death to capslock

Covering for Hagrid

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 19:10:00 GMT

Posted by: sunnyskywalker

In my re-read of PS/SS, specifically looking for instances when the adults ought to know more than the kids about what’s going on, a penny finally dropped. Apologies to everyone who probably figured this out years ago.( Read more... )

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Minerva chimes in on the question of Voldemort and Secrecy

Sun, 27 Sep 2015 22:58:00 GMT

Posted by: sunnyskywalker

I was just looking back through PS/SS Chapter 1, thanks to all this fantastic discussion and the beginning of the new read-through for the book, and lo and behold, Secrecy pops right up:

"A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all."

As I suspect most of us did, I had always read that as an "out of the frying pan, into the fire" comment. Wouldn't it be terrible to trade one problem for another?

But perhaps she was implying a connection. More like, "Wouldn't it be terrible if the guy who had been trying to destroy Secrecy finally disappeared, and then we managed to destroy it ourselves by celebrating his vanquishment? Oh, the irony!"

Book 1, chapter 1. The possibility was right there from the beginning.

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More on Minerva: 150 Points

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 08:10:00 GMT

Posted by: terri-testing.livejournal.com

One of the more interesting points about Minerva’s rather harsh punishment of Harry, Hermione, and Neville in their first year is that she was punishing them for the wrong thing.
( Read more... )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 31

Sun, 23 Aug 2015 13:10:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[Everyone meets up for a briefing in the Great Hall]

McGonagall: So, anyway, we’re going to help you evacuate this castle so you’re not harmed in the upcoming battle for the fate of the Wizarding World.

( Read Chapter 31 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 30

Sat, 22 Aug 2015 20:03:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

Snape: Good day, ladies and gentlemen! I know, I know—it’s been a long book without my awesomeness gracing the pages, but rest assured—from now on things will be better! This chapter will be from my perspective! Ahaha--! [Pause] What’s that? You said…I’m only in one scene of this entire chapter?! [Pause] And it’s really stupid?! [Pause] But my name’s in the chapter title! [Pause] Oh, that is not fair! [Cries] What’d I ever do to you?*

( Read Chapter 30 )

*A/N: In all seriousness, it is good to have Snape back.

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 29

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 21:27:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 29 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 12

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:44:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[The first Hogsmeade trip arrives]

( Read Chapter 12 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 29

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:58:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 29 )
*A/N: You know, when you read this without the Harry filter to tell you that Harry would make a good auror, it really does seem like that's what's happening.

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Minerva the Strict but Fair

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 09:53:00 GMT

Posted by: terri-testing.livejournal.com

I just realized something about the teacher I’m most disappointed to be disillusioned by.

Remember that detention Minerva gave in the first book to the firsties she caught out after curfew?
( Read more... )

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Deathly Hallows, Chapter 30: The Sacking of Severus Snape

Sat, 05 Apr 2014 19:45:00 GMT

Posted by: oneandthetruth.livejournal.com

This is another of Rowling’s “let’s trash Snape and his fans” phrases. To sack somebody means to fire them, but Snape isn’t fired; he quits. Besides, the only one with the power to fire him is Voldemort, and he doesn’t fire Snape. Take that, Rowling!

Luna Stuns Alecto, and Alecto falls so hard she rattles the glass in the bookcases. (Funny; I don’t remember reading anything about bookcases in the Gryffindor common room. And if the floors are stone, why would a falling body cause them to vibrate enough to make glass rattle?) Ravenclaws sleeping in the dorms stampede down to see what happened. They’re delighted, until the very inappropriately named Amycus (Latin for “friend” when spelled with an I) shows up looking for his sister. Of course, he’s too dumb to answer the door knocker’s question, which means he’s literally dumber than a piece of metal. (Neither could Harry, which makes them nonintellectual equals.) Fortunately for him, McGonagall comes along and answers it correctly, and they go inside. When they find the unconscious Alecto, Amycus has a fit, convinced Voldy’s going to kill them for falsely alerting him to Harry’s presence. He decides to blame it on the kids so the Dull Lord can kill them instead, saying, “Couple of kids more or less, what’s the difference?”

( Read more... )

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Snape’s Reputation among his Colleagues: Shattering Trust

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:19:00 GMT

Posted by: terri-testing.livejournal.com

“My reputation, Iago! My reputation!” Shakespeare, “Othello.”

*

Years ago on Snapedom we had a discussion about Snape’s relationships with his Hogwarts colleagues. It occurred to me recently to wonder anew about the changes in those relationships over time.

( ”When” )

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Snape’s Reputation among his Colleagues

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:15:00 GMT

McGonagall’s Impartiality: A Test Case

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:41:00 GMT

Posted by: terri-testing.livejournal.com

We’ve been talking about Harry’s perception that HIS head of house was “strict but fair” while Slytherin’s was grossly biased. I tend to believe that Minerva, indeed, credited (and cherished) that description of herself. Certainly in canon she deducted points from her own house (first year, 138 more than we saw Severus deduct from Gryffindor), and she gave detentions when earned by her own (eight in canon to Gryffindor versus Severus’s six—two more than we saw her award to Slytherins). So we can see that she might believe that she is fair, that she punishes equally transgressions committed by her own house and those of their rivals.
( But )

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Rowling's Pottermore Notes

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:04:00 GMT

Posted by: danajsparks.livejournal.com

I'm not a member of Pottermore, so I'm glad that some bloggers have been collecting Rowling's notes from the site. The notes don't have that many surprises, but a few things did jump out at me.

( Spoilers Ahead, Obviously )

In a note on the history of the Sorting Hat, Rowling writes:

The Sorting Hat is notorious for refusing to admit it has made a mistake in its sorting of a student. On those occasions when Slytherins behave altruistically or selflessly, when Ravenclaws flunk all their exams, when Hufflepuffs prove lazy yet academically gifted and when Gryffindors exhibit cowardice, the Hat steadfastly backs its original decision. On balance, however, the Hat has made remarkably few errors of judgement over the many centuries it has been at work.

So, in other words, Slytherins really are all evil? I think it's rather disturbing that this appears on an official fansite where all members are sorted by a personality quiz into one of the four houses, including Slytherin.

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