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hollowed-theory-hall · 1 month

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Sirius Black was the best adult in Harry's life and I'm forever salty that we didn't get to see more of him

So, I love Sirius Black. He's a complex and interesting character that I love dearly. He's handsome, smart, brave, not as reckless as some fanon make him out to be, and above all else, he tried his best to be a good godfather to Harry.

I truly believe Sirius could've been an amazing father figure (more than he already was) to Harry if given the proper chance. And he's a much better parent to Harry than Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Here are some quotes along with my ramblings to prove it.

So, what I'm going to cover here are some quotes from Sirius and Harry that show their dynamic and how much Sirius cared and tried to be there for Harry. Also, I think Molyl and Hermione are wrong about Sirius seeing Harry as a James replacement.

“He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He’ll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone’s entered me in the Triwizard Tournament —”

(GoF, page 290)

Harry wrote to Sirius at the beginning of GoF about his dream with Voldemort and his scar's reaction to it. Sirius left everything immediately to return to Britain — a place where he is hunted down and is a wanted man. All because he wants to be close to Harry, so he can spring up to protect him if the need arises.

Harry is correct in his assessment here.

“Poor old Snuffles,” said Ron, breathing deeply. “He must really like you, Harry. . . . Imagine having to live off rats.”

(GoF, page 534)

Ron is absolutely right. Sirius loves Harry more than pretty much anything. He would and does go incredibly far for Harry. I don't think Molly and Hermione are right about how Sirius sees Harry as James. He just doesn't.

He doesn't treat Harry as an equal to him, but as someone he needs to protect. Someone he is responsible to protect.

He stays around Hogwarts, eating rats in GoF so he can better protect Harry. He wouldn't have done the same with James because he treated James as an equal, not as someone he needed to protect.

“It’s not my fault you haven’t been told what the Order’s doing,” said Sirius calmly. “That’s your parents’ decision. Harry, on the other hand —” “It’s not down to you to decide what’s good for Harry!” said Mrs. Weasley sharply. Her normally kindly face looked dangerous. “You haven’t forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?” “Which bit?” Sirius asked politely, but with an air as though readying himself for a fight. “The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know,” said Mrs. Weasley, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words. Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George’s heads turned from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin’s eyes were fixed on Sirius. “I don’t intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly,” said Sirius. “But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back” (again, there was a collective shudder around the table at the name), “he has more right than most to —” “He’s not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!” said Mrs. Weasley. “He’s only fifteen and —” “— and he’s dealt with as much as most in the Order,” said Sirius, “and more than some —” “No one’s denying what he’s done!” said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. “But he’s still —” “He’s not a child!” said Sirius impatiently. “He’s not an adult either!” said Mrs. Weasley, the color rising in her cheeks. “He’s not James, Sirius!” “I’m perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly,” said Sirius coldly. “I’m not sure you are!” said Mrs. Weasley. “Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it’s as though you think you’ve got your best friend back!” “What’s wrong with that?” said Harry. “What’s wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!” said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes still boring into Sirius. “You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!” “Meaning I’m an irresponsible godfather?” demanded Sirius, his voice rising. “Meaning you’ve been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and —” “We’ll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!” said Sirius loudly.

(OotP, page 88-89)

This above quote is a long one, but I love it. I mean, this shows a big contrast between Sirius' approach to parenting and Molly's. Sirius, while not seeing Harry as his equal, does see Harry as a capable wizard who deserves to know the full picture. Sirius knows Harry would be in more danger when ignorant and wants him as safe as possible. He thinks Harry deserves to know things that pertain to him, and I have to agree with him here. Keeping Harry in the dark is what eventually cost Sirius his life.

Molly, on the other hand, is intent on keeping Harry, Hermione, and her kids ignorant. She has the same intention as Sirius: to keep them safe. But she tries to keep them safe emotionally, even when this ignorance can and does place them in physical harm's way.

And Sirius is right. Harry is capable. And a 15-year-old shouldn't be treated the same as an 11-year-old child. And let's be real, Harry was never a regular child with how he grew up, and I think Sirius sees his maturity and treats him accordingly. Sirius actually gave Harry advice to not approach danger in GOF and Harry listened to him because Sirius treated him with respect, which works best with Harry who never really had parental figures.

“I don’t know,” said Sirius slowly, “I just don’t know . . . Karkaroff doesn’t strike me as the type who’d go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can’t help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident.”

(GoF, page 334)

This is an expert from the Fireplace conversation Haryr had with Sirius before the first task. Sirius shares his theories with Harry because he needs him to know who to watch out for. Because everything he does is to keep Harry safe. And this is the same approach Sirius wishes he could take with Harry in OOTP. Because he knows it works. Keeping Harry informed means that if he does put himself in danger, at least he would inform Sirius about it; Which would allow Sirius to protect him.

I'm not copying all of them, but Sirius' letters to Harry throughout GOF are so caring and sweet. Harry deserved to have more of his godfather in his life:

Nice try, Harry. I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar. Sirius

(Gof, page 240)

This treatment encourages Harry to actually share everything with him and ask him for advice. Something he doesn't do with Dumbledore ever. (Harry actually doesn't like or trust Dumbledore all that much until book 6, it's usually Hermione who trusts Dumbledore fully)

“Sirius — how’re you doing?” ... “Never mind me, how are you?” said Sirius seriously.

(GoF, page 331)

Sirius again, shows his responsibility towards Harry's well-being over his own (both here and in the above letter).

Sirius is the only adult who actually talks to Harry about the Dursleys with sympathy:

“But if they do expel me,” said Harry, quietly, “can I come back here and live with you?” Sirius smiled sadly. “We’ll see.” “I’d feel a lot better about the hearing if I knew I didn’t have to go back to the Dursleys,” Harry pressed him. “They must be bad if you prefer this place,” said Sirius gloomily.

(OotP, page 116)

We know Sirius would love nothing more than for Harry to stay with him. He's lonely and bored at Grimmauld and would love to have Harry there. But at the same time, he doesn't want Harry expelled from Hogwarts and is trying not to be hopeful for it.

Sirius understands the Dursleys are awful, he just know the full scope, but it's more of a reaction than we get from most adults in this series. To me, it looks like Sirius is annoyed by how limited he is in helping Harry. He can't really do much about the Dursleys or their status as Harry's guardians.

“So you want me to say I’m not going to take part in the defense group?” he muttered finally. “Me? Certainly not!” said Sirius, looking surprised. “I think it’s an excellent idea!” “You do?” said Harry, his heart lifting. “Of course I do!” said Sirius. “D’you think your father and I would’ve lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?” “But — last term all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks —” “Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!” said Sirius impatiently. “This year we know that there’s someone outside Hogwarts who’d like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!” “And if we do get expelled?” Hermione asked, a quizzical look on her face. “Hermione, this whole thing was your idea!” said Harry, staring at her. “I know it was. . . . I just wondered what Sirius thought,” she said, shrugging. “Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue,” said Sirius.

(OotP, page 371)

I love this scene as well. Sirius cares for Harry's safety first and foremost. Harry being safe is his top priority at every given point. And he's reasonable and logical and treats Harry like someone to protect, not like a friend.

Like, Harry when he has a problem and needs advice throughout books 4 and 5, he calls Sirius. He's Harry's go-to parental figure for advice, and Sirius takes his rule seriously. He gives the advice he honestly thinks is best and ensures Harry's safety and continued survival to the best of his ability.

“It matters because we don’t want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!” said Sirius angrily. “Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?” Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still white-faced and silent. Ginny said, “Somebody else could have told us. . . . We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry. . . .”

(OotP, pages 476-477)

Again, Harry's safety is Sirius' first priority above everyone else. Harry's happiness and privacy also take precedence over most other things. He doesn't want Harry under even more scrutiny from the ministry and the Wizarding World and protecting him from that is just as important to him.

To me, it feels like people who say he treats Harry like a James replacement didn't read the books....

“It must have been the aftermath of the vision, that’s all,” said Sirius. “You were still thinking of the dream or whatever it was and —” “It wasn’t that,” said Harry, shaking his head. “It was like something rose up inside me, like there’s a snake inside me —” “You need to sleep,” said Sirius firmly. “You’re going to have breakfast and then go upstairs to bed, and then you can go and see Arthur after lunch with the others. You’re in shock, Harry; you’re blaming yourself for something you only witnessed, and it’s lucky you did witness it or Arthur might have died. Just stop worrying. . . .” He clapped Harry on the shoulder and left the pantry, leaving Harry standing alone in the dark.

(OotP, pages 480-481)

And I love this too. How he tries to comfort Harry and make everything easier for him. When the rest of the Order were gossiping about how dangerous his connection to Voldemort is, Sirius is honestly trying to get Harry to worry about it less.

He might be lying here, but he is right about sending Harry to sleep after a sleepless night like they had. And he is right about Harry being in shock and needing the rest. I just, really like how much Sirius cares. Harry just doesn't have other adults in his life who care for him like Sirius does.

But some part of him realized, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before. . . . Sirius had risked everything, always, to see Harry, to help him. . . . If Sirius was not reappearing out of that archway when Harry was yelling for him as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back. . . . That he really was . . .

(OotP, page 808)

This. Scene. Just kills me.

Like, Harry understands how much Sirius cares about him, and how Sirius always puts him first. He knows the only way Sirius won't drop everything to come and when Harry calls for him is if he can't.

Because Sirius escaped Azkaban when he realized Harry might be in danger from Peter, not for his own safety, but for Harry’s. Sirius dropped everything and moved to live in a cave and eat rats when Harry's scar hurt. He stuck around Hogwarts and Hogsmead during the Triwizard Tournament, when it was crawling with ministry officials because Harry might need him. He was willing to do so much for Harry. And Harry knew this.

I think, given time, they could've had an amazing dynamic, and I wish we had more of Sirius and his care for Harry. That we saw more of his approach to parenting Harry.

#harry potter #harry potter thoughts #hp theory #harry potter theory #hp #hp thoughts #sirius black #good godfather sirius black #hollowedtheory #sirius black was a better parent figure for harry than the weasleys #pro sirius black #I also wanna talk about how smart sirius is #but that'll be another post

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viktheviking1 · 4 months

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I am convinced that actor Robert Pattinson is trying (and succeeding) to act in every major fandom

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pickinglilahs · 13 days

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Since the old poll has been seeing a lot of action lately

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cursedwithwords · 2 months

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Teddy Lupin picrew dump because I'm in love with him.

I love to imagine him with pink or magenta eyes because it connects him to Tonks, but I also have this image of him having eyes that are in constant motion, always changing and never settling on one solid color, to show the internal chaos he battles with. I think he keeps his hair generally a solid blue because he likes the way it looks, and because his nan told him that his hair turned blue almost immediately after he was born, so a tiny piece of him is always thinking "well if it's blue my parents will recognize me" even though he knows they're gone and that's not gonna happen.

((Read more to see Cursed rambling about metamorph abilities ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ))

I have this theory about Metamorph abilities that's basically summed up as being a mutation of the individuals magic itself. It's born from decades of interfamilial inbreeding of a family that already has extremely powerful magic.

I see Metamorphmagus being in the same family of mutation as Obscurus, that being something uncontrollable that happens due to some form of magical backup. The only difference is Obscurus are psychologically self-made while Metamorphmagus are created genetically.

I've seen theories stating that House Black inter-marries because they're worried about their ancient magic being somehow corrupted by other family's blood. It basically said that the Black family has power/magic that lives up to its name, and I kind of love that, but power like that can't possibly come without consequences, and in their attempt to keep the purity of their magic from being corrupted, they themselves became corrupted by their magic.

I mean the way I see it, ancient magic like that has to be chaotic and untamable, something incredibly feral and wild. The more "pure" it is, the more uncontrollable.

Because of that, I think Andromeda marrying and having a child with a muggleborn more or less stabilized the Black family magic in a body far more capable of containing it. But the magic itself is still extremely volatile, so it manifested as metamorph abilities, and I think that in itself would have some unique manifestations.

I think Teddy is immune to most magical ailments, including hexes and curses. His body kind of just deflects it because his magic is able to cancel it out. I think that's probably why Remus' Lycanthropy also passed him over.

At the same time, I think he's pretty susceptible to Muggle illnesses like the flu or the common cold, and I've always headcanoned that he had chronic migraines because though the Lycanthropy disease was fended off through his mutated magic, it's still an insanely brutal illness in and of itself, and some piece of it lingers in him. So around the full moon he tends to get migraines. Proof that he's not invincible I guess.

I have so many thoughts about Teddy tbh, he's always been outrageously powerful in my mind, and the only reason his magic hasn't consumed him and driven him crazy like so many of the Black family is because he isn't a pureblood. It makes him even more formidable as an enemy, though I don't see him being super aware of his own abilities.

Like he knows he's an alright wizard, he just doesn't realize he's THAT powerful, cuz why would he??

#teddy lupin #edward remus lupin #remadora #remus lupin #nymphadora tonks #harry potter next gen #harry potter #hp next gen #hpcc #picrew #the most noble and ancient house of black #metamorphmagus #harry potter theory #teddy being more powerful than albus dumbledore makes me so fucking happy #next gen headcanons

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sofoulandfairaday · 1 year

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A very popular idea in the HP fandom is that Tom Riddle would be interested in sex (and potentially able to love), while Lord Voldemort (as in, the man he became after his resurrection) wouldn't be at all, even going as far as to say he was impotent.

Now, I do admit that the theory of an imperfect post-resurrection body is intriguing - he did go for the Stone first and it does make for good drama if his new body proved to be problematic or faulty (and not because he was missing appendages, mind you).

But I'm also quite convinced of the opposite. I have this semi-headcanon in my mind that Tom Riddle probably looked down upon sex and other worldly pleasures (indulging in food, wine, etc.) as a young man. He tended towards asceticism almost - the pursuit of magic in its purest forms, the idea that one could be indifferent to anything but what made one stronger. It was only after his first "death" that the things he had once seen as lowly, almost beastly, temptations to which one inevitably succumbed by virtue of one's own humanity were actually all reinforcements of his victory over death. Suddenly, food, drink, and lust were the essence of life itself (as they have always been portrayed in both Christian and pre-Christian times) and he was desperately attached to life.

As disgusting as it must be for some fans to hear, I think he enjoyed sex more in his snake body and not in the perfect, human, one he had before.

#tom marvolo riddle #tom riddle #lord voldemort #harry potter meta #harry potter theory #harry potter #harry potter headcanon

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firinniee · 1 year

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Does anyone else have the feeling that the Weasley siblings' ages were supposed to be completely different in the beginning? I saw that a lot of people have already discussed this, so I'd like to contribute my share here as well. So in the first part, Harry hears from Fred and George about their brother Charlie and how good he was as a seeker and that SINCE HIS Gryffindor hadn't won... which was just all summer. Charlie left school in 1991 and Harry started school the same year, need we say more? Plus, Charlie and Bill both had pretty serious jobs, I've always had the feeling they wouldn't get them right after Hogwarts (even if they were both very talented). Additionally, it would explain why Percy took on the role of "big brother" so much to his younger siblings. As for Percy and his dorm roommate Oliver, I believe that when they were at school Charlie would have to be in his senior year. Then it would explain why Wood was so fascinated by his playing, he literally saw it as a kid and it stuck in his mind. As for the rest of the siblings age seems to be ok except for Ginny. Didn't you get the feeling that ginny begging and waving her tiny hand was a little younger than 10 years old? Me so, that's why I think the age of the Weasley siblings would be rather:

Bill +-20 y.o Charlie 18yo (last year) Percy 11yo (first year) F&G 9 y.o Ron 7 yo Ginny +-2 y.o

We run into problems here. If Bill gets too much older, his first year at Hogwarts will be in his final year at Marauders, and if Molly and Arthur had stayed their age, they would have been teenagers and parents while still in school. On the one hand, it's a bit hard and on the other, it gives the opportunity to develop the story. Bill could have already had a partner before meeting Fleur so they wouldn't have gotten married. AND Harry wouldn't be in a relationship with Ginny, she would be too young for him. And here comes an interesting thing, I don't know if you know but jkr supposedly wanted Hermione to have a younger sister. What if she had it? And if she was a year younger? And if, for example, she went to Ravenclaw in the same year as Luna? Maybe she would have a crush on Harry? That sounds like a good gateway to an interesting new/old story.

#harry potter #harry potter theory #my thoughts #hermiona granger #arthur weasley #molly weasley #bill weasley #charlie weasley #percy weasley #fred weasley #george weasley #ron weasley #ginny weasley #luna lovegood #firinnie #firinniee #Fleur Delacour

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 30 days

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I feel like it isn't talked about nearly enough that Harry freed Kreacher.

And I'm realizing that's because no one else, literally no one I've talked to in this fandom in the last seventeen years, interpreted the scene that way. But when I first read DH, I picked up on it immediately.

Because Harry unequivocally does free Kreacher when he gives him Regulus' locket, and I think that's so important. I get why you might disagree, because they never actually state in the dialogue that Kreacher is free. It's all subtext. You might also say that jewelry is different from clothing, but I don't think we have enough examples to rule it out. (Lucius was tricked into freeing Dobby with a sock that wasn't even his. Far as I'm concerned, if you can wear it, then it counts.)

Harry freed Dobby without hesitation, and why wouldn't he? The sweet little guy was miserable, trapped in servitude to the evil Malfoys. But Kreacher? He was the racist little bastard that betrayed Sirius, Sirius, to the Death Eaters, and had a hand in his death. Of course Harry hated him. Even in OOTP, the point is made that Kreacher cannot be freed, even if Sirius would love to be rid of him, because he simply knows too much information, and they need to keep him bound in service so that he can't pass it on.

In this, we see that Harry's status as an ally to the House Elves is conditional. He wasn't even raised in the magical world like Ron, there's no reason for him to see Elf Slavery as okay, but he just accepts it as part of the magical world because the elves are "happy" and writes off Hermione's campaign as one of her many obsessions. Ron didn't take it seriously, so neither did Harry. He was happy to free Dobby, but to him Dobby was a special case.

Then comes the tale of Regulus. Harry is told all about a Death Eater who had a change of heart for no other reason than because he loved Kreacher, and Voldemort tortured Kreacher, leaving him for dead. Harry cannot fathom it - after all, this is Kreacher. The monster who betrayed Sirius. But Sirius mistreated Kreacher at every turn, something that Harry laughed off because Kreacher was so unpleasant - but it doesn't change the fact that Sirius was literally Kreacher's master, and he regularly abused him. It's not like it's Kreacher's fault that Sirius was abused himself, or that Sirius had to return to Grimmauld Place.

Seeing Kreacher utterly break down was uncomfortable for Harry, because it forced him to confront an uncomfortable truth that conflicted with the worldview he'd set up for himself about the Elves - and about Sirius. Even twenty years later, Kreacher is still attempting to self-harm after failing to follow Regulus' orders, and it's safe to assume Regulus didn't tell him to do that.

At this point, Hermione breaks down too, and she asks them - Harry and Ron - to see what she sees. "Oh don't you see how sick it is, how they've got to obey?" And for the first time, Harry sees it. On a grand scale, he sees it. It's raw, it's awkward, it's painful to confront. But Harry comes to realize that Hermione is right. (As in most things.) Slavery is not okay, no matter the context. The House Elves should be free. Not just the nice ones like Dobby, but even the nasty ones like Kreacher. Because he sees Kreacher trying to "punish himself" just as Dobby has done many times...and I think it hits Harry that no one deserves that.

So he takes a chance. Because freeing Kreacher is still a risk. It gives him back his autonomy. He knows all kinds of information. He knows that Regulus stole the Locket, and that Harry is hunting for it too. If Kreacher were to turn around and backstab the Golden Trio, if Voldemort learned what he knew, everything would be lost. And Kreacher could do that. But Harry chooses to believe that he won't. And he recognizes that even that risk is no excuse to keep a slave.

Cause here's the thing. Even if jewelry "doesn't count" (highly debatable imo) that doesn't mean Harry would know that. So far as he knows, he's giving Kreacher something to wear, and he has personal experience with what that means to Elves. The entire scene reads like Kreacher is being freed. Call it a headcanon if you must but I have believed this for years.

Yes, Kreacher stayed in Grimmauld Place. Of course he did. He loves it there, that's his home. Where is he going to go? And yes, he continues to serve Harry after this and even calls him "Master." Because that's what he knows. I'm not saying Harry broke the conditioning. That kind of thing would take years. If she'd been allowed to, Winky would have carried on serving The Crouches after her dismissal. But the important thing is, Harry gave Kreacher the locket. Whatever enchantment it was that bound Kreacher in service to Harry would have broken when Harry gave him the locket.

I know everyone loves to mock the moment at the end when Harry's first thought after defeating Voldemort is whether or not his slave will bring him a sandwich, but, guys. It's a throwaway line about a sandwich. Harry isn't going to order Kreacher to do it. At most he's going to ask. Kreacher is old, and pretty set in his ways. Deprogramming might not even be possible for him at this point. But everything we see of their relationship following Regulus' tale shows Harry respecting Kreacher as a friend, not a slave. He gave Kreacher his autonomy back by freeing him, and, when Kreacher made the choice to stay, Harry treated him with kindness.

This is actually blowing my mind because for so many years I just took this as a given but I realized I'd never seen anyone else talking about it and it turns out I'm in the minority for interpreting it this way? It just seemed so straightforward to me...

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just-random-selection-blog · 2 years

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The Gryffindor's Fat lady definitely remembers every single Gryffindors that enters the house. How could she not when every single day they have to go classes or quidditch practice or go basically anywhere.

The password set is just probabaly a silly thing. Youre telling me She's seen every student going in and out especially exam periods and not remembering them?

She definitely would have let a poor 1st year Gryffindor in who has forgotten the passwords.

She definitely would let Hermione in when she forgot the password due to over studying and Oliver when he's devastated after a loss from quidditch

She would let Remus in after a long night of transformation.

She 100% would have let Neville in knowing he wouldnt remember the passwords

She might have mess around abit with the Marauders and Fred and George but during hard times she definitely would let them in without the passwords

#gryffindor #hogwarts #hogwarts house pride #hogwarts houses #hogwarts house traits #harry james potter #harry potter #albus dumbledore #minerva mcgonagall #hermione granger #fred weasley #remus lupin #james fleamont potter #james & peter & remus & sirius #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #harry potter theory

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gaydeadwizardsfromthe70 · 4 months

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Also, the fact that Harry and Ron introduced themselves to each other by their first name first and then remembered to had their last name ("Ron, Ron Weasley" & "Harry, Harry Potter"), because they were them first and their family last, while Draco presented himself as "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy" because the fact that he's from a pureblood family and who his parents are is more important than how he actually is.

#I'm crying #it's 2 a.m.#draco malfoy #harry potter #ron weasley #hp fandom #harry potter theory #is it a theory?#i don't know #did jrl even did it on purpose or I'm reading too much into this?#it doesn't sound like something she would do on purpose #she's too dumb #I'm definitely reading too much into this

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frog-0n-a-l0g · 2 months

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Is the chamber of secrets guarded by a snake because normally the gossip bitches that know everyone secrets are snakes?

#guys I’m so smart #harry potter #Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets #chamber of secrets #hpatcos #tom riddle #harry potter theory #harry potter thoughts #harry potter universe #harry potter discourse

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thealexanderfiles · 6 months

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me, shooting awake: Dumbledore is a slytherin. He is manipulative and ambitious, and does things for the 'greater good'. he fights the 'bad guys' yes, but that automatically doesn't make him a Gryffindor. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are the two houses ruled by their hearts and Ravenclaw and Slytherin prefer logic, Dumbledore is ready to sacrifice Harry to defeat Voldemort, which, while cruel is logical. Not saying this is on purpose, but he repeatedly denies a position that, while it will give him more power, comes with the requirement to listen to advisors and have the scrutiny of the wizarding world on him in favour of being the most powerful figure in Britain's only magical school, subsequently solidifying himself, in the eyes of young witches and wizards, as an authority figure that they should defer to, even in adulthood.

as we can see from Harry's sorting, it is incredibly easy to persuade the hat to put someone in a different house. His future best friend Grindelwald is only eight at the time and not in Hogwarts, causing Dumbledore to be free from biases towards houses. He is young and can pick whatever one he want, and therefore he chooses the House with power, one that is known to have good intentions, and people will trust him, rather than the one he had heard dark things about.

Im not saying dumbledore, at eleven, is a mini dark lord of somethin. im just saying that as he gets older, he starts to display some trademark Slytherin qualities.

#slytherin #gryffindor #harry potter #hogwarts #headcanon #harry potter theory #albus dumbledore #professor dumbledore

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hollowed-theory-hall · 1 month

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Harry Potter is Probably Gay and Here's Why

So.... a lot of this fandom likes to call one Harry James Potter a Bi disaster. Personally, I think he's gay and I can use book text to prove he isn't actually attracted to women at all.

So here goes:

How Harry Describes Men

Harry describes many men as attractive and handsome in the books, not only that but in general Harry goes into more detail when describing male characters. I'll mention it again in a later section in this post, but when describing men, even those Harry doesn't find attractive, he tends to describe much more details about them than about girls he supposedly does find attractive. Something that to me suggests, he doesn't find these girls attractive at all.

Here are some examples of Harry finding men attractive:

Charlie Weasley:

Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weatherbeaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.

(Goblet of Fire, page 52)

Bill Weasley:

However, Bill was — there was no other word for it — cool. He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it. Bill’s clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognized his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide.

(Goblet of Fire, page 52)

Cedric Diggory:

Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen.

(Goblet of Fire, page 71)

Sirius Black:

Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James’s nor Harry’s could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 642)

Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 644)

Firenze:

white-blond hair and astonishingly blue eyes, the head and torso of a man joined to the palomino body of a horse.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 598)

Professor McGonagall turned next to Parvati Patil, whose first question was whether Firenze, the handsome centaur, was still teaching Divination

(Half-Blood Prince, page 174)

Blaise Zabini:

He recognized a Slytherin from their year, a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes

(Half-Blood Prince, page 143)

Draco Malfoy:

It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

(Chamber of Secrets, page 133)

Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 79)

A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair

(Goblet of Fire, pages 116-117)

Tom Marvolo Riddle:

There was no trace of the Gaunts in Tom Riddle’s face. Merope had got her dying wish: He was his handsome father in miniature, tall for eleven years old, dark-haired, and pale

(Half-Blood Prince, page 269)

The door creaked open. There on the threshold, holding an oldfashioned lamp, stood a boy Harry recognized at once: tall, pale, dark-haired, and handsome — the teenage Voldemort.

(Half-Blood Prince, page 364)

Harry recognized Voldemort at once. His was the most handsome face and he looked the most relaxed of all the boys.

(Half-Blood Prince, page 369)

followed by a tall young man Harry had no difficulty whatsoever in recognizing as Voldemort. He was plainly dressed in a black suit; his hair was a little longer than it had been at school and his cheeks were hollowed, but all of this suited him; he looked more handsome than ever.

(Half-Blood Prince, page 434)

I don't think anyone would argue Harry isn't attracted to men... He's kind of obvious. What I want to go more into detail about is him not being attracted to women, as that's what I think I disagree with most of the fandom about.

How Harry Describes Women (for comparison)

So, we saw how Harry describes men, specifically men he finds attractive, so, let's compare to how he describes a girl he thinks is pretty, like Cho Chang:

Harry couldn’t help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didn’t think had anything to do with nerves.

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 259)

“Good luck, Harry!” called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing.

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 304)

She was waiting for him a little to the side of the oak front doors, looking very pretty with her hair tied back in a long ponytail.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 556)

These are all the physical descriptions I managed to find of Cho, the girl Harry supposedly has a crush on from 3rd to 5th year... yeah, I don't see it. Sure, he mentions she's pretty, and he blushes around her, but he doesn't describe anything else about her. Not eye color, not hair color, skin color, eye shape, physique — nothing! Compare this to how he describes Bill Weasley or Blaise Zabini even, with so much more detail in their description.

Now, details in descriptions when writing from a character's POV are very important. Because a character would use more words to describe what's most important or striking to them... and in Harry's case Cho isn't it.

We know she's pretty and Harry's nervous around her, but the descriptions are just so stale and distant compared to: Tom "handsomest face in the room" Riddle, or Sirius "handsome handsomed handsomely" Black.

And I want to talk about Harry's crush on Cho more, but first:

Fleur Delacor:

I want to talk about Fleur for a bit. Because Harry's reaction to Fleur is very interesting, specifically because Fleur is a quarter veela.

Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses. “She’s a veela!” he said hoarsely to Harry.

…

many boys’ heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron.

(Goblet of Fire, page 252)

Veelas are literally magically attractive, if you are attracted to women, you'll find a veela woman attractive and be mesmerized. We see it with Ron and other boys, as Harry notes in the above quote. Ron and many other boys all stare, speechless at Fleur because that's how her magic works.

Harry, on the other hand, isn't affected at all. To the point, he's confused by Ron's drooling over Fleur. He later in GoF wonders why Ron wanted to go with Fleur to the Yule Ball so much, as he didn't see the appeal.

Harry is literally not attracted to a woman who is magically attractive to anyone who's attracted to women.

Looking careworn, she [Fleur] left the room. Ron still seemed slightly punch-drunk; he was shaking his head experimentally like a dog trying to rid its ears of water. “Don’t you get used to her if she’s staying in the same house?” Harry asked. “Well, you do,” said Ron, “but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then . . .”

(Half-Blood Prince, page 93)

It continues in his later interactions with Fleur, like when he arrives at the Burrow in HBP in the above quote. Harry asks Ron if he shouldn't get used to Fleur and stop drooling whenever he sees her, to which Ron responds that you do to a degree. The thing is, Harry isn't used to being around Fleur, he just arrived, after not seeing her for over a year. But still, he isn't affected at all, like in 4th year, he seems to not get what all the fuss is about.

That being said, Harry does react to the full veela in the Quidditch World Cup:

But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry’s question was answered for him. Veela were women . . . the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen . . . except that they weren’t — they couldn’t be — human. This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind . . . but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human — in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all.

...

And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry’s dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea . . . but would it be good enough? “Harry, what are you doing?” said Hermione’s voice from a long way off. The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.

(Goblet of Fire, page 103)

I'm not sure exactly about the full veela's effects. Mostly because Arthur Weasley doesn't seem as affected as Harry and Ron, and Harry describes the crowd in general reacting to them, not just the men. Hermione doesn't seem affected though.

Something I want to note is that Harry only becomes affected once they start dancing, and not just by looking at them the way Ron and some of the boys are described as being with Fluer. Only when the music and dance start Harry becomes mesmerized. Before that, he is wondering how their hair moves behind them without wind... Additionally, after the music stops, Harry snaps out of it quickly, Ron on the other hand doesn't and proceeds to tear his Ireland merch.

So, while full veela, can influence him, it isn't by their appearance alone but by magic beyond their regular magical attractiveness.

Note that even with the veela, Harry barely describes anything about them. his descriptions of them aren't as detailed as his descriptions of men he finds attractive.

So even if he is attracted to women, it's very minor and barely there.

Harry's Disastrous Relationship with Cho

So, Harry and Cho... I don't think it's a pairing that has fans, but I might be wrong about that. Regardless of your opinion about it, I don't think Harry actually liked Cho. Like, at all.

They looked at each other for a long moment. Harry felt a burning desire to run from the room and, at the same time, a complete inability to move his feet. “Mistletoe,” said Cho quietly, pointing at the ceiling over his head. “Yeah,” said Harry. His mouth was very dry. “It’s probably full of nargles, though.” “What are nargles?” “No idea,” said Harry. She had moved closer. His brain seemed to have been Stunned. “You’d have to ask Loony. Luna, I mean.” Cho made a funny noise halfway between a sob and a laugh. She was even nearer him now. He could have counted the freckles on her nose. “I really like you, Harry.” He could not think. A tingling sensation was spreading throughout him, paralyzing his arms, legs, and brain. She was much too close. He could see every tear clinging to her eyelashes. . . .

(Order of the Pheonix, page 456)

Cho, the girl Harry is convinced he's crushing on since he was 13, is about to kiss him under the mistletoe, and he's thinking about nargles and Luna... And how does he feel about kissing Cho?

"a burning desire to run from the room"

He wants to run away from kissing Cho. And, well, it doesn't get any better than that.

“What kept you?” he [Ron] asked, as Harry sank into the armchair next to Hermione’s. Harry did not answer. He was in a state of shock. Half of him wanted to tell Ron and Hermione what had just happened, but the other half wanted to take the secret with him to the grave. “Are you all right, Harry?” Hermione asked, peering at him over the tip of her quill. Harry gave a halfhearted shrug. In truth, he didn’t know whether he was all right or not.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 457)

He is not sure he's alright after kissing Cho. Harry thinks about kissing Cho like it's a traumatic experience... He's happier talking about Voldemort's resurrection than about his first kiss. (WTF Harry?)

Harry doesn't like Cho. Not even a bit.

“Did you kiss?” asked Hermione briskly. Ron sat up so fast that he sent his ink bottle flying all over the rug. Disregarding this completely he stared avidly at Harry. “Well?” he demanded. Harry looked from Ron’s expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity to Hermione’s slight frown, and nodded. “HA!” Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and went into a raucous peal of laughter that made several timid-looking second years over beside the window jump. A reluctant grin spread over Harry’s face as he watched Ron rolling around on the hearthrug. Hermione gave Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter. “Well?” Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. “How was it?” Harry considered for a moment. “Wet,” he said truthfully. Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust, it was hard to tell.

(Order of the Pheonix, pages 456-458)

I don't need I need to add anything here... Harry speaks for himself.

“You just had to be nice to her,” said Hermione, looking up anxiously. “You were, weren’t you?” “Well,” said Harry, an unpleasant heat creeping up his face, “I sort of — patted her on the back a bit.” Hermione looked as though she was restraining herself from rolling her eyes with extreme difficulty. “Well, I suppose it could have been worse,” she said. “Are you going to see her again?” “I’ll have to, won’t I?” said Harry. “We’ve got D.A. meetings, haven’t we?” “You know what I mean,” said Hermione impatiently. Harry said nothing. Hermione’s words opened up a whole new vista of frightening possibilities. He tried to imagine going somewhere with Cho — Hogsmeade, perhaps — and being alone with her for hours at a time. Of course, she would have been expecting him to ask her out after what had just happened. . . . The thought made his stomach clench painfully. “Oh well,” said Hermione distantly, buried in her letter once more, “you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask her. . . .” “What if he doesn’t want to ask her?” said Ron, who had been watching Harry with an unusually shrewd expression on his face. “Don’t be silly,” said Hermione vaguely, “Harry’s liked her for ages, haven’t you, Harry?” He did not answer. Yes, he had liked Cho for ages, but whenever he had imagined a scene involving the two of them it had always featured a Cho who was enjoying herself, as opposed to a Cho who was sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 460)

Okay, so I have two things to mention about this quote.

The first, Harry realizes he doesn't like Cho and probably never did. He didn't consider dating her until Hermoine mentioned it. He doesn't want to date her. He's terrified and grossed out by the notion.

This isn't a boy with a crush. I'd argue this proves he isn't straight at all. I mean, a guy who is attracted to girls, even if not crushing on Cho specifically, wouldn't be horrified to a painful degree at the thought of going on a date with a pretty girl. Or kissing a pretty girl. His reaction is just too viscerally grossed out.

The second is Ron's response. Not really related to Harry being gay, but I love Harry and Ron's friendship so I want to mention it. Hermione and a good chunk of the fandom dunk on Ron for having "the emotional range of a teaspoon", but he clearly doesn't. Ron is Harry's best friend, he knows Harry better than anyone else, yes, better than Hermione even, and this scene proves it. Hermione is flippant, ignoring Harry's responses to his kiss with Cho, just saying he should ask her out as if it's obvious.

Ron on the other hand, Ron notices Harry's expression and the turmoil thinking of dating Cho causes him. Ron is the one who speaks up that maybe Harry doesn't want to date Cho. He immediately defends Harry and his option to choose not to date Cho. (Ron would be very supportive if Harry ever came out, is what I'm saying)

They sat down at the last remaining table, which was situated in the steamy window. Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, was sitting about a foot and a half away with a pretty blonde girl. They were holding hands. The sight made Harry feel uncomfortable, particularly when, looking around the tea shop, he saw that it was full of nothing but couples, all of them holding hands. Perhaps Cho would expect him to hold her hand.

…

In the time it took for their coffees to arrive, Roger Davies and his girlfriend started kissing over their sugar bowl. Harry wished they wouldn’t; he felt that Davies was setting a standard with which Cho would soon expect him to compete.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 559)

The above quotes are from Harry's disaster of a date with Cho. I think no one needs me to explain that the date went badly, but what I want to note is how uncomfortable and grossed out Harry is by the very notion of holding Cho's hands. That he'd have to kiss her again.

Like, again, even if he isn't crushing on her, a guy who's attracted to girls wouldn't be grossed out and pained at the thought of kissing or holding hands with a pretty, attractive girl.

Harry has never been attracted to Cho, and I don't think he's attracted to girls at all.

But What About Ginny?

So this post has gotten quite long already, but I don't think Harry actually likes Ginny. And I have evidence for it in the sequel to this post that is taking a while to write.

No hate for Hinny shippers, but I don't see the pairing, like, at all. I did write some of my thoughts about Hinny here until I finish with the more comprehensive post about them.

But in general, let's just say Harry never uses the word pretty (or good-looking, or nice-looking, or attractive) to describe Ginny. Ever.

And when I looked for his descriptions of her all I found were descriptions of her hair:

He felt a strange twinge of annoyance as she [Ginny] walked away, her long red hair dancing behind her

(Half-Blood Prince, page 136)

she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet-smelling hair

(Deathly Hollows, page 103)

(There are more descriptions of her hair in the books, but they follow the same lines as these and don't add more information)

Again, contrast these descriptions to the ones of the guys earlier. No eye color, face shape, eye shape, or descriptions of her body or clothes — nothing.

I have more to say about their relationship, but that's for another post.

#harry potter #harry potter thoughts #harry potter theory #hp theory #hollowedtheory #overthinking #hp #hp thoughts #harry james potter #hp meta #harry potter meta #harry potter analysis #anti hinny #cho chang #ginny weasley

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pickinglilahs · 2 months

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Harry has 'a bit of a saving people thing' because no one was ever there to save him as a kid

#harry potter theory #harry potter #golden trio #the golden trio #savior complex #harrys savior complex #harry potter needs a hug #drarry #harmione #hinny

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ravenclawcumlaude · 2 months

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Fleamont Potter, young man and middle aged.

Literally no one asked for this but here it is. I was scrolling Pinterest for references and came across an image of a model in retro high waisted pants and a dapper looking older gentleman. I thought to myself, you know who was probably smoking hot (as well as smart and kind and generous)? Harry Potter’s grandfather. I imagined him young and practicing quidditch in a vibe similar to those 2000’s Abercrombie & Fitch ads. Older Fleamont, after inventing the hair potion, would have an enviable sweater (jumper) game. Euphemia was a lucky woman.

#Fleamont Potter #harry potter theory #harry potter #harry potter headcanon #fanart #procreate #harry potter fandom #harry potter marauders #harry potter universe #harry potter fanart #james fleamont potter #euphemia potter

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thisthig · 6 months

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Ok ok so I've been thinking alot about remadora annnnnnddddd what if here me out what if tonks was actually like 34 let's say that and because shes a metamorphmagus she wanted to look younger because yknow beauty standards and when people who learned about how they were dating the ones who hated werewolves made it out to be that she was younger because she looked younger nd then everybody hated them (personally I think it was one of the death eaters and after they found out they slipped rita skeeter a message) I mean I'm wolfstar forever but this makes sense in my mind at least

#remadora #harry potter #harry potter theory #harry potter thoughts #anybody else?

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uthseikoashx-inflamedme · 2 years

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Gellert Grindelwald: revealing & admitting love

... or a study of Albus and Gellert's last encounter, revealing Gellert's feelings

In FBtSoD, Gellert Grindelwald appears to be, despite the years and the tragedies, still not over Albus Dumbledore. It is quite a surprise to me, I must admit. I have no doubt that it has already been discussed in the fandom, but I want to write down my observations — especially regarding the end of the film.

[disclaimer : i do not support JKR. english is not my native langage, sorry for the mistakes!]

The unworded and unwilling admission (a quick description of the end of the fight scene)

The most evident proof of that is, of course, their duel: Albus and Gellert feel under their palm the beating of their former lover’s heart. The troubled expression on Grindelwald’s face enables us to conclude that his heart beats as well, not just Albus’ (and he is a bit distraught by it).

First of all, a quick description of the scene: they are fighting, closer and closer, and they finally find themselves mirroring each other, palm on heart. The shot is Dumbledore’s perspective: he stares at Gellert’s face, then at his own hand, feeling the beat. The countershot reveals his astonishment (or it is again Jude Law’s choice of playing Dumbledore constantly open very widely his eyes)... and his understanding. A beat (pun intended). Then, they finally both lower their wand, giving up, looking at the world around them crumbling.

I will definitely write a more detailed analysis of that scene, which is very akin to a sex and post-sex scene (it is not a joke, but a quite serious statement based on rather obvious clues). But now, I think that we can agree on the fact that this is at least a revelation scene: Dumbledore understands that Grindelwald’s heart beats and echoes his, ergo, Gellert is still moved by Albus. They both know it. They stop the fight, because neither of them can bring himself to actually fight the other — and there is no solution.

Before diving on the subject of the heart a bit more, I just want to highlight how powerless Grindelwald seems to be at this moment: he has revealed himself.

The beating of Gellert Grindelwald’s heart

The heart beating, in Harry Potter meta and in literature/movies/art, evokes several things — life, passion, sexuality, love. It is 100% sure it is also that it holds the same meaning in the HP/FB imagery & meta, because The Warlock’s Hairy Heart, Beedle the Bard’s tale, confirms it: the warlock extracts his heart to protect himself from love [1].

This very choice of putting emphasis on the beating heart is so telling — and quite romantic, if you ask me. Let us spot the differences between Grindelwald and Beedle the Bard’s warlock (and Voldemort, because the contrast is always interesting).

Grindelwald and the Warlock are ambitious and proud; yet, the Warlock took drastic measures in order to avoid falling in love – he fears to be submitted & to sacrifice his reason. Voldemort never loved anyone: his snake nature, both thematically and physically, links him to coldness (the snakes are “cold-blooded” animals).

'I regret it,' said Voldemort coldly. He turned away; there was no sadness in him, no remorse. — chapter 32, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (murder of Severus Snape by Voldemort)

(I think this example is quite telling; he is devoid of what is considered as “human qualities” (here, consequently, of compassion (com-patior, suffer with: he does not this)) in a few systems of morals and, more importantly, in arts (literature, cinema…).)

In a way, both Voldemort and the Warlock abandoned a human quality — love and by extension, empathy and careness; consequently, they both chose animality over humanity and its weaknesses.

On the other hand, a pumping heart evokes heat – the heat of love, of ire [2]. Gellert still has passions: strong ones, mostly destructive. He is not immune to love because he chose not to. That is a very interesting detail of his personality: he knows the pain of having a heart (having experienced love), as he says to Yusuf Kama. Yet, his heart is very most likely what moves him: his hate for muggles is a pulsion and a passion.

He chose the heart — he chose to not abandon love… and passion.

I bet that his very heart will be why he will hesitate, in 1945 — why Albus will be able to conquer the Elder wand. But I digress.

I think Grindelwald is a very interesting villain, because unlike Voldemort, he is very much human. That fact embraces the morals developed throughout the books — humans are capable of beautiful, and terrible things.

(I am so disappointed by the FB films, because they could be so much better (I really don’t like them), they have such a good raw material)

“Who will love you now, Dumbledore?”

Anyway; regarding our first question, I would like to raise Grindelwald’s — already much discussed — question:

Who will love you now, Dumbledore?

He says this seconds after they lower their hands; after he made a small step towards Dumbledore (as if to… be closer? I can’t help but wonder if he wanted to touch his face, or kiss him, and for a reason I am about to expose, I think he is doing it sincerely). The pendant is slowly falling, and he is a mess — dishevelled, panting, glancing around him with a very expressing face.

I would like to stress the fact that it is implied that Grindelwald actually loved him (meaning: before the moment Dumbledore started to fight him, several minutes before). Just after that, the pendant breaks, the world appears again, and he adds:

You are all alone.

It is a Albus’ leitmotiv — and a GGAD essential dynamic: only he can truly understand me. Quite toxic, already confirmed since HPDH, I still hesitate if Gellert can understand Albus entirely in 1932. Not the subject. But here is the context of the infamous quote.

Of course, it could be Gellert playing gleefully (cruelly) with Albus’ feelings — just like he did in the diner scene, at the beginning of the movie: he is glad Dumbledore love(d) him. My personal interpretation is that he intended to do just that, but failed miserably: he was losing the battle (not of wands, but of the lethal game they are playing not really willingly) and grasped the most accessible and more deadly weapon he had within reach — out of sheer anguish and, most likely, heartache.

Somehow, I think that this move revealed more of his own despair than Albus’ suffering: he lost Albus and managed to admit, unwillingly, his feelings (a second time in a minute). I think it is a mistake to believe that he is mostly troubled by the loss of his immunity: Grindelwald is moved.

(I want to highlight that I love how Mikkelsen plays Grindelwald, really)

The fact that the world is breaking, the pendant is breaking, while Dumbledore walks away, might refer to both of their (broken) hearts, by the way, both magically and metaphorically (the more I think about it, the more I find that scene actually rather tragic, I must admit).

Not much more to say about that, except the fact that I will analyse also that part in a future post, and that Gellert’s cruelty is literally deadly — but in a more subtle way that it was in FB2: in FB2, he was killing babies, now he strikes right to his former lover’s (beating) heart, albeit not that efficiently. A way better characterisation, in my opinion, showing several facets of the man at the same time.

The heart and the question have something in commun: they reveal Grindelwald’s emotions. The beating heart states that Gellert is still very human in front of Dumbledore. The question fails to be rhetorical: his desperation shows the fact that he is probably concerned by the answer – that someone will love him, and not nobody, just like he wanted to imply.

“I was never your enemy”

Another (last) moment quite telling about Grindelwald’s feelings is his last speech before disappearing. Dumbledore walks away (you can see him at the bottom of the shot), while the rest of the group (Newt, Theseus, the officials, etc) are approaching and trying to fight him, without success.

He speaks one last time. It is clear that his speech has two addressees: the world, and Dumbledore.

“I was never your enemy.” A beat. He looks in the direction of Dumbledore, whose eyes are piercing him. “Then, or now.”

(the description is written by myself, I am guilty)

“I was never your enemy” is partly addressed to the world, because he seeks support among the wizarding world. But despite the fact that he says this while he looks at the crowd gathered in front of him, I believe it makes even more sense when we consider he says this to Albus.

“Never his enemy” may imply several things considering the context:

not his enemy when they made the blood pact: I am a firm believer that the pact was not just a move to protect himself, but a way to protect Albus as well (I refer to the theory of the 1945 vision Gellert might have had in 1899) and an act of love (which is almost confirmed by Dumbledore, if I am correct) (once again talking about the blood pact, but it is first and foremost a troth, something evoking marriage and bonding)

not his enemy when he sent Credence: he probably knew that Dumbledore would be largely capable of overpowering Credence, or hoped so; even better, saw (thanks to his visions) that Albus would not be defeated.

But even more important: “then, or now”. He says that looking right at Dumbledore. If he is still not his enemy, in my opinion, it means two things:

Gellert does not want to fight Albus.

Gellert still wants Albus by his side.

The former is obvious, we talked about it in the fight and the heart section.

The latter might seem to come out of nowhere and I must admit we cannot be sure; but the context forces us to at least seriously consider this possibility. Indeed, the pact shattered and their bubble exploded — but Albus walked away before Gellert had been able to talk to him. Thus, it is quite possible that he feels the urge to express what he has to say quite cryptically. In that context, he may have chosen euphemism — not your enemy now, so your ally tomorrow, if you want to.

Dumbledore understands that Grindelwald is talking to him, of course. I am still unsure about how he deals with it, but his melancholy before the wedding (even though he seems genuinely happy for Newt’s team) makes me wonder — he does not enter, after all; he chooses to stay alone, and that is the end of the movie. That is why I tend to believe, for the moment, that Dumbledore thinks Grindelwald is right: despite his relatively close friends and numerous acquaintances, he is… alone — guilty of his past, penitent [3].

Conclusion

I repeat that I am surprised about the film: somehow, I thought the film would be far less talkative about GGAD. I focused a lot on Mikkelsen’s acting here, it surely contributes to the overall experience (the man knows how to play the well-dressed handsome enemy in love with the main morally grey character) (I am referring to Hannibal NBC)

I have not evoked Albus’ very direct (and a bit performative, if you ask me, but still welcomed) declarations of love (the poor man can finally talk about his crush and he does, without filter and to everybody, he is just like me fr); a win for the GGAD nation — even though I am convinced the film itself is quite a disaster, both on a narrative and on a coherence-of-the-universe level (but it is my humble opinion). Anyway, back to the conclusion.

Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore’s short but intense encounter has a lot to offer, first and foremost answers: neither of them is over the other, as far as I can tell.

But Albus seems to be healing. He refuses to stay near Gellert and has the upper hand in their last encounter — whereas Gellert has the upper in the very first sequence of the film. It indicates an evolution of the two of them as characters which might be very interesting in the future, especially in a crisis context like 1945…

Notes:

[1] – It is 100% sure it is also that it holds the same meaning in the HP/FB imagery & meta, because “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart”, Beedle the Bard’s tale, confirms it : it might seem a stretch to give that importance to a tale. Yet, I think it is justified.

Roughly, tales (as literary genres) are meant to:

be a thesaurus of the morals and knowledge of the human heart: they synthesise people’s common knowledge and their brevity enables the author, a moralist (someone having knowledge about the human soul and heart), to convey a lesson.

represent a system of signs the reader has to decipher: works referring to tales refer actually to a system of signs and convey a message thanks to those signs.

Thus, a work referring to a tale builds a metatextual/metacinematographical level of communication made of correspondences: a scene in a film is thus multilayered — a layer of signs and associations, a layer of knowledge of the human heart (emotions and morals). JKR actually wrote tales in the universe, meaning they are all the more relevant regarding the correspondences of signs, and the morals in the wizarding world (in the UK). That is why, I think, we can affirm that the theme of the heart, in HP/FB, has to be linked to The Warlock’s Hairy Heart and hold a similar meaning (or at least, the tale can inform us on a metatextual level).

[2] – a pumping heart evokes heat – the heat of love, of ire : I don’t want to develop that aspect that much, but throughout literature or arts history, it is quite often linked — just think of Achilles and the Iliad beginning by “ire” as its first word — and artists always look back to what has been made before.

[3] – he is… alone — guilty of his past, penitent : a Gellert’s word struck me when I watched the film, “sinful”; the religious dimension on a textual level (what the characters think and how they see themselves) and a metatextual level (what religious figures are they embodying?) has to be addressed at some point. (once again, I highly recommend the fanfiction “Illumine” by meanwhiletimely, exploring (among others) the theme of religion)

Anyway, thank you for reading! :)

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