PoA Chapters 21-22 Summary (even better format)

[Allison]

No: HPFGUIDX 22182

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., naama_gat at h... wrote:
> Q: Had Black really meant to kill him then? It was a very dangerous 
> prank, but was it cruelty on Black's part or thoughtlessness?

I *want* to think it was just thoughtlessness.  Snape annoyed Sirius 
and he lost his temper.  Not smart, but excuseable.  However, Sirius 
had every intention of killing Wormtail before Harry stopped him, 
which leads me to think Sirius *is* capable of killing.  However, the 
incident with Wormtail occurs after twelve years in prison, and that 
does something to a person.


> Q: Why tell it in clues? Great for the story and suspense building, 
> but was it really reasonable when so much is at stake? What if they 
> hadn't understood?

It broke all sorts of rules for Hermione to use the Time-Turner to 
help Sirius: aiding and abetting a fugitive, aiding and abbetting a 
condemned hippogriff, and using the Time-Turner for non-school 
related activities.  Didn't Hermione have to promise McGonagall she 
wouldn't use it for anything besides getting to all her classes?  So 
Dumbledore suggested a solution, knowing Hermione was clever enough 
to figure it out, without breaking any rules.


> Q: Is there some rule as to what shape a Patronus takes? If so, 
> what is the rule? What can we conclude about it from Harry's 
> Patronus? Did anybody read this bit without tears in her/his eyes?

I think the "rule" is just that a Patronus takes the form of 
something happy, or something that protects you.  The memory of 
Harry's parents is quite comforting to him.  What I don't get is how 
it was a stag.  Harry knew his father was called Prongs, but he 
didn't know what kind of animal that meant, because he wanted to ask 
Sirius.  So how could his Patronus have been his father's Animagi 
form?  


> Q: Why, though? This point has always rather confused me. 
> A "single, very happy memory" is not the same as self-confidence, 
> is it?

Here, I just think Harry meant it was easy for him to do it because 
he'd already succeeded once.  He'd managed to produce some indistinct 
Patronuses in practice with Lupin, but having already done it once 
for real, it was easier to do again.  I don't think it has anything 
to do with his happy memory.  (Although I'm always a bit confused by 
this whole time travel part too.)


> Q: Why?? How can he hate him so much as to want him to 
> receive the Kiss? Is it reasonable for a boy's grudge to be 
> taken to such an extreme?

No, it's not reasonable.  I'm not a big Snape fan, so this might 
sound a bit harsh, but I think Snape is a very warped and bitter 
person.  My guess is his life has not been so happy, and he's left 
with more unhappy memories then happy ones.  Sirius says Snape was 
jealous of James, and Sirius isn't the most objective source, but 
maybe Snape was jealous of all the Marauders.  He had friends, but 
really.  The Future Death Eaters of Britain can't be much fun.  
They'd probably rather read up on their curses then play practical 
jokes.  And those mentioned as Snape's friends wind up either dead or 
in Azkaban.  So Snape was all alone when he came back to the good guy 
side.  I think Snape is bitter and jealous, and would like to see 
Sirius dead because perhaps Sirius represents what he could have 
been - at least in childhood.  *sigh*  Snape may be on the "good guy" 
side, but I don't think he is or ever was a very nice person.


> Q: If werewolves are 
> only dangerous at the time of the full moon, why are people 
> afraid of them all the time? I can understand the fear when 
> you don't know who the werewolf is, but when you know 
> who he is, it should be easy to take precautions against him, 
> no? Doesn't it remind you of another prejudice against a 
> different disease?

I think this is a perfect example of blind prejudice.  Everybody 
loves Lupin until they know what he is, then they hate him.  My guess 
is JKR is using Lupin as a part of her big message on tolerance, to 
show how ridiculus it is to fear Lupin, who doesn't want to hurt 
anyone.

> C: how is he feeling now, returning to a life where 
> no one is willing to hire him? Where no one will trust him? 
> Does he have a family? Friends who can help?

How he feels?  My guess is like crap.  And guilty (over possibly 
endangering his students the night before) and sad.  From the way 
Lupin recounts his childhood, it sounds like he has a fairly 
supportive family.  And he must have a place to live.  (End of GoF, 
Dumbledore tells Sirius to "lay low at Lupin's for a while," or 
something to that extent.)


> [Q: What was the first?!?!?!?] 

I know everyone makes such a big deal out of this, but isn't it 
possible Dumbledore was joking, or that her first prediction is 
irrelevant to the story?  *ducks tomatos thrown by other list members*


> [Q: In what way will this happen? Is 
> the bond that Dumbledore refers to a magical bond or a moral 
> bond?] 

There does seem to be some sort of magical bond between a person who 
saved someone else's life and that person.  Though the "magic" bond 
could well be tied up with the moral one.  Perhaps this means 
Wormtail won't be able to kill Harry.  Or even help kill him.  Though 
he did cut Harry to help bring V. back.  I wonder what that cost him -
 I mean did it take more effort, physically or mentally?


> [C: More by feeling cared for than by the permission itself, 
> maybe?] 

Oh, definitely.  I think the main source of Harry's joy is that he 
now has a father-figure in his life.

Allison