CHAPDISC: HBP28, Flight of the Prince

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 163570

CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter
28, Flight of the Prince

Harry is in shock at the beginning of this chapter - he cannot believe
what has just happened. Snape grabs Malfoy and leads the Death Eaters
out of the tower. As they exit, Harry realizes that Dumbledore's
Freezing Charm is no longer in effect. He throws off his Invisibility
Cloak and executes "Petrificus Totalus" to stop the last Death Eater
from exiting the tower. Harry runs down the staircase; his thoughts
are chaotic and he rationalized that he HAS to get to Dumbledore and
he HAS to catch Snape - if he does, then he will find that Dumbledore
is not dead.

Harry emerges from the staircase into a raging battle between the
Order and the Death Eaters. He hears Snape yell "It's over, time to
go" and sees Snape and Malfoy turning the corner at the end of the
corridor. Harry follows when he is attacked by Fenrir. Again, Harry
uses the "Petrificus Totalus" curse and he pushes the immobilized
werewolf off of him. Harry notices two bodies lying on the floor; he
sees Ginny, Ron, Professor McGonagall, Tonks and Lupin each fighting a
Death Eater. Ginny cries out to Harry, asking him where he came from,
but Harry pushes on, avoiding an overhead blast. His thoughts are on
Snape - "Snape must not escape, he must catch up with Snape".

Harry trips over Neville, who is lying on the floor, holding his
stomach. Neville mumbles he is all right and that Snape and Malfoy had
run past him. Harry delivers a hex to the big blond Death Eater while
telling Neville he is on it. Harry gets up from the floor and runs
after several Death Eaters - the blond and the brother and sister. He
ignores the fight behind him and races around the corner. Harry thinks
that Snape has a major lead on him and wonders if he has already
reached the cabinet in the Room of Requirement or did the Order take
precautions to secure it? Harry notices a bloody footprint heading
towards the front door.  He continues to aim jinxes at the brother and
sister team, but then takes a shortcut, hoping to pass them and close
in on Snape and Malfoy.

The other people in the castle are now awake, as he sees the
Hufflepuffs standing, confused and in their PJ's. Harry ignores Ernie
Macmillan's question and knocks down two boys in his effort to get to
the front door, which has been blasted open. There is blood on the
flagstones, several terrified students and the Gryffindor Hourglass
has been shattered. Harry runs out onto the grounds and he can see the
blond Death Eater, Snape and Malfoy. As Harry races towards them, he
sees a flash of light - Hagrid was trying to stop the Death Eaters
now. Harry falls forwards as the brother and sister Death Eaters hit
him with a curse from behind. Harry jinxes them with "Impedimenta" and
hits one of them. Harry continues his pursuit of Snape. Harry sees
Hagrid and the blond Death Eater battling but Snape and Malfoy are
running towards the gates in order to Disapparate. Harry runs past
Hagrid and jinxes Snape with "Stupefy" - he misses. Snape tells Draco
to run and turns to face Harry.  Only 20 yards apart, they both look
at each other before raising their wands at the same exact time.

The battle begins - Harry tries to invoke Crucio, but Snape deflects
the curse before Harry can complete it and Harry is knocked off his
feet. Hagrid's hut is now set ablaze by the blond Death Eater's
"Incendio" curse. Harry tries the Crucio curse again, but Snape blocks
it once more. Snape sneers at Harry and tells him that Harry does not
have the nerve or ability to do Unforgivable Curses. Harry tries
another curse, only to have Snape deflect it, effortlessly. Harry
yells at Snape to fight back and calls him a coward. Snape yells back
at Harry "Coward, did you call me, Potter?" and states that Harry's
father would never attack him unless it was four on one – He taunts
Harry, asking him what he would call his father.

Harry tries another curse, again deflected by Snape.  Snape taunts him
again, stating that Harry must learn to keep his mouth shut and his
mind closed; otherwise, Harry's spells will blocked over and over
again. Snape shouts to the blond Death Eater, telling him it is time
to be gone before the Ministry shows up. Harry tries another jinx, but
before he can finish it, he is hit by a curse that is so painful, he
believes he will die of it, that "Snape would torture him to death or
madness". Snape yells NO and suddenly the pain stops. Harry hears
Snape say that Potter belongs to the Dark Lord and to leave him.

As the blond Death Eater and the brother and sister team run past
Harry, he struggles to his feet, not caring whether he lives or dies.
Harry hates Snape now as much as he hates Voldemort. Harry throws
another curse, this time "Sectumsempra". Again, Snape repels it, but
this time, Harry can see that Snape is no longer sneering at him.
Instead, Snape's face is full of rage. Harry thinks "Levi--" and
before he can complete the curse, Snape screams NO – There is a loud
bang and Harry is thrust backwards, hitting the ground and losing his
grip on his wand. As Snape approaches him, Harry can hear Hagrid
yelling and Fang howling.  Snape's facial expression "was suffused
with hatred just as it had been before he cursed Dumbledore".

Snape drops the big truth on Harry - he tells Harry that he, Snape, is
the Half-Blood Prince. Harry tells Snape to kill him like he killed
Dumbledore and again he calls Snape a coward. Snape yells at Harry,
his face looking inhuman, "DON'T CALL ME COWARD!" He slashes in the
air, Harry feels a  whip-like something hitting his face and he is
again slammed into the ground. Buckbeak now appears, flying at Snape.
As Harry gets up, he sees Snape running as Buckbeak chases him. He
finds his wand, but it is too late - Snape has Disapparated.

Hagrid carries Fang out of his hut and asks Harry if he is all right.
Harry tells Hagrid they should put out the fire and they both issue
the spell. Hagrid asks Harry what happened - why was Snape with the
Death Eaters? Was he chasing them? Harry tells Hagrid that Snape
killed Dumbledore. Hagrid is in disbelief and tells Harry that
Dumbledore must have told Snape to go with the Death Eaters - to keep
his cover as a spy. Harry doesn't explain or argue - he walks back to
the castle with Hagrid. People are now coming out of the castle,
looking around for any Death Eaters. Harry, however, is looking at the
ground in front of the tallest tower. He notices that people are
moving towards that spot. Hagrid wonders what they are looking at and
they move, dreamlike, towards the very front of the tower. Hagrid
moans in pain as Harry continues towards Dumbledore's body. Harry
kneels down beside Dumbledore's body, which is broken and
spread-eagled. Dumbledore's eyes are closed. Harry straightens
Dumbledore's glasses and wipes the trickle of blood from Dumbledore's
mouth. Harry tries to comprehend that he would never again speak to
Dumbledore or get help from him.

Harry feels something hard and looks down to see the locket they had
taken out of the cave - it has fallen out of Dumbledore's pocket. It
is open and as Harry picks it up, he feels something is wrong. The
locket is not the same one that he saw in the Pensieve; it is smaller
and the Slytherin mark is not on it. Inside is a folded piece of paper
which Harry pulls out and reads:
"To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead before you read this but I
want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have
stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I
face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be
mortal once more. R.A.B."

Harry doesn't know or care what this means - he only knows that this
is not the Horcrux. Dumbledore had weakened himself for nothing. As
Harry crumples the message in his hand, Fang begins to howl.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1.	Why so much blood? The blood in the corridor by the tower, bloody
footprints, blood on the flagstones. Who was wounded? Malfoy? Snape?
The blond DE? The brother & sister act was behind Harry, so it could
not have been them.  

2.	Harry's state of mind is understandably chaotic and confused Yet,
Harry seems to be holding his own with the Death Eaters and he is able
to jinx them successfully. However, against Snape, he was unable to
get one jinx or curse off fully. Why is that? 

3.	Since Snape is able to deflect every one of Harry's spells, do you
think that Snape is an extremely powerful wizard or do you think it is
due to Harry's lack of experience in comparison with Snape? If the
latter, explain why Harry didn't have this problem in the battle from
Order of the Phoenix? If the former, who trained Snape to be so powerful?

4.	Much discussion has already been had on whether Snape was imparting
his last lesson to Harry with his advice of no Unforgivable Curses,
his reference to Harry's lack of nerve and ability, and his
instruction to shut his mouth and close his mind. Explain why you
think Snape did this if it was not in order to help Harry in the long run.

5.	Snape has the same expression of hatred on his face as he did right
before he killed Dumbledore. This is right before he tells Harry that
he is the Half-Blood Prince. A lot of discussion has been generated
around this expression when we've talked about Dumbledore's death and
the parallel of Harry's feelings in the cave. We've never talked about
this particular chapter and this same expression on Snape's face. Do
you think it really is the same expression? The same feelings behind
it? Those who believe that Harry's feelings of hatred and revulsion
are the same as Snape's look of hatred and revulsion (self-loathing,
perhaps?), explain this same expression that it is this chapter. I
hope question made sense!! 

6.	Snape loses his sardonic cool when Harry calls him a coward and
refers to Dumbledore's death. This is the only time during the battle
that Snape actually hits Harry with a curse. Why did Snape show his
weakness to Harry? What was it about that statement that pushed Snape
over the edge?  Harry called Snape a coward earlier, yet Snape just
jeered at him then. Was it really about being called a coward or that
Harry accuses Snape of killing Dumbledore?  This is my favorite
question, BTW.  I can't wait to read the responses.

7.	When a DE curses Harry, Snape states that "Potter belongs to the
Dark Lord" and the curse is lifted.  However, that doesn't explain why
Snape only deflects Harry's spells during the battle. Snape could have
issued a "Petrificus Totalus" curse on Harry, which would not have
harmed him. Why didn't Snape do such a spell?  And who lifted the
curse from Harry?

8.	Hagrid has always defended Snape's trustworthiness. Why is that? Is
it just because of Dumbledore's steadfastness or something else? After
all, Hagrid was around at Hogwart's when Snape was a student - does he
know something more about Snape than the rest of the Order?

9.	Do you think Harry got rid of important clues when he rearranged
Dumbledore's glasses and wiped the blood away?

10.	This is some background information for the question 10:	  a) 
"Samatha Scattergood for Waterstones - Which is your favourite member
of the Order of the Phoenix? JK Rowling: I keep killing all my
favourite members of the Order of the Phoenix, but there is one member
of the Order of the Phoenix that you have not yet met properly and you
will ­­ well, you know that they are a member, but you haven't really
met them properly yet and you will meet them in seven, so I am looking
forward to that." 		
  b) "Peter O'Brien for Easons Ireland - Are you going introduce any
new characters in the final book?  JK Rowling: There will be some
characters who you don't know particularly well, and there may be a
couple of new characters, but nobody really major. You know pretty
much the cast list by now"

So, the question is about R.A.B.- if RAB is not Regulus Black, who is
it?  If you believe it is Regulus, do you think he is really dead or
in hiding (RE: Dumbledore's conversation with Draco). If in hiding,
why didn't Dumbledore already know that this locket was not the real
Horcrux? Why would he put himself through the whole experience in the
cave? Was it a setup? 

Interview quotes from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4690000/newsid_4690800/4690885.stm

11.	Did you feel that Dumbledore's death at Snape's hands was subtle?
Or too obvious and expected? Was this in keeping with Rowling's normal
style of ending her books?

12.	Finally, what do you think of this chapter thematically?  Do you
feel this is the best chapter Rowling has written?


Also, please feel free to add your own questions!

Thanks so much to Shorty-Elf for her fantastic help on making my post
more understandable!   All typos are my own.  
 


NOTE: For more information on HPfGU's chapter discussions, please see
"HPfGU HBP Chapter Discussions" at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/database