#hpreadalong2018

Harry Potter Readalong Week 27: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 12-15

* As previously noted, you do not have to actually answer these like you’re in school, it’s more to get the dialogue started and to give you ideas of what to post about if you’re drawing a blank. Liveblogging is highly encouraged.

I Need To Know About Inventing Spells

I love Ron to pieces, but his jealousy really rubs me the wrong way.

Discuss Mundungus.

Honestly, the number of times Harry has been wrong about Snape and Malfoy, you’d think he’d second guess himself.

Let’s Discuss Merope and be Sad

I appreciate an adult who actually gives a shit about her charges. What do you think growing up in the orphanage was like for Voldemort?

What could have happened to Voldemort if he didn’t go to Hogwarts?

I love Ron to pieces, but his “I’m the worst ever and can’t do anything right ever” attitude really rubs me the wrong way.

Quidditch... That’s all.

Let’s Talk About Harry’s Trick

Y’all Wouldn’t Have These Issues If You JUST TALKED TO EACH OTHER.

Then again, Harry was a moody kid last year, so I guess his friends need to go through the same.

Luna is and always will be a gift.

Can we talk about Lavender?

McCormic is a shit, right? Right??

MALFOY DESERVED BETTER.

Oh hey, there is actual mention of kids failing grades. I want to know more. What happens if a student doesn’t take or doesn’t pass OWLs? Is there “unskilled labor” for wizards? Are OWLs like SAT scores? Let’s talk about it.

These are famous words spoken by Harry James Potter at the first of september 1993, but are they true?

Harry reacts here to the fact that all adults seem to think he would go looking for Sirius Black the moment he learns that he wants to kill him. From Harry’s point of view, this is very weird, why would he go looking for someone who tries to kill him? But is he valid in thinking that? Or do the adults have some point? Let’s take a look at the facts.

Philosopher’s Stone: Harry gets a couple of times in trouble in this year, namely: - Fluffy But is this is fault? He shouldn’t have been out past curfew, but he couldn’t really help that there was a giant three headed dog in the school. - Troll in the bathroom While they should just have told someone older that Hermione was hiding in the bathroom, they couldn’t have reasonably known that the troll wasn’t in the dungeons, but on a higher floor. - Norbert(a) I blame Hagrid for this. (And why couldn’t Charlie’s friends pick the dragon up in Hogsmade?) - the Philosopher’s Stone itself I think they were right in doing as they did, even though there might’ve been a solution involving an adult, but since they were wrong with their suspicions, it would have been hard to convince someone.

Chamber of Secrets: - I just put all things Dobby in one. I don’t blame harry for anything, except the flying car, just wait ten minutes guys! - Being suspected of being the Heir of Slytherin is once again not really something I can blame Harry for. - Going to the Chamber of Secrets can I just ask why they went to Lockheart of all people and then decided to go on their own? Sorry Harry, but here you went looking for trouble.

Prisoner of Azkaban: -Blew up Aunt Marge which was totally rectified, but not smart. Also, I can’t help but wonder how much of it really was accidentally. -Harry was actually pretty troubleless this year, he did get attacked by dementors, but that wasn’t his fault. But ultimately coming face to face with Sirius and the following events weren’t his fault, they didn’t really have time to get help when Sirius dragged Ron. Also they couldn’t help that it was full moon and that Snape couldn’t get over his childhood hate for Sirius.

Goblet of Fire: -I see this book as a prime example of how trouble finds Harry James Potter.

Order of the Phoenix: - The dementor attack and the trial aren’t Harry’s fault and I don’t think he could have evaded this in anyway, since Umbridge admitted to sending the dementors after him. -The punishment by Umbridge could have been evaded by just telling McGonagall, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have let it happen. -‘Saving’ Sirius Harry was a bit to eager to go into hero mode if you ask me.

Half-Blood Prince: -Being left paralysed in the train is clearly Harry looking for trouble, you didn’t need to snoop on Draco. -There’s not much left I can come up with, apart from the obvious Dumbledore dying which is not something Harry could’ve prevented.

Deathly Hallows: We can’t say Harry didn’t go looking for trouble, but I think he was justified this time.

So what can we conclude from this? We can say that while Harry is partially right in saying that he doesn’t go looking for trouble. The information that Arthur Weasley and the other adults have may suggest otherwise. Especially if we take into account what had just happened a couple of months ago, which wasn’t really something they couldn’t have solved differently, I feel like Mr. Weasley’s (and Hermione’s) fear that Harry will go looking for Sirius is partially justified. And as we’ve seen, Harry does have a knack for looking for trouble sometimes. But then, why would he be so certain that it is the trouble that finds him? I think that it also has to do with how the Dursleys used to treat him. As we know, Harry had gotten into a lot of trouble with them due to his magic. And since he didn’t understand this at the moment, it must’ve felt for him like he always gets in trouble without having done anything wrong.

Finally, I would like to add that Harry definitely has a hero’s complex as Hermione says in the Order of the Phoenix and suggests in the Prisoner of Azkaban.

“Oh Harry… You’ll have to be really, really careful. Don’t go looking for trouble, Harry…”

Draco Malfoy has a Thing for Harry Potter: Discuss He has turned into a bully by the point.  That was how my bullies acted when I was around them.  Finding out what you feel bad about, in this case Harry fainting when he first met a dementor, and making fun of it.  I didn’t have his friends to help me back when I was 8, so I just cried.

Draco Malfoy is a little shit: Discuss Oh boy is he, until the sixth or seventh book, he is a little shit who tries ever too hard to be in daddy’s good graces, to live up to his standards.  And his father will hear about this.  Always with his father, try to fix it yourself, don’t go crying to your parents!

Professor Trelawney’s “prophesies” - a lot of them are actually true, but she presents them in such a ludicrous manner and has to be all DEATH and BAD TIMES that she isn’t taken seriously. What do you think of Divination? Are you more like Lavender and Parvati or Hermione? I would have taken her class in a heartbeat, I find supernatural stuff so interesting.  I may have played off what she said as a joke, but she is correct on the most part.  I think I would have done great in her class, cause I regularly see things in everyday things, it doesn’t have to be tea leaves.  The predictions and her homework, I would have had fun doing that.

Could Hagrid be a good teacher if given the opportunity? If he had an assistant with him, Hagrid gets so into the creatures that he is showing that he sometimes forgets that he is half giant.  What looks small to him, may look big to the students he teaches.

How do substitutes work at Hogwarts? I don’t really know. I would think they would get a study period if the professor doesn’t show.  With Lupin and his turning into a werewolf every time the moon is full, he could accommodate.  Using Snape as the fill in, was not a great idea, he still hates Lupin and all of his friends.  I get this feeling of revenge with them.  Lupin just wants to have a good time, Snape has spite left in him, so he teaches the class difficult things, things they aren’t supposed to get to until later in the year, like how to recognize a werewolf.  On page 394.

Lupin: Love him or love him. Discuss. I adore him, he wants to do better with his life.  I can equate his werewolf condition as a physical handicap.  No one would want to hire him if his condition got out.  I feel the pain regularly, cause I am physically handicapped.  You might not know it when you first see me, but allow me to get tired and you’ll notice.

Snape: Great character, horrible human being. He is a sneaky bastard, with hate running through his veins.  Hate for Harry’s father and the rest of the crew he hung around with.  And with his frustrations taken out on mostly Harry, Hermione, and poor Neville.

Harry Potter Constantly Risks His Life For Sports: Discuss Most games, if it’s raining, not even thundering, they would call for a reschedule.  But oh no, not for wizards, they think it’s a fun game of trying not to slip off your wet broom as high winds try to knock you off, or get electrocuted and plummet to the ground.  I really think it should have been cancelled.  Stupid school for not cancelling it, and stupid teachers for allowing it to happen and not see the dangers.

Marauder’s Map and Fred and George: Discuss A supposed dead guy is sleeping next to Ron every night?  Well, better not tell him about it and instead do some hijinks with Filch.  What dumb asses, I’m sorry, but at the moment, they were dumb asses.

Do you remember how you felt when you first read about Sirius “betraying” the Potters? How do you feel now? I felt so sad for him when I was little.  How he was after Harry, and wouldn’t leave him alone, even went so far to attack the fat lady who guarded the common room.  But it was scabbers he was after.  I didn’t realize until the middle of the book, or something, before the two have to go back in time.

Harry Potter Readalong Week 26: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 6-11

* As previously noted, you do not have to actually answer these like you’re in school, it’s more to get the dialogue started and to give you ideas of what to post about if you’re drawing a blank. Liveblogging is highly encouraged.

So, we recently rewatched the movies while playing the Harry Potter Deck Building Game and let me just say, Malfoy’s saving grace is Tom Felton. Because he is still a git in the books.

Fred and George are a DELIGHT. They are BRILLIANT and GENEROUS and I AM GOING TO CRY.

Why is everyone so sure Voldemort wouldn’t let a 16 year old into the Death Eaters? Death Eaters all went to school, and 16 is almost an adult in the wizarding world. Malfoy Sr. pissed Voldemort off, who wouldn’t think that he wants to take it out on him?

There is so much to be said for the silver trio. Let’s Talk About Them.

Can... can we all just hug Luna? And Neville?

Share headcanons of Chosen One Neville

Slug Club: Discuss

Update: Malfoy is still a git, but let’s be real, Harry would have probably done the same thing to him.

Update: Snape is still a git.

Like, I appreciate Snape as a character. He does a lot of good and noble things. He does fight for good, eventually, even if it is for selfish reasons. He does care for people, in his own way. But he is a man in his 30s belittling a 16 year old. He is a teacher, a man in a position of power, using this power to bully a student, someone he is supposed to protect and nurture. Like, I was a teacher. It doesn’t matter if you loathe a kid because they cussed you out and insulted your parentage and destroyed your property. YOU have to be the bigger person because YOU are the one with the power to determine the situation. Snape is an amazing character who warrants lots of study and is not morally black or white, but he is still a fckn git.

Bless Nearly Headless Nick.

I still don’t know if Ron should have been made a Prefect.

You know who should be a Prefect? Ginny.

Minerva McGonagall is the best. I love her. Bless her and her cows.

Are there quidditch trials every year and we just never hear about them? Did Harry actually have to try out every year to get back on the team? I have Questions.

I have to give Snape credit like. Has he been developing DADA lesson plans all these long years? Did he have them hidden away, hoping to be able to use them at some point? Or did he scrape together a curriculum at the last minute?

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the most savage line in the entire series. Just. Wow.

I appreciate that after OWLs, classes have all four houses.

So obviously, wizard text books do not have “editions” like muggle text books, if a 20+ year old book is still good. No updates, etc.

Let’s Discuss Voldemort’s Past

I gotta give Mr. Ogden credit, because I would have slapped Gaunt at least 4 times.

Merope is actually quite sad.

Quidditch trials: Discuss

Honestly though, Hagrid is also an adult, even older than Snape. He should not take teenagers seriously like he does.

Harry Potter Readalong Week 24: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 1-5

Sorry for the delay! I know I had sad we would have a brief hiatus, but then I ended up doing something every weekend  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Without further ado, let’s continue the readalong!

* As previously noted, you do not have to actually answer these like you’re in school, it’s more to get the dialogue started and to give you ideas of what to post about if you’re drawing a blank. Liveblogging is highly encouraged.

Muggle/wizard politics. Share thoughts. And go!

We definitely see the darker tone continue in this book; this is the first attack we really see on a group of innocent people. People die. What are your thoughts on the darker tone in the Harry Potter books?

Unbreakable vows: Discuss

Aside: I really like the newspaper excerpts as a way to fill us in on what has happened.

Wizarding estate administration must be a pain in the ass, if they can set spells to allow or not allow a thing to happen.

Good thing the ministry isn’t looking for an excuse to kick Harry out of Hogwarts again /sarcasm

Horace Slughorn: Discuss

Dumbledore would have been a fantastic Slytherin: Discuss

Get Harry Therapy 2kforever

The Weasley’s Deserve The World. Fite Me.

Thoughts on Fleur and Bill? Especially since we get to see him in the new game?

It’s so important that Harry has Ron and Hermione. Let’s talk about them.

OWLs are weird. And can we discuss that Harry COLLAPSED during an exam and was not permitted to retake it? That’s not even fair.

Harry should still be a teacher.

I keep meaning to write this and then getting distracted so here we go.

When we first started the readalong, Jamie shared how she picked the series up as part of a “judge a book by its cover” project assigned by her teacher and how she realized almost immediately that Harry Potter was something different. I’ve been trying to figure out why Prisoner of Azkaban has always been my favorite book, and I think I finally realized it: It’s different than Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets and thus changes the whole series in my opinion.

Growing up, my big series were Babysitter’s Club and Animorphs (plus some Nancy Drew). These series followed a fairly standard plot, in which the characters were (re)introduced, the basic plot from previous books outlined, and then the characters had their Adventure, which usually ended in some big climax. For Babysitter’s Club, it was something where the characters learned a lesson. Animorphs fought the Yeerks. Nancy fought the bad guy. The hero always won. 

In Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry fights Voldemort. In Chamber of Secrets, he fights Voldemort again. The heroes win, good triumphs for another year. I thought the series would be like Animorphs - the hero(es) fight the bad guy in every book and get stronger and etc until they get to the ultimate showdown. Harry would fight Voldemort in every book, until Voldemort was back to full strength, and then we’d have the climax book(s). Since JK was insistent at that point that she would only write 7 books, I also wasn’t sure Harry would survive (but also of course he would, Good always triumphs over Evil in fiction). When I got Prisoner of Azkaban, I expected the same basic plot. Harry is miserable at the Dursley’s, he goes back to school, there’s a mystery, he plays quidditch, goes to class, solves the mystery, fights Voldemort again, and then wins the House Cup. But there is no Voldemort. Harry is miserable, he goes back to school, there’s quidditch and classes and mystery, but instead of a physical and emotional fight against Voldemort, Harry instead learns more about his past. We learn more about the war and more about Harry’s parents. There is not a climactic fight against the forces of evil, there is instead a climactic race to protect good. This blew my 11-12 year old mind, because I hadn’t really read series that were like that.