CoS - Snape - Lockhart - Fletcher

[homanm at umich.edu]

No: HPFGUIDX 27544

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., vheggie at y... wrote:
> In defence of CoS:
> What I really enjoy about the series, and it's something I was
> not expecting from a series of children's books, is the
> complexity of
> the plotting.  Small details that come up as incidentals in early 
> chapters, or early books, take on a new significance in later 
> stories
 Having said all that, I think CoS is my least favourite of all the 
> books
but that doesn't mean I `dislike' it
One
> thing that really 
> disturbed me about it was the poor Mandrakes!  Anyone want to guess 
> what horrible fate awaited them when they were made into a potion?

Oh!  I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who worried about 
the Mandrakes.  It seems a bit sick to make potions out of them, when 
they look and act like people (throwing parties, etc).  That said, 
CoS is my least favorite of the four books as well, and I'm not 
really sure why.  The ending confrontation in the Chamber is just as 
pyrotechnic as the climax in the Shack at the end of PoA (my favorite 
of the three), or maybe even more so.  But the thing is, I think the 
reader is more emotionally invested in the end of PoA.  The 
revelations about the fates of the mauraders, betrayed by one of 
their own, resonates with us because they're talking about the 
betrayal of the protagonist's father.  If Pettigrew hadn't betrayed 
the Potters, Harry wouldn't have spent his childhood in a closet, 
performing slave labor for his nasty family.  CoS, on the other hand, 
has a really big snake and all, but we know that Harry isn't going to 
die (we're not so sure about Pettigrew and/or Sirius at the end of 
PoA).  And let's face it, are we really very emotionally invested in 
whether or not Justin Finch-Fletchley and Penelope Clearwater are un-
petrified?  Especially when we know that the potion to fix them up is 
in the works?  I think CoS was basically a continuation of SS--JKR 
used the first two books to fill in backstory for her universe, so 
then in the third book and on she could begin dealing with the 
Voldemort conflict.  JKR has said in a few interviews that I've read 
(I'm not sure which ones) that CoS is her favorite of the four so 
far, because it was the hardest to write.  It's interesting, I think, 
that the least favorite of many listmembers is the favorite of the 
author.

> 
> In defence of Lockhart:
> Why Lockhart?  Dumbledore is not omniscient – Lockhart has
> published several very good books, is well received in many 
quarters, 
> is popular and famous for being a superb champion against the Dark 
> Arts.  Why on earth wouldn't Dumbledore want him as a teacher? 
> He would probably interview really well for the job, and he 
certainly 
> has a good CV. 

When Lockhart gets hit with his own memory charm, though, Dumbledore 
says to him something like, "Impaled on your own sword, Gilderoy?"  
This implies to me that Dumbledore was perfectly aware that Lockhart 
was a fake, and hired him anyway.


> And finally

> 
> Mundungus Fletcher.  > My latin dictionary offers no real leads – 
does anyone have any
> pet theories? For some reason I find Mr Fletcher oddly
> compelling
.

I don't know about there being a pirate named Fletcher, but Mundungus 
certainly sounds like an interesting person to be around, what with 
camping out at the World Cup under a cloak raised on sticks and 
breaking the laws about misuse of muggle artifacts.  If you like 
fanfic, you might want to check out Irina's "The Rebirth" on 
schnoogle and fanfiction.net.  Mundungus's son Michael, a Ravenclaw 
in Ginny's year, is a main character in the fic, and the kid has some 
interesting baggage from being raised by Mundungus.  Plus, it's a 
really good story!

Meg