CHAPDISC: 34, The Forest Again

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 184995

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Chapter Discussion:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 
34, THE FOREST AGAIN

The chapter opens with Harry lying on the carpet in the headmaster's 
office.  He knows the truth at last, knows he must die in order to 
defeat Voldemort.  As he lies on the floor, he is aware of his heart 
beating and wonders how many beats it has left.  He feels terror wash 
over him, noting that his will to live had always been stronger than 
his fear of death.  Yet he does not consider running away from what 
must be done.  He wishes he could have died before, on the last night 
he left Privet Drive, or like his parents, or having jumped in front 
of a wand to save someone else, a sudden unexpected death, instead of 
having to walk knowingly to his death.  He notices his fingers 
trembling and tries to control them, even though no one can see him.

He sits up, thinking about Dumbledore and his plan.  He knows now why 
Dumbledore had taken time to get to know him.  He understands that 
Dumbledore knew he would not duck out of the responsibility, that he 
would not let anyone else die for him, now that he knows what must be 
done.  He worries that the job is not completely done, because the 
snake still lives, but at least with the other horcruxes destroyed, 
it could be easy.  This is why Dumbledore wanted him to tell Ron and 
Hermione, so if he died before it was complete, someone else could 
finish the task of destroying the horcruxes.  Thinking of Ron and 
Hermione, Harry determines that he will not tell them, he will not 
say goodbye and waste valuable time arguing.  Looking at his watch, 
he sees that half the time Voldemort has given has passed.  He 
notices how fast his heart is beating, thinking that perhaps his 
heart is trying to make up a lifetime of beats.  He does not look 
back as he leaves the office, closing the door behind him. 

As he walks through the castle, he notices its emptiness, that even 
the portraits are empty.  Still, he puts on the Invisibility Cloak.  
Part of him wishes that he will be sensed or stopped, but the Cloak 
is impenetrable, and he reaches the front door easily.  

Harry nearly runs into Neville and Oliver Wood, carrying the body of 
Colin Creevey.  Harry thinks that Colin must have snuck back and that 
he looks tiny in death.  Oliver takes the body from Neville and moves 
into the Great Hall.  Neville goes back to look for more bodies.  
Harry takes one last look at the Great Hall, at the people moving 
around in there.  He is hoping for one last glimpse of those he 
loves:  Ron, Hermione, Ginny or any Weasley.  He does not see any of 
them, and he thinks that it is just as well because he might not ever 
stop looking.  He turns away and walks down the steps.

Pulling off the Cloak, Harry approaches Neville.  Neville asks Harry 
where he is going alone and asks if he is planning to hand himself 
over to Voldemort.  Harry says no, lying, and assures Neville that it 
is all part of the plan.  He tells Neville about the snake and asks 
him to kill it if he gets the chance.  He tries to tell him that Ron 
and Hermione know, but he feels suffocated by thinking of what could 
happen to them.  He finally says that in case they are busy, and 
Neville gets the chance, to kill the snake.  Neville promises to do 
so.  As they part, Neville tells Harry that they are all going to 
continue to fight, pats Harry on the shoulder and walks away.

Harry moves on and sees Ginny kneeling by a girl, comforting her and 
trying to get her to go into the castle.  Harry wants to speak, to 
tell Ginny he is there but he does nothing.  The girl is saying that 
she does not want to fight anymore, that she wants to go home.  Ginny 
says she knows, and her voice is breaking.  Harry thinks how he wants 
to be stopped, to be dragged back home, and then he thinks that he is 
home, that Hogwarts has always been his first and best home.  He, 
Voldemort and Snape, the abandoned boys, had all found their home at 
Hogwarts.  With a huge effort, he forces himself to walk away from 
Ginny and the injured girl.  He thinks he sees Ginny look around as 
he passes, but still, he does not say anything and continues on his 
way.

Harry sees Hagrid's hut and remembers all the good times spent there, 
Fang's booming bark, Hagrid's rock cakes, Ron vomiting slugs, 
Hermione helping to save Norbert.  But now all is silent, and no 
light shines from the windows.

He stops after entering the edge of the Forest.  He can sense 
Dementors in the trees, and he does not think he can produce a 
Patronus to drive them off.  He cannot stop his trembling and 
realizes that it is not, after all, easy to die.  Every breath, every 
smell of grass, the air on his face, are all precious.  He is 
clinging to every second of life.  Yet, as he thinks that he cannot 
go on, he knows that he must.  The long game is over.  The snitch has 
been caught, it is time to leave the air.

And he remembers the Snitch, and the words, "I open at the close."  
Knowing the moment has come, he puts the snitch to his lips and 
says, "I am about to die."  The Snitch opens, revealing the 
Resurrection stone.  He thinks that it doesn't matter about bringing 
them back, because he is about to die.  He is not fetching them; they 
are fetching him.  He closes his eyes and turns the stone over three 
times.

Harry knows it has worked.  He can hear their footsteps on the 
ground.  He opens his eyes and looks around.  He sees that they are 
not flesh, but they are more than ghosts.  He thinks that they most 
closely resemble the Riddle of the diary, which was memory that had 
almost become flesh.  Lily, James, Sirius and Remus.  James is in the 
clothes in which he died, hair messy, glasses askew.  Sirius is 
younger than Harry has ever known him, handsome walking along with a 
grin on his face.  Lupin is younger too, hair thicker, clothes not 
shabby.  Lily is smiling, widest of all.  She pushes her hair back, 
her green eyes looking at him as if she could never get enough.  She 
tells Harry that he has been brave.  Harry cannot speak, and he 
cannot stop looking at his mother.  He would like to look at her 
forever, but even that would not be enough.

James tells him that he is nearly there, and that they are so proud 
of him.  Harry asks if dying will hurt, and Sirius assures him that 
it will not, that it will be easier and quicker than falling asleep.  
Lupin assures him that Voldemort will want it to be quick.

Harry addresses Lupin, the words coming without volition.  He tells 
Lupin that he didn't want any of them to die.  To Lupin specifically, 
just after his son had been born.  Lupin replies that he didn't want 
to die, but he hopes his son will understand that he died trying to 
give him a better, happier world.

As they walk along, Harry knows they will not make his decision for 
him; they will not tell him to go.  He asks if they will stay with 
him, and James answers that they will stay till the end.  Harry asks 
if they can be seen by anyone else, and James tells him no, that they 
are a part of himself.  He asks Lily to stay close to him and 
continues deeper into the forest.  He is not sure where to find 
Voldemort, but he is sure he will find him.  They go through the 
Dementors, his companions acting like Patronuses for him.  His family 
walks beside him, and Harry thinks that they are his courage, the 
reason he can go on and continue to put one foot in front of the 
other.  He feels his body and mind disconnected, thinking that the 
dead who walk with him are somehow more real than the living he left 
behind.  

Suddenly, there is a thud nearby and a voice calls out, asking who is 
there.  Harry and his companions stop.  Yaxley and Dolohov appear 
from around a tree.  They talk about the sound they heard, wondering 
if it was an animal, and commenting that Hagrid kept "a whole bunch 
of stuff" in the forest.  Eventually, they decide that the hour is 
up, and Harry is not coming.  They say that Voldemort was sure Harry 
would come and he won't be happy.  They'd better go back and see what 
the plan is now.  They move off deeper into the Forest, and Harry and 
company follow.  He looks sideways, and his mother smiles at him, 
while his dad smiles encouragement.

In a few moments, they see light through the trees, and the two Death 
Eaters step out into a clearing.  Harry recognizes Aragog's old 
lair.  It is filled with a crowd of silent Death Eaters, as well as a 
couple giants and Greyback.  He recognizes several Death Eaters, 
including Lucius, looking defeated, and Narcissa, eyes sunken and 
full of apprehension.  Voldemort is there.  Behind Voldemort's head 
is Nagini, still in her cage.

Yaxley and Dolohov report that there is no sign of Harry.  Bellatrix 
tries to speak, but Voldemort silences her by merely raising his 
wand.  Her face is bloody, but she looks worshipfully at Voldemort.

Voldemort says that he was sure Harry would come.  Nobody says a 
word.  Harry thinks that they must all be as scared as he is, his 
heart now throwing itself against his ribs, as if trying to escape 
from the body he is soon to cast aside.  Harry pulls off the 
Invisibility cloak and stuffs it along with his wand under his 
robes.  He does not want to be tempted to fight when the time comes.  

Voldemort goes on to say that he must have been mistaken that Harry 
would come.  Harry replies as loudly and forcefully as he can, "You 
weren't."  The Resurrection Stone slips from his fingers, and he sees 
his parents, Sirius and Lupin disappear.  He steps forward into the 
clearing.   

The giants roar, and the Death Eaters rise to their feet, crying out 
and some laughing.  Voldemort has frozen, but his eyes watch as Harry 
moves toward him.

Then a voice cries out, "Harry, no!"  Harry looks around and sees 
Hagrid, bound to a tree.  Hagrid shakes the branches in his 
desperation to break free and asks Harry what he is doing.  Rowle 
silences him with a spell.  

Now the only thing moving in the clearing is the snake in her cage.  
Harry can feel his wand against his chest but does not try to reach 
for it.  He knows he cannot kill her, and that the Death Eters in the 
clearing would stop him if he even tried.  Voldemort continues to 
stare at him, now a mirthless smile on his lips.  

Voldemort says softly, "Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived."  Everything 
else is silent.  None of the Death Eaters is moving.  Hagrid is 
struggling still, Bellatrix panting.  Harry thinks of Ginny, her 
blazing look, the feel of her lips.

Voldemort raises his wand.  Harry looks at him, wanting it to happen 
now, before he loses control and shows his fear.  He sees Voldemort's 
mouth move, a flash of green light, and then, everything is gone.


Discussion Questions
1.  What did you think as you read Harry's immediate reaction to the 
knowledge that he must die?  Did you find his reaction realistic?  
Did this scene change your opinion of Harry in any way?

2.  How about Dumbledore?  Did it make sense to you that Harry did 
not seem to blame Dumbledore?  How did you feel about Dumbledore, as 
you read Harry's thoughts?

3.  What did you think of the imagery as Harry walks through the 
deserted, empty halls and stairways of Hogwarts?

4.  Neville has come up often in this book's chapter discussions.  
Thinking of the Neville in the early books, even up to the third, did 
you think anything about Neville being out recovering bodies?  Could 
you have imagined this Neville from what we saw of him in previous 
books?

5.  In his journey to meet Voldemort, Neville is the only living 
person to whom Harry speaks.  Why Neville?  Do you think Harry could 
have been thinking that Neville was the other "prophecy boy"?  Do you 
think Neville knew Harry was going to sacrifice himself in spite of 
Harry's denials?

6.  As Harry watches Ginny with the injured girl who wants to go 
home, he thinks of himself, Voldemort and Snape as the "abandoned 
boys" who all found their only home at Hogwarts.  How did you react 
to this thought?  Why did Harry think of those three and link them in 
such a way, a common bond between them all?

7.  What did you feel as 17-year-old Harry put the snitch to his 
mouth and said the words, "I am about to die"?

8.  Were you surprised at the identity of any of the people who came 
to Harry through the Resurrection Stone?  

9.  Did you find the interaction between Harry and his loved ones 
typical, particularly of interactions between himself and Sirius and 
Lupin?  Did you feel Sirius and Lupin acted in character in this 
scene?  What about James and Lily?  Did they say or do anything that 
surprised you, given the little but important things we knew of them 
previously?

10.  When Harry is saying that he didn't want them to die, why was he 
mostly addressing Lupin?

11.  Harry's loved ones have promised to stay with him to the end.  
Why did he drop the Resurrection Stone before entering the clearing 
and meeting Voldemort?  Was it accidental, just nerves, or was there 
another reason?  Did he not want them there with him when he died?

12.  Were the final moments of this chapter what you expected?  Did 
you think there would be more, more action, more description, more 
dialogue between Harry and Voldemort?  

13.  What was your immediate reaction at the end of this chapter?  
Did you think, even for a moment, that Harry was really dead?

14.  What was your overall reaction to this chapter and all its 
events?

15.  Please share any other questions or thoughts that come to mind 
about this chapter.  

Sherry

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Next up will be Chapter 35 (King's Cross), from Alla, on or
around December 8, 2008.