pauraque_bk | electoral schna

-The law requires that your employer give you adequate time off to vote. Some of my co-workers didn't know this, so I thought I'd pass it on.

-Fellow Californians, if you live in Alameda, Santa Clara, Orange, Napa, San Bernardino, Merced, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, or Riverside Counties, please note that you can insist on a paper ballot. (Thanks,

glitterdemon.)

-If you're not sure where your polling place is, MyPollingPlace.com will tell you. If you show up to vote at the right place and the staff say you're not registered, they are required to allow you to fill out a provisional ballot (except in Georgia, it looks like; I'm not sure what's up there.)

Yeah, I want Kerry to win. You know what I want more than that, though? I want every eligible person to vote, and every vote to be counted.

All right, all right, let's get on with it...

The theories on who actually wrote Harry's valentine proliferate apace in Chapter 13. Was it Snape? Lockhart? Dobby? Peeves? I notice that no one wanted to argue that it was actually Ginny.

CoS 14: Cornelius Fudge

[I]n March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in Greenhouse Three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.
'The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature,' she told Harry. (186)

Bwah! I love the running gag about the Mandrakes, another echo of the adolescence imagery.

Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what [classes] to choose. (186)

Poor Neville; that's a lot of pressure. It seems like he's the only kid in his extended family. He never talks about cousins, does he?

'Depends where you want to go, Harry,' [Percy] said. 'It's never too early to think about the future, so I'd recommend Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community[...]' (187)

Interesting advice from Percy... if he does end up a Death Eater, it won't be because he's got something against Muggles. He's taking a page from Arthur's book here.

Also, Divination? I guess that's just a cheap joke, because Divination as it's presented in PoA doesn't seem to be much use for anything.

'Harry -- I don't know who did it. I just found --'
Watching Harry fearfully, Neville pushed open the door.
The contents of Harry's trunk had been thrown everywhere[...] (187)

Poor Neville again. He's afraid of being blamed for trashing the dorm.

[After delivering her speech, McGonagall] climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole[...] (191)

This happened to remind me of the fact that McGonagall is almost never seen in the Gryffindor common room, unless she has to make a dire pronouncement of some sort. They're left unsupervised almost always.

Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.
'Percy's in shock,' George told Harry quietly. 'That Ravenclaw girl -- Penelope Clearwater -- she's a Prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a Prefect.' (191)

Awww! We don't know it here, but of course Penelope is Percy's girlfriend by PoA. Percy is so very sympathetic, this early on!

Harry had inherited just one thing from his father: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak. (192)

Er... well, that and the big bags of money. If I had to make something of this, it'd be that Harry doesn't care about money, doesn't think about it.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face to face, with him aiming a crossbow at them[...] (192)

These sentences are extremely awkward, but that's not why I'm pointing them out. A *crossbow*? What was he going to do, shoot Fudge when he showed up?

'For a short stretch only,' said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. 'Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology...'
'Not Azkaban?' croaked Hagrid. (194)

This is nothing short of outrageous. 1) They have nowhere to put suspects but the equivalent of a maximum-security prison with torture on the side, 2) *if* someone else is caught he'll be let out, and until then held without trial or solid evidence, 3) an APOLOGY? Yes, if I'd been wrongfully imprisoned and tortured, I'd be quite satisfied with an apology. o_O

It's possible Hagrid is treated this way because he isn't fully human, but I actually tend to think this is typical of the way the wizarding "justice system" works. It's about the way Sirius was treated -- he was held without trial or adequate evidence as well.

Mr Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black travelling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. (194)

ART: Lucius's pointless cameo (G) by brianna garcia. Just click.

[Lucius:] 'But as all twelve of us have voted...' [...]
'An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?' [Hagrid] roared. (195)

Right on, Hagrid! He certainly has Lucius's number... he reacts with anger before Lucius has even done anything, yelling at him to get out of his house (194). They could have a history going back to Lucius's student days.

'However,' said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly, so that none of them could miss a word, ' you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.' (195)

Oy, this again. Dumbledore *really* wants Harry to pull the loyalty trick at the end, and there appears to be no doubt in his mind that it will be necessary. And what if Harry hadn't passed the test?

Past re-read posts are here.