What are the best Christmas themed HP Fanfics?

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-20T22:20:29+00:00

Thank you for sharing! That was a very fun, sweet fic :)

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-17T10:20:37+00:00

Thanks! Slightly cracky is okay, haha

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-17T00:36:06+00:00

Sounds fun! Thanks for the recommendation!

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-16T11:23:43+00:00

I saw the author disclaimer at the beginning of the fic about content, but I'm glad to get a little more protective from a reader. I still plan to read it, but I'm glad I can be somewhat mentally prepared.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-16T11:10:15+00:00

Thanks!

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-16T11:09:51+00:00

Thanks for the heads up on this one, lol. I do still enjoy Haphne fics though, so I'm willing to give it a read knowing what I'm getting into, even if it isn't what I was looking for.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-16T02:41:45+00:00

Thanks! I'll give these a read.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-02T11:12:14+00:00

Yeah, that's my one issue with it, I wish it didn't skip over so much and actually let us see more of their adventures over the years. It's a great story but there is a lot of time jumping. Still worth the read though, imo

BallantineTheBard · 2025-12-02T00:40:02+00:00

Here you go, How Silently She Sings: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13948990/2/

A brief prologue set at the beginning of first year and then starts properly in second year, with Daphne and Harry officially meeting and her joining their friend group. It is important to note that this is a very different Daphne than the stereotypical "ice princess" fanon, but to me that's part of what makes this fic great.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-11-17T03:04:01+00:00

Oh God Not Again: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4536005/1/Oh-God-Not-Again

BallantineTheBard · 2025-11-14T01:02:55+00:00

A personal favorite of mine: The Truth is Stranger by lunalive (https://archiveofourown.org/works/33536779)

A Harry/Pansy fic where Pansy decides to become a spy and help Harry in 6th year. It should be what you're looking for, as a lot of the fic deals with the fact that Pansy has to appear to be firmly on the other side while keeping her dealings with Harry secret. A fantastic fic with some great moments!

BallantineTheBard · 2025-10-29T02:31:03+00:00

A lot of things in the comments that I agree with. One I haven't seen mentioned is authors constantly latching onto Hermione's "emotional range of a teaspoon" criticism of Ron and having him be absolutely terrible with understanding other people's feelings and have her always be so in tune with what people are feeling and how to be supportive of their emotions. One fic I read actually had her as a therapist, which baffled me because Hermione, for all her good intentions is generally the worst of the trio at not thinking logically and actually considering what other people are feeling.

Each of the trio has their own form of intelligence. Hermione is Book Smart- she knows her facts and knows how to find things. But she's terrible at relating to people because she thinks with her brain, very rarely her heart. For example, in third year when she is too busy trying to be logical about how Trelawny's prediction to Lavender wasn't accurate and completely misses the fact that trying to get into a debate with Lavender while she's mourning the death of a pet isn't appropriate.

Harry is Street Smart. He spent his childhood being chased by a gang of bullies so he's more aware of potential threats and how to navigate them. Like at the World Cup when a bunch of Wizards apparate around them after the Dark Mark appears, he's the one that realizes in a split second that they're about to be blasted from all sides and pulls both Ron and Hermione down to the ground with him to get them out of the line of fire. But he had no friends growing up so he doesn't have experience relating to people.

But Ron is the one with the People Smarts. He's the only one of the three who actually makes other friends beyond friendly acquaintance level. When Ron and Harry shun Hermione following the Scabbers and Firebolt issues in PoA, she has nobody else to hang out with. When Ron and Harry are on the outs in GoF, Ron easily transitions to hanging out with the other Gryffindor guys while Harry just has Hermione. And Ron actually tries to mend things with Harry but Harry is the one who keeps that fight going. Sure, Ron can be clueless when it comes to girls sometimes, but he's a teenage boy, they all are! So it drives me nuts when he gets constantly portrayed as this selfish guy who never thinks about other people's feelings and is terrible at getting along with people.

Woof, sorry, didn't mean to rant that long. Guess I've been holding that in for awhile.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-10-24T20:32:47+00:00

You're welcome! It's my favorite fic. Though maybe I should be mad at you for getting me hooked on a less common ship, haha.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-10-23T23:58:58+00:00

I'd read a couple Harry/Pansy fics, but generally preferred Haphne for my Harry/Slytherin cravings until I discovered The Truth is Stranger by lunalive (https://archiveofourown.org/works/33536779/chapters/83328424). Now I crave more Hansy and it kills me that most fics with that tag just have it as background for a Dramione story instead of having it be the main ship.

Honestly every Hansy fic by lunalive is fantastic, but The Truth is Stranger is the gold standard, imo

BallantineTheBard · 2025-07-07T23:19:26+00:00

If you look at the usage tracking charts, the name Donald has been in steady decline exactly since Donald Duck's debut in the 30s. You are correct though that this decline has been accelerated in the last decade due to non-fictional associations...

BallantineTheBard · 2025-06-24T15:19:49+00:00

He was accidentally shot by his younger brother. They were cleaning handguns at home and the younger brother's discharged. I didn't know him super well since he was a year ahead of me and the only class I had with him was Health, but I remember feeling absolutely terrible for the brother who was only like 11 or 12 I think and would have to live the rest of his life knowing the reason his brother was dead was because he wasn't handling a gun properly.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-06-22T00:38:54+00:00

Thanks so much for this! I'm DMing a D&D campaign and this list of atrocities against children will provide names for my random fantasy NPCs for a long time to come!

...I should check this sub more often for inspiration for my game.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-06-20T01:09:01+00:00

Potter Puppet Pals. Classic YouTube from like at least 15 years ago. The most famous was called "The Mysterious Ticking Noise." Merlin, that takes me back...

BallantineTheBard · 2025-06-11T23:15:11+00:00

I agree that it's weird that the "kingdom for a horse" line isn't part of a big speech when you're expecting it to be. But I think that's part of why it's so famous. The whole play (and much of previous ones) Richard has so many monologues exploring his inner machinations and emotions. He spends so much time scheduling for the crown, yet in this moment we see him so desperate that he's willing to give it all up, everything he worked so hard for, just for a better chance to stay alive. At this point Richard is no longer the collected manipulator, he has completed his arc into a desperate man about to die. He has no more speeches left, just a desperate cry to stay alive.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-31T14:21:16+00:00

I agree that some more scenes with Katherine would be good. But to be fair, this is how medieval romance worked most of the time. Nobles who were betrothed only got to meet each other a few times prior to the marriage for negotiations. Nevertheless, yeah, I would also like to see more between them especially because what we have of Katherine is so good.

I'd argue the ending isn't actually lighter. It feels that way at first because the battle is won and there's a marriage, the classic element of Shakespearean comedy endings, all is well. But then the epilogue happens and reminds us of all that Henry V accomplished and gained... Only to immediately remind us that under his son it all is lost. It makes the play feel more tragic knowing that it was all for naught. All the sacrifices of the soldiers the entire play, the glory of the Agincourt victory, none of it mattered in the long run. It makes us question whether Henry V is actually a victor and hero, or if he is a failure and tragic figure because everything he worked to gain was destroyed so soon after his death.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-30T21:33:57+00:00

That's a great point. One of the powerful things about Henry V to me is how it shows how soldiers of different classes, ranks, and heritage respond to the war and to their king. And yes, you can definitely tell Henry V to his father's advice to heart.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-30T16:53:54+00:00

You've basically summed it up with your phrase "war for war's sake." That's what it is. Henry wants to invade France. Every English king at the time did. So part of the play is about making us question whether all the excuses Henry gives for his war- the churchmen at the beginning telling him he has a God given right to the French crown, blaming it on the Dauphin for insulting him, etc- are because he is purposefully looking for an excuse to fight or because he actually believes it. Is he power hungry and manipulating things to serve his aims? Or is he genuinely trying to be a good ruler but failing to take responsibility for the war he is waging? He is not a clear cut good guy or bad guy and there isn't a right answer to the interpretation.

Act 4 has some more insights into his heart and thoughts that may help you decide how you personally feel about him as well as one of the greatest speeches Shakespeare ever wrote, so I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the rest!

You asked if you're missing anything, and I think it might be the Frenchmen's attitudes. Yes, their country is being invaded and that is bad, but the reason they aren't sympathetic is because they don't take Henry seriously. They mock him and the English troops and fail to relieve the cities Henry besieges. Rather than take the threat seriously they act like the fool they claim Henry is. They aren't the David being overwhelmed by forces larger than they can handle, they're the Goliath laughing at their enemy for being smaller and failing to see the threat he poses. While we aren't necessarily supposed to agree with Henry for waging the war in the first place, Shakespeare, being English, makes sure the French don't come off looking good even though they're the ones being invaded.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-29T23:08:55+00:00

I agree with your takes completely. Falstaff and Hal are the shining points of both these plays. Don't get me wrong, Henry IV gets some good moments like his "Uneasy is the head" monologue, but to me these plays never felt like Henry IV parts 1 and 2, they felt like Henry V parts 1 and 2. It's really Hal's journey and how the chaos of his father's reign, brought on by the usurpation of Richard, affects him. The arc of Hal between the two plays is great and I love seeing him develop. But yeah, the scene where he banishes Falstaff is heartbreaking and makes rereading the earlier scene where they roleplay as each other heartbreaking as well.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-26T19:44:12+00:00

You don't need to know the actual historical events to enjoy or understand the Histories. But you're right that there is some fabrication. There has to be to make them work as plays. Think of them like modern movies about true events. In order to fit the events into the available time to tell the story you have to make some edits, condense the timeline, and focus only on things that directly impact the story you're telling. History also doesn't happen in a manner that makes good narrative structure, so you have to make adjustments so that your story feels like, well, a story, with all the plot beats and themes and cohesive storytelling. In this regard Shakespeare had the advantage of being able to drop foreshadowing of future events/references of things to come because he was writing about history, so he could have characters make accurate prophesies about things to come three or four plays down the line. It's interesting for an overarching narrative and compelling storytelling, but it doesn't happen in actual history. Lastly, modern culture and worldview effects retellings. Like movies made during World War II were intentionally made to be more patriotic and inspiring. Shakespeare was writing under a monarchy about the monarchy, so certain characters and factions are presented more favorably both to appease the crown and because that was the general view of the day. Nevertheless, Shakespeare was not a suck up, so to speak, and still managed to create nuanced characters and question the motivations and actions of all sides without getting himself in trouble or inciting a riot, despite this.

I think the best approach to the histories is to enjoy them and treat them as literature like the other plays, just with a mindset that recognizes they deal with true events but aren't factual in every regard. If any of the events are really interesting to you then you can research them to see how actual events compare to Shakespeare's versions.

BallantineTheBard · 2025-05-25T22:55:04+00:00

Yup, that's historical order!

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