Anziora

Digital artist | SS l 🏳️‍🌈 | Multifandom

[crypticsketchpad]

the official mermay prompts are lowkey boring and too corporate. so here's my take on em, i guess

am i gonna draw anything based on it this month? who knows! but if anyone else uses this list pls tag me i would love to see :]

[anzioraa0]

Wow, I love this list 🔥 I think I’ll get inspired by a couple of points from it!

[anzioraa0]

MerMay 2025 🧜‍♀️

And here we go — one of my all-time favorite art challenges has kicked off! This month is going to be pure magic ✨ I haven’t really jumped in before, but this year I’m all in! I’m totally obsessed with mermaids, and the steady stream of amazing art people share all month? It’s like treasure raining from the sky!

[anzioraa0]

Even though Severus never showed much love for Quidditch, he always supported his children! 🤲🐍

[borsukuje]

Spill the tea~

[anzioraa0]

So much passion 🫦

[anzioraa0]

Quick sketch ✍️

Snarry 👄⚡️

[anzioraa0]

Fancast

Julian Richings as Severus Snape 👁️

I hadn’t seen this fancast before, but I was just looking at men with unconventional looks, and Julian popped up… I think it’s an interesting take. Young Julian (and not just young 👀) definitely gives off Snape vibes 🤌 (He knows how to do the scary eyes!!)

[anzioraa0]

Apologies for the essay, I wanted to write one thing but got carried away sdfhl

I always thought the “Dark Arts” were spells with the primary purpose of causing harm. Practically speaking, you can kill someone with a levitation charm (PS) or torture someone with a cleaning spell (SWM) or an unbreakable glass charm (GOF/OOTP) or use a love potion or a confounding charm for mind control effects (HBP/DH) and none of those qualify as dark arts, so it’s probably limited to spells that only work when there’s a particular intent behind them. Like, we’re told that you have to mean the cruciatus curse in order to cast it, so I’d hazard that the same is true of the other unforgivables — you have to mean your killing intent to AK someone, so it wouldn’t work if you’re doing a mercy kill. (That… seems to bear out with Dumbledore’s death, since the spells he cast didn’t break until he hit the ground! Honestly, given Severus’s complete unwillingness to do physical harm, his interest in the dark arts seems genuinely academic/true-crime-podcasty!) And if it’s intent that matters, I think that explains why a “Dark” witch or wizard can’t cast a patronus while someone like Umbridge can: it’s a matter of being in the right headspace and approaching your magic the right way.

And this kind of magic does indeed seem like something interesting to study! And something that’s, according to PS at least, directly a part of the NEWT-level DADA curriculum to some extent. And something that’s openly taught at Durmstrang without any of the students showing ill-effects. I think Lily’s dislike of the Dark Arts, especially when we see other heroic characters use them and outright villains like Umbridge not use them, is an indicator of her naïvety and position of relative privilege despite being muggle-born. And like, of course she’s naive and sheltered. She’s her stable middle-class parents’ favorite child, a teachers’ pet with enough of a knack for school that she doesn’t really struggle, popular enough and well-liked enough that when she’s trying to explain to Sev that his friends are bad news she can’t point to any instance of them harming or insulting her… She hasn’t got any reason not to be naive.

We’re talking about a girl who has the same approach to problem-solving at 16 that she had at 9 (“guys :( you’re being mean, stop being mean :(“) because it’s never failed her and believes that her boyfriend stopped hunting his classmates for sport just because he said so and spends her dying breath begging Voldemort not to kill the exact baby he is directly here to kill! Of course she’s creeped out by the idea of someone hurting others on purpose, or by the idea of thinking about hurting someone on purpose, or making a tool that has no purpose being hurting someone — it’s diametrically opposed to how she sees the world and how she sees people.

(None of this is meant as Lily slander sjdhgds, I actually quite like her! Her being this sweet normie kid who has every opportunity to sit out the war in the shadow of one of the many people who love her or run away to muggle Australia with her parents’ support or take Voldemort’s offer to escape and still choses to fight and die for what is right is what makes her compelling as a heroine! Her naïvety and optimism leading her to befriend Severus and then making her fall way short as a friend because she doesn’t understand what’s happening to him and then leading her to defy Voldemort and set off the prophecy makes her quite a realistic character for what little screentime she has — the same traits are vices and virtues depending on the situation!)

I agree with you on many points and hold the same views! And what I’d be most interested in is hearing the opinion of someone who accuses Severus of his interest in the Dark Arts—and how exactly that person would justify their claims 🤌

Most often in the books, when Dark Magic is brought up, it’s accompanied by speeches about how harmful it is to your soul. So I think the most logical conclusion is that the key aspect of using Dark Magic is, in fact, the wizard’s Soul—their genuine feelings, emotions, and intentions (which is absolutely correct).

Lily’s emotions are also very understandable to me. Fear of Dark Magic coming from a Muggle-born teenage girl is only natural. (Unlike the majority of people in the fandom, who should really understand why Dark Arts need to be studied in the first place.) That’s what makes it all even funnier, honestly.

And, considering the wonderful education Hogwarts provides its students, I’m not surprised that even at fifteen, Lily still treats the Dark Arts like fire. They just make kids memorize textbooks instead of giving them the essence and explaining how it actually works on a fundamental level.

She straight-up tells Severus, “At least they didn’t use Dark Magic” (referring, of course, to the Marauders). But if you take her words at face value, then it becomes unclear—what is the difference between Light and Dark Magic, then? Is it just a choice between evil and a lesser evil? That sounds ridiculous, honestly.

Which is why all this whining about Severus being interested in the Dark Arts makes absolutely no sense to me, and I just fundamentally don’t get it.

And the only students from that time we actually saw using Dark Magic were the Marauders… It’s just that what they did didn’t come with the official “Dark Arts” label—so I guess that makes it totally fine and no one cares?

And maybe, just maybe, someone will finally explain to me what exactly is so wrong about being interested in the Dark Arts? And why the fandom loves to dump a pile of crap on Severus for it so much? 😭

[fafodill]

Frankly, the Dark Arts seem genuinely fascinating? Like creepy creatures and fucked up spells? Ever-changing magic that needs you to really think about how it works and how to counter it instead of just parroting spells?

I would have loved having Snape in DADA class. Or just hearing him babble about it for hours. It was his special interest, of course it would have been super interesting.

The British wizarding education system was just too uptight and close-minded.

[danadiadea]

"b-but Snape liked Dark Arts..." yes because he was really fucking smart and cool, next question

[anzioraa0]

I honestly don’t understand the complaints about being interested in the Dark Arts — like, at all. Can someone please explain to me what’s so terrifying about being curious about or studying Dark Magic? 🥲🤌

The definition of “Dark Magic” is incredibly vague to begin with. What do they even mean when they say something is Dark Magic? Is it something involving blood? The soul? Is there an actual definition? Or is Dark Magic just whatever causes people pain, fear, or other physical or emotional harm? Maybe it’s all just divided up according to what’s written in some textbook?

If we follow that logic — that Dark Magic is anything that causes harm — then what about the spell James used on Severus? It was just a simple cleaning spell, but he used it to humiliate and hurt him. Does the act become more acceptable just because the spell itself wasn’t technically Dark? They say Dark Magic damages the soul — but what if it’s used for a good cause? Is that even possible?

Take Avada Kedavra, for example — yes, it’s a Dark spell. But what if someone used it to give another person a quick, painless death — as an act of mercy? Is that still considered evil? And what about Imperius — what if it’s used to help someone overcome a crippling fear, like talking them down from a rooftop?

If Light Magic is used for harm, is that somehow better than using Dark Magic for good? From a moral standpoint, is there even a real difference? Is the difference only magical in nature?

Is being interested in the Dark Arts the same as being into dismemberment? Murder? Torture? Does it mean you’re some kind of sadist? Does that mean it’s completely unacceptable to even study or be curious about it? But if you don’t understand Dark Magic, how can you become a true master of Defense Against the Dark Arts? Is that even possible? Does someone who knows everything about Dark Magic automatically count as a villain or a Dark wizard?

Most of the criticism aimed at Severus is about him falling in with the wrong crowd and planning to become a Death Eater. But Lily specifically blames him for being interested in Dark Magic — and not even for actually using it. Is that how Rowling intended the narrative to work — that studying Dark Magic is already a sin? Or is it just Lily’s childish bias, not fully understanding what they’re dealing with or the potential dangers and benefits of that kind of knowledge?

God, I love Rowling and her incredibly well-developed lore — truly, I’m speechless. 👁️👄👁️🙏

[severus-snaps]

Snape + physical stress responses / stims

A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape’s thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry’s throat.

Snape eyed Harry, tracing his mouth with one long, thin finger as he did so. ... Snape stared at Harry for a few moments, still tracing his mouth with his finger. When he spoke again, it was slowly and deliberately, as though he weighed every word.

The office dissolved but re-formed instantly. Snape was pacing up and down in front of Dumbledore.

The adult Snape was panting, turning on the spot, his wand gripped tightly in his hand, waiting for something or for someone. … Snape was wringing his hands

Snape paces when he is stressed

Snape touches his mouth when considering what to say

Snape is prone to muscle twitches when (more) stressed (than usual)

Snape wrings his hands and flexes his fingers

Headcanons (autistic snape time):

Snape would naturally stim more obviously, but between his father and being unpopular in school, he had to keep things subtle and/or internal. When he's alone he shakes/flaps his hands, or rocks. He likes to lean back to feel his hair on his back, and finds it soothing. In public he just flexes the fingers, though he'll also stretch/fold his toes if he thinks nobody can see, or rubs his fingers together inside his robe pockets

"Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile." wrong, harry - he's biting the insides of his cheeks and/or tucking his inside lips/rubbing his gums with his lips because it's soothing and wtf is happening rn, mrs norris is maybe dead

random long and complicated words (usually to do with potions/ingredients) are a favourite internal stim. he'll repeat whatever word is stuck in his head so often he gets sick of it, but he can't stop. the syllables sometimes match whatever he's doing, like an internal beat matching his actions, but if he falls into this rhythm whatever he's doing has to stay matched with the 'beat' of the syllables or it feels wrong. once he got a spell stuck in his head but he had to stop letting himself repeat spells internally once he became competent in nonverbal magic, because he accidentally cast it once without actually meaning to

[danadiadea]

Also this one that he does as a kid, also when he's stressed because they talk about his parents:

"Oh, yes, they’re arguing,’ said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. ‘But it won’t be that long and I’ll be gone."

And then when he's shy and doesn't know how to word his emotions properly:

"You’re not going to end up in Azkaban, you’re too –" He turned red again and shredded more leaves.

[severus-snaps]

double whammy here because of @fafodill's tags:

and an especially excellent addition about the leaves, above. i can't believe i forgot the leaf shredding!

i had to look into pressure stims and what i found (courtesy of reddit) is that i also do that, i just didn't realise :P and so i present some further thoughts which are really just me projecting:

alone

snape sitting on his legs when reading/studying

piling things on top of himself to sleep like pillows, blankets (unless he invests in a weighted blanket, which i can't really see since it would involve a level of combined awareness and self-care i simply do not believe he would have). essentially sleeps half-buried in a nest

sleeping face down and laying on his arms at night

rocking when he needs to feel soothed/is a bit more relaxed, because for me at least that's me just Vibing

hand flapping when he's overwhelmed and needs to let out energy, usually accompanies pacing, EXCLUSIVELY when alone, however, because pacing and/or hand clenching/wringing is more socially acceptable than hand flapping

in public

heavy clothing - i expect some well-made robes might be quite heavy overall, giving him a sense of pressure and weight, and security

squeezing his hands/fingers tightly to the point of crushing them (wringing his hands, same as point above)

if we lean into alan rickman's costume ideas and JKR's sketches and this meta, tight clothes, or tightly wrapping his cloak/arms around himself, like a bat

as for the leaf shredding, i wonder whether the shredding action might have 'turned inward' as well as he grew up:

[cw for skin picking and associated issues, painful stims?]

i like to hc that snape as an adult has some kind of dermatillomania/skin picking habit for when he's in private. nowhere too obvious, because again, having bloodied or otherwise torn up fingers or no fingernails often gets commented on and disparaged, and harry has mentioned snape's long yellow fingers (but made no mention of them being especially tatty). ofc, as an adult, snape in private may still tear at/fidget with things, but that's widely not considered to be very ~seemly~, so he wouldn't be able to do it as an adult in the workplace/in company such as the malfoys or voldemort for fear of looking weak/nervous/unprofessional/dirty/distracted

i have mentioned elsewhere as well but whilst i'm here, that for me personally as a scalp picker, i used to put playground sand in my hair for something to play with during lessons, so i can see baby snape hiding in the bushes doing that sort of thing. and maybe snape did pick his fingers as a teen - i can see teen snape accidentally smudging his essays with blood just because he's torn his fingers to shreds with stress and they never really get a chance to heal. his nails and cuticle areas are permanently slightly misshapen and calloused as an adult, but he doesn't allow himself to do it any more

i still regularly search my scalp as an adult with the goal of picking, and people have asked me (as a joke, i think, but highkey intended to make me stop) whether or not i have fleas - and for snape, i think, those sorts of comments would give him a terrible complex given how and where he was raised, especially if they came from the wealthy purebloods in his house, or even from james potter/sirius (aka the wealthy purebloods from gryffindor). thinking now about Lucius' comments about Arthur Weasley: "flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool". older teen/young adult snape especially would absolutely NOT want to be considered poor, muggle, or flea-bitten

but under his clothes and hair, adult snape's got a really frequent habit of skin picking, his arms and scalp covered in blemishes and little crescent scars, and he CANNOT leave a scab untouched. he didn't really touch his legs until the fluffy incident, but it was game over from that point too

i also wonder if some of this leans into pain stims: skin picking, biting the inside of his mouth, pulling his hair, clenching the teeth, pinching/hitting/scratching himself. some things he could do more subtly than others (pinching himself inside his robes, teeth clenching, biting his mouth) but others would be for in private only, and only in places on his body where people couldn't see any resulting injuries or bruises - helped, of course, by his long robes, long hair, and long sleeves covering almost everything up but for his hands and face

bonus, and a late addition to the #greasecourse: snape's hair is always greasy because he's always got his hands in there, in private, between lessons or in his office, looking for something to scratch and pick, and also he plays a lot with his hair

[danadiadea]

Severus always keeping his hair long and loose would make a lot of sense if he plays with it as a stim. though I also like to imagine that it might help with light/movement sensitivity sometimes (because I use my long hair like that) and give him a sence of privacy too, like he canonically uses it to half cover his face. it also would remind him of Eileen i bet. but yeah, Severus being a hair stimmer is a vibe.

also smoking is a stim for some people, and nothing can convince me that his teeth and finger(s) aren't nicotine stained and that his lungs aren't the colour of his robes. not only is slowly poisoning oneself to not collapse from stress extra Snape coded, but I'm pretty sure he picked up the habit before he even was 11 with the place he grew up at. and we already know Severus finds a touch to his lips concentration providing (which is way too cute to think about. this man is a treasure).

I think Severus might visual stim too? "the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes" anyone? the weird slimy things in jars collection?

also for auditory stims I've just had an idea – we all consider Muffliato is for being able to have descreet conversations which is cool and everything, I also saw a headcanon (from @fafodill i think) that Severus is very loud and whimpery so he made it to be able to masturbate in the dorm room, which is amazing, but also – what if he liked to say things/hum/tap out loud and was ashamed of or teased for it, so he invented a spell that would let him to auditory stim unheard as a teen?...

[anzioraa0]

Severus x Avatar

Today I’m digging through old sketches :D

[anzioraa0]

A Harry Potter Series. A Black Severus Snape – and How Human Hypocrisy Saddens Me

I just need to say a few words about this, because some people can be especially annoying.

(I don’t speak English, so if the text sounds awkward, I apologize in advance. 🤲)

Usually, when people talk about racism in the Harry Potter universe, they say there *isn’t* any. That’s how it’s always been — as long as we’ve been in the fandom, the topic just never comes up. Not in everyday conversation, not in the books. And it’s never been a problem. No one minds a Black Harry or Hermione. That’s totally fine.

But now — *now* — when a character who’s been harassed, insulted, humiliated, and discredited throughout the *entire damn saga* for the way he looks is suddenly reimagined as Black, suddenly everyone’s like, “uhhh…” And that “uhhh” really gets to me.

So — classism? Lookism? That's all fine, right? No one cares? But *racism*? Oh no. That’s an issue! “It completely changes the dynamics of the story!”

...But why would it? If there’s no racism in the wizarding world — which, as I recall, even Rowling has said — then what changes?

Assuming nothing changes about Severus except his appearance, that means his personality, his backstory, and how others treat him would all stay the same. So what’s the problem? Why is it so hard to believe that someone who acts like a bitter, adolescent jerk might not be loved by everyone? Why shouldn’t he be disliked, regardless of his race?

Does race grant someone a pass for behaving a certain way? No. It doesn’t.

And if we all supposedly don’t care about appearances, and the issue is with “the story’s dynamics” — what exactly is supposed to change?

He’d still be unbearable. He’d still be obsessed with the same things. He’d still hate everyone, just as before.

Harry hates *him*, Severus, because he’s a kid and this adult treats him like garbage.

“But Harry blames him for everything!”

Okay — and when Severus is white, that’s just... normal? But if he’s Black, suddenly it’s problematic?

I don’t get it. Again — *if* there’s no racism in the wizarding world, like Rowling said, then the dynamics of the relationships stay exactly the same.

So what, really, is the issue?

The thing is, this kind of setup makes almost everyone uncomfortable.

As the saying goes: if you want to see the solution to a problem, look at it from a different angle. And as it turns out, it works the other way around too.

A lot of what Severus represents — his story, his personality — often gets downplayed or viewed through a biased lens, usually through Harry’s or the Marauders’ perspective. Issues like bullying, the prejudice he faced because of his interests or appearance — those things became so normalized that people stopped seeing them as real problems.

And now, suddenly, those who used to enjoy mocking him are being forcefully dunked into cold reality. They’re being asked to accept a new version of the story — one that makes them uncomfortable. Suddenly, everything that happened to Severus becomes a nightmare, an embarrassment for those who used to justify how he was treated.

What changed? Why is this behavior now considered “unacceptable”?

Oh. He’s Black now.

Not because of some big story twist. Just his appearance.

And suddenly — bam — racism, a real and very loud issue in our world, completely recolors the narrative.

Now the loudest voices — the ones who used to shout things like:

“He deserved it for calling others ‘Mudbloods’!”

“He deserved the bullying because he wanted to be a Death Eater!”

“It was mutual hatred, not bullying!”

— have all suddenly fallen silent.

And instead, we get the same whining in both the Russian and English fandoms:

“This changes the dynamics of the story! The Marauders, Harry, Ron, Dumbledore — everyone! They all suddenly look racist! Harry constantly blames him and suspects him — this is a disaster!”

Different words, same excuses.

But has anything about Severus’s actions changed?

What’s different between white Severus and Black Severus?

Nothing — except now we, the audience, more used to seeing racism in the real world, notice the injustice. It becomes clearer. Easier to see.

And sadly, only under these circumstances do some people finally start to pay attention to the issue. It’s unfortunate, but what can you do?

Even a large portion of Snape’s own fanbase dislikes this casting choice. And — oh, the irony — I sometimes hear the same nonsense from them about how it “changes the dynamics” and all that.

But in 99 out of 100 cases, it’s just sadness. Sadness that they didn’t get to see the familiar image of their favorite character.

Massive respect to those who just come out and say, “I just wanted my greasy-haired bastard back” — without piling on all the nonsense about a rewritten plot, changed relationships, racial discrimination, and so on. Because that simply doesn’t reflect reality.

One more important point…

It really doesn’t reflect reality. For the simple reason that the show hasn’t even come out yet. We don’t know the rest of the cast.

What if Harry is cast as Black? Or Lily? Or James? Lupin? Peter?

What are those people — the ones currently screaming louder than a fire alarm about “wrong casting” — going to say then?

“Oh… well in that case, sure, it’s totally fine for them to insult and humiliate Snape like before. Because, uhh… he wanted to be a Death Eater! And he was mean to kids!”

I can already picture it.

We don’t know what the casting will be like, how the story will shift, whether the project will be well-made or an absolute disaster, whether it’ll succeed or flop completely — we just don’t know. So judging it all based on one actor is simply impossible.

But, like I said — this series is being made for a new audience. And whether we like it or not, it will bring something new to the saga. Whether that’s a good thing… we’ll see.

Those who want the canon, or Alan Rickman, know exactly where to go. And I’m one of those people. I was genuinely disappointed that Snape wouldn’t look canon — because I adore the books, and after being let down by the movies, I was hoping for someone who looked and felt more like book Severus — in appearance, in character, the full picture.

But this series isn’t being made for me. It’s looking for something different, and I’ll be happy if the directors really try and end up creating something genuinely good. Even if it’s not a copy of the books — the books already exist.

Rowling, despite all my personal negative feelings toward her, is involved in the production. And while that’s not a plus for me, for those who are especially worried about “violating canon,” maybe her involvement brings some peace of mind.

Considering the state of modern cinema… well.

We’ll see how it all turns out.

[anzioraa0]

Tired teachers are resting ✨

[anzioraa0]

I definitely have a type 🤌

[anzioraa0]

I’m still not ashamed :3

I’m going to keep doing it!

[ollywander]

Perhaps not so belovèd.

[ollywander]

@dufferpuffer heheheh

[ruinofchimera]

Regulus Black.

The boy who cracked Voldemort’s secret, turned against the Dark Lord, and gave his life to strike a decisive blow for the greater good. Sounds impressive, right?

But don’t let the fanon fever dream—or the Chalamet cheekbones—fool you.

1. The Fanboy Who Bought His Own Propaganda

How did Regulus get into this mess in the first place? He wasn’t dragged kicking and screaming into Voldemort’s inner circle. He wanted it. This was the boy who looked at Voldemort’s genocidal cult and thought, “Yes, this is my moment.” Voldemort wasn’t just a leader to Regulus—he was an idol, a pure-blood messiah, promising everything Regulus had been raised to worship.

His parents weren’t even Death Eaters themselves. Walburga and Orion preferred to clink their glasses from the sidelines, content to watch the chaos from their pure-blood balcony seats.

But Regulus? He wanted center stage. For him, the Death Eaters weren’t a prison—they were a playground. He signed up for the dark glamour, the exclusivity, and the chance to be on the frontlines of Voldemort’s “vision.” Regulus wasn’t coerced or manipulated—he was all in, fully convinced he was playing for the winning team.

Until, of course, Voldemort stopped being the star of Regulus’s dark power fantasy. And when reality set in, Regulus had a change of heart. But did he admit, “I was wrong”? Did he stand up and fight for the people he’d helped oppress? No. He folded.

2. The Master Plan That Wasn’t

Regulus was practically spoon-fed the truth about the Horcruxes. Voldemort’s most guarded secret was gift-wrapped and dumped at his feet, courtesy of a tortured house-elf.

And this wasn’t just any secret. This was the kind of revelation that could’ve turned the entire war around. But instead of responding with precision, foresight, or even basic competence, Regulus managed to botch it at every possible step.

Step 1: He stole the locket.

Stealing the locket sounds like a bold move, right? On paper, it’s the kind of Gryffindor-level defiance fandom loves to romanticize. But in reality, it was a tactical nightmare.

Regulus didn’t just take the locket from a location Voldemort’s obnoxious ego would’ve eventually exposed. No, he took it and hid it in Grimmauld Place.

Instead of leaving it in the cave, where someone might’ve uncovered it, Regulus thought, “You know what? Let me stash this in my creepy ancestral house, where only my guilt-ridden, traumatized house-elf knows it exists.” Revolutionary thinking, truly. Because when dismantling a Dark Lord’s immortality, the best plan is obviously to make the Horcrux even more inaccessible, right?

The only reason the locket ever surfaced was because Harry inherited Grimmauld Place. If not for that stroke of luck, the locket would’ve sat there, untouched and invincible, for decades. Maybe centuries.

Or worse—as we saw happen in canon—it could’ve been stolen, passed from hand to hand like a cursed trinket, and lost forever. Voldemort would’ve cackled his way to world domination while the wizarding community fought a battle they couldn’t ever win.

Step 2: He didn’t destroy it.

Destroying a Horcrux isn’t easy—I’ll give Regulus that. But did he even try? Or did he just hand the locket to Kreacher with the world’s vaguest instructions, essentially saying, “Figure it out, sweetie,” before marching off to die dramatically?

Kreacher, bless his loyal, trauma-ridden heart, spent decades torturing himself trying to destroy an indestructible object with no tools, no guidance, and no real chance of success. He tried everything he could think of, punishing himself endlessly for failing a task that was never within his power to complete.

Regulus doomed him. Instead of empowering Kreacher to carry out his wishes, Regulus turned his act of “redemption” into a lifelong burden for someone who had no choice but to carry it.

Step 3: He told no one.

Now here’s where Regulus truly shines in sabotage disguised as sacrifice. Whether it was arrogance, misplaced pride, or a refusal to meaningfully contribute to Voldemort’s downfall, he ensured that the secret he uncovered—the one that could have turned the war on its head—was buried right alongside him.

Perhaps the poor boy couldn’t stomach the idea of contacting Dumbledore or joining the resistance. Maybe the thought of lowering himself to grovel before the Order, confessing his sins, and actually helping was too much for his delicate pure-blood ego.

But what, then, compelled him to entomb such precious knowledge alongside his corpse? Would it have killed him—again—to ensure Kreacher delivered the locket and its significance to someone who could actually do something about it?

Instead, Regulus left behind nothing but a moody breakup note to Voldemort that helped absolutely no one.

“I hope you will be mortal once more.” Oh yes, that glorified Dear John letter. Maybe he thought his scathing parting words would haunt Voldemort forever. Perhaps Tom was meant to reread it late at night, questioning his life choices.

3. What Could Have Been

Regulus had options. So many options. The fact that he chose the least effective course of action is almost impressive in its sheer incompetence.

He could’ve swallowed his pride and gone to Dumbledore. Say what you will about the man, but Dumbledore was Voldemort’s greatest fear for a reason. Armed with Regulus’s intel, Dumbledore could’ve started breaking apart the Horcrux network years earlier, crippling Voldemort before Harry was even born.

He could’ve warned the Order. Regulus could’ve shared this revelation with his brother. He could’ve even scrawled a quick, anonymous note: “Voldemort made Horcruxes. Here’s one.” That alone could’ve shifted the entire war.

He could’ve destroyed the locket himself. With access to cursed objects, forbidden magic, and centuries of pure-blood knowledge, Regulus had the resources to figure it out.

If Regulus had simply done nothing—if he had left the Horcrux untouched in Voldemort’s lair, waiting for someone more competent to find it—it still would’ve been a better choice than what he did. At least then, it wouldn’t have been stashed in a location even less traceable than Voldemort’s own cursed lake.

4. The Fallout of Failure

Regulus didn’t just fail—he left behind a colossal mess for others to clean up.

Kreacher suffered for decades. The loyal house-elf blamed himself for a failure that was never his fault. Regulus didn’t just abandon the locket—he abandoned Kreacher to a lifetime of guilt and self-inflicted punishment.

The Order fought blind. Deprived of any knowledge about Voldemort’s Horcruxes, the Order spent years floundering in the dark, waging desperate battles against Death Eaters while the true key to victory—Voldemort’s immortality—remained untouched.

The Trio cleaned up his mess. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent months hunting down a Horcrux that could’ve been destroyed decades earlier. Their entire mission to find and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes was prolonged and made infinitely harder.

5. Fandom’s Saint of Aesthetic Suffering

In the end, Regulus was just a boy who stumbled onto a world-shattering discovery, fumbled it completely, and left behind a legacy so utterly useless that it took sheer dumb luck to untangle long after his dramatic exit. Regulus’s actions didn’t just delay Voldemort’s defeat—they actively sabotaged the resistance.

But none of this matters. Fandom doesn’t love Regulus for his actions—it loves him for his aesthetic.

A brooding boy with tragic eyes, a flair for melodrama, and three vague lines of backstory ripe for fans to twist into epic sagas of angst and redemption—and to demand the rest of us bow down in worship of their self-styled martyr.

[danadiadea]

YES

I like Regulus – I like pathetic boys who have no idea what they are doing, but... he just made things worse for everyone. His efficiency was a number with a negative value.

And people have the audacity call him "a real Slytherin hero" in a dyhotomy to Snape. They literally are incomparable! Regulus wasn't a horrible person from what little info we have on him, he was a just dumb teenager – but there is no implications he had ever changed his views on muggleborns and muggles; and fanon Regulus stans wish he was at least 1/10 as cool and useful as Snape was in fighting Voldemort.

[anzioraa0]

Sketch ✍️

Sorry, I like this too much.