Hogwarts castle morphed along with its inhabitants’ secrets. Whims and wars lay groundwork for hidden rooms and protection spells that trickled silently through the generations, forgotten until some intrepid student dared to push a little further into the shadows. Twenty years passed before the underground chambers were uncovered again. Their purpose fulfilled, the chambers protected little but rubble and rusted keys… and an impressively large chessboard that filled the fourth room, complete with life-sized pieces that sprang to life with a touch. But they would obey no commands until a player took the place of one of the pieces. Playing the board became a rite of passage for daring Wizard’s Chess enthusiasts. The best—and some say, the most merciless—of such students formed the Underground Chess Society, the school’s first secret society since the war. Ascension was bloody, for rising in their ranks required playing head-to-head games to completion, and a win no longer necessarily required felling a king; having a knight draw its sword on a classmate forced to stand in for the bishop would do just as well. And the more one played, the less one hesitated to make the move…
POSTWAR: DRACO MALFOY[ficlets by hpedit] He is dead. But no matter where you will go, you will still feel the pressure of his hand upon your shoulder, his claim upon your life, and the things you did in his name. And you will never be able to forget how it felt.
NATURE VS NURTURE: a Malfoy cannot change its spots
In his eyes, and in the eyes of his father, Herbology was an unsuitable subject for a man to excel in - but his skill with plants was a happy partner to his Potions ability and, really, in all those years in living in that manor with its palatial garden, had the Malfoys not learned to love the things that grew there? When the manor (with its rose garden, orchard, several ponds, follies and vegetable plot) was sold to the Ministry to cover trial costs, Draco moved to their shambledown house in the southern countryside (once a third holiday home, now the most valuable piece in the Malfoy property portfolio) and kept a Potioneer’s garden, plus a succulent or two indoors for company.
-julia’s #1 crack headcanon: Draco takes to gardening after the war as a form of therapy [more ficlets by hpedit]
Obviously, all of us are into anime. But how many of us are into Japanese cinema that does NOT involve high school students saving the planet from giant alien robots?
In their Saturday evening panel Japanese Cinema 102: Where to go After Kurosawa, hosts Liz and Zod shared their list of the best Japanese directors–and titles–this side of famed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Here is just a sampling of their recommendations.
Yasujiro Ozu This postwar filmmaker is noted for his very intense films that stay with the viewer long after seeing them. Film critics consider him just as iconic as Kurosawa.
Tokyo Story (Ozu’s most well-known work in North America)
Tokyo Twilight
Early Spring, Late Spring, End of Summer (trilogy)
Shohei Imamura Born into an upper-class family, Imamura found himself dealing with Japan’s black market following World War II. As such, he gained an appreciation for the country’s underground culture that is reflected in his work.
Pigs and Battleships (this explores the strained relationship between the U.S. and Japan after the war)
Insect Woman
Intentions of Murder
Seijun Suzuki
An artist with an eye for style, Suzuki tends to lean toward yakuza fare in his work. Considered a cult filmmaker in Japanese society, noted American directors like Jim Jarmusch and even Quentin Tarantino have cited him as inspiration.
Branded to Kill
Gates of Flesh
Lupin III: Legend of Gold Babylon (yes, he was one of many directors to tackle Lupin III)
Takashi Miike
Dubbed by Zod the “James Patterson of directors,” Miike is notable for putting out a slew of movies every year. As a result, his library is vast, varied, and the most accessible for North American audiences.
Audition
Ichi the Killer
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (yes, he is behind the 2018 live-action version of the popular manga and anime)
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Dubbed by Roger Ebert as the “heir to [Yasujiro] Ozu,” Kore-eda is noted for being empathetic and really digging into the lives of his characters, many of whom tend not to live the best lives.
Maborosi
Nobody Knows
Shoplifters (this title earned him the Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars)
In addition to directors with storied bodies of work, Liz and Zod also shared some titles that fans of Japanese cinema would definitely take to.
Godzilla (Ishiro Honda) - Do I even need to explain this movie? Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi) - A supernatural horror film that is unlike anything else in the genre, in Japan or any other country. How many characters in horror flicks have gotten eaten by a haunted piano? Kamikaze Girls (Tetsuya Nakashima) - Unlike most other entries on this list, Kamikaze Girls is a sweet film that will leave its viewers with a warm feeling. Liz even shared an anecdote about a former roommate who, despite not being into Japanese cinema at all, absolutely adored this picture.
Close-ups of some of the many highlights in the Postwar Modern show at the @barbicancentre art gallery. It’s great, kids! (Images: 1. Nigel Henderson, 2. Alan Davie, 3. Magda Cordell, 4. Lucian ‘call me Lucian’ Freud, 5. Robyn Denny, 6. Francis Bacon, 7. Gillian Ayres #barbican #barbicanartgallery #painting #exhibition #london #londongallery #postwar #postwarmodern #modernart #britishart #nigelhenderson #alandavie #magdacordell #lucianfreud #robyndenny #francisbacon #gillianayres (at Barbican Art Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcV9CVKIvCk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Ghosts weren’t meant to be dangerous, they’d said. Ghosts were kind, friendly creatures who taught you History of Magic or celebrated their Death Day in the Great Hall to much cheering and applause. Ghosts gave you important hints. No witch or wizard ever told their child scary ghost stories, because the idea was less threatening than the idea of doxies in the curtains. The things that people had done to other people in the last decade far outweighed any heightened sense that there might be something more than met the eye. Ghosts were harmless. Benevolent. Typically quite cheerful.
![POSTWAR: DRACO MALFOY [ ficlets by hpedit ] He is dead. But no matter where you will go, you will s](https://64.media.tumblr.com/7a52cca00de4f649d820513bd9d8cc83/tumblr_nqkc0fQqui1tcuod8o1_1280.jpg "POSTWAR: DRACO MALFOY [ ficlets by hpedit ] He is dead. But no matter where you will go, you will s")
