deathtocapslock | HBP: Chapter 7: Karma is a Bitch (Reply)

In Which Arthur and Draco are smarter than most people will credit them for.

- I guess that somewhere over the week between the Diagon Alley visit and the trip to King's Cross Station, Ron and Hermione realized that Harry's concerns about Malfoy weren't just about what he was planning, because why else would they lose interest about what one of their enemies might be up to?

- This reminds how some of the canon "scholars" like

fernwithy predicted that Harry would dismiss Draco completely throughout HBP, only to get bit in the ass by his arrogance at the end of the book. Granted, that's where things seemed to be heading after OotP, but it's kind of funny how the Draco subplot did a 180 on the most likely predictions.

- Why would Ron think that Draco got a Hand of Glory? Did that happen in the CoS movie, or did he get it sometime later and the narrative voice never mentioned it?

- And why wouldn't Voldemort mark an underage wizard? I know there's a debate over whether or not Draco was a Death Eater in this book (I'm going for "he would have received the Mark had he succeeded), but it's still a valid question.

- I'm going to assume that Harry is smiling at Ginny's propensity for silly nicknames, and not because he thinks the nickname itself is clever (now if the nickname were something like Flounce Descheveux...).

- Here is a brief moment that showcases Fleur's kindness: most women in her situation would put their sister-in-law in the most horrid bridesmaid dress and be completely justified for it.

- Ginny shows once again how wrong Fleur is in treating her like a little girl, by tripping her brother. Ron lets it go, of course, because He So Pathethic.

-Harry forgets that Ron and Hermione are Prefects. I would accuse him for being self-centered, but by the end of the book most people will have forgotten that those two are Prefects, so I'll let it pass.

- "Harry, please. You're talking to the man who raised Fred and George." Like that wasn't the reason why Harry was surprised about Arthur showing a decent amount of common sense.

- Molly gets to echo Ginny circa PS/SS, which is JKR's way of showing that the hints were there all along. I think it says something that a lot of people saw H/G coming and still hated it all the same.

- Given how people were staring at Harry on the train last book, you'd figure he was at least glad that they were staring in a more positive light this time around. But I guess I just can't understand the sorrows of Famous People.

- Rather than sticking with Harry and finding a compartment together (HAWT), Ginny takes her leave of him so she can spend the trip with her boyfriend. Given that she also had a boyfriend the previous year and yet stayed with Harry all the same, the obvious conclusion to make is that she's trying to make him jealous. And succeeding, from the looks of it.

- Or maybe she took her leave because she had noticed Neville and Luna before Harry did. There's Fanwank Theory #1 for Ginny Defenders.

- For a bright, shining moment, Harry considers Neville and Luna to be as worthy of their newfound attention as he is. The way the rest of the scene is played out, one would conclude that Luna subtly wants Harry to recognize the Power of Teamwork(TM), given how she also brings up the DA, while Neville's self-deprecating unintentionally feeds Harry's ego, making them look more like also-rans.

- Neville proudly pulls out his wand and shows it to Harry. The innuendo, she is thick.

- Harry won't be continuing the DA this year, since there's no longer a tyrannical teacher interested purely in theory. Since he doesn't change his mind on this matter, we are left to assume that he admits Snape did a good job on the DADA position.

- Oh, and that decision will be coming back to bite Harry in the arse later on. Not that he won't take the blame for that.

To be continued... eventually.