CHAPDISC: HBP5, An Excess of Phlegm

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 144191

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Juli <jlnbtr at y...> wrote:
>
> CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS:
> Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 5,
> An Excess of Phlegm
>

> 1) We don't see many people who call Dumbledore by his first
name. Minerva calls him Albus (PS/SS Ch 1), maybe Mad-Eye Moody calls
him Albus, perhaps also Fudge, but Molly? That's a first. How close
do you think the Members of the Order actually are? Molly calling him
Albus makes me think that all of them see each other as family, not
only as colleagues. What do you think?

colebiancardi: I think that the original members of the Order
probably have a closer relationship with DD than the newer ones. I
don't know if this is a British thing or not, but it seems in books &
movies, that Brits call each other by the last name a lot. Whereas
in the US, we like to call people by their first name, unless, of
course, it is a student-teacher relationship. Even there, I have had
teachers in HS that asked students to call them by their first name,
and in college, it all depends on the professor. In the work
environment, I have never been asked to call anyone Mr or Mrs or Ms
so-and-so, but by their first name.

Is this a British custom - where calling people by their last name is
very common and if you call someone by their first name, it means a
more solid relationship?

>
> 2) Mollywobbles. Anyone knows what it means? Not being
English myself I haven't a clue about it.

colebiancardi: a play on words - Molly - cause it is her name and
wobbles - I thought of weebies wobble, but they don't fall down!
Remember that toy? Since JKR is my age, I assume she does too.
Molly is a bit rolly-polly, so perhaps that is where it comes from..
>
> 3) Arthur's greatest ambition is to discover how planes stay
on the air. Don't wizards and witches learn any physics at all? Don't
they –Arthur & Co- know that there are muggle books that can easily
explain the basic concepts of aerodynamics?

colebiancardi: There has to be some wizards who interact more freely
with muggles - case in point, Shacklebolt, who now works for the PM.
I can't imagine that there aren't books out there(Muggle Physics for
Dummies and so on) that explain these things to wizards. Heck, they
would sell in the muggle world as well, as most of us probably really
don't understand aerodynamics unless we work in the field.
>
> 4) What's with Fleur's comment of Gabrielle? (The one when
she mentions Gabrielle has been talking non stop about Harry). Is it
a sign of what we may see in book 7, a possible relationship between
her and Harry? Maybe Gabrielle as a young Ginny?

colebiancardi: oh...catfight in book 7? LOL. Maybe. Who knows?
Remember, Molly stated her marriage to Arthur (and others in that
time frame) was unusual(that they married right out of Hogwarts),
even though they *knew* they were made for one another. I always
have a bit of a problem with high-school sweethearts, as the divorce
rate in the US is about 50% - and most of them are from the younger
marriages. Not saying they don't work, but I would tell the kids to
go out! Explore the world! Broaden your horizons before settling
down...but that is just me ;)

> 6) We all know Tonks is seriously depressed. Is her
depression because she has lost a dear cousin, or because Remus won't
marry her? Or perhaps a bit of both. What do you think?

colebiancardi: I think it all about Remus. I don't think they even
have a sexual relationship at all - it is something Tonks wants, and
perhaps even Remus, but Remus is pushing her away - he feels he is
dangerous, too old for her, too poor, etc. She doesn't care, she is
in love with him. Which makes me believe she has worked very closely
with him in book 5 & 6 - if she didn't, then it is infatuation, not
love. but I think it is love and I am glad Remus has someone to love
who also loves him back.
>
> 7) Why wasn't there a memorial, funeral, or wake for Sirius?
I know there wasn't a body to bury, but still, those who loved him
needed to say good-bye: they needed closure.

colebiancardi: I don't know why they didn't do this. The Weasleys
could have done something, I would have thought, when Harry stayed
with them over the summer. Why didn't they acknowledge his sorrow?

>
> 8) Do you think that Molly's clock with all its hands
pointing towards mortal peril is a sign of what may happen in book 7?
Will we be seeing more than one Weasley death? Who do you think it
will be? When reading this chapter I got flash-backs to Molly's
bogart in Grimmauld Place. Will all her worst fears come true?

colebiancardi: I don't know. I hope no Weasley's die - I like all
of them, even Percy. If one was to die, I might say Percy - who in a
moment of clarity, realizes that he was wrong and saves Ron from a
certain death from a DE.


>
> 9) Why do you think Percy still won't come back home? He
knows that Dumbledore & Co where telling the truth all along, is it
because "people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong
than being right"? Is it just a pride thing?

colebiancardi: pride on both sides. Percy still doesn't understand
yet - he is young and has always been rewarded for following the
rules and being a good lad. He needs to find himself - see answer
above on the clock, Weasleys & death.