HBP Chapter Thirteen
Jun. 9th, 2006 11:53 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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deathtocapslock*I sense another time-out coming for a Pensieve trip.
*The school is buzzing about Katie, who has been removed to St. Mungo’s. I love that nobody ever seems upset that there’s no actual investigation into this with any updates or anything like that. An unknown assassin targeting students seems unremarkable on the rumor mill. But then remember this is a school where the most popular boy jock is going out with the most popular girl jock is far more interesting than the most popular boy exsanguinating a classmate.
*Not that I can talk when the headlines in my national press are currently dominated by Brangelina’s baby.
*Ron and Hermione are now feigning deafness whenever Harry brings up his "Malfoy is a Death Eater" theory. You’d pretty much have to be deaf to not see that this theory isn’t all that illogical even from their pov.
*What’s also odd is that Ron and Hermione—Hermione especially—have no interest in alternate theories or indeed the case itself.
*Harry’s indignant that Snape was the one to cure Katie Bell. He probably got his Snape cooties all over her!
*Harry identifies Phineas as Sirius’ great great grandfather—is he Draco’s great great grandfather too? I mention this because I’ll bet when/if this information comes up Harry will be completely shocked by it.
*DD assures Harry that Mundungus is now afraid of facing him. Mundungus was allowed to steal whatever the hell he wanted from Grimmauld Place when he was stealing from the Blacks—Phineas is still the only person who cares about that. But this book Dumbledore’s not going to miss a chance to show he’s on Harry’s side. Yeah, he’s all over Mundungus. Sure.
*Dumbledore says he’ll take appropriate measures to investigate who murdered Katie. Not that anyone will hold it against him if they never turn up anything. Katie’s not one of those awful Purebloods whose parents might come to the school demanding answers.
*Harry feels a bit resentful—color me shocked! If his lessons are so important, why are they so far apart? Gee Harry, you think maybe you’re supposed to be thinking about the last lesson on your own in between?
*Why does Dumbledore even call them lessons, anyway? Aren’t they more like…information sessions? Just drawn out interminably through use of the Pensieve?
*Harry’s indignant at Caractarus Burke cheating Merope for her necklace. You know, the kind of thing that would be clever and cute if it had been Lucius Malfoy selling the necklace to the Twins.
*Dumbledore explains that Merope couldn’t use magic because she either didn’t want to be a witch anymore or her powers were sapped by despair, which can happen to witches in love. I don’t see why we need a rather disappointing subplot with Tonks to prove this, but apparently we do. The guy you’ve been enslaving for months leaves you? The guy you like doesn’t want to marry you? Poof! There go your powers. If you’re a girl.
*Harry is indignant that Merope didn’t save herself for her son. Dumbledore asks if he feels sorry for Lord Voldemort. Haha! That’s funny Albus. Like Harry would care. He’s just judging Merope.
*Dumbledore asks Harry not to judge Merope too harshly, since after all she never had his mother’s courage. Well, jeez, that explains it. I’m amazed she managed to put her clothes on in the morning without the all-important courage. That’s why we need Gryffindor to lead us!
*Younger!Albus has auburn hair, so he must be pretty cool.
*Also he’s dressed in plum velvet and garish taste in clothing is a sign of being a good person. (In the books, that is. Fandom continues to try to hang tacky ruffles on the Malfoys and dress the Weasleys in vintage chic.)
*Mrs. Cole may have seen a lot of horrors running a home for orphans in a poor section of London, but faced with a man in purple she can barely put two words together.
*Tom’s name’s been down for Hogwarts since his birth, so yeah, it’s written by a magic quill. A magic quill that still manages to create a pretty homogeneous student body and a serving class with funny accents.
*Mrs. Cole is an inconveniently sharp woman, meaning that she asks a question or two before turning over a pretty boy orphan to a strange man dressed like a pimp.
*So Dumbledore zaps the woman’s brain to make it easier. Gee, that doesn’t disturb me at all. It’s good to know wizards can do stuff like that when they want a child for themselves.
*One wonders why Dumbledore feels the need to also get Mrs. Cole drunk, having already addled her mind. Sadly, I think in his mind he feels like this makes it somehow less manipulative—she chose to get sloshed, she deserved it!
*Mrs. Cole tells how one night Merope Gaunt showed up, gave birth, and died an hour later. Then she had to clear off quick because there was a long line of other destitute Victorian women waiting to give birth to orphans to star in their own nineteenth century novels.
*This story might be somewhat sad if it wasn’t lightened by Mrs. Cole’s alcoholism. Thank goodness for demon gin!
*Tom was a funny baby. Even as an infant he made bad choices.
*Dumbledore asks if Tom is a bully and Mrs. Cole says yes. Well, you can certainly see why he succeeded at Hogwarts, then.
*Mrs. Cole also explains that Tom’s showing signs of being a sociopath—luckily again he won’t stand out at Hogwarts.
*Mrs. Cole then wanders into that odd grey area of the HP books where some kind of sexual abuse is suggested by hinting at something dreadful happening when the two little children followed Tom into a cave, but if you bring it up the more hysterical fans would probably tell you you were sick. I admit it does add a nice little frisson to the proceedings!
*There was no trace of the Gaunts in Tom’s face. It’s all in his blood.
*I love Tom’s TELL THE TRUTH! Mantra, though I’m not yet sure what it means. One thing I do know is he’ll never get his wish from Dumbledore, who follows the Obi-Wan “from a certain point of view” method of truth-telling.
*Dumbledore’s all comforting to Tom telling him that he’s not mad, he’s just a magician. The budding signs of sociopathy will easily be fixed through the ability to perform violent magic, I’m sure.
*Tom looks fevered. Awww, he’s like little Draco the Nutter.
*Hee. I kind of love little Tom’s switch from psycho to polite schoolboy. I’m sure we’re supposed to think Dumbledore’s super smart for seeing through this act, though of course a Muggle psychiatrist would probably be a lot better at it.
*Err, in fact the Muggles may have been in general more hip to Tom’s true evil nature had he stayed in that world.
*Okay, so Tom, the budding sociopath who’s already killed animals and attacked children, demands a demonstration of Dumbledore’s magic and Dumbledore obliges by...setting afire a wardrobe? Can anyone explain what the man’s thinking here? A simple levitation spell wouldn’t do, he’s got to tempt him with arson?
*Dumbledore then warns Tom that thieving is not tolerated at Hogwarts under the previous headmaster’s reign. In his own years as headmaster Luna Lovegood’s putting up notices for the return of her stolen possessions in the corridors.
*Luckily I’m sure tormenting other students was considered all in good fun even then, so Tom will still be able to indulge in some of his favorite hobbies.
*In fact, if Tom Riddle and Fred and George had been at school at the same time, we’d probably be reading about Voldewarts and the two houses of Slytheriddle, Weasleydor.
*Dumbledore continues to lecture Tom on the law and order that supposedly governs at Hogwarts, so he won’t be able to torture other students. Erm, so am I to assume it was Tom who introduced the current policy of "Gryffindors have their reasons?"
*Dumbledore tells Tom as a wizard he must abide by their laws. He hasn’t yet told him wizard laws bend like silly putty, if you know the right people.
*There’s a fund at Hogwarts for kids who need to buy robes and things, a fund I suspect was just made up this second since Ron Weasley goes through an entire year with no wand, but whatever.
*Harry thinks Dumbledore will insist on accompanying Tom to Diagon Alley and is surprised when he doesn’t. I’m not sure why Harry’s surprised. When’s Dumbledore ever been particularly responsible about kids?
*Tom somehow knows that being a Parseltongue is the strangest power he has. I guess the knowledge is carried in his blood.
*Dumbledore points out that Tom Riddle used the word "special" to describe the fact he could do magic, contrasting him to the wonderfully humble Harry who could not believe he was a wizard. Well, we can see which one of these boys belongs in stinking Slytherin! Only villains think they’re above other people. Heroes know they’re above other people and shoulder the responsibility nobly.
*Dumbledore says he intended to keep an eye on Tom, which he would have done anyway, being that Tom was alone and friendless. Either Dumbledore’s stopped keeping watch over the alone and friendless by the present day, or else "keeping watch" means "watching kids be alone and friendless without doing anything to interfere."
*So it’s interesting and ominous that Tom had some control over his powers and used them. You mean like turning a teddy into a spider as a toddler? Or trying to make an Unbreakable Vow? That kind of interesting and ominous control at a young age?
*Dumbledore also reminds Harry of Tom saying he could hurt others if he wanted to…err…so he’s a lot like our band of hero wizards then?
*Dumbledore mentions Parseltongue is an ability associated with the Dark Arts, but as "we" know it also exists amongst the great and good. Oh my god, does he mean Harry? Laying on a little thick even for you, Albus, aren’t you?
*"Time is making fools of us again," says Dumbledore, having another one of his little hiccups of sounding really gay in the fourth grade definition of the word.
*Tom Riddle also has a magpie-like tendency, so he can’t be all bad. Magpie-like is a lot better than serial-killer like.
*Heh. Wouldn’t it be cool if instead of making horcruxes out of stuff like rings and cups they were made out of, like, body parts of his victims?
*Again, all this stuff could probably just be told to Harry, perhaps with more focus and explanation. I know Dumbledore’s pretending to "teach" so he wants to be all proud when Harry makes a connection or sees where all this is going, but a straight profiling might be more effective.
IITS
Setting a wardrobe on fire. Just for dramatics? WTF?
Designated hero
Should I be worried by the fact that magical talent and conduct disorder share so many of the same symptoms?
Informed Attributes
From listening to Dumbledore talk one would almost think he was a responsible headmaster instead of whatever the hell he really is.
Misdirected Answering
Sadly, this is probably my favorite Tom Riddle flashback and yet it still just kind of stops the plot dead without any real payoff. The basic idea seems to be: look, here’s Tom still evil, but smaller. I guess it could come into play in the next book if Harry has to do anything psychological with Tom, but Harry doesn’t seem to have much skill for that sort of thing. All these flashbacks could be told straight out in one sitting.
Final score: 4
I almost went for the James Bond exposition score, but I think a true Villain Exposition speech would have been less tedious.
Slytherin Liquid Count: 2
Yes, we’re back to Slytherin again and that water level rises accordingly! Dumbledore and Harry dip into the pensieve, and Dumbledore gets Mrs. Cole so pickled on gin she’s all but drooling over her desk.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 04:34 pm (UTC)An unknown assassin targeting students seems unremarkable on the rumor mill.
"It's okay, they're probably just after Harry again."
Not that I can talk when the headlines in my national press are currently dominated by Brangelina’s baby.
Headlines in this country are full of the World Cup and Wayne Rooney's foot. Oh, and Victoria Beckham's foot, yesterday. Only of interest to her, surely?
What’s also odd is that Ron and Hermione—Hermione especially—have no interest in alternate theories or indeed the case itself.
It makes it so much better if nobody else UNDERSTAAAAANDS *emosob*
is he Draco’s great great grandfather too?
Well, Narcissa is Sirius' cousin, which means that a parent of hers and a parent of Sirius's must be siblings. So Phinneus Nigellus might be Narcissa's great great grandfather too. Which would make him Draco's great great great grandfather. Who's got that Black family tree?
Dumbledore says he’ll take appropriate measures to investigate who murdered Katie.
Nearly murdered, I do believe. But anyway, what might these measures be? Giving them a stern look? Making a mental note of it and telling people afterwards "Yes, I knew it was him all along"?
You know, the kind of thing that would be clever and cute if it had been Lucius Malfoy selling the necklace to the Twins.
Although Lucius probably gives more of a crap about how much money he gets for stuff. Bless the space where his heart should be :)
Anyway, I have a tiny hope that the Twins will be done for selling weapons to Death Eaters. Be fun to see Harry cry "foul!" and have Molly weep as Percy has altogether too much fun relating their psychopathic tendencies to the audience. It'll be a shame we'll have to see it through Harry's eyes, with all the attending "Harry couldn't believe Percy would ever say such a thing. The twins had never intended to harm anyone with their light-hearted japes." nonsense.
her powers were sapped by despair, which can happen to witches in love.
I guess I can see people being unable to perform their normal activities due to depression, and I suppose having your husband leave you alone while you were pregnant might bring on such depression, especially in someone who didn't have anyone or anything else. I still think it's pathetic in Tonks, mind. And, as you say, never happens to blokes. Funny, that.
Harry is indignant that Merope didn’t save herself for her son.
People die in childbirth due to complications involving selfishness and cowardice. If they were decent and brave, they'd have stayed alive to be mothers almost as good as St. Lily the first.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 04:52 pm (UTC)OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO VICTORIA BECKHAM'S FOOT???!!
Nearly murdered, I do believe.
Oops. Look, I can't be bothered to keep track of whether or not people who haven't done much for Harry are alive or dead.
But anyway, what might these measures be? Giving them a stern look? Making a mental note of it and telling people afterwards "Yes, I knew it was him all along"?
LOL! For the win!
Although Lucius probably gives more of a crap about how much money he gets for stuff. Bless the space where his heart should be :)
Yay! I am so hoping for a Twins-related disaster. *crosses fingers*
I guess I can see people being unable to perform their normal activities due to depression, and I suppose having your husband leave you alone while you were pregnant might bring on such depression, especially in someone who didn't have anyone or anything else.
Yeah, I have no problem with the concept--it's very dramatic and all. I just think the Tonks plot makes it really dumb.
People die in childbirth due to complications involving selfishness and cowardice. If they were decent and brave, they'd have stayed alive to be mothers almost as good as St. Lily the first.
And what about that Longbottom woman? She couldn't even stay sane for her kid. Jeez.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:42 pm (UTC)Yes. Because these are children's books...supposedly. Lately they are neither fish nor fowl. So we get strange little diddies like this sidenote story.
*Hee. I kind of love little Tom’s switch from psycho to polite schoolboy. I’m sure we’re supposed to think Dumbledore’s super smart for seeing through this act, though of course a Muggle psychiatrist would probably be a lot better at it.
It takes one to know one? Maybe? At that time (in the late twenties) there was no means of support or diagnosis to identify a burgeoning psychopath. Not that there is all that much in place now to identify them either. They slip under our radar because most of them are intelligent and very talented mimics of social graces. The fact that Dumbledore and Cole even noticed something wrong with Riddle means that Riddle is stupid or its a convenient plot point. I would say the latter.
*Dumbledore says he intended to keep an eye on Tom, which he would have done anyway, being that Tom was alone and friendless. Either Dumbledore’s stopped keeping watch over the alone and friendless by the present day, or else "keeping watch" means "watching kids be alone and friendless without doing anything to interfere."
Since Dumbledore was way ahead of our law enforcement officials in identifying a potential threat, it indicates to me that the WW allows a big leash to all their psychopaths and those traits are allowed/encouraged.
*Mrs. Cole is an inconveniently sharp woman, meaning that she asks a question or two before turning over a pretty boy orphan to a strange man dressed like a pimp.
That was a good one! LOL
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:51 pm (UTC)Do you think she'd had the courage to die for Neville?
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:58 pm (UTC)Considering Dumbledore takes especial care to note how Voldie considers himself above his contemporaries and is friendless, and that little!Tom was dominating and secretive, it sounds like Albus was perhaps a little threatened by the competition! Those are all qualities he has in spades.
those traits are allowed/encouraged.
Look at the popularity of Harry and the Twins...
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:00 pm (UTC)Since Riddle was so upset about Dumbledore being a mental health worker, it indicated to me that Cole may have tried to "help" Riddle in the recent past.
I mean, sure, the WW has a very bad conception of mental health, but isn't anyone ever suspicious that someone might be possessed?
That is a good thought. But I think the cronies of the DOM mess with exactly that type of magic. So posession isn't a worry to these folks.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:04 pm (UTC)Maybe Dumbledore and company knew exactly how "talented" Riddle was and they wanted him. Even with his faults. The safest option would have been to revoke his place at Hogwarts and magically bind him from accessing his powers.
But then there would have been no series. Shrug.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:14 pm (UTC)How could he possibly think Pomfrey could have more knowledge than Snape? Madam P is a chick. It's cool for her to know stuff about how to console the tears of the injured or blowing on a bruised knee, but the Dark Arts is serious business and needs a guy's level-headed logic.
Harry identifies Phineas as Sirius’ great great grandfather—is he Draco’s great great grandfather too?
LOL, this reminds me of the Tonks fan I saw who was mocking how inbred the Malfoys are. The Malfoys who are related by blood to the Blacks, you mean?
Note how Dumbledore's the caring sharing liberal in comparison with Phineas, who wouldn't allow a student to question the way Hogwarts is run. Dumbledore only stops the Ministry, the parents, or students whom he dislikes from having their say.
There was no trace of the Gaunts in Tom’s face.
He's reading a book, too. Probably theory. Why, Albus should have known all along!
Dumbledore also reminds Harry of Tom saying he could hurt others if he wanted to…err…so he’s a lot like our band of hero wizards then?
Tom's first interest in magic was to hurt others! Not like Harry, who was looking for a book on how to curse his family on his first trip out. That was an example of his humanity and the awfulness of the people he left behind, I'm sure.
Katie, who has been removed to St. Mungo’s.
Dumbledore's getting hourly reports, even! I'm sure he would have known Katie's name if asked prior to this. And I'm equally sure he consults regularly with the Edgecombes and the Montagues over their children's progress. Probably visited Draco in the hospital wing with candy when his arm was slashed.
Why does Dumbledore even call them lessons, anyway?
Because we're learning how to tell bad people from their blood, stupid!
Dumbledore explains that Merope couldn’t use magic because she didn’t want to be a witch anymore
She could have done magic to get herself food, apparently. Unlike the Weasleys, who must suffer nobly and silently, using their magic only to punish the wicked.
Harry thinks Dumbledore will insist on accompanying Tom to Diagon Alley and is surprised when he doesn’t.
Dumbledore lets people make their own choices. Unless their choices are to resign because they're incompetent, or to not win enough points to win their house cup, or to demand that the Gryffindor Quidditch team be disbanded until approved.
a fund I suspect was just made up this second since Ron goes through an entire year with no wand, but whatever.
Tom's greedy about it, though. (...Unlike the Weasleys?) Goddamn grabby orphans! Of course, if Tom were of true, noble stock, he'd have been left a trust fund, but since he's po' white trash, he doesn't deserve one. Enjoy being a charity case!
Harry is indignant that Merope didn’t save herself for her son. Dumbledore asks if he feels sorry for Voldemort. Haha! That’s funny Albus. Like Harry would care. He’s just judging Merope.
It's so refreshing to see how much insight these guys have into the rigours of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood!
Dumbledore asks Harry not to judge Merope too harshly, since after all she never had his mother’s courage.
She also had a situation that couldn't be further from Lily's, except that they were both pregnant with boys at some point.
Lily was healthy, apparently fairly privileged (educated, talented, 'cheeky' and stood up to James which implies confidence, married a wealthy guy, pretty) with a family and friends and a husband; Merope was starving and underprivileged (poor, ugly, untalented, alone, with a family who just abused her physically as the most hopeful possible interpretation.)
This has got to be one of the more offensive lines in the series (probably not in the top ten, but maybe the top twenty?).
(I might add Merope had the courage to give birth to her son rather than killing herself and thus him to as soon as Riddle, left. Except that really is an unthinkable action in the Potterverse.)
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:18 pm (UTC)Whereas the student body was panicking during Chamber of Secrets (students left Petrified and waiting on a potion to revive them) and Prisoner of Azkaban (presumed bad guy in the vicinity, but not known to have recently attacked a human). Mrs. Rowling, I'd like to introduce you to Continuity. Continuity, this is J.K. Rowling. Talk among yourselves.
*Why does Dumbledore even call them lessons, anyway? Aren’t they more like…information sessions? Just drawn out interminably through use of the Pensieve?
The term you're looking for is "info dump." But I can just picture Rowling: "Must show, not tell...must show, not tell...must show, not tell...."
*One wonders why Dumbledore feels the need to also get Mrs. Cole drunk, having already addled her mind. Sadly, I think in his mind he feels like this makes it somehow less manipulative—she chose to get sloshed, she deserved it!
"It is our choices that define who we really are, Harry...and she chose to drink that gin." But...but...but the Dursleys chose not to drink that mead. I'M SO CONFUSED!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:33 pm (UTC)Seriously. Without it, Merope makes sense. She's already defeated by life, she connects magic with her family and failed marriage presumably... With Tonks, it's just 'Girls. Without a man they wither and DIE.'
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:39 pm (UTC)Dumbledore has an odd hard-on for coercing people to drink in this book. And then someone tries to poison his mead. Instant karma's gonna getcha, Albus! (Only, thanks to the intereference of the author, it sadly doesn't.)
Mrs. Cole then wanders into that odd grey area of the HP books where some kind of sexual abuse is suggested by hinting at something dreadful happening when the two little children followed Tom into a cave, but if you bring it up the more hysterical fans would probably tell you you were sick. I admit it does add a nice little frisson to the proceedings!
What that bit reminds me of most is the section in Machens "The Great God Pan" on the childhood of Helen V. and the fate of the children who went into the woods with her. Which is pretty full of the implied kink as well.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 06:39 pm (UTC)'THEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIED!' roared Potter. 'DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY HER HOUSEMATES WHO ONLY KNOW HER NAME CAUSE SHE'S ON THE QUIDDITCH TEAM, AS THEY WOULD'VE DONE FOR HER IF IT WERE HEROIC ENOUGH TO SUIT THEIR EGOS!'
But then, even in CoS Snape isn't allowed to help depetrify the students, although he is the Potions Master.
Aren’t they more like…information sessions?
Info dumps. In all senses of the word.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 07:15 pm (UTC)LOL! Exactly. It's the Blacks we're told are kind of inbred (which is a horrible thing!), so Tonks' mother is bad, but she herself has a father from someplace else. However, it's only also Draco's Mum who's a Black and the name Malfoy appears nowhere else on the family tree that we've seen, so what's the problem?
Tom's first interest in magic was to hurt others! Not like Harry, who was looking for a book on how to curse his family on his first trip out.
To be fair, Harry didn't need that interest in magic because Hagrid had already assured him that he could, indeed, hurt people with it.
Because we're learning how to tell bad people from their blood, stupid!
D'oh!
I might add Merope had the courage to give birth to her son rather than killing herself and thus him to as soon as Riddle, left. Except that really is an unthinkable action in the Potterverse.)
In the endless "Merope was a victim of Tom Riddle Sr." discussion I was in there was a lot of talk about how Merope couldn't possibly have gotten an abortion in the 1920s. As if witches wouldn't have invented a handy Potion to do that probably back in the Dark Ages.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 07:16 pm (UTC)Wouldn't you love to have seen what would have happened if Mrs. Cole hadn't been a lovable alkie? Would the gin have been chasing her around the room by itself?
Info dump! That's the word I needed--thanks!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 07:18 pm (UTC)It's amazing how many problems involve this solution somehow, isn't it?
no subject
Date: 2006-06-09 07:18 pm (UTC)