TBAY: Bill is Ever So Dead with DIMINISHED CAPACITIES

[abigailnus]

No: HPFGUIDX 55224


"Come now, Abigail."  Derannimer says.  "You can't expect me to walk around=
 wearing a badge that says DIMINISHED CAPACITIES.  People will talk."

"Elkins walks around with a badge that says SYCOPHANT."  Abigail, who is we=
aring a pair of oddly-tinted sunglasses, points out.

"Yes, but that's The Elkins."  Derannimer says.  "If she can get away with =
walking around and announcing that The End is Near, she can do anything."

>From the vicinity of the bar, a disembodied voice interrupts.  "I think DIM=
INISHED CAPACITIES works quite well as far as it goes, though I must submit =
your badges are awful.  Have you ever thought of a logo instead of an acrony=
m?"

"What was that?"  Abigail jumps.  "Who said that?"

Derannimer sighs.  "Really, Abigail.  These See-No-OOP glasses of yours kee=
p breaking down.  That's Errol, and he's sitting down at the bar."

Abigail adjusts a few knobs on the handle of her sunglasses, and is soon ab=
le to perceive a figure who is, indeed, nursing a drink at the bar.  Not tha=
t this tells her much about the newcomer, as he is swathed in a huge trenchc=
oat, and his face is concealed by a fedora, which has been pulled as far dow=
n as possible.  He downs his drink and speaks once again.

"I agree that too many deaths will desensitize people to later deaths.  In =
fact I'll go further and say that by extension, too many main characters dyi=
ng early will numb people to main characters dying in the grand finale.  Lup=
in and Hagrid are too *close* to Harry for JKR to spring that on us yet.  I'=
d say we're dealing with DIMINISHED CAPACITIES with a Progression spin to it=
. And our Jo frequently does that to build up tension. Look at the victims i=
n CoS for example."

Derannimer tugs at Abigail's sleeve.  "Oh, Abigail, aren't you excited?  Ou=
r little DIMINISHED CAPACITIES has a variant!"

Encouraged, Errol continues.  "Applying the progression to the deaths we've=
 had to personally deal with so far.

1.The potters Ð but we never knew them, nor saw them die, but the form the =
basis of our introduction to dealing with death.
2.Quirrel Ð Enemy. A weak, unsympathetic character, no description of the d=
eath
3.Riddle Ð Enemy. A more sympathetic character through the book, but eventu=
ally the villain Ð and its only his memory that dies.  Non-horrific descript=
ion of `death'
 4.Buckbeak Ð Non Human. A creature they get attached to (more because of H=
agrid), a more deliberate buildup of the execution-that- did-not-happen
 5.Frank Bryce Ð a sympathetic character we are barely introduce to dies in=
stantaneously, Harry doesn't even know him
 6.Cedric Ð a sympathetic character, a competitor and acquaintance of Harry=
, dies instantaneously in Harry's presence"

Abigail frowns.  "I would remove nos. 1-3, myself.  As you yourself say, we=
 don't witness the Potters' deaths, nor do we know them.  Quirrel is a bad g=
uy, and Riddle doesn't really die as he wasn't properly a person to begin wi=
th.  But with Buckbeak, Frank Bryce and Cedric, I'll concede that there's a =
progression in the brutality and the emotional effect of the death.  So, wha=
t are your thoughts about the future?"

Errol clears his throat.  "Well, if we're projecting, we can assume:

7.Person X Ð a sympathetic character, much better known to Harry, some one =
he looks up to or considers to definitely be on his side, ut not his inner c=
ircle, death might be described
8.Person Y Ð  some one on the inner circle, though not the immediate inner =
circle, who's death will devastate Harry. A prominent secondary character.
9.Person Z Ð One of the Trio, or very very close."

Abigail nods thoughtfully.  "I can see that.  I can also see several variat=
ions on on that list.  And frankly, I'm troubled by the fact that you've got=
 three items on it."

Errol looks, inasmuch as it is possible to convey emotion through a hat, in=
quisitive.

"It occurs to me that this is the number of remaining books in the series."=
  Abigail continues.  "We've already had a book that ended with the death of=
 a sympathetic character.  What you seem to be suggesting is that every book=
 yet to come will end with the same device."  Abigail hops on a barstool.  "=
And while you may be right, that DIMINISHED CAPACITIES demands a steady prog=
ression in the intensity of Bangs, it also demands that these Bangs have an =
element of surprise to them.  The most effective Bang is the kind that no on=
e expects.  Consider this.  OOP ends with the death of person X as you assum=
ed.  GoF already ended with Cedric's death.  We've now had two books end wit=
h the death of sympathetic character - can there be any doubt that book 6 wi=
ll also end in such a death?  And when that death occurs, will it have the e=
motional intensity of Cedric's death and the OOP death?"

Abigail accepts a drink from George with a smile, and continues.  "What we =
have here is two extremes.  On one hand, DIMINISHED CAPACITIES insists that =
Bangs exist in a logical progression.  Otherwise, we have Bangs that are too=
 intense too early, and they desensitise us.  On the other end of the scale,=
 we can't have a progression that's too easy to plot, otherwise we can antic=
ipate the Bangs, and they no longer surprise us.  Stray too far in either di=
rection, and you collapse into a Steady State.  Somewhere in the middle, tha=
t's where DIMINISHED CAPACITIES lives."  She takes a sip of her drink.  "Any=
way, who were you thinking of for the death of person X?"

"Well,"  Errol says.  "None of the candidates are as perfectly set up as ou=
r dear Bill.  What function does Bill play in the narrative? He's just one o=
f many "elder brother' figures--talk about redundancy and usurped roles. And=
 his make up is startling similar to Cedric Ð excellent student, straightfor=
ward, handsome and well liked Ð and has been conspicuously pushed into the f=
orefront of activity.  He's someone liked and respected by Harry, and the fi=
rst of Harry's generation to actually qualify for being on the battlefront. =
Besides there are too many Weasleys Ð one definitely has to go.  And Bill ca=
n definitely prove to be a loyal friend beyond anything Harry expects."

"I think you've just shot your own argument in the leg."  Abigail points ou=
t.  "You're right, Bill is very similar to Cedric, and his introduction to t=
he readers is practically identical.  We met Cedric briefly in PoA and were =
impressed with what we saw of him - he was handsome, athletic, and gracious.=
  We got to know him better in GoF, at the end of which he died.  So far, Bi=
ll has followed that exact same pattern.  We may have known about his exista=
nce before GoF, but we only met him in that book, and now we suspect that he=
 will have a larger role to play in OOP.  Add to that the fact that Bill and=
 Cedric are both coded the same way by the text - handsome, responsible, per=
sonable young men - and the very notion that Bill is the one to die counters=
 your insistence that the deaths of sympathetic characters have to have a pr=
ogression to them.  Besides, there's another reason why I don't think it's a=
 good idea to kill off a Weasley at this point."

"Up until now, all the enemies Harry's faced have been focused on him.  Qui=
rrel needed him to get the Philosopher's Stone, Tom Riddle may have been usi=
ng Ginny as his tool, but he himself says that for most of the year, his tar=
get has been Harry.  In GoF, procuring Harry for Voldemort's use is the purp=
ose of almost everything that happened (I'm ignoring PoA, as Harry's enemies=
 in that book are not villains but dumb beasts).  Killing off a Weasley brot=
her moves the focus from Harry to Ron.  I don't care how much a member of th=
e Weasley family Harry feels himself to be.  If Bill, whom he hardly knows, =
dies, the people most affected would be Ron and his family, and as we don't =
have direct emotional access to Ron, we wouldn't feel the full emotional imp=
act of this death.  I might think differently if we were talking about a Wea=
sley that we know, such as Molly or Arthur, or any of the younger children, =
but I can't imagine that Bill or Charlie's death, even if we get to know him=
 better throughout OOP, will have a severe influence on Harry or on us."

"But," Errol insists, "Why bring Bill into the story so much in GoF? He pra=
ctically took a year off from Gringotts Ð or had an awful lot of traveling t=
o do just to support Harry. Molly turning up at the tasks in lieu of Harry's=
 family is understandable, but why not Arthur along with her? He's around in=
 England isn't he? Or why not Charlie who's also over from Romania around th=
e time of the tasks? Nope, it had to be Bill, untiringly dragged in all the =
way from Egypt. Smacks of a conscious agenda to me!"

"Bill, Charlie and Arthur can all apparate."  Abigail points out.  "So I do=
n't see that one of them appearing is any more or less significant then any =
of the others, at least in terms of the distance travelled.  I will concede,=
 however, that the fact that Bill shows up before the third task raises ques=
tions, and in fact it gave me pause the very first time I read it.  However,=
 I think I can offer a reason for this that will, in fact, ensure that Bill =
survives OOP.  You suggested that Bill has no role, but I contend that he ha=
s in fact usurped the role of one of his brothers."

"One of his brothers?"  Errol repeats.  "You mean Percy, don't you?"

"That's right." Abigail smiles.  "During the first three books, Percy stood=
 for law and order, even more then Hermione.  Upon leaving school in GoF, hi=
s function changed.  Just as events outside Hogwarts begin to become importa=
nt to the Trio, they are conveniently provided with a conduit of information=
 directly from the Ministry in the shape of Percy.  Note how casually he pro=
vides Harry with information during the QWC and the Yule Ball.  However, tow=
ards the end of the book, when Ron writes to Percy with questions at Sirius'=
 request, Percy responds almost angrily, and refuses to share information be=
yond what he tells everyone who questions him.  So who is it that next gives=
 us information about goings-on in the Ministry?"

"Bill."  Errol answers.

"Bill.  Harry asks how Percy is, and in turn is told quite a bit about the =
state of Mr. Crouch's department.  This information is crucial in our unders=
tanding of what's happened to Crouch.  I suspect that this dynamic will cont=
inue.  We've speculated that Percy will have to make some decisions about th=
e side that he's on, and I've already said that I suspect OOP will be more c=
oncerned with the situation in the Ministry then with Voldemort.  It's very =
likely, in my opinion, that Percy will have a storyline in OOP, in which cas=
e we're going to need another character to provide us with information.  Tha=
t character is Bill."

"Oh, please."  Derannimer interrupts.  "We all know what you're really gett=
ing at.  Don't listen to her, Errol, you haven't looked at the *other* badge=
 she's wearing."

Errol squints.  Pinned to the lapel of Abigail's many-pocketed coat is, ind=
eed, another badge.  It reads SCRABBLE BOARD.  When Abigail presses it, word=
s appear:

Shy, Curteous, Respectable Arthur Bad Bye-bye to Law Enforcement: BreakOut =
Auror - Retired Dad.

Abigail presses the badge again, and a stylised drawing of a trimaran appea=
rs.

"What does that mean?"  Errol asks, confused.

"It means that I am head of the Auror!Arthur department of the Imperius!Art=
hur trimaran, of course."  Abigail replies.  "Can I interest you in some of =
our literature?"

Digging into her bottomless pockets, Abigail begins to retrieve dusty scrol=
ls, which she piles into Errol's unresisting arms.

"There's Elkins's original Imperius!Arthur manifesto:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/37121

and the extended version

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/40168

And my original Auror!Arthur extrapolation:"

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/37136

and

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/37179

And, of course, Elkins's dedication of the Imperius!Arthur trimaran and the=
 sundry discussions stemming from it:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/45290

Errol looks down, or rather up, at the pile of scrolls which is now obstruc=
ting all of the view that his pulled-down fedora had left him.  "Um... do yo=
u think you could give me a summary?"  He asks tentatively.

"Well, you don't really need to get into all the canon for either theory at=
 this point."  Abigail concedes.  "What you need to know is that Imperius!Ar=
thur contends that, at some point during Voldemort's first reign of terror, =
Arthur was placed under an Imperius curse, and Auror!Arthur further contends=
 that, at the time, Arthur was an auror. It's rather intuitive really, and t=
he connection to our discussion is simply that both theories insist that the=
 younger Weasly children - that's Percy and below - know nothing about any o=
f this.  However, the older children, Bill and Charlie, would have been 10 o=
r thereabouts by the time Voldemort fell, and would have more coherent memor=
ies of the time.  They were probably cautioned not to reveal anything to the=
ir siblings, but this is a time of crisis, and Harry and Ron are not childre=
n anymore, and if Bill is going to spend a lot of time with them... Well, yo=
u know that I think OOP will be about the Ministry, so isn't it convenient t=
hat Harry's conduit of information has been replaced by a character who know=
s a lot more about Voldemort's first reign?"

"So you think Bill will reveal information pretaining to Imperius!Arthur or=
 Auror!Arthur."  Errol concludes.

"Call Captain Veronica!"  Abigail cries, jubilant.  "Tell her I have new ca=
non!"

"That's as may be."  Errol says, trying to calm her.  "But I'm not here to =
talk about various trimaran theories."

"That's good, because Seventh Son really blows Dead!Bill out of the water."=
  Abigail comments.

Errol sighs.  "Why Bill, then?  Why not Charlie?  They're close in age, so =
they should both have this information you talk about.  Isn't there a redund=
ancy here?"

"I'm not exactly certain why Bill was brought in instead of Charlie."  Abig=
ail replies.  "Certainly they got equal airtime in GoF, right until the end =
where Bill is conscripted by Dumbledore.  Maybe it's because Bill is the eld=
est, but really, I suspect that this has more to do with Ron.  Bill and Ron =
have similar builds, and so does Percy.  We know that all the Weasley childr=
en look up to Bill, but it's obvious that Percy looks up to him esepecially.=
  Bill is obviously the model that Percy is trying to follow - prefect, Head=
 Boy, respectable job outside Hogwarts.  Ron is also eager to follow in Bill=
's footsteps - you can hear it in the way he speaks of him in PS and to him =
in GoF.  I contend that Bill is a model for Percy, which Percy will fail to =
follow in OOP, and that they both present differnet approaches to emulate or=
 refute for Ron."

"Still," Errol insists.  "Don't you agree that Bill's just about ripe for r=
omance and settling down? What say we hear more about his dreams and aspirat=
ions in OotP? After all, it's a fact well established that a single young ma=
n with a good  job must be in search of a wife... And we all know what that =
means."

Marina, who has been listening to the discussion, pipes in. "You know, Erro=
l, I think you're onto something here. In the later chapters of GoF, I seem =
to recall a definite suggestion of Fleur Delacour finding Bill rather... uhm=
... fanciable. And then we get a hint that Fleur might be returning to Engla=
nd the following year. Sounds to me like there is romance blooming in Bill's=
 future, which, for a supporting character, is a sure-fire way to lower life=
 expectancy."

Abigail's cheeks redden.

"What is it, Abigail?"  Errol asks.

"What?  Oh, it's nothing."  Abigail says hurriedly.  "I agree that if Bill =
find luurrve in OOP, his chances of survival decrease, but whether or not he=
 will is pure speculation."

"That's not it."  Derannimer says gleefully.  She reaches into one of Abiga=
il's pockets, and pulls out another dusty tome.

"Give that back!"  Abigail cries.  "It was just a joke!  I wrote in on OT-C=
hatter, for heaven's sake!"

Errol and Marina peer at the scroll.  Through the dust, they can just make =
out,

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/13101

"Fanfics with slash..."  Errol reads from the subject line.  "What is this?=
"

Abigail sighs.  "Well, if you must know, I used the third task Fleur Delaco=
ur encounter that you two seem to find so romantic to suggest that Bill is t=
he first canonically gay character in the series."

This is met with some silence.

Abigail