*ETA: How sad that I'd like to think that all this is building up to Hermione's chilling mind-wipe of her parents in DH, but now I think it's laying the ground for self-sacrificing Hermione. Look how nobly brisk she is about her personal sacrifice of blowing off her parents! If she dies after she mind-wipes them they won't spend the rest of their lives mourning her! How sad is that for Hermione?
I don't have sympathy. Because mind-wiping her parents would almost have certainly led to wiping the memories of their closest friends and some of their patients. Hermione couldn't have allowed people to ask questions now could she? She must have had a busy summer grabbing everyone her parents knew. I wonder if Ginny helped. It sounds like her kind of job.
If Hermione had died, her parents would have been arrested for her murder. Hermione, so compassionate and worthy to be the friend of the CHOSEN ONE!
*Ron, as usual, looks like the clown when a wizard mistakes his freckles for a disease (for a second there I thought he might have acne
( ... )
You can just sort of imagine Muggles sitting around drooling and wishing people Merry Christmas randomly like that guy Arthur memory charms in GoF, with Ginny giggling - it's like they're drunks!
The Hermione story is so hilarious--especially since there's actually no indication that Voldemort gives a shit about any of these families. The precautions they take against Voldemort going after them are both too extreme and too ridiculous. By bringing them up it just calls attention to how silly it is that he isn't going after these people. Same goes for Harry's "heroic" dumping of Ginny--should we assume that Voldemort would totally have held her captive if only he hadn't heard they broke up?
Not to mention, not only did Hermione have fix everyone's memories, how did she get them new legal identities? Confound government officials?
I remember seeing him on a special about Rowling. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.
'cause it's all new to mestatic_pixieMarch 28 2008, 16:30:17 UTC
*ETA: I wonder what Neville would have been like with Narcissa for a mother--you know, the mother who doesn't reject her child for not being violent enough. No wonder Draco turns out so badly! *hugs Draco/non-violent sensible!Neville and doesn't let go* Honestly, though, I thoght that was one of the most terrible things JKR ended up doing, legitimizing the fact that Neville's gran had picked on him all those years by turning him into a warrior. Couldn't all of his Herbology expertise simply have made him an excellent healer in DH? 'Cause it seems like the students needed one.
*Why is Neville so uncomfortable at people finding out about this? Why don't more people know is what I wonder? If Frank and Alice were as famous as Neville's gran says they were, you'd think people would know about something as tragic as their being TORTURED into insanity. Of course, I suppose that would take away from the awesomeness of James and Lily's sacrifices and take away from Harry's own fame, so I suppose that could be it. But it just never
( ... )
Re: 'cause it's all new to mesistermagpieMarch 28 2008, 17:13:06 UTC
It's like Neville's given the plant thing because he's gentle, but of course even the gentle people have to be able to kick ass if they're good people. I swear the only reason Neville ends up being as superior a person to Harry as he is is the stuff that was supposed to be a challenge for him to overcome (that he's not actually a bully). It makes him stand out like a shining star.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised people don't know about the Longbottoms given that people only know or don't know things as the plot requires, sometimes changing from one minute to the next. Even in the epilogue she tries to throw in the idea that the kids would have no idea why people are staring at Harry. I explain this to myself by assuming that the kids have never been outside of their tight family group until this moment.
Did she ever explain how Sirius managed to get money out of Gringotts despite being an escaped felon or are there just pockets of cash stowed all around the house?Maybe he just sent Bill Weasley to take out money for him. For all
( ... )
Re: 'cause it's all new to meaasaylvaMarch 28 2008, 23:10:35 UTC
It would have made leaving them entirely behind for the WW so much easier and more convenient. It is my firm belief that she named her children after them, thus integrating them in the WW by proxy. It would reflect the Harry/Ginny of doom: in both cases the alphas get to decide about their childrens' names and reinforce their own lineage.
All the healers are brutal-looking. Is that a nod to something like 19th century medicine? It’s funny, but I wonder what's the background behind it.
I assume they have to get off on causing pain - surely there's something wrong with people who spend their lives fixing injuries rather than causing them? Cowardly or psychotic, there can be no good here. Probably a bunch of Slytherins (Maya's Crabbe-as-a-healer isn't far off!)
On the subject of "lazily" and such-like being sexy words: YES. Elkins had a really great meta on that about Lupin and how "lazily" is both evil and sexy in the HP books. And, really, in RL: if your mannerisms are "lazy," it's probably because a) you don't care too much about what's going on, which is a sign of a scary level of detachment, or you can SEEM like you don't care too much, which is a sign of a scary level of control, and b) it means your voice drawls and sort of stretches out when you talk and your posture is probably sprawling, with your body fully on display. Those things are sexy. I used to think that Rowling's villains were unsexy and that she was making a Tolkienesque point about evil degrading the evildoer--but really, that only applies to Pettigrew and Voldemort at the very end
( ... )
I also almost wish we still had the diary so we could see exactly how Tom seduced her: "Dear Ginny-What a beautiful poem. You are just like a caterpillar struggling to become a butterfly!"
Hee! I would have totally loved to see that.
I'll miss these possibilities. Neville just proved himself by living up to his grandmother's demands for a warrior son.
Well, there's that nod in (I believe) HBP where McGonagall's all "your grandmother should accept the grandson she's got, not the one she wishes for" or something, when they're discussing Neville's schedule.
Well, there's that nod in (I believe) HBP where McGonagall's all "your grandmother should accept the grandson she's got, not the one she wishes for" or something, when they're discussing Neville's schedule.
Leaving aside how humiliating that would be to have your teacher say to you, since I do think it's supposed to be a nod to sticking up for Neville, it's still funny that essentially his grandmother doesn't have to do that at all. Neville *is* the grandson she wants. She just needs to give him space to show it. Her real fears about Neville aren't true.
essentially his grandmother doesn't have to do that at all. Word! Word! Word! It's like Harry never was required to correct his views on Snape to his face. In fact, is there ANY instance where a true Gryffindor needs to reassess anything?
Remember how he went after the Philosopher’s Stone after being told it was safe? Yeah, me too.
The thing that always gets me about that is that the Stone was safe. Had Harry not been there, it would have remained in the mirror. He actually endangered the Stone more by going after Quirrell on his own. He did happen to stop Voldemort from wandering around in a possessed body, which was good, but entirely accidental. I can't help but wonder what would have happened had Harry not been there - or even if he'd gotten a teacher instead of going after Quirrell himself.
Neville’s been telling his grandmother all about kids who barely remember him when he’s not standing in front of them. That’s so much more humiliating than his parents being crazy.
Sooo much more humiliating. I tend to assume she was pestering him for information about the Great Heroes of Hogwarts and he just kind of said something to get her to leave him alone. I'm betting she encouraged him to become friends with Harry Potter before he went away to Hogwarts.
He actually endangered the Stone more by going after Quirrell on his own.
Yes--though I get the feeling nobody in canon realizes this. I mean, nobody ever mentions it, and it seems like Harry's the big hero. That should have been my first clue that I wasn't going to get development where Harry was praised for his good intentions and bravery but also learned from his mistakes.
I will totally hope that it's Grandma who's pretending Neville's bffs with Harry Potter and not Neville himself.
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I don't have sympathy. Because mind-wiping her parents would almost have certainly led to wiping the memories of their closest friends and some of their patients. Hermione couldn't have allowed people to ask questions now could she? She must have had a busy summer grabbing everyone her parents knew. I wonder if Ginny helped. It sounds like her kind of job.
If Hermione had died, her parents would have been arrested for her murder. Hermione, so compassionate and worthy to be the friend of the CHOSEN ONE!
*Ron, as usual, looks like the clown when a wizard mistakes his freckles for a disease (for a second there I thought he might have acne ( ... )
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Not to mention, not only did Hermione have fix everyone's memories, how did she get them new legal identities? Confound government officials?
I remember seeing him on a special about Rowling. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.
LOL! That must have been great.
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*hugs Draco/non-violent sensible!Neville and doesn't let go* Honestly, though, I thoght that was one of the most terrible things JKR ended up doing, legitimizing the fact that Neville's gran had picked on him all those years by turning him into a warrior. Couldn't all of his Herbology expertise simply have made him an excellent healer in DH? 'Cause it seems like the students needed one.
*Why is Neville so uncomfortable at people finding out about this?
Why don't more people know is what I wonder? If Frank and Alice were as famous as Neville's gran says they were, you'd think people would know about something as tragic as their being TORTURED into insanity. Of course, I suppose that would take away from the awesomeness of James and Lily's sacrifices and take away from Harry's own fame, so I suppose that could be it. But it just never ( ... )
Reply
I guess we shouldn't be surprised people don't know about the Longbottoms given that people only know or don't know things as the plot requires, sometimes changing from one minute to the next. Even in the epilogue she tries to throw in the idea that the kids would have no idea why people are staring at Harry. I explain this to myself by assuming that the kids have never been outside of their tight family group until this moment.
Did she ever explain how Sirius managed to get money out of Gringotts despite being an escaped felon or are there just pockets of cash stowed all around the house?Maybe he just sent Bill Weasley to take out money for him. For all ( ... )
Reply
It is my firm belief that she named her children after them, thus integrating them in the WW by proxy. It would reflect the Harry/Ginny of doom: in both cases the alphas get to decide about their childrens' names and reinforce their own lineage.
Reply
I assume they have to get off on causing pain - surely there's something wrong with people who spend their lives fixing injuries rather than causing them? Cowardly or psychotic, there can be no good here. Probably a bunch of Slytherins (Maya's Crabbe-as-a-healer isn't far off!)
Reply
Now I get it!
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I also almost wish we still had the diary so we could see exactly how Tom seduced her: "Dear Ginny-What a beautiful poem. You are just like a caterpillar struggling to become a butterfly!"
Hee! I would have totally loved to see that.
I'll miss these possibilities. Neville just proved himself by living up to his grandmother's demands for a warrior son.
Well, there's that nod in (I believe) HBP where McGonagall's all "your grandmother should accept the grandson she's got, not the one she wishes for" or something, when they're discussing Neville's schedule.
Reply
Leaving aside how humiliating that would be to have your teacher say to you, since I do think it's supposed to be a nod to sticking up for Neville, it's still funny that essentially his grandmother doesn't have to do that at all. Neville *is* the grandson she wants. She just needs to give him space to show it. Her real fears about Neville aren't true.
Reply
Word! Word! Word! It's like Harry never was required to correct his views on Snape to his face. In fact, is there ANY instance where a true Gryffindor needs to reassess anything?
Reply
The thing that always gets me about that is that the Stone was safe. Had Harry not been there, it would have remained in the mirror. He actually endangered the Stone more by going after Quirrell on his own. He did happen to stop Voldemort from wandering around in a possessed body, which was good, but entirely accidental. I can't help but wonder what would have happened had Harry not been there - or even if he'd gotten a teacher instead of going after Quirrell himself.
Neville’s been telling his grandmother all about kids who barely remember him when he’s not standing in front of them. That’s so much more humiliating than his parents being crazy.
Sooo much more humiliating. I tend to assume she was pestering him for information about the Great Heroes of Hogwarts and he just kind of said something to get her to leave him alone. I'm betting she encouraged him to become friends with Harry Potter before he went away to Hogwarts.
Why is ( ... )
Reply
Yes--though I get the feeling nobody in canon realizes this. I mean, nobody ever mentions it, and it seems like Harry's the big hero. That should have been my first clue that I wasn't going to get development where Harry was praised for his good intentions and bravery but also learned from his mistakes.
I will totally hope that it's Grandma who's pretending Neville's bffs with Harry Potter and not Neville himself.
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