GOF Chapter 5: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

[oryx_leucoryx]

Fred is excited at the thought of Dudley eating deadly candy. Oh, *untested* deadly candy, that's even better!
Harry takes an instinctive liking to Charlie because everything in his appearance says 'physical, uncomplicated'. Bill is more of a surprise - you can be a Head Boy *and* 'cool'. (Just like your dad, Harry. Now you don't have to worry he was anything like Percy, in case you ever were.) How does Harry know what people who attend rock concerts look like? Probably from TV.

Yes Arthur, pranking Muggles in life-endangering ways without doing the responsible thing and mind-wiping them in the aftermath undermines wizard-Muggles relations. Unlike, say, taking their magical kids and turning them against their parents.

The Dursleys excuse away Dudley's misdeeds. Arthur is a much superior parent - he doesn't let his wife know about the twins' (or at least tries to avoid letting her know). It does seem as though Hermione caught on quickly and tried to do her bit of protecting the twins from Molly.

This is Hermione's first stay at the Burrow - and she is here even before Harry, who has been here before and who might need 'rescuing' from his home. I wonder how long Hermione was there before Harry's arrival. Nevertheless, this was the last summer she will spend any significant time with her parents. And she will only spend Christmas of 6th year with them because of the Ron/Lavender relationship. To remind you, Hermione will turn 15 next month - an emancipated minor for all intent  and purpose.

For the first time in canon, Ginny isn't at all awkward around Harry. Despite not having started dating any other boys yet. (Or has she and we weren't told? We don't know when she and Hermione had their little talk.)

I'm supposed to think Percy is a pompous, ambitious idiot for taking work home and caring about it. Being an adult I see Percy as acting normally and Ron being an immature idiot. BTW after seeing Neville's molten cauldrons can't Ron appreciate looking into safety standards? (No, because danger everywhere is what makes life worth living for most Gryffindors.)

Why are Bill and Charlie staying in the twins' room? In later books (HBP and DH) Bill will suddenly have his own room, which he will also share with Charlie. See www.hplex.info/wizworld/places/w_pl_burrow.html. Did Molly and Arthur decide to add rooms (on the lower floors!) after their sons started leaving home?

Ron is annoyed by his owl. This is typical of Ron - he laments not having things, and when he does he laments them again, even when they aren't obviously unsuitable or in bad shape or taste.

Ron makes a homophobic wisecrack at Percy and his boss. BTW according to the Black Family Tree, it appears Bartemius Crouch Sr is Arthur's first cousin. This together with his outward personality and his position all make him an ideal surrogate father to Percy. (Which starts the theme of disappointed sons in this book.)

Ginny is still an outsider to the trio's adventures - as far as Harry knows. Neither of them had openly shared their involvement with Sirius' escape. (BTW Harry still hasn't questioned if perhaps Albus was a tad responsible for there not being more people aware of what Sirius was or wasn't guilty of.)

Crookshanks was one of the heroes of last year's adventure - sniffing Peter out in his rat disguise, communicating with Sirius, sending messages by post. This year he's just a cat who chases gnomes.

Molly rants about the twins. She blames them of lacking ambition. No Molly, they are more ambitious than anyone in the family. It's just that their ambition is to make a lot of money fast, while causing as much property destruction and humiliation to those around their customers as possible, instead of doing well at school and getting a government job. Oh, Molly did receive the occasional owl from the school about the twins. Though I do wonder if Albus or Minerva framed their actions as bullying the way Dudley's teachers apparently described his stunts. Also, Molly mistakes a twin-made fake wand for her own, thus starting the emphasis on wands in this book. (There will also be emphasis on wands in DH, but everything will work completely differently, despite Rowling's claims about planning and plotting. You have been warned.)

There was a time I found Bill and Charlie's table-duel endearing. By now I have had enough of Gryffindor boisterous behavior.

Even Bill joins those who dis Percy. Because while he works for a bank, his job description is robbing graves, which is much better than working in an office regulating international commercial transactions.

I love Percy's earnestness and enthusiastic attitude. His criticism of Bagman is on relevant points - organizing the Quidditch World Cup sounds like something that should have fallen mostly on a department dedicated to Magical Games and Sports (an entire department for that? not a subdivision of a Department for Cultural Affairs or similar? Tells you everything about wizards and their priorities), and an employee going missing for 'over a month' in a place known to be the location of Voldemort in whatever form he was isn't something to ignore. But to Arthur what matters is that by covering up illegal activities of Ludo's brother he got tickets to the Top Box, so he won't be hearing criticism of his friend. Who had bribed him. However having grown up in the Weasley household I think this goes over even Percy's head. Understandably but tragically Percy interprets Bartemius' concern for Bertha's whereabouts as that of a caring boss for a former underling. Of course he is actually concerned because she had subconscious information that might be of use to Voldemort (as well as cause much trouble to Crouch himself if revealed to the public). It has been several years since Bertha became brain damaged. Since Harry forgot all about his dream the mention of her name rings no bells.

Ginny defends Bill's hairstyle to Molly. Showing us that despite lack of awkwardness around Harry this is still her first personality, whose favorite brother was Bill. Next year we'll see Ginny v 2.0 whose role models are the twins.

The Quidditch chatter reveals that like in football (soccer for USians), Britain has separate 'national' teams for England, Scotland and Wales. But all three lost at some point.

Harry confirms - the letter about his scar hurting was the first he sent to Sirius, after receiving 2 from him in addition to the letter he got at the end of POA. Sirius 3, Harry 1. Even with people who are close to him he is more of a taker than a giver.

The twins sent Percy dragon dung in the mail, how hilarious! How kind, how mature.

Comments

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

The Quidditch chatter reveals that like in football (soccer for USians), Britain has separate 'national' teams for England, Scotland and Wales. But all three lost at some point.

Ireland seems to have a single team - given that "Transylvania" is still a separate wizarding country, maybe Ireland is too. In any case, JKR clearly gave almost no thought to how the wizworld outside Britain works, so why should I?

[snapes-witch.livejournal.com]

I'm confused about whether the Irish team represents Northern Ireland (UK) or the Republic of Ireland . . .

[oryx_leucoryx]

More on this in chapter 8.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Wow, I never even picked up on this potentially awkward detail...

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

Ginny is still an outsider to the trio's adventures - as far as Harry knows. Neither of them had openly shared their involvement with Sirius' escape.

Also he seems never to have talked to her about Riddle, diary and the Chamber, and then it's briefly brought up two and a half years later and then forgotten. As is Crookshanks, as said above

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Yeah, when people talk about why H/G are soulmates, they usually mention that she was possessed by Tom and so has an understanding of Harry that nobody can match, even Hermione and Ron can't relate to him on that level. Which...I'd accept if we ever saw that in practice, apart from her smackdown when Harry's angsting about how they DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS, we never see her use that knowledge to understand and sympathize with him, it's shoved into the corner of their minds, so that's a pretty shoddy reason.

And I hate the way shippers marginalize the importance of Hermione and Ron- so one little girl being possessed years ago OUTWEIGHS their contribution through seven books, actually being on the run with Harry in DH and fighting a war on their own for hundreds of pages? Seriously?

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Even with people who are close to him he is more of a taker than a giver.
Exclusively so, bearing in mind he didn't write to Sirius to know about him but because HE needed Sirius' advice.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Nevertheless, this was the last summer she will spend any significant time with her parents.

That's rather sad, isn't it? Poor Hermione, her home life sacrificed to Rowling's wanting the Trio together. Although it's been used to prop up fanon's idea that muggleborn always end up drifting away from the muggle world.

Crookshanks was one of the heroes of last year's adventure - sniffing Peter out in his rat disguise, communicating with Sirius, sending messages by post.

I was praising an author just a fortnight ago for featuring Crookshanks and his relationship with his mistress. I dimly recalled Hermione training him to deliver post but thought that charming image came from a fanfic. I think it was; I thought your reference here to PoA might have been the source of my memory, but I found just one statement by Sirius that Crookshanks had delivered his order for a firebolt to Diagon Alley.

Anyway, I've always liked the notion that Hermione formed a close relationship with her familiar. A pity that Crookshanks, like so much else, was jettisoned by Rowling after the book in which he was introduced.

There will also be emphasis on wands in DH, but everything will work completely differently, despite Rowling's claims about planning and plotting. You have been warned.

THIS WARNING CANNOT BE PRESENTED TOO MANY TIMES.

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

That's rather sad, isn't it? Poor Hermione, her home life sacrificed to Rowling's wanting the Trio together. Although it's been used to prop up fanon's idea that muggleborn always end up drifting away from the muggle world.

But until the child reaches the age of majority, wouldn't the parents still have control over him or her? I know *my* parents would have hit the roof if I'd gone away to school and then announced that I didn't want to come home for the Christmas holiday, or that I'd only spend a week or two of my summer break with them but then I was going to go stay with a schoolmate's family.

My parents would have just told me that they didn't care what I wanted, that I damn well was going to spend Christmas/vacation with them!

That was something that really jumped out to me as I was reading the series (which I did back-to-back in 2007), the fact that the Grangers were so laissez-faire with their daughter, especially considering that she was entering a hithertofore hidden world.

I know if it was *my* child who had a letter delivered by owl saying they were magikal and therefore eligible to attend a school for magikal children to learn advanced magik, I'd not only demand to meet with the head/principal of the school, but the whole staff, and I'd demand a tour of the school and grounds!

Especially if those magikal folk also expected me to abide by some secrecy statute of their own devising! ;-)

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

That was something that really jumped out to me as I was reading the series (which I did back-to-back in 2007), the fact that the Grangers were so laissez-faire with their daughter, especially considering that she was entering a hithertofore hidden world.

Yeah. And we've got to assume that they loved their daughter, given as how Hermione showed emotion regarding their brainwipe. And they showed up to pick her up from the railway station and such.

No, the Grangers and Hermione's family life were just sacrificed for the convenience of Rowling's story, that's all.

[oryx_leucoryx]

I know if it was *my* child who had a letter delivered by owl saying they were magikal and therefore eligible to attend a school for magikal children to learn advanced magik, I'd not only demand to meet with the head/principal of the school, but the whole staff, and I'd demand a tour of the school and grounds!

Until one of the staff Confounded/Imperiurized/Memory Charmed you till you agreed. Rowling admitted that if her child had been invited to hogwarts something more than normal persuasion would have been required.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

I think in OotP it's mentioned that the Grangers miss Hermione, but she sort of uncomfortably brushes it off and notes that she told them that everyone stays over school and it's important if you want to do well (ie. if they selfishly insist on seeing her, they'll be holding her back.)

[oryx_leucoryx]

A pity that Crookshanks, like so much else, was jettisoned by Rowling after the book in which he was introduced.

In POA Crookshanks was great because the villain was inside Gryffindor tower, and a rat to boot. So he could act as though the rat was untrustworthy and the behavior is perceived as normal predatory behavior.

This year the villain is never in Gryffindor tower, so all Crookshanks can be critical about is Harry and Ron's dishonesty about their homework. Still it would have been better to let Crookshank hiss and snarl at 'Moody' and have his behavior interpreted as a reaction to the real Moody's paranoia and resulting tension.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

Or he could have shown Umbridge what kittens grow up to be!

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

I don't know for sure if it's just Harry/Hermione jumping to conclusions. Though I can't say 100% for sure Eileen was from a pureblood family. However, Hermione's statement of "he must have been proud of being half a prince" sort of hints that the Prince family had to be more than muggles or muggleborns or halfs.

However there is nothing that really conclusively says Eileen is or was a pureblood. I think there is evidence to support it but it ends up being something open for debate.

The thing is, at what point do the pureblood elite except a half-blood? I imagine if they are picky about who is and isn't pureblood, I'm pretty sure they have some kinda mesurement on at what point a half-blood is good enough to be their 'friend'.

I'm inclined to think for Severus to be allowed into the DE, and as a higher up DE, the Prince family might have been an old wizarding family or had some pureblood connections at some point.

So when does a half-blood get accepted into the circle of the Death Eaters?

It just makes me feel like the Prince family must have been or had some kind of standing in the magical world.

Going by Hermione's comment and Harry's it makes me think Eileen may have come from a pureblood family that wasn't higher up or may have had a status not unlike the Weasleys; maybe they were poor or some back history of mixing with muggles.

We do know that Eileen was with Tobias a muggle. So you have to wonder how she got with him. What made her choose a muggle over a wizard, she went to Hogwarts so would have been exposed to the magical population. So, that part does make me ask, if she was from a pureblood family how/why did she end up with a muggle.

We're lead to believe she was not pretty so it's very possible that If her family wasn't as well placed in the pureblood society that there was never an offer or a family who had a marriagable man for her. Maybe nobody wanted her and thats why she ended up with a muggle.

But I can just as easily argue that maybe she was born from a muggle/magical and that made her halfblood.

I forget now, but what was Harry considered? Wasn't he considered half-blood? So Eileen has to be either from a pureblood family or from the connection of a magical/muggle.

There are a lot of possibilities that could make her pureblood or half, but I still have to question if JKR was letting Harry and hermione jump to conclusions or was she imparting info to us that was factual about the character of Snape.

That the information comes at the end of the book sort of makes me believe this is the final word on what the truth is.

IF the Prince family was a pureblood family, maybe Eileen was an only child and being that she was a girl, basicly that means the prince name died with her. Severus basicly claimed the Prince as a nickname. To me that says there must be more to the Prince surname than them being muggles/non-magical/muggleborn.

Would Severus feel inclined to make that name special if the Prince were just muggles?

I'm more inclined to think Eileen may have a similar history to Voldemort's mother. Maybe she was from a pureblood family who was poor or low in numbers and instead of being born a boy she was a girl, thus being the last Prince the name would die with her. Maybe that plays a part into why Severus considers the Prince name important, maybe he wanted to hold onto that name for a reason.

I just think there has to be more to Severus promoting the Prince in his nick. It makes me think they must have been considered pureblood for him to be proud to use the name.

[oryx_leucoryx]

The Prince name could have been a wizarding name without Eilen being pureblood. The last pureblood Prince could ahve lived 20 generations previously, if each generation a Prince male marries a Muggle female or a Muggle-born female their child is a half-blood Prince.

Would Severus have made a big deal of this if it were the case? I don't think he made a big deal of his Prince ancestry. It was his private nickname for himself, nobody else knew he used it. It has a romantic sound. And it is a come-back at the ultra-purists like Bellatrix (but unlike Lucius) to whom being a half-blood is a hindrance - ('look, I'm a half-blood, and more talented than all you purebloods put together').

If one is to believe what Rowling wrote on her site, the minimum to become a pureblood is 4 wizard grandparents. Which means many families switch between being purebloods and half-bloods and back over the generations.

So when does a half-blood get accepted into the circle of the Death Eaters?


Since the one doing the recruiting to the DEs was Tom, not Bella, all the time. He took anyone he found useful and inclined. Hermione thinks the majority of DEs are really half-bloods.

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

I think the situation is, we're all working off our own ideas of what we think is right since JKR doesn't really give us a 100% answer, only comments from Harry and Hermione and Severus himself. He did declare himself the Half-Blood Prince at the end of the book.

The books in the sitting room can explain why Severus knew so much magic because we got the implication that he knew more curses than a 7th year. So, the idea that he was reading and learning above his age level is clear.

Does that mean that the books were the Pureblood Prince family book collection. It could easily mean that they are. Does that mean the books have been there for years? I suppose it could, but it is also just as valid a theory that when Eileen married Tobias those books were moved there with her.

If she was the last Prince, then she would have inherited the family book collection. If that was the case it doesn't 100% mean the house was the prince house, it only means the books belonged to Eileen. I don't think magical people have a problem moving things around or making shelves.

One can imagine anything, Eileen could have been orphaned while at Hogwarts. Her parents could have been older and she could have been all alone at the age of 15. There are lots of possibilities out there so I think we're all working off what we think is the right one.

We're talking many years here, for Eileen and Severus. I don't think it would take a magical person very long to hang a shelf. If Eileen was alone, she could have married Tobias because he was the only man who would have her. And if we're talking pureblood there are all kinds of pureblood families. The Wesley family easily accepts muggles and they are pureblood. There is no reason to assume that just because the Prince was a pureblood family means that they were like the Malfoy's. It doesn't mean they were elitist - the could have been poor and yes they could have owned spinners end, just as easily as Tobias could have owned it.

It's just as easy to theorize that the Snape family knew the Prince family. That doesn't make the Prince family less magical.

We've got Severus teaching from 1980/81-1991. Could he have aquired those books in that amount of time? Of course he could. He doesn't seem to have gone out and bought a huge estate to live in and he doesn't seem to be throwing money away on frivilous things as his home seems moderate and unextravegant.

To me it's just as easy to assume he expanded his mothers collection. Maybe his mothers collection was not as large as what we see in Spinners End. So Severus once he was having his own income may have added more shelves and more books.

You can also theorize that Severus and Eileen may not have bought new books and perfered to buy second hand, old leather bound books.

One could also theorize that Severus collected older books and did not buy new. We seem to get the idea he likes books, there is no reason to think he lost that like once he became a teacher.

Obviously there are a lot of ideas one can play with.

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

Does that mean that the books were the Pureblood Prince family book collection. It could easily mean that they are. Does that mean the books have been there for years? I suppose it could, but it is also just as valid a theory that when Eileen married Tobias those books were moved there with her.

My opinion -- and I'm clearly labeling it as opinion -- is that whatever books Eileen may have had in her possession when she married Tobias weren't so many as to cover most of the walls in the living room. My opinion is also that since young Severus tells Lily that his father doesn't like magik very much, that Eileen's books on magik probably weren't openly displayed in the living room.

There was a similar situation in my own family -- my paternal grandfather, allegedly a fairly highly-degreed Freemason -- according to my mother had a large library of esoteric and "occult" subjects, that my grandmother apparently found very embarrassing ("What will people think?")

My grandfather had to hide the books in the attic; he predeceased my grandmother, and when she died, all we could find were two volumes of what apparently had been at least dozens of books. My grandmother had thrown all the other books away.

Perhaps Eileen Snape kept her own books hidden in a trunk, perhaps they were tucked away in the attic; I do agree that Severus had access to those books and that explains why he knew so many spells when he first went off to Hogwarts.

But the way Rowling describes the living room in HBP if feel reflects Severus' own modifications. Not only would he wish to have his mother's collection easily at hand, but also his own acquisitions as an adult.

And I think he'd have a library at home separate from Hogwarts for a couple of reasons; first, there is already a library at Hogwarts, and it could be that some of the books at Spinner's End are also in the Hogwarts library.

It could also be that some of his personal books are considered rare and therefore valuable, and perhaps he doesn't want to risk bringing them to Hogwarts in case they get stolen. Also, perhaps some of the books are considered "dark" subject matter, and so would be at least "uncomfortable" to have discovered at Hogwarts.

Finally, we don't know that all of the books ARE devoted to the occult. For all we know, Snape may have a collection of medieval French poetry.

There is no reason to assume that just because the Prince was a pureblood family means that they were like the Malfoy's. It doesn't mean they were elitist - the could have been poor and yes they could have owned spinners end, just as easily as Tobias could have owned it.

The only objection to this theory I'd raise is that we consistently see wizarding families separating themselves from Muggle society; even the Weasleys, with a father who ostensibly is fascinated with Muggles, seem to have absolutely nothing to do with the Muggles in the village that is nearby their house.

So I just can't buy the premise that a pureblood wizard family, even a poor one, would live smack in the middle of a bluecollar working-class Muggle neighborhood.

You can also theorize that Severus and Eileen may not have bought new books and perfered to buy second hand, old leather bound books.

It may not solely be a case of finances...oftentimes one finds rare and unusual books when one searches the second-hand shops.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

...we consistently see wizarding families separating themselves from Muggle society...

*sigh* Only the good guys. The horrible, Muggle-hating Blacks lived in a Muggle neighborhood in London. Godrick's Hollow seems to be a secret Wizarding section of an existing Muggle town where Muggle and Wizard both are buried in the same graveyard. That would imply that at least some of the Muggles knew some of the wizards because they went to church together. Ariana Dumbledore was injured because the family lived in proximity to Muggles who didn't understand magic there in GH, too. The ultra-exclusionist Gaunts live right where Merope can see, meet and spirit away a wealthy Muggle...

Speaking of the Blacks, it makes you wonder - they lived amongst Muggles and they hated them. Arthur Weasley, OTOH, doesn't live near Muggles and he's fascinated by them. Could the Blacks' hatred (or, maybe, fear disguised as hatred) of Muggles come from actually seeing them and knowing something about them?

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Fred is excited at the thought of Dudley eating deadly candy. Oh, *untested* deadly candy, that's even better!

It's worrying how people buy into the revenge fantasy that is the HP series. Everyone laughs this 'prank' off, says that Dudley deserves it, that it's justice, etc. etc. So if he'd taken the trick candy after everyone had left and choked to death, that would've been funny? The twins costing someone their life would've been just a huge joke? (judging by fandom's response to Sirius' prank, I guess so)

I know this isn't reality, the twins are fictious, they're not really endangering another kid's life...but fans of the series get so passionate and worked up over every slight, real or perceived, to Harry and then are just so callous about an actual potential life-or-death situation, it's crazy!

I really, really dislike Arthur. I have this thing where I cannot stand people who are corrupt and weak even MORE when the majority of fandom doesn't see those negative qualities and worships them. So many people talk about how he's the perfect father, yeah right. Let's protect the twins from the consequences of their actions, that'll learn 'em!

The heavy-handed way he treats the Dursleys leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He invades their home, destroys their living room wall, their son is suffocated by magic and they're terrified and don't want to extend any courtesy or make conversation- and they're at fault for not being open and welcoming?! Give me a break. Then he has the nerve to try to make them express affection/concern for Harry- I mean, wtf, how much more condescending and controlling and superior do you want to be?!

For the first time in canon, Ginny isn't at all awkward around Harry...We don't know when she and Hermione had their little talk.

I really like this detail. Too bad it didn't play a larger part in their interactions. I like fics where the two girls are friends, instead of that sense that they're just making nice with the future sister-in-law.

I'm supposed to think Percy is a pompous, ambitious idiot for taking work home and caring about it.

THIS IS WHY HE DESERVES DRAGON DUNG IN HIS INBOX, YO. Because he's hard-working and wants to advance his career.

This together with his outward personality and his position all make him an ideal surrogate father to Percy

What's with him calling Percy 'Weatherby'? He calls Arthur 'Weasley' in the next breath, so it's odd to me that he gets Percy's name mixed up. Or is it a fond joke at Percy's expense, just messing with him? It doesn't mesh with his stern, uptight demeanor but who knows.

Crookshanks was one of the heroes of last year's adventure - sniffing Peter out in his rat disguise, communicating with Sirius, sending messages by post. This year he's just a cat who chases gnomes

Don't you know new characters/devices/etc. that get introduced are only showcased in their respective books? They have no application beyond that! Duh!

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, that's an interesting list of comparisons! (I read another somewhere in which there were things like Sirius, a character who could shapeshift into a dog...something to do with Dianna Wynne Jones...James and the Giant Peach...I have to look it up, it was crazy how much stuff she stole. Oh, how about Larry Potter? A boy with dark hair and glasses...the author also made up the word Muggles, etc. etc.)

Also, yay for another Diane Duane fan! I wrote an essay comparing HP and YW here. (http://borg-princess.livejournal.com/83698.html#cutid2) ^_^ I also ranted about the car scenarios in both books! Yeah, there really is no comparison- Kit was kind and reaped the rewards. The boys abused it, and yet it saved them? O.o

Don't forget the worst witch series

[urbanman1984.livejournal.com]

Miss Hardbroom, from the Worst Witch, looks like McGonagall and is deputy headmistress, is mean like Snape, and teaches Potions.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

I do wonder if Albus or Minerva framed their actions as bullying the way Dudley's teachers apparently described his stunts.

I wouldn't be surprised. But of course, the Weasleys are the perfect family and the Dursleys are the worst parents ever. Even if they both are incapable of rearing their respective sons properly, have no control over them, indulge them excessively and don't impose limits or punishments appropriately.

Even Bill joins those who dis Percy. Because while he works for a bank, his job description is robbing graves, which is much better than working in an office regulating international commercial transactions

LOOOOL. Yeah, I don't get the universal hate for Percy. He's the only Weasley I like. It KILLS MY SOUL that he APOLOGIZES in DH. While suffering YET MORE DENIGRATION as he's attempting to mend things with his family. Ugh.

this is still her first personality, whose favorite brother was Bill. Next year we'll see Ginny v 2.0 whose role models are the twins

Don't hate me, but I like early!Ginny. I found her so charming in GoF, and even in OotP, although she did come off a bit Mary-Sue-ish, but still inoffensive. It's a shame that HPB!Ginny just marred my attitude to her.

Sirius 3, Harry 1. Even with people who are close to him he is more of a taker than a giver.

Yeah...and we're supposed to buy that he loved Sirius and wanted to be a family with him? He only cares when he wants something from him, or when he can wring additional angst about his life from some tragic event. Seriously, it takes people dying for Harry to give a damn.

The twins sent Percy dragon dung in the mail, how hilarious! How kind, how mature

Yeah, everyone picks on Draco's sense of humor (which I actually find amusing, when he's not making comments about mudbloods that's the equivalent to 'eww, girl cooties', but I have this whole head!canon that explains it, so I'm good) but act like the twins are the kings of comedy and are just the most hilarious, side-splittingly funny guys ever, when...yeah, life-threatening candy and poop, that's what they got? 'k, then.

[xerox78.livejournal.com]

The twins sent Percy dragon dung in the mail, how hilarious! How kind, how mature

I think few people would find it funny if Ron had sent poop to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He'd be a jerk who was jealous of his older brothers' success. And if Percy did it, even it as payback, everyone would act like it was the equivalent of an Unforgivable Curse.

Percy is "pompous" and "conceited" about his career, but he's not the one requiring that he be called "Mr. Weasley".