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

[intooblivion@ymail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 188806

> 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?
> 
IntoOblivion:
As I think someone else mentioned, my immediate perception of this was that it was something Ron had learnt from the twins. I can so easily imagine them quoting chapter and verse back at Molly to try and claim they shouldn't be punished for a use of underage magic, and Molly's loud response. That would make the law stick in anyone's head.

> 2.  Is Arthur just placating Molly when he agrees not to make car invisible or is he truly afraid of her?
> 
IntoOblivion:
I don't think he was afraid of her, more like he knew all along that he shouldn't but still really wants to try it out (from this perspective Molly's 'not in broad daylight' could almost be her placidating him - you can have a go, just not now)

> 3. What was your first impression of Whomping Willow? Did you expect for it to make another appearance in the series?
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IntoOblivion:
I didn't expect it to return.

> 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"?
> 
IntoOblivion:
We have seen throughout the books that Snape has trouble reconciling the fact that Harry is both the son of Lily Evans, his childhood friend and of James Potter, his teen nemesis. I think that at this point Harry had firmly placed himself in the 'James' son' area. 

So many things about Harry's actions would remind Snape of his father; the unnecessary actions to get attention ('wanted to arrive with a bang, did we. boys?'), the breaking of the rules, that they damaged the Whomping Willow; where one of their biggest 'pranks' on Snape occurred, and the fact that, just like the last time the Willow had been a part of a potentially fatal event, he knew they were going to get away with it.

I see Snape as caught up in his anger at what had happened before, consumed by his long nurtured feelings that injustice had been done, and so unable to reconcile with the knowledge that Harry had to be let off. The two events and their oh so similar outcomes become somewhat linked in Snape's mind.

I think this event and how it impacts Snape's perception of Harry probably had a big affect on how he treats him, in PS we saw him primarily helping Harry (once we figure out what's really going on) but from now on that changes.
 
> 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 Legitimacy and knew that they indeed could not get through 9 3/4 by regular means, why does he say what he says?
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IntoOblivion:
Even had he read their minds to see that they couldn't get through the barrier, as the teachers all say, taking the car was not the logical course of action - waiting for the Weasleys to return or owling an adult wizard was. Also if he read their minds he would have seen Harry's thoughts of a triumphant arrival, confirming any thoughts that they did this for attention and not exactly endearing them to him.

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

IntoOblivion:
I just thought it was a potions ingredient. Perhaps a part of a creature of some sort.

Thank you for the interesting questions.