Sexualized Saturdays: Dumbledore

So Dumbledore’s gay. Enough said, right? Yeah, not really. J. K. Rowling’s proclamation has been met with mixed reactions. There are those that love it, those that hate it, and those who refuse to see it as canon regardless of love or hate. The best I can figure about the canon thing is that some people, like this guy here, believe that since the story is completed, anything J. K. Rowling says about the characters is not fact within the universe, unless it was stated before the release of the last book. One argument behind this is fanfiction. But I digress, as this post isn’t about the validity of J. K. Rowling’s words or not; it is about Dumbledore and his sexuality, but it’s also about the reactions to it.

It should come as no surprise that the outrage of certain groups—mostly Christian ones—made itself heard after Dumbledore’s outing. I’ve even heard people around me say that they wouldn’t mind Dumbledore being gay if it didn’t make his relationship with Harry weird, as if a homosexual man can’t possibly have a fatherly relationship with a child without pedophilia being involved somehow. Because as we all know everywhere, not being heterosexual makes people attracted to minors. I’m sure there’s some underlining stereotype cemented into the sub-consciousness of massive amounts of people everywhere fueling this collective thought.

And being someone who has been accused of pedophilia for being something other than straight, yeah, I have some issues with this mindset.

Fanfiction Fridays: Kiss or Kill by Mortalus

Yes, the world of fanfiction certainly has a lot to offer, once one finally succeeds in finding a good fic. But every once in a while, a surprisingly genius one rears its head. Kiss or Kill by Mortalus is good all the way around, from the dialogue to subtle humor to plot and character development. In many ways, it does a better job of that than the books it’s based upon. I have very little negative to say about this one, so thus I am reduced to giving it my undying praise.

Mortalus posted Kiss or Kill seven years ago, sometime after the release of the fifth book, and finished updating the story just over a month later. Twenty-seven chapters long, and clocking in over one-hundred thousand words, it gives quite a lot to discuss. Kiss or Kill is about the blossoming romance between one Harry Potter and Tom Riddle. Now, since I know some of you immediately thought of the age difference the moment you read that, don’t worry. The fic takes place during Harry’s sixth year, and I am pleased to inform you that Tom is also sixteen in this. How, you may ask. Well, the answer is simple: time travel.