shuffleyourdeck

[shuffleyourdeck]

I like the idea of all three of the dragon trio technically going by nicknames, but the general population being unaware of this.

Like, the Potter family has always given their children longer official and magical names, and then used a nickname, shortened form, or Anglicized form of the names on legal forms. Because there are nicknames that can stand as names in their own right.

And in a world where names can literally have power, this is just one way to circumvent their own names being used against them.

But it can go deeper.

Holding onto historical and cultural roots where others would prefer to see assimilation? That's a form of rebellion all of its own, no matter how hidden it may be. So it could be a form of spite, giving the appearance of cooperation but in reality being a smokescreen to hide the diversion from the norm.

And it's especially impactful when you consider the Dragon Trio and what they have to go through: lack of privacy, constant danger and suspicion, hiding their friendship.

(In which Marietta is never going to be expected)

They've had to hide so much of who they are from the world around them because it was necessary for survival and avoiding discrimination. And no matter how much Marietta did her best, it was never going to be enough to protect both her friends from everything, not with seemingly every adult and the system itself working against them.

(In which Harry is a Potter family naming tradition)

And Harry, constantly in the spotlight and being highlighted for surviving the attack that killed his parents, has something to call his own when everyone else is determined to invade his privacy. His name is his own, and he gets to choose who to share it with and when, no one else, because he is one of only three people alive who know it.

(In which Neville is an Anglicisation of his name)

Neville was never really going to be anything more than a footnote in history, or so it seems. But by hiding his true name, his true nature, he can be everything that people don't expect and take advantage of their shock. Because he can feel in his bones that things are going to be oh so different by the time he graduates.

Just- in a society that avoids shortening a person's name where possible because it's impolite, even rude, to so do without permission, these three fall through the cracks a little bit.

And this sets the tone for the rest of their childhoods and their adulthoods.

[shuffleyourdeck]

Okay, in the premise of keeping the Sacred 28 as their own group in-universe, I think I'll be going in the same direction as Ellory did, in making them one of the levels of the aristocracy based on the age of the families and their histories.

Still developing the families, but the Malfoys seem to be semi-established as having arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror, so most of the families probably arrived/were founded at that point in time.

I can even keep the "Noble and Most Ancient" title for the House of Black, and have the "Most Ancient" title be exclusive to those 28 families. Each would have their own attribute, which I need to figure out. But it's a start, at least.

[shuffleyourdeck]

Hello!

Welcome to the Shuffle Your Deck AU tumblr! This is where I (Jokes) will be developing the aforementioned AU, with worldbuilding inspired by Ellory's incredible work over at @ellorypurebloodculture (go check her out and show her love and support, please, she deserves it).

The basis of this AU is designed on the premise of Harry meeting Marietta Edgecombe and Neville Longbottom his first time in Diagon Alley, and the three of them asking questions and not getting many answers.

Yes, I've already named the three of them the Dragon Trio, there is going to be a recurring theme of this throughout the AU, given the plot points I've come up with already. Each of them will be able to answer asks, and the character answering will be indicated by both the tags and the colour of the divider at the top of the answer as below:

Harry ^^

Marietta ^^

Neville ^^

Or, if it's an OOC/worldbuilding answer by me, the top divider will be this:

(Dividers are by @saradika-graphics)

This post will be updated as the blog grows