POA: Chapter Three

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

The Knight Bus

*Harry is at large on the streets of Magnolia Crescent and there is anger burning in his heart. But don't worry the love is there too. Its mixing with the anger to create something really good and is sure to save the world.

*Oh no, Harry's stranded in a muggle world. As if the wizarding world is any safer.

*Damn, Harry is now a fugitive and expelled from Hogwarts! He violated the underage magic rule.

*There is a lack of notices from the MOM. I'm thinking this was still during the years that Fudge was still Dumpeydore's water boy.

*Well, now that he is a magical JD, an underage runaway BUT with a vault of gold, why not just use MORE magic? To hell with it all, right Harry? I'm sure the MOM can't pin down you're whereabouts at all. Too bad you aren't as smart as Riddle. I'm sure HE knew all the places he could practice magic without getting expelled. In fact, I'm sure most of Hogwarts (who aren't friends with the trio) know where they can practice magic without being expelled.

*You know, I'm thinking that this restriction is really just to handicap powerful muggle kids.

*Harry feels as if he is being watched. He turns to see a large dog and promptly falls down in surprise.

*The knight bus arrives just in time to prolong the mystery. Damn you Shunpike.

*Shunpike jumps out of the bus to deliver his speech. He is dressed in a purple outfit and his ears are really large and his skin is pimply. I suppose that was why he didn't get a job at the MOM. He was too ugly. We can't have ugly people running around the Ministry. Nope.

*Of course Shunpike has a thick, low class accent. Which is why he is working for a bus company. Don't you just love these books? We always know who is the upper crust from the low because Harry and pals have an RP dialect. Even Ron who should really be speaking with a lower class accent. But then again, his family were most assuredly former Kings of England fallen on low times. Nothing really, really bad can happen to the heroes. The Weaselys may be poor but their blood is the PUREST OF ALL!

*Harry tells Shunpike that he is Neville Longbottom. This is the only time Harry ever thinks of Longbottom away from school. Neville can always be good for an alibi.

*Harry asks Shunpike why muggles can't see the bus. Isn't it great that Harry buys into the prejudice of this world? It is a wonderful example of how loving and giving he really is.

*Shunpike is here only to give information about Black. He is a veritable scholar on Black crimes. He also very generously gives us information on Azkaban.

*Fudge is waiting at the Leaky Cauldron for Harry. Poor Shunpike he fawns all over Fudge. I guess he is still hoping for a better job. Clear up that acne, shrink your ears and learn better pronunciation Shunpike.

*A Harry Potter series bon mot: People who don't speak well deserve the low class jobs they get.

*Another bon mot: If you aren't connected by blood or friendship to someone better, you deserve the low class job you have.

*Fudge laughs off Harry's magical mistake. He states that Aunt Marge has been obliviated and the Dursleys will take him back.

*I shudder to think of what the aurors did to the Dursleys to convince them to take back Harry.

*Harry asks Fudge if he could give him permission to go to Hogsmeade.

*I love how Harry completely forgets all the trouble he has caused and immediately just thinks about his own silly problems. Harry needs to go to Hogsmeade, dammit!

*Fudge refuses to give permission. Damn Fudge, the aurors couldn't get a signed permission note from the Dursleys while they were messing with the Dursleys memories? This is HARRY POTTER you know. He just can't be treated like any old normal person.

*Harry is shown to his room and Hedwig is waiting for him.

*I guess staying with the Weaselys was too much for even Hedwig to handle. She would have rather taken shelter with the homeless Harry. Darn, that is saying quite a bit about the Weaselys.

*Harry then sleeps the sleep of the pure and blameless at the Leaky Cauldron inn.

Comments

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

From the gist of the conversation, you don't seem to be the one trying to justify the author's choice of specific stereotypes to inform Stan Shunpike's character. :)

I agree with your critique wholeheartedly, and think you make a very good point here:

If this was an egalitarian society with proper education for all (for a population considerably smaller than non-magical people) then why is Stan stuck in this job, with a horrible accent and sucking up to Fudge?

Why indeed? And whether or not Stan is "happy working as a bus conductor" is irrelevant – he's there because of lack of choices in his circumstances.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

I'd say that just from the couple of mentions of him in the text, he doesn't sound particularly satisfied with his job.

"It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did," said Ron. "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister of Magic when he was trying to chat up those veela?"

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

he's there because of lack of choices in his circumstances.

Yes. He is also filling a position that seems rather useless. Ernie doesn't really need him to take the tickets. Couldn't some magical doodad accomplish the same with less fuss?

[woman-ironing.livejournal.com]

And whether or not Stan is "happy working as a bus conductor" is irrelevant

Y'know, I think Stan might argue with you on that.

And what is this dangerous idea of giving people with regional accents choices?

(What on earth is so horrible about Stan's accent? Millions of Londoners are perfectly happy with it!)

In fact, Fudge was only third choice for Minister for Magic; he got the job after first Dumbledore and then Stan had turned it down. According to The Quibbler anyway. If you check Wizipedia you'll discover that Stan Shunpike is a famed entrepeneur and owner of the EasyKnightBus network. He regularly does a stint on the platform to keep in touch with the needs of his customers and staff. His philanthropic interests include a foundation for the preservation and promotion of the UK's many diverse regional accents. He has an important collection of vintage buses, which is open to the public at his eighteenth century Sussex country house, Pikesworth.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

See, I have to believe you're purposely trying to wind people up here, because there's no way that you can possibly believe these arguments make sense.

There is no Stan Shunpike, so the relevance of his personal non-existent opinions about his non-existent job are moot.

Neither has this community deduced that Stan works as a conductor because he has an accent - our first clue that this was his job was the fact that it's his job. In the text.
Same as we've assumed that Dumbledore and McGonagall are teachers, and that Harry is a student at a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

People's attitude towards the writing of a character in a book =/= people's attitudes towards regional accents, people who speak with regional accents or even their own opinion of Stan Shunpike's character/personality.
Equally, noticing the author's treatment of class differences does not equal being classist.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to take apart the accent thing if it's funny. I mean, would McGonagall be funny with an accent?

I think it's probably more, as you say, just pulling on certain stereotypes--comforting ones, perhaps, because it suggests the WW mirrors the Muggle world in ways it wouldn't necessarily do (while overturning the connection between exclusive boarding school with money by substituting magic). I've always liked Elkins' look at that aspect and the comparisons to the familiar types of Agatha Christie:

http://www.theennead.com/elkins/hp/archives/000145.html