/And apparently, Ron couldn't have just asked Percy, Bill, or Charlie because the Sorting Ceremony is supposed to be a secret...for some reason? Is is the same reason why none of the Weasleys told Ron about the Triwizard Tournament while Draco already knew all about it and taunted Ron over it? Or maybe not, since Hermione read "Hogwarts: A History," but apparently that book doesn't mention the Sorting Ceremony either, given that Hermione also has no idea what it is. /
It's mind-boggling, because in the Potterverse sorting pretty much decides your future. Heck as I go through my notes right now, I'm coming to conclusion that it isn't just sorting that feels like initiation to fraternity/cult. Rowling's attitude towards truth is very cultish.
/When do we hear any Muggle-borns question Hogwarts throughout the series, aside from Hermione who ends up assimilating pretty well to the wizarding world?/
Our protagonist, who is paragon of all that is good, tends to avoid hanging out with commoners muggleborns, so I doubt that we could find any example of non-Hermione-muggleborn questioning Hogwarts.
/I think that it would be better and less nerve-wracking for the students if this ceremony wasn't done in public. /
And even better it would be if students weren't sorted by character. Or if sorting was done via interviewing student by a group of teachers. But then Ron would "end" up in Slytherin and we can't have that!
/Wow, are they? I never caught that. /
"“Brocklehurst, Mandy” went to Ravenclaw too, but “Brown, Lavender” became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron’s twin brothers catcalling" Straight from the source :D
/Or maybe she would less inclined to break the rules for the greater good because her intelligence would be appreciated by her Housemates and thus she wouldn't feel the need to be 'rebellious and daring' in order to prove herself. Also, she wouldn't have been stuck doing homework for anyone (unless Harry and Ron still expected her, being from Ravenclaw, to do it for them). /
Yeah, if we go with Rowling's idea of what makes person intelligent (got married to library and goes over page limit when writing essay) then yeah she would fit well among Ravens. I on the other hand always imagined Ravens as those kids who have horrible marks because they are interested in nerdy things that are in no way applicable to school setting. Heh, Fillius and prefects probably have to develop very underhanded methods to force Ravenclaw students to do their homework instead of building TARDIS :D
/Actually, that would be a very interesting idea. Especially since, as you noted, those qualities all describe Tom. Is this a sign that JKR hadn't planned the Horcruxes yet? /
Nope, I don't think she planned Horcruxes (in the current form) this early into the game. But if she reread her own books and had a bit of flair for drama, she could have come up with this and developed it into very interesting plotline.
/The metaphor is that choosing Gryffindor over Slytherin is choosing good over evil, proving your moral worth, etc./
Honestly I think that it isn't just good and evil, but more of religious metaphor for being chosen for salvation by god. That is why protagonist and his friends can act in the same way or even worse than antagonist and never receive backlash (in any significant way); he is already saved. I doubt that Rowling consciously set it up, because she is bit too clumsy writer for that.
/Let's also not consider that what the Longbottoms are doing to Neville in order to test him for magic is not that much different than what Muggles did to their own in order to test them for magic. /
I wonder if there is any good ff where Durslays tried to exorcise Harry.
/But then Ron would "end" up in Slytherin and we can't have that!/
Do you mean Ron or Harry? :) But, actually, Ron could have had ambition (to outshine his brothers) and if he had the drive and willpower to act on it, he could've wound up in Slytherin. Unfortunately, that would have ensured that he'd be tormented by the twins at every opportunity, possibly ignored and dismissed by his entire family like the plot bunny Mafalda, and hated even more if he ended up befriending the son of Arthur's rival. Really, Neville has a safer bet of happiness in Hufflepuff than Ron would have if he was Sorted into Slytherin.
/I wonder if there is any good ff where Durslays tried to exorcise Harry./
I don't know, but I do know that there was one fanfic that I once read a while ago (don't remember where I found it or what the title was) that was told in the style of a case report which detailed Tom Riddle's experiences at the orphanage and one of them was an attempted exorcism on him.
/Nope, I don't think she planned Horcruxes (in the current form) this early into the game. But if she reread her own books and had a bit of flair for drama, she could have come up with this and developed it into very interesting plotline./
If anything, rereading the books with Horcruxes in mind could've solved the plot hole of Harry being oblivious to the Horcrux for years. Fans have tried to plug in that plot hole by arguing that Lily's sacrifice shielded Harry from it, but it's not stated as doing such in the books.
/Do you mean Ron or Harry?/ Ron. He is the one who while looking into the Mirror sees himself as Prefect AND Captain of team; this indicates he has thirst to prove himself (unlike Harry). He also likes to play chess and while chess benefits more from good memory than wits, it suggests that at least in PS he has quite sharp mind. He might not be happy in Slytherin, but he both fits characterwise and would be forced to develop as character. Well that and there would be delicious drama as you already mentioned. :)
It's mind-boggling, because in the Potterverse sorting pretty much decides your future.
Heck as I go through my notes right now, I'm coming to conclusion that it isn't just sorting that feels like initiation to fraternity/cult. Rowling's attitude towards truth is very cultish.
/When do we hear any Muggle-borns question Hogwarts throughout the series, aside from Hermione who ends up assimilating pretty well to the wizarding world?/
Our protagonist, who is paragon of all that is good, tends to avoid hanging out with commoners muggleborns, so I doubt that we could find any example of non-Hermione-muggleborn questioning Hogwarts.
/I think that it would be better and less nerve-wracking for the students if this ceremony wasn't done in public. /
And even better it would be if students weren't sorted by character. Or if sorting was done via interviewing student by a group of teachers.
But then Ron would "end" up in Slytherin and we can't have that!
/Wow, are they? I never caught that. /
"“Brocklehurst, Mandy” went to Ravenclaw too, but “Brown, Lavender” became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron’s twin brothers catcalling"
Straight from the source :D
/Or maybe she would less inclined to break the rules for the greater good because her intelligence would be appreciated by her Housemates and thus she wouldn't feel the need to be 'rebellious and daring' in order to prove herself. Also, she wouldn't have been stuck doing homework for anyone (unless Harry and Ron still expected her, being from Ravenclaw, to do it for them). /
Yeah, if we go with Rowling's idea of what makes person intelligent (got married to library and goes over page limit when writing essay) then yeah she would fit well among Ravens.
I on the other hand always imagined Ravens as those kids who have horrible marks because they are interested in nerdy things that are in no way applicable to school setting. Heh, Fillius and prefects probably have to develop very underhanded methods to force Ravenclaw students to do their homework instead of building TARDIS :D
/Actually, that would be a very interesting idea. Especially since, as you noted, those qualities all describe Tom. Is this a sign that JKR hadn't planned the Horcruxes yet? /
Nope, I don't think she planned Horcruxes (in the current form) this early into the game. But if she reread her own books and had a bit of flair for drama, she could have come up with this and developed it into very interesting plotline.
/The metaphor is that choosing Gryffindor over Slytherin is choosing good over evil, proving your moral worth, etc./
Honestly I think that it isn't just good and evil, but more of religious metaphor for being chosen for salvation by god. That is why protagonist and his friends can act in the same way or even worse than antagonist and never receive backlash (in any significant way); he is already saved.
I doubt that Rowling consciously set it up, because she is bit too clumsy writer for that.
/Let's also not consider that what the Longbottoms are doing to Neville in order to test him for magic is not that much different than what Muggles did to their own in order to test them for magic. /
I wonder if there is any good ff where Durslays tried to exorcise Harry.
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Do you mean Ron or Harry? :) But, actually, Ron could have had ambition (to outshine his brothers) and if he had the drive and willpower to act on it, he could've wound up in Slytherin. Unfortunately, that would have ensured that he'd be tormented by the twins at every opportunity, possibly ignored and dismissed by his entire family like the plot bunny Mafalda, and hated even more if he ended up befriending the son of Arthur's rival. Really, Neville has a safer bet of happiness in Hufflepuff than Ron would have if he was Sorted into Slytherin.
/I wonder if there is any good ff where Durslays tried to exorcise Harry./
I don't know, but I do know that there was one fanfic that I once read a while ago (don't remember where I found it or what the title was) that was told in the style of a case report which detailed Tom Riddle's experiences at the orphanage and one of them was an attempted exorcism on him.
/Nope, I don't think she planned Horcruxes (in the current form) this early into the game. But if she reread her own books and had a bit of flair for drama, she could have come up with this and developed it into very interesting plotline./
If anything, rereading the books with Horcruxes in mind could've solved the plot hole of Harry being oblivious to the Horcrux for years. Fans have tried to plug in that plot hole by arguing that Lily's sacrifice shielded Harry from it, but it's not stated as doing such in the books.
Reply
Ron.
He is the one who while looking into the Mirror sees himself as Prefect AND Captain of team; this indicates he has thirst to prove himself (unlike Harry). He also likes to play chess and while chess benefits more from good memory than wits, it suggests that at least in PS he has quite sharp mind.
He might not be happy in Slytherin, but he both fits characterwise and would be forced to develop as character. Well that and there would be delicious drama as you already mentioned. :)
Reply
Escoger on ff dot net who's famous for their "What If? The Purgatory of Lily" once wrote a prompt about the Evans family trying to exorcise Lily.
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