empatheticwizard

[empatheticwizard]

That time I decided to write a nichepocalypse fanfic.

So, I've been on the edge of fandom spaces for a long time, finally decided to hop in a bit over a month ago because a fanfic idea started gnawing at my brain. I'm sure you can relate.

And then I began to have a slow-building realization: my fic exists at a very weird intersection when it comes to finding the few dozen people who'll like it. It's Harry Potter fandom, sure, but that's where the ease ends.

Partly because it's OC-centric. That's the first knock. Then low-romance... so farewell to those looking for that, but also not no-romance... so farewell to those avoiding that. It's too serious for crack taken seriously despite its premise. It's too soft for proper angst. But it's also probably too angsty for fluff. It's post-canon, so there goes another block of plausible filter-ability. Too HP-focused for crossover, though that's probably what it's closest to in terms of thematic elements (just, crossed with... 2006.)

In other words, I've brought a platypus to the party. Hi guys!

Skip to here if you want the actual recipe instead of the wall of text about how my gramma baked these cookies in Oklahoma during the Great Depression with dust and spite.

Anyway, here's the actual information: Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus Fandom: Harry Potter Status: Ongoing (79k/18chp) Rating: Teen Genre: Speculative Fiction, Friendship, Slow-Burn World Change, Academic/Political Drama, Humor

Summary:

The Statute was built for doors. Time, as my Muggleborn friends keep trying to explain, is increasingly fond of Windows. The war is over. The castle is still standing. The staircases still try to kill people. Muggle Studies still thinks the 'internet' is a type of cauldron. The ethics curriculum? Still designed for medieval dueling disputes. And yet. Widdershins Weekly arrives monthly, anonymously, charmed to look like scrap parchment and packed with satire. And a cross-house group of misfits are beginning to ask inconvenient questions, such as "Is our entire society held together with Spellotape and siege mentality?" --- "So, the plan is: orchestrate a first contact worthy of the Federation of Planets, convince the Wizengamot to join the seventeenth century at minimum, persuade the rest of Earth not to panic about the underground society with amnesia grenades, and hope everyone settles for mutually assured delusion as a starting point." "And how long did we guess, before this starts by accident?"

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 17: Faults & Foundations

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 17 includes:

McGonagall at her most terrifying: calm

Metaphors about stuffed elephants

Several mentions of flagellation that were supposed to be academic, probably

An aspiring apprentice at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes (what could go wrong?)

And a very polite, very British online conspiracy spiral about blinking men in coats

If you enjoy:

The creeping dread of being watched, but in a fun way

2006 internet forums being weird about trench coats

The smoldering wreckage of plausible deniability

Romance so slow-burn it’s just arson-adjacent political tension

Satire as civil disobedience

And a growing awareness that “We’re not in trouble yet” is not the same as “We’re fine”

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins Weekly - The Statute Edition

Let's begin with the obvious. The Statute of Secrecy is old. Not old in a charming way, like a family heirloom your mum brings out every summer to regale you about your someday inheritance. Not old in a rugged way, like our enduring Professor Binns. Not old in a reverent way, like a Roman ruin or the books Madam Pince'll hex you for touching. The Statute is the kind that was built for a world that doesn't exist anymore. The Statute, of course, insists that it still does. The Statute was built for doors. Time, as my Muggleborn friends keep trying to explain, is increasingly fond of Windows.

(If you know, you know.) There was a time when dipping into the backroom made sense. There is a certain roguish charm in dwelling behind the curtains, in the toilets, and beyond the back-alleys. Wizards were being hunted, in a time when magic was synonymous with heresy and fire and drowning in village ponds. Muggles aren't particularly proud of that time either, mind, as their doctors still thought in terms of draining pints of blood to cure melancholy, smearing powdered lead in their hair and calling it fashion, and designing pianos that played by poking cats in the tail. No one is proud of anything they did in the 1600s. Ask the French. That is not this time. It hasn't been for a very long time. Before I go further, let me be clear: this is not, strictly speaking, a condemnation of Muggle Studies, per se. It is more an observation that our curriculum rests somewhere between five decades and fifteen centuries out of date. Which is to say, we've managed to miss the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, vaccines, and the notion that the moon might be interesting for more than simply pointing telescopes at. The exact range depends on the professor, the weather, and how recently someone has reminded them that the telephone is not, in fact, required to be wired any longer. We live in a world of satellites, search engines, cyber security, and mass multiplayer online games. (Yes, those are all different things. No, I can't explain them here. Go ask a Muggleborn. Preferably one born after 1980.) The divide between magical and non-magical isn't a wall. Information leaks. People talk. Wizards fall in love with Muggles. Some Muggles are smart. Some Muggles are very smart. The idea that a globe full of Muggles paying attention could remain unaware of an entire parallel society is, frankly, the kind of fantasy that even Disney would consider too childish to commit screentime to. (And if you don't know what Disney is, please for the love of Merlin go make friends with a Muggleborn.) Look: I'm not advocating we dismantle the Statute overnight. I'm not naive. (Okay. I'm probably naive. But I'm not wrong.) The question isn't whether the world will notice us. It's whether we'll still be pretending not to notice them when it happens.

For more like this, see Widdershins Weekly on AO3

For the broader story, check out Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3

[empatheticwizard]

Title: The Walls Between Worlds Fandom: Harry Potter Rating: Gen Words: 2,966 Characters: Adrian Silvertree (OC), Anselma Silvertree (OC), Minerva McGonagall, Original Parents Genre: Family Drama, Coming-of-Age, Squib Perspective Summary:

Summer, 1998. Age eleven and in a half-blood household, Adrian Silvertree awaits a letter from Hogwarts. And if it fails to arrive? His sister has a plan.

Standalone vignette connected to a longer WIP, set seven years prior. Can be read on its own.

Read on AO3

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins Weekly - The Statute Edition

Let's begin with the obvious. The Statute of Secrecy is old. Not old in a charming way, like a family heirloom your mum brings out every summer to regale you about your someday inheritance. Not old in a rugged way, like our enduring Professor Binns. Not old in a reverent way, like a Roman ruin or the books Madam Pince'll hex you for touching. The Statute is the kind that was built for a world that doesn't exist anymore. The Statute, of course, insists that it still does. The Statute was built for doors. Time, as my Muggleborn friends keep trying to explain, is increasingly fond of Windows.

(If you know, you know.) There was a time when dipping into the backroom made sense. There is a certain roguish charm in dwelling behind the curtains, in the toilets, and beyond the back-alleys. Wizards were being hunted, in a time when magic was synonymous with heresy and fire and drowning in village ponds. Muggles aren't particularly proud of that time either, mind, as their doctors still thought in terms of draining pints of blood to cure melancholy, smearing powdered lead in their hair and calling it fashion, and designing pianos that played by poking cats in the tail. No one is proud of anything they did in the 1600s. Ask the French. That is not this time. It hasn't been for a very long time. Before I go further, let me be clear: this is not, strictly speaking, a condemnation of Muggle Studies, per se. It is more an observation that our curriculum rests somewhere between five decades and fifteen centuries out of date. Which is to say, we've managed to miss the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, vaccines, and the notion that the moon might be interesting for more than simply pointing telescopes at. The exact range depends on the professor, the weather, and how recently someone has reminded them that the telephone is not, in fact, required to be wired any longer. We live in a world of satellites, search engines, cyber security, and mass multiplayer online games. (Yes, those are all different things. No, I can't explain them here. Go ask a Muggleborn. Preferably one born after 1980.) The divide between magical and non-magical isn't a wall. Information leaks. People talk. Wizards fall in love with Muggles. Some Muggles are smart. Some Muggles are very smart. The idea that a globe full of Muggles paying attention could remain unaware of an entire parallel society is, frankly, the kind of fantasy that even Disney would consider too childish to commit screentime to. (And if you don't know what Disney is, please for the love of Merlin go make friends with a Muggleborn.) Look: I'm not advocating we dismantle the Statute overnight. I'm not naive. (Okay. I'm probably naive. But I'm not wrong.) The question isn't whether the world will notice us. It's whether we'll still be pretending not to notice them when it happens.

For more like this, see Widdershins Weekly on AO3

For the broader story, check out Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3

[empatheticwizard]

Title: Card Me If You Can Fandom: Harry Potter Rating: Gen Words: 2,832 Characters: Marius Mulford (OC), mentions of Kai (OC) Genre: Humor, Coming-of-Age, Pureblood vs Muggle Culture Summary:

Summer, 2004. Marius Mulford - pureblood, Slytherin, and fourteen years fabulous - has one goal: to find and watch a telly. The mission will involve bribery, hotels, identity issues, and potential betrayals. But Marius is prepared. Probably.

Standalone vignette connected to a longer WIP, set two years later. Can be read on its own.

Read on AO3

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins Weekly - The Statute Edition

Let's begin with the obvious. The Statute of Secrecy is old. Not old in a charming way, like a family heirloom your mum brings out every summer to regale you about your someday inheritance. Not old in a rugged way, like our enduring Professor Binns. Not old in a reverent way, like a Roman ruin or the books Madam Pince'll hex you for touching. The Statute is the kind that was built for a world that doesn't exist anymore. The Statute, of course, insists that it still does. The Statute was built for doors. Time, as my Muggleborn friends keep trying to explain, is increasingly fond of Windows.

(If you know, you know.) There was a time when dipping into the backroom made sense. There is a certain roguish charm in dwelling behind the curtains, in the toilets, and beyond the back-alleys. Wizards were being hunted, in a time when magic was synonymous with heresy and fire and drowning in village ponds. Muggles aren't particularly proud of that time either, mind, as their doctors still thought in terms of draining pints of blood to cure melancholy, smearing powdered lead in their hair and calling it fashion, and designing pianos that played by poking cats in the tail. No one is proud of anything they did in the 1600s. Ask the French. That is not this time. It hasn't been for a very long time. Before I go further, let me be clear: this is not, strictly speaking, a condemnation of Muggle Studies, per se. It is more an observation that our curriculum rests somewhere between five decades and fifteen centuries out of date. Which is to say, we've managed to miss the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, vaccines, and the notion that the moon might be interesting for more than simply pointing telescopes at. The exact range depends on the professor, the weather, and how recently someone has reminded them that the telephone is not, in fact, required to be wired any longer. We live in a world of satellites, search engines, cyber security, and mass multiplayer online games. (Yes, those are all different things. No, I can't explain them here. Go ask a Muggleborn. Preferably one born after 1980.) The divide between magical and non-magical isn't a wall. Information leaks. People talk. Wizards fall in love with Muggles. Some Muggles are smart. Some Muggles are very smart. The idea that a globe full of Muggles paying attention could remain unaware of an entire parallel society is, frankly, the kind of fantasy that even Disney would consider too childish to commit screentime to. (And if you don't know what Disney is, please for the love of Merlin go make friends with a Muggleborn.) Look: I'm not advocating we dismantle the Statute overnight. I'm not naive. (Okay. I'm probably naive. But I'm not wrong.) The question isn't whether the world will notice us. It's whether we'll still be pretending not to notice them when it happens.

For more like this, see Widdershins Weekly on AO3

For the broader story, check out Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 16: Eyeliners & Enigmas

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 16 includes:

A Rosier child vs the unholy trinity of AMVs, eyeliner, and American slang

A Slytherin confronted with both moral complexity and My Chemical Romance

Several grammatical atrocities

Exactly zero eyeliner used, yet somehow still in the chapter title

Academic treason via squib research

One (1) Franz Schubert fan trying to live his best life

And Professor Slughorn having issues with teenage boys coming to ask him about research topics

If you enjoy:

Suffering politely

Dying institutions and teenagers trying hard very not to die with them

The eternal struggle of not writing like a Victorian cleric in a modern postal system

The tension between “I want to change the world” and “I don’t want anyone to perceive me while I do it”

And the slow, magical burn of “what if bureaucracy was the rebellion?”

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 15: Deviations & Dragons

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 15 includes:

A completely reasonable plan involving Fred and George Weasley’s legacy, the internet, and Gryffindor labor

One (1) elegant Slytherin using flirtation, deflection, and moral relativity to avoid actual employment

An emotional support dragon, available in origami

Academic treason via squib research

The Prophet’s favorite column: Quincy Gets Ghosted (Again)

And Kai, breaking exactly zero rules and still somehow threatening the foundations of magical society

If you enjoy:

Long conversations where no one says what they mean but everyone understands anyway

The creeping suspicion that revolution might require retail

Found family formed via library table occupation

And the slow, magical burn of “what if we changed the world just to see the look on our parents’ faces?”

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 15: Deviations & Dragons

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 15 includes:

A completely reasonable plan involving Fred and George Weasley’s legacy, the internet, and Gryffindor labor

One (1) elegant Slytherin using flirtation, deflection, and moral relativity to avoid actual employment

An emotional support dragon, available in origami

Academic treason via squib research

The Prophet’s favorite column: Quincy Gets Ghosted (Again)

And Kai, breaking exactly zero rules and still somehow threatening the foundations of magical society

If you enjoy:

Long conversations where no one says what they mean but everyone understands anyway

The creeping suspicion that revolution might require retail

Found family formed via library table occupation

And the slow, magical burn of “what if we changed the world just to see the look on our parents’ faces?”

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 14: Outsiders & Orbits

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 14 includes:

A biscuit-fueled conversation with the most formidable woman in magical education

Magical geopolitics disguised as four scrolls and a headache

Anselma, accidentally terrifying everyone (again)

Aurors and ethics professors eviscerating magical education behind a half-open door

And the Postscript Society’s first meeting, complete with questionable fashion and baby Slytherins

If you enjoy:

Existential dread by parchment

Deep lore, deep politics, and deeper character fractures

Students asking questions the adults aren't ready to answer

Found family, found surveillance, and the found horror of being taken seriously

And Hogwarts as a high-stakes slow burn where Wheezes merch is still a security threat

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 14: Outsiders & Orbits

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 14 includes:

A biscuit-fueled conversation with the most formidable woman in magical education

Magical geopolitics disguised as four scrolls and a headache

Anselma, accidentally terrifying everyone (again)

Aurors and ethics professors eviscerating magical education behind a half-open door

And the Postscript Society’s first meeting, complete with questionable fashion and baby Slytherins

If you enjoy:

Existential dread by parchment

Deep lore, deep politics, and deeper character fractures

Students asking questions the adults aren't ready to answer

Found family, found surveillance, and the found horror of being taken seriously

And Hogwarts as a high-stakes slow burn where Wheezes merch is still a security threat

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

I am writing a Harry Potter fanfic, but non-smut low-romance OCs-centric post-canon.

The four horsemen of the nichepocalypse have come.

I'm 13 chapters in on writing a post-war, next-gen fic involving five rotating student POVs.

Three male Two female Two introverts Three extroverts All Houses represented.

But no one is here just to represent. Well, except the Ravenclaw. The lack of blue at the table was bothering her.

Two Muggleborn, two pureblood, one half-blood.

Many play with or lightly reconsider various fan tropes, but that's not the first reason any are here.

In between academic/political drama, humor, and slice of life, the plot revolves around taking the Statute of Secrecy to the interrogation room.

So to speak.

Wizarding society itself also snuck into the interrogation room and is currently under the impression that if it stands very still, we won't see it.

The fic is set in 2006, with the budding age of the internet boom visible without quite being in full swing yet. But everyone's starting to wonder if the internet is going to ask the Statute to tango.

Also to be found within:

squibs

satirical newspapers

Star Trek references

a gratuitously enigmatic title

umbrellas

toast

introvert horror

paranoid teenagers

overconfident teenagers

people who are definitely doing homework

people who are definitely reading

people who definitely don't have ulterior motives

snakes as metaphors

snakes as non-metaphors

and platonic male-female superfriendships.

If you'd like to join my quest to hide from the gods of filters, algorithms and readership, the story can be found here on AO3.

[empatheticwizard]

I am writing a Harry Potter fanfic, but non-smut low-romance OCs-centric post-canon.

The four horsemen of the nichepocalypse have come.

I'm 13 chapters in on writing a post-war, next-gen fic involving five rotating student POVs.

Three male Two female Two introverts Three extroverts All Houses represented.

But no one is here just to represent. Well, except the Ravenclaw. The lack of blue at the table was bothering her.

Two Muggleborn, two pureblood, one half-blood.

Many play with or lightly reconsider various fan tropes, but that's not the first reason any are here.

In between academic/political drama, humor, and slice of life, the plot revolves around taking the Statute of Secrecy to the interrogation room.

So to speak.

Wizarding society itself also snuck into the interrogation room and is currently under the impression that if it stands very still, we won't see it.

The fic is set in 2006, with the budding age of the internet boom visible without quite being in full swing yet. But everyone's starting to wonder if the internet is going to ask the Statute to tango.

Also to be found within:

squibs

satirical newspapers

Star Trek references

a gratuitously enigmatic title

umbrellas

toast

introvert horror

paranoid teenagers

overconfident teenagers

people who are definitely doing homework

people who are definitely reading

people who definitely don't have ulterior motives

snakes as metaphors

snakes as non-metaphors

and platonic male-female superfriendships.

If you'd like to join my quest to hide from the gods of filters, algorithms and readership, the story can be found here on AO3.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 13: Disclosures & Darlings

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 13 includes:

The most stressful club approval meeting in Hogwarts history

Cassian trying not to combust

Anselma bringing citations to an interrogation, like a polite suspect

Marius attempting to charm his way out of existential crisis (again)

And the creeping horror of realizing the Ministry reads your newsletter

If you enjoy:

Magical ethics disguised as extracurriculars

Post-war coming-of-age with a side of espionage

Teens talking their way into and out of government watchlists

And Hogwarts as a high-stakes academic slow burn

…this is the chapter for you.

[empatheticwizard]

What if a group like the Marauders, but if they processed their trauma through journalism instead of animal parties.

This post-canon fic has:

A Ravenclaw with a cataloguing complex

A Slytherin whose idea of rebellion is reading legal theory

A Hufflepuff who duels like a tactical memo

A Gryffindor with better boundaries than all four Marauders combined

And a second Slytherin who flirts like he's performing for a Wizengamot brunch

Together they do not prank. They publish. They investigate. They question everything.

No smut. No canon ships. Just a slow-building effort to ask, out loud, “What if we fix it?”

Come check it out if you want. Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3.

[empatheticwizard]

Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 update

Chapter 12: Parchments & Pretenses

The war is over. Hogwarts survived. But the magical world? Still built on secrecy, tradition, and enough Spellotape to make it hold - barely.

Enter Widdershins Weekly: an anonymous, enchanted satire zine quietly stirring up questions no one wants asked.

Now it's 2006, and a small group of students - “The Contraries” - are starting to realize: the Statute of Secrecy might not survive the 21st century. And neither might the wizarding world, unless something changes.

No Chosen Ones. Just one very broken system, a handful of sharp teenagers, and the slow, stubborn hope that maybe they can fix what the last war left behind.

Chapter 12 includes:

Hogwarts breakfast politics

Student radicalism, politely worded

Slughorn shade and owl-delivered biscuits

Secret meetings, quiet dread

A possibly ill-advised interrogation

And just enough dread to know the calm is about to end

If you like:

Magical realism in the wizarding world

Post-war healing through friendship and bureaucracy

Hogwarts as a slowly shifting institution

…you’ll probably like this.