Harry Potter Hogwarts Legacy Appreciation Week Day 6: The Boys.
Part 6 of @endlessly-cursed‘s event.
Of course I’ve got my own boys, Reuben and Cled but here’s my love for the other lads of HPHL
Galen Stagg (@cursebreakerfarrier) - An unconventional Gryffindor though no less brave, I love his soft side and I’ve always been a fan of characters with animal-related powers.
Henry Lovecraft (@lifeofkaze) - As a guy who loves stories and to an extent enjoys Lovecraftian/ Gothic horror, I loved the idea of Henry being a storyteller and someone who weaves stories together. Plus his bromance with Cledwyn is one of my favourite friendships in HPHL.
Bradford Pendleton (@kc-and-co) - I love this guy’s determination to break away from his family’s rigid expectations of him and falling in love with the sarcastic queen that is Carolyn Nyberg.
Jim Hexley (@the-al-chemist) - Another sweet boy and I love his exasperation in response to Ethel’s antics.
Danny Gibson (@catohphm) - One of Reuben’s best mates and quidditch team members. I love this guy going through so much in his life yet still choosing to be a decent bloke, he’s awesome!
HPHL Appreciation Week Day 4: Favourite Ships that aren’t Mine
Part 4 of @endlessly-cursed‘s event
Ethel Hexley (@the-al-chemist) and Lysander Mercury (@slytherindisaster)
A rivals to lovers ship where the two of them bicker but there’s actual chemistry between them? Hell to the yes.
Siobhan Llwelyn (@kc-and-co) and Galen Stagg (@cursebreakerfarrier)
These two are one of the most adorable ships out there, the fluff (and occasional bit of angst) from these two is so good!
Carolyn Nybery (@lifeofkaze) and Bradford Pendleton (@kc-and-co)
Can I just say that the idea of these two being in an arranged marriage, despising it only to eventually fall for each other was an absolute stroke of genius on behalf of their fabulous creators.
Fire raged through the streets of New York City, casting an angry haze low in the air and trapping the roar of terror below. Gunpowder ignited like canon fire from building to building in all directions. Thick black smoke billowed into the atmosphere and through Bradford Pendleton's lungs. He was thankful for it; the plumes rising from the tar-pitched rooftops were his only assurance that he, too, faced skyward.
Above the crackle of the flame, he could hear a young man's cries for help. Bradford wondered if anyone else was nearby or could hear the boy but found he could not respond through the ash on his tongue. Then, in the distance, he heard a great groaning drown out the terrified cries. Finally, timbers gave way, bringing the burning building to rubble and snuffing out the screams from inside.
His heart skipped a beat at the sound, in fear the anguish of a life unlived would be the last to reach his ears. The following heartbeat came as a surprise to the young soldier, and those that followed grew dearer to him as he struggled for each breath. Shielding his nose with the coat he wore, he inhaled as deeply as his shattered ribs would allow and let out a bellow to anyone nearby who could save him.
Glass shattered overhead and rained upon him as two men in matching jackets rushed to his side and lifted him from the ash. "Officer? What shall we do with him? Looks like a deserter to me, so far uptown without a commanding officer," the soldier pressed his bayonet to Bradford's neck. "How shall we deal with him?"
Bradford knew he had given his last breath to call his assailants to him. He had no ammunition or strength but clung to his final defense. When all else seemed lost, the dying young man had one skill above all others that he could use to save his own life. He could lie, first, to himself. As he lay with the flames licking the souls of his tired boots, Bradford denied his tired soul would soon depart. Death would not come to him as unexpectedly and uninvited as his life had. He struggled to speak with the hot blade against his skin but did not plead for his life.
"Thaddeus, stand down. I shan't tell you again. This man is too gravely injured for your taunting. It would be kind to end him," he looked down at the burned and bloodied soldier, a sneer forming across his ashen face. "So, I ask you, sir. Any last words? Regrets? Messages to relay to dear old mummy?"
His accomplishments were few, mistakes many, and regrets endless as his life played through him like a memory. Yet, with each weakening heartbeat, he stopped mourning his past and cried for what might have been. Hand pressed to the name on his coat, he whispered among the chaos. "I wish I'd had a legacy of more than mistakes, violence, and lies. I wish I'd had a son."
Pressing his boot to Bradford's throat, the soldier addressed as Thaddeus replied. "I've been told to stand down. While I would enjoy doing so on your neck, my commander says that would be kind. I do not pride myself on mercy. I shall leave you to your regrets. The fire will end you soon enough." The phlegm he spat into Bradford's face before turning to follow the man in charge came as a cool relief from the heated air.
Shots rang into the air as the two soldiers abandoned him to chase a farmhand through the burning streets, intent on punishing him for the fire. Someone had to answer for the catastrophe, and in life, as in war, it wouldn't be the men who had ignited the spark.
Amid the chaos, Bradford found himself lying on the ashen street as people frantically passed buckets of water to save their businesses, homes, and lives. Unsure if the sounds faded because the mayhem waned or his consciousness did, Bradford welcomed the peace that came with the deafening silence. Never again to be haunted by his regrets.
Tadhg: “Siobhan is an interesting woman. The dragons alone could me a damn heart attack. But she’s Irish and is actually able to pronounce my name without any trouble. I guess it cancels each other out. She’s nice, too, so there’s that too.”
Cillian: “Bradford’s a decent enough roommate. He’s not too bad, knows when to leave me alone. Talented, too I suppose, in the arts. Never had much interest in that kind of thing. He’s not completely terrible the way that some others are.”
Jack: “Sage is… Sage is wonderful. Aside from the whole ‘Wait, Benedict has an identical twin’ thing. Maybe even with that. She’s just incredible and I cannot believe that she puts up with all of my shit. She’s really just remarkable.”
Benedict: “Sage is a great friend. Suppose she’ll eventually become my sister-in-law. I could do worse.”
