#occlumemcy

[anijig]

Hey Y'all, We've survived detention with forced blood magic while secretly practicing actual defense against the dark arts. But will we survive a real fight against adult Death Eaters, in gods know where within the Ministry of Magic (that has what the movies don't show you, giant brains with tentacles that attack), along with suffering Snapes brutal lessons at Occlumency and Dumbledore's continued avoidance? However, the fact that truly unspeakable things have been done to Umbridge after she gets abducted into the Forbidden Forest is a high point for me. Use your imagination, make it horrid, and I will be laughing with glee. Umbridge smacking Harry in the face and seeing Snape trying to reign in both his appreciation that someone finally smacked the child he loathes and his anger that someone got to smack Harry before he could. Because you know he's been wanting to do just that for years. #thesorrynotsorrygenerationpodcast #tsnsgen #podcast #popculture #millennialpodcast #millennialreview #bookreview #moviereview #bymillennialsformillennials #harrypotter #hogwarts #orderofthephoenix #dumbledoresarmy #umbridge #occlumemcy #ministryofmagic #roomofrequirement #hallofprophecy (at Hogwarts) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci0QSUtOipf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[heyjude19-writing]

Well hello HeyJude!

Just dropping by to tell you I /FINALLY/ got the chance to read Between Certifiable and Bliss and I ADORED IT!!!

You are such a lovely storyteller and writer and I always enjoy your work.

I have craft questions. Forgive me if you covered any of these in an authors note..sometimes I read so late into the night and my babies interrupt and I miss these things...

Firstly, title. Where did it come from for you? It really spoke to me in thebeginning chapters with how unraveled Draco felt in 6th year and beyond the war with the unattainable "happiness" he couldn't let go of. What brought the title to you?

Secondly, Theo's ability. It was such a unique (at least for me...I hadn't read anything quite like it before) trait for a character! Seeing, occlumemcy, legilimency and such are all wonderful plot lines we've read but the dream giver plot was so cool! Where did that come from?

And finally, can i ask what line, scene, chapter was the stories inception? You said you'd thought of this on a run and the story grew bigger than you'd planned...what scene or moment did it all begin on????

Thank you in advance if you're so humble to indulge my curiosities! Much love, Ash.

Well hello Ash!

I love craft questions! Let’s go!

First, the title. It’s a song lyric I misheard years ago from “Precious Illusions” by Alanis Morissette: “'Cause I want to decide between survival and bliss.” I maintain that the way she sings “survival” sounds like “certifiable” and no one can change my mind. Both concepts work well enough for the themes in BCAB, but Draco trying to avoid being branded “certifiable” for his dream obsession appealed to me more. Blaise does the job of laying out this viewpoint in chapter 4, when Draco is really spiraling over the dream.

Second, Theo’s ability. I find dream psychology and interpretation fascinating, and so wanted to explore something like that in the wizarding world separate from the practice of Divination. When I originally conceived of this story, it was just a series of vignettes from Draco after he has a dream about Hermione. But in plotting how the dream might come about, I remembered in OotP how voldemort was able to plant a vision in Harry’s head of Sirius being tortured at the department of mysteries. He planted a thought, and so I wondered, well what if wizards could plant emotions too? What sort of repercussions could result from a sort of empathic dream ability?

Your final question: I like to play a game when I run and that game is “trick my body into thinking it’s not currently running.” I do that by thinking through fic scenarios. There’s an empty parking lot by my old apartment that basically became “dramione central” for a while. I owe a lot of plotting to that place.

BCAB started with Draco’s dream in chapter 2 and then everything grew from there. Depending on where he is in his life, that dream is going to affect him in different ways. I think I originally still pinned the timepoints on his birthdays, but I began with Draco as an adult and it was more of a pining co-workers situation. But that felt too easy, so in my endeavor to have him suffer more, I decided Sixth Year, with Draco at his lowest, to be given a smidge of hope then have it ripped away? How does that fuck with his psyche? How does that inform his actions/inactions and then his post-war outlook?

Thank you for reading, and for these questions Ash!

[chicoryandbananas]

Now I Get It

Harry was a terrible Occlumens. So we think Occlumency looks like sitting, prepared, across the table from an enemy who has announced his strike during a designated practice time.

In actuality, skilled Occlumency means Snape’s entire life was Occlumency. He had to be able to do Occlumency so well that the most terrifying Dark Wizard in history not only couldn’t break in but also never suspected it was happening. Snape HAD to be awful, not just to Harry, but to every non-Pureblood child for the 10 years before Harry, the 10 years when no one knew if or when Voldemort was coming back. Because, when pressed at any time unannounced, Snape had to yield to Voldemort 10 years worth of that behavior to protect any whiff of a memory of his mission. I mean, the man couldn’t even wash his damn hair because his long standing reason for wanting to join up was to punish those who mocked him. If he cleaned up and people stopped mocking him and distrusting him…well.

On the other side, I found it kind of bizarre that Snape never moved on from an unrequited love. Frankly, that’s too creepy.

But he couldn’t do that either. Because his “love” of Lily is what convinced Dumbledore which side he was on.

Basically, the dude has to stay horrible. If he decided to be a good teacher, get a haircut, and find a nice redhead he hadn’t had on a pedestal since age 8, he’d have been A) totally useless and B) probably killed by both sides.

I mean, even down to bickering with Sirius. Voldemort thought Snape was HIS spy but for the reasons above (teasing et). So in memories of Order meetings Snape is “spying on” he can distract from holes with high emotions memories of the hated Sirius.

And it’s easiest and best the closer it all is to truth. So, while normal people strive to grow better throughout life, great Occlumemcy, for Snape, meant all energy going into nursing a robust version of himself that never grew up from the hurt, angry, vengeful little boy.

Moral: Don’t join a Death Cult at 17, you have to keep that hair, that tattoo, and that rap sheet forever.

[anijig]

Hey yall! Hope you enjoyed our live adventures from Monday and Today! It's great being together again and causing havoc: like honking so loud out the balcony that you can hear guests asking "What was that?" Don't forget to tune in this Thursday to see if we survive year 5 at Hogwarts with the professor from hell #thesorrynotsorrygenerationpodcast #tsnsgen #podcastlife #bookreview #moviereview #podcastseries #harrypotter #dumbledoresarmy #hogwarts #wizardingworld #umbridge #occlumemcy #weasleyswizardwheezes #ministryofmagic https://www.instagram.com/p/CiwAaCyMDxm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=