#mywrite

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How do you feel about Dumbledore lying to Harry in 'The lost Prophecy'?

Specifically about "Telling him everything", a promise that was also repeated at the start of book 6, except we still have him hiding stuff from Harry, like Snape's involvement in the prophecy (Didn't have to tell Harry about Snape's love for Lily, but Harry at least deserves to know about the rest), the Draco situation, and the Scarcrux (Though at least this one is understandable).

Idk, that emotional scene is now marred for me, with the biggest factor being that (Aside from a very brief flash of anger when Harry finds out about Snape, but the promise is never mentioned there too) the books never expand upon this at all, the Draco thing is never talked about afterwards, Harry never ruminates on that broken promise, even though it would have been an excellent point to add to the "Did Dumbledore love Harry" plotline in DH and would have made the conclusion that Dumbledore did in fact love Harry all the more impactful

I can understand Albus keeping secrets, lying by omission, feeling wrong. Especially when Harry has to go through so much all by himself, and he continuously has the adults he thinks he can trust let him down. Even his greatest adult protector was lying to him.

I feel that Albus was put in a difficult position. Over everything, his goal was to save Harry's life and to free him from being hunted, so he could truly decide how he wanted to live. In order to do that - he needed Harry to repeat the same willing love sacrifice shit his mother did, so the love protection miracle happens a second time. At least, thats what clever cookie Albus theorizes. (This is cutting edge magical theory he is stringing together.)

In order for Harry to do that he had to believe he was walking to his death, by specifically Voldemort, in direct protection of people he loved - and that there was no other way. That means key information has to reach him at the 11th hour. Harry has to be desperate, brave and clueless or else he dies. (which, once the other Horcrux are dealt with, is okay for the rest of the Wizarding World. Harry can die, thats perfectly fine - Voldemort will then at his most vulnerable. But Albus is more concerned about Harry living than he is everyone else. Otherwise he could have just killed Harry, like Voldemort thought he would. That would be the smartest choice. Instead... he acts like all fools in love do.)

How can key information get to Harry at the 11th hour...? Especially (by HBP) when Albus is going to die within the year? Having a man working with the other side helps increase the odds of Harry finding shit out at the right moment. Severus cannot be compromised. The biggest risk to Severus being exposed is Harry.

Voldemort can see into his head. Harry is shit at occlumency. Voldemort has no idea Snape ran for Dumbledores help after he already begged Voldemort for Lily's life. Harry acting, thinking and making decisions based on any sign Snape betrayed Voldemort will probably get Snape killed. Harry HAS to believe Snape has always been loyal to Voldemort after Dumbledore is dead, because thats what Voldemort believes.

In regards to Draco - he was trying to save Draco's life, too. The Malfoy's lives are being dangled on a string: whether or not Draco can pull of an impossible murder.

“I haven’t got any options!” said Malfoy, and he was suddenly white as Dumbledore. “I’ve got to do it! He’ll kill me! He’ll kill my whole family!” “I appreciate the difficulty of your position,” said Dumbledore. “Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you.” Malfoy winced at the sound of the name. “I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you,” continued Dumbledore. “But now at last we can speak plainly to each other No harm has been done, you have hurt nobody, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived. I can help you, Draco.” (HBP 27)

Due to Harry and Voldemorts connection - anything to do with Legilimency also applies to him.

So how I feel about Dumbledore keeping secrets... is that he had a hell of a lot on his plate he had to balance. 'Harry's safety', 'Harry's future' and 'Harry's feelings' were all priorities in conflict. He spent the last year of his life giving all he could to be more emotionally open, ensure the best chances for Harry's future and also keep him safe. Far better than he had ever managed previously, even if it made him vulnerable in ways that scared him before. That's pretty impressive for an avoidant attachment style mf lol

[minceraftyuri]

Day 2 - Roadtrip  - @mcyt-yuri-week

Gem thinks about Pearl in the car.

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Gem rolled her head over to look at the woman sitting next to her and and thought. 

There wasn’t much else for her to do but think in the passenger seat, after all. She wasn’t actually much of a passenger princess. She liked driving, really, it was just that Gem scaped Pearl’s car into a tree ONE time and suddenly she’s not allowed to drive every again. It was an accident! She’s not a bad driver, it was just a tight parking lot! And she helped pay for the car! Sure, it was kinda a gift, ‘cause Pearl cared wayyy more about cars than her, and it was mostly just a nice ride to take long trips together like this. 

She still felt like she should be able to drive it too, specially cause they were going to be driving for like 8 hours and surely Pearl got tired driving, right? But no. Whatever. It was a gift for Pearl to decide what to do with. It was so cute to watch Pearl peel over magazines and websites, looking for the best deals and colors and models for their car, obsessing over getting the car for months before they got it, raving to everyone who would listen. 

But gosh Pearl was so protective of it, she even insisted on washing it herself and getting every dent and paint scratch done over. It was cute how much she cared. It was cute how hard she focused on the road when she was driving, body slightly leaned forward and brow slightly creased. She was one of the most attentive people Gem had ever meet, a perfectionist who put her whole heart into everything she does. Fussy and stubborn and beautiful, right down to the core. Gem could just bask in her existence for the rest of her life and die happy.

“What you staring at huh?” Pearl glanced over and exclaimed.

Gem giggled at Pearl’s well timed interruption of her inner monologue. “You, silly.”

“Well stop it. We’re on a lovely country road, there’s plenty of other things you could be looking at that you don’t get to see all the time.”

 Gem rolled her head back over to look out the window, sighing dramatically.

“There you go! Much better right?”

“Never. Nothing’s better than you. You know this.”

“Oh, hush your face. You’re going to distract me.”

“You started it!”

[minceraftyuri]

Day 1 - Roleswap - @mcyt-yuri-week

Gem and Pearl play TCG.

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“Anddddd I play an emerald card… you can guess what that’s for.”

Pearl’s face twisted into a pout. “AUGHGH. Why must you do this to me???? Always stealing from me…”

Gem smiled, smug. “Just how you play the game, Pearlie. Hand those clothes over!”

Pearl grumbled and pulled down her iron armor card off the board. “I see how it is.” Pearl paused for a second. “You just want to see me naked. I get it, it’s alright.”

“PEARL!” Gem yelled, bright red, “What is wrong with you?!”

“What? Pearl asked, ”You say stuff like that all the time! You can give it but you can’t take it huh?” she complained.

Gem held her hands over her blushing face, scowling into her palms. “Well. Well it’s different when I say it! I’m supposed to make you flustered, not the other way around!” she huffed.

Pearl laughed. “Right. Right. I see how it is.”

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Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody didn't comment on Tonks' relationship with Remus.

Isn't that interesting…? Moody is paranoid, vigilant and focused on safety. Being an Auror is dangerous work. The war is dangerous. It is his job to train Tonks to keep her alive. He is highly pragmatic about all this.

When he has something to say - he says it. When he feels negatively about something - he complains. When he see's a distraction - he puts an end to it. He is blunt to the point of being abrasive.

Tonks and Remus were not secretive. At least they failed at being subtle Adults had been weighing in on their developing romance for probably well over a year (by the end of HBP) Tonks' patronus changed. Tonks and Remus did missions together, likely by Moody's own hand.

But Moody never comments on them as a couple. Why? Because he doesn't think it is important…? I don't think so.

'Not being important' isn't going to stop him from grumbling. He is a grumpy old man. Telling Tonks to focus... Telling Remus to grow up... Muttering about fools distracting themselves from more important things...

Also - it IS important. It was affecting how they functioned. Perhaps they worked well together - kept eachother alive... But Remus started avoiding Tonks; taking suicidal missions. Tonks was being emotionally affected by it.

“You’re compromised. That’s a liability. You’re off active duty until you sort yourselves out.” - that's the sort of response you'd expect from Moody, right? Either work it out or give up on the relationship until after the war. IF they survive it.

So he MUST approve of it. Moody not outright saying positive things is more in character than holding his tongue. It is also insinuated that all Remus' peers (aside from Snape) approve, which would include Alastor.

But… Moody must really approve, to not say anything! There is a lot of reasons why he wouldn't approve - even while trusting Remus as a good man, Tonks as a capable woman and thinking their personalities mesh well.

There is a war on. Unnecessary messy emotions are a liability. They are not stable. They aren't working things out easily. The ongoing drama is a talking point for everyone - distracting. Tonks is still gaining experience. She should be focusing. Remus is a target for multiple sides of the conflict. Werewolves, the ministry, the Death Eaters… he isn't the safest man to be with.

"Save it for after the war." Would be the 'smartest' move. But Moody isn't being smart about it. His silence, I think, is sentimental. He is a romantic at heart.

Why else would he, Mad-Eye, ignore safety so blatantly? They are vulnerable but he allows it without so much as a grumble.

Perhaps it has to do with Alice and Frank, Molly and Arthur - couples that are undoubtedly stronger together. Perhaps it has to do with the fact he has seemingly spent his life alone. Certainly his later life - not trusting anyone to get close. Maybe he can't bear the thought of telling them to separate when either of them could die any day. Has he experienced regret like that? In himself or colleagues?

Going a step further - Nobody else comments on what Moody feels, either. Nobody says "Moody doesn't agree… but he rarely does" Nobody says "Even Moody thinks you two are good. He might not say it, but we all know how rare his silence is."

It's like they are sensitive about it, too. They don't want to poke the old badger where he's tender.

(I realise the doylist answer is probably that if anyone said anything unsupportive of their relationship, Remus would stick to them like a limpet - especially someone as respectable and sensible as Alastor. But this is more fun B^) )

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Harry, whose attention had been focused entirely on the two beside the window, saw his father: slight, black-haired like Snape, but with that indefinable air of having been well-cared-for, even adored, that Snape so conspicuously lacked.

(DH, ch33)

Thinking a lot about this recently. How much it says about his family. Because you can be frightfully poor - and still cared for. Still loved.

Contrast to Remus, who was also incredibly poor (he was an adult here, and likely did all this himself, but still):

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes which had been darned in several places. [...] ... there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name 'Professor R. J. Lupin' was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

(PoA, ch5)

He is shabby. His clothes and things are threadbare and faded. But they aren't unloved. The holes in his clothes are darned. He hasn't fought with his case to keep it shut with string - he has carefully, neatly knotted every string. His name is stamped on it.

Severus isn't ever described with that level of care. Like Harry, he is described as wearing clothes that aren't even his - for Harry it's Dudley's too-big hand-me-downs, for Snape its his (probably) fathers coat and mothers smocklike blouse. (DH, ch33)

Harry's guardians didn't care for him. Through this parallel - neither did Severus'.

His grey, shabby, threadbare hand-me-downs weren't carefully darned, patched or taken in to fit his body. His name wasn't stitched into his collar or stamped on his bags - his things were not his.

Harry had his parents' love in the form of their money left behind, so he could start fresh with his own things, his own identity. Severus did not have this love, either. No matter the state of his robes, whether money had been scrounged to get him a set all his own, he carried his lack of care on his being.

...that indefinable air of having been well-cared-for, even adored, that Snape so conspicuously lacked.

It's a powerfully descriptive sentence. As cute as the image of his mother giving a shit about him is - it's quite clear he was neglected by both parents, not just because of poverty. Poverty doesn't cause a lack of love. His mother at least spoke to him about the Magical world, but she never imprinted 'being adored' into his heart, his being.

Even Tom had that love. His mother poured her love into him with her dying breath, named him and made sure he would be cared for. He rejected that love - a powerful image, especially in this series. An image Snape once again both defies and parallels.

He was not loved by his mother yet took pride in her, stamping his book with his self-chosen title and name based on her lineage - a little like Remus' stamping his bag with his new title and name, and a little like Tom picking a new identity.

Excuse this tangent: he gives me Morgott (Elden Ring) energy - who was basically scorned by his mother for being born with horns, literally thrown in the trash by her and her 'religion' - yet dedicated his life to them, doing what he thought was right, worshiping at the alter that scorned him, wearing their name with misplaced pride. Meanwhile his twin brother, Mohg, shed his mother's name and found his own love. Made his own title. Started his own cult family, with blackjack, hookers and a LOT of blood. Lord of Blood, making his own alter to be worshiped at. Tom-like.

Uh yeah anyway - Severus wasn't loved and it's very sad, yet he dedicates his life to doing loving things even as a grumpy pants.

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Tom Riddles orphanage is interesting.

1920s/1930s The idea of not putting children to work was quite new. In fact there were still Workhouses until 1948.

Victorian's commonly thought that people were only poor because they are lazy, plus the well-blossoming ideas of eugenics meant poor people were probably just worse genetically. It was 'Christian values' to at least dress and feed poor children, but if you were too supportive of them they would only grow up to continue to be lazy, probably like their stupid poor lazy parents. They will go off and join the workforce at 14, so you shouldn't coddle them too early or else you'll spoil them.

Most orphanages were set up and funded by whichever rich fuck wanted to boast about how many little kids they 'help'. Some really were trying to help - but yknow... eugh. Rich people. Nothing was particularly regulated and abuse against children was accepted and even encouraged.

Plus its fresh after The Great War, poor street kids fending for themselves were hardly rare, infant mortality was high... Lots of kids and not much demand for them. If they could hurry up and grow up to join the workforce... that would be swell.

Experience of the common orphan in a common orphanage: + Crowded eating halls where they usually didn't eat well. + Beds lining the walls, no privacy, everyone in the same room. + No individuality - kids often forgot their own birthdays or names... adults rarely use them, there's too many kids to remember and they keep dying and shit, honestly who cares - if they get adopted maybe they'll be renamed anyway + Education was often light, just the basics + Sometimes they were also put to a little work beyond their own laundry and cleaning etc. + Sundays they get dressed up, cleaned up - to try and get them adopted. Trot them out like little show ponies to try and tempt some rich person. ''They aren't dirty street shits, they're nice and handsome little children who won't embarrass you.'' + In many places child abuse was just... awful. Being made to eat their own vomit, pushed down stairs, locked into rooms and forgotten about, straight up being murdered by their caretakers... if you can imagine it, it probably happened.

...Why do I say all this? Because barely any of that seems to apply to Tom's experience. That doesn't mean his Orphanage was a nice place for him to grow up... but my god, it sounds like a DREAM compared to the norm-!!!

+ Tom Riddle... had his own fucking bedroom. WOAH. + Privacy. Access to books to read. He could READ. + His own WARDROBE, where he could KEEP HIS OWN THINGS. + It's assumed other children could ALSO keep their own things, as he had stolen their stuff - and some even had PETS??? + No real sign that he is put to any grueling work. + He was calm and impolite in his own room - he isn't terrified to talk back to adults. + Though it did anger and scare him, experts were being brought in to try and evaluate his health. + He looked well. Well fed, healthy, clean, normal.

Mrs. Cole the Matron - though she says judgemental things she says and the mention of 'whacking on the nose with a rusty poker' (which I assume is basic physical abuse...?) - seems shockingly involved with the children. She knows their names, their preferences, their backstories... and despite the orphanage being poor, they take the children on a holiday every year. Even Harry thought she seemed alright.

It is BONKERS how nice it is at Wool's Orphanage. That is an intentional writing decision. They author is British, she knows basic recent British history - the 'suffering orphan' is baked into her very bones as a concept.

He COULD have been depicted as: + Just one dirty face in a room of many beds, many children, that Albus had to weave through to take him somewhere private and tell him he was different from them, he was special. + Keep the smaller rooms - but he has to share with five or so other boys... who have all moved their beds as far from his as possible. + He could have only barely even remembered his own name - there's nobody who cares to call him it anyway, so he dislikes it. + A "Yes Sir, Sorry Sir, Of course Sir" little boy - who then breaks out in joy over going to Hogwarts + ...just straight up could have been in a workhouse.

It wouldn't be far-fetched for it to be described like Oliver Twist (set in 1830s, but there was actually higher child mortality in 1930s) Or more of an Annie situation (set 1930s New York - probably better conditions than 1930s England) The Author has never shied away from displaying child suffering before. Just look at Snape and Harry... and even Neville! Yet Tom Riddle very much has an air of being the Top Rooster. + Even the adults don't know what to do with him. + He is rather comfortable as long as doctors aren't being brought in. + He has gone out of his way to MAKE that comfort for himself, through enforcing a harsh pecking order amongst the other kids. + He is, especially for the time, a bit of a brat. Talks back, snappy, sneering and scoffing, talks over adults, snatches...

That's not unreasonable of him, by the way. He IS treated unfairly due to his powers, he is a poor orphan in a world with an abundance of poor orphans... and he's just a little boy. Of course he acts out.

But he could have been made more sympathetic - and more believable, honestly - with only a slightly more harrowing depiction of his living situation than simply 'a little shabby - and the over stressed but tries-to-care Matron likes a drop of Gin.' Instead he is living better than most of the lower class.

Which to me can only mean he isn't supposed to come across as too sympathetic. He isn't a suffering orphan, he isn't miserable, he isn't abused (too badly), he isn't lonely, he isn't any of the things Harry was... despite being in a similar situation, at first glance. He is still sympathetic. Harry and Albus both thought so. But the reader isn't supposed to see his childhood as terrible. Just sub-par. We are happy he gets a chance at life at Hogwarts... ...but aren't thinking 'Oh man, of course he murdered people, he has had such a harrowing life' Snapes life was worse. Harry's life was worse. Neither of them kill.

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Argus Filch HC:

FIlch, as a young squib, did actually try to integrate with Muggle society. He comes from a family of purebloods - not a 28, but haughty and desperately wish they were. A little like the Malfoys, they have connections to the Muggle side of things, mainly for money (the appearance of being effortlessly rich in the Wizarding World via exploiting the Muggle world) and the hobby of collecting artifacts and art.

Imagine the shock and shame to his parents to have birthed a squib. Whispers about his mother or grandmother having a secret 'muggle lover' were everywhere across high pureblood society - true or not, it brought shame. With their connections, they tried to at least give Argus a good muggle life that would leave him still connected to the family:

He was trained by an art conservator-restorer.

He can paint. He can match pigments. He can tell what type of animal glue was used on the canvas - he is highly skilled, careful and methodical. He was trained with a perfectionist approach. The early 1900s were a difficult time, especially in Muggle England. Being an apprentice was not easy and his master was strict.

He never liked the Muggle world. He never liked Muggles - he might have been a squib but he turned his nose up at the non-magicals. His rich Muggle clients were all tasteless buffoons that hardly saw the value in what they wanted restored other than in pounds.

Despite his prickly, cold, distrusting personality... he is a very sentimental man. He does truly love art. The idea of capturing a moment in time, or a moment in fantasy, in a way that both feels real and yet utterly unreal - it is like a magic Muggles have mastered.

Portraits are his favourite - and while there is a beauty in the magic of Wizarding paintings, he finds the quiet stillness of good Muggle work not that different... you still feel you are getting to know the subject just through looking at them. If he can appreciate one things Muggles do - it is their eye for detail and dedication to getting things just-so. Like his master.

In the late 60s, when there were whispers of a Dark Magic cult growing in popularity within the shadows, some of his family feared for him. So... he packed up his Muggle life, and with a near childish glee - was brought to Hogwarts.

Some had reservations about hiring a Squib to the school - could he really manage to work in a whole castle without magic...? However the new Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was known already to have an eccentric penchant for hiring unusual staff - he had, as a teacher, insisted a violent Half-Giant be trained as Gameskeeper after his expulsion - and had recently hired a part-Goblin as a Charms teacher.

With so many portraits to clean, upkeep, restore, re-frame, soothe from panics and get to know in order to organize for searches and the like... Argus' particular skills would be a blessing. Something as complex as art, especially enchanted art, was not something a simple 'Reparo' could sufficiently fix. It left scars that only careful restoration could mend.

Argus did not see eye-to-eye with Dumbledore on most matters. However he is loyal and thankful to him, for giving him a life within the Wizarding World - within the school he could never attend. And sometimes, just sometimes, they chat. Albus keeps one foot in the muggle world at all times - and has on occasion invited Argus to art galleries around Muggle Europe during the summers. Sometimes he grows tired of Portraits chatting and complaining.

But he is as methodical as ever - and he prefers their company to that of most actual people. Simple to please, uncomplicated - he knows all of their names, when they were painted, the details of their canvas - some cry out to him that 'My paint is getting dry-!' or 'Are you sure a silver frame wouldn't be more fetching for me...?' They see him like a doctor. His care for them is evident, even when they help students sneak around behind his back.

This is how the Fat Lady was restored in PoA - and why it took so long: He did it by hand, with great care.

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If HP does something right is have disabled characters that: - Actually suffer with their disabilities sometimes, not just pretend everything is always good. - Have characterization altered by their disability without becoming 'the point of their character' (token disabled person) - Have issues beyond their disabilities - their life isn't run by their condition, they are people beyond it. - NEVER have a SINGLE disability cured by magic!!! They use magic to fix broken glasses, NOT fix their eyes - Never have "better than the real thing! No downsides!" magical accessibility aids - they show their scars and have to make trade-offs. - Never have 'fixes the problem!' medication for chronic conditions - Have a wide range of disabilities - physical, invisible, mental... sometimes mixed together, in complex, dynamic ways

People don't realize how good it actually is at this?! That's not getting into things like - depicting micro-aggressions, - characters who aren't disabled but need constant accommodations for their species - the diverse ways different character have mental health issues from different things - General prejudice, bigotry and ableism in society having just as large an effect on life as the condition itself - or larger.

Without trying. HP never set out to 'have good disabled characters' - it set out to show the many ways people can struggle. But it is somehow amazing. Better than we get from 99% of things, even the things that TRY really hard.

Hogwarts Legacy, a more modern attempt within the same franchise, PALES in comparison to the books. Like... it's fine. I like it well enough, but it does the whole: "Character's personality and 'point' is ruled by his injury" and "Magical accessibility aid that's basically as good as eyesight" All it's missing is "Upbeat sporty wheelchair character" and "Deaf character that can do sign language but mainly uses telepathy" and it'd be a full bingo card...