CHAPDISC: DH26, Gringotts

[Jerri&Dan Chase]

No: HPFGUIDX 184106

>4. Why does Ollivander make Luna and Luna alone a new wand?
>Why not make new wands for all of the people who were
>incarcerated with him?  Why not make new wands for as many
>people as possible who have been victimized as he was by Death
>Eaters?  Why doesn't Ollivander think about arming the enemies of
>his enemy?  What does this say about his character?

I vote with those who feel that the issues of Ollivander's health and lack 
of access to materials were the main limiting issue.  He pushed himself to 
manage to make a wand for Luna.  We don't know if he made any more wands 
AFTER HRH left Shell Cottage, or if he was working on more wands while they 
were there.  If Harry didn't know it we don't!  And we don't know how long 
it takes or how much energy.  Like so many things in the WW, we don't have 
enough data to make a judgment.

>10. There has been a lot of debate about Harry's use of unforgivable
>curses.  Here we have the first time he uses one as he performs the
>Imperius Curse on Bogrod and Travers.  Why doesn't he confound them
>as he does the security guard?  Is it really necessary to use this
>curse?  Is this more effective than a Confundus Charm?  Does Harry's
>feeling that he did not perform a very strong curse make it more
>acceptable that he uses this tactic?

In addition to the issue of if Harry SHOULD use the Imperious curse here, I 
personally wonder how he COULD use it.  Harry has long had to practice to 
get complex spells to work correctly.  It seems clear to me that there is 
more to the Imperious curse than just saying (or thinking) the word Imperio. 
The caster also has to communicate his/her wishes with the cursed person. 
And we know that at least sometimes the Imperious curse can go wrong 
(Herbert something, who was quacking like a duck in the first chapter of 
HBP, for one example.)  No matter how "strong" a curse Harry cast, he was 
able to communicate his wishes to multiple people at the same time, at least 
one at a distance from himself.  And all without ever practicing.  I don't 
believe it.  If JKR wanted me to believe that Harry could do these 
successful Imperio's then she should have had him practicing, at least on 
insects or animals or something in his days at Shell Cottage.

>11. How did you feel about the description of the dragon and the
>cruel way in which it is kept?  Did this make you feel any different
>about Gringotts or goblins?  Harry thought he saw dragon fire when
>he first entered Gringotts in SS/PS.  Are there more dragons? Or is
>this the only one?

I hope that it is the only one, but again, we don't know.  And the only way 
I can think of to get a large dragon inside those deep and narrow passage 
ways is to bring in an egg or baby, and have it grow up inside, which makes 
it even worse.  I hope that Charlie or someone went and found the poor thing 
and got it somewhere safe and took as good a care of it as possible for 
whatever remains of it's life.

>14. Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape on the dragon's back in
>truly spectacular fashion.  How did you feel about the dragon's
>escape?  How do you feel about Gringotts and goblins in
>general after Harry's experiences?

I agree with whoever (Pippin I think) said that there was no plausible, 
simple way for HRH to get out of Gringotts with the cup, so there had to be 
some big spectacular escape.  And, in light of the existence of the deluxe 
cover with HRH riding a dragon, as soon as we saw the poor dragon in front 
of the vaults I expected it somehow.  However, like Harry's Imperio's 
working so well without practice, I can't believe it, so just accepted it as 
part of the "ride" of the last book.

Jerri