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Hark! Are those the first harbingers of Chapter Three I spy on the horizon?
Hark! Are those the first harbingers of Chapter Three I spy on the horizon?
#1
The Sorting Hat's song this year seemed normal enough at first --
a dozen verses or so telling the story of the founding of
Hogwarts, another dozen describing the Founders themselves and
what they looked for in students, a bit more about the Houses.
And then it got ... different.
"Oh, know the perils, read the signs," the Hat sang as it drew to
a close.
     "The warning history shows,
      For our Hogwarts is in danger
      From external, deadly foes.
      Beyond them far, though, can be found
      Both hope and allies great
      And ordered chaos comes to change
      What might have been our fate
      Though strong and wise, such friends as these
      Who're called on in the night
      Cannot alone stand forth and hold
      Our Hogwarts in the light
      Attend their words and learn them well
      And by their side then stand
      The music of the madness then
      Puts power in your hand
      Unite with them for Hogwarts' sake
      Or we'll crumble from within
      I have told you, I have warned you...
      Let the Sorting now begin."
The Sorting Hat then went still.  The Hall burst into applause
leavened with whispers and muttered discussions about the Hat's
strange warning.
Her heart pounding a mile a minute, Hermione looked down the
Gryffindor table to find Ginny looking back up at her with wide,
surprised eyes that Hermione was sure matched her own expression.
As Ron turned to Harry and said, "Branched out a bit this year,
hasn't it?", Hermione slowly mouthed "friends who're called on in
the night" to the younger girl.  Biting her lip, Ginny slowly
nodded.
"Too right it has," Harry replied as she and Ginny continued to
stare at each other, the same thought running through their
heads:  had their midnight ritual all those weeks ago been more
successful than they had thought?
"Tonight," Hermione mouthed, and Ginny nodded again.
                              * * *
I managed to suppress my start of surprise when the Sorting Hat
sang out the line about "the music of the madness".  Although I
spell my codename "Toons" instead of "Tunes" to avoid trademark
issues with Warner Brothers, it's pretty obvious what my intent
was and is.  Further, the translation that the Japanese of my
Earth use instead of lowering themselves to speak English --
*Kyoki no Kyoku* -- doesn't beat around the bush:  it literally
back-translates into "Tunes of Madness". 
(I suppose it should go without saying that the very rigid and
orderly, not to mention xenophobic, Japanese of my home timeline
find my metatalent frighteningly and disturbingly chaotic, almost
borderline demonic -- the antithesis of everything they believe
about the way the world works.  Which was one reason that even as
a rookie I was never assigned to Beta Team in Tokyo.
The other being that Hexe and Dwimanor didn't want their brand-
new loose cannon that far out of their sight.)
Anyway, if there was one thing I was intending on doing with my
classes, it was putting as much power in my students' hands as I
could.
So the Hat was obviously -- well, obviously to me (and, no doubt,
Albus) -- referring to yours truly.  I suppose it might have
pulled the info it needed for the song from my mind while it was
sitting on my head.  As far as I could tell, though, it hadn't
attempted to breach the mental defenses which Psyche had
painstakingly drilled into my thick skull during my first few
months with the Warriors.  (And thanks to him, I've been able to
detect, and repel, some fairly subtle telepaths over the years.) 
So... was it prophecy?  Having been a houseguest of the Norns for
a year or so, I wasn't about to discount the possibility. 
And I have to admit I was curious about what "strong and wise"
friends had been called on in the night, and by whom.  Because it
certainly wasn't me, on either end of that equation.  And I
wanted to know if it was something that had happened already, or
something yet to come.
After all, if they were prophesied allies, I wanted to identify
and approach them as soon as I could.
 
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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#2
I can't help but wonder, what power Doug might get if the Hat's song was put to music.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.
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#3
Of course, God's Toothpick is what keeps Doug from using an Ollivander's wand, but before Doug got his balsa wand Charlie suggested that he say he's too strong to use a wand. And he is much more powerful than the average wizard, and highly intelligent to boot. Of course, as Doug himself notes a few times, intelligent isn't at all the same thing as wise. He's certainly wiser than he was when he started, though. And "ordered chaos" certainly describes Doug.

And, of course, She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free: she gets the Magic Power of the Music from me!
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#4
Proginoskes Wrote:And, of course, She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free: she gets the Magic Power of the Music from me!
Yes, but he hasn't met Eimi yet...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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#5
Sorry? What's the connection between Eimi and Magic Power?
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#6
Ummm, I should think the friends "who're called on in the night" refers specifically to those cited in the song Ginny and Hermione sang in the Prologue:  "Maiden, Warrior, Mother, and Crone."  And they certainly have the power to steer the Loon to where help is needed.

Edit:  There may be a fascinating conversation if Hermione ever explains about "Wind's Four Quarters" to Doug, and he explains to her that the "friends" in question are his friends, so to speak.
-----
Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.
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#7
Proginoskes Wrote:Sorry? What's the connection between Eimi and Magic Power?
No connection at all... but the rest of the line fits.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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#8
robkelk Wrote:
Proginoskes Wrote:And, of course, She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free: she gets the Magic Power of the Music from me!

Yes, but he hasn't met Eimi yet...
... you know, that line could be used to describe Lisa from Step 2.    She did end up getting the power of magic from Doug.   8P
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
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#9
Timote Wrote:.. you know, that line [i]could[/i] be used to describe Lisa from Step 2.    She did end up getting the power of magic from Doug.   8P
It also applies to Sana-chan... and who-knows-how-many other characters.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Reply
 
#10
I know zilch about Sana-chan's source material, so for all I know the superspeed thing is just part of the setting.

I thought of Lisa because with her, we've seen it happen 'on screen'.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
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#11
In her source material, Sana-chan is an ordinary (if hyperactive) girl with no metahuman abilities.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Reply
 
#12
...although she certainly looks like the Flash on occasion.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Reply
I'm gladdened
#13
I thought that the magical summoning done by Ginny and Hermione would be ignored, but I'm glad that it actually gets addressed.  Though how much of an impact its revelation will play isn't made clear in this passage, I'm happy that at least it gets some acknowledgment.

Even plot devices deserve love.

-murmur
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#14
Not much of a plot device if it doesn't affect the plot. It's not like Doug needed an invitation to crash in any of the other worlds, after all.
Personally, I'm expecting Ginny and Hermione to mention it to Doug, and when he reads it, he'll say, "Well no wonder you didn't summon anything: this is for augmenting yourself." Because it is: the Maiden heals, the Warrior emboldens, the Mother strengthens, and the Crone hardens. The Four might help you, but nowhere in the lyrics does it suggest that they actually put in an appearance.
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#15
It might also be that the 4 have struck a sort of bargain with Doug and Hexe. They make sure he makes it home in good order, and he helps them 'clean up' a few messes. It might not even be that, and merely that they have plotted the path Doug is most likely to take and nudge him along as needed.

After all, we are dealing with the Fates here...
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#16
Now I'm seeing the Hogwarts students giving their poker faces a good workout if Doug gets the idea to silently mock Umbridge behind her back during her speech.
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#17
I don't recall such a thing from the listing of his arsenal, but does Doug have a song that'll allow him to impose silence on one specific person -- their mouths still move, but no one hears anything?  Shutting Umbridge up, not during her speech (when she's entitled to reveal herself as a stupid, totalitarian bigot), but when she wants to interrupt Dumbledore's words with her "Hem, hem," might strike the Loon as an appropriate measure.
-----
Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.
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#18
DHBirr Wrote:I don't recall such a thing from the listing of his arsenal, but does Doug have a song that'll allow him to impose silence on one specific person -- their mouths still move, but no one hears anything?
I'm not aware of one, but I'll Play for You followed by There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World Tonight) would probably work.

Very important that Doug not forget I'll Play for You first...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Reply
 
#19
Heh.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Reply
 
#20
DHBirr Wrote:I don't recall such a thing from the listing of his arsenal, but does Doug have a song that'll allow him to impose silence on one specific person
There is a slim chance that Simon & Garfunkel's Sound of Silence may do that, although I think it is far more likely to drop Doug into a deeply symbolic precognitive trance which he'd have to laboriously analyze in order to learn anything useful. Of course, it may be funny to do this and then try to discern the vision's meaning with Professor Trelawny's help.
edit: I idly wonder what would happen if Doug combined this with I'll Play for You and targeted Trelawney.
----------------------------------------------------

"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV
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#21
Quote:Shepherd wrote:
edit: I idly wonder what would happen if Doug combined this with I'll Play for You and targeted Trelawney.
Tuesday.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
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#22
for you, maybe. to her it was the most important day of her life!

:p
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-

NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children
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#23
murmur Wrote:I thought that the magical summoning done by Ginny and Hermione would be ignored, but I'm glad that it actually gets addressed.  Though how much of an impact its revelation will play isn't made clear in this passage, I'm happy that at least it gets some acknowledgment. 
Forgot to reply to this earlier.  Have no worries, Hermione and Ginny's ritual has echoes that reverberate all the way to the end of the story.  It wasn't just a fire-and-forget plot device.  It is a fire-and-duck-here-it-comes-again! plot device.
  
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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#24
BOHICA!!!! ;D
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#25
Heh.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Reply


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