Read-a-Thon: DH, Ch. 28-30

[Kat_Suki]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

One question from Chapter Twenty-eight:
Who had screamed when the trio apparated into Hogsmeade?

That was the 'Caterwauling Charm' which had been set to sound if anyone Apparated into Hogsmeade. I think the girls dormitory in Gryffindor Tower also has the same charm on it, except it's set to sound if a boy tries to go up the girls staircase.

[FlashMemory]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Chapter Thirty:
Why isn't Professor McGonagall head of Ravenclaw?

I assume because she was in Gryffindor as a student, perhaps like Hermione the sorting hat saw her bravery as a character trait more defining than intelligence. If a teacher had not been to Hogwarts as a student could they become a head of house? Would they have to be sorted again

Originally Posted by Kat_Suki

That was the 'Caterwauling Charm' which had been set to sound if anyone Apparated into Hogsmeade. I think the girls dormitory in Gryffindor Tower also has the same charm on it, except it's set to sound if a boy tries to go up the girls staircase.

I agree, good point about the girls dormitory I hadn't thought of that.

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Had Dumbledore mentioned to Professor McGonagall that there was something Potter might need to do something at Hogwarts?

I think Dumbledore may have said something along these lines, although in a much more cryptic manner. His last words to Remus and Kingsley (?) were along the lines of "Trust in Harry. He is our last hope." Something similar may have been said to McGonagall, and I'm sure that she figured out that if Harry was risking his life to come back to Hogwarts, there was something that he needed to to there.

How had Snape known that McGonagall had seen Harry?

Perhaps he deduced it from the alert Carrow sent out about an intruder? Having heard about the commotion in Hogsmeade as well, I think he would have figured it out.

Why is it that just any wizard can fly? How powerful must one be to fly?

From McGonagall we learn that Snape learned to fly from Voldemort, and from the surprised expressed at the feat when Voldemort did it during the Seven Potters fiasco, it is clearly very rare, possibly even unique. It may be dark magic or an advanced spell that Voldemort discovered himself.

What was the grim understanding that McGonagall and Sprout passed to each other?

Both teachers knew the sacrifices that might be made later that night, and so that grim understanding was that an impending battle was on the way, and they needed to prepare for it.

What had been occupying Filch to make him forget about Peeves?

I think he was just shocked that McGonagall would ask him to get Peeves, of all people, especially since he had no idea what was going on.

Which leads to a question of my own, did Filch participate in the final battle?

[bellatrix93]

Oh I didn't realise you started discussing those chapters.

Ok, Chapter 28:

Is it possible that the presence of Dementors prevents apparition in and out of a place? Or have the DEs cast an anti apparition charm?

I wonder how Harry and the other two got into the pub without considering it to be a trap? They'd usually been too cautious.

What kind of potion and poisons were the DEs taking from the pub?

Was Dobby staying with Aberforth? Wasn't Dobby working at Hogwarts?

[mintyfrost]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

Is it possible that the presence of Dementors prevents apparition in and out of a place? Or have the DEs cast an anti apparition charm?

I don't think so. The dementors may make the surroundings cold, suck out all positive feeling and stuff, but I don't think they prevented the trio's apparition. An anti-apparition charm is most likely. Like what's mentioned before, there was a Caterwauling Charm in the place to sound the Apparition of people in. So... it might have been casted right after hearing them apparate inside Hogsmeade.

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

I wonder how Harry and the other two got into the pub without considering it to be a trap? They'd usually been too cautious.

I thought of that too, but since they were in a hectic situation, they didn't think of stopping first and think about it before entering, IMO.

[Schlubalybub]

The thing with getting into the pub- consider their other option. Going into a pub where they've actually been before, or facing up to Death Eaters. They had to risk it, because it would have been the Dementors and Death Eaters instead

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Who had screamed when the trio apparated into Hogsmeade?

I also think the scream was produced by the Caterwauling Charm. It does not seem as if one of the Death Eaters had screamed "like Voldemort when he had realized the cup had been stolen." Therefore, it makes sense that the Caterwauling Charm caused the noise.

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Why isn't Professor McGonagall head of Ravenclaw?

I see McGonagall much more as Gryffindor than a Ravenclaw. While she is incredibly gifted, I think courage and chivalry are much more pronounced than intelligence in her character. The Sorting Hat clearly saw something like this, put her in Gryffindor, so she could not have be Ravenclaw's Head of House.

Originally Posted by witchsmart

I think Dumbledore may have said something along these lines, although in a much more cryptic manner. His last words to Remus and Kingsley (?) were along the lines of "Trust in Harry. He is our last hope." Something similar may have been said to McGonagall, and I'm sure that she figured out that if Harry was risking his life to come back to Hogwarts, there was something that he needed to to there.

I do not think McGonagall was told by Dumbledore that Harry needed to do something in Hogwarts:

DH, Ch. 30, The Sacking of Severus Snape, Pages 594-595, American, HB "Potter, it was madness, utter madness, for you to enter this castle -" ... "Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, I must find what he wanted me to find!... "You're acting on Dumbledore's orders?" she repeated with a look of dawning wonder. Then she drew herself up to her fullest height.

Her emphasis on "Dumbledore," to me, suggests McGonagall had no idea Dumbledore had informed her of anything about Harry's search.

I can see how it could be read otherwise, though. The "dawning wonder" and emphasis on "Dumbledore" could indicate some realization by McGonagall about something Dumbledore had told her (and she had temporarily forgotten). However, as I read it, McGonagall is much too surprised and confused by Harry's presence for it to be likely that Dumbledore told her about Harry potentially returning to Hogwarts.

Originally Posted by xhanax315

How had Snape known that McGonagall had seen Harry?

I also think he deduced Harry was there, largely because of Alecto. Snape would know that Alecto was stationed to watch for Harry, and he also knew that Alecto would not send for Voldemort if she had not truly discovered Harry.

One related question:

What did Snape hope to accomplish by asking McGonagall, "Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist -" ? Should he not have realized that any inquiry about Harry would start a duel between he and Minerva?

I know this question is borderline out-of-bounds, given its relation to Snape. If discussion gets out of hand, I (or a mod) will try to end it.

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Why is it that just any wizard can fly? How powerful must one be to fly?

I agree with witchsmart that not "just any wizard can fly." In fact, most wizards cannot fly, it seems. I think it is likely that flying without any other support is something Voldemort accomplished and passed on to Snape. If Kingsley was shocked and scared by Voldemort's ability to fly, I think it is a very unique power created/utilized by Voldemort.

Originally Posted by xhanax315

What had been occupying Filch to make him forget about Peeves?

I agree with witchsmart, again, that Filch had not forgotten about Peeves, he was just so shocked that McGonagall told him to retrieve Peeves that Filch was speechless.

Am I the only one who thought Filch hobbling up saying, "Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!" was extremely funny? I love how JKR added bits of humor in such serious situations.

Originally Posted by witchsmart

Which leads to a question of my own, did Filch participate in the final battle?

I think so. I think Filch, however much he disliked students, had a close bond to the school and was not, overall, Dark. I think he would have done as much as he could after he oversaw the evacuation of the students. Perhaps he tried to do something where he incorporated his knowledge of the school's secret passageways?

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

Is it possible that the presence of Dementors prevents apparition in and out of a place? Or have the DEs cast an anti apparition charm?

I think the Death Eaters cast an anti-Apparition charm over Hogsmeade. After failing to Disapparate, the narration notes, "They could not Disapparate; the Death Eaters had cast their charms well" (DH, Ch. 28, Pg. 556). Then Aberforth also says, "Get right out of Hogsmeade, up into the mountains, and you'll be able to Disapparate there" (DH, Ch. 28, Pg. 560).

These two passages seem fairly clear, to me, that the Death Eaters had cast an anti-Apparition jinx on Hogsmeade.

However, I do think the presence of dementors could prevent some wizards from Apparating, if that wizard/witch was heavily affected by the dementors.

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

I wonder how Harry and the other two got into the pub without considering it to be a trap? They'd usually been too cautious.

Yes, they would usually be more cautions (at least, Hermione would), but the circumstances dictated that precaution to be discarded.

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

What kind of potion and poisons were the DEs taking from the pub?

Aberforth said the Death Eaters were trafficking potions and poisons in the Hog's Head. To me, this suggests that they were simply using the Hog's Head as a location to trade/sell those potions, rather than them actually getting those items from Aberforth.

We know that there are Dark potions and poisons, so I expect those were what the Death Eaters were bartering. The reason they did not do this in the open was, in my opinion, they had to keep up appearances and prevent the Hogsmeade villagers from knowing exactly who they were/what they were doing (seeing as Voldemort's regime was supposed to be as silent as possible).

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

Was Dobby staying with Aberforth? Wasn't Dobby working at Hogwarts?

I think Dobby was a key element in the D.A.'s refuge in the Room of Requirement, so Dobby likely interacted with Aberforth a lot. Perhaps Dobby had even found the passageway between the Room of Requirement and the Hog's Head before Neville?

On a related note: When do you think the passageway between the Room of Requirement and the Hog's Head was built? Who made it? Was the Hog's Head building there when Hogwarts was first founded? If not, when was that passageway added onto the castle? Or was it just part of the magic of the Room, accommodating those inside it?

[Kat_Suki]

IMO, I don't believe that Filch participated in the battle, he was a squib so despite his knowledge he'd be a pretty easy target. His job was very specific, he was to oversee the evacuation of the students along with Madam Pomfrey. When Harry'd made it back there, Ginny, Tonks, and Augusta Longbottom were the only one's inside and Augusta had sealed the entrance so no others could return through it.

Then again, Mrs. Norris participated in the battle - sort of; she was batting at owls which had apparently come from the Owlery. It's hard to imagine him leaving his precious Mrs. Norris behind, and also - if the rumors of a romance are true - Madam Pince {who may or may not have been among the defenders of Hogwarts}.