PoA 20

[pauraque_bk]

In Chapter 19, we had further discussion of whether Sirius would have died for Peter, some brilliant Remus analysis from marinarusalka, and there was a general consensus that Chapter 19 rocks hard.

*cuddles Chapter 19, CAPS and all*


PoA 20: The Dementors' Kiss

Note spelling. I'm afraid I've been guilty of writing "Dementor's Kiss".

This chapter is very short, just six pages. So don't think I'm slacking off. *g*

'I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle,' said Sirius. (277)

How does he know Harry lives with his aunt and uncle?

Also, starting in this chapter, he's called "Sirius" in narration instead of "Black" -- Harry's accepted him as a person and a friend. Interestingly, Remus is still "Lupin" after he quits his job. And after PoA, "Pettigrew" becomes "Wormtail" in narration, showing how he's dehumanized in Harry's mind.

Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. [...] And then --
A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight. (278)

At which point, Lupin transforms. Of course, this does not make sense, though I can't say it stopped me on first reading. If it were actually full moonlight that triggers the transformation, lycanthropy wouldn't be much of a handicap: you could just spend those nights hiding in a windowless room. Obviously, that's not the way lycanthropy is presented at any other point in the book.

The best explanation I've ever heard for this is that in astronomical terms, the moon's exact full alignment begins at a particular moment, and that moment happened to be just when the clouds shifted. The discussion was at prillalar's LJ, here.

Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light -- and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang -- Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.
'Expelliarmus!' Harry yelled[...] (279)

As usual, Peter thinks fast in a crisis. If he's going to transform, he has to incapacitate Crookshanks first, but before he does that, he stuns the closest person to him (Ron, still chained to his right hand) to give himself a second, then stuns the cat, and only then does Harry get it together to disarm him, at which point he transforms -- and Harry's not likely to catch a rat in the dark. And remember, Peter heard Snape say Lupin forgot his potion, so as they were walking across the grounds, he may have been planning ahead to when Lupin would transform. If so, he's the only one who thought of it.

Any way you look at it, Peter = capable and not stupid.

It's interesting that he only stuns Crookshanks. I wouldn't expect him to kill Ron -- Ron's been his only friend for years, and the last thing Peter needs is another murder on his rap sheet. But why spare the cat? Perhaps killing him would just waste time and energy, in Peter's mind.

Also, this is another indication that Peter is left-handed, as aristide pointed out. Lupin was chained to his left side (276), so when he lunges for the wand, it's with his left hand -- his wand hand, we assume, since there's no sign of difficulty in using it.

... and in the distance, [Harry] heard the familiar screaming ... expecto patronum ... (281)

On re-reading, suggests a different familiar voice in the distance (his own), casting the Patronus, which appears a moment later. Good one, JKR.


You know, despite the logical flaws (Remus's transformation, the fact that Sirius would obviously not be a good parent to anyone at this stage), this is a strangely affecting section. The emotions ring powerfully true. I don't share Harry's wish to live with Sirius, but I feel it.


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

[maidenjedi]

Harry's very sudden and very deep attachment to Sirius is startling at this point. I've never gotten why he switched so completely so soon. I would think he'd at least be wary of Sirius, and that the stronger attachment might be to Remus. But JKR makes it a point to draw Remus as a detached figure in Harry's life (by always referring to him as Lupin, or as Professor Lupin, as you point out), and Sirius as a father-like figure. Perhaps she was planning his death sooner than we'd all imagined.

Remus's transformation bugs me more than I can possibly express. It's like when vampires eat food on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or when they walk in sunlight in Blade. ILLOGICAL. Sigh.

But, that said, I do think you're right about Peter. This chapter, in fact, may just show his greatest cunning yet. His escape is damned near flawless, and granted there are circumstances that allow it to be so, but Peter is fully aware of them, and the others are not.

[maidenjedi]

Oh, and....

Sirius knows from the beginning of the book that Harry's at the Dursley's. He goes there to see Harry before going to Hogwarts, and Harry sees him as the Grim. As to how he'd know, Hagrid told Sirius that he was on Dumbledore's orders to take baby Harry to the Dursley's (I think he told him that much). Even if not, it's logical - Sirius would know that Petunia is Harry's only living relative.

[simmysim.livejournal.com]

i've always thought -- and i have no idea why i've thought it in such detail, as i've never been particularly interested in werewolves or lycanthropy -- that, the transformation is generally a very gradual thing. windowless room = long, drawn out, painful transformation, but bathing in direct moonlight is like sticking a fork in an outlet.

and harry's sudden attachment to sirius just made me nervous. maybe harry felt guilty for thinking such horrible things about him, and was subconsciously overcompensating?

[-sophieg.livejournal.com]

If you compare Sirius to the Dursleys then maybe living with him doesn't sound so bad. Harry can quite easily forget that Sirius is a little unhinged (breaking into the tower with a knife, desperately trying to kill Peter, hurting Ron) if it means an escape from the people he's been living with all his life.

The constant abuse, both as insults from his aunt and uncle, and punches from his cousin, would make him pretty desperate to get away.

Although Sirius isn't completely sane, he is portrayed as being exceptionally loyal to James (and therefore Harry) something that is definitely seen as a good thing.

Look, I'm trying to be intelligent again.

[aristide.livejournal.com]

I'm very close to a teacher myself, she's helpful to me in ways not even my family has, yet I still refer to her by her last name.
It's out of respect.
That can possibly be why Harry refers to him that way, after all Lupin at this point is a teacher first, and a friend of the family second. Referring to him as Remus at this point and even at a later point, would be like referring to Dumbledore as Albus or even any other of the teachers in the same manner.

[nakedcelt.livejournal.com]

Um... not wanting to sound impatient or anything but... aren't there still some chapters to go? It's been a few days now and I have been enjoying the read-through so far...