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

[condwiramurs.livejournal.com]

It's not even the issue of Tom possibly seeing certain memories of Severus' that puts him in the most danger, however. The whole idea that *Severus* - supposedly Tom's spy - could afford to be seen to *successfully* teach Harry how to block Tom's current means of attack is nonsense.

Tom had to know that Severus was Harry's Occlumency teacher - either from dropping in during a lesson or Severus' telling him about the lessons to keep his cover. And if Harry were to begin to be able to block him, what do you think his reaction would be?

Tom: Tsk, tsk, Severus. The one thing you manage to actually teach the boy is how to block me? And here I thought you were loyal to me. Avada Kedavra!

Tom would expect Severus to sabotage any such attempt, leaving Harry open to him - and of course vociferously blaming Harry for it to Dumbles as a cover. Why Dumbles, who would expect such an obvious strategy from Tom, insisted that Severus teach Harry this Very Important Skill is another question. Though if it had been properly set up that there was *nobody* else and Dumbles *really* couldn't afford to face Tom, so Severus once again had to make the best of it that he could, cursing both his masters - that would perhaps work. Which could have been a nicely dramatic plot, playing on the question of Severus' loyalties and providing a great set-up for the climax of HBP.

Of course, for this to work Harry would have had to have made an *effort.* And Snape's blaming of him would then have really come off as the sort of bias JKR expects us to read him having, instead of the frustration of a teacher faced with a student who simply can't bother to practice, and Harry would - *gasp* - have been really very sympathetic! Instead, JKR gives us Harry "I can't the hang of it" Potter who never even attempt the exercises he's given, contributing at least 50% to the problem. And yet it is All Snape's Fault(TM). Because Hero Harry can't of course admit any responsibility for contributing to the hostilities - he's the pure innocent Chosen One who can do no wrong!

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

yet it is All Snape's Fault(TM). Because Hero Harry can't of course admit any responsibility for contributing to the hostilities - he's the pure innocent Chosen One who can do no wrong!

That pisses me off in HBP- Harry goes from 'it wasn't Tonks' fault, it wasn't anyone's fault' to 'OMG, SNAPE, SURGE OF LOATHING, THAT BASTARD, IT'S ALL HIS FAULT SIRIUS IS DEAD'. *kickstabthrottle*

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

In my essay, 'The Pensieve Gambit' I postulate that the whole issue of the Occlumency lessons were effectively Act II of Year 5's big scam to keep Tom occupied and distracted.

Act I had been the Order's guard on the Department of Mysteries. You will notice that there were no members of the Order standing guard on the DoM by the time Harry and his friends staged their raid on the Ministry during OWLs week. Why not? Had there been guards and the DEs had eliminated them? Or had the watch on the DoM been withdrawn because Tom had been effectively distracted by the Occlumency lessons charade?

Because, really that whole setup is as fishy as a dockside quay.

http://www.redhen-publications.com/PensieveGambit.html