CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Chapter Thirty-Eight - The Second War Begins

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 124589


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Dan Feeney" <darkthirty at s...> 
wrote:
 
Hickengruendler:

Great summary.
 
> Discussion Questions for OotP Chapter 38 - The Second War Begins
> 
> 1 - This denouement has some extravagance - the idea of a partner 
for 
> Grawp, the departure of Umbridge, the attack on the Hogwarts 
express, 
> the encounter with the Dursleys at the station. Did any of these 
> events bother you, or pose questions for you, make you think of 
> related incidents or have ethical concerns?

Yes, the idea of a female Grawp bothers me very much. As if the 
spiders weren't enough in the forest. I mean, once there is a she 
Grawp, there surely will be babys soon. And one Grawp is annoying 
enough. The rest I found pretty funny and lively, and I can't get 
enough of Malfoy being hexed.
> 
> 2 - There are a couple versions of "afterlife" presented here - 
> Nick's and Luna's. What is the difference - or rather, if one 
version 
> is consternating and the other comforting, what is Rowling getting 
at?

JKR is a Christian who believes in Christian Afterlife, and that's 
what IMO becomes clear during Harry's conversation with Luna. It's a 
reference to a heaven like place, where we'll see our lost ones 
again. Both the mirror and Harry's conversation with Nick helped 
Harry dealing with the fact that Sirius won't return to this world. 
All of his hopes for this to happen were smashed. Although I wish 
Nick would have said a bit more about why some people become ghosts 
and others don't. Is it fear? Or is it a personal decision?
 
> 
> Other Notes for Discussion
> 
> 1 - Luna doesn't appear on the Hogwarts Express.
 
At first I was annoyed by this, but now I think it was because JKR 
wanted the conversation between Harry and Luna about Death to be 
Luna's last appereance in the book.
 
> 5 - How will divination class be structured, with Firenze and 
> Trewlawney both instructing? 

I'm actually annoyed that Harry doesn't take Divination anymore. This 
could be comedy gold and we don't get to see it.

Hickengruendler