Chapter Discussions: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11, The Bribe

Harry expects Kreacher to return at once with Mundungus and  gets discouraged  when 
nightfall comes without him. Moldy  bread, unsuccessfully Transfigured by Hermione, does 
not help.

Two days later, two cloaked men appear outside, gazing in the direction of the house. The 
Trio guess that these are Death Eaters. There has been no further word from any of the 
Order and the strain begins to tell. Ron clicks the Deluminator on and off, infuriating 
Hermione who is trying to read. Fed up with the bickering, Harry heads downstairs. 
Hearing  sounds from the front door, Harry draws his wand as a cloaked figure edges into 
the hall.

The visitor says the magic words and the dust figure explodes, making it impossible for 
Harry to make out who the  newcomer is. Harry's shout of "Don't move" sets off the 
portrait of Mrs. Black. Drawn  by her screams, Ron and Hermione come crashing 
downstairs to join Harry.

Lupin names himself. Ron and Hermione lower their wands at once but Harry
is more cautious. Lupin moves into the light and rattles off a few identifying facts. 
Satisfied, Harry lowers his wand. Lupin commends Harry for his caution and chides the 
other two for being too quick to lower their defenses.

Remus looks exhausted, but pleased to see them. He explains that he had to apparate very 
carefully onto the top step to avoid being seen. DE's are keeping watch on every location 
associated with the Order. 

Lupin says he would have come sooner, but there's been a DE tailing him. He's very
disturbed to hear that the DE's found Harry at Tottenham Court Road. He doesn't believe 
the trace could possibly be still active, or the DE's would know that Harry was at 
Grimmauld Place. About a dozen DE's or Ministry people (there's no difference
any more, Lupin says) showed up at the wedding, but thanks to Kingsley's warning most of 
the guests had escaped. The Trio are both shocked and gratified to hear that Scrimgeour 
went to his death refusing, despite torture, to give Harry away. 

Remus and others were interrogated for hours, but the DE's didn't know that Harry had
been at the wedding. At the same time the DE's forced their way into every Order 
connected house in the country, despite all the defensive spells. Tonks's parents were 
cruciated since it was known that Harry had been there, but they're ok.

Harry learns that he is wanted in regard to Dumbledore's death. Effectively Voldemort  is 
now the Minister of Magic, though the post is officially held by the Imperius'ed Thicknesse. 
Many people have deduced what has happened, but they are afraid to do more than 
whisper about it, not knowing whom to trust. 

The Ministry is requiring everyone who cannot prove they have at least one close 
wizarding relative to register. Muggleborns are being rounded up. Attendance at Hogwarts 
is now compulsory, and all entrants must establish their blood status. Harry is sickened 
but cannot find words to express his horror. 

Lupin then turns to Harry's mission. He offers the Trio his help. Harry's not sure how they 
could possibly conceal what they're doing with Lupin by them night and day. Hermione's 
concern is different: "But what about Tonks?" 

Tonks is pregnant. The Trio congratulate Lupin, who smiles artificially and asks if the Trio  
will accept his offer. After confirming that Lupin is indeed proposing to leave his wife  with 
her parents and come adventuring with the three of them, Harry says that James would 
have wanted to know why Lupin wasn't sticking with his own kid.

Ron, Hermione and Lupin are shocked at Harry's tone. Lupin's attempts to explain why his 
wife and child will be better off this way only enrage Harry further. Harry accuses Lupin of 
feeling a bit of a daredevil, of wanting to step into Sirius's shoes, and finally of being a 
coward. Lupin draws his wand so fast that Harry can barely reach for his own before Lupin 
blasts him into the kitchen wall. Exit Lupin.

Broken images surge through Harry's mind:  the deaths of Sirius, Dumbledore and Lily.  
"Parents," says Harry "shouldn't leave their kids unless -- unless they've got to. " But then 
he remembers how Lupin comforted him after his troubling vision in the pensieve and 
Harry feels a surge of remorse. He admits he shouldn't have called Lupin a coward but 
feels if Lupin goes back to Tonks it will have been worth it. 

Harry then reads about Dumbledore's family in the newspaper Lupin left behind. The 
mystery of Ariana is introduced, with the suspicion that her family concealed her because 
she was a Squib. Learning that Dumbledore's family also lived in Godric's Hollow rekindles 
Harry's desire to go there. But just as he's about to ask Ron and Hermione about it, there's 
a deafening crack and Kreacher returns with Mundungus as his prisoner.

When Harry questions him about thefts from the house, Mundungus reminds them that 
Sirius never cared for any of that junk, prompting Kreacher to hit him over the head with a 
saucepan. Mundungus explains that he no longer has the locket. A witch caught him 
selling magical artifacts without a license in Diagon Alley, but she  took a fancy to the 
locket and let him go, keeping the locket for herself. Dung doesn't know who she was, but 
from his description it could only  have been one person: Dolores Umbridge. Harry drops 
his wand in astonishment, accidentally setting Dung's eyebrows on fire. Hermione uses 
Aguamenti, drenching the unfortunate thief. Mundungus chokes and splutters, while the 
Trio, shocked by Dung's news, stare at one another and the scars on the back of Harry's 
hand seem to tingle. 

 
QUESTIONS:
1. It seems the DE's learned where the house must be and that it belongs to Harry, but not 
that it was once headquarters of the Order. Did you think this was a clue to Snape's true 
loyalties? Or did you think the tongue-tying curse was adequate to keep Snape from 
talking? 

2. Does Harry's reaction to Scrimgeour's death hint at  his reaction to learning the truth 
about Snape?

3. The DE's were  able to force their way past the protections put on the other safe houses. 
Did you expect this and did it make you feel any differently about the value of the blood 
protection at Privet Drive? 

4. Does the  general mistrust in the wizarding community and the surveillance and torture 
of Order members go far enough to explain the lack of  resistance to Voldemort's coup?

5. Harry accuses Lupin both of feeling a bit of a daredevil and of being a coward. What is  
Rowling saying about the relationship between recklessness and true bravery? 

6. What do you think of Lupin's reasons for wanting to leave his family? Given earlier
hints in canon that Lupin is an occlumens, is his apparent lack of feeling for Tonks
only a pretense, or is he truly indifferent?

7. It is an axiom of political science that every new regulation creates an opportunity for 
graft. Did Scrimgeour's attempts to restrict the selling of magical devices (HBP ch 5) do 
more harm than good?

8. On a lighter note, I think this is at least the seventh time that canon refers to Umbridge
as a hag. Could she actually be one? 


Pippin, with thanks to SSSusan for proofreading, 

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