CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 22 - St. Mungo's Hospital

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No: HPFGUIDX 104467

Chapter Twenty-Two Summary - St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies
and Injuries


The chapter opens with McGonagall taking Harry and Ron to see
Professor Dumbledore, after Harry woke from a vision in which he saw
Arthur Weasley being attacked and seriously wounded by a giant snake.
They arrive in Dumbledore's office, where Harry explains that it
wasn't a nightmare that he'd had. Dumbledore asks specifically "how"
Harry saw this, and Harry admits that he'd seen it from the snake's
point of view. Harry is irritated that Dumbledore doesn't look at him,
but instead looks at his fingers, the ceiling, or Ron. 

Dumbledore speaks to two of the portraits in his office, those of
Everard and Dilys, asking them to raise an alarm so Arthur could be
found by the "right people." They both agree, and the two leave their
paintings, but rather than appearing in neighboring paintings, they
both disappear. Dumbledore explains that Everard and Dilys were so
renowned that they have portraits hanging in other wizarding
institutions. Free to move between their own portraits, Dumbledore
hopes they could gather information elsewhere and bring it back. 

Dumbledore sends Fawkes off to act as a sentry, and then takes out a
silver instrument Harry had never seen used before. When tapped with
Dumbledore's wand, the instrument begins making rhythmic clicking
noises and issuing small puffs of pale green smoke from a silver tube
at the top. As Dumbledore watches, brows furrowed, the puffs became a
steady stream of smoke which shifts into the shape of a serpent.
Sounding unsurprised by this, Dumbledore murmurs, "Naturally,
naturally," and then asks, "But in essence divided?" The smoke divides
itself into two snakes. Looking grimly satisfied, Dumbledore taps the
instrument, and it grows quiet again. 

Before Harry could ask what the instrument did, Everard reappears in
his painting. He tells Dumbledore that he was able to get help for
Arthur, who had been covered in blood and didn't look good when he was
carried up. Moments later, Dilys returns, confirming that Arthur,
looking bad, had arrived at St. Mungo's. Dumbledore asks McGonagall to
wake the other Weasley children, and says that he will send Fawkes for
Molly once he was finished keeping lookout.

Dumbledore goes to another portrait, this one of a clever-looking
wizard with a pointed beard, wearing Slytherin colours. Dumbledore
speaks to him several times before the person in the portrait responds
from his obviously feigned sleep. When Phineas is finally "awake,"
Dumbledore asks him to visit his other portrait and deliver a message.
When Phineas says he is too tired, the other portraits in the room
protest, saying it is Phineas' duty to serve the current Head of
Hogwarts. 

Phineas agrees to help, but says he won't be surprised if Sirius had
destroyed his painting. At this point, Harry remembers where he'd
heard that voice before - from the painting in his bedroom at
Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore assures Phineas that the painting has not
been destroyed, and asks him to tell Sirius that Arthur Weasley has
been injured, and that his wife, children, and Harry Potter would be
arriving shortly. 

McGonagall returns, with the rest of the Weasley students. Before
Harry could speak, Dumbledore explains that Arthur has been injured in
the course of his work for the Order, and has been taken to St.
Mungo's. Dumbledore adds that he is going to send them to Sirius'
house for convenience. When Fred asks if they'd be traveling by floo
powder, Dumbledore tells him that would be too dangerous, as the
Network was being watched, so they'd be traveling by Portkey instead.

A flash of flame appears, and a single golden feather floats onto the
floor: a warning from Fawkes that Umbridge is coming. Dumbledore says
she must know the students are out of their beds, and asks McGonagall
to go and stall her. Phineas reappears, telling Dumbledore in a bored
voice that Sirius had said he'd be delighted to have house guests.
Dumbledore tells them to hurry, and the students gather around
Dumbledore's desk. 

As they reach out to touch the Portkey, Harry looks up at Dumbledore,
and in that split second, Dumbledore meets Harry's eyes with his own.
Immediately, Harry's scar burns white-hot, and a feeling of hatred -
unwanted but terrifyingly strong - rises up inside Harry. He has the
urge to strike, to bite, to sink his fangs into Dumbledore . . . 

Then, the Portkey is activated, and Harry is pulled, along with the
others, to the basement of Grimmauld Place. Harry hears Kreacher say,
"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's
dying?" Sirius roars "OUT!" in response, after which Kreacher
disappears through the doorway. Sirius helps the others to their feet,
asking what had happened. Fred tells him to ask Harry, and George
agrees that *he'd* like to hear Harry's story, as well. Harry tells
them what he saw, although he makes it sound as though he'd been
outside the snake, watching. He feels they are blaming him for what
happened, and he doesn't want to make it sound any worse. 

Ginny and the others want to go to St. Mungo's immediately, but Sirius
tells them that they can't - that it would raise suspicion for the
Weasley children to arrive before their mother. When the twins argue,
Sirius adds that they don't want to draw attention to the fact that
Harry is having visions of things happening hundreds of miles away,
because of the danger in the Ministry learning that information. The
Weasleys become angry, saying they don't care about The Order, and
when Sirius tells them that their father knew what he was getting
into, Fred snaps at Sirius, "That's easy for you to say, stuck here .
. . I don't see you risking your neck!" Sirius becomes pale, but
remains calm, telling them again that they must be patient until they
hear from Molly.

While they wait for news, Harry feels guilty about the attack, and
wonders if he was the one who'd attacked Arthur, especially in light
of the urge he'd had afterward to attack Dumbledore. Finally, word
comes from Molly (via Fawkes) that Arthur is still alive, and that she
is on her way to St. Mungo's, and would send more news as soon as she
could. They sit through the rest of the long night together, until
Molly arrives at 10 past five in the morning. She tells them that
Arthur will be all right, and that they could all go visit him later. 

Sirius begins preparing for breakfast, but when he calls for Kreacher
to help, the house elf does not appear. Sirius tells the others they'd
be welcome to stay as long as Mr. Weasley is in the hospital, which
means they'd be there for Christmas. Harry asks to speak privately
with Sirius, and tells him the truth about what he'd seen the night
before, and what happened later with Dumbledore. Sirius tells him not
to worry, and that all he needs is some sleep. 

Harry is unable to sleep, although the others do, until it is time to
get up and prepare to visit Arthur. Mad-Eye Moody and Tonks arrive, to
escort them to St. Mungo's via the Underground. They arrive in front
of what appears to be an abandoned department store, but when Tonks
speaks to a mannequin in the window, they are able to enter the
building, and find themselves in the reception area of St. Mungo's
Hospital.

After a wait in the queue at the reception desk (where they see a
number of people with interesting and bizarre ailments), they are
directed to the "'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn" ward for serious bites,
where they find Arthur in good spirits, and apparently comfortable.
Arthur tries to talk to the group about some news in the Daily
Prophet, but the twins ask for information about where and what had
happened the night before. It i obvious that neither Molly nor Arthur
want to discuss it, and when the children persist with their
questions, Molly tells them to go out and wait in the hall. Mad-Eye
and Tonks go in to see Arthur. 

While they wait, Fred and George pull out "extendable ears" for
eavesdropping. They give one to Harry, telling him that since he'd
saved their dad's life, he has as much right as anyone to listen in.
Harry inserts one end of the string into his ear, and then watches the
other end snake away under the door to Arthur's room. 

After a moment, he hears the conversation: Tonks comments that they
never found the snake, and Moody suggests that "You-Know-Who" had sent
it in as a lookout. Moody continues, "So, Potter says he saw it all
happen?" Molly, sounding uneasy, confirms this, and adds that
Dumbledore seemed to have been waiting for something like this to
happen. Moody comments, "Yeah, well . . . there's something funny
about the Potter kid, we all know that." Mrs. Weasley adds that
Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when she'd spoke with him
earlier in the day, and Moody growls, "'Course he's worried . . . The
boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously,
Potter doesn't realise what that means, but if You-Know-Who's
possessing him - "

Harry removes the extendable ear, feeling his heart race and his face
flush. The others stare at him, looking fearful.


Questions:

What are the implications of portrait people being able to move freely
within their own portraits? Can each person appear in only one at any
given time? In what other ways could this be useful to Harry, or the
Order; conversely, how could this prove dangerous? 
Do the images in the chocolate frog cards have this ability as well?

What is the overall function of the silver instrument? And what, in
this instance, did Dumbledore learn from it? What is the meaning of
his question, "in essence divided?"

Can Phineas, obviously a Slytherin and member of the Black family, be
trusted?

What are the implications of the fact that the Floo Network is being
watched? If it weren't being watched, could the students have traveled
out of Hogwarts using the Floo Network, or is that blocked, as
apparition is?

What caused Harry to have that urge to kill Dumbledore? Was it
connected to the visions? Was he being possessed by Voldemort? 

How might Fred's comment to Sirius ("I don't see you risking your
neck!") have affected Sirius? Might this have contributed to Sirius'
attitude and actions later in the book? 

Why are the adults so reluctant to discuss any of the details of this
situation with the children? 

Do the adults (and Moody in particular) really care about Harry as a
person, or do they mostly see him as a pawn in the fight against
Voldemort?

To what degree is Harry receiving (or *not* receiving) support from
the adults in his life?


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-- Wendy

(Thanks to Penapart Elf for the proofreading and suggestions; any
errors that may remain, however, are entirely my own responsibility). :-)