#hp fandom discourse

[justcallmemrslupin]

Why Wolfstar Is the Most Dangerous Harry Potter Ship (and Why the Fandom Needs to Talk About It)

I've been in the Harry Potter fandom for over 20 years. I watched it grow, evolve, twist, and turn. I saw fanfiction rise, canon conclude, and the fandom shift focus countless times. And still, one thing baffles me more than anything else: how deeply romanticized and normalized Wolfstar has become.

At first, I didn’t care. People were writing fanfiction. They wanted queer representation. They were dreaming up alternate stories — and as long as it stayed within the realm of fiction and imagination, I had no issue with it.

But it’s not like that anymore. Now, Wolfstar is treated like a canon pairing, and if you even dare to question it, you're accused of being bigoted, ignorant, or told to leave the fandom altogether. And that’s heartbreaking, not just because of how hostile the discourse has become, but because the ship itself is incredibly toxic, and no one seems willing to acknowledge it.

Let’s be clear: Sirius Black was not a good friend to Remus Lupin.

• He exposed Remus' most dangerous, painful secret to an enemy (Snape) and used him as a weapon.

• He wished for a full moon out of boredom.

• He trusted Peter Pettigrew over Remus.

• He didn’t even leave Remus anything in his will.

Wolfstar is dangerous because it romanticizes a friendship that was never balanced, never healthy, and never based in mutual care. It takes one of the most traumatizing betrayals in the books — the "prank" — and brushes it off as “teenage drama.” But what if James hadn’t stopped Snape? Remus would have killed someone. He would have spent his life in Azkaban — or worse.

And yet, Sirius said he’d rather die than betray a friend? He already did. And still, the fandom turns him into a misunderstood romantic hero and turns Remus into either his pining lover or a side note.

Meanwhile, Tonks — who loved Remus deeply, chose him in spite of the risks, and built a family with him — is hated, mocked, and erased. Simply because she married someone the fandom decided didn’t belong to her.

I once posted about this on TikTok and got flooded with hate. One girl even said: ��Don’t f** with me, Lupin is gay and Tonks is a b**h.”

What?! When did we become so toxic that we can’t even respect canon relationships without being accused of bigotry?

You want to ship? Go ahead. But don’t pretend Wolfstar is some great love story. It wasn’t even a good friendship. And don’t attack people who see Remus Lupin for the kind, complex, human character he really was. Because what matters, as Sirius himself once said in the films, is the side we choose to act on.

And Remus Lupin chose good. Always.

[grimalkinmessor]

When I tell you that I have read fanfic characterizations so OOC that they'd classify as an original character, trust me I have read THOUSANDS. But you know what I don't do? :) Tell the author of those fanfics that they might as well classify that character as an original character if they're going to write them like one. Because that's fucking rude. People don't owe you your preferred characterizations. The back button is free.

[aurenflare]

"kotlc should have been harry potter level of popularity" nuh uh. i like kotlc exactly where it is. it becoming a global phenomenon would be the worst possible outcome for everyone involved.

[hprambles-blog]

The more you think about it, the more the HP books reads like an extremely slow-burn Tomarrymort fic, just one that lost its nerve near the end and backed out with a cop-out ending. You can dress it up however you like with talk of “good vs evil” but strip it down and you've got the bones of an obsessive, deeply intimate connection between Harry and Voldemort that feels more romantic tragedy than epic hero's journey.

From the very beginning, Voldemort isn't just the villain, he's the defining presence in Harry's life. He marks him, haunts his dreams, pulls him into visions and quite literally becomes a voice in his head. That's not just a rivalry, and not even a psychological thriller. That's emotional entanglement. Voldemort is obsessed with Harry, in a way that borders on (or fully dives into) the kind of possessiveness you only really see in fic tropes — “If I can't have you, no one can” but make it Horcrux-core.

Well, Harry, for all his hatred, he can't stop thinking about Voldemort either. He studies him, tries to understand him, talks about him constantly and ultimately chooses to sacrifice himself for him — not to save Voldemort, sure, but to end the loop they're both caught in. It's weirdly poetic. It's romantic in that Shakespearean and doomed kind of way. Their fates are entwined so tightly that no one else, not Ron, not Hermione, not Ginny (poor Ginny) can even come close to matching the sheer narrative intimacy they share.

But then the narrative just starts doing its own thing. Instead of leaning into the dark, compelling symmetry of Harry and Voldemort, two broken boys shaped by prophecy and abuse, mirroring each other in terrifying ways. It rushes to wrap things up in a neat, normal epilogue with kids and broomsticks and smiles.

HP is a Tomarrymort slow burn with a deeply unsatisfying last chapter. One that forgot its own themes and shied away from the twisted beauty it had right in its hands.

So I saw someone commenting about HP being a Tomarrymort fic the other day, now I'm just running with the headcanon and writing on top of it.

🌼

[fannedandflawless]

The Great Galleon Plot Hole

You ever sit there re-reading Harry Potter and suddenly get punched in the face by a plot hole so loud it drowns out the Hogwarts Express?

Because I just remembered something:

Wands are the most essential magical tool in the entire wizarding world—your literal magical lifeline—and they cost less than a decent meal in Diagon Alley.

Meanwhile, broomsticks? Luxury items. And somehow, everyone’s just… fine with that?

✨Absolutely not.✨

Let’s talk about it—because the wizarding world economy is giving narrative convenience over logic, and I have questions. Big, wand-swinging, Gringotts-auditing questions.

But Why Is the Soul-Bound Wand Cheaper Than a Broomstick?

THE WAND IS YOUR LIFE

It’s your weapon.

Your shield.

Your link to identity, emotion, power, precision, and survival.

You can’t even perform most standard spells without it—unless you're a trained wandless magic user, which is incredibly rare and usually requires advanced discipline or heritage-based skill.

It chooses you. It bonds with your magic. It’s irreplaceable. So how much does it cost?

Roughly 7–20 Galleons. Literally less than a decent cauldron—or, depending on the wand, not much more than dinner and dessert in Diagon Alley.

According to J.K. Rowling, wands sold at Ollivanders are generally priced around 7 Galleons, though some fans speculate they could range up to 20 Galleons depending on wand complexity or materials. If we use the exchange rate Rowling once suggested (1 Galleon = ~£5), that means the average wand costs £35–£100—cheaper than a modern mobile phone, and it lasts your entire magical life.

Considering the effort it takes to craft them—rare magical woods, powerful cores like phoenix feather or dragon heartstring, and the expertise of a wandmaker—this price range is still shockingly low for something that serves as a witch or wizard’s most essential magical instrument.

—

MEAL PRICES IN THE WIZARDING WORLD

Let’s quickly look at the cost of food in the wizarding world, since we’re comparing life-altering artefacts to lunch.

From the Hogwarts Express trolley:

Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs: ~1–2 Sickles each

Harry buys a dozen items with a handful of Sickles (17 Sickles = 1 Galleon)

A full trolley binge? Roughly 1 Galleon.

In Half-Blood Prince, we also get a glimpse of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley prices:

Butterbeer: ~2 Sickles

Light lunch at the Leaky Cauldron: ~1–2 Galleons

Full sit-down meal with drinks and dessert (e.g. Madam Puddifoot’s): ~3–4 Galleons

So yes, a wand could cost less than a proper meal out—especially if you’re treating someone.

—

THE BROOM COSTS 50x MORE?

A Nimbus 2000 is gifted to Harry—major moment. Retail: ~100 Galleons.

A Firebolt? Easily over 1,000 Galleons. That’s more than Arthur Weasley’s entire annual salary, and he works for the Ministry of Magic. Literal luxury transport.

Some Hogwarts students can’t even afford a broom—they borrow school spares.

So what are we saying?

“Yes, your enchanted flying stick of wood is more expensive than your magical soul-bonded wand.”

🚨 IT’S A PLOT HOLE. A BIG ONE.

We’re expected to believe that the literal core of magical life is cheaper than school transport, postal birds, and half the Hogwarts supply list?

—

ROWLING’S LIKELY INTENTION:

A cheap wand makes magic feel accessible to everyone.

Expensive brooms show status and privilege (Malfoys flexing 101).

It creates visual contrast: Ron’s taped wand vs Draco’s top-tier broom.

But from an internal logic standpoint?

You can’t ride a broom into a duel. But you can hex someone across the room with a wand. So why is the life-sustaining object priced like a trinket?

—

HEADCANON FIX (Because We Always Clean Up for Her):

Wands are partially subsidised by Hogwarts or the Ministry. → A “no child wandless” policy. A right, not a luxury. → Ollivander charges less than market value to protect magical equality.

Brooms are like cars. → Basic ones are cheap. → High-end ones are status symbols (think: Quidditch Rolex on a stick).

Ollivander keeps prices low on purpose. → His family name is legacy. → He’s not selling wood and string—he’s handing over destiny.

—

🫠 BONUS RAGE: OLLIVANDER HAS TO EAT, TOO.

Wandmaking isn’t hobby work. This man carves magical wood, cores it with dragon heartstring or unicorn hair, and attunes it to individual children’s energy signatures.

And you’re telling me he charges 7 Galleons and calls it a day?

Meanwhile, in the Muggle world, wand replicas at Universal Studios theme parks sell for £40–£70, depending on whether they’re interactive or display-only. That’s almost the same as—or more than—the actual wand price in-universe. And those don’t even come with phoenix feathers.

Either he’s surviving on principle alone, or there’s a secret Wand Subsidy Act nobody talks about.

—

“If my wand is cheaper than an enchanted kettle, someone’s cooking the books—and it’s not in Potions class.”

Capitalism really said ‘Expelliarmus your wallet.’

—

💸 If wand prices made you blink, wait until you see how Severus Snape maintained a house, a potions lab, and an aura of controlled menace on what Slughorn called a “meagre” salary. → Read Spinner’s End Wasn’t Poverty—It Was Privacy.

[chilledcitrus]

When people complain about why hinny is criticized more than other ships in the fandom, it's because it's canon. And canon ships carry the weight of authorial intent, so it makes sense that they’re held to a different standard than ships that exist purely in fandom creativity.

Other ships like drarry, dramione, harmione, or any other fanon pairing aren’t bound by canon, so fans can take liberties, reimagine characters, and build dynamics however they like. If someone doesn’t like a fanon ship, it’s usually a matter of preference or a disagreement with characterization.

But with canon ships like hinny or romione, criticism is inevitable because it also becomes a critique of JKR’s writing, her narrative choices, her understanding of her own characters, and how well the romantic arcs were developed. So it's not purely about the ship itself.

[claybyte]

being a rare pair shipper is fun and all until a good chunk of the fandom wants your head on a pike for it

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

Name-play and symbolism in Harry Potter

Sirius Black: Dog Black the black dog ( Sirius is a star in the Canis Major // Big Dog //constellation, the star is commonly known as the “Dog Star” ). A dog is a man’s best friend ( unlike Peter, the rat, who ratted his friends out )

Remus Lupin: basically just Wolf Wolf ( Remus - roman hero raised by wolves. In Latin lupus means “wolf”, and lupinus “wolf-like” )

Rubeus Hagrid: In Greek Mythology, Hagrid Rubes is a giant who is banished from Mt. Olympus by Zeus and has to take care of animals. Hagrid is expelled from Hogwarts and becomes the groundskeeper- later on he starts teaching Care of Magical Creatures.

Sybille Trelawney: Said to be a descendant of the legendary Cassandra, in Greek mythology Cassandra was a woman with the ability to foresee future and a curse, that no one believed her prophecies. Here’s my post on why Sybill isn’t a fraud.

Xenophilous Lovegood: Xenophilius's name comes from two Greek words: Xenos "strange" and -Phile "love" -> one who loves the strange

Bellatrix Lestrange: Bellatrix means “female warrior” in Latin. She was one of Voldemorts most fierce and loyal followers.

Nymphadora Tonks: Nymphadora translates as "Gift of the Nymphs.” A "nymph," in Greek mythology, refers to "a member of group of female 'spirits' found in different types of nature.” They had the ability to transform/shapeshift" They are further classified by where they were found. In Latin, “nympha” translates to “bride, mistress. young woman” referencing the fact that Remus married Tonks, who’s 13 years younger than him.

Minerva McGonnagal: In Roman Mythology Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, war, art, schools, justice and commerce.

Dolores Umbridge: The word umbrage means offence or annoyance, and the Spanish name Dolores has its roots in the Latin word "dolor," which translates to "pain" or "sorrow."

Fenrir Greyback: Fenrir is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology. Fenrir represents the forces of evil and chaos.

Gilderoy Lockhart: The Levels of Processing model, created by Fergus I. M. Craik and Robert S. Lockhart in 1972, describes memory recall of stimuli as a function of the depth of mental processing.

Merope Gaunt: In Greek mythology Merope is one of the seven Pleiades, daughter of Atlas and Pleione. Merope is the faintest of the stars because she was the only of the Pleiades to have married a mortal. One myth says that she hid her face in shame because she had an affair with a mortal man. ( Replace mortal with muggle and we have Merope Gaunt )

Lucius Malfoy: Lucius deriving from Latin words, meaning light/bright/to shine. “Mal foy” means “bad faith” in French. Draco is latin for “serpent/dragon”

Lily Evans ( later Potter ) and Petunia Evans ( later Dursley ): Lilies are often associated with purity, renewal and transience, and Petunias symbolize anger and resentment

Alastor Moody: Alastor, an epithet of the Greek God Zeus, according to Hesychius of Alexandria and the Etymologicum Magnum, which described him as the avenger of evil deeds, specifically familial bloodshed.

Quirinus Quirrell: In Augustan Rome, Quirinus was an epithet of Janus, as Janus Quirinus. Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces.

[hedwigette]

I think there is a misconception in the fandom about how some of the jobs in the Wizarding world work.

I don't quite agree that Harry shouldn't be an Auror because it's not OOC for him. And the police system in the Wizarding world might be similar to the muggle one but there are differences.

And saying that he's like a cop, exactly as how it's viewed in the muggles world (especially American) isn't really true either.

There is a separation between Aurors and Hit Wizards (a bit like barristers and solicitors).

Just gonna summarise the wiki:

Aurors chase dark wizards like Hit wizards but unlike the latter, they are highly trained law enforcement who primarily deal with investigations. They are trained intensively for 3 years and only few can join. They must have "Exceed Expectations" (2nd highest grade) in basically everything. They also have a series of characters and aptitude tests. They're magically trained (not physically) especially in defense magic.

It's a special member of the ministry that is highly regarded. It's extremely difficult to qualify as one.

They must have knowledge on Dark Arts because they're investigating crimes related to it. And they apprehend Dark Wizards and Witches.

Though, they do have a sort of military training which relies on discipline and intelligence agency.

In conclusion, they're a specialised unit trained to investigate and occasionally fight against Dark Wizards and Dark arts. That's it.

Hit-wizards however, deal with highly dangerous combat situations, such as high-risk arrests and riot control. They back up Aurors to capture dark wizards. They're the ones arresting suspects (like Sirius) and most of their work is about maintaining the public order and dangerous situations.

Unlike Aurors who have abilities that are far beyond arresting suspects or investigation skills, Hit wizards are primarily a fighting and controlling force, not trained to investigate.

The stark difference is that Aurors are trained extensively in methods of criminal investigation, intelligence gathering and crime prevention (not repression at least not always), Hit wizards, again, are a force made for fighting and controlling the mass.

The equivalent for the Muggle word would, roughly, be like Homicide and Major Crime command/FBI equal to Aurors and Metropolitan Police/SWAT equal to Hit Wizards.

As we all know, Harry isn't someone who enjoys fighting because it's always life and death for him. But, he loves putting his nose into other people's business and investigating what's going on. Moreover, Harry is someone active: he would not just stand arms cross behind a DADA desk, watching the world burn down. He would partake in what's right, no matter the law. And lastly, Harry has always viewed the wizarding world as his home. Unlike with the Dursleys, Harry felt safe there. There is no scenario in which he wouldn't do everything he can to protect his home. He would fight against the corruption of the ministry because he would not stand back against injustice, he would face it.

That's a fundamental part of his character.

So no. Saying it doesn't make sense for him to become an Auror is to not know what an Auror is like and who Harry is. He definitely would become one. The right job, and qualification people look out when they talk about Aurors is actually, Hit-wizards, and yes, It wouldn't make sense for Harry to be one.

[urmumsgyatt]

“percy jackson would hate harry potter!!” and then they list shit ADULT harry did💀 like i promise you when someone is saying “percy and harry would be friends/would date” they’re not talking about adult wizard cop harry. like i thought we all collectively agreed that everyone post-hogwarts was ooc/character assassinated?😭

another thing i saw pjo fans saying is that harry apparently was dobby’s slave owner…. did we read the same books? last time i checked harry FREED dobby from slavery and they were both friends, they had an equal relationship😟 like i agree with criticisms of jkr’s handling of the house elves but what we’re not gonna do is spread misinformation just so you could excuse character bashing. if you don’t like a certain media, just say so, no need to play moral high ground when your fav book series was also written by a bigot/zionist😭

[ouidamforeman]

I think im going to have to start not caring or worrying about if im somehow “supporting” or “promoting” bad things or people with my actions or money because it literally gives me so much anxiety, not because im worried about doing something genuinely bad, because i know how to navigate nuanced moral situations and trust that i will know through discernment when to do or not do something, but because im afraid of other people, especially large groups of other people, thinking i or my friends or anything i care about is evil because we are navigating a situation differently morally lol

Like i just accidentally saw some of The Discourse about “doing Harry Potter fandom at all now is basically delusional and evil and you have to stop” and im gonna be so real however much i don’t like JKR and don’t want to direct my money toward her and will spread word when applicable that she sucks, i truly think if i lived like the people who think about whether like, all of current HP fandom on Ao3 dot edu or whatever is doing Evil by participating in their hobby I truly feel like I would go insane???? My work and fandom isn’t an advertisement and I have so little money I don’t know what the point of this would be other than manipulating me into moral prostration or something and after touching grass lately i find it truly deranged. Like genuinely if you talk to one single mature adult person outside of fandom about this you will see how deranged it is

[hprambles-blog]

ok but like… Dramione makes way more sense than Drarry and idc what anyone says. like yeah yeah enemies to lovers blah blah, but w/ dramione there’s actual room for character growth?? hermione would force draco to face his bs, and draco’s the type who needs that kind of intellectual/emotional check. it’s spicy and smart. plus, she wouldn’t let him get away w/ anything. not the blood purity stuff, not the fake bravado. and draco would have to grow the hell up to even deserve her. that dynamic is ripe for something meaningful. now drarry? nah. it’s just rivals and trauma-bonding vibes but like… where’s the actual connection?? harry barely pays attention to draco unless he’s doing something shady and draco is mostly just being annoying or petty. it’s not tension, it’s just background noise. also let’s be real, if draco wasn’t a pale sad boi with daddy issues, would people still ship it?? or is it just the redemption kink + gay enemies aesthetic combo. anyway, w/ dramione you get real conversations, moral tension, mutual challenge, and the chance for earned redemption. drarry is just vibes and no foundation lol.

Alright. No bellamort now. Dramione shippers can entertain me more than that Bellamort shipper.

First of all: yes, enemies to lovers is a tired trope unless it’s two traumatized, morally gray disaster boys staring at each other across a war they didn’t ask for, both one snide comment away from either a duel or a kiss. That’s not just enemies to lovers. That’s rivals with unresolved tension, layered resentment, and “I know you better than anyone because I’ve been obsessing over you since I was 11.” That’s intimacy through hatred. That’s poetry.

Drarry isn’t about “fixing” Draco — Harry’s not Hermione with her clipboard and her moral high ground. Harry is a deeply tired, complex person who’s been used as a weapon his whole life, and Draco is someone who’s spent years trying to prove himself in a system that ultimately used him too. These are two people with actual parallels in their trauma, their isolation, and their need for someone who sees past the masks. Hermione would therapize Draco. Harry would understand him, even if he doesn't forgive him immediately. There’s no savior complex. Just real, raw, “I see you because you’re broken in the same places I am” energy.

And don’t even get me started on the chemistry. Every scene they have is charged. There’s nothing background noise about it. Their eye contact could cause power outages. The obsession is mutual. The tension is practically radioactive. Even the “petty” moments are just foreplay. Like, who do you think was watching the other brood across the Great Hall like a gothic Victorian ghost with a crush? Yeah. That’s right.

And look. Yes. People love a good redemption kink. But Drarry isn’t just about Draco getting redeemed. It’s about Harry finding softness in unexpected places. It’s about letting go of the binary of hero vs. villain. It’s about nuance. Mutual healing. Mutual pining. Not to mention the insane amount of emotional repression that needs to be unpacked with a kiss and a half-accidental hand graze.

Meanwhile, Dramione? It's fine. But it’s giving...debate club romance. It’s giving “You should read this book I annotated for you.” Cute. Structured. But lacking the sheer feral energy of two boys who would rather fight to the death than admit they’re in love.

Drarry isn’t just vibes. It’s vibes backed by unspoken longing, years of built-up tension, and enough emotional repression to power the British Empire. That’s storytelling.

So yeah. Drarry supremacy. Dramione can proofread their essays while Drarry’s busy healing generational trauma and redefining masculinity. Let the sad boys smooch in peace.

🍏

[fannedandflawless]

Selective Loyalty and the Lily Problem

This post continues from my previous analysis, "WHO LIT THE MATCH?" — specifically section 5.) Loyalty Worn Two Ways, where I compared Lily Evans’ loyalty to that of Bellatrix Lestrange. The response to that post made it clear: we need to talk about Lily.

"She was written with strong loyalty." That’s what they say. But loyalty, when selectively applied, isn’t virtue — it’s comfort dressed as conviction.

Let’s talk about Lily Evans. The girl who stood up to bullies — sometimes. The girl who defended Severus — once. The girl who walked away — and never looked back.

🔨 The Double Standard No One Wants to Name

Lily called Severus’ Slytherin friends cruel when they hexed others.

"You think that’s funny?" she asked. "You think that’s all just a laugh?"

But when the Marauders hexed Severus in front of a crowd — dangled him upside-down, flashed his underwear to the world, humiliated him — it was brushed off as mischief. She scolded James, sure. Called him a “bullying toerag.” But she didn’t disown him. Didn’t stop speaking to him. She married him.

Why is one hex cruelty, and the other mischief? Why is one unforgivable, and the other… flirtation?

When Severus defended a fellow Slytherin, it became proof he was on the wrong path. When James hexed Severus, it was part of the journey to redemption.

Lily’s moral compass didn’t shatter — it shifted. And Severus saw it happen in real time.

⸻

🎭 The Performance of Principle

It wasn’t just the bullying. It was how she measured it.

Lily had the self-righteousness of someone who meant well — but only when it was safe to mean well.

She never went after Sirius, who cast the spells. She never called out Remus, who stood by and did nothing. She never looked James in the eye and said, “You humiliated my best friend and I won’t stand for it.”

Instead, she turned to Severus, and said:

“You’re choosing the wrong people.”

They all did. And yet only one was punished for it.

⸻

🔍 She Forgave James — But Never Severus

This is where the comparison starts to sting.

Lily was willing to believe James could change. But not Severus.

She gave grace to the boy who tortured her friend — but not to the friend who broke under pressure. She extended second chances to the boy she dated — but cut off the one who needed her most.

That’s not just a mistake. That’s selective loyalty.

⸻

⚠️ Not Villainy — But Still a Problem

This post isn’t about demonising Lily Evans. She was young. She was flawed. She was human.

But so was Severus.

And for a fandom that preaches kindness and forgiveness, it’s strange how selective that kindness becomes when his name enters the room.

⸻

♾️ Coming Full Circle

When Bellatrix was loyal, she was honest about it. When Lily was loyal, she chose who earned it — and who didn’t. One was mad. One was adored. But both were uncompromising.

Maybe that’s what makes it hurt.

Lily believed in goodness. Just… not always in the people who needed her to.

⸻

Related post: WHO LIT THE MATCH? Coming up next: The Devotion That Never Grew Up ⸻

If you found this post stirring, you may also like… A collection of emotional deep-dives into Severus Snape—the man who endured, unravelled, and remained:

Severus Snape: Widower of the Living

The Virgin Theory: Severus Snape, and the Sanctity of Unlived Intimacy

The Dignity of Suffering in Silence: Snape as the Ghost of a Living Man

[roseharpermaxwell]

do you have any drarry sports au recs? like where they play soccer or football or anything else (not quidditch, basically)? sorry if you have been asked this before!! thank you so much in advance love your reclists smmmm

Sorry I'm just getting around to this ask! And thank you very much. I've really enjoyed putting together reclists and sharing what I love with others. 💚 I apologize in advance for hijacking this ask.

The truth is: finding joy in the Harry Potter fandom has become extremely difficult for me.

JKR's been awful for ages. That's not new. But things have gotten exponentially worse for trans folks, especially since the outcome of the US election. Things have gotten exponentially worse for a LOT of folks. I've been unable to participate - certainly not by writing, but not even reading in the hp fandom anymore. The dehumanization and bigotry turns my stomach. Of much less importance but still a contributing factor to the lack of fun: dramione (my original HP fandom) has become commodified beyond belief. It feels unrecognizable.

There are so many incredible hp fanfic authors. I've truly enjoyed them and their work, especially those celebrating identities and topics jkr would hate. I've read life-changing stories. I had a cocoon of escapism through the excruciatingly slow, exceedingly polite, and extraordinarily stressful collapse of my marriage. My time in this fandom was very special to me. I met incredible people who are very special to me. I'm grateful to those who've read and enjoyed my work as well. There are a lot of justifications to continue to participate and subvert her works and ideology - I don't judge anyone who does (unless you agree with jkr - then gfy). I'm just not having fun in her sandbox. What else should fandom should be, if not fun?

I encourage you to use my older reclists, read other works by authors on them, read *their* bookmarks, and to filter my bookmarks for tags that might help you narrow down a search. I bookmark everything!

I would be remiss to not mention the fandom that I spend time in now - red, white & royal blue, or firstprince. Especially if you are a drarry fan, there are lots of parallels! It's so refreshing to read fanworks of a book/movie that was written by a non-binary author, had a queer director, trans cast member, etc - basically just a big celebration of queer joy. It's so nice to not *have* to justify my participation, to anyone else but especially to myself. Anyway, I've got lots of those recs too, in my pinned post.

Things change. Life moves forward. Be kind to yourself and others!

Happy reading,

💚💚 RHM

[allaboutlov3]

I got a random question for you ppl. Do you think James would have been able to forgive Peter if he had survived? Because in my head James is this loyal guy who’d die for his friends and trusts them with everything he has, with everything he is. But then again he also values honesty and loyalty and I think he couldn't even stand the thought of his friend betraying him like that. So how could he ever forgive him? But also how could he not? Because ppl make mistakes, right? He believes in that, too. He believes in second chances. Loyalty is such a big mess sometimes.

So what do you think? Would James have forgiven Peter (eventually) if he had survived that night?