CoS Chapter Four

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*Life at the Burrow is totally opposite than life at Privet Drive and we’re all shocked at that. Imagine a land where disordered is order, messy is clean, and eating is good.

*Harry’s most surprised by the way everyone at the house seems to like him. Which has everything to do with them looking past his celebrity and not right at it.

*Arthur has Harry explain things like the postal service to him every night at dinner, yet still seems incapable of understanding any of it years later.

*Ginny’s cute and clumsy when Harry’s around, broadcasting her crush. Ginny II will kill her for this later.

*I can’t believe I’ve heard the description of Ginny’s face "glowing like the setting sun" used as some sort of proof of attraction on Harry’s part even at 12. Yes, setting suns are pretty, and no doubt Ron in the same situation would have been described as red as a baby’s bottom with diaper rash or something equally repulsive, but the point is that she’s blushing, not that her face looks beautiful when it’s bright red.

*The letters from school are yellow and green. That is so fun!

*Dumbledore already knows you’re here, Harry. So I guess he probably also knew you were wrongly accused of breaking the law and locked up for days on end too. He just doesn’t much care.

*Molly says they’ll be able to get Ginny’s things second hand. I would imagine so. Didn’t Ron just use the same books last year?

*Ginny I is cute. Harry would never have dated her in a million years, but he’s got bad taste.

*Percy’s wearing a knitted tank top with a pin on it? Is that as unattractive as it sounds? Or is it just really gay?

*Either Hermione put a typo in her letter to Ron, or my book’s got a typo, or else Wizards spell happening with three p’s.

*Harry’s Nimbus is easily the best broom, though it does not account for a drop of Harry’s success at Quidditch. He just flies more aerodynamically.

*The Twins show actual concern for Percy not being himself. They’ll make up for that later.

*Ginny needs a new wand. Ron doesn’t, even when his is broken.

*Arthur’s all excited about Harry traveling on the Underground, though later aren’t we supposed to think he’s done that himself?

*Although they’re in a rush, we’ve got some time for Harry to explain to the Weasleys how the Dursleys don’t love him again, and how they think it would be funny if he got stuck in a chimney.

*Not so funny as being stuck in limbo between Vanishing Cabinets for days on end until you get brain damage, of course. But funny enough for Muggles.

*Harry gets dumped into Borgin & Burkes, every boy and Goth’s dream store, and doesn’t appreciate it at all!

*Oh no! Draco’s here! And Harry’s all lost and sooty and has broken glasses and just bumped his nose! Quick, hide! You can’t be seen in this condition by…him! ::swoons::

*Mr. Malfoy reminds us Draco’s a spoiled brat who gets everything he wants by opening the scene with, "Touch nothing, Draco."

*Wonder where all their packages are. You know, the packages that contain all the many things Draco has been bought up until this point that have made Lucius finally lose patience and act like a strict father instead of the fawning parent he must have been up until the last second before we saw him.

*Draco’s Harry-rant is so hilarious. Again, Harry just does not appreciate this stuff.

*You can see why fanfic writers love to write the Malfoy’s at home. Who doesn’t love a family where Dad’s trying to unload some poisons two steps ahead of the Ministry raids and the kid’s interrupting to ask if he can have a shriveled hand?

*Damn, why did we have to get stuck at the whacky farm when we could have visited the Addams family? And met Theo Nott to boot!

*Draco inherits his drama queen genes from both sides of the family, it seems. Not many men are blessed with long nostrils and the control to flare them for emphasis.

*Wow, Draco’s a real nightmare in this scene, isn’t he? Look at how disobedient he is and how he talks back to his father.

*Is Knockturn Alley always dimly lit, like even on a summer day in noon? Seems like it should be.

*The criminals here are all very sordid, as well. Not like the kind of colorful tricksters the Order hangs around with.

*If Knockturn Alley is the place where you have to get your slug repellent, I’d think lots of people would go there.

*Love that Hagrid acts all indignant about his righteous reasons for being there, as if he doesn’t routinely break the law and go looking for animals and other things more unpredictably dangerous than whatever Lucius is selling.

*Now Hagrid’s just head and shoulders taller than people on the street. He grows and shrinks from scene to scene. The man can’t even follow the laws of physics.

*Clever the way the Lucius/Arthur stuff is totally presented as Lucius being the scary one when Arthur’s pretty much admitted he’s using his government position to try to throw Lucius in jail. I’m sure he is scared, Arthur. Imagine actually *getting rid of* things you own that might be illegal instead of filling your house with them because you’ve written in your own loopholes!

*The Grangers are changing their Muggle money, something Harry hasn’t seemed to realize can be done since earlier he said he was only rich in the Wizarding World. (No Harry, you’re only educated in the Wizarding World. Which is why you can’t decide to go to Muggle University after the books are over, like you do in fanfic.)

*You know, it kind of is rude for everybody to visit everybody else’s vault. In the Muggle world you leave a polite space behind someone using an ATM machine.

*Ginny’s going to a second hand robe shop. Bet she won’t be coming out with moldy robes covered in wilted lace. It’s only for Ron that Molly shops at Passive Aggressive’s Robes for the Unfavored Child.

*Dear God, another Wizarding joke shop.

*Percy lets his evil side show by planning to be Minister for Magic. Everyone knows the Pure of Heart focus on making money.

*Lockhart’s fans are all older witches, which makes them all the more pathetic. Only pretty young girls are cute when they crush on guys.

*Ginny’s never spoken in front of Harry in the days he’s been at her house? That’s a bit much.

*I’ve no doubt her snapping at Malfoy is supposed to be a sign of Ginny II being the real her, but see, it isn’t. Because Ginny I is sticking up for the boy she has a crush on in a reasonable way. Ginny II is insulting to everyone all the time.

*And after his little rant in the store earlier, Draco really must have been disgusted with that display with Lockhart.

*Ron looks at Malfoy like he’s something stuck to the sole of his shoe—you know, aside from the whole racist psycho bit, Harry and Ron really do earn Malfoy’s hatred honestly.

*Ron’s line about Malfoy being surprised to see Harry must make no sense to Draco whatsoever. Lucky he automatically responds to everything Ron says into a put down about poverty. It lets everyone go on being mistaken.

*Lucius is sneering just the same way as Malfoy. Dreadful the way they sneer while the Pure of Heart look like you’re something stuck to their shoe. It’s a subtle but powerful difference.

*It really does not take much to get Gryffindors fighting, does it.

*Lucius actually came out a lot better in that scuffle.

*Actually, you know what would have been great? If Arthur had to pay for something he broke. I can’t help it. I always side with the fictional snobs even when they’re evil.

*Hagrid rushes in and reminds everyone how important blood is in determining someone’s worth. Thanks Hagrid. How’re those gigantic corpuscles of your doing?

*I hope somebody testified to Hagrid’s words about no Malfoy being worth listenin’ ter at Buckbeak’s trial.

*Either the shop assistant is a particularly short person, or Hagrid’s just grown again.

*The Grangers are shaking with fright, as if they’re horses spooked by the behavior of the humans. Muggles just can’t handle the Wizard World.

*What’s Frank Bryce doing right now? I want Frank! He’ll show you shaking with fright, he will!





"Fruit Cart, Fruit Cart!"
"Bookshelf, bookshelf!"

Misdirected Answering
I hope everybody’s paying attention as we tour the Weasleys house. But if you miss anything, we’ll be back again and again. One visit isn’t enough for the wackiness.

Nut o’ Fun
Probably all of Borgin & Burkes.

Whooshing Powder
Ta-da!

Final score: 4

Signs of things to come: The Vanishing Cabinet, the Hand of Glory and the necklace make their first appearance—woohoo! I know it’s probably a coincidence, but I like the way Harry and Draco have this small pattern of being separated by walls—with the RoR in HBP, and here with Draco reaching out to open the Cabinet Harry is hiding behind. And I guess also when Draco’s peeking in the window at Hagrid’s. H/D shippers, break down these walls! Malfoy’s already wrongly suspected of being a particular villain that he isn’t. Ginny tries to be a sign of things to come, but blows it by being her earlier reasonable person with a spine instead of a stuck up bully.

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

Percy's knitted tank top baffles me. In a house where no one understands even simple Muggle things like the postal system, how does he have a tank top? Or are tank tops like sweaters (which they must wear over their robes, I guess) and Molly actually knitted it? Or maybe this is Percy's adolescent rebellion - he went to a Muggle shop, picked out something very un-wizardly, and no one's even noticed. (Or maybe he's trying to learn Muggle ways to impress Penelope. Or to be able to visit her incognito.)

You know, I still don't believe Hagrid was really there for slug repellent. I bet he was in some Dark pet shop, sighing and wishing he could have an *insert monster here* of his very own.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, honestly. Slug Repellent? Doesn't that seem like the kind of thing you get at a normal store? Not buying it, Hagrid.

[anehan]

*Draco inherits his drama queen genes from both sides of the family, it seems. Not many men are blessed with long nostrils and the control to flare them for emphasis.

Voldemort's lair, 1979:

Snape: You know, I've always envied your flaring nostrils.

Lucius: Thank you, my dear Severus. Narcissa is most impressed with them as well. She said they're the reason she entertained my suit.

Snape: Is it natural ability or...?

Lucius: I've been training since I was five.

Snape: Could you teach me as well?

Lucius: Hmm, I think not. I don't think it'd suit your personality. We'll have to think of something more...

Regulus: Lucius! Severus! I've just finished my poem! It's an epic tragedy in Byronic style. Would you like to read it?

Lucius: Not now, Regulus. We're busy. Severus needs a makeover. His image doesn't have the proper dramatic flair.

Regulus: How about that cape?

Lucius: ...

Lucius: Regulus, you're a genius!

[rayerai.livejournal.com]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for making my night with that. :D

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

ROTFL!! Awesome! ((Regulus))

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

*I can’t believe I’ve heard the description of Ginny’s face "glowing like the setting sun" used as some sort of proof of attraction on Harry’s part even at 12. Yes, setting suns are pretty, and no doubt Ron in the same situation would have been described as red as a baby’s bottom with diaper rash or something equally repulsive, but the point is that she’s blushing, not that her face looks beautiful when it’s bright red.

Oh please. That is an addendum to that other argument, "Harry noticing Ginny's elbow in the butter is a clue to his deep attraction!!!!!!!" No. Harry didn't know Ginny was breathing at this stage of the game. At this point she is just Ron's silly, strange sister who blushes, never speaks and wears food condiments.

*Percy’s wearing a knitted tank top with a pin on it? Is that as unattractive as it sounds? Or is it just really gay?

I think he is wearing a sweater vest. Penelope probably gave it to him. He is afterall the only Weasely with a normal relationship.

*The Grangers are changing their Muggle money, something Harry hasn’t seemed to realize can be done since earlier he said he was only rich in the Wizarding World. (No Harry, you’re only educated in the Wizarding World. Which is why you can’t decide to go to Muggle University after the books are over, like you do in fanfic.)

The size of these vaults keep changing. In book, I think it is the size of a hotel safe. At one point Harry was afraid of spending it all. In the movie it is the size of a house. Who knows? I find it strange that Sirius, a known felon on the run, was allowed to waltz in take money from the family vault and buy a broom. The goblins are an interesting bunch.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Oh please. That is an addendum to that other argument, "Harry noticing Ginny's elbow in the butter is a clue to his deep attraction!!!!!!!" No. Harry didn't know Ginny was breathing at this stage of the game. At this point she is just Ron's silly, strange sister who blushes, never speaks and wears food condiments.

Yes, if Harry didn't notice it, we couldn't see it. The point is that we and Harry know she's uncomfortable around him.

I think he is wearing a sweater vest. Penelope probably gave it to him. He is afterall the only Weasely with a normal relationship.

With someone who hasn't moved into the Burrow. No wonder he's so evil!

The size of these vaults keep changing. In book, I think it is the size of a hotel safe. At one point Harry was afraid of spending it all. In the movie it is the size of a house. Who knows? I find it strange that Sirius, a known felon on the run, was allowed to waltz in take money from the family vault and buy a broom. The goblins are an interesting bunch.

Must be like having a Swiss bank account--isn't the point of those that you're just a number and it's sort of don't ask don't tell?

[baeraad.livejournal.com]

*Percy lets his evil side show by planning to be Minister for Magic. Everyone knows the Pure of Heart focus on making money.

... why am I reminded about objectivism, which states that anyone wanting power over someone else is evil, but to make money is both a sacred right and a holy duty? (actually, a lot of things are both of those in objectivism, it being one of those "what is not forbidden is mandatory" schools of thought...) It would fit the constant harping about people needing to take the consequences of their "bad choices," too.

*Lucius is sneering just the same way as Malfoy. Dreadful the way they sneer while the Pure of Heart look like you’re something stuck to their shoe. It’s a subtle but powerful difference.

I like the bad guys better. At least they seem to be having some fun with their eternal feuding. =]

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

... why am I reminded about objectivism, which states that anyone wanting power over someone else is evil, but to make money is both a sacred right and a holy duty? (actually, a lot of things are both of those in objectivism, it being one of those "what is not forbidden is mandatory" schools of thought...) It would fit the constant harping about people needing to take the consequences of their "bad choices," too.

I could definitely believe it. It's just too funny the way Percy's constantly held up as this ogre of ambition when the Twins will sell just about anything to anyone and make their shopgirl call them "Mr. Weasley."

[biichan.livejournal.com]

Me too. I could totally buy JKR the Randroid.

[(Anonymous)]

Although they’re in a rush, we’ve got some time for Harry to explain to the Weasleys how the Dursleys don’t love him again, and how they think it would be funny if he got stuck in a chimney.

Funny how the message doesn't sink in. You'd think "They were starving him, Mum" might've given Molly a clue, but she and Arthur always seem freshly surprised (and not too terribly concerned) at evidence of the Dursleys being mean to Harry.

Clever the way the Lucius/Arthur stuff is totally presented as Lucius being the scary one when Arthur’s pretty much admitted he’s using his government position to try to throw Lucius in jail.

Tell me how the DEs are the Nazis, again? Because if memory serves, the Nazis were the government. They didn't have to pretend to be something else in order to stay out of jail. Now I'm remembering that Python sketch about Mr. Hilter. "I am retired window cleaner and pacifist without doing war crimes".

I’ve no doubt her snapping at Malfoy is supposed to be a sign of Ginny II being the real her, but see, it isn’t. Because Ginny I is sticking up for the boy she has a crush on in a reasonable way. Ginny II is insulting to everyone all the time.

Yes, it's like – Ginny I is a perfectly normal little fangirl defending her hero. Nothing about the incident suggests that she isn't basically a nice kid. With Ginny II, standing up for someone is never not about her massive anger issues, which cause her to overreact to every little thing. Zabini coughed during Slughorn's Potter panegyric? He must be destroyed!

-L

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Tell me how the DEs are the Nazis, again? Because if memory serves, the Nazis were the government. They didn't have to pretend to be something else in order to stay out of jail. Now I'm remembering that Python sketch about Mr. Hilter. "I am retired window cleaner and pacifist without doing war crimes".

It is funny how sometimes people have issues whenever you point out ways DEs aren't like Nazis. Like that means you must be saying both they, and Nazis, are great.

Yes, it's like – Ginny I is a perfectly normal little fangirl defending her hero. Nothing about the incident suggests that she isn't basically a nice kid. With Ginny II, standing up for someone is never not about her massive anger issues, which cause her to overreact to every little thing. Zabini coughed during Slughorn's Potter panegyric? He must be destroyed!

Right. I have a hard time even thinking about Ginny II standing up for people because it so seems to always be about liking to put other people down or build herself up.

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

*I can’t believe I’ve heard the description of Ginny’s face "glowing like the setting sun" used as some sort of proof of attraction on Harry’s part even at 12.

Yeah, I don't get this either. It seems to me that a lot of H/G shippers feel the need to say that Harry and Ginny as characters have true romantic feelings for each other right from the start, and I think that's utter bullshit. (They're KIDS.) JKR clearly set them up to be together from the beginning, and you can tell this if you look at it on a meta-level, but from an in-story perspective? Feh.

Somebody needs to write "Frank Bryce survives and kicks ass" fic.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't get this either. It seems to me that a lot of H/G shippers feel the need to say that Harry and Ginny as characters have true romantic feelings for each other right from the start, and I think that's utter bullshit. (They're KIDS.) JKR clearly set them up to be together from the beginning, and you can tell this if you look at it on a meta-level, but from an in-story perspective? Feh.

Right--why is this necessary for them to be feeling romantically towards each other immediately? Oddly, often it's the same people claiming they've "won" because their ship is canon who feel the need to add more to it.

[elanor-x.livejournal.com]

*I’ve no doubt her snapping at Malfoy is supposed to be a sign of Ginny II being the real her, but see, it isn’t.
Ginny I would tell him to shut up instead of starting to explain whether Harry wanted that or not. And hit him with her favorite hex for good measure.

* Dreadful the way they sneer while the Pure of Heart look like you’re something stuck to their shoe.
Looking like you’re something stuck to their shoe reminds me of Petunia (related to a Gryffindor! Ha!) while sneering – of Slytherins. You will never find Gryffindor sneering! For each his own trademark way of looking insulting.

*Lucius actually came out a lot better in that scuffle.
Physically Arthur's cut lip equals Lucius's hit eye, imo. Also he probably felt very foolish (embarrassed?) unlike Arthur. Lucius didn't get enthusiastic "Get him, Dad!" from Draco unlike Arthur from the twins either. ;-) I can't imagine Draco saying that, btw.

*Hagrid rushes in and reminds everyone how important blood is in determining someone’s worth.
I published some of my thoughts on the matter in that comment. (http://community.livejournal.com/deathtocapslock/35333.html?thread=777221#t777221)

* I also responded to your comment in my recap here. (http://elanor-x.livejournal.com/16200.html#cutid1)

*Ron’s line about Malfoy being surprised to see Harry must make no sense to Draco whatsoever. Lucky he automatically responds to everything Ron says into a put down about poverty.
The funniest thing is it made sense to me only when reading your recap. If Ron didn't pay attention to poverty-themed taunting, would he find other things to say? Draco seems to taunt him only about being poor, which starts to bore me.

*The Grangers are shaking with fright, as if they’re horses spooked by the behavior of the humans. Muggles just can’t handle the Wizard World.
Think about it from their point of view: they have never seen wizards (except their daughter) and the first wizard they see (Arthur) becomes violent almost the moment they step into the bookshop because another [very unpleasant] person insults him for associating with them. For all they know all wizards are extremely violent & strange (and I don't mean the ability to do magic). How many such fights have you seen? I have been fortunate not to see any so far. Hermione's parents haven't witnessed many either, I am sure. In addition, they can't protect themselves against magic, so their fear is perfectly understandable.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Ginny I would tell him to shut up instead of starting to explain whether Harry wanted that or not. And hit him with her favorite hex for good measure.

Exactly--and probably have an insult of her own thrown in that was devestating despite not knowing him.

Looking like you’re something stuck to their shoe reminds me of Petunia (related to a Gryffindor! Ha!) while sneering – of Slytherins. You will never find Gryffindor sneering! For each his own trademark way of looking insulting.

Actually--I could be wrong--but doesn't Ginny II sneer? I'm probably wrong and she's never actually described that way, she just obviously is. As opposed to Draco who can only sneer.

Physically Arthur's cut lip equals Lucius's hit eye, imo. Also he probably felt very foolish (embarrassed?) unlike Arthur. Lucius didn't get enthusiastic "Get him, Dad!" from Draco unlike Arthur from the twins either. ;-) I can't imagine Draco saying that, btw.

It's a nice parallel to Ron/Draco the year before (or else recycled). There I think Draco had a black eye and Ron had a bloody nose.

The funniest thing is it made sense to me only when reading your recap. If Ron didn't pay attention to poverty-themed taunting, would he find other things to say? Draco seems to taunt him only about being poor, which starts to bore me.

He seems to hit on what works and see no reason to change, it's true. His "Is your mum really this porky, or is it just the picture?" is nicely bitchy in GoF.