CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 19: the Lion and the Serpant

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 99837

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Chapter 19
The Lion and the Serpent

The chapter starts with Harry finally feeling hope and optimism for
the future.  The Dumbledore's Army has successful kept their existence
a secret, and that fact alone brings Harry's spirits up in the
defiance of Umbridge and the Ministry.  He was also very proud of his
students.  Even those he though weak like Colin Creevey and Neville
were improving in the class and now in possession of higher defense
skills.  

There were logistical problems with the group working around three
house schedules and three Quidditch schedules, but Hermione devised a
rather brilliant scheme of having an especially charmed Galleon to
reveal the date and time of the meetings, and when Harry changes the
time, the coins burn warm in their pockets so the others know.  Upon
explaining her idea to the group, they were once again in awe of her
skills as a witch, and Terry Boot finally asked a question that
everyone has been wondering.  (At least me, since that was my first
question to HPfGU.)  Why isn't Hermione in Ravenclaw?  Hermione did
not really explain but said that the hat considered it.  (Which I find
an annoyingly simple answer.)  Harry pointed out that the galleon idea
is very similar to Death Eaters and their marks on their arms, to
which Hermione explained she got the burning idea from them but she
chose to use metal instead of skin.  Much to the group's relief, I
bet.

The first Quidditch match was coming close to commencing.  The first
was a match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, with the usual build up
of aggression and out and out bullying.  McGonagall made a point to
tell Harry and Ron that she fully enjoys having the Quidditch Cup in
her office and had no intention of relinquishing it to Snape.  She let
them off from homework that week, but Snape was not as kind and
refused to admit the Slytherins were being backhanded and abusing to
the Gryffindors before the game.  

Practice for the game was encouraging, but Ron, as the keeper, was
still a bit green.  He was slowly improving but he still got stage
fright from the taunts from the other team.  Harry, having developed
rather tough skin over time, was a bit worried about Ron since he had
never had to endure it.  

The day of the match arrives, and Ron is very nervous to the point he
looked pale and sweaty.  Harry and Ron went down to breakfast and
tried to eat.  The hall was dressed for a Quidditch game, but
Slytherin green and silver was always wearing silver badges in the
shape of crowns.  Neither Harry nor Ron could read what they said
before they sat down to eat.  Ron proceeded to berate himself for ever
putting himself in his situation, but Harry tried to be reassuring him
that it was first day jitters and praised one of Ron's blocks at
yesterday's practice.  Ron, meekly, informed his that was an accident.
 He had just fallen off his broom and was trying to get back on. 
Harry tried to still praise that accident, but Ron's confidence
was
still not raised.

Ginny and Hermione came in and sat down besides them, and Luna soon
followed much to the halls amusement.  Her presence usually is not so
obvious, but today she had a life-sized lion's head perched on her
own.  She announced she was cheering for Gryffindor today, and poked
the hat, which let out a very convincingly realistic roar causing all
around her to jump violently.  Pleased with her hat's impact, she
added that she wanted it to chew up a snake in its mouth, but she did
not have time.  She then wish Ron luck, but seemed to miss that he
fellow teammate Harry was sitting beside him.  (Hmmmm...)

Angelina came up with Alicia and Katie to inform the boys to soon head
to the changing rooms.  Harry rose to leave, but was pulled aside by
Hermione who hissed at Harry to not let Ron read the Slytherin's
badges.  Ron, lost in his own world of despair, meandered up to the
pair, so Hermione rose up and kissed him lightly on his cheek and
wished him good luck.  She tacked on a good luck for Harry too, but
with no kiss.  (Hmmmm...)  On their way out, Harry finally caught what
the Slytherin's badges were saying.  "Weasley is our King."  He had no
idea what they were getting at with those badges, but he rightly
deduced they were up to no good.  

Angelina gave the normal pep talk with new information that Slytherin
has new beaters.  Crabbe and Goyle have replaced them, which she
observed Slytherin went for brut strength over brains it seems.  Harry
confirmed her suspicions.  The team rose to go to the pitch, mounted
their brooms, and the game started.  Jordan was still in charge of the
games commentary with his normal amount of additional information. 
Harry was listening to the commentary when he heard a new chant in the
background.  Lee did too, and paused to listen closer.  It was the
Slytherins singing the newly versed song in honor of their badges.  A
jingle in tribute to the theme of Ron as their king.  Harry's anger,
in his still overly emotional state, rose quickly and he went to Ron
side to see how he was fairing.  Not too well since the song swelled
louder as the quaffle got closer to the goal posts causing Ron to
botch a block.  Slytherin reveled in their achievement, and sang even
louder.  The song was not very nice to Ron, of course, saying he was
born in a bin, and can't save a thing, and that is why he will cause
Slytherin to win.  

Angelina finally saw Harry lost in the anguish of his friend, and
called for Harry to get back to the game so this thing can end.  Harry
began searching for the snitch again and discovered the Slytherin's
own players were also singing the song.  The game proceeded with forty
- ten score in favor of Slytherin, when Harry finally saw the snitch.
 Malfoy saw that Harry saw it, and they both went after it.  Harry, of
course, got it in the end, but Crabbe made a cheap shot at Harry with
the bludgers and hit his across the back.  Hooch was furious and told
Slytherin off.  Malfoy landed next to Harry trying to pick a fight by
insulting Ron, Molly, and Arthur, but Harry was not biting.  By this
time George and Fred had heard Malfoy's tirade and were straining to
break the grip their teammates had on them to keep them off of Malfoy.
 Hooch was still yelling at Crabbe and did not see all this though. 
It was when Malfoy insulted Harry's dead mother, when Harry finally
snapped.  Harry and George lunged for Malfoy beat his as much as they
could.  Hooch finally saw the ruckus and stopped it.  George and Harry
were told to go to McGonagall's office, and Malfoy was whimpering on
the ground with a bloody nose.

McGonagall was furious with them and told them of course Malfoy was
going to provoke them.  He just lost.  She asked what provoked them,
and they said he insulted the Weasleys' parents and Harry's mother. 
She started to say that they should have left Hooch to sort it all
out, but she was interrupted by Umbridge with her "hem hem."  She was
standing in the doorway in a green tweed cloak and an evil grin on her
face.  She and McGonagall had their usually tense but political
tightrope conversation, with Umbridge producing another Educational
Decree (number 25 now).  McGonagall exclaimed her frustration with
*that* development.  Umbridge was pleased to inform McGonagall that
she was the one that brought this one on for going over Umbridge's
head by going to Dumbledore to reform the Gryffindor Quidditch team. 
The decree said that the High Inquisitor has all authority over
"punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges...and the power to
change any given from teachers."  So Umbridge decided to ban Harry and
George from Quidditch for life.  She said that should do the trick to
make them learn their lesson.  Umbridge threw on Fred too since, as
she reasoned, he would have been beating Malfoy up too if he teammates
had not been holding him back.  She confiscated their broomsticks, and
turned to leave saying she was actually being nice since she did,
after all, let the other teammates keep playing.  

Angelina did not take the news well.  The unfairness of it all sank in
when they learned that Crabbe only got lines for his misconduct.  The
team went to bed leaving Harry and Hermione in the common room.  Ron
finally entered having gone on a long walk and announced he wanted to
resign.  Harry informed him that if he quit then there would only be
three players on the Gryffindor team.  Ron paused his resigning, but
both Harry and Ron were quit down.  Harry's optimism at the beginning
of the chapter is completely changed to match Ron's despair at the
end.  Hermione chose this moment to inform them that Hagrid was
finally back.


Questions:

1)  To those with power that are not clever, the clever are a bane to
their existence.  The powerful are really powerless to stop their
creativity, so do they do it to try to limit it or force them to
subject themselves to their power?  Do they right so many laws to
reign in their cleverness to keep them from overthrowing them, or do
they do it to break their spirit?

2)  Hermione finally revealed she was almost in Ravenclaw.  This has
been a fan question for a long time.  Did JKR add that bit in there to
answer our question, or was is a natural progression in the book?  Or
another way of asking, why have they not asked this before?  Or are
the houses integrating more now and these questions often come up?

3)  Where was Dumbledore during the Quidditch match?  Is he trying to
stay out of trouble and not give Umbridge cause to hate him more, or
is he using this "away" time to get things done with the OoP?

4)  SHIP question:  Luna makes a point to wish Ron luck for the
Quidditch match and Hermione gives him a kiss.  They both pretty much
ignored Harry.  Is this a foreshadow of a cat fight to come?  Who
would win?

5)  Slytherin put a lot of time and effort in their tactics against
Ron and the Gryffindor team.  They spent many hours creating badges,
writing the song, and teaching others to chant and sing together...a
feat in and of itself since Slytherin is not thought of as clever,
team workers, artistic, and able to sing on pitch (ok that one is
assumed by me)  Does this show a true willingness on Slytherin's side
to actually work as a group for the good of a common goal even if that
goal is for poor reasons? 

6)  While we are readers, and the other three houses, hate the tactics
used my Slytherin at the Quidditch match, it is actually very
effective and ingenious.  Worse is said at RL games today to the
opposing team.  Can Slytherin use this newfound talent for good
instead of personal gain?

7)  Umbridge, once again, has proved herself quit capable of being one
sided, bias, manipulative, and very politically minded.  Her desire
for power over the situation at Hogwarts has shown to be more for
herself than for the good of the community.  Is her lack of confidence
in herself and lack of respect from others fueling this rage about her
seemingly lack of power, or can her thirst for power ever be quenched?

8)  Does she favor Slytherin because they have buttered her toast
better than the other, submit themselves better than the others, or
because she has alliances with their parents that she upholds?  Or is
it because they have ideals that she too holds?

9)  When the punishment out weighs the crime, does the punishment ever
work in reforming the criminal?  Or does it just inflame them more to
reform the system?  Can punishment really ever work on those smart
enough and clever enough to fight the injustice of the system?

10)  Once Lee Jordan graduates, who should take over as commentator? 
(I am cheering for Luna for the sheer amusement of it all...)


Melody



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