[HPforGrownups] Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 22: Owl Post Again

[dorothy dankanyin]

No: HPFGUIDX 191246


From: "Mike Crudele" <mcrudele78 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 7:00 AM

(snip)
Everyone pull out your time-turners and give them about five thousand turns. 
Now that you are back where you were when you just finished reading this 
book for the first time.

1.  Snape is raving mad and thinks Potter had a hand in Sirius's escape 
*before* Dumbledore drops the hints about "being in two places at once". 
Does Snape suspect time-turning was involved?

Dorothy: No, I think he just suspects Harry having a hand in anything that 
went wrong, and especially anything that would irk Snape.

2. "Harry had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as 
possible." Was he ashamed of himself in front of Dumbledore? Was this more 
evidence of his cowardice?

Dorothy:  I don't think it was evidence of cowardice per se, but I do think 
he wanted to leave before any more damage was done, both to Dumbledore and 
to the school. I know he was sorry about what had happened for sure.

3. Dumbledore tells Harry that the life debt is "magic at its deepest, its 
most impenetrable". Knowing now how Pettigrew's debt plays out, are you 
satisfied with Dumbledore's proclamation? Do you think JKR did this 
supposedly grave issue justice?

Dorothy:  I think it she gave this bit of magic just the right attention. 
We knew this life debt would come in handy sooner or later.  And, of course 
when someone saves your life you're going to owe them big time, magic or 
not.

4. Remember in the first book, how we learn of Snape's "life debt" to James, 
and how that comes to the fore in this book. Do you think this life debt 
"deep magic" is as powerful as the ancient love magic that Lily invoked when 
saving Harry? Do you see enough evidence of the "life debt" magic to be 
convinced that it exists?

Dorothy:  While I don't see the life debt as keeping someone alive from 
Avada Kadavra (as love magic), I do see it as important in other ways. 
After all, Snape had to protect Harry no matter his misplaced personal 
feelings, both about Harry and about the time James saved him.

6.  Did you have any idea what could possibly have been Trelawney's "first" 
real prediction? Tell the truth now, did you have any inkling that it would 
turn out to be *the Prophesy* of all prophesies?

Dorothy:  At the time all we knew of Trelawney's first prediction was that 
it made Dumbledore decide to hire her for the position, and that the 
prediction probably had something to do with Voldie.

7. How did Dumbledore know James's nickname was Prongs? Did he know about 
the Marauder's Map?

Dorothy:  While I don't think Dumbledore knew of the Marauder's Map, I do 
think he must have heard the other boys calling James Prongs.  After all, 
they were calling attention to themselves fairly often.  Of course, he might 
have been suspicious.

8. Disregarding the needs of the author for plot development, should 
Hermione have told Harry and Ron much earlier about the time-turner? If you 
were Hermione, would you have told the boys sooner?

Dorothy:  I don't think Hermione told Harry and Ron about the time turner 
because she not only was not supposed to, but she probably felt that they 
would only get on her case about it.  Besides, it really was none of their 
business.  No, I wouldn't have told them either.

Cool questions for sure.