CHAPDISC: DH 22, The Deathly Hallows Responses from BMS

[marshallsundeen]

No: HPFGUIDX 183186

In response to Jmnabers questions:

> Discussion Questions:
> 1) Why does Hermione do her best to protect Xenophilius from the
> Death Eaters? Is it only because of her feelings of friendship for
> Luna? Or did she, like Harry, recognize his desperation to save his
> child?

BMS:  Hermione realizes that Xenophilius' actions are purely out of
love for his daughter.  Being close to Luna would also drive a need
to protect him.


> 2) Why does Hermione consider the trips to Godric's Hollow and the
> Lovegood household "a waste of time"?

BMS:  Hermione is of the belief that what cannot be easily proven is
not true.  She is also biased against the Lovegoods' naivete about
creatures in the world.


> 3) Harry realizes that his "talk of living with dead people" had
> scared of Hermione. Why is living with dead people comforting to
> Harry and yet frightening to Hermione?

BMS:  Hermione has never seen death, though she knows some who have
died.  Hermione fears that Harry would join the dead willingly and
this scares her.


> 4) Why is Harry able to put the story together so quickly? It says
> his "imagination was racing ahead, far beyond Ron and Hermione's."

BMS:  Having owned the cloak Harry is able to see the similarities
easily.  Harry was looking for understanding of Dumbledore's actions
and this fit.


> Is it imagination, experience, or something else that allows Harry
> to make the intuitive leaps that other cannot?

BMS:  Harry has learned not to discount the unbelievable.  His
experience helps him keep an open mind--and his connection to
Voldemort gives him a perspective the others cannot understand.


> 5) When Harry realizes that Voldemort must also want the Elder
> Wand, it "extinguishes" all of his hope and happiness. Why?

BMS:  The realization that Voldemort must also want the Elder Wand is
a reality check for Harry.  It brings him back to the fact that
Harry's future ends with a confrontation with Voldemort.  Voldemort
will be tougher to beat with the Elder Wand.


> 6) If Harry is right, Dumbledore did not tell him the secret to
> being the master of Death because he needed Harry to discover it
> for himself. Does this agree with Dumbledore's previous treatment
> of Harry? How would Harry be different if Dumbledore did tell him
> what he needed rather than letting Harry work it out for himself?
> What role do Ron and Hermione play in his discoveries?

BMS:  Dumbledore has always allowed Harry to work problems out for
himself.  Dumbledore gave Harry advice to rely on Ron and Hermione
for help because the three together have powers, knowledge and wisdom
that Harry alone does not have.  This has made Harry smarter—needing
to see connections and relationships that he may not see otherwise.
This kept Harry from accepting what authorities (or Hermione) told
him as gospel and made him seek truth.


> 7) Harry wishes his scar would burn again because "for the first
> time ever, he and Voldemort were united in wanting the very same
> thing." When his visions do return, they are blurred. Why are the
> visions different now than they have been in the past?

BMS:  Harry's own obsession with the Hallows keeps him from receiving
clear messages—Voldemort's obsession with the Elder Wand works
against the connection also.


> 8) Harry feels that Ron and Hermione are obsessed with the
> horcuxes. She accuses him of being obsessed with the Hallows and
> tells him that they are "the ones trying to do what Dumbledore
> wanted us to do!" Why are they at an impasse over the way to
> proceed? Why does Harry "give up on her"?

BMS:  Harry is obsessed with the Deathly Hallows.  He sees the
Hallows as a means to connect with those long dead and the mystery of
it fascinates Harry.  Ron and Hermione see Harry as becoming
distanced from the Horcrux search and Hermione sees Harry as focusing
on something she doubts is true.


> 9) As Harry retreats into his own imagination, Ron starts to take
> charge. Is Ron only capable of leadership because Harry is
> distracted or is it something else?

BMS:  Ron wants to prove to Harry and Hermione that he is again
committed to the quest.  He wants to make up for leaving by showing
leadership and keeping the trio moving forward.


> 10) If Harry is so determined that finding the Elder Wand is the
> way to proceed, why do they waste months without making any real
> progress? What, if anything, is achieved in these long months of
> camping?

BMS:  It takes the hearing of the Potterwatch program to move the
trio forward.  Being isolated, the three seem to forget that others
are out there fighting for good and this seems to jar them back to
action.


> 11)What is it about the Potterwatch broadcast that makes Harry feel
> more connected to the world?

BMS:   Again, it reminds Harry that others are on his side.  There is
more at stake than the trio's future—the whole Wizarding World depends on the successful defeat of Voldemort.


> 12) Why do Lupin's words cause Harry to feel "a mixture of
> gratitude and shame"?

BMS:  Lupin's words let Harry know that he has been forgiven.  Lupin
is acknowledging that Harry was right in scolding him.  Lupin had
been afraid to be a father.  Harry's words obviously jolted Lupin back to his responsibilities.  Harry is grateful that Lupin has forgiven him and ashamed that he had to be so harsh with his once mentor.


> 13) Why does Lupin say that Harry's instincts are "good and nearly
> always right"? Are these words in reference to the past, or are
> they meant to foreshadow events to come?

BMS:  Lupin is acknowledging that Harry was correct about Lupin's
fear of fatherhood.  This does remind Harry to listen to his instinct
in the future.


> 14) Is the rush of emotions Harry felt while listening to
> Potterwatch responsible for his reckless saying of Voldemort's
> name? If not, what causes him to break the taboo that he's kept for
> months?

BMS:  Harry was so moved listening to Potterwatch that deep down he
wanted to prompt action.  While it seems like a stupid thing to do—it
moved the whole story forward and brought the trio out of isolation.