In Essence Divided
21/07/2005 09:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaIzzie is so so peeved with her lack of online time of late. So so many musings over the Preciousss and no possibilities of popping them in the LJ Pensieve
Today started reading Half Blood Prince for the second time. Waited until today - one of the Izzie days off and a full moon too. Most auspicious indeed. Pity only that we did not have the bright idea of getting up extra early to arrive at St Brutus for opening time at 10am instead of catching the bus at 11am and not arriving until 11.30am.
It was a bit drizzly so the possibility of sitting at a table near our favorite plane tree was not really feasible - certainly did not want our precious Prince to get wet. Had already planned anyway to begin again sitting at one of the tables in the inner courtyard which is dry but also in the direct path of the sunlight. So we claimed our table by placing a green shopping bag on it - did not really seem necessary as there was no one at all around at the time except a horde of horrid muggle school students doing the museum tour. But when the Izzie returns with her coffee and a pink fluffy rose flavored shortbread, all the rest of those tables in the sunlight were filled with muggle mummies and their squawking spawn. Oh, Izzie was murderous. We comes here to get away from it all and not to subject our ears to abuse. Oh yesss - of course this place is not Izzie's private property and these critters have just as much right to be there as ourselves. But Izzie's inability to perform silencing charms (although Avada Kedavra is pretty damn tempting too) and not possessing earlids as well as an increased propensity to suffer from headaches and sensory overload means that the sqawking and squealing of these monsters makes it almost impossible to concentrate and to truly savour the moment. Turns out that the rain had stopped by the time we got to the second chapter. So Izzie returned to the garden and was finally able to have her peaceful enjoyment of the Preciousss as well as gate crashing a most intimate drinks party with her own unfortunately unreplenishable bottle of party potion.
Was most miffed to then see all the muggle mummies and their terrible tykes slinking off around 12.40 or so. See, unlike Saturday where we planned to spend the whole day there, Thursdays we always leave St Brutus at 1pm to slink off to Angel's Cafe where we are now to get our weekly fix of podcasts.
There is one from a participant at the Accio 2005 conference who discusses the phenomenon of Severus Snape and how so many female fan fine him so irresistibly alluring.
So what does Izzie think of the Preciousss Prince? Must say that on reading the first chapter - where the Prime Minister was musing over the awful events of the previous week and thinking that apart from the fact there was a bridge collapse rather than a train crash - the Great White Witch is starting to display startlingly Trelawneyish talents. It was really rather poignant in a way.
But with this and then the first page or two of the second chapter - and a total lack of the scene of Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys that had been rumoured to appear in the first chapter - the Iz had the awful feeling that maybe she had landed herself an imposter and that this book was not really Harry Potter at all but some awful imitation. The writing style was just so very very different - even more so than that strange opening chapter in "Goblet"
It was only when slinky Severus answered his door and indulged in his usual ubercool sarkiness that Izzie breathed a sigh of relief and realized that this book truly was the real thing. Poor thing really is slumming it living in that muggle hovel with the treacherous rodent of all creatures for company. Now that is what one calls dedication to share a house with such grovelling vermin. Izzie wonders just whose side Wormtail may be on with his rather suspect kreacherly habits of slinking about near door holes.
Yesss. The Accio 2005 folk are apparently organizing a trial of Snape - looks like this latest incident will provide a goldmine of evidence. It certainly planted some seeds of doubt in Izzie's mind about where his loyalties lay. Everything Sevvie said made sense and would be sufficient to alleviate doubts on either side
Iz was gobsmacked by the ingenious Unbreakable Vow business - especially Narcissa's last minute addition of some most interesting small print and Snape’s twitchiness in response to it. . So - Izzie figures - maybe we should take our 30 silver sickles off Dumbledore snuffing it and put it on Sevvie instead. Snape’s obsession with perfection and pride made Izzie think that he would rather die than break the vow. But Izzie had also erroneously thought that Draco's deed was to dispatch not Dumbledore but pesky Potter. Seeing that Voldemort did not know the rest of the prophecy, and the sisters alluded to Voldie having already failed in an attempt, the idea that Dumblie would get the contract put on him just never occured to the Izzie - although looking back - Voldemort had failed to kill both Potter and Dumbledore so it could have refered to either.
Horace Slughorn may bear a remarkable resemblance to Jabba the Hutt (or the Boss in Monsters Inc) with a large dose of Lockhart and a sprinkle of Dolores, but still, he’s kind of cute in his own way. You gotta love a guy who so likes the easy life that he turns himself into an armchair to avoid unwanted visitors with unreasonable demands.
Izzie was also most amused at the sudden shift in attitude to the antics of those Weasley twins. Seems they would sell their souls to the highest bidders and have unwittingly provided most useful assistance to the Dark Side. - the Vanishing Cabinet proved truly invaluable to evading the oft mentioned impossibility of apparating in Hogwarts. Their attempt to get Ron to agree to an unbreakable vow was truly disgusting as far as Izzie is concerned and goes a long way to illustrating their attitude of 'Whatever it takes, just as long as I'm alright mate"
While not much actually happens in this book, especially compared to the last two - Izzie just loves it. Lord Voldemort is truly a fascinating creature. In fact, the more one knows about him, the harder it is to believe that anyone would ever want to even live on the same planet as such a self centred psychopathic control freak, let alone hang around and to believe for one moment that it would be possible to gain his favours.
And just when you think that he couldn’t get any worse - sadistic sneak and thief that he is - the sad saga of Hepzibah Smith and her collection of trinkets had Izzie most intrigued - he then indulges in the ultimate wickedness of obtaining immortality at the expense of others.
Izzie found the whole concept of Horcruxes deeply disturbing (even worse than the Zombie Inferi) - not just the concept of splitting one's soul but the fact that such a split could only be achieved by murder - which means that a person who considers such activity - not just once but SEVEN times - truly sees other human beings as nothing more than objects - a means to an end. And it is precisely this mentality which means that they will stop at nothing.
Sort of like serial killers who consider that a few moments of sexual pleasure for them is worth the sacrifice of a whole life - some one else's of course. And many of them also have the magpie tendency of taking souvenirs of their victims and investing them with supernatural significance.
Iz was also very very struck by the story of Voldemort and how his whole life's quest seemed to come from his feeling that his mother rejected him by dying shortly after he was born. So therefore he developed an overwhelming desire never to be left dependent on mere mortals ever again and to overcompensate for his mother's unforgivable act of abandoning him by becoming immortal himself.
Oh and being born on New Year's Eve must surely be significant.
Also sheds some light on Dumbledore's retorts to Voldemort's taunt at the Ministry in book five when LV asks why Dumblie does not try kill him. Voldie knew that it was not possible and now we see that Dumbledore knew it too and sorted of hinted in his reply "There are worse things than death you know. That has always been your weakness - " or such to that effect.
But the big question of course is the motives of the Potions Master. Always figured that it would be Dumbledore who would die but was most surprised indeed about who did the deed. Was shocked and amazed but somehow something did not quite fit.
In spite of appearances,the Izzie still thinks that he is Dumbledore’s man. Dumbledore knew that the search for the six pieces of Voldemort’s soul would kill him in the end and he also seemed well informed about Draco’s mission. All through the book, he seems to be tying up loose ends and resolving unfinished business. It’s like he knows the end is coming and it is just a matter of choosing the day and the hour.
What clinched it for Izzie, is firstly the wonderful twist of appointing Snape to the post of his dreams. Dumbledore jokes about the job being a poisoned chalice but it turns out this was not coincidence at all but a consequence of Dumbledore saying No to He who must be obeyed.
Secondly, Dumbledore has never been too concerned at preserving his own life at any cost and despises this trait in Lord Voldemort. He has never been the sort of person to plead and grovel and beg for mercy but rather - even in his weakened state faced with folks who could and were able to finish him off (with the minor matter of the Lord’s Orders being the only obstacle) he maintained his manners and dignity. So it seemed most unlikely that he was pleading for Snape to save him but rather for some other reason.
Izzie had the impression that as Dumbledore realized the demented energy sapping powers of the horcruxes - especially after the close escape with the Ring of Power - and had probably also been informed by Snape about the business with the Unbreakable Vows - that he realized that this job would be the death of him and therefore always wanted Snape to be first on the scene after each attempt - not just because of Snape’s knowledge of dark arts but because if anything went seriously wrong, Snape would be able to kill Dumbledore and therefore maintain his cover.
(If Dumbledore was serious about staying alive in his weakened state while in the Tower, he would have never put Harry out of action due to Harry's previous record of outdoing LV and his band of merry men even when seriously outnumbered)
Oh and yet another suspicious circumstance
Bellatrix questions how after five years of unfettered access, Snape did not do the deed or deliver the boy to Voldemort and Snape has perfectly reasonable explanations
But what really makes the Izzie suspicious is how he says to the other Death Eaters not to touch Harry as that pleasure is reserved for the Dark Lord alone.
He has too many opportunities to deliver the boy to his master - especially during Occlumency lessons or those duels or even detentions in the dungeons. But he never once takes advantage of them and always has a plausible explanation for such unlikely behaviour from a true follower.
Oh and since when does Severus miss a chance to gloat and sneer when he has gotten one up on his enemies? But when he killed Dumbledore he didn’t. He just grabbed Draco and left without so much as a smirk.
Izzie has the sneaking suspicion that Harry - well at least his scar- will turn out to be an unintended Horcrux. In the light of recent revelations, what Izzie calls the Dark Half theory may have to be revised somewhat. Not quite correct in details but in essence much nearer than most others.
Wonders what the test for determining the nature of such objects could be - if your hand drops off after touching it or you die writhing in agony, you know you have found one?
Today started reading Half Blood Prince for the second time. Waited until today - one of the Izzie days off and a full moon too. Most auspicious indeed. Pity only that we did not have the bright idea of getting up extra early to arrive at St Brutus for opening time at 10am instead of catching the bus at 11am and not arriving until 11.30am.
It was a bit drizzly so the possibility of sitting at a table near our favorite plane tree was not really feasible - certainly did not want our precious Prince to get wet. Had already planned anyway to begin again sitting at one of the tables in the inner courtyard which is dry but also in the direct path of the sunlight. So we claimed our table by placing a green shopping bag on it - did not really seem necessary as there was no one at all around at the time except a horde of horrid muggle school students doing the museum tour. But when the Izzie returns with her coffee and a pink fluffy rose flavored shortbread, all the rest of those tables in the sunlight were filled with muggle mummies and their squawking spawn. Oh, Izzie was murderous. We comes here to get away from it all and not to subject our ears to abuse. Oh yesss - of course this place is not Izzie's private property and these critters have just as much right to be there as ourselves. But Izzie's inability to perform silencing charms (although Avada Kedavra is pretty damn tempting too) and not possessing earlids as well as an increased propensity to suffer from headaches and sensory overload means that the sqawking and squealing of these monsters makes it almost impossible to concentrate and to truly savour the moment. Turns out that the rain had stopped by the time we got to the second chapter. So Izzie returned to the garden and was finally able to have her peaceful enjoyment of the Preciousss as well as gate crashing a most intimate drinks party with her own unfortunately unreplenishable bottle of party potion.
Was most miffed to then see all the muggle mummies and their terrible tykes slinking off around 12.40 or so. See, unlike Saturday where we planned to spend the whole day there, Thursdays we always leave St Brutus at 1pm to slink off to Angel's Cafe where we are now to get our weekly fix of podcasts.
There is one from a participant at the Accio 2005 conference who discusses the phenomenon of Severus Snape and how so many female fan fine him so irresistibly alluring.
So what does Izzie think of the Preciousss Prince? Must say that on reading the first chapter - where the Prime Minister was musing over the awful events of the previous week and thinking that apart from the fact there was a bridge collapse rather than a train crash - the Great White Witch is starting to display startlingly Trelawneyish talents. It was really rather poignant in a way.
But with this and then the first page or two of the second chapter - and a total lack of the scene of Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys that had been rumoured to appear in the first chapter - the Iz had the awful feeling that maybe she had landed herself an imposter and that this book was not really Harry Potter at all but some awful imitation. The writing style was just so very very different - even more so than that strange opening chapter in "Goblet"
It was only when slinky Severus answered his door and indulged in his usual ubercool sarkiness that Izzie breathed a sigh of relief and realized that this book truly was the real thing. Poor thing really is slumming it living in that muggle hovel with the treacherous rodent of all creatures for company. Now that is what one calls dedication to share a house with such grovelling vermin. Izzie wonders just whose side Wormtail may be on with his rather suspect kreacherly habits of slinking about near door holes.
Yesss. The Accio 2005 folk are apparently organizing a trial of Snape - looks like this latest incident will provide a goldmine of evidence. It certainly planted some seeds of doubt in Izzie's mind about where his loyalties lay. Everything Sevvie said made sense and would be sufficient to alleviate doubts on either side
Iz was gobsmacked by the ingenious Unbreakable Vow business - especially Narcissa's last minute addition of some most interesting small print and Snape’s twitchiness in response to it. . So - Izzie figures - maybe we should take our 30 silver sickles off Dumbledore snuffing it and put it on Sevvie instead. Snape’s obsession with perfection and pride made Izzie think that he would rather die than break the vow. But Izzie had also erroneously thought that Draco's deed was to dispatch not Dumbledore but pesky Potter. Seeing that Voldemort did not know the rest of the prophecy, and the sisters alluded to Voldie having already failed in an attempt, the idea that Dumblie would get the contract put on him just never occured to the Izzie - although looking back - Voldemort had failed to kill both Potter and Dumbledore so it could have refered to either.
Horace Slughorn may bear a remarkable resemblance to Jabba the Hutt (or the Boss in Monsters Inc) with a large dose of Lockhart and a sprinkle of Dolores, but still, he’s kind of cute in his own way. You gotta love a guy who so likes the easy life that he turns himself into an armchair to avoid unwanted visitors with unreasonable demands.
Izzie was also most amused at the sudden shift in attitude to the antics of those Weasley twins. Seems they would sell their souls to the highest bidders and have unwittingly provided most useful assistance to the Dark Side. - the Vanishing Cabinet proved truly invaluable to evading the oft mentioned impossibility of apparating in Hogwarts. Their attempt to get Ron to agree to an unbreakable vow was truly disgusting as far as Izzie is concerned and goes a long way to illustrating their attitude of 'Whatever it takes, just as long as I'm alright mate"
While not much actually happens in this book, especially compared to the last two - Izzie just loves it. Lord Voldemort is truly a fascinating creature. In fact, the more one knows about him, the harder it is to believe that anyone would ever want to even live on the same planet as such a self centred psychopathic control freak, let alone hang around and to believe for one moment that it would be possible to gain his favours.
And just when you think that he couldn’t get any worse - sadistic sneak and thief that he is - the sad saga of Hepzibah Smith and her collection of trinkets had Izzie most intrigued - he then indulges in the ultimate wickedness of obtaining immortality at the expense of others.
Izzie found the whole concept of Horcruxes deeply disturbing (even worse than the Zombie Inferi) - not just the concept of splitting one's soul but the fact that such a split could only be achieved by murder - which means that a person who considers such activity - not just once but SEVEN times - truly sees other human beings as nothing more than objects - a means to an end. And it is precisely this mentality which means that they will stop at nothing.
Sort of like serial killers who consider that a few moments of sexual pleasure for them is worth the sacrifice of a whole life - some one else's of course. And many of them also have the magpie tendency of taking souvenirs of their victims and investing them with supernatural significance.
Iz was also very very struck by the story of Voldemort and how his whole life's quest seemed to come from his feeling that his mother rejected him by dying shortly after he was born. So therefore he developed an overwhelming desire never to be left dependent on mere mortals ever again and to overcompensate for his mother's unforgivable act of abandoning him by becoming immortal himself.
Oh and being born on New Year's Eve must surely be significant.
Also sheds some light on Dumbledore's retorts to Voldemort's taunt at the Ministry in book five when LV asks why Dumblie does not try kill him. Voldie knew that it was not possible and now we see that Dumbledore knew it too and sorted of hinted in his reply "There are worse things than death you know. That has always been your weakness - " or such to that effect.
But the big question of course is the motives of the Potions Master. Always figured that it would be Dumbledore who would die but was most surprised indeed about who did the deed. Was shocked and amazed but somehow something did not quite fit.
In spite of appearances,the Izzie still thinks that he is Dumbledore’s man. Dumbledore knew that the search for the six pieces of Voldemort’s soul would kill him in the end and he also seemed well informed about Draco’s mission. All through the book, he seems to be tying up loose ends and resolving unfinished business. It’s like he knows the end is coming and it is just a matter of choosing the day and the hour.
What clinched it for Izzie, is firstly the wonderful twist of appointing Snape to the post of his dreams. Dumbledore jokes about the job being a poisoned chalice but it turns out this was not coincidence at all but a consequence of Dumbledore saying No to He who must be obeyed.
Secondly, Dumbledore has never been too concerned at preserving his own life at any cost and despises this trait in Lord Voldemort. He has never been the sort of person to plead and grovel and beg for mercy but rather - even in his weakened state faced with folks who could and were able to finish him off (with the minor matter of the Lord’s Orders being the only obstacle) he maintained his manners and dignity. So it seemed most unlikely that he was pleading for Snape to save him but rather for some other reason.
Izzie had the impression that as Dumbledore realized the demented energy sapping powers of the horcruxes - especially after the close escape with the Ring of Power - and had probably also been informed by Snape about the business with the Unbreakable Vows - that he realized that this job would be the death of him and therefore always wanted Snape to be first on the scene after each attempt - not just because of Snape’s knowledge of dark arts but because if anything went seriously wrong, Snape would be able to kill Dumbledore and therefore maintain his cover.
(If Dumbledore was serious about staying alive in his weakened state while in the Tower, he would have never put Harry out of action due to Harry's previous record of outdoing LV and his band of merry men even when seriously outnumbered)
Oh and yet another suspicious circumstance
Bellatrix questions how after five years of unfettered access, Snape did not do the deed or deliver the boy to Voldemort and Snape has perfectly reasonable explanations
But what really makes the Izzie suspicious is how he says to the other Death Eaters not to touch Harry as that pleasure is reserved for the Dark Lord alone.
He has too many opportunities to deliver the boy to his master - especially during Occlumency lessons or those duels or even detentions in the dungeons. But he never once takes advantage of them and always has a plausible explanation for such unlikely behaviour from a true follower.
Oh and since when does Severus miss a chance to gloat and sneer when he has gotten one up on his enemies? But when he killed Dumbledore he didn’t. He just grabbed Draco and left without so much as a smirk.
Izzie has the sneaking suspicion that Harry - well at least his scar- will turn out to be an unintended Horcrux. In the light of recent revelations, what Izzie calls the Dark Half theory may have to be revised somewhat. Not quite correct in details but in essence much nearer than most others.
Wonders what the test for determining the nature of such objects could be - if your hand drops off after touching it or you die writhing in agony, you know you have found one?
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no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 06:35 pm (UTC)But yeah, this might be the case. I think this will be my pet theory for book 7 - Harry is the last horcrux! :-)
And somehow he'll find a way to expel that last fragment of Voldie's. I'm reminded of GoF, when Harry turns the tables on Voldie - isn't that interesting? Where did that power come from?
But the interesting thing is the fact that Snape also shares a similar background to Voldie and Harry. That, I suspect, will be significant....
Eeeeee
Iz loves the trick of switch and bait - by bringing back Slugfest and switching Snape - we simultaneously get Harry being able to do potions even though he did not get an O, getting his paws on that book because he assumed he would not be accepted and had therefore bought no stuff but bestest of all - the wonderful line "That job's jinxed. No one's lasted more than a year.....Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death"
Re: Eeeeee
So - here's the link to the main page (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/index/default.htm) of the Life Matters Radio show. Look out for Monday 18th July
If you have no luck there - the Izzie has already downloaded it and can send it once we work out what to do up in the owlery with such newfangled muggle technology
Happy listening
By the way - A Snape trial is a most wonderful idea - even before the piles of new additional and most interesting evidence
no subject
Date: 2005-07-24 03:59 am (UTC)