OotP Chapter Twenty

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*Courage, friends.

*Awwww. Ron’s too big for the cloak now.

*Neither boy seems at all excited over squishing up next to Hermione under the cloak.

*Nick’s humming "Weasley is our King." Is that a sign of the insidiousness of Malfoy’s evil song, or a suggestion that it’s not so evil after all? Is there any significance that all of Nick’s appearances so far have contained subtle friendly connections to Slytherins? Or maybe it’s just a joke on poor Ron: *cue mwap mwap mwaaaaaa sound effect *

*ETA: Nope, no significance about being friends with Slytherins, unless JKR actually thinks that Snape's pathetic, forced service to Gryffindor or crush on Lily is in any way foreshadowed by this.

*In my continuing study of how injury is depicted, I note that Hagrid makes Hermione scream by looking like he’s been beaten up—interesting given that the beating of the previous chapter is never referenced again except in terms of how much it hurt the Gryffindors. If Malfoy had a "pound of mince instead of a face" it was either magicked away or healed naturally before we see him again two days later, or just not worthy of notice. Yet here just a few pages later the author’s using the exact same idea for sympathy for Hagrid.

*Hagrid calls the kids "nosy and interferin’" but his beard’s twitching with fondness. This goes right along with the whole theme of "rebellion," where breaking the rules=doing what we really want you to do--wink wink. Few people have experience going against the authority figures they look up to, and are quick to turn against people who do. *stops self from making fandom connections*

*ETA: And in the end that's pretty much the lesson. Harry will break the rules just the way Dumbledore wants him to and no more, and that's what makes him awesome. No original thinking here, kids!

*Meanwhile, vague references to anybody who likes Dumbledore being watched and oppressed. It’s very odd, because from my pov Dumbledore’s obviously the one in charge, and while we know Fudge is now moving against him he’s so clearly no match for Dumbledore it’s hard to feel this oppression that seriously. I find it much easier to imagine Lucius Malfoy’s movements monitored and restricted by Dumbledore and his friends when he’s selling his stuff in Borgin & Burkes. This seems more contrived to fit OotP?

*ETA: Seriously, was Dumbledore ever not completely in control of this chess board? I love that we're supposed to feel sorry for the Machiavelli guy and his pawns.

*Ron is horrified at mistakingly thinking Hagrid and Olympe had to travel to the giants like Muggles all the way. I wonder what Ron means by saying they traveled "like Muggles?" Does he imagine them going via horse and carriage? Tin lizzy? Hot air balloon?

*The Giants are practically extinct because they kill each other. Wizards could very easily suffer the same fate, but I suspect the solution to this will be to get rid of all the wizards who deserve to be killed so nobody will need to kill anyone anymore. That will be great. ETA: Called it!

*ETA: Not that I have any clue what this is supposed to mean in terms of the great "plea of tolerance" the books are about. Giants really are a race of idiots who kill each other without a single suggestion that they can be on the level of humans. Grawp's like an animal and Hagrid only fits in because he's Half-Wizard and represses his giant side. All of Ron's preconceptions about Giants are pretty much true.

*If the Giants can’t do magic, aren’t they Muggles? Big Muggles? Why are they valuable or scary to wizards?

*Giants, like Slytherins, value big and ugly.

*As usual, Dumbledore knows all. He teaches Hagrid and Olympe how to interact with giants, despite their being the ones related to giants. Like Muggleborns, they are completely assimilated into wizarding culture. If they need to know about their own people, Dumbledore will explain it to them in his vaguely condescending way, which will still be more insightful than the actual giants could ever be about themselves.

*So...err...the whole gift to the giants thing is vaguely creepy to me. The giants sound like the sort of "innocent and stupid" and also "violent if we don't watch over them" natives in stories where the White Explorer amazes them with his ball point pen and the chief wears it through his nose forever after or something.

*Hagrid doesn’t speak giant either. Bet Dumbledore does. Let’s let him orchestrate all interactions from now on. ETA: Let him? He don't need permission!

*Dumbledore’s relationship with Hagrid is beginning to sound a bit like his relationship with Harry: he adopted a half giant and made him super loyal knowing that it might one day be handy to have a sort-of giant he could send to deal with the giants without having to worry about Hagrid having any actual giant sympathies or connections. It's not like we have to worry about seeing Hagrid as a traitor from the giant's pov at all.

*As we go on, Hagrid’s visit begins to sound even less like a visit to the uncivilized natives than it does like an encounter with gorillas in the mist: Give them the gift, say you’ll come back tomorrow with another. That will show them that you keep your promises (does it not sound like Hagrid explaining how to approach one of his beasts in class?). Let them play with the fire branch all night so they’ll be eager for more of your magic (which everybody secretly is) by the time you get there. Sure enough, Karkus is the eager little toddler waiting for them the next day.

*Not that this would have to be a problem, but since the treatment of other cultures and sentient beings is so central to the story, how can you help but notice that while the bad guys are set up like old-fashioned bigots, the good guys are also a lot like old-fashioned bigot reformers, with the implied condescending attitudes that make people uncomfortable today.

*Wow. Even Karkus has heard of Dumbledore and is very keen on what he has to say. I wonder what exactly he did have to say. Is he offering something to the giants? Telling them Voldemort sucks? Or just promising him more shiny magic things and flattering him?

*Yes, Grawp can barely learn to tie his shoes but Karkus somehow has heard of the headmaster of a Wizard school in a foreign country and can't wait to hear what he has to say. That makes sense.

* Hagrid is very brave for going to speak to the new Gurg, although frankly, he's still a Wizard so I don't see why he should be.

* You can see why giants hate having magic used against, them, though. Most Muggles do. I’m beginning to think it’s just like the Giants are the killer apes and we Muggles are the rhesus monkeys.

*MacNair is apparently also an animal. The Death Eater image takes another blow. Evil must be big and stupid. Wouldn't want to get anywhere close to suggesting evil is a recognizable part of the psychology of people like us readers.

*Golgomoth holds Hagrid upside down—that seems to be the humiliation of choice in the WW. Gryffindors enjoy it just as much as Death Eaters and Giants. Maybe that should be the thing to bring all the different races together!

*So let me try to understand giant culture. On one hand it seems to clearly be a warrior culture where everyone fights and might makes right. So Golgomoth is the new Gurg because he killed the old one. But then, once there’s a Gurg we don’t like, we’re back to the usual bully throwing his weight around, and the other giants are cowering in their caves and suffering from their wounds like Neville after a run-in with Crabbe and Goyle and wishing Dumbledore were here. Remember folks, even if a culture looks like it holds different values than you do, everybody underneath really knows that your way is right. They're just being oppressed.

*Hagrid’s got the same taste in women as everyone else in the wizarding world—she’s feisty, she likes to fight, especially against Dark Wizards. ETA: The one happy thing at the end of the series--Olympe does not wind up tragically yoked to Hagrid the rest of her life.

*Ron is disappointed there are not more giants coming. Why?

*You know, I think I was too hard on Hagrid’s drinking in the past. If I was Hagrid and had to listen to myself 24/7, I’d probably drink too. I’m about ready for a shot of bourbon at this point in his story.

*Hagrid’s mother died. But what a treasure to have reconnected to that side of his heritage, I’m sure. Not like she was a great mother, being of the giant race. Really all giant children should be taken from their parents. *pleas for tolerance*

*Well, even with his mother dead, Hagrid’s at least lived up proudly to his father’s race by trying to manipulate non-magical creatures into a wizarding fight and leaving the tribe with a quarter the number of giants it had when he found it. Woo-hoo!

* Why does one have to be brave to be the DADA professor again?

*"As a gameskeeper fresh air must be hard to come by." Heh. Good one Umbridge. She may not argue her pov in any convincing way, but she’s smart enough to notice footsteps in the snow.

* Sucks to be Grubbly-Plank. "Sorry, Hagrid’s back. The guy with a terrible record and no education who’s the headmaster’s favorite. Aren’t you glad to have a headmaster in charge who only wants what’s best for the school?"

* Btw, what exactly does Grubbly-Plank do when she's not teaching? Why is she hanging around at the school? I guess she's probably Hooch's girlfriend so was on hand to take time away from her freelance career to teach.

*Hagrid knocking Hermione down and picking her up against is funny, I admit. LOL.

*I’m sure the entire school would be thrilled to know that Hermione is determined to not let Umbridge get rid of Hagrid, the one teacher everybody seems happy to see the back of. That’s the way to keep Hogwarts the way everybody likes it. If by everybody you mean the Trio. Which of course you should!





IITS
So why is it important that the Death Eaters not be touched yet? Wouldn't it make more sense to get them before they've gained all the strength they're supposedly gaining? And why would anyone go to any trouble to get the giants on their side? What exactly would the giants do? If they’d listened to Hagrid, would they all be at Hogwarts, probably ripping off Malfoy’s head?

Idiot World
Any world where the giants are considered valuable allies is a strange world. Wouldn’t Muggles in fact be much better allies? Since giants are, apparently, just bigger, stupider, and more violent Muggles? Oh wait, Muggles are smarter. Less easy to manipulate into canon fodder.

ETA: Err...giants aren't valuable allies. In fact, the entire war is fought by people I already know by this point in the story. WHY DID I HAVE TO READ THIS CHAPTER AT ALL?

Informed Attributes
Hagrid compliments the kids on how nosy they are, and how amazing for knowing more than they should because they know Hagrid was with the giants, yet Hagrid’s Secret Mission seems to be common knowledge, and even Malfoy dropped massive hints about it for them.

James Bond Exposition Rule
Not the rule itself, but an addendum that explains that the heroic side is not allowed to kill the supervillain’s minions until the supervillain has had a chance to build up his forces and inflict more damage and THEN reveal his master plan. ETA: Err...or not reveal his master plan. It's Dumbledore. Never reveal the plan until after everyone, including you, is dead.

Misdirected Answering
Well, I know everything I didn't want to know about Hagrid's mother’s, but I’m kind of confused about the political situation in the WW still. ETA: Looking back I can now recognize this as the patented Rowling "Character backstory in lieu of actual plot" fake-out.

Final score: 5.5

Comments

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Ron has to be both the guy who's prejudiced against giants and the guy who mistakenly thinks it would be a good idea if they showed up. You'd think it would make more sense if Hermione wanted them, perhaps because she was another one of the "misguided Muggle" moments where she was giving the giants more credit than they deserved.

I've totally wanted to know what an anthropologist would say about this chapter!

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Well, I don't usually get called an anthropologist as a student, but thanks.

Heh--I have faith that you will be! Btw, do you know what you want to do? That's one of those fields that just seems really cool and I don't know how it works? (Though I know that having a major doesn't necessarily translate into having a specific job!)

I'm afraid of Hagrid being thoughtful!

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That's cool!

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Anyone else notice that Hagrid is suddenly a gamekeeper? Wasn't he the *grounds*keeper back in PS/SS?

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Most of the game was probably created by Hagrid to begin with!

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Her certainly introduced the Acromantula colony. AND Fluffy. (And Grawp.)