Priori Incantatem

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 25856

Mike the G wrote:

>But the various bungles in the priori incantatem narrative seem (to me) 
>more
>like errors of haste and distraction than evidence of a shallow artistic
>vision.

I never went through the P.I. disillusionment because I read GoF in 
November, joined this list, said "what's up with James coming out first?" 
(bad newbie, didn't read the VFAQ before posting), and got the answer.  I 
admire everyone's ingenuity in coming up with explanations before the 
correction was made, but I still think the plot is best as it stands.

Likewise--

Kelly wrote:

>I don't think I understand what anyone expected to see to represent
these curses.

Hear, hear.  I just don't share the view that the missing spells during 
Priori Incantatem are Flints.  JKR is brilliant at being selective about 
detail, so she doesn't show everything, and this scene is unfolding very 
fast; would Harry recognize a repeated Imperius Curse if he saw it?  What 
would it look like/sound like, anyway?  The first AK against Harry is 
similarly abstract and might not produce any kind of noticeable echo (though 
a crying baby does seem likely and would be heart-wrenching).  And as for 
things like Wormtail starting the fire, maybe a flicker of echoed fire does 
emerge from V's wand; I think it would be a bit tedious of JKR to tell us 
this and every other single thing that came out.  She chooses a few vivid 
things, like the screams of Cruciatus victims and the very concrete silver 
hand, and that's enough in my view.

Steve wrote:

>I find the character of Molly to be a bit
>confusing. I really, really liked her until GF, but then her
>ridiculous snubbing of Hermione threw me. She is so easily twisted by
>the words of Rita Skeeter

I wouldn't call any of this a Flint, just careless characterization like 
others sprinkled through the books (e.g. Slytherin stereotype).  For me, the 
only part that was really hard to swallow was her sending Hermione the small 
egg.  *However,* we don't know that Molly is in the habit of sending 
Hermione gifts on a par with Ron and Harry's.  E.g., she doesn't make 
sweaters for Hermione, AFAWK.  Ron gets a big egg because he's her son, 
Harry gets one because he's Harry and she has a special soft spot for him, 
and Hermione doesn't get one for the same reason she doesn't get a 
sweater--it doesn't have to be a snub.  OK, I'm pushing it--the egg thing 
does seem a bit much to me.

The bit before the third task doesn't bother me, though.  Molly isn't nasty 
to Hermione, she's just a bit cool, and that seems very realistic.  Even 
when people know that a particular writer is rubbish, they are often 
influenced by what they read.  Molly seems like most people in that she is 
swayed by someone like Rita Skeeter unless RS happens to be writing about 
her own family--*then* she notices that RS is full of it.

Amy Z
desperate to rescue Steve from the pit of cynicism lest he retire from HPdom 
and leave us Lexiconless

-------------------------------------
"We don't send people to Azkaban
just for blowing up their aunts!"
     -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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