OOP:Potions master, Lucius, characterisat, Harry/Snape, Wormtail, sayings, Percy

[isabella_080]

No: HPFGUIDX 62663

--- "Taryn Kimel" <amani at c...> wrote:

> About the characters. well, I've just got to say this. I thought it 
> was really brilliant the way she showed the different layers in all 
> the characters - the way she flawed the good characters, and showed 
> us Snape wasn't always a big, great bully. It seems a lot of people 
> were annoyed with either/both Harry's behaviour and Sirius'. But I 
> loved both.

Me: Me too!  I love her complex characters; JKR is brilliant.

 Every time he [Sirius] said something unkind, well, I felt 
> sorry for him. Especially when he told Harry that he wasn't as much 
> like his father as he'd thought. The moment I read it, I hated him 
> for saying something so horrible, but the next, I felt really sorry 
> for him, because it just seemed to show how much he missed James. 

Me: Yeah, that was sad.  I wonder how much mourning over James he 
ever really got to do in Azkaban...dwelling on his feelings of guilt, 
while knowing Peter was on the loose might have disturbed his 
grieving process a lot, I think.

<snipping great stuff about James> 

> I adored Lupin, though. < snippity> On the one hand, I too was 
sorry we didn't get more of a reaction from Lupin when Sirius died, 
but actually, the fact that it said that "Lupin spoke as if every 
word caused him pain" (paraphrasing), and nothing more, made me even 
more sad. 

Me: At first, I didn't understand his lack of grief, but I was also 
in such a haze from Sirius dying...didn't want to believe it.  But on 
rereading that section, I think Lupin's reaction is tragically sad. I 
think as part of teh Order, they all know the risks involved - they 
continually mention the possibility of death (Moody with the Advance 
Guard, Molly/Lupin with the boggart, Lupin telling them about the 
dangers they can't even imagine).  I think this is why there isn't an 
outcry of grief from anyone but Harry.  They all knew the stakes; 
they know this is a war, and JKR seems to be reminding us of it as 
well (this book had serious overtones of acceptance-of-death themes, 
for me).  And Lupin has to accept that immediately, in order to 
control Harry, and that is what is so heartwrenching.  Oh, I so 
desperately hope Lupin plays a major role in 6, and I really want 
Harry and him to develop a better relationship (though I fear his 
death looming).

> 
> Well, and then there's Snape, of course. I was really happy to find 
> out he isn't some rich boy, and that he has, indeed, suffered in 
the past. 

Me: didn't even realize the poor-Snape implication (I was too busy 
feeling horrible)...<hits self over head> Duh!  

<snippy>
> But let's get back to Snape. And Harry. For all that I liked their. 
> um. dubious behaviour, I really felt like slapping them by the end 
>of the book. They're both really stubborn, aren't they? 

Me: Yeah, Snape and Harry have more in common than they realized.  
(like Harry and Tom Riddle in CoS)  Very intriguing.  I hope they 
come to terms with each other, but I wouldn't ever want them to be 
mates.  (Ew!)

> I agree with those that say that Snape does seem to be rather happy 
> McGonagall is back. 

Me: Now I want to know if they're friends.  Maybe their Quidditch 
rivalry (as McG. is always apt to mention) is a frienly sort of 
thing.  Maybe someone should ask JKR next time she does a chat, yeah?

<snip>
> I can't get the scene in GoF out of my mind, right at the 
> end of the second task by the lake, with Percy running up to Ron. 
And > actually walking into the water. 

Me: Oh! I had forgotten about that. That was sweet. Oh but now it's 
just sad.  (sigh).  I think Perce'll be redeemed...and then bite the 
bullet.

I, too, really liked the book.  A lot.  And, as an American, I am 
*SOO* glad that they kept most of the British-isms in. (Thank you, 
Scholastic!) When they first said "jumper" instead of "sweater", I 
think I yelped with glee. Though the 'taking the mickey' thing was 
confusing because when Ron first said it, I was thinking of the drug 
that um...people put in drinks....and that is not good.  But then he 
used it in a different context.  Sorry, digression. 

Isabella, who admits to being an Anglophile and would like to 
adopt 'peaky' and 'mate' into her vocabulary (they said it a lot!)