typography terror

[cheyinka]

So did anybody else just copy Ron's subject line into a text editor and change the case to all-uppercase to see whether he wrote a lowercase l, an uppercase I or the numeral 1?
...and is anybody else deeply concerned for Ron right now?

I mean, best case scenario he 'attempts' and 'fails' to kill her, but then she (and Finnegan, if not also Blaise) really attempt to kill him. *gnaws nails*

(I mean, potentially he could 'attempt to kill her' and really have her kidnapped by the Order, but I don't think succeeding here is good for him, and I don't think she'd be readily convinced of her kidnappers' benevolence.)

Comments

[ellemir]

Thomas and Finnegan have councilwizard guardians. I'm not sure about the minor candidates like Vaisey etc.
I don't think any of them have the same sort of powerful allies though. Hydra has Bellatrix, and even if Lucius was still out of favour , they both have Harry.

With Harry playing a judging role, they may be avoiding going too far against Draco or Hydra, in case it counts against them.

[cheyinka]

Taking a gander at the list of Councilwizards and list of contestants:
Padma Patil, Ron Weasley, Zach Smith, Richard Vaisey, Katie Bell, Blaise Zabini, Lares Tamblyn, Heph Bobolis, Linus Moon, Samantha Montgomery, and Lizzie Stevens do not have a Councilwizard parent or guardian.
Pansy is or has been closely linked to Lucius, and her father was a Councilwizard, but she doesn't have a living Councilwizard parent. Cormac McLaggen's brother was a Councilwizard, but he also does not have a living Councilwizard parent.
Draco, Hydra, Greg Goyle, Vince Crabbe, Teddy Nott, and Alfred Montague have Councilwizard parents and Dean and Seamus have Councilwizard guardians. Arguably those eight are the least likely to be the subjects of "take out completely" orders, with Draco and Hydra especially unlikely and Dean and Seamus least unlikely.

Notably, this means that Lana is the only sponsor with two candidates who both have Councilwizard parents or guardians, or if you count Pansy only Lana and Ned; every sponsor has at least one candidate with a Councilwizard parent or guardian.

[ellemir]

Cool, thanks for doing the research.

Out of those with councilwizard parents, from what we know of Greg and Vince, they aren't real threats. Maybe they have been included to avoid alienating their parents or because even the council needs enforcers. I feel sort of the same way about Montague. That no one felt like they could include outsiders until they defused any risk of offence to the older council members.

Nott, however, is a different case. He is clever, a good chess player, psychopathic and uncontrollable short of using the cardinal curses.
All but the last would be seen as positive traits for a council member by many.

Your list reminds me we have seen very little of this task from the lesser known candidates or Nott. Are they being left like Draco and Hydra? Or is hell about to break loose?

[ladyrelaynie]

Well, we're getting close to the end of the school year, so I think it's probably safe to vote for all hell breaking loose.

I don't know whether to be relieved for Draco and Hydra or really apprehensive. If Draco was a choice for Padma, Hydra could be a choice for someone else. Though maybe the pretend relationship with Harry will protect her, there?

Nott continues to be a wild card and if he's told to kill someone, he won't hesitate. I also don't expect that he's given up on his obsession with Hermione. Since Harry hasn't been a deterrent yet for Nott, I doubt he will become one.

Things are getting real, y'all. I also don't expect everyone to survive this contest, and that is a scary proposition, to say the least.

[ellemir]

Crap, more challenges coming in.

Seamus's should be ok, but Padma's idea has so much that can go wrong.

I could just see her telling Thomas to take out Ron, either before or after she finds out the threat against her. Can you tell I don't trust her?

Oh, and second thoughts, these are wizards. Abseiling is probably not ideal, and Seamus is distracted too. I predict a disaster.

[ellemir]

And now Seamus is going along to hide when Padma meets with Harry.

I see no way this can end well.

[ladyrelaynie]

Yeah, I agree. It'll be REALLY EASY for them (Seamus and Padma) to get the wrong idea, especially if Ron arrives before them.

Yeah, and abseiling: better hope someone other than Dumbledore knows, "Arresto Momentum!"

[cheyinka]

After 4, which is 4 EDT, right? So 3 to 4 hours before the thestral turds hit the breeze-generating-charm...

[ellemir]

Methinks it will be closer to the Hungarian Horntail turds meeting a Deprimo charm.

Either way I want Wellies, Oilskin, a Sou'wester and a golf umbrella.

[cheyinka]

I think I'd prefer to "wear" a bank vault or something >.> <.<

[ellemir]

I've always been rather partial to the idea of a nuclear bunker, myself.

[ladyrelaynie]

Nothing important to add, just LOLing at you two. Bank vault? Nuclear bunkers? Thestral turds and Deprimo charms?

:cracks up:

[ellemir]

Glad to be of service. I usually say I don't have a sense of humour, because people rarely get me. So it's nice to be on a similar wavelength to people for once.

[ellemir]

Harry just heard from Katie Bell :(

http://alt-sirius.dreamwidth.org/85074.html?thread=838482#cmt838482

[cheyinka]

Yeah. :(

That's... you know, part of me has to wonder how much of the competition is actually supposed to test the candidates, how much is about scoring points vs the other sponsors, and how much is just "lol whaddya wanna bet I can make my candidate do this thing?" :|

[ellemir]

The Protectorate as a whole seem to undervalue women, but this really bugs me.
In fact, strangely enough, out of all the tasks given this one offends me the most.
Kill or disable someone? I don't like it but can live with it.
Manipulate a very young woman into a sexual power exchange? Makes me incandescent with fury.
Both her sponsor and Cal Pummel are at the top of my Naughty List and will be getting coal for Christmas.

[cheyinka]

What bugs me so much about this one is the whole "ha ha you were only with Harry to have his protection, better go find another bed to hide in" feel I get from it. She's not even being asked to use sex as a weapon to extort something from a Councilwizard, or to set someone up for blackmail, or to take a partner away from someone else - which would all still definitely be ten kinds of fucked up, I grant, but at least then it wouldn't just be a taunt.

[ellemir]

I think it's the assumption that as a woman she needs the protection of a man that really pisses me off.
Why even have female candidates if you don't believe they are true equals? And in a magical society, the pathetic arguments about physical strength hold even less weight.
I don't remember off hand who was sponsoring Katie but I'd love him to show a little of this attitude to Bellatrix. She may not think most women are capable of being her equal, but I'd love to see what she'd do to someone who implied she was the little woman in Rodolphus's life.

[ellemir]

And Harry is clearly hurting, but I just love his emotional honesty.

[alt_player]

We switched to Central time awhile ago.