deathtocapslock | Chapter Nine

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Chapter Nine

* Seriously, is Dumbledore intentionally trying to get Harry angrier and more reckless? He's acting like those girls in jr. high who decide overnight they don't like somebody and suddenly start snubbing them, leaving them to figure out what they did wrong.

*Percy's walking past Arthur and Harry is pretty understandable and kind of professional. He didn't start a row.

*I really hate the way Arthur's given that little "I'm SO not prejudiced!" speech about Muggle baiting just so they can run into Lucius. Arthur, you spend your 9-5 hours friggin' giving Muggles brain damage. Please stop patting yourself on the back for occasionally trying to direct Twin-type pranks towards other wizards instead of Muggles.

*Lucius' face is pale and pointed now. Did it used to be pointed? He seems to be growing to look more like his son.

*Love Lucius' lines about Harry being "snake-like" and Dumbledore's favorite (I suspect Draco has no idea Lucius knows much about Harry at all besides what Draco has told him, btw).

*His best line's the one about Muggle artefacts, though. Not that Arthur took it to heart. When he's not actually bringing artefacts home and bewitching them he's all about keeping people from doing that.

*Ultimately I have very little clue what all the "Draco looks just like Lucius" stuff is supposed to mean, except that Draco happens to look like his father. There's that scene in DH where Harry is yet again hit with the fact that they look alike as if it's new information, but notices that while Lucius is an eager DE Draco is reluctant and scared. Which would be okay except that it goes no place whatsoever. Ultimately the differences between them don't seem to matter at all, since neither characters matters.

* The clink of gold in Lucius' pocket is just too funny. I wonder if he bewitches it to clink ominously at just the right moment: Montgomerius Burnsus!

*I think, btw, that this clinking of gold is often blown up into Lucius being vulgar, like he's rattling change in his pocket, but I think it's more just the natural result of having a money system based entirely on coins, because paper money isn't funderful enough.(How did JKR miss putting moving people on her paper money?!)

*Btw again, coins? Forged presumably by goblins. Who therefore think the coins belong to them. No, I don't get why Wizards use the Indian Giver (sorry, that's the phrase!) race as their bankers either. Seems a bit counter-intuitive to me too.

*I also love how only Arthur can say, "Malfoy's been giving generously to all sorts of things for years..." angrily. Damn orphans and sick people! Poor Lucius has to use his money to delay laws he doesn't want passed. A gentleman writes the laws so they don't apply to him.

*Harry suggests Fudge might be Imperiused, but if Dumbledore says he's acting on his own then he is. Am I the only one who thinks Dumbledore knows and approves of every single thing going on and is maybe manipulating it to suit his purposes?

*When Dumbledore died he left Harry is power to say who's under Imperius and who isn't in his will along with the other stupid stuff. That's how Harry gets to just tell us whether or not Stan Shunpike is Imperiused. He was nice to Harry and he speaks with the funny bus driver accent--of course he's not a DE!

*Harry is wise enough to see the lie that is the Fountain of Symbolism. It really ought to be him up there at the top with everybody looking on adoringly. This way it's just embarassing.

* Shut up, Ginny.

* People seem strangely comforted by the fact that Dumbledore "swung it" for Harry--as always, having a Big Dog beats having a justice system that's fair. It's not like you could ever find yourself without that big dog, right?

* Shut up, Hermione. Seriously, shut up. And btw, how big is this house? I hope it's re-dirtying itself as they clean.

*Hermione still denies that house elves appear to enjoy cleaning: if I don't like it, they don't like it. I wish the house elves would start an organization so Hermione didn't have to study anymore. I mean hey, Ron doesn't like it, they don't like it--she must be miserable!

*ETA: Nice of Hermione to finally agree with me in DH. Not sure why she suddenly agrees with me, but she does. Unfortunately, Kreacher sticks a knife in my heart, taking away the joy of that.

* Harry and Sirius=still not talking. They really don't have much of a relationship.

*Jesus, Hermione. I can understand thinking Harry's prefect because he's holding the badge, but the "Are you sure...?" is just pathetic. She might as well have said, "But you and I are the superior ones, Harry, aren't we?"

*Throughout the book Hermione seems to have decided that she and Harry are going to rule the world together with Ron as mascot. I still think Dean would be a better prefect.

*A second after Hermione insults Ron about the prefecture, she's defending him like Neville to his brothers. And so begins Ron's long emasculation in OotP. Welcome to your future, Ron.

* Awwwww....poor Hawwwy. Not. I just so can not relate to Harry's feelings here. Harry really does just think everything is about him--which is understandable given everything usually is, but still. Snort of laughter? Harry, face the asshole within.

*Luckily Harry eventually finds a way to be kind by remembering that this is the first time Ron had beaten him at something. Kind of puts Ron back in his place, doesn't it, given Harry's never actually respected Prefects at all? Really, if Harry had acted like a jerk about it Ron would have looked better. Personally, I could have done much better convincing Ron there was a reason for his being picked over me if I were Harry. "I've caused too much trouble," is totally like saying, "I'm better than you but for reasons that make me cooler than you they couldn't give it to me." That's eventually the conclusion everyone comes to--I think that's why Ron slinks around all year like he should be ashamed of himself.

*In the next scene everybody brags how they weren't/couldn't have been prefect--you notice? Everybody associates the job with being a goody-goody and possibly getting hexed for it. Even Lupin, the one ex-prefect in the group, immediately apologizes for it, claiming Dumbledore just wanted him to control his friends and he FAILED MISERABLY AT IT (read: did not do it) SO HE'S STILL COOL!

*And it has the right effect. Harry realizes super cool guys are not prefects. This will come in handy when he sees Draco is one, because he has not only decided he is better than Malfoy by being nice to Ron for taking his prefecture, but he's decided he's better than Malfoy by not being a prefect to begin with. Sort of. Basically Harry's position is he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and lucky for him he really might as well have been called Harry Potter: The Boy Who Has His Cake And Eats It Too.

*Meanwhile, Molly tries in vain to reward one of her children for actually doing something other than playing mean practical jokes. Good luck, Molly.

*Anvil #2 about wizards thinking they're superior to other magical creatures (as opposed to just superior to Muggles who can only understand things like prefects right Hermione?).

*Meanwhile, the twins traffic in stolen goods in the corner. Harry, blessedly free of any prefect-type morality, worries only that if Mrs. Weasley finds out he gave them the money for their joke shop she might not think of him as her better-than-son. Well done, Harry!

*The Boggart's scene set up well with Molly being so outwardly happy--interesting it's the title of the chapter to hammer it home: HEARTBREAK WITHIN!

*As I said before, I just don't buy Molly seeing Harry in the boggart. It changes the meaning of the whole thing. Anyway, Harry Understands because he, too, feels the chilling hand of death in looking at the pictures of the people in the Order. All those people dead. Not like, say, the family in whose house he's living in, because they only cared about money and Evil.

*Really, I think every Wizard should see Dead!Harry as their Boggart if they're good people.

Pretty low this time, as bad movies don't usually deal with prefects.

Designated Hero
Harry!

Foley Work
clink clink clink

Nut o’ Fun
Love that painting!

Final score: 3

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*Unfortunately, Kreacher sticks a knife in my heart, taking away the joy of that.
I sympathize. The best thing about reading the assassination of Kreacher's character in DH was getting the following sentence with LJ Markov Random Text Generator's help in my Summery Executions: 6 (http://elanor-x.livejournal.com/32411.html) :
Heh. As if I had trouble choosing between London and the need to give him a sandwich!
me: Thought Kreacher and went traveling.

I would definitely prefer the Markov Random Text!

*Percy's walking past Arthur and Harry is pretty understandable and kind of professional. He didn't start a row.
*shakes head* A cardinal offense in Godric Gryffindor's book! Thinking before acting is only for cowardly Slytherins. Or people like Dean, who later gets punished for being a gentleman. Really, they all should have realized that only mindless acts of violence/stupidity get you anywhere in this series. Look at Hagrid!

Actually, speaking of Hagrid, I'm having trouble remembering exactly what he did in DH besides not die...

*Lucius' face is pale and pointed now. Did it used to be pointed? He seems to be growing to look more like his son.
I remember huge flaring nostrils, but that's about it. I suppose we're automatically supposed to add in the receding hairline.

I also love how only Arthur can say, "Malfoy's been giving generously to all sorts of things for years..." angrily. Damn orphans and sick people!
I feel like this quote should have been included in the last chapter of DH where we find out that Ron's got an amazing job in the auror department without actually finishing school because of social connections.

Shut up, Ginny.
Save it for HBP!

And btw, how big is this house? I hope it's re-dirtying itself as they clean.
I've actually seen people say that it can't be all that big because it's pretty much a townhouse in London. And if the house isn't, I'm sure Kreatcher is! :D

Harry and Sirius=still not talking. They really don't have much of a relationship.
Aww, but they're instinctively joined together by the undeniable bond of cruelty and wrongdoing suffered at the hands of family members. Despite the fact that there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Sirius was ever abused and plenty of evidence in his personality to suggest the opposite, considering his behavior in the flashback is pretty comparable to Draco's. Only he gets to win because he's a Gryffindor.

I still think Dean would be a better prefect.
But he might have done something crazy, like encouraged good behavior and fair play. You see how far that got him.

Harry really does just think everything is about him--which is understandable given everything usually is, but still. Snort of laughter? Harry, face the asshole within.
And groom him for HBP/DH because he's going to see a lot of action. :P Of course, Harry's thinking he's inherently better than Ron is nothing like Draco's thinking the exact same thing, since Draco has to rely on daddy's money and not mummy's protective magic in order to do so.

"I've caused too much trouble," is totally like saying, "I'm better than you but for reasons that make me cooler than you they couldn't give it to me."
That's the explanation I get from every Ginny fan when I point out that Draco was made Prefect and she wasn't. Of course, they then turn around and point out what an asshole Draco was for playing pranks on Harry for all those years, but that's a totally reasonable thing to do.

Even Lupin, the one ex-prefect in the group, immediately apologizes for it, claiming Dumbledore just wanted him to control his friends and he FAILED MISERABLY AT IT (read: did not do it) SO HE'S STILL COOL!
Is there anything Lupin doesn't fail miserably at in this series?

*Meanwhile, Molly tries in vain to reward one of her children for actually doing something other than playing mean practical jokes. Good luck, Molly.
Hey, I'm happy she even remembered Ron existed while Harry was still in the room since this is a problem for her throughout the series.

Shut up, Ginny.
Save it for HBP!

LOL, agreed!

Of course, Harry's thinking he's inherently better than Ron is nothing like Draco's thinking the exact same thing, since Draco has to rely on daddy's money and not mummy's protective magic in order to do so.

It's simpler than that; Harry's thinking he's inherently better than Ron is nothing ike Draco's thinking the exact same thing, because Harry is right and Draco is wrongwrongwrong.

Honestly wasn't that all Hagrid did in DH is not die? Over and over there were these things that raised your hopes only to say HAHA just kidding! Oh, and he carried Harry out of the forest, which was apparently his big moment.

I feel like this quote should have been included in the last chapter of DH where we find out that Ron's got an amazing job in the auror department without actually finishing school because of social connections.

Like how he gets on the Quidditch team because his brothers play well?

Is there anything Lupin doesn't fail miserably at in this series?

LOL! No! It's kind of fascinating because Lupin's the guy who's introduced as the closest thing to a responsible, normal adult. So naturally he has to be revealed to fail at life. If he's not running around crazily and attacking people and having big emotional mood swings he obviously can't be trusted. Are we sure he wasn't Sorted too soon and should have been a Ravenclaw?

If he's not running around crazily and attacking people and having big emotional mood swings he obviously can't be trusted.
OMG, LUPIN PMSING LIKE A HUGE GIRL! I think I've discovered the reason behind his general incompetence...

Are we sure he wasn't Sorted too soon and should have been a Ravenclaw?
Nah, Hufflepuff: House of Fail!

Oh, and he carried Harry out of the forest, which was apparently his big moment.
Completely forgot, was still too busy cheering on Narcissa. :)

Seriously, though, everyone's big moment revolved around Harry in this book. Lupin decides to come back and be a dad because of Harry, Ron gets the sword for Harry, Hagrid carries Harry, Narcissa doesn't reveal Harry's dead, Draco doesn't reveal the trio...:P

I remember huge flaring nostrils, but that's about it. I suppose we're automatically supposed to add in the receding hairline.

And the raw sexual magnetism. ;)

"I've caused too much trouble," is totally like saying, "I'm better than you but for reasons that make me cooler than you they couldn't give it to me."

It's like Harry's already Prefect of the WORLD, you know? And that's like a badge you wear on your HEART, man.

sistermagpie: *Lucius' face is pale and pointed now. Did it used to be pointed? He seems to be growing to look more like his son.

I think there's something in the evil cornflakes they eat for breakfast.

sistermagpie: He was nice to Harry and he speaks with the funny bus driver accent--of course he's not a DE!

This line of reasoning is probably totally valid in the context of these books. I doubt it even crossed JKR's mind that any of the readers would think Stan was a Death Eater, for precisely those reasons.

And yet when you stop and think about it, the conductor of the Knight Bus would be in a position to give them a fair amount of useful information, wouldn't he?

And you know Stan would find it thrilling to be a Death Eater.

Yes. Yet another distortion that snuck past us by letting us assume that DEs were all like Lucius Malfoy. I mean. when considered, there really isn't *that* much to choose between Stan and, say, Craqbbe and Goyle.

Although why Scringeour didn't just flat-out *tell* Harry that Stan had the bloody Dark Mark when Harry started ragging on about him I don't know...

Does the Ministry know about the Dark Mark? I thought that was one of those pieces of information Dumbledore was inexplicably still sitting on. Fudge didn't seem to know what it was in GoF.

No Fudge didn't know about it at all. But he came in from the Dept of Magical Catastrophies, and evidently wasn;t on the "need to know" list when Barty Crouch was in charge of the DMLE. But Scrimgrour had moved up from Chief Auror or somesuch, so if he didn't know there is just no excuse whatsoever.

He would have served under Crouch for at least part of his career, even if he is young enough not to have done it during the war, but I don't get the feeling that he is to young to have taken an active part in VoldWar I. I think he came on board well before 1980.

Yes, Stan fits very well into one or two categories of people who could be attracted to Voldy's movement according to DD. He is a loser in a dead-end job, but with aspirations for something better and possibly a "weak seeking protection", too. And yes, he is superbly positioned for information gathering. Also, why would the DEs imperius anybody to help with such a delicate and important mission?? And choose Stan to force fighting for them, of all people? They'd have their pick of recruits in DH.

"Although why Scringeour didn't just flat-out *tell* Harry that Stan had the bloody Dark Mark when Harry started ragging on about him I don't know..."

One would hope that there are ways to hide the Mark. I mean, I know MoM is supposed to be dumb as dirt, but would something like "show of hands" be really beyond them? Besides, not everybody working for LV needs to be marked, IIRC it's just the "inner circle" or something.

Aargh! why do I try to inject sense into proceedings?! In the end, Rowling just saw Shunpike as yet another prop to demonstrate Harry's incomparable nobility and didn't even deign to clarify his allegiances...

Yes. Actually, if you overlook the Nazi masquerade that Rowling insists upon, and take a closer look at my own prefered parallel (the KKK) Stan suddenly looks like a top candadate for recruitment as a grunt. Ignorant, poor and determined to be regarded as naturally better than *somebody*.

And you'd at least think Harry would consider that Stan was arrested because he was bragging about being a DE, right? Isn't that her reasoning for why Snape wanted to be one, that it made him cool? Doesn't that indicate right there that Stan thinks the DEs are cool? So why wouldn't he be one? You don't brag about your KKK membership unless you see that as something that would impress people.

*sigh*

Absolutely. What a perfect waste of an opportunity to make a fool of Harry...

I may have too much slash.

May have read. (I've been making an embarrassing amount of typos lately. Can I blame my meds?)

I guess telling Harry what was going on would have made things too easy. Or maybe that would have given Harry time to actually think (I know, I know, it's unlikely he would have done it, but one can always hope) and decide that he didn't want to be Dumbledore's puppet.

You know, these are the two things that are revealed to be the whole basis for the series in DH. If there's two things DD never wants it's for someone to think on their own or for things to be too easy.

*Hermione still denies that house elves appear to enjoy cleaning: if I don't like it, they don't like it. I wish the house elves would start an organization so Hermione didn't have to study anymore. I mean hey, Ron doesn't like it, they don't like it--she must be miserable!

You know, I'm actually with Hermione here. Just because the house elves wants everything to stay the way it is doesn't mean change wouldn't be better for them - people always wants things to stay the way they are unless they're really completely unbearable. Of course, that doesn't mean that her strategy of trying to set them free without their consent is a good idea - for one thing, what's stopping them from asking Dumbledore to re-enslave them?

Anyway, given that the whole SPEW thing died down without much explanation, I think Rowling meant it as a character flaw - Hermione the obnoxious know-it-all trying to change the world even though the world is fine the way it is. It's probably her view on how feminists and similar people behave.

Harry Potter: The Boy Who Has His Cake And Eats It Too.

Sometimes I think that that should be the name of the series as a whole...

You know, I'm actually with Hermione here. Just because the house elves wants everything to stay the way it is doesn't mean change wouldn't be better for them - people always wants things to stay the way they are unless they're really completely unbearable. Of course, that doesn't mean that her strategy of trying to set them free without their consent is a good idea - for one thing, what's stopping them from asking Dumbledore to re-enslave them?

Anyway, given that the whole SPEW thing died down without much explanation, I think Rowling meant it as a character flaw - Hermione the obnoxious know-it-all trying to change the world even though the world is fine the way it is. It's probably her view on how feminists and similar people behave.

No-no--I agree with you. I thought this was the idea, that Hermione was wrong to think that she could speak for the elves and assume that they were like her, but that at least from my pov that didn't make slavery wrong. So her basic point that slavery was wrong was correct, she was just also being arrogant by discounting the elves' actual feelings. Because slavery is wrong from the pov of the people doing the enslaving really more than the slaves. But ultimately she seemed to go all the way and not only suddenly do a 180 degree switch in accepting that Kreacher liked the way he was, but embrace Harry and herself as masters too, as if there was no danger to them (the masters) in this at all.

Really, if Harry had acted like a jerk about it Ron would have looked better. Personally, I could have done much better convincing Ron there was a reason for his being picked over me if I were Harry. "I've caused too much trouble," is totally like saying, "I'm better than you but for reasons that make me cooler than you they couldn't give it to me." That's eventually the conclusion everyone comes to--I think that's why Ron slinks around all year like he should be ashamed of himself.

I actually think the "I've caused too much trouble" is a rather realistic and for Harry IC response. It's so transparent in its fake-praise that I totally buy it. It only gets annoying when everyone reassures Harry that "yes, the only reason you're not the one is because you're too cool" that gets annoying.

Harry Potter: The Boy Who Has His Cake And Eats It Too.

How excellent that sentence summarises both the character and the entire series. I suppose we ought to have known that ever since the first book, what with it going on about how Harry must be pitied, pitied, pitied, and then he goes to this great magical world where everyone loves him and he's the best and most admired, but somehow we're still supposed to pity him. I remember when one of my "non-book-reading-nlyy-movie-watching" friend saw the first movie, she was a bit confused what the actual story was, because it mostly seemed to her that it was about how Harry was so poor and unfailry treated and miserable and pitiable and then he went to that awesome magical school where he got everything and everything was great.

Oh yeah, it's totally IC for Harry. Can you imagine him actually giving a realistic reason why he's not as good as Ron at anything? I can't. It's just too bad that he never actually had that friendship with Draco that he has in fanfic, where it's Draco's job to point out how arrogant his answers are. Or at least roll his eyes at this response.

I had a friend who had the exact same response to the movie--she thought it was about Harry starting with no home and then finding one at Hogwarts. So the second book she couldn't get through because she felt like there was no story at all. Harry's fine. Silly woman thinking Harry could ever be fine!!

*Jesus, Hermione. I can understand thinking Harry's prefect because he's holding the badge, but the "Are you sure...?" is just pathetic. She might as well have said, "But you and I are the superior ones, Harry, aren't we?"

I'm not among those who think Hermione deserves better than Ron. What puzzles me, assuming we're supposed to root for R/Hr, is the occasions when Hermione seems to think so. If Harry's so much more awesome, why go for Ron? Are we to take it that she picked the loser because she's too insecure to handle a boyfriend who she considers nearly her equal?

For my part I've never liked Ron more than in this chapter. Not only is his obvious pride in the badge kind of sweet, but he actually has a thoughtful moment (settling for a Cleansweep because he knows Molly can't afford anything fancier) that didn't come out of a "how to pull chicks through fake niceness" manual. Hermione, Harry and the twins confirm their essential superiority as they take turns being dicks to him.

*Meanwhile, Molly tries in vain to reward one of her children for actually doing something other than playing mean practical jokes. Good luck, Molly.

I appreciated the Molly-Ron-twins dynamic. It seemed more (dare I say it?) complex than usual. Both sides are partly wrong and partly right, as it were. It's mean of the twins to do everything they can to spoil Ron's pleasure, but you can see why they were hurt by that "everyone in the family" crack. Molly put her foot in it, but she's also the only one who was sincerely happy for Ron and showed it. The whole drama was inevitable in a family whose members spend infinitely less time analysing their own behavior than we do.

-L

Um, I should start by saying that I do not remotely care about either of the Trio pairings. I'm far too busy shipping Snape. :-)

What puzzles me, assuming we're supposed to root for R/Hr, is the occasions when Hermione seems to think so. If Harry's so much more awesome, why go for Ron?

Yeah, it's the exact reasoning the Harmonians gave (and you hear that among Snape/Hermione folks too). They were correct in recognising that Harry and Hermione were obviously "superior" by the author's standards - they just took it to the logical conlusion and assumed the two so-called superior characters get together in most stories. Why Rowling paired up Hermione with Ron when she so obviously regards him as inferior is beyond me.

The R/Hr folks I could've sympathised with. What they saw as the complementary thought + compassion yin and yang balance between Hermione and Ron would've been fabulous. Except Rowling had to go emasculate him in every way and dumb him down in order to show how superior Harry was by comparison. So much so that even his last remaining virtue - loyalty -was gone when he left the tent in DH.

*sigh* None of the Trio pairings make sense to me.

But Rowling totally compensated by making Hermione a weeping mess in books 6 and 7, so much so that she looked like a complete hypocrite for making fun of Cho in book 5. And remember, Harry can't be with a girl who cries because it annoys him, and his Ideal Girl can't have any traits that he might actually have to accept and learn to deal with. Ron the Loser's much better at stuff like that, given that he's put up with Harry's difficult ass all these years, not that JKR gives him any credit for it.

And also, even though she was the one having all the ~~Mary Sue-like~~ revelations in book 7, I remember this one sentence after Ron had left, when both Harry and Hermione were standing outside the tent and Harry got frustrated with whatever Hermione was saying and just shut-down on her and JKR actually wrote, 'Hermione knew when she'd been dismissed' or something to that effect and had her go back into the tent.

I can see where the Harmonians are coming from logically (especially given the movies), but I think that even though JKR does give Hermione certain strengths, she's always beholden to Harry for whatever reason. Whenever she actually actively disagrees with someone or overrules/overpowers someone, it's always Ron. She can hit him with hexes and beat him magically, but she's never allowed to do the same to Harry. I bet if Ron had found the HBP's book, Hermione would have taken it from him or reported him and that would have been that. I guess that's why JKR gave Ginny a hex even Harry 'feared', despite the fact that it's the most ridiculous hex I've ever heard of (but I guess it comes from the same school of thought that feels as though harmless spells like Expelliarimus plus a lot of luck are the best weapons, despite the fact that 'luck' is not something one has any control over or choice in).

I guess Ron gets emasculated by Hermione so often so that JKR could make her look powerful while still keeping her inferior to Harry. Which is so many levels of awesome, I'm not really sure where to start...:P

JKR actually wrote, 'Hermione knew when she'd been dismissed' or something to that effect

OMG, yes, that was the exact sentence alright. I was simply staggered to read that, just... O_0 Gobsmacked. I mean here I thought the Trio were equals; I thought their willingness to go with him at the end of HBP showed that they were a team. Instead we get this hierarchy that reminiscent of the DE's - where Harry gives the orders, Hermione is superior to Ron but inferior to Harry. Oh, and Ron and Hermione are just minions who should know their place.

None of this is exactly new, I know, it was all implied in the last couple of books. But the brazen, direct way it was presented in DH kind of threw me. Harry can now "dismiss" Hermione? Like the icon says, I'm still hurting...

I'm not among those who think Hermione deserves better than Ron.

I am, but I also think that Ron deserves better than Hermione. In other words, they're so obviously wrong for each other that I am at a complete loss to understand why Rowling wants them to be together.

Honestly, why does Hermione like Ron when she thinks he's so inadequate? Because that really is a running theme, even to the point where Ron has to admit that she should prefer Harry, or the two of them should prefer each other. Hermione's lust for Ron is just totally pasted on, like she sees early on that she and Ron are the two sidekicks and the "bickering couple" and Harry's meant for Ginny. (Perfect that while Ron can spend the rest of his life nervous about his wife preferring Harry, naturally the same can't be said about Hermione since Ginny's his sister.)

Doesn't Ron's lust for Hermione feel kind of pasted on, too, though? Although I get it, at least Ron shows genuine admiration for her, even though he finds her annoying, too, with Hermione, that never really comes. I would have hoped it would come, but it never does.

Yeah, with Ron it more comes down to Ron's general ability to be hot for anybody. And perhaps the idea that no sane man wouldn't consider Hermione a great catch. The only reason Harry doesn't is he's arbitrarily given 'brotherly' affection for her out of nowhere.

Hermione's lust for Ron is just totally pasted on, like she sees early on that she and Ron are the two sidekicks and the "bickering couple" and Harry's meant for Ginny.

That's it exactly. Both Ron and Harry fit Hermione's standards for a bf (brave'n loyal^(TM) and ^(C) Gryffindor, plus not as smart as her). There's nothing she admires in Ron that Harry doesn't have, and there's no obvious indication that she prefers Ron's personality or looks or anything – rather the reverse, in fact. But R/Hr is ITS. It does make me sympathize with H/Hr shippers; I'd have expected H/Hr myself, except that Harry was bored by Hermione's company in GoF. Kiss of death right there. Harry would never marry anyone who couldn't keep him properly amused. Ironic, considering Harry himself is roughly as much fun as a bout of hives, but true./ramble

-L

I wonder if he bewitches it to clink ominously at just the right moment: Montgomerius Burnsus!

LOL!

(How did JKR miss putting moving people on her paper money?!)

It would have been totally fun to work out who would have been on each denomination.

And btw, how big is this house? I hope it's re-dirtying itself as they clean.

Probably is. Or Kreacher is doing it for it (her?).

It would have been totally fun to work out who would have been on each denomination.

They probably changed all the money after the series was over anyway and put Harry on everything.

This reminded me of all those palaces in Baghdad with hundreds and hundreds of portraits of Saddam: formal Saddam, casual Saddam, beach Saddam, etc.

Harry the warrior. The lover. The poet. The adventurer. The Quidditch god. The dancer. And so on...

Harry Potter: The Boy Who Has His Cake And Eats It Too

I've totally come late to this party but I just had to say: Yes! Yes! Yes! :D (And also: blech. Because I'm not sure if there's a better formula for creating an annoying character.)

Of course in Harry's case it's like he has his cake, eats it too, has it on order for the future and nobody else is allowed to have cake.

Well, you know, once upon a time Harry got the smaller bowl of ice-cream, so if anyone deserves a lifetime supply of cake, it's Harry. No one has suffered as Harry has suffered! [/sarcasm]

Not only that, but an ice lolly of inferior quality! The pain burns forever!

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Hee! I have a million windows open too. And yes, it's amazing how much more likable Harry becomes in a pairing where the other person hates his guts and constantly points out his faults (while he does the same to them).

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Chapter Nine

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