Blondes Have More Fun In Chapter 19!

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

This chapter is the shizzle. Why? Mostly because of Draco and Luna – but there's other great moments as well.


– One of the first things I noticed about this chapter is that the Weasleys were called into Hogwarts due to Ron's poisoning. IIRC, the Grangers were NOT called in when Hermione was petrified in COS. Yet Montague's parents were called in when he was found after the whole vanishing cabinet scenario...so Hogwarts does at times inform parents if a student is ill or hurt.


– "Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it," Mr. Weasley said in a constricted voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry." (pg 404)

Yet Harry's the main reason this family often finds itself endangered, isn't he? Hmmm...


– I don't think I've ever been so goddamn happy to see Hagrid. Not only does he suggest that The Board of Governors will finally shut down Hogwarts for failing to keep the students safe:

Gotta see it from their point o' view," said Hagrid heavily. "I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin' a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn' it? Yer expect accidents, don' yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attempted murder, that's different. 'S'no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn—" (pgs 404-5)

But he also informs Harry that things are not at all rosy between Dumbles & Snape, who wants out. Like Don Corleone, Dumbles makes offers one cannot refuse:

"Well – I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an' maybe he – Snape – didn' wan' ter do it anymore —"

"Do what?"

"I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, tha's all – anyway, Dumbedore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him..." (pgs 405-6)

Finally, he gets delightfully dissed by Filch, who forgets Hagrid is a professor these days. :D


– Cormac McLaggen is completely unintimidated by Harry, which is interesting. He's a highly competitive bloke: he's keen to take Ron's place in the match, and impresses upon Harry (much to his dismay & aggravation) that he's far more interested in – and aware of – the ins & outs of his team than the captain is. He's definitely one to watch in Book 7.


– Nobody in Gryffindor seems to care much about Ron being poisoned. WHAT A SURPRISE. The kid just can't get a break, can he? Yeah, he was real lucky he met up with Potter on the Hogwarts Express first year! *rolleyes*


– Well, Lavender cares about Ron (much to Harry's dismay and aggravation). But Ron is taking his immense frustrations at being Perpetual Second Best out on her in a rather passive-aggressive way: by pretending to be asleep whenever she comes to visit him. Harry comes over all "If you don't want to go out with her anymore just tell her!", forgetting what happened to Ron last time he pissed a girl off. :o


– The classic line "Harry, however, had never been less interested in Quidditch; he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy" is found in this chapter, of course, on page 409. And when Harry DOES come across the object of his intense preoccupations, he's kicking back with two underage girlies – we soon find out just how kinky this whole scenario is! – and a snappy comeback for his opponent:

"You'd better hurry up, they'll be waiting for 'the Chosen Captain' – 'the Boy Who Scored' – whatever they call you these days." (pg 412)

Dissed & dismissed, Potter! ;)


– A lot of people take Luna's initial Quidditch match commentary as an indication that she genuinely likes Ginny, or at least feels the need to kiss her arse by saying "She's nice, I like her". But look at the whole paragraph:

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," said a dreamy voice, echoing over the grounds. "He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he's playing them – oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice..." (pgs 413-4)

Far from sucking up to Ginny, Luna states plainly and for the record that Ginny purposefully attacked the last Quidditch commentator, Zacharias Smith, and that he may have cause to regret speaking his mind now that he's playing a particularly brutal sport against her and her team! Luna has no desire to to share Zach's fate, but she still intends to freely express her opinion (and therefore fulfill her role as commentator). This is best done through sly, careful humour; Luna handles Ginny in this scene the way Pallas Athena treats The Eumenides in Aeschylus' play of the same name:

I'll not tire of telling you your gifts,
so you can never lodge complaints that I,
a newer god, or men who guard this land
failed to revere such ancient goddesses
and cast you out in exile from our city.
No. But if you respect Persuasion,
holding in reverence that sacred power
whose soothing spell sits on my tongue,
then you should stay. If that's not your wish,
it would be unjust to vent your anger
on this city, injuring its people,
enraged at them from spite. It's up to you—
take your allotted portion of this land,
justly entitled to your share of honour.

Athena is the victor, sweetening a raw deal with honeyed words in dealing with three extremely pissed off, dangerous Furies. (The Eumenides in e-text, if anyone's interested.)

Also, notice that Luna's commentary confuses the Gryffindor players; Harry and Cormac in particular are incapable of paying attention (we know Potter's got Draco on his mind, but what's McLaggen's excuse?). Luna barely mentions the game play-by-play, but does persist on mentioning Zacharias and his "Loser's Lurgy". Despite his inability to keep his hands on the Quaffle, Hufflepuff keep scoring and end up winning the game, 320 to 60.

No friend of Ginny Weasley would ever allow Gryffindor to lose a game! ;)


– "I want to catch him at it!" cries Harry (oo-ee!). But as he can't quite follow Draco about while laid up at Madam Pomfrey's suffering from a cracked skull, he decides to have Kreacher & Dobby do it for him. Funny how it's the free elf who's all obsequious and fawning, while the elf in thrall to Harry manages to retain some small dignity in his utter disgust with his new "Master".

Comments

[cleverthylacine]

Montague's parents came and got him to take him home at the end of OOTP.

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that – will amend. :)

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

The parents thing is really hysterical. Is that really not supposed to count as discrimination? Muggle parents don't get told anything about their kids? Of course, they'd probably hide injuries from wizard parents as well, but they can't.

Naturally Hagrid sees kids ending up in the hospital as serious when it's Malfoy who's doing it. If Ron had been poisoned by one of his stupid animals he'd expect an apology from Ron as soon as he stopped dying.

Also yeah, I do love that the Weasleys note that Harry has saved everyone's life without noting that usually he's the reason they're in danger to begin with. I think that's because they're all such shameless star-fuckers it would never occur to them to do that.

I love hearing Harry lecture on active dating when Cho practically had to knock him out and drag him by the hair during their own romance. But then, that was back in OotP; their romance seems to have been slightly re-written since then.

The Kreacher/Dobby thing always amazes me. Dobby is far more offensive an idea. Kreacher is the house elf with the most dignity. So what is it supposed to mean?

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

Muggle parents don't get told anything about their kids?

They also don't get informed by the school when someone dies during school events, as we learnt in OotP.

I think that's because they're all such shameless star-fuckers it would never occur to them to do that.

This part of the chapter is really creepy. Is it supposed to be romantic or something that Harry will undoubtedly marry into a family who feels they owe him gratitude for life? Besides which, didn't he save Thunderball Old!Ginny? I'm surprised she doesn't look sassy here and roll her eyes at the very idea of needing to be rescued. Except she knows her place.

Dobby is far more offensive an idea.

Love that Dobby, the good elf, is the one getting violent. If there were elf houses, he'd be a Gryffindor.
But yeah, Dobby's like the old slavery myth about how it wouldn't be fair to free the slaves because their innately submissive natures would mean they'd miss their masters, and want to serve them even if they weren't forced to.

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

Surprise! I finally got around to responding – apologies for the delay.

Is that really not supposed to count as discrimination? Muggle parents don't get told anything about their kids?

It's rather blatant, isn't it, how the muggleborn students are treated at Hogwarts (which reflects how muggleborns are seen by the Wizarding World at large). Which is why I find it so amusing that so many fans pillory Draco for his hateful comments towards Hermione; there's nothing particularly wrong-headed with his perspective as it relates to the world he lives in. We in the real world might consider his digs at Hermione to be narrow-minded and bigoted, but in his world he's only guilty of being obvious.

Bringing it back to this chapter, Hermione's white-faced quietude in the face of Ron's convalescence is telling. She depends on the Weasleys as a surrogate family as much as Harry, if not more. Since we know she is "meant" to hook up with Ron (as per the insistence of the author outside the text), Ron's death would be a serious blow to her chances of staying close to the Weasleys – and thereby utilizing any protection their Purebloodedness could provide her. That frightened look in her eyes may well say "There goes my meal ticket."

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's rather blatant, isn't it, how the muggleborn students are treated at Hogwarts (which reflects how muggleborns are seen by the Wizarding World at large). Which is why I find it so amusing that so many fans pillory Draco for his hateful comments towards Hermione; there's nothing particularly wrong-headed with his perspective as it relates to the world he lives in. We in the real world might consider his digs at Hermione to be narrow-minded and bigoted, but in his world he's only guilty of being obvious.

Exactly! I mean, not that it's still bad of him to use words like "Mudblood," but I continue to find it amazing that everyone gets all shocked over that when the entire society seems based on the idea that Muggles are little better than animals, and the most respectful thing you can do for a Muggleborn is to get them away from their embarassing roots. That's also why in weird ways Draco sometimes winds up actually seeming like the least prejudiced against Muggle characters. He treats them less condescendingly or doesn't mention them at all.

That frightened look in her eyes may well say "There goes my meal ticket."

Oh yeah--and I can't get over the fact that she seems to be right. Harry is always welcome in the Weasley house, but Hermione is a guest. She's not family.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

Luna barely mentions the game play-by-play, but does persist on mentioning Zacharias and his "Loser's Lurgy".

Imagine how the narrative would treat him flying into her (and Hufflepuff all planning to see her 'punished' - gotta love that the Gryffindors are first to lecture piously on how everyone else is a bad loser, considering they're still holding a grudge over liek, rilly mean commentary; even though they won last time anyway.)

Filch, who forgets Hagrid is a professor these days. :D

Who can blame him? ;)
And of course Hagrid, who's allowed to be racist since he's in a minority himself; is first to remind Filch of his place, as a Squib.

Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he's playing them – oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice..."

See, I like your interpretation of Luna's actions here, and I want to take them, since they make me like Luna here; but my faith in JKR is pretty low, and what with her tendency to have all of her characters sharing her own/a similiar belief system; I'm not certain that Luna isn't simply underlining the double-standards in the text - Ginny must be seen as nice, even though she's a jerk; and perhaps even that Luna sees Zacharias as deserving it, since he was being 'rude' (Lee Jordan was frequently rude about other teams, but I doubt JKR would ever think to mention that.)

he's far more interested in – and aware of – the ins & outs of his team than the captain is.

I rather like Cormac. Calls Harry on his double-standards ("McLaggen, will you pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing and leave everyone else alone!" bellowed Harry, wheeling around to face his Keeper.
"You're not setting a great example!" McLaggen shouted back, red-faced and furious.) and fractures his skull, what's not to admire?
But yeah, much as JKR must have Harry recieving every possible honour and leading every group; he's really not cut out for it. He has no interest in the rest of his team, and he makes decisions based on his personal desires rather than what's best for the group (see, not taking on Cormac because he dislikes him - by daring to know more than Harry!)

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

See, I like your interpretation of Luna's actions here, and I want to take them, since they make me like Luna here; but my faith in JKR is pretty low, and what with her tendency to have all of her characters sharing her own/a similiar belief system; I'm not certain that Luna isn't simply underlining the double-standards in the text - Ginny must be seen as nice, even though she's a jerk; and perhaps even that Luna sees Zacharias as deserving it, since he was being 'rude' (Lee Jordan was frequently rude about other teams, but I doubt JKR would ever think to mention that.)

My faith in JKR is likely at the same level as yours; I can see where you'd take Luna's comments as mere arsekissing. But that point of view would make more sense to me if there were more scenes of Luna actively & obsequiously seeking Ginny's friendship. What Luna is basically saying is that Ginny beats up whoever disses her team, and why risk getting beat up? I'd agree that Luna is "underlining the double-standards in the text", but I feel she does this purposefully – she's stating the obvious.

...much as JKR must have Harry recieving every possible honour and leading every group; he's really not cut out for it. He has no interest in the rest of his team, and he makes decisions based on his personal desires rather than what's best for the group

JKR writes these Quidditch scenes rather awkwardly – almost as if to accentuate what a shite leader Harry is. He's too stuck in his own head, unable to grasp the perspectives and motivations of others. While there may possibly be some potion or spell making his head fuzzy in HPB, after six books I'm more inclined to think Harry is just painfully self-centered.

[(Anonymous)]

Like Don Corleone, Dumbles makes offers one cannot refuse

Dumbledore is the original iron hand in a velvet glove. He'd be less creepy if he admitted it instead of proclaiming that his biggest flaw is that he loves too much. (As far as I can judge, the chief object of his genuine love and forgiveness is himself. Forgiveness towards others, when you look past that Prodigal Son's Father pose he's so fond of striking, does seem to boil down to the "family" approach: he'll do you a favor if there's something in it for him, and then he owns you. But I digress.)

It would tell us a lot about Snape's and Dumbledore's relationship if we knew what they were discussing. If Snape was refusing to carry out Draco's task and DD insisted, that would make them both appear very noble. But that "maybe he didn't want to do it any more" sounds like a current assignment, and suggests a much more truculent Snape: "Maybe I'm fed up with all this, have you thought of that?" If so, DD's reply is a clear and present bitchslap: "you will do as you're told so STFU".

Interesting, btw, that Hagrid speaks of Snape without animosity. Given how thin-skinned Hagrid is, that implies Snape is able to coexist peacefully with his coworkers. Some of them may actually like him. Just sayin'.

Nobody in Gryffindor seems to care much about Ron being poisoned

Another side effect, no doubt, of being mates with Harry. Harry is not a people person. He's made one friend (Hermione is more of an unofficial secretary) and that's enough for him, so naturally Ron isn't going to have other friends either. Socializing without Harry? Perish the thought.

-L

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

Oh Anonymous L, I'm painfully late. :( I hope non-LJ members can get e-mail notifications too, so you know I responded.

Dumbledore is the original iron hand in a velvet glove. He'd be less creepy if he admitted it instead of proclaiming that his biggest flaw is that he loves too much.

ARRGH, yes. One thing I really came away with after reading HPB was how badly Dumbledore failed – he fucked up with Tom Riddle, he fucked up with Snape, he fucked up with Ginny in COS...I just can't see how he's done a better job with Harry, who's more concerned about getting detention for performing Sectumsempera than the fact that he nearly killed someone in cold blood.

Dumbledore isn't about "love"; he uses Harry quite deftly, but does he really CARE about the kid?

Interesting, btw, that Hagrid speaks of Snape without animosity. Given how thin-skinned Hagrid is, that implies Snape is able to coexist peacefully with his coworkers. Some of them may actually like him. Just sayin'.

Yes, that is interesting. He reacts similarly in PS/SS when the trio suspect Snape of wanting to steal the Stone. It's a reminder that we read these books thru a Harry-shaped lens, and that lens is very small and cramped.

Hmm...

[flyingskull.livejournal.com]

Dumbledore isn't about "love"; he uses Harry quite deftly, but does he really CARE about the kid?

Of course he doesn't care about the kid! If he'd ever cared about Harry he'd have made sure he was not mistreated by the Dursleys. He'd have checked - or sent someone to check - on the child, he'd have used his 'wonderful power of persuasion' to see that he was at least well fed, had a room and wasn't belittled and insulted evey which way.

Dumbledore, apparently, believes that the best way to manipulate a powerful wizard in the making is to have him abused and then spoiled rotten while being in constant danger; sent him back to be abused again and repeat for how many times as necessary. Oh, and never tell the poor child anything that would be really useful for him to know.

It seems to work with Harry, though, so who am I to complain? ;)

Possibly it would have worked with Tom as well, if Dumbles hadn't decided he was TEH EBUL at first sight. I wonder what he'd have done if Harry had let the Hat place him in Slytherin: washed his hands of him? Decided Neville was TEH ONE? Overcome his implacable hatred of that House? Would have been interesting to see... except of course our perfect Stu wouldn't be caught dead in Slytherin.

Hmmm... are all Harry's first encounters with the WW a form of manipulation by Dumbles as well? Isn't it funny that he seems to have been brainwashed against Slyths since hour one?

Am I out of order here? I've been lurking like a very lurking thing and now I've suddenly erupted in a discussion. Please tell me to STFU and I will. :-D

Re: Hmm...

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

Am I out of order here?

Absolutely not – thank you so much for your feedback! :D

I've been lax on updating due to RL issues, but things should be more settled for me in a month or so and I'll finish up my readthrough of HPB. I hope to join in with sistermagpie when she hits Chapter 21, and then carry on weekly from there.

Dumbledore, apparently, believes that the best way to manipulate a powerful wizard in the making is to have him abused and then spoiled rotten while being in constant danger; sent him back to be abused again and repeat for how many times as necessary. Oh, and never tell the poor child anything that would be really useful for him to know.

It seems to work with Harry, though, so who am I to complain?

Well, we'll see if it actually DOES work – or if Rowling can make it work! – come Book 7. I'm not convinced that she can sort Harry out to be believably functional at this late pont in the game, but let's give her the benefit of the doubt.

Re: Hmm...

[flyingskull.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks, I came late to this community and I adore it!

She drops hints that she'll off Harry come the end of book seven - to avoid having other impure hands writing sequels, apparently (seems like a series of ghosts wrote the laste three boks to me, but) and that would certainly solve the problem of how to make him look even vaguely like a functioning human being... er wiz. Besides all Christ figure stigmata and things, y'know? Supposed to be the ultimate sacrifice.

Now I shudder at the idea of the WW in the caring, loving, fair and just [/blatant sarcasm] hands of the Weasleys and Hermione...