CHAPDISC: DH36, THE FLAW IN THE PLAN

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 185240

>> 
> QUESTIONS
> 1.  I still don't get this "like a lover" stuff between Bellatrix & 
> Voldemort.  What *was* their relationship, in your opinion?  What 
> about Rodolphus, her husband?  Was theirs a marriage of 
convenience? 
> Did he not care, or did he know that if he did show he cared, 
> Voldemort would kill him?  

I think Bellatrix has more of reverent love for Voldemort. Almost 
like he is a god to her. 


> 
> 2.  Harry is surprised to not hear DE cheers, and is surprised that 
> Voldemort has fallen down.  Why?  After encountering the Baby-Voldy-
> Thing at King's Cross, wasn't he expecting Voldemort hadn't yet won?
> 

The last thing he saw was the DE's standing around and Voldemort 
casting the killing curse. I think he expected them to cheer. I think 
he realized the bit of Voldemort he saw was the piece from the scar 
and therefore Voldemort should still be standing and gloating.



> 3.  With Narcissa's lie, we have come full circle to a mother's 
love 
> again.  How do you feel about its being this mother?  What do you 
> think might have happened if Harry hadn't lucked out this way -- 
with 
> a desperate Narcissa chosen as the one to announce whether he were 
> dead or not?

I think JKR was really beating home the point of a mother's love by 
using Narcissa this way.


> 
> 4.  Hagrid, in his grief, accuses the centaurs of cowardice and of 
> being happy that Harry has died.  Yet they do arrive, in the nick 
of 
> time, and fight the DEs.  Did they know Harry wasn't dead, or if 
they 
> did not, why did they fight?  

Maybe they were embarrassed about not being there at first. Or maybe 
they knew that the fight wasn't over yet. Who really understands 
centaurs?


> 
> 5.  Why is it that Harry does not feel the pain of the Crucio? Is 
it 
> the same reason the Dementors don't affect him? 

I believe it's because Harry has negated Voldemort's power with his 
being willing to die.




> 
> 6.  Do you believe Voldemort made his offer of forgiveness 
> sincerely?  Would those who surrendered have been forgiven and 
> allowed to live? 

I doubt Voldemort would have forgiven anyone. The only way he could 
rule would be for all of his opposition to be dead.


> 
> 7.  Okay, Voldy knows the untruth of Harry letting others sacrifice 
> themselves for him.  What is he trying to do in telling everyone at 
> Hogwarts that he was killed while running away and that he was 
never 
> anything but someone who let others sacrifice themselves for him?  
> Does Voldy believe what he's saying, or is he trying to convince 
the 
> others?
> 
> 8.  It's interesting that Voldemort specifies just the emblem, 
shield 
> and colors of Slytherin being good enough for all.  Why didn't he 
say 
> anything about Slytherin's principles?  Or were they implied along 
> with the rest?

I think it was implied that everyone is going to be a Slytherin and 
believe in the same things and act accordingly.


> 
> 9.  Why/How was Neville able to break free of the Body-Bind Curse?  
> He certainly couldn't break free of Hermione's in first year!

I think Voldemort's curses were ineffective because of Harry's 
sacrifice. Or maybe the hat helped him along.


> 
> 10.  Does it say anything beyond "only a true Gryffindor" that 
> Neville also found Gryffindor's sword in the Sorting Hat?  Does it 
> say anything about the Chosen One or about the prophecy?  Or not?

I think it means that anyone who shows the characteristics of a 
gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat in a time of need.


> 
> 11.  There has been quite a varied response to Molly Weasley in 
this 
> scene.  What is yours?

I understand Molly's reaction and I knew she had some talent. As soon 
as Bella laughed, I flashed back to Sirius and knew it was over.


> 
> 12.  If you had (or have) no vested interest in Harry Potter, what 
> would you think of Voldemort's remarks here?  Has he missed the 
point 
> entirely, or does he have a point about accidents and Dumbledore?  
> Does it make sense that he would see things this way?

I don't think Voldemort learned anything new. He relied on his former 
ways of Might makes right. After losing to Lilly's protection and all 
the other things, he never learned. It was his wands fault, not him 
or his knowledge.


> 
> 13.  What do you think Harry thought the odds were that Riddle 
would 
> actually be able to find some remorse?  Did he believe it was 
> possible?  Was he doubting DD's statement that nothing could be 
done 
> to help the Voldy-Baby-Thing?  Was he offering this up to be able 
to 
> know that he'd done all he could?


I think Harry wanted to give him the chance and hoped he would but 
never really expected that he would change.


> 
> 14.  When did Harry puzzle all this out about the Elder Wand?  Does 
> he believe it?  Does he just hope it's true?

I think he put it all together at Shell cottage when he spoke to 
ollivander. But I think he also hoped it was true, because all that 
wand lore is a little dodgy.


> 
> 15.  Tom Riddle falls "with a mundane finality."  Such a 
fascinating 
> phrase.  Was there anything mundane at all about this?  Does JKR 
> imply that death strikes us all, no matter who are what?  Why use 
> such a phrase?
> 

I loved the phrase. It showed that Tom wasn't great he was just a man 
and died just as any other person would. It definitely takes away 
alot of his mystique.


> 16.  Wow.  To answer that earlier rhetorical question of Harry's--
No, 
> Voldy really doesn't learn from his mistakes, does he? :)  In all 
> seriousness, though, *is* this Voldemort's biggest mistake, his 
> failure to learn?  Or was there something else which was his more 
> fundamental mistake?

I answered this above.


> 
> 17.  Now that time has passed and it's all been considered & talked 
> over (and over and over), does the "Who's master of the Elder Wand 
> and how does it happen?" work for you or not?

The whole wand thing is/was confusing. I didn't really grasp any of 
it until some of our discussions where I heard various views on it. 
It still seems a little murky to me.



> 
> 18.  This has been discussed much before, but just *why* do the 
> Malfoys look as if they're not sure whether they should be there? 
> Because of the part they had once played but had set aside? Because 
> there were no other Slytherins there to speak of?  Because...?

They look like they shouldn't be there because they shouldn't be. 
They were followers of Voldemort, Draco let the DE's into the castle 
in HBP, etc. They should be arrested and imprisoned with Narcissa 
getting  a lighter sentance for helping Harry out.



> 
> 19.  Many were disappointed by the part Slytherin played at the 
end, 
> having hoped for so much more from students, children of DEs, etc.  
> Thinking of the roles of the Slytherins who *did* play a part – 
> Horace and Narcissa in particular – are those parts worth 
> celebrating?  How significant to the outcome were they?

Horace coming back was more like frosting on the cake. It was like 
JKR was trying to tell us that all Slytherin's aren't evil. Narcissa 
had the only key role. Although, Slughorn fighting Voldemort will 
help in the healing process afterward.


> 
> 20.  Many left this book rather stunned at revelations about DD, 
not 
> altogether happy with the strings he pulled or decisions he made or 
> actions he took.  What do you make of the fact that, for Harry, 
DD's 
> pride and — let's face it — DD's approval were a balm equal to 
> phoenix song?

I understand it completely. DD did his best to set up the only 
outcome that allowed Harry to win and live. I don't see the great 
manipulator that others do.


> 
> 21.  Would you have kept any of the Deathly Hallows?  If so, which 
> one(s) and why?  If not, which would at least have tempted you?  
Are 
> there any to whose power you think you'd have been totally immune?

I would have kept the cloak because it is so useful. I would have 
kept the wand, because every evil wizard is going to be gunning for 
Harry Potter. He's going to become the notch that they all want on 
their wand. so I think it would be very helpful to him.

The stone I couldn't care less about. I have no urge to talk to the 
dead. I'll meet them again.


> 
> 22.  As you finished this chapter for the first time, how satisfied 
> or dissatisfied were you?  Did it feel like a resolution befitting 
> our protagonist and antagonist?

The first time through I had wanted more of fight between Harry and 
Voldemort. By the second reading I realized that the story wasn't 
really about matching power/skills (even though I wanted it to be) 
and thought the ending was good. I loved how Voldemort died with a 
mundane finality. So simple, nothing flamboyant for the so called 
Lord Voldemort.


> 
> 23.  So if you had to do it in your own words and as concisely as 
> possible, how would you sum up just what that "flaw in the plan" 
was?

The flaw in the plan was something that wasn't anticipated. DD didn't 
know that Voldemort was looking for the wand. Therefore he had no 
reason to plan for that. I don't think he would have wanted to leave 
Snape as the master of the eldar wand if he knew Tom was looking for 
it.

> 
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

I want to thank siriusly Snapey Susan for the great job on the 
summary and the excellant questions!