Comments on: The Hearing

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 23 May 2010 12:08:49 +0000

I wonder if Umbridge intended for the dementors to attempt to Kiss Harry (and Dudley). The dementors did act outside Ministry orders in attempting to Kiss Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 23 May 2010 10:12:44 +0000

Heather – you said everything that I was thinking.
As far as the Wizengamot goes, all of these folks have been through at least one, some of them two serious and bloody wizarding wars. They are (presumably) well educated, prominent members of society who keep up with current events (aka The Prophet) staring down at this young boy who can’t POSSIBLY be quite right, you know. Just think of all the TRAUMA he’s been through in his short life. And who KNOWS what kind of long term effects that curse scar of his has left behind? And wasn’t he somehow mixed up in the Chamber of Secrets nonsense a few years back? And wasn’t he found with that Diggory boy’s body last spring? Whisper, whisper, whisper, long before the possibility of a trial fell into Umbridge and Fudge’s laps, whisper, whisper, whisper.
Do you think they did a dance when he cast that Patronus?

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:28:15 +0000

Public opinion is often easily swayed. No one wants to believe Voldemort is back and the Daily Prophet offers a way out – Harry (who has already been publicly, repeatedly discredited) is making it all up with Dumbledore, who everyone knows is getting on in years. Fudge has always been intimidated by Dumbledore – Voldemort coming back on his watch would (and, in the end, does) spell the end of his career, so he believes Dumbledore created this story to discredit him and gain the Ministry. As Hermione points out later, the Prophet has had all summer to poison people’s mind against Harry and Dumbledore – because Harry doesn’t read the Prophet himself, we don’t see the full extent of their vitriol against him.

As far as we know, the Prophet is the only newspaper in the Wizarding World (excepting the highly-dubious Quibbler), thus giving them a complete monopoly over the flow of information. All the Ministry would have to do is bribe a few higher-ups and any story contradicting the current narrative about Harry or Dumbledore never sees the light of day.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:50:47 +0000

Kim- I find your Umbridge/Roz comparison to be great. Though I can’t decide if that is at all an insult to Roz….

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:44:58 +0000

I think your comment about Fudge – and Umbridge, later in the book – being real dungheads (and getting away with it) sums up why book 5 is my least favourite in the series. It’s a show-stopping problem, in my opinion. Harry has consistently proven that he’s a good chap, and all it takes is a couple of bad articles and, boom, he’s Britian’s biggest bad boy? And Dumbledore, who everyone (except maybe the Slytherins) seemed to think was the best wizard since Merlin himself, was also labeled a nut just because he backed up Harry?

Like I said, it’s a critical error for me, something that would reappear (to a lesser degree) in book 7.

By: Grace has Victory

Grace has Victory — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:42:23 +0000

John, the business of the Ministry controlling O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s is just the way the education system works in Britain. The Muggle government funds the schools, the exam boards and the O.F.S.T.E.D. inspectors. (I’ll write more about the latter at the appropriate chapter.) Having external exams is a method of quality control as well as a means of awarding qualifications to students. The wizarding government also finances the wizarding school and ensures some kind of external quality control. As you say, Fudge is clearly attempting to over-step the mark and take far too much control of the school. People who disapprove on principle may well support him in practice because they are worried about Dumbledore’s mad ideas.

By: Roonil Wazlib

Roonil Wazlib — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:11:03 +0000

Yay, found it! Ha, ha!

By: John Kearns

John Kearns — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:42:44 +0000

Roonil Wazlib, the quote you’re referring to is on this page… right under ‘The Final Word’ ;)

By: Roonil Wazlib

Roonil Wazlib — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:58:47 +0000

*physical appearance. Really should proofread before hitting submit. Ha, ha!

By: Roonil Wazlib

Roonil Wazlib — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:57:42 +0000

Mickey: There’s a quote from JKR somewhere where she states Mrs. Figg did not see the dementors but recognized the effects they were causing. This is why she was able to describe the depressing feelings they caused better than her feeble description of their feeble appearance. And thank you for slapping Fudge! :)