CHAPDISC: HBP9, The Half-Blood Prince

[AyanEva]

No: HPFGUIDX 147654

These are some thoughts I had regarding the questions that I had 
about Chapter 9. (LONG)

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "AyanEva" <ayaneva at ...> wrote:
>
> CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 
Chapter 
> 9, The Half-Blood Prince

I asked:

> -It seemed to me that when McGonagall was giving out the NEWT class 
> schedules, the scene was written in such a way so that certain 
> characters were completely glossed over (Hermione/Ron). Conversely, 
> very specific points regarding classes and skill sets were made 
about 
> other characters (Harry/Neville). It almost seems like JKR is, in 
> essence, sticking a neon sign around certain skill areas of 
> particular individuals; areas that I had not previously associated 
> with these people. Are these really specific skill sets that are at 
> least some of the exact elements with which to defeat Voldemort? 
What 
> I cannot figure out is how these skills would be used and is the 
> answer found somewhere in past books from what we already know 
about 
> these areas of magic?

My additional thoughts on this subject (sorry if anything repeats): 

 I honestly do NOT remember there ever being any mention before now 
that Neville was good at Charms, but apparently he is. Also, the fact 
that he sucks at Transfiguration—This might mean something, but what? 
This just makes me think of Peter Pettigrew. I do not think that 
Neville is going to be the next Wormtail because he really is quite 
brave and loyal and has proven this a number of times since SS/PS. 
But that thing about being bad at Transfiguration, while at the same 
time, Harry is apparently quite good at it...it really is messing 
with my head. And speaking of Harry


When did he start performing at a NEWT level in Transfiguration?? I 
think this is the first I have heard of it. And that he performed as 
well as he did in Potions? I know this means something, but I cannot 
piece anything together. As I suggestion in the discussion topic, 
maybe these are unique talents that will be used to fight Voldemort. 

We have guessed from the previous books, mostly PS/SS, that Ron could 
be the strategist. Hermione, besides being skilled in general, is a 
base of knowledge and instruction. Maybe this section of the chapter 
is a short list of the specific talents of the other two main players 
(not talking about raw power, just developed abilities). Perhaps 
Harry will do something very specifically involving transfiguration 
and/or potions, Neville does something that specifically involves 
charms. Now where the heck does Luna fit into this? She is not 
mentioned in this chapter, but is she simply the talented "other 
half" to Hermione and nothing else?

I said in my inital post:
 
> -In the DADA class, of particular interest is the exact quote by 
> Snape on page 177 (US HB), " `The Dark Arts,' said Snape, `are 
many, 
> varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting 
a 
> many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a 
> head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that 
> which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible.'" Could the quote tie 
> into the theory that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville (And Luna? 
And 
> maybe Ginny?) all have something really, really specific to use 
> against Voldemort? Could it be that each person has to use 
something 
> unique on each "head" of the Voldemort and His Minions Dark Arts 
> Monster?
> 

My additional thoughts:

I found the DADA classrooms scenes to be the most enigmatic. I could 
not decide if I was over-reading or under-reading everything (I seem 
to have that problem with most of the book!). I did make some 
observations, though. First of all, I did not think that Snape spoke 
of the Dark Arts in any sort of reverential manner. In fact, when 
Harry raises this issue later on, Hermione points out that Snape was 
talking kind of the same way that Harry had before. 

When I read the quote by Snape about the Dark Arts in DADA, I cannot 
help but think, "Hey, thanks for the advice on how to approach 
fighting Voldemort!" So, I definitely think Snape is really teaching, 
not necessarily admiring. Earlier on the page, Snape looks right at 
Harry (and JKR makes a point of mentioning this), immediately after 
demanding that they listen closely and right before beginning his 
spiel. This leads me to think that the "many-headed monster" bit is 
specifically for Harry. Yes, yes, I AM a Snape flag-bearer, so my 
reading of this is a bit colored. It is also why I had so much 
trouble with this part; it is difficult to approach it objectively. 
Anyway, I do think that maybe this is a clue about how different 
characters are going to use different skills to fight Voldemort. 

I found the DADA classrooms scenes to be the most enigmatic. I could 
not decide if I was over-reading or under-reading everything (I seem 
to have that problem with most of the book!). I did make some 
observations, though. First of all, I did not think that Snape spoke 
of the Dark Arts in any sort of reverential manner. In fact, when 
Harry raises this issue later on, Hermione points out that Snape was 
talking kind of the same way that Harry had before. 

When I read the quote by Snape about the Dark Arts in DADA, I cannot 
help but think, "Hey, thanks for the advice on how to approach 
fighting Voldemort!" So, I definitely think Snape is really teaching, 
not necessarily admiring. Earlier on the page, Snape looks right at 
Harry (and JKR makes a point of mentioning this), immediately after 
demanding that they listen closely and right before beginning his 
spiel. This leads me to think that the "many-headed monster" bit is 
specifically for Harry. Yes, yes, I AM a Snape flag-bearer, so my 
reading of this is a bit colored. It is also why I had so much 
trouble with this part; it is difficult to approach it objectively. 
Anyway, I do think that maybe this is a clue about how different 
characters are going to use different skills to fight Voldemort. 

I said previously:
 
> -I still am not entirely convinced that Harry got the HBP book by 
> accident. I have to wonder if someone (a professor) knew what was 
in 
> the book. That then leaves me with the question of:  If someone 
> wanted Harry to have the book, who was it? 
> 
> -Slughorn lists two times that he took Felix Felicis: Once when he 
> was twenty-four years old and once when he was fifty-seven. I 
wonder 
> if these times are significant?


My additional thoughts:

The question of just how Harry happened to end up with the HBP's book 
is bugging me! On the surface it goes like this: Harry did not think 
he would be able to get into Potions class, so he did not buy any 
books or supplies. He gets in the class anyway and Slughorn scrounges 
around and just so happens to pull out two old books, one of which is 
the HBP's book, which Harry just so happens to get. Great 
coincidence? Lazy writing? Or just how buffoonish and clueless is 
Slughorn really? 

Slughorn certainly seemed far less of a blustering fool in the 
beginning of the book when he was hiding as a chair and Dumbledore 
was trying to hunt him down. I am not saying that Slughorn is not 
really pretentious guy, but we have already seen how Snape seems to 
exaggerate aspects of his personality when Snape was meeting with 
Narcissa and Bellatrix early on. I know that the reason that 
Dumbledore went to so much trouble to get Slughorn at Hogwarts was 
probably to try and retrieve that missing memory, but Harry getting 
that potions book just seems like too much of a coincidence for it 
not to tie in somehow. Snape is too meticulous and orderly, I cannot 
believe that he would not know what was and was not left in his 
classroom and the content of each thing that was there. Why the heck 
would that sort of book that would allow students to "cheat" be left 
lying around?? 

The title of book six is Half-Blood Prince and the potions book is 
the property of the Half-Blood Prince. Without getting into future 
chapters, even now we know that the potions book and the person to 
whom it belonged is going to be of importance to Harry. My thinking 
is that if I do not believe Harry getting that book is a coincidence, 
then him having the book was planned. 

And now I am going to make a Hagrid-sized leap and wonder if a) 
Slughorn is as clueless as he seems and what Dumbledore knows of 
this, b) The former Potions Master knew what was in the book and left 
it there and Slughorn, assuming he is not clueless, knows what is in 
the book (this is a HUGE assumption and probably incorrect). That 
then leaves me with the question of, c) if someone wanted Harry to 
have the book, who was it? Dumbledore? Slughorn? Snape? It could be 
Snape if he is trying to "teach" Harry covertly. 


I added from Penapart:
 
> -Penapart Elf also brought up a couple of good points (hope you do 
> not mind my mentioning these Penapart! These are direct quotes.)
>    1) "HRH (and if HRH are right, so do the rest of their year)   
>       dropped NEWT-level Care of Magical Creatures - too bad since  
>       they might have to fight The Voldemort and His Minions Dark 
>       Arts Monster." –Penapart Elf


My thoughts:

This is a really good point. All we have to do is look back at 
Buckbeak and the dragon; this idea is perfectly plausible!

 

AyanEva