18 HP Chamber of Secrets

[chantaldormand]

I'm skipping next week. Next entry from me will be around 16th.

Ch18 Dobby’s Reward

>Hint: Dobby’s reward isn’t pile of gold or a new crowbar.

>All things considering, I’m surprised that Molly didn’t leash out onto Harry. She is highly worried about her missing daughter and here the missing daughter comes in not very good shape with guy who a) already is a bad influence on one of her sons and b) is covered in blood. In other words very suspicious.

>Poor Minnie, she looks like she is about to have a heart attack :(

>”Very well,’ Professor McGonagall prompted him, as he paused, ‘so you found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add – but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?’” Well that is not the question I would ask if I was adult sitting in that room… It would be closer to “And at no point you thought to grab a back up that wasn’t an incompetent fraud and guy whose wand is public safety hazard??” +1 to LOL

>Apparently Albus has sources telling him where Voldiwraith is, yet he doesn’t, I don’t know, hire an exorcist to hunt down the wraith and trap it in some kind of object… I swear no other character pisses me off nearly as much as Dumbledore. 

>Well, I never expected Albus to call Tom brilliant for creating Horcrux… This is getting awkward.

>...Is Albus implying that Tom’s travels were major contribution toward his corruption to the dark side?? +1 to LOL

>”Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” Like your Car? Or The Sorting Hat? Or perhaps Portraits? Hmmm? +1 to LOL

>No seriously, it’s no wonder that kids screw up so much. From the moment they enter this school they are given mixed messages.

>Albus once again shows that for a guy who worked with children for over 50 years, he is wonderfully uninformed how to handle children. Especially recently traumatised children.

>No, no, don’t you dare to reward them Albus! You can let them get away with only minor punishment or no punishment, but don’t dare to reward them! +1 to CC

>Dumbledore (and Jo) learned from the last year and gives Harry points under the table.

>Harry forgot about Lockhart being in the room. So did his no. 1 fan Molly Weasley!

>At this point I had whiplash and had to scroll back my ebook just to check- apparently Harry’s retelling was chaotic enough that it omitted Gilderoy’s role in the incident, yet none of 4 adults present question Lockhart’s presence in this meeting? WTH?

>Albus, you knowingly allowed a fraud who loves to use memory charms around children? If I didn’t know already what happens to Lucius in this chapter I would expect him to pounce onto this information like sex-depraved Frenchman onto sexworker’s convention. +1 to CC +1 to LOL

>I wonder, do Horcruxes sense each other? Main soul piece obviously does not or Voldemort would act different towards Harry. Perhaps Voldiwraith's soul piece is too small to sense anything?

>‘I don’t think I’m like him!’ said Harry, more loudly than he’d intended. ‘I mean, I’m – I’m in Gryffindor, I’m …’ easy to anger, reckless, love overcomplicated plans, cruel... do I need to continue Harry?

>Last direct descendant Albus, there is difference. Considering that most of British purebloods are related to each other I wouldn’t be surprised if this talent was widely spread. Most witches and wizards are simply smart enough to not tell anyone about it.

>‘Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?’ Well that sounds perverted even in the context, Jo. +1 to FWBP

>I like to imagine that Albus has “moustache quivering” here, because he is highly amused by Harry actually believing BS he is pushing.

>So your choices only show who you are, not shape you as a person...ugh…

>Yeah only a true Gryffindor would be able to pull out of Sorting Hat this sword. It’s not like Sorting Hat heart Harry’s desperate pleas for help and decided to help…

> I’m starting to imagine this No-Magic AU ff where Albus is crazy ex-professor of sociology who lost his job due to his unethical experimentation on his students and now has to earn his living by writing fortune cookie slips. It would be glorious!

>I ignored it earlier, but what hour it is? Dumbledore said that Pomfrey is still up, because she administered potion to petrified students. This would suggest that it’s at very least 10 pm. Yet he both send off Minerva to organise feat and now tries to send Harry to the feast? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until morning to celebrate? +1 to LOL

>I’m even more annoyed at Albus’ comment that Hogwarts “runs through” DADA teachers.

>”Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.” How did he manage to avoid being hit with it?

>Why Lucius took Dobby with him to Hogwarts? I mean from writer’s point of view this scene ties nicely Dobby’s subplot, but story-wise it’s illogical. +1 to LOL

>This scene makes me think that it was Albus who indulged in threatening and bribing governors. Apparently all 12 governors not only learned that Ginny died, decided that Albus was the best man for the job and claimed that they were threatened by Lucius, but also did so within a few hours from initial Minni’s announcement. Normally such bodies take days to make decisions.

>”‘The same person as last time, Lucius,’ said Dumbledore. ‘But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary.’” I wish you could hear yourself Albus. You wouldn't believe what you just have said, nor would bystanders. 

>Lucius: And this damned book is the proof of that? How? Headmaster, when was your last visit to mind healer?

>No Albus, let's face it if Harry didn’t intervene she would be fucking dead.

>”Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle’s memories wiped from it.” Yes indeed, it’s very fortunate that you have absolutely no proof for your claims Albus. And oh my, one could claim that your insinuations are threats… +1 to CC +1 to LOL

>While Lucius was relatively clumsy in that scene there is nothing aside from Dobby the crazy House Elf that connects Lucius with the Diary. I swear for all clumsiness, Lucius in this book played everything relatively well. I bet the governors can't even prove that he threatened them (if that even took place). Sadly this is Rowling’s Court where words have more power than evidence.

>Harry learns well from Albus, all those accusations with no evidence…

>Also it’s nice of Dumbledore that he further threatens Lucius claiming that any activity resembling Voldemort’s will be connected to him.

>We get it Jo, Lucius is the evil bastard. You don't have to punt the midget to get us to react! 

>“‘Professor Dumbledore,’ he said hurriedly, ‘can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?’” No, you cannot. This is key evidence in investigation and potentially can lead to other artefacts created by Voldemort. +1 to LOL

>And with this accent Jo opened yet another can of worms that will undermine her magical system. If by tossing at House Elf clothes without intend of freeing them you can free them then it means that in Jo’s magical system intent isn’t as important as actions. In other words if teacher during demonstration of wand movements says incantation, he can accidentally cast the spell. 

>Breaking News: distinguished nobleman attacked local child celebrity. Man's servant intervened. More at 7 PM.

 >”’Least I could do, Dobby,’ said Harry, grinning. ‘Just promise never to try and save my life again.’” Yup, Harry just released into wild a psychopathic elf who helps people by trying to murder them. And the only thing he asks for? To not try to help Harry. Let’s hope this won’t cause a wave of murders in WW. +1 to LOL

>Dobby’s logic in this sentence is straight out Moon Logic. He would fit well at Sierra Entertainment. +1 to LOL 

>The real reason why there are no final exams in book 2 is that Albus doesn’t want to deal with creating exams basing on Lockhart’s materials.

>What about OWLS and NEWTS?

>Darn either Headmaster's position is like master of universe or Albus has way more pull than he shows. Dumbledore's evidence on either threatening governors or Lucius giving Ginny the Horcrux is so flimsy that such influential individual as Lucius should be able to shake off all allegations.

>Just how big are compartments at Hogwarts Express? 6 kids apparently had enough space to practice disarming without poking out each others eyes.

>Darn, and you guys dare to call Slytherins backstabbing? Percy trusted Ginny and did everything in his power when it was clear that something was wrong with her, yet here she not only betrays his secret, but also does it in presence of two guys who regularly bully their family members. As if she didn’t exactly know what they will do with that information.

>Now in the beginning of CoS commentary I said that Harry and co don't do anything to solve communication black out issue. I'm going to stand by it. Sure here Harry gives Durslays’ number to his friends, but that doesn't solve the problem. Unless he manages to make some kind of deal with his relatives they can easily stop him from answering phone or not give him letters send via normal post. The only way to secure communication with magical world during his stay at Durslays is to use magical means that won’t get him in trouble.

Crime Count: 3

Death Count: 0

Freud Would Be Proud: 1

Leap of Logic: 10

Uncovered: 0

Spell Count: 0

Comments

[gingerbred.livejournal.com]

> And with this accent Jo opened yet another can of worms that will undermine her magical system. If by tossing at House Elf clothes without intend of freeing them you can free them then it means that in Jo’s magical system intent isn’t as important as actions. In other words if teacher during demonstration of wand movements says incantation, he can accidentally cast the spell.

And if that were really an issue, how on earth to the purebloods (or Hogwarts, for that matter) get their laundry done? If the elves can't touch their clothes... Hmm. By the same token, what did Hermione think she was doing with her Knitting for Elves project? Surely other people can't run around freeing your house elves for you. That's just nuts.

> Darn either Headmaster's position is like master of universe or Albus has way more pull than he shows. Dumbledore's evidence on either threatening governors or Lucius giving Ginny the Horcrux is so flimsy that such influential individual as Lucius should be able to shake off all allegations.

Evidence schmevidence. The whole darn series is a string of wild assertions people randomly believe or not as is convenient, mostly to the plot.

Also bonkers.

> Darn, and you guys dare to call Slytherins backstabbing? Percy trusted Ginny and did everything in his power when it was clear that something was wrong with her, yet here she not only betrays his secret, but also does it in presence of two guys who regularly bully their family members. As if she didn’t exactly know what they will do with that information.

This isn't the only time she does that either, and it's one of the reasons I don't like Ginny. When it serves her purposes, she spills your secrets. In HBP she tells Ron about Hermione kissing Krum, much to Hermione's detriment, because Ron (the jealous knob) then goes off to make a super public display of snogging Lav everywhere and anywhere, and pretty much tromps all over Hermione's feelings for the rest of that year. But it suited Gin, so, no sweat right? And there never seems to be any in story fallout, that people look at her and say: um, no. I'm not entrusting you with X, or you aren't trustworthy. Hers aren't traits I'd look for in a friend. Is it just because she's impulsive? Doesn't really explain her selling out Percy here.

Plus she's happy to bully as well, Or act out, or be violent or inappropriate towards fellow students when she feels like it, but that's all cool because she's a Weasley (other than Percy) and a Gryffindor... Right.

[sunnyskywalker]

I wish McGonagall had specifically asked why Harry didn't come to her for help. Then maybe Harry would have to think about why he didn't, when that had been his exact plan earlier, and then Rowling would have to think of a sensible answer. Or Harry could say something like, "Well, last year you brushed me off when I was right about danger, so..." and we'd at least get interesting drama.

If Vapormort is using all his willpower to hold himself together and occasionally possess animals, would he be easy to Imperius? Dumbledore could just do that and then ask him exactly what steps he's taken to stay not-dead and how to reverse them. If it worked, he could have destroyed all the non-Harry Horcruxes years ago!

Dumbledore agreeing with Harry that Red vs. Green maps on to Good vs. Evil is so wrong. Would it have killed him to say that all four Houses have good and bad aspects, and one of the things that distinguishes Harry from Voldemort is not being a mass-murderer? But he thinks the Sorting Hat would have ignored a Hufflepuff's desperate pleas for help. They really take their personality test too seriously.

I think Dobby interpreted Lucius's earlier order to shine his shoes excessively literally, as in, "I can't stop until the shoes are shined, even if it means Apparating wherever he's going," because that is the kind of rules-lawyering he's good at. (And Kreacher, who used the order to "get out" creatively.) Which is a logical skill for house-elves to develop. Likewise, I wonder if the accidental freeing wasn't actually true until Lucius agreed that he'd actually given him the sock by saying Harry had lost him his servant? Dobby said he was free, but maybe if Lucius had said, "Don't be ridiculous; you know that's not how it works," he wouldn't have been. Lucius was just too upset to think straight.

Breaking News: distinguished nobleman attacked local child celebrity. Man's servant intervened. More at 7 PM.

Surely there's a young, hungry reporter who wants to get the scoop before Rita and take her place as "best inside gossip" columnist? Between this and the headmaster's shocking criminal negligence in knowingly hiring a criminal mind-wiper, their careers would be made. Where are all the yellow journalists when you need them?

You know, between Dumbledore threatening Lucius and possibly threatening the Governors, I'm now deeply suspicious why he hasn't bothered to try to undo the DADA curse. Or, you know, have the course cancelled forever and a new "Magical Defense" course created in its place to see if that works. Voldemort has a good reason for wanting to sabotage the magical combat skills the entire nation, obviously. Maybe Dumbledore is also happy with the arrangement. The students, of course, are poorly taught. Whatever circumstances drove the teachers out for the past 30 years were probably less severe than what happened to Quirrell or Lockhart, but they might at least have been hampered somehow, so he's also sabotaging adults with developed skills.

Poor Percy. Good deeds never go unpunished.

Albus the sociology professor sounds chilling. Psychology would be terrifying too. And he admits to reading Muggle stuff occasionally, so how do we know he didn't find just the wrong book and go, "Hm, this Stanford Prison Experiment sounds intriguing... and Milgram's seems to call for further investigation..." Interesting side note: the FB movies have him teaching DADA before (presumably) switching to Transfiguration, and he does Lupin's boggart lesson (or rather, Lupin must have heard about it and copied it, in the movie-verse). And it shows what a terrible idea it is. We see students slavering to find out their enemy's fear so they can bully her, and that the fear is a very serious one that would be positively obscene to joke about. So, Unethical Psychological Experiment Dumbledore is movie canon.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/here the missing daughter comes in not very good shape with guy who a) already is a bad influence on one of her sons and b) is covered in blood. In other words very suspicious/

No, Percy is the Designated Bad Sibling, so he's the only one to object to Harry's relationship with his siblings.

/Albus has sources telling him where Voldiwraith is, yet he doesn’t, I don’t know, hire an exorcist to hunt down the wraith and trap it in some kind of object/

I mean, storywise, we know why he didn't: Voldemort had to be able to get a body again so that he could duel Harry for the final showdown. But that's another issue with making Dumbledore so knowledgeable: he knows that Tom is a bad apple from the start, he knew that Voldemort's real name is Tom Riddle, he knew that Tom had made Horcruxes (he just wasn't sure how many), etc. And yet for all these years before Harry enrolled in Hogwarts, he did nothing. He didn't tell anybody else; he didn't send anybody else to hunt down Voldemort while he served as headmaster.

/Like your Car? Or The Sorting Hat? Or perhaps Portraits?/

Or, in the next book, the Marauder's Map.

/Harry forgot about Lockhart being in the room. So did his no. 1 fan Molly Weasley!/

Good catch!

/Albus, you knowingly allowed a fraud who loves to use memory charms around children?/

I think that this comes down to Hogwarts being the center of the universe in HP. The Philosopher's Stone can't be hidden somewhere else, no, it has to be hidden at Hogwarts because it's 'the safest place.' Lockhart can't be handed over to the authorities; he has to face his comeuppance at Hogwarts. Voldemort declares war on wizarding Britain, but it's really Hogwarts where the final showdown happens.

/I wonder, do Horcruxes sense each other?/

In the DH movie, Harry is able to sense where Horcruxes are and to sense when they've been destroyed (as is Voldemort).

/I’m in Gryffindor/

Yes, because no Gryffindor has ever done or can do anything horrible. That's Slytherin's domain. Because Hagrid told you that all Dark Wizards come from Slytherin and his word is gospel.

/So your choices only show who you are, not shape you as a person/

Except that as far as we know, Tom didn't make any choice when it came to his House. He probably was as much in the dark as Harry was when it came to the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Harry made a choice (based purely on his dislike of Draco and blind belief in Hagrid) to tell the Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin, but did Tom say, "Yes, I want Slytherin"? Or did the Sorting Hat sort him instantly like it did with Draco? We never find out. So, no, Tom's choices didn't have anything to do with his House, as it's being presented here. He chose to open the Chamber of Secrets because of his own personal ambitions and issues, not because he wore a green tie.

/only a true Gryffindor would be able to pull out of Sorting Hat this sword/

So, why did the Sorting Hat take so long to sort Harry? Why did it say that he would've done well in Slytherin if he was a 'true Gryffindor'?

/in Jo’s magical system intent isn’t as important as actions/

But according to Bellatrix, you have to mean it when you're casting the Cruciatus Curse...unless you're Harry in DH, where you can throw the curse at a jerk who spat at your teacher.