[HPforGrownups] Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 21: Hermione's...

[huntergreen3 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 190973

Questions:

>>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?<<
 
It was suggested around here before that he suggests expulsion because he  
knows that Dumbledore will not allow it anyway (but Harry doesn't know that, 
so  it could just be to scare Harry or to let off steam). He doesn't 
suggest  expulsion in Order of the Phoenix, when it was an actual threat. The 
other  punishments, well, he protects Harry from death, but that doesn't mean he 
likes  him or wants his life to be pleasant.

>>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?<<
 
I remember thinking along those lines when I read the first four books,  
clearly its not the case though. If Snape had any idea who the spy was, he 
would  have told Dumbledore, he didn't want Lily in danger any more than Sirius 
or  anyone else in the order did. 

>>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?<<
 
The dementors don't think or reason the same way humans do, but they have  
some way of operating and making decisions. How anyone has any degree of 
control  over them confuses me. I don't understand why they didn't run wild in 
the first  place, and why they listened to Voldemort (or why they agreed to 
just stay  around Azkaban, when it had such a limited amount of "food"). We 
don't see them  always being controlled with patronuses like during the 
Ministry of Magic  interrogation scene, so I wonder what makes them obey during 
other  times? 

>>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.<<
 
Maybe it took them to where they were those hours  ago?


>>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?<<
 
I would hope not, though it seems likely. Why is such a powerful magical  
item being used for something as unimportant as helping a student take a  ton 
of classes? I think a better solution would have been for Mcgonagall to  
counsel Hermione at the beginning of term and help her weed out a few courses  
(the ones she ended up dropping were quite obviously ones she didn't need, 
and I  think that could have been figured out much sooner).

>>7.  Dumbledore is in his usual calm state even though Buckbeak is about 
to  be
executed. Do you think he has knowledge of past and future events? Do you  
think
that he knew Buckbeak would be saved?<<
 
Maybe he just didn't care that much about Buckbeak.

>>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?<<
 
The only interpretation (IMO) of all this time turner stuff that makes  
sense is that everything always happened, they didn't change what happened, 
they  were *always* there. So Buckbeak always got away.

>>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?<<

I honestly do not remember at all. I read the first three books in about a  
week, there really wasn't a chance to stop and think about anything. It was 
more  about turning the page and finding out. 
 
 
>>10. On a side note, it really amazes me how "important" doors and  
windows can be
opened by a simple alohamora. Was this  deliberate?<<
 
>From the moment Hermione in her first year opens a door that way, I thought 
 it was pointless locking any door in the magical world without using 
whatever  spell it is to stop it from being opened with alohamora. If a first 
year (though  a very smart first year) can open it so easily, its essentially 
not locked at  all. 


Thanks for the questions. 
-Rebecca

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