CHAPTER SUMMARIES/DISCUSSION - CH. 13-15, CoS

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 25455

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Allison" <sundancekid at m...> wrote:
> Questions:
> Ch.13
> 1) Why do so many people come by the hospital wing to see 
Hermione?  
> Actual concern for her or morbid curiosity about a potential 
> Petrification victim?

I think it was the fact that no one knew what had happened to her - 
therefore rumour was rife and people were trying to look at her to 
see if she had been petrified and the staff were keeping it quiet.

> 2) On the "Ron-turning-traitor" front: When Harry attempts to pick 
up 
> the diary, Ron's first thought is not curiosity about what sort of 
> book someone would choose to throw at Myrtle, but fear for Harry's 
> safety.  Discuss.

The "Ron-turning-traitor" front?  As much as I dislike Ron (well, not 
dislike, but he isn't my favourite character) I never thought that he 
would knowingly, or at least willingly, turn traitor.  I have always 
thought that he is a candidate for excessive use of Imperious Curse 
(or bribery! <g>)

No, this scene for me was just another way in which JKR shows how 
ignorant Harry is of the Wizrding world - and Ron having to clue him 
in - warning.


> 3) Does anyone think Flitwick really knows anything about 
Entrancing 
> Enchantments, apart from a purely academic standpoint?  I'm just 
> curious - I have a hard time reconciling my mental image of 
Flitwick 
> to a "sly old dog."

No idea - but I think that this is a good example of how Lockhart 
uses his genial persona to really embarrass the rest of the 
professors.  He is very sadistic.

> 4) Hermione is a Very Smart Witch.  Why on earth, then, does she 
like 
> *Lockhart*? 

I like the idea which was put forward recently that Lockhart somehow 
charmed women into liking him.  A kind of male Veela?
> 
> 6) Ginny, it seems, did give Harry the Valentine.  Did she do so 
> because she liked him, or did she do it under the influence of 
> Riddle, for some reason no one can fathom because we aren't quite 
> that evil?

Controversy!  It is by no means clear that Ginny sent Harry the 
Valentine.   I am of the opinion that Draco sent it, or Riddle made 
her send it.  See about a million posts on the subject!
 
> Ch. 14
> 9) Fudge - secretly evil or just a moron?

An ostrich.  I always remember his scenes at the end of GoF, when he 
asks Dumbledore "pleadingly" to tell him that Voldemort can't have 
come back.  Ineffectual, blustery, but not evil.  Remember, he took a 
personal interest in Harry when Sirius escaped.

> 10) Lucius does a really terrible job of covering up his real 
> feelings regarding blood purity.  Why?  Perhaps he's more in 
contact 
> with Voldie than we're aware of?  Is he counting on Riddle's 
ability 
> to control Ginny permanently?  Does he assume it's safe, with 
> Dumbledore temporarily out of commission?  How can he underestimate 
> Dumbledore that much?

I think that he's counting on Ginny dying and Riddle taking on a 
proper form.  Although what good that would do I don't know.  Would 
it mean there are two Voldys out there?  Heaven forbid!

> 11) This marks the second time Dumbledore has known Harry was there 
> even though Harry was wearing an Invisibility Cloak.  How?  Perhaps 
> there's more to Dumbledore's half-moon glasses than meets the eye?  
> This also opens up a possible glasses connection - we know Harry's 
> glasses/eyes are important - what about Dumbledore's?

IIRC, weren't they having tea or something?  I think that Dumbledore 
knew that Harry was likely to have visited Hagrid - and the number of 
teacups confirms it, so is pretty sure that Harry and Ron are hiding 
in the room somewhere.  However, I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to 
be able to see through invisibility cloaks anyway.

> 12) Why do people think the Heir of *Slytherin* is someone from 
> another House?  First Harry, then Hagrid.  Am I the only one who 
> thinks this makes no sense?

Perhaps they thought that Slytherin's heir would deliberately be 
sorted into a different house, so he would be, in effect, incognito 
and would therefore get away with much more - ie. not come under 
suspicion because he wasn't in Slytherin.


> Ch. 15
> 13) Out of respect for Hagrid, Aragog claims he never harmed a 
soul.  
> Yet he "cannot deny them [his children] fresh meat," and would 
> willingly feed Hagrid's friends, who sought the spiders out to help 
> Hagrid, to his children.  How does he justify this?

I have never understood this.  Aragog knows that Harry and Ron are 
trying to help Hagrid, as well as everyone else.  Perhaps he is going 
senile?

> 14) There are several instances of possible foreshadowing in these 
> chapters: 
> *The comparison of Percy to Riddle
> *Hagrid's penchant for Big Scary Things once again places the Trio 
in 
> danger.  As Ron says, "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as 
> they're made out, and look where it's got him!"  This doesn't just 
> apply to beasts - could Hagrid's trusting nature put him or Harry 
in 
> danger?  After all, isn't one of Harry's biggest fans supposed to 
die?
> *Ron's abilities as a Seer: his fear the book could be dangerous 
> turns out to be true, in a way.  He jokes that maybe Riddle 
murdered 
> Myrtle - this turns out to be true.  Discuss all.  (Ack!  I sound 
> like a teacher.  Apologies.)

Firstly, I don't think that Rercy is anything like Tom Riddle 
whatsoever.  The comment about them seeming similar must be seen in 
the context of the fact that Tom Riddle is *pretending* to follow and 
uphold rules.  Percy actually does so.  Riddle is described 
as "brilliant".  Percy works incredibly hard.  I think this is a red 
herring, and an example of Ron getting it completely wrong - he 
always goes for superficialities.
I don't want to think about Hagrid dying - love the guy to bits.  I 
also don't think that there's a beast out there that he and Harry 
couldn't cope with.  
Ron isn't a Seer!  In this instance he is doing what any person who 
has grown up in the Wizarding World would have done - warned a friend 
that books aren't always what they seem and caution should be 
exercised.  As I said above, he is merely stating what he knows.
As far as Moaning Myrtle is concerned - he's just being nasty.  Poor 
Myrtle, I feel sorry for her.

> 15) Pointless Silly Question: Which would you prefer: having to 
speak 
> in limericks for the rest of your life, or never being able to stop 
> reading?

Reading, considering it's what I spend most of my time doing anyway!