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

Re: Part I

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

A reader's response to a book comes from what they see in the text and what they bring to the text themselves. I get the impression that in this community the latter predominates.

If two people disagree on what's in the text, each's way--to that person--is going to seem more from the text, because we're not aware of our own biases as much. There's always somebody in fandom explaining to you how you must "worked" for your honest reaction, because otherwise you would have had their honest reaction instead!

I get the impression that in this community the latter predominates. In relation to Stan Shunpike is there really any suggestion in the text that Stan's job is less than anyone else's - than the Minister for Magic's, for example, or any of the passengers on his bus?

Not "less than" if by that you mean Stan is considered less human by the text. Less than in the way it is in our world and the WW. It's nice to say that a job as a bus driver is the same as being the PM, but there are actually differences between the two jobs, and they often reflect different backgrounds and classes (and the person of one class has more choice between the jobs). This seems just as given in the WW as it is in our world. That's why NEWTS are important and Stan brags about being the PM.

Nobody's saying Stan's accent makes him unworthy of Hogwarts but the opposite.It seems a little affected to pretend one's occupation doesn't affect one's life, and that one's background and education isn't usually tied in with one's occupation (which is a different issue than personal happiness). Apparently this is so in the WW, despite the quill.

Is this really what’s being done? The books make fun of the Dursleys continually but I thought this was an example of the Dursleys’ different treatment of Dudley and Harry.

It's the way it read to me. I thought Dudley's uniform and the Smeltings tradition was obviously being held up to ridicule, along with the Dursleys' pretention and their dressing him up in that silly outfit. I don't think requires projecting onto the text, even if not everyone sees it. Hogwarts isn't perfect, but I don't think the text seems conflicted about its being the best. I don't see how it's different than noting the Harry's burning hatred and power of love thing.

But what do we know about the Hogwarts students, and does what we know really enable us to pronounce on their social class?

I would assume people are basing it on the students whose background we know about and other textual signs like that (it's not just readers seeing a contrast with Stan). I'd be more worried the person not making these connections was missing something.

There is, however, evidence against a middle-class bias at Hogwarts in the books: the names of all wizarding children are put down for entry to Hogwarts at birth...Has the community considered these points?

I don't know if "the community" has considered anything, but some people in it have obviously noticed how JKR uses accents in her characterization, which is a much stronger part of the text. They're looking at the story more than Hogwarts as an institution.

I mentioned the way that the other person's reading always seems more labored, and this is how this seems to me. I'd have to do more work to "correct" this impression when it seems like the author's peopled her world the way she wants to just fine without my trying to fit it into a PC ideal just because somebody challenged something. When I think of the students I think of all the students I know, and when I think of WW bus drivers I think of Stan, I think more due to the author's choices than any bias from my own life.

Re: Part I

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

You're going to do all my talking from now on. I do hope that's OK with you, I always get into a tizzy and start spitting nails, and really, I think it's for the best.

I also agree with you that this kind of community increases my enjoyment of the text: I mean, without it frankly I would never have noticed Stan Shunpike much, because he didn't interest me particularly and so I felt callous indifference about his job and accent. But hearing what strikes other people is always both exciting and challenging.

Re: Part I

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

You're going to do all my talking from now on. I do hope that's OK with you,

Not on your life, missy!!