GoF Chapter Thirty-One

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

• Once again Harry, Ron and Hermione stay up all night talking without seeming process any information whatsoever.



• Still, Harry feels his head is too full of thoughts. Harry just doesn't have much room in his head. His hair probably gets messier with too many thoughts.



• Heh. Harry is totally the girl in that video I just posted in my lj.
  
  
• Bagman didn't pass information on purpose. If he'd passed it on purpose he would have said so at his trial. Right?



• I'm sure we can just trust what our authority characters say about all these people--Stan totally wasn't a DE, right? Because Harry said so.



• I love the way the narrative gives Harry a little pat on the back for not telling Ron and Hermione about Neville's parents. Personally, I suspect he forgot about it until he saw Neville right there in front of him.



• Harry thinks maybe Neville more deserves the sympathy he (Harry) always gets for being an orphan. Well, there's another reason to not tell right there!



• Neville may deserve the sympathy more, but he would never bear it as well as Harry does.



• True to form, Harry feels a rush of hate for the people who hurt Neville's parents. It just comes more naturally than, say, feeling a desire to be a good friend to Neville.



• I can't help but sort of laugh at Harry's dramatic thoughts: "...it all came back to Voldemort. ... He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives. . . ." Um, Harry? Neville's life isn't ruined. He could actually have a very good life in front of him. And so do you.



• Hermione says that even though she and Ron are completely putting off their own studying to help Harry, they'll get top marks in DADA because they've learned all this stuff they wouldn't in class. Um, why would stuff not in class help you get top marks? Aren't you going to get tested on the stuff you learned in class?



• And Ron pathetically still wants to be an Auror like superior Harry and Hermione. A world where these three are Aurors...yipes. Err...I mean, awesome! Fixed that MoM lickety-split!



• Poor Ron, either second-string to Harry or second-string to George for the rest of his life.



• Harry's practicing hexes whenever he can, but not yet practicing them on random people in the hallways. That's all the HBP's fault.



• Okay, so Malfoy is speaking to Rita here. Since I'm now on this whole Malfoy/Hermione parallel thing I ask: is Malfoy the other student who figured out about Rita? People have always assumed that Lucius set the whole thing up or that Rita approached him or something, but that was partly because Malfoy couldn't be seen to do anything himself. But reading the book again, he has very little to do with the articles about Harry except for the one where he's quoted about Hagrid.



• Sirius reminds Harry that the important thing is for Harry to be safe...right before sending him into a maze filled with deadly things as part of a pointless game.



• Sirius' good luck card to Harry is pretty adorable. I wish my dog could send me notes like that. Of course, it's also risking somebody figuring out he's a dog, but whatever.



• Once again stuff that became public knowledge years ago suddenly becomes...public knowledge. Does Draco Malfoy really have to "reveal" that Harry's a Parseltongue? Didn't Harry reveal that in front of the entire school years ago? Didn't everyone tell that to their parents? I mean, uh, that is a pretty straightforward report of the events of CoS that Draco's giving.



• Now Rita suggests everyone should reconsider whether Harry should compete in the Tournament. Too bad this plan didn't work, huh? Since that would have prevented Harry from meeting up with Voldemort. But it's still bad of Rita, trying to steal Harry's glory.



• I guess the Prophet hasn't heard about that important magic that means Harry *must* compete in the Tournament, though you'd think that'd be common knowledge too since it's the only reason he's competing.



• And Hermione's figured out what to do. She's going to take Rita Skeeter prisoner and later blackmail her and keep her from having a job for...being on the Hogwarts grounds when she's not allowed and overhearing things spoken in mostly public situations.



• Allow me to again say how ridiculous it is that Harry is let out of exams for this Tournament.



• The families are invited to watch the last Task. In the invisible maze that they can't see into.



• You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they're invited specifically for the potentially drama that might ensue when one of the champions dies.



• Harry's got no family to come watch him. Permission for lip to wobble, sir.



• Mrs. Weasley must be thrilled--make sure you write about how we're Harry's family, Miss Skeeter!



• Who knew the first time we read this scene where Fleur gives Bill the once over that we were in fact witnessing the birth of an unnecessary subplot to be semi-resolved two books from now so that we can have an info dump at a wedding.



• Bill hasn't seen Gryffindor Tower in five years. Odds are Rowling is referring to his own seventh year here. Oh dear, maths.



• Arthur's still got the marks from being punished for walking with Molly late at night. How romantic.



• Wait, so Hagrid wasn't the groundskeeper then, and he's how old? Oh dear, maths again.



• How's Percy? Not good. And that's all anyone needs to know, really. *glares at Percy the Not Good*



• Mrs. Weasley says it's nice coming to see the task because she doesn't have to cook. Can't Arthur bring home food on the way home? Or has she forgotten that she actually has no children to cook for most of the year? Or that she cooks with magic?



• Mrs. Weasley takes a moment to prove that she is loyal, but stupid, and wraps up the Hermione the Scarlet Woman Subplot.



• Ginny comes to watch the last Task too, keeping her hideous personality under wraps. It really does seem to come out of the cauldron with Voldemort.



• I'm sorry, but I don't believe the Hagrid/Maxime subplot. Though of course it's very politically correct and non-racist to suggest that they have to have a real relationship since they're both half-giants and being the same race is all you need for love even if you have nothing else in common.



• I suppose the Skrewts appearance is to show us all how wrong we were in thinking they were useless. It didn't work.



• I notice that Riddikulus doesn't turn the Boggart into something funny when it doesn't humiliate Snape or make Neville happy.



• Fleur's out, naturally. And Harry is feeling all heroic about it. Perhaps she needs help! Will I get extra points for that?



• Oh, right. This is the first time Harry has considered the possibility of being champion, despite being in first place the entire time.



• Um, why is Krum made to Crucio Cedric? Wouldn't Stupefy be more helpful in getting him out of the contest?



• Maybe he's just showing us he's gallant.



• The use of an Unforgivable means a life sentence in Azkaban. According to Moody. Though people use the things all the time and never actually go to jail. As long as they use the unassailable "He's never been a saint!" defense.



• A spider being something you wouldn't want to kiss is a pretty lame riddle. Hagrid would totally kiss one. And not get killed doing it. Damn you, Hagrid!



• Harry and Cedric beat the spider because teamwork is better than personal glory as long as they're both Hogwarts students and blah blah blah. Please get me out of this maze for I am bored now. We get it; Cedric's not going to take the cup alone.



• Okay, Cedric did have help with the egg. Phew. I wouldn't want a champion who wasn't kind of cheating. Plus that totally makes Harry the best.

Hero's Death Battle Exemption
Just ask Fleur.

Idiot Picture
Yup, don't anybody ever try to get Harry out of this Tournament. Never. Death without game honor is worth than death!

Idiot World
Luckily there's stupidity on both sides, so Voldemort's stupid plan is counteracted by the good guy's efforts in keeping Harry in the contest. Also remember that despite all the help Harry's gotten the only thing that brings him to Voldemort is Cedric deciding to throw the contest.

Informed Attributes
As we get to the end of the maze, let's pause to review on how everything Harry has done throughout the book shows how he's the true hero.

Ken's Rule of Guns
So the idea was just that Harry had to touch a Portkey? And Moody never handed him one? Wow.

McGuffin
The McGuffin is about to be revealed at last. No, the Tournament was not my plan to kill you, it was just me making it difficult to kill you before I killed you.

Final score: 6

Comments

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's like in Happy Days when guys used to ask girls to go to the lake and "watch the submarine races"--years later I got that that meant go make out.

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

Once again Harry, Ron and Hermione stay up all night talking without seeming process any information whatsoever.

All Harry ever does is talk about what he is going to do then stumbles into another adventure in which some stray plot element saves him. Fate forbid that a character or the author should spend time actually thinking his/her way out of a jam that fits within the actual constraints of the story.

Poor Ron, either second-string to Harry or second-string to George for the rest of his life.

Poor Ron because he is the only normal character surrounded by sociopaths.

Ginny comes to watch the last Task too, keeping her hideous personality under wraps. It really does seem to come out of the cauldron with Voldemort.

I can't help thinking that the author too was waiting to reveal her inner self along with Ginny and Tom.

A spider being something you wouldn't want to kiss is a pretty lame riddle. Hagrid would totally kiss one. And not get killed doing it. Damn you, Hagrid!

That was Symbolism with a BIG sign. As in the ever wonderful Lily could never kiss Snape and like it.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's really funny how Harry really barely puts his mind to anything and does it. If he does get his mind on something it usually comes to nothing. Otherwise he doesn't do much and then the answer falls into his lap.

I can't help thinking that the author too was waiting to reveal her inner self along with Ginny and Tom.

LOL!

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Harry's got no family to come watch him. Permission for lip to wobble, sir.

I really find the whole "poor orphan harry thing really unrealistic. I mean, I know it sucks that his parents are dead and that the Dursleys treat him horribly, but I keep wanting to shout at him to just get over it, already. Maybe I'm just an awful person, but I would expect that after so many years, he would be used to it, especially as he never knew his parents in the first place. Instead, it seems as if he's just clinging to the pathos, presumably tso that the reader feels sorry for him. Unfortunately, it would be a lot easier to feel sorry for him if the tragedy wasn't laid on with a trowel.

# Who knew the first time we read this scene where Fleur gives Bill the once over that we were in fact witnessing the birth of an unnecessary subplot to be semi-resolved two books from now so that we can have an info dump at a wedding.

Just out of curiosity, how wide is the age gap between Bill and Fleur?

Ginny comes to watch the last Task too, keeping her hideous personality under wraps. It really does seem to come out of the cauldron with Voldemort.

I'm still mourning the death of any Horcrux!Ginny theories, not because I hate her, but because if she were a Horcrux, then at least there would have been a point to her character. I don't consider generic-love-interest to be a point.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I really find the whole "poor orphan harry thing really unrealistic. I mean, I know it sucks that his parents are dead and that the Dursleys treat him horribly, but I keep wanting to shout at him to just get over it, already. Maybe I'm just an awful person, but I would expect that after so many years, he would be used to it, especially as he never knew his parents in the first place. Instead, it seems as if he's just clinging to the pathos, presumably tso that the reader feels sorry for him. Unfortunately, it would be a lot easier to feel sorry for him if the tragedy wasn't laid on with a trowel./i>

There was an interesting convo recently I think in my lj about JKR sparing Arthur Weasley and we thought possibly it was because that would have totally stolen Harry's thunder. Ron would have totally been more of an orphan, having known his father, and Harry might actually have to give emotionally rather than take.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

Not to mention Ginny. She might have unsexily cried, which would have killed H/G before it ever began.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Wait, you mean girls can care about their father's deaths too? I guess...but not in the cool "I need to avenge him and be haunted by this forever" way at least.

[xerox78.livejournal.com]

There was an interesting convo recently I think in my lj about JKR sparing Arthur Weasley and we thought possibly it was because that would have totally stolen Harry's thunder. Ron would have totally been more of an orphan, having known his father, and Harry might actually have to give emotionally rather than take.

Yeah, we know from OotP that Harry "doesn't do" other people's bereavement. He would have had to drop Ron as a friend for not getting over his father's death quickly enough. And he'd have to start spending entire summers at Privet Drive because the Burrow would no longer be a happy place for him. I mean, a house full of Cho Changs?

[savagedamsel10.livejournal.com]

The age gap between Bill/Fleur is about 5-6 years if you follow the whole Charlie's three years older than Percy, Bill two years older than Charlie line. But considering how wonky JKR gets with the age of the older Weasley boys, it could even be 8-9 if you followed the old idea that Charlie's seven years older than Percy. But I think it's 5-6 years.

Hilariously enough, I once came across a theory that Ginny was the one who was saying "Don't break the connection" to Harry in the graveyard because Harry didn't spot her in the stands or something like that.

If JKR had actually bothered to give Ginny a bit more thought, she could have made Ginny's personality transplant have more of a point and be linked to the fact that Voldemort's back and Ginny felt that she had to be more pro-active. Unfortunately it came off contrived in OotP, psychotic in HBP and it was all for nothing come DH. Ginny was just there for the epilogue.

[lachlanm.livejournal.com]

sistermagpie: • Um, why is Krum made to Crucio Cedric? Wouldn't Stupefy be more helpful in getting him out of the contest?

I assumed Barty was going for drama again.


sistermagpie: So the idea was just that Harry had to touch a Portkey? And Moody never handed him one? Wow.

The biggest plot hole in the series, by far. The only (partial) justification is that Voldemort wanted it to look like an accident so no one would know he'd returned, but...she should really have explained that better if it's what she intended.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

You're right it must be drama. I guess he and Bellatrix always have to do Crucio even when it makes no sense. When Bellatrix had Hermione at Malfoy Manor she could have read her mind...but why not use Crucio so she can suffer stoically and then lie?

[rowanbrierbrook.livejournal.com]

I was always of the thought that Bella's crucio-ing wasn't so much of a plot hole. Bella's character has been shown to revel in torture and whathaveyou, so I think, even with her legilimency abilities, she'd torture people first, and then, if they wouldn't tell her, she'd rip it from their minds.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

I actually heard a pretty good explanation. I think it was Jodel that came up with it, that Voldemort's plan was to resurrect himself, call his Death Eaters and then Portkey the whole lot of them back to Hogwarts with Harry's dead body.

It would have been very dramatic if it had come off. But, of course, it's a too brilliant to be true.

[ellecain.livejournal.com]

Though of course it's very politically correct and non-racist to suggest that they have to have a real relationship since they're both half-giants and being the same race is all you need for love even if you have nothing else in common.

So much word! I cannot buy this relationship at all. It's like suddenly differences in culture (she's French, remember?), education, opinion suddenly disappear if you're both half breeds of the same non-human race! It's absolutely ridiculous and totally offensive.

Mrs. Weasley says it's nice coming to see the task because she doesn't have to cook

Given that she's magically cooking for two people, you think Arthur might pitch in with some small amount of effort. Sheesh, if wizards can't manage to magically cook for their wives at least once a week, the misogyny in that universe has gotta be bad...

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Yes, surely there's just some tall guys who have more in common with Maxime. Though it's even weirder when you think of how the giants are presented to try to figure out who would marry them.

[(Anonymous)]

I can't help but sort of laugh at Harry's dramatic thoughts: "...it all came back to Voldemort. ... He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives. . . ." Um, Harry? Neville's life isn't ruined. He could actually have a very good life in front of him. And so do you.

Both Harry and Neville are war orphans for all practial purposes, but the reason their lives sucked pre-Hogwarts is that they were raised by crappy guardians, which is hardly Voldemort's fault. I think Harry's casting about for reasons to dislike Voldemort by authorial prompting. Left to himself he'd give the Dark Lord a pass and keep fantasizing about using Cruciatus on the mean teacher who gives him too much homework.

And Ron pathetically still wants to be an Auror like superior Harry and Hermione. A world where these three are Aurors...yipes. Err...I mean, awesome! Fixed that MoM lickety-split!

What bugs me most about Harry and Ron as Aurors isn't that they're too dumb to make the cut (which they are) or that their grades are too low (which they are). It's the bit where, once again, the universe warps in such a way that in a highly competitive field full of highly trained professionals, the Mayor of Slackertown comes out on top. It's like The Bill & Ted Supremacy, or something.

-L

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

LOL! Not only would Harry not be bothered by Voldemort, he would probably be pleased to watch him hurt people he didn't like. "All the better for us," Harry said when the Hufflepuff Keeper turned up dead.

This is why I'm glad we have post-Hogwarts fanfic, because it deals with all the reasons these guys might be bad at being Aurors.

[cressida0201.livejournal.com]

Neville may deserve the sympathy more, but he would never bear it as well as Harry does.

No, 'cause Neville could never have handled being The Boy Who Lived. Riiiiight.

True to form, Harry feels a rush of hate for the people who hurt Neville's parents. It just comes more naturally than, say, feeling a desire to be a good friend to Neville.

And remember, he's going to defeat Voldemort through his amazing ability to love!

Um, why would stuff not in class help you get top marks? Aren't you going to get tested on the stuff you learned in class?

Well, to be fair, I get the feeling that OWLs--like the O-levels on which they're almost certainly based--are very standardized, so they aren't necessarily tailored to what they learned in class. If your school didn't teach you the right stuff, you're out of luck. (/international admissions geek)

Poor Ron, either second-string to Harry or second-string to George for the rest of his life.

And yet somehow not driven to put in the effort to become first-string at anything, and thrilled for the chance to achieve success by using banned substances. I can't manage to be too sorry for him.

Harry's practicing hexes whenever he can, but not yet practicing them on random people in the hallways. That's all the HBP's fault.

It's because Harry hasn't matured enough yet. *rolls eyes*

I'm sorry, but I don't believe the Hagrid/Maxime subplot. Though of course it's very politically correct and non-racist to suggest that they have to have a real relationship since they're both half-giants and being the same race is all you need for love even if you have nothing else in common.

I'd have put up with it if Hagrid had married Madame Maxime and gone back to France with her after this book. He really didn't do anything noteworthy in the last three books, and we would have been spared the pointless Grawp subplot.

Um, why is Krum made to Crucio Cedric? Wouldn't Stupefy be more helpful in getting him out of the contest?

To look suspicious, of course! What I want to know is, did he really mean it?

Okay, Cedric did have help with the egg. Phew. I wouldn't want a champion who wasn't kind of cheating. Plus that totally makes Harry the best.

And the fact that Harry had help with the dragons totally doesn't make him not the best, either.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, I get the feeling that OWLs--like the O-levels on which they're almost certainly based--are very standardized, so they aren't necessarily tailored to what they learned in class. If your school didn't teach you the right stuff, you're out of luck. (/international admissions geek)

That would make perfect sense, if it weren't for the fact that Hogwarts is the only wizarding school in Britain, and everyone involved in creating an administering the test is presumably a Hogwarts graduate.

[cressida0201.livejournal.com]

Yes, but (like O-levels) the test probably doesn't change from year to year, while the DADA professors do. It would be seen as the professor's responsibility to make sure the curriculum fits the test, not the other way around.

And I think it's probably safe to assume that no DADA professor before Umbridge has administered her "Ministry-approved" curriculum consisting of all theory and no practice. In fact, I always thought that making sure the students failed their DADA OWLs was part of her goal.

Except...*smacks self* whoops, I suddenly remembered that we're talking about GoF here, not OotP. In that case, the comment makes a lot less sense. *thinks* Okay, maybe if it's a practical test (seems like fake!Moody would enjoy springing things on students), then they can choose any curse they want to get rid of whatever-it-is. In that case, it would be advantageous to have a wide range of curses (oops, I mean counter-curses) at their disposal. But it would be nice if it were spelled out.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

# Mrs. Weasley must be thrilled--make sure you write about how we're Harry's family, Miss Skeeter!

"Or, should I say, Ms.<.i> Skeeter." *frowns at woman whose has an existence independent of family*

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

No wonder she's mannish!