Slytherin and Polyjuice

[sistermagpie]

I have very little interest in any of the HBP Polyjuice theories--Draco as Tonks, Narcissa as Tonks, Narcissa as Draco, Tonks as Narcissa. There is only one place in canon where I would be willing to consider it, and that's in the library when the hear someone nearby who's presumably Draco, but then Pince appears around the corner.

Comments

[ishtar79]

I'm seriously sleep deprived and unable to process right now, so what I've picked up from this post is essentially 'Draco is such a girl'. Which yeah, he is. Bless

[sistermagpie]

Heh--sometimes he is such a girl.:-) But it's not even just that for me, like with this one character's sexuality or gender. There's just all this weird stuff swirling around the houses itself--fire and water, will vs. emotion, the tower vs. the chamber. You start unpacking it and it's like endless. Sometimes it's probably got some clashes within it, too, because Slytherin is really very rarely if ever attractive, to the point where JKR had to actually say taht they weren't all bad, or that the common room had a spooky beauty. Maybe it's that it's all kind of tainted by the bad aspects or just that the universe isn't about the pretty except in certain circumstances.

Slytherin House Roles- Part I

[seaislewitch]

Hi, sistermagpie. I always love to read what you have to say, and I always respect your opinions and the opinions of your commenters, but this time...er...I have to disagree. I don't see Draco as being effeminate at all, and I certainly don't see Pansy being as masculine! Slytherin is a House with traditional role models. Look at the Quidditch team, for instance, the only players are wizards and tough ones too. Pure-blood witches are treated respectfully as women, as evidenced by Draco escorting Pansy properly to the Yule Ball. She chose robes of pale pink that were feminine to contrast with Draco's (her boyfriend) black velvet dress robes that are a masculine choice for a winter ball. Feminine and masculine. I don't see any gender bending there at all. I also don't see any unnatural forcing to be feminine by wearing pink. (Remember, Hermione stole Pansy's robes for the movie! lol)

Pansy is either seen with Draco or her gang of Slytherin witches, AKA female friends who wear a bit of green, of which she is the natural leader, the

Slytherin House Roles- Part II

[seaislewitch]

We see the beginnings of Draco and Pansy's relationship in POA. When Draco came swaggering into the dungeon with his arm in a sling, Pansy instantly asks him how it is. He gives Pansy a brave sort of grimace, and then winks to in Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy looks away. Obviously, he had discussed Pansy with his friends and wants her attentions. Pansy's actions have always been very 'Florence Nightengale-ish' when he's been injured, and Draco's are very much being like a 'conquering hero.' Not the reverse. Later in the same scene, Malfoy whispers to Harry that there are 'other benefits too,' and I don't think he's just talking about making Weasley slice his caterpillars. He's also talking about the loving attention he's receiving from Pansy. He doesn't want her or anyone else to overhear what he's saying about her, that's secret information, and he needs to play it cool with her. He's discovered girls and one in particular, who is his social equal.

From HBP: "You go on," Malfoy told Pansy, who was waiting for him with her hand held

Slytherin House Roles- Part III

[seaislewitch]

If Draco Polyjuiced himself into a witch, Tonks for instance, it's because he was absolutely desperate, and not because he wanted to experiment with gender bending! Not only did he have Voldemort's impossible mission and threat on his shoulders, he also had to worry about Dumbledore, roving Aurors, a fiercely protective mother, a professor under an Unbreakable Bond, snooping classmates and most likely, a curious and hurt girlfriend, who he probably no longer has a future with. That's enough to put anyone in a deep depression! Why else would he end up in the bathroom crying in front of Moaning Myrtle? He had to keep things to himself and everyone off his trail because his family was at stake, and he loves them. Plus he's not going to put his girlfriend in jeopardy by telling her anything. Tonks, who we've been told is broken up about Lupin, would be the easiest Auror for Draco to deceive. She's obviously weakened, and there is that family connection to consider. We don't know everything about this yet. He could have had her under the

Re: Slytherin House Roles- Part III

[sistermagpie]

Well, yes, of course! I didn't mean to imply that Draco was playing around gender-bending if he was Pince or with Crabbe and Goyle. I was talking about the author's gender-bending and why it seems to fit more in this book with Slytherin than it does in previous books with Gryffindors. As I said, I think the reason for it is primarily for humor--it's funny to think of Crabbe and Goyle as little girls. But that still leaves us within canon with the fact that Draco needing lookouts says hey, if you're girls you won't look like yourselves and Crabbe and Goyle saying okay.

[edido]

There is only one place in canon where I would be willing to consider it, and that's in the library when the hear someone nearby who's presumably Draco, but then Pince appears around the corner.

Man. I almost hope that this particular theory turns out. If only for the sheer pleasure of imagining Draco suffering an unfortunate and irresistible compulsion to give his wobbly Pince-bits a once-over.

[sistermagpie]

Exactly! It's also very funny to think that we know Draco is a kid who does impressions, and it's just too funny to imagine him trying out his Pince impression in her body. Her OTT reaction to the book could be a cartoon reaction from Pince herself but it could also be funny if he's overdoing it.

Sixth Sense at Malory Towers

[woman_ironing]

A post with a point and fun too! Brilliant

Re: Sixth Sense at Malory Towers

[sistermagpie]

Heh--I love Harry sneaking up on Crabbe or Goyle in girl form. He's having fun with them, something you don't usually see!

The stairs are funny because it hints at the idea that boys are pursuers but in canon it's girls who are constantly scheming to catch boys. It seems almost like girls are the ones obsessed with romance but boys, when they finally get caught, are so ga ga they can't control themselves. Love potions, Veela, Harry's chest monster all seem to kind of reflect the idea that boys aren't responsible for their own urges or in control the way that girls are. When you really think about it it's actually a really bad stereotype but also common.

[j_lunatic]

The only other person I can remember who gets that treatment is Snape via Neville's Boggart and Snape's a Slytherin.

What about Mundungus Fletcher, when he watches over the formation of Dumbledore's Army at the Hogs Head, disguised as a witch? (I figure he's more or less an Old Gryffindor Boy, based on his red hair and affiliation with the Order of the Phoenix.)

[sistermagpie]

Great catch! I guess we don't know what his house is for sure, though he is a crook and drinks a lot. I forgot about him!

[arclevel]

Is it bad that "a crook and drinks a lot" instictively reads as Gryffindor to me? Actually, though that really was my first reaction, my opinion of Mundungus is more specific than that. Impulsive and irresponsible (leaving his post in Little Whinging), no subtlety ("Hey, Sirius, are these real silver?"), doesn't stop to think about making a distinction between people who you should and shouldn't steal from (ie, maybe not your allies, several of whom work in law enforcement). No, I'm not a Dung fan. And yeah, rightly or wrongly, he reads as a Gryffindor to me.

[j_lunatic]

Is it bad that "a crook and drinks a lot" instictively reads as Gryffindor to me?

Well, those characteristics have a lot in common with what we know about Hagrid (drinks, violated the Ban on Experimental Breeding and laws against trafficing in exotic creatures). I wouldn't be surprised if Dung, like Hagrid, was kicked out of Hogwarts only to be similarly protected by Dumbledore.

And if that is the case, it looks like Willy Widdershins' crime was less about Muggle baiting and more about not supporting Dumbledore's agenda.