NO BUT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY THEORY FOR THIS SCENE
This doesn’t comply with the books, I realize, but it doesn’t exactly not comply either.
Why would Malfoy rip a page out of a random book? If he wanted the book, he could have just bought the book himself. He’s not poor, his family doesn’t discourage learning. He chooses to rip a particular page with a pointed glance out of a book. Why?
Think of what this and Dobby’s actions of warning have in common: Lucius Malfoy. The one who was apparently talking freely of the dangers that would face the Muggle borns this year. I think Draco knew more about what was going on, or at least figured more out, than he let on to his friends. Why? He was worried.
How does this connect to the ripped paper? How did Harry and Ron find out about the basilisk? How did Hermione?
A ripped piece of paper on basilisks.
Now we’re to assume that Hermione found this in a library book and promptly ripped it out to take with her.
But why would Hermione, with her love and care for books almost on par with the librarian, rip a page out of a book she could have just checked out? My guess is she didn’t find it in the library.
My guess is Draco somehow slipped her the piece of paper that he ripped out of a book before school started, detailing the monster he knew was in the Chamber.
He slipped Hermione the paper somehow, whether by leaving it on her desk or planting it in her bag. He tried to warn them, as best he could.
HOLY SHIT
I always wondered why they so importantly showed Malfoy ripping the page from the book. It was strange to me. Yes he’s destructive but honestly there is no point in showing that. But you’re right- Hermione would NEVER rip out a page of a book- this makes so much sense.
“What’s interesting about the wizarding world is when you take physical strength out of the equation, a woman can fight just the same as a man can fight. A woman can do magic just as powerfully as a man can do magic, and I consider that I’ve written a lot of well rounded female characters in these books.” – JK Rowling
My favorite thing ever is how Ron just sent Charlie a random letter like “hey yo there’s an illegal dragon at hogwarts, could you come and smuggle it out of here, please?” and Charlie was just like “yeah sure, I’ll trespass into the castle and steal a dangerous magical creature, of course, lemme just hit up my friends”
It’s better if you imagine Charlie and co as a group of Grad Students trying to avoid their other responsibilities.
Charlie is drunkenly revising the third draft of his thesis on proper care and feeding of greenhorns when his family owl slams into the window.
Three of his friends jump and look around. Glinda doesn’t raise her head from her folded arms; only groans, “Is that Baines coming to do me in?”
Charlie totters to the window and fetches Errol from the window pane. “No such luck,” he says. “You’re still going to have to take the exam.” After some consideration, Charlie lays him on a clear patch of floor to recover. “Do owls take firewhiskey?” he asks the room at large.
“It’s not fair,” Glinda wails into the tabletop. “I swear he didn’t say anything about Bridgewort’s handling practices when we did the review in class.”
“Oh, Merlin,” says Ali, freezing over their notes like a Medusa wyvern had bitten them. “Oh, Merlin’s sweet saggy socks. Is he covering Bridgewort?”
“That’s what he said when I went to his office hours.” Glinda sits up. “You know his lapdragon singed my new sweater?!”
Charlie decides not to give Errol a nip of whiskey. Flying under the influence is really not done. He unties the letter from Errol’s leg. Ron’s childish spiky handwriting spells out Charlie’s name on the front. Inside is a hastily scrawled message.
“Yes, we know it ruined your sweater,” snaps Ysabelle. “You told us twenty times. Why didn’t you tell us Baines told you we’re going to be tested on Bridgewort?”
“I meant to,” says Glinda. “Sorry.” She flicks her pile of notes. “I was lost in the miasma of gloom and desperation.”
Ali puts their head back and groans. “I’m gonna die. I’m gonna say ‘fuck it’ and just fucking walk into a dragon’s mouth so I don’t have to do this.”
“Hey,” says Charlie. They don’t hear him.
“How much is this worth again?” Glinda asks her bottle of butterbeer.
“Twenty-five percent,” Ali and Ysabelle chorus. Ysabelle adds, “and the thesis is fifty percent of our total grade.”
“Hey!” Charlie repeats. They look at him. He waves Ron’s letter. “My littlest brother at Hogwarts has an illegal dragon he needs to get off campus. Anybody up for a midnight flight?”
Ali slams their hands down on the table and stands up. “Fuck yes,” they say decisively. “Maybe I’ll fly into the Whomping Willow and die a quick death.”
shealwaysreads 