GOF Chapter 2: The Scar

[oryx_leucoryx]

Harry wakes up with his scar hurting. We are let to understand that he experienced the events of the previous chapter as a dream. He quickly starts forgetting the details so as to keep him from noticing when relevant information pops up again. BTW from what POV did he experience the vision? Starting from the following year his visions will be from Voldemort's POV but this does not seem to be the case this instance. Consistency? What consistency?

The description of Harry's room shows he was already on his way to becoming the worst slob child hero in the history of literature. Didn't living in a closet teach him to appreciate having space?

Harry can't even see a cat in the darkness (sorry Harry, your Head of House doesn't spend her summer spying on you) so he concludes there can't be any wizard lurking outside. Despite knowing at least one way to be invisible and knowing that some wizards don't need a cloak to be invisible.

Bizarre accidents and injuries are unavoidable at Hogwarts, which is why it is such a safe place.

The Dursleys weren't of any help to Harry while awake. Except by magically protecting him from Voldemort, just the wizard he feared might be near. OK, they didn't have to be awake for the protection to work, but their being awake didn't hinder it either. (I know Harry didn't know of the protection yet, it's just that he makes judgments in ignorance.)

The story about Harry supposedly attending St Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys is now the official line the Dusrleys tell anyone. How does that fit with their desire to project the 'perfectly normal' image? (Note the foreshadowing of Barty entering Harry to the Tournament as a student from a different school.)

Voldemort is still "the most powerful Dark wizard for a century". Maybe the ones before him were Albus and Gellert, in the summer of 1899. Just under a century ago - the timing almost works. Gellert never came back to Britain and Albus thinks he abandoned Dark magic, under some definition thereof.

Harry thinks there was a fortnight to go until his return to school. Looks like ending his math education at 11 didn't do him good.

Harry's assessment of Hermione's probable response is realistic. However why does not knowing where Albus went for the summer preclude writing to him? Not knowing where Sirius was didn't stop Harry from writing to him. Ah, he's ashamed to look stupid for saying his scar hurt. What about including that it hurt while he was having a vision of Voldemort killing someone? Why would this look stupid to Dumbledore rather than, say, informative? But a Gryffindor can't afford to appear weak in any way, even if this means hiding potentially crucial information.

Arthur is described as a 'fully qualified wizard'. Aren't almost all adult wizards? How meaningful is this description? Again, Harry's fear of appearing weak to the Weasleys trumps any common sense.

Only Dumbledore believed the trio's story about Sirius. Maybe because he was the only one who heard it in detail from Sirius. Anyone else present (Severus, Fudge, Poppy) just heard kids insisting on something. Severus also heard Sirius and Remus admitting to being serial liars. And was repeatedly injured by Sirius (after already being injured by the kids) and thus was denied a chance to receive evidence of the truth.

So Harry writes to Sirius. The part about Dudley's diet looks like Harry already mentioned the diet in a previous letter, but on the previous page I got the impression this was the first time Harry writes to Sirius. Oh well.

Dudley is ridiculous for enjoying a game called "Mega-Mutilation Part Three". That's because Harry goes to a school where kids learn how to really mutilate each other.

Again, Harry avoids mentioning any part of his dream. Nor does he date his letter. How is Sirius going to know when 'this morning' refers to? Why be helpful to adults whose advice you are seeking?

Comments

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

Dudley is ridiculous for enjoying a game called "Mega-Mutilation Part Three". That's because Harry goes to a school where kids learn how to really mutilate each other.

Not to mention, there's plenty of video games for the HP series, and you don't defeat the basilisks etc. by hugging them to death.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Hypocrite. *shakes head* Although I suppose in her defense (!) JKR didn't know her books would become this massive craze- oh, wait, no, by PoA, it was on its way to becoming a 'phenomenon', with movies and everything, so yeah, no, still hypocritical.

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

Dudley is ridiculous for enjoying a game called "Mega-Mutilation Part Three". That's because Harry goes to a school where kids learn how to really mutilate each other.

Apparently JKR was trying to get on the list for '50 worst video game names ever'

http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/worst_game_names

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

He quickly starts forgetting the details so as to keep him from noticing when relevant information pops up again.

Heh. Almost as egregiously contrived as Harry's taking 30 pages to recall where he'd seen Grindelwald, the "golden-haired, merry-faced thief", prior to his receiving the vision of the theft of the uber wand from Gregorovitch transmitted to him over the Dark Lord Mental Broadcast Network.

BTW from what POV did he experience the vision?

Nice one. It's not a change of narrative perspective, is it, it's supposed to be a 'vision', a pre-cursor to the full Dark Lord Mental Broadcast Network package to which Harry will subscribe for timely news updates on the machinations of his enemy in the seventh book, isn't it?

Voldemort is still "the most powerful Dark wizard for a century". Maybe the ones before him were Albus and Gellert, in the summer of 1899.

Woah. Dumbledore was never a 'dark wizard', was he? He had ambitions to take control but never actually made a move before falling out with Grindelwald? Although I'm not sure why Dumbledore had his change of heart, I'm probably forgetting something from DH (maybe one day I'll be lucky and forget all of it :-)). Dumbledore fell out with Grindelwald over the accidental death of Ariana, not over disagreement in policy (although that came later, somehow).

But anyway, Dumbledore was never a Dark Lord.

But a Gryffindor can't afford to appear weak in any way, even if this means hiding potentially crucial information.

Probably a staple of any children's book, or book where the 'hero' is a child, but God it's maddening when the kids do it! (And adult fans pardon it!)

Dudley is ridiculous for enjoying a game called "Mega-Mutilation Part Three". That's because Harry goes to a school where kids learn how to really mutilate each other.

True enough. Yoiks. In Rowling's world, where there's little skill required for a spell - yous just says the words and waves your wand, AVADA KEDAVRA, in a moment of anger and there's a green flash of light and a bang and your opponent is lifeless - there must be any number of deaths at Hogwarts.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Dumbledore was never a 'dark wizard', was he?

Since there is no definition of Dark Arts in the series we don't know. I think his never-ending obsession with the Hallows is quite suspect. No, I don't seriously think he was the previous *known* Dark Wizard, because some of his darkest interests remained private, others got laundered and redefined as 'not-really-Dark, what were you thinking?' But someone who didn't think Dark Magic has cooties and who knew Albus well would recognize it as such. Even Minerva was willing to believe Albus could perform Dark Magic if he wanted to (but he was too noble to do so, right?). I agree he never became an official Dark Lord, because he managed to be in power just via his associations and alliances.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Nah, he's more like the fat cat CEOs who raise interest rates and award themselves million dollar bonuses...but with better PR.

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

or the trusted bank employee who steals millions from the vaults without either the bank or the customers noticing?

Or even more successful, the head of the bank who gets rich (achieves benefits/power) by never taking risks himself but gambles with his bank's (customers/people for whom he's responsible) funds (lives), and when the whole scheme is about to collapse gets bailed out (ass saved) by the Powers That Be, thereby not only remaining head of the bank but getting a huge bonus (accolades/awards) afterward...

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Almost as egregiously contrived as Harry's taking 30 pages to recall where he'd seen Grindelwald, the "golden-haired, merry-faced thief", prior to his receiving the vision of the theft of the uber wand from Gregorovitch transmitted to him over the Dark Lord Mental Broadcast Network

WILL NEVER STOP RAEGING OVER THIS TRAVESTY OF A PLOT. How did we get from Harry in OotP, who refused to put effort into learning Legilimency to protect his mind from the Dark Lord and thus left himself vulnerable to manipulation, leading to eventual tragedy (for which SNAPE IS TO BLAME, ZOMG) to this Harry in DH, who swans around without fear for his mental safety and is privy to all these amazingly insightful and detailed visions which aid him in his quest and suffers no repercussions for it?

I mean, wtf. Voldy is obv a good Occlumens/Legilimens- he should be able to shut off the connection, right? Why would it suddenly kick into high gear in DH and not earlier on? And if for some reason, he can't keep Harry out of his head- WHAT- surely he'd be able to worm his way into Harry's head the way he did on multiple occasions in OotP!

For some reason in this series, when a tactic fails the first time around, the character won't attempt it again, even if the situation calls for it or it seems the most effective course of action or circumstances have changed and are more favorable or it is increasingly important. (like in OotP: the kids Floo Grimmauld Place to check if Sirius is there, but after their one attempt to get Snape's help- which Harry doesn't bother to actually follow through with and see if it comes to fruition- they don't go back to Floo someone who could actually help, say, Order members who could quickly apparate or whatever over there)

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

For some reason in this series, when a tactic fails the first time around, the character won't attempt it again, even if the situation calls for it or it seems the most effective course of action or circumstances have changed and are more favorable or it is increasingly important. (like in OotP: the kids Floo Grimmauld Place to check if Sirius is there, but after their one attempt to get Snape's help- which Harry doesn't bother to actually follow through with and see if it comes to fruition- they don't go back to Floo someone who could actually help, say, Order members who could quickly apparate or whatever over there)

Similarly, it never occurs to Harry to make more Polyjuice to find out what Fred and George are up to in GoF, or spy on Umbridge in OOTP, or on Malfoy in HBP.

(A similar thing really annoyed me in "Misery", when he tried to poison her wine but she spilled the glass, he never tried to poison her again.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Yes! I mean, Crabbe and Goyle pull the polyjuice trick in HBP, iirc (they were the little girls Draco was being creepy at, no?) but the trio never utilize that trick again! Why not?!

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Yes, the series really became a catastrophe by the end, with the last book standing as an abomination. It's really astounding how weak and ... amateurish ... Rowling's 'plotting' was by the end. She really didn't have a clue how to tie things up, and so just threw everything/anything she could think of into the mix. Just like a child would-be writer in primary school. It's just sad and embarrassing to see.

But with regard to the Dark Lord Mental Broadcast Network, yes, it's pathetic. Voldemort's a mental master, Dumbledore tells us this; and his invading Harry's mind is a PROVEN weapon, it SUCCEEDED in book 5. But in book 6 it's not convenient for Rowling - otherwise the dark lord would defeat Harry in his sixth year! - so we're told that Riddle has turned it off (the suggested reason, the pain he received when 'possessing' Harry, is a non sequitur).

And then in the novel after that she needs to reverse it entirely, so voila! The world's most powerful dark wizard and master of mental magics starts *pushing* every detail of his plans to his arch enemy.

Pfah.

Oh, we know why Rowling did it - she needed to dump vast amounts of information on the book's dei ex machinis, the Hallows. And she didn't want to change to using a narrative perspective away from Harry. So plot credibility was thrown out the window, sacrificed for these two unworthy goals.

Pfah!

[oryx_leucoryx]

But in book 6 it's not convenient for Rowling - otherwise the dark lord would defeat Harry in his sixth year!

Or alternatively, Harry would really have to work on his Occlumency, and we can't have that!

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's sort of horrible how this hero didn't even try. A couple of times he admits that, doesn't he? Once in DH:

"So you're not even going to try to shut him out?"

"Hermione, I can't. You know I'm lousy at Occlumency. I never got the hang of it."

"You never really tried!" she said hotly. "I don't get it, Harry – do you like having this special connection or relationship or what – whatever – "

She faltered under the look he gave her as he stood up.

"Like it?" he said quietly. "Would you like it?"

"I – no – I'm sorry, Harry. I just didn't mean – "

"I hate it, I hate the fact that he can get inside me, that I have to watch him when he's most dangerous. But I'm going to use it."

It's horrible, isn't it, how un-heroic our 'hero' is. "I never got the hang of it ... it would be too much hard work". Hermione was *right* - Harry never *tried*. But he tries to make her feel bad for stating the truth.

And then there's the incredibly horrible and artificial idea of Harry 'using' the plot crutch that is being handed to him by his author - here, boy - without 'getting the hang' of things, or actually exerting yourself, I'm going to give you a free connection to your enemy's most secret plans and activities.

UGH.

What a horrible, *horrible* book!

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

IA, it's so loathsome the way he turns on her for pointing out the truth- it's like he associated Legilimency with Snape and didn't want to learn it even after he realized how essential it was, because it'd be some sort of tribute to him. But Hermione makes a valid point and he snaps at her and intimidates her, just to make himself more important and superior.

(It reminds me of that awful moment in OotP when Hermione's like, 'I wish I could see thestrals' and he plays the 'MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEAAAAD' card to make her feel like crap and stumble out an apology and it's like... 'Dude. STFU. She doesn't like flying at the best of times, and now she's flying an invisible beast she has no practical experience with and no idea whether it's gonna buck her off if she fidgets and she's wayyyy up in the air and could go splat and make an awful mess if she slips off, OF COURSE she's gonna wish she can see the bloody thing she's trying to maintain a grip on. Stop being a douche!')

I'm going to give you a free connection to your enemy's most secret plans and activities.

How do fans overlook this?! I honestly don't know how anybody could get through that crapfest of a book and not be overwhelmed by all its glaring inconsistencies and failtastic 'plotting' and character assassination. I mean, FFS, Harry is such a useless hero that his writer has to give him VISIONS and convenient EAVESDROPPING OPPORTUNITIES for him to learn anything and advance their plans! I mean, 'plans'. As we all know, careful thought and implementing actual strategies are un-Gryffindor. One merely must have faith in Dumbledore, and also have their name in the title of the series.

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

To me what would have been a better idea would have been to actually show Harry learning something from Snape in the occlumency lessons. Or even furthering that into the beginning of HBP.

At the beginning of HBP, Dumbledore should have took both of them aside and made Harry apologise about the sneaking in the pensive and DD could have had Snape continue the Occlumency or mind power magic.

It seems to me that would have been better, instead of having Snape just randomly continue to give Harry meaningless Detentions all throughout HBP, that served no other purpose but to make the reader hate Snape more - well we already know he's a git, so what. It would have been nice to have more interesting things going on than Harry being detentioned.

JKR should have had Dumbledore have Harry and Snape actually having to work together and Snape could have actually been shown to teach Harry something about Occlumency or magic of the mind.

There still could have been the betrayal at the end with DD being murdered. Which if I think about it now it might have even been a more interesting betrayal if Snape had of built up this relationship with Harry.

And I'm not saying they had to be nice to each other, thats not what I mean in terms of relationship but maybe Harry would have developed a tad more respect when he realizes he was actually learning something important from Snape, instead of always thinking Snape was making it worse on him.

They could have still been at odds, but there could have been a little bit more intestest in the dynamic of how the end of HBP played out.

Instead we have Harry developing the relationship with the 16 year old Snape textbook - which still could have been an important part of the HBP story but with the added bonus to the Snape/Harry/Dumbledore interaction.

It seems like IF we had read something more in how he developed his Occlumency/Legilemency skills, that part of DH would have made more sense. And we still could have had Voldemort afraid to enter Harry's mind - thus it would have gave a free range for teaching Harry actual mind magic.

Instead we just have him randomly able to get whatever it is Voldemort is doing/seeing/thinking. And Voldemort knew about the connection so and as some of you have pointed out, HE was actually using the connection to manipulate Harry. But in DH it's somehow opened up again and so open that Voldemort doesn't seem to know it's going on, when before he knew Harry was watching.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Does Dumbledore ever concede that asking Snape to train Harry was a bad idea? Or am I getting mixed up with fanfics? Anyway, it was hard for me to take the 'remedial potions' lessons seriously in OotP, I just assumed that Snape (given that he was faithful to Dumbledore) just couldn't work his way through his hatred of Harry. I.e. that the 'lessons' weren't authentic, that Snape never tried to really teach Harry how to be an Occlumens.

Which, when you think about it, might have led to an interesting dramatic crisis ... imagine that the Dark Lord *did* use the mental connection again to attack Harry. Maybe kill the lad, cripple the Order's efforts, whatever. Then there'd be a lot of blame on Snape (and Dumbledore) for never training the boy properly.

But, no ... we're back to how Rowling wrote everything in the last couple of books so it would all work out for Harry & Co. with minimal effort on his part (and hers). No worries about anything like that, why, we'll just have it so the Dark Lord (a) doesn't attack you again (just because), and (b) he'll tell you everything he's doing, wow, how good is that Harry?

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Does Dumbledore ever concede that asking Snape to train Harry was a bad idea? Or am I getting mixed up with fanfics?

He actually does. Of course, he phrases it along the lines of "some wounds go too deep", pushing all the blame on Snape (and possibly Sirius for fostering the antagonism, though that might just be my bias), right after Harry's been CAPSLOCKing about Snape. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't even get points for trying.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

I really like this idea. It got boring with the whole repetitive 'Harry hates Snape. Snape is a jerk. Harry WISHES SNAPE WERE UNDER THE CRUCIATUS. Snape is a MASSIVE JERK WHO SABOTAGES H/G AND WON'T LET THEM SPEND TIME TOGETHER, WAAAHHHH.'

With your idea, at least there's another element, those detentions aren't just a useless waste of space, there's an added level of tension, there's a chance for some added maturity on Harry's part...but no. Why does Harry only bond with Slytherins through their diaries? And why did he never get to do that with Draco? :P

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

The world's most powerful dark wizard and master of mental magics starts *pushing* every detail of his plans to his arch enemy.

It's depressing how we all believed Harry would mature and develop into a capable, competent protagonist, in order to defeat Voldy. Instead, the latter devolved and became increasingly stupid and acted irrationally and was forced to give all the advantages to Harry and was victim of ridiculous plot contrivances in order to be defeated.

Harry didn't defeat Voldy. JKR did. She just wrote it that way, with no regard to realistic victory, one that is fought for and earned, it was just awarded to Harry.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Rowling seemed really really determined to keep Harry as 'normal', just your typical barely adequate wizard. She didn't want to give him any super-duper powers or abilities or anything like that. Just like she wanted him to end up with a 'normal' life and family she wanted to show that he was, all along the line, 'normal' in every way; just a middling competent teenage wizard.

So, therefore, of course, as you say:

Harry didn't defeat Voldy. JKR did. She just wrote it that way, with no regard to realistic victory, one that is fought for and earned, it was just awarded to Harry.

Because that's the only way she could do it! While keeping Harry 'normal'.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

The polarity of the mind connection apparantly reversed when the amazing fighting auto-wand blew up Malfoy's wand that Tom was using in that *stupid* 7 Potters debacle. Instead of going Tom>Harry, it switched to Harry>Tom.

What I'd rather like to know is, if Tom needed a wand to fly like Superman, did blowing up the wand make him fall?

[oryx_leucoryx]

Nice one. It's not a change of narrative perspective, is it, it's supposed to be a 'vision', a pre-cursor to the full Dark Lord Mental Broadcast Network package to which Harry will subscribe for timely news updates on the machinations of his enemy in the seventh book, isn't it?

If anyone isn't convinced now, he will have another one later in the year. And he will see the back of Voldemort's chair, which precludes seeing from Voldemort's POV as he will in future books.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Consistency? What consistency?

Lol! CWC! New abbreviation!

And right on. This woman...she can tell a story, but can she write it well? Noooo.

It's always bizarre when people insist Hogwarts is the best place for all the kids, and that they should just have faith in Dumbledore, he'll protect them, he'll make sure nothing bad happens to them!

Even though he made sure Hogwarts hosted a rare and invaluable object designed to attract the attention of a malignant spirit (nice of him not to bother trying to exorcise Voldy and save Quirrel, how touching), was spectacularly useless when a troll and a basilisk were on the loose, didn't protest the Dementors patrolling the school (seriously, Dumbles is so powerful and well-respected but he can't call off the soul-sucking demon incursion on his school?) and actually sent two kids off into their midst...I could go on. There's so much more, but you get the gist.

By the time we get to his deplorable lack of action in HBP, it's pretty clear that concern for preserving human life is his lowest priority. Bastard. Between saving face and saving a life, he'll go for the latter. And he's supposed to be the embodiment of all that is light and goodness and purity, ha!

does that fit with their desire to project the 'perfectly normal' image? (Note the foreshadowing of Barty entering Harry to the Tournament as a student from a different school.)

Two very cool observations! This is why I love reading different people's sporks of the same books- there are always new and interesting perspectives! Yeah, you're totally right, the Dursleys are concerned about lifting their social stature and impressing their neighbors and business colleagues and all, but it'd reflect badly to have a delinquent in the family! Why would they make up a story like that?!

And the foreshadowing, hee!

Albus thinks he abandoned Dark magic, under some definition thereof

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE WTF-ERY OF SO-CALLED DARK MAGIC.

I still think the man's evil. Okay, no, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the way he plays with people's lives and manipulates and abuses and destroys their lives? Yeah, I'd say he's a dark one all right.

Ugh, Harry's pride is ridic. He has a magical connection to a Really Bad Sort who killed his parents and other people, and he's just had a vision of this dude being re-embodied and wasting no time in causing death and bloodshed, and his priority's to protect his image? For serious?

This is like CoS all over again. 'No, I can't tell Dumbledore about the voice in my head, he'll think I'm insane! Never mind that people are being attacked and narrowly escaping death, I'm going to keep my mouth shut rather than giving him a potentially case-breaking clue in favor of maintaining my image!' Ugh. Also, a rebuttal to the nonsensical 'Albus is Harry's mentor' tripe. Yeahhhhh. No. Puppet master? Sure thing. Mentor? Nuh-uh.

All the Dumbledore-praising makes me really irritated. Oh, wonderful Dumbles, only he believed in the children! Too bad he didn't put any effort into speaking up for Sirius and trying to get him a hearing and clear his name! Oh, marvellously perceptive Dumbles, he really Tom was Up To No Good years before everyone else- AND SAT ON HIS ASS WHILE THE DUDE GREW MORE EVIL AND GAINED MORE POWER. Etc. etc. Never is there a time when he's praised where I can't find some way in which he turns out to have behaved in a despicable manner.

Dudley is ridiculous for enjoying a game called "Mega-Mutilation Part Three". That's because Harry goes to a school where kids learn how to really mutilate each other

LOOOOL. I love dry sarcastic remarks like this. It's just hilarious- and so true.

Why be helpful to adults whose advice you are seeking?

Well, the one and only time Harry is willing to seek help from an adult, he's gotta sabotage it in some way! Can't get into the habit, after all!

[condwiramurs.livejournal.com]

In their concern with saving face over saving others' lives, Harry, Dumbles and Lupin have something in common. (I like Lupin, but he's insanely irresponsible at some points, especially the whole thing of not telling DD about the Animagi issue because he'd *look bad.*) I have to wonder if it has something to do with Gryffindor 'honor' - whether this is a natural trait that gets you sorted to the Lions (a lion being the symbol of pride, after all) and/or something reinforced by House culture over honor, not telling, being 'brave' rather than thinking critically, etc. I guess this is circumstantial evidence that DD might have been a Gryff after all? Though I could buy Ravenclaw or maybe Slytherin also.

Mentor!Dumbles is now one of the things that makes me back-click out of a fic at lightspeed. I just can't believe it anymore - the man has the empathetic capacities of a butter knife. I can tolerate it a bit with 'mentoring' Harry, because he can pretend at it well for a few minutes at a time. (But even there, I find Mentor!Snape far more believable.) But with Snape especially I can't see Mentor!Dumbles at all.

(Oh, and I think you mean 'he goes for the *former*' RE Dumbles choice to save face, yes?)