Was arguing with someone on another subreddit about bullies in hogwarts and what not, and someone made the comment that Arthur Weasley got the belt as punishment in his hogwarts years. And I went looking-HE DID. What the fuck did Arthur Weasley do that he not only got the belt, but got the belt so badly he still had marks from it as an adult!?

This is kind of hard to really pinpoint a really bad couple. Because in my mind, idk what who i would consider to be a bad couple? Maybe the dursley's, but they're both equally terrible, yet they love each other obviously. And it's better for them to stay with each other, then having other people deal with them.

This is a pretty broad question i will admit, because ''bad'' couples could mean anything. Like bad people getting together, i don't see them as a bad couple really, because it's like they're not bad to each other, they're bad to others, like Lucius/Narcissa for example as well as the dursley's.

Other couples like Ron/Lavender and Harry/Cho, i'm more willing to give them a pass, because they're kids and it's their first ''relationships'' so it's kinda like, can you really fault them.

Riddle/Merope in my mind they should take the cake for worst, but were they REALLY in a relationship? He was in it not by his own free will and the minute he had it back, he ended whatever thing they had.

I think i'd have to go with Hermione/Krum, i think they're good for each other. However, the age gap is a little icky to me imo. He's 18 and she's 14, like come on.

If you cannot tell, i should really think before i make this posts and not while i'm making them up. But hey internet that's a just a theory, A GAME THEORY! Anyways, who do you think is the real worst couple?

​

I know he was a depressed werewolf who felt useless after the deaths of his friends James and Lily, but let's be honest: it doesn't make much sense that he didn't try to contact Harry, even with just a simple letter.

Your best friend is murdered and his orphaned son discovers the magical world—and you don't even send a letter to check on him or explain who you are? Or at least tell Dumbledore that you want to help Harry in any way you can?

Lupin may have been a werewolf, but he was an excellent defensive duelist; he could have helped Harry much earlier.

Disclaimer: Assuming I don't lose you somewhere throughout this lengthy breakdown, just know that there's a possibility it could ruffle your feathers. These analyses are not about protecting favorite characters or sanitizing flaws to make everyone feel comfortable. It is about exposing the literal text and studying the messy, realistic baseline of human child psychology. This isn't a declaration of who is right and who is wrong in the sequence of the Midnight Duel. Instead, it is an objective look at the internal logic driving all three points of the legendary triangle. We will be mapping out the exact context of the future Trio's previous interactions, their deep-seated survival habits, and the physical reality of the scenes to the decode why they behave the way they do. We are examining how these three distinct world views feed off of each other, trigger each other's insecurities, and set in motion the permanent behavioral patterns that shape their entire futures.

When Harry is named the youngest Hogwarts seeker in a century, the narrative sets up a perfect trap for Ron Weasley's infamous inferiority complex--yet, remarkably, Ron's psychological defenses don't trigger. Instead of spiraling into toxic envy, Ron experiences unadulterated awe. While it is tempting to credit Ron with pure, altruistic goodness, his exemption of Harry from his deep-seated envy reveals a complex psychological strategy. At 11, Ron is utterly consumed by an inferiority complex, trapped in the generational shadow of five highly successful older brothers. By hardwiring his identity directly to the most famous boy in the wizarding world, Ron creates a vicarious survival mechanism; he becomes the indispensable partner to greatness, a status none of his brothers can claim.

While the wizarding world has designated Harry Potter as the "Chosen One," Harry has independently designated Ron as his chosen one, and Ron absolutely thrives on that validation. This exclusive treatment fills Ron's validation deficit so completely that envy cannot take root. In the Great Hall, Ron isn't standing in Harry's shadow, but in the warmth of a mutual loyalty where, for the first time in his life, he feels first best to someone. Because Harry's success elevates Ron's own social currency by proxy, Harry's triumph feeds Ron's ego rather than threatening it. Furthermore, because Ron is fully aware of Harry's traumatic baseline at the Dursley's, his brain processes Harry's windfall as a justified cosmic correction rather than a direct threat to his own domestic standing. Right now, Harry remains the single person in Ron's universe allowed to achieve limitless success, because as long as Harry is on a pedestal, Ron is safely shielded from the crushing invisibility of his own family dynamic.

It is this exact dynamic that triggers Malfoy's own envy and obsession. As an aristocratic Slytherin who believes status is earned through bloodline and systemic favoritism, Malfoy experiences intense narcissistic injury because Harry achieved the ultimate status--individual validation from authority figures--by defying the system and choosing a lower status Weasley over him. Realizing that his initial plan to have Harry expelled completely backfired, Malfoy instantly shifts tactics, weaponizing Harry's reactive pride by challenging him to a midnight wizards duel. On a purely tactical level, Malfoy completely outwits Harry and Ron; his challenge is a calculated trap designed to hand them over to Filch without ever risking his own safety.

However, Malfoy treats Harry like an isolated target, completely underestimating the shield standing right next to him. Because Harry was raised by muggles, he faces an immediate information deficit and has no idea what a wizard's duel actually entails, leaving his ego highly vulnerable to showing weakness in front of his tormentor. Recognizing Harry's hesitation, Ron's protective instincts instantly kick in, and he steps into the breach to accept the challenge for Harry, boldly declaring himself as the "second." By acting as Harry's cultural translator, Ron denies Malfoy the satisfaction of seeing Harry clueless. This allowed Ron to fight a proxy battle against Slytherin condescension, signaling to Malfoy that Harry is no longer a solitary, unprotected orphan from the Muggle world, but a wizard backed by a fiercely loyal bloodline.

When Malfoy leaves and Hermione immediately intercepts Harry and Ron, she is quickly labeled an annoying interloper, yet her intervention is entirely driven by a desperate need to protect her own survival. As a muggleborn outsider who is already socially isolated, Hermione has spent her first few weeks working to earn house points as her literal currency of safety, validation, and belonging at Hogwarts. When Harry and Ron casually risk decimating that entire collective house bank for a late night schoolboy rivalry, they are treating those points like a game they can afford to lose, completely oblivious to the fact that their private choices carry public consequences. For Hermione, their recklessness is an active, selfish sabotage of her hard labor, and she is forced to bear the social fallout of a gamble she never agreed to.

Harry's sharp defensive reaction--telling her it's none of her business--is a classic ego defense mechanism designed to protect his newfound pride and autonomy. Having spent ten years under the severe, suffocating control of the Dursley's, Harry reacts to Hermione's valid boundaries with intense defiance, misinterpreting her warning as a personal attack on his freedom rather than an objective reality check. To dismiss Hermione as a simple rule-worshipping nag completely misreads the restraint behind her choices; she does not act as an institutional snitch by reporting them to Percy, which would have easily secured her safety. Instead, she chooses the far more direct path of a face-to-face peer confrontation, putting her own comfort aside to handle the threat internally, highlighting the tragic reality that Harry and Ron are too consumed by their own defensive egos to recognize a legitimate grievance.

When her common-sense arguments fail to penetrate Harry and Ron's stubbornness, Hermione enters a state of consuming, tunnel-visioned righteous indignation. She is so entirely focused on the Injustice of their actions, and so determined to make them understand how their recklessness devalues her hard labor, she loses her situational awareness. Hermione does not consciously choose to join their late night excursion. Rather, she physically tracks them out the portrait hole because she refuses to drop the argument. Hissing at them "like an angry goose," her mind is so thoroughly locked in conflict that she steps across the threshold without realizing the physical risk.

The weight of that physical risk hits the entire group a second later when the Fat Lady portrait slams shut behind them, completely locking them all out in the dark corridor. It is here that Harry and Ron's midnight operation runs into its second major complication: Neville Longbottom, who had been fast asleep on the floor.

Harry checks a polite social box by asking Neville about his broken arm, but the instant Neville answers that it was healed hours ago (exposing a strange narrative plot hole in how he ended up locked out and sleeping on the floor at midnight) Harry immediately brushes him off. By telling a scared, stranded classmate, "we've got somewhere to be, we'll see you later," Harry demonstrates a complete readiness to bypass Neville's predicament. His tunnel-vision focus on reaching the trophy room causes him to treat Neville, who is just out there because of a bad memory, as an administrative distraction.

Ron elevates this thoughtlessness into active hypocrisy. Despite being the one who accepted the duel and volunteered them for this danger, the approaching threat of Filch causes his defensive mechanisms to project the blame outward. By threatening both Hermione and the completely innocent Neville with the Curse of the Bogeys if they get the group caught, Ron attempts to preemptively frame the victims' potential clumsiness as the true crime, shielding his own ego from his reckless choices. This sequence reaches a peak of psychological miscommunication when Hermione opens her mouth to protest, and Harry internally assumes she wants to lecture on the proper spell work for the jinx. In reality Hermione is undoubtedly opening her mouth to deliver a counter-attack pointing out that getting caught would be entirely Ron's own fault. By reducing her legitimate grievance to a caricature that matches his limited experience with her, Harry uses a psychological shield that allows him to easily dismiss her as a predictable nuisance, completely missing the truth of her actual perspective.

When Malfoy proves to be a no-show and they run into Peeves, the pressure of the situation causes their coordination to fracture. While Harry attempts a diplomatic approach by pleading with the poltergeist, Ron's frustration overrides his restraint. Running on high adrenaline, Ron reacts impulsively, shouting and taking a physical swipe at Peeves. This outburst gives the poltergeist the exact emotional reaction he thrives on, instantly alerting Filch and forcing the group into a blind flight.

Upon entering the trophy room, the group's dynamic shifts as Harry automatically assumes an unappointed tactical role. Frantically waving his arms and whispering directions, his behavior reflects an instinctive drive to manage the immediate situation and keep the group moving together. Crucially, despite his intense irritation with Hermione and Neville, Harry completely abandons his earlier desire to leave them behind. The moment they are trapped together, his mindset recalibrates to look out for the entire herd, refusing to leave anyone exposed to danger. Having grown up in an environment where he had to rely entirely on himself, Harry's default response to stress is to take immediate charge of his surroundings. However, the limitation of this tactical focus is that it serves a flawed long-term strategy; Harry is executing precise defensive movements to guide the group toward a confrontation with an opponent who he never intended to show up.

When they hit a dead end at the locked door, the boys' action-oriented frameworks hit a literal wall. Hearing Filch approaching, they assume capture is inevitable. At this specific baseline, the group dynamic completely flips as the unappointed leadership roles reverse. While Harry and Ron excel at physical movement, their chaotic environment has suddenly turned into a static, technical problem--and that is Hermione's exact element. While the boys are panicking, Hermione maintains her absolute focus to problem solve. Despite not having her own wand due to the sudden lockout she takes total control of the situation. She steps forward, takes Harry's wand, and cleanly executes the Alohamora. Her unique ability to focus on logic under pressure is the exact tool that allows the entire group to make it past the door, fundamentally shifting the power dynamic before they even realize what is waiting for them on the other side.

Upon collapsing back into the safety of the Gryffindor common room the group fractures based on how their individual minds process the night's trauma. Even though they were just facing down a giant, terrifying three-headed monster, Hermione still possessed the incredible presence of mind to look past the immediate physical threat and notice a trap door beneath its feet. When she points out this crucial clue, Harry completely misses the structural logic, snapping that he was too busy looking at the monster's three heads to notice the floor. This massive clash and perspective is exactly what exposes why her infamous line--"We all could have been killed, or worse, expelled"--is the absolute psychological thesis statement for her character. While the boys are only capable of processing the immediate physical threat of death, Hermione's brain automatically fixates on the administrative threat of getting caught. For a muggleborn outsider, expulsion is a living death; it means the total erasure of her place in the magical world and an exile back to a mundane reality where she never belonged. She isn't being a dramatic nag; she is a child who just looked into an abyss where her entire identity was almost incinerated for a schoolyard spitting contest.

Once Hermione storms off to bed, Ron's reaction is dominated by defensive deflection. His brain completely blocks out his own accountability and the reality of their near expulsion, focusing instead on a single, shallow grievance: Hermione Granger just yelled at them. When he tells Harry, "you'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?" Ron uses the literal fact that she followed them to erase his moral responsibility. He completely ignores his own reckless choices, which included volunteering for the duel in the first place and actively antagonizing Peeves. Furthermore, Ron completely acts as if she is a liability, entirely ignoring the fact that her quick thinking under pressure at the locked door is the only reason they escaped being caught by Filch.

Crucially, Harry's brain breaks away from Ron's denial and shifts into an investigative focus. He bypasses Ron's deflection and takes Hermione's observation seriously, immediately connecting the trap door to the small package Hagrid retrieved from Gringott's. This lucky accident of children's clashing survival mechanisms serves as the literal engine for the entire series. If Hermione does not possess the exceptional vision to look past the monster's teeth and notice the floor, Harry never uncovers the mystery.

Ultimately the Midnight Duel serves as a foundational blueprint for the structural dynamics of the Golden Trio. The events of this single night reveal an undeniable cycle of behaviors driven by the characters' distinct, age-appropriate survival mechanisms. Ron's defensive insecurity and volatile temper act as the primary catalyst for escalation, consistently driving the group deeper into administrative and environmental danger. Harry operates in a hyperfocused tactical bubble; while his immediate reflexes are protective and his leadership instinct keeps the herd unified, his long-term planning remains entirely blind to Malfoy's manipulation.

It is Hermione's cognitive presence of mind that consistently rectifies their structural failures (that is not me saying she is right all the time, stay with me). While her direct communication style is abrasive and socially unrefined for her peers, her logic is the only framework objectively aligned with long-term survival. The night ends with a consensus of mutual understanding, but with a stark divergence of focus: Ron retreats into superficial grievances to protect his pride, while Harry utilizes Hermione's analytical observations to launch the narrative engine of the entire series. By forcing these three incompatible coping mechanisms into a single corridor, the text establishes that while the boys share a tight bond over superficial commonalities, their long-term survival is completely dependent on the exceptional mind they spend the night trying to tune out.

PS: If you're still with me, thank you for sticking out this absolute monster of a post; it just sort of ran away from me. I appreciate your dedication to this niche new little hobby of mine.

TL;DR: Looked at objectively through an adult lens, the Midnight Duel lays the psychological framework for the rest of the series. While Harry and Ron display reckless immaturity and blame-shifting, Hermione uses her obsession with academic rules as a shield against deep-seated fears of isolation. This crisis ultimately exposes their individual dysfunctions and proves they absolutely must operate as a unified trio to survive.

I’ve never been a particular fan of Dobby but I’ve always been particularly aggrieved by his death. It’s just always pissed me off on a deeply personal level. Like, hasn’t this poor creature’s life been rough enough? Even his “liberation” has been rough and ostracized him from his elf peers. It just seemed a pathetic existence and ending- still serving the needs of “superior”humans. And may that is still largely true. But. But. I’ve just listened to HBP and Hallows back to back and I am floored by a revelation. First the tight construction of key ideas of the series. Rowling has said the series is about death. I’ve always thought of it as about grief. Versions of the same thing.

In HBP chapter — Dumbledore gives Harry his last lesson as they don’t know how imminent his death is. He gets so worked up that it’s “essential” that Harry understand and take seriously that his ability to love is his ultimate advantage and magical power over Voldemort.

At the time, Harry doesn’t understand. Rowling literally pays this out with Dobby’s death. Harry doesn’t respond with vengeance or by grasping for more power. He responds with grief. He digs Dobby’s grave by hand. He honors him. And in doing so, he finally begins to learn what Dumbledore had been trying to teach him.

Moreover, Harry achieves what Snape never managed to teach him. He closes his mind to Voldemort not the way Snape (poorly) taught him - through discipline, emotional suppression, or technical Occlumency, but through grief, which is itself an expression of love. And finally he could block Voldemort out of his mind.

Rowling writes:

“Grief… drove Voldemort out… though Dumbledore, of course, would have said that it was love.”

That line unlocked the entire endgame for me in a way I’d never understood.

Dobby’s death isn’t simply a tragic loss. It’s the psychological turning point of the series. It breaks Harry’s growing obsession with the Hallows and power, returns him to love, sacrifice, and reverence for life, and prepares him for the final choice Dumbledore knew he would one day have to make.

It still breaks my heart every time I read it. But the purpose and storytelling is beautifully done.

RIP Dobby.

I used to think Goblet of Fire was peak Harry Potter, but revisiting the series completely changed my mind. The dark tone shift in Prisoner of Azkaban and the sheer depth of the plot hit so much harder as an adult. Sirius Black's storyline adds a layer of emotional weight that the earlier, lighter entries just can't match. Which book took top spot for you once you re read them years later?

I used to think Goblet of Fire was peak Harry Potter, but revisiting the series completely changed my mind. The dark tone shift in Prisoner of Azkaban and the sheer depth of the plot hit so much harder as an adult. Sirius Black's storyline adds a layer of emotional weight that the earlier, lighter entries just can't match. Which book took top spot for you once you re read them years later?

Today is September 1st. It is the day new students join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to start their journey towards becoming wizards and witches 🪄🧹, while returning students begin their next year.

In Book Two, we learn that Tom opened up the Chamber of Secrets 50 years ago. Four books later, we see that Eileen Prince's copy of Advanced Potion Making was 50 years old. The books never say, and JKR, as far as I know, has not said either, but it seems likely that Eileen was in Slytherin. So it seems possible that Eileen and Tom overlapped.

I’m doing a re-read of the books and I just started the Deathly Hallows. I can still remember the first time I read it when it first came out and wanting it take it all in, but didn’t want to read it too fast because I knew there wouldn’t be anything to look forward to when I was finished.

I’m feeling the same way now too.

Bittersweet.

But for now, I leave you with probably one of my favourite quotes from the books: “I forgot we’ll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library”

1 Severus Snape and the year my enemy’s son came to Hogwarts and I saved his life and didn’t get the DADA JOB.

1. Severus Snape and the year my fellow death eater did something really stupid and I still didn’t get thr DADA job.

2. Severus Snape and the year Black broke out of Azkaban and I lost an order of Merlin and still didn’t get the dada job

3. Severus Snape - this is really getting old.

4. Severus Snape and the year someone asked me a really stupid question and I still didn’t get the DADA job.

5. Severus Snape and the year I finally got the damn DADA job - what’s Dumbledore’s angle? Oh wait I know what it is!

6. Severus Snape and the year I got to defend Hogwarts from my former boss.

Chapter flight of the fat lady

Ron says Scabbers is hiding in his room after an attack by Crookshanks.
Why is Pettigrew not waiting till he’s entirely alone during the middle of a school day. Turning back into a man and killing that cat?

When Hagrid meets the Dursleys, he insults Vernon based on his parentage, not on his actions. He also says that Vernon can't do anything to him because he's muggle, which sets the standards that wizards can get away with anything because of the power imbalance. I know it isn't really, but in Vernon's perspective Hagrid just kicked down his door and tried to kidnap his nephew with little to no explanation. Not to mention the Hogwarts letter left out some important information. How do we buy this list of school stuff? Is someone going to get him? Is anyone going to tell us how to get onto Platform 9 3/4? (Which wasn't even mentioned in the envelope, Hagrid had to tell him). No joke this is the whole letter:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

What were they supposed to get from this, even if the Dursley's had wanted him to go? They don't even tell where Hogwarts is and how you're supposed to get there. And after getting virtually no information they're expected to hand over their kid to some random guy because "Trust, I know where Hogwarts is. Let's go."

Back to the topic:

The way Hagrid treats Filch. He once again doesn't insult him for his actions, but chooses to call him a 'filthy squib'. Not to mention how he talks about goblins and centaurs.

He cursed Dudley, a defenseless child for something he didn't even do. It's like Greyback going after children of people he hates. Hagrid had no plan to turn Dudley back if he had indeed succeeded in turning him into a pig. Dudley had to get surgery.

In The Philosopher's Stone Harry says that Malfoy told him muggleborns shouldn't be allowed and instead of saying, "Some people have bigoted views, Harry, especially in old money houses. We mustn't take up those skewered opinions of our fellow wizardkind", Hagrid basically says that it's okay because Harry isn't muggleborn.

‘Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin’ how little yeh know – not knowin’ about Quidditch!’

‘Don’t make me feel worse,’ said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin’s.

‘– and he said people from Muggle families shouldn’t be allowed in –’

‘Yer not from a Muggle family. If he’d known who yeh were – he’s grown up knowin’ yer name if his parents are wizardin’ folk – you saw ’em in the Leaky Cauldron.'

The next line he tries to make up for it by saying that Lily was muggleborn, and she was great, but her sister was awful.

'Anyway, what does he know about it, some o’ the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in ’em in a long line o’ Muggles – look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!’

But this also reads like just because a wizard has muggles in their family tree doesn't mean they're bad, because they don't choose what family they're born into. I don't know if that makes sense but it's kind of like it's not fair to muggleborns because even though muggles are bad, they're extraordinary.

Like so: "Yeah lol muggles are the worst, but even though Lily's sister was a filthy mudblood, Lily wasn't! She was awesome! So bringing down muggleborns to their family tree of *shudders* muggles, isn't right"

In conclusion, Hagrid's a bit of a bigot.

Something that's been bugging me on a recent reread:

Dumbledore’s plan with Snape was for the Elder Wand’s power to die with him. Because his death was pre-arranged and consensual, nobody would "defeat" him, breaking the wand’s bloody chain of mastery (until Draco accidentally ruined that by disarming him first).

Yet in his will, Dumbledore deliberately leaves Hermione his personal copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, complete with the Deathly Hallows symbol drawn inside. This practically guarantees the trio will investigate the symbol and seek out the Hallows.

Why would Dumbledore nudge them toward finding the Hallows if his primary goal was to ensure the most dangerous Hallow lost its power forever? Did he actually want Harry to master all three, or was this a massive oversight in his master plan?

I finished two moths ago chamber of Secrets,it's ok but I try to read the Gamblet of fire but I think is so tired I am in 74 page of 592

When she drops Harry off and Snape comes to fetch him, not only does Snape repeatedly verbally abuse Harry (and wildly abuse his power by taking away 70 freaking points) but he also goes out of his way to insult Tonks and her patronus. What's his problem with Tonks? That's your colleague, man. As far as I know, she's never done even the slightest thing to upset Snape like Sirius, Lupin, and James did. And I know the Patronus changing for Tonks is because Lupin doesn't want to date her right now, but 1) would Snape even know that? He's not the sort of person I'd let my romantic desires slip to, and 2) there's absolutely no way that qualifies as a slight worthy of kicking Tonks while she's down.

I mean this is the kid that has been all about his "pure blood" heritage since the beginning and his father, one of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters, is currently in Azkaban after the fiasco at the ministry. Yet Ron & Hermione, and McGonagall for that matter, seem to treat Harry's theory as absurd. It seems obvious that Draco might be associated or targeted by Voldemort in some way and Harry has every right to question him.

Which hit you the hardest? This is not to compare traumas but understand everyone's PoV. Lmk if I've missed any characters. I feel like every single one of these just hit sadly for me, brb crying :((

1. James and Lily Potter - together in life, and in death </3
2. Cedric Diggory
3. Sirius Black
4. Albus Dumbledore
5. Mad Eye Moody
6. Hedwig
7. Dobby
8. Remus Lupin
9. Tonks
10. Fred Weasley
11. Lavender Brown
12. Collin Creevey
13. Severus Snape

Yes, we don't know a ton about ALL the jobs out there. But what do you think are some jobs you would like to have based on your interests or career and why?
I'm a scientist by profession, working at the Department of Mysteries as an unspeakable sounds pretty cool to me, getting to research all kinds of cool and uncharacterised magical phenomena.

In Deathly Hallows when the Dursleys were being evacuated and taken to their safe house, Dedalus mentioned that they would drive out and then apparate with them to the safe house. Also later when the trio get into the ministry to steal the locket, they rescue Mrs. Cattermole whose wand was taken but mentioned to her/her husband to take her and apparate out of the country or something. I remember Hermione briefly wondered if she could apparate (side along) without a wand.
Am I misreading this or can muggles really side-along apparate ?

I say actually because of harry ''won'' but it's like come on, he was guided all the way to victory and it's even called out in the books, he only won because imposter moody made him win. Alot of the win was on harry, but alot of it was on him as well. So im saying, let's strip all of that for this hypothetical, it's harry, cedric, krum and fleur all competing for the triwizard cup, and only one can definitively win, who do you think could've won the tournament?

All the Witches in the books seem to have a similar reaction to Lockhart than the Wizards do to Fleur.

Hermione who is usually so level headed completely loses it around him.

Even after he has lost his mind and ends up in St Mungos the healer seems a bit infatuated by him.

So lots of people have posted about how Harry is more vulnerable to the dementors because he's got some of Voldemort's soul. However the memory of James and Lily that plays when Harry is near the dementors sounds more like it's from Voldemort's perspective. Which would be a viable option for Voldemort's worst memory to witness around the dementors as he fails to kill a baby and almost dies

After the events between Harry and Quirrell/Voldemort at the end of book 1, we read this exchange between Harry and Dumbledore in the hospital wing:

"'The truth.' Dumbledore sighed. 'It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie.'

Harry asks about why Voldemort tried to kill him, etc, and Dumbledore says that's something he just can't explain to him yet. Then we get this:

"'Quirrell and Snape-'
'Professor Snape, Harry.'
'Yes, him--Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?'
'Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive.'
'What?'
'He saved his life.'
'What?'
'Yes...' said Dumbledore dreamily. 'Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt...I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace...'

Dumbledore assured Harry he wouldn't lie. Is this a lie? That Snape was protecting Harry for the sake of the debt he owed James? Or was his motivation truly all due to Lily?

When we see Snape's memories at the end of DH and Dumbledore sees Snape's patronus, he does seem surprised to see it's a doe and that Snape's feelings for Lily are still strong. But Dumbledore also knew the whole reason Snape turned against Voldemort was for Lily.

I love Dumbledore, warts and all, but definitely feel he's not being truthful with Harry here.

Just curious to hear your thoughts.

I just read chapter 23 of The Half-Blood Prince for the first time and it hit me like a ton of bricks. In fact it may be my favourite chapter in the whole series thus far. Dumbledore often has lines and speeches that kinda leave me in awe but his conversation with Harry was next level. His lines about Voldemort creating his own worst enemy because of his fear was extremely relatable to me. And how he gave the prophecy power by his belief in it alone. Otherwise it would have actually been powerless. This all hit very close to home for me.

I live with a brain this is riddled with obsessive compulsive disorder. I was raised to be terrified of dying and ending up in the wrong place. Taught that demons were lurking in the shadows, that people could be possessed, and that I would suffer immensely if I did not follow a list of rules essentially. Well, the only suffering I have in fact endured, is because of the fear of suffering that controls my mind. Ironic huh? I'm having trouble even getting this out into words but I had to try. Like Voldemort, I am terrified of death because since my first memories, I was told and read stories about hell and torment and evil. Stories that were presented as 100% fact to me. Even first hand accounts both of hell and of what happens if you succumb to the darkness.

Even now I am usually far too triggered by words like 'demon', 'hell', etc to even speak them outloud. Sound familiar? Nearly every night my brain throws thoughts and compulsions at me "tap this object 4 times or something bad will happen to you when you die". And the more I listen, the harder it gets to resist them and louder they become. I am too scared not to listen because there is always that chance they could be true. And slowly I feel myself losing a grip on my own sanity piece by piece, almost like my very soul is slipping away. But not slipping away because I have sinned or because I am being eternally damned, but simply because I have listened to my fear of those things...

I don't want to go the rest of my life a slave to my fears about what comes next or even about getting things 'right' in this life. I don't want to shrivel away into a shadow being like Voldemort. I want to be free of these demons that I have allowed into existence. I just... haven't figured out how yet. Maybe it's something to do with love?

I have a lot of processing to do. Reading through these books for the first time in my life this year has been incredibly and surprisingly enlightening. On one more most ironic note, I was banned from anything to do with Harry Potter my whole childhood because it was 'dark and evil and opened a door to darkness.' Perhaps the true darkness was the corruption of my young mind at the hands of those 'protecting' me all along.