Rereading/Rewatching the Harry Potter Series
It's too bad the Defense post is cursed, although then again, I guess it's more Dumbledore's fault for putting Snape in the predicament he faces later on. Well, there's a few factors, but I'll save it for when you reach a certain point.
Chapter 14 - Felix Felicis
I'm sorry, but Ron is a dick. The way he treats Ginny over her dating life is inexcusable. It really bothers me that this is treated as normal because "he's her brother". It most definitely is not, and frankly, borders on abusive.
Of course, this is far from the only example of Ron being jealous/spiteful toward the people he's close to. It's the main reason I dislike him, and I hate that it's yet another thing that is shrugged off due to the Gryffindor Double Standard.
While we're on the subject, I never bought the whole Harry/Ginny thing. It might've been easier to accept if it had been a fleeting teenage romance similar to Dean Thomas or Cho, but long-term relationship/eventual marriage? I just don't see that much of a foundation for that. Even the way it happens feels more like a random crush than a deep connection. Hell, even Ron/Hermione make more sense to me than Harry/Ginny, and I can't stand them as a pairing.
In both cases, I feel like JKR tried way too hard to wrap things up in a neat little bow, ignoring tons of red flags and glaring incompatibilities. Both couples feel more like wish fulfillment/fan service than healthy relationships with believable long-term potential.
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ETA: Reposting this comment because I accidentally deleted it while working on the site. My bad. 🙂
Thinking about how the books presented it, and it's been a while since I read the Harry/Ginny stuff, I don't really remember there being anything between them prior to this book. I mean, Ginny had a celebrity crush on Harry, which worked out due to her brother being Harry's best friend and also Harry having saved her life in the past, but it wasn't really based on anything other than that.
And just on the canon pairings in general: I'm almost tempted to make a canon pairing post, not really to say anything, but just to figure out which ones actually work and which ones... don't.
Quote from The Gestalt Prince on January 13, 2023, 3:02 amAnd just on the canon pairings in general: I'm almost tempted to make a canon pairing post, not really to say anything, but just to figure out which ones actually work and which ones... don't.
Oh, please do! I always love reading your analysis. <3
Chapter 18 - Birthday Surprises
"Just shove a bezoar down their throat."
Harry might've gotten that tip from the HBP's book, but I love that he makes the connection to an earlier lesson of Snape's to figure out what a bezoar is. It's an important reminder that he did learn things directly from Snape… also nice to see at this point in the story when the unknown HBP is getting all the credit.
Chapter 24 - Sectumsempra
Speaking of Gryffindor recklessness, this is one of the most egregious examples. It's only a matter of luck (e.g. snake knowing the countercurse) that prevented Draco from being killed. It's also disappointing that he didn't fully own up to what he'd done. I realize he was trying to avoid/minimize punishment, but if there's any situation where he should've accepted the full consequences, it's this one
Yeah, the use of an unidentified spell labeled "for enemies" ought to be a big enough clue for Harry to know it's probably really dangerous. And even barring the use of Sectumsempra on Malfoy (which I agree is the worst thing he did with Snape's textbook), he tested other jinxes and hexes on people without knowing what any of them did.
- Langlock on Filch
- Levicorpus and Liberacorpus on Ron
- Muffliato is fine
- The toenail-growing hex on Crabbe
Absolutely, and while we're on the subject, Harry sulking about Snape's detention is obnoxious. He nearly killed someone, and he's mad that he won't be able to play in the final Quidditch game? Talk about entitlement/skewed priorities.
Chapter 27 - The Lightning-Struck Tower/Chapter 28 - The Flight Of The Prince
I have a lot of feelings on what Severus is forced to do here, though I'll leave that aside for now. What I will say is that these two chapters are some of the best in the series. Truly superb writing/character interactions.
Now that we've reached this point, I'll bring up what I said from OotP regarding the Weasley twins and the Vanishing Cabinet: the only reason Draco knows about the cabinet is because Montague told him. Which means that the twins, indirectly, are responsible for:
- Draco helping the Death Eaters into the castle
- Getting their brother mauled by Fenrir Greyback
- Creating the circumstances leading to
- Draco's, and eventually Harry's, ownership of the Elder Wand
- Dumbledore's death at the hands of Snape
- Snape's death at the hands of Voldemort due to a misunderstanding about the previous two points
Talk about cause and effect.
