Isn't Lily Kind Of Mediocre? The Only Reason Why Tomarry Works Is Because Harry Is His Horcrux And Has

Isn't Lily kind of mediocre? The only reason why tomarry works is because Harry is his horcrux and has been beaten down enough in his life to not be scared off in the face of danger. And later is even groomed to literally stand up to Voldemort. They also both share a past full of pain and neglect and have their own little parallels so they have things in common. Lily is a normal person who grew up in a loving home. Just because she stands up to bullies and is stubborn does not mean she would have the same/similar dynamic with Voldemort as Harry would. Where is this idea coming from? Lily and Harry are not the same. They just share few traits. There is nothing we know about Lily that could make her be adapted to Voldemort's personality or anything that would make him interested. He doesn't gaf about someone that isn't special or doesn't bow down to him.

But I love the rest of your post!

hello! i was wondering whether or not you can envision someone as better suited for tom/voldemort since i remember you saying neither harry nor hermione would be a match — them being the most popular two characters shipped with tom. and on that note, what do you think about bellatrix and voldemort? pro/against?

i tend to get a bit blindsided by the sheer obsession she has for him, honestly. i mean… i feel like she would be willing to shape herself down to the last atom to what appeals to him, if he ever were to show any true interest, and that’s very… sad.

Hello 👋

Thank you for the ask and as with all ship asks, ship what you ship, these are just my subjective opinions.

Now, what I said about Tomarrymort is that I don't think they would realistically get together and have a functioning relationship, I didn't say it wasn't fun. Like, I love Tomarrymort, but only if the relationship is a messy push and pull that makes everyone (both involved and uninvolved) miserable.

Now, as for Bellamort...

Do I think they had sex at some point in canon? Maybe. Like, that's not the most absurd thing about CC for me, so I consider it plausible.

Do I think Voldemort actually likes Bella romantically? Not really.

Do I think their relationship works like an actual equal functional relationship? Not one bit.

Do I think their relationship is entertaining and interesting? I mean, clearly, many people do, but I don't like Bellamort.

Like, it really doesn't interest me. There's a reason I only like Tomarrymort when there's a push and pull and Harry and Tom are portrayed as the equals they are. Like, I don't like Tomarrymort where Harry is completely submissive to Voldemort and Bellamort for the same reason — these aren't the kind of relationships that make Tom interesting.

I like both Tom and Bellatrix a lot as individuals, but I don't think a romantic and/or sexual relationship between them pushes their characters to interesting places. They are both stagnate in this relationship and, for me personally, that just doesn't interest me.

Like, Bellatrix is completely submissive to Voldemort nodding her head excitedly and panting after him: "Yes my lord! Whatever you say, my lord!" And this is not the type of dynamic that'd push either character towards growth. They don't push each other into a character arc, which is what I usually like my ships to do.

Additionally, this dynamic basically means Voldemort always gets what he wants, and Bellatrix is happy with it, as you said, she'd shape herself for his every whim. This isn't a relationship between equals. It's a relationship where she worships him and he doesn't respect her or care about her as a person. Like, at all.

The dynamic we see from them in the books gave me the impression Voldemort cares about Bellatrix. He doesn't want her to be hurt or to die:

Bellatrix’s gloating smile froze, her eyes began to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

(DH)

But he cares about her like how you care about your favorite pet. He relished in giving her orders and having her submit completely:

“Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!” sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort’s feet as he paced slowly nearer. “Master, you should know —” “Be quiet, Bella,” said Voldemort dangerously. “I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?” “But Master — he is here — he is below —” Voldemort paid no attention.

(OotP)

He doesn't actually care about her being hurt if it's not too bad, he doesn't care about her feelings or apologies, especially not when Harry is right in front of him — his obsession, his one failure. Bellatrix takes a backseat, basically always. He doesn't care about her all that much. He cares and respects her like a loyal dog, not like a person he has a relationship with.

He also relished in humiliating and embarrassing her. He likes making fun of her in ways Bella clearly does not enjoy, which isn't something you'd do to someone you love:

“I’m talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And your, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud.” There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks, a few thumped the table with their fists. The great snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant where that at Bellatrix and the Malfoys’ humiliation. Bellatrix’s face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.

(DH)

she's desperate to please him, to tell him everything she thinks he wants to hear and she happily lets him treat her like fucking dirt. I don't find a relationship like that compelling, as I said, Voldemort would never change for Bellatrix and Bellatrix honestly deserves better than this. He even lets other Death Eaters jeer and laugh at her, this is not a romantic relationship.

Like even if he had sex with her, it was purely physical as he just doesn't care about her as a person like this. As more than a faithful servant (which he enjoys making fun of, as he does so for many of them).

And he is unwilling to show her real, unintentional weakness or ask her for help:

“My Lord, let me—” “I do not require assistance,” said Voldemort coldly, and though he could not see it, Harry pictured Bellatrix withdrawing a helpful hand.

(DH)

He does trust her with one of his Horcrux as the cup is kept in her vault and she seems to know what it is:

“Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!” She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners. “If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed,” she muttered, more to herself than to the others. “The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself. . . . But if he finds out . . . I must . . . I must know. . . .”

(DH)

He trusts her loyalty, and she is one of his preferred Death Eaters (he doesn't hate her like he does Wormtail, Tom appreciates courage and loyalty, which are both traits Bellatrix possesses) but he clearly doesn't trust her with his backstory in the first war:

“Shut your mouth!” Bellatrix shrieked. “You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood’s tongue, you dare —” “Did you know he’s a half-blood too?” said Harry recklessly. Hermione gave a little moan in his ear. “Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he’s pureblood?” “STUPEF —” “NO!” A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange’s wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. [...] “He dared — he dares —” shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. “— He stands there — filthy half-blood —”

(OotP)

She doesn't really know who Voldemort is. She worships the persona of Voldemort. She loves his lies and masks. She doesn't actually know Tom Riddle. And I don't think she could accept and love the real Tom Riddle behind the title of Voldemort — the poor but brilliant nerdy half-blood who craves recognition. She would find him pathetic.

It's basically Hinny, isn't it?

She adores his persona and fame and what people think he is without actually knowing or understanding him. She changes her personality to fit what she thinks his girl needs to be because she is so focused on being with him. And He likes that she doesn't get in his way and lets him do and say whatever without crying about it but doesn't care about her or her feelings nearly as much as people think.

Bellamort is just Hinny with a different skin, and I never liked Hinny.

Like Hinny, they don't know or understand each other, and it's clear Bella and Ginny care about Voldemort and Harry more than the boys care about them. Like, yes, Harry would be devastated if Ginny died, but he'd get over it way faster than he did about Sirius. Same for Voldemort, he cares about Bella, but not as an equal he understands and cares for the feelings of. Voldemort got over Bella's death fairly quickly as well, he's way more focused on Harry.

So, with all of this, who do I think is the best pairing for Voldemort?

If we're talking about canon characters who are actually characters in the books? Then Harry is my top choice. Harry is the only one Voldemort would see as an equal and can actually push and change Voldemort as much as Voldemort changes him. There is no other character in canon, I believe, who would be able to do this to the level Harry could. Their dynamic is just so mutually obsessive and tense that a relationship like that can't not change both of them in a myriad of interesting ways.

Though, I was thinking about it, and Severus/Voldemort have potential. Voldemort clearly respects Sev and his opinions more than the average Death Eater:

Snape did not speak. “Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen.” “My Lord—”

(DH)

He cares about him and regrets having to kill him:

Harry saw Snape’s face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake’s fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor. “I regret it,” said Voldemort coldly

(DH)

Voldy is willing to forgive Sev for things he'd kill most for. They have so much shared experience (poor, muggle childhood in incredibly abusive environments) that would allow them to understand each other. They probably both get frustrated over pureblood idiocy. Both are intelligent and share many interests, like they're both magic nerds who'd talk all night about magical theory...

So, I think, under the right circumstances, Severus is a pretty good pairing for Voldemort.

The only real downside is that depending on when they get together, they'd push each other to be more extremist and overall worse. Like, they'd push each other to have less empathy for other people if they get together, say, during the first war. Well, it might not be a downside. It really depends on how you look at it.

If they get together in the second war, it's different, and in my opinion, more compelling and interesting for both of them. Like, pairing them up after Voldemort's return and after Sev already turned traitor opens so many interesting avenues. I mean, Sev was someone Voldemort actually regretted killing, that was remorse there, wasn't it? It means Severus could push Voldemort to change in a way Bellatrix doesn't. Because Voldemort respects Snape in a way he doesn't respect Bella. I mean, think about how many times Voldemort shut Bella down when she kept insisting Snape is a traitor — it's clear he values Snape more than he values her.

If we're also looking at side characters we don't know as much about, then we have some more options.

@iamnmbr3 has convinced me that Alphard Black/Tom Riddle is an option, and I have been very compelled by it. We don't know much about Alphard, but that never really stopped me because what we do know is interesting.

We know he is Sirius' uncle. He was born after Walburga but before Cygnus, probably closer in age to Walburga. So, I headcanon he was born in 1927 and was in the same year as Tom Riddle.

We know Alphard was a Slytherin since Sirius mentions all his family was in Slytherin, which would include his uncle. And we know Alphard was burned off the family tapestry when he gave Sirius money when Sirius ran away from home.

This leaves us with a character, who's cunning, capable of listening to his older sister Walburga go off about whatever without making the fight worse but has a spine to stand up to her bullshit when it's actually important. This gives him the right characteristics to be able to wrangle a character arc out of a romance with a younger Tom Riddle (and perhaps the older one, too).

He's a pureblood who's open-minded enough to support Sirius and not hate muggleborns (probably). He likely has the subtlety necessary to fix Tom without Tom feeling like he's being fixed. Alphard, used to his very eventful family, is an expert in dealing with dramatic people (like his siblings) and how to undercut their drama instead of pushing them further into their position (which is what Harry would do, for example. Harry and Tom would keep pushing at each other while someone like Alphard would be able to just remove the heat from the argument and allow it to not get as extreme).

Again, it's not much to go on, but it has so much potential.

(Also, @iamnmbr3 has this post about how Voldemort’s violence became worse in 1979, which happens to be the same year Alphard Black died, and while I don't agree with all the points made there, I find it to be a super fun concept)

Voldemort/Lily also has potential. She's smart, stubborn, academically inclined, and has the right rough edges to have the kind of push-and-pull dynamic with Voldemort that I like with Tomarrymort. Lily is probably the kind of witch Voldemort could grow to respect as well. I don't think he would've agreed to spare her for Snape if he didn't respect both of them. JKR also said he tried to recruit James and Lily, so, he was aware that she was talented.

I think, though, Lily/Voldemort would be slightly better than Harry/Voldemort in some aspects. Lily isn't as hot-headed as Harry. Lily's anger is usually much colder, which I feel would work better with Tom just because she wouldn't push all his buttons (just most of them). She would still push him into a character arc, but it would be a gentler nudge than if Harry did it.

My only real rule when shipping Tommy Boy is that he can't be shipped with someone mediocre, he'll just steamroll over them completely, and that's not as fun, in my opinion. He needs a partner he can grow to respect and see as an equal (or close to it) and that has the spine to stand up to him, otherwise, he'd just keep getting what he wants, and I think that's the opposite of what Voldemort needs in a relationship.

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4 months ago

HP Canon for the Game Avoidant: The Marauders Era

Now that I have your attention! There seems to be some need for it so I decided to write up one of those brief character profile posts I was talking about in the two earlier installations of this series. If you didn't see the previous parts, the whole purpose of this series is to give canon info that people might not be familiar with so they can see what the series has been up to and take from it what they like. I'm also including a heavy dose of Pottermore info on this post since that seems to get heavily ignored.

The Marauders were at Hogwarts 1971-1978, and I'll be covering all the people we know or suspect were at school at the same time as them (that means anyone that started Hogwarts between 1965 and 1977), all clearly marked with when they started Hogwarts and what House they were in when such details are known from canon. I also intended to give you a look into the relevant adults that were around, but this post got way too long for that. So you get a brief timeline summary instead.

(reminder for the non-gamers among us: if anyone is referred to as 'unnamed', that character is an empty slot to insert your OC into. You get to decide their name, appearance, and House among other factors all by yourself, canon sources simply provide the detail of what happens to them)

Briefly on the Timeline

Just so we're all on the same page! It was quite a time of change back then. Across the pond Rappaport's Law (banning wizard-muggle marriages in MACUSA-controlled areas) was repealed in 1965 as we know from Fantastic Beasts, so it was quite recent still, and the Ban on Experimental Breeding came into effect in Britain around that same time as per the books. Also, Albus Dumbledore most likely became Headmaster in mid 1960s, at which time Minerva McGonagall took over as the Head of Gryffindor and Head of the Transfiguration Department, as told us by the supplementary Pottermore materials. A slight bit later, before 1970 considering that's when the books say the war started, a previous DADA professor quit for whatever reason, just as Voldemort came back from continental Europe. Voldemort applied for the DADA professor job and came to the castle for his job interview, but Dumbledore basically told him "lol no". And ever since then no DADA professor of that position (it's unknown whether that position is 'Head of the DADA Department' or anything of the like) has been able to keep the job for more than a year. The ever-changing DADA professors were still a fairly new thing at the time period we'll be looking into, as there had only been 2-5 such one-year professors previously.

The sixties also saw some other notable events at the school and elsewhere, such as the highest scoring student quidditch match in the history of Hogwarts in the quidditch cup final in spring 1967, according to Hogwarts Mystery. The person responsible, Ethan Parkin, graduated shortly thereafter and enlisted as a chaser for the Wigtown Wanderers. That same year Devlin Whitehorn founded the Nimbus Racing Broom Company and has produced high quality professional brooms ever since. Societal changes also saw the Squib Rights March make waves in 1969, along with the pureblood riots in counter to that.

The Minister for Magic at the time of the Squib Rights March and the pureblood riots was Eugenia Jenkins. People on the whole liked her peacetime handling of the politics, but she was eventually ousted from office in 1975 when she failed to contain Voldemort's rise. A bloke called Harold Minchum became the Minister instead, and immediately stuffed Azkaban to the gills with even more dementors. His actions also failed to do anything about Voldemort. Finally in 1980, the decisive Millicent Bagnold became the Minister and saw the wizarding world to the end of the war, although probably not due to any action of hers.

As mentioned, the war started in 1970 and lasted for 11 years. Despite that Dumbledore was busy on other fronts too. Over summer 1971 he prepared the Shrieking Shack, had a tunnel dug from Hogwarts grounds all the way to Hogsmeade, and had the school's whomping willow replanted on top of the tunnel entrance, all to bring a werewolf to attend Hogwarts as a student. It was a risky maneuver as not only were they at war in which werewolves generally allied with Voldemort, but there was no wolfsbane potion yet so any lapse in security measures would mean a rabid werewolf running wild in Hogwarts itself.

For the faculty, Dumbledore was Headmaster, McGonagall taught transfiguration, Flitwick charms, Slughorn potions, and Hooch was the flying instructor. Binns was on History of Magic quite naturally. Care of Magical Creatures was taught by Silvanus Kettleburn, him of the missing limbs also mentioned in PoA, and Herbology most likely by Herbert Beery still, although that might have changed to Sprout sometime in the mid 70s. Filch might have become the caretaker as early as 1968, but might also be that he didn't start until further into the 70s and the previous caretaker by the name of Apollyon Pringle was still on staff until then. Same thing with Pince, she might have started as late as 1976 but could potentially have started earlier. The rest of the faculty is quite a bit harder to say anything about. Divination and Muggle Studies are a complete unknown since Trelawney didn't start until 1980 and Quirrell not until sometime in the early 80s, and while it's quite possible that Pomfrey was already on staff since she's old enough, the astronomy class or the other electives we have no word about one way or another.

Quidditch continued to be a big thing throughout the 1970s, which we know from the mini-book Quidditch Through the Ages. In 1974 the Quidditch World Cup final between Syria and Madagascar saw wands forbidden for the audience amid draconian security measures. The following year Fabius Watkins, chaser for the Montrose Magpies, died in a freak collision with a helicopter. They may have technically been at war, but quidditch must go on, and such.

And now that we know a bit of what was going on at the time, let's look at the list of known students at the time. I know for a fact that it's quite a bit longer than some (most?) people are expecting. I've gone over the data before and I didn't register just how many people we know who attended Hogwarts in those years (certainly I didn't think that there'd be enough for it to take four days to type up this post!). I honestly ended up skipping mention of most of the murkier cases, there were much too many of them to write even a brief description about all in a single post.

The Student List

(note that several students have been omitted due to there not being anything to say about their school years that isn't in the books, provided that the character in question isn't widely ignored by the fandom. Don't worry, there's no chance you could forget any of the omitted characters attended Hogwarts at this time period)

Duncan Ashe a Slytherin who started Hogwarts in 1974, at the time when Snape was a fourth year. He was friends with Olivia Green (a Ravenclaw), and Jacob the unnamed (has the same surname and Hogwarts house as the unnamed Hogwarts Mystery protagonist). He was largely unremarkable for most of the time Snape and others were still at Hogwarts, the major events of his life happened after their graduation. In specific, he and Jacob were used by the criminal organization known as R to advance their goals. Duncan was made to brew potions beyond his skill level and eventually one exploded on him and he died, most likely in early 1981 or late 1980. He's haunted the prefects' bathroom ever since and is incredibly jaded towards all living beings.

Bertram Aubrey was targeted at least once by James Potter and Sirius Black, with an illegal hex that made his head gigantic. Unlike most of their tormenting other students the two of them got caught this time, but just like all the other times they faced practically no consequences. I mean. Detention. For an illegal hex!! (did you know hexes are canonically Dark magic?) We don't know for sure which year he was in, but considering their modus operandi Bertram was likely younger than James and Sirius, or at most in their own year. It's also unknown what house he was in.

Avery (M) + Mulciber (M) are more than a bit of an unknown. They could have been years older or younger or even the same age as the Marauders, and we can't even be sure if they were in the same year with each other. One can have friends in different years after all. Both joined the Death Eaters after graduation and fought in the First War, and both also had a male relative who was friends with Voldemort back in his school days, but we don't know how exactly the new generation Avery and Mulciber are related to the older ones, and we don't know for how long they were Death Eaters during the First War. Aside from their actions in the Second War we know basically nothing about them. That, and how Lily Evans once claimed that they tried to use Dark magic on Mary MacDonald. Considering how vague the definition of Dark magic is and how we didn't actually witness this event in question, they might have used a jelly-leg jinx on her for all we know. Being a jinx it technically counts as Dark magic by canon definition! And that is, of course, if they weren't just using a non-Dark spell in ways that disgusted some who heard of it - canonically, Lily complained that their sense of humor is evil and therefore Dark, and gave no further hints on the identity of any possible spell used.

Narcissa Black (later Malfoy) started Hogwarts in 1966 or '67, so she was fifth or sixth year when Snape started at Hogwarts. Was also very much a Slytherin, and before her older sister Bellatrix had graduated (in 1969 or '70) she was already being courted by Lucius Malfoy. At Bellatrix's graduation she would have been on her fourth or fifth, possibly as early as third year. She was close to both her sisters all through their school years, real problems didn't start until Andromeda's graduation (likely before Snape came to Hogwarts) when she left to marry a muggleborn.

Sirius + Regulus Black I trust we all know no problem who these are supposed to be. I would just like to emphasize that while Blacks were basically extinct by the 1990s, in the 70s there were still plenty of them left. Including but not limited to their parents, their three cousins, their uncles Cygnus and Alphard, grandparents Pollux and Irma as well as Cygnus and Melania, great-aunts Cassiopeia and Dorea... and in fact, Dorea married Charlus Potter so some manner of family tie already existed between him and the Potters long before Sirius befriended James. Dorea may have died in '77, same as Alphard, but by that point Sirius had already lived with the Potters for several years. Who knows whether she had any interactions with Fleamont and Euphemia concerning Sirius. And let's not forget the squib great-uncle Marius, nothing better to stir up trouble than his sudden reappearance. Or the first cousins twice removed Callidora, Cedrella, and Charis, of whom Cedrella married a Weasley (and was disinherited for it), which means Arthur Weasley is Sirius and Regulus's second cousin once removed. Hell, since Charis married a Crouch and had a son and three daughters it's in fact entirely possible that Barty Senior is also one of their second cousins once removed (yeah the math of their ages does work out), which in turn would make Barty Junior into their third cousin. And let's not forget that Callidora married a Longbottom so there's also Longbottom cousins somewhere, a man and a woman specifically even though we don't know their names or whether they had any children roughly Sirius and Regulus's age. And then there's the Gamp cousins and Crabbe cousins, but we know zilch about them other than that they likely exist. Clearly all these are an opportunity to expand, yeah? The web of various cousins the Blacks have is huge.

Greta Catchlove started Hogwarts in 1971 or '72, making her either be in the same year as Snape or the year below (same year as Regulus Black). She's a bitpart character at most, but what she'll eventually be known for is writing the book Charm Your Own Cheese. Clearly a homemaking type.

Glenda Chittock started in 1975 or '76 when Snape was a fifth or sixth year. It's unknown what house she was sorted into, but a personality like hers she was probably very outgoing, and as such would have been much more visible to older students. After graduation she became the host of the enormously popular radio programme Witching Hour.

Dirk Cresswell started Hogwarts in 1972 in an unknown house, back when Snape was a second year (and in the same year as Regulus Black). As a muggleborn the current goings-on of the wizarding world would have been highly relevant to him. He was also one of Professor Slughorn's favorite students. Anyone who intends to write about Regulus in his school years would do themselves a favor to pay attention to this character. We don't know much about him, but by the 1990s he was Head of the Goblin Liaison Office. He was also married and had an unknown number of sons. He was killed in 1998 by a group of Snatchers during the Second War.

Bartemius Crouch Jr unlike what some people would have you believe, Barty started Hogwarts in 1973, possibly '74, when the Marauders were in their third or fourth year. Sirius saw him after his trial and identified him as "no more than 19". That was early 1982. The canon is what the canon is. What Sirius says also underlines that he'd never seen Barty in his life before they were both in Azkaban, at least not so that Sirius would have paid any attention to this random kid. I also pointed out in Sirius's section that there's a chance the two are third cousins, but at the same time - how many people know who their third cousins are? Clearly Sirius didn't, if they're actually related in that way.

Mundungus Fletcher the series is very reluctant to give out info on Dung for some reason. However, from the hints given he started Hogwarts sometime after 1968 or so (after Filch was already caretaker) and no later than 1973 (was banned from Hog's Head in 1975). Either way he attended Hogwarts at least some of the same time as Snape did, although could be a couple years younger or older. His Hogwarts house isn't known either, and while we know all of his family is dead by the the late 80s, we don't even know when exactly they died. Or for that matter, when and why Dung joined the Order of the Phoenix. Because oh yes, here we have an Order member who supposedly fights alongside the Marauders in the First War, canonically knew both Lily and James well, and is more or less their age even. And yet, how often do you see Dung's existence so much as acknowledged? I guess an alcoholic petty thief just doesn't cut it for some fans.

Shane Golding a largely unknown entity, most of what he know of Shane comes from his wife Glenna (née Merriweather). He was either the same age or a bit older than Glenna, so likely started Hogwarts in the late 60s, and would have been roughly the same age as Narcissa Black. His House is unknown. After the wedding, he moved into the old Merriweather house in Hogsmeade. Sometime between late 80s and early 90s him and Glenna had a son, Nyle, who was born a squib. He wasn't discouraged by it though and did his best to include Nyle in wizarding daily life. He died over christmas 2010 of unknown causes.

Olivia Green started Hogwarts in 1974 when Snape was in his fourth year. Was sorted Ravenclaw, and was friends with the Slytherin student Duncan Ashe as well as Jacob, who shares his surname and house both with the unnamed protagonist of Hogwarts Mystery. While a lot happened over their school years, most of it happened in their last years at Hogwarts when Snape and the others had already graduated. To make a long story short, the international criminal organization known as R was using the boys for some of their dirty work inside Hogwarts. An unknown time after graduating in spring 1981 she was accepted into the Department of Mysteries as an Unspeakable. In 1990-91 she became the year's DADA professor as a personal favor to Dumbledore, although was careful to resign when the year was up so as not to suffer worse consequences from the curse. Afterwards, she joined up with the Rare, Obscure and Confounding Case division at the Ministry, who mainly go after international crime.

Daisy Hookum started Hogwarts in 1973 or '74, when Snape was third or fourth year, and attended an unknown house. We don't know much about her, except that after she graduated she gave up magic for a while and wrote the bestseller My Life as a Muggle. She also married celebrity herbologist Tilden Toots at some point, who'd been 2-4 years above her at Hogwarts.

Bertha Jorkins Sirius mentions she was a few years above him at Hogwarts, so she would have started attending around 1969, in an unknown house. She was a plump teenager with a nose for gossip and a memory for personal details. She must have been quite the memorable gossip for Sirius to have remembered and reviled her despite her being just a random older student, although if there was any particular incident behind that dislike we don't know about it for sure. Dumbledore may give a hint via pensieve though, when he goes through the trouble of finding a memory of her gossiping about a 'him' and a 'Florence' kissing behind the greenhouses. Why show Harry that particular memory of her if it had no relevance? Regardless of speculation, she went on to find employment at the Department of Magical Games and Sports an unknown time after graduation, where she eventually found out about Barty Crouch Senior's busting his son out of Azkaban and keeping him imprisoned inside the family home. The resulting obliviation to keep her quiet frayed her mind enough that she became known as particularly absent-minded, despite her mental acuity in her Hogwarts years. And of course, she was killed with Voldemort's wand in summer 1994 in Albania.

Gilderoy Lockhart started Hogwarts in 1975 when Snape was a fifth year, and was sorted Ravenclaw. In his school years was known for his grandiose stunts, such as carving his name on the quidditch pitch in twenty foot high letters, and sending a picture of his face in the sky in imitation of the Dark Mark. This is not a student that anyone who attended at the same time could have ignored or overlooked. Gilderoy graduated in spring 1982, after the war was already over. He wasted no time going for fame however, as even if he wrote just one book a year that means his first was published two years after his graduation - and that's calculated based on just the books that we know about from canon. And, as I'm sure we all remember, each of those books was him listening to the story of the person who actually did the deed and then obliviating them.

Frank Longbottom + Alice (maiden name unknown) while far from being in the same year as Snape (auror training takes three years and we know that Frank and Alice were both aurors before the end of the war), it's in fact quite likely that Frank and Alice were among the older students when Snape first started at Hogwarts. We know this also from the age of Augusta Longbottom (Frank's mother), who had to have been in the same year as Minerva McGonagall for Minerva to know her OWL scores intimately well. The time between Augusta's school years and the time required for Frank to become an established and well respected auror before 1981 when put together mean he likely started Hogwarts sometime around 1967, and thus would've been a fifth year when Snape was a firstie. Alice can't have been far behind for her to be a well respected auror too, before 1981. Additionally, we know Frank was a Gryffindor, but Alice's house is uncertain. It's more than likely both of them had graduated by spring 1976 at the absolute latest and went straight to auror training. If they took time off to do something else between graduation and auror training, Frank at the very least would have already graduated before Snape started Hogwarts, otherwise there's no time to establish a well respected pillar of the community type career.

Mary Macdonald an unknown entity who was a Gryffindor at least partially around the same time that Snape attended Hogwarts, as we know she was there when Snape was in his fifth year. It's noteworthy that Lily Evans refers to her by her full name despite the two being in the same house, meaning she either doesn't know her very well or she knows multiple Marys so she has to specify which one she's talking about.

Lucius Malfoy good ol' Lucy started Hogwarts in 1965 and was a seventh year when Snape was on his first. He was also one of the Slytherin prefects so younger students, even firsties, would have had reason to interact with him more than any non-prefect older student. By the time he was in his seventh year he'd been courting Narcissa Black for several years already.

M.G. McGonagall won an award of some sort for playing quidditch at Hogwarts in 1971, so they were definitely a student in at least Snape's first year, probably for longer. The last name and the sorting to Gryffindor indicates this was probably one of the nieces and nephews of Minerva McGonagall, and their father was either Malcolm or Robert Junior. The latter was killed sometime during the First War, which means basically the 70s. It's a quite relevant point to remember when writing Minerva McGonagall too, that she lost a brother in the war most likely when the Marauders were still at school.

Tarquin McTavish started Hogwarts in 1966 or '67, so he was a fifth or sixth year when Snape started school. Coincidentally, it's likely that he was in the same year as Narcissa Black. Nothing is known about him though, except that later in his life he was sentenced to Azkaban for trapping a muggle neighbor inside his kettle.

Glenna Merriweather (later Golding) one of the two daughters of the Hogsmeade Merriweathers, Glenna attended Hogwarts mainly in the 1970s. She could be a couple years older than Snape or even up to the same age, although what House she was in is unknown. She has pale blue eyes and brown hair in intricately arranged braids. Her home is located roughly behind Gladrags in Hogsmeade, on a road that leads towards the Shrieking Shack, and it's haunted by her great-great-great-grandfather Morven who built the house. She had a squib sister who was much younger than her, to the degree that when the squib was ousted from the family and left in the muggle world she retained no memories of the wizarding world, but Glenna still remembered her. The Squib Rights March in 1969 would have been of extreme importance to Glenna, even though she was likely too young to attend. Glenna went on to have a job at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Married Shane Golding an unknown time after graduation, and the two had a squib son, Nyle. After Shane's death over christmas 2010 she joined NOTME (more about NOTME in the post handling post-books events) in order to expose magic to muggles and through that create better conditions for squibs. It's also very much worth noting that Glenna's squib sister married a muggle, and they had at least one muggle daughter, and that daughter had at least one child who was a muggleborn witch or wizard. This is the same unnamed muggleborn who is the protagonist of Magic Awakened.

Sturgis Podmore started Hogwarts in 1968 most likely, and as such was a fourth year when Snape and the others started school. He was sorted to an unknown House. His graduation in 1975 afforded him plenty of time to join the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War and actually be useful. By the end of the war he had potentially been fighting for up to six years, although we don't know when he joined the Order exactly. In his adult life lived in Clapham (in London), and continued being an Order member in the Second War. Unfortunately, he was Imperius'd in the Death Eaters' efforts to enter the Department of Mysteries, and was sentenced to six months in Azkaban. For some reason I've never seen Sturgis mentioned when the time period in question comes up. Funny how it goes. This is canonically supposed to be one of the Marauders' brothers in arms though.

James Potter Just like I felt the need to point out with Sirius and Regulus, the Potter family (or at least this branch of it) wasn't always on the verge of disappearing. We don't know much about the Potters, but we do know that in the 70s there was still Charlus and his wife Dorea, even though we don't know their exact relation to James and Fleamont. What should also be taken into account is that Charlus and Dorea had a son, he would have been a cousin of some sort to James. It's unknown when this cousin died or why, we just know it happened before October 1981.

Gethsemane Prickle started Hogwarts in 1969, so she was a third year when Snape came along. We don't know her House, but at least in later life she's a prickly and strict personality, wears glasses and her hair in a bun, and is a notably good potioneer, even if she decided to not make a career out of it. She took NEWT level Potions, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures at the very least. After graduation she went to work at the Ministry, and starting in 2003 won every consecutive Ministry Exstimulo Potion Brewing Contest for the next 17 years. By around 2015 she was the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and while we don't know for sure when exactly she got the job she definitely went far in her career.

Quirinus Quirrell a bit of an unknown, but he almost definitely attended Hogwarts (as a Ravenclaw) in time to share at least part of his school years with Snape, if not most of them - and there is that slight chance that he was in the same year. Not very likely though, considering that he was picked up as a professor (of Muggle Studies!) sometime in the early 1980s, and if him and Snape are the same age then Snape's age kind of fails to stand out for being hired. Regardless, it would have been fairly close. Of Quirrell's school years we know that he was bullied and turned to the Dark Arts because of that, in an effort to find something to 'prove' himself. His sabbatical year in 1990-91 with its end result of Voldemort almost being resurrected would never have happened if he hadn't been bullied, so he has kind of a major impact in the Second War beyond the obvious. And, lest the memory elude you for the moment, what Quirrell got for it was being either killed (movies) or severely wounded (books) in June 1992.

Patricia Rakepick started at Hogwarts in 1967 and was sorted Gryffindor, which makes her a fifth year when Snape was a firstie. She was always an out of control student who routinely broke school rules just for the fun of it, and was despised by most if not all of her teachers. Some among the students loved her though - mainly the Marauders. Rakepick loved to jump in on them tormenting Snape in particular and had good rapport with James and Sirius for that. They were close enough that Rakepick had seen the Marauder's Map and knew how it works, although that can be interpreted as the boys wanting to show off to an older girl instead of actual friendship. She graduated in spring 1974 when the Marauders and Snape were finishing their third year. After graduating Rakepick eventually became a cursebreaker for Gringotts, and was good enough at it that by late 80s she was famous worldwide. Less known is that by late 70s she had joined the criminal organization R. Around early to mid 80s she had teamed up with Jacob (him of the unnamed surname) and then locked him in one of the Cursed Vaults they were investigating, dooming him to eventual madness and death. Dumbledore hired her as a DADA professor for 1988-89. At the end of the school year she attempted sealing a bunch of students in the same Vault that Jacob was sealed in. When that failed she escaped, and later Avada Kedavra'd a sixth year student Rowan Khanna in late 1989. She was eventually imprisoned in Azkaban.

Evan Rosier once again we have a character that very little is known about. He was a Slytherin and later became one of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters. We can deduce that he probably shared at least a few years at Hogwarts with the Marauders since Sirius knew of him, and that considering they appear to share the same father (who was among Voldemort's original crowd from his own Hogwarts days) he has a younger brother called Felix. That's where it gets complicated since Felix didn't start Hogwarts until 1980 - the same year Evan was killed for resisting arrest. Evan can't have been still at school then either, as he was skilled enough to do some serious damage to the arresting auror Alastor Moody. The problem with saying he started Hogwarts in early 70s is his skill level and his high status with the Death Eaters. Those two seem to require someone far older than Sirius, but also the older you make him the more ridiculous the age gap between him and his brother becomes. Who even knows really, but the evidence does seem to point at him starting Hogwarts in the latter half of the 60s. We can also speculate that Evan and Felix's father the OG Death Eater might have gotten a young new wife at some point, which would explain the big age difference between the brothers, but that's pure speculation. There is also the tidbit that Sirius claims Evan was friends with Wilkes, but Sirius is unreliable on these things and the only thing we can really take from that is that Sirius canonically didn't know either of them other than for their names. Both Rosier and Wilkes were killed roughly around the same time though, so he might actually be on to something there.

Kingsley Shacklebolt there's no hard evidence, but Kingsley talks about James Potter as if he knew him. Considering that James canonically became a full-time Order member after graduation (James being an auror is pure fanon, sorry), and the fact that Kingsley didn't join the Order until the Second War, that pretty much just leaves Hogwarts as the time they met. He likely started Hogwarts in the latter half of the 60s and is of similar age to Lucius Malfoy and/or Narcissa Black, meaning he was at Hogwarts for a year or two at the same time as James and the others.

Stebbins (M) took the OWLs at the same time as Snape and the others, so he started Hogwarts in 1971 just the same as them. We don't know a single thing about him beyond that fact though, so it's OC creation time! He might have a son who attended the 1994 Yule Ball, as there's a Stebbins there. There's also a Stebbins who was an auror in the 1920s, so there's a potential grandfather or great uncle or whatever.

Tilden Toots started Hogwarts in 1970 or '71, and as such was either in the same year as Snape or one year above him. Other details of his student life aren't known, but he likely took NEWT Herbology at least. After graduation became a celebrity herbologist and a radio personality. Married the bestselling author Daisy Hookum at some point, who'd been two or three years below him at Hogwarts.

Sybill Trelawney probably started Hogwarts in the late 1960s, as she's young and still looking for her first job in 1980, but has had time for a brief marriage. It's possible she's of around the same age as Patricia Rakepick although could be younger by a couple years, making her probably somewhere between third and fifth year when Snape started at Hogwarts. Pottermore additionally reports that she was always very proud of her family ancestry and their abilities, so it's likely that if anyone took an interest in Divination while she was at school she would have gotten herself involved somehow as a supposed expert.

Dolores Umbridge must have started Hogwarts sometime between 1960s and '75, since she started working for the Ministry before she was 30 and we already see her there in 1990, although she's possibly been working there for some years by that point. Not too long though considering she isn't greying yet in 1995, which seems to favor starting Hogwarts in the 70s. We also know that she was sorted Slytherin. Here we have a rare potential girl Slytherin around the same age as the Marauders! She's also a rare half-blood Slytherin, which is bound to make her dynamic with the other kids in her house very interesting, not to mention her squib younger brother who she'd have done anything to conceal the existence of so it wouldn't affect her personally. As we all know, she committed quite the atrocities over the course of her life. By the early 90s she was Senior Undersecretary for the Minister for Magic and was creating anti-werewolf laws, and during the year of Voldemort's reign she was Head of the Muggleborn Registration Commission. She was imprisoned in Azkaban in 1998 after the Second War.

Wilkes (M) another one of them future Death Eaters we know almost nothing about. Sirius does say he's friends with Evan Rosier, but Sirius also claims that Snape used to hang out with Bellatrix who had long since graduated. So the only thing we can really say for sure is that he was in Slytherin, shared at least a few years with Sirius at Hogwarts (and was possibly in the same year as Rosier, but neither of them had any dealings with Sirius), and after graduation became a Death Eater who was killed by aurors in 1980. Since that coincides with Evan Rosier's death and Sirius does claim they're friends, there's some chance that the two were taken down together, but that's pure conjecture.

Florence (last name unknown) was snitched on to have been kissing a 'him' behind the greenhouses by Bertha Jorkins, and Bertha was friendly enough with her to call her by her first name only. She was probably in the same year (possibly even same house) as Bertha, or at the very least the two were friends. What's curious is that Bertha felt the need to snitch on her to Albus Dumledore of all people. Why report such a thing to the Headmaster? There could be any number of reasons, most of them very good fic material.

Jacob (unnamed) as already mentioned a couple times before, Jacob is the older brother of the unnamed protagonist of Hogwarts Mystery, and started school in 1974 when Snape started his fourth year, in the same house as the protagonist. He was initially groomed to become the next head of the criminal organization R after his father, but when he failed to meet expectations their focus switched to Jacob's younger sibling instead. Regardless, Jacob was a natural legilimens who received training for his gift from Dumbledore when the headmaster discovered the talent during his school years. If any of the Marauders paid any attention to him, it was likely through noticing Jacob was doing shady stuff around the school and meeting in secret with Dumbledore. Despite Dumbledore's inclination to keep him on no matter what, Jacob refused to tell the truth of what happened to cause the death of his friend Duncan Ashe and Dumbledore was forced to agree into expelling Jacob. His wand was snapped and the whole debacle widely reported in the Daily Prophet. The last of this all happened around 1980 though, when Snape and the others had long since graduated. Jacob was subsequently imprisoned within a portrait in one of the Cursed Vaults, from where he wasn't freed until early summer 1989. He then started hunting for Patricia Rakepick for what she'd done to him.

Also Consider

Mr + Mrs Brown In general, I find it a bit funny how the parents of other students in Harry and Draco's year get completely skipped over as if they don't exist, so let this stand in as a reminder that chances are, the majority of them shared at least some Hogwarts years with Snape and the others. And hey, if you're in need of some less white representation, there's a good chance that Lavender's father Mr Brown has Jamaican ancestry from a hundred years back. We know that there were Browns that arrived to Britain from Jamaica in 19th century, and while that's not a guarantee that the two appearances of Browns are related, there's no guarantee that they aren't either. They're also a particularly fascinating case since we know that at least in late 19th century, the (freshly from Jamaica) Browns owned a book store in Hogsmeade known as Tomes and Scrolls. That's fic fodder right there.

Amycus + Alecto Carrow We don't get ages for these two siblings, but we know they fought in the First Wizarding War for at least a few years. Like many other Death Eaters, there's some chance that they could have been older students when Snape started Hogwarts. Then again, they could already have been adults, but neither took the time to couple up before the war's end as far as we know, so it'd be realistic for them to be on the younger side. These two are a fairly good choice if you need to fill in some older Slytherin students.

Mr + Mrs Chang I offer you more diversity: the parents of poor Cho Chang. If even one of them was 20 when they had her, that parent would've started attending Hogwarts in 1970. That makes them a year older than Snape. Either way they probably shared at least a few years at Hogwarts with Snape and the others. See what I mean about the parents? You really shouldn't neglect the parents.

Gregory Cotton, Dougal McBride, others the thing with quidditch players is that they have a limited time on the pitch before they grow too old for the sport. Which then means that almost any professional British quidditch player in the 1980s or early 1990s can believably be made to attend Hogwarts in the 1970s, in a year of your choosing. Gregory was the Appleby Arrows Seeker in late 80s, while Dougal was the Pride of Portree Seeker, and the two had a bit of a rivalry going on.

Crabbe Senior + Goyle Senior + wives Considering that they both had sons of Harry and Draco's age, it's quite likely they were roughly around the same age as those two's fathers. This could mean that they've already graduated by the time Snape starts at Hogwarts, but they could also be among the older students in Slytherin.

Todd Cribb + Corrine (maiden name unknown) one of them couples that we don't technically know the ages of, but they look young enough in mid- to late 1980s when they appear in Hogwarts Mystery, so might just have attended Hogwarts in the 70s. Todd looks just like a self-important 25-year old to my eye, although that's just a personal opinion. It'd mean he would've started Hogwarts around 1974. Corrine is definitively a dark witch who takes pleasure in targeting magical creatures to use their parts for fun and profit, and while Todd tries his best, what he does usually amounts to petty theft at best. He's absolutely devoted to Corrine though. If you're in need of some light fun, add a young Todd and Corrine to your fanfic soup and watch the fireworks.

Lorcan d'Eath okay, so this one is a bit uncertain. Lorcan is a part vampire (someone whose parent was a vampire, and yes vampires can have children in the wizarding world), and we don't exactly know whether he attended Hogwarts. Considering the name he might've been French for what anyone knows and just sung in English for whatever reason, and that's on top of the whole 'part vampire' thing. He was born at the right time though, considering if he did attend Hogwarts he started in 1975 or '76. He went on to become a famous singer, and honestly? If he really did attend Hogwarts he probably made quite a splash, just like the Weird Sisters in the 80s. Not to mention the whole vampire thing. How often do you get a (part) vampire attending Hogwarts. No matter how much of an age difference there is, Lorcan would have garnered attention.

Bilius Finbok Bilius is one of those people who we don't get the age of, although considering that he has slightly graying hair in 2017 when we see him, it's entirely possible that he was a student in the 1970s should you feel like including him. He's a probably-Hufflepuff who lives in Cornwall at least as an adult, and dicks around with dangerous substances while being an experimental potioneer in his free time. Meaning he most probably took NEWT level Potions. He technically works at the Department of Intoxicating Substances at the Ministry, although might've been fired in 2017 after he was discovered using illegal ingredients.

Gerard Grey his age is unknown but he's definitely well into adulthood and definitely had a daughter in 1996-97 or so. He could well have attended Hogwarts in the 70s! He's stupidly tall and really buff, but what makes him interesting is that he was turned into a werewolf sometime over the course of his life. He takes a proactive approach and gathered himself a little pack of other werewolves that he protects at all costs, although that pack possibly didn't happen until after the wars were both over.

Rowena Rowle, Thorfinn Rowle members of the very large Rowle family that seems to keep producing girl children. We don't technically know how old Rowena is, but attending Hogwarts in the 1970s would fit just as well as any other option. Rowena is an employee of the Department of Mysteries (likely an Unspeakable) and appears to have been one since at least early 2010s, although probably quite a bit longer than that. And of course, Thorfinn is a Death Eater in the Second War. We don't have confirmation whether he'd already joined up in the First War or not, but since we get no hints on his age either it's entirely possible that he was a student in the 1970s.

Emmeline Vance a member of the Order of the Phoenix in both the First and Second War. We technically know nothing of her beyond that, but she's depicted as being fairly young-looking in all official art. One could suspect that she shared at least several years with Snape at Hogwarts.

Weasley cousins Honestly now. Considering how plentiful the Weasleys are and how much of a big deal is made out of there being too many Weasley cousins, it'd be more than a little unrealistic if there wasn't at least one or two Weasleys running around in the 70s. Go create some, shoo.

Wendy Wunderwind we have no indication whatsoever of this person's age, so she might as well have gone to Hogarts in the 1970s, right? She lives in Wrexham (in Wales) at least later in her life, and becomes an expert in weather modification charms. Sounds like someone useful to know, under specific circumstances!

(Likely) Not Attending in 1971-78

Bellatrix + Andromeda Black, Ted Tonks Bellatrix started Hogwarts in 1962 or '63, and as such she had most definitely graduated by the time Snape came along. Long before Snape ever even set foot in Hogwarts Bellatrix was already a marked Death Eater, since that happened before the war started. Andromeda we don't know for sure but since she's the middle sister she had to have started between 1963 and '65, depending on which years her sisters did (although the later years are more unlikely due to the birth of her child). Some configurations allow her to still be in her sixth or seventh year when Snape starts school, but in most sensible options she's already graduated by then. Regardless, she started secretly dating Ted Tonks while they were still at Hogwarts and married him shortly after. This is also the reason Ted Tonks is very unlikely to still be at Hogwarts when Snape is there. Their only child was born in 1972-73, not that there's any certainty her sisters or anyone else would have known about it at least immediately, but that's why it's very likely she and Ted didn't share Hogwarts years with Snape any more than Bellatrix did. You have Andromeda still be a student in 1971-72 and there's a good chance she got pregnant while at Hogwarts. Her free choice to marry a muggleborn in opposition to her family would turn into a scramble to get married for the kid's sake.

Marlene McKinnon (unknown if maiden name or married name) a complete unknown other than for being a core member of the Order of the Phoenix in summer 1981, and was said to be extremely skilled. Was not especially close to Lily Evans or Sirius Black as she was obliquely referenced as one of 'the McKinnons', although was their common acquaintance through the Order. She was killed "along with her family" in late summer that year, s per Moody, although we don't know if by 'family' they meant her parents and siblings, or whether they meant her husband and kids, or possibly both of the above. Her being especially targeted by the Death Eaters and killed along with said 'family' hints that she's no fresh-faced graduate but a recurring nuisance throughout the war who ran the risk of inspiring others to resist, to the degree that she along with her whole family had to be made into a warning to not go against them.

Dorcas Meadowes A full member of the Order of the Phoenix in the First War, and enough of a threat to Voldemort that he had to kill her himself. This is not something a literal child could have made happen. She was more than likely an active member of the resistance for the duration of the war to be so special. This powerhouse was most definitely nowhere near Hogwarts in the 70s unless it was to protect the kids.

Xenophilius Lovegood + Pandora (maiden name unknown) There's very little personal information known about the two of them, but what we do know for sure is that Xenophilius and Pandora met while both were Hogwarts students so they attended at the same time. And for Xenophilius there's a practical reason why he probably wasn't a student in the 1970s - the Quibbler was already a big name in its niche in 1986. It takes time and effort and above all money to get a publication off the ground, and the younger you make Xeno the more money he had to have access to before even starting, to make the magic happen well before 1986. I could see them being sixth or seventh year at most when Snape starts at Hogwarts, but again. You have to make Xeno filthy rich in some regard (or at least have a filthy rich patron willing to fund his passion) if you're saying that he managed to make the Quibbler into a sensation when he was right out of Hogwarts. With a baby. Since Xeno and Pandora's daughter Luna was born in February 1981. The possibility of them being school kids in the 70s is not looking very realistic when they had a baby to worry about all through early 80s when they by all sense should have been working on getting the Quibbler off the ground after graduating.


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4 months ago

Yep. Same way when people try to say that Lily was like Harry and that they had similar personalities whilst Harry and James shared the looks. What a lazy perspective. Personality is not shaped by genetics. It is formed by life circumstances and upbringing, and those significantly differed with Lily and Harry. Lily grew up loved, in a safe household, with an identity of her own. She lived a safe life, at least till the end of her school years. Harry was in survival mode since the day his parents died. He grew up physically and emotionally neglected, abused and had no sense of identity. Later in life, his identity was forced upon him by the whole wizarding world. He was forced to fight and die. He was groomed to be a soldier and to have a survival and hero-like mentality. Harry and Lily might share their kindness or good heart, but their personalities, priorities, motivations, and behavior/thought patterns couldn't be more different.

harry potter is NOT james potter.

I love parallels. I love people reminding others of those they've lost along the way.

But Harry Potter is not James . And that is so vital to his entire character.

When people see Harry, they see James. They see a James who sees the world through Lily's eyes. When they see Harry, they don't see Harry.

And that is so vital to his entire being. It's vital to how people see Harry. The people that didn't know James, see the Boy-Who-Lived.

The people who did, who were close to Harry, to James, to Lily. They see James and Lily Potter. They see the people who died, people they were close to, people they miss every day but will never see again.

Remus, Sirius, Snape, McGonagall.

At first, they see James and Lily. And then when they meet him - apart from Snape- they quickly realise he is anything but.

Harry is not arrogant, rich, spoilt. He doesn't have an ego, he doesn't play pranks, he isn't a chaser, he doesn't pick fights.

Harry isn't exceptionally bright at everything he does, he isn't inconceivably forgiving for those who don't deserve it.

He is not Lily and James.

When peole write Harry as a golden retriever, as effortlessly good at everything, they aren't writing about Harry.

Harry who grew up not wanted. Harry who grew up believing something was wrong with him. Harry who was forced into the wizarding world with no knowledge. Harry who is as stubborn as a mule,. Harry who is loyal to a fault, who forgives those he loves, Harry who isn't his parents.

He has traits of them, their anger, their ability to love, and much much more.

BUT Harry Potter isn't them. He isn't the 'best of them both' he isn't James or Lily or Sirius or Regulus.

Harry Potter is Harry. Just Harry.

And that is why he doesn't get along ith Snape. That's why McGonagall believes Harry dragged Neville out for a joke in first year.

When people see Harry, they don't see Harry. And by writing Harry as somebody else, or as 'so-and-so's child' you're not doing the character justice.

'I want a complex character with complex relationships'

'i want an angry character'

'i want to read a book that makes me think'

you couldn't even handle Harry Potter.


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2 months ago

I think Harmony could genuinely work. It's so interesting. Especially post war with emotional infidelity. I can only enjoy it without Ron bashing tho.


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1 month ago

think all of my problems would be fixed if sirius and james kissed every once in a while


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2 months ago

I love a blushing, giddy, nervous-around-Harry old Voldemort.

my favorite type of tomarrymort is actually Voldemort at the ripe age of 70 discovering feelings of true love compassion towards Harry and suddenly acting like a giddy teenage girl who writes about her crush with added hearts in her diary


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2 months ago

You can be emotionally intelligent, observant, and a good judge of character, and still be an asshole who's emotionally immature and bigoted.


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1 month ago

He loved the idea of her before 7th year. But then he actually fell in love with her.

James loved the idea of Lily, but he loves the reality of Sirius.


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4 months ago
mikailakay - Mik

As a descendant of sea sponges, whose ancestors were ruthlessly exploited by Roman patricians for their decadent baths, as someone whose great-great-great-sponge ancestors experienced the full weight of class oppression when rich Romans used them in their thermal baths, as someone with deep sponge trauma, I understand better than anyone the dynamics between different social classes.

And I declare — James Potter didn't “bully” Snape because he was poor


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4 months ago

I cannot emphasize enough how much everything In-ho did during his time in the games was in service of breaking down Gi-hun. Every glance, every story, every comment was incredibly and deliberately calculated.

His first interaction with Gi-hun immediately places the blame on Gi-hun for the games continuing: "I pressed the O because of you." He also explicitly asks for Gi-hun's help on behalf of the group. This sucks Gi-hun into being a mechanism of the games themselves (not just a player, but one telling others how to play) while robbing him of his agency to do so: whereas he was confident in helping during the first game, because it was his choice, In-ho's request forces him to share about the Dalgona prematurely, and he then has a nightmare about misleading the players. This also leads to many players becoming hostile when the game is not Dalgona, which--who could have guessed?--In-ho jumps in to stop. He orchestrated the situation so that Gi-hun would feel maximum pressure and guilt, before In-ho himself relieves it to build trust between them.

Then there are the introductions. In-ho uses Gi-hun's name before they are introduced, which may have been a genuine slip, but was very likely intentional given his response. In-ho's method throughout the games is to parallel and associate himself with Jung-bae, Gi-hun's only actual friend (he saves him during the merry-go-round games; he eavesdrops on Jung-bae's conversation with Gi-hun and directly uses the "get me a soju" line from that conversation to subconsciously build Gi-hun's trust in him during the firefight). So when he uses Gi-hun's name, he says he does so because he heard Jung-bae doing it, and Gi-hun allows him to continue--this creates the first of the links between them. But then, when they are properly introduced, In-ho laughs that "Seong" just means "last name;" in doing so, he implies to those who don't know him that Gi-hun may not be telling the truth, and in context of their conversation (focused on the significance of their names) highlights how Seong Gi-hun is "no one special." He's just an everyman.

Another reason that "slip" was almost certainly intentional is that In-ho is very deliberate about showing moments of weakness. His breakdown during the Six-Legged Race was designed to both further stress Gi-hun (and if Gi-hun had failed, they were in the very last groups present, so they could have been selectively spared as needed) and to strengthen their bond, as Gi-hun got to "encourage" In-ho; then In-ho helped Gi-hun and the team win by kicking with him the final time. Even cheering along with Gi-hun while the other teams went was in service of cementing their connection; and, any time a team failed, In-ho got to observe Gi-hun's reactions under the guise of empathy. In-ho may have felt some genuine emotions while cheering or comforting Gi-hun, but they aren't to be trusted.

That's particularly true because of his biggest "weak" moment: telling Gi-hun why he is in the games. The show confirms, when Jun-ho finds the winner file, that In-ho actually did join the games years before (from his family we know that it was because of his wife's illness), and that he won them himself. So he isn't lying about the details of his personal story--and he even gets emotional--but it is, once again, all in service of ensnaring Gi-hun and earning his trust. In-ho is not faking all of his emotions, but he is controlling and weaponizing them, which is why none of his apparent fondness for Gi-hun can be trusted. He uses his emotions as a tool, rather than being affected by them.

The ultimate result of this manipulation is that Gi-hun is made to feel that everything that happens is his choice (even the things he didn't choose). From the beginning, In-ho has said his choices are because of Gi-hun; throughout the games, there are several moments where In-ho suggests an approach and Gi-hun shoots it down, and In-ho always coalesces. Gi-hun gets to have "his way." But "his way" doesn't seem to work, and he, like the rest of the players, is changed by the games. His final plan, as In-ho forces him to face, involves a sacrifice of some for the good of the many. Only after he admits this (through his silence) does In-ho agree to help. Then, during the firefight, when Gi-hun tries to give In-ho the ammunition he risked his life to get, In-ho asks, "Are you sure?" Gi-hun's choice to trust In-ho leads to him running out of ammunition earlier, forcing his surrender; meanwhile, In-ho still "dies," and Jung-bae is shot in front of Gi-hun's eyes. None of Gi-hun's choices made things better--they made it all his fault. He is left with the blame, as the Frontman (who is In-ho! And always has been!) tells him point blank.

But none of Gi-hun's choices have really been choices. They have all been based on lies, within a system that uses the information they have to actively orchestrate events against him. The same is true of the players in the game; their choices are not free, because their circumstances (largely caused by unfairness in the world) have trapped them. The baseness they resort to is not what they would do if they really had the choice, and some are even able to choose virtue within the hellscape, but over and over, the system facilitates the dominance of cruelty. And In-ho, the personification of that system, targets Seong Gi-hun, the "Everyman," to make him submit to it--to make him choose to believe that there is no other way.


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hp and feminism stuff

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