Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 22: Owl Post Again

[Susanna]

No: HPFGUIDX 191330


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> Questions:
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> 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

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> 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?

Sounded more like a reflex - 'This has something to do with Potter' - remembering the relationship between James Potter and Snape - which Snape so graciously (not) flaunts as often as he gets the chance, as well as apparently blaming 'Potter' for just about everything. Like Neville's cauldron accident right there in the first ever Potions Class we get to witness when it's obvious Harry is not to blame (for everyone but 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?

Lupin -- yes, sure. I think giving the map to Harry was also showing that he felt guilty - for being a risk to him as well as the reason of Wormtail's escape and Sirius' capture. It wasn't only Dumbledore he had been letting down. Thinking further, I think Sirius is the one he feels he owes the most, what with the 12 years earlier and NOW being the reason he's caught? Maybe Lupin was in a hurry to see Sirius for one last time rather than avoiding Dumbledore?
 
> 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?

Oh yes, magic at its deepest. Looking back at that, it sounds like ' music, magic beyond all that we teach here.' also, a figure of speech, meaning Dumbledore is extremely moved/pleased about it. Dumbledore likes to call such things magic, while there's really nothing exactly magical about it - apart the wonder Dumbledrore feels (which might be similar to our emotions when watching a magic show).

I wish that Flesh of a Servant, Willingly Given mixed with Blood of the Enemy, Forcibly Taken along with the bone of a Muggle father (no magic there) would have caused something funny because of the Life Debt, but no deal. Huge disappointment.

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> 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?

No. There's not enough to even say what it is. That's why I think it's just another example of Dumbledore's 'magic beyond all' being music. (Even a cacophony with everyone singing in a different tune?)
 
> 5. Dumbledore also tells Harry that "the time may come when he will be glad he saved Pettigrew's life." For those Lord of the Rings fans amongst the group, how would you compare and contrast this James/Harry-Wormtail connection with the Bilbo/Frodo-Gollum connection?
 
MM.. Grollum did do something spectacularly important - by accident. Wormtail was something of a downplay.

> 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?

Well, I think it DID have something to do about why Voldemort was after Harry. Not a new idea, is it? Ages back to Oedipus being prophecised to kill his father and marry his mother... 
 
> 7. How did Dumbledore know James's nickname was Prongs? Did he know about the Marauder's Map?

Mmm. Sirius told him or he heard the other boys call him that when they were at school. Sirius did tell him about the animagi-business, so why not mention the nicknames along it? But the Map-- nope. Maybe Sirius even tested if Dumbledore ever came accross it by mentioning the nicknames and seeing if Dumbledore showed any sign of recognition.

 
> 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?

Mm. No. Messing with time is risky, and if she had told them, how long cloud she handle them pressuring her to use it for something other than her studies? Besides, if they can't figure that out by looking at her time-table and a bit of research...