OOP: What's different

[Mimi Barker]

No: HPFGUIDX 63433

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I was struck by several things that were quite different in this book 
than in any of the previous four. Some things that were missing -- 
Harry's birthday. We hear about it but only after the fact. 

Halloween. In every previous book, there is a big Hogwarts feast on 
Halloween and something significant happens that gets the ball 
rolling. Halloween isn't even mentioned in this book. I can't believe 
JKR just let that slip, so what does it mean? One thought is that 
Harry's original defeat of Voldemort happened on Halloween, so the 
feast was a celebration specifically of that. Now that LV is back, no 
reason to have the annual celebration. Kind of like having your 
Independence Day while you are being occupied by a foreign power. Or 
does JKR have another reason? She could have told us that one, but 
Halloween just goes by with no comment from anyone.

Diagon Alley. Molly Weasley goes to get school things, but none of 
the students in Harry's circle set foot there this whole book, except 
maybe Fred and George if that is where they went on leaving Hogwarts.

There was a lot of YELLING in this book, and a lot of people telling 
other people to shut up. I didn't like Molly Weasley much in OOP, but 
then I don't like being yelled at. The telling people to shut up may 
have been a clue in that Dumbledore's shutting up in effect was a 
major factor in the outcome.

I think Sirius had to die (though I didn't see it coming) because 
(for plot reasons) Harry had to find out about the Veil, and see 
someone pass through it. It had to be someone really close to him, 
but whose death would not have a major impact on any other character. 
So it couldn't have been one of the teachers or the Weasleys, or 
Hermione, at this point. I think that in one of the future books 
Harry will try to pass through the Veil on Halloween (maybe why 
Halloween was left out of this one, to lead us astray), and that our 
introduction to it here is just setting us up to see it again.

My first read through was fast and furious to find out what happens, 
but now I am going through again more slowly looking for clues, and 
am struck by many lines that are much more significant once you know 
the ending. 

For example:

All the repeated warnings to Harry in the beginning not to leave the 
house.

"... said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind..."

"I need to Disillusion you." (Moody to Harry)

On arriving at 12 Grimmauld Place "it was as though they had just 
entered the house of a dying person."

Dumbledore: "Even the best wizards cannot always control their 
emotions." 

Sirius: "It's a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; 
once he does, the whole Ministry is going to be begging us to forgive 
them. And I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology."

Ron: "It won't hurt to have some new blood."

Hermione: "Dumbledore's got plenty of evidence even if he doesn't 
share it with you."

McGonagall: "It's about keeping your head down and your temper under 
control."

I'll be watching for the return of Neville's cactus, mimbulus 
mimbletonia. He never did get around to explaining what its great 
qualities were, and the shooting Stinksap was unexpected to him. 
Notice that Neville and Harry got covered in the stuff and Luna and 
Ginny got splattered with it. And then those four end up fighting 
together in the end. Coincidence?

One reason Harry needs to learn Occlumency is because LV has mastered 
Legilimency and almost always knows when someone is lying to him. The 
lines that are carved into Harry's hand during his detentions are "I 
must not tell lies." Now he has scars on the back of his right hand 
too. Coincidence?

Back to clue hunting....

Mimi (first time poster, long time HP fan)