CHAPDISC: HBP30, The White Tomb

[juleyjubes]

No: HPFGUIDX 165807

Hello, I'm new here and very much enjoyed reading this post and love
this group.  Here are my answers.

(Questions by a_svirn)
1. Do you find the Patil Twins' and Seamus' parents' attitude
reasonable or overprotective? Although the school has been penetrated
by death eaters there is no mention of extra security measures taken
or Aurors posted. Do you suppose there weren't any?

I find their attitude reasonable although the only way Draco was able
to get the death eaters into the school was via the cabinet so I
would assume this entry will have been denied them now.

2. What do you think of Bill's part-transformation? Do you find
it sinister?

It is horrible, but not as horrible as if he had been made into a
full werewolf.

3. What do you make of Harry's mood at the beginning of the
chapter? Is his apathy a way to cope with the shock of Dumbledore's
death, or was he damaged irrevocably in some ways?

I think he was shocked and probably realised what he had to do and
the enormity of doing it all without the backup of DD (or Sirius).

4. It has been discussed extensively, but still. Is Harry right
in thinking that Snape followed the same pattern as Voldemort? Does
proclaiming oneself a Half-Blood Prince mean renouncing one's muggle
heritage?

I see this as Snape saying that he may only be "half-blood" but he is
still fantastic at potions (prince).  Maybe this was something he
prided himself on but was unable to celebrate publicly because of the
stigma of anyone who wasn't pure-blooded.

5. Do you agree with Hermione that Snape held his peace about
the book only because by exposing Harry he would inevitably expose
himself?

and...


6. Why does Hermione object to the word "evil"? Incidentally,
the words she actually uses can be at best described as
understatements – "nasty sense of humour" indeed! Why is she being so
guarded?

I haven't made my mind up about Hermione's thoughts and comments in
questions 6 & 7.

7. Here is another thing that has been much discussed but should
to be addressed again. The chapter is about a funeral, but what kind
of funeral is this? A Christian funeral? A secular one? Something
else? The "little man in black robes" may or may not be a minister or
a priest – Rowling's description of him seems deliberately
ambivalent. It is as though she wants us to wonder about the status
of religion in the Potterverse, and is never going to enlighten us on
the subject. Now, why is that?

I think JKR has made it clear in her interviews that she is a
Christian however, I believe she has left the funeral open for each
reader to grieve DD in their own way, and to apply whatever religion
they choose to the ceremony.

8. We are specifically told that this is the first funeral Harry
has ever attended. Can we judge of the death rites in the Potterverse
by this ceremony? Since Hagrid wanted to bury Aragog in order give
him "a proper send-off", one can assume that for Hagrid, at least,
burial is the proper way of disposition of the dead. Do wizards
usually bury their dead or do they usually cremate them?

After Aragog, this is Harry's and our first funeral.  Therefore we
can only make assumptions and I would assume that funerals are just
like in our world, some burials and some cremations.

9. Did the funeral go as planned? Some, at least, of the
onlookers were genuinely shocked when Dumbledore's body combusted.
And another thing, did it ignite all by itself, or did somebody set
fire to it?

See above but I also think DD did everything spectacularly and
therefore I would have expected nothing less of him but to go out in
a blaze of glory.

10. This has been discussed a lot, but must be asked again here.
What about that white smoke taking the shape of a phoenix? Was it
Fawkes? Was it the essence of Dumbledore, for want of a better word?
Or something (-one) else?

I really don't know about this and each time someone writes about it
on here I change my mind!  It could be a signal to everyone /
anyone, it could happen with all cremations.  I will stop speculating
now as I just don't know.

11. In a way the White Tomb is the true "magic brethren"
monument. Virtually everyone came to pay their respects to
Dumbledore, the entire Ministry, the denizen of Hogsmead and Diagon
Alley, the representatives from the WW abroad, the centaurs, the
merpeople, even the Castle ghosts. Yet there were few conspicuous
absences. Goblins did not come, and no mention has been made about
house-elves. Do you think that is significant?

Possibly.  Maybe the Goblins weren't there as they are not emotional
creatures and see the maintaining of the treasures as more important
than weeping over a dead human.  Maybe the house elves were there but
are so used to being servants, getting the job done but without
getting in the way, that they paid their respects without being seen.

12. From what Scrimgeour let slip, one might conclude that some
kind of investigation is going on. Can the captured death eater be of
any use in book 7?

Possibly, although I think Scrimgeour was telling Harry that to goad
him into telling him more about what happened that night.

13. Why is Scrimgeour so adamant about Stan Shunpike's fate?
Surely his release is a small price to pay for Harry's cooperation?

To let Stan Shunpike go would be to admit to being wrong.  He doesn't
trust Harry enough to act on this until he had Harry on side.

14. There is something odd about the way Ginny accepts Harry's
decision, while Ron and Hermione refuse to do so. Even stranger,
Harry does not really attempt to talk them out of sharing his
destiny. (And still more strange seems his surprise at Ron and
Hermione's reaction.) Does it mean that for Harry (and even for
Rowling) friendship is something infinitely more important than love?
Even so, Ginny is not just a girlfriend; she is a friend as well.

I see this as Ginny being very clever.  She had probably already
thought that this is what Harry would do.  By kicking up a fuss and
trying to convince him otherwise she would probably have driven a
wedge between the two of them and made Harry even more resolute.  By
accepting what Harry said she will still be able to be his friend and
eventually probably to become his girlfriend again.  I believe she
loves him so I think she would want to be part of his life and to
have the chance to look after him as much as possible, even if he
doesn't realise she is doing it as a girlfriend would.

I believe Harry is grateful for the support from Hermione and Ron and
after DD had suggested that he share the knowledge he had with them
he probably feels this would be DD's choice, that they take on his
quest with him.

15. The last two chapters of the book allude very distinctly to
Shakespeare's "The Phoenix and the Turtle." The phoenix lament, the
anthem, and the central episode with the funeral fire. Is this
supposed to be a clue to the relationship between Fawkes and
Dumbledore?

No comment as I don't know anything about "the Phoenix & the Turtle".

Juley