Deathly Hallows Chapter 11

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Apologies again for the late entry. I was out of internet range again this week.

The Bribe

I hate this chapter. I’ve tried in my snarkiness not to negative for the sake of being negative, but I just hate this chapter.

To begin with, I hate that the forward momentum of discovering who took the locket is halted while Harry waits for Kreacher to come back.

I hate that the Trio eat moldy bread. Since the last time anyone would have put bread in that house was over a year ago, I’m imagining a loaf that is hairier than Crookshanks and it just makes me ill.

Did Sirius have no tins in his home? No sardines? No tuna fish? No crackers? Or did Mundungus nick those, too?

Are these kids so terrified of Death Eaters that they can’t sneak out for a pizza? This is London! I know they have restaurants! Ron, go get some curry!

They can’t, of course, because there are Death Eaters watching the house. This doesn’t stop them in the next chapter from going in and out, but for now, it’s moldy bread and bickering.

Remus Lupin comes into the house. He seems very unsurprised by Moody’s wards, although that doesn’t stop them from going off. Not that they do much except deposit a lot of grey dust on his already grey and dusty cothing. Stupid wards.

But JKR gamely tries to create some suspense out of his entrance by concealing him behind the dusty cloud and having Harry demand Lupin give proof of his identity.

Lupin then rattles off a number of facts about himself. All of which Snape would know. Wouldn’t it be fun if this really were ESE!Snape using polyjuice? Oh, but wait. Lupin is a werewolf. Wouldn’t work. I hate this chapter.

Lupin does let them know how to get in and out of the house without being detected by the Death Eaters (Apparate precisely onto the top front step). Better yet, he brings beer with him. Now see, kids? This is the way you do a quest!

Lupin confirms that the Death Eaters weren’t using the Trace to locate Harry. According to him, it’s impossible to follow someone who Apparates, unless you can grab onto them. He also brings in the logical argument that, if Harry still had the Trace on him, the Death Eaters would know for sure he was in Grimauld Place.

Lupin can’t figure out how the Death Eaters found Harry so fast (The Mystery of the Compromised Café), so I suppose Voldemort has yet to institute the taboo? No, wait, he did it before Hermione spoke his name. So, he’s put it into place, but the general population hasn’t figured it out yet. Got it.

Lupin also tells them the rumor that Scrimgeour was tortured before he was killed and died protecting Harry’s whereabouts. Harry reflects that he “never liked Scrimgeour much.” Excuse me a moment while I laugh myself silly.

While a dozen Death Eaters crashed the wedding, others were breaking into all the other Order-associated homes. Which makes it sound like there are hundreds of Death Eaters. Where did all these Death Eaters come from?

And where did all the protective charms go to? Lupin explains that, now that the Ministry has fallen, the Death Eaters are able to cast brutal spells “without fear of identification or arrest.” They were scared of this prior to the Ministry falling? When was anyone, besides Stan Shunpike, ever arrested? I thought the Ministry spent all of its time chasing down fake amulets and harassing Harry Potter!

Plus, the Daily Prophet is now re-opening the question of Who Killed Albus Dumbledore? with Harry as the prime suspect. You know, this is why it would have been a good idea for the Aurors to have investigated the murder three months ago, when it took place. It wasn’t like Harry wasn’t eager to tell everyone about Snape killing Dumbledore.

By the way, Lupin tells us that the taken-over of the Ministry has been smooth and virtually silent. Except for those hundreds of guests running around screaming at the Weasley wedding.

Lupin says that Voldemort is clever by not declaring himself Minister of Magic. He can run things without people openly rising up against him. Likewise, Lupin remarks, it’s clever to target Harry. Otherwise people would naturally rally around Harry as a symbol and resist the Death Eaters.

That was exactly what Scrimgeour was trying to do, wasn’t it? Use Harry as a symbol for people to rally behind? In which case, the Death Eaters might have been stopped in their tracks and Voldemort’s immortality might have been moot.

And this would have cost Harry and Dumbledore what? Distraction from the task of taking out Horcruxes. Which could have been done by any number of Order members. Ones who know things like 1) how to identify the traces of magic, 2) how to identify dark objects, and 3) how to order pizza.

The next bit of exposition is that the Ministry has started moving against Muggle-borns, with a Muggle-born registry. We’ll learn about that in a few chapters, but as I’m reading this, I’m remembering that Dolores Umbridge had previously created a Werewolf registry in OotP. Let’s remember that later.

As Lupin speaks, Ron remembers that Hermione is a Muggle-born and suggests trying to sneak her into his large family as a cousin. Thanks, Ron. That’s sweet. Idiotic, but sweet.

Attendence at Hogwarts is mandatory, which has the added diabolical benefit of allowing the Ministry to “weed out” Muggle-borns. Presumably, they are shipped by train to a Death Camp (although this is never mentioned in the text).

Harry is sickened and angry at the idea of the excited 11-year-olds, who may never see Hogwarts—or their parents—again. Not sickened and angry enough to do anything about it, of course. But then, neither is anyone else.

Speaking of actually doing things, Lupin asks Harry to confirm that the Trio is on a mission for Dumbledore and then offers to accompany them and help. Harry is tempted, until Lupin reluctantly admits that Tonks is pregnant. Whereupon, Harry suddenly turns into the ultimate arbitrator of marital relationships and demands to know why Lupin would leave his wife alone at a time like this.

There’s a funny image of Ron staring around at the room, and Hermione’s eyes “swiveling backward and forward from Harry to Lupin.” I can’t help imagining then both as crustatceans. Or Hermione as that crab from The Little Mermaid while Ron is more like the fish sidekick.

Under Harry’s prodding, Lupin begins shouting about how he ruined Tonks by marrying her and she’d be better off without him. At this point, I’d like to bring up that whole registry thing. As we see later, it is extremely dangerous to be married to someone on a Ministry register. We’ll see even later on that Muggle-born Ted Tonks thought it a good idea to leave his wife and daughter. (By the way, the Death Eaters already tortured the Tonkses, looking for Harry.)

I hate this fight. I hate the way that Harry gets so righteous about Lupin leaving Tonks to help destroy Voldemort. For one thing, what kind of a future is there for anyone if Voldemort isn’t stopped? Dumbledore has left Lupin no information or instructions about stopping Voldemort other than some vague advice to trust Harry’s instincts.

Second, no one is apparently interested in what Tonks thinks about all this. Maybe she’s sick of Lupin sitting around trying to pretend she isn’t a Sirius substitute and moaning about all the trouble he’s brought her. For all we know, she could have said, “Stop complaining and go help Harry for Merlin’s sake!” Or, less dramatically, she could have understood, as millions of pregnant women did during WWII, that the world needs their husbands to do something else for a while.

And, here Harry goes again, calling yet another person who has pretty much devoted himself to Harry’s wellbeing a “coward.” I guess if you haven’t died for him, you just don’t meet that Gryffindor standard.
At this point, I hate the fact that Lupin isn’t quite as good a duelist as Snape and only manages to knock Harry’s head against the wall before he runs out. Frankly, I think another humiliating defeat would have been good for Harry and highly satisfying to me.

Harry’s tumultuous emotional state can only be soothed by distraction. Oh good, the Daily Prophet has another story about Dumbledore’s biography! What with all the taking-over of the Ministry and killing of Muggle-borns, people are hungry for news about that old dead headmaster guy.

Here’s a photograph of the family! Percival looks exactly like his son? Check. Two brothers look exactly alike? Check. Keeping with the Disneyesque family themes, Dumbledore’s mother appears to have been Pocahontas. Check out this image: Pocahontas

By the way, Ariana is described thus: “… a little longer than a loaf of bread and no more distinctive-looking.” I find that an odd way to describe her. Is it that, to Harry, babies are indistinguishable? I know that babies are kind of that way to people who don’t care for babies, but it makes her sound a bit non-human. Like… well, a loaf of bread.

In the article, we find that Kendra moved the family to Godric’s Hollow, following the imprisonment of Percival. Ariana was only ever glimpsed as she was being exercised by her mother at midnight in the garden.

You know, as a tell-all, Rita’s book really lacks punch. I just plain don’t care what is going on with Pocahontas and her dough-shaped daughter. Unless Ariana turns out to be Arabella Figg… which would just be sad, I don’t see how this is relevant at all to this series. A dead guy may or may have not ignored his dead mother who may have been mistreating his dead sister, or may have genuinely needed to restrain his dead sister in some manner. Either way, they’re all DEAD! None of them can feel pain or pity any more.

And meanwhile, those Muggle-born children are still being shipped off to Auschwitz.

At that moment, Kreacher arrives back at the house with Mundungus Fletcher. Hermione disarms Mundungus with Expelliarmus. I guess that makes her master of Fletcher’s wand. Note that Muggle-born Hermione disarms Fletcher with a wand. Wizard-born Ron tackles him rugby style.

Mundungus explains that he never volunteered to die for Harry. He must be a Slytherin with an attitude like that.

Actually, I think Mundungus must be from the never-talked-about Fifth House of Hogwarts: Scumblecrumb. It’s where they stick all the students who have absolutely no aptitude for anything. The House colors are grey and dark grey, and the mascot is a sloth. The common room is found through a secret passage behind the school dumpster. You know Stan Shunpike was in that House, too.

Mundungus delivers the information that the locket is in the possession of Dolores Umbridge. Which means that, after waiting two years and ten chapters to find out where the stupid locket Horcrux is located, we now get to spend another two chapters tracking down a character whose story ended two books ago. Even reading this the first time, I realized that Harry would learn nothing useful from another encounter with Umbridge. Plot-wise, it will move things forward because they’ll obtain the Horcrux. Story-wise? It’s padding.

I hate this chapter.

Fan Service:
Lupin! It’s always a good chapter when Lupin shows up!
Hooray! We’ll get another delightful interlude with Dolores! I hope she wears her pink sweater!

Fan Slappage:
Wow. Snape was right about Lupin all along. He is a weenie!
Wait a minute… we hated Dolores the first time!

DVD Extras:
INT: NIGHT – LEAKY CAULDRON
Remus Lupin storms into the bar, visibly shaking. He lands with both palms flat against the bar.

LUPIN
Tom! Firewhiskey!

TOM
We don’t serve your kind here.

VOICE (off-screen)
Give the man a drink. I’ll vouch for him.

Tom glances toward the voice, then, cowed, pours out two glasses.

Severus Snape, owner of the voice, steps out of the shadows and slowly moves to take the second drink. Lupin reacts with wary distaste.

LUPIN
Aren’t you a fugative?

SNAPE
Not any more. The Ministry seems to be chasing a different suspect. What has ruffled your fur?

LUPIN
(glowering)
I had a fight with an old friend. He thinks I’m a coward.

SNAPE
That narrows things down. I take it he turned down your offer of help?

LUPIN
How do you know about that?

SNAPE
It’s obvious. Dumbledore left you without instructions. You don’t have the initiative to do anything on your own.

LUPIN
Like killing someone.

SNAPE
I have my instructions, too. So, what did you do when our mutual acquaintance insulted you?

LUPIN
I shot a spell and then left. (sighs) He’s right. I am a coward.

SNAPE
There you are, then. It’s back to Miss Tonks with you.

With a sweep of his cloak, Snape moves to to the door.

LUPIN
(into his glass)
Dick.

SNAPE
(under his breath)
Pussy.

FADE OUT

Comments

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

Ah the stupid - it burnsssss (re the wards and Lupin's identification.

Lupin confirms that the Death Eaters weren’t using the Trace...
That's what drove me mad all through the book. This was the seventh book in a series which means we should have had plenty of knowledge of what's possible in this universe and what isn't, enabling us to draw some of our own conclusions - which would have been fun! But as she kept changing her own rules, it was all a case of anything goes. Which is boooooring.

Where did all these Death Eaters come from?
More important still: where did they go to?

That was exactly what Scrimgeour was trying to do, wasn’t it?
Good catch.
And this would have cost Harry and Dumbledore what?
No no no. It would have cost them to shed their We-are-the-rebels-medal which is just not on! Harry can't be anybody's tool but Dumbledore's!

With you in your hate for the Lupin-Tonks-Harry scene. I'd really like to know what exactly was going on in Rowling's head at this point. Apparently only people without pregnant wives can be part of the fight? Once the kid is born, it's okay? Which reminds me fatally of people who shout bloody murder at abortion but don't care a damn what happens to the baby once born... Or is it parents in general? Then why aren't the Weasleys treated as irresponsible? Now I imagine a whole nation sitting on their arses, claiming they would so have fought the evil wizard if they hadn't had a pregnant wife/newborn baby/ children/ grandparents... to look after.

Keeping with the Disneyesque family themes, Dumbledore’s mother appears to have been Pocahontas.
Hehee - I always imagined her to look like Frida Kahlo in the film. BTW, you seem to have discovered the reason behind Dumbles' disasterous love life: there was no younger Pocahontas around so how would he have fallen for her? And to make matters worse, Grindelwald didn't look like Pocahontas either (maybe Dumbles got confused and thought he was like John Smith?

Scumblecrumb FTW!!!

I love love love this week#s DVD extra! I'm no Snupin shipper, but this screams for something along the line...

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

This was the seventh book in a series which means we should have had plenty of knowledge of what's possible in this universe and what isn't, enabling us to draw some of our own conclusions - which would have been fun! But as she kept changing her own rules, it was all a case of anything goes. Which is boooooring.

You're exactly right. I didn't mind so much in the early books when magic was just sort of what JKR wanted it to be at the time, because it seemed more metaphorical then. Magic was creativity. Magic was love. Magic was being different than the status quo. That worked with the lighter tone of the first two books.

But, as the books got darker, it became more important to nail the principles of magic down. And it seemed like they were nailed down for the most part. Until this book, when everything went kablooey.

Where did all these Death Eaters come from?
More important still: where did they go to?

Yeah! Where did they disappear to in that final battle?

Which reminds me fatally of people who shout bloody murder at abortion but don't care a damn what happens to the baby once born...
Right. Once Teddy is born, who cares what happens to his parents?

Frida Kahlo is a good model for Kendra. I found this image of her: Frida Kahlo (http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo/kahlo49.jpg)
Put that face with Pocahonta's clothes and we have her!

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to know what exactly was going on in Rowling's head at this point.

I think she just places a pretty strong sentimental weight placed on newlyweds with a pregnant wife. There is some cultural/literary precedent for that particular type of sentimentalism. Parents with actual children who've been married for a while don't benefit from it (though they benefit from other types of sentimentalism, the type that led Rowling to have Molly Weasley be the one to kill the evil woman Bellatrix).

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

That's what drove me mad all through the book. This was the seventh book in a series which means we should have had plenty of knowledge of what's possible in this universe and what isn't, enabling us to draw some of our own conclusions - which would have been fun! But as she kept changing her own rules, it was all a case of anything goes. Which is boooooring.

***Hear, hear! And inquiring minds wants to know: what's in all those shoe-box-filling notebooks? Not world-building and rules for Potterverse magic, unfortunately

[sunlit-music.livejournal.com]

I hate this chapter.

Word. I'm afraid you're going to end up feeling the same way about the following characters if you haven't started hating the previous chapters already.
You know, as a tell-all, Rita’s book really lacks punch.

So did the rest of this book. *sighs*

Y'know, if Rita wanted to give her book some punch, she could have menioned how Dumbledore and Grindlewald were OMGlovahs! Or she could have exposed Dumbledore for what he was - a coldhearted and manipulative jerk (perhaps she did do this. I can't remember - haven't read DH in ages).

The way things are going, I'd rather read Remus Lupin and the Rushed marriage/Neville Longbottom and the Uprising at Hogwarts/Severus Snape and his Life as a Double Agent rather than Harry Potter and the Dead Boring Hallows.
I know I haven't been commenting much lately. But I just wanted to let you know that your DVD extras made my day.

[sunlit-music.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you're going to end up feeling the same way about the following characters

Sorry, I meant following chapters, not characters. Agh!

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Y'know, if Rita wanted to give her book some punch, she could have menioned how Dumbledore and Grindlewald were OMGlovahs! Or she could have exposed Dumbledore for what he was - a coldhearted and manipulative jerk (perhaps she did do this. I can't remember - haven't read DH in ages).

Yes. For all her digging, Rita missed some big opportunities in her book. For example, letting a werewolf attend Hogwarts while being restrained in the least efficient or secure manner possible would have made a very juicy chapter. Add to that the enslavement of a former Death Eater. And she doesn't even have to make up a "sinister relationship" between Dumbledore and Harry. All she needs to do is slip a little veritasserum into Arabella Figg's tea to get a wealth of details about the abusive situation Dumbledore put Harry into.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

The way things are going, I'd rather read Remus Lupin and the Rushed marriage/Neville Longbottom and the Uprising at Hogwarts/Severus Snape and his Life as a Double Agent rather than Harry Potter and the Dead Boring Hallows.

***So would I. But who should write it?

[eri1980b.livejournal.com]

There is so much to hate about this chapter.

Firstly, the food and bickering. Ok so you can't get a pizza delivery to an invisible house. Hang on, surely if they (as secret keepers) tell the guys at Pizza GoGo or whoever it is around the corner from number 12 then surely they will be able to see it therefore can make the delivery? Then obliviate them and send them on their merry way?

Secondly, Lupin. Something is wrong with this picture. Either the marriage is ooc or the reaction to the pregnancy is ooc. Or both. I do think he is a coward but he's been boxed into a corner. If you don't want to be there don't marry her in the first place. But, once again, do wizards not use contraception? No potion available to prevent this thing happening? Failing that, a frigging condom?! Seriously, what example is this setting? I do like your take on Tonks telling him to go do something about it. This does make sense and is in character for her. I would get sick of his whingeing. The pairing is wrong, and smacks of JKR trying to prove Remus is not gay. However, this chapter makes him look gay. More gay than ever before.

Thirdly, Scrimgeour. This guy never gets credit where its due. He had a good plan throughout HBP and has now died protecting Harry. Clearly one of the few wizards born with a grain of common sense. RIP Rufus; you're better off out of it anyway.

Forthly, the Dumbledore backstory. At this point, who frigging cares? They have work to do, horcruxes to find, food to find and cook. No, everyone lets pause for a moment to read the thrilling tale of what everyone's favourite withholder of vital information's been up to in his family life.....

Fifthly, the reintroduction of Dolores Umbridge. Possibly the worst villain in history, as she did not frighten you but bored you to death and was the reason why OoP was such a dreadful book. And she's going to make a return in this book. Woop-dee-doo.

Lastly, love the dvd extra as usual!!

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

The pairing is wrong, and smacks of JKR trying to prove Remus is not gay. However, this chapter makes him look gay. More gay than ever before.

I agree with this so much. I never saw Remus/Sirius as canon, never saw this kind of subtext. But since this book? Remus is totally gay in my head. And he gets his happy ending when he shows up in the afterlife with Sirius. Maybe they can work that out in limbo or something.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Firstly, the food and bickering. Ok so you can't get a pizza delivery to an invisible house. Hang on, surely if they (as secret keepers) tell the guys at Pizza GoGo or whoever it is around the corner from number 12 then surely they will be able to see it therefore can make the delivery? Then obliviate them and send them on their merry way?

I've got an idea. How about Accio Pizza? If you can Accio Horcrux Books, then you ought to be able to Accio Pizza, whether you know where the restaurant is or not.

Failing that, a frigging condom?!
Maybe that was the problem. Being Lupin, any condom he had would be sure to be shabby and patched.

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

However, this chapter makes him look gay. More gay than ever before.

To me, it doesn't make him seem gay. It just makes him seem not like Lupin. Not that it would be out of character for Lupin to think like this, but the whole romance with Tonks was so rushed and contrived that I didn't feel it--and so I couldn't feel Lupin's fatherhood angst. The whole scene seemed pastede on yay, like JKR was just inserting a standard "Man is panicking in the face of impending parenthood and looking for a way out of his responsibilities and needs to be set straight" scene onto this character.

[lissa2.livejournal.com]

"Firstly the food and bickering...*elaborate plan to get a Pizza"
Or Hermione could have simply packed food in her magical bag when she stayed at the Burrow. lots and lots of canned food.
But I guess we couldn't have that because apparently for JKR hunger is sexy while a full belly is not.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

The pairing is wrong, and smacks of JKR trying to prove Remus is not gay. However, this chapter makes him look gay. More gay than ever before.

***So true.

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

- “I hate that the Trio eat moldy bread.”

How long have they been in the House? They have a SLAVE. Whether he hates them or not, he must obey! Send him out for some supplies. Or call Dobby – start getting him involved in the story early on, instead of just bringing him in 300 pages later to die. It might affect your camping section, JKR, if they’re using the Elves, but that’s a *good* thing.

If you must ignore such a well established source of help, why not have the Trio sneak into a supermarket under the INVISIBILITY CLOAK for some goodies. The moral attitude of not wanting to steal does not make them appear noble – and it’s even more eye-roll worthy once they’re in that bloody tent. After Marietta and Draco/sectumsempra and the Grangers’ memories, Hermione and Harry will never appear as truly nice people again, even before Harry’s crowning moment as a bone-fide torturer. And Ron is too practical/greedy, and untainted by JKR’s strange idea of goodness, to worry about such nonsense in this sort of situation. I know it’s very painful to steal profits from the benevolent, Christian, charitable organisations that are the big supermarkets, but needs must. JEE-ZUS!

- “Ron remembers that Hermione is a Muggle-born and suggests trying to sneak her into his large family as a cousin. Thanks, Ron. That’s sweet. Idiotic, but sweet.”

Yes, it is naive in its sweetness. He should take a leaf out of efficient Hermione’s book. He should have got Lupin to wipe her memory, and convince her that her name was Hortense Wilkins, her parents lived in Australia, but had suffered amnesia in a car crash and now remembered nothing about her. She would then spend the next 50 years trying to persuade them otherwise and make a living with no identification, and no viable past. That would 1) give her a taste of her own medicine, and 2) ensure Harry’s immediate death – always a priority. I hate him.

- “That was exactly what Scrimgeour was trying to do, wasn’t it? Use Harry as a symbol for people to rally behind?”

I wouldn’t mind stuff like this if it was *specifically* because Dumbledore didn’t want Harry to have help, rather than because Harry was the only one capable of doing anything. If Dumbles didn’t want to risk anyone else working out that Harry was a Not-Horcrux, in case they tried to stop him making the ultimate sacrifice, then it would make sense. It’s cruel, but Harry’s isolation from people who might work it out, would be an understandable course of action. But JKR said nothing like this - she genuinely wanted us to believe that Harry was some sort of special warrior when he really, really wasn’t. He was the least qualified person in the Order, with the debatable exception of Mundungus – who at least had lots of useful contacts. In fact, Harry was probably the least suitable in the Trio – at least Ron would accept advice from Super-Hermione, and use some caution, instead of constantly ignoring her and making his own ridiculous decisions. I hate him.

- “Under Harry’s prodding, Lupin begins shouting about how he ruined Tonks by marrying her and she’d be better off without him.”

Poor old Lupin – while he should perhaps have not left the contraception to the seemingly over-keen Tonks, he’s right about her being better off without him, or at least separate from him for a while. Werewolves face discrimination at the best of times – remember he could hardly hold down a job. The Dictatorship of a megalomaniac bigoted despot is not the best of times. JKR made it clear what they all thought of Bellatrix’s niece marrying a werewolf at the beginning of DH. She then revealed in a later interview, because she hadn’t thought of it in time to put it in the book, that Bellatrix made good her threat and killed both Tonks and Lupin. So why should we not see his point of view, even a little bit? Plus how can we tolerate that righteous little sh*t Harry trying to tell him what his obligations are? I hate him so much.

The most ironic thing is, he went back to Tonks, then they both fought in the final battle, practically waving a big red flag in front of Bellatrix’s face thus leaving Teddy with no parents, instead of just one. Excellent JKR, I learnt a lot from this whole sub-plot. Apart from the part where I learnt nothing at all.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Werewolves face discrimination at the best of times – remember he could hardly hold down a job. The Dictatorship of a megalomaniac bigoted despot is not the best of times. JKR made it clear what they all thought of Bellatrix’s niece marrying a werewolf at the beginning of DH. She then revealed in a later interview, because she hadn’t thought of it in time to put it in the book, that Bellatrix made good her threat and killed both Tonks and Lupin. So why should we not see his point of view, even a little bit? Plus how can we tolerate that righteous little sh*t Harry trying to tell him what his obligations are? I hate him so much.

Right. We do know that Bellatrix is actively trying to kill them both, which Harry doesn't. But that was about ten chapters ago, and I had forgotten about it when I read the book the first time.

I don't think Lupin did a very good job of explaining himself here, but even so, I never thought he was exaggerating about the difficulties he brought to Tonks. And Harry turning him away made me really angry, because it's so obvious that the Trio need some competent help.

I mean.... they can't even feed themselves! At least Lupin is old enough to buy alcohol!

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

He should take a leaf out of efficient Hermione’s book. He should have got Lupin to wipe her memory, and convince her that her name was Hortense Wilkins, her parents lived in Australia, but had suffered amnesia in a car crash and now remembered nothing about her. She would then spend the next 50 years trying to persuade them otherwise and make a living with no identification, and no viable past.

OUCH.

I like it. *evil grin* Hermione's mind-rape of her parents bugged the fuck out me, especially since it seemed clear to me that we were supposed to read it as a sign of heroic ruthlessness: she was doing What Needed To Be Done and proving that she was a grown-up who was ready for war. When it didn't really need to be done, and was certainly not heroic. So there's a certain schadenfreude in contemplating having this done to her, I admit.

It struck me just how much Rowling followed the Whedon track here: Harry, Hermione and Ron can be roughly aligned with Buffy, Willow and Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And Willow starts playing with people's memories in Season 6 of Buffy. The only difference is, it's portrayed as a violation and a step to the dark side for Willow. Here it's just more of Hermione's awesomeness.

because she hadn’t thought of it in time to put it in the book

Why wouldn't you think to put something that dramatically fulfilling, both in the way it fulfills foreshadowing and also in its basic plot (evil aunt vs. good niece and her reader-favorite husband, taking out her rage at her disappointing sister after having killed her cousin and brother-in-law), in the book? I would much rather have seen that than gotten a close-up on Fred Weasley dying. Fred was comic relief, and his death wasn't particularly interesting. Watching Bellatrix duel and kill Lupin and Tonks would have been much more gripping.

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I said "I hate him" so many times, I had to use two posts.....

-“ And, here Harry goes again, calling yet another person who has pretty much devoted himself to Harry’s wellbeing a “coward.”

Harry’s mindless, ignorant recklessness gives courage a bad name. At least cowards have made a conscious decision to get the hell away from their troubles. Harry’s blundering about includes no acceptable thought process at all.

- “Wizard-born Ron tackles him rugby style.”

I was ok with this. Attacking someone’s legs is a good way to incapacitate them, without hurting them, even if you’ve never seen the game. Ron is a physical type and sadly *not* glorious enough to throw a well aimed 'crucio' at him. Ron and Hermione acting a little in character is a pleasant way to remove the taste of that Lupin nightmare...

- “Scumblecrumb”

Mundungus, Stan Shunpike – I think you’ve missed the useless Prefect of this probably quite crowded house. It rhymes with Parry Hotter.


As for Rita Skeeter - I have a scenario. I always wished that Harry was wrong about the Elder Wand – the way he took the wands off Draco hardly counted as overpowering him. I wish Draco had kept to the background in The Room of Requirement during the Battle of Hogwarts and so when Ron punched him in the face later, HE became master of the wand. Then when Voldmort tried to kill Harry, it would work! Yay! Voldie’s next move would obviously be to slaughter Harry’s followers, He’d start with Ginny, who’d die horribly – sorry Molly! Then he’d try Ron, but of course the wand wouldn’t kill him, so Ron could kill Voldemort to Death. That’d would have been excellent – both an unexpected twist, which the book *really* needed* and Harry and Ginny dead – my sort of ending.

Then at the press conference, Ron could ask Rita Skeeter why on earth she wasted her not inconsiderable skills in raking up muck on Dumbledore that was of no actual use to anyone, (and bored everyone rigid a lot of the time in DH) instead of exposing the fact that ‘Voldemort’ had no obvious past beyond a couple of decades (anonymously if she was scared). Harry was too much of Dumbles’ bitch to ever question it, which is why I needed to change the ending (plus it was crap), but why on earth not question why the press didn't reveal that there was no pure-blooded family called Voldemort? That he was a half-blood called Riddle? I know, I know, the plot, but the press here are as pointlessly celebrity driven as in the Muggle world. Bah! Why Dumbles didn’t reveal it, and cause chaos in the DE ranks, or why JKR didn’t at least come up with some sort of reason for why he didn’t, is Great Unanswered Question Number 267.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Rita may have been a nasty person, but, as Hermione proved in OotP, she could be used for good purposes. I don't know why Dumbledore didn't just take a page from Hermione's book (since Hermione was taking whole chapters from Dumbledore's), and "recruit" Rita to research the Horcruxes, dig up dirt on Voldemort, or write some propaganda for the Order.

I get the feeling that British sentiment towards the press is different from the American attitude. Here, we place a lot of importance on the freedom of the press and still revere the muckrakers who exposed unsafe working conditions, cheating and abuses in the food industry, and, of course, politicians who lie and cheat. But in Britain, it seems to be all about invasion of privacy.

Hence, Rita is a despised character with no ethics or morals, only nosiness and greed. She's be just as nosy and greedy in an American version, but I think she would have also been portrayed as having that bedrock ethical principle of wanting to find out the truth.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

So much stupid in this chapter. People deciding Harry killed Dumbledore just makes me wonder why the hell they didn't think Harry killed Cedric. In that crime Harry was alone with the kid and even had a motive, albeit one that depends on winning a contest being cause for murder (which luckily for many Wizards it is). Harry had no reason to kill Dumbledore and he told a bajillion witnesses right after it happened that Snape did it. That would be Severus Snape, the guy who ran away with the DEs right after it happened. (Priori Incantatum anyone?)

The takeover of the Ministry has been smooth and silent, partially due to the Order members who continue to happily work there. (While occasionally setting the sprinklers off--if only the Polish resistance had thought of that in WWII!)

The fact that nobody will openly rise up in protest as long as Voldemort doesn't let him know he's the one running the MoM is kind of perfect. They can pass all the bigoted legislation they want and nobody will have a problem. Like it's not bad unless it's Voldemort. (This and also they need Harry to rally around in order to protest. How pathetic are Wizards?)

Of course people can't rally around Harry, Montavilla. That would have given them a part in defeating Voldemort and Harry wouldn't get all the credit (to share sparingly with his close friends).

So Lupin's noble "job" is sitting at home pretending there's nothing bad going on and let the teenager handle it. Because...well, don't ask me why. As you point out, Lupin *is* a liability to Tonks, who is herself supposed to be a competent auror (or was until she got pregnant and immediately went home to nest). According to Harry a large part of every army are just cowardly scumbags for leaving their family to fight in wars, including the war this book is trying to so hard to call to mind. WTF? (Not to mention, what is it Lupin is supposed to be doing for Tonks that she needs him so badly because she' pregnant? I mean, in normal times of course he should be sticking by his pregnant wife but Harry makes it sound like Tonks is bedridden and ill or something. All he's really ordering Lupin to do is hold the woman's hand rather than do anything to fight against Voldemort, who wants her and her child dead. Oh and btw, neither of this will keep both Lupin and Tonks from getting themselves killed in the last chapter just to get away from each other--because it's not a real war unless we know a war orphan.)

What with all the taking-over of the Ministry and killing of Muggle-borns, people are hungry for news about that old dead headmaster guy.

LOL! Remember when Harry almost killed another student and everyone was buzzing about H/G?

That whole paragraph about caring about what these dead people may or may not have done to each other back in 1892 is my favorite part. That and the deleted scene, of course.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

(Priori Incantatum anyone?)

The joke is that if they did Priori Incantatum Harry's wand, they'd find that he fired off an entire battery of lethal spells! Including Sectumsempra! And he wouldn't have been able to explain why without mentioning that he was in a cave filled with Inferi hunting for the super-secret soul bit of Voldemort!

Of course people can't rally around Harry, Montavilla. That would have given them a part in defeating Voldemort and Harry wouldn't get all the credit (to share sparingly with his close friends).

Well, they can. But not until it's so late that they just become an admiring chorus as Harry takes on the Dark Lord single-handed!

I mean, in normal times of course he should be sticking by his pregnant wife but Harry makes it sound like Tonks is bedridden and ill or something.

Exactly. It's not like she needs Lupin there every moment of the day. If he could get a job like a normal person, then she'd still be without him for eight hours a day. What's the big deal if he spends those hours breaking curses or identifying dark objects for a group of teens instead?

I suppose that Harry is trying to prevent the horror that is Tonks's mousy brown hair from recurring.

What I'm imagining is a scene where Tonks is lying in bed, Lupin is sitting beside the bed gamely holding her hand, and Andromeda is going in and out of the room, glaring at Lupin while he cringes. Meanwhile, Ted has run off fishing.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

This chapter was the deal breaker. As soon as Lupin stated that there is no way to track an Apparation other than grabing the person Apparating and going with them, the whole 7 Potters "adventure" was revealed as a shabby exploitive exercise from a shabby exploitive author, and threw me right out of the story. I never was able to get back in. And by that point I didn't much want to.

This book just plain doesn't fit this series. This reads like is a book from some other, related series, which has been clumsily retrofitted to look like it is following the same storyline as the first six, with the snippets that do come from the original series just awkwardly dropped in at random, and not even given a workmanlike attempt to smooth the transitions.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you didn't walk away earlier, when the Fidelius Charm was changed for no apparent reason. Or when the "Trace" became attached to a person and not a location.

It was like JKR was saying, "Rules, Schmules. Let me just get this sucker finished."

[the-bitter-word.livejournal.com]

There's a lot to hate in this chapter. The huffy Potter/weak Lupin moment was probably where I first closed the book and walked away WTFing. I should point out that Potter's parents were merely sitting at home waiting to die during the first war, and Potter was forced by Dumbledore to just sit around at the Dursleys', so sitting around and doing nothing is largely what Potter knows best, that and charging in unprepared.

Stealing... like the Trio hasn't done it when it suited them. But assuming they have these illogical scruples, in the Muggle world, people live out of bins all the time. There's a whole industry of it where I live, groups collecting leftovers to use or redistribute. Seriously, even if you can forgive the misuse of House Elves in the story (which I can't in so many ways), what about Accio'ing food thrown out by restaurants and supermarkets?

Scrimgeour served as yet another opportunity for Potter to get in touch with his inner self-righteous bitch, a persona he practiced in DH with Lupin and Carrow, and refined by the final battle, offering from his high horse a chance for Voldemort to try for some remorse. Scrimgeour was also yet another opportunity to thumb the nose at the Establishment, which Potter then joined, as a cop, after he made the world so perfect (insert glitter and butterflies) it probably didn't need cops. No danger of anyone ever taking his wand!

Ah, the media and Harry Potter. Where was his mighty fist of integrity? Skeeter was probably so cowed by the memory of Hermione's imprisonment she wouldn't dare touch on Potter's life, except obliquely. Wait until he's chief cop and Hermione's an attorney! Skeeter thought a jar was bad.

Umbridge -- I can't figure out the intended message. Women without tied-down men are balls? Umbridge is a convenient bogey, I guess, while Snape was busy actually doing things and Voldemort was in his parlor, forcing his Death Eaters to play wand pick up sticks while waiting for his next obsessive brainstorm.

Where were all those Death Eaters? They were in the same place as the shifting multitudes of students -- in the author's Room of Requirement calculations -- especially the Slytherins. Now you see 'em, now you don't! Or maybe Voldemort AK'd them one-by-one off-page.

I laughed aloud at the hidden Fifth House of Hogwarts. I believe it was actually founded by Hagrid, with the encouragement of Dumbledore, who wanted another group he could lord it over.

Deleted scene FTW!

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Stealing... like the Trio hasn't done it when it suited them.

Excellent point!

Ah, the media and Harry Potter. Where was his mighty fist of integrity?

That reminds me, although this is off the point, that Harry's MFI starts tingling when they realize Dolores Umbridge has the locket. What's up with that? Is Harry carrying one of her Horcruxes, too?

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

The next bit of exposition is that the Ministry has started moving against Muggle-borns, with a Muggle-born registry. We’ll learn about that in a few chapters, but as I’m reading this, I’m remembering that Dolores Umbridge had previously created a Werewolf registry in OotP. Let’s remember that later.


Remind me what was so evil about a werewolf registry? I mean, werewolves are extremely dangerous, and if a registry existed, they could all be forced to take Wolfsbane. Very sensible behaviour by Ms. Umbridge.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

Yes, all true, but that's beside the point. The registry makes things difficult for Remus Lupin, Friend of Potter. Umbridge should learn a lesson from the Marauders - all a werewolf needs is to run free beneath the full moon. As long as he doesn't deliberately target a victim (like some werewolves we could name) then anything bad that happens should be overlooked as the result of good spirits, always a positive thing.

/sarcasm

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the kind praise. I can't tell you how much it means to me that people are enjoying the DvD Extras.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

Yes. There is a bit in the chapter when Harry feels a bit guilty about yelling at Lupin and sort of makes the connection to the fact that his parents are dead. But he rationalizes that, if his words made Lupin go back to Tonks, then it's worth while.

So, that's all good.

But the thing that bugs is how later on, we get Lupin crawling back to Harry and practically presenting his throat submissively to show how right Harry was.

And it's bull. The last thing Lupin is ever about is having fun--if Harry had leveled that accusation at Sirius (and it would have been more in character if Lupin had died in OotP and Sirius had been the one to fall in love with Tonks and then pull this stunt), then I wouldn't have so much of a problem with the whole scene.