CHAPDISC: DH, EPILOGUE

[kneazlecat54]

No: HPFGUIDX 185344

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CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Epilogue

Synopsis:

It is September 1st nineteen years after the battle of Hogwarts, and
we are at King's Cross Station.  A family is entering the station
laden with luggage and owls.  We quickly find out that it's Harry and
his family:  his wife, Ginny, and their children James, Albus and
Lily, on their way to meet the Hogwarts Express.   James is a second
year; Albus is about to start his first year.  Lily is still too
young to go, and is vociferously unhappy about it.   The children are
bickering as siblings will; in this case, James is teasing Albus
about the house into which he will be sorted.  Albus is adamant that
he will not be a Slytherin, despite James's disingenuous claim
that "[t]here's nothing wrong with that" (DH 734).  It appears that
some things haven't changed, even after nineteen years.

As James dashes off to find his friends and board the train, Albus
seeks reassurance from his parents and looks for his own friend
through the steam of the engine.  Avoiding Uncle Percy, the family
finds the people for whom they were looking:  Ron, his wife Hermione
and their children, Rose and Hugo.  Rose is Albus's age and is also
coming to Hogwarts for the first time.  Ron is still a joker, telling
Harry about using magic to help pass his driver's test.  Ron, it
seems, shares James's feelings about sorting.  He tells Hugo that
when he goes to Hogwarts, he expects Hugo to be sorted into
Gryffindor or "we'll disinherit you
but no pressure" (DH 755).
Although Hermione quickly tries to take the sting out of Ron's
remark, the new first years are worried.

While Hermione talks to the children, Ron draws Harry's attention to
a former classmate.  Draco is at the station with his wife and their
son, Scorpius.  Draco is showing his age, and seems disinclined to
come face to face with his former classmates.  Scorpius is very like
his father in looks, just as Albus resembles Harry.  It seems the
past is very much present on this September day.  In the meantime,
Ron, not following Hermione's lead, continues to let Rose know that
she is to protect the family honor by keeping her distance from young
Mr. Malfoy and doing better at school than he does.

James makes a sudden return with some gossip.  He has spotted Teddy
Lupin on the train snogging his cousin Victoire, whom we are to
understand is Bill and Fleur's daughter.  We learn that Teddy is
virtually a member of Harry and Ginny's family, coming for dinner
several times a week.

Eleven A.M. is approaching, and it's time to get the kids on the
train.  Ginny instructs Albus to "give Neville our love" (DH 757),
the idea of which embarrasses Albus no end, as Neville has a rather
different status at school than he does as a visitor to the Potters'
home.  James takes a last opportunity to tease Albus, warning him
about thestrals.  Harry soothes his son, Ginny hugs him goodbye, and
after some last-minute fatherly advice, Albus finally confesses his
real fear to his father:  "What if I'm in Slytherin?" (DH 738).
Harry takes a moment to make his thoughts on this subject very clear
to his younger son.  We learn that Albus is also named for a
Slytherin, Severus Snape, who "was probably the bravest man [Harry]
ever knew" (DH 738).  Harry tells Albus that "[i]t doesn't matter to
us" into which house Albus is sorted but that "if it matters to you,
you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin" (DH 738).   When
Albus hears this, and learns that his own father asked the Sorting
Hat for help, he is comforted and boards the train eagerly.

As the train prepares to leave, Albus notices that quite a number of
people are staring at his father, and he wonders aloud why.  Ron is
happy to take credit for all the attention, and the children
appreciate his humor.  As the train leaves, Harry, waving goodbye,
feels a twinge of sadness.  Ginny notices and offers words of
comfort.  As Harry lowers his hand, he brushes his scar, which now is
now only a scar.  Nineteen years later, all is well.


Questions:

1.  Authors sometimes conclude novels with a chapter telling readers
what happened to the characters after the action of the book
concludes (see, for instance, Middlemarch and David Copperfield).
JKR chose not to do that, instead using post-publication interviews
to let us know the stories of the people in canon.  In writing the
epilogue, then, she must have had something specific she wanted to
achieve or communicate.  What do you think that was?

2. One of the complaints about the epilogue is that it is
heteronormative.  Is that a fair critique?

3. James and Albus have very low opinions of Slytherin House, despite
their parents' attempt to teach them otherwise.  They are firmly
attached to Gryffindor.  What, then, do you think has changed in the
relations among houses and the reputations of the various houses in
nineteen years?

4. If there is no difference (at least officially) among houses, why
is there still a Sorting Hat?

5. How do the Potter and Weasley children demonstrate JKR's belief
that personality traits are hereditary?

6. What is JKR suggesting by naming Draco's son Scorpius?

7. How do you think Harry feels about Teddy Lupin?  Does he see
himself in Remus and Tonks's son?

8. Do you agree with Harry's opinion of Snape?

9. In SS, the Sorting Hat considers putting Harry in Slytherin
because, among his other traits, Harry has "a nice thirst to prove
yourself" (SS 121).  We know that when Voldemort attempted to curse
Harry, he inadvertently created a connection between Harry and
himself.  Do you think that any of Harry's personality or behavior
was influenced by this bit of Voldemort?  If so, would Harry have
changed after the piece of Voldemort's soul was gone from his own
soul?

10. What would Harry see if he looked once more into the Mirror of
Erised?

Laura

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Shorty Elf would like to add a BIG thank-you to all who
participated in the DH chapter discussions --  both our wonderful
discussion leaders and our enthusiastic respondents!  :)