i am 100% convinced that wei wuxian’s bad memory is a defense mechanism.
he remembers little of his mother, but one of the things from her he does remember is this saying: “remember all the good others have done you, and forget all the good you’ve done others.“
memory is repetition. each time you remember something, you are repeating the experience as well as re-writing it. memory is constant alteration. the only reason wei wuxian would have remembered this lesson from his mother so clearly is that throughout his childhood, he revisited it time and time again, until it is ingrained in his being and has become the foundation of his personality.
the implicit message within that lesson is “forget all the bad in life, and remember only the good.“ and a young, orphaned wei wuxian took that and turned it into a crutch by which he survived to become the young teenager who is able to smile at jiang fengmian even when he is fighting for scraps with the dogs in the street, when he looked through trash piles for nourishment each day.
he forgets. he forgets so that he can survive. this is why wei wuxian has a terrible memory, and the more unpleasant an experience is, the more quickly he forgets about it (i.e. represses it); this is why he remembers little of the later part of his first life; this is why wei wuxian finds it difficult to accept a simple “thank you“, yet says “thank yous“ constantly to others (esp. lan zhan).
though his terrible memory is often played for gags in the novel, the more you think about it, the sadder it becomes how little wei wuxian remembers of his own life - both its beginnings and its end.
this is the reason why, even after everything, wei ying is able to joke and smile like nothing has happened, a quirk that many take to be vapid levity and insensitivity and annoys them, but those who know him well (lan zhan) will know is nothing but surface appearance.
(in light of this, it’s even more significant the way wei wuxian remembers every single encounter he’s had with lan wangji in his first life, all the details he is able to recall, before he lost his mind completely.)
contrarily, jiang cheng is someone who remembers, and who remembers too much. the reason why his sword is called “three poisons“, a fundamental vice in buddhist ideology and a name that has come to be one of his monikers as well, is that jiang cheng is everything buddhism stands against. (note that the jiang family crest is a nine-petaled lotus - the lotus being a central symbol in buddhism and often represents it in various contexts.)
jiang cheng’s sword is called sandu because the emotions that fuel him, the sources of his fierceness, determination, and power, are all negative. the more he uses that power, the more he remembers; the more he remembers, the more powerful and spiteful he becomes. (this is not entirely his fault, per se, but an unfortunate consequence of his upbringing and everything that follows after.)
jiang cheng remembers too much, holds onto too much; he has too much baggage, he is incapable of letting go. unlike the lotus his family is known for, he cannot break through the mud of material existence and reach up into the clean air. he is mired instead in past pains, past regrets, past grudges. he remembers too much until the memories poison him: endlessly mourning everything he has lost leads to greed; ruminating on the blame of everyone involved in his family’s deaths leads to resentment; the bias of his own memories and limited perspective leads to ignorance. thus “the three poisons”.
when he and wei wuxian confront each other for the last time in the novel in chapter 103, what wei wuxian says is:
“Forget it. It’s all in the past now. Let’s not mention it any longer.“
while jiang cheng lists every important person he’s ever lost throughout the years, counting his memories like gems. this is why, when everything he once thought he knew about wei wuxian is turned on its head, jiang cheng almost goes mad from it - jiang cheng is nothing if not the sum of his memories, and wen ning has just upturned almost everything he “knew“ about himself, wei wuxian, and the order of the world.
wei wuxian lets go. jiang cheng holds on. wei wuxian forgets. jiang cheng remembers. this is the fundamental difference between them, and the ultimate reason behind their various disagreements, the reason their relationship eventually broke down beyond repair.
on a side note, it’s also interesting to think about: 1. the buddhist undertones in wei wuxian’s life philosophy, the fact that various characters throughout the novel refers to him as the true inheritor of the yunmeng-jiang spirit, and 2. how that relates to his later relationship with lan wangji, whose whole family is descended from a buddhist monk and who is pretty much the embodiment of buddhist detachment (and who later loses that detachment because of wei wuxian.)
lan wangji, the name of whose sword means “the avoidance of worldly matters“, and who wades into the muck of the world repeatedly, in order to find even a shred of wei wuxian’s existence.
I love this analysis – finally someone points out the Buddhist undertones in mdzs. I’m not an expert in Buddhist scriptures but I always wondered why mxtx chose 三毒 (sandu) for JC’s sword and 厌离 (yanli) for shijie’s name, both of which are Buddhist terms. I wish someone who’s done their research on this could write a longer post on it.
On a side note, this analysis also reminds me of a famous quote from the Qing dynasty artist and literati Zheng Banqiao: 难得糊涂 (literally meaning ‘ignorance is hard to come by’, which can be interpreted as ‘ignorance is bliss: it’s foolish to be wise’). I think WWX is a master of this – he doesn’t torment himself by regret or dwelling on negative thoughts; he lives in the present and looks forward. The only time we witness signs of remorse was when he was at his breaking point. Rest of the time he was still working on his inventions and cultivating to be a revered master.
I’ve been reading Western and Chinese scholars’ analysis of the Buddhist teachings on happiness recently, which also surrounds on the attenuation of the ‘self’, reconciling oneself to negative emotions and re-examination of what it means to be happy from a unique personal perspective. The sustained state of this self-awareness and one’s search of the path to happiness IS the Buddhist way. I found JC incapable of doing so, at least in the novel. WWX on the other hand has been actively practising these methods his entire life(s). The fact that WWX ends up happier than JC even after he has DIED once really rather beautifully presents the difference between the two and makes the entire story so interesting.
Does drow society have any strong opinions re: sorcerers?
Yes absolutely. There’s no mention in the lore that I can find that sorcerer “wizards” versus wizard wizards are treated any differently; sorcerers generally fall lumped into wizard, though I am aware of the difference between a sorcerer and a wizard class wise, I’ll get into that later.
In drow society wizards are usually male and being one is really the only way a drow male in a Lolth governed society can gain any true rights of power. Even the highest ranking and best warriors can be killed without question if they were to offend a priestess for example. Look at Zaknafein, best warrior in Menzo? Lol nah just kill him to appease Lolth it’s fine. Of course this could happen to any wizard, but it’s less hastily done, wizards are extremely useful and an asset to any house or city. The unpredictable nature of magic is appealing to drow in their desire for the upper hand, using chaos to win over order. A warrior is generally predictable, a wizard, not so much. However this does make females treat them with extra suspicion, while wizards get away with a lot more they are also suspected of more.
A sorcerer by d&d class definitions is generally someone born with innate magical abilities, that they never had to learn. They have less spells than a wizard, but their power is more organic, comes from within them, somewhat similar to a psion. True wizards have studied and learned for a long time to have the power they do, though being both a sorcerer and a wizard would of course be the best. Tieflings possess some innate sorcery, which is why people often choose that race when making that class. But I digress; drow. A sorcerer specifically may be seen as more reckless than just a vanilla wizard and as such would be treated with equal respect and disdain. Respect from those who find the innate ability a rare and beautiful gift (probably only other male drow) and disdain from those who covert that ability or are wary of it ( any female drow who doesn’t want that fire cracker to go off at any minute. Possibly some jealous drow wizards, though it’s unlikely.)
Drow wizards take a long time to learn and perfect their craft, scoffing at the volatile nature of humans and how quickly they try to learn all the things. The drow masters had warned the students against using magic “like a human would,” implying a dangerous recklessness generally associated with the short-lived race. - Dark Elf Triology - Sojourn page 20.So recklessness isn’t something other drow wizards look favorably on, which is something sorcerers tend to be.
In a non Lolth governed society it is a very different story. One such drow city is Sshamath. This city is ruled by wizards instead of priestesses, who, are seen as a lot lesser than wizards. It is patriarchal and wizards are seen as pretty much the best thing ever, to be a wizard in Sshamath is the highest honor. So to answer your question in the TLDR version; yes. They have some very strong and contrasting opinions depending on the deity the society worships.
(Information was pulled from various Drow of the Underdark manuals and Forgotten Realms DMs/Players guides. Plus reasonable inference.)
honorary titles in cql/mdzs by how feral they make me go
Hanguang-Jun (Light Bearing Lord): I am content. I am at Peace. I am possibly maybe starstruck. Mr Lan Wangji out here being called the Actual Bringer of Light and it is Absolutely True. Every junior of every sect calls him like he has personally made the sun shine and they’re right, Wei Wuxian and I concur. I’m not feeling even remotely feral. I am as serene as Hanguang-Jun himself.
Chifeng-Zun (Red Blade Master) and Sandu Shengshou (Skilled Wielder of Sandu/Thrice Bane Master): Logical. Sensible. Send a clear message. You know what to expect and that is that Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng Have Swords and they’re Pissed Off Enough to Use Them. Be scared for your life and please, please Do Not annoy them. I’m not going feral but they sure are. Good for them.
Lianfang-Zun (Lord of Hiding Fragrance/Subtle Fragrance): Makes sense in context but too on the nose. We get it. Jin Guangyao’s an Evil Mastermind who stumped even the smartest of cultivators. He’s Hiding Fragrances. I have no idea why he agreed to this but I can appreciate the twisted sense of poetry in this. Doesn’t really make me go feral, only because I’m confused why Literally No One suspected him of his crimes considering he pretty much spelled it out.
Gui Jiangjun (Ghost General): Homeboy was selling turnips and chilling with his fam in burial mounds while the cultivation world was naming him entirely out of his volition. It’s a cool title, very goth and sexy, and Wen Ning will only be called that if he reclaims it. We support Wen Ning’s rights in this house and He Is Not A Thing. I’m not quite feral yet but if anyone disagrees, it’s On Sight for them.
Huadan Shou (Core Melting Hand): Wen Zhuliu, my dude, if you weren’t partly responsible for the painful golden core situation, I would’ve been way more pleased with this. Again, sends a Clear Message and tells you that You Must Not Fuck With Him. I’m beginning to go feral and I don’t know if it’s because of my rage at the consequences of his actions or because this is actually a pretty powerful name to be called. Damn it.
Headshaker: Nie Huaisang 1000% planned this and I’m not even mad. My boy knew what he was doing and he Did It Right. The exact opposite energy of Jin Guangyao’s title as in he literally pointed to the other guy saying idk man ask him about it. Very iconic. Very gay. Very Funny when you explore the possibilities of 10 years of head shaking as a sect leader. I am feeling quite feral in a fun kind of way but not nearly as feral as Nie Huaisang himself is.
Yiling Laozu (Yiling Patriarch): OKAY. Sexy. Hot. Chaotic but Righteous. I may be biased but Wei Wuxian being called Yiling Laozu is quite possibly my favourite title because hell yeah he’s a protector of his people and he Will Fight anyone who fucks with them. And he will look Very Hot doing that with his goth outfits and sexy black smoke and haunting tunes. Ugh. I’m going Very Feral in the best, most ‘I’m in love with a necromancer’ way. Lan Wangji really stood no chance, did he.
Zewu-Jun (Brilliance Overgrowth Lord/Lord of Munificent Waters): I am In Pain. I am Screaming. I have not known a single moment of Peace since I found this out. Why. Why is Lan Xichen called that. He’s a Good Person. You could’ve called him Anything and THAT’S what you came up with?!?!! Literal translation Lord of Damp Overgrown Weeds??!!!??!!!!! I Don’t Care if it sounds better with context, I am FILLED with sheer murderous RAGE and I WILL lose my MIND. How did he NOT go on a rampage after this. How is the entire plot just not his villain origin story motivated by his fucking name. I am FULLY FERAL and NOTHING can stop me now. Lan Qiren I Am Coming For You.
hey op, I know you didn’t have malicious intent when you wrote this, and that it is A Joke, but it touches a nerve related to the ongoing casual racism that I keep seeing in this fandom. I slept on this because I didn’t want to respond in reflexive anger, but I decided it was still worth addressing.
while this response is prompted by this post, it is broadly applicable to tendencies in MDZS/CQL fandom that I’ve wanted to talk about for a while. I’m not going to mince my words, but I will also make every attempt to avoid ad hominem attacks.
* do not under any circumstance harass or dogpile op because of my opinions. that kind of behavior is enormously disrespectful to both op and myself. it’s not woke, it’s cruelty for self-aggrandizement. don’t fucking do it. thanks. *
I am very frustrated that many people in this fandom adhere to translations incredibly literally, rigidly, and incorrectly. I’m tired of reading jokes and meta and other assorted takes that hinge on specific translation choices made by one or two people as if they are objectively correct. if you interact with a work through translation, you must take that into account when making statements about it. a translation and a source text are inherently different works, and both derision and praise of the creator(s)/the canon without acknowledgement of this inevitable gap of knowledge is a ridiculous way to approach media, even as a joke. applied inconsistently, it magnifies personal biases and miscommunication.
i will only talk about two misinterpretations (deliberate or not) in the original post, one that does no real harm, and one that I think does.
Headshaker: Nie Huaisang 1000% planned this and I’m not even mad. … The exact opposite energy of Jin Guangyao’s title as in he literally pointed to the other guy saying idk man ask him about it. … Very Funny when you explore the possibilities of 10 years of head shaking as a sect leader.
“Headshaker” is a translation by exiled rebels which has caught on in larger EN fandom, but it is not a literal translation, unlike the other titles/nicknames listed. what people actually call him is the idiom 一问三不知, literally, “one question, three ‘i don’t know’s”. I actually think “Headshaker” isn’t a bad translation for such a difficult moniker, as the literal translation is awkward and, lacking the context and flow of the original language, loses its humor and impact. this is explained in the translator’s notes on chapter 21 of exiled rebels’ translation.
this is pretty harmless because the final results are comparable in meaning. however, the literalness of it shows either a lack of awareness or an intentional disregard for context in order to make a joke. I’ve seen this attitude applied in many instances where it changes interpretations significantly with greater consequences.
Zewu-Jun (Brilliance Overgrowth Lord/Lord of Munificent Waters): I am In Pain. … Why. Why is Lan Xichen called that. He’s a Good Person. You could’ve called him Anything and THAT’S what you came up with?!?!! Literal translation Lord of Damp Overgrown Weeds??!!!??!!!!! I Don’t Care if it sounds better with context, I am FILLED with sheer murderous RAGE and I WILL lose my MIND. … Lan Qiren I Am Coming For You.
泽 has multiple meanings. it’s evident just in the two translations that are listed: “Brilliance Overgrowth Lord” and “Lord of Munificent Waters”. the dictionary I use has it listed as pool/pond, lustre, damp, favor/beneficence. I suspect the translators got “brilliance” from lustre and “munificent waters” from either a combination of pool/pond and favor/beneficence, or a looser interpretation of 芜 in context. in my opinion, neither translation is satisfactory, but that’s neither here nor there.
in english, we don’t really have a simple word for free-growing wild flora that isn’t “weeds”, which has an inherently negative connotation in modern society. to respond to something I saw in the notes, 芜 does not describe “pond scum” (which is also inherently a value judgment and largely a result of water pollution due to modern agricultural practices), and it does not describe the weeds that you have to pull up in your garden. usually, 芜, as it is meant here, refers to land that is out of human cultivation, or wild, unchecked plant growth. this is just a moment where two languages don’t mesh.
modern chinese does not function the way a lot of people think. one character is not equivalent to one word. characters are more often morphemes which take on different meanings depending on context. this isn’t really the place to explain that further, but if anyone wants to ask for elaboration, feel free. (i am not a linguist, however.)
the temptation that many english speakers have to directly and literally translate names and titles character by character has roots in the historical exoticization and othering of chinese culture and people. my maternal grandmother’s given name was 兰君 | lán jūn. if you translated that directly, it comes out to something like “Honored Orchid”. (you may notice that the “jun” is the same as in the mdzs titles.) my given name is just 优 | yōu, directly translated to mean “Excellent”. but calling either of us like that, or discussing our names based on that information alone isn’t really any better than all the “Delicate Peony”s and “Fragrant Jasmine”s you find in white fantasies of china as some kind of mystical, distant land with strange and different people. you would not be able to see the cultural reference my grandmother’s name makes when viewed alongside her sisters’ names. you would not be able to see how my name and my brother’s name form a pair, nor how my whole name is also a pun on an idiom as a wish for my well-being and happiness wrapped up in two ordinary characters. you wouldn’t be able to tell how unintentionally hilarious my brother’s name is because history is not my mother’s strong suit.
it is impossible to talk about chinese in atomized, literal pieces as if that could convey meaning because the language is so deeply reliant on context by its very nature, so I felt insulted when you said you didn’t care if it sounded better with context. it’s one thing to say, “i know this sounds better in context, but I find this funny” and another to say, “context doesn’t matter”. I understand that this was said flippantly and without ill intent for humor’s sake, but I’d also like you to understand why it was so hurtful.
because of that statement, the rest of the paragraph reads like mockery of the name through a lens of willful ignorance. it especially angers me because it comes at the end of a post that already betrayed a lack of consideration and cultural literacy in a number of ways. i won’t nitpick at them here because that’s not the point, nor do i really blame you for them.
it stings personally because people have and do treat my surname like a joke or curiosity in english. this has happened my whole life. a classmate of mine mocked my name for years and followed me and my friends around pulling at the corners of his eyes. i don’t really think he meant much harm either, but you can see why that doesn’t change the consequences.
making fun of a name in a foreign language because it sounds ugly or clumsy when deliberately translated poorly, with the express intent of exaggerating its failings, is, I think, a racist act, if not qualified or contextualized in some way. this is especially true of chinese in an english context because of the way anti-chinese racism has historically manifested. even a simple, “wow that’s an unfortunate translation lol” would suffice. I acknowledge that the degree of my anger and hurt stems from personal reasons, but the core of it does not.
if this were a post with like, a hundred notes or something, I might not have bothered, but the fact that it has almost two thousand notes with little to no criticism–in many cases, there are comments that compound the misunderstandings–feels admittedly, really fucking awful actually! that after so many people reading this post, not one of them raised any issue besides trivial fact-checking or suggestions for alternate translations.
ultimately, my anger is not really directed at you or at the people in the notes. you weren’t trying to hurt anyone, and you and everyone else were having fun. this post is, in the end, just a series of unintentional microaggressions. but because anti-chinese racism (in wealthy english-speaking countries) so often comes in the form of constant, repeated microaggressions that always feel a little too trivial to address, it tends to slide into a weird liminal space where it is often not discussed at all and therefore compounds into something much more insidious without anyone noticing.
my experience is not universal, and I am not an arbiter of what it means to be chinese in an english-speaking society. however, that doesn’t change the way I feel, nor does it invalidate my points. i’m not looking for an apology, but I am asking you and everyone reading this to be mindful about the way they discuss and joke about MDZS and CQL as english-speaking fandom continues to grow. i don’t think you’re a bad person, and even if you eventually conclude that you disagree with what I’ve said, I still wouldn’t. the same goes for everyone in the notes–I do not wish to hurt you or embarrass anybody over this. I would just like my points to be given a fair and serious consideration despite the levity of the original post’s content.
(op, apologies in advance, I will probably reblog this a few times because I feel very strongly about this.)
Actor: The DM plays the monsters choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays all the people the characters meet.
Director: Like the director of a movie the DM decides (and describes) what the players characters encounter in the course of an adventure. The DM is also responsible for the pace of a play session and for creating situations that facilitate fun.
Improviser: A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters actions in a way that will make the game fun for everyone.
Referee: When it's not clear what ought to happen next the DM decides how to apply the rules.
Storyteller: The DM crafts adventures setting situations in front of the characters that entice them to explore and interact with the game world.
Teacher: It's often the DM's job to teach new players how to play the game.
Worldbuilder: The DM creates the world where the game's adventures take place. Even if you're using a published setting you get to make it yours.
DM TIPS
The most important part of being a good DM is facilitating the fun of everyone at the table. Keep these tips in mind to help things go smoothly.
Embrace The Shared Story: DND is about telling a story as a group so let the other players contribute through the words and deeds of their characters. Encourage players to engage by asking them what their characters are doing.
It's Not a Competition: The DM isn't competing against the other players. It's your job to provide fun challenges and keep the story moving.
Be Fair and Flexible: Treat your players in a fair impartial manner. The rules help you do this but when you need to act as referee try to make decisions that ensure everyone is having fun.
Communicate with your Players: Open communication is essential to a successful DND game. Many problems can be solved or even prevented with honest conversation. Ask questions and solicit feedback after or between sessions.
It's OK to Make Mistakes: If you overlook or misrepresent something correct yourself and move on. No one expects you to memorize every rule or detail. Even if you don't realize your mistake until after a game session is over it's OK to acknowledge the mistake at the start of the next session and make adjustments moving forward
How is house rivalry at Hogwarts? Is there a lot of house pride/division between the houses?
Also during quidditch season, do people know the players of the teams (kinda like football)? (do people root for individual players?)
I’m so interested in how the vibes would be during quidditch season and if people get really intense into showing house/team/player pride bwjahshd
THANK U FOR SHARING ABOUT YOUR DR YOUR POSTS ARE ALWAYS SO LOVELY TO READ <333
yes of course! i love answering questions and they are always welcome!!
for house rivalry, it is very toned down during the average school day than what it is portrayed in the original series. now that I've gotten into advanced level classes, there are students from every house in my classes and it is very standard to have good friends from every house! the school also has lenient rules about sitting with other houses during meals, and we usually only have to sit with our assigned house during important meals (start of term feast, meals with speeches, etc).
however, when it comes to quidditch, everything gets so crazy. even with the teams in the League, every person usually has a team that they root for (sometimes from where they are born) and it is very common to see students wearing team merchandise or sporting a team pin on their school bag. it can start some great conversation and there are even mini-clubs and friend groups that are formed over the obsession of a certain League team!
quidditch at Hogwarts probably has the wildest division between the teams / houses, but only if your house is playing, usually. for example, the Gryffindor vs Slytherin game (which is the first in the season) is one of the most highly anticipated and conflict inducing games of the season, i'd say. the weeks leading up to this game are full of older students dragging the newer students to the practices to watch, and even those who swear they hate quidditch seem to make time for it. it really joins us all together, and I especially love how in my desired reality the winner sometimes throws a party and everyone is invited. I can't wait for the season to start again so I can experience it firsthand!!
also, there are definitely "quidditch celebrities" at Hogwarts. because the sport is so vital to student life at hogwarts, if you are on the team it is kind of an automatic popularity marker. even the substitute players who don't join in the actual game very often are so well known and the team really is like a family. one thing that is so similar to the franchise is how popular the seekers are. students band together to cheer for their favorite players, but i've noticed that the seekers / captains are the most anticipated members of the season. in my DR, gryffindor and ravenclaw are opening up the spot for new seekers this year and the speculation has been INSANE. people are so eager to see how this season plays out, as Cedric Diggory and Elsie Smithey (the slytherin seeker) have stolen the hearts of everyone in the castle and those two are pretty unbeatable.
(( i scripted that I would become the gryffindor seeker I AM STRESSING SO BAD))
as for house pride, everyone takes part in creating banners and creative posters, and dressing up for games is an absolute must. in addition, I also own some things for different houses, as it is so common to support the other teams if yours is not playing! it all depends on how the season works out in your team's favor, so some students change what team they cheer for each year IT IS SO FUNNY.
(I tried to find pictures that look like they were taken there if that makes sense! I have so much more to post but tumblr only lets me post so many photos. More pics in the reblogs!)
I'm really curious about what job options are in the wizard world!! In the movies & books they show so little, like aren't there other professions besides working at the ministry, owning a shop, or being a teacher?
I was so so curious about this as well before I shifted.. so I am glad to answer!
thank you so much for the ask <33
something unique about the wizarding world is how common it is for the average wizard/witch to work a main job and a side job (usually creative). Arthur used to work two jobs, one at the Ministry and one at an antique artifacts office in Diagon Alley, but he doesn't go there as often to spend more time with the family!
because the wizarding population is so slim, many people are not afraid to show their skills and try different things, as we rely on each other in our secret little world! for example, many of my friends have wizarding parents who have written a book, sometimes about commonplace things or about research topics or art, even!
I definitely wasn't expecting this, but the wizarding world loves to share information through magazines, books, plays, etc. they have bookstores that are always releasing new books, and there are many popular magazines that have whole teams of people who work on them every day! so being a writer is definitely very common in my DR
there is also a rise in radio hosts and commentators, and there are many shows you can tune in to on certain days of the week. there are also many wizards / witches who go to quidditch games worldwide and their job is to commentate and keep radio stations informed on the games. when I went to the League cup, there was constant chatter of radio hosts broadcasting to worldwide quidditch channels!
on a different note, many people choose to go down the research / conservation scientist route, and this is usually paired with authoring a book or documenting with the Ministry. Cedric's mom (Kelley) goes on many trips to Scandinavia and those regions to document magical plants and their properties, and she comes back and writes artistic books under the pen name Kellory.
many witches/wizards will collaborate with magical governments worldwide to better help wildlife in different locations and preserve the wizarding culture around them! this also comes with people who work with animals / beasts, and there are breeders, tamers, and caretakers. these jobs need lots of training and experience, but they are so vital to the care of magical creatures.
working at inns, bars, and restaurants is also very common, and for some people that is their only job. take Rosmerta in the Three Broomsticks for example... she works and lives there, and these roles are incredibly important in small wizarding towns like Hogsmeade. this also comes with cooks, and when the barmaids and the bakers come together, absolutely ICONIC restaurants are born and food really ties us all together so it is PERFECT!
there are also traditional jobs like being a broom-maker. this is kind of a dying art with mass produced racing brooms becoming the norm, but many wealthier families will pay for customized brooms and sometimes the artists hold teaching workshops. I went to one at the beginning of summer, and I made my own broom from maple and apple branches with my dad. the broom-maker and his team did help us with enchanting it, though, but it didn't cost as much as I thought it would and I am so glad I got that experience!! wand-maker is also a very similar job! I love folk arts <3
I forgot about actors, musicians, and singers too! there are so many littler bands in the wizarding world, and it is pretty easy to gain an audience (at least for a short amount of time). a lot of popular musicians will also go on to write books too, so double whammy!
AND ALSO HEALERS—— any type, people are obsessed with wanting to become a healer in my DR! St. Mungo's is the most popular workplace, but there are also private healers who go to wealthy households and healers who work around quidditch games! it always requires schooling after hogwarts, but it is a very common route!
honorable mentions include herbologist, farmer (who tends to magical plants and sells them), greenhouse owner (similar to farmer, except more "pretty" plants), professional quidditch player / substitute player, magical photographer, traveling saleswizard, magical translators, and being a psychic medium!
I hope this helped!! if you have any more questions about any of these jobs in depth, I can try and answer to the best of my ability!
all I do in my DR is study the world around me... I am just so fascinated by it! i love rambling about these little things :,)
(( these questions are amazing! i have so so much i want to say about my life at hogwarts that i get overwhelmed aaaa so this is PERFECT! this is also my longest post yet, so buckle in yall i'm about to overshare on the internet ‼️))
1. If you’re DR is set in the 90s/70s - How different is it to modern day? What are some changes you like and what changes did it take a while for you to get used to?
this question might be difficult to answer, as in my DR I am fully involved in the wizarding world and I don't really have that much contact with the muggle world, but definitely the technology! that might seem like a no-brainer and something to be expected when shifting to Hogwarts, but I wasn't expecting how different it would be. the hardest thing for me to adapt to was not being able to pull out my phone to take a picture whenever I wanted to. there were so so many little moments when I was at the Burrow where I would have the most perfect photo idea and I would realize I don't have my phone and realize I left my old film camera in my room. getting used to carrying that thing around and learning more about it (as my dad (arthur) brought it home for me one day and we fixed it up in the workshop!) is such a hassle sometimes. AND I HAVE TO DEVELOP FILM... which is rewarding in the end but sometimes I miss the instant gratification of a smartphone!
a change I do like is the style of music, both wizarding and muggle. I feel like the popular wizarding bands definitely reflect the 90s atmosphere in music, with many different new songs that have changing sounds in alternative rock and sometimes even annoyingly catchy pop songs. many other wizarding bands have themes that go all of the way back to classic jazz, so the range is INSANE. the music is truly so immersive, as the wizarding community is generally in favor of playing all types of music (at parties etc) both wizarding and muggle. truly an education!
2. If you’re part Veela/Metamophmagus/Mermaid/siren/werewolf etc. what is it like?
being a siren is still a change I am getting used to in my new DR, but it is absolutely something out of my biggest fantasies. as a girl who loves the sea and all her mythology, actually being a part of the sirens and learning about all of their folklore is a sacred experience I hold so dear to my heart. the life I have lived as a siren (even though my actual shift was quite short) feels so innate and like something I won't ever forget.
with being a blood-related siren comes many many things I didn't fully expect. there is a siren language (which I can speak in that reality), rituals and ceremonies that I noticed, and certain abilities that are passed on through family. there is also the wizarding public, who looks to sirens with curiosity because they are so closely related to merpeople and veela, yet they have such a distinct culture of their own. because there are so little sirens that engage with the wizarding world, I am kind of known as "that siren girl" and sometimes people say it negatively, but it is usually people who take the merfolk classification of "beast" very seriously and they are a bunch of idiots CONTINUE
3. Where do you change into your robes on the Hogwarts Express?
the Hogwarts express is completely different (length wise) on the inside than on the outside. when I first got onto the train, I was completely blown away when the twins and I walked into a long compartment that looked almost like a diner. they were serving pear & apple cider and I thought it was so cool that they had a bunch of different train areas. I walked around with Ginny during our train ride, and we found a bunch of these changing rooms / bathrooms and I remembered changing there in previous years so that is where we went!
inside of these bathrooms, it definitely has an expansion charm because it feels small while also having a lot of space for many students?? kind of like how the train expands or shrinks to fit the amount of compartments needed? also, these rooms are definitely hot spots for seeing other students bc tell me why I saw half of my year while I was in there for maybe 20 minutes??
4. If you’re an exchange student - How does the sorting ceremony work? Do you get sorted with the first years regardless of what year you’re in or do you get privately sorted somewhere else, like Dumbledore’s office?
this has only happened twice that I remember, and both times the students were sorted before the first years and Dumbledore gave kind of a mini introduction to their year and where they came from. personally, I would've been so scared to be individually introduced like that, especially in a new school with people I've never seen before. But Hogwarts is just kind of crazy like that, and the random outings by staff in front of the entire Great Hall never get boring I SWEAR!
5. Is Hogwarts a lot different to how you imagined? Is it like the movies or was there any changes?
I'd like to say the hours I've spent touring the castle on games like Hogwarts Legacy would prepare me for it, but I was still absolutely blown away (and I don't say that lightly)! the biggest thing for me was the sheer height of the castle! it is kind of a thing among newer Hogwarts students to not look up at the towers from the ground, as some people get this kind of reverse-vertigo? other than that, it definitely has the same vibe as the movies, except things feel waaay more spread out in my DR. I swear, in the movies Harry and Ron are getting to class in ten minutes, and I can barely get to my next class with my 30 minute passing time IT IS SO STRESSFUL. especially when I go from Care of Magical Creatures all the way to Advanced Herbology on tuesday mornings LIKE I AM RUNNING they are on opposite sides of the castle. I get the same feeling when I walk into the Grand Staircase and see all of the steps. I'm definitely debating adding a floo-network for easier transportation, but it is quite fun to feel like i'm getting a workout while exploring my favorite place ever!!
6. What are some classes you weren’t expecting to like as much as you did?
def divination! everybody kind of hates on divination for being a class that people only take when they have a free hour and nobody really takes it seriously, but I love the atmosphere so much and it feels like the kindest part of the castle when I am in my Advanced Div. 1 class. because I am in the advanced class (which prepares for OWLs), everyone there genuinely wants to be there and I am obsessed with the teacher student ratio of that class. there are probably less than ten students taking advanced divination and we all know each other so well and so far it has ended with us practicing techniques on each other or just filling in professor Trelawny on what is happening throughout the castle. sometimes in a class that small it just ends up being a bunch of divination nerds gathered around a table with the professor reading tarot or something ! it is my little safe haven in a castle so obsessed with intense schedules and such
6. And the opposite - What are some classes that you didn’t end up liking?
in my uni-structured Hogwarts, you can stop taking certain basics classes after your third year, so DADA was OUT. i never really liked that class because I remember always thinking that the environment was super energetic and one of my friends (??) El was kind of my academic rival in that class and that mf never left me alone. i am definitely built for more personalized classes and that is okay! Hogwarts has something for everyone once you pass the basics!
also, FUCK HOME STUDY CLASS. i signed up for that class because it was supposed to be a general home economics class that teaches basic spells for around the house (like cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc) but the professor is an absolute NIGHTMARE and she reminds me of rita skeeter somehow?? also, Fred and George took that class as a joke (seriously, nobody has any idea why they took it), and now it is just constant bickering between professor and students. every time I've stepped into that classroom this week, I've wondered, "how are the boys going to harass professor reen today??"
7. Is it strange to be in Hogwarts if you grew up watching the movies? Id imagine it to be a bit surreal
it is so unbelievably surreal. my first night at hogwarts, I hardly got any sleep because I was so overwhelmed with excitement (and I say that so sincerely). all I wanted to do was run around the castle at night and talk to my roommates for hours and I couldn't wait for breakfast because everything felt so amazing. I have been shifting for a couple of years, but Hogwarts was always the place I had been waiting to go to and I wanted it to be special and when I finally was there and I was running my hand on the castle stone behind my bed it all hit me. my entire childhood felt complete. I wasn't worried about anything anymore, and I couldn't believe that I finally made it to the place i'd considered as "home" almost my whole life.
in addition, hogwarts no longer felt like something I had only seen on a screen. when I shifted back a day ago, I went on pinterest and saw some photos of the dorms and the great hall and it felt so strange? kind of like if you saw a photo online of a place you've been to in your daily life, and you knew the way around even if the photo didn't show every detail? there was a new awareness of having lived in these places, and I had memories attached to simple things like a photo of the Great Hall from the movies!
8. Have you made any friends in school that aren’t mentioned in the books or movies? Talk a bit about them
if you've seen any of my previous posts, I talk about my little group of friends that live in Ottery St. Catchpole (and some of them don't exist in canon)! one of my closest friends is a girl named June Smithey, and she is a slytherin in my year. we both take advanced div. together and she is so sweet!! her twin brother is El, but he doesn't seem to like me very much and is always competing with me for NO REASON. he always has to hang around us though bc he is Cedric's best friend and sometimes Ced and I are attached at the hip.
another best friend of mine is a girl named Vanessa Nacky, and she is a sixth year prefect. everyone calls her Nessa, and she is such a mum figure to all of the younger students and she is so liked by everyone in every house! she is dating Oliver Wood and they are so insanely good for each other I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER COUPLE TRUST ME
9. How long does the Hogwarts express take? If it takes very long - apart from talking to friends, what things do students usually do to occupy their time on the train? Are there different types of games in the wizarding world or popular magazines among witches/wizards?
the Hogwarts express usually takes 7-8 hours! apart from talking, some of my friends and I read the old issues of the Hogwarts newspaper (called the Hogwarts Legacy) and we speculated about what the next year would entail. there is also the diner-areas where they serve small lunch-like snacks (unlike constant candy from the trolley) and different drinks! also, in the movies they made it seem like students could only stay in their compartment the whole time, but that is not how it was like during my journey. people constantly got up to go visit with other friends and see each other after summer, so talking never really got boring! people also compare collected cards (which is a big thing in the wizarding world) and there is even a couple of chess tables in one of the train cars. other than that, reading and sleeping are very popular, as the first day of term is always a very late night and sometimes people just need a little quiet time!
10. What is it like sharing a dorm? Who are you sharing a dorm with and do you like your dorm mates?
thankfully, I went into my DR already being best friends with my dormmates, so each night really felt like an organized sleepover! we each have our own little alcoves where we can keep our stuff and our beds, so I never really felt overwhelmed being in a busy dorm.
I share a dorm with Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Iris Fawcett, and Fay Dunbar! I am thankful that most of these lovely girls are on the quidditch team with me, so we really are very close and we spend many nights talking from our beds when we should be asleep :')
the whole situation did turn out very well for me, though, as some people in Hogwarts do not like their dormmates very much and are stuck wishing they can become a prefect to get their own dorm. (cough, percy and oliver wood)
11. What is quidditch like? Do you like it or have you decided it’s not for you?
I am OBSESSED with quidditch. in my desired reality, the quidditch season hasn't started yet, but I scripted that I was going to become seeker and I am so unbelievable excited! back at the burrow, we played many small games in the back field, and even though I scripted I would be great at the sport, I genuinely enjoy trying to learn new tricks and improve my ability in other positions (i will never be a good beater I swear 😔).
quidditch is such a ceremonial experience for students at Hogwarts.. and there is really no escaping it!! I grew up fascinated by the whole strange concept and rules in this reality, and even if you think the whole idea is stupid the crazy crowd will definitely make up for it bc we all band together for quidditch!!
also, if you choose to get involved in the different leagues and tournaments, there is truly so much content and magazines that are released weekly YOULL NEVER GET BORED! quidditch is such a culture in the wizarding world, and it is comparable to muggle sports leagues and all of the devoted fans that sit down weekly to watch. at the burrow, when the league games are broadcasted on the WWN, we crowd around the radio in the kitchen and sometimes even have dinner while the game is playing if it goes late! and don't even get me started on the WORLD league...
12. Is there anything in the wizarding world that surprised you?
the amount of errands the average wizarding family goes on! to the average movie watcher, it feels like during the summer the students all go home and then the only places the parents go are the Ministry. this was far from the truth for me! at the burrow, mum (Molly) would let me take the floo-network to Diagon Alley whenever I needed to get my film developed, and sometimes she would let some of us go in groups to get supplies / materials for crafts we are doing etc!
also, there is another common wizarding market in Birnam that many people go to for fresh produce and lots of cooking things. Molly goes pretty frequently, and when I went once over the summer, I saw people from school there and it is kind of a small hangout spot for wizarding families. another common place to go is Prelly's, which is in the heart of diagon alley and everyone AND THEIR MOTHER has been to Prelly's. it is comparable to a grocery store, except everything is marketed magically and it is so chaotic in there all of the time. that store is so cherished in the wizarding world, I don't think i've ever been to a magical household that doesn't have something from Prelly's. I was so surprised to learn that even wizards had places to shop for groceries 😭
13. What is your favourite place to spend time in Hogwarts/Hogsmeade? Do you have a secret place where you and your friends hang out?
I haven't gotten to explore Hogsmeade that much yet, but inside of Hogwarts there is a small inter-house common room that is called the Selkie Commons. it is located near the main Viaduct and it overlooks the lake through big windows in the stone. it gets its name from the series of stained glass dividers that show pictures of yellow selkies as you enter the room! this place isn't very secret, though, as many people come here to study and sometimes it can even get kind of loud late after dinner. however, this place is technically considered a Study Hall, so it closes at 10:30 and we are limited to hanging out inside of our common rooms :,)
other than that... the art wing. there are certain classes offered for magical art, and a lot of my friends also dabble in those classes because they are such a nice break and the evironment is truly amazing! there is a main studio space, so sometimes we sit in there after school hours, but there is also a little gallery hall that is filled with art books and student works over the years, and sometimes it is fun to sit in there and talk with the portraits and experience the art that students have made years before me. nobody really goes in this specific gallery hall, so we can usually hang out in there late at night until it closes!
15. What are some things in your DR that you couldn’t live without?
my "endless quill"! when we went to diagon alley to shop for school supplies, I used a good portion of my personal money to buy that quill, as it was a newer model that was becoming more popular among students. I didn't know how useful it would be until I actually started using it day-to-day in class! at hogwarts, we are allowed to use pencils and sometimes pens on little notes, but for assignments it is strictly quill and ink and I HATE redipping my quill every couple of lines. I think it is so genius and I am so glad I saved up for it bc it is SO WORTH IT. if you have experience shifting to hogwarts and writing with normal quills, you might feel my pain ‼️
another fun thing is my shared journal! my friend Iris enchanted these journals that can be written in and seen by each other, kind of like Tom Riddle's diary but for multiple people. whenever my main friends and I are separated in the castle or in vastly different classes, sometimes we will leave little notes for each other and then they will all see it the next time they open the journal. we have useless conversations with our friends in different houses in the middle of the night, and it is like our little wizarding form of texting. IT IS MY FAVORITE!!
16. Does butterbeer taste as bad as it does here? (I tried it a couple years ago on the Harry Potter tour in England and it was so gross)
i'm probably so biased (as I LOVE the taste of butterbeer here), but I can say that it does taste slightly different than what it does at the Harry Potter theme park when I went. the cream soda base mixed with the butterscotch topping is definitely an aquired taste, but in my DR it is not as fizzy and it has more buttery undertones? I definitely agree that the fizzy soda they use in this reality is a little jarring, but when I tried it in my desired reality it just warmed my body and left me so comfortable?? I am such a fan, and I have spent so many nights in this reality trying to replicate the recipe bc IT IS SO GOOD. so far, i've found that adding butter extract really helps! i'm a butterbeer defender till the day i die ‼️
17. Spill some drama about random students. Like who cheated on who, what student is a little bitch etc. lol
oh my fcking god I have so much I could say?? I never anticipated talking all about the "random" students, but i am finding that spilling drama about some of these idiots is so enjoyable and if anyone wants more posts abt this I CAN DELIVER ‼️
to begin, I think we should talk about a seventh year slytherin man named Matteo Pearce. he has lots of family in italy and he was doing school years at some fancy italian wizarding school, and he recently just came back to hogwarts this year?? BAD CHOICE. for some reason, the ENTIRE student body is obsessed with him and he always goes around saying seductive shit in italian and i hear the older gryffindor girls giggling about it all the time in the common room. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL—— before he left, he was dating a gryffindor named Poppy (Matthews, i think?) and they kind of had a bad end to their relationship when they moved. so poppy went all GIRLBOSS and became Head Girl, and now all of her "friends" in her dorm hate her bc she has been ignoring Matteo even though he CLEARLY fancies her still. so, on the SECOND week of school, Poppy decided that she would speak to him again and get on good terms, but when she found them he was snogging a DIFFERENT gryffindor girl (and one of poppy's "friends"). the other girl was named Holly Lauren, but when we found out it was her, none of us were surprised bc Holly is always starting things and we could've guessed it was her. I always think it is so funny bc in Fred's second year of school he was actually trying to be friends with Holly (he had a little puppy crush) and every time that girl does something irresponsible I remind Fred of the bullet he dodged ‼️
also, Louisa Bones has a huge crush on Cedric, and she tells EVERYONE but Ced actually likes her roommate Mia Edwards more and won't stop talking about her. which sucked for me to hear bc I was trying to make Cedric my man but whatever 😔
18. Is there any holiday traditions that Hogwarts has?
I haven't been there long enough to experience a lot of the well known holidays, but during the equinox we have a Mabon feast! this is one of the main times during the year that the classic Hogwarts apple pies are made, and the Cooking Club always has sm fun with it!! as for christmas/yule season, in my desired reality there are yearly Yule Balls that occur during Yule, and there is always a giant party for older students that is had and it is tradition for people to try and stay up all night and then sleep on the train that goes home for holiday. kind of like a giant all night celebration before heading home to family!
I am also so so excited for the Halloween feast because we get the day off and a lot of the students carve the pumpkins that are displayed around the castle / in the Great Hall. also, the newspaper ( the Hogwarts Legacy) always makes a giant Halloween edition and from what I've heard it is pretty amazing (and has a lot of secret sections!)
19. Have you been to any of the other Wizarding schools and what are they like? Have you met any of the students?
I will come back and semi-answer this question when we have the Triwizard in a couple of years! I do want to make a Beauxbatons transfer student DR though, just to practice my mediocre french ‼️
(( I covered question 20 already!))
21. Favorite spell to do in your DR?
this is so basic, but definitely Accio. I never knew how much I would love a spell until I got to use accio for the first time! I don't usually use it for grand things though, and it usually occurs when I am getting ready in the morning and I have something across the room. but it is random all of the time and I think it is making me lazy but oh well!! my non verbal / wandless use of accio is also improving tremendously, but that is something that usually comes innately with sirens! IM LEARNING!!
22. If you’re related to someone in the books or movies - what are they like?
being related to the Weasleys is one of the best choices I have made in ANY desired reality. at first I was worried that I wouldn't fit in in some way, but when I first shifted and Ginny came running into my room with the newest Seeker Weekly and I got to experience the dynamic play out, I knew that these lovely people would impact my life in more ways than I could imagine. For starters, having Molly as a mum is like having another best friend. she is always there to recieve my letters, and she is also there for each of her children when they write. sometimes we wonder if all she does is write to us, because we each get personalized letters and she genuinely enjoys hearing about what happens in our lives. Arthur is the most uniquely supportive of dads. he may be gone most of the day at the Ministry, but he always takes time to pick up things that he thinks we would like so we can fix them together in his workshop. the older siblings are hardly around, but they do write and Charlie and I have surprisingly kept in touch! (mostly because of my magical creatures class HE LOVES that someone else is interested in it). Percy is quite similar to how he is in canon, but when he is genuinely happy it is so contagious to be around. recently, he confessed to dating Penelope Clearwater, and we got to have her over for dinner. certain people bring out the best in him! the twins are as expected! since we all have birthdays in april of the same year, we were inseperable throughout childhood. something I love is how involved I am in the creation of their little business! they get so passionate about the things they care for, and I think other students assume they don't care, but that is far from the truth! the weasleys are so family oriented and we take family dinner and talking about our days very seriously! they all have hearts of gold and the compassion of that family is so admirable <3
if you've read this far, thank you so much for sticking around and letting me explain this life of mine that I hold so close!
as I was writing this, I only realized how little I actually covered and how much I could talk about my DR. I still can't believe that I have finally shifted to Hogwarts??
(I tried to find pictures that look like they were taken there if that makes sense! I have so much more to post but tumblr only lets me post so many photos. More pics in the reblogs!)
oh! oh my goodness I have another question that’s been eating me alive for ages-
how is the shower/bathroom situation at Hogwarts? (also do they supply their own soap/shampoo/conditioner and if so is it good?)
(I’m so sorry for all the questions my curiosity is getting the better of me ToT)
this is such a cool question, don't feel sorry for asking!! I was insanely curious about this before I first shifted there too, so I am glad to answer :)
to start, each of the dorms have their own personal bathrooms, as expected! I didn't script / intend the bathrooms to be any certain way, so this is kind of how the shared bathroom space turned out for me!
something I found interesting was the changes in developments in the different bathrooms. for example, some of the dorm bathrooms still have a bathtub, even though everyone just prefers to use the showers. I think that the bath is generally falling outside of use in the dorms and is more common in the prefect bathrooms, which is something students see as luxury in those spaces!
also, something I love so so much is the fact that the hot water never runs out. in this reality, that always felt like a luxury with my large family, but in Hogwarts I guess it is magically regulated or something??
to answer your other question.. yes! they do supply toiletries in each common room! for gryffindors, there is a refilling supply closet at the bottom of each stairs that has different shampoos, soaps, towels, pillows, etc.
this is so helpful for many different things, and a lot of the students take advantage of these free bathroom toiletries. in my DR, I am so used to using whatever is at the Burrow and not really caring that when I got to Hogwarts I just used to stuff provided and was fine with it! some students will say they dont like it, but I think it is so helpful and the girl's shampoo smells like roses I LOVE IT SM
there is also always the option to purchase things at hogsmeade (in smaller potion shops), but that is more common for hair styling things and other potions!
thank you so much for the ask! I move into uni tomorrow and this was so fun to answer before a day of chaos—
(( these questions are amazing! i have so so much i want to say about my life at hogwarts that i get overwhelmed aaaa so this is PERFECT! this is also my longest post yet, so buckle in yall i'm about to overshare on the internet ‼️))
1. If you’re DR is set in the 90s/70s - How different is it to modern day? What are some changes you like and what changes did it take a while for you to get used to?
this question might be difficult to answer, as in my DR I am fully involved in the wizarding world and I don't really have that much contact with the muggle world, but definitely the technology! that might seem like a no-brainer and something to be expected when shifting to Hogwarts, but I wasn't expecting how different it would be. the hardest thing for me to adapt to was not being able to pull out my phone to take a picture whenever I wanted to. there were so so many little moments when I was at the Burrow where I would have the most perfect photo idea and I would realize I don't have my phone and realize I left my old film camera in my room. getting used to carrying that thing around and learning more about it (as my dad (arthur) brought it home for me one day and we fixed it up in the workshop!) is such a hassle sometimes. AND I HAVE TO DEVELOP FILM... which is rewarding in the end but sometimes I miss the instant gratification of a smartphone!
a change I do like is the style of music, both wizarding and muggle. I feel like the popular wizarding bands definitely reflect the 90s atmosphere in music, with many different new songs that have changing sounds in alternative rock and sometimes even annoyingly catchy pop songs. many other wizarding bands have themes that go all of the way back to classic jazz, so the range is INSANE. the music is truly so immersive, as the wizarding community is generally in favor of playing all types of music (at parties etc) both wizarding and muggle. truly an education!
2. If you’re part Veela/Metamophmagus/Mermaid/siren/werewolf etc. what is it like?
being a siren is still a change I am getting used to in my new DR, but it is absolutely something out of my biggest fantasies. as a girl who loves the sea and all her mythology, actually being a part of the sirens and learning about all of their folklore is a sacred experience I hold so dear to my heart. the life I have lived as a siren (even though my actual shift was quite short) feels so innate and like something I won't ever forget.
with being a blood-related siren comes many many things I didn't fully expect. there is a siren language (which I can speak in that reality), rituals and ceremonies that I noticed, and certain abilities that are passed on through family. there is also the wizarding public, who looks to sirens with curiosity because they are so closely related to merpeople and veela, yet they have such a distinct culture of their own. because there are so little sirens that engage with the wizarding world, I am kind of known as "that siren girl" and sometimes people say it negatively, but it is usually people who take the merfolk classification of "beast" very seriously and they are a bunch of idiots CONTINUE
3. Where do you change into your robes on the Hogwarts Express?
the Hogwarts express is completely different (length wise) on the inside than on the outside. when I first got onto the train, I was completely blown away when the twins and I walked into a long compartment that looked almost like a diner. they were serving pear & apple cider and I thought it was so cool that they had a bunch of different train areas. I walked around with Ginny during our train ride, and we found a bunch of these changing rooms / bathrooms and I remembered changing there in previous years so that is where we went!
inside of these bathrooms, it definitely has an expansion charm because it feels small while also having a lot of space for many students?? kind of like how the train expands or shrinks to fit the amount of compartments needed? also, these rooms are definitely hot spots for seeing other students bc tell me why I saw half of my year while I was in there for maybe 20 minutes??
4. If you’re an exchange student - How does the sorting ceremony work? Do you get sorted with the first years regardless of what year you’re in or do you get privately sorted somewhere else, like Dumbledore’s office?
this has only happened twice that I remember, and both times the students were sorted before the first years and Dumbledore gave kind of a mini introduction to their year and where they came from. personally, I would've been so scared to be individually introduced like that, especially in a new school with people I've never seen before. But Hogwarts is just kind of crazy like that, and the random outings by staff in front of the entire Great Hall never get boring I SWEAR!
5. Is Hogwarts a lot different to how you imagined? Is it like the movies or was there any changes?
I'd like to say the hours I've spent touring the castle on games like Hogwarts Legacy would prepare me for it, but I was still absolutely blown away (and I don't say that lightly)! the biggest thing for me was the sheer height of the castle! it is kind of a thing among newer Hogwarts students to not look up at the towers from the ground, as some people get this kind of reverse-vertigo? other than that, it definitely has the same vibe as the movies, except things feel waaay more spread out in my DR. I swear, in the movies Harry and Ron are getting to class in ten minutes, and I can barely get to my next class with my 30 minute passing time IT IS SO STRESSFUL. especially when I go from Care of Magical Creatures all the way to Advanced Herbology on tuesday mornings LIKE I AM RUNNING they are on opposite sides of the castle. I get the same feeling when I walk into the Grand Staircase and see all of the steps. I'm definitely debating adding a floo-network for easier transportation, but it is quite fun to feel like i'm getting a workout while exploring my favorite place ever!!
6. What are some classes you weren’t expecting to like as much as you did?
def divination! everybody kind of hates on divination for being a class that people only take when they have a free hour and nobody really takes it seriously, but I love the atmosphere so much and it feels like the kindest part of the castle when I am in my Advanced Div. 1 class. because I am in the advanced class (which prepares for OWLs), everyone there genuinely wants to be there and I am obsessed with the teacher student ratio of that class. there are probably less than ten students taking advanced divination and we all know each other so well and so far it has ended with us practicing techniques on each other or just filling in professor Trelawny on what is happening throughout the castle. sometimes in a class that small it just ends up being a bunch of divination nerds gathered around a table with the professor reading tarot or something ! it is my little safe haven in a castle so obsessed with intense schedules and such
6. And the opposite - What are some classes that you didn’t end up liking?
in my uni-structured Hogwarts, you can stop taking certain basics classes after your third year, so DADA was OUT. i never really liked that class because I remember always thinking that the environment was super energetic and one of my friends (??) El was kind of my academic rival in that class and that mf never left me alone. i am definitely built for more personalized classes and that is okay! Hogwarts has something for everyone once you pass the basics!
also, FUCK HOME STUDY CLASS. i signed up for that class because it was supposed to be a general home economics class that teaches basic spells for around the house (like cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc) but the professor is an absolute NIGHTMARE and she reminds me of rita skeeter somehow?? also, Fred and George took that class as a joke (seriously, nobody has any idea why they took it), and now it is just constant bickering between professor and students. every time I've stepped into that classroom this week, I've wondered, "how are the boys going to harass professor reen today??"
7. Is it strange to be in Hogwarts if you grew up watching the movies? Id imagine it to be a bit surreal
it is so unbelievably surreal. my first night at hogwarts, I hardly got any sleep because I was so overwhelmed with excitement (and I say that so sincerely). all I wanted to do was run around the castle at night and talk to my roommates for hours and I couldn't wait for breakfast because everything felt so amazing. I have been shifting for a couple of years, but Hogwarts was always the place I had been waiting to go to and I wanted it to be special and when I finally was there and I was running my hand on the castle stone behind my bed it all hit me. my entire childhood felt complete. I wasn't worried about anything anymore, and I couldn't believe that I finally made it to the place i'd considered as "home" almost my whole life.
in addition, hogwarts no longer felt like something I had only seen on a screen. when I shifted back a day ago, I went on pinterest and saw some photos of the dorms and the great hall and it felt so strange? kind of like if you saw a photo online of a place you've been to in your daily life, and you knew the way around even if the photo didn't show every detail? there was a new awareness of having lived in these places, and I had memories attached to simple things like a photo of the Great Hall from the movies!
8. Have you made any friends in school that aren’t mentioned in the books or movies? Talk a bit about them
if you've seen any of my previous posts, I talk about my little group of friends that live in Ottery St. Catchpole (and some of them don't exist in canon)! one of my closest friends is a girl named June Smithey, and she is a slytherin in my year. we both take advanced div. together and she is so sweet!! her twin brother is El, but he doesn't seem to like me very much and is always competing with me for NO REASON. he always has to hang around us though bc he is Cedric's best friend and sometimes Ced and I are attached at the hip.
another best friend of mine is a girl named Vanessa Nacky, and she is a sixth year prefect. everyone calls her Nessa, and she is such a mum figure to all of the younger students and she is so liked by everyone in every house! she is dating Oliver Wood and they are so insanely good for each other I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER COUPLE TRUST ME
9. How long does the Hogwarts express take? If it takes very long - apart from talking to friends, what things do students usually do to occupy their time on the train? Are there different types of games in the wizarding world or popular magazines among witches/wizards?
the Hogwarts express usually takes 7-8 hours! apart from talking, some of my friends and I read the old issues of the Hogwarts newspaper (called the Hogwarts Legacy) and we speculated about what the next year would entail. there is also the diner-areas where they serve small lunch-like snacks (unlike constant candy from the trolley) and different drinks! also, in the movies they made it seem like students could only stay in their compartment the whole time, but that is not how it was like during my journey. people constantly got up to go visit with other friends and see each other after summer, so talking never really got boring! people also compare collected cards (which is a big thing in the wizarding world) and there is even a couple of chess tables in one of the train cars. other than that, reading and sleeping are very popular, as the first day of term is always a very late night and sometimes people just need a little quiet time!
10. What is it like sharing a dorm? Who are you sharing a dorm with and do you like your dorm mates?
thankfully, I went into my DR already being best friends with my dormmates, so each night really felt like an organized sleepover! we each have our own little alcoves where we can keep our stuff and our beds, so I never really felt overwhelmed being in a busy dorm.
I share a dorm with Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Iris Fawcett, and Fay Dunbar! I am thankful that most of these lovely girls are on the quidditch team with me, so we really are very close and we spend many nights talking from our beds when we should be asleep :')
the whole situation did turn out very well for me, though, as some people in Hogwarts do not like their dormmates very much and are stuck wishing they can become a prefect to get their own dorm. (cough, percy and oliver wood)
11. What is quidditch like? Do you like it or have you decided it’s not for you?
I am OBSESSED with quidditch. in my desired reality, the quidditch season hasn't started yet, but I scripted that I was going to become seeker and I am so unbelievable excited! back at the burrow, we played many small games in the back field, and even though I scripted I would be great at the sport, I genuinely enjoy trying to learn new tricks and improve my ability in other positions (i will never be a good beater I swear 😔).
quidditch is such a ceremonial experience for students at Hogwarts.. and there is really no escaping it!! I grew up fascinated by the whole strange concept and rules in this reality, and even if you think the whole idea is stupid the crazy crowd will definitely make up for it bc we all band together for quidditch!!
also, if you choose to get involved in the different leagues and tournaments, there is truly so much content and magazines that are released weekly YOULL NEVER GET BORED! quidditch is such a culture in the wizarding world, and it is comparable to muggle sports leagues and all of the devoted fans that sit down weekly to watch. at the burrow, when the league games are broadcasted on the WWN, we crowd around the radio in the kitchen and sometimes even have dinner while the game is playing if it goes late! and don't even get me started on the WORLD league...
12. Is there anything in the wizarding world that surprised you?
the amount of errands the average wizarding family goes on! to the average movie watcher, it feels like during the summer the students all go home and then the only places the parents go are the Ministry. this was far from the truth for me! at the burrow, mum (Molly) would let me take the floo-network to Diagon Alley whenever I needed to get my film developed, and sometimes she would let some of us go in groups to get supplies / materials for crafts we are doing etc!
also, there is another common wizarding market in Birnam that many people go to for fresh produce and lots of cooking things. Molly goes pretty frequently, and when I went once over the summer, I saw people from school there and it is kind of a small hangout spot for wizarding families. another common place to go is Prelly's, which is in the heart of diagon alley and everyone AND THEIR MOTHER has been to Prelly's. it is comparable to a grocery store, except everything is marketed magically and it is so chaotic in there all of the time. that store is so cherished in the wizarding world, I don't think i've ever been to a magical household that doesn't have something from Prelly's. I was so surprised to learn that even wizards had places to shop for groceries 😭
13. What is your favourite place to spend time in Hogwarts/Hogsmeade? Do you have a secret place where you and your friends hang out?
I haven't gotten to explore Hogsmeade that much yet, but inside of Hogwarts there is a small inter-house common room that is called the Selkie Commons. it is located near the main Viaduct and it overlooks the lake through big windows in the stone. it gets its name from the series of stained glass dividers that show pictures of yellow selkies as you enter the room! this place isn't very secret, though, as many people come here to study and sometimes it can even get kind of loud late after dinner. however, this place is technically considered a Study Hall, so it closes at 10:30 and we are limited to hanging out inside of our common rooms :,)
other than that... the art wing. there are certain classes offered for magical art, and a lot of my friends also dabble in those classes because they are such a nice break and the evironment is truly amazing! there is a main studio space, so sometimes we sit in there after school hours, but there is also a little gallery hall that is filled with art books and student works over the years, and sometimes it is fun to sit in there and talk with the portraits and experience the art that students have made years before me. nobody really goes in this specific gallery hall, so we can usually hang out in there late at night until it closes!
15. What are some things in your DR that you couldn’t live without?
my "endless quill"! when we went to diagon alley to shop for school supplies, I used a good portion of my personal money to buy that quill, as it was a newer model that was becoming more popular among students. I didn't know how useful it would be until I actually started using it day-to-day in class! at hogwarts, we are allowed to use pencils and sometimes pens on little notes, but for assignments it is strictly quill and ink and I HATE redipping my quill every couple of lines. I think it is so genius and I am so glad I saved up for it bc it is SO WORTH IT. if you have experience shifting to hogwarts and writing with normal quills, you might feel my pain ‼️
another fun thing is my shared journal! my friend Iris enchanted these journals that can be written in and seen by each other, kind of like Tom Riddle's diary but for multiple people. whenever my main friends and I are separated in the castle or in vastly different classes, sometimes we will leave little notes for each other and then they will all see it the next time they open the journal. we have useless conversations with our friends in different houses in the middle of the night, and it is like our little wizarding form of texting. IT IS MY FAVORITE!!
16. Does butterbeer taste as bad as it does here? (I tried it a couple years ago on the Harry Potter tour in England and it was so gross)
i'm probably so biased (as I LOVE the taste of butterbeer here), but I can say that it does taste slightly different than what it does at the Harry Potter theme park when I went. the cream soda base mixed with the butterscotch topping is definitely an aquired taste, but in my DR it is not as fizzy and it has more buttery undertones? I definitely agree that the fizzy soda they use in this reality is a little jarring, but when I tried it in my desired reality it just warmed my body and left me so comfortable?? I am such a fan, and I have spent so many nights in this reality trying to replicate the recipe bc IT IS SO GOOD. so far, i've found that adding butter extract really helps! i'm a butterbeer defender till the day i die ‼️
17. Spill some drama about random students. Like who cheated on who, what student is a little bitch etc. lol
oh my fcking god I have so much I could say?? I never anticipated talking all about the "random" students, but i am finding that spilling drama about some of these idiots is so enjoyable and if anyone wants more posts abt this I CAN DELIVER ‼️
to begin, I think we should talk about a seventh year slytherin man named Matteo Pearce. he has lots of family in italy and he was doing school years at some fancy italian wizarding school, and he recently just came back to hogwarts this year?? BAD CHOICE. for some reason, the ENTIRE student body is obsessed with him and he always goes around saying seductive shit in italian and i hear the older gryffindor girls giggling about it all the time in the common room. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL—— before he left, he was dating a gryffindor named Poppy (Matthews, i think?) and they kind of had a bad end to their relationship when they moved. so poppy went all GIRLBOSS and became Head Girl, and now all of her "friends" in her dorm hate her bc she has been ignoring Matteo even though he CLEARLY fancies her still. so, on the SECOND week of school, Poppy decided that she would speak to him again and get on good terms, but when she found them he was snogging a DIFFERENT gryffindor girl (and one of poppy's "friends"). the other girl was named Holly Lauren, but when we found out it was her, none of us were surprised bc Holly is always starting things and we could've guessed it was her. I always think it is so funny bc in Fred's second year of school he was actually trying to be friends with Holly (he had a little puppy crush) and every time that girl does something irresponsible I remind Fred of the bullet he dodged ‼️
also, Louisa Bones has a huge crush on Cedric, and she tells EVERYONE but Ced actually likes her roommate Mia Edwards more and won't stop talking about her. which sucked for me to hear bc I was trying to make Cedric my man but whatever 😔
18. Is there any holiday traditions that Hogwarts has?
I haven't been there long enough to experience a lot of the well known holidays, but during the equinox we have a Mabon feast! this is one of the main times during the year that the classic Hogwarts apple pies are made, and the Cooking Club always has sm fun with it!! as for christmas/yule season, in my desired reality there are yearly Yule Balls that occur during Yule, and there is always a giant party for older students that is had and it is tradition for people to try and stay up all night and then sleep on the train that goes home for holiday. kind of like a giant all night celebration before heading home to family!
I am also so so excited for the Halloween feast because we get the day off and a lot of the students carve the pumpkins that are displayed around the castle / in the Great Hall. also, the newspaper ( the Hogwarts Legacy) always makes a giant Halloween edition and from what I've heard it is pretty amazing (and has a lot of secret sections!)
19. Have you been to any of the other Wizarding schools and what are they like? Have you met any of the students?
I will come back and semi-answer this question when we have the Triwizard in a couple of years! I do want to make a Beauxbatons transfer student DR though, just to practice my mediocre french ‼️
(( I covered question 20 already!))
21. Favorite spell to do in your DR?
this is so basic, but definitely Accio. I never knew how much I would love a spell until I got to use accio for the first time! I don't usually use it for grand things though, and it usually occurs when I am getting ready in the morning and I have something across the room. but it is random all of the time and I think it is making me lazy but oh well!! my non verbal / wandless use of accio is also improving tremendously, but that is something that usually comes innately with sirens! IM LEARNING!!
22. If you’re related to someone in the books or movies - what are they like?
being related to the Weasleys is one of the best choices I have made in ANY desired reality. at first I was worried that I wouldn't fit in in some way, but when I first shifted and Ginny came running into my room with the newest Seeker Weekly and I got to experience the dynamic play out, I knew that these lovely people would impact my life in more ways than I could imagine. For starters, having Molly as a mum is like having another best friend. she is always there to recieve my letters, and she is also there for each of her children when they write. sometimes we wonder if all she does is write to us, because we each get personalized letters and she genuinely enjoys hearing about what happens in our lives. Arthur is the most uniquely supportive of dads. he may be gone most of the day at the Ministry, but he always takes time to pick up things that he thinks we would like so we can fix them together in his workshop. the older siblings are hardly around, but they do write and Charlie and I have surprisingly kept in touch! (mostly because of my magical creatures class HE LOVES that someone else is interested in it). Percy is quite similar to how he is in canon, but when he is genuinely happy it is so contagious to be around. recently, he confessed to dating Penelope Clearwater, and we got to have her over for dinner. certain people bring out the best in him! the twins are as expected! since we all have birthdays in april of the same year, we were inseperable throughout childhood. something I love is how involved I am in the creation of their little business! they get so passionate about the things they care for, and I think other students assume they don't care, but that is far from the truth! the weasleys are so family oriented and we take family dinner and talking about our days very seriously! they all have hearts of gold and the compassion of that family is so admirable <3
if you've read this far, thank you so much for sticking around and letting me explain this life of mine that I hold so close!
as I was writing this, I only realized how little I actually covered and how much I could talk about my DR. I still can't believe that I have finally shifted to Hogwarts??
students read books monthly and discuss what they enjoyed, what they didn't, symbolism, deeper meanings, etc. you may script whether books are muggle or magical fiction, as well as what books will be chosen.
THEATER CLUB.
students may audition for roles in specific plays and perform in them. there may also be workshops to improve acting, singing and dancing skills. you may script that you always get lead roles or are a talented actor in addition to this. you may also script in a theater for hogwarts.
MUSIC CLUB.
students may either learn to play instruments or improve their already existing skills. projects may be given to either perform certain songs or compose music. groups may be made and bands can be formed with specific students and friends. you may script that you already know an instrument (unless you want to learn), or that you are a talented singer / songwriter.
COOKING AND BAKING CLUB.
students can learn new recipes and how to make them with and without magic. you can script that students can keep their deserts or at the end of each meeting, members get to try other's foods either for fun or to rank them.
HERBOLOGY CLUB.
students who are interested in herbology and more advanced or intricate aspects of it may join this club. they may learn about more plants and have an opportunity to earn extra credit in herbology for joining this class.
POTIONS CLUB.
students who are interested in potions and wish to explore more complicated potions may join this club. they will create potions and learn about ingredients either brushed over in the curriculum or that aren't included. they may have an opportunity to earn extra credit in potions for joining this class.
MINISTRY OF MAGIC CLUB.
similarly to what might be a united nations club, students may take roles of ministry members and learn more about the ministry in general. students joining this club may be seen as more suitable for a job in the ministry once out of hogwarts. students may also have field-trips to learn about other country's magical governments or to the ministry itself to learn exactly how it works.
LANGUAGE CLUBS.
students wishing to learn certain languages may join language learning clubs! this may be especially helpful if you are already trying to learn a language and want more practice. languages may include whatever you script them to, such as french, latin, greek, spanish, etc.
FLYING CLUB.
as only a limited number of students may join the quidditch team, younger or less talented students may join the flying club for an enjoyable and less strict take on quidditch. they may have games that are not divided by house that are less competitive.
ART CLUB.
students who enjoy more artistic activities, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, and more may join this club. you may work on projects based on the medium you enjoy and receive criticism and help on your work. students may also simply come here to work on their personal projects alongside others.
STUDYING AND HOMEWORK CLUB.
students who wish to study with others or desire help on their work and assignments may join or attend this club. professors will be there to help with anyone struggling and talented students may gain extra credit by helping students with their work and studies.
here are just some clubs i've decided to include in my own dr. if you have any other ideas, feel free to suggest some and i'll do my best to add them!
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