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deathtocapslock
* Collin’s really acting like an obsessive stalker here. I wonder if that’s how Harry appeared to Draco in HBP?
* Ron’s malfunctioning wand actually sounds quite dangerous, but nobody thinks it might be a good idea to replace it. Although OTOH having a lax attitude towards safety seems to be one of the few things about the WW that seems consistent throughout the books (they’ll show it again when Percy tries to stop people using dangerous cauldrons), so maybe I should be thankful that it isn’t just one of these things that changes whenever the plot demands.
* I assume that JKR’s just forgotten to mention the try-outs that every Quidditch team apparently does each year.
* I’m just going to tune out while Harry recaps the rules of Quidditch for Collin.
* Everyone’s not bothering to pay attention to Wood’s new tactics. Remember kids, teamwork’s for suckers! You just do what you want to do!
* Wood is still upset over Gryffindor losing last year. Serves him right for being too thick to have a reserve Seeker, IMHO.
* Note how Wood’s first reaction upon seeing Collin is to jump to the conclusion that he’s a Slytherin spy. Not that he’s in any way biased against Slytherin, or anything like that.
* Remember chaps, looking like a troll = evil. Part-giant, OTOH, = misunderstood woobie. Even though trolls don’t really seem much worse than giants.
* There are no girls on the Slytherin team, just to remind everyone that they’re sexist, and therefore evil. JKR hates sexism, which is why she took care to include so many liberated, independent-minded women in the novels.
* Wood’s “spitting with rage” now. Christ, Oliver, calm down, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams could just play a friendly, or something.
* “Aren’t you Lucius Malfoy’s son?” says Fred, looking at Draco with dislike. Remember kids, it’s wrong to judge people based on their family.
* Is it possible to smirk so broadly that your eyes are “reduced to slits”, or is Draco actually grinning with happiness here?
* I don’t think that Malfoy did buy his way onto the team. For a start, Seeker is the most (i.e., only) important position in the game, and I don’t think that flying on better brooms would compensate for having an inferior Seeker. Secondly, he’s on the team for at least three years, when the Slytherins could easily have ditched him as soon as they’d got the brooms. They’d even have had a good excuse after losing that Quidditch match in “The Rogue Bludger”.
* Lucius seemed like quite a harsh, demanding father when we saw him in Borgin and Burke’s, IMHO, so the thought that he’s pleased daddy enough to make him buy new brooms for the team is probably making Draco grin even more.
* I bet he looks adorable in this scene.
* Now I can’t stop thinking of Lauren Lopez in A Very Potter Sequel. “Don’t worry, daddy, you’ll love me after this! I’ll catch that Snitch, mark my words!”
* Just thought it interesting to note that Malfoy wasn’t involved in the conversation until Ron brought him in. It’s not like he was strutting up and down, boasting about his new broom, or anything like that.
* Hermione’s the one who starts with the personal insults. Really, I think that the good [sic] guys are acting worse than the baddies here.
* If the theory that Draco’s really just happy because he’s finally made his daddy proud is right, then implying that he’d just bought his way onto the team is probably one of the most offensive things Hermione could say. Unsurprisingly, he responds with one of the most offensive things that he could say.
* Draco calls Hermione a “Mudblood”, despite the fact that she’s a Muggleborn, and therefore cannot be expected to know what it means, suggesting that either she’s upset him so much he’s not thinking straight, or that he wants to keep face in front of his teammates by responding to her insults, but at the same time doesn’t want to upset her. If the latter, it could be evidence for some kind of D/Hr ship.
* JKR seems to be expecting us to go “ZOMG Draco’s an evil racist!” suggesting that she’s forgotten why exactly it is that racism’s considered so wrong. I don’t think it’s just that you’re looking down on people for the way they were born – if it were, then jokes about stupid blondes would be considered as bad as jokes about stupid black people. Rather, it’s wrong because minorities often suffer from discrimination (and in many cases have suffered from it even more in the relatively recent past), and racist language helps to reinforce and normalise the prejudiced attitudes which lead to such discrimination. Because we haven’t really see people suffering from anti-Muggleborn prejudice, it’s hard to think of “Mudblood” as a particularly serious insult.
* This, BTW, is why I disagree with people who say things like “Rowling uses the Harry Potter books to teach children not to be racist.” If she were really doing that, she’d show how racism affects people’s lives (cf. To Kill a Mockingbird). What she’s actually doing is taking real racism and using it in lieu of actual worldbuilding and characterisation. We already know that racism is wrong, and we think Draco’s a bad person because his use of the term “Mudblood” is superficially similar to real-life examples of racism; we don’t learn about how racism is bad from its effects on HP characters, because it doesn’t really have any.
* Anyway, back to the actual story…
* Once again, the good guys are the first to use force. Why am I not surprised?
* I think it’s sweet the way Flint dives in front of Malfoy to stop him being attacked. The Slytherins often seem to look out for each other the most (see also Lucius patting Snape on the back when he’s first Sorted). Contrast this with the Gryffindors in PS, who refuse to speak to Harry, Hermione, Ron or Neville after they lose some House Points.
* What’s this, one of the good guys has suffered some negative consequences as a result of attacking someone else? Hold on while I go make a note of this in my diary.
* Again with the clothes! Lockhart’s wearing robes of “palest mauve” today. Harry’s really starting to look rather gay now; given JKR’s fondness for stereotypes (viz. the Finnegans) and inability to write a decent romance (chest monster!), I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find her way of showing homosexuality would be having someone spend all their time looking at their crush’s clothes.
* Note how Hagrid doesn’t remonstrate with Ron for trying to curse Malfoy. Clearly he’s a responsible adult and an excellent candidate for a prestigious teaching position.
* I know Hagrid doesn’t like Lockhart, but he really should know better than to undermine him like that in front of his pupils.
* So the jinx on DADA has been in place for what, forty or so years now? And people are only just starting to twig? I know wizards are slow learners, but really…
* Also, couldn’t Dumbledore find ways to either discover how Riddle jinxed the position and undo it somehow, or to get around it, such as hiring two teachers who each teach on alternate years or getting rid of DADA and replacing it with a class which is functionally indistinguishable but has a different name (“battle magic”, perhaps?).
* I think that this scene was one which the film actually did better than the books. Yes, having Hermione getting all upset may not have been fully logical, but it at least made Draco look like a hurtful bully rather than an eccentric crank. It also suggested that someone might have called Hermione that before, hinting at actual day-to-day anti-Muggleborn prejudice, which is more than the books ever managed to do.
* “Maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired.” Wait, is Hagrid glad that Ron got to be on the receiving end in the hope that he’ll be less likely to curse people in future? No, of course not, he’s worrying that Ron might otherwise have got in trouble.
* Hagrid comes across as so judgemental when he says “’Spect Lucius Malfoy would’ve come marchin’ up ter school if yeh’d cursed his son.” Clearly, caring about your children being attacked is a sign of great evil. Good guys know that being randomly hexed is what makes a man out of you.
* Although Lucius doesn’t seem to have done much when Draco was hexed into unconsciousness on the train (twice!), which probably foreshadows the Redeemed!Malfoys situation at the end of DH.
* Hagrid’s been breaking the law to make his pumpkins grow faster. Which couldn’t possibly be dangerous in any way, oh no.
* Suddenly, Draco’s gossip about him getting drunk and setting his bed on fire looks awfully plausible.
* Everybody hates Filch, which is entirely understandable, given all the times he complains about having to clean up the mess children make and, erm, gives them detention for breaking the rules. Yep, entirely understandable.
* So how does Parseltongue work, then? ’Cause surely Lockhart ought to have heard it, even if he didn’t understand what it was saying? Or is it a sort of telepathy? But then Ron managed to speak it in DH…
* Awfully convenient the way the basilisk goes around describing its evil plan to itself, isn’t it? Do basilisks just have really bad memories, and need to keep repeating their plans to themselves in case they forget?
* Part of me can’t help but feel pleased that Ron vomited slugs over that trophy. Maybe next time he’ll think twice before hexing someone. Or not.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 08:28 am (UTC)This is my problem with JKR. She created these characters, yes, but that doesn't mean she writes them perfectly. There are all these occasions when characters ought to have learnt something or grown up about certain things and don't, and it's because she keeps their characterization stifled and don't let them develop naturally.
I really can't take Draco's taunt seriously. By this point, I think it comes off like he knows he should say something to show he's a good little DE-in-waiting, but can't really put his heart into it, so he comes up with that lame cootie line.
Back at Privet Drive, Harry was all alone because his authority figures hated him and Dudley kept him from having any friends. At Hogwarts, most of the authority figures like him and he has two best friends, with a bunch of other friends and acquaintances who like him. Based on the two scenarios, I would say that Dudley would be far worse, not only because of his actions but because of the environment in which he performs his actions. I would think that being all alone and unloved would make Harry feel Dudley's abuse more keenly
Flawless. In all areas of comparison, Dudley is clearly worse than Draco. Espcially as Harry can't even fight back against him, having no wand. His morale would suffer more since he doesn't even have any friends, since Dudley scares them all off (well, that's the excuse JKR gives us, lol, can't have the hero being an antisocial loner- even though it would make sense, given the abuse he's suffered. Yet he goes to Hogwarts and is totally well-adjusted and easily makes friends despite never having had one in his life and gets on well with the other kids...but that's a whole other issue)
So I definitely do not see how Draco comes off as a worse bully than Dudley- heck, even as a bully in general. It implies having power over a 'victim', and Harry very clearly is not a victim. This relates to my comment about Draco never having hurt Harry- he gets pissed off and fights back, but it's not something that makes him want to cry or that he can't defend himself against. Whenever Draco gets snotty, Harry or someone punches him out. Maybe I just have a different definition of bullying, but- wait, let me google this: "repeated oppression, psychological or physical, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person". Totally does not apply to the Harry/Draco dynamic. *shrugs*
I don't think they've hurt Harry enough to cause him to sulk for long periods of time. But they are certainly enraging enough for Harry to want to attack him
It irritates Harry, but he doesn't react like a victim to a bully, imo. They're enemies, Harry has equal power to Draco, if not more. That's my view, but wow, is it unpopular! People are so determinedto see Harry as this poor downtrodden little underdog woobie. *eyeroll* Let's look again at who consistently comes off better in any clashes with Draco?
Harry, you've heard Draco's insults before. You're always telling Ron to ignore him, so why don't you take your own advice and do just that? Especially since you just won the match and you *know* that Draco's just grasping for something to throw at you
Exactly! I'm not saying Draco's not being antagonistic, but I mean, the overkill! All these big guys piling on him for a relatively inoffensive remark! *eyeroll*
no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 03:43 pm (UTC)So Harry, understandably but mistakenly, gets the wrong impression from Draco's inept attempt at sociability. He takes that, decides from it that Draco is *worse* than the boy who physically bullied him for a decade, accepts uncritically every negative word he ever hears about Draco, his family and his House, and never once stops to think that Draco actually might have been honestly interested in becoming friends with him. Harry is held up as being right, but are other characters who display similar behavior (outside Gryffindor) given a pass? No. Rather than a basically realistic picture of people who are complex and occasionally all make mistakes, Rowling goes with the simplistic black and white, double standard, version of 'morality' all the way to the end. Harry never grows up despite the bildungsroman structure of the books. He never has to admit he was wrong - and the only two characters I can think of who do admit it and *genuinely* repent are Severus and Ron.
genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-27 03:28 pm (UTC)Re: genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-28 12:58 pm (UTC)Dumbledore does apologize, but since 1) he's still focused on himself and his own bad feelings in those scenes, 2) he's clearly desperate for Harry to like him again more than anything, and 3) he never seems to have learned his lesson before, and still has a blind spot about compassion even after he's died, I don't take that apology as a sign of true repentance.
Harry apologizes for momentarily forgetting about Ginny's issue with Tom and the like, but does he ever repent for anything he actually *chose* to do? I can't think of any examples, but correct me if I'm wrong.
Re: genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-29 06:20 am (UTC)Which is why I laugh when people say things like:
*eyeroll* A real hero, heck, someone human would've regretted nearly taking the life of another person. There are cops who have a hard time dealing with shooting and killing people, no matter that it was justified and in defense of someone, but Harry, oh, he blithely shrugs it off and blames Draco for costing him his fun.
Re: genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-29 01:34 pm (UTC)Severus Snape's journey is not only a true hero's journey but also a realistic journey. It takes mistakes and wrong turns to learn how to be "right". Without Severus' moments of humanity he could not become a true hero, because only someone who understands truly what it is to love, to suffer, to hate, to despair, to search, to be constantly challenged, and then to overcome all that, only then can they be a hero. Severus ability to 'overcome' prejudices and look at the bigger picture in the end is the perfect analogy for growing up AND the perfect journey to becoming a hero.
I'm sorry, it sounds way better when you put Snape in that than Harry.
Re: genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-29 02:15 pm (UTC)And Harry, see past all prejudices? Don't make me laugh. What about his prejudice against anyone with a green and silver scarf? Even by the time he's eleven and going off to Hogwarts, Albus Severus apparently has never heard good things of Slytherin, only such terrible things about it - and never had them refuted by someone he trusts and loves, like oh say his father, the great hero - that he is absolutely terrified to be sorted there. If Harry had truly gotten over his anti-Slytherin prejudice wouldn't you expect him to raise his children to value all houses equally and not care what other people think of them, not to see one as the demonic house where only evil people go? His word on the platform is too little, too late, to make me believe he's been saying this stuff all along given Al's very real terror.
Re: genuinely repent
Date: 2010-10-30 12:55 am (UTC)That bit of editing there? TOTALLY AWESOME. And so appropriate! I always thought Snape was the real hero of the series. ^_^
I mean, it's so easy to be the protaganist and have all the right attitudes given to you and make all the right moves and never face moral dilemmas, but Snape? He made mistakes, he did a heck of a lot of soul-searching, he realized he was wrong, but more than that, he devoted his life to making up for it. I find that way more noble and admirable. Harry never struggles for a moment with his path, even when he finds out he must die, he just kind of shrugs and accepts it. Snape's the one who's had his world-view altered and struggled with his actions and to get past his preconceptions, and he embodies doing what is right rather than what is easy.
I mean, please, dying and then getting to come back to life? What is the point of that? How is it a challenge or anything? The boy arbitrarily gets to live for no real reason. Whereas Snape makes a conscious decision, despite his fears, to let himself be killed (not that he died, damn it, I refuse to believe he died in DH)in order to give Voldy a false sense of invulnerability so that Harry could defeat him. Just- wow.
Costing Harry his fun
Date: 2010-11-05 03:44 am (UTC)Faints in shock.
But QUIDDITCH is IMPORTANT! And Harry (grossly unfairly--a reasonable authority figure would of course have moved the scheduled detention to a time that better fit the convenience of the miscreant--technically, criminal--being punished) MISSED THE LAST MATCH!
Where's your sense of values? Draco's evil actions in provoking Harry nearly to kill him gave evil Snape an excuse to ban Harry from the final match. It's as unfair as Umbridge banning players merely for trying to beat opposing players to a pulp for casting verbal insults at the winners.
Were it not for the fact that Ginny-Sue is nearly as good a player as Harry-Stu, Gryffindor might have lost their final match. Don't you KNOW what a rift that would have opened in the Multi-verse?
Costing Harry his fun. Sheesh. Some people have no sense of proportion.