CHAPDISC: DH1, The Dark Lord Ascending

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 175940

Ceridwen:
First, I was in such a rush to get going this afternoon that I 
completely forgot to credit SSSusan and colebiancardi for helping to 
polish this up so it was nice and shiny for the list.  Thanks!

Questions:
> 
> 1.  Snape and Yaxley "raised their left arms in a kind of salute."  
> Is this a reference to World War II and the likening of the Death 
> Eaters to the Nazis, in Deathly Hallows?

Ceridwen:
Since I haven't done my first re-read of DH, I can't point to other 
instances, but I got the impression several times during the book 
that there were more overt Nazi references.  I think this was the 
first one.

> 2.  Saluting the gate with their left arms makes them able to pass 
> through the wrought iron gate.  Is this a tacit confirmation that 
> there was indeed a blocking spell on the tower in HBP which only 
> allowed Death Eaters to enter?

Ceridwen:
In the absense of canon one way or another, I don't think we can know 
for sure.  I think that it very well may indicate this.

> 3.  The peacock at Malfoy Manor is mentioned at least twice in the 
> book.  What is its significance?

Ceridwen:
I thought of riches and vanity, and that white peacocks are rare.  I 
halfway wondered if this could be someone's Patronus form, as we saw 
Umbridge's cat protecting the hearings later on.

> 4.  On the first reading of Deathly Hallows, who did you think 
might 
> be the person hanging unconscious above the table?

Ceridwen:
I thought it might be an Order member, someone we knew and perhaps 
didn't want to see die.  I thought it was going to be an emotionally 
bangy book practically from the beginning.  I'm sort-of glad it 
wasn't! ;)

> 5.  Only one person already in the room looks up at the unconscious 
> revolving body above the table: Draco Malfoy.  Once the body is 
> resuscitated, he no longer looks at her.  Why?

Ceridwen:
Going by Draco's actions throughout the book - except for the RoR and 
some argument here might make me reconsider - I don't think Draco 
wants to be any part of this.  I think he's anticipating what's going 
to happen while he can avoid Burbage looking at him, but once she 
can, he avoids her seeing him, and him seeing her.

> 6.  Voldemort gives Snape the seat of honor at his right hand.  Is 
> this because Snape is his "right-hand man"?  Or is 
Voldemort "keeping 
> his friends close, and his enemies closer"?

Ceridwen:
I think he's keeping his enemies closer.  Snape has just killed the 
only wizard Voldemort feared.  LV thinks he is now master of the 
Elder Wand, the most powerful and unbeatable wand in the WW.  I think 
he's keeping Snape close, to lull him into some false sense of 
security, and to keep him happy so he doesn't try a coup.  It 
wouldn't look strange after what Snape has done, and it goes a ways 
to making his other DEs strive to outdo Snape in proving their 
loyalty.  But I think he doesn't trust Snape any farther than he can 
throw him without a wand now.  Someone that powerful can't be trusted 
by someone like LV.

> 7.  Yaxley's information is different from Snape's.  Is anyone in 
the 
> Ministry who is not a member of the Order of the Phoenix aware that 
> the Order will move Harry earlier than expected?

Ceridwen:
I don't think so.

> 8.  Several things that happen later in the book are alluded to in 
> this chapter.  When discussing the Imperiusing of Pius Thicknesse, 
> Yaxley suggests that Thicknesse can subjugate the other heads of 
> departments at the Ministry to bring down Minister Rufus 
Scrimgeour.  
> Was Scrimgeour killed by the Imperiused heads of the various 
> departments under Thicknesse's direction?

Ceridwen:
When Shacklebolt's message came, I thought it was just a bunch of DEs 
and a few Imperiused Ministry employees, with the DEs doing the bulk 
of the torturing and killing.  Re-reading this chapter made me 
reconsider.  I think the Imperiused heads of the various Ministry 
departments were the ones to do it.  It served to make them a party 
to the assassination, even though they were under the curse.

> 9.  Who is Snape's informant?  Who does Voldemort think it is?  Is 
it 
> the same person?

Ceridwen:
I thought it was Mundungus, but the mystery around the identity did 
put a little doubt in my mind.  On another note, is this how 
information from PP was given in VoldWarI, so no DEs other than the 
contact, knew his identity?

> 10.  Lucius and his family are clearly not happy with Voldemort's 
> presence.  Is this because Lucius is still disgraced from his 
botched 
> mission at the Ministry and his use of the diary Horcrux?  Does 
their 
> apparent discomfort at the situation foreshadow their lack of 
> involvement in the Battle of Hogwarts?

Ceridwen:
I thought the events of HBP were the ultimate turning point for the 
Malfoys.  They could stomach LV back, not exactly happy about it, but 
once LV targeted their family and particularly Draco, they are very 
consciously against him.  They only stay with him because they'll be 
hunted down and killed if they try to leave, see Karkarov.  But they 
are clearly not behind LV or his agenda any more, in my opinion.

> 11.  Wormtail is described as sitting so low that his chair looks 
> unoccupied.  Is this further sign of his physical deterioration as 
> seen in HBP?  Is this because he would rather not be there?  Is it 
> just that he is a small man?  Or is it symbolic in some way?

Ceridwen:
He's a small man, as small as a thirteen year old.  I thought the 
description was more than that, though.  I think Wormtail is keeping 
a low profile so LV won't twist his body any further.  I think even 
this DE is not too happy with LV's ascention.

> 12.  The Malfoys do not make much eye contact with Voldemort.  When 
> Voldemort looks at Snape, other Death Eaters look away.  Are all of 
> the Death Eaters at the manor happy with Voldemort's return?

Ceridwen:
I think the Malfoys don't make eye contact with LV because he's said 
to be the world's best Legillimens - we see an effortless example 
later in the book - and they have plenty to hide in their changed 
feelings about LV and his return.  I think several people around the 
table have more or less seditious thoughts that they want to hide.

> 13.  Snape looks comfortably into Voldemort's eyes when the other 
> Death Eaters turn away. We see an example of Voldemort's 
Legillimency 
> later in the book.  How strong is Snape's Occlumency?

Ceridwen:
Others are afraid to look into LV's eyes.  Bellatrix isn't, she leans 
forward toward Voldemort when she assures him her family is pleased 
to have him back and staying with them.  Bellatrix is a loyal if 
fanatic follower, the others aren't.  I think this indicates that 
Snape is an excellent Occlumens.

> 14.  Why does Voldemort praise Bellatrix, then humiliate her?

Ceridwen:
I think he enjoys keeping his followers off-balance.  He gives her 
enough praise to keep her lapping out of his hand, then punishes her 
to remind her of her place and keep her trying to beat Snape out of 
the right-hand seat.  The reward is barely enough, but it makes her 
want to do better when he criticizes.

> 15.  Where were the Lestrange brothers?

Ceridwen:
I really don't know where they were in this scene.  The Malfoys are 
all mentioned, and Bellatrix speaks for the family, but there is no 
mention of her husband and brother-in-law in any of these family 
moments.  I wondered if this means Bellatrix only married because it 
was expected, and her husband and his family mean little to nothing 
to her.

> 16.  When Harry reviews Snape's memories later in the book, Snape 
> tells Dumbledore he has only watched people die whom he could not 
> save.  Yet he looks dispassionately at Charity Burbage as she 
pleads 
> and cries.  Was Snape lying to Dumbledore?  Was this the first time 
> he could not save someone?  Was Charity Burbage someone Snape could 
> not save?

Ceridwen:
I think this was not the first time he had to sit by while someone 
was killed in this manner.  He saved Katie Bell and slowed the 
progression of DD's lethal injury in HBP, but that was different.  I 
agree that there was nothing he could do to save her in this 
situation, and his apparent ease of manner was another display of 
Occlumency.

> 17.  Voldemort refers to "Mudbloods" as "thieves" of the Wizarding 
> World's "knowledge and magic."  This charge is repeated later in 
the 
> book.  Is it possible for a witch or wizard to have her or his 
magic 
> stolen?  Is it possible to steal knowledge without leaving that 
> knowledge for others as well?

Ceridwen:
This is genetic, people are born with magic and it can't be stolen.  
But there has been speculation about possibly losing magic due to 
some spell or Ministry intervention, or to voluntarily giving up 
magic in Harry's case in order to defeat LV.  I don't think it can 
happen, except in cases of depression, like Merope Gaunt.  This is 
such an outrageous claim that I'm amazed that people actually went 
along with it.

> 18.  When Charity Burbage's body falls to the table, several Death 
> Eaters jump back in their chairs.  Draco falls off his chair to the 
> floor.  Is this symbolic of some Death Eaters not being fully 
behind 
> Voldemort's agenda?  Or was it simply surprise?

Ceridwen:
It was surprise, but I think the surprise could symbolize not being 
completely on-board with LV's plans.  There were DEs who did not 
jump.  Draco falls off his chair, and he's seen as being reluctant or 
squeamish through most of the book when in LV's presence.  I think it 
was a hint, at any rate.

> 19.  Why are the Purebloods dwindling?

Ceridwen:
There's the matter of an ever-decreasing gene pool from which to 
choose marriage partners, and the matter of witches and wizards 
having few children.  Many of the students from Pureblood families 
seem to be only children, which shrinks the gene pool farther.  A 
community can't replace itself, let alone grow, if they don't at 
least have as many children as the previous generation they're trying 
to replace.

> 20.  Voldemort has no issues with "pruning" the family tree of 
> undesirables, even though they may be pure-blood or half-bloods.  
> Yet, he is displeased with Burbage's article and her assertion that 
> the dwindling of Pureblood families is a good thing.   Voldemort 
> says, of Charity Burbage, "She would have us all mate with 
Muggles... 
> or, no doubt, werewolves..."  He includes himself with the 
Purebloods 
> here.  Does he think his Muggle father's family doesn't count?  Or 
is 
> he actively enforcing the idea that he, too, is a Pureblood?

Ceridwen:
I think he may be reinforcing what the DEs already "know".  His 
agenda is the Pureblood Supremacy thing, so he talks it up.  
Bellatrix was surprised in OotP, and angry at Harry, and not 
believing it, that he was a Half-Blood.

It seemed to me that his encouraging pruning of the Pureblood family 
tree was worse than what Charity Burbage suggested, getting new blood 
into the families.  His way, more Pureblood lives are lost.  
Burbage's way, new vitality is added and the gene pool expanded.  It 
was oddly, and creepily, hypocritical, I thought.

> 21.  Why does Voldemort think that Lucius does not need his wand 
> anymore?

Ceridwen:
I think LV is still punishing Lucius.  He won't be going out into 
society, either, so won't need it to potentially defend himself.  I'm 
with Alla here, I also had a vague Freud moment about wizards and 
their wands.

> 22.  Do you think Voldemort is planning on dispensing with the 
> Malfoys eventually?

Ceridwen:
I think he's considering it a possibility.  They're nothing but a 
liability, with the exception of having a house where these meetings 
can be held and various DEs and LV can stay.  I don't think he's made 
up his mind yet, but it's a possibility, in my opinion.

> 23.  Voldemort invites Nagini to dine on the corpse of Charity 
> Burbage.  What do you imagine the reactions of the others around 
the 
> table might be?  This idea has been presented in the books before.  
> When do you think Nagini has disposed of the evidence before?  Is 
> this part of her value to Voldemort, or is Voldemort giving his pet 
a 
> treat?

Ceridwen:
I think it's LV giving his pet a treat in about the same way he 
praised Bellatrix, only he didn't punish the snake as well.  I think 
he also finds Nagini's appetite useful to get rid of bodies.  I 
assume he also finds it useful to keep his DEs in line.

I think it must be disgusting to sit around a table and watch a huge 
snake devour a fresh corpse.

Ceridwen, thanking SSSusan and colebiancardi again.