CHAPDISC: DH8, The Wedding

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 179441

---  "ianuno3" <ianuno3 at ...> wrote:
>
> ...
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> 
> CHAPDISC: DH8, The Wedding
> 
> ...
> 
> Questions:
> 1. How is that Harry can take a large dose of Polyjuice 
> Potion and it lasts the entire wedding ...?
> 

bboyminn:

I'm of the belief that JKR is self-editing the story. She is
fully aware of the one hour time limit on Polyjuice, but she
doesn't want to clutter the story with that small detail. I
think we are suppose to assume that this /detail/ is being
taken care of off page. 

This 'self-editing' concept is one of the few complaints I
have about the last book. I do understand it, but for me it
would be better to have a longer better book, than a short
one lacking in a few critical details. 

I think the reason, for this aspect, is that JKR is fighting
to stay on the straight-and-narrow, and not let the plot
wander off. She is at the finish line now, and she is 
concentrating on that one objective; getting to the conclusion.

Keep in mind, that I take the books as they come, and I liked
the last book, just not as much as the others.


> 2. Did the Delacour family pay for most, if not all, of the
> wedding? ...
> 

bboyminn:

I suspect yes, though I'm sure Bill, Molly, and Arthur 
contributed as well. It is even possible the Fred and George
help in some way, say...maybe...hiring the caterer. I can't
say that they did, because it is not in the book. 

To some extent, it is traditional for the bride's parents to
throw a huge wedding for the bride. 


> 3. What is wrong with Lupin? ...
> 

bboyminn:

I think while he was there, Lupin did enjoy himself. But 
enjoying the moment doesn't erase the worry that he has made
a grave mistake in marrying and having a child. I think he
feels terrible guilty and somewhat selfish. He feels, to some
extent, that he has endangered his child-to-be and wife, as
well as condemning them to a life of misery and poverty, all to
increase his own happiness. I think a part of him feels very 
very guilty for momentarily thinking he could be happy.


> 4. What is the significance of meeting Xenophilius Lovegood?
> Is it just to explain where Luna gets her "Looneyness" from?
> 

bboyminn:

As far as Mr Lovegood at the wedding, it serves two purposes.
First, to introduce Mr Lovegood himself, because he will be
important later in the story, and second, to introduce the
symbol that is essential to the story, and further involves
and sets up Lovegoods later involvement in explaining the
Hallows. 

In simplest terms, he is introduced now so he can play his
role later.


> 5. If the Lovegoods essentially were neighbors of the Weasleys,
> how come Ron and the other Weasleys ... didn't know her before
> we met Luna in Order of the Phoenix on the train?
> 

bboyminn:

Consider transportation in the wizard world. It makes a friend
50 miles away just as close as a friend 1 mile away. Also, the
Weasleys has a large 'farm' family. I live in farm country and
farm kids are very independent. They don't need much to keep 
them occupied. And since the Weasley family is large, everyday
during the summers, they had their brothers and sisters to play
with and the whole country side to roam and explore.

Now for regular farm kids, any kids outside the family are going
to come from neighboring farms. That doesn't give you much choice.
As a kid, your friends can only be other kids whose farms are 
within walking or biking distance. You take what you can get.

The Weasleys on the other hand could arrange play-dates with kids
anywhere in the wizard world. At least, anywhere in the range of
Floo Powder. Also, consider that it is unlikely that a pack of 
wild boys is going to want a play-date with a giirrrllll. 

Plus, I think for most people, Arthur Weasley included, Xeno
was just a little too eccentric of significant socializing
opportunities.


> 6. Auntie Muriel asks where Harry is, since Ron says they 
> are close friends. If so many people know Harry is that close
> to the Weasleys, wouldn't they expect him to be there? The 
> important people know Harry's in disguise, but wouldn't more
> people be questioning his absence?
> 

bboyminn:

I don't think they would necessarily /expect/ Harry to be 
there, though they likely suspected he /might/ be there. When
they don't see him, they assume he is not. Auntie Muriel on 
the other hand is a busy-body and rabble-rouser, and would
not be content to not see Harry and let it go. Muriel just
doesn't seem to be the 'let it go' type.

> 7. Are we just to assume Ron and Hermione are an item now? 
>...

bboyminn:

At this point in the story, I don't think Ron and Hermione 
are an 'item'. I think, at this point, Ron has finally figured
out that he wants to be an item, but it hasn't happened yet. 

I think as friends, through most of the story, they are 
growing closer and more comfortable. But the Big-I (for Item)
doesn't happen until the very end of the books and beyond. 


> 8. JK Rowling said in an interview after Goblet of Fire 
> that international wizards no longer were going to factor 
> in the books. Why was Viktor here, just as a device to 
> explain Grindelwald's symbol?
> 

bboyminn:

I think we need to be careful about assigning absolutes to
JKR's statements. No one every speaks in absolutes. Also, note
that JKR specifically said we would see Viktor again. 

So, the statement you are referring to has context assigned to
it. We are not going to see foreign wizards in-mass the way
we did in GoF. That doesn't mean one or two foreign individuals
won't come wandering through.

As others have indicated, I would have liked Viktor to have 
taken a more active role in the story. But, he came, he relayed
his necessary plot information, he got a laugh or two, then he
has served his purpose and was gone.

> 9. Did Hermione discontinue her correspondence with Viktor? 
> She had no idea why he was at the wedding? She made a point 
> of staying in touch for at least a year after Goblet of Fire.
> 

bboyminn:

I don't think she /discontinued/ her correspondence with Viktor.
I think that do to distractions, it had merely become less 
frequent. I suspect Viktor equally had distractions of his 
own to contend with. So, they aren't cut off from each other,
the frequency has just diminished as these things typically do.


> 10. Just like many other traditions and holidays, the magical
> world has seemingly borrowed from Muggle traditions again 
> with the entire wedding. Why isn't there much difference 
> between that ceremony and a traditional Muggle ceremony, ...? 
> 

bboyminn:

I think we are not seeing similarities between magic and 
muggle weddings, but we are seeing the similarity between all
weddings.

While the details may be different, the structure of weddings
around the world are virtually the same; friends and relatives 
of the bride and groom gather round to bear witness, a 
pronouncement is made by an offical, and some ritual act seals
the deal. In an overview, there really aren't that many ways 
to have a wedding.

> 11. Why is Grindelwald's symbol so important? Why is 
> Xenophilius Lovegood wearing said symbol? Is it just costume
> jewelry?
>

bboyminn:

I think for Xeno the symbol was both a decoration and a 
conversation starter. He obviously knew of no connection
between the symbol and Grindelwald. I think he wore it for the
same reason all people wear odd bobbles and bangles to adorn
themselves.

The symbol as we eventually know is significant to the story,
and it introduces that symbol to us and makes a connection to
Grindelwald that will pay off later. JKR is laying ground-
work. 

After the fact, it is easy to see the author's hand in it all
bringing characters and symbols together so we the reader can
get clues and partial explanation. However, in the moment,
as a reader, it was just all curious happenings, that may or
may not have ment something beyond that moment. Only time and
more reading will tell. 


> 12. Is Elphias Doge protecting Dumbledore's memory by telling
> Harry not to believe a word Rita Skeeter says?
> 

bboyminn:

I think in a sense, it is partly the old adage, 'don't speak
ill of the dead'. It's disrespectful. What ever flaws 
Dumbledore might have had, it's best to look at the contribution 
he made and think fondly of him. Unfortunately, that doesn't
do Harry much good. He knows that there are TONS of things he
needs to know. Things that could save his life. So he is annoyed
when people only want to look at the good side. He doesn't 
need fond memories, he needs the truth; he can't beat Voldemort
and live himself on nothing but fond memories.

Still, Rita has written about Harry and Hermione, so he knows 
what a lying cow she is. But he also knows that some were under
the lie is a small seed of truth. But he can't sort out for
sure which is which, so he is rightly frustrated. 

In a sense, it is a luxury for everyone else to dwell in fond
memories of Dumbledore, but that is a luxury that Harry does
not have.


> 13. What is the deal with Doge's relationship with Dumbledore?
> Did Doge love Dumbledore as more than a friend? Knowing 
> Dumbledore's sexuality now, could Doge and Dumbledore also 
> have been lovers at some period?...
> 

bboyminn:

I think that Dumbledore was always to a certain degree a loner.
He has very few peers in life, so beyond pleasant and general
conversation, there really wasn't anyone to talk to on a deep
and personal level. I suspect to some extent Dumbledore did
confide in his old friend Doge, but Dumbledore has secrets,
some dark and potentially deadly secrets. So, he always held
back, he was always reserved beyond pleasantries.

I do think the Doge was a loyal and trusted friend to
Dumbledore, and while I don't see them as lovers, I do see
the limited potential for friends-with-benefits on the long
and lonely nights we all encounter in our long lives. 

This could very much contribute to Doge's insistence that
no one tarnish the name and memory of Dumbledore. He knew
Dumbledore more deeply and more intimately than any other,
and that represented a powerful weight on him now that 
Dumbledore was gone. 

> 14. Muriel seems so taken by the scandals involving 
> Dumbledore; do you think she's ashamed of the Weasley clan?
> ...
> 

bboyminn:

I think we are just seeing Muriel's personality shining though.
As I recall Ron said she used to come around for Christmas and
give good presents until Fred and George decide to play a joke
on her. Also, the notion that because of the joke Muriel had
disinherited Fred and George, which implies that at one point
they were in here Will, as I assume are the other Weasleys.

I think Muriel is just a cranky old curmudgeon, who for all
her ill-temper is basically a good person who likes to stir
things up. Kind to dogs in general, but never really content
to let sleeping dogs lie.


> 15. Was Kinglsey not at the wedding because he was still 
> protecting the Prime Minister? If so, how did he know so 
> quickly about the Ministry of Magic's fall and Rufus 
> Scrimgeour's death?
> 

bboyminn:

As others have suggested, the portrait in the muggle Prime
Minister's office might have tipped Kingsley off. 

Also, not everybody in the world can be at the wedding, 
especially a small wedding held under a tent in the Weasley's
backyard. As anyone knows who has planned a wedding, you have
to draw the line on guest somewhere. 

It is also possible the Kingley just had other pressing things
to do. He may have been invited and he may have intended to 
come. But he stopped off at the Ministry on his way and saw
a coup in progress and stuck around to keep an eye on it.
When the Minsitry fell, Kingley split and sent word. 

As I always say, even if we don't see it, there is likely a 
very reasonable in-story explanation for why Kingley wasn't
there.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn