CHAPDISC: DH32, The Elder Wand

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 184740

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CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Chapter 32: The Elder Wand

As this chapter begins, Harry and his companions are absorbing the 
full horror of Fred's death. However, they cannot take time to mourn 
and absorb what has happened, because the battle rages on around 
them. Ron and Harry, alerted by Hermione's scream, repel an attempt 
by giant spiders to enter the castle. Then Percy relinquishes his 
hold on Fred's body and helps Harry and Ron to hide it.

That accomplished, Percy rushes madly off into the fray, bellowing 
the name of a Death Eater. Hermione physically restrains Ron, who 
wants to follow, reminding both boys that they are the only ones that 
have the knowledge to end the battle for good, by killing Nagini and 
rendering Voldemort mortal.

At her urging, Harry opens himself to Voldemort. He is in the Shack 
accompanied by Nagini, who is surrounded by a protective magical 
bubble. Lucius, showing signs of physical abuse, is present and 
attempts to persuade Voldemort to call off the battle, ostensibly to 
ensure Harry is not killed by a Death Eater against Voldemort's 
orders. Voldemort claims he wants only to get into the castle and 
look for Draco, and asks whether Draco has not become a friend of 
Potter since "he did not come and join me, like the rest of the 
Slytherins." He explains, also, that there is no need to worry about 
finding Harry, as Harry will come to him. He then sends Lucius for 
Snape.

Harry recounts what he has seen to Ron and Hermione, and an argument 
ensues about who should go after the snake, which ends when two Death 
Eaters show up. Hermione saves the day with some quick and clever 
spell casting, and the Trio, covered in Harry's cloak, head out to 
the Shack.

They travel through the battle, observing a variety of interesting 
sights a summary of which would prove as long as this chapter, 
ranging from stampeding desks to wrestling giants. Finally, they 
attain the Whomping Willow and traverse the secret passage.

There, they see that Snape has come to Voldemort as summoned. They 
listen as Snape persists in asking to be allowed to find Harry for 
Voldemort, while Voldemort attempts to discuss a problem he is having 
with his wand. Voldemort confides this problem makes him doubt what 
may happen when he faces Harry. He explains he has obtained this 
wand, which is the Elder Wand of legend, from the grave of Dumbledore 
in order to use it against Harry, against whom his other wands have 
failed. Then he informs Snape that this is why, regretfully, he must 
kill him, in order to become the true owner of the wand, who he 
states is currently Snape, the man who killed Dumbledore. Voldemort 
causes the bubble around Nagini to envelop Snape, and orders the 
snake to kill him. The snake bites his neck and Snape falls to the 
floor. Voldemort departs with Nagini, leaving Snape to bleed to death.

Harry steals in after Voldemort leaves, and removes his cloak to look 
down at the dying Snape. Snape, seeing him, attempts to say 
something, and Harry lowers himself to hear. "Take it", Snape says, 
and Harry sees that he is leaking memories, which Harry collects in a 
flask Hermione conjures for him. Snape then whispers his last 
words, "Look at me," and dies as he looks into Harry's eyes.

The chapter ends.

Questions:
1) What is with ending chapters with the dramatic deaths of 
characters, including, of course, descriptions of their eyes? (I 
refer the reader to Dobby's sightless orbs staring unseeingly up at 
the starry sky *sob*, Fred's eyes that stare without seeing, and 
Snape's eyes, from which "something" vanishes as he dies.) Feel free 
to comment on similarities and differences between these three 
character deaths witnessed by Harry.

2) Speaking of this something, what are we to make of it? These same 
eyes have been elsewhere described thusly: "They were cold and empty 
and made you think of dark tunnels". (Empty things have *nothing* in 
them.)

3) What was your reaction to Snape's death on your first reading of 
it? Did the following chapter change your view? Does it affect you 
differently on rereading?

4) Voldemort compares Lucius and Snape. What meaning, if any, do you 
ascribe to this?

5) Will Zara ask a question that is NOT about Snape? Erm, right, yes, 
well
Personally, I prefer the battle scenes in this chapter to the 
ones in the previous one, even though the last chapter was named 
after the battle. Which is your favorite scene of the first part of 
the battle (feel free to name one from the previous chapter!)? Why?

5) What was Draco doing on the upper landing of the marble staircase, 
to need rescuing from a Death Eater, in your opinion? What do you 
suppose happened to Goyle?

6) The Death Eaters brought a giant to the battle, and Grawp fought 
him to defend the school. As payoff for Hagrid's back-story, Mme. 
Maxime, "Hagrid's Tale", and the Grawp subplot in OotP, was this 
sufficient for you? Why or why not?

7) The Slytherin hourglass broke as Harry ran down the stairs into 
the Entrance Hall, just as the Gryffindor one had in the fighting at 
the end of HBP. Did you ascribe any particular meaning to this bit of 
trivia on your first read? Do you now?

8) What was your reaction to Hagrid's defense of the giant spiders 
and its results?

9) How cool was it that Hermione defended Lavender from Greyback? 
(Or, why was it not cool?) Why do you suppose Rowling chose Trelawney 
as the person to finish him off?

10) Luna, Ernie, and Seamus's Patronuses are revealed to be, 
respectively, a hare, a boar, and a fox. Do they suit your ideas of 
these characters? Why or why not?

11) Hermione tells Ron "Are you a wizard, or what?" when he regrets 
Crookshanks cannot open the Willow for them. This echoes the moment 
in PS/SS when Ron said the same to Hermione as she worried 
frantically that she has no matches. What does this serve, in your 
view? Do you see other mirrors in this chapter?

12) Please excuse the length of these last. They concern 
the "official" subject of this chapter as expressed by the title. I 
begin with some quotes from the text and an observation.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?" <snip>
"I do not understand. You – you have performed extraordinary magic 
with that wand."

This seems to me to establish the fact that Snape is aware Voldemort 
has acquired a new wand, and has been for some time.  If you 
disagree, part a) of the question can be explaining to me why I am 
wrong. <g> What, if anything, does Snape's choice of the 
words "extraordinary magic" suggest to you? Would you expect Snape 
recognized the new wand as the one Dumbledore has had throughout 
Snape's entire life?

13) Do you think the acquisition of this new wand might be a matter 
Severus would have mentioned to Albus? Why or why not, and what do 
you suppose Albus would have said back, if yes? 

14) How do you feel about not knowing the answers to these questions 
about two major characters and the magical artifact that settled the 
central conflict of the series?

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Next Chapter Discussion, Chapter 33, The Prince's Tale, on November 
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