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[chapelbat]

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[toopunkrockforshul]

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[the-bomb-shop]

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[wishlisted]

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[slitheringghost]

Unweaving Canon Lily Evans: Parallels to Voldemort

To illuminate what JKR was doing with this dynamic, alongside several other dynamics across the text, and how she wove in Lily as Voldemort's symbolic sister the same way Voldemort and Harry are "brothers", see my metas “And Cain Repented Not Of What He Had Done”: Harry Potter As Retelling of Cain and Abel, and Lily and Harry as Voldemort’s Mirror of Erised.

*Note: not necessarily accepting the narrative's (or Dumbledore's) exact judgments in all these quotes (i.e. reactions to very different childhoods, etc.; but working with the general concept of them as foils and choosing different paths, which is relevant wrt Lily’s experience of violence at and post Hogwarts during the war). Further fic recs, and notes on characterization are at the end. Much of this is to be elaborated in future metas, so excuse some of the loose threads here.

1. Muggleborn

Harry turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London. "He must’ve been Muggle-born," said Harry thoughtfully. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road..." “You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?” said Dippet curiously. “Yes, sir,” said Riddle, reddening slightly. “You are Muggle-born?” “Half-blood, sir,” said Riddle. “Muggle father, witch mother.” "No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don’t know myself. But I know why you couldn’t kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing me." (CoS) - “I am here, as I told you in my letter, to discuss Tom Riddle and arrangements for his future,” said Dumbledore. “Are you family?” asked Mrs. Cole. “No, I am a teacher,” said Dumbledore. “I have come to offer Tom a place at my school.” (HBP) “And will it really come by owl?” Lily whispered. “Normally,” said Snape. “But you’re Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents.” “Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?” (DH) - “There he showed his contempt for anything that tied him to other people, anything that made him ordinary. Even then, he wished to be different, separate, notorious. He shed his name, as you know, within a few short years of that conversation and created the mask of ‘Lord Voldemort’ behind which he has been hidden for so long." (HBP) “I can’t pretend anymore. You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine.” “No — listen, I didn’t mean —” “— to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?” He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole... (DH)

2. Magic

2.1 Controlling wandless magic before they knew about magic

“It’s... it’s magic, what I can do?” “What is it that you can do?” “All sorts,” breathed Riddle. A flush of excitement was rising up his neck into his hollow cheeks; he looked fevered. “I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to.” His legs were trembling. He stumbled forward and sat down on the bed again, staring at his hands, his head bowed as though in prayer. “I knew I was different,” he whispered to his own quivering fingers. “I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something.” “Well, you were quite right,” said Dumbledore, who was no longer smiling, but watching Riddle intently. “You are a wizard.” Riddle lifted his head. His face was transfigured: There was a wild happiness upon it [...] “His powers, as you heard, were surprisingly well-developed for such a young wizard and — most interestingly and ominously of all — he had already discovered that he had some measure of control over them, and begun to use them consciously. And as you saw, they were not the random experiments typical of young wizards: He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control.” (HBP) - “But I’m fine,” said Lily, still giggling. “Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do.” [...] Lily had picked up a fallen flower from the bush behind which Snape lurked. Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was near enough to have a clear view, then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster. “Stop it!” shrieked Petunia. “It’s not hurting you,” said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground. “It’s not right,” said Petunia, but her eyes had followed the flower’s flight to the ground and lingered upon it. “You’ve got loads of magic,” said Snape. “I saw that. All the time I was watching you..." (DH)

2.2 Unsupported flight

Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or thestral to hold him, his snakelike face gleaming out of the blackness — He was gliding around the high walls of the black fortress — No, he was Harry, tied up and wandless, in grave danger — — looking up, up to the topmost window, the highest tower — He was Harry, and they were discussing his fate in low voices — — Time to fly... [...] — and he rose into the night, flying straight up to the window at the very top of the tower — [...] — as he forced himself through the slit of a window like a snake and landed, lightly as vapor, inside the cell-like room — A metal heart was banging outside his chest, and now he was flying, flying with triumph in his heart, without need of broomstick or thestral (DH) - There was undisguised greed in his thin face as he watched the younger of the two girls swinging higher and higher than her sister. “Lily, don’t do it!” shrieked the elder of the two. But the girl had let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flown into the air, quite literally flown, launched herself skyward with a great shout of laughter, and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly. “Mummy told you not to!” Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a crunching, grinding sound, then leapt up, hands on hips. “Mummy said you weren’t allowed, Lily!” (DH)

(Given he calls himself "flight from death" at 15, I assume Tom could do something similar to Lily as a child, and his flight in DH the fully trained version; possibly Snape's is the same innate ability but showed up a few years later than Lily's that they trained together, or some learned variation with a spell/ritual.)

2.3 Potential Legilimency

Riddle had frozen, his face expressionless, but his eyes were flickering back and forth between each of Dumbledore’s, as though trying to catch one of them lying. (HBP) “Did you make that happen?” “No.” He looked both defiant and scared. “You did!” She was backing away from him. “You did! You hurt her!” “No — no I didn’t!” But the lie did not convince Lily: After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and Snape looked miserable and confused... (DH) “Prove it,” said Riddle at once, in the same commanding tone he had used when he had said, “Tell the truth.” Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “If, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts —” “Of course I am!” “Then you will address me as ‘Professor’ or ‘sir.’” (HBP) “Maybe once I’m there — no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I’m there, I’ll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!” (DH)

(the word “persuade” often used to refer to force via Legilimency) Mirrors the language around Dumbledore - who I assume is Legilimizing Snape in this scene, as he'd hardly trust a DE’s word without it, and makes a very specific accusation to manipulate Snape without Snape bringing it up (possibly Snape's opening up his mind on purpose). Similarly, Lily - said to be looking up at the canopy - brings up Snape's home life, then changes the subject when he starts to get agitated to something that makes him happy (talking about magic) that they've already talked about (despite this as only the 2nd/3rd time she's speaking to him), so she could be feeling bits of Snape's emotions throughout that scene, hence reacting so strongly when he drops the branch.

“How are things at your house?” Lily asked. A little crease appeared between his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “They’re not arguing anymore?” “Oh yes, they’re arguing,” said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. “But it won’t be that long and I’ll be gone.” “Doesn’t your dad like magic?” “He doesn’t like anything, much,” said Snape. “Severus?” A little smile twisted Snape’s mouth when she said his name. “Yeah?” “Tell me about the dementors again.” (DH) “Well, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?” “No — no message — I’m here on my own account!” Snape was wringing his hands: He looked a little mad, with his straggling black hair flying around him. “I — I come with a warning — no, a request — please —” [...] “If she means so much to you,” said Dumbledore, “surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?” “I have — I have asked him —” “You disgust me,” said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little. “You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?” Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore. (DH)

2.4 Disillusionment/Invisibility

It would not do for Snape, or indeed anyone else, to see where he was going. But there were no lights in the castle windows, and he could conceal himself… and in a second he had cast upon himself a Disillusionment Charm that hid him even from his own eyes. And he walked on, around the edge of the lake, taking in the outlines of the beloved castle, his first kingdom, his birthright… And here it was, beside the lake, reflected in the dark waters.

(Lily implied as having the same ability to be explained in another post)

2.5 Conquering death

“No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that [...] That’s probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn’t  want another Dark Lord competing with him." (CoS) “I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it.  My curse was deflected by the woman’s foolish sacrifice, and it  rebounded upon myself. Aaah... pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing  could have prepared me for it.” (GoF) “I, who have gone further than  anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal — to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked... for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it.” (GoF) “Certainly,” said Voldemort, and his eyes seemed to burn red. “I have  experimented; I have pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps, than they have ever been pushed —” (HBP)

Lily creates blood wards to protect her sister // the only other time we (explicitly) see a blood ward is outside Voldemort's Cave protections, protecting his mother's locket

4 examples of sacrificial magic, 3 Voldemort's, 1 Lily's - in CoS Tom is killing Ginny to gain a body; in GoF the "flesh blood and bone" rebody potion; and obviously horcruxes; Lily's sacrificial magic). Lily does sacrificial blood magic using a parent's sacrifice; LV does sacrificial blood magic using a parent's sacrifice (father's bone, blood of the enemy, etc). Twice when Lily's sacrificial magic comes up between Harry and LV, Voldemort's in the process of doing his own sacrificial ritual and also in the midst of a "rebirth" (in CoS and GoF)

"This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it" // LV's own to counter her magic - "I knew that to achieve this - it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight - I would need three powerful ingredients."

The only time "magical traces" are (explicitly) mentioned are LV seeing the traces of Lily's protective magic on Harry // and Dumbledore seeing the traces of LV's magic in the Gaunt house and the locket Cave (symbolic Gaunt shack), both horcruxes related to his family and to Merope

"His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice..." (GoF) "I stumbled across the ring hidden in the ruin of the Gaunts’ house [...] He hid it, protected by many powerful enchantments, in the shack where his ancestors had once lived (Morfin having been carted off to Azkaban, of course), never guessing that I might one day take the trouble to visit the ruin, or that I might be keeping an eye open for traces of magical concealment." (HBP) "How did you know that was there?" Harry asked in astonishment. "Magic always leaves traces," said Dumbledore, as the boat hit the bank with a gentle bump, "sometimes very distinctive traces. I taught Tom Riddle. I know his style." (HBP)

LV invents a concentrated dementor potion to symbolize Merope's murder in the Gaunt home and Dumbledore takes 13 sips in that cave (12 of the Drink of Despair, 1 of Inferi water) // when LV gets close to the house where he murdered Lily, it has the effect of a concentrated dementor on him and Lily vanquishes him for ~13 years (13 1/2 inches is also LV's wand length) - Lily described like a dementor in the memory of the Potters' deaths (to be elaborated in future metas)

"So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted.... I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul into her..." (CoS) “If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soulless and evil.” (PoA)

LV (more or less) kills Dumbledore who he can't beat in a duel with a curse that strengths with time // Lily kills LV who she can't beat in a duel without a wand and with obscure magic

Priori Incantatem (elaborated here) // Merope's locket // Resurrection Stone :

And she came… first her head, then her body… a young woman with long hair, the smoky, shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort’s wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like her husband. (GoF) Out of the locket’s two windows, out of the eyes, there bloomed, like two grotesque bubbles, the heads of Harry and Hermione, weirdly distorted. Ron yelled in shock and backed away as the figures blossomed out of the locket, first chests, then waists, then legs, until they stood in the locket, side by side like trees with a common root (DH)

Likewise, the shades out of the Resurrection are implied to be Lily's soul, creating those versions of James, Sirius, and Remus, the way the locket creates Riddle-Harry and Riddle-Hermione.

Lily's protective magic burns LV in front of the Mirror of Erised // Merope's locket horcrux with Riddle's eyes through mirrors burns Harry, the Dark Mark's burn (elaborated below)

2.6 Dark Arts, DADA, Potions, inventing spells and potions (extrapolated for Lily via Snape)

3. Childhood memories

Both show immense joy and wonder at magic, Snape and Dumbledore play similar roles: acknowledge them as unusually magically powerful, explain the laws of the wizarding world to two Muggleborns pushing boundaries before either even knew any existed (Snape, who ignores many of those laws himself, coming from a different angle than Dumbledore). Also note that we are meant to question Lily being too pure to end up in Azkaban - because she's implied to have ended up there, in a way, in a state similar to LV's imprisonment in Albania (to be elaborated).

“At Hogwarts,” Dumbledore went on, “we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have — inadvertently, I am sure — been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to allow your magic to run away with you. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students, and the Ministry of Magic — yes, there is a Ministry — will punish lawbreakers still more severely. All new wizards must accept that, in entering our world, they abide by our laws.” (HBP) “...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get letters.” “But I have done magic outside school!” “We’re all right. We haven’t got wands yet. They let you off when you’re a kid and you can’t help it. But once you’re eleven,” he nodded importantly, “and they start training you, then you’ve got to go careful.” [...] “Tell me about the dementors again.” “What d’you want to know about them for?” “If I use magic outside school —” “They wouldn’t give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You’re not going to end up in Azkaban, you’re too —” (DH)

- Riddle stared from the wardrobe to Dumbledore; then, his expression greedy, he pointed at the wand. “Where can I get one of them?” (HBP) Lily had picked up a fallen twig and twirled it in the air, and Harry knew that she was imagining sparks trailing from it. (DH) - "I’m not mad!" "I know that you are not mad. Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic." There was silence. Riddle had frozen, his face expressionless, but his eyes were flickering back and forth between each of Dumbledore’s, as though trying to catch one of them lying. "Magic?" he repeated in a whisper. "That’s right," said Dumbledore. (HBP) Then she dropped the twig, leaned in toward the boy, and said, "It is real, isn’t it? It’s not a joke? Petunia says you’re lying to me. Petunia says there isn’t a Hogwarts. It is real, isn’t it?" "It’s real for us," said Snape. "Not for her. But we’ll get the letter, you and me." "Really?" whispered Lily. "Definitely," said Snape, and even with his poorly cut hair and his odd clothes, he struck an oddly impressive figure sprawled in front of her, brimful of confidence in his destiny. "And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered. (DH)

3.1 Alienation from the Muggle world/family

(to highly different degrees, but outsiders shows up as connection even in dynamics where the specifics are very different - Tom using Ginny's alienation from her brothers, Dumbledore and Doge, etc)

“I don’t — want — to — go!” said Petunia, and she dragged her hand back out of her sister’s grasp. “You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a — a —” [...] “— you think I want to be a — a freak?” Lily’s eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away. “I’m not a freak,” said Lily. “That’s a horrible thing to say.” “That’s where you’re going,” said Petunia with relish. “A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy... weirdos, that’s what you two are. It’s good you’re being separated from normal people. It’s for our safety.” (DH) “He was a funny baby too. He hardly ever cried, you know. And then, when he got a little older, he was... odd.” […] “He’s definitely got a place at your school, you say?” “Definitely,” said Dumbledore. “And nothing I say can change that?” “Nothing,” said Dumbledore. “You’ll be taking him away, whatever?” [...] “I don’t think many people will be sorry to see the back of him.” (HBP)

4. Brilliant students

Prefects, Head Boy/Girl, Slughorn's favorites, charming, charismatic, good-looking, well-liked but with few close friends

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most  brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen [...] Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts [...] Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here." (CoS) "You shouldn’t have favorites as a teacher, of course, but she was one of mine. Your mother," Slughorn added, in answer to Harry’s questioning look. "Lily Evans. One of the brightest I ever taught. Vivacious, you know. Charming girl." (HBP) Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn’t suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry’s neck. "If I say it myself, Harry, I’ve always been able to charm the people I needed." (CoS) - "Your mother was Muggle-born, of course. Couldn’t believe it when I found out. Thought she must have been pure-blood, she was so good." (HBP) “I don’t know that politics would suit me, sir [...] I don’t have the right kind of background, for one thing.” A couple of the boys around him smirked at each other. Harry was sure they were enjoying a private joke, undoubtedly about what they knew, or suspected, regarding their gang leader’s famous ancestor. “Nonsense,” said Slughorn briskly, “couldn’t be plainer you come from decent Wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you’ll go far, Tom, I’ve never been wrong about a student yet.” (HBP)

- "I forgot," lied Harry, Felix Felicis leading him on. "You liked her, didn’t you?" "Liked her?" said Slughorn, his eyes brimming with tears once more. "I don’t imagine anyone who met her wouldn’t have liked her... Very brave... Very funny... It was the most horrible thing..." (HBP) "As an unusually talented and very good-looking orphan, he naturally drew attention and sympathy from the staff almost from the moment of his arrival. He seemed polite, quiet, and thirsty for knowledge. Nearly all were most favorably impressed by him." (HBP)

Lily as Ideal of a Gryffindor with a Slytherin streak (like Harry) vs. Tom as Ideal of a Slytherin

Then Professor McGonagall said, "Evans, Lily!" He watched his mother walk forward on trembling legs and sit down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair, the hat cried, “Gryffindor!” (DH) “Well, the start of the school year arrived and with it came Tom Riddle, a quiet boy in his secondhand robes, who lined up with the other first years to be sorted. He was placed in Slytherin House almost the moment that the Sorting Hat touched his head." (HBP) "I used to tell her she ought to have been in my House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back too." [...] "I was Head of Slytherin," said Slughorn. "Oh, now," he went on quickly [...] "don’t go holding that against me! You’ll be Gryffindor like her, I suppose? Yes, it usually goes in families." “You’d better be in Slytherin,” said Snape, encouraged that she had brightened a little.

5. They Even Look Something Alike

Just as this is pointed out for Voldemort and Harry, and Voldemort and Snape, in DH it's Voldemort and Lily that look alike and are revealed as reflections - and Lily as Voldemort's symbolic sister the same way Voldemort and Harry are "brothers".

5.3 The Same Eyes

And all of a sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother’s sister. He could not have said why this hit him so very powerfully at this moment. All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. Aunt Petunia had never in her life looked at him like that before. Her large, pale eyes (so unlike her sister’s) were not narrowed in dislike or anger: They were wide and fearful.

The barman grunted. Harry approached him, looking up into the face, trying to see past the long, stringy, wire-gray hair and beard. He wore spectacles. Behind the dirty lenses, the eyes were a piercing, brilliant blue. “It’s your eye I’ve been seeing in the mirror.” Dumbledore’s long silver hair and beard, the piercingly blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles, the crooked nose: Everything was as he had remembered it. And yet... Dumbledore was wearing his familiar, kindly smile, but as he peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles, he gave the impression, even in newsprint, of X-raying Harry He met Aberforth’s gaze, which was so strikingly like his brother’s: The bright blue eyes gave the same impression that they were X-raying the object of their scrutiny, and Harry thought that Aberforth knew what he was thinking [...]

The burn of Lily and LV's eyes through the mirrors is repeated in the description of their eyes, and additionally both Snape and Lily's gaze described like LV's:

Voldemort’s expression did not change. The red eyes seemed to burn in the firelight. Slowly he drew the Elder Wand between his long fingers. But the lie did not convince Lily: After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket (The Prince's Tale, DH) His red eyes fastened upon Snape’s black ones with such intensity that some of the watchers looked away, apparently fearful that they themselves would be scorched by the ferocity of the gaze. (Dark Lord Ascending, DH) “I’m just trying to show you they’re not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are.” The intensity of his gaze made her blush. (The Prince's Tale, DH)

Likewise in OoTP, Voldemort (when Harry is in his head) and Snape described as having slits for eyes (Other Death Eaters - Lucius and Bellatrix - described similarly via their hoods - "her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood" etc); then in DH, it's only Voldemort, Nagini (symbolic Merope), Harry, and Lily described with slits for eyes - Harry in the Malfoy Manor mirror, face blurred like LV’s in HBP, unrecognizable as himself and Draco unable to look at him (it's significant that Hermione's the one to make him look like LV - see this post); the same mirror LV’s in front of with slits for eyes tormenting his DEs, and Draco and Snape (parallel to Lily and LV and the Mirror of Erised in PS); Lily while looking at Snape in his memories:

Was this why Dumbledore would no longer meet Harry’s eyes? Did he expect to see Voldemort staring out of them, afraid, perhaps, that their vivid green might turn suddenly to scarlet, with catlike slits for pupils? (OoTP) “He was possessing the snake at the time and so you dreamed you were inside it too...” “And Vol — he — realized I was there?” “It seems so,” said Snape coolly. “How do you know?” said Harry urgently. “Is this just Professor Dumbledore guessing, or — ?” “I told you,” said Snape, rigid in his chair, his eyes slits, “to call me ‘sir.’” (OoTP) A cracked, age-spotted mirror hung on the wall in the shadows. Harry moved toward it. His reflection grew larger and clearer in the darkness... A face whiter than a skull... red eyes with slits for pupils (OoTP) Harry let out a hastily stifled gasp. Voldemort had entered the room. His features were not those Harry had seen emerge from the great stone cauldron almost two years ago: They were not as snakelike, the eyes were not yet scarlet, the face not yet masklike, and yet he was no longer handsome Tom Riddle. It was as though his features had been burned and blurred; they were waxy and oddly distorted, andthe whites of the eyes now had a permanently bloody look, though the pupils were not yet the slits that Harry knew they would become. He was wearing a long black cloak, and his face was as pale as the snow glistening on his shoulders. (HBP) [...] his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow. The huge snake [...] rose, seemingly endlessly, and came to rest across Voldemort’s shoulders […] its eyes, with their vertical slits for pupils, unblinking. (Dark Lord Ascending, DH) Harry clutched at his excruciatingly painful face, which felt unrecognizable beneath his fingers, tight, swollen, and puffy as though he had suffered some violent allergic reaction. His eyes had been reduced to slits through which he could barely see; his glasses fell off as he was bundled out of the tent Harry was facing a mirror over the fireplace, a great gilded thing in an intricately scrolled frame.Through the slits of his eyes he saw his own reflection for the first time since leaving Grimmauld Place. His face was huge, shiny, and pink, every feature distorted by Hermione’s jinx. His black hair reached his shoulders and there was a dark shadow around his jaw. Had he not known that it was he who stood there, he would have wondered who was wearing his glasses [...] yet he still avoided eye contact with Draco as the latter approached. “Well, Draco?” said Lucius Malfoy [...] “Is it? Is it Harry Potter?” (Malfoy Manor, DH) Lily’s bright green eyes were slits. Snape backtracked at once. (The Prince's Tale, DH)

In HBP, only Morfin, Tom Riddle, and Harry are described as remorseless; in DH only Harry, Voldemort, and Lily are described as pitiless:

“So you smashed my prophecy?” said Voldemort softly, staring at Harry with those pitiless red eyes (OoTP) Harry could see it happening. He watched Voldemort’s white, snakelike face vanishing into darkness, those red eyes fixed pitilessly on the thrashing elf (DH) “Slipped out?” There was no pity in Lily’s voice. “It’s too late." (DH) --- “This discussion is getting us nowhere,” said Ogden firmly. “It is clear from your son’s attitude that he feels no remorse for his actions.” (HBP) “Didn’t you tell them, sir, what he’d been like when you met him at the orphanage?” asked Harry. “No, I did not. Though he had shown no hint of remorse, it was possible that he felt sorry for how he had behaved before [...]" (HBP) “He told her to get out of the way,” said Harry remorselessly. “He told me she needn’t have died. He only wanted me. She could have run.” (HBP) “— Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it all as well,” Harry pressed on remorselessly. “Once I’m seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me.” (DH)

5.1 Halloween, 1981

In the scene where he goes to murder the Potters - LV and Lily both enter through a door ("identical movements"; the Veil described as an "ancient doorway" - because sin is crouching at their door), both sneaking up on the enemy they're about to kill, and while Harry and James are described as "black-haired", LV and Lily have their faces covered ("matching hairstyles"; and because I show not your face but your heart's desire), and identical laughs - because the laugh that for six books were told was LV laughing as he killed Lily wasn’t him laughing, it was Lily laughing. (Explanation/closer analysis of this scene to come.)

“Nice costume, mister!” He saw the small boy’s smile falter as he ran near enough to see beneath the hood of the cloak, saw the fear cloud his painted face: Then the child turned and ran away And he made less noise than the dead leaves slithering along the pavement as he drew level with the dark hedge, and stared over it A door opened and the mother entered, saying words he could not hear, her long dark-red hair falling over her face. Now the father scooped up the son and handed him to the mother. The gate creaked a little as he pushed it open, but James Potter did not hear. His white hand pulled out the wand beneath his cloak and pointed it at the door, which burst open. He was over the threshold as James came sprinting into the hall.

5.2 The Mirrors

“How did you get this?” Harry asked, walking across to Sirius’s mirror, the twin of the one he had broken nearly two years before. - Behind both of the glass windows within blinked a living eye, dark and handsome as Tom Riddle’s eyes had been before he turned them scarlet and slit-pupiled. (DH) A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he’d touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air — she and the others existed only in the mirror. She was a very pretty woman.She had dark red hair and her eyes — her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green — exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. (PS) - Then a voice hissed from out of the Horcrux. “I have seen your heart, and it is mine.” [...] “I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible...” [...] “Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter... Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend... Second best, always, eternally overshadowed...” (DH) “It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible." (PS) - “Ron!” he shouted, but the Riddle-Harry was now speaking with Voldemort’s voice and Ron was gazing, mesmerized, into its face. [...] “Presumption!” echoed the Riddle-Hermione, who was more beautiful and yet more terrible than the real Hermione: She swayed, cackling, before Ron, who looked horrified yet transfixed. (DH) He tore his eyes away from his mother’s face, whispered, “I’ll come back,” and hurried from the room. (PS)

Lily's bright green eyes look at Harry from the Mirror of Erised; LV meets Harry in front of that mirror (there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake // The evil face was now smiling); LV describes Harry's parents' deaths and especially Lily's death/sacrifice; then Lily's protective magic burns LV in front of the Mirror of Erised when he tries to touch Harry.

Riddle's dark eyes that gleam red look through the mirrors in Merope's locket, the dark twin of the Mirror of Erised (the connection also implied in it being Tom’s mother's locket and the only horcrux to have a mirror; and Ron coming with Harry to the Mirror of Erised and destroying the locket); Merope's locket horcrux burns Harry - right after he and LV see the full memory of Lily vanquishing him, after trying to kill him.

I show not your face but your heart's desire // The locket showing distorted faces of Ron's "family" - not their real faces but his heart's fears

Voldemort screamed “SEIZE HIM!” and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell’s hand close on his wrist [...] and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him [...] he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes [...] “Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!” And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny. “Then kill him, fool, and be done!” screeched Voldemort. Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell’s face — [...] Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn’t touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain [...] - “I couldn’t get the Horcrux off you [...] It was stuck, stuck to your chest. You’ve got a mark; I’m sorry, I had to use a Severing Charm to get it away. The snake bit you too [...]" He pulled the sweaty T-shirt he was wearing away from himself and looked down. There was a scarlet oval over his heart where the locket had burned him. He could also see the half-healed puncture marks to his forearm. the figures [....] swaying over Ron and the real Harry, who had snatched his fingers away from the locket as it burned, suddenly, white-hot. [...] while the contents of the locket rattled like a trapped cockroach. It would have been easy to pity it, except that the cut around Harry’s neck still burned. (DH)

Harry's curse scar likewise described as burning and scorching - all echo the Dark Mark's burn: "Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord [...] When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to [...] Apparate, instantly, at his side [...] We both felt the Mark burn.”

Not taking the Love thing or Lily as inherently pure literally but - the prophecy says LV would "mark him as an equal"; Dumbledore says "love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign [...] It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good" aka Lily marked Harry as her equal (evidently it left some sign, per LV seeing traces)

6. Personality traits

6.1 Curiosity, Cunning, Manipulation

Skilled at using people's weaknesses against them:

Slughorn pulled himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk as the boys filed out. Voldemort, however, stayed behind. Harry could tell he had dawdled deliberately, wanting to be last in the room with Slughorn. (HBP) Lily glanced toward her parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce. (DH) “You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you.” Petunia turned scarlet. “Beg? I didn’t beg!” “I saw his reply. It was very kind.” (DH) She dropped her voice. “And you’re being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow, and James Potter saved you from whatever’s down there —” (DH) Lily blinked. “Fine,” she said coolly. “I won’t bother in future. And I’d wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus.” (OoTP) "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you’ve just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I’m surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it." (OOTP)

- The text draws a very deliberate parallel between her, Tom Riddle, and Harry (and to an extent Dumbledore) regarding their cunning and manipulation in HBP - i.e. Slughorn calls Lily charming, charismatic, says that he used to tell her she ought to have been in Slytherin, which means she has Slytherin traits (cunning, ambition, resourcefulness, a disregard for rules) and which sounds like the kind of thing he'd say specifically when she was displaying those traits - akin to when Slughorn tells Tom Riddle that he'd "like to know where he gets his information", that he's "more knowledgeable than half the staff" and has an "uncanny ability to know things he shouldn't".

- Lily calls Snape an affectionate nickname ("Sev") three times. Lily addresses people by name a lot, it's a part of her speech patterns; but it could also be read as having a slight manipulative edge to it - the way Harry and Dumbledore use "Lily Evans" to manipulate Slughorn and Snape, and LV uses names to simulate intimacy (especially given Lily uses Snivellus later, and if Lily's using Legilimency on Snape in this scene - "Severus?" A little smile twisted Snape’s mouth when she said his name - she'd be extra aware of it).

- Not super difficult to fake given Lily could do magic at Snape's house, but the Dursleys not knowing Harry can't do magic at home implies that Lily hid the Underage Magic rule and kept up a lie to likely all three of her family members for a while; like Harry threatening Dudley ("it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking him in the cupboard [...] Harry had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.")

- Sneaks into Petunia's room with Snape to read her mail - she has the same curiosity and penchant for solving mysteries and sneaking that others have (i.e. parallels Harry reading Filch's mail in CoS). Her knowing about the Prank, dynamic with Slughorn and Bathilda Bagshot (gets the same "best kept secret" info out of her that Rita Skeeter gets using Veritaserum) may also imply this trait.

Rulebreaking and Bravery

“Yes, I speak it,” said Riddle. He moved forward into the room, allowing the door to swing shut behind him. Harry could not help but feel a resentful admiration for Voldemort’s complete lack of fear. His face merely expressed disgust and, perhaps, disappointment. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Snape could no longer contain himself, but had jumped out from behind the bushes. Petunia shrieked and ran backward toward the swings, but Lily, though clearly startled, remained where she was. Snape seemed to regret his appearance. A dull flush of color mounted the sallow cheeks as he looked at Lily. “What’s obvious?” asked Lily.

“Of course, if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you —” “I’d like to see them try,” sneered Riddle. (HBP) “Let me? Let me?” Lily’s bright green eyes were slits. Snape backtracked at once. (DH)

- "Lily, don't do it!" "Mummy told you not to!" "Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!" "But I'm fine" She only obeys when Petunia appears genuinely freaked out ("Stop it!" Petunia shrieked / "It's not hurting you").

- Lily laughs and takes a selfie while James runs after Harry; thinks it's hilarious when Harry breaks Petunia's vase; goes on "little excursions" under the Cloak while in hiding; goes "I'm not sure he'd be pleased if he knew!" wrt Bathilda spilling Dumbledore's secret then proceeds to gossip to Sirius about it.

[awktopudicus]

transphobia has no place in this world

from Transfigure Print Co / design by Boss Dog

[mothknight42]

da shirt in question

a cute girl complimented my 'protect trans kids' shirt as I was walking into work. happy friday 2 me

[sarkos]

Written in 1886, when Yeats was just 21, Mosada is a short verse play that had a print run of 100. Only 21 are thought to have survived, nine signed. This one has Yeats’s signature, but also a problematic dedication. It was signed to what for many years was thought to be a “Mrs Zena Powell, from her friend, the author”. No such person could be found in any records when it came to establishing the provenance of the copy, so Harrington embarked on a bit of detective work before acquiring it. Yeats scholar Professor Warwick Gould discovered that the inscription was actually to Zena Vowell and that there was a reference to her in a report of a séance almost a century ago. Gould told the Observer that once he worked out that the surname was Vowell “a vast baggage of useless speculation fell away”. He said: “I then searched for Zena Vowell in Google Books. Up came a sole page in Polish with some English names swimming in a text I could not read. A rough translation confirmed that at a London séance in 1924, witnessed by the spiritualist Herbert Bradley, the ‘ghost’ of a Zena Vowell had spoken to the medium Hester Travers Smith of their jaunt to Howth, Co Dublin, eight years before her death or transfiguration.” Bradley provided an account of the séance in his 1924 book Towards the Stars, which was the only reference that could be found to Zena. Gould said: “I am no believer, but that afternoon I held Bradley’s Towards the Stars in the British Library, and read the full proceedings of the séance. After that I found Zena Vowell in the Irish census.” Zena – or Thomasina – Vowell is thought to have been born in Waterford in 1831 and in the séance it was established she had known the medium.

Yeats’ play on sale for £125,000 – thanks to message from the dead | WB Yeats | The Guardian

[self-cxntrxl]

There’s always hope that this tee will go viral. Donating a HUGE amount of proceeds to trans people in need would be cool.

[lifeofkaze]

Selene Fraser

Sole heiress to the Scottish family of Fraser, Selene grew up hidden away from the evils of the world by her parents. She arrived at Hogwarts as a well-behaved, silent little girl, but once she broke free from her constraints, there was no stopping her desire to be free. She made it her mission to see as many wonders of the world as she could, researching dark magic and cursed objects after school, returning to her ancestral home in the Highlands with a thousand stories to tell and a secret about to change everything she knew. Who the father of her daughter is, she never told and decided never to let herself be chained down by another man ever again. Growing accustomed to her new way of living eventually, Selene poured all her energy and passion into leading the family’s Whiskey distillery to unknown greatness.

Name: Selene Elizabeth Fraser 

Nicknames: Close friends refer to her as Selly, sometimes Sels

Birthday: 14th April 1881

Nationality: Scottish

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Residence: 

Her parents’ townhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland

Fraser Hall, Scottish Highlands

Face Claim: Felicity Jones

PERSONAL:

Appearance:

Measures: 160 cm, 55 kg as an adult

Build: Small, wiry

Hair: Dark brown, long, she prefers to keep it unrestrained but will settle for simple (yet messily done) styles when required

Eyes: Green

Skin: Pale, wishes she had freckles

Style: Hates anything that makes her feel restricted in any sort of way, finds it thoroughly unfair men get to enjoy the comfortable clothes (and an abundance of pockets), which she rectifies as an adult running her own business

Misc: none

Character: 

Positive Traits: Creative, energetic, unconventional thinker, fun, passionate, independent, competitive

Negative Traits: Loud, trouble identifying boundaries, easily bored, temperamental, stubborn 

Favourite Food: Raspberry Cranachan

Favourite Drink: Raspberry juice, Fraser Whiskey Christmas blend

Interests: Quidditch, exploring, travel, poetry, duelling, astrology (badly), singing (even more badly)

Boggart: A golden stag

Patronus: Highland pony (as a child), mustang (as an adult)

Amortentia:

What she smells like: Raspberries, bell heathers, Scotch

What she smells: Oakwood, cherries, sea breeze

HOGWARTS:

House: Gryffindor

Extracurriculars: Quidditch House team (Seeker, middle of Y2 - Y7), duelling club, S.W.S.W.S. (Society for Witches in Support of Women’s Suffrage, for all the few meetings it existed) 

Best Class: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Divination (awful, but her favourite)

Worst Class: Transfiguration

Third-Year Electives: Ancient Runes, Divination, Muggle Studies

CAREER:

1892 - 1899: Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

1899 - 1906: Researching ancient magic and curses as freelance Curse-Breaker

1906 - 1966: Head of Fraser Whiskey Co.

1966 - 1998: Semi-retired, advisory function to her granddaughter and successor Lexie Jameson, publishing of her gathered research material on the Dark Arts with The Frog Prints

RELATIONSHIPS:

Family:

Gordon & Lucretia Fraser: Being kept mostly under lock and key, it took Selene’s admittance to Hogwarts to understand how stifling her parents’ upbringing had been. She doesn’t relate to their views of the world, blood purity and society, and once she’s older, she isn’t afraid to say so either. She has ensured that neither of her parents gets to have anything to do with her or her daughter Caitlin.

Angus & Elizabeth Fraser: The one condition Angus had for dismissing his son Gordon from family duties was that Selene would be sent to Fraser Hall for a set period of time each year. Selene loves her grandparents ardently. When she returns from her travels, Angus hands over the distillery and his spot as the head of the family to Selly. 

Mortimer Fraser: Uncle Mortimer’s constant challenging of her parents’ ideas of morality left a deep impression on Selene. Despite both brothers loving her deeply, Mortimer was more of a father figure to Selene than her actual father ever was. He and his unconventional way of living showed her that it was alright to be uncomfortable with the values you were brought up with.

Caitlin Fraser: It took Selene a long time to accept her new life as a mother, but less than a blink of an eye to know she’d defend her daughter from anything ill coming her way until her dying breath. Unfortunately, Selene and Caitlin are very similar in terms of stubbornness and not at all in terms of ideals. They became estranged and could only slowly reconnect very late into Selene’s life.

Romantic History: Eliot Gerard (@kc-and-co)

Not sharing each and every class with her friend Ethel anymore in their sixth year was hard for Selene, but it also was a great opportunity to make new friends. One of these was Eliot Gerard. It wasn’t long until they bonded, Selene admiring his dedication to his work and dry humour and Eliot falling hard for her free and independent spirit. Their courtship was passionate but short-lived, and their subsequent break-up a chaotic mess.

It looked like their love was given a second chance when they were assigned to the same project in Egypt as Curse-Breaker and Healer, respectively. But as Selene had to learn the hard way, some things just aren’t meant to be.

Friends:

Ethel Hexley: @the-al-chemist Word in Hogwarts is that there are the twins and that sometimes, Jim Hexley is allowed to come as well. Selene and Ethel aren’t just friends or sisters - they’re part of the same loud, irritating entity with a bond so deep that nothing, not even life, can shake it.

Henry Lovecraft: One beautiful day, Selene decided Henry was her friend, and that was the decision made. She didn’t ask Henry about the matter but rather informed him about it. He tried fighting it at first but soon found giving up and tuning her out was less of a bother than arguing with her, but eventually, the loud and obnoxious Gryffindor grew on him. They became colleagues after school until the fateful assignment in Egypt. Aside from Ethel, Henry is the only living (and later non-living) person to know about the identity of Caitlin’s father.

Victoria Summer, Lottie Gallagher, Winona Rosewood: @whatwouldvalerydo @slytherindisaster @usernoneexistent The girls in her dorm are family away from home - sometimes even more so than her actual family. Selene misses them dearly during school breaks and can’t wait for late-night giggles and catch-ups with her favourite people once they all get back together.

Oliver Gerard: @kc-and-co One year her senior and captain of her Quidditch team, winding up Oli is one of Selene’s favourite pastimes - that and betting on which female member of the student body the notoriously romantic Gryffindor is going to try and woo next. Selene’s failed relationship with Oli’s brother Eliot somewhat put a temporary dent in their friendship, but that’s nothing a little time and determination can’t fix.   

Reuben Willows: @that-scouse-wizard Reuben might just about be the biggest person Selene has ever met, and she won’t get tired of asking him to lift her up with one hand, despite how many times he’s already said no in the past. Once Reuben takes over the Llewelyn Dragon Sanctuary, he and Selene strike a lucrative business deal. Their dragonflame-brewed Dragon’s Breath Whiskey remains a classic to this day. 

Alan, the Ferret: What started as rescuing a perfectly innocent animal from being repeatedly transformed into a feather duster soon became the most meaningful friendship (bar Ethel, of course) of Selene’s life. Alan held such a great love for Selene in his little heart that - after he met his demise at the bottom of a whiskey barrel - he returned to Fraser Hall as a ghost, where he happily haunts to this very day.

Rivals:

Fred Lavigne: @slytherindisaster Fred and Eliot Gerard were fast friends and study partners when Selene and Eliot met. Selene didn’t take kindly to having to take a backseat when it came to Eliot and his study dates with Fred, however, and even if he wasn’t the reason for their breakup, Fred at least contributed to it.

Ema McGilliguddy: @kc-and-co Selene enjoys a good challenge, and Ema certainly provides her with one. Both being top of their class in Defence Against the Dark Arts, the sheer thought of beating Ema to number one makes Selene work harder than she had ever thought possible or enjoyable.

Pets:

Alan, the Ferret: see above

Morag, the barn cat: Selene found this hissy but beautiful fellow roaming the grounds around Fraser Hall and decided to give him a permanent home. The big grey cat lived in the stables for a long time, only making his way inside the house after a long time and a big thunderstorm. Among his many descendants is Mouse, the cat belonging to Selene’s great-granddaughter Lizzie Jameson. 

Isla & Mary: two magnificent highland cows gifted to Selene by her dearest Ethel (who will form a legacy of their own)

Mnemosyne: small barn owl, formerly belonging to Henry Lovecraft, adopted after his death

Helios: a tawny owl with an attitude, mostly used for business purposes 

[creatordoctus]

"Supranormal, Queer, Unorthodox: Political Aesthetics in Hesiod’s Theogony" Lecture & seminar at the 8th Workshop of Painting, Athens School of Fine Arts, Peireos Building – Monday the 16th of March 11:30 am

Hesiod’s Theogony is a work of political theologist, as one of the prominent commentator noted - “an intensely political poem” (Scully, 2015). Despite the appearance of somewhat boring recounting of the divine genealogies if looked at literally, following the critical reading the text transfigures into a wonder box of archetypes, “ideographs” and normative concepts, which are causally arranged in the architecture supporting the sovereignty of Zeus. From the origins of the world to the installation of his everlasting domination, Theogony is a utopian vision of cosmic and human order. 

However apart of the installation of the patriarchy and justification of the tyranny of arch-father, the text offers a rich platform for speculation and the alternative politics. Zeus’ position of the Olympus leader is inherently unstable and depends of the contractual relations with the multiplicity of deities and forces. The text offers interesting cues towards alternative narration, something I call “ruptures”: the figures of women - Athena, Styx, and Hecate - being especially interesting.  In my research I’m mapping the instabilities and dependencies within heteronormative, patriarchal, imperialistic, colonial Zeusian sovereignty in the Olympus and identify the potentialities of disrupting it by supranormal, queer and unorthodox agents in the narrative. I call the methodology of critical co-writing and co-creation of the alternative futures of the theogonic narrative anticipatory mythography. The agency of anticipation of possible futures, or Derrida’s avenirs, is crucial for world-making within the established boundaries of aesthetico-political regime of ethical and political “normality”.  In the seminar, I will outline the methodologies of invocation of the critical (political, anticipatory) reading of Theogony and present the rhizomatic platform for creative collaboration (or rather a wide alliance) unlocking the potentiality of alternative (to the continuous process of everlasting present reproduction) futures. 

bio: 

Denis Maksimov is an interdisciplinary scholar, political advisor, and artist-curator. He is a co-founder of the artistic collective and think tank Avenir Institute. He researches the conceptualisations of sovereignty, queer(ing) agents, and political aesthetics in Ancient Greek mythography, world history, literature, arts, and audiovisual cultures. He is a co-convenor of “Power Vertical: Politics and Aesthetics in the Global East”, a transdisciplinary research seminar at the University College London (UCL). He was a “Future(s) of Democracy?” visiting lecturer at The University of Applied Arts Vienna (Angewandte) in 2019 and lectured at the Universities of Cologne and Namur; KU Leuven, The New School (New York), The University College London, Jan van Eyck Academie (Maastricht), among others. He holds BA in Political Science and MA in International Relations & European Studies from The National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow, RU), MRes of Art & Design from Karel de Grote University College (Antwerp, BE), and is PhDc in Classics at The University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, UK). His artistic projects primarily address the ideography and aesthetics of power. He was a curator in residence at U-jazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Projeto Fidalga in Sao Paulo, Critical Mass in St Petersburg, Fire Station in Dublin. He has developed and curated projects upon invitation of Victoria & Albert Museum in London, at the Venice Biennales, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum in Copenhagen, as well as art galleries in Brussels, where he was also a curator of Penthouse Art Residency, and London. His critical writing has appeared in book chapters and magazines including Doppiozero International, Ocula, Moscow Art Magazine, Arts of the Working Class, and others, in print and online; he has been writing a regular column “Poliaesthetica” for The Brussels Times since 2014. 

Image: Andrea Brocca. Nike emerges from the clash of thunderbolts (from illustration for Avenir Institute Mythology for Queer Futures), London, 2017

[rojo-todd]

Make sure yall check out Transfigure Print Co (transfigureprintco.bigcartel.com)

They have some seriously rockin gear 👏🏼👍🏼👌🏼

[jim-im-a-doctor-not-a-physicist]

The Crimes of Grindlewald review literally NONE of you asked for.

Just a forewarning now I’m spoiling stuff. A lot of stuff. Begone now unless you wish the big movie stuff to be ruined.

Before I begin let me say, I am not a movie producer, or a producer of anything really. This movie alone will make more than I will in my lifetime. I am not an opinion anyone on this will care about. I’m just a person with a blog spouting an opinion no one asked for. I also do not believe nor care if this review changes people’s minds. 

Alright friends, I’m gonna split this review into three sections, the good, the stupid and the bad. I want to make it clear, I enjoyed the movie. I love Newt Scamander and Co. Did it feel like a Harry Potter movie? HELL NO. But did it make me smile and cry? Absolutely.

The Good

Newt Scamander

This is my boy. Anyone who has a single bad word to ever say about Newt Scamander can leave right now. I love him more than certain living relatives. I loved how nervous he was about meeting Tina again. I love how he says what he thinks and how he compared Tina’s eyes to those of a salamander. I love how Tina understood that he was not being mean. I love how passionate he is about his creatures and how uncomfortable his assistant made him. It made so much sense that he refuses to pick sides. Newt fights for what is right, and that is not always simply one side or another. He is the best part of this movie and do not try to convince me otherwise. 

Jude Law

He nailed it. That is so Dumbledore it hurt. The pained expression on his face when they said him and Grindlewald were like brothers was beautiful. He has the same twinkle in his eye and it felt like seeing an old friend again. 

Leta Lestrange 

Look minus her death, Leta Lestrange was exactly what I imagined. Leta dying makes me unimaginably upset. She is troubled, she could have been a wonderful middle ground character, always unsure of which side she is truly on. On one hand, she loves Theseus but Grindlewald could offer her a home that she has never had. The entire movie she had me on edge, waiting for her to flip her already shaking lid. Instead, a character we barely know sacrifices herself for a relationship we never truly saw. 

The Stupid

This section was put in for those who have failed to apply 10-15 minutes of thought on any of these big fanboy problems. 

The Professor McGonagall nightmare

The simple and plausible answer, this is a cameo of one of her relatives, perhaps an aunt or a cousin. Maybe it was a common name at that point? It did not sound nor look like the professor we know so why should we presume that it is her? Someone tweet JK Rowling and ask for answers. This is all I’ve got. 

Creedence’s Heritage 

So remember at some point in the movie when Grindlewald and Dumbledore made that blood pact? Well, blood is weird in the magic world, the properties obtained from someone's blood stays for a lifetime. Like how Voldemort got that protection for Harry from Harry’s blood which originated from Lily. Therefore it would make sense that Grindelwald could call a Phoniex because he has Dumbledore blood within him. Grindlewald is lying to him, he needs Creedence so he can kill Dumbledore and will say anything to get him to help. It gives Creedence even more motive to destroy Dumbledore when he learns of the traumatization of his sister by muggles. It will push him even further into Grindlewald’s waiting arms. 

Dumbledore teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts

He likely taught DADA before getting demoted for being a little sassy pants to ministry officials and at one point falling in love with a psychopath. But he is a fantastic teacher so they just moved him to transfiguration. BAM plot hole solved stop crying already. 

The Bad

Lack of Dialogue

I have one overarching complaint that causes a bunch of tinier complaints, that being that there was ZERO DIALOGUE. That scene where Queenie and Creedence join Grindlewald should have had arguments. I expected to be seduced by Grindlewald to the dark side and I got nada. Queenie and Tina should have had a massive argument about her joining. The only thing that felt it had semi-proper conversating was when Tina and Newt talked about him being engaged. Newt and Theseus should have had a conversation about the fact that he is engaged to someone Newt loved. Newt and Leta should have had a conversation about Hogwarts. Everyone on press tours kept saying how seductive Grindlewald was, but I didn’t see it because he didn’t say enough to seduce me. JK Rowling is incredible at writing character development and interaction and it is obvious she was not a part of the dialogue near as much as she was in Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. 

Leta Lestrange

I loved Leta’s characterization. She was exactly as I pictured her. I ONLY WISH I HAD MORE. She plays a crucial role in both Scamander’s lives and we barely got anything from her. It’s hard to mourn her because I didn’t really know her. Her sacrifice felt out of character and it didn’t feel like Theseus really reacted to it all that much. Now if I had a movie to get to know her and her relationship with the elder Scamander I might think differently. 

It felt rushed

How did Warner Bros make a 2hr & 13 min feel rushed you ask? Well, it’s easy when you’re jumping scenes so many times your head spins. Stay on a scene for more than five minutes, please! This ties back to the first complaint, there is no dialogue.  There was so much that needed to be said and it wasn’t. It felt like a fast and furious movie had an affair with the deathly hallows pt 1 and 2. 

How I, an opinionated fan dork with no movie experience, would fix this

This movie should have been split into two parts, the first half showing Newt’s fame and the letters he writes Tina and him expanding his case. While over in NYC Tina and Queenie and living together while Queenie hides her relationship with Jacob. Meanwhile, Creedence is desperately searching for family and meets Nagini somehow (it isn’t important), and Grindlewald is building followers. All of this climaxing when Newt learns of his brother’s engagement and Tina finding out about Jacob and that magazine printing the wrong name for Leta’s engagement. 

The second movie, it’s been a few weeks, Tina has her new boyfriend and Queenie is seen enchanting in order to keep Jacob with her. Something feels off about Queenie and we’re all a little on edge. Meanwhile, Newt has noticed Tina’s letters have stopped coming and refuses to eat dinner with his brother and his old love. We get some flashbacks to the two at Hogwarts doing STUFF. We see Theseus and Leta arguing over the fact that Newt refuses to show and we see them being a couple. I’m tired of giving the play by play so we’re speeding things up. After this we keep the movie concept the same Queenie and Jacob showing up and stuff up (but with meaningful dialogue) until we get to the Grindlewald concert scene. Everything stays the same until it’s just the heroes vs Grindlewald and that sidekick of his. Instead of all of them immediately changing sides like morons we need some dialogue. He needs to look Queenie in the eye and tell her that he will let her marry Jacob in his new world. Tina needs to be screaming at her sister not to go with a confused Jacob in the middle. Something unforgivable needs to be said by one of them as Queenie joins him. Keep Creedence’s the same I approved of that. Keep everything from that point on the same. I approved of the ending. See how much better this feels? Now I can hear my fellow non-straight people saying that I did not bring in Dumbledore’s gayness into this. Nope I didn’t we are leaving the gay stuff from the original (”we were more than brothers” WOW I AM NOT STRAIGHT) and doing a glorious, long burn love story over six movies. 

Conclusion

I wrote this essay thing one day after seeing the movie. I may edit it. I may take it down because I think it’s stupid. You disagree with me? That’s fine. Would like to debate me about it? Go for it. I know Tumblr and all I ask is that you be civil and constructive. Know that if you aren’t I simply won’t reply nor care about your opinion and my mind will not be changed. Grow up and be nice or die mad about it. 

Update:

Ignore everything said about Minerva. IMBD released a cast list and it’s Minerva. Rowling, you best fix this. Break out those forbidden ass time turners JK cause I refuse to believe you would destroy canon on the big screen.  

Update:

I screwed up the spelling of Grindelwald every single time and I’m so sorry guys I’ve been spelling it like that for ages and NO ONE CORRECTED ME.

Update: 

Who decided to name drop McLaggen in this movie? All his offspring did was be used by Hermione to make Ron jealous? There is quite a bit of fan service in this movie and that by far was the oddest. 

[polaris-and-ink]

So I was scrolling through Kickstarter in June, mostly out of curiosity because I’d never really checked it out before when this thing called @missiontransition showed up. It’s a bi monthly subscription box for trans people, and as a trans person I was like hell yeah I want that. And so I looked into it and I was like, okay so this is a box that is designed specifically for each person, even better. I just got it yesterday (they were running late because they got wayyy more people interested than expecting) and this was what was in it, a pin from Bianca’s design shop, two buttons from tigers eye adventure co. The newsletter and an art print by mars Buchanan (titled some assembly required) a bathbomb from lush, beard growth oil from IamI beard and body and a gold glow stick from noto botanics and finally, a He him pronoun tee by transfigure co. All of this is from either a trans owned company or a trans supportive company and honestly I’m super glad I ordered it dudes you should check it out

[marktayl00r]

How Mobile Transformation Can Increase Revenue for Brands

Businesses are facing increasingly tough times as digitization reshapes the landscape. Industries are experiencing moderate to massive digital disruption. Mobile digital transformation is being seen as an opportunity to rebuild market standing, re-creating processes, and opening up new revenue streams for brands.

Mobile-based technology and tools form the central part of the digital transformation strategy. The high penetration of mobile devices and the IT revolution has transfigured the ecosystem of many industries. According to Statista, there are 2.71 billion smartphone users worldwide. It is one of the most convenient and accessible mediums to connect with people. Mobile transformation is fundamentally changing how you deliver value to customers and generate high margin revenues. Research shows brands that are digitally mature and with the mobile-first approach are generating more revenues than their competitors who failed to invest in mobile-first strategy.

But sprinkling different mobile-based technologies across your organization won’t itself lead to your revenue goals. In fact, it happens when the right technology is implemented. A breakthrough technology like moLotus is considered the top tenet of digitalization and thus plays a crucial role in digital transformation and revenue generation. A digital journey has no endpoints. And to move forward every time, you have to ensure that you choose scalability and modernization in every aspect of the business. Technologies like moLotus are easily accessible and allow you to optimize and reach extensively.

Research shows that most industry CXOs consider mobile transformation to be one of their top revenue generation strategies. It’s changing the way brands generate revenues. They can connect the dots on the customer journey in a way that was not possible before.

Let’s take at how mobile transformation is increasing revenue for brands :

1. Customer data collection and data-driven insights

Most businesses are collecting mountains of data on customers but the real benefit is optimizing this data for analysis that can drive the business forward. Mobile transformation is changing the way businesses operate. It creates a way businesses can translate raw customer data into insights across various touchpoints. Data is viewed as the key to unlocking customer insights. Popular mobile technologies like moLotus are assisting brands in crucial data management functions & run targeted campaigns. moLotus stands out with advanced data curating and analytics features, making data management, and analysis relatively easier for brands. The campaign data can be compiled into crisp and comprehensive reports, enabling quick decision-making and strategizing. By better understanding customers and their needs, brands can create a business strategy that is even more customer-centric.

2. Increased Marketing ROI

Studies show that brands adopting a mobile-first approach towards digital transformation, have improved efficiency and marketing ROI. The advent of digital mobile platforms like moLotus has led to the creation of new revenue streams. The moLotus platform is providing a unique way to tap into the global direct marketing spend. It assists in brand exposure & awareness, customer acquisition, retention, rewards & loyalty, upselling, cross-selling, lead generation, direct sales, and more leading to better marketing ROI for advertisers.

3. Cost minimization

The adoption of the mobile transformation strategy by big brands has resulted in cost minimization via automating the “low touch” business processes. For instance, brands now can cut costs by reducing headcounts of call centres, printing, and other dispatch processes. They have an opportunity to use advanced mobile-based technologies for this purpose. Brands are now unleashing the cost-cutting potential of moLotus and bringing down headcounts & training costs significantly while reducing printing & stationery costs by automating the processes.

4. Customer support & feedback

Superior customer support has been a key contributor to revenue for brands. If trends are considered, convenience and speed are topping the consumer agenda. A digitally transformed support system can engage this convenience and speed-driven consumer adding to business revenues. Customers prefer mobile-driven digital service, with 76 percent of customers with digital-only journeys, compared with 57 percent for traditional channels (Source: McKinsey Report). Brands are preparing for more live chat and co-browsing that supports customers during the buying process and post-buying support. Web-based Live chat platforms like ZenDesk Chat, LiveChat and acquire.io are taking a backseat and gradually being replaced by mobile platforms like moLotus. The moLotus platform has revolutionized the way brands can serve,customers on mobile devices. It guarantees real-time customer interaction, rating, and feedback via mobile for different service issues enabling them to analyze and improve upon.

5. Customer Onboarding

Traditionally, customer onboarding has been a highly unstructured and cumbersome process. In the present context, however, mobile customer onboarding is going to replace traditional onboarding in a big way resulting in higher business revenues. Mobile phones have increasingly become part of our daily life. With the penetration rate of smartphones continuing to increase breakthrough technology like moLotus will drive mobile onboarding. Many SaaS companies have been developing mobile apps to cater to this demand for mobile onboarding with little or no success. Interestingly, moLotus is the best example of an automated, flexible, cost-effective, and scalable onboarding solution, enhancing customer engagement with a smooth end-to-end experience and high revenues. Brands have embarked on moLotus to digitally transform their entire new customer onboarding process, yielding better customer experience and revenues.

6. Replacement of Plastic Loyalty Cards

In the past, customer wallets have been bulging with bulky plastic loyalty cards. Many businesses have been clinging to the idea that plastic loyalty cards are cheap and easy to set up and maintain, therefore more cost-effective than implementing digital transformation in the loyalty card space. However, this is not the case. Mobile transformation is fast reshaping loyalty cards space. Presently there are better ways like mobile apps to replace excess plastic. However, loyalty card apps have not solved the challenge associated with plastic cards. Mobile Loyalty Card powered by moLotus has transformed the loyalty cards space, replacing the plastic cards. It is convenient to consumers, saves cost, and increases usage with high revenue. It has proved to be a superior alternative to mobile apps.

7. Reducing Outbound-Inbound Calling, Cold Calls & Head-counts

Once upon a time, most people contacted customer service by telephone when smartphones were in their inception. That world is vanishing. Mobile-led digital transformation is fast replacing voice-based contact by shifting to low-cost automated channels such as internet-based self-service knowledge banks, mobile messaging, and chatbots. These transformation initiatives lead to lower operational costs coupled with greater efficiency.  

moLotus is an example of an innovative mobile-based customer interaction platform best suited to interact directly with a large customer base. moLotus is loaded with multiple customer response options like SMS, Callback, Click URL, etc. The spam-free technology quickly delivers automated messages to a huge customer database directly into their inbox on all mobile handsets, irrespective of phone type or model – 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G smartphones, i-phones and feature phones without requiring any app download or data connection. Customers using smartphones feel a greater connection with the brand & provide a better response which, in turn, helps in the improvement of the conversion rate and that too at low costs.

8. Recurring Services and Product Cycle

For businesses, sending reminders for recurring services & product cycles has been a challenge. While addressing the service reminders to the customers, brands do not want to confront or sound harsh to them. Digitally transforming the processes via mobile is the best and only solution of the problem. Designing a bulletproof recurring service and product cycle process for customers is something every SaaS company has strived for. However, moLotus has made it truly possible by automating and transforming the recurring services and product cycles like car servicing, air-conditioning, buying coffee, etc. This year more brands will be embracing this no-touch mobile-driven transformation resulting in increased revenues and customer engagement.

9. Lead Generation

Mobile transformation has enhanced advertising significantly bringing a spike in revenues. Brands are focussing on reaching out to customers directly using mobile advertising platforms. Mobile ad platforms like moLotus, TubeMogul, InMobi, Airpush, etc. have become the focus area for them with aggressive smartphone penetration.  With its powerful capabilities of running highly personalized, customized, and targeted rich media ads, moLotus tops the list in lead generation. Interestingly, the ads are delivered directly to the mobile inbox of the customer in the case of moLotus. Unlike other ad platforms, moLotus is spam-free and the ads have a longer shelf life as they remain in the message box until manually deleted. Businesses are capable of real-time data of individual customers for executing personalized promo campaigns along the entire customer journey. Ultimately, moLotus is capable of scaling revenue and performance for advertisers through easy ad campaign creation and management, response management, real-time data reports & analytics via automation API.

Conclusion

Mobile transformation is engaging customers anytime, anywhere with smarter experiences as customers are glued to mobile devices all throughout except while asleep! The present and future of mobile transformation is no longer a dot on the horizon. The pressing need to implement it can no longer be ignored - certainly not if the brand is craving for success in revenue generation. The mobile age isn’t new and is evolving fast with platforms like moLotus driving breakthrough transformation and revenue generation even amidst the current pandemic. Choosing to remain outside was a liberty that many brands had over the past decade, but no longer! Brands that transformed themselves digitally via mobile, will certainly be revenue-rich.

[aryaanarorablog]

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on the 25th October 1881 and died on the 8th April 1973 at the age of 91. He lived a long life as a: painter, sculptor, print maker and a lot more other things. He is a very iconic artist and was one of the most influential in the 20th century. He was Spanish although he spent a lot of his life as an adult in France. Picasso worked in many different styles during his lifetime, some may even say looking at his art it was best when he first started. You can see below the comparison between his work, the one on the left was a self portrait he made when he was just 15 years of age. The one on the right is much later in his life in 1907, it is also a self-portrait of him in a cubism style.

Although the style of art on the right, cubism is obviously less developed, it is my opinion that it is the style that made him widely well-known rather than his early work which was more naturalistic. It is later in his life in the 20th century where he began experimenting with different styles and techniques which I feel really worked for him. He is the co-founder of the cubism movement; he is also known for his invention of the ‘constructed sculpture’ and his co-invention of the collage. However, it is his work in cubism which I find really intriguing. Cubism is an avant-garde art movement which transfigured European painting as well as sculpture. Below you can see a cubism painting and sculpture made by Picasso.

The painting is titled ‘Repose’ and the sculpture is called ‘Head of Woman (Fernande)’. It is a unique and simple art style, although it can be complex as proven by other cubism works by Picasso such as ‘The Weeping Woman’.

Picasso’s painting above uses a consistent size of line in cube and oval like shapes to define body parts, if you also look closely you can see he accentuates the cube like shape of the figure with the use of shading. Picasso does this very cleverly by mimicking how light shines on objects with sides like a table for example. In the examples above this is proven, the light shines on the flat side of the figures arm but does not travel round the side of it, Picasso uses a dark shade to show that other side is in the shadow and not in the light. If it had been blended, you can tell that it is of a natural shape. If you look at the face Picasso has once again used shadow and tone to define the shape of the face, the use of shadow shows the face is made up of two circular sections due to the shadow the right side sticks out of the shade and the left side does not. This creates a split in the tone of the face, and it gives me an idea of the characters shape.

The sculpture on the right is another one of Picassos inspired by another artist. This one shows more obvious signs of cubism because the shape is shown with the 3D medium. The easiest way to describe it is a bunch of polygons amalgamated into a mass which is supposed to simulate a face. It does a great job of this and is a possible direction I could work in when creating a 3D outcome for my piece whether I do it digitally or with materials like clay or wood. I do however want to create one with the look of Picassos paintings as I feel it looks more iconic and recognisable. It also in my opinion is more visually appealing that the one above however I will experiment and create 2 heads of both styles.

Picasso uses shadow and tone to accentuate the polygon like structure of his figure and it also gives you an idea of what the figure looks like in 3D, I want to try creating my own cubism paintings/drawings and then creating them in 3D. To do this I want to keep it as minimalistic as possible, this will help to render it in 3D. The more detail there is on each side the harder it is going to be to visualise and mould it into 3D. This process will produce a 2D outcome as well as 3D. Picasso creates most of paintings using the ‘oil on canvas’ medium however I will stick to just paint when creating my own.