Deathly Hallows, chapter 16

[anehan]

Godric's Hollow

* The long-awaited trip to Godric's Hollow. Bit of a let-down, to be honest.

* So, Ron is gone. Good riddance, I say. But then again, I don't like Ron. YMMV.

* I've said it before, but I'm going to repeat it: why would Hermione and Ron have thought that Harry knew what he was doing? The boy's not noted for his creative ideas, and besides, he told everything he learned from Dumbledore to them.

* In their new hiding-place, Harry performs the protective enchantments that Hermione usually does. What is she, their house-elf? I bet she always cooks the food, too, and takes care of the dishes. Not to mention the laundry, and packing, and so on and so forth.

* Hermione's turned into a watering pot. Pull yourself together, girl. There's no time to be wasted. Voldemort gets more and more powerful, the Ministry continues to persecute Muggle-borns, and your friends go to school which is under the management of Death-Eaters. And you sit in a tent and cry.

* Harry stares at Ginny's name in the Marauders Map. Creepy, or what?

* Oh my God, Harry gets all martyrish, being staggered "to think of his own presumption in accepting his friends' offers to accompany him on this meandering, pointless journey. Meandering and pointless the journey is (which makes me think that, if Rowling recognized it for what it was, why did she write it in the first place?), but Hermione and Ron have the right to make their own decisions. Everything's not about you, Harry. Voldemort is a threat to everyone.

* So, Snape is the first Slytherin Headmaster at Hogwarts since Phineas Nigellus. Rather telling that he had to be put there by Voldemort, right? And some people say Slytherins are not discriminated against.

* "Grindelwald's mark?" Hah! So there's something Hermione doesn't know.

* Harry asks Hermione for permission to go to Godric's Hollow. He feels "exactly as he had done on the occasion, several years previously, when he had asked Professor McGonagall whether he could go into Hogsmeade, despite the fact that he had not persuaded the Dursleys to sign his permission slip." *headdesk* Come on, Harry, she's not your mother.

* Imagine if this is the effect Hermione has on Ron as well. What a marriage that will be. (In fact, I'm reminded of Molly and Arthur.)

* Harry is surprised that Godric Gryffindor was born in Godric's Hollow. Apparently the anvil-sized hint of the place's name wasn't enough to penetrate the cloud of ignorance Harry is surrounded by.

* Hermione asks whether Harry ever opened A History of Magic, and Harry replies that he might have opened it just the once, when he bought it. You remember, when he still was the knowledge-hungry little boy, eager to learn everything there was to learn about the Wizarding World. You know, that boy who disappeared as soon as he got to Hogwarts.

* A History of Magic seems to be the only history textbook that is used at Hogwarts, yet it doesn't cover anything later than 19th century. No wonder wizards are an ignorant bunch.

* Harry hadn't been thinking about Gryffindor's sword when he said he wanted to go to Godric's Hollow. For him, the attractions are his parents' graves and the person of Bathilda Bagshot. No wonder the search for the Horcruxes doesn't advance, when all Harry does is obsess about his parents and Dumbledore.

* Hmm, obsess about Dumbledore. Is this in any way similar to his obsession with Draco, when he needed so see the place where Draco kept coming secretly? Ow, ow, bad place, brain, bad place. *scrubs brain*

* Oh my god, a statue of the Potters. Worship them, O Wizarding World.

* I wonder, will Harry erect a statue of his mother and father in the lobby at the Ministry when he becomes the Minister for Magic? Tastefully made of gold, of course.

* Harry thinks he could have visited the graveyard in Godric's Hollow with Dumbledore, if only Dumbledore had told him about the connection they shared to the place. The boy really is obsessed with being "special" in Dumbledore's eyes.

* Harry would rather look for his parents' grave than investigate the connection that the old grave has to Grindelwald's mark -- mark that has to be important, considering Dumbledore drew it in the book he left to Hermione.

* Once again, I wonder why Dumbledore didn't just tell Hermione that the mark, and what it symbolizes, is important. Too fond of riddles, that man is. Maybe he thinks they make him sound wise.

* To recap, what happened in this chapter: Hermione cried, and then Hermione and Harry went to Godric's Hollow, where Harry cried. Seriously, this book is very difficult to recap because nothing whatsoever happens besides camping.

Comments

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

- Godric's Hollow, what a slog. That’s the problem with a lot of DH, especially this part. With Books 5 and 6, even if there was a lot of old tat, there was a lot to snipe or laugh at. DH just inspired a sad silence. It wasn’t just bad, it was really boring. Because I despise Harry, I couldn’t care in the slightest if he saw his parents’ grave. I don’t feel his pain (not least because JKR is crap at expressing it). I don’t care about this hideous petulant whining incompetent, or his appalling psychopathic shrew of a best friend.

-Sorry to disagree, but Ron is my favourite of the Trio (though that’s not saying much) because he occasionally makes me laugh, and he comes across as normal. When he left, the camping section reached its nadir. (I agree with Montavilla – when he stormed off, I actually begged ‘Can I come too?’ But he didn’t answer, because he doesn’t exist. ) Without his sulky b*itching (which I heartily agreed with) I had to endure more of JKR’s desperate attempts at despair, and thwarted longing for Ginny.

- Why were the Potters so esteemed and honoured? Because they failed to stop Voldemort? I know he was the baddest baddie evah, (at that time anyway) so I don’t blame them for that, but what makes them so special? It’s not as if they were the only ones who died in the war, there must have been lots of martyrs. Was it because James apparently spent so much of his private fortune for the cause? That is a good thing, but I don’t think it’s that. I’m depending on this re-cap and my memory, so apologies if I’ve got it wrong, but I have another theory.

- I fear it’s because they were the parents of the Boy who Lived. Yes, in the absence of any apparent religion in this community (Christmas appears to be a tradition more than anything) we have the new Virgin Mary and Joseph(or is it God?). The Jesus comparisons come frequently in this book. Does that make Dudley St John the Baptist?

- I do laugh when things like Harry not linking Godric Gryffindor to Godric’s Hollow comes up. It’s just example 463853748 of JKR not bothering to protect her characters or storylines. Why make him look so incredibly silly? Why not have Hermione mention it, Harry roll his eyes and say of *course* he’d noticed, but as Godric died 1,000 years ago it wasn’t relevant. Hermione could say no stone unturned and off they’d go. JKR seemed to believe that for the readers to learn something, Harry *always* had to learn as well. That's rubbish, he must have had a million thoughts we didn't witness.

- It’s like (for the thousandth time!) putting RAB on the note at the end of Book 6 and no-one (including Hermione) working it out. I know the readers had two years to think, but it *really* didn’t take that long. I still think that a crest would have been better, as Harry could spot it when he was in Regulus’ room in Book 7. Instead she made them look slow. Better still would be for the note to be anonymous, then Harry could recognise his writing when in his room – that would actually be quite smart and observant. Something Harry hasn’t been since 1999.

- Still, it’s Bathilda next chapter, I believe - with Harry and Hermione really being on the ball. More proof that lots of action can completely fail to get your heart pumping. As if the Ministry fiasco wasn’t sufficient.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

- I fear it’s because they were the parents of the Boy who Lived. Yes, in the absence of any apparent religion in this community (Christmas appears to be a tradition more than anything) we have the new Virgin Mary and Joseph(or is it God?). The Jesus comparisons come frequently in this book. Does that make Dudley St John the Baptist?

I think St. John the Baptist would be Hagrid. And Voldemort, of course, is Herod. Since Ron deserts Harry, he would be St. Peter. Zacharias Smith plays the part of Doubting Thomas.

And Neville plays the part of Jesus's smarter, older brother. No wait. Isn't there someone who trod upon the serpent? Or am I thinking of St. Patrick?

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

Genesis mentions a woman who crushes the snake's head; Christianity (Catholicism at least) associates her with Mary. Fun fact: nowhere does it say the snake is Satan; it's just a magical talking snake.

Could Neville be St Paul? As in, not one of the Disciples, but still much better than most (all?) of them? And Ginny is Mary Magdalene, washing Harry's feet with her flamehair. And could weepy Cho be Veronica?

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

And Ginny is Mary Magdalene, washing Harry's feet with her flamehair.
Woot! If you go with the traditional christian interpretation according to which Mary Magdalene was a -um - rather experienced young woman, you've got another point in case with Ginny here...

Could Neville be St Paul?
I'd prefer Snape, actually as St Paul. Both changed sides, remember? And St Paul was deemed to be an intelligent man (and anyway I can picture Alan Rickman as a great rhetoric on the market-place of Athens, but that's just me).

To get even more cynic: Jesus did accomplish what he set out to do (or at least that's what christianity thinks about it) - so naturally, Neville should be him. So what about Harry as Brian?

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Not just experienced, but overwhelmingly grateful for being rescued from demonic possession.

Hard NOT to see it once it's brought up.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the Merovingians (sp?).

[anehan]

it's just a magical talking snake

Does that mean Eve was a Parselmouth?

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

[...]the absence of any apparent religion in this community (Christmas appears to be a tradition more than anything)
***Just like the British Muggle world, you mean?

[anehan]

I don’t care about this hideous petulant whining incompetent, or his appalling psychopathic shrew of a best friend.

I used to care for Hermione, but that was before she became a Ron-loving watering pot (the psychopathic part doesn't bother me). I may have said this before, but I really, really don't like Ron. Except in some fics, where he has a spine. However, I've been known to get along with Ron-lovers before, so you should be safe. ;-) Besides, he can occasionally be quite funny, which I can appreciate as long as I'm allowed to hate him the rest of the time.

My opinion of Harry is, I think, sufficiently clear from these recaps.

I fear it’s because they were the parents of the Boy who Lived.

I fear you're right. There is no other reason for them to be that famous.

That's rubbish, he must have had a million thoughts we didn't witness.

Are you sure? Because sometimes I feel that the boy has no higher brain functions.

It’s like (for the thousandth time!) putting RAB on the note at the end of Book 6 and no-one (including Hermione) working it out. I know the readers had two years to think, but it *really* didn’t take that long.

It took me less than 10 seconds, so I think Harry, with his knowledge of Regulus's fate, should have worked it out during the summer. But see my previous point above.