Still-Life With Memory Charm

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 36829

OK, everybody gather around me.  Squeeze in close now so you can 
hear.  Can everyone see?  Good.

If you will look over to your left, you will see that you are 
standing before one of the most impressive works of Still Life in the 
museum's collection.  Go on, have a good look, but please don't 
touch.  And no flash photography, please.  

One of the interesting things about this piece is that not much is 
known about the artist.  She normally doesn't work in this medium, 
preferring spray paint in lurid colors.  I understand that she has 
quite a flair for seashells, but most of her work has involved ocean 
scenes.  And feathers.  Lots of feathers.  

I see a hand in the back.  You have a question, Mr. Malfoy?

No, no, no Mr. Malfoy.  You cannot buy this one, either.  It is *not* 
for sale.  Please stop asking me that.

Yes, Mr. Pettigrew?  

Good heavens!  Oh, I see.  Uh, well, I'm not sure how to answer that, 
because, well, no one has ever asked about it before, to tell you the 
truth.  Um, well, I've heard she is a rather sensitive and fragile 
artist, but no, she hasn't actually severed any body parts, so far as 
we know.

***********

Still Life With Memory Charm.  There's just so much good stuff here 
that it's hard to know where to begin.  Maybe I can quickly weigh in 
on a few random points and throw out a Big and Bangy wild new theory.

Elkins:

> But as to the Memory Charm Theory itself, I wouldn't say that I 
> consider it "obvious."  It did occur to me as a possibility when I 
> read GoF for the first time, and upon second reading, as I observed 
> in a more analytical fashion the specific things that had *led* me 
>to 
> consider it, I did indeed find myself suspecting that the author 
> might have deliberately designed the text to draw the reader to 
>this 
> conclusion.

Hmmm.  I've repeatedly insulted Memory Charm Neville by calling him 
Obvious.  I guess I should clarify.  I didn't mean that he would be 
obvious to someone on a first read.  If truth be told, I never 
considered the possibility until, um, the alert folks on this board 
pointed it out.

I think what I mean is that Memory Charm Neville as he is generally 
depicted on the list might be too obvious *for JKR*.  In other words, 
it might not fit with the way JKR has handled foreshadowing and 
misdirection in the books so far.  Or, at least, it is something 
worth analyzing, I think.

At this point, let me just offer up a disclaimer.  Literary analysis 
of foreshadowing is hardly my long suit.  However, Luke wrote a 
dynamite analysis of foreshadowing (focusing on the Grim) a few 
months back (Message 25,463).  It inspired what I'm about to say, so 
don't for a minute think I came up with all of it.  And if I am about 
to misconstrue what Luke wrote, I apologize in advance.  

There are several examples of foreshadowing of big plot twists in the 
series, of course.  They include the Grim, the Time Turner, Pettigrew 
as Scabbers, and Fake Moody.  There are others, but I'll just look at 
these.

With the Grim, JKR introduces the concept of the Grim early on in PoA 
and keeps coming back to it.  Characters debate its meaning, and 
there's nothing subtle about how the Grim is handled.  It is right in 
our faces.  But the Sirius-as-dog-as-Grim plot twist depends on the 
introduction of animagi, which is done subtly.  We are told that 
McGonagall is an animagus, and that is the extent of it.  So JKR 
plays up the mystery (the Grim), and underplays the actual mechanism 
of the plot twist (animagi).

With the Time Turner, JKR gives us the clues and story questions of 
how Hermione is getting to her classes -- indeed, the reader is 
beaten with them.  We know something is going on, but we have no idea 
that it is time travel.  The Time Turner is never mentioned at all 
until Hermione reveals it at the end.  In this case, JKR plays up the 
mystery, but doesn't reveal the actual mechanism of the plot twist 
(the Time Turner) until the last moment.

With Pettigrew, JKR does nothing more than introduce the fact that 
Scabbers exists.  She gives a few dry facts about him (his finger, 
his longevity), but she doesn't have Scabbers do much out of the 
ordinary until he is revealed to be Pettigrew.  So JKR underplays the 
mystery related to Scabbers, and as we saw with the Grim, she also 
underplays the actual mechanism of the plot twist (animagi).

With polyjuiced Fake Moody, JKR gives an unimportant scene in CoS 
(Harry and Ron using polyjuice potion), which never factors into the 
books again until it is the cornerstone of the Fake Moody plot 
twist.  There were a few story questions raised about Fake Moody, but 
again JKR underplayed the actual mechanism of the plot twist 
(polyjuice potion).

And now we come to Neville. 

Elkins:

> I do, however, find it highly suggestive that to date every single 
> one of the novels has drawn the reader's attention to the use 
and/or 
> abuse of memory charms.  

<snip examples of memory charms in canon>

Yes, there is a lot of talk about memory charms, which is kind of odd 
when you think about it.  I mean, we have a fantasy tale about a boy 
wizard, yet this memory charm business is coming up.  Over and over 
and over we hear talk about memory charms, but we never see one 
become really pivotal in a big plot twist.  

Oh, sure, there's the Lockhart bit.  I'm no CoS expert, but I think 
that story would have worked if Lockhart had not blasted himself with 
a memory charm.  It was an interesting touch, but hardly pivotal, 
IIRC.

Like Elkins (and most others, I suspect), I think that *something* is 
going on with the memory charms.  Memory charms are getting more 
foreshadowing throughout the series than polyjuice potion, animagi 
and the Grim ever did.  Memory charms clues are being treated like 
the Time Turner clues, really, as far as how frequently JKR uses 
them.  It makes me wonder if we are going to see something Huge come 
at us from left field at a pivotal moment -- like the Time Turner.

So I don't see how we are going to get a plot line that says 
simply "Neville has a memory charm, and he becomes a capable wizard 
when the charm wears off or is broken."  Perhaps Neville will have a 
charm of some sort, and when he overcomes it, he will recall 
something Big (or for the Reverse Memory Charm believers) or find the 
courage to act on something Big.  More on that below.

Elkins asked (musing about possible Memory Charm revelations):

> So does anyone else 
> have some other possibility they would like to suggest?

::raises hand::

Oooh!  Oooh!  Pick me!  Pick me!

Moody.  It just plain *has* to have something to do with Moody.  It 
just *has* to.  JKR has said Moody will be in Book 5 and will be even 
more cool, or words to that effect.  Isn't it possible that Real 
Moody is – geez, I can't even bring myself to say it – Supremely Evil 
To The Core?  Good heavens, wouldn't it be *dreadful* if Moody, 
Dumbledore's old trusted friend, is a wicked DE and kills Dumbledore 
in OoP, fooling Dumbledore and the reader not once but twice?

Elkins, what's happening?  They're all *laughing* at me.  Oh, I know 
what they're thinking.  Good Heavens Woman, they are all muttering, 
how could Moody be a dark wizard, for cryin' out loud?  The *whole 
plot* of GoF doesn't make sense if Moody is a DE, they howl.  
Voldemort hatches a plan to kidnap Moody and assume his identity, and 
Voldemort wouldn't do that if Moody was a DE, everyone wails.  Not 
even Voldemort is so dumb that he doesn't know who is on his own 
team, everyone shrieks.

Well, hold it down so I can explain.  Let's make Moody an auror but 
also a DE back before Voldemort fell.  Moody is a spy for Voldemort, 
but Voldemort does not know this.  The reason Voldemort does not know 
this is Rookwood.  Rookwood, from the Department of Mysteries, has 
decided to launch a little deep cover side operation unbeknownst to 
Voldemort.  He recruits Moody to be a DE, and Moody continues his 
auror function, but is really working for Voldemort.  

Canon?  Oh, loads of it, and this is where the fun starts.  What does 
JKR have Moody do when Karkaroff fingers Rookwood in the Pensieve?  
Nothing.  Not a word.  Not a glare.  Not a gasp.  Rookwood is Big 
news in the Pensieve, and Moody has no reaction at all.  Oh, Moody 
has a reaction to lots of others Karkaroff names – that Moody just 
won't shut up in the Pensieve scene.  He reacts to Karkaroff, 
Dolohov, Rosier, Bagman, Snape.  It is not until Karkaroff fingers 
Rookwood that Moody suddenly goes quiet.

And look at Moody's dialogue.  Karkaroff is *helping* the Ministry in 
the Pensieve, isn't he?  Moody should be pleased to have the chance 
to bring down more evil DEs, right?  Yet Moody is unbelievably 
hostile to Karkaroff's efforts.  And get this:  when Karkaroff 
mentions that the DEs don't know each other, Moody says, "Which was a 
wise move, wasn't it, as it prevented someone like you, Karkaroff, 
from turning all of them in."  Oooh, that is chilling if Moody is a 
DE, isn't it?

Also, Moody's double-agent role is why Moody has that curious policy 
of not killing DEs unless he could help it.  No, Moody doesn't want 
to kill DEs, because he is on their team.  Bringing them in alive to 
let them talk their way out of Azkaban is better, you see.  He had to 
kill Rosier because Rosier was . . . well, crazy, you see.  Rosier 
didn't get the memo about surrendering, going to Azkaban and claiming 
Imperius.  Rosier was playing the hero, so Moody had no choice.

And no wild theory would be complete without a nod to the Snapefans.  
Snape is intimidated by Moody.  That is because Snape is getting a 
weird vibe from Moody.  Snape trusts his instincts about Lupin and 
Black.  But Moody?  Snape's sixth sense tells him something is wrong 
about Moody.  Something dangerously wrong.

Now, how am I going to tie this into the memory charm thing?  Well, 
Neville *saw* Moody do something the night Neville's parents were 
tortured.  Something that would blow Moody's cover if it came to 
light.  It might not necessarily be Big.  Maybe just some evidence 
destruction or some such.  I'm not sure.  

But whatever Neville sees Moody do, Moody has a Big problem now.  He 
can't kill Neville, because it would be too weird for the 
perpetrators to kill the toddler and leave the parents alive.  Also, 
Moody is worried that killing Neville will cause MoM to do an 
investigation, and Moody would hate for Neville's shadow to come 
crawling out of Moody's wand.  So Moody does a ::gulp:: Memory 
Charm.  And a big one, too, much bigger than is really needed.  Moody 
isn't taking any chances.

Mrs. Lestrange and her crew are apprehended, with Moody tracking them 
down.  Moody tries to bring Mrs. Lestrange in, and she didn't get the 
memo, either.  Or she got the memo, and figures there is no way she 
is ever claiming she did anything because of some namby pamby 
Imperius curse.  Mrs. Lestrange is Proud and Tough.  As I've said 
before, Mrs. Lestrange costs Moody his eye and leg before she is 
apprehended.  

Time passes, and Moody figures he is a lucky man (except for the leg 
and eye part).  He gets to be a famous auror and live a quiet 
retirement, and hardly anyone knows he was a secret DE.  Except 
Rookwood who is in Azkaban, and Rookwood isn't talking.  

Or is he?  Moody doesn't know what Rookwood is mumbling about in his 
sleep.  This makes Moody more than a little bit jumpy and paranoid.  
He never knows if the next knock on the door is the pizza delivery 
man or a disgruntled psycho DE bearing a grudge against DEs who got 
off.  

So in GoF, we have Voldemort, Pettigrew and Crouch Jr. overpowering 
Real Moody, not knowing that he is a DE.  Savor the irony there!  
Crouch Jr. keeps Moody alive and questions him, but never puts the 
right question to Moody:  "By the way, are you a DE just like me?"  
It just never comes up.

Eh, so does that work?

Elkins:

>Tell 
> me, memory charm fans: what do *you* see as the narrative function 
of 
> this plotline?  What do you imagine its thematic purpose to be?  
What
> do you perceive as the thematic relevance of issues of memory, 
> remembrance, and the past to the story as a whole?

Come again?  Uh, maybe I had better go read everyone else's thoughts 
on this and get back to you on that bit.  :-)

*********

All right, everyone.  We've been here long enough.  We need to give 
others a chance.  The hovercraft will meet us at the dock in just a 
few minutes, and the Captain doesn't wish to be kept waiting.  Come 
right this way.

Yes, Mr. Avery?  Don't mumble, man, speak up.  I can't hear a word 
you're saying.  

Did everyone catch that?  Mr. Avery wants to know about that 
sculpture in the corner.  <squints at small dusty placard>  Oh, yes.  
I've heard of this.  It's called ToadKeeper, and it is the work of 
some obscure local artist.  It's quite unusual, really.  It appears 
to be full of holes, which you don't see very often in the better 
pieces.  

No, Mr. Avery, just leave it there, trust me.  It looks even worse 
when your bring it out into the light.  It's on loan to the museum, 
but the truth is that no one really wants it.  I think I'll speak to 
the curator about donating it to the local scrap yard.

*********

Cindy