CoS 13

[pauraque_bk]

Chapter 12 featured much discussion of the stupidity and immorality of the Polyjuice plan. Crazy kids never learn.


CoS 13: The Very Secret Diary

'I was so sure it was Malfoy,' said Ron, for about the hundredth time. (170)

But it doesn't appear to occur to him that maybe next time he should think a bit harder before going off half-cocked. Naturally.

'Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me...' (172)

I wonder if Ginny ditched the book at this point because, like the rest of the school, she thought Hermione had indeed been attacked (170), but thought she herself was so far gone that she simply had no recollection of any 'missing time'.

Harry stepped forward to pick [the diary] up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold him back.
'What?' said Harry.
'Are you mad?' said Ron. 'It could be dangerous.'
'Dangerous?' said Harry, laughing. 'Come off it, how could it be dangerous?'
'You'd be surprised,' said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. 'Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated -- Dad's told me -- there was one that burned your eyes out. [...] And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed[...]' (172)

Heh, reminds me of the summer of '03.

Again, Ron exhibits what could be a premonition. He isn't normally wary of magical objects, and there isn't anything evidently mysterious about the book.

[Harry:] 'I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either.'
[Ron:] '[...]Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favour...' (173)

And again.

And while Harry was sure he'd never heard the name T.M.Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to him, almost as though Riddle was a friend he'd had when he was very small, and half-forgotten. (174)

It seems unlikely that Harry actually heard Riddle's name when he was a baby; I don't think anyone knew Tom Riddle and Voldemort were the same person, except Dumbledore, did they? So, this looks like more on the theme of V leaving some trace of himself on Harry's psyche.

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps. (176)

And there's a bit more about the dwarfs carrying valentines, but nothing very specific. Do we ever hear about dwarfs anywhere else? Strange.

'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.' (178)

Despite Draco's accusation, I find myself doubting that Ginny actually sent this valentine. She's got a hell of a lot on her mind other than Harry at this point. I don't really see her writing goofy love poems in between strangling roosters and petrifying her classmates.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I wonder if it isn't Draco's handiwork. The exaggerated, mocking tone sounds like him, not far off 'Weasley is our king'. Whether you want to read Harry/Draco subtext into that, I leave to you.

'Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?' (179)

One interesting thing about this is that diary!Tom knows who Harry is, though he pretends he doesn't at this point. I'm not sure what he hopes to gain by showing all this to Harry, though... how does it get him any closer to killing him (assuming that's the goal)?


Past re-read posts are here.


[ETA: I skipped a day intentionally so that I wouldn't have to post on Halloween and Election Day (Tuesday November 2nd, don't forget to vote!).]

Comments

[eponis.livejournal.com]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I wonder if it isn't Draco's handiwork.

Oooh, nice idea. Makes sense, too. One side observation: I vaguely recall that "Dark Lord" was a title generally only given to Voldemort by those sympathetic to him. Which is not to say that Draco's a full-blown DE at this point, of course, but rather that he might be more comfortable with that title than Ginny Weasley would be.

I'm not sure what he hopes to gain by showing all this to Harry, though.

I don't have the books handy, but IIRC, Tom says at some point that he'd become intrigued by someone with the power to defeat him. Ginny had provided all the basic facts by then, of course, but my impression was always that he was genuinely fascinated by the puzzle of Harry. (There's also the possibility that he feared that Harry might have gotten the diary because he suspected Ginny, and therefore that Tom had to provide an alternate suspect.)

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

I vaguely recall that "Dark Lord" was a title generally only given to Voldemort by those sympathetic to him. Which is not to say that Draco's a full-blown DE at this point, of course, but rather that he might be more comfortable with that title than Ginny Weasley would be.

Draco uses the term 'Dark Lord' at the end of GoF.
And yes, pauraque, I'm afraid I'm going to read H/D subtext into it. ;)

[thatfangirl]

I am anal-retentive, so anal-retentive that once upon a time I decided to chart how different characters refer to Voldemort. The phrase "dark lord" doesn't appear until CoS and it is used twice to describe—

"That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill [Harry] in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him."—Ernie Macmillan, p. 199, Scholastic paperback

—and six times to refer to Voldemort. Aside from the valentine's mystery author, who else refers to Voldemort as the Dark Lord? Lucius Malfoy and Dobby. Coincidence...or conspiracy? Which is to say, I too have my suspicions about Draco.

[t0ra-chan.livejournal.com]

So, the H/D subtext is actually Harry/Dobby? Their love is so creepy poetic.

[pauraque]

Haha! I never thought of that, but it's not implausible, is it? It fits with Dobby's worshipful attitude... and maybe he was trying to embarrass Harry into going home. ;)

[mctabby.livejournal.com]

I remember taking part in a FAP thread a couple of years back, about who sent that Valentine (said thread is probably still going strong). JKR should have made it a much crappier poem - the scansion's suspiciously good for an 11-year-old girl's original work. The Harry/Tom shippers like to assume Riddle helped Ginny write it; and Draco is a popular suspect - well, in OotP we even got further confirmation that he can rhyme.

I still say it was Peeves.

ramble ramble ramble

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

On diary!Tom's motives, I just see it as his MO - win the writer's trust, draw them in, exploit them. As a diary, his options are rather limited, after all. What I wonder about is what exactly his point of view is - what intellect does he have beyond teenage-tom mentality? Does he have fifty years' experience of people writing in him? How familiar is he with Voldemort? If it's just what Tom was planning back in the day, and then what Ginny gossipped about Harry... Because, afore-suggested conspiracy theories aside, I really can't see Lucius Malfoy falling prey to a teenage manifesto in his adult years, especially after Voldemort's fall... And I don't see Voldemort messing about with it much during his rise, when he had bigger fish to fry than keeping up with this one backup plan he had when he was sixteen...

Oh that's a lovely picture of Voldemort, though, isn't it? Backing up his files every once in a while, as it were, obsessive as he is about preventing his demise. Maybe that's where it started - diaries. And then he built up to more complex enchantments, setting his sights on true immortality of the Self.

Re: ramble ramble ramble

[mctabby.livejournal.com]

Backing up his files every once in a while

Hmm... reminds me of a bunny I was trying to give away last year - about Voldemort's multiple diaries, found after his defeat. Maybe I should dust it off and try again. :)

Re: ramble ramble ramble

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

Multiple diaries! *swoons* Yes, dust off, please!

Re: ramble ramble ramble

[muridae-x.livejournal.com]

I really can't see Lucius Malfoy falling prey to a teenage manifesto in his adult years

Though it does make you wonder whether perhaps Lucius spent part of his teens writing in a Tom Riddle diary and having chats with the Dark Lord he eventually joined. Might have been how he got recruited, even if he came from the kind of family that was favourably inclined towards Voldemort's agenda in the first place.

Re: ramble ramble ramble

[pauraque]

Maybe that's where it started - diaries. And then he built up to more complex enchantments, setting his sights on true immortality of the Self.

I like this, it seems very characteristic and natural for him. An obsession with permanence, establishing himself.

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

So, this looks like more on the theme of V leaving some trace of himself on Harry's psyche.

So agreed. I've been over that one line often.

I'm not sure what he hopes to gain by showing all this to Harry, though... how does it get him any closer to killing him (assuming that's the goal)?

Right, I think he did it to keep suspicion on Hagrid again, in hopes no one would figure out the truth.

[arclevel.livejournal.com]

I've also seen a suggestion that the twins wrote the valentine. I do like the Draco theory, though, be it mocking or pre-slashy. Mocking, of course, he gets to insult both of them in one go!

I'm not sure what he hopes to gain by showing all this to Harry, though... how does it get him any closer to killing him (assuming that's the goal)?

I'd more or less thought that Tom wanted to do to Harry what he was doing to Ginny -- after, of course, talking to him long enough to find out all the stuff he later grilled Harry about in the Chamber. He'd have to have been more careful about using Harry to open the Chamber, but he could still drain Harry to pull himself back to life.

The Valentine's Day scene (especially breakfast) is probably my favorite scene in this book. Poor, poor Professor Flitwick.

[pauraque]

If I were inclined in an H/D direction, I'd probably call it mocking *and* pre-slashy. I mean, writing a love note to someone, even in jest...

[theatresm.livejournal.com]

'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.' (178)

Snape.

*sporks self*

[pauraque]

And really, 'blackboard'? Who but a teacher!

[wolfie-thu.livejournal.com]

And it's canon that Snape writes bad poetry. *snicker*

[pauraque]

Zing! :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

Despite Draco's accusation, I find myself doubting that Ginny actually sent this valentine.

I think I agree mostly because even though we're shown Ginny blushing, it could be jealousy that someone else had the guts to send Harry a Valentine. Maybe it was Lockhart. *snickers*

I also like the think that Harry feels like he knows Tom because of that residual connection. I can't remember which book and where, but I seem to recall there's several mentions of that "little voice inside him" and other things before we find out Voldemort is scraping out the inside of Harry's Jack-o-Lantern.

*hugs*

[pauraque]

Maybe it *was* Lockhart! He sends a very cute get-well-soon valentine to Hermione in this chapter. I almost cited it, actually, as a rare case where Lockhart does something nice. It may be he was trying to ensure her continued adulation, but I got a vibe from it that he just likes her and wants to cheer her up.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

So, this looks like more on the theme of V leaving some trace of himself on Harry's psyche.

I wonder if this suggests the more human part of Voldemort is in Harry--he remembers Riddle as "a friend he had when he was younger," while Voldemort may feel more distanced from his former self. Or perhaps this is how Voldemort himself feels about his Tom Riddle self.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I wonder if it isn't Draco's handiwork.

It would be rather wonderful if it were Draco, slashy or not. Whether or not JKR intended it, Draco is the character who makes up songs and rhymes about people--and they scan. In OotP Ron or Harry says only followers use the term The Dark Lord, and Draco and Snape both use it. Snape's already been suggested as the writer of the Valentine, and I now have this wonderful image of Draco and Snape doing it together, or Draco following up on some conversation they had about it so it's their private joke.

I'm not sure what he hopes to gain by showing all this to Harry, though... how does it get him any closer to killing him (assuming that's the goal)?

James Bond Exposition Rule (n): Film convention that dictates that a supervillain isn’t allowed to kill the hero until he has meticulously revealed his master plan, including vital data regarding time elements and such. Traditionally, this takes so much time that the Villain must leave before personally seeing to it that the hero is taken care of. Inevitably, his goofball assistants then mess up the job, allowing to hero to exploit his newly gained knowledge and disrupt the villain’s plan.

[eponis.livejournal.com]

I now have this wonderful image of Draco and Snape doing it together

Hrm. Though it's an amusing image, I can't help thinking that, whereas Draco is irritated when Harry beats him, Snape is irritated when Harry gets attention. (Thus, for example, Draco was happy to give Skeeter fodder for anti-Harry articles, which Snape stayed out of altogether.) Though the prank does embarrass Harry, it also draws attention to him, something I'd think Snape would like to afford.

The possibility of Snape privately and mockingly mentioning it to Draco, though, after which Draco followed up on it, is quite intriguing. I'd love to see a fic (possibly later SS/HP? ::grin::) that included it.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that seems more believable to me too. I can't see Snape and Draco literally giggling over the Valentine and sending it together, but I can see the two of them commisserating about the kinds of Valentine's Potter would expect. Draco's actually doing it is more his style, and also becomes a sort of endearing (to me) attempt to make Snape laugh.

[pauraque]

I agree, Draco wants Snape's approval. Observing Snape's negative behavior towards Harry probably cemented Draco's own resentments.

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

I don't know--Snape himself draws attention to Harry if there's a possibility of embarrassing him. As with the Skeeter article he reads aloud in class, I bet he was delighted by it.

I think you're right on about the Snape and Draco interaction, though. I don't think Snape would've overtly helped Draco create the valentine, but I think he would subtly encourage Draco's plans. Plausible deniability, you know.

[pauraque]

As thatfangirl pointed out above, Ernie Macmillan also says 'Dark Lord', but it may well have been intended ironically.

[psychic-serpent.livejournal.com]

According to JKR's notes MacMillan is Muggle-born, so he didn't grow up saying "You-Know-Who," which we know is not second-nature to Hermione, either. If I were a Muggle-born entering the magical world I might be more likely to say "Dark Lord" just because it would make me sound less like a five-year-old than "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." After all, it only cemented Fudge's image as an utter idiot that he called him "Lord Thingy." (The Weasleys never exactly sound mature when they avoid saying "Voldemort," either.)

I think that Snape also continues to use "Dark Lord" rather than the usual alternatives (although he's also squeamish about people saying "Voldemort") because he thinks it sounds a little less idiotic. Which just gives Harry and Ron the opportunity to jump to conclusions and say it's because he's still a loyal Death Eater. But honestly, can any of us imagine Snape saying something as stupid-sounding as "You-Know-Who?" Ack.

That said, however, I like the idea others have had that the twins sent Harry the Valentine as a huge joke. It's the sort of thing they'd do.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Justin? In canon Ernie claims to be Pureblood back 9 generations or something.

I agree with pauraque that Ernie is speaking ironically here, so using the term slightly differently than Snape does. By joking that Harry might be "another" Dark Lord he sort of undercuts Voldemort's claim to the title--he wants to be that.

[psychic-serpent.livejournal.com]

No, I wasn't thinking of Justin, but I did forget about it if he claimed to be pureblood. I was going by the list of students recently posted on--I want to say Mugglenet?--with the backgrounds of the students (Muggle-born or not), but there WERE numerous errors on the list (or the person typing it up couldn't tell the difference between some of her M's and her W's). Susan Bones was listed as a Muggle-born, for instance, and OotP made it clear that she's not.

[pauraque]

Ernie is a pure-blood; the relevant quote is cited in the Chapter 11 post.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Thing is, he speaks of him as a Dark Lord rather than the Dark Lord. There isn't really any other handy term to use in that context.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Draco is the character who makes up songs and rhymes about people

Well, him and Peeves. "Oh Potter, you rotter..."