Unwelcome visitors and drinks in HBP chapters 1-4 (Was: Spinner's End Clues)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 153948

Tonks wrote:
<snip> 
> I never thought of the fact before that the 2 scenes where happening 
> at the same time in different places. There might be something to 
> that fact. Maybe we should compare what transpired in each place. Go 
> back over both word for word and look very carefully. Are there any 
> things there that might match up??  I don't have time to do that, 
> but it is a suggestion for another detective to explore.

Carol responds:
I'm not sure about the elf-made wine and Dumbledore's mead (surely
from Madam Rosmerta) both coming from dusty bottles has anything to do
with the time element, but the toasts or the drink motif might. Note
that in all these chapters, someone plays host, grudgingly or not, to
one or more uninvited guests and that all of the guests are offered or
offer themselves a drink. (Admittedly, in chapter 1, the drink occurs
on a previous visit, but nevertheless, the motif is introduced.)

Chapters 1 and 2 clearly take place on the same night, as indicated by
the reference to the fog, and I think it can be argued that chapters 3
and 4 also occur between 11 p.m. and around 1 a.m. that same night.
Note all the careful references to the time. (DD arrives at the
Dursleys at 11:00; it's nearly midnight when they reach Slughorn's
borrowed Muggle house. We're again told the time when Harry arrives at
the Weasleys in chapter 5.) 

If Snape's toast and Dumbledore's occur at exactly the same moment,
it's possible that Slughorn's acceptance of the Potions position,
which would make Snape officially the DADA teacher (though I'm sure
that DD already considered him in that capacity since he mentions only
one open teaching position, by which he means the Potions position)
occurs at the same time as the UV. If the UV, or the unanticipated
third provision, occurs at exactly the moment of Slughorn's
acceptance, it would seem that the DADA curse strikes swiftly and
promptly, at least in Snape's case, trapping him before he even knows
that he officially has the cursed position.

At any rate, I think that the time frame of the first four chapters
has been carefully structured and that they all take place on the same
night at roughly or exactly the same time. (The events in chapter 1 
seem to correspond with those in chapter 4, which begins at 11:00
rather than midnight. The drink motif occurs in all four chapters
(it's possible that Snape's toast coincides with the drink reluctantly
poured by Slughorn rather than DD's toast to Harry at the Dursleys).
The unexpected, and not necessarily welcome, visitors motif also
occurs in all four chapters: the Prime Minister and the "other"
minister (Fudge/Scrimgeour); Snape and the Black sisters; the Dursleys
and Dumbledore (also, briefly, Kreacher); and Slughorn and Dumbledore
(accompanied by Harry). Coincidence? I don't think so. 

Carol, noting that Snape is the most gracious host of the four
(counting the Dursleys as one person) and thinking that we should
indeed explore these chapters for more parallels than dusty bottles