OotP Chapter Discussion: 36, Only One He Ever Feared

[katevldz]

No: HPFGUIDX 122935



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_rude_mechanical" 
<a_rude_mechanical at y...> wrote:
> 
<snip>
>
> 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?
> 
<snip>
> 
Kate responds:
The first time I read this I thought Bella was referring to Sirius.  Am I the only one?  Let me 
try to explain why. 

Here's the canon:  Harry has just told Bella that the prophecy was smashed and proceeds 
to mock that she failed her boss


Ch. 36, The Only One He Ever Feared, OoP
"Nothing there!" he shouted.  "Nothing to summon!  It smashed and nobody heard what it 
said, tell your boss that
"
"No!" she screamed.  "It isn't true, you're lying – MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED – DO NOT 
PUNISH ME" (emphasis JKR)

"Don't waste your breath!" yelled Harry, his eyes screwed up against the pain in his scar, 
now more terrible than ever. "He can't hear you from here!"

"Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice.

Harry opened his eyes.

Tall, thin, and black-hooded his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-
pupiled eyes staring
Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand 
pointing at Harry who stood frozen, unable to move.

"So you smashed my prophecy?" said Voldemort softly, staring at Harry with those pitiless 
red eyes. "No, Bella, he is not lying
I see the truth looking at me from within his 
worthless mind
Months of preparation, months of effort
and my Death Eaters have let 
Harry Potter thwart me again
"

"Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" sobbed Bellatrix, 
flinging herself down at Voldemort's feet as he paced slowly nearer. "Master you should 
know
"

"Be quiet, Bella," said Voldemort dangerously.  "I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you 
think that I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?"

"But Master – he is here – he is below
"

Voldemort paid no attention. 

"I have nothing more to say to you, Potter," he said quietly. "You have irked me too often, 
for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Enter DD and on it goes.

I read this as LV appears and Bella starts cowering and making excuses about why she 
didn't get the prophecy, namely she was fighting the Animagus Black.  She says "Master, 
you should know" , LV tells her to be quiet and she says "But Master, he is here
he is 
below," continuing in her attempts to make sure that LV understands why she didn't get 
the prophecy.  It's like she is making her excuse, then LV interrupts her and tells her to be 
quiet, but she just keeps going on because she's terrified that LV is going to punish her.  I 
read it as her saying to LV, Master, you should know (because you are a Legilimens) that I 
am telling the truth
Black is the reason I didn't get the prophecy and he's here.  I'm not 
lying!  I didn't read it as some big warning that DD was there, mostly because she is 
talking about Sirius one minute and then she supposedly stops talking about him (and why 
even mention him specifically, why not just saying she was fighting?) and starts referring 
to DD. Even though she doesn't say DD's name, we are to infer that she has switched 
gears from Sirius and is now talking about DD. 

I have since talked to people on both sides of the debate.  Those who believe she (Bella) 
was referring to DD - I can see that, but I have to say I didn't get that the first time 
around. It seems to me to be kind of an ambiguous passage of text (perhaps on purpose?).  
Just curious what everyone here thought
if this has been previously discussed, kindly 
point me towards the threads.  Thanks.  And if I have totally confused you, please let me 
know and I'll try to be a bit more clear. 

Kate, who, in case you couldn't tell, REALLY hopes that Sirius' story will continue and is 
probably reading way too much into this