08 HP Philosopher’s Stone

[chantaldormand]

Ch8 The Potions Master

>Wizarding kids act like Justin Beiber just visited the castle. Ugh.

>Harry has problems with finding his classroom (well duh) and instead of asking one of his adoring fans for directions he stumbles around.

>Description of Hogwarts’ architecture suggests that each year there are at least a few cases of death caused by whimsical changes in environment. +1 to Death Count for vanishing step. Can you imagine what happens when you go down stairs and one of steps disappears?? 

>Honestly, Hogwarts’ students are not very creative if they cannot figure out how to deal with a patrolling cat.

>”There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.” Really? The only people who use any other kind of magic are those characters that Jo seems to hate.

>Is furniture in Hogwarts’ enchanted or something? Apparently Flitwick has to stand on books instead of, I don’t know, changing size of his own desk? Also, apparently Fillius is fan of magical Beiber...Ugh

>I would think that Minerva would tell her students things like “don’t transfigure things into edible stuff” or something, but this is Hogwarts’- school where headmaster keeps a priceless magical artifact to protect it from certain undead Dark Lord. +1 to Spell Count for Minnie for transfiguration.

>WTF? Seamus once again asks about something, this time it’s how Quirrell had dealt with zombie.

>What kids from magical families do at home? I can understand that parents didn’t want them to do any wand magic, but aside from Neville’s green thumb and Draco’s skill at potion brewing, kids act like they started to exist only when our hero boarded Hogwarts’ Express.

>“Snape’s Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them — we’ll be able to see if it’s true.” Oh, sure if by favouring you mean not sending his students into forest full of beasts in the middle of night, then yeah Severus is favouring Slytherins.

>And then a large flock of birds flew into the Great Hall to spoil everybody’s breakfast by shitting all over them.

>Hagrid asks Harry for a date via letter. Harry misunderstands it and decides to ruin it by dragging Ron with him.

>Now, now Harry, hate is such a strong word. Severus just wishes that he could smother you in your sleep and finally be free from manipulations of leaders of both sides of war. Nothing personal. Yet.

>When teacher falls over himself for local celebrity it’s ok, but when they simply point him out during roll call it’s very mean.

>Sounds like Severus spend some time writing and practising this speech. Just right amount of melodrama and right wording to impress both Gryffs and Slyths.

>Fans tend to say that Snape is very mean in this scene, but nearly all my teachers started courses with quizzing or something like that to get feel how much we know. Yeah Sev here is bit harsh with wording, but he doesn’t take away points for Harry’s lack of knowledge, he does for back-talking. Can you honestly tell me that Minerva wouldn’t slap some negative points on Slytherin student if he said something similar to what Harry said?

>It seems to me that first month in this school should be spend on learning safety procedures, but that would be too modern for our great wizards. +1 to Death Count, something that melts cauldrons and burn holes in shoes cannot be healthy for you. Nor fumes from that mixture, now that I think.

>Hagrid, you really shouldn’t have chased away those mischievous twins from the forest. We could have been free from their nasty pranks and lame jokes! +1 to Crime Count for twins breaking rule about not entering the Forest.

>Question of the day: how does Hagrid bake those cakes? He doesn’t have oven and somehow I don’t think that elves are letting him demolish their kitchen.

>Hagrid, have you thought that Mrs. Norris might follow you, because you keep live mice in your pockets?

>”“Rubbish!” said Hagrid. “Why should he?”  Yet Harry couldn’t help thinking that Hagrid didn’t quite meet his eyes when he said that.” Yes Hagrid, why don’t  you tell Harry about that one time when Snape almost became werewolf-snack?

>Another Checkov’s gun? Jo I’m running out of the space on wall near fireplace.

>Woah, woah Harry slow down. Just because Hagrid emptied a vault, it doesn’t mean that it is the same one that somebody else tried to rob. +1 to Leap of Logic.

>The tea with Hagrid gave Harry more to think than any classes. In this moment any academic curiosity Harry had, evaporated.

Crime Count: 1

Death Count: 2

Freud Would Be Proud: 0

Leap of Logic: 1

Uncovered: 0

Spell Count: 1 for Minnie

Comments

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.” Really? The only people who use any other kind of magic are those characters that Jo seems to hate./

I know that some people make fun of this line, but I think that what JKR meant was that there was more to magic than just casting spells. Harry takes classes involving potions, herbs, history, and astronomy. True, we don't find out what the students do with astronomy and History of Magic is considered to be a joke, but both Herbology and Potions don't involve wands.

/What kids from magical families do at home? I can understand that parents didn’t want them to do any wand magic, but aside from Neville’s green thumb and Draco’s skill at potion brewing, kids act like they started to exist only when our hero boarded Hogwarts’ Express./

Forget that for a moment, I'm wondering if all pureblood kids are homeschooled in standard subjects before they attend Hogwarts, considering that we never hear of Harry taking any math, science, or writing classes. Students are expected to write essays right off the bat, with no indication of being taught how to write them. Arithmancy is the closest subject that Hogwarts has to a math course and Harry doesn't take it because it's optional, so we never find out what it entails.

/>“Snape’s Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them — we’ll be able to see if it’s true.”/

"McGonagall's Head of Gryffindor House. They say she always favors them — for instance, she let a first-year join the Quidditch team and gave him a brand-new, top-notch broom."

/The tea with Hagrid gave Harry more to think than any classes./

Heh, I like Loten and Mitchell's reaction to this on Point Stick, Vent Spleen: "You have been LEARNING TO DO MAGIC."

[chantaldormand]

/True, we don't find out what the students do with astronomy and History of Magic is considered to be a joke, but both Herbology and Potions don't involve wands. /

I think this is difference in perspective. See I wouldn't call Physics 101 class a history class, just because it has segment about history of science; in the same vein I have hard time calling History of Magic, Herbology or Astronomy classes "magic classes". They teach about stuff that you can use in some branches of magic, but they themselves usually do not need magic or teach how to cast spell. And Potions, like I said, are either used by characters Jo hates or when trio cannot come up with alternative plan.

/Forget that for a moment, I'm wondering if all pureblood kids are homeschooled in standard subjects before they attend Hogwarts, considering that we never hear of Harry taking any math, science, or writing classes./

That is one of these thinks that I don't even want to think about so my brain doesn't set itself on fire. I remember my writing when I was eleven and while I don't know enough about UK's schooling system to pass judgements, I wouldn't even dare to ask 11 old kid to write an essay for me. It's not worth loosing so many brain cells :/

/"McGonagall's Head of Gryffindor House. They say she always favors them — for instance, she let a first-year join the Quidditch team and gave him a brand-new, top-notch broom." /

The way I see it Minnie favours her students when it works for her.
'My houses' quidditch team doesn't have Seeker and I caught bratty rule breaker who has talent? I drag him to meet Quidditch captain and give him the best broom money can buy!'
'Bunch of my students dishonoured my House by acting like dirty Slytherins? Off you go to Forest of Death!'
'An over-archiver student wants to take all classes? Here, take this time machine and remember to earn all those delicious house points!'

/Heh, I like Loten and Mitchell's reaction to this on Point Stick, Vent Spleen: "You have been LEARNING TO DO MAGIC." /

While they have a point, I don't hold against Harry his disinterest in learning magic any more than I would hold against average teenager disinterest in learning Quantum Physics.
I have been theorising that Harry has some version of ADHD, since one moment he can notice the most random shit and the next he can't maintain attention to what is going in class. Considering his upbringing he probably also has poor level of literacy. All of this combined with stuffy, not-kid friendly teaching style that dominates in Hogwarts classes culminates in student like Harry: avoids sitting down with books to properly research his essays, either waits until last minute to do academics work or depends on classmates and excels only in particular practical activities during classwork.
Honestly the way Jo describes learning magic would turn off even hardcore fantasy fans if they had to endure it :(

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

I remember my writing when I was eleven and while I don't know enough about UK's schooling system to pass judgements, I wouldn't even dare to ask 11 old kid to write an essay for me. It's not worth loosing so many brain cells :/

And writing with a quill is Very Different from using pencils and pens. Can you imagine the ink stained messes of Muggleborn eleven year olds trying to use ink and quills?

[chantaldormand]

Oh I can totally imagine that, my mother forced me to use fountain pen from second grade. Not that it helped with my writing style :D

[oryx_leucoryx]

Minerva also avoids giving Gryffs homework before an 'important' Quidditch game.

[oryx_leucoryx]

>Sounds like Severus spend some time writing and practising this speech. Just right amount of melodrama and right wording to impress both Gryffs and Slyths.

Makes you wonder what his other speech was like.

As for quizzing Harry - yes, he was specifically curious about this particular student - which is why his backtalk was totally out of place, as opposed to the movie version where the questions are directed at the class in general, making his ignoring of Hermione look awkward.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

The movie also adds Harry taking notes, something not in the books. They needed to change things to make Snape look bad, and Harry good.

[chantaldormand]

Yeah, if you ignore how narrative colours scenes, Harry comes across as a huge brat.
Yet somehow majority of fandom cannot separate what narrative is 'telling' from what is 'showing'.

[smirkingcat.livejournal.com]

In this moment any academic curiosity Harry had, evaporated.
so much truth so little space!
yet another awesome analysis

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

How does Hagrid bake on an open fire? Maybe he uses a dutch oven (https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Dutch-Oven).

[chantaldormand]

Hmm that works for cake, but seems like chore and half if you want cookies or something smaller.
Of course if that is how he bakes, then Norbert put temporary stop to this :)