Some questions/comments about GoF

[Susan]

No: HPFGUIDX 102137

<bd-bear at v...> wrote:
> Why does VM address PP as Wormtail? Wasn't that just his marauder 
nickname
> in school?

Susan now:
So sorry if this is confusing.  I wanted to address each point 
separately.  This first question is something that struck me 
immediately.  Why _would_ LV call PP Wormtail?  It was his nickname, 
and I doubt the entire school called PP "Wormtail".  If the nickname 
was known by their schoolmates, then why didn't Snape know/figure out 
who had made the map? (GoF).  Particularly since the map insults 
him!  Since SS went to school with the Marauders, if the nickname was 
that popular, it seems to me he of all people would have known.  But 
SS doesn't know, even though he went to school with these guys, and 
yet LV does know!  Legilimens?

Further, why would PP _want_ to be called that anymore?  If *I* were 
a huge traitor who did all those horrible things to the people who 
were my best friends in school, I really don't think I'd want to be 
called by the nickname they gave me.  Seems like it would be a 
constant painful reminder of what a great coward I am.  The only 
thought I have there is that perhaps LV, sadist that he is, 
uses the nickname as a constant reminder to PP that PP should always 
be aware of where his loyalties lie.  



Barbara:
> Why did Moody/Crouch turn Malfoy into a ferret, or was that to 
prove he
> (Moody) is a "good" guy? Actually, I think I can answer that 
myself, since
> Barty Jr. holds a grudge against all the DEs that escaped 
prosecution and
> weren't "faithful" to VM.


Susan:
My opinion is that Moody wanted to get on Harry's good side, though I 
like what you're saying re:LM et al.  But the real bummer for me was 
the fact that Moody _wasn't_ Moody, because I thought he was really 
really cool.  I'd love to see the Real!Moody be the new DADA teacher, 
but I doubt that he will just because being a great auror, he 
probably has a lot of work to do now that all hell's breaking loose 
with the dementors, etc.

> Barbara:
> It's also clear to me that Snape is a double agent, that DD trusts 
him
> because he went from being a DE (or maybe was even faking that for 
VM) to
> being a spy, and he will be accepted by the DEs again, even though 
he didn't
> show up at VM's rebirth, because he can say he was maintaining his 
cover as
> a spy, not letting DD know anything was going on.
> 

Susan:
Why is it clear, to you and everyone else but me, that SS is _still_ 
a double agent?  I don't see how anyone who's even remotely connected 
to the school or to LV could possibly think that SS is still loyal in 
any way to LV. I get it that since he didn't show up in the graveyard 
scene in GoF that his absence could easily be explained by the fact 
that no one can apparate on/off the Hogwarts grounds, but why would 
anyone still expect him to show up there?

Barbara:
 I also loved how Snape and McGonagall really do act as
> DD's right-hand men, they don't question him when he directs them 
to do
> something and they are completely loyal and trusting of him, as he
> apparently is of them.


Susan:
Again, SS and McG _are_ unquestionably loyal to DD, so why oh why 
would anyone think SS is even still capable of being a spy for DD?  
The only thing I can think of here is that I'm right, you all are 
wrong ;-)  his cover really is blown, and something to reveal this is 
going to happen to SS in book 6.
 
Barbara:
> I am forced to wonder yet again how a movie of GOF can possibly be 
made with
> out scaring the bejesus out of everyone under 10! I mean, I know 
some kids
> are allowed to watch cartoon violence and stuff that's obviously 
made with
> special effects and all, but VM putting the Cruciatus curse on 
people,
> Wormtail cutting off his own hand, etc... That's all seriously 
disturbing
> stuff! I fear that the directing/writing team won't do justice to 
the
> all-important graveyard scene because of the kids in the audience. 
Ideally,
> I'd think that making an accurate representation of the book into a 
movie
> would require an "R" rating, and they won't want to have a "R" 
rating for it
> if they want to market it primarily to kids.


Susan now:
I totally agree and being an adult would have no problem with a rated 
R version. However, I doubt _that_ will happen. When I was little I 
wouldn't go into the castle at Disney World because the wicked witch 
was in there!  And I already knew how the story ended!! 
 What I'd really like to know is how they're going to keep it between 
2-3 hours! There's loads of information in GoF that, IMHO, will not 
be able to be so conveniently left out like so much of the info in 
PoA that was skipped.

Barbara:
> I felt SO bad for Harry. What an ordeal to go through. And who 
knows how
> much of his acting out and anger in OOTP isn't at least partly a 
result of
> his trauma at the end of GOF. After all, right after that he's left 
alone
> for most of the summer (IIRC. . .if I don't, I apologize- -I'm 
about to read
> OOTP) to deal with his memories of that night. That was a pretty 
horrible
> experience and he gets virtually no support almost immediately 
after it
> happens.
> 
> I have changed my mind about POA being my favorite book. I think 
GoF is now.
> I've read it at least 3-4 times now and for some reason, in the 
past, I
> always thought it was too complicated. But I followed things much 
better now
> regarding what Barty Crouch, Jr. did and how things happened, and 
at the end
> I had tears in my eyes when Lily and James come out of the wand.
> 
> I reserve the right to add to my comments if I think of anything 
else. :^)
> 
Susan again:
I have read and reread all of the books over and over, yet I still 
can't bring myself to reread OoP yet.  I read it, then reread it, 
hoping that I was just unbelievably wasted, or confused, or having a 
nightmare, but no.  So, as soon as I get through the others, I'm 
going to reread it, but Sirius' death really bums me out, and for 
numerous reasons.  Having said that, I think GoF is my favorite.  
Great action, Moody's really cool (til the end of course) lots of 
information is revealed, the jokes are more mature, I could go on for 
quite some time...

Susan (who really wanted to add her two knuts...again, and again, and 
again...;-)