CHAPDISC: 34, The Forest Again

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 185023

Sherry:
> 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?

Geoff:
I wondered whether this was the same sort of reaction as some 
soldiers on the First World War had in the trenches. Many realised 
that they were unlikely to live through the coming battles and had 
to steel themselves to that possibility. In some ways they had been 
manipulated as Harry had by the pressure and propaganda and 
patriotic jingoism which had been pumped out to encourage them 
to volunteer to join up for their country. If you have had an 
opportunity to see "My Boy Jack" which featured Dan Radcliffe last 
year, some of this is portrayed in that film. There is an obvious 
difference in that Harry, strictly, didn't volunteer for this situation 
- he was rather unknowingly press-ganged into it.

Sherry:
> 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?

Geoff:
Angry because Dumbledore was relying on Harry's sense of duty 
and conscience to keep him to the task.

Sherry: 
> 4.  Neville has come up often in this book's chapter discussions.  
> Could you have imagined this Neville from what we saw of him in previous 
> books?

Geoff:
I think that, after seeing Neville with Harry at the Ministry of Magic in 
OOTP as "last men standing", my answer has to be "yes".

Sherry:
> 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"?

Geoff:
Devastated.

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

Geoff:
Not really. They are the people who were closest to him who had died. 
The only other person who  might possibly have appeared could have 
been Dumbledore but the relationship with him - especially what 
had transpired in the preceding chapter - rather took took him out 
of the list. At this point in time, Harry has not been able to talk to 
him.

Sherry:
> 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?

Geoff:
There is a very different exchange between Harry and his parents by 
comparison with the others. His parents' love and pride is more obvious; 
they say more and are verbally more  demonstrative. Sirius and Remus 
are quieter. Sirius seems almost flippant in his comments about death, 
not in tune with Harry's concerns and fears.

Sherry:
> 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?

Geoff:
I believe that canon clearly intends the action to be accidental as Harry 
prepares to step out:
"The Resurrection Stone slipped from between his numb fingers..." (UK 
edition p.563)
He saw his supporters disappear but, having declared his presence, he 
had no time to recover the stone.

Sherry:
> 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?  

Geoff:
When I first read this chapter, I imagine that like thousands of others, I 
really didn't know where it was leading. Because I had sneaked a look 
at the last page, I knew that Harry had survived but I think the 
labyrinthian twists and turns of the plot at this point left me rather 
gobsmacked!
 
Sherry:
> 13.  What was your immediate reaction at the end of this chapter?  
> Did you think, even for a moment, that Harry was really dead?

Geoff:
No, because as I said previously, I knew that he had survived. I also 
read straight on into Chapter 35 without stopping at that point to 
ponder deeply on the unfolding events.

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

Geoff:
In general, a superb chapter which I must admit - sotto voce - 
brought tears to my eyes. But, some of you may have gleaned from 
my comments that I tend to visualise Chapters 34-36 as a single unit 
with the action proceeding seamlessly from Snape's death right 
through to the sunrise over the window sill.