(no subject)
Rather short, pointless chapter. Even the title: The Advance Guard; is pretty dull.
*
As sistermagpie mentioned, there's Smelly!Harry (who sounds pretty depressed, what with the not brushing of hair and the lethargy) and 'Hahahahahaha, the Dursleys are off wandering around waiting for a prize that won't come, don't they suck, let's laugh at them!'
(Again, I wonder what, if any protection is utilised for Petunia and Dudley. Because while the Order are tricking them out of the house, what's to stop the DEs simply killing them, presumably destroying his 'blood' ward-a-majigigs?)
*
Tonks (she's not a Mary Sue, she has the obvious and endearing flaw of clumsiness! Isn't Tonks cool, and wacky? She plays tricks and uses slang! Why, she's almost as cool as Fred and George!
Or as mistful put it:
"Nymphadora Tonks, so hip...such a funny name, such a cool power, such a cool job, doesn’t everybody like her?"
*
Lupin. Isn't Lupin sweet? Isn't he thoughtful? Isn't he mature?
'Excellent,' said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry -'
They won't,' said Harry.
'- that you're safe -'
'That'll just depress them.'
'- and you'll see them next summer.'
'Do I have to?'
Lupin smiled but made no answer.
Gosh, I hope he becomes replacement!pseudo!god-daddy to Harry post OotP. Not.
And as someone else noted, he seems to refer to people informally, whether they're comfortable with this or not.
Tonks, like Snape in POA, clearly doesn't want people to use her first name, which Remus sidesteps neatly.
*
Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?
Another reference to how frightening Dumbledore's voice sounded. Is this a red herring so we suspect a mystery sender, or is it foreshadowing for Dumbledore being more frightening than he appears? *crosses fingers*
*
He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body.
Just about sums up Harry in OotP. Kicking out at others or himself will only make him more miserable and annoying.
*
'About time!' Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage.
I did a 'find' on all the snarling by various characters in this book, but after the first thirty (I kid you not) I stopped counting...
*
'Keep pecking them till they've written decent length answers if you've got to. Understand?'
Aw, sweet. And why does Harry send letters to Ron, Hermione and Sirius when they're in the same house, anyway?
*
He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged.
Continuing the often repeated theme: Harry's home is the magical world, and he's entirely disassociated himself from Muggles.
I wonder if this will have any bearing for Hermione, since despite their similiar non-magic upbringings, Harry is viewed by both the WW and himself as closer to a pureblood than a Muggleborn.
*
Had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been severe enough to land him in a cell in Azkaban?
As pharnabazus points out, this provides a complete contrast to Harry by the end of OotP:
"The change in Harry is complete when he explains his position to Snape: "I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir." At the start of the book, Harry nearly has his wand broken for performing a purely defensive charm. At the end, he performs the Cruciatus Curse in the Ministry of Magic itself. Like the other patronage leaders, Harry is now above the law, and knows it. And he's still only fifteen years old."
*
'Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?' he growled. 'It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?'
'Harry, what form does your Patronus take?' Lupin asked.
'A stag,' said Harry nervously.
That's him, Mad-Eye,' said Lupin.
Um, wouldn't anyone who's attended school with Harry know that? Especially since he's sent it at three people whose fathers are Death Eaters? Which Lupin saw himself? Good thinking!
*
He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to The Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him...
...
He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered on-stage.
...
Harry crossed to the dishwasher...still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.
Swift mood swings - it's hard for people to please Harry.
*
'You're an Auror?' said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark-wizard-catcher was the only career he'd ever considered after Hogwarts.
I actually hate the idea of Auror!Harry, for several reasons.
1) He doesn't, as the text implies, seem to have considered any other options. At all.
2) He's been fighting evil all his life. Why would he want to do it as a career?
3) We don't know much about Aurors, and the only ones we've been shown in the books aren't particularly likeable. I mean, what do they do? Are they the equivalent of policemen? They 'catch dark wizards', and then what? Give them a fair trial, or just use the Unforgivables they've been authorised to, a la GoF?
Because they creeped me out with all the power they seem to abuse, frankly.
And since Harry already has a tendency to abuse his own power, this is the last thing he needs. IMHO.
*
'Can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus?' Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing.
No! I refuse to tolerate Metamorphmagus!Harry (is that really the spelling?) Not on top of Harry who's already the best at DADA, Quidditch, training to read minds, likely to become head boy (who's too important to be prefect) and Quidditch captain and Animagus and Heir of Gryffindor; famous, rich, who dates the most beautful girls. Just no.
*
As sistermagpie mentioned, there's Smelly!Harry (who sounds pretty depressed, what with the not brushing of hair and the lethargy) and 'Hahahahahaha, the Dursleys are off wandering around waiting for a prize that won't come, don't they suck, let's laugh at them!'
(Again, I wonder what, if any protection is utilised for Petunia and Dudley. Because while the Order are tricking them out of the house, what's to stop the DEs simply killing them, presumably destroying his 'blood' ward-a-majigigs?)
*
Tonks (she's not a Mary Sue, she has the obvious and endearing flaw of clumsiness! Isn't Tonks cool, and wacky? She plays tricks and uses slang! Why, she's almost as cool as Fred and George!
Or as mistful put it:
"Nymphadora Tonks, so hip...such a funny name, such a cool power, such a cool job, doesn’t everybody like her?"
*
Lupin. Isn't Lupin sweet? Isn't he thoughtful? Isn't he mature?
'Excellent,' said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry -'
They won't,' said Harry.
'- that you're safe -'
'That'll just depress them.'
'- and you'll see them next summer.'
'Do I have to?'
Lupin smiled but made no answer.
Gosh, I hope he becomes replacement!pseudo!god-daddy to Harry post OotP. Not.
And as someone else noted, he seems to refer to people informally, whether they're comfortable with this or not.
Tonks, like Snape in POA, clearly doesn't want people to use her first name, which Remus sidesteps neatly.
*
Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?
Another reference to how frightening Dumbledore's voice sounded. Is this a red herring so we suspect a mystery sender, or is it foreshadowing for Dumbledore being more frightening than he appears? *crosses fingers*
*
He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body.
Just about sums up Harry in OotP. Kicking out at others or himself will only make him more miserable and annoying.
*
'About time!' Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage.
I did a 'find' on all the snarling by various characters in this book, but after the first thirty (I kid you not) I stopped counting...
*
'Keep pecking them till they've written decent length answers if you've got to. Understand?'
Aw, sweet. And why does Harry send letters to Ron, Hermione and Sirius when they're in the same house, anyway?
*
He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged.
Continuing the often repeated theme: Harry's home is the magical world, and he's entirely disassociated himself from Muggles.
I wonder if this will have any bearing for Hermione, since despite their similiar non-magic upbringings, Harry is viewed by both the WW and himself as closer to a pureblood than a Muggleborn.
*
Had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been severe enough to land him in a cell in Azkaban?
As pharnabazus points out, this provides a complete contrast to Harry by the end of OotP:
"The change in Harry is complete when he explains his position to Snape: "I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir." At the start of the book, Harry nearly has his wand broken for performing a purely defensive charm. At the end, he performs the Cruciatus Curse in the Ministry of Magic itself. Like the other patronage leaders, Harry is now above the law, and knows it. And he's still only fifteen years old."
*
'Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?' he growled. 'It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?'
'Harry, what form does your Patronus take?' Lupin asked.
'A stag,' said Harry nervously.
That's him, Mad-Eye,' said Lupin.
Um, wouldn't anyone who's attended school with Harry know that? Especially since he's sent it at three people whose fathers are Death Eaters? Which Lupin saw himself? Good thinking!
*
He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to The Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him...
...
He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered on-stage.
...
Harry crossed to the dishwasher...still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.
Swift mood swings - it's hard for people to please Harry.
*
'You're an Auror?' said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark-wizard-catcher was the only career he'd ever considered after Hogwarts.
I actually hate the idea of Auror!Harry, for several reasons.
1) He doesn't, as the text implies, seem to have considered any other options. At all.
2) He's been fighting evil all his life. Why would he want to do it as a career?
3) We don't know much about Aurors, and the only ones we've been shown in the books aren't particularly likeable. I mean, what do they do? Are they the equivalent of policemen? They 'catch dark wizards', and then what? Give them a fair trial, or just use the Unforgivables they've been authorised to, a la GoF?
Because they creeped me out with all the power they seem to abuse, frankly.
And since Harry already has a tendency to abuse his own power, this is the last thing he needs. IMHO.
*
'Can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus?' Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing.
No! I refuse to tolerate Metamorphmagus!Harry (is that really the spelling?) Not on top of Harry who's already the best at DADA, Quidditch, training to read minds, likely to become head boy (who's too important to be prefect) and Quidditch captain and Animagus and Heir of Gryffindor; famous, rich, who dates the most beautful girls. Just no.