CoS 17

[pauraque_bk]

In Chapter 16, we discussed whether the books encourage rule-breaking, Harry and Ron's intentions in taking Lockhart down to the Chamber, and how the Basilisk has stayed alive.


CoS 17: The Heir of Slytherin

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.
Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: it was ancient and monkey-like, with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes[...] (226)

It's confirmed a bit later that this is indeed Salazar. Monkey-like! Somehow this detail seems to have escaped Founder-fic.

'Well, that's an interesting question,' said Riddle pleasantly. 'And quite a long story[...]' (228)

And there's nothing Tom/V likes better than a loooooong story.

[Tom:] '[...]I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger.' (228)

Hm. Another reinforcement of the idea that it's unwise to confide in people.

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. (228)

chresimos and I have discussed what we think a "high, cold laugh" is (it comes up again in GoF, where V also has a "high, cold voice"), and decided we don't know. It's high, so it's shrill? A hysterical giggle? But cold too? Dunno.

In any case, it seems this is a vocal quirk of Riddle's that pre-dates becoming a Dark Lord. Though, on the other hand, this incarnation of Tom shares a few odd characteristics with V, such as eyes that glow red (231) which you wouldn't think he'd have had at 16.

[Tom imitating Ginny:] '[...]Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Hallowe'en, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front[...]' (229)

Paint, then, not blood.

'Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry,' said Riddle. 'Your whole fascinating history.' His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and his expression grew hungrier. (229)

Yeah, this makes sense. The diary was made before V's disintegration, obviously, so he didn't know about Harry until Ginny brought him up.

'[...]On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school Prefect, model student[...]' (229-230)

Just as good at manipulating adults as Harry is!

'[...]on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed[...]' (230)

Beg your pardon? Werewolf cubs. If anything, this'd have to be a figure of speech.

'Well, [Dumbledore] certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled,' said Riddle carelessly. 'I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work.' (230)

Uh-huh. But now, "killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to [him] anymore" (230), all he wants to do is kill Harry, which I guess would explain why he hasn't actually... er, killed anyone. Perhaps it makes sense... he doesn't want Harry to get in the way of his future self returning to power.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
'You see?' he whispered. 'It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course[...]' (231)

Random Slytherin: Fancy a fly around the pitch, Riddle?
Tom: *righteously enraged* I keep telling you, call me by my proper name!
R.S.: *puzzled* But that is your name...
Tom: *pounding fists* No! LORD VOLDEMORT!
R.S.: ...Uh-huh. Okay, Tommy, catch you later.
Tom: *angst*

'Twice -- in your past, in my future -- we have met. And twice I failed to kill you[...]' (233)

They have indeed met twice, but... huh? If Tom's trying to say something significant here, I can't penetrate its meaning.

Riddle opened his mouth and hissed -- but Harry understood what he was saying. (234)

In Chapter 16, we discussed how little JKR knows about snakes. She has a snake wink in PS/SS (snakes don't have eyelids), refers to a green shed snakeskin (they're white-to-brownish), and invents a spoken snake language when snakes can't hear! It would have been just as easy to make it a telepathic language and drop the references to it sounding like hissing, but apparently neither she nor her editor knew any better.

The movie also has Harry distract the Basilisk with the clatter of a thrown pebble, which is just... *facepalm* Even if the Basilisk had felt the vibration, Harry was right in front of its face; as Tom quite rightly points out, it can easily smell him.

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the Hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs. (235)

idlerat has previously pointed out the phallic imagery there.

Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, 'Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!' (239)

Not to make too much of a throwaway gag, but does this suggest to anyone else that Lockhart was Muggle-born? If he'd been raised in a magical environment, he never would have had the concept in his mind that something could be "just like magic" without in fact being magic, so it would be impossible for him to "forget" back to that point.


Past re-read posts are here. Just one more chapter left.

Comments

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

And there's nothing Tom/V likes better than a loooooong story.

The folks over at TWOP call Brass of CSI "Captain Exposition." Hee. I love that icon of Tom Riddle that says, "Let me tell you all about my cunning plan so you can stop me."

The high, cold laugh for some reason always put in mind that the banshee-like nature of it was chilling, or sent chills up one's spine, but I can't quite see high-pitched as cold. It'll be interesting, if nothing else, to see how the movie does it.

With regards to the little Tommy Voldemort, I'm reminded of a comment at the Leaky Cauldron I saw when Book Six's real title was revealed.

"maybe voldemorts followers called him prince voldemort before he was old enough to be lord voldemort or something like that"

*anagrams* COVER MELT DIP RON? Ooh!

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the Hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs. (235)

This always made me boggle because... whoa, that's a hell of a handle. How the heck did little Harry Potter get his hand around that thing? Eggs are no small thing.

*cough* No phallic imagery in that paragraph either.

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

The high, cold laugh for some reason always put in mind that the banshee-like nature of it was chilling, or sent chills up one's spine, but I can't quite see high-pitched as cold.

Like that screeching of the Ringwraiths is high and almost cold?
That's defintely chilling... ::shudders::

[pauraque]

Hee, I actually had a "Captain Exposition" gag in the lj cut at first, but eventually decided "Dark Lord of Exposition" was funnier. (Damn, I don't have a CSI icon...)

COVER MELT DIP RON

OMG RON=VOLDEMORT KNIGHT2PRINCE!!!!!11111

How the heck did little Harry Potter get his hand around that thing?

Hem hem. We slashers often ask ourselves this question...

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

Bwah! Not to mention, Krycek can merrily ditch that strip bar and go looking for Grissom since he dumped Catherine. A-hem.

OMG RON=VOLDEMORT KNIGHT2PRINCE!!!!!11111

!!!11 *anagrasms some more* A DAB WIENIE LOLLY USSR
= Ronald Bilius Weasley - OMG this totally explains his luv for Viktor!!!

And little Harry Potter gets his hand in and out of things with a little help from his friends...

[misentropic.livejournal.com]

This always made me boggle because... whoa, that's a hell of a handle. How the heck did little Harry Potter get his hand around that thing? Eggs are no small thing.

Not to mention that for a handle that big it'd almost certainly have to be a broadsword. Even if Harry got his hands around it to begin with, it'd probably weigh about as much as he did.

Applying physics to the wizarding world probably isn't the best idea, I'm thinking. *snerk*

[pauraque]

Absolutely. Without assuming the sword has magical properties, there's simply no chance a little kid would be able to wield it. It's not easy to use a sword, even when its weight is appropriate for you and you're properly trained.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of a Pratchett book where a nine year old girl commands an item to "Turn into a sword!" After nearly keeling over, she amends it to "Turn into a sword I can LIFT!"