[HPforGrownups] CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)

[Dave Hardenbrook]

No: HPFGUIDX 94347


Sunday, March 28, 2004, 9:17:25 PM, elfundeb2 wrote:

e> 1.  According to the Daily Prophet, the High Inquisitor position was 
e> the result of "surprise legislation" passed by the Ministry on a 
e> Sunday night.  Who passed that legislation?  A legislative body?  If 
e> so, who is it composed of?  How is it chosen?  Why wasn't it 
e> mentioned by name?

JKR has been *very* vague about the structure of Wizard government,
and I have to wonder if she in fact knows little about how
representative democracy works (Ministries / Government Departments
don't "pass legislation" -- Parliament / Congress does), or if she
simply hasn't given it enough importance in her grand scheme to
think it through.

e> 5. What did Umbridge hoped to achieve through the inspections?  Has 
e> she targeted certain professors (we learn that Flitwick's was "no 
e> big deal")?  Does she have a hidden agenda beyond discrediting 
e> Dumbledore, and if so, what is it?  Is JKR using Umbridge to lampoon 
e> government interference in education?

I think DU is clearly targeting teachers she suspects of being part of
Dumbledore's "conspiracy": McGonnegal, Snape, Hagrid.  (In the case of
Hagrid, she has the additional motivation that he's a "half-breed").
Only Trelawney she seems to genuinely believe to be incompetent,
but is there something about the Prophecy behind it too...?

e> 6. How can Umbridge possibly have enough time to inspect so many 
e> classes *and* teach all the DADA classes as well?

A Time-Turner?

e> 7. Did you guess after reading Trelawney's inspection that 
e> Trelawney's hiring had to do with her first correct predicion?

I've suspected this since the end of PoA!  She seems like such a
phony for the most part, but if Dumbledore hired her because he knew
of a previous genuine prediction...

e> 8. What, if anything, does the revelation of McGonagall's December 
e> starting date at Hogwarts signify?  Is this a clue to a significant 
e> backstory, or a red herring?

I've always wondered -- Were there any Transfiguration teachers
between Dumbledore and McGonnegal?

e> 10. What do you think motivated Hermione to ask Harry to teach 
e> DADA?  Did you find this to be a logical progression of her 
e> character development?  Were you surprised?  What about her attempt 
e> to gain courage by saying Voldemort's name aloud?  

Deep down, in her heart of hearts, she has always valued "friendship
and bravery" (Harry) over "books and cleverness" (her self-perception).
This, I believe, is why the Hat ultimately put her in Gryffindor
rather than Ravenclaw.

-- 
Dave