the_wanlorn | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

There are spoilers within. Not just for the chapters mentioned, but for the whole book. Please proceed with caution.

Also, I'm long-winded, so these are fairly long. And I keep getting off-track. Anyway, I present my blow-by-blow reaction to each chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter One
Well, this isn't all that good of a sign. The book is starting out with a big old WTF from me. While it's good to see the Wizarding world interacting with the Muggle world, the way this is happening seemed a bit out of place to me. As much as I'm a fan of writing information dump chapters like this one seemed to be, I'm not so much a fan of reading them. Nor am I a fan of "clever" words being spelled out phonetically, such as "Serious Black" and "Kwidditch". The person doing the talking/narrating might not know how it's spelled, but the reader sure does and it makes me want to take a red pen to the book. I have a feeling, though, that the feeling is brought on by reading too many fanfics in which those words were spelled like that because the author couldn't take the time to look up the correct spelling. JKR giving a nod to badfic? Well, it would fit in wonderfully with the tinhattery that's been going on the past few days.

"I don't really understand it, and Dumbledore won't explain properly" (Fudge, p. 11). This makes me question whether or not that was Fudge being an arrogant fool who wouldn't listen to Dumbledore. I mean, on the one hand, I think it would be quite in character for Fudge to not listen to the extensive explanation someone was giving. On the other hand, Dumbledore is fond of keeping secrets, especially if it gives him some sort of power over the person¹.

Just a quick mention that the Office of Misinformation creeps me out. I understand that it's primary use (in this chapter, at least) seems to be keeping Muggles in the dark about the existence of the Wizarding world. But, dudes, propaganda. The potential for it use being manipulated and turned into the propaganda center for the Wizarading world is there. And, hey, with a name like that, maybe it's foreshadowing. Or maybe not, because this is still a kid book. In any case, the attitude of the new Minister of Magic rubs me slightly the wrong way. I don't know how much of that is supposed to happen because this chapter is written from the PM's POV and he's creeping the PM out.

Dementor breeding. I don't even want to know how that works. *shudder*

I would like to note that I love Kingsley Shacklebolt and I love that he's the PM's new secretary. I'm just not sure how much of my love is for fanon!Shacklebolt and how much is for canon!Shacklebolt. In any case, I'm pleased that he's mentioned so early. If I'm going to be all in-depth and pretentious and such for these reaction posts, I should probably be more concerned about the ramifications of the Wizarding world infiltrating the Muggles like that and keeping an eye on them and such. But dude! It's Kingsley Shacklebolt! Whose name, by the by, is incredibly fun to say.

Lastly, because everything should end on a good note, here's a quote that I love:

"But for heaven's sake--you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out--well--anything!"

Scrimgeour turned slowly on the spot and exchanged an incredulous look with Fudge, who really did manage a smile this time as he said kindly, "The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister." (The Prime Minister and Scrimgeour, p.18)

Chapter Two
Narcissa and Bellatrix, Cissy and Bella. It's like the worst nicknames of fandom have come to reside in canon. This goes to show that, while we all might hate nicknames like "Sev" and "'Mione", it is possible that they exist. Because, hey, people use nicknames like that in real life.

Insert a technical discussion of apparition, air displacement, and sounds caused by that here, which I am too lazy to type up at the moment.

Oh, and let's not forget the title of the chapter, Snape's lovely home, Spinner's End. What? He doesn't live in Snape Manor? He isn't living in wealth and splendor, appearing to be a Pureblood of the highest aristocratic distinction? I can hear the fanbrats squealing "OOC! OOC!" from here. I, personally, have been spoiled by fanon!Snape. The fact that he wasn't oh-so-aristocratic threw me for a loop for a bit, until I remembered fanon!Snape, much like fanon!Draco, is a completely different person from canon!Snape. I am a Snape apoplogist because I love the fanon version. The canon Snape is not so much sexy-evil-but-good as, well, he's just not.

And Wormtail? Is now Snape's ~~lover~~ lacky? I have a feeling that I should have reread the previous books before starting this one so that everything was clear in my mind. My memory is not what it used to be.

In any case, the fact that Wormtail is there suggests that Snape is loyal to the Dark Lord, yet Bellatrix's first outburst suggests that there's enough suspicion for him to be loyal to Dumbledore. This chapter leaves that loyalty very much unclear and sort of suspicious. The problem with well-written double agents in books is that you can't really tell what side they're on until the end of then series, because they play both so well. I guess we'll have to wait for book 7 to see.

Oh, and it was awful convenient that Snape knew about Draco's task, mm? I'm not sure if that was foreshadowing something, hinting at Snape having inside knowledge and being closer to the Dark Lord than to Dumbledore (or that perhaps Draco himself had come to him and broken his word to Voldemort, even though that seems fairly unlikely), or just blame shoddy writing (in the sense that it's way easier for the author to put in something like that than to make it believable and in character for someone else to inform the person). Oh yes. I am the queen of run-on sentences.

The main issue I have with this chapter - for I'm going to have an issue with each chapter, that's just how I read - is that JKR overuses ellipses in dialogue. Give it a rest woman! You do not need every other word to trail off in order to indicate that someone is hesitant, worried, or out of breath.

On a good note, the actual scene where the Unbreakable Vow is vowed gives hope to Snape apologists like me. First of all, he doesn't agree to do it until after Bellatrix voices her suspiciouns again. As far as we know, he could have been about to refuse until he felt the need to prove that he really was loyal to the Dark Lord in order to keep his status as a double agent safe. And as he's uttering the words, we get this lovely bit: "(Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away)" (p36). Relucance? It could very well be. I mean, on the other hand, he could have just not done the vow. But hey, them's the breaks.

Chapter Three
Holy hell. Enough with the summing up chapters! We don't need a reminder of all the major events that went on in the previous books and chapters. We need reminders of little stuff, but that can't really be worked in. No one's going to start reading this series on book six and expect to get loads of information. Bad form, Rowling. Bad form. Also, the whole ending of the news articles instead of having the pages they're continued on conveniently open? Also not all that cool. It's bloody annoying. I am Not Pleased with this chapter so far. I mean, sure, it gives a picture of the mess. But enough is enough. A description would work just as well.

I bet she throws in the articles just to show how much pretty font she can use.

Inferi? Inferius? Does she use pretty names for werewolves, vampires, and giants? No! So why do the zombies get a special name! Okay, I'm really just complaining for the sake of complaining now. I actually like it. Even if it does sound kind of ridiculous.

Dumbledore? Is snarky. So pleasingly snarky. I love the old coot. His presence is improving this chapter immensely. JKR's talent doesn't lie so much in descriptions and such as it does in dialogue.

I'm torn between love for the way JKR plays with names and annoyance at how it's everywhere. Diagon Alley, diagonally. Knockturn Alley, nocturnally. Kreacher, creature. Yes, the thing is a nasty little piece of slime. But does it really have to be knocked into our heads every time we read its name? But still. It's amusing and fun to find.

"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure" (Dumbledore, p56). Cheesiest. Line. Ever.

So, Harry was all emo after Sirius died. He's been at the Dursleys' for a mere fortnight. That means Sirius has been dead for... not all that long. And yet there's barely a reaction from him on hearing that he's inherited all of Sirius' things, other than that he doesn't want the house or the elf? I just find that weird. But, on the other hand, people deal with grief in different ways and all that jazz.

Okay, my favorite thing about this chapter was Dumbledore's snark. It was so delightful and welcome in such a dreary chapter. And the mead insistantly rapping Vernon's head? Gold. Also, the story itself seems to be picking up. We'll see if it starts to move forward in the next chapter.

¹I love the old bastard. I'm not one of the Dumbledore-haters in fandom. But one of the reasons why I love him is his sneaky old bastard ways.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject