TBAY: Weasley Predisposition To Imperius?

Fri Oct 18 07:43:56 UTC 2002

No: HPFGUIDX 45512

I asked for it, didn’t I?...I can’t believe I’m really going to do this....

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Lilac, flanked by her two fellow filkers, Nicole and Gail, notice a lady across the sand as they stand right at the waters edge of Theory Bay, letting the water lap over their toes. This lady looks a little bit like one of those people on the bus who talk to themselves non-stop, but when Lilac sees the hesitant wave and the kindly smile, she is reminded of someone, but it takes her a moment to realize who...

"...Dumbledore..." Lilac mutters.

"What?" questions Gail, looking up from her parchment, her large peacock quill pausing mid-sentence. She is looking quite smashing in her lilac colored Minstrel outfit. 

"She reminds me of Dumbledore. Very brilliant, but also a bit mad. I can see it in her eyes." says Lilac, staring at the lady.

"Is that who I think it is?" asks Nicole, who has her hand-held-computer in one hand, a _Beauty and the Beast_ book in the other, and is wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears at a jaunty angle. Her mouth is still open in a gesture of mild shock.

The next moment, Nicole and Lilac look at each other and at the same time say, "ELKINS!" 

"That's Elkins? Wow!" gasps Gail. She takes a pause, then goes on. "Okay, Lilac, we're here, but *you* do all the talking, got it? I told you that I don't mind visiting Theory Bay, but I just want to find a nice little raft that I can float on as I’m writing filks. I’m almost finished with this "Seventh Son" filk, but I'll be here for moral support. Okay?"

"Okee dokee, cow pokee!" Lilac responds. "But seriously..."

"Don't you mean 'Siriusly'?" Nicole asks as she raises an eyebrow.

"Of course I did, I never tire from that bad pun...but 'Siriusly', I *had* to bring you both here because I can't take all the credit for the CONNIVING CHICK'S REVENGE theory. Nicole came up with the acronym and you made the filk for it. I think we're the only ones in the world that consider it viable and a little bit "bangy". But, you're right, it's only fair I do the talking here. I'm the one that started it all by sending that message about wanting to go to Theory bay. That's why Elkins wants to talk to me, I suspect. I just want you there when we talk about our ever-so-evil Cho theory." 

"...Elkins...she complimented me on one of my acronyms once...the evil sorting hat theory...SHINING Sorting Hat Is Neither Innocent Nor Good..." Nicole whispers, still a little star-struck. She suddenly looks at Lilac with a big smile on her face and says quite loudly, "This is so cool to meet her in person!"

"I know. I'm a little nervous about it myself. She's brilliant, and I just write filks. Those TBAY writers intimidate me because they all sound like they have Ph D's...and they probably do." Lilac plucks up her courage and squares her shoulders. "Okay... here goes nothing..."

Lilac starts towards Elkins, Nicole and Gail letting her lead the way. 

"You must be Elkins, correct?" Lilac asks. 

"Did you bring your balalaika, or the theorbo?" Elkins asks with a kindly smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"My bala-what or my theor-who?" Lilac asks back, her face showing her confusion. *Sounds like Dumbledore's nonsense words...* she thinks to herself.

"I just love Shakespeare references!" Gail pipes up.

"Good girl! Someone who knows her Bard. However, your "leader" here with the water wings seems to have no clue whatsoever... well, no matter... let's get to it, shall we?" Elkins gets up, dusts the sand off of her knees, and faces the three newcomers.

"Um..well, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Lilac, and this is Gail and Nicole. I asked them to be here with me, I hope you don't mind. So, er...you wanted to speak with me, correct?"

"Correct. You had some comments about the Imperius!Arthur that Veronica mentioned to me and I think you had some...how shall I put it...'interesting' ideas about some things."

Lilac's heart sank just a little. She'd owled TBAY a few days ago with some off-the-top-of-her-head musings that might help Veronica get her Trimaran water-tight. *Dang it!* she thought. *I should have thought those things out a little bit more thoroughly before I sent them. I know they like their can(n)ons in TBAY...*

"Okay, sure. Where shall we go to talk?"

"Let's just stroll on the promenade." She gestures them forward while muttering under her breath "Of course, they want to visit when a hurricane is coming..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you...what did you say?" Lilac asks.

"Nothing...nothing at all. Right then. You know that comment about Arthur passing bits of Imperio on to Ron and Ginny?"

*Uh, oh, here it comes...* "Yes?"

"A moot point, really. There's not that much difference between a genetic magical predisposition and an ‘environmental’ one that nonetheless has an inescapable and quasi-somatic effect on children. It comes to exactly the same thing, doesn't it?" 

"Um...yes?" Lilac responds with what she hopes is the right answer. *Man, she uses really big words. I'm too used to small, monosyllabic words that my two year old can understand...* 

"In either case, you're still talking about a predisposition which is beyond the individual's control and not even strictly speaking a matter of ‘nurture,’ or of upbringing. It's still a heritable condition, even if it is not genetically determined. Even in the real world, many of the things that we believe to be "heritable" are now believed to be not *strictly* genetically determined, but also largely a matter of somatic environmental factors, like parental hormonal balance and body chemistry and the like. So I don't know if I think that."

Elkins continues, "I think that the text emphasizes quite strongly the notion that it is what one chooses to *do* with ones particular talents that matters the most. I don't think that the text anywhere implies that heritable conditions do not exist, or that heredity does not play a significant role when it comes to the particular talents and weaknesses that one has to work with."

"Oh, yes, I agree with you completely. The famous Dumbledore speech in COS that our choices matter more than our abilities. 

"Right you are. But think about this...would it damage the books on the thematic level, if it were to emerge that some people are more vulnerable to the Imperius Curse than others for reasons other than inherent weakness of will?"

"No, I wouldn't think so...it would be just like real life, wouldn't it? We're all blessed with different talents and weaknesses, and part of the purpose, I think, in being on this earth is to develop our talents and to overcome our weakness to the best of our abilities."

"Well, that's part of it, but you're right in saying that's real life. Here's my point: If I had to pick the one thing that I think that JKR does the very *best* in these books, I would probably cite the clear-eyed yet compassionate approach she takes to that one fundamentally unpalatable truth: Life Just *Isn't* Fair."

"That’s true." *Wow, she's good.* 

"Thematic consistency, Jo! Thematic consistency! For God's sake, is 
it really all that much to ask?"

*Okay...a little bit of a Moody moment there. Don’t know what that was all about. She's mad, but she's bloody brilliant.* Lilac finally lets go of the bench now that the ground has stopped shaking.

"Oh, well. I guess that we really can't complain too much about the fault line, can we? After all, if it weren't for that little quirk of geology, then this Bay wouldn't even exist." Elkins gives them a lopsided smile.

"Right. Of course..." *What is she talking about?...* 

"Now, onto the second bit. Could Lucius have targeted Ginny in part because he knew that she would be unusually vulnerable to the Diary's effects?"

"Oh, yes, I did ask something to that effect." 

"Well, I've always found myself curious about Lucius' plans for that Diary, actually. The timing of his slipping it to Ginny always seems to suggest to me that it was actually a spur of the moment decision, that Lucius was inspired by seeing the Weasleys there in the shop (not to mention by his brawl with Arthur and his irritation with the recent raids on his manor), and that he acted on that sudden impulse."

"So you think Ginny wasn't the original target?"

"I think that he meant to give it to Harry. From the very start, it is *Harry* Dobby identifies as particularly endangered by the Diary plot, and it is Harry Dobby tries to keep away from Hogwarts by any means possible. Lucius also might well have suspected that Harry might have inherited Voldemort's Parseltongue talent..."

"Inherited? Or was it passed along from the AK? Oh, wait...we talked about that being a moot point. Sorry...I'm a little slow on the uptake. Please go on..."

Elkins pauses a moment longer, probably to help Lilac feel a little silly for interrupting her. She gives her a patronizing smile and then continues. "My feeling is that Harry was the intended recipient for the Diary, and that Lucius changed his plan at the last minute out of pure malice and spite. Of course, that doesn't mean that he couldn't have known all about Arthur's tangle with Imperius, or even suspected that Arthur's children might be vulnerable. But I don't think that Ginny was his original choice to serve as the conveyor of Riddle's Diary to Hogwarts."

"That does make a lot a sense, Elkins. I really must apologize for sending that owl to Veronica so quickly without thinking things through..."

"Nonsense. These are things you need to know. I’ve been at Theory Bay much longer than you...much longer than I care to remember. I know how much you've wanted to visit here, but you still have much to learn. Yes, indeed, so very much to learn..."

"Right. Thanks for taking the time..."

"Oh, we're not quite done! Remember the last bit...let me see if I can remember your direct quote...'Could this also be the reason why Moody *does not* tell Ron he would make a good Auror? Because it's difficult for Ron to even overcome the after effects of the Imperius? ' "

"That's exactly what I said. Let’s hear what you think."

"Of course you will. I suppose that Crouch/Moody's comments *do* usually have more 
than one meaning, so it's possible that that was indeed the "Moody meaning," if you see what I mean."

"OHMYGOSH! When I wrote that, I totally forgot that it was Crouch/Moody! I was thinking that it was the actual Moody, because Veronica was mentioning how he might be involved with Arthur's Imperius past. Oh, I feel like an idiot..." Lilac feels a dull blush creep up her face. *Oh, great, now my adolescent blushing decides to reinstate itself in front of Elkins.*

"Don't get your knickers in a knot! You have much yet to learn, so it's okay that you forgot that pretty important plot element. That is to say...it's okay _this_ time."

*Gulp* "_This_ time?..."

"As for the *Crouch* meaning," Elkins continues, ignoring Lilac's last comment. "I've always been extremely partial to Charis Julia's analysis of Crouch's evaluation of the Trio's Auror talents -- so partial, in fact, that I've been seething with envy over it for *months* now. I wish that I had written it myself. I'd paraphrase it for you, but I couldn't possibly do it 
justice, so let me just give it to you..." 

She fumbles around in her pockets until she pulls out a well-worn parchment. She takes off the ribbon and unrolls the two foot long paper. Lilac notices spots where the ink has bled because the paper had been exposed to drops of some kind of liquid. *Drool, perhaps?* 

Lilac starts reading. Nicole and Gail peer over both of her shoulders to read the Elkin's beloved text.

<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/39064>

Elkins waits for them to finish reading. "That's my favored interpretation. I also think that Crouch was trying to stir up trouble by refusing to give Ron the stroking he so obviously wanted there. He hoped to make Ron feel inadequate, and to set off his envy. He was being cruel."
Lilac hands the parchment roll back as Elkins continues. "But it is true that Crouch's statements almost always carry two separate meanings. They can usually be read at face value as well as at the second level. So perhaps Real!Moody genuinely *would* have passed on advising Ron to consider a career as an Auror. Because of the Imperius? Could be."

"That would mean that Crouch Jr. had to know about Imperio!Arthur as well, correct? Maybe he was one of the Death Eaters involved?"

"You could say that. But that is another topic for another day. So," Elkins claps her hands and rubs them together eagerly. "You’re off for a dip in TBAY?"

"Wait! One more thing...Can you help us get to Captain Veronica's Trimaran? I don't even know what a trimaran looks like...

"It's that one with the three masts. Like the three unforgiveables. It's rocking a bit because she is letting the Operative!Arthur people have berths, even though they spend half of their time picking on the Auror!Arthur brigade and the other half trying to scuttle the trimaran altogether. She's a regular old Dumbledore, is Captain Veronica."

"What, you mean mad like Dumbledore?"

"No, you silly, I mean accepting of all people like Dumbledore. You don't think he's really mad, do you. DO YOU???"

"No, no, not at all." Lilac hopes her smile looks genuine. 

"Good then. There should be plenty of room for you Seventh Son adherents..."

"Did you say Seventh Son? Funny you should mention that. Listen to this..." Gail clears her throat and starts singing her newest filk. The other three all listen, clearly impressed. 

<snip>

<Now Arthur against his own will 

Killed his third born son 

They say they have the canon to back it up 

But wait, I've just begun> <snip>

"Well done, Gail, well done! I like that bit about Arthur's unwilling filicitide. That's the only way I like the Seventh Son theory myself. Oh, and do make sure you try the Pina Coladas. They're excellent. Well, I'm off..."

"Elkins?" Nicole speaks up. "We wanted to ask you a few questions about our CONNIVING CHICK’S REVENGE theory and Lilac’s FAT CHANCE AT BALL theory. For instance, where do these acronyms belong?" Nicole points to the lifejackets and Lilac's water wings. "On the Big Bang, or somewhere else?"

*Oh, that's right. Duh. The reason I brought my friends here. Good thing Nicole remembered to ask her. Smart one, she is.*

"Water wings, eh? You must have young children, Lilac. Like I said, that is for another discussion at another time. I really must get back to my office back over where we found each other. Goodbye!"

Elkins starts going back to the spot of the sand she was sitting in, where there is no visible office in sight. "Hey, she's humming that song, Gail. I think she really liked it."

"Thanks Lilac. I really want to find a nice little raft soon for my relaxing float. I don’t need to visit the trimaran because I’ve done my research on the Seventh Son stuff all ready. Come visit me when you’re done doing...um...whatever you’re going to do."

"I heard Veronica has a cabin boy that looks a little like Sirius Black!" Nicole winks at Lilac and they both start giggling like fourteen-year-olds.

"Nah. Give me Snape any day. Oh, and one more thing, Lilac dearie..."

"Yes, Gail?"

"Next time you write a TBAY, do not, I repeat, DO NOT dress me in Lockhart's favorite color! Or give me his stupid, overly-large peacock quill. You know I despise the man!"(1)

"I know...that's why I did it. I just couldn't help myself! But don’t worry...this may be my *only* visit. This is way out of my comfort zone!" The three filkers, whom Gail has unnofficially dubbed "Coriolan’s Angles", start wading into Theory Bay.

~Lilac, who must apologize profusely for this post because it had my comments to Elkins last post within it, but had lots of very much OT stuff in it as well. She hopes that the mods are forgiving to those who post their first (and probably last) TBAY. 

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Anything pertaining to Gail or Nicole was taken from off-list personal email discussions.  

Anything Elkins said was pretty much word-for-word from post # 45444 because she is, well, brilliant. In fact, all of you are that thrive on this TBAY stuff . I’m insanely jealous! 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Tut, tut --- hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is *lilac*. 

I say so in Year with the Yeti."         --Gilderoy Lockhart, COS

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