CHAPDISC: HBP 2, Spinner's End

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 142027

CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 
2, Spinner's End.


Summary:
 This appears to be the same day as chapter one, but in a very 
different location. A dark mood is set at once with the description 
of a disused mill, deserted buildings, and a dirty river. Words 
like "shadowy", "ominous" and "no sign of life" round out the 
setting. 

Narcissa and Bella appear and begin to argue about Narcissa's 
mission. When Bella tries to stop her, Narcissa counters with a hex. 
Bella follows at a distance and then joins her at the last house on 
Spinner's End. It is Snape who invites them in.

"They had stepped directly into a tiny sitting room, which had the 
feeling of a dark, padded cell. The walls were completely covered in 
books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather, a threadbare 
sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table stood grouped together in 
a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the 
ceiling. The place had a air of neglect, as though it was not usually 
inhabited."

 
Wormtail is also at the house and is called upon to serve elf-made 
wine. He complains about being used as a servant, but doesn't accept 
when Snape suggests they have the Dark Lord find other work for him. 
Although he greets the witches by first names, neither responds. 
Snape sends him to his bedroom, and later blasts him with a spell to 
make certain he is not listening to the conversation. The 
relationship appears to be one of master and unwilling servant.

Severus and Narcissa call each other by first names. He addresses 
Bellatrix as Bella, but she uses "Snape" throughout the meeting. At 
Snape's request, Bella brings up many reasons for distrusting him. He 
counters with explanations for his absences at certain Death Eater 
events. Others must doubt his loyalty as well because he tells 
her, "You can carry my words back to the others who whisper behind my 
back, and carry false tales of my treachery to the Dark Lord!" He 
explains his reasons for remaining at Hogwarts. It was safer there, 
and he was able to maintain his position as spy for the Dark Lord. He 
gives the impression that he has the Dark Lord's complete trust. 
Bella, however, appears to have lost status. 

Now it is Narcissa's turn. She begins to talk about "the plan." Snape 
supports Bella by saying Narcissa shouldn't speak about it. Then 
changes direction and says it is all right to talk to him because he 
knows the plan. Narcissa is distraught. She cries, she pleads. Draco 
has been given an assignment and it is doubtful he will succeed. Even 
Snape says the Dark Lord expects him to fail. Bella is proud of 
Draco's response to the mission and says she would be glad to give up 
sons for the Dark Lord. 

Narcissa asks for Snape's help. When he offers to "try", she asks for 
the Unbreakable Vow. He agrees and even directs Bella in her role as 
Bonder. She is astonished. During the ceremony he agrees to these 
requests:

"Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to 
fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"

"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"And should it prove necessary
if it seems Draco will fail
will you 
carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"


Discussion:
This chapter has already been well discussed. The list began 
wondering about Spinner's End even before the book came out. I've 
avoided those topics that I've seen on the board, particularly the 
ones that have current threads. Feel free to add any questions of 
your own; or to revive any old issues from this chapter.



1. Bellatrix kills a fox, thinking it could be an Auror. Does she 
suspect Snape's home is being watched, or is she always looking over 
her shoulder for an Auror? Do you think all DEs would be this trigger 
happy, or is it just Bella?

2. The neighborhood sounds deserted, except for some streetlights 
that are still lit and the presence of food wrappers at the river's 
edge. What can our RW sociologists tell us about this neighborhood in 
the late 90's?

3. Bella knows Narcissa is going to visit Snape, but she is caught by 
surprise (equaling that of many from this list) at the location. She 
calls it a Muggle dunghill and doubts that any of "our kind" has ever 
set foot there. In fact, Snape, Pettigrew and Narcissa all seem 
familiar with the area. Yet it was Bella who was supposed to be part 
of young Severus's gang. What do you think is going on here? How long 
do you think Snape has been using this location?

4. Snape's tiny sitting room is lined with leather bound books and 
contains a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table. It 
had the "feeling of a dark, padded cell." A padded cell is used for 
someone who needs protection from himself. What does this room, or 
the house and neighborhood, tell us about Snape? Do you think this is 
his usual home away from Hogwarts?

5. Narcissa is described as having a note of hysteria in her voice 
and the look of a drowned person. She then enters a room that has the 
feeling of a padded cell.  What does that tell us about Narcissa?  
How does that fit with her actions later in this chapter?

6. Snape, Narcissa and Bella drank a toast with blood-red wine. I'm 
not sure which image came sooner to my mind at that point: Vampire!
Snape or Sir Patrick Spens and his wrecked ship. In English ballads, 
nothing good comes after drinking "bluid-red" wine.  Elf-made wine 
doesn't sound too safe either. How many stories involve some danger 
at drinking something made by elves or fairies? These are magical 
folk, so perhaps it's not so dangerous. Do you think this was just 
setting the magical mood, or was JKR waving a flag?

7. This is a serious chapter, with lots of dark images. It's 
informative too, but it's difficult to decide which information is 
truth and which is deception. What images or feelings made an 
impression on you? How do they affect your interpretation of the 
story? 

8. Narcissa asks Snape to make an Unbreakable Vow and Bella 
is "astonished" that he agrees. It looks like a wedding ceremony, and 
is obviously very serious. We've seen that magical contracts have 
serious consequences--the Goblet of Fire in GoF, and the SNEAK hex in 
OoP. None of us can really understand why Snape agreed, but is this 
just Business as Usual in the Wizarding World? How does this vow 
compare to magical deals in fairy tales and myths?

9. (Thanks to Carol for this question): Like "The Other 
Minister," "Spinner's End" is written from a point of view other than 
Harry's. But while "Minister" uses the usual third-person limited-
omniscient narrator, who sees through the eyes of the Muggle Prime 
Minister rather than Harry's, "Spinner's End" dispenses with a point-
of-view
character altogether. Narcissa, Bellatrix, Snape, and Wormtail (if 
we're counting vermin) are presented from the third-person dramatic 
or third-person objective
point of view, meaning that they are seen from the outside with a 
minimum of commentary and no direct insight into their thoughts. It's 
as if both the
narrator and the reader are invisible, silent witnesses to the scene, 
much like Harry on the tower. How does this change in the point of 
view affect our reading of this chapter? Why do you think JKR chose 
this point of view rather than letting us into, say, Narcissa's or 
Bellatrix's mind? How does having a chapter written from a point of 
view other than Harry's affect your reading of HBP or the series 
itself? Should JKR have omitted the first two chapters in order to 
maintain a Harrycentric view throughout the book? Why or why not?
Related link about Point of View:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/fiction/elements.asp?e=4

10. Here's a question to think about when we move into chapter 
3: "The Other Minister" begins with a Muggle receiving two visitors. 
It's an informative, yet humorous chapter. The dreary "Spinners End" 
begins with two visitors coming to a very different Muggle 
location. "Will and Won't" begins with someone waiting for a visitor 
and returns us to a more humorous mood. How do these three chapters 
work together?


NOTE: For more information on HPfGU's chapter discussions, please see
"HPfGU HBP Chapter Discussions" at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/database



Potioncat who would like to thank SSSusan and Carol for their 
assistance!