World Building And The Potterverse

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 167630

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > While Harry snagging his map is completely in character, Draco   
> > getting the hand actually goes *against* how he's been presented 
> > up until now.  If Lucius sneered at the Hand, Draco would sneer   
> > at the Hand from then on.  Something occurred to change that,    
> > either with Lucius or with Draco.  Or, more likely, JKR recalled 
> > mentioning the hand and Draco together and forgot that the       
> > mention had to do with Draco *not* getting the hand.

> >>va32h here:
> I don't think Draco's getting the hand behind his father's back is 
> a change in character for Draco. One of the first things we hear    
> Draco say - ever - is "I think I'll bully Father" into letting him 
> bring a forbidden broom to school. Of course we know he didn't     
> *succeed* in that quest, but he was certainly willing to try.

Betsy Hp:
Well, yes, just as Draco was willing to *ask* for the Hand.  However, 
while I seriously doubt Lucius sneered at the idea of Draco owning a 
racing broom (when he was old enough to have one), he doesn't seem to 
think highly of the idea of Draco owning something connected to 
thieves.  And Draco, all the way through the end of HBP, never seems 
less than worshipful of his dad.  For him to, not just defy his 
father, but to do something his dad thinks beneath him, is a pretty 
big change, IMO.

>>va32h:
> And at this stage of the story, Lucius is not only in jail, but he 
> is Voldemort's least favorite Death Eater, and Draco is quite      
> puffed up about being given the assignment that is supposed to     
> redeem the Malfoy name. I have no trouble seeing Draco willing to  
> defy the wishes of a father whose incompetence got him in jail and 
> on the wrong side of Voldemort.

Betsy Hp:
Ooh, you're not taking into consideration the Malfoy family take on 
how Lucius ended up in jail.  I seriously doubt either mother or son 
agree that it was Lucius's incompetence.  Draco (as per the end of 
OotP) blames Harry, and Narcissa (a lot more correctly, IMO) blames 
Bellatrix.  Of course, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Draco, in his 
secret heart of hearts, might be blaming his dad for the mess he's 
in.  But I'm not sure Draco ever got around to confronting that 
feeling.  I think the closest he got was his rejection of Snape.

> >>va32h: 
> We aren't shown Draco acquiring the Peruvian Instant Darkness      
> Powder either, but apparently he did. So my assumption was that he 
> obtained the two objects at the same time - perhaps he saw the     
> Darkness Powder in the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes catalog and thought 
> of the Hand - and ordered them both by mail or asked one of the DEs 
> assigned to his project to obtain them.  

Betsy Hp:
I *know*. Lord, and it would have been so *easy* for Ron to just say 
something to the effect of, "he had a hand of glory".  Then Harry 
could make the connection, and we readers could assume Draco got it 
when he got his other supplies.  But there wouldn't be the suggestion 
that JKR thought she'd had Draco get the hand back in CoS.  (And 
perhaps in future editions, this mistake will be fixed.)

> >>va32h:
> I do agree that Ron shouldn't have recognized it, unless Harry gave 
> a remarkably detailed description four years ago to Ron - but the 
> dialogue for Ron is certainly written as if Ron recognized it as a 
> matter of course, and that is a continuity blip. But it's not      
> keeping me awake at night, quite honestly. 

Betsy Hp:
Me neither. <g>  But this *is* an example of a continuity error on 
JKR's part.  

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > For one, doesn't JKR bristle at the idea that she's 
> > writing "children's books"?  For another, I think what's being 
> > pointed out is that *not* being "overly concerned with world-
> > building" has not served her well.  And finally, interestingly 
> > enough I read JKR more for her characters than her plot.  Weird, 
> > huh?

> >>va32h here: 
> Actually I thought it was the complete opposite. I certainly don't 
> think she finds it insulting to be considered a children's author, 
> if that is what you mean.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think it was more that she didn't like the idea that her books were 
*merely* children's books, in that they were somehow lesser than.  I 
can't recall the quote, but I think she said something to the effect 
of not coming at the series as if she were writing children's books.  
(And now that I think on it, I think she did specifically say she's 
not at all insulted to be called a children's author.)

> >>va32h:
> However I did find this quote: "I loathe books that have 
> inconsistencies and leave questions unanswered. Loopholes bug the 
> h**l out of me ... so I try to be meticulous and make sure that 
> everything operates according to laws, however odd, so that        
> everyone understands exactly how and why." Syndney Morning Herald   
> 2001. 
> 
> So I am not sure I would say that Jo is *NOT* concerned with world 
> building. I'd say she's human - and as such makes mistakes. And 
> apparently her editors are human too, because really, we avid      
> readers are certainly a bright lot, but we aren't possessed of     
> singular brilliance. If JKR and her various editors failed to catch 
> or correct plot anomalies - they are probably not considered       
> substantial enough to notice or correct. 

Betsy Hp:
Well, that certainly puts paid to the idea that she's *not* trying to 
effectively build a logical world. <g>  While we obsessive readers 
have found quite a verity of mistakes, how important they are will 
come down to how well loved JKR's books are after the end is upon us, 
I think.

Betsy Hp