#time travel harrydore

[firendgold]

Pk now I want to hear tour rant about how Harrydore is bettter than Grindeldore. Bring it 🤣❤️

ohhh, this one's easy. I've been in this fandom on and off since 2006, and seen how Harry, Albus and Gellert were written pre- and post-'Dumbledore closet interview'. cracks knuckles

got to hit you with that readmore though. and it's going to be in two parts. I rambled again. ^^

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(...'rambled' is perhaps an understatement.)

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grindeldore vs harrydore

grindeldore

the tl;dr of the below is the following sentences, and then I'll get into it. My philosophy on gr*ndeld*re extends to all other ships in all other fandoms, especially HP: if it's not an AU and you have to excessively mischaracterize Character A to get them to 'fit' with Character B, then it's not a good ship, canon or not. Albus Dumbledore is quite often mischaracterized in order to 'fit' or 'keep' him with Gellert Grindelwald.

here's my problems with how gr*ndeld*re is most often portrayed:

Inconsistency within canon. JKR is partly mostly to blame for this (because she has contradicted her original 2007 statement in the present day with more interviews in the 2010s and with the Fantastic Beasts movies), but the first problem is: gr*ndeld*re was originally an unrequited ship. The original statement was that Albus was dazzled by Gellert's power, his presence, their similarities, their shared ideals... but That Woman wasn't explicit on whether Gellert ever returned his feelings. But based on her quotes where she says "falling in love can blind you to an extent" and that [Dumbledore] was "terribly, terribly let down" by the result of that whirlwind relationship, I think it's safe to assume that her original idea of Gellert cared far more for seeing his grander plans realized than for the needs and feelings of his 'equal'. And yet... in fandom, they are most often portrayed instead as star-crossed lovers torn apart by 'conflicting ideals'.

The second problem is that in the avalanche of fics and art that have come from The Reveal, the original lesson (/moral...?) behind the reveal of gr*ndeld*re, and how it shaped Albus as an adult, leader, and progressive, just... got lost. Completely lost. The whole point of it was to show that even Albus (supposed 'paragon of goodness' until book 7 showed the fandom that he is a regular human being) can make 'relatable' mistakes like... you know... being friends with a fascist. Being in love with a fascist, even. Thanks to said retcon interviews and the new movies (and even before that tbh) the fandom has since: overexaggerated Albus' new clay feet to the point of bashing him, idolized Grindelwald's red flag traits and ideals to the point where he has become the new "Tom Riddle was just misunderstood!" guy, and twisted that lesson/moral/whatever to mean that actually Albus and Gellert were tragically kept away from each other by an itsy bitsy little difference of opinion. A minor little fight. Casual death of your sick sister. Haven't we all been there?

The fandom diminishing the real reasons why Albus and Gellert eventually clashed, were destined to clash, is bad enough. What's worse is the opposite end. Some Dumbledore-bashing fans go the other way and paint present-day Dumbledore with the same brush as Grindelwald, even going so far as to say he still supports The Greater Good even though his entire character is literally built on being the opposite of the pro-magic, anti-Muggle philosophy. Albus has also been painted in some fics and even meta discussions as someone who 'regrets' his past not because his sister died and his brother is estranged from him, but just because his ex-boyfriend is in prison and he maybe kind of regrets not going full fascist with him. Like... bruh. NO. There are people who ship gr*ndeld*re just because they feel like Grindelwald, the worst dark wizard in the world, the reason why Voldemort is only a minor league little lord in comparison, is an appropriate "punishment" for the character they already dislike and thus misinterpret. (Side note: I'm not sure if I'm in a worse hell watching Albus' character get whitewashed for fascism or demonized so he can be a miserable lonely gay.)

Albus diminishes himself to meet Gellert's needs. An in-universe problem this time instead of a meta/RL one: Albus and Gellert were lovers, yes, but in order to be so, Albus had to actively start neglecting his siblings (since in Aberforth's words he was 'doing all right' taking care of them before Gellert showed up) and leaning more into anti-Muggle sentiment. He put all his energy into what for most of the magical world was a wild goose chase after some fairy-tale items. (Remember, most wixen don't give a shit about the Deathly Hallows, or think they're even real.) He became the person Gellert needed/desired most. Albus became a version of himself that he despised later in his life and after his death.

Relationships often include the members changing, and it's easy for even the most devoted partners to fall out of love if they change and are now too different from one another, or one person changes and the other... doesn't. After Ariana died, Albus chose to become a different person and champion the same people he and his family once despised. He chose to stay away from Gellert, whether he called it cowardice or principles or whatever else. And his choice put him in conflict with Gellert, who at sixteen refused to change course or rethink his ideals even when his choices led to the death of a magical person (the type of person he supposedly prizes above all others). His magical boyfriend's magical sister, even. And we see no sign that Gellert changed, repented, or considered Albus until decades later, at the very end of his life—far too late.

Healthy relationships require give-and-take, sacrificing for your partner in things big and small. For high-stakes relationships like Albus and Gellert's (queer in the 1800s, sweet Merlin), that is even more true. During that steamy summer of 1899, it was Albus who did all the sacrifcing/giving and Gellert who did all the taking. Gellert may have entertained the idea of bringing Ariana along on his quest with Albus (we don't know), but Aberforth was right to say that it would have been torture for her—and no alternate idea was brought up that would prioritize the wellbeing of Albus' siblings while he was away. And in the moment of required reciprocity when Albus was at his lowest, Gellert left him behind and went off to go rule the world. Not even the most diehard shipper can argue against the fact that when Ariana died, Grindelwald left.

This problem is even more personal/biased than the other ones. Albus and Gellert parted ways in 1899. They didn't see each other again until the duel in 1945 (because fuck Fantastic Beasts, the scripts don't even make fucking sense). Albus defeated Gellert, put him in prison, and then went on living for another fifty-two years. And That Woman expects me to believe that Albus never had a relationship with anyone before Gellert, and never even looked at another wizard afterward? In 52 years, he was one-and-done? He never once fell in love with other people, whether or not he fully trusted them/let them in? Be serious. Pull the other one. It's not realistic, and it doesn't speak to the kind of man Albus Dumbledore is. He may not have found a man to check the same boxes Gellert did, but he wouldn't arguably be looking for someone too similar to his old flame. He might not trust them unconditionally or be the Perfect Partner for them (bc whew traumaaa), but there would be other people for Albus in a realistic Magical Britain (even discounting time travel shenanigans). Before the reveal, the most popular people to ship Albus with were Minerva, Alastor, and Elphias Doge; these options are still arguably more valid. Albus Dumbledore loves love, he champions love, and he doesn't think he deserves it after his sins, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't go looking. It's mind-boggling to me that with all the well-deserved disavowing of JKR following her anti-trans hate (and her shameless pandering to the same people calling her a witch poisoning their children's minds decades ago), that some people still treat her words about Albus and Gellert's relationship and its effects on Albus in particular as gospel. I sure don't. (Especially because she said he became "asexual" after His One Gay Experience when like. That's not. What asexuality is??? And ace gay people exist???) Whether you count the FB movies or not, there are still decades of Albus' life that are a mystery, and I refuse to believe he closed his heart and caged his dick for all of them.

IMPORTANT END NOTE: These observations obviously do not apply to all gr*ndeld*re shippers. Some people genuinely do like both characters, characterize them correctly, and still want to see them together for reasons. I'm not going to judge them. I ship a frigging time travel age gap ship, how the fuck could I. And I'm also aware that a lot of fics/art are made to color in between the lines of what we don't know in the fandom, bringing Albus and Gellert together during the mystery years, or making one wizard better for the other to address all the ship baggage. I just can't join them because of how rarely that occurs (and, admittedly, how much I personally can't see it). You would not believe how many fics and discussions I've seen that lionize Grindelwald and treat Dumbledore like an accessory, or completely mischaracterize Albus' motivations, intentions, and actions, and then put him with "the other Big Bad". UGH.

Most of the time, I see gr*ndeld*re the ship hurting Albus the individual. It's very rare to find an iteration where Albus is not bearing the consequences of Gellert's choices, Gellert's actions, Gellert's mistakes and harm done. I think Albus deserves better than to be Gellert's accessory just because he loved him deeply long ago.

okay. whew. that was a lot.

a character limit prevents me from continuing here, so the second half of this versus will go elsewhere, sorry!

[darkfromday]

Hey,

I re-read Inverse Lightning Bolt recently- it's very close to my heart, one of my fave fics of all time.

Not pressuring you to update or anything like that but I'm just wondering if it's been abandoned?

You are such a talented writer!!! I always come back to that scene when Harry meets portrait Dumbledore... tearssss

Hi limerent! Thanks very much, I'm flattered that you like Inverse and were so deeply affected by any of it. (Chapter six took an ETERNITY to get right so it's good that it lives rent free in someone's head besides mine, lol.)

TILB is still on hiatus at this time. I prefer to have several chapters finished in advance before posting, and I'm still stalled on 14. There's also all of the... *gestures in That Woman's general disgusting, transphobic direction* which makes self-motivation to write ANYTHING in that universe difficult. But rest assured, it's not abandoned. Just resting.

[multifandomshorts]

I'm making more progress on this fic than I expected! Just scratched out almost 500 words of a confrontation between Harry and Grindelwald (chef's kiss) The muse has struck tonight!

This scene is going to be later in the story, so it probably won't see the light of day for a while, but I'm glad to be getting stuff done ahead of time. It really does make a difference!

[regretismyconstantcompanion]

(From cursed-and-chosen:)

“Si-Sir?” Harry stammered out, blushing to the tips of his ears as he glanced at the mistletoe above their heads and once more at this younger, devastatingly attractive version of his former headmaster. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you. I’ll- um, I’ll just be on my way.” And he ducked his head, ready to run off and hide for the next few months. This was so much worse than when he had spat Pumpkin juice on himself in front of Cho.

@cursed-and-chosen Albus found himself already reaching for Harry to prevent him from pulling away so quickly. He found it quite endearing, how flushed the boy became almost immediately as embarrassment clearly took over. "There is no need to apologise Harry, nor rush off." He was holding his upper arms, drawing him closer as he gazed down at him. Such a pretty thing he was. It was a wonder he could ever take his eyes off him. One hand released his upper arm and rested upon Harrys chin to tilt his face upward so he could see him. Was he blushing at bumping into him or perhaps the mistletoe that hung over their heads. Perhaps he they had been given this opportunity. "Merry Christmas Harry." Albus' tone was soft before he leaned in and brushed a gentle kiss against his lips.

[theresalwaysatwistattheend]

I'm looking for someone to RP a time-travel Harry/AD fic with me.

If you're interested, please comment below or send me a private message.

[saintsenara]

metas on ships

- miscellaneous tomarrymort headcanons - thoughts on wolfstar from a non-wolfstar fan - unrequited prongsfoot is canon - why fandom needs to stop sleeping on dron - wow, luna is impossible to ship with anyone...

sirius black/severus snape

- could snack work as a couple in a world where james lives? - snape, sirius, childishness, and the werewolf prank - miscellaneous snack headcanons

hermione granger/ron weasley

- romione are the best canon couple - no, ron and hermione wouldn't need couples therapy - the best romione moment in the series [now with part two!] - would i write romione as the main pairing of a fic?

remus lupin/nymphadora tonks

- a remadora answer which will please nobody - lupin's idealisation of tonks during their relationship - lupin's relationship with his sexuality, in remadora and snupin

harry potter/ginny weasley

- hinny's best narrative parallel? bellamort - ronarry versus hinny

severus snape/nymphadora tonks

- the stonks manifesto - stonks and the euphoria of queerness

severus snape/lord voldemort

- time-travelling snapemort would be a disaster

on...

short-form looks at various ships...

blackbolt | blackcest | blackcour | dollivander | dorlene | dramione | drarry | drinny | dronmione | flintwood | flupin | ginnymort | ginsy | golden triad | grindeldore | hansy | harmony | harrydore | hinny | jegulus | jily | kingsleymort | lilymort | lilypad | linny | lucimort | lunarry | luthur | mcprince | minipop | molcissa | moonflower | pansmione | pavender | perciver | petermort | pregulus | riddledore | ronarrymort | ronma | ronmac | ronmort | ronsy | runa | siricissa | siritrix | siritunia | sirry | slugdore | tedoire | tomarrymort | tombraxas | vonks | wolfbucks | wolfmort | wormbucks

out of which snape has emerged as the fandom bike...

snacklebolt | snagonagall | snames | snamione | snarcissa | snarity | snarthur | snegulus | snetunia | sniritunia | snockhart | snon | snucissa | snucius | snulciber | snumbledore | snumblemort | snuna | snupin

unhinged and deranged...

send me the wildest pairing - platonic or romantic - that you can think of and i'll answer it here...

[metalomagnetic]

your view on riddledore, especially when compared to grindledore and Tom/Grindelwald?

also what would be your thoughts on harrydore (provided it is a same age au or there is time travel involved)?

I like all three of them, in whatever combination!

Riddledore has been so, so much fun to explore lately. For me, Voldemort and Dumbledore are the only 'equals' in the HP books. I see the entire war as being between them, while the Order, Death Eaters, Ministry etc serving as foot soldiers. Without Voldemort or Dumbledore, we wouldn't have canon events. They are the catalysts of the entire thing. I am also of the opinion that Dumbledore won the war, because he was the one to have plotted the entire Deathly Hallows going to Harry thing. Of course, there was some typical Harry luck sprinkled in there, but yes, I credit Dumbledore with that victory. I remember the duel between these two titans, and it was one of the greatest scene in the books (even in the movies, especially compared to the lame Battle of Hogwarts duels). There's not a single duel in all seven books to come even close to what these two did in the Ministry. I am also of the belief that Voldemort could have been the only one to defeat Dumbledore in a duel. They are equal in magical skill and in intellect, two geniuses, removed from those surrounding them, albeit in different ways. Dumbledore is benevolent, while Voldemort is not. Dumbledore is logical and a bit cold, while Voldemort is impulsive, with a quick temper, at least in the second war. I also think Dumbledore is the only person Voldemort ever respected and thought of as an actual threat, hence 'the only one he ever feared'. So having these two in a pair is delightful, especially if we play with the timeline a bit.

Grindeldore can be so sweet, mostly because of their age when they met. It's also incredibly tragic. I imagine it is extremely hard, if not impossible, for Dumbledore to find someone as a partner, seeing who he is. So he found this man, against all odds, and they had this whirlwind romance that ended horrifically. I don't think Grindelwald is his equal in the way Voldemort is; I think Grindelwald comes very close, but, in the end, Dumbledore proves much more skilled. I love them as lovers, I love them pining over the other, separated by a war, and eventually being forced to meet in combat. Devastating. I think Grindelwald, while also incredibly powerful and more intelligent than most people, is more 'human' than Dumbledore and Voldemort, if that makes sense. I think he's better with expressing feelings, experiencing them as a normal man, unlike emotionally constipated Dumbledore and Voldemort.

Which brings us to Voldemort/Grindelwald! SO much fun. I think it depends on the age we force them to meet. If Tom is significantly younger, then the power dynamic shifts firmly to Grindelwald's side. If, like in one of my fics, we play with circumstance and have them meet as their canon ages, than I think Voldemort gains the upper hand in that relationship, mostly because Grindelwald has the emotional intelligence and capability to compromise and sort of let some things slide, navigating Voldemort's pride and hubris. I love them! I think Grindelwald is the only one to be a lover to either Dumbledore or Voldemort without getting completely mowed over by these two.

I am fascinated that, while modifying canon a bit but without taking away from their canon personalities, all three possibilities of relationships between them can actually end up as close to healthy as it is possible. They all have the means to temper the other, to put their foot down, hold their ground.

So yes, I am a very big fan of extremely powerful, cunning and intelligent men getting together. As everyone knows, I love Voldemort, but I always wish to see him paired with someone that can hold their own against him, in a believable way.

[kazuza-art]

do you have any headcanons for harrydore? how would they get together?

i only love two kind of Harrydore fic. Platonic grandfather mentor grandson pupille relationship like in canon, like fic where Albus raise Harry for example or where he survives the war and harry and him built a deeper relationship and lick each other wound

or time travel harrydore where Harry is around Albus age, a seasoned auror and they meet and fell for each other in the middle of the Grindelwald war. I feel adult Harry if he cannot meet Albus intellectually or magically can bring him a lot in term of emotional development and they are both survivor with a strong sense of justice.

[firendgold]

who is Harry’s ideal partner?

Harry Potter is a character oft mischaracterized and misunderstood in the fandom (even by his greatest fans). As such, opinions on who he should “end up with” range from his canon match to literally any and every character you, I, or Pottermore can produce.

However, as yet another strong Harry fan and since this is a time travel harrydore blog first and foremost, below will be some surface-level analysis on Harry’s character, and what type of person or personality would mesh best with him as a romantic partner.

(under a readmore bc this is going to get long.)

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so what do we know about Harry? 

He’s the POV character, obviously, and we get to see him grow firsthand over seven years. Though he obviously changes a lot, there are some aspects of him that are fixed from the beginning.

So what are his most defining traits? From the brief snapshot of his childhood pre-magical world, we know that Harry is inquisitive and headstrong. Despite the Dursleys’ clear dislike of questions or anything resembling defiance from their nephew, Harry is not afraid to (carefully) question his guardians, to assert himself and gather the information he needs to survive in a hostile environment. 

Harry is also extraordinarily self-sufficient for a child. The Dursleys’ clear disfavor and neglect have not completely beaten Harry down: he can cook and clean for himself, with a command of housework not often shared by other boys his age. Though that isn’t to say the Dursleys haven’t negatively affected him at all: rather, their disregard has been mitigated somewhat by Harry’s above-average capacity for forgiveness and compassion. He is not overly forgiving of those who have wronged him (in fact, sometimes he is quite the opposite), but it is not his habit to dwell much on his troubles; he is more likely to downplay them when asked. 

(This is something the fandom at large often forgets; that weak as it may seem, we do have an in-universe justification for why Harry isn’t a raving mad ‘troubled’ child with a terrifying knife collection or something after seventeen years with his lunatic relatives.)

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what other traits does Harry have? 

He’s generous, loyal, and stubborn. Harry craves family and community, and looks for it anywhere he can. He is particularly sensitive to rejection and not so quick to reject others himself. Once you are among Harry’s trusted circle, you may well be there forever as long as you don’t hurt him—and if you are in trouble or need help, he will go to the ends of the earth for you. Money is no object when it comes to keeping his loved ones fed or happy. 

But that doesn’t mean he’s an open book to just anyone. He doesn’t bond easily with people, though he responds well to kindness and even better to trust. Harry knows the value of books and learning and is clever in his own way, but focuses more on the impact of actions over words. He is difficult to sway when he believes he’s right, to the point where he will often escalate a conflict rather than apologize or back down. And because he has a notoriously sharp tongue, conflicts with him are easy to escalate.

Most of these traits don’t change as Harry ages. As he does get older, he gains a fierce temper that has even his most intimate friends searching for the nearest exit. This temper is often downplayed or mischaracterized by the fandom as “angst” or “typical teenage whining” but is in fact Harry’s rare form of lashing out against what he sees as unjust behavior from others. It takes a lot to get Harry angry, but once he is, he stays angry for a while, and is slower to forgive. But on the other hand... not all of Harry’s targets are justified. What saves him from just being another “dangerous angry man” is his strong moral compass and his unwavering sense of justice and fairness.

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what about Harry’s flaws?

Some have been explained already—Harry is stubborn, sharp-tongued, and at times combative. The same snappy comments that make the reader laugh often piss off his enemies and allies alike. His temper toward adulthood is something to be wary of. His long history of being forced to be independent in times of need (by the Dursleys and by the adults in the wizarding world) means he has a hard time trusting others, and is quick to view any neglect or abandonment as the highest betrayal. 

The fact that he is slow to forgive certain slights means it may be easy for loved ones to be quickly iced out of his life (which we see twice with Ron, once with Hermione, and even once with Remus in book 7). And though this is conjecture not supported by the books, Harry’s deep desire for a family to call his own may make him vulnerable to deception from anyone evil who can play the long game and earn his trust.

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So, that’s a (not) brief overview of who Harry is. Now on to who or what Harry wants.

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what traits does Harry like in a person?

We can gather some of what kind of person Harry is attracted to based on the two girls he pursues in canon, Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley, as well as from his other... romantic-adjacent interactions with Parvati Patil and Romilda Vane. Both of the girls he dated were sporty, mischievous girls that loved and were good at Quidditch—this probably means anyone interested in Harry will have an easier time of it if they either play Quidditch or don’t mind supporting Harry when he plays. 

Both Cho and Ginny make Harry smile, laugh, or at least feel fluttery. Neither girl was afraid to tease Harry a little bit, or even call him out when they felt he was wrong. Although Harry’s immaturity meant he handled Cho’s call-out worse than Ginny’s, his later growth in books 5 and 6 shows that he is aware that he needs someone who is not afraid to stand up to him. 

Displays of bravery or independence also impress him, as shown in year 5 when his temper evaporates after Hermione uses Voldemort’s name for the first time, when Cho continues to talk to and believe in him even after the Ministry downplays Cedric’s death, when Ginny encourages him to press on at Easter in the library, and when Luna soldiers on in retrieving her things after casually informing Harry about the culmination of months of bullying from her House mates. 

Most of all, Harry likes genuine attitudes and behavior. He has no use for fair-weather friends, and is shown to be repulsed by hangers-on or people who only like him because he’s famous and the paper isn’t slandering him that day. And anyone who insults his friends is automatically out of the running for a spot in Harry’s inner circle.

In short, other people pushing past public opinion or perception to do or say what they feel is right is a good way to get Harry’s attention.

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what about physical traits?

Physically Harry doesn’t seem to have a preference for one type of girl over another: Cho is of Asian descent, Ginny is a white redhead, and his Yule Ball date Parvati is Indian. He definitely sees Fleur Delacour as beautiful, though not beyond an aesthetic appreciation if his lack of pursuit is anything to go by. He also doesn’t think Hermione is unattractive, and didn’t seem to find anything besides Romilda Vane’s personality repulsive. 

We also see examples of Harry paying particular attention to how certain boys and men look throughout the series: 

Snape is in a class of his own, constantly described in unflattering ways, but Harry’s godfather Sirius is glowingly described as “handsome” even past the clear toll of his years in Azkaban. 

His greatest school nemesis Draco Malfoy is often described as “pale and pointed” and much attention is given to his looks when he is injured or not at his best (in years 3 and 6). 

Harry’s also not afraid to admit romantic rivals like Cedric Diggory or Slytherins like Blaise Zabini are nice to look at. 

Even Professor Dumbledore gets a more platonic version of this attention: his blue eyes always draw Harry’s attention, and a not insignificant amount of time is spent on the headmaster’s appearance in books 4 through 7.

Since Pansy Parkinson is one of the few girls whose appearance Harry describes in a negative way throughout the series, Cho does not become any less beautiful to Harry once his attraction to her has faded at the end of book 5, and Romilda’s dismissal of his friends makes Harry immediately hostile towards her in book 6, it’s probably safe to assume that looks matter to Harry, but personality matters a lot more.

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so then, what type of person would be ideal for Harry?

In short, Harry’s ideal partner is someone who can do the following:

support him physically, mentally and emotionally

challenge him and his perspective without degrading/downplaying his experiences

make him laugh and have fun

make him want to spend time with them, in peaceful or hectic settings

grow as a person alongside him over a lifetime

That’s a lot to ask for, even before getting into the long version. 

Harry should have someone who can balance their high regard for him with their willingness to ground him when he needs it. They should not idolize him, but they shouldn’t take him for granted either; the last thing they will want to do is make him feel invisible or silenced.

This should be someone who isn’t afraid to have fun or be silly, whether that’s on the Quidditch pitch or elsewhere, but who can get serious when they have to. 

This person should encourage Harry’s curiosity and thirst for adventure, two traits he will likely carry with him into his adulthood (because really, as much as the fandom tries to pretend Harry is a dumb little boy who Just Wants To Be Normal, “I’ve had enough adventure for a lifetime” is definitely something Harry only says because he’s just murdered Voldemort and he needs a bloody nap). At the same time, they should be strong and competent enough to protect Harry even when he doesn’t think he needs protecting—and confident enough to push back on Harry every time he starts saying “I’m fine”. 

Harry has spent so much time relying on himself that it will be an uphill battle for anyone trying to prove themselves to be his match, but he will not be happy in a relationship where he has to be the hero for someone else all the time, or someone else is always rescuing him. It will be a delicate battle between providing Harry an exciting life, but with enough soft places to land to give his battered psyche peace.

Without trying to be his therapist, this person should also help Harry mitigate his emotional shortcomings. Growing up with the “no emotional support here” Dursleys left the adolescent Harry ill-equipped to deal with things like his crush crying because she was grieving her ex-boyfriend and had no one else to turn to. This would be a hard thing for anyone to handle, but Harry’s tendency to bury his woes and lash out when pressured ran completely counter to Cho’s grief and need to talk about Cedric’s death, and it drove them apart. 

The same situation comes up again in his relationship with Ginny, where his desire to protect her and keep her untouched and “away” from Voldemort and the war as much as possible caused friction between them which was never fully resolved (outside of Voldemort being kind enough to die and ‘remove’ the problem himself, of course). So while Harry’s description of his time with Ginny as “like something out of someone else’s life” may come off as wistful or romantic on a first read, a partner who distracts Harry from who he is is ultimately not what’s best for him.

So, without judgment or pity, Harry’s partner would need to allow him the space to feel his feelings, while also preventing him from spending too much time grieving or standing still.

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Sooo with all that in mind, with all that we know about Harry, is it so mad to believe that his best match might be an adventurous, powerful, playful, and protective wizard who holds him in high regard? Someone clever enough to return his verbal barbs and pique his curiosity? Insightful enough to know what he wants and needs before he can say it aloud? Compassionate enough to look after Harry when he won’t look after himself? A wizard he knows quite well, but always lamented not knowing more about? Someone with whom he might have unfinished business...?

Just saying. ^^

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[firendgold]

Recs pleaze.

They're not based around time travel, but you should read this ongoing fanfic about harrydore by The_Real_Larken and also this one by inarticulateimbecile because they are gorgeous and I've never read pining written so well. I read these and I also yearn.

Anything by BvinYa_Raama is also typically very good and they have a talent for being very funny in the bargain, so check out this fic of theirs or this one depending on whether you fancy darkly-tinged humor or just straight-up darkness with the promise of tantalizing things to come.

When it comes to actual firegold/time travel!harrydore though, I'd recommend you pull anything from this masterlist on the blog (also typed out below just in case, since direct pastes are just taking me to the homepage for some reason x.x).

The masterlist needs to have one or two new fics from 2023 added, I believe, but anything on that list will be amazing!

https://firendgold.tumblr.com/works

[firendgold]

okay @kazuza-art I’m back on a separate post because tumblr apparently has a fucking character limit for text posts. trust my rage.

last time we covered why for me personally gr*ndeld*re has more holes in it than swiss cheese. now we’ll cover why I think time travel harrydore is superior and respects both characters.

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harrydore

the tl;dr of the below is the following sentences: I don't believe in 'opposites attract' at all, but I do believe that your partner should be similar and different enough from you to keep the relationship fresh and inspiring and romantic. An Albus who's years post-Ariana's death has the emotional capacity and maturity to appreciate Harry as a partner that he didn't have at almost-eighteen.

oh yeah uh, since this is time travel!harrydore we'll put this on the playing field of 'Harry is somehow in a time period where Albus is alive and well and post-1899 stuff'. I have to obviously take canon into account where Harry's a kid growing up and Albus is very much an adult for my arguments, but like... what can you do. I'm not asking That Woman to write me a canon harrydore story. She's a TERF hanging with fascists these days, and also she would fuck it up.

here's why harrydore screams 'solution' to me:

Harry and Albus care deeply about each other, despite their own best efforts, and this is shown consistently. Even when the fandom has been wildly inconsistent and flat-out wrong about Harry and Albus and what they mean to each other, That Woman has kept their bond consistent even through works she didn't write like Cursed Child. Harry comes from an abusive/neglectful environment and his relationship strategy boils down to 'abandon them before they abandon me first'; Albus is allergic to showing his entire self to anyone after being betrayed and left behind, so he talks above people's heads and leads them astray with batty humor. Despite all that, despite coming into their initial headmaster-student relationship with their walls up higher than China's, they eventually became fond of one another to the point where they are constantly re-affirming their loyalty and devotion to one another beyond the cause of defeating Voldemort. It’s to the point where Dumbledore literally dies and Harry, seventeen years old and in danger of dying every thirty seconds in Deathly Hallows, spends a significant amount of time wondering why his mentor wasn’t open and honest with him about his personal life beforehand.

Harry and Albus can (and do) make each other better, physically and emotionally. Albus has an astounding amount of faith in Harry almost from the moment they meet; he talks to and treats him with a lot of respect. This only grows as he gets to know Harry better through their annual “post-Voldemort-tried-to-kill-Harry” conversations. Albus comes to see Harry as a “better man” than he was as a young person, and later in the series he constantly mentions how admirable and unique he finds Harry’s insight, compassion, incorruptibility, and capacity for forgiveness. On Harry’s part, Albus is one of the few adults who treats him kindly from their first interaction—Albus listens to Harry, he teaches him without being condescending, he believes Harry when others don’t, and he shields him from threats of all kinds (Voldemort, Death Eaters, Rita Skeeter, the whole frigging Ministry of Magic). He admires Albus as the kind of man he might want to be someday—someone powerful who isn’t afraid to be a bit whimsical.  In return for Albus’ high regard and protection, Harry freely gives Albus a lot of trust and unconditional loyalty. There are obviously pitfalls in their relationship that happen due to lack of trust and/or communication from both, but both of them are able to acknowledge and admit that withholding things from each other is wrong and only leads to more pain. 

Albus and Harry use their interactions with each other to smooth over their character flaws, instead of exacerbating them. Albus has spent a century being extremely secretive and distant, partly because of his relationship with Gellert, to the point where even characters he knows as ‘friends’ do not know his entire backstory (with Minerva McGonagall being an exception). Harry has spent so long being ignored that he gravitates toward any who are kind to him, but is just as quick to cut people off if he thinks for a second that they are inauthentic or about to betray him. He also has trouble seeing the ‘grays’ in a person’s character: his view of Ron changes drastically depending on whether they’re on the outs or not, and his view of Snape is extremely negative until almost the end of the series, even though he knows the man is spying for Dumbledore for almost three years. But when Albus and Harry spend time together, or share their thoughts and feelings after Voldemort’s latest attack, they take on one another’s better traits. From Harry, Albus learns (to an extent) to be more open with his thoughts and feelings; from Albus, Harry learns how to read people and predict what they’ll do, and how to put himself in others’ shoes before passing judgment.

Meta reason: in the fandom (unlike an uncomfortable portion of gr*ndeld*re fics and fans) the majority of people who either ship Harry and Albus or appreciate their platonic relationship actually love or at least like both characters. Where other ships involving Harry or Albus sometimes involve one or the other being bashed or diminished to prop up the other partner, most depictions of Harry and Albus in harrydore are respectful to both men and try to be as accurate and in-depth as possible. While, you know, understandably sticking up the middle finger at canon for not letting them be together in any way, shape or form thanks to book 6. There are just not as many bash sessions-disguised-as-fanfics or blatant mischaracterizations of Harry or Albus in time travel!harrydore as there are of either man in alternate ships like gr*ndeld*re, h*nny, dr*rry, t*marry/h*rrym*rt, sn*rry, etc.

Albus and Harry change over time and their relationship changes, too, without dissolving. Harry goes from being a bright-eyed innocent with a sharp tongue to a fierce young man with a temper, and then again to a calmer, insightful young adult with a deeper understanding of the world. Albus goes from a cheerful-but-distant headmaster to a more compassionate, hands-on mentor. And although they fight sometimes, although they don’t always make the right decisions for one another or themselves, both wordlessly resolve to keep working on their relationship. The two of them have had significant disagreements (about Snape, Voldemort, and the prophecy among other things) but have never thrown in the towel. The only reason it ‘ends’ is because Dumbledore passes away and unwittingly leaves Harry alone.

Some might argue that Harry gives a lot in harrydore and Albus takes. I would counter-argue that the giving and taking is almost even between them. Albus sacrifices just as much and more than he does with gr*ndeld*re: his time, his family, his reputation, and his life; but with harrydore he actually gets something back. Harry’s devotion is notable in the series for not being blind hero-worship, but rather a deep appreciation of Albus Dumbledore as a human who makes mistakes but has good intentions. Harry consistently gives Albus tangible (information, the Sword of Gryffindor, random Horcruxes) and intangible (trust, support, faith) things in return for the constant risks Albus takes to keep him safe behind the scenes.

Finally, Harry as-an-adult is to me personally a golden opportunity for Albus, who constantly talks about the value and importance of love, to experience it for himself. We do get some of this in canon through their platonic relationship, but romantically Harry has a lot of traits that a post-Ariana, post-Gellert Albus would appreciate and find compelling. Harry’s very straightforward and says what he means; he may not be a genius or a prodigy, but he’s pretty smart and powerful in his own right; and he values his bonds with others, and will do anything for the people he loves and/or considers family. A wounded Albus who lost his family and the love of his life would be pretty well-served by someone who would remain faithful to him and would not leave his side, no matter what.

In summation: time travel!harrydore is peak in both fandom and meta and it easily clears. gr*ndeld*re could never

[firendgold]

NOT ME MISSING THIS BLOG'S 1 YEAR ANNI ON TUMBLR

...

uh

sorry about missing my blog's first day, y'all, but happy 1 year of time travel harrydore! more to come once my brain has reformed 🥳

[firendgold]

Just wondering, how do you feel about roleswap aus?

Roleswap AU for Harry and Albus? That'd be delicious.

I think there's a fanfic that has a sort of similar premise (although they keep their memories and personalities), but a full roleswap where Albus is the hotheaded Chosen One and Harry is the experienced whimsical mentor would be so... yes. Giiiive it to me.

[firendgold]

Not much is known about what happened with Albus and Aberforth in the immediate period after Ariana’s death—besides Aberforth’s snide comments in Deathly Hallows about Albus being ‘free to move on’ or whatever—so I’ve been thinking of this story idea as a possibility: 

Now-eighteen-year-old Albus still feels duty-bound to stay and look after Aberforth until he’s of age and has finished school, but Aberforth of course hates the sight of his brother now and won’t stand to be in the same room with him for long. On top of that, he’s still dealing with the double-whammy of losing Ariana and being abandoned by Grindelwald.

Enter a mysterious dark-haired stranger who drags the two of them off one another mid-fight, magics away their bruises, sends them to their respective rooms, and then just... moves in.

That’s right, kids, that’s our famous Harry Potter, taking a ‘vacation’ from his purposeless life in the 2000s to help his equally-purposeless mentor in 1899. His desire to do some good for someone he lost leads him to travel back in time (how doesn’t matter, sillies), get the details from Bathilda Bagshot, and then spend a few months tidying up the Dumbledores’ shattered lives.

So Harry breaks up fights every other day, and gets Aberforth to go back to school and get involved in something besides grieving and goat-herding, and gets Albus to eat and go outside and answer his letters and stop brooding about his ex. Harry tries his best to get the brothers to the point where they can function, and maybe go on to become the men he knew them as. 

And Albus watches this stranger take care of him and what’s left of his family so effortlessly, so selflessly, and at first he’s envious and self-conscious and openly pissed off about it—but then Harry keeps caring for them, even after Albus yells at him and ignores him and doesn’t come around for weeks and weeks, and, well... you know, Harry’s really a very handsome man. So empathetic. So powerful. So genuine. So Albus falls in love with him, as you do...

...annnd then there’s lots of angst for them both, because Harry is a twentysomething and Albus is only eighteen and he’s got his whole life ahead of him, and this is Harry’s future mentor and what would dating him mean for the timeline, and Albus barely even knows Harry, and is Albus just more inclined to fall for men who are nice to him, and what if Grindelwald comes back and what if he doesn’t ever come back, and is Harry even gay, and...

Idk, it would be fun.~

[firendgold]

Yes to this! This is one thing that's really taken my attention. It's crazy just how much Harry pays attention to Albus in the books. Description wise I mean. None of his other teachers quite get the same treatment, if you know what I mean. Albus is also the only one - to my knowledge - that Harry tends to refer to with his first name when he thinks of him. Again, especially in conjunction with his other teachers. Like, there's a moment in GoF, where Albus bursts in on him and BCJ, alongside McGonagall and Snape, and Albus is the one who gets a first name mention.

Also, I mean, this description!!!

Another thing I can't help but note, is Harry's almost jealousy regarding how much Albus shared with Grindelwald compared to himself. It's obvious just how much Harry is hurting throughout DH. He's grieving in a way I don't think he ever has - Sirius being a close second.

And on top of that, Harry also has to deal with information coming out about Dumbledore which makes him question everything. But what really unsettled him, when it came to it, wasn't Albus' misty past, but rather Albus' feelings for Harry.

He was scared that Dumbledore had never cared for him. He was scared that the reasons Albus had kept secrets from him - about himself - was because Albus didn't trust or care for him. He needed to know if Dumbledore had ever actually loved him. And that always breaks my heart. Because to the reader - and even Hermione - it was so clear that Albus did love him.

And I do think like you, that had Harry time travelled, or vice versa, these two would have been perfect for each other.

I absolutely get you and agree re: Harry and noticing his professors' physical features. Most of them get an introductory description at best, with exceptions going to Snape (for obvious reasons) and Lupin (because he just looks so underfed and just... not-taken-care-of, which probably is extremely noticeable to someone with Harry's upbringing... though that's a whole other tangent). Meanwhile, Albus' hair, eyes, glasses, and posture are remarked upon frequently. Like, frequently frequently.

When I was writing that bullet, in fact, I was thinking of another moment in GoF towards the beginning, when Harry's just arrived at Hogwarts and he's scanning the staff table. Snape gets an entire unflattering paragraph, and then Harry gives us this gem:

Harry, my dear. My beloved. Why. Why are you paying Albus this much attention. Why are you mirroring him.

It's also interesting that you bring up how often Albus gets Full Name Privilege or First Name Privilege in Harry's head, because I'm frequently arguing about the opposite elsewhere (that Albus never, ever calls Harry "Potter" or "Mr. Potter" or even "my boy" in canon, and anyone who says he does has read too much fanfic). For ship purposes, it becomes even more significant that they frequently refer to each other as if they are on equal footing.

I plan on writing a whole post someday about Harry's jealousy of Grindelwald once I can be relied upon not to turn it into a grindeldore bashing fest lmao. On the one hand, it makes sense that Harry is grieving Albus' presence in his life, since Albus was one of the most steadfast people and gave him a lot of support he desperately needed. There's no other character that wore as many hats for Harry as Albus Dumbledore did, whether he intended to or not.

On the other hand—Deathly Hallows is the book where we learn that there is so much about Albus that we and Harry never knew. We get a huge bucket of information about Grindelwald and his relationship with Albus that we never had before. And while Harry is definitely disillusioned about Albus' dark past, while he is certainly frightened of the possibility that Albus never cared about him after all (which is so STUPID, Harry, how could you not see that Albus loved you???), it is wild that what he chooses to focus on in that talk with Hermione is how much Albus shared with Gellert.

Whether he's aware of it or not, Harry often puts himself (at most a seventeen year-old boy) on the same level as both his headmaster/mentor and his headmaster/mentor's evil ex-boyfriend. I don't know, I just find it notable... and hilarious.

[firendgold]

fic wishlist

it feels selfish to have a wishlist for a rarepair (especially when one of the characters in your rarepair gets so much unnecessary hate), but there are some things I haven’t seen in time travel!harrydore fics yet that I would love to see:

one where Ron and Hermione are with him, or even another of the Ministry Six. (there’s one fic that has this premise already, but it was started so long ago that I don’t know if it’ll ever finish. :’D) it would be so good to see their input on the ship or conflicts about it even happening! granted, there’s plenty of fics where one of those five go back in time with Harry for one reason or another, but the ship is usually always drarry, or tomarry/harrymort, or sirry, or snarry, or just canon ship rehash. I want a harrydore one damn it

a longer one where an older Harry and Albus dismantle the Ministry of Magic/pro-pureblood society that fostered Voldemort, and rebuild it back better--and no, not in the fascist way, in the actual what-we-wanted-from-the-HP-series-as-kids way, before a certain someone decided we just wanted to see marriage and Babies Ever After instead.

one that’s an actual Dark AU with Harry and Albus as Dark Lords, because like... just because Albus did baby fascism with Gellert doesn’t mean he’d want to keep doing it with Gellert if he had an alternative. you know, a partner that wasn’t present when his sister died...

there’s one fic that already exists where Harry is an exotic dancer for a bit and Albus finds him that way, and... I want more of that??? like waaay more?

a really long fic where young!Albus (like maybe Ariana-just-died young) travels forward to the future, which is of course drastically different without his presence, and has to fight old Gellert or Voldemort or someone else with present-day Harry. the angst potential would be so delicious

idk, I know it’s selfish and we’re all out here doing the best we can with our WIPs, but as a fan I’m so hungry.