Chapter 18: Dumbledore's Army

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 99345

I'm sorry it's so late . . . 

Chapter 18   Dumbledore's Army

Summary:

       Charms, always a good place to carry on conversations about 
the really important stuff, allows Harry, Ron and Hermione to 
discuss the attack on Hedwig and Sirius's near miss of the previous 
night.  Ironically, they are learning Silencing Charms; Umbridge has 
her own ways of imposing silence.  While they are inside between 
classes, Angelina informs them that Umbridge has reluctantly allowed 
the re-formation of the Gryffindor Quidditch team under pressure 
from McGonagall and, she suspects, Dumbledore.  Hermione, troubled 
by Sirius's encouragement, expresses second thoughts about starting 
the DADA group, infuriating Ron because it was her idea in the first 
place and Harry because she's questioning Sirius's judgment.  
	After Quidditch practice, Harry gets the worst flare-up in 
weeks in his scar and knows, without knowing how, that it's because 
Voldemort is in a rage over something not getting done fast enough.  
Questioned by Ron, he also now realizes that the feelings he was 
picking up on in earlier incidents were happiness (in Umbridge's 
office) and anger (at Grimmauld Place).  They both realize that he 
is reading Voldemort's moods, and Ron presses him to tell Sirius and 
Dumbledore, but Harry says Sirius is impossible to contact and 
Dumbledore already knows.  
	Studying late, Harry falls asleep in the common room and has 
his recurring dream.  He is just reaching for the door at the 
passage's end when he is awoken by Dobby, who is returning a now-
healed (yay!) Hedwig.  It turns out that Dobby has been taking all 
of Hermione's offerings (a few for Winky) and that most of the house-
elves are so insulted by all the hats and socks that they refuse to 
clean Gryffindor Tower.  Harry asks him if he knows a place that the 
DADA group can practice without being caught by Umbridge, and Dobby 
tells him about the Room of Requirement. 
	The next night is the first meeting.  The Room of 
Requirement appears when Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow Dobby's 
instructions, and it is furnished exactly the way the group needs it 
to be.  Harry is unanimously elected leader, the group names itself 
the Defense Association and then quickly adopts the name 
Dumbledore's Army instead, because, as Ginny says, it's the 
Ministry's worst fear.  They practice Disarming, almost everyone is 
very enthusiastic about the whole project, and Harry gets in a 
couple of stomach-turningly exciting interactions with Cho.

Bits of interesting information revealed in this chapter:

-Apparently, it's generally required that students go outside at 
break.  Did anyone else feel a touch of school memory at the 
line "They were allowed to remain inside over break due to the 
downpour outside"?  Remember being required to spend recess 
outside?  Even when it was below freezing and wet out?  

-The Quidditch locker rooms include a Captain's office.

-We get to read a bit of a Potions textbook.  Its style is a bit 
more 18th-century than A History of Magic.

Questions to kick off discussion:

1.  Proposition: Hermione, by fretting about the restlessness and 
recklessness that will in fact do Sirius in, is shaping up into an 
insufferable know-it-all and JKR had better bring her down a peg or 
two or we'll really hate her (Hermione, not JKR) before the series 
is over.  Discuss.

2.  Harry reads about a potion that creates confusion, recklessness 
and hotheadedness.  Just when a reader might think "hmmm . . . 
Sirius," the text explicitly draws the connection, thereby 
undermining the red flag–but is that drawing of attention itself 
misdirection?  Is Snape (or someone) actually giving Confusing and 
Befuddlement Draughts to Sirius, or to Harry himself?

3.  Harry says Dark detectors can be fooled.  What do you suppose he 
means?

4.  So, what do you think about Harry as a teacher?  And, given that 
he already has a beaut of a curse on him, should he go for the DADA 
job?

5. And one to take to OTChatter: If you found the Room of 
Requirement, what need would take you there and what would you find 
in the room?


Amy Z

- - - - - - -
He had told the examiner in detail about the ugly man with a wart on 
his nose in his crystal ball, only to look up and realize he had 
been describing his examiner's reflection.  --HP and the Order of 
the Phoenix