OoP - Jenny's Big Questions - Spoilers!

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 61469

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jenny_ravenclaw" 
<meboriqua at a...> wrote:
> Hey!  Wow - we made it!  I am still digesting it all and am 
currently 
> on my second read.  I have some burning questions, though and 
wonder 
> what you all think.
> 
> S
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> F
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> 
> 1. What do you all think of House Elves now, especially with the 
awful 
> Kreacher being introduced?  Do they really choose their lot or are 
> they completely "trained" by their owners (as Dumbledore implied)?

Kreacher was truly awful, wasn't he?  I have to admit, I still felt 
kind of sorry for him, the same way I felt sorry for Winky when she 
kept trying to cover up for Crouch, even after he was cruel to her 
and kicked her out.  I think Kreacher has been thoroughly warped and 
brainwashed by Sirius' mother, who was probably a lot more cruel to 
him than Sirius was.

> 
> 2. What do you think of Harry using Crucio on Bellatrix?  This was 
a 
> big shock to me.

It shocked me too, though I was slightly reassured to find that he 
couldn't sustain it properly.  Apparently, Harry lacks the true 
sadistic impulse.  He may wish to hurt someone out of vengefulness 
in anger, but he doesn't enjoy inflicting pain for its own sake, 
which apparently is a requirement for a successfull Crucio.  Still, 
the fact that he even tried it, having experienced the effects first-
hand and knowing what it did to Neville's parents, is pretty 
disturbing.  I think it may tie in with that scene in "The Lost 
Prophecy" where Harry screams that he doesn't want to be human if it 
means feeling the pain he's feeling.  I know it's dreadfully early 
to speculate about book 6, but I'm wondering if we're being set up 
for Harry's temptation to go Dark -- not to join Voldemort, but to 
defeat him.  Sirius' death may be the straw that temporarily breaks 
Harry's spirit.  In his determination not to lose anyone else, and 
to feel no more pain, Harry may decide that the only thing left to 
do is for him to set *himself* up as the biggest bully in the 
playground.  Harry was already much darker in this book than in any 
of the previous ones.  I can easily see it getting worse before it 
gets better.


> 
> 3. Why do you think JKR chose for Sirius to be the one to die?  
Was 
> she taking it too far for Harry?

Because she's a horrible, evil woman who wants me to suffer, 
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!  No, not Sirius, 
whydidithavetobeSiriusanyonebutSirius, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

<ahem>

Sorry about that.  Lost it there for a moment.  Been doing that on 
and off since I finished the book last night.  But I'm getting 
better, really.

Seriously, see my answer to #2 as to why JKR might've chosen Sirius.


> 
> 4. What do you think of the way JKR portrays the MoM - and 
government 
> in general?

Pretty chilling.  I think Dolores Umbridge is the nastiest villain 
we've seen so far, and the fact that the Ministry employs a monster 
like her only goes to confirm my belief that wizard society needs to 
be reformed from the ground up, and that part of Harry's job as hero 
is to achieve this.

> 
> 5. Should Hagrid stay on as CoMC teacher?  Am I the only one who 
> continues to think he's a moron?

I like Hagrid, but his capacity for self-delusion in this book was 
truly amazing.  The whole mess with his brother just made me shake 
my head and mutter, "Hagrid, you idiot..."  All that aside, however, 
it should be noted that he was giving a perfectly good, informative, 
interesting lesson before Umbridge butted in and wrecked it.

> 
> 6. Why did Percy turn his back on his family, especially his 
mother?  
> What will become of him now?

Damned if I know.  I'm deeply disappointed in Percy, but still hold 
out hope for a redemption.

> 
> 7. Are we supposed to dislike James Potter now?

I don't think so.  It's not like this revelation was a huge 
surprise, many people on this list have theorized that James and 
Sirius were arrogant bullies in their school days.  Personally, I'm 
*glad* to see that James wasn't a paragon.  His behavior was 
apalling.  But it seems that he did, eventually, grow into a good 
man, and might've grown into a still better one had he lived.

(BTW, am I the only one who found it a bit difficult to reconcile 
the snotty, full-of-himself Sirius in that scene with our new 
knowledge that less than a year later he'd be running away from home 
to escape a desperately unhappy family life?  I suppose it could've 
all been for show, a defensive pose.  None of which excuses the 
bullying.)

> 
> 8. Who else dreamed about Harry last night?

Not me.  I was dreaming about Sirius.  WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com