PoA Chapter Twelve

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Harry knows Hermione means well, but he’s still angry at her because he only had the Firebolt for a few minutes and now he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see it again. So Harry’s smart enough to know Hermione meant well, but too dumb to figure out that he will see his broom again, unless it’s got deadly curses on it, in which case he shouldn’t want to see it. It's a very specific level of smart.

Oh, he’s worried that it won’t be in a good state after anti-jinx tests. Why would that should hurt it at all?

Besides, if it was hurt by the tests it’s not like people wouldn’t buy him a new one. Hell, the Firebolt people would probably give him a replacement gladly.

Ron's mad at Hermione too, because this is one of those times when he's living vicariously through Harry rather than being insanely jealous of him.

Wood comes back, worried about Harry being knocked out by Dementors again. Why don’t they just make sure that Dementors will be kept off the field of play like they were supposed to be anyway? Or resolve to call a time out if that happens?

Think back at all the times we’re supposed to be seeing Slytherin cheating in this game. Like Flint almost knocking Harry off his broom (without the aid of an iron ball) and Malfoy grabbing on to Harry’s broom twigs. That’s cheating, but an army of Dementors rushing the field and knocking out the Seeker is allowed for in the rules?

Wood wants the broom back because having a Firebolt on the team is actually a huge advantage. Gee, ya think?

People will continue to mention this fact in future, but somehow never resent Harry for it at all. The general attitude is usually "Well, I didn’t have a chance against you on that Firebolt, Harry, but I don’t mind since I know you’re so talented you could have beaten me without it!"

CoMC has an unusually good lesson because they get to collect firewood. No, really.

Hermione’s carrying around a heavy bag of books that she can barely keep closed. Of course she could shrink her books to be easy to carry, but then we thickos wouldn’t remember she’s taking too many classes for hours in the day. While also drawing attention to the fact that Lupin’s illness is a MYSTERY that she has solved.

Hermione would have been even more impatient with all the Malfoy-as-werewolf theories after HBP than I was.

Lupin’s found another boggart. The first one was sacrificed so only Gryffindors could learn about them. This one’s for Harry personally.

Lupin announces he’s going to teach Harry the Patronus, which is way beyond OWL level. Even though ordinary teenagers can do them with less effort than seems to go into making a basic Potion and they are constantly finding reasons to use it.

You know how a boggart morphs into the greatest fear of whoever it faces? The Patronus charms gains and loses difficulty depending on the needs of the plot.

Proving my point, Lupin stresses that many qualified wizards can’t do it. Even though we’ll see the whole DA manage it. If only those other wizards were taught by Harry!

For all that build up, the charm’s not that difficult. Harry has more trouble with Accio in the next book.

Actually, I think I just answered my own question there. It's never been that the charm's technically difficult, but it's difficult based on your personality. Many qualified Wizards can't do it--and practically no DEs can. Because evil people don't have happy memories. Umbridge throws people off, but I'll bet that's the real subtext here.

So the boggart actually acquires the powers of a Dementor? It’s weird that Harry learns about most of what happened with his parents from a boggart.

Perhaps in Book eight, the entire wizarding world could have been invaded by an army of boggart!Voldemorts who are far scarier than the real one.

Lupin puts the boggart back in its case, ignoring the silvery orb of the full moon it's become. Which shouldn’t be too difficult since it can't really look like a real moon indoors. Still, I like that little clue.

Funny that this is his greatest fear we're talking about yet he still manages to forget his Potion when it's hours from rising.

Luckily this is Harry Potter so he doesn’t think to ask his teacher wtf that silvery orb is no matter how many times he sees it. He’s not even curious.

I’ll give Harry points for managing to make a basic connection and ask a pertinent question though: if Lupin knew James, did he also know Sirius?

Harry realizes he half enjoys hearing the voices of his parents. Dumbledore would be pleased at Harry’s suicidal tendencies.

Hermione’s got a ton of work to do, some of which is on things like how Muggles lift heavy objects. I lose a sympathy for her if she’s studying for that class.

Ron’s totally figured out Hermione’s taking many classes at once, but politely refrains from saying "What, does she have a Time Turner?"

Harry doesn’t much care about Hermione bending time and space, as it doesn’t affect him personally so far.

I need a moment to laugh at the Quidditch schedule, which has months between games. The entire wizarding world follows a school calendar without thinking about it, because they’re all unconsciously still back in school. Every year in May American wizards probably get an urge to hold a big dance in a gym decorated with crepe paper.

Btw, Harry's talking to Hermione again since he got his broom back. To review, in order to make sure Harry wouldn't be violently killed, Hermione took his broom and gave it back to him in plenty of time for his next Quidditch match. In response Harry and Ron refused to speak to her for all that time.

What's unfortunate to me reading it now is that there's no sense, to me, that Harry and Ron were angry because this behavior struck them as typical. You know what I mean? Like, it really does seem to be about 2 dumb boys being short-sighted and childish about a broom, even though once the broom's returned they can see the wisdom in what she did. IRL for the two of them to be angry like this it would probably tie into some general frustration they had with her for this kind of behavior, which is pretty typical for her.

For instance, that's why the fight with Ron works in the next book up until its non-resolution. Ron isn't just angry that he thinks Harry left him out of his plan to get into the contest, it plugs into all sorts of things that bug Ron about Harry in general. One could say the same thing about Hermione and Ron at the end of the chapter, actually, though the book doesn't really dramatize that idea either.**

Harry definitely thinks some people—like people who betray Harry’s parents and get them killed—deserve a Dementor’s kiss. Lupin isn’t so sure. First clue Lupin’s got some serious character flaws.

Neville’s lost his passwords. This will come up later. Btw, he’s lost a week’s worth because Sir Cadogan gave them to him early. Which you’d think is more on Cadogan than Neville. He could have changed the ones he planned when they went missing.

Again someone points out that the best thing about Harry having a Firebolt is that it gives him an unbeatable advantage against the other team. Which is not unsporting at all.

Hermione is writing an essay on "Why Muggles need electricity." Note the way it’s even phrased to be condescending. Muggles "need" electricity, like they depend on it and couldn’t exist without it. Instead of Muggles discovering how to harness electricity after thousands of years of successful civilization without it and using it to create things beyond the imagination of a wizard.

I’m surprised it even needs an essay. Shouldn’t it just be multiple choice where every answer is d) Muggles need X because they don’t have magic?

We end with what looks like the murder of Scabbers by cat. Naturally the sexual tension between Ron and Hermione is just palpitating throughout! And by sexual tension I mean irritation.

So a little over halfway we’re still keeping up the main themes in the book: animal hijinx, animal's violent tendencies being considered murderous/innocent or the owner's fault/the victim's fault depending on who you are and courage courage courage.

Things that happen more than once:
Harry struggles with a spell that he won't be able to do until it's most dramatic.
First in depth discussion of a soul as a corporal thing that can be sucked, torn, divided, knit into sweaters etc.
Harry produces his Patronus.
Another glimpse of Lupin's boggart.
Another boggart, in fact.
Not the first or last time we'll hear the Potters die.
The first rift in the Trio since they became the Trio, with Ron and Harry vs. Hermione.
Another pet accused of a crime.
Another character framed for murdering Peter Pettigrew when they actually trying to bring him to justice/murder him for being evil.
The boys rely on Hermione to think practically about how to stay alive.
Peter's second alleged "death" that isn't really death.
Escaped prisoner Sirius threatened with kiss, escaped prisoner Barty kissed.

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

Dementor’s Kiss!
Status: Totally unfired. Nobody gets kissed at all in the whole dang series. ETA: D'oh! Barty Crouch.





Designated Hero
Harry forgives Hermione for caring about him, but only after he’s got his broom back.

Hero’s Death Battle Exemption
For Scabbers, the old, fat, worn-out rat.

Informed Attributes
Patronus charm is reeeealy advanced. You have to point your stick and think of something happy while you say the magic words. This is much more difficult than pointing your stick and thinking of something funny while you say the magic words.

Misdirected Answering
McGonagall isn’t the only one who thinks people around here have their priorities out of whack. Sirius is out there living in garbage cans and avoiding the biggest man hunt in Wizard history while we worry about whether Harry’s got the biggest advantage in Quidditch he can get.

Monster Death Trap Proviso
Nope, no traps to be laid for Sirius Black just because we know he’s tried once to get into the dormitory and presumably might do so again. That kind of evidence of his whereabouts will cause no change of plans whatsoever.

"Watermelon, watermelon, cantaloupe, cantaloupe"
Presumably there was much of this in the "Firebolt reveal" scene.

Jabootu Score: 6

**TL;DR meta on this point:

It's a funny thing about Ron, actually. He's the one member of the Trio who seems to have a deeper level--weird as that sounds. Unfortunately this leads to Ron just getting the same story over and over where he's jealous and inadequate and then apologetic and sheepish. But still, it's there that Ron's insecure and surrounded by super people of whom he's alternately admiring and envious. When he's jealous of Harry's fame or thinks Hermione looks down on him, it's tied to deeper things in his character that make those sore spots.

By contrast Harry and Hermione just don't get that imo. For instance, I was really annoyed with the parallel moments in DH where Ron wryly noted the "surprise" in Hermione's voice when he did well in a battle and Hermione gave that wry surprise back to him when he said she looked nice. Because I buy Ron's insecurity around Hermione. There are moments where she does clearly expect little of him.

Hermione's insecurity about her looks, otoh, doesn't really get played as a genuine insecurity that hooks into her character in a bigger way when it really should. Usually she's just being sassily annoyed at Ron for ogling some other girl noted as beautiful in the text. Even Snape's "no difference" line just doesn't play for me as a big blow outside of that moment, perhaps because she seems to adequately prove to herself via the Yule Ball that she can be hot when she wants to be (and we'll get other confirmations that she's hot elsewhere as well). Again, unlike Ron who has his Yule Ball moment in Quidditch and still remains insecure.

The trouble is that it's not really about looks any more than Ron's troubles are really about Quidditch. Hermione's one vulnerable moment imo is when she runs off crying in PS/SS after Ron says she's got no friends. I never see that insecurity again and I feel like I should. It should inform her character, imo, at least somewhat the way Ron's insecurities inform his, if not in the same way. Ron feels overlooked and less talented and will always feel that somewhat. Hermione starts out feeling lonely and unlikable and then she just stops imo. It's not that her behavior can't imply that insecurity. She continues to keep manically busy, she makes herself needed and useful, she still needs to be the best, and we're presumably supposed to believe that she worries that Ron doesn't like her as a girlfriend. But it doesn't come across the same way imo. There were and are a lot of people who never see Hermione even show any interest in Ron that way, so how much vulnerability could they see on that front?

Comments

[oryx_leucoryx]

All the inconsistencies of Quidditch and its refereeing for the sake of 'plot' and Harry's awesomeness!!

Lupin’s found another boggart. The first one was sacrificed so only Gryffindors could learn about them. This one’s for Harry personally.

Since he can owl-order grindilows and the rest, I bet he can order as many boggarts as he wants. Remus is just being a drama queen. Note BTW that Remus packed the boggart and brought it to the room of his choice. Which means it was entirely his choice that the students faced the previous one in the teachers' lounge.

Lupin announces he’s going to teach Harry the Patronus, which is way beyond OWL level. Even though ordinary teenagers can do them with less effort than seems to go into making a basic Potion and they are constantly finding reasons to use it.

You know how a boggart morphs into the greatest fear of whoever it faces? The Patronus charms gains and loses difficulty depending on the needs of the plot.

A better way to write this part would have been for Remus to say that it isn't that hard to learn to produce a Patronus in itself but to be able to do so while under the influence of dementors takes special ability/practice/skill/self-control whatever. And not have Amelia Bones or Professor Tofty falling all over themselves that Harry can produce one but that he could do so while under attack.

So the boggart actually acquires the powers of a Dementor? It’s weird that Harry learns about most of what happened with his parents from a boggart.

Indeed. There is no real reason for the boggart-dementor to bring up *true* memories of Halloween 1981 in Harry. If Harry's greatest fear is facing a dementor that brings up a frightening memory then the boggart could easily bring up the screaming Harry already heard in previous attacks and go off into complete horror fantasy from there. But no, somehow the boggart knows how to bring up the true memory. (Not that the true memory isn't horrific, but the boggart-induced one could have had completely wrong details.)

Luckily this is Harry Potter so he doesn’t think to ask his teacher wtf that silvery orb is no matter how many times he sees it. He’s not even curious.

Well, Harry already knows the answer to that doesn't he? During the Christmas meal Trelawney reported that Remus ran away from her when she attempted crystal gazing for him. Obviously his greatest fear is Divination, or something that could be revealed through it.

Harry realizes he half enjoys hearing the voices of his parents. Dumbledore would be pleased at Harry’s suicidal tendencies.

:P

If it weren't for Quidditch Harry wouldn't have been motivated to try to overcome this fear at all.

Arithmancy overlaps with COMC. I suppose Slytherins don't take this class either. Maybe they don't care about curse breaking because knowing how to curse things is enough, the way they don't feel they need to learn DADA because they will be using Dark Arts themselves.

Why does it look like Minerva's decision to return the broom was based on the time of the Quidditch game rather than how long it took her to be satisfied with the broom's safety? How is she better than Wood?

Neville’s lost his passwords. This will come up later. Btw, he’s lost a week’s worth because Sir Cadogan gave them to him early. Which you’d think is more on Cadogan than Neville. He could have changed the ones he planned when they went missing.

Just like the aftermath is made to be about Neville being supposedly irresponsible instead of about the whole event proving that Sirius had inside help in Gryffindor tower. How was leaving the passwords in a place only accessible to those who already had a way into Gryffindor tower irresponsible?

The return of the Firebolt, Neville's loss of the passwords and Scabbers' 'death' take place on Thursday night. The game followed by Sirius' second attack is on Saturday.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Interesting catch about the boggart in the teacher's lounge.

And yeah, I do think the Patronus should be harder to do under attack--though of course later we have people amazed that Harry can do it in an exam. Without seemingly giving anyone else a chance to demonstrate one even though we know many of them can.

I never thought about McGonagall that way but it would definitely be in character for her to give the broom back before the big game. Another reason Harry really shouldn't have worried about it. He knows she's as obsessed with it as he is. Of course, it doesn't really seem like it should take that long to check anyway. It's not like they're sending it out to a lab.

The way Neville gets blamed entirely for Sirius breaking in is really crazy. Even without the things you pointed out here it's like...your security system sucks. You should be thanking the kid for pointing out the obvious flaws.

[oryx_leucoryx]

And yeah, I do think the Patronus should be harder to do under attack--though of course later we have people amazed that Harry can do it in an exam. Without seemingly giving anyone else a chance to demonstrate one even though we know many of them can.

And this opportunity to produce a Patronus on the exam may have been the reason Harry got an O and Hermione only an E. Yet another case of Harry being given an extra advantage and using it. (Not that I expect a student to turn down an extra credit challenge but Rowling has a very awkward way of making Harry exceed Hermione's achievement.)

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

It's possible to fanwank the boggart/Dementor connection. ANd necessary as well, because that info delevery really is peculiar.

Harry never encountered a Dementor until September 1 on the train. He sure doesn't remember hearing the murder of his parents after that particular encounter with it. But it is arguable that it has opened up the path to his subconsious where those memories live.

That path is what the boggart is drawing from. The memories are actually there. It's much easier for it to drag them out and replay them than to make up something new. Faster too/ You will notice that once it finds where they are it retrieves them faster, and more of them each tie.

Actually, when you stop and think of it, boggarts and dementors are very similar in effect *anyway*. They are both tapping into memories. Dementors seem to only be able to retrieve true ones, but boggarts can reflect the imafinary ones that our own anxieties slung together as in dreams or misinterpreting of outside data. The Mirror of Erised did much the same kind of thing as well, although it didn't mess with fears and unhappy memories. It went straight for the wishes and dreams.