The Order of the Phoenix Re-Read: Chapter 28

[slowfox]

The Umbridge Youth get their formal title at the start of this chapter: The Inquisitorial Squad, which fits Umbridge's title of 'High Inquisitor', although you'd think that mebbe they'd have liked fewer echoes of the Spanish Inquisition... The power seems to have gone to Malfoy's head:

"...Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points... so, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Potter. Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten off for that."

This is interesting, though:

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him head-first into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Vanishing Cabinet? On the first floor? Not in the Room of Requirement?

Anyway, Gred and Forge warn Ernie and the Trio that they're about to do... something, but before they can all establish solid alibis, Filch comes along and grabs Harry to march him off to see Umbridge. Is this bit serious:

"You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stink Pellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you?"

Has Umbridge really given Filch license to punish pupils this way? All the time that Umbridge's evil seemed couched in best intentions, it was unpleasantly plausible, but now it goes a little too far into the black to set up any dilemma. No question, here, that she's in the wrong.

I know that Harry can resist Imperius, although we don't know if Umbridge knows (or believes) that Harry can do so. It strikes me that administering Veritaserum seems a bit... primitive when surely she could break into Harry's mind, just as they did with Bertha Jorkins? And Harry doesn't have to try too hard to pretend to imbibe... or maybe Umbridge really is that thick. *shrug*

"Very well," she said, though she looked displeased. "In that case you will kindly tell me the whereabouts of Sirius Black."

Thing is, even if he had drunk the Veritaserum, Harry couldn't have answered this question, could he? It's protected by a Fidelius Charm for which Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper. So even if he'd wanted to relay the information, he'd have been unable to.

Why on earth does Umbridge spell out exactly which precautions they're taking to intercept communications? What purpose, other than passing on information for Harry to use later, is served by her stating that only her own fireplace is listener-free? As a loyal Ministry representative, since she'd have nothing to hide, she's nothing to fear from eavesdroppers, surely?

Flitwick rocks:

"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether or not I had the authority."

In Harry's dream that night, he gets through the plain black door, and then enters a circular room lined with doors, which he crosses to enter into a long, rectangular room full of an odd mechanical clicking. He goes through that room and then he enters a space as high and wide as a church, full of nothing but rows and rows of towering shelves, each laden with small, dusty, spun-glass spheres...

Whoever, or whatever, it is that is giving Harry these visions has obviously made it into the room of prophecies. By now, Voldemort knows that he needs Harry to pick the prophecy up for him, so presumably these visions are for The Boy Who Lived's benefit? Because no purpose would appear to be served by sending scout after scout into the Ministry, risking detection, when they couldn't retrieve the prophecy themselves...

I'll give the boy this: he is superb at rationalisation:

The silvery lights shivered on the wall... Harry two steps towards the desk, thinking hard. Could it possibly be information about the Department of Mysteries that Snape was determined to keep from him?

At this point, I guess it became clear to me that I'm no Gryffindor, because no way in a million years would I attempt to read Snape's memories, in his office in the dungeons, when, as we know, it doesn't seem as though you have any control as to when the memories release their hold on you. Basically, I have a Bad Feeling About This...

I do wonder about Point of View in memories - surely, if it's a memory, it should be first person PoV, but we always seem to be sort of detached from the observer (remember Dumbledore in the Penseive scene? We could see him then, and we can see Snape now).

The boy's daring, but thick:

[James] had drawn a Snitch and was now tracing the letters 'L.E.'. What did they stand for?

What, indeed? *shakes head* I might ask how Snape could possibly have known what James was writing on his paper in an examination hall, to which the answer no doubt is 'it's magic', but then the corollary must surely be that to find out whatever's going on anywhere, you only need to investigate the memory of someone who was nearby, but not even involved. Makes spying straightforward, you'd have thought...

I don't like the flashback much - the Marauders seem an unpleasant bunch, although I should note in their defence that MiniSnape draws first blood in the skirmish. Why doesn't Snape memory charm the memory back out of Harry? He's got the time, surely he's got the skill, and there are no witnesses. Is Snape trusting Harry to stick to his word?

Or does he think that the realisation that James and Sirius weren't as heroic as Harry'd always believed might mean that he'd be less resentful in Potions?

Why is this chapter here? Well, it tells us that Harry needs to break in to Umbridge's office to use the fireplace later, we learn that Voldemort's penetrated the Ministry still further, that the past is a strange country and that Snape point blank refuses to continue with Harry's Occlumency lessons.

Comments

[aome]

The thing is - I could have SWORN that a prefect took points before. Didn't Percy do that once? Someone else? I'm SURE it has happened. Yet another "try not to think too hard" moment.

Also, although Montague has been shoved into a Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor ... first of all, it could be that it was only placed into the RoR after this incident, when it was demonstrated that the thing was, in fact, broken or, perhaps, they already knew it was broken but didn't want it coming under anyone else's temptation to repeat the prank, and thus had it stored "safely" away. The thing that caught my attention, however, is that there were later references to Montague being stuffed into - and later found in - a toilet. (Presumably a toilet stall?) Really - I don't mind JKR making slips like this because it can be darn hard to remember what you said aeons ago. But this is what editors/proofreaders are for. Where were they?

Good point on Harry not being able to say where Sirius is. On the other hand, Harry might have been able to SAY where he was, and yet, because he is not Secret Keeper, no one would have been able to FIND the place. I do think that if someone overheard the Trio discussing "12 Grimmauld Place" they would hear those actual words, but it would not break the Fidelius Charm and the actual location would remain hidden.

Someone else's memory does, indeed, seem to focus on being aware of went on around the person, although not necessarily their exact perspective. Note that in the past, Harry must stay near the person whose memory it is, but isn't glued to them. Otherwise, Harry would not have heard and observed the Marauders' conversation, since the teenage Snape was wholly engrossed in his exam paper.

I don't like the evidence of bullying and conceitedness, although I do agree with Sirius' and Lupins' later concessions (I just read it today) that they were young and stupid. I think a lot of people did stuff they later shake their heads over. And Harry should think about how much he enjoyed Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret, before criticizing Sirius and James so harshly. He who is without sin and ... all that.

Incidentally, cut Harry a little slack. He may not show the greatest powers of deduction and observation, but he IS a teenage boy with an awful lot on his plate. My own mother, a perfectly intelligent woman, is not that great at deduction. For some people, it's just not their strength.

[cynthia_black]

I'm certain we're already supposed to know that Lily is Lily Evans, so Harry is just being thick there.

I think the main purpose of the chapter is the total breakdown in tolerance between Harry and Snape - and Harry finding out how imperfect James, Sirius and Lupin actually were. He was in danger of putting them on a pedestal...