CHAPDISC: DH28, THE MISSING MIRROR

Wed Sep 3 01:09:35 UTC 2008

No: HPFGUIDX 184243

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Alla:

Guys I must enter the same plea that I did last time. This is another 
emergency substitution chapter, so please do not judge too harshly. 
It was done in a really short period of time.

Many thanks to Gavin, Mike and Zara for their help. You guys are all 
awesome.

CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Chapter 28, The Missing Mirror

Harry, Ron and Hermione apparate to Hogsmeade. While they do that,
Harry remembers him apparating to same place, while supporting a weak 
Albus Dumbledore. Suddenly door at Three Broomsticks burst open; Trio 
hears screaming and sees Death Eaters coming out with wands at the 
ready. Harry realizes that Death Eaters were ready for them and that 
he and his friends are now trapped and cannot dissapparate away.

Apparently Death Eaters performed their charms well. DEs are sure
that Harry is here and unsuccessfully attempt to accio his cloak.
Then they decide that since Dark Lord only wants Harry's life and not
his soul it will be easier to kill Harry if Dementors get first bite. 
Lo and behold Dementors appear. Harry decides that no matter what he
will not be kissed and performs his Patronus. Dementors are driven
away, but the Death Eaters are now absolutely sure that Harry is 
here, they recognized his Patronus. Hooded dudes AKA Death Eaters 
getting closer to where Trio is standing and Harry starts to panic. 
Suddenly one of the building's doors is opened and Harry and his 
friends are invited
in.

It turns out that Harry and his friends are saved by the Barman of
Hog's Head, who is also Aberforth Dumbledore.  While Trio is still
under cloak they witness a conversation that Aberforth is having with
Voldie's merry followers. Aberforth tells them that he sent Patronus
after Dementors and basically convinces Death Eaters after little
visual demonstration that what they saw was his Goat Patronus and not 
a stag. After threatening Aberforth, Death Eaters leave.

    We learn that Aberforth also sent Dobby to help Trio and he
appears to be upset by elf's death. Ron is also wondering whether
Aberforth sent Doe to help them with the sword and Aberforth responds
with what I personally consider to be one of the best lines in the
book. "Son, with brains like this you can be a Death Eater". So we
firmly establish that Aberforth's patronus is a goat, not a doe, not
a stag, **goat**.

    Aberforth feeds hungry Trio and tries to convince them and
especially Harry that he should leave and save himself and his
friends. Aberforth tells Harry that the job that Albus left him is
too dangerous; Aberforth wonders whether Harry is sure that his
brother told him everything he needed to know to successfully finish
Voldemort's destruction. Aberforth is not successful in his 
persuasion.
Harry is not sure that he was told everything  but he made the
decision when he was digging Dobby's grave that he was going to put
all his doubts aside and simply to trust in the path that Albus laid
out for him.

Aberforth tells Harry that Albus learned secrecy on his mother's knee
and also tells Trio his version of the Ariana's chapter from
Dumbledores' family history. In this version  Ariana became very ill
after three Muggle boys attacked her. Their father went after the
boys, attacked them and did time in Azkaban for that. According to
Aberforth, shortly after Ariana got sick they moved their house to
keep Ariana's condition a secret from the Ministry. Their mother
Kendra was taking care of Ariana, but one of Ariana's outbursts
accidentally killed their mother and Albus who was one of the best
and brightest students had to leave school and come home and take
care of their family. Aberforth tells Trio that he could calm Ariana
the best and that he was her favorite. He wanted to quit school and
care for Ariana, but Albus insisted that he should finish his
education.

Aberforth grudgingly admits that Albus did okay caring for Ariana for
a few weeks till Grindelwald came along and then according to
Aberforth the only thing Albus was thinking about is Grindelwald and
plans of world domination and Ariana was not fitting into those plans
very well.

According to Aberforth when he came home on vacation he confronted
Albus about his neglect of their sister and about their plans.
Confrontation became a duel, younger Dumbledore suffered Cruciatus
from Grindelwald's hand, Ariana supposedly wanted to help, but
instead she ended up dead from one of their curses and he is not even
sure which one of them did it. Grindelwald fled and according to
Aberforth Albus was now free from the duty of taking care of Ariana.
Harry tells Aberforth that his brother was never free from what
occurred that day. Harry tells Aberforth about Albus' screams after
he drank the potion in the cave.

Harry insists that he is going to continue fighting and asks
Aberforth if he can help them get into Hogwarts now would be a good
time to do so. Aberforth asks Ariana's picture on his desk if she
knows what to do. Trio sees that Ariana leaves and comes back with
somebody, it looks like her picture is also a door to the very real
tunnel and when Ariana comes back, a battered Neville appears to 
greet them.

1. How did the DEs know that the Trio would apparate into Hogsmeade 
and not to any other place? What obvious moment am I missing?

2. Was Aberforth really sincere in his urging of Harry to abandon his
quest? That is, did Aberforth really think Harry should just stop?

3. "he had made his choice when he dug Dobby's grave; he had decided
to continue along the winding, dangerous path indicated to him by
Albus Dumbledore, to accept that he had not been told everything that
he wanted to know, but simply to trust" What  significance if any do
you see in this quote?

4. Can you reconcile Elphias Doge's statement that Albus and
Aberforth were friends and that they reestablished cordial
relationship some time after Ariana's death with the way Aberforth
talks to Harry about his brother? Why or why not?

5. Which happy memory Aberforth uses for his patronus?

6. We hear the words "greater good" from both Aberforth and Harry in
this chapter. Are they talking about the same thing? Why or why not?

7. Why was the tunnel undiscovered by Marauders?

8. If Albus' plea in the cave means what Harry tells Aberforth it
meant, does it mean that Albus knew after all who killed Ariana?

9. Would you want Aberforth to be Harry's mentor? Why or why not?

10. By the end of this chapter, we and Harry have heard three
accounts of the Dumbledores, from Doge, Skeeter, and Aberforth. Which
account did you find most credible, and why?

11. Were you surprised by any of Aberforth's revelations? Did they
affect your view of Albus?

Alla

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Next Chapter Discussion, Chapter 29, The Lost Diadem, Sept. 8?