Further Notes on Literary Uses of Magic and Anti-Globalization in Harry Pott

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 168191

montims wrote:
<snip>
Harry's DA was never (in Harry's mind at least) intended to be other
than preparation for encountering the worst that LV could throw at the
WW, through filling the gap left by Umbridge's abysmal teaching.  Had
their DA classes been conducted according to syllabus by a competent
teacher, I believe DA would never have come about.

Carol responds:
I think you've made an important distinction here. Harry's (and
Hermione's) view of the DA is different from that of its various
members. Only a few people (Ron, Ginny, Ernie, Luna, the Twins)
actually believe Harry's story that Voldemort is back, and
unfortunately, IMO, Harry refuses point-blank to answer Zacharias
Smith's challenge regarding what really happened to Cedric. Zacharias
Smith is there to find out what happened. Cho is there because she
likes Harry. Marietta is there because Cho "made" her come. Others are
there because they believe, rightly, that Umbridge's class is a waste
of time and they want real DADA skills, not to fight Voldemort (whose
return most of them still don't believe in) but to pass their DADA OWL
(most of them are in Harry's year--Marietta, unfortunately, has
probably already passed her DADA OWL, so Umbridge's incompetence
doesn't concern her).

At any rate, only Neville and Luna still want the DA to continue into
the following year. Not only have all but Ginny, Luna, and Dennis
Creevey passed their OWLs, there's no need for the DA with a highly
competent DADA teacher, Snape, teaching them what they need to
know--even with Voldemort back. If Umbridge had taught what Snape is
teaching, the DA would never have been formed.

Carol, who thinks that the DA as a whole should not be credited with
Hermione's motive in creating it or Harry's in teaching it