CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)

[Andrew]

No: HPFGUIDX 94357

elfundeb2 wrote:
> Questions
> 
> 1.  According to the Daily Prophet, the High Inquisitor position 
> was the result of "surprise legislation" passed by the Ministry on 
> a Sunday night.  Who passed that legislation?  A legislative body?  
> If so, who is it composed of?  How is it chosen?  Why wasn't it 
> mentioned by name?

As a forewarning, my copy of OotP is 700 miles away, so if I say 
anything stupid...that's my excuse :)

My take on the school reforms that are enacted throughout the year is 
that they are analogous to executive orders: ie, they come directly 
from Fudge without the input of any kind of legislative body.  
Likewise, anything in OotP that is labelled as ministry-approved 
should probably be read as 'Fudge-approved'.  The fact that these 
things are called "Educational *Decrees" (or whatever they were 
called) is very telling in this regard (since a decree is basically 
an executive order that has the force of law).

> 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 think Percy is a prime example of a person who, in spite of his 
high intelligence, isn't wise enough or experienced enough to 
recognize corruption or form his own opinions and loyalties.  His 
take is that the actions of the Ministry are right because the 
Ministry is the Ministry.  He doesn't seem to realize that the 
government can be wrong.

> 3. What, if anything, do the respective grades that Snape awarded
> to the Trio and to Draco (whose behavior seems to imply a passing 
> grade) tell us about Snape's teaching methods?  His motivational 
> skills?   Does he have a hidden motive?  If so, what?

I don't know that it says anything about Snape's teaching methods or 
motivational skills.  If he has any motive, it is probably to make 
the students panic and study harder to bring up their performance for 
the real test.  I think he probably graded on the hard side of the 
O.W.L standard.  I wonder how Snape marks up the papers as he grades 
them.  My perception of him as a teacher in general would probably be 
different if there was some mention of a paper being returned covered 
in red ink.

> 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?

I think this was probably just a bit of exposition on JKR's part.  If 
Hermione already knew about the grades (which I'm sure she would), 
she might just be trying to get a feel for what it takes to get 
an 'O' or something like that: how difficult it is.

> 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?

It's possible that JKR had some intention to satirize government 
interference in education, but I don't think that is very likely.  
These are books meant for entertainment and the joy of reading, not 
for political commentary.  It would be a disservice to the story to 
try to infuse it with the author's political agenda.

I think Umbridge was probably just trying to find out who was closest 
to Dumbledore, and to find ways to replace those whom he was 
responsible for hiring.  Umbridge wants complete control over the 
school, and she knows that the other teachers don't particularly like 
the changes she is instituting.
 
> 6. How can Umbridge possibly have enough time to inspect so many 
> classes *and* teach all the DADA classes as well?

Teach?  All she has to do is write on the board "Read chapter X.  No 
talking." 

> 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?

It is kind of ironic, though, isn't it?  That's what you get for 
forcing the seer.

> 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?

It probably just means that Dippet retired/kicked-the-bucket in 
November and they needed a new transfiguration teacher when 
Dumbledore was promoted.

> 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?

Bah!  I need my book.  I do see a lot of similirity between these 
events, though.  When Ron is made prefect, Harry's reaction is: 'Why 
am I less qualified?'  Later, when they ask him to coach them in 
DADA, his reaction is: 'I'm not as qualified as you think I am.'  
Harry has never really been asked to be a leader before in this 
sense.  It's one thing to say that he could be prefect as well as Ron 
when Ron is holding the badge than it is to pick the badge up for 
himself.  There is also, of course, the added complication that being 
a prefect is a lot less likely to get you expelled than being the 
leader of an illegal DADA group, especially when the people in 
authority are already looking for an excuse to throw the book at you.

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

This, I think, is one of the most interesting parts of the book.  
It's too bad I don't have my book at the moment to read it again. :)  
If I remember correctly, Ron and Hermione approach Harry together and 
suggest this as if it's something they've been thinking about for a 
while.  It's very calculated.  On one hand, they know that Harry is 
clearly the most talented and experienced student at DADA and that he 
is really the only one who can help them make up for their years of 
spotty DADA lessons.

I think it is consistent with Hermione's character for her to realize 
before Ron and even Harry that there is something extraordinary about 
his abilities.  She sees that he has survived situations every year 
that could easily be a fully trained wizard's worst nightmare, and I 
think this frightens her to no end.  Actually, in many places, I read 
Hermione as being afraid of Harry or what he might do.  I think her 
attempt at saying Voldemort's name was really an attempt to show 
Harry that what they are really asking him to do is to teach them to 
be as brave as he is (terrible sentence).

Maybe I'll expound on this a little bit tomorrow (erm..today, 
actually), but I have class in 5½ hrs and need sle.....<snore>

-RF