Comments | hp_reread: Chapter 17: A Sluggish Memory

onehundredmoons in hp_reread

Chapter 17: A Sluggish Memory

Jul 07, 2007 21:51

In which Harry returns to school and joins Dumbledore for another trip into the Pensieve. Dumbledore shows him two very important memories this time, both concerning an adolescent Tom Riddle. In the first, Morfin Gaunt gives Tom information (in Parseltongue) about his sister running off with "that Muggle" who Tom so closely resembles. Dumbledore ( Read more... )

book 6: hbp

Comments 8

onehundredmoons July 8 2007, 05:54:26 UTC

I can't imagine what LV was thinking/feeling upon meeting the walking disaster that was Morfin.

elsane July 8 2007, 18:41:24 UTC

Hard to imagine a faster way to disillusion yourself about the transcendence of Wizarding blood, isn't it? I'm intrigued by the glimpse of Riddle with Slughorn and his nascent clique of followers.

Dumbledore just rubs me the wrong way in all of these conversations.

onehundredmoons July 8 2007, 18:45:51 UTC

Dumbledore just rubs me the wrong way in all of these conversations.

How so? I'm intrigued! ;)

elsane July 8 2007, 20:16:15 UTC

Hmm... I think it's the odd combination of coldness and warmth that gets to me. In this chapter, for instance, for all that Dumbledore says he's decided to tell Harry everything, he doesn't -- which is understandable, because Harry is Not Rational about Malfoy -- but rejects Harry's suspicions very coolly, with a rather hurtful undertone of "know your place", rather than "thank you for paying attention, and please trust me to do what's necessary". But we are expected to believe that Harry means something to Dumbledore on an emotional level, which I don't feel at all. Dumbledore comes off to me as an essentially cool and manipulative person, very familiar with the ins and outs of loyalty, and the dynamic seems unequal; Dumbledore works hard to keep Harry his. I have a hard time liking him.

Thread 5

aunty_marion July 8 2007, 18:42:29 UTC

Something struck me while re-reading this chapter: in the Pensieve memory of Riddle Jr's visit to the Gaunt house, the conversation is ALL in Parseltongue.

So how did Dumbledore understand it???????????

onehundredmoons July 8 2007, 18:45:08 UTC

Ooh, good point! I definitely got the impression it was all in Parseltongue too (JKR never mentions a switch to English).

In the first Gaunt memory, DD says to Harry something like "You can understand, of course?" which Harry affirms, but DD never asks for a translation. Eeeeenteresting!

magnetic_pole July 11 2007, 02:17:59 UTC

Well, he does speak Mermish... Seriously, though, I'm never sure whether to write things off as Dumbledore's Special Powers or not. M.