CHAPTER DISCUSSION: ch. 32 "Out of the Fire"

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 118331


Thanks Ginger, for a very entertaining chapter discussion! You said:
> 4)  At the time Harry talked to Kreacher, Sirius is tending 
Buckbeak, 
> whom Kreacher has injured.  Kreacher tells Harry that Sirius has 
gone 
> out.  After Harry specifically asks about the D of M, Kreacher 
> gleefully tells him that Sirius will not return.  What do you 
think 
> Kreacher's role is in the set-up, and how did he know what he 
would 
> be required to do?  (To explain:  Did LV know that Harry would 
check 
> out #12?  Did he tell Kreacher what info to give and what to 
> withhold?  Is Kreacher reporting back to LV?  And by LV, I mean 
all 
> his evil henchpersons as well.)

Jen: This back-up plan was surprising to me on the first read-
through. Why would LV, who is notoriously bad about back-up plans, 
think that Harry *wouldn't* rush off to the MOM after seeing the 
vision of Sirius? But no, Voldemort actually planned for the 
possibility that Harry wouldn't act in his typical way. 

The problem is, Lucius would know all the means for Harry to access 
#12 Grimmauld would be blocked by Umbridge. And then Umbridge and 
Draco almost ruin the whole back-up plan, so neither of them seem to 
be in on the ruse. So how exactly did LV expect his backup plan to 
work? One possibility is Umbridge was really in cahoots with Lucius, 
expecting Harry to try to access her office and therefore *appears* 
to fall for both the garroting gas trick and the "weapon" in the 
woods. Now I don't think Umbridge is a DE here, but instead she 
believes Lucius & Fudge are still working to get Harry expelled and 
of course she wants to help.

Another thought is this: If Lucius truly isn't loyal to Voldemort, 
as some of us have postulated before, the whole "back-up" plan may 
be his and not Voldemort's. He didn't really *want* Harry to get to 
the DOM and give the Prophecy to Voldemort. So he engages Umbridge's 
cooperation with the "let's get Harry expelled scenario" and 
convinces Umbridge that she can use any means necessary to keep 
Harry at Hogwarts, even the Cruciatus, and Fudge will do nothing to 
about it.

Ginger: 
> 6)  What do you think of Snape's actions?  He managed to warn 
Harry 
> that she had used veritaserum on him once, which should have put 
> Harry on his guard.  He played up to Umbridge without being any 
help 
> whatsoever. (And got in some delightfully snarky comments as 
well.)  
> He saved Neville from choking with another snarky comment to 
Crabbe.  
> Do you think he could have given Harry a clue that he understood 
> him?  Or would that have been too risky as Umbrigde had just seen 
> through him enough to put him on probation?  

Jen: Snape's such a smart guy. I think if he understood in that 
moment exactly what Harry meant with his cryptic comments, he would 
have found a way to get that message across to Harry. A very slight 
nod before leaving, a cynical remark about dogs, something! Either 
Snape didn't understand the comment right away or his past feeling 
about Sirius and James interfered again here, making it impossible 
for him to acknowledge what Harry said. Snape (of all people!) 
understands how 'rash and reckless' Harry can be. Surely, surely if 
Snape knew a small nod could keep Harry from causing more trouble, 
he would find a way to make that happen. 

Jen Reese