OotP Chapter Twenty-Nine

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*AKA, "The chapter where Harry proves his mature, compassionate nature by making quick judgments of others while reiterating how wonderful he and his friends are in comparison, just like me!"

*Best careers advice: Be Harry Potter. You'll be top in your field by 27.

*Hermione spent the large part of the day drawing up timetables for the three of them, as is her custom. When I was in college we had this one type of student (Ada Comstock Scholars) who were women above regular college age who had come back at school, and they were notorious for doing stuff like this. One woman in my class made little color-coded tabs to tape into a book of short stories so you could flip open to the one you wanted without having to just look at the ToC and go to it. We only read one or two short stories in the book for class. The time consumed in this pointless exercise far outweighed the time saved by being able to skip the ToC. This kind of stuff has about as much to do with studying or being a good student as Quidditch.

*Ron says they’ve got as much chance of winning the Quidditch cup as Dad’s got for becoming the Minister of Magic. Oh dear god. Is Arthur going to become MoM one day because this is one of Ron’s Accidental!Psychic moments? ETA: One bullet dodged. But a small one and we're still lying in a pool of blood.

*Hermione’s such a good friend to be sympathetic about Cho. "Have you two had a row again? Awww, that’s a shame."

*Why, Harry’s absolutely right. The twins would never dangle anyone upside down unless they really loathed them or the person really deserved it, like Draco Malfoy. I certainly see a huge difference between Harry and the twins and MWPP and am offended by any suggestion that their painful and humiliating impulses are in any way the same. You don’t have to agree—if you want to be a dirty racist who loves genocide, it’s fine with me!

*Even though MWPP are tormenting Snape for exactly the same reason Harry would consider it okay, he still doesn't get it. "But I don't feel personally angry at Teen!Snape. So I can't follow it!" You can relax, Harry. You’d have adored your dad and his friends in school.

*Harry doesn’t even remember Snape calling Lily a Mudblood. That’s how deep that sort of thing cuts for him. Doesn’t seem to hold it against him at all. Yet there are people insist that Harry is driven by a purely objective hatred of intolerance of all kinds, just like they are, and won’t tolerate anyone who doesn’t exist on their own sensitive, spiritual plane.

*Nope, Harry’s just thinking how his mother "clearly loathed" James and so her marrying him is a mystery. (Here's a tip Harry--don't think about how your parents came to be married. It's not really your business anyway.

*Harry does not have the maturity or knowledge to correctly understand what’s going on here, and how people operate. Since he gets this part completely wrong, maybe let’s think he might have gotten the whole "Snape didn’t deserve it like the people I hate" thing wrong too, huh? ETA: Harry? Wrong? Not really.

*Oh no, it’s Ginny. And she’s windswept. I get this picture of the library doors opening while Ginny enters with a wind machine effect.

*ETA: Sadly the wind would sweep her on through the library and out the window and spare us from her in the next book.

*One of the Gryffindor players knocked himself out with his own bat. Telling us the team is laughably bad every few chapters does not turn their final victory into Rocky II. And when I say the team is bad I of course don’t mean Ginny.

*Harry feels a lump in his throat when he gets his Easter egg because he wants to talk to...Sirius. (Even though Molly sent the egg.) Cause Sirius is somebody he really loves. I guess. I mean, I’d think he just wanted information about his dad but I guess the lump is supposed to indicate he, like, misses him. I must try to remember this when Sirius dies.

*Ginny watches Harry thoughtfully. Do you see how sensitive she is, how she arrives when Harry is really down, and noticed how he’s been feeling, and gives him an egg and helps herself to some while suggesting he talk to Cho to show how she’s not interested in him as a girlfriend and so is just a good friend? Do you see? DO YOU?!! ANSWER ME!!!

*Ginny says damn. OMG she is SUCH badass! I don’t think any other kid has EVER said damn.

*In less than two pages Ginny has been sensitive, cool, smart, sassy and tough. No wonder Harry feels better. She’s better than chocolate. H/G here we come!

*Nice to see that Muggle relations requires "patience, enthusiasm, and a good sense of fun." Sort of like working with children in a non-responsible capacity. That sense of fun’s got to be a killer—perhaps Fred and George can go into this if their joke shop fails. They love having fun with Muggles.

*Hope Hermione isn’t thinking of doing Muggle liaison work. She’d bring back the burning times all over again. Luckily she has so little interest in liaison-ing with Muggles she doesn’t even talk to her parents.

*Banking=finding treasure=tomb robbing. Seems like the banking system rests, at base, on thievery. Wizarding society is quite parasitic, really.

*Ginny has dispatched the twins to help Harry.

*Harry needs to speak with Sirius. Harry does not remember Sirius gave him something specifically described as a way of communicating with him, should he ever be needed. Not even when he remembers that LAST Christmas, Sirius gave him a knife that opened any lock, which you might have thought would make him remember this years’ present.

*I like the way Ron is watching the conversation warily. Ron seems smarter here. Don't see that a lot.

*I don’t like the way Hermione appeals to Ron in a way reminiscent of Molly and Arthur. For many reasons: a)I really don’t like to think of Ron and Hermione yoked together in years to come; b)I don’t like that kind of appealing; c)I suspect this may be considered a sign of true love.

*Ron is alarmed to be asked an opinion. It really must be strange to be Ron. You’re basically ignored, but then when someone wants you on his or her side you're supposed to perform on cue.

*Ron gives an opinion: if Harry wants to do it it’s up to him. Ron’s a big one for letting people decide things for themselves. Perhaps Hermione will cure him of that, or decide he’s cured of it for him. ETA: Or perhaps she'll forget that and pretend it's a big change and kiss him for it in DH.

*Fred seems to judge Ron’s opinions the same way: he sided with us, and that makes him "a true friend and Weasley." This would be just funny if we didn't have Percy as an example of what you are when you disagree with them.

*Harry Potter: man on a mission. His quest? To find those "mitigating factors" that turn bullying for fun into Rough Justice!

*I think Harry is worried about seeing Snape because he feels he’s the one who’s been humiliated. Now that Harry knows his dad was a jerk, Snape has something to use against him.

*Harry notes Hagrid limping to his cabin, and is relieved when smoke comes from the chimney indicating that Hagrid was at least "not unequal to starting a fire." Since presumably Hagrid starts fires by pointing his umbrella at it and saying, "Incendio," I don’t know if that necessarily means he's not bleeding internally.

*Still, Hagrid...limping...sympathy...pain...good guy...so not funny.

*Ron tells Hermione to shut up--again, the one thing Ron seems to be able to rouse himself to defend is a person’s personal decision about his own life. It’s what roused him to uncover the hats in the common room as well. He didn’t take them away, but wanted the elves to make their own decision about whether they wanted to take them.

*Hermione yammers on all through Potions. Because when she’s got something more important on her mind, it’s okay to disrupt the class. Especially this class, where Harry's in no danger of getting in trouble for not paying attention.

*I’m sure Snape only dropped Harry’s potion to trick Malfoy into thinking he liked him, in order to maintain his cover as a spy for the DEs. And I’m sure Malfoy only laughed at Snape’s mean trick to suck up to him. These two aren’t at all friends. ETA: I still scratch my head over this relationship.

*Nice to know that even after Snape does this Harry doesn’t think to taunt him about being a wimp who got humiliated at school. Nice...and totally unbelievable.

*You know, I always remembered Hermione’s part in this scene. I can see she’s just a convenient way to have Harry’s potion be gone, though JKR could have had Harry clean up his own potion before taking up his phial. But after a whole DAY where she’s hissed at Harry for two classes straight, I’m honestly surprised he doesn’t snap at Hermione for getting rid of his potion for him. Since Harry has a habit of lashing out at the nearest convenient people when angry, and finds it hard to be patient and understanding when things work out against him, it’s surprising he doesn’t thank her for always deciding what must be done for other people and doing it.

*ETA: I wonder if JKR saw Hermione that way, though, or if it's just such a forgivable part of being altrustic and caring she didn't. After all, she honestly seems to think Ron's changed his mind about House Elves in DH.

*Auror’s a difficult career and they only take the best. Why does Harry have to do exams at all? Don’t we know he’s the best? Maybe Firenze could just look to the stars and tell us what Harry’s grades would be.

*ETA: Why no, Harry really doesn't have to do exams at all. We really WILL just look at him and know he's the best and make him an auror! Then we'll make him head of the aurors!

*Harry’s only doing Acceptable work now, so when he gets an E or an O we’ll know he really deserved it because there was a chance he might not have. Really. Sort of like we'll be shocked when the Quidditch team wins. Again.

*I wonder what the character tests for Auror are like:

When I cast Crucio, I cast it out of
a)pure sadistic pleasure
b)a wicked sense of humor
c)loyalty to my dark lord
d)righteous anger

I only cast it on people who
a)are not Purebloods
b)can’t cast it themselves
c)don’t think I’m funny
d)really deserve it (list of candidates with personal addresses attached)

*Oh good, McGonnagal will personally assist Harry in becoming an Auror, even if she has to give up her evenings. For a second I was worried Harry might go five minutes without a teacher offering him private tutoring.

*So most of what happens to Harry in this book has nothing to do with Voldemort, but people not liking Dumbledore and taking it out on Harry because everybody knows he’s Dumbledore’s favorite, while Dumbledore himself ignores him so no one will know there’s any connection between them. Good plan there.

*Chapter thirty-four of Umbridge’s DADA book is: "non-retaliation and negotiation." Okay, I’m really beginning to think this book considers it evil to not retaliate against violence and negotiate with your enemies. Because anything like that is clearly collaborating or appeasement? A negotiated peace is a peace without honor? You have to crush your enemy or be crushed? There was a thread at FAP recently about how JKR does feel she’s woven her Christian beliefs into the narrative. Apparently she’s just fonder of the Old Testament "eye for an eye" (or better yet, “brain damage for house points”) than she is of that pansy-assed "turn the other cheek" crap. Jesus deserved whatever he got, really, with that Pinko talk.

*ETA: Harry makes a much better Jesus, really. He gets to kick ass, cast Crucios and still be super brave and offer his awesomeness up to magically save everyone else.

*Though at least I can see why Harry’s failing Umbridge’s class now. If there’s one thing he and his buddies suck at, it’s non-retaliation and negotiation.

*Oh Harry, of course you're feeling better about the fact that your dad embarrassed you and seeking justification for his actions is more important than getting expelled from school. How else could you reconcile yourself to the idea the people you like are always in the right? If you start cultivating humility you’re halfway to non-retaliation. Really, it’s your duty to risk it all so your dad’s buddies from high school can assure you he was a great guy.

*Wow. Ron is really committed to this giving free choice to others and letting them make their own mistakes and follow their own desires thing. Go Ron.

*You know, it’s not kittens’ fault they’re cute and like to frolic. If Hagrid can get soppy over whatever fanged thing’s getting ready to munch on a Slytherin Harry can lay off Umbridge’s kittens.

*Lupin’s alone without Sirius at the table when Harry comes by fireplace. I’m surprised he didn’t find both men in the kitchen, with Sirius bent over the kitchen table as Lupin took him from behind. They must have just finished. Remus is now looking over his homoerotic poetry as Sirius showers.

*ETA: Sorry, after they have sex Remus reads hetero-erotic poetry he's writing to Tonks and Sirius goes upstairs to look at his girls in bikinis!

*Either that or Lupin was going over his list of “100 things I will do when all these idiots kill themselves and I rule the WW.” ETA: Tough break, Remus.

*"I’m fifteen!" Harry yells. I half-expect somebody to say, "Exactly, Harry. And you’re a little bitch. I rest my case."

*James hated the Dark Arts, Harry. There’s your reason. And it’s one you find perfectly acceptable.

*Too bad Harry still doesn't know enough not to trust Sirius’ explanation of why James and Snape hated each other right off (that Snape was just jellus and poor James suffered from Toodammus Talentedus syndrome).

*James apparently hexed people "just for the fun of it." Unlike the twins, who hex people because it will be funny and that brings joy to the good side in their dark times of having to share the world with people they don’t like. What do you mean you don’t see a difference? Either you want to make the good guys out to be evil, or you’re a bigot who loves genocide. Well, which is it?

*ETA: Okay, if you don't see the difference there, surely you see the difference between James and Harry hexing people randomly in the next book?

*Okay Harry, Lupin just told you Snape never missed an opportunity to hex James. Are you honestly pretending you don’t consider that justification when applied to anybody living in this decade?

*James kept his continued feud with Snape a secret from Lily. Good practice for all the cheating he did during their marriage.

*Sirius says James was "a good person." Ah, the ultimate trump card in any moral debate. He’s a good person, so Harry is just being churlish trying to criticize his behavior. That must be the real reason he would have done well in Slytherin! He doesn’t know good people when he sees them!

*ETA: Just kidding, of course. Harry only would have done well in Slytherin because the hat was reading the piece of his brain that belonged to Voldemort. It's probably that piece of soul that's making him question MWPP now.

*Filch comes in looking for an approval for whipping. I don’t know why anyone’s looking askance. The wizarding world is just very rough-and-tumble and violence isn’t bothered about. Getting slashed by a hippogriff’s claws is like breaking a fingernail so being whipped is probably like getting hit with silly string in our world.

*If there was any doubt that the Inquisitor Squad is evil, they’re all looking very pleased at seeing Fred and George cornered.

*I am incapable of applauding Fred and George’s exit the way the way many people do, simply because of parental conditioning. I can’t help but say, "But you had like five weeks left of school before your NEWTS! What a waste not to take them! You’re hurting yourselves here! Who drops out of school a month from graduation?!"

*ETA: Just as well Fred's leaving, I guess. He won't need NEWTS.

*Anyway, if two students were going to have to leave school (and be unable to help later) at least it was for something important, like Harry getting to whine about something that happened 20 years ago to his dad’s friends. Not that I’m complaining; it’s a blessedly interesting scene.



Foley Work
Nice footstep work there in the Pensieve scene.

IITS
And while I’m thinking about Christmas presents from Sirius, I don’t think I will think of the Christmas present he gave me a few months ago that he said would come in handy in exactly the kind of situation I’m in now.

Idiot Picture
See same.

One Radio Rule
Hagrid thinks Muggles can’t know about magic, because that would make them want to use magic to solve all their problems. Yet Muggles seem to have pulled far ahead in the communications department, so they don’t have to break into the headmistress’ office to use the only means of communication with the outside world.

Final score: 3.5

Comments

[r-ganymede.livejournal.com]

*Hermione spent the large part of the day drawing up timetables for the three of them, as is her custom. When I was in college we had this one type of student (Ada Comstock Scholars) who were women above regular college age who had come back at school, and they were notorious for doing stuff like this. One woman in my class made little color-coded tabs to tape into a book of short stories so you could flip open to the one you wanted without having to just look at the ToC and go to it. We only read one or two short stories in the book for class. The time consumed in this pointless exercise far outweighed the time saved by being able to skip the ToC. This kind of stuff has about as much to do with studying or being a good student as Quidditch.

Argh, I know the type. There was a woman like that in a biology class I took once and I had the misfortune of being put into the same project group as her. She spent the class writing down Every. Single. Word. that came out of the teacher's mouth, to the point where she wasn't paying attention to what he was saying at all and certainly never bothered to actually think about it. Then when we got to the projects she'd make us try to explain what was going on, which always wasted a huge amount of time, and never got anywhere because she just wouldn't think for herself at all. During the first major project, she completely f***ed the part she volunteered to do (in a way that showed she hadn't been paying attention to the experiment we did at all - the data was just flat out wrong), leaving the rest of us to fix it in the short time before handing it in. After that we just basically ignored her, because it was easier to just do her share ourselves than to let her do it and have her screw up anyway. She barely passed the class in the end, mostly due to the boost the group projects gave her grade. I doubt she learned anything about biology. But she thought she was a great student because of all the notes she took / highlighting she did, and didn't get why she wasn't doing well...

I think of this woman whenever I read about anyone doing stuff like this in any story. Color-coordinated notes != Good studying. Also, if you read through the same set of notes 20 times and still don't know the content, it's beyond time for a new strategy.

Hagrid thinks Muggles can’t know about magic, because that would make them want to use magic to solve all their problems. Yet Muggles seem to have pulled far ahead in the communications department, so they don’t have to break into the headmistress’ office to use the only means of communication with the outside world.

This is one of those many things the Muggleborns should be complaining about endlessly, yet don't for some reason. Owls might seem cool at first, but the feeling would fade as they became more obviously inconvenient. Why don't Harry or Hermione ever think "OMG this would be so much easier with a phone, why don't these idiots have phones". Especially since they seem to have radios. Why do they have radios but no phones?

The next generation of Muggleborns is going to be really annoyed to find Hogwarts has no computers/internet.

[(Anonymous)]

I've always been annoyed by how quickly the muggleborns forget the comforts of the real world. The one time I was ever tempted to stray into the realm of fanfic was with an idea my brother and I kicked around called "The Adventures of Tony From Slytherin".

The idea was that it would focus around a Slytherin kid called Antonides (Tony to his friends) who falls in with a bunch of half-blood and muggleborn losers from the other houses (Steve, the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quiddich B Team, Simon the ravenclaw with a lisp - top of the class for potions, rubbish at charms - and Dave from Hufflepuff who I think was going to be the son of the Bishop of Durham). One of the big running jokes was going to be the Muggleborns explaining to Tony how things work in the Muggle world ("Every Flavour Beans? Yes, we have something like that as well, except they're all nice. And our most popular game is a game called 'football', which is like Quidditch except everybody on the team matters").

I never got around to writing it.

- Dan Hemmens

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's funny because she needs the Muggleborns for her "prejudice" storyline. In the end the only prejudice you have to be against is thinking of Muggleborns or any other half-blood mix as being anything less than a wizard. It's a compliment to overlook the inferiority of their family when they themselves have overcome it.

Yet at the same time she's not doing anything realistic with people of mixed background. Muggleborns not only never miss anything as its done by Muggles, or miss their families, they don't even ever bond together as a group. You wouldn't know anybody was a Muggleborn without interviews half the time. Dean's practically a freak for putting up a football poster.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Part One:

*Even though MWPP are tormenting Snape for exactly the same reason Harry would consider it okay, he still doesn't get it. "But I don't feel personally angry at Teen!Snape. So I can't follow it!" You can relax, Harry. You’d have adored your dad and his friends in school.
Yes, but as we discussed last week, your dad and friends would have pegged you, Ron, and Hermione as losers from the get go.

*Nope, Harry’s just thinking how his mother "clearly loathed" James and so her marrying him is a mystery. (Here's a tip Harry--don't think about how your parents came to be married. It's not really your business anyway.
Yeah, I know. That was a really squicky moment in the books as Harry imagines his father "forcing" his mother to marry him. It makes James sound worse than Joss Whedon.... :)

*One of the Gryffindor players knocked himself out with his own bat. Telling us the team is laughably bad every few chapters does not turn their final victory into Rocky II. And when I say the team is bad I of course don’t mean Ginny.
Ya know, OotP was the last book when Quidditch seemed to mean anything at all. (JKR spoke about her relief knowing she was writing the last game ever in HBP, and it really shows how tired she was of the game in that book.) I cared about the Gryffindors winning because of Ron. But looking back on it, it seems so damned useless since he came back in HBP more insecure and less competent. They might as well have lost.

Also.... word about Ginny being the new star of the team. It sort of makes that Seeker position seem less special, though, doesn't it? Ginny's as good or better than Harry (the Flying Phenom) at the job, even though she doesn't even like it that much and prefers chasing. Yet, if it weren't for the abyssmal playing of the rest of the team, they'd have won that game Harry missed and be the frontrunners, instead of in last place.

*In less than two pages Ginny has been sensitive, cool, smart, sassy and tough. No wonder Harry feels better. She’s better than chocolate. H/G here we come!
Okay, the Quidditch stuff was too much, but I did like this scene. And if the Harry/Ginny relationship had continued along these lines, I would have found them a wonderful ship. Maybe if JKR had just cut the super!Ginny stuff by half, or two-thirds, and left in this scene where Ginny actually is sensitive, cool, smart, sassy and tough (or done three of the five), it would be believable and sweet when Harry grows to love her.

Because... I guess I'm not saying this well, but... it's almost like in this scene that he's relating to her as person to person and not as Harry to Weasley/Ron's Little Sister/embarrassing fangirl. And the girl she is in this moment is someone it would be interesting to know--and someone who doesn't seem all bowled over by his Harry-ness. But it all gets blasted away in the next books when she's consistently shown to be either mean (see: "Phlegm"*) or a Stepford wife (see: DD's funeral, birthday present, epilogue).

Maybe Sarah (Maya) has it right. Ginny keeps re-inventing herself in order to be what Harry wants her to be, even if that ultimately turns out to be his mother (or grandmother).

* I'm suddenly wondering if Ginny was the one who came up with the "Loony" Lovegood nickname.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

>* I'm suddenly wondering if Ginny was the one who came up with the "Loony" Lovegood nickname.<

Oh probably. Not that it stopped her from benefitting from publicly coming to Luna's rescue by stopping someone in their Transfiguration class from using it. (Yes, that's right, *their* Transfiguration class. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Why did we have to wait until HBP to discover that Transfiguration was also a shared class?)

[r-ganymede.livejournal.com]

* I'm suddenly wondering if Ginny was the one who came up with the "Loony" Lovegood nickname.

The Good Guys in this series do seem to have a thing for "saving" people from problems they caused in the first place...

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

LOL, not to defend Quidditch, which is both dull and pointless; but JKR, if you were so bored, why not try NOT WRITING THE SAME FRICKING GAME FOR SIX BOOKS RUNNING?! Even Rocky loses at least once.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, but as we discussed last week, your dad and friends would have pegged you, Ron, and Hermione as losers from the get go.

Indeed. Well, maybe being in the same House would have mitigated the things slightly, but otherwise the trio would have been a proper Marauder-bait. For that matter, but for being "The OMG Chosen One" and friends, they may have been attractive targets to the twins as well. Frankly, it would have been a much more believable and interesting series if they still were. If, humans being humans, and teenagers being particularly savage, the older Gryffindors would have been resentful and jealous rather than abjectly admiring. Oh, well.

Ya know, OotP was the last book when Quidditch seemed to mean anything at all.

It didn't mean anything since book 1, IMHO, beyond being a vehicle for glorifying Harry when the Dark Forces were taking a pause in their doomed efforts to get him. Oh, and glorifying by extension the Gryffindor House at large.

I cared about the Gryffindors winning because of Ron. But looking back on it, it seems so damned useless since he came back in HBP more insecure and less competent. They might as well have lost.

I always thought that giving Ron another area where he could be second fiddle to Harry at best (and ended up at some indeterminate number behind Harry, Ginny and some nebulous bit characters) was a poor ploy to make him secure and competent. But yes, HBP made it particularly pointless. But then, DH made OoTP and HBP largely pointless as well, so...


Also.... word about Ginny being the new star of the team. It sort of makes that Seeker position seem less special, though, doesn't it? Ginny's as good or better than Harry (the Flying Phenom) at the job, even though she doesn't even like it that much and prefers chasing.

And even though she scarcely had an opportunity to train before and never evinced any interest in trying to get on the team, not even as a reserve. Yes, stealing your brothers brooms and flying alone is apparently a great method for learning to play a _team_ game. It is even funnier that she is supposed to be sooo brilliant as a Chaser. And WTF was that with the twins not allowing her to play with them, when it was pounded into us from the start that it is the sport where girls can complete equally? And Molly and Ginny allowing them to get away with it - some "strong women" there. Clearly some later ret-con to make Ginny more attractive as Harry's girl.

Frankly, I didn't like "Harry the natural Quidditch genius", but I could stomach it, because OMG, Harry was supposed to be so exceptional. But now it seems that in Potterverse an inborn talent is everything. Hermione is the big exception in that she is able to improve with actual _work_ and effort. Everybody else either has it in them or doesn't. At worst, the good people whom we are supposed to like and care about just don't possess the self-confidence to release their inner awesomeness. But the awesomeness was there from the start! Really!

Yet, if it weren't for the abyssmal playing of the rest of the team, they'd have won that game Harry missed and be the frontrunners, instead of in last place.

The funny thing is, that in an obligatory last Harry-less "hopeless" match of the season, when they "unexpectedly" (LOL) snatch yet another overwhelming victory, they achieve huge scores that never happen with Harry on the field. Maybe he isn't such a great team player, after all?

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It makes James sound worse than Joss Whedon.... :)

ROTFL!

For me OotP was the book where she practically admitted Quidditch was just a plot device to waste time until we got to Voldemort. For years it's been clear that nobody on the team matters except the Seeker, and then suddenly when Harry can't play everything shifts to Ron because he's the center of that story. She just really was not meant to write an underdog team story. Ron wound up looking even worse than he needed to look--what was the deal with having him not even earn his spot on the team but get on because of who his brothers are? It's like Ron starts out the story thinking he's Neville who can't do anything. It's not even like Ron is a good Quidditch player but then finds he chokes in front of a crowd. And as you say, we wind up with Ron's Keeper skills being so bad Ginny has to win every game for them...even though Harry did the same thing.

But then, Ron never gets to play Quidditch because nobody ever seems to actually play it outside of these games. It's not like if you're not on the team there's other places to really play.

My problem with the Ginny/Harry scene is that I can't look at it as anything but artificial. The girl in that scene is fine, but she's obviously being set up so I notice she's perfect for Harry. That's just one of the scenes where Ginny gets to be perfect for Harry by acting like a normal human being.:)

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Totally with you in the Ginny issue. I really liked OotP-Ginny, who seemed like a strong sensible person who was NOT hero-worshipping Harry like the rest of her family (most of all the twins, IMHO), but acted calm, collected, helpful, but very much her own woman. In fact, the total lack of Harry being interested in her for one whole year after her make-over after GoF, combined with her obviously gearing up to be a front row character made me suspect, she'd get together with Draco in the long run, re house-union, overcoming age-old feuds etc. Alas, no such luck.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Part Two:

*I like the way Ron is watching the conversation warily. Ron seems smarter here. Don't see that a lot.
Yes. You're reminding me that, before HBP came out, the Ron/Hermione relationship actually seemed to be maturing towards a satisfying romantic pairing. In this book, they bicker less than usual. Ron gives her a romantic gift for Christmas (even though she just gives him an impersonal school planner). There are all sorts of hints that they are spending time together and working in concert to deal with capslock!Harry.

Why JKR decided to give Ron stupid pills in the next book is a mystery. Unless it's all supposed to a consequence of Ron's encounter with the brain in the MoM? Everyone thought Ron would get smarter from the memories he absorbed, and yet he got stupid. Of course, people thought Hermione would become more fragile after her injuy in the MoM and instead she got more vicious.... Go figure.

*Wow. Ron is really committed to this giving free choice to others and letting them make their own mistakes and follow their own desires thing. Go Ron.
Nothing to add, except: Yeah! Go Ron.

*Chapter thirty-four of Umbridge’s DADA book is: "non-retaliation and negotiation." Okay, I’m really beginning to think this book considers it evil to not retaliate against violence and negotiate with your enemies. Because anything like that is clearly collaborating or appeasement? A negotiated peace is a peace without honor? You have to crush your enemy or be crushed? There was a thread at FAP recently about how JKR does feel she’s woven her Christian beliefs into the narrative. Apparently she’s just fonder of the Old Testament "eye for an eye" (or better yet, “brain damage for house points”) than she is of that pansy-assed "turn the other cheek" crap. Jesus deserved whatever he got, really, with that Pinko talk.
The message I got from the Umbridge regime was that the Repressive Authority inevitably spawns spontaneous insurrection. So, it wasn't that the students were morally right to rebel against Umbridge, it was just a natural, foreseeable outcome (and that Dumbledore did nothing to check it because it was so natural). What I found interesting (and which earned me quite a bricks at SQ), was that Snape neither joined openly with Umbridge (as Filch did) nor worked openly against her (as McGonagall did). He quietly endured her attackes without any open retaliation, but nevertheless undermining her objectives (by supplying false veritasserum).

Of course, it was pointed out to me that the IS was recruited entirely from Slytherin, so perhaps Snape was supportive. But he obviously wasn't.

I don't know if there's any moral to be drawn from that. It's not like he's just letting Umbridge run roughshod over everyone, either (like the majority of the WW do under Voldemort). Snape's basically doing what he does in DH, minimizing the damage and trying to keep things from getting out of hand in the chaos of the insurgence.

It seems like JKR is making a political point with Umbridge, but it doesn't go much deeper (ever!) than encouraging the idea that it's okay to rebel against authority when authority does something you don't like.

It really makes Draco seem like the deepest thinker in the books because he can look dimly beyond MUST SAVE FAMILY! to hestitate when it comes to killing. (Would Fred and George have waited even a millisecond in his shoes?)

[saylee.livejournal.com]

It really makes Draco seem like the deepest thinker in the books because he can look dimly beyond MUST SAVE FAMILY! to hestitate when it comes to killing. (Would Fred and George have waited even a millisecond in his shoes?)

Well, they might have... if that family was Percy.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

One of the most hilarious things in HBP will always be Ron's OotP storyline done all over again as if he never gained his confidence. Now, realistically sure, you could have somebody who has trouble with stage fright continually even if they often succeed---the success then gives them impetus to try to overcome it.

But Ron's put so much back to square one there seems little point. The Liquid Luck potion shows Ron he can do well without a Potion...but Ron already learned that in OotP. We even have to sit through try-outs as if Ron's never been on the team. Harry himself has never had to try-out ever. He doesn't even need to be voted team captain by the team--the school just sends him a badge. But suddenly everybody else has to try out every year so that Ron can be nervous again. The first year he gets a pass because Alicia knows his brothers, the second year because Harry knows him. Nobody even remembers he was a hero the year before, including Ron.

The message I got from the Umbridge regime was that the Repressive Authority inevitably spawns spontaneous insurrection.

I agree. And I can see the logic in what ideas Umbridge pushes given what she's trying to do. It's just hard to believe JKR doesn't realize that makes it come across like one of CS Lewis' parodies of silly modern ideas. Like in Silver Chair where there's the crack about how Jill and Eustace are bullied because of new-fangled ideas about "talking" to bullies and using a psychological approach. Only here it sounds like non-violent conflict resolution--also taught in schools--is being set up as obviously bad compared to the rough-and-tumble smackdowns elsewhere in the books. It's hard not to think Vernon would turn up his nose at Slinkhard too.

[va32h.livejournal.com]

What's FAP?

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

*Ron says they’ve got as much chance of winning the Quidditch cup as Dad’s got for becoming the Minister of Magic. Oh dear god. Is Arthur going to become MoM one day because this is one of Ron’s Accidental!Psychic moments? ETA: One bullet dodged. But a small one and we're still lying in a pool of blood.

All that baksheesh didn't accomplish anything? Somehow Arthur lost his way after scoring MOM sharing box seats for his family and entourage at the World Cup. Yet another thing that probably pissed off Molly. Maybe that was done on purpose.

*In less than two pages Ginny has been sensitive, cool, smart, sassy and tough. No wonder Harry feels better. She’s better than chocolate. H/G here we come!

I didn't mind Ginny in this scene. It seemed, at the time, that this was the real Ginny when she wasn't being a femmebot fangirl, stepford woman and bully. However this was the act, not the other incarnations.

*Chapter thirty-four of Umbridge’s DADA book is: "non-retaliation and negotiation." Okay, I’m really beginning to think this book considers it evil to not retaliate against violence and negotiate with your enemies. Because anything like that is clearly collaborating or appeasement? A negotiated peace is a peace without honor? You have to crush your enemy or be crushed? There was a thread at FAP recently about how JKR does feel she’s woven her Christian beliefs into the narrative. Apparently she’s just fonder of the Old Testament "eye for an eye" (or better yet, “brain damage for house points”) than she is of that pansy-assed "turn the other cheek" crap. Jesus deserved whatever he got, really, with that Pinko talk.

Wilbert Slinkhard, the true hidden Dark Lord of the Harry Potter series. Just think, he is still out there spreading his evil ideas of negotiation, pacifism and self-control. Maybe that will be the basis for the next HP series when Rowling goes back to writing.

Harry Potter and the Pinko, Commie, Liberal, Muggle loving Conspirator.

"I can't be Chivalrous with my Crucio because Slinkhard lives and breathes evil!" Harry said briskly.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Yes, like I said above, I would have no trouble at all in this scene if Ginny was just a character so I didn't just see it as another scene to set up how perfect she was for Harry. But then, I liked Ginny just fine when she used to be like this all the time. This is as close as she gets to GoF!Ginny in this scene. GoF!Ginny was also reasonable and helpful without being a drip. Back then it didn't seem like an act. Here I just see her performing.

[elanor-x.livejournal.com]

*Best careers advice: Be Harry Potter. You'll be top in your field by 27.
You forgot one important clarification: Be Harry Potter in the canon. He can be pitied even by me in certain fics.

* Is Arthur going to become MoM one day because this is one of Ron’s Accidental!Psychic moments? ETA: One bullet dodged. But a small one and we're still lying in a pool of blood.
May be, the book would be slightly better, had JKR killed Ron's father? Or not? I feel it's a pity she didn't follow her original plan here.

*One of the Gryffindor players knocked himself out with his own bat. Telling us the team is laughably bad every few chapters does not turn their final victory into Rocky II.
May be they use the lucky potion before each game?

*I’m sure Snape only dropped Harry’s potion to trick Malfoy into thinking he liked him, in order to maintain his cover as a spy for the DEs. And I’m sure Malfoy only laughed at Snape’s mean trick to suck up to him. These two aren’t at all friends. ETA: I still scratch my head over this relationship.
I think I got the right idea: Snape genuinely likes the Malfoys, exemplified f.e. by taking the vow in HBP, but Lily and Harry come first. That's all.

*Wow. Ron is really committed to this giving free choice to others and letting them make their own mistakes and follow their own desires thing. Go Ron.
Since the person, who follows his own desires thing here, is Harry, I can't force myself to feel positive about Ron's behavior. Harry (especially OoTF!Harry) is the last person in need of encouragement to do the first thing, which jumps into his mind, without considering the consequences for himself and other people.

* If Hagrid can get soppy over whatever fanged thing’s getting ready to munch on a Slytherin Harry can lay off Umbridge’s kittens.
By Hagrid's beasts are strong and manly, not sugary feminine with hidden kitten's claws!

*ETA: Okay, if you don't see the difference there, surely you see the difference between James and Harry hexing people randomly in the next book?
And I have read so many theories about Snape mistakenly seeing Harry as James's copy, while Harry's eyes betray he's the second incarnation of saint!Lily and nothing like James at all.

*ETA: Just kidding, of course. Harry only would have done well in Slytherin because the hat was reading the piece of his brain that belonged to Voldemort. It's probably that piece of soul that's making him question MWPP now.
LOL. Had Harry 2 such soul pieces, he probably would have been corrupted enough to question his mother's behavior in DH.

[(Anonymous)]

May be, the book would be slightly better, had JKR killed Ron's father?

Not just the book, but the whole remaining series would have been much better, IMHO. The Mega- juvenile Ron was so painfully out of place in HBP and in DH, that I can't understand why JKR was so set on keeping him in that state, going so far as de-aging the OoTP Ron. Oh, yes, couldn't have had him encroach on Harry's glory and suffering. Couldn't have had him as a believable young man on the front-line.

And of course we couldn't have had LV and his goons being actually dangerous to our heroes before killing the awesome Sirius and some random and largely pointless in the terms of emotional pay-off and story development killing off of secondary characters at 11th hour in DH. After all, if Voldy and Co. hadn't been consistently depicted as completely inept bumblers, Sirius's OMG, TRAGIC death would have come as less of a painful surprise, right?

Since the person, who follows his own desires thing here, is Harry, I can't force myself to feel positive about Ron's behavior. Harry (especially OoTF!Harry) is the last person in need of encouragement to do the first thing, which jumps into his mind, without considering the consequences for himself and other people.

Couldn't agree more. IMHO, rather than "letting people decide for themselves" Ron is spinelessly caving in to Harry yet again. Not only are Harry's friends honor-bound to help him here, but Harry's actions could also endanger Sirius and other members of the Order. And his reasons for the escapade are very flimsy as well. Notice how seldom Ron stands up to Harry (and to the twins) and how when he does it is always about himself and his jealousy issues? I would like to see Ron as a true counterpart to Hermione, but I really can't. The main difference is that Hermione isn't afraid to stand up to Harry and other influential "good guys" and defend her opinions, however odious they may be, while Ron is. He is a moral coward. Not that it makes me happy or that I am set to hate Ron, but that's how his depictions by JKR, come through to me. And yes, he was like that since the early books, but while he was a kid there was a hope that he might grow up and overcome it. And in fact it would have been a very interesting and compelling plot-line. But nope.

Had Harry 2 such soul pieces, he probably would have been corrupted enough to question his mother's behavior in DH.

Or in OoTP's Penseive flashback, really. I mean, how blinkered one has to be to applaud her behavior in that scene even without knowing that the victim of bullying is her childhood friend?

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

*ETA: Okay, if you don't see the difference there, surely you see the difference between James and Harry hexing people randomly in the next book?

But you see, Harry would never have been randomly hexing people in the next book if he hadn't been corrupted by the Prince. James was right to target Snape. He could foresee that this harmless-looking boy would write notes that would lure his son from the straight and narrow. It was a presumptive strike.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's true. Sort of like the Twins hitting Quirrell with snowballs shows they have a good sense of right and wrong even when they don't know it.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

LOL! That was great.

[lachlanm.livejournal.com]

sistermagpie: *You know, I always remembered Hermione’s part in this scene. I can see she’s just a convenient way to have Harry’s potion be gone, though JKR could have had Harry clean up his own potion before taking up his phial. But after a whole DAY where she’s hissed at Harry for two classes straight, I’m honestly surprised he doesn’t snap at Hermione for getting rid of his potion for him. Since Harry has a habit of lashing out at the nearest convenient people when angry, and finds it hard to be patient and understanding when things work out against him, it’s surprising he doesn’t thank her for always deciding what must be done for other people and doing it.

I think most people would. I would have done it a long time ago.



sistermagpie: *ETA: Just as well Fred's leaving, I guess. He won't need NEWTS.

Bwahahahaha! Looks like Fred was right!

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Good planning there, Fred!

[(Anonymous)]

Ron seems smarter here. Don't see that a lot.

I always thought that Ron was a lot smarter than JKR gave him credit for. Leaving aside the fact that he's good at chess, which must imply a certain amount of analytical ability (or maybe it's cowardice, I suppose the proper Gryffindor way to play chess is to have your King charge the enemy lines alone while the rest of your army stays behind doing nothing).

Then of course there's the fact that he spends the first half of Deathly Hallows saying "but we don't have a clue what we're doing! We are in no way equipped to defeat Voldemort by anything but dumb luck and authorial fiat!"

Of course like all examples of actual characterization in the Potter books, it turned out to be the Influence of Voldemort's Soul.

- Dan Hemmens

[(Anonymous)]

Leaving aside the fact that he's good at chess, which must imply a certain amount of analytical ability

See, that's the thing. I never saw any hint of analytical ability from Ron, apart from that chess match. So many people wanted to see his "strategical genius" so badly and it just never was there. Notice, how in all the books Ron never comes up with a single plan? Only Harry and Hermione do.

Then of course there's the fact that he spends the first half of Deathly Hallows saying "but we don't have a clue what we're doing! We are in no way equipped to defeat Voldemort by anything but dumb luck and authorial fiat!"

How is ceaselessly whining about the obvious without offering any plausible alternatives clever? "Wah, wah, I miss mum's exquisite food, I wanna go home. All these Muggleborns who get killed and imprisoned right, left and center? Who cares? Pfft, I wanna go home and really stuff my face. Because I am too useless to have picked up anything about cooking, despite having been forced to assist with kitchen chores for my whole life. It doesn't even matter to me that my family is on the shit list too. If we can't do anything about our insane quest and are too stupid to turn to somebody competent for help, we'd better just do nothing. Etc., etc."

And that is supposed to be an 18-year-old young man fighting in a civil war? A hero?!!! Honestly? Not an 8-year-old spoiled brat? While I absolutely detest the DH plot-line and a crushingly disappointing revelation about what all the DD's ruthless and supposedly brilliant (ha!) plotting amounted to, as well as completely OOC and brain-dead behavior of most of the characters, still sometimes one has to fight without hope. Isn't it what being heroic is all about?

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

*Hermione spent the large part of the day drawing up timetables for the three of them, as is her custom.
Actually, I thought this quite a good way to characterize Hermione's worker bee approach to school - 1 % inspiration, 99 % perspiration. The problem is, that at other parts of the story, we are supposed to see her as the "brightest witch of her age, which seems to imply more that just hard work.

*Even though MWPP are tormenting Snape for exactly the same reason Harry would consider it okay, he still doesn't get it.
This one is a classic example where you think Rowling COULDN'T have written it without knowing what she was doing - but, um - turns out she did.

Why no, Harry really doesn't have to do exams at all. We really WILL just look at him and know he's the best and make him an auror! Then we'll make him head of the aurors!
LOL! Don't you just love it, when the most outrages predictions come true?

while Dumbledore himself ignores him so no one will know there’s any connection between them. Good plan there.
It's about as convincing as Harry's break-up with Ginny was in HBP.

*Because anything like that is clearly collaborating or appeasement? A negotiated peace is a peace without honor? You have to crush your enemy or be crushed?
The weird thing is there are two completely contradictory threads in the books. On the one side, we learn negotiating is evil, you have to kick ass (like Ginny supposedly can although we never see it), wield swords (like newly-coined hero Neville) and generally be a fierce warrior for the Light. On the other side, when it counts, you have to be ultra-passive, Expelliarmus being your method of choice. What it comes down to is: be docile and meek and humble towards the really big and scary villain, but crush the weaker villain-minions. This is different from the (I suppose ) Slytherin way of "kick those weaker than you, grovel before those stronger than you" how???

*James hated the Dark Arts, Harry. There’s your reason.
I'll never understand, what that was supposed to mean. Dark arts are presumably dark because they rely on hurting someone in the process or limit their rights in some way (like Imperius). But then what's different from murdering someone by werewolf or torturing (like Umbridge - because she was never accused by anyone of being dark, much as everybody loathed her). It's like Dark Arts is a mindless label, pertaining to a limited number of spells and you are free to do whatever damage you want as long as you do it by other means than those on that list.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's funny about Hermione studying, because I feel like at this point time spent coloring timetables would just be time she's not studying. She's probably lucky that Wizarding education never really gets to be that much to think about.

Re: fighting/vs. not fighting evil--and also being proactive vs. being totally passive. Harry must obviously rebel against Umbridge, but also be totally loyal to Dumbledore without question.

I think this also gets into what the DA are--anything Harry isn't doing. As you say, the idea that Harry can be as aggressive as he wants no problem but then get a gold star for not killing the enemy in a war...how does that work? But the DA too are basically whatever Harry and his side would say they don't do. The key word being "say they don't do" because they actually do use them, but only to show how serious the situation really is.

[moonspinner.livejournal.com]

*James hated the Dark Arts, Harry. There’s your reason. And it’s one you find perfectly acceptable.

*Too bad Harry still doesn't know enough not to trust Sirius’ explanation of why James and Snape hated each other right off (that Snape was just jellus and poor James suffered from Toodammus Talentedus syndrome).

The funny thing is that with The Prince's Tale, JK Rowling really painted James in this moment as a lot blacker. Now, we know that he's not just picking on Snape because Snape is a Death Eater-in-training (and of course, picking on Death Eaters-in-training is a surefire way to recruit them to the Side of the Gryffin Light). He's picking on Snape because Snape is his rival for Lily. So James is really being cruel and vindictive at this moment and not just righteous with a sense of humour.

By the way, the 2nd non-Fleur moment of HBP that I love (the 1st being Dumbledore's death) was when Snape totally pwned Harry and told him that James only ever faced him when they were 4 to 1.



*I am incapable of applauding Fred and George’s exit the way the way many people do, simply because of parental conditioning. I can’t help but say, "But you had like five weeks left of school before your NEWTS! What a waste not to take them! You’re hurting yourselves here! Who drops out of school a month from graduation?!"

I give it to them: the exit itself was cool. But basically, that was just what it was - an exit. They were running away from the battle. But normal definitions of courage don't really apply in JKR's world.

[(Anonymous)]

The funny thing is that with The Prince's Tale, JK Rowling really painted James in this moment as a lot blacker.

Indeed, now it is obvious that Sirius and Lupin just shamelessly lied to Harry. James first went after Snape before there was any evidence of the latter's propensity towards DA, because James was a spoiled bully and Snape looked like a likely target. Whereas the oft-quoted "jealousy" was entirely mutual at the very least and about rivalry over Lily rather than James being "everything Snape ever wanted to be" , LOL. And James attacking Snape and provoking him to a breaking point whilst Snape was in possession of Lupin's secret just showed that James was an appallingly bad friend either... to everybody apart from Sirius, that is.

I give it to them: the exit itself was cool. But basically, that was just what it was - an exit. They were running away from the battle.

And leaving their younger siblings and their idol and sponsor Harry Potter to Umbridge, yes. I agree that the author seems to consistently mistake recklessness, showiness and charisma for courage.

OTOH, I disagree that NEWTs should have been a factor in their decision. They were in really few NEWT classes and haven't been studying even for those during their last year. As has been seen in the "career advice" chapter and strongly hinted in other places, fact of completing the 7th year alone is worthless in WW, it is just passed exams and grades one achieves in them that count (analogous to how it used to be and perhaps still is in the UK). Moreover, given that people were taking their children out of school in HBP and even more people were considering it, it seems certain that one needn't be at school to sit exams. In fact, given that Rowling kept Hogwarts similar to antiquated UK educational system, she should have had some people leave after the OWLs - but she probably was to lazy to introduce new background characters to replace them.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

I realize that we're done with this chapter--but there was something I forget to say about it.

I think this was the chapter when I really started to have that disconnect experience, because of the auror thing. Umbridge may have been a sadistic, evil person, but I thought she was right about Harry being wrong for an auror.

The only reason he'd thought of being an auror at all was because the evil psychopath in the previous year randomly said he'd be good at it. That it was going to take N.E.W.T.s in five or six subjects (including potions) seemed to make it an impossible dream--and three more years of intensive study after that?

Does that sound like Harry? Plus, being an auror means working for the Ministry and Harry hates the Ministry. And Harry is not, despite being on a Quidditch team, a team player. If he's not the star, he's not interested.

I would have thought he'd be more into cursebreaking--even before he had to go on the Horcrux hunt.

So, while the cat fight between McGonagall and Umbridge was cute, the total lack of follow-up between McGonagall and Harry over the tutoring issue seemed to me to show that neither of them really took the
auror thing seriously.

But apparently I'm wrong, because Harry was such a whiz-bang auror that he made head of the department in ten years--and never lost a duel.

[moonspinner.livejournal.com]

I would have thought he'd be more into cursebreaking--even before he had to go on the Horcrux hunt.

Cursebreaking would also require some extensive studying, I think and I think Potions is a very universal course for most skilled professionals.

Still, I think if he managed to survive the extensive academic application, cursebreaking would have been more suited for Harry's personality for the reasons you put - it's a one-star job, it's more or less freelance; and there are still the elements of the job that makes Auror work appealing to Harry - it's dangerous, and it's fighting against the Dark Arts.

Between you and me, I think a Harry Potter who worked as a freelance vigilante cursebreaker would have been a great deal more appealing and true to his nature than a Harry Potter who became a policeman an Auror.