Throughout Ron’s life he has always been the younger brother or the side kick. Yet again Ron must learn to cope with being the “unimportant” one. We see why as Ron let’s his frustration out after finding out that he won’t be attending the Slug Club.
Ron: Why is that I always get left behind! Hermione has got the brains, Harry is always the hero, Ginny is good at magic, Neville’s got heroic parents, but what have I got? Now, not only do I know that I am good at nothing, but I’ve got a teacher telling me so that isn’t Snape! I hate how the teacher’s here at Hogwarts have their favorites. On top of that Dumbledore is going to be giving Harry private lessons! It just isn’t fair. I know it’s not my friends fault, it’s just difficult o always be left behind. Who cares anyhow! I bet the Slug Club is as boring as it sounds.
Analytical:
I think it’s pretty obvious as to why Ron would be upset. He is always the sidekick in their adventures and hardly ever gets any recognition for his help. He tries hard in school, but he just doesn’t have the brains Hermione does. We can see Ron’s frustration with the Slug Club on page 234 when he is telling Hermione that Ginny will probably be there. After re-reading this particular scene, it is actually extremely evident as to why Ron would be so upset. Think back to high school and recall a situation in which two of your good friends were talking about something they were going to be doing that didn’t involve you. This is a typical third wheel situation and is obviously going to frustrate you. These types of situations actually occur quite a bit and are most likely to occur if there is a trio of friends. If you look back over the course of Harry’s journey, Ron has been the third wheel for pretty much the entire time. Thus, I feel that Ron has every right to be upset. One thing I noticed though and was pretty happy about was that Ron doesn’t get mad at his friends. He is mad, but the frustration is toward the situation which is a sign of Ron growing up.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sirius' Troubles
Tonight is a lonely night for one of our favorite characters. That character is Sirius, Harry’s Godfather, and he sits alone in Buckbeak’s presence venting about his unfortunate life.
I just don’t understand. First I am wrongly accused and must sit in that wretched prison, then I must sit in this wretched prison! I will admit that it is better being here in my old home rather than constantly having Dementors float by. I just wish I could help out with the Order more, I could do so much! That good for nothing Snivellus thinks otherwise, but what does he know! I know what is right for Harry, I am his Godfather! Then again…I keep thinking Harry is so much like James, then something makes me think otherwise. It’s so strange, he looks like James, he acts like James, yet sometimes he makes decisions that I know James would not. This pains me in a way. I was truly hoping for a great friend like I had in James, but it seems that life is not perfect Buckbeak…
Analytical:
There are many statements throughout the novel which supports the above. The first of which, I believe, goes without saying. That is, I feel that Sirius really only has two options if he is going to talk to someone. Those options include Kreacher or Buckbeak. Buckbeak and Sirius have a positive relationship because they escaped together. Also, Sirius and Kreacher do not see eye to eye, so I believe that Buckbeak would be the optimal choice for Sirius to spill his feelings. We begin to see Sirius’ struggle to help the Order on page 79 when he tells Harry that he is the last Black left and offering his house to Dumbledore was about the only useful thing he could do. We also see that Sirius is very annoyed with Snape especially on pages 516 through 518. Snape makes it a point to say how useless Sirius is. This is possibly one of the reasons why Sirius would be so upset with Snape and is venting to Buckbeak about him. On pages 158 and 159 we get a glimpse at the disappointment Harry is feeling when he is cleared of all charges. He thought that it would be a neat idea to be banished just like Sirius. These pages also reveal a hint toward Sirius being upset and selfish following Harry’s clearing. This just goes to show that Sirius really does want Harry more as a friend than anything else. A father figure in this moment would not, in most cases, be so selfish. Lastly on page 305, Sirius makes a comment about meeting up with Harry on the next Hogsmeade trip and to Sirius’ surprise, Harry says no. Sirius even makes a comment about how Harry is less like his father than he thought. This is just another piece of evidence that Sirius really does want a James like friend back. He and James were really close and the closest thing to James is Harry. It is sad, but at the same time, understandable. Poor Sirius Black…he has an extremely difficult life…
I just don’t understand. First I am wrongly accused and must sit in that wretched prison, then I must sit in this wretched prison! I will admit that it is better being here in my old home rather than constantly having Dementors float by. I just wish I could help out with the Order more, I could do so much! That good for nothing Snivellus thinks otherwise, but what does he know! I know what is right for Harry, I am his Godfather! Then again…I keep thinking Harry is so much like James, then something makes me think otherwise. It’s so strange, he looks like James, he acts like James, yet sometimes he makes decisions that I know James would not. This pains me in a way. I was truly hoping for a great friend like I had in James, but it seems that life is not perfect Buckbeak…
Analytical:
There are many statements throughout the novel which supports the above. The first of which, I believe, goes without saying. That is, I feel that Sirius really only has two options if he is going to talk to someone. Those options include Kreacher or Buckbeak. Buckbeak and Sirius have a positive relationship because they escaped together. Also, Sirius and Kreacher do not see eye to eye, so I believe that Buckbeak would be the optimal choice for Sirius to spill his feelings. We begin to see Sirius’ struggle to help the Order on page 79 when he tells Harry that he is the last Black left and offering his house to Dumbledore was about the only useful thing he could do. We also see that Sirius is very annoyed with Snape especially on pages 516 through 518. Snape makes it a point to say how useless Sirius is. This is possibly one of the reasons why Sirius would be so upset with Snape and is venting to Buckbeak about him. On pages 158 and 159 we get a glimpse at the disappointment Harry is feeling when he is cleared of all charges. He thought that it would be a neat idea to be banished just like Sirius. These pages also reveal a hint toward Sirius being upset and selfish following Harry’s clearing. This just goes to show that Sirius really does want Harry more as a friend than anything else. A father figure in this moment would not, in most cases, be so selfish. Lastly on page 305, Sirius makes a comment about meeting up with Harry on the next Hogsmeade trip and to Sirius’ surprise, Harry says no. Sirius even makes a comment about how Harry is less like his father than he thought. This is just another piece of evidence that Sirius really does want a James like friend back. He and James were really close and the closest thing to James is Harry. It is sad, but at the same time, understandable. Poor Sirius Black…he has an extremely difficult life…
Dudley's Thought on the Night of the Dementors
I know I pick on Harry a lot, but it’s because he’s such a little twerp! It isn’t my fault that his parents were stupid enough to go and get themselves killed. Yet now all he wants to do is pick on me. I know it is because he is jealous of me, but still sometimes he is just askin’ for a lickin’. I’ve started noticing that he wants to be more like me. Sure, I like to pick on kids, but they all deserve it! They should know their place in life and then I wouldn’t have to go give ‘em a whompin’! But anyhow, I feel like Harry is trying too hard to be like me. Yes, he doesn’t have the strength I do, but he does have magic. First thing was first though, he picked on me while walking home by calling me names. A great start to becoming a classy bully, but I think both he and I knew that you’ve got to do more than talk. So, I decided I would stand up to him to let him try out his newfound ability of being a bully. I must say he did pretty good, he held his ground and was ready to fight. I of course don’t take pleasure in beating someone like Harry up so I decided that I would be the bigger person and stop the fight right then and there. Then as we’re walking home Harry decides to attack me while I had my guard down and made me feel horrible. I don’t know what spell he used, but it didn’t feel good. I think he realized that he was fighting unfair and reversed the spell. I probably could have gotten up and beaten Harry to a pulp, but like I said, this was his first attempt at being like me and I didn’t want to make him feel like he failed. So, I’m glad that Harry has finally realized that being a bully is great, and who knows maybe someday I’ll let him bully someone with me!
Analytical:
I think it goes without saying that Dudley is a spoiled little brat who thinks he is better in every way than Harry. Toward the beginning of the Order of the Phoenix we see Harry going out of his way to make fun of Dudley (pg 13-14). In my opinion this was totally unnecessary and I was hoping that Dudley would punch Harry in the face. This is an instance where we see a flaw in our hero. In my mind a hero doesn’t pick on others even if they are normally mean to them. There is a difference to reacting to someone’s comments (like when Malfoy is mean to one of the trio) or just plain calling someone out. Harry did the latter to Dudley and I found it extremely unjust. Yes, Dudley has never been nice to Harry so why should Harry be nice to him. Well, if he is this big bad wizard then he should have the ability to not let any comments from his dimwitted cousin to bother him. I know Harry is a teenager and that should be excuse enough to say that it was justified, but seriously, what kind of excuse is that. Should I just excuse every single thing Harry does wrong throughout the fifth book because of his age? No, he is still accountable for his actions and he should have gotten a fistful to his face. How does a child learn what is right and wrong without some sort of repercussions? I know a lot of people from class and such say that he is going through puberty and Dudley deserves every snide comment harry threw out, but then aren’t we seeing a spinning image of James Potter? Now please, don’t get me wrong, he was a great wizard, but that doesn’t give him the right to pick on others. We get to see those repercussions all throughout the story. I know Dudley seems like an unimportant character, but he still has a life to live and Harry’s ill comments could lead to a parallel between James and Snape and Harry and Dudley. Anyhow, I believe Dudley’s comments above are justified because if Harry is starting to stand up to him then he wouldn’t admit defeat. No, he would instead turn it around somehow and say that Harry is trying to be like him because he is jealous. To end this blog, I want to say how much I dislike Harry for his comments. He would have never made these comments if he didn’t have his wand. He is using his power to scare his cousin and it is just ridiculous…grow up already.
Analytical:
I think it goes without saying that Dudley is a spoiled little brat who thinks he is better in every way than Harry. Toward the beginning of the Order of the Phoenix we see Harry going out of his way to make fun of Dudley (pg 13-14). In my opinion this was totally unnecessary and I was hoping that Dudley would punch Harry in the face. This is an instance where we see a flaw in our hero. In my mind a hero doesn’t pick on others even if they are normally mean to them. There is a difference to reacting to someone’s comments (like when Malfoy is mean to one of the trio) or just plain calling someone out. Harry did the latter to Dudley and I found it extremely unjust. Yes, Dudley has never been nice to Harry so why should Harry be nice to him. Well, if he is this big bad wizard then he should have the ability to not let any comments from his dimwitted cousin to bother him. I know Harry is a teenager and that should be excuse enough to say that it was justified, but seriously, what kind of excuse is that. Should I just excuse every single thing Harry does wrong throughout the fifth book because of his age? No, he is still accountable for his actions and he should have gotten a fistful to his face. How does a child learn what is right and wrong without some sort of repercussions? I know a lot of people from class and such say that he is going through puberty and Dudley deserves every snide comment harry threw out, but then aren’t we seeing a spinning image of James Potter? Now please, don’t get me wrong, he was a great wizard, but that doesn’t give him the right to pick on others. We get to see those repercussions all throughout the story. I know Dudley seems like an unimportant character, but he still has a life to live and Harry’s ill comments could lead to a parallel between James and Snape and Harry and Dudley. Anyhow, I believe Dudley’s comments above are justified because if Harry is starting to stand up to him then he wouldn’t admit defeat. No, he would instead turn it around somehow and say that Harry is trying to be like him because he is jealous. To end this blog, I want to say how much I dislike Harry for his comments. He would have never made these comments if he didn’t have his wand. He is using his power to scare his cousin and it is just ridiculous…grow up already.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Mysterious Firebolt!
Hermione’s Diary:
Dear Diary,
It’s the Christmas holidays again and I wish I could say that everything is going well. I of course cannot due to a mysterious broom Harry has received. Personally, I believe that Sirius Black has sent Harry this hexed broom in a hope to kill him. I of course hope that I am wrong, but what if I am not? I therefore truly believe that I must tell one of the Professors. I feel that this is my duty because Ron of course is unable to comprehend anything other than what is presented before him. I know Harry and Ron might hate me for doing so, but I cannot see myself waiting to find out if Harry’s broom is cursed. This is an extremely tough decision for me because whether I like to admit it or not, I do not have many friends. I just hope that Harry and Ron can somehow forgive me. I am planning on deciding tonight on which professor to inform. As of now I am leaning towards telling Professor McGonagall due to our understanding of each other. I also believe that she will be the most understanding given the circumstances. Well, wish me luck…and if everything goes the way I think it will plan on hearing from me a lot more because I will be without friends.
Hermione Granger
Analytical:
The above thoughts by Hermione Granger are definitely plausible. Most of us have probably been at a point in our lives when we have no choice but to do something which will be painful in some way or another. Of course, it would seem that Hermione’s first thought would be that Sirius has sent Harry a cursed broom because who else in their right mind would send such an expensive broom without a note. Hermione is a very special character in that she analyzes and possibly overanalyzes everything. In this case, she believes that the broom must have been sent as a means to hurt Harry. This, in my opinion, is a perfect reaction for Hermione because everyone knows how much Harry loves quidditch and how willing he must be to want to get back on a broom (since his Nimbus 2000 was recently destroyed). I also believe that it is pretty obvious that Hermione does not have a whole lot of friends. We see in the first book in many different occasions (on the train, in the classroom, and in the halls) that Hermione is treated badly by everyone, especially Ron, and is always alone. This might be why it is such a difficult task for Hermione to be contemplating on whether or not she should tell on her friends. She knows in her heart that she must tell a professor because of the danger the Firebolt might possess. Hermione goes on to tell us that she if she is planning on telling a professor then it will most likely be Professor McGonagall. There could be two reasons for this. One reason might be because Hermione feels closer to McGonagall than any of the other professors since they have been meeting to talk about her class schedule quite a bit. Another reason might be that McGonagall is the house leader of Gryffindor and is therefore obviously worried about whether or not her Seeker will have a broom for their match. Hermione’s predicament is a tricky one because she must choose between telling on one of her best friends or to keep quiet and hope that the new Firebolt is a perfectly good broom.
Inside the Mind of Malfoy!
As Draco Malfoy lay awake on the eve of the closing of Hogwarts he thought the following:
That Harry Potter is such scum! Why couldn’t I be a parseltongue! I am in Slytherin, yet Potter just might be the heir to Slytherin. It just doesn’t make any sense. If he were the heir to Slytherin then why would he be hanging out with those muggle borns like Hermione Granger? I try offering him my assistance from the start, but he’d rather be friends with the useless Ron Weasley. Could it be possible that Potter really is the heir to Slytherin and has actually opened the Chamber of Secrets? I know the Ministry of Magic has declared Hagrid, that big oaf, the one to open the Chamber, but I just don’t think he has the brains for the type of operation. But again, could Potter be the one to open the Chamber? Everyone seemed to think so until his precious little muggle friend, Granger, was found petrified. I don’t know about everyone else, but what if Potter is trying to pull fast one. What if he realized that he needed to petrify Granger in order to get everyone off his back? Potter obviously isn’t smart enough to have thought of this on his own so he must be getting help from someone, but who? That Lockhart fellow has always been attached to Potter and he does claim to know where the entrance is. Could it be true? Could Potter actually be the heir of Slytherin and is ready to attack at will? If so I can’t wait to see the day let alone the look on Ron Weasley’s face!
Analytical:
The above may seem like a long shot, but one thing to remember is that we are in the mind of Malfoy. One thing to note is that Malfoy wanted to Harry Potter’s friend from the start. This might suggest that Malfoy truly believes that Harry Potter should have been a Slytherin from the start and he may very well have been if he hadn’t met Ron Weasley. It seems plausible that Malfoy might think that Harry is the heir to Slyherin due to the Chamber of Secrets being opened around the same time that Harry is revealed to being a parseltongue. Of course, it is a little farfetched for Malfoy to start thinking that Harry has petrified Hermione in hopes of keeping the teachers and others off his trail. Although, if Harry really is the heir to Slytherin and people are starting to accuse him of opening the Chamber then he might be forced to petrify Hermione, whom I guess he would be using, to trick the minds of the people around him. Malfoy is obviously jealous of Harry and is continuously making Harry out to be dumber than he really is. This is why he might be thinking that Harry must be getting help from someone, namely Lockhart (someone who seems to notice Harry as an extraordinary boy). This is all somewhat speculation, but it does make sense if you remember that this is all coming from Malfoy’s mind. He does not like Harry Potter of course and it would make sense that he does not like Lockhart, a teacher who seems to appreciate Harry as a celebrity.
That Harry Potter is such scum! Why couldn’t I be a parseltongue! I am in Slytherin, yet Potter just might be the heir to Slytherin. It just doesn’t make any sense. If he were the heir to Slytherin then why would he be hanging out with those muggle borns like Hermione Granger? I try offering him my assistance from the start, but he’d rather be friends with the useless Ron Weasley. Could it be possible that Potter really is the heir to Slytherin and has actually opened the Chamber of Secrets? I know the Ministry of Magic has declared Hagrid, that big oaf, the one to open the Chamber, but I just don’t think he has the brains for the type of operation. But again, could Potter be the one to open the Chamber? Everyone seemed to think so until his precious little muggle friend, Granger, was found petrified. I don’t know about everyone else, but what if Potter is trying to pull fast one. What if he realized that he needed to petrify Granger in order to get everyone off his back? Potter obviously isn’t smart enough to have thought of this on his own so he must be getting help from someone, but who? That Lockhart fellow has always been attached to Potter and he does claim to know where the entrance is. Could it be true? Could Potter actually be the heir of Slytherin and is ready to attack at will? If so I can’t wait to see the day let alone the look on Ron Weasley’s face!
Analytical:
The above may seem like a long shot, but one thing to remember is that we are in the mind of Malfoy. One thing to note is that Malfoy wanted to Harry Potter’s friend from the start. This might suggest that Malfoy truly believes that Harry Potter should have been a Slytherin from the start and he may very well have been if he hadn’t met Ron Weasley. It seems plausible that Malfoy might think that Harry is the heir to Slyherin due to the Chamber of Secrets being opened around the same time that Harry is revealed to being a parseltongue. Of course, it is a little farfetched for Malfoy to start thinking that Harry has petrified Hermione in hopes of keeping the teachers and others off his trail. Although, if Harry really is the heir to Slytherin and people are starting to accuse him of opening the Chamber then he might be forced to petrify Hermione, whom I guess he would be using, to trick the minds of the people around him. Malfoy is obviously jealous of Harry and is continuously making Harry out to be dumber than he really is. This is why he might be thinking that Harry must be getting help from someone, namely Lockhart (someone who seems to notice Harry as an extraordinary boy). This is all somewhat speculation, but it does make sense if you remember that this is all coming from Malfoy’s mind. He does not like Harry Potter of course and it would make sense that he does not like Lockhart, a teacher who seems to appreciate Harry as a celebrity.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hermione's Thoughts on the Battle for the Sorcerer's Stone
Hermione’s Diary:
Dear Diary,
Our adventure in the third floor corridor last night was…well, unbelievable to say the least. Harry is currently resting in the hospital wing so I thought this would be a perfect time to talk a bit about the events that took place. I’ve known Harry and Ron for almost a year now and never thought I would find myself fighting trolls, playing wizard’s chess, or even hanging out with the pair. Regardless, last night the three of us decided to try and protect the Sorcerer’s Stone by making our way past Fluffy and other challenging events. Ron was particularly courageous in our chess match. I had always assumed he’d never really be good at anything, but I was wrong. Harry was also somewhat surprising last night. He isn’t the brightest student, but he is probably the most courageous. I am a bit curious as to how Harry survived last night, but I am most definitely glad that he did. He is a great friend, although, I hope that this next school year will be spent on reading books rather than chasing Professor Snape.
Until next year!Hermione Granger
Analytical:
The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t occur right away. Hermione was the outcast at first and was actually a target to be made of. This is evidence as to why she might not have believed that she would ever be hanging out with the two boys let alone be going on adventures with them. There are countless moments throughout the book where Ron is unable to perform a magical task. This may have been all that was needed for Hermione to believe that Ron would be unable to become a hero. It seems that in a time of crisis people (magical or not) are granted the ability to surprise. Hermione is constantly trying to get Harry and Ron to study for their exams and to take school seriously instead of roaming the school’s halls late at night. I believe this is evidence as to why Hermione might believe that Harry isn’t the brightest student, but he was still able to stand up to the Dark Lord by himself. Therefore, it would seem that he must have a large amount of courage to be able to walk into a room which contains either the Dark Lord or a Professor of Potions (Both of whom dislike Harry) without an adequate amount of magical tricks up his sleeve.
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