CHAPDISC: DH33, The Prince's Tale

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 184870

 
> Carol:
 You
> don't *dispose* of your dead with dignity, not if you have any 
choice
> in the matter. You bury them with honor, you hold a funeral service,
> and you mourn. 
<snip>
 it just struck me as cold
> inhumanity posing as humane and reasonable.

Potioncat:
Of course you would pick up on the wording. It is all wrong, isn't 
it? I think you've nailed it, "inhumanity posing as humane."

 
 
> Carol:
 Poor Theo. I'd like to know his story--and where
> his loyalties lie. In other circumstances, maybe Snape would have
> recognized a kindred spirit and taken him under his wing.
> >

Potioncat:
Theo was discussed quite a bit before HBP. Is it just the 2 of us who 
still call Theodore Nott "Theo"? His back story and Dean's backstory 
are ones I'd like to read. Then again, maybe I'd rather just imagine 
them myself.


Carol:
> 
> BTW, peole talk about Lily controlling her magic. I'm guessing that 
at
> one point she fell out of a swing and discovered that she was 
unhurt,
> so she practiced and perfected that particular trick. Same thing 
with
> the flower petals opening and closing.

Potioncat:
But, other than Tom Riddle, we don't see anyone doing intentional 
wandless magic. Not even adults. OK, Snape's flying, but even then, 
he has a wand.

But, as for accidental magic, I wonder if blowing up 12 Muggles was 
acccidental? We've always wondered how poor Peter has managed to work 
such amazing magic.

Speaking of the flower, it's description always seemed very creepy 
and particulary sexual. (Freud is helping me with this one, sorry 
Carol.) It gives this incidence of playing with magic a "playing 
doctor" sort of feel. Particulary since Petunina is both fascinated 
and repulsed and Severus is watching from behind the bushes.


> 
> Carol:
> I see Petunia here as a foil to Severus--his mirror image--
prejudiced
> against Wizards just as he's prejudiced against Muggles, and for
> similar reasons. (She hasn't actually been abused, unless we count 
the
> tree branch, but she's been sneered at and viewed as inferior and
> excluded.)

Potioncat:
We also know her parents were very proud of Lily's magic. That's 
something Petunia couldn't compete with. I'm not saying the parents 
in any way abused or neglected Petunia. It's difficult sometimes to 
take pride in one child's abilities without making the other child 
feel inferior.

 
> Carol:
> Thanks to everyone who answered this question, but I'm still bugged 
by
> the Evans's presence. It jarred me to see Muggeles on Platform 9 
3/4;
> we've never seen Hermione's parents there; they wait for her outside
> the platform along with the Muggle Dursleys. 

Potioncat:
You've brought up a detail I hadn't thought of before. Why are the 
Muggle parents waiting outside if they can get in? Obviously the WW 
hasn't provided a way for them to enter without their child in tow. 
We never saw Hermione being sent off by her parents and the Dursleys 
never did more than drop Harry off--if they even took him to the 
station at all. (I can't remember.) So we don't know if the child 
could get the parents in. By the same token, Harry didn't have a clue 
how to enter.


> 
> Carol:
 James is
> holding up a sword, associated with chivalry in tales of knights, so
> maybe he's read about the Knights of the Round Table, but the only
> Wizard in those stories is Merlin: the knights are Muggles. It seems
> to me at least *likely* that the imaginary sword he's holding is the
> Sword of the legendary Godric Gryffindor. 

Potioncat:
Merlin is on the chocolate frog cards, so the WW must have their own 
stories about him. But that makes me think, why would a wizard have a 
sword? Would he wield it in one hand while waving his wand with the 
other?

 
> Carol:
> I think it foreshadows Snape's relationship to the older and 
probably charming Prefect Lucius Malfoy, in some respects his role 
model. <snip> On Severus's side, this initial kind (or condescending) 
gesture may have  made him feel at home, and he would feel gratitude 
and admiration for Lucius.

Potioncat:
This scene is immediately after the "Snivellus" scene. So it sets up 
a stark contrast between Severus's treatment by Gryffindor and his 
welcome by Slytherin.  Harry has a similar experience. He's been 
helped by Hagrid and Ron's family, made to feel very welcomed by 
them. Then has the following confrontations with Draco who diparages 
both of Harry's friends.

I've often wondered if their was a back story here. Did Lucius and 
Severus meet on the train? If JKR wrote all the back stories we 
ponder, she would still be writing the series! Whether or not there 
was a meeting before, we see Lucius being a good prefect. He is 
welcoming the new Slytherin. We don't see Hermione or Ron greeting 
the new Gryffindors when they are prefects.

> 
> Carol:
> Fair-weather friend that I am, I had some doubts about Snape. I
> desperately *wanted* him to be good, but once in awhile I fell for 
the
> red herrings, mostly in "the Sacking of Severus Snape." So "The
> Prince's Tale" saved my sanity.

Potioncat:
But having doubts, while holding out hope, is better than willingly 
going along with everything your friend does. Think Lupin, who should 
have taken more notice of his friends' shortcomings. 

> 
> Carol, who would pick a shorter chapter next time if there were any
> more to pick!


Potioncat:
Sigh.