Deathly Hallows, chapter 8

[anehan]

The Wedding

* I must take a moment off from my readthrough to draw you attention to the cover art of the British children's edition. To me, Harry looks like a determined hero, Ron like an idiotish sidekick (see his expression--doesn't he look like a blundering idiot), and Hermione like a damsel in distress. I shouldn't be surprised at that, especially not Ron's depiction, seeing how it's been firmly established that he is as stupid as they get. Yet I can't help but be slightly offended by the art. Now, tell me, do you agree with my interpretation or am I only seeing what I expect to see?

* We are on page 115 (British edition), and so far next to nothing has happened in the book. Over a hundred pages of faffing around.

* The good thing about this wedding business is that Harry is probably forced to take a shower.

* At first, I read Harry's new name to be "Cousin Barmy". Alas, it was not to be.

* The wedding seems like quite a grand do. I wonder, who is paying for it? The Weasleys? If so, does this mean that the Weasleys' credentials as a Poor Family are now officially a thing of the past?

* Wizards wear cravats. I wonder, are they like modern neckties or lacy cloths à la 17th century?

* I wouldn't have thought one could wear a cravat with a robe. Or maybe Rowling has been a bit too much influenced by the films.

* Lupin is miserable, again. I would have thought that he would have had the decency to pretend to be happy when he's a guest at a wedding.

* Hagrid's being a blundering idiot. Why couldn't he have died when he had the chance? It would have made the hundred pages of nothing more palatable.

* Yes, Rowling, we get that the Lovegoods are excentric. Now please stop bludgeoning us with the anvils.

* That said, I rather like Xenophilius's belief that one ought to wear sun colours to a wedding for luck. It sounds... authentic.

* *giggles* Auntie Muriel, I can safely say that Harry is just as, if not more, gormless as he looks in press photographs.

* I have to ask, why are there seating plans for the seats under the marquee? What does it matter where people sit during the ceremony? Or is Molly just being a control freak?

* Ron's jealousy over Krum is getting old.

* Mrs Weasley is wearing amethyst-coloured robes with a matching hat. Does anyone know what Mrs Weasley's hair colour is? Because if it's red, I don't want to imagine the effect that creates.

* Bill and Charlie wear roses in the buttonholes of their dress robes. Tell me, where exactly does a robe have a buttonhole?

* Oh my god, Harry is waxing poetic over the "afternoons spent alone with Ginny in lonely parts of the school grounds. They seemed so long ago; they had always seemed too good to be true, as though he had been stealing shining hours from a normal person's life, a person without a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead ..." *gags*

* I'm rather disappointed that Bill's real name isn't Bilius.

* Oh dear, bonding is now canon. Why couldn't they have had a nice, traditional Christian ceremony? Or am I supposed to believe wizards are anti-religious? Then what does the Fat Friar do at Hogwarts?

* The waiters serve Firewhisky. You know, I've never been to a wedding where the first thing people are offered is hard liquor.

* Krum is getting violent over the sign Xenophilius is wearing. A sign that Grindelwald carved into a Durmstrang wall when he was a student there. So Krum is getting shirty over a schoolboy graffiti, so much so that he has beaten his schoolfellows over it, or at least that's what's being implied.

* The verbal match between Doge and Muriel is the first interesting thing that happens in the book. I'm not overly fond of the Dumbledore storyline (there were other, worthier storylines (*cough*Draco*cough*) to develop), but beggars can't be choosers and it definitely beats wedding preparations and sitting in a tent for three hundred pages.

* So Dumbledore's mother is a Muggle-born. One would have thought that Dumbledore's attitude towards Muggles would have been less condescending given his ancestry. Then again, the book's token Muggle-born, our beloved Hermione, mind-rapes her parents for their own good, so Muggle ancestry clearly guarantees nothing.

* Still, the Dumbledore storyline contributes to the scattered feeling this book has. There are so many things that are conmpletely disconnected from the previous books, plus almost no storyline, except the Horcruxes, have survived from the previous books. The effect is a collection of random things happening without any overarching theme.

* That was a nice little infodump about Dumbledore, the treatment of Squibs in late 19th century, etc.

* I just noticed that Harry hasn't been drinking Polyjuice during the reception. I thought Polyjuice only lasted an hour.

* I don't see how the Ministry having fallen must mean that the DE are about to attack the Burrow. The Ministry's protections aren't the only ones the Burrow has, and if the DE were going to attack it, they could have done it whether the Ministry had fallen or not.

* Still, at least something is finally happening.



Atomic Grenade:
Doge vs. Muriel

Idiot Picture:
The Weasleys have organized a grand do. Didn't I tell you in an earlier post that it was like a come hither look for the Death Eaters? Well, I was right.

Selling Wood:
Harry is emoting.

Final score: 3.

Comments

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

* Oh my god, Harry is waxing poetic over the "afternoons spent alone with Ginny in lonely parts of the school grounds. They seemed so long ago; they had always seemed too good to be true, as though he had been stealing shining hours from a normal person's life, a person without a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead ..." *gags*

*runs for communal sick bucket*

* I just noticed that Harry hasn't been drinking Polyjuice during the reception. I thought Polyjuice only lasted an hour.

When Harry drinks it, it lasts hours. He is just that chosen.

* I don't see how the Ministry having fallen must mean that the DE are about to attack the Burrow. The Ministry's protections aren't the only ones the Burrow has, and if the DE were going to attack it, they could have done it whether the Ministry had fallen or not.

You would that that since the Weaselys are famous for buttering up the chosen one, they would be first on the DE list. If I were the villain, they would be on my "evil list of things to do". But never mind all that, they have to party! In the middle of a ...war? skirmish? fascist uprising? I guess whatever point the author is trying to make now. I don't know, I guess less loving folk would have just settled for a quiet ceremony with friends and a large dinner party...waiting for danger to be over before throwing a huge fiesta. But then again those type just aren't Gryffindors. More like Slytherins.

[intotheaether.livejournal.com]

I live in the US, which seems to be a benefit when it comes to HP--I can't stop giggling over the UK cover art! Ferretbrain (http://ferretbrain.com/articles/article-94.html) did a great (and very funny) pre-DH analysis of the cover art.

* The wedding seems like quite a grand do. I wonder, who is paying for it? The Weasleys? If so, does this mean that the Weasleys' credentials as a Poor Family are now officially a thing of the past?

Of course not, it just means they have their priorities in order. Why buy new robes, a wand for your son, or a bigger house, when you can scrimp and save for one child's wedding?

* Ron's jealousy over Krum is getting old.

Definitely. He lives in Bulgaria, Ron, so unless Hermione's been taking really long trips without you noticing, they're clearly not dating, and it shouldn't be a big deal.

Does anyone know what Mrs Weasley's hair colour is? Because if it's red, I don't want to imagine the effect that creates.

According to the lexicon, her hair is indeed red.

* The waiters serve Firewhisky. You know, I've never been to a wedding where the first thing people are offered is hard liquor.

If wizards drink firewhisky as their beverage of choice, that would certainly explain a lot of their behavior.

* Still, the Dumbledore storyline contributes to the scattered feeling this book has. There are so many things that are conmpletely disconnected from the previous books, plus almost no storyline, except the Horcruxes, have survived from the previous books. The effect is a collection of random things happening without any overarching theme.

That pretty much sums up my disappointment with this book. So many of the plots introduced in this book were either unnecessary, or should have been introduced in earlier books. And then the plots from the earlier books went ignored. And Hagrid survived.

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Re cover art. you are absolutely right. And people wonder about Harmonians being so convinced of their ship...

We are on page 115 (British edition), and so far next to nothing has happened
How can you say that? Charity and Hedwig have kicked the bucket!

The wedding seems like quite a grand do. I wonder, who is paying for it?
Well, traditionally (at least in my country) that was up to the bride's parents (they were the lucky ones to get rid of a daughter, after all).
Ah - and the wedding! What is it with Rowling and gold? Golden balloons and golden dance floors and golden everything. Back in PS I liked the golden goblets for the children at Hogwarts but meanwhile it gets REALLY tacky. And of course all the females are crying because of the wedding. I've been to several weddings in my life and never knew anyone who cried. Guess we are emotionally shallow then. And Fleurs beauty has scar-vanishing abilities! Being a bride is the truly accomplished state of a woman. Get it?!

Oh my god, Harry is waxing poetic over the "afternoons spent alone with Ginny in lonely parts of the school grounds...." *gags*
- hands you a sick-bag. - Honestly, I don't know what's more cringe-inducing: the saccharine beginning or the self-pitying ending.
In fact, this rubbish in combination with Luna's recognizing Harry even under polyjuice got my hopes up for the love potion theory. Yeah! Harry was going to dump the bat bogey menace and find his one true love in someone who wasn't in love with his scar. And she complimented him on his robes and sucked on a finger... Sigh. But I really liked Ron for appreciating her when she danced all on her own.
BTW, did anyone else think of Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the future when Xenophilius made his entrance?

I just noticed that Harry hasn't been drinking Polyjuice during the reception. I thought Polyjuice only lasted an hour.
That was so CoS. IIRC, we are told later (when Hermione polyjuices into Bellatrix), that the duration depends on how much you drink. That's why Harry is reported to have drunk a large dose here. But it still won't wash because with a dose depending potion, there'd be no reason to say it lasted an hour in the first place.

Also - don't you love it how nasty Muriel is made into a kind of second Aunt Marge with her drinking and xenophobia? Not at all like the author who informs us in the same chapter that it's those French hussies who are lusting after international Quidditch stars. Whereas they are lusted after by British boys - and in both cases that's just what's to be expected of them!

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you about the cover art (I’m British). I remember a few years back, people were up in arms about the Prisoner of Azkaban film. Oooh - they make Ron look like an idiot - he’s so brave in the books - lazy, not stupid. And Hermione!! She’s a three dimensional person, clever but insecure because she’s worried that that’s her only virtue. Brave, but panics in action. Honestly, the books are so much better than the films!!1!

Now? JKR has dumbed down her characters to the extent that the films and the books are on a par and that is *not* a good thing. Maybe there’s a limit to what she could do to deal with Hollywood’s simple-minded devotion to two dimensional characters. (I mean Hermione, film Ron could only *dream* of having two dimensions) And the fan girls who dote on Emma Watson, whoops, I mean Hermione, are a very loud group (though not necessarily the largest going by Azkaban’s financial performance) so WB go with the easily marketed actress, not with being true to the book. But why did JKR damage her characters in the books themselves? The main ones at least were all initially likeable despite their flaws. They usually acted according to character, not just plot demands. Now they’re appalling, unlikeable, and the plot’s worse. Gah - and I haven’t even started on the recap yet! I'll post that later.

Recap Proper

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

I don’t mind the plot not being advanced if the writing's good, and I’m being amused. The way JKR writes, she *really* needs to keep the plot galloping along. I still think Dumledore's story could have been told more concisely and taken far fewer pages. Anyway,the first 115 pages weren't a total write off - the owl exploded! That has to tide me over until the snake rips violently out of the old, suddenly rotting woman's neck.....

Did Bill insist that Fleur was entitled to a proper wedding, and they weren’t going to run away and elope? It might have calmed my questions as to why this was happening at all. And if it had to happen, why not just close family, and a handful of even closer friends so that they could put a Fidelius Charm on the Burrow.? Also, if this war is in Britain, then why not hold the wedding in France? Maybe the muggle tradition of the Bride’s parents hosting the wedding and footing the bill doesn’t hold sway in the Wizarding World, but isn’t being on the brink of a major conflict a good decider?

I like Aunt Muriel - I can’t wait to be 100, so that I can be as blunt in real life as I am on this site! I bet she’d not crawl up the mighty Harry Potter’s unwashed behind. (Shower? You think? I don’t blame Ron for leaving that tent).

Word to the Hagrid hate.

Ron’s jealousy over Krum got old by the end of Book 5. It started to smell early in Book 6. After Lavender’s daily ravishing of him, he should certainly have gained a lot of confidence. JKR could still have her ‘moving’ locket scene just with the Molly prefers Ginny/Harry and Hermione think you’re an idiot points, and dropped this ancient and yawnsome ‘Hermione loves everyone but me‘ nonsense.

In fact, even the Horcrux didn’t bother with the Viktor Krum crap. He was bought back to please the fans - there was no need for him plot wise - Diggle or Aunt Muriel or any Wizard over 30 could have told Harry the info. If Krum came back, he should have killed one or other of Hermione’s parents then escaped. It’s an obsession of mine, but if Hermione was grief struck and guilty, then Harry would have had to do some thinking for himself and GROW UP. (And no doubt died horribly within 20 pages.)

Plus if Krum *and* Ginny died in the Battle, we could have saved Tonks or Remus for Teddy‘s sake. Though probably not both, since I wouldn’t give that relationship 2 years. Then Tonks could marry Mr Granger or Remus - Mrs Granger (or Mr Granger if certain shippers are to be believed)

I also wish Bill’s name was Bilius - and Ron’s was Orion or something. So Hermione’s sniping of ‘Ronald’ for the past 5 years has been completely wrong. But he didn’t tell her because he thought it was funny.

A lot of what we assumed made the Wizarding World different disappeared during the later books. JKR read too much fan fic. and we started getting ‘By Merlin’, button holes in robes, and Bonding ceremonies. I’d have preferred a Christian ceremony, perhaps with Wizarding extras on top. But JKR never defined the nature of magic, so what do we know? Good point about the Fat Friar, but he belongs to the time when JKR took care with her work and remembered what she‘d written before, eg that Polyjuice only lasted 1 hour. That‘s all over the place in this book. And I repeat, surely a glamour makes more sense? They don’t have time limits, do they? Why go to the trouble of the potion? Why drag the image of some unsuspecting muggle (especially if they live close by) into trouble here (Or at Godric's Hollow)? It was only needed for the 7 Potters, The Ministry and Gringotts.

Still, remembering the early (good) books became more difficult for her as she got further into the series. And God, I mean, Merlin forbid she re-read her own work.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I have all the UK books because the first ones I got my mom brought back from a trip. Since then she's always sent them to me from the UK. Every time it was the children's version, but somehow with DH she wound up getting the adult version. On one hand they don't match, but on the other, if there's ever a cover I don't want it's that one.

Oh, Krum. With his new personality of being a womanizer. He's grown so since he didn't want to talk to anybody but Hermione. (Clearly she's really awesome if she got his attention!)

And then he's also gotten self-righteous with his arguing over Xeno wearing what is obviously the wizard version of a swastika even though nobody's ever seen it in the books. Don't they study Grindelwald at all?

Btw, didn't Viktor mention that his family members were killed by Grindelwald? Looks like he's got the right creds--that's why he's the good Durmstrang student. Blood will out.

Dumbledore and Hermione are kind of living proof of why Muggle prejudice is so consistent. Muggleborns seem like the worst when it comes to this sort of thing.

I had forgotten the new rule about Polyjuice. Or should I say, the hastily invented rule that clearly was not the case in GoF. Why didn't the trio just make more back in CoS?

So true about the Dumbledore story, and we'll hear it like 3 more times without advancing anything. It just occurred to me that one of the many problems with it is that first, it's hard to understand how Dumbledore's past could make him a bad guy now, and second even if it turned out he was a bad guy it's unclear how this effects Harry badly, exactly. I mean, it's not like there's any implication that Dumbledore likes Voldemort, right? The worst it could imply is that they shouldn't be following Dumbledore's plan, but there's already far better reasons in the text for not following Dumbledore's plan. Reasons like: a) There is no Dumbledore plan that they know of b) It's a stupid plan c) Dumbledore's dead.

[ellecain.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait! You didn't make any mention of Ginny's sexy plunging neckline robes which show off how well endowed she is. How is this recap complete without it? That was the part that really made me roll my eyes. :-)

[va32h.livejournal.com]

The wedding seems like quite a grand do. I wonder, who is paying for it? The Weasleys? If so, does this mean that the Weasleys' credentials as a Poor Family are now officially a thing of the past?
**********************************************************

The Weasleys stopped being poor at the beginning of HBP, when Arthur got a promotion at the ministry and the twins' joke shop became hugely successful. And also because that whole poor/rich conflict theme between Harry and Ron is soooooo GoF.

The first time I read DH I thought the whole wedding scene sounded like on of those boring parts that William Goldman "edited" out of The Princess Bride.

[cressida0201.livejournal.com]

I must take a moment off from my readthrough to draw you attention to the cover art of the British children's edition. To me, Harry looks like a determined hero, Ron like an idiotish sidekick (see his expression--doesn't he look like a blundering idiot), and Hermione like a damsel in distress.

I've been annoyed with the British cover art since Prisoner of Azkaban, which showed Harry and Hermione on Buckbeak's back. I can't find a really high-res version of it, but Harry looks determined and heroic while Hermione is clutching him in panic, her mouth open as if in a frightened scream or moan. In the book itself, Harry didn't much enjoy the experience of riding Buckbeak, and I don't recall Hermione's reaction being mentioned at all.

* Ron's jealousy over Krum is getting old.

Well, this isn't the same Krum, so Ron has to get jealous all over again.

* Oh dear, bonding is now canon. Why couldn't they have had a nice, traditional Christian ceremony? Or am I supposed to believe wizards are anti-religious? Then what does the Fat Friar do at Hogwarts?

I don't think we're supposed to believe wizards are anti-religious. In addition to the Fat Friar, there's also St. Mungo's hospital, the fact that they celebrate Christmas (although the celebrations we actually see are fairly secular) and the Bible quotes on the tombstones in Godric's Hollow. Which makes the wedding even more surprising. Maybe it's just the Weasleys who are anti-religious, since if it had been Fleur's idea I'm sure we would have heard Molly sniffing about it.

* So Dumbledore's mother is a Muggle-born.

This makes the name "Kendra" even less forgiveable. I'd forgotten that detail, and I'd been consoling myself with the thought that maybe it was more popular in wizarding circles than muggle ones in the 19th century. (I almost wonder--did JKR name the character after somebody she knew?)