#TLE

[beanejma]

🕯️ Fanfic binding of @chdarling 's The Last Enemy Series.🕯️

I was originally not going to post this, but I thought - why the heck not. All my love goes out to C.H. Darling. This Marauders fic has brought so much comfort and whimsy into my life, and it’s been a privilege to have this sitting on my shelf, waiting to be re-read again and again.

Honestly, this long-term project has helped me through a really stressful period of my life. Putting this together has brought just as much comfort as reading TLE, no regrets!! For personal use only. Never resell fanfic. Please ask permission or check an author's FAQ before binding fanfic. You don't need fancy supplies to bind, and there are a lot of tutorials, budget friendly options, and ways to achieve binding your own copy. Details:

• Typeset created in Word. Graphics from Canva. • Text block using 80gsm copy paper. Coptic stitch. Rounding and backing. Oxford hollow.

• Book cover using recycled book board, paper shopping bags, and 120gsm paper. Cover art by Heinrich Gogarten and Frances Ridley Havergal. Printed with Inkjet.

• Endpapers designed in Canva. Printed using Laserjet. Foiling done using toner-reactive foil & a laminator.

[chdarling]

Frequently Asked Questions

Hi! I'm mostly on a fandom break right now and consequently am really slow responding to messages, so I figured I'd post answers to some of the questions I receive the most. :)

Snippets and Spoilers can be found here!

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When will TLE3 be released?

I don't have an exact date, but it probably won't be in 2025. I am giving myself the space and time to write TLE3 at my own pace and pleasure, and I plan to have a full draft finished before I start publishing on AO3. I promise when it's ready, you'll be the first to know.

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Can I print TLE?

Please do not print TLE using any commercial printing service, as this is not legal (at least in the US, which is where I am). If you are printing and binding it yourself solely for personal use and in a manner that is 100% in compliance with copyright law – aka no one at any point in the process can make any money off of it – then I personally am fine with it (and very honored!). However, I cannot give approval for anything that infringes copyright law in any way. Thank you for understanding! I don't want to be sued!

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Can I translate/create a podfic/create fanart for TLE?

I would be so unbelievably honored! I give a blanket approval for translations, podfics, and fanart, and I'm so, so touched that you would take the time to do this. I just ask that you ONLY post to AO3* and to please mark it as a related work so it's linked to the original. I may be slow to approve the AO3 email linking the fics, but I promise I will! Thank you!!

*except fanart, obviously. Do whatever you want with that. Although if you post it on tumblr, I would LOVE to see it. <3

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Are you on any other social media sites?

No. I am ONLY on Tumblr, AO3, and the TLE discord. I don’t even use social media in my personal life, so don't try to find me! I'm not there!

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Do you have fanfic recommendations?

I’m sorry, but I am not a good resource for this. I haven't actually read much fanfic as I spend most of my limited free time writing it. However, I always recommend checking out @jilyawards for a fantastic collection of the incredible talent in this fandom over the years.

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Do you take requests for one shots/other fics?

No, sorry. I have my hands more than full with TLE.

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Do you take suggestions for the plot of TLE?

No, sorry. I have the story pretty tightly plotted from beginning until the (very) end, and while I occasionally swerve down new creative alleys, I’m very committed to sticking to my original plan.

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Is [super specific spoilery thing] going to happen in TLE?

You are of course welcome to ask, but I am almost certainly going to shout “SPOILERS!” and run away cackling.

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You say this is a canon fic but [super specific thing that I don’t agree with] is included. What gives?

For the purposes of TLE, ‘canon’ means the original seven books. Everything else is dressing. I do include as canon a lot of the lore JKR provided in interviews while the books were being published (for example, James being a Chaser), however I tend to view all post-book authorial additions as mostly optional. I do use a fair amount of Pottermore in my story, but I do not keep up with new HP material, so it’s impossible to stay up to date with everything. For example, I tweaked the Animagus process somewhat to my liking as opposed to what is described in Pottermore. This is partly because I already had my version sketched out before that was published, and mostly because I did not like what was given on Pottermore.

I do not consider any of the films canon. If this alleged HBO show happens, I will not consider that canon. Video game? Not canon. I also simply do not know what the words ‘Cursed Child’ mean, as I am pretty sure this is from an alternate timeline in which I do not exist. Tra la la. :)

All of this to say: The seven books are the framework. However, I feel pretty strongly that within that framework there is room for many, many interpretations – particularly with regards to the Marauders era, about which we know so little. Just because my headcanon or characterization is different from yours (or vice versa!) doesn’t make it less canon. Similarly, just because something is not explicitly described in the seven books, doesn’t mean it is against canon for it to have happened in the background, unnoticed by Harry, or before the timeline of the seven books starts. See: Wolfstar.

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Wait, there’s wolfstar in TLE?

Yes. There will be wolfstar in the series. I did tag it from day one, please stop sending me shocked and horrified messages! (lol) Because people have such strong feelings about this ship, I always feel the need to give my little disclaimer: There will be wolfstar. Personally, I love it and am excited to write it. However, if you are a fan of exclusively fluffy, happy wolfstar, you might be disappointed. If you are interested in exploring the fraught, occasionally toxic relationship between two angsty, repressed, and deeply traumatized young men during an escalating war…strap in, gird your loins, etc. We're gonna have some fun.

***

Why do you have two blogs?

Because I'm dumb. Because I didn’t know how tumblr worked when I started this whole nonsense and thought that a side blog sounded like a good idea…aaaaand then pretty much immediately regretted it. This was back before you could reply from a sideblog, so everything was a mess. I'm an archivist at heart, so I can't bring myself to delete @chdarling-tle but I almost exclusively use @chdarling these days. Feel free to only follow that one, unless you only want chapter updates and none of my silly reblogs, in which case @chdarling-tle is here for you. Otherwise it's pretty dead over there.

(ok, confession: this actually isn't a frequently asked question at all, but I shoved it in here anyway because the two blog thing annoys the shit out of me and I wanted to give some context for my disorganization. I meant well, once upon a time!!!)

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Do you have a Patreon?

I’m amazed and flattered that I’ve been asked this enough to include it in an FAQ, but no, I do not. While I am so appreciative that people want to support this project, TLE is a work of fanfiction, created entirely out of and for love, and is in no way a commercial endeavor. I do not make a penny off of this project. I almost certainly lose pennies to this project. But that's okay! Because of the aforementioned love! And, once again, my deep and enduring desire to not be sued!

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Ok but seriously when will TLE3 be released?

(sorry I couldn't resist)

[captainamsel]

Empress Malini. Mother Malini. Empress, Empress, Empress. She felt the tale settle around her, written in smoke and in death. And her ribs still burned, and burned, and burned.

Malini inspired by John William Waterhouse's Cleopatra.

Since Tasha Suri has confirmed that the world of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy takes elements from all sorts of kingdoms and empires on the Indian subcontinent, that leaves a lot of creative freedom. Still: fabric has to make sense! I learned a lot about saree draping. Hopefully the mermaid drape I went for doesn't look too obviously modern to more knowledgeable readers.

Note to self: I should put jasmine perfume on the real piece!

[abitterberryblog]

i drew my beloveds during That ChapterTM

@chdarling @chdarling-tle !!!

they're finally here 🫶🫶🫶 and you guys can click for better quality if you want. ahhhh they mean so much to me they are SO important to me guys guys guys guys

[moondustinfj]

@chdarling-tle

[strawberryswagger]

What the hell happened?

So um ...

Used to read and write loads of marauder fanfics in my teens (some twenty+ years ago), and except for some wolfstar, things were pretty much canon (and loads of Mary-Sues)

And just got out of my whole and am like... Jegulus? Skittles? What the hell happened here???! Oh, love ethnically diverse James! But otherwise whaaaaaaaat???

But read @chdarling's TLE so it was *so* worth coming back to reading fics!!!

[lethargicdragondoodles]

A return to our favorite boys and gal, dedicated to @chdarling who's on her very well-deserved break, hope she's doing well!

[yallthemwitches]

Spoiler: I've come here to gush.

I have to admit something: I'm not a big "long sweeping fic" fan. I've snooped around in this fandom for a long long time and was there during the ff.net hayday of many of the 'major' fics and liked them fine, but something was always missing.

For this reason, I fought reading The Last Enemy for some time now. I opened it once, saw it was a multi pov tome of a thing and went noooope. My husband lovingly refers to this urge as my "Sopranos knee jerk" which is to say, I do this with lots of media that is lauded and often I am very very wrong.

THIS is one of those times. I blasted through this fic, literally ignored clients and mailing out (probably) Christmas gifts in order to read. Everything about this was so spot on: the characterization, the world building, the politics (so time specific but believable), the PINING (wow, it was like watching the first few seasons of The Office again and I mean that with the highest pining regards)I could go on. Again, gushing.

Just...in what cruel, upside down world did THIS piece not originate as canon and instead some sequel written by an absolute horrid human being was?? Ours, apparently...but not cruel enough to keep this incredible gem from the public.

Anyways. Go read it. I beg you. Give yourself a Christmas gift. and thank you @chdarling-tle for this absolute masterpiece, I'm just in awe with your talent.

[smorocz]

There is something inherently powerful about finding the words to express solidarity, to say: I understand, me too, I know exactly what you mean. It’s a kind of magic you’d never find in any book but that could change the course of history far more than a mere spell.

But Lily Evans was sixteen years old, and she did not yet know those words. She only knew that boy before her was hurting in just the way she herself had hurt. So she did the only thing she could think to do: She let go of the swing-set pole and walked over behind him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressed her cheek to the back of his head, and hugged him. James sat still and startled for half a moment, then his shoulders shuddered ever so slightly, and he sunk into the embrace, touching a cold hand gently to her own.

[flowerpottlady]

How evil is it that I have 4 days off from work for the 🤮US holiday🤮 and I was planning on re-reading all of The Last Enemy series by chdarling and ao3 is down????????

[chdarling]

have you noticed that there is no frank or alice in tle...

Well, they’re adult aurors who aren’t super involved in the day to day lives of teenagers at Hogwarts so they haven’t come up just yet 😂

[shelfinthedark]

james “you know how to ball” potter and lily “I know aristotle” evans

[opelman]

Flight Inspection by Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts Via Flickr: Phantom XT914 is prepped for another mission at RAF Wattisham. Seen during a Timeline Events photo shoot. Aircraft: Royal Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom II FGR.2 XT914/Z. Location: RAF Wattisham, Suffolk.

[theresthesnitch]

SOMEOME (@mabelexclamationpoint) forced me (by which I means suggested and I was not hard to convince) to read The Last Enemy by @chdarling and I'm devastated (by which I mean fundamentally changed as a person and completely obsessed now).

You can thank she-who-must-not-be-named (again, @mabelexclamationpoint but also a little bit @chdarling because damn) for putting me back on a Jily spiral

[ladymalchav]

He fits, he sits

[yallthemwitches]

I just wanted to share this was someone. TLE was my first jily fic coming into the fandom. I saw someone recommend it on tiktok so I thought I’d give it a read. It’s been months and I’ve read many amazing fics since then and yet not a day goes by that I don’t think about TLE jily. How I wish I could read it again for the first time.

I agree with this so fervently that I must share this anecdote:

Over the weekend I saw some flyers posted up around the city about a "students for an anti-fascist society" meetup and IMMEDIATELY I automatically said to myself, "Wow, what Graham Garrett ass organization."

I don't think I've ever read any piece of media where an oc resonated with me so much---and that's really saying something because I LOVE jily more than a lot of things that are actually rooted in reality, yet I love this silly, socialist, virginity stealing hufflepuff maybe just as much (well...like 60% as much. But that's a lot, ok? Like an alarming amount for an oc side character from a fanfic!)

Anyways. Since you sent this to me, you must know that I will forever sing @chdarling praises and try to convert anyone/anything to TLE supremacy as much as I can. I too, wish I could read it all over again with fresh eyes.