gwen&cindy
one fun thing about being a teacher in march 2023 is that chess is a literal epidemic among teens. we are starting to have meetings about how we can STOP teenagers from playing too much chess which is like if we were trying to figure out how to stop them from reading for fun. When i was in high school five years ago chess was nerd shit only but now it is transcending every social and language barrier and is absolutely rampant. kids aren’t on their phone texting in class anymore it’s ONLY chess.com. kids are playing chess on their phones while playing chess in real life. this is still better than tiktok because at least the kids are developing an attention span from this
As readers we only know what Harry notices/pays attention to, and although we have no idea what color Cho’s eyes are or what Zacharias Smith’s voice sounds like, we know a lot about Draco Malfoy. Consider. We know:
His hair is blond. But not just blond. It’s a particular, white-blond color that gleams in the sunlight.
And very sleek, but loose enough that it falls around his face if he moves around vigorously enough.
He has grey eyes. Not just grey, but specifically light grey.
Harry also frequently describes them as glittering or sparkling.
He presumably has a sweet tooth as he gets regular sweets packages from home delivered by his eagle owl.
He has very pale skin which takes on a grayish tinge when he’s sickly.
He tends to narrow his eyes when he’s angry.
He doesn’t blush when he’s embarrassed but he does flush - just enough to give his skin a faint pink tinge.
He tends to move his hands a lot when talking animatedly.
His speech has a very specific drawling cadence and tone that makes his voice easily recognizable (to Harry at least).
This is all in canon.
Meanwhile, even though Harry and Ron are together practically 24/7 for seven years, we only find out that Ron’s eyes are blue halfway through Deathly Hallows.
In Yiddish we don’t say “I love you” we say “דאַלוי פּאָליציי” which roughly translates to “you’re my moon” and I think that’s beautiful.
every xmen movie summarized by markiplier:
Thinking about this parallel because I recently rewatched X-Men Origins: Wolverine and I couldn't help but think about the scene from Black Widow.
I know the movies have nothing to do with each other - just thought it was an interesting detail, although possibly not intentional.
Logan: It was real for me.
Kayla: It was real for me, too.
Yelena: It was real to me. You are my mother.
Natasha: It was real to me, too.
listen up I need to talk about characters in pain alone. a fighter who won their most recent match but who goes home alone to a crappy little apartment where they're lucky if they manage to make some ramen before they pass out on the couch, only to wake stiff with bruises in a few hours. a vigilante who loses to the villain and gets left on a rooftop to pick themself up and try to stagger home without getting found, arrested, or passing out in their costume. the new member on a team who gets the dirtiest, hardest jobs as an initiation and who can't admit to anyone that they're breaking under the pressure because all their teammates will hear is weakness.
I need characters pasting bandages on injuries with trembling fingers as their vision blurs. I need characters desperately trying to haul themselves up just one more stair so they can stagger to their front door. I need characters who make it through that door only to collapse right behind it, watching the light in their bathroom blur and fade before they can get to their first aid kit. I need characters passing out in alleyways only to wake up hours later and know they still have to try to make it home on their own because they think they have no one to call.
Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253
Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453
Samaritans (for any problem): 08457909090 e-mail jo@samaritans.org
Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem): 08001111
Mind infoline (mental health information): 0300 123 3393 e-mail: info@mind.org.uk
Mind legal advice (for people who need mental-health related legal advice): 0300 466 6463 legal@mind.org.uk
b-eat eating disorder support: 0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) e-mail: help@b-eat.co.uk
b-eat youthline (for under 25’s with eating disorders): 08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm - 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)
Cruse Bereavement Care: 08444779400 e-mail: helpline@cruse.org.uk
Frank (information and advice on drugs): 0800776600
Drinkline: 0800 9178282
Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 1(open 2 - 2.30pm 7 - 9.30pm) e-mail info@rapecrisis.org.uk
Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 every day, 6pm to midnight
India Self Harm Hotline: 00 08001006614
India Suicide Helpline: 022-27546669
Kids Help Phone (Canada): 1-800-668-6868
Argentina: 54-0223-493-0430
Australia: 13-11-14
Austria: 01-713-3374
Barbados: 429-9999
Belgium: 106
Botswana: 391-1270
Brazil: 21-233-9191
China: 852-2382-0000
(Hong Kong: 2389-2222)
Costa Rica: 606-253-5439
Croatia: 01-4833-888
Cyprus: 357-77-77-72-67
Czech Republic: 222-580-697, 476-701-908
Denmark: 70-201-201
Egypt: 762-1602
Estonia: 6-558-088
Finland: 040-5032199
France: 01-45-39-4000
Germany: 0800-181-0721
Greece: 1018
Guatemala: 502-234-1239
Holland: 0900-0767
Honduras: 504-237-3623
Hungary: 06-80-820-111
Iceland: 44-0-8457-90-90-90
Israel: 09-8892333
Italy: 06-705-4444
Japan: 3-5286-9090
Latvia: 6722-2922, 2772-2292
Malaysia: 03-756-8144
(Singapore: 1-800-221-4444)
Mexico: 525-510-2550
Netherlands: 0900-0767
New Zealand: 4-473-9739
New Guinea: 675-326-0011
Nicaragua: 505-268-6171
Norway: 47-815-33-300
Philippines: 02-896-9191
Poland: 52-70-000
Portugal: 239-72-10-10
Russia: 8-20-222-82-10
Spain: 91-459-00-50
South Africa: 0861-322-322
South Korea: 2-715-8600
Sweden: 031-711-2400
Switzerland: 143
Taiwan: 0800-788-995
Thailand: 02-249-9977
Trinidad and Tobago: 868-645-2800
Ukraine: 0487-327715
(Source)
The jackets? They’re a family thing.
Harry Potter AU where Harry is hiding in the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes. And he sees Lucius grab Draco with his cane. And he hears the hiss, “What did I tell you?” And he hears the quiver in the blonde boy’s voice, “Don’t touch anything.”
And Harry knows.
Because he’s used the voice that Draco uses for the past twelve years.
He knows.
Because now that he’s lived with the Weasleys for over a month, he knows that that’s not the way that a father’s voice should be.
He knows.
He’s heard Vernon use that voice over and over again, day after day, year after year.
And he knows.
And he acts.
Because really other than being a spiteful little git, at this point, Draco really hasn’t done anything to truly harm Harry. And Harry’s twelve. He’s still young, still innocent, easy to forgive, easy to let his “saving people thing” get the better of him.
He doesn’t do magic. Not really. At least, he doesn’t mean to. Well, he does. But he tries to stop himself. Though it’s not a very good attempt. Either way, the jars on the shelves all shatter, their contents falling onto Lucius’ head.
And Harry bursts out of the cabinet and he grabs a very startled Draco’s hand and he pulls him out of the shop. And they’re running down the dark, grim, streets. And it’s not long before they get lost since Harry doesn’t even know where they are, let alone where they’re going.
But Draco knows exactly where they are and so he tugs Harry down a road and around the corner and suddenly, they’re in Diagon Alley. And Harry’s shocked and confused because how could such a terrible place exist next to such a wonderful one?
But they don’t have time for that now because Lucius is charging after them, green spells bursting out of the end of his wand. And Draco lets out a scream and Harry (bless him) wonders aloud what kind of spells the green ones are.
And Draco is tugging his arm so hard that he thinks it’s going to come out of his socket. And the boys run as fast as they can, pushing through the crowd, and Harry’s probably apologizing and Draco’s screaming at him to move and apologize later.
And Harry sees the mob of red heads and he’s screaming for their assistance.
Fred and George spot him first, right as their mother is asking, “Where on earth could Harry be?”
“Found him,” the twins say.
Gasps. Screams. School supplies tumbling to the ground.
And Arthur and Molly, oh Arthur and Molly, veterans of the original Order of the Phoenix, drawing their strength from parental love, they don’t even hesitate. They grab Harry and Draco and Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Fred and George and Percy and they shove them into the nearest shop.
And the kids are all huddled together, Percy and the twins standing in front of the younger ones, and it’s Ron who manages to whisper, “What’s Malfoy doing here?” Before Hermione stomps on his foot.
And the duel!
The duel is fantastic.
Arthur and Molly verses Lucius.
Just close your eyes and imagine.
And soon Arthur is able to summon other Ministry workers. Including a strange looking man with a strange eye, a man whose skin is slightly darker than Hermione’s, and a girl with bright pink hair who is barely older than Percy.
The battle’s over before it even begins. These strange new people grab Lucius and Apparate away and of course he’ll buy himself out of trouble in no time but at least the immediate threat is gone.
Gilderoy Lockhart timidly steps out and squeaks that it’s a shame that he wasn’t there to stop the duel, that he knew just the hex that could have finished it.
The crowd falls into the streets, praising Arthur and Molly who are quite flustered by all of the attention. Fred and George are clapping their parents on their back, doing a sort of chant. Ron is bragging about how he managed to get a shot in (he hadn’t). Percy is excitedly talking to his father about the legal procedures that Lucius will face. Ginny and Hermione are going around, collecting all of the school supplies that they dropped. Ginny finds a rather unusual book but she dismisses it as something that her parents bought and stuffs it into her bag.
And Harry and Draco. Harry and Draco are staring at one another, not saying a word but having a conversation nonetheless.
Molly finally says that they ought to get back to the Burrow, away from this post-battle excitement. The kids all groan but she and Arthur push them back to the Leaky Cauldron so that they can use the Floo. Draco shuffles along, not knowing where else to go. It’s not until Molly gestures towards the fireplace with a smile that he realizes that his life is about to change.
From there…well…I’ll let you think of the possibilities…