Cricket Readers Recommend
Harry Potter Series
by J. K. RowlingThis is an AWESOME series about a boy named Harry who, through the seven books, learns about his fate, his family, Horcruxes, dementors, Lord Voldelmort (fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself), and more. I strongly disagree with everyone who thinks these books are evil. It is about courage and love. Just because something is magic does not mean it is evil. I definitely give these books five chirps.
submitted by Clair T., age 10
(July 5, 2008 - 4:42 pm)
(July 5, 2008 - 4:42 pm)
I though the sixth movie was quite decent, actually. Bad points: They added that whole scene at the Burrow, and they cut out most of the battle at the end. And they cut out the Other Minister scene and the bit where Dumbledore terrorizes the Dursleys (two of my fave scenes from the book). It felt very rushed.
But there were some good points: For one thing, the whole Won-Won/Lav-Lav relationship was done perfectly. I liked that they showed some newspapers. They're such a big part in the books, bigger than it was really possible to be in a movie -- nobody wants to watch a movie about people reading newspapers and letters.
(June 8, 2010 - 9:34 am)
I agree about the newspapers :). I also liked the way Slughorn was portrayed; the actor they got for him was great. But along the lines of cutting/adding pointless scenes: Dumbledore should definitely have terrorized the Dursleys instead of Harry having a crush on a way-too-skinny waitress at some random restaurant by the subway. I mean, really? What was the point of that scene?? And as they cut The Other Minister (poor guy :) there was no explanation as to why the bridge was suddenly collapsing in the opening.
I'm interested to see how the 7th movie part one turns out with the whole tent thing. They're really going to have to either cut it down a bit or add some pointless *crowd-pleasing* excitement there.
(June 8, 2010 - 3:32 pm)
RE: Curiosity about DH movie: GO TO MUGGLENET. NOW. They have some awesome pictures from DH movie there.
RE: Cutting/Adding pointless scenes: I know! They choose the strangest things to change.
(June 9, 2010 - 5:33 pm)
I don't see why they can't make the movies longer. DH will be in 2 parts; why can't the others have been? The longer ones, anyway, that is—the ones where everything was left out. There have been movies like that—Gone With The Wind had intermission because it was 4 hours. There was even a German movie that was 16. In my opinion, if it takes a fast reader more than 2 hours to read a book, it should take more than 2 hours to watch the movie. Sadly, that isn't the case...
I realized something. Everyone seems to be saying that Neville should have been in Hufflepuff, and they list the fact that Herbology was his best subject as a reason. However, I don't think that's a valid reason at all. When Snape taught DADA, did Slughorn become head of Slytherin? I don't think he did. Or did he. If he did, ignore this post. But if he didn't, the subject taught by Head of House does not determine Head of House...
(June 11, 2010 - 11:41 am)
No, Slughorn did not replace Snape as Head of Slytherin, although he probably had been Head of Slytherin during the time of the Marauders. (He says in HBP that all the Blacks except Sirius were in "'my House'", and that he'd have liked to get "'the set'". Since we know Regulus was a Slytherin (we were told in DH and probably before then), it's safe to assume that Slughorn was, and from his use of the word "my" he probably was Head.)
I agree with you that the main reason "good at Herbology" is cited as a reason Neville should have been a Hufflepuff is because Sprout was Head of Hufflepuff. And you are right -- being Head of House has nothing to do with what subject you teach. I think that the way Snape favours Slytherins plays into that -- maybe people assume that that's the way it always works. But that doesn't make sense -- teachers like McGonagall and (I assume) Sprout would be too fair to do that.
I personally do think Neville should have been a Hufflepuff, but for other reasons. He is a good friend, a hard worker, loyal -- all qualities of Hufflepuffs. But he is very brave, especially in the later books (consider the way he wanted to go to the Department of Mysteries with the others or the things he did during the Battle of Hogwarts), so maybe he was in the right House after all.
There are several characters, actually, that I would have put in different Houses. Hermione is an obvious one. Even characters in the books think she should've been a Ravenclaw. In OP a DA member says, on finding out that she can do a Gemino charm: "'Why weren't you in Ravenclaw, brains like yours?'" and she says, "'Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw, but it decided on Gryffindor in the end.'"
There's also Pettigrew, though -- JKR has confirmed that he was a Gryffindor, which doesn't make sense, as he is always being referred to as cowardly, someone who would stick with the most powerful person. That's the reason why he hung out with the Marauders and, later, the reason he became a Death Eater. He even says in PoA: "'He has weapons you can't imagine ... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James.'" I guess with him JKR needed someone who would be close enough to the Potters to betray them, and I think that James isn't someone who'd spend much time with people outside his own House (Although Lily obviously was: Snape was her best friend.).
I wonder how the Sorting Hat decides which House to put you in when it's torn between two or more. We know that it decided on Gryffindor for Harry because it was what he chose. Maybe Hermione chose Gryffindor? Doesn't she say something on the train in SS along the lines of "'Gryffindor would be by far the best, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad either.'"? So maybe Pettigrew chose it too. He probably wanted to be in the same House as the other three Marauders, and Sirius and Remus would already have been sorted there by the time it was his turn. (Yes, it is alphabetical order, unlike in the movies.) So I dunno.
*reads over post* Merlin's beard, I got carried away. Sorry. It's just that I'm a very obsessive person, and I have all these questions that I come up with very detailed theories about. You don't have to read all of it. Except now you already did. Mwahahaha.
(June 12, 2010 - 1:59 pm)
It's weird that 5 is the longest book but the shortest movie.
@ZNZ: I also come up with detailed theories on stuff from my favorite books. In HP, the Time-Turner is one I especially love to puzzle about. But I can't go into detial very long about it because then I start getting confused. *has to go, but will come back with more on the current subject another time* :)
(June 13, 2010 - 3:08 pm)
Oh, I always come up with detailed theories for my favorite books! Or at least when there's something that isn't clear from what the book said. But anyway, yes, I do think it's likely that Hermione chose to be in Gryffindor. Either that or she would have had to be the bravest character in the series, in which case she should have had some chance to show that! But I really don't think that, however strong his wish, Pettigrew could have been Gryffindor. I think JKR just put him in that House for convenience purposes.
Lily does seem like the sort of person who would be willing to interact with members of other Houses, but I don't think we can really know that, because she and Snape had already been friends before their Sorting. I do agree, though.
And actually, I think I specifically remember Slughorn telling Harry that he used to be head of Slytherin. After Harry asked, that is. In fact, it was exactly in that scene being discussed...
(June 15, 2010 - 9:00 pm)
And perhaps not just the choice. I've seen the theory that it's based on what qualities you value most, even if you don't necesarily possess them yourself. I don't think that's all of it, but it could certainly be part of it. And Hermione certainly values courage. She thinks, actually, that it's more important: "'Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery.'" (PS16). I think that that would certainly make her a Gryffindor, instead of a Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws think, remember, that "'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.'" (OP10, DH20, DH29).
So maybe Pettigrew valued courage? It could be a reason why he admired James and the rest? I realise that with his character there's probably no way he really could have been in Gryffindor, but I just keep trying to make sense of it. I think the only House he really could've been in is Slytherin, cliché as it sounds. He's not brave enough to be a Gryffindor, or loyal and hardworking enough to be a Hufflepuff, or intelligent enough to be a Ravenclaw. That only leaves one place to put him. Plus, you know, he became a Death Eater.
Though I've often wondered about that: yes, Hagrid says "'There wasn't a witch or wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin.'" (PS). But is that really true, or is Hagrid just prejudiced against Slytherins (like most Gryffindors are)? If that is true, why didn't anyone ever point out in PA that Sirius had been a Gryffindor? Probably most people realised that not being in Slytherin didn't guarantee that you wouldn't go bad. And surely the reverse is true. Not all Slytherins are bad -- just look at Snape. Yes, he was a bit of a slimeball, but he was an Order member, and "'the bravest man [Harry] ever knew.'" (DHE). Or look at Slughorn: he's really not a bad person, and he fought against Voldy all the way. I think that Slytherins are just shown in a really bad light since they are rivals of Gryffindor, and we see things through the eyes of Gryffindors. Plus, according to JKR, "Not everyone in Slytherin House is hateful", and "Slytherins aren't all bad". (Thank you, accioquote!) She also says that some Slytherins did help fight against Voldy in the Battle of Hogwarts.
About Lily: yes, she and Snape were friends before their Sorting, and yes, that makes a difference. However, even as a Gryffindor, she had no problem with spending time with a Slytherin. I think that they could have been friends even if they hadn't met before. Lily isn't someone who cares about things like his being a Slytherin. But imagine for a second that James and Snape had met before they went to Hogwarts. I seriously doubt that they would have spoken much again after their Sorting, because there's strong evidence that James was someone who hated Slytherins on principle. (Like his son, come to think of it.) This is a major difference between him and Lily.
About Slughorn: I can't remember being told specifically in HPB, but maybe we were. I've been searching the HPL and I'm having trouble finding any hard evidence that he was Head of House during the Marauders' time, though I still think he was (and possibly during Riddle's time as well). But he was definitely Head at one point: during DH, after Snape became Headmaster. McGonagall says in DH: "'I shall expect you and the Slytherins in the Great Hall in twenty minutes, also. If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. [...] The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties. Go and wake your students, Horace.'". (DH31) We haven't heard anyone refer to "'your students'" in that way unless they were talking about a Head of House, and it's clear from the context what House she means. (And the HPL's DH reading guide states that he was "reinstated as Head of Slytherin", which can only mean that he was before.)
(June 16, 2010 - 11:44 am)
Mainly, I agree with what what you said, but I don't think Peter (shorter than Pettigrew or Wormtail...) should even be in Slytherin. True, he doesn't have the qualities of the other Houses, but I don't think he's cunning enough for Slytherin, either (actually, the image of him being cunning is enough to make me laugh). And he doesn't have much ambition, besides being protected by whoever is the most dangerous (quote: "You wanted to make sure he was the biggest bully on the playground before..." I don't remember the rest of it, or which book it was from, so I can't look it up. Still though, the person was talking to Pettigrew about his joining Voldy, so it applies.). But I suppose that is ambitious in his own way, if it comes to that, because whoever happens to be most likely to be dangerous probably isn't going to be the one most likely to protect him in most scenarios. However, I still really don't think it counts as ambition. So I suppose the Sorting Hathad to choose between his tiny, tiny, tiny bit of ambition, and the traits he shares with Salazar Slytherin which were not originally included in the list of Slytherin's values (then again, neither was cunninig/ambitious--that is, Slytherin wasn't known to have requested it in his students. Then again, all he is recorded having said, as far as I know, is that they needed to be pure-blooded, and so if a pure-blood who cared very much about it happened to be a genius, he and Ravenclaw would argue about it. So I think he must have included the cunning/ambitiousnes as a sort of backup for his criteria. The rest of the traits that seem to characterize Slytherin came, I think, when the Sorting Hat wasused and Sorting became more about honoring the Founders--and tradition--than about the argument of who should be taught. Just like those that characterize, say, Gryffindor. Anyway, that was long.), and what he values. So really, I suppose it does make sense that he's in Gryffindor; he doesn't fit anywhere else, after all. I feel sorry for the Sorting Hat, though, having to make the decision.
Also, I am certain that Slughorn told HP he was head of Slytherin in Marauders' time. I'll look it up... I found it!
"'Lily Evans. [...] I used to tell her she ought to have been in my House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back too.'
'Which was your House?'
'I was Head of Slytherin,' said Slughorn."
And as for the Lily/Snape/James thing: You're right; it's just that I sometimes wonder whether Lily and Snape would've been such friends if they hadn't already met. Probably so, though, due to the SnapexLily thing. Which probably also strengthens James' and Snape's already existing enmity.
(June 18, 2010 - 4:27 pm)
Maybe so. But look at Crabbe and Goyle!
(June 19, 2010 - 8:47 am)
True. But they honestly didn't have even a tiny hint of any of the Founders' qualities whatsoever (except for pure blood, which is a plus for Slytherin, I suppose), and I have trouble imagining them valuing much of anything (well, they judge people by purity of blood, so they value that, as did Slytherin, and as I may have already said - I don't really remember - I think that resemblance to Founders makes a difference, so that's another point) so there really weren't really any other factors than choice (and the tiny, normally insignificant ones I've mentioned), and I'm sure Crabbe and Goyle wanted to be in Slytherin.
(June 25, 2010 - 4:03 pm)
I've read the whole series and have really liked them. I think one of the only problems is that after the third book they start to get really dark.
(June 20, 2010 - 5:11 pm)
But not nearly as dark as The Lord of the Rings. My main dislike of those is that they are so dark/evil/scary feeling so much of the time.
hdef: High Definition
(June 21, 2010 - 10:46 am)
Re: Sorting and Houses: I like the idea that the traits one values influence one's house, and it makes sense-- look at Neville, he didn't turn brave until 5th year, but given that his parents were aurors who were tortured into insanity but still didn't give up any information that would have been helpful to Bella/the brothers Lestrange/Young Crouch, we can probably assume that courage is something Neville greatly admires and, during the first few years anyway, desperately wished he possessed. The hat, being telepathic (which is... slightly creepy now I think of it...) would have picked up on this, and possibly the fact that courage ran in Neville's family (not just his parents, but Gran as well) and that Neville's real problem was a lack of confidence probably due to growing up overshadowed by his parent's legacy and overly strict grandmother rather than an actual lack of a spine (Evidence of Spine: he stood up to Bellatrix Lestrange. When he was 15) so he got landed in Gryffindore rather than Hufflepuff as would have suited his already present loyalty and work ethic (then hindered by, again, confidence issues).
Re: Peter's House: Personally I think Pete being landed in Gryffindore makes no sense at all, even given that he seems to have a high respect for bravery as implied in PoA. Unlike Neville he is shown to have absolutely no spine at all. Yes, values are important 'n' all but there are limits. Myself I would have landed him in Ravenclaw, because I think the guy's more intelligent than a lot of people give him credit for. I would say Slytherin for him, because of the cunning thing, but Pete doesn't seem terribly ambitious beyond "I want to survive today", and the name "Pettigrew" doesn't exactly scream "pureblood heritage" to me. Anyway, before the rest of you get all overworked about my Peter-Has-A-Brain theory, shall I present evidence? LIST TIME.
1. Ol' Wormy's consistently shown to seek the company of bigger, stronger allies, switching sides if need be so that he's always protected by more powerful people. In school it was the pack (ha!) of popular, admired, and intelligent kids. Later on it was Voldemort, at a time when he was inarguably the second most powerful wizard alive, and backed by a massive army to boot. It's petty and slimy, yes, but if you're a dumpy wizard with lack-luster talent and you want to stay in one piece the smartest thing to do is find yourself a "friend" to act as a de facto bodyguard. Which brings me to point number
2. Peter's a known traitor who, during the time of the books, is reasonably "in" with Voldemort, sitting in on private meetings (opening of DH) and repeatedly trusted with relatively important tasks like spying on the Potters under Dumbledore's nose and helping with Voldemort's resurrection. If I'm right about his surname he's also probably half-blood at best. The point here being, Voldemort (however much I fangirl at him) is a deranged megalomaniac obsessed with the purification of blood and shown to grow increasingly paranoid as the series progresses. And you'd think that sort of personality wouldn't be keen on trusting a weak-willed, half-blood (or less!), inefficient wizard of uncertain loyalties with anything. So my only explanation for his inexplicable if incomplete trust in Peter (he could easily have engineered a way for Young Crouch, a much more loyal individual, to somehow perform the ressurection ceremony, for instance) is that Peter did a lot of fast-talking after he found Voldemort and started nursing him back to health. Again motivated only by his desire to survive, but wanting to live isn't a sign of stupidity either. I mean, look at Rincewind. ...sorry, crossing fandoms. Sorry. Moving on!
3. Average wizard though he may be, Pete still managaed to correctly perform Voldy's resurrection ceremony on the first try. Voldemort later explains that this form of magic is extremely old and obscure, and that some of the magic necessary in the earlier stages was of his "own devising" (I believe that was the phrase he used, anyway, I haven't got the book handy to look up because I'm too lazy to get up, walk away from the circ desk, and pick it up. I can see it though. We have two copies. And like four copies of HBP, must be popular with the kiddies). Now it may be just me, but in my experience, in Fantasy Land "ancient magic" is darn near synonymous with "disgustingly difficult magic", and personally I can't imagine any spells thought up by the most powerful Dark wizard in the world to be exactly easy either. Yet Voldy makes absolutely no mention of Peter flubbing up anything along the way, even though he was terrified out of his wits 90% of the time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if a supposedly sub-average wizard can pull what was very likely stupidly hard rites without a hitch while not thinking entirely straigt because he's stressed out and in fear of his life, well, he's probably not as dim as a lot of people think. Which brings us to my big grand theory which is that
Peter is faking and/or exaggerating his average intelligence/talent, because he knows perfectly well that the more bumbling and stupid he appears, the less likely it is that Voldemort will view him as a threat. I mean, by the time DH rolled around anyone with eyes could see that the Dark Lord was rapidly coming unravelled, to the point that he couldn't tell who he could trust and who he couldn't. This would have been a problem for people like, say, Bellatrix, who is absurdly powerful but previously hadn't been viewed as a threat because he knew she was 100% loyal. Now however, Voldy's lost it completely and probably all he could see was the threat resulting from her skill. So, while the higher-ups are getting into increasingly hot water, Peter was more or less safe because he's too clever and too worried about his own neck to have let his master percieve him as anything more than a talentless lowlife who was useful for maybe doing the dishes. He did, however, miscalculate royally with the whole owing-Harry-his-life thing.
Although... I suppose the Gryffindore thing could make sense if one assumes that JKR is a Discworld and, more specifically, Rincewind fan. She could have been making a very subtle nod in the direction of the Disc's most inept wizard; after all, "everyone would be as cowardly as [Rincewind] if they were brave enough." /random fandom crossings
More likely, however, and this is the MORAL OF THE STORY FOLKS: narrative causality sometimes (rarely, but it happens) gets pummelled by its younger, sickly sibling narrative convenience, and then both of them gang up on Common Sense which curls up in a corner to cry, accompanied by the Only Sane Man and his boomerang.
This seems to have gone on longer than I anticipated. Er... sorry about that.
(June 25, 2010 - 9:28 pm)
*gasp* You're right! I never realised that! He may well be a lot smarter than he appears. Although I'm not sure about your point about convincing Voldemort he was for him. Voldy may well have been so desperate he would take anyone who'd do what Peter was willing to do. Or do you mean when he very first joined Voldy? That bit was a little unclear.
(June 28, 2010 - 10:11 am)