*Sigh*

Anita Skeeter's favorite post of mine is 603. I wouldn't be doing her justice if I didn't put it here.

Anita Skeeter (no email/ no homepage) wrote:

Guess what everyone?
Tomorrow I leave for college!
Over 2000 miles away....so if I don't write in a while, it's not because I'm dead.

Ohhhh, Tara, Tara, Tara.
Snape is SOOOO not working for Voldemort.
Call it personal bias, but I think Snape'll surprise us all with his heroics. but I have to admit, it'd be the COOLEST thing ever to see Snape go bad.
No, you know what'd be the COOLEST thing EVER?! If Voldemort decided that Nah, he didn't want to kill Harry. And instead they had a tea party.
WAA HA HA HAAA!
Oh, I hope Rowling reads this post. That would be the BEST ENDING EVER!

Ooh, and Voldemort and Harry would swap recipes.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
Um.....I'm going to go take my pills now.
All for now.

Anita

She has a brilliant mind, really. No, really. *grin*

*ahem*

In post 626, Peg informs us that Harry has been cast. But has he? According to her, (and the website that she got the information from) Harry is to be played by Gabriel Thomson. The apparant actor at the moment is Daniel Radcliffe. Odd. Here's the Harry look-alike's picture:

Here is Peg's post:

News flash (rumor?): Harry Potter is cast!

[Forgive me, Padfoot, but I don't see how to add this to the casting board, and I think people will want to know.]

The Internet Movie Database has posted the following:

Report: Actor To Play Harry Potter Is Picked

Thirteen-year-old Gabriel Thomson of London has won the much-sought-after role of Harry Potter in the film version of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the Aint It Cool News Web site reported Thursday. Thomson appeared last year opposite Martin Landau in the critically trashed New Adventures of Pinocchio and in the role of Pip in a BBC production of Great Expectations.

Here's his picture, from the Ain't It Cool Site:

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=6715

Peg

Peg also has posted an interesting post about loyalty:

Musings du jour:

On Loyalty

Have been thinking about what the books have to say about loyalty. Quite a lot, actually, especially GoF.

It occurred to me for the first time tonight that one reason (among many) that Rowling included the whole house elf subplot was that it was both a foreshadowing and an ironic commentary on the scene between Voldemort and the Deatheaters in the graveyard. Think about it: isn't there something rather similar between Winky, groveling at the Quidditch match while Crouch, Sr., says "I have no use for a house elf who disobeys me" and Wormtail groveling before Voldemort, as Voldemort taunts him that perhaps he isn't loyal enough. Loyalty, as demonstrated between Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, the Weasley family, and Dumbldore is highly valued--but the house elf plot, like the story of Voldemort and his followers is included to warn us: "Be careful: if you wish to give your loyalty to someone, be sure that they deserve it."

What is the difference between loyalty as demonstrated Our Team (Harry and his friends) and the Other Team, as demonstrated by 1) the house elfs and their masters and 2) Voldemort and his followers? Well, on Our Team, loyalty is reciprocal (meaning it goes both ways), and it is flows between people who consider themselves to be equals. Harry helps Ron and Hermione, knowing that they, in turn will help him. This is demonstrated perhaps most effectively when Harry recognizes that since he and Cedric have helped each other, they are equals, and he acknowledges this by suggesting that they take the Triwizard cup together. Loyalty is demanded, but not in the nature of a one-up, one-down relationship, but because people on Our Team are responsible for each other and look out for one another. Remember Hagrid scolding Ron and Harry in PoA for snubbing Hermione: "I thought you two would value your friend more'n broomsticks or rats." And remember what Sirius said to Wormtail, when Wormtail protested that he had to betray James and Lily (turn his back on his loyalties) to save himself:

Wormtail: "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

Sirius: "Then you should have died--died rather than betrayed your friends AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU."

On the Other Team, however, loyalty is definitely not reciprocal. Remember in the first book when Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort left Quirrel to die: "He shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies." The house elf masters that we have seen (Malfoy, Crouch) consider loyalty as something they demand from their servants, but do not seem to think they owe anything to their house elves in return. Voldemort, too, when the death eaters come, scolds them for how they has let him down, and punish some, cruelly. But although he gives Wormtail back a hand, my impression is that everyone understands that all the giving is going to flow toward Voldemort, not the other way around--unless he decides to reward his follows on a whim. Note, too, that the Deatheaters return this "loyalty" of Voldemort's with coin just about as false. They come back to him out of fear, or because he can offer them scope for depraved pleasures--not because they think, "By gum, my friend Voldemort is in a spot of trouble, and he needs me, and I know he's always stuck up for me before." Others, observing the characters of these Death eaters, note that their loyalty is false. Karkaroff and Wormtail, for example, both guage their loyalty to Voldemort by calculating first and foremost what's in it for them.

I could go on in this vein but will probably stop here for now. Comments?

Peg

Another idea roving around is the idea of Ron liking Hermione. Here are some excerps from posts on the subject:

641- I agree w/ you. I definitly think that Ron now has feelings for Hermione... But I think is the went out for a week the would talk themselves to death. I mean can't you just see.
" What were teh answers to the charms homework?" said Ron.
" I can't tell you Ron. That would be cheeting," said Hermione in a, I can't believe you want me to brake school rules sort of voice.
"But..."
You get the picture. They would always be fighting. And the thing about the ball is at first Harry and Ron don't even recognize Hermione because she put some special stuff in her hair, and was all dressed up pretty.

I don't think that there are going to be any love triangels in the future books. Theres just no place for that in Harry Potter.

I agree. Rowling has better things to do than concentrate on romance. She's got a wonderful plot going on with Voldemort. That's probably her main concern.

I also agree that Ron Hast to have a thing for Hermione. I mean you could almost see the tention as he sat at the table. I bet he never thought that Victor would see something in Hermione that he over looked, first but know wanted to be the one to see it. If they do ever get together i think that it will be a rocky relationship.

True, very true.

well, well, well... gone a weeek and everyone is still obsessing about the "love triangle" Personaly i hope it's not true... I don't want to see HP books turn into a soap opera. If you want that go read some trashy love novel or something.

Well as of now i have a few questions...

1) when the threesome is at the ball and ron doesn't even look at hermionee at the beginning... is this because he didn't recognise her or because he was mad???

2) also after the ball when hermione and ron were yelling at eachother in the common room... this is where i got the impression that ron likes hermione. "well next time you know what to do! ask me before someone else does instead of as a last resort!"-Hermione... do you think he revealed fealings for Hermione?

Chad has also brought up a very interesting point:
#643 and #639 In one of Rowlings online interviews someone asked her why was Flint in book 3 and Rowling said he failed, but if I remember right in book 2 every one passed, because the school didn't have to close. Hey maybe I read wrong someone please get back to me.

Those kind of things make you wonder... even people like Rowling make mistakes.

Anonymouse Cat Lover finally has something worth-while to say! ACL has pointed out how important cats are, and has struck a small conversation.

Someone named "Um..." posted a link to a guestbook called "I Hate Bob," centred around Bob, the annoying person who lived to insult us. There is but one post there, from Erick.

The topics in the mid-600's are random. Ideas sprout, and people answer. There is plenty on the table to talk about, and posts are generally 2-3 page scrolls long.

A list of the regulars in the 600's are as follows:

• Peg
• Moony
• Oakwood
• Hogwarts Witch
• Hedwigy
• Meg
• Anonymouse Cat Lover
• Alex Granger
• Fleur Delacour
• Padfoot
• Liz Malfoy
• TRHG