justfornow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
justfornow) wrote2011-01-03 01:29 pm
justfornow) wrote2011-01-03 01:29 pm
Prongs rode again last night.
And now it's time for Danny's reviews/observations of...
When I first read this book , it wasn't my favorite. It just seemed kind of out-of-place to me. Unless I'm forgetting, it is the only book that doesn't have a confrontation with Voldemort at the end. And, at first, I wasn't such a fan of Sirius. But now, years later, after all the other books are out and I have the whole story, I have to say that I've changed my mind about it. Sirius ended up becoming one of my favorite characters (he's definitely up there in the top five) and this book has gone up the ladder of favorites. So here we go: Danny's walk-through in chronological order.
1. Although I've never been much of a fan of the beginning of this book (I'm not fond of many parts with the Dursleys), there is this one line when Harry is first talking to Aunt Marge and she asks him about his "school":
"Have you been beaten often?"
And Harry says, "Oh, yeah, loads of times."
I don't know. There's just something about that that never fails to make me laugh, especially in the movie, but also in the book.
2. One of my absolute favorite parts of the book is when Rowling is describing what Harry gets to do in Diagon Alley during his three-week stay there. It just seems to perfect, they way she describes it in such detail.
"Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava.
After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bit,, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.
Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ( “ it, s a lunascope, old boy—no more messing around with moon charts, see?”) or else discussing the case of Sirius Black (“personalty, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban”). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.
Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron."
And then the Firebolt. I would seriously love to be in Harry's shoes as he does all this. Especially the ice cream part.
3. "Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last."
Enough said.
4. Harry's first real conversation with Lupin after Lupin wouldn't let him confront the Bogart. I think that this is one of the most revealing scenes about Harry, along with the scenes with the Mirror of Erised. If only Dumbledore were as helpful as Lupin. XD
"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."
Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.
"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialise in the staff room. I imagined that people would panic."
"I did think of Voldemort first," said Harry honestly. "But then I - I remembered those Dementors."
"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well... I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry."
5. Another lulzy part, as Harry's first trip to Hogsmeade through the cellar of Honeydukes:
"Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.
'Ugh, no, Harry won;t want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.
'How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.
'Definitely not,' said Harry.
Ron nearly dropped the jar.
'Harry!' squealed Hermione. 'What are you doing here? how -- how did you --?'
'Wow!' said Ron, looking very impressed, 'you've learned to Apparate.'"
6. The best Harry/Snape moment of the book, in my opinion. I feel like there is so much UST going on here.
"Harry didn’t say anything. Snape’s thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.
"So," he said straightening up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."
Harry stayed silent. Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth. He wasn’t going to do it. Snape had no proof __ yet.
"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Snape said suddenly, his eyes glinting. "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admires…The resemblance between you is uncanny."
"My dad didn’t strut," said Harry, before he could stop himself. "And neither do I."
"Your father didn’t set much store by rules either," Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen __"
"SHUT UP!"
Harry was suddenly on his feet. Rage such as he had not felt since his last night in Privet Drive was coursing through him. He didn’t care that Snape’s face had gone rigid, the black eyes flashing dangerously."
7. Another one of my favorite parts (in the book AND the movie) is the scene in which Hermione punches Draco.
"Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.
“Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?” said Malfoy. “And he's supposed to be our teacher!”
Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first—SMACK!
She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
“Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul—you evil —”
“Hermione!” said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.
“Get off, Ron!”
Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.
“C'mon,” Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.
“Hermione!” Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.
“Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!” Hermione said shrilly. “You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!”"
8. I feel as though we waited forever for the Gryffindor team to finally win the Quidditch Cup and, at least for me, it was totally worth the wait. pretty much I love anything that makes Draco mad. :)
"If only there had been a dementor around... As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus."
9. “You know what this means?” Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. “Turning Pettigrew in?”
“You’re free,” said Harry.
“Yes…” said Black. “But I’m also — I don’t know if anyone ever told you — I’m your godfather.”
“Yeah, I knew that,” said Harry.
“Well… your parents appointed me your guardian,” said Black stiffly. “If anything happened to them…”
Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?
“I’ll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle,” said Black. “But… well… think about it. Once my name’s cleared… if you wanted a… a different home…”
Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry’s stomach.
“What — live with you?” he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. “Leave the Dursleys?”
“Of course, I thought you wouldn’t want to,” said Black quickly. “I understand, I just thought I’d —”
“Are you insane?” said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black’s. “Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?”
Black turned right around to look at him; Snape’s head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn’t seem to care.
“You want to?” he said. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it!” said Harry.
Black’s gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry’s parents’ wedding."
I've always felt particularly bitter about this part. Sirius has always been one of my favorite characters ever since we were introduced to him and I feel as though his death was kind of uncalled for. Like, I don't know. I always expected him to come back from behind the veil. And, for about two seconds, I'm always so hopeful for Harry. He'll never have to go back to the Dursley's, he'll get to live with Sirius and he happy. I mean, I get what Petunia's story does for the plot or whatever. But still. Sirius. :/
10. Harry's end-of-the-year talk with Dumbledore is, as always, enlightening.
""Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi," said Dumbledore, smiling. "An extraordinary achievement--not least, keeping it from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night....You found him inside yourself.""
Other questions/observations:
Why doesn't Harry have any grandparents? Does it ever explain that? I still find it hard to believe that all four of his grandparents are dead. Maybe I'm just forgetting and I'll figure it out again when I get through the later books.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
When I first read this book , it wasn't my favorite. It just seemed kind of out-of-place to me. Unless I'm forgetting, it is the only book that doesn't have a confrontation with Voldemort at the end. And, at first, I wasn't such a fan of Sirius. But now, years later, after all the other books are out and I have the whole story, I have to say that I've changed my mind about it. Sirius ended up becoming one of my favorite characters (he's definitely up there in the top five) and this book has gone up the ladder of favorites. So here we go: Danny's walk-through in chronological order.
1. Although I've never been much of a fan of the beginning of this book (I'm not fond of many parts with the Dursleys), there is this one line when Harry is first talking to Aunt Marge and she asks him about his "school":
"Have you been beaten often?"
And Harry says, "Oh, yeah, loads of times."
I don't know. There's just something about that that never fails to make me laugh, especially in the movie, but also in the book.
2. One of my absolute favorite parts of the book is when Rowling is describing what Harry gets to do in Diagon Alley during his three-week stay there. It just seems to perfect, they way she describes it in such detail.
"Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava.
After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bit,, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.
Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ( “ it, s a lunascope, old boy—no more messing around with moon charts, see?”) or else discussing the case of Sirius Black (“personalty, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban”). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.
Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron."
And then the Firebolt. I would seriously love to be in Harry's shoes as he does all this. Especially the ice cream part.
3. "Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last."
Enough said.
4. Harry's first real conversation with Lupin after Lupin wouldn't let him confront the Bogart. I think that this is one of the most revealing scenes about Harry, along with the scenes with the Mirror of Erised. If only Dumbledore were as helpful as Lupin. XD
"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."
Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.
"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialise in the staff room. I imagined that people would panic."
"I did think of Voldemort first," said Harry honestly. "But then I - I remembered those Dementors."
"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well... I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry."
5. Another lulzy part, as Harry's first trip to Hogsmeade through the cellar of Honeydukes:
"Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.
'Ugh, no, Harry won;t want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.
'How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.
'Definitely not,' said Harry.
Ron nearly dropped the jar.
'Harry!' squealed Hermione. 'What are you doing here? how -- how did you --?'
'Wow!' said Ron, looking very impressed, 'you've learned to Apparate.'"
6. The best Harry/Snape moment of the book, in my opinion. I feel like there is so much UST going on here.
"Harry didn’t say anything. Snape’s thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.
"So," he said straightening up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."
Harry stayed silent. Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth. He wasn’t going to do it. Snape had no proof __ yet.
"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Snape said suddenly, his eyes glinting. "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admires…The resemblance between you is uncanny."
"My dad didn’t strut," said Harry, before he could stop himself. "And neither do I."
"Your father didn’t set much store by rules either," Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen __"
"SHUT UP!"
Harry was suddenly on his feet. Rage such as he had not felt since his last night in Privet Drive was coursing through him. He didn’t care that Snape’s face had gone rigid, the black eyes flashing dangerously."
7. Another one of my favorite parts (in the book AND the movie) is the scene in which Hermione punches Draco.
"Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.
“Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?” said Malfoy. “And he's supposed to be our teacher!”
Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first—SMACK!
She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
“Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul—you evil —”
“Hermione!” said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.
“Get off, Ron!”
Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.
“C'mon,” Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.
“Hermione!” Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.
“Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!” Hermione said shrilly. “You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!”"
8. I feel as though we waited forever for the Gryffindor team to finally win the Quidditch Cup and, at least for me, it was totally worth the wait. pretty much I love anything that makes Draco mad. :)
"If only there had been a dementor around... As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus."
9. “You know what this means?” Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. “Turning Pettigrew in?”
“You’re free,” said Harry.
“Yes…” said Black. “But I’m also — I don’t know if anyone ever told you — I’m your godfather.”
“Yeah, I knew that,” said Harry.
“Well… your parents appointed me your guardian,” said Black stiffly. “If anything happened to them…”
Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?
“I’ll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle,” said Black. “But… well… think about it. Once my name’s cleared… if you wanted a… a different home…”
Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry’s stomach.
“What — live with you?” he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. “Leave the Dursleys?”
“Of course, I thought you wouldn’t want to,” said Black quickly. “I understand, I just thought I’d —”
“Are you insane?” said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black’s. “Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?”
Black turned right around to look at him; Snape’s head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn’t seem to care.
“You want to?” he said. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it!” said Harry.
Black’s gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry’s parents’ wedding."
I've always felt particularly bitter about this part. Sirius has always been one of my favorite characters ever since we were introduced to him and I feel as though his death was kind of uncalled for. Like, I don't know. I always expected him to come back from behind the veil. And, for about two seconds, I'm always so hopeful for Harry. He'll never have to go back to the Dursley's, he'll get to live with Sirius and he happy. I mean, I get what Petunia's story does for the plot or whatever. But still. Sirius. :/
10. Harry's end-of-the-year talk with Dumbledore is, as always, enlightening.
""Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi," said Dumbledore, smiling. "An extraordinary achievement--not least, keeping it from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night....You found him inside yourself.""
Other questions/observations:
Why doesn't Harry have any grandparents? Does it ever explain that? I still find it hard to believe that all four of his grandparents are dead. Maybe I'm just forgetting and I'll figure it out again when I get through the later books.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this.
no subject
*grumbles about Dumbledore*
'Wow!' said Ron, looking very impressed, 'you've learned to Apparate.'" Ugh, I love how Ron assumes Harry can do literally anything. BAW.
But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences." I feel like... I know that Severus is supposed to be angry and trying to knock Harry down a notch. But honestly, it's just like he's... FUCKING HELL WHY CAN I NEVER PUT THEM INTO WORDS. :/ (Idk, trying to teach Harry, and help him even though Harry really didn't need the kind of help Severus was giving. OR SOMETHING. Worst OTPALWAYS of all time. Can't even explain them to anyone who doesn't already get it, let alone someone who DOES already get it.)
I don't really call that UST, personally. But I do love that scene. And just everything about all the time they ever spend together one on one, because you can see every hole in Severus' reasons for hating Harry and you can always see how much Harry must hold back to keep from respecting Severus. Always.
I have a hard time talking about Sirius at all, but those few seconds of hopefulness that just end up breaking your heart, I get that every time, as well. I may loathe Sirius with a ferocity that puts him right around my hate for Dumbledore, but I love Harry, and anywhere would have been better than the Dursleys. Not only that, but Sirius loved
JamesHarry.I'd have thought Voldemort would have come to the parents of Lily and James in order to see if they knew their whereabouts, and when they didn't, green flashing lights.
LOL TOM.
no subject
Ugh. I don't know. Harry/Severus is just so complicated. I've been reading a lot of fic about them lately and I think it takes a special kind of talent to be able to get their relationship right.
And just everything about all the time they ever spend together one on one, because you can see every hole in Severus' reasons for hating Harry and you can always see how much Harry must hold back to keep from respecting Severus. Always.<-- This is perfect. I think that's them to a T.
I'm totally of the mindset that Sirius and James had a thing. Haha. It just seems logical and all that. And. I don't know. I realize that Sirius has a lot of faults but I still love him a lot.
That makes sense, I guess. It just kind of bothers me that it was never touched on and Harry never seems to be depressed that he doesn't have grandparents, either.
Tom. <3 Seriously. He's my new favorite celeb.
no subject
Thanks, babe!
I don't. Know. Sirius/Remus if anything in the marauders. But I think that Sirius might have been a bit in love with James as well. But it was unrequited. See, again, Sirius is like Dumbledore. Those bastards. "I'll be with you because you're here, Remus and Elphias, but I'm going to be in love with someone else, and the only time you'll really have me... is when I'm dead."
Yeah, I think though, when people just grow up a certain way, in a certain environment, they don't THINK about the things that never were until someone else brings them up.