COS Chapter Fourteen: "Cornelius Fudge"

[for-diddled.livejournal.com]

* The WW seems to have a really inconsistent attitude towards criminal justice. On the one hand, their punishments are often extremely excessive (yes, let’s lock people up surrounded by depression-inducing, soul-devouring monsters for petty theft); on the other, they can be ridiculously weak when the plot demands it (murder? Well, you won’t be able to come to Hogwarts anymore. Although we will give you a job for life as Gamekeeper in the very same school which you terrorised with your monster).

* “Riddle does sound like Percy – who asked him to grass on Hagrid, anyway?” Apologies in advance for this little rant-ette, but WTF? Seriously, W – T – F? As far as Ron knows, Hagrid’s just killed someone, and he thinks Tom shouldn’t tell anyone? I’ll freely admit that I never got this whole “no snitching” rule in school stories, but this just seems ridiculous. So it’s better to let people die than tell a teacher? Really? Ron’s being really hypocritical, too, unless he’d been planning to sit on his arse and do nothing once he got proof that Draco was the Heir of Slytherin.

* Also, note how Harry says that he doesn’t blame Tom “for wanting to stay here”, rather than, I don’t know, wanting to save someone’s life.

* Choosing the subjects that “could affect [their] whole future” at the age of twelve seems a bit early, really.

* Jolly nice of Percy to offer to help Harry like that. If I were in his situation, I’d be quite grateful.

* Note how Percy says “non-magical community”, instead of using some demeaning slur like “muggle” or “mudblood”. Bloody pinko! It’s no wonder he ended up going bad!

* For all that wizards think of Muggle Studies (Christ, what a patronising name) as a “soft option”, they seem to have real difficulty learning anything about Muggles. Apart from the Malfoys, for some reason, who seem to know loads.

* “But the only thing Harry felt he was really good at was Quidditch.” I’m sort of half-tempted to give JKR a bit of credit for acknowledging Harry’s general uselessness, but she blows it for me by avoiding making Harry ever have to work hard and improve. Having difficulty? Don’t worry, Hermione will sort it out for you!

* Did Ginny really need to go so far as to rip Harry’s books apart in her quest to find the diary? What, was she worried that he might have hidden it somewhere inside one of the pages? Oh well, I suppose property damage is OK if it’s in service of a higher cause, like keeping your crush on someone secret.

* No, Hermione, you clearly have a lot of learning to do. It’s not true that only a Gryffindor could do it. Gryffindors never do anything wrong, and, if it seems like they have done, it’s because they were possessed and made to do it by a Slytherin. Don’t worry, though, you’ll learn soon enough.

* Pity Hermione doesn’t feel the need to tell Harry and Ron about her suspicions. Still, this secrecy is quite consistent for her character, so I forgive JKR for it.

* “Yes, perhaps you’d better come too, Weasley.” Even when his best(-ish) friend has just been attacked, Ron’s still an afterthought behind Harry Potter.

* I’m surprised Fred and George don’t slip laxatives into the Hogwarts water supply, thereby ensuring that teachers are constantly rushed off their feet escorting students to the bathrooms.

* Erm, Lee, given that only four people have been attacked so far, the fact that the Slytherins are all fine isn’t exactly that surprising.

* Trust George to try and spin the worst possible interpretation on Percy’s behaviour.

* Yeah, that’s right, all this stuff’s coming from a Slytherin, so it’s OK to chuck them out. Just like a lot of international terrorism is carried out by Islamic groups, so it’s OK to throw every Muslim in prison. Sure, the vast majority will be innocent, but you’ll also get the guilty ones, and retribution’s the most important function of the justice system, right?

* Harry and Ron are so busy plotting, they don’t notice Lee Jordan taking out his copy of The Protocols of the Elders of Slytherin, which conclusively demonstrates that Severus Snape is trying to take over the wizarding world using his control of the international media.

* Does Hagrid not realise that pointing his crossbow at anyone who comes knocking just makes him look like the sort of violent person who would set a monster on the school?

* Cornelius Fudge is indeed wearing “a strange mixture of clothes”. Does the gene that gives them magical powers also give them appalling dress sense or something?

* Of course, Dumbledore could probably come up with quite a good defence of Hagrid if he tried. For some reason, though, he again chooses to frame his defence by assuming that Dumbledore’s trust should be good enough proof of innocence for anyone, without bothering to explain just why it is he thinks he’s innocent.

* “‘Yeh can’ take Dumbledore away!’ yelled Hagrid… ‘Take him away, an’ the Muggle-borns won’ stand a chance! There’ll be killin’s next!’” Erm, Hagrid, what exactly has DD done so far to prevent the attacks? Or is he saying that the Heir of Slytherin must be so in awe of the headmaster that he’s holding back from killing people? Because there’s actually no evidence than Dumbledore’s presence is doing anything to prevent the attacks or keep the students safe. If anything, Lord V probably knows that DD won’t do anything to stop the attacks – after all, he didn’t do anything last time…

 

Comments

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/The WW seems to have a really inconsistent attitude towards criminal justice. On the one hand, their punishments are often extremely excessive (yes, let’s lock people up surrounded by depression-inducing, soul-devouring monsters for petty theft);/

Who thought that was a good idea? Again, why didn't the Ministry just come up with a way to temporarily strip convicted wizards and witches of magic and then toss them into a regular prison? It wouldn't be any worse than what they have to deal with in Azkaban.

/As far as Ron knows, Hagrid’s just killed someone, and he thinks Tom shouldn’t tell anyone? I’ll freely admit that I never got this whole “no snitching” rule in school stories, but this just seems ridiculous. So it’s better to let people die than tell a teacher?/

Not only that, but it's better to suffer in silence while you're being abused than tell a teacher. Harry didn't tell any of the staff about Umbridge's detentions, remember? I don't know if the whole "no snitching" rule is supposed to be about personal pride and independence (and the idea that if you confide in a teacher, you're automatically a cowardly crybaby), but you're right; there comes a time when those two things are meaningless when lives are at stake.

/Ron’s being really hypocritical, too, unless he’d been planning to sit on his arse and do nothing once he got proof that Draco was the Heir of Slytherin./

Unless Houses make all the difference. Sure, Ron doesn't know anything about Tom Riddle at this point, but he does know that Tom was in Slytherin (if Harry told him that much about the memory). Draco is also in Slytherin. Ron and Hagrid are not. So, it doesn't really matter if Hagrid actually was responsible for Myrtle's death instead of Tom. According to Ron, because Tom was a prefect and reported Hagrid's behavior to the authorities, he was being a nosy killjoy. Whereas Ron and Harry are righteous for trying to find out who the Heir is, so they can stop him/her.

/* Note how Percy says “non-magical community”, instead of using some demeaning slur like “muggle” or “mudblood”. Bloody pinko! It’s no wonder he ended up going bad!/

It was probably Penelope's "pernicious" influence on him, which is why she had to be Petrified later on.

/* For all that wizards think of Muggle Studies (Christ, what a patronising name) as a “soft option”, they seem to have real difficulty learning anything about Muggles./

Which doesn't make sense, considering that many of them live right next door to Muggles.

/Apart from the Malfoys, for some reason, who seem to know loads./

Which makes even less sense. It'd be as if Neo-Nazis knew everything about bar mitzvahs and Passover and the like, while the people ostensibly against their ideals and movement were utterly clueless about Jews to the point of treating them like some mysterious, exotic animal and being super-excited at the sight of a menorah.

/* “Yes, perhaps you’d better come too, Weasley.” Even when his best(-ish) friend has just been attacked, Ron’s still an afterthought behind Harry Potter./

Poor Ron. Just for once, can we have a fantasy story in which the best friend *isn't* treated like disposable baggage?

/* Erm, Lee, given that only four people have been attacked so far, the fact that the Slytherins are all fine isn’t exactly that surprising./

And given that the monster seems to be attacking only Muggle-borns, why would people think that Slytherin was exempt? Just because the Heir of Slytherin is responsible for the attacks? Does everybody in school think that Slytherin House is only made up of pureblood students?

/* Does Hagrid not realise that pointing his crossbow at anyone who comes knocking just makes him look like the sort of violent person who would set a monster on the school?/

No, just like he won't realize that putting his students' safety at risk for the sake of indulging his preference for dangerous creatures just makes him look unfit to be a teacher.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Unless Houses make all the difference. Sure, Ron doesn't know anything about Tom Riddle at this point, but he does know that Tom was in Slytherin (if Harry told him that much about the memory).

Did Harry notice he was a Slytherin? It's only in movie canon that they were different coloured ties and have crests on their robes, and Harry and Ron couldn't tell the house of the Ravenclaw girl they asked for directions earlier.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

Is it only in movie canon? The House colors are mentioned in the books, but they only have House badges in the movies? Maybe I mixed the two up.

[oryx_leucoryx]

In canon House colors appear in the decor of the common rooms and in the Quidditch outfits, not in regular uniforms.

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

I don't think in the book it's described like the movie. The book even has them wearing those pointy witch hats.

I went to the lexicon to get a description of the outfits they wear at school:

school uniform
Hogwarts students are required to have three sets of plain black work robes, a plain black pointed hat, a black winter cloak with silver fastenings, and a pair of protective gloves (made of dragon hide or similar material). All pupils' clothes should carry name tags (PS5).

Students at Hogwarts wear black pointed hats to class

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off) (GF26).

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

...and being super-excited at the sight of a menorah.

But, being excited over the victim's artifacts proves that their defenders have respect for alien traditions. The Neo-Nazis (by extension, of course, the Slytherins and DEs) who don't get over-wrought are showing their lack of respect and, therefore, their utter badness. It isn't what you know, it's how you act when confronted by an alien species race culture that shows what you're truly made of. Ignorance = respect of privacy = Good; knowledge = invasion of privacy = Bad.

/sarcasm

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

And given that the monster seems to be attacking only Muggle-borns, why would people think that Slytherin was exempt? Just because the Heir of Slytherin is responsible for the attacks? Does everybody in school think that Slytherin House is only made up of pureblood students?

I believe JKR said that virtually all Slytherin students have some magical blood - it's vary rare for a Muggle-born to be sorted there.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Do you have a source for this? I once thought she said something like that and searched Accio-quotes for ever chasing it. The only thing I found there was from J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival saying:
Snape’s ancestry is hinted at. He was a Death Eater, so clearly he is no Muggle born, because Muggle borns are not allowed to be Death Eaters, except in rare circumstances.

So there may have been the rare Muggle-born DE but it says nothing about rarity of Muggle-borns in Slytherins (beyond their rarity overall, it seems, despite Rowling's initial intent to have them at 1 in 4 of all wizards or 1 in 4 of the students in Harry's year or whatever).

Snape gets Love, JKR's depressed.

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

Arg! It's the interview where she questioned why people love Snape but then there is also a comment about She made the perfect Harry and the movie version is perfect harry - in effect she's saying we should love her perfect example of a man/hero. I'm copying and pasting the quotes below:

The Question: Also, will we see more of Snape?

JKR's Answer: You always see a lot of Snape, because he is a gift of a character. I hesitate to say that I love him. [Audience member: I do]. You do? This is a very worrying thing. Are you thinking about Alan Rickman or about Snape? [Laughter]. Isn’t this life, though? I make this hero—Harry, obviously—and there he is on the screen, the perfect Harry, because Dan is very much as I imagine Harry, but who does every girl under the age of 15 fall in love with? Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. Girls, stop going for the bad guy. Go for a nice man in the first place. It took me 35 years to learn that, but I am giving you that nugget free, right now, at the beginning of your love lives.

The Question: Apart from Harry, Snape is my favourite character because he is so complex and I just love him. Can he see the Thestrals, and if so, why? Also, is he a pure blood wizard?

JKR's answer: Snape’s ancestry is hinted at. He was a Death Eater, so clearly he is no Muggle born, because Muggle borns are not allowed to be Death Eaters, except in rare circumstances. You have some information about his ancestry there. He can see Thestrals, but in my imagination most of the older people at Hogwarts would be able to see them because, obviously, as you go through life you do lose people and understand what death is. But you must not forget that Snape was a Death Eater. He will have seen things that… Why do you love him? Why do people love Snape? I do not understand this. Again, it’s bad boy syndrome, isn’t it? It’s very depressing. [Laughter]. One of my best friends watched the film and she said, “You know who’s really attractive?” I said, “Who?” She said, “Lucius Malfoy!”

In both answers she avoids really talking about Snape directly and deflects at the end of both by talking about the Malfoy's. WTH, the questioner didn't ask about the Malfoys (LOL) What is Severus a love child of Lucius father or something? Because Seriously if a person wanted to know about how Hot the actors for Draco and Lucius are I think they would have asked. Instead it turns into a lesson in love for mislead teenage girls...WTF?

I wish someone would have asked since we're not supposed to love Snape then I'm assuming the next available emotion should be hate?

But I think it's more like she wanted us to Ignore Snape and feel nothing for him till the end. We were supposed to loath him and think he was the worst sort of creature because he was mean to a 12 year old. So, the basic assumption I have to make is we're supposed to feel hate, especially if someone is questioning why you love someone or something - they're saying you're supposed to feel how I feel about something.

Talk about being an authority figure. Just becuase you love a person doesn't mean you are stupid either. I'm sure pleanty of parents still love their kids even after they've done pretty horrible things. It doesn't mean they condone the activity.

Bla, end rant before I explode from JKR interview quotes.

Re: Snape gets Love, JKR's depressed.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

Re-reading this interview snippet in hind-sight, Rowling comes off as pretty smug. The question stated that the person loved Snape as a character "...because he is so complex and I just love him." Rowling then goes into some babble - that's what it is, it skips around, it hems and haws, it tries to divert, then it subverts: "Why do you love him? Why do people love Snape? I do not understand this." Um, clean out your ears, woman, the questioner already told you why.

And, she'd already said something similar: "You always see a lot of Snape, because he is a gift of a character." The fan's agreeing with her, for Pete's sake, why go off on a tangent?

Really, she reminds me more of Petunia than anyone in the series, I don't care who her intended self-inserts were.

Re: Snape gets Love, JKR's depressed.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is that she warns girls not to fall for "bad boys," but James Potter and Sirius Black are exactly that type. How can JKR tell girls to forget about bad boys and then later in another interview, when asked why Lily fell for James, say, "You're a woman, you know what we're like," as if James being a bad boy was the only explanation needed?

James was a bully, plain and simple. He hexed people for fun, he tormented and humiliated Snape "because he exists," he endangered the safety of Muggles by joy-riding with Sirius, how is he not a bad boy? Or, if he is meant to be one, why is it all right for fans to like him, but not Draco or Snape? James was much more of a bully than Draco ever was. And he didn't have the excuse that Snape had of being a former victim of bullying. Maybe Lily should have also gone for a "nice man" instead of James.

Re: Snape gets Love, JKR's depressed.

[koi-no-soshan.livejournal.com]

Um, Rowling? It is indeed possible for someone to like a character without thinking of them as an admirable person. To go even further, it's also possible to admire some aspects of a character and despise others.

The morality of these books squicks me out so badly. We're supposed to hate Snape and consider him the scourge of the earth for being mean to his students, yet we're not supposed to hate Sirius, who set up a fellow student to be killed and never felt any remorse for his actions. And fandom laps it up.

I can't call myself a fan of any character in these books (I try to despise Rowling's poor writing for their failings rather than them, though), but I can't help but get up in arms about the way Snape's treated. Being bitter over never receiving justice after a student attempted to get you killed and the authority figure in charge in fact covered up his crime is not a petty schoolboy grudge, fandom!

And Rowling considers Mr. Gallant Crucio to be the perfect boy for girls to go after? Eek.

Racist, bullying spoilt brat that he is, Draco is actually far preferable. When confronted with the reality of war he was horrified by the atrocities being committed- even to the people who he was raised to think of as inferior. He looks to me to stand a far better chance than Harry, or indeed most of the 'heroes', of maturing past his prejudices.

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

So there may have been the rare Muggle-born DE but it says nothing about rarity of Muggle-borns in Slytherins

According to Harry Potter Wiki ( http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Slytherin ):

Muggle-born Slytherins exist, but are very rare, as noted insultingly by Scabior the Snatcher (DH, Chapter 23)...

The fact that J. K. Rowling intended to place a character named Mafalda, a half-blood who was the daughter of a Squib and a Muggle, in Slytherin, suggests that Rowling at least does not view the Slytherin House desire for blood-purity as particularly influential upon the Sorting Hat...

[oryx_leucoryx]

All Scabior's words prove is that Muggle-borns aren't known to be common in Slytherin. But a truly ambitious and cunning (and informed) Muggle-born would realize that a good strategy would be to invent hirself wizardig ancestry and ask the Hat to place hir in Slytherin. Nobody would suspect anything.

[snapes-witch.livejournal.com]

Of course there's no canon to support this, but IMO Peter Pettigrew was intended to be the Muggle-born DE. Hmmm, and another reason why he wasn't sorted into Slytherin . . .

[oryx_leucoryx]

After all the interviews I wondered if that was supposed to be about the failed attempt to recruit Lily (Rowling can't seem to decide if there actually was one).

Regarding Peter, all we know about his family is that his mother received his finger.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Actually she said at a later time that Muggle-borns have magical blood - only somewhat distantly. Which basically means the whole concept of Muggle-borns is a sham, or at most that Muggle-borns are wizards who aren't aware of their heritage - just like Draco said in PS - 'they don't know our ways'.

[for-diddled.livejournal.com]

Harry Potter: proving racial stereotypes correct since 1997...

[oryx_leucoryx]

Again, why didn't the Ministry just come up with a way to temporarily strip convicted wizards and witches of magic and then toss them into a regular prison?

I don't think this is possible or they would have done it to Hagrid in addition to breaking his wand.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's not possible yet, but couldn't they try to find a way? We already know that wizards can become less magical whenever they're severely depressed (as in the cases of Tonks and Merope). If such a thing were possible, it might have given a bit more credence to the Death Eaters' claim that Muggle-borns were "stealing" magic in DH.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

This would imply that simply being at Azkaban long enough de-magics someone. (And that Snape must be a very good Occlumens to remain so powerful).

[oryx_leucoryx]

I think only females become weaker when depressed in the Potterverse. Though Azkaban didn't seem to have such an effect on Bella (or perhaps being with her dear Dark Lord restored her quickly).

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

But without a wand, wizards can perform almost no magic. There were no Dementors guarding Grindelwald.

[oryx_leucoryx]

This is not true. There are entire categories of magic that by design can be performed wandlessly - Animagus transformation, Occlumency, 1st and 2nd degree Legilimency (but not the deep kind that goes for random memories without guidance by the caster). And of course, as child magic proves, there is no need for a wand to raise havoc that way.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Another problem with just taking away wands - house-elves. Any wizard who is a master to a house-elf could break out of prison by summoning hir elf and Apparating away. I think elves are exceptionally sensitive to dementors because slavery compromises their wills already.