#may dumbledore die a horrible painful death

[c0nsumemy5oul]

#regulus black is a sexy badass and i love him #regulus black #whttyyl rants #whttyyl spoilers #jegulus fic #may dumbledore die a horrible painful death #also i wouldve added this to the longer post but i couldn't add the poll for some reason so :p #my polls

[wondernimbus]

come back to me — harry potter

pairing: harry potter x female!reader

summary: harry has never been good at keeping promises, but this one he knows he will keep.

a/n: this is my entry for @hufflefluff-writer‘s writing challenge! congrats again on 300 followers!! <3 the prompt was “are you just going to leave me here?” and will be in bold :) 

“Do you promise you won’t leave?”

“Yes.”

"I mean it, Harry. No matter what happens. No matter what Dumbledore may have told you. You can’t—“

“I know. I know. I promise.”

—

Harry isn't very good at keeping promises.

At first the promises were small, almost irrelevant. When Harry promised to call over the summer of their third year, he didn't, but that might just have been because of his horrible uncle. When Harry casually threw it out there that he'd teach her how to play Quidditch in their fourth year, he didn't, but that was mostly not his fault and more of the Triwizard Tournament's, which banned Quidditch matches throughout the entire year. When Harry promised that the Dumbledore's Army wouldn't get caught under any circumstances in their fifth year, they did—and while part of her had been expecting it, it still would've been great if they didn't. And when he promised that he wouldn't do anything reckless in that very same year, he did, by going to the Department of Mysteries in an impulsive attempt to rescue his godfather. In their sixth year he promised the same thing—"I won't do anything rash unless I'm absolutely sure he's a Death Eater, I promise"—and just like the ones before it, Harry broke that one, too.

So [Y/N] isn't to blame when she starts to grow frustrated and her trust in him begins to wane.

A week before Bill and Fleur's wedding, when they’re staying up late at night for preparations, [Y/N] and Harry find themselves alone in the Burrow's garden with no one but themselves and the garden gnomes for company. [Y/N] goes, “With any luck, we’ll be able to prepare for our wedding like this sometime in the future” and Harry looks over at her, a wistful sort of look in his eyes, smiles and says, "We will.”

It sounds like a promise. [Y/N] is scared because Harry is bad at keeping them.

But yes—she may be scared—but she can't burden him with things like this, not right now, when he's dealing with far greater things than his girlfriend's petty wishes. Not when he's dealing with a crazed evil wizard who will stop at nothing to kill him.

But she is only human and humans have a tendency—an eagerness—to try and take even things they cannot have. They cling onto them out of whatever reason; greed or pure want or curiosity, but in this case it’s love.

And love makes you do foolish things. Makes you beg and plead and do anything you can in your power to hang onto whoever your heart feels so strongly for despite the circumstances.

That's why, when [Y/N] spots Harry’s figure from outside of her bedroom window at the Burrow at three in the morning, his back turned and a bag slung across his shoulders, she scrambles out of bed and runs down the stairs to intercept him.

”Harry!”

He freezes in his tracks; he hasn’t even made it past the Burrow's enchantments.

[Y/N] is barefoot but she barely even makes out the feeling of soil underneath her feet as she walks forward. The disappointment drowns everything else out.

It’s not like she hasn’t noticed. Harry isn’t exactly the most discreet when it comes to planning; Ron had told her days ago that Harry seemed to be packing his stuff. But even if Ron hadn’t ratted him out, she still would have known, because [Y/N] knows Harry well enough to know that he won’t be able to sit around doing nothing while the rest of the wizarding world struggles under the grasp of Lord Voldemort.

[Y/N] knows Harry well enough to know that he has a tendency to want to save everyone. Something that makes it hard for him to keep promises.

But knowing that doesn't make it any easier for her to accept it.

She doesn’t bother asking him where he’s going because she already knows. But it hurts, still, and the disdain in her chest has her saying in a tight voice, like there's already a lump in her throat, “Are you just going to leave me here?”

And she sounds desperate. Sounds like she's pleading—and she is, even though it makes her sound pathetic—but because she is human she hangs onto what she can't have and stands there outside of the Burrow at three in the morning, when the sky is still a shade of pitch black and the cold wind tosses strands of her hair about in the air, asking Harry for something that she knows he can't give her. But she tries, anyway, because she is human, and because she is human she is capable of feeling love. The kind of love that has her staring at Harry with a look in her eyes that pleads with him to stay.

Harry's jaw is set. The midnight breeze ruffles his hair as he meets her gaze. There's that same kind of longing in his eyes that's reflected in her own, but his has resolution in them—determination. He has his mind made up. “Please don’t make this harder for me than it already is.”

“But you promised." She wants to yell, but the words come out of her choked and weak and do little to hide the pain in her chest. "You told me you wouldn’t leave—“

“I know what I said." Cold. Pained. He has his mind made up. "I know what I promised you and I’m sorry but I can’t just sit here—“

“While other people die,” she finishes for him, because she knows Harry so awfully well, enough to know that he tends to want to save everyone even if it means putting his own life on the line.

And that angers her, because for once in his bloody life can’t he put himself first?

But he's right, and in a way that makes it even worse. Harry is the only one capable of bringing about the Dark Lord's downfall—there's a whole bloody prophecy about it. But Harry is more than that; he's a teenage boy—a child—and he has people who love him and want to protect him—people like [Y/N], who can't stand the thought of him going out there alone to bear the weight of the entire wizarding world on his shoulders.

"At least let me come with you." Helpless.

Sadness appears at the corners of Harry's mouth, tugging them down a little as he offers her this pained sort of smile and says what [Y/N] is expecting him to but hopes he wouldn't—"I can't."

"Just wait here. I can go—" Something like a cross between a whimper and a sob slips past her lips. "I can go inside really quickly and pack some of my stuff, okay? Just wait here."

"[Y/N]."

"I'll be quick, Harry—" There are tears on her cheeks and anguish in her voice so palpable that she doesn't even try to hide it anymore. "I'll be quick. Just wait here."

And then she's turning around, but before she can even make it a few steps, Harry is rushing forward and he's grasping her wrist and pulling her into his chest. [Y/N] feels his arms wrap themselves around her shoulders but she can't find the strength in her to hug him back, so all she does is cry into his shirt, entire body wracking with the force of her sobs. And she can't, for the life of her, bring the tears to stop—not for a while—so for a long time all the two of them do is stand there outside of the Burrow with Harry holding her like if he does so tight enough he'll be able to pull the pain right out of her and deal with it himself.

But when she does—when she finds her voice again and with it the will to stop crying—she pulls away from his chest, and Harry moves his hand from her shoulders to her waist, and with his other free one, he reaches for her face and thumbs at her tear-stricken cheeks even though his own face is wet from tears he hasn't even realized had fallen.

And when she looks up at him, her eyes are pained. Tired. Defeated. But at the same time there's also a sort of fierce determination in them—the kind that Harry has grown to love so much.

"I'm only going to ask two things of you, Harry." By some miracle, her voice doesn't tremble as she reaches up to grasp at his arm, her grip firm. She swallows. "The first is that you stop making promises you know in your heart you can't keep."

[Y/N] sees something break in Harry's eyes. Harry knows that this isn't any easier for her than it is for him, so he tries to be brave, too. He closes his eyes for a few moments, as though gathering himself, and when he opens them again he whispers, "And the second?"

Just like that, her resolve breaks. Her heart lodges in her throat. The determination in her eyes dies out. In a broken voice, she says, "Come back to me."

Suddenly his lips are on hers, barely more than a gentle press of lips, something stolen—something pure and intimate and gentle amidst the war that's raging on beyond the Burrow's enchantments.

He'll be back. No matter what it costs him. He will have this again—this, her, the feeling of his skin on hers and her lips on his.

Harry has never been good at keeping promises, but this one he knows he will keep.

#ameliaswritingchallenge #harry potter #harry potter oneshot #harry potter oneshots #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter x reader #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #hp imagine #hp imagines #hp x reader

[yourfinalbow]

hi lol this is totally random but based on a harry potter post you just reblogged and you can completely ignore me if you want, but do you think snape deserved better, or are you a quote unquote "snape apologist"? I'm genuinely curious cuz I've come across a lot of different opinions on severus. Again, feel free to ignore :)

This ended up way longer than it needed to be, and I apologize for that lmao.

Hi! Hmmm I have many mixed opinions on this. First we have to talk about which Snape. Book!Snape is actually kind of an asshole, and not in the fun way. (Way more than I remembered.) But but but Alan Rickman!Snape I like a lot.

And no I'm not mentioning Snape from TCC. That was not Snape and that world was not Harry Potter.

Snape is an interesting character because of how flawed and layered he is.

(Putting a cut because it's so long, and tw for non-detailed mentions/reference to abuse, as well as both trauma and death.)

He wasn't born in a very good household, which I can definitely see as being a reason for why he is who he is. (A reason, not an excuse. Those are two extremely different things.) You look at Sirius, who also came from a horrible household, yet he managed to dig himself out of the mud and make his own path for himself. (Though I have many angsty headcanons for the thoughts he has and being afraid of what he will do and in turn his own mind. WolfStar solidarity. Neither one of them know what they are truly capable of, and both are completely afraid to find out.

Ahem sorry I got a little distracted there.

During the Marauder's era, Snape wasn't a good person in general, but he tried to be nice to Lily. (One of the only exceptions he made.) That being said, (sorry, going on a tangent again), it does not excuse what the Marauders did. As much as they are, in my humble opinion, JK's greatest creation, they should be held accountable for both the prank, and dangling Snape upside down. (Though Remus does make a few good points in their defense later, it's still not an excuse.) Two wrongs never make a right.

Snape doesn't deny Lily's claims at him wanting to join a supremacy group, nor does he say he isn't friends with Death Eaters.

It's clear through the flashbacks we're given that Snape is apathetic in the face of innocent people dying, but once again Lily is the exception.

Dumbledore defends Snape by saying it wasn't his fault that Harry's parents are dead. I actually semi-agree with this. On one hand, he was directly at fault, but on the other hand he had no way of knowing. As a severe Loki apologist, I do not blame Loki for Frigga's death. He may have led the dark elves to her, but he didn't know it was her she was sending them to. That's the comparison I make in my mind, and so I don't completely blame him like other people do. (One could also make the argument that Sirius is to blame. Sirius, who is 100% my favorite character in the entire franchise, gave the secret keeper job to Peter, thinking it would be safer with him. However, he had no ill will or malicious intentions towards Lily, James, and Harry, so I don't blame him.)

All that being said, Snape not only would have been fine with random people dying, he also didn't care whether or not James and Harry lived.

For context:

(Dumbledore is speaking, right after Snape comes to him for help.)

"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.

He has a strange relationship with Lily. He obviously loves her, but not enough to want to stop Voldemort from killing the two things that bring her the most amount of happiness. It's clear he doesn't care about anyone except for Lily. Which on some level, I can understand why. When people have traumatic childhoods, they tend to hold on to a person that was there for them. Sometimes it can be the hands of the person who caused them pain in the first place, but other times it is another person who was there for him. He holds Lily's opinions of himself higher than anybody else, and he holds Lily above anybody else, and I think this can be attributed to some sort of trauma response, which is why his love for her is so unusual. That doesn't mean I think he should be fine with killing innocent people.

On the topic of trauma, I think joining the Death Eaters was another response to this, as well as a result of what kind of family he had.

Similar to both Harry and Voldemort, Snape much preferred Hogwarts to where he lived, and such the castle became his home more than his house ever was.

The Death Eaters could offer him something he had never been offered before. He belonged to something. In his own, twisted, traumatic mindset, he might have even almost seen the Death Eaters as a family. Not consciously of course, but there was definitely a feeling of belonging they gave him.

And there's something to be said about the fact that many serial killers in real life come from an abusive family. I don't pretend to understand the minds of someone who can do something so vile, but I have watched enough Criminal Minds episodes to know what they long for is control.

So being apart of this supremacy group, even though he was a half-blood himself and undoubtedly didn't entirely share Voldermort's racist beliefs, gave him both control and something he belonged to.

It's not an excuse, but it's a reason.

Alternatively, you can look at it through a quote from the most recent episode of Loki.

"It's part of the illusion. It's a cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear."

So it's also possible that when he was a kid, he thought being a villain was the only way to prevent others from being one to him.

Ok sorry, back on the chronological track.

So he agrees to change sides and work with Dumbledore. (Who must see just how distraught Snape was over Lily's death, to trust him immediately.)

Snape spends most of Harry's time at Hogwarts humiliating his own students. He particularly calls out Harry and his friends a lot, but I can definitely see this being a defence mechanism. He assumes Harry is James and reverts back to what we talked about earlier. (Becoming the villain so nobody else has a chance.)

But but but, he does a lot of good throughout the books. Snape mutters the countercurse, saving Harry from Quirrell during the Quidditch match. He then actually referees at the next match, preventing anything from happening altogether.

In retrospective, we see that he spends most of the first book helping Dumbledore by protecting the stone, and helping Lily by protecting Harry.

Now I could go through and list the goods and the bads of Snape throughout the entire series, but I have neither the time nor the patience, and I think you get the point.

(Except I would like the mention that Snape becomes a double agent for Dumbledore in book four, and risks his life every single day by constantly betraying Voldermort, and never once does he use this as a way to double cross Dumbledore. This was actually probably really hard on him. You can assume that having to pretend to be a Death Eater means he had to do some despicable things just so he didn't blow his cover. If he really has changed by this time, which I would like to think he has, is a lot of added guilt to live with.)

(I would also mention that he tried to save Sirius in book five, but... *falls on floor dramatically* I don't want to think about it.)

Severus Snape's time comes to the end in book seven. At the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his death is a valiant act of sacrifice. Protecting the living and defending the honour of the fallen.

So, he has done a lot of bad in his lifetime, but by the time we as readers get to know him, his fundamental set of beliefs have begun to change. Through the eyes of what started as an eleven year old boy, you can definitely see that even after this he wasn't necessarily a good person.

And that's because his good is behind the scenes. He's good on a larger scale. He's chosen the light over darkness, but in his everyday life he's still the scared, traumatized little kid he's always been.

And him being this way has reasons, but these reasons are not excuses.

Sorry anon, this kind of turned into a long winded review of the entire character. I know that's not really what you asked, so I'll sum it up in a final few sentences sentence.

Yes. I wish Snape had gotten to live. Not because I'm necessarily a "Snape apologist", but because I find his character interesting, and seeing his reaction to his sacrifice could have been a really good read. Also Harry coming up and thanking him would have been really touching, and as a cherry on top maybe we could have gotten to read Harry apologizing for his father. Maybe even Snape sharing memories of Lily?! (Sorry that might have gotten a little to fanfic-y.)

That being said, his death being a final sacrifice towards the good of everyone, and a final testimony to his change of heart, was -- and I'll give JK credit just this once -- good storytelling, and a good way to end it.

Also I like movie!Snape because fuck yeah he's just so awesome.

If anyone has anything to add/take away, or they just want to discuss the wonder that was Alan Rickman, let me know! (Ask/Comment/Reblog/Etc.)

#ESPECIALLY you anon #I never get HP asks so this was a treat #Harry Potter #Severus Snape #Character analysis #Maybe?! #Lampswered #*Spongebob Imagination Rainbow

[basilisklist]

harry/tom (m/m)

“Dance with the Devil” by Driverpicksthemooseic (Ratkinzluver33)

(64,057 words) in progress

horcrux tom

harry/tom (voldemort)

“‘I'm not here to hurt you, Harry. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wish to help you.’”

“(OR, Horcrux!Tom helps Harry restore Voldemort's sanity and unite his soul.)”

Dance with the Devil - Chapter 1 - Driverpicksthemooseic (Ratkinzluver33) - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“If you whisper to death it whispers back” by Lytri

(18,101 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“The Final Battle went far worse than expected, leaving Harry alone in the aftermath. Desperate, he performs a ritual to go back in time, just not as himself. However, the time he ends up in is far from what he intended. Unsure of what else to do, he finally decides to go back to Hogwarts. Tom Riddle is instantly obsessed.”

if you whisper to death it whispers back - Chapter 1 - Lytri - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“A Dangerous Game” by Cybrid

(263,533 words) in progress

horcrux tom

harry/tom

“Tom Riddle opens the Chamber of Secrets in Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts. After a botched attempt to extract the Horcrux in Harry’s scar leaves their souls tied together, Tom is forced to kidnap him when he makes his escape.”

“A story of Horcrux hunting, adventure and unwilling attraction.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13059681/chapters/60993925?view_adult=true

“Son of Magic” by PurplePebbles

(156,481 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“After decades of war, the world is on the brink of destruction, with no hope for survival. The only way to go on is to travel back in time and change everything that's gone wrong, starting with Tom Riddle. That's how Harry Potter found himself in 1941, a time he had hoped never to find himself in again. Why 1941? Death has a pretty messed up sense of humour, that's why.”

Son of Magic - Chapter 14 - PurplePebbles - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Custodarium” by Tina48

(73,149 words) complete

time travel

harry/tom

“The war is over and the Wizarding Britain has been slowly rising from the ashes. Harry just wishes none of it ever happened – what will he do when he’s given a chance to change the past? Was Dumbledore right about ‘the power he knows not’ after all?”

Custodarium - Chapter 1 - Tina48 - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Meant to Be” by phoenixmaiden13 (LadyPhoenix)

(141,197 words) in progress

harry/tom

“One Night of passion leads to drastic consequences that changes the war completely. Harry must go into hiding to protect himself and his most guarded secret. But will that secret bring Harry and Tom together?”

Meant To Be - Chapter 1 - phoenixmaiden13 (LadyPhoenix) - Harry Potter - Fandom

“Wear Me Like A Locket Around Your Throat” by VivyPotter

(221,010 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“‘This is Mr Riddle, one of our Slytherin prefects. I’m sure he’ll make you feel right at home. Mr Riddle, this is Harrison Peters. He’s just been sorted into Slytherin and will be joining you in sixth year,’ Dumbledore announced jovially, though Tom could see that sliver of constant suspicion in his gaze that had never quite faded.”

“‘Harry,’ the boy hurried to correct. ‘Just Harry.’”

“And then he stuck his hand out. How… plebeian, Tom noticed with delight. Walburga would probably faint.”

Wear Me Like A Locket Around Your Throat - Chapter 1 - VivyPotter - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Exhibit A” by WereBunny87

(57,502 words) complete

harry/tom

“Harry Potter has been gone for some time. When he returns he's covered from head to toe in bandages and appears cold as ice. Only a few people know what's been happening to the one time boy wonder...and some of them will live to regret ever being a part of his pain. He'd make sure of it.”

Exhibit A - Chapter 1 - WereBunny87 - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“The Explosion” by orphan_account

(77,000 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“Usually, in other Fics, Harry goes to the past, meets an older or same age Tom in Hogwarts, and is sorted into Slytherin. Harry is usually there to change Tom and Tom is a ‘teenage Dark Lord.’ In THIS Fic, Tom is a bullied 3rd year, believed to be a Mud-blood, and has his first ever crush on Henry Peverell, the 6th year Gryffindor, who is not there to change Tom, but rather...”

The Explosion - Chapter 1 - orphan_account - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Times of Peace” (2 part series) by conquerorofheaven

- Times of Peace (40,305 words) complete

- Times of Change (61,851 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

Times of Peace- “Harry is drinking his life away as usual. Suddenly, he's back in the past, 1943 to be exact. Harry's given a whole new chance at life as Harrison Evans and this time he's not planning on saving anyone.”

“Unfortunately, the Potter luck strikes again and Harry's sucked back into the conflict and face to face with one Tom Riddle. Somehow the more he tries to stay away the more entangled he gets.”

Times of Change- “Harry is still in the past and Tom Riddle is still as persistent as always. This time though, Harry won't get away with pretending to be weak. His secret's out and Tom has made it his mission to figure out his others as well.”

Times of Peace - conquerorofheaven - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Again and Again” by Athy

(334,615 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“The Do-Over Fic - a chance to do things again, but this time-To Get it Right. But is it really such a blessing as it appears? A jaded, darker, bitter, and tired wizard who just wants to die; but can't. A chance to learn how to live, from the most unexpected source.”

Again and Again - Chapter 1 - Athy - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Aware.” by sfk

(160,171 words) in progress

alternative universe, no magic

harry/tom

“There are so many fanfics about heartless mob bosses. This is one of them. Only this one kind of falls in love.”

Aware series - sfk - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“The Rise of a Dark Lord” by LittleMissXanda

(239,985 words)

harry/tom

“Dumbledore was sure he had made the right choice. Ten years later Harry shows him just how wrong he was. With little regard for most, Harry makes a name for himself at Hogwarts, and shows everyone that he is far more than just the BWL. In doing that he attracts the attention of the Dark Lord, making Voldemort believe that the Boy-Who-Lived could be far more than an enemy.”

The Rise of a Dark Lord Chapter 1: The BoyWhoLived, a harry potter fanfic

“Kitties and Crowns” by Lillyleaf101

(63,816 words) complete

Harry goes to school with tom but not time travel

harry/tom

“Fifth year Harry Potter was known only for being the outcast, mudblood of Slytherin and also an immense bookworm, while sixth year Tom Riddle was of course the most popular kid in school. Harry however had never much liked Riddle, watching him like a hawk...he was probably the only kid in school who would not bow down at Riddles feet... Which is surprising seeing as Harry has a HUGE secret crush on him. So what is in store for these two very different yet so very alike boys?”

Kitties and Crowns - Chapter 2 - Lillyleaf101 - Harry Potter - Fandom

“The Fox and The Stag” (2 part series) by KaedeRavensdale

- Praeclarus Anguis (171,641 words) complete

- Argenti Vulpi (96,761 words) complete

time travel

horcrux tom

harry/tom

Praeclarus Anguis- “‘Tell me Harry, if I were to tell you that you could go back in time and prevent one event of your choice from ever occurring would you do so?’”

“Go back in time? A chance to change the past for a better future? ...At once Harry knew what he would do. ‘I would stop Tom Riddle from ever becoming Voldemort.’”

Argenti Vulpi- “Dumbledore is dead, five Horcruxes remain scattered across Wizarding Britain and the only real tool they have to destroy them now rests in the hands of the enemy: worse yet, Voldemort may be slowly catching on to who Tom really is...the truth of what happened that horrible night in Godric’s Hollow is at last revealed. The Dark Lord and the Chosen One race towards their final confrontation, and when that time comes both Harry and Tom stand to lose everything that ever mattered to either of them.”

The Fox and The Stag - KaedeRavensdale - Harry Potter - JK Rowling  

“Turn Back 53” by Kefalion

(126,255 words)

harry/tom

“It's the summer after Harry's sixth year. Voldemort is close to taking over and things are becoming real. On the night of his seventeenth birthday Harry gets a time-turner that can be used to travel 53 years back in time. Without thinking it through too much Harry decided to use it.Back in 1944 he starts a new life, a life where he will do anything to make sure that Voldemort never rises to power. Part of the plan is to get close to Tom Riddle who will attend his seventh year at Hogwarts along with Harry. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, just don't become too close.”

“Will Voldemort's rise to power, and answers the question about who will change who. Will Tom see the light or will Harry descend into darkness? And just how tightly bound are Harry and Tom?”

Turn Back 53 Chapter 1, a harry potter fanfic

“Castle of Glass” by ChibiTsukiHikari

(20,144 words)

time travel

master of death

harry/tom

“A chance to change the past, who wouldn't take the opportunity given the choice? All he had to deal with was a unfortunately devilishly handsome teenage Tom Riddle and his inner circle of baby death eaters. What could possibly go wrong? Especially with Death looming over his shoulder at every turn quite literally mind you. Who was he kidding? This was going to be a complete disaster!”

Castle of Glass - Chapter 1 - ChibiTsukiHikari - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Can’t Break the Silence” by Dark_Cyan_Star

(100,291 words) complete

teacher/student

harry/tom

“Harry’s a Magus, the problem is, he doesn’t want that power and desperately tries to hide his talent. Professor Riddle, a rising Dark Lord, sees through him and tries to court Harry away from Quidditch and into Wizarding politics.”

Can't Break the Silence - Chapter 1 - Dark_Cyan_Star - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Mors et Tempus” by Madriddler

(135,931 words)

time travel

harry/tom

“Scared about the coming war, Harry went to the Astronomy Tower to reflect. Magic, it seemed, has another plan and Harry has swept away from his present and landing right into Hogwarts in 1943. Stuck in Riddle's time, and now under the name of Harry Peverell, Harry must do his best to keep under the radar of Time. However, it seems that Tom Riddle has other plans, and wants the boy for his own.”

Mors et Tempus - Chapter 1 - Madriddler - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“A Change of Heart and Mind” by Tiswabley

(89,457 words) abandoned

time travel

harry/tom

“Harry didn't expect to run into a familiar face on the way back from an errand for his aunt, the summer before his sixth year at Hogwarts. He really didn't enjoy running into Malfoy Senior, either, regardless of the circumstances. Of course, being an active Death Eater, Harry anticipated the man's attack.”

“What he didn't anticipate was the vial spilled all over him, golden sand-like liquid sinking into his skin. When he woke up, well. That was something else entirely. Harry Potter is thrown back in time to the 1940s, right before his sixth year at Hogwarts, and during the same year Tom Riddle would be attending HIS sixth year. What follows are plenty of revelations, more questions than can be answered in that time period, and the potential to meet a group of people who care about him for more than just his fame.”

A Change of Heart and Mind - Chapter 1 - Tiswabley - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“When in Rome” (2 part series) by XblackcatwidowX

- When in Rome (164,267 words) complete

- When in Rome II: The Lost Children Connection (54,988 words)

time travel

harry/tom

When in Rome- “When Harry and Hermione inadvertently tumble half a century into the past, they find themselves in the same year as the notorious Head Boy, Tom Riddle. Both Harry and Hermione's courage will be tested when they are confronted by chances of romance from the most unexpected of places, and unlikely enemies hiding in the tallgrass.”

“Lost in the past, they may well forget the way home.”

When in Rome II: “A year has passed since Harry returned to the present day. Voldemort’s empire is growing, but Harry remains set on saving the man he knows to be Tom Riddle. When unexpected circumstances lead him back down the rabbit hole of the past, he discovers the world to be a far less forgiving place than he remembers, and Tom is a completely different person from the one he left behind. With an empire to tear down and old and new faces to confront, it’s impossible to know who to trust.”

When in Rome - Chapter 1 - XblackcatwidowX - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Love They Haven’t Thought Of Yet” by Snoweylily

(84,541 words)

student/teacher

harry/tom

“Boy Who Lived, Saviour of the Wizarding World, Defeater of Grindelwald, never received his Hogwarts Letter. Five years later, a 16-year-old Harry Potter is found on the streets of London and immediately sent to Hogwarts, where he catches the eye of one Professor Tom Riddle. When Harry is sorted into Slytherin, well... that just makes things a whole lot easier for him, doesn't it?”

Love They Haven't Thought Of Yet - Chapter 1 - Snoweylily - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Moments in Time” by Watermelonsmellinfellon

(46,858 words)

harry/tom

“Tom Riddle thought he was dreaming the first time, but when he repeatedly visits the same boy, he realizes that bigger things are at work. He watches the boy in the cupboard grow from a small child and into a young man. His brotherly affections begin to wane. What will he do when the boy isn't so little anymore? Could he even imagine? Those Avada eyes calling to him.”

Moments in Time - Chapter 1 - Watermelonsmellinfellon - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“If Them’s the Rules” by MayMarlow

(214,040 words)

time travel

adopts tom

harry/tom?

“Unable to accept the aftermath of the war, Harry decides to travel back in time to become the parent Tom Riddle obviously should have had. Except that things don't go as planned and Harry finds himself part of a game with hidden rules, trying to survive while raising a boy whose understanding of family has nothing to do with love.”

If Them's the Rules - Chapter 1 - MayMarlow - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“I Will Always Come Back To You” by Watermelonsmellinfellon

(30,633 words)

reincarnation

harry/tom (voldemort)

“Tom had a friend when he was little. His friend taught him that he was special because of what he could do and that people who hated him, were beneath him. When an accident occurs, Tom's friend promises that he'll never truly be gone. Hadrian always comes back to Tom, in the forms of Haraldr, Harish, and finally, Harry. Magic grants wishes.”

I Will Always Come Back To You - Chapter 1 - Watermelonsmellinfellon - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“The Hidden Abyss” by AmicablePandemonium

(33,893 words)

harry/tom

“Being able to communicate with Tom Riddle in his mind from an early age, Harry quickly learns the truth about Dumbledore and death of his parents. Join Harry as he helps bring about the fall of the Light.”

The Hidden Abyss - Chapter 1 - AmicablePandemonium - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Sweet Darkness” by BerryMoon

(106,489 words)

harry/tom

“Harry had enough of all the betrayals and abandonments. So when an unexpected ally turns-up and offers help out of a sticky situation he decides to accept. Really, it's not like things could get any worse.”

Sweet Darkness - Chapter 1 - BerryMoon - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Forsaken (Old, being rewrote)” by CrossTheCrossedPerson

(127,876 words)

master of death

time travel

harry/tom

“Harry was forsaken his whole life, nothing ever stayed the same and if it did it endangered or hurt Harry in some way shape or form. This revolves in all things, and his pass with fortune ends when after he finally destroys Voldemort, a Death Eater decides to murder him. Death is unhappy with Harry being his master, but acknowledges Harry never had a chance of anything but a horrible life. Granting Harry with his full amount of power with no compulsions, Death sets him up to go to Hogwarts in 1940s where he can truly discover who he is.”

Forsaken (Old, being rewrote) - Chapter 1 - CrossTheCrossedPerson - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Deathly green eyes” by Smolangryslytherin

(177,850 words)

time travel

harry/tom

“They keep their eyes on the body. They jerked back when it moved again. A small and pale hand went to the blade, and it was retired from the open wound, blood rushing out of the cut; they stayed still as it whined again, a curse parting from his lips. He sat slowly, head hanging forward, face covered by the long locks of black hair dripping the black substance on the floor. The only sound was the drops of black ooze on the marble floor. They walk away from the grumbling body, until one bumps into a table, the wooden object making a harsh racket against the floor.”

“Hadrian’s face turns to them, green eyes shining in the gloomy room like lanterns. or Harry kills himself and instead of doing bye-bye, Death throws him back to the past because he is bored. or Harry, now Hadrian, is a sweet murderous child and Tom Riddle is a simp.”

Deathly green eyes - Chapter 1 - Smolangryslytherin - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Better Be” by Assapanick

(61,588 words)

horcrux tom

harry/tom

“Draco thinks it’s rubbish that people suspect Harry is the Heir of Slytherin, but that doesn’t mean he won’t use that to his advantage. Harry? He’s all alone now, unable to face his friends. Lucky for him, he’s found a Diary that he can confide in.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16184567/chapters/37819562

“I Have Seen Your Heart” by Arliene

(41,860 words) complete

harry/tom

“The arrival of his nemesis is the least of Harry Potter's problems. Now that the war is over, he finds himself drifting away from all that held him together in the past, trying to find a new purpose in his life. Being framed for murder forces Harry to be on the run and this time the only company he takes with him is Tom Riddle. The young Dark Lord faces a future he did not expect, meets an oddity who killed everything he strived to be. And yet he finds himself obsessed with his murderer, a determined man searching for answers and reaching for the sky once more. Harry Potter's purpose and Tom Riddle's destiny, seemingly entwined. They say change is overrated. But choice is everything.”

I Have Seen Your Heart

“Not Strong Enough” by Sayon_170

(85,319 words)

harry/tom

“Even at the age of five Tom was a great manipulator. He knew what to do to get what he wanted, and right then he wanted to get out of the orphanage and be with Harry. A promise of love, care, and protection from a beautiful man that wanted him, enticed Tom. If anyone were going to have Harry and the love he offered, it would be him. Harry was too overjoyed at Tom’s acceptance to notice the possessive look in Tom's eyes nor the sharp nails that dug into Harry's neck like fangs trying to latch onto Harry, marking him as his own.”

Not Strong Enough - Chapter 1 - Sayon_170 - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“I Waited For You, In The Shadows Of Time” by watchingvfall_n_drown

(120,090 words) complete

time travel

harry/tom(voldemort)

“In a twist of fate, Harry is stranded in a time when Grindelwald has just been defeated and the  First Wizarding War hasn't begun yet. Desperate for answers, he still has the presence of mind to keep himself hidden from all, especially the power figures of the Wizarding World. And then all his carefully built hope and shelter shatters one day, in the shores of the black lake.”

“Formerly Tom Riddle, now Voldemort comes upon one that captures him with their beauty and magic, stroking the inevitable desire. Like all the pretty things he has collected, this will be no different. Unfortunately for him, his newest obsession has a will of its own and no intention of quietly acquiescing.”

“Will Harry be able to find a way home? Or a reason to stay? And will the Dark Lord find more than a desire to possess in his heart? Even as the two fated ones find each other again, the world moves on. There is still a Dark Lord and still a headmaster with sharp eyes on the horizon.”

I Waited For You, In The Shadows Of Time - Chapter 1 - watchingvfall_n_drown - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“For the Good of Us All” by toomanysunkenships

(48,341 words)

time travel

harry/tom

“Hermione has finally managed to corner Harry and convince him to listen to her plan. ‘Harry, going back in time to save Tom Riddle before the monster envelops the man is the best plan we have. It's for the good of us all.’”

For the Good of Us All - Chapter 1 - toomanysunkenships - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Forget Me Not” by partofforver

(24,213 words) complete

horcrux tom

harry/tom

“Harry Potter finds an empty diary in the bathroom of Moaning Myrtle. Why doesn't he throw it away?”

https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/4118536/chapters/9282931

“Lest You Are My Enemy” by Maeglin_Yedi

(6,415 words) complete

harry/tom

“Some books are better left unopened.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008780

“Counting Bodies Like Sheep” by rightonthelimit

(70,941 words) complete

alternative universe, no magic

harry/tom

“It’s a crazy world torn straight out of a horror movie - the undead roam the earth and destroy everything in their wake. When Harry Potter narrowly escapes a horrible death he finds himself a companion in Tom Riddle - a mysterious, heartless man who doesn't hesitate to take lives to save his own. Savage as the man is, Harry still finds himself enthralled... He quickly starts developing strange needs and feelings.”

“When they decide to finally find a safe place to settle down for a while they encounter dangerous enemies on their path. Tom's past demons come back around to haunt the both of them and it becomes very clear that even after the years they spent together, Harry really doesn't know Tom at all.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/451855

“Death is but the Next Great Adventure” by TheObsidianQuill

(261,123 words)

harry/tom

“What if that night in Godric's Hollow went differently? What if Harry did die? What if Death stepped in and made a deal with the Savior of the Wizarding World? How different would Harry's life be after that deal?”

“(Or, Harry makes a deal with Death and in exchange gains something Voldemort has fought his entire life for. Immortality. And a strange friendship with Death)”

Death is but the Next Great Adventure - Chapter 1 - TheObsidianQuill - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“When Harry Met Tom” by The_Carnivorous_Muffin

(154,299 words)

time travel

harry/tom

“When the battle in the department of mysteries heads south, Harry finds herself flung backwards in time to 1942, where Tom Riddle is a prefect in his fifth year. Armed with this knowledge, but little else, Harry desperately tries to find a way home and for once in her life not screw it up. Tom, for his own part, wonders when Harry Evans will head back to the mothership.”

When Harry Met Tom - Chapter 1 - The_Carnivorous_Muffin - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“you belong to me (i belong to you)” by Child-OTKW

(80,718 words)

harry/tom

“‘What I find absolutely fascinating,’” Riddle said, stalking closer, “‘is you.’” He marched forward, backing Harry up until he was pinned to the cool wall of the common room.”

“After an accident, Auror Harry Potter wakes up in the body of fourteen year old Nathan Ciro, a tormented Slytherin who recently tried to end his own life. His return to Hogwarts causes quite the stir through the staff and students, especially when they realise he is not the same boy as before. He tries to keep his head down, but with the keen eyes of Tom Riddle hounding him through the halls, Harry finds himself unwillingly drawn into a dangerous game with an equally dangerous boy.”

you belong to me (i belong to you) - Chapter 1 - Child_OTKW - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“47 Days to Change (a translation)” by Snow-owl01

(200,888 words)

harry/tom

“Harry Potter and Tom Riddle are enemies, born adversaries, prophesied leaders of opposite factions (2001 to 1932, forty-seven days to change the fate of the Dark Lord).”

“This is a 'Harry travels back in time to raise Tom' story. An unfortunate tale of one man's failed attempt to mold young Tom into a decent, law-abiding citizen. Instead, as Fate will have it, young Tom grows up to become the same twisted psychopath, who is hell-bent on winning the love of his adoptive father. Harry's consent be damned.”

47 Days to Change (a translation) - Chapter 1 - snow_owl01 - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Lord of Time” by DebsTheSlytherinSnapefan

(452,985 words)

time travel

mpreg

harry/tom

“Harry Potter is the Master of Death and Lord of Time through his joining of the three Hallows together. During a duel that wasn't going well, he jumps to the 1940's and has a talk with the true Master of Death. Can Harry prevent the destruction that will occur? Can he change Voldemort to prevent him from becoming the darkest wizard of all time? Or will he be caught in Tom's web?”

Lord of Time - Chapter 1 - DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“60 Years in a Summer” by Isys Luna Skeeter

(74,416 words)

time travel

harry/tom

“One night, once a year, was more than anything else Tom ever had. This is the story of how two people destined to be foes were actually destined for something else”

60 Years in a Summer - Isys Luna Skeeter (IsysSkeeter) - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“The Other Side of the Coin” by Zennith6

(9,276 words) complete

teacher/student

harry/tom

“Harry Potter, defeater of Grindelwald, has come to Hogwarts. Raised by Sirius Black and sorted in to Slytherin, Harry finds his way under the guidance and watchful gaze of his mentor and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, one Tom Marvolo Riddle.”

Fanfic: The Other Side of the Coin Ch 1, Harry Potter

“To Define Treachery” by en extase

(44,595 words) complete

harry/tom

“Blind faith is easily shaken. In the Chamber of Secrets, the Horcrux-shade of a Dark Lord regains physical form and Harry finds within himself something he was never meant to know: ambition.”

Fanfic: To Define Treachery Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Riddle’s Legacy” by GenvieveWoolf

(50,273 words)

horcrux tom

harry/tom

“Miraculously, the boy hesitated. Realizing what was at stake, Tom dropped the wand and fell to his knees. ‘Don't do it!’ The next words came very hard. ‘Please, don't kill me.’ What might have happened if Harry had not stabbed Riddle's diary?”

Fanfic: Riddle's Legacy Ch 1, Harry Potter

“A Touch of Evil” by DaggersBloodPain

(78,358 words)

harry/tom

“What if the Chamber of Secrets events didn't turn out the same? A secret learned will make it so Harry will find himself growing up yearning for the touch of evil.”

“This is what may have happened had Harry not saved Ginny and Voldemort was able to return to his 16 year old self. Harry will have to choose who to give his loyalty, power, and love to. This story will go into the nature of Darkness, tinged with a spark of evil, and this will include the bashing of several Light sided wizards.”

Fanfic: A Touch of Evil Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Enduring Obsession” by whitedwarf

(41,067 words)

harry/tom

“It's Riddle's time at Hogwarts. He can charm anyone but one: Hadrian Carrow. A dichotomy, friends with everyone and yet no one. A Slytherin, he chooses to drink with Gryffindors, debate with Ravenclaws and associate with Hufflepuffs. He's Riddle's obsession.”

Fanfic: Enduring Obsession Ch 1, Harry Potter

“A Dark Tide’s Pull” by SyrupylikeBreakfastinMontag

time travel

harry/tom

“Harry goes back in time to 1944 to deal with Voldemort before he decides to make seven horcruxes. Unfortunately for Harry, though, dealing with a 17 year old Tom Riddle isn't as easy as he thought it would be.”

Fanfic: The Dark Tide's Pull Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Black Coat” by Hermione Prime

(77,918 words) complete

time travel

harry/tom

“Seized by Voldemort at the end of his fifth year, in the Department of Mysteries, Harry was transformed into a cat and sent tumbling through time. Armed with nothing except teeth and claws, Harry has to handle the threat posed by Tom Riddle and his teenage followers. He intends to stop the genius young Dark Lord and sabotage him at every turn...in the form of a cat. Sounds simple?”

Fanfic: Black Coat Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Androgynous Lover” by Watermelonsmellinfellon

(69,791 words)

harry/tom

“Hadrian is an androgynous boy who meets a special 'snake' in the zoo on his cousin's eleventh birthday. This 'snake' will help him through his journey into the magical world. Hadrian will learn to use his looks to sway the masses and to use his cunning to get what he wants. Imagine his shock to find out that his new 'snake' is actually a person!”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2525384/chapters/5612165

“Stars, Hide Your Fires” by Audair, Ophidias

(41,270 words) in progress

time travel

harry/tom

“Riddle’s undivided attention snapped to him with the swiftness of shattering glass. His turbulent magic receded from where it had besieged the shop. ‘You,’ he breathed. Coiling in leisurely motions, the eager tendrils of his magic reached for Harry, swathing about his limbs and neck and chest with a liquid, flowing fascination. ‘I’ve been looking for you,’ Riddle continued, tilting his head to the side and sweeping his gaze over Harry. It was an appraisal that felt simultaneously like the raking of iron nails and the tender drapery of silk. It was so familiar, and yet… so foreign. In the winding streets of Knockturn Alley, an intricate dance of mutual obsession unravels between twenty-three-year-old Tom Riddle and a time-travelling Harry Potter.”

Stars, Hide Your Fires

“Inevitabilities” by EclipseWing

(103,199 words) complete

harry/tom

“Tom and Harry are inevitable in any universe.”

Inevitabilities - Chapter 1 - EclipseWing - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Pet’s Curse” by Isys Luna Skeeter

(79,416 words) complete

time travel

harry/tom

“Harry gets cursed and sent back in time. Now he has to find a way to save himself while getting used to the constant presence of his enemy, how does he always gets himself in these things anyway?”

Pet's Curse - Chapter 1 - Isys Luna Skeeter (IsysSkeeter) - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Turning the Tide” by DanniCat

(105,720 words) complete

harry/tom

harry/draco

“Harry becomes doubtful of Dumbledore's side of the war. Things are no longer how he remembers them. When he listens to Draco's side of the story how will his own path change?”

Fanfic: Turning the Tide Ch 1, Harry Potter

“White Innocence” by Emriel

(85,725 words) abandoned

time travel

harry/tom

“Harry is given another chance to live but there is a catch. He wakes up in the past. Thinking it was all a mistake, Harry plots to get back but has the misfortune of attracting the attention of Tom Riddle. They become friends and Tom starts to feel things that are foreign to him. So he keeps Harry close. What starts as curiosity turns into an obsession.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842741/chapters/22091924

“The Black Bunny” by windseeker2305

(465,513 words)

harry/tom

“Harry's had it with his destined role after the Order does something he can't forgive. Now he's done with both sides of the war and wants to be left alone. But since when have his wishes ever counted for anything?”

The Black Bunny - Chapter 1 - windseeker2305 - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Rebirth” by Athey

(269,743 words)

reincarnation

necromancerHarry

harry/tom

“Two boys grow up together in an orphanage, grow powerful at school, are torn apart by death and brought back together by rebirth. Horcruxes aren't the only way to live forever.”

Fanfic: Rebirth Ch 1, Harry Potter

“The Journal” by Bear-Bell

(54,324 words)

harry/tom

“Harry finds Tom Riddle's journal when he's only 4-years-old”.

Fanfic: The Journal Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Harry Potter and the Sympathy of Souls” by MorticiaYouSpokeFrench

(59,978 words) complete

harry/tom

“Voldemort succeeds in stealing the philosopher's stone, but not all is as it seems.”

Harry Potter and the Sympathy of Souls - Chapter 1 - MorticiaYouSpokeFrench - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

#fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 #harrymort #tomarry #harry potter #harry/tom #harryxtom #harry x tom #time travel

[llendrinall]

1/2 I love the way you write Draco and personally I think Draco would've been terrified during the war and somehow grew a pair and got the courage to work against Voldy on his own terms from inside the ranks. Working not for Dumbledore but for himself to get his parents out safe (Id think he polyjuiced 2 ppl/animals and imperiused them to act and think like his parents while his real parents were in hiding or something)

2/2 So I think he created a powerful organisation by himself as a teenager and kept it going long past the war. And the best part is it isnt even a evil organisation. Just one that has its hands in every single thing imaginable. The best part is that if another war broke out Draco's Organisation would be able to squash it in 10 seconds flat. The man is powerful and no one knows. Except for Harry who's his husband and knows fully well what he does.

 It’s not just a question of courage, though. Or, at least, courage as we usually understand it. It’s about relations and how stories work.

You see, there is a reason why so many characters in stories are orphans or become orphans at the beginning of the story. The reason is that parents get in the way. There is this expectation that parents should be the ones fixing things, the ones with authority and with the last word. As long as parents are around, children have to obey and they can’t shoulder the story on their own.

In this case, Draco’s biggest and most immediate challenge isn’t finding a way to bring Voldemort down, or avoid arising His Darkness suspicions, or circumventing the always vigilant Bellatrix. No, the main obstacle is his parents and the fact that they won’t listen to him.

This is how Lucius gets himself sent to Azkaban. He didn’t listen.

Draco doesn’t set to create a powerful shadow organization that gives him insurmountable power. He is just a scared kid who wants to protect his mum. Sure, his mother says everything will be all right and that professor Snape will help, and aunt Bella says Draco will bring victory and honour to the house; but Draco is not so certain. He wants to believe them but he would feel better if he had other assurances.

So while his mother takes aunt Bella to go talk to Snape, Draco fills a cauldron with white wax and milk. He spends the whole night in his bedroom working with it and by sunrise he has a life-sized doll that makes a passable impression of Narcissa. Animating her is a bit more difficult because one book says to use spit and a candle and another book says to use blood. In the end he goes by a third book that says to use something living, so Draco grabs a mouse from the dungeons, lights a candle, drops some blood, puts the mouse inside the doll’s mouth and look at that, a breathing, moving and talking Narcissa!

True, she doesn’t talk that much. The process to create a fake wife was obviously intended so the wizard could steal the human wife and leave the doll behind, not the other way around. But she is good enough. Just in case, Draco pretends to have a fight with his mother and hex her in the heat of the moment. Bella screams at him for an hour and Voldemort says that he admires the lengths Draco is willing to go, but that he expects Draco not to get too carried away. The way he says it, as if laughing at Draco’s desperation, is horrible, just horrible. But, if Narcissa looks a bit lost from then on, nobody questions it.

The real Narcissa is trapped inside a mirror and beside herself with anger. Draco has to keep the mirror in a velvet bag inside a wooden box because he is afraid someone will hear his mother’s screams. The important part is that she is safe and if only she stopped coming to the mirror’s surface to yell at Draco she could admire the room Draco made for her, it is very nice.

Draco sets to do the Dark Lord’s bidding and kill Dumbledore. He does, he actually does. If it had been Potter, Draco might have acted differently. But it is Dumbledore and Draco could never stand the old fart, so he doesn’t feel bad about planning his death.

It is not after his third chat with Moaning Myrtle that it occurs to him that Voldemort expects Draco to fail. That bastard! Can you believe it? He tells Snape about it and Snape agrees which is even more incensing. Voldemort wants Draco to die. Snape assures him that it won’t be so and that he will ensure Draco’s success. The Malfoy family will be forgiven, of course, don’t fret about that. But all Draco can think about is how he is going to ensure Voldemort’s defeat.

First point of his plan: put a curse on any and all of Voldemort’s true followers. Draco is not completely satisfied with the wording because he knows Voldemort has many incidental and opportunistic followers, so perhaps “Death-Eater” would be better. But then again, not all of his true followers have a mark in the arm. Also, Draco has a mark of his own and he doesn’t want to curse himself.

The fact that no one has attempted a curse like this since the fifteenth century doesn’t faze him, nor that said attempt was a failure. There are many documented cases from the thirteen century that were successful and Draco is sure he can do as well as them if no better.

It is not easy to lay a curse like this. Draco doesn’t have the power to do it. Fortunately, he has the good sense to realize what his medieval counterparts took years to discover: no human has such power. He has to borrow it from another creature.

Thus Draco signs his first magic contract with a spirit from the cemetery at Hogwarts. It’s not a ghost and not whatever-the-fuck Peeves is. It is simply a spirit, one who is happy to give Draco a boost in exchange for some warmth and a fresh bouquet of flowers. Now Draco can turn invisible and wander around the restricted section of the library where he finds a lot about curses but not enough about people with whom he could make a pact.

Next he binds to a spirit haunting the crossroads before Hogsmeade. The spirit is happy to do Draco’s bidding in exchange for a secret, any secret. So Draco tells him that amortentia smells to him like Quidditch leather, and the Hogsmeade Crossroads Spirit looks around all the magic roads and tells Draco about the dark creatures moving between them.

Meanwhile Snape and Bella are getting on his case because Draco is no closer to killing Dumbledore and apparently his last attempts were, according to Snape, “stupid and lazy” and Draco ought to be ashamed of himself if he is not to even going to pretend to take this seriously. So Draco makes a trip to Knocturn Alley to examine the vanishing cabinet at Borgin and Burkes and advance the official plan a bit. He also visits the Malfoy vault at Gringotts.

He stays three hours in there, in the dark. When nothing happens, Draco brings out a bag and puts it over his head and he carefully and very, very, slowly begins to suffocate himself until he can see colourful sparks behind his eyelids and his lungs burn and finally, finally, he senses a malevolent presence, something made of the last exhalations of those who died inside the bank. The Exhalation of Gringotts is strong and cruel and drives a very hard bargain, but Draco wasn’t sorted in Slytherin simply because every other family member was and because he wished to be in that house. He knows to be careful and cunning, so he lets The Exhalation of Gringotts believe that staring at the sky from sunset to sunrise and then giving that sight to them (The Exhalation of Gringotts is a them) is a high price in exchange for their strength and their knowledge of pain.

Draco actually enjoys the night he spends looking at the sky and he promises to do it again, just for himself, and indeed the very next Friday he does.

He lays his curse the first Sunday of May. Waiting until June 24th would had been better but he can’t afford to wait so long. He needs it now, a curse on the fortune of any and all true followers of Voldemort.

He gives the Hogsmeade Crossroads Spirit three more secrets (the time he wished a kiss for himself, the truth of Bellatrix’ rage and one of his smallest pet peeves) and he finds how well his curse his doing and who should be his next target. As suspected, many of Voldemort’s followers have enough selfish motivations to escape his curse.

Draco doesn’t have anything of interest to offer the ondines, but the goblins do and the goblins merely want some historical artefacts back which is easy enough to arrange. He has to make a couple of new pacts with the Spirit of the Empty Grave and the Susurrus at Whitehall but he gets the artefacts for the goblins who, it turn, give whatever that thing was (it looked like a comb but it was not) to the ondines, who are happy enough to join Draco because he was very respectful and polite and apparently they were a bit miffed that both Voldemort and Dumbledore had ignored them. Somehow all this translates into people coming in contact with the river Avon and being instantly cleaned from the imperius curse. Not that many people come into contact with said river but accidents can be arranged if you have a couple of swarms at your service, which Draco has.

The swarms are by far the most joyful of Draco’s associates and also the hardest to please. Giving secrets to the Hogsmeade Crossroads Spirit is dangerous, sure, and balancing the requests of the Spirit from the Cemetery at Hogwarts and the Spirit of the Empty Grave can be lethal if he is not careful. But the swarms asked for a song each and it is not so easy to compose an original song, let alone two. Fortunately, the swarms were so pleased with Draco’s effort that as long as Draco writes them new verses from time to time they won’t even ask for another song or melody.

Draco takes a bit longer to secret Lucius away because he is very busy and also a bit angry with his dad. If only Lucius had listened to him, Draco wouldn’t have signed any contracts nor sworn pacts or shook hands with half the forgotten magical creatures of England. Said creatures are actually very nice and have quite interesting things to say. Less than half of them pose a direct threat of madness and/or death to Draco. But he didn’t know that back then and he is angry at his father for the risk he was force to take.

At least Narcissa seems almost happy and relieved when Draco pushes Lucius into the mirror. It’s nice that someone here (other than the swarms) appreciate Draco’s efforts.

Harry wins the war. There is no doubt about that. Harry is the one finding and destroying horcruxes and the one who kills Voldemort at the end.

But Draco helps. Draco gets him time and space. Harry Potter is the most wanted person in England and he spends months without anyone being able to find him, no Death Eater or werewolf or ogre or troll or any of the creatures that work for Voldemort. None. Sure, there is that time when Harry gets himself snatched, but there are twenty other times when he was not, including when he walked straight into Nagini’s jaws. It’s not Draco’s fault that Harry was captured that one time and it is certainly thanks to Draco that he managed to escape. So there.

Voldemort falls and Draco is happy to think that he had quite a lot to do with it.

And then…

Harry comes to him freely. Draco is sure of that. He did nothing about it. He even rejects Harry at first! But Draco has made so many pacts that he can’t be completely sure that his longing and wanting of Harry hasn’t triggered something. The wax doll playing Narcissa wasn’t supposed to save Harry’s life. Draco is endlessly grateful that she did, but he is also worried that his want might have had unexpected effects somewhere else. He knows he didn’t do anything, not consciously or willingly at least, but he also knows that he has been wanting Harry long enough that he can’t be absolutely certain that he didn’t magic Harry’s attraction to him.

Harry is hurt at Draco’s rejection and persistent. Merlin, he is so persistent! So Draco gives in and takes Harry for himself. He also promises all of his own self to Harry, his hand, his heart and all his virtues whatever they may be. If there is the smallest chance that Draco forced this, he will atone by making Harry delightfully happy.

Which is why Lupin miraculously heals form his wounds and why Longbottom’s parents get slightly better (well enough that they can recognize their son at least), and why the proposed werewolf reform is approved despite the vocal opposition against it.

It works. Harry is happy and Draco almost believes he deserves it when Harry smiles at him. And then, a month before they are set to marry Harry comes to him and says “okay, Draco, what did you do?”

“I talked to the caterer like you asked me to?”

“No, not that.” Harry says and before Draco can ask if he was supposed to do something else he says “and don’t play dumb.”

“Um…”

“Draco, the house-elf legislation!”

“What about it?”

“It was approved!”

“Really? Those are great news!” Draco smiles in delight and gets up. They are amazing news. Maybe Harry will kiss him. “Aren’t they?”

“Draco,” Harry says slowly. It doesn’t seem like he is going to kiss anyone. “There was NO WAY it could be approved. We proposed it because it’s the right thing to do, but we were ready to negotiate for some smaller measures and try again in ten years.”

Draco nods. Yes, that sounds sensible. Even a decade might not be enough to change people’s minds about elf ownership. A hundred years would be more like it.

“The werewolves was hard to believe already,” Harry goes on, sitting down on the armchair Draco had vacated. “But I thought we were just lucky when twelve members got sick with a stomach bug and couldn’t come to the vote. Well, I thought we were lucky. The honourable members for Knightsbridge launched an investigation, you know. They said there was foul play with the members for Essex but they couldn’t prove anything.”

Draco hums and grabs a chair to sit, resting his feet on the edge of the armchair and showing off the length of his legs. He isn’t worried. There is no way they can find anything about the honourable members for Essex because there is nothing to find. That had been a legitimate Quidditch accident that made all of them late to the vote. The honourable members for Hampshire, on the other hand, yes, there was certainly foul play in there. Once the blue-folk learned how they were being taken advantage of they made such a riot that the honourable members for Hampshire didn’t have a single minute to spare to think about a stupid vote back in London that was destined to fail. That’s what happens when a hundred years of delayed legislation catches up to you.

“But that was then.” Harry says, his arm coming to rest over Draco’s leg and his whole body unconsciously turning towards Draco. He couldn’t be too angry then. “Today the legislation to end house-elf ownership has been approved, 59 to 57, and freaking Thurman Goldfich changed his mind. So tell me, Draco, what did you do?”

“I merely expressed my wishes to some of my associates.” Draco says, which is such an obscene understatement. He had to deploy the goblins in twelve constituencies where they put the local economy to a stop and then waited for the corresponding representative of the Wiz-Parliament to come talk to them, at which point the goblins expressed their views on current economic trends and how unfair it was to use slave labour and how unless they were willing to impose tariffs on house-elf labour they might as well stop doing business with the wizarding community altogether because it wasn’t worth it.

Draco ventured that this would go down better than any inter-species solidarity argument. If wizards thought that goblins were just being greedy and that by freeing house-elves they were cunningly avoiding their tariff they would be more open to it.

Then there was a small aquatic incident that could had been tragic but for the heroic intervention of a free house-elf (finding a free house-elf was the hardest part of the ordeal). Madame Borricane who was not a member of the Wiz-Parliament but who had six nephews who were, witnessed the house-elf’s heroics and talked incessantly about it for the next two weeks. Enough that four of the nephews changed their vote if only to show to Madame Borricane they were the one good nephew who listened and ought to inherit her fortune.

The Hogsmeade Crossroads Spirit made a wizard arrive late enough times that his electors got sick of him never being in time in the Wiz-Parliament to argue their case, so they removed him by expedite vote and he was substituted by this wonderful nightmare of a liberal witch who was mad enough to vote in favour of house-elf emancipation without any other pressure. She even convinced two other honourable members all by herself. Draco is going to get her a goblin-made present and he invited her to their wedding.

The Susurrus at Whitehall gave three MW-Ps nightmares about becoming house-elves themselves for a week and constantly reminded the honourable member for London Bexley that his ancestors were once slaves and that there is no species distinction when talking about slavery, so the honourable member for London Bexley got his head out of his colossal ass and voted what any moral person with an ounce of historical sense would.

And finally, yes, thanks to The Exhalation of Gringotts Draco got the brilliant idea of putting a swarm to constantly whisper into Thurman Goldfich’s ear about his family name and legacy. Goldfich doesn’t care at all about house-elves, but his name will be recorded as the one who made the legislation possible. He will go down in history when there was no other way that unremarkable man would ever be remembered.

And because Harry is looking at him with those eyes of his and that smile, Draco tells him everything.

“Let me just say,” Draco adds, trying not to grin too much because he feels like he is getting away with it, “that lobbying is perfectly legal.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s just that I don’t use money or offer traditional benefits.”

“I don’t think you offer any benefits at all.”

“Oh, no. I do! Just not to politicians.” Draco answers and Harry laughs which is the greatest sound ever uttered on Earth.

“As long as you restrict the use of curses, I’m okay with it.” Harry says and what’s more, he finally leans over and kisses Draco. A sweet unhurried kiss, and kiss that says I will marry you in a month and I will kiss you then and every day after. “Now, let me hear those songs you made for the swarms”.

#asks #draco malfoy #harry potter #verse: draco's little magical association of mutual favours #Anonymous #textpost

[halothenthehorns]

THE FIREBOLT

Sirius was still staring vacantly down at the book in his hands as if fearing it was going to leap up and rip his face off any second, so taking pity on him Harry got to his feet and offered his hand out for the book. When he still didn't respond to that, Harry leaned over and gently tugged the book out of his slack grip, but before he could head back to his spot to read James voiced, "It's getting pretty late into the night. How about we take a break for food?"

Lily nodded in agreement and Harry was happy to follow her into the kitchen and help again, leaving the three stunned boys in place.

Finding out James was dead was one of the most heart-wrenching things his friends had ever considered. Of course they weren't naïve, they recognized they would all die eventually, but the manner in which it was to come, and so soon, had terrified them from the very beginning. Now here they were, yet again, to find another of theirs lost too soon for this life, and for what?

Because Peter had panicked and tried to confront Sirius, only for the matter to be blown into historical proportions? Where was the justice in that? The bloodlust it ensued in the friends to find out who'd done this to their friend was hardly contained even now as they sat in a stewing silence.

In the kitchen, Harry was having a more pleasant chat with his mother. "I didn't know Sirius was my Godfather. How come you guys haven't mentioned it?"

Lily thought back for a moment to realize they hadn't outright told him this before nodding and saying, "guess it just hadn't crossed our mind to tell you dear. There are plenty of little things like that, just passing comments we hardly realize you wouldn't get. Sorry love, but now you know."

Harry chuckled for a moment, passing her the pepper and inspecting this bubbling warmth that this seemed to cause him. He had a Godfather? He obviously knew now why Sirius hadn't been there for him through the years, but something about realizing this made him smile. Of course his thirteen-year-old self had been devastated at the news, but right now all he could think of was, what if Sirius' name really did get cleared? His family seemed very sure this was going to happen, and he had no reasons to doubt them. If that did happen, then that could very possibly mean he would leave the Dursleys? He may actually regain memories of a home life he was only getting a glimpse of now?

His gut wanted to argue the point, there was no settling feeling saying his thoughts now had any concrete to them, but the mood of this book had been so low for so long now, he refused to let himself ruin this fantasy and would cling to it for as long as possible.

Dinner was mostly a silent affair, the shock still weighing heavily on all of them as Harry went to pick the book back up. Now that he at least partially knew what had been bothering him about that trip into Hogsmeade Harry's mind had settled down some, though that lingering prickle that he was still missing something left him with an anxious feeling as he began to read.

Harry had no memory of traveling back to the common room, just that it happened a lot faster then when he came down.

Sirius winced at his remembered light joke of before, hating how this book seemed to continue twisting and mocking his very being.

He was too busy analyzing every word of that conversation, one thing in particular standing out, why hadn't anybody ever told him?

'Because the one who should have wasn't around' Remus bitterly thought, wanting to curse himself nearly as much as anyone else the more this dragged on.

Fudge, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley,

"Arthur might not have known," Lily said fairly, "I'm sure he doesn't even know you two, and as Fudge did say, this didn't really seem that widely known."

Harry nodded in understanding, knowing he hadn't held this against the Weasley's, though feeling rather certain he had wanted to demand this from someone.

any number of people should have told Harry that his parents were murdered because of their supposed best friend's knife in the back.

Both James and Remus gave Sirius a very careful look, noticing at once how his hands twisted up in his lap at the implication, but he seemed to have taken Remus' words to heart at least somewhat. Sirius just had to know he'd never do anything like this, accidentally or not, so Harry didn't let that horrid question linger.

They got back to the common room to find the twins had let off some dungbombs to let out some steam.

Lily crinkled up her nose in disgust, not really understanding how stinking up the common room would make them feel better, but knowing this behavior all too well from her own boys. If given half the chance, the present Marauders would cause mayhem in the school right now to get rid of some built up tension; but they weren't in school anymore, and they were having to learn to cope with this in other ways.

Harry didn't want them to get the chance to ask how his trip had gone,

All three boys gave a horrible jerk at that, disgusted that something like Harry's first trip into Hogsmeade, and the use of the map at all, would be ruined by this. It just didn't seem fair they couldn't stay happy for one whole chapter anymore.

and went up to his room instead and dug out something Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, a photo album filled with pictures of his parents.

This happy little reminder did spike up the mood at least a bit. Of course none of them had forgotten this treasured gift, and it was warming beyond belief to know Harry clearly valued it so much.

He curled up in his bed and began flipping until he came across their wedding photo.

"Ah," Sirius murmured, nodding in understanding now. Harry had once mentioned he thought he knew him back when Hagrid had given him this book, at the time Harry had simply settled on the idea he must have seen a picture of him. Now they understood it was wrong, but it was still interesting to know which picture Harry had latched onto.

His mother and father were easily picked out and usually Harry's sole attention, but now he glanced at his father's right hand side, where the best man stood, whom he'd never thought about before.

Sirius wanted to mock pout at that, but just couldn't raise up the energy at yet another reminder of how little Harry knew about him, and the manner that he continued learning about him hurt like a scalding knife tearing chunks out of his soul.

If he hadn't known now, he wouldn't believe it was the same person. The Black in the photo was young and carefree, clearly laughing along, when compared to the more recent photo he'd seen of the skull like villain.

James and Remus couldn't even imagine it. Sirius so unrecognizable to his boisterous nature as to not be recognized like this! It was something they refused to linger on any longer than was possible.

He wondered if Black was already on the other side in this captured moment,

Harry wanted to stop and give him a sorry look for ever thinking that, in his defense he hadn't actually known him at the time, but he knew it was only going to get worse so forced himself to keep going. The words would have jammed up in his throat anyways, because of that terrible spot he couldn't fix. He was convinced now more than ever Sirius had a reason for being at school, a murderous reason. It couldn't really be Harry though...right? The fact that he couldn't answer himself gave him chills as much as anything he'd been hearing.

if he felt anything for the other people in this photo, if he had any idea he was fixing to spend years in Azkaban and come out looking like a different man.

"I sincerely doubt he actually knew that," Lily muttered sarcastically under her breath, grimacing right along with everyone else at these implausible questions.

Then Harry remembered that dementors had no effect on him,

"Maybe not while I'm a dog," Sirius sighed, still vacantly wondering why he had acted so normal around Fudge. 

and Black didn't have to hear Lily screaming and pleading against her son's death. Harry slammed the book shut and put it away,

Sirius winced anew that his face had at any time caused such a horrible reaction to Harry, but the boy sounded so miserable in that moment he didn't want to say anything for fear of making it worse.

and rolled over to feign sleep just as Ron came in, so Harry didn't react.

'Can't hardly blame him' Remus thought sadly, 'everyone wants to be alone sometimes.'

Ron left, and Harry was left with a building hatred pounding through him.

"I'm sorry Sirius," Harry couldn't stop himself this time, his wide green eyes looking the opposite of hatred in that moment. He clearly felt guilt ridden about ever thinking something like this when now he instinctively knew just how wrong he was. He was forcefully ignoring that other part of him, Sirius must have a reason for this, no man who looked as guilt stricken upon hearing of all this could really have done these things.

"S'alright Harry," Sirius sighed, trying to put some feeling into his voice even as he rubbed at his face, trying to force this stiff almost frozen expression of a scowl away. "Not like I can really do anything to fix it, least you're not thinking it for the rest of your life, that's all that really matters."

James couldn't help but give Sirius a reassuring pat on the shoulder all the same, like he was trying to reward him for the attempt even if it did come out a little hollow anyways.

He was picturing the whole thing in his head like a video, Black from that wedding photo blowing up Peter Pettigrew,

All three of them made a horrible choking noise at that sentence, like it wasn't bad enough hearing it the first time, but now realizing Harry was going to sit around and think about it nearly as much as thinking about his Mother gave each of them a deep desire to blast their own memories of this particular pain. Maybe if Harry didn't feel so wretched for what he was currently putting Sirius through he would have focused a little more on how odd and just plain wrong that sentence was for him to say, his gut giving an absent nudge of pain going unnoticed.

who looked like Neville,

"Not a bad comparison really," James said a little too loudly, looking for anything to take his mind off of this topic. "Wish you could get to know Neville a little better all the same."

Harry nodded in agreement, having a fairly good feeling his friendship with his fellow Gryffindor only gets stronger through the years.

and Black's voice, though he had no real idea what it could be,

Sirius had a fairly good idea that type of reminder would never not feel like a stab to the heart.

whispering to his master that he was handing over the Potters. Then he once again remembered the screaming...

Dialogue jumped in by telling Harry how bad he looked.

"Oh thank you, because I'm sure that made him feel so much better," Remus rolled his eyes.

Since Harry hadn't actually fallen asleep during the night, this made sense.

Lily had to bite at her lip to stop herself from voicing the opinion if this continued he really should go and visit Madam Pomfrey for some sort of dreamless potion to help with this restlessness. The only thing restraining her was the reminder of how rarely Harry actually sought out help, and she doubted this time would really be different.

He'd fallen into a fitful doze sometime around daybreak, woken up to an empty room, and come downstairs to find Ron eating a Peppermint Toad and rubbing at his stomach,

"Probably had one to many of those," James muttered randomly.

while Hermione was doing homework on three separate tables.

Sirius was more than happily distracted by letting out a low whistle and admitting, "almost forgot how many classes she was in, Merlin it's a bloody miracle she even takes the chance to go to Hogsmeade. You'd think she'd have to be doing homework twenty-four seven to keep up."

Harry asked why the place was deserted, and Ron reminded it was Christmas break, most everyone went home.

"Can't rightly blame them," Lily said with some forced cheerfulness, more than happy Harry's friends were at least looking out for him, or trying to, with staying behind.

Harry collapsed in a chair without comment, and Hermione repeated how bad Harry looked.

"I'm sure that made him feel just as swell the second time," Remus snorted in real amusement.

Harry brushed it off, and Hermione threw a quick look at Ron before beginning to tell him that what they'd heard the other day, shouldn't make him go doing anything stupid.

"Stupid like what?" James demanded in disbelief. "What exactly do they think you're going to do with this new information, except to rightly sulk a bit."

Harry just shrugged, he remembered that poisonous hatred hadn't exactly worn off, but he'd no real idea what or how he was supposed to channel it at that time, so what Hermione actually thought he was going to do he didn't know.

Harry asked what she was talking about, and Ron snapped that he shouldn't be going after Black.

"That would be a sight," Remus rolled his eyes at that mental image.

"I still insist Harry might really win that fight," Sirius joked lightly, half wishing Harry would do this anyways. It was high time someone gave Harry some real facts, which he was sure he could deliver, rather than all of this tosh he kept getting.

It was clear from the way they were acting they'd already talked about this before Harry woke up, but he didn't respond.

"You're friends never cease to amuse me," Lily chuckled. "Who rehearses this type of conversation?" Privately she was warmed that Harry had such caring friends they were so worried about Harry like this, despite how misguided it was, as Harry really should be allowed to be as angry as he wanted about this mess.

Instead he asked if they knew what he heard whenever he was around a dementor.

'Guess it's a good thing he tells someone' James mentally sighed, bracing himself to hear this living nightmare all over again.

They obviously didn't, so he told them all the gritty details.

'I probably will be a real murderer when Harry really does get that name' Sirius mentally snarled, but kept that one to himself for fear of the retribution his friends would give him.

While shocked at the horrible news, Hermione insisted it still didn't change that Black should be caught by the proper people, put back in Azkaban, which is what he deserved.

'Gotta love Hermione' Remus frowned without any real heat, knowing Hermione was speaking without all the facts, but detesting anyone saying this about his friend.

Harry just scoffed, as Fudge had said that place had no effect on him, it wasn't even a real punishment. Ron looked scared now as he asked what Harry did want, Black dead?

"Can't even say that's harsh, I'm thinking something similar about the person who did do this," James scowled.

Hermione looked very freaked out now as she said of course Harry didn't want anyone dead!

Harry didn't offer an opinion now anymore than he did then. At the time he really couldn't claim he would have batted an eye if that did happen, now the very thought of it caused a horrible twist inside of him. He lacked commenting this though, because he didn't think Sirius would appreciate the first answer anymore then his memory would appreciate him poking at an echo of pain he didn't know how to dwell on.

Harry didn't answer, he was just positive that the fact Black was out was eating away at him.

"I'm honestly curious what you really will do," Sirius couldn't help but chuckle, knowing Harry was doing it for all the wrong reasons, but willing to encourage anything that would get the two of them in the same room alone.

Then he pointed out that Malfoy knew.

"What's this?" Remus asked curiously, trying to cast his mind around for the last time Harry had spoken to Malfoy.

That day in Potions, he'd mocked Harry that he should have gone and killed Black already, for revenge.

"Oh," they all muttered, frowning all over again. None of them really wanted to consider Malfoy a credible source for anything, but the fact that a Death Eater would know about this instance really struck a nerve. It even crossed James' mind that, what if it had been a Death Eater to orchestrate this whole thing? He found this the most likely scenario yet, but he wanted to think on it a while more before he offered it to the others.

Ron was insulted as he told Harry he was taking Malfoy's words over them.

"Harry's hardly 'taking his advice', he's just noting something from before," Remus frowned, rather as annoyed by this as Ron that Malfoy would have any involvement.

Then he continued by telling Harry something he'd heard, that Order of Merlin, First Class, Pettigrew had received was sent to his mother with only a finger in a box, because that was the largest part of him they found.

"Ew," Lily muttered, trying to force that mental image out of her mind rather than bursting into tears that this was a fate of someone she considered a friend. Her reaction was mild compared to Peter's friends, who had gone a pasty color and looked more likely to vomit the longer this was talked about.

Harry was blinking spastically down at the page, like his Mum trying his very hardest to push something away, in his case a feeling of significance. Something about this, a single finger, then a headache began forming again and he forced himself to keep reading.

Ron was insisting that Black was too unstable to go near, but Harry ignored Ron, saying Malfoy's dad would know all about this.

"Half wish you'd actually ignored all of what he'd said," Sirius muttered, thinking he'd have been more than happy if they'd never learned that bit of trivia.

Remembering that Malfoy Senior was in Voldemort's top ranks, and Ron tried to cut Harry off and told him to say You-Know-Who.

"And that still hasn't gotten old," Remus muttered for his own amusement, at this point fairly certain Harry never was going to start doing that and the reactions from others would continue. Which mostly caused pride in him, finding Harry's resistance against this a very good parallel to his father.

Harry was still talking, saying Malfoy would have known Black as well, then Ron cut in again that those Malfoys would be just as happy if Harry wound up like Pettigrew.

"I want to curse Ron into a million pieces," Lily snarled, somehow managing to find Ron's crude humor in even more poor a taste then Sirius' of late.

Then Ron told Harry Malfoy had just said all of that to distract him from the coming Quidditch game.

"Harry can beat him with one arm behind his back," James chirped, causing bursts of still dulled amusement from all of them. The mantra of 'they could fix this' was pretty much the only thing sustaining them at this point, as the fate of their friend now seemed as hot a topic as Sirius, and they all wanted to vomit or murder someone for the continuing reminder. It seemed to hurt all the worse because Peter wasn't here now, they couldn't just glance over at their friend whenever they needed the reminder. Now they really wished they'd convinced Peter to stick around.

Hermione looked likely to cry any second as she begged Harry to listen, that going after Black wouldn't do them any good because it's what Black wants.

"Going to have to agree with Hermione on that one, under a different context anyways," Sirius huffed.

Surely Harry's parents didn't want Harry to get hurt, and wouldn't want him to do that.

Lily said, "no" at the same time as James said, "yes."

The parents gave each other the stank eye for a moment before James cracked and smiled over at her, responding, "I think we technically answered a different half of her question."

Lily couldn't help but return the smile and laughed at the exchange.

Harry shot back he had no idea what they'd ever want, because Black had them killed!

"Merlin, can't have one decent moment anymore can they," Remus sighed low enough only Sirius heard him as James and Lily turned away from each other, faces dropping and biting at their lips at such a reminder, while Harry's smile dropped right out as well.

Crookshanks interrupted by jumping on the table, and Ron's pocket gave a shiver.

"Inquisitive little thing," Sirius grumbled, really not looking forward to another fight breaking out right now and hoping that cat would stay put.

Ron tried for something new, instead saying they should go and visit Hagrid, they hadn't in awhile.

"Not without good reason," Harry sighed in reminder, since the moment he'd read that he had an inkling of a feeling what Ron's words were fixing to cause in him then, and it wasn't good.

Hermione tried to protest Harry still wasn't allowed out of school,

Maybe it was all the pent up frustration at this particular book, but the room gave a collective groan and grumble of annoyance for Hermione still trying to enforce that rule.

but Harry was all for it, wanting to have a go at Hagrid for never mentioning any of this before.

James sucked in air backwards through his teeth, creating a sound effect that made it obvious he very dearly didn't want to sit in on this conversation.

That was not what Ron had meant at all,

"Curse irony," Sirius scowled, still not really over the fact that he normally loved the full attention being on him, and the way it kept getting thrown in his face like this. Remus gave him a gentle nudge in pity, having a pretty good idea what Sirius' little comment meant and both agreeing with him and unable to think of anything to make him feel better.

and tried for something new like a game, but Harry wouldn't hear of it and marched out of the common room. They had to go past the usual standard of ye old insults.

Lily had to do a double take before reminding herself of the current portrait, then frowned when she realized why hadn't the Fat Lady come back yet? Exactly how badly had Sirius hurt her painting? The boys looked so miserable over there though, she wondered if they even registered this, and she wasn't going to be the one to bring it up.

When they reached Hagrid's though, they knocked without an answer. Hermione wondered if Hagrid had stepped out,

"Wouldn't put it past him," Remus shrugged, "I'm sure the holidays leave him rather busy with both of his jobs."

but Ron pressed his ear to the door and heard some odd thrumming inside, like someone sobbing.

"Is-is that Fang crying?" Sirius frowned, thinking that wasn't really how a dog would be described to cry, but really unsure as to why it would be Hagrid.

James thumped Sirius on the ear for what he considered a stupid comment.

Harry began knocking on the door even louder, calling out who it was, and Hagrid answered this time with red swollen eyes.

"Oh no," Lily cooed at once, wanting to wrap Hagrid in a hug even if her arms wouldn't reach all the way around. They'd all felt some pretty mild annoyance at Hagrid's part in the story in the last chapter, but they could hardly sit there and blame him more than anyone else when it was clear McGonagall and every other person in the world believed Sirius had done all of that as well. So their first reaction to hearing Hagrid was upset was an equal amount of concern as Harry, all of them deciding they really couldn't hold a grudge against someone who had done so much for Harry.

He took one look at Harry, realized he'd heard, and wrapped Harry up in a hug.

"Heard what?" Remus muttered, getting jittery at once for what other possible bad thing could happen.

Hagrid being so much larger, this wasn't very easy. Harry felt like his spin was about to snap in half, when Ron and Hermione saved him by taking one of Hagrid's arms each and leading him back inside.

It was a good thing Hagrid still seemed to have some sense of himself, as they were all sure Ron and Hermione's combined strength really couldn't have done this if he hadn't wanted to.

Hagrid didn't protest as he stumbled back to a chair, tears still leaking down into his beard.

"The poor dear," Lily began fretting, her first instinct to get to her feet and make him a nice hot cup of tea so that he could tell her what the problem was. She only hoped Hermione or one of the boys would think to do something like this as well.

Hermione asked what was wrong, and Hagrid waved at a letter on the table. With permission, Harry picked it up and began to read, the first sentence stating this was about that hippogriff attack.

"Oh crap," they all muttered, having nearly forgotten the whole incident. It hadn't happened that long ago, but considering the things they learned since then it may as well have been a lifetime. The whole thing had pretty much lost its impact, but clearly there had been further repercussions then what they'd been expecting.

It explained that Dumbledore made it clear Hagrid had no part to blame in the student attack,

"Well there's that," Lily let out a breath of relief.

"So what's wrong with Hagrid?" James frowned, leaning forward in concern.

but the hippogriff in question still needed to be addressed, after the complaint Mr. Lucius Malfoy filled.

Sirius proceeded to call Mr. Malfoy quite a few colorful terms, and Lily felt so upset on Hagrid's part she couldn't even find it in her to scold him for it.

A date was set for Hagrid and the hippogriff in question to appear in front of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.

"They want him to take a hippogriff into London?" Harry reread his mind scattering around for something that didn't make him squirm in displeasure. This was very clearly what had Hagrid so upset, and the thought of one of his friends in this state truly did cause him to want to pursue action. The random question was just to give him time to think, though at the time he'd been more shell shocked at the events and knew he hadn't said anything.

"It's not impossible," James answered with a heavy sigh. "I'm sure someone will cast a spell on him, disguise him as a regular horse until he gets inside or something."

"Why do they want Buckbeak to be there at all? They can hardly ask him what happened," Sirius added on his own question.

This wasn't Lily's particular department, but she took a swing anyways and offered, "most likely they might try and gauge his attitude, try and see for themselves how dangerous he truly is. Test him a bit before they give a proper ruling."

Harry found the subject rather fascinating, but knew better than to try and linger on the subject when he really wanted his answers from the book on what was going to happen.

Ron offered comfort that once they met Buckbeak, they'd realize nothing was wrong with him, and this problem should go away at last.

"They really should," Remus agreed, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Honestly the whole instance was Malfoy's fault, so if Lucius didn't have so much 'influence' it might not have even gotten this far."

"This is actually pretty similar to what happens when a muggles dog bites someone," Lily shrugged, "so I might disagree with you on that, but I've never dealt with anything like this personally so I don't know all the details."

Hagrid didn't agree, saying that this Committee was known to have it out for interesting creatures.

"I want to call a biased opinion on that," James muttered, "but in this case, Hagrid's right. Buckbeak really wasn't at full fault."

"Actually I'm in full agreement with Hagrid," Sirius shrugged, "that Committee really is too analytical when it comes to a very broad topic. They think they can make rules to cover every instance, and it's just not possible when dealing with live animals."

Harry watched curiously when it looked like Remus was about to jump in, and the boys looked like they were going to start a whole debate on the matter, but then Lily cleared her throat with a warm smile and said, "we can pick this up later boys, I'd like to get this chapter done before midnight."

They all rolled their eyes but backed down all the same.

Then they heard an odd sound, and turned to find said hippogriff in front of the fireplace, eating something bloody.

"Lovely," Remus crinkled up his nose at the thought, but couldn't really blame Hagrid for this either.

Hagrid explained he couldn't bring himself to leave Buckbeak out in the snow, not during Christmas.

"Aw," Lily smiled brightly, she thought this was adorable and wouldn't put it past herself to think the same of her own pet.

The trio hadn't always seen eye to eye with Hagrid and his pets, but in this case Harry was on Hagrid's side. By all previous records, Buckbeak was by far the best.

"I'll give Harry full points for that spot on comparison," James nodded with amusement.

Hermione was still talking about the case, saying they'd just have to build him up a good strong go and he'd have to win. Hagrid wasn't convinced, saying Malfoy would just pay them all off to see his way.

Sirius scowled and muttered a few things about how the system worked, which no one really argued him on at this point.

Harry asked if Dumbledore would help,

"Not really sure Dumbledore could do anything in this instance," Remus frowned thoughtfully, "he wasn't there. Sure he could vouch for Hagrid's opinion on the matter; maybe his presence would hold as much weight as Malfoy's."

"Let's hope then," Lily nodded in agreement.

but Hagrid said Dumbledore had done as much as he could, and he was so busy dealing with Black running around.

"Well now I just feel awful, taking time away from a very important matter," Sirius said sincerely. James and Remus couldn't tell how sarcastic he was being, but at least he hadn't flinched when his name was mentioned this time, so that was progress.

Hermione and Ron gave a wary look at Harry, clearly worried that Hagrid had brought up the reminder Harry wanted to yell at Hagrid for not sharing certain things,

"Oh yeah," they muttered, that having been the original reason for this visit, and really hoping Harry wouldn't turn this back. While the case of Buckbeak wasn't a happy topic, it was still loads better then what Harry wanted.

but Harry couldn't bring himself to do it when he saw the state Hagrid was in.

"You are such a sweet boy," Lily smiled at her son, taking a moment to brush her hand through his hair at this bout of thoughtfulness.

Harry couldn't help but blush, and couldn't deny that he did appreciate the affection all the same.

Instead he said Hagrid could call them as witnesses, and they'd say what really happened. Hermione agreed that she could read up on previous such cases, and find out how they'd won their trials.

"Why am I not surprised Hermione has read a book on this," Remus chuckled.

"I think her life's goal is to read every book in the world," Sirius smirked.

Ron floundered, then offered to make some tea.

"Thank you Ron," Lily beamed.

The boys were too busy laughing at such a random input.

Harry just stared at him, and Ron blushed it was what his mum did to comfort people.

"Must be a girl thing," Sirius snickered, ignoring the haughty look from said woman.

After many more reassurances, Hagrid got himself together,

"Turns out to be a rather good thing you came down there," James beamed. "I'd feel wretched if Hagrid had been down there by himself like this all through the holidays."

"Good things can come from the most unexpected places," Remus smirked.

"Enough fortune cookies from you," Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

saying he'd been wallowing too much about Buckbeak, and no one liking his classes,

"Can you blame us," Harry sighed, then he added on, "course I can't hardly blame Hagrid, it's not actually his fault."

but Hermione was quick to correct and lied they loved them! Ron adding on the same, while crossing his fingers under the table.

The boys couldn't help but snicker at this, finding Ron's reaction adorable to the many lies they'd pulled off by this time in their life.

Then he asked how those flobberworms were doing, and Hagrid admitted they'd all died from lettuce overdose. Ron couldn't keep the happiness out of his voice as he said how sad that was.

"How on earth will the class live with themselves?" Sirius smirked, not bothering one bit to pretend like that was a real question.

Then Hagrid shivered and admitted being around those dementors wasn't helping, gave him nightmares of back when he'd had his stint in Azkaban.

Sirius blinked spastically, for the first time coming back to that random connection. While he'd yet to ever go to Azkaban himself, and here's praying he never would, he was pretty sure it was a big place and the odds he'd been around Hagrid during that time were slim. Mostly it reminded him of Lily's snippy little threat from back during the beginning of the second book, and how not funny that was anymore.

Hermione couldn't seem to help herself as she asked how bad it was there.

"Just can't stay off this topic for more than five minutes lately," James scowled, wanting to block Sirius' ears from having to continually hear about this. He figured that would only result in a wrestling match that neither of them would win, which would only annoy Lily, so he restrained himself.

Hagrid said he couldn't even properly describe it, just a swirl of every bad feeling he'd ever had, like the day he was expelled, his dad dying, Norbert being taken away.

"That's one of his worst memories?" Remus couldn't help but blurt out.

"Wow, think we underestimated how much he liked that dragon," Sirius shuddered in renewed disgust. As if mentioning all of this wasn't bad enough, now he had that dragon reminder to deal with on top of everything.

He tried to explain it was like losing yourself, your mind being eaten away and only the worst things left in place, and when he'd finally been let out it was like being reborn. Of course the dementors weren't happy to see him go.

Sirius was leaning so far into the couch he seemed to be trying to merge with it, his vacant hands kept patting his knees or twisting in his lap as he continued trying very forcibly to not think about himself in this situation, plenty of his worst memories already coming to mind, more clearly to come.

James and Remus exchanged heart wrenched looks, but what could they really say? There were only so many times they could help him and try to convince him they weren't going to let this happen to him, but it was disturbing them far more than anything to see how much this affected him. Sirius wasn't known for letting things get to him, so the severe reaction he continued to have to this, something he must know they refused to allow, was scaring them more than anything.

Hermione protested that Hagrid had been innocent, and Hagrid just snorted as he told that they didn't care. They were soulless creatures who just wanted another body to feed off of. He had been considering letting Buckbeak go, just getting the hippogriff to fly away and escape,

"That could work," Sirius said loudly, anything to keep the conversation away from that prison. "Just say he got loose and flew away, they really couldn't say otherwise."

"I suppose it depends on how loyal Buckbeak is to Hagrid," Remus shrugged, more than happy to play along for as long as possible. "Because if Buckbeak ever decided to come back, and Malfoy noticed, it would cause more harm than good."

but he was afraid that would get him sent back to Azkaban.

Lily's heart broke into tiny little pieces upon hearing that. It was bad enough watching Sirius being forced to listen to this ordeal, now Hagrid was having just as many issues and she couldn't help either of them. It made her feel helpless, not a feeling Lily Potter ever enjoyed. There must be some way to fix all of this, make it so that such a place as Azkaban couldn't even be an option. While she'd heard of some gruesome stories of people who she had considered did deserve that place, now that she'd heard of two separate instances of people wrongly being in there, she was beginning to question the place as a whole.

While their trip to Hagrid's hadn't exactly been a cheerful one, it far from erased Harry's feelings on Black, but it gave him something new to focus on.

"There's the bright side," James rolled his eyes with forced laughter, happy for any brief change in the mood.

They kept their promise and tramped back to the castle to start doing research for Hagrid's case.

"You three have got to be the only students who use the library so frequently," Remus chuckled. "All three years now, and you lot have had a reason to go in and grab seemingly random books. Most students just use it for homework."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry chuckled.

They spent hours discussing anything that looked likely, Hermione coming across one case where the hippogriff had been convicted, then voicing how disgusting it was what they'd done to it.

"I do not want to know," Lily frowned, more than happy when Harry continued on without the added comment of what did happen.

Ron found one where a manticore got off, but that was because everyone was to scared to go near it.

"That's a great idea," Sirius snorted, "let's make Buckbeak so scary no one wants to go near him, I'm sure he'll live a long and happy life."

"The worst part is, I still can't tell if you're kidding," Remus frowned at him, which Sirius ignored.

The rest of the castle was enjoying the break much more, putting up the usual holiday cheer even for the few students around.

"They'd put those up if no students stayed," James shrugged, "I think the teachers enjoy doing it for themselves honestly."

The halls were soon filled with the good smells of a holiday feast, even Scabbers could be seen poking his nose out of Ron's pocket curiously.

"Poor little thing," James snickered.

"Hope Ron slips him something nice," Remus agreed.

Harry was woken up Christmas day by Ron chucking a pillow in his face.

"Well that was pleasant," Lily snickered.

"Sincerely doubt Harry would mind," Sirius pointed out.

Ron was already digging into his own presents, voicing his annoyance that he'd gotten another maroon sweater.

"Please tell me he actually thanks his mother for that, no matter the color," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting the sense of no," Remus smirked.

Harry had received one as well, Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet colored one with the Gryffindor lion knitted in,

"Now see, why couldn't she have just done that for Ron, I'm sure he would have found that much cooler," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't mind matching with him," Harry agreed with a laugh, as he'd never had anyone to do that with.

plus some sweets.

Lily relished this gift while it lasted, trying to brace herself as much as possible for the horrid gift she was now expecting from the Dursleys.

Then Harry noticed a particularly large package, and he opened it to find a broomstick.

"A broomstick?" James repeated so loudly, Sirius started to rub his ear in annoyance before his eyes lit up like Christmas as well.

"What kind?" Sirius demanded at once nearly as loud as James just had.

"Who sent it?" Remus demanded, nearly bouncing in place in excitement.

Lily had started by giggling, she couldn't help it at their childlike delight of something like this, though even her son looked nearly as deliriously happy at this prospect, but at Remus' question it gave them all a brief pause to turn that over.

"Must have been me," Sirius shrugged, "I really can't think up anyone else."

"I'll buy that," James nodded eagerly. "No think about it," he persisted when Lily didn't look convinced, "Remus most likely told Sirius that Harry had lost his broom after Sirius had left, and do you really think Sirius wouldn't buy Harry anything less than another broomstick?"

"How would he pay for it though," Lily countered, this being the only thing she was really stuck on. "I doubt he's carrying around that kind of gold on him."

"There are ways to access your account without withdrawing in person," Remus reminded. "Personally I agree, I can see Sirius doing this easily."

Harry was laughing with giddy excitement, feeling very sure indeed they were right on the spot with this one. He decided to risk it and told them as much aloud, causing the brightest smile in hours to appear on all of them, more than making up for the sharp spike of pain Harry received for that memory returning early. He didn't care though, he'd do it again in a heartbeat his family looked so happy for something like this to have happened to him.

Ron nearly fell off his bed in shock when he saw it was a Firebolt.

James and Sirius nearly passed out from overloaded excitement. Harry had just gotten an international broomstick! The very one they'd been drooling over during his summer holidays! It was too good to be true.

Then Remus burst out laughing watching Sirius, and only continuing when he demanded to know what was so funny. "You-" he finally choked out in between chuckles "-you would catch up on the latest model of brooms. I'm just sitting here imagining you grabbing hold of the nearest paper and checking all the Quidditch League Status' and-" he trailed off again, causing everyone else to laugh along. Sirius wasn't even going to try and deny he was obsessed enough with his sport he would have gone out of his way to update himself like this as soon as possible. Merlin, he wouldn't have put it past himself to go and buy two of those things, one for Harry and one for himself.

It was indeed, a replica of that same broom he'd been thinking on all summer.

James and Sirius were shivering in place, looking like at any second they were going to get to their feet and run to the nearest Quidditch store to get their own. Lily was still giggling from before, doubling up now at how enthusiastic they were being. Remus restrained himself from reminding them this hadn't actually come out yet.

Ron was barely able to ask who had sent it, but then they realized there was no card attached. Ron still wouldn't let it go, asking who would spend so much money on Harry.

"The best Godfather in the world," James hooted, clutching Sirius up and hugging him tightly. Sirius made no point of denying it, he was still laughing to hard.

Harry's first response was to say it certainly wasn't the Dursleys.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his own joke now, pleased to see that even the mention of them hadn't brought his family's mood back down.

Ron guessed it was Dumbledore,

"I don't see that happening," Lily disagreed, "or any of the teachers, like McGonagall; otherwise they would have done it not long after you lost your broom. Sirius would have waited until now, less publicly so there's not as much scrutiny of it."

he had sent Harry his Invisibility Cloak without a note.

"That's not the same thing," James shook his head, "that was yours by birthright."

Harry disagreed, saying that was originally his dad's and different. Dumbledore wouldn't spend all that money on him, it would be unfair to the other students.

"There's that too," Remus nodded, "can't be showing favoritism like this."

Ron said that's why he didn't leave a note, so kids like Malfoy couldn't say it was favoritism.

All four boys lost it again, laughing raucously at the thought of such a prat like Malfoy, and the way he'd acted last year about having a superior broom, and now Harry was going to outstrip him by a mile. He hadn't even done anything like ask for it!

Then Ron lit up all over again, laughing like a maniac as he pictured Malfoy's face when he saw Harry's new broom.

Lily very dearly wanted to make a comment about how Sirius was spoiling Harry just a bit, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. One, she was still giggling too much to sound too intelligibly. The foul mood from before being gone like this now left them all slightly in hysterics. Two, she honestly believed Harry did deserve it, if for no other reason than she thought this may have been Sirius' way of trying to give back a lot of missed presents on his part.

Then Ron snapped his fingers, and said Lupin might have.

"I wouldn't put it past you to give me the idea," Sirius reminded him, still snickering away like a fool. "So I think that means it technically came from both of us." Remus was in far to good a mood to deny it.

Harry laughed that off, saying if their teacher could afford this, he'd go buy himself some new clothes.

"Can't deny that," Remus muttered, refusing to let the good mood be dampened again by this kind of comment, so saying that with as much good humor as he could muster.

Ron disagreed that he did like Harry, and he must have gotten it while he was out sick.

"I doubt he would have been doing much traveling at the time, but I like what Ron was trying," James shrugged.

Harry asked what he meant, and Ron said that he certainly hadn't been in the school when he was ill, because Snape had him clean the bedpans in the hospital wing, and Lupin hadn't been in there.

'Yet another thing to hate Snape for' Sirius finally started to frown again, more than annoyed at that pompous git. It seemed to him like he was just trying to set Harry in particular to figure this out, which made him want to punch that greasy git in the face.

Harry still insisted Lupin couldn't afford this thing.

Remus couldn't help but smile, glad to see Harry hadn't read into that too closely, unlike his father. Whenever he'd used the excuse that he really had felt sick, and James had gone and seen he wasn't in the hospital wing, well that had taken some explaining to do. While Harry had reacted just fine now to him, he still couldn't help the mounting fear of what Harry may have thought of him at some point.

Hermione came in, Crookshanks tucked under one arm and looking quite grumpy about a bit of tinsel she'd tied around his neck.

"Makes any pet grumpy," Sirius snickered.

Ron reacted at once by scooping Scabbers off of his bed, but Hermione hardly noticed, putting Crookshanks down on Seamus' bed,

"And what if Seamus doesn't appreciate that?" James randomly commented.

while looking at Harry's new broom. She asked who'd sent it, and Harry admitted they had been trying to figure that out. To their surprise, she frowned.

"I swear, she is the most pessimistic kid," Remus rolled his eyes. "Who wouldn't be bouncing around in sheer joy at finding out something like this?"

"Be nice," Lily sighed without any real heat.

Voicing how odd it was for Harry to get such a good broom,

"Quite good indeed," Sirius wiggled in pleasure, finding that the understatement of Hermione's life.

and how expensive it was, and Ron agreed it cost more then all of the Slytherins' brooms put together.

"Fair comparison," James nodded in agreement.

Then she asked why someone would do that without saying who.

"If I didn't know otherwise, I'd rightly be as suspicious as Hermione in this instance," Lily defended her when it looked like one of the boys were going to say something again.

Ron just laughed it off, saying it didn't matter, and asked Harry for a ride on it.

"Harry will be the worst kind of person in the world if you say no," Sirius told him with a straight face.

Harry pretended like he was deliberating for a moment, but it didn't last when James snorted and said, "please, we're talking about the same kid who bought a cart load of candy and split it with Ron before he knew him. Have you ever actually seen him be selfish, about anything?"

Sirius hadn't really meant it anyways, but he was still snickering in amusement all the same.

Hermione sounded outraged as she said nobody should be getting on that.

"Well not in the dorms obviously," Remus rolled his eyes, knowing what Hermione had meant, and beginning to feel a pit forming when he realized this might start going in a bad direction.

Ron told her she was being mental, what else would he do, clean with it?

"I'd have heart failure," James shuddered in disgust at the very thought.

Hermione didn't get a chance to answer, when Crookshanks sprang up and lunged at Ron's pocket over his chest.

"Uh-oh," the room muttered as one, knowing this couldn't be a good thing.

Ron screamed in outrage as the cats claws sank into his pajamas, determinedly going after the rat, who tried to make a run for it.

Sirius continued reading in a rather harassed tone, very concerned indeed this may not play out as well as last time.

Ron tried to kick Crookshanks away while desperately holding onto his pet, but missed and instead kicked Harry's trunk, now hopping around in all kinds of pain.

James sighed, knowing he probably would have found that rather amusing under any other circumstances.

Crookshanks was all fur on ends as he began glaring at Harry's Sneakoscope instead, which had fallen out at Ron's doing and was now spinning around the room.

"Wait, what?" Remus demanded in confusion.

"Why would that be going off now?" Sirius pondered, casting his mind around for anything that could answer it.

"How long of a range has it got?" James prodded. "Did it say the twins had stayed over the holidays? Perhaps there up to something in their dorm?"

The others shrugged, they really had no further explanation.

Harry said he'd forgotten he even had that, since he never used those old socks he kept it in.

"Stinks that it goes off so easily," Lily smiled sadly, "Ron's gift doesn't seem to be doing much good."

The other two weren't paying much attention, Ron still telling Hermione off for bringing her cat in here. Hermione grabbed up her feline and bolted out of the room, Crookshanks glaring over her shoulder.

They all grave a breath of relief, more than pleased no one had gotten further hurt by this, though it still didn't answer the lingering question of how many more times this could happen before something irreversible did occur.

Harry put his Sneakoscope away, but then he caught sight of Scabbers for the first time in months, and saw he wasn't looking good. The once plump, gray rat had lost a lot of weight, and now had bald patches all over, giving him a very sickly look.

"Poor little guy," Sirius muttered in sympathy, feeling rather awful that at this rate, Scabbers might not even make it to Easter break.

Harry voiced how bad he looked, and Ron blamed it all on Crookshanks, saying it was stress.

James winced, having a suspicious feeling that it was more likely old age then anything and Ron was just looking for any excuse to put that aside.

Harry remembered though that Scabbers had been feeling off since Ron's return from Egypt, even before they'd met Crookshanks, and Harry had the feeling it really might just be old age on the rodent.

"Well at least you realize that Harry," Remus sighed, "might make it an easier transition for Ron if his friend tries to make him understand that to."

Harry nodded, but he wasn't really listening. Why was it the longer Scabbers was mentioned, the more ill will he had for him? When he'd initially thought this, he'd always wondered whether Scabbers had bit him at some point and he'd just resented it, but now he wasn't so sure. There was yet another something he was missing, a piece to a huge missing puzzle that would continue to drive him crazy until he had a full answer. He tried testing his feelings on it, but all he got was a comparable feeling he'd had for Sirius at his age of thirteen. This made no sense what so ever, he must be confusing the two.

Despite how often Ron complained that his pet never did anything, Harry knew how upset his friend would be if Scabbers did die.

"I'm sure you're right indeed," Lily sighed in trepidation for the moment that was sure to come about.

Christmas for the Gryffindors was a very sore affair the rest of the day. Hermione was furious with Ron for trying to hurt her cat,

"Really Hermione, really?" James ground out. "What on earth made her think it was even a good idea to bring him up there, when she knew full well what that cat would try."

while Ron resented her just as much for Crookshanks deeds. Harry wasn't going to try fixing it, as he was too busy looking over his new broom,

"A worthy use of time," Sirius nodded in agreement, looking for any excuse to get the good mood back in swing. One chapter, that's all he wanted, one chapter where he could actually enjoy the whole thing.

which Hermione took just as much offense with.

"Everything annoys Hermione this year," James scoffed.

"Homework overload," Sirius offered in his wise old voice, causing at least Harry and Remus to chuckle.

She didn't say it aloud, but she kept shooting nasty looks at it like it had hit her cat as well.

"Now that'd be a nifty trick," Remus smirked.

While Lily agreed Hermione may have been going about her actions the wrong way this year, she still didn't really appreciate her boys' attitude towards her any better. Yet she couldn't come up with a way to tell them off for it that would actually make a difference.

When lunch came around, they went down to find the Great Hall had changed up a bit, and there were now only twelve chairs around one table.

James let out a low, throaty whistle in surprise as he said, "not even that many people left Hogwarts last year."

"Castle used to be this deserted some years for us," Remus shrugged in remembrance, "we personally found it entertaining." He finished with a gesture at Sirius who nodded enthusiastically.

All of the teachers were there dressed to their best, even Filch having donned an old coat that looked like it was growing mold.

"Urgh," Sirius muttered, "rather he just go casual then."

The only other students in attendance were two first years and a Slytherin fifth year.

Remus randomly noted that it couldn't have been the twins who had made the Sneakoscope go off then, if the twins weren't there and apparently Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones in range, but then what on earth would cause the thing to go off now? It couldn't be set off by an animal could it, had it been set off by Crookshanks' untrustworthy attempts to eat Scabbers? No one else really seemed to notice this, and he wasn't even sure if this was what really was going on, so he decided against saying anything and might have really put it down to a faulty one.

Dumbledore greeted them, saying how silly it would be to use the house tables with so few in attendance,

"I think it would have been more of a sight," Remus shrugged, "get to stretch out a bit more."

as they took seats and Dumbledore offered Snape some crackers, who pulled without enthusiasm.

"Oh boy," James whispered, brows shooting up in excitement as all kinds of possibilities for that scenario played out in his mind.

There was a bang, and when the smoke cleared away, a stuffed vulture hat was left in place.

The five of them lost it all over again, the abrupt reminder causing quite the laughing fit for a moment before Harry gained his breath back and kept reading with a wide stupid grin still in place.

Harry had to avoid Ron's eye to stop himself from outright laughing at the reminder,

"You lot have much more control than us," Sirius gasped, still massaging at his now abused ribs.

but Snape wasn't pleased when Dumbledore took up the hat and put it on himself.

Sirius refused to let his sour mood be ruined then, but he couldn't help but grumble when he realized he once would have loved Dumbledore's random reaction to this, but couldn't shake the reminder that Dumbledore hadn't trusted him! He doubted that smarting would go away anytime soon.

Food had appeared on the table then, and they began helping themselves to the feast, when the doors opened again.

Sirius and James perked up, having noticed one teacher in particular being absent, and more than pleased if it said Remus would take a seat near Harry.

It was Trelawney,

"Rats," James sat back with a pout, this not having been the teacher he'd had in mind.

who looked more flamboyant than usual in a patterned green dress, giving her the abnormal appearance of a dragonfly.

Sirius didn't bother to smother his amused chuckling at the description one bit.

Dumbledore greeted her warmly, and she returned the gesture by explaining that she'd been crystal gazing and had seen herself coming down for this meal.

"She saw herself, doing something she would decide to do?" Remus demanded, rather puzzled by the whole thing.

"I don't question her to deeply," Lily rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore didn't mind one bit, standing to literally draw her a chair in midair,*

"Wow," Harry blinked in mild surprise at such an advanced level of magic to him.

which landed between McGonagall and Snape.

James released a surprised snort of laughter at all of the hilarity this could cause. Then again, it was a wonder those two were sitting beside each other in the first place.

Trelawny didn't move though, she'd been eyeing the table, and suddenly let out a soft scream.

"How do you softly scream?" Lily snickered.

"I'm sure it's just as dramatic as it sounds," James smirked right back.

She claimed that she couldn't eat with them, because if she did that would make thirteen people eating together, and the first to rise from that kind of meal dies!

"I've never heard that," Remus said with mild interest.

"I have," Sirius said with amusement, "it's a superstition I heard years ago, don't know how real to take it."

"About as real as her whole subject," James rolled his eyes.

McGonagall took no notice, saying they'd take the risk if they could eat. Trelawny didn't argue the point further, but she sank down into her chair as if at any moment they'd all burst into flames.

Lily's shoulders started shaking with suppressed laughter, as James spoke out loud with just as much amusement, "don't know what she's so worried about. If she's that freaked, her solution is just to not rise first. I'm sure she can manage that."

Then McGonagall offered Trelawny some tripe.

Lily couldn't help but wrinkle her nose up at the thought of that particular food item, but couldn't deny she was intrigued by who at the table was eating it.

Trelawney ignored her,

"Rude," Remus sniffed lightly.

and instead asked where dear Lupin was?

"Aw Remus, are you her dear now?" Sirius demanded at once with unsuppressed glee at this new opportunity.

"Oh please," he scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "she called Neville that too, don't be thick."

"Hush you two, I want to hear this," James snapped at the pair.

Dumbledore explained he'd been feeling under the weather again,

All five of their faces fell, pity welling up in them for Remus for this to happen to him on the holidays, while Remus was simply wishing no one had mentioned it at all.

and what a pity to happen on Christmas.

"I'll say," Sirius frowned, though personally thinking that at least he was probably around him for company now.

McGonagall cut in that surely Trelawny had known that before she'd asked.

"Oh wow," James spluttered, going wide eyed at this prospect. He'd recognized McGonagall's opinion of Trelawny back during that first class of this year, and now watching them beside each other should only get better.

Trelawny went cold then, losing a bit of her mystic tone as she told that while she had known, she commonly acted like she didn't to not make others feel so bad.

"I'm so sure that's it," Lily muttered, brushing her hand across her mouth to try and hide her twitching lips.

McGonagall agreed that explained a lot.

Sirius didn't bother one bit and even released another snort of amusement for his old teachers wit.

Then Trelawny cut in by saying she had a very personal knowledge on the subject that Lupin wouldn't be here long anyways, he'd all but run from her when she'd offered to do some crystal gazing for him, which she sounded rather tart about.

"Looks like we know how to push her buttons," James chirped.

"Looks like Remus cares about it as much then as he does now," Sirius countered as Remus rolled his eyes at the very thought.

McGonagall said she couldn't imagine that, her tone implying the opposite.

Lily couldn't hide it anymore and outright laughed with the others at this continued verbal exchange.

Dumbledore cut in then, saying Lupin was just fine, then asked if Snape had made that potion again?

"Oh here we go again," James immediately switched from joyed amusement, to a scowl at this still unexplained phenomenon.

"Relax James," Remus said, leaning forward eagerly, "since Dumbledore's the one who brought it up, maybe they'll explain more properly this time."

Snape agreed he had,

"Still thank my lucky stars he's not poisoning it in the meantime," Sirius grumbled.

and Dumbledore said that made the matter closed, before turning to one of the first years and offering chipolatas.

"And that explained, nothing," Remus scowled, leaning right back into his seat in agitation again.

James and Sirius however couldn't help but exchange a hopeful look all over again. What on earth were the odds that this mysterious potion was being given to Remus two times in a row when it was obvious to them these were the times of his full moon. Maybe they'd been a little too quick to dismiss their original theory, maybe it did have something to do with his lycanthropy? Still neither of them spoke this to anyone, far too anxious they really might get their friends hopes up for nothing.

The spooked first year, not used to being addressed directly by the headmaster, took the sausages with shaking hands.

"Poor kid," Lily nodded in sympathy, knowing that could be quite intimidating.

Trelawny acted normal again until the end of the meal, when Harry and Ron took to their feet, and she screeched like a bird.

"Oh boy," Sirius grinned lightly.

"As if she wasn't convinced enough you were going to die," James rolled his eyes in disdain that Harry had so happened to be the one to make this come up again.

She demanded to know which of them had risen first, and Ron said he wasn't sure while eyeing Harry warily.

"A double murder it is then, unless them doing this undermines the terms of her prediction," Sirius rolled his eyes good naturedly.

McGonagall wasn't impressed, saying unless there was a mad axe-men waiting at the doors for them, they should be fine.

"Never thought I'd see the day, but I miss her," James cackled at her continued commentary of this.

Even Ron laughed at that, while Trelawney looked offended.

"Can't rightly blame her, that was a little rude," Lily shrugged, still smiling along.

When Hermione didn't get up with them, Harry asked her about it, and she said she wanted to stay behind and talk to McGonagall for a moment.

"Now what's she up to?" Remus asked curiously.

"Probably looking for a way to keep Crookshanks somewhere else, or I should hope," Lily rolled her eyes, hoping someone would step up and put better measures in place so that scene before wouldn't keep happening.

Ron laughed she was probably looking to take more classes,

Which gave them all a little snicker of amusement all over again, only hoping Ron was just joking.

as they went into the entrance hall, which was all clear of mad axe-men.

"Well thank Merlin for that," Lily nodded seriously, "that really was giving me a fright."

They made their way back up to their tower, and gave the password Scurvy cur,

"Well at least no one's going to be guessing that," Remus grinned.

before going inside. Harry dragged his Firebolt down into the common room along with the Servicing Kit Hermione had gotten him for his birthday, but he couldn't find anything to fix. The broom still looked brand new, without a twig out of shape,

"Well I should hope so, you haven't even ridden it yet," Sirius beamed.

"Why not take it straight down to the pitch and try it out?" James demanded as if he found it ludicrous Harry hadn't already thought of this.

"We'd just eaten a full meal," Harry reminded, "we were going to head down there after the food had settled a bit." He trailed off with a bit of a frown in place, wondering why on earth he was getting a bad feeling about this, like he hadn't gotten the chance to do it?

the polish in his hand feeling useless the broom was already so shiny.

"Someone needs to give that advice to Percy," Remus muttered in Sirius' ear, causing him to snort with laughter all over again.

Ron and him just sat there and stared at it,

"I'm going to turn green here soon, I'm so jealous," James sighed, already trying to count down the minutes when he could get his own hands on such a beautiful object.

when the door opened and Hermione came through, with McGonagall.

"Wait what?" Remus yelped in shock.

"Why?" Sirius agreed with a frown already in place.

Harry was getting a very bad feeling about this, so he didn't let them theorize much before reading loudly.

This set the boys on edge at once, since their head of house had only come in once before, and that hadn't been good news.

"That's usually the only time she comes up there," James said with a sudden spike of concern. She couldn't possibly be up there to tell him that Sirius had been caught, had she? That would be newsworthy enough, but it would probably make him faint from terror.

This thought clearly hadn't crossed anyone else's mind, Harry was still reading on more in curiosity and a touch of confusion then outright fear.

Hermione scurried past them without looking at her friends, going over to the nearest book, and pretended to read it.

"Oh no," Lily frowned in confusion.

"What did she do?" Sirius suddenly growled, narrowing his eyes in fury.

Remus licked his lips and looked ready to say something, but Harry forced himself to keep reading loudly over them to get a real answer.

McGonagall told that Hermione explained to her that Harry had been sent a new broom.

"She did!" Remus groaned, placing his face in his hands.

"Don't." Lily cut in when it looked like James and Sirius were going to get truly upset at what this could imply. "Don't you lot sit around badgering on about this. Hermione did what she thought was right, s'not her fault she doesn't know any better. She did what anybody afraid for their friends life would do, and I'm sure McGonagall won't chuck it in the fireplace."

Sirius still muttered something under his breath, but James did marginally relax. Compared to what he'd thought was fixing to happen, this almost seemed mild in comparison.

The boys looked at her, who didn't look up from the book she was holding upside down.

"Must be a very interesting read I'm sure," Remus rolled his eyes.

McGonagall asked to see it, before snatching it up anyways.

"Under any other circumstances, I would have laughed at that," Sirius sighed, knowing how much of a Quidditch nut their old teacher could be, but knowing what this could imply, he'd rather hide that out of her sight for the rest of his life.

She looked hard at it as she confirmed there had been no message at all attached.

"If there had, you'd only freak out all the more," James rolled his eyes.

"Not sure what kind of note that would have been anyway," Sirius huffed in annoyance. "Merry Christmas from your long lost Godfather, here's a kind of apology for missing every other one of your holidays."

"You know I hate it when you do that," Remus snapped at him for the horrible joke, causing Sirius to at least sort of back down.

Harry agreed there hadn't, which made McGonagall decide she'd have to confiscate this.

All five of them sighed in horrible disappointment, not at all pleased they'd been right. Yet with any hope, McGonagall wouldn't really do anything but test the broom to make sure Sirius hadn't done anything, surely she wasn't going to actually destroy the broom...right?

Harry jumped to his feet in fear, demanding to know why, and McGonagall said she wanted to test it to make sure it wasn't jinxed.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius sighed in relief.

"You'll have that thing back to you by the end of break," Remus smiled, "and they'll be all sorts of humiliated."

James laughed eagerly at that conversation, still more annoyed than anything Harry hadn't gotten to enjoy his gift long enough to even ride it, but so long as he got it back he'd forgive in the end.

Hooch and Flitwick would want to have a look at it as well while they stripped it down, and Ron repeated the term back at her like she'd lost her marbles.

"Oh it's not that bad," James reassured when Harry seemed to be getting a growing look of horror at what that could mean. "They don't do anything to the broom physically, they simply put it through a series of rigorous tests to make sure nothing more was done to it then the manufacturer's intended. They do it all the time to professionals to make sure they didn't try and enhance their brooms."

Harry let out a long sigh of relief, having been picturing something far more medieval and irreparable being done to his new treasured gift.

McGonagall said it would only take a few weeks, just to make sure it wasn't cursed. Harry tried to protest he was sure it wasn't,

"Wish she would actually believe that," Sirius rolled his eyes.

but McGonagall said there was no way to be sure until they checked, then she left with it. Ron turned on Hermione as soon as she was gone,

"Uh-oh," Lily muttered, thinking that these two already had more than enough to fight about, this wasn't going to make it any better.

demanding to know why she'd started this. Hermione put her book to the side and stood up as well, rather flushed but matching Ron's eyes.

"Well I can say this for her," Remus grinned, "she stands by what she does."

Telling them that she'd feared, as did McGonagall, that the broom had been sent by Sirius Black.

"Oh the horror," James rolled his eyes.

"Never bleeding crossed our minds," Lily smirked.

"Chapter's over by the way," Harry shrugged, tossing the book back over to Remus, who fumbled a bit and accidentally had it crash into Sirius' head.

"Ouch," Sirius grumbled jerking the book away, "jeez, you klutz, can you even see straight to read."

"Yes," Remus snapped right back, snatching the book back and flipping to his chapter.

HPHPHP

*It's never explicitly stated that Ron still has Scabbers in his pocket at this time, but assuming he did, that would actually put thirteen in attendance before Trelawny joined. Dumbledore was the first to rise from that then group of thirteen, and guess who died first at this table. It's not something that'll ever be brought up in fic, but it was fascinating to have that pointed out to me.

#Harry Potter #Fanfiction #PoA #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter #reading the books

[priorireverte]

Congratulations Ash!

Your application for Harry Potter has been accepted. I think we’re all really excited to have such a central, pivotal character in plan. Not just me in my entirely biased excitement for Lily to have her son around. Make sure to let us know if/when you settle on a faceclaim for him.

Please look to the checklist for the next steps and reach out if you have any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME & PRONOUNS: Ash & She/her

TIMEZONE: est

ACTIVITY LEVEL: On average, I tend to get online every other day to get through my replies. Although weekends I’ll usually be on daily.

ANYTHING ELSE: Experience - I have been in the Harry Potter rp community for almost ten years now, and have been doing so on Tumblr for about six.

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Harry James Potter

BIRTHDATE: 31 July ,1980 Zodiac - Leo. Starting with the obvious, let’s put the Leo in Gryffindor, I see what you did  there sorting hat. Harry spent his entire life from the young age of eleven, thrown into the spotlight. Others were interested in him for things outside of his control as long as he could remember, but he’s embraced that attention and put it to good use. He is very compassionate and caring, going out of his way to help others around him. His pride can get in the way at times, and tied with the ability to hold a grudge Harry has a sense of there’s my way and the wrong way.  Respect from those he most admires is vital to him. He had spent days obsessing over why Dumbledore hadn’t shared their similarities with him, and has never felt a sense of pride as strong as when McGonagall stood up for him to Umbridge. Harry is a leader, the type of person everyone around him looks towards for the answers to their largest problems.

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Gender and pronouns do not have much meaning to Harry, even though he had grown up with his entire identity being centered around his title as ‘Boy Who Lived’. He has never necessarily felt a connection to this title, but has not thought about it anyplace outside of logistically knowing when someone shouts for ‘the boy’ that can mean him. Harry’s Bisexuality however, is something he has been learning to embrace after years of confusion. His Uncle Vernon of course had a few select words for people who liked the same gender, but outside of pushing away the nerves in his stomach whenever he had to listen to his relatives derogatory language he had not realized that being attracted to multiple genders was an option. Harry has has dated during his teen years; He went on dates to the Yule Ball and Hogsmede, as well as his former relationship with Ginny, but he always felt slightly behind his peers in terms of sexuality and maturation. He assumes it was the fact that he spent so much time feeling unsafe and afraid that he didn’t have the time to explore those feelings, but there was also so many things he simply didn’t know that he is only just learning now in the start of his twenties. BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood. Harry’s status as a halfblood may have been the deciding factor in the course of his entire young life if Dumbeldore’s theories were to be correct, and they usually were. Harry and Tom Riddle shared this trait, both half-blooded wizards and in the end it seemed to have been a deciding factor in Riddle’s choice to mark Harry as the chosen one to become his own equal. However another similarity they share is how out of place they had felt in the muggle world and the strong sense of home the Hogwarts walls had provided both. Harry has no prejudice against those of muggle blood, one of his best friends is muggleborn thank you very much, but he has no connection to the muggles who raised him and were supposed to have been his family.

HOUSE ALUMNI: Gryffindor - While he strongly believes it was begging that landed him in red and gold, Harry is very much a Gryffindor. Being brave doesn’t mean never being scared, it’s what you do when faced with fear and Harry has stood up to nearly every terrifying challenge sent his way. He needed that house, as much as he also fit in. Harry grew up the one who was going to end a war, being surrounded by other brave, chivalrous people helped him greatly obtain his own confidence to do what he needed.

OCCUPATION: Harry Potter’s refusal to join the Auror Department sparked quite the buzz once he had finally made the announcement, and the decision had absolutely been one he had not taken lightly in the slightest, but at the end of the day Harry’s fear and distrust in the Ministry won out over his need to constantly swoop in and save the day. That doesn’t mean he hadn’t helped with the effort, he spent the first year out after the war off to help with trials and giving the right information to people who needed it, but after years of being branded a liar he simply couldn’t bring himself to work for the same Ministry who endangered lives by refusing to see what was right in front of them. Instead Harry went home, to the one place that he had always felt he belonged and once again did the impossible. Harry Potter has been the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts for two whole years.

FACECLAIM: tbd

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

POSTBELLUM

While he had not been given the instructions to die at the hands of Voldemort until he had been seventeen and only moments away from walking towards his own murder, after seven years of nothing but waiting for the next fight a part of Harry had assumed from a young age one of them was going to have to ultimately kill the other in the end. The lead up to a final showdown at the end of each school year had been convenient, and while he refused to accept the thought, likely planned out to go that way by a certain headmaster, but it couldn’t have continued on forever. So Harry had never allowed himself to think of a life after the fall of Voldemort, or of happiness and family and one day growing old. He was nothing more than a soldier, a child so deprived of affection he put everything he had into fighting back for the approval of his Professor and put little value on his life outside of being the Chosen One, so the first year following the war was especially hard. From the second he had entered the magical world he had been ‘The Boy Who Lived’. Since the age of eleven years old he had been expected to fight the dark wizards and save the day and he did not know how to be anything else. Harry couldn’t see his value outside of his willingness to jump to the occasion and solve problems. After the war his life’s purpose felt complete at only seventeen years old and it was extremely difficult to accept.

But then the Ministry expected him to be the poster boy for everything they had been doing towards the cleanup process- sending owls on a near daily basis asking Harry to sit on death eater trials or begging him to speak out in favor of the Ministry and their new laws. Just how much of himself Harry was willing to give had been one of the most difficult choices he ever had to make. Fighting injustice was all Harry knew. The Death Eaters had done horrendous things and even after the fall of Voldemort Harry felt a responsibility to ensure they were taken down, however Harry’s trust in the Ministry had been greatly punctured over the years he had been in the magical world, even before the Death Eaters had taken over. It was a delicate balance, and the power his word suddenly held brought a level of anxiety he was unfamiliar with, but he knew that there were too many people who would never see justice without his intervention.

His involvement in the war had only increased his fame and suddenty the Ministry of Magic and every paper in wizarding Britain were harassing him once again. Harry’s friends had been encouraging him to step back and take the time to recover; live a normal, quiet life, whatever that meant. He had never even gotten the time to properly grieve over Sirius’s death, let alone the countless other people he had lost since then who had died in his mind, because of him. He didn’t know how to step back and live a normal life, but he had craved it as long as he could remember so Harry put his everything into attempting. It took a year to realize that Harry that he would never feel that pain in his scar again, that even if he had never wanted it there to begin with an entire piece of someone’s soul he had been living with since he was a year old was gone forever and his only purpose in life had been completed before he ever had a chance to finish his NEWTs.

So He pulled back, isolated himself for a while in a way he wasn’t proud of, but didn’t know how to cope without. Going to anyone but Ron and Hermione with his problems had always seemed incomprehensible, and even then it was always easier to tell them about whatever crazy thing was happening to him at the time than discuss the feelings behind everything he had been through. He busied himself with mindless projects, spending all of his time hiding out from his friends by putting all his energy into restoring 12 Grimmauld Place. The house was now his and he didn’t want to leave the reminder of how horrible his godfather’s own childhood had been. It was the baby Teddy Lupin that was the only one who could get Harry’s undivided attention and compassion for a short while during the beginning of life after the war. He told himself it was so easy to share such raw emotion with the little boy because at first he couldn’t even understand what Harry had been saying, but Harry had felt a strong bond to the boy the second he learned of his godson’s birth. He hadn’t taken over raising Teddy, he was too young and unsure, Andromeda was the right choice as Teddy’s guardian, but Harry made a point to be a large part in his upbringing.   He refused to allow him to grow up as lonely and afraid as he had been himself, and Harry felt a personal responsibility to make sure Remus and Tonk’s sacrifices of their lives weren’t for nothing and Teddy would grow up loved and in a world better than any of them grew up in.

Turning down a position in the Auror Program had surprised himself more than it had seemed to any of the people who knew him best, which had only confused him more. His dream job since he had been only fourteen had never truly been a dream, but a logical choice for someone whose entire life revolved around being manipulated into fighting. He had truly believed he would never get past his back and forth with Voldemort, and the auror office only fit the narrative. Even knowing these things didn’t make knowing he was going to be letting people down any easier and he nearly said yes solely out of fear of saying no.

His time back in the castle has been everything he never thought he would be allowed to have and Harry is taking full advantage of that fact. Teaching is something Harry had felt so strongly about in the short time he was doing so with the DA, and in the proper setting where he had the ability to ensure this next generation was not going to have to ever fear their time in the castle was the calling he never knew about.

—

All the lives lost during the war was something that sat in Harry’s thought even still, more than anything else. He never knew anything but loss, but the grief he felt the past few years was different. He hadn’t been grieving the loved ones he never had, instead the people he loved and cherished who were torn away from him too soon. Watching the Weasleys without Fred had to have been the hardest part of anything after the war’s end. He had envied Ron’s family for so long, now all he wanted was to take the hurt away from the people who he grew to call his family that were now going through this pain he knew too well.

As hopeful as the returned made Harry, it all scared him as well. He knew what happened when wixen played around with death, and even more so he knew just how dark the magic around it could be. But he also doesn’t want to feel the pain again of getting his hopes up to have family by his side to have it ripped away. He doesn’t trust it to last. 

PERSONALITY

“There’s no need to call me Sir, Professor.”

Harry for some reason unknown to me, has started to be perceived to be this hypsteresque, bad-ass. A smoker, rogue auror who doesn’t play by the rules. Harry Potter is a sassy and sarcastic. But also a quidditch obsessed nerd who loves his friends with everything he has and stands up for what he believes in. He has that stereotypical Gryffindor temper, and does not always think about the consequences of his sharp tongue, but he has never been one to allow people to walk over him or anyone else. He was a victim of abuse and neglect and his words, that wit was the one thing he had to cope as a child treated like nothing more than an unwanted freak. But Harry is also the person who told Snape his nickname was Roonil Waslib. He’d spend hours on end talking to his bird and one of the first moments of the entire series he is empathizing with a snake who had been trapped and never knew their family. His friends are everything to him and Harry’s loyalty can be seen almost as a fault. There is no difference between his friends and family, and to betray or mistrust them is one of the worst things he can imagine of himself.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY

Harry’s memories of life before Privet Drive do not consist of anything more than flashes of colors and the occasional face. Perhaps a voice he wasn’t able to place. Family has always been Harry’s greatest desire, the things he wanted most in the world. The Durleys had been Harry’s closest living relatives, but made it clear they were not Harry’s family. His aunt and uncle made sure to remind him constantly that Harry was nothing more than an inconvenience in their home, and that he would never be as loved or cherished as their son. The idea of family was nothing more than that for a very long time; an idea and a dream. At thirteen the possibility of family had been dangled over his head in the form of a fugitive Godfather. Harry’s time with Sirius was too short, they should have had years together to make up for the twelve apart and it was after his death that Harry felt ready to give up on the idea of ever having a real family of his own. Of course that makes him feel selfish. Ron and Hermione every bit as much his family as any last name or title could make them. Harry could argue they were more family to him than Sirius and him ever had the chance to be. And the night Mrs. Weasley had called Harry ‘as good as’ another son still plays in his mind on a loop some nights when he’s looking for a reason it’s all worth it. Harry’s family isn’t blood, but he loves them all just the same. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s thought this return could mean him getting the only thing he’s ever truly wanted.

HISTORY

Harry really does wonder at times what it would be like to have an easy life. He had only been a baby when the weight of a war was thrown onto his tiny shoulders, marking him the one chosen to defeat the greatest dark wizard of their time. As a small child however, Harry would never have believed it. He had known nothing more than he was an orphan, living in cruel circumstances under the stairs in his aunt and uncle’s home and getting bullied by his cousin. It wasn’t until Harry’s eleventh birthday that his life truly began. When Hagrid had stormed down that hut to tell Harry about the truth of himself and his past, Harry felt a sense of self for the first time in his life. He had gone off to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and made friendships for the first time in his life. Even before the rest of the world had been sucked into another war, Harry had been drawn in from a mixture of a hero complex and clues laid out only slightly too conveniently to test and discover the boy who lived that would one day become the chosen one. Harry fought back every year, somehow always granted a new challenge and more pain until his fourth year when it had become more than a challenge that any reasonable adult would consider too dangerous.

Cedric Diggory’s murder had sparked the beginning of the war, but the greater meaning to Harry lied in the young boy who lost his life solely because he had been in the wrost place at the wrong time. He had gotten between Harry and for that reason alone he was dead. It was something Harry never learned to forgive. And it sparked the belief that people around Harry somehow always ended up dying because of him.

Sirius’s death left Harry inconsolable. He never had the proper time to grieve, with a target on his back and the war picking up quickly, but losing the one family member he had left destroyed Harry in a completely different way. And again, Harry came to the conclusion if he had only checked in the mirror Sirius could have still been alive.

The hunt for horcruxes was something else entirely. He had no connection to anyone outside of Ron and Hermione and when Ron had left it broke Harry’s heart in an entirely different way. He kept waiting for the ball to drop and one of his best friends to get hurt because of him. He clung closer, forgave quicker, and fought harder trying to keep anyone else he loved from dying.

Remus and Tonks’ deaths held a significance just as strong but different for Harry. He was a Godfather and when Remus had named him so it had become the new most important thing about him. Being the Chosen One, or the Boy Who Lived didn’t matter when there was a little boy who depended on him to stay alive and watch out for him.

OOC EXPLORATION

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

This group is every guilty pleasure I have ever had mixed in with a wonderful plot and beautiful writing. Even though recently role plays set in the trio’s era are few and far between, the ones I have been a part of always seem to either lack writers willing to write for Harry or his character is quickly taken by someone who does not know the story beyond either solely the movie franchise or random bits of knowledge. I’ve noticed a stigma in the Potter fandom, especially the role playing community, that the ‘true fans’ have to prefer secondary or background characters. While I also love building on characters we do not see as much of in the books, it has always saddened me that this character that I grew up with is seen as the easy write up. Because we as readers have so much on Harry I’ve actually found his character more difficult to write for, but equally enjoyable.

As per Harry as an actual character, he has been like a friend since I was seven years old.

#prioriacceptance #harry potter

[askthechaoticwitch]

➡ @xmalfoydracox ⬅

The Slytherin inhaled as he listened to her words, keeping his grip on her wrist as he exhaled. “Yeah, it came out of nowhere and caught me off guard. But just ignoring it won’t do any good, trust me ignoring something usually makes it so much worse. And besides if something horrible should happen to me and I was gone for good, you’d have to live with the what if and do you really want to do that?” He questioned softly before he let out a sigh as he let go of her wrist, listening to her speak once more he couldn’t help but to shake his head in disbelief. “I’m far from being a saint but thank you Wanda, you seem to be the only one who see’s the good in me. Well other than my mother but I am sure she’s quite bias since I am her baby boy.”

The male had allowed the female to take his hands in hers, he just focused on breathing as he listened to what she had to say. He couldn’t help but to let another sigh escape his throat, he had tried once before to make a friend who wasn’t as bad as his current friends but the male had judged him before getting to know him and rejected him. That had hurt quite a lot so he decided to stick with Slytherins and to close his heart away, he focused more on making his father proud than worrying about anything else. As he did that he decided to make the male’s life hell, if he wanted to assume he was the wrong sorts then so be it - he’d show him the wrong sorts as long as he felt the pain he had caused.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts when the Gryffindor had finally finished her thoughts, scrunching up his nose a it as his lips curled into a frown. “I’m not in love with Pansy so I wasn’t holding my breath for a future with her, its just a in the now and see where it goes sort of thing. You assume I deserve all that but in honestly, I wish I did but I don’t. And besides I'd sort of have to allow someone to get that close to start with and if you haven’t notice, I sort of made it where no one seems to want to. And yeah maybe but I haven’t exactly decided if I want to settle down.” He spilled out as he let his face relax a tad bit, shaking his head at her in disbelief once more. Did she seriously think he was gonna forget about her little confession, if she did then she was crazy. “In Merlin’s name you can’t be serious, I aint gonna forget about you little confession Maximoff. What I can guarantee you, is that its not gonna change anything unless you let it. And you need to stop assuming what I feel, its bloody rude. You aint me so you don’t know what I feel so don’t even begin to tell me how I feel, it is one way to make me dislike you and that’s really not what .” Malfoy hissed as his nostrils flared, it wasn’t as if he tended to lose his temper on her but who gave her the right to assume how he felt?

Inhaling then exhaling before he dared speak once more, he was trying to keep his emotions in check because he wasn’t gonna lose it on her. “You are right, I don’t feel that way towards you currently so yeah we’re not gonna happen. But it still doesn’t give you the right to assume my feelings before actually talking to me about it. And stop calling it a problem, there is seriously nothing wrong with having those feelings.” He sighed out as he lowered his voice, the last thing he wanted to do what hurt her feelings but he had to be honest with her. Besides it would be for the best if she just got over him, for multiple reasons that he really didn’t want to discuss.

After a few moments had passed, the male was becoming a bit angsty. He could see the worry in her eyes, which was followed shortly by words that he was dreading to hear. “Don’t worry about it...” He muttered out in a low breath, he honestly didn’t need another person worrying about him. He would be fine - he just had to be, but unfortunately he knew that he couldn’t stop her from worrying about him. Swallowing hard as he let go of her hands and moved backwards a bit, he was all too prepared to run and avoid this subject. He could handle the other one but this one, he didn’t want to talk about.

How could he tell her his deepest darkest secret, knowing that it would change things between them for good. After all she was on Potter’s side the last time he checked, he however was on the dark lords side - not by choice tho. It was bad enough he may not survive to his seventeenth birthday but to lose his best friend? That was worst.

He parted his lips to lie and say he was fine, that it was nothing he couldn’t handle. However he was cut off when she once again spoke, a slight huff escaping his throat at the words. He doubt she could love him if she knew what he was and what he had to do, even if she managed to somehow love him then the realization of what’s gonna happen if he fails is gonna hurt her. After all he promised her that he’d always be there for her til the end, how could he tell her knowing it could cause her pain either way?

A frown settled upon his facial features as he pulled away from her, he was literally trembling at this point. He didn’t care to pretend anymore, he was so close to breaking. “Wanda--” The blond began but cut himself off, he began looking around before he turned his attention back to her. He didn’t say anything, instead grabbed her hand and took her to somewhere more private. “--You can’t help me, I’m sorry...” Draco breathed out as he put a bit of distance between them, he couldn’t stand being near her right now as what he was about to do was gonna be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do when it came to Maximoff.

The Slytherin bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to cause it to bleed as he held out his arm and flipped it over, his hand ghosting his sleeve as he looked down at it. He knew there was no turning back after he did this and he knew for sure he wasn’t ready for this but he couldn’t lie to her, she had to know what’s wrong and why he didn’t deserve anything she thought he did. Inhaling and exhaling once more as he looked up at her, once he locked eyes with her he lifted up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark that rested upon his arm. “I’m not fine, I am never gonna be find again. I am supposed to kill Dumbledore. I don’t want to do it but I have no choice, I have to do this or he’s gonna kill me. I rather pitch myself off the    Astronomy Tower than do this but he not only threatened to kill me if I fail but my parents too and I can’t let that happen, I just can’t. Its my father’s punishment for failing the dark lord not once but twice, my mother cried for weeks after I received the mission.. I have been trying for weeks to fix up a vanishing cabinet to let my Aunt Bella and a few death eaters in the castle.. I barely sleep due to that and the guilt and fear I feel is causing me to barely eat, I am basically dying inside... I didn’t tell you all this because I am terrified of losing you, not that I can blame you because death eaters killed your parents and now I am a death eater about to commit the worst unforgivable thing imaginable. I’m sorry, I am so truly sorry. You can hate me, I understand but please don’t tell anyone. Please, I am begging you.” Draco cried out as the tears fell from his eyes, he couldn’t stop himself from breaking down any longer.

Wanda was listening to Draco, her facial expression turning from relaxed to one of disappointment and worry. He had suddenly slipped but it didn't go unnoticed by his friend. "Wait. What do you mean by "if I was gone for good"? What is going on? Why are you speaking as if you're going to die?"

However, he kept talking about his relationship with Pansy, and she let him finish, but she was going to bring it back as soon as he was done speaking. The brunette frowned, looking at Draco bewildered. "What's the point of being in a relationship with someone you don't love! If you truly have no feelings for her as you said, you should stop wasting your and her time. As mean as she can be, she deserves to be with a person who loves her. You do too. You'll only hurt her and yourself if you keep this up."

Wanda felt her cheeks heat up when the Slytherin brought back the topic of her feelings. She shifted uncomfortably, swallowing hard, a look of betrayal in her eyes. Draco had ditched her for a girl he doesn't even love? To say she was feeling terrible was understandable. Rage was building up inside of her, but she put on a perfectly calm, cold expression, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had been able to hit a nerve.

"Listen, Malfoy - I've always thought you could be more than the mean person everyone knows. You have no right to play with people's feelings and you should stop leading Parkinson on, that's really shitty of you. I'm not really surprised though, you've always been up for some "entertainment"."

The girl took a breath, still looking at Draco with an emotionless face. "I won't stop calling it a problem because it clearly is one. Falling for you was a mistake especially since I now know you don't mind dating someone just for the fun of it and not because you truly have feelings for them. That's a reason I should give up on you, just as you wanted."

Wanda really couldn't imagine dating her best friend and finding out he didn't love her at all in the first place. The thought made her feel used, somehow dirty. The Gryffindor suddenly felt sorry for Pansy, whose situation was exactly this one.

After she had brought up Draco's miserable state, Wanda noticed him becoming quite uneasy and she almost regretted starting this conversation. Almost.

The girl followed him to somewhere private where they could discuss this matter in peace and waited patiently for a reply. She frowned when he let go of her hands, upset by the fact that her friend was pushing her away again. The female observed the way anxiety was seeping into Draco, she could almost hear his loud heartbeat in the deadly quiet room. Her expression softened, she was looking at him with pure love, encouraging him to share what was troubling him. It hurt her incredibly much to watch him suffer in silence, unable to help him so she was hoping he'd finally let her in.

Wanda's eyes filled with tears at the sight of Draco nearly falling apart, but she didn't say a word. With a pounding heart she watched as the boy pulled up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark on his arm. The girl let out a quiet gasp, covering her mouth, as the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She carefully listened to her friend's explanation, not taking her eyes off the black skull and snake which rested upon his arm. The female could only take a couple of seconds before nausea hit her full force and she had to pull a chair to sit on since her legs were barely holding her at that point. The news knocked the air out of her lungs and Wanda began to rub her throat, finding it extremely hard to breathe. Countless thoughts were running through her head, each more terrifying than the one before it. She had already lost her biological parents, twin brother and adoptive parents, she wouldn't be able to bear the loss of her best friend who was her only family.

She looked up at the boy with a broken expression, nearly choking on her words. "You do realise not only Dumbledore is going to die if you complete this mission? What makes you think Voldemort won't kill you and your parents even if you succeed? Remember - he's not to be trusted, he knows no sympathy nor loyalty. He's cruel and he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of any of you if he has to, in order to win."

Wanda stood up and in the next moment the boy was in her warm embrace. The girl knew how much he needed to let it all out and she wasn't going to stop him - she let him cry into her shoulder and be broken, something he had done for her long ago.

"Draco... I can't hate you for something that's not your fault. You were forced to join the Death Eaters and you never wanted to kill anyone," Wanda spoke softly, taking Draco's hand to gently caress the skin where the mark rested, knowing how painful the process of receiving it actually is. She was absolutely shocked by how long he had managed to keep it a secret for but couldn't blame him - there's no easy way to share this secret even with your closest friends. "All of this... I can't even process it. I'm sure you know all of us are going to lose if you let the Death Eaters in. Thousands of innocent people are going to be hurt, tortured and killed..."

Wanda whimpered quietly, still not believing what she had just heard. "You've been a bully, yes, but you could never be a murderer. Your heart isn't cruel. That's why I know you're going to fail with your mission. Plus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of all time, he can't be killed easily."

"I promise you that you do have a choice. You'll always have. You're just a boy who happened to be burdened with a terrible purpose and I know people who would gladly provide you safety. Dumbledore himself would never turn his back on people who come to him for help. Your parents would be safe too, Dumbledore would shelter them like he did with Severus Snape years ago."

Wanda squeezed her eyes shut and a few more tears fell. "If you, however, decide to finish your mission, that means you're on the Dark Lord's side and you support the people who murdered my parents. You will hurt me immensely if you betray me like that."

The girl finally opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. She looked into Draco's tortured grey eyes. Wanda didn't really care about how miserable and worn out she looked, she just stood on her tippy toes and placed and feather-like kiss on his forehead.

"Just say the word, Draco, my dear. You don't have to go through this, especially not alone. I'll be with you until the very end. Whatever it takes."

#draco malfoy rp #xmalfoydracox #draco malfoy #wanda maximoff rp #wanda maximoff rpblog #wanda maximoff #marvel #marvel rp #harry potter rp #harry potter au #hogwarts au #hp rp #hp au rp

[austenpoppy]

Unpopular - or very rare - opinions about Ron, even for a Ron-lover or a Romione-lover

I am quite a strange person, because I have the impression that no one agrees with what will follow. I won't even list the obvious, since I think most of the people who will read this are Ron-lovers like me.

I am not going to explain everything in details, mostly because I will post some comments and analysis to do so... soon ;) !

1. I am glad Ron dated Lavender, and I am slightly unnerved every time I read that he has been a "prat" in sixth year. Why ?

Because of double standarts, people.

Why is it okay for a girl to want to feel good about herself, to feel special, to be assured that she can achieve things and look good, and not for a boy ?

Feeling okay with oneself is a very important part of one's teenage years. My mum, as a teacher, often talks to pupils who loathes themselves (I have no right to spill their secrets here, but I hope everyone understands)... and that is heartbreaking.

Ron reminds me of them.

Ron dated Lavender at a moment in his life when he thought he was "pathetic", when he thought the girl he loved thought him pathetic too (and he had reasons for thinking so...) when one of his teachers was unable to remember his name and kept looking through him as if he didn't exist while lavishing praise on his best friends and sister, when nobody except Lavander told him he was worth something, when his own team hated him, when his sister had humiliated him, when everyone was looking at Harry in awe, when he had just got scarred for life (scars oddly reminding me of cutting) and had lived through a traumatic event, when nobody except Lavender was doting on him, when nobody seemed to care about him but her.

It did not solve everything. Ron is extremely prone to self-hatred, and I don't believe it ever disappeared after the locket. But for once in his life, Ron actually felt good about himself for a while.

It is not that he did not care about Lavender's feelings. Not at all. Just see the way he felt when they broke, extremely guilty about having made her cry. She fancied him, he appreciated her and he was trying to get over Hermione. (and realised he couldn't, but that is another story...) Why would dating her be wrong ? He did not use her. He did not manipulate her. He appreciated her.

Why would that be wrong, although Hermione and Ginny did the exact same thing ?

I am all for Hermione when she dated Krum at the Yull Ball and Ron tried to guilt her over it, and she yelled at him (even if it I don't want to imagine Ron's feelings the night after, crying himself to sleep because "he would never be good enough for her"... Yeah, Schopenhauer was right: you only fully realise how much something is important once you lost it - or think you lost it). It was important for her to realise that she was not just a "bookworm", but a person who had just as everybody the right to feel desirable, and special.

Ginny dated other guys than Harry, and she was fully aware she had absolutely no feelings towards them (see Dumbledore's funeral) and ... ? She was trying to be herself, to get over Harry. She did not use guys, she genuinely appreciated them and it was important for her. It helped her becoming the person she became.

It was important for Ron too, and I wish people saw that.

2. I don't blame Ron for leaving in DH. It is not that I am cutting him slack, or that I just forgave him. It is more than that. I am admirative.

I think, and this is something I will defend to death after some research I made, that Ron has been mentally tortured by the locket.

Yes, I repeat it, tortured. This is not a hyperbole.

Note that I don't blame Harry or Hermione for the fight. They were manipulated - not tortured yet. The only one I blame is the locket

People don't realise that things could have gone horribly wrong. Under torture, people are led to do awful things. And that cannot be judged. Their pain is so huge they are not in their right mind.

When Ron faced his torturer again after he left, in a state of mental exhaustion, terror and anguish, for another mental torture session, he went very close to possession -actually he has been possessed one moment - and he could have killed Harry. That was exactly what Voldemort wanted : killing the Boy-who-lived by all means, weakening him, destroying the Trio.

It is out of sheer courage and thanks to his golden heart that Ron resisted torture and possession.

Wow indeed.

It could have been another way : with all the self-loathing stuff he always thought being repeated over and over again, he could have committed suicide. I think he could have attempted to do it if he had not left, but this is Ron who never gives up we're talking about, so who knows ?

3. Ron is not insensitive at all. It is the other way around.

Another thing I am ready to die defending it

We have a problem of vocabulary : being insensitive means that you don't care about others' feelings, that you don't feel empathy for others, or that you don't feel empathy at all. Sociopaths are often insensitive.

So... Ron, according to this definition, insensitive ???

I think it would be better if people just said that he was tactless sometimes.

4. Ron is not carefree. An optimist, yes, a boy trying to see the fun in life, yes, often immature, yes, sometimes insensible, yes...

But carefree ? No.

Look at the way he is often very anxious, the way he feels so very strong feelings, the fact that he is overly emotional, the fact that he worries so much.

The emotional range of a teaspoon, my arse.

Ron is a mix of raw emotion, passion, fire, and sunshine, wind and freedom.

5. Ron is romantic.

I see you laughing in a corner, because really, Ron, who had so much problems with dealing with girls, romantic ?

Well, being romantic means that you have idealistic ideas about love (I know what I'm talking about).

And look at Ron, squealing with delight on the floor when Harry received his first kiss, getting desperate when he learnt that Hermione had given het first kiss to another, playing matchmaker (this SCENE at the end of OOTP), grunting because "he thought that (Ginny) had a crush on Harry...", being ready to commit himself to love for eternity at seventeen...

6. Ron was not "the prat who walked out on Harry out of jealousy" in fourth year.

Both boys were to blame here. And acted out of a feeling of betrayal.

Better even : Ron first tried to swallow his bitterness.

7. Ron was not that prejudiced towards giants, house-elves and werewolves

Giants : what did he say ?

That they were violent and "awful", because they were killing one another.

Well, look at what Hagrid, a half-giant, says about it (conversation after his return in OOTP)

House-elves : what did he say ?

--> that they didn't want to be freed : apart from Dobby, whom he respected very much, he was right

--> that they loved doing what they did : once again he was right

--> that they were not human beings, and that you could not talk to them the same way : he was both right and wrong. You have to consider them as equals, and if you don't see them as human beings, you can be prone to forget it; however, house-elves are another species with other needs and expectations; and you have to be careful about what you say to them and the way you say it (house-elves are much more naive, innocent and emotional)

Werewolves : what did he say for people to think that ?

--> the "get away from me, werewolf !"

Ah, the hypocrisy. Let me remind you of something :

"'NO!' Hermione screamed, 'Harry, don't trust him, ge's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead - he's a werewolf !"'

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling

But people, think about it one second : these circumstances were NOT normal. They were hurt and TERRIFIED teenagers who had just seen one of their teachers hug and being really friendly with a seemingly mass murderer. They felt betrayed.

Imagine if Sirius had been a mass murderer : Lupin would have been like Greyback, who identifies himself as a werewolf and as a beast.

Ron and Hermione did not really think what they said. They were just TERRIFIED.

--> the "Dumbledore hired you, he's crazy"

Same thing.

It is crazy to expect perfection from terrified and feeling-like betrayed teenagers.

8. Ron does not lust much after other girls

I won't count Fleur, because the state he was in when he was seeing her was only due to her Veela-abilities (and let's face it -Harry too was influenced by it - just look at the way he described her when she entered his room at the beginning of HPB; Ron was just more sensitive to it)

He had a cute crush (oh god I hate this word) on Mrs Rosmerta.

He found Lavender nice, but did not lust after her.

And...?

That's all.

Full stop.

9. Ron's Boggart is not a spider

It may have been the case in the first books, but not in the last ones.

Otherwise let's assume that Parvati's Boggart will always be a mummy, that Seamus's will always be a banshee and that Dean's will always be a severed hand...

Nope. People grow and change, and their fears too.

I think that Ron's Boggart, once OOTP ends, has most likely been a dead or hurt Hermione that he had not been able to save, or a locketlike vision.

10. Ron is not so relatable and ordinary.

Well, maybe he is relatable for the way he feels inadequate, and his tendency to self-hatred reminds probably some people of their own struggle.

The fact that we can read him like an open book is perhaps relatable as well.

His arachnophobia ?

Maybe his bad luck.

But I never thought him ordinary. Or else being ordinary has never been so extraordinary.

The day you find a boy who is ready to die for others and to sacrifice himself at the age of twelve, call me.

The day you find somebody who is arachnophobic and is ready to follow spiders into a dark forest without complaining and even trying to appear enthusiastic, call me.

The day you find a fourteen-years old with a bitten arm and a broken leg, and standing on it without complaining once to tell somebody everyone thinks is a mass murderer and that he had seen with a knive above his bed some months ago, "If you want to kill my best friend, you'll have to kill me too", call me.

The day you find a boy who begs to be tortured instead of the person he loves and who is ready to give up everything he is for her or him, call me.

The day you find somebody who defies a dictator and a murderer when all hope is lost, call me.

And then I dare you to tell me they're ordinary.

I am sure some people imagine that I think Ron has no flaws, mostly because the things people blame him for are things I am often glad he did.

That is not true.

But the things I criticize Ron about are often smaller : imitating Hermione in Charms in HPB, his comment about Neville to feel better about himself before asking Hermione to the ball, his comment during a party during the Scabbers/Crookshanks fight...

However, I do worship Ron to the stars.

And I am proud of it.

#i worship ron to the stars #ron weasley #hp #unpopular opinions

[vivithefolle]

I have this distinct feeling that you once wrote a drabble of Ron pushing Fred out of the way and dying instead of him, but I can't see it on your ffn account? I'm pretty sure it was you anyways, did you post it here on tumblr, and I just have trouble finding it? Thank you:)

Oh! I did write something like that, but I posted it on Quora and never bothered to put it elsewhere, I’m sorry! Here you go anon, for all your “TOO MANY FEELS” needs :D

“You actually are joking, Perce… . I don’t think I’ve heard you joke since you were –“

The air exploded. They had been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Percy, the two Death Eaters at their feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, the world was rent apart, Harry felt himself flying through the air, and all he could do was hold as tightly as possible to that thin stick of wood that was his one and only weapon, and shield his head in his arms: He heard the screams and yells of his companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them –

And then the world resolved itself into pain and semidarkness: He was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack. Cold air told him that the side of the castle had been blown away, and hot stickiness on his cheek told him that he was bleeding copiously. Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than he had been in his life…

And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three redheaded men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione’s hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood.

“RON!” came the terrible, deafening cry, and Harry’s heart stilled.

Percy’s trembling hands were gripping, shaking his brother, Fred stared, eyes lost and smile gone, at Ron’s prone form, and it couldn’t be, it shouldn’t be…

He knew, rather than felt, that Hermione had fallen to her knees beside him, that this piercing wail of despaired agony came from her.

And as Percy sobbed and called his little brother’s name, as Fred’s breath hitched with the understanding that Ron had given his life for him, as Hermione screamed and cried, Harry felt like he’d just died.

[…]

He walked, dazedly, out of the Great Hall, across the grounds, unable to see or hear or feel. His heart was heavier than iron inside his chest, and the only thing that kept him walking was the promise held by Snape’s memories.

The world around him was nothing but a blur, and it was pure luck that he didn’t stumble nor falter as he made his way into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

Yet, Harry stilled, the numbness inside him unable to choke one final, sad spark, and his hand dropped into his pocket, fishing out the Golden Snitch he now knew the secret of. I open at the close.

Putting his lips to the inscription, kissing the world goodbye, he murmured “I am about to die.”

The winged gold nugget seemed to split into two, revealing a dark, onyx-like shingle with this now familiar symbol engraved onto it, a straight vertical line and a circle encompassed in a triangle. It had cracked down the Elder Wand’s line, where Dumbledore had killed the Horcrux resting inside.

There was one single thought in Harry’s mind, and he just wanted the reassurance, he needed to be certain of it, and he turned the Resurrection Stone three times in his hand.

There was a soft shimmer ahead of him, like someone lifting a Disillusionment Charm from themselves, and the one he wanted to see the most left the cover of the trees.

He wasn’t flesh and bone, but he wasn’t a ghost, either; his eyes were as blue as ever and his red hair just as fiery, every freckle clearly distinct despite the obscurity, and he wore - Harry almost smiled - a maroon Weasley jumper.

“Lo, Harry”, Ron said, a kind grin etched on his face.

“I’m sorry”, he immediately blurted. “I… god, Ron, I…”

Ron walked up to him, wrapped him in a feather-light embrace that felt more like a memory than reality.

“Cut it, will you? I made my choice and I don’t regret it. Well…” he drew away, licking his lips, and letting out a small puff of laughter. “I have regrets, of course, but I’d sound like a right prat if I said I’d have liked for Hermione to kiss me again.”

Harry smiled.

“You’ll take care of her, right, Harry? She… She’ll be okay, of course, but she’ll need someone, she can’t do everything alone, you know?”

And maybe Ron’s soul would be angry with him, and maybe no one would forgive him, but Harry walked on still, the Stone firmly in his palm.

“… Wait. Wait, Harry, where are you going?”

He couldn’t help it. He… He wanted to know, there was this lingering fear, he had to know -

“Does it hurt? Dying?”

He needn’t see it to feel it, how Ron bristled, drew himself up, full of disbelief and indignation, with all the fight he still had in death and all the fight that Harry had lost the very instant he’d heard that terrible scream.

“Oh no you don’t. No, I swear, Harry, if you do that…”

“Ron… does it hurt?”

“It hurts everyone! Hermione, Ginny, Mum, everyone will be hurt, Harry, you can’t do that to them! You can’t do that to me! You’re the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, you’ll find a way, you’ll survive and have loads of babies and a happily ever after - Harry!”

He let the Stone fall to the ground, Ron’s furious, fearful eyes fading in the night, and resumed his walk toward death and Voldemort.

As far as Harry was concerned, his happily ever after had died with his best friend.

[…]

Dumbledore guided Harry back to the train tracks and sunk into a seat. They stayed silent for a few moments, Harry contemplating all that had been revealed…

He had a choice, then. He could go back.

Go back, and live, and keep going, and feel his heart heavy with ache and loss and pain; go back, and what would he say to Hermione, what would he say to the Weasleys?

Going back, when Ron hadn’t been allowed that chance? All because of a damn Prophecy, because Harry’s life mattered more than his, because Harry was supposed to be more from the beginning?

Harry turned to Dumbledore, and saw understanding in the man’s eyes. So he sat down.

“How long til the next train comes in, Professor?”

Hermione never marries anyone. She’s realized it in sixth year, but there truly wasn’t anyone who could be as imperfect, insecure, grouchy, angry, self-loathing, funny, witty, kind, gentle, compassionate, selfless and as perfect as Ron Weasley.

Yes, there could be a happier ending, Ron’s shadow appearing to tell Harry to keep living for his sake. But I really wanted to convey that Ron is what helps Harry live - Ron is Harry’s human crutch. Hermione may keep Harry safe, but Ron keeps Harry sane. Even though Harry is in love with Ginny, how would he cope with knowing that it was at the cost of her big brother’s life?I just wanted Harry - and the readers - to realize that, with how much he took Ron for granted time and again, he’d really come to need him. Ron still underestimates himself, even in death, he’s still convinced that Harry is going to be perfectly okay - but Harry knows that he won’t be, not without his Wheezy.

I’ll have to return to that bit of writing and brush up on it - I’ve left a bit too much unsaid and rushed it, especially the ending at King’s Cross. Once I make it better I’ll probably post it as a one-shot on AO3 and FFN. :)

Oh and also… *gives handkerchiefs to her fellow Ron-lovers* I know, I know, I’m a horrible person.

#ask #vivi answers #my fanfiction #my fanfic #vivi writes #drabble #harry potter #harry potter drabble

[torestoreamends]

Moramortia: Chapter 3

When the person you love might be dying it seems silly to waste any more time, doesn’t it? 

Read it on AO3 / Pick a chapter

*

III  First Date

The two boys skirt the edge of the lake, walking close enough together that their shoulders and hands occasionally brush. It's Sunday evening after dinner, and it's starting to get a little chilly as the sun sets. The sky is splashed with pink and deep blue, and the faces of the distant mountains are stained red. Long shadows creep down the lawn as they stroll along. 

"I cannot tell you how glad I am that I got back before dinner," Scorpius says. "I'm not sure I could have survived another night of hospital food. Last night it was some sort of mushy... Something. I nearly vomited it back up."

"I thought you were staying at home last night," he asks, glancing across at Scorpius, tone nonchalant.

Scorpius pauses in his stride, caught. "Yes," he says, scratching the back of his head. "Well. About that. There was a slight change of plans..."

Albus stops and eyes him. "What does that mean?" 

"I may have... had another small episode," Scorpius admits in a very small voice, avoiding looking at him. "But it's fine. I am fine. It really wasn't all that bad."

"Scorpius..." Albus says, with a note of warning. 

Scorpius decides truth is the best option here. "I ended up staying overnight," he says, then adds as an optimistic afterthought: "Which was actually a good thing. It made the tests easier. More accurate."

"And the tests..." Albus says hesitantly. "Did they say anything- Are things- Are you-"

"I don't know." Scorpius gives a little shrug and looks down at the floor as they set off walking. He scuffs his toes in the grass and digs his hands into his pockets. "I'm not sure they have any idea what's wrong with me. The tests were useless, really. I think..." He hesitates, then glances sideways at Albus. "I think they're assuming I have my mum's disease. Because there isn't a better explanation."

"But you don't think you do." It isn't a question; there's a confident weight to it. 

Scorpius looks away from him, up at the dark shadow of the forest that looms further down the sloping lawns. "Anything could be wrong with me, Albus. Mum's disease is supposed to skip generations. That's not supposed to be affect me. This could just be some weird strain of Dragon Pox for all anyone knows. At the moment it's all just guesswork and speculation." He folds his arms across his chest and tucks his fingers against his body, making himself as small as possible. 

"But you're getting better," Albus says, full of determined certainty. "In the end it doesn't really matter what's wrong, does it? If you're getting better?" 

Scorpius swallows but doesn't say anything. He doesn't know what to say; he doesn't want to contradict Albus, doesn't want to counter Albus's confidence in him, and in healing in general. It's easier to let him believe what he wants to. 

The evening chill creeps into Scorpius's bones as they walk along in silence, and he hunches in on himself, shivering slightly. It's really starting to get cold out here now. 

Albus looks at him, a frown creasing his forehead. "You are... you are getting better, aren't you?" The confidence is gone now. He sounds hesitant instead, concerned and fragile. Scorpius wants nothing more than to be able to reassure him with a confident 'of course I am', but he can't lie to his best friend.

"I don't know," he says softly, barely glancing up. Albus is almost in shadow now anyway. There's no point looking at him. 

"But..." Albus pauses, shaking his head. "But you're my best friend. You have to get better. I mean... what happens if you don't get better? You'd be in pain. You'd be sick. You might..." He pauses, like he can't bring himself to say the word. 

Scorpius realises with some disappointment that apparently he's one of the people who struggle with death, probably because he's never really had to face it before. He's seen Craig die of course, and his grandparents, but none of those really count much for him. Lily and James were probably too abstract, more concepts than people. And Craig was an acquaintance at best. It's not as if Albus has had to sit and watch his mother fade away in front of him the way Scorpius has.

"You can say it," Scorpius murmurs. "It's just a word. It doesn't mean anything. 'Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself'."

"Dumbledore," Albus says. "He told my dad that."

"Yes." Scorpius blows on his fingers to try and warm them up. "Pretty wise man, your namesake."

"So. So... what happens if you don't... I mean... if you don't get better?" Albus pauses and takes a breath. "What do I do?"

"What do you mean, what do you do?"

"I mean..." Albus wraps his cloak around himself and looks across at Scorpius. There's a sliver of silver moon out now, reflecting on the ruffled water of the lake. It makes his eyes glitter in the darkness. "What do I do without you? I tried living without you once and it was... It was pretty horrible. Do I just have to do that again forever?"

Scorpius shrugs. "I don't know. What you do isn't really my problem since I'll be dead."

Albus freezes in his tracks, staring. His green eyes are wide, and he's gone completely white, but maybe that's just the moonlight on his face. 

"Sorry," Scorpius says with a quiet sigh. "That was a stupid thing to say." He stops and buries his face in his hands, then turns to face Albus. "I think... when someone dies you're just meant to carry on. I don't really know. I'm still figuring it out. Maybe you should ask my dad. Not that he's figured it out either... I really hope it isn't something you have to worry about, but... I don't know. It's not as if you can just stop existing because someone you love went away."

"I do love you," Albus says. "You know that, don't you?" His expression has changed now. The shock has faded away, replaced with a new kind of intensity and determination. Determination is something which regularly graces Albus's face. It looks good on him. 

"Of course. And I love you too," Scorpius says. "You're a great friend and-"

"No," Albus insists. "I love you, Scorpius."

Scorpius blinks at him. "Is this because I told you I might be dying? Albus, you can't just throw yourself at people impulsively when you think you're going to lose them. That isn't a good way to give yourself a happy life."

Albus shakes his head in defiance "It's not because of that. I mean. It is a little bit because of that. But, Scorpius, I want to be with you. I always have. I've been in love with you since... Pretty much as long as I can remember. And I know we said we didn't want to ruin our friendship. But maybe it's time to just... Throw caution to the winds and do something stupid."

"Yes," Scorpius says, rubbing his hands together. "Well you're pretty good both of those things."

"You're right here, Scorpius. You're here, and you're alive. And so am I." Albus whirls around, gesturing to the whole world, like he's outlining all the opportunities they have. "Imagine if we just didn't do anything. Imagine if we stayed friends for the rest of our lives and never even tried." He steps in closer and takes hold of Scorpius's hands. "I know that everything we do is a disaster, but maybe this will be different. Wouldn't you regret it forever if we didn't do this?" He looks wild. Hair ruffled, cheeks pink from the biting breeze that's now swirling across the lake, eyes sparkling, so much energy buzzing through him. It's an irresistible sight.

Scorpius nods and looks away. "Quite possibly. Yes. But that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Won't it make it hurt more if I-"

Albus kisses him. He puts a hand on either side of Scorpius's face, confident and somehow warm despite the frigid evening air. He stretches up on tiptoes and kisses him hard, nothing held back. Clutching and clinging and desperate. It's forthright, but that's okay. Scorpius enjoys how Albus doesn't wait around. He takes what he wants. And this... this is something Scorpius is quite happy to give him.

He wraps his arms round Albus and kisses back for a moment before pulling away. "Okay," he says a little breathlessly. "You've never done that before. Not sober, anyway."

"I should have done it a long time ago." He takes Scorpius's hands, and Scorpius holds onto him. "But I don't have to do it again. Not if you don't want me to."

Scorpius looks down at their hands and tries to gather his thoughts. It isn't easy with a dull ache of pain flaring up in his chest, and Albus standing that close. Albus's proximity has never been good for encouraging rational thought, but maybe Scorpius doesn't need to be rational now. Sometimes you're supposed to follow your heart, aren't you? And Scorpius's heart is definitely offering him a very clear direction.

"Okay," he says finally. "You're right. Time is a-wasting. And if that's how you always kiss I won't try and deprive myself."

Albus nods, eyes shining with moonlight and hope. "Okay."

"You know," Scorpius says thoughtfully, squeezing his hands. "There's probably an alternate reality where we've been making out this entire time?"

Albus's face breaks into a broad smile. "For obvious reasons, I'm not a massive fan of alternate realities. But maybe I could be convinced by that one."

"Let's just make it this reality," Scorpius says. "You and me. Both of us alive, for now. A couple. And we make out. Regularly."

"Both of us alive full stop," Albus corrects. 

"Albus..."

"I don't want to think about you dying, Scorpius. You make it sound like it's inevitable, and I don't want it to be. The idea of my boyfriend dying is terrifying." 

Scorpius blinks at him. "Wait... Boyfriend?" 

Albus looks confused. "Wasn't that the whole point of that conversation?"

Scorpius looks at Albus. Their breath mists and mingles in the air between them. "I don't know. I hadn't thought that far ahead... 

"We don't have to be if you don't want," Albus says quickly, holding his hands up. "Sorry if I assumed-"

"I do want," Scorpius says, scrambling to reassure him. "It was just a surprise. A very pleasant surprise. One that I wasn't entirely prepared for. You have this habit of springing things on me without warning. I like it, but it isn't always good for my heart."

Albus smiles sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be." They fall into an awkward silence for a moment. Scorpius starts hugging himself again. He's shivering violently now, teeth chattering. Not bringing a cloak on this walk was a terrible mistake. 

Albus apparently notices, because he pulls his own cloak off and drapes it around Scorpius's shoulders. "We should go inside. It's freezing out here."

"I think I'm about to turn into an ice cube," Scorpius says, wrapping the cloak tight around his body. It's still warm with Albus's heat. The second best thing to getting a hug from him. "I think the cold doesn't agree with me now I'm ill. It makes my fingers go numb."

Albus puts an arm around his shoulders and starts shepherding him back toward the castle. They lean into each other, and Scorpius wraps the edge of the cloak around Albus. There isn't really enough of it to go around, but he feels bad keeping the whole thing to himself. Albus smiles at him, and presses closer. It makes it difficult to walk but otherwise it's a thoroughly pleasant experience.

As they reach the front steps of the castle and start walking back up into the golden light and glowing warmth of the entrance hall, Scorpius nudges his shoulder against Albus's.

"We'll get more answers," he says. "I'm not sure how but we will. Then maybe we won't have to be so terrified."

Albus glances up at him. "You're scared too, then?"

Scorpius nods. "A little bit. I think it's the not knowing. It'd be nice to have some information."

Albus squeezes him tightly. "Maybe we can look for some answers together. Rose could help too. She's good at looking for things." There's a reassuring confidence in his voice. "We're going to work this out, Scorpius. It might not be possible to find out what's wrong with you, but we're going to try. Because I'm not sure there's anyone I know who more deserves to live a long and happy life than you do."

In the light streaming from the castle doors and away down the lawn, a long streak of home and safety in the black night, Scorpius kisses him.

---

Scorpius stands on tiptoes and peers over the heads of the crowd clogging up the doorway to the Great Hall. "This is ridiculous," he tuts. "I'm blaming you for this." 

"Me?" Albus says indignantly. "Why is it my fault there's a queue?" 

"If you hadn't slept in for so long..." 

Albus rolls his eyes. "You were the one who wanted to stay up talking half the night."

Scorpius waves a dismissive hand at him. "Details, details." He puts a hand on Albus's shoulder and pushes himself up until he's as tall as he can get. "This is stupid. I need food. For medical reasons." 

Albus looks up at him. "Do you?"

Scorpius grins at him and shrugs. "I don't know. But it's a good excuse, isn't it? Come on." He grabs Albus by the hand and tugs him headlong into the crowd. 

"Scorpius! What are you doing? We can't go anywhere!" 

Scorpius doesn't stop. He ploughs straight through all the people. "Excuse me," he says. "Head Boy, coming through. I need to see Professor McGonagall before class starts. Excuse me. Thank you." 

"You're such a liar!" Albus calls, laughing as he squeezes through the gap left in Scorpius's wake. "You are a terrible person." 

"Malfoy the Unanxious is a pretty good liar," Scorpius sing-songs, glancing back at him. In his moment of distraction he nearly steam-rolls a pair of tiny first year Hufflepuffs. "Whoops!" he says. "Sorry." 

"You're going to trample someone!" 

"Quite possibly!"

As they shove through the crowd there's a good deal of irritable muttering, and Albus is certain this isn't going to be good for their popularity, but somehow, as they spill through the doors into the Great Hall and rush, giggling, to their usual seats at the Slytherin table, he can't bring himself to care too much. 

"You know," Albus says, helping himself to toast, while Scorpius pours a veritable snowstorm of sugar on top of his bowl of Cheeri Owls. "You're still scary when you're in a good mood. Is this a new stage of your illness? Hyperactive delirium?" 

Scorpius considers, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. I just feel good. Possibly because I'm no longer single... Life as a taken man is treating me rather well I think." 

Albus snorts. "We've barely been together for twelve hours. How do you even know how it's treating you?" 

Scorpius gestures up and down the table. "There's no fish, Albus. Not a single fish anywhere. This is the best breakfast ever. And we have Defence Against the Dark Arts today, so you're going to be in a good mood. It's going to be an excellent day, I can feel it in my bones."

Albus smiles and shakes his head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Scorpius picks a Cheeri Owl out of his bowl, tosses it up in the air, and catches it in his mouth. "You've mentioned it." He picks up his spoon and digs it into the cereal. "You know, ever since I was in hospital I've felt rather excellent. It's inexplicable. I mean, apart from you. I suppose you explain everything." He gives Albus a smile, and a bit of milk dribbles down his chin. Immediately he ducks his head and starts trying to clean himself up. 

Albus gives him a fond yet despairing look. "The cereal is meant to stay in your mouth, Scorpius. You're not supposed to tip it down your front." 

Scorpius, mouth full, makes a rude gesture at him across the table. 

Albus grins and chews on his toast. 

They're both munching in happy silence when Rose comes skipping across the hall towards them. She drapes her arms round Scorpius's shoulders and hugs him. 

"Good morning. I see my favourite Head Boy is back." She leans down next to Scorpius and looks at him. "How are you?"

He turns round in his seat and beams at her. "I am exceptional, thank you." 

She ruffles his hair. "How were the tests?" 

"Inconclusive," he says brightly. "But that doesn't matter. How are you, Rose?"

She scrutinises him. "I'm alright. What's going on with you? You're very smiley." She looks across at Albus, who had been grinning at Scorpius, enjoying the silver shine of the sunlight on his hair. "You too."

Albus holds his hands up and tries to stop smiling. "I'm just eating my breakfast." He tears off a bit of toast crust with his teeth, to make the point.

"You're not," Rose says, giving him a very hard look. "You're being weird." She gestures between the two of them. "What's happened? What are you not telling me?" 

Albus looks at Scorpius, who nods expectantly at him. 

"Why do I have to-?" Albus asks.

Scorpius puts a big spoonful of cereal in his mouth, and this time manages an angelic smile without dribbling everywhere. 

Albus sighs. "Fine. We're going out now." 

Scorpius chokes and nearly spits milk all over the table in his rush to swallow the mouthful of cereal. "Do you have..." he splutters, "to be so undramatic about it?" He turns round in his seat, draws himself up very straight, and raises his arms in a grand gesture. "Rose, during a romantic stroll by the lake at sunset last night, I asked Albus Severus to be my boyfriend. And thankfully he said yes."

Rose lights up and claps her hands together. "I knew it! I knew this would happen eventually. I'm so happy." She flings her arms round Scorpius, who squawks and tries to wriggle free.

"We're quite happy too," Albus murmurs, looking across at his flailing boyfriend with a smile.

---

Late summer shifts into autumn, turning the green leaves of the forest a crisp gold. Shadows lengthen on the lawns, and the sun pales and weakens as the days shorten and cool. The castle stands resplendent in orange afternoon sunlight. Blood red sunsets stain the Great Hall windows, and dinners begin to take place under more grey skies, more wet skies, more darkness.

Scorpius and Albus quietly revel in each other's company. The best moments come late at night when they curl up together behind their hangings and talk until they fall asleep. Nothing much has really changed between them except a warm glow of happiness, and the fact that intimacy is now associated with romance, rather than uncertainty. 

It's a really good few weeks. Scorpius isn't completely well but he handles the pain and he seems truly happy. Albus almost stops worrying about him, and certainly the immediate concern that his best friend -- his boyfriend -- might be dying fades gradually from his mind. It's difficult to think someone so solid and joyful and brimming over with life might be on the way to death. 

As always, the October Hogsmeade weekend sends a swell of excitement through the whole school from third year up. Even Albus is looking forward to it. He's never felt the need to visit the village before, but his dad had sent another permission form to McGonagall halfway through fourth year, so he's always known he could go if he wanted to. In the past he's been too proud to admit he might want to use that form; he's always spent the time in the library catching up on homework instead. But this weekend is different. This weekend will be his first official, proper date, to somewhere outside the school, with Scorpius.

It's nothing exceptional, nothing they wouldn't have done before, but it's nice. They go to Honeydukes and argue about the best sweets, they walk up to the Shrieking Shack and Scorpius listens enrapt as Albus recounts every story he's ever been told about Remus Lupin and the other Marauders. They end up in the Three Broomsticks where they both drink far too much Butterbeer. It fills them up with a golden glow, like rays of sunshine warming them from the inside out, and it's just so drinkable. By the time they head back to the castle they're both a tiny bit buzzed. Not drunk, there isn't nearly enough alcohol for that, but certainly high on sweet sugar and each other's company.

They stumble into their dorm and no one else is there, so they put their arms around each other. It's nice not having to tone down their affection for once. 

Scorpius kisses Albus on the cheek, then falls onto his bed. He doesn't let go of Albus as he does it, so Albus has no choice but to fall with him, and they end up tangled together on the soft mattress, a giggling mess of limbs.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Scorpius asks, grinning.

"I don't know," Albus replies. "You're the one who put me here." He wriggles into a more comfortable position, straddling one of Scorpius's thighs. "I think I'd like to stay here though, if you don't mind."

"I couldn't mind less if I tried," Scorpius says, putting both his hands on Albus's hips. 

Albus resists the urge to flop down on top of him and instead stays hovering there, gazing down at his face, at the grey eyes that are shining with joy, and the soft pink lips stretched into a wide smile, and all that platinum hair that's ruffled across the pillow. 

Albus will never not love the sight of Scorpius Malfoy spread out beneath him.

"So I'm just going to kiss you now," he murmurs.

"I'm yours to do with as you wish," Scorpius replies. 

Albus grins and leans in. He flattens himself against Scorpius's body and gets his hands in as much of that beautiful blond hair as he can. Scorpius opens up beneath him, relaxed and pliant. 

It's luxurious and lazy, just the way a Saturday afternoon should be. Every kiss is long and ponderous, and Scorpius runs a hand slowly up Albus's back, like he's trying to feel every single bone and muscle and sinew. It's certainly the sort of kissing best left to late evenings, shut behind heavy hangings and a couple of Muffliato spells, rather than in an open dorm when anyone could walk in at any moment, but neither of them can bring themselves to care. Let the world see. It isn't as if they're trying to keep their togetherness a secret.

"I love you," Scorpius gasps out between gradually heating kisses, as they move from laziness towards intent. "I've said it a hundred times and I will keep saying it. I love you. There isn't a person I love more in the world than you. You're my best friend. I've come so close to losing you so many times already, and I'm never going to let it happen again, because we belong together." 

Albus appreciates the sentiment, he really does, but it's a very frustrating outpouring of love, because while Scorpius is talking he can't very easily be kissed.

"Sshh," Albus says. "Talk later."

"You know I never shut up, Albus," Scorpius says, flattening his head against the pillow and grinning up at him, lips all pink, cheeks flushed. "Aren't you used to this by now? I want to speak sonnets about my love for you. I want to sing it from the top of the astronomy tower. How Scorpius Malfoy is in love with Albus Severus Potter."

"Please," Albus says, almost begging. "Kiss me. If you won't, I'll just-" he starts kissing his way down Scorpius's neck. Scorpius's head is tilted back onto the pillow, so the pale stretch of skin is perfectly exposed. Albus can hear him responding the way he always does so beautifully, with a series of little high-pitched gasps like Albus is stealing his breath away over and over again. Good sounds, the best sounds, sounds of pure pleasure.

It's all so good that Albus almost isn't aware of it starting to go wrong. But the way Scorpius's hand suddenly clenches tight on the back of his shirt, the pained little whimper of his name, the way Scorpius's whole body goes tense all of a sudden... Those are the signs and they're enough.

Albus lifts his head, frowning. "Is this okay?" 

Scorpius looks wrecked. His lips are bruised and his hair is everywhere. His cheeks are pink, or at least they are to start with, but as Albus looks they slowly drain of colour, and Scorpius's face goes taught with intense pain.

"Albus," he gasps. "Help."

Albus gets off him and kneels next to him on the bed. "How? What do you need?"

Scorpius shakes his head and rolls onto his side. His hands uncurl from Albus's shirt and clutch desperately at his heart instead. "Don't... Know. Albus. I'm sorry." He breathes the last two words, then his eyes roll up in his head and he goes limp on the bed, entirely unconscious.

Albus, stunned, shakes his shoulder. "Scorpius. Scorpius, stop it. Come on. Wake up." When there's no response he starts to panic. His hands are shaking as he tries to work out whether Scorpius is still breathing, whether his heart is beating, but his mind has gone blank and he can't remember how.

He gathers Scorpius into his arms and starts shouting, because it's all he can do. "Help! Someone, please. We need help!"

Why is the dorm so quiet on a Saturday afternoon? Where is everyone? There should be at least five people thundering up the stairs to help them right now but there's no one. No one up here at least, but there must be someone in the Common Room.

Albus hesitates. He doesn't want to leave Scorpius alone, not in this state, but he's not sure he has a choice. He can't drag Scorpius downstairs with him, and no one's coming to help them. 

Reluctantly he lets go of Scorpius and sprints for the door. He clatters down the stairs, almost falling on the way. He doesn't even look to see if there's anyone in the Common Room, just screams into the emerald gloom. 

"We need help. We need Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall. Anyone. Please. Please!"

There's no one. Nothing. No response. They're completely alone in this dungeon.

Albus runs into the room and looks around but the whole place is utterly deserted. Everyone must be in Hogsmeade or out in the grounds. It's never been so quiet, and it's never been so important that there are people around. 

Albus turns in a circle in the middle of the empty room and rakes his hands through his hair, then he sinks hopelessly onto the nearest sofa and buries his face in his hands. 

He could run through the whole castle looking for people but how long would that take? And the whole time Scorpius is up there, possibly fading away. But he can't just give up. Can't just sit here. That's not going to help anyone.

He runs his shaking hands through his hair again and tries to pull himself together. This is a crisis and he's supposed to be good in a crisis. He's supposed to be the calm one in a crisis, and here he is about to cry, barely able to breathe, panicking.

"Excuse me young man."

Albus looks up. At first, through the blur of tears, he thinks there's no one there, but then he blinks twice and finally spots a figure in one of the portraits on the walls watching him curiously.

"Is everything okay?" 

Albus gets up. "No. No it isn't." He rushes out of his seat and bumps his way clumsily through the maze of sofas and coffee tables towards the portrait.

"You're the Potter boy, aren't you? There's never been a Potter in Slytherin before. Quite a curiosity you are."

"I need help," Albus says, ignoring him. "I need Madam Pomfrey immediately. Someone's sick. Scorpius. Tell her he's collapsed."

"Scorpius?" The portrait frowns. "Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Yes," Albus says.

"He's had another episode? But things have been going so well."

"I know, I-" Albus stops and stares. "Wait, how do you know about his illness?"

The man shrugs. "I hear things from my other portrait in the Manor sometimes."

"In the- You're a Malfoy?" 

The figure in the painting nods. "Don't panic, young Potter. Wait with Scorpius. I'll fetch Poppy. She'll be here soon."

"Thank you," Albus breathes, relief flooding him. Someone is going to help. "Thank you, sir."

"I will return." 

The figure disappears from the painting. For a heartbeat Albus stands there, feeling very very alone and very very afraid, then he turns and climbs back up the stairs to sit with Scorpius. 

Next chapter > 

#Harry Potter and the Cursed Child #Cursed Child #scorbus #cursedchildnetwork #fluff and angst #scorbus fluff #scorpius malfoy #albus severus potter #rose granger-weasley #scorbus fic #Keep The Secrets #My writing #Moramortia #Mayhem to the nth degree #(Don't you love a good cliffhanger?)

[mynameusedtobekatie]

In Defense of Albus Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore kept crucial secrets, was often manipulative, and made some really REALLY shitty mistakes but at least he always fucking tried to do what was right and FULLY ACKNOWLEDGED that he was sometimes a piece of garbage. Like. He is literally told in prophecy that a CHILD will be forced to bear the burden of destroying a great evil. The fuck was he supposed to do? Tell an 11-year-old he's probably going to die to save the entire world and start treating him like a child soldier? Or try and let that 11-year-old have a normal fucking schooling experience with friends and fun and learning and growing and as little knowledge of his potentially unavoidable destruction as possible? - Dumbledore was gifted. He was a true genius growing up and it made him arrogant. As a young man he had dangerous ideas. He truly believed he was working towards the greater good. Not like Grindelwald. He willfully ignored the signs of Grindelwald's corruption because well, he was in love. He was in deep denial because the good was SO good. He lost to temptation. And he fucked up. I mean. About as bad as you can. Because of it, he truly saw that he was flawed as he never had before. And he tried to be better. He did not want to be tempted with power and he constantly turned it down. Denying the position of MoM several times. He was scared and he was occasionally selfish but he TRIED. He taught. He helped young wizards to learn and grow. He did what he could for the school, for the students, for his fellow professors. But he still had trouble truly facing his greatest mistake. He was afraid to face Grindelwald even as Grindelwald was raising an army. He was cowardly and waited far too long. But he did go. And he defeated Grindelwald. And he had what he had wanted for so long. A deathly Hallow. And he continued to resist. He continued to teach. To train young wizards. To fight injustice. To BE BETTER. When a new dark wizard began to rise he did not want to make the same mistakes. He created the Order of the Phoenix to fight back. He did great things. He cared. He fought for what was right, for what was just, for everyone. He was a good man. But the war was difficult. There were many deaths and many losses. Voldemort did a great deal of horrible things. And it seemed as if he could not be stopped. And then. Dumbledore heard a prophecy. A horrible prophecy, but also one of hope. Someone that could have the power to stop Voldemort. To end the madness and destruction. And soon a Death Eater laid himself at Dumbledore's feet begging for his help. He was despicable and showed that he did not care for the child or for anyone besides the women he thought he loved. But he seemed to be willing to help if she was protected and obviously Dumbledore was going to protect an innocent family, let alone a member of the Order. He gave the man a second chance. He let him defect. He let him assist in the fight. But the woman was killed and Dumbledore saw the first proof that the prophecy was to come true. Voldemort had marked this child to be his equal. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort would return. He knew the prophecy. He knew that this child was tied to him. And he knew he needed to be protected. But he once again fucked up. He placed the child where he was guaranteed to be safe from Voldemort and his followers but did not entertain the thought that other horrors might exist for him here. He royally fucked up when he did not make sure that the Dursley's were not fucking abusing this poor child because guess what? They were. Dumbledore doesn't get a pass for this and neither does Mrs. Figg. Yes, Harry needed to stay with Petunia to keep his mother's charm alive, but not checking in a few times? Was unacceptable. Mrs. Figg was supposed to watch out for him and could PROBABLY have put some fucking effort into reporting literal abuse. In this case, no news probably seemed like good news to Dumbledore as Harry was growing up away from his fame. Mrs. Figg is definitely as much to blame, but Dumbledore could have done so much more. And now the death eater that switched sides despairs and wishes that he were dead, but Dumbledore knows that Harry will need protection and he tells this man to shut up and take responsibility. Harry is an orphan because Severus Snape told Voldemort the prophecy. Yes his parents are dead because Peter Pettigrew is a traitorous coward. Yes they are dead because Voldemort is an evil madman. But they are also dead because of Severus Snape. And Snape will never again make the mistake of helping his old master. And Dumbledore sees this. And he knows that if anything, Snape did love Lily Potter and if helping her son is what must be done he will (reluctantly) do so. And he trusts him. Now we get to Hogwarts. This 11-YEAR-OLD is bright and full of wonder. He makes incredible friends and he is completely and unquestionably his parents son. And. He. Is. A. Child. And everything is so real for Dumbledore. Voldemort's followers are still around. The Sorcerer's Stone is being targeted. The signs all point to Voldemort returning. Soon. But what can you say to a child? When you barely have the answers yourself. And then the child faces Voldemort. Already. At 11. And he stands his ground and he acts true and brave. And Dumbledore is so impressed and so worried about his future. And he doesn't know what to do. And he tells Harry that Voldemort can still return but he tells him nothing else. Because he can not bear to burden this child more. The next year Harry learns that he can talk to snakes and begins to see similarities between himself and Voldemort. And Dumbledore does too. He tries to be there for the boy. He asks him to talk to him, he believes him when he says he is innocent because of course he is. But the boy does not open up and Dumbledore can do nothing more at the time. Now. Harry faces Voldemort ONCE AGAIN. Only this time just a small piece of his soul and Dumbledore discovers something horrible. Voldemort is in possession of horcruxes. And the carelessness of the diary suggests that Voldemort has many. And then the similarities between Harry and Voldemort have a greater and so much more terrible than could ever be imagined explanation. This revelation shakes Dumbledore. If it is true it means that Voldemort can NEVER die until Harry is killed. It means that if Voldemort should regain himself he will have access to Harry's own mind and soul. It means that Harry has no choice but to be a part of this though Dumbledore has known this since he was given his lightning scar. And Dumbledore can not discuss this with him because the boy is 12. Dumbledore praises Harry, he speaks of his courage and his true Gryffindor nature. He asks again if Harry wishes to talk and he tries to help him. He assures him that though he may be similar he is NOT Voldemort. He says what he can and he desperately avoids placing any more burdens on such a young man. And Harry continues to grow. Dumbledore discovers that he showed compassion to the man that betrayed his parents. Dumbledore witnesses him save an innocent man from an unspeakable fate. And then another year goes by and horrible things begin to stir again. Death Eaters show themselves in public. The Dark mark is produced. Signs of Voldemort's return are everywhere. And Dumbledore is working hard. He searches his memories for clues, he preaches unity to his students, he knows the darkness is near. And then. Dark magic interferes with the tournament. And Harry is bound. Barely a teenager and magically bound to a deadly tournament. Clearly a pawn in someone's game but who? Which one of Voldemort's followers? (Now I'll never truly understand why the tournament could not be cancelled the second it was obvious dark magic was involved but I also don't know the full ramifications of a "binding magical contact." Either way it is made clear that Harry must compete and that Dumbledore could not stop him.) And now Dumbledore must watch this boy that is years younger than the others compete. All the while desperately searching for answers. And then. It is done. Harry witnesses the return of Lord Voldemort. He watches a fellow student be murdered, he is cut open and his blood stolen, he is forced to duel the most powerful dark wizard of the day and STILL he returns alive. Dumbledore's decision to leave him with Petunia affirmed. But suddenly Harry is gone. As Dumbledore tended to the other boy, and directed his staff, someone took Harry away from the grounds. It doesn't take long to see who and Dumbledore races to save Harry realizing who had been working for Voldemort under his nose all year. And together they listen to Barty Crouch Jr's confession. And Voldemort is back. And now Dumbledore feels stuck. He knows that Harry has no choice but to be a part of this, but he also knows that Voldemort has easy access to Harry's mind and soul. Dumbledore revives the Order of the Phoenix and he asks that Harry not be kept informed hoping that Voldemort will not see any use in doing so. He knows that if Voldemort thinks Harry and Dumbledore are close or if Voldemort could get information out of Harry that Voldemort would not hesitate to possess him to use him. And so he distanced himself from this remarkable young man and he keeps him in the dark. But he did not understand the pain this might cause a teenager. He did not see how isolated Harry could feel. As Dumbledore, a grown man, faced slander and hate and more from thousands of strangers he failed to see how much worse it could be for a 15-year-old. And when Voldemort began to enter Harry's mind he only isolated him more. Sending Harry to train and work on closing his mind with a man that consistently bullies and belittles him just because the man was accomplished at the art. A man that QUIT on training him because Harry, a teenager, saw something personal of his he shouldn't have. And once again Harry was on his own. Dumbledore failed Harry. But he was true in his intentions. He did what he believed was best for Harry. For NO reason but to keep Harry safe from Voldemort. But he still failed him. AND HE KNOWS IT. His actions led to Harry going to the ministry. To various students getting seriously injured. To Sirius Black being killed. And ultimately to Harry being fully possessed by Voldemort in an attempt to hurt Dumbledore, just as he had feared. He knows he is responsible. He knows he has been unfair in keeping Harry in the dark, that he has caused him great pain. And he takes responsibility. He FULLY admits that he fucked up royally. When Harry screams at him, he lets him. When Harry destroys his belongings, he lets him. He does not speak until Harry is finished. And he cries as he acknowledges the consequences of his actions. He tells Harry so much that he has kept from him. He tells Harry about his mother's charm and about Voldemort's possession, he tells Harry why he distanced himself and kept things from him all year. He explains his actions but does not try to excuse them. He admits that he was wrong. He does not yet tell him about the horcruxes. At this point he does not know for sure how many or what they might be. He has not told anyone about them and he does not tell Harry yet. But he vows to include him. And he vows to train Harry personally this time if he will let him and share his findings with him. And he means it. He begins the summer finding the first horcrux. A ring. The resurrection stone. And for the first time since he was 17 he believes that it is possible to see his sister again. And blinded to all logic, he puts on the horcrux. He is saved by Snape but it is too late. His fate is sealed and suddenly everything is more straightforward. He knows his death will come and he keeps working. He begins to tutor Harry. He gives him information as soon as he learns it and allows Harry to work out what all the memories mean. He tasks Harry with getting a valuable memory from Slughorn and finally he has an idea of how many horcruxes Tom must have made. He visits possible locations and when he finally finds another horcrux he brings Harry with him. He still keeps secrets. But now, much less from Harry. Because still... how can you tell a 16-year-old that a part of Voldemort's soul is attached to him? That he will have to die before Voldemort can be stopped? It is too much for him to burden Harry with until the last possible moment. Because how could Harry have the strength to carry on? To do what is necessary? He does not want Harry to ever have to dwell on this fact, because the fact is. Harry MUST die. Voldemort must be stopped. And Harry must be willing to let Voldemort kill him. It is not fair. But it is not Dumbledore's fault. Severus Snape is wrong when he claims that Harry had been raised like a pig for slaughter. Dumbledore allowed Harry to grow and learn as an ordinary student as best he could. Dumbledore did not even know that Voldemort had horcruxes initially and did not suspect Harry was one until Harry was already attending Hogwarts. And what was he to do with that knowledge? What would those that claim that Dumbledore is simply a manipulative asshole have done? Dumbledore always looked out for Harry but he could not change the fact that Voldemort would continue to murder and terrorize and destroy until Harry Potter sacrificed himself. But he could never burden a teenager with that knowledge. Not until he had to. And then. Dumbledore is killed. But before he is he leaves Harry the tools he will need to face what he must. He leaves him a way to destroy the remaining horcruxes and he leaves him the resurrection stone so that when Harry must face death he can bring the people he loves. And here Dumbledore is afraid. He does not tell Harry directly about the Hallows because Harry is only 17. The same age Dumbledore was when he sought them all those years ago. Dumbledore feared that Harry could be tempted as he had. He feared that Harry's hot head might dominate his good heart. After death, when Dumbledore speaks to Harry, he fully acknowledges that Harry is more worthy than he. That he used the Hallows selflessly and so he became their true master. Dumbledore asks Harry to forgive him for not trusting him. For believing he might make the same mistakes. He tells him that he knows Harry is a better man than he. Tears form in his eyes as he apologizes and explains himself. Harry was angry with him for his secrets and he had every right to be. And Dumbledore fully acknowledged and apologized for it. Dumbledore kept so many secrets from everyone. Dumbledore could be manipulative and tried to plan complex plans without including others. These are large flaws. And they are flaws that he on more than one occasion acknowledges and attempts to fix. Dumbledore was a good man that was burdened with knowing a horrible prophecy. He always fought for what was right and just. And he always fought to be better. But he made so many mistakes. His mistakes deserve to be acknowledged but so do his attributes. He was complex and real. And he was good. And it is ok that Harry named his second son after him. In thanks and in forgiveness. - (I was going to compare him at length to Snape because people will defend Snape to the end of the Earth while calling Dumbledore selfish and manipulative. Severus Snape never once takes responsibility for his atrocities. He always believes himself to be the victim. He shows no remorse in school for using racial slurs or dark magic. He hangs out with racists and plans on joining a hate group bent on destroying everyone of his supposed true loves birth. He joins the hate group after graduating and murders, spies for, and loyally serves a racist lunatic for years. He never gives a second thought to the families that are torn apart, the people that are murdered, the lives that are ruined. Until someone HE likes is affected. And still he first asks his literally evil boss to spare ONLY LILY and happily offers up her husband and infant son to be murdered. When he is unsure he can trust his LITERALLY EVIL boss not to murder a muggle born woman he finally decides to jump ship and plead to the side fighting the racist murderers to help him. Dumbledore rightly calls him out on his shit and asks him what he is willing to do for her. He agrees to help Dumbledore fight Voldemort. But not because he realizes he was on the wrong side, not because HE cares about stopping Voldemort, not because he wants to spare others from his evil. Only to save one woman he thinks he loves. And when his former EVIL BOSS succeeds in her and her husbands murder he acknowledges no responsibility in literally giving the piece of information that led to this to Voldemort on a silver platter, instead he yells at Dumbledore. And when Dumbledore tells him that Lily's son survived he acts annoyed and dismissive. He cares nothing for Lily's own son until Dumbledore tells him it is the only way to prove he truly loved her. Then he reluctantly agrees to help protect him. 10 YEARS go by and there is no change. Snape is bitter and he is cruel. On Harry's first day he mocks him and embarrasses him, the child he has sworn to protect. And I don't want to hear any of your "he had to act like he didn't like him for the death eaters" bullshit. Because there is a huge difference between cold and distant which Snape could have been and cruel and malicious which Snape was. He bullied children placed in his care. He threatened and attempted to murder a young child's beloved pet and then punished the boy when the pet survived. He openly mocked a young girl for answering his questions IN CLASS. He insulted a 14-year-old girl to her face until she ran away, tears streaming down her face. He verbally abused children and in one case even physically assaulted Harry. He was a 13-year-olds greatest fear even though the same 13-year-olds own parents had been tortured into insanity by death eaters. He was a cruel asshole. And the fact that he was always making sure Harry wasn't murdered does NOT change anything about his abuse and his atrocities as a professor. When Voldemort returned he had a more difficult job. He DID work for the Order. He DID help them as best he could. But he was still an asshole and he was still cruel. He still mocked Harry. And in private lessons (no kids of death eaters watching here...) he still treated Harry like garbage. Harry was a 15-year-old that was being slandered in the national news. He was receiving hate from strangers and classmates alike and he had a dark wizard using his mind and soul, and still Snape did nothing but yell at him and belittle him when he had difficulty with a new skill. After weeks of Snape invading Harry's private thoughts and memories, he flys off the fucking handle when Harry, A TEENAGER, finds something he shouldn't. Snape physically assaults him, screams at him, and quits the task Dumbledore entrusted him with. Leaving Harry defenseless to the evil madman Snape swore to protect him from. And still he takes no responsibility. In his memories we always see Snape bitching about Harry, seeing only what he wants to see in him. And in the present we always see Snape mocking and bullying children or teenagers. Snape does not have it easy in the end. A double agent is not easy to be (though being one of the world's greatest legilimens would certainly help.) He faces hardship and through it all he remains loyal to Dumbledore. He did a truly heroic thing. But he did it for all the wrong reasons. And he never cared about Harry or anyone but Lily. In his final moments he is approached by Harry. The boy he swore to protect, now a man. But he doesn't see Harry, only Lily's eyes. He demands Harry look at him and then he is gone. Snape is a tragedy. His heroic deeds near the end of his life must be acknowledged but so should his atrocities throughout his life. As a death eater, as a professor, and as a human being. I do not believe that he deserves to be the namesake of Harry's child. Then again, Harry wanted to show both thanks and forgiveness as he had for Albus. In forgiving the horrible unforgivable things Snape did to Harry, he was able to forgive himself for those he could not save. But Snape and Dumbledore are very different. Snape does not show remorse for his actions or mistakes and he never acknowledges them. He lives his entire life as a bully, first as a Death Eater and then by being intentionally cruel and abusive to children. While Dumbledore might cause harm, it has never once been intentional. Snape fought against Voldemort reluctantly after years of service to him, while Dumbledore sought to stop his destruction and terrorism from the very beginning. I can go on but this post was supposed to just be a defense of Dumbledore and I got carried away at the end here. Sorry.) That's all I guess.

#Harry Potter #albus dumbledore #dumbledore #severus snape #on my mind

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 70: The Triwizard Tournament

Papers of varying importance went flying into the air, desks were knocked clean off their feet right along with them, and chairs and ink bottles pelted them all as the eight of them crash landed once more. At least none of the furniture came to life to attack them this time though.

"Alice!" Frank gasped at once, rushing madly to her side.

She assured him she was fine, a bit sore but fine, as she in turn thanked him profusely for the rescue. Lily and the Marauders were all getting to their feet as well in varying degrees of stiff pain before Frank remembered to look around more critically for the last of their group, and then cursing once more uneasily as he didn't automatically spot him.

They were in a very large, open office space, with world maps encircling all around them. Even a cursory look at one had it zooming in to Great Britain before he looked away dismissively and it returned back to normal. Doors lead off in an abundance of directions, several left casually open. The Marauders were already poking their heads inside curiously, Sirius calling out for his younger brother loud enough that anybody probably could have heard through several walls regardless.

Alice had his hand in a white knuckled grip, the question all but etched into her forehead even as she met his eyes without accusation. It was more than he deserved, if the lad really wasn't here then-

"I found him!" Lupin called from all the way back near the lifts. They all hurried over to find him splayed out uncomfortably, still flushed red in the face, but breathing alright as far as they could tell.

Sirius didn't seem ready to take anyone else's word for it as he tapped him repeatedly on the face. "Reggie? Come on you little shit, if you die on me I'm not explaining it to our parents."

He groaned, his eyelids fluttered for a moment, but while his face was returning to normal color he still remained lax. Sirius grabbed his shoulders and set him upright against his own shoulder while scowling at Frank.

"Poor kid," Lily said in sympathy. "I'm sure he'll be alright though." She hadn't really forgiven him yet for when he'd laughed at that foul word being used, but seeing how small he looked now was easing her up just a bit, as she reminded herself how impressionable people could be.

Potter cleared his throat and offered an awkward change of subject. "So, this is the Department Crouch runs eh? Looks a dump."

Peter couldn't stop a snort of surprise at the mess that they'd created. James gave him the most awkward smile imaginable, causing Peter to blush and wander off elsewhere. Baby steps.

Sirius watched him go with a scowl in place, before he looked at Prongs who was now watching his trainers intently. Then, softly from his arms he heard a muttered, "Five more minutes," and looked down in time to see his brother trying to burrow further into his arms, before his dark eyes fluttered open and he saw how close their faces were.

Regulus' immediately scrunched up in displeasure, and he said in no uncertain terms, "Let, go."

Sirius did. The brat fell to the floor and groaned as Sirius stormed off in any other direction that did not have a person in sight muttering about arseholes, his nose was probably still smarting.

"Well, now that that's all settled, I'm just going to," Potter waved his hand in the air once more, forever acting as if this was a casual day of studies and leisure. Then with a quick spell, the book was in his hand and he was perching himself on the nearest desk and flipping for his spot.

Alice gave the book a rather miffed look, it couldn't have bloody done that for her when she needed it? Lily went over to the nearest map and began inspecting it curiously, intrigued at once as she found it zooming in to show a nice wooded area, the same in fact as the one near her home. Curious, she then visualized in her mind downtown London, and was greeted with a deserted view of there as well.

Frank slumped to the ground where Regulus had been, peeling off a paper from his shoe that had a long list of names on it for some reason, rather French ones he decided as a few leaped out at him.

All of them stopped what they were doing when Potter cleared his throat uneasily and read the chapter title.

"The Triwizard Tournament?" Lupin had stayed by Potter's side and was now looking over his shoulder as if checking his pronunciation. "I've read about that, was banned ages ago though."

"Why?" Alice asked in surprise as she stayed restlessly on her feet, but enjoying the feeling of being able to do so much too much to get more comfortable. "Sounds like what, a game between schools? Too many sore losers?"

"Too many deaths," Lily corrected without looking up from the map, which was hovering over Australia now for some reason. "Thing was a nightmare from what I've read about it."

"And now it's back, and around Harry," Potter gave an exaggerated sigh. "Why am I not surprised?"

He looked eagerly at her to see a return, but she didn't even acknowledge him, causing him to pout and dive into the story.

It started off with a charming reminder of how horrid the weather was as they were arriving at school, and Peeves causing further misfortune to no one's surprise but at least James Potter's mirth.

He laughed boisterously at Peeves' old tricks for several moments, before he realized none of his friends had joined in. Sirius Black was in one of the offices, demolishing it by the sounds of it, and Peter Pettigrew was now sitting awkwardly at the edge of the room and spinning the chair about, as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to be seen or not. Remus Lupin was still beside him, but with such a distant gaze on his face it was a wonder if he was taking in a word.

The four must have had some sort of confrontation back on the campgrounds, and Alice winced and shuffled even more uncomfortably in place at the idea of how long this could last. Their other fight had ended in blows, and though time was nonlinear in their circumstances, it couldn't have been more than hours for that to happen always confined around each other. Previously though she knew from the social circles of the school three of them had avoided one of their own for a month just before they'd all fallen into this mess. The details of that fight non were privy to either, nor was she sure she wanted to know at this point.

It's not as if she had stakes in their fight, and things hadn't exactly been more pleasant during the first two books when they'd been getting along at their most civil. Yet she still felt the urge to do, something. Of the five minute conversation she'd had with Remus Lupin, he'd certainly been pleasant enough, though she still couldn't help but wince at the horrid image of a monstrous creature lunging for her throat when she wasn't looking at him, though seeing him now fidgeting with the sleeve of his robes deep in thought, he looked like a perfectly normal teen.

She hadn't even spoken to the others one on one, but maybe she could? Perhaps what they needed was a mediator?

Amidst her pondering thoughts, James Potter had read all through the waiting around, the Sorting Hat's song, the actual sorting, the majority of dinner, and Hermione's little tiff over house elves being there. He'd just gotten through the majority of Dumbledore's speech when he stopped, and in doing so gained everyone's attention.

Whether for dramatic effect or he'd been genuinely surprised, it was always hard to tell with him, he then described the new DADA teacher for the year, Mad-Eye Moody.

"Fits, doesn't it?" Lily sighed, finally looking away from the map which zoomed out of an apothecary shop in Northern Ireland back to normal. "Harry always seems to hear of his teachers before they wind up there."

"I wish we were less acquainted with him," Remus Lupin grumbled, stretching his neck for emphasis.

The description was honestly frightening, the kind of man you'd meet and wonder how he was still alive. Frankly, if she'd lived through his battle hardened state, she may be just as paranoid as him in booby-trapping every inch of her home.

His arrival was thankfully not lingered upon though, even if James Potter said his introduction with a rather sour expression she couldn't blame what with the bruises she was sure to have added from his home, before they were all reminded the Triwizard Tournament was going to be an event at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore didn't exactly explain much they hadn't worked out on their own, so she decided to at least give her plan a try before they were thrown into their next perilous situation. She'd have liked to start with James Potter, as their ringleader she was sure his opinion mattered the most, but she could hardly pull him aside as he all but egged on the twins' plan to join this tournament. Instead, she hesitated between the other two.

Mostly, she felt for both parties. Sirius Black had been dealt a very harsh blow to his life in a few short words, what with hearing a best friend of his would cause so many problems, yet it didn't sit right with her he was blaming this on his friend who'd never strayed from his side during all the accusations being pinned against him.

Peter Pettigrew wasn't one she could sympathize with entirely though, his friends knew him best and if they couldn't see past such a horrible betrayal then what if he was really capable of it? He seemed remorseful of it now though, and her heart ached at the idea of a choice, even if he inevitably made the wrong one, being taken from him.

So she avoided the bangs coming from an office that had done nothing to deserve it, like everyone else was, and made her way over to his little corner with the most polite and open expression she could, soured somewhat by a glare back at the book for Neville sharing his feelings about the tournament. His grandmother, her possible future mother in law, never missed a chance to make her possible kid feel unworthy, did she?

"Sorry," Peter Pettigrew apologized, stopping his spinning abruptly. "I, ah, hadn't realized I was bothering anyone-" without quite meeting her eyes.

"Oh no," she said quickly, straightening her expression back out. "I, um, came to see how you were doing."

It was hard to imagine him as a fat, lazy rat who did nothing but sleep and betray others as she looked into his youthful face now full of bewilderment, the images as divided from each other as Remus Lupin when he'd been a werewolf.

"Oh," was all he said lamely for several moments, before looking side-eyed at where Regulus Black was holding his head steady and taking calming breaths. He was probably still feeling a bit dizzy from his spell. "Erm, alright, I guess. The dust, never did anything to me. It was weird not being able to change, though. I, didn't like that," he finished quietly. "Made me think there for a second I'd be stuck as a-"

He stopped abruptly and swallowed before resuming his spinning. Regulus Black looked up and in their direction, but then went cross-eyed at the chair's movements and closed his eyes as if in pain.

She sighed as she realized this was probably Peter's intention, he clearly didn't want an audience. "Alright then," she smiled wide enough she was sure he'd see it despite his restlessness. "Just doing the rounds, making sure and all."

"Right," he muttered noncommittally as James Potter wound down the chapter with the lot of new fourth years climbing into bed. He warned them the chapter was about to end, and sighed without any enthusiasm at what was next.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #Marauders #GoF #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Peter Pettigrew #Regulus black #Frank Longbottom #Alice Smith #Lily Evans