PoA Chapter Five

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Harry’s woken the next morning by Tom and a cup of tea. Harry really does get to live the life of a Victorian gentleman, doesn’t he? What innkeeper in the Muggle world wakes customers with a cup of tea?

Percy’s still with Penelope here. Are we supposed to assume they got married and had boring babies in the epilogue?

Mrs. Weasley is telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she made when she was younger and they’re all very giggly. Because there’s never anything for girls to talk about with each other ever besides guys.

And by “talking about guys” I of course mean plotting and scheming for how to catch them, because that’s how true love works. Girls just have to wait around for a chance to conk a clueless male of the species on the head and drag him off to her cave by his hair. Where he’ll be in charge after that.

This year we’ll all be chauffeured to school by a guy in green velvet. Yup, you won’t find service like this in the Muggle world.

To Ron’s disgust, Percy gets into the car with the Trio. Wow, the Percy hate in this chapter is strong. As far as I can tell the only reason for it is to set up Percy being a terrible bad guy for two books, but all he’s done so far is be stiff. Oh, and accuse Ron of intentionally sabotaging his stuff. Can’t imagine where he’d get the idea that his brothers would ever sabotage his stuff, can you?

The ride is uneventful, but Harry makes sure to notice that the old-fashioned Ministry cars are better than Uncle Vernon’s company car. Muggles suck so bad.

The Wizard car is like the Firebolt to Vernon’s Nimbus 2001.

The chauffeurs touch their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley before leaving. Somebody could do a really interesting paper on the Weasleys, class and money.

Ginny catches Harry’s eye and they both laugh at Percy’s showing off for his girlfriend. It seems like Ginny’s just showing her personality to be basically good natured and finding amusement in her funny family. Looking back perhaps this is a sign of Ginny’s awesome true personality that entirely consists of mocking others. SOULMATES!

Let’s take a moment to reflect on our two central canon couples. One demonstrates true love by the way they act like they can’t stand each other, the other bonds over how superior they are to everyone else. That’s how we know which ones are the sidekicks. The one couple insults each other; the other insults everyone else.

Mrs. Weasley kisses everyone and gives Harry and extra long hug. Which makes Harry embarrassed but pleased. I’m sure I found that sweet for Harry the first time I read this.

Harry says he’s not scared of Sirius since he couldn’t be any worse than Voldemort. Actually Harry, almost anyone would be worse than Voldemort as Voldemort’s an idiot.

Heh. Wouldn’t it be great to see Harry wind up in the Muggle world in trouble? Like, facing some low-level thug from The Sopranos or The Wire or the bad guy from any episode of White Collar or Leverage or even Law & Order. He’d be all, “Well, I know I can handle myself. They can’t be worse than Voldemort.” And then he’d be robbed, framed for murder or dead.

Before putting Harry on the train Arthur is sure to plant the idea in his head that maybe he ought to be looking for Sirius. He is a Gryffindor, after all.

That Arthur knows Harry has a reason to want Sirius dead just makes me wonder once again why that story wouldn’t be all over the papers.

It’s another example of how somehow a society that’s exceptionally small and intimate manages to be exceptionally unacquainted.

Ginny again shows a personality in telling Ron, “Oh, that’s nice!” at being told to go away. The personality I liked, I mean. Not the one from later books.

Neither Harry nor Hermione are apologetic about Ron’s very rude dismissal of his sister. Maybe if you all had treated the first Ginny nicer we wouldn’t have been subjected to the improved version!

The kids find Lupin sleeping in the compartment, looking worn and grey. Let’s not wake him up right away. Let us enjoy him while he’s still a cool character!

Okay, so why does the guy have a battered case that has his name on it, calling himself a professor, exactly? It seems obvious JKR’s setting him up to be the excellent teacher stereotype, only it doesn’t actually seem like Lupin’s a teacher except for this year.

Azkaban is also a much cooler place in this chapter than it ever is again.

Hermione reminds us the Muggles are out looking for Black too. They’d probably catch him a lot more quickly than Wizards with the right information.

Ron apologizes for his cheap Sneakoscope, which went wild as he was tying it to Errol’s leg. Because Scabbers was there. Get it? Only they chalk it up to Ron using Errol when he wasn’t supposed to. So basically the Sneakoscope is another one of those objects that seems useful but is actually completely useless, like the Weasley’s clock.

Hogsmeade is the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain. Because Muggles are awesome!

And to prove my point, the best thing in Hogsmeade is a candy shop. Look, I love candy as much as the next person, but there’s plenty of them all over the Muggle world. Maybe they don’t carry candy that physically injures you, but I consider that a plus.

Also, Ron, you’re 13.

The Shrieking Shack is the most “severely” haunted building in Britain. I like that it’s not really that it’s the best haunting, it’s just the most severe since yelling comes from it.

Harry and Draco have been enemies since they met on the train to Hogwarts. Um, they met before that. But I guess Draco didn’t know they were enemies until the train.

Crabbe and Goyle seem to exist to do Draco’s bidding. Unlike, say, Hermione and Ron who exist to do Harry’s thinking and laundry and make Harry look good by comparison, respectively. They don’t have to do Harry’s bidding, they just get yelled at and shamed if they don’t.

Not quite sure what the point of Draco’s entrance was there, except to introduce him to the story, I guess. The scene just made everyone look a bit silly, really.

The train stops to let on Dementors, and the rest of the cast conveniently stumbles into the car. Now we’ve re-met everyone, can we get on with the story, please?

Harry faints at the sight of the Dementor, which he’ll pretend is embarrassing but really just shows he’s suffered more than anyone because his parents died heroically protecting him. Even if he has no way of remembering that whatsoever. Harry’s like Batman, in a way.

Ginny was shaking like mad because she, too, has met Voldemort. SOULMATES!

They have no chance to speak to Hagrid. So we dodge that bullet, at least.

McGonagall calls Hermione and Harry as soon as they get in. Harry’s not happy, as McGonagall always makes him feel like he’s done something wrong. Unless he’s just thrown a torture curse, in which case she makes him feel gallant!

Apparently Lupin’s carrying around chocolate for Dementors is early proof of what a great teacher he is.

Hermione leaves her meeting with McGonagall looking quite happy. Like, “given power over time itself” happy.

Luckily the meeting means they miss the Sorting. I sort of love the way JKR sets up all these things and then has to spend the rest of the series trying to find ways around having to write them again and again.

Okay, I spoke too soon about re-meeting everyone. One more person to meet. Dumbledore. Are we all here? Can we get on with it now?

Dumbledore is often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that’s not why Harry respects him. He respects him because you can’t help but trust him. Yes, you just can’t help but trust him even when he’s dead and even though his plans are completely stupid and nonsensical and by all rights should have gotten you all killed.

Seriously, Harry, that’s not a good reason to respect someone. That just means they’re good at manipulating people.

The candlelight shimmers on Dumbledore’s beard. Ew. That makes it sound like his beard’s greasy or sticky or something. Beards should not shimmer ever.

Damn. One more person. Snape. Snape’s here too, looking less shabby than Lupin. Now we’re all here.

Next to him we meet our new teacher, Hagrid. And he’s already crying and wiping his eyes on the table. I hate this guy.

The Trio knows how much being made a teacher would mean to Hagrid, what with him not really doing anything to qualify for such a job besides being a friend of Dumbledore’s and never indicating any talent or desire for the job. Yup, this appointment is a real triumph for…trusting Dumbledore.

Harry feels he’s home at last, in the dorm. And it only took him 60 pages to get there. Compared to the books that are to follow, that’s pretty speedy.

I have to say after these chapters, nobody in this book seems 13.

Things happening twice:
Harry and Draco becoming enemies on the train to Hogwarts—just like James and Snape.
First use of a Patronus so we see it before Harry uses it. Though we don’t actually ever see what Lupin’s Patronus is.
I believe one of the first mentions of love potions.
Grrr! Percy is already so awful he's clearly evil! Clearly! Evil!
Harry and Ginny bonding over other peoples’ flaws: SOULMATES!
Remember how Vernon got a company car earlier? Now Arthur’s got a better one!
Again the Sneakoscope goes off, making for the third time we’ve heard of it.


It’s a gun. No it isn’t! It’s Chekov! No it isn’t!

Percy totally seems like a bad guy, doesn’t he? Look at how all the good people dislike him.
Status: Fired, I guess. Percy’s got to be some sort of lesson in not being completely loyal to Harry or something. Or maybe he was just supposed to be some genuine family drama, even if he really wasn’t.

What’s that thing that came out of Lupin’s wand?
Status: Fired. That’d be the main spell we’ll be learning in this book.




Designated Hero
Dumbledore’s set up as this awesome headmaster here, but he’s really already just showing favoritism.

Misdirected Answering
Funny how when Harry tells his friends that Arthur told him not to go looking for Black none of them, including Thinking-Brain-Dog Hermione, wondered what Black obviously has or had done to make Harry go looking for him.

Don’t worry, if Lupin wakes up and he’s hungry he can go to the front of the train to get food from the trolley lady. Phew! Glad that’s cleared up, it was really distracting.

Nut o’ Fun
What’s with that briefcase, Lupin? It’s not like you’ve been teaching long enough to have a battered case. In fact, why do you have any case at all?

Jabootu Score: 4

Comments

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Harry totally forgot his feelings. It was the weirdest thing. Especially with Snape. The guy was the prime antagonist throughout the series, the one guy who always surprised him and challenged whatever he was thinking at the time. We knew he had a past that encompassed the worst in Harry's background. HBP leaves Harry with every reason to want to kill him. JKR even says it's "personal" now (okay, that was a bit silly since it was always personal).

And then suddenly in DH Snape's like just some random guy. If you only read that one book you'd never know Harry had strong feelings about him. He just finds out that oh, Snape was on our side because he had a thing about my mother. There's no moment where this even has to sink in. He just starts announcing Snape as one of his players as part of the big thing. Then years later he's named his kid after him, completely disregarding the fact that Snape actually did hate his guts and show it every day he knew Harry, and Harry hated him back. I get ultimately forgiving the guy and respecting what he did, but you have to fanwank what exactly the gesture was supposed to mean in light of their actual relationship.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

Our Jo is damned whatever she does. If she tell us who everybody ended up with part of the fandom screams she should shut up and leave that to her readers imagination. But if she hadn't told us, other parts of fandom had complained just as loudly.

And it doesn't matter if her characters end up with their Hogwarts sweethearts or marry someone else - There Will Be Complaints.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

My inquiring mind wants to know: What became of this love potion?

*** Perhaps the wrong person got it and hilariousity ensued? It's just a thing that would be considered side-splitting funny in the wizarding world.

(And large parts of the Muggle one)

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

Well, Remus really is unsuitable to teach at a boarding school if he can't take responsibility for his condition and its implications.

*** He did, until he saw Sirius Black and three of his students in the same room on the map.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Percy’s still with Penelope here. Are we supposed to assume they got married and had boring babies in the epilogue?

What what WHAT?!?

Are you saying that they DIDN'T?

:-)

Girls just have to wait around for a chance to conk a clueless male of the species on the head and drag him off to her cave by his hair.

Excuse me, there was nothing as active as 'conking' involved in the HP series. No, the girls are just supposed to wait patiently for their SOUL MATE to grow up and notice them.

Ginny occupied herself 'waiting around' by using dating other boys while waiting for Harry to "take a bit more notice" (her words/hope). Hermione used McGlaggin (I've spelt his name wrong, haven't I?) to prod Ron into action, so she'd get a big wet kiss from him 1.5 books later.

But no direct action on the potential SOUL MATES themselves. No, the boys have total freedom, the girls are locked into their holding patterns.

Sigh. Every time I put down a HP book I'm just SO HAPPY that I'm a male ...

:-)

Ginny catches Harry’s eye and they both laugh at Percy’s showing off for his girlfriend. ... Looking back perhaps this is a sign of Ginny’s awesome true personality that entirely consists of mocking others. SOULMATES!

Seriously, that's about the sum of it for the H/G fans; all they have in the first 4-5 books is an occasional sentence like this, Harry interacting slightly with a third-level background supporting character, but NO! GINNY ISN'T A THIRD-LEVEL BACKGROUND SUPPORTING CHARACTER AT ALL!! Wasn't it OBVIOUS!?!?!?!?!!!!?

Let’s take a moment to reflect on our two central canon couples.

I've always liked how they're really quite opposite ... and how the adherents to the official OBHWF couplings have to take reverse stands to support both. Harry and Ginny are SOUL MATES because they're EQUALS (Jo said so) and they have COMMON INTERESTS ... the same sense of (mean) humour, they both like quidditch, uhm, they're Gryffindors, uhm, yeah, have I mentioned quidditch? But H/G rules because Harry and Ginny are compatible.

But then the canon flunkies will turn right around and argue how R/Hr is so wonderful because it's truly a case of 'opposites attract'. And certainly one can't argue that Ron and Hermione are diametrically opposite in practically every way you can think of.

It's always struck me as a bit hypocritical.

Harry says he’s not scared of Sirius since he couldn’t be any worse than Voldemort.

Wow, that's almost as bad as his posturing in DH:

"Ron's dad said they've put up jinxes against him – and even if they haven't worked," he pressed on as Hermione began to argue "so what? I swear, I'd like nothing better than to meet Snape!"

HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Harry couldn't even ENGAGE with Snape in a one-on-one duel just a month or two prior ... and then he was spouting bravado like that?

It's no wonder that Hermione could not argue, though she looked as if she would have liked to - she saw the sheer stupidity in Harry's posturing, but her author wouldn't let her speak.

Anyway, it's interesting to find another example of Harry's childish ego here. I guess he doesn't grow out of it. :-(

Ginny was shaking like mad because she, too, has met Voldemort. SOULMATES!

Well, it could have been, you know. Rowling could have really played up on their both having that connection.

But aside from that one 'Lucky you' - 'uhm, who are you again, Jenny, Ron's sister?' scene, nada. A lot of wasted potential there.

The Trio knows how much being made a teacher would mean to Hagrid, what with him not really doing anything to qualify for such a job besides being a friend of Dumbledore’s and never indicating any talent or desire for the job. Yup, this appointment is a real triumph for…trusting Dumbledore.

That's about it, isn't it? Certainly we all know - even the characters - that Hagrid's a bad teacher.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

In Britain? In the seventies? Did the Muggle Colon & Nobbs they encounter even carry guns?

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. This one is a no-win position. But surely in that case the criterion ought to be; "is it *relevant*?" I honestly cannot see how it is.

I mean, Draco is a prominent enough character that there would be some degree of curiosity as to who he married. Particularly since Rowling went out of our way to show that he had.

That Percy is even on the platform at all suggestes that he did, too. But I doubt that anyone really cares as to whom. (While she tells us that George did too, and had kids, I don't recall seeing him on the platform. So evidently his kids are too young for Hogwarts yet.)

[oryx_leucoryx]

Had he been dealing with his condition responsibly he would have taken his potion a long time before he saw Peter on the map (he didn't see Sirius with the kids in the same room, the map only shows part of the tunnel, and doesn't show into the Shack). The kids headed for Hagrid's at 21:00. By the time they were on their way to the Shack it was even later. How late can moonrise be in the Scottish Highlands, even if we allow for daylight saving and mountains? Earlier that year he takes the potion when Harry visits him, long before students' curfew. And he was looking at the map in the first place because he was expecting some kind of trouble that would require intervention, so why not take the potion before the kids get anywhere where they might be in trouble?

Also, since he knew he was about to transform he shouldn't have allowed Harry to free him from his bindings. Severus knew what he was doing when he bound him.

So no, that night Remus was not dealing with his condition responsibly.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. The "certain situations" was meant to refer to any place where the police would have guns and use them that way--time period and country not specified.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Are you saying that they DIDN'T?

Apparently not!

Excuse me, there was nothing as active as 'conking' involved in the HP series. No, the girls are just supposed to wait patiently for their SOUL MATE to grow up and notice them.

I think you're overlooking the difficulty of looking like you're waiting around while you're actually stewing and trying to get somebody's attention there!

I remember somebody recently happened to say that the reason H/Hr couldn't be together was because they got along to well and I did think that actually, H/Hr have more conflict than Harry and Ginny. The times they seem to be disagreeing are all times where imo the idea is that Ginny's giving the kick in the ass he needs. (Okay, I'm thinking of exactly one time, the famous "Lucky you" moment.) Most couples in HP don't argue the way Ron and Hermione do.

[octopuspatronus.livejournal.com]

Ginny was shaking like mad because she, too, has met Voldemort. SOULMATES!

This, as well as the revelation that Draco was also freaked out by the Dementors, reminds me that Draco has met Voldemort at this point, too. SOULMATES! <3

Ah, yes, that long, romantic stroll through the Forbidden Forest Harry and Draco shared in their first year, enjoying a comfortable silence in one another's company... unfortunately brought to an end with the sudden, horrific discovery of Quirrelmort feasting on the blood of a unicorn. Harry oh-so-bravely froze in terror, which was clearly a noble attempt to sacrifice himself so that Draco could have a chance to escape. It was all very sweet. It brings a fond tear to my eye even now.

Fun-fact, Draco ran off to find Hagrid and the others in order to save Harry. Originally there was a touching reunion scene after the discussion with the centaurs, but TPTB ruled it far too gay and thus had it cut-- which explains the strange disappearance of Draco from the scene. In fact, all further incidences where Draco strangely disappears from the book (see= Parseltongue reveal in the duelling club, the discovery of the petrified cat, others) mark another scene between Harry and Draco that was cut for excessive gayness. The more you know...

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Hee! I love that the books just got more and more H/D as they went on. With Ginny becoming more like him to get Harry to notice her--not to mention little parallels like this. I sort of want somebody to come up with some grand unified theory about how the whole series is an allegorical tale of Harry denying his sexuality with Dumbledore as a guide.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

A boy of Ron's age would talk about racing brooms' shop or scary spider/skull shop, similar to one Harry and Draco visited in CoS.

Or - let's face it - a magic adult store - porn mags with moving photos, bertie bott's every-flavour condoms, etc.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

How would the Sweeney have coped, i wonder?

[j-lunatic.livejournal.com]

In this case I must defer to your knowledge of UK TV (Monty Python is the extent of my knowledge, although there probably is something to be written about The Church Police). But I found the Life on Mars crossover: http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_lounge/728136.html?thread=17795400#t17795400

[octopuspatronus.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of tempted to get someone to point out to JKR that Ginny acts like Draco in order to get Harry to notice her. I think that either her head would explode or, more likely, she'd try to pull the "but Ginny is totes compassionate you guise!" card.

It's kind of weird how differently you take something depending on your POV. I remember you pointing out that Ginny/Draco thing however long ago and I totally went "::gasp:: Draco is nothing like her! Blasphemy!" for a few seconds before I facepalmed and laughed at myself. Because they totally are similar in all the worst ways. It's just that JKR does not seem to see it in Ginny. My own pov (probably yours, too) is that Draco's nastiness is believable as coming from his personality and vulnerabilities, where Ginny does it... for kicks? To attract Harry?

And like you said, what exactly does that say about Harry that it works?

Wait a minute! Draco has the type of personality Harry's attracted to, but unlike Ginny he believably has a softer, compassionate side (Occlumens, described as cutting away the parts of himself that would interfere with being a bully-- you can't repress something if you don't have it!). Not to mention that Harry isn't attracted to girls without the help of an Alien chest-burster. There, it's settled. Draco is Harry's true "ideal partner".

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It sounds crazy, but I can totally buy it! I think a big problem is that issue of Draco being vulnerable. Because whenever Draco's a bully he's always doing it from weakness, obviously. JKR usually makes sure his jokes are stupid or go on too long or feel desperate. Even the bigotry might as well be saying "I'm projecting my own inadequacies onto people I need to pretend are inferior to me!"

So Harry finds that repulsive, yet Ginny attracts him by being all those things, only from a position of strength and righteousness. When she assaults people they stay down, her put-downs shut them up and her insults and dismissals of everybody are just funny and true. And yet she's compassionate because she takes charge of vulnerable innocents like Luna and random young children in the battle. It's like that's the obvious other side to her constant meanness elsewhere. But Draco's compassion just sort of makes him a cowardly sissy.

I always loved black_dog's reading of HBP where he really did read Harry as attracted to Draco in the beginning. It's one of those times where it actually can totally read that way because it's so unintentional. It comes across way more naturally than the chest monster.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Hagrid's wiping his eyes on the table? Really? I hope you mean tablecloth!

Seriously, this is an excellent sporking. I laughed just about all the way through, and wanted to applaud when I read this The chauffeurs touch their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley before leaving. Somebody could do a really interesting paper on the Weasleys, class and money. and this: Hermione reminds us the Muggles are out looking for Black too. They’d probably catch him a lot more quickly than Wizards with the right information. Because they are both so true! All the people who insist that the Weasleys are poor, working-class stiffs don't seem to notice that the kids really don't lack anything essential. Except for poor Ron, and there's something weird about the way his mother ignores and neglects him, IMHO. That actually always bothered me. Just my two cents.

[night-axe.livejournal.com]

Their hate of each other may not be equivalent. I mean, Snape seems to have hated Harry for his personality, which is not as different from James as people like to believe. But Harry hated Snape mainly for acting like he was an enemy. If he'd been exactly the same person, only approving of the Trio and hostile to Draco, I think Harry would have enjoyed the hell out of Snape's vicious streak. So although it's a huge failing of the books to leave their relationship without a resolution, it's kind of IC for Harry as a character to be all, Snape was on my side? Yay Snape! Especially after the man's dead. If he had to deal with Snape still alive and hostile it'd have been another, and better, story.

Naming his son "Severus" is the other way round. It works better thematically, as in the hero giving his secret ally the ultimate accolade and proclaiming him a good guy for all time. On the personal level, Harry giving his son the name of his once-hated chemistry teacher seems iffy. (Though slightly less iffy, to me, than also honoring the man who planned to kill him.)

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

Okay, so why does the guy have a battered case that has his name on it, calling himself a professor, exactly?

I think something JKR is genuinely brilliant at is setting up atmosphere. Adding a battered case with Lupin's title and name on it added a lovely amount of detail to the character before he even woke into the scene. I think this is part of the reason the series generated such a wealth of fanfic and fanart. What lovely little bits and throwaways to play with!

But where she flubs it is when she has to fill in the details. Either the details are directly contradictory (wait, when exactly did Lupin earn his teaching title?) or they completely let the air out of the atmosphere she's allowed to build (Azkaban). I think that's why her interviews are so boggling. Everything she has to play with and this is what she comes up with?

It actually makes me wonder if short stories aren't more her strength? Give us a set scene with all sort of hints about what came before and what will happen afterwords, and then leave it alone. (I completely discount her short story with James and Sirius and the muggle police, btw. For one, it blows my theory to smithereens. But also! *g* That was a case of taking a hinted at history and filling in flattening and contradictory details.)

Ginny was shaking like mad because she, too, has met Voldemort. SOULMATES!

Oh, how I weep for the Ginny who wasn't! I liked that girl, darn it. Pleasant and brave (I saw her lack of complaining as a sign of bravery, anyway) and kind to her family. I really did think she'd be a good help to Harry as the climax approached (*groan* pun really, really not intended -- i cannot think of another word!) and I thought she'd make a good first serious girlfriend. It actually makes me happier to think that this Ginny was killed and is moldering in the woods outside Hogwarts. (!! And Voldemort did it! And grabbed some of her hair! And has been drinking polyjuice ever since!! HARRY TOTALLY MARRIED VOLDEMORT!!! now that's a story I can get behind... *g*)

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

Except for poor Ron, and there's something weird about the way his mother ignores and neglects him, IMHO. That actually always bothered me.

Oh! *jumping in because this was something I spent a lot of time thinking about back in the day*

My theory was that Molly and Arthur really were having serious marital problems. For a long time. (I figured completely divergent life-goals that began (or surfaced) when Arthur started his job in Muggle-relations.) Not wanting, or maybe not knowing how, to deal with those problems, Arthur basically left the family (hiding out in the shed) and Molly took her frustrations out on her family. Which is why I saw such a massive schism between the children.

It's also a reason I saw Ron and Percy as having a connection, or being on the same "side". I saw Molly as setting up Percy as a "good" version of Arthur: The guy who listens to what she says, goes after and achieves the goals she approves of, and assists in parenting the children. Ron is set up as the "bad" version of Arthur, and punished for it: Forced to make do with little because the family can't afford it (because you aren't working hard enough), constantly reminded the family is more important than him (because you need to think of the family needs for a change).

I never got the sense Molly was doing this all consciously, I should add. But it was behavior I pretty much saw all the way through HBP. (Not in DH. But... all character behavior ceased being consistent in DH, I think.)

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Unlike sistermagpie I can't buy it ... although I'd love to think of Ginny as being Draco-level evil.

Yes, like sistermagpie said, Ginny got nastier and nastier - more and more like that part of Draco - to get Harry to notice her, but still, there's a huge gulf between them.

Draco is a blond, Ginny is a redhead.

Convinced? No, wait, there's more. (Sorry, I'm a bit silly today.)

Draco's *evil*, or close to it. He wouldn't mind the death of thousands of muggles or muggleborn, as long as he didn't have to personally witness it. He gloated over Cedric's death. He hoped that Hermione - OUR HERMIONE!!! - would be the next to be killed. He was the direct cause of terrorists invading Dumbledore and the death of Dumbledore.

Ginny's a not very nice girl, but she's still a Weasley and overall, in the large scheme of things, on the side of the good guys.

(Unless Harry had become dark, hmmmm ...)

[oryx_leucoryx]

Percy certainly bought into this. When he entered the Ministry in GOF and took Crouch as a substitute father-figure it looked like he was trying to be the new-improved Arthur Molly will love. And then in OOTP Molly sided with Arthur and Percy didn't understand what was going on.

[oryx_leucoryx]

But Draco learned his lesson while Ginny didn't know there was a lesson for her to learn. Draco proved he has a conscience. Ginny doesn't have that word in her dictionary. I didn't like Draco of books 1-6, I wasn't impressed with Draco of book 7 until I started reading essays about him, but I'm convinced Draco came out of book 7 a decent person.

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

Oh, and that broke my heart! Because he was following the rules she laid down for him! The only family member who seemed to love and approve of him, the one he followed explicitly, and when the chips were down... she went for the bad father.

(Honestly, part of the reason I wanted Percy to be a spy was so he could gain back Molly's love. But this time for his own actions done outside her direction. To have Percy become his own man but not loose his family in the undertaking.)