Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 8
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Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Wedding
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[edit] Synopsis
Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's long-awaited wedding takes place at The Burrow in the afternoon. Harry drinks Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as the Weasleys' "Cousin Barney". Many guests arrive, including Luna Lovegood (who annoyingly sees through Harry's Polyjuice Potion disguise) and her father, Xenophilius, a few part-Veela cousins of the Delacours, the Weasleys' Auntie Muriel, and most famously, Viktor Krum. Viktor, of course, is delighted to see Hermione, causing Ron to struggle with jealousy. Hermione, flustered, drops her little beaded handbag, which falls with a suspiciously heavy "clunk".
During the reception, Viktor sits at the disguised Harry's table and asks if Harry knows who Xenophilius is, because if he was not Fleur's guest, he would duel him immediately for wearing "that filthy symbol on his chest". Krum says the medallion, which has a circle with a slash within a triangle on it, represents Grindelwald, a Dark Wizard who terrorized Europe, killing many, including Krum's grandfather. Grindelwald was finally defeated many years before by Albus Dumbledore. Many Durmstrang students once copied the sign, but Viktor despises it. As Krum brandishes his wand, Harry's memory is tweaked: during the Triwizard Wand Weighing Ceremony in his fourth year, Mr. Ollivander recognized Krum's wand as a "Gregorovitch creation". This is the name of the man that Voldemort is seeking in Harry's dream. Harry concludes that Voldemort may be searching for him to obtain a more powerful wand than Harry's, as Gregorovitch might be a more skillful wandmaker than Ollivander.
Harry leaves Viktor after the latter makes admiring comments about Ginny Weasley, inciting Harry's jealousy. He then meets and reveals his identity to Elphias Doge, who wrote about Albus Dumbledore's life in the Daily Prophet obituary. When Harry asks about Rita Skeeter's story and if Dumbledore was involved in the Dark Arts, Elphias becomes furious, denying Skeeter's account. He is further enraged when Auntie Muriel interrupts, saying she supports Skeeter's claims and criticizes Doge for glossing over Dumbledore's murky past in his obituary. Muriel's allegations are shocking: she claims that Albus' ailing sister Ariana was a Squib, a disgrace that their mother, Kendra, kept hidden by keeping Ariana locked in the cellar. Muriel speculates that Ariana murdered Kendra in an unsuccessful escape attempt, all while Albus was at Hogwarts achieving fame and gaining accolades. After Kendra's mysterious death, Albus was forced to head the family, but had done a darned poor job of it; shortly after, Ariana also died, possibly, Muriel implies, murdered by Albus. Muriel also claims that, according to her friend, Bathilda Bagshot, who knew the Dumbledores well, Aberforth blamed Albus for Ariana's death and punched him during the funeral, breaking Albus' nose. Auntie Muriel denies that Ariana was ever sickly; she says her cousin was a Healer at St. Mungo's at the time, and Kendra never brought Ariana there. However, what most surprises Harry is that the Dumbledores lived in Godric's Hollow, Harry's former home, and where his parents are buried.
Suddenly, Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus arrives and announces that Rufus Scrimgeour is dead and Voldemort had taken control of the Ministry. He warns, "They are coming" - Death Eaters hunting the wedding guests, particularly Harry.
[edit] Analysis
Harry's faith in his mentor Dumbledore, already shaken by the "revelations" appearing in the Daily Prophet interview with Rita Skeeter, and only slightly repaired by talk with Elphias Doge, here takes another blow from Auntie Muriel. Dumbledore's past is far more secretive and complex than Harry ever imagined, and he is gradually realizing just how little he actually knew his mentor. As with his father and godfather, the man Harry so admired and trusted had a hidden dark side. Youth, however, tend to only see their heroes' sterling characteristics, failing to realize that every person is a multi-dimensional composite containing faults as well as qualities, and that while these traits can clash, they also create balance. Harry has also yet to learn that it is one's past mistakes and transgressions that often makes them into the better person they eventually become. Nor will anyone ever be totally flawless, although Harry still largely sees the world as black or white, ignoring the multi-hued and sometimes muddied tones that blend, shade, and contrast life. Years before, Dumbledore had said to Harry, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry, though relieved to be able to apply that to himself, so as to distinguish himself from Tom Riddle, as yet does not consistently apply that to others, notably Dumbledore.
Readers may also wonder why Harry is so quick to believe such questionable sources like Auntie Muriel and Rita Skeeter, while being rather dismissive about Elphias Doge's more sympathetic memories. Although Harry wants to believe Doge and had sought his reassurance about Dumbledore, he doubts Doge's words. This may partially be because Muriel is so assertive and specific, making her appear more credible to Harry than Doge, who comes across as vague and deferential. Nor should it be assumed that Doge's recollections are any more accurate than Muriel's memories or Skeeter's research, simply because they are favorable. And Skeeter, despite her spurious journalistic methods, often uncovers accurate facts, although they are usually embellished beyond recognition when they reach her readers. Regardless, Harry, conflicted by these multiple "truths", is deeply troubled by his already growing confusion and concerns about Dumbledore, including those regarding his dark past, what his actual intentions were, and whether or not he truly loved Harry or had merely groomed him as an instrument to execute his cryptic plan.
Although Harry is dedicated to completing his mission, he will be distracted by these allegations about Dumbledore's past and his motivations, and by his confusion and frustration with the meager and perplexing information he was provided. Harry will become consumed with uncovering Dumbledore's past, so much so that it affects his mission.
Knowing that Gregorovitch is, or was, a wand-maker, we can surmise that Voldemort has determined Harry's phoenix-feather wand to be his greatest threat. This certainly tallies with Harry's belief: having felt the wand cast a spell on its own during the escape from Privet Drive, Harry's faith in his wand is incredible. In chapter one, we did learn that Voldemort considers Harry's wand as a threat. It is unclear if Voldemort has learned about the connection between his wand and Harry's; while he does have Ollivander captive, it has not been revealed if he has interrogated Ollivander regarding this. Whether he intends for Gregorovitch to craft him a more powerful wand that can defeat Harry, or if he simply believes that a wand from a different maker would not suffer the same fate as Malfoy's, also an Ollivander wand, or he is merely after other information on wand lore, is still unknown.
Several characters are also highlighted here. Although it is never explained just how Luna Lovegood was able to peer through Harry's Polyjuice Potion disguise, it certainly indicates that despite, or even possibly because of, her unusual personality, she possesses some extraordinary and uncommon magical powers that may have been inherited from her late mother, rather than her father. This could make her an even more powerful ally for Harry. Meanwhile, Viktor Krum's unexpected reappearance has a detrimental effect on Ron, who immediately feels jealous and threatened by Viktor's rekindled interest in Hermione, although Ron has yet to fully recognize just what his feelings for her truly are.
A small side plot in this chapter briefly focuses on Harry and Ginny. During the wedding ceremony, Ginny glances at Harry and winks at him, which prompts Harry to remember the wonderful times they spent together in the previous book, rather than pay attention to the actual wedding. Later, when Viktor Krum inquires about Ginny, Harry immediately responds that she is already seeing someone who is "big" and "a jealous type." Despite the impending war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and Harry's decision to formally end their relationship, the bond between Harry and Ginny remains as strong as ever.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- What is the symbol that Mr. Lovegood is wearing? Why does it provoke such a strong reaction from Viktor Krum?
- Who is Gregorovitch and why does Voldemort seek him?
- Why would Voldemort seek a new wand?
[edit] Extra Study
- Who is telling the truth about Dumbledore's past and his family?
- Why does Harry seem to give more credence to Auntie Muriel's and Rita Skeeter's recollections about Dumbledore than he does to Elphias Doge's memories? Whose memories are the most credible? Why?
- How could Luna Lovegood see through Harry's Polyjuice Potion disguise? What does this say about her magical abilities?
- Why does Hermione's small handbag land with such a loud thunk?
- Why would Albus Dumbledore's sister be treated as a "squib" by her mother?
[edit] Greater Picture
Harry is correct in surmising that Voldemort is searching for a new wand. Although Harry and Voldemort's wands are "brothers", it will be learned that, during their confrontation in the cemetery in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry's wand not only overpowered Voldemort's, it forged a deeper connection and withdrew some of that wand's powers into itself, making it the superior weapon. Voldemort, though unaware of this, is apparently seeking a more powerful wand that can defeat Harry's, specifically one that was associated with the legendary wandmaker, Gregorovitch.
It will be learned in a later chapter that Ollivander was tortured by Voldemort for information. Ollivander will admit having revealed to Voldemort that Harry and Voldemort's wands are "brothers."
