CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 16: In the Hog's Head

[nepenthales]

No: HPFGUIDX 95801

Melody wrote:
<snipping the summary>

> 1)  Why is Hermione now saying Voldemort's name?  Why did she not 
> ever say it before?  Why did she say it in a very public place?

I think she is stepping away from her fear of naming Voldemort in an 
attempt to show Harry her desire to be as courageous as he is.  Also, 
it is showing her increasing willingness to step away from the 
commonly accepted way of things to further the cause she supports--
like S.P.E.W in a way.  
 
> 2)  What is Ron's annoyance with Victor Krum and Hermione's
> relationship based on?  How has it shifted through the last two 
> books?  Is Ron's protective nature towards Hermione the same as his
> protection of Ginny when hearing she too has a possible "boyfriend"?

I'm sure that Ron does feel protective of Hermione in the same sense 
that he does for Ginny, but I think his reaction to her relationship 
with Krum is driven by jealousy.  I think Ron is enamored of Hermione 
and is distressed by the thought that she might be taken before he 
can build up the courage to admit his feelings to her.
  
> 4)  Why did Hermione pick Hog's Head when it actually is more 
> obvious a place for suspicion than anywhere else?  Why did they not 
> heed note when Hagrid got into trouble there years before?  

My guess is that she just thought of it as the kind of place where 
they could meet without a lot of questions asked.  There was also 
greater chance of one of their friends coming over to talk and 
interrupting the meeting at the Three Broomsticks.  They would have 
been taking a risk wherever they met.  She might have thought that, 
since Hagrid managed to engage in the illegal dragon trade without 
attracting attention, that they would be able to conduct their 
meeting likewise.
 
> 5)  How did the kids not get sick from those filthy mugs they drank?

It came in bottles. :)
 
> 6)  Why is there, once again, no Slytherins willing to have even a
> smidgeon of an open mind about things?  Did the other students just
> not tell them, or did Slytherins not want to come?  

I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that no Slytherins were 
invited because they didn't want to risk someone telling Umbridge.  I 
can see some Slytherins joining the group in book 6 (if they continue 
to meet, of course).
 
> 7) Why is this the first we see of Zachaias Smith?  He seems to be a
> vocal protagonist against Harry, and yet he has not spoken up 
> before. 

I thought this was interesting, though I think it is understandable 
that we've never seen this person before since he isn't in 
Gryffindor. Also, if I remember correctly, he was only invited 
because he overheard a conversation about the meeting, so it may be 
nothing.
 
> 8)  Why had the truth about Harry and his adventures never been
> confirmed before?  Were the kids too scared to ask him directly, or
> was Harry such an odd person and reclusive that kids just left him
> alone?  Why does Dumbledore allow the rumors and does not confirm 
> them or deny them?

Harry doesn't really like the attention he gets anyway, so I don't 
think he would make any effort to publicize his exploits.  There's 
also the fact that his major battles have always taken place at or 
near the end of the school year, so it seems likely that he would be 
able to avoid questions until the end of school and let people forget 
about whatever they may have heard during the break.  Also, I can't 
see Dumbledore discussing Harry with other students except maybe to 
tell them to cut him some slack.
 
> 9)  Hermione and Luna have the same relationship as McGonagall and
> Trelawney.  Is this parallel meant to be carried further to say Luna
> might actually be correct about one of her oddball views, or is it
> only to be amusing?

I think the parallels here are very significant.  Hermione and 
McGonagall are perceptive of their situations and surroundings in a 
very scientific sort of way.  They believe Luna and Trelawney to be 
eccentric and phony because they are obviously not aware of their 
flaky appearances and don't seem to value the sort of concrete, 
deterministic analysis that they do.  Despite this, Luna and 
Trelawney are perceptive in ways that Hermione and McGonagall are 
not, and play a vital and valuable role by providing the kinds of 
insight that deterministic thinking cannot give you.  After all, the 
whole series of events of the story was started as the result of 
Trelawney's prophacy, despite her fraudulant appearance.
 
> 10)  Why does Hermione take Luna to be such a threat?  

I don't think Hermione sees Luna as a threat so much as she dislikes 
her belief in unsubstantiable theories and stories.

> 11)  Ginny now seems to be past her little girl crush with Harry.  
> Is her newfound love for boys an attention at moving on or just 
> passing time until Harry is ready?

Could be.  We'll just have to see.  She didn't seem particularly 
upset about ditching Michael Corner, though, and it didn't take her 
long to find someone else, which makes me think that she doesn't 
really take these relationships seriously.  I think she is still 
attracted to Harry, but perhaps for different reasons than she was 
before.

> 12)  In the end of the chapter, Hermione is the social informer to 
> all things romantic.  Is this within her character's scope, or is 
> she branching out beyond her normal self?  Or another way of 
> asking, is she just acting like a 15 year old girl?
 
I'd say she's just acting like a 15 year old girl. :)