A brief glimpse into how I revised this piece.(｡◝‿◜｡)
I'll share a few of my thoughts, since I haven't been here in a while.
I actually drew this piece under the intense inspiration of rewatching Mulan. It's basically my absolute favorite Disney story; I've watched it more times than I can count.☆･゜ﾟ･(^O^)/･゜ﾟ･☆
And so, rewatching this masterpiece, I developed a fascination with Shan Yu. I can't say I never had a crush on him before, but now it's such a strong feeling that it ultimately resulted in this piece.
I adored Li Shang as a child, and I still have that affection now, but the "WOW!" effect only really kicks in when this antagonist appears on screen. Damn! Even his bald head doesn't turn me off! And overall, he's a very good antagonist, not a caricature, no silly ditty about his plans, just a killing machine charging forward with his army. He evokes terror and at the same time fascination, without any charismatic catchphrases. In all the little moments he appears, you understand how cruel, unprincipled, and cold-blooded he is, which makes him more realistic. And it would probably be even better if the villain once again sang about his boring motivations.
All in all, yes, hehe, another fixation, for how long? I don't know. I don't have time to draw for myself right now, but maybe I'll end up doing something else with him, I won't speculate.
Fan art of Shan Yu from the Disney animated film "Mulan."
I wanted to convey a sense of speed, cold, and danger - a moment descending a snowy mountain, with a strong sense of movement and atmosphere.
The focus is on composition, lighting, and dynamic brushwork.
I have some kind of fixation on monsters now. I always loved horror stories, but I never drew them. I decided to fix this by creating a monster for myself and my character. Maybe I'll tell their story later. Because it was precisely because of the story in my head that I wanted to do something like this. For now, these are just my first attempts at drawing something like this.
I don't think I've ever explained why I love the Ron and Draco pairing.
Since I joined the fandom, I've never been into Drarry or Dramione. The more popular a ship is, the less I like it — with exceptions, of course. But I don't ship Ronako just because there’s nothing else. I genuinely see potential.
Everyone has their own reasons for loving a ship. Sometimes it’s one glance or a moment. For me, it's a whole narrative.
Ron and Draco are full of contradictions, yet oddly similar. Brave vs. cowardly, poor vs. rich, loud family vs. lonely aristocrat. And they know each other’s families. It’s not just personal — it’s ideological. Blood status, values, upbringing.
And visually — sun and moon. My aesthetic side just melts.
Ron lashes out with fists. Draco insults with words, too well-mannered to get physical. Yet both are deeply insecure.
Draco hides it behind arrogance. Loved but emotionally stunted, he thinks friendship is transactional — like his father taught him. He has no real friends.
Ron feels invisible - surrounded by his dazzling brothers, his beloved sister, and the Chosen One himself. Even when he shines, he’s quickly belittled. Remember when he became a prefect? His joy was crushed immediately.
Fred and George mock him. Meanwhile, Draco keeps a composed front until pressured — then he crumbles. "I'll tell my father!" — the ultimate cry of helplessness. He hides behind family because he doesn’t know how to stand on his own. He’s trapped in a cocoon of privilege.
These two need therapy — and each other. Their confrontations are emotional explosions, and I love it.
Yes, I know Drarry is more “canon-adjacent.” Half-Blood Prince reads like Drarry fanfic. But it’s also full of Snarry hints (my guilty pleasure).
And let’s not forget: Draco once wrote a poem about Ron. Yes, insulting — but still, who writes poetry for their enemies?
Draco constantly taunts Ron’s poverty, his “blood traitor” status, as if it personally offends him. "I would’ve overlooked your poverty… if not for the mudbloods." That's roughly how I feel about Draco's relationship with Ron.
Okay, now to the fantasy bit.
In my headcanon, they realize their feelings mid-fight. That overwhelming, confusing tension — fists almost fly, but instead, a kiss. Chaos. Denial. Hidden corners. Growth.
It wouldn’t be easy. But if they survived the war, the trauma — I think they could’ve built something powerful. Passionate. Real.
I prefer staying true to the original personalities. I hate when Ron is dumbed down into a joke to make Draco shine — happens in both Drarry and Dramione. But Draco’s no hero either. He’s a coward. Flawed. Human.
People call him an alpha — but he’s never been one. That role fits Ron better. Brave, rough, insecure, smart — not perfect, but real.
Both are intelligent but stuck in circumstances that hold them back. And that’s what draws me to them.
How am I just now realizing this HOLY SHIT… what if Severus’ patronus is a doe not because of Lily but because of Harry 😭 theirs technically match the same way James and lily’s did !!! Severus x Harry or Severitus confirmed??? lol jokes aside tho it is definitely something I’d love to see touched on more with their dynamic! Especially because jk Rowling and Harry himself comment on it as a seemingly romantic thing to have matching/ and or complementary patroni.
people who don't experience hyperfixation don't know what it feels like to hyperfixate so much on something that it becomes not only your subject of obsession but also your source of happiness and literally the main reason why you still keep going; literal source of strength and life.
shoutout to my favorite fictional characters, favorite people, favorite ships, favorite movies, favorite tv shows, fanfics and archive of our own
Harry hated it when Snape called him "Potter." There was so much contempt and alienation in that word that it seemed to him as if Snape was deliberately protecting himself from him with that word, like a shield. Harry generally didn't like comparisons with his parents, and from Severus's lips, those comparisons sounded even more painful.
During his school years, he responded with anger to the attacks of the Potions professor, defended James's honor, not even suspecting what history this man carried with him.
Now he knew, and it only made his soul heavier.
Harry could no longer hear - "a copy of his father", "his mother's eyes". He was no longer a boy who tried to understand who he was in this world. And yet his mind returned to this painful topic over and over again, because he understood that, looking at him, Snape saw in him the shadows of the past, and not himself.
Lily's eyes, James's appearance, a shadow of memories… Harry unconsciously tried to prove to Severus, to himself, to those around him that he was not just their son. He was a man who had been through the war, had seen many deaths, was ready to give his life to save his close friends, had survived and not broken. But in Snape's eyes, it seemed to cost nothing. His gaze, as always, was cold when turned to Harry, always contemptuous. As if those minutes in the screaming hut had never happened. As if everything had remained at the same level. But at the most unexpected moment - when Harry hands over one of the ingredients for the potion, and lingers his gaze on the sharp features of the man, he catches something. Barely distinguishable. The gaze of onyx eyes meets Harry's. This gaze… It seems to Harry that they look into each other's eyes forever, but it is only a couple of seconds. And in these couple of seconds, he saw what he dreamed of seeing for the last couple of years, to see affection in these eyes. Not contempt. Not indifference.
Snape saw Harry in him. The real one.
Always saw… That's what made him keep his distance. He says: "Potter", so as not to say in a voice full of affection and warmth "Harry". It's easier that way. It's cruel, but it's necessary. He can't show weakness. Because recognizing Harry means breaking the protection in his wall that he's been building for years. He does this not only out of memory for Lily, but also out of respect for the life of the one he's protected for many years… He has no place in the life of the chosen one.
I made myself a new avatar inspired by one photo. I can't say that I'm happy, I clearly screwed up the collar. It seems like I spent two hours on it, but it turned out… Well, something turned out. The main thing is that I was able to convey the face, the rest can be forgiven. It won't be visible from a distance anyway.
I don't like the dominant Snape in Snarry fanfics… This bat always wears robes that even cover his neck. He's clearly one of those who uses the word "sex" only as a term for reproduction.
Draw a full portrait? Pfft, no, that's not me.
But now I know in my head what Severus' teeth will look like. I consider it a good achievement to add to my collection. Hehe.
I was worried about "Severus Snape as he was" being replaced as soon as the reboot was announced. Not only is it happening, people, including so-called Snape fans, are happy about it and want you to be as well.
People have been telling me not to worry this whole time but the show hasn't even finalized the cast yet and already people are JUMPING at the chance to change canon, fanart, their headcannons, and more because of one actor.
As I thought, no one truly cared for the greasy, poor Half-Blood, his story or what it had to say.
But he's "just fictional", right?
Mark my words, they'll retwist his character into something unrecognizable from the original. As of last week, they've created a new character. This reboot is supposed to last 10 something years. Original Snape fans, when you get shit for liking anything resembling pre-2025 Snape, don't say I didn't warn you.
Snape was perfect to me. I didn't see any reason to change his story or likeness, which yes, is very very VERY important to his character. Just because you could swap it out for other ""undesirable"" (the actor is a conventionally attractive man, just black) features, doesn't mean that that actually fits his current story. They will have to alter his motivation, mannerisms, and backstory for this. More. All for one actor.
They did not think this casting choice through by the way, if you think they care about Snape's character or representation at all. It's painfully obvious someone unfamiliar with the plot as a whole but also unfamiliar with Snape made this choice. They chose the actor and will twist the story to fit him. Not the other way around, where the story made sense in some parts, and then they made the decision to cast an actor of non-English or non-Irish decent. There are different ethnicities that could have fit this (personally, if I had to, I would have gone with someone of Rroma descent, not hard to find in England) regardless, it would have made sense that he would be visibly mixed race.
I pointed this out back in December but many parts of Snape's backstory being stolen taken and attributed to a black man, now living in England in the 60s/70s, makes the story take on a racist undertone. Many Snape fans could point out what his backstory originally intended to highlight in terms of discrimination, especially in terms of classism. But HBO took a look at a young, poor, abused child who fell into the wrong crowd, joined a cult (or gang, if you will), who then reformed but ultimately had students and peers alike distrust him because of his looks and past... and thought "Yep, let's cast a black man in this."
Right.
Not to mention one of the books is called "Half-Blood Prince"? Where is the half? If he isn't mixed at all, are we going to hear about the pureblood Prince family of African descent living in England for hundreds of years? Slavery? His pureblood classmates immediately target him despite knowing his family's history. Hello?
Let's be honest, we all know this was a poorly thought out attempt at getting more people interested in the show by using diversity and controversy. What about Hermione? If she's not cast with a black actor either, honestly this just doubly confirms my point about Snape. Not to mention, the potential for casting colorism if she ends up being light-skinned and mixed but the Half-Blood Prince is not. Hell, Harry and James should be South Asian just going off what's popular.
This is just as bad as J.K. Rowling's Twitter stints where she'd just make up stuff on the spot because she could. In fact, it's exactly like that. They're throwing BIPOC fans, not bones, but scraps desperately hoping a couple thousand more people will flock to the show BECAUSE of the political controversy it will create.
As for long, die-hard Snape fans, they could care less. Even though he is pointedly one of the characters in the history of ever with the biggest, most rabid fanbases-- to the point where we have a famous religion and/or cult. I've been asked if I was a Snape Wife. The girl reading this, I'm sure you have, too.
This will change how you're allowed to interact with Snape in the fandom. Even if the reboot gets canceled early or if it's largely ignored by fans, some people won't allow you to acknowledge the original Snape. Because "his appearance doesn't matter", you'll have to recognize him as Paapa. His "status doesn't matter", so you'll have to recognize him as Paapa. "Snape doesn't matter."
Snape, in all honesty, in terms of characterization is one of the most thought out characters in Young Adult fiction I've ever read. There is not one word on a page that isn't meaningful in some way. It's not wrong or bad to acknowledge that. It's also not wrong or bad to like his old appearance.
Snape fans, please know that we don't have to take this lying down. Speak out about it on social media, contact HBO, or sign a petition. Anything. But, please, don't stay silent.
Ah, yes. Snape the person who got lost his best (white, childhood, a girl) friend by saying "mudblood" while being sexually assaulted, joined a "Nazi wizard cult", and later on shows personal growth by telling the portrait of Phineas to not say "mudblood" and dying for someone else's son. Will Petunia get hate for immediately distrusting him? Will James and Sirius? Doesn't matter because they (Marauder's Era) were RIGHT to immidiately distrust the *checks notes* only black man in their private school in the middle of bumfuck England. Snape supposedly didn't wash his hair, had bad teeth and an ugly nose, and was hated in school because he involved himself with dangerous dark magic. One of those being a "shanking spell" (my joke here) he created. Hell, he's constantly emasculated by the characters and story. Not to mention, Snape's parents, an abusive alcoholic and a (also ugly) neglectful witch, will now be portrayed by black people. Yay! Diversity win! It's not like those were issues among families and young men that were being highlighted in English society, either. Clearly all inherently black traits. Yep. I'm glad this is what our community is seen as.
Whether you want to argue that being ethnically English is important to Snape's character or not-- I'm sure they thought this change through very well. Just trust me bro, his original story doesn't matter, accept this.
I was thinking of writing a detailed post on why Severus Snape shouldn't be dark-skinned, and your post perfectly conveys my feelings that I have practically nothing to add.
This one factor changes his entire story. And it irritates me how some fans (NOT ALL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS) easily put up with this and accept such changes, as if they immediately forgot the whole essence of this character. They try to find an excuse for this, any passages from the text where there will be a tiny hint that Snape in the "theory" can be dark-skinned. They are not angry at the scriptwriters and directors who just want to ruin Snape's story, but accept it as a given.
It is hypocritical to say that "appearance is not the main thing in this character, but his story is the main thing." Hell, his story is based on his appearance, this is a key factor in his personality. Only now his story will be turned into fan fiction to please the new image. This will not intersect with the original in any way. As a creative person, I understand all these things with headcanons based on existing characters. But we are talking about a series that must follow the BOOK canon, as assured by the creators themselves. And in the end, we get a liquid fart in the face, where the scriptwriters did not even read the original source until recently.
And you correctly noted the fear that the new image of Snape will strengthen, and we, as old fans, will be belittled for the fact that we will portray him in a canonical form. I can already see people who are ready to call those who disagree a racist for choosing Esiedu for this role. And the series has not even started yet, what will happen when it comes out? All fans of the old Snape will become racists.
All those tons of art, fan fiction, merch, everything will simply be devalued and replaced by a new one. This is not The Little Mermaid, which has only one film and which peacefully coexists with the old cartoon and equally shares merch and fan art. Harry Potter is a huge franchise, the series of which will be filmed for more than one year, if it does not die in the bud, of course. The new series will dictate new images that will live in the media for more than one year. And fans should understand this now. If they love Severus Snape, then they need to defend his canonical image, and not accept what is imposed. Regarding Paapa Esiedu, he is also not an innocent lamb and there is no need to romanticize him as an unfortunate person. He knew where he was going, and defending him is stupid. He does not give a damn about history, the main thing is to earn fame (dubious fame) and money. Yes, this is his job, but he knew what kind of role it was and that none of Snape's fans would pat him on the head. Even if the casting was blind, where he did not know his future role, he could have refused it after they were going to approve him for it. He did not do this, because money is money, and no one was going to think about whether the fans liked this arrangement from the beginning, neither Paapa nor the one who conducted the casting.
HBO clearly sees that the fans are unhappy. If this were not so, they would not close the comments under their posts. There would not be such a noise. After all, there are many dissatisfied. I went to Instagram and Twitter, almost every post with unclosed comments is filled with demands to replace the actor. YouTube is also full of videos about this. TikTok is filled with videos ridiculing this absurdity.
If they have already allowed this in the casting for one of the important roles, then it is unknown what else they will change. I will hope that we as fans will reach out to them, although this hope is minimal. Because if they leave everything as is now, don't expect a canonical adaptation. For them, canon doesn't exist, only the thirst for profit exists.
