Care of Magical Shippers Episode 4 - Will you Tomarry me? - The Love of a Good Wizard by SweetSorcery
8:10PM Jun 19, 2021
Speakers:
Megs
Music
Nathan
Megs & Nathan
Melanie (PuffCast)
Juliana (PuffCast)
Keywords:
harry
laughs
tom
pansy
fic
moment
minerva
avery
myrtle
happen
ship
story
talking
feel
thought
character
love
good
podcast
find
The following podcast is rated R for really filthy. It includes adult themes and explicit content. So if you're an adult who happens to like themes directly targeting your sexy demographic, then get ready to join us as we ship it good. [whip crack]
Due to the themes discussed on this podcast, it may contain potentially triggering content, please visit our episode description to review the warnings applicable to this episode.
[Singing] If I could turn back time. If pansy found a way, I'd have casual sex with my nemisis and then stay! [laughs]
[Singing] How can we be lovers if we can't be friends? How can I bend over for the man who killed my parents, baby? How can we make love if I can't occlumens? A tango with a butt plug makes a party in my pants! [laughs]
You're on the canon ground, I'm up in crack ship space. Let's start a shipping war, don't care if I get hate. Don't like my pairings, well, then you can hit the bricks. This is my OTP I'll go down with this ship. I don't care! I ship it! I don't care. I ship it! I ship it!
Hi, I'm Nathan.
And I'm Megs!
and this is Care of Magical Shippers Podcast. Welcome back to another exciting episode.
Ugh, we are so ready.
I'm so! I can't wait to start talking about this fic with you. It is something else entirely. Like we have both been on the edges of our respective seats being like, I can't wait to talk about this.
Oh, gosh, it is so good. This is my Tomarry dream come true. Because you know, I love time travel. We talked about that.
Yeah.
Harry going back in trying to redo everything and make Tom not evil and we get to see him soften and actually fall in love which is just epic--
Yes! Yes!
--that I wasn't anticipating. And then, Okay, icing on the kink. Uh! Icing on the kink!
[laughing]
I mean I think she got it right first time. Let's uh--
Yeah, so, the icing on the kink. Okay. Icing on the cake [laughs] is Pansy--
Yes!
--and Minerva!
Yes!
Oh man!
What a pairing. And if--
[laughs]
--If you said to me beforehand that you will come away shipping that pairing--
Yeah.
--so hard I would have laughed in your face.
[laughs]
But now. But now I'm like, this is my headcanon--
Yes.
--I need more of it, please. And I never I don't feel like I ever gave Pansy enough credit. Anyway,--
Mhm.
--we'll we'll get into all that. Um. But. But yeah, I I'm just there is so much about this fic that excites me. And you know, Megs, you'll know normally I'm not a time travel fan.
Yeah. Yeah.
--cause I feel like with so much of time travel, it's, it's more or less just an excuse to get events to play out as they're supposed to happen within the context--
Duh! [laughs]
--of the story. Which. Which, I mean, it kind of happens that way with this fic. But I will,--
Yeah.
--I forgive it because what happens in the story is so golden--
Mhm.
--it's just so good. And I think it's I mean, I know you'd said it was in your top five fics of all time so far.
Yes.
You know, I'm sure that list will change over time. But for now,--
Oh, for sure.
I have to agree. Like it is, it is so good. Now there, like I do have to give like one tiny disclaimer that because--
Oh, yes.
--because of the time that they that Harry goes back to and the age that they all are, that they're technically underage.
Harry is 16. And Tom is 15 up until his birthday and New Year's which he turns 16.
Yeah.
So that's kind of their their age range at the moment. So even though that there are like you said, like underage themes, we're not going to dive into those. [laughs] So what we're just going to, we just want you to know that it's there, and it is in the fic. But the fic itself is so freakin good that it's just we can just kind of like you know, let's just move around that but it's just oh gosh, it's so good.
I feel like it's a thing that happens in fic a lot where because you've got a concept that's so good. You have to maneuver the characters into a position where like, you know, everything will make sense. So I feel like the characters have to be this age for--
Yeah.
--the things to make sense in the story--
Right.
--as they happen, but but they all behave like such adults anyway.
Mhm.
That I just what happened as I was reading was I just mentally aged them all up. And it works.
So from the get go, one, to have Pansy kind of start everything off as come in like, hey, Harry, let's talk. Because, uh,--
Yes!
--what is it. The first, the first scene is Professor Binns talking about.
Binns is talking about this potential Dark Lord and they were saved from that fate by falling in love with the right person at the right time. And the love redeemed them.
Yes. So then Pansy gets it in her head to be like, yo, Harry.
[laughs]
I think I'm gonna go back in time and get Tom Riddle to fall in love with me.
Of course.
So that he doesn't become bad. And I love--
Yes, Pansy.
--I love that Harry's just like Pansy like, sends him a note or like, looks at him is like,--
[laughs]
--hey, I want to talk to you and Harry's like, okay, yeah, I'll go meet Pansy in the greenhouse. No big deal. [laughs]
Yeah. That doesn't seem sus at all.
No! No, it's we obviously are on good terms. And Pansy comes out as saying, hey, my I'm don't agree with essentially most of the Slytherins, my family, I don't fit into this. I don't want to be this way. And so she's willing to kind of risk it all to change things for the better. And she wants Harry along for the ride because she thinks that he knows the most about Voldemort and Tom and she asks him--
Yeah.
--to make a list of everything he knows about him. And ultimately, it's like, Ah, he's hot?
[laughs]
Yes! [laughs] And all the rest of it is just so you know, he's tall and brooding and--
Mhm.
--doesn't really like and it's the list is so unhelpful.
Yes.
Like, he goes away and tries to make this list and nothing on it. Like is helpful in any way,
[laughs]
which is so on brand for Harry.
Oh, for sure.
I was I was on board with this Harry from the get go.
Oh, it's so good. So good.
Yes, Harry. You really are this useless.
And I did think it was really interesting that Pansy comes out saying that she also is bookish like Hermione and--
Yes.
--wants to take a bunch of courses. But because she was in Slytherin like Dumbledore either had that prejudice and didn't authorize a time turner for her.
Yeah.
Which, of course. One you could see like, you could see it, you're like,
Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
They'd be like, hey, Pansy, figure it out, like obviously. And so she figures out something that still boggles our mind. I mean, it boggles my mind. I don't know if you're still on that train.
Yeah, yeah.
But apparently, crystal ball divination is able to help you time travel. And she was able to figure it out to which I mean, I think it was in tangent with some dark magic. So that's where she's like, yeah, you don't see it very often. Because you need to use a little bit of that, and was able to get around those classes so that all of a sudden, she's like, Yeah, I was able to move an hour at a time. Let's go back 50 years. [laughs]
Yeah, yeah.
Or more than that. He were like, I don't know. Yeah, more than that. Because it would have been 50 years at 12. So 50-eh, I don't know, 5 years or whatnot. But-
Nobody, nobody needs the maths. It's fine, though. We'll go back a certain amount of years.
No. What's math? Yes, yes.
Yeah. Well, I don't know. Neither of us couldn't think we I mean, some very clever listeners probably like it's this exact amount of years and we're just--
I know. Please. Yeah.
We're just--
Yeah. Shoot us a tweet tell us that we're wrong. Tell us exactly why we're wrong. And that is totally fine. [laughs] we just... [laughs]
And, you know, maybe include a link for some basic, like, math skills.
Send us a document with like,
[laughs]
well, if Harry with 12 at this point, and then
[laughs ]
he was made into a diary horcrux at 16. And they go back before he makes the diary horcrux. Yeah, I'm not gonna think about it too much. I mean [laughs] if you want to take the time to do that, more than welcome. But uh.
Yeah.
that was just so that was another thing that was just we're not quite sure how that works.
[laughs]
But ultimately, they figure out that's how it works. And they make this plan to go back. And Harry, she promises Harry that when they go and do all these things, she'll be able to bring them back to essentially the same point that they started. So he's going into it thinking, Okay, no one's gonna really know that we did this thing until we come back and hopefully things are kind of different, but so they have like their pocket crystal ball to take with them so that they're able to come back and they make the decision, which I think is super great. Even though I realized the timeline is a little wonky, because they go back in to 1942. Essentially before Myrtle is made into a Horcrux. However, if it's 1942 during the school year, it would have already happened. It was like June of 1942. So it was like the previous year, um.
Yeah.
or something like that. And even though they're like ages made sense? so I don't I don't know the the it's up for debate, I don't know. Anyway, they went back before Myrtle dies because Harry wanted to make sure that that didn't happen because of course opening up the Chamber of Secrets would be another like really evil thing that he did
Yeah.
and all of that and so that was a really great thing to see Myrtle as a character, which I thought was absolutely fantastic because from the get go, she's just like, because we know her as like this kind of like horny little ghost like watching Prefects
[laughs]
like, in the bathroom and stuff like that. She has a crush on Harry, and then there's Cedric and whatever. So of course, she sees Harry as this new kid, and it's just like, Oh my gosh, he's so cute. And then Tom does something she's like, Oh my gosh, he's so cute. And she's just like, secret, you know? Not necessarily secret because it's obvious that she's like, you know, big eyed mooning over these guys, but I love seeing Myrtle in the story for sure.
Oh, now I'm just imagining like so. You know, Casper the Friendly Ghost?
Mhm.
Just imagining like a Myrtle spin off where it's like, [sings] Myrtle the Horny Ghost! [laughs ] I need that--
Oh.
--in my life.
Oh, my goodness. That would be. Oh, gosh, that'd be so good. Oh, okay. Okay, okay. Okay. So I know we're like still at the beginning. But I'm just like, I really love this. So I think it's hilarious
Yes.
that they go back in time. And they're just like, Yeah, fine. Let's go three weeks into term. And they just roll up into Dippet's office
[laughs] yes!
and they're like, Hey, we're cousins. And we were like in America or so some random place and we're here to start school and they just play it off is like great, awesome. Parkinson and Potter. We don't know your family history or anything.
Yeah.
Yes. And then. And Minerva, of course, is head girl at this point. So she is a seventh year and but she's still like, um, described as like, kind of like a stuffy but of course she's young. She's 17. And with her tight, you know, tight bun or whatever, and she's just overly helpful and takes them under her wing. [laughs] And they take them down to the Great Hall, because they're like, Oh, we got to sort you. Instead of taking the sorting hat off of the stand in Dippet's office.
Yeah,
they gotta do this on the dias, in the Great Hall, while everyone's eating three weeks into term and just like rolling up with these two rando kids just gonna print pull out the stool sit on their whatever. So it's like, oh, yeah, that's not weird or completely putting all of the attention on them. And then ultimately, the fact that one Harry becomes Slytherin
Yeah
because one he's he's, he finds Tom and of course, he's just completely just like
Bowled over
just can't think about anything else. So while the like narrative goes that we remember from the beginning where the Sorting Hat is probably like, Oh, you know, you could do well in Slytherin, instead of Harry being like, No, no, I don't want Slytherin I want to be Gryffindor. Like, are you sure? Well, they don't have that conversation. So ultimately, it's like, yes, Slytherin! He's like, aw, fuck, and then, and then Pansy get sorted into Gryffindor, which I think is perfection,
Yes
because she's like, What the heck? And Harry says, Well, I mean, it was relatively brave for you to come back in time to try and save the wizarding world. So and then that gives the, um, the start of the Pansy slash Minnie ship, which I am. So about, I just think in I don't know if I'm disappointed, I'm kind of but not how quickly Pansy accepts that she and Tom are not going to happen, you know,
Yeah.
I was expecting a little bit of conflict or it would take a while for them to figure it out. But from the get go, she's like, one this many is his hot stuff.
Yes.
And I'm into her and this is happening already. And two - You're the one close to him, and I'm starting to notice he doesn't see me or anyone else and he sees you like and they're just like, she from the get go. She's like, eh, you better figure it out. But I'm pretty sure he's gay. I'm pretty sure you're gay. And we're gonna surprise you with this quote, unquote, study session JK.
[laughs]
We're gonna give you a pet snake so that you guys could talk Parseltongue together,
[laughs]
figure out and like find your bonding moment, and then the girls get horny off of it. They're like, Oh, shit, the hissing
[laughing]
and they have this moment where they're like, I don't think they they'd be doing it in public if they realized have sexual this was.
[laughs]
I was like, what sort of dirty talk involves the level, the level of sibilance neccessary,
I know
for you to throw so many "S" sounds in. To be like, I'm finding you very sexual right now.
Oh gosh, it's so but that was so cute. It was just like, oh hey Harry, here's a pet snake and Tom's like, oh, I've always wanted to see that snake.
[laughs]
Can I be his master too and now they have a pet snake together and already I'm like, Okay, so we're already going domestic on this on their shared pet snake and but oh my gosh, I love Harry's. Obviously we get that taste of oblivious Harry where Pansy's like, I gotta let you figure this out. Because it wouldn't be as much fun if I told you like what what is obvious to us. And Harry's kind of internal dilemma of obviously seeing him he's the one who in the future does all these terrible things. But also, this is Tom before all those things happened the whole like, if he hasn't killed Myrtle, he still has this full soul. So he is 100% still full humanity going on. And Harry slowly starts to get to know him and start softening and eventually they like even they have like these inside jokes and just start like teasing and playing off of each other. And Harry's getting super comfortable. And you're just like,
Yeah.
Oh my gosh, Harry, like this is so cute. I just melted with them. Like as this was going once Harry realized, oh, shoot, I must. I must like dudes and I must like him because I still am like, woah, this guy is super hot. [laughs]
Yeah, he went from like, obsessional hatred to obsessional love.
Oh, yes. Mhm.
The mental watching the mental flip was so interesting, because Harry was literally the only person that didn't know that this was going on.
Yes.
Everyone like we we. I think we talked about that last week that you know, everyone else has a better read on Harry than Harry does
Oh. 100%.
and watching that play out in this was so much fun. Because it could it could have gone, the author could have chosen to do you know, really slapstick things. They could have chosen to have Harry, you know, literally sort of prat falling over Tom.
Yeah.
and It wouldn't have been as good. But they've but the little subtle
Yes.
way that that like you say they brought the snake in and then Tom leans in and whispers in his ear, and he'd like vows to make Harry see how worth it he is.
Yes
It it's so good.
Ugh.
The amount of the amount of UST that this writer is
Oh, it's. Oh.
able to inject into this scene is incredible.
And of course, this is like I think like about 70k. So it's a relatively long fic. Yeah. And from the get go, we start getting the things start to shift right relatively early on, but it doesn't feel rushed. Like it feels genuine.
Yeah,
but we definitely know something that's going to happen from day one of Harry being in this time period, staying in the Slytherin dorms when he witnesses, Tom's nightmares. And he
For sure.
it's that immediate that he's like, I have nightmares and I know what that's like. And I'm seeing him in a vulnerable state. He would never show anyone. And so already Harry's kind of like got that chink in his like protective armor of realizing Okay, he's human with fears and pains that he's not showing. And oh, gosh, I love okay. Yeah, like you said, UST. So, Tom being like, possessive and jealous and
Yeah.
like just like, has to be like glued to Harry. Oh, the moment with the unicorn.
Yes!
Oh gosh.
Honestly, that whole scene is so good.
Ugh.
Because it like it takes canon Harry and dials him up. So that his like his natural impulsivity. It just goes No. Do you know what? What in this moment when? When Tom just wants to like stand back and observe.
Yes.
He's like, No, I'm throwing you right into the action
Yeah.
because this this is something that you need to feel like literally feel
Mhm.
he's feeling the unicorn. And then through that
Yeah.
Oh, my God. This is so cheesy, but he's feeling himself as well.
[laughs]
Yes. And it's just and of course. That's when everyone's like, oh, they're boyfriends and everyone just like it's like, it's just like the talk of whatever. Oh, what is it okay, is it is it Avery?
Yes, the, the.
Avery the the eventual death, you know, the Death Eater Avery
Yeah, yeah.
which I thought was interesting from the beginning when he'd kind of pop in and be like, yo, Tom, like what happened to our plans like what happened to our plans of you know, muggles, and mudbloods and all these things. And Tom starts to being like, hey, no, dude, that's not okay and and don't say that stuff about Harry and he just wants to he's just like I can be that for you like I can be your you know your guy
Yeah,
like you can't be Harry like no, you'll never be Harry and it's just interesting to see him as like the jealous I guess I kind of villain like you know that obviously, Tom has people that are following him at that point even though he isn't seen with anyone it sounds like Minerva is his only friend, which I think is wholesome as heck,
Yeah.
the fact that they bonded from the very beginning. And jumping toward the end, when they discover when Harry and Pansy finally tell them that they're from the future. And what happens,
Yes.
how hurt Minerva is, and she just can't believe it. She's like, Tom would never become that, because she's known him nearly the entire time. And even from the get go when when Harry wants to speak to pansy and Tom is essentially with him because he needs to take them to their common room. I'm like, wow, he's not rude to her for being Gryffindor, or is he just saying this because of a manipulation thing, like, Oh, I'm going to be nice to the head girl, because that's what I should be. You find out that they have this genuine relationship, which already you're
Yeah.
like, wow, I'm already seeing his ability to have that with someone. On like a friend level. And it's just that was pivotal. I mean, I think for the beginning was just, hey, here's a genuine friend, who they know and trust. They know Minerva in the future. So it's not like they're going to look at her and be like, hey, you're crazy. Like she's smart. She knows what she's talking about, thinking, feeling. And for her to see good in him, I think was easier for Harry and Pansy to see it, too.
Yeah, absolutely. And I'm so glad that the author didn't give into the temptation to make all of the redemptive arc happen through Harry,
Yeah.
because it was so easy to lump it all on him. But I think the characterization of McGonagall was so good, because you get that because you sort of retain some of the elements of older McGonagall. She's still sassy.
Yup.
She still quick, she's still really intelligent. But she has this zesty, like, quirky, almost like Lust for Life that is so infectious. And I sort of feel like gives she's she gives me in certain areas of real Ginny energy,
Mhm.
where she's just so rambunctious and vivacious. And so she's Yes, she's there to, to study, and she takes life seriously. But she's also there to have a good time with Pansy.
Mhm!
And I got. So I got so invested in that there's a scene with them.
[sighs]
Pansy says, are we going to have to fight over this? And Minerva replies, we could do that. And you could struggle for a wee while. And then you could give in and Pansy just says, we did that yesterday.
[Laughs]
I just buy into that relationship. [laughs] So much. With that little, that little snippet of dialogue, these little details,
Mhm.
whoever this author is, has such an ability to tap into the character that I honestly they could they could sell me a ship that I would think was toxic before.
[laughs]
Yes! Well, this one is!
Yes.
Let's be real this is the Tomarry is toxic, and they're doing this. Like this is. [laughs]
Yeah.
Oh, oh, so his. This is good. Okay. I love that Tom somehow in some way is like, is this Draco guy your lover? You know, like,
Yeah. Yeah.
we're just like, and Harry's like, no, no way duh! Well, because of course he'd be oblivious to his being gay until figuring it out with Tom. But he's like, no, never but and we're just as readers being like, uh huh, Harry. Okay. Yeah, never right. Okay. Like [laughs] So I just thought that was really funny to bring Draco into it. Because it's always what we think is supposed to happen with Harry when he's gay. And it just to see Tom starting to get and feel and want to keep Harry to himself and Harry starting to actually enjoy spending time with him.
Yeah.
Like, even as you get that internal, like monologue of Gosh, like I actually look forward to like going to classes and in between classes, and we sit together at lunch, and we do all these things together, especially because Pansy is with Minerva, Tom and Minerva are friends. So it's just like a natural thing to have this quad together.
Exactly. Yeah.
Which makes it really convenient for all this to happen. Not just like Harry trying to get in with Tom. It's essentially like the two of them fall into it, like they're literally given what they need. And I love the part where, you know, obviously Tom is starting to show emotion he's starting to smile and laugh and being someone different. And they have what is it a snowball fight?
Yes
So they're out and they have their snowball fight and he is just laughing and having an amazing time they are all just going nuts and just like shoving snow in each other's faces and down shirts and it's just
Yeah.
absolute chaos. And Harry has his panic attack moment of being like, Oh shit, I love him.
Yeah
and he is the ultimate worst wizard who killed my parents and all these friends and he just gets overtaken by these emotions and runs away and of course Tom's like thinking that things are getting better between them and and that he's starting to trust him because it was rocky from the beginning. And for Harry to run away. Ultimately, I'm like, Oh my god, Tom. He thinks he's done something wrong. Something's gonna go bad because like all of a sudden, he Harry was helping him move forward and and then Harry has this moment and realizes shit, this was stupid. What am I doing? This is stupid. I need to find him. And he's gone.
Yeah.
And we find him covered in blood coming from the Forbidden Forest.
Yes,
because he was trying to find answers about the future from the from the centaurs. And something that gets gets me which which is completely 100% what you would expect but also hurts, but it's because it's legit. When Harry's like, what did you do?
Yeah,
And Tom's like, What? What do you mean, what did I do? I went to the centers and they attacked me like, what would you think I did? Like
Yeah.
Harry sees him covered in blood think he like went and killed somebody! But we would think the same thing!
Absolutely. Because, you know, it takes I love when a writer can take our preconceived notions of what we expect from a character and just use those
Yeah.
to sort of mess with us. And then go, Oh, no, actually, it's this thing. Because, you know, By the same token of him being, you know, attacked by the Centers while he's looking for answers, they then have this really tender moment where it's like, oh, you do care about me.
Mhm.
You know, Tom says that to Harry. And you would expect that revelation to happen the other way round.
Right.
You would expect Harry to be like, Oh, he actually has feelings for me.
Right.
But the first the I think the first inclination that we get a verbal acknowledgement from a character of love between them is Tom to Harry, which is just fantastic.
Oh, in the moment, when Harry destroys the crystal ball,
Yes. Oh yeah.
When he like it's that moment before he goes and finds him and he talks to Pansy or Minerva. He's, and he's like, I he didn't even tell her he did it yet. He's like, are you gonna leave? And she's like, no, I, my family and friends. And everyone is a down a path that I don't want to I don't fit there anymore. I'm going to stay here with Minerva, and Harry's
Yeah.
And she asked him, she's like, do you want to go back? Because if you do, I will help you. And he's like, No, I don't. He's everything.
Yeah.
And I need to go find him! Like I just [laughs] And it's like, well, little do you know, the crystal ball is already broke- like duh gone.
[laughs]
I don't know if they could of used like any crystal ball, but symbolically, so
I'm sure. Right. 100%.
Yeah. Like it's symbolically it's so important. In that moment, I did sort of feel a little pang of regret that, you know, that he's just sort of abandoning Ron and Hermione
Yeah.
to their fates. But then when it when it explains in the story that because he was never there, it's like they never knew him.
Right.
So it's not like they're missing anybody.
Right.
And so the only person that really loses out in all of this is Harry,
Yeah.
which Harry is used to bearing burdens like that by himself. Anyway, so it's like,
Yeah.
it's burden lite time. So I sort of feel like he made the right choice,
Yes.
because he's choosing to be with his, you know, his one true love,
Yes.
you know,
Mhm.
and, uh, and it makes sense, in the context of the story.
They're like learning how to love together. I mean, when you think about it,
Yeah.
they're just they're learning themselves together, and they have all this common ground and it's just Oh, it's so I just love them and I love Tom. I'm just like, yes, Harry, my God, he's amazing. [laughs] And just seeing his struggle, like you had mentioned the, when Harry asks him to save the Muggle or like
Yeah.
Harry's gonna go. And Tom's like h- so mad that Harry did this for someone that he thinks didn't deserve to be saved. It starts that narrative of Harry being like, he's like, promise me, you'll never put your life at risk again. And he's like, no, I will never promise you that because
Yeah.
I will always fight for people who need me. And it just totally twist things. Because of course, at that time, Tom sees him as something that's important to him that he covets, and he wants to possess.
Yes.
And he hates, he hates the fact that Harry being in danger made him feel something he had never felt before.
Exactly. Exactly.
And, okay. And the whole spanking thing. I was all about that.
[laughs]
I was SO ready for that! As soon as that happened, I am so disappointed it only happened once. I am so disappointed that eventually they got super coddly and cute and whatever. And I was like, Where'd the spanking go? [laughs] I mean goodness!
I know. I know.
I mean it's the foundation of the relationship [laughs]
[laughs] Yes! I mean, it got very fluffy very quickly.
It did. It did.
Um, you know, I can I do buy it on on one level, but at the same time, just from the author's point of view.
Yeah.
How do you write about spanking more than once without seeming repetitive? [laughs]
[laughs] I know! I know. [laughs] Repetitive. [steady spanking noises]
I know!
[laughs]
just you know, it's just that Oh, gosh, yeah, that was so. Ooh, my cheeks are red just thinking
[laughs]
about it. Oh, gosh, that was so good. He was so mad.
Yeah.
He was just like, because he had joked about that before. He was like, Oh, I would, you know, like, it would be a way to like, punish someone who for something and then Harry'd. He just kind of accepts it. It's just funny. He's just like, Okay, this is happening. And I'm actually into it. [laughs]
Yeah, because he even says there's a line later in that scene, where Tom asks me like, so Why did you let me spank you if you didn't feel you did anything wrong?
Yeah.
And Harry's just like, yeah, cuz I was into it.
[laughs]
Exactly. Well, I mean, you know, like, made you feel better and made me feel really good. [laughs]
Yeah.
[laughs] And of course, the convenience of, which I think is hilarious. And I'm curious if Minerva has her own room too. But when later on Dippet is like, oh, four or five weeks in? Yes, Tom, we want you to be a Prefect and and then Slughorn's like, hey, since you're a prefect, you get your own private bedroom. I mean, what? So that of course you're like, oh, shoot shenanigans. [laughs]
Yeah,
they even though oh my gosh, this is so sweet. So wholesome. Because you would think that like as things progressed, that all of a sudden, I mean, eventually, Harry, they stay in there together. But when the relationship isn't there yet, Tom refuses to sleep there.
Mhm.
He wants to sleep in the dorms with Harry because he wants to be close to Harry. And I just think that is so sweet. He's like, yeah, I'm not gonna stay here.
Aww.
Like, I want to be with you. And it's just like, [crying noises]
Yeah.
just crying, just crying over here. No big deal.
It's so atypical of a character like Tom to do something that is not self serving. And that will it will I suppose it is self serving in a way
Yeah.
because it's, it's motivated by his his love of Harry, but also, he's taking Harry's own feelings into consideration as well. So it's not it isn't totally selfish.
Right.
Um. I don't really know where I'm going with this.
[laughs]
No, no, I totally I yeah, I completely understand that for sure. Because he doesn't, and he's not. I don't know if he's aware. Like why I just, I want to know, I'm sure if I reread it. Like I would be able to see the moment that things change for Tom, like go from like the just wanting, being interested and curious about Harry and wanting to be around him because of whatever reasons and then realizing I want to be around him because I care for him. And I want to be different for him. Oh, gosh, and the moment that Harry is like, I need to come clean. And I want you to watch my memories.
[gasp] Oh, my.
And, Tom, of course, I can't do that. Like I can't, I would never do that to you and even Harry's like, why wouldn't, why haven't you done that? He's like, I couldn't I wouldn't do that. If you didn't give me permission. I wouldn't. And of course, Harry's like, it covers what we talked about last time about the Legilimens Occlumens situation. The fact that Tom was respectful of Harry this entire time
Yeah.
to not look in his mind when he could have. He's like, No, I never would have done that to you without permission. And when Harry gives it he's like, shocked and when he does see it, and it just overwhelms him and reaches a point that he's like, I can't see any more and here's a wand. You have every right to kill me right now.
Yeah,
And Harry's like no, I'm not going to kill you keep watching because you will see the point that like what I feel about you changes completely. And then they're both crying
Oh. [sigh]
because you really do love me it is just so beautiful. And it's just
Yeah.
and meanwhile Minerva is just hearing things like she can't see it because she doesn't have Legilimency so she's just she's just striding back and forth in front of Pansy. Like, no, this is a real
[laughs]
No, no, no, nothing. And. Oh! Oh, God! Oh, God! So now we are getting into [laughs]. So of course they have this moment they realize that they, you know, love each other and
Yeah.
so then they, you know, fall asleep in each other's arms and it's all wholesome and they wake up and Tom's like, it wasn't, I can't believe you're still here with me after everything that happened and Harry's like, it's fine, I forgive you, you're not that person, like you're different. And. So then they have that, you know, the shower scene when Minerva and Pansy are freaking out,
Yes.
because they have not seeing them in over 24 hours. So they think that either Tom or Harry, they've either killed each other
Yeah.
because of what has been discussed and they come bl- flying in, and they just see the two of them butt naked, they're just like, Ahh! Aaahh!
[laughs]
everyone's just like, Aaaahhh!! having this freakout moment. And it's just like and Pansy. I think it was Pansy that was like, Well, obviously, they're okay. Like, they're not dead, like they're not fighting. So. [laughs]
Yeah. Oh, it's moments like that are so tricky to write well,
Mhm.
because they're so like I was saying before, it's so easy to have that just be this slapstick throwaway moment, but within the context of
Mhm.
everything that they've been through, it just popped all the tension,
Yeah.
like it was just such a, it was such a burst of relief.
Yeah.
And, and then, you know, and then by the same token, you know, they have they get set up to do this ball the New Year.
Ah! Yeah.
And of course, Tom and Minerva are somehow like, really good at ballroom dancing. And they, you know, when they set that whole thing up in a hurry has two left feet, which I also really believe but but Tom's like, Oh, no, don't worry, we'll we'll teach you how to dance before this ball happens. And I'm going to have my, my nerdy Tango moment right now.
Mhm. Mhm.
Because like, I just love, I love the tango. So I happen to know that when that when Harry is talking about the Tango, and he's describing it as legs wrapping around each other, and you know, in bodies bending and impossible positions.
[laughs] Yes.
what he's what he's actually describing is not a ballroom Tango, that's an Argentine Tango. And the reason that fits so perfectly in the story is that the Argentine Tango was originally conceived of as a dance between two men. And I just I, I love the attention to detail. I feel like the author was looking for ways to anchor the story in the 1940s.
Mhm.
And of course, we have that moment where they go to Muggle London, and they end up in the Blitz. And, you know,
Yes.
Tom, Tom saves the child. So we have this very real, you know, wartime stuff going on at the same time.
Mhm.
But then to counterbalance that, you get the sort of the light relief with all the dancing. And I feel like it was so well done that all of these elements somehow combined together to give you a story that isn't it isn't total fluff, and it isn't
Yeah.
complete angst, but it's somehow a great blending
Yes.
of both of those things.
Hardcore flangst. Yeah. For sure. [laughs]
Honestly, I think one of my favorite sentences in the whole thing was the Tango, Harry decided had been invented by a sadistic, lecherous contortionist who enjoyed watching people expire from sheer sexual tension.
[laughs}
I love that so much!
[laughs]
So good.
Okay, I have a question, now. [laughs]
Yeah?
So the the butt plug is described as like squishy like foamy?
Yeah,
Did they have anything foamy? [laughs] In the 40s?
I? Mmmmmm.
like spongy?
I don't know. I don't know if that's
not that wizards can't. But I was just every time it was described as something like foamy, squishy like it was.
Yeah.
It was like,
yeah,
and, like, I don't think that's a thing? [laughs]
No, but maybe it was just magically enhanced.
Yeah, magically squishy
Yeah.
a little bit nicer. Like, he was like, Okay, I'm not gonna go full ham. I'll just I'll do something a little bit more flexible.
[laughs]
What was what was the line? So the butt plug was like, loosening on every twirl. And then,
Mhm.
like, sinking back deeper with every lunge or something?
Yes. Yeah, probably.
Yeah
exactly.
I was that was just so good. Like even
Yeah.
the smut was described beautifully.
Oh, and then of course, initially when they were going to go to the dance like as couples het style, either like Pansy and Tom or, you know, they were going to all four go together. And people we're going to assume that okay,
Yeah.
they're all each other's dates. And ultimately, they're like, you know what, no.
Yeah.
We it is time for things to change in the 40s for us to show up in there. And And so yeah, that was the moment that Dumbledore was like, you know, I misjudged you that they were able to come out and be themselves. Whereas from what we know to be Dumbledore is
Yeah.
also gay, and but probably was never able to share that with anybody. And so for him to see that in, in the younger generation, I'm sure moved him
Yeah.
to the extreme.
Oh, absolutely.
Oh, and going back to the talking about the Avery bit, so of course, Avery sees Harry like, of course, Harry, like what are you doing opening the door to Tom's room?
Yeah.
Talking to the talking to the snake with the door open. And Avery is just down the hall. Like, what the heck is Harry doing at Tom in Tom's rooms? It's like Avery, you've seen them together all day, every day everywhere. Like what are you? like. Obviously, Harry's there. But then he confronts Tom and Tom realizes that Avery, knows who Avery is, and assumes that he might do something rash, and asks, oh gosh, what, what's the snake's name?
Oh, Thoth
and asked Thoth to like hide with Harry to essentially look out for him. So if something happens would go find Tom. And Avery, of course, kidnaps Harry, and of course is trying to imperious him. And of course, he uses polyjuice potion to try and convince him that he is Tom.
Yeah.
But then he knows from the beginning, he's like, You're acting weird as heck like this is you're just this is you're holding my hand really tight. You're just like, really prickly. I don't know what it is and was able to figure it out relatively quickly.
Yeah,
and that whole thing. And I thought it was brilliant that they thought that what was it that he was the one who tried to open the Chamber of Secrets, and he went to Azkaban. And it was like all the narrative of things that did happen down the line. It was like different people were put into those roles. So Avery getting sent away for what would have been Tom's thing.
Yeah.
And yeah, that was Oh, yeah. When he's like, Can you read this to help me get into the Chamber of Secrets? I'm like, oh, gosh, I was waiting for when the Chamber of Secrets would come into this. I just thought that was really cool to make a different character, the villain that fits into what would have been assumed Tom's narrative for this point in the story.
Oh, Absolutely. I mean, Avery gives me massive Lucius Malfoy energy.
[Laughs]
If you've got any of that where you were reading, but I sort of feel like he Avery is the guy in this story. Who is the the jaded Lieutenant who is then left to pick up the slack? When the you know, when the leader goes awry?
Yup.
decides that he's going to be Machiavelli and do all these things by himself. And he gets really, you know, he takes the mantle upon himself, and ultimately falls short because he just doesn't have what it takes.
Yeah.
And it's really interesting to see what might have happened. Had Voldemort not chosen that path. All the all these things. I think it even says in the text at one point, where it's like, Harry was slightly caught off guard by how eerily familiar even though they're different. They're all really familiar, like Myrtle being attacked by Aragog.
Yes, instead of [gasp] and that was interesting to the meeting of Hagrid, and actually seeing how things are with him. And we can understand like, Yeah, he should have been expelled. And he was again and but for a different reason.
Yeah.
And yeah, and then gifting one of the spiders to Minerva? Oh, good lord,
Yeah.
what was he thinking?
It's a classic case of someone giving a gift they would love for themselves,
right
to someone else to
Yes.
show that love, which I thought was, you know, for Hagrid, that was really sweet. But it's also amazingly dangerous.
Yeah, he's like, Oh, I can get you another one. She's like, Nah, I'm good. I am so good. You have no idea how good I am.
[laughs]
Oh, when talking about gifts, when the girls take Mytle dress shopping?
Yes.
It's just so precious. Especially when they removed the tag to show that Oh, it's the same price as this other one that you could afford just so that they could pull in their money to help her get the dress that she deserves and become the princess that she I just having Myrtle have her like happily ever after moment with this super handsome Hufflepuff guy. And at first I was worried I was worried that it would be a joke like you would answer spate that, oh, this hot guys like, yeah, I've been watching you, I really want to take you as a ball. And then I could see her showing up all excited. And then he just doesn't come or ignores her or something. Yeah, that happens. And you're just like, oh God, that'd be terrible. But she, but it did it. Like they're together like they were a couple, Minerva and pansy are a couple, Tom and Harry are a couple. They're like this trio of pairs. And it's just it's so wonderful. I just I love that Myrtle came into the story and had such an important role in everything. I love that we
see a contrast from the kind of hurry that we saw in book five, where as the world falls apart around him, everything else falls apart with it, you know, and everyone else is trust and faith in Him is doesn't waver, but his faith in himself does. And I sort of feel like going and putting him in the middle of this really wholesome group of people that are ultimately just there to care about each other is new for Harry, you know, it's new for him to have that much. I mean, obviously, he's had it from Ron and Hermione, but not as intensely as this. And so it's really interesting as a reader to be able to put Harry into a situation where he can actually just be happy and let go. And there are no caveats. But I also like that the author took liberties with the world when they needed to as well they were like, Okay, I need a change of location, and I need to justify it. So I'm going to say that instead of going to hogsmeade to get presents, we're going to go to Muggle Edinburgh Christmas, because it's what Minerva always did with her family. Yeah, I love I love moments like that, where we're not just seeing Hogwarts, we're not just seeing hogsmeade. It's not just the same places that we've seen over and over again. In fact, there's a moment where Tom has like an intimate moment with Harry in one of the old chancelleries in the castle. And I thought was absolutely brilliant, like using the already well established canonically viable thing of Tom going off and finding all of Hogwarts his secrets. But yeah, having him share that with hurry. This offer got so much spot on.
I know, because that and that shows like how it's for him to trust Harry with that. I mean, it's just like ding ding ding, like the Tom, we know, would not give up any of his secrets to anybody, not even his closest followers. So it's like, that was just giving a complete gift of 100% Trust. Oh, a quick word. Like, here we go. Time travel back in the story. The moment that of course, Tom finds out about Avery taking Harry and he has like C's read and Harry knows that he is about to potentially kill him. And Harry's like, No, you are not this person. I don't want you to ever become this person. You have to leave this like it doesn't matter. You cannot become a killer. And he makes the choice. He's like, I will never I will. Whatever you need whatever you want. I will I'll never kill anybody. And it's just such a such an important and beautiful moment for him to just be like it. Obviously if he was going to kill that moment would have been it like that would have killed him like that would have happened. So that was that was big. But isn't that the moment as well where his scar completely disappears? Oh, yes. Okay, that bit too. It's slowly going away. So I was worried. I was worried as the scar went away. I and Harry got sick. Like he kept getting sick. Yeah. And it was slowly going away. I was afraid that that meant that Harry would like didn't it? Yes. Yeah. When you change the future enough that then if it is going to be if you're not doing a parallel universe, and that's your timeline. If he doesn't exist, does that mean that even though he did and he's physically there Now, obviously in this story, he remains but he could have disappeared? And I was like is is he literally disappearing legacy in the process of just going yeah, like poof because it doesn't happen but that that being a strong symbol throughout the whole thing as proof of Tom's change was awesome. Yeah, it was spot on and and then the Curiosity Tom had with it, and he's like, don't look into it. Don't do it. Don't Don't look into it. And he's like, your your scars gone? And that's when Harry realizes that it's been done, and then they're beautiful for your job again, but it's just Oh, it's so good.
Yeah. Although I do slightly worry that with a scar being gone, does that mean that Tom isn't able to give Harry the same levels of pleasure he'd been having up Keep up. Oh, that Yeah. Oh
my Lord. That was hilarious. I loved that. He's like I was used to feeling pain, but then it was like, and then he used it to his advantage because of course, this is when he didn't necessarily love Harry, but he was trying to like seduce him because he wanted he just wanted him he essentially wanted him. And when he found out that it'd be touched it it did that he was like, Oh, yeah. Like I'm a I'm a corner you and every opportunity and touch your forehead and you are just going to melt under my fingertips. And that was Yeah, that was amazing. And holy.
I love that entire scene in the trophy room when Harry is so confused and aroused. And, like, all at once. And he's like, I don't know what to do with all of the feelings splayed out.
Oh, Tom's like you want me to stop inherently? No, not really. Do you want me to stop? Like, Oh, no. But then as things get close, he's like, we should finish with the thing like Harry's, Harry's segways were always really good. I mean, they were really abrupt and awkward, but he was just like, and he just like would kind of cut you know, like out of it to get around it. And Tom's like I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up. So it just when it ultimately when Harry gives in and it just, Oh, it's so good. I just My heart hurts thinking about all of this all over again, for everybody. It was just so good. The story was amazing. I will have to reread it again. So that I can absorb more than I was probably able to in the first pass through. And the attention to detail the characterizations, the way the plot was driven, what it took from Canon. And then of course, what was completely just in the brain of the author and what they were able to to create, which in our head were like, yes, it should have been that way. Yeah, obvious, but I you know, they thought of it first. And it's amazing. It's just so good. Loved it. Loved it. Yeah, bajillion out of 10 bajillion out of 10.
Easily, easily. I mean, I, when I saw that it was 31 chapters long, I was like, I'm gonna have real trouble getting it. Like, I was gonna have like real trouble getting invested in the pairing To start with, like, and it's 31 chapters, and I can't believe I'm gonna have to read like over 70,000 words. But that was such a worthwhile journey to go on. Like it was, you know, with a minor caveat of the under age thing, the setting aside, completely. I just think the story is so worth it. Like read it. Read It For the characters. Yeah, just for that development. Read It For the emotional intensity. Yeah, it's just it's so it's one of those stories that gives you the catharsis that you didn't know you needed. It lets you let out a breath. You didn't know you were holding
100% Oh, my gosh, no, the biggest breath that I did not know I was holding was released at the end of that fics because it's true that whole time I've just like, like, I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop. I was just, I mean, we read the summary. I was like, hey, let's give this one a try. We'll see how it is. I read the first chapter so gave you a little feedback. And you were into it. And it only got better and this so this was just such an amazing fight. It was just pure gold. And I yes, it's it's absolutely amazing. And I'm and I'm really disappointed, but it is what it is that this is we're moving on from to marry after this. I just, Oh, I love this ship so much. I'm so excited to keep enjoying it for sure. 100%.
And, you know, I was fully prepared to to load the ship completely. I was like, I'm gonna struggle to find anything that I like about this. It just strikes me as ridiculous and and like, it occurs to me that it still does strike me as ridiculous if I think about the book characters. But with so many of these characters, like if you take their fanfiction versions, they are infinitely superior. This is now how I feel about this ship as well.
Well so. So now that we bring to Mary to a close our next ship we're getting into femslash and our first one I'm really excited about because this is canon. Let's be real. This is canon. We're going Lenny Yes Oh no. Luna slash Jenny. So this is why Harry ships every other dude, because Jimmy and Luna are meant to be together.
I'm already on board before we even start hunting for fics. I know
oh my gosh, oh Linny You're still fine. You're still fine, you blow my mind. Hey Linny so definitely shoot us a tweet of your favorite Linny fan fics or fan art or reasons why you ship them. We're really excited to hear your point of view, and or send us an email with your your favorite like head cannons, things like that. So we're really excited to get going on these two beautiful characters and why they work together and why they're perfect. And it's just, it's gonna be, it's gonna be wonderful. I'm so excited.
I could not be happier. Like, I'm sort of sorry to put this ship to bed. But I know, I know that there are going to be so many more great ones. So we saw this, that we're not talking about this one anymore. I'm like, What else are we going to discover?
I know exactly. Like you said at the beginning of this. We both were like how? I don't get it. Yeah, I don't get it. We'll see. We'll get through this. And we're just like we are losing our minds. We have just lost our minds. Yep, so good. But anyway, so that is enough to marry but it's never enough to marry. But we are so excited to get into Linny and we look forward to talking at you about all that business next time.
I ship it!
While you're waiting for the next episode, all the shipping fund can continue online. You can head over to all of our social media platforms like @magicalshippod on Twitter and Instagram, and careofmagicalshippers on Tumblr. You can get in touch with us by email at careofmagicalshippers@gmail.com. Or you can leave us a voice message with all of your ship and fic thoughts and feels and have the chance to be featured on a future pod episode. We are also live on Patreon Patrons have access to early episodes, bonus content, extended uncut episodes with all of our nonsense fic gluts written by me exclusive merch and a patron Discord. Another easy way to show your love for the pod is by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. And thank you so much for listening.
[music]
Welcome to PuffCast, your bi weekly Harry Potter podcast run by Puffs! I'm Melanie.
And I'm Juliana. Do you like Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts?
Oh, yes.
Oh, good. Are you looking for a fun, stress free place to just have a good conversation? Play some silly games and hear for some great guests?
Yes, please tell me more.
Oh boy. Well, then this podcast is for you.
We would like to invite you to join our happy common room, get comfy, have some pizza, make new friends and be part of the conversation. All houses are welcome.
You can find PuffCast every other Wednesday on all platforms where podcasts are found. So we'll see you in the common room and Until then, stay Puffy!
