Rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter Ten - Kreacherâs Tale
EDIT: warning - i go off on long tangents about house elves in this post so... reader beware lolÂ
ive been purposely putting off doing this reread bc i really really really dont want to cry BUT lets power through this sad ass chapter
Ron had had a fit of gallantry and insisted that Hermione sleep on the cushions from the sofa, so that her silhouette was raised above his. Her arm curved on the floor, her fingers inches from Ronâs. Harry wondered whether they had fallen asleep holding hands. The idea made him feel strangely lonely.
1. SO happi they kept this in the movie. 2. i fucking love ron weasleyÂ
- UGH FUCKING AUNTIE MURIEL. pisses me off that she makes harry resent dumbledore after his death like MIND YO OWN BUSINESS
- lol sirius room is p much described as âSTICKIN IT TO THA MANâ and i couldnât love him more
With a leap of pleasure, Harry recognized his father; his untidy black hair stuck up at the back like Harryâs, and he too wore glasses. Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger and happier than Harry had ever seen it alive.
SO many things about this description makes me sad yall.
- ok im not going to quote the whole thing but harry just found lilys letter to sirius and it makes me FEEL things so if you too want to FEEL things go to page 180 plz and thx
The letter was an incredible treasure, proof that Lily Potter had lived, really lived, that her warm hand had once moved across this parchment, tracing ink into these letters, these words, words about him, Harry, her son.
let the water works begin
- also can we all appreciate that sirius bought harry his very first broomstick and also his very favorite broomstick years later??? cool? cool.
There was a little too much understanding in the smile Hermione gave him for Harryâs liking.
idk why but i find this fucking hilarious. harry out here thinking âdont fucking pity me hoeâ lol
- regulus is probably the single most interesting character in the series and i will FIGHT whoever disagrees
- WHAT UP KREACHER BB!!!!!!!!! ok regulus is the most interesting HUMAN character but kreacher is the most interesting NONhuman character
The elf sat up, curled into a ball, placed his wet face between his knees, and began to rock backward and forward.
i just wanna give him a hug yall
âAnd one day, a year after he had joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said... he said...â
The old elf rocked faster than ever.
â...he said that the Dark Lord required an elf.â
i feel so sad for kreacher almost more than any other character in the books. he was so FUCKING loyal and just wanted to be loved and praised by his masters
This, then, was how Voldemort had tested the defenses surrounding the Horcrux: by borrowing a disposable creature, a house-elf...
âKreacher drank, and as he drank, he saw terrible things... Kreacherâs insides burned... Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress Black, but the Dark Lord only laughed... He made Kreacher drink all the potion... He dropped a locket into the empty basin... He filled it with more potion.Â
And then the Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher on the island...â
lol full on bawling now. also notice how jkr specifically indented the last line to really fucking punch you in the heart
- elf magic vs wizard magic is FASCINATING yall i need a college course on this shit
- i feel like i almost forget that kreacher had to WATCH the master he loved drink the potion, basically torturing himself, and then get dragged under water by the inferi and then LEAVE. like it seriously breaks my heart to try and comprehend.Â
âStop him - stop him!â Hermione cried. âOh, donât you see now how sick it is, the way theyâve got to obey?â
i love hermione granger. I think the boys and everyone at school didnt understand SPEW bc the house elves at hogwarts are well taken care of. theyre not tortured or beaten and so people couldnât understand why she was fighting so hard to stop the elves from doing stuff they actually love. BUUUUT hermione was able to see past the elves just at hogwarts who had a good life and look at the elves like kreacher and dobby who lived miserable lives and just.... i need a hug yallÂ
âI donât understand you, Kreacher,â he said finally. âVoldemort tried to kill you, Regulus died to bring Voldemort down, but you were still happy to betray Sirius to Voldemort? You were happy to go to Narcissa and Bellatrix, and pass information to Voldemort through them...â
âHarry, Kreacher doesnât think like that,â said Hermione, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. âHeâs a slave; house-elves are used to bad, even brutal treatment; what Voldemort did to Kreacher wasnât that far out of the common way. What do wizard wars mean to an elf like Kreacher? Heâs loyal to people who are kind to him, and Mrs. Black must have been, and Regulus certainly was, so he served them willingly and parroted their beliefs.â [...] âIâve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did... and so did Sirius.â
BOOM WITH THE MOTHER FUCKING DYNAMITE. this passage hits me SO hard yall. hermione is right; actions have consequences and think just how much would have changed or been different if sirius had treated kreacher with love like regulus had; they could have been closer to defeating voldemort MUCH sooner and sirius would most likely be alive. just... if theres one message to take away from this, treat everyone nicely kids.Â
- lovelovelove that harry is making an effort now to be nice to kreacher and gave him the fake locket. happy tears now yall
He then made two low bows to Harry and Ron, and even gave a funny little spasm in Hermioneâs direction that might have been an attempt at a respectful salute
progress people, progress.
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