Some More Questions and Comments on OOTP.

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 127124


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Richard Jones"
<jones.r.h.j at w...> wrote:

<snip>
> 
> (3) Why was there no night guard on duty at the Ministry the night of 
> the battle?  There was the might Sturgis Podmore was caught.  Or was 
> there a guard and the D.E.'s knocked him out and hid him (clearing 
> the path for Harry)?  How did LV waltz into London and the Ministry 
> undetected?

Annemehr:
Don't forget who some of the DEs were.  Lucius Malfoy is very familiar
with the Ministry, and Macnair was actually part of the Committee for
the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.  Rookwood had been in Azkaban for
years, but before that he was part of the DoM - was the one who told
LV exactly who would be able to take the prophecy from the shelf.

Since this was to have been a stealth operation, I assume they took
care of the guards by Stunners or Imperius, and would have mopped up
later with Memory charms.  They wouldn't have killed anyone; that
would have made even Fudge take notice.  I also assume that LV could
sense it when Harry had the complete vision of Sirius being tortured,
so that he knew when to signal the DEs and Kreacher to set the plan in
motion.

Also, don't forget that when Arthur Weasley was attacked, the portrait
(I forget who) was able to raise the alarm by shouting until somebody
came.  So there were normally people there at night.

Richard:
> (4) Why were Harry, Ginny, and Neville entranced by the veil and the 
> others not?  Why could Harry and Luna hear voices and the others 
> didn't?

Annemehr:
This is a tough one; I think it's just the beginning of a plot arc. 
Harry, Ginny, and Neville were attracted to the veil; Luna seemed to
understand it; Hermione feared it (but was that only for Harry's
sake?); and we have no reaction from Ron.  Of the people who were
attracted by it, Ginny can't see Thestrals, but she did nearly die
once, as has Harry.

Were their reactions caused by their past experiences, eventual fates,
or individual personal traits?  Harry nearly walked right in, yet one
year earlier he resisted the idea of being murdered so much that he
fought back even though he had no hope.


Richard:
> (6) The prophecy says "neither can live while the other survives."  
> Well, aren't both LV and Harry living now?

Annemehr:
Actually, when you think about it, though Harry has his happier
moments, there isn't really any part of his life that hasn't been
touched and tainted by Voldemort.  And it's only getting worse.  I'm
happy enough to interpret that phrase along these lines, that they are
both merely surviving and not properly living, especially since their
connection keeps strengthening.

Richard:
> (7) All that stuff in the DoM on time: I'm guessing time-travel will 
> reappear.

Annemehr:
I thought so too, but now I'm not so sure.  It does help point up how
dangerous it can be; perhaps they'll merely need to resist the idea. 
Perhaps actual time-travel is done with in this story.  If anyone does
more of it, I'm guessing it'll be the other side and the injured DE
foreshadows that.

Richard:
<snip>
> (11) I don't understand the significance of the scene with Luna 
> saying that lost things will return and her easing Harry's pain a 
> little.  I can't believe it means that Sirius is going to return.

Annemehr:
No, I'm sure Sirius won't return.  I think the image was to be that
Luna would see her stuff again and Harry would see Sirius again (after
his own death).  Harry's pain was eased because he could see that Luna
understood him having lost her own mother not so long ago. Pitying her
also helped since it gave him a new, outward-focussed feeling.
Finally, I think her calmness in the face of loss (the immediate and
the remembered) was soothing, because her calm sprang from a hope that
Harry could hope to share.

Richard:
> (12) Harry is angry at the loss of Sirius, disappointed with DD, and 
> depressed about the murder in the prophecy — HBP ain't going to be no 
> light comedy.

Annemehr:
No, no light comedy, but I think Harry will be in a better state.
He'll be treated better, for one, he'll be busy, and I believe he'll
understand things better; that always helps a lot.

Annemehr