Prisoner of Azkaban-Ink Black Heart links, Part 2: Howlers, bombs and not falling over on purpose.

As I expected, once we got past the book introduction, there weren't as many clear connections between PoA and TIBH.  Notice, then that I was able to complete the blog series in only two parts, as opposed to the six I needed for PS-LW and the four for CoS-TB. 

The closest character parallel I saw was between Strike and Hermione. Strike  foolishly keeps pushing the limits of his bad knee and hamstring until he collapses and has to get treatment in the hospital for not just the stump itself but the stress-induced muscle spasms in both his leg and face. Hermione, by trying to take every subject Hogwarts offers, drives herself to the breaking point, culminating at the DADA final exam when she falls apart and fails to recognize the boggart, much less defeat it. By book's end, Strike has finally resolved to address the issues and take some steps to improve his health by losing weight and stopping smoking. Hermione decides to turn in the Time-Turner, drop Muggle Studies and Divination and take a normal schedule. 

There is one lovely and pretty specific scene echo: Harry uses almost identical language when Stan Shunpike questions him on the Knight Bus as Pat uses when the subcontractors are grousing about Strike being out of commission. 

“What were you doin’ down there?” said Stan, dropping his professional manner. 

“Fell over,” said Harry. 

“’Choo fall over for?” sniggered Stan. 

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” said Harry, annoyed.

“Daft fucker should’ve told us his leg was bad," Barclay growled when he and Robin met at the office kettle.

"He didn’t fall over on purpose," snapped Pat from her desk behind them before Robin could answer.

There is also an echo in descriptions of the Denmark Street bombing and the Howler Neville Longbottom receives from his Gran. In Strike:

He heard running footsteps. He looked up: Pat was sprinting towards him. She’d barely slammed the door on the outer office when there was a deafening boom and the door blew inwards, cracking in two...

“Package," Pat shouted into Strike’s ear. "Started to undo it – realised it was hissing—”

In Harry Potter:

Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, carrying a scarlet envelope in its beak....

"Run for it, Neville," said Ron.  Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and, holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall, Neville's grandmother's voice magnified magically to a hundred times its usual volume...

Both explosives arrive in the post, and are recognized by the recipient who takes possession of it. Not only is the Howler explicitly compared to a bomb, both Neville and Pat "sprint" into the adjoining room. While Neville carries his explosive device with him while Pat wisely leaves hers behind, the perspective is presented as the protagonists' hearing something explode in the neighboring room, escaping the worst of the blast themselves but being fully aware of something far more destructive being unleashed beyond the door.

A few minor connections:

• Harry and Robin both have their freedom restricted because of threats by criminals who are are believed to be stalking them.  Both resent the restrictions. 
• Harry getting into Hogsmeade with the help of the Marauder's Map that Fred and George give him is a bit like Robin getting into Drek's game with the help of the login credentials that Midge gets for her. 
• Harry is nearly caught by Snape and is found out by Lupin after his second trip to Hogsmeade; the loss of the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map mean he cannot get back.  Robin is caught in a lie by Anomie and banned from Drek's Game. 
• Near the book's end, Ron and Strike are both sidelined by a serious leg injury and not able to fully participate in the final rescue mission.

Now onto a comparison of Goblet of Fire with The Running Grave.  While there be any room for major links when GoF is so tightly bound to Lethal White, and TRG to Deathly Hallows?  (see also here). I'll let you know what I find. 

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