Because we don't have any canon reference on magical inheritance law beyond Albus' whim somehow overriding all, as there's no way the Potter Will had the Dursleys as suitable guardians fir their only child.
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Harry Potter and the Skittering Spouse
- Thread starter Fencer
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy Superhero
Oh hell, wrong fic. Taylor being in the HP universe in two diff fics, both with working bug control, is a bit of a pain to keep straight.
Ah well, I guess I'll be paying a bit more attention when I'm replying...
Windborne
Devourer of Stories
- Location
- Oregon
There's a third as well, Hogwarts: An Escalation. Pretty great read, if not updated nearly often enough for my tastes. Though honestly that's true of almost everything, my consumption of stories speed is insane even by my, admittedly highly skewed, standards. Nothing really holds up to it.
- Location
- Norfolk, Va
Thanks, I'll have to try that one.
I used to be able to do 100pgs of paperback per hour, but think my reading rate has slowed considerably since then. I can't devour stories like I used too. Pity, that.
Windborne
Devourer of Stories
- Location
- Oregon
Was out and about, waiting for my bus so I was on my phone. I'm not the most coordinated person, and doing anything beyond typing on my old iPhone 6SE isn't really fun.
That is a pity. For me reading at high speeds (not speed reading though, that's a specific technique, one I don't actually use anymore after leaving high school) is an essential skill for my job that I must keep sharp. Enjoy the Fic though, it's definitely a good one.
Kinsfire
Verified {Redacted}
- Location
- New Jersey
I read all the time, so my insane reading speed has stayed high. I finished Book six of the series before my wife did, and she started reading about two hours before I did. Five hours later I threw Half-Baked Plot across the room while she was still reading. I finished Deathly Hallows in *checks watch* ... I'll get back to you on that. Haven't been able to finish the damned thing yet, the writing was so bad.
I reserved a copy of book 7, paid for it, took it across the street to Steak and Shake and read it. Maybe an hour and a half 2 hours max?
I then went back to Books-A-Million fully intent on returning the book because I was completely dissatisfied with it. There was still a line of people trying to get some of the non-reserved copies so I offered it to the person at the back of the line for what I paid for it with my receipt. Person in front of him offered me another 20 bucks for it on top of the purchase price, and in the end I ended up selling it for a hundred bucks to somebody in the line.
I then went back to Books-A-Million fully intent on returning the book because I was completely dissatisfied with it. There was still a line of people trying to get some of the non-reserved copies so I offered it to the person at the back of the line for what I paid for it with my receipt. Person in front of him offered me another 20 bucks for it on top of the purchase price, and in the end I ended up selling it for a hundred bucks to somebody in the line.
I stopped using FF .net way back when it became riddled with ads.
Hearing it has more problems now doesn't surprise me.
If she had gone with them to Malkin's probably then and there.
The thing that pisses me off the most with FF.net is that they can't get the emails to work. If I don't have a story favorited I'll probably never know if it updates and I will definitely never know if an author puts out a new story without checking each one manually. I've been on that site for 30ish years and I am following a lot of authors.
Yeah, I never really bothered to make an account on FF. Net.
So the email alert thing was never an issue for me.
Instead, I just left stories open on my browser.
I had hundreds of tabs that I refreshed once a day to see if any updated.
The laptop was never turned off or even used for anything but reading stories.
Mainly because it wasn't good enough for games.
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I rather liked how despite Mrs. Weasley being in the wrong here in a lot of ways, this chapter also showed that Taylor is as usual making snap judgments about someone rather than assess them objectively.
She assumes that Mrs. Weasley is going to be useless when the chips are down because she hasn't been training for combat where Taylor can see. In canon, she soloed Bellatrix. She didn't take her by surprise, or get a lucky shot in. They dueled, Bellatrix realized she was losing, and then Mrs. Weasley killed her.
Taylor's attitude toward her being a stay at home mom also isn't exactly objective. She seems to be taking the example of her own mother, who balanced raising one child with a career, and not considering that a career simply isn't an option when you have seven kids to look after and can't afford childcare services.
It's very in character for Taylor.
She assumes that Mrs. Weasley is going to be useless when the chips are down because she hasn't been training for combat where Taylor can see. In canon, she soloed Bellatrix. She didn't take her by surprise, or get a lucky shot in. They dueled, Bellatrix realized she was losing, and then Mrs. Weasley killed her.
Taylor's attitude toward her being a stay at home mom also isn't exactly objective. She seems to be taking the example of her own mother, who balanced raising one child with a career, and not considering that a career simply isn't an option when you have seven kids to look after and can't afford childcare services.
It's very in character for Taylor.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
A bit of an uncharitable read IMO. Taylor has had repeated contact with Molly at this point and it isn't exactly impossible to assess that someone probably isn't well prepared for combat. She might have killed Bellatrix in canon but honestly that was likely more plot powered tying up loose ends than a realistic outcome based on their respective advantages.
As for the being a stay at home mom thing... She points out that if that really is what she wants to do then she can. However the crux of the criticism she has is that that stay at home mom is inserting herself in business that she is to all appearances completely unqualified for and that isn't her business at all.
We don't know enough based on canon to say that Molly beating Bellatrix is an unrealistic outcome. In fact, the opposite is true. She lived through the last war against Voldemort, despite being married to one of the biggest Muggle-lovers in existence. Her being a skilled combatant was always plausible in canon, she was just never in a position to showcase it.
Regarding the stay at home mom thing, while Taylor might have acknowledged that it's Molly's choice to make, the way she goes on to criticize it makes it clear that she's judging her unfairly for it. She brings up the potential consequences of something happening to Arthur, like Molly isn't keenly aware of that when she lost two brothers in the last war. She assumes it's a lifestyle choice, not a sensible division of responsibilities. And that's pretty clearly influencing Taylor's willingness to give Molly any benefit of the doubt.
Epsilon Rose
The King of Unrest
To be fair, we only really see Molly when her kids are home from Hogwarts, which is also the only time Taylor's seen her. For all we know, she's a full time duelist for the other 2/3rds of the year. There's a mutual lack of respect here that may not be warranted on either side.
- Location
- New England
I mean, based on what Ron says, she doesn't do it in front of him either. We have no evidence, other than Rowling explicitly saying she wanted parental love to trump cultish love and that's why Molly beat Bellatrix, for Molly being a competent duelist in any way shape or form.
Plus, ya know, while Taylor is in fact judging her, she also said she wouldn't be doing that so much is she weren't A. repeatedly screaming at children for things they are not at fault for (and she's not responsible for said kids anyway) and B. at best not preventing her children from learning how to protect themselves and at worst actively making their chances of survival WAY worse
On the other hand, there's not one shred of evidence that Molly has ever picked up a wand to fight in her life. She survived the first Voldemort war? So did every person over thirty in the wizard world; that doesn't prove they fought a single duel, participated in a single battle.
Given that Bellatrix did fight, and was one of the top three fighters in the Death Eaters, I firmly believe Molly soloing Bellatrix on skill alone is as likely as a lightweight Golden Glove boxer defeating the heavyweight world champion boxer with a KO in the first round.
Possible? Yeah, but no one's going to bet big money on it. No, Molly victory there was JKR's writing, nothing more.
I will say though, that the chances of her being an accomplished duellist and a professional mother and housewife are slim. Mother and house wife are full time jobs, as any mother will tell you, and professional duellist is as well: just look at the training regimen of any of the pro fighters.
So unless you're claiming she has some way to have 40 plus hours in every day, she simply hasn't had the time to be both since her first child was born; she's had children to look after every day since then. It wasn't until Harry's second year that she didn't have at least one child at home.
Given that Bellatrix did fight, and was one of the top three fighters in the Death Eaters, I firmly believe Molly soloing Bellatrix on skill alone is as likely as a lightweight Golden Glove boxer defeating the heavyweight world champion boxer with a KO in the first round.
Possible? Yeah, but no one's going to bet big money on it. No, Molly victory there was JKR's writing, nothing more.
I will say though, that the chances of her being an accomplished duellist and a professional mother and housewife are slim. Mother and house wife are full time jobs, as any mother will tell you, and professional duellist is as well: just look at the training regimen of any of the pro fighters.
So unless you're claiming she has some way to have 40 plus hours in every day, she simply hasn't had the time to be both since her first child was born; she's had children to look after every day since then. It wasn't until Harry's second year that she didn't have at least one child at home.
Epsilon Rose
The King of Unrest
Ron doesn't see her while he's at Hogwarts either.
To be fair, yes, I suspect her victory in canon was entirely author fiat and Rowling being a hack, but the same can also be said about Molly basically ignoring the war in canon, and there's no reason either has to be true in this story.
I'm not saying Taylor's judgement is entirely unwarranted or that Molly's behavior has been in any way acceptable, just that there might be some details Taylor's missing.
Which would mean she's had, what, 4 years at this point to get back in shape? That's not a small amount of time.
Daemir
Perpetually Unimpressed
- Location
- The Canadian Headquarters of Unmitageted Madness
Honestly, I always attributed Molly's victory in canon being due to no one in the wizarding world knowing a damn thing about fighting.
Seriously, the books gloss over dueling, showing only a hilariously short range "fling coloured lights over flat arena." Even in other parts of the book, people barely dodge, don't really manipulate battlefields, don't really do much. So what you have in a bunch of amateurs opening flicking magic back a forth. Without any really consideration for anything but speed and accuracy, not even inventiveness with spells, it didn't strain my disbelief that a housewife who's had to corral seven children has greater endurance and and practice hitting moving targets than an unstable crazy who is more sadistic than efficient.
Seriously, the books gloss over dueling, showing only a hilariously short range "fling coloured lights over flat arena." Even in other parts of the book, people barely dodge, don't really manipulate battlefields, don't really do much. So what you have in a bunch of amateurs opening flicking magic back a forth. Without any really consideration for anything but speed and accuracy, not even inventiveness with spells, it didn't strain my disbelief that a housewife who's had to corral seven children has greater endurance and and practice hitting moving targets than an unstable crazy who is more sadistic than efficient.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
IIRC that is indeed the only fight she participated in... But in its own way that is telling too. She didn't show up for the battle in the ministry or for that stupid escape plan. If she was an exceptional fighter you'd think the Order would have invited her to those.
And I think the shouting, the insults and so on have more to do with Taylor not extending much in the way of benefit of the doubt... Lets be real here this chapter may have Taylor judging Molly but it isn't exactly a snap judgement since she has had multiple encounters with her already.
- Location
- New England
On the one had, handling what is basically sex trafficking or sexual assault by blaming the victim isn't unheard of, so I don't think Taylor is in the wrong here. On the other hand, Taylor as a judge of character is, how do I say this.
"No Armsmaster, I'm not going to listen to your advice and not go undercover with the undersiders! The only people whose judgment I can trust is this master manipulator and the rapist!"
So I'd like to remind everyone of this little exchange from the Goblet of Fire:
And while there may be a perfectly chaste explanation of this scene or that both she and Arthur may have been of age at the time, I think we all know that Molly is being a bit of hypocrite to lecture teenagers about their sex lives.
- Location
- Upstate NY, USA
- Pronouns
- Rm/Rf
*clicks link*
ffn.net said:
Ohhh yeeeaaaaahhhhh....
Fencer
Writer
- Location
- 2nd shift
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'd say you all have some valid points. For me when writing it, it comes down to a few things. Taylor grew up in middle class America. To be blunt most families in that situation (even when the world isn't circling the drain) can't afford to have only one bread winner and live comfortably. Her Mom was also a feminist who only backed out of her organization when they became extremists or violent. Details slightly unclear. Being dependent on your spouse for everything is a choice, and I know more than one guy who will look at a girl proposing that and drop them for planning to be a free loader. It's very easy to see that and think "oh hey she wants to exploit me." It's also a choice Taylor's mother likely would have looked down on and Taylor almost definitely picked up on that or at the very least she would have picked up on her mothers pride in her own work.
Yes, some women, and men, lets hear it for equality and the stay at home Dads, choose to put aside any career aspirations and stay home, keep the house clean cook meals, keep the laundry to less than a small hill, stay on top of paper work and just in general spend time with their kids, to make them the focus of their life. And there's nothing wrong with that. But there are repercussions, namely the household loosing a second source of income and a gap of at least a few years on your resume which makes getting hired in the future more difficult. It also comes with the major risk that if something happens to the spouse who is working? You're living on their life insurance until you can find a job which as just outlined could be a bit more difficult than it would be if they hadn't taken a few years off to be there for their kid.
Taylor's experience with Molly is Molly throwing fits, Molly being judgmental and disapproving of Fluer her soon to be daughter in law, and Molly obsessively checking her family clock throughout the day the first two are going to poke at Taylor's bully rage button and the last is just going to convince Taylor that Molly doesn't even have the fortitude to sit on the sidelines. Never mind jumping into the thick of things.
Molly vs Belatrix. For my sanity please assume that book 6 is being used as more of a loose framework that needs to be tossed out and burned as soon as possible. Further assume that the train wreck which was book7,it's been way more than a decade but I still remember being thoroughly unimpressed, should be tossed out entirely.
Let me be clear. Dumbledores plan starting in book 6 and carrying through 7 was dog shit held together by the author decreeing "and it worked because I said so." The only thing I'll give her full credit for is not all of the Weasley's surviving. But the duel between Molly and Bela is very blatantly just the old don't threaten Mamma bears cubs analogy. Problem with that is Mamma bear outweighs you by a LOT, can run you down even if you hopped on a bike, and comes equipped with a mouth full of sharp teeth and claws that can rip you apart. A good parent will throw themself on a bomb to save their kids. That does not and never has meant that a good parent spontaneously becomes Rambo when their child is threatened. They still only have whatever skills they had outside that situation just with a fuck ton of adrenaline and a lack of restraint.
We have zero indication that Molly is even in shape, let alone good in a fight. For the sake of argument lets pretend she is a world class duelist. She's not, but lets pretend. If that's the case she did nothing to help her family prepare and took no action until the final battle. Which would make her a coward avoiding all combat while her family threw themselves in the way of harm.
Yes Taylor is being harsh and judgmental, but it's not based on nothing and no I am not going to attribute amazing combat skills to Molly. Maybe Taylor isn't being entirely fair but Molly hasn't given Taylor any reason to view her positively.
On a related note I somehow doubt I'd be getting any pushback if Taylor was scoffing at Mrs. Malfoy for being a housewife though to be fair that's different in that the Malfoy's have the financial security to live off their investments and only one kid.
Yes, some women, and men, lets hear it for equality and the stay at home Dads, choose to put aside any career aspirations and stay home, keep the house clean cook meals, keep the laundry to less than a small hill, stay on top of paper work and just in general spend time with their kids, to make them the focus of their life. And there's nothing wrong with that. But there are repercussions, namely the household loosing a second source of income and a gap of at least a few years on your resume which makes getting hired in the future more difficult. It also comes with the major risk that if something happens to the spouse who is working? You're living on their life insurance until you can find a job which as just outlined could be a bit more difficult than it would be if they hadn't taken a few years off to be there for their kid.
Taylor's experience with Molly is Molly throwing fits, Molly being judgmental and disapproving of Fluer her soon to be daughter in law, and Molly obsessively checking her family clock throughout the day the first two are going to poke at Taylor's bully rage button and the last is just going to convince Taylor that Molly doesn't even have the fortitude to sit on the sidelines. Never mind jumping into the thick of things.
Molly vs Belatrix. For my sanity please assume that book 6 is being used as more of a loose framework that needs to be tossed out and burned as soon as possible. Further assume that the train wreck which was book7,it's been way more than a decade but I still remember being thoroughly unimpressed, should be tossed out entirely.
Let me be clear. Dumbledores plan starting in book 6 and carrying through 7 was dog shit held together by the author decreeing "and it worked because I said so." The only thing I'll give her full credit for is not all of the Weasley's surviving. But the duel between Molly and Bela is very blatantly just the old don't threaten Mamma bears cubs analogy. Problem with that is Mamma bear outweighs you by a LOT, can run you down even if you hopped on a bike, and comes equipped with a mouth full of sharp teeth and claws that can rip you apart. A good parent will throw themself on a bomb to save their kids. That does not and never has meant that a good parent spontaneously becomes Rambo when their child is threatened. They still only have whatever skills they had outside that situation just with a fuck ton of adrenaline and a lack of restraint.
We have zero indication that Molly is even in shape, let alone good in a fight. For the sake of argument lets pretend she is a world class duelist. She's not, but lets pretend. If that's the case she did nothing to help her family prepare and took no action until the final battle. Which would make her a coward avoiding all combat while her family threw themselves in the way of harm.
Yes Taylor is being harsh and judgmental, but it's not based on nothing and no I am not going to attribute amazing combat skills to Molly. Maybe Taylor isn't being entirely fair but Molly hasn't given Taylor any reason to view her positively.
On a related note I somehow doubt I'd be getting any pushback if Taylor was scoffing at Mrs. Malfoy for being a housewife though to be fair that's different in that the Malfoy's have the financial security to live off their investments and only one kid.