#Albus is about to see Gellert's true colors...

[bloodpxct]

I have never been happier to have found that short piece from a scrapped Grindeldore fic because now I can also use a Grindeldore idea that has been rotting my brain for months but having no idea how to add it to fanfic. But now I do so I can rejoice.

[swallow-the-bird]

Do you have any favorite Harry Potter ships?

Well, besides my all-time favorite Grindeldore, I’m actually quite eclectic in my tastes! 🤣

Snarry, Snamione, Snily, Jily, Hedric, Dnarry, Sirry… I’ve read fanfictions about all of them, and I’ve enjoyed them. Perhaps it’s because the Harry Potter fandom has so many talented writers. As long as the story is captivating, I’m thrilled to read it!

There’s another pairing that I initially thought was improbable, but later became infatuated with—

Harrymort/Tomarry!!

***** ‼️ LONG post alert ‼️ Oh, whenever I get to a topic that excites me, I always end up being such a chatterbox🤣Please also be aware of what I say below is only my VERY SUBJECTIVE opinions ‼️ *****

While Harrymort/Tomarry seem to have a lover-enemy dynamic similar to Grindeldore, the premise for each is vastly different. Gellert and Albus once passionately loved each other in their youth, while Tom/Voldemort and Harry share deep animosity and are destined adversaries. How could they possibly be together? Moreover, I once believed that Tom Riddle was an emotionless monster. (But I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense!)

While Gellert might be categorized as a sociopath, capable of true loyalty and emotions towards a select few - Albus Dumbledore- and taking a lifetime to learn how to love, he at least has the capacity to love. This is evident when he ultimately understands the true meaning of remorse and willingly sacrifices his life to protect another’s grave.

But what about Tom?

In my eyes, Tom is a complete psychopath. Perhaps his traumatic childhood twisted his moral compass, but some characteristics seem innate and psychological. Tom’s emotional blunting seems more pronounced. He inherently lacks empathy and remorse. Even if he can comprehend others’ emotions and manipulate them, he doesn’t genuinely understand or empathize with them, which is why he can’t grasp the concept of remorse. Hence, he chose to become Voldemort. This made me question:

How can such a person love? He doesn’t even understand what love is.

This mirrors Gellert’s scathing taunt to Voldemort, “…there is so much you do not understand—!”

Yes, Tom Riddle—Voldemort— does not, and cannot understand love. But can he?

Some of my favorite authors have remarked:

“Yes, Tom Riddle—Voldemort— does not understand love, and he may never be able to. But just because you don’t understand something, does that mean you can’t have it?”

Harry is like a reflection of Tom Riddle. While Tom Riddle, in his hatred and fear, denied love and chose to become Voldemort, Harry, despite facing the same hatred and fear, came to understand what courage meant and chose love.

“Just by letting Harry see even the tiniest hint of Voldemort’s humanity, he will bravely embrace that one-in-a-million hope.”— Oh yes, hope. This is how many Tomarry/Harrmort fictions begin their stories.

Harry might harbor hatred for Voldemort for a lifetime, but the essence of forgiveness isn’t the absence of hate; it’s about learning to move on. If there’s anyone willing to embrace a shattered soul with such heinous crimes, it would be Harry Potter. Just as he has embraced death with the same courage, it’s this Harry who, when confronting his lifelong nemesis, still chooses “Expelliarmus”.

This love-hate story is inevitably not just about the hopes and courage of love, but also about its pain and despair. It makes us question the nature of love, hate, life, death, and humanity.

Harry understands love, so he believes in humanity, which gives him hope and courage, especially when mired in human flaws and tragedies.

“You see the world in such a unique way; I believe even despair seems colorful to someone like you.”—this is a line from one of my favorite Harrmort stories, “One thing he will never know”. In it, Harry chooses to cling to that sliver of hope in Voldemort and falls hopelessly in love with him. When Harry grapples with guilt, Dumbledore leaves him with this wisdom.

"It may seem terribly wrong, but if I may venture a guess, it must also feel so right," were Dumbledore's last words to the boy, "Harry, I don't think there is any shame in love. You must never doubt that when someone has been loved like this, it always leaves a mark, and that it will eventually change everything. You are much braver than I ever was.”

Thanks to these brilliant fanfictions, I’ve come to believe in the heart Voldemort thought he never had. Even if it’s fractured, it still exists, and a sliver of humanity remains. Perhaps we all need a broad perspective to see the world:

Not understanding love doesn’t mean you can’t have it.

I just realized I wrote so much! Maybe it’s because I’ve never shared my love for Tomarry/Harrmort with anyone after Grindeldore. Here’s my chance!

PS One of my favorite fanfictions, “One thing he will never know,” is written by a talented Taiwanese author in Chinese.If you’re interested, you can check it out here:

(* I've taken the liberty of translating some of the lines that impressed me most into English, as I wrote above.)

I also have read many excellent Tomarry/Harrmort stories from the English fandom. If you have any recommendations, please share them with me!

[trothplighted-archived]

You bring up a fascinating point. There's scant canon detail about Ariana's personality. We know she had outbursts, had to be coaxed to eat, etc, and that made fandom assume she was childlike and not mentally competent (in the legal sense) due to intense trauma. But it could could also have been severe depression? If she knew she had an incurable condition that kept her from school, helped put her father in prison, made outcasts of her family, and caused her mother's death? That's a heavy load

it is!! and I have a lot to say about that! but before we dig into it, I do want to talk about why I never assumed she was childlike or mentally incompetent, which means (sigh) I have to talk about Aberforth again

there's a conception I've seen floating around that criticism of Aberforth (people assuming he's a homophobe, mostly) is due to shipping, and wanting him to be the bad guy in the Grindeldore story, and I've never felt that way at all, so I want to set that out from the start. Aberforth has always made me profoundly uncomfortable basically since 2007 when I read the book, and it's always been because of how he treated Ariana.

see, I view him as a somewhat unreliable narrator. I think that he accurately recounts the facts of what happened, but his emotional state colors his opinions, and the conclusions he draws don't textually add up. I think that's true of his account of Albus and Gellert's relationship, and I think it's true of his version of events surrounding Ariana.

why?

because JKR plays with unreliable narration in exactly this kind of way, multiple times per book. It's one of the core elements of the series. Harry will always witness something, or overhear a conversation, or come across evidence, and he draws incorrect conclusions from it. the facts get conveyed accurately to the audience, but the assumptions and feelings of the person witnessing those facts are almost always incorrect and stay that way until the end of the story when they're all explained correctly and the truth is revealed. it's not just Harry, either - the whole of wizarding society does this with regard to Sirius Black. this is something she does many times on purpose. I don't think it's unfair to say that Aberforth's version of the story is factually accurate but missing or omitting several important contextual pieces.

okay, so why do I feel he's that way about Ariana? well, the short answer is "because I'm disabled, and the way he talks about her skeeves me out majorly and has for years."

we the readers see absolutely no external proof that she was feeble-minded, or childlike, or that she couldn't take care of herself on a very basic level. Albus never says it in the King's Cross conversation, Bathilda and Muriel and Elphias never mention it, Rita's book never mentions it. the only person who insists this is true is Aberforth. we're supposed to take his word as gospel here... except for the fact that Albus doesn't think she's too sick to travel? Albus never admits in the books that he pushed his sister too far, that he overtaxed her, that he ignored her. And he's very open about his flaws - if he'd failed in this way, he'd own up to it! Plus, disabled people can travel internationally! we can go on vacations! we can have exciting lives! why should Aberforth be the one deciding for his sister what she can or can't do when he's only a year older than her, and Albus is the adult in the house?

plus, if we're meant to assume she's an Obscurial, if we take into account the FB movies? Credence is walking around Europe, and talking to people, and can live safely in a house with strangers, and can go on missions! they can speak in full sentences and feed themself and survive on their own! why is Ariana doomed to be quiet and childlike forever while Credence puts the lie to that assumption?

and the FB movies paint Aberforth in a kinder light than the books do - he's much less resentful and much less bitter - and Albus talks about the duel again, but despite the good guys being more good and the bad guys being more bad? this time there's no mention of Ariana being too sick to be moved. the fight happens because Albus and Gellert want to go away, and Ariana dies because she tries to stop it from happening.

as a result, I have to say that I think the assumption that she was traumatized into helplessness is 100% fanon. yes, I'm aware I'm loud and angry about this, I'm really sorry lmao I get heated when there's ableism on the table.

basically, I'll trust what Aberforth says when I get objective proof that didn't come from his testimony that Ariana actually was as much of an invalid as he insists. and because of that, I think it is much more likely that she had chronic depression and a serious anxiety disorder and cognitive impairments more in line with traditional neurodivergence than anything else. before the attack she seems to be a bright, inquisitive, magically talented little girl - she's doing noticeable wandless magic at six years old! holy shit, that's genuinely prodigious! and unless Ariana had, like, severe lasting brain damage from the attack? that's not someone who was born with the kind of severe intellectual disabilities that a perpetually childlike demeanor and intelligence would suggest. she isn't developmentally delayed in terms of her brainpower, she's ahead of the curve.

but after the attack? everything changed for the worse. she had to fight to control herself at six years old, barely understanding what had happened to her. she had to live for eight years knowing that she was the reason her father went to jail, she was the reason they had to move to a new house, she was the reason her family was sad and broken and depressed, she was the reason her brothers didn't get along, and if she ever let herself feel anything about her attack, or her circumstances? she could kill someone! that's so much for a little girl to have to live with! she can't go to school, she can't make friends, she has to live her life like one of the secret children from Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children books, forever indoors and unable to show her face. and then she's the reason her mother dies, and she can't even cry at Kendra's funeral, because if she does she might blow the place up.

put simply, I would kill for Ariana Dumbledore. she deserved so much better.

[maraudersbutmuggle]

Albus Dumbledore

Born on December 10th, 1949.

He is a Sagittarius. Adventurous, creative, strong willed.

English parents and Jewish origins.

Gay. Very open and queer since he was 17. He had an intense romance with his school friend Gellert Grindelwald. But after he broke his heart, he didn't compromise.

Slytherin. Went to Hogwarts from 1961 to 1968. Prefect and headboy from his house. Later Math teacher of Hogwarts. And now Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Suffers from depression and alcoholism.

First son to Percival and Kendra Dumbledore. Older brother to Aberforth (1951) and Ariana Dumbledore (1954).

The Dumbledores were poor and noble. Percival was a Jewish rabbi, and he made his family follow the Torah beliefs. Ariana was autistic. And Albus and Aberforth were in charge of her when their parents were not around.

But Albus was brilliant. He solved mathematic problems easily at a young age. He read a lot. Everyone was admired of this boy's intelligence in the community. And Abertborth was always jealous of his brother.

Albus received a scholarship to Hogwarts at the age of eleven. A place that would change his life. Of course as Albus went to Hogwarts, Aberforth was left in charge of Ariana. And he hated Albus for this.

Albus was not popular at Hogwarts. He was the teacher's favorite. The teacher's pet. without wanting it. And he was a soft, delicate boy. These two things made everyone bully Albus. Wrongly.

But when Albus was seventeen, he met a Knight who protected him. A Ravenclaw, Gellert Grindelwald. Gellert was bold, rebel and outgoing. A russian rich boy who hated his parents and his life that was always causing trouble.

Gellert made Albus be more bold and do things he didn't imagine. Albus fell completely in love with him. And he discovered his sexuality. But Albus thought it was best to hide everything. But Gellert didn't quite care about Albus' wishes and he popped up in his house unannounced.

Gellert was toxic and violent, but Albus didn't care because Gellert was a dream come true for him, and he was in love.

One time, Gellert appeared on Albus' house insisting on taking him to a Uni party. But he refused, he was taking care of Ariana that night.

"Let's take her with us" Gellert shrugged "She could have fun as well"

"She hates crowds and strange people Gell..."

"But I want to go with you" Gellet made his classic puppy eyes. And Albus couldn't say no.

And that decision cost Ariana's life. She took too much drugs thanks to some frat boys who were messing around. She overdosed.

Albus blamed everything on Gellert. And swore to himself to never see him again. But it was too late, because Aberforth found out and told everything to his parents.

Albus was kicked out of home at eighteen with practically nothing. His parents didn't want to see him again. And neither Aberborth who followed his father's steps and became a rabbi, making them proud for the first time. Aberforth was not Albus shadow anymore.

Albus wondered through many places. And always found refugee and family in the queer community. Albus was very intelligent and clever. And got himself a way into Oxford. Where he met Minerva Mcgonagall.

Albus escalated through many jobs and positions. Always admired by his intelligence. He had visited many places. Learning many languages. He knows a lot of people. He became a magnate in maths, economics and everything that has to be with numbers.

But Albus found out his passion in teaching, nothing else. He used to tutor younger students in Oxford. And he came back to Hogwarts having rejected many positions in other places.

He began teaching math at Hogwarts in 1981. He quickly became the current Head Master Armando Dippet's confident. And when Dippet retired, he left Albus in charge.

But Albus always feels guilty about Ariana's death. And holds a grudge on his heart.

Dumbledore is a strange man. "A butterfly in constant evolution" as he calls himself. It would be the kind of gay man who walks into a place with colorful clothes and heart shaped glasses, and nobody would take him seriously, until he begins speaking.

"Good morning, my loves" he would begin his lecture, conference or reunion.

He is a freaking genius. He is a master in oratory. He has won multiple prizes and nominations. And he knows all the important people. He always has an interesting story of how he met said celebrity in a weird city.

Albus Dumbledore is an icon. His students love him.

And in this version he never uses children to fight for him in a war.

[furederiko]

I've sort of lost track of holidays and festives since the year began, but today's Good Friday!!! Meaning it's a good friday to post a Random News Digest as well... Ahahahaha!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The quest for young Albus Dumbledore has come to a close. Warner Bros has entrusted the iconic role to... none other than Jude Law. Which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the Brit actor's long history with the studio, from the "Sherlock Holmes" series to the upcoming "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword". Personally, I still think Rafe Spall would make a better Albus, but perhaps the movie needs more of Law's... star power considering the first "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" wasn't exactly the big "Harry Potter" hit that WB expected. Beside, Law also suits the "younger man and quite a troubled man" criteria better than Spall.

The down side of this casting, is the general assumption that the sequels will put more focus on the bromancing frenemy between his Dumbledore and Johnny Depp's Gellert Grindelwald. It has been hinted that the two characters have shared a rather 'close' relationship in the past, perhaps even something that was somewhat romantically inclined. Okay, let me correct that. J.K. Rowling has said it herself that "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was.", so it's more than just mere speculation. Thus, it IS going to be interesting to see how Law and Depp come to blow with one another, which is what many "Harry Potter" fans should be dying to see. Then why do I call it a 'down side'? Because at least for me, it's Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander...'s magical ZOO that was the prime highlight of the first movie. Those creatures, with the chemistry between Alison Sudol's Queenie and Dan Fogler's Jacob Kowalski coming hot in second place, are the part that I found to be delightful. These three characters, alongside Katherine Waterston's Tina, have all been confirmed to return, so one would easily wonder how these New Yorkers are going to fit in the story that takes place in Paris and Watford, England. Admittedly, Tina and even Newt himself, were pretty dull and boring for a lead. But it would feel like such a crime if they are put aside to the corner, as the spotlight is stolen by Law and Depp instead.

It is currently unclear whether the next movie will once again feature two separate storylines going in parallel with one another. But that's exactly what's currently generating the concern for some people. David Yates will be returning to helm the second movie, so let's just hope he'll find a way to make the sequel feel more... balanced and evenly focused. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2", a tentative title for now because I'm not even sure if it will be accurate to the story anymore, is set to be released next year on November 16th, 2018. That's when we'll see whether this will turn out to be a magical Brokeback Mountain between Law and Depp, or another adventure of Newt & Co.

DC Films

Pray tell, why are we getting another poster for "The Justice League"? The popular notion is that WB is launching one as preparation for that last trailer debuting in theaters alongside "The Fate of the Furious". Yet when you look at the timing, somehow it just feels rather inappropriate. I mean, why not release it alongside those character posters and teasers last month? Can't remember? Those ones that oddly arrived on the same week to Spider-Man's posters and trailer. Sounds dejavu? Because Marvel Studios had just debuted the trailer and first poster for their upcoming Thor movie as well! You know, the one that will premiere just two weeks ahead of "The Justice League"!

Aaaah yes, THAT is the reason why calling this as coincidence is hokey at best. As if WB is trying to convince audience that... yes, despite the muted colors and the joyless forced humor, their grand ensemble movie is as colorful and fun. Now I can't help but wonder if this is a direct answer to that hillarious FANMADE video that's casually making fun of Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne and Gal Gadot's Diana Prince... LOL. Anyway, my point is... hogging on another movie's spotlight is acceptable, since many studios have been doing this since the Hollywood's dinosaur age. But I do really wish WB would stop being so dickish, while at the same time, being utterly obvious about it. Stop positioning themselves as the angry envious rival, subtly but blatantly creating flame wars with Marvel, because it does them no good. Acting all offensive in a non-existent competition is the wrong thing to do, because it makes them look BAD instead!

"Wonder Woman" also made news because the movie is said to be tracking for a $83 million opening. Eventhough it is unfortunately lower than DC Films' previous two movies, it sure didn't stop fans from turning into bragging mode and stuff. After all, that's how the internet works, and sorry to say, precisely the way 'DC fans' tend to overreact with things both good and bad. Meanwhile, another outlandish rumor hit the internet, claiming that WB will release not one, not two, but FOUR Batman-related movies in the year 2019. Yeah, judging from the studio's track record on announcing DC projects, only to end up losing directors or getting back to first page rewrites... over and over again, that sounds too good to be true, right? Despite all that, just imagine the headlines and numerous thinkpieces immediately run by various entertainment, and fansites. Well, at least until WB's producer Jon Berg and DC Entertainment's President Geoff Johns themselves shot down this report in their own hillarious way. I don't know about you, but THAT is what I call FUN.

Last but not least, Dolph Lundgren has joined "Aquaman" to play merman(?) King Nereus of Xebel. Making him the third antagonist after Patrick Wilson's Orm, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta. That's not counting the likelihood of Willem Dafoe's Dr. Vulko turning evil, of course. Director James Wan has confirmed this casting himself, and Lundgren will likely join production when it begins on May in Hawaii. Although having the former Punisher sounds good, once again, this casting felt a little toooo obvious to be a coincidence. After all, we just got a hot rumor surrounding Sylvester Stallone's important role in the upcoming Guardians movie. And when you start remembering that Lundgren used to play as Stallone's rival/opponent in "Rocky IV" before teaming up in "The Expendables" series? Aaaaaah, it's another act of spite, right there! Oh WB, when will you ever learn...

Transformers

Have you seen the latest trailer for "Transformers: The Last Knight"? I certainly haven't, because I'm totally not looking forward to see this movie anytime soon. But I heard it was great, and well... probably the best one this movie has released so far. Honestly, after the lackluster tragedy that was "Transformers: Age of Extinction", I never would've thought that we're going to get a 5th movie of this winding-down franchise. And this is just the beginning of another array of sequels, because director Michael Bay himself has explicitly stated to MTV that... "There are fourteen stories written. And there’s good stuff. So, I would like to do one of them, though.". 14? SERIOUSLY?!! Dang it, for a guy who thought "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" was meant to be the last, this statement felt like an offensive mockery. Anyways, this 5th movie is set to arrive on June 23rd. I'm personally more curious about whether it will rake as much money as the previous one. Somehow I suspect it won't, but general audience seems to love this franchise... so, we'll see.

SONY Marvel Universe

SONY Pictures has found its Miles Morales! What for? That animated "Spider-Man" movie that is set to be released on December 21st, 2018. Yes, the same date that recently has been occupied by "Aquaman". The young actor privileged to lend his voice for the animated Miles is none other than Shameik Moore. Fans might argue that Morales is half black, half latino in the comics, whereas Moore is not. But this is an animated movie, which only requires his voice, so I don't think it should be a problem. The actor himself shot to fame following his debut in Rick Famuyiwa's "Dope", later starred in the Netflix drama "The Get Down", and will next be seen in "The Pretenders". Speaking of "Dope", who would've guessed that it was such a good movie, eh? I mean, most of its main cast has gotten big comic book roles now. Tony Revolori is soon to be seen as Flash in MCU's Spider-Man. Kiersey Clemons is Iris West in DC's who-knows-when Flash movie, a feature that was almost directed by Famuyiwa. Zoe Kravitz was in "X-Men: First Class". And now Moore. Should we expect anyone else from that movie?

Aside from Moore, another cast who has joined the movie is Liev Schreiber. Schreiber portrayed Sabretooth in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", and is currently well known as the lead actor of "Ray Donovan". According to the same report, Schreiber will be voicing the movie's antagonist/supervillain, though his character is being kept a secret for now. If I didn't know better, I have a feeling that Schreiber is going to voice Otto Octavius, or more popularly known as Dock Ock. Unless he's being assigned to voice Kraven the Hunter, which might also work when you put into account his previous ferocious comic book role. Then again, just like Moore, only his voice will be utilized, so he can practically play anyone. LOL. Hollywood's favorite duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller are writing and producing this movie, while Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey will co-direct the movie. Considering this is an animated movie, shouldn't they start working from now? I mean, animation is unlike live action movie, because it needs to be done at least 2 years in advance to achieve the highest quality. Let's just hope that this movie will be able to stand against the rising tide of "Aquaman" when it arrives next year. Otherwise, this might spell trouble for SONY's ambitious universe.

X-Men Universe

In a very surprising (but seriously pleasant) announcement, "Deadpool 2" has discovered its future-mutant Cable. And my oh my, it's Mad Titan Thanos himself, Josh Brolin!!! Yes, scoring his second Marvel role, Brolin's Cable will be featured in not one, nor two, but FOUR future X-Men movies. Popular speculation says that his next movie will be "X-Force", if not "New Mutants" as well. He's joining Ryan Reynolds who is returning to produce and star as lead character Wade Wilson, as well as Zazie Beets who will portray Domino. Interestingly, Brolin has played a comic book character before, as the titular character in the critically and financially failed DC movie "Jonah Hex". Which means, he and Reynolds are fated kindred spirits from the get go! That's nothing but true fact, no matter how Reynolds openly 'complains' about it... LOL.

No offense to David Harbour, Brad Pitt, or Michael Shannon, but Brolin sounds too perfect for this role. Not just in terms of looks, but also in the actor's ability to play the straight-faced man with a penchant to infuse his character with various kinds of intensity. "Old Boy", and "Sicario" are great examples of this. Created by Rob Liefeld and writer Louise Simonson, Cable is the complete opposite personality to the obnoxious, oddball, and foul-mouthed Deadpool. He's a tough, no-nonsense mutant whose gruff attitude and mysterious aura didn't waste time to attract a great number of fans. He has also been paired with Deadpool ever since. Suffice to say, it's a character that is right up on Brolin's alley, with "Men in Black 3" as its easiest example. With this sequel expected to arrive in 2018, production for the David Leitch feature is set to have a June start in Vancouver. Brolin is currently filming his Thanos role with Marvel Studios in Atlanta, and might even have completed his motion-capture part already. So rest assured, scheduling issue is not even a thing. Interestingly, both movies will be released next year, which means, 2018 would be a truly Marvel-ous year for Brolin!

Marvel Studios

Have you seen the mindblowing first teaser of "Thor: Ragnarok"? The long awaited teaser was simply rock and roll AWESOME, wasn't it! Not only director Taika Waititi delivered a Thor Odinson's movie that already felt distinctly different to his previous solo features, he also imbued it with his signature quirky fun but gorgeous colorful style. It felt like this least-favored franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally embraced its funky Asgardian glory and cosmic side, eh? As if that's not enough to please us, it has already scored an amazing achievement by being the most-watched trailer that both Disney and Marvel Studios ever released! Is this a good sign? Most definitely. In fact, this was such a splendid teaser, I'm actually hoping that Marvel Studios won't be releasing anything else after this. This one's more than enough to grab audience's attention.

The official poster that came afterwards, though? Perhaps it didn't quite leave a similar impression, but arguably still emitted a strong promise of colors and style. Especially with all those Rainbow-Bridge-tone illuminating the titular character. Just look all those gorgeous colors, right? Chris Hemsworth is looking cool with that new haircut, and of course, don't forget the absence of Thor's beloved Mjolnir. Seriously, this movie is going to be strangely fun but epic! November 3rd, 2017 can't come soon enough.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves too soon. "Ragnarok" is still 7 months away, and there's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" that we need to anticipate first! With all three releases of the year looking equally fun and colorful, it would be a mistake to skip any one of them, right? HUGE mistake. And we can expect the first screenings reactions from "Vol 2" pretty soon. Why? Director James Gunn, along with stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista have kicked off the sequel's worldwide promotional tour in Tokyo, Japan last week. Not surprising, because it is set to hit theatres in Australia, Southeast Asia, and other international countries theatres starting on April 25.

As for the North American region, if I'm not mistaken, some of the press members are going to be the first to see it, just a few days from now. I bet early social media reviews and responses will arrive pretty much the same day. That's also the same reason why it's going to get harder and harder to avoid spoilers spreading throughout the internet. Even interviews and press roundup have slowly reveal details about the movie, much earlier than we expected. For example, Kurt Russell has spoken to Total Film (via Flickering Myth) on whether we'll be seeing a "Tango and Cash" reunion in this movie between his Ego the Living Planet, and Sylvester Stallone's mysterious character. Nah... I won't spoil anything about it, just go ahead and read the article if you're up with a little spoiler.

For the time being, "Vol 2" is tracking for a $150 million domestic debut. This is considerably close to the opening of "Captain America: Civil War", and also a solid improvement to the $94,3 million debut of the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" back in 2014. It's hard to predict whether this opening estimation is on point or not, because even "Beauty and the Beast" have magnificently surpassed its initial tracking number (and has broken the $1 billion mark yesterday). There's always a chance that the same accomplishment will occur with "Vol 2", considering the franchise is now sitting on everyone's top 5 most favorite among the MCU. Not to mention, "Vol 2" is the first movie that will kick start the 2017 Summer Movie season in the US. I guess we'll have to wait and see, and hope the best for the sequel. Because if it's good, then I bet Gunn would not shy away from returning to create a "Vol 3".

As for "Homecoming", several rather spoilery details of the movie might have landed online as well. In this case, regarding the "Daily Bugle" existence in the MCU, several scene descriptions from an event held in Tokyo, the possible appearance of other Avengers beside Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, as well as actress Angourie Rice's true role in the movie. Hailing down from a Tom Holland's fanbase account on Twitter, these reports felt... a little hard to fully believe, because it could very well be a subjective assumption on their part. So do take them with a huge grain of salt.

Finally, remember that candid photos of Elizabeth Olsen filming an action scene for "Avengers: Infinity War" in Edinburgh? There's a video version of it now, and one that looks rather... dire and serious. This scene once again hinting that Olsen's Scarlet Witch and likely Paul Bettany's Vision will come into blow with a CGed henchmen, presumably the Black Order members. If you're curious, then go ahead and check it on Youtube. Assuming it hasn't been taken down, of course. Inline with the casting announcement from FOX, it seems Josh Brolin would have concluded his part as Thanos in May so that he can join the production for "Deadpool 2" in Vancouver. Which is probably why the "Infinity War" production will then proceed with his Black Order members instead.

Netflix

This might sound surprising, but it's the last category for today! Yes, because I have no topics for the game section. LOL.

It wasn't long ago that we heard Marvel's "The Defenders" has wrapped its production, to pave way for the second season of Marvel's "Jessica Jones". Looks like Marvel's "The Punisher" has followed suit as well with its completion. A Twitter fanbase account for lead actor Jon Bernthal, reported that the cast has thrown away a wrap party for the production that began on October 2016. Judging from this, it's safe to assume that the series will in fact arrive later this year instead of next year. It's a little suspicious though, that it wrapped just a few weeks after "The Defenders" eventhough they started at relatively the same time. Considering the mini series only has 8 episodes, does this mean "The Punisher" might be a more compact/shorter series than those previous four? I sure hope so, because forcing these serialized shows into a 13 episodes with materials enough for maybe 10 at most, certainly didn't work charm. Said sentiment has even become one of the loudest talked-about criticism thrown at them. Here's hoping Netflix will realize this issue and solve it accordingly, because seriously, watching Marvel's "Iron Fist" alone has already worn me out.

Meanwhile, Netflix is reminding its audience that the 2nd season of "Sense8" will arrive in May 5th, by launching an official trailer. Which is highly necessary, because even I have forgotten that I've written about this fact before! YIKES!!! The inability of Netflix to set a fixed annual release date is admittedly troublesome, as it tends to wore out its devoted audience due to uncertainty of when to expect any continuations. "Sense8" and "Voltron Legendary Defender", as well as their uncertain delays are good examples of this particular issue.

IMHO, "Sense8" is a show that would have benefitted from having its second season arriving as soon as possible, preferably in mere months apart (just like the Network side, perhaps?). The first season was undoubtedly slow if not poorly paced, and the story only got interesting and intense in the last two-to-three episodes. It undeniably felt like an extended intro for the real story, thus forcing viewers to wait too long (remember, first season was launched in 2015!) to see what's next (one that hopefully explores the REAL intrigue behind them), simply doesn't do any good. Sure, there was a "Sense8: Christmas Special" on December 23rd last year, but I doubt many even knew it existed nor have watched it. I sure haven't, because even I only remember about it just now, FOUR months later. LOL. And to be honest, although I'm probably among the few who DID enjoy the first season, I've realized I'm not that anxious to see the second. Why? I have forgotten whatever was happening in it, so seeing this new trailer only succeeded in making me scratch my head in confusion. That is NOT good...

Thankfully, Netflix's bingewatch functionality helps to counter this problem. After all, unlike movies that come and go, we can view any of their original shows anytime we want. So those who haven't seen the first, can plan their start later by watching both seasons all at once. Trust me, I believe that would be more effective for this series. So right now, I'm patiently waiting for the critics' reviews first before actually checking the second season. While at the same time, re-watching the first season one by one, which might be a challenge because sadly this show doesn't have a strong rewatchability. My only hope is, I won't end up forgetting about this plan in just a few weeks after release. LOL.

[potter-scamander-black-imgines]

Crazy=Genius

Gellert Grindelwald X Reader

Requested?: No

Trigger Warnings: Religion. Illness. Repression. Implied physical abuse from a parent

(AN: Yes. I broke my streak and wrote in Third person. But I love Grindelwald’s character and Jamie Campbell Bower so I wanted to try it. This will be a four part series or several part but it is just a fun idea. The first part is trash but I promise the rest won’t be)

“Come now Albus.” I smiled gently, “Might as well meet the new neighbor.”

The young boy laughed, “I never took you to be the kind for neighborly compassion.”

I am not. I smirked, but not saying it to the naïve boy, “They say that they have moved into that huge estate on the end of the street. The haunted one. New pastor lives there. And he has a daughter as lovely and as pure as the stars in the sky.” Stuffing my hands in my pockets I shrugged, walking backwards, “I never took you to be one to shy away from lovely girls, Albus.”

It was Albus’ turn to laugh as we ran down the street to the large mansion at the end of the small village until we gazed up at the large estate. It appeared to be empty, much to Albus’ displeasure as he visibly slouched but I had other ideas.

The house itself, was larger than I remembered. Previously, Al and I always ventured up the long hill to  practice magic and make their plans for their revolt. Back then, the house was oddly disheveled but it looked brand new. We also had left traps around the house, enough that would frighten any person in their right mind away. This intrigued me. A pastor surely would have started a witch-hunt by now, so why hadn’t they left.

“Remember how we used to climb the bricks in order to get into the attic?” I smirked, placing my hand on his shoulders to regain his attention. In turn, Albus looked at me in shock but before opening his mouth, “Come Al. They aren't home. And we won’t take anything... Anything too valuable.”

“This isn't funny Gel-”

“O’ Come on Albus! You aren't even a little curious?”

Rolling his eyes, my companion pushed ahead of me and we began our descent up the strong bricks.

Exploring the house, Albus on the bottom floor and me on the top,  we could see that though the short amount of time it had been since being here the house had gone from decrepit and broken floors to golden paving across the walls and oak floors, the walls a bright cream as opposed to the dim gray it was before. It was almost like a brand new house. The entire area was lined with religious symbols and bookshelves, the mass majority being sheet music, books written by composers, or binders labeled “Composition 1″ and so on. Opposite of bookshelves were either shelves of pills, containers of instruments, vials and labeled material, or assorted plants. There were many rooms, but each the same cream color and though large, there wasn't a lot in either of them.

I was so focused on the mass detail of this house that hearing loud piano noise coming from the attic that I almost screamed, only concealing it because I am me, but also because I did not want to startle the person who was up there. Instead, I made my way slowly up the golden railed stairs and into the room were a thin girl with ghostly pale skin and wet hair in a nightgown banged on the ivory keys. But something about her... An ora so to say so powerful something willed me to speak to her.

Hansel. I smirked to myself. Fitting.

“Sie spielen es falsch.” I sighed, iritably causing the girl to jump and shake slightly, “Es sollte schneller sein.“

Slowly, she turned around, reveling her features, not being surprised at the beauty she held, only causing my smirk to reappear. “Pardon?”

“Ich sagte, du spielst es falsch.”

“Who are you? Why are you here?” She spat nervously, tucking herself into the piano as if I would harm her, “Did my father send you?”

I laughed slightly, approaching closer, “Schön aber stumm. Wie lustig. Clearly you don’t know your German. Daddy hasn't taught you that?” She shook her head, gaping slightly at him, “Don’t worry. Your father did not send me. I sent myself.”

“Why?” She scoffed angrily, “Wanted to see if the rumors are true?”

I nodded “They are. You truly are as lovely as they say. Though your intelligence is not what they promise-”

“Ich spreche Deutsch. Mein Latein ist besser. Warum bist du hier?“ She spoke angrily, standing and striding towards me quickly in a rage until she stopped, clutching her head, “Ich bin krank. Ich bin nicht dumme- Ah!”

Slowly, I made my way towards her as Albus busted into the room.

“Gel did you- Lord she’s- I mean oh my goodness what's wrong?” Beating me, she allowed him to touch her head, “Gellert she is burning.”

“Bath... Bathroom... Please.” She looked up at me terrified, “Please..”

I nodded, rushing over and picking her up, “Go Albus. Hurry.” Just touching her back was enough to make me cringe, “You are sweating so much love.”

“Con-Consumption.” She muttered weakly, “Hurry. Please. I just-”

“Stop talking.” I chuckled darkly, following the sound of running water, “You say you are smart then you should-”

“Shut up.” She smiled up at me weakly, closing her eyes, or attempting to as I slapped her cheeks awake, “I am not dying sir. Not to- Not too..”

I smiled, seeing Al ahead of me in the bathroom, “It’s Gellert. Gellert Grindelwald and this is Albus Dumbeldor. And we-” I sighed stepping in, “Are going to help you Miss L/N.”

Setting her into the tub, she let out a groan while she forced herself under, Albus staring in shock only looking away when I pulled him out, heading towards the door when she stopped me from leaving by grabbing my arm, looking at me weakly, “Thank you Gellert. Come again, won’t you.”

“Tomorrow night? Seven? Main window?” I replied kissing her hand, and she nodded, dropping my hand as she nodded, closing her eyes as I chuckled, pulling Al away and through the window.

“I cannot believe you.” Albus gaped in anger, pacing, “I honestly can’t Gel.”

“Oh you are just jelous.” I smirked, taking a bite of an apple in my hand, “Could you truly not feel her power?” Seeing my friend shake his head, I scoffed, “She could be the one Al.”

Then I wouldn't have to use your stupid sister.

“So whatcha gonna do? Doesn't seem she’ll just give herself up.

“Oh Albus..” I chuckled, “I am going to seduce her. What else would I do?”

[phoenixsonged]

in august 1899 the full moon was on the 21st. ( tw: grief, like that’s literally what this whole thing is )

There is a sharp screen of white, a gasp, and when the world ceased to sound like a deafening curse, Aberforth is yanked away by someone in the crowd before stalking off completely.

Albus blinks several times, unable to comprehend why everything was blurry and muted like a watercolor painting, before someone hands him his glasses. “Th-Thank you,” he hears himself say (thickly, muted, it didn’t sound like him at all) as the world regained focus. There is a pulse point in the center of his face, and he takes the purple handkerchief out of his pocket, pressing it against his nose -- broken, though there isn’t any pain no matter how it throbbed. His head rings, a high pitched buzzing that grew and grew until the world drained of color, and Albus shut his eyes against it all.

No, I’m fi -- it’s fine thank you. His voice was a ghost of itself, a breathless, lifeless thing that escaped without him realizing.

The ringing continues -- softer now, a whistle that sparks bursts of light behind his eyes and caused his head to spin. A cacophony swells over him, his heart expanding into his throat, cutting off all air, cutting off everything that wasn’t the thick, frantic pounding of life. He opens his eyes to see nothing, a whirlwind of color, a blurring of shapes -- hadn’t he put on his glasses? The cacophony grows until finally -- excuse me, he hears himself say and he leaves the cemetery, passing through the kissing gate, breathing through his mouth as if he’s just run for an exceptionally long distance.

He glances to the left, the direction Abe no doubt went in, and only sees the tall grass sway in the breeze, a silent whistle of loneliness. A shiver as the breeze picks up, small tendrils of hair escaping his braid and curling around his ears  ---  it’s as if his outer layer of skin was flayed off, everything too sharp, too hard, too cold, too distant.... His gaze shifts to the horizon, the purple, orange, and pink sky, stained so by the dying sun, and searches for the minute, telltale ripple of a disillusionment charm, or blond curls....

“Albus!”

( the accent is wrong, he tells his heart as it leaps, yet his gaze doesn’t move )

“Albus.” And there is a light hand on his elbow that he doesn’t feel. He blinks, several times, trying to clear the fog and focus until finally the person beside him clicks.

“Elphias,” he says, as if he just surfaced from a lake. Several blinks. “...I thought you were...” But he couldn’t recall the last place Elphias said he was; the letter was unopened on his desk in mother’s ( old, now his ) room.

“I came as soon as I heard,” Elphias explains, voice dragging Albus back to himself. “How are you -- but that’s a, that’s a stupid question, sorry.”

Albus stares at his friend, throat locking, eyes unblinking. He should reply, respond in some way, that would be the polite thing to do, but he’s afraid that if he moves even a fraction he’d start crying in earnest.

Elphias clears his throat. “Do you want me to...?” He gestures to Albus’s nose with his wand.

As if zapped, Albus looks away, shifting back a step, handkerchief pressing harder against his nose, clearing his throat. “No...no, it’s fine.”

 The wind whistles a melancholy tune, grass ruffling, trees sighing; somewhere a gate creaked and clanged.

“I’m so sorry Albus,” Elphias says, the earnestness and sympathy palpable things in his voice. Albus can’t look at him, and offers only a vague nod in recognition. He didn’t know what to say to that when Father passed, he only had a vague idea of the correct response when Mother passed, but now, here, he can’t bring himself to say anything at all.       

....Gellert would hate you; it’s an idle thought, albeit a clear one, Albus not entirely sure where it came from, but he also knew it was true. He could hear Gellert huffing in impatience, asking ( in German, or whatever language they decided to entertain themselves with that week, because he, of course, would figure that Elphias wouldn’t understand ) why they were bothering with this person, someone so ordinary, so boring, so dull, when they had things to do, extraordinary things to discuss, why waste their time? And Gellert would pull him away ( and albus would let him ) before he could offer any sort-of explanation or excuse, no matter how half-hearted.

...How could he...? If Gellert was the sort-of person who would look at someone as genuine, as kind, as Elphias and consider him nothing of any particular importance or value, then how could Albus ever think that Gellert was a decent person? How could he miss....

Eyes scan down the road, over the landscape, he had to...he had liked Ariana, or, at least, something that resembled liking, surely he would come....

“Albus.”

Startled, Albus blinks at Elphias incomprehensibly -- because Elphias was here, because Elphias was a good friend, because Elphias came as soon as he heard, because Elphias cared.

“Aberforth is probably with those goats of his. Or at home,” Elphias continues.

With the goats, Albus mentally corrects, eyes flickering away from the other again. “Yes, yes I -- I know.” But his eyes continue to flicker across the empty, quiet landscape.

“So what are you looking at?” Elphias asks, and his voice is soft.

Albus blinks, as if coming to and only then realizing what he had been doing. “Hmm? Oh. There was....There was a charming family of chipmunks that’s all. The -- They’re gone now.”

Elphias nods, accepting that answer, and Albus feels something tug in his gut because Elphias perfectly believed that answer  ---  it was clear in the way he nods. ( gellert never would’ve believed that, would’ve poked at albus until he finally gave the truthful reason, would’ve seen right through any facade albus put forth. would’ve. had. )

But those weren’t thoughts someone kind and decent like Elphias deserve.

“You should put ice on that,” Elphias says. “Here.” He takes the handkerchief, taps it with his wand, and hands it back. Even before Albus presses it back against his nose, he can feel the chilling charm placed on it. A lump clogs itself in his throat, everything suddenly blurring at the edges.

“You’re a good friend Elphias,” Albus says, looking at the horizon again ( he’s not here, he’s not coming, he said as much, you don’t want him to either, so stop it ). “Much better than I deserve. Thank you.”

“Don’t be absurd.” Elphias scowls, something Albus senses rather than sees, and then adds: “This wasn’t your fault, Albus, it was an accident.”

Something within him snaps off. The winds begins to howl, his whole body shivers, shoulders cave in on themselves, and he laughs. It’s desperate thing, an outlet of wordless emotion rather than an expression of amusement, that comes deep within his throat, thick, gurgled, near breathless. Covering his mouth, handkerchief and all, his eyes close, and he falls silent. His whole body shivers and nothing else --- he doesn’t breathe, doesn’t cry, his whole self just trembles as if every facet of grief was alive and roaring in him with no way to escape.

A warm hand presses between his shoulder blades, and Albus stills, breathing. “...I can stay if you would like me to,” Elphias offers.

A quick shake of his head. “No, no, it’s --- you don’t have to.” Albus opens his eyes and looks at Elphias. “I appreciate you coming here, but you don’t have to stay. Go home.” By some miracle, or long ingrained habits, it comes out kind.

 “I know I don’t have to, but if you would like me to....”

I don’t. Something in him seems to freeze at the loud thought, and Albus bites back a sigh. It wasn’t that he didn’t want company, or at least wouldn’t appreciate it, but Elphias...doesn’t know, and Albus isn’t about to explain. Best that Elphias, best that everyone, think it some accident, some horrible twist of the illness, that caused Ariana’s death rather than....

His gaze sweeps the barren landscape again, finds nothing, and returns to Elphias, the world sharp, hyper-focused at the edges. “What about that --- that girl you wrote about?” ( because, for all of their school day dalliances, elphias isn’t like him, the only one who was --- )  “Did she come back with you?” 

A rush of color floods Elphias’s face; he seems to hold back a smile ( an inward, private sort, the only type that happened when something lit your soul from within no matter the current circumstances ) and he looks away, embarrassed.

“She did. But,” Elphias clears his throat, “Anastasia is with my parents at the moment.”

Albus nods, something thawing his chest, and he removes the handkerchief, folding it neatly, before placing it back on his nose ( the bleeding seems to have subsided some? though, admittedly, he hadn’t been paying much attention to it ). “Go back to her.” He looks up. “Be happy. For me.” He looks down again. “It’d be comforting to know that somewhere someone I care for is -- happy. The world could always use a bit more of that, I think.” Something thick and moist grows in the back of his throat, and his eyes shut as he swallows.

That isn’t enough, he knows, to convince Elphias to leave. “I’ll write you,” he adds before Elphias could reply. Eyes open, color flooding his vision, and he looks at his friend again. “We can meet up later this week for tea.” Albus dislikes tea; Elphias, however, does not. 

The assurance that Albus isn’t going to shut himself away, as Elphias no doubt expected ( for perfectly legitimate reasons, albus would admit ), appeases Elphias finally.

“If...you’re sure.”

Albus nods. “Go home. I’ll be --- it’ll be fine.” 

Please. Leave. And perhaps that thought, the desperation of it, resonates about him, because Elphias finally relents with a nod. 

“Take care of yourself? Make sure you eat something --- and not just sherbet lemons.”

It was such a commonly said thing to him that Albus almost rolls his eyes.

“Don’t worry. There’s still some food left over from mother’s funeral, we’ll be fine.” Something about the remark, however, stops him cold. He shivers again, though there is no breeze, and his mouth twitches as his eyes close to keep himself from actually laughing. 

“Um. I’m going --- I’m going to...look for Aberforth.” He sucks in a sharp breath and blinks rapidly. 

Elphias nods, and that’s the only thing Albus can distinguish; the world is swimming again.

“Thank you for --- for coming. Truly. It means a great deal.” Something of the sentiment rings false to his ears, and Albus feels a rush of frustration that he doesn’t know how to properly convey what this meant to him, no matter how much he may want Elphias to leave, so he adds: “You’re a good friend, Elphias. Really. Thank you.”

Elphias offers him a small smile before reaching out to do...something ( hand on the shoulder perhaps? or -- merlin forbid -- a hug? ) that Albus steps back from.

“I’m going to find Aberforth,” he says, stepping around Elphias. “I’ll owl you.”

Except he wouldn’t, just like he isn’t going to search for Aberforth. Albus walks away, and goes back to the house for lack of anywhere else to go ( perhaps....? but no he needs to stop thinking like that ). 

The house is empty, and Albus doesn’t linger to take in that ( expected ) fact. He goes up the creaky stairs to the bathroom and washes the blood off his face. Yes, he knows the spell that could do it in a blink of an eye, just like he knows the spell that would heal his nose completely, but he uses neither of them. He likes the effort it takes to do it without magic, likes how it silences everything around him, and makes his mind rhythmic like the ocean. His nose isn’t bleeding anymore, which he is certain is a good thing, though it’s still tender, but that’s expected. He’s never broken a bone before, and he knows he can --- should --- mend it, but it’s a distant thought, not one he truly entertains. He deserved that punch, this broken nose, and it’s not...bad. Carefully, he breaths, and finds no major obstruction, no difficulty, there’s no medical reason for him to use magic, there’s no emergency, he deserved it, therefore he’s going to leave it as is.

Slam!

Albus jumps, heart racing, head ringing, as he was forcibly dragged back down into his body --- so Aberforth is back then? Opening the door, he peeks down the hall --- empty, dark, silent, Abe might as well not have walked through at all. Should he...? But no, it was best not to; they could talk tomorrow ( what was there to say? what could he say? abe probably wouldn’t --- ). Exiting the bathroom, he continues down the hall, quiet, silent, heart pounding as if expecting Aberforth to come out and confront him again. That doesn’t happen, and Albus continues to his ( to mother’s, even after everything this summer this space doesn’t feel like his own ) room, door shutting with a quiet click. 

He changes --- slips off his now bloodstained shirt for something else, takes off his shoes and leaves his feet bare. Nothing feels like it quite fits, hanging loose like a wayward thread, as if all bodily mass was sucked away, leaving him bones with skin hanging off. His braid, a haphazard thing, was escaping itself, tendrils of hair curling at his ears, tickling his neck, in a way that makes him feel unclean, and he pulls out the ribbon, tossing it onto his desk. His fingers are slow to unplait his hair, the motions familiar, and therefore this, too, gives everything a tint of fuzziness, his thoughts slipping through his head like water.

Hair settles against his back, his arms lower, and suddenly....he is alone in this room. The silence washes over him, vibrates against his skin, and he moves back to sit on the bed ( a creak ), but that somehow makes it worse. It closes in on him, catches around his throat like a hand or a kiss (  shhh, a sound caught between laughter, they’re both sleeping; we need to be quiet. ), cutting off all ability to breathe.

He stands.

His heart is under the impression there is an attack, that he’s running for his life, and he snatches his useless wand off the desk ( he hasn’t touched it since --- ) before going back down the stairs. 

It’s dark now, the sun a near nonexistent thing, and any warmth in the late summer air left along with it. He lights up his wand, setting it on the scratched countertop, before approaching the sink. There are dishes in there, some a week old probably, and they should be cleaned. 

He rolls up his sleeves and does it without magic.

Scrubbing away the caked on food, ( do you think some people are meant to die? ), the after remains of tea ( that’s an interesting question. if you think about it, we are all meant to die. death is the only absolute in life ), the pots, the pans ( i know but. you know how some people impact the world, they’re heroes or horrible people, their lives mean something whatever they use it for. do you think some people are just meant for death? their actual lives don’t mean much, but their death does? ), the mugs, the utensils ( .....what’s caused this line of thinking, hmm? ), and everything else they decided to throw into the sink. His hands are greasy, the water turned cold, and his fingers lost all feeling in them.

        ( oh i was just thinking about it is all.

                                                                                                                 about death?

   about life after death, and how i think,                                 for some people, that’s the only life they get. )

He pours the excess water out of the last pot and places it on the drying rack beside the sink. It’s at that moment he hears movement upstairs. Aberforth isn’t trying to be quiet about it, as he yanks a trunk down the stairs and goes directly out the door ( not stopping, not halting, not wavering at all ). Frowning, Albus follows outside just in time to see the Knight Bus appear. Two steps forward, his mouth opens, tongue feeling thick and moist, but no sound comes out. His mouth closes. What was the point? Speaking at all, doing anything at all, would only upset his brother more, and Albus had done enough of that for a lifetime. Aberforth hadn’t stopped to see Albus, hadn’t looked for him at all, Abe clearly had nothing to say to him. Which is...understandable. Fine. Albus doesn’t think he’d have anything to say to himself either.

Wind whistles as the Knight Bus leaves with its customary bang, and Albus shivers as Godric’s Hollow falls silent once again. Hair blows over his shoulders, across his face, and Albus looks up at the sky. 

It’s a full moon tonight.

Usually he is one to examine the stars, but the moon is loud tonight, painting everything silver and white, casting long shadows. He smooths a particular wayward lock of hair behind his ear, and recalls, quite suddenly, when he was a child and mother would brush all of their hair, collect the escaped strands, keeping them in pouches until the full moon, whereupon she would proceed to burn them. Hair is the physical manifestation of their thoughts, an extension of themselves, and through burning they are returned to our Father who would, in turn, read the thoughts and send Spirits to guide the family on the Sacred Path, strengthening your Body until the next full moon.

Albus hasn’t done that since he started Hogwarts.

He always found such rituals difficult to believe, and it felt silly to do when it was just himself. Kendra would’ve wanted him to continue it, he realizes with guilt boiling his stomach, she would’ve considered it his duty as head of the family. It was typically the women who did it, but as Ariana was unwell....

The moon and stars become blurry, and Albus shuts his eyes against the building moisture. It’s suddenly too cold, he can’t stop shivering, and he turns on his heels to go back inside. The door shuts with a soft click that echoes through the emptiness of the house. It’s dark, and ordinarily that never bothers Albus ( fire was a sort-of magic that he always had a particular affinity for ) but something about it now, knowing he is completely alone in here, makes his heart stick in his throat like taffy against a tooth. He waves a hand in a familiar motion, aiming to add some light, he’s done it more times than he could count and yet.... Albus frowns at the darkness, a different discomfort swirling in his gut. He tries again ( he was distracted so perhaps --- ) and it works, except too much so this time, and the candles he was aiming for become completely engulfed in flames.

His magic has never been a faulty thing. He’s never had any difficulty with anything regarding it, especially with wandless and nonverbal spells; it was as innate to him as breathing. He stares at the flames as if trying to pin point what went wrong, how it went wrong, as the flames lick higher and higher. ( there’s screaming and it rips right through him; there’s spells, there’s curses, a frantic confusion, and then ----- ) It’s only once a candle falls over that the danger becomes evident to him. Shaking his head to snap out of it, he darts into the kitchen to grab his wand and cast a quick aquamenti to get rid of the fire entirely. Then a reparo to fix the damage, smooth it away as if it never happened ( the spells are precise, verbally spoken, as if he was some silly first year ). 

He sits on the bottom step of the stairs, staring down at his wand ( lit by a lumos now ), at his hands, pulse hard behind his ears ( and then there’s more screaming but somehow this is worse ). Wandless, nonverbal magic is something he’s been taught since...he couldn’t remember ever not knowing it ( he’s three and making purple stars dance for a crying, infant ariana. he’s five and locking three-year-old aberforth out of their room ). He and his mother would sit outside as Kendra instructed --- magic is in you, it’s as much a part of you as your ability to hear is. It will never leave you, but it can be temperamental. You know how when people are angry they often say things they don’t mean to? If your emotions are turbulent, then your magic may do something you did not intend..... Albus sets his wand beside him on the step before burying his face in his hands to stifle the laughter boiling in his throat. But then he realizes that there’s no reason to stifle it because there’s no one else in the house, and the laughter cracks through the darkness ( come with me or you’ll regret this for the rest of your life ). Once he starts, he can’t stop, and he’s doubled over, hair falling on either side of him like curtains, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. It’s once he feels wetness drip off his chin that he sobers, though he couldn’t ever say how long it took. He wipes his face with his sleeve as his chuckles die, and finally he sighs, running a hand through his hair.

The silence, the emptiness, become palpable things again.  

He shivers, shutting his eyes, counting to ten, sitting up straighter, breathing carefully, letting himself feel the tips of his fingers, the crook in his nose, every strand of hair.... Kendra had cut off her hair, he thinks suddenly, after Ariana was attacked, after Percival was arrested, after they moved here, and Albus recalls being so very shocked when he saw. Our life is changing; it’s time to cut away past thoughts and start anew, my little phoenix. She asked if Albus wanted to do the same, and he refused. She asked again, after they got word of father’s death, and again he had refused.... He hadn’t considered doing that when mother died....

Albus is on his feet, taking the stairs two at a time, and once more goes into the bathroom. For the first time since....he looks at himself in the looking glass. His nose is swollen, but even like that he can tell it’s going to be horribly crooked now. There are bags under his eyes, his cheeks look gaunt ( for all albus wanted to roll his eyes, people reminding him to eat properly isn’t an irrational thing ), and he can’t meet his own eye. He runs a hand along his chin, the hair there, before reaching for his razor. Ever since he was able to grow proper facial hair, he’s always had it in some form or another. He managed it with magic, but he doesn’t trust his magic right now, and, besides, he wants to do it by hand. With precision, he shaves the hair off his face, managing to only cut himself once by the end. He splashes water against his cheeks, and wipes away the excess with his sleeve.

He’s never had short hair.

The fact rotates around his mind as he gathers the thick strands in one hand, weighing it. Even as a child he kept his hair longer than many considered respectful for a boy. His mother put so much emphasis on hair, it never truly occurred to him to keep it short like everyone else. Besides that, he liked it. ( he hadn’t been the only one, and he can feel those fingers idly twirling strands, those hands burying themselves in it as if it was something to treasure, those lips pressing against it as if .... )

Albus looks down at the dark strands, thick and pin-straight, that extend past his breastbone, something vicious and hot rising in his throat. He swallows, once, and starts to drag the razor through the locks at the nap of his neck ( start anew my little phoenix ). There’s so much hair, it takes effort for him to cut through it; it’d be easier with regular scissors and, of course, with magic, but this shouldn’t be easy. ( if there was a more ritualistic way to do this, he doesn’t know it ) He is careful to keep the hair together, to ensure not one strand escapes, but this is the first time he’s done this, and it takes several cuts of the razor, several shears through his thick hair, to get it all somewhat even.

The razor is put away, he gathers the hair together and knots it so none could escape, it’s all meticulous and precise.

Then he looks in the mirror....

There is a draft that licks the back of his neck and he shivers, because it’s an unfamiliar feeling. He ruffles his hair, running his hand through it, and it’s lighter, it feels like he’s shed off five pounds, and.....

There is a near insatiable urge to grow it back with magic.

He doesn’t. Instead, Albus looks away from the mirror, gathers the hair, and goes to the backyard. Sitting in the grass, he crosses his legs like he used to do with Kendra in Mould-on-the-Wold, and puts the locks of hair in his lap. He takes several, slow breaths, and looks up at the stars.

                 ( that’s the big dipper, right albus?                                                                                 it is, good eye. can you find the little dipper?

no, but i think i found a monster one !! what’s its name, albus?                                                                         a monster ?? hmmm.... i think its name is --- aberforth )

Wiping his cheek with his shoulder, Albus exhales a shaky breath. He opens his hand, palm up, and focuses ( it’s so frustrating, he never has to think this hard to do anything, but he wants to make sure this is right ) until a small fire sparks to life in his palm. Relief blossoms like a rose in his chest, and he takes the hair in his free hand, placing it in the fire.

He watches it burn, watches the smoke rise and filter away, watches the flames engulf the hair. Time has no meaning, but it rapidly grows darker, with only the moon, stars, and the flame for light. His legs lose feeling, his hand grows numb, but it doesn’t matter, he doesn’t notice, the only thing that has his attention is the fire eating his hair.

By the time it’s complete he’s exhausted.

Ashes remain in his palm, and he blows those away into the air with the rest of it all. Every part of him feels numb, but it’s a peaceful sort-of numbness, the type he associated with early mornings and just waking up.  The rims of his eyes are dry and itchy, longing to close, but he knows he won’t be able to sleep. 

He untangles himself, stretches, and stands ------ he knows he can’t stay here. He doesn’t know where to go but he knows he doesn’t have anything here, he knows he can’t stay in this corpse-infested hole.

Going back inside and packing is a blur. Majority of his books remain, majority of everything in here remains, he takes only the barest essentials, charms a rucksack to fit everything he needs.

( godric’s hollow has never been his home; it’s never been anything to him, yet as he shuts the door, charms security, and stares into the blank mid-night darkness, his gut tugs. he’s wanted to be free of this place since the moment he was told he had to come back, yet here he is, freer than he’s ever been, and having no idea what to do with it )

Dragon blood ------ he had a theory about dragon blood to research.               

[gossipnetwork-blog]

Most Anticipated Movies of 2018 (Part 1 of 2)

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Most Anticipated Movies of 2018 (Part 1 of 2)

What are you looking forward to in 2018? For moviegoers, the much-talked-about upcoming movies are likely the answer. As the new year is just around the corner, AceShowbiz has compiled a list of movies that should not be missed, with the genres ranging from horror to romance, from comedy to action, and from musical to superhero.

The list of Most Anticipated Movies of 2018 is divided into two parts, with the first part dealing with sequels. “” and “” are set to follow the success of the predecessors, while the likes of “” and “” took a long time to come.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Release date: June 6

While “” helps bring characters of color into the MCU, “” will be the first Marvel film to have a female character taking the center stage. Already an integrap part of 2015’s “”, Hope van Dyne, played by , is stepping into the Wasp suit in the upcoming film, with reprising his role as the “deadliest” superhero. The two have to team up to rescue Hope’s mom from the quantum realm. By working together, their personal and professional relationships are bound to get tangled. Bringing back as Hope’s father Hank Pym, the movie adds as the original Wasp, and as Bill Foster a.k.a. Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, to the already impressive cast.

Avengers: Infinity War

Release date: May 4

The new “Avengers” film is going to get more crowded, literally, as there are more than sixty characters that will appear in the film, but fans are looking forward to the friendly banters between these superheroes. Unlike the first two films which mainly featured the same members, the team will reportedly undergo a major shake-up in “”. Having been torn apart following the events of “”, they have to join forces with the in order to stop Thanos () from collecting all Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his will. The film will also mark the cinematic debut of Carol Danvers a.k.a. , played by , before her solo film is out in February 2019.

Deadpool 2

Release date: June 1

Defying the common ground of superhero films with dark humor and R-rated scenes, “” became a big hit at box office in 2016. Its sequel strives to maintain this unique quality, though it means that it had to part ways with director Tim Miller who reportedly fought for the film to have bigger budget and bigger scale like Marvel films. is back as the Merc with a Mouth, but all eyes are on the arrival of his grumpie future cyborg bestie Cabel, played by whose dedication to the role has earned praises from fans despite the actor playing the big bad Thanos in “” films. Another character making her cinematic debut in “” is Domino, who is portrayd by Zazie Beetz.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Release date: November 16

Gellert Grindelwald’s plans to create a wizarding hierarchy to dominate all non-magical beings and to the magical community caused chaos in “”. Still being the main villain in the sequel “”, Grindelwald () has escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore () enlists the help of his former student Newt Scamander (), who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Those curious about Dumbledore’s love relationships may find the answer here as the movie is said to explore more of his personal life and depict him as an openly gay character, true to the canon written by author J.K. Rowling.

Fifty Shades Freed

Release date: February 2

Succumbing to the lust and passion in “” and “”? Then you should not miss “”, the third and final installment of the erotic film franchise based on E.L. James’ popular novel series. While the second movie takes things between Christian Grey () and Anastasia Steele () to the next level, the last film really brings their love story home. But that doesn’t mean their problems are over, as their marriage is tested once again when Ana’s former boss, Jack Hyde (), is out for revenge and Elena Lincoln (), the woman who seduced teenage Christian, slinks back into the newlyweds’ life to cause more trouble.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Release date: June 22

Continuing the huge success of “”, its sequel “” will not only impress in terms of storyline and actors, but also in terms of graphic and video technology. Directed by J.A. Bayona, the filmmaker behind great films such as “” and “”, the film sees the return of as a Navy veteran and former dinosaur trainer Owen, with reprising her role as Claire Dearing. It appears that so much has happened since the end of the 2016 film as Owen and Claire are no longer an item. The movie will also get us nostalgic with the return of as Dr. Ian Malcolm.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Release date: July 20

Donna and the Dynamos are back, a decade after “” became a huge box office hit in 2008. “” is going to open in theaters this summer, and the recently-released trailer is packed with a lot of amazing footage and plot twists, while at the same teasing ‘s cameo as the Grandma, the brand new music and the all-star cast. Expect the storyline to go back and forth from past to present as the musical film offers an update to Sophie’s () life while at the same time revealing the backstory of ‘s character, with actress portraying the younger version of Donna.

Mary Poppins Returns

Release date: July 20

Set 20 years after the first film, “” features a new generation of Banks children, with , , Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson and Nathanael Saleh playing Michael, Jane, Annabel, Georgie and John respectively. Based on “The Mary Poppins Stories” by Travers, it features a new score and new songs. While the cast already has fans excited as it includes the likes of , and , it’s the new Mary Poppins that has everyone talking, with taking the lead role. Additionally, “Hamilton” star and creator joins the cast as a new character.

Mission: Impossible 6

Release date: July 27

Brace yourself for more death-defying stunts in “”. While plot details are still kept under tight wraps, fans can expect to see Ethan Hunt’s () usual globe-hopping adventure that will take us to Norway, New Zealand, India, Paris and London this time. The film lose who starred in “”, as he committed to another upcoming film, “”. But the addition of Henry Cavil and Angela Bassets to the cast is more than enough to make it up. Meanwhile, the returning stars also include , and .

Pacific Rim Uprising

Release date: March 23

Guilermo del Toro’s 2013 giant-robot epic “” underperformed at domestic box office, but it became a cult movie. A sequel was latter announced, with the characters being intended to be a new generation of Jaeger pilots. stars as Jake Pentecost, while reprises her role as Mako Mori, who co-piloted the Jaeger known as Gipsy Danger with Raleigh Becket () in the first movie. Ten years after “The Battle of the Breach” and being “vindicated by the victory at the Breach,” the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. Jake and his adoptive sister Mako reunite to lead the next generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Nate Lambert () and 15-year-old hacker Amara (Cailee Spaeny), against a new Kaiju threat.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Release date: November 2

After 2016’s sketchy “”, the long-running mutant film franchise is trying to get back on track with a 1990s-set installment where mega-telepath Jean Grey () goes full Phoenix. The original “Dark Phoenix” saga crossed much of the Marvel universe before venturing into outer space, but director Simon Kinberg has stated that this version of the Phoenix story will be more grounded. While most of the female members of the X-Men haven’t always had the biggest storylines in the movies, that’s about to change in “Dark Phoenix”, as it will put the women, especially Turner’s Jean Grey and ‘s mysterious alien character, front and center.

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