CHAPTER DISCUSSION: COS 14, Cornelius Fudge

[nikkalmati]

No: HPFGUIDX 189184



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> 1.	I am pretty sure JKR was going for comic effect with the Mandrakes, but when I was rereading this chapter I found myself strangely disturbed by imagining young wizards and witches cutting the parts of the beings that seem so humanlike in their behavior. What part of the Mandrakes is being used in the potion? Are they going to be really and most sincerely dead before or during the process?

Nikkalmati

If you think about it, it is a little distressing, but i just took it as amusing that they were so humanlike.  I assume they would be treated humainly at the proper time.
>Nikkalmati
  
> 2.	"Travels with Trolls" is one of the items Harry finds on his bed after the villain who stole the diary went through his trunk. What was the reason for Lockhart to assign it as one of the books for class, what did you think he was hoping students will learn from that book? 
Nikkalmati
I think he assigned all of his books to the classes he taught with the intention that they would learn all about him (his bithday, his favorite color).
Nikkalmati

> 3.	What was your first impression of Cornelius Fudge?

Nikkalmati

he seemed like a weak-kneed bureaucrat at first, but I was impressed that he stuck up for DD in front of Malfoy.

Nikkalmati
>  
> 4.	 I know it will come as no surprise to anybody but I found myself if not sympathizing with Lucius Malfoy (his tone showed to me that he had little if any concerns about the plight of Muggleborns), but at least definitely cheering him on and hoping in vain that somebody in the later books had guts to act decisively and throw Dumbledore out of school for good. Did you think that Board of Governors provided effective checks and balances to Dumbledore's powers?

Nikkalmati

Were you already at this point so anti-Dumbledore?  I don't think it would do any good to through him out because only a worse person would replace him, if LM had anything to do with it.  The Board of Governors doesn't seem to pay much attention to the working of the school unless there is a crisis.  I think they let DD do whatever he wanted. 

Nikkalmati
> 5.	If you remember your first reaction, did you believe that Hagrid was guilty?
> 
Nikkalmati

I don't believe that I thought for a moment that he was guilty of releasing the monster. I did think he might have done something wrong.
I was puzzled, and I still am, about who Hagrid intended to shoot with a crossbow.  Would it have done any good against the monster? Wouldn't he get petrified before he could shoot?   Was he planning to shoot Fudge or Malfoy, if they came after him?

Nikkalmati

> 6.	 What did you think about Hermione being a victim? Was it a clue for you that  the monster target Muggleborns? Was Hermione rash in her actions and put herself at risk? Did readers worry how Ron and Harry would manage without her? Why do we think Rowling wanted them to manage without her?

Nikkalmati

I believe it was clear before then that Muggleborns were targets.  Was Penelope a Muggleborn?  Why was she petrified and not killed?  Were they both looking in the mirror?  I think Hermione ran off to the library, but was taken by surprise by the monster when she left.  She must have devised her strategy at the last minute.  I don't think she was rash, but she was breaking the rules by being by herself.  I did not worry about the boys without her, but I do think JKR wanted to show what they could do.

BTW how does the Basilisk tell which students are Muggleborns?

Nikkalmati
> 
> 7.	Who did you think stole the diary from Harry? Was Ginny among the suspects?
> 
>Nikkalmati

I didn't think of her because she did not seem to play a very large part and she was so young.  She must have been very strong to throw away the diary.  Why didn't Harry ever write in it after he saw Hagrid's story and why wasn't he ensnared in it.  Ginny must have feared he would be captured by the diary as she had been, but didn't the fact that there were no incidents for several months tell her Harry was not possessed by Tom?
Nikkalmati