Fifth book quotes and thoughts
Still re-reading the fifth book - about a third of the way through, at the start of Chapter Fifteen, The Hogwarts High Inquisitor. Have accumulated a few thoughts....
[The first Saturday morning when Harry goes to the Owlery and has a full conversation with Cho]
'Morning,' Harry said brightly to Ron and Hermione as he joined them at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
That's the first time he's remotely cheerful in the book.
"Oh no,' said Hermione, looking relieved, "if you're going that means I can go too, without being rude. I'm absolutely exhausted and I want to make some more hats tomorrow. Listen, you can help me if you like, it's quite fun, I'm getting better, I can do patterns and bobbles and all sorts of things now."
Harry looked into her face, which was shining with glee, and tried to look as though he was vaguely tempted by this offer.
"Er… no, I don't think I will, thanks," he said. "Er- not tomorrow. I've got loads of homework to do…"
And he traipsed off to the boys' stairs, leaving her looking slightly disappointed.
From the very first time I read that, it struck me as uncharacteristically cruel on Harry's part. I don't know why, I know he isn't about to sit around knitting, and he did try to find a way to turn her down gently - but the way that chapter ends like that, with him leaving her sitting there - it makes me think he could have found a way to make it up to her, perhaps.
I've never really evaulated the fifth book in comparison to the other books, like I've only half-evaluted the fourth book. I still hold the third book as supreme. But I've decided now the fifth book has a great number of high points. Ms. Rowling's language in it is her wittiest - when I read the book aloud to my parents, I remember my stepfather laughing at the lines:
He wished very much that he could have talked to Sirius about it, but that was out of the question, so he tried to push the matter to the back of his mind.
Unfortunately, the back of his mind was no longer the secure place it had once been.
-
'Well,' he said, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, 'if you want to - er - what is it?' (He checked Percy's letter.) 'Oh yeah - "sever ties" with me, I swear I won't get violent.' -
“This is Firenze,' said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. 'I think you'll find him suitable.'
as examples of some that amused me the most.
Speaking of that first quote...there are certain scenes I especially look forward to reading in the fifth book, that make the fifth book great - Percy's letter is one of them. There are also Umbridge's supervision of McGonagall and Severus, and the great scene when Umbridge tried to throw Trelawney out, and Dumbledore stopped her. That scene is profound. Then there's Christmas on the Closed Ward, where the trio encounters Neville's parents, and then the attempt to remove Dumbledore from Hogwarts - and Phineas Nigellus's speeches to Harry. Fred and George's cheerful mayhem for Headmistress Umbridge is always fun to read, as well as the teachers' coded praise of Harry's successful interview with The Quibbler, and their ways of making life difficult for her.
But there are also those that, after reading, only leave me feeling rather confused. The biggest one is after Mr. Weasley's attack before Christmas, and Harry overhears Tonks and Moody and thinks he's possessed, so he goes about hiding for a while, until finally he's convinced by Ginny and the others that he's not. I never understood the point of that scene. Why is it there? It never amounts to anything. Only purpose I can see in it is to demonstrate the new Ginny. Perhaps I'm judging it prematurely, and the next books will make it relevant.
'Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met,' said Ron weakly...
Point for Ron/Hermione shippers.
[That was said the same night Percy's letter arrived, when Hermione finally gives in and helps Harry and Ron with their homework.]
Now for some Sirius thoughts:
'I see them d-d - dead all the time!' Mrs Weasley moaned into his shoulder. 'All the't -'t - time! I d - d - dream about it…'
Sirius was staring at the patch of carpet where the Boggart, pretending to be Harry's body, had lain.
If you will recall the hostility between Sirius and Mrs. Weasley seen the first night Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place, this scene is intriguing. I think he really had a moment of connection with her.
Moving on to Percy and Padfoot, the night Percy sent his owl and they talked to Sirius in the common room fireplace:
[concerning Umbridge] 'Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters,' said Sirius with a wry smile.
Look! Right there! Insight! Insight, I tell you! And good insight, at that. It's insight like Faramir's insight: "The enemy? His sense of duty is no less than yours. I wonder what his name is...where he came from...if he was really evil at heart - or if lies and threats led him this long march from home - if he would not rather have stayed there. Peace." But barely a page later:
'You're less like your father than I thought,' he said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. The risk would've been what made it fun for James.'
'Look -'
'Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs,' said Sirius, but Harry was sure he was lying. I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?'
*facepalm*
The bastardly bastard.
Well, actually he is a touch unstable, so I suppose it can be understood...