[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: DH7 - The Will of Albus Dumbledore

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 179074

dumbledore11214 wrote:
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Great job, amazing summary and cool questions. I must warn you
> though - I am confused as to how you phrased some of them, so I am
> not trying to be snippy ( afraid it may come out as such), it is
> just confusion.
> 
>  > Questions:
>  >
>  > 1. Why does Voldemort seem relatively reasonable in this
> viewing? Is
>  > this a way for the author to tell us that Harry and Voldemort are
>  > becoming more indistinguishable from each other? We have often
> seen
>  > Harry unable to think of anything else other than his obsession of
> the
>  > moment.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I am not sure what you mean by reasonable? That he is not killing
> anybody or did you mean something else? Because I simply took it as
> that he will no doubt kill when he finds what he needs. IMO.

   KJ writes:

   I felt that JKR went to some lengths in this paragraph to make 
Voldemorte seem like your average guy going to the grocery. It just 
seemed so ordinary to me.  His thoughts to himself vary considerably 
from the speeches he gives to the Deatheaters and to Peter.  Maybe it is 
her way of pointing out how banal evil can be.
> 
snip

>  > 7. We have seen Hermione as the boys' conscience, their
> researcher,
>  > their tutor. Why are we seeing this "Suzie homemaker" side of
>  > Hermione? Is this in character? Is JKR correct in assuming that
> all
>  > young girls want to impress their boyfriends with their homemaking
>  > abilities?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I am not sure how do you know that JKR assumes that all young girls
> want to impress their boyfriends with their homemaking abilities? I
> thought Hermione just took the kitchen as part of being in charge
> Hermione as always, so yes, seemed very in character Hermione to me.

  KJ writes:

     The portrayal of Hermione in this chapter just seemed odd to me. 
She is busy in the kitchen, doing laundry, packing the boys clothes, 
doing the boys laundry, decorating for the party. Forgetting to bring 
food.  This just isn't Hermione.  What changed?
> 
>  > 8. Have we seen Hermione obey Ron like this before? Why does
> JKR make
>  > Ron look like an idiot most of the time and then demonstrate this
>  > masterful side?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Um, Hermione realised that Ron is not an idiot? I do NOT think that
> JKR makes Ron look as an idiot most of the time, that is why I am
> not surprised by his masterful side, you know?
> 
> Sorry. :(
> 
  KJ writes:

     Don't be sorry!  I feel like an idiot over "moleskin." It just 
bothers me that Ron was so cool in the first book.  He was a hero in the 
chess match.  Next book, he breaks his wand and can't be trusted to do 
anything.  In PoA, Ron gets to be the owner of the rat who wasn't a rat, 
and scrub out all of the bedpans in the hospital wing. In Goblet of Fire 
he was almost as unpleasant as Snape.  Ron was the one who ate the 
chocolate meant for Harry which was saturated in love potion, and he got 
to be the one to be poisoned by the drink.  Ron got somewhat shafted all 
through the books, I think compared with the start.


>  > 12. Does Scrimgeour see Ron as the weak link? Do we see Ron as
> the
>  > weak link? Ron was portrayed as equally skilled in the first book
> and
>  > was more knowledgeable about Wizarding things than Harry or
> Hermione.
>  > Has this change in position added to the books?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> What change in position? I still found Ron to be very knowledgeable
> about wizarding things through the books. I mean, Hermione is the
> fountain of knowledge in general, but she still never heard about
> the Tales of Beattle the bard, Ron did though.

  KJ writes:

    As above, I felt that as the books progressed, Muggles or 
Muggle-raised wizards were shown to be smarter or more experienced in 
general knowledge.  The wizard-raised were only knowledgeable in their 
own area, which was magic.  As the Muggle-raised students became more 
proficient in magic, it seemed as though JKR was making their characters 
seem deficient in some way compared to Harry and Hermione and others. 
Ron was treated like the weak link to the extent that DD knew that he 
would leave Harry and Hermione and need a way to get back to them.
> 
>  >
>  > 13. Does this seem more like our Hermione? Which Hermione do we
> like
>  > better? Is there consistency with this character?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I am SORRY. What do you mean by it? That she told Scrimgeour off?
> Is there a contradiction here? With what situation?
> 
> Hermione never had a problem telling people off, no? I mean, she had
> a problem doing it to the teachers when she was young, but she had
> no problem as she got older, no?
> 
> And Scrimegeour is not the teacher and Hermione had no problem
> dealing with another Ministry employee even two years ago, or am I
> totally confused and you meant something completely different?

  KJ writes:

    I liked Hermione, the know-it-all, instead of Hermione the 
laundress, cook, and bottle-washer.  She cried too much in this book, 
but it never stopped her making up the tent and cooking dinner, what 
there was of it.
> 
>  > 17. Does anyone feel that the antagonism between Scrimgeour and
> Harry
>  > is too contrived? Is it necessary to the plot?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> No, not at all, not in light of everything Harry had to endure from
> the Ministry IMO. I mean, I think that maybe they could have find
> some common ground, but IMO Scrimgeour did not try hard enough and
> contributed to antagonising Harry himself.
> 
> Thank you again and SORRY about my confusion.

  KJ writes:

    Great answers Alla, and thank you for contributing.

KJ