Back from the Dead!
Aug. 4th, 2006 10:35 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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deathtocapslockAt long last, another chapter review :)
We begin the chapter with a cringe-inducing exposé of inter-Trio relations as of sixth year. On the surface not much has changed – Harry's still in charge, Hermione's useful for brainwork (or just plain work, really!) and Ron provides an intangible form of moral support. But this chapter lays bare the dysfunctions that uphold and maintain the facade of their "friendship", and it's...disturbing.
Harry knows he has to get that memory out of Slughorn, who's done an excellent job of evading him all chapter. He's been "wracking his brains" all week in fact, and keeps looking over the Half-Blood Prince's Potions textbook in hopes a cunning plan will suddenly appear in the margins. Hermione is deeply aggrieved that Harry isn't automatically coming to her for help & problem-solving, so she nags & bitches at him about howher competition that textbook isn't any good. The first mention of Sectumsempra occurs here – Harry sees it and makes a mental note to try it out sometime. Thank goodness the HPB noted that Sectumsempra was "FOR ENEMIES", or Harry might have used it on Hermione at this juncture!
Ron enters the fray, doing his best to defuse tensions by playing the Helpless Male card to the utmost – he's unable to Apparate, he's having trouble with his DADA essay on Dementors, his quill won't write properly, and he simply can't figure out a way to get rid of Lavender. This behavior works to mollify (pun intended!) Hermione's bruised ego; since she finally feels "needed", she bends over backwards to do Ron's work for him. Ron tells her he loves her, yet given the circumstances it feels more like a Pavlovian reward than a romantic statement. (Funny how Lavender shows a keen interest in Divination, yet she hasn't been able to predict Ron's flagging interest!)
Thank fuck for Kreacher, who bursts into the Gryffindor Common Room with Dobby in hot pursuit. Despite his awareness of Hermione's discomfort with the use of house elves as servants, Harry rubs it right in her face anyway. (I'm reminded of the confrontation between Dumbles and Voldemort in the previous chapter, where Albus tells Tom his "friends" seem more like servants.) What's a Muggleborn girl to do when she's upstaged by two elves and a secondhand textbook??? It's a good thing Ron spills ink on his DADA paper, so she can go clean it up!
"Master Malfoy moves with a nobility that befits his pure blood. His features recall the fine bones of my mistress and his manners are those of..."
Hang on – MISTRESS? Does this mean Harry's not actually in charge of Kreacher? Now I'm really wondering what went down between Severus & Narcissa in Chapter Two as they were giving each other the eye, and how much involvement Dumbles had in that scenario!
Kreacher doesn't give away any pertinent information, but Dobby informs Harry that Draco's been spending lots of time on the 7th floor. Harry's ickle brain finally kicks into gear, and he deduces not only that Draco's been spending time in the Room of Requirement, but that the various students Dobby's seen him with are actually Crabbe & Goyle under the influence of Polyjuice potion. While the idea of C&G as eleven-year-old girls gets used for comic relief here, there's something quite wonderful about the trust they put in Draco, and their willingness to experience such fluidity in outward appearance.
Hermione doesn't want to hear any of this, since she didn't think of it in the first place, and leaves Harry to commence The Solitary Stalking of Draco:
"I need to see what Malfoy's doing in here..."
"I need to see the place where Malfoy keeps coming secretly..."
"I need you to become the place you become for Draco Malfoy..."
"I need to see what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you..."
You need a man-sized Kleenex, Harry darling.
Another DADA class with Professor Snape...there's an interesting parallel between this scene and his DADA class in POA. Inferi aren't like Ghosts – not due to any transparency/solidity issues, but because of a lack of personal willpower. Ghosts are still whoever they were in life, they retain their own personality despite losing corporeal form. Inferi are no longer "themselves", their bodies are controlled from outside. Animagi are still considered human despite their ability to change into an animal form, and they can shift shape at will – their OWN will. Werewolves are considered beasts because they cannot control their change of shape – they are subject, like Inferi, to an outside influence.
This segues nicely into the scene with Myrtle in the bathroom. Myrtle is quite a willful ghost, venturing forth beyond her U-bend and sticking up for the underdog - or in this case the sensitive, bullied fellow who's "not afraid to show his feelings and cry". Harry might have figured out the mystery boy's identity, were it not for Ron's need to take the piss out of Myrtle to make himself feel better. I can't help but notice that Draco is the bullied one – by Voldemort of course, although Harry is clearly stalking him as prey in this chapter – in absentia, while Ron, usually the weakest one, is acting the bully here. (Some idiot is bound to comment that Ron is doing "what any normal teenage boy would do!" by being a nasty little shit; I'd think that the "normal" response of a teenage boy to finding a ghost in a public loo would be brown trousers, but there you go.)
Harry gives the Room of Requirement another go, but finds only that his theory about Polyjuice!Goyle is correct, and that Tonks always seems to show up when he's in a compromised position with regards to Draco. She's picking at her sleeve, which brought up many a Polyjuice!Draco/Polyjuice!Narcissa theory after HPB was released. I'm more partial to Tonks being in thrall to the Blacks, either via Imperius or due to some bloodline-related Black Family Business situation, myself – but I'll survive if that ends up not happening in Book 7! :D
Anyway, Tonks is a mess, she's looking for Dumbedore where he clearly isn't and she's asking Harry if he's heard from any Order Members. Harry wonders if she was in love with Sirius (Would that count as Blackcest?), while Ron figures she's losing her nerve after the Ministry Incident. "Women – they're easily upset!", says Ron; we've certainly had enough unhappy females in this chapter to almost lend that theory some credit.
We begin the chapter with a cringe-inducing exposé of inter-Trio relations as of sixth year. On the surface not much has changed – Harry's still in charge, Hermione's useful for brainwork (or just plain work, really!) and Ron provides an intangible form of moral support. But this chapter lays bare the dysfunctions that uphold and maintain the facade of their "friendship", and it's...disturbing.
Harry knows he has to get that memory out of Slughorn, who's done an excellent job of evading him all chapter. He's been "wracking his brains" all week in fact, and keeps looking over the Half-Blood Prince's Potions textbook in hopes a cunning plan will suddenly appear in the margins. Hermione is deeply aggrieved that Harry isn't automatically coming to her for help & problem-solving, so she nags & bitches at him about how
Ron enters the fray, doing his best to defuse tensions by playing the Helpless Male card to the utmost – he's unable to Apparate, he's having trouble with his DADA essay on Dementors, his quill won't write properly, and he simply can't figure out a way to get rid of Lavender. This behavior works to mollify (pun intended!) Hermione's bruised ego; since she finally feels "needed", she bends over backwards to do Ron's work for him. Ron tells her he loves her, yet given the circumstances it feels more like a Pavlovian reward than a romantic statement. (Funny how Lavender shows a keen interest in Divination, yet she hasn't been able to predict Ron's flagging interest!)
Thank fuck for Kreacher, who bursts into the Gryffindor Common Room with Dobby in hot pursuit. Despite his awareness of Hermione's discomfort with the use of house elves as servants, Harry rubs it right in her face anyway. (I'm reminded of the confrontation between Dumbles and Voldemort in the previous chapter, where Albus tells Tom his "friends" seem more like servants.) What's a Muggleborn girl to do when she's upstaged by two elves and a secondhand textbook??? It's a good thing Ron spills ink on his DADA paper, so she can go clean it up!
"Master Malfoy moves with a nobility that befits his pure blood. His features recall the fine bones of my mistress and his manners are those of..."
Hang on – MISTRESS? Does this mean Harry's not actually in charge of Kreacher? Now I'm really wondering what went down between Severus & Narcissa in Chapter Two as they were giving each other the eye, and how much involvement Dumbles had in that scenario!
Kreacher doesn't give away any pertinent information, but Dobby informs Harry that Draco's been spending lots of time on the 7th floor. Harry's ickle brain finally kicks into gear, and he deduces not only that Draco's been spending time in the Room of Requirement, but that the various students Dobby's seen him with are actually Crabbe & Goyle under the influence of Polyjuice potion. While the idea of C&G as eleven-year-old girls gets used for comic relief here, there's something quite wonderful about the trust they put in Draco, and their willingness to experience such fluidity in outward appearance.
Hermione doesn't want to hear any of this, since she didn't think of it in the first place, and leaves Harry to commence The Solitary Stalking of Draco:
"I need to see what Malfoy's doing in here..."
"I need to see the place where Malfoy keeps coming secretly..."
"I need you to become the place you become for Draco Malfoy..."
"I need to see what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you..."
You need a man-sized Kleenex, Harry darling.
Another DADA class with Professor Snape...there's an interesting parallel between this scene and his DADA class in POA. Inferi aren't like Ghosts – not due to any transparency/solidity issues, but because of a lack of personal willpower. Ghosts are still whoever they were in life, they retain their own personality despite losing corporeal form. Inferi are no longer "themselves", their bodies are controlled from outside. Animagi are still considered human despite their ability to change into an animal form, and they can shift shape at will – their OWN will. Werewolves are considered beasts because they cannot control their change of shape – they are subject, like Inferi, to an outside influence.
This segues nicely into the scene with Myrtle in the bathroom. Myrtle is quite a willful ghost, venturing forth beyond her U-bend and sticking up for the underdog - or in this case the sensitive, bullied fellow who's "not afraid to show his feelings and cry". Harry might have figured out the mystery boy's identity, were it not for Ron's need to take the piss out of Myrtle to make himself feel better. I can't help but notice that Draco is the bullied one – by Voldemort of course, although Harry is clearly stalking him as prey in this chapter – in absentia, while Ron, usually the weakest one, is acting the bully here. (Some idiot is bound to comment that Ron is doing "what any normal teenage boy would do!" by being a nasty little shit; I'd think that the "normal" response of a teenage boy to finding a ghost in a public loo would be brown trousers, but there you go.)
Harry gives the Room of Requirement another go, but finds only that his theory about Polyjuice!Goyle is correct, and that Tonks always seems to show up when he's in a compromised position with regards to Draco. She's picking at her sleeve, which brought up many a Polyjuice!Draco/Polyjuice!Narcissa theory after HPB was released. I'm more partial to Tonks being in thrall to the Blacks, either via Imperius or due to some bloodline-related Black Family Business situation, myself – but I'll survive if that ends up not happening in Book 7! :D
Anyway, Tonks is a mess, she's looking for Dumbedore where he clearly isn't and she's asking Harry if he's heard from any Order Members. Harry wonders if she was in love with Sirius (Would that count as Blackcest?), while Ron figures she's losing her nerve after the Ministry Incident. "Women – they're easily upset!", says Ron; we've certainly had enough unhappy females in this chapter to almost lend that theory some credit.
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welcome back! :)
Date: 2006-08-05 11:28 am (UTC)LOL. I think his failures at everything bolsters Harry and Hermione's not-inconsiderable egoes, personally.
But this chapter lays bare the dysfunctions that uphold and maintain the facade of their "friendship".
Nice work by Harry here at pretending to have morals and making out that his loyalty to the HBP has been proved by the book saving Ron's life. Which is why when the book is to blame for nearly killing someone, Harry instantly burns it. Or runs, still covered in blood while Malfoy's skin is probably knitting, to save it. I forget which.
As well as Hermione's dismissive 'blah blah teh HBP is Snape hints'. Um, the guy who's apparently your heart's desire nearly died, and it gets a casual off-hand reference?
Harry knows he has to get that memory out of Slughorn, who's done an excellent job of evading him all chapter.
I really love how we find out Sluggy's avoiding Harry (he leaves after class 'too fast' despite being the size of an oil tanker - what, faster than a star Seeker?) and the great line: 'He can tell I've been trying to get him alone, and he won't let it happen!' LET ME LOVE YOU, HORACE! Harry's such a stalker in this book.
Hang on – MISTRESS? Does this mean Harry's not actually in charge of Kreacher?
I thought he was talking in the past-tense, maybe? Since he's saying how Draco reminds him of Mrs. Black. (Technically Bellatrix is Kreacher's rightful mistress now, yes? According to Dumbledore earlier, anyway. I wonder if Kreacher's aware of it.)
I'd think that the "normal" response of a teenage boy to finding a ghost in a public loo would be brown trousers
Isn't there some bit in this chapter where first years run away from Harry in his cloak since they think he's a swearing ghost? Like, guys, you're wizards.
I can't help but notice that Draco is the bullied one – by Voldemort of course, although Harry is clearly stalking him as prey in this chapter
LOL. When I read about this line, through spoilers, I didn't know the whole plot and who Draco's referring to, and my immediate default assumption was that it would be Harry.
Harry wonders if she was in love with Sirius (Would that count as Blackcest?)
LOL, I think it's still legal to marry cousins here, let alone in the WW where everyone's inter-related.
I love the reference to how feelings/love is Hermione's department, though. You're a girl, you know what that's like.
Kreacher doesn't give away any pertinent information.
I love Kreacher here. 'He's pretty, he looks like his great-aunt, he sleeps and eats and goes to school...' Anything so as not to be of any use to Harry or put out a Black.
Tonks always seems to show up when he's in a compromised position with regards to Draco.
If it was any other character, I'd almost take the 'why did she always have to find him on the floor?' (because you're always being a douche, Harry) line as interest in the 'she', except this is Harry, so it can be chalked up to the usual embarrassment of someone seeing him looking insufficiently heroic and applause-worthy.
I'd have liked a reaction from Tonks on the mention of her cousin's name in the post-nose break scene, though. C'mon, Nymphadora, your family is the only interesting thing about your character at this point!
Inferi aren't like Ghosts – not due to any transparency/solidity issues, but because of a lack of personal willpower.
LOL. I imagine if we see any more Inferi in B7, they'll be only of particularly dislikeable corpses - Slytherins, perhaps, so we can further the implied judgement of that phrase. Can't imagine James and Lily submitting to puppethood, dead or not! *eyeroll*