CoS 11

[pauraque_bk]

Not from this chapter, but seviet has posted a lovely CoS illustration: Harry and Ron in the staff room (G).

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In Chapter 10, we learned that grapes are a traditional gift for ill people in Britain. hermione_like had some cool thoughts on the Harry-as-werewolf symbolism. Also, good discussion about Harry's concepts of danger and fear.


CoS 11: The Duelling Club

[Percy:] 'Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor have just taken the lead for the House Cup -- you earned fifty points!' (137)

How does that work? I thought the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup were two separate things.

'If I ever find out who threw this,' Snape whispered, 'I shall make sure that person is expelled.' (141)

This isn't really an unfair response. Potions are dangerous ('Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered about, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of dinner plates' (140) ); Harry is lucky no one was caused any permanent damage. I'm reminded of McGonagall's statement in PS/SS, along the lines of "anyone who messes about in my class will be asked not to return".

Also, does Snape ever find out why Harry did this? Because if not (and if he does know it was Harry, as Harry thinks), add that to the list of legitimate reasons Snape has to dislike him.

'Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape,' said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. 'He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin[...]' (142)

Any thoughts on what really happened here? Did Lockhart ask, and if so, why? And why did Snape agree? Or was it really Snape's idea? Did he want to show Lockhart up? I can see Dumbledore suggesting he participate in order to prevent the situation from degenerating into chaos... in his way of asking Snape do to things Snape doesn't want to do, yet that indicate respect that Dumbledore would ask. (That sentence is ridiculously malformed, but I hope you all know what I meant, because I can't get the words straight.)

Harry hung back, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor, but this was a mistake. Gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked, 'Tarantallegra!'[...] (144)

Despite the fact that Draco first hits Harry with a painful curse (before they're actually supposed to start), Harry retaliates with nothing more than a Tickling Charm, and is apparently too much of a gentleman to do anything to Draco while he's down. But does Harry actually *know* any harmful spells at this point?

[Lockhart:] 'Whoops -- my wand is a little over-excited.' (145)

No comment.

Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. (145)

Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: it was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it. (146)

It seems likely that Snape told Draco to set a snake on Harry, to test if he was a Parselmouth. But where would he get the idea Harry was?

Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on castors and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, 'Leave him!' (145)

'But I'm in Gryffindor,' Harry thought. 'The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put me here if I had Slytherin blood...'
'Ah,' said a nasty little voice in his brain, 'But the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don't you remember?' (147)

I'm not fond of the theory that when Harry hears "nasty voices" in his head, they're really remnants of Voldemort. But I have to admit I see where it comes from, here... These just don't sound like Harry, though of course the sentiment behind "Leave him" is what Harry wants, not what Voldemort would want.

'So?' said Harry. 'I bet loads of people here can do it.'
'Oh no they can't,' said Ron. 'It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad.' (146)

Another thing I keep thinking I'm going to point out, and then not. It isn't some sort of fandom myth that Hermione gets all of Ron's useful lines in the movie: it's true. Ron isn't as ignorant as the films make him appear. He's reasonably knowledgable about the wizarding world, and gets a lot of expository lines.

'And in case you're getting ideas,' [Ernie] added hastily, 'I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so--' (150)

There's that word again, 'warlock'. With a high-class implication this time.

[Harry:] 'Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?'
'I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with,' said Ernie swiftly.
'It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them,' said Harry. 'I'd like to see you try it.' (150)

We get what Harry is saying here -- that he doesn't hate them because they're Muggles -- but the Hufflepuffs don't necessarily.


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Though I sometimes wonder if the hat doesn't sort at least partially on what trait someone thinks is most important, since we tend to become that which we admire, because that's what we try to emulate.

I can easily imagine Lockhart as an 11-year-old with dreams of bravery--obviously he's quite taken with them. He simply went down the wrong track by eventually deciding the look was most important. If there were things he wasn't skilled enough to do he asked others what it was like, then eventually coveted it so much he made this image for himself. It's not exactly the act of someone who isn't brave, because perhaps he would do these things if he could.

It's not a non-Slytherin trait either--those kids could dream about having the same sort of image. They just might see it a slightly different way. For instance, when Malfoy tells stories of daring escapes from Muggles he might not be dreaming about being brave so much as being skilled.

I tend to like to think of Lockhart as a Gryffindor because I think it says something more interesting about the house--he is a different face of bravery, a false, shallow and above all narcissistic face...and haven't we seen that reflected sometimes in MWPP? Think even of Sirius' words in OotP when he thinks Harry was "lucky" to fight Dementors because Sirius feels bored and worthless when he's not out being brave. Unfortunately, we just don't know enough about the other houses to get too many different sides of them. If most of the students were in Ravenclaw we might get a more in-depth look at Intelligence as a virtue. But Lockhart is most interesting for me as a reflection of Gryffindor's bravery. If he's supposed to be Slytherin it just defines Slytherin negatively again: Harry is a real hero, Lockhart's a fraud, thus Slytherin=lacking Gryffindor traits. I find him more interesting as an example of shallow bravery.

[pauraque]

I agree with all of this very strongly. I do think the Hat does its thing based on what we admire/want to see in ourselves.

I also love that we're shown different sides of Gryffindor, its vices as well as virtues. Sirius's bravery became recklessness, leading to a tragic death. Peter is also brave in that he overcomes fear and accomplishes notable things, they're just notably bad. I think Lockhart would be a good addition to this group, for the reasons you mention.

[fernwithy.livejournal.com]

Myself, I put him in Ravenclaw. His whole life is focused around books and thoughts, and he's not comfortable with actions, counting out Gryffindor. He's definitely not loyal, so out the window with Hufflepuff. Slytherin is a possibility--there is that ambition thing going on--but I opted against it when I Sorted him for two reasons. The first is just the whole unlikeable character=Slytherin cliché that I wanted to avoid; the second is that he not only shows no hesitancy around Muggle-borns, he actively favors Hermione (the brain, which would also be something a Ravenclaw would consider praiseworthy... even if it was only for her ability to memorize his own books).