“That Suggests That What You Fear Most of All, Is Fear Itself. This Is Very Wise.”

Remus – Twin brother of Romulus (founder of Rome). The King sent the two twin babies out to a river and tried to drown them, but a female wolf, instead of killing them, nursed them after finding the two boys. He was killed by Romulus.

Lupin – “Lupus” is the Latin derivative for “wolf.” Canis Lupus is the scientific name for wolf. To be described as “lupine” means to “resemble a wolf.”

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As always, I freaking love Lupin. He does so much for everyone, but never really asks for anything in return. I’m not gonna lie, when he tries to come with the trio during Deathly Hallows, I got pretty angry at him, but in a way I kind of understand where he was coming from.

Okay, so Lupin’s name is awesome on several levels. First of all, this:

545159_400266106721176_1607757961_nAnd then there’s the MuggleNet stuff. I think it’s really cool the whole Romulus and Remus being raised by a wolf, obviously there’s a connection there because Lupin was bitten when he was really young. I wonder, if Remus the founder was killed by his twin brother, who would Romulus be in Harry Potter? Fenrir Greyback is the werewolf who turned him into a werewolf, but when Harry sees Lupin in the Great Hall after the battle, he is described as looking peaceful, so no werewolf attack there…unless Fenrir used Avada Kedavra. (It’s speculated that Dolohov killed him using his special purple curse, but who knows?) Obviously, the whole Lupin thing = werewolf.

In all honesty, I think Remus’ condition is what brought and kept the Marauders together. It forced Remus to open up to them, and when they were indifferent about it, he knew he could trust them.  And then they went through the whole process of becoming Animagi for him so they could help him during his transformations. Such good friends. (By the way, I’m mostly thinking of James and Sirius now, not at all about Pettigrew.)

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Can I just say, that I absolutely love Remus and Tonks together? Oh my goodness, they are so adorable. I don’t even know why. But the whole scene in the beginning of the 6th book I believe when Tonks casts her Patronus and Harry thinks it’s actually Sirius but really it’s Lupin. SO CUTE <3 and this moment killed me during the movie because I knew what was coming (I literally had to stop reading when I read about Tonks and Lupin’s deaths)

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But I think it was made up for a little bit with the whole Harry seeing him with the Resurrection Stone and that moment was just too perfect. Gah too many feels. I must stop now.

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When Lupin helps teach Harry to fight Dementors, I don’t know, I just loved it. Lupin was yet another father figure for Harry, but of course, could not be a father to his own son. Harry kind of…ignores Lupin’s guidance once he finds Sirius, which I guess I can understand a little bit, but we all know that Lupin is the level-headed one, and Sirius is much more like Harry.

For some odd reason, I love that Lupin explains what Dementors are and what they do. Maybe it’s because Lupin is so calm and collected and to hear him explain something so scary is, well, almost more intimidating because he’s scared, yet comforting because you know he can deal with them? I don’t know if that actually made sense.

img-thing img-thing1Okay, so, this picture below. This sort of angers me and yet part of me agrees with it. But mostly angers. Harry left Ginny because of that, yes, but Lupin in a way did the same. He knew that if he stayed with Tonks and Teddy that they would be ostracized. He was trying to save them, without realizing that the one thing they needed was him to be there. I completely get that he wanted to protect them, but I feel like by leaving them he let them down, until he went back that is. But, I can completely understand him not wanting to curse his child’s life with something that had destroyed so much of his own life. And plus, the whole time before war actually breaks out, Lupin is underground with other werewolves trying to figure out where their allegiance is and stuff. And oh my goodness, when he finally lets himself be happy with Tonks it made me so happy and then they got married! AH! But then he left…but he went back which is really the important part.

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One last round of feels before the end:

181007_645902298757015_1711700656_nOkay, I believe that’s all for this week, so for more info on the coolest DADA professor we know, go to this link! And for some more awesome quotes, go here (don’t mind the StarKid stuff)!

Some quotes!

“You are determined to hate him [Snape], Harry. And I understand; with James as your father, with Sirius as your godfather, you have inherited an old prejudice. By all means tell Dumbledore what you have told Arthur and me, but do not expect him to share your view of the matter; do not even expect him to be surprised by what you tell him. It might have been on Dumbledore’s orders that Severus questioned Draco.”

“Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my ‘furry little problem’ in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit.”

“There’s nothing you can do, Harry…nothing…He’s gone.”

“I am sorry too,” said Lupin. “Sorry I will never know him…but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life.”

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“Those Cunning Folk Use Any Means to Achieve Their Ends”

Okay, so before I get to this post, I just want to say, omg the semester is almost over and I don’t know who else to write about. So, PLEASE, tell me your favorite characters and I will try and write a post about them! There are only 3 weeks left. This is crazy. Also, thank you so much for all of you who have read my blog and kept up with all my fan-girling. I appreciate all of the comments (: and now, on to Slytherin. (Also, happy birthday to Gred and Forge!)

Salazar – António de Oliveira Salazar was the Fascist dictator in Portugal at the same time that Mussolini, Franco and Hitler. He had the same extremist right-wing ideology as the others, exercised great prejudice, and ruled using fear.

Slytherin – Sounds like “slither,” as in to slither like a snake. No coincidence the Slytherin House is represented by a snake. Salazar Slytherin was also a Parselmouth (name for those who can speak to snakes). Slytherins are known to be “sly” individuals and snakes are known to be very “sly” creatures.

tumblr_lpb5p5j7eu1qghwauSo, generally I feel like I want to hate Slytherin because of all of the evil-ness that he’s involved with and stuff, but at the same time, I feel like I need to respect him for being one of the founders of the lovely school of Hogwarts. But, all of the happy feelings are practically wiped out by the fact that he hated muggle-borns so much. Whatta jerk. Also, the whole keeping-a-giant-snake-in-the-girls’-bathroom-that-kills-people-just-by-looking-at-them thing…it’s kinda creepy. Yeah, I know, he spoke to snakes, so it was like a really weird best friend or whatever, but I just don’t get it. I’ll talk about this more later. (Also, every picture of him gives me the creeps…)

So, as usual, the name is awesome. I did not know there was a dictator named Salazar in Portugal and now I feel like a failed history buff. So pretty much they sound like the same person. If I had been at Hogwarts when Slytherin was a teacher, I would have been terrified of him. Like I honestly don’t think I would have been able to function because I would have been so scared. Especially after seeing all of those creepy depictions of him…anyway. Slytherin is just awesome in like every way possible. That description just says it all.

I think of this a lot when I say Slytherin...

I think of this a lot when I say Slytherin…

Okay, so can I just take a minute to talk about Parseltongue? SHE FREAKING MADE UP A LANGUAGE. How much cooler can you get? Okay, obviously her language is not nearly as complicated as say the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings, but it’s still pretty awesome. (Just for fun, here’s a website to translate stuff into Parseltongue. Things like this make me love the Potterhead fandom even more.)

Okay, so back to the Basilisk thing. Super cool plot twist, but really I hate snakes. This part of the movie always bothered me for two reasons. 1. I hate snakes. 2. The snake sounded motorized. If you listen closely, it doesn’t sound like a snake slithering around. It sounds mechanic. And it bothers me. But anyway. WHY IS IT IN THE GIRLS’ BATHROOM? This creeps me out about Slytherin. Maybe I’m thinking about it too much, but wouldn’t it have been weird if people were like “Oh, Salazar keeps disappearing into the girls’ lavatory. No big deal. I’m sure he’s not doing anything suspicious in there.” OH WAIT. Seriously. Especially after everyone starts to realize what a jerk he is for hating on muggle-borns and all, wouldn’t they been even more suspicious of his activities? I get for  the whole plot line thing that it has to be in the bathroom that Myrtle is in because then they figure out where the entrance is and all, but I really just don’t get it. Also, I’m pretty sure if I were a girl at Hogwarts I’d be terrified of the bathrooms and would be even more likely to go with friends. (First year, troll with Hermione, and then there’s a giant snake that can kill me with its creepy fangs or eyes.)

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I think part of me hates Slytherin because he reminds me of Voldemort, which I guess makes sense. The whole snakes-as-pets thing and then the creepy look, and the hatred of muggle-borns, the Parselmouth-ness, the Legilimency skills, they’re just too similar for me to like either one of them.

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Here’s some more info on Slytherin, the House of Slytherin, the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk, and then some more info on the house and the founder

The Sorting Hat’s words:

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

“Anything’s Possible If You’ve Got Enough Nerve.”

Ginny – “Ginevra,” an Italian female and woman of the people, her name means “Juniper” as in evergreen tree. There is an old myth about a bride named Ginevra, who playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell, burying her alive; and eventually her skeleton was discovered. This could relate to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where her “skeleton would lie forever.” However, J.K. Rowling has also said that she picked the name because she wanted something different and special for the only Weasley girl!

Weasley – From J.K. Rowling’s site weasels were known to have a bad reputation, especially in Ireland, as an unfortunate animal. And well, the Weasleys are unfortunate because they’re poor. J.K. Rowling said: “Ron was the only one of three major characters whose surname never changed; he has been ‘Weasley’ from start to finish. In Britain and Ireland the weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate, even malevolent, animal. However, since childhood I have had a great fondness for the family mustelidae; not so much malignant as maligned, in my opinion.” The Weasleys and the weasel both share red hair. The Weasleys live near Ottery St. Catchpole, and it is interesting that a family with weasel in their surname lives near a town that has otter in its name (an otter is a member of the weasel family). Also, in Goblet of Fire, the group all go to Stoatshead Hill to take the Portkey to the Triwizard Tournament. A stoat is another relative of the weasel family.

Let me just tell you, I love Ginny, at least more so in the books. I can’t tell you why, her character just always appealed to me. It really bothers me that so many people dislike and hate on her character, so for this post I’m going to tell my perspective on people’s views. I think part of me like Ginny because I always wanted a brother, not necessarily 6, but a brother nonetheless, so I was a bit jealous.

Ginny’s name is so weird and different and unique and it’s so perfectly her. I think the story of the bride Ginevra is really cool how it parallels the Chamber of Secrets. But J.K. was definitely right when she thought the name was special for the only Weasley girl.

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This is honestly one of the best scenes in the movies. So much Weasley love. I’m a Hinny shipper, in case you were wondering.

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For those of you who aren’t quite sure what a “Mary Sue” is, go to this website. This upset me. First of all, sure, Ginny isn’t always a central figure, but she’s important, too! Okay, so things sort of happen to Ginny, like the Chamber, but if you think about why that happened, it sort of makes more sense. What I mean is, Lucius gave her the diary, and because she needed a way to let out her feelings, she wrote it down. When she found out her diary was interactive, she went with it. It is the magical world after all. I would do it. How was she, a mere first year, supposed to know that it was possessing her? Ginny definitely has her own personality. She HAD to in order to survive living with all those boys. Sure, she’s stubborn, but again, needed. Ginny is really good at the Bat-Bogey Hex, but that’s what gets her into the Slug Club (so necessary). She’s good at quidditch because she practiced like crazy, without her brothers knowing. Her hair is not unique. She lives in a family of gingers. I’m going to stop now because it just makes me upset. But everything that is important about Ginny has a backing in her childhood really. So, person, your argument is invalid.

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Though the idea of marrying a muggle is interesting, it could never happen. Harry hated the muggle word because of living with his aunt and uncle. He never belonged there. Also, I don’t think Ginny is really as shallow as this makes her seem. I think the idea of her brother knowing someone famous is really awesome and so that’s what sparked her interest, sure, but after meeting him, she was like “Merlin, this boy is attractive!” and then was too nervous to speak in front of him because she didn’t want to make a fool of herself. Plus, having a crush on her brother’s best friend is a problem, wizard or not. But I really love Hinny.

Anyway, I like Ginny, but I get that not everyone does, but I feel that Ginny supporters are few are far between. Also, one thing I like about Ginny is that she does “move on” for a bit

For more info on Ginny go here!

For next time, which Hogwarts founder do you want to learn more about first? Godric, Rowena, Helga, or Salazar?

And now, here are some Ginny quotes:

“The thing about growing up with Fred and George,” said Ginny thoughtfully, “is that you sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”

“I never really gave up on you. Not really. I always hoped … Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more – myself.”

Harry: “Ginny, listen… I can’t be involved with you any more. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.” Ginny: “It’s for some stupid noble reason, isn’t it?” Harry: “It’s been like… like something out of someone else’s life, these last few weeks with you. But I can’t… we can’t… I’ve got things to do now.” Ginny: “…I can’t say I’m surprised. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn’t be happy unless you were hunting down Voldemort. Maybe that’s why I like you so much.”

“He’s covered in blood again. Why is it he’s always covered in blood?”

“Yeah, the DA’s good. Only let’s make it stand for Dumbledore’s Army, because that’s the Ministry’s worst fear, isn’t it?”

“He saw me hex Zacharias Smith, you remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the DA? He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him — when Slughorn came in I thought I was going to get detention, but he just thought it was a really good hex and invited me to lunch! Mad, eh?”

“Think My Name’s Funny, Do You?”

Draco – Draco is a constellation that looks like a dragon but is a snake. In Latin, Draco means “dragon.” There was also a Greek ruler named Draco who developed a system of severe punishments for the smallest of crimes. “Draconian” means “harsh or cruel.” In Romanian, “drac” means “devil.”

Malfoy – In Latin, “malus” means “bad” and “mal” means “pale.” “Mal foi” means “bad faith, an act with bad intentions, or a malicious act” in French. “Mal de foi” means a “loss of faith.” The similar French phrase “Mal fait” can be interpeted as “badly made” or “evil deeds.” In Portuguese, (J.K. Rowling taught English in Portugal for a few years) “Mal foi” means “was bad” or “is bad.” In Arthurian legends, Lancelot (King Arthur’s greatest knight and his betrayor) is sometimes called “Le Chevallier Mal Fait” (the “mal fait” knight). “Foy” means “a farewell feast, drink, or gift, as at a wedding.”

I have some rather mixed feelings about Draco. In some ways, I really like his character. I wouldn’t say love though because his demeanor doesn’t always make sense to me. He’s one of those characters that I may never make up my mind about. I thought that I loved him, but the more I think about him, the more I realize he’s just a bully.

Obviously, it makes sense that there’s the whole snake reference in his name, he’s in Slytherin. Malfoy believes that muggle-borns should be treated harshly because of their parentage, which is not exactly something they had control over. Malfoy definitely has his devilish moments as well. The surname is amazing to me. Mal means pale, they all have pale blonde hair and pale skin. Malus meaning bad – they’re all bullies (but their one redeeming quality is their love for one another). I think the “mal de foi” is more important. Clearly, there has to be a reason that Lucius joined the Death Eaters. Maybe he lost his faith in the Ministry? I love that there are so many different interpretations of every character’s name.

Sometimes, I felt bad for Draco. Maybe he was raised that way and he didn’t know any better. But you always hope that they start to realize when they get away from their parents. But I think Harry really hurt Draco on the day they met. He insulted him. But at the same time, Draco’s a jerk. Why does he find it necessary to beat up on everyone? I never got that. I guess it’s like understanding a bully, and sure his father was a Death Eater and all, but Lucius adored Draco. I guess my point it, I’m not sure always how I feel about Draco. I sometimes think people love Draco because they love Tom Felton. Though I love the Harry Potter Fandom, often I think people mix their love for the actors with their love of the characters (like Bellatrix).

Don’t get me wrong, I know that when Draco is attempting to kill Dumbledore, he does it to save himself and his family, but Dumbledore wanted to help him. Dumbledore offered him safety and protection, but Draco was too stubborn to take it. After that, I really thought that Draco had changed, but then at the Battle of Hogwarts, you realize he’s always going to be the same bully. The kid that does what he’s told.

I honestly wish that Draco would have realized his mistakes and tried to reconcile with Harry. It upsets me that Draco never really changed. He has all these chances to turn it around and make himself better, but he never does.

tumblr_lpoe8cIn7F1r19909o1_500 734576_416979881703721_2128002835_nDraco was always rather pompous. Always boasting about how rich he was and all the connections his father has, but why? I never got that. His father scolded him when he was being a pompous ass and yet he still carried on acting that way. I guess, like all bullies, he puts on this façade of indifference and “I’m-better-than-you” but I never understood him. And I don’t like that I don’t understand him.

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Though there are definitely parts of Draco’s character that I hate, I do love certain parts. I also believe that Tom Felton did an excellent portrayal of him, especially in the 6th movie. Right before Harry casts “sectumsempra” on Draco, you see Draco breaking down. He feels so conflicted because he doesn’t want to do what Voldemort has asked him to do, but at the same time he doesn’t want to sign off his own death. I can’t really blame him for that.

funny-quotes-draco-malfoy-harry-potter-fanpop-170505People claim that Draco is really just “misunderstood,” but I’m not sure that he’s all that misunderstood. He doesn’t have a lot of choice in his life, his father and Voldemort have pretty much taken care of that for him, but what else is there to be misunderstood about him? He’s a bully, probably because his father bullied him. Are they claiming then that every bully is just simply misunderstood? I’m not sure I would agree with that. But at the same time, I do believe that Draco isn’t pure evil. I think it’s a lot to do with nature versus nurture. If he had been raised in a different household, he would have been a completely different person, but I don’t think that excuses him. In a way, Draco is like the victim of his father’s lifestyle and choices.

400102_455793141135153_1670344376_n tumblr_lpq2x3k7Lj1r19909o1_500 tumblr_lpz1vow1221r19909o1_500Something I just remembered. When the trio is caught by Snatchers, Draco is very reluctant to identify Harry. Another thing that I don’t understand. I’m not sure that he wanted to help them, or he just wanted to protect his family in case he was wrong. Plus he’s terrified of Voldemort, why would he purposely call Voldemort there?

I’m really sorry if this post makes no sense. Draco is just an extremely complicated character in my eyes.

I almost don’t want to put quotes because Draco is just so rude sometimes…but I’ll put a few and here’s a link for more quotes and here’s one for more information.

“You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.”

“Azkaban – the wizard’s prison, Goyle. Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backwards.” (SEE! He’s even a jerk to his “friends!”)

“Think my name’s funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford.”

My list of characters to talk about is starting to get short, so who do you want to hear about next week?

“Death Is But the Next Great Adventure”

Albus – In Latin, it means “white” (maybe for white beard). Wisdom. Albinus was Governor of Britain at the death of the Emperor Pertinax. Decimus Clodius Albinus attempted to seize the throne but ended up in alliance with another imperial contender, Septimius Severus. After Severus defeated two other rivals (Voldemort and… maybe Slytherin?), the now expendable Albinus was forced into another attempt at usurpation, an attempt that came to an end at the bloody battle of Lyon.

Dumbledore – Means “Bumblebee” in Old English. J.K. Rowling has said that she chose this name because she imagined Dumbledore walking around the castle, humming to himself.

Too make up for the feels of last week, I’m going to try and keep this post mostly uplifting, no promises though. Also, I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense.

tumblr_m5zf4okDaz1qb56kso1_500_largeI just love Dumbledore. I know, I say that about every character, but with Jo’s amazing-ness, can you blame me? But Dumbledore is great. There are just so many cool factors about him. He’s like the epic grandpa that takes you on adventures because he can. Which, in a sense, is true. It’s like his second chance because he feels like he let down Ariana and Aberforth. I wish we could have seen more about Dumbledore’s past. I know there’s Rita’s book, but I don’t think it’s the same. Rita was trying to make Dumbledore seem like a terrible person and it just made me so angry. Sure, Dumbledore screwed up. He was a teenager. Do you honestly expect him to be perfect? UGH. That made me hate Rita even more. (Plus, she practically destroyed Bathilda Bagshot because she just wanted the information. So rude.)

I love Dumbledore’s name. It’s just perfect. Albus, with the white beard, clearly awesome-ness. I think it’s so cool that the Albinus and Severus were buddies. I wonder who the two rivals would be…obviously one is Voldemort because he betrayed him, but the other one…hm…if you have any ideas, let me know! Pretty much how I see the parallel between these characters: Albinus and Severus were partners in crime sort of thing, then Severus defeats the bad guy, Severus “turns” on Albinus, Albinus is killed by Severus. In other words, Albus and Severus worked together to bring down Voldemort, Severus defeats Voldemort because he is the one person who got away with betraying him, and then Snape killed Dumbledore (but it was all part of the plan!) and Severus wins by becoming one of the most loved characters of all time. Also, Dumbledore humming to himself is just perfect.

62051_471808799506457_823079691_nSo, I’m going to get this sad part over with…the only way that I have come to accept Dumbledore’s death is by knowing that without it, we never would have gotten Snape’s story. I also like that it saved Draco’s soul – Dumbledore still cares about his students so much. Plus, I sort of love Draco so that’s part of it. I loved how they did the part after Dumbledore’s death in the movie, but I hate that they didn’t show the funeral and also they totally ruined the grave. It’s much too creepy for Dumbledore and his legacy. tumblr_mhfmj9ugab1r19909o1_500 tumblr_mhhzwlSZvp1r19909o1_500Dumbledore has always been amazing in my eyes. I never really wondered about him never revealing stuff about his past to Harry. I think that’s because it was always so important that we learned about Harry’s life. Also, it wouldn’t have worked. Sure, Harry trusted Dumbledore with his life, and Dumbledore felt the same, but wouldn’t it have been awkward if one time Dumbledore just started telling Harry about his childhood? I would have been like “um…what’s happening?”

601326_601479126532666_1925490658_nSo many things about Dumbledore are just plain fascinating. Honestly, who owns a pet phoenix? Dumbledore, of course. But really. I kinda love the fact that Dumbledore has such a murky past. It makes his character seem so much more real. It also makes sense that he has such a terrible past, it seems to justify why he’s so utterly good now. I love that he kinda dabbled in the dark arts. I think it gave his character perspective and it’s just part of his awesomeness.

tumblr_mf1j9jmDEE1r19909o1_500I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Dumbledore is gay. Though, I’m not going to lie, I totally shipped him with McGonagall for a while. But when I found out, it just made sense. I’m not sure why. I love that Jo added that. It also makes sense for his relationship with Gellert. Clearly, Dumbledore put off facing Grindlewald as long as he possibly could because who would want to face their (possible) old flame and have to put him in prison?? Can you say awkward? Hahaha.

485662_476795402341130_801650765_nI’m not going to lie, sometimes I wanted to smack Dumbledore. Like when he finally reveals stuff that Harry needed to know ages ago, but at the same time I kinda appreciate why he didn’t. But at one point, Harry was throwing a tantrum and destroying his stuff, Dumbledore was way too calm in my opinion. But, looking back, with the knowledge of his past, I get it.

So the actors. I loved them both, but Richard Harris was just the perfect Dumbledore. I had a moment of silence when I heard about his death. I was so sad. I think Michael Gambon did a beautiful job with what he was given, but he was too angry and loud at times, but I’m not entirely sure that was all him.

tumblr_mepkkjbM4s1r19909o1_500 tumblr_mflnymCVqD1r19909o1_500I’m not sure why Dumbledore is such a fascinating character to me, but he just is. Plus he has some of the most epic quotes ever. (Plus, Dumbledore loves music – see below)

3688_481952001825470_2141234339_nI want Jo to publish a biography of Dumbledore’s life, without the jaded/skewed-ness of Rita’s book. PLEASE.

Read more about this wonderfully fabulous character here!

Now here are some wonderful Dumbledore quotes:
“I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you.”

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

“After all to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

“Do not pity the dead Harry.  Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.”

“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”

“It is a curious thing, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.  Those who have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

“It is important to fight and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay though never quite eradicated.”

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”

“It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

“It’s the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.”

“By all means continue destroying my possessions. I daresay I have too many.” (anger at this moment)

“Don’t be silly, Dawlish. I’m sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember you achieved ‘Outstanding’ in all your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to — er — ‘bring me in’ by force, I will have to hurt you.”

“Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself.”

“Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them.”

“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic far beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!”

And so many more! Find some here!

“I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good”

Weasley – From J.K. Rowling’s site weasels were known to have a bad reputation, especially in Ireland, as an unfortunate animal. And well, the Weasleys are unfortunate because they’re poor. J.K. Rowling said: “Ron was the only one of three major characters whose surname never changed; he has been ‘Weasley’ from start to finish. In Britain and Ireland the weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate, even malevolent, animal. However, since childhood I have had a great fondness for the family mustelidae; not so much malignant as maligned, in my opinion.” The Weasleys and the weasel both share red hair. The Weasleys live near Ottery St. Catchpole, and it is interesting that a family with weasel in their surname lives near a town that has otter in its name (an otter is a member of the weasel family). Also, in Goblet of Fire, the group all go to Stoatshead Hill to take the Portkey to the Triwizard Tournament. A stoat is another relative of the weasel family.

DISCLAIMER: I’m going to apologize in advance. This post will probably full of feels.

Oh, Fred and George, or Gred and Forge, whichever you prefer, are two hilarious characters that are so ingenious and amazing. I think my favorite part about them is they can’t be serious about anything (until Fred dies…), even when George’s ear gets cut off he’s making jokes about how he’s “holey.” You can’t help but laugh, but at the same time you’re so worried about them. Sometimes, I wondered if Fred and George were hiding behind their jokes, but I honestly think that it’s just their personalities. And I love them for it. Plus, James and Oliver Phelps portrayed them PERFECTLY.

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First, the happy times. The twins are hilarious. Sure, sometimes they can be a little mean, but it’s all in good faith. They love their siblings and they show it in a very unique way. They are honestly two of my favorite characters in the whole series. There are so many random scenes that I love of them. Like in “Goblet of Fire” when Ron is dancing with McGonagall and they’re just waiting to get a hold of Ron to tease him. I also love when they decide to leave Hogwarts (though I missed them) and totally destroy Umbridge. It’s greatness. Even though there are such serious times in the series, the Weasley twins always made it better.

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I’ve always felt that the twins embodied “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” and “mischief managed.” After all, they are always up to something, but their mischief was never managed while at Hogwarts. The twins are just so wonderful and I love it.

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And now, the sad moment you’ve been waiting for. Fred’s death. It was awful, we can all admit it, even Jo admitted it was awful.

45946_598181596862419_951306782_nThe one thing that makes me mad though is when people claim that it was unnecessary and that killing Fred was the worst thing that Jo could have done. (Sorry, no, the whole Harry woke up and it was all a dream is the worst thing possible). Honestly, the fact that it IS indeed unnecessary in fact proves a point. In times of war, there are often innocent lives taken. War kills people that didn’t need to die. And that’s the point. Fred, Tonks, Lupin, and all those others, they didn’t die in vain, like Neville said, they’re still a part of everyone who cares about them. It’s hard to lose someone, and I could never imagine losing my sister, let alone a twin. When I read what happened, I read it several times to make sure I read it right and then I sobbed for ten minutes. I didn’t understand it then, but now looking back it all makes sense.

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Obviously, I’m not a fan of Fred’s death, but it upsets me that people think that Jo didn’t put work into these books. There is so much behind each and every character and event that no one could possibly realize it all.

And now, a wave of feels (feel free to skip to the quotes).

tumblr_m24hj19Tfv1r3gluko1_500 tumblr_m22e02kfIa1r3gluko1_500 tumblr_m18tv9Uo0K1r3gluko1_500 tumblr_m7s6xo5HpN1r3gluko1_500 tumblr_m7s5v6zMUo1r3gluko1_500      553364_480331545320849_447185399_n  314271_600753303271915_45741698_n  74120_600601143287131_466451637_nI’m sorry for the wave of feels ): I just love Fred and George. It’s weird to say one’s name and not the other…

For more info on the wondrous Weasley twins go here for George and here for Fred

And now for some quotes:

“Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through…”

George: “If we’re not careful, we’ll have another Head Boy in the family. I don’t think I could stand the shame.”

George: “We tried shutting him (Percy) in a pyramid, but mum spotted us.”

Fred: “This little beauty’s taught us more than all the teachers in this school.”

Fred: “The Dementors won’t turn up again, Oliver, Dumbledore’d do his nut”

“You don’t want to bottle your anger up like that, Harry, let it all out,” said Fred, beaming. “There might be a couple people fifty miles away who didn’t hear you.”

“But we’re not stupid – we know we’re called Gred and Forge.”

“Harry!” said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. “Simply splendid to see you, old boy–”
“Marvelous,” said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry’s hand in turn. “Absolutely spiffing.”

“We’ll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!”

“E for ‘Exceeds Expectations.’ And I’ve always thought Fred and I should’ve got E in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams.”

“For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That’s a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that’s glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it’s safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s still likely to be the last thing you ever do.””

Harry: “You’re never gonna let him forget this, are you?” Twins: “Never.”

“Excellent!” “Wicked!” “Brilliant!”

“Mischief Managed”

Fred: “How you feeling, Georgie?” George: “Saint-like.” F: “Come again?” G: “Saint-like. I’m holey.”

“Wow, we’re identical!” (after taking polyjuice potion and turning into Harry)

“I Will Have Order!”

Dolores – Of Latin origin. Means “lady of sorrows or pain” (psychological or physical). In Greek, “doleros” means “deceitful.” In Spanish, “dolor” means “to have pain.”

Umbridge – Sounds like “umbrage,” which is “a feeling of anger caused by an offense.” In Latin, “umbra” means “shadow, shade, or ghost” and can also be interpreted as “jealous or suspicious of another” or “standing in one’s light or way.” The phrase “to take umbridge” means to “cause offense and make trouble.” She certainly does this for Harry. The plural “umbrae” means “shadows”. In this context it can be used as shadowing or following other individuals – just how Umbridge does with the Ministry of Magic.

Umbridge…probably my least favorite character in the entire series. Why would I write about her then? Well, I decided I would analyze as many characters as I could and I haven’t done an evil person in a while. While Voldemort is obviously the villain in the series, you almost can’t help but hate Umbridge more. She preys on young children for no apparent reason. Voldemort, I guess, sort of has his reasons and motives and such, but Umbridge…she’s just AWFUL. I HATE HER. I honestly wanted to punch her myself when she was hurting Harry and others. Also, I hate how in the movies she catches like everyone in the DA. It’s not supposed to happen like that. But whatever.  Imelda Staunton did a wonderful job portraying Umbridge, which kinda makes me hate her, my bad.  So much rage at her.

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This is my favorite part. The names reveal so much, if only you knew this while reading…anyway, Dolores is definitely the lady of pain, she is deceitful (she goes against Fudge, who she adores), and she causes a lot of pain. She’s crazy. Umbridge is always angry at something and finds everything offensive. (My favorite part dealing with her is when Dumbledore’s office seals her out. SO GREAT. I also love when Ron makes clicking noises in the hospital wing and she freaks out, thinking it’s the centaurs. SO GOOD.) She’s definitely suspicious of everyone who isn’t her little pet and I feel like she was a bit jealous of some people’s power over her, hence her making Fudge increase her power.

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I always forget this somehow, but when I do remember, I wonder about it a lot. The beginning of Order of the Phoenix is Harry getting attacked by Dementors – sent there by Umbridge. Why? Well, I guess it’s because she wanted to see him expelled, but I don’t understand why she hated him so much. After he starts super sassing her, I can sort of see that, but before they even meet she’s got all this angst against him. I don’t get it personally.  Maybe some more information will be revealed when we get there in Pottermore.

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This is probably my favorite book for Harry. (Even though he’s the main character, he really isn’t my favorite.) He gets SO angry every time Umbridge denies the truth, and sometimes he is just so rude that you have to laugh. Especially imagining Umbridge’s reactions to it. Also, I love that she’s described as toad-like.

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If you really want, you can read more about Umbridge here

Here are some quotes (well, more things that show Umbridge getting what she deserves):

“Using defensive spells? Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class? I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention extremely dangerous half-breeds.”

“Cheers,” whispered George, wiping tears of laughter from his face. “Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next…they multiply by ten every time you try…”
The fireworks continued to burn and spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much.
“Dear, dear,” said Professor McGonagall sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. “Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?”
“Thank you so much, Professor!” said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. “I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn’t sure whether I had the authority…”
Beaming, he closed the classroom door in Umbridge’s snarling face.

“We won’t be seeing you,” Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.
“Yeah, don’t bother to keep in touch,” said George, mounting his own.
Fred looked around at the assembled students, and at the silent, watchful crowd.
“If anybody fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three Diagon Alley – Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes,” he said in a loud voice. “Our new premises!”
“Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they’re going to use our products to get rid of this old bat,” said George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.
“STOP THEM!” shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.
“Give her hell from us, Peeves.”

Umbridge: Let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. This is a lie. Harry:  It’s not a lie! I saw him. I fought him. Umbridge: Detention, Mr. Potter! Harry: So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead OF HIS OWN ACCORD.  Umbridge: Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident. Harry: It was murder! Voldemort killed him! You must know! Umbridge: Enough!

I WILL have order!

“You’re Just As Sane As I Am.”

Luna – The Roman goddess of the moon. “Luna” means “moon” in Latin, Romanian and Italian. In Romanian, it also translates to “month.” The word “lunatic” is also derived from the word “lunar,” as it was believed in old times that strange or odd behavior was caused by the moon. “Luna” is a term for “silver” in alchemy.

Oh, Luna, where shall I start? She is honestly one of my absolute favorite characters (probably second to Snape). One of the many reasons I love Luna is because of her confidence. Sure, the other kids tease her, but does she change who she is? Heck no. That’s so inspiring to me and so many others. Luna made me realize that not everyone has to accept you, but as long as you have those few really special friends who are always there for you, that’s what really matters. Growing up, my sisters and I teased each other a lot, and sometimes it hurt more than I let on. But once I was introduced to Luna all those years ago, she helped me accept my imperfections and really embrace them. That’s why Evanna Lynch was the perfect Luna. Have you read Evanna’s story about how Jo helped her overcome her anorexia? It’s beautiful and makes you realize that Jo is different than most celebrities, and people for that matter (another reason to love her).

I was rather upset when I couldn’t find the meaning behind Lovegood on the website I usually find the names, but I realized, it’s kind of obvious. Luna (and Xenophilius) loves everything weird and abnormal, and is genuinely a good person. They both would do anything for those they love, no matter what. Clearly, Luna is a little bit out there, but, again, it’s what I love about her and what makes her so unique. And her name clearly deals with that (as always). The silver has to do with Luna’s eyes. She is described as having silvery-grey eyes, and silver not only has to do with alchemy, which is sort of odd in itself, but the moon. I never used to appreciate how much effort Jo put into the names until I came across this website. Just going through the first few is amazing. I love Jo so much!!!

I love the contrast between Hermione and Luna. Normally, when characters are so opposite, one is good and one is bad, but in this case, they’re both good. I just love that they are both important to Harry, but one helps with logic and the other with his faith. When Hermione has a problem, she resorts to logic and forgets about just having faith. On the other hand, Luna relies solely on her faith, disregarding what normal people would consider logic. I think that makes Luna so interesting, her quirkiness. She always makes you want to laugh, and she was always so intelligent and her quotes are some of my absolute favorites.

I think Luna’s faith in the things that aren’t easily proved helps Harry more than he realizes. Though Harry never really knew Dumbledore’s story or motives, I think Harry learned that you don’t always have to know all the details to trust someone; sometimes, you just have to have blind faith. That’s one of the most important lessons that Luna taught Harry.

I loved when Harry asked Luna to Slughorn’s party (because he couldn’t ask Ginny). I thought it was so sweet, and I was upset that other characters thought it was weird. It showed that Harry didn’t care about other people’s opinions and that he was going to be friends with who he wanted to be friends with. I think it was also significant that Luna told Harry about thestrals. It connected them in a way that no one else would understand. Death of a loved one is hard enough to deal with, and I think because both lost their mothers, it really made that connection so much stronger.  I dislike when people complain about Harry not seeing the thestrals prior to his 5th year, but I think it makes sense. (I also dislike when people get mad at things that J.K. did because she obviously had a reason.) Harry was 1 when his parents died, and I don’t think at the age of 1 he could have truly comprehended that his mother had just died in front of him. However, in his mind, Cedric’s death is entirely his fault. Harry was being polite and tried to let them both win because he didn’t want to be the only champion because he didn’t think it would be fair. Because Harry did the right thing, Cedric died for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m not saying that Luna blames herself for her mother’s death, but in a way, I think we all blame ourselves when we lose someone. Plus, thestrals are really weird. Luna is really weird. It just works.

I honestly believe with all my heart that Luna is the epitome of the Ravenclaw saying “Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.” Rowling later revealed that Luna went on to become a magizoologist, discovering many creatures that no one had known about previously. I think that shows just how intelligent Luna really is. Not everyone has the guts to follow their dreams and faith like she does. Luna is also intelligent in another way. She knows what’s really important in life: family and friends. It doesn’t matter that people call her Loony, nor that they think she’s insane. All that matters is that she knows what’s important to her. Again, she is the epitome of another quote, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Wise words from Dr. Seuss.

I saw this post on tumblr the other day and somehow it completely grabs the essence of Luna in just a few short words.

One thing that I liked better in the movies than the books (shocker, I know) is that they sort of shipped Neville and Luna, and I think they would have been perfect together because they were both outcasts who ended up having huge impact in Harry’s life and in the Battle of Hogwarts. Go underdogs!

Luna is probably one of the most influential characters Jo created and I know Luna is definitely part of the reason that I’m a proud Ravenclaw.

More on Luna here!

I’m sorry, I had to.

Some quotes from Luna:

“I’ve been able to see them ever since my first year here. They’ve always pulled the carriages. Don’t worry. You’re just as sane as I am.”

Harry: “How would you like to come to Slughorn’s party with me tonight?” Luna: “Slughorn’s party? With you?” Harry: “Yeah. We’re supposed to bring guests, so I thought you might like; I mean, just as friends, you know. But if you don’t want to;” Luna: “Oh no, I’d love to go with you as friends! Nobody’s ever asked me to a party before, as a friend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I dye mine too?”

Luna: “There are ways of flying other than with broomsticks.” Ron: “I’s’pose we’re going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?” Luna: “The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can’t fly, but they can, and Hagrid says they’re very good at finding places their riders are looking for.”

“I enjoyed the meetings, too. It was like having friends.”

“Oh, no,” she said, smiling at him. “They’ll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway … why aren’t you at the feast?”

Harry: “Have you…I mean, who … has anyone you known ever died?” Luna: “Yes, my mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine.” Harry: “I’m sorry,” Luna: “Yes, it was rather horrible. I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I’ve still got Dad. And anyway, it’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?” Harry: “Er – isn’t it?” Luna: “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?” Harry: ” You mean…” Luna: “In that room in the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that’s all, you heard them.”

“Oh, no. No, I think I’ll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up…. It always does in the end.”

Luna: “People expect you to have cooler friends than us.” Harry: “You are cool. None of them were at the Ministry. They didn’t fight with me.” Luna: “That’s a very nice thing to say.”

Harry: “Sorry I made you miss the carriages, by the way, Luna.” Luna: “That’s all right, it’s like being with a friend.” Harry: “Oh, I am your friend, Luna.” Luna: “That’s nice.”

Luna: “I’d want some peace and quiet, if it were me.” Harry: “I’d love some.”Luna: “I’ll distract them all. Use your cloak. Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!”

Luna: “Whenever you’re ready, Sir.” Dobby: “Sir? I like her very much.”

Plus more here!

“Always”

Severus – Sever means “to cut off.” Snape appears to have “cut off” his ties with the Dark Lord through the first five books, and then with Dumbledore and the Order in Half-Blood Prince. “Severe” means “cruel, strict” – two characteristics that accurately describe the Potions Professor. Sounds very similiar to the Latin word “servus,” meaning “servant.” Is he still a servant of Voldemort’s? In ancient history, Lucius Septimius Severus restored stability to the Roman Empire after the tumultuous reign of Emperor Commodus (See Albus) and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus’ murder. To read more on this story, go here. The name Severus is also mentioned in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, a favorite book of J.K. Rowling. Additionally, a Saint Severus of Alexandria (Egypt) was martyred along with a Saint Peter and a Saint Leucius for publicly proclaiming the faith around 309 C.E. Severus, Peter, and Lucius – quite a coincidence!

Snape – A town in England. Also based after a person J.K. Rowling knew.

Snape is such a fascinating character. As usual, I LOVE HIM. Alan Rickman was also the perfect Severus Snape. And for those of you, crazy as you may be, who disagree, the proof is simple: J.K. Rowling told Rickman Snape’s entire life story before she had even written the 7th book, before filming began for Philosopher’s Stone. I used to loathe Snape with the same intensity that he loathed Harry. When the 7th book was released, and I got to the part when Snape gives Harry his memories, I had to close the book and process. Jo had done it again, made you believe something so intensely, never giving any clues besides Dumbledore’s continual faith, and twisted it completely. I was so excited to learn about more of Snape’s past. I knew it was going to be a part of the book because Borders (moment of silence for my favorite store that went bankrupt), and I’m sure other stores as well, had book marks saying “Severus Snape, Friend… Or Foe?” on alternate sides. I was so convinced that Snape was evil, especially after he had killed Dumbledore. I couldn’t see any other explanation. (I’m honestly so excited for J.K. to reveal more about Snape’s life on Pottermore.)  This post is going to be so hard for me to finish because I just have so many feels about Snape. Currently, I’m rereading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time and I’m on Chamber of Secrets, and I love picking up on little subtle clues that Jo’s left about him. Some things suddenly make so much more sense (this is true with pretty much every major character). This is one of my favorites:

Some of his first words to Harry were almost like a subtle apology.

I never really appreciated all that Jo put into the works. I mean, I’ve always loved Harry Potter (in fact, it’s the first series that made me love reading, I used to hate it), but the fact that people are still finding things from a book that was published 15 years ago. It’s the series that just keeps on giving. One of the things that I love the most about Snape’s development is that normally, a character appears good, but is actually evil. Snape’s the opposite. Also, normally, there are clues. Maybe I’ve missed them because they’re so subtle, but I don’t think so. The only thing that you have is Dumbledore’s complete faith, which I think makes you doubt Dumbledore and makes you think so much more.

Entirely and absolutely true.
*random fact: Snape has been voted the most loved character in the entire series <3″

At first, I never understood why Jo had to put in another villainous character. I mean, wasn’t the threat of Voldemort enough? AHH. I can’t even put into words the feels that I’m experiencing. Snape just hates Harry purely because he can’t look at Harry and not think of the mistake that he made so many years ago. I think this is the one time that I really understand why it’s so important that Harry has Lily’s eyes. Snape loved Lily, and to see that every day, it makes complete sense why Snape hates Harry. Again, why I love that picture so much.

Though people criticize Snape for being so cruel to students, the two he was the worst to were Harry and Neville. Harry for the reasons above, and Neville because he feels guilty.  Snape was the one who overheard the prophecy, and if he hadn’t heard that, Voldemort wouldn’t have known to go after Lily or Harry or the Longbottoms. So, indirectly, it is Snape’s fault that Bellatrix and the others tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom. I think we forget that Snape is good, but he can’t show it because of students like Malfoy who are closely tied to the Dark Lord.

When I found out that Snape loved Lily, it was probably the best Snape moment. I love Snape, and I love what I know of Lily, but I think the people who “ship” Snily (Snape and Lily) are crazy. James and Lily were perfect for each other. Though James wasn’t always perfect, he was always trying to win Lily’s heart. Snape loved her from the moment he saw her, but he ruined it by calling Lily a mudblood. I can’t exactly blame her for disliking him. I think the fact that Lily rejected him led Snape to really start befriending the Slytherin and then go become a Death Eater. He was denied his true love, so I think it was a type of depression in a way. Unfortunately, it took her death to make him see the error of his ways, but it made him turn to Dumbledore, who saved him. (I think this is why Snape and Dumbledore try so hard to save Malfoy in Half-Blood Prince.)
I just had an epiphany while writing this. Snape’s worst memory isn’t because James embarassed him, it’s because it’s when he loses Lily. It’s the day he calls her a mudblood. But of course, we see it through mostly Harry’s perspective, and you don’t know about his feelings yet, so of course you don’t notice that! ANOTHER CLUE! I feel like I’m solving a mystery of sorts…

I couldn’t resist. I’m sorry.

I honestly cannot even handle going into Snape’s name and the meanings. So, why don’t you guys give me your thoughts on his name and the significance? Also, I cannot handle going into the bravery it must have taken to defy the darkest wizard ever.

This was probably the saddest scene, ever:

One last reason to love Snape: the most universal Harry Potter quote:

I apologize if this post makes no sense, but processing how I feel about this topic is so emotional that I really…I just can’t handle it.

More on Snape here <3

Some Snarky Severus Snape quotes:

Lily Evans: “They’re not arguing any more? Severus Snape: “Oh yes, they’re arguing. But it won’t be that long and I’ll be gone. Lily Evans: “Doesn’t your dad like magic? Severus Snape: “He doesn’t like anything, much.
Albus Dumbledore: “If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear. You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily’s son. Severus Snape: “Very well. But never — never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear… especially Potter’s son…
You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death — if you aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.
Harry: “Hang on…There’s an empty chair at the staff table…. Where’s Snape? Ron: “Maybe he’s ill! Harry: “Maybe he’s left, because he missed out on the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again! Ron: “Or he might have been sacked! I mean, everyone hates him — Snape: “Or maybe he’s waiting to hear why you two didn’t arrive on the school train.
Snape: “YOU DON’T KNOW POTTER! HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT! Fudge: “Fellow seems quite unbalanced. I’d watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore. Dumbledore: “Oh, he’s not unbalanced. He’s just suffered a severe disappointment.
You might be labouring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you … but I don’t care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me, Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers the rules to be beneath him.
Read even more here!

“Yer A Wizard, Harry.”

Rubeus – “Rubeus” means “red.” “Ruber” is also Latin for “red,” and can mean “ruddy” – a perfect representation of our favorite gamekeeper.

Hagrid – J.K. Rowling said: “Hagrid is also another old English word meaning if you were Hagrid, it’s a dialect word meaning you’d had a bad night. Hagrid’s a big drinker. He has a lot of bad nights.” Grid was a Norse giantess known for having a terrible temper. “Ha” is a variant of the Old West Norse name element “half.” So, “Ha-Grid” may just mean “Half-Grid” or more notably “Half-Giant.” ” Haggard” can also mean “appearing worn and exhausted, gaunt; wild or distraught in appearance; a disheveled individual.” From the Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, the Old English term “hag-rid” means “indigestion” (not surprising considering all the weird things Hagrid eats). Found in the exact same paragraph as “Dumbledore.” Coincidence?

I’m pretty sure I say this every post, but I love Hagrid. He really does make Hogwarts home. I love how someone who seems so scary at first glance is really a sweet, caring, loyal, and emotional man. Hagrid is just wonderful. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters. I hated the part in Order of the Phoenix when he’s away with Madame Olympe Maxime trying to make peace with the giants. But Rowling made up for it with his awesome story. I remember reading that and being completely transported to be there with them and it’s just one of those things that I love about the way that J.K. Rowling writes.

As always, the name holds significance. Rubeus meaning red and ruddy is perfect for Hagrid, as it says above. I believe that J.K. often describes him as being ruddy. Hagrid is yet again perfect, whether referencing the quote or the half-giant or haggard or hag-rid. I think it’s rather interesting that Rowling made Hagrid a drinker. I know he had to have some fault, but wouldn’t it be enough that he was blamed for opening the Chamber of Secrets? He had a terrible childhood though, so I guess that’s probably why. His mother left when he was young, his father died when he was at school, he had few friends, he got blamed for opening the Chamber of Secrets, saved by Dumbledore who allowed him to stay on the grounds. Hagrid also was a very close friend of the Potters and so when they were murdered it was very hard on him. Hagrid also has the tendency to blame himself. I think part of the reason Hagrid has such a fascination with animals is that they’ve never let him down and they’ve always been there for him. I think it’s also pretty awesome that hag-rid and Dumbledore (an old English word for bumblebee) are in the same paragraph. It could be where Jo found their names, or it could merely be a coincidence. Or even cooler would be if she found one of them, then the other later and then came across them in Thomas Hardy’s book.

Though this picture isn’t really something that happened in the series, it’s so true. Hagrid revealed the truth about Harry’s life to us all. Hagrid bought Harry his first real birthday present. Hagrid did so much for Harry, year after year. Though Ron was Harry’s best friend, Ron did leave. Hagrid never did. He never could have. (I’m not hating on Ron, I’m just saying, think about it.) Hermione wasn’t friends with Harry at first, though she didn’t seem to loathe him like she loathed Ron. Hagrid is so important to Harry because Hagrid represents Hogwarts to him somehow. Harry knows that Hagrid cares, and vice versa. Hagrid is just so wonderfully wonderful. He really truly does make Hogwarts home.

One of my favorite Hagrid moments is when the trio goes up to him after finding out he’s the new Care of Magical Creatures professor. He’s so shy about it! It’s adorable. I also love and yet hate the part when Harry goes into the Forbidden Forest in the Deathly Hallows. Hagrid is scared for Harry and I hate that Voldemort makes him carry Harry, but no one else would have been right. It was so emotional. I love Hagrid. He’s a big teddy bear.

More on Hagrid here!

Some quotes from Hagrid:

No, sir – house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin’ around. He fell asleep as we was flyin’ over Bristol.

“Harry — yer a wizard.”

Rubeus Hagrid: “This boy’s had his name down ever since he was born. He’ll be goin’ to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world and he’ll be under the greatest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen; Albus Dumbledore. Vernon Dursley: “I will not pay to have some crackpot old fool teach him magic tricks! Rubeus Hagrid: “Never… insult… Albus Dumbledore… in front of me!
Great man, Dumbledore. ‘S long as we’ve got him, I’m not too worried.
Listen to me, all three of ya: Yer meddlin’ in things that aught not to be meddled in; it’s too dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.
“If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they’d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That’d lead ’em right! That’s all I’m sayin’.”
When I firs’ met you, you reminded me o’ me a bit: Mum an’ Dad gone, and you was feelin’ like yeh wouldn’t fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it…an’ now look at yeh!.
My dad was broken-hearted when she wen’. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an’ put him on top o’ the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh…
Dumbledore sent me to parley with the giants…I tried to convince them to join the cause. But I wasn’t the only one that was trying to win them over.
Harry?! No! What are you doin’ here?!