#sorting voldemort

[wisteria-lodge]

How would you sort Barty Crouch Jr? Also, I've seen a lot of different sortings for Voldemort, what do you sort him as?

There is a two-part sorting system I like to use when I do this: I sort both their Motive [Primary] and their Method ['Secondary.'] More detail on the system I'm using. Lets get into it:

SECONDARY (METHOD)

Voldemort and Barty both feel like loud Bird secondaries (probably why they work so well together.) I don't know who came up with the Triwizard Cup plan, or if they came up with it together - either way, it's a patient plan, with a lot of steps, that takes a whole year to carry out. Voldemort seems to like that sort of thing. He likes planning, he likes contingency plans, he likes setting up dominos for a while before knocking them over.

Although... Barty is such a loud Snake primary (I'll get to it) - that it's possible he's modeling a Bird secondary to please Voldemort, and underneath he's something more Improvisational (Snake or Lion). He's very comfortable making things up on the fly - everything at the Cup was spur-of-the-moment, the dustbin thing was something he came up with on the spot in order to throw off Arthur Weasley, and at the end of Book 4 he still nearly manages to kill Harry after the plan goes sideways. I also think it's interesting how comfortable Barty is being Moody, and Moody is a loud Lion secondary - honest, direct, comfortable with trusting his own power and quick thinking to solve problems. Also, nothing that Barty says as Moody is a lie. He uses very specific phrasing, but it's all stuff he authentically believes. (ie - "If there's one thing I hate, it's a Death Eater who walked free.") I think that the Imperius curse would be an especially horrible punishment for someone whose power comes from their own authenticity. Yeah, I like that. Lion secondary Barty Junior.

(He can still model one hell of an Actor Bird though - both as Moody, during his court performance, and escaping Azkaban disguised as his mother. But I don't think he likes to. The happiest and most joyful we ever see him is when he's just laying out the truth.)

But Voldemort... when things things don't go according to plan he does have trouble pivoting quickly, and will definitely make a "No! This cannot be!" kind of speech. That's very Bird Secondary. He also loves collecting shinies, tools, knowledge, and skills. You're never quite sure what the extent of his power is - he might just start flying unsupported, or somehow know that you were talking about him behind his back. That must be very stressful for his Death Eaters. And while he exists at the center of a group, Voldemort's power doesn't come from the group. It comes from his knowledge, skills, and - when he was younger - the ability to play a part extremely well. Deserving, subservient, charming good boy "Tom Riddle" is definitely one of Voldemort's Actor Bird personas. (Birds often like to give their personas distinct names.) The angst of getting "stuck" in a persona is also a very Bird thing - and this definitely seems to be the case for Voldemort. There is a kind of resentment that he still has to *be* this person during the scene with Hepzibah Smith - and a relief during the conversation with Dumbledore when he doesn't have to be "Tom" anymore.

PRIMARY (MOTIVE)

Like I said up top, Barty is a LOUD Snake primary. His "Master" is everything - some combination of a soulmate, savior, and father. And it really is about Voldemort the person. I don't think Barty cares about the politics at all. If Voldemort wanted to switch it up and start killing people with glasses instead of muggleborns, I'm not sure Barty would notice. When he talks about his motivations, it's always about - serving Voldemort, finding Voldemort, seeing Voldemort, all the people who don't deserve Voldemort. Before he met Voldemort his Person was probably his mother. Snake, all the way down.

Voldemort... is harder, because I do think the glimpses we get of his interiority can be interpreted a couple different ways. I do think he is primarily motivated by fear - he's afraid of ever being powerless or weak again, the way I'm sure he was as a small orphan child. This is where he gets his fear of death (the most extreme form of weakness and powerlessness) and also where his interesting relationship with his body comes from. I think he conceptualizes the "muggle" half of himself as the "weak" half (see his slightly odd childhood hypothesis that "My mother can’t have been magic, or she wouldn’t have died.") I don't think it's a coincidence that all his experiments to make himself immortal also make him look like a being that could only be magical (and nothing like his muggle father.)

Being motivated by fear is generally a sign that your Primary is Burnt, so what is going on underneath? I don't think Voldemort is an Idealist - his hatred of muggles is authentic, but it's got nothing to do with his official position that muggleborns "steal magic" or whatever. He knows that's ridiculous, but it's a talking point that will go over well with the purebloods. If anything, his main projects (taking over the Ministry, killing Harry) are just very extreme coping mechanisms. He never has to feel powerless again if he RULES THE WORLD.

So okay. What does he seem to enjoy. Voldemort IS interested in family history, family legacy, and heirlooms... which could possibly be a sign of a Badger primary. Only, he keeps those things to himself. If he were a Badger I would expect the fact that he's the Heir of Slytherin and the last of the Gaunts to be his platform. Snake is much more likely - a lot of Burnt Snakes will also focus intensely on their body when it doesn't feel safe enough to let an Important Person into their life (Hedonist Snakes.) Voldemort's doing an unusual version of that sure, but it absolutely counts. He's also only interested in his Death Eaters as individuals, not as a community. They are spokes of a wheel with him in the middle, and he likes it that way.

Sometimes it almost feels like Voldemort is running tryouts - looking for an Important Person he can actually trust. Ideally, this is someone he can see as his equal... but who is also so insanely loyal and subservient they might as well be an extension of his own body. I call this the Logan Roy paradox, because these two traits are... contradictory. It's kind of a weird sentence, but I think that Logan Roy of Succession and Lord Voldemort have extremely similar Primaries (and extremely similar backstories...) They are Burnt and Exploded Snakes who want people, but are terrified to actually trust them. So instead, they come up with ways to own them.

Both Logan and Voldemort pick (and cycle through...) favorites. It's not totally clear what makes Voldemort go from Barty, to Lucius, to Bellatrix, to Snape, to Draco. Part of it has to do with their performance sure, but Bellatrix is definitely defensive during the Unbreakable Vow scene. She doesn't like that she's not the only one in the loop, and she doesn't like that Snape is insinuating that he is more useful to Voldemort. I get the impression that somehow - the shine's worn off a little, and Bellatrix is extremely motivated to get that emotional closeness she had with Voldemort back.

(In Succession, Logan cycles to a new person whenever his current favorite starts seeing him as too human, or too weak.)

I think this quote about Logan equally applies to Voldemort: "He never saw anything he loved that he didn't want to kick it just to see if it would still come back." Voldemort enjoys makes making his Death Eaters grovel for forgiveness at his feet, he likes torturing them, making Bellatrix cry and scramble for ground by talking about her sister, or her werewolf nephew-in-law. Voldemort talks Barty up in a way that seems designed to make the other Death Eaters resent him, and of course takes Lucius' wand, and sets up an elaborate suicide mission for Draco.

And then there's the way he brands his people with the Dark Mark, symbolically 'owning' them while also making it literally impossible for them to leave. This is actually a really nice way of using a fantasy metaphor to get across how unhealthy Snakes work.

There's also something weird going on with the horcruxes. If I'm right, and the core of Voldemort is he wants someone who who he can respect, but who will also never leave him... then grafting part of his soul onto them kind of solves that problem. They're carrying around part of his power, so he can respect them. But there's also no way they can get rid of their new psychic connection to him, other than dying. So he is able to trust (love) Nagini. And... I did not expect to be writing a Tomarry thing when I started this, but like. I see it. At his moment of triumph, Voldemort creates the one thing he (subconsciously) wants: an equal who he is able to control. It's honestly very Palpatine. When you think about it, Vader is also the solution of paradox: an apprentice powerful enough for Palpatine to respect, but who will also never betray him.

tl;dr

Barty Crouch Jr ~ Snake Primary / Lion secondary (Bird model that he built for Voldemort)

Tom "Lord Voldemort" Riddle ~ Burnt and Exploded Snake Primary / Bird secondary

[crookshanksagentofowca]

Crack Headcanon: The reason Voldemort kidnapped Florean Fortescue during Half-Blood Prince was because Bella was having pregnancy cravings for a very specific ice cream flavor only he made.

[virgil-anon]

Tom forces Harry to commit his first kill and he does, with blood splattering across his face and staining his hands. He ends up sitting on the floor, disassociating. Voldemort approaches and with that snake like tongue licks the blood from Harry’s face

Harry: do NOT tell me you just licked blood off my face

Voldemort, amused: did you want it to stay on your face?

[arcturus-night-star]

war bride

For art trade with @sentinel04 <3 This was so fun, thanks a lot for doing this with me!

Here's their incredibly gorgeous art

[chuueppz]

Tom's Professor Harrison

Tom Riddle was ready for the new year it was a few hours to begin. Not because he was becoming older, but because now he finally had all the connections he could dream of to accomplish all the greatest things that he was worthy of.

When he Woke up earlier this morning in his bed at Slytherin he was blinded by all the presents he received from his Knights, and now at night, he was ready to go to sleep, Wake up in a new year and Conquer the world.

But he felt compelled to take a walk on the grounds one more time, and thanked Merling for that, because now in front of him was a beautiful boy that's maybe five years older than him, with a white streak of hair on the right side accompanied by a huge lightning scar that only brought more delicacy. And the greenest eyes he had ever seen.

was he blind in his right eye too? No problem, he would give a new eye for him if he wants..

"Hello Tom, would you mind leading me to the headmaster's quarters?"

And instantly Tom knew that he would do anything to be by this man's side. He would split his soul a thousand times more, kill an entire city, create empires and present him as king, Tom would be his servant and kneel in devotion every hour of the day.

And What a blessing, his god knew his name.

"of course Sir...? "

"Harrison"

"Harrison" Tom says bowing his head

----

Can someone please take this idea off my mind and transform it into a fic?? I just need some silly Tom who would do anything to have the new professor's eyes on him for even a millisecond.

Like, he would try a zillion personalities only to see which one Harrison would like more, he would kill in front of him and would be merciful if Harrison asked to.

Only he could have Harrison's attention and if the teacher thought that he needed to be beaten, hugged, treated with roughness or showered with kisses, so be it.

(please, if you wanna do this fic just say so, I can even draw more)

EDIT: I'm writing this fic idea and I plan to post it entirely next month

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I really enjoyed the sorting questions that you went through for the golden trio + draco. What do you think Voldemort's would look like? I can see him as a slytherin with a gryffindor runner-up as an inverse to Harry's.

Thank you! Glad you liked my sorting method (I actually use it when making OCs for non-HP projects too since it's a useful character breakdown).

Previously on this series:

1. How I sort characters and how the Golden Trio are all Gryffindors for different reasons

2. Draco Malfoy is a Slytherin with very few Slytherin traits

Now, onto Tom Riddle Jr. I can definitely see him as a Slytherin with a Gryffindor runner-up. It's kind of how I always saw him, but let's break it down:

I will add that most of what I'm saying here would make more sense if you knew how I see TMR/Voldemort and I have a whole masterpost for Tom Riddle essays here since I'm not delving too deeply into the evidence and analysis in this post, which is more of an overview.

1. Problem Solving - what is the go-to method of said character to solve problems in a situation that isn't a life-and-death threat. Both without a time limit and on a time crunch.

So, when Tommy has time to plan, he organizes a show. He's dramatic, over the top, and meticulous. He 100% practiced saying "the boy who lived, come to die" before Harry heard it. He studied for his exams, he experiments, he researches. This guy is a dedicated Ravenclaw when he has the time and means.

The Infri cave with the locket is something this nerd felt proud of making. It's kind of an escape room if you think about it. You gotta solve the magical riddles to get through.

He likes inventing his own potion of despair, making up all the wards and spells on the boat and the curse he placed on the ring was probably of his making too. Point is, he's creative, dedicated, and goes about it with an academic air.

So that's a point for Ravenclaw.

I will note though, that Tom cares about how things are done. He doesn't like unnecessary death. He needs to defeat Harry in a proper duel and not just poison him like a Slytherin would. Even when he has all the time in the world to plan, Tom's methods will be ones he considers "the right way" to go about something — which is a point to Gryffindor.

When on a time crunch, he is bold and rash. He makes extreme choices quickly and on the spur of the moment. Like, "oh, Myrtel accidentally died, no matter, I'll try out this new Horcrux spell I found before anyone finds out". His idea to frame Hagrid was also spur of the moment. He didn't actually think it through and in retrospect, he thought it was stupid and he couldn't believe anyone believed him:

but I admit, even / was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn’t possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance ... as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!

(CoS)

But it was the choice he made when he had no time to think things through and was acting on impulse. Tom, isn't cunning when he doesn't have the time to plan, but he definitely makes bold moves and fast.

So that's another point to Gryffindor.

2. Problem-solving under threat of death - when the situation gets really dangerous, how do they deal with it?

We don't see Tom honestly scared often, but when he knows the game is up at the end of book 7, when his Death Eaters are dying and Harry tells him he's the master of the Elder Wand, what does Tom do?

He attacks.

He is unwilling to show he is defeated. He stands proud and brave. He doesn't even try to think of a cunning solution or a way out. He doesn't try to run away (even though he could've apparated away! I mean he could break the anti-apparition wards on the ministry) he stays and fights to his death.

So this is another point to Gryffindor.

Though, I'll give him his first Slytherin point for pride and not being willing to show weakness ever.

3. What they aspire for - what do they want to accomplish for themselves. Be it an ambition towards a job or something they want to just be better at.

Here Tom gets another Slytherin point.

Tom wants to be revered. He wants to be praised and looked up to. He wants to be the greatest. The best. At everything. He wants to be known, he wants a legacy, he wants to never die.

He wants to never be poor, helpless, forgotten orphan Tom Riddle ever again.

He has so many ambitions, he wants a lot and works towards all of it. He is honestly kinda greedy in the way he wants it all.

4. Motivations - why do they do the things they do? What gets them up in the morning?

Arrogance and spite.

Tom wants everything he wants becouse he honestly thinks he is better and greater than basically everyone else. He sees very few people as close to equal to him, be they muggles or wizards. He considers himself the best. Very Slytherin pride, on his part.

And he's petty and spiteful. He likes to say about himself how merciful and above mundane pettiness he is, but he actually isn't. He's lying to himself.

I mean, he dislikes Peter, so he forces him to essentially be Snape's servant. He wants to humiliate the Malfoys because Lucius disappointed him and he is so petty about it every second he sits over Lucius' head in his own manor and humiliates him and his family. Tom is obsessed with Harry because Harry is that one taint on his otherwise perfect record. And Tom Riddle doesn't do grades below an O. He can't fail.

He is an arrogant and spiteful perfectionist. This drive and ambition to perfection in everything he does gives him a point for Slytherin.

5. Defining trait - if you need to choose one trait to define them, what would it be?

Self-hatred.

I know it sounds weird, I mean, this is Voldemort, super proud dark lord who has people bow down to him, how can this be his most defining trait?

Well, it's becouse it's at the core of everything that makes him him. It's why he became a dark lord, in a way.

Why is Tom as spiteful as he is and strives for greatness and perfection as he does? Becouse he wants to be known. He wants validation and praise. He wants other people to see him as great.

This need for validation and praise is a Slytherin point. But there is more to that.

When I say self-hatred, I mean it. For all of Tom's supposed fixation on never dying, he actually has very little self-preservation. He tears up his own soul in experimental rituals to make Horcruxes. He keeps endangering himself in battle because of his arrogance, yes, but also because he really doesn't mind putting himself in a lot of risk. When he wants things done (killing the Potters, facing Harry & Dumbledore in the DoM, chasing after the elder Wand in Germany) he does it himself, danger be damned.

Yes, he thinks everyone else is beneath him, but he doesn't think that highly of himself either. This leads nicely into the next question and a point to Gryffindor for his surprising lack of self-preservation instincts.

6. Valued trait - if they had to pick their favorite trait about themselves, what would they pick?

Intelligence/skill.

Remember what I said about Tom not thinking that highly of himself? Yeah, well, he sees his own intelligence and skill (the only stuff he ever got praise and attention for) as the only aspects of himself of value. He never really appreciated his own personality traits (even though you could say something about his determination or resilience, but he doesn't really care for it that much. I think he doesn't fully consciously think of his own traits this way, really). He doesn't actually like his looks all that much either and was glad to shed them for an inhuman appearance to show how much more he is than everyone else.

But he does truly appreciate his own intelligence and skill in magic above all else.

Which gives another point to Ravenclaw.

7. Values - what traits do they completely despise in others? What traits do they appreciate in others?

He despises traitorous cowards.

Think how he treats Wormtail — he derides the fact he betrayed James and Lily even though it helped him. He hates his sniveling and cowardice. He appreciates bravery and boldness and above all loyalty.

So, that's another Gryffindor point.

He also appreciates skill, cleverness, and cunning in others.

There's a reason he likes Snape as much as he does. Snape is ambitious, talented, intelligent, and clever. Tom likes clever people and he dislikes stupidity.

So, that's another Ravenclaw point.

8. And finally, which house do they want?

I'm not sure how many notions Tom came to Hogwarts with, when he sat on that stole with the sorting hat on his head, which house did he want to go to?

I think it was Slytherin.

Not just becouse Dumbledore was the head of Gryffindor, but because of what the hat probably told him. I mean, the hat told Harry this about Slytherin:

“Not Slytherin, eh?” said the small voice. “Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that

(PS)

And little Tom wants to be great, he wants to be known and praised (Even the older Tom wants these things, if, he isn't as desperate). He wants to live up to what Ollivanders said about his want:

“Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. ... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. ... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.”

(PS)

And if Slytherin is the path to greatness, that's where he'd want to go. And that ambition, choosing a house for his ambition and desire for glory, that is a point for Slytherin.

Tallying up the points:

G - 5, S - 5, H - 0, R - 3

So this actually gives us a Slytherin and Gryffindor hat stall for Tom. So, yeah.

As a refresher to my other sortings from my former posts for comparison:

Harry: G - 5, S - 4, H - 3, R - 0 (Gryffindor with Slytherin runner-up)

Hermione: G - 9, S - 2, H - 0, R - 1 (True Gryffindor)

Ron: G - 6, S - 4, H - 1, R - 1 (Gryffindor with Slytherin tendencies)

Draco: G - 3, S - 5, H - 3, R - 0 (Slytherin (The hat did make the call instantly))

I honestly found this one interesting to do. Tom is a bit of a messy character who is very contradictory. He thinks he is the best, but he still hates most of who he is. He talks a lot about Slytherin's legacy, but he isn't exactly the epitome of cunning and his behavior is very Gryffindor-ish. I will give him ambition though, he got that down.

[iamnmbr3]

The real reason Tom Riddle got sorted so fast:

Tom Riddle: *finds out Dumbledore is the head of Gryffindor House*

Sorting Hat: Hmm well-

Tom: Not Gryffindor or I will burn you.

Sorting Hat: Yikes! Slytherin it is then!

[plummarvelous]

a tomarry wip that makes me CRUMBLE

[witchthewriter]

[curioushabitforarivergod]

Twenty-Four Seeds

(Harrymort Ancient Rome AU)

So much context for this piece. Historically this is the 1st century BCE and all these fruits (and more) were available to Romans. Everyone had slaves — figures suggest 1/3 of people at the time were slaves. Pliny the Elder wrote about the potency of Campanian wine made from grapes grown on Mt Vesuvius' slopes. Religions were referred to as cults, and Christianity wasn't around quite yet (Judaism was). Hades and Persephone is obviously a Greek myth, but the Romans were heavily inspired by them in everything. 954 words.

"Harry," Voldemort says quietly. His voice carries in the empty dining room. "Come here, Harry. Eat for me."

Harry's lips curl upwards as he suppresses the shiver of delight that runs down his spine. He steps towards the chaise where Voldemort reclines, decedent displays of fruit — apples, figs, grapes, quinces, berries and currants of all kinds, melons, pomegranate, medlars, numerous more Harry cannot count — resting on the low tables beside him.

Harry kneels beside Voldemort's chaise lounge, pressing his face against the cool, skeletal hand that belongs to his Lord. It should feel demeaning, debasing to kneel like this, but it is far from an act of submission. Harry has power and Voldemort knows it; he sends the slaves out with a wave of his hand because of this fact.

Alone, Harry presses his lips softly against the palm of Voldemort's hand. The skin is soft, like he hasn't worked a day in his life, but this is a lie. Voldemort toiled for years to create his empire, fought wars, wielded sword and magic as easy as breathing. In creating the perfect version of himself, he removed those callouses and Harry delights in this power to fashion himself into perfection.

"My Lord," Harry says. "Voldemort. My Tom." Each word is said more reverently than the last. "And I your humble servant."

Voldemort lets out a hiss of laughter. "You are not humble, Hadrian." He uses the praenomen, Harry thinks, to tease him. "Greedy, jealous, powerful, certainly. Never humble."

Harry grins into Voldemorts palm before kissing it again. "You said you would feed me. Do you break your promises so easily, my Lord?"

Voldemort snarls and draws his hand away from Harry's mouth, but after a few seconds, an apple slice is placed at Harry's lips in apology.

"Do you know," Voldemort says conversationally, as Harry's teeth scrape against the pads of his fingers, "there is a cult of men who believe that a snake tempted woman to eat an apple, then woman man and this was the First Evil?"

Harry shakes his head, reaching for the goblet of wine on the table. "I didn't," he says, taking a sip. Campanian wine — far more potent than most, grown on the slopes of the mountain. "Does this make you the snake or woman?"

Voldemort hums, as if considering. In truth, Harry can feel the eyes watching him as he drains the goblet, setting it back down on the low table and liking the dark wine from where it has stained on his lips.

Readjusting his position, Harry looks up at Voldemort through his lashes. "Or are you the First Evil?"

Voldemort hums again, this time amused. "We should not put so much faith in the religion of men," he says, his bony fingers stroking the side of Harry's cheek in a singular movement. "After all, there is no god who holds the same amount of power over me as you."

The words give Harry head-rush. Voldemort, dictator and war general, the man who holds Rome in his palm, is powerless to Harry. He knew already, of course he did. But the confirmation… and he thinks of how a god could submit a human like him.

"I worship you," Harry says, voice low and catching in his throat. "Entirely, utterly."

Voldemort's lips twitch. "I know, my soul," he murmurs, voice soft.

His hands draw away from Harry's face, almost embarrassed of his emotions, reaching once more at the table. After a moment, a fig presses insistently at Harry's lips, drenched in honey. Harry bites.

Honey is slow moving. It is made by bees who spend lives searching in flowers and nature. Yet it drips down Harry's chin, too fast for him to capture. It bursts across his tongue, sweetening the already jam-like taste of the fig. Saccharine.

The honey spread across Harry's lips and tongue makes Voldemort bite back a smile. Harry watches through dark eyelashes as his Lord presses another fruit to his lips — a plum this time, and it drips down his chin again, slipping across his throat — before Voldemort presses his goblet to Harry's mouth, forcing him to drink the wine.

"Messy," Voldemort chides.

He doesn't mean it.

His eyes are dark, his skin cool. He feeds Harry far more gently than one would a pet, pressing each fruit, each delicacy to his lips, rather than throwing scraps on a bone. This is a mutual worship; the lines between god and human would blur if Harry didn't take each fruit with whispered gratitude.

Harry's head hums with alcohol, his belly with food. Digging into the flesh of a pomegranate, he draws twelve seeds.

"Persephone," he says, aching, "ate six seeds to stay with Hades for a half-year. As per myth, if I eat twelve I'll stay by your side forever."

The seeds burst across his tongue. The outside is slightly bitter, a singular hard husk on each that disappears as soon as Harry tastes it, replaced by a sweet richness that he never wants to wash away. He'd never eat another thing if it meant the promise stay on his tongue like this. But the last seed slips away.

For a moment, Harry thinks Voldemort might kiss him. Draw him to his feet, drag Harry's body onto his own and share heat. Instead, his Lord reaches for the pomegranate abandoned by Harry.

Voldemort digs his own bony fingers into the fruit, staining their whiteness with a light blood. Harry imagines those same hands plunging into skin like it did in Gaul. Bodies destroyed, mutilated, beautiful in their bloodiness. This is a god, this is the promise Hades and Persephone never got to fulfil.

Voldemort draws out twelve seeds and eats them. One by one.

More Harrymort Ancient Rome

Laurel Wreath / Twenty-Four Seeds / Queen of Hadrian

[trees-of-valinor]

Kemen is totally the Professor Umbridge of the Rings of Power.

Just like how everyone "should" hate Voldemort more, but tend to list Umbridge as their most hated HP villain - Sauron is the big bad, but damn if Kemen doesn't elicit the stronger reaction

[wisteria-lodge]

Have you sorted Dumbledore before? He seems like a great candidate for this framework, especially with how divisive he is and with how much about him is open to interpretation. I really love your thoughts on this!

I think he's a Snake Bird, like Voldemort.

Albus has a pretty clear Bird secondary. He loves collecting (trinkets, artifacts, interesting memories.) His first step when fighting Voldemort is doing a big research deep-dive into his past. He loves a complex multi-step plan - the chain of events caused by the specific wording in his will is probably the clearest example of that. Voldemort once describes him as "omniscient" and that is the goal - Albus wants all the information, all the time. He also loves his Wacky!Dumbledore persona. It's fun, and it's great for throwing off suspicion. Very Actor Bird of him.

I do think his confrontation with Barty Junior at the end of Book 4 is interesting, because that's the most *pissed* and out-of-control we ever see him. There, the energy is very kick-down-the-door Lion secondary. Burst in with his guys at his back, stun him, physically kick him over, and give Barty Veritaserum so he tells you everything. (And then lose track of him in the aftermath, resulting in him getting Kissed.) I think a Snake secondary could have finessed that a little better. Maybe come at him a little softer, used Legilimency, gotten more info out of him, used him as a hostage... but Dumbledore is a Bird secondary who was missing a MASSIVE piece of information, he needed time to re-calibrate. Bird secondaries who have been very wrong-footed or are put in very unfamiliar situations often start looking like Lions.

In terms of Primary... I think he's a very, VERY Burned Snake who models "For the Greater Good" Bird because it doesn't feel safe to trust people (and 'people' does include himself.) Like he'll talk a good game, but when it comes down to it:

"What did I care if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in the vague future, if in the here and now you [Harry] were alive, and well, and happy?"

The thing with Grindelwald hit him with the intensity of a Snake just really connecting with a Person for the very first time. Because like... young Albus just didn't have any connections like that. Elphias Doge worshiped him - which isn't an equal relationship. Ariana preferred Aberforth, his mother was entirely focused on Ariana, his dad was in prison. And Aberforth... is important, and I think Albus actually really did want and continues to want his "rough, unlettered, infinitely more admirable" brother's approval. But at that point, Aberforth thinks that Albus is a selfish, irresponsible jerk.

But then Grindelwald betrays Albus, which shatters him for a while. Grindelwald's running around Europe, Albus is hiding at Hogwarts because he's too Burnt to do anything else. He fundamentally does not trust himself anymore, he doesn't trust the instincts of his Snake primary. I'm not sure he ever does again, until maybe Harry. Albus thinks he's right about Snape, but he doesn't know, which is why he likes that visual check-in that Snape's Patronus provides. Albus starts modeling Bird primary, hard, because it hurts a lot less to live in that space.

But like he can't cut that Snake primary out of him completely. It's too core to who he is, he'll die. The Drink of Despair (and the Mirror of Erised) takes him right back to his People. He needs these connections, but those connections don't feel safe. Enter Hagrid, clearly very important to Albus - despite being not especially useful and often kind of a liability. But what he IS is someone very Aberforth coded... who will never leave or betray him. (Because Albus has just so much power over him.) I've written about Dumbledore's habit of collecting strays before, but I think it's a Burnt/Exploded Snake thing. He wants connection, but also sees connection as dangerous, so this is his (subconscious) solution.

Generally, when Albus does dumb things, it's for Snake reasons. Putting on the Resurrection Stone? Trying to talk down Draco when he should have just stunned him (and died Master of the Elder Wand?) In that moment Draco is one of his students (who he IS loyal to.) But he's also kind of Aberforth - totally outclassed, shouldn't be here at all, just trying to protect his family.

The house-matching helps explain why Dumbledore and Voldemort just... get under each other's skin to the extent that they do. They have a very emotionally charged relationship, considering that they prefer to keep each other at a distance and only interact through proxies. Albus has a deep distrust of Tom from the word go, even when Tom hasn't actually done much apart from be a creepy ten-year-old. (Tom probably reminded him of Grindelwald ngl. Or himself.) Albus has his collection of Voldemort's most important memories, and Voldemort is uniquely afraid of him. Diary!Tom frames the Basilisk vs Phoenix battle as a conflict between himself and *Dumbledore.* Like these two are wrapped up in each other, and I think it's because they're actually very alike.

[capriddle]

Obviously the Sorting Hat immediately sorted Tom into Slytherin, but Bellatrix? I think it's obvious that she suffered the same fate, both because she has truly Slytherin traits and because she was induced by her family to prefer her. Beautiful but when you think about it she also has traits of all the other houses. She is witty like a Ravenclaw, she is extremely loyal like a Hufflepuff and often shows courage like a Gryffindor. This to me shows how she is a more three-dimensional villain, because she has character traits that potentially bring her closer to many 'good' characters.

[virgil-anon]

I have over 700 ao3 tabs open rn and that's JUST my harry potter ones, I'm curious how many ao3 tabs avid fanfic readers such as myself typically have open at any given time

[crookshanksagentofowca]

Voldemort’s sexuality is Bellatrix and Bellatrix’s sexuality is Voldemort. You can genderbend one or both of them any which way; it doesn’t matter; they will always be attracted to each other. (And only each other.)

[1doesnotsimplyhavejust1fandam]

When you think about some of the things that Harry did and went through, even just while he was at Hogwarts, you probably get the feeling that some force out there did not want this poor kid to survive into adulthood. But one particular instance of this that I think about is when he uses his Patronus while time traveling to save Sirius. Now, not only is he completely untried in fending off that many dementors, but he is also trying to defend his godfather and himself. And he fully believes that his dad is going to step out of the forest and cast his Patronus charm (or be the Patronus form maybe) because at this point, he doesn’t know his corporeal Patronus form is a stag. It’s a good thing he runs largely on impulsivity and spite, because he doesn’t have the information or skills (knowingly at least) needed to produce the stag and save himself and Sirius. He casts the spell impulsively, with the realization that it has to be him, but all he knows is that the form is a stag, not that it’s his!

So. With limited information and a total lack of certainty in his ability, he finds out that his Patronus is, in fact, a stag, just like his dad’s. But the narrative was really forcing him to be magically powerful, confident, and desperate enough to save Sirius and his last self from the dementors.