Re: BATHILDA'S SECRET
- From: "DaveD" <davedn1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:21:00 +0100
"BubblyBabs" <ng_at_fractalfairydotcom@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:MhK2k.1471$bh5.1283@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"BubblyBabs" <ng_at_fractalfairydotcom@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:vdb0k.414$Dm5.319@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Thom Madura" <Tommadura@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:48406f67$0$15206$607ed4bc@xxxxxxxxxFred Z wrote:BATHILDA'S SECRET
WHAT I THOUGHT BEFORE PUBLICATION: Ok, who's Bathilda? Giantess?
House-elf?
SMART-ALEC SUMMARY: Oh no, she's a SNAKE!
WHAT I THOUGHT WHEN I FIRST READ IT: I was totally taken by surprise
when Bathilda turned into a snake.
WHAT I THOUGHT ON REREADING THIS CHAPTER: Harry and Hermione missed
at least five giant clues that something was wrong: the Horcrux
pulsing against his chest; the mysterious behavior and unexplained
silence of "Bathilda"; the smelly odor of the house; her bizarre
snakelike appearance; and her talking in Parselmouth.
The Voldemort POV scenes are more gripping than I remembered them.
I WISH J.K. ROWLING HAD . handled the fight scene differently. It was
realistic in that it was a confused blur of events for Harry, but it
also came across the same way for the reader.
WHY I LOVE J.K. ROWLING: I found it moving that when one-year-old
Harry faces Voldemort for the first time, he is standing up
(admittedly, in his crib) and looking Voldemort straight in the eye.
STARS: 7
WHY: A pivotal chapter.
HERO(1): Harry. As always, he is at his best in threat evaluation:
determining that fighting the snake is not nearly as important as
getting away before Voldemort arrives.
HERO(2): Hermione. She saves Harry from the snake-a teenage witch
fighting well over her weight against an extremely powerful Dark
magical creature.
GOAT: Hermione. Oops, I destroyed your wand!
BIGGEST PLOT HOLE: Why did James Potter confront Voldemort without a
wand? I know it was heroic and he as defending his family and all, but
surely it would have been more helpful to sprint in the opposite
direction and get a wand.
I still consider the biggest plot hole to be JKR's explanation of Lily's love.
I still consider James to have done the most to protect his wife and child by trying to take on VOldemort to delay him - so that Lily could escape with Harry. James actually gave up his life to save his family.
Lily did not do that.
At the time, she did not know about the ancient magic - so AS FAR AS SHE KNEW - giving up her life would do NOTHING to protect Harry. Once gone - Harry would be completely unprotected. I continue not to believe that Voldemort would really have allowed her to live. So - her "sacrifice" might have gained Harry a few more seconds of life - but there was no reason it would do more.
I think about the woman who (a few years ago) was walking in the woods w/ her 2 kids (2 year old and 6 year old)... A bear attacked the 2 year old and the mother valiently tried to save the child, the bear naturally attacked the mother as well. The 6 year old ran. The bear went after the 6 year old leaving the mother and the 2 year old severely injured. The 6 year old was killed by the bear. The bear was killed after it was found with the 6 year olds body.
The mother tried to save her 2 year old knowing full well she'd probably die. She could have grabbed her 6 year old and ran hoping the bear would continue to munch on the 2 year old and leave them alone. But she fought bravely anyway hoping that the 6 year old would run and get away safely. Probably would have worked had the 6 year old not ran away screaming. I cringe to think of the terror the 6 year old felt before she died.
I think of Lily like the mother fighting the bear - no weapons, just her body, in an effort to protect her baby...
Babs
Interesting, I was sure this comment of mine would get some type of reaction... Funny how my sugar question got more attention...
Babs
Perhaps it's just too upsetting. But I know what you mean - just because you don't stand a chance, if buying just a few seconds is all you can do, then you do it and hope something else will happen to save the child/loved one even though you know nothing will.
It's like a reflex - so innate you're compelled to do it, there might be a way you could save yourself but there's no way you'd ever take it. In the circumstances what else could Lily do? Of course she flung herself in Voldy's way even though she knew it would be futile - she couldn't just stand by and let Harry be killed in front of her.
DaveD
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