CHAPDISC: DH2, In Memoriam

[career advisor]

No: HPFGUIDX 176656

Questions:

1. Harry believes the teacup in the hall is a prank. What was your 
reaction the first time you read this?
   
  That it was a prank.

2. Harry ruminates on Hogwarts' inattention to teaching healing 
charms. Is this a flaw in the curriculum? Do you suspect that it 
might be taught at NEWT level? Is this a post-Hogwarts curriculum as 
Auror training is? 
   
  I think it is in a way JKR making fun of herself for overlooking this point. Also it sort of makes sense, you don't want students to learn healing spells, because they might try to heal themselves which could be a disaster, it is better that they have to go to the nurse each time. It could be NEWT, at least basic first aid, but I suspect it's a specialty. Aren't there trainees at St. Mungo's. Didn't we see one in OOP?  
  
3. On a related note, why does Harry think Hermione will know healing 
charms? Is he right?
   
  Yes she knows some since she saved Ron from his apparation accident, but I wouldn't call her an expert. As the book develops I'd say Ms. Weasley and Fleur are better.  

4. When Harry discovers the mirror shard, it brings back the old 
memories and feelings, but he suppresses them quickly. How does this 
demonstrate the progress has Harry made in controlling his feelings? 
Has he made much progress?
   
  He's getting better at holding in his emotions. Denying them, but I don't see how that's healthy in anyone, though it might be needed in a time of war.  

5. Apart from the books, JKR is quite specific about what Harry 
packs. Why do you think she wanted to name each item? Several 
reappear, but not all.
   
  So the reader would pay attention. And watch for the items. She doesn't name the books 
  because they aren't important and also most of her book titles have a humor elements and humor isn't appropriate here.
  
6. Already as a child, Dumbledore seems to be inclined to withhold 
information, as we find in Doge's tribute. He is referred to as "more 
reserved" when Doge returns from his travels. Do we attribute this 
to personality or to "family secrets?" In other words, is he trained 
to be secretive or would he have been anyway? (All speculation 
welcome!)
   
  I think it is the nature of most pure-blood wizards in general to be secretive, not just the Dumbledores. After-all all are trained from when they can first speak that they need to protect their world and hide it from the muggles. Even the Weasley house is intentionally out of the way. Add in the family secret and a minor amount of celebrity status for the act his father committed and I think he was mostly trained to be secretive. 
  

7. We see Dumbledore writing as a Hogwarts student to luminaries such 
as Flamel, Bathilda Bagshot and Waffling. We know Bathilda has a 
role later in Rita Skeeter's expose; any speculation on how much of 
early Dumbledore's correspondence she shared?
   
  You mean Rita stole? Bagshot had Dementia. Rita would have just rifled her draws for whatever she could find?

8. Doge just happens to be gone when Dumbledore and Grindelwald 
become friends. How much did/didn't Doge know about their friendship?
   
  Nothing. I can't imagine Dumbledore admitting much about it. It only lasted a short time anyway so there was not much to tell and what there was Dumbledore would have been ashamed of.
  
9. Doge mentions the Grindelwald/ Dumbledore duel, but clearly is 
reporting from second-hand (at best) sources. Are we looking at a 
duel that grew in legend? Is Rita Skeeter right?
   
  No, she's not at least much. There is some exaggeration, but I imagine it was at least as great as the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. A person with an elder wand can be defeated, but the secret is not to attack the wand bearer directly but manipulate the environment around him. Say by causing a tidal wave etc.... 

10. Following his perusal of Doge's tribute, Harry realizes he was 
very bad at asking questions. Is this a JKR sop to readers' 
frustration with his lack of curiosity, or do you think she had 
always planned for Harry to have this realization?
   
  Always planned. I think the readers frustration was planned. It is one of Harry's faults and this gives him some introspection. 

11. Harry suspects that Dumbledore didn't answer frankly the one 
personal question he asked. What's the likelihood Dumbledore would 
have answered any of Harry's personal questions frankly?
   
  Zilch. He's private. And part of his power with the students comes from his mysteriousness. 

12. Rita Skeeter clearly lies in her interview, calling her 
relationship with Harry Potter "close." Did this mislead you on the 
first read, or did you suspect some of what she found was true?
   
  I suspected some was true. Rita deals in exciting shades of the truth, not outright falsehoods. Not even Harry/Hermione was an entirely false, it just was an incorrect rumor.

13. The uses of dragon's blood is mentioned more than once in this 
chapter and has been known since book 1, yet it never figures into 
the denouement. Any speculation? 
   
  It's a tease for the encyclopedia. Perhaps one use is to defeat the Elder Wand. One use for Dragons blood is of course to circulate oxygen to the Dragons cells. So we are really looking for ten more besides that elusive oven cleaner. LOL!

14. Rita refers to Dumbledore's relationship with Harry 
as "unhealthy." While she is mining for sensation, how much of this 
do you think has a ring of truth?
   
  Well ultimately DD is trying to get harry to sacrifice himself, so yeah, I'd say that is unhealthy. But Rita's actually implying pedophilia here or at least that is what I thought. 
  
15. Doge's tribute is glowing, and Rita Skeeter's report insinuates 
sensational scandal. Which one is more honest? Do both withhold 
certain truths? 
   
  Doge just can't see DD faults. He is too good a friend and in a way has a relationship towards DD that is more Colin Creeveyish then Ronish. He worships DD. DD best friend was a hanger-on. That can't have been good for DD's ego.  
   
  DD BTW way was a combination of Harry and Hermione. Who could compete with that?

16. What was your reaction to the flash of blue in the mirror the 
first time you read the book?
   
  I said: "Oh, Oh that's important."
  -------------------------------
   
  DA Jones


       
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