Poetry meme :: CoS 8
Oct. 15th, 2004 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraque_bkOnce, I knew a fine song,
-- It is true, believe me --
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket,
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, "Come back, little thoughts!"
But they only laughed.
They flew on
Until they were as sand
Thrown between me and the sky.
-from 'The Black Riders and Other Lines', Stephen Crane.
When you see this, post some poetry in your journal.
*
CoS 8: The Deathday Party
This one is a bit more interesting than the last few chapters, I have to say. We did have some good fun in Chapter 7, though, debunking BigDumbSlytherin!Marcus, and reflecting further on who will teach DADA in the last two books, and why.
Nick being kept out of the Headless Hunt echoes the theme of wizarding classism, I think; even when you're dead, there's a social order, and those who aren't up to snuff are mocked (104) and excluded. The fact that it's presented jokingly here implies the absurdity of other prejudices.
Filch isn't one we'd expect to be a mouthpiece for Salazar's ideas, but he's certainly internalized the shame of being a Squib, of not being good enough (pure enough?), not being as good as the wizards around him.
I love Filch as a character. It's amazing he manages to make these children fear him, when in a real fight he'd be at their mercy. He hates them, yet yearns to be one of them. Needs to maintain control and order at Hogwarts -- to have a stake in the magical world the only way he can.
Past re-read posts are here.
-- It is true, believe me --
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket,
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, "Come back, little thoughts!"
But they only laughed.
They flew on
Until they were as sand
Thrown between me and the sky.
-from 'The Black Riders and Other Lines', Stephen Crane.
When you see this, post some poetry in your journal.
*
CoS 8: The Deathday Party
This one is a bit more interesting than the last few chapters, I have to say. We did have some good fun in Chapter 7, though, debunking BigDumbSlytherin!Marcus, and reflecting further on who will teach DADA in the last two books, and why.
Ginny Weasley, who had been looking peaky, was bullied into taking some [Pepperup Potion] by Percy. (94)Percy's a good kid in this chapter, watching out for his sister and chastising F&G for the Salamander incident.
'You look troubled, young Potter,' said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet. (95)I'm very amused that ghosts send ghostly letters. I'll leave it up to someone else to figure out where ghost paper comes from. (You see, when a tree is chopped down, but feels it has unfinished business here on earth...)
It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfil our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore (95)A relative of Sturgis Podmore, perhaps!
Nick being kept out of the Headless Hunt echoes the theme of wizarding classism, I think; even when you're dead, there's a social order, and those who aren't up to snuff are mocked (104) and excluded. The fact that it's presented jokingly here implies the absurdity of other prejudices.
'Filth!' [Filch] shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. 'Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you![...]' (96)Hard not to hear an echo of the idea of dirty blood, muddying wizarding society.
Filch isn't one we'd expect to be a mouthpiece for Salazar's ideas, but he's certainly internalized the shame of being a Squib, of not being good enough (pure enough?), not being as good as the wizards around him.
I love Filch as a character. It's amazing he manages to make these children fear him, when in a real fight he'd be at their mercy. He hates them, yet yearns to be one of them. Needs to maintain control and order at Hogwarts -- to have a stake in the magical world the only way he can.
Madam Z. Nettles of TopshamThese are from the Kwikspell testimonials. "Warlock" is used as a title here, parallel to "Madam". Of course, these folks are not very powerful/educated wizards, adding credence to the idea that a warlock is a low-class magic user (despite Dumbledore's -- possibly archaic -- title).
[...]
Warlock D.J. Prod of Didsbury (98)
'Well, this Hallowe'en will be my five hundredth deathday,' said Nearly Headless Nick[...] (99)Making this 31 Oct 1992.
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
died 31st October, 1492 (102)
[...]or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster Firework to a Salamander. Fred had 'rescued' the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.I had misremembered this passage; I'd thought Harry was amused by the poor animal's fate, but now I see it doesn't have to be read that way. Good for Harry. Fred and George aren't off the hook, though; Salamanders may live in fire, but you can't tell me it's not irresponsible to feed even magic animals explosives.
Harry was on the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the Salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round to room. The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the Salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind. (100)
'Oh no,' said Hermione, stopping abruptly. 'Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle--' (101)I like that Myrtle is given somewhere to be on this night, offering Ginny and Tom the opportunity to open the gateway to the Chamber (in Myrtyle's loo) with no witnesses.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. (106)
Something was shining on the wall ahead. [...] Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. (105-106)The film seems to have that Ginny wrote the words in blood (or red paint, at least), but the book gives no such specifics. That always bugged me about the movie, too... where would Ginny come up with a bucket of blood?
Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. (106)Mrs Norris had nothing to do with this; she just happened to be there and caught the basilik's reflection. So why hang her on the wall? What's the message Tom's trying to send? Something against Filch, a Squib?
'Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!'Whoa. With a reaction like that, no wonder Harry suspects him.
It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat. (106)
Past re-read posts are here.
