CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 36, The Only One He Ever Feared

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No: HPFGUIDX 122444


Here is the rest of the Chapter 36 summary/discussion!!  The first 
half of the summary/discussion may be found here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122222

Chapter 36, part two:

DD deflects a killing curse, and aims a spell that LV's deflects with 
a shield.  They discuss DD's unwillingness to kill and LV's inability 
to understand that there are things worse than death.  

---In fact, DD calls that LV's greatest weakness.  In what way is 
that LV's weakness?  In other words, have we seen any evidence that 
wanton killing has harmed him?

The centaur protects DD from another killing curse and is shattered.  
DD wraps a flame around LV, who turns it into a snake that moves to 
attack DD.  LV disappears and reappears standing on the plinth in the 
fountain.  Fawkes swoops in and swallows a killing curse LV aims at 
DD as DD vanishes the snake.  

---I love that the centaur protects DD here.  Whole lotta centaur in 
this book, eh?  

Suddenly, the water in the pool rises and surrounds LV, who 
disappears.  Bellatrix and Harry assume LV to be dead.  DD yells for 
Harry to be still.  Harry suddenly feels horrific pain in his scar—
too much to bear.  LV has possessed his body and begins to taunt DD, 
saying "Kill me now!"

---Why this particular taunt, I wonder?  It's not as though DD was 
trying to kill him anyway, as we learned a few paragraphs ago.  It 
was never DD's intent to murder LV, so why tease him?

Harry begins to hope that DD will kill him/LV, because he is 
suffering so much pain.  He thinks about death and realizes, "I'll 
see Sirius again."  His heart "fills with emotion" at the thought of 
seeing Sirius and all of a sudden LV leaves his body.  Harry opens 
his eyes to see DD, and then the Atrium full of people.  Witches and 
wizards emerge from the fireplaces, Cornelius Fudge among them, led 
by the house elf and goblin statues.  

---So THAT's where they went!
---So, the thought of Sirius expels LV from Harry's body?  Does this 
fit in with what we know of possession from book 2?

A wizard named Williamson cries out that he saw LV disapparate with 
Bellatrix.  Everyone is shocked that LV was just moments ago standing 
in the MoM.  DD walks forward—some of the witches and wizards raise 
their wands, but the goblin and house elf statues applaud—and tells 
Fudge where to find the other DEs.  Fudge orders DD's arrest.  DD is 
not phased; he tells Fudge that he will fight his men.  DD also 
reminds Fudge that what he has been telling Fudge for months 
concerning LV is the truth.  Fudge acquiesces, grudgingly, and asks 
what happened to the fountain.

---Again, mention of the fountain of Magical Brethren.  

DD tells Fudge that they can talk as soon as Harry is back at 
Hogwarts.  Fudge sees Harry for the first time.  DD creates a portkey 
out of the wizard statue's head.  Fudge tries to assert some control 
(pffft!) and berates DD for creating a portkey without 
authorization.  DD lets him have it, telling him to remove Umbridge 
from the school, order the Aurors to get off Hagrid's back, and that 
he (DD) will meet Fudge in one half hour.  DD agrees to talk to Fudge 
briefly that night, and that if any further discussion is 
needed, "letters addressed to the headmaster will find me."

DD tells Harry to take the portkey, and the two leave Fudge 
blubbering in the MoM Atrium.

---Why is DD so anxious to get Harry back to Hogwarts?  Is there 
healing there?  Protection?  
---I think it's interesting that DD so calmly reinstates himself as 
headmaster—it's almost as though he was humoring Fudge all along, but 
now that things have become serious, it's time to stop fooling 
around.  Who has control over Hogwarts, anyway??

Thanks again and enjoy the discussion!
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