Chapter 4: The Seven Potters

Chapter Four: The Seven Potters

With the Durselys gone with Hestia and Diggle, all that’s left is for Harry to be ready for the next guard to take him away from Privet Drive once and for all. He wanders throughout the house with Hedwig, giving her a final tour of the place before everyone comes – a slightly lame farewell walk-around compared with the rest of this chapter, but it's another reminiscing of the past seven books.

Soon, his guard does arrive, the most domineering sight in the backyard being Hagrid on Sirius’s motorbike. Others were astride brooms, and two people were mounted on thestrals. Along with Hagrid are Ron and Hermione, of course; also newly in the kitchen are Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Mr. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye, Lupin, Tonks, and then – lastly and surprisingly – Mundungus Fletcher.

After only a few hellos, Mad-Eye gets straight to the point. Plan A has been nixed for fear of an imposter's tip-off, so now comes Plan B. “The Trace” is still upon Harry (imagine eerie organ music or a Hallowe’en choir to flare after the two words). After being informed of this, Mad-Eye states that they will have to use methods of transport that work without the aid of spells. Mad-Eye also informs Harry that they have the upper hand at this, because Voldemort does not know he is leaving Privet Drive before his birthday. All of them will be protecting Harry using those various means of transport already stated, Harry going to Tonks’s parents and then take a Portkey to the Burrow. Easy enough, right?

Harry knows there’s a flaw in this particular plan, and the reader has an ill feeling that something’s definitely going to go wrong. Harry mentions how strange it will be having 14 people going in one particular place, which is where the second half of the plan comes into fruition: six other people will ingest Polyjuice Potion and become an identical Harry. Therefore, it will be tougher for any Death Eater to spot the real Harry instantly.

After a bit of stubbornness on Harry’s part and even more so from the others (threateningly in Moody’s case, humor-laced in Fred and George’s), Harry grudgingly places a few of his hairs into the potion, Hermione remarking that he looks tastier than Crabbe and Goyle - quickly followed up by a defensive mention of that it looks better. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus (with protests that he does not want to do it, doesn’t want to be targeted, does not want to die) line up to take the potion. The sight of course is quite weird to look upon as six Harrys come into being where six ordinary humans used to be.

The next part is even more humor-laced with many intermittent statements, like “Wow, we’re identical!” “I think I’m still bettering looking.” “Bah, I’m ’ideous!”

And then they change into more comfortable clothes, out in the open no less - unabashed at exposing Harry’s body to any onlookers. Harry has a point here; I would have liked more reverence given to my own body, at least in public, if I were him. More laugh-worthy quips and statements follow before the seriousness rises high into the air along with all the people departing Little Whinging. Fleur and Bill, Hermione and Kingsley take both the thestrals; Ron and Tonks, Forge and Mr. Weasley, Gred and Lupin, Ron and Tonks, Dung and Mad-Eye all use broomsticks; Harry and Hagrid are the sole possessors of the motorbike. Isn't that nice a target enough?

And they’re off!

Almost instantly after the Dursleys’ house disappears, the attack comes: 30 Death Eaters intent upon finding the real Harry. Chaos erupts in the first blaze of green light; Hedwig’s cage slips into the fray and Harry’s owl dies from a Killing Curse. Harry’s mind focuses upon what has just happened; he wants Hagrid to go back, but Hagrid insists on flying him to safety, eluding their pursuers as best he can. Harry tries to Stupefy the four Death Eaters now after them, but they spread out in a new tack formation. Hagrid hits a very handy green button on the motorbike, which shoots out a brick wall from its exhaust pipe. A Death Eater collides with it, and no doubt falls down to his or her death.

A second button. This time a net shoots out, but the Death Eaters swerve around the hindrance. Now, Hagrid goes to extreme measures and pushes the dreaded purple button, the one Mr. Weasley warns him not to try out before they all depart from the Dursleys’ house. Dragon fire bursts out from the exhaust, and the bike blasts ahead with excessive speed – so excessive in fact that the connection between the bike and the sidecar Harry is in breaks. Harry finds himself apart from the motorbike and falling. With a quick Wingardium Leviosa, Harry remains impermanently airborne but careening fast all the same.

Hagrid steers and scoops up Harry after a near miss by a nearby Death Eater (and a lost tooth to pine for); Harry aims his wand at the sidecar and makes it explode. They vroom away, Death Eaters still at their heels. One of the Death Eater’s hoods falls back, and Harry recognizes Stan Shunpike. So, that pesky devil is for Voldemort (or still Imperiused)! Harry shouts an Expelliarmus charm; although it’s known as his “token” charm, I find it very unbelievable for them to note it’s him just from that. But, Stan does indeed shout it out. Eventually all the Death Eaters fall back.

The emptiness sparks fear again in Harry, and he urges Hagrid to hit the purple button again; they’re rushing away once more, but soon, the motorbike shudders. At the same moment, pain surges from his scar. Harry knows Voldemort is there. He turns around to find him flying “like smoke in the wind” at him (anyone roll their eyes here, despite the shock of Voldemort's reappearance to face Harry?). Hagrid steers the motorbike downward into a dive that knocks Harry’s senses askew. He does not know what’s going on; he thinks this is it, it’s time to die.

In all the pandemonium, Hagrid leaps at one of the Death Eaters still around them, the broomstick of the now-crushed Death Eater falling faster than anything else. Somewhere around him, he hears Voldemort shriek the word “Mine” and then the beginnings of the Avada Kedavra curse. Harry’s wand acts on its own, without him doing anything. Fire shoots out of it, snapping at Voldemort. Harry punches the dreaded purple button once again, and screeches downward fast; he hears Voldemort’s orders for another wand. Harry turns to face Voldemort and waits for the impact of the killing curse. But it does not come. You-Know-Who has disappeared. Now with the impending crash before him, Harry looks down again and sees Hagrid immovable on the ground. He is unable to slow down any longer, and unceremoniously slams into a muddy pond.

How's that for a nice, quick, efficient departure from Privet Drive?

Who's Interested in a DH Read-Through?

Hello everyone! Are we up for it, for the read-through of the final book? Do you think we'd be able to stick with it up to the very end? Let me know. Our last read-through of Book 2 almost went the way of the dodo, so I want to know if people are willing to put their time into the 'final' read-through.

Yea, or nay?

Read-Through Participants:

Berilac
Madmaxime
Knobblyknees
Ook
Octavia Alabaster
Maddie
Rictusempra
Linda_Carrig
Wolfperson1
Dreama
EricJ
TWZRD

Umbridge in the Headmaster's office... forever!

Scary thought.

But, from what I can remember, every single Headmaster and Headmistress of Hogwarts receives a picture frame within the office and has a part of his or her essence retained there for eternity. So, why not Umbridge? If Harry had those private lessons with Dumbledore, shouldn't Umbridge have made her way there, automatically? Or do the portraits only appear upon the death of the said Headmaster/mistress (e.g. Dumbledore)?

One can make the assumption that, even when Umbridge meets her demise, she will not grace the walls of the Headmaster's office because (1) first and foremost, Hogwarts might not even be "open" for next year (or ever again), because (2) she had received the Headmastership via the Ministry's underhanded and quickly improvised rules (not to mention Dumbledore's hasty cover-up for Harry in OOTP), and because (3) the office barred Umbridge from entering and had to make do with the DADA's office instead - the magic within Hogwarts very powerful and complex enough to almost create an intangible entity of its own here. Was it the combined powers of the former Headmasters/mistresses that prevented Umbridge from reentering Dumbledore's office?

I just thought it would be something fun to think about.

Maybe to continue this discussion, what are all your opinions on when exactly do the portraits appear? Is it only when each Headmaster's death occurs, as I asked earlier? Or can it happen if someone resigns (to make things less complex, I don't think Dumbledore "resigned" from his position; he just went into hiding, which makes the argument about whether or not Umbridge will receive her own portrait a moot point)?



This is one mess of a topic-starting post - not to mention an egregiously misleading title, now that I look on it. But I ain't alterin' it! (IMG:http://the-pensieve.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/shiner.gif)

Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary

Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary

Harry finds Tom Riddle's diary in a bathroom, opening new insight on the Chamber of Secrets Mystery!

Chapter 12: The Polyjuice Potion

Chapter Twelve: The Polyjuice Potion

McGonagall leads Harry into Dumbledore’s office - a place we will soon become familiar with with each passing book - after Harry has been found at the scene of the latest attack by Slytherin's monster. As Minerva leaves Harry alone to wait for the headmaster, Harry inspects the room and finds the Sorting Hat. He puts it on, his unease about the rumors of him being Slytherin’s heir still rifling through his brain. The Sorting Hat remains resolute, stating that Harry was indeed difficult to place: “But I stand by what I said before...you would have done well in Slytherin.”

Harry, himself, is resolute, exclaiming the hat is wrong in its presumptions. Remember Dumbledore’s speech at the end of the book about how one’s choices show what one truly is rather than his or her abilities: we know Harry creates his own destiny in a ways; he wants to be in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. But he’s just so unsure of himself here because of the rumors being flung about the school concerning him. Harry here, understandably, wants some reassurance that the Sorting Hat did place him properly, that he was no Slytherin, that he never belonged there, never will belong there.

A sudden gagging noise alerts Harry to Fawkes, Dumbledore’s pet phoenix, who looks woebegone, on the verge of death. And, to make matters worse, it bursts into flame just as Dumbledore makes his presence known. It soon is reborn from the ashes. This particular scene between Harry and Dumbledore seems placed to introduce Fawkes as well as give the impression that Dumbledore knows a bit more than he is letting on about the incidences around the school; he states firmly that he knows Harry didn’t open the Chamber. My theory: because Dumbledore knows - fervently knows - Harry isn’t the Heir of Slytherin; Voldemort, of course, is. The headmaster wants to see if Harry can be upfront and honest with him about his apprehensions, a very skilled Legilimens as Dumbledore is. This time, however, Harry remains tight-lipped, fears about being related to Salazar still intact, and he says nothing.

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Panic has now gripped the school after the double-attack. People flock home during the Christmas holidays in droves. Luckily for the trio, Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe have decided to stay around for the holidays, the reason they are being somewhat incomprehensible (especially after Malfoy’s taunting the year before about Harry having to say at Hogwarts).

Harry, though, is glad for the empty castle; mainly for the less interaction he'll have with his accusers. But, the atmosphere is only slightly cheery, since the task to find out if Malfoy is the one opening the Chamber looms ahead of them. The Polyjuice Potion is almost complete, and Hermione suggests they take it on Christmas day. With Millicent’s hair already pilfered by Hermione, all that is now needed is a bit of Crabbe and Goyle – easily attainable, for the pair of them have the combined IQ of a rotting log. They eat the sweets planted by Harry and Ron, full of a sleeping draught, collapsing on the spot. Harry and Ron stow them in a closet and take a few of their hairs for the potion.

Everything’s now ready. They meet up in Myrtle’s bathroom and drink the unappealing mixture that you wouldn’t catch me ingesting unless it was forced down my throat. Before transforming, they head into separate cubicles for size reasons, and Harry changes into Goyle, Ron into Crabbe. Hermione, squeaky-voiced and embarrassed-sounding, still within her own bathroom stall, tells them to go without her. So Harry and Ron do, ambling through the halls hoping to tail another Slytherin into the common room, since they don’t know where it is or the password to get in.

Instead of a Slytherin though, they run into Percy, who instructs them to head on back to their common room posthaste. At that moment, however, Malfoy comes strutting along and they follow the ferret-boy to the Slytherin Common Room (pure-blood being the password, accentuating the ‘racism’ theme in the book). Ron and Harry (as C&G) get their first glimpse of the Slytherin common room: a very dank, gloomy locale, with little to no outdoor light, providing silhouettes of the voiceless Slytherins sitting around the room, the epitome of creepiness. This house doesn’t seem to be the chummy sort from this description.

Malfoy gives them an article from The Daily Prophet to read about Ron’s father fined because of the Ford Anglia being bewitched. Harry and Ron are not very convincing as Crabbe and Goyle here; but thankfully Malfoy doesn’t notice as the pair of them - despite being slow on the uptake - do give their delayed and imbecilic replies a flair that appeases Malfoy at least. At last, Malfoy gives the imposters C&G something to go upon:

“I wish I knew who it is...I could help them.”

Well, Malfoy’s not it, despite him continuing to be an insolent little twerp, yearning to help out with the Muggle-cleansing. Draco lets slip that the last time the Chamber opened, a girl (“Mudblood”) died. But this jaunt as C&G shows Malfoy knows little about it all, as he thinks the culprit is still in Azkaban.

They can’t glean anything more, as the hour is up, and the potion has lost its effect on the pair of them. Harry and Ron dash out of the Slytherin Common Room with the excuse of eating too much Christmas dinner and having to go see Madame Pomfrey. They reach Myrtle’s bathroom as their normal selves again, to find Moaning Myrtle the happiest they’ve ever seen her. She points out Hermione with glee.

Instead of putting Millicent’s hairs into her potion, Hermione used cat hairs. Oops. Well, Hermione can’t be perfect all the time, I suppose!

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The only thing that aggravated me about this chapter is all the work they put in for the Polyjuice Potion, only to find that Malfoy did not open the Chamber; Hermione accidentally turns into a cat for their trouble.

I guess it shows nothing falls neatly in place until the end (IMG:http://the-pensieve.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (see the Aragog meet-up). At least it’s an intro to the Polyjuice stuff that becomes a key part of the plot in Books 4 and 6.