Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 21: Hermione's secret

[June Ewing]

No: HPFGUIDX 190961

> luirhys:
> 1. At the beginning of Fudge and Snape's conversation, we see Snape
> trying hard to get Harry in trouble, with detention and expulsion
> as his punishment. We all know he does this constantly, but, why?
> After knowing the ending of the series, and knowing that he is
> Harry's protector, why do you think he tries so hard to have him
> punished?

June:
I think Snape had to keep it secret that he was Harry's protector,
especially because he was head of Slytherin House where children of
a lot of Voldemort's followers would be and because if Voldemort
came back, he would have to look like he didn't like Harry.

> 2. Snape was a Death Eater from the beginning and would have
> probably known who's who in the clique. Do you think he knows that
> Sirius is innocent?

June:
No, I believe like everyone else he believed Sirius was guilty. I am
sure he knew that someone was a spy for Voldemort but I don't think
he knew who.

> 3. It wasn't mentioned how the Dementors were called into Hogwarts.
> We assume they came on their own. Macnair came to fetch the
> Dementors. And Fudge (and other ministry officials) seems to have
> a degree of hold on them and can even give them orders. Fudge isn't
> even afraid of being in the same room as them. Dementors have shown
> they have free will but do you think they have brains?

June:
They must have because all living things have brains. I think the
question you mean to ask is do they have intelligence? To which I
would answer no.

> 4. Hermione and Harry were in the infirmary but after flipping the
> time turner, why did they end up at the entrance hall? Being a time
> turner, it should only be able to turn back time and not change
> your location.

June:
Maybe this is movie contamination but, I believe they were in the
infirmary and ran out into the entrance hall.

> 5. On a similar note, do you think the time-turner can go forward
> in time?

June:
Interesting question. One could argue that the answer to that is no
because the future hasn't happened yet, however Bob Gale may disagree
lol.

> 6. Hermione said she was given the time turner so she could get to
> all her classes, and that Mcgonagall had to write to different
> people in order to get her permission. So do you think that schools
> or Hogwarts in particular have been giving out time turners to
> their outstanding students for ages?

June:
No, I think Hermione was a special case and here is why. She was only
warned about what could happen if she used the time turner unwisely.
As far as we know, she was never told how difficult it could be on
your system travelling back in time so much. I would think if it had
been done before, Professor McGonagall would have had a better idea
what Hermione was up against and given her warning about that as well.

> 8. We know that past!Harry and Hermione heard the thudding of an
> axe and Hagrid's howling after they left his Hut. But could it be
> that what they heard was really the events of this chapter: Macnair
> throwing the ax at the fence and Hagrid crying with joy because of
> Buckbeaks apparent escape?

June:
I believe that is exactly what they heard. There would have to be a
reality in which Buckbeak was executed but I do not believe this was
it.

> 9. Harry and Hermione talk about what could've driven the dementors
> away. And Harry confesses that he thinks it might've been his Dad.
> What were your first thoughts in reading this chapter so long ago?

June:
I thought it was Snape. I know he doesn't look like Harry's dad but
the hair colour was right, it was dark and Harry was only semi
conscious. Snape seemed at the time to be the only logical answer.

> 10. On a side note, it really amazes me how "important" doors and
> windows can be opened by a simple alohamora. Was this deliberate?

June:
Well Alohamora is the spell used to unlock locked doors and windows.
We learned that in The Philosopher's Stone.