I agree and it is extremely fun to watch happen to a character. All Harry’s private scenarios of how to take over magical Britain in five minutes are a perfect example of his main character flaw: arrogance, or, his dismissiveness of the realities of politics as superfluous, “people stuff.” It should be clear to the reader, anyway, that liberal use of Imperius would NOT be sufficient to take over the government, at least not for any meaningful length of time. Harry is making the same type of error that led to Voldermort’s original failure, that is, modeling people as being simpler and dumber than they are, likely due to his own sense of superiority.
Totally unrelated, but I wanted to mention somewhere (and didn’t think it worth making a new comment) that I laughed harder at “I once arrested a young Japanese who tried a similar trick. He found out the hard way that his shadow replica technique was no match for this eye of mine.” than I have at anything in recent memory. (It is a Naruto reference.)
Damn. I already upvoted this, so now I’ve actually read that scene, I can’t righteously upvote. Also, seconding moridinamael; Moody’s Naruto line was pretty damn hilarious. Though now I’m wracking my brains trying to remember whether ‘no match for this eye of mine’ is lifted directly from Naruto, or you were just successfully emulating shonen braggadocio.
Clearly visible from where Harry had perched himself on his chair’s arm was a truncated-conical object, like a cone with its top snipped off, slowly spinning around a pulsating central light which it shaded but did not obscure; and each time the inner light pulsated, the assembly made a vroop-vroop-vroop sound that sounded oddly distant, muffled like it was coming from behind four solid walls, even though the spinning-conical-section thingy was only a meter or two away.
I think this is more Eliezer once again obliquely making fun of how shallowly Rowling imagined her own universe, that its government could be broken by essentially any individual wizard of moderate power.
It should be clear to the reader, anyway, that liberal use of Imperius would NOT be sufficient to take over the government, at least not for any meaningful length of time.
Unless Eliezer has deliberately depowered Imperious—which isn’t impossible—or given the Ministry some sort of get-out-of-Imperius-free-card—which is also possible, what with the Ministry being created almost exactly in it’s present form by Merlin, a significant change from canon—then liberal use of Imperius cold absolutely take over the government. My theory is that “Voldemort” was deliberately playing the role of the Evil Monster who’s about to take over the world, but never does; perhaps in an attempt to have Wizarding Britain unite against him.
Totally unrelated, but I wanted to mention somewhere (and didn’t think it worth making a new comment) that I laughed harder at “I once arrested a young Japanese who tried a similar trick. He found out the hard way that his shadow replica technique was no match for this eye of mine.” than I have at anything in recent memory. (It is a Naruto reference.)
Considering that Eliezer says in the notes that he “regret[s] that [he] could not come up with any reasonable way to have Harry shout ‘Temporal fugue!’ or ‘Kage bunshin no jutsu!’ before attacking”, this is almost certainly a Naruto reference.
I agree and it is extremely fun to watch happen to a character. All Harry’s private scenarios of how to take over magical Britain in five minutes are a perfect example of his main character flaw: arrogance, or, his dismissiveness of the realities of politics as superfluous, “people stuff.” It should be clear to the reader, anyway, that liberal use of Imperius would NOT be sufficient to take over the government, at least not for any meaningful length of time. Harry is making the same type of error that led to Voldermort’s original failure, that is, modeling people as being simpler and dumber than they are, likely due to his own sense of superiority.
Totally unrelated, but I wanted to mention somewhere (and didn’t think it worth making a new comment) that I laughed harder at “I once arrested a young Japanese who tried a similar trick. He found out the hard way that his shadow replica technique was no match for this eye of mine.” than I have at anything in recent memory. (It is a Naruto reference.)
Moody has a magical eye. Therefore, Naruto has at some point fought him. QED.
Ohhhhh.
Not just that. I believe naruto has fought (or was it will fight?) all doujutsu. Word of God.
Yeah, but that one specifically is the best match for the Eye of Vance.
I tried to write a line with Harry misidentifying it as the Eye That Looks Toward The Sun but had to take it out.
Sorry, you lost me (and the term doesn’t seem to be googleable). What’s that a reference to?
Hyuuga = “Toward the Sun”
...Ah.
Damn. I already upvoted this, so now I’ve actually read that scene, I can’t righteously upvote. Also, seconding moridinamael; Moody’s Naruto line was pretty damn hilarious. Though now I’m wracking my brains trying to remember whether ‘no match for this eye of mine’ is lifted directly from Naruto, or you were just successfully emulating shonen braggadocio.
https://www.google.com/search?q=conic+frustum
Remember that, in canon, Voldemort does indeed take over the Ministry with a few Imperiuses and a few assassinations.
I think this is more Eliezer once again obliquely making fun of how shallowly Rowling imagined her own universe, that its government could be broken by essentially any individual wizard of moderate power.
Well, and the fact he had support form a number of rich high ranking people and his own terrorist group to deal with any resistance after the fact.
Unless Eliezer has deliberately depowered Imperious—which isn’t impossible—or given the Ministry some sort of get-out-of-Imperius-free-card—which is also possible, what with the Ministry being created almost exactly in it’s present form by Merlin, a significant change from canon—then liberal use of Imperius cold absolutely take over the government. My theory is that “Voldemort” was deliberately playing the role of the Evil Monster who’s about to take over the world, but never does; perhaps in an attempt to have Wizarding Britain unite against him.
Considering that Eliezer says in the notes that he “regret[s] that [he] could not come up with any reasonable way to have Harry shout ‘Temporal fugue!’ or ‘Kage bunshin no jutsu!’ before attacking”, this is almost certainly a Naruto reference.