give her love » james potter

38

Isn't it horrifying when you realize, you actually are your parents?

"I just think Marie Antoinette was a victim, of not just the French Revolution but also history's portrayal of her," I say, feeling every single one of my dad's lectures and books about the French seeming to boil the anger in my veins. "She's this young woman who's forced to marry a prince who barely shows her any affection, and is the heir to a country with far too much debt. She was set up for failure! Then she spends the average amount of money most queens did, but people just kept searching for a focal point for all their anger and resentment and chose this poor young girl. It's really not her fault she enjoyed partying and fashion."

James stares at me in awe. He's been listening to my rant about how I think Marie Antoinette deserves so much better. My fathers heard it many times, he was the reason it sparked if we're going to truthful here. He taught this course about 18th Century France and had taught it for nearly ten years. I'd grown up hearing about the Palace of Versailles, Maximillian Robespierre, and The Tennis Court Oath, with Waterloo by ABBA as the backdrop because it was his favourite ABBA song and he did indeed obsess over Napoleon like most of the Peirce clan did. 

So I get my dad's love of history. But, here's the thing, it's only for muggle history. I'm not too interested in the magical side of it all, yes it adds to my understanding but it doesn't feel the same. 

Everyone in my family obsessed over something in history. Eli loved the American Revolution and that Paul Revere guy. Rory could talk about World War I forever if someone ever brought it up. Will always loved Robin Hood so him knowing far too much about the Magna Carta and King John, just made sense. Momma loved talking about Adam Smith and Britain's mercantilist period. 

"She was an idiot," Sirius says, causing James to shake his head because I've made him a Marie lover too. "She forgot German a few years after living in France."

Remus shakes his head, "She wasn't the brightest," he agrees. "But she did her best with what she knew. We can't blame her for that."

"Exactly," I say. "Marie was never taught anything about politics and her education was severely lacking even for the standards during that time."

The train ride home so far has consisted of the boys and I just talking about history. Nobody ever really realizes how smart they are, perhaps because they're always getting into trouble. Sirius seems to be a secret history buff because the second I started talking about Marie, he started mumbling something about how stupid Louis XVI was then as we got further into it, he made some pretty good points on not only disliking Marie but the French monarchy. 

James didn't know much before but after an hour or two of us talking about it, I think he has a pretty good grasp on the French Revolution (my dad would've loved him because he genuinely seems interested and loves asking questions). 

"Fucking Robspierre," James mutters. 

I smile at him, "Can't forgot about Jean-Paul Marat."

"Charlotte Corday did what had to be done," he says, somehow remembering the name of the women who killed Jean-Paul. "He was a bitch."

Sirius isn't amused. "Prongs, don't let her convince--"

"Padfoot," he shakes his head. "Just be a Marie lover with us. You don't have to stay on the dark side."

"You killed my father," Peter says, absentmindedly. He's been quiet in this conversation, instead focused on some coloring book Lisa, the girl he goes on dates with but is terrified of making it official, gave him. "No, I am your father."

I stare at him in confusion. "What're you talking about."

"Saw it in a crystal ball during Divination," he says, then holds up a picture of R2-D2 that he's coloured with precision.