game, for a chance, and yeah, this was what really solidified my love for this rare pair when I first discovered them. Def give this a shot if you'd like to dip into new ships!

Day 29: A Post-Canon Fic

Crimson Neon by @xanthippe74 | xanthippe74 (Drarry, M, 20.6k)

Winter, 1999. Harry thought going to New York would help him get his head on straight, but all he has to show for it are sore feet and a fridge full of takeaway containers. And now he’s homesick on top of everything else. It doesn’t help that his mysterious neighbour in 2C keeps cooking dishes that remind Harry of home and all the people he lost or left behind.

I adore fics that include anything senses or food related. And gosh, this one with the angst and food as a love language is gorgeous. The small details really makes this a story I can visually see. Also, Draco cooks! 'Nuff said. And the way Harry and Draco gradually fall in love is so heartwarming. It's on their own terms, in a different country. Love, love, love. Definitely a must-read for a sleepy or rainy day.

Day 31: A Fav Amongst Favs

Drowned Boy by bmouse (Marcus/Percy/Oliver, M, 4k)

Oliver wants to drown himself. Percy wants to study, but he's willing to be distracted. Marcus probably wants trouble, but it's hard to tell.

Sooo, PoA is my 2nd fav HP book, and any references to that Quidditch game where Oliver tries drowning himself in the shower or missing moments right after are gold. Marcus and Oliver banter at each other as usual, but then Percy gets tangled in their chaos, and it kind of escalates. They're all boys with hormones, and yeah. 😜 This fic is so well written where you can see the attraction between each of them, and the dynamics work. *chef's kiss* (And since I genuinely like to delve into character studies for Marcus, Percy and Oliver, this was the fic convinced me that they're an awesome triad. Hell yeah.)

[changetheprophecy81]

I'm rereading poa after a long time and i'm in tht scene where snape confronts lupin about the map; i remembered why i like remus as much as i do, especially where he's lyk "I’ll take this back, shall I?” i love him so much lmaooo

[trothplighted]

What are some ships you like and some you don't?

This is a complicated question because I can get invested in any canon pairing and find all of them fascinating, and because some of my ships aren’t things I like because the people involved are happy and stable.

I’m a Wolfstar girl to the core. I was there in the Bush years, before I knew what fanfiction was, before I knew what fandom was. I’d reread their passages in PoA, and sit with the feelings they gave me. I didn’t know what slash shipping was, I didn’t know I was gay, I thought they were just Good Friends, but I never wanted them with anyone else, and I grew into “they should fuck” as naturally as breathing. They’re one of my core three OTPs of childhood/early adolescent fandom. They sit squarely at the top of any tier list. But beyond that, I’m really intrigued by anything. I am a canon-compliant fan; I know these books well and am really uninterested in anything that doesn’t follow the path of canon (even my AUs are canon-divergent but follow canon characterization and are grounded in the attitudes and sociological climate of the late 20th century). If it’s a canon ship I’ll have opinions on it. So I’ll break it down in a more unconventional fashion -

Canon ships I actively seek out content for:

James/Lily

Grindelwald/Dumbledore

Narcissa/Lucius

Tom/Bella (with the caveat that I think this was an obviously abusive relationship and am primarily interested in stories that explore that)

Andromeda/Ted

Draco/Astoria

Extracanonical canon-compliant ships/unrequited love I’m invested in featuring canon characters:

Wolfstar, as said above

Emmeline Vance/Nymphadora Tonks

Fabian Prewett/Edgar Bones

Alphard Black -> Gellert Grindelwald

Barty Crouch Jr < - > Tom < - > Bella

James Jr -> Teddy Lupin

Narcissa < - > Lucius <- Snape

Extracanonical canon-compliant ships featuring at least one OC:

Alphard Black/Francis Tate

Sturgis Podmore/Gaius Selwyn

Minerva McGonagall/Genevieve “Gen” Smith

Alastor Moody/Cassius August

BCJR/Radu Negru (not that one)

Incest And Other Bad Decisions Club (aka “Regrettably Or Unfortunately, This Happened, Let’s Discuss”) - extracanonical but canon-compliant:

Bella -> Narcissa

Normalized incest in House Black of all kinds

Abraxas Malfoy/Druella Black

Alphard/Walburga

Aberforth/Ariana

Merope Gaunt/Tom Sr.

Gauntcest

Rabastan-Bella-Tom-Rodolphus Shame Square

Lucius/All Forms Of Hedonism

Albus Dumbledore/Severus Snape

This Happened In Canon And I Like It Primarily As A Proxy For Exploring Comphet, Homophobia, Grief, And Other Fucked Up Shit:

Nymphadora Tonks/Remus Lupin

The only truly non-canon ships I find myself actively liking are Prongsfoot and Wolfstarbucks, because both of those would have happened if James had been gay and you cannot convince me otherwise lmao.

Dislikes are a bit simpler! And generally my strategy with these is to simply avoid talking about them. I’m too old to care about bashing. We’ve been doing that since 2000, and I’m sort of over it.

Snape/Lily (I find Snape fascinating but the absolute best thing that happened to him was not ending up with Evans.)

Jegulus

That kiiiind of covers it, I think?