CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 14, Percy and Padfoot

Mon Mar 15 10:07:15 UTC 2004

No: HPFGUIDX 93024

I'm posting the following from Aesha on her behalf.

:) Penapart Elf

Summary

Harry wakes early Saturday morning feeling his first week 
of classes lasted forever. He grabs a parchment and 
quill, and heads down to the common room; after making 
himself comfortable, he can't help but look around and 
wonder how many house elves were unwittingly liberated, 
as Hermione's hats have vanished.

He came to appreciate how difficult it had been for Ron 
and Hermione to communicate with him throughout the 
summer as he pondered a letter to Sirius. It was crucial 
to remain as vague as possible, lest his letter be 
intercepted; he finally told Sirius that Umbridge was 
"nearly as nice as his mum", they missed their "biggest 
friend" and hinted that his scar shocked him as he sat 
detention with Umbridge.

After meeting Nearly Headless Nick in the hallway, he 
opted for the longer but safer route to the Owlery, so as 
to avoid Peeves. Instead he was intercepted by Mrs. 
Norris, and Harry reminded her he was not out of bounds. 
Once Hedwig was on her way, Harry couldn't help but 
notice Hagrid's empty hut. He saw one of the as-yet-
unidentified Thestrals rise above the forest and plunge 
back to its depths.

Cho Chang entered the Owlery, interrupting Harry's 
thoughts. They spoke of Quidditch, and Cho told Harry she 
thought he was brave for standing up to Umbridge... which 
gave Harry butterflies. Just as he was about to 
"accidentally" expose his injury when Filch entered, 
demanding to see what Harry was sending, having been 
tipped off that it was a large order for dungbombs. 
Thankful he hadn't dawdled, Harry said he'd sent it, and 
Cho vouched for him.

Harry joined Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall, and 
Hermione was soon shocked to read that the Ministry heard 
Sirius was holed up in London. Harry found a very small 
article saying that Sturgis Podmore had been arrested at 
the MoM- and was subsequently sentenced to 6 months in 
Azkaban.

Quidditch practice was a disaster. Ron had to endure the 
taunts and jeers of the Slytherins who had come to crash 
practice, and had ended up hitting Katie in the face with 
the Quaffle. Fred offered a Katie half of a nosebleed 
nougat, though once she fainted, it became clear that she 
had received the wrong end and practice came to an abrupt 
end.

Sunday was spent doing neglected homework, and around 
11:30 p.m. Hermione noticed Hermes at the tower window. 
Percy had sent his youngest brother a letter 
congratulating him on his prefect-ship, and continued to 
offer Ron unsolicited advice. He told Ron that 
Dumbledore's days at Hogwarts were numbered, and that 
there was a "more accurate" view of Harry Potter among 
the people who count. He made it clear that in his 
opinion (and that of many others), Harry had been 
acquitted on a technicality, and urged Ron to speak with 
Umbridge if he feared Potter.

Percy concluded his letter by stating that he had been 
lucky to escape the stigma associated with those rallied 
around Dumbledore- including their parents- and that he 
would graciously accept an apology from them when they 
came to their senses. Once they finished the letter, 
Hermione took pity on them and started going over their 
homework.

Freed from his homework, Harry's thoughts started to 
wander, where they settled on Sirius. He was shaken from 
his reverie by a glimpse of something in the fire- was it 
true? He got to his knees to search the flames, and 
finally Sirius appeared. Instead of resorting to 
breakable codes, Sirius decided to use the Floo network 
to speak quickly with Harry about his letter. He informed 
Harry that the Order felt his scar was likely to hurt 
more now that Voldemort was back, and reminded the trio 
that although Umbridge is a horrible woman, the world is 
not made up of good people and Death Eaters. He revealed 
to them that Umbridge hates part humans, and is partially 
responsible for Lupin's unemployment, and also tells them 
that their intel suggests Fudge fears Dumbledore forming 
a private army to use against the Ministry.

To brighten their spirits, Sirius suggests a meeting in 
Hogsmeade on their next weekend trip; Hermione and Harry 
beg him not to come, citing the article in the Daily 
Prophet. Though Sirius is sure they're just taking a wild 
guess as to where he is, Harry warns him that Lucius 
Malfoy recognized him at Platform 9 3/4 and asks him to 
stay home. At this, Sirius's attitude changes and he makes 
an excuse to quickly end the conversation.

Questions for discussion:

1. If house elves are freed against their will, where do 
they go? Can they stay at Hogwarts if they desire? If so, 
what does it matter if a house elf is inadvertently 
freed?

2. Why does Mrs. Norris make some sort of contact with 
those students she's suspicious of- making eye contact, 
brushing up against them? Is it something to do with her 
strange connection to Filch- does it set off a bat 
signal, of sorts?

3. What happened in the forest to make the Thestral fly 
out of it? Is this just something Harry didn't notice 
before, because he couldn't see them- or was there 
something more sinister happening?

4. Who are Filch's "sources"? Is it really just Umbridge? 
If so, why didn't she just try to intercept the letter 
herself? She made it plain that she doesn't trust Harry, 
so why would this seem strange? How did anyone know he 
was sending a letter at that time, that early, on a 
Saturday?

5. Why wouldn't Sturgis testify? Of course he could have 
said he had been acting under a curse. Was he afraid 
information about the Order would get out somehow? If he 
was sentenced to 6 months in Azkaban, why did we not hear 
anything about his release (which should have been in 
March), either as another tiny Prophet article or from 
someone in the Order?

6. We know now that Percy's letter wasn't written under a 
curse, nor was it a matter of him trying to keep under 
cover as a double-agent. Why would it have mattered if 
the letter arrived during breakfast? Students don't read 
one another's mail. Does he think one letter from the 
estranged family member can turn Ron against all his 
friends and family?

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