Epithalamium Headcanons

I like knowing how the wizarding world works.

JKR built a fascinating world, but I have soooo many questions. Since she’ll never answer them, and since I probably wouldn’t like the answers if she did (remember the notorious Hogwarts Bathroom tweet?), I tend to make up the answers myself.

These are the backstories I’ve conceived for some of the characters, places, events and other things that make up the Epithalamium universe.

Collage of images: Large viper snake in cage; young man with dark short hair in a dark school uniform; silver badege with green background, legend "Prefect"; gold ring with black triangular stone carved with triangle on a wood table; spooky graveyard with large cross headstone, full moon, and leafless tree at night; stack of old books next to a skull and an hourglass

Tom Riddle

Tom Riddle is both an open book and a mystery.

Courtroom with red- and black-robed people

Wizengamot

Have you ever wondered how the Wizengamot worked in Harry Potter? Well, here’s my take.

Collage: 1) bedroom with large 4-poster bed, red chairs, and fireplace; 2) Old castle 3) formal dining room with long table; 4) small graveyard with old gravestones; 5) coastline with craggy cliffs; 6) Old dusty wine bottles

Castle Isleif

In the Epithalamium Series, Castle Isleif is Minerva McGonagall’s family home.

Collage comprising: 1) row of old book spines; 2) piano with sheet music; 3) Hogwarts Hall decorated for Christmas; 4) Blue Christmas ornaments on a tree; 5) Ravenclaw crest against a blue background; 6) Old fashioned grammophone

Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick has always been one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter.

Collage: cup of coffee in a china cup; surgical instruments; vials of potions; fingers gently washing skin; mortar and pestle with herbs; Hogwarts infirmary

Poppy Pomfrey

In honor of Poppy’s birthday, here’s my heacanon for Poppy Pomfrey from the Epithalamium series.

Collage: 1) old books; 2) mortar and pestle with herbs and symbolic drawings; 3) silvery doe in woods; 4) Dark Mark on forearm; 5) potion bottle, candle, and skull; 6) Slytherin crest

Severus Snape

In honor of his sixty-first birthday, I’m posting my backstory for Severus Snape in the Epithalamium series.

Collage: 1) Highland hills; 2) purple heather; 3) wood chess set; 4) Man in highland dress; 5) Ravenclaw crest; 6) close-up of tweed suit jacket and tie

Einar McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall always struck me as the quintessential older sister.

Collage: 1) black-and-white chess board; 2) snifter of brandy; 3) old-fashioned magnifying glass, pocket watch and book; 4) Spines of old books; 5) Ravenclaw crest on a blue blazer; 6) packet of old letters tied with string next to an ink bottle

Thorfinn McGonagall

Since my new story in the Epithalamium series, “From Jupiter’s Head,” is largely written from the point of view of Minerva’s father, I thought I’d share my bio of him.