GOF Chapter 5: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
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deathtocapslockFred 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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 02:51 pm (UTC)Well I guess Rowling would argue that it would work the same way with pilots, that they would only see ruins and not take pictures.
Wait, she actually said that Muggles see Hogwarts as a ruin and therefore just don't care about it? The stupid, stupid... woman. Even with authorities such as the land office (who generally like to know about all buildings in their assigned district) put aside, if there is a ruin of a castle anywhere, it's bound to be frequented by local kids, random tourists, amateur archaeologists etc. Besides, Hogwarts is not just the castle – it's a large area with a lake, a stadium, a village and a forrest – how is the Forbidden Forrest prevented from being entered by Muggles? And how is it possible to hide a railway from London to Scotland? And even if Muggles really couldn't see any of this, what prevents them from hearing the noise the wizards produce?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 03:32 pm (UTC)Any Gryffindor would find that sign an added attraction. Well, maybe Muggles are never supposed to be Gryffindor-types.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-02 06:53 am (UTC)Not that that would stop anyone who was determined.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 05:13 pm (UTC)Muggles are either good little obedient Hufflepuffs or evil Slytherins, of course.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-02 01:42 am (UTC)Still, it'd probably have to be a large area, to include the castle and the grounds including the whole forest. You have to wonder whether they might have included the whole village of Hogsmeade while they were at it.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 03:33 pm (UTC)ROWLING: Silly! You expect me to be concerned with science and logic? LOL
no subject
Date: 2011-02-01 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 06:42 am (UTC)Very good points! I love this, it's something I'd never thought about, and you're so right! The only thing I can suggest are Muggle-Repelling Charms, so they'd make people want to keep away. I have this scene in my head where the local land people see the images and want to go check it out, so off a couple of them go, but then return almost immediately, to the puzzlement of their colleagues. 'Why didn't you go explore? Wasn't that the plan?'/'Yeah...I just lost interest, I guess?' So then the others decide to go take a look...and they also return very quickly, having suddenly become disinterested in exploring. And it happens over and over, with them, with others, and it's just this loop of people being repelled, lol.
ETA. IDK about that railway, though. Would it really have spells all over the entire length of it? What if someone wanders across the invisible railway track just as the train goes past? O.o
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 07:21 am (UTC)The above would be a prologue to a story about Muggle relatives of wizards forming a support group (probably online, wizards won't know to look there). They would recruit the Grangers and Mr Finnigan, among others. But I think what they would like eventually is to find Muggle relatives of magical children who are still under Hogwarts age, maybe encourage them to leave the country before their children turn 11. So they may need a contact who knows how Hogwarts works. This could be a very disillusioned Severus Snape, if he managed to escape from the Shrieking Shack to the Muggle world.
Since I can't write I'm just leaving this outline for anyone who might be interested.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 03:36 pm (UTC)It really does seem stupid, doesn't it? Especially when most of the so-called wizarding families apparently are mixed, and have both magical and Muggle members. It would be much easier if the concealing charms worked on the basis of “once you're told about it or shown it, you can see it.”
probably online, wizards won't know to look there So much win! I like the way you think. :D Can't write worth a darn either, though. :(
Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-05 01:39 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-05 04:05 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-05 06:12 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-05 06:16 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-06 08:19 pm (UTC)http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6721547/1/Where_dreams_and_nightmares_mingle
Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-06 10:26 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-06 11:57 pm (UTC)Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-07 06:02 pm (UTC)I am happy that you have read my other stories :) I take it then, that you know exactly who Harry saw in the dark alley. Not a character I would want to meet anywhere! :o
Re: Fanfiction
Date: 2011-02-15 10:57 pm (UTC)http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6721547/3/
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 03:28 pm (UTC)ETA. IDK about that railway, though. Would it really have spells all over the entire length of it? What if someone wanders across the invisible railway track just as the train goes past? O.o If they were wizards, they would see it. If Muggles, well tough luck and several more inexplicable deaths for the tabloids to write about. :D In the movies, IIRC, the train is seen going across fields. And I wonder how do the farmers plough over the invisible rails?
Btw. Speaking of the Forbiden Forest – what keeps the magical creatures from leaving it? Why do they live somewhere dark and dangerous, if they could just run wild in the Highlands? Don't tell me they fear the stupid, powerless Muggles?! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 09:28 pm (UTC)I'm going to suggest (not that Rowling put any thought this direction at all) that the train track is disguised as an old, unused track that the railroad "won't take down" since it's possible they "may use it again." I've seen older tracks, raised a little from the surrounding area, going through fields. Farmers just cut passageways under the tracks for their cows to go across.
An old, deserted rail line can also breed stories of the Ghost Train that comes along four times every year...
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 09:53 pm (UTC)Although still, chances are that somebody would notice there’s an abandoned railway where there shouldn’t be any. A hundered and fifty miles long single track railway, that, interestingly enough, doesn’t go through any towns, and has no stops whatsoever... :)