thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Anonymous asked:
re: diplomatic relationships between magical communities. What are you headcanons for those ? I never really thought about it because I've always felt, perhaps wrongly, that the British Ministry of Magic extended its insular attitude with Muggles to magical communities of other nationalities. But I guess you could consider HP4 a counterexample, what with the Quidditch World Cup and the school exchange. This is really interesting anyway, please tell me more :D
First of all this is such a GREAT ask I love it, okay okay, I’m going to stay cool and not actually write a long essay about this.
JK I am. I have no chill. Meta-ish stuff above the cut and my headcanons below the cut because this is long.
Anyway, there’s actually a fair bit of canonical proof that there’s a fair bit of international cooperation between magical communities; tbh the biggest proof of that imo is the existence of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. It’s actually interesting that this department in particular exists while a lot of the other Ministry departments you’d expect to exist - Agriculture (or anything dealing with food), Education, the Home Office (admittedly, some of its functions are run by the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, but the DMLE doesn’t deal with immigration), the goddamn Treasury - don’t exist in the magical world. It suggests that international magical cooperation is a pretty strong part of the wizarding world and given that the Statute of Secrecy was instituted by an international council (the International Confederation of Wizards), it’s safe to say that after the Statute of Secrecy, at least, international magical cooperation has been a thing.
There are other bits here and there, as well. The Triwizard competition was instituted somewhere in the medieval period. The ‘International’ Quidditch World Cup was instituted in 1473 (though at that point it only included European nations; the other nations joined in the 1600s). Archer Evermonde (Minister for Magic between 1912 and 1923) instituted a ban on wizards in any way helping the war effort during WWI and its hinted that Leonard Spencer-Moon was important in helping usher magical Britain through both Grindelwald’s war and WWII which suggests that there was some level of British involvement (or threat) during Grindelwald’s war. We also know that the ICW and various government officials did make several calls for Albus Dumbledore to intervene during Grindelwald’s war - which Dumbles put off answering until it was p much unavoidable.
Like you said, book four is a treasure trove of information, beyond just the Quidditch World Cup & the Triwizard Tournament. It’s also the book where Bill Weasley is first introduced and we learn that a) he’s employed as a cursbreaker for Gringotts and b) that he does work in Egypt. I’ve sort of discussed the implications of this before over here, but at a very basic level it means that Britain and Egypt have close enough relations (or that Gringotts has enough of a presence in Egypt) to warrant a British cursebreaker being called in to work on Egyptian artefacts. Whether those relations are equal is an entirely different matter. Given that elsewhere in GOF we get Arthur Weasley discussing the Flying Carpet Ban and Ali Bashir who was arrested for smuggling in enchanted carpets (it’s hinted that this ban was recent given that Barty Crouch Sr’s dad apparently owned a 12 seater Axminster, and also that the use of these carpets was popular in the Middle East and Asia), it seems as though power relations are about as unequal in the wizarding world as they are in the muggle world - with postcolonial countries at the receiving end of regulations and what nots.
Then we get little throwaway sections, mostly involving Percy Weasley, which are played off as jokes but actually do give us a lot of insight into what magical relations and diplomacy look like! For a start there’s cauldron bottom legislation which sounds ridiculous, but actually it’s pretty important bc it means that there’s an international regulatory body that is probably also overseeing things like wand manufacturing, potions ingredients manufacturing and anything else that is magical and requires standardization. There’s also the International Ban on Duelling that we learn Percy was trying to convince the Transylvanian Head of Magical Cooperation to sign - so, Britain lobbying for other countries to sign on to legislature, not too dissmilar, I’d say, to the functions of the EU and the UN.
That’s also an important section in canon because it tells us that borders are not the same in the wizarding world - and therefore that the historical events which went to shaping how the borders of the world look today are vastly different for the wizarding world yet produced a unified Germany, post the institution of the Statute of Secrecy. So. Of course, if historical events in the wix world are vastly different from the muggle world, then that does shape international relations in the present. yxoque theorized that it was unlikely for wix to have adhered to things like the decisions of the Congress of Vienna (in this thread) and that more or less fits with this hypothesis + how canon plays out, so, given that we’re dishing most of the events that shaped international relations at a time when nationhood as an idea really became a thing (over idealistic concepts like the Holy Roman Empire, or smaller fragmented areas like the Italian city states or the various princedoms/kingdoms of Germany) its safe to say that wix international relations and borders are probably quite different from our own.
SO ANYWAY, canonically: international magical relations are definitely a thing.
My headcanons are well. Well I have a lot of headcanons and questions so I’m going to try and be as succinct as possible because this is one of the things I think about a lot. All the time. I’ve cut it for length and convenience because I have lots of thoughts about international organizations, trade, banking, sport, borders and immigration - and ofc the really important thing here which is how this all tallies up to the shape of international relations in the wixen world and politics, so hit read more for the headcanon-y stuff and also for vague spoilers for Chaos Is A Butterfly.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
I don’t really have time to run an fic-writing event (I have no experience with that), but today I was overcome with Inspiration to design a Harry Potter Worldbuilding Bingo Fic Challenge. So, here are the rough potential categories, subcategories, and specific prompts I came up with today for that (under the cut, based largely on my own interests, I will admit).
Category Example: Crafting and Workmanship
Subcategory Example: Fashion in the Wizarding World
Specific Prompt Examples: A Week of Albus Dumbledore’s Wardrobe Choices OR an Overview of the Best-Dressed Professors and Students of Hogwarts OR Designing New Yule Ball Outfits for Characters
Excerpts of my fav potential specific prompts (from below the cut):
Luna Lovegood and Colin Creevey start a Hogwarts newspaper in their first year (and nobody knows what to do about this)
It’s Card Game Night in Gryffindor Tower (People May Die)
the Seventh-Years of 1992-1993 face their NEWTs with Gilderoy Lockart as their Defense teacher (someone help them)
Hermione tries to discuss university options with Harry and reacts with horror when Harry reveals he had no idea that there were magical universities
A Hogwarts teacher writes journals/papers for a publication and gets into an academic feud with a Beauxbatons teacher
The poor Ministry worker who has to deal with the sobbing preschooler whose parents jokingly told them they’d go to prison for performing Underage Magic even accidentally
Slughorn quizzes his students in a fun and relaxed lesson in a game called “Is this an alcoholic cocktail or a potion?”
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
So I see there was a question about magical animals raised for food. I was wondering if you thought that would be a popular thing among wizards? They would raise their own food animals or grow their own produce? Sort of like the Weasely’s did in the books? On a related note do you think there are Wizarding Farmers Markets? Or some way for them to sell their own milk or eggs or such like.
Given the comparatively small magical population vs non-magical, the way so many of them live in hidden spaces - which can seemingly be expanded - and then things like the Weasleys having pigs and chickens and the like… it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of more rural magical families grew and farmed their own produce and that some older families may manage large aspects of a nation’s magical agriculture.
As for Farmer’s Markets, I don’t know. Magical Britain only really has Diagon Alley as a big magical trade hub, so I think it’s more likely that people who have eggs, milk, meat, local produce, etc. to sell would do so by paying for ads in the Daily Prophet and the like, and sending them by Owl Order. Alternatively, given the from-the-films Magic Neep greengrocers in Hogsmeade, it’s quite possible that there are grocers, butchers and the like to which people sell for distribution, rather than relying on Owl Order.
I suspect a lot of rural families provide for themselves to a large extent - the Weasleys, yes, but we know the Lovegoods also grew some plants themselves like the Dirigible Plums. There are probably larger producers, likely old pureblood families, who provide larger scale food produce which then gets filtered through places such as the Magic Neep (which probably itself does Owl Order, or lets families place an order for a House Elf to pick up) for distribution.
That said, those who live partially incorporated with the muggle world - half-bloods, muggle-raised people not willing to leave that behind - may well buy from muggle shops where possible, if only because it’s probably easier and less obtrusive than multiple owls. Daily Prophet and any letters is probably enough owls and they’d be rather more subtle (letters and bundled newspapers being comparatively small) compared to a large owl with a delivery basket of foodstuffs.
So, all in all:
- Rural families probably provide for themselves for the most part.
- Older magical families have likely cornered larger scaled agriculture.
- People probably buy from magical grocers, butchers, etc. such as the Magic Neep, be it in person, by House Elf pick-up, or Owl Order.
- Those from muggle backgrounds may buy in the muggle world for simplicity’s sake.
Consequently, farmer’s markets probably aren’t that much a thing, except perhaps as an occasional event in Diagon or equivalent magical neighbourhoods. I honestly don’t think the population would readily sustain it and with Owl Order and how distributed the population is it probably isn’t too feasible.
That said, who knows, maybe after the war there was an influx of muggle culture, but I would say, at least in my experience in Britain, farmer’s markets aren’t the same kind of a deal as seems to be made of them in the US? In my town (a town purely by technicality precisely because it has a market) we have a once-weekly big market, with greengrocer’s stall, fishmongers, butchers, and assorted sundries, and a mid-week, much smaller pre-made food market. That’s what we have instead of a farmer’s market. Just… a market.
I hope this answers your question for you!
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Jewelry in the Wizarding World
JKR definitely doesn’t tend to go into a ton of detail about clothes/jewelry. Sometimes I think she put everyone in robes just to simplify things.
We do see occasional mentions of jewelry in the books. Luna wears radish earrings and butterbeer cork necklaces, both of which are regarded as abnormal. Ron receives a gold chain with the words “My Sweetheart.” Fred/George also buy Molly “a spectacular golden necklace” in HBP. Parvati wears gold bangles at the Yule Ball. And, of course, Bill has his earring with the fang.
There’s almost certainly jewelry makers/suppliers in the wizarding world. There are probably a few artisans, ranging from handmade bangles from a stall in Diagon Alley to expensive goblin-made necklaces inlayed with precious stones.
However, most wizarding jewelry (and clothes in general) probably wouldn’t be as cheap or as freely available as in the muggle world. Wizards don’t really appear to have the population/infrastructure to support mass production of cheap goods. Nor do they have the population to support a huge amount of variety.
In past centuries, clothing and jewelry were far more expensive because so much of it was handmade or made-to-order. And we get the impression that wizards are still in that stage.
So someone like Narcissa can buy an expensive goblin-made necklace from Diagon Alley, but someone middle class like Lavender Brown doesn’t have as many choices.
Someone like Lavender is more is more likely to turn to mass-produced muggle jewelry, because it’s far cheaper and there’s more variety.
Someone like Pansy Parkinson might turn her nose up at the idea of wearing muggle fashion voluntarily, but even she might be swayed by a particularly shiny bracelet.
I imagine wizarding fashion to be heavily influenced by muggle fashion, though wizards would have slightly different aesthetic tastes. For example, wizards of both genders seem to be a bit more flamboyant bordering on garish, and I could see them being more comfortable with larger and almost costume-y jewelry.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
“the important buts” ➙ for anon
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Jaime/Brienne | Jon/Sansa
↳ requested by @goodqueenalys
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
kingjjon-deactivated20220302
Okay but the intensity with which he says this makes it seem like he is giving his heart out it reminds me of how they directed Maise W to say “I can be your family” as if she was saying I love you. This is one of my favorite moments in season 7
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Jon the Dragonknight
Within the Jonsa fandom, its been talked about a lot that Jon bears more than one similarity to the legendary Ser Aemon the Dragonknight. To give a quick recap of the similarities:
Sworn to Celibacy
Prince Aemon joined the Kingsguard at 17, taking an oath of celibacy and swearing to die for the King. The Kingsguard are referred to as White Knights. He was eventually made Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
Jon was 14 when he joined the Nights Watch, taking an oath of celibacy and swearing to die protecting the realms of men. The men of the Night’s Watch are referred to as the Black Knights of the Wall. Jon was made Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch
Young Dragon vs Young Wolf
Prince Aemon’s cousin Daeron was called the Young Dragon, and was killed while under the peace banner trying to take away Dorne’s independence.
Jon’s brother, who is actually his cousin, Robb was called the Young Wolf, and was killed while under Guest Right at the Red Wedding trying to regain Northern Independence.
Valyrian Steel Blade
Prince Aemon was so impressive in the lists that he was given Visenya’s blade Dark Sister
Lord Commander Mormont was so impressed by Jon that he gave him Longclaw
Served Under Five Kings
During his time as Kingsguard, Aemon served under five kings: Aegon III, Daeron I, Baelor I, Viserys II, and Aegon IV (the unworthy)
While serving in the Night’s Watch, Jon is technically sworn to all five kings during the War of the Five Kings (Robb, Joffrey, Balon, Renly, Stannis)
There’s also smaller details they have in common. Aemon fought a Cregan Stark, while Jon fights with Alys’ cousin Cregan Karstark. Both die in service to the realm. Aemon forced the King’s mistress Barba to leave with her infant, similar to how Jon forced Gilly to leave Castle Black. Jon also dreamed of being Ser Aemon the Dragonknight when him and Robb played at swords. (And of course the R+L=J reveal means they are both Targs)
How This Foreshadows Jonsa
The one super obvious parallel I left out of the above is Queen Naerys and Sansa.
Prince Aemon joined the Kingsguard shortly after his sister Queen Naerys was married to Aegon IV. At their wedding feast, it was said that Prince Aemon cried.
Jon breaks down in tears during the feast where Sansa’s betrothal to Joffrey Baratheon was announced. Joffrey compares himself to Aegon IV when taunting Sansa:
“A king can have other women. Whores. My father did. One of the Aegons did too. The third one, or the fourth.”
- ASoS Sansa III
Shortly after the betrothal was announced, Jon joins the Night’s Watch.
Ned promises her a match as worthy of her as Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, and he is the hero Sansa thinks of most often. (We’re also introduced to the Dragonknight in Sansa’s first POV)
IMO the parallels between Aemon/Naerys and Jon/Sansa can be used for predictor-y purposes. The most popular story told of Prince Aemon is when he championed his sister against the rumors spread by Ser Morgil. Jon has already begun championing Sansa:
“Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa.”
- ADWD Jon IV
While it has yet to happen in the books, throughout S6 of GOT Jon goes through the North championing Sansa’s birthright to Winterfell. I’m willing to bet a very similar scenario will play out in the books.
Prince Aemon’s doomed love for his sister Naerys is famed throughout Westeros. Considering all of their other parallels, it just makes sense that Jon and Sansa will experience something similar. But there is plenty of evidence that Jon and Sansa’s romance won’t be so tragic; the R+L=J reveal means she’s not actually his sister (avoiding the curse of incest). And Jon has already died serving in the Night’s Watch, so the most tragic moment of his arc when paralleled to Aemon’s has already passed - his romance should be much more positive.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Sansa, Smart
So. Sansa. I hear some people think she’s not very clever. This is a view shared by several characters in the books.
But there’s no reason the readership should share those views. Sansa is a very clever individual who makes increasingly good use of several skills she started the series with, and develops greatly as an observer and an actor over the course of the story.
Putting everything under a cut, for reasons of four books of brainpower.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Jon and Sansa book parallels [part four]
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Jon and Sansa book parallels [part four]
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
Would Jonsa even be a ship had the insane writers left Sansa in the Vale as Alayne where she fucking belongs? Instead of nonsensically giving her Jeyne Poole’s storyline? Like would it still be a thing if the show was actually written competently?
lostlittlesatellites
It would actually. Probably have even more content in season 5 because Sansa’s Alayne Stone arc is about her living under the disguise of a bastard where her uncle (by marriage) acts as her father and her step-mother/aunt hates her. She is also betrothed to her cousin?? It’s practically a whole R+L=J hint.
Sansa’s Alayne arc is full of imagery that relates to snow, Winterfell, the North and Jon. In fact it places her closer to the North and the point is that she was going to get there anyway and probably would be the first to reunite with Jon too and rebuild Winterfell with him because 1) They’re the only Starks involved in political plots to take back Winterfell, including political matches (Val, Harry) to make it happen 2) They’re the only surviving Starks who think of rebuilding Winterfell (Sansa even builds Winterfell out of “snow”) 3) They’re the only Starks called “blood of Winterfell” (the third person called is Arnolf Karstark who Stannis claimed that he planned to give Winterfell to in case Jon refused) 4) Not only does Sansa have Mya Stone in her arc, Harry had fathered a bastard and had another on its way. He’s practically Robert 2.0. So Lyanna parallels 5) Jon thinks of writing to Lysa to get grain from the Vale because it’s unaffected by war but decides against it because they have no money and he doubts Lysa would like him. Sansa would be his way to obtain it. 6) Jeyne is Sansa’s best friend and Theon relates her with Sansa when it comes to memories of her. While it’s a f!Arya plot, Arya and Sansa are also under false identities. 7) Sansa and Jeyne are both Littlefinger’s victims and this has to come to a head.
So honestly, Jonsa would be enhanced by the Vale plot, not lessened. People keep saying Sansa stole Jeyne’s plot, but on the surface, Jeyne/Ramsay/Theon is a more extreme version of Sansa/Joffrey/the Hound. Only thing is Joffrey was younger and he still had her beaten every time Robb had a victory or she spoke out of turn andl he threatened to rape her and put a bastard in her on her wedding to Tyrion. She also has parallels with Alys Karstark, who was running away from an uncle who was trying to marry her to a cousin. They just telegraphed her journey to the North faster because they didn’t want as many seasons as GRRM wanted and I hate it, but there’s Doylist logic to it.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
I just want to say that Jon Snow is at his most attractive when he’s smiling and looking at Sansa Stark.
Oh, you mean this?
These moments are the happiest Jon has been in seasons and its with Sansa.
Yes, definitely that.
jonbonsnowvi
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
@sizequeen1 replied to your post “scullylikesscience: qinaliel: effleuresense: …”
The subtext is pretty obviously her resentment that brute strength is heralded while her political connections are ignored. Wow. It’s right there in the script.
See, I don’t think you understand the difference between subtext and text, nor do you understand what it means to skirt around something.
Text is the main dialogue, the words being spoken. Subtext is content underneath the spoken dialogue. Under dialogue, there can be conflict, anger, jealousy, sexual attraction, and other implicit ideas or emotions. Subtext is the unspoken thoughts and motives of characters - what they really think and believe. Text is what they speak out loud.
Skirting means to avoid, go around the edge of, or keep distant from something that is controversial, risky, etc.
The Text in this scene, the dialogue being spoken, is Sansa’s resentment and frustration at her knowledge and insight still being ignored by Jon and him not taking her advice seriously. The Text is Jon being angry at Sansa questioning his decisions in public.
So, then what’s the Subtext?
The “true tension” between them, meaning a tension that has nothing to do with what they’re arguing about. It’s the conflict underneath the argument, their unspoken thoughts and emotions. The “true tension” is also something controversial or risky, so that they need to “skirt around” it instead of addressing it. Their argument about the council meeting comes “into the fore” because they can’t actually talk about what’s truly bothering them underneath it all.
The Subtext is Unresolved Sexual Tension.
thefangirlisstrongwiththisone reblogged
♕♔ Jon & Sansa | The Match That Was Promised
“Someday your husband will sit there and you will sit by his side.”
“Ned Stark’s bastard has been named King in the North, and that murderous whore Sansa stands beside him.”
“You wanted to be a Queen, to sit next to a handsome young King on the Iron Throne.”
“I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.”
“Sweet one,” her father said gently, “listen to me. When you’re old enough, I’ll make you a match with someone who’s worthy of you. Someone who’s brave and gentle and strong. This match with Joffrey was a terrible mistake. That boy is no Prince Aemon, you must believe me.”
Jon and Robb were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. “I’m Prince Aemon the Dragonknight,” Jon would call out.
“Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. It was the taste of Winterfell. The taste of innocence. The taste of dreams.”
“A snowflake danced upon the air, then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon.”
“In Sansa’s dreams, her children looked just like the brothers she had lost. She would name them Eddard and Brandon and Rickon. Sometimes there was even a girl who looked like Arya.
“I might someday hold a son of my own blood in my arms. A son was something Jon Snow had never dared dream of, since he decided to live his life on the Wall. I could name him Robb.”
Source: twitter.com