PS 6

[pauraque_bk]

Pardon the unscheduled intermission. Should be able to get back into the swing of things now.


In Chapter 5, fernwithy and donnaimmaculata discussed at length how much wizards could really help Muggles, which I found quite fascinating. I do read all the comments, even when I don't have anything intelligent to say in reply.


PS 6: The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half-terrified, half-furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it was empty. (67)

I don't think Dudley's newfound terror of Harry is as funny as JKR seems to think it is. The first wizard Dudley ever met tried to turn him into a pig for (I think we have fairly established) no decent reason.

Whether this was Hagrid's intent or not, I think his actions did have the effect of scaring Vernon and Petunia into line. Vernon was bold enough to stand up to Hagrid, but now that Dudley's been made a target, neither of them dares make a move.

[Vernon:] 'Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?' (68)

Hee! Vernon has some great lines in this book.

He raises a good point, too: Wizard transportation is weird. There don't appear to be any methods of family or mass transport that are as convenient and widely available as Muggle cars and busses.

'Taking Dudley to hospital,' growled Uncle Vernon. 'Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.' (68)

And what if Hagrid had successfully turned him entirely into a pig? Would he have just left in that case, too? What Harry doesn't know is that if the crime had been reported (and it *was* a crime), Arthur Weasley or one of his co-workers would have been dispatched to fix Dudley up and make the Dursleys forget it had happened.

And, alas, that's about it for the Dursleys in this book. I've really gotten a kick out of doing the first few chapters of these re-reads, since the Dursleys don't normally get a lot of dedicated discussion time.

'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.
'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red-headed[...] (69)

Just a device to let Harry know these wizards know where he has to go, I guess. It certainly doesn't seem that the platform number ever changes. Are there any other wizard trains?

'All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important[...]' (70)

A hint of the Peter Pan brand of magic, that which is only accessible if you believe it's true.

'Anyone sitting there?' [Ron] asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. 'Everywhere else is full.' (74)

This always seemed a little rude to me, but I guess the idea is that Ron doesn't want it to seem that he's following Harry around.

'Are all your family wizards?' asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

'Er -- yes, I think so,' said Ron. 'I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.' (74-75)

We've discussed this already... JKR means this to be funny, but it reveals an unpleasant prejudice against Squibs, especially those who choose to leave the wizarding world.

'[...]Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everything thinks they're really funny[...]' (75)

Is that right? F&G don't do well on their OWLs, and of course drop out of school. If they were doing well at this point, what caused their schoolwork to slip?

Ron also notes that he has Charlie's old wand. If the wand really chooses the wizard, this should be a serious handicap (as it arguably is with Neville, who uses his father's wand).

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.

'His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up[...]' (75)

Here's a thought: What if he's not asleep? He perks up pretty quickly when he decides to bite Goyle in a minute, and wouldn't it be more interesting if he's listening to this entire conversation, which is mostly about Harry's life? There are a few points in PoA where, in retrospect, he's clearly listening and reacting to things the kids are saying.

What's this like for Peter? He's already been a pet rat for ten years... maybe he was planning to change back someday at first, but it's been a *long* time. Maybe he's chosen to stay this way, maybe he's been an animal so long he's started to forget his human life... until he hears the name Harry Potter...

Well, this is all speculation. Any other thoughts?

Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling. (77)

Notable because these both seem to be Muggle pursuits.

'Sorry,' [Neville] said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?' (78)

We've already been told that toads aren't in fashion. I like the casual way the various characters are introduced and sketched out in this chapter.

'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one,' she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth. (79)

Hermione attached herself to Neville early on. They're seen together here, and a bit later they're in a boat together. I wonder, if the troll incident had never happened, if Neville and Hermione would have stayed friends, and Ron and Harry would have kept to themselves.

'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?' (81)

Did Fred and George tell everyone where they'd seen Harry go, or did Neville and Hermione mention it? We also wondered if Neville had repeated what happened in the train compartment in PoA, since Draco hadn't been there to see... Is Neville a gossip?

'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing either side of the pale boy they looked like bodyguards.

'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. (81)

My boys! Do you think Draco met C&G on the train, or knew them before? If the former, what does it say about Draco that his first action was to acquire some henchmen he could boss around? It may have been the latter though, since we know now that Crabbe'n'Goyle Senior were DEs, and plausibly friends of the Malfoys.

'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly. (81)

Why do you think Draco wanted to make friends with Harry? Wanted to associate himself with fame? Even though Harry "killed" for Dumbledore's side? I can see Lucius advising Draco to be friendly with Harry, hoping to nudge him over to their side... and I can equally see Draco relishing the intrigue.

In any case, Harry serves Draco a major diss before Draco has really done anything to him. (He did insult Ron, but only after Ron laughed at his name.)

'I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and Hagrid and it'll rub off on you.' (81)

Yes, Draco is very aware of the history here, the implications of whose side Harry takes.

Goyle reached towards the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron -- Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle[...] (82)

Peter's moment of glory! This point has been discussed at considerable length thanks to mctabby. I admit it's possible he was just scared by Ron jumping up and just bit whatever was available, but to be fair, Peter doesn't usually bite. (He does bite Ron in PoA, but only in a moment of desperation, and never at any other frightening time.) It would be nice to think he was defending Ron, but he hasn't really known Ron very long -- until recently, he was Percy's. Perhaps it was *Harry* he was defending.

'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along by a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles. (83-84)

I only point this out because I'd forgotten about the underground lagoon. That's kind of neat.


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

[verylisa.livejournal.com]

'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.
'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red-headed[...] (69)
Just a device to let Harry know these wizards know where he has to go, I guess. It certainly doesn't seem that the platform number ever changes. Are there any other wizard trains?

... I read that as Molly attempting to make Ginny feel included. I have a four-year-old, and I'm always asking her questions to which I know the answers. Ginny's not four, it's true, but she is the youngest, and she's feeling left out, and Molly does the instinctive Mum thing.

[thecoldacre.livejournal.com]

I also read that as the same thing, Molly just trying to include Ginny on the 'grown-up' things, as now that Ron's going to Hogwarts Ginny is going to be the only one left at home.

[pauraque]

Hm, I see what you mean. I have no parental instincts, myself, so that may be why I didn't get it!

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

This always seemed a little rude to me, but I guess the idea is that Ron doesn't want it to seem that he's following Harry around.

Heh - that's probably how I would have introduced myself at eleven. After all, you don't want to look too desperate to find a friend. And with the emphasis on houses, I wonder how eager wizarding kids are to talk to others on the train before they're sorted.

We've discussed this already... JKR means this to be funny, but it reveals an unpleasant prejudice against Squibs, especially those who choose to leave the wizarding world.

*nods* I've found it interesting how Ron, who will stick up for Hermione being called a 'Mudblood', ends up coming up with little gems like this - later, he arguably shows the most animosity for Filch. It's a subtle but telling point that even with a father fascinated by Muggles (though whether as equals or just interesting specimens is another matter) Ron still has his Pureblood prejudices.

Ron also notes that he has Charlie's old wand. If the wand really chooses the wizard, this should be a serious handicap (as it arguably is with Neville, who uses his father's wand).

Spots like this have made me wonder about religion and family planning in the wizarding world - Molly and Arthur honestly can't afford to provide the children they have with the best quality of life (even with two sons grown up and gone) so why did they have so many? Were they trying for a daughter (doubtful, as it doesn't seem at all like they dote on Ginny.) A seventh son for a seventh son? Are they Catholic - or are there just no legal prophylactics for wizards?

...and Peter! Re-reading this after PoA, I always liked that bit. It's not a compliment, given that he was in fact a man, but - he was a good pet.

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

I don't think that Molly and Arthur see themselves as being too poor. I know I saw this discussed at length elsewhere, but the evidence seemed to indicate that it's really only Ron who reacts to their relative poverty with such bitterness. All the other siblings seem to react by finding their own, independent careers. Percy really comes closest in finding his family a burden. But then again, it would strike Ron hardest as he's the youngest son. Bill and Charlie and Ginny don't have to deal with hand-me-downs. If the twins do, they don't seem bothered, and Percy channels all his frustrations into the Ministry.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I've found it interesting how Ron, who will stick up for Hermione being called a 'Mudblood', ends up coming up with little gems like this

Personally, I suspect they are two sides of the same coin. Ron is *more* sensitive to the word Mudblood than Hermione herself, or Harry. All the Weasleys are. Because, imo, the word is an insult to them in ways that are probably connected to their being Purebloods. It seems to me sometimes that their idea of being non-prejudiced is to never suggest Hermione is anything other than a witch. If they speak of her links to Muggles, it's as one wizard to another--Arthur might ask how Muggles do something because Hermione was raised amongst them, but in his mind he tells himself she's a witch.

It's like in GoF when Draco says something about the Muggle torture and says Hermione should be protected...either Ron or Draco says, "Hermione's a witch," stressing that Hermione is NOT a Muggle, which is what Draco is implying. Hagrid, earlier in this book, made a similar defense when Harry said Draco spoke of Muggleborns not belonging because they don't know wizarding ways (which Harry himself doesn't, being Muggle-raised) and Hagrid replied that OF COURSE Harry is a WIZARD and his parents were both magical. His second point is that Muggleborn wizards can be very good wizards--the most important thing being that they are not Muggles.

[subtle-science.livejournal.com]

...and Peter! Re-reading this after PoA, I always liked that bit. It's not a compliment, given that he was in fact a man, but - he was a good pet.

Do you mean when he bites Goyle?  Because to me, that always seemed like Peter was just a glutton who was afraid Goyle was going to steal some of his candy.  ;-)

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

If they were doing well at this point, what caused their schoolwork to slip?

Because they stopped caring! At this point, they don't have any viable career options to outweigh scholastic success. Plus, it just rubs it in everyone's (esp. Percy's) face that they can be clever without being geeks, can have all the fun of ne'erdowells without the consequences.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Or the work got too advanced for them to mess around all the time and still get great grades. There comes a time when the kids who work hard catch up!

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

Transporation is weird. I wonder if they haven't found a replacement for magic carpets yet. I wonder if the cars that the Ministry let them use in PoA are in use regularly or if they're for special occasions only. What other special occasions are there that they would have cars ready and waiting? I wonder if a wizard could use a car if it wasn't charmed or anything, would that still be consider misuse of a muggle artifact? I wonder how the Malfoys travel...it seems like they wouldn't want to get all dirty and icky by using Floo powder.

I can see Lucius advising Draco to be friendly with Harry
And didn't Lucius claim to be under the Imperious when he was a DE?
At any rate, I could see Lucius telling Draco to be nice, especially since in CoS he says to Draco
"And I would remind you that it is not - prudent - to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear..."
So they probably have to keep up the "not a DE" pretense by being nice to Harry.

Maybe he's chosen to stay this way, maybe he's been an animal so long he's started to forget his human life... until he hears the name Harry Potter...
Oooh, I like that idea. How very interesting!

I wonder why Ron has Charlie's old wand? If the wand chooses the wizard then it would seem like as long as the first one works, then a wizard shouldn't be able to have a second one. And if Charlie has the $$ to buy a new one, why not be a nice older brother and buy one for Ron? *shrugs* Either way, it's not like it makes that much of a difference for Ron, even with a proper wand he still doesn't seem to be doing that great in his classes (like with the silencing charm, etc).

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

It seems to me like it's just a bonus if you have a special connection with you wand - a subtle power boost and an occassional convenient plot point. But it's hardly essential for basic magic. It's probably Ollivander's biggest selling point - this isn't just a good wand; it's the perfect want for you!

[pauraque]

Hagrid takes Buckbeak on the Knight Bus in PoA. That's not exactly an immediate emergency, since it was planned, but he didn't really have any other choice. (Riding Buckbeak wouldn't exactly have worked, since he was under investigation for being unsafe.)

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I don't think Dudley's newfound terror of Harry is as funny as JKR seems to think it is.

Since "courage" is the defining value in these books, I suspect anytime characters are scared of anything in a way that makes them act scared (as opposed to forcing themselves to stand up to it) the narrative voice unfortunately considers them cowards and so people to be laughed at. Plus there's maybe that strange blending of comedy with drama, so some accidents (usually those that happen to "good" characters) are serious and sympathetic while others are funny. Since he wasn't turned into a pig, we shouldn't think about it, even though it's "Muggle-baiting."

Ron also notes that he has Charlie's old wand.

I kind of hope this isn't really true--if it is it seems like it should be forbidden for any child to have to go through school with somebody else's wand (also I hate that Neville's problems stem from something outside himself). I wonder if it's really just more important that *Harry's* wand chose him.

Why do you think Draco wanted to make friends with Harry?

I think Draco in this scene is really interesting (big shock, coming from me!). I think he goes out to find "Harry Potter, Boy Legend" because people are talking about it and he does the theatrical, attention-grabbing thing and says he will seek him out--kind of a ballsy thing to do.

I tend to not think Lucius gave Draco lots of advice on Harry Potter. Fanon often claims Draco is working under Lucius' orders here, or going against them, but I suspect Lucius just took his chances like any other wizarding adult. JKR has said said stuff that imo suggested DE kids grew up with a different version of what happened that night at GH, but Draco seems otherwise like a normal wizarding kid for whom V's the bogeyman and HP a fairy tale. His overconfidence may be the result of his being fed the wrong story about Harry, but I think his desire to be friends with him is the same as anyone else's.

What's interesting to me, though, is that he's met Harry before (and chatted him up then). When he recognizes the boy from the robe shop he seems to acknowlege their first meeting wasn't perfect but considers Harry worthy of respect after it. He approaches him a little defensively, but as an equal. This is the second scene where from Draco's pov, imo, Harry is hostile for no reason--first he's monosyllabic and cold when Draco tries to chat to him about school, now he lets another kid laugh at his name and when Draco shuts that kid up Harry steps in on Ron's side, probably for no reason Draco can understand.

Yes, Draco is very aware of the history here, the implications of whose side Harry takes.

But what that history is, in Draco's mind, we don't exactly know. James and Lily were the winning side at this point--Voldemort is "dead" and Draco's father claimed to have been Imperiused. So he could hardly be threatening Harry with the kind of thing his parents got, imo. Draco speaks "slowly" too, either because he wants Harry to really get it or (the way it reads to me) because he's just reaching for the words (which is really sad, thinking of this 11-year-old groping for DE talk for the first time). There are no "sides" at this point from Draco's pov: Voldemort's defeated. Perhaps he's just referring to his own father here, making a vague threat about people who oppose him or the Malfoys.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I kind of hope this isn't really true

Sorry-to clarify, I'm saying I hope it's not true that having somebody else's wand is a major handicap, not that I hope Ron is lying about having Charlie's old wand!

[biichan.livejournal.com]

Is that right? F&G don't do well on their OWLs, and of course drop out of school. If they were doing well at this point, what caused their schoolwork to slip?

I rather figured it was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Didn't they start to roll out those initial protoypes (or at least the toffees) the summer of GOF? So they'd have to have been working on them during POA. Which was when they should have been studying for OWLs. Hence their pathetic amount.

[malograntum.livejournal.com]

Did Fred and George tell everyone where they'd seen Harry go, or did Neville and Hermione mention it? We also wondered if Neville had repeated what happened in the train compartment in PoA, since Draco hadn't been there to see... Is Neville a gossip?


That's an interesting thought. I mean, why does a terribly unpopular kid repeat interesting (and, in the case of the PoA incident, potentially embarrassing or damaging) things about other people? If he's any of the terribly unpopular kids that I've known, he does it to get people to like him (sometimes by getting them to taunt someone else instead). Yet the use of such information as a popularity bargaining chip doesn't seem consistent with the Neville we know and love.

On the other other hand, as has been observed once or twice in various critical writings on the Harry Potter universe, moral consistency may be a bit much to ask from 11- to 13-year-olds.

[hplurker.livejournal.com]

We've discussed this already... JKR means this to be funny, but it reveals an unpleasant prejudice against Squibs, especially those who choose to leave the wizarding world.

JKR mentions a little bit more on the accountant cousin in her website
here (http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=3). She says that the accountant had been very rude to Mr and Mrs Weasley at some point of time. I have no idea if this background was already on her mind while writing the third book and whether it justifies Ron's comment.

Is that right? F&G don't do well on their OWLs, and of course drop out of school. If they were doing well at this point, what caused their schoolwork to slip?

We hear about there joke-shop ambition first at the beginning of GoF. This was just after they did badly in their OWLs. It is possible that they had already decided on the joke-shop before the OWL exam and so decided to not study "unimportant" subjects.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

See, I don't read Dudley's terror of Harry as being meant to be funny. It's a half amusing in a way but I don't think that it's really written to be totally hysterical. I have the same thought about the second-cousin bit. I don't think that's meant to be funny, I think it's meant to be a reinforcement about wizarding attitude towards Muggles and Squibs.

And I do think that the reason Hagrid attacked Dudley was to get the Dursleys weak spot - to lick them into shape more.

I don't think what Ron said was particually rude. Everywhere else probably was full and Harry and Ginny do the same thing to Luna in book five. I'd consider that okay.

Fred and George probably get good enough marks at the moment because they aren't doing anything taxing. Not really taxing exams and the tricks aren't taking up much time either. It's as time goes on and they are trying to do more taxing experiemets and more taxing exams that it goes wrong.

Wizard Fertility

[turangaleela.livejournal.com]

Continuing the speculation:
I find an element of "doth protest too much" when it comes to the Weasley family. The Evil Pureblood Faction (tm) can't shut up about the number of Weasleys. Why wouldn't the Malfoys have 4 pureblood kids if they could? Surely it's better to deal with the "problem" of spares rather than gamble on only one kid, especially in times of such upheaval. More, you'd think with all the allusions to Nazism that having more of the "right kind" would be considered a woman's duty in Voldemort's worldview. In Narcissa's case, she didn't even produce a spare. I think it must gall EPF (tm) no end to see this nobody with a wealth of offspring.

Re: Wizard Fertility

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

Possibly the "rich pureblood" families have a small amount of children because (and so not trying to be stereotypical, just historically speaking) families with lots of children had traditionally been farming families that need a lot of children to work. Therefore rich families would set themselves apart by not having many children.
Again, not trying to be like stereotyping or anything, just in historial terms.

[fluffers.livejournal.com]

Did Fred and George tell everyone where they'd seen Harry go, or did Neville and Hermione mention it? We also wondered if Neville had repeated what happened in the train compartment in PoA, since Draco hadn't been there to see... Is Neville a gossip?

You know, I always saw Neville as one of those people who speaks very carelessly. They don't have the intention of raising a fuss, or causing someone else embarrassment, it just comes out. What I like to call 'verbal spew'. He saw Harry, and he says so. Harry fainted, and he says so. Not to gain attention for himself...Neville seems to shrink under excess attention from anyone, even him peers. He just doesn't stop to think about the repercussions his information sharing might have on others.

He's sort of the flipside of Harry, I suppose, in that Harry just does what he wants, not thinking about why someone might not want him to do what he wants. Harry always thinks along the lines of 'it's no big deal, why should anyone care if I sneak out, etc...' just as Neville can't see why anyone would mind him saying Harry fainted-no big deal, right?

[(Anonymous)]

I suppose Neville could be a gossip, but we don't really see him doing it. Fred and George though, immediately tell their whole family that they have met Harry Potter. I can't imagine that they could resist showing off their new knowledge to their friends and admirers. Perhaps to a somewhat disbelieving audience, and then Hermione comes in looking for Trevor, and when hearing that the others don't really believe it, scoff and set them right. :)

In PoA, with the Dementors on the train, I think Ginny was the one who talked. We know she gossips, she has no qualms telling Fred and George about Percy's girlfriend, even after he specifically asked her not to tell. Given her crush on Harry she might even have wanted to unload her worries for him on her friends, thirteen year old girls do have a tendency to go on a bit when infatuated...


I don't really think Draco came looking for "Harry Potter" in order to make friends with him. Maybe I'm reading it all wrong, but Draco is extremely nosy. He is unable to not look, or touch. So when he heard that "Harry Potter", the wizarding world's greatest celebrity, is on the train, how can he resist going to have a look? (Shiny, shiny)
When he realised that he already knew him, and I think Draco actually thought he had made friends with the boy at Madam Malkin's, making polite conversation (well, kind of) like his mother tells him to do, he formally introduces himself, and his friends, probably expecting Harry to do the same, and they laugh at him! Mock his name! Poor Draco. ;-)

- Clara

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

'Er -- yes, I think so,' said Ron. 'I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.' (74-75)
We've discussed this already... JKR means this to be funny, but it reveals an unpleasant prejudice against Squibs, especially those who choose to leave the wizarding world.

you're right, it does although I have to confess I tended to assume it was more an accountant thing - "there's an accountant in the family, we don't mention him" sort of thing.

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

...Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?' *cymbal crash* Given how Vernon likes to tell jokes, I wonder if he'll use any opportunity (even speaking to the very disliked Harry) to make a joke.

'Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.'

How in the world did Vernon explain this at the hospital?!

Maybe he's chosen to stay this way, maybe he's been an animal so long he's started to forget his human life... until he hears the name Harry Potter...

A pet rat for ten years and would he have remained so if Remus and Sirius hadn't forced him out of his form? Maybe he thought he'd be safe from both Voldemort and retribution if he remained a rat, but because of the infamous debt he now owes Harry, he's doomed to follow through?

Do you think Draco met C&G on the train, or knew them before?

I think he knew them before, perhaps homeschooled in the same pureblood circles before coming to Hogwarts. Though, if Draco was only around those like himself until coming to Hogwarts, maybe his first act was to assign himself some henchmen. Or bodyguards? Draco's described as thin and pale, maybe the wanted some blokes more for their brawn than brains.

Is Neville a gossip?

Well, Draco does find out that Harry fainted at the Dementors thanks to him. It seems unlikely that Neville would go up to Draco and tell him this personally, so... maybe?

Late, but...

[simply-schizoid.livejournal.com]

I just noticed something.

'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'

Draco just told Harry that he determines who can be like or not. Isn't this a major offense in fandom?

Re: Late, but...

[pauraque]

I don't think I understand what you're asking. "Who can be like?" Did you leave a word out of that sentence?

Families and Inheritance

[doomandnachos.livejournal.com]

Delurking...

Continuing some of the Weasley wealth and fertility discussions - could wizarding inheritance law be tied up in all of this? Someone pointed out that the other pureblood families have 2-3 kids each, ye olde "heir and spare" routine. Does all of a PB family's assets go to the eldest, with the rest having to make do with less, or are the assets equally divided? If the latter is the case, I can see the wealthier PBs limiting their children in order to keep their money from scattering, with the Weasleys' poverty as the result of generation after generation of splitting inheritances until the money has dwindled to practically nothing.

[It also makes me wonder about the Black family - since 12GP was both the 'family' house and Sirius' childhood home, I assumed that the three sisters were offspring of Mr. Black's younger brother (though Andromeda seems to be much older than Sirius). Anyway, I wonder what the sisters' childhood financial situation was like, if they had a house comparable to 12GP, and if Narcissa has a legal claim to 12GP since everyone else is dead, running from the law, or disowned.]

Re: Families and Inheritance

[fluffers.livejournal.com]

I'm curious if Harry will inherit from Sirius...the wealth and/or the house.

[thistlefinch.livejournal.com]

Hermione attached herself to Neville early on. They're seen together here, and a bit later they're in a boat together. I wonder, if the troll incident had never happened, if Neville and Hermione would have stayed friends, and Ron and Harry would have kept to themselves.

And who exactly is Neville friends with? I know this has probably been discussed a million times, but we don't ever see Neville in a serious friendship, do we? I think the closest he's gotten to anyone in Gryffindor [in his year] is the Trio, but he only hangs on the sidelines. Same with Seamus and Dean. He's not really best friends with anyone that we see. Poor kid.

[amythis.livejournal.com]

'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.
'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red-headed[...] (69)

Just a device to let Harry know these wizards know where he has to go, I guess. It certainly doesn't seem that the platform number ever changes.

Maybe Molly was just testing them, like "Now what will you be doing when the Masons arrive?"

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.
'His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up[...]' (75)
Here's a thought: What if he's not asleep? He perks up pretty quickly when he decides to bite Goyle in a minute, and wouldn't it be more interesting if he's listening to this entire conversation, which is mostly about Harry's life? There are a few points in PoA where, in retrospect, he's clearly listening and reacting to things the kids are saying.

I vote for awake, like Lupin was awake in the compartment in POA.

Hermione attached herself to Neville early on. They're seen together here, and a bit later they're in a boat together. I wonder, if the troll incident had never happened, if Neville and Hermione would have stayed friends, and Ron and Harry would have kept to themselves.

Possibly. She and Neville stay good friends (just not as close as her and R & H), and he does invite her to the Yule Ball.

Do you think Draco met C&G on the train, or knew them before?

Met through their fathers.