Deathly Hallows, chapter 12

[anehan]

Magic is Might

* Yeah, yeah, the Death Eaters are observing 12 Grimmauld Place. Why don't you cut straight to the story, Rowling?

* I've got to say that it's stupid of the Death Eaters to expect anyone to appear there, not when they are so obvious about keeping an eye on it.

* The kitchen is now polished to perfection, all thanks to the mysteriously changed Kreacher. Even Kreacher's ordering Harry about isn't enough to make me reconciled to this new state of things.

* Well, Snape can't be a worse headmaster than the previous one.

* IIRC, this is the second time that "Merlin" is used as an expletive in this book, this time by Hermione.

* The other teachers won't accept Snape as a headmaster? Oh, come on, Ron, that's naïve even for you. The slightest reflection should make it clear that they have no choice.

* "The quality of Kreacher's cooking had improved dramatically since he had been given Regulus's locket." Nonononono! *whimpers*

* Exposition alert! An infodump about new Ministry policies. Stupid policies, if you ask me; there only so that the Trio can put their plan into action.

* Hermione is worried that the plan will go wrong, because so much relies on chance. Get used to it, Hermione, since that's what you'll be relying for the rest of the book.

* It's so very Harry to have a plan that's likely to go horribly wrong, only to be rescued by luck.

* Am I the only one who thinks that real reason for Ron's reluctance to have Hermione with them is misplaced chivalry?

* Master, Master, Master. Shut up, Kreacher!

* Harry's scar hurts again. It just doesn't make sense that Voldemort suddenly stopped using Occlumency after using it for the previous book. IMO it's there only so that we can get periodical updates about what he is doing. Oh dear, consistency.

* Hermione knows very well that Harry doesn't know how to use Occlumency, so what use is it telling him he shouldn't let Voldemort into his mind?

* Harry gets angry when Hermione suggests that the reason he never really tried to learn Occlumency is because he likes to have this special connection to Voldemort. Oh, I don't know, Harry, I think what she says has some merit.

* It's rather rich of Harry to tell Hermione to forget Dumbledore when he's himself been all about doing what Dumbledore wanted him to do.

* And off we go to the Ministry, armed with a plan with very little chance of succeeding.

* Frankly, the reason why they gave Mr Magical Maintenance Puking Pastilles instead of stunning him makes no sense. The Stunned bodies would be in the empty; they wouldn't be attracting anyone's attention.

* Stupid of them to have Harry impersonate someone who they know nothing about.

* The official entrance to the Ministry is quite stupid. I'm getting bored of these supposedly quirky habits the Wizarding World has, such as this and the moving staircases at Hogwarts. I'm sure they're meant to be funny, but they only make wizards look incredibly stupid.

* The Death Eaters have no subtlety. Magic is Might, indeed.

* Yaxley's face is brutish, and he's dressed opulently. No doubt his Polyjuice Potion would be mud-coloured. After all, blood will tell.

* A very short recap this time, for which I apologise. The chapter was boring as hell. We're only a third way in, and already I am heartily sick of this book.




Atomic Grenade:
Puking Pastilles. Guaranteed instant hurling.

Designated Hero:
Master, Master, Master, Master. Our Hero is so noble that lower life-forms can't help but worship him.

Informed Attributes:
The Trio's plan will word. Really.

Final score: 3.

Comments

[meritjubet.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know, Harry, I think what she says has some merit.

But then the focus wouldn't be on *Harry* and his very special headaches!

Frankly, the reason why they gave Mr Magical Maintenance Puking Pastilles instead of stunning him makes no sense.

It could be like how Harry would never use an Unforgiv - Okay. They were all spelled out?

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Hermione is worried that the plan will go wrong, because so much relies on chance. Get used to it, Hermione, since that's what you'll be relying for the rest of the book.
In fact, it's even worse. I could buy it if there simply wasn't any other possibility for them to get to the locket and thus left them no option but to risk it. But why look for it at the ministry in the first place instead of Umbridge's flat? I, at least, do not keep my jewelry at my office! To say nothing of the fact they didn't even hatch a risky plan for once they were there. There was NO plan at all. Why are these the big hero and superbrain again?

Master, Master, Master. Shut up, Kreacher!
I am afraid you just don't get the beauty of being wholeheartedly worshipped by your inferiors. Think how nice it was in the good old days, when beaming black faces lit up at the sight of massa and missus, happy to know it was their place to take care of them! And being rewarded with shiny trinkets once in a while which made it something else than slavery!

Hermione knows very well that Harry doesn't know how to use Occlumency, so what use is it telling him he shouldn't let Voldemort into his mind?
It's just to show that women nag and are not to be taken seriously, but shouldn't be shut up too roughly as long as they wash your underwear.

The official entrance to the Ministry is quite stupid.
Stupid and disgusting. I mean - getting into the ministry via toilets like that wall behind the Leaky Cauldron? O.k. if meeds must be, but flushing themselves down? How old does Rowling think her readers are - five?

[beatnikspinster.livejournal.com]

The official entrance to the Ministry is quite stupid.
Oh, but it's metaphorical right? All workers for the government, public institutions, and non-profits must flush themselves down the toilet. That's what happens when you've mistakenly chosen to serve the common good, instead of "the greater good" of private enterprise and wealth. Except for the aurors and other defense organizations, of course. *begins singing random corporate jingle*

I'm sure they're meant to be funny, but they only make wizards look incredibly stupid.
It looks worse than stupid, when Muggles are constantly held up for derision and this is presented as the preferred alternative.

[ellecain.livejournal.com]

Well, Snape can't be a worse headmaster than the previous one.

*Gasp* Blashphemy! Snape? A good Headmaster? He might do crazy things like hire teachers on merit and not turn a blind eye to the incompetent ones. Clearly magical society would go to the dogs - oh, wait.

It's rather rich of Harry to tell Hermione to forget Dumbledore when he's himself been all about doing what Dumbledore wanted him to do.

Pfft! Rules don't apply to Harry. Just like his father before him

Yaxley's face is brutish, and he's dressed opulently. No doubt his Polyjuice Potion would be mud-coloured. After all, blood will tell.

LOL, see this is where all those JKR improved as a writer arguments lose me. In the earlier books she was clearly going for a Dahl effect especially with the Dursleys - and that created plenty of arguments in fandom as it was. But in the final book of the series you're going to describe your villains as ugly? Groundbreaking, Jo. What an evolution we've had with the way we look at the bad guys.

Ugh, this book was so disappointing in so many ways. You deserve massive amounts of credit for doing these recaps! *bows down*

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Rerunning my comment from the Sporking community last February:

"I've always wondered why no one tried to find out where Umbridge lives and engage in a little daylight burglery. Much less risky and might even have worked if she doesn't wear the Locket everyday.

Or even get in, stake the place out and wait for her to get home and take it off her.

I mean, the worst you will probably have to put up with is a pissed-off cat who will shed all over the cloak."

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

I couldn’t believe that JKR started using ‘Merlin’ as an expletive. I’d seen it so many times in below average fan-fiction with shallow, ill thought out ideas of what magic in this world actually entailed. I think you can all deliver that punch line without further help from me.

Wouldn’t it be better if Harry had spent Book 6 trying to practice Occlumency without Snape’s help? (Don’t ask me how. JKR could say that Remus had average ability in the field, which would be better than nothing. He’d have welcomed the chance to get away from the Missus, and Harry could have paid him some much needed cash) Then, we wouldn’t think of Harry as a ridiculously foolish, petulant child for STILL ignoring Hermione’s nagging in B7, just as they were facing the moment of reckoning. How on earth could Harry always see into Voldemort’s thoughts, and him never notice? He was smart enough to plant the vision of Sirius' capture and Harry reacted just as he wanted. Then what happened, was he hit violently on the head?

Also, if Harry was making even an attempt at Occlumency, then he couldn’t receive every other thought that Voldemort had in this book. I’m fine with Harry seeing V. search for each of the Horcrux at the climax, and realising they’re missing - she was trying to build up suspense. This could *sort of* be excused by the fact that V. was starting to panic and getting angrier, which *might* explain his letting his guard down. But JKR should have written every previous occasion out. Just because Harry’s a useless fool, V. shouldn’t be. He was so pathetic in this book. I know he had to be, for Harry to beat him, but it was a pile of sh*t to read. Pah.

Kreacher the turncoat - burn in Hell. Or spend the next 100 years cringing to Potter, B*tchFace and their Devil Spawn. Serves you right.

I like the Moving Staircases at Hogwarts - and they don’t matter - it’s just a school filled with kids. The centre of the British Wizarding Community, on the other hand, definitely needed a little more gravitas. JKR seemed not to make any distinction, that’s a real problem. She writes as if her audience are children, then tries to add in serious ideas and comparisons and it adds up to a lot of inconsistent crap. Another quirky idea? Stick it in wherever. The sad thing is, she didn’t seem to do things like this before. St Mungos and the Ministry/Telephone Box were fine.

This whole escapade should have been cut. It was pointless, it made The 7 Potters seem like The Bourne Ultimatum. It didn’t even have a beautiful and constantly faithful bird, bursting into a ball of flames with singed, previously white feathers scattered over the surrounding area, getting into Death Eaters‘ Masks and up Harry‘s nose. No - just Harry getting a chance to show how noble he is to the poor little muggle-borns. He’d never sink as low as the enemy and use an Unforgivable. Until he does.

Kreacher could have put aside his whole, near-offensive ‘Uncle Tom’ act (all right with that Hermione?) and apparated to Hogwarts and got Umbridge’s home address. (As an ex-teacher, it wouldn’t be too silly, or contrived if it was on record there.) Or perhaps Dobby could get it - as a build up to his far more frequent occurrences in the book so that we cared more when he died. Apologies to aasaylva , who had the same idea. (You, me and the rest of humanity)

Then they could have pinched it from her home as she lay sleeping - perhaps even with Scrimgeour sleeping beside her - that’d explain why she hadn’t been thrown in jail months before. Hee. If JKR had to have an over the top plan where anything could go wrong, they should have kidnapped her whilst she was out of the Ministry, had a big scene at Grimauld Place, then obliviated her. (Again, over to you Hermione). That’d have been crap, but not as crap as actually walking into the Voldemort controlled Ministry, impersonating the first people to walk by, whoever they might be, regardless of what their job entailed, or where they might need to be at the time and…..sorry. I have to stop now for the good of my mental health.

Talking of which, I’m sorry you got bored Helka Maria - but cheer up. It gets better from now on. Or do I mean far, far worse? Ahem. Also, (horrified thought) you’re not *sober* as you do these are you?

[go-back-chief.livejournal.com]

IIRC, this is the second time that "Merlin" is used as an expletive in this book, this time by Hermione.

I remember the good old days when this only happened in fanfic...