Chapter Discussion - Chapter 6: Draco's Detour

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No: HPFGUIDX 144982

Chapter Discussion - Draco's Detour 
 
Summary - 
 
Harry spends a relatively peaceful holiday at the Burrow, playing 
Quidditch and enjoying Mrs. Weasley's cooking, but his tranquility 
and happiness is oftentimes interrupted with dinner guests 
(especially Remus Lupin) bearing bad news about the war - deaths, 
disappearances and increased Death Eater activity. At Harry's 16th 
birthday celebration Lupin reports that Igor Karkaroff was found 
dead "up north" (making reference to Sirius' brother Regulus, who 
was apparently killed quickly after he defected), that Florean 
Fortescue, the ice-cream man, was "dragged off" and that Mr. 
Olivander, the wand maker, has mysteriously disappeared. 
 
The arrival of the Hogwarts booklists means a trip to Diagon Alley, 
which Harry and Ron in particular are looking forward to: they want 
to see Fred and George's new store. They take a Ministry Car 
arranged by Mr. Weasley and we find out that Harry has been given 
top protection by the Ministry, though he doesn't have much 
confidence in this; on Dumbledore's orders he carries his 
invisibility cloak, and that's good enough for him. They meet up 
with Hagrid at the tragically empty Leaky Cauldron, who has been 
assigned as bodyguard for them during their visit. 
 
Diagon Alley is much changed from Harry's first visit there. Instead 
of throngs of bustling shoppers and a vibrant magical scene there 
are empty streets and storefronts, people travel in packs and every 
surface available is plastered with Ministry warning signs and 
wanted posters for the escaped Death Eaters. Stalls have sprung up 
selling cheap anti-dark creature amulets. 
 
The group, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hagrid, Harry, 
Hermione, Ron and Ginny, decides to split up, with Ginny and her 
parents headed to Flourish and Blotts for books and the others to 
Madam Malkin's for new robes, where they find Draco and Narcissa 
Malfoy in the middle of making a purchase. After a heated exchange 
in which Harry manages to insult the entirety of the Malfoy family, 
in which Draco returns to his old standby of calling Hermione 
a "mudblood", and in which Narcissa makes a nasty comment about 
Harry being reunited with "dear Sirius", the Malfoys storm out after 
Madam Malkin attepmts to shorten the left sleeve of Draco's new 
robes without buying anything, deciding that Twilfitt and Tatting's 
would do better for their business. 
 
After making their purchases at Madam Malkin's, the trio and Hagrid 
meet up with the others and, after stops at the Apothecary (where 
Ron and Harry, assuming they will not be taking Potions, buy 
nothing) and Eyelop's Owl Emporium, head over to Weasleys' Wizard 
Wheezes, a store that, in contrast to the rest of Diagon Alley, is 
brightly decorated with advertisements (U-NO-POO) and packed with 
shoppers. Inside the store Hermione comments on the superiority of 
the magic involved in the products (including realistic hangman 
games, miniature Puffskeins, love potions, daydreams in bottles, 
trick wands, and a small supply of Muggle magic tricks as well as 
the Skiving Snackboxes that made such a stir at the end of last 
year) and they greet Fred and George, basking in the success of 
their industry. As the others shop the twins take Harry on a tour of 
their more advanced, personal defense products: Shield hats and 
gloves, Instant Darkness Powder, Decoy Detonators, and the like, 
some of which have been picked up for Ministry use. Harry is allowed 
to take anything he wants from the store (in gratitude for 
the "startup loan") while Ron has to pay for his selections. 
 
The trio manages to catch sight of Draco wandering alone through 
Diagon Alley through the shop window, and Harry decides to follow 
him. Fitting the three of them under the cloak (not as easy as it 
once was), the trio sneaks out of the store and tracks Draco down 
Knockturn Alley to Borgin and Burkes, the same dark arts store Harry 
visited before during his botched Floo Powder trip. Using Extendable 
Ears they eavesdrop on Draco and Mr. Borgin; they are talking about 
some item in the shop that Draco needs saved, and some information 
he needs to make some other thing work. He threatens Borgin with a 
visit from Fenrir Greyback if he doesn't cooperate, and then sweeps 
out of the store after showing the man something on his left arm. 
Hermione makes an attempt to wheedle some information out of Mr. 
Borgin, but gets thrown out of the store. As they walk back to the 
joke shop Ron and Hermione argue about her tactics. Once back at the 
store they slip back inside and tell the Weasleys that they've been 
there all along.
 
Discussion Questions - 
 
1. This chapter begins with the death or disappearance of familiar 
characters. Regulus Black is mentioned being killed "a few days" 
after he abandoned Voldemort, though Karkaroff managed to survive a 
full year. How did he do this? How high of a priority does this make 
Karkaroff seem compared to Regulus? From what we suspect about the 
identity of "R.A.B." could this imply that he was killed because of 
his Horcrux theft? Does this confirm for us that Karkaroff was 
indeed the DE "too cowardly to return" mentioned in GOF? 
 
2. Why attack Florean Fortescue? Or was the shambles his place was 
left in just a cover for a hasty escape? And for that matter, why 
take Mr. Olivander? Does Voldemort want a new wand with which to 
duel Harry with? We know that a wizard using an unsuitable wand does 
not practice magic as well as he could; could Voldemort having a 
wand without Fawkes' tail feathers in it be an advantage for Harry 
in the final duel? What good does having Olivander do the dark side? 
 
3. The presence of the wanted posters and warning signs posted by 
the Ministry has reminded some readers of WWII propaganda signs and 
leaflets. In what ways are these things useful to the magical 
community? Is it really possible to teach people to defend 
themselves against threats with blurbs on purple poster board? Or is 
this just another example of the Ministry wanting to be seen doing 
*something* even if that something isn't that effective? Don't most 
witches and wizards graduate from school with at least five years of 
Defense Against the Dark Arts? How is their schooling practically 
applied in these situations? Will the DADA curriculum be permanently 
changed now that there is actual defense that needs to be done? 
 
4. Harry insults and stands up to Narcissa Malfoy much like he did 
to Lucius Malfoy last year at the Ministry. How does this scene show 
Harry controlling his anger and emotions? Hermione doesn't seem to 
mind being called a "mudblood". Is that because she's used to it, or 
because she has no regard for Malfoy's opinion of her? Ron doesn't 
say much here. Is he too angry to speak, or is he willingly giving 
up the leadership role to Harry? 
 
5. We finally get a peek at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. How does this 
store compare to Zonko's, the only other establishment of its kind 
that we know about? Why are Fred and George's products so popular in 
an otherwise nearly empty shopping area? They comment that they were 
able to come up with their personal protection line after Harry's 
D.A. lessons. Does this mean that Harry does indeed have an aptitude 
for teaching? The twins' comments that Ron has told them a lot about 
Ginny's relationships indicates that he is close with them, despite 
the fact that they live over the shop. Would you have expected the 
three of them to be close due to all the torment they have given him 
over the last sixteen years? 
 
6. The scene at Borgin and Burkes is full of foreshadowing, 
especially seeing as the very Vanishing Cabinet Draco is obliquely 
referring to is the item that blocks Harry's view into the store. In 
fact, both that and the opal necklace come in to play later in the 
story. What other items of value might the store be hiding? How 
loyal is Mr. Borgin to LV's cause? Why does he assume his oily, 
deferential manner when speaking to Draco, when he is older than the 
boy? Is it a mark of respect for the Malfoy family name, or is he 
really frightened? 
 
7. Harry has cried "Wolf!" on Malfoy too many times. Now that he is 
right that Draco is planning something, no one believes him. How 
could he have presented the evidence he discovered in this chapter 
in order to be more persuasive? Or could he have? Who was in the 
know enough to help Harry undermine Malfoy's plans? 
 
8. In this chapter we are presented with a very different Narcissa 
Malfoy than appeared in "Spinner's End". Why has she changed so 
drastically? Is this just her calm, public face? Or is she that 
confident in the Unbreakable Vow now protecting her son? 
 
9. This chapter also presents some minor shipping moments: the 
beginnings of Harry's attraction to Ginny (him laughing at her jokes 
at breakfast), Ron and Hermione's continual bickering, and our first 
sights of Fleur and Bill together. How do Bill and Fleur match up in 
your estimation? Too sugary? What about the subtle hints about Harry 
and Ginny? Were these too subtle or just right? 
 
10. And just for fun, which products would you be picking up at 
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? Why do Fred and George still have to test 
on themselves? Surely they can hire subjects now? Or are their items 
too dangerous? 

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