CHAPDISC HBP 15, The Unbreakable Vow

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 152077

SSSusan:  
Lots of fun in this chapter.  Thanks, Carol, for your hard work and 
thoughtful questions!


Carol:
> 1) What do you think of Ron's public "snogging" sessions with 
> Lavender and Hermione's reaction? 

SSSusan: 
PDAs bug the crap out of me, frankly.  But in a book, the episodes 
are rather funny (especially the plunger sound effect one).  I am not 
surprised they make Hermione miserable.  From descriptions, it would 
be extremely difficult to ignore them!


> 2) Hermione says that love potions are not Dark or dangerous, but
> Harry, the intended recipient, disagrees. How "dark" is Romilda's 
> plot to get Harry to take her to Slughorn's party by, erm, 
> potioning him?

SSSusan:
I'm with Harry on this one!  In fact, I'm rather shocked that 
Hermione makes this claim.  Just think about Merope and Tom; the 
consequences can be pretty ghastly.  I'm sure Romilda (and many of 
her friends at that age) just thought it was a fairly innocent little 
ploy, but it really is a *violation,* imo.  I can't imagine how 
pissed I'd be if someone I was NOT attracted to or interested in used 
a Love Potion on me and I ended up... erm... doing things I'd never 
intended or wanted to do with that person. Yick!

> And how responsible are the twins...?

SSSusan:
I avoid Twins threads almost at all cost.  I adore them too much to 
start discussing their possible culpability/negligence/legal 
responsibility for the outcome of the use of their product. ;-)


> 3) Is he just using the Prince's notes to get marks he doesn't 
> deserve, or is he really learning more from the Prince than he ever 
> learned from the adult Snape or Slughorn? 

SSSusan:
A very interesting question.  In some ways I do think Harry is 
getting marks he doesn't deserve, as he's displaying a brilliance 
which *isn't* really his.  OTOH, *if* he is actually digesting the 
Prince's notes, *if* he is truly learning what the Prince has 
written, and not just using them like a recipe, then it's not totally 
undeserved.

Does that make sense?  If he's LEARNING and RETAINING the material, 
then he is becoming a better Potions student and potionmaker.  If 
he's not really digesting and retaining those marginal notes, then it 
feels more like cheating.


Carol: 
> 5) Just for fun, why might Harry think that Filch and Pince are in
> love? Is Harry right?

SSSusan:
It might be fun if he were right, and I wouldn't be surprised.  What 
I liked about this little scene is that it was *Harry,* not Hermione, 
who suggested the two might be in love.  He isn't exactly super-
attuned to romantic relationships normally, it seems to me. :-)
 
 
> 6) Why do you think that Harry invited Luna to Slughorn's party? 

SSSusan:
I think because it felt EASY.  With all those girls following him, 
giggling, trying to *get* him to take them, there stands Luna, 
unassuming, oblivious, just HERSELF.  I think to Harry that just 
seemed like a relief.  And he was SMART enough to say "just as 
friends" right off the bat. (Yay, Harry!)  No worries about wrong 
assumptions, no pressures, no game-playing.  I thought it was an 
excellent idea.
 

> What does his doing so tell us about him, compared to or contrasted 
> with Hermione's inviting Cormac McLaggen? 

SSS:  That Harry's not into playing games the way Hermie is.

> Do you agree with Harry that Hermione got what she deserved when 
> Cormac ambushed her under the mistletoe? Why or why not?

SSS:  Oh dear.  The issue of Hermione & comeuppance again.  Not 
touching with a 10-foot pole. 


> 7) And why would Slughorn invite Trelawney, of all people, along
> with his Slug Club, his celebrity guests, and his former star pupil,
> Severus Snape? 

SSSusan:
This question fascinates me.  Why, indeed??  Is there any chance that 
Slughorn is aware Trelawney has made a couple of true prophecies?  
Otherwise, I can't fathom her inclusion on the guest list.  But how 
would Slughorn have become aware of her important prophecies?


> 7) Did you feel any sympathy for Snape during this conversation?
> Why or why not?

SSSusan:
None at all.  Can't imagine any reason *to* have felt sympathy, 
frankly. 

 
> 9) Draco's appearance suggests that he's suffering from stress or
> insomnia. Do you think that he was really too ill to play Quidditch
> (previous chapter)? 

SSSusan:
I do think his health is suffering, but I think the "too ill to play 
Quidditch" was a lie.  Frankly, I think things for Draco have turned 
VERY SERIOUS, and he just doesn't care about things which don't carry 
as much import as his mission... such as Quidditch or Prefect 
duties.  Can't say I blame him, actually; that behavior makes perfect 
sense to me, given the stakes.


> 13) Snape's expression is twice referred to as "unfathomable" or
> "inscrutable." What does this description suggest to you? 

SSSusan:
That, as usual, there's too much there in Snape that we readers 
aren't yet supposed to know.  Also, perhaps, that Harry just is no 
damn good at reading Snape. ;-)


> Why does Snape return to the party rather than following Draco?

SSSusan:
Because there's no way Draco is going to let him follow him?  Because 
he wants to get back to keeping his eye on Potter?

 
> Carol, thanking Penapart Elf, Siriusly Snapey Susan, and Potioncat 
> for their comments and suggestions

Siriusly Snapey Susan, happy to comment and suggest! :-)