OotP Chapter Eight

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

* That dungeon really is scary, and the chairs that chain you all by themselves is a great touch. Umbridge is there in shadow at first before she's revealed to be Ugly and so Evil. Also a nod to the Pensieve we'll be seeing later.

*Note that both Dolores and Fudge remind Harry of Vernon, JKR's least favorite character. There's no greater evil in this universe than having a thick neck.

*ETA: Reading that paragraph now it makes me think of that article on ferretbrain that wonderfully explained why JKR is not, as she's so often described by fans, the master of Chekov's gun. Chekov's gun says that if you introduce a loaded gun in the first act it needs to go off in the fourth. JKR's rule is just that if you're going to shoot a gun in the fourth act, you have to introduce it in the first. As she's doing here--Umbridge doesn't need to be in this scene, but she must be introduced before she appears, as does the Pensieve.

* Harry's Percy-hate is kind of interesting in that at one point he's goaded into speaking specifically by Percy's nod. He really can't stand him-why? (Percy is so sympathetic in CoS.)

*ETA: Now we know. Harry has to really hate Percy because Percy's going to prove himself really bad later. One of my many most hated moments in DH (this one's easily in the top 3) is when Harry looks at a picture of Regulus Black with the Slytherin Quidditch team and--completely OOC for Harry--identifies with the "sense of belonging" Regulus must feel on the team. Wha...? Harry's looking at a picture of the Slytherin team and identifying with the Seeker? Why? Duh--he's doing that because Regulus is going to be revealed to have turned out okay in the very next chapter!

*From the moment Dumbledore enters you can tell this is all about him. Harry is such a pawn between him in whatever maneuvers he's planning at any time. Fudge is trying to get Dumbledore's creature and Dumbledore is there claiming overship over him while not acknowleging Harry at all. I don't think this has to do entirely with Dumbledore's "I can't act like I know you in front of the Voldemort in your head," particularly since everybody knows Dumbledore favors Harry. It almost reminds me more of that scene in LotR when Frodo talks to Faramir without really acknowleging Sam--except Frodo is following understood social forms and his relationship with Sam isn't creepy and based on lies.

*Dudley doesn't seem to be considered a potential witness. He can't see Dementors, but he could feel them easily enough. When Mrs. Figg comes in they want to check and see if she's on record as a witch, and seem ready to toss out her testimony for being a Squib as well. Not that anyone has prejudice against Muggles besides the Malfoys. Wizards just don't consider Muggles equal enough to take their word on anything.

*And yet, Mrs. Figg seems to be lying anyway, and obviously too. Once again, nobody actually wants a system based on truth and fairness, they just want one that goes the way they like. Mrs. Figg feels the Dementors just like Dudley, but lies because you have to see them because witches can. If you're not magical, you don't count.

*Her lie almost sinks her, and it's only Amelia Bones being impressed with her account of feelings that sways things-impressing Amelia Bones appears to be your only ticket to freedom. They got off because there was "one of us" on the jury, one who was influencial.

*Note that Amelia Bones is "one of us" just as Susan Bones is. Not that blood is important at all.

*Not only do wizards not know anything about Muggles but they don't know about Squibs either. Shouldn't this stuff be known so that Figg can't lie?

*Dumbledore's telling Fudge the laws just rings so painfully hollow. He's exactly like everybody else, pulling out laws to smugly checkmate somebody and stop them from whatever thing they're planning to do, rather than honestly living under a sensible legal system. What do you do if neither Dumbledore nor Amelia Bones believes you? I guess we could ask Sirius Black.

*You know, it seems like if Fudge hadn't gone to the trouble of having a criminal trial for the equivalent of driving without a learner's permit he might have gotten Harry expelled or at least punished in ways he doesn't this way. What's the point of this trial, again? Besides atmosphere?



Designated Hero:
Dumbledore, with a nod to all those pro-Muggle wizards who still seem to consider Muggles something like chimps.

IITS:
Fudge's plan to humiliate himself with this big trial.

Idiot World:
Can't Amelia Bones just take over everything?

Informed Attributes:
Harry's Patronus didn't seem like that big a deal in PoA, back when he did it in front of a crowd. Plus later on every kid in the DA seems to produce one. Is the Informed Attribute Harry's ability to produce Patronus or teach it amazingly well?

Ken and Andrew’s Rule of Plot Holes:
If Fudge knew about the hover charm, why wasn't Harry thwapped back in second year? (Not to mention, why did Hermione seem to get to practice at home, but let's stick with this.)

Nut o’ Fun:
The chair with the scary chains!

My final score: 6