CHAPDISC: DH35, KING'S CROSS

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 185113

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Zara, thank you so so much for your help. You are amazing. :)

Chapter Discussion: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter
35, KING CROSS


Harry wakes up in a strange place. At first he does not understand 
what is happening to him, then slowly he realizes that he must exist 
and that he must be more than a thought because he is definitely 
lying down on some sort of surface. His senses are slowly awakening, 
he is not sure whether he is in that place by himself or not. Harry 
also realizes that he is naked and it does not bother him at all. He 
realizes that he has eyes because he can see. Harry also realizes 
that he does not need glasses. Then Harry hears pitiful noises. Harry 
feels as if he encountered something shameful and for the first time 
wishes that he were clothed. As soon as wish forms in his head, robes 
appear. Harry's surroundings seem to invent themselves right in front 
of his eyes: a glass roof in the sunlight, and a wall. Harry wonders 
if he is in some sort of strange room of requirement. Then Harry sees 
something that looks like a strange baby with flayed skin under a 
table, which is the source of the noises. Harry is afraid of the 
creature; he knows that he ought to comfort him, but it repulses him.

Dumbledore appears, smiling, his hand fully healed. His first words 
to Harry are that he cannot help the creature. Then Dumbledore 
cheerfully greets Harry, calls him a wonderful boy, a brave man and 
leads him to two seats that Harry had not previously noticed.

Harry asks whether Dumbledore is dead and gets affirmative answer. He 
gets a negative answer to the question of whether he is dead. With 
Dumbledore's help, Harry realizes that letting Voldemort kill him 
made all the difference in the matter of Harry's survival.

Harry and Dumbledore have a long conversation where all the mysteries 
of the series are touched on in one way or another, in ways readers 
may find satisfying to various degrees.

We learn that Albus guessed that Harry would live and is delighted 
that he was right. We learn that Harry was a Horcrux that Lord 
Voldemort never meant to make, and that when Harry let Voldemort kill 
him, that piece of Voldemort's soul died, and now Harry's soul is 
clean and completely his own.

Albus reveals his entire tragic family history. We learn that after 
three muggle boys attacked her, Ariana became very ill and was having 
uncontrollable outbursts of magic when she was upset. We hear that 
Dumbledore's father was put in Azkaban for going after those muggle 
boys and that Kendra, Dumbledore's mother, moved the family to 
another town to care for Ariana away from prying eyes. A few years 
later, Kendra died accidentally, as a result of an outburst of 
Ariana's. This forced Dumbledore to come back from his studies to 
care for his younger brother and sister. Per his own admission 
Dumbledore resented that he must take time away from his studies and 
care for his siblings and that his brilliance may suffer. 

When Grindelwald became one of his neighbors Dumbledore, infatuated 
with his brilliance, plotted with him to being about Wizard 
domination over Muggles, for "the Greater Good".  Albus and 
Grindelwald planned a trip together to seek the Hallows, until 
Aberforth confronted them with questions about how Albus is planning 
to manage the care of his ill sister. This confrontation became a 
duel between the three of them, and Ariana was caught in the 
crossfire, so to speak, and ended up dead. Grindelwald fled and Albus 
was left to bury his sister and carry his guilt, shame, and grief 
forever. Apparently he waited several years to confront Grindelwald 
and defeat him.

The Hallows and Elder Wand are discussed during this conversation as 
well. Albus apologizes for sending Harry on a wild goose chase after 
Hallows, as he had feared Harry might, like him, succumb to their 
allure. Albus praises Harry as a person who is more worthy than him 
and worthy to unite the Hallows.

Albus also attempts to explain his plans regarding the Elder Wand. He 
does not succeed for this reader.

Harry must now decide whether he should board the train and go on or 
go back and make sure Voldemort is defeated. He decides to go back.

The end



1.	How many nods to Greek philosophers you can find in this 
chapter?

2.    Is the action in this chapter happens in Harry's head or some 
other place?               
        Explain why or why not.

3.    Where do you think Dumbledore spends his days now?

4.	The theme of the hero given a choice whether to rest or to go 
back and possibly be hurt more or prevail over the enemy is fairly 
common in the fantasy genre. When Harry makes his decision to go back 
did you feel at any time that he is going back to die for real now? 
Explain why or why not.

5.	"Of house elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty and 
innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That 
they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any 
magic, is a truth he had never grasped". I think that this quote 
pretty much sums up one of the major themes in the series. Do you 
agree or disagree? Explain why or why not.

6.	List discussed the injured baby under the table extensively 
in the past, but if you want to please discuss some more here.

7.	Can somebody explain to me one more time what was 
Dumbledore's rationale in sending Harry on Hallows Quest?

8.	"If you planned your death with Snape, you meant him to end 
up with  the Elder Wand, didn't you?
"I admit that was my intention," said Dumbledore, "but it did not 
work as I    intended, did it?
"No," said Harry, That bit didn't work out"

What do you think Harry meant by his question? What do you think 
Albus' actual plan was?

9.	Why do you think chapter was named "King's cross"?

10.	Please add your own question here.



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Next up will be Chapter 36 (The flaw in the plan), from David, on or
around December 22, 2008.