HBP, Chapter 3: And now, back to Our Hero

[pacoman.livejournal.com]

In Which Dumbledore Reveals His Secret Alias As Pot Black.


- The chapter's first sentence states that "Harry Potter was snoring loudly." I suppose this is JKR's way of saying that her darling boy isn't a Gary Stu. Hopefully, Draco Ginny sleeps like an angel, awakable only by a chaste kiss.

- The way he's described in the opening parragraph, he kinda sounds like Johnny Depp. Just something I noticed.

- Our first Prophet excerpt marks the first time in the book that Harry is referred to by his new moniker, that of the Chosen One. He alone will stand against the Vampires, the Demons and the Forces of Darkness. Or he'll turn to the Dark Side. Whichever.

- The Ministry leaflet about "Protecting your home and family against terrorists dark forces", aside from giving advice obvious to anyone with a speck of common sense (Oh, wait), gives first mention to the headache-inducing Side-Along Apparition and to the Inferi. Just how you're expected to contact the Ministry once you've encountered an Inferius, however, is never clarified.

- I've recently watched the first Batman movie, and Dumbledore's treatment of the Dursleys in this chapter strikes me as eerily similar to how the Joker treats everyone in that movie: as showing a jovial surface that hides unspeakable danger. Even Harry seems to notice this, not that he cares what his Hero does to a bunch of people he doesn't care for.

- In a truly touching display, Sirius left something in his will for his gay lover completely platonic friend, Remus Lupin, as he, unlike Harry, actually has need of some money. Oh. Wait.

- Dumbledore takes a turn at playing the part of Authorial Voice, by mentioning how Dudley was mistreated. Dudley doesn't remember any such instance, and I hope "from his parents" is implied, because he was definitely mistreated by wizards (and probably by Smeltings upperclassmen). Not that Dumbledore referred to it in such a way.

- "And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." And in one sentence, Dumbledore shows more about his view of his mentorship of Harry than anyone wanted to know.

Comments

[pacoman.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that, were anyone to ask Rowling, she would say that the Dursleys are just squares. Or smack the questioner upside the head and go all "DURRR!!!"; it's not like any of her characters wouldn't do that.