Chapter 31 summary, especially ghosts

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 184708

Chris summarized Chapter 31 in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/184599>:

<< The Grey Lady is/was Helen Ravenclaw! >>

Nothing wrong with that name, except that I was terribly disappointed
that she didn't have one of the alliterative names. 

<< Hermione arrives on the scene to send a stunning spell at Crabbe,
who is saved by Malfoy. >>

Foolish of Malfoy to continue treating Crabbe as his friend after
Crabbe had indicated his lack of friendship to Malfoy. (Carol wrote SO
WELL about this in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/184627>).

<< 8. If Harry truly loves Ginny, wouldn't he make more of an
effort to stop her entering the battle? >>

Maybe if he truly loves her, he would make more of an effort to HELP
her enter the battle. It's less than two months until she turns 17,
and those two months won't much change her abilities or her values. No
one would have thought it was loving of Ron to try to make Hermione
sit out the battle or of Remus to try to make Dora sit out the battle.

<< 9. Do we think Tonks appearance at the castle makes her a
good wife or a bad mother? >>

I think it makes her the author's pawn.

Oryomai wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/184604>:

<< Does she really talk to students like Nick does? Nick seems to be
the most sociable of the Hogwarts ghosts. >>

I suspect that the Fat Friar is the most sociable of the Hogwarts
ghosts - back in the first book, he was the one who greeted the
newbies as they were lining up to be Sorted. The Gray Lady and the
Bloody Baron are the Ravenclaw House Ghost and the Slytherin House
Ghost, not just unaffiliated ghosts who dwell at Hogwarts. I imagine
that the duties of a House Ghost include conversing with the students
in that House, maybe not as much and as cheerfully as Nick (and
presumably the Friar) converse with their Gryffs and Puffs, but the
Gray Lady might at least tell the Claws about good study habits.