CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Chapter Thirty seven - The lost prophecy . REPOST

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 124050


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> 2. Harry blames himself for Sirius's death. Do you?

He deserves part of the blame, though it's a small part. It was his 
responsibility to try and learn Occlumency. Even though neither DD 
nor Snape managed to fully explain to him why it was necessary, he 
ought to have made more of an effort. He owed it to DD, who stood up 
for him at the hearing and who still remains an authority figure.
Harry is not yet an adult, but he's no small child either, and old 
enough to be held at least partially responsible for his actions and 
decisions. Otherwise, we would be treating him like the small child 
he is not. And Harry can't grow if he is resolved of all blame. 
 
> 3. Dumbledore is sure that Harry IS the person the prophecy talks 
> about. Are you? 

Not quite. Why bring up Neville at this moment if it's only to say 
that it wasn't him, after all?
 
> 4. Harry complains to Dumbledore that Occlumency lessons were 
> weakening him. Dumbledore replies with his usual vow of trust for 
> Snape. Do you trust Snape? 

Again, not quite. Though I'm disinclined to think he's still a Death 
Eater, he's got so many issues that he may very well cause a major 
disaster yet because of them. And while DD may trust him not to 
betray Harry to Voldemort, there's trust and trust. Snape is 
emotionally unreliable enough to be an uncertain factor.   
 
> 5.  Dumbledore blames himself for Sirius death. Do you?

I do, and more than I blame Harry. In his own way, DD is as 
overprotective as Molly is. He must have completely forgotten what 
it felt like to be a teenager, and I doubt he ever knew what it felt 
like to be a teenager in Harry's circumstances. 

 
> 8. Do you think that there is a possibility that the prophecy does 
> not speak about either Harry or Neville? Can you offer completely 
> new and unexpected interpretation of it?

It seems highly unlikely to me that we'll suddenly be confronted 
with a third candidate; any surprises concerning the prophecy will 
probably have to do with its wording.     
 
> 11. Dumbledore tells Harry, "In the end, it mattered not that you 
> could not close your mind.  It was your heart that saved you."  
Does 
> this mean that occlumency lessons were unnecessary in the first 
> place? Was Dumbledore aware that Harry has plenty of that power in 
> that room BEFORE possession occurred?

I thought it was DD who saved Harry. And apparently it did matter 
that Harry couldn't clos his mind, because ultimately this caused 
Sirius to be killed. So I don't quite understand what DD is saying 
here. Is he dismissing Sirius's death? Or is he just trying to make 
Harry feel less guilty.  
 
> 12.  Do you think that this chapter was well done "plot wise"? I 
> don't remember my complete reaction when I read it for the first 
> time, but I remember that disappointment was definitely there.  I 
> was thinking something like "that is the big secret"? Do you think 
> that it would have been more effective if Harry learns about the 
> contents of the prophecy from somebody else? Yesterday for some 
> reason I was imagining Voldemort explaining things to Harry 
instead 
> of Dumbledore. "Potter, we have to kill one another or be killed. 
> You better be 
> prepared." :o) What do you think?

No, it was very unsatisfactory to me, and the big secret struck me 
as rather lame. I didn't like DD's "blaming the victim act" (Sirius 
ought to have treated Kreacher better) either; it's inappropriate to 
say such things to the bereaved, and not at all in character for a 
loving and wise old man. As far as I'm concerned, this chapter is a 
piece of inadequate writing.
 
> 13. We see Dumbledore crying in this chapter for the first time in 
> the books. Despite the fact that a similar question was already 
> posted couple of days ago, I decided not to delete mine. What did 
> you feel when you read about Dumbledore's tear?

Embarrassed. 


Renee