Poetry meme :: CoS 8

[pauraque_bk]

Once, I knew a fine song,
-- It is true, believe me --
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket,
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, "Come back, little thoughts!"
But they only laughed.
They flew on
Until they were as sand
Thrown between me and the sky.

-from 'The Black Riders and Other Lines', Stephen Crane.


When you see this, post some poetry in your journal.


*


CoS 8: The Deathday Party

This one is a bit more interesting than the last few chapters, I have to say. We did have some good fun in Chapter 7, though, debunking BigDumbSlytherin!Marcus, and reflecting further on who will teach DADA in the last two books, and why.

Ginny Weasley, who had been looking peaky, was bullied into taking some [Pepperup Potion] by Percy. (94)

Percy's a good kid in this chapter, watching out for his sister and chastising F&G for the Salamander incident.

'You look troubled, young Potter,' said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet. (95)

I'm very amused that ghosts send ghostly letters. I'll leave it up to someone else to figure out where ghost paper comes from. (You see, when a tree is chopped down, but feels it has unfinished business here on earth...)

It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfil our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore (95)

A relative of Sturgis Podmore, perhaps!

Nick being kept out of the Headless Hunt echoes the theme of wizarding classism, I think; even when you're dead, there's a social order, and those who aren't up to snuff are mocked (104) and excluded. The fact that it's presented jokingly here implies the absurdity of other prejudices.

'Filth!' [Filch] shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. 'Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you![...]' (96)

Hard not to hear an echo of the idea of dirty blood, muddying wizarding society.

Filch isn't one we'd expect to be a mouthpiece for Salazar's ideas, but he's certainly internalized the shame of being a Squib, of not being good enough (pure enough?), not being as good as the wizards around him.

I love Filch as a character. It's amazing he manages to make these children fear him, when in a real fight he'd be at their mercy. He hates them, yet yearns to be one of them. Needs to maintain control and order at Hogwarts -- to have a stake in the magical world the only way he can.

Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham
[...]
Warlock D.J. Prod of Didsbury (98)

These are from the Kwikspell testimonials. "Warlock" is used as a title here, parallel to "Madam". Of course, these folks are not very powerful/educated wizards, adding credence to the idea that a warlock is a low-class magic user (despite Dumbledore's -- possibly archaic -- title).

'Well, this Hallowe'en will be my five hundredth deathday,' said Nearly Headless Nick[...] (99)

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
died 31st October, 1492 (102)

Making this 31 Oct 1992.

[...]or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster Firework to a Salamander. Fred had 'rescued' the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.
Harry was on the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the Salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round to room. The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the Salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind. (100)

I had misremembered this passage; I'd thought Harry was amused by the poor animal's fate, but now I see it doesn't have to be read that way. Good for Harry. Fred and George aren't off the hook, though; Salamanders may live in fire, but you can't tell me it's not irresponsible to feed even magic animals explosives.

'Oh no,' said Hermione, stopping abruptly. 'Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle--' (101)

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. (106)

I like that Myrtle is given somewhere to be on this night, offering Ginny and Tom the opportunity to open the gateway to the Chamber (in Myrtyle's loo) with no witnesses.

Something was shining on the wall ahead. [...] Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. (105-106)

The film seems to have that Ginny wrote the words in blood (or red paint, at least), but the book gives no such specifics. That always bugged me about the movie, too... where would Ginny come up with a bucket of blood?

Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. (106)

Mrs Norris had nothing to do with this; she just happened to be there and caught the basilik's reflection. So why hang her on the wall? What's the message Tom's trying to send? Something against Filch, a Squib?

'Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!'
It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat. (106)

Whoa. With a reaction like that, no wonder Harry suspects him.


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

[biichan.livejournal.com]

Huh. I always thought it was from all those chickens she killed.

[pauraque]

She killed chickens? Boy, I really haven't read this book in a long time.

[biichan.livejournal.com]

Yep. Hagrid's, to be specific. Because their crow is fatal to basillisks. It's one of the things she confesses at the end.

[pauraque]

I knew that about basilisks (think I mentioned it a chapter or two ago), but completely forgot it was in the book. Shame on me.

[deepsix.livejournal.com]

That whole Marcus thread is just proof that more people should write Marcus porn. *nods*

[pauraque]

If you haven't read millefiori's The Devil is a Liar, go now. It's Marcus/Percy and Marcus/Oliver, and mmmm... Marcus porn. I adore that fic.

Also, hi. I friended you because I think your fic is great.

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying these. I'm rereading too, and I savagely abandoned my reread posts in favor of doing a reread, and THEN doing another one in which I return to my reread posts. Because I suck. Anyway I'm on PoA now, but I reread CoS like, last week.

I thought the same thing about Delaney-Podmore.

I also think there will be someone beheaded in the books, who becomes a ghost and is allowed to join the hunt, to the great chagrin of Sir Nicholas.

It's Snape. Well, he's not going behind the veil with Padfoot and Prongs of his own accord, is he?

[pauraque]

Yeah, I thought you were doing re-read posts. I'm starting to wish I'd read CoS all the way through before I started; there's an awful lot I don't remember.

I also think there will be someone beheaded in the books, who becomes a ghost and is allowed to join the hunt, to the great chagrin of Sir Nicholas.

You think so? It never really occurred to me that the Headless Hunt would have more significance later on, even though I'm the one who's always saying JKR doesn't introduce things for no reason...

That mightn't be a bad end for Snape, actually. I can easily see him refusing to die quietly and be on his way. And the only thing he seems to enjoy in life is scaring the crap out of people, so Headless Ghost on Horseback could be a good career choice for him.

[nakedcelt.livejournal.com]

That mightn't be a bad end for Snape, actually. I can easily see him refusing to die quietly and be on his way.

Personally, I think Snape is destined to be the next Headmaster of Hogwarts.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

If warlocks are lower-class, then the term can't be parallel to Madam--Madam Bones is certainly powerful and respected.

[pauraque]

I meant linguistically parallel: It fills the same position and function in the name as a title like Madam.

[wolfie-thu.livejournal.com]

Of course, these folks are not very powerful/educated wizards, adding credence to the idea that a warlock is a low-class magic user

Maybe...maybe the use of "Warlock" in the Kwikspell thing is similar to those spam emails that try to trick people into believing that the Prince of Nigeria needs their help; i.e. using a bogus title to make something seem less dodgy than it really is.

[pauraque]

Ha, I like that too!

[bowdlerized.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm kinda drunk right now, despite the fact that I only had 2 drinks and 3 shots, so I didn't read the CoS thingy, but I just wanted to say Stephen Crane is my favorite poet EVER! <3333

Also, my feet hurt and my head is spinny.

[pauraque]

O really? Cool. I like him a lot too. What's your favorite of his?

[bowdlerized.livejournal.com]

"'Truth,' said a traveller" and "Many red devils ran from my heart," especially. But I love all his stuff. I have a great book that has all his poems and short stories in it. I didn't really care for Red Badge of Courage when I read it, but maybe I should give it another try.

[nakedcelt.livejournal.com]

Hard not to hear an echo of the idea of dirty blood, muddying wizarding society.

Though I can't help feeling that "mud-blood = dirty blood" is fallacious folk etymology, and that it is in fact a corruption of "Mug-blood", where "Mug" means "Muggle", as I've said in passing in a fic (http://www.livejournal.com/community/hphet/14574.html).

[pauraque]

That's a sound idea, though of course long-standing folk etymology has a profound impact on speakers' feelings about the word.

*Giggle-snort*

[aristide.livejournal.com]

Ghost parchment naturally occurs when parchment is torn apart, thrown out, decomposes and other such things that would be considered "expiration" without them fulfilling their need (which is to be exploited for the writings of man, yo.), ghosts may then use it for their own devices.

I don't think I've mad much of a show of myself since the last reread. So sorry, I always want to comment, but I either forgot or lack time.

Re: *Giggle-snort*

[pauraque]

without them fulfilling their need (which is to be exploited for the writings of man, yo.)

Shocking oppression! Just shocking!

got pedantry?

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Okay, now this is a pointless quibble, but:

Well, this Hallowe'en will be my five hundredth deathday,' said Nearly Headless Nick[...] (99)

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington died 31st October, 1492 (102)

Making this 31 Oct 1992.

Do you think JKR ignored -- deliberately or otehrwise -- the various calendar reforms since 1492 that would make this 3-4 days (at least) off from being a precise 500 years? Or could this be a plot point? Okay, that seems highly unlikely.

Slightly more seriously ... 1492 is such a resonant date in western European history: beginning of European invasion of the Americas, end of Moorish empire in the Iberian peninsula, expulsion of Jews from Iberia, unification of the Aragonese and Castillian kingdoms into Spain. Did JKR had any of that in mind? Again, unlikely. But ... I dunno. What do you think?

Re: got pedantry?

[pauraque]

Do you think JKR ignored -- deliberately or otehrwise -- the various calendar reforms since 1492 that would make this 3-4 days (at least) off from being a precise 500 years? Or could this be a plot point? Okay, that seems highly unlikely.

I almost mentioned it, but yeah, I doubt it's significant.

Slightly more seriously ... 1492 is such a resonant date in western European history: beginning of European invasion of the Americas, end of Moorish empire in the Iberian peninsula, expulsion of Jews from Iberia, unification of the Aragonese and Castillian kingdoms into Spain. Did JKR had any of that in mind? Again, unlikely. But ... I dunno. What do you think?

Well, aside from anything else, I think the date makes sense because 500 is a good round number for Nick to be celebrating, the late 1400s make sense as a time for him to be from, and I wouldn't doubt she'd already decided on the timeline of the books long before this. (I know when I do world-building, timelines are one of the first things I do.)

So, in other words, there's nothing _odd_ about the date that wants an additional explanation. But I wouldn't be surprised if she liked the date because of its historical significance as well.

[arclevel.livejournal.com]

More than ghostly parchment, I've always wondered how Binns grades students' papers and exams. He can't hold their paper, and they can't write on ghostly parchment.

Filch is cool. I probably sympathize with him more than Harry, here (even before poor Mrs. Norris is petrified). If I was the only person in charge of keeping a giant castle clean, and I felt like crap, and there were cheerful students tracking mud through my freshly cleaned entrance hall, not even wiping their feet -- yeah, I'd be pissy. Clearly, I'm more inclined to read that as a surface statement, though I do like the parallel with the bloodlines.

The whole Kwikspell course really brings up a lot of questions about levels of magical ability and the nature of Squibs. It must be directed at those who have some level of magical ability, but not enough to go to one of the magical schools (Neville hints at this category when talking about his own admission in SS). So are these people very weak wizards? It's said (maybe next chapter) that if Filch is looking at this course, he *must* be a Squib. However, the prevailing opinion about Squibs (among fans, that is) is that they have no magic at all, and thus wouldn't get anything from a Kwikspell course. So, are Squibs really very, very weak wizards? Could a *Muggle* get something out of this course (perhaps not Vernon, but maybe Dr. Granger, or Mrs. Number 7)? We look at magical ability as being an either-or dichotomy; perhaps it's really a continuum between powerful wizards through complete Muggles. (This would also lend credence to McG/Hagrid's references to the Dursleys as the "most Muggle" people they've seen.) Or is this just a way that we see Squibs are really very different from Muggles with magical parents?

I'd thought the salamander scene was in GoF -- it seems too nasty to be in the earlier books, where the good guys mostly restrain themselves to good acts. Magical and fire-loving or not, it's a rather hideous thing to do to an animal. The Weasley twins seriously disturb me.

I'd never really noticed that Myrtle had an alibi. Do you suppose she's elsewhere for the other attacks, too? Either crying in the u-bend, or off spying on the prefect bathroom? Otherwise, you'd think she'd mention what she saw when Harry asks her about her own death, or when they get the diary.

Doesn't it say that the words were in red "like blood." Of course, red paint that's "like blood" is an entirely different thing than blood. Also, Hermione wouldn't know it was written in blood by staring across the hall, except of course that movie!Hermione knows all (grrr, movie!Hermione).

I like the fact that we're already getting subtle hints that something's up with Ginny.

[pauraque]

I like the idea that there's really a continuum of magic... you're right that our idea of Squibs is mostly fanon.

Doesn't it say that the words were in red "like blood."

Not that I see. Or do you mean in the movie?

[arclevel.livejournal.com]

No, I had meant in the book. But you're right; I went back and looked, there plus the next chapter and when the last message shows up near the end, and there's nothing about it being in red. I could have sworn that the first time I saw the movie, my reaction was "it's like blood, it's not actually blood," so I have no idea where I got that from. Perhaps it's a byproduct of losing my mind. *sigh*