CHAPDISC:HBP19,Elf Tails

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 157500



Chapter Discussions: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 19, Elf Tails


	It is now shortly after eight oclock on the evening of Rons birthday.  He is
still unconscious after drinking the poisoned mead, but out of danger. He is
expected to be in the hospital wing for another week taking Essence of Rue. 
With him are Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Fred and George, who have just arrived.
 Hermione is still in considerable shock. She was described as being white-faced
and clench-jawed until she was allowed in to see Ron. She is still very quiet. 
The others are chatting comfortably about the poisoning and the reasons behind
it. [Q1] [Q2]

	Several ideas are discussed as to why Ron might have been poisoned.  Was Ron
the intended victim, was Harry, was it Slughorn or was it Dumbledore?  Ginny
reminds Harry that Slughorn had said that the bottle had been intended as a gift
for Dumbledore.  While the others consider that information, Hermione states
that the person who had poisoned the mead had not known Slughorn very well or
they would have known that he was likely to drink it himself.  Nothing is said
about how the wine might have been poisoned or when it might have been poisoned.
[Q3]

	Hagrid arrives during the conversation and suggests that perhaps someone is
trying to attack the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  The idea is considered
unlikely.  Once again, Hermione joins the discussion by stating that the attacks
are connected, and that the attacks did not reach the person for whom they were
intended.  [Q4]

	The Weasley parents arrive at this point in the conversation and are deeply
grateful to Harry for saving Rons life.  Molly also mentions that Harry saved
Ginny and Arthur as well.  Arthur agrees in a constricted voice that half of
his family owes their lives to Harry, now that he thinks of it.  Embarrassed,
and as there are now more people visiting than are allowed, Harry takes the
opportunity to leave.  Hagrid and Hermione accompany him. [Q5] [Q6]

	Hagrid advises Harry and Hermione that Dumbledore is worried sick. He believes
that Dumbledore does not know who is behind the attacks or they would have been
caught. There is a possibility that the school might be closed if they do not
catch the perpetrator soon.  Hagrid is speaking very carefully, checking the
ceiling for Peeves and ceasing to talk at all when a ghost passes them in the
hall.  Hagrid then mentions carelessly that it is no wonder that Dumbledore is
angry with Snape.  Harry immediately pounces on this statement and begins to
question Hagrid.  Hagrid reluctantly tells Harry that he over-heard a heated
argument between Dumbledore and Snape near the Forbidden Forest.  He states that
Snape told Dumbledore that he took too much for granted and that he, Snape,
might not want to do it any more. [Q7] [Q8] [Q9]

 Hagrid also states that Dumbledore replied that he, Snape, had agreed to do it
and that was that.  Hagrid explains that Dumbledore wants Snape to make searches
of his House.   Hagrid follows with a warning to Harry not to make too much of
it considering his feelings about Snape. The conversation is then interrupted by
a shadow over the wall where they are standing, and a warning from Hermione. 
Filch arrives on the scene.  When Filch attempts to give Harry and Hermione
detentions, Hagrid becomes extremely angry and calls Filch a sneaking Squib. 
Hermione and Harry are told to go and then Filch and Hagrid continue their
argument.[Q10] [Q11]

	Over the next few days Harry is prevented from following Draco, and
occasionally fails to find him on the Marauders Map. McLaggen is bothering him
about the Quidditch position and Lavender is bothering him about Ron.  Every
time she goes to see him in the hospital wing he is asleep.  Harry wonders about
this, as Ron is always awake when Harry visits him.  Harry pays a visit to Ron
before the match and tells him that he will not be replaced with McLaggen no
matter how good he is and to stop pretending to be asleep when Lavender visits.
 He suggests that Ron tell her the truth. On his way to the match, Harry sees
Malfoy coming towards him, away from the match, with two girls.  Harry is wild
to know where he is going and what he is doing but can not miss the match.  The
frustration is extremely distracting for him. [Q12] [Q13]

	  During the match, as Harry is attempting to stop McLaggen from demonstrating
how to hit a bludger, Harry is struck and knocked unconscious.  The match is
lost 320 to 60.  Harry is forced to remain in the hospital wing with Ron
overnight.  Ron asks why he had nearly been late for the match and Harry
explains about meeting Malfoy.  Ron tells Harry that he is obsessed with Malfoy
and that there are others besides Malfoy who might be to blame. Ron soon loses
interest and falls asleep. [Q14]

	During his night in the hospital wing Harry recalls his other Quidditch
injuries and remembers Dobby coming to talk to him. Thinking about Dobby gives
Harry an idea.  Excited, Harry calls Kreacher.  Kreacher arrives, but is heavily
involved in a physical fight with Dobby over his insults to Harry.  We see Harry
cast one of the Princes spells to quiet the noise and another to silence Peeves
up, who has followed the elves.  Harry demands that Kreacher follow Malfoy, spy
on him and report back what he is up to.  Harry forbids Kreacher to talk to
Draco, write to Draco, contact him in any way, or tell anyone what he is doing.
Dobby also insists on helping as well.  Ron, who was awakened by the arrival of
the elves, has a look of surprise and exasperation on his face. [Q15] [Q16]

1.	This comparison is very interesting in that Hermione appears to have gone
from hate to love in a very short time.  Has she really had an epiphany about
her feelings for Ron? Is she feeling guilty for treating him so badly?  This
description seems over-done to me, particularly in comparison to Freds and
Georges reactions.  Do we expect to see Rons family more concerned than
Hermione?  Is this emotionality in character for her?

2.	Have we been given any previous information on Essence of Rue?  As many of
the named potions in the story have been used in later books, are we likely to
see this one again or is it a Skele-gro type of potion?  What purpose might it
serve?

3.	Since the readers know more than the characters at this point, are the two
attempts to harm someone confirmation that Draco is actively, if
unenthusiastically, trying to kill Dumbledore?  Do you think that Harry has
enough information to come to the same conclusion but fails to do so? 

4.	 Do you think that Hermiones statements convince the others that Slughorn is
the intended victim?  

5.	Considering the information that we have been given on Life Debts, is this
fore-shadowing of what will come in Book 7?  Has Arthur just realized what this
could mean for the Weasley family?  Does the fact that he speaks in a
constricted voice mean anything other than his distress at nearly losing Ron? 

6.	 Does Harry understand what has been said here?  Does Hermione owe Harry
and/or Ron a life debt after the troll incident, and could Rons near-death
experience be having a magical affect on Hermione?  How many people owe Harry
their lives at this point?

7.	Why is Hagrid so careful to make sure that no one over-hears their
conversation and then blurts out to Harry that Dumbledore was angry with Snape?
 Hagrid was very clear about two of the statements, doesnt want to do it any
more and you agreed to do it, but unclear on the rest.  As the character of
Hagrid has been used to blurt out information that Harry is not supposed to
know, is this concern for security in character for someone who is about to
commit an indiscretion?  Do you think that Hagrid has been giving Harry the
information he needs at Dumbledores instruction? 

8.	Knowing what we do about the Unbreakable Vow, and assuming that Dumbledore
was told about it by Snape, is there anything he, Dumbledore, could have done to
secure the castle, or apprehend Draco early in the game, without triggering the
Vow?  Do you believe that Dumbledore was willing to risk others in order to
protect his spy and keep his plan in action? 

9.	 What would the effect on the Vow have been if Draco had been stopped and
hidden before he actually began to perform the steps necessary to complete his task?

10.	We have seen in the books that Snape had promised four things, to go back to
Voldemort as a spy, to protect Draco, to help Draco in his task, and to perform
the task if Draco is unable to do so.  Which promise do you think Dumbledore was
insisting Snape keep?   Do you think that the promise Dumbledore wanted from
Snape, in their conversation near the Forbidden Forest, was unrelated to these
prior promises?

11.	 Hagrid called Filch a sneaking Squib.  Have we ever heard Hagrid talk to
another co-worker like this before and what does it say about their
relationship? Do you think that Hagrid has some personal conflict with Filch? 
Does this seem out of character for Hagrid?  Does Hagrid share the WW dislike of
Squibs?

12.	We are not told who the girls were who were accompanying Malfoy.  Would
Harry have recognized other students from Slytherin, or was he simply too
focused on Malfoy to realize that he did not recognize them?  Were they
strangers?  Were they Crabbe and Goyle? Is there any indication that students
are allowed to have visitors at Hogwarts? 

13.	We have seen Harry as pretty clueless when it comes to feelings, but here we
see him put two and two together and come to the right answer when it comes to
Ron and Lavender.  Is this out of character for him?  Did Harry care about the
fairness of the situation or was he only hoping that Lavender would stop
bothering him if she knew that Ron was no longer interested in her?

14.	Ron is clearly exasperated by Harrys obsession with Draco.  Why has this
changed from the first books, where Ron and Hermione bought into everything
Harry believed?  

15.	Why did Harry not call Dobby in the first place?  He knows that he can trust
Dobby, and knows full well that he can not trust Kreacher.  Has Harry done
enough to ensure Kreachers silence? 

16.	 Since Ron was surprised by this demand of Harrys for Kreacher to spy on
Draco, is it possible that this kind of behaviour is frowned on in the Wizarding
World? 
 
17.	We have been given a great deal of information in this chapter, but has
anything occurred to actually move the plot forward in this book?  Has anything
happened in this chapter which is likely to have an impact on the final book? 

KJ, giving bows and flourishes to Shorty Elf for comments and suggestions.


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