PS 7

[pauraque_bk]

Icon! semirhage527 made it.

I can't remember who asked me this (you'll see in a moment that I'm having a hard time remembering names today), but it takes me about an hour and a half to do a chapter commentary, depending on how long and how interesting the chapter is. It would take a lot longer if I didn't type so fast... Since the OCR scans are the American editions (and not even always correct), I type out all the quotes I use.


In Chapter 6:

-Watch and wonder as atdelphi, caesia390, and the rest of the gang delve deep into the Weasley family neuroses!

-ani_bester wonders if Peter bit Goyle because his father was a DE.

-doomandnachos asks who, if anyone, has a legal claim on 12 Grimmauld Place.


Also, threeoranges has made a post analyzing Harry and Draco's confrontation on the train in that chapter.


PS 7: The Sorting Hat

[McGonagall:] '[...]Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards[...]' (85)

This whole spiel she rattles off sounds very dry and rehearsed, despite the fact that she only has to say it once a year. I think even without the context of the other books, the "every house is special in its own way" line rings very hollow.

[...]Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. (87)

I can't remember who pointed this out, but this is one of the few purely artistic uses of magic that we see. The portraits are historical records, but the ceiling is simply for beauty's sake... unless of course it was originally used for astronomy or something.

'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me[...] (88)

Anyone for the idea that the Hat sent Harry's valentine? *g*

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil[...] (88)

Rather a far cry from the Hat's later suggestion that Helga took "the rest" -- the ones who weren't smart or brave or ambitious enough. Hufflepuff gets a bum rap.

Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked an unpleasant lot. (89)

This is the end of the paragraph; the narration doesn't elaborate on what looks unpleasant about them.

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. 'Finnegan, Seamus', the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor. (90)

Sandy-haired! Tsk, fanon.

The hat also takes "a long time" to decide with Neville, but doesn't mention anyone else who gets the same treatment. Any thoughts?

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.' (91)

Reading this in the context of the first few chapters of the book, I'm a little more sympathetic with Dumbledore's assertion in CoS that this is a meaningful decision for Harry. It's not *just* that he doesn't like Draco (though JKR is careful to have Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle sorted before Harry) -- he's also been told twice that Voldemort was in Slytherin.

[Harry] had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs. (92)

What's a mint humbug?

Yet again, I have forgotten who said this, but someone commented in an earlier chapter that part of JKR's extravagance in descriptions like this may be partly attributed to her own destitute state while she was writing them.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. (92)

Tsk, fanon again.

[Nearly Headless Nick:] '[...]Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning [the House Championship]. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!' (92-93)

I think it's plausible that Snape has taught for at least six years -- may even have been Head of House that long -- so his favoritism may have played a part in Slytherin's winningness. Dumbledore has to essentially cheat to hand Gryffindor the victory this year, so Slytherin are clearly doing _something_ to rack up the points.

[EDIT: Silly me, I forgot it's canon that Snape's been teaching for 14 years as of OotP.]

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

'I'm half and half,' said Seamus. 'Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.'

The others laughed. (93)

Interesting that, rather like when Draco and Harry first met, the conversation here quickly turns to who's Muggleborn and who's not. Even at the Gryffindor table, people are eager to know.

Also, I don't know how laughable this situation is. Nasty confrontations between Muggles and wizards aren't historically... uh, good.

[Neville:] '[T]he family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me -- he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned -- but nothing happened until I was eight. Great-uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstiars window by the ankles when my great-auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced -- all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here -- they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great-uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad.' (93)

The readers don't know the word "Squib" yet, which I think explains why Neville says "Muggle". Obviously, in a family of wizards he's not going to be Muggle anything.

We Muggles are horrified that Neville's family put him at risk this way, but in a twisted way, it bespeaks a loving home -- unlike Harry, Neville was never afraid or angry enough to bring out his magic, but needed an artificial situation to make it happen. It's also a bit interesting that both times, it's his great-uncle who's doing this.

Damn -- I'll bet Filch had to go through this same thing from birth to age eleven... except, for him, nothing ever came of it.

JKR has explained that there is no such thing as "not magic enough" for Hogwarts, so either she hadn't decided that at this point, or Neville is mistaken.

If Algie was so happy, why not get Neville a cooler pet? _Are_ the Longbottoms poor?

Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes -- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. (94)

Clever JKR. I don't think an Occlumency explanation is needed here; it works as a red herring.

[Percy:] '[T]hat's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to -- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape.' (94)

Of course, this turns out to be true. I wonder how word got around. Students overheard teachers discussing it?

[Dumbledore:] 'I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors[...]' (94)

This is... rather affecting, actually. Filch has to try to keep kids in line who are vastly more powerful than himself, and is trying to level the playing field.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!' (95)

I think it may have been neotoma who suggested that this was a parody of the British public school choir tradition. Then again, maybe she was the one who wondered what this says about the state of wizarding music...

'Great food, isn't it?' Ron muttered to Harry through the [bed] hangings. 'Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets.' (97)

"I let you sleep in my bed!"

Let it be known that rodents need to chew on things to keep their front teeth from becoming ingrown. If Ron hasn't been providing his pet with something to chew, any resulting destruction is his own fault. I'm just sayin'.

Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully -- and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -- then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold -- there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all. (97)

This is frustrating, because if he doesn't remember it, what's the point?

It isn't clear (no pun intended) if clairvoyant dreams are normal in wizards, or if Harry is special... or even if Voldemort is influencing him at this early date (and in his present state of being!).


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

Re: Trevor

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

If Algie was so happy, why not get Neville a cooler pet? _Are_ the Longbottoms poor?

The Longbottoms seem to be very old-school. Toads predate cats as traditional witches' familiars, and some species secrete... bufotoxin? I don't recall the exact word... which is used in some mind-altering formulas. Remember all those toad-licking stories?

Re: Trevor

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

Yeah I was going to say that I think Algie is just old.

Possibly he also just doesn't even know what's cool. My grandparents were definitely not poor and I certainly got some hideous presents from them cause it would be something that they thought was cool when it really really wasn't.

Good call on the toads as familiars, I didn't know that before. Learn something new every day! :)

[eponis.livejournal.com]

What's a mint humbug?

It's a type of mint-flavored British hard candy. Green and brown/black striped, in my experience.

What strikes me as odd about the foods is the ketchup, which seems a bit modern for the rest of the meal, but then I suppose I remember many kids at that age being unable to eat anything without ketchup.

If Algie was so happy, why not get Neville a cooler pet? _Are_ the Longbottoms poor?

I see it as more of a generation-gap issue. It's intentional, I think, that all the relatives in this story are old: Gran, great-uncle Algie, great-aunt Enid. You can just picture this awkward young boy with all the hopes of these old people resting on him; to me, it's a rather pathetically endearing image. He's the kid whose clothes are always ten years out of date, because his guardians think that they're what a smart young man would wear.

[stellahobbit.livejournal.com]

The ketchup stood out for me as well, but that's because I'm Australian and we generally refer to it as tomato sauce, rather than ketchup. I'm assuming British people are the same?

I wonder if that word's used because pauraque's reading from an American edition?

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

I see it as more of a generation-gap issue. It's intentional, I think, that all the relatives in this story are old: Gran, great-uncle Algie, great-aunt Enid. You can just picture this awkward young boy with all the hopes of these old people resting on him; to me, it's a rather pathetically endearing image. He's the kid whose clothes are always ten years out of date, because his guardians think that they're what a smart young man would wear.

Excellent observation! I never quite thought of Neville in those terms, but it make sense. He seems to have been set up as a light mirror to Harry in terms of his "orphanage" from the very start...

And yeah, poor Neville. Being the only child in the midst of a small family of very, very elderly people with very, very long memories cannot be good for his social life or his ego-- especially considering the accomplishments of his father!

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. (92)

Tsk, fanon again.

Well up to this point, yes, but it certainly happened later on.

The readers don't know the word "Squib" yet, which I think explains why Neville says "Muggle".

Agree 100%. It would have been too early to introduce Squibs just the way that the end of GoF would have been too early to introduce thestrals. Else he would have said Squib.

Damn -- I'll bet Filch had to go through this same thing from birth to age eleven... except, for him, nothing ever came of it.

I never really thought that far... Arabella, too.

This is frustrating, because if he doesn't remember it, what's the point?

The point is that WE know it! :D

[pauraque]

The point is that WE know it! :D

I have a big problem with stories that work like that. The changes need to be happening to the characters, not merely within the minds of the readers.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. (92)

Tsk, fanon again.

Well up to this point, yes, but it certainly happened later on.

I don't think so, actually. I mean, Petunia did take care to give Harry less food than Dudley during his diet, but that wasn't starving him, and I maintain that she wasn't trying to starve him in CoS, either. It's more, she gave him exactly enough food, however unappetizing, for one undersized twelve year old boy - just not enough for the boy *and* his owl. She doesn't like animals in general, she is not self-sacrificing, except for Dudley, and it would never occur to her that Harry would give away half his food to feed Hedwig. The end result was starvation, but I don't think it was deliberate. I wonder if she'd even *dare*.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I must admit I don't like the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall at all. Sure, it's fun when weather is nice and warm, but during the long rainy autumns and long cold winters, I wouldn't like to sit under a ceiling that reflects the weather. Especially since we're told (in PoA? GoF?) that the castle is rather drafty. If the ceiling was enchanted to look sunny and friendly, it would create the impression of warmth. (Cause, visual impressions influence the way one feels.) Encountering a rainy/snowy ceiling first thing in the morning, I know it would make me feel cold and miserable straightaway. (No, I'm not a morning person.)

This is the end of the paragraph; the narration doesn't elaborate on what looks unpleasant about them.

I dare say this is just another example of unfounded prejudice. In GoF, Fred and George hiss at a first-year (Malcolm something, I think) who's just been Sorted into Slytherin. I'm not such a Slytherin fan as some, but I'd really like to know whether Rowling herself believes that the Slytherins are destined to be evil.

Damn - I'll bet Filch had to go through this same thing from birth to age eleven... except, for him, nothing ever came of it.

This is quite off topic in this context, but I've always wondered about Filch's position as caretaker. I'm not sure at the moment whether this is movie canon (i.e. the cleaning witch at the Leaky Cauldron), but aren't there any witches and wizards doing odd jobs? Or is this a something that is widely reserved for Squibs? I just picture a society similar to Huxley's Brave New World, with Squibs equalling Epsilons.

Howsoever that may be, I don't understand why Filch is responsible for cleaning the castle. He's got no magical powers and has to do it the Muggle way, while, at the same time, the castle is full of house-elves, whose only purpose in life is to work and clean and care for wizards and who are equipped with appropriate magical powers. It would make more sense to make Filch the house-elf supervisor. From a literary PoV, Rowling needs Filch to be on the spot (and he provides some comic relief, too). But considering it as part of the prejudice-laden wizarding society, I could imagine that if Filch had any magical powers he would be considered higher up and not have to mop the floors. As it is, he can count himself lucky to be allowed to work in a magical environment, especially such a prestigious one as Hogwarts.

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

I'd imagine a lot of squibs join the muggle world.


I have a nagging urge to write an HP/HOUSE crossover with Dr. House as a squib. But part of that is so I can make a joke about Hugh Laurie's accent.

[arclevel.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, eating breakfast every morning in a bright, sunny room with a cloudless sky would be sure to put me in a permanent bad mood. If I'm going to be outside (in RL), or in this case have it *look* like I'm outside, I don't do sunny. I think this way they get variety. Also, lots of people enjoy watching rain and storms, just as long as they aren't getting wet.

[pen-and-umbra.livejournal.com]

I'm not such a Slytherin fan as some, but I'd really like to know whether Rowling herself believes that the Slytherins are destined to be evil.

I've always wondered about that, too. I mean, JKR's totally abandoning the nature vs. nurture discussion to say that yes, by the age of eleven, people's destinies have been decided. They're going to be courageous heroes, Teh EbiL, ambitious bookworms, or lemmings. WTF?

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

Food choices

You quote [Harry] had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs. (92)

JKR goes to some trouble to have a multiculural wizarding society, without making a fuss about it, but from this list it seems that Hogwarts makes no concessions to people from non-English non-roast-meat-and-two-veg groups.

What would the Patil girls think of this menu? Su Li? Cho Chang? even Anthony Goldstein might be accustomed to ethnic food. Of course, Harry might only have picked out the stuff he's interested in and familiar with - it's likely the Dursleys never introduced him even to the most basic of curries from the local Indian caff, or to Chinese takeaway, never mind the better stuff the kids I mentioned probably got at home some of the time at least.

I hope the kids get some exercise beyond watching the favoured few play Quidditch, or they're all going to put on weight, if that's a normal meal (which it may not be; this is a special occasion).

Snape

[Percy:] '[T]hat's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to -- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape.' (94)

You say: Of course, this turns out to be true. I wonder how word got around. Students overheard teachers discussing it?

Considering what Sirius later had to say about Snape's Dark Arts knowledge as a boy starting school, it seems to me quite likely that the word would have got around through family connections, gossip over school generations. As for everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job, the Slytherins certainly seem to know, later, that Snape says he wants the DADA job. He's probably at least pretended to want it from the time he started teaching.

You also say I think it's plausible that Snape has taught for at least six years -- may even have been Head of House that long -- so his favoritism may have played a part in Slytherin's winningness. Dumbledore has to essentially cheat to hand Gryffindor the victory this year, so Slytherin are clearly doing _something_ to rack up the points.

I don't know that the Slytherins have to cheat or be especially favoured to get the cup several years in a row - doesn't it say somewhere that while Bill (or maybe Charlie) was on the Quidditch team the Gryffindors always won the cup? (I'm too lazy to look up the details.) If the lions can, why not the snakes?

The abysmal state of the arts in the wizarding world

'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!' (95)

You know what horrifies me about this? Not that Dumbledore clearly shares a lot of traits with Fred and George, happily encouraging anarchy, but that chamber music is listed as one of his interests. Sure thing.

You comment that the portraits are historical records. Similarly, the Great Hall ceiling is a copy of reality, not an imaginative exercise. I'm sure I've read recently someone's post about/referring to the possibility that having magic may in itself prevent the development of imagination and creativity in wizards, just as it limits and channels 'scientific' experiment.

[pauraque]

I didn't mean to imply that Slytherin have to cheat to win. In fact, what I said was that in this book, _Gryffindor_ have to cheat to win.

You have a point about the ceiling being representational. It could also be a tool for telling what the weather is before going outside.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've read recently someone's post about/referring to the possibility that having magic may in itself prevent the development of imagination and creativity in wizards, just as it limits and channels 'scientific' experiment.

Sounds very interesting! Do you have a link...?

[gmth.livejournal.com]

I think it's plausible that Snape has taught for at least six years ...

As of OotP he'd been teaching at Hogwarts for 14 years, so he was definitely there for Slytherin's run of the House Cup championships.

[pauraque]

Oops, that tidbit slipped through my brain. Pardon.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I think it's plausible that Snape has taught for at least six years -- may even have been Head of House that long -- so his favoritism may have played a part in Slytherin's winningness.

Given that he says he's been teaching for 14 years in OotP, at the beginning of PS he's been teaching for 9, though we don't know how long he's been Head of Slytherin. I'd bet for at least the last six years, as I think he'd make winning the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup a goal as soon as he became Head, just for the pleasure of taking something from Gryffindors.

That said, has Snape ever awarded anyone points? I can't believe that the Slytherin wins are all down to Snape favoring his house outrageously, so I tend to think the Slytherin students earned those awards -- though maybe they did so in fear of their new Head of House.

the conversation here quickly turns to who's Muggleborn and who's not. Even at the Gryffindor table, people are eager to know.

Family connections are enormously important in the Wizarding World, even among the nominally pro-Muggle. The kids are reflecting their parents attitudes for the most part.

I bet that Muggleborn students have a great disadvantage socially after school, as they only have their friendship network to fall back on, and not the familial connections that the halfblood and pureblood students do.

I'll bet Filch had to go through this same thing from birth to age eleven... except, for him, nothing ever came of it.

Makes you wonder if Squibs are rarer than Muggleborns because there are fewer of them born, or if fewer of them *survive*. It seems to be quite an embarrassment to have a Squib in the family (the Weasleys don't talk about the accountant cousin), and attempts to bring the magic out that they would be leathal for a non-magical child.

The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes -- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

I liked the movie staging for this one. Not only does Snape look past Quirrel to Harry, but Quirrel has the back of his head towards Harry -- in other words, Only-a-face!Voldemort is looking directly at Harry through the turban when his scar hurts.

Then again, maybe she was the one who wondered what this says about the state of wizarding music...

That was me! But not the school song parody -- I think that was ajhalluk

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

Makes you wonder if Squibs are rarer than Muggleborns because there are fewer of them born, or if fewer of them *survive*.

That was actually a plot point in a few of my fics.

[simply-schizoid.livejournal.com]

The portraits are historical records, but the ceiling is simply for beauty's sake...

Actually, the thing about art is that what most started out as. Historical records, I mean. Look at all the art in gothic cathedrals. It counts as a visual art because it is something someone wanted to communicate to others by using a medium such as a canvas and some paint.

Rather a far cry from the Hat's later suggestion that Helga took "the rest" -- the ones who weren't smart or brave or ambitious enough.

I feel like I'm the only one that disagrees with this interpretation. I think Hufflepuff is suppose to be the house for the students who value justice above courage, intelligence, and ambition. "The rest" could just mean "the rest" without negative implications.

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."

"The lot" doesn't refer to the Hufflepuffs only, but to all wizarding students if Helga had reign over the school. But once they created the Houses, she took on the ones that valued the same thing as herself.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

That line, "Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot/And treat them just the same." made me love Helga Hufflepuff. All Helga saw were students who needed teaching - it didn't matter their courage or background or ambition or even intelligence. And for that, she stood up to her three friends.

[fluffers.livejournal.com]

I think it's plausible that Snape has taught for at least six years -- may even have been Head of House that long -- so his favoritism may have played a part in Slytherin's winningness. Dumbledore has to essentially cheat to hand Gryffindor the victory this year, so Slytherin are clearly doing _something_ to rack up the points.

That said, has Snape ever awarded anyone points? I can't believe that the Slytherin wins are all down to Snape favoring his house outrageously, so I tend to think the Slytherin students earned those awards

I firmly believe the entire points system is a complete joke. It may have started off well enough, but it couldn't have been too long before teachers started playing preferences. There's nothing but your honor as a teacher to keep you honest when giving or taking points. I don't think we know if Snape ever *gives* points to Slytherin to help them win, but we certainly know he TAKES plenty points from at least Gryffindor, the main competition. He's probably the most obvious case of point-power abuse, but look at the way the teachers react after Harry's Quibbler interview comes out in OotP. Sprout gives Harry points for passing a watering can!


'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!' (95)

I enjoy this bit thoroughly because school songs are so BORING. At my high school, we used to have to sing ours on certain occasions. It's something nobody wants to do. It's a dull few minutes drudging through some very old lines that nobody really cares about set to some droning tune someone a hundred years ago thought was inspiring and proud. It would have been so much more entertaining had our principal, like Dumbledore, instructed us to all pick our own melody. I read this part as Dumbledore knowing how dull school songs are, saying 'who cares?' to the official tune and making it more fun.
I find it interesting that in this chapter, it seems as though this is a yearly tradition, yet in the following years (well, the ones that Harry makes it to the feast), we don't get so much as a "They sang the school song, and sat down."

Re:Neville's placement, I always feel that he would have very done well in Hufflepuff, but there must be something..'Gryffindor' in him, in a sufficient enough volume to really make the hat have to analyze deeply.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

I don't think we know if Snape ever *gives* points to Slytherin to help them win

Only one Slytherin in canon has ever recieved points. And that was Malfoy, from Umbridge, once.
Still, that doesn't preclude anyone doing it off-stage, so to speak.
Also, I agree - the point system seems fairly meaningless.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

_Are_ the Longbottoms poor?

They have political connections extending beyond those even of the Malfoy's, if you trust Neville in OotP. Of course, that doesn't indicate whether they have money or not, but I don't think they're broke, myself.

'[...]Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning [the House Championship]. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!'

What cracks me up is that everyone appears to support Gryffindor as the 'underdogs'. As opposed to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff who presumably haven't won for decades?

The hat also takes "a long time" to decide with Neville, but doesn't mention anyone else who gets the same treatment. Any thoughts?

Elkins has an essay on Neville's suitability for the other houses.
http://elkins.theennead.com/hp/archives/000121.html#top
Interestingly, Hermione's sorting doesn't mention a pause, but in OotP, she says the Hat was torn between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

I can't remember who pointed this out, but this is one of the few purely artistic uses of magic that we see.

There's apparently ballet, too, according to CoS. Unless that's a flint.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

First off, your icons are KILLING me. I keep spitting things on my keyboard! :)

Secondly, I think mint humbugs are round or nearly round mint-flavoured sweets that are extremely hard and you have to suck.

I don't think it's Snape making Harry's scar hurt here though. I think it's Voldemort. Remember, Quirrell has his back to Harry meaning that Voldemort is looking Harry's way. Or did you mean that and I've just misunderstood you.

I love the dream. I don't care that I don't really understand it, I think it's fabulous. It could just be there as an in-joke for JKR herself - I've been known to do this with stories of my own too. Or it COULD be more meaningful ... I hope to find out someday!

[pauraque]

I don't think it's Snape making Harry's scar hurt here though. I think it's Voldemort. Remember, Quirrell has his back to Harry meaning that Voldemort is looking Harry's way. Or did you mean that and I've just misunderstood you.

Yes, you misunderstood me. That was my point: It is obviously Voldemort, as intended, and there is no need to bring Snape's Legilimency into it (as people often do).

[starpaint.livejournal.com]

I don't think the discussion of who's Muggleborn and who's not is really sinister. To me, it sounds sort of like a basic conversation-starter - like asking someone how old they are, where they live, where they go to school (if they're still attending), the like. It's just background information, and it is a big part of their identity when they're starting Hogwarts. Has a lot to do with whether they'll be surprised by it all or not.

The laughs at "a nasty shock" aren't encouraging, though.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil[...] (88)

Rather a far cry from the Hat's later suggestion that Helga took "the rest" -- the ones who weren't smart or brave or ambitious enough. Hufflepuff gets a bum rap.

Nah, I really think it's more the fandom that gives Hufflepuffs a bum rap. First off, I rather like Hufflepuff's house defining virtues. I think it's really much easier to find people who are smart (or pretentious), brave (or vainglorious) and ambitious (or greedy) than it is to find people-- especially children!-- who are virtuous, honest, hard-working and self-effacing.

And second, Helga's decision to take "all the rest" of the children who couldn't get into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor or Slytherin seems to be treated with great respect by the Sorting Hat and the text. Helga seemed to be the only one among the 4 Founders of Hogwarts who was a real educator and protector-figure and all around grown-up. Unlike all the others, she just seemed to who want to do her best by the children-- instead of snatching the smartest/bravest/slyest up for her House to bring glory to herself. She might have take "all the rest," but she proved her own acceptance of those who weren't "the cream of the crop" by doing so.

Besides, the only people in the HPverse who openly view Hufflepuff as the duffers are Draco (considered ev0l and untrustworthy) and Hagrid (who is just... yeah.) I don't think their opinions really count for much!

Heh, sorry for the 'Puff rantage. I'm a Ravenclaw at mind, but I've always admired the Hufflepuff house.