nannyo @ June 16 2004, 15:48:01 UTC

She keeps saying how happy the drifting makes her, I'm starting not to believe her. I mean, how much can she stress that at the moment she is directionless. So, either she's really miserable and is actually drifting, OR she's very busy and working towards something but wants everybody to think that she is just a directionless blonde trophy (ex)wife.
I do hope she's plotting for the right side (oops, did I just say what I thought she was up to?).
N.
Damn, once you start commenting and analysing it becomes even more like crack!

Anonymous @ June 16 2004, 17:04:40 UTC

Does anyone else read that and get the impression that Harry's a little depressed? He doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in his ability to do well in his N.E.W.T.s and it doesn't sound like he had too much fun at the wedding either.

I don't find it to surprising that he isn't quite sure what to do with himself future career wise, as with the constant threat of a dark lord hanging over him he probably hasn't had much of a desire to think about it...

Why do you think he got the impression that Mrs Weasley was mad at him (and Hermione)? *wibble*

Here's hoping a game of Quidditch cheers him up. Bless him.

sistermagpie @ June 16 2004, 17:19:27 UTC

I have a feeling Harry thinks any "career" is just an illusion anyway...? Because really he's just supposed to take care of Voldemort and can't have his own life until he does that, or shouldn't because he feels guilty, maybe.

I figured Molly would be angry at him and Hermione for saying Percy might have had something to do with George's death-I doubt Percy would have said something to her, but Ron was pretty vocal about it. Molly's pretty good at showing when she's angry!

hermione_like @ June 16 2004, 17:52:12 UTC

Live thread! Check out the comments. Molly gave Harry and Hermione a celery stalk for dinner!

sistermagpie @ June 16 2004, 17:53:05 UTC

OMG that's so perfectly Molly. Just celery for dinner. So perfect.

Anonymous @ June 16 2004, 18:04:56 UTC

First of all, I love Harry Potter. That just had to be said. I think it's wonderful how he didn't say anything incriminating until he was asked about it.

Secondly, due to my overwhelming love for said BWL, I really hope that PS sees that and makes some snide comments regarding Harry's treatment. I am that defensive.

- - UnknownWisdom (Who really should get an LJ, she supposes ^.^)

dragynville @ June 16 2004, 20:52:44 UTC

Seconds! :D

Who really should get an LJ, she supposes ^.^

Yes, you should, so it can suck out your brains become your obsession too. ;D

dragynville @ June 16 2004, 20:59:25 UTC

Succinct and to the point! LOVE it! XD

Anonymous @ June 16 2004, 22:15:44 UTC

Your icon! *giggle.snort.thud*

UnknownWisdom

dragynville @ June 17 2004, 03:47:18 UTC

Thanks! :D (posted more in na_icons)

sistermagpie @ June 17 2004, 00:50:36 UTC

DEEP ABIDING ICON LOVE!!

dragynville @ June 17 2004, 03:48:58 UTC

Thank you! ^^ (up for grabs @ na_icons)

dragynville @ June 16 2004, 21:01:43 UTC

Harry has asked the burning question! I wonder what MB will answer? :D

black_dog @ June 16 2004, 21:19:20 UTC

I love the Harry-Ron interaction here ("What the hell, Ron." "Grand, grand"). Interesting, though, that Ron disappears the instant MB shows up. (Thread is still in progress, but it's been a while . . .) Is this quidditch match really going to work, after the things MB and Draco said about the Weasleys? Is this going to be a problem between Harry and Ron?

Anonymous @ June 16 2004, 22:28:19 UTC

Well, it's understandable really, don't most people stand clear as M.B approaches? (To observe her mood and see whether it is indeed safe to go any closer, they value their lives after all ^.^) He comes back though, and with a joke no less! We've seen how Ron's player has been developing his character in this way (by that I mean how he seems to be willing to spend time with Draco, M.B etc, for Harry sake), so although I am as interested as you are, I don't think I'm as surprised as I might be otherwise.

From the looks of these comments I don't think it'll be too much of a problem. But the again, we have yet to hear from dear Draco. So this uneasy interaction between them may become more aggressive. So I guess it depends on PS. Will he place a high value on a good game of Quidditch than insulting Ron and his family? (WE can but pray he is in a good mood lol)

UnknownWisodm

black_dog @ June 17 2004, 03:09:32 UTC

Two jokes, even -- one of them a nice dig at Draco. Go Ron! I didn't think he was up for it. I've been thinking of him as fragile in the wake of the murders, but maybe not, maybe he's tougher than ever. (Apart from the weird body image stuff.)

sistermagpie @ June 17 2004, 00:56:27 UTC

Ron's comeback is priceless. Especially because it's funny and not mean, but it's also got a bit of an edge to it. I mean, Ron knows Malfoy and it really does have to be the funniest Patronus ever.

Also, I'm sure this is just a coincidence in the choice of words, but I keep feeling like Ron spent too much time with Lavender or something the way he keeps being worried about his size and his body being wrong. He's got big thighs, his hands are uneven, he's thrice Harry's size--whoever thought Ron would have anorexic subtext? (And Mrs. Weasley told him Hermione should eat less-must come from the mother.;))

Still, it will be pretty funny if they play an opposites game-I would think Draco might play. Would he be Keeper instead of Ron? Or maybe he and Harry would be Keepers? Draco's played Beater before (unhappily). I wonder how he'd do as Keeper-he seems like the type whose instinct would be to get away from things flying at him.

black_dog @ June 17 2004, 03:15:12 UTC

Is it just me, or are there some surprising psychological changes in Ron in the wake of the murders? There's his obsession with study, the new "grim" icons. And like I said to UW above, he seems surprisingly resilient in dealing with MB, where before he would have been either furiously indignant or sulky. But you're right about the "anorexic subtext." That's really odd and seems to come out of nowhere -- when has he ever been worried about that sort of thing? Maybe he's going from gangly to freakishly huge? But no one else seems to notice anything. It is a mystery.

sistermagpie @ June 17 2004, 04:10:56 UTC

Yeah, I think Ron has a lot going on. He's directed-if he's trying to be an Auror he'd have even more reason to buckle down. He may have secret plans to get whoever hurt his family.

He was resiliant with MB (though she doesn't really say anything to him to get him angry). He's been very resigned about ps as well. When he heard Lavender actually liked him he said something like how anyone would be crazy to be surprised at what Malfoy did to her, but I think he was covering up his own disappointment too, as he admitted Malfoy wasn't so bad when he heard about the fish plan. Though actually, I don't want to go overboard on that-I don't think Ron ever really did trust him. After all, when the attack happened he attacked Malfoy thinking he'd hurt Harry.

I'm not sure what to make of his new anxiety, unless it's just sort of a subtext of his trying to be perfect in some way, or just feeling like he's not good enough for what he needs to be. I also wonder if his own studying has been so intense it's having some side effects (do we know if he's staying up late or anything, taking any potions)? I don't think he's got a drug problem or anything, but I wouldn't put it past a player to have come up with a strange but creative way for Ron's feelings about things to come out.

frozen_jelly @ June 17 2004, 20:12:47 UTC

Maybe he's trying, in the wake of the attack at Easter, to be the best son he can possibly be, to make up to his mum for the loss of his two brothers. So he's studying extra hard and generally being all kinds o earnest in order to be if not prefect then as close to that as he can be. I love NA-Ron.

ex_vesperia536 @ June 17 2004, 00:36:28 UTC

Millicent's Patronus is Malfoy?!

How cute!

vassilissa @ June 17 2004, 04:25:31 UTC

Yes. It has tiny fists!

slinkhard @ June 17 2004, 09:39:20 UTC

I really don't like the idea of Harry becoming an Auror.

Anonymous @ June 18 2004, 11:51:15 UTC

Why not? Though, if it's any consolation, Harry doesn't seem overjoyed at the prospect either...

- UW

slinkhard @ June 18 2004, 12:13:42 UTC

Because...I don't know.
He doesn't seem that enthusiastic about it (once again, his player, like all the players rock; because he/she has captured the kind of tone he had towards being an Auror in OotP; even though it isn't NA!Canon.)
He's been fighting evil all his life. Why would he want to do it as a career?
Plus, we don't know much about Aurors, and the only ones we've been shown in the books aren't particularly likeable. I mean, what do they do? Are they the equivalent of policemen? Because they creeped me out with all the power they had; which they seemed to abuse, frankly.
And since Harry already has a tendency to abuse his own power, imho, this is the last thing he needs.

Anonymous @ June 18 2004, 14:39:25 UTC

To be honest I think it's a shame, that he [Harry] doesn't seem to know what to do with himself. I imagine they'll have had some sort of talk on the career options open to them after they leave Hogwarts. Can we therefor assume that Harry just didn't think it would be appropriate for him to do anything else?

He's already said that he doesn't want to play professional Quidditch (though as Draco pointed out, it's more that he can't - because 'He's Potter') although in the Q and A he said that's what he wants to be remembered for. It's very sad that Harry seems to have just assumed he should carry on doing what's expected of him. To be honest I think it's only going to contribute (if it hasn't already) to his depression.

I love his player so much, it's such a realistic interpretation of Harry's character. I think it's one of the reasons I almost prefer NA to canon, this Harry is more sad rather than just plain aggressive. I'm a sucker for depressed poet types. (Think Harry writes at all? *.*)

And, sorry, I just realised I went off on a complete tangent there! Back to Harry and his Auror prospects...I agree with you on the lack of likable Aurors in OotP. I think Harry's to - well, nice, I suppose.

"He's been fighting evil all his life. Why would he want to do it as a career?"

I agree, but since when has j_h done anything because he wants to? He does have one of those horrible (^.^) hero complexes. I can see him becoming an Auror because he thinks that thats the only way he'll be able to carry on helping people. And because it's expected of him.

So, yes, I agree with you. Personally, I can see Harry owning a nice little book shop. But that, I imagine, is just wishful thinking.

- UW

slinkhard @ June 18 2004, 14:43:43 UTC

That's a lovely idea.
Nice, quiet job, not too demanding, regular costumers to befriend who won't fuss too much...

Anonymous @ June 18 2004, 14:48:39 UTC

I know. *sigh* Hope and pray, you never know ^.^

- UW

sistermagpie @ June 18 2004, 14:41:11 UTC

It's weird...I think Harry in his own way might be as lost as ps here. As he's said himself, he can't think of anything he'd rather do, and this is basically what he does. But that's a sad way to head into a career.

I suspect he doesn't really feel like any career is quite real. Everything is just about him waiting around to battle Voldemort. That's one of the things I find really interesting about jh, the way he has this resentment of the way he can't choose his own life because he's TBWL, but then also can't really make a choice about his own life for the same reason, somehow. It's like watching him choose his electives third year all over again, making a choice more by default than anything else. I think that's why jh tends to be very brave about defending the choices he *does* make in NA.

I think it could be quite fun watching Ron be an Auror, but jh is more independent. I just feel like he'll be unhappy in a lot of ways in the training. He'll probably be treated special because of who he is, which he won't ask for, but then I can also see him being impatient with things he thinks are stupid and he'll say so. He hasn't yet seen eye to eye with too many Aurors in NA canon, has he?

Anonymous @ June 18 2004, 14:46:59 UTC

Oh, I completely agree with everything you just said. Much clearer than I put it.

That is a point though, will NA have a big 'final battle' type narrative? We've seen Hogarts attacked before, so I hope they are considering the possibility. Please don't hate me for saying this, but the game has to end at some point. Surely they wont leave such a big part of Harry's life unresolved. Will they?

- UW