[HPforGrownups] CHAPTER SUMMARIES/DISCUSSION - CH. 13-15, CoS

[Catherine Keegan]

No: HPFGUIDX 25494

Hi!  I'm a new reader and am enjoying the list immensely.  FWIW, I started 
the series in June and have only read it through twice for the first two 
and once for the last two.

At 05:52 PM 9/3/01 +0000, you 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 vote for the morbid curiosity.  I do have a question though - why does it 
take so long for her to be able to revert?  The guys only had to be trapped 
in those bodies for an hour.  Does jumping species lines take longer?  And, 
why didn't she turn completely into a cat?  Too difficult for the 
potion?  The only clue I see in the book says it isn't supposed to be used 
for animals, but obviously it sort of worked.  I've puzzled over that one 
for a while.

>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.

  Ron comes from a Ministry of Magic family so he'll drag out the stories 
his dad's told him in his view of things.

>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."

I think there's a lot more to Flitwick than meets the eye.  I also see him 
as an impish figure with probably a bit of a past.  Why?  I have not one 
idea but that's my mental image.  I'm sure the movie will change that...

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

Don't you remember being 12 or 13 and having a good-looking teacher?

>5) Harry says "There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of
>them, not even... 'dentist, half-past three.'"  A logistical
>question: How does one visit the dentist while at Hogwarts?  Is Madam
>Pomfrey trained in dental charms?

She can shrink teeth as was pointed out by someone else.  She probably has 
a bunch of useful charms and spells, most of which seem to involve chocolate.

>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?

She's a kid.  It's Valentine's Day.  She probably was swept up in the 
"everyone else is doing it" fever.

>7) Harry never thinks of Riddle as "Tom," but always "Riddle," even
>before he (Harry) realizes who he (Riddle) really is.  Is JKR setting
>the reader up for Riddle's real identity by not having Harry think of
>him in more familiar terms?  (In the diary, Riddle calls Harry "Harry
>Potter," and either "Harry" or "Harry Potter" during their
>confrontation at the end of the chapter.)

I use last name labels for a lot of people, myself included!

>8) Harry never gets to see how Hagrid is captured and Aragog
>escapes.  Guesses?

I think Hagrid knocked Tom out when he jumped on him.  No memories of the 
actual event.

>Ch. 14
>9) Fudge - secretly evil or just a moron?

Worse.  I think he's a politician.  Various comments about his career and 
generous contributions by the Malfoys make him sound like your garden 
variety politician.

>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?

The comment: "At this rate, there'll be no more Muggle-borns left at 
Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school." 
sounds more (when read with the rest of the paragraph) like sarcasm to 
me.   I'd like to know how much Lucius knew about how the diary works.  Did 
he have little chats with Tom before he gave Ginny the diary?  I can just 
hear the slow and sarcastic phrasing when I read the text.

>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?

I think he knew Harry would be there.  There are times I think Dumbledore 
knows everything that everyone is doing - both during the school term and 
during the summer.  Not the best answer to this question I'll have to mull 
on it a bit.

>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?

Human nature.  When the first choice of answers doesn't work, 
switch.  Harry spoke to snakes.  Hagrid, well, Hagrid is Hagrid.  Lee 
Jordan certainly thought the heir was a 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?

As was posted already, Aragog probably doesn't eat humans but his children 
aren't bound by his promise.

>14) There are several instances of possible foreshadowing in these
>chapters: *The comparison of Percy to Riddle

I wonder if Percy's need for recognition (GoF) will bring troubles to Harry 
in the future.  Percy would be the perfect person to reveal some kind of 
important information to someone in power who might pat Percy on the head 
or promote him.  I could easily see Percy falling into the wrong crowd if 
he thought they were his friends or could help him out.

>*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?

Obviously.

>After all, isn't one of Harry's biggest fans supposed to die?

I'm new at this and I haven't seen this one before.  Is this from an 
interview with JKR?

>*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.)

I still think Ron was just mirroring back stories he's heard at home re: 
book.  I'm not sold on the Seer theme that I've read about several times on 
the list.  Of course, I don't read the fanfic, either.

>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?

If I had to read the same book forever, I'd definitely go for limericks.

Catherine
Albion, CA