CHAPDISC: DH10, Kreacher's Tale

[Monica]

No: HPFGUIDX 180071

Questions: (I haven't done this before so I'll try my best)

1. Sirius' room is described as dusty and there is a spider's web and
mice inhabiting it. The decorations are also from his teen years as
well. Do you think that Sirius actually stayed in his old room in
"The Order of the Phoenix" or that he stayed in another bedroom?

Monica: I always assumed he stayed in another bedroom. Painful
memories in that room, but probably not as many painful memories in
the guest rooms.

2. If he had slept in his old room, do you think that added to his
"living in the past," with all the reminders from his "happy" years?

Monica: I think this is the reason he wouldn't have stayed in the
room, and most of his memories in that house don't appear to be happy
ones.

3. Why is Lily's letter addressed to "Padfoot" instead of Sirius? Is
this just a term of affection or was Sirius underground at the time of
the letter? If a term of affection, why doesn't she call James
"Prongs" in the letter? She calls Peter "Wormy", so it seems she
does know about the nicknames.

Monica: I think it's both affection and concealment. I guess if it
were my husband I were referring to in the case of James, I would not
call him by his nickname either. She knows him as something much more
than "Prongs" and I think it was most appropriate to refer to him by
his name.

4. Kreacher mentions that Sirius' leaving home broke his mother's
heart. Does this new bit of information seem to contradict Sirius'
story about his relationship with his family?

Monica: I don't know, I've known troubled children who cause their
parents no small amount of pain and still, it hurts when they leave
for good. I know Sirius wasn't necessarily a "troubled" child, but
from their perspective I'm sure he would be. But I think he didn't
acknowledge how much they actually cared about him.

5. Regulus joined the DEs when he was 16, which means that Voldemort
really had no age limit for his recruits. How does this contrast with
the Order of the Phoenix? Ignoring that the DE's are evil and the
Order is good, do you think that the DEs support the notion of
fighting for what you believe in, regardless of age? In other words,
do you agree with the Order's stance of not allowing underage wizards
to join or do you agree with the Death Eater's stance instead?

Monica: I think the Molly Weasely "see no evil, hear no evil" method
was not appropriate, when their lives are in danger, but at the same
time I think it is beyond most adolescents to make that kind of
decision. Voldemort did not care if his followers died in service to
him, on the whole. (I think even though Dumbledore believed Harry was
going to die before book IV, he still cared about him, as little
consolation as that is).

6. After Kreacher returns from the cave and tells his tale to Regulus,
where do you think Regulus went? Regulus' return to Kreacher shows a
Regulus with a disturbed state of mind, strange, according to
Kreacher. Do you think Regulus talked to anyone or just did book
research?

Monica: I don't think he could have talked to anyone without
endangering himself or them, so no, I think he did some research.

7. Did you initially believe that Regulus forced Kreacher to drink the
potion, as Harry thought, or did you think as Hermione did – that
Regulus did give up his own life?

Monica: I thought Regulus drank it. For one thing, I think he did care
for Kreacher, based on the earlier parts of Kreacher's tale, but I
also think it would have been risky to let Kreacher drink it again and
then not be able to get out if it affected him so badly he couldn't
apparate, even if his first law is to obey his masters. It could have
killed him a second time, perhaps.

a. Despite what Harry knew about the note that Regulus left in the
locket, did he think badly of Regulus because he was a Slytherin? Do
you feel that Harry is showing his old biases here?

I think he viewed Regulus badly at first not because he is a
Slytherin, but because his views have been formed by Sirius, who was
no fan of Regulus. I think after he hears this story he has to have a
little more sympathy for Regulus, because in a strange way, Regulus'
life and death parallel Harry's, and Regulus was the first person (off
the top of my head) who chose to sacrifice himself at that age to
defeat Voldemort. AND he did it without the knowledge or approval of
those he loved.

8. How did you feel when Regulus' death was revealed? I found this to
be the most tragic death of all of the deaths in the series. Do you
feel that Regulus redeemed himself?

Yes, I absolutely felt he redeemed himself, and I also got a little
teary, and I only wish Sirius had found out. 

9. Do you think Regulus should have done more to let others know what
Voldemort was up to?

I thought in his mind he was protecting them from Voldemort, the
accomplished legilimens, who undoubtedly would have questioned his
family after Regulus took such an extended leave of absence. This way
they really don't know what happened to him and Voldemort has
absolutely no reason to suspect. I just wonder what would have
happened if Voldemort had discovered if Kreacher had survived.

10. How do you feel about Kreacher at the end of this tale? Did you
feel empathy for him? Is Kreacher's attitude now explainable and
understandable?

I think Kreacher's attitude was shaped by those who treated him
kindly, as Hermione said, just like Harry's former attitude towards
Regulus was shaped by faulty information from Sirius. Yes, I felt
sympathy for him, although his actions were reprehensible and spiteful
with regard to Sirius. I still tend to agree with Hermione, that
Bellatrix and Narcissa were kind to him so he did what he could to
help them.

11. Does Hermione's explanation - Voldemort's contempt for house-elves
was his downfall in Kreacher's escape from the cave - make sense? Do
you think her parallel of Voldemort's and Sirius' attitude towards
house-elves was warranted, or a bit extreme?

I thought it was extreme, but not entirely off base. And technically
house-elf magic can't be the first thing that pops into everyone's
head, or else when Dumbledore and Harry got to the cave, Dumbledore
probably would have thought to use it too, at least to apparate in and
out. Although after reading this I kind of wondered why Dumbledore
didn't think of that, although I suppose he didn't know Kreacher's
tale and it wouldn't have made nearly as interesting an ending to Book
VI if he had.

12. Harry's attitude finally changes towards Kreacher, with his tale
and Hermione's explanation. Is this a turning point for Harry in
regards for empathy and understanding or do you feel that Harry has
already made strides in this area with other characters? Do you have
examples, if the latter?

I think he did make strides, with his sympathy towards the Dursleys as
well, and I guess to a lesser degree, Wormtail, who he didn't let die.
I also think that in the tower he saw Draco's plight and began to
understand that. 

Monica - at work or else I'd try to make these better.