Read-a-Thon: GoF

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by Chikibun

Would it be alright if I hopped into this? I've been meaning to read Deathly Hallows once again as I've only read it twice

Join in at any time!

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

Did Dumbledore foresee Rita Skeeter (or someone similar) writing a biography about him so soon after his death? Did he foresee that Harry would discover the "truth" about Albus Dumbledore in such a terrible fashion?

This is hard to answer. I'm sure that Dumbledore had hoped that his secrets would be kept, seeing as there were very few people still alive who knew about them, but I think he would have known that even the best-kept secrets cannot be hidden from the eyes of the world forever.

The exchange between Dumbledore and Harry in King's Cross (and Dumbledore's plans for Harry and the Deathly Hallows) seems evident, to me, that Dumbledore expected Harry to discover something about his (Dumbledore's) past. Did Dumbledore know/guess how Harry would discover this information and also know how difficult it would be for Harry to continue on the path Dumbledore had planned?

Perhaps he thought Harry might meet Batilda Bagshot in his journey to Godric's Hollow (where I'm sure he knew Harry would go)? Or maybe dead people are omniscient. When Harry resurrected them with the Stone, James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius all seemed to be up to speed with what Harry had been doing.

[merrymarge]

I thought that Dudley had some kind of learning disability. Harry would think that Dudley seemed to struggle with some ideas. In HBP, when dumbledore chewed out the Dursleys',
Dudley had to think about how his parents had mistreated him. It was a struggle for him. As for the tea, well, I guessed it was from Dudley. If it was from Petunia, she would have probably yelled at Harry to come downstairs. Dudley probably wanted to make amends but he didn't really know how, plus, he didn't want his parents to know.
I wish we knew what happened to the Dursleys during their year of hiding.
My question on Chap.4, p. 49, U.S. book. Harry didn't want to give up his hair... Ron said it was the first time for all of us, Ron and Hermione had used polyjuice potion before, so how could it be the first time for them? I think this was explained before, but I don't remember where I saw it.

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by merrymarge

My question on Chap.4, p. 49, U.S. book. Harry didn't want to give up his hair... Ron said it was the first time for all of us, Ron and Hermione had used polyjuice potion before, so how could it be the first time for them? I think this was explained before, but I don't remember where I saw it.

Ron sarcastically meant that it was the first time for all of them to risk their lives for Harry's sake.

DH, US version, Page 49: There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately. "No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!" "I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency. "If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives--!" "--because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.

[xhanax315]

Originally Posted by Chikibun

Would it be alright if I hopped into this? I've been meaning to read Deathly Hallows once again as I've only read it twice

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

Certainly - the more the merrier! We just began chapters 4-6 yesterday, but feel free to discuss the previous chapters if you have any points you want to bring forth!

Agreed.

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

Chapter 2 sparked this question in my mind:

Did Dumbledore foresee Rita Skeeter (or someone similar) writing a biography about him so soon after his death? Did he foresee that Harry would discover the "truth" about Albus Dumbledore in such a terrible fashion?

I'm sure he knew someone would jump on the chance to write his autobiography, especially Rita Skeeter. I don't he would've excepted Harry to find out the "truth" in such a way; he probably thought he kept that well hidden.

Chapter Four:

• Hadn't Harry come to release that the dream about the flying motorbike was Sirius'?
• What flaws had Harry seen in the plan?
• Why had it been chosen that there would be seven Potters when it came time to move Harry from Privet Drive?
• Why had Hagrid's spell made the sidecar break free from the bike?
• Who is Selwyn?

[bellatrix93]

Chapter Four:
Hadn't Harry come to release that the dream about the flying motorbike was Sirius'?

I'm sure he did. But at the moment he was just recalling memories of when he used to know nothing about his other world.

What flaws had Harry seen in the plan?

The plan was supposed to be secretive and from what Moody had said, everybody would be flying toward the same house. Harry must've noticed that the DEs would know where he's going to hide if they saw fourteen wizards flying toward the same place.

Why had it been chosen that there would be seven Potters when it came time to move Harry from Privet Drive?
I'm not sure about the exact number. But they needed a lot of identical Potters to confuse the DEs as much as possible.

Who is Selwyn?

A Death Eater who wasn't introduced before, I think.

[Krums_Girl]

Why had it been chosen that there would be seven Potters when it came time to move Harry from Privet Drive?

I agree with Bellatrix93 that they needed as many Potters as possible, plus the whole bit with the number seven- the seventh book, seven Horcruxes, Harry marrying the seventh Weasley kid- it's just another way to fit the number seven into the books.

[padfootmarauder]

Why had it been chosen that there would be seven Potters when it came time to move Harry from Privet Drive?

My take is they had seven major places the Death Eater's would expect Harry to go to. Seven Potters, seven places equally likely for Harry to be.
The first time i read chapters 4-6 all that was going on in my head was " Please, Please don't let anything happen to Hagrid and please let George be okay and how could Hedwig die?"
Oh i don't get what Stan Shunpike was doing there. I know he was under the Imperius Curse, but the last time we heard about him was that he was arrested by the ministery because he was suspected of being a Death Eater. But he got out before the MInistry was taken over by the Death Eaters. Was Azkaban already in the DE's control ? Did they infiltrate the Ministry enough to get a prisoner out of Azkaban? Just a doubt

[bellatrix93]

Originally Posted by padfootmarauder

Was Azkaban already in the DE's control ? Did they infiltrate the Ministry enough to get a prisoner out of Azkaban? Just a doubt

I believe that Azkaban was under Voldemort's control. He not only managed to get Stan out, but also Lucius. Lucius had been in prison the whole previous year, along with the other DEs who were at the ministry. And since Lucius was out, I think the rest of them were out, too.

Chapter four:

-Harry was speaking to Hedwig. Does that mean magical pets can understand their owners? I've been wondering on how Sirius was able to send Crookshanks to get the Firebolt.

- Why did Ron raise his eyebrows when Hermione said that Harry's potion looks tasty?

- Did Fluer volunteer from her free will to take part in this dangerous plan? I don't see anyone forcing her to, like Dung for instance. Any thoughts?

- How did Moody manage to get 6 snowy owls? Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that those white owls are rare?

- Why was Dung forced to come, anyway? Molly could've come instead.

- Based on what, did Moody make those pairs?

- Why wasn't Ron pleased when he had to go with Tonks?

- How was Hermione comfortable on a Thestral more than a broom, when she can't see Thestrals? Or was she able to see them after HBP?

- What was the point of Harry losing his BroomStick? Any thoughts?

- Why was Harry asking Hagrid to turn around? I didn't understand this part

- Were the muggles able to see the battle in the sky?

- Did we ever find out who exactly the DEs who were persuing Harry and Hagrid?

- Why did Hagrid's repairing charm break the side car?

- What does the spell 'Confringo' do? Was Hedwig blasted?

[TreacleTartlet]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

How did Moody manage to get 6 snowy owls? Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that those white owls are rare?

Just an idea, that he could have transfigured something, maybe other types of owls into snowy owls.

- Why wasn't Ron pleased when he had to go with Tonks?

Probably because she is somewhat clumsy.

- Why was Harry asking Hagrid to turn around? I didn't understand this part

I read it to mean that he wanted Hagrid to turn the bike around and take him back to Privet Drive, as he was worried about the others.

- Why did Hagrid's repairing charm break the side car?

Hagrid isn't a fully trained wizard, also his wand hidden in the pink umbrella is broken. Both these things make Hagrid rather inept.

- What does the spell 'Confringo' do? Was Hedwig blasted?[/b]

Yes, it is also known as the Blasting Curse. Hermione used it in Bathilda Bagshot's house and the wardrobe mirror exploded. Later on she calls it a Blasting Curse.

DH, Bathida's Secret ....Hermoine screamed 'Confrigio!' and her spell flew around the room, exploding the wardrobe mirror and ricocheting back at them, bouncing from floor to ceiling.... < > 'Im so, so sorry. I think it was me. As we were leaving, you know, the snake was coming for us, and so I cast a Blasting Curse, and it rebounded evreywhere, and it must have - must have hit -'

[xhanax315]

-Harry was speaking to Hedwig. Does that mean magical pets can understand their owners? I've been wondering on how Sirius was able to send Crookshanks to get the Firebolt.
I'm sure they can, even muggles speak to animals.

- Why did Ron raise his eyebrows when Hermione said that Harry's potion looks tasty?
I think perhaps he had gotten a bit jealous.

- Did Fluer volunteer from her free will to take part in this dangerous plan? I don't see anyone forcing her to, like Dung for instance. Any thoughts?
I'm sure she did volunteer, remember that Harry saved her sister's life, so she might've thought she owned it to him.

- How did Moody manage to get 6 snowy owls? Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that those white owls are rare?
I thought they were fake owls?

- Why wasn't Ron pleased when he had to go with Tonks?
I think he was probably a bit worried about how clumsy she could be. Or perhaps he was worried about riding with Lupin's wife.


- What was the point of Harry losing his BroomStick? Any thoughts?
I think it was just another blow like how Hedwig was, maybe it was a statement that he childhood really was over.

- Why was Harry asking Hagrid to turn around? I didn't understand this part
I thought it was because he wanted to go back and help the others.



- Why did Hagrid's repairing charm break the side car?
I asked this same question.....

[Krums_Girl]

Lots of questions! Awesome. Here are my inexperienced thoughts on things...

-Harry was speaking to Hedwig. Does that mean magical pets can understand their owners? I've been wondering on how Sirius was able to send Crookshanks to get the Firebolt.

Hedwig could probably understand human language, because otherwise how could she know where to go to send letters? I think that it's something to do with the magic in her. And isn't Crookshanks a Kneazle? I could be wrong, but aren't they super-intelligent? Crookshanks could probably understand Sirius.

- Why did Ron raise his eyebrows when Hermione said that Harry's potion looks tasty?

It was a phrase that could arouse suspicions in a teenage boy's mind.

- Did Fluer volunteer from her free will to take part in this dangerous plan? I don't see anyone forcing her to, like Dung for instance. Any thoughts?

I imagine that although she wasn't exactly thrilled about it, Bill probably talked her into it. Maybe she struck up a deal with Moody about who she got to be partnered with.

- How did Moody manage to get 6 snowy owls? Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that those white owls are rare?
Yes, I think I read somewhere that they were rare, but it's Moody. Moody can do anything.

- Why was Dung forced to come, anyway? Molly could've come instead.

I don't think that Molly could've come, because who else would man down the Burrow fort? Ginny? I don't think that Molly or Arthur would feel very comfortable with that.

- Based on what, did Moody make those pairs?

I don't really know. Some I think, were random, like Ron and Tonks, but some he probably thought about, like pairing himself with Dung, because he knew Dung would not be excited and would flee at the first chance. He probably put Fleur with Bill because that was the only way she would probably participate. He put Hermione with Kingsley because he knew that she'd feel more comfortable with him than anyone else.

- Why wasn't Ron pleased when he had to go with Tonks?
'Cause Tonks was a klutz, and married.

[b]- How was Hermione comfortable on a Thestral more than a broom, when she can't see Thestrals? Or was she able to see them after HBP?/B]
I think it has more to do with her being with Kingsley-I'd feel comfortable on an invisible flying object with him

- What was the point of Harry losing his BroomStick? Any thoughts?
I can't really think of anything. Maybe just to show how chaotic everything was? I don't really know


- Why was Harry asking Hagrid to turn around? I didn't understand this part
probably just trying to get everyone back to safety, at Number 4, Privet Drive-although that doesn't make sense, Harry probably wasn't thinking straight.

- Were the muggles able to see the battle in the sky?
Harry mentions something about all the sparks looking like fireworks to Muggles, so yes, I'm going to assume that they can see it.


- Did we ever find out who exactly the DEs who were persuing Harry and Hagrid?
Probably not, but I don't think it was important to the plot anyways

- Why did Hagrid's repairing charm break the side car?
They snap your wand in half when you're expelled from Hogwarts, right? Or go to Azkaban or whatever? Well, that probably happened to Hagrid's wand, and like we see with Ron in CoS, broken wands often malfunction.


- What does the spell 'Confringo' do? Was Hedwig blasted?
It blows stuff up and yes, unfortunately, Hedwig was blasted.

[TreacleTartlet]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

I thought they were fake owls?

That's correct, they were stuffed.

DH, The Seven Potters Once dressed, the fake Harry's took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl from, the second sack.

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Why had it been chosen that there would be seven Potters when it came time to move Harry from Privet Drive?

Because seven is the most magical number there is.
In seriousness, I suppose it just worked out that way. People who wanted to volunteered did, and they ended up with seven people. It may also, as I believe someone else said, have had to do with how many safe locations they had.

Wasn't Ron's Aunt Muriel's house one of the safe locations? How involved was she in the Order. Is she trustworthy enough?

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

Harry was speaking to Hedwig. Does that mean magical pets can understand their owners? I've been wondering on how Sirius was able to send Crookshanks to get the Firebolt.

As someone else said, people do talk to their pets. I talk to my cat all the time, and sometimes she answers back. But Hedwig does seem to have had a especially strong grasp of the human language, it might been in the same line of magic that allows her to find someone wherever they are regardless of whether she has an address or not.

Why was Dung forced to come, anyway? Molly could've come instead.

I agree with Krums_Girl, Molly was needed at the Burrow for when everyone came together.

Based on what, did Moody make those pairs?

Well we know he paired each inexperienced witch/wizard with an experienced member of the Order. He went with Dung because Dung couldn't be trusted not to run off, Fleur probably went with Bill of her own choice, and I can't see any relations between the other pairs.

How was Hermione comfortable on a Thestral more than a broom, when she can't see Thestrals? Or was she able to see them after HBP?

With broomsticks you have to control them, whereas with a Thestral you pretty much just have to hang on. I don't know that Hermione was able to see Thestrals, did anyone die at Hogwarts besides Dumbledore, who's death Hermione did not witness?

[merrymarge]

New question: p. 58 Am. version. Harry had to duck low to avoid a curse from a Death Eater. He ducked below the rim of the car, knocking a tooth out on the edge of his seat... but, if he was sitting on the seat, how did he knock the tooth out on the seat? Or was it supposed to be against the rim of the car?

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by merrymarge

New question: p. 58 Am. version. Harry had to duck low to avoid a curse from a Death Eater. He ducked below the rim of the car, knocking a tooth out on the edge of his seat... but, if he was sitting on the seat, how did he knock the tooth out on the seat? Or was it supposed to be against the rim of the car?

Perhaps he was looking over his shoulder at the pursuing Death Eaters, and so knocked out a tooth on the back of the seat?

[Lennon]

Originally Posted by merrymarge

New question: p. 58 Am. version. Harry had to duck low to avoid a curse from a Death Eater. He ducked below the rim of the car, knocking a tooth out on the edge of his seat... but, if he was sitting on the seat, how did he knock the tooth out on the seat? Or was it supposed to be against the rim of the car?

I always understood that particular scene as he hit his mouth on the rim of the sidecar. i've never been in one before but I assume it's just like a "bucket" in an oval shape with a rim around your shoulders/upper arms area and a pad to sit on.

[bellatrix93]

Questions from Chapter 5:

-How did the effect of the Sectumsempra stop at George's ear? Did Lupin do something to stop it?

- When did that Travers get into Azkaban? Was he at the ministry with other DEs?

-Why was Harry and the others looking expectantly at the sky, while the rest of the order would've come by portkeys?

- How did Arthur find out that George was injured? Why was he shouting at Kingsley?

- What does Tonks mean by 'she owes Bellatrix'? Was she talking about Sirius?

- What is Downing Street? And why did Kingsley have to go there?

[TreacleTartlet]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

- What is Downing Street? And why did Kingsley have to go there?
[/b]

The British Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street. Kingsley was posted there at the beginning of HBP to protect the Muggle Prime Minister.

[witchsmart]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

How did the effect of the Sectumsempra stop at George's ear? Did Lupin do something to stop it?

I think it was just because the curse only hit his head. As I interpreted it, Sectumsempra just cuts whatever it hits. Harry, using the spell for the first time, did not have any control over it, thus Malfoy was wounded in several places. Snape, having invented the spell himself, knew exactly what he was doing and was able to control where it hit (although I believe he missed the Death Eater he was aiming for, which begs the question, why did he save Remus's life?) Also, Harry was fueled with rage and fear when he launched the spell, making it even more unpredictable, while Snape was more composed during the attack.

Why was Harry and the others looking expectantly at the sky, while the rest of the order would've come by portkeys?

Don't people fall down out of the sky when they take a portkey? Or is that just a movie-mix up? If so, then perhaps they thought that since the others missed their portkeys, they would be arriving by broom or thestral.

How did Arthur find out that George was injured? Why was he shouting at Kingsley?

Perhaps he saw the attack in the air? And I'm sure he was very upset and worried, and that's why he was yelling at Kingsley.

What does Tonks mean by 'she owes Bellatrix'? Was she talking about Sirius?

I think so. Tonks was fighting Bellatrix before Sirius, and so probably blames herself for his death because she wasn't able to finish her off. And didn't Bellatrix go after her personally in the air?

[FlashMemory]

I think so. Tonks was fighting Bellatrix before Sirius, and so probably blames herself for his death because she wasn't able to finish her off. And didn't Bellatrix go after her personally in the air?

Yup, sounds right. Bellatrix was particularly interested in killing Tonks because of the humiliation she caused her.

Originally Posted by merrymarge

I thought that Dudley had some kind of learning disability. Harry would think that Dudley seemed to struggle with some ideas. In HBP, when dumbledore chewed out the Dursleys',
Dudley had to think about how his parents had mistreated him. It was a struggle for him.

I think that the reason Dudley was struggling to understand how his parents mistreated him was that, in his eyes, he had not been mistreated. He'd been treated like a prince, given whatever he wanted for his entire life and given preferential treatment over Harry. So to him he was never mistreated by his parents. Dumbledore, of course meant it ina completely different sense. It's a possibility that he had learning disabilities though, you're right he was pretty slow on the uptake..

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

- Why did Ron raise his eyebrows when Hermione said that Harry's potion looks tasty?

Well, the potion seems to reflect something about the person who's hair it contains, so maybe he was just suspicious that Hermione would like that. I suspect a little teenage male humour though

When the members of the order who missed their portkeys failed to return, did they fly? Surely that would be kind of dangerous as they were trying to lead the DE's away from the burrow then they all flew towards it..