Sirius's Gaunt Face Broke Out Into The First True Smile Harry Had Seen Upon It. The Difference It Made Was Startling, As Though A Person Ten Years Younger Were Shining Through The Starved Mask; For A Moment He Was Recognizable As The Man Who Had Laughed At Harry's Parents' Wedding.

-J. K. Rowling

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Sirius's Gaunt Face Broke

J. K. Rowling

Topic

Men

Years

Differences

More From J. K. Rowling

I Felt I Had To Solve Everyone's Problems.

Problem

Solve

Felt

I Believe In Free Will. Of Those That, Like Us, Are In A Privileged Situation At Least. For You, For Me: People Who Are Living In Western Society, People Who Are Not Repressed, Who Are Free. We Can Choose. The Things Go Largely Like You Want Them To Go. You Control Your Own Life. Your Own Will Is Extremely Powerful.

Wise

Witty

Powerful

Scared?" Malfoy Muttered, So That Lockhart Couldn't Hear Him. "you Wish." Said Harry Out Of The Corner Of His Mouth.

Wish

Mouths

Scared

My Word, Severus, That I Shall Never Reveal The Best Of You?' Dumbledore Sighed, Looking Down Into Snape's Ferocious, Anguished Face. 'if You Insist.

Faces

Looking Down

Ifs

Wonder What It’s Like To Have A Peaceful Life,” Ron Sighed, As Evening After Evening They Struggled Through All The Extra Homework They Were Getting.

Peaceful

Evening

Homework

But Death Was Cunning.

Cunning

I Can Write Anywhere. I Made Up The Names Of The Characters On A Sick Bag While I Was On An Airplane. I Told This To A Group Of Kids And A Boy Said, "ah, No, That's Disgusting." And I Said, "well, I Hadn't Used The Sick Bag."

Writing

Airplane

Character

Probably That You're Going To Be Eaten By A Giant Marshmallow Or Something.

Giants

Marshmallow

Weasley

You Could Tie My Hands To My Sides, I Suppose, But I Have To Write. For My Own Mental Health, I Need To Write.

Writing

Hands

Ties

Prongs Rode Again Last Night... You Know, Harry, In A Way, You Did See Your Father Last Night... You Found Him Inside Yourself.

Father

Night

Way

I Want To Commit The Murder I Was Imprisoned For.

Justice

Black

Want

Neville Kicked Aside The Broken Fragments Of His Own Wand As They Walked Slowly Toward The Door. "my Gran's Going Do Kill Be," Said Neville Thickly, Blood Spattering From His Nose As He Spoke, "dat Was By Dad's Old Wand.

Dad

Doors

Blood

If She Could Have Done One Thing To Make Absolutely Sure That Every Single Person In This School Will Read Your Interview, It Was Banning It!

School

Done

Interviews

I Am Prouder Of My Years As A Single Mother Than Of Any Other Part Of My Life.

Mother

Years

Single Mother

You Might Belong In Hufflepuff, Where They Are Just And Loyal, Those Patient Hufflepuffs Are True, And Unafraid Of Toil.

Toil

Loyal

Might

Well You Seemed Too Busy To Call Him A Prat And I Thought Someone Should.

Busy

Too Busy

Should

I Make Mistakes Like The Next Man. In Fact, Being--forgive Me--rather Cleverer Than Most Men, My Mistakes Tend To Be Correspondingly Huger.

Mistake

Men

Forgive Me

You'll Stay With Me?' Until The Very End,' Said James.

Death

Letting Go

Goodbye

One Can Never Have Enough Socks," Said Dumbledore. "another Christmas Has Come And Gone And I Didn't Get A Single Pair. People Will Insist On Giving Me Books.

Family

Christmas

Book

One Of My Regrets Would Be That I Will Never Again Have The Pleasure Of Sneaking Into A Cafe, Any Cafe I Like, Sitting Down And Diving Into My World And No One Knowing What I Am Doing And No One Bothering About Me And Being Totally Anonymous, That Was Fantastic

Regret

Knowing

Sitting Down

Rack Your Brains, That Should Only Take A Couple Of Seconds.

Couple

Brain

Should

We Teachers Are Rather Good At Magic, You Know.

Teacher

Magic

Mcgonagall

Killing Is Not So Easy As The Innocent Believe.

Death

Believe

Killing

Magic Causes As Much Trouble As It Cures.

Magic

Causes

Trouble

Rock Bottom Can Be A Solid Foundation From Which You Can Rebuild Your Life On.

Rocks

Foundation

Solid Foundation

We’re All Going To Keep Fighting, Harry. You Know That?

Perseverance

Fighting

Neville Longbottom

I Don't Feel I Owe My Readers Details Of My Family's Private Life.

Details

My Family

Reader

You Need Your Inner Eye Tested, If You Ask Me.

Eye

Funny Harry Potter

Needs

They Run Off Eckeltricity, Do They?" He Said Knowledgeably. "ah Yes, I Can See The Plugs. I Collect Plugs," He Added To Uncle Vernon. "and Batteries. Got A Large Collection Of Batteries.

Running

Uncles

Yes I Can

Yes, Severus Does Seem The Type, Doesn't He? So Useful To Have Him Swooping Around Like An Overgrown Bat.

Bats

Doe

Type

I Was Set Free Because My Greatest Fear Had Been Realized, And I Still Had A Daughter Who I Adored, And I Had An Old Typewriter And A Big Idea. And So Rock Bottom Became A Solid Foundation On Which I Rebuilt My Life.

Inspirational

Motivational

Daughter

Like A Tongue On Frozen Steel, Like Flesh In Flame —

Flames

Steel

Frozen

I've Been Asked This Question So Many Times, Do You Feel You Need To Write A Book For Adults? No, I Don't Need To Write A Book For Adults.

Book

Writing

Adults

He Knew One Thing Only, And It Was Beyond Fear Or Reason: He Was Not Going To Die Crouching Here Like A Child Playing Hide-and-seek; He Was Not Going To Die Kneeling At Voldemort’s Feet . . . He Was Going To Die Upright Like His Father, And He Was Going To Die Trying To Defend Himself, Even If No Defense Was Possible. . . .

Children

Father

Feet

Dudley Had Reached Roughly The Size And Weight Of A Young Killer Whale.

Whales

Weight

Killers

Harry, Despite Your Privileged Insight Into Voldemort’s World (which, Incidentally, Is A Gift Any Death Eater Would Kill To Have), You Have Never Been Seduced By The Dark Arts, Never, Even For A Second, Shown The Slightest Desire To Become One Of Voldemort’s Followers!” “of Course I Haven’t!” Said Harry Indignantly. “he Killed My Mum And Dad!” “you Are Protected, In Short, By Your Ability To Love!” Said Dumbledore Loudly.

Art

Dad

Dark

Death's Got An Invisibility Cloak?" Harry Interrupted Again. "so He Can Sneak Up On People," Said Ron. "sometimes He Gets Bored Of Running At Them, Flapping His Arms And Shrieking.

Death

Running

Humor

So Top Grade's O For 'outstanding,'" Hermione Was Saying, "and Then There's A-" "no, E," George Corrected Her, "e For 'exceeds Expectations.' And I've Always Thought Fred And I Should've Got E In Everything, Because We Exceeded Expectations Just By Turning Up For The Exams.

Expectations

Hermione

Exam

Dementors Are Among The Foulest Creatures That Walk This Earth. They Infest The Darkest, Filthiest Places, They Glory In Decay And Despair, They Drain Peace, Hope, And Happiness Out Of The Air Around Them. Even Muggles Feel Their Presence, Though They Can’t See Them. Get Too Near A Dementor And Every Good Feeling, Every Happy Memory Will Be Sucked Out Of You. If It Can, The Dementor Will Feed On You Long Enough To Reduce You To Something Like Itself — Soul-less And Evil. You’ll Be Left With Nothing But The Worst Experiences Of Your Life.

Memories

Air

Long

Time Will Not Slow Down When Something Unpleasant Lies Ahead.

Lying

Slow Down

Oh, Get Out Of The Way, Percy,” Said Fred. “harry’s In A Hurry.” “yeah, He’s Off To The Chamber Of Secrets For A Cup Of Tea With His Fanged Servant,” Said George, Chortling.

Secret

Tea

Way

Daddy, Look — One Of The Gnomes Actually Bit Me!

Daddy

Looks

Saliva

Interesting Theory. Has Anyone Ever Tried Sticking A Sword In Voldemort? Maybe The Ministry Should Put Some People Onto That, Instead Of Wasting Their Time Stripping Down Deluminators Or Covering Up Breakouts From Azkaban.

People

Interesting

Covering

George,” Said Fred, “i Think We’ve Outgrown Full-time Education.” “yeah, I’ve Been Feeling That Way Myself,” Said George Lightly.

Thinking

Feelings

Funny Harry Potter

It Was Not, After All, So Easy To Die.

Easy

Dies

I Believe In Hard Work And Luck, And That The First Often Leads To The Second

Believe

Hard Work

Luck

Yes, Alive,” Said Fudge. “that Is — I Don’t Know — Is A Man Alive If He Can’t Be Killed? I Don’t Really Understand It, And Dumbledore Won’t Explain Properly — But Anyway, He’s Certainly Got A Body And Is Walking And Talking And Killing, So I Suppose, For The Purposes Of Our Discussion, Yes, He’s Alive.

Men

Talking

Purpose

You Said To Us Once Before," Said Hermione Quietly, "that There Was Time To Turn Back If We Wanted To. We've Had Time, Haven't We?

Hermione

Said

Turns

Voldemort Uses People His Enemies Are Close To. He's Already Used You As Bait Once, And That Was Just Because You're My Best Friend's Sister. Think How Much Danger You'll Be In If We Keep This Up. He'll Know, He'll Find Out. He'll Try And Get To Me Through You.

Thinking

People

Enemy

Harry's Status As Orphan Gives Him A Freedom Other Children Can Only Dream About (guiltily, Of Course). No Child Wants To Lose Their Parents, Yet The Idea Of Being Removed From The Expectations Of Parents Is Alluring. The Orphan In Literature Is Freed From The Obligation To Satisfy His/her Parents, And From The Inevitable Realization That His/her Parents Are Flawed Human Beings. There Is Something Liberating, Too, About Being Transported Into The Kind Of Surrogate Family Which Boarding School Represents, Where The Relationships Are Less Intense And The Boundaries Perhaps More Clearly Defined.

Dream

Children

School

You Don't Know What I'm Capable Of, You Don't Know What I've Done!

Done

Draco Malfoy

Knows

One More Lesson Like That And I Might Just Do A Weasley.

Might

Lessons

Weasley

Your Qualifications, Your Cv, Are Not Your Life, Though You Will Meet Many People Of My Age And Older Who Confuse The Two. Life Is Difficult, And Complicated, And Beyond Anyone's Control, And The Humility To Know That Will Enable You To Survive Its Vicissitudes.

Humility

Two

People

Everythin' Seems Ter Happen Ter You, Doesn' It?

Happens

Seems

Why, Dear Boy, We Don't Send Wizards To Azkaban Just For Blowing Up Their Aunts.

Aunt

Boys

Wizards

If You Made A Better Rat Than A Human, It’s Not Much To Boast About, Peter.

Rats

Made

Peter

I've Got Plenty Of Money, More Money Than I Ever Dreamed I Would Have. But I Am Not A Billionaire.

More Money

Billionaire

Plenty

I Don't Think You Should Be An Auror, Harry," Said Luna Unexpectedly. Everybody Looked At Her. "the Aurors Are Part Of The Rotfang Conspiracy, I Thought Everyone Knew That. They're Working To Bring Down The Ministry Of Magic From Within Using A Mixture Of Dark Magic And Gum Disease.

Dark

Thinking

Magic

What Would Come, Would Come...and You Would Have To Meet It, When It Did.

Life

Inspirational Life

Yes, Harry Potter!” Said Dobby At Once, His Great Eyes Shining With Excitement. “and If Dobby Does It Wrong, Dobby Will Throw Himself Off The Topmost Tower, Harry Potter!” “there Won’t Be Any Need For That,” Said Harry Hastily.

Eye

Shining

Dobby

You Never Get It Right, You People, Do You? Either We've Got Fudge, Pretending Everything's Lovely While People Get Murdered Right Under His Nose, Or We've Got You, Chucking The Wrong People Into Jail And Trying To Pretend You've Got 'the Chosen One' Working For You!

Jail

People

Lovely

Why Would I Go Looking For Someone I Know Wants To Kill Me?

Want

Kill Me

Knows

The Stories We Love Best Do Live In Us Forever.

Life

Wise

Witty

The Spells Are Made Up. I Have Met People Who Assure Me, Very Seriously, That They Are Trying To Do Them, And I Can Assure Them, Just As Seriously, That They Don’t Work.

People

Trying

Made

Seventeen, Eh!" Said Hagrid As He Accepted A Bucket-sized Glass Of Wine From Fred. "six Years To The Day We Met, Harry, D’yeh Remember It?" "vaguely," Said Harry, Grinning Up At Him. "didn’t You Smash Down The Front Door, Give Dudley A Pig’s Tail, And Tell Me I Was A Wizard?" "i Forge’ The Details," Hagrid Chortled.

Wine

Glasses

Pigs

There Is A Lot Of Comedy In Magic, And Magic Going Wrong, And Also It Is A Dramatic Subject.

Magic

Comedy

Dramatic

Hello, Minister!" Bellowed Percy, Sending A Neat Jinx Straight At Thicknesse, Who Dropped His Wand And Clawed At The Front Of His Robes, Apparently In Awful Discomfort. "did I Mention I'm Resigning?

Jinx

Awful

Hello

A Dream Is Where A Boy Can Swim In The Deepest Oceans And Fly Over The Highest Clouds.

Dream

Ocean

Boys

But Some Part Of Him Realized, Even As He Fought To Break Free From Lupin, That Sirius Had Never Kept Him Waiting Before. . . . Sirius Had Risked Everything, Always, To See Harry, To Help Him. . . . If Sirius Was Not Reappearing Out Of That Archway When Harry Was Yelling For Him As Though His Life Depended On It, The Only Possible Explanation Was That He Could Not Come Back. . . . That He Really Was . . .

Yelling

Waiting

Helping

But You're Dead,' Said Harry. 'oh, Yes,' Said Dumbledore Matter-of-factly. 'then... Am I Dead Too?' 'ah,' Said Dumbledore, Smiling Still More Broadly. 'that Is The Question, Isn't It? On The Whole, Dear Boy, I Think Not.

Boys

Thinking

Matter

Yeah, Quirrell Was A Great Teacher. There Was Just That Minor Drawback Of Him Having Lord Voldemort Sticking Out Of The Back Of His Head!

Teacher

Humor

Lord

To The Dark Lord, I Know I Will Be Dead Long Before You Read This But I Want You To Know That It Was I Who Discovered Your Secret. I Have Stolen The Real Horcrux And Intend To Destroy It As Soon As I Can. I Face Death In The Hope That When You Meet Your Match, You Will Be Mortal Once More. R.a.b

Real

Dark

Long

Curious Indeed How These Things Happen. The Wand Chooses The Wizard, Remember...i Think We Must Expect Great Things From You, Mr. Potter... After All, He-who-must-not-be-named Did Great Things — Terrible, Yes, But Great.

Thinking

Potters

Wizards

Every Hour That Passed Added To Her Grief, Because It Bore Her Further Away From The Living Man, And Because It Was A Tiny Foretaste Of The Eternity She Would Have To Spend Without Him.

Grief

Men

Tiny

Look...at...me..." He Whispered. The Green Eyes Found The Black, But After A Second, Something In The Depths Of The Dark Pair Seemed To Vanish, Leaving Them Fixed, Blank, And Empty. The Hand Holding Harry Thudded To The Floor, And Snape Moved No More.

Eye

Dark

Hands

Nothing More Or Less Than The Deepest, Most Desperate Desire Of Our Hearts.

Heart

Desire

Desperate

Holey? You Have The The Whole World Of Ear-related Humor Before You, You Go For Holey?

Humor

Funny Harry Potter

Ears

You Know, I Don’t Get Why Fred And George Only Got Three O.w.l.s Each,” Said Harry, Watching As Fred, George, And Lee Collected Gold From The Eager Crowd. “they Really Know Their Stuff. . . .” “oh, They Only Know Flashy Stuff That’s No Real Use To Anyone,” Said Hermione Disparagingly. “no Real Use?” Said Ron In A Strained Voice. “hermione, They’ve Got About Twenty-six Galleons Already. . . .

Real

Voice

Gold

Are You Planning To Follow A Career In Magical Law, Miss Granger?” Asked Scrimgeour. “no, I’m Not,” Retorted Hermione. “i’m Hoping To Do Some Good In The World!

Law

Careers

Missing

I've Decided To Call Him Norbert,' Said Hagrid, Looking At The Dragon With Misty Eyes. 'he Really Knows Me Now, Watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?' 'he's Lost His Marbles,' Ron Muttered In Harry's Ear. 'hagrid,' Said Harry Loudly, 'give It A Fortnight And Norbert's Going To Be As Big As Your House. Malfoy Could Go To Dumbledore At Any Moment. Hagrid Bit His Lip. 'i- I Know I Can't Jus' Dump Him, I Can't.' Harry Suddenly Turned To Ron. 'charlie,' He Said. 'you're Losing It Too,' Said Ron. 'i'm Ron, Remember?

Eye

Dragons

Giving

How Do You Feel, Georgie?" Whispered Mrs. Weasley. George's Fingers Groped For The Side Of His Head. "saintlike," He Murmured. "what's Wrong With Him?" Croaked Fred, Looking Terrified. "is His Mind Affected?" "saintlike," Repeated George, Opening His Eyes And Looking Up At His Brother. "you See...i'm Holey, Fred, Geddit?

Brother

Humor

Eye

But In Some Ways I Think It's Braver To Do It Like This. And, To An Extent, You Know What? The Worst That Can Happen Is That Everyone Says, 'well, That Was Dreadful, She Should Have Stuck To Writing For Kids' And I Can Take That. So, Yeah, I'll Put It Out There, And If Everyone Says, 'well, That's Shockingly Bad – Back To Wizards With You', Then Obviously I Won't Be Throwing A Party. But I Will Live. I Will Live.

Party

Kids

Writing

How Come The Muggles Don’t Hear The Bus?” Said Harry. “them!” Said Stan Contemptuously. “don’ Listen Properly, Do They? Don’ Look Properly Either. Never Notice Nuffink, They Don’.

Muggles

Looks

Said

The Barman Sidled Toward Them Out Of A Back Room. He Was A Grump-looking Old Man With A Great Deal Of A Long Gray Hair And A Beard. He Was Tall And Thin And Looked Vaguely Familiar To Harry.

Men

Hair

Long

I Remember The First Time I Heard A Teenager Say 'lol.' Just What? But It Means 'laugh.' Why Don't You Just Laugh? What Are You Doing?

Teenager

Mean

Laughing

Yeah, But Coming From Dudley That's Like "i Love You.

Love You

Yeah

Dudley Dursley

Let Me Out," Harry Said Again. "no," Dumbledore Repeated. "if You Don't - If You Keep Me In Here - If You Don't Let Me-" "by All Means Continue Destroying My Possessions," Said Dumbledore. "i Daresay I Have Too Many.

Mean

Destroying

Said

I Think I'll Just Go Down And Have Some Pudding And Wait For It All To Turn Up - It Always Does In The End.

Thinking

Waiting

Funny Harry Potter

Hedwig Didn't Return Until The End Of The Easter Holidays. Percy's Letter Was Enclosed In A Package Of Easter Eggs That Mrs. Weasley Had Sent. Both Harry's And Ron's Were The Size Of Dragon Eggs, And Full Of Home-made Toffee. Hermione's, However, Was Smaller Than A Chicken's Egg. Her Face Fell When She Saw It. "your Mum Doesn't Read Witch's Weekly, By Any Chance, Does She, Ron?" She Asked Quietly. "yeah," Said Ron, Whose Mouth Was Full Of Toffee. "gets It For The Recipes." Hermione Looked Sadly At Her Tiny Egg.

Easter

Home

Holiday

I Don't Need A Cloak To Become Invisible.

Needs

Invisible

Cloaks

The Fame Thing Is Interesting Because I Never Wanted To Be Famous, And I Never Dreamt I Would Be Famous....you Know I Didn't Think They'd Rake Through My Bins, I Didn't Expect To Be Photographed On The Beach Through Long Lens. I Never Dreamt It Would Impact My Daughter's Life Negatively, Which At Times It Has. It Would Be Churlish To Say There's Nothing Good About Being Famous; To Have A Total Stranger Walk Up To You As You're Walking Around Safeways, And Say A Number Of Nice Things That They Might Say About Your Work.

Daughter

Beach

Nice

You Can't Give A Dementor The Old One-two!

Two

Giving

Mentor

I Am Sorry Too," Said Lupin. "sorry I Will Never Know [my Son]... But He Will Know Why I Died And I Hope He Will Understand I Was Trying To Make A World In Which He Could Live A Happier Life.

Sorry

Son

Trying

I Wasn't Paying Attention," Said Myrtle Dramatically. "peeves Upset Me So Much I Came In Here And Tried To Kill Myself. Then, Of Course, I Remembered That I'm -- That I'm --" "already Dead," Said Ron Hopefully. Myrtle Gave A Tragic Sob, Rose Up In The Air, Turned Over, And Dived Headfirst Into The Toilet, Splashing Water All Over Them And Vanishing From Sight, Although From The Direction Of Her Muffled Sobs, She Had Come To Rest Somewhere In The U-bend.

Sight

Air

Water

Sirius Looked Slightly Disconcerted For A Moment, Then Said, "i'll Look For Him Later, I Expect I'll Find Him Upstairs Crying His Eyes Out Over My Mother's Old Bloomers Or Something... Of Course, He Might Have Crawled Into The Airing Cupboard And Died... But I Mustn't Get My Hopes Up.

Mother

Eye

Looks

Yes, It Has Made Me Happier. Finishing Them Has Made Me Happier. Before I Wrote The Potter Books, I'd Never Finished A Novel. I Came Close To Finishing Two.

Book

Writing

Two

What She Did Have Were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, And A Number Of Other Strange Things Harry Had Never Seen In His Life.

Cake

Numbers

Chocolate

Wherever I Am, If I've Got A Book With Me, I Have A Place I Can Go And Be Happy

Happiness

Happy

Book

Death Obsesses Me, Yes It Does. I Can't Really Understand Why It Doesn't Obsess Everyone - I Think It Does Really, I'm Just A Little More Out About It.

Thinking

Doe

Littles

Hang On. This Lord Voldything's Back You Say?... And Now He's Sending Dismembers After You?... I See. Well That Settles It, You Can Get Out Of This House Boy!

Boys

House

Lord

Harry Moved The Tip Of His Eagle-feather Quill Down The Page, Frowning As He Looked For Something That Would Help Him Write His Essay, “witch Burning In The Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless — Discuss.

Writing

Eagles

Burning

The First Story I Finished Was When I Was Six Years Old.

Years

Six Year Olds

Stories

What Happened Down In The Dungeons Between You And Professor Quirrell Is A Complete Secret, So, Naturally The Whole School Knows.

School

Secret

Funny Harry Potter

I Don't Care!" Harry Yelled At Them, Snatching Up A Lunascope And Throwing It Into The Fireplace. "i've Had Enough, I've Seen Enough, I Want Out, I Want It To End, I Don't Care Anymore!

Pain

Care

Want

Some Wounds Run Too Deep For The Healing.

Running

Healing

Too Deep

She Picked Up The Book And Then Walked Back Past Him Into The Tent, But As She Did So, She Brushed The Top Of His Head Lightly With Her Hand. He Closed His Eyes At Her Touch, And Hated Himself For Wishing That What She Said Was True: That Dumbledore Had Really Cared.

Book

Eye

Past

It’s So Difficult To Describe [depression] To Someone Who’s Never Been There, Because It’s Not Sadness. I Know Sadness. Sadness Is To Cry And To Feel. But It’s That Cold Absence Of Feeling — That Really Hollowed-out Feeling.

Sadness

Feelings

Cold

You Don't Have Sex Near Unicorns. It's An Ironclad Rule. It's Tacky.

Sex

Tacky

Unicorn

He Sounds Exactly Like Moody," Said Harry Quietly, Tucking The Letter Away Again Inside His Robes. "'constant Vigilance!' You'd Think I Walk Around With My Eyes Shut, Banging Off The Walls.

Wall

Eye

Thinking

Yeah, Size Is No Guarantee Of Power,” Said George. “look At Ginny.” “what D’you Mean?” Said Harry. “you’ve Never Been On The Receiving End Of One Of Her Bat-bogey Hexes, Have You?

Mean

Receiving

Bats

Failure Is Not Fun. It Can Be Awful. But Living So Cautiously That You Never Fail Is Worse.

Fun

Awful

Failing

Your Great-aunt Muriel Doesn't Agree, I Just Met Her Upstairs While She Was Giving Fleur The Tiara. "she Said 'oh Dear, Is This The Muggle Born?' And Then, 'bad Posture, Skinny Ankles.'" Don't Take It Personally, She's Rude To Everyone," Said Ron. "talking About Muriel?" Inquired George, Reemerging From The Marquee With Fred. "yeah, She's Just Told Me My Ears Are Lopsided. Old Bat.

Aunt

Talking

Giving

Never Try To Understand The Students. They Hate It. They Would Much Rather Be Tragically Misunderstood, Wallow In Self-pity, Stew In Their Own —” “that’s Enough, Phineas,” Said Dumbledore.

Hate

Self

Misunderstood

Because That's What Hermione Does,' Said Ron, Shrugging. 'when In Doubt, Go To The Library.

Doubt

Funny Harry Potter

Library

The Hook-nosed Teacher Looked Past Quirrell’s Turban Straight Into Harry’s Eyes — And A Sharp, Hot Pain Shot Across The Scar On Harry’s Forehead.

Teacher

Pain

Eye

Well — I Was Lucky Once, Wasn't I?” Said Harry, Pointing At His Scar. “i Might Get Lucky Again.

Lucky

Might

Scar

Gringotts Was The Safest Place In The World For Something You Wanted To Hide — Except Perhaps Hogwarts.

World

Hogwarts

Places In The World

So Dobby Stopped Us From Getting On The Train And Broke Your Arm. . . ." He Shook His Head. "you Know What, Harry? If He Doesn't Stop Trying To Save Your Life He's Going To Kill You.

Trying

Dobby

Arms

Harry Felt Winded, As Though He Had Just Walked Into Something Heavy. He Had Last Seen Those Cool Gray Eyes Through Slits In A Death Eater’s Hood, And Last Heard That Man’s Voice Jeering In A Dark Graveyard While Lord Voldemort Tortured Him. He Could Not Believe That Lucius Malfoy Dared Look Him In The Face; He Could Not Believe That He Was Here, In The Ministry Of Magic, Or That Cornelius Fudge Was Talking To Him, When Harry Had Told Fudge Mere Weeks Ago That Malfoy Was A Death Eater.

Believe

Eye

Dark

Stop, Stop, Stop, You're Going To Poke Someone's Eye Out!

Eye

Poke

Blimey,” Said The Other Twin. “are You — ?” “he Is,” Said The First Twin. “aren’t You?” He Added To Harry. “what?” Said Harry. “harry Potter,” Chorused The Twins. “oh, Him,” Said Harry. “i Mean, Yes, I Am.

Mean

Potters

Firsts

The Idea That We Could Have A Child Who Escapes From The Confines Of The Adult World And Goes Somewhere Where He Has Power, Both Literally And Metaphorically, Really Appealed To Me.

Children

Ideas

Adults

Harry Is The Best Hope We Have. Trust Him.

Deathly Hallows

Remus Lupin

Hoping For The Best

Don't Worry. You're Just As Sane As I Am.

Worry

Sanity

Order Of The Phoenix

Nasty Temper He's Got, That Sirius Black.

Black

Nasty

Sirius

She's As Nutty As Squirrel Poo.

Squirrels

Nutty

And Percy Was Shaking His Brother, And Ron Was Kneeling Beside Them, And Fred's Eyes Stared Without Seeing, The Ghost Of His Last Laugh Still Etched Upon His Face.

Brother

Eye

Laughing

Only One Thing Mattered: This Was Not A Horcrux. Dumbledore Had Weakened Himself By Drinking That Horrible Potion For Nothing. Harry Crumpled The Parchment In His Hand And His Eyes Burned With Tears As Behind Him Fang Began To Howl.

Drinking

Eye

Hands

Dumbledore Lowered His Hands And Surveyed Harry Through His Half-moon Glasses. 'it Is Time,’ He Said, ‘for Me To Tell You What I Should Have Told You Five Years Ago, Harry. Please Sit Down. I Am Going To Tell You Everything.

Moon

Glasses

Hands

Always Have A Vivid Imagination, For You Never Know When You Might Need It.

Vivid Imagination

Needs

Might

It Is Important To Remember That We All Have Magic Inside Us.

Life

Believe

Magic

This Liberating Discovery Enables Me To Proceed Without Any Fear That I Might Inadvertently Influence You To Abandon Promising Careers In Business, Law Or Politics For The Giddy Delights Of Becoming A Gay Wizard.

Gay

Discovery

Law

Clever As I Am, I Remain Just As Big A Fool As Anyone Else.

Clever

Fool

Bigs

By The Time She Had Interpreted Harry's Dreams At The Top Of Her Voice (all Of Which, Even The Ones That Involved Eating Porridge, Apparently Foretold A Gruesome And Early Death), He Was Feeling Much Less Sympathetic Toward Her.

Dream

Voice

Feelings

Yeah,' Said Ron. 'could've Been Worse. Remember Those Birds She Set On Me?' 'i Still Haven't Ruled It Out,' Came Hermione's Muffled Voice From Beneath Her Blankets, But Harry Saw Ron Smiling Slightly As He Pulled His Maroon Pajamas Out Of His Rucksack.

Voice

Bird

Saws

Always The Innocent Are The First Victims, So It Has Been For Ages Past, So It Is Now.

Past

Age

Firsts

He Gave Everything To Everybody. Except To Me.

He Was Slumped In The Back, Gazing Out Of The Window, As Though His Parents Were Two People Who Had Picked Him Up Hitchhiking, Connected To Him Merely By Chance And Proximity.

Two

People

Parent

The Moment You Are Old Enough To Take The Wheel, Responsibility Lies With You.

Lying

Responsibility

Wheels

Oh, There You Are, Albus,' He Said. 'you've Been A Very Long Time. Upset Stomach?' 'no, I Was Merely Reading The Muggle Magazines,' Said Dumbledore. 'i Do Love Knitting Patterns.

Reading

Knitting

Upset Stomach

Aha! What Villains Are These, That Trespass Upon My Private Lands! Come To Scorn At My Fall, Perchance? Draw, You Knaves, You Dogs!

Dog

Fall

Land

What Must Strike Any Intelligent Witch Or Wizard On Studying The So-called History Of The Elder Wand Is That Every Man Who Claims To Have Owned It Has Insisted That It Is "unbeatable," When The Known Facts Of Its Passage Through Many Owners' Hands Demonstrate That Has It Not Only Been Beaten Hundreds Of Times, But That It Also Attracts Trouble As Grumble The Grubby Goat Attracted Flies.

Intelligent

Men

Hands

If She Could Have Died...if She Could Have Disappeared Forever...but The Solid Surface Of Things Refused To Dissolve Around Her, And Her Body, Her Hateful Hermaphrodite's Body, Continued In Its Stubborn, Lumpen Way, To Live.

Forever

Way To Live

Stubborn

I Had An Old Typewriter And A Big Idea.

Greatest Fear

Typewriters

Ideas

He's A Funny Man, Dumbledore. I Think He Sort Of Wanted To Give Me A Chance. I Think He Knows More Or Less Everything That Goes On Here, You Know. I Reckon He Had A Pretty Good Idea We Were Going To Try, And Instead Of Stopping Us, He Just Taught Us Enough To Help. I Don't Think It Was An Accident He Let Me Find Out How The Mirror Worked. It's Almost Like He Thought I Had The Right To Face Voldemort If I Could.

Men

Thinking

Mirrors

You Can Have A Very Intense Relationship With Fictional Characters Because They Are In Your Own Head.

Writing

Character

Intense

He Dreamed Of London And Of A Life That Mattered.

London

Dumbledore Had Not Raised His Voice, He Did Not Even Sound Angry, But Harry Would Have Preferred Him To Yell; This Cold Disappointment Was Worse Than Anything.

Disappointment

Voice

Sound

When You Have Seen As Much Of Life As I Have, You Will Not Underestimate The Power Of Obsessive Love.

Love

Life

Underestimate

You Do Not Seek To Kill Me, Dumbledore?" Called Voldemort, His Scarlet Eyes Narrowed. "above Such Brutality, Are You?" "we Both Know That There Are Other Ways Of Destroying A Man, Tom," Dumbledore Said Calmly. "merely Taking Your Life Would Not Satisfy Me, I Admit - " "there Is Nothing Worse Than Death, Dumbledore!" Snarled Voldemort. "you Are Quite Wrong," Said Dumbledore, Speaking As Lightly As Though They Were Discussing The Matter Over Drinks. "indeed, Your Failure To Understand That There Are Things Much Worse Than Death Has Always Been Your Greatest Weakness.

Eye

Men

Weakness

Yeah You Can Have A Word," Said Harry Savagely. "good-bye.

Bye

Yeah

Said

If There Is A Connection Between Harry Potter And My New Novel, It's My Interest In Characters.

Character

Connections

Potters

No, Nothing,' Said Dumbledore, And A Great Sadness Filled His Face. 'the Time Is Long Gone When I Could Frighten You With A Burning Wardrobe And Force You To Make Repayment For Your Crimes. But I Wish I Could, Tom... I Wish I Could.

Sadness

Long

Wish

Decent People Are So Easy To Manipulate, Potter.

People

Potters

Easy

Harry Was Speeding Toward The Ground When The Crowd Saw Him Clap His Hand To His Mouth As Though He Was Going To Be Sick-he Hit The Field On All Fours-coughed-and Something Gold Fell Into His Hand. 'i've Got The Snitch!' He Shouted, Waving It Above His Head, And The Game Ended In Complete Confusion. 'he Didn't Catch It, He Nearly Swalloed It,' Flint Was Still Howling Twenty Minutes Later, But It Made No Difference-harry Hadn't Broken Any Rules And Lee Jordan Was Still Happily Shouting The Results-gryffindor Had Won By 170 Points To 60.

Hands

Games

Differences

Brains Like That, You Could Be A Death Eater, Son.

Son

Death Eaters

Brain

You'd Better Hurry Up, They'll Be Waiting For 'the Chosen Captain' — 'the Boy Who Scored'— Whatever They Call You These Days.

Boys

Waiting

Captains

I’ll Make Goyle Do Lines, It’ll Kill Him, He Hates Writing,” Said Ron Happily. He Lowered His Voice To Goyle’s Low Grunt And, Screwing Up His Face In A Look Of Pained Concentration, Mimed Writing In Midair. “i... Must... Not... Look... Like... A... Baboon’s... Backside.

Hate

Writing

Voice

Time Is Galleons, Little Brother.

Time

Brother

Littles

You Are Determined To Hate Him [snape], Harry,” Said Lupin With A Faint Smile. “and I Understand; With James As Your Father, With Sirius As Your Godfather, You Have Inherited An Old Prejudice. By All Means Tell Dumbledore What You Have Told Arthur And Me, But Do Not Expect Him To Share Your View Of The Matter; Do Not Even Expect Him To Be Surprised By What You Tell Him. It Might Have Been On Dumbledore’s Orders That Severus Questioned Draco.

Father

Hate

Mean

Aunt Petunia Burst Into Tears. Hestia Jones Gave Her An Approving Look That Changed To Outrage As Aunt Petunia Ran Forward And Embraced Dudley Rather Than Harry. 's-so Sweet, Dudders...' She Sobbed Into His Massive Chest. 's-such A Lovely B-boy...s-saying Thank You...' 'but He Hadn't Said Thank You At All!' Said Hestia Indignantly. 'he Only Said He Didn't Think Harry Was A Waste Of Space!' 'yeah, But Coming From Dudley That's Like "i Love You.

Sweet

Love You

Thinking

There Is Plenty Of Ambitious Competition And Hypocrisy In The Middle Class, Which Makes It A Rather Fertile Environment For A Writer.

Class

Hypocrisy

Competition

Achievable Goals Are The First Step To Self Improvement.

Self

Goal

Firsts

Our Headmaster Is Taking A Short Break," Said Professor Mcgonagall, Pointing At The Snape-shaped Hole In The Window.

Window

Break

Professor Mcgonagall

Are You Insane? Of Course I Want To Leave The Dursleys! Have You Got A House? When Can I Move In?

Moving

House

Insane

I Just Hate Meetings.

Hate

Meetings

She Had A Way Of Moving That Moved Him As Much As Music, Which Was What Moved Him Most Of All. Surely The Spirit Animating That Pearless Body Must Be Unusual Too? Why Would Nature Make A Vessel Like That, If Not To Contain Something Still More Valuable?

Moving

Body

Way

Harry, We Saw Uranus Up Close!” Said Ron, Still Giggling Feebly. “get It, Harry? We Saw Uranus — Ha Ha Ha —

Saws

Said

Stills

The Difficult Thing, The Glorious Thing, Was To Be Who You Really Were, Even If That Person Was Cruel Or Dangerous, Particularly If Cruel And Dangerous. There Was Courage In Not Distinguishing The Animal You Happened To Be. On The Other Hand, You Had To Avoid Pretending To Be More Of An Animal Than You Were: Take That Path, Start Exaggerating Or Faking And You Became Just Another Cubby, Just As Much Of A Liar, A Hypocrite

Liars

Hypocrite

Animal

Do You—do You Think I Want To—do You Think I Give A—i Don't Care What You Have To Say!" Harry Roared. "you Will," Said Dumbledore Sadly. "because You Are Not Nearly As Mad At Me As You Ought To Be. If You Are To Attack Me, As I Know You Are Close To Doing, I Would Like To Have Thoroughly Earned It.

Thinking

Giving

Mad

You’re Not Supposed To Dislike Your Own Child. You Were Supposed To Like Them No Matter What, Even If They Were Not What You Wanted.

Children

Matter

Wanted

How're We Getting To King's Cross Tomorrow, Dad?" Asked Fred As They Dug Into A Sumptuous Pudding. "the Ministry's Providing A Couple Of Cars," Said Mr. Weasley. Everyone Looked Up At Him. "why?" Said Percy Curiously. "it's Because Of You, Perce," Said George Seriously. "and There'll Be Little Flags On The Hoods, With Hb On Them-" "-for Humongous Bighead," Said Fred.

Family

Kings

Dad

I Don't Drive. No. Cars Terrify Me. I Am Really Frightened Of Cars.

Car

Frightened

Shut Your Mouth! You Dare Speak His Name With Your Unworthy Lips, You Dare Besmirch It With Your Half-blood's Tongue, You Dare —

Blood

Names

Half

He Was Tall, Thin, And Very Old, Judging By The Silver Of His Hair And Beard, Which Were Both Long Enough To Tuck Into His Belt. He Was Wearing Long Robes, A Purple Cloak That Swept The Ground, And High-heeled, Buckled Boots. His Blue Eyes Were Light, Bright, And Sparkling Behind Half-moon Spectacles And His Nose Was Very Long And Crooked, As Though It Had Been Broken At Least Twice. This Man's Name Was Albus Dumbledore.

Eye

Moon

Men

Whoops - My Wand Is A Little Over Excited!

Littles

Excited

Wands

The Sooner This Wedding's Over The Happier I'll Be." [ron] "yeah" Said Harry, "then We'll Have Nothing To Do Except Find Horcruxes....it'll Be Like A Holiday, Won't It?

Holiday

Yeah

Horcruxes

Harry Potter Was A Highly Unusual Boy In Many Ways.

Boys

Potters

Way

But You've Been Too Busy Saving The Wizarding World. Well ... I Can't Say I'm Surprised. I Knew This Would Happen In The End. I Knew You Wouldn't Be Happy Unless You Were Hunting Voldemort. Maybe That's Why I Like You So Much.

I Like You

Hunting

World

In Dreams, We Enter A World That’s Entirely Our Own.

Dream

Inspirational Harry Potter

Dementors

Pagford, Which By Night Was No More Than A Cluster Of Twinkling Lights In A Dark Hollow Far Below, Was Emerging Into Chilly Sunlight.

Dark

Night

Light

We'll Send You A Hogwarts Toilet Seat!

Toilet Seat

Toilets

Hogwarts

Would It Hurt To Die? All Those Times He Had Thought It Was About To Happen And Escaped, He Had Never Really Thought Of The Thing Itself: His Will To Live Had Always Been So Much Stronger Than His Fear Of Death.

Hurt

Stronger

Fear Of Death

You Cheating Scum!” Lee Jordan Was Howling Into The Megaphone, Dancing Out Of Professor Mcgonagall’s Reach. “you Filthy, Cheating B —” Professor Mcgonagall Didn’t Even Bother To Tell Him Off. She Was Actually Shaking Her Finger In Malfoy’s Direction, Her Hat Had Fallen Off, And She Too Was Shouting Furiously.

Cheating

Dancing

Scum

Whenever He Was In Company He Wanted To Get Away, And Whenever He Was Alone He Wanted Company.

Get Away

Company

Wanted

But As He Reached The Ground And Sprinted Towards The Dais, Lupin Grabbed Harry Around The Chest, Holding Him Back. There's Nothing You Can Do, Harry -' Get Him, Save Him, He's Only Just Gone Through!' - It's Too Late, Harry.' We Can Still Reach Him -' Harry Struggled Hard And Viciously, But Lupin Would Not Let Go... There's Nothing You Can Do, Harry...nothing...he's Gone.

Letting Go

Too Late

Gone

I Love You, Hermione,” Said Ron, Sinking Back, Rubbing His Eyes Wearily. Hermione Turned Faintly Pink, But Merely Said, “don’t Let Lavender Hear You Saying That.” “i Won’t,” Said Ron Into His Hands. “or Maybe I Will . . . Then She’ll Ditch Me . . .

Love You

Eye

Hands

He Missed Hogwarts So Much It Was Like Having A Constant Stomachache. He Missed The Castle, With Its Secret Passageways And Ghosts, His Classes, … The Mail Arriving By Owl, Eating Banquets In The Great Hall, Sleeping In His Four-poster Bed In The Tower Dormitory, Visiting The Gamekeeper, Hagrid, In His Cabin Next To The Forbidden Forest In The Grounds, And Especially, Quidditch, The Most Popular Sport In The Wizarding World

Sports

Sleep

Class

In Many, Many Ways... Hufflepuff Is My Favorite House.

House

Way

My Favorite

Let Muggles Manage Without Us!

Muggles

Manage

I've Been Writing Since I Was Six. It Is A Compulsion, So I Can't Really Say Where The Desire Came From; I've Always Had It. My Breakthrough With The First Book Came Through Persistence, Because A Lot Of Publishers Turned It Down!

Book

Writing

Persistence

Be Ruthless About Protecting Writing Days.

Writing

Mushrooms

Ruthless

Dementors Caused A Person To Relive The Worst Moments Of Their Life. What Would Spoiled, Pampered, Bullying Dudley Have Been Forced To Hear?

Bullying

Worst Moments

Mentor

I Never Expected To Be In The Papers. I Personally Never Expected To Be In The Papers. The Height Of My Ambition For These Books Was, Well Frankly, To Get Reviewed. A Lot Of Children's Books Don't Even Get Reviewed.. Forget Good Review, Bad Review. Personally, No, I Never Expected To Be In The Papers So It's An Odd Experience When It Happens To You .

Success

Children

Book

Don't, Ginny, We'll Send You Loads Of Owls. We'll Send You A Hogwarts Toilet Seat. George! Only Joking, Mum.

Owl

Hogwarts

Toilet Seat

I Have Spied For You And Lied For You, Put Myself In Mortal Danger For You. Everything Was Supposed To Be To Keep Lily Potter’s Son Safe. Now You Tell Me You Have Been Raising Him Like A Pig For Slaughter —

Son

Pigs

Potters

Birth And Death: There Was The Same Consciousness Of Heightened Existence And Of Her Own Elevated Importance

Vacancy

Birth

Consciousness

Ron, We're Supposed To Show The First Years Where To Go!" "oh Yeah," Said Ron, Who Had Obviously Forgotten. "hey -- Hey You Lot! Midgets!

Years

Hey

Firsts

Do You Know What I Think, Potter?' Said Snape, Very Quietly. "i Think That You Are A Liar And A Cheat And That You Deserve Detention With Me Every Saturday Until The End Of Term. What Do You Think, Potter?

Liars

Thinking

Potters

Failure Is So Important. We Speak About Success All The Time. It Is The Ability To Resist Failure Or Use Failure That Often Leads To Greater Success. I've Met People Who Don't Want To Try For Fear Of Failing.

Failure

People

Important

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Eugene Delacroix