CHAPDISC: HBP28, Flight of the Prince

[cdayr]

No: HPFGUIDX 163612

-- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "colebiancardi" 
<muellem at ...> wrote: 
> DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

CDR here:
Thanks for the great questions! I'm going to take a moment to 
re-introduce myself. I was an intense lurker/occasional poster in 
the year previous to HBP, off and on at Sunday chats, and a 
judge for tigerpatronus's fabulous prediction contest, but I 
needed a break after the intense first months back from the 
book. For the last few weeks I have been reading the list every 
day again, and I actually made a New Year's Resolution to post 
more, rather than just lurk. So, here I am. I'm a fifth grade 
teacher, I answer to the initials CDR, I'm DDM, I like extreme 
theories (because, why not?), and I am obsessed to be back.

> 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.  

CDR:
I'm afraid this is meant to be Bill's blood, conveniently tracked to 
serve the plot.

> 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? 

CDR:
As many have said, I agree that Snape is just more skilled at 
non-verbal spells and has more personal experience with Harry 
that he can use to predict his next move.
> 
> 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?

Part of what I found fascinating about Snape in HBP is that we 
learned our snarky, smug, superior Snape has actually hidden a 
huge amount of his talent from general knowledge (in the HBP's 
book) rather than subtly parade it in front of Harry, the Slytherins, 
etal. It is clear that he is not a braggart (see comparison, i.e. 
Lockhart) but he did seem to make sure that he quietly 
impressed his students and fellow faculty with his abilities (see 
Potions speech in PS/SS, duelling club, various potions such as 
veritaserum and wolfsbane). The fact that he in fact had a full 
textbook's worth of potion improvements that no one has seen 
speaks (IMO) to a very deliberate secretiveness. This, to me, is 
evidence of his extreme power as a wizard that he doesn't want 
as common knowledge. It is further emphasized in this chapter 
by his simultaneous use of occlumency/legilimancy (hard to 
imagine what that must be like to accomplish) while using 
non-verbal spells and being distracted emotionally (by his 
actions previous), and literally (by Draco, Harry and the DEs). He 
has been keeping some of his deepest talents under wraps. 
Now the question is, who is he hiding it from? If you are me, and 
a solid DDM!er, it's VM. If you believe he is ESE!, it's DD and the 
Order. You decide! (Fun fun)
> 
> 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.

CDR:
Okay, he did it because
Um
I just can't do it! It would make no 
sense!

> 5.	Snape has the same expression of hatred on his face as he 
did right
> before he killed Dumbledore. [snip]  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. 

CDR:
Can't add anything to the intriguing ideas I've already read


> 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.

CDR:
Okay, I've gone down this road before with Sirius and been 
slapped back, but how do we know for sure that Snape is 
responsible for the whip-like feeling? I think it is perfectly 
possible, nay, likely that he is (the slash at the air is *pretty* 
clear), but honestly on first reading I though that Harry had be 
knocked down by Buckbeak as he attacked Snape. I'm sure this 
will not ever be further explained and I'm supposed to think it's 
Snape lashing out and loosing control (Carol, loved your ideas 
here), but just like that darn spell that sends Sirius through the 
veil, couldn't JKR just have stated for sure who cast it??  I need 
specifics JKR, with no doubts! (Sorry, I know I'm off the edge 
here. I guess this is more of a frustration with the writing thought 
than an actual theory. )
P.S. Sardonic is my favorite word lately.

> 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?

CDR:
Well, great point, Snape will have some explaining to do to VM. 
(Of course, I don't think he went to VM at all, but has taken Draco 
and gone into hiding to figure out his next move. But enough 
about me
)

> 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?

CDR:
Ooo, ooo, pick me! I love all talk of the Hagrid/Tom Riddle/Eileen 
years at Hogwarts, as I am convinced that DH will involve 
learning about some events from that time period. Okay, I 
screamed "pick me," but really I have no concrete thoughts right 
now (I'm just like my students!), it's just that I think Hagrid will 
have some information about Snape/Eileen/DD/Tom that will 
play an important role. (I'm still obsessed with the "traveler" that 
gave Aragog to Hagrid at the Hog's Head back in the day, and I'll 
continue to think about it so long as Aragog lives (oops
)) 
Anyway, I hope/believe that Hagrid may have some inside info on 
Snape's life, especially as concerns Eileen, and that Harry will 
actually listen to Hagrid in DH.

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

CDR:
I think this was more of a personal moment with DD to convince 
himself, and us, that DD is really gone.

> 10.	[snip] 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? 

CDR:
I think it's Regulus. I was solidly of the belief that he is alive, but 
now I'm torn. Ask me later.

> 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?

CDR:
I was shocked and perhaps still am. How can she still surprise 
us, eh?
 
> 12.	Finally, what do you think of this chapter thematically?  Do 
you
> feel this is the best chapter Rowling has written?

CDR:
This chapter reminds me of the awesome Snape/Fake!Moody 
conversation about DEs on the stairs in GoF when Harry is 
under the cloak; I think after DH we will all be re-reading it and 
marveling at the double meanings throughout. At least, that is my 
hope.
> 
> 
Thanks! 
CDR
>