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the blog of Aberforth Dumbledore's favourite goat - Hufflepuff - 29 - she/her

[profoundingly]

Wow! Can u believe the whole main trio is trans! Incredible!

[shaggydogstail]

HP Brit-pick top ten

For the benefit of Americans and other aliens, I hope this might be useful, especially for people who can’t find anyone to Brit-pick their fic for them. These are the things I see most often when I’m beta-ing or just reading fic. They’re not the worst and having any of them doesn’t make a fic bad, but they’re all easy mistakes to make especially because they’re so widespread and even pop up in fan-made references like the Wikia. 

There is no Graduation at Hogwarts. We don’t graduate from secondary school in Britain, and there’s no mention of any graduation in any of the books. 

Muggle education is different to the US. I don’t know much about US education, but a quick list of things I see Americans talk about that we don’t or rarely have in the UK includes: kindergarten, words like ‘sophomore’, underclassmen, choosing a ‘major’ or ‘majoring’ in a subject, pre-med and pre-law degrees, letter grades at Uni, higher tuition fees at fancy universities, GPAs.

We swear frequently and creatively. It’s swearing, not cursing or cussing. The word shite is a lot less popular in England than some people seem to imagine. Never swearing teens are very unusual.

Few towns are arranged in blocks. There might be a shop at the end of the street, a short walk would be so many minutes walk away.

Mobile phones, not cell phones. 

Healthcare is mostly free. We have universal health care which is free at the point of demand and funded by general taxation. St Mungo’s is free too.

Gotten and Go Get aren’t standard usage. They are creeping in but are still considered Americanisms. 

We see films at the cinema not the theatre. Theatres are for live performances like plays.

‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am are only for formal occasions, legal stuff and some fancy shops, not family members. Adult family friends and whatnot might be Mr/Mrs So-and-So or addressed by their given names. Some people use Auntie or Uncle, although that’s not universal.

This is far from being a universal guide, but I hope some of it will be useful. I’m happy to answer any questions anyone has, and am also thinking about doing some more specific guides e.g. one on education or law. Would that be useful to anyone? Drop me an ask if you’ve got any questions or ideas for the future.

[lobsterbang-deactivated20231129]

Yes! All of these!

Also your little finger, not your ‘pinkie’, budge up, don’t 'scoot over’, and university, not college :)

[aberforthsfavouritegoat]

The idea of graduation seems to have really crept into a lot of fanfic lately

[asktheboywholived]

If I Could See Your Face: Part 3

(( OOC: Lily & Marlene: @sirussly - Hagrid: @the-moon-and-stars-my-love - Severus: @egdramaqueen - Dorcas: @stjernfaerie - Peter: @geethanksinternet - Narcissa: @asklilyevanss ))

*the bell rings*

Hagrid: *quickly scrapes his muddy boots off on the welcome mat outside of the door*

Keep reading

[aberforthsfavouritegoat]

Argh! Come back from a long hiatus and find my @geethanksinternet involved in a huge storyline!

[wormywrites]

October 25th 1981

We’re scheduled to do the charm in two days time. Why on earth did they have to choose me? I’m not brave. I reminded Prongs of how long I managed to keep Padfoot’s third nipple a secret. I claim it was a whole day, Pads says it didn’t count when I was asleep so it was only a few hours. He countered with the fact that I kept Remus’ secret for years. And I’d kept our Animagi forms secret. Of course, they’re not secret anymore but James doesn’t know that…

[wormywrites]

October 14th 1981

I can’t stop thinking about Remus. What if he has turned? It’s not like he’s got a great life ahead of him in the world as it is. Already the werewolf registry stops him being able to do a lot of things. It’s not like he’s a bloodthirsty monster. He just wants a quiet life. It’s not like we’ve ever treated him differently. Have we?

Maybe I’m just trying to stop thinking about the meeting I have to go to. We’ve got an Order meeting tomorrow. Then the next day I have to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. At least, I assume I’ll see him. Dumbledore isn’t at every single Order meeting. Maybe He isn’t at every Death Eater meeting? Mind, it seems like that’s the sort of organisation you’d want to have tight control over. Very dog eat dog. Hmmm. I wonder if Padfoot has ever wanted to eat another dog? Is that something that dogs actually do or is it just a stupid Muggle phrase Lily and Remus use?

Why am I thinking about that?!? I need to think about what I’m going to do, what I’m going to say at this meeting.

[wormywrites]

October 13th 1981

Sirius came to visit earlier. He’s worried about Remus. Thinks that he might be being swayed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Apparently he’s becoming more and more distant. I don’t know if I can believe it. I mean, he’s our Moony. He’s a Marauder. But… I guess he is a werewolf….

I almost told Sirius about my plans. I wanted his advice. But I know that he would think I should do it. He’s brave enough to do it and not think twice. I need to be more like Padfoot.

[wormywrites]

October 12th 1981

I got a fire call from a Death Eater earlier. I don’t know who it was because they wore their mask. They gave me the details of a place to apparate to and a time and date. Said I’d be met and taken to somewhere I could prove my usefulness. I admit I nearly wet myself when that face appeared in my fireplace. Those masks have been haunting my nightmares for years. It was nearly enough of a fright for me to try and find a way to escape. Maybe by fleeing the country - if anywhere is safe - or by telling Dumbledore. How I wish I was back at school where I could just tell a teacher when things got too much.

The picture on the fireplace renewed my resolve though. It’s Prongs, Moony, Padfoot, Lils and me on our last day of school. Even though we knew there was a war happening, we look so hopeful. So full of joy. I want to make that happen again.

[wormywrites]

October 11th 1981

There was an Order meeting today. Dumbledore finally accepted that we were losing ground. Meadowes suggested that what we needed was to turn one of the Death Eaters into a spy and there was a half hearted chuckle. But it made me think. Could I do it? Could I be a spy? I haven’t said anything to anybody yet, but I could be useful. I could prove to the other Marauders that I’m not just a tag along. I can be brave and cunning too.

Now I just need to find a way to prove to Voldemort and his followers that I’m on their side…

[wormywrites]

October 10th 1981

James and Sirius came by today. Banging on the door loud enough to wake the dead. The Longbottoms had been found. Both of them babbling incoherently apparently. Alive, but, not them. No longer the doting mother and proud father to their son. Not even able to recognise the colleagues that found them. Of course between that and my absence James was worried about me. Needed to know that I was alive, that I was ok.

I lied. I said that they must have been taken after I left them. That they were still happy and whole when I last saw them. Why did I lie? It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything to get us captured. They left eventually; James needed to check on Lily and Harry. Apparently the rumours about a prophecy are circulating again. I’m glad. That they left, not about the prophecy. Divination is a load of hippogriff dung. I was never much of a believer. Not like my sister. She got an E in her Divination O.W.L. She only didn’t take it for N.E.W.T.s because of mum and dad.

Oh Merlin I’m rambling. I’m rambling because these thoughts need to be let out but I can’t. I can’t do this…

I have to do this. I have to admit it somewhere.

I’m a coward.

I always knew I was. I knew that I wasn’t as brave as the rest of the Order. As the rest of the Marauders. I’ve wondered again and again why the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. I always thought it saw something in me that would somebody bloom.

I’m a traitor.

Merlin those words were hard to write. More painful even than the Cruciatus curse which Bellatrix used on me. I tried, I tried so hard to resist. But it hurt. The pain. Oh Merlin. It was. It was indescribable. And having her do it, looking so much like Sirius, it hurt all the more. It felt like a betrayal. So I gave in. I promised them anything they wanted if they’d just stop. I needed it to stop. It was my only coherent thought.

At first they all just laughed. What could I give them? But I betrayed one of the Marauders’ biggest secrets. I let the Death Eaters know we were Animagi. I explained that I could hear things as a rat without people noticing. I could be useful by telling them of planned raids, planned attacks. The whole time I was blabbering Bellatrix kept her wand pointed at my throat.

Then she just tucked it away. Told me I was the Dark Lord’s rat now. And that I’d be looked after. Then the Death Eaters turned their back on me and returned their focus to Frank and Alice. I could have attacked them. I could have killed at least one. Instead, I ran. Ran away from the building. Far enough to escape the wards and disapparate.

I’m a coward and a traitor and I lied to James and Sirius as I looked them in the eye.

What have I done?

[wormywrites]

October 9th 1981

Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin. Circe’s tits. What have I done? Merlin, the Longbottoms. I can hear Alice’s screams. I can't… I couldn't…

[wormywrites]

October 7th 1981

I’ve been set the task of helping Frank and Alice patrol Diagon Alley tonight. I don’t know if this is just because he thinks I need to be kept busy or if Dumbledore actually has some inside knowledge about something happening. Not that he’d share it with us lowly foot soldiers anyway. One bonus point to patrolling Diagon Alley is that I can nip into Fortescue’s before I have to start. Florian has given me an extra scoop every time since I started going with mum as a kid. Maybe I should go extra early, then I can start looking for a birthday present for Pads. It’s less than a month away and he’s so hard to buy for. Since his uncle Alphard left him money and a place to live he has no reason not to just buy whatever he wants.

Suppose I should go get ready for this. It’s going to be so boring. I wish I had one of those new Muggle inventions that let you listen to music whilst you move. I guess that wouldn’t be much good if I’m meant to be listening for signs of Death Eaters though…

[wormywrites]

October 6th 1981

Another day, another mission. I’m getting so fed up of this. This time at least was a protective mission. We had to move a Muggleborn family (again) before the Death Eaters found them. I don’t mind these missions too much; they’re about protecting people. About survival. My rat instincts can deal with that.

What am I going to do when Dumbledore asks me to battle again? When /James/ asks me to go into battle alongside him? I can’t do it. I can’t do this. I can’t do anything.

[wormywrites]

October 5th 1981

Oh Merlin. I think I’m going to die from this hangover. Lily refused to make us any of the potion she uses because we woke Harry up. As if it’s my fault that Padfoot decided to reenact the time he charmed all of the mirrors to react to us all in different ways based on our animagus form! I’d forgotten how much it hurt when every mirror shrieked in alarm when it saw me. Saying that, the annoyance on Moony’s face every time the mirror howled was hilarious.

Of course Sirius got the mirrors to tell him what a “good boy” he was. That boy never can resist stroking his own ego. I still don’t understand why the mirrors started singing about the weather in April when James walked past though. Apparently it’s some Muggle thing.

Thinking about it, at least if I die from this hangover I’m not part of this stupid war anymore. It’s not that I don’t think we’re doing the right thing; Muggleborn wizards and witches can be just as powerful as any of us. Look at Lily, she’s much better at magic than I am and I’m pureblood. It would be stupid to eject them from Wizarding society - we could miss out on the next Sleakeazy’s inventor (although I wouldn’t tell James that. He seems to think his grandad was a one off genius.) I just wish there was a way I could not be involved. Or at least not involved in the fighting. I’m no good at it.

[wormywrites]

October 4th 1981

Dumbledore seems to think that things are going our way. I think that’s rubbish. Every day you hear more stories about people being found dead or going missing. I haven’t dared read the Prophet for weeks. Not that they’d necessarily report accurately. I’m sure at least some of the reporters must belong to He Who Must Not Be Named. And how are you to know just who they are? The whole not knowing who to trust makes me want to just curl up. A short entry today dear diary because for the first time in a long time all of the Marauders are free of Order work at the same time. We’re going to descend on the Potter household. Spoil the little Prongslet, then once he’s asleep, drink as much Old Ogdens as it takes to make us forget about this awful war. At least, that’s my plan.

[wormywrites]

October 3rd 1981

So the Prewett brothers are dead. You’d think I’d be used to detailing the deaths of people I know by now. But my hand is still shaking as I write this. Maybe it’s because they seemed so much larger than life, much like Prongs and Padfoot. And if the twins can die, what does it say about the chances of the rest of us?

Moody was there. Said that they fought really well. But what did that get them? Did it get them long, happy lives? The chance to love and be loved? Nope. They didn’t even manage to off any of the Death Eaters to make it easier for the rest of us. Apparently they were set upon by six of them. The only one Moody recognised was Dolohov. That’s one of the things I hate the most… Not knowing who these people are. It could be people I called uncle growing up. That nice aunty who always had the best jam. It’s just as likely as it being the scary looking old man from the house down the street.

I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up for. We seem to be dying a lot faster than they are. I need to try and get some sleep. I hope the nightmares stay away tonight.

[wormywrites]

October 2nd 1981

I’m so sick of this war. I was meant to be a department head in the ministry by this point. Dad’s connections would have ensured it. Instead I’m stuck fighting. I’m not a fighter! There’s a reason my animagus form is a rat. I just want to run and hide when things get tough.

Not that I can say any of this to anybody. They’re all so excited to be doing this. So noble, so valiant. I can just imagine if I tried to mention this to James,

“Oh but Wormy! Isn’t it great to have a purpose? To be able to help those less privileged than we were, than we are.”

Or Sirius,

“Don’t be a coward Wormtail. You’re a rat, not a mouse” (cue hysterical giggling).

Remus is probably most likely to get it, but even he would tell me that we have to keep fighting. But it’s ok for him. For all of them. I’m the least useful member of the Order by far. I’m not clever, or brave, or good at dueling. I’m just… me.

I think I’m going to go and heat up another pumpkin pasty.

[aberforthsfavouritegoat]

My birthday is literally the plot of @nachodiablo Palo Alto