HBP Chapter 30 Rerea

HBP Chapter 30 Re-read

The White Tomb

At the beginning of the chapter, a number of characters undergo minor development.

Seamus Finnegan refuses point-blank to go home – will we see slightly more of him in book seven?

Madame Maxine arrives to visit Hagrid.  For reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me, JKR writes the scene from the point of view of underclassmen who don’t know her, instead of from the point of view of the majority of Hogwarts students (and our favorite characters) who all do know her by name.

Bill Weasley now bears a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody and likes raw meat.

Harry begins to master the complex art of having a girlfriend as he comments that Fleur is ‘ugly, though.”

Harry rehearses the plot for book seven  in his head: “the locket … the cup … the snake … something of Gryffindor’s or Ravenclaw’s”.  My money is that Horcrux #4 will be something of Ravenclaw’s, simply because we haven’t seen enough of them yet.

I liked Harry’s fury at Dd’s “inexcusable trust in Snape”, and then, even better, Harry’s realization that he, Harry, had been taken in just the same.  “He had refused to believe ill of the boy ***who had been so clever***, ***who had helped him so much.*** JKR is showing Harry learn something that is often very difficult to learn: that people who have many admirable qualities and do many helpful things can be among those who do us the most harm.

Interesting that Harry “did not look for some kind of loophole.”  Looks to me as if JKR is showing Harry’s increasing maturity in the face of loss and grief.  In this light, it seems almost inconceivable that she would allow Dumbledore to return in book seven.  Dead is dead.

Harry now feels “the tiniest drop of pity” for Malfoy.  Compare Frodo and Gollum.  Advantage: Tolkien.

Madame Pince is with Filch.

The funeral: who gives the eulogy? For some reason I thought “Nicholas Flamel” – I can’t remember whether he had simply begun the process of dying or whether he is actually already dead.

Anyone missing from the funeral?


The scene with the fire around Dd’s body  and the creation of the white tomb raises many questions.

Where did the magic come from?   The fire, the phoenix, and the white tomb on the grounds of Hogwarts are all characteristically Dumbledorian magic.   Did someone else cast the spell? Apparently not, because everyone at the funeral seems surprised. But if Dd’s dead, how could he cast a spell?

I lean towards the view that some sort of white magic focused on love and loyalty was bound up with Dd’s life and that therefore the “phoenix/tomb” spell  already existed – its release was triggered by the end of Dd’s funeral.   I also suspect that this “phoenix magic” will reappear in book seven.  The scene with Scrimgeour underlines that Harry is Dd’s true heir and thus the most likely locus for the phoenix magic.  “I am Dd’s man through and through…” he will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him” (Seamus Finnegan, Luna, Neville, McGonagall, Sprout …)

Great moment when Harry realizes there will be no more protectors, and that indeed, he must be the protector now (of Ginny).  

The whole Ginny break-up thing didn’t make much sense to me, at least in terms of the reasons Harry gives (and Ginny accepts).  Surely Voldemort knows that Ginny and Harry are an item by now.

According to the trio confab at the end of the book, the agenda for the first part of book seven is:

1. Dursleys




2. Bill and Fleur’s wedding




3. Godric’s Hollow




4. The hunt for the Horcruxes.

Related posts:

• HBP Chapter 26 re-read
• HBP Chapter 24 re-read
• HBP Chapter 29 re-read
• HBP Chapter 23 re-read
• HBP Chapter 28 Reread