CHAPDISC: DH33, The Prince's Tale

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 184817

Discussion Questions:

<SNIP of the summary>

2. Voldemort gives the Hogwarts staff one hour to "dispose of [their]
dead with dignity" and treat the injured while he waits in the
Forbidden Forest. Assuming that he means what he says, how do you
think he expects them to "dispose of" the dead?

Alla:

Seriously – I have no idea, jokingly – feed to Nagini, seems to be 
Voldemort's way of disposing of the dead, maybe he expects Hogwarts 
has something similar.

3. Lupin and Tonks lie "pale and still and peaceful-looking,
apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling." This
description seems to echo that of the dead Dumbledore in HBP--
"Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms
and legs, he might have been sleeping"—and that of his peacefully
sleeping portrait. What do you think JKR is saying about death
through these descriptions? Do they seem to refer to death in general
or only to these particular deaths?

Alla:

That by dying their souls went to better place, more peaceful, etc. 
And yes, I think it refers to the death in general in the books.


9. Severus is obviously lying when he denies dropping the tree branch
on Petunia, but neither his words nor his "scared and defiant"
expression make clear whether the magic is accidental or deliberate.
Which do you think it is and why? Why doesn't something similar
happen to James and Sirius in SWM where Severus is also wandless?

Alla:

I would say that your second question presupposes the answer that it 
is accidental, so since I do not think that it was accidental, I 
cannot answer the second part. I think it was very deliberate, I 
think Severus was already that cruel and did not want to share Lily 
with anybody. JMO of course.

18. What do you think Dumbledore means when he tells Snape, "If I
know [Harry], he will have arranged matters so that when he does set
out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort"?

Alla:

Oh, Dumbledore knows Harry well all right. I just think he means that 
when Harry knows all the particulars, he will definitely go and 
sacrifice himself permanently, or so Harry thinks.

20. Why did JKR choose these particular memories for this chapter?
Why did *Snape* choose them?

Alla:

I do not believe that Snape chose them. I think he started powering 
all the memories to pensieve, and  all that he had in his head went 
there. I think if nothing else he was too weak to pick and choose the 
memories.


21. Did this chapter change or confirm your view of Snape? What
surprised you? What disappointed you? How did you feel at the end of
the chapter the first time through?

Alla:
Well, certainly Snape as Dumbledore man should have surprised me had 
we not discussed it for so long, so even though I was hoping it will 
not come true, I always kept the possibility in mind and I read the 
spoilers anyways, so I knew before that chapter that he was 
Dumbledore's man.

Thank you for the questions, Carol.