CHAPDISC: HBP 18, Birthday Surprises

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 153508

Deb wrote:


> QUESTIONS 
> 
> 1.  What do you think of Golpalott's Third Law?  Was it included as 
an
> example of magical principles?  Do you think it will be applied in 
Book 7,
> either actually or metaphorically?  And is there any significance 
to the
> name Golpalott, other than its resemblance to gulp-a-lot?

Potionacat:
I didn't get gulp-a-lot until I read it out loud when reading to my 
son. It's a lovely pun. Aside from that it sounds like a mathematical 
or scientific rule. I honestly think it's had its day.
> 
> 2.  Harry and Ron appear incapable of anything in Potions class 
without
> Hermione's assistance.  They can't even manage to consult Advanced 
Potion
> Making to figure out what to do (although Harry does look in the 
margins for
> advice from the Prince).  How did they do so well on their Potions 
OWLs?
> And is this joke getting old now that the Trio are 16?

Potioncat:
I think lots of kids are like Ron and Harry. The joke may be old, but 
it makes sense that they wouldn't have changed. 

Keep in mind, this topic is difficult for many of the other students 
in this class. Slughorn doesn't explain the rule at all. He gives the 
defintion and that's it! I'd be frustrated in that class! Most of the 
students (all  imho) are O level to Ron's and Harry's E level. 
Hermione seems to have the best grasp of the situation and look how 
hard she's working!

How did Harry and Ron do so well on the Potions OWL? Very simple. 
Their Potions Master did a fine job of preparing them for the exam.
> 
> 3.  How do you think Lily acquired her reputation as having 
an "intuitive
> grasp of potion-making"?

Potioncat:
Answer One: She was a good Potions student, but Slughorn is building 
up her reputation to greater levels to get on Harry's good side. 

Answer Two: She was indeed that good. That class or group of 
contemporaries seems to have produced a number of gifted folk. You 
have James and Sirius who are known to be the brightest of their age 
according to McGonagall. Lily who was particularly tallented 
according to Slughron. Snape who was skilled even by Sirius's 
opinion. There's what's his name who invented the self stirring 
cauldron. Barty Crouch was no slouch either.

It's no wonder Snape considers Harry to be mediocre to the last 
degree.


> 
> 4.  Why is it so important to Hermione to outshine Harry in 
Potions?  Is it
> a need for recognition?  Fear of failure?  Concern about Harry's 
reliance on
> an unknown author?  Annoyance that Harry is taking credit for the 
Prince's
> work?  Something else?  And why do you think she put her own hair 
into her
> potion?

Potioncat:
Hermione has a need for recognition? I'm shocked, shocked! Yes, I 
think there was a little of that. She works for her recognition and I 
think she's annoyed that Harry is coming by his marks without fully 
understanding what he's doing. Also, it was OK for Slughorn to praise 
Harry's cheek, but he should have also recognised the student who did 
the best at Golpalott's law.

I think she has reason to question the use of the book. We've been 
told and shown that books can be enchanted to dark purposes.

Hermione used one of her own hairs because one of the known required 
ingredients was a "hair of a virgin." Or so I think.
> 
> 5.  JKR frequently makes a point of describing the weather when she 
shifts
> to a new scene or section of narrative; for example, February 
brought "cold
> dreary wetness."  Do you think JKR is using the weather to set a 
mood here
> or is it just transition?

Potioncat:
I think you've made a great catch! 
> 
> 6.  Wilkie Twycross tells the students that the restrictions on 
Apparition
> have been lifted in the Great Hall for the duration of the lesson.  
If it's
> that simple, couldn't anyone undo the restriction?  Why, then, is 
Draco
> spending an entire term trying to create an entrance through the 
Vanishing
> Cabinets?  Shouldn't the DEs have tried to undo the restriction 
long before
> now?

Potioncat:
Because it was only a well defined space within the castle and it was 
DD who performed the magic. I don't think anyone else could have.
> 
> 7.  Is the watch Ron received for his coming of age birthday 
significant in
> any way?

Potioncat:
I think the unusual time-pieces that the Weasleys own and the ones DD 
owns is a clue that they are related. We know that Molly isn't clear 
how the grandfather clock works and has never seen another. I think 
it's supposed to be clear it's a Weasley family heirloom. So I think 
we'll see that DD and Arthur have a common ancestor.
> 
> 8.  JKR uses Ron to portray the effects of Love Potions in a very 
humorous
> way (I thought Ron's deadpan comments about Romilda Vane were the 
most
> laugh-out-loud funny in the entire book).  Does this scene help to 
envision
> the effect of Merope's love potion on Tom Riddle Sr.?  How do you
> think Riddle's family and friends reacted to lovelorn Tom?  Is JKR
> lampooning the effect of crushes on us Muggles?

Potioncat:
JKR sends a lot of messages about love, or improper love, or 
misdirected love. After showing us how horrible the Riddle outcome 
was, she shows us this very funny event. We see both Merope and Tonks 
losing powers because of love, yet neither Ginny nor Hermione lose 
powers. Love seems to be very powerful, very confusing, and very 
dangerous.


> 9.  Why is Ron horrified when Slughorn administers the antidote? Is 
he
> feeling the disappointment of the crush wearing off, or is he just
> embarrassed at having acted the way he did?  And why does JKR 
always select
> Ron as a victim of forms of magic with sophomorically humorous 
effects?

Potioncat:
Slughorn says it's due to "pangs of disappointed love". So was it 
love or not?

> 
> 10.  There is so much Slughorn in this chapter it could have been 
named for
> him.  Slughorn's actions include (i) invoking Lily, (ii) reacting 
badly to
> Harry's inquiry about horcruxes, (iii) calling Ron "Ralph", (iv)
opening a
> bottle of mead intended for Dumbledore, and (v) failing to 
recognize Ron's
> symptoms or take responsive action, even though the bezoar was in 
his bag.
> How do these actions affect our prior perception of his character?  
Is
> Slughorn a sympathetic character despite his faults?  What do you 
think of
> his ethics?  His potion-making skills?

Potioncat:
I think he comes over even more sleazy than before. He bought a gift 
for his "friend" but forgot to give it? Did he buy it to impress DD? 
Was he waiting for a gift from DD before he gave one? Even at 
Christmas he's opporating on "what's in it for me?" It's March and he 
doesn't know Ron's name? Ron's in a class of 12 students!

When I read this chapter before, I thought this revealed Slughorn as 
a poor Potion Maker. But really, it shows he's not good in an 
emergency. And if you think of it, would a potion maker be expected 
to be on the front line of treatment?  We should compare him to a 
pharmacist, not to an ER doctor. So I think he knows how to make 
potions.

We compare him to Snape who always had an antidote ready and who has 
shown up in emergencies to perform healing magic. But when he's had 
the antidote, it was because he was teaching that particular potion 
that day.  However, I think Snape is the better potion maker and the 
better potion master.

One line that jumped out at me was Slughorn starting the class 
with "Settle down, settle down." That's what Snape usually says. I 
assume he learned it from Slughorn.

> 
> Bonus Question.  Despite the fact that ch. 18 is infused with
> potions, former potions master Snape is barely mentioned.  If Snape 
had
> still been potions master, how do you think he would he have 
handled Ron's
> predicament?

Potioncat:
Harry explains to Slughorn that he didn't go to Pomfrey becasue he 
wanted to avoid "awkward questions." How funny is that!! I didn't 
catch it the first time.

I think Harry would prefer Pomfrey's awkward questions to Snape's any 
day. But, let's say Snape came upon the boys and Harry explained that 
Ron had been given a love potion. I think he'd assign detention to 
someone, make note that the Twins were able to get past the security 
measures and send the boys to Ponfrey. However, if a Slytherin girl 
had given the potion I think it would have gone something like this:

"It's perfectly understandable that Mr. Weasley would have such 
strong feelings for Miss Parkinson. I see no sign of a love potion. 
Of course he has no chance at all that a Slytherin of her caliber 
would return his affection. To save her any embarrassment, I'll give 
him a hate potion."


Deb, this was a great job. Nice grouping of questions!
>