#because albus trusted delphi

[asexualenjolras]

There's such a fine balance between Scorpius knowing that Delphi can't be trusted but not being able to explain why, and also distrusting her simply because he's afraid she will take Albus away from him.

And it's something that is so interesting to look at.

Because, for the longest time, it's always been Albus and Scorpius. And he wants to like Delphi because Albus does, but he also doesn't trust her. And he doesn't want to be pushed out.

The emotional turmoil that he would have surrounding that isn't talked about enough.

[freejanee]

THEY MEAN THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME

[ironkoalastrawberry]

Possible events after Cursed Child: Since Scorpius was a very good Seeker in the Dark World, he could probably progress in Quidditch in this direction because he wanted to join the team, and since Rose is a very good gossiper and knows about the Ministry and many rumors, she even knew that Scorpius had the title of the Scorpion King in the Dark World,probably the news of Delphi's arrest and the rumors at school will make Scorpius a more popular student. As we saw, an ambitious, arrogant, and hypocritical person like Rose would have treated him better (she is someone who does not risk her popularity), and probably since Rose was aware of Scorpius's interest in her, and now he is popular (or at least not hated or maybe even a hero), studious, intelligent, and a good Seeker.We might have a love triangle between Rose and Scorpius and Albus (according to the original version of the play) and Rose is also a perfectionist soooo…

Things are definitely better between Albus and Harry. And if Albus is happier, he probably has better mental health and his academic performance will change and he can discover his interests and talents. I don't know if his popularity at school will change because of Delphi's story. But he's probably not a Slytherin Squib anymore.

Delphi is in Azkaban, could the werewolves and their minions escape her? Or wait a few years or thay get caught too?

Hogwarts will probably be in a more secure phase.

And there will be new troubles for Harry and Hermione, and all the members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix and the Weasleys and even Draco will probably have to step up security to protect their families, and the Hogwarts professors will probably have to watch the children a little more than before. Just to be extra careful

Now that Albus and Scorpius know about their mutual feelings for each other, they might date.But will Draco let Scorpius hang out with the other Potters? He's kind to his son, but does he trust the Potters and the Weasleys? Albus will probably tell his mom, but I have a feeling they won't want their relationship to be public since they're under the media spotlight, so I don't think they'll let anyone but close friends know. Albus probably takes Scorpius to various bookstores a lot and gives him lots of books and sweets.

That's it. Any thoughts?

[shrimpalbuspotter]

What's the thing that stands out to you the most about albus and by extension his relationship with scorpius?

I'm gonna give 2 answers for this but they technically intermingle: One thing that stands out to me about Albus as a character, and one thing that stands out to me about his relationship with Scorpius.

Albus is a character who wears his emotions on his sleeve, even if he doesn't want to. This means we know alot about the motives behind his actions that run deeper than just "I want to save Cedric Diggory because my dad sucks." He's surly, self isolating, grumpy, and often seems rather anxious.

I think the thing that stands out the most to me is actually his relationships with others.

Albus has one friend, Scorpius. You can clearly see that Albus felt comfortable the moment he talked to him on the train, all awkward smiles and giggles. Then, when his cousin (who he grew up with), deemed he wasn't a good fit to be a friend and told Albus they were leaving, he outright denied her.

Cut to a while later, and Albus becomes a shut in. Its never explicitly shown but I take that when McGonagall called Albus "Isolated and surly" she was referencing to him refusing to make other friends. I don't doubt there were people who did try and befriend Albus despite him having a reputation, I just think Albus refused to give them the time of day. He had been laughed at and ridiculed by other students tons of times before, he learned to rely on gut feelings. If Albus doesn't immediately feel like he can trust you, he won't trust you, and it'll take a hell of a long time to change that due to his relentless stubborn. Plus his general opinion of the student body is already more terrible because he knows how everyone in Hogwarts feels about his bestfriend, who he deems more important than anyone else.

Cut yet again! Rose attempts to talk to Albus on the train to Hogwarts as they enter fourth year. Rose seems like she wants to make amends, trying to get Albus to talk to her and apologise, but Albus is still not having it. He sees through her, he knows his cousin. She'd never apologise herself, even if she knows she's wrong. Albus doesn't want to be pitied, and he also knows how rude Rose can be to Scorpius. So once again she's shut down.

Then we move on to him meeting Delphi, and there's something different. He seems slightly confused at first, but he relaxes as she talks. Albus sees this dorky, quirky lady, who talks about how people would make fun of her as a kid, and he automatically trusts her. It was definetly an odd feeling to have, because the only other person he'd felt that from was Scorpius, but Albus has an issue where he sets people he cares about on a pedestal and finds it almost impossible to imagine them doing any wrong, or expects them to always act a specific way. Delphi was in Albus' circle now, and he wanst planning to lose that.

But... then we notice something. Albus becomes slightly distant towards Scorpius whenever Delphi is around. He thinks he really likes her, and he knows she's practically a stranger but he swears there's this magnetic pull that just makes him want to be around her all the time. Scorpius is sort of jealous, but he's happy Albus has made a friend.

It's been pointed out before that majority of Delphis personality was took from Scorpius because she knew that would make Albus like her more. And it worked. She knows Albus find it difficult connecting with people he cant relate to, so she talked about her issues with expectations and not asking to be born into the family you were. (OK this is getting off topic let's go back on track).

In summary, how Albus finds it so incredibly difficult to connect with people then, when does, holds them so close to his heart, is what stands out most to me. Its crucial! Albus is not a person who trusts easily, but he takes great pride in those he can call his friend, even if it's few (cough ONE cough).

On that note... Answer 2. What stands out to me most about Scorpius and Albus's relationship? (Let's go the romantic route)

For me, its the way they are so different from every other ship. I don't think you can compare them to anything, because it won't be the same.

I see alot of people say its a parallel to Wolfstar but... it isn't. Alteast not how they'd be in canon. Because the Dynamics are completely different, and so are the characters personalities.

I think how unique their relationship is is what makes it so special. They were both misunderstood kids who realistically should've despised eachother just like their parents, but they didn't. They took comfort in eachothers presence and didn't care that everyone bullied them, because atleast they were together. Albus would end the world for Scorpius, and Scorpius would save the world for Albus. And it isn't even a Gryffindor/Slytherin relationship either! Which the fandom seems to like alot!

They are two bestfriends, from the same house, who would rather be with eachother than anyone else in the world. The closest thing to soulmates you're gonna get.

Anywhoooo that's my answerrr thank you for the ask anon I was in my feels beforehand and then I got to rant it all out on my favs

[consistentsquash]

Hi I just wanted to say that I love your fic recs and appreciate how thoughtful they are. I got into the HP fandom through F/M pairings and now I can’t wait to delve into its slash. It’s difficult to find slash fics on ao3 especially for rare pairings, so I am so grateful for your rec lists! Thank you for shining a light on so many beautiful works!! To end with a question, what snape fic would you suggest to someone who has not yet read slash fics about him?

Hiya!!! Super happy the recs are useful for you!! Hope you are enjoying the M/M side of HP fandom. It's got a lot of talented authors and an amazing collection of fics from like the era of the first books <3 I feel like Snape can be a difficult character to rec in both slash and het because the fandom perception has changed a lot over the years and depending on which version you like it can feel really different from fic to fic. So I am going to give you a list with different versions and definitely come back if you want more of a specific type :D

No age gap

In From the Cold by Bethbethbeth. Wartime era Snape/Kingsley, secret allies to lovers. I really love this old school spies/handlers fic. Highly recommend! <3

Age gap but no underage

Sing a Mad Rebellion by Femme post canon AU Snape/Harry, political thriller AU with V for Vendetta vibes

Contemporary Magical Innovations by H. Granger by kaiz. canon divergence AU Snape/Harry. This is one of the Snarry fics written during the books predicting how the future plot will look like. Obviously it's not canon compliant. I really find it to be one of the most witty/sharp Snape characterizations ever so recommending it!

Snape: the Home Fries Nazi by pir8fancier. post canon AU Snape/Harry. This is one of those classic hall of fame Snarry fics. Funny, surreal, really, really well-written.

No Room for the Weak by @perverse-idyll post canon AU Snape/Harry, this is really intense but more preslash. I feel if you like it you are going to like a lot of the older classic Snarries. Definitely give it a chance if you are ok with darkfic. Super sharp, super intense character study.

If you love Time Travel Rapture by mia_ugly is a really beloved Snarry intro fic. I am not huge on Time Travel so I don't really have this as a personal rec but literally everybody whose tastes I trust love it for the romance, the prose, the plot, everything and so I rec it 200%.

Some rarer pair Snape centric series with age gaps but really beautifully written and highly recommend

Fantastic Beasts by Delphi. Snape/Kettleburn but more of a character study. If you love this series check out everything by Delphi. I love their Snape. This is a good intro series for the author. Nobody writes Young Snape like Delphi and I lovelovelove forever.

O Frabjous Day by eldritcher. Snape/Aberforth but also some other Snape pairings. The series is probably one of my fav rarepair series of all time. I love this Snape characterization with forever passion. It's wartime/book 7 and so, so beautiful/intense/magical.

Surveillance and 'Dinner and a Show' by PurpleFluffyCat. Snape/Albus Dumbledore. Young Snape! This is probably the most fluffy rec on my list so definitely check it out if you want that vibe! I recently read it again and I really love the humor.

Hope this gives you some intro variety! <3 Come back if you love one of the vibes! definitely would love to rec you more fics <3

[ao3feed-scorbus]

A New Memory

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/kpIuTq7

by Meliswriting

Albus is looking for Scorpius, worried he is hiding because he is hiding something from him. Scorpius has a plan of his own.

This story was partly inspired by the performance of Harry Potter and Cursed Child on Wednesday 13th July.

Words: 2148, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Delphi (Harry Potter), Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter

Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter

Additional Tags: Boys In Love, Boyfriends, Light Angst, Growing Up Together, Memories, Dates, I Love You, Trust, Surprises, Slytherin, Hogwarts

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/kpIuTq7

[pineapple-lover-boy]

Cursed Child Could’ve Been Better and Here’s Why:

Part 1?

Hate the Cursed Child. The play is a good play on its own but it doesn’t match up with Harry Potter as much as it should’ve, we all know this. But I want to present some ideas on why Delphini COULD have been the coolest villain ever and how she could work (plus a few extra improvements over all):

Main point against her is that Voldy couldn’t have children cause he split his soul. How about this: he could have children, but they end up having a fractured soul as well. They are sickly beings.

With the live potion conception, or as I like to call it “Merope r@ping Tom Riddle”: because of the love potion conception Voldy couldn’t feel love. That could work for Delphi too except to a less degree because she was most likely made from consent (Bellatrix would obviously say HELL YES and she definitely couldn’t sneak one on Voldy). She could still not understand love but she can kind of feel platonic/familial love, again, still not being able to understand it which can cause her to become overwhelmed and set up some sympathetic and angsty scenes for her

Voldy would never do the do, ever: Maybe not, but let’s remember that this is just fanfiction from two guys that JK signed off on. I could see him having a kid on the rarest occasion though. Having children only builds his future empire and if he still hasn’t won the wizarding world by the time they can do decent magic he’s at least got himself a new recruit. Plus we know and he knows that he’s strong, his magic is strong. Bellatrix’s magic is strong. This guy is basically magical H1tler so he is probably down for some experimentation between two very powerful wizards. And having a baby while in the middle of a war isn’t that far off. Literally every person in Harry’s year was born during a year when Voldy was obviously winning. And to have a child during the war as a safe goat isn’t a bad idea for someone like Voldy. Yes he is prideful and thinks that no one can defeat him but it was only a few years after he came back. Harry still defeated him as a baby through powers unknown to him. He may think he’s the best but there had to be at least one seed of doubt in his mind.

“What about the story? It’s trash, and Delphi only makes it worse!” I hear you say. Well here are some improvements I’ve thought of:

1. No time turners. JK specifically destroyed them for plot hole reasons. Cursed Child is a plot hole in itself while using them

2. Have it center around Delphi rebuilding her fathers empire instead of trying to bring him back. If Delphi is anything like her father then she’s smart enough to know that time travel only complicates things

3. Because of the live thing I mentioned before, have Delphi have some feelings. Yes her father couldn’t live and her mother was crazy, go off of that. Have her find out how dysfunctional they both were and have her ask herself “if they were so insane and failed, is it really smart for me to be doing this?” Have her feel something towards Albus and Scorpius, a sisterly feeling towards them. Have them convince her in the end that what she’s doing is wrong and have her completely brake down. Make her a relatable human being that just wants to make her parents proud because that was the only reason for her to be brought to that Earth.

4. Make it a book. Listen, having it as a play is fine but having it as a book first I feel fleshes out that characters more and then when we really know them we could have a play. Most plays are based off of books or movies because they want to see the characters break down in song or have the conversations in front of them but if you want to make the Harry Potter fans happy than please make it a book first. It doesn’t even need to be a series.

5. Let Harry be a loving father. Seriously. How could they mess this up? He was an abused child by his only guardians after his parents died. There’s no way in hell he’s gonna say something bad and then not immediately take it back. It’s ok to make him have mistakes and misunderstandings as a parent, after all they’re probably still suffering tons of trauma after 19 years, but to not have him feel sorry right at that moment is an insult to Harry and what he went through.

6. Keep Draco’s redemption arc. It was actually good. Probably the best thing in the play.

7. Show how the world is crumbling under Delphi’s destruction. Don’t go to alternate realities to show it, cause we know that they haven’t happened yet and can be fixed. It creates more tension because how is this going to be fixed? They’ve probably just finished making everything alright in the wizarding world and now it all goes to shit again. Show the desperation in the characters. Their want to get things right again. Not just some “oh no this is terrible! We have to fix it!” Type of stuff. That’s why a book is the best format, you can show these tiny details.

8. Stop the queer baiting.

9. Show how the older characters are still suffering from their trauma, in different degrees, and how they deal with that while taking care of children. Show them trying not to have ptsd flashbacks or panic attacks in front of their children, show it actually happening.

10. Don’t have Rose be a total asshole. Have her be a bit wary around Scorpius but ultimately trusting him because she trusts her cousins decision. Have have be the new Golden trip but in their own ways. Mesh the original trios ways into their own: Albus has the brave leader (like Harry), Scorpius as the heart but has still got plenty of brain (mesh of Ron and hermione), and have Rose be another strong and brave leader while also being a bit of the heart too. (Which can cause some tension between her and Albus cause they both want to lead). Also mesh some of the other characters too. Scorpius can be like Neville, unsure of himself and how brave he can be but having a moment of confidence where he knows he’s capable. Have Albus be be as open minded and spirited as Luna, let him have moments where people look at him weird for some less than logical ideas but him not caring. Have Rose be as competitive and fiery as her aunt, Ginny, don’t make her be snobbish but let her have a temper that makes people say “wow!” instead of rolling their eyes in annoyance. However these characters are portrayed, let them be similar to the multitude of trios in the second generation, but different enough that they are their own people.

That’s all I have for now. Please tell me any other ideas or critiques, I know there is a lot more. I genuinely think that they could’ve had the character of Delphini and made it work but they just made her a Great Value version of her father who uses unconventional methods of getting him back. I honestly loved the character of Delphini when I first read the script and I still do, she just needs to be fleshed out more and have a better story. Also having her be sick as a part of being birthed from a guy that had barely any soul could be and interesting plot point too. Her being unsure coupled with the fact that it’s hard for her to even live normally could contribute to the fact that she can’t keep on fighting anymore. Anyways, thanks for reading this, I know it’s long. And please tell me your thoughts!

[phoenixstartedthefire]

My thoughts on the cursed child part 2: things I didn't like

I made a post before about my opinions on the cursed child. I recommend you go read that one if you haven't yet before you read this one. My other post was mostly about my positive opinions and thoughts on the addition to the harry potter universe. This one is going to be more focused on my problems with the play. Again, this won't make such sense if you haven't read it.

I cannot stress how much I hate the fact that Harry named his child after Dumbledore and Snape. I know there is something to be said of some fondness he may feel for Dumbledore. He was kind to Harry at times and was someone Harry really looked up to. I can understand why he named his child after Dumbledore. But I don't think it's right. Dumbledore left Harry in an abusive household for his entire childhood, even when McGonagall questioned his judgement, insisted on tiptoeing around the truth and being vague on purpose when all Harry wanted was answers, ignored Harry when he needed him most(ootp), and raised a child to die without him knowing. And even though what Dumbledore put Harry through was terrible, I can understand that Harry might feel a certain fondness for him. But Snape. I cannot even begin to explain how much I hate him. I may make another post about it detailing exactly why but long story short, snape literally abused harry to the point where even less than a year into knowing him, Harry was convinced that his own teacher was trying to kill him. And then, "ur mom got mad at me cus I called her a slur twenty years ago and im still sad" and he's a saint? Fuck Snape.

I didn't like the 'Scorpius might be Voldemort's son' plotline. I don't think it made any sense. And I think it's stupid that everyone just believes this stupid rumor with no evidence at all. Even Harry believed it at one point. If they thought all the time turners were destroyed, how did they think Astoria traveled back in time to get knocked up by Voldemort? Why would Voldemort agree to that? How do they explain Scorpius looking like his father? It's ridiculous and shouldn't have been included. If they wanted to keep the plotline that Scorpius was secluded and ostracized by most of his classmates, they should have just gone with the 'his dad was a death eater' route. It makes a lot more sense than some stupid rumor that in no way could be true.

I didn't like the whole "there's a dark cloud around ur son" plot. Harry has been known to repeatedly discredit divination in the books. So why does he believe the centaur so wholeheartedly without hesitation? I know that he has respect for the centaurs because they saved his life and they are oppressed for being 'half-breeds' which is not right at all. But I still think its out of character for Harry to just believe in some vision the centaur had without any question. And it shouldn't take Draco Malfoy to tell him that after he already made both of their sons lives hell.

Speaking of Harry's character, I don't think it was in character for him to split up Albus and Scorpius like that. He, out of all people, should know how important friends are at Hogwarts. He even says to Albus earlier in the play that friends are important and he didn't know what he would've done without Ron and Hermione. So why would he willingly split his son and his only friend up just because Scorpius might be evil? And honestly, if he ever even made the effort to meet Scorpius, he would know that Scorpius 'excuse me, Mr. Muggle' and 'my geekness is a-quivering' Malfoy is the least likely person ever to be evil. I suppose it isn't too unlike him to hate Scorpius at first just because he's Malfoy's son. But if he can forgive Snape for bullying him for years, he should be able to look past his rivalry with Draco for the sake of his son's safety and happiness. I mean, Harry would be downright murderous if someone tried to split up him and Ron for no good reason at Hogwarts. So why does he think it's okay for him to split up Scorpius and Albus?

Also the way he treated McGonagall was completely out of line and out of character. In the books, he (almost) always treated McGonagall with complete respect and admired her, even if he didn't quite agree with her at times. So for him to storm into her office and demand anything of her is completely out of character and just downright shitty.

Also, and I know this has been said before but the whole Cedric Diggory being a death eater thing? So stupid. Cedric is quite possibly the best person in the series. He is always nice to everyone and always makes sure things are fair. You're telling me that because of getting embarrassed when he was 17 he's gonna turn into a wizard nazi? It doesn't make any sense. I mean. So many people loved him and were absolutely destroyed when he died. Because of how much of a genuinely nice and loving person he was. Amos Diggory, over 20 years later still is trying to find ways to bring his son back. Cedric wanted a rematch in poa after the dementors made harry faint in quidditch! Because it wasn't fair! That boy deserved better.

I hate the Delphi plot. It just kind of invalidates Voldemort's whole character. The whole point of his character and why he was so evil was because he was incapable of love. The only reason he tolerates certain people is because he has a use for them. It's incredibly stupid that Voldemort would ever feel enough for Bellatrix to do...that with her. I know that one doesn't need to love someone to have sex but I don't see Voldemort ever doing that. Not only because i dont want to picture it but also because he would find the whole concept of it too human. He would never trust anyone enough to have a child with them. The only way I could ever see him having a child is maybe to clone himself? Or find some other self dependent way to have a child. And he wouldn't have a child. So that's stupid.

I didn't like the relationship they try to push between Rose and Scorpius. Rose makes it pretty clear from their first meeting that she doesn't like Scorpius and her opinion doesn't seem to change throughout the play. Rose to me just seemed like 'I know that Albus and Scorpius have chemistry throughout the entire play and would make sense to be together but...no homo'. It's one of those 'won't take no for an answer' kind of relationships that are super harmful. If a girl says no, respect it and move on. I thought the little awkward attempts at flirting with her were cute but the overall concept of Rose and Scorpius ending up together doesn't sit right with me. Especially with the amount of chemistry that he has with Albus. It doesn't make sense for him to be with Rose.

Also. I hate that Ron and Hermione don't end up together in the alternate timelines. They obviously still love each other. It wouldn't make sense for Ron to end up marrying Padma after spending one night with her at the yule ball. While the yule ball was a big factor in ron and Hermione figuring out their feelings for each other, it definitely wasn't the only moment that mattered. Just because Hermione and Ron went to the ball together doesn't mean they wouldn't end up married. Wouldn't the house elf situation in DH have still happened in the timeline where Hermione is the teacher? I just don't get it. Is there something I'm missing here?

Hey, wtf was with the whole trolley witch thing? I hated it.

That's most of my problems with the cursed child. I overall enjoyed it but there were a lot of flaws and plot holes and things that just didn't make sense. To me the whole play was just a cash grab for jkr. She wanted to keep profiting on the franchise. She did the same with the fantastic beast series. She didn't do it for her passion for the series. She did it to stay relevant and make money. She sucks. It’s nice for if you want the feels and just need something to read but not if you want to take a serious look at something. Don’t go into it with high expectations.

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to hear my opinions on! I was thinking about making a post about Draco Malfoy and my thoughts on his character since he’s pretty controversial in the fandom. Or maybe some popular\unpopular ships?

[lumoshyperion]

Do you have any thoughts on what type of relationship (if they have any in your mind) between Scorpius and Neville. I always found the possible relationship between these two interesting because they are both a lot alike in many ways but on the other hand Scorpius is the son of someone who bullied Neville at Hogwarts when we seen with Snape how the sins of the father can unfairly be passed down to the son. I somehow don't see Neville ever acting like Snape though.

It's not really something I've considered, mostly because I've been more focused on what sort of relationship he would have with Albus? They have a connection already through Albus's family, and more specifically Ginny since she spent more time with Neville at Hogwarts than Harry did. Albus loves his "Uncle" Neville, who is one of the few people within the Weasley-Potter's extended friends and family who is... understanding and quiet tempered. Albus never feels overwhelmed by Neville, like he does with most other people.

The only time that relationship falters is when Albus finds out that Neville has been sending updates to Harry, and to Albus's fourteen year old mind this feels like a betrayal of trust - when really it's anything but. Neville is the only one at the school sending unbiased thoughts on how Albus is feeling. He doesn't say he's surly or uncooperative. He tells Harry how easily he's taken to herbology, and how he supports other students when they're struggling in class. He tells Harry how bad the bullying really is and he doesn't sugarcoat it or try to lay the blame on Albus for not trying to make new friends.

Neville would be such an important person for Albus, who lacks any other adults in his life he feels he can trust, outside of his mum. He never tries to invalidate Albus or what he's going through - which is something a lot of people do in the play, including Harry. It's easy for Albus to open up to Neville about the bullying, and about Delphi and Craig, because he knows he's never going to tell him how to feel. Neville listens and he cares, and at the end of it all he offers a silly plant anecdote that makes Albus smile.

😂 I'm sorry, I know I've derailed this ask and talked about Albus instead, but I just don't think there would be much of a relationship between Scorpius and Neville - particularly for the reasons you mentioned! Even after he sees how different Scorpius is, he's still a student, and they don't have a prior attachment like he has with Albus. Although Scorpius's mother has an interest in gardening, he didn't inherit her green thumb, so he's a fairly average student and mostly keeps his head down and focuses on the task at hand.

After the events of the play, I think Neville would make a point of checking in on Scorpius just as much as Albus, and Scorpius will start to open up to him a little more. He probably talks about his mum and Neville remembers the brown eyed Slytherin student with the quick wit and unexpected talent for herbology and wonders if he might send her a letter about Scorpius, and how kind and joyful he is, in spite of everything that happened.

I think Neville asks Albus to come in as a teaching assistant, whenever he has time between classes. He doesn’t need one - he can handle the first years just fine. But he sees how much confidence Albus has lost since the events of the play and the time travel incident. And he thinks this could help him get that confidence back? Albus needs to feel... needed and wanted right now. Delphi taking advantage of Albus’s kindness and empathy towards Cedric would have been such a huge blow for him. But looking after the bright eyed first years would give him a sense of purpose and also some of his joy back.

And I think Neville and Astoria would become close friends? And through Astoria’s ferocious love for Scorpius, he’d start to see him more clearly as this... tender hearted and joyous kid, who is just like that brown eyed Slytherin student with the quick wit and unexpected talent for herbology.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I hate Cursed Child so much, but I can't help but feel like it had *some* worth as a story... And as of late I've been repeatedly overcome with the urge to try to write a better story for Delphi... One where she was raised in a far better environment, because I feel like she had potential to be a far more fun and interesting character if she'd just had a better life...

The concept of Delphi is not a terrible one by itself. 

It would be difficult as hell to have it realistically happen, because Voldemort...not only could he not love, but he was planning to be immortal. To go on forever. He would have no need for an heir, and probably wouldn’t want one because he’d see them as competition. The most likely situation is Delphi being an accident, but even then I find myself doubting that Voldemort would have any interest in sex. Sure, Bellatrix would give herself to him in a heartbeat, but I feel like he’d have more important things to do. Then again...he apparently told Barty Crouch Jr all about his father. He crossed that personal line. It could be that Voldemort was aware that Barty was projecting onto him as a father figure, and fed that instinct to seal Barty’s undying loyalty. And he might have done the same thing with Bellatrix. Okay, Delphi’s existence can be justified.

The main thing about her that I didn’t like was that she was just a one-dimensional wannabe Death Eater. She was heartlessly evil, and while it was cool to see another secret villain, I could have lived without her flirting with a fourteen year old boy. I said before that Voldemort wouldn’t want an heir, and Delphi is deluding herself if she thinks that the “Augurey” would be a thing. Even if she genuinely had no intention of taking the spotlight, Voldemort wouldn’t trust that and he wouldn’t care. He would kill her. Seriously, they could have done something so interesting with Delphi, tied it in with the themes of Scorpius and Albus trying to deal with their family’s legacies. But instead they just made her evil because she was Voldemort’s daughter. That’s morally ignorant, and it’s fucking boring. 

I’ve been playing with this idea too, if it wasn’t obvious. A fix-it fic for Cursed Child, because you’re right, the story did have some worth. Scorpius’ character in particular, and his bond with Albus. I thought Albus was a decent character too. There were a handful of really good scenes in there. The bedroom scene with the old blanket, despite being a Chekhov's Gun for something really stupid...it got emotional. Hell, I don’t even mind the “Sometimes I wish you weren’t my son.” Line. Everybody hates that line with a passion...I don’t. This is Harry James Potter we’re talking about. He nearly killed Draco with an untested combat spell. He is nothing if not impulsive. I can believe he’d say that to Albus. I don’t believe he would mean it, but he would totally say it. Seriously, the way he treated McGonagall bothered me way more. 

I think I know how to fix Delphi.

Concept: It’s the first war. Yes, the first war. Voldemort is gathering more and more followers. Saying what he needs to say, to secure their loyalty. Discovering what buttons he needs to press, and they pressing them. Preying on Snape’s loneliness. On Barty Crouch’s daddy issues. And he realizes that the quickest way to keep Bellatrix starry-eyed is to let her believe he “loves” her. So he sleeps with her. Ding dong, there’s a baby at the door. This baby is not Delphi. But Bellatrix lets everyone believe it’s her husband’s child. But before she can tell Voldemort the truth, he meets his downfall at Godric’s Hollow. Not long after, the Lestranges are arrested, and little baby Jane Doe becomes a Ward of the Ministry, eventually adopted out to...the Diggorys. She grows up calling Cedric “cousin.” At some point, she discovers the truth about her heritage, and eventually has a daughter of her own. She names her daughter Delphi, and Delphi is born in the same year as Albus, Rose, and Scorpius. 

So let’s look at what’s changed - Delphi is now Voldemort’s grandchild. Admit it, that one little thing makes it sound so much less ridiculous than “Voldemort’s daughter.”  which sounds like it’s straight out of a bad fanfic. Delphi is now in Albus’ year. This allows her to parallel better with him and Scorpius. I still prefer Scorbus, but there’s something to be said for a romance between Harry’s child, and Voldemort’s grandchild. That’s an interesting take, and now it can happen without being god damn pedophilia. (Seriously I know Delphi was just manipulating him but it was still predatory behavior, what the hell.) Instead of being insane and thinking it’s her destiny to bring Voldemort back, she can wrestle with her identity and if she believes there was any merit to what Voldemort wanted. At no point is the idea of him actually returning ever discussed, because his role in this story is over, god damn it. She wouldn’t be the villain, neither would her mother - let’s call her Aquilla because it sounds cool. But Aquilla and Delphi could reconnect the same way Harry and Draco reconnect with their sons. Delphi, Albus, and Scorpius could literally be a silver trio. As for who is the villain? I dunno, it’s not especially important. Could be Theodore Nott I guess? As long as it isn’t someone resurrected though bloody time travel. 

[slytherinnhisshiss]

Book editorial : Harry Potter edition

First of all, THANK THE LORDS THAT THE GOLDEN TRIO WASN’T A LOVE TRIANGLE. I can’t stand those. I really loved how JKR created a whole new universe with a whole new set of social issues. I love how you can debate for hours about the positions of slitherins like Draco or Snape. I also loved how I felt like I could just escape in this magical world. I felt like I knew Hogwarts like the back of my hand and I could just ask to transfiguration class right away. The only thing that I found it lacked was the mental health problems of the 17 YEAR OLDS who FOUGHT IN A WAR. Honestly, was no one affected by PSTD, depression or anxiety? I just found out too happily ever after. I am a massive fan and love the books and movies. I just needed to rant.

BONUS TCC:

I really loved how the slytherin house ed portrayed. I found Draco and Astoria's story beautiful. I loved Scorpius. The rest was horrible. Harry Potter would never neglect his child just because he doesn't act like him. Why the hell would Albus and Scorpius take that time turner? They are slytherins : they would never automatically trust Delphi. It was very uncannon and the story wasn't that great. I liked the characters tho.

[ironkoalastrawberry]

Have you noticed that Delphi could have had a Plan B? She had built her own army and people and didn't trust the Death Eaters and her father's former people at all because she might have known about people like her cousin and aunt and maybe she had noticed their betrayal, so she didn't use the previous dark mark so that the Ministry couldn't follow up on a new trace and that was why Draco didn't want to care about Harry's scar because Delphi hadn't informed the Death Eaters. And maybe another reason why she wanted to make Scorpius suffer and force Albus to do something and, for example, didn't choose Albus's sibling was that she wanted to take revenge on the Malfoys for their betrayal, just as his mother wanted to clear the Black family tree of traitors and killed Tonks and Lupin on his father's orders. And maybe the tattoo on Delphi's back isn't a tattoo, it's a new dark mark.Maybe the story continues? I don't know

[shrimpalbuspotter]

ahhhhhh I simply MUST ask! Whats scorbus like in the dark au? I like to think scorpius is still kind at heart in that world, but how would he and albus even meet?

Also, aren't delphi and scorpius cousins?

OK using this as an excuse to make a Scorbus cc dark world au post... this got longer than I expected but I really had to tell you all EVERYTHING about them. (From until they are 15 atleast.

So let's tackle 2 questions at once. Aren't Delphi and Scorpius cousins and How did Scorpius and Albus meet, as they link together

So originally I was going to make it so Scorpius and Albus met whilst Scorpius was in his first year of Hogwarts, and Albus was sent by Delphi to give a message to Headmaster Umbridge. But then I thought... why wouldn't they meet beforehand? The Malfoys are incredibly close to the Dark Lord, and now their family's are interlinked! (Just processed that Voldemort is Scorpius Uncle. Holy fuck)

So I changed it up a bit...

For quick context, during the first few months of Albus being taken by Delphi, he was very stubborn on not doing what she wanted, but eventually he gave up and began to become much more pliant out of fear. At this point. He was never allowed to be alone in the Manor or leave the Manor without Delphi being there with him. In this au, we will conclude that although Lucius is extremely unhappy with the marriage of Draco and Astoria, he will not kick them out of the family as Scorpius could still be an amazing Wizard and useful asset to the Dark Lord when he grows older.

SO! Then comes the day where Delphi goes to the Malfoy Manor with her mother to visit her Aunt Narcissa. Albus comes in tow. Delphi is extremely excited to show off her new pet to her relatives and hopefully get dowsed in praise of being so good at training the little thing. With an added Bonus of rubbing it in her little cousins face, who she likes to tease for being soft. Now she has her own halfblood pet, and he doesn't! (What a spoiled and terrifying 15 year old girl)

We cut to the introduction. Delphi is hyping Albus up to high heavens and Lucius Is just gently asking her to PLEASE keep the mangy thing off his furniture. Her protests would be silenced by Bellatrix, and she'd storm off to finally find her cousin so she could have some fun.

Scorpius, 8 years of age (he turned 8 just last month, Albus still has until August), would be in his room, ofcourse, tearing up some book pages and crumpling them into balls so he can play a game of "No broom quidditch". In the universe, Scorpius is indeed vindictive and cruel and would find pleasure in watching others suffer... But he has something in there. Much like Draco, who was a terrible boy, but still clearly had doubts on joining the darkside, a reluctance to kill anyone, and slithers of empathy. This was thanks to his mother, who would always treat him so much sweetly than anyone else would. She was soft and kind and encouraging, but she wasn't able to turn him away from the real world for long. Draco shaped Scorpius into the villainous Bully he is in Hogwarts, because he knew it was the only way he could survive. He didn't want Astoria turning him soft, he knew what would happen then. Despite this, Scorpius was hardly physically punished unless by Lucius. ANYWHO. Delphi bursts into his room and shakes Albus about infront of him, laughing to herself and talking about how she's so much better than Scorpius now, because SHE has a pet and HE doesn't! Scorpius does feel some jealousy but mostly he doesn't care, and just tells Delphi to not let him touch his things, else to leave any halfblood grime on it.

Albus thought the boy was rude, but he'd experienced worse and was just glad they didn't start taking turns hexing him. His eyes lingered on the boys platinum hair, which is messy infront of his eyes, before getting quickly pulled out the roon by a still angry Delphi.

After this they only meet a handful of times, as Albus gets trusted to be kept locked in a room by himself when he finally turns 8 in August. Never speaking besides a small nod from Albus and a scowl from Scorpius. When Albus begins his training at 9, they don't see eachother again until they are both 11 and the first part I mentioned happens.

Scorpius thinks the halfblood looks fairly different now. His hair is still slightly greasy, lanky where it looks like there should be volume, coils loose where they look like they should be tight. His face is just barely visibly sallow, which is still too sallow for his age, but his skin looks clean enough and he doesn't carry a unwashed stench like the rest of the servants he's seen while in the Dark Lords Manor. But the part he notices most is the fact the vibrant green eyes from before, the only thing he truly took notice of when they met at age 7, are now a deeper, murkier colour, and seem to be sunken from lack of sleep or stress. (Okay Scorpius kinda weird you remember that much about the guy you claim to not care about.)

For Albus? Well... Scorpius looked more or less the same. He still had that platinum blonde hair and fair skin, a single mole blemishing it underneath his eye. He tried not to look alot as he passed the hall, as he was sure he felt the familiar sensation of someone staring at him, and didn't want to possibly make eyecontact with the boy. But... Well Albus was a little curious about him, and decided he'd try talk to him at some point.

Even so, they never actually talked, Scorpius just looked at Albus alot more whenever he could, and Albus did the same. He was alot better at hiding it ofcourse, Scorpius seemed to have no care for the people around him and just did what he wanted, but Albus knew he could get in trouble if he looked too hard at a Malfoy.

Delphi... Well she took notice. See, she was 19 now, and took pride in being the so called "Augurey". Her little Munin though... he had been off. Asking her questions about her cousin and if the Malfoys were coming over to visit anytime soon. Delphi, never one to get in the path of love (wow, she's so romantic), decided she'd give her pet a new gift! A playdate in the summer with Scorpius!

It went.. uphill??? From there??? See, Lucius was really not a fan of leaving his grandchild alone with Harry Potters child, but Draco seemed to have limited qualms, and Astoria was rather supportive. Bellatrix and Voldemort... Well they didn't care what their daughter did with her pet, as long as she cleaned up whatever mess he made afterwards. The actual playdate seemed to be a hit, as a few days afterwards she caught Munin reading a letter from her cousin. Delphi was such a good pet owner!

In reality, Scorpius had spent the whole time talking about Hogwarts and making off handed remarks about Albus' blood and his father, before going on a long rant about the Mudblood one of his older friends allowed him to take a swing at ("I broke its jaw see, a Muggle way of fighting, but Nott made the winning blow by stomping on its head! There was blood all over my robes, and all my friend were jealous."). Albus, well he didn't mind. He was used to being around purebloods talking about him that way, and was even more used to seeing the murder of mudbloods up close. When Scorpius took a breath midway through another speech, Albus decided to throw that fact in, and Scorpius was INTERESTED. He kept asking Albus for details and then going off on a ramble about how HE would've done it if he was there. In the end, Scorpius finally let Albus touch him for a small handshake, and he swore he'd owl Albus at some point with more questions and story's.

As time progressed, they got closer! Albus would find himself taking a few hours longer on messages through Hogwarts to visit Scorpius. Sometimes he'd just leave the Manor without an excuse to go see him. In Summers, he was sneaking into Malfoy Manor or they'd both meet up at Hogsmeade. Their topics of conversation went from being purely about blood status and murder, to being Albus helping Scorpius study so he doesn't have to keep asking for people to do his homework, and them talking about the funny things they see Delphi do, or spilling secrets ("I've never actually killed somebody before" Scorpius would mutter, as if embarrassed. "It's okay. It isn't really all that fun" Albus would reply). There was even a time where Narcissa REQUESTED Albus' presence in Malfoy Manor to try calm down their grandchild, who was having a panic attack upon receiving the news of his Mother's death. He never actually confirmed it, but he's pretty sure Draco might have whispered a "Thank you." whilst he was passing the dining room Albus and Scorpius were gorging all sorts of deserts in.

So yes! Thats the answer to that... um. A bit long. My apologies. But onto the MAIN part where I just jabber about their feelings.

Scorpius doesn't actually understand that he has a crush on Albus. He knows he feels differently around him from other people, and especially different from when he's around other halfbloods, but he figures it's just him being grateful of the fact he has a real friend. And so what if most people don't get unbearably jealous upon seeing their bestfriend blushing around their unbearable cousin? Scorpius is a Malfoy, they don't have to explain themselves! But even then... He just can't stand it. Sometimes he thinks maybe he wants to hurt Albus, as he's used to getting butterflies in his stomach when he is out hunting Mudblood with his schoolmates. But these butterflies seem different. Like they are all on fire and that's why he finds himself turning an embarrassing red when Albus bumps his shoulder whilst laughing or rubs his arm in encouragement. And hey, don't say you wouldn't also feel some way about the guy who comforted you when your dear mother died, and taught you that useful trick for breathing. But Albus is just a pet, Scorpius knows that, and he knows that he can't let anyone besides his own family see him around the halfblood. It's shameful and he knew if well... there was a universe where he DID harbour feelings for Albus (which he doesn't, thie ie hypothetical he swears), he would never be able to pursue it. He'd be a blood traitor, doing more than meerily fraternising with Potters son, he'd end the Malfoy line, get kicked out from his family home. It simply wouldn't be worth it.

Albus on the other hand knows he has a crush on Scorpius, but is unwilling to do anything about it. He is solely dedicated to Delphi, and holds silent resentment for Scorpius despite his feelings. Scorpius, although grown calmer and shown Albus how vulnerable he can be, is still a bad person. And he has grown from the 11 year old boy who told him he was scared of killing anybody. Albus had saw Scorpius in his cruelest state firsthand, saw him laughing as he dodges the squirt of blood that came from whatever wixen that had been rumored to be a muggleborn sympathiser. But still, he's in love, and he curses himself for always falling for people he knows he really can't have. Delphi... Well she was his master. He knew she only viewed him as a pet to spoil and do her bidding. Scorpius is different that way. Maybe Albus is just imagining things but there a way Scorpius looks at him which is different than how he looks at others. It's like he actually sees him, and you can't blame him if that makes Albus' heart flutter. Albus, much like Scorpius, knows a real relationship between the two wouldn't be possible. Delphi wouldn't allow it, Voldemort wouldn't allow it, god knows the Malfoys wouldn't allow it. But still. Its... Well, Albus doesn't think he'll lose feelings anytime soon, even if he trys .

OK YEAH THATS IT. THEY DOOO END UP TOGETHER BUT JUST WHEN THEY ARE OLDER, LIKE 18. They elope. Scorpius pulls an Andromeda and they both run away with the help of the remaining order and they elope. Um... speaking of, the remaining order don't actually enjoy this whole marriage thing but they are just happy Albus is out of The Augureys grip (after a whole lotta shit happens inbetween). I'll make another post about when they actually confess at age 16 and the actual main stuff that happens from when they are 15-18.

[consistentsquash]

23 dirty/hot/bad/wrong Slash Fics from 23 Years with 23 Pairings! (2001-2023)

This year is pretty rough for me but really excited to make a list I have been planning to make for like years now. Good old fashioned dirty/bad/hot/wrong with a twist. Some of the most complicated fics out there which use sex for exposition and do it really, really brilliantly.

AO3 Collection for the list

Rec notes

No blurbs this time because these fics are really dirty/hot/bad/wrong Experiences. You need to read them to get them. Trust me. They are way beyond my blurb writing skills. Also for the older fics it was hard to find exact dates so I just did my best.

These fics are 100% on AO3! Yay!

No repeat pairings, no repeat authors.

Rec lists are subjective based on my reading. YMMV. If a fic is not your thing, just be a good fandom citizen. Don't Like Don't Read.

  2001: Descent by Delphi. Snape/Albus.

2002: Sans Merci by Predatrix. Snape/Lucius.

2003: Nemesis by Juxian Tang. Lucius/Sirius

2004:Cut With Diamonds by pauraque. Ron/Peter

2005: Learning from Orpheus by Amanuensis. Harry/Marauders

2006: In the Lady's Name by rinsbane. Narcissa/Bellatrix

2007: Trappings of Privilege by orphan_account. Snape/Draco

2008 : Better the Instruction by Celandine. Teddy/Remus, Remus/Stubby

2009 : Alive by MaxWrite. Barty Jr./Percy

2010 : Bitter on the Tongue by Woldy. Remus/Snape

2011 : The Placebo Sequence by Snegurochka. Harry/Draco

2012 : King of Beasts by @kellychambliss. Kingsley/Moody

2013 : Comme un Rêve de Pierre by @squibstress. Bill/Stan Shunpike

2014 : Catullus 16 by eldritcher. Harry/Voldemort

2015 : Nowhere to Fall by @gracerene. Albus Severus/James Sirius

2016 : Fallen Angel by PurpleFluffyCat. Gilderoy/Snape

2017 : Hidden, Safe and Sound by @unmistakablyoatmeal. Harry/Sirius

2018 : Soft Touch by @perverse-idyll. Harry/Snape

2019 : Until My Bones Are Tired by @writcraft. Poppy/Molly

2020 : As Soft As Fur by monkiainen. Sirius/Snape, Sirius/Lucius

2021 : Teardrop in Your Palm by @danpuff-ao3. Scorpius/Harry

2022 : Till Tomorrow and Till Death by @thistlecatfics. Regulus/Remus

2023 : Unbreakable Vows by sky_watcher_rose. Narcissa/Druella

[vias-words]

Can we get directors commentary on forty years?

Ooh, I’m excited to talk about this one! It’s definitely one of my favorite fics I’ve written. I was up way past the time I normally go to sleep to write this because once I got on a roll with it, I didn’t want to stop! I have SO much to talk about so buckle up and let’s get started :)

Spoiler warning! I will be putting the commentary below the cut since it will give away the whole plot. But here is the link if anyone wants to read along!

Forty Years by Vias_words on AO3

The idea came to me when I was thinking about the quote  "Still, if I had to choose a companion to be at the return of eternal darkness with, I'd choose you." I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of act 4 compared to the other acts. I think it’s got a little too much plot convenience in it which always irked me a bit as a writer. I totally understand why it’s done this way because it’s made for the stage and works on the stage (Forty Years definitely would not) but on paper I wasn’t thrilled. But, it does have some lovely quotes. So I started wondering about alternatives to act 4, specifically focusing on the Scorpius line about being companions and Albus’ line right before it:  "As pleasurable as it will be to hide in a hole with you for the next forty years...” 

What if Albus and Scorpius couldn’t find a way to send a message to Harry and Ginny? What if they were well and truly stuck in the past?

I could have taken this in the dark route that was intended by “the return of eternal darkness” but that would require the whole wizarding history to be changed and that was a little too ambitious. Plus, I really wanted to focus on the relationship between Albus and Scorpius over the years, specifically as “companions” both trapped in this weird world where the only other person they can really trust to understand their situation is each other. So I decided to go on a more domestic route with a mix of fluff and angst, which still required Delphi to be defeated.

I didn’t want Albus and Scorpius to kill her: they’re far too young and innocent to have to go through that. Not to mention, they don’t have their wands. So I needed a magicless alternative way for them to defeat her. Bathilda was specifically mentioned in the play and I thought that was a perfect opportunity for them to go to her to seek help. I also loved the idea of this little old lady straight-up murking Delphi for these two strange boys from the future. I think it would be hard to convince her at first because she’s a very smart witch and this sounds entirely crazy but I think seeing Albus and making the connection to James and Lily (she lived right next door and went to Harry’s first birthday party!) could convince her. Plus it was a nice call back to everyone comparing Harry to his parents. And Albus is able to accept the fact that he looks so much like his father and be able to use it for good for once, rather than hating the attention it brought him. We love a bit of sneaky character development!

After the threat of Delphi is gone, it really hits the boys that they are trapped in time. As far as they know, there is no other time tuner and there’s no way for their parents to know where they are. There would definitely be a long period of mourning before they could adjust which is why I thought that living with Bathilda would be the best option. No one else can know about their situation and I think she’d be very caring to the boys as if they were her own grandsons. But she’d eventually want them to go back to Hogwarts for a bit of a normal childhood and so they could learn more magic. I liked the idea of their new lives at Hogwarts feeling flipped from how it was back in their timeline. No one knows who they are so they aren’t bullied and are able to make more friends. It’s a small but impactful benefit in their new lives but still takes a toll on them because they can’t truly be themselves--they are Syrus and Alaric and have to stick to some weird made-up backstory.

From what they know about time travel as laid out by the place (not so much the rules in POA), one little misstep, like talking to Hermione at the first task or embarrassing Cedric, can make a huge impact on the future. They don’t want that to happen again. If they make too much of an impact on someone else’s life or in the world, they risk changing history for even which, at worst, could lead to their parent's lives being affected or to Albus or Scorpius not being born at all. Their goal is just to make it through life to get back to their parents in 2020 so they can explain what happened. They aren’t really able to see themselves having a normal life or future as much as they might want it.

That doesn’t stop them from trying, of course. Scorpius definitely wants to when he starts dating Elaine. Albus disapproves of this from the start. He justifies his feelings by saying it’s just because of the timeline but it’s actually rooted his feelings for Scorpius. He’d jealous that someone else--who, by all means technically shouldn’t know they exist--is getting the attention that he wants. 

The relationship and the general stress on the boys would definitely cause them to lash out at each other eventually. We see this at the train station. But even when they fight, they always come back around because, in the end, they are bound by their experiences. They are the only people they can be themselves around and are closer than anyone else. Their secrecy eventually leads to Elaine breaking up with Scorpius. He can’t open up to her, or introduce her to his family, and is obviously hiding something. I think Scorpius knew their breakup was inevitable, but it was nice to pretend to have a normal life for once and Elaine was that escape he needed. 

Albus is the opposite in a way, he seeks comfort from what he knows about his old life--thinking about reuniting with his family, looking back on his Hogwarts experience in his own timeline, and, of course, leaning of Scorpius for support. On the other hand, Scorpius tries to fit in more in his new life by making friends and being with Elaine--thinking of his own timeline I think upsets him more because he’s reminded that his father is all alone. But with their two viewpoints, they balance each other out. It switches sometimes, which is only natural, but there is always one of them acting as the voice of reason which is so desperately needed.

That being said, their future is still so unclear to them that it’s hard to judge just what is reasonable and what is the correct way to go about things--this has never really happened before and it’s not like they can get advice from anything. One line that sticks out to me from chapter 8 is Albus saying, "I don't know what's best anymore. No one does." Being confused and having their pent up mixed feelings about the world is such a huge thing in their lives. So when Scorpius kisses Albus, he immediately thinks it’s a mistake. We find out later why--he’s afraid that Albus will break up with him and he’ll be alone for real. But in the moment, he’s confused--is this the best choice or has he just messed everything up? He can’t lose Albus in the way he lost Elaine. Not to mention the different views in the 80′s (I considered mentioning the AIDs crisis but that seemed a bit too heavy and I wasn’t confident that I could do it justice, but it is an important thing to remember about this time).

As always Albus and Scorpius, can’t stay mad for long and still go on to live together after Hogwarts. I purposely put in a time gap, in between which Albus would likely hold some resentment towards that night when he got so close to having Scorpius share his feelings. But he can’t lose his best friend so they stay together with the lingering awkwardness between them. During that time, going to the muggle world seemed like the best option as they would be much less likely to affect anything in their parent's lives as they would be in the wizarding world. I wanted to give them jobs that they’d like but would also not make a huge impact on time. In the story, they don’t know about the other time turner but I wanted to make sure that once their parents are able to go back and rescue them, very few lives would be majorly impacted after the loss of “Syrus” and “Alaric” (ex. if Scorpius became a healer and helped cure people, if he was erased from the timeline, those people might end up never being helped). Librarian works for geeky Scorpius and bartender works for my headcanon of Albus being good at potions. During this time we get a peek at domestic Scorbus, their pining, and Albus’ jealousy when Scorpius gets attention from women. Although Scorpius wouldn’t date anyone because of the timeline (and his crush on Albus), the fact that he has the potential to date makes Albus upset because he doesn’t think he has the same chances. He blames it on the time they live in but really, I’m sure he could find a man, but he’s too stuck on his feelings for Scorpius to ever try.

For 1994, I opened with Albus describing himself as looking too much like his father. I think that would be something he struggles with because it reminds him of home and how long it’s been since he’s actually seen his father--but yet he still sees him every time he passes a mirror. (This drawing of adult Albus by Marisdrawings was stuck my head writing this)I took more time to describe how Albus looks/dresses here because I like to think the 90s would be his favorite decade in terms of style. I also wanted to show how he’s changed from an angsty insecure wizard to being much more confident in himself as an adult living as a muggle. But he’s still got that edge to him which I think never truly fades. And Scorpius loves that. I believe that he sees Albus as having more confidence that him--feeling more comfortable with his life and sexuality than Scorpius does. And that’s very attractive to him because it’s what he wants most in life--confidence and stability. It’s what they’ve both need and find in each other. But when Scorpius kisses him again he is reminded of all his insecurities and fears, especially when Albus gets angry again. Albus doesn’t want a repeat of last time and Scorpius thinks that, by acting on his feelings, Albus will eventually leave him. I just loved this chapter so much because this is where the floodgates finally break open and everything that’s been pent up finally spills out. They do love each other and always have and finally, they can accept it and come together.

I knew I wanted to write a chapter in 1998 because that’s a huge year in wizarding history, especially for their parents. That whole decade, they’ve been keeping up with the news, knowing their parents are out there living the lives they grew up hearing about. It would be a struggle, especially for Albus, to stay disconnected from that. He wishes he could witness more of his father’s life to understand him better or to give him some help--or just to see his family again. It’s tempting but they still have 20 years to go until they can see them again. There’s no alternative to the path they chose to take now--it’s just a waiting game. 

But, as much as Albus might wish he could be back in his own timeline, there’s so much he’s thankful for in his new life. He’s with Scorpius, living a life on his own, and he could never regret that. But he also sees the mistakes he made as a child and realizes he can’t just call up his father an apologize for their arguments and tell him he always loved him--he’s matured a lot since his father last saw him. There’s both good and bad in their lives and he just has to accept that and find happiness in what he has.

Fast forward to 2007. Scorpius is a plant dad, a dog dad, and now wants to be a real dad. He’s so caring and just wants to care for something else, especially as an adult seeing other people his age with kids. He wants that for him and Albus too--to have that bit of normalcy in their relationship and to give a child the love he’d lost after he got stuck in time. There is a possibility that they could have adopted a kid since, in their minds, they would never get their old lives back (and a muggle child wouldn’t affect his father’s life much if at all), buuuut as the writer, I knew what the ending would be. I couldn’t have a child lose their fathers when the timeline was repaired. If they had a kid, they never would have decided to be rescued back in 1981. The life of their child would matter more than fixing their own.

Going off of that, I remember someone commented about them considering having children before marriage which brings us to the proposal in 2014. As out of order as it may have seemed, gay marriage wasn’t legal until 2014 and the time they would most likely have kids would be between their 30s and 40s. By 2014, they are almost 50 and have basically already been husbands for years now--just not legally. If anything, the proposal is more of a gesture, since their relationship has already been as close as a married couple--their soulmates, together for life whether the government recognizes that or not. But I loved the idea of them going back to Godric’s Hollow since it’s their childhood home. A lot of bad happened there but a lot of good did too. It was the start of their story and this is their way of associating one of their happiest memories in a place that also contained their worst. Reclaiming it in a way, I guess.

And the lights in this scene--from the streetlamps to the colorful glow of the stained glass--also have meaning. Albus calls Scorpius his light, referencing back to the “eternal darkness” and, one of my favorite lines “light in the darkness.” It really emphasizes how they found the good, especially in each other, in the darkness of their lives. 

Finally, 2020...there’s a lot to unpack here but this is already such a long post that I will try to keep it short. This day would be so surreal to them--they’ve waited so long and pictured the day they could finally reunite with their families. But they also know that their understanding of the events would be completely different than their parents, who have only been missing their children for a few hours not years. In fact, Albus and Scorpius are more mature than their parents which is weird to think about--they are older and have lived a whole crazy life that their parents would never be able to fully understand. And their parents almost don’t even recognize them (I mean, if your 14-year-old son showed up on your doorstep suddenly 40 years older, would you?!). But, calling back to the first chapter, it’s Albus’ eyes that causes Ginny to be the first to accept their story. 

I like that they are able to joke about the situation a bit because it shows how they’ve accepted what became of their life. Sure, it’s a real shock to their parents but Albus and Scorpius have spent more time as Alaric and Syrus than they ever did as themselves in their own timeline. This became their new normal, despite all the years they wanted to reject the truth of the matter. 

Albus and Scorpius would have told them about their whole lives if there hadn’t been the second time turner. But it became more special, something to keep between them, once it was accepted that they would be rescued. They’d accepted their lives, yes, but they knew it wasn’t the life they were meant to live. They were happy with it enough to give it up--give them the chance to live again with their families, with a better chance of happiness and less hardship. And for their parents--who would miss out on the entire lives of their children if they hadn’t gone back. 

Harry, Ginny, and Draco would always remember the visit from the old Scorpius and Albus, so it was better that they didn’t know the whole of what took place in those 40 years--once they were rescued, that whole timeline would be extinct anyway. They wanted their families to have very little knowledge of what happened to them because it would leave them with little expectations of the boys--free to experience life alongside them with no preconceived notions or understandings of what might become of them. To see how time would play out on its own, with no influence from alternate versions of themselves. 

They are satisfied with what they have and accepted that this is where their current lives would effectively end, but they are willing to give that up for the prospect of an even better future. Deep down, I’m sure that they know they will be together no matter the timeline. Which is why only Ginny is told that (or, rather figures out that) they are married--Albus and Scorpius want to be able to get together and come out on their own without their parents already expecting them to be together and out of all the parents--that’s such a big and important moment for them that they want their younger selves to experience naturally. I think Ginny would be the best at keeping that secret. 

The scene when they are finally left alone, facing their pending fate was one I had in my head from the very start--what I’d originally written down when I came up with the idea. As I said, it’s bittersweet. But they are together, and that’s all that matters to them because they know that together they can face any challenge. In a way, it’s not Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy who are “dying”--it’s Alaric and Syrus Bagshot (and yes, Albus definitely took the name Bagshot when they got married to honor Bathilda.) So when they fade out of existence, they are satisfied with what they have and are looking forward to what their next life will bring--their real life. This is the eternal darkness they knew they’d have to face, it’s just forty years later than they expected. But this time, they are ready for it because the darkness isn’t all that bad.

Do I want to cry rereading this? Maybe...But I love it just the same.

And I almost left it there and made it an open ending. But I’m not that evil and thought there should be some closure, so I brought it full circle back to 1981. Albus is lamenting about the situation just long enough to feel an extreme amount of joy and relief when his parents show up. It will still be a lesson and experience they will never forget, but it’s far less traumatizing than what they went through in the other timeline. And I don’t think anyone will tell them about what happened until they are much older--perhaps Ginny will mention it shortly after their wedding day once everything comes together as they should.

---

WOW that was a whole ass essay, I’m sorry to just unload that on you when you probably only wanted something half this size!! I just really feel passionate about this story and could go on about it forever so I apologize for this rambling mess. I feel like an English teacher, picking out all the meaning and symbolism I didn’t even realize I’d written but there’s just so much that can be said. Anywayyysss hopefully I didn’t bore you to sleep, I just love my boys sm...

That concludes my TED talk. Thank you for this ask ❤

[ohscorbus]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Wednesday 22nd May, 2019 [Pt. 1]

First impressions are important and if this cast means to go on as they’ve started then we’re all in for a treat! There’s honestly so much to write about and changes we need to discuss but I’m on a time limit so... let’s do this!

ACT ONE, SCENE FOUR: TRANSITION SCENE

I knew the rose was coming over from Broadway so I wasn’t surprised when Scorpius pulled it out and tried to give it to Rose on the train. I love how pleased Scorpius is with himself. A rose for Rose! Plus I know how much Jonathan really wanted it last year so I’m glad to see he’s finally succeeded. 

The instant change between the concentration on Albus’s face as he stared down the crumpled letter in his hand to the look of pure shock and overwhelming happiness as he successfully vanished it melted me. I love that he was genuinely pleased with himself, that he was excited to have gotten it right. It also highlighted the difference between him and Joe’s Albus. Joe’s Albus was quite obviously depressed. He struggled and he expected himself to. He barely trusted himself, let alone these pockets of happiness. That line, “in every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again”, sums him up perfectly to me. Whereas Dominic has no problem finding and embracing joy in his life. He has struggles, but he’s too headstrong to deny himself.

So we have a new wand dance! There are elements of the last one in it so it’s not entirely new, but this one is without a doubt visually more pleasing. More fire, more dancing. It definitely looks more ‘magically’ and impressive. Although the line at the end after Albus’s wand fails to produce fire and instead shoots out a red/pink powder really doesn’t work for me. I know the ensemble do add lines here so I’m not sure if that’s from them or whether it’s an actual officially added line, but “even his wand wants to be in Gryffindor” just didn’t seem right. I get that it’s referring to the fact that everyone expected him to be a Gryffindor and that it’s implying even his wand thinks he’s wrong, but Albus has literally just stated very plainly that he belongs in Slytherin. Or maybe that’s the point? But like I said, I don’t know if that line is here to stay so I’ll look back at it next time.

ACT ONE, SCENE SEVEN: THE BLANKET SCENE

My favourite sibling interaction was with Lily. When she came in asking about her potions book, Albus instantly threw his hands up in surrender. He is innocent of this particular crime apparently. I love it though because it implies the Potter siblings are like every other family. Teasing and constantly ‘borrowing’ each other’s things.

If I hadn’t already been completely won over by Dominic already, he would have done it in this scene. Jamie’s Harry is quick to shout and this Albus isn’t afraid to give it right back. The two of them work brilliantly together in that sense. It felt like an argument, not an attack or retaliation. 

I also love the fact that Albus fully opens the blanket and holds it up between him and Harry so it acts like a barrier. Which is exactly what it is in a way. Harry’s history keeps getting in the way their relationship and by holding it between them like that it’s almost like he’s telling him so. Plus it’s interesting because Albus’s message is technically already written on the blanket at this point. It’s still invisible but we know it’s there. Watching him look at this clean blanket and not know yet that his future has already been literally written out and intertwined with Harry’s past was great.

Dominic’s Albus also does this thing a lot where he holds his hands out with his arms open wide in a ‘see?!’ kind of gesture. (If that makes sense? I’m terrible at descriptions.) It’s low key dramatic and I love it because I do it all the time haha. It’s like pointing out your injustice in a point proven to the universe kind of way. One of my favourite times he did that was when the love potion spilled on the blanket. He just stopped and looked at it and then held his arms out and looked pointedly at his dad and didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to, his action said it all. Of course this happened to him.

Also! New hoodie! It’s still the same Slytherin shade of green, but this one doesn’t have the white strings or zip. They’re both green now. I shall be shopping...

ACT ONE, SCENE THIRTEEN: ST. OSWALD’S

You know how the script says St. Oswald’s is chaos? Well now it actually is. They went full Broadway on us. I’m indifferent to it? On one hand I love how wild it is. I didn’t know where to look. It was utter madness everywhere which is cool, and totally what I’d expect from a wizarding retirement home. My only issue with it is the guy who works there. So before it’s him who the older wizards and witches gang up on. Now it’s him who torments the residents. Visually it’s fun and exciting, but there’s an underlining abuse of power and the vulnerable vibe there that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I mean, they give as good as they can get and ‘win’ in the end but still... This happens enough in real life for this to make me feel a little uneasy. But on a lighter note, the biscuit palace is epic and I demand they start selling them at the bar.

ACT TWO, SCENE ONE: HARRY’S PRIVET DRIVE NIGHTMARE

There was some really small changes to this scene but I love them. Firstly, there was an extra Voldemort hand so at one point during his nightmare, little Harry’s head was surrounded by these skeletal hands and visually it was so fantastic. Harry appears trapped and it’s all focused on his head. Which is exactly where he always was and still is.

Also! A weird observation, but they have finally added an actual wet patch to his PJ bottoms so it looks like he’s literally wet himself. I’m surprised it took them so long.

ACT TWO, SCENE THREE: MCGONAGALL’S OFFICE

The new McGonagall clicked with me straight away. She’s fantastic and has this natural sort of humour to her that seems to underline everything and I love that. Especially because while you may laugh at her tone in some of these lines, she still has this aura about her that demands your utmost respect and she gets it. But then there’s this lot. I mean, she’s dealt with these as kids and now here they are again. Her tone is totally understandable. I love her. Like, you know when Ron runs in with his napkin still tucked into his jumper after accidentally flooing into the kitchens? Well no one said or did anything about it so at the very end of the scene, McGonagall reached over and pulled it off him and while she said nothing, her face said everything. They may be adults but they’re still her kids.

ACT TWO, SCENE FOUR: PRACTISING WITH DELPHI

This Albus is a little ball of determination and it’s never more obvious than it was in this scene. The pause before each Expelliarmus was so long I actually started to get concerned Dom was nervous or struggling with the wand trick. But no. One look at his face and you’ll see nothing but concentration. You just know he’s giving himself the most epic pep talk in his head as you can see the physical change in his stance once he’s mentally ready. I’m here for that.

ACT TWO, SCENE SIX: HOGWARTS THROUGH THE TREES

I just wanted to enjoy this moment so I didn’t make many mental notes. But I will say Albus’s face when Scorpius says he wanted someone like Harry Potter was actually the most tragic thing. While it obviously wasn’t expected, he also wasn’t surprised. Of course he wants a Harry Potter. Everyone does. He’s just Albus. How could he ever live up to that? It made him a little sad, and me, a lot sad. His face when Scorpius clarified he was better though was worth it all.

ACT TWO, SCENE SEVEN: NEW TIMELINE

Bless Dominic for actually collapsing in pain from his arm. I’ve missed an Albus doing this! Plus it really scares the adults (and Scorpius) and as horrible as that is, their reactions are always great to watch.

ACT TWO, SCENE EIGHT: HOSPITAL WING

We finally have an Albus and a Harry who both eat the chocolate again! I love it for many reasons but particularly with this Albus as it almost confirms what I said about him accepting happiness. Will it fix everything? No. But it may help in this moment so he’ll take it. It’s also interesting to see him happily take Harry’s advice just to then reject it later on in the conversation. He’s not deliberately difficult or stubborn or always against his dad just because he can. This one just stands his ground, without hesitation, whenever he disagrees with something. There’s a point to it. A reason. It’s so very Albus-y.

ACT TWO, SCENE NINE: HOGWARTS STAIRCASE

That very last ‘okay’ from Albus after he cuts ties with Scorpius on the staircase under Harry’s watch was most excellent. So instead of saying it to Scorpius, he turned to face Harry and blatantly said it to him in the most bitter and aggressive tone. I loooove when an Albus does this. It’s just so Albus, this one in particular too. Because he’d never say that to Scorpius because this is not okay. But this is Harry’s fault so Harry needs to know. He needs to see the consequences of breaking these two. They’re both hurt and confused and lost. Albus would absolutely throw that in Harry’s face.

ACT TWO, SCENE SIXTEEN: THE LIBRARY SCENE

So, the library scene. This is what got me really excited about the next years worth of Jonathan and Dominic shows because as focused as I was on Albus last night, I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off Scorpius here. Dominic’s Albus is small but powerful, and that seems to have brought out a little more focused anger in Jon. Like I said before, I want him to explode after years of imploding. But his Scorpius’s usual stammer and frustration always seems to stop him from fully letting go. But last night I really felt that pure, unfiltered anger and I could not have been happier. If Albus raised his voice then Scorpius didn’t hesitate to do it back. He will have his voice heard.

Albus making a little vomiting noise and face after he said James used the date he got his first broom as his trunk combination was golden. I love Albus judging his own brother. You have to really, as a sibling. It’s part of our DNA. It also lighten the mood of this scene for a second which I think was Albus’s way of letting Scorpius know they’re still friends. It was really sweet. It was like he just wanted to make him smile which, given that Scorpius was crying, is totally understandable. It was a really touching moment and said so much about Albus.

The hug is exactly what we wanted with this height difference. It’s glorious. So Albus grabbed him and then rested his cheek below Scorpius’s shoulder, all tucked in and quite happily settled into this hug. Sweet, right? Well poor Scorpius was left with both of his arms over the top of Albus’s shoulders. He looked like a puppet the way he sort of just dangled over him. Arms out and awkward. It was everything.

After he’d said he was saving that as a ‘sparkly surprise’, Albus made these firework noises and gestures up in the air with his hands. Scorpius’s ‘mildly confused but excited to find out’ reaction was perfect, as is Albus’s energy and continued enjoyment of making Scorpius smile and knowing exactly how to do it.

ACT TWO, SCENE TWENTY: SWIMMING UNDER THE LAKE

So I guess to give the appearance of these boys being underwater they’ve decided to make their hair all big and messy, like it would be if they were actually under the water. But honestly, it just looks like Scorpius has stuck his finger in a live plug socket. Or he’s been attacked by a thousand balloons. (I wouldn’t be surprised by either scenario if I’m honest.) Albus’s hair isn’t as noticeable given the fact it’s dark but his is just the same. I get what they were going for, but hair doesn’t stand up on end perfectly like that in water. So it just looks like it’s really bad static. Surely a well placed fan would do the trick? Also, I was left feeling bad for poor Dominic having to brush that out afterwards. It was wild.

I can’t give everyone else the praise they truly deserve because otherwise I’ll be writing forever, but just quickly: 

Ryan as James Potter is already A+ for his ‘daaaaad’ alone. Plus on stage he and Dominic look like brothers.

Rayxia is brilliant as I remembered. I’m so glad she’s back.

Michelle makes for a familiar and friendly but very ‘know it all’ kind of Hermione. Oh and I love her friendship with Ginny!

The Slytherin boys in the ensemble in the first task had a lot to live up to and didn’t disappoint. I’m already a fan.

Lucy as Moaning Myrtle was also familiar but fresh and she had the audience laughing.

I love Madeleine as Delphi. She’s friendly and dorky and by the end of her first scene I wanted to be friends with her too. Her reveal is going to be really interesting.

My main note on the new Polly was ‘plastic’. She’s that perfect, posh, pretty, popular blonde girl everyone had to deal with at school. You’ll either instantly dislike her or want to be her. She’s going to be fun.

Aaaaand to summarise Dominic... he’s lovely. He’s the most precious, sparkly eyed, baby faced, awkward, and determined Albus we’ve ever had and none of you are ready for him. He knows what he wants and he’ll go for it because he’s young enough to believe he knows best. He’s the most fourteen year old Albus we’ve had in that sense. He’s sweet and caring and there’s an innocent kind of joy to him but how quick that anger surfaces tells us all is not okay. The only difference is this one refuses to drown in it. What he lacks in maturity he makes up for in spirit and heart. It makes for a good year ahead!

[The part two recap is coming Friday and I’m setting myself that deadline because I’m actually seeing it again on Saturday... *whispers* I just love them all already, okay?]