CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 25, The Beetle At Bay

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 111953

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "KathyK" <zanelupin at y...> wrote:
 
> 
> 1.  In GoF, Hermione discovers Rita Skeeter's secret about being
> an unregistered animagus.  To ensure Rita never lies about anyone 
in 
> her articles, Hermione tells her she can't do any writing for a
> year or Hermione will turn her in.  But in Chapter 25 of OoP we see 
> Hermione has added terms to their agreement.  Rather than just keep 
> silent, Rita Skeeter must now do what Hermione asks of her.  It 
> seems Hermione might have crossed a line or at least entered a gray 
> area.  At first, Hermione was teaching Rita a lesson-not to write 
> nasty lies.  But now she's * using* her knowledge to blackmail
> Rita into doing her bidding.  Granted, it's for a good cause but
> do 
> Hermione's means justify the end?    
> 
> At the Edinburgh Book Festival, JKR said we would be seeing more of 
> Rita Skeeter.  Will Hermione continue to blackmail her?  Does Rita 
> Skeeter deserve everything she gets?

I am torn. On the one hand, I agree that Hermione is taking it too 
far sometimes. If we take the law in our own hands, even thinking it 
is for the greater good, there is a great danger we will end up like 
Barty Crouch, who thought himself above the law. However, in this 
special case I think Hermione's behaviour is justified. It's not 
simply about making people believe Harry. The more people believe the 
truth, the more can prepare themselves for what's to come. Meaning 
Hermione's plan also might help to save a lot of lives. Therefore 
seeing in what circumstanes they were, I think blackmailing Rita was 
justified, because in the end it was really for the good of everybody 
(even Rita). Nonetheless, I agree that Hermione has to take some 
fall. But maybe she already learned something at the end of OotP, 
when she tried to use the centaurs.
  
> 
> 5.  How is Umbridge able to attend every Divination and Care of 
> Magical Creatures lesson and still teach her own Defense Against 
the 
> Dark Arts lessons?

Simple: She goes to her class and says: "Read Chapter X. There is no 
need to talk." Than she leaves the classroom to inspect Hagrid and 
Trelawney. I don't think she cares if the students really read the 
chapter, als long as they don't learn any magic. :-)

> 
> 6.  It's clear to Harry the dementors are out of the
> Ministry's 
> control.  Do you think the dementors left the Ministry entirely 
with 
> the Death Eater breakout?  Or just that the MoM had lost
> `control' of them and they stuck around for a while after
> allowing 
> the DE s to escape?  Fudge does not report their defection until he 
> finally admits LV returned but we know how reliable he and the 
> Prophet are.  ;-)

I think the Dementors left later. At the end of the book it is 
reported in the newspaper that the Dementors have left Azkaban. Maybe 
it's possible, that the ministry tried to keep it a secret, but I 
think it's more likely that the Dementors stayed there longer, to 
free even more Death Eaters. 
> 
> 7.  Harry, Cho, and the disastrous date.  Actually I have no 
> question.  Just thought they might be interesting should any of you 
> like to discuss it.
> 
Actually, I have a question. *g* After OotP, Cho seems to be one of 
the most hated or at least disliked characters. Do you think this is 
fair? Isn't Harry as much to blame as she, that the relationship 
didn't work? Isn't it understandable, that Cho tries to talk about 
her problems?

Hickengruendler