[HPforGrownups] End of HP/ (non-TBAY) PINE-ing for Superfluous Characters/ Harry's Patronus

[Richelle Votaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 44840

Fran writes:

> However the "... scar" ending does trouble me a bit.  The ending of
> book 7 is supposed to be an epilogue, and furthermore I fail to see
> how "... scar" can be a well written sentence, worthy of ending the
> seven book series.  Rowling said herself she'd most likely re-write
> it.  If she doesn't, maybe the trio will find their way round the
> underground with the help of Dumbledore's scar? (PS ch 1)

You know, here's something.  Either McGonagall or Hagrid (provided he lives
that long, which I doubt) could say "You know, Dumbledore (or Albus if you
prefer) was right.  It was a handy thing, that scar."  Which would tie it
back perfectly with the opening pages of SS/PS.

GulPlum AKA Richard writes:

> Having said that, I'd like to propose my own candidate for the landfill:
> Professor Minerva McGonagall. She seems to have a lot of lines in the
> books, but are they important?
>
> Let's review her role to date: her biggest scene comes in PS/SS, when she
> has her conversation with Dumbledore at the very beginning, which is
purely
> for the readers' benefit. This conversation could just as easily have been
> with Hagrid.

<snip various negative comments on Minerva McGonagall> :)

> So I say, "off to the SCOW with her! Not only is she a superfluous
> character, but she's an ineffectual leader as well!"

Okay, so what if her time is yet to come?  To touch on mythology here,
Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and war.  Used owls to send messages.
Coincidence?  I think not.  Minerva was also the one who told Perseus how to
defeat Medusa.  I think Minerva McGonagall may be the one who is overlooked.
That it could be she, not Sirius or Lupin or Dumbledore who guides Harry
into the future victory over Voldemort.  But then, it could just be me
liking McGonagall. :)

GulPlum/Richard again, on a different topic:

> As it happens, *IF* I were to want to jump down your throat in this case,
> it would be to decry your timidity and not only invite you to make the
> connection, but pretty much ...err... force it down your throat (to
> continue the metaphor).:-)

Wow, coming from you, I take that as quite a complement. :)

> There is a direct and uncontested link from Pater to Patronus - "-us"
> (occasionally "-onus") is a common Latin suffix equivalent to English
> suffix "-like" (which also made it into English via French as "-ous").
> Therefore Patronus originally meant "father-like", from which it took its
> extended meanings as you outlined above. The very first time I saw the
word

<whew> What a relief. :)

> Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but my recollection is that
> Harry's is the only Patronus we've ever witnessed (or at least had
> identified as such). Following on from the etymology above, I would
surmise
> that the expected form of a Patronus would be one's father. As I recall,
> Harry's Patronus at the Quidditch match was "unfocussed", but even if it
> wasn't particularly clear, it would have been obviously not human. Hence
> Dumbledore's surprise.

Ah, that is an interesting theory.  I like that.  I've looked up all I can
find about the patronus, which isn't much.  Let's go back as far as the
dementor on the train.  Lupin does something to get rid of the dementor,
something that a "silvery thing shot out of his wand at it."  Whether this
was or wasn't a patronus, I don't know, Lupin did say there were "certain
defenses one can use."  This does imply there is more than one method.  And
Lupin's whatever wasn't seen clearly, so it could've been anything.

Anyway, when Harry asked Lupin what a patronus looked like he says "Each one
is unique to the wizard who conjure it."  Well, obviously he's not going to
say "it'll look like your dad" to Harry, that would get him a bit off task.
And Lupin didn't show Harry a patronus. A good teacher--and I should know
;)--always demonstrates by modeling before asking a student to attempt the
task.  As Lupin seems to be a very good teacher, I wondered why, if this was
such a complicated and advanced charm, that Lupin didn't show him so he'd
know what to expect.   If Harry'd known he was going to be seeing his
father, or a form of his father, that would certainly make him unfocused to
say the least.

Richelle

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"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
---- Lady Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring
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