Spinner's End Clues

[Randy]

No: HPFGUIDX 153815

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kibakianakaya" 
<Lana.Dorman at ...> wrote:
>
> > zgirnius wrote:
> > But it is still interesting. What do the drinks add
> > to the scene?
> > [ drink drank drunk ]
> >
> > Are we supposed to get something from all this alcohol
> > consumption?
> >
SNIP SNIP
> 
> Lilygale now:
> The veritable orgy of (mostly social) drinking that goes on
> throughout HBP cannot be a coincidence.  We have Dumbledore
> offering the Dursleys mead, blood red elf wine at Spinner's
> End, Harry quaffing a bit of Felix, Hagrid and Slughorn
> drinking their way through Aragog's memorial, Slughorn offering
> mead to Harry and Ron, Trelawney over-imbibing prior to talking
> to Harry about Snape and the prophecy.  All of which culminates
> in that fateful drinking scene in the cave.
> 
> So what is going on with the drinking imagery.  I almost hate
> to mention it after the looong debate over Christian imagery,
> but... maybe there is some meaning to all that drinking based on
> religious symbolism. 

SNIP

SNIP

Randy replies again since few choose to comment on his posts.

If you think (like I do) that the seven tasks mentioned at the end 
of Philosopher's Stone tie together to the seven books, the sixth 
task is the table with all of the potions bottles.  Potions are made 
to be drank. 

Also, I think this book is about overindulgence (sometimes called 
gluttony).  As you pointed out everyone is drinking heavily, except 
Harry who only drinks a little of the Felix Felicis.   Slughorn is a 
true glutton.  I think his name has some connection with the horn of 
plenty (cornucopia) but I have lost the reference.  He eats his 
candy and drinks his wine and has his parties.  Ron overindulges in 
his lip locking with Lavendar.  

The other books have other themes too, but I will not bore you with 
my thoughts on these here.

Randy