"The tone and the page counts of books five and six had grown epic, while the quality of the writing ... had remained simple ... effusive, almost obtuse, with long stretches of inaction to be endured, not enjoyed."
Meanwhile, Harry pointlessly followed Draco around the castle until the novel’s tragic end, which occurred with relation neither to Harry’s actions nor to his failures to act.
Ah, but it was so awesome for Draco to suddenly be *important* after JKR had scoffed at the fans and insinuated he was nothing but a bullying minor character. ;-) In retrospect I think Draco's involvement at least set up some of the complications and confusions regarding Snape.
This isn’t the first time Rowling gets herself out of jam by inventing some magical something that makes it all better again, and it isn’t the last.
How about the magical devices she mentions like they will be important again later and then forgets about [e.g. the Sneak-o-scope from book 4 or, of course, the infamous mirror from book 5 which does finally play a role in book 7 but... ... ...]
Next Rowling turns her attention to Hogwarts, to every minor character that’s every showed up ever, and to several major characters that for lack of space or interest Rowling treats like minor
( ... )
Ah, but it was so awesome for Draco to suddenly be *important* after JKR had scoffed at the fans and insinuated he was nothing but a bullying minor character. ;-) In retrospect I think Draco's involvement at least set up some of the complications and confusions regarding Snape.
But was Draco important? Ultimately, from a plot standpoint, all he did is sit around until he failed at killing Dumbledore. The moment at Malfoy Manor was nice, a far better, although in my opinion still inadequate, moment that the Room of Requirement, which was essentially a mindless set piece. I would have liked for Draco to at least make a conscious decision to be neither hero nor villain; but JKR in the end does treat him like a minor character.
How about the magical devices she mentions like they will be important again later and then forgets about [e.g. the Sneak-o-scope from book 4 or, of course, the infamous mirror from book 5 which does finally play a role in book 7 but... ... ...]Didn't they use the Sneak-o-scope at some point in book 7? Wasn'
( ... )
I have no idea who that first one is, so, uh, meh. As for the second, I do vaguely remember him, and I'd agree, but come on! In Rowling's world, every single Slytherin kid was evil.
Justin was the Hufflepuff that got Petrified in Book 2 and the one they all thought Harry was coaxing the snake toward in the dueling club!! He was also in the D.A. As for Zacharias... he was a Hufflepuff too, not a Slytherin. :-(
Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he was a Slytherin. Just that, since Rowling's view of the Slytherins was so black and white, her view of Zacharias was equally simplistic.
I read Julie's take, and yeah, I guess we could go that way, but it seems pretty extra-textual, and even all the Slytherins electing to save their skins, if that's what they were choosing, is pretty simplistic.
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Believe me, I see the irony.
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Ah, but it was so awesome for Draco to suddenly be *important* after JKR had scoffed at the fans and insinuated he was nothing but a bullying minor character. ;-) In retrospect I think Draco's involvement at least set up some of the complications and confusions regarding Snape.
This isn’t the first time Rowling gets herself out of jam by inventing some magical something that makes it all better again, and it isn’t the last.
How about the magical devices she mentions like they will be important again later and then forgets about [e.g. the Sneak-o-scope from book 4 or, of course, the infamous mirror from book 5 which does finally play a role in book 7 but... ... ...]
Next Rowling turns her attention to Hogwarts, to every minor character that’s every showed up ever, and to several major characters that for lack of space or interest Rowling treats like minor ( ... )
Reply
But was Draco important? Ultimately, from a plot standpoint, all he did is sit around until he failed at killing Dumbledore. The moment at Malfoy Manor was nice, a far better, although in my opinion still inadequate, moment that the Room of Requirement, which was essentially a mindless set piece. I would have liked for Draco to at least make a conscious decision to be neither hero nor villain; but JKR in the end does treat him like a minor character.
How about the magical devices she mentions like they will be important again later and then forgets about [e.g. the Sneak-o-scope from book 4 or, of course, the infamous mirror from book 5 which does finally play a role in book 7 but... ... ...]Didn't they use the Sneak-o-scope at some point in book 7? Wasn' ( ... )
Reply
Justin was the Hufflepuff that got Petrified in Book 2 and the one they all thought Harry was coaxing the snake toward in the dueling club!! He was also in the D.A. As for Zacharias... he was a Hufflepuff too, not a Slytherin. :-(
I do like Julie's take on the Slytherins though.
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I read Julie's take, and yeah, I guess we could go that way, but it seems pretty extra-textual, and even all the Slytherins electing to save their skins, if that's what they were choosing, is pretty simplistic.
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