HBP Ch. 25 re-read

HBP Chapter 25 Re-read

Enjoyed the reference to Ron’s “Pygmy Puff” and the image of Harry silently reliving a particularly happy image he had spent down at the lake with Ginny at lunchtime.

Again to Slughorn’s credit that he approved of Ginny. I hope Slughorn gets to do something really useful in book seven. I’d like to see this potentially very likeable character given enough “ammo” to become a friend of Harry and fan favorite.

Eileen Prince is Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones team – am I right that Gobstones has never been explained?

Liked that Harry knew that the Prince was not a girl – “I can just tell.” This reinforces the theme of “shadow friendship” that Rowling has cleverly developed.

Trelawney trying to hide sherry in the Room of Requirement is surprised that some students know of it … but it’s not really much of a secret, is it? They might as well give a tour on orientation day.

The big reveal occurs here as Trelawney mentions that she was “rudely interrupted by Severus Snape” the day of her interview with Dumbledore.

Note first that Harry could have obtained this info at any time by buttering up T and asking her about her first job interview at Hogwarts … but JKR has prudently given him an antipathy to her (not unlike an antimony …)

Who exactly was the voice that is speaking through Trelawney? It’s hinted that T has inherited a smidgeon of genuine gift from her famous ancestor, but that’s begging the question … if in the Potterverse there are occasional genuine prophecies, where do they get their 411? There are no gods, demi- or other, just a whole lot of magic floating around … is it possible that the magic connects with itself somehow and finds a human outlet? What’s its agenda? Why offer this particular prophecy?

Harry zooms to Dd and demands an explanation. Dd sticks to the position that Snape had no way of knowing that the parents in the prophecy were people Snape knew, and Dd reserves to himself once again just why he Is suyre he can trust Snape completely.

What could Snape possibly have told Dd that was more convincing than “I had a change of heart”? Ideas:

• “I’m Lily.”
• “I’m pregnant by James.”
• “I really, really don’t like Voldemort anymore.”
• Voldemort wants his favorite followers to make Horcruxes themselves and split their own souls into pieces. Actually, this is sort of plausible – Snape would not trust the idea of splitting apart his own highly protected soul.

Enjoyed the section where JKR has Dd close the typical “action hero” loopholes by saying “you must foillow even such orders as ‘run’, ‘hide,’ or ‘go back.’ Adds nicely to the characterization of Dd that he delivers this line with such self-awareness and irony.

The bit at the end where H gives Hermione and Ron the task of watching Malfoy and Snape made me think of “General Potter.” He’s quite good at telling people what to do in a crisis!

It’s typically admirable that Harry gives the Felix to R, H, and Ginny.

Related posts:

• HBP Chapter 19 re-read
• HBP Chapter 29 re-read
• HBP Chapter 24 re-read
• HBP Chapter 26 re-read
• HBP Chapter 20 re-read