Of House Elf and Horcrux
Yesterday I was idly allowing Stephen Fry to read me to sleep, like so often he does on quiet afternoons. (Yes, I'm in my mid-twenties and I nap in the afternoons. STFU.) Anyway, rather unusually I was listening to the Chamber of Secrets, and I stumbled across Dobby's speech when he comes to visit Harry at Privet Drive.
I nicked the text of a fan site online, since I don't have the book with me, and I apologise for any inaccuracies:
"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing - you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"
Dobby bowed his head
"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir" - Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper - "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't ... powers no decent wizard. . ."
And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps.
I find two things curious about this extract. Firstly - where on Earth has Dobby heard that Albus Dumbledore is so fabulous? Certainly not at home. Perhaps Dobby's innate super!moral sense has told him that whoever his Master hates must be a good guy? Or has Dobby been gallivanting about the Wizarding world, eavesdropping? Doesn't sound too unlikely, actually, considering how much time he seems to have spent at Privet Drive, battling various owls in secret so that he could steal Harry's mail.
But this is old news, what interests me is the last bit: "powers that Dumbledore doesn't... Powers no decent Wizard..."
Is it just me or does this remind anyone else of the way Horcruxes have been talked about in HBP? "Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction." And considering that Dobby is actually talking about an item that later turns out to be a horcrux - could it be that Lucius knew exactly what he had in his hands, even though Dumbledore assumed that he didn't?
I don't really think that is the case - I have a feeling that all of Dumbledore's assumptions will eventually prove to be correct, because JKR seems to think of him as infallible. But it's an interesting thought.
Big hugs go to various people on my flist today. Some people just need a cuddle, because life's a bitch, but some have reached milestones lately and congratulations are in order. So: *hugs*
I nicked the text of a fan site online, since I don't have the book with me, and I apologise for any inaccuracies:
"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing - you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"
Dobby bowed his head
"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir" - Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper - "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't ... powers no decent wizard. . ."
And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps.
I find two things curious about this extract. Firstly - where on Earth has Dobby heard that Albus Dumbledore is so fabulous? Certainly not at home. Perhaps Dobby's innate super!moral sense has told him that whoever his Master hates must be a good guy? Or has Dobby been gallivanting about the Wizarding world, eavesdropping? Doesn't sound too unlikely, actually, considering how much time he seems to have spent at Privet Drive, battling various owls in secret so that he could steal Harry's mail.
But this is old news, what interests me is the last bit: "powers that Dumbledore doesn't... Powers no decent Wizard..."
Is it just me or does this remind anyone else of the way Horcruxes have been talked about in HBP? "Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction." And considering that Dobby is actually talking about an item that later turns out to be a horcrux - could it be that Lucius knew exactly what he had in his hands, even though Dumbledore assumed that he didn't?
I don't really think that is the case - I have a feeling that all of Dumbledore's assumptions will eventually prove to be correct, because JKR seems to think of him as infallible. But it's an interesting thought.
Big hugs go to various people on my flist today. Some people just need a cuddle, because life's a bitch, but some have reached milestones lately and congratulations are in order. So: *hugs*