CHAPDISC: DH4, The Seven Potters

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 177684


CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter
4, The Seven Potters


>>Carol:
I don't think I was surprised by any team members except Mundungus.

Potioncat:
Mundungus was a surprise to me, too. He didn't want to be there, so 
why was he? Is the Order so short of members they had to use him? Or, 
did Moody have some suspicions about his loyalty, bringing him along 
to keep an eye on him? He seemed very nervous, hard to tell if that 
was in character or not, but I wondered later if there was some 
effect of the Confundus charm. Although I wouldn't think Dung 
remembers meeting with Snape, is there some gut reaction to the 
experience? 


I was a little surprised at the number of Weasleys. Arthur and all 
his at home sons were there. (Charley being away and Percy 
estranged.) Only Molly and Ginny were absent. I expected to lose some 
of them. The loss of an ear was almost a relief! 

There were two couples: Remus/Tonks and Bill/Fleur and two just 
barely overaged wizards: Hermione and Ron. In OoP, the twins weren't 
allowed to join the Order, now very young members are given highly 
dangerous roles. It even sounds as if Hermione had a role in the 
planning of the mission, or at least the opportunity to speak her 
mind. Things must be very bad indeed, the Order seems to be taking a 
lot of risks.


>>Carol:
I loved the humor, very much in character for everyone concerned. 
Snip
 It's as if the first half represents normalcy, the Order and Harry's 
friends and Hedwig and even Petunia's superclean kitchen as we know 
them. By the end of this chapter (and the next), nothing will be the 
same again.


Potioncat:
I loved it too. Some of the best JKR has written. Not only the joking 
around, but several of the uncomfortable situations were funny. 
Harry's discomfort in the sidecar, Ron uncomfortable about holding 
Tonks's waist. I'm not sure how JKR was able to be so funny knowing 
what was about to come.


>>Carol:
I think (to jump ahead briefly) it was exactly the plan that Snape
suggested to Confunded!Mundungus (Confundungus?), with some additional
touches (the pairings and the means of transportation). I think there
were more DEs than Mad-eye anticipated and I don't think he had any
idea that LV himself would be there. 

Potioncat:
Confundungus! I love it!

I wonder if Snape knew LV was going? And, since the DEs didn't know 
there would be 7 sets, I wonder how the DEs split up? I still don't 
understand why the Order didn't have more protection. I guess they 
really did only expect a few DEs who would be stretched to the limit 
to cover all the sets.


>>Carol:
I'm not sure whether it's ironic, but I liked his trying to save Stan
Shunpike even though that gesture of mercy revealed him to the other 
DE.

Potioncat:
Not sure if this is exactly ironic either, but Moody mentions 
Thicknesse who's gone over, but we know the man is under an Imperius. 
So is Stan (it seems). In the past that was an "excuse" Malfoy used 
and seemed a weak one. Now it's obvious how dangerous and misleading 
things can get.

Another irony was Moody saying something along the line of  "We can 
all catch up later." But he won't be there to catch up.

In chapter one, Snape suggested that Dawlish had been Confunded, as a 
way to discredit Yaxley with LV. Ironic, that Snape confunded Dung. 
But it makes me wonder, we know a false lead was set up by the Order, 
so who confunded Dawlish? Of course, Snape offers up the Confundus as 
an explanation quite often. He suggested the Trio had been Confunded 
by Black back in PoA.

>>Carol:
Obviously, it prepares us for the next chapter (which I won't discuss
here) and the stories of the other "Potters" and their escorts, but it
also introduces several surprises that will play a role later:
Voldemort can fly without a broom, a wand can act of its own 
volition. We're introduced briefly to a new DE, Selwyn, whom we'll 
see again and
whose chief significance appears to be his connection with Dolores
Umbridge. Snape's role in helping to arrange the plan is also set up
through Mad-eye's statement that the polyjuiced Potters were
Mundungus's idea.

Potioncat:
I haven't finished re-reading DH, but this time, I caught the wand's 
behavior as a set up for the later Elder Wand plot.  I though the 
Selwyn bit was nice--that is, I did later when the name comes up 
again.

A question from chapter one's discussion: who was Snape's source, 
made even more sense as I read this chapter. Does anyone think Snape 
continues to meet with Confundungus?