Chapter 16: The Christmas Party
Continuing the 10-year anniversary annotation of Psychic Serpent...
Chapter 16: The Christmas Party
1. "Oh, brave new world!"
Heh. Hermione's not that different from Miranda in this fic, IMO, but I think it really started when Viktor started paying attention to her in GoF.
2. "I don’t want things to change!" he finally choked out. "Why can't things just stay the same? Why?"
Oh, Ronnikins...
3. Me, Harry thought. He's thinking of me, of my being left out.
Canon!Harry had these thoughts too, in HBP and DH. It's part of why, in a corner of my brain, I liked each of the trio being paired up with a member of the counter-trio, rather than any inter-trio pairs. Replay allowed my inner Neville/Hermione and Ron/Luna shipper to come out and play, although somehow my inner Ron/Hermione shipper still came through... (Luna, of course, doesn't exist in the PS universe but does exist in the Replay universe.)
4. In the meantime--he was glad he'd told Ron that she wouldn't wait forever. Ron had been warned. Harry could continue with a clear conscience (almost).
Yeah, not so much.
5. Fred threw a cushion at them. "Get a room!"
Oh, they will, George and Angelina definitely will...
6. "Well," he said flatly. "I suppose it was the beginning of the end when you took my queen." Harry felt as though he had killed Ron.
God, how I tortured these poor kids! I was glad, though, to continue JK Rowling's tradition of creating chess games that mirrored what was going on in the story. Everyone got the symbolism here very easily.
7. "It was the beginning of term. After Herbology, I was helping Professor Sprout take some spleenwort plants up to the hospital wing. She said it was for Madam Pomfrey to make Prophylaxis Potion, whatever that is. She was acting strangely, said she thought Madam Pomfrey shouldn't just go doling it out to any girl who asked. Then she looked at me and said that of course, I was a good girl, I would never need it. I haven't bothered to look it up, though I meant to."
Thank you again, Gardner's Latin! And for some reason Professor Sprout strikes me as more than a little conservative, I don't know why, while Madam Pomfrey is a pragmatist. And Ginny will eventually know all about this potion (and she'll STILL be a "good girl"!).
8. He was saying 'Mummy' over and over, and then he said, 'Make him stop, Mummy.'
I shall be perpetually amused that, in canon, it wasn't a human girl who was touched by witnessing Draco at his most vulnerable but MOANING MYRTLE. :sporfle:
9. Roger arriving with Fleur and Fleur teaching at the village school and talking about Gabrielle eventually attending Hogwarts: foreshadowing for the Triangle Prophecy, anyone?
10. When Harry said his name, George's eyes flew open and he cried out. Suddenly, Angelina's head popped up from under the covers.
Yes, this part turned into a farce. I was having fun. ;)
11. "Having saved Ginny's life," he said to Malfoy, "I feel somewhat responsible for her. I love her--" he said, his voice cracking a little (while Ginny’s eyes became very wide) "--like a sister." He looked at Ginny, aching that he'd just said that--but knowing he had no choice but to convince all of them--himself most of all--that it was the truth.
Yes, Harry, you just go on telling yourself that...
12. He turned with his hand on the knob, preparing to leave. Ginny was crying, touching Malfoy's face with her fingers as though it were a precious thing to her. He pulled her mouth to his, and she responded immediately, opening her mouth under his and twining her hands around his neck. Malfoy pressed his hands to her back, holding her as close to him as possible.
Harry turned and walked out the door, his heart in his throat. Walking away from them was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
And that says it all about Harry's feelings, doesn't it?
13. Ron still looked dazed from the revelation about George and Angelina. "Still--" he said in a hoarse whisper. "Mum told me she'd kill me if I ever got a girl in troub--" He stopped abruptly, and his ears turned deep red.
I can SO picture Molly doing this with each son, I really can. Starting with Bill. Who--well, we're not up to that bit yet...
14. ...then Harry saw Draco Malfoy ride past, slowly raising a hand, looking right at Harry. Harry solemnly raised his hand in response, as if he were taking an oath.
I had to build this relationship even more carefully than any of the ships so that what Harry will do at the end of the Triangle Prophecy would ring true. All of that begins in this chapter.
Chapter 16: The Christmas Party
1. "Oh, brave new world!"
Heh. Hermione's not that different from Miranda in this fic, IMO, but I think it really started when Viktor started paying attention to her in GoF.
2. "I don’t want things to change!" he finally choked out. "Why can't things just stay the same? Why?"
Oh, Ronnikins...
3. Me, Harry thought. He's thinking of me, of my being left out.
Canon!Harry had these thoughts too, in HBP and DH. It's part of why, in a corner of my brain, I liked each of the trio being paired up with a member of the counter-trio, rather than any inter-trio pairs. Replay allowed my inner Neville/Hermione and Ron/Luna shipper to come out and play, although somehow my inner Ron/Hermione shipper still came through... (Luna, of course, doesn't exist in the PS universe but does exist in the Replay universe.)
4. In the meantime--he was glad he'd told Ron that she wouldn't wait forever. Ron had been warned. Harry could continue with a clear conscience (almost).
Yeah, not so much.
5. Fred threw a cushion at them. "Get a room!"
Oh, they will, George and Angelina definitely will...
6. "Well," he said flatly. "I suppose it was the beginning of the end when you took my queen." Harry felt as though he had killed Ron.
God, how I tortured these poor kids! I was glad, though, to continue JK Rowling's tradition of creating chess games that mirrored what was going on in the story. Everyone got the symbolism here very easily.
7. "It was the beginning of term. After Herbology, I was helping Professor Sprout take some spleenwort plants up to the hospital wing. She said it was for Madam Pomfrey to make Prophylaxis Potion, whatever that is. She was acting strangely, said she thought Madam Pomfrey shouldn't just go doling it out to any girl who asked. Then she looked at me and said that of course, I was a good girl, I would never need it. I haven't bothered to look it up, though I meant to."
Thank you again, Gardner's Latin! And for some reason Professor Sprout strikes me as more than a little conservative, I don't know why, while Madam Pomfrey is a pragmatist. And Ginny will eventually know all about this potion (and she'll STILL be a "good girl"!).
8. He was saying 'Mummy' over and over, and then he said, 'Make him stop, Mummy.'
I shall be perpetually amused that, in canon, it wasn't a human girl who was touched by witnessing Draco at his most vulnerable but MOANING MYRTLE. :sporfle:
9. Roger arriving with Fleur and Fleur teaching at the village school and talking about Gabrielle eventually attending Hogwarts: foreshadowing for the Triangle Prophecy, anyone?
10. When Harry said his name, George's eyes flew open and he cried out. Suddenly, Angelina's head popped up from under the covers.
Yes, this part turned into a farce. I was having fun. ;)
11. "Having saved Ginny's life," he said to Malfoy, "I feel somewhat responsible for her. I love her--" he said, his voice cracking a little (while Ginny’s eyes became very wide) "--like a sister." He looked at Ginny, aching that he'd just said that--but knowing he had no choice but to convince all of them--himself most of all--that it was the truth.
Yes, Harry, you just go on telling yourself that...
12. He turned with his hand on the knob, preparing to leave. Ginny was crying, touching Malfoy's face with her fingers as though it were a precious thing to her. He pulled her mouth to his, and she responded immediately, opening her mouth under his and twining her hands around his neck. Malfoy pressed his hands to her back, holding her as close to him as possible.
Harry turned and walked out the door, his heart in his throat. Walking away from them was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
And that says it all about Harry's feelings, doesn't it?
13. Ron still looked dazed from the revelation about George and Angelina. "Still--" he said in a hoarse whisper. "Mum told me she'd kill me if I ever got a girl in troub--" He stopped abruptly, and his ears turned deep red.
I can SO picture Molly doing this with each son, I really can. Starting with Bill. Who--well, we're not up to that bit yet...
14. ...then Harry saw Draco Malfoy ride past, slowly raising a hand, looking right at Harry. Harry solemnly raised his hand in response, as if he were taking an oath.
I had to build this relationship even more carefully than any of the ships so that what Harry will do at the end of the Triangle Prophecy would ring true. All of that begins in this chapter.