Friday 8 March 2013

"His immediate reaction was that it would be worth becoming a Prefect just to be able to use this bathroom."


So, a lot of important things happened in this part of the Goblet of Fire, things are really heating up for the big giant finale that I am equally excited and terrified to read about, and we learnt a lot about a lot of stuff. But, more important than all of that, my very favourite scene in all of Harry Potter happened.

BASICALLY, I love the prefects' bathroom in every possible way a woman can love a bathroom, and dammit, I will have a bathroom like it one of these days!
Mostly though, I think it's just one of those things where I can't really explain why I love it so much, because it's not exactly a major happening or anything, but it's just amazing and perfect and I love it. I think a big reason that I haven't seen any of the movie version (I've only seen all of the first one, but I've seen bits of most of the others... But not this one) is because I can't bear to see what they've done to the prefects' bathroom because WHAT IF IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS IT IS IN MY BRAIN?!

I mean, it definitely isn't because nothing in the world is as good as that is in my brain. So I just don't want to know.

Anyway! Other things did happen, probably. I might be too busy daydreaming about taps that pour out bubbles instead of water to write about them, but... NO, ok, I'm done talking about dream baths! So, Dobby's back (this is the first part he appears in, right?) and this time I... don't hate him?
But seriously, I guess when he's saving Harry's life instead of RUINING it, he's a lot less annoying, and also he's a free elf and he's happy and Hermoine's cause has its first good example, which is good because it was looking uncomfortably like we were going to have to go 'So... JK thinks that slavery is actually ok? That's... Really weird and horrible.' There is always Winky though, and actually I really like the contrast between Dobby, who likes being free, and Winky who thinks it's the worst thing ever. Plus Winky NEEDS to be there so I can transfer my House Elf Hate onto her and away from Dobby. Because anyone who says "'Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!'" is alright in my book.

Speaking of Harry Potter and his 'Wheezy' (awwwwwww!) I think the second challenge is awesome even though Harry and even Hermione couldn't figure out how to, y'know, deal with it and it was left to Dobby to steal stuff from Snape for Harry to properly compete. (But how did the others find the Bubblehead charm?! They couldn't find the charm for that?!) But ANYWAY- I strongly enjoy that Harry got there first and found three people he really cared about all tied up and ready to drown, and then he saved two of them, and didn't even CARE about winning so much as, you know, saving LIVES and this is why Harry is an awesome hero and I love him. An added bonus of this challenge is when Percy is all adorably worried about Ron because OMG SO CUTE!
Now, I've been writing this for approximately forever because short attention span+ the internet= Deadly. So I think it's time for bullet points.

  • Harry and Ron trying to get partners for the Yule Ball was both hilarious and tragic. I LOVED all the tension between Ron and Hermione about it though. I feel like this was the very first point where I was like 'ohhhh, is that what JK's trying to do here..?' so it's fun to revisit.
  • Harry's Christmas present from the Dursleys is a single tissue. I mean, at this point JK's really just having fun with the mean guardians story, isn't she?
  • The Yule Ball seems like it was SPECTACULAR even if Ron and Harry completely wasted it by just sitting down together and then going for a walk and basically being each others dates. Why didn't they just do that in the first place?!
  • Hagrid is a half-giant! OMG!
  • Speaking of Hagrid, remember when Karkaroff SPAT AT DUMBLEDORE (um, no Karkaroff, NOT OK) and then Hagrid lifted him up by the neck and told him to apologise? That was awesome. Hagrid's love for Dumbledore is one of my favourite things.
  • Baby unicorns are pure gold! I am a total girl when it comes to unicorns.
  • There is a lot of setting up for a big revelation for Snape. Which I'm assuming does happen in this book. But it may not. 
  • "If you want to know what a man's like, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." #rejectedtitlequotes . Also, alright Sirius, be all noble now, why don't you? It's all about the life lessons when you're not trying to murder Snape.
  • I feel like Mrs Weasley wouldn't be taken in by Rita Skeeter's stupid article (especially since she's already written mean things about Arthur IN THIS BOOK) so her sending Hermione a teeny easter egg seems out of character. UNLESS she somehow knows that Ron is in love with her (note: Ron doesn't even know this) and snubs her on his behalf. But I doubt it.
  • "All those substitutes for magic Muggles use- electricity, and computers and radar and all those things- they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air."- This explains the quills. And all the candles. And also, you know, the lack of internet and all.
And that's about all I have for you folks! I am so looking forward to/terribly afraid of the things we will find next week, but I will read on regardless. Hold my hand though, you guys. Please.

26 comments:

  1. "'Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!'"

    Ahh, the cuteness of that kills me. Dobby forever!!!!

    The tissue sent to Harry was ridiculous. Why would they even bother? Stupid Dursleys.

    And <3 for Sirius and one of his best lines in the whole series. I think on some level Sirius knows that he was kind of an asshole when he was younger and that that quote applies a bit to him as well, and he knows that pretty much the only thing he can do in life to make up for it a bit is by trying to be there for Harry.

    Also, good job on figuring out the mystery of why Hogwarts doesn't use Muggle conveniences! Cause I read that and didn't even think of it.

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    1. I am kind of forgiving Dobby for the Chamber of Secrets. I forgot that this is what happens...

      That's exactly what I thought about the tissue! They just wouldn't send anything, right?! MADNESS!

      Meh, you may be right. That quote is totally awesome and true though, even if it WAS Sirius saying it haha.

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    2. Yeah, the Dursleys pretend Harry doesn't exist when he's right in their faces, so why would they think of him around Christmas-time? And how did they send it? The regular postal service doesn't come to Hogwarts, I'm sure. So silly.

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    3. It is really really silly, and yet I seriously love it. Probably because I'm silly too :)

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  2. Love love love these posts. But then you already knew that. I'm like, way far behind now and only vaguely remembering these things, but OMG THE PREFECT BATHROOM. It's pretty darn awesome in my head too, all twirly taps and multicoloured bubbles. And isn't there some indication that the bath's big enough TO SWIM IN? What a way to get clean, swimming around in a fairytale pool. AND it's wizard bubble bath so I bet the bubbles DON'T EVEN STING WHEN THEY GET IN YOUR EYES. I wonder, if I Google this long enough, will I come across some rich eccentric person who's made a real one already? *heads off to waste three hours looking* :)

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    1. The bath is totally big enough to swim in!! Harry does a few lengths before settling down, I believe. It's just the greatest thing in the entire world in my imagination! I really hope someone HAS recreated it. Because I will be ALL OVER that person. For reals. (If you find it, you'd better come back and link me to it!!)

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  3. >>>But seriously, I guess when he's saving Harry's life instead of RUINING it, he's a lot less annoying.

    THIS. JESUS.

    Also, Hagrid's love for Dumbledore is one of my favorite things either. I love how Dumbledore is so faithful to Hagrid too, what with the saving of the hippogriff and the standing up for him in the fifth book and also in the second book, and no wonder Hagrid loves him so. Aw.

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    1. I KNOW RIGHT?! I definitely forgot when I was reading CoS that there's a Dobby-love curve. My relations with Dobby are a lot better now.

      I love their love. I love it so much.

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  4. "All those substitutes for magic Muggles use- electricity, and computers and radar and all those things- they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air."- This explains the quills. And all the candles. And also, you know, the lack of internet and all. - YES. And this also explains why they couldn't have a freaking copy machine in Book 2 so Hermione could COPY a page from a library book instead of TEAR IT OUT, although I still think there should be some kind of spell for that, really.

    I never thought of how odd it was that the other champions find ways to breath underwater that don't require a house elf indebted to you for his freedom stealing supplies from a professor (who already hates you, mind you), given that Harry (and Ron, and Hermione) spend AGES looking up ways to breath underwater.

    Also, Dobby. Love.

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    1. Oh my gosh, you are so right. I feel like Hermione wouldn't have even torn the page out of the book, she just would have been like 'so I found this info out guys!' but then she got all petrified and they needed the page to solve stuff. So, you know, plot necessities and all.

      It's totally weird! And they said that it's the bubblehead CHARM, which is stupid because they looked at ALL THE CHARMS. Stupid book.

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  5. Yeah see I assume the bubble head charm comes from the proper amount of years at school, but then why can't they find it?

    That moment when Percy runs into the lake? LOVE! Pity he ruins it again. Stupid Percy.

    I feel like mrs Weasley could absolutely know Ron's feeling before Ron. There's nothing to indicate this but she's that kinda mum.

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    1. EXACTLY! Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing.

      It was SO cute! He's all like pale, and he's like RON I LOVE YOU (in his brain, obvs). The Percy thing is a thing I can totally only vaguely remember, so... Shhhhh. Hehehe.

      She really is that kinda mum. But what if JK means that she actually believes what she reads? THE HORROR!

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    2. That would be the *worst*. But in the next section she admonishes Diggory for believing Skeeter saying she's always trying to stir trouble. And then Harry tells her he never dated Hermioneband she gets happier. So I think your Mrs Weasley theory stacks up.

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  6. "Percy is all adorably worried about Ron because OMG SO CUTE!" I forgot to mention this but my heart grew three sizes for Percy at this moment. I mean he goes back to being a pompous douche again pretty quickly but for those moments he's just a big brother worried about his littler brother and it's THE CUTEST. And I guess also shows that Harry wasn't the only one worried about the hostages.

    I ALMOST went with that Sirius quote for the title (cos of course) but then I sorta thought it was cheesy and Sirius doesn't really follow it and that makes me (kinda) sad.

    Does all that magic in the air at Hogwarts prevent ball point pens from working? Like I get electronics won't work there, but I still feel like we've moved enough beyond quills and bottles of ink.

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    1. It is the VERY cutest! It's actually even cuter than Harry and his 'Wheezy' AND than Harry wanting to SAVE ALL THE HOSTAGES, and both of those things were really really cute!

      Hehehe, that was totally the quote I thought you'd have! And I neaaarly chose it too, but then I was like 'but but but the prefects' bathroom!' and had to go with that. Sirius totally doesn't follow it, cause he's a prick. But I still think it's a totally good mantra (or, whatever.)

      Um, ballpoint pens are clearly a Muggle replacement for magic, Alley! (Or, actually, no... But don't pretend you don't love the quills and parchment, because they are clearly really awesome, and the image of them is perfect. So there.)

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    2. I love the image of parchment and quills until I think what it must be like to actually use them. Think how often the students are spilling their inkwells. THAT SUCKS, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE PENS. I think wizards are just snobs when it comes to Muggle things. Jerks.

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  7. "'Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!'"

    Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

    I'll bet they could've found that bubble charm if wizards had the internet. Seriously, that is the WORST. I will stay Muggle, thank you.

    ("It doesn't work like that")
    ("Quiet, you")

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    1. Maybe if you're a half-blood you get BOTH? Internet + Magic = WINNING.

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    2. The internet is magicker than magic. I think. So if we HAVE to choose...

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  8. I thought about that with Mrs Weasley, too, but my friend's mom is exactly like her, right down to the sometimes resemblance to a saber-toothed tiger, and she would have reacted the same way. Both times, reacting to the Arthur article and the Harry article, she gets ferociously defensive of her boys.

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    1. Yep, this thing. I am Big Sister to no fewer than SIX brothers (two of whom are older than I am, but let's face it, I'm still their Big Sister because they are boys) and my tiger claws come OUT. I can't even.

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    2. But but but, what about being defensive of Hermione over stupid Rita Skeeter?! I find this a really unattractive quality in Mrs W, I have to say.

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  9. Oh my god, the tiny Easter egg. I want to cry every time I read that section. Hermione must have just felt like shit - it would have been less awful to get no egg than to get a tiny one. But I agree that it's out of character for Mrs. Weasley - she's too sweet and good-natured. At the very least she'd write a letter to Ginny to figure out what's going on before being all mean. Speaking of which, that's TOTALLY what she should have done. Ginny sees all.

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    1. She would absolutely have written to Ginny! And Ginny would have been like 'er, no mum' and then all would have been well. STUPID JK.

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  10. 'how did the others find the Bubblehead charm?! They couldn't find the charm for that?' - HAHA, RIGHT? I feel like JK slipped up with that one.

    And yes, Sirius is a Totally Responsible Grown-Up now, but being a pranky, murdery student is not something you can just shrug off.

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    1. It could have been something apart from a charm, right? Just... Make it a spell that wouldn't be in the EXACT place they were looking, huh JK?

      Exactly- and he does it all the time and MANY READERS *looks around suspiciously* just let him. I don't think it's an excuse to go 'but he was young!' because hey, I was young too and I never tried to murder anyone! Mostly I just read books.

      Stupid Sirius.

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