CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 5: The Dementor

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 189525



> >
> > Mike's question:
> > In light of Dumbledore's speech at the end of the chapter, who 
> > authorized the Dementors' search of the Hogwarts Express? The 
> > driver obviously stopped for them, so it must have been set up
> > in advance, wasn't it? What do you think of this decision?

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/189510
> AmanitaM now - I wondered whether the Dementors had stopped the 
> train, rather than that it was an arranged raid - that Lupin goes
> to see the train driver could work either way. I thought he might 
> be checking on whether the driver was able to continue, at the
> time, but it may have been to ask if he knew who'd set the raid up. 
> Dolores may already be around, and it does see to be her style ...

Mike:
Oh, good insight! :) I hadn't thought of Dolores. She wouldn't care about the ramifications of sending in a flock of Dementors amongst a bunch of children, would she?

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/189516
> Pippin:
> I think the Ministry ordered the train to be inspected -- I don't
> think the dementors did it on their own, although since they can
> make lights and fires and even stars go out or seem to go out, it's
> conceivable that the train lost power to its engine as well as its
> lamps when they arrived.

Mike:
That's a good point about the lights going out, they showed that ability/consequence in the OotP attack on Harry. Mrs Figg remarked about it at Harry's hearing. And that nicely answers dzturtleshell's question about the lamps.

But if the Ministry ordered the search, they showed remarkable callousness towards the children. As much as they all seem to get the "collywobbles" just talking about those Azkaban guards, to subject children that have no defenses to close encounters, when they have nowhere to escape, is ridiculously irresponsible. Yet, not out of the question for the Ministry, eh? 


> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/189507
> dzturtleshell:
> And why wasn't anyone worried about Ginny?!

Mike:
This caught my eye, too. I supposed that Ginny was reliving her escapades with diary!Riddle. That she was almost overcome seems to not have registered with those that were so concerned with Harry. Puh! Another case of irresponsibility, imho.