“Elphie, Elphie Wake Up.”

Does anyone have any good marauders fanfic recs? I'm trynna find some with desi James, but just any recs are good with me.

ok, any headcanons on james that compliment the ones you've done for sirius?

i absolutely loved those and i'm really curious about james

HELL YEAH LETS GO

ADHD. This dude has to be moving, fidgeting, doing something, always. It tires him, and he sleeps very soundly for a full seven hours. Doesn't wake up even for earthquakes (Sirius once did a mini earthquake spell on the dorm room floor in the middle of the night as a prank. It did not wake him.)

Wakes up at an ungodly fucking hour. He doesn't own an alarm clock (it has no effect on him), but his internal clock is set to wake him up at exactly 4:30 in the morning for quidditch practice. He is done with jogging through the entire castle, half an hour of yoga, and an hour of quidditch before 7 A.M. rolls around. Sirius calls him "a demon from muggle hell" for it.

The only one who can keep up with Sirius' intelligence. He is scarily smart, but because most of his time is invested in quidditch and pranks, nobody realises just how smart he is until the results are handed out and he's right there next to Sirius on the top of the rankings. Both of them are always exchanging ranks 1 and 2 on overall performance. It annoys Snape and Lily to no end, because those two are always exchanging ranks 3 and 4 on the list.

The definition of Reckless. If Sirius hadn't stopped him, he would probably have turned the castle to rubble in less than five minutes. This was the exact reason why people (who were in the know) were surprised when Sirius was the one that sent Snape to Moony. They had all thought it would be James' fault.

A fucking bookworm. My dude reads literally everything from mystery to romance to encyclopaedias to research papers to fucking dictionaries of different languages. Even when he doesn't speak the language, the weirdo (affectionate and derogatory).

Indian. Specifically, from Pune city, Maharashtra.

About languages, he's learnt a lot of them. The order of learning of languages, starting from his native tongue, is thus: Marathi, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Ancient Greek, Tamil, French and Latin. He learnt the first six at home, and French and Latin from Sirius. He's good with languages.

Photographic memory. The reason he never has to study, and also the fact that he understands everything he reads on the first try.

He and Sirius both have twelve OWLs and eight NEWTs. They have Outstandings in all of them.

My dude has the widest, largest doe eyes possible. The only people who can withstand them for more than two minutes are his parents and Sirius.

Bharatanatyam dancer. Has his Visharad certificate, and genuinely enjoys dancing. Gives at least three evenings per week for dance practice to keep up his muscle memory.

Doesn't actually hate Slytherins. Neither does Sirius. Both of them have several friends from the house of Serpents, they just hate the ones that actively use Dark Magic on muggleborns, and Snape and his gang are a part of that.

Lmao the sheer arrogance in him, oh my fucking Gods—

Doesn't give a shit about the rules set by other people (unless they're set by his parents), but has a set of rules for himself that he strictly follows. No one can tell what these rules are, but he has them and he follows them. At the top of that list, there is "never betray your loved ones". He followed that one until his death.

Nevertheless, he will break every single rule. Every. Single. Rule. For Sirius. For Sirius, he will do anything, from taking care of him when he's sick to burning the world for him.

The Hat would actually have put him in Slytherin, except he had no ambitions except to cause chaos at the tiny age of eleven years. Otherwise, he's almost a perfect fit for Slytherin— determined, strong willed, cunning enough to pull difficult pranks, resourceful (because how else you gon plan epic pranks?)

He went to Gryffindor for three reasons and three reasons only: Sirius was there, he had no particular ambition, he wanted to be with Sirius.

M O T H E R H E N. Such a mother hen, but only for a select few people (the marauders, Lily, and Harry). He doesn't give a fuck about anyone else, but these are my people and if I weren't here they would literally get themselves killed put of household related incompetence how are you still alive by the Gods—

Follows ancient Vedic religion (because I do hehe)

Very very panromantic. Demisexual.

Had a crush on Sirius for a short while in fourth year, and then on Frank Longbottom in sixth year after he had one (1) glance at the older boy dressed in full Auror robes.

Loved his mother so much omg he was such a Mama's boyyy

Gave shit to Remus for looking like a professor at the tender age of fifteen, but wanted to become a Transfiguration Professor himself. He was also excellent at Potions (another reason Snape hated him) but decided ultimately that Transfiguration was his calling

Was in his last year of his Transfiguration Mastery on Samhain of 81.

Died with a Killing Curse on his lips. He was ready to cast it wandlessly, for his wife and child. Died with a Killing Curse on his lips.

I’ve previously stated that when people say “Why have James and Harry as POC?” it’s fair enough to respond, “Why not?” but there are also some reasons that specifically drive me towards representing them that way. So, without further ado, here’s why I tend to view James Potter as a person of colour. 

(Please note that this isn’t about authorial intent, since I’m more than aware that JKR doesn’t exactly write with the purpose of people reading her main characters as POC. It’s more about how the narrative connects as a reader, as well as some personal preferences.)

Racially-Coded Language Directed At James 

[…] Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn’t want Dudley mixing with a child like that. (PS1)

and, after Vernon claims James had been unemployed in POA: 

“As I expected!” said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. “A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who —” (POA2)

There’s a very specific trend in the way that the Dursleys speak about James. “Good-for-nothing,” as soon as he’s introduced, a sentiment repeated by Marge. “Wastrel” in that same chapter of POA. And the way that Marge reacts to James being “unemployed” is very much akin to anti-immigrant rhetoric, i.e. considering them a drain of public resources. It’s classist too, certainly, but that’s not divorced from racial dynamics. The greatest employment disparities in Britain occur among ethnic minorities. And that’s in recent reports. I can guarantee it was worse approximately 30 years ago, during the setting of HP. On top of that, the idea that the Harry’s “otherness” can be identified on sight also reads like an allusion to race. 

Harry’s Appearance

He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. (POA2)

and 

Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy black hair … very untidy black hair…  (OOTP28)

James and Harry share most of their features. The most prominent of these is by far James’s hair, which is consistently described as both “black” and “untidy.” Neither is a trait exclusive to people of colour, but there certainly is a tendency for people of colour to face greater scrutiny for the state of their hair. The Dursleys’ view that having “improper” hair somehow equates lacking societal worth is much along those lines. It’s not at all unreasonable to relate Harry’s struggle with his hair as partly the product of his heritage. 

Dynamic Balance Between James and Lily

This one is a point of personal preference. Since we know so little about either James or Lily, it’s hard to gauge what exactly their relationship was like. But I absolutely love the idea of James as a person of colour and a pure-blood while Lily is white and Muggle-born. Although there’s a claim that there’s no racism in the wizarding world (I’d question that, but that’s a different post), there certainly would be in 1970s Muggle UK. It’s an interesting dynamic to engage with — James, completely unaware of why people would look askew his relationship with Lily even in the Muggle world. Lily, turning indignant protector for James, while people dislike him for his heritage. It’s all the appeal of a role reversal AU but built into canon-compliance. 

Presumption of Delinquency 

For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than —

“Drumsticks?” jeered Anderson. “Right pair of jokers, aren’t you? Right, we’re arresting you on a charge of —” (Prequel)

and

Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colors in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his “delinquent” appearance when he passed the householders. (OOTP1) 

This one’s a bit more depressing, but it’s something that I think holds true for many people of colour in places where they aren’t the majority. Whether in a local neighbourhood, with a police officer, or at an airport, it’s easy enough to think of an instance of racial profiling. Being treated as a threat by people who don’t really know you. In James and Sirius’s interaction with the police, up until that point they’re smarmy, sure, but have made no indication that they’re any kind of threat. They reach back in their pockets and immediately the assumption is that they have guns. Harry experiences similar profiling. In that same chapter, he talks about how some of the neighbourhood kids are afraid of him. Admittedly, he’s got the Dursleys’ badmouthing and the state of his clothing going against him, but James is well-dressed and cared-for and still treated as if he might become violent. 

Nuanced Representation Through James

This point is less about the text itself, and more about how interpreting James as a person of colour is beneficial to readers of colour. Although he sort of gets the least physical presence in the series, the things we do see inform us that he’s got quite the story. He’s described, along with Sirius, as “the cleverest [student] in school,” in POA, he becomes an animagus at the age of fifteen, and he saves the life of his worst enemy (who later sells him out to Voldemort). He dedicates his life to a war that his blood status exempts him from. And he’s got obvious flaws as well! He’s arrogant, sometimes rude, and loyal to the point of being blind to the possibility of betrayal. Of all of the Marauders’ era characters, James has some of the most interesting characterization. In a series where people of colour barely feature, the idea that someone like James (and subsequently Harry) could be men of colour is very exciting. 

And, for what it’s worth, I actually think it’s kind of cool that James is so well-off financially. It’s not only a reversal of expectations with the earlier point of racially-coded insults, but also offers a version of an ethnic minority who doesn’t necessarily have a class disadvantage. And, if you’re on the Desi James train, it actually plays into a specific narrative of migration and employment for Indians in the UK prior to 1981. Racial discrimination and class do not always follow each other, and I think that disconnect can be jarring for those who consider themselves relatively privileged. Again, it’s something I think is interesting to explore.

Diverse Magical Heritage

Again, this idea comes down to personal preference. Since James comes from a long line of mostly pure-bloods, that means that if he is interpreted as a person of colour, there’s an entire magical tradition that can come with that. All of the HP spells are Latin-based, but if you read James as Desi (as I do) then there’s the potential for Sanskrit-based spells! Indian wizard holidays! If Christian wizards celebrate Christmas, surely Hindu wizards celebrate Diwali? Or Muslim wizards celebrate Eid? Not to mention the cool idea of life-cycle rites coming into play. I’d love to see a wizard version of annaprashan, where instead of reaching for just books or toys, you could have Harry reaching for a wand for power, or the Mahabharata for courage. Not to mention that James’ family has a long history in potions, which actually seems closer to Ayurvedic medicine than chemistry. There are so many possibilities that come from seeing James as a person of colour. These are only a few examples. 

I LOVE THISSS. KANHA'S SO PRETTYYYYYY

Kanhu

Elphaba: Glinda, please keep an eye on Fiyero today. He's going to say something to the wrong person and get himself punched. Glinda: Sure, I'd love to see Fiyero get punched. Elphaba: Try again. Glinda, sighing: I will stop Fiyero from getting punched.

Hindus In Bangladesh-

Why do you ignore genocide and persecution when it happens to Hindus? Why are we called propagandists for raising our voices? Who will speak for them if not other Hindus? How many will you brand as “sanghi and hindutvadis” for saying the truth?

If we don’t care then who will?

- No one.

i love these two characters. i need to trap them in a collapsed building so they can talk about their feelings as one of them slowly bleeds out.

Indian/Hindu James Potter headcanons

• The Potters gave James his very boring, British name because they were worried he’d be teased if they gave him an Indian name • James worked hard to be good at quidditch, mostly because he enjoyed it, but partly to defy the stereotypes that Indian people weren’t very good at it (what with the popularity of flying carpets in the Eastern hemisphere and the Indian team’s appalling performance in the World Cup) • The boys celebrate Diwali every year by decorating their dorm and the common room with hundreds of lanterns and after the first year the house elves help out, Mrs Potter always sends them all sweets and gifts • One year, James set off fireworks in the great hall at dinner, McGonagall made sure it didn’t happen again • As Holi always falls on the day of a full moon and Remus is too ill to take part, Sirius suggested bringing the powder paint with them to the shrieking shack and celebrating in their animagus forms •The powder always clumps in their fur and sticks to the damp walls of the shack, making it actually quite a cheery place in other circumstances • As James is bilingual in Hindi and English, he will not only swear or insult people in Hindi, but also makes most exclamations of excitement or affection in his mother tongue too • Lily thinks this is extremely cool, James starts speaking in Hindi more often •James is also a vegetarian Hindu and greatly missed his dad’s Mughlai cooking when confronted with the somewhat limited and flavourless vegetarian options at Hogwarts • That is until Peter had a word with the kitchen elves and brilliant Delhi dishes like vegetable biryani and mattar paneer started appearing on the Gryffindor table

Okay, so here’s another headcanon relating to James being Indian - one that possibly explains a longstanding mystery.

A little background: record keeping in India is, to say the least, pretty ropey. A lot of the older generation (aka, my grandparents) didn’t actually have birth certificates. Hell, we don’t actually know when my grandmother was born. We know where, but not exactly when. (I’m not entirely sure we know when my grandfather was born either, since I strongly suspect he lied about his age when he joined the army in WW2.)

But anyway. There are some records though, that are literal scrolls kept by the pandits, or Hindu priests, in holy cities on the river Ganges (Varanasi, Haridwar, etc.) Each Hindu family has a pandit, and each family has a set of scrolls tracing the family back generations. My family has one. Chances are, if you’re from a Hindu family or married into one, you’ll be on one, though it’s not always easy to find. (We were just lucky that we knew which city ours were in.)

Okay, so what’s this got to do with James? Well, it’s pretty likely that his Indian family are culturally Hindu (even if they’re not necessarily practicing nowadays), so they’d have these family scrolls in India.

So which mystery does this solve? Well, the mystery of where the hell Sirius was at the start of GoF when he was using huge colourful birds to write to Harry?

Yeah, that’s right. My headcanon is that Sirius went to India. He went to see the Potter family pandit to update the scroll with James’ (and Lily’s, and possibly Fleamont’s, unless someone else did it) date of death and add Harry’s name to the scroll.

But then he saw something that shocked him on the scroll, next to James’ name. His ability to read Sanskrit is pretty rusty nowadays, but he can still recognise his own name. At some point, before he died, Fleamont must have either written to the pandit, or gone to India, and had Sirius’ name added. Listing him as James’ brother. As family.

Later (while sobbing uncontrollably), Sirius mirror-calls Remus to tell him that. But Remus then realises something. If anyone intentionally betrays another member of their family, their name disappears from the scroll. It’s extremely old magic that’s been imbued in those scrolls for centuries. No one knows how it’s done; the only people who would know are long dead.

You see where I’m going with this? Sirius’ name is still there. It was never erased. And he couldn’t have rewritten it. That means he never betrayed James and Lily. It means they have proof he’s innocent.

Remus tells Sirius ‘get that fucking scroll by any means necessary so we can clear your name! Not even Fudge can ignore this, not without being called a massive bigot.’ (Okay, there was actually a lot more swearing, since my headcanon is that Remus swears like a sailor. He’s not a werewolf, he’s a swearwolf!)

So Sirius races back to Haridwar to do just that. Either he manages it and his name gets cleared (thanks to some ‘nudging’ from a few powerful people) or, he’s halfway there when he gets the letter from Harry about his scar hurting and promptly flies home.

Personally, I like the idea that he gets the scroll and gets cleared. Heck, maybe the pandit agrees to testify! And yes, I know it doesn’t happen in canon, but it would make a good AU.

I have a suggestion to go along with the drunk galinda drabble you wrote aka someone gives glinda an edible at the ozdust (or wherever else) but she doesn’t quite know what it is. someone just offered her a sweet treat that’ll make her “feel good *wink*” and she was like omg yes!!

You absolutely do not have to write this if you don’t want to, it’s just been on my mind!

hi! omg! this is a really fun prompt!

but. um. idk if i can. or like. idk if i'd get it right. bc. uhhhhh-

(i've never had an edible before🙈)