Wizard rock of the week: "I Don't Need Divination" by Riddle TM
No time for a witty intro! There's a post to be had. Fancy that!
Chapter Fifteen: The Quidditch Final
What Happens:
When we last left our Heroes (over a month ago!) Buckbeak was condemned to execution and Harry had a narrow escape from Snape's justice. Hagrid is miserable about Buckbeak and the kids try to cheer him up, promising to help with the appeal. Hermione displays a nice bit of backbone and slaps Malfoy when he makes fun of Hagrid's anguish. Ron is rather shocked and impressed with her badass behavior, but both he and Harry are mystified when Hermione disappears once again on their way to class.
In Divination, Hermione's bad day continues. She finally explodes about the ridiculousness of the subject matter and Trelawney's dire predictions and drops the class. Easter break (how timely for us!) isn't at all relaxing, since exams are coming up. The Trio are also trying to research for Buckbeak's appeal and Harry is facing the additional pressure of the final Quidditch match. Harry is troubled by nightmares and thinks he's seen a Grim again.
The match, against Slytherin, is fully of fouls, cheats, and anger on both sides. Harry nearly loses the Snitch to Malfoy, but the Firebolt's superior speed prevails and the Gryffindors claim the cup.
Commentary:
It's nice for the kids to have something to celebrate amid all this drama, eh?
Notice, here, the appearance of a Flint. The Flint, in fact, for which all others are named. Marcus Flint, if you recall, was a sixth year Captain back in Philosopher's Stone. His presence here, two years later, indicates either that 1) he failed a year, as Jo explained or 2) without the careful watching of Hottt Cheryl Klein, continuity editor extraordinaire (who didn't come on board until the editing of GoF), Jo made a mistake (gasp!) The choice is yours, I suppose. :-)
It's nice to see the Gang back together. They really miss each other when someone's not there.
And off to the next!
Chapter Sixteen: Professor Trelawney's Prediction
What Happens:
It's exam time, and everyone is nervous. Even Fred and George! Harry and Ron stay puzzled about Hermione's impossible schedule, but she never explains. Harry does as expected on his exams and is particularly proud of doing well in Defense Against the Dark Arts. His last exam is Divination, and he climbs up to Trelawney's overheated tower just ready to be done. He doesn't do very well, and just as he's about to leave Trelawney's demeanor changes. She makes an odd set of statements, oblivious to Harry's presence, and can't remember them afterwards.
"It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight... the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master..."
More on that later.
Harry hardly has time to process this, since Ron tells him that Buckbeak lost the appeal and the execution is already set for sunset. They all want to visit Hagrid, but without the Cloak it'll be impossible. Hermione volunteers to go get it (still stashed inside the passageway to Honeydukes), and off they go.
Hagrid is a mess and the kids try their best to cheer him up. Most importantly, though, Ron finds Scabbers hiding in Hagrid's house. He grabs the rat just as Hagrid sees Fudge and the Committee approaching to carry out the execution order. The kids run out the back and a few minutes later hear the unmistakable thud of a falling axe.
Commentary:
Ho boy. LOTS to talk about here! Let's see.
Part I: The Prediction:
There. Is. So. Much. Packed. Into. That. Little. Paragraph. Let's go line by line.
(b) The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. This jives with what we know already (and what Harry knows too, though probably not many others aside from Dumbledore) . He's still out there. He's not "gone." And he was indeed abandoned at his downfall.
(c) His servant has been chained these twelve years. One of Voldemort's minions has been "chained" these twelve years. Now, this seems to imply one specific person, but I will claim that it applies to two, not just one, of his servants.
(d) Tonight, before midnight... the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. "It" has now been defined. A servant will break free and begin a journey back to Voldemort.
(e) The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Voldemort, powerful as he is, needs the aid of another. But when he does return as the prophecy promises, it'll be even worse than before.
(f) Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master..." In case you weren't paying attention, it's tonight. And it's not good.
I want to mostly closely look at lines (c) and (d). In the context of this book, and GoF too, for that matter, the most obvious answer for the Servant's identity is Peter Pettigrew. And that certainly makes sense. He's been hidden for twelve years, under the guise of a rat. He will resume human form (well, temporarily) and thereby "break free" from his Animagus prison. He will escape Ron's control and run away to find Voldemort. It all checks out.
But there's more, I think. I am convinced (and you're welcome to disagree) that this prophecy also refers to Barty Crouch, Jr. We'll learn at the end of the Goblet of Fire that Croach escaped Azkaban and went to live, hidden, with his father and Winky. Then, he overtook his father and met up with Voldemort, readying himself to impersonate Moody. While Wormtail's actions are certainly important and do directly lead to Voldemort's restoration a year later, Barty Croach's presence at Hogwarts was equally important. And he, arguably, fits the prophecy better, because his break out from Azkaban more literally fits with the "chained for twelve years" line. I don't have proof, of course, and we never know a specific date of his escape. But I don't think it's out of line to assume that the prophecy refers to both men. Crouch, as well, is far more "official" in his capacity as Voldemort's servant. I could be wrong on this too, but Croach Jr. was an official Death Eater long before Wormtail was. Can anyone corroborate or refute that?
(d) and (f)'s references to Midnight are, I believe, a benchmark for us to use; a concrete time to cling too. That will sure be nice in a few chapters when things get really ridiculous with time (enough to give me a headache the first time I read it).
Part II: Fun with Time Travel, the Prologue. Or, Jo Uses Clever Tricks to Create a Twist Ending.
From here on out, I'm going to try and recap the parallel storylines, because once Hermione and Harry go 'three hours back' from the hospital wing, there are two Harrys and Hermiones. Right now our "present" Harry and Ron and Hermione are leaving Hagrid's, trying to avoid the Minister & Co. noticing them. They've just reclaimed Scabbers and are on their way back up to school. Future Harry and Future Hermione are in the woods behind Hagrid's house, avoiding both the Minister and their past selves.
Thinking too much about time travel makes my head hurt, but there are some good points that Hermione makes later. Because our actions are so determined by our assumptions, it's a darn good thing that we can't time travel in Real Life. Because, of course, if present-Harry and friends had known that Buckbeak wasn't really dead, or that Scabbers was going to escape, or that Black was going to show up..... yeah, you get the idea. I certainly don't envy Hermione's job of keeping all that straight for an entire year without even talking it out to someone out loud. No wonder she was so stressed all year.
Concerning predictions. Trelawney has now made two "real" predictions that we know of, claims Dumbledore. Since there isn't another Seer in the books, is her behavior typical? Do prophets usually recall their predictions, or not? Without any eyewitnesses, how would people ever know predictions happened if the person who gives them can't recall? Are all the little crystal balls in the Department of Mysteries made of the memories of bystanders, or from the Seers themselves? Or does Trelawney have prediction amnesia because she's not a very able Seer?
Alright, friends, all these questions are hurting my little brain. Off to work, then off to read some more!
What Happens:
When we last left our Heroes (over a month ago!) Buckbeak was condemned to execution and Harry had a narrow escape from Snape's justice. Hagrid is miserable about Buckbeak and the kids try to cheer him up, promising to help with the appeal. Hermione displays a nice bit of backbone and slaps Malfoy when he makes fun of Hagrid's anguish. Ron is rather shocked and impressed with her badass behavior, but both he and Harry are mystified when Hermione disappears once again on their way to class.
In Divination, Hermione's bad day continues. She finally explodes about the ridiculousness of the subject matter and Trelawney's dire predictions and drops the class. Easter break (how timely for us!) isn't at all relaxing, since exams are coming up. The Trio are also trying to research for Buckbeak's appeal and Harry is facing the additional pressure of the final Quidditch match. Harry is troubled by nightmares and thinks he's seen a Grim again.
The match, against Slytherin, is fully of fouls, cheats, and anger on both sides. Harry nearly loses the Snitch to Malfoy, but the Firebolt's superior speed prevails and the Gryffindors claim the cup.
Commentary:
It's nice for the kids to have something to celebrate amid all this drama, eh?
Notice, here, the appearance of a Flint. The Flint, in fact, for which all others are named. Marcus Flint, if you recall, was a sixth year Captain back in Philosopher's Stone. His presence here, two years later, indicates either that 1) he failed a year, as Jo explained or 2) without the careful watching of Hottt Cheryl Klein, continuity editor extraordinaire (who didn't come on board until the editing of GoF), Jo made a mistake (gasp!) The choice is yours, I suppose. :-)
It's nice to see the Gang back together. They really miss each other when someone's not there.
And off to the next!
What Happens:
It's exam time, and everyone is nervous. Even Fred and George! Harry and Ron stay puzzled about Hermione's impossible schedule, but she never explains. Harry does as expected on his exams and is particularly proud of doing well in Defense Against the Dark Arts. His last exam is Divination, and he climbs up to Trelawney's overheated tower just ready to be done. He doesn't do very well, and just as he's about to leave Trelawney's demeanor changes. She makes an odd set of statements, oblivious to Harry's presence, and can't remember them afterwards.
"It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight... the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master..."
More on that later.
Harry hardly has time to process this, since Ron tells him that Buckbeak lost the appeal and the execution is already set for sunset. They all want to visit Hagrid, but without the Cloak it'll be impossible. Hermione volunteers to go get it (still stashed inside the passageway to Honeydukes), and off they go.
Hagrid is a mess and the kids try their best to cheer him up. Most importantly, though, Ron finds Scabbers hiding in Hagrid's house. He grabs the rat just as Hagrid sees Fudge and the Committee approaching to carry out the execution order. The kids run out the back and a few minutes later hear the unmistakable thud of a falling axe.
Commentary:
Ho boy. LOTS to talk about here! Let's see.
Part I: The Prediction:
There. Is. So. Much. Packed. Into. That. Little. Paragraph. Let's go line by line.
(b) The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. This jives with what we know already (and what Harry knows too, though probably not many others aside from Dumbledore) . He's still out there. He's not "gone." And he was indeed abandoned at his downfall.
(c) His servant has been chained these twelve years. One of Voldemort's minions has been "chained" these twelve years. Now, this seems to imply one specific person, but I will claim that it applies to two, not just one, of his servants.
(d) Tonight, before midnight... the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. "It" has now been defined. A servant will break free and begin a journey back to Voldemort.
(e) The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Voldemort, powerful as he is, needs the aid of another. But when he does return as the prophecy promises, it'll be even worse than before.
(f) Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master..." In case you weren't paying attention, it's tonight. And it's not good.
I want to mostly closely look at lines (c) and (d). In the context of this book, and GoF too, for that matter, the most obvious answer for the Servant's identity is Peter Pettigrew. And that certainly makes sense. He's been hidden for twelve years, under the guise of a rat. He will resume human form (well, temporarily) and thereby "break free" from his Animagus prison. He will escape Ron's control and run away to find Voldemort. It all checks out.
But there's more, I think. I am convinced (and you're welcome to disagree) that this prophecy also refers to Barty Crouch, Jr. We'll learn at the end of the Goblet of Fire that Croach escaped Azkaban and went to live, hidden, with his father and Winky. Then, he overtook his father and met up with Voldemort, readying himself to impersonate Moody. While Wormtail's actions are certainly important and do directly lead to Voldemort's restoration a year later, Barty Croach's presence at Hogwarts was equally important. And he, arguably, fits the prophecy better, because his break out from Azkaban more literally fits with the "chained for twelve years" line. I don't have proof, of course, and we never know a specific date of his escape. But I don't think it's out of line to assume that the prophecy refers to both men. Crouch, as well, is far more "official" in his capacity as Voldemort's servant. I could be wrong on this too, but Croach Jr. was an official Death Eater long before Wormtail was. Can anyone corroborate or refute that?
(d) and (f)'s references to Midnight are, I believe, a benchmark for us to use; a concrete time to cling too. That will sure be nice in a few chapters when things get really ridiculous with time (enough to give me a headache the first time I read it).
Part II: Fun with Time Travel, the Prologue. Or, Jo Uses Clever Tricks to Create a Twist Ending.
From here on out, I'm going to try and recap the parallel storylines, because once Hermione and Harry go 'three hours back' from the hospital wing, there are two Harrys and Hermiones. Right now our "present" Harry and Ron and Hermione are leaving Hagrid's, trying to avoid the Minister & Co. noticing them. They've just reclaimed Scabbers and are on their way back up to school. Future Harry and Future Hermione are in the woods behind Hagrid's house, avoiding both the Minister and their past selves.
Thinking too much about time travel makes my head hurt, but there are some good points that Hermione makes later. Because our actions are so determined by our assumptions, it's a darn good thing that we can't time travel in Real Life. Because, of course, if present-Harry and friends had known that Buckbeak wasn't really dead, or that Scabbers was going to escape, or that Black was going to show up..... yeah, you get the idea. I certainly don't envy Hermione's job of keeping all that straight for an entire year without even talking it out to someone out loud. No wonder she was so stressed all year.
Concerning predictions. Trelawney has now made two "real" predictions that we know of, claims Dumbledore. Since there isn't another Seer in the books, is her behavior typical? Do prophets usually recall their predictions, or not? Without any eyewitnesses, how would people ever know predictions happened if the person who gives them can't recall? Are all the little crystal balls in the Department of Mysteries made of the memories of bystanders, or from the Seers themselves? Or does Trelawney have prediction amnesia because she's not a very able Seer?
Alright, friends, all these questions are hurting my little brain. Off to work, then off to read some more!
yayyy!! Hermione is amazing in this part of the book. Well, she's amazing throughout the entire series, but here it's very noticable.
ReplyDeleteIt was like an outburst of pent-up aggression!
Ummm, I had a feeling that the crystal balls in the Dept. of Mysteries just sort of appeared there by, well, magic whenever a prophecy was made to someone in the world. WAIT. Can Seers give prophecies when nobody's around? I'm all confuzzled.
"am I.... am I bleeding Goyle? Maybe I shouldn't call her a --- whatever."
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes, of course you're right re: crystal balls. It's magic Maggie. Magic. Things happen without explanation and that is okay.
Kind of like the magical quill at Hogwarts that records the birth of a magical child. It just *does it*. So maybe prophecies work the same way. Someone says one that's real and over in London another addition joins the shelf.
Is this blog still updating? I don't think there's been a new post in ages...
ReplyDelete@Anon *wince*
ReplyDeleteYup, it's been a rough two months and this little project fell off the end of the priority list. But I'll be back soon. I miss writing it and I miss the comments!
Stay tuned! And thanks for noticing :-)
Okay then, so no worries. Just take your time :)
ReplyDeleteLove the re-read btw, and one thing I've noticed is how much I've forgotten as its been a couple of years since the last read. I'm actually gonna have my own re-read after I'm done with the The Dark Tower books
Oh, good. I was going to ask if you're OK when I saw that someone already did it. I'm commenting anyway to let you know that I, too, am looking forward to the return of the re-read :)
ReplyDeleteI've been checking for updates as well. I enjoy your commentary!
ReplyDeleteWe're back in the game folks!
ReplyDelete