#sirius have a normal illness challenge

[unknownersirius]

Wondering what the normal mental recovery timeline is. I've never had any kind of surgery before so idk if that benefits me or hurts me.

Glad that things are doable to an extent, but having to lay down after every major task or risk fainting is New. The desire to just go all out 17 hours of nonstop drawing is strong, but 7 hours is pushing it.

Frustrating because focusing is also becoming more of an issue.

[yumeurl]

I have special privilege and I will use it:

Prongsfoot and Snarry

prongsfoot - makes sense, doesn't compel me

i already explained my view on marauder's hierarchy here, despite the marauders being a close friendgroup, james and sirius are the ride or die duo. ffs they're embarrassing enough to own a two-way mirror that they'll use to communicate to each other for separate detentions. like it's not even an important reason, or something related to first ww, they just want to talk to each other during detentions 😭i even checked sirius's note again and it literally says that him and james use it...remus and peter Who......

it doesn't compel me with similar reasons to wolfstar and bellamort: i have a hard time holding interest in this era unless it's related to severus, and it's a pairing that doesn't challenge each other unless you have a third person

snarry - makes sense, compels me

i dub this one the 'mommy issues' pairing...... no i can't explain why......

this ship has everything though, the drama, the hurt, the craziness.... how harry despises snape so much that he shits on him much harder than he ever would with draco, yet in scenarios where harry can separate his hatred from him he starts seeing him as a guide/mentor (his potions book). there is this passage from the book:

In spite of the increasing nastiness of those scribbled spells, he had refused to believe ill of the boy who had been so clever, who had helped him so much. . . .

it's the same when he first saw SWM, harry felt bad for snape because he understands how it feels being bullied like that. and i think snape does too, considering he's seen harry's earliest memories from their occlumency lessons. let's not forget the scene where harry sees snape's patronus for the first time

it's a ship that has alot of potential, but snape's character and resentment (the fact that he thinks life being unfair is just normal and people should just suck it up is definitely a projection) and harry's increasing hatred to him in response as well as having a hard time understanding a character who doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve makes it such a tragic ship. there's so many angles to explore it

send me a ship and i'll tell you where it lies for me

[fromashescomephoenixes]

Sirius Black’s Day Off

author’s note: this is a collab of 80′s movies with the lovely @probably-peeves@thegrxywitch @flymyhp @quadrupledeckertaco @shaynawrites23 please go check out what they wrote for this!

word count: 2.6k~

summary: imagine ferris bueller’s day off.... but with sirius!

****

"Rise and shine beautiful!" Sirius sprang up, flinging my curtains open. The reddish gold morning sun greeted me. In my opinion, it seemed angry and pushy but many might call it 'gentle' and 'beautiful' I knew better.

"No," I grunted. I placed the pillow over my face to block out the sun, and Sirius's loud announcements. Who really knew what he was up to?

"That's the spirit, now I'm going to transfigure some nice yellow warts on your face and you have to cough occasionally. Okay?" Sirius continued bounding around the room before finally leaping onto my bed and planting a kiss across my cheek. I tried to shove him off, but my morning fog finally cleared enough to let me remember why I loved Sirius: it was an adventure every day with him.

"Fine,"I sat up rubbing my eyes, and gave Sirius a morning kiss. "Good morning," He leaped off of the bed, happy to have completed a succesful mission.

"Fantastic! So I'll transfigure us both to-"

"No," I said again, thinking a bit about this plan. Whatever it led to, we certainly would not be taken siriously if we both showed up to Madam Pomfrey with a bizarre illness at the same time. "We need to go in separately or she'll get suspicious."

Sirius nodded, considering.

"You're right!"

"I always am, love," I winked as I pulled on my comfiest trackies. "So are you going to take me to breakfast if you got me up this early?" With a cough, Sirius fell dramatically on to my bed.

"I can't, I'm sick!" he cried, practicing his fake illness.

"Breakfast in bed it is then!" I decided, as I summoned a house elf. Over jammy toast and Beatles tunes, Sirius explained his idea.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." He began. Of course this was going to be a dramatic monologue. When wasn't it with Sirius? I brushed the toast crumbs from my lips as he spoke, excited to here the rest of the plan. "And so, today we are going...." He paused and appeared to be doing some difficult mental math.

"Actually, it would be quicker for me to say where we aren't going!"

"How are we doing this with classes though?" I frowned. Clearly Sirius had banked on me asking this question, and he began to preform various charms which were set to give me an extremely ill appearance in the first class of the day.

"I am excused from class due to a death in the family." He said much to happily, and I recalled that one of his pure-blood supremacist great-aunts had died recently.

"Sorry for your loss?" I said trying to hold back giggles at his jubilant behaviour.

"Don't be!" He shrugged, "Anyways, you'll be sick. And we'll call Remus out with some message from a teacher once I pick you up!"

"Remus is okay with this?" I was incredibly confused now. Typically Remus steered far away from anything which would cause him to miss classes due to his... unique.. schedule.

"Once he knows I'm sure he will be!"

"Famous last words my love, famous last words."

****

Midway through charms, I noticed a couple of strange glances coming my way. I paused my readings about The Art of Life in Inanimate Objects and looked around for anything that was causing these looks.

I quickly figured it out as I realised multicolored spots were popping up all over my arms, and I realised slight puffs of steam were currently exiting my ears. Godric Sirius. Madam Pomfrey was going to have some issues with that one.

"Professor Flitwick?" I raised my hand and waited a moment for him to notice.

"Yes Ms. y/n!" He responded in concern.

"I think I need to see Madam Pomfrey,"

"Yes, right away!" He agreed in his high pitched voice. I raced into the hall with my bag and bumped into Sirius straight away. He pulled me into the nearest secret passage way.

"Oh bloody merlin, my charms actually did work!" Sirius exclaimed, sounding extremely surprised at their success.

"How do we make them un-work?" I begged, uncomfortable at the site of pulsing pustules that were spotting my arms.

"I don't know y/n I think the multicolored look kind of suits you!" He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "But no kisses until I'm back to normal," I challenged smugly. A horrified look crossed Sirius's face, and he quickly got out his wand. After a few muttered spells, I was good as new.

"Thank you darling," I kissed his cheek softly before stepping into the corridor. He blushed and quickly followed me. Pulling out a piece of scrap parchment, aka the Marauder's map, we expertly dodged Filch on our way to  Remus's classroom.

"You go in," Sirius suggested, quickly forging a note if needed. Given it was the arithmancy teacher, I was sure it wouldn't matter. She was usually too focused on the topic to break away from it.

"Pardon me?" I knocked lightly on the door as I came in. "Professor Binns requested I borrow Remus for a while, he needs quite a lot of help with something." I carefully laid the foundation for a long absence to be suspected of Remus. He was currently eyeing me suspiciously, no doubt seeing right through my preformance. I threw him a wink and he simply rolled his eyes.

As we got into the hall he checked his suspicion.

"So, I'm guessing Professor Binns doesn't need my help?"

"Ah, you are smart!" I said in feigned surprise. Remus's lips twitched, nearly smiling.

"And where's Sirius?"

"Proving your smarts again!" I teased. "He's right round this corner, in the Hogsmeade secret passage." I whispered and tugged Remus into the hidden tunnel. That was where our adventure truly began. Huddled between the stoney walls of yet another secret passage.

"So!" Sirius clapped his hands together softly, before letting one hand fall down to hold mine. "Where do you guys want to go today?" I looked at him in amazement, as I had thought we'd be going to Hogsmeade at most.

"We're leaving Hogsmeade area?" I clarified. I glanced at Remus, and saw he shared my expression of shock. Sirius nodded with a glow of glee in his eyes.

"That we are!" He announced dramatically. I giggled while hushing him, sure that Filch would somehow here through the stone wall. Remus shrugged, unsure of where on earth he'd like to go.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering one of the wizarding villages I'd heard about. "What about Pitlochry?" The small scottish town actually had a thriving wizarding community living right under it's very nose. It's actually where the famous wizard, Michael Scot, spent many years.

Remus's eyes lit up "Oh yes! Let's go there!" He agreed, eager to see what is said to be a beautiful town. Sirius was ecstatic, and jumped at the idea as well.

“Well?” Remus asked, trying to sound slightly bored with the lack of adventure he’d been forced to miss class for so far.

“Well what?” Sirius asked, glancing up from the Marauder's map he had been studying while we discussed where exactly to visit.

“Well how are we getting there dummy?” I grinned with a hint of mischief.

“Hey! You’re my girlfriend, you don’t get to call me dummy!” Sirius yelled indignantly.

“On the contrary darling, it’s one of my special privileges!” I smirked. “Like this!” I gave him a quick peck on the lips, and then raced raced down the passage with a smirk.

"We could apparate?" Remus suggested, but I shook my head slightly. Despite passing my test, I freaked out about trying it with anything farther than a couple of feet away.

"Perhaps use the Floo?" I thought out loud, hoping this would be the chosen idea.

"Or," Sirius began with a gleam in his eye, "We could use my motorbike." Sirius's cherry red motorbike had been bought last summer, and was currently stored in Hogsmeade. It was practically begging to be used. There was just one little snag:

"It's not like it flies or something," Remus shook his head with a small smile. "It would take ages to get to Pitlochry on it!" Sirius's smile grew all the wider. I could practically predict what he was about to say, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to believe it.

"Ah, but my friend, it does fly!" He exclaimed triumphantly. My eyes must have been boggling out of my head, because I simply could not believe it. For some reason it was perfectly logical that magic could give me pulsing polka dots all over my skin, but complete unbelievable that it could make a motorcycle fly.

****

"Wheeee!" I shouted gleefully as we soared through the clouds. Remus also looked like he was loving it, especially since he got the beautiful view out of the side car. He laughed along, as Sirius grinned proudly. As we began our descent, I wrapped my hands slightly tighter around Sirius's waist.

"Be careful!" I gasped as we pointed towards the ground. It was fairly terrifying to be staring straight down to the ground. I pressed my forehead against Sirius's back.

"Alright love?" He turned slightly, a note of concern in his voice.

"Yep," I squeaked while taking a few deep breaths. I was a Gryffindor. I was brave. I was completely fine with being a few thousand feet off of the ground.

****

After many impromptu loop de loops, we finally landed in Pitlochry. My feet sunk into the soft snow, and I felt more grateful than I’d ever admit to be back on the ground again.

“Where to first?” Sirius clapped his mittened hands together in anticipation.

“The museum!” Remus suggested straight away. I nodded, thinking it would be fascinating to learn more about Michael Scot.

The museum was filled with fascinating Latin texts, of which a few had been transcribed into modern English. I perused these before following Sirius into the next part of the museum.

Remus stayed outside once he caught a glimpse of the starry sky. I patted his back gently, attempting a comforting action, before I went in.

The room was a doom filled with a moving mural of the night sky. The only difference was that it had been painted here directly by Michael Scot during his time studying astrology.

“That’s you!” I pointed up to the star Sirius as I took the real Sirius’s hand. “I think I like you better as a star,” I joked, leaning on his shoulder.

“Well you get the best of both worlds here then, because I’m a star as well as me!” He responded, overestimating his rockstar career for a moment.

“You’re my star,” I smiled softly towards him, and we walked back to Remus. I caught Sirius redden slightly before grinning.

****

On our path back to the main wizarding village (hidden from the view of muggle Pitlochry), we came across a small scrimmage of community quidditch. After preforming a few warming charms, we stood and cheered for each of the teams.

"Here snitch-y snitch," Sirius started to call, as if attempting to make a dog come to him. I grinned and joined in,

"Who's a good snitch?" I shouted, and surprisingly, the snitch seemed to respond. It veered towards us and whizzed right over the head of a chaser into the hands of Sirius.

An astonished look filled his face, and both the teams swooped over to congratulate him. After a series of pats on the back and handshakes, we finally excused ourselves and continued our walk to the main village.

We spent the rest of the morning wandering through various shops filled with owls, and potions, and parchment until eventually all of our hands were a bit too similar to ice blocks.

****

“Shall we duck in here?” Remus nodded towards the busy restaurant.

“M’lady,” Sirius bowed and opened the door for me. I giggled and passed elegantly through the door frame.

I wrapped my hands around the warm mug of Butterbeer, and breathed in the sweet, ginger scent. The band was playing a recent Weird Sisters release, and I tapped my toe to the beat.

As the chill wore off, I relaxed into Sirius’s arm which he had wrapped around my shoulders.

“What’s next?” I asked eagerly.

“Going back to Hogwarts?” Remus begged in a tired voice.

“Oh come on! You’ve had a great time Moony!” Sirius slugged his arm, with friendly affection of course.

“I have,” Remus admitted with a sly grin. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about our grades!” I did see his point, it was NEWTs year. But a little break never hurt anyone!

“Please Moony, your grades are of the least concern. You probably have three O’s and an E or something,” Sirius waved his hand, brushing away Remus’s concerns. Remus looked down bashfully, telling me that Sirius had guessed nearly right.

“Plus Slughorn’s been a real dragon in potions lately,” I recalled the terribly involved animagus potion we had to create last class. Fortunately I was paired with Sirius, which made it ten times easier.

"Fine! Get outta here Abe!" Our cheerful banter was interrupted by the shouts of the lead guitarist of the band that had been playing during our lunch. It would seem that the lead singer had quit for some reason unknown to us. The two other band mates looked shattered, despite their previously amazing performance.

I nudged Sirius. Of all the people I could think of that might be able to help this situation, he was the best fit.

"You should go up there!" I encouraged him. I saw a rare flicker of doubt cross his eyes, but with a friendly smile from Remus and I, he seemed to gather his courage.

"Yeah," Remus nodded enthusiastically.

"I promise to remember you both when I'm famous," Sirius shot us both a winning grin before heading up to the stage. We watched him whisper to the abandoned band members for a moment, who eventually looked enthusiastic.

We heard the energized strumming of a few opening chords, and Remus and I began to tap our toes in time. The song seemed to ring a bill, but I wasn't entirely sure where I'd heard it.

"Well, shake it up, baby, now!" Sirius began to sing. I grinned, realising it was the exact song we had eaten our breakfast to. Pausing to listen for a line or two, I saw how the energy of the quiet pub room changed. Gradually, it came alive. Sirius's energy was contagious. He nodded up to him, and I ran up.

"You know you look so good," He winked, grabbing my hand and giving me a quick spin. As I spun around, I noticed Remus inviting another girl close to our age to dance. And I spied an elderly couple doing a small shuffle together. Something about this tune just brought people together!

After pulling out my finest dance moves alongside a singing Sirius, I collapsed back into my seat and chugged the rest of my butterbeer.

"Merlin," I grinned with a bubbly happiness towards Remus. He grinned eagerly back.

"Don't tell Sirius," He teased, "But I have actually had a fun time today." He admitted slyly.

"I'm glad," I nodded. "I have to hand it to Sirius that this was a pretty fantastic day off."

[skaylanphear]

Wild Ones

Summary: Heading to Hogwarts for the first time, Remus tries not to let his worries get him down. He has a lot on his plate--secrets he can’t tell anyone about--and none of it is helped by the bullies constantly casting jinxes and calling him nasty names. Despite it all, though, he has his three best friends. Together, they stubbornly face every challenge, determined to stick together no matter the forces trying to pry them apart.

A story about the Marauders as they navigate their school years and set off into adulthood. Starts in Year One of Hogwarts.

Sunday Night Updates (all 25 chapters of Year One are completed and will be posted regularly) 

Chapter 7

It was all well and good to have a plan, but doing the work in order to make that plan possible was another issue entirely. Especially when they also had their normal studies to contend with.

And for Remus, well, he had his other problem to consider on top of everything else. The October fourth full moon fell on a Monday, just four days after they'd hatched their plan in the bowels of the castle. And he was, unfortunately, more nervous this time than he had been before.

Not because of the shack or even the damage the wolf was liable to do to him, but because he had to come up with some kind of excuse to give his friends for heading off alone. In the month since they'd come to Hogwarts, the boys had become mostly inseparable. They had all their classes together, all the same homework, the same dorm, the same "plans." They spent every moment together. But, worse yet, they had no reason to spend any time apart. Especially since James had created a schedule for them all—he was, apparently, a very organized young man despite his seemingly lackadaisical attitude.

They couldn't let their studies fall behind (hopefully) and so James had allotted specific times for studying during the week, for doing their research, for practicing their spells. And even if Remus did want to go to the library on his own during some of the time they had for "leisure" (James' word), he was certain the others would want to tag along.

Especially Sirius, who'd been more stuck on him than usual for some reason.

But it was a full moon and he had exactly five minutes before he had to leave for the hospital wing. They were all in the dormitory doing a bit of homework before dinner. He could lie and say he'd left something in their last class and was just running out to get it, but they'd definitely be worried when he didn't come back. Besides, Sirius would probably tag along. Remus could barely use the loo on his own these last few days.

No, he'd have to come up with something that would excuse him the whole night and probably the following day. Which was… impossible. Aside from the same excuse as last time—that he was ill. Which he hadn't really wanted to use more than once. At least, not consecutively. Because that would definitely be weird.

But maybe he'd just have to settle for being "sickly" and in hospital once a month. When it inevitably became a regular thing, his friends would get used to it. It was just getting over that initial hump of suspicion, really.

"Remus?"

Startled, Remus looked down from where he was sitting cross-legged on his bed. It was Sirius who'd said his name, the other boy sitting on the floor doing his homework. He liked to spread his papers out all around him and take up much more space than was really necessary, which was why he preferred the floor.

"What?" Remus squeaked out.

"You okay?" Sirius asked. "You look kinda… peaky."

Peter looked up from his own bed. "Yeah, you've seemed kinda pale all day."

"I'm fine," Remus snapped harshly. Too harshly, his friends shying back a bit. He'd been pretty short-tempered in general these last few days—as always when he was this "close." "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm just… not feeling great, is all." Pushing himself off his bed, he looked anywhere but at their expectant faces as he straightened his robes. "I'm gonna go see Madam Pomfrey."

Sirius was on his feet in a flash. "I'll go with you!"

"No!" Remus hadn't meant to shout. Standing steady, he forced himself to take a deep breath. "Just… stay here, okay? I want to go alone."

Read More 

[halothenthehorns]

TLTNL- HORACE SLUGHORN

Harry fidgeted with the first page of his chapter. The idea should have been thrilling, taking off with Dumbledore on an adventure. Perhaps he was finally, truly being involved, instead of being the sideshow of his own life as most previous years had felt. He just couldn't make himself get into that mood. The atmosphere around him was still heavy with the Dursleys and now Dumbledore featuring in their thoughts, and though Harry really didn't feel any fear for anything to come with this particular endeavor, there still was something of him and Dumbledore traveling off together that put him greatly ill at ease.

He pushed that aside and determined to keep at least a calm attitude for now when there was nothing to really fear, he was sure that would come up later with the way his life went.

Despite the fact that he had spent every waking moment of the past few days hoping desperately that Dumbledore would indeed come to fetch him, Harry felt distinctly awkward as they set off down Privet Drive together. He had never had a proper conversation with the headmaster outside of Hogwarts before; there was usually a desk between them.

Sirius nodded with agreement to that. The first time seeing their headmaster outside of school had been quite mind boggling, and they hadn't even been attending regular Order meetings yet.

The memory of their last face-to-face encounter kept intruding too,

Harry couldn't feel as much shame for that now without his headmasters calm face to look at, he was still exceptionally pale from remembering it so vividly. No one else looked any better, their first hand experience with Harry in that state still fresh in this room as Remus shifted and refused to look at anyone and Harry only fidgeted more guilty than ever.

and it rather heightened Harry's sense of embarrassment; he had shouted a lot on that occasion, not to mention done his best to smash several of Dumbledore's most prized possessions.

"Lucky him," Remus muttered purely for himself, fighting back the urge to rub at his face where Harry had clocked him in his temper during that same time.

  Dumbledore, however, seemed completely relaxed. He brightly reminded Harry to keep his wand at alert, despite Harry pointing out he thought he wasn't allowed to use magic outside school.

"Thought?" Sirius caught hold of the mood and threw it out the window, to replace it with annoyance at launching into a snide comment for something so minuscule Harry had said, but it was still better than that heavy feeling everyone else knew. "Harry, you had a whole bloody trial about it last year, you more than think it's not allowed."

"How do I know they didn't change the rules with everything else going on?" He said back blandly, but there was the smallest smile on his face as he did so for snipping back at his godfather again.

Dumbledore instructed in no uncertain terms that if they were in any way attacked, Harry was to use any counterjinx or curse that may occur to him. Though he qualified that shouldn't be needed tonight.

"I at least admire his optimism, if not his confidence," Lily sighed.

Harry asked why he was so sure, and Dumbledore said simply he was with him.

James frowned with a heavy shake to his head, remembering at one time he'd thought that really had been an adequate answer. He no longer felt so sure, and it left his only child's future feeling more perilous than ever even though he had lived through it.

They stopped at the end of Privet Drive and Dumbledore instructed for Harry to grasp his good arm, they were going to apparate the rest of the way. Never having done this before as one had to be seventeen to get a license, Harry found the sensation extremely uncomfortable,

Harry was grateful he'd already experienced that one under such circumstances he hadn't been able to linger on that feeling. Even remembering it now caused a bit of claustrophobia he didn't even have.

he felt as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube.

"Always do love your descriptions," James chuckled.

Dumbledore asked how the experience was, and Harry agreed he was fine while rubbing his ears, which felt as though they had left Privet Drive rather reluctantly.

Lily shivered at the idea of her son splinching himself, even if he did have Dumbledore with him there to sort it out.

He decided right then he preferred brooms.

"Honestly, I don't blame you," Sirius agreed.

Dumbledore merely smiled and tightened his cloak around him before taking off again, and Harry looked around at his complete new environment. According to a nearby church clock, it was now midnight.

Dumbledore kept the conversation going by asking about Harry's scar, had it been hurting?

Harry raised a hand unconsciously to his forehead and rubbed the lightning-shaped mark.

Sirius normally would have loved to laugh at Harry clearly trying to resist the impulse to do the same in here, but he was too invested watching him carefully for that answer. Harry had been left in a very dangerous position for more reasons than just him leaving his life, Voldemort was now aware of this connection. Just because it hadn't worked once didn't mean it couldn't again, and they all felt like a glass on the edge of the table, ready to fall the moment they weren't looking.

Harry said no, and added his surprise of this.

Dumbledore apparently wasn't. Voldemort now knew of the dangerous access of sharing between the two Harry had been enjoying,

"Enjoying is the wrong word," Harry interrupted none so quietly.

and was likely employing occlumency against him.

"Well I'm glad he's pleased," James snapped, fighting back the temptation to hold Sirius and Harry as close to him as he could. "That doesn't get rid of the original problem, what if he decides to do it again!"

Seeing the clear worry at this eating away at everyone in front of him, Harry dug deep, but instead of a memory he couldn't remember, the slow surfacing thoughts of those two weeks. That calm, detached way he'd been forced to feel in the confines of the Dursleys house, and he pushed to put that back up in here, a space he'd never tried to put himself in before away from this family.

"I won't fall for the same mistake twice."

James looked to him in surprise for the tone, they all did, but at first glance it looked like he was really trying to assure them this didn't happen at all, so he got some honest attempts at smiles for a moment and quickly kept going before they could linger on this any longer.

Harry wasn't complaining otherwise, and changed to ask where they were.

"I do love how long it took him to ask that," Remus snorted softly.

Budleigh Babberton,

"Never heard of it," James said, his curiosity starting to win over agitation of all this and wondering more every moment what Dumbledore was up to instead of focusing on it being with Dumbledore.

they were here to once again fix Hogwarts being a staff member short, and Dumbledore was hoping to convince an old friend to come out of retirement.

"Because that's worked out so well the last few times," Remus said deadpan.

"Would you rather another Ministry appointee?" Sirius challenged.

Remus made the appropriate face for the suggestion, but Harry honestly didn't blame Remus for the initial comment, he'd been thinking the same thing when Remus had said it.

Harry asked how he could be of help with that, and Dumbledore gave the vague answer he'd find a use.

"I can't imagine we're much going to like the person if arriving with the famous Harry Potter means anything," Lily rolled her eyes at once in contempt for using her son like this.

As they continued on their walk, Harry asked why they hadn't just apparated right into this friend's house.

James went cross eyed in his attempt not to laugh in pain at his child not knowing something ten years prior already.

Dumbledore explained it was not only rude, but most places were warded against this very thing, such as Hogwarts. Harry agreed Hermione had told him about the school.

"About the only thing you ever retain that she tells you," Sirius said with a strained smile, no one really wanted to go back thinking to her any more than Dumbledore right now.

Harry wanted to next ask why they were visiting this person at such a time, but decided to move onto more important questions, such as asking about Fudge being sacked.

James mock yawned at the politics coming into play, and Harry decided to help him out a bit by asking, "even if we couldn't apparate into his house, why were we still so far away?"

"I think that's Dumbledore's thing to be honest," Lily gave a careless shrug. "The man seems to enjoy his strolls, he's been known to appear miles outside of where he's going to end up just for a nice walk."

Harry chuckled lightly, that was easy enough to imagine.

Dumbledore agreed his replacement was Rufus Scrimgeour.

Harry asked what his thoughts on him were?

Dumbledore supplied he was more adept at handling Voldemort, and would certainly not underestimate him.

Harry waited and hoped Dumbledore would bring up the supposed disagreement the paper had mentioned between the two, but when it wasn't forthcoming he didn't have the nerve to pursue it and changed the subject.

"Honestly Harry," Sirius pouted, "the one interesting bit about that!"

Harry just rolled his eyes at him, refusing to again remind he still could only envision the man as his headmaster more than those around him clearly saw him more of an openly approachable...well he wasn't sure anymore.

Dumbledore began to point that the place was just up ahead, but he'd used his injured hand and suffered a visible pain for it.

This caught all attention at once, the injury maybe even more severe than they'd first realized if it hurt so much as just moving it. His wand arm at that! What protection he'd have for Harry out in the open suddenly seemed even more feeble...Harry wouldn't let them keep worrying though, continuing on stoutly without a trace of anything but that same simple curiosity. If he felt anything else right now he wasn't sure what would come of it.

Harry again tried to ask about this injury, but Dumbledore waved off it was a thrilling tale, and he wanted to do it justice. Now was not that time.

"Right," Remus drew the word out with more sardonicness than Sirius had ever heard when he'd spoken of the man, and he turned to full on look him, seeing right past the snippy comment to Remus' foul mood.

Remus was pretending no such thing was going on, and Harry was clearly distracted to notice the other two, at least giving them the hope Dumbledore did explain to Harry at some point.

Harry could tell by his tone he was not being discouraged from continuing the conversation, so began to ask about the leaflets the Ministry had sent out.

Dumbledore concluded Harry hadn't found them very helpful, as he had not been asked about his favorite flavor of jam upon arrival to discover an impostor Dumbledore.

"He didn't know that to begin with," James snorted. "There's no point in a security question if you've no hope of actually knowing the answer."

"What should he have asked him?" Lily poked fun at him.

"What did I see in the Mirror of Erised," Harry quietly supplied. Quietly enough that he hoped they hadn't heard the slip of his tongue and kept going just a bit louder.

Harry was unsure if he was being reprimanded, Dumbledore continued the answer was raspberry, though he was sure any competent impostor would know as such anyways.

"Would you really?" Sirius chuckled.

"Someone must have checked Moody's to pass as him for so long," Remus snipped.

Sirius scowled at him, he hoped Moony didn't expect to get away with making snide comments towards Dumbledore the rest of the time here and really think they wouldn't notice.

Choosing to instead get to his question, Harry asked about Inferi, the leaflet hadn't given a good explanation.

Dumbledore did.

As if Harry had wanted more of an explanation!

Harry was so lost in thought at the answer, he ran into Dumbledore when he froze in place muttering, 'oh dear.'

"Well that's encouraging," Lily squeaked.

Harry followed his gaze up the carefully tended front path and felt his heart sink. The front door was hanging off its hinges.

"Run," James said at once with such force Harry nearly got to his feet to do just that.

"Dad," Harry tried to protest, but James wouldn't hear it. "He should have apparated you out of there already!"

Harry wasn't going to argue the point, just went back to a memory he still felt nothing bad for.

Dumbledore glanced up and down the street. It seemed quite deserted. He instructed Harry to keep his wand at the ready and stay close.

Harry felt more than saw those around him tense and more furious than ever bringing him into this instead, but he wouldn't look up long enough to let them vent about it. He had a really funny feeling about this place, leaning more towards curiosity than fear as he should have felt, which his mind certainly remembered but he just couldn't seem to capture now.

Dumbledore's wand tip ignited, casting its light up a narrow hallway. To the left, another door stood open. Holding his illuminated wand aloft, Dumbledore walked into the sitting room with Harry right behind him.

A scene of total devastation met their eyes. A grandfather clock lay splintered at their feet, its face cracked, its pendulum lying a little farther away like a dropped sword. A piano was on its side, its keys strewn across the floor. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier flittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything. Dumbledore raised his wand even higher, so that its light was thrown upon the walls, where something darkly red and glutinous was spattered over the wallpaper. Harry's small intake of breath made Dumbledore look around.

With every description Harry read he knew his family was envisioning the same as him, a battle of the most horrid nature, a family ripped apart, another orphan left dead because of a fight only the good seemed to lose. He would not let them dwell on these thoughts though, he refused! Swallowing hard, he kept himself going instead of thinking a moment longer.

Dumbledore said heavily something horrible must have happened here.

Lily made a high pitched noise of frustration. She'd long since recognized her boy wasn't her baby anymore, by the age of sixteen he'd seen far too much death. That didn't mean Dumbledore needed to keep introducing more! Where was Molly when Lily actually wanted her around?

Dumbledore moved carefully into the middle of the room, scrutinizing the wreckage at his feet. Harry followed, gazing around, half-scared of what he might see hidden behind the wreck of the piano or the overturned sofa, but there was no sign of a body.

'No sign doesn't mean anything,' Sirius couldn't stop the jittery thought edging in, but refused to speak that one aloud.

Harry offered that a fight had happened and he'd been dragged off, but Dumbledore disagreed he was still here.

With precise movements, he made his way across the room to an overstuffed armchair on its side, and jabbed his wand into its center, releasing a cry of pain from it.

Harry couldn't help but startle hard at reading that, and his was the smallest compared to the others. Who expected a chair to do that, even a magical one?!

Dumbledore greeted Horace, who was a squat old balding man now rubbing at his belly with watering eyes instead of a chair.

Lily mouthed the name Horace again, quite certain she was imagining this all wrong while the boys still looked so tossed from such a drastic sudden change they didn't seem to be taking in an actual word.

He whined there was no need to stick the wand in that hard, while Harry eyed his walrus like mustache and maroon velvet pajamas.

"Slughorn!" Sirius yelped like he'd been kicked in the shin.

"Well I um, didn't see that one coming," James looked very close to being sick, still so torn from worry at what Harry could have been in now mixed with that shock of an old school teacher popping out of quite literally nowhere.

Remus suddenly burst out laughing, hard, and for the first time all morning everyone joined in. The Marauders in particular had liked Slughorn the least of all their teachers, though for no good reason. He'd never persecuted Remus for his werewolf status, none had honestly, but they'd also never quite shaken the feeling he got uneasy around him. He'd constantly hounded Sirius and James to join his Slug Club, and the only one of them who'd ever shown any skill in his class was so often out shined by Snivellus and Evans anyways that he'd only been another student.

Yet considering all they had been dealing with regarding Harry's potions teacher, this was an absolute dream come true!

"I don't get it," Harry looked around at them, all to clear he was missing something.

"That's Slughorn, our old Potions teacher-" Lily hardly got the words out around a brilliant smile before Sirius screeched so loud he nearly took all of their ears off at once, "so does that mean Snape left!"

"I'd bloody hope so," James agreed adamantly, crossing every one of his fingers and several of his toes. This fact alone would make this entire year better than any other.

"But why would he?" Lily muttered, not disagreeing it would be a nice change to not loath one of Harry's classes for his treatment in it, but clearly alone in worrying why the change of circumstances. Certainly Snape in his own previous chapter had given no indication there was change coming in his status at Hogwarts.

"Who cares," all four boys said at once. They just couldn't care about anything else right now, finally some good news!

He demanded what had given him away, remarkably unabashed for a man who had just been discovered pretending to be an armchair.

"Why was he though?" Lily insisted popping holes in their jubilation to keep focus. "Just what was his ploy in faking something so terrible?"

James ruffled his hair as he forced his mind to think about it, rather than focusing on the much more fun mental image of Snape getting sacked. "Ah, Dumbledore mentioned he was asking him to come out of retirement. We don't actually know what made him go into retirement though."

"I can't imagine Death Eaters threatening Slughhorn," Sirius rolled his eyes heavily at this.

"It is rather convenient timing Snape got the position just as he 'left' Death Eater ranks," Remus pointed out with a frown.

"Stop," Lily snapped before any more accusations could be thrown around. "If you're not going to offer anything more helpful than spiteful comments won't do any good." She finished with a haughty look at Remus who looked right back with one of his own.

For a moment it actually looked like Remus was going to argue the point, despite his friends looking at him like he'd grown a second head. If anyone would have agreed with Lily about Snape's status they would have accused Moony, who would have believed Dumbledore on principle. Despite words from the man himself whose side he was on, it was hard to shake Dumbledore's trust in all this as well, now though this didn't even seem to have crossed Remus' mind.

Harry felt it was better for everyone's health if he ignored the tension snapping right back into the room and kept going.

Dumbledore explained if the Death Eaters had come for him, the Dark Mark would be over this residence.

"Not necessarily," Remus rolled his eyes for that generalization. It was custom yes, but not always the rule. He'd entered one to many houses to know that. Yet another thing Dumbledore got wrong.

Horace muttered he knew he'd forgotten something,

"Err, or the knowledge of doing it," James muttered, looking a touch concerned for the skip. They only knew the name of the spell because of a misfortunate lapse in luck to his son, but still weren't even aware of more than that, if they could even do it themselves now.

Dumbledore offered to help clean up, and Horace thanked him for the offer. The two stood back to back and made one identical sweeping motion.

"I still don't get it," Sirius huffed, swiping his hair out of his face only for it to fall right back as he shook his head in dumbfounded disbelief for the display they'd walked in on. "Slughorn must have known that wasn't going to scare off Dumbledore. Why even was he?"

"What are the odds Dumbledore will actually ask? That would actually be helpful," Remus snipped.

Sirius made a face at him but otherwise ignored his mood, hoping it would pass for good sooner rather than later. This seemed less likely the longer Dumbledore stayed in Harry's company.

The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments reformed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; a vast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean.

Dumbledore asked conversationally what kind of blood that was, and only after it was all put away did Horace go over and lift the bottle it now resided in, explaining it was dragon's blood and a bit dusty now, but still usable.

Harry only looked vaguely curious what you even used dragon blood for, dusty or otherwise, but was long since used to now of the magical world and didn't feel the need to question details. He'd had some past generalizations it could be useful, that was good enough.

He set the bottle back on the sideboard and sighed. It was then that his gaze fell upon Harry.

Dumbledore was quick to make an introduction, Harry Potter to Horace Slughorn.

They hadn't any real doubts before the last name was confirmed, every aspect of this man spoke volumes of their old teacher.

Slughorn turned on Dumbledore, his expression shrewd.

"You think he'd be grateful, Harry got into his clutches earlier than the train," Sirius said blandly, Harry giving him a sideways look for that odd comment.

He accused Dumbledore if this was his ploy, it wasn't going to work, he still didn't want to go back to that school. Dumbledore said if that was his answer, then so be it. Couldn't they at least share a drink first?

Slughorn clearly only grudgingly agreed, and Dumbledore escorted Harry to a chair in the center of the room, so that when Slughorn turned back around his eyes fell right back on Harry.

"Err," Harry uttered aloud when no one in here seemed remotely surprised by this.

"Oh, Slughorn's going to be all kinds of fun for you," James rolled his eyes, clearly thinking this was explanation enough.

Lily clearly knew it wasn't, but honestly wasn't even sure how to explain to Harry her old teachers, tendencies, with the students. No matter how she tried to phrase it in her head, it sounded far more rotten than the ambitious man deserved in keeping connections with the wizarding world. So she kept her silence and gave her son an encouraging smile, telling him, "you'll understand in a few moments I'm sure."

Harry shrugged, deciding to take this in stride, it was better than seeing them worry about his safety anyways.

He averted his eyes at once as if denying himself a treat.

Once drinks were passed around, Dumbledore politely asked how he'd been, and Slughorn at once said he was an elderly old man hardly fit to move nowadays.

Dumbledore was surprised at this, saying it must have taken some spry to pull their welcoming decorations off in what must have been only three minutes.

Sirius at least snickered in appreciation Dumbledore never let these details get past him, just the big things.

Slughorn proudly corrected two. He'd been in the bath when his Intruder Charm went off, had only just put the finishing touches on when they'd come in. It didn't change the fact he deserved his retirement with what few comforts he had.

Lily frowned with some honest sympathy, and agreement. If he wanted to remain in retirement she didn't even blame him, she just wished he would come back purely for the fact Harry would have a good Potions class for one year!

He certainly had those, thought Harry, looking around the room. It was stuffy and cluttered, yet nobody could say it was uncomfortable; there were soft chairs and footstools, drinks and books, boxes of chocolates and plump cushions. If Harry had not known who lived there, he would have guessed at a rich, fussy old lady.

"Nobody said Slughorn isn't that as well," James smirked.

Dumbledore reminded Slughorn wasn't yet as old as him.

Slughorn returned perhaps he should consider retirement as well, eyeing his injured hand.

Dumbledore acknowledged his reflexes were not what they once were, but on the other hand...he trailed off and spread both hands wide, as if saying age had its compensations.

Sirius would never resist bursting out with laughter at such a play on words.

Harry noticed a ring on his uninjured hand that he had never seen Dumbledore wear before: It was large, rather clumsily made of what looked like gold, and was set with a heavy black stone that had cracked down the middle.

Harry's breath caught so hard he looked for a moment like he was choking on something. James reached over and patted him comfortingly. Only all of Harry's combined practice not looking into such a feeling saved him now, but it did not erase the feeling deep within him that only the diary had caused before. That wasn't quite right though...hadn't there been something else, in Sirius' house? It was more than that though, looking around at the four of them, he was so absolutely sure of something to do with the stone in that ring-

He was quite glad his train of thought was interrupted by the man himself, Sirius making a funny little face and asking, "since when did that man wear jewelry?"

Remus was so surprised by the comment, he seemed to forget just for a moment his attitude and reminded Sirius, "you once spent a whole semester going on about getting a nose ring, and only bailed on doing it because Baily got one over Easter break and you, I quote, didn't want anyone to think you were copying him."

Sirius tried to make a face at him, but he was smiling softly at finally getting a normal response from Moony, which didn't stop him scoffing, "I'm not laughing the bloke wanted to wear a ring, I'm saying we've never seen him do it before."

"He's always been prone to gold and plum, so it's really not much of a stretch," James shrugged without much care.

Harry kept frowning at the little passage anyway, quite sure he was missing something, but if the others could just laugh it off he tried to as well.

Slughorn's eyes lingered for a moment on the ring too, and Harry saw a tiny frown momentarily crease his wide forehead.

"See, I'm not the only one who finds it random!" Sirius insisted.

Remus' good mood seemed to vanish as quickly as it had come, now frowning in annoyance Sirius would never let anything go, and refused to add on again.

Dumbledore asked if all of those precautions were indeed for him, or the Death Eaters? Slughorn demanded what would they want with such a self proclaimed old man?

Dumbledore easily summarized he'd be of use to their recruiting.

Remus eyed Lily with a determinedly smug look, and she narrowed her eyes on him without further acknowledgment. That didn't have to mean anything.

Slughorn admitted he hadn't given them the chance to try, he hadn't been in one place longer than a week for more than a year. The Muggles who owned this place were in the Canary Islands, and he'd be sorry to leave again. Though it was easy enough once you got used to it, just use a Freeze Charm on their silly burglar alarms and not let anyone catch you moving in the piano.

"Who moves a piano around once a week?" James seemed baffled. Even the charms that would make moving it around a breeze still seemed far to unneeded for being on the run as he clearly was.

Dumbledore agreed this was ingenious, though unnecessary if he came back where all those comforts would be in one place.

Slughorn did not agree, he'd still heard word of how his teachers were treated, the stories about Dolores Umbridge-

"I don't know what he's on about," Lily shook her head with an indulgent smile. "He knows as well as I do Dumbledore saved her miserable life there at the end."

"Maybe he didn't hear all of it, like how she wound up in the Forest in the first place," James shrugged without much real care, he'd still toss her in there head first and see her never come out.

Dumbledore explained the circumstances of her letting herself into a centaur hoard and calling them filthy half-breeds.

Slughorn then called her an idiotic woman, he'd never liked her.

All of them did get a snicker out of that, wishing more than ever Slughorn had been around instead of Snape all these years. The man did have a good sense of humor, they'd give him that.

Harry chuckled and both Dumbledore and Slughorn looked round at him. He apologized at once,

"What you apologizing for?" Sirius demanded. "I'd be up in arms cheering agreement, still considering it honestly."

"I don't like drawing attention to myself," Harry shrugged, as in hindsight it had felt rather rude, though he still couldn't bring himself to regret it.

explaining he hadn't liked her either.

Dumbledore stood up rather suddenly.

Slughorn asked if he was leaving, looking hopeful.

Dumbledore instead asked for the bathroom, and once given directions, excused himself.

Now alone, Slughorn didn't seem to know what to do with himself, so he went to the fireplace to warm his backside and finally took a proper look at Harry.

The first thing he said was he looked very like James Potter-

James still got a proud smirk across his face every time he heard that.

Harry finished in exasperation with his mothers eyes. He'd heard it so often he found it a bit wearing.*

Lily look sobered though, clasping her hands uneasily and whispering, "I can't say I blame you, I wouldn't like much being reminded of us either."

The smile vanished from James like he'd been sucker punched, and his two friends didn't even try to hide their flinch.

Slughorn looked glad for the change of topic, saying Lily Evans had been one of his favorite students.

Then Lily flushed scarlet in surprise, of all the ways to change the subject!

Harry glanced at her with a warm smile, while the boys rolled their eyes without surprise. That had been no more a secret than her friendship with Snivellus.

She'd been one of the brightest witches he'd ever taught, charming girl really! He used to boast all the time she should have been in his house, very cheeky answers he got as well.

Harry looked wildly to her, high hopes in place, and she did not disappoint.

"I think his personal favorite I ever told him was I'd rather slither back into the Muggle world. Of course it was all in good fun, and I often swore he said it just to hear what I'd reply with. Couldn't use the same one twice after all." Despite her initial want of being exactly in Slytherin house, she'd quickly grown fond of the Gryffindor lion and all it represented. Taking as she always did, life in stride and defending her position in her house like any other would.

He burst into surprised laughter while the smile finally lingered on her, she missed the youth of her school years no matter how much she loved her life now. Things had just felt simpler back then.

Harry asked which house he'd been head of, and Slughorn said Slytherin at once, adding on for Harry not to make that face.

All five Gryffindors couldn't help a small little smirk for something so ingrained in them.

He supposed he was a Gryffindor like his family then, that often happened, though not always. Ever heard of Sirius Black?

Sirius choked and looked likely to thump Slughorn for bringing that up, again!

Been in the papers a bit the last few years, died a few weeks ago,

"Lets just bring it all up again! We're on a roll! Shall we start alphabetically, or in the levels of how bloody screwed up it all is!"

"Sirius," James tried to quietly restrain, but his best mate looked likely to go on the warpath and hardly even noticed. Mentioning this how many times in a row was one too many, considering every one of them looked likely to set everyone he cared about now into a fit of their own!

Remus took a careful breath, but finally made the conscious decision to push his feelings aside and look over at him, leaning over and muttering for him alone.

Sirius eyed him for a while, looking more like he was being pestered than anything, but James was far to used to this and Harry was more than grateful to take the opportunity to keep going and try to pretend like he wasn't being strangled with emotion.

he'd been a Gryffindor as well. His younger brother Regulus had been in Slytherin when he'd come along, and he'd have liked the set.

Lily made an odd, tittering noise like she was trying to laugh again, that growing harder the more often this kept being thrown in their faces.

Evans had been Muggle-born of course, and he hadn't believed it when he'd heard. She was so good Slughorn had at first thought she was joking she wasn't a pure-blood.

Lily had heard this often enough too, she'd had plenty to say about this as well, but Harry was successfully not talking about the mention of his godfather anymore, not being forced to relive his absence once more for just a few brief moments, so she held her tongue for the first time in her life regarding mention of that.

Harry coolly stated one of his best friends was Muggle-born, and she was the best in their year.

Slughorn looked surprised at the tone, correcting Harry's presumption he'd just said Evans had been one of his favorite students, along with Dirk Cresswell the year after.

Lily smiled slightly for the mention of him, he'd been a cute little kid, always friendly with everyone, and though only a year younger than her he never seemed to outgrow that baby faced charm.

He was now head of the Goblin Liaison Office, shared all of the goings-on at Girngotts with him.

Then her smile widened in surprise. She hadn't been keeping up with him after school, but was unsurprised to hear he made something of himself, he'd already been fluent in Gobbledygook in their seventh year of school.

Slughorn launched into a whole spiel of his past kids, all now well off in life and making something of themselves, all still remembering their old teacher and where they'd gotten their start with plenty of gifts and chats whenever he liked.

Lily's smile only widened with nostalgia upon each name. While the Slug Club had been formed by Slughorn to create the mass of up and coming talented and promising future of wizards, Lily had never grown close to many of them, considering Sev had always mocked the meetings more than anything and for a time Lily had laughed along. By the time she'd grown distant from him, many of the members had taken to looking down on her like she once had done to them and had never quite melded into the ranks of being friends. Still, she was ecstatic to hear so many soared up in life, no matter the bitter taint it was she'd never been give the chance to do the same.

This thought seemed to cheer him up enormously.

Harry was surprised they still did this, he could not help wondering why the Death Eaters had not yet tracked down Slughorn if hampers of sweets, Quidditch tickets, and visitors craving his advice and opinions could find him.

The four had honestly been so distracted with an abundance of news for the future of people they'd known in school, they hadn't quite caught up to Harry's line of thinking, but now he said it, that was a good point. It was almost laughable not to picture Slughorn in the center of the room milking with the best.

The smile slid from Slughorn's face as quickly as the blood from his walls. He corrected he hadn't spoken to anyone in over a year of course.

Harry had the impression that the words shocked Slughorn himself; he looked quite unsettled for a moment. Then he shrugged. Saying the prudent wizard knew to keep their head down in these times, and returning to Dumbledore's school would be tantamount to declaring himself apart of the Order of the Phoenix.

"I didn't know that was public," James made a face. So much for their secret organization, but he also supposed, it almost made sense for Dumbledore to declare their was a resistance out there fighting back Voldemort. The public would need something as big as that in the future where the man had come out of nowhere, as opposed to their own time where a sense of quiet had been needed to retain their efforts to fight back without drawing attention.

They were admittedly admirable and brave, but he didn't much fancy the mortality rate.

All five of them turned white for such a callus statement, considering he wasn't exactly wrong with only one being left alive from this room.

Harry corrected you didn't have to join the Order to be a teacher, but could not quite keep a note of derision out of his voice: It was hard to sympathize with Slughorn's cosseted existence when he remembered Sirius, crouching in a cave and living on rats.

"Thanks for the reminder Harry," Sirius honestly tried for a chipper tone again, "it's far more pleasant to think of than being in that house."

Most of the teachers weren't. In fact the staff was probably safer than anyone having Dumbledore around, he was the only one Voldemort feared.

Slughorn gazed into space for a moment or two: He seemed to be thinking over Harry's words.

"You make a good negotiator," Lily praised with a smile. Harry had instantly grasped the best way to appeal to someone just by one small conversation and a look around his house. "Maybe you're wasted as an Auror anyways, that's an excellent skill for a politician."

Harry made a face of disagreement, though not quite derision as he knew his mother was trying to invest in the same, it just couldn't hold much good for him with all the horrible ways he'd seen it handled.

Slughorn agreed, almost to himself, that by not joining You-Know-Who there weren't very many other outcomes.

Dumbledore soon returned from the bathroom. Slughorn asked what had taken him so wrong, even sounding concerned if he had an upset stomach.

Dumbledore replied no, he'd merely been enjoying the knitting patterns,

"Wonder if he shares those with Hagrid," Harry said softly to himself with a fond smile.

but decide it was time to leave, he knew a lost cause when he saw one. Slughorn seemed agitated. He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted as he watched the two now prepare to leave.

"Harry did it!" James pumped his fist with pure jubilation. He didn't care if he didn't receive a reason for the replacement, this was honestly the best start to his school year yet!

"Not at all surprised," Sirius preened with joy for his little godson, even gearing up for the next two years of his school life being hounded into joining an elite club for dunderheads.

Just as they reached the door Slughorn shouted after them he'd do it!

Dumbledore beamed with pleasure and thanked him kindly, though he didn't make it to the curb before Slughorn also shouted he wanted a pay raise for this.

All five of them got a giggle out of that, they wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore heard that a dozen times a year from every teacher. Last year in particular, though all the money in the world couldn't have made those teachers want to stay with the toad on premises.

As they were walking away, Dumbledore thanked Harry for his help, who was surprised, saying he hadn't done anything.

"You really don't realize what you did?" Lily asked in surprise.

Harry merely shrugged, he hadn't intentionally done much of anything except carry on half a conversation while trying not to delve into memories both then and now.

Dumbledore corrected he'd reminded, now Professor Slughorn, of what he had to gain for this. How had he liked him?

Harry declined answering. Though he wasn't unpleasant, he'd still seemed far too shocked a Muggleborn made for a good student.

"He's a bit like Alihotsy," Lily did agree. "A fine thing in small doses."

"Something he'll never be able to carry given the size of him," James smirked, not bothering to duck as Lily swatted at him.

Dumbledore chose to answer for him Horace was a fan of fine taste, and he surrounded himself with this in all aspects. Never one to occupy the throne, he preferred the backseat, more room to spread about.

"That seems a bit dull," Sirius had never grasped this, he'd always thought Slughorn was one who did all this so that he could be in the limelight more.

"To each their own, at least he's never caused any real harm in doing it," James shrugged.

He was known for handpicking students who went onto great things, and none forgot who connected them all.

Harry had a sudden and vivid mental image of a great swollen spider, spinning a web around it, twitching a thread here and there to bring its large and juicy flies a little closer.

"Honestly a rather perfect analogy," Lily crinkled up her nose.

Dumbledore told Harry of this not to turn him him against Horace, but merely warn him the Professor would spare no expense in trying to collect Harry as well, the perfect piece being the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One.

At these words, a chill that had nothing to do with the surrounding mist stole over Harry. He was reminded of words he had heard a few weeks ago, words that had a horrible and particular meaning to him: Neither can live while the other survives . . .

Despite the warmth, and miracle of his parents on his sides, a room with a bright cheery fire and the promise of an actual future of his childhood, still Harry could not shake that chill anymore. He couldn't look at any of them, he wouldn't. They'd made their position on that very clear, but what if they were wrong. What if that was Harry's destiny? What would they think of him if he couldn't avoid it? Choosing to ignore the many scoffs and frowns, he tried to reach the end of this in an almost desperate way.

They'd walked far enough, and Dumbledore chose to have them Apparete the rest of the way to the Burrow, his second favorite place in the world. Upon arriving, the landscape from before vanished into the profile of the crooked house, with gentle hills lolling around. Inside was his best friend Ron, and his mother who could cook better than anyone.

Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts and asked Harry for one more private word in the Weasley's broomshed.

"Was going inside their broomshed really necessary?" James looked genuinely puzzled at this train of thought. "They're on safe ground, if he has a fear of being overheard he should have done it before going there, and it's not like anyone there's untrustworthy."

They all shrugged for such a random decision, Remus even adding in a scoff and another mutter of Dumbledore trying to make everything about him oh so important. Seemed his moment of focusing on anything else had ended already, and Sirius shifted uneasily for his friend's continued mood.

A little puzzled, Harry followed Dumbledore through the creaking door into a space a little smaller than the average cupboard.

"The dimensions of one he'd know all to well," James spat.

Dumbledore illuminated the tip of his wand, so that it glowed like a torch, and smiled down at Harry.

He spoke in hopes Harry would forgive him, but he could not deny how pleased, and proud he was of how Harry had been coping after the events in the Ministry.

Harry closed his eyes tight, wishing more than anything right now this book would stop punching him in the heart. He still had trouble distinguishing the Sirius he'd lost and the one in this room, it helped nothing this just kept being brought up!

He wasn't the only one, he knew the others felt sick to their souls at the constant reminder, now more than five times this morning alone! The only thing holding them together was the thought they were now barely clinging to, they had to change this! Now for even more than Harry's sake, and that had been enough already.

He knew Sirius would have been proud.

Sirius had to swallow carefully to make sure his voice didn't crack when he told, "well he's certainly not wrong on that one."

Harry smiled at once, a warmth pouring up through him he was almost afraid to acknowledge in fear it would vanish as well. It had not escaped his notice he'd spent more time with his godfather these past few days here than he ever had in his own time.

Harry swallowed; his voice seemed to have deserted him. He did not think he could stand to discuss Sirius; it had been painful enough to hear Uncle Vernon say his godfather was dead, and even worse to hear Sirius's name thrown out casually by Slughorn.

'And then Dumbledore, knowing this, brings it up for a third time!' It took everything Remus had not to shout that at the top of his lungs, he couldn't look at any of them in fear he would, so instead his eyes tracked Lily's cat creeping back into the room, already purring contently as if just finishing his breakfast and looking for a comfortable lap to curl up on.

Dumbledore continued softly how cruel it was the two of them had such a short time together, ending what should have been a long and happy relationship.

James still remembered, back to just days ago and wishing for much the same, and hating himself just as much for that wish now more than ever. Like the ancient myth, the prize always dangling just above their head, never to be reached.

Harry nodded, his eyes fixed resolutely on the spider now climbing Dumbledore's hat. He could tell that Dumbledore understood, that he might even suspect that until his letter arrived, Harry had spent nearly all his time at the Dursleys' lying on his bed, refusing meals, and staring at the misted window, full of the chill emptiness that he had come to associate with dementors.

Lily was shivering so much in place she looked like she had the flu. Blame, fault, and any number of things lost on what made this come true, all she knew was she despised this world that had left her son in such a state, and would do anything in her power to change it.

Harry finally spoke what had constantly been on his mind that whole time, that it was hard to realize Sirius would never write to him again.

His eyes burned suddenly and he blinked. He felt stupid for admitting it, but the fact that he had had someone outside Hogwarts who cared what happened to him, almost like a parent, had been one of the best things about discovering his godfather . . . and now the post owls would never bring him that comfort again. . . .

Remus felt like his throat was going to fail him he made such a cracking noise, and in a flash of understanding they realized what was bothering him so much. Not really even Dumbledore, no matter how much he was trying to push that.

Harry couldn't stop himself glancing at him, a thousand questions he'd never get answered from him. Remus had never in his time done anything to show he cared for Harry on the same level as Sirius had, and did little to suggest that would change. Now that Sirius was back out of the picture, he wouldn't even be that surprised if Lupin faded entirely back out of his life, he certainly had grown closer to Remus now than he ever had in his future, just like Sirius. The idea wouldn't sit right though, he was suddenly certain he'd see his old Professor again. It involved something very important in his life, he was sure of that.

Of course, he well could have ruined that relationship then and now, near constantly taking his anger out on him of late. Hating to go off of one solitary feeling, but refusing to let the awkward silence linger and let him continue to blame himself when he knew he deserved it so much more, he promised, "I don't know how, or why, but we see each other again Remus."

Remus hardly looked convinced, already in his mind it was too little too late, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Harry and call him out for more either. He was only afraid he'd find him simply stretching something along, there was no real truth in it, so missed his and his two friends' looks as Harry continued.

Dumbledore agreed Sirius had represented much that Harry had never known-

Harry cut him off that he'd realized he couldn't shut himself away! He had to make something of his life, or what happened to Sirius would be for nothing. He'd take out any Death Eater and Voldemort along the way while that happened!

He spoke with such power and conviction, it was world bending to the four of them that little infant still asleep in his crib turned into such a powerful wizard, his very being promising right then he held up to this statement. They'd already shown how proud they were of him, how much they believed this themselves from the very first day they'd met him, and couldn't find words to show anymore how much they'd help him along the way in whatever form that took.

Hickory chose that moment to pounce onto Harry, who startled and made a little squealing noise of surprise as the cat landed, ahem, directly in his lap. This still couldn't entirely ruin the pride he'd seen in his father and godfather for a moment, but did accomplish making them all laugh more from shock than anything. The cat didn't care what noise had just been made, he began needing his claws into Harry's thigh still purring like an engine.

Lily leaned over and scooped her cat away, tisking in his ear and unable to wipe a smile from her own proud face, same as everyone else.

Dumbledore agreed spoken like Harry's true lineage would have to say.

Neither of them would ever let anyone speak for them, so the two also took their chance and assured Harry of how true that was.

He'd take his hat off to him, or he would if he hadn't wanted to cover him in spiders.

"Does being aware of the spiders make them better, or worse?" Sirius muttered.

Then he changed the subject to confirming Harry had told no one of the Prophecy they'd heard.

Harry agreed, and Dumbledore gently said it may be time to share this with someone outside this broomshed, that being Ron and Hermione.

Remus made a mocking little laugh, muttering snidely, "oh, good to know he trusts a couple of teenagers with information, he did learn his lesson."

Sirius sighed heavily and rubbed at his nose, but restrained himself from agreeing with Remus with great difficulty.

Harry was startled, but Dumbledore was insistent, he needed his friends, as he himself had just said, Sirius would not want him to shut himself away.

Lily grasped his shoulder in reassurance, trying to convince herself now Harry would have told them given his own chance to. James just scoffed with utter confidence he would have anyways, Harry trusted his friends the same way he did, and it was honestly a miracle he'd held it in this long.

Harry said nothing, but Dumbledore did not seem to require an answer. He continued instead Harry would be taking private lessons with him this year.

Sirius made a couple of colorful noises from shock, while Remus just raised a disbelieving brow. "So long as it's not more Occlumency training."

Lily wanted to disagree, they still hadn't a concrete answer on that and not everyone had been begging for that last year. She still hoped other alternatives were being looked into, but for now that one was the only one with even a hint of helping him and she wished it hadn't all been blown off because of Snape.

James ignored the biting comment, honestly because he agreed, and told Harry, "will you ever cease to amaze me? You end up doing all of the most fascinating things without trying."

"You are being ridiculous," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Who wants to spend more time with a teacher? Let alone the headmaster."

"You're technically spending time with a future teacher, spent the past dozen years of your life doing it in fact," Lily pointed out in hopes of giving Remus a chance to smile again.

It did the opposite, he scowled hatefully at her and snapped, "don't pretend any of this is set, or all of it will be!"

All three Potters gave him a sharp look for that tone, while Sirius elbowed him, hard. "Enough Moony, let Harry finish," then he finished with a low mutter at him, "before you say something you'll really regret."

Remus chose not to answer, and Harry shifted uneasily as he tried to keep going with the last page.

Harry eagerly asked for what, but Dumbledore gave no real answer.

"Informative," James muttered, though this did nothing to lessen their curiosity no matter his vagueness of it now. They certainly had plenty to look forward to this year at least.

Harry uneasily asked if this meant he'd also have to keep taking Occlumency lessons with Snape?

"I believe you were told never to come back to that office," Sirius reminded. "Abuse that to it's full might."

"Especially because he doesn't have one anymore," Remus could still smirk for that no matter the petulant tone.

"Or keep extending it to never going near him again, no matter what Dumbledore says," James agreed sharply.

Dumbledore corrected Professor Snape, and no he would not.

Lily bit at her lip curiously for the correction, surly Dumbledore still wouldn't have corrected him if he weren't a teacher there anymore as a replacement would suggest.

"Hopefully because he's gone," Sirius said with pure wistfulness, though he wished more than anything Dumbledore would have confirmed it right then.

Dumbledore agreed they had been, fiasco was a good word.

All four of them scoffed at an almost kind description of that while Harry gave a light chuckle.

Saying this meant he wouldn't be seeing much of Snape at all this year then, considering he hadn't made an O in his Potions OWL.

"But Slughorn doesn't care about that!" James prodded Harry happily until he full blown smiled at this news as well. "You could still take the class, continue your training to be an Auror if you really wanted to!"

"He'd be a bit behind," Sirius rolled his eyes, "considering he never learned anything the previous five years. I swear he only made it through that class through his own studies and sheer dumb luck Snape didn't poison him."

"Dumbledore wouldn't just say oh he couldn't be there this year," Lily sighed, wondering why he must always beat around every single solitary bush.

Dumbledore corrected not to count his OWL's before they arrived, which incidentally, would be later today.

Now the last two things, first, he was to keep his Invisibility Cloak on him at all times, no matter what, from now on. Just in case.

"Forbidding," Sirius drew the word out uneasily.

"Call backs," James corrected with an uneasy smile.

Harry agreed, and Dumbledore passed on his last word. While he was here, the Burrow had been set up with every bit of magical protection that could be offered. This was putting a hardship on the Weasleys, whose every bit of mail was being checked. They did not mind in the slightest, out of concern for him, but it would be a poor repayment of their hospitality for him to risk his neck while in their company.

"What's he to be telling you that," James couldn't help but grouse. "He's been going there for years already without him giving an okay for it."

"Take the extra security and be grateful for the stupid warning," Lily sighed.

Harry quickly agreed to this as well, and Dumbledore said that was all. Now they should go greet Molly, who shouldn't have to go another moment to deplore how thin Harry was.

Harry finished his chapter, but closed it almost gently, as if he was afraid the slightest noise would set off Remus into taking his head off next.

HPHPHPHP

*Fun random note, Sirius nor Remus ever actually told this to Harry, the two people who you'd think were most likely to.

**It's literally fixing to happen ten chapters later in this book, and still JK couldn't give any hint or even a name drop of Ginny? Just a couple more lines? Harry giving a roll call of her and Mr. Weasley, even the twins wouldn't have been that out there. Sorry, I'll go into this more in a few chapters, just couldn't resist pointing this out.

[pinkysfaultorbrainsfault]

pinky and the brain: s1e7 - tv or not tv

y’all do NOT understand how many times i have tried to post this. tumblr just will not stop eating it. this was supposed to be out last wednesday LMAO i am doing my best.

episode summary: brain engineers a pair of Mouse Dentures that give him a charming smile. anyone hypnotised by these dentures Suddenly Adores Him For No Good Reason. unfortunately, he’s also a bit of a shut in, so nobody is actually going to see his charming smile-- unless he gets himself a sitcom.

....or something.

the rundown:

we open on brain talking about the “weird and magical power” of celebrity. he has defaced several women, and is sticking his ass out. as you do. what is he doing to CINDY! and her ilk?? he must be stopped.

“those who have it weild tremendous influence. few can avoid the enchantment of its’ spell.”

“do you know what gives them this power?”

holy shit. he just stabbed CINDY!.

pinky absolutely does not care for CINDY!’s fate. “haha. narf. hey, paddlefoot, do you know what they call a quarter pounder in france?”

of course, sirius black was not in pulp fiction, and neither, as far as i can tell, was he in france. brain silences him with “enough gay banter”, like he wasn’t just sticking his ass out in his general direction, like, two minutes ago.

(this was the 90s, y’all. gay definitely meant gay back then. this is not the faraway tree.)

“pinky! behold the key to the power of attraction!”

“pushpins!”

“hurraaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“no, pinky.”

apparently the key to attraction is a

“winning smile”, as brain points out, tapping on CINDY!’s poor mutilated face for emphasis.

“and a nice healthy gum!”

“and... a nice healthy gum.”

it turns out that brain has “taken this idea of the influential smile to a new level - a level no less than world domination“, which is bold words for Mr Tumble Dryer. to achieve this, he has invented

teeth.

(okay. so it’s a bit bigger than that. he shows pinky the plans for,

and then a prototype of, a whole machine built specifically to engineer him little mousie dentures. a lot of work went into this one. shame, really.

“when did you have time to build that?”

“while you were engrossed in your mr belvedere reruns.”

“oh, i miss him. ):” )

anyway so. brain puts his teeth in.

there he is.

pinky describes this as

“enchanting (’:”

and brain affirms that it’s supposed to be. apparently the “reflective vibrations” (okay) of his smile stimulates the medula oblongata,

“causing the viewer to adore me for no good reason!”

“zort! i’m adoring you for no good reason!”

(he does point out, while brain is admiring his reflection in a nearby bunsen burner, “what if they’re wearing sunglasses?”

brain’s response is “we’ll work nights.”)

still, brain can’t just sit around in the lab twiddling his thumbs and expect the general public to Adore Him For No Reason. he needs exposure! and as pinky ponders “what would mr belvedere do,” brain asserts that he would “eat some butter”.

“i’m afraid, my friend, that you’ve seen far too much of mr belvede--”

more like mr belvIDEA lol. sorry i’ll see myself out.

“pinky, are you pondering what i’m pondering?”

“i think so, brain, bur it’s a miracle that this one grew back. ):”

.....okay.

thankfully, the plan is not, in fact, to amputate pinky’s leg. again???? instead, brain intends to use a weapon of “great stealth, power, and corruption.”

OUR OWN SITCOM.

✨

meanwhile, at the wb studio, we meet jerry kilmer. mr kilmer is currently being harassed by some dudes who also really, really want their own sitcom. for far less nefarious purposes, presumably.

“so there’s this guy, right?”

“and get this! he designs--”

“BIKINIS.”

“TINY LITTLE BIKINIS. OKAY okay okay okay so here’s the hook.”

“HE’S PRETENDING--”

“TO BE BLIND.”

it does not appear to be what mr kilmer is looking for.

(meanwhile, the mice are spying on the acme labs janitor. he seems like a cool dude! but the mice are not here for friendship.

they sneak into his jacket pocket!

and...... steal his.... car keys? “YES. to the television station!”

✨

this isn’t even the first vehicle he’s stolen. hopefully he’ll have this one back by curfew as well.)

they do get pulled over by the police, but i don’t want to go into that. unless you guys reaaaallly want me to. instead, they park outside the studio and harass some poor receptionist.

“excuse me. we’re here to-- pitch. as they say. a sitcóm. my dear.”

i don’t know why brain says words like that.

“appointment?”

“oh, i’m sure you can--”

“work us in.” says brain. he is sticking his ass out for no reason. all the appeal is in his sparkly dentures, so.... there’s really no need for that, my dude.

✨

“you’re next! for no good reason!”

these dudes are still here. “wait!” yells our budding comedian, “wait! check out this idea. it’s about a guy!”

original.

“who always sticks his foot in his mouth!!”

clever. unfortunately, his demonstration goes wrong, and he ends up kicking mr kilmer in the face.

bonk.

gives him a nasty black eye to boot. ouch.

“ugh. can’t i ever just see someone normal?”

good thing these very normal individuals have just shown up, huh? nothing shady about these guys. “ugh, thank goodness,” says mr kilmer. they introduce themselves politely as jonathan michael charles (left) and jamal spelling (right).

“you guys have quite a look.”

“thank you.”

✨

“alright then. what do you got for me?”

“egad, brain.”

“he’s not adoring you for no good reason!!”

“drat.”

“well. we’re young hip adults--”

“and hijinks ensue!”

“who sit on a big fat couch and whine--”

“with disaaaasterous results!!”

“and have lots of generation x friends who trade zippy, sarcastic banter.”

“and i have a monkey.”

a very original concept.

at least, mr kilmer sems to think so. “hmmm. fresh. but tell me! what really brings you here. what are jamal and jonathan all about.”

“actually,  we are two lab mice involved in a broad and sweeping plan to take over the world.”

mr kilmer thinks this is hilarious, apparently.

these guys do not. but they’re not important, for the moment.

the long and short of it, anyway, is that kilmer can’t give them a sitcom because nobody knows who they are, quote unquote. “the day i see your face on the cover of peeple magazine is the day you get a sitcom.”

irritated, jamal and jonathan make their exit.

and mr kilmer laughs so hard at the idea of lab mice trying to take over the world, that he falls out of his chair.

this will become relevant later.

meanwhile -- i just had to screencap this, okay, because of brain’s face. pinky suggests that he get on the cover of peeple by marrying prince charles. and brain thinks this is a horrible idea.

he’s much more interested in princess diana. but no, pinky, the path he must follow is “the same one followed by the leading sitcom stars of the day.”

“i must become a SUCCESSFUL STANDUP COMEDIAN.”

“so hey, how about those mitochondria? do they have enough cilia or what?”

“hey, why don’t you tell a joke you know!”

this may be harder than brain thought. undeterred, though, he presses on.

“do you ever notice how when you’re looking in the mirror of a quadrant electrometre, your forehead seems large?? why is that??”

“i just flew in from cleveland! and boy are my upper extremeties fatigued by a buildup of lactic acid!”

“booooooooooooooo!” says our guy on the left.

“go back to your troll village, squirt!” says his friend on the right. “what do you say to that?”

“i find you repugnant.”

(well. that made them laugh, at least.)

“your stupidity is matched only by the ill-slipped caterpillar, that chews off its’ own wings after emerging from its’ cucoon!!!”

“in fact! all of you! are just a gaggle of pathetically misguided root diggers!!”

“why don’t you all stand under a stalactite and bellow the resonate frequency, causing it to plummet onto your cranium!!”

“you’re all repugnant i say!!! repugnant!!!”

and with that little mousie tantrum out of his system, brain trundles off to sulk.

pinky claps him on the way out.

“egad brain! narf! they love you!”

“yes.”

so then he goes on tv, i guess.

“our comedy challenger is the master of insults! the prince of putdowns! jamal spelling!”

“you’re all a bunch of crevulating nitwits with peat moss for a cortex. repugnant!”

i don’t envy that guy third from the right. he doesn’t look like he’s having a very good time. he’s sensitive about his peat moss cranium, okay? don’t make fun of him.

NEXT ON G, HOWIE TURN HOSTS COMEDIAN JAMAL SPELLING.

“so, uh, jamal spelling. what kind of stupid name is that? cmon? what’s your real name?”

this would be racist if jamal spelling was a human man comedian and not like, a lab mouse. thankfully, this is not the case.

“my real name is the brain.” says brain, helpfully enunciating the “the”. “and you, my unwashed friend, are repugnant.”

HA HA. HA HA HA HA HA.

“oh, you’re hot, baby.”

okay.

but we’re, uh. we’re not going to think about that, and we’re going to go look at the david letterman show instead.

“uh, my next guest-- paul, do you know who our next guest is?”

“daaaaave, i know he’s a beautiful kind of-- nutty cat who just got us all a-wow.”

“here he is, ladies and gentlemen! for your comedy dollar, jamal spelling!!”

jamal spelling appears to be naked.

but he’s funny, so nobody minds.

“somebody here smells like a coagulated agar slant growing in a petri dish. repugnant!”

see! he’s just too comedy for clothes.

(meanwhile, we take a short trip to the office of janet mekko. “welcome, mr kilmer,” she says.

“my... secretary sent me here-- actually, i feel kind of stupid.”

“oh, honey. that’s a good thing! if there weren’t any stupid people, i wouldn’t have any business.”

“now. ya got some paaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.”

(in the distance, dan reynolds - at the tender age of eight - mumbles “you made me a, you made me a believer” in his sleep.)

“yeah.” says mr kilmer, completely unaware of this. “i fell out of my chair.”

“i’m gonna hypnotise you, so relax.”

okay.

“this’ll make you sleepy.”

“what is it?”

“a kenny g album.”

“okay. you’re in a trance. i’m gonna give you a random word. if you feel pain, say that word, you’ll feel good.”

“but careful! cause if you say it when you’re feeling good, the pain will come back! bad.”

spooky.

“and your random word is--”

“repugnant.”

there is, of course, absolutely no way this can go wrong.)

let us turn our view to happier pastures. namely, the mice are watching tv.

TONIGHT ON CIRCUS OF THE STARS

HARRY DEAN ANDERSON GETS SHOT OUT OF A GIANT PASTA MAKER

COMEDIAN JAMAL SPELLING FLIES THE TRAPEZE

AND BOB SAGET GETS TRAMPLED BY A BEAR. we hope.

pinky is elated! “egad, brain! circus of the stars! narf! you’ve really made it!”

pinky wants to be on circus of the stars, don’t you know. unfortunately, as he dutifully informs brain in pretty much the same breath, he hasn’t quite made it into peeple magazine yet.

“hm. it’s time to use plan b, pinky.”

“there was an a?? poit.”

ouch. jesus, pinky.

undeterred, brain marches his merry little ass over to the old timey corded phone.

beep.

“yes, connect me with buckinham palace, please.”

“egad! you did it brain! the cover of peeple!”

rule britannia is playing in the background of this scene. let’s... not think too hard about how this works, and agree that, yes, pauly shore, enough.

no more pauly shore, please.

conclusion:

jerry keeps his word, and, upon learning that jamal spelling is now legally married to princess diana (a fact which would certainly not lead to a warrant for his arrest in a couple of years) he asks him for a demo tape.

for such small hands, jamal sure does have very neat handwriting.

“make me laugh, jamal, and you got yourself a sitcom.”

“why don’t you all stand under a stalactite and bellow the resonate frequency, causing it to plummet onto your cranium!!”

he seems to like it! kilmer makes a little hee hee noise, unprepared for where this is undoubtedly going.

“you’re repungnant!”

“AAUGHGHGHHH.”

there it is.

“repugnant!”

“i say repugnant!”

repugnant repugnant repugnant repugnant

repugnant!

and with that, jerry kilmer falls out of the window.

as he does, he yells “i’ll get you, jamal spelling” which personally i think is unfair. jamal couldn’t have known, surely? don’t be mean to jamal. he’s got a lot on his mind, what with that restraining order against howie turn.

meanwhile, in the lab, the mice debate a good pitch for a pilot (i’ve got it, brain! it’s a show about nothing!) when jamal spelling gets a call.

“hi jamal! this is nina from the tv station. could you come down for a meeting?”

“mm hmmm.”

✨

it’s the WB.

as nina types away, jamal and jonathan enter casually, like this is their house, or something. “are you pleased to see us?” asks jamal, in a cocky, egomaniac labmouse sort of way.”

“yes i am!”

(nina somehow doesn’t notice.)

anyway then these guys find the dentures and pitch the first idea that comes into their heads.

“hey cortex! what do you wanna do tonight?”

don’t ask why mouse dentures fit a human man. we suspend our disbelief here.

(also there was no way this was brain’s fault. he couldn’t have known. outside influence it is. a shame, really.)

brain: 7 pinky: 7 outside influence: 14

thanks for the fun meme, @shuunthenonbeliever​ !

[wizardwritings]

Borrowed Sweaters, Stolen Kisses

Overview: In a game of Truth or Dare, you’re dared to sneak into the Marauders’ dorm and steal one article of clothing to wear the next day. It just so happens that the jacket you snatched was Sirius’ favorite jumper.

Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader

Word Count: 2,114

Warning(s): Language, fluff, a bit of suggestive content.

Author’s Note: I have so many “Truth or Dare” type requests in my inbox, so here you go! ;) Plus, who could resist wearing Sirius’ jacket and basking in his scent? Sigh.

“No way.” You shook your head, kicking your legs out in front of you as you ignored Lily’s poking and prodding.

It was a relatively relaxed Friday night, and you and your roommates decided to spend it with a bottle of firewhisky and a game of Truth or Dare. The truths ranged from anything to, “Would you fuck Lucius?” to, “Have you ever had sex when someone else was in the room?” And the dares weren’t any better. Marlene vomiting in the corner served as a great reminder of that.

You were just grateful the dares you received were rather mundane.

That was, until now.

“Y/N, you have to do it!” said Dorcas.

“Can’t I just forfeit this round and take a shot?”

“Nope, that’s only allowed for truths,” she quipped.

You glanced over at Lily and Alice, a pleading look on your face, but you were met with a teasing grin and sympathetic shrug, respectively.

“Rules are rules,” Dorcas sang, taking a swig of firewhisky as she shot you a challenging look.

You opened your mouth to protest, but Marlene’s fierce glare caused your words to die in your throat.

“If I had to chug that hot sauce concoction you guys made and then eat acid pops until I felt sick, you can to go to the Marauders’ room and steal a fucking jumper or something-- Sounds like a cakewalk compared to mine.”

As she leaned her back against the bed, hand over her stomach as beads of sweat trailing down her forehead, you figured Marlene was right. You’ve been in their dorm plenty of times before, anyway-- What was the worst that could happen?

“You’re right.”

“I know.”

Rolling your eyes, you stood up and slipped some fuzzy socks on, ignoring the cheers coming from your tipsy roommates. When you reached the door, your friends watching fervently as you wandered off to your ill-fated trek, you paused at the handle.

You looked back at them, heaving a sigh. “If their dorm turns out to be booby trapped and I get caught, just know I will haunt you from the grave after I die of embarrassment.”

“We expect nothing less,” was Lily’s smart reply.

Soon enough, you found yourself climbing up the boy’s dormitory, feeling like you were doing a reverse walk of shame. It was a quarter past three o’clock in the morning and the odds of any of them being awake were slim to none, but that didn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering in your stomach.

You made your way to the front of the Marauders’ dorm room and pulled out your wand, swiftly casting an Invisibility Spell and the Muffliato Charm as you slipped entered their abode.

For the most part, it looked just like your dormitory. Only neater. Each desk had its own assortment of organized clutter and, aside from the stray pieces of chocolate scattered throughout, was clear enough to work on. Scarves and jumpers were thrown onto chairs--which meant your dare should be easy enough to complete--and a dim light was left twinkling.

Everything seemed cozy and lived in. Normal.

Except for the fact that none of the boys were in their beds.

“What on earth?” you murmured under your breath, finding it a bit strange the room was completely empty at this hour. But knowing the Marauders, you reckoned they were probably sneaking out of curfew and roaming around the castle. It wasn’t unlikely.

Still, with your feet planted at the foot of their dormitory, you wanted to get out of there before you were caught--despite the precautions you took that should have hid you well.

Your hand hovered over the article of clothing nearest to you, which was a jumper draped over the back of a chair, and you took a deep breath, saying, “It’s just a dare. You can do it.”

Before you lost all your nerve, you snatched the jumper with one hand and slipped out of the dormitory. And you rushed down the stairs, you could’ve sworn you heard some shuffling coming from the empty room. But you didn’t care.

Part one of your dare was successfully completed.

Now for the hard part: Wearing it around the next day.

- - - - -

“How do I look?”

You posed in front of your roommate, trying not to laugh at how the borrowed jumper engulfed your frame. Walking down the center of your dorm, you gave a little twirl.

“Sexy,” Marlene teased from her spot on her bed. “Sirius’ sweater looks nice on you.”

Cocking your head to the side, you gave her a look. “How do you know this is his jumper?”

“How can you not? It smells just like him.”

“What?” Furrowing your eyebrows, you brought the collar of the pullover under your nose.

Sure, you noticed the slight musky scent that made your eyes want to flutter shut, but it could’ve been any of their jumpers...Right?

“How do you even know what Sirius smells like?”

Marlene shrugged. “Again-- How can you not? Just because I don’t like guys doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their scent. And that scent is distinctly Sirius.” She folded her arms with a smug grin when she caught you taking another whiff of the collar. “Nice, huh? Lemony and minty and piney all at once.”

Your cheeks heated, but you rolled your eyes to play it off. “It’s not the worst, I suppose.”

Laughing, she tossed you your bookbag from across the room while grabbing hers. “Come on, lovebug. You can see him during Potions in a few minutes.”

“I won’t be looking forward to it.”

You grumbled protests as the both of you made your way down the Gryffindor Tower and toward the cold dungeons that housed the classroom, but Marlene paid them no mind. Soon enough, you reached the room and spotted Lily and Alice in their usual seats.

“Hey,” you quickly whispered, sliding into the seat next to Lily before Slughorn sauntered over to the front of the class.

“Nice jumper,” she said simply, eyes lighting up in amusement. “I knew you’d go through with it.”

Reminded of your rather bold choice of clothing, you subconsciously tugged at the sleeves. You sent a quick plead to Godric that you didn’t look as foolish as you thought you did.

While Professor Slughorn introduced the Volubilis Potion the class would be making the next lesson and eventually began to lecture about the origins and uses, Lily nudged you on the side, sliding you a ripped piece of her parchment paper.

You looked at her curiously as Marlene peered over your shoulder to catch sight of the writing.

DON’T LOOK NOW-- But I’m 100% certain Sirius has been staring at you since the start of Potions.

Of course, the first thing both you and Marlene did after reading the note was turn your heads at the same time towards the back of the class where the whole of the Marauder’s were sitting. And, as you should’ve expected, you made directly eye contact with an amused-looking Sirius.

Both of you turned back so fast you were sure at least one of you received whiplash.

Wide-eyed and flushed, you exchanged glances with Marlene, both of you trying to hold in your laughter.

“I told you not to look,” Lily whispered, a small giggle escaping from her lips, sending you three into fits of laughter you tried to muffle with your hands.

Behind you, someone cleared their throat, causing the three of you to straighten up in an instant.

“Something amusing you, ladies?”

“No, sir,” you quipped.

“Sorry, Professor,” remarked Lily.

“We’ll shut up now,” promised Marlene.

With a stern look on his face but a slight tilt of his smile, Slughorn nodded and returned to his teachings. “I trust you three will be experts of the Volubilis Potion by the next lesson and I won’t have to catch you making doe eyes at a certain someone?”

Though he asked all three of you the question, his gaze was pointed at you and the class knew it. Your cheeks turned a bright pink as slouched into your chair. Perhaps if you tried hard enough, you could turn into the seat.

“Yes, Professor,” you mumbled, ignoring the stifled laughter from Marlene and an apologetic, but amused, look from Lily.

And as he continued the lesson, you could’ve sworn you felt a certain pair of eyes on the back of your head until the end of it.

When class finally concluded and Slughorn dismissed the lot of you, you rushed out of the classroom as fast as you could.

But not fast enough.

“Nice jumper, Y/N,” you heard a deep voice call, stopping you in your footsteps. “Looks familiar.”

You swallowed, slowly turning around to face Sirius--cheeky grin and all. There was nothing you wanted to do more than dash back to your dormitory and hide, but instead you straightened your spine and braved a look of nonchalance.

“Does it now?”

“Yeah,” he said with an amused look in his eyes. “I’d have to say it does.”

Peering up through your eyelashes, you looked at him with faux innocence. “I can’t say I know why.”

Slowly, he walked closer towards you as you moved back against the wall. He took the excess fabric of your sleeve into his hands, stroking them between his fingers.

“You know-- It even feels familiar.” He smiled thoughtfully. “Just like my jumper I happened to lose last night.”

By now, the halls had begun to clear up, the traitors you called friends having left you with a thumbs up right as Sirius approached you.

You coughed. “I wonder why.”

He was so close you could catch a whiff of his lemon and pine scent.

“If you wanted my clothes on you, Y/N, you could’ve just asked.”

You pointedly eyed the way he was toying with the hem of your--or rather, his--sweater, lifting it slightly. “Well, if you wanted my clothes off this badly, you could’ve just asked.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows in surprise at your suggestion, hand frozen on the fabric. The intensity of his gaze melted your steely disposition, embarrassment creeping up to your neck.

“I’m only kidding,” you murmured, refusing to be the one to break eye contact.

“That’s a shame, then.”

You blinked. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

Biting the inside of your lip, you toyed with the bottom of your sweater.

“That’s my favorite jumper, you know?” mused Sirius, looking fondly at the embroidery at the front. “James’ mum knitted it for me.”

A horrified look crossed your face. You stole his favorite sweater Mrs. Potter knit him herself? Good going.

“Oh, Godric,” you swore, reaching for the hem of the pullover. “I’m sorry, Sirius! I didn’t know.”

Chuckling, Sirius placed his hand on top yours to stop you from removing it. “No-- You can keep it on.” You paused. “I’d say I quite like how it looks on you.”

Your heart skipped a beat when his hand that was still on your ran down the length of your fingers. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you interlaced them with his own, causing him to send a shocked but pleased look your way. You smiled.

He ran the tip of his tongue along his lower lip, gently drawing you closer to him. “If I were to kiss you right now, would you be upset?”

You shook your head, leaning into his touch. “Upset is the last thing I’d be.”

“Well, then I suppose--”

“What are the two of you doing?” you heard Slughorn exclaim as he caught sight of the two of you against the hallway. He pulled Sirius away from you by the collar, sending an embarrassed flush to flood your cheeks.

Sirius, however, looked unperturbed.

“Sorry, Professor,” he said sincerely, “but what I was about to do just then-- I’ve wanted to do that for years now.”

He smiled at the shocked look on your face, giving you a wink as Slughorn released his shirt. Sirius made his way back over to you across the hall.

“How utterly tantalizing she looked in my jumper was only the catalyst,” said Sirius before placing both hands on either side of your hips, pulling you towards him in a brief but sultry kiss.

“Mister Black! Miss Y/L/N!”

“Sorry, sir.” This time, Sirius didn’t sound so sincere. “I just couldn’t wait until we got to the dormitory. But, don’t worry-- I assure you there will be far better, more passionate kisses that will take place there as well.”

And though the two of you may have cost Gryffindor five points, you would have to say it was worth it.

End Note: Unedited and I haven’t read through it yet, but I wanted to put something out before I went back to school! Hope this will suffice for now. :( I’ll try not to go MIA this time! xx Fia

[dwellordream]

I want to ask for your full Director's Commentary on the whole of "in the language of flowers," but that might take too long! Can you tell me about your favorite section to write? Or if you'd like something a little more specific, anything you would like to say about the epilogue, or Sirius and Petunia's relationship? Thank you!! ❤❤

it’s been two years so it’s a little hard to get back into that head space but I’ll try my best lol. just in general I think the desire to write the fic came from wanting to write a long-term HP fic where I didn’t need to rely on the books to guide me through scenes and characters. with Flowers I pretty much could do whatever I wanted in terms of plot and characters as long as I hit certain points (the start of the war, Sirius running away from home, Lily and James getting together, etc). it was pretty freeing and I was able to do what I wanted with Petunia so long as she still was recognizable as her canon self.  I had a lot of favorite chapters so i’ll just go in order: chapter 1 was a big deal to me bc I needed to establish the baseline of the Lily and Petunia sister relationship right off the bat. I wanted their relationship to be loving and close but also quite tense on Petunia’s part; she is inherently an anxious, cynical, and insecure person, and being the younger sister, in this case, of someone as charismatic and charming as Lily isn’t easy. at the same time I wanted to emphasize how devoted Petunia still was to her and how much she idolized Lily’s looks and intelligence. I also wanted to get across some of her more obsessive compulsive behaviors and the effect they have had on her childhood.  I also have always liked writing Severus and I think the back and forth between him and Petunia not just in the first chapter but throughout the fic is very interesting, bc they really have a lot in common personality wise. both are very jealous and possessive people, both are quite insecure about themselves, from their appearances to their personalities, both find it difficult to make friends and difficult to hold their tongues when they’re upset. in any other circumstances, I think Petunia and Severus really could have become good friends. I also wanted to emphasize that while Lily can be somewhat oblivious to Petunia’s unease and insecurity, she is a very loving person and a good sister. I didn’t want the fic to be about making Lily out to be a villain or a bully in order to make Petunia look better, or just them constantly battling each other. chapter 3 was also really important to me bc it sets up Petunia’s first impression of James and Sirius, and I think it kind of shows how they were both little shits as children haha. in that, she has no delusions about them and recognizes that both of them have the potential to be quite nasty little bullies when push comes to shove. obviously eventually she comes to consider both friends and close allies, but James comes into Hogwarts as essentially this very coddled and spoiled little prince who’s used to being showered with affection and attention, and Sirius’ whole persona is that of a kid who treats everything as one big joke because it helps him forget about his abusive home life.  I also really love the line where Marlene shakes James’ hand but says, “Galleons really do jangle in the same pocket” referring to the Potters and Blacks being well known for their money, something James is secretly a bit insecure about. Remus and Petunia’s meeting in chapter 5 was really important to me because he is her ‘in’ to the Marauders simply by virtue of being such an accepting and compassionate kid, despite his own trauma and illness. Petunia’s not naturally inclined to feel a ton of sympathy for other people, but she does for him, and he really opens her up in a lot of ways to becoming more accepting of the Hogwarts experience. that her eventual reaction to discovering he is a werewolf is not terror and disgust but sympathy and a desire to help is probably one of the first major signs of her character development. chapter 8 was also really fun bc it’s the first real one on one Petunia and Sirius interaction! tbh I think a lot of readers assume I began the story out of a desire to write a romance between the two, but it was actually *not* in my initial loose notes for the story. I hadn’t really focused on any kind of romance for Petunia at all and it ended up just sliding its way in the more I thought about it. the two of them are very different but in some ways well-suited to each other; Petunia is almost *never* impressed by Sirius’ antics and he is I think someone who would want to be challenged and pushed back on by a partner.  in that same token chapter 11 is pretty important to me bc suddenly we’ve made it to 4th year and both Petunia and Sirius’ home situations have worsened. I actually was not entirely happy with that chapter at the time because I disliked writing in the kiss between them so early on, and I felt like I was rushing into the romance. however, in the long run I think it worked out, as they clearly don’t jump into a relationship from there, and with the emotional intensity of the two of them opening up to one another it made sense.  I also really liked the acknowledgement from Petunia that she sees through all the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ posturing- Sirius *does* care about being rejected and hurt by his family, he *does* care about not having a good relationship with his parents, and he *does* want that sort of easy affection and love that James has with his parents and Petunia has with her father. his problem isn’t that he doesn’t care; he cares rather a lot

chapter 14 is obviously a big deal within the story bc it is the point of Lily and Severus’ big fight which pretty much ends the friendship. I was going crazy at the time trying to figure out how/when to include it, since Severus is at Hogwarts, Lily is at home in muggle school, she hasn’t seen his problems with James and co. or all the bullying and violence, she doesn’t know much about his growing interest in the Death Eater cause... but in the moment what matters to Lily is him threatening her sister. I think at the exact moment she sees Severus having cornered Petunia down by the river it all sort of slots into place for Lily and she realizes A. he is not the same little boy she befriended, he is a potentially violent 15 year old, and B. his hatred for Petunia mostly stems from the fact that she is the unwanted replacement of Lily in his life. so with all that suddenly crashing over her, Lily really snaps and without much thought for her own safety, gets between the two of them and dresses him down once and for all.  also, the love between the two sisters is just really touching right then and there, as Petunia finally realizes Lily would truly do anything for her. the fight in chapter 16 was also a favorite moment of mine bc finally all the background stuff comes to a head in Sirius and Petunia’s relationship. she realizes he’s been kicked out of the house and has hidden it from her, and his poor reaction is of course, to mock her over acting as though they’re ‘going steady’.  then of course comes the nasty realization that the rumors about Sirius being in a relationship with her contributed to said disownment, and Sirius admitting to her that he got into a fight with Lucius Malfoy over a ‘joke’ about harming Petunia. this is what really sends Petunia into a spiral- she knows Lucius to be a Death Eater and the idea of Sirius in any way antagonizing him horrifies her. which then leads into the big issue between them, on top of all their communication problems- Sirius has every intention of fighting Voldemort’s forces, whereas Petunia wants to keep her head down and live a normal life. this is not something that can be easily resolved, given how stubborn both of them are. he regards it as his duty to throw himself into the fight and to prove how he isn’t like the rest of his family, especially jr. Death Eater Regulus- whereas Petunia thinks he has a death wish.

I don’t want to just summarize the entire fic so I’ll stop there haha. but yes, I am still really fond of Flowers and the relationship between Petunia and Lily and Petunia and Sirius. the epilogue was really just me giving them all a hug and sending them on their way like a proud parent. (I’m actually surprised people liked the epilogue, especially people who commented that they preferred the fic’s epilogue to the one at the end of Deathly Hallows, since I think the two have a lot of similarities in terms of the main characters having settled down into more ‘normal’ adulthood with a couple of kids).

[arcturusblackiii]

Title: The stars may be covered by clouds and the moon may be new (but your smile is all the light I need)

Fandom: Harry Potter Wordcount: 1820 Category: Gen Warnings: Implied/referenced child abuse Rating: Teen Relationships: Regulus Black & Sirius Black Characters: Regulus Black, Sirius Black Summary:

The year is 1977 Its been several months since Sirius ran away

Its the new Hogwarts year, and Regulus has finally, finally worked up the courage to talk to his (disowned) brother. Sirius worries about Regulus and Regulus attempts to convince him that yes, he's fine. He isn't exactly convincing, and Sirius has him make a promise.

Otherwise summed up as "Sirius and Regulus talk out their emotions and things look towards the better"

Tags:

Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Sibling Bonding, Sirius Black is a Good Brother, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, Light Angst, Good Regulus Black, circa 1977, Walburga Black's A+ Parenting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

For @youurelovely

Mid October, 1977

Sirius’s 7th year, Regulus’s 6th.

Regulus sat on a bench by the edge lake, staring aimlessly over the water. Watching it ripple.

He had his gaze fixed on a spot where he was particularly sure there was a turtle of sorts.

It’s late.

Of course it's late.

The sky is dark, the moon new.

Clouds blotted out most the stars, making the night somehow even gloomier.

It was cold, but not bitingly so. Regardless, the thick robe he wore kept the cold out.

Overall, it was exactly the sort of night he would have expected to meet Sirius on.

He wondered if Sirius would show.

He doubted it.

After all, why would he?

Why would he bother with sneaking out to see him of all people?

Risk getting detention and other various consequences.

He wasn't worth that.

Besides, Sirius hated him.

He knew Sirius hated him.

He’d made that clear.

He didn't even know why he was trying this.

What were the outcomes even, Sirius coming and them fighting, or Sirius not coming and leaving the aching hole in his chest wider.

There was no good outcome of this.

He was pulled from his musing by footsteps.

He resisted the temptation to look over his shoulder and see who was coming, and kept his gaze fixed on the water.

It could only be Sirius.

Well, it technically could have been anyone.

But it was most likely Sirius.

His suspicions were confirmed when Sirius sat down next to him.

Regulus exhaled a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

“So..” Sirius started. “I’m here.”

He didn't seem angry, or exasperated, or even annoyed.

It was more reassuring than anything else Regulus had tried to calm his nerves about this. “Sirius.. I..”

There was so much he wanted to say, but he said none of it.

He didn't even know where to begin with this conversation.

“How have you been?” He asked after a moment, desperate to break the choking silence.

“Better than the last time we properly spoke.”

Sirius responded effortlessly. Like every word wasn't hard to get out.

Like it was easy to talk to him.

Like talking to him wasn't stressful.

Like things were normal and okay. Like he hadn’t run away. Like there was no hundred kilometer chasm between them growing wider by the minute.

Regulus drew his knees to his chest. “That's good. I’m glad you’re okay.” He spoke softly, keeping his eyes fixed somewhere far out over the water.

If he had looked at Sirius, he would have seen how his expression moved from curiosity to more worry.

“Okay. What's up with you, you’re never like this.” He knew Sirius was looking at him, seeing if he could spot anything glaringly wrong.

He also knew that if he looked at Sirius, he would probably tear up and that wouldn't be good for anybody.

Because if he started crying, that would just complicate things even further.

He thought of Walburga’s anger, growing hotter by the day, and Orion's forced indifference and cold disappointment. He thought of the cuts and bruises over the summer. The broken arm. Thought of Walburga’s growing desperation to redeem herself in the eyes of the other pureblood woman she would see at parties. Of her mortification over Sirius and how much she wanted to separate herself from her failed son and heir. Of how furious she would get at him being brought up.

He thought of the fights between her and Orion once far and inbetween that now sat like rainclouds on the horizon. Dark and ominous.

He thought of his growing fear of Walburga having him join the death eaters..

He thought about how everything seemed to be falling apart in slow motion, all orbiting around him.

“I’m fine.” He lied.

“Sure you are.” Sirius had hardly been here a minute, and he had already begun worrying him. He knew Sirius had seen right through the lie. A sideways glance at him revealed he was wearing that expression that revealed he could see right through him.

“Why did you want to talk with me?”

I miss you.

It's been hell without you.

You were the only good thing in my life.

I love you.

Instead of saying any of that, Regulus shrugged and folded his hands. staring intently over the lake.

“..Okay.”

Regulus forced himself to keep his gaze over the water. To not look at Sirius to gauge his reaction.

“Regulus, What's really happening?”

Regulus bit his lip, and slowly exhaled. Forcing his shoulders to relax and trying to smile. “Sirius, I’m okay. Really.”

“Oh don’t even try and pull that shit on me. You couldn't even fool Aunt Charis with that fake smile. You wouldn't.. You wouldn't go through the hassle of planning an entire meeting thing if nothing was wrong.”

“Maybe I just wanted to talk to you like everything was normal, okay? I don't know.” Regulus tried, still avoiding Sirius’s scrutinizing gaze.

It wasn't a lie, really.

He desperately wanted to talk to Sirius like things were okay.

“Reg..”

“And it's not like I can talk to you in broad daylight, right? Someone will see and news will get back to Her somehow and you know how that is.”

“Yeah, I do.” There was worry in Sirius’s voice.

He was still looking at him expectantly. Like he expected a real answer to why Regulus asked to meet him.

Too bad Regulus was too ashamed to admit it.

“This was a terrible idea. I’m sorry.” Regulus finally looked at Sirius, hugging his knees tighter to his chest.

Sirius looked just as worried as his voice had implied.

He looked actually worried. Not false worry, or angry worried, really and truly worried.

He hadnt seen Sirius really and truly worried in a long while.

“I—” He choked on his words. He hadnt expected that.

He was going to say he missed him.

But he just.. couldn't.

Out of fear, out of mortification, out of denial, he didn't know.

“I’m happy you're safe.” He said instead.

“Thanks.” Sirius kept his gaze fixed on Regulus with that real, genuine worried expression. “How have things been without me? Must be nice not having me around to piss her off all the time.”

Regulus thought about how angry Walburga was constantly these days. Her bitter, hysterical anger.

He nearly laughed.

“No, actually.” Regulus returned his gaze to the lake, so he doesn't have to see Sirius’s reaction. “It's been.. It's been really hard.” His voice couldn't have been much louder than a whisper as he confessed that. But somehow, he felt like he was screaming it for the whole world to hear.

Like there was no possible way to be quiet enough when saying it.

“Has it?”

“She..” He swallows his trepidation. There wasn't much point in hiding things, not really.

And Sirius deserved to know anyway.

“She’s really.. She’s gotten angrier, somehow. Bitterer. It's uh, with you being a..” He cleared his throat, slipping into a mocking voice that was meant to sound vaguely like Walburga. “‘Worthless mudblood loving blood traitor who should rot’ or something like that. But ah.. She’s gotten worse, I think.”

“Do you need me to come back?” Sirius asked with absolutely no hesitation.

The question made his blood freeze in his veins.

“What?” Regulus turned to look at Sirius, convinced he’d heard him wrong.

Because that didn't make sense. Why would he ever suggest something like that?

“Do you need me to come back, Regulus. Because I will. I could make up some, I don't know, bullshit about ‘Learning the awful truth of mudbloods’ or some.. absolute bullshit like that. And I would come back.”

“No. No. Never.” Regulus didn't even try to hide how stunned he was.

Because that was honestly the most idiotic, ill adviced thing he had ever heard Sirius say.

Well, no, it wasn't. But it was pretty far up there.

“Do not come back. She’ll — god Sirius I don't even know what she’d do. She’d kill you. She’d beat you half to death then kill you.”

“That wasn't the question, Regulus. Do you need me to come back? Will she kill you. Will she hurt you. Do you need me there?”

“I-” Regulus bit his lip. Because the answer was yes. “I’ll live.”

“Regulus.”

“She — Look. There hasn’t been much beyond, you know how she is. Cuts. Bruises. Yelling. The occasional spell. It’ll be fine. I’m fine.”

“You're lying.” Sirius said without breaking eye contact with him. “You're fucking lying. What has she done? Did she fucking Crucio you?”

“No! No. She didn't.” Not yet, at least. He added mentally. “Look. She broke my arm about 2 weeks after you left and that's the worst physical damage done. It's just been fucking hell without you, okay? But you can't come back. I will be fine.”

“She’ll kill you!”

“She’d kill you long before she kills me, Sirius. I’ll be fine.”

They held eye contact for a few seconds, challenging each other.

Surprisingly, Sirius caved first.

“Then I need you to really, and truly promise me something. Okay?”

“Why?”

“I just need you to.”

“Fine. What is it.”

“If you ever need me, if she ever uses Cruciatus or, fuck I don't know. Imperius or some shit. If she ever, ever does anything that will ruin your life, or hurt you like that, write me. Just write me. Firecall me even. I’ll come get you. No questions asked.”

“You don't need—”

“No, Regulus. You’re my brother. No matter what her tree says. I’ll be here for as long as you want me. I’m still here, I’m still your brother. So promise me that. Promise me that you’ll get me.”

“Sirius..” His voice is thick with all the emotion he’s forced back since the night Sirius ran away, and probably some more at Sirius’s words. “Okay. I promise.”

Sirius’s resulting smile was enough to make him smile back.

“Good. If she ever, ever goes to far, if you ever need somewhere to go, or hell, even just an outside opinion, I’m here.”

Regulus blinked back tears, still smiling a watery smile.

“All you need to do is ask, and I’ll be there.”

“Okay.” Regulus managed though his churning emotions. He felt something suspiciously like happiness. “Thank you.”

“It's nothing, Reggie.” Sirius wrapped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him into what was a slightly rough hug.

Regulus hugged him back, and for all of 5 seconds they were quiet.

“I love you, you know.” Sirius whispered. “You're not allowed to forget that.”

Regulus rubbed at his eyes as he pulled back. “I love you too, Sirius.”

“That's good, because if you didn't this would be rather awkward.”

“Shush.”

“You have never once been able to make me be quiet, and I doubt you’ll have suddenly acquired that ability.”

Regulus laughed softly, and smiled again. “No, I don't think I have.”

[danpuff-ao3]

For me, my first and forever love is Snarry! I've loved them together for most my life, and I don't see that ending anytime soon. 19 of my 30 years in love with this ship!!

It can be hard to really piece together the why of it, because there's so much why to it. My love of their individual characters, for one.

You have the age gap (always a fan), and the baggage (man falls for his ex best friend's son who is also his school bully's son??), the student/teacher taboo (who doesn't love a good taboo??), the enemies-to-lovers (the tension, the drama!)

The baggage of it is heavy. Snape's history with Harry's parents and godfather. Snape's history with the Death Eaters and Voldemort, versus Harry's destiny to defeat Voldemort. Snape as Harry's teacher and protector; Harry as both student and savior. They are all tied up in each other; there is a lot to untangle when they eventually get together. And it will always be messy. Which: I love! It's endlessly fascinating, and there's so much to explore with them, and so much for them to explore together.

There are also the similarities. They grew up in abusive households, even if the abuse itself wasn't exactly the same. They were raised by people who hated magic (the Dursleys, Tobias.) They were raised in the Muggle world. They were captivated by magic. They formed very deep friendships very young. They also both had vital roles to play in the war, and were important instruments to Dumbledore and Voldemort both. Snape was useful as a spy, useful for information, useful for his knowledge and skills. Harry was useful as a target, useful as a weapon, instrumental in ending the war. They were both valued for their use by the people they looked up to (Dumbledore, Voldemort.) They both lost people very important to them (Lily, Sirius.) They were raised on grief and ill treatment. Neither of them had very normal lives.

They are both incredibly brave. They are both loyal to a fault, and devoted. They are strong. They are passionate, obsessive, intense. They are both skilled.

They could admire one another, I think, once they allowed themselves. Severus for his intellect, and Harry for his physical prowess; their mutual skill with Defensive magic. Their shared curiosity, and drive. The ways they are both very smart and skilled in their own ways, and how they can learn from one another and support one another and balance one another.

There is a shared experience they can connect on. Coming from such awful homes, all of the trauma of their school years, the horror of war. How skewed their self-perception, and self-worth, might be once the war is over as is their use. How there are some things only they could truly understand about one another and come together on.

And once they realize how they feel about one another...oh boy, nothing could tear them apart. No one and nothing would stand in the way, because their ability to love is so great. They would stand firm together, through thick and thin.

But it would never be easy, either, which is good. They would challenge each other, which they both need, I think! They would offer each other peace and safety, but also challenge and adventure. They inevitably butt heads, and they like it that way! They wouldn't have it any other way, wouldn't want anything else but to be driven to madness by this one very special person. Snape's snarkiness and Harry's sassiness go hand-in-hand!

They have so much between them, they have the power to be each other's greatest strength and greatest weakness. They can drag each other down, or lift each other up. They can destroy each other easily, or be unstoppable at each other's side. It's all about balance for them: balancing the good and the bad, and making each other all the better for it.

I have a thousand and one feelings about them, but this hopefully sums it up a bit! (I'm sure I'll look at this later and think of a handful of things I forgot...oh well!)

Today is shaping up to be a bit rough for me, so for funsies! If you like. If people wanna reblog this with their OTP and why they love them, that would be great! Little makes my heart gladder than seeing what other people love (especially when it comes to love they love!)

[nzdzdhs]

un potente mago probabilmente invischiato con l'omicidio dei genitori di Potter

Dos franquicias históricas que han vivido una temporada de auténtica pesadilla pueden ver la luz al final del túnel si la diosa fortuna les sonríe en mayo. Los Celtics tendrán un 10,6% de posibilidades de ser los primeros en elegir en el draft más esperado de la última década, mientras que los Lakers se quedan con un 6,3%. Por su parte, los Wolves de Ricky Rubio apenas tendrán un 0,6% de que su nombre salga en primer lugar. Well, pour yourself a glass of bull shot and tighten those mittens, because it's mid December and the NBA decided to have a season this year. As such, the exegetes at Ball Don't Lie are previewing the 2011 12 campaign in a mad rush, as if you or we would have it any other way. So put down the shovel long enough to listen to Kelly Dwyer, Dan Devine and Eric Freeman as avenida alicante sillathey break down each of the NBA's 29 teams, plus Toronto.. Rowling vero fenomeno librario e non solo degli ultimi anni, stavolta impegnato a sventare un'entit malvagia che minaccia la sua stessa vita. , infatti, evaso dal carcere il famigerato Sirius Black, un potente mago probabilmente invischiato con l'omicidio dei genitori di Potter, che pare voglia completare "l'opera" uccidendo anche il povero Harry. Siamo giunti al terzo anno nella scuola di Hogwarts, il luogo in cui giovani apprendisti maghi provenienti da tutto il mondo cercano di imparare e di affinare le principali tecniche magiche. OKC All Star Kevin Durant rightfully took his obsessive brand of ignorance to task, and Bayless responded by pumping up his own credits as a high school point guard who finally learned that PGs should think "pass" 12 times before they fire away, on Twitter. Bayless didn't start for his high school squad, it turns out, and didn't even play for the varsity until his senior

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season, when he averaged 1.4 points per game. Here's the video of Rose calling a clearly uncomfortable Bayless out:the fine folks at The Last Ogle, who found out that Bayless played only 15 of his teams 22 games during his senior year, and that no player on his squad scored fewer points than Bayless. Jason Terry was the only non starter to score for Boston in the half. With Lee sidelined, Crawford made his first start for the Celtics in 17 games since being traded from the Washington Wizards and finished with 14 points. Y también es normal que los jugdores, entrenadores etc. Voten al PSOE que aún siendo también multimillonarios, no dejan de ser tabajadores por cuenta ajena. Se sienten del pueblo. "Everybody knows we both can score like crazy. But I think everybody thinks we can't win together. That's going to be one of our biggest challenges. Andrea Bargnani had a rough end to his career in Toronto. adidas stan smith j white tactile blue The onetime top overall pick in the NBA draft disappointed in his seven years with the team, his production dropped over his final three seasons there, as Bargnani was consistently brought up as a candidate to be waived by the team with no compensation with the NBA's amnesty clause. Because the Knicks are the Knicks. "Fue uno de los mejores momentos de toda mi vida", apunta el nuevo jugador de los Wolves. "Ver todo lo que mi padre era capaz de hacer por m". Era una muestra más del amor de los Town por el pequeo Karl, dispuestos a hacer cualquier cosa por él.. Tornavo qualche sera fa da Palermo, dall'aeroporto Falcone e Borsellino, e devi attraversare tutta la citt per accedere all'autostrada che conduce alla parte pi a sud della costa siciliana: raggiungevo la mia citt, Agrigento, e dopo di noi, ci sono, infatti, le isole, le Pelagie, e poi l'Africa. Si era fatto gi notte, l'aereo era atterrato alle 11 e vai, con le operazioni di sbarco, prendi la macchina al nolo, percorri quei 150 Km circa di notte attraversando le strade pi brutte d'Italia, sempre funestate da incidenti gravissimi, air jordan mini melissa picole vidro aj4 strade che tutti noi, provenienti da citt prive di Universit, abbiamo sempre fatto per proseguire i nostri studi, affidati solo, noi e i nostri figli, alle preghiere dei nostri cari, da casa. Ed era il diadora focicipő buio della notte, mentre percorrevo le strade dell'entroterra siciliano, a permettermi di vedere la mia bella terra, la Sicilia, in tutta la sua miseria , quando miseria sinonimo di privazione: strade prive di luci, di segnaletica, strade tortuose che si ostinano a chiamare "a scorrimento veloce", ma di veloce trovi solo qualche macchina che, guidata da un incosciente, rischia di venirti addosso affrontando, in un doppio senso di circolazione, una curva, effettuando un sorpasso sempre azzardato. C O R D O V A P O N C E F R A N C I S C O A L F R E D O 3 6 . C O R O N A A G U I L A R A N G E L 3 7 . C O R T E C A R R I L L O L U I S M I G U E L 3 8 . He's earned that right. He has now taken advantage of it multiple times. That anger not only represents a ludicrous double standard in air max 90 ultra sean age when players are

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often criticized for prioritizing money over other motives; it's also just silly. Uno de los futbolistas a los que m atento est el Levante es Michael Krohn Delhi, que tiene la opci de acabar su contrato con el Sevilla en junio. El club hispalense answear sandale copiiposee la potestad de decidir de forma unilateral si cuenta con el dan para la pr temporada o en cambio el jugador queda libre. Y esa decisi depende del nuevo entrenador sevillista. BTW me parece increible que alguien pueda pensar que mi primera frase es informativa y no

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un deseo para llamarlo invento :O vamos a ver, deron a dicho publicamente q se va?: no, es obvio. Deron a dicho en publico q va a seguir en nets?: no. Yo creo q es obvio la respuesta: si. Already dealing with enough Cubs problems, Joe Maddon insists no 'ill will' toward RaysThe Cubs didn't dial up Kyle Schwarber to create some Fourth of July fireworks, keeping their World Series legend in the minors as Triple A Iowa moved on to Oklahoma City. But Schwarber Watch is on alert, with farm director Jaron Madison saying "it's not out of the question" the left handed slugger could rejoin the Cubs before the All Star break, though that final decision rests with team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. "He's feeling really good," Madison said Tuesday at Wrigley Field after returning from a trip to Des Moines.

[scentedstarfishtheorist]

The Set Stealer

Goo.gl/Nk6UaR       The Basics: What do I already know about this story? This is a space opera about the mercenary Captain Grace Woods. She’s been challenged to find the source of a strange message by an old friend that she trusts. She needs a new crew and her friend helps her collect a couple of new people. The trio go out into space to track down the signal. The trouble starts as soon as they find the source. A spaceship that resembles a seashell seems to be the home of the signal. However, aboard this ship is an infected lifeform - the illness it carries has made it an aggressive, raging cyborg.  While they are dealing with this massive ship, Grace and her crew encounter a whole new kind of ship - one the size of a planet. It infects the entire seashell ship and makes it into a new weapon which it adds to it’s shell. This ship is an enemy the likes of which Grace has never seen. She realizes that this ship is sending out emergency pulses to bring other ships to it so that it can infect them. Grace’s new mission is to stop this ship.  While she’s trying to find a cure for her infected crew member, Grace sees her friend Night on while in a highly guarded star system. He is living and working on a space station there where they help out the crew of Grace’s ship. She starts to wonder if she can really trust him as he seems to have shown up at exactly the right moment to direct her secondary mission. She asks him to come along with her to infiltrate the enemy and he agrees, but he seems hesitant. Grace, Night and crew member Drax warp jump to the Andromeda Galaxy and find the enemy just beyond Earth’s orbit. It seems to be zeroing in on the planet. The crew leaves Night to guard the ship while they get on board the giant vessel. Once on, they’re caught and Drax is infected, but Grace is able to help him. The two realize that the ship is somehow manned by a ton of clones and seems to be captained by a strange creature made of steel and bone.  The two are able to scramble the ship’s systems with an antivirus that messes up the virus that it uses to create weapons. However, the captain seems unfazed by his crumbling ship. The Ending: Despite her misgivings, Grace has to turn to the RNE for help as the giant ship is threatening the Nations of Earth. They comply with the agreement that Grace go into retirement and once she agrees, they send out a battalion of empty, decoy ships armed with bombs. These keep the ship’s crew busy as Grace and Drax bring down the ship. Night has to be unveiled as a traitor somehow. The Captain of the giant ship seems unstoppable but they hope they’ve killed him. Night may have been selling genes on the black market that this strange Capt. used to create his crew. The book can end on a cliffhanger as there are plans for a series. The Beginning: Introduce readers to the characters and world. This story requires a ton of world-building and therefore a gradual introduction. First we meet Grace, then Night, Martha, Drax and finally Fox. Fox tries to beat up Grace as a show of his prowess but she beats him up. Only Marth and Drax join her on the mission. The three become friends during their first journey together. My Characters: Main Character: ​Grace Woods, disgraced RNE military pilot, mercenary Main Character: ​Drax, shark-like race, quick to anger but intelligent engineer Main Character: ​Martha, human-like, great co-pilot and very responsible Power Player: ​Night, an old friend but current criminal, may or may not be working for the enemy Power Player:​ The new race of aliens, discovered by Grace, (yet to be named), researchers. Antagonist:​ The giant ship the size of a planet, carries the weaponized cyborg virus, seems to be on a mission to destroy the nations of earth.  My setting is: ​An imaginary outer space and Grace’s ship, The Mazu. This story changes locations a lot but the overall environment is a dangerous, intergalactic frontier.  Magical System: ​The magic in this world is the science and tech used by and developed for the characters. All of it has been in place for a long time. Only the giant ship is a new technology.  Technology: ​Endless. Refer to the first draft for all the details.  Culture: ​The worlds are ruled by the RNE, but Grace lives on the fringes as do the other characters. They don’t like the long reach of this organization and they RNE doesn’t like them. Humans are prevalent but so are many other species, some friendly and some not. Grace’s human state would normally protect her, but her reputation as an outlaw gets in the way. Who has the power? Night and RNE Why? Night has the information and the money that Grace wants at the beginning. The RNE have control over most discovered territories in space. Those they don’t control are neutral with the organization and many are ruled by human envoys there on behalf of the giant organization. Go back and look at these choices. Any holes? Am I stuck somewhere? Scene List:  (Reminder - Minimum three scenes per chapter. This book may need up to five) Scene 1- ​Captain Grace walks through Holax market to Night’s bar. He invites her to take on secret, RNE mission for a huge commission. Offers to find her a crew. Scene 2- ​Flashback to Night saving Grace’s life. Scene 3 - ​Grace accepts offer, meets Martha at the bar.  Scene 4 - ​Grace goes to the chicken fight, meets Drax.  Scene 5 - ​Fox comes up behind Grace, insists she hire him. He’s heard that she’s looking for a crew. She tells him he can fight her for a place on her crew. He accepts and she beats him up. Scene 6 - ​The new crew takes off for the Sylvan Nebula, (formerly named Sirius), and are attacked by Ventrusian Raiders. During the battle, the SOS signal breaks through the chaos. They fight the Ventrusians off and continue, though the ship is badly damaged. Scene 7 - ​Just as they enter the nebula, the ship’s engines die. Drax stays to fix them while Martha and Grace go into the strange, seashell ship.  Scene 8 - ​In the ship, they are confronted with an odd, armored creature. It attacks Martha but doesn’t kill her. Grace kills it.  Scene 9 - ​Martha is very sick and can’t walk. Grace drags her to what looks like a control room. Jumps into darkness Scene 10 - ​Ventrusians come back and bother Drax. They take the ship and board, holding him hostage. Scene 11 - ​Grace confronts the aliens on the strange ship, learns they are researchers and very scared of their situation. She offers to take them away on her own ship.   Scene 12 - ​Drax fights off the Ventrusians, chomping his way through them with his shark teeth.  Scene 13 - ​Grace and Martha come back with two of the new alien species. Grace gets Martha into the sick bay, computer does not recognize her disease. Grace decides to quarantine her and locks the door to the sick room. Scene 14 - ​Grace finds the bloody mess left over from Drax’s fight. She commands him to clean it, but both are distracted by new ship that is as big as a planet. They see the sea shell ship disappear and warp out of there as fast as they can. Scene 15 - ​Grace and Drax talk about the illness, the apparent evolution of body fused with machine Scene 16- ​The warp takes them to the 37th/Sagittarius without clearance. Stand off with the RNE Scene 17 - ​Drax and Grace check on Martha. She is in a full coma and full of wires/metal  Scene 18 - ​Two envoys arrive on the ship, appearing peaceful. They see Martha and stun everyone. One of them says something to Night vía communicator. Scene 19 - ​Grace comes to and remembers the events of the past few days. Realizes she’s tied to a gurney. Scene 20 - ​A nurse walks in and checks her vitals. She tells Grace that she can’t let her go without her General’s permission. Scene 21 - ​Night walks into the room. Orders Grace to be released. Acts in a strange manner. Scene 22 - ​Night walks Grace through the station, opening the doors with his thumb print. They go to an operating theater.  Scene 23 - ​Inside the operating theater are several creatures infected with the cyborg virus. The doctors and nurses are focused on Martha. The Aliens are there, consulting. Scene 24 - ​Inspection of Martha - description of how the virus is affecting her and their systems. Night declares the virus an act of war  Scene 25 - ​As Grace stands by Martha, her friend’s eyes open and the two seem to register one another for a moment. Then, Martha opens her mouth to reveal a deep, dark space behind it. It’s far too big and cavernous.  Scene 26 - ​Drax joins them, ending the moment. Grace tells him they have to fight the giant, planet-like ship. He’s uncertain, but she says she can’t do it without him.  Scene 27 - ​Grace says goodbye to Martha. One of the Aliens gives her a sample of the virus that he’s been working with but isn’t clear about what it’s for. She keeps it. Scene 28 - ​Night gets a read on the enemy ship and its current location. He explains that it’s headed for Earth. They get into a small pod and are shot several light years to the enemy ship. Scene 29 - ​They enter the ship and find it nearly empty. Only the occasional officer walks by. Drax and Grace hide and watch the creatures. Scene 30 - ​The evil cyborgs that attacked Martha appear to be serving the other creatures of this ship. Their creators control them with voice commands. One almost sees Drax and Grace, but they just barely avoid its sensors. Scene 31 - ​Together, Drax and Grace make their way through the ship. To their shock, a person who looks just like Night is commanding the ship. Grace is so shocked that she steps forward to confront him, only to see him open his mouth far too wide, (like Martha) and hear a horrible sound come from him. He’s not Night - he’s a clone of Grace’s friend. Scene 32 - ​Clones that look very similar to Grace and Drax take the intruders to the onboard prison and lock them up there. They wonder what they’re being held for, but not for long. Several of the cyborgs appear in their cell and the two have to fight them off.  Scene 33 - ​The fight infects Drax and he starts to weaken immediately. Grace grabs the vial of the virus and grabs a syringe from a defeated cyborg to give him a shot. To her shock, the virus retreats.  Scene 34 - ​Grace’s clone comes back and Grace tells Drax to play dead. He goes cold and Grace cries. Her clone comes close to the bars and Grace knocks her out, takes her keys and special eyepiece to pretend to be her own clone.   Scene 35 - ​Grace strolls through the ship as if she knows everything. She spots Drax’s clone headed back to the prison and lets him know that it’s his turn. In a few minutes, a fake Drax clone joins her.  Scene 36 -  ​Grace explains that only a small amount of the anti-virus remains, but if they can get it to where the ship is the most vulnerable, they can stop this monster.  Scene 37 - ​A clone of Fox stops them and asks for their help with an engineering problem. The two nod silently and follow him to what appears to be an engine room. Drax slips the anti-virus out of Grace’s pocket without her noticing. Scene 38 - ​The Fox clone explains that their approach to Earth will have to appear peaceful. They want to project an image of the ship that is much smaller and friendlier-looking so that they don’t attacked. Drax offers to take over and as soon as clone Fox’s guard is down, Grace beats him up. Scene 39 - ​Drax gets the anti-virus into the core of the engine and all kinds of alarms go off. Grace tries to communicate with Night but it’s no use. Together, she and Drax start running to find an escape pod they can use to get down to Earth.  Scene 40 - ​A strange character, a man who seems to be an odd amalgamation of bone and steel stops them, tells them he knows who they are. All around them, the ship is crumbling. Grace tries to punch their challenger but only breaks her hand.  Scene 41 - ​The new guy points to a free pod and tells them to plan on meeting again. Confused but relieved, they run off and jump in as their new challenger watches them go. Just as they fly off, a huge part of the ship falls on him. Scene 42 - ​Behind the two crew members, the giant ship implodes into itself, then supernovas out into a huge wave of energy. The blast throws their ship off its course and into a river. Inside, the two are blacked out, but the cold water that seeps into their pod wakes them up.  Scene 43 - ​Grace is addressing the head of the RNE. They’re not thrilled with the information she has for them. They didn’t want the ship destroyed and yet they can’t argue that it was dangerous. She is recognized for her effort but denied her commission for endangering the planet. She bumps into a member on the way out and robs his fiscal chip without him noticing. Scene 44 - ​Grace calls Night to check on Martha. Night tells her that her case is uncertain. Her new alien friends are working on her but her strain of the virus was too far along to stop the way she did with Drax’s strain. She promises to come and visit the next day. Scene 45 - ​Drax joins Grace at her apartment. It’s small, dingy and joyless. There, she has some pictures from her old life, when she was young and had a family. He asks if she plans to stay there and she shakes her head no. She knows that war is on it’s way and she wants to help beat back the enemy. She invites him back to the space station to visit Martha and he accepts. Just before they leave, an audio message registers on her communication system. She plays it and it’s the odd guy from the big ship, promising her he’ll find her.

[groovystrawberryrebel]

The Set Stealer

Goo.gl/Nk6UaR       The Basics: What do I already know about this story? This is a space opera about the mercenary Captain Grace Woods. She’s been challenged to find the source of a strange message by an old friend that she trusts. She needs a new crew and her friend helps her collect a couple of new people. The trio go out into space to track down the signal. The trouble starts as soon as they find the source. A spaceship that resembles a seashell seems to be the home of the signal. However, aboard this ship is an infected lifeform - the illness it carries has made it an aggressive, raging cyborg.  While they are dealing with this massive ship, Grace and her crew encounter a whole new kind of ship - one the size of a planet. It infects the entire seashell ship and makes it into a new weapon which it adds to it’s shell. This ship is an enemy the likes of which Grace has never seen. She realizes that this ship is sending out emergency pulses to bring other ships to it so that it can infect them. Grace’s new mission is to stop this ship.  While she’s trying to find a cure for her infected crew member, Grace sees her friend Night on while in a highly guarded star system. He is living and working on a space station there where they help out the crew of Grace’s ship. She starts to wonder if she can really trust him as he seems to have shown up at exactly the right moment to direct her secondary mission. She asks him to come along with her to infiltrate the enemy and he agrees, but he seems hesitant. Grace, Night and crew member Drax warp jump to the Andromeda Galaxy and find the enemy just beyond Earth’s orbit. It seems to be zeroing in on the planet. The crew leaves Night to guard the ship while they get on board the giant vessel. Once on, they’re caught and Drax is infected, but Grace is able to help him. The two realize that the ship is somehow manned by a ton of clones and seems to be captained by a strange creature made of steel and bone.  The two are able to scramble the ship’s systems with an antivirus that messes up the virus that it uses to create weapons. However, the captain seems unfazed by his crumbling ship. The Ending: Despite her misgivings, Grace has to turn to the RNE for help as the giant ship is threatening the Nations of Earth. They comply with the agreement that Grace go into retirement and once she agrees, they send out a battalion of empty, decoy ships armed with bombs. These keep the ship’s crew busy as Grace and Drax bring down the ship. Night has to be unveiled as a traitor somehow. The Captain of the giant ship seems unstoppable but they hope they’ve killed him. Night may have been selling genes on the black market that this strange Capt. used to create his crew. The book can end on a cliffhanger as there are plans for a series. The Beginning: Introduce readers to the characters and world. This story requires a ton of world-building and therefore a gradual introduction. First we meet Grace, then Night, Martha, Drax and finally Fox. Fox tries to beat up Grace as a show of his prowess but she beats him up. Only Marth and Drax join her on the mission. The three become friends during their first journey together. My Characters: Main Character: ​Grace Woods, disgraced RNE military pilot, mercenary Main Character: ​Drax, shark-like race, quick to anger but intelligent engineer Main Character: ​Martha, human-like, great co-pilot and very responsible Power Player: ​Night, an old friend but current criminal, may or may not be working for the enemy Power Player:​ The new race of aliens, discovered by Grace, (yet to be named), researchers. Antagonist:​ The giant ship the size of a planet, carries the weaponized cyborg virus, seems to be on a mission to destroy the nations of earth.  My setting is: ​An imaginary outer space and Grace’s ship, The Mazu. This story changes locations a lot but the overall environment is a dangerous, intergalactic frontier.  Magical System: ​The magic in this world is the science and tech used by and developed for the characters. All of it has been in place for a long time. Only the giant ship is a new technology.  Technology: ​Endless. Refer to the first draft for all the details.  Culture: ​The worlds are ruled by the RNE, but Grace lives on the fringes as do the other characters. They don’t like the long reach of this organization and they RNE doesn’t like them. Humans are prevalent but so are many other species, some friendly and some not. Grace’s human state would normally protect her, but her reputation as an outlaw gets in the way. Who has the power? Night and RNE Why? Night has the information and the money that Grace wants at the beginning. The RNE have control over most discovered territories in space. Those they don’t control are neutral with the organization and many are ruled by human envoys there on behalf of the giant organization. Go back and look at these choices. Any holes? Am I stuck somewhere? Scene List:  (Reminder - Minimum three scenes per chapter. This book may need up to five) Scene 1- ​Captain Grace walks through Holax market to Night’s bar. He invites her to take on secret, RNE mission for a huge commission. Offers to find her a crew. Scene 2- ​Flashback to Night saving Grace’s life. Scene 3 - ​Grace accepts offer, meets Martha at the bar.  Scene 4 - ​Grace goes to the chicken fight, meets Drax.  Scene 5 - ​Fox comes up behind Grace, insists she hire him. He’s heard that she’s looking for a crew. She tells him he can fight her for a place on her crew. He accepts and she beats him up. Scene 6 - ​The new crew takes off for the Sylvan Nebula, (formerly named Sirius), and are attacked by Ventrusian Raiders. During the battle, the SOS signal breaks through the chaos. They fight the Ventrusians off and continue, though the ship is badly damaged. Scene 7 - ​Just as they enter the nebula, the ship’s engines die. Drax stays to fix them while Martha and Grace go into the strange, seashell ship.  Scene 8 - ​In the ship, they are confronted with an odd, armored creature. It attacks Martha but doesn’t kill her. Grace kills it.  Scene 9 - ​Martha is very sick and can’t walk. Grace drags her to what looks like a control room. Jumps into darkness Scene 10 - ​Ventrusians come back and bother Drax. They take the ship and board, holding him hostage. Scene 11 - ​Grace confronts the aliens on the strange ship, learns they are researchers and very scared of their situation. She offers to take them away on her own ship.   Scene 12 - ​Drax fights off the Ventrusians, chomping his way through them with his shark teeth.  Scene 13 - ​Grace and Martha come back with two of the new alien species. Grace gets Martha into the sick bay, computer does not recognize her disease. Grace decides to quarantine her and locks the door to the sick room. Scene 14 - ​Grace finds the bloody mess left over from Drax’s fight. She commands him to clean it, but both are distracted by new ship that is as big as a planet. They see the sea shell ship disappear and warp out of there as fast as they can. Scene 15 - ​Grace and Drax talk about the illness, the apparent evolution of body fused with machine Scene 16- ​The warp takes them to the 37th/Sagittarius without clearance. Stand off with the RNE Scene 17 - ​Drax and Grace check on Martha. She is in a full coma and full of wires/metal  Scene 18 - ​Two envoys arrive on the ship, appearing peaceful. They see Martha and stun everyone. One of them says something to Night vía communicator. Scene 19 - ​Grace comes to and remembers the events of the past few days. Realizes she’s tied to a gurney. Scene 20 - ​A nurse walks in and checks her vitals. She tells Grace that she can’t let her go without her General’s permission. Scene 21 - ​Night walks into the room. Orders Grace to be released. Acts in a strange manner. Scene 22 - ​Night walks Grace through the station, opening the doors with his thumb print. They go to an operating theater.  Scene 23 - ​Inside the operating theater are several creatures infected with the cyborg virus. The doctors and nurses are focused on Martha. The Aliens are there, consulting. Scene 24 - ​Inspection of Martha - description of how the virus is affecting her and their systems. Night declares the virus an act of war  Scene 25 - ​As Grace stands by Martha, her friend’s eyes open and the two seem to register one another for a moment. Then, Martha opens her mouth to reveal a deep, dark space behind it. It’s far too big and cavernous.  Scene 26 - ​Drax joins them, ending the moment. Grace tells him they have to fight the giant, planet-like ship. He’s uncertain, but she says she can’t do it without him.  Scene 27 - ​Grace says goodbye to Martha. One of the Aliens gives her a sample of the virus that he’s been working with but isn’t clear about what it’s for. She keeps it. Scene 28 - ​Night gets a read on the enemy ship and its current location. He explains that it’s headed for Earth. They get into a small pod and are shot several light years to the enemy ship. Scene 29 - ​They enter the ship and find it nearly empty. Only the occasional officer walks by. Drax and Grace hide and watch the creatures. Scene 30 - ​The evil cyborgs that attacked Martha appear to be serving the other creatures of this ship. Their creators control them with voice commands. One almost sees Drax and Grace, but they just barely avoid its sensors. Scene 31 - ​Together, Drax and Grace make their way through the ship. To their shock, a person who looks just like Night is commanding the ship. Grace is so shocked that she steps forward to confront him, only to see him open his mouth far too wide, (like Martha) and hear a horrible sound come from him. He’s not Night - he’s a clone of Grace’s friend. Scene 32 - ​Clones that look very similar to Grace and Drax take the intruders to the onboard prison and lock them up there. They wonder what they’re being held for, but not for long. Several of the cyborgs appear in their cell and the two have to fight them off.  Scene 33 - ​The fight infects Drax and he starts to weaken immediately. Grace grabs the vial of the virus and grabs a syringe from a defeated cyborg to give him a shot. To her shock, the virus retreats.  Scene 34 - ​Grace’s clone comes back and Grace tells Drax to play dead. He goes cold and Grace cries. Her clone comes close to the bars and Grace knocks her out, takes her keys and special eyepiece to pretend to be her own clone.   Scene 35 - ​Grace strolls through the ship as if she knows everything. She spots Drax’s clone headed back to the prison and lets him know that it’s his turn. In a few minutes, a fake Drax clone joins her.  Scene 36 -  ​Grace explains that only a small amount of the anti-virus remains, but if they can get it to where the ship is the most vulnerable, they can stop this monster.  Scene 37 - ​A clone of Fox stops them and asks for their help with an engineering problem. The two nod silently and follow him to what appears to be an engine room. Drax slips the anti-virus out of Grace’s pocket without her noticing. Scene 38 - ​The Fox clone explains that their approach to Earth will have to appear peaceful. They want to project an image of the ship that is much smaller and friendlier-looking so that they don’t attacked. Drax offers to take over and as soon as clone Fox’s guard is down, Grace beats him up. Scene 39 - ​Drax gets the anti-virus into the core of the engine and all kinds of alarms go off. Grace tries to communicate with Night but it’s no use. Together, she and Drax start running to find an escape pod they can use to get down to Earth.  Scene 40 - ​A strange character, a man who seems to be an odd amalgamation of bone and steel stops them, tells them he knows who they are. All around them, the ship is crumbling. Grace tries to punch their challenger but only breaks her hand.  Scene 41 - ​The new guy points to a free pod and tells them to plan on meeting again. Confused but relieved, they run off and jump in as their new challenger watches them go. Just as they fly off, a huge part of the ship falls on him. Scene 42 - ​Behind the two crew members, the giant ship implodes into itself, then supernovas out into a huge wave of energy. The blast throws their ship off its course and into a river. Inside, the two are blacked out, but the cold water that seeps into their pod wakes them up.  Scene 43 - ​Grace is addressing the head of the RNE. They’re not thrilled with the information she has for them. They didn’t want the ship destroyed and yet they can’t argue that it was dangerous. She is recognized for her effort but denied her commission for endangering the planet. She bumps into a member on the way out and robs his fiscal chip without him noticing. Scene 44 - ​Grace calls Night to check on Martha. Night tells her that her case is uncertain. Her new alien friends are working on her but her strain of the virus was too far along to stop the way she did with Drax’s strain. She promises to come and visit the next day. Scene 45 - ​Drax joins Grace at her apartment. It’s small, dingy and joyless. There, she has some pictures from her old life, when she was young and had a family. He asks if she plans to stay there and she shakes her head no. She knows that war is on it’s way and she wants to help beat back the enemy. She invites him back to the space station to visit Martha and he accepts. Just before they leave, an audio message registers on her communication system. She plays it and it’s the odd guy from the big ship, promising her he’ll find her.

[lovnamj-blog]

Leading 10 cool points about stars

1. Every single star you see within the evening sky is larger and brighter than our sun. Of your 5,000 or so stars brighter than magnitude 6, only a handful of really faint stars are approximately the exact same size and brightness of our sun plus the rest are all larger and brighter. With the 500 or in order that are brighter than 4th magnitude (which includes essentially just about every star visible for the unaided eye from a urban location), all are intrinsically bigger and brighter than our sun, numerous by a big percentage. With the brightest 50 stars visible for the human eye from Earth, the least intrinsically bright is Alpha Centauri, which is nonetheless a lot more than 1.5 instances a lot more luminous than our sun, and can't be very easily seen from a lot of the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free of charge daily newsletter now! two. You can’t see millions of stars on a dark evening. In spite of what you may hear in Television commercials, poems and songs, you can't see a million stars … anywhere. There basically aren't enough close enough and vibrant sufficient. On a definitely exceptional night, with no Moon and far from any source of lights, an individual with really superior eyesight may well be capable of see 2000-2500 stars at any one particular time. (Counting even this small quantity nonetheless would be challenging.). So the subsequent time you hear somebody claim to have noticed a million stars within the sky, just appreciate it as artistic license or exuberant exaggeration - simply because it isn’t accurate!

3. Red hot and cool ice blue - NOT! We're accustomed to referring to points which might be red as hot and those that happen to be blue as cool. This is not totally unreasonable, considering the fact that a red, glowing fireplace poker is hot and ice, specifically in glaciers and polar regions, can have a bluish cast. But we say that only simply because our everyday experience is restricted. In truth, heated objects transform color as their temperature adjustments, and red represents the lowest temperature at which a heated object can glow in visible light. As it gets hotter, the color alterations to white and eventually to blue. So the red stars you see within the sky are the “coolest” (least hot), and also the blue stars will be the hottest! four. Stars are black bodies. A black body is definitely an object that absorbs one hundred % of all electromagnetic radiation (which is, light, radio waves and so on) that falls on it. A frequent image right here is the fact that of a brick oven using the interior painted black plus the only opening a little window. All light that shines via the window is absorbed by the interior in the oven and none is reflected outside the oven. It truly is a perfect absorber. Because it turns out, this definition of becoming ideal absorbers suits stars extremely effectively! On the other hand, this just says that a blackbody absorbs all of the radiant power that hits it, but will not forbid it from re-emitting the power. In the case of a star, it absorbs all radiation that falls on it, nevertheless it also radiates back into space considerably more than it absorbs. Thus a star can be a black body that glows with good brilliance! (An even more ideal black body is actually a black hole, but not surprisingly, it seems definitely black, and radiates no light.) five. There are no green stars. Although there are actually scattered claims for stars that seem green, like Beta Librae (Zuben Eschamali), most observers don't see green in any stars except as an optical impact from their telescopes, or else an idiosyncratic quirk of personal vision and contrast. Stars emit a spectrum (“rainbow”) of colors, which includes green, but the human eye-brain connection mixes the colors collectively inside a manner that hardly ever if ever comes out green. A single color can dominate the radiation, but within the array of wavelengths and intensities found in stars, greens get mixed with other colors, and the star appears white. For stars, the common colors are, from reduced to larger temperatures, red, orange, yellow, white and blue. So as far because the human eye can inform, there are no green stars. 6. Our sun can be a green star. That getting said, the sun is a “green” star, or extra specifically, a green-blue star, whose peak wavelength lies clearly in the transition region on the spectrum among blue and green. This is not just an idle fact, but is important due to the fact the temperature of a star is related towards the color of its most predominate wavelength of emission. (Whew!) Inside the sun’s case, the surface temperature is about five,800 K, or 500 nanometers, a green-blue. Nonetheless, as indicated above, when the human eye things within the other colors about it, the sun’s apparent color comes out a white or even a yellowish white.

7. Our sun is a dwarf star. We're accustomed to think about the sun as a “normal” star, and in lots of respects, it is actually. But did you know that it really is a “dwarf” star? You could have heard of a “white dwarf,” but that is not a standard star at all, however the corpse of a dead star. Technically, as far as “normal” stars go (that's, astronomical objects that generate their own energy via sustained and stable hydrogen fusion), you can find only “dwarfs,” “giants” and “supergiants.” The giants and supergiants represent the terminal (old age) stages of stars, but the vast majority of stars, these inside the extended, mature stage of evolution (Primary Sequence) are all named “dwarfs.” There's rather a little of variety in size here, however they are all much smaller sized than the giants and supergiants. So technically, the sun can be a dwarf star, in some cases known as “Yellow Dwarf” in contradiction towards the entry above! eight. Stars do not twinkle. Stars appear to twinkle (“scintillate”), especially once they are close to the horizon. 1 star, Sirius, twinkles, sparkles and flashes so much some instances that individuals truly report it as a UFO. But actually, the twinkling isn't a house from the stars, but of Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. As the light from a star passes by means of the atmosphere, specifically when the star seems close to the horizon, it must pass by means of lots of layers of typically rapidly differing density. This has the impact of deflecting the light slightly as it have been a ball within a pinball machine. The light ultimately gets to your eyes, but just about every deflection causes it to alter slightly in color and intensity. The outcome is “twinkling.” Above the Earth’s atmosphere, stars usually do not twinkle. 9. You can see 20 quadrillion miles, a minimum of. On a very good evening, you could see about 19,000,000,000,000,000 miles, effortlessly. That’s 19 quadrillion miles, the approximate distance to the bright star Deneb in Cygnus. which is prominent within the evening skies of Fall and Winter. Deneb is vibrant adequate to be noticed practically anyplace within the Northern hemisphere, and in reality from almost anywhere within the inhabited planet. There is a further star, Eta Carina, that is a bit more than twice as far away, or about 44 quadrillion miles. But Eta Carina is faint, and not nicely placed for observers in most of the Northern hemisphere. These are stars, but both the Andromeda Galaxy as well as the Triangulum Galaxy are also visible below certain circumstances, and are roughly 15 and 18 quintillion miles away! (One particular quintillion is 10^18!) 10. Black holes do not suck. Lots of writers often describe black holes as “sucking” in all the things about them. And it's a typical worry among the ill-informed that the so-far hypothetical “mini” black holes that may be made by the Huge Hadron Collider would suck in every thing around them in an ever rising vortex that would consume the Earth! “Say it ain’t so, Joe!” Well, I am not Shoeless Joe Jackson, nevertheless it ain’t so. In the case on the LHC, it is not correct to get a quantity of reasons, but black holes in general do not “suck.” This not just a semantic distinction, but certainly one of process and consequence at the same time. The word “suck” via suction, as in the way vacuum cleaners function, will not be how black holes attract matter. Within a vacuum cleaner, the fan produces a partial vacuum (genuinely, just a slightly lower stress) in the floor end on the vacuum, and regular air stress outdoors, being higher, pushes the air into it, carrying along loose dirt and dust. Inside the case of black holes, there is absolutely no suction involved. Instead, matter is pulled in to the black hole by an extremely sturdy gravitational attraction. In one way of visualizing it, it truly is a bit like falling into a hole, but not like being hoovered into it. Gravity can be a fundamental force of Nature, and all matter has it. When anything is pulled into a black hole, the approach is much more like getting pulled into like a fish getting reeled in by an angler, as opposed to becoming pushed along like a rafter inexorably becoming dragged over a waterfall. Get to understand far more about jamie frazermann

[molly-motivation-blog]

Major 10 cool issues about stars

1. Each and every star you see inside the evening sky is bigger and brighter than our sun. Of your 5,000 or so stars brighter than magnitude six, only a handful of incredibly faint stars are around the same size and brightness of our sun along with the rest are all larger and brighter. From the 500 or to ensure that are brighter than 4th magnitude (which includes essentially every star visible towards the unaided eye from a urban place), all are intrinsically larger and brighter than our sun, many by a sizable percentage. On the brightest 50 stars visible for the human eye from Earth, the least intrinsically bright is Alpha Centauri, which is nonetheless far more than 1.five instances much more luminous than our sun, and cannot be simply seen from many of the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our cost-free everyday newsletter currently! 2. You can’t see millions of stars on a dark evening. Despite what you could hear in Tv commercials, poems and songs, you can not see a million stars … anyplace. There simply are usually not sufficient close adequate and vibrant sufficient. On a actually exceptional night, with no Moon and far from any source of lights, an individual with extremely very good eyesight may be able to see 2000-2500 stars at any 1 time. (Counting even this little quantity still could be challenging.). So the subsequent time you hear an individual claim to have seen a million stars in the sky, just appreciate it as artistic license or exuberant exaggeration - for the reason that it isn’t correct!

three. Red hot and cool ice blue - NOT! We're accustomed to referring to issues that happen to be red as hot and these which are blue as cool. This isn't completely unreasonable, due to the fact a red, glowing fireplace poker is hot and ice, in particular in glaciers and polar regions, can possess a bluish cast. But we say that only simply because our daily encounter is limited. In reality, heated objects transform colour as their temperature changes, and red represents the lowest temperature at which a heated object can glow in visible light. Since it gets hotter, the colour modifications to white and eventually to blue. So the red stars you see inside the sky would be the “coolest” (least hot), plus the blue stars will be the hottest! four. Stars are black bodies. A black physique is definitely an object that absorbs one hundred % of all electromagnetic radiation (that's, light, radio waves and so on) that falls on it. A popular image right here is that of a brick oven with the interior painted black and also the only opening a modest window. All light that shines by way of the window is absorbed by the interior from the oven and none is reflected outside the oven. It is an ideal absorber. Since it turns out, this definition of becoming perfect absorbers suits stars quite properly! However, this just says that a blackbody absorbs all of the radiant power that hits it, but doesn't forbid it from re-emitting the energy. Within the case of a star, it absorbs all radiation that falls on it, but it also radiates back into space much more than it absorbs. Hence a star can be a black body that glows with fantastic brilliance! (An even more fantastic black physique is a black hole, but not surprisingly, it seems truly black, and radiates no light.) 5. You'll find no green stars. Although you'll find scattered claims for stars that seem green, including Beta Librae (Zuben Eschamali), most observers usually do not see green in any stars except as an optical impact from their telescopes, or else an idiosyncratic quirk of individual vision and contrast. Stars emit a spectrum (“rainbow”) of colors, like green, but the human eye-brain connection mixes the colors with each other in a manner that hardly ever if ever comes out green. One colour can dominate the radiation, but inside the array of wavelengths and intensities identified in stars, greens get mixed with other colors, and the star appears white. For stars, the general colors are, from lower to greater temperatures, red, orange, yellow, white and blue. So as far because the human eye can tell, there are no green stars. six. Our sun is often a green star. That getting mentioned, the sun is often a “green” star, or a lot more especially, a green-blue star, whose peak wavelength lies clearly in the transition area on the spectrum between blue and green. This isn't just an idle reality, but is important for the reason that the temperature of a star is connected to the colour of its most predominate wavelength of emission. (Whew!) In the sun’s case, the surface temperature is about five,800 K, or 500 nanometers, a green-blue. Even so, as indicated above, when the human eye components within the other colors about it, the sun’s apparent colour comes out a white and even a yellowish white.

7. Our sun is often a dwarf star. We're accustomed to think of the sun as a “normal” star, and in quite a few respects, it truly is. But did you understand that it really is a “dwarf” star? You could have heard of a “white dwarf,” but that is definitely not a normal star at all, however the corpse of a dead star. Technically, as far as “normal” stars go (that is definitely, astronomical objects that create their own power by means of sustained and steady hydrogen fusion), you will find only “dwarfs,” “giants” and “supergiants.” The giants and supergiants represent the terminal (old age) stages of stars, however the vast majority of stars, these in the extended, mature stage of evolution (Primary Sequence) are all called “dwarfs.” There's pretty a little of variety in size here, however they are all considerably smaller than the giants and supergiants. So technically, the sun is actually a dwarf star, from time to time named “Yellow Dwarf” in contradiction to the entry above! eight. Stars don’t twinkle. Stars seem to twinkle (“scintillate”), specifically once they are near the horizon. 1 star, Sirius, twinkles, sparkles and flashes so much some occasions that individuals essentially report it as a UFO. But actually, the twinkling isn't a home of the stars, but of Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. As the light from a star passes through the atmosphere, particularly when the star appears close to the horizon, it should pass via several layers of typically rapidly differing density. This has the impact of deflecting the light slightly since it had been a ball within a pinball machine. The light at some point gets for your eyes, but each and every deflection causes it to transform slightly in color and intensity. The result is “twinkling.” Above the Earth’s atmosphere, stars don't twinkle. 9. It is possible to see 20 quadrillion miles, a minimum of. On a superb night, you'll be able to see about 19,000,000,000,000,000 miles, very easily. That’s 19 quadrillion miles, the approximate distance towards the vibrant star Deneb in Cygnus. that is prominent inside the evening skies of Fall and Winter. Deneb is vibrant adequate to be seen practically anyplace within the Northern hemisphere, and the truth is from pretty much anyplace in the inhabited globe. There is a different star, Eta Carina, that's slightly far more than twice as far away, or about 44 quadrillion miles. But Eta Carina is faint, and not nicely placed for observers in a lot of the Northern hemisphere. Those are stars, but each the Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy are also visible beneath specific circumstances, and are roughly 15 and 18 quintillion miles away! (One quintillion is 10^18!) 10. Black holes do not suck. Quite a few writers regularly describe black holes as “sucking” in all the things about them. And it truly is a typical be concerned amongst the ill-informed that the so-far hypothetical “mini” black holes that may perhaps be created by the Large Hadron Collider would suck in all the things about them in an ever growing vortex that would consume the Earth! “Say it ain’t so, Joe!” Nicely, I am not Shoeless Joe Jackson, but it ain’t so. Within the case of your LHC, it is not correct to get a variety of motives, but black holes normally don't “suck.” This not only a semantic distinction, but one of approach and consequence as well. The word “suck” via suction, as within the way vacuum cleaners work, will not be how black holes attract matter. Within a vacuum cleaner, the fan produces a partial vacuum (seriously, just a slightly lower stress) at the floor end from the vacuum, and typical air stress outside, getting greater, pushes the air into it, carrying along loose dirt and dust. Within the case of black holes, there is absolutely no suction involved. Alternatively, matter is pulled into the black hole by an extremely sturdy gravitational attraction. In one particular way of visualizing it, it genuinely is often a bit like falling into a hole, but not like becoming hoovered into it. Gravity is really a basic force of Nature, and all matter has it. When anything is pulled into a black hole, the course of action is additional like getting pulled into like a fish becoming reeled in by an angler, in lieu of getting pushed along like a rafter inexorably becoming dragged more than a waterfall. Get to understand much more about jamie frazermann