CHAP. 16 SUMMARY: Trelawney's Prediction

[Zarleycat at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 21397

It's exam time at Hogwarts.  Hermione has several exams scheduled at 
the same time and is showing some strain at all the studying she must 
do.  The news that an executioner will be at Buckbeak's appeal makes 
Harry and friends believe that the appeal process has been unduly 
influenced by the Malfoys.

The final for DADA consists of an obstacle course created by 
Professor Lupin.  Harry receives full marks, Ron has a problem with 
the hinkypunk and Hermione's boggart is McGonagall, who tells 
Hermione that she fails all her exams.

On the way back to the castle, the three run into Cornelius Fudge, 
who tells them hs is there to be the required witness to the 
execution of a mad hippogriff.  Ron confronts Fudge by reminding him 
that, as the appeal has not yet been heard, perhaps there will be no 
need for an execution.  However, at this point two other wizards join 
Fudge, one of them a tall, black-mustached man fingering an ax.  
Harry, Ron and Hermione eat a quiet lunch, lost in worry about Hagrid 
and Buckbeak.

After lunch Harry and Ron go off to their Divination final.  
Professor Trelawney examines each student individually.  Ron and 
Harry are the last to be tested.  Harry, like Ron, sees nothing in 
the crystal ball, so makes up a vision of seeing a hippogriff with 
its head firmly in place.  He sticks to this story even though 
Trelawney attempts to guide his vision towards seeing the hippogriff 
with its head chopped off.

As Harry turns to leave the tower, Trelawney's voice becomes harsh 
and loud.  She appears to be having some sort of seizure.  Then she 
speaks and predicts that the Dark Lord's servant will break free to 
rejoin his master before midnight. When she comes back to herself 
Harry tells her what she said.  She brushes him off, saying she 
wouldn't presume to make that sort of prediction.

When Harry gets back to the Gryffindor common room, all thoughts of 
the prediction fly out of his head when he hears that Buckbeak is to 
be executed.  The three frineds decided they'll use the Invisibility 
Cloak to sneak out to Hagrid's cabin.  Hermione volunteers to 
retrieve the cloak from the passageway under the one-eyed witch, much 
to Ron's admiration.  After dinner the three go to Hagrid's to try to 
give him some comfort.  While in Hagrid's cabin, Hermione finds 
Scabbers. The rat looks worse than ever and keeps struggling to get 
away from Ron.  This struggle continues as the Trio leave to return 
to the castle.  However, even Scabbers' mad squealing isn't loud 
enough to drown out the sound of the swish and thud of the ax.

Questions:

1.  WHen Harry confronted the boggart in the DADA exam, did it turn 
into a dementor?
2.  Lucius Malfoy wields a lot of influence.  What does this tell us 
about the role of status and wealth in wizard society?
3.  Trelawney questions Harry's interpretation of his imaginary 
vision of the hippogriff in the crystal ball.  Is this because she 
knows he's faking it or because she is actually making a prediciton 
herself about the outcome of the appeal?
4.  Why doesn't Trelawney recognize that she has made a prediciton 
when she speaks about the servant of the Dark Lord?
5.  Ron sees Hermione in a different light since she slapped Draco, 
dropped Divination class and now volunteers to retrieve the Cloak.  
What is it about her actions that he finds most appealing?

Marianne - stay tuned for Chapter 17