Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

Dolores Umbridge

I was wondering what I could write about what we learned from Umbridge, did I really need to write about all the characters, did I learn from them? How people in power can be corrupt and self-indulging, how people can use their greatest insecurities or fears and inner hate as a foundation against others, these are things we know already from life and can see from other characters so why write about her. Well, there are two things—one is just a quandary. It is interesting that as she became more and more in power, more absolute in her hatred of others that she also became more ‘polite’ (a false-politeness as most is) and more ‘girly’ focusing on a love of kittens, the color pink and attempts in being fragile. Why? She didn’t want to come across as fragile or dainty.

Secondly, there are many characters that are hated for the level of pain or evil they caused: the Dursleys, the Malfoys, Pettigrew, while Voldemort, Bellatrix and Umbridge are usually at the top and considered the worst, Voldemort has never been considered high above Umbridge in this aspect, and for many falls beneath her.  Here is the man who split his soul into seven pieces (then accidentally eight), had Cedric murdered just because he wasn’t useful (seriously, just knock him out), tried to kill a baby who might one day kill him (good job on that one), murdered his entire family (both sides), he’s just an evil guy. So how is he not automatically the big villain Umbridge is? Why is she even able to compete? It’s a personal opinion, and choice, and one that fluctuates for most. Umbridge is so hated I believe, because of how much power she was allowed to have, and how she was able to slip in, remain and grow within the Ministry and be seen as someone with intellect, someone who should be compassionate, engaging and encouraging was narrow-minded and without individuality. In comparison, Voldemort had to fight for his power and to promote his beliefs, and people fought against him and disrespected him for it. Being forced to respect either Umbridge or Voldemort will make them hated, but as Umbridge was considered by many adults as one of the ‘good guys’ or that her crimes and hatred against others weren’t important enough to be obliterated and that she was supported makes us hate her and the system more.

The respect, power and approval by the ‘good guys’ she was given is similar to my earlier point in how her affection for kittens and delicate things was in opposition, and a falsehood, of who she really was. I cannot speak for others, but I do feel that giving someone with the same hatred and cruelty in her as Voldemort, giving her the power and respect he wanted is what makes her so hated—what she does is approved and while teachers under Voldemort’s rule would torture students, they did it as it went against their beliefs and because that’s who they were. They didn’t pretend it was for the benefit of the other students or under the guise of someone else. With all her arrogance and self-importance, she really had no confidence or true pride.

StellaLuna, Archie, and other picture books

Many "kids books" don't have pictures, many " adult books" do. While an overuse of pictures can dumb-down the story the final picture in A Picture of Dorian Gray and the pictures of some of the mountain climbers and map of Everest in Into Thin Air created emphasis and added to the story. It's important also to note that while not always, "kids books" or picture books aren't actually always just for children.

I was probably too young to read the Archie comic books when I read them, as with most things I did with my parents. But at 11 or later at night there was little else at the newsstand, that's what was available and it worked to keep me occupied at a time long before smartphones or portable DVD players. A few years later books were used again as part of a reward system: 100 books and I could get a pet. These were good moves, while there is a fine line between bribing and inspiring, in this case I was inspired with that list being one of the biggest factors into reading all the very adult books I read today, even thou most of those books were ones that I knew were kids books even then when it took me less than an hour to read some.

StellaLuna was a story about a bat, and long story short, it’s about how who you love determines your family, the harms of trying to fit into a mould and is a stuffed animal that remains on my bed to this day. So really, let's stop hating the picture books, stop thinking those that do are dumb or bland, let's just stop being book-snobs. Picture books aren't low brow, and Shakespeare isn't the holy grail.

Professor Flitwick

Professor Flitwick, my Head of House, was all I love about Ravenclaw. A proven underdog, he was passionate about learning, studied hard and had some serious talent. While we didn’t get to interact with him much, he was ecstatic by Hermione’s 112% in her first year and graded it as such, which to me showed how he didn’t care about whose house you were in and pushed for all to excel. From this, I would believe that he would have been a great supporter of Hermione’s efforts during her third year to try with the time-turner and learn as much as she could, would have worked with Neville so he could exceeds with getting a N.E.W.T. in Charms after the pep-talk from McGonagall and of course was in awe of Fred and George’s final salute to Umbridge and traditional education. So thank you Sir for your true intelligence about the type of learning that is truly important, how we learn in matters of personal exploration, kindness and individual creativity.

Bonus Points: Hogwarts School Choir!!

Whoops—

As we work to improve access, equality of access, and diversity some of us will get there faster than others as some have more pressing matters to focus on. For many young girls, their time is mainly taken up walking miles every day to bring clean water home to their families. For them, having a book that describes their personal story or an ancestral connection is first dependent on whether they were in school long enough to know how to read. Other challenges such as those taken on by Malala Yousafzai, deal with female suppression, war and tyranny and of course children who are currently walking hundreds of miles to escape violence, war and famine. 

Not all have the ability to begin to think about education, our stories and our futures as they can only think of reaching tomorrow. But for those that in the midst of this chaos, there is still hope and those who work to bring books to those who don’t have the ease of going whenever they can.

(1)    https://litreactor.com/columns/the-10-most-unusual-libraries-in-the-world

Todd Packer

Packer's Best Moment: Season Eight, Episode Sixteen: After Hours When Dwight gets kicked by Jim after he gets the buttons from Cathy per "college rules" in 'The King and The Hunchback' and he comments with his double meaning statement.

“and he lost at his own lame game”

Packer's Worst Moment: Season Nine, Episode Seventeen; The Farm When he laced the cupcakes that he brought as 'apology cupcakes' to the office and the staff either got stoned or diarrhea

Packer's Best Line: Season Two, Episode Two

So a guy goes home, tell his wife, "Honey, pack your bags, I just wont the lottery" She goes "Oh, my god, that's incredible, where are we going? He goes "I don't know where you're going, just be out of here by five."

Packer's Most Memorable Moment: Season Three, Episode Eleven: Back from Vacation When he gets Michael’s picture of Jan from their Sandals Jamaica trip “Wait. I just got it from somebody else. Wow, this is hot. Damn! How do I get you out of this picture? “

Aberforth

Aberforth, oh Aberforth how I wish we knew of you aBEFORth...yeah

Aberforth represents someone we all know. For every person who wants to be in the spotlight, there is someone (much more actually) that aren’t and either don’t mind or are glad. While referenced as “the simple life”, Aberforth choices and life is one that is more complicated and I hope people who read Harry Potter tried to understand and think about how terrible his life was on some level and who is truly was as a person. While we don’t learn much about him, the few things we did spoke a lot about the character of those who decide to shine away from the spotlight. While not obvious, Aberforth has a lot more in common with Harry Potter than Dumbledore ever did or would and how these characteristics can be in all of those who choose to act on them. 

1. Both Harry and Aberforth grew up being seen as second best, as many do. To the girl in your class who got the perfect SAT score or the guy in your computer science class who just started his own startup company and doesn’t have to go to college; their sibling's lives can be awful if not handled properly. Being second best is something that creates a dark (and usually not addressed) cloud that encompasses your entire life. Not everyone is good at everything and no skill or talent should directly outrank another; heck, look at Petunia (another reason why she really should’ve treated Harry better knowing how it felt to be him), she never got over Lily being a wizard and her parent's treatment of her afterwards. So again parents, grandparents and humans in general: don’t pretend that you treat your children the same if you don’t and definitely don’t act as if it’s something to just accept and get over. Yes, everyone is not created equally, there is always out there that is better at something than we are, but it’s being treated respectfully, as a person that makes ALL the difference. 

2. Standing up for what’s right, especially against those that are supposed to be your allies.

But Aberforth went against his brother and his friend, two people who were considered out of his league but at the time were morally repugnant. Regardless of what others thought they knew Aberforth held his ground, defending his sister and his mother against his superstar brother and friend and that takes courage, bravery, self-confidence, and gumption. 

For the most part, Harry had the support of his friends and chosen family, and while the times that others should have listened to him (Draco year Six), you can also see why they always didn’t. Harry and his friends did continue, no matter the odds of success, to always try to help others and protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. 

3. Short and sweet: Neither did anything they did, for glory (maybe Harry a bit when he was younger thought it’d be cool....but it wasn’t why he KEPT ON TAKING ON Voldemort)

Best Intros

1. Season Five, Episode Fourteen: Stress Relief Part One

     The Fire

2. Season Six, Episode Four: Niagara Part 1

When Dwight insists on eating an egg at his desk after Pam asks people to change some of their habits during the morning sickness part of her pregnancy; so then Pam throws up, then Andy, and Erin, Phyllis, Meredith, Oscar, Angela….Creed eating his noodles, and Pam just taps her mouth with a tissue

3. Season Eight, Episode Sixteen: After Hours

First Angela and Pam complain about Oscar and his dog,

Oscar and Angela complain about how Angela pretends her kids are more advanced than they are,

Angela and Oscar complain about Pam talking about two kids instead of just one, 

Then all three complain about Andy and his boat.

4. Season Two, Episode Nine: Email Surveillance

When Michael racially profiles the new IT guy, and turns off the office lights and has them all hide.

5. Season Five, Episode Twenty-Two: Dream Team

When Kevin is the receptionist. First, he forgets he’s supposed to answer the phone and second, we find out that he’s been having trouble understanding how to transfer so he just calls whoever the call is for to come up to reception.

Then, in this scene Jim reminds him how to transfer by hitting “transfer, extension, transfer” (Kevin had written it on his hands but then washed his hands and forgot) to transfer a call to Andy first transfers the call to the empty desk across from Meredith, then to Stanley, and then to Andy; all while politely speaking to the customer.

6. Season Three, Episode Fifteen: Phyllis’ Wedding

When Jim “Pavlov’s Dog” Dwight with an altoid whenever he reboots his computer

7. Season Four, Episode Three: Launch Party

The TV cube-corner countdown; it’s something we’ve all experienced, just as passionately.

There’s this cube on the screen that bounces around all day. And sometimes it looks like its hitting Right into the corner of the screen And then at the last minute it hits a wall and bounces away. And we are all just dying to see it go right into the corner.

8. Season Five, Episode Nineteen: Golden Ticket

“THE KGB WILL WAIT FOR NO ONE!”

9. Season Five, Episode Twenty-Six

When Michael had not a pot pie, or an entire pot pie but an entire, family-sized, chicken pot pie for lunch and after letting the office be dark and quiet for a while Jim changes the computer time, Pam changes his watch, and Dwight changes his car time so they can all get a half-day.

10. Season Three, Episode Eleven: Back from Vacation

When Jim starts tell lies about what Dwight is doing in the meeting since Dwight is recording the meetings since Michael is away with Phyllis and Karen joining in later

Jim “you’re not allowed to take your pants off at the office—oh my god, he has a knife”

Phyllis “Jim Carrey just walked in, oh Dwight, get his autograph for Michael, quickly”

Karen “Dwight, what is that on your stomach? Is that a “Muppet Babies” tattoo?”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

There are quite a few things that come to mind when I think about this book. First and foremost, is that I recall this is the edition I was reading (whether for the first time or reread I don’t know) when I discovered JK Rowling wasn’t a man, how I ran back to look at the book and wondered why I thought she must have been from the title, and understood why she wrote her name so as not to be identified and turn others off (oy! how nothing has changed). 

Next, while I was young at the time I do not know what I anticipated but following the events of their first year we expected Harry, Ron and Hermione to either be dealing with Voldemort again or not--and I love how we got both. While in some ways the fact that they were all included again makes no sense, but again it all does. Harry can speak Parseltongue and therefore gets more information and gets Ron and Hermione involved, Ginny comes from a family with morals and is the exact opposite of the Malfoys and Death Eaters so Lucius trying to frame them, being the coward as he is, all makes sense and while seems a bit stretched is just coincidental. As Minerva McGonagall and Ron later discuss, however, why it is always them? Must just be their fate. 

Relatedly, we continue to get depth with our main trio: Hermione, Ron and Harry and the wizarding world in general while they continue to grow. While in the previous year Hermione broke some rules, they were only in regards to emergencies (stopping Snape from getting the Sorcerer's Stone, lighting him on fire) or to stop others from breaking rules (stopping Harry from getting in trouble with the dragon). But in her second year she sees breaking the rules as more of a means to an end; even when the end isn’t as near or dire. She becomes less rule-obsessed or rigid in this sense and tries weighing the options and looking more at the big picture (both with stealing the ingredients of the Polyjuice Potion and just in making it and knocking out Crabbe and Goyle). With Ron, we learn more about who he really is as we see him interact more with his siblings, with Hermione (my uncle caught onto that one, not me) and learn about how he feels about himself overall even if we don’t realize it all in depth at the time. Finally, We also learn more about Harry and, with him, the wizarding world in general; how there is a class system, the downfalls of being a hero or celebrity, what it actually means to be a hero or role-model and many other somewhat small things that create a deeper meaning combined.

Finally, holy hell was this the novel with annoying people; see Myrtle, Dobby and Colin. While Dobby and Colin grew on me, and I believe all of us, they both just wouldn’t shut up or listen and you would cringe with Harry as he deals with all their drama. But on both, Harry changed; growing to be broken by Colin’s death in the final battle and of course Dobby, one of his best friends. Both of these characters represented innocence, kindness, friendship, truth, honesty and so many other admirable qualities before even getting to the fact that they risked their lives for others. 

Myrtle? No, just creepy; I mean she was a younger teenager at the time. Do ghosts get older? Ugh, sorry, no love there. 

Bill Weasley

I went back and forth with doing a “what I learned from Bill Weasley” because I feel like I barely know Bill.This is especially apparent in comparison with the rest of the Weasleys (sorry Charlie--ha). I know he’s a good son and husband. A werewolf and a hard worker. But not so much of Bill, as Bill.

But, while we don’t learn much about Bill directly, he does remind us of some things quite prominently. From his relationship with Fleur, we are reminded that relationships are deeper than appearances, the importance of being a good person and son with his relationship with his parents (and especially his mother), and from his experiences with Goblins and at Gringotts the importance of deep respect and politeness. Finally, do not be a prat. as he was so excited to join his mother at Hogwarts to wish Harry good luck before the third task of the Triwizard tournament. 

So thank you Bill, we might barely know you, but you still have taught us well.