OotP thoughts

[Blaise]

A few OotP thoughts

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A large chunk of my thoughts centre around the MWPP and Snape scene, 
and all the other Snape bits. I recognised the casual cruelty from my 
own school experiences, and was horrified by it. James and Sirius 
were remarkably like the Death Eaters at the World Cup, and I was 
angrier with them almost more than with Umbridge for a time. But I'm 
not jumping on any this-exonerates-Snape bandwagon, even when 
combined with what looks awfully like an abusive childhood. I think 
we did learn a lot about him, but it's all backstory and inner stuff 
rather than interesting details about what he's doing now. Although I 
was fascinated to find out how he manages to spy on Voldemort without 
being caught. It's interesting to deduce that Dumbledore probably 
doesn't use his own Legilimancy to determine Snape's loyalties, 
whereas Voldemort does, and is thereby tricked. I presume Dumbledore 
judges based on action, it seems to be his watchword.  

More on the difference between Voldemort and Dumbledore. The idea 
that Voldemort would think Dumbledore would kill Harry if it allowed 
him to also kill Voldie himself was a sound one, and reminds me of 
the constant dictum that evil lacks the sympathetic imagination to 
know what good will do, whereas the converse is not true. For 
Dumbledore would not kill Harry for any reason.

I was also struck by the line that Harry sees that he has a choice 
between being a murderer or a victim, after he finds out about the 
prophecy. Surely the third alternative is that he kills Voldie in a 
fair fight? Why is this alternative not presented? It leads me to 
suspect that all JKR's hints about Harry dying may be true, and that 
his death will in some way bring about Voldie's utter ruin even as he 
lives, perhaps destroying his magic powers and leaving him to dwindle 
as an old Muggle. As Dumbledore says, death is not the worst thing 
that could happen to him. For after all, given the stark choice 
between murderer and victim Harry must choose victim. Wild 
speculation, to be sure.

Oh, and Catlady, thank you for pointing out about Lupin and the 
silver goblets! Bah, there goes a whole lot of my fanfic plots. Well, 
I shall take comfort from the fact that I'm not the only one. 

Also, Catlady, I agree totally about Umbridge being JKR's comment on 
various teaching follies. After all, JKR was a teacher too. Clearly 
an attack on standard curricula and also on control-freak teachers 
(making the class say 'Yes, Professor Umbridge' in chorus, and being 
absurd about the hands-up-to-talk rule. I've been taught by exactly 
the type.). 

Finally, I agree totally with Neil that the word Metamorphmagus 
sounds horrible. I thought it might be a joke at first, some kind of 
pun on Animagus, but sadly not. Well, it's quite a nice idea. 

Undoubtedly much discussion to come,

Blaise