I think they were friendly and maybe even friends like they would stand up for each other and protect one another because they shared the same loved one - James - and had similar values etc. but I never felt like they were close. From what we know Lily and James started dating in 7th year, I imagine Sirius to be kind of resentful towards Lily because she stole James's time/attention from him so there was never a healthy opportunity to get close even tho they were friendly, I imagine they started to become friends during the time when Lily and James were forced to stay at home. Lily never mentions Remus so they were even less closer atleast in the final years of her life and I imagine she included Peter a lot because she pitied him or hell maybe he was funny or smth. But I still prefer to imagine her as James's girlfriend and wife only and that's how the marauders viewed her.
Am I the only one who feels that lily wasn't as close to the marauders as the fandom makes her out to be?
Now before u jump at me, it's obviously fun to explore the dynamics btw different characters thru hcs and fanfics. However, i m only considering canon facts in this post.
First off, we never hear sirius or remus speak about lily when james isn't involved in the conversation. James was obviously a close friend, more lyk a brother, so its only natural that they reminisce him often. Both of them remark on harry's resemblance to james pretty often. It's literally the first thing sirius mentions when he sees harry for the first time in poa, saying james would have taken risks for him the same way harry came for ron. Remus compares harry's humor and unflinching belief in his friends to james aswell. There are constant little mentions post gof of james by both of them.
But lily? Absolutely nothing. We obviously can't expect her to be mentioned as many times as james coz she wasn't in their original friend group, but she isn't mentioned at all. The only time she's spoken about is post swm, and that's still in relation to her getting together with james. We learn more about lily from snape, someone she cut ties with when she was 15, than from her supposed besties. Heck, we learn more about her from Slughorn, her school teacher, than we ever did from sirius and remus.
Ik lily addresses sirius and peter by their nicknames in that letter, but i honestly always saw it as a casual thing, obvs in a fond way but not an indicator of their relationship.
There is obviously potential for a close friendship, there's often potential for a lot of things in fiction, but that doesn't make it canon. Apart from fighting the same war these characters don't seem to have anything in common. Yeah, both lily and sirius have complicated relationships with their siblings, but I would hardly compare a failed relation to having your sibling be brainwashed by your abusive family into following a cult that's trying to get u and ur friends killed.... Besides, lily is portrayed as this pure, perfect mother in canon while sirius and remus are both massively flawed characters, and that leaves little room for understanding between these characters.
Now, this isn't to say that the didn't like each other ofc, but the way lily's only mentioned with respect to james, they probably liked and respected her as their best friend's wife. There's no way I'm believing that they were super close when she isn't mentioned on her own even once after she's dead, it makes it pretty clear that the relationship was only because of james. There's nothing wrong with that ofc, it happens in plenty of friend groups and families, i just wish there were more fics representing their relationship the way it was originally written( although fanfics exploring their relationship are LIT in their own fanon way).
Haha I also don't always agree with you on everything but I genuinely loveeee your perspectives. You are bringing a lot of reason to hp fandom girl š
I think you're genuinely so smart. I can ignore some of your more...wrong opinions. Because I love reading what you have to say, it's always very interesting! Keep going love š
My therapists think so too, to be honest. Though I always say that I might be more or less intelligent, I donāt really care about thatāwhat I do firmly believe is that Iām always right lol.
Btw Thank You šš»ā„ļø
Snirius AU! idea where both of them survive the series and Sirius cannot deal with the idea of Severus being a hero who basically saved the entire world from the shadows and even less so that Harry is now grateful to him. More of that: that Harry went from despising him to respecting him and has basically become his #1 defender to the point where you canāt even breathe a slightly negative word about Snape in front of him without Harry going off. The jealousy is eating Sirius alive, diva-level, feeling completely replaced and displaced and meanwhile Severus is somewhere remote in Muggle England where no one can find him, deeply depressed about having survived ā because dying was literally the only thing he wanted ā and he absolutely does not want to see anyone from the wizarding world ever again because heās completely, utterly done with all of them and hate all of them and expend his days avoiding everyone.
Iām just leaving this prompt here. Now you authors go and make magic.
Still, to appease the more radical purebloods and future death eaters, Snape must have internalized some of that anti muggleborn propaganda that Voldemort was spewing and the hatred his Slytherin friends were spreading. Although I'm aware that majority of the wizarding society held some superiority over muggles and I even believe many of the so called good purebloods (like the Potters) were condecensing to muggleborns sometimes, tho unknowingly, there is a difference between quiet prejudice with no ill intent and the radical bigoted beliefs that some of the wizards held. The death eaters clearly believed that muggles were human sickness and muggleborns were no better and Snape was around that rhetoric every day and later became part of its circle. I always just saw Snape as a selfish person who tried to gain more power and a sense of belonging and he was insecure enough to believe many of the bigoted beliefs that was part of Voldemort propaganda or just the overall hardcore prejudice. He called muggleborns mudbloods even when he was Lily's friend. I always imagine him as someone who would dismiss Lily's feelings about slytherins and even gaslight her about Voldemort's propaganda and her worry behind anti muggleborns rhetoric. Like he downplayed it while participating in it at the same time. We can see this with any real life prejudice existing in our world. Many people who are homophobic try to create reasons for disliking gay people and when gay people complain about their hatred, they just downplay it, make it seem like its not that big of a deal or just continue with their excuses. I can see Snape being like that. And even if his reason for joining death eaters had nothing to do with violence and hatred, he became part of it anyway and being part of something like that influences the way you think especially if you wanted to be part of it. He also became part of it during the time the violence was already known and that certainly did not stop him so he must have had some prejudices or highly ignorant beliefs towards muggleborns.
It seems like you're very determined to apply a strictly logical, real-world mindset to a fictional, fantasy world. I get that imagining a Severus Snape with deeply ingrained, extremist, anti-Muggle biases would make more sense in a real-world context and may feel more "realistic". But that wasnāt the point of Snapeās character. This is a story, and not everything needs to follow real-world logic exactly. Even in reality, not everything unfolds as expected. Snapeās character is, in many ways, an exceptionāhe surprises audiences frequently and makes choices that donāt always align with his past actions or logical expectations. Some of these contradictions seem deliberate; Snape has to exist in this gray area for the story to hold its depth and ambiguity.
So, while Snape does associate with future Death Eaters and, at times, seems to justify their actions, that doesnāt mean he fully internalized all of their views or intended to act exactly like them. Lily did a similar thing, in a way: she mentions that she often tried to excuse Snapeās behavior or overlook his mistakes. But we wouldnāt conclude that Lily agreed with or had adopted Snapeās beliefs. Another example is Peter Pettigrew, who is almost Snapeās opposite. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor, the very house that upholds Dumbledoreās ideals and values. He surrounded himself with people destined to be future Order members, yet look at what he became. Peter didnāt just reject his friendsā beliefs; he betrayed them completely and was loyal to Voldemort for years, even plotting his friends' deaths and stayed loyal to Voldemort for years afterward, to the point of risking Harryās life for Voldemort's return.
I donāt deny that Snape held biases and some prejudiced views, whether as a teenager or a young Death Eater. But, as I mentioned in my previous post, thereās no solid evidence that he was an extreme racist, a torturer of Muggle-borns, or someone who delighted in the idea of ācleansingā the wizarding world.
As a personal opinion, I also feel that comparing real-world homophobia to anti-Muggle sentiment in the wizarding world isnāt quite the same. Muggles and wizards have a long, tumultuous history, and at one point, Muggles persecuted wizards to the extent that they had to hide their world to ensure safety and survival. This isnāt a distant pastāHagrid even mentions in Philosopherās Stone that Muggles would likely exploit wizards if they discovered their powers. So, while homophobia is irrational and baseless, anti-Muggle sentiments in the wizarding world, however wrong, are somewhat rooted in historical fear and survival. Itās no surprise, then, that the wizarding society hasnāt fully let go of its anti-Muggle biases, even after the wars.
Their relationship deteriorated because it was full of miscommunication. They just had these expectations and views of each other that were never fulfilled, I suppose. They couldnāt understand each other, and that was the main problem. Snape probably idealized Lily, while Lily didnāt understand Snape, so she couldnāt see why he kept hurting her in her eyes. They loved the idea of having a best friend, but I donāt think they ever truly knew each other. What kept Lily coming back was nostalgia, safety, and probably shared interests.
I absolutely hate the whole 'snape loved lily' plot twist. People often equate it to the way Sirius still loved and missed james years after his death and went to insane lengths to protect his son, but tht was so not the case with snily.
Coz snape and lily had such a toxic, imperfect relationship in canon, but instead of treating it tht way it was never addressed. It wud hv been so interesting to explore this, but the series just doesn't.
Both of them r awful friends to each other. Snape's faults r obviously pretty clear (aiming to join a terrorist group tht believes ppl lyk his friend shouldn't be alive...yea tht doesn't need to be mentioned twice lol). Don't get me wrong, lily was completely right to cut Snape off, but it wasn't lyk she was a good friend even before tht. Can u ever imagine Ron or Hermione almost smiling if Draco was exposing Harry's underpants to a crowd of jeering students? Nope. They wud throw hands, period. Can u imagine any of the marauders doing tht to each other? (their internal dynamics might not be the healthiest but they wudnt stand for it if an outsider bullied their friends). Absolutely not. Coz it's not about these characters, it's just... not how u react when ur 'friend' is getting tormented (or anyone else for tht matter, but friend in this context specifically). Also can u imagine Ron or Hermione relying on school rumours saying tht Draco saved Harry's life without asking Harry about his version of the event first? Nope. Can u see what I'm getting at here?
Lily wasn't even a good friend to Snape to begin with, but he loved her until the end (irrespective of whether u want to see it as romantic or platonic). Now, I cud buy the narrative tht lily was the only person who was ever kind to him and thts y he clung on to her, but thts not how canon sees it. The source material doesn't address the nuances of this relationship in any meaningful way other than 'snape loved lily and tht is y he switched sides'.
Which is y the reason he switches sides, and his continued love for lily until he dies at 38 seems sort of shallow to me. Coz it wud be different if he'd hurt someone who truly loved him, but thts clearly not the case (u cud say tht lily loved him and did wrong by him too but tht isn't canon, given tht canon doesn't think she ever wronged him to begin with). Just feels lyk he was gaslit by the author tbh
But like I said there isn't anything that proves Lily isn't mediocre in personality. She is a normal person without anything special that would tie her to Voldemort. Her traits of stubornness and cold streak are traits any person can have. You implied she would be a better match for Voldemort than Harry just because they wouldn't clash but that would mean she has the same personality as Harry does which is not true at all. Harry has been through hell. He is used to danger therefore he wouldn't crush under Voldemort's will. His psyche is trained to withstand danger and Voldemort's antics. Lily would crush because she grew up to be a normal person with normal reactions. She cannot relate to Voldemort in any way. They have no path that would allow them to connect. It would all be just manipulations on Voldemort's part. She also wasn't abused. Just because she has a great knack for intuitive magic does not mean she has the right personality to match with Voldemort's. It is implied she is insecure and the interactions we have of her do not prove her supposed genius. It seems like she makes exactly the same judgements as Harry does. Like when she said to Snape he should be grateful to James for saving him. She seems to go along with the crowd and allow others to influence her easily. I feel like part of her insecurity is that she wants a social standing and to belong. And also if she was as magically powerful as you said we would definitely see or hear more proof of that no? There is not much about her that Voldemort would find impressive or worthy of interest either. He would probably find her easy to manipulate and use. She would be scared of him and see him as just a monster because they have nothing in common and nothing to relate to in the other. What my main point is also is just because a character is implied to be talented does not mean they are a good fit to be shipped with an other talented person. That does not guarantee a good dynamic or chemistry. What creates that dynamic is personality. The reason they would not work is because of very different life experiences and life perspective. And also because Voldemort wouldn't want to connect with someone he doesn't find relatable. And what seems to work in Voldemort ships the most is when he can relate to the other person or they have something deep in common. The path to him respecting someone opens when they can somehow understand him. There is not a person that understands him more than Harry - that is confirmed in the canon text. Lily has nothing that would make him respect her humanity. Her magic means nothing too because tomarry also doesn't work because of Harry's talent and like you said he and Lily share the same talent. Tomarry works for the many different reasons I mentioned in my text and Lily simply doesn't have that. I really don't understand your perspective sorry.
hello! i was wondering whether or not you can envision someone as better suited for tom/voldemort since i remember you saying neither harry nor hermione would be a match ā them being the most popular two characters shipped with tom. and on that note, what do you think about bellatrix and voldemort? pro/against?
i tend to get a bit blindsided by the sheer obsession she has for him, honestly. i mean⦠i feel like she would be willing to shape herself down to the last atom to what appeals to him, if he ever were to show any true interest, and thatās very⦠sad.
Hello š
Thank you for the ask and as with all ship asks, ship what you ship, these are just my subjective opinions.
Now, what I said about Tomarrymort is that I don't think they would realistically get together and have a functioning relationship, I didn't say it wasn't fun. Like, I love Tomarrymort, but only if the relationship is a messy push and pull that makes everyone (both involved and uninvolved) miserable.
Now, as for Bellamort...
Do I think they had sex at some point in canon? Maybe. Like, that's not the most absurd thing about CC for me, so I consider it plausible.
Do I think Voldemort actually likes Bella romantically? Not really.
Do I think their relationship works like an actual equal functional relationship? Not one bit.
Do I think their relationship is entertaining and interesting? I mean, clearly, many people do, but I don't like Bellamort.
Like, it really doesn't interest me. There's a reason I only like Tomarrymort when there's a push and pull and Harry and Tom are portrayed as the equals they are. Like, I don't like Tomarrymort where Harry is completely submissive to Voldemort and Bellamort for the same reason ā these aren't the kind of relationships that make Tom interesting.
I like both Tom and Bellatrix a lot as individuals, but I don't think a romantic and/or sexual relationship between them pushes their characters to interesting places. They are both stagnate in this relationship and, for me personally, that just doesn't interest me.
Like, Bellatrix is completely submissive to Voldemort nodding her head excitedly and panting after him: "Yes my lord! Whatever you say, my lord!" And this is not the type of dynamic that'd push either character towards growth. They don't push each other into a character arc, which is what I usually like my ships to do.
Additionally, this dynamic basically means Voldemort always gets what he wants, and Bellatrix is happy with it, as you said, she'd shape herself for his every whim. This isn't a relationship between equals. It's a relationship where she worships him and he doesn't respect her or care about her as a person. Like, at all.
The dynamic we see from them in the books gave me the impression Voldemort cares about Bellatrix. He doesn't want her to be hurt or to die:
Bellatrixās gloating smile froze, her eyes began to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.
(DH)
But he cares about her like how you care about your favorite pet. He relished in giving her orders and having her submit completely:
āMaster, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!ā sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemortās feet as he paced slowly nearer. āMaster, you should know āā āBe quiet, Bella,ā said Voldemort dangerously. āI shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?ā āBut Master ā he is here ā he is below āā Voldemort paid no attention.
(OotP)
He doesn't actually care about her being hurt if it's not too bad, he doesn't care about her feelings or apologies, especially not when Harry is right in front of him ā his obsession, his one failure. Bellatrix takes a backseat, basically always. He doesn't care about her all that much. He cares and respects her like a loyal dog, not like a person he has a relationship with.
He also relished in humiliating and embarrassing her. He likes making fun of her in ways Bella clearly does not enjoy, which isn't something you'd do to someone you love:
āIām talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And your, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud.ā There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks, a few thumped the table with their fists. The great snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant where that at Bellatrix and the Malfoysā humiliation. Bellatrixās face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.
(DH)
she's desperate to please him, to tell him everything she thinks he wants to hear and she happily lets him treat her like fucking dirt. I don't find a relationship like that compelling, as I said, Voldemort would never change for Bellatrix and Bellatrix honestly deserves better than this. He even lets other Death Eaters jeer and laugh at her, this is not a romantic relationship.
Like even if he had sex with her, it was purely physical as he just doesn't care about her as a person like this. As more than a faithful servant (which he enjoys making fun of, as he does so for many of them).
And he is unwilling to show her real, unintentional weakness or ask her for help:
āMy Lord, let meāā āI do not require assistance,ā said Voldemort coldly, and though he could not see it, Harry pictured Bellatrix withdrawing a helpful hand.
(DH)
He does trust her with one of his Horcrux as the cup is kept in her vault and she seems to know what it is:
āBe quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!ā She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners. āIf it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed,ā she muttered, more to herself than to the others. āThe Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself. . . . But if he finds out . . . I must . . . I must know. . . .ā
(DH)
He trusts her loyalty, and she is one of his preferred Death Eaters (he doesn't hate her like he does Wormtail, Tom appreciates courage and loyalty, which are both traits Bellatrix possesses) but he clearly doesn't trust her with his backstory in the first war:
āShut your mouth!ā Bellatrix shrieked. āYou dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-bloodās tongue, you dare āā āDid you know heās a half-blood too?ā said Harry recklessly. Hermione gave a little moan in his ear. āVoldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle ā or has he been telling you lot heās pureblood?ā āSTUPEF āā āNO!ā A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrangeās wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. [...] āHe dared ā he dares āā shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. āā He stands there ā filthy half-blood āā
(OotP)
She doesn't really know who Voldemort is. She worships the persona of Voldemort. She loves his lies and masks. She doesn't actually know Tom Riddle. And I don't think she could accept and love the real Tom Riddle behind the title of Voldemort ā the poor but brilliant nerdy half-blood who craves recognition. She would find him pathetic.
It's basically Hinny, isn't it?
She adores his persona and fame and what people think he is without actually knowing or understanding him. She changes her personality to fit what she thinks his girl needs to be because she is so focused on being with him. And He likes that she doesn't get in his way and lets him do and say whatever without crying about it but doesn't care about her or her feelings nearly as much as people think.
Bellamort is just Hinny with a different skin, and I never liked Hinny.
Like Hinny, they don't know or understand each other, and it's clear Bella and Ginny care about Voldemort and Harry more than the boys care about them. Like, yes, Harry would be devastated if Ginny died, but he'd get over it way faster than he did about Sirius. Same for Voldemort, he cares about Bella, but not as an equal he understands and cares for the feelings of. Voldemort got over Bella's death fairly quickly as well, he's way more focused on Harry.
So, with all of this, who do I think is the best pairing for Voldemort?
If we're talking about canon characters who are actually characters in the books? Then Harry is my top choice. Harry is the only one Voldemort would see as an equal and can actually push and change Voldemort as much as Voldemort changes him. There is no other character in canon, I believe, who would be able to do this to the level Harry could. Their dynamic is just so mutually obsessive and tense that a relationship like that can't not change both of them in a myriad of interesting ways.
Though, I was thinking about it, and Severus/Voldemort have potential. Voldemort clearly respects Sev and his opinions more than the average Death Eater:
Snape did not speak. āPerhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen.ā āMy Lordāā
(DH)
He cares about him and regrets having to kill him:
Harry saw Snapeās face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snakeās fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor. āI regret it,ā said Voldemort coldly
(DH)
Voldy is willing to forgive Sev for things he'd kill most for. They have so much shared experience (poor, muggle childhood in incredibly abusive environments) that would allow them to understand each other. They probably both get frustrated over pureblood idiocy. Both are intelligent and share many interests, like they're both magic nerds who'd talk all night about magical theory...
So, I think, under the right circumstances, Severus is a pretty good pairing for Voldemort.
The only real downside is that depending on when they get together, they'd push each other to be more extremist and overall worse. Like, they'd push each other to have less empathy for other people if they get together, say, during the first war. Well, it might not be a downside. It really depends on how you look at it.
If they get together in the second war, it's different, and in my opinion, more compelling and interesting for both of them. Like, pairing them up after Voldemort's return and after Sev already turned traitor opens so many interesting avenues. I mean, Sev was someone Voldemort actually regretted killing, that was remorse there, wasn't it? It means Severus could push Voldemort to change in a way Bellatrix doesn't. Because Voldemort respects Snape in a way he doesn't respect Bella. I mean, think about how many times Voldemort shut Bella down when she kept insisting Snape is a traitor ā it's clear he values Snape more than he values her.
If we're also looking at side characters we don't know as much about, then we have some more options.
@iamnmbr3 has convinced me that Alphard Black/Tom Riddle is an option, and I have been very compelled by it. We don't know much about Alphard, but that never really stopped me because what we do know is interesting.
We know he is Sirius' uncle. He was born after Walburga but before Cygnus, probably closer in age to Walburga. So, I headcanon he was born in 1927 and was in the same year as Tom Riddle.
We know Alphard was a Slytherin since Sirius mentions all his family was in Slytherin, which would include his uncle. And we know Alphard was burned off the family tapestry when he gave Sirius money when Sirius ran away from home.
This leaves us with a character, who's cunning, capable of listening to his older sister Walburga go off about whatever without making the fight worse but has a spine to stand up to her bullshit when it's actually important. This gives him the right characteristics to be able to wrangle a character arc out of a romance with a younger Tom Riddle (and perhaps the older one, too).
He's a pureblood who's open-minded enough to support Sirius and not hate muggleborns (probably). He likely has the subtlety necessary to fix Tom without Tom feeling like he's being fixed. Alphard, used to his very eventful family, is an expert in dealing with dramatic people (like his siblings) and how to undercut their drama instead of pushing them further into their position (which is what Harry would do, for example. Harry and Tom would keep pushing at each other while someone like Alphard would be able to just remove the heat from the argument and allow it to not get as extreme).
Again, it's not much to go on, but it has so much potential.
(Also, @iamnmbr3 has this post about how Voldemortās violence became worse in 1979, which happens to be the same year Alphard Black died, and while I don't agree with all the points made there, I find it to be a super fun concept)
Voldemort/Lily also has potential. She's smart, stubborn, academically inclined, and has the right rough edges to have the kind of push-and-pull dynamic with Voldemort that I like with Tomarrymort. Lily is probably the kind of witch Voldemort could grow to respect as well. I don't think he would've agreed to spare her for Snape if he didn't respect both of them. JKR also said he tried to recruit James and Lily, so, he was aware that she was talented.
I think, though, Lily/Voldemort would be slightly better than Harry/Voldemort in some aspects. Lily isn't as hot-headed as Harry. Lily's anger is usually much colder, which I feel would work better with Tom just because she wouldn't push all his buttons (just most of them). She would still push him into a character arc, but it would be a gentler nudge than if Harry did it.
My only real rule when shipping Tommy Boy is that he can't be shipped with someone mediocre, he'll just steamroll over them completely, and that's not as fun, in my opinion. He needs a partner he can grow to respect and see as an equal (or close to it) and that has the spine to stand up to him, otherwise, he'd just keep getting what he wants, and I think that's the opposite of what Voldemort needs in a relationship.
Yep. Same way when people try to say that Lily was like Harry and that they had similar personalities whilst Harry and James shared the looks. What a lazy perspective. Personality is not shaped by genetics. It is formed by life circumstances and upbringing, and those significantly differed with Lily and Harry. Lily grew up loved, in a safe household, with an identity of her own. She lived a safe life, at least till the end of her school years. Harry was in survival mode since the day his parents died. He grew up physically and emotionally neglected, abused and had no sense of identity. Later in life, his identity was forced upon him by the whole wizarding world. He was forced to fight and die. He was groomed to be a soldier and to have a survival and hero-like mentality. Harry and Lily might share their kindness or good heart, but their personalities, priorities, motivations, and behavior/thought patterns couldn't be more different.
harry potter is NOT james potter.
I love parallels. I love people reminding others of those they've lost along the way.
But Harry Potter is not James . And that is so vital to his entire character.
When people see Harry, they see James. They see a James who sees the world through Lily's eyes. When they see Harry, they don't see Harry.
And that is so vital to his entire being. It's vital to how people see Harry. The people that didn't know James, see the Boy-Who-Lived.
The people who did, who were close to Harry, to James, to Lily. They see James and Lily Potter. They see the people who died, people they were close to, people they miss every day but will never see again.
Remus, Sirius, Snape, McGonagall.
At first, they see James and Lily. And then when they meet him - apart from Snape- they quickly realise he is anything but.
Harry is not arrogant, rich, spoilt. He doesn't have an ego, he doesn't play pranks, he isn't a chaser, he doesn't pick fights.
Harry isn't exceptionally bright at everything he does, he isn't inconceivably forgiving for those who don't deserve it.
He is not Lily and James.
When peole write Harry as a golden retriever, as effortlessly good at everything, they aren't writing about Harry.
Harry who grew up not wanted. Harry who grew up believing something was wrong with him. Harry who was forced into the wizarding world with no knowledge. Harry who is as stubborn as a mule,. Harry who is loyal to a fault, who forgives those he loves, Harry who isn't his parents.
He has traits of them, their anger, their ability to love, and much much more.
BUT Harry Potter isn't them. He isn't the 'best of them both' he isn't James or Lily or Sirius or Regulus.
Harry Potter is Harry. Just Harry.
And that is why he doesn't get along ith Snape. That's why McGonagall believes Harry dragged Neville out for a joke in first year.
When people see Harry, they don't see Harry. And by writing Harry as somebody else, or as 'so-and-so's child' you're not doing the character justice.
'I want a complex character with complex relationships'
'i want an angry character'
'i want to read a book that makes me think'
you couldn't even handle Harry Potter.
But he is the best chaser and quidditch requires a lot of training. It's also the equivalent to football. You also don't have to be buff to be very athletic, you can be lean and slightly muscular. I think all the adventures and quidditch training does tell the readers that Harry is an athletic person. Everyone who does quidditch is an athlete. Quidditch is the main sport and Viktor Krum, one of the most popular quidditch players, is very masculine.
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describing harry as "an insanely athletic man" while all he does is sit on a flying broom is crazy work
Every time I see someone in the fandom joke about Harry being an āattention seekerā or ādramaticā I think about that one post that says that Harry goes through a lot of problems women face (people calling you a liar/dramatic/an attention seeker when youāre in pain and suffering). Because how the hell is both canon AND the fandom calling him dramatic after everything he experienced and went through.
(If anyone knows the post Iām talking about and has the link please please please send it to me, I would love to reread it but idk where it went.)
cute
Their ship(romantic or platonic idk) name being eclipse is something really cute to me
Men are just incapable of creating meaningful friendships that would fullfill their emotional needs and that is not women's fault.
If I have to see one more goddamn mention of the āmale loneliness epidemicā iām going to shoot myself. Yknow women have been lonely. For centuries. For millennia women have been lonely, isolated in marriages they didnāt want, forced into domestic labour they never asked for, at home with children they never dreamed of having, having their rights, their dreams, their aspirations, their hopes and dreams stripped away from them. For millennia! But sure some men canāt make friends and mean women won't fuck them. Letās call it an epidemic and have all of the worldās professionals turn an eye to it, letās have a shit ton of articles and papers written about why men canāt make friends or get girlfriends and how thatās just not fair you guys! Itās not as though men have been having the world spoon fed to them, carried to them on a golden platter for millennia either. Itās not as though every woman in a manās life is forced constantly to do emotional labour for him because he has the mentality of a fucking six year old and is effectively useless on his own. It is the de facto position for a wife or a girlfriend to āfixā a useless man, to make him a real man, to make him empathetic and kind and patient, to temper and mature him and just hope to god he doesnāt fucking kill her on the way there. Men are lonely? Fucking good. Maybe, for the first time in civilisation, they fucking should be.