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.

[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.

[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!