[HPforGrownups] CHAPDISC: HBP4, Horace Slughorn

[P J]

No: HPFGUIDX 143356

Good questions!  I can't wait to hear what others have to say.  :)


QUESTIONS.

>"You are with me," said Dumbledore simply.
>  Now look at this quote in chapter 26,"The Cave:"
>  "I am not worried Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little
>stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."

>Do you see any symbolic connection between these two quotes?

In the first it's DD who's the stronger wizard but I feel he's acknowledging 
that the baton has passed and now Harry is the stronger in his "I'm with 
you" statement.   I think that was the first time I'd realized that DD was 
definitely going to die and that it wasn't a hoax at all.

>2. When Albus says, "Lord Voldemort has finally realized the
>dangerous access to his thoughts and feelings you have been
>enjoying," does he mean that in OOP Voldemort had no idea that Harry
>had access to his thoughts and feelings? Wasn't it necessary for
>Voldemort to know that Harry would receive the vision of Sirius in
>order for his plan to lure Harry to MoM to be successful?

Oh yes, Voldermort knew the connection worked both ways after the 
Nagini/Arthur situation but at that time he was able to make it work for 
him.  Now he finds the connection inconvenient so shut it down.  I believe 
the connection will reopen in Book 7.

>3. Horace Slughorn tells Dumbledore that he did not have time to set
>the Dark Mark over the House. "The Dark Mark," he muttered. "Knew
>there was something  ah well. Wouldn't have had time anyway"
>I realize that I am missing something obvious here, but it bugs me
>nevertheless. Can anybody set the Dark Mark? Anybody who has no
>connections with Death Eaters at all?

I'm almost sure I read in one of the books that the only ones taught to use 
the dark mark are DE's but I can't find the quote now.  Since Slughorn was 
the head of Slytherin he may have been told by a former student (now a DE) 
how it was done but I'm not convinced.  This bothered me too.


>4. If Horace had been "out of touch with everybody for a year," how
>does Dumbledore know that he is now hiding in charming village of
>Budleigh Babberton?

DD has Aurors and other ministry people in the OOtP and is very friendly 
with most of the people who count in the WW.  I don't think anyone would 
balk at giving DD the address of someone he wanted to rehire.

>5. When I was preparing the questions for this chapter discussion, I
>could not shake the feeling that I am having Mark Evans de ja vu.
>Why? Because I started seeing symbolism where JKR probably had no
>intention to write anything symbolic. Nevertheless, when Albus asks
>Slughorn whether he needs his assistance in cleaning up and Slughorn
>answers positively, I for some reason saw the possible foreshadowing
>of Gryffindor and Slytherin cooperation. Am I seeing things?
>  "They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round
>one, and waved
>their wands in one identical sweeping motion."

I'd like to hear what others think about this but I don't trust Sluggy at 
all...  Maybe I'm just paranoid.  :-)

>6. Slughorn claims that he spilled dragon blood on the walls, when
>he was preparing his little charade. He also says that it may still
>be reusable. How do you think it could be reusable after already
>being spilled?

"Reparo, Harry muttered, pointing his wand at the broken pieces of china.  
They flew back together, good as new, but there was no returning the murtlap 
essence to the bowl" (OOtP ch. 15 pg 329 Scholastic)

Maybe Harry didn't know the correct spell and Slughorn does but to me, the 
dragon's blood is spilled and can't be reused...

>7 Horace's words are, "Reactions not what they were, I see."
>Snape, in the relevant part of conversation, says basically the same
>thing: "He has since sustained a serious injury because his
>reactions are slower than they once were."  p.31. (US.ed).

That's the first reason anyone would think of for a man of DD's age so it 
makes sense that both Snape and Slughorn would say so.

>8. Would you agree that Slughorn seems to be *too* unconcerned about
>Dumbledore's injury? If you disagree, why?

I think Slughorn is as curious as a cat - especially seeing the ring on DD's 
hand -  but doesn't really want to have his fears confirmed.  He knows the 
ring is Tom's and knows Tom asked about Horcruxes.  He can put 2+2 together 
as well as anyone but if he makes a big deal out of it then the jig is up 
and he'll be answering questions he'd rather not all night.  Easier to avoid 
the issue altogether.

>9. What was your very first impression of Horace Slughorn?  I mean,
>particularly, if it's possible for you to recall before you read
>anything about him on the HPFGU.

I wasn't sure about him... I'm still not.  I know this isn't going to make 
any sense but he reminded me of Peter Pettigrew in a clown costume and I 
can't for the life of me tell you why!  :-)

>10. We know that Harry does not ask questions about his parents even
i>n those rare situations when he has the chance to do so. Here Harry
>meets the man who taught his mother, who seems to like his mother
>very much and Harry is still not asking him any questions about
>Lily. What do you think about it?

We know he loves to hear stories about them, look thru the photo album 
Hagrid gave him and spent a lot of time in front of the Mirror of Erised 
just looking at them so it's not like he doesn't care about them at all.  I 
just think it's been drummed into him since he could talk that his parents 
were an off limits conversation so it doesn't occur to him to ask anyone 
even when the Dursleys aren't around.


PJ




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