An alternative origin for Baby Teddy

[sunnyskywalker]

Because I was re-reading some old recaps in various places, and it suddenly struck me that there's an awful lot of speculation that if someone screwed up/deliberately skipped the contraceptive potion, that someone must have been Tonks. I've wondered about that possibility myself. It seems primarily based on two factors: (1) Tonks was pursuing Remus in the previous book, and he was reluctant for various and possibly-not-all-stated reasons, and (2) that's how the most reliable Muggle contraceptive method works.

Tonks was indeed pursuing Remus. She pressured him by debating the merits of their relationship in public, thus bringing more peer pressure to bear on his decision. But do we know her well enough to know whether she'd force a baby to participate in this drama? Hard to say, really - I'd be open to arguments either way. And since for the most part she only discusses her relationship issues in private with a very few people as far as we know during that whole year - granted Harry isn't around enough to provide reliable observation on that point, but at least she doesn't ever start telling the kids her woes - it's possible that the scene in the hospital wing was a stress-induced lapse on her part, if you want a more charitable reading.

So point 1 could go either way, and as for point 2, we can't rely on magical contraception being a perfect analogue of ours. Why couldn't they have a Spermus Mortalitus potion? (Or an easily-reversable Vasectomus or Fallopius Tie-us spell, for that matter... And yes these are all bad Latin, but so is JKR's.)

Just because Tonks ended up being happy about the results doesn't mean it was her actions that led to them.

And in canon, who is the person we know to have forgotten to take a very important potion at least once before, consequently endangering others and causing himself trouble as well?

Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6: The Ghoul in Pajamas

[oneandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Author's note: I have no idea why the final sentence in one paragraph came out smaller than the rest of the post. It was all posted and enlarged together.

This chapter starts with more wallowing in the “shock” of grief over Moody. I’m sorry, but why is this a shock? They were in a battle! People get killed in battles! They act like he was walking across the street and got run over by a car, or died in some other unexpected manner. This angsting is ridiculous!

( Read more... )

Deathly Hallows, Chapter 7: The Will of Albus Dumbledore

[oneandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Author’s note: It’s not a good idea to eat or drink while reading this installment. There’s some Snapish sarcasm at the end that may make you spray your computer. He’s not in the chapter, but I imagined what might happen if he were.

This chapter begins with Harry experiencing a Voldie-vision in his dreams. Ron wakes him up, and Harry asks if Ron knows who Gregorovitch is, since Harry thinks Voldy is looking for this man.

( Read more... )

Deathly Hallows, Chapter 8: The Wedding, Or, Dishing the Dirt on Dumbledore, Part 2

[oneandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Harry takes some of that new, super-strength DH Polyjuice that lasts for several hours. He now looks like a Weasley cousin, even though Fred stole the hair from a local non-magical boy. This makes me wonder if, besides the accountant cousin, there are other non-magical Weasley relatives the family doesn’t know about, or at least acknowledge.

( Read more... )