Tag Archives: Harry Potter

23 Saturday Nov 2013

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See, Rowling largely operates Harry’s generation in a clear system of parallels to the previous generation, Marauders and all. Harry is his father—Quidditch star, a little pig-headed sometimes, an excellent leader. Ron is Sirius Black—snarky and fun, loyal to a fault, mired in self-doubts. Hermione is Remus Lupin—book smart and meticulous, always level-headed, unfailingly perceptive. Ginny is Lily Evans—a firecracker, clever and kind, unwilling to take excuses. Draco Malfoy is Severus Snape—a natural foil to Harry, pretentious, possessed of the frailest ego and also deeper sense of right and wrong when it counts. And guess what? Neville Longbottom is Peter Pettigrew.
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Neville is a perfect example of how one single ingredient in the recipe can either ruin your casserole (or stew, or treacle tart, whatever you like), or utterly perfect your whole dish. Neville is the tide-turner, the shiny hinge. And all because he happens to be in the same position as Wormtail… but makes all the hard choices that Pettigrew refused the first time around. Other characters are in similar positions, but none of them go so far as Neville. None of them prove that the shaping of destiny is all on the individual the way he does.

Emily Asher-Perren

Using Wands

09 Saturday Nov 2013

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CHECK OUT your differences in wand technique here and how fluidly and casually Ron throws a curse in comparison to Harry and Hermione.

Hermione has done the reading and is technically perfect of course Elbow straight; wrist bent, wand tip aligned with left sightline, left arm held loosely behind her for balance.

Harry hasn’t ever done the reading. Grip too tight; elbow locked, shoulders raised, left elbow cranked in awkwardly against his body. Kids’ll imitate his awful technique and it’ll make their parents nuts; “don’t twist your neck like that. I don’t care what Auror Potter does. When you save wizardkind you can hold your wand however you want until then drop your shoulders!”

Ron’s been around wand users since birth and practised with twigs and then his brothers’ wands. Look at how the movement flows from his center; the way he uses his whole body – throws out his opposite hand behind him to counterbalance the movement. Harry and Hermione get their wands into position and then throw the curse; Ron’s spell starts mid-motion because he knows his wand will be in position in time. (helenish)