#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.

[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!!

[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...

[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 😙

[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.

[artemisia-black]

Something I've been musing about lately: Do you think Sirius is someone who cries a lot/ugly cries when upset or someone who would never let himself break down like that? Somewhere in between? Only lets himself cry around a handful of people? Only a handful of topics can reduce him to tears? Has Azkaban changed his capacity of emotional regulation? TL;DR: Baby boy has so many reasons to cry, but does he ever do it?

(Looking forward to reading your metas! I also have just started my annual HP reread!!)

That’s such an interesting question, Anon.

So we see him cry twice in the book; once in the Shrieking Shack and then in the scene in Dumbledore’s office in GoF.

“Black had already retrieved Snape’s wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.” PoA

At this moment, he’s ok to show his tears as his primary emotion is anger (Sirius is quite traditionally masculine in how he displays his emotions- as discussed in my OG meta ).

Interestingly when he is simply crying and not able to be aggressive, he covers his face with his hands:

“his face hidden in one shaking hand..” PoA

“He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands.” GoF

And this desire to hide his emotions is also demonstrated when he withdraws to Buckbeaks/Walburga’s room in OoTP.

To answer your question:

In both instances, it’s grief for James that makes him cry, so I think he only cries under extreme duress, and in both instances, he attempts to hide it and appear stoic.

I do think he cries when he's alone and that is why he withdraws alot during OoTP.

Under normal circumstances, I can see him allowing a select few people to see him cry, but he will then brush it of or mask it by being angry at the thing that is hurting him.

[ashesandhackles]

Prisoner of Azkaban reread notes (Part 1)

Chapter 1, 2,3, 4

Wendelin the Weird really mocks the idea of wizards facing persecution from Muggles, and the anecdote shows how they have more power.

@starlingflight had an hc that the Weasley family went to meet Bill because of the events of last year and because Ginny really looks up to him. In PS, they went to visit Charlie in Romania during holidays, and in CoS, they went to meet Bill. This is the second time they are going to Bill in a very short time. Peak eldest sibling/ third parent moment.

I love the detail in Ron's letter about Molly not letting Ginny into the last tomb, which had all sorts of mutant skeletons. This takes on a layer given what happened to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets.

Uncle Vernon complains about Sirius' hair and then shoots a look at Harry's own. I love the connection the narrative makes between Harry and Sirius from the very beginning - the hair, when Uncle Vernon looks to Harry after he makes a comment about people "deserving punishment"

Ah Marge. The way she treats Harry is special kind of vile. There is a special kind of nastiness to her giving Harry dog biscuits as a present, and then later on in the same chapter alluding to Harry as weak, runty pup that she had someone drown (and then implying Lily has bad blood - "if there is something wrong with the bitch, then there is something wrong with the pup"). Also, although Harry is written as "default white" - this is one of the times I felt such a strong undercurrent of racism here.

And Harry, after first two books of his management of Dursleys, finally rejects them and runs away. ("I had enough" - both Harry and Sirius say at some point with their families)

Interesting that in CoS, Harry is quick to believe Ron and Hermione have forgotten all about him when he didnt get their letters (major abandonment issues acting up, exacerbated by circumstances ofc), but by POA, he is confident that even if he is an outlaw in wizarding world, Ron and Hermione would want to help him. Ron and Hermione slowly help healing Harry <3

Right when Harry is considering his life as an outcast, he is being watched by Sirius, who appears right after Harry has rejected Dursleys as caregivers of any kind, and is the wizarding world outcast. (Also, Sirius has swum the north sea and escaped prison, and he wants to "catch a glimpse")

Sirius laughing at the scene of the crime is such a stark image. We see him do this at the end of the book, when Peter accuses him. ("Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room"). When Peter accuses him of breaking out of Azkaban using dark Powers, Black "started to laugh, a horrible mirthless laugh that filled the whole room." I love this absolutely contrarian impulse in him, that he is laughing at the sheer gall of Peter to accuse him after everything. It also feels like a habit from his home life - designed to piss people off when they accuse him of something, most likely unjust. And it is the same response that happens in his breakdown over James's death on the street - it is the mirthless laughter that begins because of audacity of Peter, and it goes into breakdown over James's death.

Harry returns every day to look at the Firebolt. Jock boy.

Sirius = the Grim. XD interesting how he is associated with a death omen. @artemisia-black has a meta about this.

Ron and Mr Weasley share the same stress response: ears turning red.

Mr and Mrs Weasley recreate the same dynamic as Molly as Sirius in OOTP. Molly does not want Harry to know, Arthur wants Harry to know to be on his guard. This is telling of Rowling's fixed ideas on intrinsic traits of a gender - the man wants to give Harry more agency to be in charge, while the woman is cautious (I'm not making this up, there is literally an interview with Melissa Anelli where she said this about Molly vs Sirius scene: that she wants to contrast "cautious feminine principle" with Sirius' "take charge" masculine principle")

This book feels so melancholy to me. There is a suspense aspect built up with Harry spotting the dog, seeing that it is a death omen, and Sirius saying "he is at hogwarts". On first read, these are scary things. But when you know what you know, this is just dripping with sadness.

Chapter 5,6,7

Ginny tries to join the trio and Ron tells her to "go away". @hinnyfied pointed out how Ginny followed both Ron here and when the train is dark. I really like glimpses of sibling relationships like this!

Remus is here - he is asleep. (interesting that they take note that only students use Hogwarts Express and it is unusual for an adult to be there).

Remus does wandless magic, and conjures flames in his palm. I really really love this detail. The "right to carry a wand" is heavily contested among "creatures" as Griphook resentfully mentions in DH - and it feels like something he has trained himself to be good at. @thecat-isblogging-blog also believes it is something for post transformation - when he may not have his wand and would be vulnerable.

"Ginny looked nearly as bad as Harry felt, and gave a small sob." and Hermione goes and puts an arm around her. Again the Chamber comes up. ("Didnt any of you fall of your seats?" "No, Ginny was shaking like mad though.")

Since this is a book where Harry starts to root his masculinity in James, the shame he feels for collapsing on train is a nice touch. ("I am not delicate!" Harry said crossly). Special thanks to @artemisia-black for her metas for this insight - I would not have looked at this with lens of masculinity if not for your metas!

Interesting detail that both Dean and Lavendar also have no idea what The Grim is. Rest of the class knows - so it is embedded in wizarding culture. This is also a hint to Lavendar's blood status i think? I never picked up on this before.

Dean Thomas appreciation, when Slytherins shout at Hagrid after the Buckbeak incident, Dean says, "It was malfoy's fault!"

"giving Harry a look of loathing reserved just for him" - something about this sentence really cracks me up. lmao.

Snape threatening Trevor really hits at Neville's worst insecurities. Trevor is a gift from his family after Neville proves that he is magical (and not a Squib, as they were fearing). So Trevor is a representation of that for Neville. So Neville's fear - is not being good enough, something Snape (and also his grandmother in a very different way, hits - as McGonagall says, "it's time for her to be proud of the grandson she does have, instead of the one she wishes she had" in HBP). Neville grows very subtly throughout the series.

I love how Lyall and Hope's meeting via Boggarts (as per pottermore) adds another layer to why Remus takes it on in his first class.

Remus is polite to Snape, but he slips in the same scene - when he is asking Neville about what his grandmother wears (so Neville can overlay it on Snape), he prompts, "and a handbag?" when Neville can't seem to remember. Remus is a very subtle character, and his slip ups about his feelings are also super subtle like this. There is no reason for him to prompt Neville on this - but there is a part of him is enjoying this. (It's that part of him on the map that goes: "keep your abnormally large nose out of other people's business")

Chapter 8,9, 10,11

I love how immediately attuned Remus is with Harry, and how Harry actually does say what is bothering him after initially saying no. It is the lack of judgement from Remus, and his ability to let silence be. (Sirius does this with Harry too later on, and so does Ginny)

I love that Harry thought Lups will deny what he had observed, but he not only validates it but offers Harry an honest explanation of why he didnt let Harry fight the Boggart. It is a respect for Harry's agency and intelligence that makes Harry immediately take to him. ("I am impressed, this suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry")

Snape, "unsmiling and watchful" that Harry and Lups are spending time together, and he has told Dumbledore that he is untrustworthy and is helping Sirius.S nape's "eyes were flickering towards Lupin more often than usual" even after brewing the Potion - Snape is super hypervigilant with Lups - there is genuine fear here. Given his teenage brush off, I can see why.

Snape being Dumbledore's angry child: trying to hint to Dumbledore that Lups may be the inside help, and Dumbledore shutting him down, and Snape concedes to it because they are in front of Percy.

Percy looked slightly abashed when Dumbledore mentions that no Dementor would cross the threshold of the castle while he is Headmaster. I wonder what Percy's views are on use of Dementors? He is very assimilationist. The next book, he is on Crouch's side for Winky debacle, so it is likely he thinks Dementors should have a look in the castle.

"his robes were hanging more loosely around him" - interesting detail to show the aftermath of transformation on Lups. It is extremely taxing on his body.

Lups both cant help himself from being concerned that Harry is sad about the match and cant help feeling guilty, that Whomping Willow, made for his use, is what smashed Harry's broomstick.

Harry is so comfortable opening a topic with Lups that he finds deeply shameful: that he fell because of the Dementors, that he hears Lily's death when they get close. It is interesting that Jily death hangs so strongly over POA, and both Remus and later, Sirius act as a stand in for James in this book.

"Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though he made to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it." - the summary of Remus and Harry's relationship in the entire series, and Harry breaks through this wall in Deathly Hallows.

"White and shaking he was" "Give Harry to me, I am his godfather" "Black argued, but in the end he gave in" - so demonstrative of the fact that his first priority is always Harry

Sirius was absolutely doing a performance of boredom for Fudge. It is his way of fighting, even in prison - his way of saying, "you havent broken me." Because we do see how Sirius really feels around Dementors at the end of the book - hands over his head, and moaning, "No Please"

"Quite the double act" - McGonagall not mentioning Remus in the group while we get gossipy details like Remus mentioning that McGonagall told him about Harry and Trelawney. It feels like such a gossipy thing to say to a former student, and indicates fondness. So I'd like to think she is also careful and wary with regard to bringing Remus up in front of Ministry authorities, esp potentially sensitive things like Sirius and him used to be best friends.

Harry looking into his parents wedding photo, with laughing Sirius :pleading_face:There is so much longing written into these scenes, and sadness. I have said before that Harry's series wide arc is to coming terms with his parents' death.

ooh interesting stuff from Hermione. Hagrid talks about how Dementors werent keen to let him go, and Hermione says, "but you were innocent!" and hagrid snorts, "Think that matters to them?" interesting stuff for Hermione and her belief and disillusionment in institutions arc.

Dumbledore offering crackers to Snape. Love how Snape indulges Dumbledore even as he hates it lollll.

Chapter 12, 13, 14

I know the fight is about the Firebolt, but I always felt the true reason Harry is angry with Hermione is that she went behind his back. And Ron is siding with Harry. (Although it is funny that it is Crookshanks that technically placed order for the broom)

Also, interesting note about Voldemort - he refers to Lily as "silly girl" and in the most disparaging way possible, when in reality it is her sacrificial magic that stopped him. This is in contrast to how he talks about James - "Face me like a man, straight backed and proud, like your father died". It is taunt, but a compliment infused in the taunt. (We will notice this in his fixation with his father, and rather passive interest in his mother as well - and the interest in his mother is because of her lineage - "I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, from my mother's side?")

Hermione disappearing into her workload, and Ron, despite being angry with her, interested in what she is up to. He even asked Ernie if she missed any Muggle Studies classes, lol.

How interesting that Lups mentions that the Dementor's Kiss is the fate that awaits Sirius Black, completely unprompted by Harry. It is clearly something that bothers him. ("Do you think anyone deserves that?"). Since he read it in the Prophet in the morning, it is clearly a news that he was still processing.

"Do you really think so? Do you think anyone deserves that?" - it is obviously one way for him to process the news, but it is also a way for Lups to open space for Harry to talk about what he is thinking and feeling.

Snape reminding McGonagall that Gryffindor will be out of running for 8th year in a row if they lose the match, lol. Snape and McGonagall's background Quidditch rivalry is hilarious. This happened in CoS too ("We should get Potter off the Quidditch team until he is ready to be truthful" "The cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick")

Harry suggesting they make up with Hermione, and Ron tells him where she is. I get the feeling that Ron was waiting to make up with Hermione after the initial anger. He engages with her, tries to figure out her schedule and it seems to me that the only thing really stopping him is Harry's feelings and he was waiting for Harry's go ahead.

"Ok side with Ron, I knew you would" - the beginning of the series, where the boys choose each other, and Hermione knows it. This changes when Ron becomes aware of his romantic feelings for Hermione, and that forces him to step back from his buffer role, and Harry and Hermione dynamic goes through transitional storm as a result.

Hermione came to watch the match. The juxtaposition of the Fred and George juggling bottles and the festivities, and Hermione reading Home Life and Social habits of British Muggles (which she doesn't have to) really adds to the loneliness of the picture.

I don't know if this was mentioned, but Lupin keeps asking Harry that maybe it's time to stop during the Patronus chapter. I do think it's because he is seeing the physical toll it's costing him, but I'd like to think it could also be because Harry has become an earpiece to James' last moments, and Lupin is caught off-guard. His grief is rising back up and it writes "Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he was doing this against his better judgement.(via @thecat-isblogging-blog)

We can see Lupin losing a bit of his careful control when Harry asks him about Sirius. Not only has Lupin just gone through the circle of grief again in a space of a few minutes, but now Sirius being bought up is asking for his anger. When Harry assumes Lupins knew Sirius as well, Lupin responds very quick and 'out of character': "What gives you that idea?" he said sharply. (Also via Cat)

Sirius breaks into the dormitory with a knife. He gifts Harry a knife for Christmas later on. (@artemisia-black brought this to my attention, but he seems to have a thing for knives. )

Love how immediately Neville connects Harry to being his protector, he steps behind Harry when he sees Snape.

Obviously Snape enjoys catching harry in trouble, but his dialogue here about worrying about Harry's safety (also his life mission) is also him. ("Let other people worry about his safety!").

"Mr Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business" - this insult is essentially displaying Remus' anxiety over Snape "sneaking around, trying to get them expelled". And Sirius' insult, is on his intelligence ("Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became professor"). Insulting people's intelligence is go to insult for both Sirius and Snape. James' insult goes for his appearance ("ugly git") which is appearance based, and most likely to do with his jealous streak regarding Snape and Lily. And Peter follows James' lead in the ugly insult and "advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."

I will never get over the detail of Lups clapping his hand and looking around cheerfully when Ron comes in XD covered this scene between Lups and Snape in more detail here

Remus made Sirius and James "feel ashamed of themselves sometimes". I'd imagine it would be similar to how he handled this - cover up for them as he did for Harry, and lets them hear it in private. Although some of the harshness of what Remus said here is because he agrees with Snape, and recognises his own guilt in this situation, so he is angrier.

There is something about the fact that Hermione comes to them when she gets the letter that Buckbeak is being executed that is really, really vulnerable of her? She can wait until Hagrid tells them himself, but she needs them in this highly charged emotional moment.

I love how immediate the trio's priorities shift - both Harry and hermione discuss the unfairness of the situation, and when Hermione says she has no hope, Ron says there is. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time Hermione. I'll help." Ron's offer of solidarity really gets to Hermione and she apologises to him. And that's pretty much all he needed to hear from her ("I am really sorry about scabbers") and he quickly moves to assure her- "he was a bit old. You never know, mum and dad might get me an owl now." (ron's issue with hermione is similar to his issue with Harry in DH - "you are dismissing my feelings and devaluing my needs. What is important to me is not important to you, and therefore I am angry.")

Lucius is still a background antagonist in this novel, even though he doesn't make an appearance. And like Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid is once again in trouble because of his vulnerable status in the wizarding society.

The exam chapters are so endearingly weird - the teapot into tortoise and how they are all worrying about how some of their tortoise still has spout, or breathe steam. And harry overdoing his cheering charms that meant ron had to be taken to a private classroom for over an hour cos he was doubling up with hysterical laughter.

[celestemagnoliathewriter]

1 + 12. So Collide was the first fic of yours that i stumbled upon and i fell in love. it’s def my fav fic of ALL time and i reread it at least four times a year because it is making me kick my legs in the air because it hits EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. THANK YOU FOR POSTING IT *sending a big kiss through screen*

9.

so i know that it is a veeeery long time until it will get posted but your poa remadora fic that you have been telling us abt is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. i swear. but in the meantime i will enjoy supernova and the burdens of time ♡

@sunnymssv!!!!! YOU'RE SUCH A SWEETHEART!!! I can't believe you love Collide that much. It was my first fanfic, and one day I plan on rewriting it (leaving the original up), as I think my writing/plotting has improved. But you're so sweet, so so sweet.

I have so much writing to do on the PoA Remadora meeting fic! It might be a late in 2024 project! However, may I offer you a very unedited snippet from Supernova that is extremely cute? It's a little conversation between Dora and Sirius about Remus <3

Snippet below the cut, not giving any more context than what's in here :D

“Dora, you know he’s madly in love with you, right?” Sirius asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“What?” Dora gaped at her cousin, sure she was hearing incorrectly. 

“You don’t know?”

“You’re joking.”

“Moony’s had it bad for you for years. He might even be worse than James.”

“He what?”

“I know you don’t feel the same way. He told me about your reaction to his furry little problem.”

Dora grew hot with shame. “I apologized—” she began.

“You were horrified. You stopped writing to him.”

“He said he forgave me.”

“He did. He just knew he lost any chance he had with you.”

“He—”

“How did you not see it before? He nagged me all fourth year because of what happened—”

“The year you gave me chocolate from—”

“I didn’t give you anything,” Sirius said flatly. “That was all Remus.”

Dora thought of the Chocolate Frogs, the bars of chocolate, the sweets, and the little joys Remus brought to her in her lowest days. 

“He probably told you it was from me so you wouldn’t suspect anything.”

“How long has he—”

“Second or third year. Like I said, as bad as James, maybe worse.”

“Where is he?”

“Dora, if you’re going to break his heart, could you wait until morning?”

“I need to find Remus, now.”

“He’s probably brooding somewhere. Check the Astronomy Tower or the edge of the forest.”

“I know you’ve got a way of finding people—”

“Insufferable.”

“There, pacing by the lake—”

please send me asks!!

[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.)

[shostakobitchh]

Hi. A really big fan of your work. I was rereading Chapter 40 when i noticed this.

“So then… what was Tom?”

Snape visibly.........

................................ as it comforted her.

“A symptom of his all-consuming fear of death.” the shadows cutting across Snape’s face seemed to darken.

Ariel frowned. “If he’s so powerful then why is he scared of dying?”

Snape figured out that dear Tom was a Horcrux doesn't he? He does have all the necessary information as well as the resource to figure out the truth (far more info. than Regulus had). Does he also suspect Ariel's scar? If not, when will he begin to connect the dots? Thanks for your time writing this.

hi! thank you so much, glad you’re enjoying (and rereading!!!)

snape hasn’t figured out the deal with the horcruxes yet; i’m going to be honest and tell you that I’m not certain snape will even be privy to that information until the end. i’ve outlined bits and pieces of hbp and dh and it just… doesn’t work if snape knows ariel is a horcrux, because the only alternative to ariel dying is snape kidnapping ariel and putting her in a hut in siberia and warding the shit out of the land within a 10 mile radius for the rest of her life. he wouldn’t let her go to the forest like harry did in dh; he’d probably have a mental breakdown. snape’s comment to ariel in chapter 40 is something he already knows - tom riddle only cares about cheating death - and it’s one of the chief reasons snape began to doubt riddle during the first war. he saw that the death eaters were only being used to benefit voldemort’s pursuit of immortality; not to change the world (however problematic either are…)

there is, however, something ELSE snape has done to ariel inadvertently. it’s been touched on here and there (only one person caught the biggest hint so far!!!) so that will, unfortunately, take up most of his time in trying to remedy it, while dumbledore diverts ariel’s attention to the horcruxes.

I think snape suspects the Other Thing right now, but it hasn’t shown the Signs yet so he thinks he’s in the clear. but they’ll become known before the end of PoA - the horcrux is just another symptom, unfortunately. i’d like to think that snape would put two and two together earlier, much like poor regulus did, but I’d really have to sit down and unpack how snape would deal with this information in a way that doesn’t fuck with the plot. not having him do anything is ooc, he would fucking raze the planet to ashes to protect this kid; however, having him do too much ruins the plot - we NEED ariel to die, unfortunately.

[thequibblah]

Hi Suze! So I was rereading your regency avatar au again because it’s so great. And I was wondering what bender would Harry have been in this Au? Sorry if you’ve already been asked this before

hi and thank you, thats so sweet of you! i can't remember if someone has asked that before. part of me is like well. he's the avatar naturally. but even if he IS the avatar, what element would he start with?

i think i like the idea of him being a firebender first, obviously cut from a very different mould from james or sirius, similar to how korra in her series comes across as very different from the waterbenders we'd come to expect as the norm in ATLA. if i can say something painful....in a future for this AU where his parents die and harry is sent to live with the dursleys like in canon, i can imagine them overreacting to his firebending similar to the way they do with his magic — it's certainly the most un-ignorable element — and linking it to his bad-influence father; the same can be said of others in canon who don't care for james, like snape. (it's interesting too to have subdivided inherited magic applied to hp canon... like instead of harry's magical inheritance being from both his parents, he has specific magical inheritances from each and they're kind of obvious legacies. how would it affect harry to learn about his dad's less than stellar teenage antics? how would it affect his firebending, especially if that's the kind of bending he had first and is constantly brought up as a similarity between harry and james? kind of like with aang's struggles to learn firebending after he burns katara in s1, or korra's struggles to learn airbending) i also like the idea that it would be an early, obvious if perhaps superficial similarity to james much in the way harry's physical appearance is. but being able to bend all four elements, he of course always has lily's powers with him. like, the hurt/comfort reunions with sirius and remus later on in life (poa-gof-ootp style) write themselves.

ugh not u giving me things to think about...