Deathly Hallows, chapter 14

[anehan]

The Thief

* So Ron splinched. But Ron didn't actually Apparate. First, it was Harry who Side-Along Apparated Hermione and Ron, then Hermione Side-Along Apparated Harry and Ron. So, it was either Harry or Hermione who screw up, and my money is on Harry.

* Hermione has time to cast the Revulsion Jinx at Yaxley to force him to let go, but she doesn't have time to Stun him. In some parallel universe this makes sense.

* Hermione talks about "protective enchantments"; fandom insists they are wards. I wonder if the term "ward" has ever been used in canon, or is it completely a fandom invention.

* And the camping begins. I've never been an outdoorsy person.

* Salvion hexia, protego totalum, repello Muggletum, etc. You know, the names of these "protective enchantments" are kind of obvious. Maybe Rowling has run out of imagination.

* "Dumbledore said fear of a name..." Whatever Dumbledore said must be true. Never mind that Snape was right and saying Voldemort is actually dangerous. You know, it seems to me Dumbledore didn't really care about the safety of others (or do you expect me to believe that he didn't know that saying someone's name can enable them to find you).

* Hahahaa, I like snarky Ron! "Calling You-Know-Who by his name didn't do Dumbledore much good in the end." *giggles*

* Ron is worried that the Cattermoles could end up in Azkaban because of the Trio. I'm not surprised it's Ron, and not Hermione or Harry, who displays the existence of a conscience.

* Hermione looks at Ron tenderly. Helkamaria silently vomits.

* Emo!Harry. Yuck. Am I supposed to believe it's the Horcrux making Harry think all these dark thoughts? Because really, that boy doesn't need any help to become a martyr.

* Any sensible person would assume that the Trio would summon Kreacher or Dobby to get some food. Instead, we get some pretty lame justifications for them not doing it.

* "Why hadn't Dumbledore explained more?" Why indeed, Harry. I would very much like to have the answer to that mystery, since his conduct makes Dumbledore look rather bad.

* They really should have taken Remus with them. Maybe then there'd have been sensible plans instead of this stumbling aimlessly around.

* Hermione is right that Harry should have learned to apply Occlumency, but her insistence at berating Harry for it, when Dumbledore himself had decided it was not that important for Harry to learn, annoys me. She'd much better learn to make the best of it as a way of getting information rather than nagging about it, since it's not like her nagging is of any use. I like Hermione, but sometimes she's a really annoying know-it-all.

* Harry wishes to avoid a fight. Please contain your astonishment.

* JKR's description of Grindelwald reminds me of a Trickster god.

* I'd really like to know more about Grindelwald. He is a supremacist who apparently repented while he was in prison. Are there any good Grindelwald fics around?

* Another short chapter where nothing happens.

Comments

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

* Hermione has time to cast the Revulsion Jinx at Yaxley to force him to let go, but she doesn't have time to Stun him. In some parallel universe this makes sense.
* Any sensible person would assume that the Trio would summon Kreacher or Dobby to get some food. Instead, we get some pretty lame justifications for them not doing it.
***Plot Point always wins over logic.

* "Why hadn't Dumbledore explained more?" Why indeed, Harry. I would very much like to have the answer to that mystery, since his conduct makes Dumbledore look rather bad.
***RATHER bad? Understatement of the week, that

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

- Hermione uses the wrong spells on Yaxley. Hmm. I think the last re-cap/set of comments made our opinions clear on this mangling of what's left of Hermione's character to get them out of Grimmauld Place. All the better to start the edgy and exciting camping session. What will happen to them next! Oh, that's right, nothing.

- If the Taboo is an established, if rare thing, then maybe Pure Bloods have been right to protect their small children by preventing them saying a word that might one day put them in danger. After all, if anyone was going to invoke it in their lifetime, it would be Voldemort. The children might end up a little scared of it, but that's better than being slowly tortured to death by a raving lunatic in Malfoy Manor. You're right, all the magical parents have been sensible, and Dumbles has been arrogantly uncaring. Colour me suprised!

- Snape, as so often, had it right. I always appreciated his no-nonsense, realistic approach. But then, I hadn't read The Prince's Tale yet.

- Hermione looks at Ron tenderly while he's half dead on the floor. No chance of being upfront face to face in Book 5 and saving us a lot of tiresome 'romantic tension'. Though rather 20 pages of Ron/Hermione going around in circles than 1 paragraph of a blazing Ginny.

- I love snarky Ron too! I also like horcrux-infested Ron who disses Harry big time! The only light in the darkness about to engulf us.

- Hermione underlines the 'duh', by saying Harry should have learnt occlumency. I mean, even Dumbles wanted him to, and he never told him anything.

- Don't get me started on the House Elf thing. DON'T GET ME STARTED.I whine on about this too much, but I can't let it go. JKR spent *books* developing Dobby's character. Why? If they'd taken advantage of the fact that he works in the Hogwarts KITCHEN, no-one would have blinked an eyelid. He needn't stay with them, but he could visit once a week with supplies. Hermione could warn him of the dangers (as opposed to not giving a toss about House Elves anymore) and he could proudly CHOOSE to take part in the struggle, the only House Elf with that priviledge, making his death more meaningful and poignant.

- Kreacher's turnaround was totally unconvincing, but meh, it happened, now he's another Harry Groupie. They could have used him too. Harry could have FREED him, and he refused and insisted on serving him. (Did Harry free Kreacher? If not, what's the point of having a slave and not making full use of him?)

- How could Ron splinch, if he wasn't apparating himself? Wouldn't the Apparator have to be splinched as well? My mind's putting up some serious memory blocks now, to protect me from the nadir of the Harry Potter series, but from what you're saying, it doesn't make sense. Not an error from JKR, surely?

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

* Ron is worried that the Cattermoles could end up in Azkaban because of the Trio. I'm not surprised it's Ron, and not Hermione or Harry, who displays the existence of a conscience.

Again! It's almost always Ron who expresses or demonstrates genuine concern for other people. (Maybe that's why healer!Ron is a fan trope--oddly enough, existing side-by-side with wife beater!Ron...)

Sorry, but I must rant once more time about the stupid kiss. Ron always sympathized with house-elves. Moreover, he got house elves way better than Hermione ever did. I can't stand her crocodile tears whenever she deals with them. (Actually, this would have been a great characterization if it hadn't morphed from Hermione the Jane Austenish Comic Stereotype of the Charitable Crusader into Hermione the Amazingly Right About House Elves All the Time, Even Though She Upholds Slavery and Only Cares About Freedom if They Don't Belong to Her Friends.... person.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

No, the term "ward" never comes up in canon.

Of course it has only been standard usage in fantasy fiction since at least 1971. (Imported from Real World occultism.) But then, Rowling says she doesn't read fantasy.

[miss-morland.livejournal.com]

Are there any good Grindelwald fics around?

This is one of my favourites:
http://community.livejournal.com/grindeldore/834.html

:-)