CHAP DISC: HBP 13, The Secret Riddle

[Sherry]

No: HPFGUIDX 150220

I have many of the same ideas that others have already posted (and
expressed better than I could), so I'll stick to those that I see with
a slightly different twist.
>
> CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter
> 13, The Secret Riddle
> 
Large snip of an excellent chapter summary!
>  
> Questions:
>  
> 1. What reaction did you have to Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore 
> refusing to talk to Harry about his theory that Draco was behind the 
> incident with Katie?
>  
Amontillada:
I agree with others that Ron's refusal is the most puzzling. Maybe his
feelings for Hermione play a part, in that he's trying to understand
her point of view. But I also think that Ron and Hermione are both
reacting partly to all their memories of Harry and Draco's long
rivalry, and the Draco's-conspiring theory seems too familiar.

> 
> 3. How do you think Dumbledore plans to stop Mundungus from 
> pilfering the Black family heirlooms?
>  
Amontillada:
Dumbledore must know plenty about Mundungus' less-than-legal
operations and secret hideaways. He plans to use this knowledge like a
leash or a set of reins, to make Mundungus stop pilfering relics that
can still hurt living people.

> 4. Phineas continues to play a role in HBP which is more active than 
> the other portraits in Dumbledore's office. Presumably he overhears 
> all the vital information Dumbledore shares with Harry during the 
> course of their lessons and he is also able to visit the Black 
> house. Do you see JKR giving Phineas a more important role in Book 7?
>  
Amontillada:
I don't expect him to become more important overall, but he might give
Harry an important bit of specific information or two.

> 5. Dumbledore offers Harry his interpretation of why Merope did not 
> use magic to get the things she needed to survive. Do you think 
> Merope chose not to perform magic after Riddle, Sr. left her, or 
> that she was incapable of doing so?
>  
Amontillada:
She couldn't arouse the magic in herself anymore. We've seen that her
emotional state as a girl in her father's home made her unable to do
more than a little bit of magic. Her love (misguided as it was) for
the elder Tom Riddle enabled her to pull herself out of this mire, but
she fell back into that apathy when Tom left her; it wasn't really
something she chose.

> 8. Why do you think Dumbledore drew attention to the fact that Harry 
> was 'possibly [ ] feeling sorry for Lord Voldemort?' 
> 
In feeling even a bit of compassion for his adversary, Harry is doing
something that is utterly impossible for Voldemort. I'm not saying
anything new there, but it can't be stressed too much. Harry's feeling
shows that he's capable of a more subtle, complex concept than
Voldemort's "either followers or enemies" outlook can absorb.

> 9. After learning Merope died rather than live for her son, Harry 
> expressed anger that she made a poor choice compared to Lily, 
> who 'didn't have a choice'. Dumbledore corrected him gently, saying 
> Lily *did* have a choice. Why do you think Harry didn't believe Lily 
> had a choice when he heard the memory in POA of Voldemort telling 
> her to 'step aside'?
>
Amontillada:
Harry was thinking on the obvious level: an enemy was threatening his
mother with a wand, while no one was doing that do Merope. Lily may
not have *felt* that it really was a choice. "Save myself" or "help my
child at all cost"--her love for Harry and all her maternal instincts
said that there was only one true course of action. Dumbledore was
reminding Harry that Lily's situation was more subtle, she did have an
option of some kind, and she STILL chose to put Harry's life ahead of
her own.

> 
> 11. Harry is surprised to see Dumbledore set the wardrobe on fire. 
> Why did Dumbledore choose to show a boy whose 'magic had run away 
> with him' such a spectacular and destructive-looking demonstration? 
> 
Amontillada:
Dumbledore sized young Tom up quickly and deduced that only a
"spectacular and destructive-looking demonstration," as you well
phrase it, would impress him. But he also showed Tom that he(D.) could
UNDO the damage he had apparently caused. We've seen Voldemort do vast
damage, but has he every truly repaired any of it? 
(Wormtail's silver hand was a "substitution," replacing the hand with
a magical prosthesis, but not restoring what he'd taken.)

> 12. As Harry leaves the office he notices the ring is gone and 
> wonders whether the mouth organ Riddle had stowed in the cardboard 
> box might be of importance. Dumbledore beams at him and says, "very 
> astute Harry, but the mouth organ was only ever a mouth organ." Was 
> there any reason Dumbledore answered Harry's question so 
> cryptically? And why was he pleased to hear Harry say that? On a 
> side note, do you think that was a JKR message to fans? :)
> 
Amontillada:
I didn't read it as especially cryptic, more tongue-in-cheek (American
English expression for a type of humor). He was pleased to hear Harry
that Harry was exploring possibilities, looking beyond obvious
explanations and eye-catching, overtly magical objects.

Once again, Jen, this is a fascinating chapter discussion, provoking a
lot of thought about some important material in the story.

Amontillada