State of the DA / Using Coins as Call to Arms

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 156267

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > Obviously something went wrong.  If, of course, the DA was      
> > supposed to be a step towards the Houses uniting.  I think       
> > that's what Hermione was hoping for, IIRC.
> > <snip>
> > That the DA failed and why it failed I think (hope) will have to 
> > be faced in book 7.

> >>Carol:
> I think you've raised an interesting question: did the DA fail or 
> not?
> It depends, doesn't it, on what the objective was?
> <snip> 
> I don't think that the DA's purpose was ever to unify the school
> houses (all except Slytherin) though it temporarily brought       
> students from three of the four Houses together.
> <snip>

> >>Carodave:
> The DA didn't actually fail. It's purpose was to provide a forum
> for learning defense against the dark arts while Dolores Umbridge
> was their DADA professor.
> <snip>

> >>zeroirregardless
> The most remarkable achievement of the DA was so many students
> learning to cast corporeal Patronuses.
> <snip>

> >>a_svirn:
> I don't see it. Hermione stated her intentions quite clearly. She
> wanted to study the real stuff "not the rubbish that Umbridge is
> doing with us" because a) she wanted to pass her DADA OWL and b)
> because she wanted to "be properly trained in defence" on account 
> of Lord Voldemort being back. She never said anything about       
> uniting the Houses neither in the Hog's Head, nor later. And not a 
> single Slytherin was invited.

Betsy Hp:
Oops!  You all are right.  The DA wasn't meant to unite the houses 
at all.  It was just a DADA study group, meant to help the students 
learn how to defend themselves and also help them pass their OWLs.  
And Harry did a bang up job of it, I thought.  I think I was 
thinking back to pre-HBP speculation about the future of the DA when 
it was thought that it was a baby step towards house unity.  But 
yes, nothing in OotP actually stated that this was the case, and of 
course HBP shot any such idea to pieces.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/156177
> >>DA Jones:
> I think Betsy you stumbled onto my favorite topic. But here is my 
> question:
> Do we know for sure that only Neville or Luna responded to        
> Hermione's call or that she even used the coins?
> <massive snippage of evidence>
> There is a strong possiblilty that Ron and Hermione never used the 
> coins.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think you raise an interesting idea, DA Jones.  Because if 
Hermione was through with the DA (and why wouldn't she have been?), 
would she have even kept up with her coin?  And would she have 
trusted *all* of the DA members?  The train ride to Hogwarts showed 
us that the DA members weren't a tight group anymore.  And it was 
the inner-circle that helped in the fight in the end.  (All of those 
who fought at the DoM, IIRC.) And in the end it was probably good 
that it was just a small group fighting, what with the small supply 
of Felix juice.

So yeah, I'll go with the coins not being used.  At the moment 
anyway. <g>

Betsy Hp