Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 19
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Chapter 19 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Elf Tails
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[edit] Synopsis
Ron is in the Hospital Wing, with Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and Harry at his bedside. Fred and George were investigating opening a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop in Hogsmeade, but with Zonko's Joke Shop out of business and the Hogsmeade weekends canceled, it looks unpromising. Hagrid also arrives, saying he was in the Forest caring for Aragog, who is getting worse. Madam Pomfrey says "No more than six visitors to a patient", but retires in slight confusion when Harry points out that Hagrid is the sixth. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive and express their sincere gratitude to Harry for continually saving Weasley lives.
Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid leave the infirmary. Hagrid lets slip that Hogwarts could close due to the increasing dangerous incidents and reveals that he overheard Dumbledore and Snape arguing over something Snape no longer wanted to do. Dumbledore firmly reminded Snape that he gave his word. There was also a reference about Snape's investigations in Slytherin, which Hagrid assumes is about the cursed necklace. Filch's untimely arrival ends their conversation, and he and Hagrid get into a disagreement as Harry and Hermione hastily retreat. Hagrid's information has only deepened Harry's suspicions about Snape.
When Harry and Hermione return to Gryffindor Tower, Cormac McLaggen braces Harry about replacing Ron as Keeper, to which Harry grudgingly agrees. Harry returns to watching Draco's movements on the Marauder's Map. For the next while, Harry is beset, though, with classes, homework, Quidditch practice, Cormac repeatedly pestering him with strategy ideas, and Lavender asking about Ron's recovery. Harry asks Lavender why she does not ask Ron herself, but Lavender says that Ron is always asleep when she visits.
On his way to the next Quidditch match, Harry sees Draco and two sulky-looking girls heading into the castle. Harry is certain that Draco is going to his usual hidden place, and sorely wants to follow, but he is already late. Harry is astonished that Luna has been appointed as the Quidditch match commentator; her dreamy game description has everyone laughing, except Professor McGonagall. McLaggen, attempting to micromanage the team, borrows a Beater's club and accidentally hits a Bludger at Harry, cracking his skull and landing him in the infirmary with Ron, who thinks Luna's commentary was most entertaining. He hopes she gets the job permanently, but says that the final score was 320 to 60 against Gryffindor. Harry wants to find and kill McLaggen, but Madam Pomfrey says that would be "excessive exertion" and bans it. Ron comments that the team might have already done that for him.
While still recovering, Harry realizes he could simply set a tail on Draco and suddenly remembers Dobby once visited him in the hospital. He summons Kreacher, the Black family House-elf that he inherited with Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Kreacher appears, along with Dobby. The two are fighting, apparently because Kreacher made insulting remarks about Harry. Peeves appears as well, egging them on; Harry silences him, and he zooms away. Ron and Harry break up the fight. Harry quietly instructs the two elves to trail Draco Malfoy and to bring him regular reports on everywhere Malfoy goes and what he does. He orders Kreacher not to warn Malfoy in any way. Kreacher sulkily agrees, though he says he would prefer having Draco as his master. Dobby says he is a free elf, and he chooses to obey Harry Potter.
[edit] Analysis
Harry's quick thinking saved Ron from certain death. Although Hermione continually chastised Harry for using the Half-Blood Prince's methods, in this instance, she is grateful for what the Prince taught him. Hermione is so distraught over Ron's near-death experience, that they permanently end their feud.
Someone obviously knew that Slughorn intended to give Dumbledore the mead and poisoned it to murder him. It is also possible, and highly probable, that the cursed necklace that nearly killed Katie Bell was also intended for Dumbledore. Harry remains convinced that Draco perpetrated the attacks, but he lacks specific proof tying Draco to either object. Though Draco was at Borgin & Burkes where Harry saw the necklace, any number of people could also have been there. Regardless, Harry becomes more determined than ever to uncover what Draco is doing. Although he is magically bound to obey Harry, Kreacher is less than trustworthy and remains loyal to the Black family, and by extension, the Malfoys (through Narcissa Black Malfoy), which is why Harry specifically orders him to reveal nothing to Draco. Harry may have been a bit careless in his instructions, however. Although Harry orders Kreacher to reveal nothing to Draco, Kreacher is clever and devious enough that he could bypass his master's orders by relaying information to Draco through somone else. Kreacher did just that when Sirius Black once ordered him to "leave", which Kreacher manipulated into meaning he should leave Grimmauld Place. He then visited Narcissa Malfoy, providing her with valuable information about Sirius and Harry. Fortunately, in this case, Kreacher obeys Harry as he intended, possibly because Dobby is carefully watching him and will report everything back to Harry.
Though we have no proof other than Harry's suspicions as to who was the intended recipient or the delivery agent of either the necklace or the mead, it would be useful to consider these objects' source.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Why might Hogwarts close?
- Why is Ron always "asleep" when Lavender visits him in the hosptial?
- Why did Harry have Kreacher, rather than Dobby, tail Draco? Why does Dobby participate?
[edit] Extra Study
- What agreement might Dumbledore and Snape have? Why would Snape want to back out?
- What might Snape be investigating in Slytherin House? Is he a reliable source to do this?
[edit] Greater Picture
The argument that Hagrid overheard between Snape and Dumbledore will be revisited in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where it will be essentially heard in its entirety. Snape was threatening to renege on his promise to Dumbledore to kill him in order to spare Draco, under orders from Voldemort, from having to do this. Dumbledore believes Snape will follow through, as he is presumably aware of Snape's Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa; still, the threat is real and must be addressed, as Snape could, presumably, somehow convince Draco to kill Dumbledore rather than doing it himself should Draco be unable. Hagrid felt that Dumbledore was not his usual self, that he seemed angrier than usual. By this time, the curse that had destroyed Dumbledore's hand had been gaining force, though bottled up in his hand, for eight months; no doubt he was feeling discomfort from it, and continuous pain is likely to make anyone, even someone as patient as Dumbledore, rather testy.
We know that the cursed necklace that injured Katie Bell was given to her at The Three Broomsticks. Though there is no proof, it is believable that this may have been aimed at Dumbledore, along with the poisoned mead. Whatever its eventual destination, it seems likely that the mead's source would be The Three Broomsticks; Slughorn is unlikely to trust the Hog's Head for his needs, he is too much the esthete. This points to a center of malevolence in the Three Broomsticks; we will discover later that in fact that center is Madam Rosmerta, placed under the Imperius curse by Draco Malfoy.
