PoA Chapters 21-22 Summary (even better format)

[Hannah Roderick]

No: HPFGUIDX 22192

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?

Sirius strikes me as someone who was rather irresponsible at school, but I
really don't think he'd have done something this serious (excuse the dodgy
pun!) as a "joke".  For a start, it would allow Snape to find out that Remus
was a werewolf - and surely Sirius would know that Snape would then spread
it around the school.  Also, Snape might have found out that James and his
three friends were Animaguses - and I bet he would have gone running to
squeal on them the minute he found out.  This whole "James having to save
Snape's life" situation is very much a jigsaw with half the pieces missing,
and it doesn't half frustrate me.  But to say that Sirius was being
thoughtless would, I think, be an insult to him.  He strikes me as a fierce
and loyal friend, and one that wouldn't break the code of secrecy over the
werewolf-and-animagus scam -- something must have pushed him to do it; what,
alas, I cannot say for sure. Alternatively, he really wanted to see Snape
get gobbled up.  And why not?  ::thinks of movie without sexy Alan Rickman
and backtracks hastily::  Or perhaps not :)

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?

Well, to be brief ... it's Hermione.  She already proved that she has a keen
and logical mind in PS/SS.  How could she *not* have worked it out?  But in
more detail, I guess it's kind of allowing them to prove themselves as
worthy.  After all, Harry had to work out the Sphinx's clue before he could
get to the Triwizard Cup in GoF.  I'm not really expressing myself as I'd
like to, but never mind.  Another way of thinking about it is that it was
slightly cryptic and kept their minds working ... Hermione figured out what
Dumbledore meant about the Timeturner and took her and Harry back in time
before they really had time to think about it.  Had Dumbledore spelled it
out for them, they would probably, knowing human nature, have panicked.
Also,  he's absolving himself of any guilt.  To all intents and purposes, he
didn't tell them what to do.

Q: What's wrong with a broomstick? Why did they need Buckbeak?

Dumbledore told them they could save 'two lives' that night.  Yeah, they
*could* have used broomsticks.  It would have been easier.  But Buckbeak
would have then got the chop.  And then it's likely that they wouldn't have
been on the far side of the lake in time for Harry to leap out in time to do
his Patronus and save the day.
.
Q (very nitpicky): Buckbeak is described as "tied to the fence around
Hagrid's pumpkin patch." When Harry goes to free
him, he "vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch and approached Buckbeak".
>From this it would seem that Buckbeak is inside the patch. But - how did
Harry then get him over the fence? Harry is described as simply leading him
several steps into the forest - from which it would seem that Buckbeak was
tied to the fence on the outside of the pumpkin patch. In or out?

This had never occurred to me.  But ... er ... how big are Hippogriffs??  He
looks pretty damn huge on the cover of my book (UK edition).  Maybe Buckbeak
was able to just step over the fence after being untied.  Harry, of course,
would have had to do a bit of an awkward climb back over while holding the
rope.  Which ... isn't mentioned.  I guess the whole 'vaulting' thing was to
add tension and action, and what you've uncovered here is a minor plot-hole.
I'm sure that *someone* out there will come out with a marvellous solution
that will make us all hit our heads with our hands and say "O-oh, right!"

Q: "Harry looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely."
SO WHAT? The question we have written ourselves hoarse on - why didn't Lupin
transform before? Surely the transformation isn't dependent on being hit
directly by the beams of the moon, or else why hadn't Lupin simply stayed in
a closed room at the time of the full moon to prevent
transformation?

I think it also has something to do with the angle of the moon in the sky.
It's got to be past a certain height before the transformation begins.

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?

My thoughts on this are that a Patronus takes on the shape of something that
its wizard/witch finds comforting -- something that can reinforce their
happy memory, and thus make itself stronger.  We can conclude, as we have
always been able to, that Harry's father is extremely important to him; that
Harry does not only physically resemble James Potter but also has something
of him inside him; that the Patronus is something akin to one's 'guardian
angel'.  I must admit that I think I did read this the first time without
tears in my eyes.  It was the first of the HP books that I'd read, and I
wasn't fully clued in on the story.  But every time since then I do get a
little sniffly.

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

Harry's self-confidence leads to him to be able to draw on his happy memory
without thinking about it.   I don't think that self confidence *is* being
compared to a happy memory here.  Indeed, Jo doesn't even mention what his
happy memory is, does she?  What does everyone think it is?

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?

This thing has been allowed to fester over time.  A covered wound that isn't
cleaned just becomes fouler.  Snape has brooded on this for about twenty
years or so ... he has probably made it out to be worse than it actually was
in the years that have passed.  But actually, I'm talking rubbish.  He would
have to be one sick parrot for my theory to work out.  I'm back at the old
'Jo's keeping something from us' standby.  We don't have all the pieces here
to get a full picture.  My guess is a mixture of jealousy, mutual dislike,
and whatever reason caused Sirius to tell Snape to go find a werewolf.

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 guess it can be put down to bigotry passed down from parents to children.
An unfortunate but all-too common trait in the modern world.

Q: What was the first?!?!?!?

My guess is it had something to do with either Lord Voldemort's rise to
power, or, more likely, his defeat by Harry.  This would have prompted
Dumbledore to look after James and Lily closely.

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

It's a combination of both magical and moral.  I think that Peter will be
given the chance to redeem himself in the future.  Perhaps he will give his
life to save Harry's.  Or maybe, in the next book, he will be ordered to
kill Harry, but won't be able to.  The bond will have been broken, but Harry
will have escaped to star in yet another hugely successful book :)

C: is there a book that doesn't end with Malfoy being foiled?

Nope.  And that's the way we like it!


I apologise for repeating points that other people have already made - I
haven't checked any other responses yet.

Hannah :)

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Nine out of ten Slytherins choose Draco - I prefer Longbottom, meself
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