Tobias Burke - Tumblr Posts
I just wanted to submit a little Tobias appreciation message. He's honestly one of my favourite characters I've read in a series. His development throughout (with Smita, his double agent role, and how Mags was part of his motivations) was wonderful, and I totally didn't see it coming. His interaction with Harry in the pub after Ginnys trial was just the icing on top of the cake
So thank you for that!
Thank you so much! He started just as me going, "huh, what does a not completely awful Slytherin guy look like?" Not to mention, I have a 'let men and women have platonic loving relationships' agenda. Plus, I love me a sarcastic little shit with a very hidden heart of gold. And like, someone who does have a sense of self-preservation, and that being okay! So many of the protagonists in these hero books are celebrated for their willingness to just sacrifice themselves over and over again, often recklessly with a giant lack of self-worth or understanding of consequence. But, like, it's okay to protect yourself, you can still be able to make moral and just choices! And the strength of Slytherin really can be the ability to weigh impact and consequences. I guess I wanted another chance to show how a Slytherin might bring strengths to a fight that benefits from a variety of skills/approaches.
And you loved his interaction with Harry? Hmmmmmm...
How about a tiny snippet of Armistice #4?
**
They end up at the Leaky Cauldron and it’s packed with people, every single one seeming to be staring at them, whispering behind their hands. This is exactly why Harry doesn’t come to places like this.
“You can, of course, scowl at me the entire time,” Tobias says. “Or even punch me. But that’s going to give everyone the wrong impression after this weekend’s little photo op.”
Harry focuses on Tobias, the staring crowd suddenly secondary. “So this lunch is me showing the world that I’m fine with you and in no way suspect you’re sleeping with my girlfriend.”
Tobias looks at him. “Do you think I’m sleeping with your girlfriend?”
Harry lets go of his fork and it falls to his plate with a clang. “I’m actually going to have to punch you, aren’t I?”
Tobias regards him with one eyebrow raised. “It’s a rather straightforward question, Potter.”
“No,” Harry bites out. “I happen to trust Ginny.”
Tobias leans back in his seat. “Interesting answer. It leaves me to ask whether or not you trust me. No chance you think I harbor feelings for her?”
But Harry refuses to be stuck on defense any longer. “What does it matter if you do or not?”
Tobias blinks, a begrudging smile appearing on his face. “Watch it, Potter, or you’re going to make me like you.”
“Are you always this much of a buffoon?” Harry asks.
Tobias looks at him, something frighteningly flinty in his eyes. “Only when it’s useful.”
Harry imagines that’s more often than not.
“Okay,” Tobias says, turning his attention back to his plate. “Explain to me again why Quidditch isn’t a huge bore.”
Harry jabs a chip in Tobias’s direction. “That right there is why Ginny would never sleep with you.”
Tobias nearly chokes on his food, he’s laughing so hard.
**
(I hadn't even opened this file since last May. Eesh.)
i was really surprised that ginny and smita’s friendship faded bc i’m so used to characters becoming best/forever friends with the first person they become attached to. why did you decide to have smita exit ginny’s life? and do you think tobias and ginny would still have the same friendship they do now if smita was still friends with them?
I think that was the reason why? In fic things are always so ‘forever’ in ways that are not always true in real life. Considering we have Harry, Ron, and Hermione who have a rough start but are then besties for life, I wanted to show that not all friendships go that way. It’s actually much more common to have people in our lives who are so important for a period of time, but then not anymore. Whether that is moving away, growing apart, having a nasty fall out, or what, it does happen. And it’s natural and doesn’t have to be dramatic, and you can still love people deeply and have them just have a different place in your life than they used to.
I think Tobias and Ginny would have still been friends, but it would have been different. They went through the gauntlet together, so to speak. But with Smita still in the picture, I don’t think Tobias would have pulled the double agent thing. And he wouldn’t have been forced to open up to Ginny in ways he normally wouldn’t have. And the same goes for Ginny.
Who were Tobias’s friends before he got to know Ginny and Smita?
Oh, he had a pretty good casual rapport with the boys of his year. Chatting with them and complaining about homework and such. As we’ve seen, Tobias is really great at being all surface and charming ease. He never deeply bonded with any of them. Not helped by his general disregard of sport and disinterest in competition of any kind. He’s that kid who is popular just by merit of seeming to not give a shit if he’s popular. It left a lot of people unsure if he’s really just a waste of space or if he is someone who is really going to go places–a prime confidence man. And the possibility of the latter would keep most Slytherin on his good side.
(I did create a list of all the students by year at some point while I was working on The Changeling, but canonically, the people Ginny’s year aren’t mentioned much in the books. So I have on my list Ginny, Smita, Bridget, Helena, Tobias, Kieran Harper, and someone named Gilbert. Some of these I made up and others I grabbed from HP wikis or something.)