Rules: There may be spoilers for all seven books and 8 movies Each match will last for exactly 24 hours. Any votes after that point will not count. Discussion is encouraged but not required. Make sure all of your votes are obvious. I should know who you are voting for, basically don't bury your vote in the middle of a paragraph. No alt-voting. Ties will be replayed the next day with the rest of the matches. No vote-saves or rallying for specific characters. Telling people to vote is encouraged but don't tell them how to vote! Don't complain about the seeds, they were the result of a save-my. Because matches can overlap, results will be in this topic. http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/61327435
Wait... how did B.B. get so far? He and Fat Friar are the least present House ghosts, and B.B. is pretty much saved only by his interesting background and relationship with Helena Ravenclaw. Anyway, Alice only has one really powerful scene... come to think of it, it's the only scene she's ever in, but whatever it's very emotional. I literally almost cried when I read about her giving the crumpled up bubblegum wrapper to her son as a "gift" and Neville thanks her for it while his grandmother admonishes him for holding onto it. There's so much there... That one scene alone is enough to put her far over B.B. for me.
(3)The Sorting Hat (14)Antonin Dolohov
Normally I'd have reservations about voting an object (inanimate or otherwise) over a living, breathing person, but this guy is pretty much only mentioned in passing and doesn't have any good quotes to my recollection. His one major contribution to the story is serving as head of the disciplinary committee while Snape serves as Headmaster. Mm... Not enough, sorry.
(7)Petunia Dursley (10)Helga Hufflepuff
The least memorable of the founders and representative of what is undoubtedly the least popular House versus my least favorite Dursley. Yikes. Well at least Petunia does have an interesting enough past, and much unlike Pettigrew, she has motivation for her small feats of villainy.
(2)Rubeus Hagrid (15)Poppy Pomfrey
Anti-Hagrid bias coming into play here. Pomfrey may not have gotten as much screentime as the bumbling oaf, but whenever she appeared her job was to keep people out of harm's way as opposed to endangering them. Zomg, I've always wanted a dangerous cold-blooded reptilian pet that can breathe fire and eat me once it gets big enough! Guys, my vicious Cerberus is harmless if you calm him with music! My twenty-foot tall tarantula's a sweety and would never hurt anyone! He's family! I have to look out for him on school grounds as there's nowhere else I can keep an eye on him. Alright so that last one actually paid off but still his record is pretty ridiculous.
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I've come to the realization that I need a sig.
I'll admit, I forgot about the bubblegum wrapper scene until GS mentioned it, but sure: I guess that's enough to put Alice above the Bloody Baron. BB's odd, because he's almost never onscreen, but talked about a good deal (he's the only ghost that can control Peeves and all that). But all I get out of all these mentions is that he's really intimidating, and yet as far as ghosts managing to be intimidating, I think Moaning Myrtle manages to have more dramatic (and hilarious) intimidations.
(3)The Sorting Hat (14)Antonin Dolohov
Dolohov is the real deal. The general impression I had of him pre book 7 is that he was more competent and had done more than Bellatrix...he just wasn't personal to Harry the way Bellatrix was. This is the guy who murdered the Prewetts, the first name that Kakaroff lists when asked to name death eaters, the guy who singlehandedly stops Hermione and Harry in the department of mysteries even after being silenced, the guy who almost takes down the trio at Tottenham Court Road despite being outnumbered and facing an invisible Harry. Years ago he was one of the people Voldemort brought along when asking for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job.
And none of that really matters. Ok, he's powerful and dangerous. He could just as well be "generic unnamed death eater lieutennant #6". He has no particular personality of his own, no speeches he gives, no plot relevant personal grudges. On the other hand, the sorting hat is pretty cool, and easily displays more personality than him.
(7)Petunia Dursley (10)Helga Hufflepuff
Fairly straightforward match; the character with actual lines. Petunia is also the woman of mystery in the Dursley household, having all kinds of interesting correspondences and memories. I do lament there wasn't an epilogue where Harry went back to visit Petunia after seeing Snape's memories, though--that would be an interesting conversation.
(2)Rubeus Hagrid (15)Poppy Pomfrey
Madam Pomfrey is pretty interesting, actually. Why isn't she in the Order of the Phoenix? Surely the order needs doctors. Her reaction to the phoenix song at the end of book 6 is quite interesting too--stronger than anyone else present. And yet, presumably she's not closer to Dumbledore than the other characters--Dumbledore's the one who always kicks her out of her own hospital wing. Also, anyone else pick up on the fact that she's been at the school a long time? She was the nurse when Lupin was a student--and presumably pro-werewolf as she was the one who escorted him to the whomping willow.
"I don't wonder you're shocked, Potter, as if one of them could have stunned Minerva McGonagall face-on by daylight! Cowardice, that's what it was... despicable cowardice... if I wasn't worried what would happen to you students without me, I'd resign in protest!".
And yet, she's not in the OotP. And not because she can't fight (she fights in the battle of hogwarts, and survives). It's a fascinating mystery. ...If you asked me which character I'd rather read a short story outlining their background...no question I'd pick Poppy over Rubeus.
Admitedly, Hagrid has a lot more screen time, and has some solid moments himself (Grawp is just a brilliant place to go with Hagrid, and the Hagrid/Slughorn interactions are pretty hilarious). But I feel like he's a character designed to be a great friend for a 10-year-old, which turned into a challenging character to write for as the series got more sophisticated.
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Cats land on their feet. Toast lands peanut butter side down. A cat with toast strapped to its back will hover above the ground in a state of quantum indecision