notes and observations on HP #1

[salixbabylon]

Remember how I said I was going to re-read all the books and would post so people could diccuss the books one by one? Well, here's the first:



Things I noted On This Reading

1) I forgot how bloody long it takes for Harry to get to Hogwarts – fully one-third of the book. And then once there, times flies by – Halloween, then the first Quidditch game, then Christmas, and then it's time for end-of-year exams. Frankly, it's always annoyed me how JKR just skips over half of the academic year.

2) Harry is content to ignore Draco in his day to day life. Draco goes out of sway to pick fights and make sure Harry notices him. Obsessed much? Definite ground for H/D.

3) Harry is a sarcastic little brat sometimes, and he's incredibly disrespectful of rules and adults in general. Also, despite being the Boy Who Lived, the other kids seem to mostly ignore him. He's not very popular, which seems illogical based on my experiences at schools when a famous or name-recognizable student suddenly arrives. No reason for the other students mostly ignoring him is given. Odd.

4) There are definite grounds for evil!Ron in this book (as I've read in some fics), at least until the famous self-sacrificing chess game. He really is a jealous and insensitive (and occasionally outright cruel) little boy. And while Draco initiates more of their fights verbally, Ron is irrationally easily provoked.

5) Because I am a big geek and a witch and a librarian-type, I looked up the woods that Harry and Voldie's wands are made of, to see what their meanings/uses were:

Holly is for protection, luck, and dream magic. Protection against lightening, poisons, evil spirits, evil sorcerers, and wild animals. Holly has several medicinal uses, particularly as a non-toxic emetic.

Yew is for raising the dead. It's highly poisonous to humans and animals alike. Old Wives Tales warn not to fall sleep under yew trees because they will suck up your soul as you lie sleeping. They often grow in graveyards and are said to drink the juices of the dead.

Sound familiar to anyone? *g*

6) Hints of Snape reading minds are all the way back in this first book. Alan Rickman definitely made Snape sexier than in the book, IMO, but -- Snape is described with lanky hair and a hooked nose, but not one ever says he's ugly, just mean. I think it's the "ugly personality" that colors future insults from Harry and past insults from the Marauders. I'm still holding out that Snape is one sexy bastard, damn it.


Mistakes/Loopholes/WTF Questions

1) If Charlie's friends can just fly in on brooms to pick up Norbert the dragon, why can't Voldie and the DEs just fly in?

2) If Voldie is possessing Quirrell in his body, how is he a spirit when he's drinking the unicorn blood? Did he leave Quirrell to go drink the blood?
Nevermind – when I got to the end of the book, it's made clear that Voldie is in Quirrell's body. He's only a spirity-thing during the blood-drinking scene in the movie version.

3) Is Dumbledore fucking insane? The way he sets Harry up with the cloak and the mirror is just mad. Plus he totally ignores Harry 90% of the time, as do the other teachers. If he knows about the bloody prophecy, why isn't he guiding Harry from the very beginning? His manipulations and machinations are "educational," but Jesus fucking Christ! They're underhanded and totally undermine any sense of trust Harry could be developing for Dumbledore.

4) Why doesn't Draco do anything about the dragon, if he knows about it for two weeks? What the fuck is he waiting for? I call OOC.

5) What the fuck is with that detention at 11pm at night, to make four eleven-year-olds go find some creature that's killing unicorns? Yeah, plot device, but still. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for Roald Dahl/Dickensian stuff like the Dursleys giving Harry 50p for Christmas, but come on – a detention like that is a bit much.

6. If Hagrid borrows Sirius' bike to take baby!Harry to the Dursleys/Dumbledore right after James and Lily are killed, then how the fuck can anyone ever think Sirius is the one that killed them? Especially Hagrid and Dumbledore and Minverva? Why would he have saved Harry? What was the exact timeline on those events that night?


OK, GO! Offer your own observations, comment on mine, answer my questions, argue, discuss, debate with each other!


I have to hunt down book #2 (loaned it to a friend) but hopefully I'll get it tomorrow and will read/post by Wednesday.

Comments

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

hmmm... looks like I'm due a trip to the library. I remember *most* of the points mentioned, but not the bike thing. (Embarrassing since I re-read the thing just a year or so ago.)

I never did get the whole attitude of the rest of the students in book one. I get it in the later books. There is little that the general populace likes more than to tear down heroes, but the utter neglect in book one is weird.

There are times I'm convinced that Dumbledore isn't really one of the good guys. How do you treat a kid with that kind of neglect and expect them to *want* to help you. I know, I know, headmaster of a busy school and all, but *really*? The person you expect to end this problem is a child who is utterly ignorant of his abilities, his heritage, his people, and you do SO very little to coach him, give him any real support.

You have to want him to fail.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you on Dumbledore. I mean yeah, I get caught up in the books and I cried when he died, but overall... I totally see where fics get off, making him evil in his own way. He manipulates people, and I think we forget that he's not just a kindly old man like Santa Claus - he's powerful and a bit scary, and he's got his own agenda.

Interesting idea about him wanting Harry to fail... I'll be on the look-out for more evilness as I read the other books. :)

[hammil77.livejournal.com]

1) If Charlie's friends can just fly in on brooms to pick up Norbert the dragon, why can't Voldie and the DEs just fly in?
That always bugged me, especially after how Hermione likes to go on and on about Hogwarts: A History that says no one can sneak in or out of the school without Dumbledore knowing. Unless maybe Dumbledore did know all along and simply thought it best not to interfere.

6. If Hagrid borrows Sirius' bike to take baby!Harry to the Dursleys/Dumbledore right after James and Lily are killed, then how the fuck can anyone ever think Sirius is the one that killed them?
They sort of explain that in POA (which I'm rereading). Basically Hagrid believes that Sirius was putting on an act about caring about James and Lilly and only showed up to see if it was true that Voldemort was actually gone. Which of course turned out to be the opposite. As for the timeline, I think it went Voldemort kills the Potters, Hagrid shows up to their house to get Harry per Dumbledore's instructions, then Sirius shows up to find out what happened.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

That's a really ineresting idea - that Dumbledore knows about Hagrid's dragon but hasn't done anyhting, and that he's letting Charlie's friends fly in... Hm... I'll have to think about that.

I guess I'll have to wait to reread POA - it's my favorite of all the books! I think I'm just way too much in love with Sirius (despite all his flaws) to want to think it's possible for everyone to have thought he was guilty. I'm such a pushover for charming men. ;)

[second-banana.livejournal.com]

I remember there was a big kerfluffle by some parents around the time Goblet came out about how bad a role model Harry was because he was always breaking rules, sneaking out, and disobeying teachers.

Of course Draco's obsessed with Harry. He's been told (or listened in on conversations) that Harry killed the Dark Lord. That Harry might be the *next* Dark Lord. Draco is one power hunger little panda and wants in on that.

You forgot Snape's "sallow skin!" And the word used for his hair isn't lanky. It's greasy. :P Snape is way too up in the air as a character for me to want to ship him. He *could* be a misunderstood, angry, hurting, but deep down truly caring man. Or he could be nothing more than a raging asshole. I await Deathly Hallows to help me form a final opinion.

1. The DEs had no need to get to the castle until after book 4. Who in their right mind would attack Hogwarts without a Big Bad at their back? After Voldy came back Dumbles upped the protection on the castle, hence having to lower those protections in HBP when he and Harry were flying back from their bender.

3. Yes. Absolutely fucking insane.

4. Because he wanted to get Hagrid *and* Harry in trouble. If he squealed before they were moving the dragon then only Hagrid would have been caught and where's the fun in that? That's my guess anyway.

5. There's a theory and McG is evil and sent them there hoping Harry would be killed. This theory irritates me on so. many. levels. But yeah... that's kind of a cracked detention.

6. I don't think anyone thought Sirius was the one who fired the killing shots. He was in jail because he lead Voldemort to Godric's Hollow. In PoA Hagrid specifically says Sirius showed up just after Hagrid arrived to check the rubble. Sirius asked Hagrid to give him Harry, but Hagrid was following orders to take Harry to the Dursley's. So Sirius lent Hagrid his bike and went off to confront Peter. There is a "missing 24 hours" between the night Hagrid picks up Harry and the night he drops him off. Probably a math error, but who knows. There is much drama about it from some fans.

And yes, I had to look some of that up. I promise! *huggles*

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

WOw - I'm impressed even if you *did* have yo look some of it up. :)

I love the "power hungry little panda" bit. Teehee!

Snape... I've been head over heels in love with him since book 3, somehow. I live in hope he doesn't get axed in book 7. Not much hope, but still. *sniffle* I am personally convinced he's both misunderstood and kind of an asshole but is also generally "good." Except when he's being a prick to Harry, but I do love sarcasm, so... It's that tall, dark, not-so-handsome-but-maybe misanthrope thing.

1. I'll be on the look-out for the books saying that Dumbles (love that!) upped the protection on the castle after Voldie comes back.

3. Makes sense. I do adore Draco. What's wrong with me that I love the bad guys more than the good ones? *blush*

5. I can't accept that McGoogles is evil. Sometimes fans are just on crack, man. But yeah - unreasonable detention, even making allowances for dramatic hyperbole. Smack me if I ever write something like that.

6. I'm going to have to read POA way more carefully. I think I get sidetracked by how sexy Lupin and Snape and Sirius are. ;)

*snogs*

[aqua-alta.livejournal.com]

5) Because I am a big geek and a witch and a librarian-type, I looked up the woods that Harry and Voldie's wands are made of, to see what their meanings/uses were:

JKR has a section on wands and their woods (so to speak) on her homepage: here's something about the trio and their wands and here is something about wands and the celtic year.

3) Is Dumbledore fucking insane? etc.

A-freaking-men!!! I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. And I'm sure he has lied to Harry more than once (especially re the prophecy and its consequences!).

6. If Hagrid borrows Sirius' bike to take baby!Harry to the Dursleys/Dumbledore right after James and Lily are killed, then how the fuck can anyone ever think Sirius is the one that killed them? Especially Hagrid and Dumbledore and Minverva? Why would he have saved Harry? What was the exact timeline on those events that night?

There is a whole section/essay at the HL Lexicon about that question. You can read it here.
My guess is that it is either a plot hole or that we will learn more about it in book 7.

BTW, carcharias and I started a re-reading Potter endeavour some time ago. We didn't finish it but I've compiled our posts about the chapters we did re-read & discuss in the memory section of my lj: here, in case you're interested. :-)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you to the links for more geeky info about the wands/woods. :) I love that stuff.

I'll be on the look-out for more evil/wrong Dumbles as I read... he's got me all riled up and angry now.

Re Sirius: I will have to read POA really carefully, and try not to get so caught up in all the subtext between Remus/Severus/Sirius. Try. I'm not sure I'll succeed. *g* They're just so freaking sexy. ;)

And I'll check out those other links - thank you!

[rosi-smaabu.livejournal.com]

Regarding M/L/WTF Q 3:

OMG YES.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Hehehe! :)

[mr_cellaneous]

how the fuck can anyone ever think Sirius is the one that killed them?

I don't think anyone thought Sirius had killed James and Lily. They thought he'd betrayed them to Voldemort, because he was their secret keeper and no one else could have done so. Sirius was the only one who knew the real secret keeper was Wormtail, and he went to confront him, and then Wormtail killed a bunch of people, faked his own death and disappeared, which got Sirius sent to Azkaban.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Good point - and a few people pointed out to me that I need to re-read POA carefully for those explanations. I'll be sure to do that. :)

[mr_cellaneous]

(Afterthought: How the fuck did Hagrid fit on Sirius's motorcycle?)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Hehe! GOod point!

[sirkayem.livejournal.com]

um.
I remember, now, what I hated most about writing for my college lit classes. I truly do enjoy the geek anal-ysis.. I really came in to say that the thing I liked about Sorcerer's Stone was Rowling's universe and the way it JUST clicked, for me. I'll see about giving the books aother quick read so I can better "participate" in your discussion, tho'.
peace and hope
-km-

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Totally - I have a lot of issues and complaints about the books but it's good to remember that I wouldn't give a flying fuck if I wasn't so charmed and captivated by the universe and characters. Her books are still pretty damned amazing, whatever bitchy comments and observations I make. :)

No need to re-read -- you can always comment and participate in discussion regardless!

[sirkayem.livejournal.com]

I remember thumbing thru' the li'l handbook, Magical Beasts, in Target and Toys R Us for a year or two before I ever had a clue who Harry was. When I read SS, it kinda blew me away, but it was that other "handbook," A Short History of Quiddich, that REALLY made me a fan of Rowling.
-km-

[louhq.livejournal.com]

Although I'm late, I had to throw in my tuppence here because this really strikes a chord with me. I was at a conference where two writer's of children's books (who shall remain nameless)were decrying the popularity of the HP books. Each of them had written "young wizard faces danger" books and I thought it was distinctly sour grapes, but their main complaint was that it was derivative, taking so much from the real world myths and legends.

I really felt they missed the point: Rowling built an alternative reality to fit in the cracks and crevices of our world. She implies a history as evolved and rich as our own, because it not only parallels, but intertwines with ours, because their world intertwines with ours.

Another point: in the last hundred or so years, there have been 4 "big" "children"'s series; The Chronciles of Narnia, the Alice in Wonderland series, the Oz series and HP.

What is one thing they have in common? Not that they are children facing challenges that are almost too much for them, not that they have magic, not that they are in a strange world or that they in school or learning important life lessons or even that the books are exceptionally well written. There are a lot of exceptionally well written books for children that have some or all of these elements, but they aren't as wildly popular as those. My theory is that these four books show a way from OUR world to a DIFFERENT world that seems possible, plausible. Maybe I'm off base on this, but as a former child that tried to check every closet and wardrobe for a way to another land, it sounds good to me.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

I love how you've said that - "Rowling built an alternative reality to fit in the cracks and crevices of our world."

And I totally agree that it's what makes her world so approachable. Who *hasn't* wanted to suddenly find out there's a magical world just around the corner? That combination of fantastical and magical yet so just slightly-maybe-if-you-hope-hard-enough POSSIBLE is what makes those books so much more captivating than simple outright fantasy worlds (LOTR, etc).

Very well put - thank you! :)

[molly-millions.livejournal.com]

I specifically did not read this. I have read only the first book, about 4 years ago, never seen any of the movies, I am a complete virgin, and all my friends are making fun of me for it.

So, I am going to try to read all the books and watch all the movies so when it comes out I can see it and get it all.

And why am I doing this now, you ask?

So I can read all your delicious HP fics! *squeak~*

Andi *HP Virgin*

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Oooohhhh! Totally untouched. ;)

Well, the movie comes out July 11 and the book July 21. I'm hoping to re-watch and re-read everything before then, too.

Yay!

Oh, and some of the HP stuff is well, very old and not very good. So don't get expect too much. *blush*