Chapter 29: The Phoenix Lament

Sep 16, 2005 09:38

Numb. Disbelief. Grief. Anger. Lament ( Read more... )

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Comments 38

cadesama September 17 2005, 03:18:17 UTC
Huh, I think this is the first time we've ever really heard of anyone in the Order being owed by Dumbledore. Good on you, Ron!

I don't see how seeing Lupin lose control is any more indecent than seeing McGonagall lose control. It's not like Lupin has actually spent that much time with Harry.

"Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna." -- Not to be pedantic, but I thought the big moral of the books was that one should choose what is right rather than what is easy. Getting out of the way? Easy. Opposing Snape? The right thing to do -- I mean, our maternal paragon within the books had exactly that choice, and died for it. Hermione shouldn't blame herself because she didn't know to, not because it would have gotten her killed. Okay, I lied, that was totally pedantic.

"The Malfoy boy" -- So, looks like Tonks doesn't even think of Draco as family. Not surprising, but good to know.

Yay, Fleur! You teach those petty witches, who have very clearly been demonstrating ( ... )

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pilly2009 September 17 2005, 16:27:38 UTC
"The Malfoy boy" -- So, looks like Tonks doesn't even think of Draco as family.

I completely missed this last night; somehow, I can't help thinking that this is more a result of Tonks' upbringing than an issue Tonks has herself...maybe Andromeda decided to keep her away from the Black history? We know she is half a Black, at least as much as Draco is, yet she never seems to connect with this side of herself in the books. She may not even be aware that Draco is her cousin.

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cadesama September 17 2005, 23:40:20 UTC
Dumbledore being the way he is certainly determaine much of the plot and things wouldn't have been the same if he was different. I guess what bothers me is that the book never address this issue. Dumbledore died as a complete martyr. He'll never have to answer for anything that he did. The morality of his actions is never questioned. There are a lot of intersting issues that can discussed relating Dumbledore behavior, but instead all we get is total admiration to Dumbledore and people actually taking pride when they stop thinking for themselves and do/think whatever Dumbledore wants them to

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cadesama September 17 2005, 21:19:25 UTC
"No other headmaster or headmistress ever gave more to this school." -- Ah, Hagrid, the wise bastion of Hogwarts historical knowledge weighing in with his informed opinion. Oh wait.

Yeah, I think it became quiet clear in the fifth and sixth book that the school and the welfare of the students isn't and never was Dumbldore first priority, more like he USED the school. (we see in this book that teachers are not chosen for their teaching skills or for what they can do for the students, but for their importance to the order/Dumbledore. And the all school suffered last year because he played too many roles, in addition to being headmaster. Not to mention student were put in risk beacause he chose no to act against Draco earlier.

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cyber_fay September 17 2005, 06:54:54 UTC
Yay, Fleur! You teach those petty witches, who have very clearly been demonstrating all book that they are more superficial than you. "I am good looking enough for the both of us," that's my girl!!

Oh, CadeSama, you know that we already talked abou it, but Fleur only showed some backbone when she had to stand up for her man, her love. I wish that book 7 will be better for Fleur, she has so much potential...

Anyone else got shipping feelings when McGonagall said that bit about DD being happpy about love in the middle of the war?
Yeah, I'm weird. :) McGonagall + Dumbledore= OTP. :)

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cadesama September 17 2005, 20:48:41 UTC
It was over her man, but Fleur never got any role in the book that wasn't about Bill in some way. At least I can look at this as simply the only time to call Molly out of her crap, which happens to be related to the Bill issue since that's Molly problem in the first place.

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pilly2009 September 17 2005, 07:45:14 UTC
You know, as a once-hopeful fan of this character, I'm cringing to bring it up at all, but Ginny struck me very oddly in this chapter. I guess JKR wanted to portray her as level-headed, cool in a crisis, and able to keep it together when her boyfriend practically falls apart...but really, Ginny came off as a very cool, borderline cold girl in this chapter -- and completely different from the Ginny I remember (and rather liked) from the first four books, who reacted with horror at Fred's making light of Scabbers' supposed death. She showed little horror or grief over Dumbledore's death (when even the unshakable Luna's lip trembled at the news), for one. It was just not right ( ... )

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cadesama September 17 2005, 20:53:24 UTC
Basically, not that there's anything wrong with them questioning Dumbledore's judgement (yes, maybe finally), but why now, and in favour of Harry's rather skewed judgement?

Harry's skewed judgment condemns Snape very forcefully, while letting Dumbledore off as simply being too good and too trusting. Snape, of course, was always bad, so while everyone feels like they were taken for a ride, they can write him off wholesale. I imagine that Sirius and Remus tried to do the same to Peter in their memories. It reduces the issue, and paints a simple good guy and a simply bad guy, which is far easier for them to cope with than the idea that Snape might have hurt them deeply but could still be good, and Dumbledore may have been their leader while he was taking unconscionable risks.

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rainfletcher September 18 2005, 05:09:00 UTC
So, Bill is affected even though Fenrir was not in werewolf-form, apparently. This strengthens the werewolfism vs. AIDS parallel slightly, doesn't it? If it doesn't matter whether or not a werewolf is in wolf mode or human mode, then this indicates that bodily fluids (or maybe just saliva, although Bill was scratched a few times too, wasn't he?) in general are the infecting agent, and getting said fluids into the bloodstream is dangerous. Interesting again.

If it's the case that lycanthropy could indeed be sexually transmitted, it certainly puts a new spin on Remus and his reluctance to have a physical relationship with Tonks (or anyone for that matter), and it could make for a really dangerous honeymoon for Fleur. I have my doubts as to whether or not JKR would address the issue of STDs even in this fantasy form. Still, it would be interesting to have this aspect of the "curse" explored.

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muggle_prof September 17 2005, 21:37:01 UTC
(Meant to include last night)
Did anyone else catch the little reference to SS? In that, Hermione is sent to stake out the staffroom to keep an eye on Snape, and when he asks what she's doing she says she's looking for Flitwick, so he finds Flitwick and disappears on her. Here, she's again staking out Snape, and he again sends her to Flitwick and gets away.

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yama_strife September 19 2005, 22:31:38 UTC
Ohhh Remus/Tonks *puke ( ... )

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woman_ironing September 20 2005, 14:00:10 UTC
Lupin and Tonks do have one thing in common: metamorphosing!

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yama_strife September 20 2005, 14:58:32 UTC
To be honest, when I hear this argument for R/T (and I honestly do not mean this in any way disrespectful to you, this is just my humble opinion ^.^) it just doesn't work for me ( ... )

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woman_ironing September 20 2005, 19:40:16 UTC
Er, no problem - it was just a joke!

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