TBAY: "I See London, I See France!"

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 81075


Annemehr made her way into the bar for the first time.  She felt she
needed to get out for a while, as she had spent many hours holed up in
her room in the Safe House, staring at her computer, and typing
messages to some group called "OTC."  Later, she'd be attending a
barbeque, but for now she wanted a more quiet atmosphere.

She sat down near Cindy at the bar, and waited for an opportunity to
catch George's attention.  He was engaged in a very lively
conversation with Captain Cindy, however, so she waited.  Actually,
she sat there and *stared* at them; if George wasn't going to take any
notice of a new customer, at least he and Cindy could amuse her while
she waited.  They were discussing the lack of "bang" in any pivotal
scene in OoP.

> Cindy threw George a scornful look.  "No, I mean the pivotal scene that
> isn't *completely dreadful.*"
> 
> "Oh, OK.  That has to be the scene where James torments Snape,
> culminating in a flash of Snape's underwear."  George rested his
> elbows on the bar.  "Yep, that was a classic.  Snape endured the
> Ultimate Humiliation in that scene."
> 
> "Ya think?"  Cindy said icily.  "You think that's the Ultimate
> Humiliation for a person in Snape's position at Hogwarts as
>Designated Victim? This is supposed to be Snape's *worst*
> memory.  We know about the Prank, when Snape was in mortal danger. 
> This underwear scene is supposed to be the most horrid thing that ever
> happened to Snape.  And what does JKR choose as the Ultimate Insult to
> Snape?"  She reached for a tattered copy of OoP and began to read:
> 
> "James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging
> upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal
> skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants."
> 
> "What's wrong with that?" George asked, his eyes narrowed.
> 
> "Well, it's the *underpants,* frankly," Cindy said, closing the book
> with a snap.  "Having others see your underwear isn't a lot of fun, I
> guess, but it is hardly the worst thing that can ever happen to a
> person.  Not by a long shot.  It's not even *close.*"

"Wait a minute!" Annemehr interrupted, unable to containg herself any
longer.  Cindy and George looked over suddenly, as if just noticing
she was there.

Annemehr went on, "How bad it is to have your underwear exposed
depends on who you are.  Sure, some people could take it in stride. 
But Snape?  I don't think so.

"I think this is *exactly* the sort of thing Snape would hate the
most.  He doesn't seem to lack courage; the man who became a DE and
then turned against Voldemort to work against him must have plenty of
it.  Physical danger might be bad, but some people are excited by it,
and I doubt that for Snape it would be the *worst* thing.  Having his
underwear exposed might be."

Cindy looked incredulous.  "It was an instance -– and
> there are several in OoP –- " she said, "where JKR chooses to write
a scene of
> drama and suspense, but she includes something rather childish or
> lighthearted in the scene as well, which *ruins* it for me.  Underwear
> is often considered a bit of a gag, really.  Mildly embarrassing, to
> be sure, but hardly the climax of what is supposed to be Snape's worst
> memory ever.  Worse than being a DE.  Worse than the Prank.  Worse
> than whatever he did for Voldemort at the end of GoF."

"Mildly embarrassing for you, maybe," continued Annemehr with
conviction, "but think about it.  If there's one thing that Snape has
lots of, it's pride.  I don't mean dignity or self assurance, I mean
an all-consuming desire to be perceived as competent, deserving of
respect, admirable.  To have the ability to inspire fear in his
students with a mere look.  His whole bearing during the time period
of the books suggests he has carefully cultivated this persona.  He
insists on being spoken to with respect.  He can't stand the thought
that Harry could ever get the best of him (as in the end of PoA), and
when he wants to goad Harry with his father's shortcomings, he accuses
James of *arrogance* -- that James could actually think himself better
than Snape.  It's not that James did "impedimenta" and "scourgify,"
it's more the fact that he *struts* that Snape can't tolerate.  And
remember how furious he was, though it did him no real harm, that
Neville's Snape!Boggart was made to look rediculous in Neville's
gran's clothes."

Annemehr took a sip of the rum that George had set down before her. 
Amazing how that man could look at you and know what you wanted to
drink...

"Yes, that's it exactly the right analogy,"  she continued,
thoughtfully.  "A boggart.  It wants to inspire fear in its victims,
and in a way, Snape does, too.  He wants to be respected for how
"dangerous" he can be.  In his youth, he persued that by learning
curses.  And now I think it's telling that, when he wants to effect a
fearful respect in Harry or any of the other students, he does it by
*humiliating* them.  It puts the unfavored ones in their place and
earns him the admiration of the Slytherins.

"And the worst thing for him, as for a boggart, is being laughed at. 
Being upside-down, with your off-color underwear showing for all to
see, is definitely rediculous."

Cindy didn't look too certain about all of this, and still looked a
bit grumpy.

"That's not even the worst of OoP," she said.  "It's the bang deficit.
 It's completely unsatisfying."

"Yes,"  put in George, refilling her drink.  He was trying (with
difficulty) to look sympathetic, even though he obviously didn't see
things her way.  "It's a completely different book than the kind of
books JKR would write if she were doing it just for *you.*"

> "Yeah," Cindy said with a thin smile.  "Gripping, disturbing books
> that are way too much for kids.  
> 
> "*Bangy* books, in other words."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.  Annemehr admitted to herself
that there really weren't any true bangs, and tried to figure out
exactly why she did *not* find this disappointing.  She emptied her
glass, and then turned to Cindy.

"Does it really have to have a bang?" she said.  "Couldn't there be
other things just as, well, *compelling*?"

Cindy looked pityingly at her, but said nothing.  She did appear to be
listening, however, so Annemehr went on.

"A *bang*," she said, "is the sudden catastrophe, the surprising
revelation, like the lash of a whip.  But there are other things that
can, to say the least, demand a character's full attention.  There's
the slow, relentless turning of the rack.  Or, being pressed between
two boards, struggling for breath, as first one stone is piled on top,
then another, and another, and another...

"Yes, that's it.  That's what's been happening to Harry in OoP.  He
expressed (and that's the perfect word) part of it himself, in chapter
twenty-five: 'It seemed to Harry that Umbridge was steadily depriving
him of everything that made his life at Hogwarts worth living: visits
to Hagrid's house, letters from Sirius, his Firebolt, and Quidditch.
He took his revenge the only way he had: redoubling his efforts for
the D.A.'

"And after that, of course, he lost more: the D.A. itself,
Dumbledore's, Hagrid's, and McGonagall's very presence in the school,
not only letters from Sirius, but Sirius himself, and finally being
told the prophecy.  All this on a boy who *began* the book damaged. 
Stone upon stone, weighing down on him until he was all but crushed. 
Exactly how close to crushed he was, we won't really find out until
the next book."

Annemehr paused, then said, "you know, I think the loss of Sirius and
hearing the prophecy were meant to be bangy for Harry.  I mean, they
weren't for us, because we either saw them coming or were well
prepared for them, here on the 'BAY -- but we were exceptionally well
prepared here, compared to the average reader, weren't we?  And Harry
wasn't prepared, at all.  So, even if *you* didn't feel the bang, we
might still get to see the aftermath of one, when the next book comes
out."

"Another rum, please, then, George,"  she said, "and get the Captain
another of whatever she's having."

--Annemehr--