CHAPDISC: DH6, THE GHOUL IN PYJAMAS

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 178702

zgirnius:
Thank you, Alla, for your admiranly concise summary and interesting 
questions!

> Alla:
> 1.	What do you think of Molly's behavior towards the Trio in 
> this chapter?

zgirnius:
I expected it, found it touching, and loved Harry's sarcastic remark 
about it to Ginny:

> DH:
> "And then what does she think's going to happen? Someone else might 
kill off Voldemort while she's holding us here making vol-au-vents?"

Zara:
It has nothing to do with your question, but I thought this was a 
nice understated Harry/Ginny moment, and sets up their conversation 
in her bedroom on Harry's birthday, coming up in the next chapter, 
nicely.

> Alla:
> 2.	Do you think Ron truly believed that Mad Eye may not be 
> dead? If not, why did he argue that?

zgirnius:
Within story, Ron did not wantto believe Moody was dead. External to 
the story, I think Rowling was having a bit of fun. The specifics of 
the death, and the discussion thereof, are extremely close to the 
many theories offered by fans about Dumbledore's possible survival:

> DH:
> "But Bill saw him hit by the Killing Curse," said Harry.
"Yeah, but Bill was under attack too," said Ron. "How can hge be sure 
what he saw?"

zgirnius:
Insert favotite pre-DH theory that Harry only thought he saw an AK, 
Snape sneakily cast something else and just faked the green jet.

> DH:
"Even if the Killing Curse missed, Mad-Eye still fell about a 
thousand feet," said Hermione...

zgirnius:
And the Astronomy Tower is the very tallest in Hogwarts, of course. 
At least hundreds of feet above the ground.

> DH:
"He could have used a Shield Charm - "

"Fleur said his wand was blasted out of his hand," siad Harry.

zgirnius:
Dumbledore, too, was disarmed before his fall. This passage might 
also serve the purpose of causing readers who were not avid 
listeners/readers of her interviews (and thus aware DD would not be 
pulling a Gandalf) to wonder about Albus, especially combined with 
the flash of a blue eye Harry saw in the broken mirror in a previous 
chapter.

> Alla:
> 3.	Did Arthur's explanation to Harry about why Grimmauld place 
> cannot be Order headquarters anymore strike you as consistent with 
> what we knew about how the Secret Keeper charm works prior to DH?.

zgirnius:
I agree with those who have pointed out that it is consistent with 
all previous book canon.

> Alla:
> 4.	If the Diary!Horcrux was possessing Ginny does it mean that 
> the Locket!Horcrux will be possessing Ron later in the book?

zgirnius:
I do not think Ron and the others were possessed, they were just 
affected (perhaps akin to the way Harry's scar affects his moods at 
times. He is always "wearing" it.)

> Alla:
> 5.	Ron and Hermione are committed to help Harry. What did you 
> think of the sacrifices they are making?

zgirnius:
I was touched to read of the arrangements Ron and Hermione had made 
to be able to join Harry, particularly the ways they tried to protect 
their families. It showed me that they had thought it through, and 
had a realiztic appraisal of the anger they would be facing.