Chapter Thirty-Four
The Department of Mysteries
Still behind, and sadly going to become more so: I'm away for the next two weeks/months. (I'll still be here commenting, though.) Still, I'll be back pre-OotP, and owing about twelve chapters, so perhaps I can manage a kind of countdown every day, if that's okay with Mira?
Anyway, I was going to post this in the comments at Magpie's, but it's a tad long. So I won't touch on anything she's covered.
* Harry did not think he’d ever moved so fast…
Not even when on a broom? But he’s the fastest ever OMG!11
* His legs numb from gripping the Thestrals sides so tightly, but he did not dare shift his position lest he slip…he was deaf from the thundering rush of air in his ears, and his mouth was dry and frozen from the cold night wind.
Teh Angst, even of riding a thestral.
This is actually reminding me of a Harry/Thestral fic I read. I fear this fandom.
* 'Where do we go from here, then?' she asked Harry in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting day-trip.
Hmm. On one hand, I rather like that Luna isn’t taking the LET’S RESCUE DAMSEL SIRIUS POST-HASTE attitude that the Gryffindors seem to embody, but she does seem to come off as almost…sociopathic? Her apparent lack of passion makes me wonder why she wants to help at all, and why the Gryffindors don’t turn against her (more than they already have in the book, I mean!)
* He gave his Thestral a quick, grateful pat.
Gratitude! From Harry! Sure it’s to an animal, but still! *marks down*
* 'Come on!' he urged the others, as they hesitated. Ron and Ginny marched in obediently.
…
'Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!' he said.
Ron did it, his arm bent bizarrely to reach the dial.
…
'Someone shut the door,' Harry muttered. He regretted giving this order the moment Neville had obeyed it.
Hee! *salutes*
There’s lots of Purposeful!Harry leading the troops who follow, wands at the ready (ala the rest of the DA) which I guess is supposed to touch us - their faith! Harry’s leadership skills! - rather than make me relieved that my life isn’t in his hands.
* 'Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk.'
'Fine!' Harry said loudly, as his scar gave another throb. 'Now can we move?'
So I presume security are absent because then Harry et al would have to turn in their wands and JKR couldn’t come up with a reason why they might be absent, other than whatever it is, it’s ominous? Good plotting, there! Not.
And snapping at telephone greeters/civil servants/automated messages? Never works. Believe me.
* 'OK, listen,' said Harry stopping again. 'Maybe…maybe a couple of people should stay here as a - as a lookout, and -'
'And how're we going to let you know something's coming?' asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. 'You could be miles away.'
'We're coming with you, Harry,' said Neville.
'Let's get on with it,' said Ron firmly.
Harry still did not want to take them all with him, but it seemed he had no choice.
I wish I got the sense here that Harry was motivated by practicality (a lookout might be actually be a good idea, guys? Or at least someone to owl the Order/find security?) or at least the misplaced desire to protect everyone, but I’m not really getting that, so much as he wants to run off and play hero (as discussed later - it’s so ‘exciting’ after all!) and it’s a one-person game.
Anyway, Ginny questions and Neville is quietly loyal, as always. Roxanne prays for death.
* Hermione grabbed Harry's arm as though frightened the floor might move…
…
'What was that about?' whispered Ron fearfully.
…
Neville's round face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take much more suspense.
They’re showing fear! Weakness! Attack! They’re acting ‘not very brave’! They’re ‘cowards!’ Oh, no, wait. This is one of those life or death situations where it’s okay to be scared, isn’t it? I wish there was some kind of manual or guidelines that would explain the difference. (It is odd that Luna, the Ravenclaw, sounds calmer than anyone.)
* 'I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in through,' said Ginny in a hushed voice.
Harry realised at once she was right.
Of course.
* 'How're we going to get back out?' said Neville uncomfortably.
'Well, that doesn't matter now,' said Harry forcefully…clutching his wand tighter than ever, 'we won't need to get out till we've found Sirius -'
Yeah! Goddammit, Neville, you signed up for this mission, stop thinking about frivolities like safety! Step up! Your life doesn’t matter when you’re a hero, (in fact, you’re actively encouraged to risk it even when no-one’s life is at stake at all.) only that of the person you’re trying to save (Harry of course forgetting that when they find Sirius, it will matter how they get out.)
* 'Don't go calling for him!' Hermione said urgently; but Harry had never needed her advice less, his instinct was to keep…quiet…
Hee! Harry does have rather a utilitarian approach to friendship at times.
* 'Where do we go, then, Harry?' Ron asked.
'I don't -' Harry began. He swallowed. 'We should try a few doors,' he said hastily, 'I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon.'
…
Harry approached another door at random.
Really inspiring confidence here.
* …'Aquavirius Maggots!' said Luna excitedly. 'Dad said the Ministry were breeding - '
Luna really does appear to have a fascination with magical creatures in particular (and yet still doesn’t rate Hagrid. Go Luna! ;)
And a lot of faith in her parent, like most HP characters.
* …As if somebody had just passed through it.
'Sirius?'
Woo, foreshadow-y goodness.
* The gently rippling veil intrigued him; he felt a very strong inclination to walk through it.
Erk! Continuing Harry’s apparent death wish (the mirror of Erised and later in OotP, for example.)
* She sounded scared, much more scared than she had in the room where the brains swam…much angrier than the occasion warranted…‘Harry, stop it, come away -' She grabbed his arm and pulled, but he resisted. 'Harry, we are supposed to be here for Sirius!' she said in a high-pitched, strained voice.
Why is Hermione so frightened by the veil? Does she just instinctively sense that it will kill you to pass through it, or what?
* He took several paces back from the dais and wrenched his eyes from the veil. 'Let's go,' he said.
‘That's what I've been trying to - well, come on, then!' said Hermione, and she led the way back around the dais.
Bwhahaha! But it sounded better coming from Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry!
Anyway, you’re not the leader, Hermione, you don’t get to make any decisions.
* 'Get out of the way!' said Hermione sharply. She pointed her wand and said, 'Alohomora!' Nothing happened.
Heh. Reminds me of Movie!Hermione: Move aside! Anyway, of course only Hermione is smart enough to think of trying to unlock a door with an unlocking spell.
* 'But what if that's the one?' said Ron, staring at it with a mixture of apprehension and longing.
'It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream,' said Hermione.
Then why did you try it all?
And what’s with Ron’s ‘longing’?
* Rare moment of praise here: I like the descriptions of the rooms in the Ministry, as well as the time egg. (Not the brains, though, that’s rather overdone and cliched. And the heavy handed metaphor turned into literal object veil.
I’m good at this whole positive thing, aren’t I? ;)
* 'Keep going!' said Harry sharply, because Ginny showed signs of wanting to stop and watch the egg's progress back into a bird.
'You dawdled enough by that old arch!' she said crossly, but followed him.
I’m so glad to see that even in a life or death situation, Harry and Ginny can find time to snark at others. They truly are MFEO! (And that Neville and Hermione manage a quick dig at Luna, also. Run, Ron/Luna! Save yourselves!)
Anyway, um, Ginny. So did you. Remember? (I actually wondered if maybe this was a flint and JKR meant to write that Neville, Harry and Luna were fascinated by the arch, because it really doesn’t make any sense for it to be Ginny, and it was Luna who was initially gazing at it.)
* ‘…We're here to save someone, unless your Ministry can do it first!'
…
Hermione handed them mutely to Harry over Ginny's head; he glanced at the topmost one, Harry Potter, Rescue Mission.
…
After months and months of dreaming about it, he was here at last.
…
‘This is it,' Harry said again, and his heart was now pumping so hard and fast he felt it must interfere with his speech…
He glanced around at them all; they had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious.
…
‘This is it, then, isn't it?' said Ron excitedly…
…
Expecting, even hoping, that something dramatic was going to happen, something exciting that might make their long and dangerous journey worthwhile after all…
God, for all the ‘marked man’ anvils and ‘We are soooooo grown-up enough to fight against evil and learn hexing, OMG!111’ theme of the book, the Sextet really do come off asa bunch of kids who want to play heroes and have an adventure.
(Not to mention, you’d think having a vision of your godfather being tortured by the Dark Lord, riding on a thestral, breaking into a government building and seeing the curtain into the netherworld, brains in liquid and the life cycle itself would be excitement enough.)
* His heart now hammering against his Adam's apple…
Third time that descriptions been used in this book. Bizaarely.
* There was nobody there.
'He's right down at the end,' said Harry, whose mouth had become slightly dry. 'You can't see properly from here.'
'Harry?' said Hermione tentatively, but he did not want to respond. His mouth was very dry.
'He might be…' Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the next alley. 'Or maybe…'
God, this is like that really boring bit in PoA (I know, there’s lot of them) - Annnnny second now, he’ll be here! Soon!
* 'Harry?' said Hermione again.
'What?' he snarled.
Goddammit, Hermione! How dare you question Harry? I know everyone took a massive risk in fleeing school, sending Umbridge to the centaurs, fighting the Inquistorial Squad, riding thestrals, breaking into the MoM and passing by the veil; for a wild goose chase, but still! They should be glad to have a chance to prove their loyalty and usefulness to Harry. Or something.
* 'I…I don't think Sirius is here.'
Nobody spoke. Harry did not want to look at any of them. He felt sick. He did not understand why Sirius was not here. He had to be here. This was where he, Harry, had seen him…
He did not want to hear what Ron had to say; did not want to hear Ron tell him he had been stupid or suggest that they ought to go back to Hogwarts, but the heat was rising in his face and he felt as though he would like to skulk down here in the darkness for a long while before facing the…others' accusing stares…
'What?' said Harry, but eagerly this time - it had to be a sign that Sirius had been there, a clue.
…‘What?' Harry repeated glumly.
You might think that Harry would be a little…oh, I don’t know, relieved? He thought Sirius was being tortured and possibly killed, and it turns out that perhaps he isn’t (even if it does have the side effect of Harry having to be wrong, which is almost worse) and they don’t have to face up to Voldemort, almost certainly with fatalities/serious injuries. But WOE. They don’t get their exciting adventure, and he, Harry, is embarrassed.
* 'Harry, I don't think you should touch it,' said Hermione sharply, as he stretched out his hand.
'Why not?' he said. 'It’s something to do with me, isn't it?'
And feeling slightly reckless, he closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface.
Why not? Because you know that when somebody took an object from the Ministry previously, ‘his brain (went) all funny and he couldn’t talk’ and had to be sent to St. Mungoes, because there were ‘defensive spells on it…to stop people touching it’, maybe? Mind you, I bet that would be pretty ‘exciting’. Ask Montague.
But OMG, it has Harry’s name on it! It’s to do with HIM! (Which is a massive departure from, oh, everything else.)
* On the contrary, it felt as though it had been lying in the sun for hours, as though the glow of light within was warming it.
I imagine the glow is the power of Harry’s heart and soul, which is of course, hotter than a million suns and stronger than ten men.
Still behind, and sadly going to become more so: I'm away for the next two weeks/months. (I'll still be here commenting, though.) Still, I'll be back pre-OotP, and owing about twelve chapters, so perhaps I can manage a kind of countdown every day, if that's okay with Mira?
Anyway, I was going to post this in the comments at Magpie's, but it's a tad long. So I won't touch on anything she's covered.
* Harry did not think he’d ever moved so fast…
Not even when on a broom? But he’s the fastest ever OMG!11
* His legs numb from gripping the Thestrals sides so tightly, but he did not dare shift his position lest he slip…he was deaf from the thundering rush of air in his ears, and his mouth was dry and frozen from the cold night wind.
Teh Angst, even of riding a thestral.
This is actually reminding me of a Harry/Thestral fic I read. I fear this fandom.
* 'Where do we go from here, then?' she asked Harry in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting day-trip.
Hmm. On one hand, I rather like that Luna isn’t taking the LET’S RESCUE DAMSEL SIRIUS POST-HASTE attitude that the Gryffindors seem to embody, but she does seem to come off as almost…sociopathic? Her apparent lack of passion makes me wonder why she wants to help at all, and why the Gryffindors don’t turn against her (more than they already have in the book, I mean!)
* He gave his Thestral a quick, grateful pat.
Gratitude! From Harry! Sure it’s to an animal, but still! *marks down*
* 'Come on!' he urged the others, as they hesitated. Ron and Ginny marched in obediently.
…
'Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!' he said.
Ron did it, his arm bent bizarrely to reach the dial.
…
'Someone shut the door,' Harry muttered. He regretted giving this order the moment Neville had obeyed it.
Hee! *salutes*
There’s lots of Purposeful!Harry leading the troops who follow, wands at the ready (ala the rest of the DA) which I guess is supposed to touch us - their faith! Harry’s leadership skills! - rather than make me relieved that my life isn’t in his hands.
* 'Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk.'
'Fine!' Harry said loudly, as his scar gave another throb. 'Now can we move?'
So I presume security are absent because then Harry et al would have to turn in their wands and JKR couldn’t come up with a reason why they might be absent, other than whatever it is, it’s ominous? Good plotting, there! Not.
And snapping at telephone greeters/civil servants/automated messages? Never works. Believe me.
* 'OK, listen,' said Harry stopping again. 'Maybe…maybe a couple of people should stay here as a - as a lookout, and -'
'And how're we going to let you know something's coming?' asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. 'You could be miles away.'
'We're coming with you, Harry,' said Neville.
'Let's get on with it,' said Ron firmly.
Harry still did not want to take them all with him, but it seemed he had no choice.
I wish I got the sense here that Harry was motivated by practicality (a lookout might be actually be a good idea, guys? Or at least someone to owl the Order/find security?) or at least the misplaced desire to protect everyone, but I’m not really getting that, so much as he wants to run off and play hero (as discussed later - it’s so ‘exciting’ after all!) and it’s a one-person game.
Anyway, Ginny questions and Neville is quietly loyal, as always. Roxanne prays for death.
* Hermione grabbed Harry's arm as though frightened the floor might move…
…
'What was that about?' whispered Ron fearfully.
…
Neville's round face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take much more suspense.
They’re showing fear! Weakness! Attack! They’re acting ‘not very brave’! They’re ‘cowards!’ Oh, no, wait. This is one of those life or death situations where it’s okay to be scared, isn’t it? I wish there was some kind of manual or guidelines that would explain the difference. (It is odd that Luna, the Ravenclaw, sounds calmer than anyone.)
* 'I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in through,' said Ginny in a hushed voice.
Harry realised at once she was right.
Of course.
* 'How're we going to get back out?' said Neville uncomfortably.
'Well, that doesn't matter now,' said Harry forcefully…clutching his wand tighter than ever, 'we won't need to get out till we've found Sirius -'
Yeah! Goddammit, Neville, you signed up for this mission, stop thinking about frivolities like safety! Step up! Your life doesn’t matter when you’re a hero, (in fact, you’re actively encouraged to risk it even when no-one’s life is at stake at all.) only that of the person you’re trying to save (Harry of course forgetting that when they find Sirius, it will matter how they get out.)
* 'Don't go calling for him!' Hermione said urgently; but Harry had never needed her advice less, his instinct was to keep…quiet…
Hee! Harry does have rather a utilitarian approach to friendship at times.
* 'Where do we go, then, Harry?' Ron asked.
'I don't -' Harry began. He swallowed. 'We should try a few doors,' he said hastily, 'I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon.'
…
Harry approached another door at random.
Really inspiring confidence here.
* …'Aquavirius Maggots!' said Luna excitedly. 'Dad said the Ministry were breeding - '
Luna really does appear to have a fascination with magical creatures in particular (and yet still doesn’t rate Hagrid. Go Luna! ;)
And a lot of faith in her parent, like most HP characters.
* …As if somebody had just passed through it.
'Sirius?'
Woo, foreshadow-y goodness.
* The gently rippling veil intrigued him; he felt a very strong inclination to walk through it.
Erk! Continuing Harry’s apparent death wish (the mirror of Erised and later in OotP, for example.)
* She sounded scared, much more scared than she had in the room where the brains swam…much angrier than the occasion warranted…‘Harry, stop it, come away -' She grabbed his arm and pulled, but he resisted. 'Harry, we are supposed to be here for Sirius!' she said in a high-pitched, strained voice.
Why is Hermione so frightened by the veil? Does she just instinctively sense that it will kill you to pass through it, or what?
* He took several paces back from the dais and wrenched his eyes from the veil. 'Let's go,' he said.
‘That's what I've been trying to - well, come on, then!' said Hermione, and she led the way back around the dais.
Bwhahaha! But it sounded better coming from Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry!
Anyway, you’re not the leader, Hermione, you don’t get to make any decisions.
* 'Get out of the way!' said Hermione sharply. She pointed her wand and said, 'Alohomora!' Nothing happened.
Heh. Reminds me of Movie!Hermione: Move aside! Anyway, of course only Hermione is smart enough to think of trying to unlock a door with an unlocking spell.
* 'But what if that's the one?' said Ron, staring at it with a mixture of apprehension and longing.
'It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream,' said Hermione.
Then why did you try it all?
And what’s with Ron’s ‘longing’?
* Rare moment of praise here: I like the descriptions of the rooms in the Ministry, as well as the time egg. (Not the brains, though, that’s rather overdone and cliched. And the heavy handed metaphor turned into literal object veil.
I’m good at this whole positive thing, aren’t I? ;)
* 'Keep going!' said Harry sharply, because Ginny showed signs of wanting to stop and watch the egg's progress back into a bird.
'You dawdled enough by that old arch!' she said crossly, but followed him.
I’m so glad to see that even in a life or death situation, Harry and Ginny can find time to snark at others. They truly are MFEO! (And that Neville and Hermione manage a quick dig at Luna, also. Run, Ron/Luna! Save yourselves!)
Anyway, um, Ginny. So did you. Remember? (I actually wondered if maybe this was a flint and JKR meant to write that Neville, Harry and Luna were fascinated by the arch, because it really doesn’t make any sense for it to be Ginny, and it was Luna who was initially gazing at it.)
* ‘…We're here to save someone, unless your Ministry can do it first!'
…
Hermione handed them mutely to Harry over Ginny's head; he glanced at the topmost one, Harry Potter, Rescue Mission.
…
After months and months of dreaming about it, he was here at last.
…
‘This is it,' Harry said again, and his heart was now pumping so hard and fast he felt it must interfere with his speech…
He glanced around at them all; they had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious.
…
‘This is it, then, isn't it?' said Ron excitedly…
…
Expecting, even hoping, that something dramatic was going to happen, something exciting that might make their long and dangerous journey worthwhile after all…
God, for all the ‘marked man’ anvils and ‘We are soooooo grown-up enough to fight against evil and learn hexing, OMG!111’ theme of the book, the Sextet really do come off asa bunch of kids who want to play heroes and have an adventure.
(Not to mention, you’d think having a vision of your godfather being tortured by the Dark Lord, riding on a thestral, breaking into a government building and seeing the curtain into the netherworld, brains in liquid and the life cycle itself would be excitement enough.)
* His heart now hammering against his Adam's apple…
Third time that descriptions been used in this book. Bizaarely.
* There was nobody there.
'He's right down at the end,' said Harry, whose mouth had become slightly dry. 'You can't see properly from here.'
'Harry?' said Hermione tentatively, but he did not want to respond. His mouth was very dry.
'He might be…' Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the next alley. 'Or maybe…'
God, this is like that really boring bit in PoA (I know, there’s lot of them) - Annnnny second now, he’ll be here! Soon!
* 'Harry?' said Hermione again.
'What?' he snarled.
Goddammit, Hermione! How dare you question Harry? I know everyone took a massive risk in fleeing school, sending Umbridge to the centaurs, fighting the Inquistorial Squad, riding thestrals, breaking into the MoM and passing by the veil; for a wild goose chase, but still! They should be glad to have a chance to prove their loyalty and usefulness to Harry. Or something.
* 'I…I don't think Sirius is here.'
Nobody spoke. Harry did not want to look at any of them. He felt sick. He did not understand why Sirius was not here. He had to be here. This was where he, Harry, had seen him…
He did not want to hear what Ron had to say; did not want to hear Ron tell him he had been stupid or suggest that they ought to go back to Hogwarts, but the heat was rising in his face and he felt as though he would like to skulk down here in the darkness for a long while before facing the…others' accusing stares…
'What?' said Harry, but eagerly this time - it had to be a sign that Sirius had been there, a clue.
…‘What?' Harry repeated glumly.
You might think that Harry would be a little…oh, I don’t know, relieved? He thought Sirius was being tortured and possibly killed, and it turns out that perhaps he isn’t (even if it does have the side effect of Harry having to be wrong, which is almost worse) and they don’t have to face up to Voldemort, almost certainly with fatalities/serious injuries. But WOE. They don’t get their exciting adventure, and he, Harry, is embarrassed.
* 'Harry, I don't think you should touch it,' said Hermione sharply, as he stretched out his hand.
'Why not?' he said. 'It’s something to do with me, isn't it?'
And feeling slightly reckless, he closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface.
Why not? Because you know that when somebody took an object from the Ministry previously, ‘his brain (went) all funny and he couldn’t talk’ and had to be sent to St. Mungoes, because there were ‘defensive spells on it…to stop people touching it’, maybe? Mind you, I bet that would be pretty ‘exciting’. Ask Montague.
But OMG, it has Harry’s name on it! It’s to do with HIM! (Which is a massive departure from, oh, everything else.)
* On the contrary, it felt as though it had been lying in the sun for hours, as though the glow of light within was warming it.
I imagine the glow is the power of Harry’s heart and soul, which is of course, hotter than a million suns and stronger than ten men.