*ADARA*

So, let's start off with a welcome message: Welcome!

Considering that discussing the books and movies that this board was created for seems to be a lost skill, I've decided to lump it together. Why not huddle together for warmth instead of in the few threads of discussion all by your lonesome.

Although the discussion thread is open to all, we do have a member list. If you wish to be added, just post as such (preferably in a message that is longer than one line and includes more than "this books rawk").

The People Who Can Still Use Their Brains:
-*ADARA*
-Airie75
-Cheermione Silverstain
-Cold-Blooded Piece of Toast
- Vacancies available

Topics that should be discussed here:
-What are books, what are they about, who's "hawt" & who's "nawt"?
(Joking, by the way)
-Which book is your favourite and why?
-Which character is your favourite and why?
-Which scene in the books is your favourite and was it decently paralelled in the movies?
-If J.K. Rowling was a vegetable or a fruit, what would she be and why?
-Is anybody interested in bringing back the Quidditch game that used to be held here that was a scavenger hunt type activity that required the players to scour through the books for information if they didn't know it? It was quite fun. The HP-Lexicon would be very much out of bounds.
-Plot discussions, chapter musings, various other things since this thread is for discussion.

If you get bored trying to use your brain, close your eyes and click something here and chances are you won't have to strain yourself or try to have a vocabulary suitable for your age.

If you do indeed use your brain, feel free to poke about the ancient roots of this thread:
The Key to Chapter Analysis - discussing those little unanswered questions that pop into your little head while reading. Deserted since: 5-04-04
The Key to How Magic Works - Do yoga, become a wizard. Deserted since: 04-04-04
The Key to The Animagus - What is an animagus and who else could be an animagus that we've read of? deserted since: 02-13-04
The Key to JKR's Website - The ever-taunting J.K. Rowling has redone her site to better reflect her working conditions. Discussing the new information from the site about the books... goody! Deserted since: 11-06-04 until Gilmoracholic tried to revive it unsuccessfully on 01-11-05
The Key to The Marauder's Map - Discussing the ins and outs of the Marauder's map until deserted on 05-12-04. Plus side: Has links to the also deserted Wandless Magic, "Weak" line, and JKR's Book Day Chat discussion threads.
The Key to The Meaning of the Books - What does it all mean? Nobody knows but why not take a guess and chat it out? Deserted since 11-23-04
The Key to Wonderment - Discussing all the things you've wondered about Harry Potter since you picked up the books. Deserted since: 04-16-04
The Key to Reading the books - everybody reads differently and in different places... how do you read Harry Potter? Deserted since: 04-03-04
The Key to Minor Characters - Some may call them minor, while others call them the best. Who's your favourite minor character? Deserted since: 05-04-04
The Key to Favourite Quotes - was deleted due to inactivity... does that mean that nobody read the books or just that they didn't particularly like any of it... except that it put images of odd snogging couples in their heads?
The Key to Oopsies! - The editors and proofreaders skipped some stuff. Discussion of what you have noticed and that of others. Deserted since: 09-30-04
The Key to Disliked Characters - Which characters do people loath with a little less of the why aspect. Deserted since: 06-13-04
The Key to Unconventional Couples - It's where all those shipper threads belong... unless of course you're shipping Molly/Arthur, Lily/James, Penelope/Percy, Petunia/Vernon... in which case you belong in the non-existant Conventional Couple thread.
The Key to Being entirely off-topic - where people that mind the rules go to talk about stuff un-HP related. Generally, people just blither about it on any thread they please. {i.e. The Slytherin CAPITAL Room , The Ravenclaw Common Room (which has been the same thread for over a year and been deserted save for spamming), The Hufflepuff Common Room (same thread since '03), and the dreaded lion's den- The Gryffindor Common Room } Although chatting is acceptable in the CAPITAL room and the Coomon rooms, the mindless blither that occurs there and in a majority of the shipper threads is not. To the off topic thread- all of you!

Well, posters... it's up to you now.





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A Portkey has been created for this topic.
Just click on this title in the list and be transported immediately.

Cold-Blooded Piece of Toast

Be nice! *g* Oops, Slytherin. Carry on, then.

I really think that though Harry became loads more angsty in OoTP I think he really became more real as a character. I still hated him but he wasn't so, er, great. Yes, you can dislike Harry and adore the series.

What is the deal with Theodore Nott? Who is he? I know he's a Slytherin but haven't got a clue otherwise. He seems to have cropped up in fic but I don't know who he is.

Voldemort? He's supposed to be ugly... I really do hope that they carry that out in the movies despite the actor who is playing him. Please? I also think it's great that Dumbledore calls him Tom in OoTP. It really makes him to be less of OMFGSOEVIL THING and more of an evil person.

I have to go to work now. Bye.

Gabrielle

*ADARA*

Enjoy work Gaby, do let me know if you'd like to be added to the list of people who use their brains.

I also dislike Harry but love the series. He was so fake and holier-than-thou throughout the series until OotP. He's definitly become a more human character, less invincible hero type of guy. I like Harry's character being realistic. I dislike the loss of Sirius but I have survived thus far. July 16th is so far away. I've alread pushed off my summer plans to hide in my room and read for a day straight to finish it. I just don't understand why this book must contractually be shorter than OotP. Maybe not contractually but JK has said that she and her production company have agreed that it should be less than 38 chapters.

Theodore Nott in fan fiction: is much like the unisex Blaise Zabini, I find. Although it's kind of hard to make Theodore into a female character he is still quite easily used. Nobody knows much about him, leaving tons of room for fic authors to build up a background and character traits and the like. That's why he is in so many fics nowadays. I love it when an author has Blaise being a girl in on fic and in another Blaise is a boy. Or even, when in the same fic, when they mix up him/her because they don't remember whether they've cast Blaise as a boy or a girl in that particular fic.

I hadn't up until now seen the person cast for Voldemort. Is this a definite thing? That guy looks more like James Bond than Voldemort. However, if they can get a semi decent group together for his makup he won't come out half bad. Look at how realistic the orcs looked in LotR. If they got that make-up crew for the rest of the movies... they could make anything happen.

Dumbledore calling him Tom and also being unafraid to say Voldemort is a very significant thing, I think. Harry was the only one that could say it in the beginning. Although it was mostly out of not being submerged in all the fear as the rest of the wizarding community had been, it turned into him being brave and resiliant. He took a stand by not cowering even to just the name and then the person, if you can call Voldemort a person. Dumbledore was never truly afraid of Voldemort which he shows by using his name and then his actual name once it was revealed to us in CoS. He's trying to also set an example, I think, in that if you are unafraid enough to say the name that you will slowly come to cope with the person. He's trying to get the people ready for the new war which they refuse to believe is upon them. But the more people that say Voldemort, the less they are afraid of him. Well, they're still petrified of him but saying his name is a start, I suppose.

I'm going to stop rambling now.

~Chrissy~

fetch

I haaaaate Blaise fics. If you want to pair Hermione up with a Slytherin, there are plenty to go around. Except that, oh right, the books say she hates them and they're ugly. Ah, well, Blaise can be hawt, yay!

We do at least have some scraps about Nott. A bit on how he looks (male, tall, skinny), his father's a Death Eater, he's seen death/can see thestrals. We only just found out Blaise is a boy. Come on.

*ADARA*

Some authors have quite overactive imaginations. JKR found it quite humorous that so many people pegged Blaise a female. There were certain things given to us about Nott, as you listed, but some authors only use parts of it and build him up as if he's not a minor character. He wasn't as built up as Harry, Ron, Hermione or Draco. They've got pretty good detailing in the book. Nott is just offhandedly mentioned a bit. Certain minor characters should get more light, I don't particularly think Nott is one of them. However, if JKR finds it within herself to have him reveal deep dark secrets of his father to Hermione because he suddenly decides he's madly in love with her, then we can all safely say she's gone batty. However, I trust in our tormentor. I doubt she'd be so out-of-nowhere with Nott. She wouldn't just throw a lasso and pull him right into the main stream of things. I don't think she will anyways. If this whole next book is about how Nott falls in love with Harry and Harry says he's just doing it to get the info and turns out he really loves Nott then we'll all be shocked. She'd probably never do that either considering that her publisher would rather shoot her than print slash in "children's books" Nobody knows what she'll do with him, if anything, besides her. We'll just have to wait and see.

Or we could read the never ending string of fan fiction that revolves around him and his love for so-and-so and blah blah blah. Because Nott is so hott

~Chrissy~ who currently finds herself somewhat amusing

Cold-Blooded Piece of Toast

The loss of Sirius wasn't quite so bad for me. I hated him, he died, all is good in my world. It's rather sad for Harry but, honestly, Sirius wasn't *the* most important character in the books, though he was definitely important to Harry. I did write this rather angsty story about Harry post-'the death of Sirius' but that was a fluke, I tell you!

Blaise. I don't really care about him either way. I can take him or leave him. I don't really read any fanfiction based around him or pay attention to him.

Oooh. Yummy details about Nott. He has seen death... gives you something to work with. Makes me undertand that Draco/Nott fic I saw floating around a while back. Unlike with Blaise we at least have an idea to what his affiliations are like. Works in fanfiction but not in the books. *sigh* Unfortunately, not much actually works with what we've gotten in the books. At least from fandom. Draco is a little punk who is most likely *not* going to be redeemed. I still like him, though.

I was too saddened that the book would be shorter. I don't mind longer books, especially when it means we get more details about the Harry Potter world. Well, usually being concise is better but I'll make an exception for Harry Potter.

The general wizarding population just cowers when they hear Voldemort's name. I understand the reason but to deal with the upcoming 'war' they need to say it! At least now Fudge has seen Voldemort and others have seen him, too. Off with Fudge, though! I despise him under all circumstances... even in naughty pairings.

I wouldn't mind being added to the list. Have I written enough?

Gabrielle

fetch

I loved how Dumbledore called Voldemort Tom the whole time. And he got to upset I Dumbledore.

I don't like Draco. I don't mind bad guys- I love Tom- but in my opinion Draco isn't even bad, just a whiny little boy who does whatever Daddy says. Maybe that can change in the next books, though. Not that I think he'll be good or anything, but perhaps he could get a mind of his own.

Airie

I agree. I don't dislike Draco because he's an "evil Slytherin." He's just annoying. And a jerk by regular, not good-vs-evil-in-the-magic-world senses. And, by the way, I love your avatar.

Strangely, I always kind of figured Blaise was a boy. Never thought much about him beyond that, but I do have this fascination with Theodore. Not a fascination of creating-a-personality-and-writing-a-fic-and-shipping-him-randomly proportions. Rather, I'm just interested in learning more about him. I find his story intriguing.

I liked Sirius in PoA, but after that it just went downhill. In GoF, he struck me as needless, and in OotP, he was nearly as grating as Harry. I cried for Neville in OotP when Alice came out from behind her curtain, I cried when we went into Snape's memory, but I wasn't hit as hard as so many seem to have been by Sirius' death. The part it broke my heart at was the little details of Remus' reaction to his death. I love Remus.

It is quite possible to love the books in spite of Harry. I haven't like Harry since PoA, but I really enjoy the books. I'm not even usually a fantasy reader, but the story/backstory is so rich, and the narrative is so unique, and the supporting characters are wonderful; or, at least, select ones. Plus, making this possible for me to read, even though it's fantasy, is the fact that I don't see it so much as fantasy as a fantasy backdrop for what is really a coming of age story/sociopolitical treatise. Yeah, I said it.

Cheermione Silverstain

ah the discussion thread to end all discussion threads.

Voldemort.... what's all this about Ralph Fiennes playing him? He's supposed to be ugly.. and scary... and not at all human. They can cast david 'ugh' Thewlis as Lupin and they have to get a 'hot' guy to play Voldie? and then they open a Voldemort thread and go on and on about how freaking sexy he is... he's Voldemort come on! I can understand if you go around saying Tom Riddle is hot, cause lets face it he is, but really... Moldy Voldy?

As for Blaise... i've read some fics we're he can be an enjoyable character... really snarky and bitchy and a boy... but its just how the author sees him cause nobody knows anything about him.. I dont like him as main character though blah. More like Draco's friend because just having Grabbe and Goyle as friends.. not that much fun i'm guessing.

Siriusly, I really love Sirius he's one of my favorite characters especially in Ootp with his first scene when he comes down the stairs, i could just see him do it and i was instantly happy and at peace with the world (make sense?) I just feel immensely sad for Remus that he finally got his friend back only to lose him again. his life sure aint about roses neither is Harry's my heart would have broken for him if it wasnt already broken many times. he never knew his parents, his gardians are evil in their own way and then he finally finds someone to be kind of a father figure and then he loses him aswell. I really hope it wont be someone very dear to him who will die in the next book... cause that might make him snap

"Mr. Prongs would like to welcome Mr. Padfoot home" *tear drops*
Maybe Moony will join them in the next book, but for Harry's sake i hope he wont.... yet

Airie

Well, in David's defense, he played the part really well. But, yeah, he totally didn't look like "Remus." Maybe it was the mustache? In part?

Hell, the Remus in my head is the one I'm going with in the end, anyway.

Cold-Blooded Piece of Toast

Nowhere in the books did it say that Remus was 'hot' so I personally don't mind that he wasn't very attractive in the movies... or even if he was downright ugly. I think that the myth of hot!Remus was made in fanon. I really do mind that the guy who is playing Voldemort is attractive, though. Also, that we suddenly got a 'Voldemort' appreciation thread that does not even appreciate Voldmort (whom I do enjoy as a character) but goes on and on about how hot the actor who is playing him is. They better do some good makeup making him ugly or I'm going to be angry.

I do agree that Draco is a prat in a very bullyish way but I still like him. He is also whiny and acts childish. I don't understand fanon Draco making him very clever but I like canon Draco.

Gabrielle

Airie

For my part, I'm not looking for a hot Remus. I just wouldn't have figured on David's image of Remus.

I have similar beef with the Granger Geek that you seem to have with the Voldemort appreciation thread. I go on the GG thread to talk about Hermione, but most of the attention on it goes toward Emma. Which leaves out those, like me, who are really into the character. And, far from "appreciation," which I would figure would entail some sort of discussion of what she does, most of the posts are brief gushes over how pretty Emma is or how nice her clothes are or how endearing it is that she bites her nails.

And, to add to that, someone on it annoyedly asked "Why read the books if you don't like the main character?" I must say, that made me feel a little negatively targeted.

*ADARA*

Gaby- You've been added

Airie75- I love the whole "creating-a-personality-and-writing-a-fic-and-shipping-him-randomly" thing. You have captured the essence of 99.9% of fics with Nott as a character... Blaise as well, actually. Also, I quite concur with your points of liking the series without being particularly fond of Harry.



Draco is a prat, just like Snape. But they're my favourite characters. Although I haven't read it in a while, my favourite fic in which Draco doesn't deny his dark roots and goes on to become evil supreme is A Thorn-torn Soul of Thunder Weeps for the Rain by Black-Diamonds. As I recall, the characterization is quite well done.

I think JKR threw in the fact that Nott could see thestrals for a reason. He may be more important in the war. However, I don't think she'll just fling deep back ground at us. It'll end up on her site with the other stuff she wanted that got cut anyways. However, just as she's given us tidbits thus far, she may continue to throw us the bread crumbs. I see that as a reasonable speculation.

The whole death of Sirius thing: I'm not quite sure, reflecting back on it now, why exactly I cried. I did like Sirius even though he's a prat to Snape and vice versa. He was like Harry's second father. I don't like Harry much at all but to completely tear away the closest thing he's had to a father in over a decade is just cruel. The reaction of Remus was a definite additive to the whole crying scenerio. The whole thing just broke my heart. Sirius was a definite aid to the impending war. I think he would've been a very good addition to the OotP side of the war. He's got personal reasons plus he's just on the good side of bad so he'd also fight to prove he wasn't as bad as everybody thought him to be. I just don't know where JKR thinks she's taking these books. Harry is losing everybody close to him and it's starting to look as if the moral of the story is be a stupid as possible, rush into things, take advantage of your friendships and have people die to protect you.

Fudge: needs to have thumbtacks with an invisibility charm placed on his chair and in his bed. If he'd not been so closed minded the Wizarding world would have been better prepared for what is about to befall them.


Voldemort portayed by Ralph Fiennes: Maybe he got a little cozy on the casting couch... who knows? I go back to my post #3 comment on the whole very very very good make-up and prosthetics artists. As for the Voldemort thread, just no. All the supposed "Character appreciation" threads are just a bunch of posters prancing about saying how sexy or hot somebody is. I see no appreciation. Some of these people are terrific actors with way more going for them than their looks. Q: Could anybody possibly get that? A: Probably just about as many people as those that get more out of the books than a never ending list of ships. Tom Riddle was supposed to be a striking lad, hence the casting of Christian Coulson. He's a cutie and he's supposed to be. His looks of goodness are supposed to be deceptive. Voldemort is supposed to be a nasty icky thing. For instance, the semi-gross thing on the back of Quirrels head in the first movie. How they got Ralph Fiennes out of that CGI, I have no idea. Also, Thewlis: ugh.

Blaise is too often put into a relationship with a main character just for giggles. I have no problem with creativity or artistic ways but seriously... if he's a nasty Slytherin punk, would Hermione honestly want to secretly meet with him every thursday evening for a snog and a bit of the you know what in the cold and nasty dungeon? No, she wouldn't. She's a much more conservative character than that. Some of these authors are going way overboard with using minor characters instead of Mary-Sue. Poor minor characters must feel whored out.

Perhaps with the Remus thing we can paint our own idea of what he's supposed to look like right on to the screen. I'll settle for him though. Airie is right, he wasn't that bad. I wasn't expecting Hot!Remus but I was expecting Meek!Remus. Somebody a bit thinner an ill-looking with that constant look of I'm-lost-and-alone-in-the-world in his eyes... any maybe better tamed hair. Even Hermione's supposed to be dreaded hair is not bad at all.

Let's all drool over Emma's nail biting and count down until her 18th birthday because we're perverts... Airie, don't worry if they're trying to target you. If they don't have the brains to do anything besides gush over Emma on a HERMIONE appreciation thread, well... they're just pretty much icky and you shouldn't worry about them. Throughout history, people who have chosen to think have been singled out. If we go on a thread domination spree, that will be a first stop. We'll scare them off by actually discussing the intracies of her character and the whole time travel thing and how it hit her. We've got your back

So, anybody want to be added to our lovely alphabetical list besides Gaby?

~Chrissy~ who is one glad girl that some people can still think on here...

Airie

That's a very good sum up of why I'm not fond of the boy. However, I, so far, do trust JKR to have Harry learn his lesson. But, we'll see.

Hee. Score.

I don't really ship anybody in the books. There's stuff I like, but it's just not my priority. So I steer away from those threads. And, as for character appreciation threads...the Hermione one depresses me, but I keep going because I love the character and I try to bring up actual Hermione-related analytical questions on occasion. The other appreciation thread I go to is the Remus thread, which I actually like. Valid discussion goes on in there, as far as I feel it.

I could go for it, if you think I'm ready.

So am I! This thread is making my day. I'm all for squeeing over cute things, but...prove to me you have actual thoughts behind it, please.

ETA: I'm not anti Ralph playing Voldemort necessarily, because I think he could play him well. I just hope they don't prettify the character.

*ADARA*

Indeed you are. It's not even about the readiness. It's about mindset, vocabulary, open-mindedness (although I'm not sure if that's a word with the whole past tense + ness), and the ability to hold and participate in a solid discussion. Not only have you been able to do all of the things, you're doing them at the same time. Yay for multi-tasking! I'm starting to really like this thread. Just when I'd about lost all hope for fan forum...

Not to mention I'm super glad we've made Airie's day


I'm not anti-Ralph either... but if they make him some striking pretty boy I'll boycott. However, if they use amazing psosthetics, they'll win even more awards than they're already going to!

~Chrissy~ who forgot to put something witty here