Philosopher's Stone-Lethal White Connections, Part 4: Rule-breaking, Catullus, asphodel and the ICU

The connections between Philosopher's Stone and Lethal White are becoming more and more tenuous as we move into the story proper: in which a bad-tempered government minister in charge of a major international sporting event gets murdered by the son that he had previously gotten out of prison. It is only natural that the many, many Goblet of Fire parallels start taking precedence.  Still, as I reviewed the part of the story between the Hogwarts/ Parliament arrival and what I consider the turning points of both books (the Great Troll Knock-out, Chiswell's murder), I saw a few points of connection.  

Risky business: This review of "The Midnight Duel" where Harry and friends had their first "students-out-of-bed" adventure reminded me of Robin's bug-planting in Geraint Winn's office. Some commonalities:

• Serious and dangerous rule-breaking:  Robin is doing something that could literally mean arrest and prosecution; we learn how serious a matter this is in THM when Patterson is sentenced for doing the same thing. Harry and friends risk significant point loss for Gryffindor and possibly even expulsion, not to mention nearly getting eaten by Fluffy.
• Two narrow escapes: Robin is nearly caught by Aamir twice, the first time when she plants the initial bug in the early morning (fortunately, her lost bangle cover story held) the second when she retrieved the last one (and the quick thinking about needing to borrow a fan worked). Harry and friends are almost caught by Filch twice, the first time in the trophy room (where they escape through a secret passage that takes them to the Charms classroom) and the second in the Charms corridor (when Hermione alohomoros them into the forbidden corridor where Fluffy is guarding the trapdoor). 

Bullying by lesson, with coded meaning. Minister Chiswell in Chapter 21 is very reminiscent of Snape in "The Potions Master" and especially like movie-Snape, who sweeps into the dungeon, ranting about "foolish wand-waving and silly incantations."  Determined to provide "a little classics education for everyone," Chiswell sweeps into the office booming, "Hear the word of Lachesis, the daughter of necessity!" -- a line from Plato's The Republic. 

Just as Snape taunts Harry over not knowing the answers to Snape's impromptu potions quiz, Chiswell taunts both Aamir and Raff about not knowing who Lachesis is. He then, like Snape, supplies the answer: 

Lachesis was one of the Fates. She measured out each man's allotted lifespan. Knew when everyone's number would be up. Not a fan of Plato, Mr. Malik? Catullus more up your street, I expect. He produced some fine poetry about men of your habits. Pēdīcābō ego vōs et irrumābō, Aurēlī pathice et cinaede Fūrī, eh? Poem 16, look it up. You'll enjoy it. 

For a full translation of the Latin, see here; but suffice it to say Chiswell is making a very cruel jibe at Aamir, a young man who was wrongly dismissed from his internship for rejecting his mentor's sexual advances, then shunned by his strict Muslim family for false rumors of homosexuality. Snape wasn't quite as cruel, but he did humiliate Harry by taking points from Gryffindor.

Both Snape's and Chiswell's words have meaning beyond the surface level, although they differ in that we are sure Chiswell is speaking intentionally, while while it is doubtful that Snape is. It is reasonably common knowledge among fans that asphodel is a type of lily and, together, it and wormwood have meaning in the Victoria language of flowers that express regret and bitterness over a death. Chiswell's words, while ostensibly directed at Aamir, also are meant as a coded message to Raff. First, the Catullus line that Chiswell quotes is directed at two young men, Aurelius and Furius, just as Chiswell is speaking to two young men for whom he has contempt. Second, Chiswell is in possession of the tube of Lachesis tablets that fell from Kinvara's pocket during her romp with Raff in the Drummond gallery bathroom; he is presumably already making plans to use them in his confrontation. Raff may not understand the significance at this time, but he will put the pieces together when Robin brings up the pills later at the Chiswell House interview. At their mention, Kinvara  "gave a little gasp and turned red,  She seemed to be boggling at some inner, private realization."  Raff, for his part, suddenly ground out his cigarette and "seemed to be refraining from comment with difficulty." 

A display of unique talents that mean victory for our hero: This may be a stretch, but I saw some similarities between Harry's initial display of broomstick flying talent and Robin's successful bluffing of the information about the Level Playing Field embezzlement out of Sir Kevin. 

• First, both incidents are set in motion by the arrival of the morning post: Neville's Remembrall package and Sir Kevin's letter to Geraint, which Robin intercepts. 
• Second, we again see examples of very serious rule breaking; Harry has been warned that unauthorized flying could get him expelled; it is certainly a crime to impersonate a government minister on the phone. 
• Third, despite the rule-breaking, Robin and Harry both succeed in their goals. He retrieves Neville's Remembrall; she gets information to neutralize Winn and a hint of even more serious wrongdoing. 
• Fourth, because of their actions, they impress someone very important. McGonagall is so awed by Harry's flying skills that she not only declined to punish him, but makes him Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and gets him a fancy racing broom to boot. When Robin tells Jasper Chiswell what she's learned about Winn, he is both happy and nice for the first and only time in the book and congratulates her on her work, even offering her a job as his personal assistant. 
• Fifth, Both McGonagall and Chiswell make our heroes sweat a bit before delivering the reward. Harry has to follow McGonagall all the way to Flitwick's classroom, certain all the way that he's going to be expelled or caned. As for Chiswell, when Robin delivers her news, he looks at her with "tiny eyes screwed up with what might have been displeasure. For a few seconds he simply stared at her, his expression as petulant as ever. But then he slapped his thigh with what was clearly pleasure."
• Sixth, both Harry and Robin get a bonus benefit. Harry, who wanted nothing more than to get back at Malfoy, eventually had the pleasure of making him jealous with his new Nimbus 2000. Robin hears from Chiswell that Strike told him she was his best, which makes her happier than anything. In fact, I would say that her knowledge of his compliment was a big part of the reason she dropped everything and went to him to sit with Jack at the hospital the next day.  Speaking of which....

True friendship:  On the Three Broomsticks podcast on PS-CC connections, Irvin made a great case for the scene of Ron's and Harry's rescue of the crying Hermione from the troll in the bathroom was comparable to Robin's rescue of Strike from the Tottenham.  I think the equivalent in LW is Robin coming to comfort Strike when he is crying in the hospital over Jack. The incident changed Hermione from someone Ron and Harry actively disliked to their good friend. Robin's and Strike's friendship had taken a hit after she married the Flobberworm, but when she showed up at the hospital for him, it was clear they were back on track: 

"Well, thanks, Robin. It made all the difference."

"That's what friends are for."

So, we'll add "sitting in ICU with critically ill child" to the list of Things You Can't Experience Together Without Liking Each Other.  

Will connections continue in the second halves of both books?  I'll let you know once I've re-read them

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