melody2tds @ September 2 2003, 07:53:19 UTC

arrgh! you beat me to it by half a second... Glad I checked before sending...
anyway, I was gonna mention he's very repetitious in this one. He mentions missing their yearly "appointment" in Harry's compartment at least three times...

noirenails @ September 2 2003, 07:55:39 UTC

Mmhmm. Obsessed much, Draco boy?

melody2tds @ September 2 2003, 08:02:51 UTC

Exactly.
Now, what I wanna know is when we'll find out exactly what happened with Harry and Ron... Why DID they miss the train, anyway.
And since Draco mentioned this too; who IS Head Boy... If Draco still doesn't know, I'd assume that no one does. Ernie is still missing, and with all the secrecy, he's gotta be the only option left, right?

hobaggins @ September 2 2003, 08:07:58 UTC

Not the only option. And besides Boot and Zabini, there's Thomas and Boot whom we haven't spoken to all summer. There's Seamus too.

I have been thinking it's Boot. But I am ALWAYS wrong, so whatever.

melody2tds @ September 2 2003, 08:13:12 UTC

Yeah, that's true. I think it would be too much of an admission for Blaise though. Unless there's a Head It, this year. lol
But then, wouldn't everyone know by now if it were one of them? They're all at school already. That was my reason for figuring it's Ernie.

hobaggins @ September 2 2003, 08:15:53 UTC

Ahm, no. Not if they were keeping it secret. Why would we have to know? Plus we don't really know that they're back, no one has said anything about them at all. Sure it's assumption by the admission of saying they were missing, but we don't know. I MISS BOOT SO MUCH.

I know it's not Blaise, I really wasn't serious.

#cheers on Boot#

Anonymous @ September 2 2003, 09:15:02 UTC

But why Draco still doesn't know who he is? Wasn't there an announcement of the Head Boy during the Feast? Everyone should know by now who he is.
I don't think Boot hasn't arrived, if so, someone from Ravenclaw 'd mention it.

melody2tds @ September 2 2003, 16:35:49 UTC

When I said "everyone", I meant everyone in the school. No one has to tell US anything. Figuring it out is half the fun of this, anyway.
My point was that if the Head Boy were currently in school, SOMEONE would know.
If any of the students currently in the school knew, Draco would very likely know, as well. I imagine that after the secrecy about it over the summer, it would be a hot topic of conversation, once they found out. Thus, Draco's comment about still not knowing who the Head Boy is wouldn't make much sense.
Unless absolutely no one talks to him, which obviously isn't true.
So the assumption that no one in the school knows yet is viable.
So taking that assumption, if the person who is Head Boy were in the school, you would think that someone would know. Lisa Turpin would know, she would have met with him, along with all the prefects to organize by now. Either in the Prefect's car, or after the Welcoming feast. So the prefects would know as well. Any of their friends that they told about the meeting would know. Any of THEIR friends that they told about what they were told, would know. And so on. And so on. That's how large groups work. Everyone eventually hears about something important from someone.
So, since Draco doesn't know, then you can logically assume that no one does.
What possible reason could there be for no one knowing yet, despite the fact that they should, now that they're at school. The only reason I can think, is that the secrecy (for whatever reason there IS secrecy) hasn't ended yet, because the Head Boy isn't at school yet. There'd be no other plausable reason, once he was on the school grounds.
Several characters have brought up the fact that Ernie is missing. Several characters mentioned Harry and Ron missing the train, and showing up late. Those are important plot points, and what's going on would make no sense if WE didn't know them.
And remember, we're supposed to be figuring this stuff out. THEY know what's going on, they're doing it for us. Which is why we <3 them so!
If anyone else from the school were missing, SOMEONE would have brought it up by now. It's too important not to have brought it up.
So, if someone other than Ernie is missing from school so far, no one has mentioned it. Which makes him the likliest choice, IMO.

Now, that is the full explanation for my reasoning on why I think it's Ernie. I don't expect you to agree, or stop rooting for whoever you want it to be. I'm sorry if it's too long, but I wanted to explain myself, because I don't think I was being very clear, before.

anjaliesque @ September 2 2003, 08:51:49 UTC

Probably not Ernie, as Lisa says the Head Boy and Girl have to make sure everyone changes into their robes. If the Head Boy wasn't there, Lisa would probably have made a ticked off comment.

I'm hoping it's Boot, myself. :)) But two Ravenclaws might be too much.

hobaggins @ September 2 2003, 08:04:24 UTC

Probably concerned. It reminds me of the "POTTER ISN'T EVEN DEAD" bit from after the attack. Not to mention, probably pissed as this was to be the first time he's seen Potter (that we know of) since he retrieved his watch.

Anonymous @ September 2 2003, 09:35:51 UTC

It doesn't bode well for H/D. Maybe it's nothing, but I have been feeling this way for the last two months.

chasingwhispers @ September 2 2003, 10:16:24 UTC Snape & Draco?

I'm aware that he's currently busy throwing tantrums around the whole of England...
*Cackles* Love PS. I also love the attempt to send the Hufflepuffs into a paranoid frenzy. Mwuhahahaa! Right, but here's the real issue of my comment:

...while of course it's always a delight to start the day in Professor Snape's care

Now is as good a time as any to expose my total cluelessness! From my limit of NA knowledge I get the impression from past stuff that Snape doesn't exactly adore Draco, though Draco continues to make sucky-up remarks like this while the head of Slytherin House seems to remain pretty indifferent to the Slytherin Prince. *Scratches head*

I'm confused how this came about, since in canon Snape shows Draco blatant favouritism all the time. I guess I expected NA to make more use of this than they seem to and I'm wondering if there are actual reasons in NA history for it that happened before I entered the story. If so, could someone knowledgable please tell me! - Does Snape actually like Draco or not? What are the reasons behind the dislike if it's there? Thank you and sorry for my ignorance! :D

Oh yeah, and, H/D FOREVER!!! *Tames inner-fangirl and twiddles thumbs*

blankcanvas @ September 2 2003, 13:40:32 UTC Re: Snape & Draco?

As far as I know, Snape began disliking Draco after he outed Harry and made all those homophobic comments. Snape talked to him for the first time on the journals since the outing in the entry where Draco talks about having lunch with his father and his father's friends. As far as I know, anyway.

eponis @ September 2 2003, 13:55:19 UTC Re: Snape & Draco?

I believe that the turning point in N_A was when Draco outed Harry. Snape took all of Slytherin's points in retaliation. Before that, though, Snape definitely favored Draco, haranguing the Slytherins, complimenting Draco, defending him against McGonagall, and, um, sleeping with Lucius to seal the deal.

You're right, though; particularly since the outing, Snape's been much colder to Draco than he was in the books, though - given that his dislike of Harry is even more vehement - he still probably favors Draco relatively. More so than any other professor, anyway!

loony_moony @ Deleted Deleted

Deleted

saffronlie @ September 2 2003, 15:43:47 UTC Re: Snape & Draco?

is yet to prove his dislike in Hogwarts. But give him time, he'll sure come up with something. :D

There was Snape's Isolate Potter campaign last year, where he started giving detention to every other student for anything Harry did 'wrong'.

chasingwhispers @ September 3 2003, 11:00:07 UTC Re: Snape & Draco?

Ah righto. Thank you! I wondered if there was distance between Snape & Draco even before Harry's 'outing', coz I couldn't remember Snape ever acting specifically benevolent toward Draco. But like I say, my NA history knowledge is far from complete.

...Snape definitely favored Draco, haranguing the Slytherins, complimenting Draco, defending him against McGonagall, and, um, sleeping with Lucius to seal the deal.

Is there any chance you (or anyone reading this!) could tell me whenabouts when this stuff was happening so I can read up on it? No need for direct linkage (unless someone is truly that kind!) just roughly the time they were being posted.

And again, thank you muchly! :D

hobaggins @ September 2 2003, 11:06:01 UTC

Seamus admonishes Draco. Live thread, whee!

luna_lg @ September 3 2003, 15:40:35 UTC

Rats...just missed it!

And--Wait a minute... Ron chewing out Malfoy about Harry...

This makes me think: Does this mean that there IS something big going on between those two? And Ron actually KNOWS? And he's upset that Malfoy broke off with Harry?!

...okay, so I'm a H/D fangirl at heart.

dragynville @ September 2 2003, 12:14:20 UTC

I tell you the new term would not have started off right (for me) without a diatribe from Draco. This was gorgeous and I loved the repetition about Potter and Weasley. It seems to me that he was looking forward to seeing Harry and was quite upset that Harry wasn't there for his visit. And was he perhaps also a little jealous that Ron was sharing in Harry's adventures once again? He did point out that Hermione wasn't with them.

eponis @ September 2 2003, 13:33:40 UTC

Dude, totally. The whole post was sending off vibes of "I wanted to see Harry again, and I didn't, so now I'm annoyed [because I miss him]." He even said he was "rather disappointed," which where Harry's concerned is a huge admission. I mean, Harry-being-gone is practically the subject of the whole post.

What's interesting, too, is that his complaints seem more directed at the situation and the school (for allowing it), and not actually at Harry. It really feels like Draco is saying "Harry, dammit, I missed you."

Also, no mention of Pansy anywhere. ::grin::

dragynville @ September 2 2003, 13:53:54 UTC

Practically a declaration of love coming from him! XD

Yes, his ire is directed more at the event of Harry missing the train, rather than at Harry for doing it. And it lacks the usual 'special treatment for Potter' vibe. Instead he's focused on having not gotten to see him.

Ooo! Well spotted! I completely missed that. :D

redbowties @ September 2 2003, 15:25:00 UTC

I was forced to sit with Magenta Brown, who spent the first portion of the lesson ignoring Professor Snape and trying to show me photographs of commonplace guinea pigs.

hahaha. Guinea pigs..

::pines for Hogwarts::

tjstein @ September 2 2003, 20:38:04 UTC

I love Neville. Seems he's grown a pair over the summer.

windtear @ September 3 2003, 02:40:54 UTC

I hereby empathise with all the JH/PS supporters who are out there. A dark day for you, my dears.

I see this as proof that, however much potterstinks feels for just_harry, however much this obsessive crazy love burns through his veins, it is unrequited. It would not have been hard for Harry to give Hedwig a letter to take to someone on the Hogwarts express - didn't Sirius send Pigwidgeon to Harry and Ron on the Express some years back? - but he did not send a letter to Draco. (Possibly Hermione? Until miss_granger posts, we cannot be sure. But if Ron and Harry didn't get word to her, wouldn't she have been wibbling as much as Hannah?)

I pause to shed a tear for potterstinks. Unrequited love is hell. However... as I do not think PS/JH could ever work, their characters being so very different, I see this as a good thing. Now that he knows it's not going to happen, Draco can start to get over Harry, and maybe, after a while, begin a relationship with someone else.

Something else.

All right, I admit it. I want to see potterstinks/a_slytherin.

sistermagpie @ September 3 2003, 07:42:39 UTC

Eh?

I'm confused by all this sudden worrying about JH/PS wibbling (if such a thing as JH/PS exists).

First, ps' "love" for Harry has always been unrequited, hence the obsessive stalking of Harry for years while Harry smacked him down. On the Q&A thread ps said he was fully aware he had more invested in the relationship than JH did. I think JH said he thought he liked ps more than ps liked him but that sometimes ps did something that indicated maybe he did care about him.

Harry simply missed the train and showed up at school late...why would he feel the need to send an owl to Draco about it no matter what their relationship? Draco sounds like he's talking about Harry the way he usually talks about him: Potter has to call attention to himself, Potter thinks he's so great, Potter always has to do things a special way, apparently Potter's too good for the rest of us, with a little undercurrent of "I went to see Potter on the train and he wasn't there because he was off with Weasley and this is unacceptable," and "Potter's already forgotten my name just as I said he would." Where's the big change in the hypothetical H/D?

black_dog @ September 3 2003, 12:58:31 UTC

Yeah, I don't see all the wibbling either. I mean, why would you go from Edinburgh to somewhere else in Scotland via London? Though I do think that Draco was really disappointed not to find Harry on the train -- it's a whole day trip, and he was clearly looking forward to seeing him.

I think I believe in JH/PS more than you do, but I'm wondering if they really had any easy opportunities to get together at the end of the summer. Draco was able to get away to the Weasleys, but wouldn't have known where the Edinburgh flat was anyway and I'm not sure Ron knew at that point. Harry had a perfectly good reason for being preoccupied and out of touch. I suppose he could have made more effort to contact PS, and PS could have made more effort to tag along via the Weasleys, but it might have been awkward in either case because of things that were going on, and it's not an obvious call. I guess it feels like one of those situations where you're disappointed you didn't manage to get together, and wonder if you might have made more effort, but not exactly a relationship-ending crisis.

In his latest conversation with Seamus, Draco wants to fix up one of the parlors at Cannes as a big cupboard. Such a considerate boy!

sistermagpie @ September 3 2003, 13:49:39 UTC

Yes, I couldn't help but notice that cupboard comment too! A large cupboard, just for Harry, with no windows!

I'm completely open on the jh/ps. At this point I could equally believe one way or the other. But still, this is all the usual pattern for them. Harry's preoccupied and Draco expected to see him on the train, didn't, and is miffed. It seems he was by himself for the trip, which doesn't sound like his style. I hope he didn't get himself a whole compartment hoping he and Harry could be alone--then again, maybe he decided to sulk when Potter wasn't there. I don't see any sign of a change in Harry's feelings one way or the other from this, though I admit I would love to know if Harry saw ps' post about tea with the DEs and if he had any thoughts on it.

In other news, I'm so happy to see Seamus talking to ps again. Seamus gets to utilize some aspects of his character with Slytherins that he doesn't get to use elsewhere and I love seeing it. They just make for an interesting mix together. (Now I wonder how Seamus will respond to Dean...)

dragynville @ September 3 2003, 14:07:08 UTC

He also said that Ron yelled at him about Potter for a bit, I'm assuming at the Burrow. I wonder how that figures in. Does Ron think Draco's been remiss in his attentions/sympathies to Harry? Though really, Draco certainly has had his own cr@p to deal with too, what with tea with the DEs and his mother leaving and all.

black_dog @ September 3 2003, 15:00:12 UTC

I'm not sure what to make of the situations where Harry and Draco neglect each other a bit. My take on the Q and A was that each cares for the other a lot, and is afraid the feeling isn't fully reciprocated. So they sometimes pull back a bit, afraid to overextend themselves emotionally. And those episodes of neglect in turn perpetuate the vicious circle of doubting one another.

Harry seems a bit more self-possessed, with his unhesitating remark about Ron being his best friend. But then there's his comment on Veritaserum night -- "you know how I feel about you because I tried to kiss you" -- and Harry was awfully aggressive about getting them back together over the Astronomy project.

I suspect he's backed off a little in his demonstrativeness, out of pride, because of Draco's erratic reactions. He definitely doesn't have confidence in Draco emotionally. And the mystery incident back in June seems to have made him dramatically more cautious -- I suspect that's still unresolved, although they seemed to have recovered some ground the day Draco went to Dogear to retrieve his watch. But I don't sense his feelings themselves have necessarily cooled.

We shall see.

sistermagpie @ September 3 2003, 18:59:56 UTC

The great thing about Harry and Draco is they're both such drama queens so intense that even a friendship would be full of this kind of stuff!

Harry's attitude towards Draco seems to have always been that he wasn't going to lie about his attraction but he was just going to see where the relationship went. Of course, Harry hasn't posted at all yet so it's really hard to know how he's feeling. As dragynville said, both of them have had other crap to deal with. Harry's back at school with Sirius now. He may be wanting to keep a low profile. It's so different from last year when Sirius and Remus were together and he had Dogear.

black_dog @ September 3 2003, 22:35:12 UTC

Speaking of "other crap," what do you make of Draco's latest exchange with his mother? I'd start a thread but my mailbox is too full, so I'll wait for someone else to and then jump on. I like the tone he strikes -- very much himself, without going out of his way to deliberately mock her, but also refusing to adjust himself too much to her limitations or to take any bullying from her. I'm glad he's written her a frank letter and she's taking the time to digest it. It sounds like, whatever issues there are between them, he's decided to just be very straightforward about them and be himself as naturally as he can. A good sign. I hope Narcissa can handle it.

sistermagpie @ September 4 2003, 07:51:43 UTC

I just read this exchange this morning. I love the opening of it especially, that Draco makes a joke and Narcissa doesn't get it and he explains it to her. While I take Narcissa seriously as a character I think it's important to see what to me seems like the humor in a lot of what she's doing. No one Malfoy personality should dominate all the others.

I feel like there's so many things going on in their exchange, with Lucius the unspoken (and then spoken) subject it's deliciously tense! Draco is obviously defending Lucius here but I think he's also showing himself as a free agent--he's not just siding with Narcissa against Lucius. I'm interested in Narcissa's post about charity, too. Who is the person Draco needs to warned against being too charitable towards? Is it Lucius and does Draco know that which is why he answers as he does? It's so fascinating watching both of them attempt to talk about Lucius, who's always been so important to both of them, in this way. Whatever one thinks about Lucius he has two very different, personal and intense relationships with these two. But the important thing is that they stick with it--neither walks away from that tense moment.

Then there's that great moment when Narcissa comes very close to suggesting Lucius has programmed Draco badly (perhaps this is what she meant when she said Lucius had "done something to him?") and Draco seems to object to being described that way. Narcissa re-phrases in a much better, less strictly anti-Lucius way. Go Narcissa.

Draco ends the conversation after that but I felt like it was a good ending. He politely told her he had to go to sleep--very different from their last exchange where Narcissa missed Draco's dig at her (I suppose Father should take me to the station because he hasn't gone off to America) and Draco's last communication was, imo, to leave her purposefully leave her hanging with her "can I do anything for you?" post. And Narcissa's "Go have a sleep, then, Love, Mother," was just very sweet.

sistermagpie @ September 4 2003, 07:57:56 UTC

Draco is obviously defending Lucius here but I think he's also showing himself as a free agent--he's not just siding with Narcissa against Lucius.

Oops. That should read that he's not just siding with Lucius against </i>Narcissa/</i>

black_dog @ September 4 2003, 20:29:39 UTC

Yeah, I loved the way he explained the nail-file joke, too. He made a choice here not to let the conversation immediately collapse in snark, which is a step for him. And he explained it well, too -- offhandedly, without being patronizing. Yet it doesn't stop him from joking later over her head. I particularly liked his reply to her observation that they were a lot alike -- which was probably very offensive to Draco. "We both like vicar's collars." It sounds, again, as though he's just decided to be himself, making minor accommodations when something threatens to make the conversation break down, but otherwise expecting Narcissa to keep up.

And Narcissa's not a complete fool, here -- she gets his joke about giving away his excess taste, and tops it. And I wonder if her comments about being charitable aren't her own form of irony -- she may feel he might be a little less grudging with his charity toward his mother. If that's the case, then your observation on how she rephrases her point about Lucius' "indoctrination" would be the third time in the conversation that one or the other makes a subtle correction of their own tone. I like the way Narcissa couples herself with Lucius, suggesting Draco is becoming independent of both of them, so that she is confronting Draco less with a tug-of-war between his two parents.

They really are beginning to get through to one another, communicating on a more intense level than has been the case in the past, perhaps understanding one another's personalities a bit better. It's very encouraging.

sistermagpie @ September 5 2003, 07:02:27 UTC

And he explained it well, too -- offhandedly, without being patronizing.

Yes it was great--in rather reminded me of her last exchange with Lucius in that they both refused to be the bad guy in the conversation. Narcissa's very quick now to see other people as keeping her down or being against her (perhaps this is partially Hera's influence) and it's not always the case. Time for her to engage with the world as more than the person struggling against adversity. Lucius is a little tricker, of course, because often he *is* insulting her or trying to manipulate her, but it was great here for Draco to get her to not take herself so seriously.

And I wonder if her comments about being charitable aren't her own form of irony -- she may feel he might be a little less grudging with his charity toward his mother.

If it refers to her I guess Draco's response could have other shades of meaning too. Is he saying Lucius is the one he learnt charity from and not her? Admitting he's not always the most charitable? Endorsing Lucius' view on being stingy with charity? Suggesting that Narcissa isn't being charitable towards Lucius? God, do the Malfoys themselves even totally know what they're saying to each other most of the time?;D

I like the way Narcissa couples herself with Lucius, suggesting Draco is becoming independent of both of them, so that she is confronting Draco less with a tug-of-war between his two parents.

Yes, exactly. It was totally the best thing to do. And looking at the conversation, ps is possibly wanting to make that point as well. Like...Narcissa is the one with more of an "agenda" in this conversation in that she wants Draco to rethink some of the things he's learnt from Lucius, but a lot of Draco's remarks do seem to be about asserting himself as an independent person who *does* want to be a separate entity. Almost all his statements are statements about himself that sort of...put himself beyond her own comments. All of his comments say, in one way or another, "I know who I am. You don't have to tell me." What this means with regards to Lucius I don't know. When he says, "I've always been a capable young man," is that an endorsement of DE aspirations or a hint that he is beginning to consider Lucius' ideals in a new light? Who knows?

luna_lg @ September 7 2003, 06:41:12 UTC

In my opinion, this goes to show that Draco is maturing more than he appears to be--which is a GOOD thing--and how observant Narcissa has become--another good thing. Even if Narcissa doesn't come back for a while, I think their mother-child relationship will greatly improve over this next year or so.

luna_lg @ September 4 2003, 17:24:30 UTC

So do I dear...

And how DO you make an entry for this community?!

sistermagpie @ September 4 2003, 18:07:08 UTC

If you're a member and posting from your user info page, just do a regular "update journal" but where it asks you "journal to post in" use the pull-down menu to pick nraged.

luna_lg @ September 7 2003, 06:39:32 UTC

Ahhhh...thanks. ^^;

black_dog @ September 3 2003, 22:37:46 UTC

Oh I posted before his comment about his father. Maybe Draco did lose patience with her a bit.