(1998) J.K. Rowling
Finished Reading: 01.2010
Let me take a moment to reflect on Moaning Myrtle and Nearly Headless Nick, two ghosts who roam around Hogwarts (independently), interacting with the students. I figure they might not get much reflection for themselves these days. (Not sure how ghosts actually work). What is more appropriate and Emo than a dead teenage girl haunting a certain toilet stall in the second floor lavatory of a dank old school, crying her eyes out, sobbing and moaning simply because she is a ghost? Talk about stage fright. She probably had skin problems, and that stall is probably covered in boy-band stickers. And then there is Sir Nicholas de Mimsey-Porpington, who died many centuries ago but escaped total separation of his head from his body due to an unfortunately dull axe incident, coming so close to being headless but now remaining nearly so. Very tragic. Let us not aspire to his fate.
I don't blame the young witches at Hogwarts for staying away from Myrtle's stall, but she is a lot better to unexpectedly run into during a mad dash for a quick tinkle between Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts than if you were about to drop your trousers and hear Nearly Headless Nick floating over from the next urinal, droning on about proper blade sharpening techniques. I don't think we cry in the bathroom enough.
Speaking of which, I wonder how the owls get on? After flying from London to Swindon, back to Hogwarts, back to London, and on to other places where the mail must be delivered, the owls have to return to their wee wooden cages in the dorms, with tired wings and what... some hay to sleep on?. Does Harry really keep Hedwig in a cage all night until he needs to send another message to ... oh wait, he doesn't have any other friends. Poor Hedwig. And does Errol just languish in his prison for weeks on end? We know teenage boys don't want to talk to their mother's very often, but this sounds like cruel slavery to me. I hope there is some sort of magic chamber that we don't know about, where owls can relax and shoots some billiards while off-duty. Maybe read the latest hoots or drink a brew. Of course, sparrows would probably deliver their messages, which is another issue for the unions.
No comments:
Post a Comment