OOTP Chapter Thirty-Eight: "The Second War Begins"

[for-diddled.livejournal.com]

* And struggling manfully over the finishing line comes the final instalment of OOTP spork. Better late than never, as they say. :)

* Judging by the plot of the next couple of books, “war” in the wizarding world has the specialised meaning of “sitting in a tent doing nothing for several months”.

* Ginny and Neville have been totally cured, whilst Ron’s still bearing the scars of the brain attack. It would be nice to say that there’s some clever symbolic message behind this, but unfortunately this is a J. K. Rowling novel, so that would be a complete lie.

* Apparently “thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else” (ooh, profound!), but the effect is mitigated by rubbing “Dr. Ubbly’s Oblivious Unction” onto the scars. I suppose this foreshadows Ron’s complete lack of thoughts in the next one-and-a-half books: his mental capacity has been removed by the Oblivious Unction. His partial return to intelligence in the last half of Book Seven is because the effects are – finally – beginning to wear off.

* Why on earth does anybody take the Prophet seriously after this book? Surely Hermione can’t have been the only one to notice to total about-face they’ve done over Harry and the return of Voldemort. Not even wizards could be so stupid as to not notice that the paper spent all its time ridiculing Harry, but is now suddenly showering him with praise. Right?

* Hmm, so it appears that non-verbal spells are (all other things being equal) less powerful than verbal ones. Anybody with a better memory than me know if this idea is backed up in the rest of canon?

* Once again, I’m struck by Hermione’s arbitrary scepticism. So Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are stupid, but living in a magic castle learning to do spells with a magic wand and being taught by a centaur and a half-giant aren’t? You’d have thought that somebody who found out aged eleven that all this fairy-tale stuff was real would be a bit more hesitant to dismiss things, even if not many other people believed in them.

* Flitwick’s magicked away Fred and George’s swamp, but left a little bit as a sort of memorial to it. Because if you’re trying to run a school, obviously the best thing to do is to look like you admire flagrant pieces of rule-breaking. That couldn’t possibly have any negative effect on school discipline.

* Filch is unhappy that Umbridge is gone and Dumbledore has replaced her. Maybe I’m just missing JKR’s really subtle point about racism and bigotry here, but this seems to imply that the bigoted, pureblood-supremacist Umbridge actually treated Filch with more respect than the enlightened, tolerant Dumbledore. Consistency? Bah! Who needs it?

* Yay, let’s all laugh at the person who’s clearly suffering from PTSD! That’ll show everybody that we’re totally the heroes of this book!

* “‘How can you say that?’ Hermione demanded. ‘After we’ve just found out that there are real prophecies?’” Actually, that raises an interesting question: Dumbledore seems to consider the whole subject of Divination to be something of a joke, yet organises his entire military strategy around a prophecy. Yeah, I can totally see why he’s seen as this super-wise and intelligent person.

* Also, kudos to Hermione for actually changing her opinion on something when presented with new evidence. I know this is difficult for wizards to do, and I think she ought to get some credit for it. Anybody recall whether she expresses an attitude on Divination in the final two books?

* Swimming with a giant squid sounds quite dangerous. Do the pupils never suffer any mishaps in the lake? Or does Dumbledore just hush them up like he does most other injuries?

* Malfoy comes along and threatens Harry, enabling Our Hero to deliver a series of witty put-downs and remind us all how awesome he is.

* Then Snape arrives, and Harry feels “a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malfoy”. You know, for a boy whose defining characteristic is his ability to love, Harry seems to feel a remarkable number of such rushes.

* McGonagall bustles forth imperiously, shoving her bag at Crabbe and Goyle and telling them to take it to her office. Somehow I get the feeling that if Severus had done this to Harry, we’d be treated to a whiny internal monologue about how unfair it is for Snape to treat pupils like his own personal servants.

* Harry’s actually getting a bit short-changed here. I think most people who’d just alerted the world to the resurrection of an evil un-dead sorcerer would want more than a few House Points in return.

* Not content with imprisoning one giant in the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid’s now decided to find “a lady friend” for Grawp. We don’t hear anything about this idea in later books, so it looks like something fortunately came up to dissuade him from it.

* So Professor McGonagall has let Peeves borrow her walking-stick so he can use it to attack Umbridge. Nice to see her setting a good example to the students there.

* Although knowing how violent Wizarding society can be, they probably would think that she’s setting a good example.

* Hey, isn’t there a spell that enables people to pack trunks instantly? Maybe Hogwarts should try teaching pupils how to do that, rather than pointless things like making pineapples tapdance or turning rabbits into fluffy slippers.

* What is the point of the mirror subplot? It just makes Harry look like an uncaring, forgetful jerk for not opening it sooner. I know it’s featured in DH, but it would have been quite easy to come up with another way for Harry to receive it (like, say, having Dumbledore give it to them shortly before he dies).

* Also, I like the way that Harry assumes the mirror isn’t working because Sirius didn’t have it on him when he went through the veil, rather than because he’s, y’know, dead.

* So can ghosts choose to die later, then, or is the decision to stay on after death irreversible?

* Luna is openly putting up signs pleading for the return of her stuff… and neither Flitwick nor any of the other members of staff seem to be doing anything about the theft which is clearly rife in Ravenclaw. Nice to see the school taking such good care of its pupils.

* Alright, I agree that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were wrong to try and ambush Harry like that, and the DA members were right to stop them, but… was it really necessary to turn them into giant slugs? And then just leave them on the luggage rack without calling for help? They could have been seriously injured! Talk about disproportionate retribution…

* Also, the Malfoys seem curiously blasé about their only child getting hexed into deformity. This is the second time in a row that Draco’s been attacked like this, but apparently neither Lucius nor Narcissa see fit to make a complaint.

* Ernie’s looking forward to the expression of Mrs. Malfoy’s face when she sees her son because… he’s still annoyed at Draco for docking House Points. *sigh* And there was me thinking that Hufflepuff was the saner of the Hogwarts houses…

* Marietta Edgecombe’s still wearing a balaclava to cover her scars. Harry doesn’t feel any pity towards her, but on the other hand he doesn’t feel a thrill of vindictive triumph either, which is quite good going for him.

* Ginny’s split up with Michael Corner after he got upset that Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw at Quidditch. I think at this point I’m starting to get idiocy fatigue: earlier in the chapter I’d have felt compelled to make a remark about how annoyingly childish this is, but now my reaction is more along the lines of “Meh. I suppose that’s the sort of thing they would do in these books.”

* Ron suggests that Ginny goes out with “someone – better – next time”, giving Harry “an oddly furtive look” as he says it. This will be forgotten next book – presumably it’s too subtle for Harry to pick up on – and we’ll be treated to endless angsting about how Ron would react if Harry and Ginny started to go out together.

* Harry tells Mrs. Weasley he’s fine, but the narrative voice makes sure to tell us he’s lying. Harry’s not fine at all, because his life is full of angst and suffering, and he experiences pain that we non-chosen ones cannot begin to imagine.

* The Order members who greet Harry clearly reckon that the Dursleys will mistreat him given half the chance, but don’t think to find him somewhere else to live over the summer. It’s surprising how often Harry’s wizarding friends send him to live with a family of known abusers over the holidays, then get all shocked and self-righteous when they find out that Harry’s been abused.

* “It could not have been plainer that she was thinking of what the neighbours would say if they caught sight of these people marching up the garden path.” Really? I thought she was worrying about what they might do to her and her family, seeing as how they’re armed with magic and the Dursleys would be practically defenceless against them. Or is that not enough of a negative middle-class stereotype for JKR?

* This last scene makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe I’d feel different if the Dursleys’ abuse actually seemed to have some realistic consequences, rather than being all cartoony and impossible to take seriously, but the image of seven wizards threatening a family of defenceless Muggles isn’t one that I can enjoy.

Comments

[malic-ba.livejournal.com]

* Then Snape arrives, and Harry feels “a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malfoy”. You know, for a boy whose defining characteristic is his ability to love, Harry seems to feel a remarkable number of such rushes.

OK, I know the complete wrongness of the super-special 'power of love' has been pointed out before. Rowling really does seem to define it as 'the power of implacably hating people who have hurt or offended those close to me'. But why does she think this is so unusual? I mean, so she prides herself on her ignorance of the fantasy genre, but even if she doesn't watch action movies she must be aware of what they are?

Is it just something that wizards don't generally do, and it doesn't count if muggles do it, like that unnamed mother (was she German?) sacrificing herself for her child?

Dumbledore's statement about Harry being protected from joining Voldemort because his ability to love his parents was so special - does that mean that most wizards would be fine with serving their parents' murderer?

(Hmm. If that's so, perhaps one of Hogwarts' roles is to instill this pragmatic attitude. Maybe there were terrible intergenerational blood feuds in the Founders' day?)

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

It's strange how special Lily is made out to be because she "sacrificed" her life to save her child.
Lily does it and Harry is protected Volemort nearly destroyed.
A muggle mother does it and nothing happens - of course muggles don't count!
In the muggle world a mother dying to protect their child would be a natural thing.In the wizarding world a mother dying to protect her child is "special".
In the muggle world refusing to serve some one who killed your parents would be normal. In the wizarding world Harry's refusal to serve his parents murder makes him special.
Why are wizards better than muggles again?

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, did Voldemort try to attack the German woman's children after he killed her? If so, then yes, the fact that nothing happened to him makes no sense. Unless the only reason why Lily's sacrifice worked is that there is some inherent magic in a sacrifice that a wizard makes, not a Muggle.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Yes, as I remember it, Voldemort killed the German woman's children after killing her. But, to be fair, what we are told is that Voldemort offered Lily a chance to live if she would step aside - and he meant it. He didn't offer the German woman any such chance. So the difference isn't the mother's action, but Voldemort's intent. It's still a mystery why Lily is considered so special for doing what any mother would do, however.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Who considers Lily special? Her fans do and Rowling does, but in universe the only people who consider Lily special are Horace (and that is about her behavior as a student), Dumbles (who had his own motives) and Severus.

And the fans mostly have this construct of Lily built on stretching the few bits about her in canon and wishfully interpreting them in the most favorable way possible without thinking too deeply.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

I think the 'Love Power' involved is not Harry's, but instead Snape's. The only reason Lily's sacrifice worked was because Voldy had truthfully offered her the chance to live and she repeatedly (3 times is the charm!) offered herself instead - standing in the way.

In the end, it wasn't Harry's love that allowed him to come back from Voldy's AK - it was Lily's sacrifice. Therefore, Harry's 'power' that Voldy didn't know was Lily's protection in Harry's very skin. And that 'power' came from her sacrifice, which only worked because Snape asked Voldy to spare her and Voldy fully intended to do so. So, the actual 'love' comes from Snape's love of Lily as the instigator. Lily's love also plays a part, as does Harry's love for his friends that sends him off to meet Voldy alone. But it is Snape's love that begins it all.

[wolf-willow31.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. However, many fans argue that Snape's love was "selfish" - it was only for Lily, and only because he wanted to "possess" her. While the former may be true, the latter is only an assumption.

Of course, Harry's "love" wasn't exactly universal, either.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

They’re probably influenced by the descriptions of a young Severus looking “greedy” when he sees Lily for the first time and Dumbledore’s condemnation of Snape for only begging Voldemort to spare Lily and not James or Harry.

But, of course, the fact that Snape let Lily go after she ended their friendship – we never hear of him stalking her, harassing her, or pleading with her to forgive him and take him back after that – can possibly serve as a counterargument against the assumption that his love was selfish. Also, the fact that he tried to protect her child even after she was dead.

[lynn-waterfall.livejournal.com]

And the fact that he seemed ready to kill himself when she died. His reaction right after her death doesn't really make any sense if his love for her was entirely selfish.

[oryx_leucoryx]

And the fact that he went to Dumbles - did he for a moment think that would in any way lead to Lily being free to be with him? If his intent had been selfish all he needed was his request to Tom - either Lily would have survived alone (so he would be able to get her, maybe) or she would have died with her family (and he would have been no worse off). Going to Albus meant that if Lily were to survive, there was likelihood that her family would survive too.

[wolf-willow31.livejournal.com]

And, since he thought that Dumbles might kill him, he was obviously willing to die to save her. Nothing selfish about that.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

Voldemort offered Lily a chance to live if she would step aside - and he meant it.

Did he mean it? Or was he just saying it since Snape had asked him to spare Lily? That way he could say - "Well I offered the silly girl a chance"

Lily certainly had no reason to believe he meant it.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Yes, he meant it. If he had not; if she did not genuinely have a chance to live, her sacrifice would have been as meaningless as James'.

But, of course, she had no way of knowing that. Unless, as Jodel postulates, she set up Voldemort's fall. It would be nice to think that Lily had some agency here, but, given what we see in the text, she doesn't.

I also think it's supremely annoying that James' sacrifice (jerk though he is) is meaningless. But, in canon, it is. So is the sacrifice of that German mother, and that's REALLY irritating.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

Did he mean it? Or was he just saying it since Snape had asked him to spare Lily? That way he could say - "Well I offered the silly girl a chance"

Lily certainly had no reason to believe he meant it. -- nx74defiant

I think I have to differ here. I think Lily DID believe it. Why else keep begging Voldy to kill her instead? IF she truly believes he will kill her afterwards, then asking him to kill her instead makes no sense.

I tend to believe that Lily and James thought Voldy had come for them - not for Harry. I doubt Albus ever mentioned the prophecy to them. As far as I can tell from canon, there' so indication that they knew. It isn't until Voldy asks Lily to step aside that I think she realizes Voldy wants Harry (not her). That is when she then offers herself instead. Three times (if I recall correctly). And I think with each plea she realizes it would be easier for Voldy to just AK her. Eventually, he decided the same.