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[ernest-pamphilow]

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[neverenoughmarauders]

Who were students at Hogwarts alongside the Marauders?

This is a question I used to see quite a lot, and it's an interesting problem to try to tackle, because the answer is that lots of people could have overlapped, some probably did, and some we know definitely did. Equally, there were lots of people that probably didn’t, but are treated as given characters in Marauders fics. Which is fine, of course, but this post will focus exclusively on canon*, and not fanon.

*I will include extended canon in terms of Pottermore and WOM (Wizard of the Month), but I won't include Hogwarts Mystery, or any other video games. I will also not be including the movies (ie no Emma Vanity nor the Talkalots and Laughalots). I hate the movies, so sorry, not sorry.

Currently, this is just a brain dump, and might be missing candidates and arguments. But this is what I’ve got so far.

The core crew and their birthdays

There’s really no need to go into who the Marauders, Lily and Severus were, but listing them here for reference:

Sirius Black—3 Nov 1959

Severus Snape—9 Jan 1960

Lily Evans—30 Jan 1960

Remus Lupin—10 Mar 1960

James Potter—27 Mar 1960

Peter Pettigrew—Unknown except year: 1959/1960

Students we know were at Hogwarts between 1971-1978

Either in the Marauders’ year, or might very well have been in the Marauders’ year:

Stebbins (b. 1 Sep 1959-31 Aug 1960)

Present in the same O.W.L. exam scene as the marauders, Lily and Snape.

“Quills down, please!” squeaked Professor Flitwick. “That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!” 

Likely a relation of Stebbins who attended the Yuleball in 1994:

“Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!” Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. “And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!” as a boy went rushing after her.

Tilden Toots (b. 1959)

Tilden Toots was a wizard with “three green thumbs” who hosted a Wizarding Wireless radio show on Herbology. He was married to the author Daisy Hookum

Here is a transcript of the ‘wireless’ radio program [Rowling's original website JKR.com: Toots, Shoots and Roots]:

Hello and welcome back to “Toots, Shoots ‘n’ Roots” with me, Tilden Toots. Mrs. Georgina Smyth of Nettlebed in Oxfordshire has sent an owl with an all too common problem. Dear Tilden, I’ve not watered my Flitterbloom for several months and now when I need to use it in a potion I find it’s died. I’ve threatened it with a number of curses but it refuses to revive. What would you recommend? Well Georgina, a combination of my famous Rejuicing and Regerminating potions ought to do the trick. Six drops of the red Rejuicer followed by three drops of the green Regerminator will be the breath of life to a plant beyond the reach of blackmail. Unfortunately, that’s all we have time for today. But, be sure to tune in next time when we’ll be discussing the right way to skin a Gurdyroot and what to do if muggles hear your Honking Daffodils. Until next time, that’s Tootle-oo from Toots!

Gaspard Shingleton (b. 1959)

Gaspard Shingleton was the celebrated inventor of the Self-Stirring Cauldron.

Greta Catchlove (b. 1960)

Was a witch who wrote the original edition of Charm Your Own Cheese

Students we know weren’t in the Marauders year, but were at school with them

Regulus Black (b. 1961)

Sirius’s younger brother. Attended Hogwarts from 1972/73–1979/80. Was sorted into Slytherin. Turned Death Eater before he had a change of heart.

Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name REGULUS BLACK. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth.  (...) “Yeah,” said Sirius. “Stupid idiot ... he joined the Death Eaters.”  (...) “and when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. So proud, so proud, so happy to serve ..."

The change of heart was born from not being prepared for the realities of being a Death Eater, and the fact that Voldemort was prepared to kill Kreacher

Hayleyhaha: Why did Regulus have a change of heart?  J. K. Rowling: He was not prepared for the reality of life as a Death Eater. It was Voldemort's attempted murder of Kreacher that really turned him..

Bertha Jorkins (likely b. ca 1955-57)

Bertha Jorkins is described to be a few years above James and Sirius. Sirius doesn’t use the term “a couple of years”, so I think it’s safe to assume she’s about 3-4 years older than them. 

“Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins,” said Sirius grimly. “She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It’s not a good combination, Harry. I’d say she’d be very easy to lure into a trap. (…) Instantly, a figure rose out of it, a plump, scowling girl of about sixteen, who began to revolve slowly, with her feet still in the basin. She took no notice whatsoever of Harry or Professor Dumbledore. When she spoke, her voice echoed as Snape’s had done, as though it were coming from the depths of the stone basin. “He put a hex on me, Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him, sir. I only said I’d seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouses last Thursday. ...” “But why, Bertha,” said Dumbledore sadly, looking up at the now silently revolving girl, “why did you have to follow him in the first place?” 

Sturgis Podmore (between Sep 1956 and Sep 1957)

Sturgis is the only Order of the Phoenix member we know went to school with the Marauders, Lily and Snape, and I will fight for his inclusion in more fics. He’s likely to be in the class of 1968–1975 (unless he’s born on September 2nd or something). 

It was headlined: Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31st August.

Lucius Malfoy (Between Sep 1953 and Sep 1954)

Father of Draco Malfoy and Death Eater in both the first and second war. He’s 41 in September 1995:

“‘I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,’ said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night.

And we catch a glimpse of him when Snape and Lily start Hogwarts:

And Severus Snape moved off to the other side of the Hall, away from Lily, to where the Slytherins were cheering him, to where Lucius Malfoy, a prefect badge gleaming upon his chest, patted Snape on the back as he sat down beside him

Narcissa Black (1955)

Mother of Draco Malfoy; youngest sister of Bellatrix and Andromeda. We have her year of birth from the Black family tree, as drawn up by JKR. While often portrayed as a prefect in fanfiction, we do not know anything about her years at Hogwarts, other than her being a Slytherin: 

“My whole family have been in Slytherin,” [Sirius] said.

Mulciber (likely around 1957-1962)

Mulciber is one of the many future Death Eaters Snape hangs around, and one of two Lily focuses on in their fifth year:

“We are, Sev, but I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with! I’m sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber, What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?”

Mulciber might be known for the use of the imperious curse, and for the murder of the McKinnons.

“Yes!” said Karkaroff. “There was Travers — he helped murder the McKinnons! Mulciber — he specialized in the Imperius Curse, forced countless people to do horrific things!

We don’t know if it’s him or his older relation who was at the Hogshead waiting for Voldemort to return from his meeting with Dumbledore.

“Then if I were to go to the Hog’s Head tonight, I would not find a group of them — Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov — awaiting your return? Devoted friends indeed, to travel this far with you on a snowy night, merely to wish you luck as you attempted to secure a teaching post.”

Though we don't know how old he is, he is unlikely to be in his earliest years when he attacks Mary Macdonald. Most likely, he’s around Severus’ age. However, it is interesting that Lily and Severus are arguing about Mulciber and Avery in their fifth year, in a way that makes it sound like it's not something that's come up a lot before. It is possible that Mulciber and Avery are a year older or younger than him, and it's someone he's recently started hanging out with. Or, in fact, that they're in the same year but still only recently started to hang out with them. 

The earliest he can be born, given he’s at school in 1975-76 is 1957.

Avery (likely around 1957-1962)

I’m going to put Avery around the same age bracket as Mulciber, for the same reason. 

Barty Crouch (likely b. ca 1963-1965)

Barty Crouch Jr was brought to Azkaban at the age of about 18-19 (no more than nineteen)

“That’s right,” said Sirius, and he didn’t look remotely amused now. “I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can’t have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine.”

As elaborated on in this meta, the arrest and trial took place some time between 1982-1984, meaning Barty Crouch Jr was likely born between 1963 and 1965.

Florence (likely b. ca 1955-1957)

Assuming Bertha is three to four years older than the Marauders, Snape and Lily, and she’s sixteen in that memory, we can assume Florence was caught kissing someone between 1971-1973. She might have been the Marauders’ age but it seems very unlikely given the kissing (and especially considering the boy was able to hex Bertha, who—though stupid—is 16 at this point.) It’s far more probable she was a few years above the boys, just like Bertha. It’s also noticeable Bertha uses Florence’s first name, suggesting they know each other, which again supports they’re about the same age.

“He put a hex on me, Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him, sir. I only said I’d seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouses last Thursday. ...”

Gilderoy Lockhart (26 January 1964)

We know quite a bit about this most charming (or not) DADA teacher from Pottermore (including this archived web version). 

Born to a witch mother and a Muggle father, with two older sisters, Gilderoy Lockhart was the only one of his parents’ three children to show magical ability. 

There’s a lot of background on Gilderoy and his time at school, which I suggest you read on the website, including these highlights:

He lobbied the Headmaster to start a school newsletter, because he liked nothing better than to see his name and photograph in print. Never very popular, he nevertheless achieved his primary goal of school-wide recognition through repeated, attention-getting exploits. He received a week’s worth of detentions for magically carving his signature in twenty-foot-long letters into the Quidditch pitch. He managed to create a massive, illuminated projection of his own face, which he would send skywards in imitation of the Dark Mark. He sent himself eight hundred Valentine’s cards one year, which caused such a pile-up of owls in the Great Hall that breakfast had to be abandoned (far too many feathers and droppings in the porridge).

Dirk Cresswell (between Sep 1960- Aug1961)

Dirk was a muggleborn student in the year below Lily who became head of the Goblin Liaison Office.

Slughorn looked down at him in surprise. “You mustn’t think I’m prejudiced!” he said. “No, no, no! Haven’t I just said your mother was one of my all-time favorite students? And there was Dirk Cresswell in the year after her too — now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, of course — another Muggle-born, a very gifted student, and still gives me excellent inside information on the goings-on at Gringotts!”

Daisy Hookum (1962)

Daisy Hookum wrote bestseller My Life as a Muggle after giving up magic for a year. She was married to celebrity gardener Tilden Toots.

Tarquin McTavish (1955)

Tarquin McTavish was a wizard who imprisoned his Muggle neighbour inside a tea kettle. He was sent to prison for this act.

If you want an older Slytherin antagonist, he’s definitely one to consider.

Lorcan d'Eath (1964)

Lorcan d’Eath is a very popular part-vampire singer whose song “Necks to You” spent nineteen weeks in the Number 1 slot.

Glenda Chittock (1964)

Glenda Chittock is a popular presenter of the W.W.N. (Wizarding Wireless Network) program Witching Hour.

Students we don’t know (even the approximate) the age of, but we know were at school with them

Davey Gudgeon

Davey Gudgeon was a student at Hogwarts at some point from or after 1971, who overlapped with the Marauders, Lily and Severus. 

“They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance. 

Mary MacDonald

Mary MacDonald was a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts in 1975-1976, but she could have been anything from a first year to a seventh year. Because she was targeted by a future Death Eater, it’s assumed she’s muggleborn (it’s also a fairly common last-name that don’t otherwise appear in canon), but this is never confirmed.

“We are, Sev, but I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with! I’m sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber, What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?”

Bertram Aubrey

Bertram Aubery overlapped with the Marauders, Lily and Snape at school, and James Potter and Sirius Black landed in detention for having used an illegal hex upon him. While I think it’s safe to assume James and Sirius might not have been in their earliest years of their magical education, we’ve got no further information about how old Aubrey was, or how old the boys were. Or anything else, really. 

He pulled out a card from one of the topmost boxes with a flourish and read, “ ‘James Potter and Sirius Black. Apprehended using an illegal hex upon Bertram Aubrey. Aubrey’s head twice normal size. Double detention.’ ” Snape sneered.

Wilkes & Rosier Jr

Wilkes and Rosier Jr* are part of the group we’re told hung out with Severus at school, meaning it’s very likely** they went to school with the Marauders. 

“Rosier and Wilkes — they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges — they’re a married couple — they’re in Azkaban. Avery — from what I’ve heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he’d been acting under the Imperius Curse — he’s still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater — not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape’s certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble.

*Rosier Jr should not be confused with Evan Rosier, who was killed after July 1981 (likely after Voldemort’s fall as part of the round up of capturing the Death Eaters), who we learn about in The Pensieve chapter in GOF.

**I’ve got to caveat that it’s possible they didn’t go to school together, because Sirius also highlights Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix, at least, had graduated by the time Snape started school. However, without any other information, it’s fairly safe to assume Snape went to school with Avery and Wilkes.

Students that might have been at Hogwarts between 1971-1978

There needs to be some canon evidence for them to be considered here. Otherwise we’d end up with a very long list indeed.

Andromeda Black (b. between 1952-1954)

As the middle child, she’s born between Bellatrix (1951) and Narcissa (1955), and might have overlapped with the Marauders, but only if she was born late enough (September 1953 or later). Her daughter was born between 1 September 1972 and 31 August 1973, which is worth factoring in when considering how old Andromeda is for any given fic.

Rabastan Lestrange & Rodolphus Lestrange

We don’t actually know (I don’t think) when Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange were born. It’s noticeable that Sirius didn’t bring up Rabastan when listing the DEs Snape hung out with. Maybe Rabastan never attended Hogwarts? Maybe he’s even older than Rodolphus? Maybe Rodolphus is younger than Bellatrix and overlapped with the Marauders at school? Maybe Sirius confused Rabastan and Rodolphus when talking to the trio? Or any other guess, really. 

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Kingsley Shacklebolt may have overlapped with the Marauders. He was not part of the first order, but he recognised a lot of James in Harry, suggesting he knew James. Considering James had very little time between school and Order and going into hiding with Harry and Lily, many take this to believe he went to school with the boys.

“Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus,” said a bald black wizard standing farthest back; he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear. “He looks exactly like James.”

Quirinus Quirrell 

While it is possible to take Quirrell statement as an argument that he wasn’t at school with James and Snape (“He was at Hogwarts with your father”, not “we”), there’s no reason for Quirrell to put himself into that dialogue. The point is that Snape and James were at Hogwarts together, and hated one another. How did Quirrell know this? Possibly Hogwarts gossip. But possibly he observed it for himself.

“Oh, he does,” said Quirrell casually, “heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn’t you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead.”

Furthermore, we know he used to work at Hogwarts, then he took a year off to gain practical experience (suggesting he went straight from being a student to becoming a professor), before coming back as a DADA teacher. 

At this stage it turns into speculation, but it seems unlikely he would have worked less than three years at Hogwarts before taking a year off, and it feels equally unlikely he would have waited more than ten years. If he worked for six years or more before taking a year off, he would have overlapped with the marauders. (If we worked for six years before taking the sabbatical, he would have graduated in 1984, meaning he would have started in 1977, and would have overlapped by a year with the Marauders)

Fabian and Gideon Prewett

Molly Weasley is born in October 1949. If her brothers were younger than her, they could have overlapped with the Marauders, Snape and Lily. 

For either or both of them to overlap with the Marauders, they would have to graduate from Hogwarts at the earliest in 1972, which would put either or both of their birthdays between Sep 1953 - Aug 1954, or later. 

In other words, if either of her brothers, or both, were roughly four years younger, or more, they would have overlapped with the Marauders, Snape and Lily.

Note: Nowhere in canon is it suggested that Fabian and Gideon are twins. They might have been. But it's just a theory.

Alice and Frank Longbottom

Frank and Alice have a son Harry’s age, but unlike Lily and James, they worked as Aurors and were well respected:

“They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community,” Mrs. Longbottom went on. “Highly gifted, the pair of them. I — yes, Alice dear, what is it?”

Now, it’s possible that some of this respect came about after Voldemort’s fall, as per my meta that explains why they were likely attacked between 1982-early 1984, but likely they were active as Aurors for some years before they decided to have a baby. For the sake of the argument, let’s put two years as qualified Aurors as the minimum number of years before Alice gets pregnant, late 1979. That puts her and Frank at graduating Auror training in 1977 at the latest (and of course it’s possible either or both did it much earlier than this). Assuming the standard three years of Auror training, that means the latest they could have graduated Hogwarts is 1974. 

“Well, you’ll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth,” said Professor McGonagall, “perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes a further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical defense. It will mean a lot more study even after you’ve left school, so unless you’re prepared to — ” 

Which puts them in the window of possibly overlapping with the Marauders.

It's also worth noting that it is possible that the Auror training was cut either entirely or at least partially because of the war, which could put them closer in age with the Marauders. But then again, it's also absolutely possible (if not probable) that they were a fair deal older than the boys and Lily.

Gwenog Jones

I am going to ignore the Hogwarts Mystery stuff, but we know she was a favourite of Slughorn, and we know she is still active as the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies in 1996, suggesting she overlapped with Slughorn's final few years, which possibly puts her in the window together with the Marauders.

“All ex-students, all signed. You’ll notice Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, he’s always interested to hear my take on the day’s news. And Ambrosius Flume, of Honeydukes — a hamper every birthday, and all because I was able to give him an introduction to Ciceron Harkiss, who gave him his first job! And at the back — you’ll see her if you just crane your neck — that’s Gwenog Jones, who of course captains the Holyhead Harpies. … People are always astonished to hear I’m on first-name terms with the Harpies, and free tickets whenever I want them!”

[neverenoughmarauders]

When were the Longbottoms attacked?

I've always assumed the Longbottoms were attacked in 1982, but of late I've seen people suggest it happened days after Voldemort's fall. I've also recently come across an article that suggested the earliest had to be 1984.

Which leaves the question: what range are we actually looking at, and how does that change our view on Barty Crouch Jr (CANON Barty, I don't want to think about the abomination that's fanon Barty)

Note that we know a few of the events preceding the attack and the arrest of the Lestranges and Crouch.

Voldemort had fallen, and enough time had passed for people to start to feel safe again

The attacks on them came after Voldemort's fall from power, just when everyone thought they were safe. 

Unfortunately: "just when everyone thought they were safe" can mean a lot of things. We see people celebrating Voldemort's fall like there's no tomorrow on November 1st 1981, but we also know from the trials in GOF that it took time to round up the Death Eaters, and that some believed (rightly) that Voldemort wasn't gone for good. So, how long did Voldemort have to have been gone for people to feel safe? How many DEs had to have been rounded up?

Luckly, we've got other markers of time too.

The Lestranges had talked their way out of Azkaban

"Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban."

So presumably, after Voldemort's fall, the Lestranges, just like Lucius Malfoy, Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle etc had to be cleared through the mass DE trials.

“You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!” said Fudge angrily. “You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! 

This comment from Fudge also suggests that a lot of the initial DE trials (where people like Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle were acquitted) took place in 1982.

Karkaroff's trial was likely in 1982

We even have insight into some of these trials which help us with the timing. For example, from Moody we learn:

[Crouch]'s done a deal with him. Took me six months to track him down, and Crouch is going to let him go if he's got enough new names.

Six months from what? Some crime he committed? Karkaroff is never really on trial for any specific crime as far as we learn in canon (and we do learn quite a lot about some of these people's crimes). It's more that he was a DE and held accountable for things DEs did:

"There was Antonin Dolohov," he said. "I - I saw him torture countless Muggles and - and non-supporters of the Dark Lord." "And helped him do it," murmured Moody.

It seems likely we're looking at six months since Voldemort's fall. That's when the DEs fell apart, and the Aurors started rounding them up. That's a natural point for Moody to think about when he says it took him six months. And if so, we're looking at a trial that was held more than six months after October 31, 1981.

In any case, we know the earliest the trial can be is after Voldemort's downfall and enough time to have passed for Snape to have been cleared:

“Snape has been cleared by this council,” said Crouch disdainfully. “He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore.” “No!” shouted Karkaroff, straining at the chains that bound him to the chair. “I assure you! Severus Snape is a Death Eater!” “I have given evidence already on this matter,” he said calmly. “Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort’s downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am.”

At Karkaroff's trial, Crouch is described to look"fit and alert":

Crouch's hair was dark, his face was much less lined, he looked fit and alert.

Some time elapsed between Karkaroff's trial and Bagman's and Crouch's/Lestranges'

The next trial we see is Ludo Bagman, which is a direct consequence of Karkaroff's trial:

"Rookwood, who was a spy, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!"

"Ludovic Bagman, you were caught passing information to Lord Voldemort's supporters," said Mr. Crouch. "For this, I suggest a term of imprisonment in Azkaban lasting no less than -" ... "Old Rookwood was a friend of my dad's . . . never crossed my mind he was in with You-Know-Who!"

So between the two trials, Rookwood must have been rounded up, and investigated enough to catch some members (at least one unknowing one) of his network.

And time has clearly passed:

Mr. Crouch looked more tired and somehow fiercer, gaunter

I think this is critical to our understanding of Crouch's description at his son's trial:

Harry looked up at Crouch and saw that he looked gaunter and grayer than ever before.

Because I've always put his change in appearance to grey and gaunt down to the "nasty little shock" he got when his son got captured, HOWEVER that doesn't fit with the fact that he's already appearing more tired and gaunt in Bagman's trial, which is otherwise held in such high spirits that does imply the attack on the Longbottom's hasn't happened yet. Contrast the two scenes:

The atmosphere seemed quite different: relaxed, even cheerful. The witches and wizards all around the walls were talking to one another, almost as though they were at some sort of sporting event. ... Many of the witches and wizards around the walls began to clap. (...) The dungeon was ringing with applause now. Bagman got to his feet and bowed, beaming.

There was total silence, broken only by the dry sobs of a frail, wispy-looking witch in the seat next to Mr. Crouch. ... The crowd around the walls began to clap as it had for Bagman, their faces full of savage triumph.

So clearly, Crouch is being worn down by the trials even before his son is arrested, and while the immense workload is the key driver, time has to play a factor too.

So we know that at some point in 1982 "Crouch's hair was dark, his face was much less lined, he looked fit and alert" and some time after, enough time to pass for them to uncover Rookwork's work and for people to feel safe again and the Lestrages to talk their way out of Azkaban and for Crouch to turn grayer and more gaunt his son is caught. As a side note, it has to be long enough after Voldemort’s fall for Bellatrix to proclaim that “they alone tried to find him”.

Finally, if the attack on the Longbottoms happened after Bagman's trial (which all evidence suggest), we also need to allow time for the Ministry to go from learning about the attack to making the arrest:

The Ministry was under great pressure to catch those who had done it. Unfortunately, the Longbottoms' evidence was given their condition none too reliable.

On the one hand, one could argue they must have acted quickly because they were under pressure to do so (but then again, does that imply they usually acted quite slow, so we can expect significant time to have elapsed between Karkaroff turning in Rookwood and Bagman being on trial?). On the other hand, clearly they had very little to go on to identify who was behind the attack (ie little to go on to identify who to arrest - I’m sure once they caught them they moved swiftly to trial), given the state of the Longbottoms and the fact that no one really knew if the boy was or wasn't innocent.

At the very earliest, the trial of Crouch and the Lestranges would have be at end of 1982, most likely it took place in 1983 or 1984.

Crouch's fall in popularity led Fudge to get the job as Minister of Magic

“So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made,” he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic . . . next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I’ve heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”

In 1981, Fudge was a Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and he's not made Minister of Magic until 1990. I understand politics can drag on, but if we assume Crouch was arrested in 1981, which seems to be the prevailing assumption (but which, for all the reasons above, I consider highly unlikely), then Crouch Jr "dies" in 1982, and Crouch Sr experience a fall in popularity which stops him being appointed as MoM and opens the way for Fudge in 1990. That seems... too long? If we turn it completely around and say it shouldn't take more than four years, then we're looking at a death of Crouch Jr around 1986 and the trials in 1985.

The trial can't be later than 1984

However, that also doesn't quite work, because Barty Crouch Jr is only nineteen when arrested:

“That’s right,” said Sirius, and he didn’t look remotely amused now. “I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can’t have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though . . . they all went quiet in the end . . . except when they shrieked in their sleep. …”

And he was a "faithful Death Eater". The youngest we've seen Voldemort make Death Eaters is 16 (Draco and Regulus), meaning that if he was 16 at the youngest in 1981, then the latest his arrest could be is 1984.

Conclusion: The window is somewhere between the end of 1982 and the end of 1984

This window would make Barty Crouch Jr born in 1963-1965 which may help explain why Sirius knew so little about him—he was several of years below the boys.

More than anything, I am intrigued by the trial was 1984 idea, not necessarily as the most likely, but because it fundamentally changes our understanding of Neville's childhood and who Crouch Jr was.

In this world, Neville might have the odd memory of his parents from before they got tortured (whether this be in 1983 with the trial being in 1984 or both events happening in 1984), and he would have been cognisant at the time of how his parents were around one day, and not the next.

Furthermore, Crouch Jr is a completely different person from what I used to picture him as, in this version. He has almost no time with Voldemort, and most of his devotion has to do with the idea of a master he lost, and he wants to find once more. It might also explain why Crouch was never even brought up in any trial prior to this (whereas the Lestranges had to talk their way out). After all, he was literally just a child when Voldemort fell. Even in the Wizarding World.

[metalomagnetic]

Canon Marauders meet Fanon Marauders

“I will kill him, James. I simply have to kill him. It’s a duty at this point,” Sirius whispers, at breakfast. 

James is morally opposed to murder, to say the least, but now when he opens his mouth to automatically tell Sirius he can’t kill people, the Abomination walks into the Great Hall, and James closes his mouth, with a sigh. 

He condones it. 

“Can you kill me, too, please?” Remus asks, as he watches his counterpart walk behind the Abomination. 

“Oh, come on! The Other You isn’t so bad.” 

“They’re all bad,” Peter mutters. “Just unbearable to watch.” 

They’ve only arrived in this cursed universe the day before, but it’s already too much to suffer. 

When Sirius met this universe’ version of himself, he had to be restrained from committing unspeakable violence. 

“What’s with the pranks?” James wonders. “Look, they’ve only just entered the Hall and they’ve already pulled a few pranks.” 

“You call those pranks?” Sirius sneers. “Those lame jokes?” 

“They probably take the ‘prankster’ label too seriously,” Peter bemoans. “And I’m missing again. It’s like I don’t even exist here, like those guys forget I’m their best friend.” 

After the Other Sirius, Other Peter was done the dirtiest. He’s much uglier than the real one, far shorter, and so stupid Sirius thinks he shouldn’t even be allowed to attend school. 

Not that Other Sirius is smart- oh, no. Other Sirius is a moron, apparently allergic to books. 

Remus got an upgrade- he’s now a wise genius to rival Dumbledore, and he spends his days giving people chocolate frogs.

It’s a wonder the Abomination is so thin, with how much chocolate he’s getting from Other Remus. 

So thin and short. 

“Why am I short?” Sirius growls. “I don’t know mate, it’s like the creator of this universe misremembered our heights and switched them around,” Remus offers, watching his other self, a very tall bastard. He’s even taller than Real Sirius. 

Outrageous. 

“I could suffer you short,” James says. “But look at him, he’s - why is he so…is that ...nail polish? Gods, what have they done to my Sirius!” 

“I asked him if he still has the bike,” Peter whispers. “He said he does, but I mean- he’s so fragile and dainty, how does he even manage that monster bike?” 

Sirius shakes his head in horror. “I have to kill him, there’s no way around it.” 

The Other Sirius whines in the distance. “MOOOOONY,” he pouts, and that's it, Sirius stands-

“Not here,” James pulls him by his sleeve. “You can’t have witnesses.” 

(-)

It takes them a few days to figure out what’s wrong with Other James. At a first glance, he looked normal, compared to the others. Almost unchanged from his real version, if only stupider. But not as stupid as Other Sirius and Other Peter, of course. 

A chicken wouldn’t be dumber than those guys. 

When they do figure it out, James throws up. 

“There, there,” Sirius pats his back. “Breathe, mate. Breathe.” 

“I’m fucking your brother! Your brother, Sirius!” 

“Oh, no, that is not my brother. That is Other Brother.” 

This version of Regulus is apparently not a bigot at all, it’s all just a big misunderstanding. He’s an Animagus, too, somehow. 

Sirius actually thinks Other Regulus is an alright lad- nothing like his brother, mind you, but alright, in general. 

James throws up again. “Me! With Regulus Black! I’m not even gay! I love Lily, and she loves me-” 

“Well, apparently she’s gay, too, in this world.” Remus says, which only makes James cry.

That isn’t so bad, really. Many things are wrong with this universe, but Lily and Dorcas look hot together. Sirius had a wank thinking of them the other night. It’s fine, he tells himself. He’s not betraying James. This Lily is nothing like their Lily back home. This one is like a goddess of beauty here, hair far more vibrant than the Real one, flawless skin and overall perfect in everything she does. Extremely selfless, saint-like, to the point she apparently offered to carry Regulus’ and James’ baby after Hogwarts.

Real Lily would hate her. 

She’s still not worse than Other Sirius. Nothing is worse than that. Real Sirius has taken to bullying Other Sirius, daily. Hourly. The Abomination whines about it to Other Remus all the time. 

“I want a word,” Other Remus hulks over, ridiculously muscular and, for some reason, with scars on his face. 

What the fuck happened to this bloke? Who even is he?

Real Remus slinks back. He was never one for confrontations, their Remus, but apparently this upgraded version is all up for it. 

“Listen,” Sirius tells him, because he doesn’t hate the man- sure, he’s not Remus, but he seems like a nice lad. “Why do you put up with that insufferable drama queen? He deserves to hang, and you deserve better.” 

“That’s my baby! That’s my Pads,” Other Remus says, suddenly all violent, his eyes turn yellow- what the actual fuck? 

But Sirius is already nauseous, stomach turning as soon as he heard ‘baby’ and ‘Pads”  coming out of his mouth. 

Real Remus cheers from the sidelines as Sirius wipes the floor with Other Remus. The Abomination cries somewhere in the distance, all helpless, until Real James hits him over the head with a candlestick. Other James is too busy sucking Other Regulus’ face to notice anything. 

(-)

Other Snape has a split personality, as if someone out there can’t decide if he’s evil reincarnate or a mewling, innocent boy. 

It’s jarring to see the shifts, day to day, and Sirius doesn’t know which version he hates more. 

He never thought he’d miss Snape, but he does. He misses their Snape, gods damn it, the Real one. 

(-)

He finds out his parents- or at least his parents in this world- torture Other Sirius on a daily basis. With the Cruciatus, even. 

Other Regulus tells him this, all traumatised. 

“Well,” Sirius says, shocked to the core. He almost laughs at the absurdity of it. “To be fair, if I had a son like the Abomination, I’d torture, him, too.” 

(-)

Dumbledore is Evil. But stupidly so. Even a random eleven year old saw through his evil plans and humiliated Dumbledore at breakfast. Some smart arse kid, who’s apparently Lord Potter Black Gaunt Slytherin, and talks like an eighty year old politician. Apparently Dumbledore stole his money or something. 

“I wonder how Other Voldemort is like,” James says, anxious to consider it. 

“I don’t even care,” Peter says. “We should join him. It’s either him, or siding with these lunatics.” 

They all nod in agreement. Voldemort can’t be worse- nothing can be worse than Other Sirius and Evil Stupid Dumbledore.  

(-)

There’s two Voldemorts. 

One is practically a ‘cartoon character’ Remus says. Sirius has no idea what that means.

This Voldemort is Ridiculously Evil. 

Insane Bellatrix is his most loyal. For some reason Insane Bellatrix cackles all the time, and mutters about blood and the Cruciatus under her breath. She’s also dressed like a slut. 

Real Bella, like the aristocrat she is, would never be caught looking like that in public. 

Sirius takes her aside to have a few words with her, and then he finds out apparently she, too, was tortured daily by her parents, like Other Sirius. 

“And raped,” she remembers, with a shrug.  

Wow, and Sirius thought the Real versions of the Blacks were bad, but these people take the fucking cake. 

If the Real Blacks would find out what these Other Blacks are doing to their children, there’ll be hell to pay. 

His mum is a right basket case back in his world, insufferable and cruel with her words, unreasonably strict, but if she’d ever find out another version of herself is torturing her children- why, she’d cut that bitch in pieces. 

(-)

The second Other Voldemort is some misunderstood good guy with a sob story. He whines about his tragic childhood as much as Other Sirius. 

At least this Other Voldemort is still tall, unlike Other Sirius. 

“It’s all Dumbledore’s fault,” he ends a monologue. “He made me do all I did. Or-” he checks a list. “Apparently sometimes he simply framed me and I didn’t do anything at all. Also, you can call me Tom, in private,” he invites them. 

It’s a tragic state of affairs. 

They decide to join Ridiculously Evil Voldemort, simply because he’s the only one that wouldn't protest to murdering everyone. He talks about murder every single day, and Sirius promises him he’ll do anything If he’s allowed to kill Other Sirius. 

“Oh, by the way, you should deal with Good Guy Voldemort.” 

“With who?” 

“You know, the hotter you, the one that’s innocent of all wrongs and calls himself Tom.” 

Evil Voldemort has a heart attacks and dies. 

(-)

They’re on the run from everyone in that crazy world, when a hooded figure enters their tent.  

“Is it you? Is it really you?” the man asks. “Potter? Black? Lupin? Pettigrew?’ 

“Yes, it’s us.” 

The person lowers his hood. It’s Snape. Real Snape. With greasy hair and a large nose, but with intelligent, sharp eyes.

There’s no ‘Victim’ stamped on his forehead, nor is he an evil arrogant bastard, like the Other Snape.

“Fuck, Snivellus! A sane person! I could hug you!” 

“I’d rather not,” Snape spits at James. “Alas, I am...relieved to have found you. We need to work together. I came here after you-” 

“Of course you did, you berk! You were stalking us, as usually, weren’t you?” 

“Yes,” Snape says, unashamed. “I killed the Other me.” 

“Good job. I killed the Other me, too,” Sirius boasts. “I took my time with him.” 

“I killed Other Lily,” Snape says. “She had to go. She was all ...wrong.” 

James sniffles. “She was.” 

And then they all sit down, and plan how to kill Good Guy Voldemort and Evil Stupid Dumbledore. 

[ernest-pamphilow]

charmless man ~ blur l poshitopi — i dr@www | Patreon

[exhaustedteareader]

Percy Weasley is terrified of bugs, especially cockroaches.

[ernest-pamphilow]

~ the look of profound loathing l poshitopi — i dr@www | Patreon

[letstrythisout4]

I love the idea that Ginny is Percy’s favorite sibling. Like he loves all of his brothers but Bill and Charlie are untouchable older brothers, Fred and George had each other, Ron always thought Percy was too much of a stick in the mud but Ginny?? 

That’s his baby. That his baby sister, loves her to bits. Half of his childhood photos are him carrying baby Ginny, holding her hand, comforting her when she’s crying. Like Ginny is the sibling he was able to BE a big brother to. And you can even see that in Chamber of Secrets like he’s the one keeping an eye on her in her first year, he notices that something is wrong, which isn’t to say that the other brothers didn’t but they thought he was doing too much. But no, he was right, his brother instincts were going off and sure enough Ginny almost died. 

I can only imagine how guilty all the brothers felt hearing that their fucking sister was possessed and they didn’t notice; but imagine noticing and backing down.

THAT IS HEART FUCKING WRENCHING

Especially because Molly feels like the kind of mom to hear that her daughter was possessed and A) be pissed because what kind of fucking school is this, but B) how did you not notice your sister was possessed.

Like that just feels like something Molly would do. (Molly is either completely demonized in this fandom or treated like a saint but I’d like to raise a third option: she is………..human. I feel like she’d look at the boys, with tears in her eyes after yelling at Dumbledore and be like “None of you noticed?” and she’d feel guilty and apologize later (which doesn’t fix it but ykwim) but she still says it)

And it fucking kills Percy because YES, I DID NOTICE, but he didn’t do anything, so he just hangs his head and doesn’t even bring it up and he just feels fucking terrible .

ANYWAY- 

Ginny is beloved by all of her brothers but Percy IS her big brother, thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

[wercypeasley]

in my headcanon, audrey is a muggle and a goth. when percy says he's bringing his girlfriend for dinner and her name is audrey, everyone is prepared for her to be the most boring office worker alive. NO ONE expects the six-foot purple-haired weird sisters lookalike who comes through the floo with him that day

[wercypeasley]

hp characters i think are autistic

hermione granger

luna lovegood

xenophilius lovegood

pandora lovegood

eileen prince

severus snape

charlie weasley

percy weasley

rowan khanna

rubeus hagrid

[inthemoodforblastt]

what are your headcanons on Severus as head of house? How do u think he acts towards snakes

I think there’s a very specific cognitive dissonance going on with Severus and Slytherin, because despite the fact that most Slytherin students come from wealthy pure-blood families and privileged social environments, I genuinely think Severus internalised the stigma against Slytherin as something deeply personal. Not just because of other students bullying him, but because authority figures —teachers included— repeatedly stood by and allowed that bullying to happen.

So I think in his mind, being a Slytherin became inseparable from being socially condemned, mistrusted and left unprotected. And yes, objectively speaking, a huge factor in why he suffered so much was poverty, social isolation and lack of protection or support systems. But trauma is not always rational. Trauma simplifies things emotionally. So I think Severus ends up associating a lot of that pain specifically with the identity of being a Slytherin. Which is why I think he becomes intensely protective of Slytherin students later in life. Not because he necessarily agrees with every single thing they do, but because in his mind they are children who, from the age of eleven, are already going to walk into Hogwarts with a target on their backs and assumptions made about them before they even open their mouths.

And unlike Slughorn, who desperately wanted approval from wealthy elites and influential families, Severus genuinely does not give a shit about social acceptance. He doesn’t care about being liked. He doesn’t care about networking. He doesn’t care about pleasing people. So I think part of his mentality becomes: “No one protected me. Fine. I’ll protect them.” And I think that’s also why his resentment toward Gryffindor runs so deep specifically. Because we never really see Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff students having personal issues with Snape. The hostility is overwhelmingly tied to Gryffindor, the house associated with the people who abused him and the institutional bias that protected them.

Especially considering that Dumbledore himself was a Gryffindor, McGonagall was a Gryffindor, the school culture clearly favoured Gryffindor students in many ways, and the Marauders were essentially treated like mischievous golden boys despite repeatedly crossing lines that would absolutely be considered abusive. So from Severus’s perspective, Gryffindor represents not bravery or heroism, but a system that rewarded charismatic cruelty while dismissing his suffering. And I think that deeply shaped how he approached teaching.

Honestly, I think Severus was emotionally distant but structurally protective. I do not think he was the kind of teacher students went to crying about personal drama. I think that would make him deeply uncomfortable. He’s emotionally repressed, highly guarded and extremely rigid with boundaries. Especially because he started teaching so young —the age gap between him and some students was tiny at first— so I think he intentionally built very thick professional walls from the beginning. There is always a line: He is Professor Snape first, everything else second. But at the same time, I absolutely think his students knew that if they were genuinely being treated unfairly, he would go to war for them. Not in a warm or nurturing way. Not in a soft, emotionally available way. But in a very harsh, almost paternalistic way rooted in trauma.

Like the type of parent who publicly defends their child with their life, then privately tears them apart afterward for behaving like an idiot. That’s exactly the energy Snape gives me. Publicly? “My students did nothing wrong.” Privately in the common room? “You absolute morons, do you have any idea how stupid that was?”

And honestly, I think he valued effort more than likability. Outside of obvious exceptions like Harry and his immediate circle —because Harry was psychologically triggering to him in ways that completely compromised his objectivity— I actually think Severus was relatively fair academically. Demanding? Absolutely. Strict? Definitely. Harsh? Constantly. But I think he respected intelligence, discipline, talent and hard work. If a student genuinely applied themselves, I think he respected that regardless of whether he liked them personally.

And that’s why I think his students probably experienced him as emotionally inaccessible but fundamentally reliable. Not someone you cry to, not someone you seek comfort from, but someone you know will stand between you and injustice if it really matters.

[queer-dinos]

Bisexual Harry Potter who flirts with every single Weasley sibling just to piss of Ron.

“Y’know Ron? I love your sister and all, but I hope you know Bill was my bi awakening. I’d totally go there”

Fred and George flirting back shamelessly.

Percy pretends to be annoyed, but secretly enjoys watching Ron squirm. He stage-kisses Harry one afternoon when Ron was being particularly annoying.

Fleur laughing as Bill jokingly proposes to Harry at every family gathering

Charlie and Harry talking about adopting dragons together and calling them “our kids”

Harry and Ginny, who actually *are* dating, being obnoxiously lovey-dovey when Ron’s around.

Molly and Arthur going along with it and calling Harry their Seven Time Son-in-Law.

Molly knits Harry his own set of sweaters that are identical to those of her other children.

Harry comes downstairs wearing a different one every morning.

“YOU CANT HAVE ALL MY SIBLINGS HARRY!”

“I’ll fight you, Ronald”

[mashruuums]

💌

[wercypeasley]

headcanon that percy weasley secretly loves muggle trains. department of magical transportation is the perfect place for him actually

[ladystardust-7]

I find it so funny that Snape calls Tonks “Nymphadora”

The man exclusively runs on surnames but will abandon that principle if it means he gets to piss someone off

[thebanddragon]

Severus just graduated… not a great start but at least he is having a laugh

I can’t stop drawing Severus, I’m not going to upload all of them bc…. I don’t wanna overdo it….

[inthemoodforblastt]

how do you think things would have gone in PoA, in the final chapters in the Shrieking Shack shack, if the timing had shifted a little? if Severus, instead of overhearing the part he actually did — basically the worst possible fragment he could have caught — had heard the explanation about Pettigrew’s betrayal and seen the rat transform into Pettigrew. what do you think his actions would have been in that case?

I think that single change would alter the entire emotional logic of that scene for him. Because in canon, Severus walks into the Shack already primed: he thinks he’s catching Sirius and Remus in the act of something dark, he hears just enough to confirm his worst biases, and everything slots neatly into a narrative he’s been carrying for over a decade. Sirius guilty, Remus complicit and himself finally vindicated. There’s no cognitive dissonance, so he doesn’t need to question anything. But if he walks in and instead hears about Pettigrew’s betrayal and then literally watches a rat turn into a man… that narrative collapses on the spot.

And Severus is many things, but he’s not stupid. He’s actually highly analytical when he’s not emotionally hijacked. So I don’t think he’d just ignore that level of evidence. The key difference here is that instead of confirmation bias, you’re forcing him into cognitive dissonance: the people he hates most are suddenly not lying in the way he expected, and the man he thought dead is standing right there. His first reaction would still be aggressive, but it wouldn’t be the same blind, almost vindictive tunnel vision we see in canon. He’d be trying to understand while maintaining authority.

I don’t think he would immediately trust Sirius or Remus —there’s too much history there— but Pettigrew’s presence changes the power dynamics. Pettigrew is weaker, more obviously guilty, and crucially, not someone Severus has that same deeply personal vendetta against. So his focus would likely shift toward him as the most controllable variable in the room.

And here’s the important part: Severus’ loyalties at that point are already aligned with Dumbledore and, by extension, with the truth of what actually happened to Lily. If there’s even a possibility that Sirius is not the one who betrayed the Potters, that matters to him. That’s not a neutral fact, that’s tied directly to his core motivation. So instead of immediately incapacitating Sirius and Remus, I think he’d try to take control of the situation in a more strategic way: restrain everyone, force a clearer explanation, and above all ensure Pettigrew doesn’t escape. Because Pettigrew is suddenly the key to everything.

Would he be nice about it? Absolutely not. The tension would still be unbearable, and he’d still be openly hostile, especially towards Sirius. But his actions would be more calculated than purely reactive. Also —and this is subtle but important— if Severus sees with his own eyes that Sirius didn’t betray Lily, that removes a massive psychological anchor for his hatred. Not all of it, obviously, but that specific justification disappears. And that creates space, however small, for a different outcome.

I still don’t think the scene would be peaceful, far from it. But the likelihood of Sirius being handed over as a confirmed traitor drops significantly, and the chances of Pettigrew being captured increase a lot. Ironically, the biggest difference might be that Severus —by being forced to actually process the truth in real time— would act less out of past trauma and more out of present logic. And that alone could have completely changed how that night ended.