OotP Chapter Discussion: 36, Only One He Ever Feared

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No: HPFGUIDX 122222


Here's the first half of the summary/discussion of  OotP Chapter 
Thirty Six, "The Only One He Ever Feared".  The discussion questions 
occur within the summary and are marked with three dashes.  Thanks!!

Harry struggles with Lupin, calling madly for Sirius who has fallen 
through the veil.  Lupin tries to tell Harry that Sirius cannot come 
back, but Harry refuses to listen.  However, it slowly dawns on Harry 
that Sirius isn't responding to his frantic calls, and therefore must 
be unable to return.  Meanwhile, the battle between the Order and the 
DEs continues around them.

---I find it interesting that it is Lupin who is with Harry at 
Sirius' death/crossing/disappearance/whatever.  Why did Rowling 
choose Lupin rather than any other adult in Harry's world?
---How does Lupin know about the veil?  How does he know that Sirius 
can't come back after falling through it?  I mean, this is the 
Department of Mysteries, right?  What's the deal?

Dumbldore immobilizes the DEs as Kingsley continues the fight with 
Bellatrix.  Neville offers condolences to Harry, then Lupin uses a 
counter-jinx to remove the spell on Neville's legs.  While Lupin, 
Harry, and Neville talk, Bellatrix escapes Kingsley.  DD fires a 
spell that she deflects.  Harry pulls free from Lupin and goes after 
her, screaming that he plans to kill her.  He chases her back through 
the room with all the brains, and then past Luna, Ginny, Ron, and 
Hermione, out to the corridor leading to the lifts.  At the last 
minute Bellatrix slams the door in his face and the walls and doors 
begin to spin.  Harry yells in frustration, "Where's the exit?"  He 
has inadvertently discovered the secret of the entrance—all you have 
to do is ask.  

---I love this!  It reminds me so of Tolkien's riddle at the entrance 
to Moria: Speak friend, and enter.  

The correct door opens and Harry runs to the lifts.  Bellatrix has 
already taken a lift up, so he waits for the next one. 

---Wizards don't need electricity, nor medicine; they can 
apparate/disapparate; portkeys carry them from one location in the 
world to another
and yet they still have to wait for elevators.  
Which calls to mind this question:  why in the world doesn't 
Bellatrix simply disapparate?  DD clearly believes that the other DEs 
might because he immobilizes them with disapparation in mind.  
So
.wha???

Harry follows her up to the Atrium and catches her before she reaches 
the phone booth lift.  She fires a curse at him but misses.  Harry 
hides behind the fountain.  She taunts him and he hits her with the 
Cruciatus curse.  He manages only to knock her off her feet.  
Bellatrix no longer finds the situation amusing, but he has done no 
real damage.  She mocks his attempt and aims a Cruciatus at him that 
takes off the centaur statue's arm.  Bellayrix explains that she 
learned the Dark Arts from LV himself and was his most loyal 
servant.  Harry attempts a stunning curse that she deflects, removing 
one of the goblin statue's ears in the process. 

---The fountain and its subsequent destruction in this chapter is a 
rather glaring metaphor.  Does the destruction reflect/foreshadow 
something?  If so, what?
Bellatrix demands the prophecy of Harry, who tells her that the 
sphere has been destroyed.  Immediately his scar begins to burn and 
he feels LV's anger; Harry taunts Bellatrix with it.  She begins to 
apologize to LV, who suddenly appears in the hall.

LV prepares to kill Harry, ignoring Bellatrix's warnings that "He is 
here."

---By "he" we are left to assume DD, I suppose?

The statue of the wizard comes to life and deflects LV's killing 
curse.  LV sees DD standing behind Harry and attempts to kill him, 
but DD moves too quickly.  All the statues in the fountain come to 
life—the witch pins Bellatrix to the floor, the wizard moves Harry 
out from between DD and LV, the goblin and house elf move to the 
fireplaces, and the centaur canters around the two wizards.  DD 
tells "Tom" that the aurors are coming.

--Keep an eye on the goblin and the house elf—what exactly are they 
doing??

Thanks for reading, and I'll post the rest on Wednesday!!
Elisabeth