Christmas chapter!

[jollityfarm.livejournal.com]

I shall be off to my mum's in a few hours, so I'll leave all the people with Christmas cheer in the form of...

*It's the old dramatic technique of "If you ask me that one more time..."! Of course, it's as old as time and slightly annoying, especially since Ron's apparently repeated questions only resulted in Harry telling him about the Unbreakable Vow this one time. Wouldn't he have told Ron the first time he asked?

*Fred and George were apparently capable of this supposedly advanced and serious magic at the age of about seven. Then again, when they were about five, they knew enough magic to turn Ron's teddy into a spider. Despite the fact that they didn't have wands. I daresay they stole the wands, but wouldn't that be really hard?

*"...passing over Fred's left buttock." Thanks for that.

*Passing over some stuff about Lavender and her "extensive brain damage", we come to the matter of bedroom sharing (Fleur is sharing with Ginny, apparently unable to share with Bill until it's all legal and proper), leading us to Percy, who is still the biggest prat in the world. Later, one of the oh-so-sophisticated diners at that table will throw food at him and be proud of it. Yay.

*Anyway, Harry's definitely going to tell everyone ever what he heard, especially Dumbledore. Even Ron insists that nobody will believe Harry, but that's okay! The more disbelieved Harry is, the more right he must surely be! You could plot it on a graph, I daresay.

*Ginny apparently likes to drown the place in decorations. I can only imagine the lights she would enjoy if she were a Muggle and had access to the Las Vegas-esque lights one can see on certain houses. Harry probably either thinks this is adorable or "just one of those things" about women.

*Celestina Warbeck is on the radio. I have sort-of plot bunnies about her (a selection: her real name is Eileen Prince; she was at school with Tom Riddle; she's a Death Eater; she's a relative of someone-or-other; she's a lover of someone-or-other). Anyway, she has a song called "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love". How people wouldn't laugh on hearing that title is beyond me. Anyway, there's a break from this briefly to remind us that Remus is here and looking thinner and more ragged than ever. Oh, jolly good.

*Harry talks to Arthur about the arrests. Arthur doesn't think any of them is a genuine Death Eater, although we're not to mention that. And they're still holding Stan Shunpike. It'd be interesting to find out that Stan Shunpike actually was a Death Eater. The whole narrative seems so intent on proving he isn't one, it'd be actually quite cool if Harry turned out to be wrong. Although Harry is always right. But anyway. Arthur, by the way, thinks Professor Snape may have been pretending in order to get information out of Draco.

*Remus Lupin, ever a font of emotional wossnames, says it isn't our business to know whether Professor Snape is evil or not. Dumbledore trusts him and therefore he must be okay. Personally, I wouldn't trust Professor Dumbledore as far as I could throw him. What with his keeping important information secret and twinkling all the damn time and saying "Sherbet lemon?" instead of answering a question, I don't see why anyone would trust him.

*Remus neither likes or dislikes Severus. As with everyone else, then? One wonders if part of being a werewolf is all about keeping one's emotions hidden for fear that one could change into a wolf just by getting cross enough. A bit like the Hulk, really ("you wouldn't like me when I'm angry")

*Also, Remus has been among werewolves, almost all of whom are on Voldemort's side. This is a plot development I'm fond of, mostly because it can put paid to the covertly homophobic fannish notion that lycanthropy = homosexuality. After all, if werewolves = teh_gay, then according to Remus, most of the "gay" people are in league with the baddies and one of the main figures likes to attack children. I don't think Rowling would be making that analogy any time soon.

*Fenrir Greyback is about, and on a mission to bite and infect as many people as possible (including Remus, long ago). Apparently, Voldemort is using him as a threat, to unleash on sons and daughters (since he specialises in children, to get them early and raise them away from their families etc). It sounds a bit objectifying to me, a bit "release the hounds". Still, Greyback apparently thrives on that kind of thing. And plans all his attacks, too, by being in the place his victims are, near the full moon. All very unpleasant.

*Remus has never heard of the Half-Blood Prince, and James apparently never asked anyone to call him "Prince" even if he were half-blood, which he wasn't. He probably had people worshipping him enough that it never occurred to him.

*Hahahaha. Fleur imitates Celestina :)

*Ron gets a necklace for Christmas with the words "My Sweetheart" on it. Classy. Probably quite pricey, too, knowing stuff like that. Fred and George are spending a lot of money on presents, which is either a plot point leading to some drama to do with their love of money, or a simple suggestion that they deserve lots of shiny things, because they're so cool. Harry got a package of maggots from Kreacher. How nice :)

*Remus asks about Tonks' patronus, which can apparently change after a big shock or emotional upheaval. Like the boy you like not talking to you? Anyway, Harry still thinks it's Sirius.

*But this is all interrupted by Rufus Scrimgeour arriving with none other than Percy. Mrs. Weasley is anxious to see Percy, but he's not so anxious to join in the feast. Perhaps the drama that will undoubtedly ensue once someone brings up the whole family argument rather puts him off. Anyway, the Minister wishes to talk with Harry.

*The Minister takes rather a long time to ask Harry to support the Ministry, so that everyone might be reassured by them, having the Chosen One supporting them and all. Harry, unfortunately for Scrimgeour, does not support some of the stuff the Ministry is doing, like locking up Stan Shunpike for reasons of politics. He doesn't want to be used. Except by Dumbledore, it seems. That's okay. And he remembers when the Ministry was trying to convince everyone Harry was a liar (as well he might, it was only the year before). He is, as Scrimgeour says, "Dumbledore's man through and through". And shall be until death do them part, I'm sure.