CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets Ch. 5. The Whomping Willow

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 188792



> 
> Alla
>
> 1.  Not only Ron knows that underage wizards can use magic in case of emergency, he quotes the chapter of the law to that effect. Was Molly's home schooling that effective or does Ron really like to study more than we were lead to believe?
Potioncat:
Well, not exactly. He sort of cites part of the name of the ruling. I think he knew, like most magical kids would, that there was an exception for using magic under special circumstances without really knowing the law.

> 
> 2.  Is Arthur just placating Molly when he agrees not to make car invisible or is he truly afraid of her?
Potioncat:
Molly's right, you know. Arthur would be breaking the law, and with the whole family in tow. What would happen to the Weasleys if Arthur was sent to Azkaban? We didn't know then, but do know now that powerful people don't like him. Can you imagine the influence Malfoy would exert on the outcome if Arthur had been caught? But that wasn't your question. 

I like Arthur and Molly, and I don't see him as hen pecked. I think we see times later when he's the one who draws the line--they have their own spheres of influence within the relationship. 

IMHO, Arthur wants to be as wild as the twins and Molly has to be the restraining influence. But there's nothing subtle in this family, it's all bigger than life.  Now that we're reviewing the series, I've come to realize where the twins get their mischievous streak.

I tried to picture this conversation from the other view. What if Arthur had said he was going to use the invisibility button and it was Molly pleading for him not to. In that case it looks like the meek little wife having to follow her husband's lead. So JKR has written a strong woman here. Although to many readers she comes across as shrewish.


> 
> 3. What was your first impression of Whomping Willow? Did you expect for it to make another appearance in the series?

Potioncat: 
Might I say the Whomping Willow is a more impressive character in the book than in TMTMNBN(yet).

I don't think it was obvious yet that certain characters or storylines would repeat. So I doubt if I gave it a thought. What's cool is that once we did know that JKR might bring something back later, we tended to give too much importance to the wrong ones—like gum wrappers and turbans.


> 
> 4. Snape implies that he would like to expel Harry. How can this be reconciled with the commitment to help Dumbledore protect Harry we saw him make in "The Prince's Tale"?

Potioncat:
Of all the things I waffle about, this is the main one. Did Snape really expect/hope to have Harry expelled? Either Snape was still developing his role in protecting Harry, or he thought Harry would be safer out of Hogwarts and the WW or he was just making Harry feel worse while knowing Harry wouldn't be expelled. DD though, does make it clear that expulsion is clearly a consequence that Harry could face.  And when I say he was trying to make Harry feel worse,  I mean he wanted the full impact to hit Harry.
> 
> 
> 5. "This was not the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds". We know now that this impression was absolutely correct. If Snape used Legilimency and knew that they indeed could not get through 9 3/4 by regular means, why does he say what he says?

Potioncat:
Later in the series, Snape's Legilimency is more clearly implied. At this reading, I get the idea that Harry thinks Snape has read their minds, but then sees that Snape actually read the Daily Prophet. By the end of the chapter we'll see that all of Gryffindor knows about the car and treat Harry and Ron as heroes. I think JKR is setting us up to wonder if Snape does have this ability and has us ready to accept it later. 

I don't think he used Legilimency this time. In a few years he will tell Harry that Legilimency is not like reading a book. It seems to me that Snape gets visual impressions of events, possibly some emotional recall. On the trip to Hogwarts Harry did have several thoughts/feeling of how cool it was to arrive by flying car, and when they crash the description is that it wasn't the triumphant entrance he expected.  Therefore, if Snape did use Legilimency, he may have seen just what he expected to---that Harry was expecting to impress the students with his arrival. 


> 6. What do you think was that "large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk?

> Potioncat:
I don't want to know, but I wonder if it could be found in FBAWTFT? 

I'm not sure if Snape has set his office up to be intimidating or if this is just the standard workroom of a serious potion brewer.  Nurses, doctors, researchers aren't bothered at all by things that make other people squeamish.  

Thanks Alla, for great questions.

And the question from Zara:
> Zara:
> Random question/thought...was Snape's office so cold because it was his habit to leave it so, with the fire out? Or does this indicate he had not been in the office for quite some time?

Potioncat:
The fire really jumped out at me this time. I thought it was amusing that Minerva's first act was to light the fire. In a  way that was a bit presumptive of her, but it improves the tone a bit—even though Ron and Harry are too scared to notice it. 

Good question—it's likely Snape was out looking for Harry's arrival and may have been for some time. All the more reason for him to be in such a bad mood.