#leakycon 2022

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This is happening! LeakyCon 2022 will be the first convention panel on selfshipping I know of and I’m incredibly excited to be leading it! ❤️

I got a ton of ribbons for the convention and I may have some leftover, we’ll see 👀

[enter-the-phantom]

I have some amazing news! Selfshipping is hitting the big leagues—I’ll be leading a self-insert meet-up and discussion at LeakyCon Orlando this July!

If you’re planning to attend the convention, stay tuned for scheduling info once I know my time slot. If not, you can still participate!

I need selfship artwork from Harry Potter selfshippers for a slideshow we’ll have running! If you’re interested in having your work included, please PM me! All art will be credited, with the option of having your Tumble handle listed as well so folks can find you. If your work is a commission, please let me know the name of your commission artist so I can get their permission and credit them as well. Platonic and romantic ships are welcome!

Please reblog if you can, I’m really busy and can’t scour Tumblr for the art I need, and it’s better if folks come to me, anyway! Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

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Cas found me twice at Leaky so far. First booth at the vendor hall had a shirt and today I got a giant button with the angel man on it. Miss you too, Cas. 💙

Also found a Supernatural fan with a FBI badge for Gabriel. So I guess my side ho is checking in on me too. Whatever

[mugglenet]

LeakyCon Denver 2022: Day 2 Recap

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LeakyCon Denver 2022: Day 2 Recap

It was a beautiful, crisp October morning in Denver when we arrived at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center for LeakyCon 2022 – the very first LeakyCon ever to be held in Denver after the event was canceled for the last two years. We learned that many of the attendees had bought tickets for the original LeakyCon Denver event as far back as 2019, and the excitement in the air was palpable as we checked in.

    We spent the first hour or so browsing (and feeling our pocketbooks lighten a bit) in the LeakyCon Marketplace, where vendors had set up booths peddling Potter- and Fantastic Beasts-themed merch, promoting their podcasts, and spreading the word about various fandom-related causes. There were intricate, handmade wooden wands, beautifully crafted clothing items, sparkling jewelry, trinkets, and more – and the cosplay was out of this world! Anywhere you looked, there were pointed wizard hats, babies dressed up as mandrakes, a gaggle of Beauxbatons students, or a witch bearing a striking resemblance to Professor Umbridge (minus the scowl and the irritating laugh, of course).

    We were thrilled to spend an hour listening to a panel put on by our friends Tylor Starr and Brittany Drake of the Protego Foundation, who walked us through how the organization came to be and educated us on their various causes over the years, including their most recent campaign: advocating for vegan butterbeer to be made available at Wizarding World theme parks. It was extremely moving to hear about how this group of exceptional witches and wizards channeled their love for Potter into another important cause!

    After a quick lunch break at a nearby restaurant, we rushed back to catch the LeakyCon 2022 Denver Game Show in which actors Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), Luke Youngblood (Lee Jordan), and Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood) competed in a ridiculous series of games and trivia. All the actors present at the event were humble, were kind, and displayed great enthusiasm for the event and for the fandom at large. It turns out that several of them have quite a quick wit, and we laughed till we cried at some of their jokes (we’re looking at you, Luke!). We popped out for the second half of the show to catch a bit of a panel on wandlore hosted by Greg Laslo, who is both the founder and Master Wandmaker at the Hungarian Wand Shop and a regular Ollivander in his own right. We learned loads about wandlore as well as the practical art of wandmaking, which was absolutely fascinating.

    After the wandlore panel, we returned to the MainStage for Our Power Hour: The Harry Potter Actor Mega Panel, in which actors Chris, Luke, and Sean were joined by Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum) and Tolga Safer (Karkaroff’s aide) as well as Melissa Anelli, the CEO of Mischief Management, which is the company responsible for producing LeakyCon. All the actors shared heartwarming stories about their years on the Potter set and once again had us feeling all the feels.

    One of the events we were most excited about was Cosplay Karaoke, and the fearless singers did not disappoint! From a wonderfully theatrical performance of “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas to a heartfelt rendition of “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, we didn’t know whether to be more impressed with the musical talent or the costumes. Our fandom is absolutely brimming with talent, and seeing these performers get up onstage and sing their hearts out to a room full of fellow fans (and karaoke host Chris Rankin) was unforgettable.

    It seemed impossible that Day 2 was drawing to a close, but after karaoke, we had just over an hour left to explore. We ended the day with Wizard Rock Cafe hosted by the amazing wrock band Draco and the Malfoys. Several other Con attendees had brought their own instruments, and we all jammed out to original music, laughing, clapping, and singing along with a variety of silly and serious songs.

    All in all, it was a beautiful day of fandom and fun – although because there were so many panels, shows, and jam sessions going on, we certainly could have used a Time-Turner in order to squeeze more into the jam-packed day!

  Did you know that MuggleNet is 99% volunteer-run? With your monthly pledge of $5, you can provide monetary support to our volunteers while becoming eligible for exclusive swag giveaways!

Support us on Patreon

[mugglenet]

Event Report: Living Our Best "Harry Potter" Lives at LeakyCon 2022

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Event Report: Living Our Best "Harry Potter" Lives at LeakyCon 2022

We just had three amazing days at LeakyCon 2022! There were so many Harry Potter fans. It’s been a long couple of years waiting (at least it wasn’t 12 years) to be able to gather together again. The feeling that we’re all family is so overwhelmingly beautiful. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen one another; when we’re together, we just pick back up where we left off. There were so many that were attending for the first time as well. We hope they had a great time and will join us again soon.

There were so many interesting and thought-provoking panels and discussions with such an array of diverse subjects that it was hard choosing which ones to sit in on.

The Marketplace offered a wide variety of goods. You could be assured there was always a long line of people waiting to get in every morning.

    The lineup of talent was, of course, great as well. In attendance, we had Afshan Azad (Padma Patil), Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood), Josh Herman (Gregory Goyle), Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), and Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum). There was also YouTube influencer Cherry Wallis, TikTok influencer Chanel Williams, and sculptor Bryn Court.

Day one consisted of a number of great panels: Defending Draco Malfoy, Permanent Magic: From Concept to Tattoo, and Great Man, Dumbledore, just to name a few. In the afternoon, we were able to catch Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley) leading a huge group of attendees in Karaoke. And this was not the normal reserved Percy, we can assure you. The evening ended with a great mix of Wizard Rock bands.

Day two continued with a lot of wonderful panels also. Grief into Activism: An Engine for Positivity, Nature vs. Nurture, How Little Tom Riddle Became Lord Voldemort, How to be an Activist Fandom Style (presented by Protego Foundation), and so many more. There was a great and funny discussion held with Kim Harris, Sequoia Simone Thomas, Stanislav Yanevski, Chris Rankin, and Afshan Azad, where they discussed the flaws of a wide variety of the characters. Chanel Williams also did a great roasting of many of the characters from Professor McGonagall’s point of view as well. It ended with the amazing Esther Earl Ball, where everyone had a wonderful time.

    Day three was, unfortunately, our last day—so many engaging and very thought-provoking panels. There was Trelawney and Snape: Unwitting Accomplices and A Beautiful Fandom – How Charity and Activism have Risen from Toxicity and Magical Mental Healing Powers of Harry Potter, just to give you an example. In an odd turn of events, we had Umbridge, of all people, winning the cosplay event; it seems the Ministry might have infiltrated the judging! Over the weekend, MuggleNet was able to have a few interviews with Stanislav Yanevski, Bryn Court, and Sean Biggerstaff, so make sure to check out our page for those videos as well. But alas, all good things have to come to an end. We hope to be with our loving wizarding family again soon. Until then, don’t let the Muggles get you down.

  Did you know that MuggleNet is 99% volunteer-run? With your monthly pledge of $5, you can provide monetary support to our volunteers while becoming eligible for exclusive swag giveaways!

Please support us on Patreon

[wrockingwriter]

Trelawney and Snape: Unwitting Accomplices

In the course of the series (books or films) Sybill Trelawney and Severus Snape never directly interact, and yet without Snape (yes, specifically Snape) neither of Trelawney’s True Prophesies would have come to fruition; the ones that the fates of Voldemort depend upon, though we have no real way of knowing if she made any others.

But let’s break this down from the beginning.

Prophesy 1 - Voldemort’s Initial (and eventually, final) Downfall (1980-1981) Death

Film Prophesy: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives.

(this is incredibly nonspecific; it could have been made at any time about any Dark Lord and any person beyond the whole ‘mark his as his equal’ bit which is not limited to physical marking, but perhaps metaphysical, or mental via trauma even. This is one of a thousand ways that the films did a great disservice to anyone who had not already read the books- but I digress)

Book Prophesy: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.

(this one is much more specific, but is still vague enough for multiple interpretations)

For the purposes of specificity, and that the film and book canons are difficult to reconcile without defaulting to the Book interpretations anyway, so I’ll be focusing there. So.

A basic breakdown:

Born to parents who defied Voldemort 3x

Born as the 7th month dies

Dark Lord will mark him as his equal

Will have power the Dark Lord knows not

One must die at the hands of the other

We know that Snape was eavesdropping and heard up until the first ‘born as the seventh month dies’ before being ousted, and he gave that incomplete prophesy to Voldemort.

From here we as readers and consumers of this series know that both Dumbledore and Voldemort interpret the first bit of the prophecy to apply to two families: the Longbottoms and the Potters. We know that Voldemort settles on it meaning the Potters. And we also know that at some point after learning this Snape asked Voldemort for Lily’s life to be spared before going to beg Dumbledore to keep her safe as he did not trust Voldemort’s word that he would spare her.

Based upon Snape’s report, Dumbledore has the Potters put under fidelius.

We know from information we get from Prisoner of Azkaban that Peter Pettigrew turned spy at some point between the prophesy being given and October of 1980 as he’d been spying for a year before the Potters’ deaths.

We as readers know that Voldemort fully intended to keep his word to Snape and spare Lily as he asks her to move 3x before killing her.

We also know that a parent dying for their child is not enough to cause an Avada Kedavra to rebound. (James’ death does nothing, and Molly says that ‘any mother would’)

I’d like to take a moment to point out plainly that Snape had no clue whatsoever that Voldemort would even attempt to keep his word. He has no clue that his actions and request are what facilitated Lily’s choice to sacrifice herself.

Because, yes, Lily’s actions are what give Harry his Power. Her love. But in order for it to work there had to be an actual choice to do otherwise or James’ death would have protected them both, if love was the only prerequisite.

Now we also cannot forget that Voldemort wouldn’t have known about the prophesy at all without Snape, but what would that mean as far as Voldemort’s first war?

When Sirius tries to explain what the last war was like to the trio he speaks of the fear, the unknown threat that could come from anywhere or anyone as they had no way of knowing who Voldemort’s supporters were. The chaos of the Ministry of Magic simultaneously trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles while the war affected both sides of their worlds. Aurors being given the power to kill rather than capture. The fear. The chaos. The bloodshed.

Without Trelawney’s initial prophesy being overheard and reported, it never would have been put into motion. And, if Voldemort’s reign had continued in that fashion, who’s to say that he wouldn’t have succeeded entirely? Dumbledore himself asks Harry if he believes that every prophesy in the Hall of Prophesy has been fulfilled and goes on to emphasise ho it’s Voldemort’s choices in the wake of Snape’s report that sealed the means for his demise.

But let’s move on the Trelawney’s second prophesy, which is practically two entirely different prophesies between the film and book.

Prophesy 2 - Voldemort’s Rebirth (6 June 1994) Life

Film Prophesy: He will return tonight. Tonight he who had betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder, shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt and servant and master shall be reunited once more.

(I’m quite amused that the film prophesy OPENS with an absolutely inaccurate statement considering 1- Pettigrew isn’t really returning from anywhere and 2- Voldemort definitely didn’t return on this evening. Yet another reason I’ll pretty much be ignoring the film prophesy entirely)

Book Prophesy: The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight. The servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant’s aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight. Before midnight. The servant. Will set out. To rejoin. His master.

A basic breakdown:

Voldemort is alone, no other followers with him

Servant has been chained/contained for 12 years

This will happen before midnight on this specific day

Servant will break free and seek out his master

The Dark Lord will definitely rise again with this servant’s aid

Dark Lord will be greater and more terrible if this comes to fruition

We, as readers, know that Voldemort’s shade has been out in the world (Dumbledore says that he’s in Albania, but who knows how long that’s been the case) and that his followers either disavowed him to stay out of Azkaban, or are actually in Azkaban. There are, of course, people who have similar beliefs- or support them in political if not overt ways- but they aren’t the type of people to seek out the Dark Lord.

Even Quirrel was a teacher who went on a journey the year before changing subjects from Muggle Studies (which is notoriously out of date and likely prejudiced if the average wizard’s understanding of the muggle world is to be believed) to Defense Against the Dark Arts and just happened across the Dark Lord. He was likely a sympathiser prior to their encounter, but since the events of Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort has been on his own once again.

We as readers know that Pettigrew has been a rat, and has been with the Weasley family, for years. He likely hasn’t been with the Weasley family for the full twelve years since that fateful Halloween as he sped down into the sewer after his confrontation with Sirius. But, that aside he’s definitely been a rat or at least in hiding for the last 12 years.

Luckily for us this prophesy is explicit as far as the timing of these events- before midnight- and we know that, time turner adventure included, everything is over and done with by 5 minutes ‘til midnight as that’s when Dumbledore locks them into the Hospital Wing.

We know that in the chaos of Lupin’s transformation Pettigrew grabs Lupin’s wand and breaks free from the bindings Lupin put on him, stuns Ron and Crokshanks, and runs off into the night.

We know that Pettigrew finds his way to Voldemort following information he gathers from rumour and rat alike.

We, in the context of the greater series at hand, know that without Pettigrew finding Bertha Jorkins, they wouldn’t have known about or found Barty Crouch Jr (though Barty would likely have found his way to Voldemort eventually, if the Imperius curse from his father continued degrading) and that, without Barty, the TriWizard Tournament would not have ended in Voldemort’s resurrection.

We also are privy to this prophesy when Snape absolutely was not. He was not present or eavesdropping when it was originally ive, and he was most definitely not told of it later on by Dumbledore as it was no longer relevant. He’s not in the business of sharing information for no reason.

Now, Snape’s influence on the fulfilment of this prophecy is just as tangential as the last one. Mostly centred on the Wolfsbane Potion, which must for a week be consumed once a day leading up to the full moon. There is nothing that states it must be consumed at a specific day- just once a day. In fact, we see Snape deliver a dose of the Potion in the middle of the day when Harry is unable to go to Hogsmeade and ends up in Lupin’s office.

If Snape had brought Lupin his dose earlier in the day, would Pettigrew have had an opportunity to escape?

Alternatively, if Snape had brought the Wolfsbane when Lupin had been watching the Map, would Lupin have gone to the shrieking shack in the first place? Would he have seen? Sirius would likely have killed Pettigrew, which would have stopped the resurrection- or at least delayed it for a long while.

So by delaying the delivery of the Wolfsbane Potion, most assuredly due to his distaste of Lupin (which was not at all curtailed by Dumbledore, and likely was made worse by his blatant favouritism which followed from their school days) Snape inadvertently provided the opportunity for this prophesy to come to pass.

Now let’s jump back to the first prophesy, which is still only half-fulfilled.

Prophesy 1 - Voldemort’s Final Defeat (Prophesy from 1980-1981, Completed 2 May 1998) Death

So what’s left?

The Power the Dark Lord knows not

One must die at the hands of the other

Now, we as readers know that the power the Dark Lord knows not is love, both the love others have for him (Lily’s sacrifice) and the love Harry has for others (the love shield Harry is able to give to Neville and the others at the Battle of Hogwarts after his trip to King’s Cross) because Voldemort may understand intellectually the concept of love, may claim to know it, but he has no true understanding of what it means to love someone or something. 

This lack of true understanding is also why Narcissa is able to do what she does, and lie to his face.

If Voldemort actually understood how Lily’s sacrifice worked then he wouldn’t have killed Harry the way he did.

We know that without Snape giving his memories to Harry (which already barley happened) Harry would have continued trying to search for Horcruxes blindly, not making he connection about his scar which could have caused any number of problems. Let’s say that Voldemort was somehow defeated- he’d just have come back again later. Or Harry got killed by someone not Voldemort- we don’t know what would happen with the Horcrux in his scar in that case.

Another repercussion of Snape’s memories is that Harry knows not to fight back when he encounters Voldemort. Harry knows how his mother sacrificed herself and is able to emulate it. Harry doesn’t expect to survive the encounter, everything he knows of Horcruxes says that the vessel/receptacle must be damaged beyond repair. With a living being, this would logically mean dead. And Harry’s actions from The Prince’s Tale to King’s Cross are taken with this presumption.

There is also this interesting way of interpreting the last bits of the prophesy- that Voldemort exists in a schrodinger-esque state of neither life or death while there are Horcruxes in existence. He can neither live or die as long as there are Horcruxes, and thus only begins living once Neville has killed Nagini because Harry told him to, not knowing the significance of that action.

Harry is merely surviving as an object, the host to the fragment of Voldemot, and only starts living once Voldemort hits his body with a killing curse and accidentally destroys his own Horcrux.

When Harry and Voldemort face off after everything, that final duel is the first time that they are both truly alive- and thus the first time that one of them even could die at the hands of the other.

Now, could these prophesies have come to fruition without Snape? Maybe!

But how?

[wrockingwriter]

Great Man, Dumbledore

I’d like to think that we all can agree that Albus Dumbledore did many Great things for what, ultimately, were mostly Good reasons. But the more that I think about him and the seemingly infinite, intricate, ways his actions and inactions impacted the Wizarding World I can’t help but think of Ollivander- ‘Terrible, yes, but great.’

At University I did a paper about how Albus Dumbledore exemplifies the Nietzschean concept of a Noble Man. A Nietzschean Noble Man doesn’t wait to be assigned a task or a burden and instead simply takes on those things and then makes decisions/takes actions based solely upon his own judgements. Most all of Dumbledore’s titles and responsibilities in the Wizarding World were handed to him in the wake of actions he took entirely of his own accord and that only reinforced his belief of being correct in those courses of action no matter the other consequences.

If we start in Dumbledore’s youth there’s another Nietzschean belief that he fell prey to: that the world operates solely by the exploitation of the weaker by the stronger. The way Dumbledore writes to Grindelwald that ‘yes we have been given power and yes, that power gives us the right to rule,’ is the starkest evidence that the young and fresh-from-Hogwarts Dumbledore believed that the presence of magic was evidence enough to prove an intrinsic right to rule over those without.

There was definitely an intense shift in his beliefs in the wake of Ariana’s death and the uncertainty of where the final blow originated. It was not due to suddenly seeing muggles as equal to wizards, that change of heart surely came later, but due to a personal loss, the ensuing guilt, and the doubt that came with those circumstances. Nietzsche believed that a Noble Man creates himself from a loss of surety and Dumbledore certainly remade himself starting here.

However, for all the changed that Dumbledore went through from this point, it is obvious to me that he never truly relinquished the notion that he alone knew what must be done for ‘The Greater Good’ for all that Grindelwald commandeered the phrase.

Many argue that Dumbledore’s refusal to kill Grindelwald in their duel was a mercy, a testament to his absolute dedication to the Light. But I would argue that it’s easily one of the most selfish things that Dumbledore does. He doesn’t kill Grindelwald- not because of it being a Dark action, or somehow unjust, but because he does not want to lose the reminder of what he almost became, or could still become.

Let me explain.

From Ariana’s death forward, Dumbledore handicaps himself- though most obviously after he obtains the Elder Wand. He becomes a professor who is held in line by the rules and limits of the school but still able to influence people (specifically the next generation). This position leads to his becoming Headmaster who is affected by the Board of Governors but is also able to direct the climate of the school (the continuing disparagement of Slytherin House could easily have been curtailed, inter-House unity could have been promoted more overtly).

As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot he did not press for a trial for Sirius Black, instead allowing him to stay in Azkaban without a conviction because it allowed his plans for Harry to utilise Lily’s sacrifice as protection to continue and he did not have to face the consequences of his inactions and trust directly.

It also kept him safe from the knowledge of how much he could do within the system before he was questioned. Or stopped. It kept the true breadth of his power and influence vague enough that he was not tempted to fall into old patterns.

Well, perhaps not entirely. Dumbledore’s justified fear of what he could become doesn’t stop the man from playing the Chessmaster with those under his influence. He doesn’t stop believing that he knows best and the Wizarding World continues to confirm that for him so he spares little though to ‘should’ and instead jumps straight to ‘how’ because as long as he can justify an action, manipulation, or inaction as being for the good of the Wizarding World then he can feel securely that he’s not doing those things for selfish reasons.

Except those concepts are not mutually exclusive.

Now we cannot ignore that Dumbledore’s selfishness pretty exclusively comes from caring, love, a desire to protect, or some combination thereof- but he continuously made decisions on behalf of not just individuals but the entire Wizarding World based almost entirely on information and assumptions that only he is privy to. And he did not share any of those thoughts, ideas, or discoveries until and unless there was no other choice in the matter.

And many of those decisions had far reaching consequences- had he handled the Willow incident when Snape was a student differently, would his animosity have provided the means for Voldemort’s return through Pettigrew? If Dumbledore had helped Tom Riddle get out from the Orphanage, would he have become Voldemort at all? If he’d killed Grindelwald, would the Elder Wand have ever ended up in Voldemort’s possession? If he’d worked harder to prompt inter-House unity, would Voldemort have been able to gain traction so quickly upon his return? If he’d been more forthcoming with answers when asked, how many people might not have had their lives touched or ended by tragedy?

But all of that wondering is secondary to the immediate conflict or potential crisis that he knows precisely how to navigate.

The very first thing we see Dumbledore do is leave Harry at Privet Drive, which Dumbledore himself made necessary based upon the belief that Voldemort would return that only he had. Oh, he’d definitely made comments to Snape, but comments or even agreeing with comments doesn’t equal belief- just a willingness to do as instructed in the wake of personal tragedy. Now, McGonagall’s immediate reaction to leaving Harry at Privet Drive was astonished disgust, but she doesn’t fight Dumbledore very hard on the matter. Dumbledore is still considered a hero of the Wizarding World, and his past accomplishments made people easier to sway to his way of thinking (notable exceptions being Fudge, who was erroneously convinced that Dumbledore wanted his job, and any sympathisers to Voldemort’s cause).

Dumbledore beings the Philosopher’s Stone to Hogwarts as a lure for Voldemort and a trial for Harry in what he believes are controlled circumstances based on some source somewhere making Dumbledore think that the risk is worth it. Not just the risk of the Stone being kept in the castle where there are children between- potentially- Voldemort and his prize, but the risk of his presumed friends being able to live as it was literally keeping the Flamels alive.

All this happens the year Harry arrives at Hogwarts; a Harry who, by Dumbledore’s own design, has little to no connection to the Wizarding World (and doesn’t that seem eerily similar to Tom coming from the orphanage? Was Dumbledore also seeing or creating the ways that Voldemort and Harry were similar beyond their blood status?). If Harry’s protections from Lily’s sacrifice had been any different in its effects, if the stone had fallen into Quirrelmort’s clutches, it would have spelt certain doom for the Wizarding World but Dumbledore felt the risk was worth the lessons imparted and confirmation that Voldemort was still a threat despite his disappearance.

Dumbledore seems to have two settings: absolute distance, or absolute attachment and the latter’s the source of Dumbledore’s most selfish actions and questionable hesitations. He thinks of people as tools as much he does the wand in his grasp; he says only as much as he needs to convince someone, and does his best to be in the right place at the right time to keep people grateful for his presence (Hagrid with Buckbeak, Harry with his Wizengamot hearing) so his good is never forgotten.

In the beginning it’s obvious that Dumbledore sees Harry the same as he sees the rest of the Wizarding World likely until Harry asked why Voldemort was after him in the Hospital Wing post-Quirrelmort and from there Dumbledore lost himself to selfish sentiment (though he denied it even to himself until shortly before Sirius’ fall through the Veil) which he reveals in the conversation that follows Sirius’ fall where he claims to tell Harry everything.

Dumbledore does admit to many things in this conversations- to knowing he was condemning Harry to ‘10 dark and difficult years’ at the Dursley’s (which is a very strange way of saying ‘abuse’), to valuing Harry’s happiness and peace of mind over his knowing the truth or Dumbledore’s own plans. But most significant to me is that he admitted to caring more for Harry’s life than the lives that might be lost if his plan failed. That the wants for (not of, as Harry was not made aware of these things) an individual outweighed his beliefs for the Greater Good until there was no other choice but to reveal his knowledge and share the burden (the protection of the Wizarding World) that he’d taken entirely of his own accord.

Like with Grindelwald during his war, Dumbledore hesitates to do what needs to be done for his own sentiment. Love. Which, yes, is a core theme in the story- but does the cause of his actions being love for an individual truly excuse the actions that affected the entire Wizarding World?

And all that besides, despite how much Dumbledore reveals to Harry in that conversation it is still only a fraction of the truths that lead to Harry’s sacrifice, revival, and the ultimate end of Voldemort.

And the trend of partial truths isn’t even confined to Dumbledore’s own lifetime as the portrait was equally guilty of sharing the minimum. He didn’t give Snape the full reasoning for asking him to teach Harry Occlumency instead of teaching it himself. He didn’t tell the Order what they were guarding in the Department of Mysteries, just that Voldemort desired it. He didn’t tell Snape the full truth even as they planned out his death together.

One could argue that the ends justify the means, but it still feels like there is too much reliant on one man and if it weren’t for literal happenstance (Harry wrestling the wands from Draco’s grip at Malfoy Manor) it all would have fallen apart because no one knew more than a few fragments.

How many lives could have been spared tragedy if Dumbledore had been a bit more forthcoming? If he had shared just a bit of the burden?

I don’t think Dumbledore was a Bad man.

Nor do I think he was a Good one.

I think he had Good Intentions that often had complicated consequences.

I think that he often accomplished Great Things in Terrible Ways.

[mugglenet]

LeakyCon 2022 - Orlando: Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Stanislav Yanevski

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LeakyCon 2022 - Orlando: Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Stanislav Yanevski

I have to confess that acting like a professional, normal human being while facing my long-time celebrity crush has been one of the most challenging things I’ve done in my entire life – and to my not-so-humble opinion, that is a lot, as I’m a practicing lawyer and have given birth twice.

We already know a lot about Stan, who, as you probably know, played the one and only Viktor Krum in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so it was a challenge to find a new interesting way to make this interview both entertaining and meaningful. So, after a long self-debate – while doing the dishes and driving around doing errands – I remembered a great infallible way to get to know a person: a game of truth or dare.

    So here are ten new things that we learned from Stan that you didn’t know:

He would date his high school crush today, even when he has no idea what she looks like now.

He has never been caught eagerly picking his nose in public, or at least that is what he hopes.

The craziest thing he has ever done on public transport was almost starting a fight on an airplane. We would never endorse or justify violence, but he shared that it was a very long flight, and the person behind him wouldn’t stop kicking his seat. Thankfully the flight attendants took over the situation.

He is most ticklish on his ribs. And this question is very relevant… you know, for science.

He doesn’t feel embarrassed about enjoying any type of movie and proudly shared to watch cartoons and children’s movies.

He is guilty of regifting presents, but we agree with him when he says that it is better to find those things a new home than to have them collecting dust at home.

He would rather have tattoos appear all over his body depicting what he did the day before than have his skin change color based on his emotions.

He would rather get away with every lie he says than detect every lie he is told.

He would rather end every phone call with “I love you” no matter who the person is than call a sentimental partner by the wrong name during a fight. Which he confessed kind of happened once, and the result was catastrophic.

And, when we asked for whom he would volunteer as a tribute in the Hunger Games, he said that he would WIN the Hunger Games for any member of his family.

  If you are wondering if he did any dares, well, I have to confess that he unquestionably defeated me in a staring contest, as I was not able to make him blink or laugh in 20 seconds. This is a personal blow to my dream of ever becoming a stand-up comedian, but as I was competing with an actor, I refuse to give up on that dream just yet.

When the interview was over, we took the mandatory picture together —which I will most definitely print out and put on my bedside table— and I was able to keep it together long enough for him not to see me almost pass out of happiness. And, as he shared my post on Instagram, I’m confident to say that Stan and I are now best friends.

    Interview with Stan Yanevski at LeakyCon July 2022

Transcribed by Marissa Osman

Betty Alvarez: Hi, my name is Betty from MuggleNet.

Stan Yanevski: Hello!

Betty: It's nice to meet you. We wanted to do something different. You're always so used to having formal interviews, or a lot of questions, so we wanted to play a game with you. Are you familiar with Truth or Dare?

Stan: Yes.

Betty: There's a little bit of a twist. I have 15 questions, and you are going to be the one picking a random number. If you don't want to answer, or if you repeat a number, then you will have a dare.

Stan: Okay.

Betty: Okay. Pick a number between 1 and 50.

Stan: Seven.

Betty: Would you date your high school crush today?

Stan: Today? Yes. Well, I don't know what she looks like currently, but from back then, yes.

Betty: The way you remember her.

Stan: Absolutely, yes. [I have] no idea what she looks like today, but yeah.

[Both laugh]

Betty: [Pick] another number.

Stan: Eight.

Betty: Where are you ticklish?

Stan: Around the ribs.

Betty: Give me another number.

Stan: Three.

Betty: What's the craziest thing you've done on public transportation?

Stan: I don't really go on [public transportation]. Well, I do go on planes. Probably starting a fight.

[Both laugh]

Stan: I was on a long flight. I didn't start the fight, but I threatened to kill someone on the flight because they just wouldn't leave my seat alone. The stewards had to come in, and they actually moved the problematic person because I told them, "If this continues on, I will lose my nerves and we'll have to sort out the situation."

Betty: It's reasonable if it was a long flight.

Stan: It was a very long flight. People sleep on those long flights; you put your seat back. The person started banging on my seat, threatening me. I just turned around and politely [explained that] it is not my problem, they should turn to the stewards to fix another seat for them. I will be sleeping, so I will put my seat back whether they like it or not. If they keep banging on my seat, I will have to take action.

Betty: I won't judge you. Give me another number.

Stan: One.

Betty: Have you ever been caught picking your nose?

Stan: Caught? Probably as a kid, yes.

Betty: Now that's something I don't like. [When you're] driving and someone is staring out the window [picking their nose].

Stan: Hopefully not!

[Both laugh]

Stan: Let's go with [number] ten.

Betty: What's one movie you are embarrassed to admit you enjoy?

Stan: Embarrassed with a movie that I've made?

Betty: No, no. [A move] that you liked watching.

Stan: Oh!

Betty: Even though it might be controversial, or considered for little kids.

Stan: Well, I still watch little children's movies and films today, like cartoons. I'm not embarrassed by any.

Betty: No? That's alright.

Stan: Let's go with [number] fifteen.

Betty: For who would you volunteer as a tribute on The Hunger Games? Someone you deeply care about and would go for them to the Hunger Games in their place.

Stan: Candace.

Betty: Maybe for your family members?

Stan: Yes, for any member of my family.

Betty: You would sacrifice [yourself]?

Stan: I wouldn't sacrifice, I'll get out of the system. I'll manage to survive.

Betty: You will survive the Hunger Games for a family member. That's the way to put it.

Stan: Yes. Let's go with the first question.

Betty: You already said [number] one! You have a dare. I will give you the option from one to five.

Stan: Three.

Betty: Okay. Stare at your opponent - I guess that's me [laughs] - for 20 seconds without blinking or laughing.

[Staring contest begins]

Betty: Twenty seconds is too long to stare at me because I will win or make you laugh. [short pause] Or maybe not. You're an actor. [laughs]

[Staring contest ends]

[Both laugh]

Betty: Okay, I will ask this one because I just want to know: What's something you would love to do with your friends that you will never do in front of your parents?

Stan: I'm too old to do things in front of my parents now. There are no restrictions. But when I was younger, probably things with love. You don't want to be kissing and doing that kind of stuff in front of your parents. It's embarrassing. Not now, though. I'm 37 years old.

[Both laugh]

Stan: It would be a bit awkward being like, "Hey, Mom, look at me! I can kiss!"

Betty: Have you ever re-gifted a present? Someone gave you something and you...

Stan: Oh, many times. Yes. Many times. [I like to] make use of things. Some presents are classified as dust collectors, so someone else can make use of something that otherwise just sits in a corner.

Betty: That's amazing. After you've dropped a piece of food, what's the longest time you've left it on the floor before eating it?

Stan: If we go back to school days... [laughs] Some things are probably still in the same place.

Betty: [laughs] You don't follow the 5-second rule?

Stan: It depends on the food. [laughs] Some things are left to stay forgotten forever.

Betty: I will ask some random questions now. Would you rather have skin that changes color based on your emotions or tattoos that appear all over your body depicting what you did yesterday?

Stan: [Tattoos depicting] what I did. Or, no. That would give away... well, both of them would give [things] away. I guess tattoos; it wouldn't really matter.

Betty: Maybe you could hide them.

Stan: It would be more inconvenient to know your current state than what I did yesterday. If they said, "You did this yesterday," it's in the past. It doesn't matter. I'd rather hide my current state.

Betty: Yeah, the color is more difficult. Would you rather detect every lie you hear or get away with every lie you tell?

Stan: [I'd rather] get away with every lie I tell. People can lie to me [and] I can catch them, but getting away [with lying] is the better option.

Betty: What do you think would be worse: Ending every call with an, "I love you" no matter who you're talking to or accidentally calling a partner by another name during a fight?

Stan: I think calling them by another name will just escalate the fires. I have sort of done that. It's not a good experience. Well, I wasn't necessarily calling them another name. [I was] not pronouncing it properly so they heard another name, and I was like, "I didn't say this other name!" "No, you just said it!" You end up closing the phone and throwing it in the trunk.

Betty: Oh, gosh. Our final question: Would you rather be able to speak any language or be able to communicate with animals?

Stan: Well, I sort of can communicate with animals already. Languages open portals, so I'd rather speak languages. With animals, you need an open heart to communicate; it's not really difficult. But languages? The human complex of things? Yeah.

Betty: That's wonderful. Thank you very much for your time.

Stan: Thank you.

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