[HPforGrownups] CHAPDISC: HBP7, The Slug Club

[Kathy King]

No: HPFGUIDX 145781

*AnitaKH;*



CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS:



<snip>



Blaise reports on the lunch with Slughorn, mentioning the attendees.  We
discover that Ginny is generally popular with Hogwarts boys, even passing
Zabini's standards.  As they discuss Slughorn, Malfoy casually mentions that
he might not even be at Hogwarts the following year.  Draco hints that he
may be on to "bigger and better" things, and he allows the others to suggest
he will be working for LV.  When Zabini expresses his doubts that LV would
be interested in an unqualified 16 year old, Malfoy says perhaps LV has a
job for him that doesn't require him to be qualified.



Snow:



Now this is interesting…LV has a job that doesn't require Draco to be
qualified, hmmmmm.

Apparently Draco was only initially informed, and he believed, that his
requirement was to fix the vanishing cabinets thus the 'not being qualified'
statement and the self-assured attitude from Draco.



It would only follow that Draco Became aware what his true assignment was
(to attempt to kill DD) after the year had begun, say somewhere around the
time he was caught by Harry crying to none other than the muggleborn Moaning
Myrtle of all species.

Draco finally learned what was really expected of him and not only confided
in but fell to pieces in front of a mudblood. Draco, the pureblood,
confiding in a deceased mudblood of his emotional distraught, how is that
possible unless Draco was introduced to his new assignment?



Oh how did DD know?

That Snape fellow just always seems to end up in the right place at the
right time. ;)



A question arises if this is correct, and I feel it is, why didn't Narcissa
warn her son of what was truly expected of him (because she knew!)? Was
Narcissa simply trying to protect her son from the real truth hoping that
Snape would cover for him? Why would Narcissa put ALL her trust in Snape?
Was it an Oh-Snape-you-won't-let-my-baby-die-like-he-did-to-yours moment?





*AnitaKH;*



  9.                  The luncheon scene with Slughorn highlights the
personality traits that we glimpsed in "Horace Slughorn."    Did this scene
cement your opinion of Slughorn, did it change your first impression from
the earlier chapter, or did your opinion undergo a transformation later,
say, after seeing the full horcrux memory?



Snow:



>From the moment I was introduced to Slughorn he quite reminded me of Fudge.
Neither of them wants to make a real choice, fence sitters. Both of them
admire Dumbledore but neither Slughorn nor Fudge are willing to totally
choose sides that could damage their reputation with getting ahead as far as
the Ministry is involved…they have their own reputation to think of you
know…and they both paid a price for their intentional indecisiveness.





*AnitaKH;*



11.                          I find the end of this chapter difficult to
read, wishing at an emotional level that Harry would use more caution.
Harry's impulsiveness has gotten him into scrapes before, and he once again
takes a chance and loses.  How do you think this tendency will play out?
(Curiosity killed the cat or caution makes cowards of us all?)



Snow:



Harry is true to his convictions even though a lot of times his impulses put
others in the face of danger.



The people who joined the Order of the Phoenix knew that there were things
worth dieing for and that was their choice, they knew the cause was worth
more than themselves. Harry doesn't even think that others could be in
jeopardy because of his rash-like decisions but knows that it was the right
thing to do. Of course Harry would look back and see where his decisions
affected others in a negative way and feel remorseful but the real question
would be, would Harry have chosen differently if he had thought about it?



Sometimes there is no way out of hurting others in the attempt to do what's
right. Dumbledore didn't want to leave Harry at the Dursley's but he knew
that it was the ultimate protection. The difference with Harry and even
Dumbledore's decision to leave him at the Dursley's is time. Harry never has
time to mull over whether or not someone else would be affected by his
decisions. When and if Harry does have a slight moment (like with the
threstrals), he does want Ginny and Neville to stay behind. Harry feels
responsible for them in the MOM even though he didn't want them to come and
they both made choices that helped him.



There's nothing cut and dry about decisions. All decisions affect someone
else. It was Harry's decision to reject Neville's decision to come to the
MOM with him, who's at fault if something happens to Neville when he
insisted on coming? But if it weren't for Neville…



It's our decisions…


Snow


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