I know the horse is dead...

...but I finished re-reading OotP and feel the need to write down some of my thoughts. Just ignore them - I'm sure I'm not saying anything new, this post merely serves to jot down a few questions and ideas. In case you have answers to the questions, don't hesitate to enlighten me, though.

1) If Harry's continued show of immaturity, egoism and sheer stupidity sometimes doesn't seem very credible, I feel that the author definitely overdoes it with Sirius. Or rather, Sirius might be credible if he'd been pictured differently in the previous book. He came over as downright deranged in PoA, but as rather more stable in GoF, especially when it came to reining in Harry's hot-headed temper and protecting his godson. Considering that the danger Harry's in has increased significantly from book 4 to book 5, and further considering that Sirius genuinely loves Harry, I'm not sure I find his childish fits in OotP entirely believable.

2) Grawp strikes me as a singularly stupid plot device. OK, I still have to re-read HBP and don't remember exactly how much of a role he plays there, but I'm quite sure he's not too important in book 6. If Hagrid needed to stay away for 2 months into fall term, it would have been very easy to come up with a few complications during his and Mme Maximes mission to the giants in order to justify a prolonged absence. But Grawp is needed to save Harry and Hermione from the Centaurs, because their rescue wouldn't have been possible otherwise without seriously harming the Centaurs.

3) I think I already whinged about he sheer idiocy of Dumbledore's speech after first reading OotP. But such a piece of drivel just can't be whinged about enough. Besides, I' almost glad to know D will kick the bucket in the next book, because his cold-blooded sacrificing people by the dozen (and no, I don't believe for a second that it was all because of lurve) is really sickening. I mean, he as good as tells Harry that he was ready to sacrifice Snape - not that Harry would've minded of course - by ordering him to teach Harry occlumency. If (and that's still a very big if) the reason he cites for not teaching Harry himself isn't a lie, and he really feared that Voldie might possess the boy, what on earth did he think would happen to Snape if Voldie caught a glimpse of their lessons?

4) Some Malfoy-musings. It seems clear to me that Lucius, while not at all opposed to his fellow Death Eaters killing Harry and the others, has no intention of dirtying his own lily-white hands during the fight at the MoM. He tries to get his hands on the prophecy, yes, but his behaviour does make me wonder whether he isn't trying to lay the foundation for his defence which, if reinforced with a few galleons, might be credible enough to save his delightful sorry arse. Maybe being stunned by Tonks before engaging in a fight with the Order members, especially the Aurors, is less due to Tonks's prowess than to very quick thinking on Lucius's part? He's failed the mission, he hasn't actively hurt or cursed Harry (if any of the children), and if he's taken by the Aurors, there's a good chance Voldemort won't be able to punish him. I'm sure Lucius isn't too fond of Cruciatus, at least not unless he casts it. Compared to the others, he comes over as more reasonable and less bloodthirsty.

5) I love, love, love Hermione. If JKR were a fanfic author, I think I'd flame her for the stupid side plot that shows responsible, mature and insightful Hermione knitting hats for House Elves. She's so very attentive to hidden meanings and subtext that I hardly believe that she'd knit hats instead of e.g. talking to the Elves.


In other news, I went to a matinée yesterday - Andras Schiff playing Beethoven. After 7 months of only listening to CDs (yes, I am a cultural snob and therefore don't even consider going to concerts in Ankara) listening to my favourite pianist playing live was even more fantastic than it used to be.
And tonight I'm going to the opera wit Klaus, to see Simon Boccanegra. Colour me spoiled...