CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 94350

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "elfundeb2" <elfundeb at c...> 
wrote:
   
> 2. The Daily Prophet quotes Percy Wesley extensively.  How 
> enthusiastic do you think his support really is?  Does he honestly 
> believe what he says, is he doing it to get ahead of the Ministry, 
> or does he really think he owes unquestioning obedience to his 
> superiors?  How does the Percy we see here square with the Percy we 
> saw in PS/SS who admired Dumbledore's brilliance?

I am not sure. I think he is probably as deluded and foolish as Fudge 
and believes, or at least wants to believe, that the ministry is 
right. I don't think it's just brown-nosing, but I can't say I'm 
absolutely sure. I think he will come around anyway.
   
> 4. Does it seem out of character for the grade-obsessed Hermione to 
> be quizzing Fred and George (of all people) about OWL grades?  Why 
> didn't she research this like she researches everything else?  Do 
> you think JKR did this purposefully?  If so, why?

She probably did it to tell us about the grades. Although I agree 
that Hermione normally should have already known this. It would have 
made more sense if Harry had asked.
> 
> 5. What did Umbridge hoped to achieve through the inspections?  Has 
> she targeted certain professors (we learn that Flitwick's was "no 
> big deal")?  Does she have a hidden agenda beyond discrediting 
> Dumbledore, and if so, what is it?  Is JKR using Umbridge to 
lampoon 
> government interference in education?

I think she targeted those teachers, whom she believe were close to 
Dumbledore. I think Trelawney's biggest mistake during the inspection 
was, that she told Umbridge, that she was hired by Dumbledore. From 
this moment on Umbridge probably wanted to get rid of her, and she is 
a much easier target and a much worse teacher, than, for example, 
McGonagall. In Hagrid's case it's also because of the half-human 
factor.
> 
> 6. How can Umbridge possibly have enough time to inspect so many 
> classes *and* teach all the DADA classes as well?

She goes in her DADA class and says: "Read chapter 3/4/5 whatever, I 
have something else to do." Of course the kids would probably never 
read, but I think Umbridge can live with it, as long as they don't 
train practical DADA. But I think the problem only really exists, 
when she inspected Trelawney and Hagrid regularly. In the weeks when 
she inspected the teachers for the first time, she probably fitted 
the inspections to her timetable.
> 
> 7. Did you guess after reading Trelawney's inspection that 
> Trelawney's hiring had to do with her first correct predicion?  And 
> did anyone mark the fact that Trelawney's dire prediction for 
> Umbridge came true in the Forbidden Forest?

a) No, I didn't guess it, but I really think I should, because it 
seems completely logical right now. Why else would Dumbledore have 
hired for her?

b) Yes, I did. I realized it the moment the dark Bane attacked 
Umbridge. Trelawney's fake predictions mostly come true. I think JKR 
uses them as foreshadowing.  
> 
> 8. What, if anything, does the revelation of McGonagall's December 
> starting date at Hogwarts signify?  Is this a clue to a significant 
> backstory, or a red herring?

I don't know, but I hope it has some significance, because I would 
love to learn more about McGonagall.
> 
> 9. Compare Harry's reaction to the suggestion that he teach DADA to 
> the others, to Harry's thoughts upon learning that Ron had been 
> selected prefect.  What do the differences tell us, if anything, 
> about Harry's development or his state of mind?  Has anything 
> changed?

When Ron was made prefect, Harry thought it was unfair, because he 
did all these things to defeat Voldemort. Now he admits, that he had 
a lot of help.

Hickengruendler