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lizbeeI read the play yesterday afternoon, and have basically been floating on Harry Potter Feels ever since. And I got tired of attempting to squee without spoilers on Twitter, so I'm shifting to a more appropriate venue.
- time travel
- alternate timelines
- fatherhood
- dads in primary care roles while mums have careers (I can't remember if it was made explicit in the script, but the actor who plays Ron says that he runs a shop because it gives him time to look after the kids while Hermione's at work)
- a definite subtext of femdom
BASICALLY, at some point, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany are going to pull their rubber masks off, and they'll both be Steven Moffat.
My all-time bulletproof narrative kinks are time travel, alternate timelines and kids growing up in the shadows of their parents' legacies, so this is pretty much made for me. I don't care that it's glorified fic. It was a thoroughly joyous experience, even the bits where I cried (which was most of Part 2).
Things for which I was unprepared:
- SNAPE FEELS
- I know it's not fashionable right now, but I still have a lot of love for Snape, and I'm overjoyed that he gets to exlicitly say that he stayed with the Order of the Phoenix because he adopted Lily's principles, and didn't just spend 17 years in a dungeon having a one-man pity party. Well, I mean, he did that, too. But, you know. Shine on, you greasy diamond.
- ALSO
- LET'S TALK ABOUT SNAPE/HERMIONE IN THE GRIMDARKEST TIMELINE
- WHERE SHE ADDRESSES HIM BY HIS FIRST NAME
- BUT HE DOES NOT HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE WITH HER
- I SHIP IT QUITE HARD
- THEY FIGHTCRIME EACH OTHER VOLDEMORT
- LOOK, SHE'S FORTY YEARS OLD BY THIS POINT, I FEEL LIKE THE AGE GAP HAS TO BECOME LESS PROBLEMATIC AT SOME POINT
- I seem to have become a person who cares about Draco Malfoy, which goes against all my principles
- BUT HE'S CARRYING SO MUCH GRIEF AND ANGER AND CONCEALING IT WITH SARCASM AND FACETIOUS REMARKS ABOUT FARMER'S MARKETS
- "I don't do small talk."
- ...oh, honey, Snape was NOT an amazing choice for substitute father figure
- I don't know if I want fic where Draco, through Harry and Ginny (via Dudley), meets a nice Muggle single mother whose daughter is off to Hogwarts, or if I want Harry/Draco/Ginny.
- I couldn't figure out if Lucius and Narcissa are still alive ... but Scorpius doesn't seem QUITE neurotic enough for them to be significant figures in his life
- but maybe I need to read it again to be sure
- So much of this play is Rich White Boys Have Father Issues, yet I loved it? I think it helps that their whole universe has earned a lot of goodwill from me, plus, see above re: legacy issues.
- Plus, Albus and Scorpius -- especially Scorpius -- have such wry, self-deprecating senses of humour, it makes them really appealing
- I don't know why I get such a kick out of the Potters being off sugar, while Hermione is finally rebelling by eating candy. It just ... feels so right for where they all are in life.
- the writers' love and respect for Hermione just glowed through every scene
- but I also adored Ginny
- and Professor McGonagall, and her willingness to confront Harry and Hermione over Really Bad Choices, and their ability to respond, and basically everyone has adult disagreements, or apologises when they fail
- THE GRIMDARKEST TIMELINE THOUGH'
- I. CANNOT. EVEN.
- I really want to see photos of Delphi as she appears in the play, and also fan art, and, generally, Delphi: <3
- I'm guessing that the people who say the plot is incomprehensible are the same people who didn't understand "Blink", because it seemed pretty straightforward to me
- BUT, as mentioned above, I'm pretty into time travel and alternate timelines
- remember how Deathly Hollows came out, and everyone shipped Albus/Scorpius?
- yeah, well, keep on keeping on, Albus/Scorpius shippers
- why am I so into Draco finally being enfolded into The Club? Is it because I loved season 3 of AtLA so much?
- although this isn't so much, "Hello, Draco here" as ... I dunno, he's more an Asami than a Zuko at this stage? Like, he'll come to a garden party at the Potters' and the backyard will contain two-thirds of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and that's kind of what he'd expected, except Harry and Ginny are playing with them? And not concerned in the least for what the other adults will think? And he's the only adult who thinks it's out of the ordinary, because Ron is playing chess with Scorpius, and Luna is demonstrating for Hermione and Professor McGonagall the dance she used to lure the South American Hornsnackle out from its nest, and she really does think it should be added to the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum ... and the catering is Neville Longbottom and Molly Weasley standing at a grill, and the drinks are sparkling pumpkin juice and some kind of Muggle beer. It's exactly the sort of thing his father would sneer at, and for that alone, Draco is determined to enjoy it.
- Also, he's pretty sure he can beat Weasley at chess. At least, he's always wanted to try.
- time travel
- alternate timelines
- fatherhood
- dads in primary care roles while mums have careers (I can't remember if it was made explicit in the script, but the actor who plays Ron says that he runs a shop because it gives him time to look after the kids while Hermione's at work)
- a definite subtext of femdom
BASICALLY, at some point, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany are going to pull their rubber masks off, and they'll both be Steven Moffat.
My all-time bulletproof narrative kinks are time travel, alternate timelines and kids growing up in the shadows of their parents' legacies, so this is pretty much made for me. I don't care that it's glorified fic. It was a thoroughly joyous experience, even the bits where I cried (which was most of Part 2).
Things for which I was unprepared:
- SNAPE FEELS
- I know it's not fashionable right now, but I still have a lot of love for Snape, and I'm overjoyed that he gets to exlicitly say that he stayed with the Order of the Phoenix because he adopted Lily's principles, and didn't just spend 17 years in a dungeon having a one-man pity party. Well, I mean, he did that, too. But, you know. Shine on, you greasy diamond.
- ALSO
- LET'S TALK ABOUT SNAPE/HERMIONE IN THE GRIMDARKEST TIMELINE
- WHERE SHE ADDRESSES HIM BY HIS FIRST NAME
- BUT HE DOES NOT HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE WITH HER
- I SHIP IT QUITE HARD
- THEY FIGHT
- LOOK, SHE'S FORTY YEARS OLD BY THIS POINT, I FEEL LIKE THE AGE GAP HAS TO BECOME LESS PROBLEMATIC AT SOME POINT
- I seem to have become a person who cares about Draco Malfoy, which goes against all my principles
- BUT HE'S CARRYING SO MUCH GRIEF AND ANGER AND CONCEALING IT WITH SARCASM AND FACETIOUS REMARKS ABOUT FARMER'S MARKETS
- "I don't do small talk."
- ...oh, honey, Snape was NOT an amazing choice for substitute father figure
- I don't know if I want fic where Draco, through Harry and Ginny (via Dudley), meets a nice Muggle single mother whose daughter is off to Hogwarts, or if I want Harry/Draco/Ginny.
- I couldn't figure out if Lucius and Narcissa are still alive ... but Scorpius doesn't seem QUITE neurotic enough for them to be significant figures in his life
- but maybe I need to read it again to be sure
- So much of this play is Rich White Boys Have Father Issues, yet I loved it? I think it helps that their whole universe has earned a lot of goodwill from me, plus, see above re: legacy issues.
- Plus, Albus and Scorpius -- especially Scorpius -- have such wry, self-deprecating senses of humour, it makes them really appealing
- I don't know why I get such a kick out of the Potters being off sugar, while Hermione is finally rebelling by eating candy. It just ... feels so right for where they all are in life.
- the writers' love and respect for Hermione just glowed through every scene
- but I also adored Ginny
- and Professor McGonagall, and her willingness to confront Harry and Hermione over Really Bad Choices, and their ability to respond, and basically everyone has adult disagreements, or apologises when they fail
- THE GRIMDARKEST TIMELINE THOUGH'
- I. CANNOT. EVEN.
- I really want to see photos of Delphi as she appears in the play, and also fan art, and, generally, Delphi: <3
- I'm guessing that the people who say the plot is incomprehensible are the same people who didn't understand "Blink", because it seemed pretty straightforward to me
- BUT, as mentioned above, I'm pretty into time travel and alternate timelines
- remember how Deathly Hollows came out, and everyone shipped Albus/Scorpius?
- yeah, well, keep on keeping on, Albus/Scorpius shippers
- why am I so into Draco finally being enfolded into The Club? Is it because I loved season 3 of AtLA so much?
- although this isn't so much, "Hello, Draco here" as ... I dunno, he's more an Asami than a Zuko at this stage? Like, he'll come to a garden party at the Potters' and the backyard will contain two-thirds of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and that's kind of what he'd expected, except Harry and Ginny are playing with them? And not concerned in the least for what the other adults will think? And he's the only adult who thinks it's out of the ordinary, because Ron is playing chess with Scorpius, and Luna is demonstrating for Hermione and Professor McGonagall the dance she used to lure the South American Hornsnackle out from its nest, and she really does think it should be added to the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum ... and the catering is Neville Longbottom and Molly Weasley standing at a grill, and the drinks are sparkling pumpkin juice and some kind of Muggle beer. It's exactly the sort of thing his father would sneer at, and for that alone, Draco is determined to enjoy it.
- Also, he's pretty sure he can beat Weasley at chess. At least, he's always wanted to try.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-01 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-01 04:21 am (UTC)And, as you say, HP fandom hates EVERYTHING.
(I mean, obviously it still has the same systemic problems that dogged the actual series, along with most media -- heteronormativity, ableist language, not enough women -- but no worse than the MCU or any other juggernaut fandom.)
no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 05:36 am (UTC)Also, fandom as a whole is less comfortable with ableist stuff, lack of women, etc. The MCU gets hammered over this, for example, and they do have visible minority characters that aren't just for comedic relief like the original HP books did. What worked in the early 2000s comes across as tonedeaf now.
Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 06:25 am (UTC)The other issue people seem to have had is one we have seen before in other next gen canons - beloved childhood characters being flawed adults and parents. (Hilariously, I have already seen one flip Albus Potter - Kylo Ren comparison going around)
Harry Potter is a weird one for me shipwise, in that I only really ship thecanon pairings, but even I could see the shiptease in all directions in Cursed Child. I also find Albus having a crush on Delphi deeply hilarious in retrospect. Otherwise I am pretty Switzerland on next gen ships. I can see why people read Albus and Scorpius as slashy as all hell, but will eyeroll heartily once I hear it called queerbaiting.
And I agree on Draco actually being interesting now.
Re: Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 06:29 am (UTC)YES
I LOVE IT SO MUCH
See also: SO MANY OF MY OTHER FANDOMS
And no offence to Kylo Ren, for I love him dearly (from a safe distance), but, ummmmm, that's a terrible comparison.
Oh wow, I didn't even spot that! I mean, the crush, obviously, but "Harry Potter's son has a crush on Voldemort's SECRET LOVE CHILD WITH BELLATRIX LESTRANGE*" no.
* Oh God, I've PRACTICALLY WRITTEN THIS FIC.
Re: Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 10:57 am (UTC)Re: Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 11:16 am (UTC)I mean the whole point of queerbaiting is creators intentionally putting in hints they have no intention of paying off. Like, decide if you are trying to argue that the writers are being incompetent (unintentional subtext) or nasty (queerbaiting). You can't have it both ways!
Re: Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 03:15 pm (UTC)Re: Testing this out
Date: 2016-08-01 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-01 10:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-01 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-02 08:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-02 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-03 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-02 08:38 am (UTC)Psst. I have done a thing. Or maybe two.
Meta (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7647784) and art (http://deslea.deviantart.com/art/Lost-Something-Albus-HPCC-Spoilers-625114544) and a little more art. (http://deslea.deviantart.com/art/You-still-have-a-father-Delphi-625521624)
no subject
Date: 2016-08-02 08:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-02 12:01 pm (UTC)BASICALLY, at some point, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany are going to pull their rubber masks off, and they'll both be Steven Moffat.
Okay that explains it.
Voldemort had a kid brb LOLing for ever. Death Eater Cedric Diggory! The darkest possible timeline!
Wait, is this whole thing a fix-it fic for Draco Malfoy's receding hairline in the epilogue? I think it is.
I dunno I'm just full of joy.