Head Boy an' Girl

[danajsparks.livejournal.com]

Now, yer mum an’ dad were as good a witch an’ wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an’ girl at Hogwarts in their day!

--PS chapt. 4 Many of us have questioned how James (and, to a lesser extent, Lily) could have been head boy, given everything we've been told about his behavior as a teenager. But I'm wondering... are we absolutely certain that he actually was head boy?

It occurred to me this morning that the only mention of James and Lily as having been head boy and girl in the entire series is Hagrid's statement above, which he makes soon after delivering Harry his Hogwarts letter. We are told multiple times in multiple books that Tom, Bill, and Percy were all head boys, but it is never once stated again that James and Lily were head boy and girl, not even when the trio is looking through an old list of head boys in chapter 13 of CoS.

We know that Hagrid is not the most reliable source of information. Just a few hours later, he will tell Harry, "There’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin," completely glossing over the fact that man who betrayed Harry's family was a Gryffindor. When he declares that James and Lily were head boy and girl, he is in the midst of countering Petunia's claims that they were strange and abnormal freaks who got themselves blown up. Could he be lying here... or, umm, exaggerating the truth a bit? (They weren't really head boy and girl, but they should've been, given how totally awesome they were).

After all, it is Hagrid's assigned duty to make sure that Harry agrees to go to Hogwarts and follows in his parents' footsteps... including, eventually, the whole getting themselves blown up part.

Comments

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Voldemort only having a tiny group of supporters kind of makes him less intimidating, IMO. Of course, I always thought Umbridge was a much more effective villain anyhow.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I always thought Umbridge was a much more effective villain anyhow.

That's because we actually see her for more than five minutes!!

Plus she's not the complete idiot whom Riddle turns out to be in the final book.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Good point. I got the impression that Voldemort died mostly because it was the last book and he was supposed to die, not because he actually messed up. Almost makes you feel sorry for him- the main villain is supposed to have a cool and memorable exit, right?

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I got the impression that Voldemort died mostly because it was the last book and he was supposed to die, not because he actually messed up.

Oh yeah.

I'm always entertained by those fans who protest that their 'Jo' didn't make any errors at all in lining up Harry and Voldemort for the big finale, because, after all, everyone KNEW that it had to finish that way. Who cares about whether the author actually orchestrated that final meeting in a fashion that made sense?

It's one of the "we'll give poor Jo a free pass" excuses that makes me slightly nauseous to this day.


Almost makes you feel sorry for him- the main villain is supposed to have a cool and memorable exit, right?

Yeah. Instead it was the opposite:

Harry: Look, I'm telling you, the Elder Wand has picked ME as its master!

Harry: If you try and curse me you'll die!

Voldemort: *curses Harry*

Voldemort: *dies*

Worst. Villain. EVER.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Who cares about whether the author actually orchestrated that final meeting in a fashion that made sense?

And if IIRC, it was made even worse by the fact that everybody else was just standing around and watching the two of them go at it. War, what war? This is more like a high school brawl.


It's one of the "we'll give poor Jo a free pass" excuses that makes me slightly nauseous to this day.

Especially since it seems to me that most other authors don't get this kind of free pass, and because she has gotten enough free passes for a years' worth of trips to Disney World. Admittedly, I gave her quite a few myself though before I came to my senses.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Worst. Villain. EVER.

For some reason this scenario makes me think of the old elementary school taunt: I'm rubber and you're glue... This is probably not the right kind of feeling for the climax of a series.