Discuss Chapter 36

[BillP]

This thread is for discussion of Chapter 36 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If you wish to discuss events from later in the book, please post in the appropriate thread below.

Spoiler Warning: If you have not read past Chapter 36, this thread may contain plot spoilers.

[ghostbuster]

so harry ron and hermione all survive, what a shame I was hoping some of the "spoilers" were true and that ron and hermione had died

[teriandcb]

Gotta love Mrs. Weasley!

[readsalot]

I love the fact that Tom Riddle is absolutely NOT special in the end!!! He finds out the flaw(s) in the plan right along with everyone else. Harry explains to him as they are circling around, while everyone else is watching & listening gathered around them, in the Great Hall. And, even then, Tom is called his Muggle name (for the first time ever as Harry -- quite on par with Dumbledore!)

[arassi]

Love Mrs. Weasley for calling out Bellatrix. She totally rocks! I love it when they swear in capital letters!

I love Peeves jingle "And Voldy's gone moldy...". I recall JKR saying that she hated that. I'm glad he said it! JKR rocks too!

[teriandcb]

I'm wondering how the Griffendor sword got in the Sorting Hat when it had been with the goblins the last we heard of it?

[dgslate]

I have a few ideas on that...First, I tend to go along with the theory that "need and valor" and "only a true Griffendor could pull THAT out of the hat" enabled the sword to be in the hat when Neville needed it. Second, Goblin morality, according to Bill, says that if an object is goblin-made it is only really "rented" by the buyer. However, apparently the sword has a bit of its own mind and could CHOOSE to be wherever it wanted to be. That would also reinforce JKR's recurring theme of choice versus fate. Or third, since both the sword and the hat were relics of Godric Griffendor, maybe he enchanted them in some way and the goblins were over-ruled.

[quidditchprinc…]

I heart Neville!! I knew as soon as he took the Sorting Hat off what would come out of it. Like Dumbldore said in CoS only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat. I was so happy that Neville had his moment to shine. I love Mrs. Weasly, I was hysterical during her showdown with Bellatix. Though I would rather Nevile had taken her out in revenge for his parents this was better.

[StoryMing]

Forgot about Neville maybe taking on Bellatrix. I loved Mrs. Weasley, but I think I'd have preferred Prof. Minerva McGonagall-- DD's right hand woman V.S. Voldemort's.

[Vikingdoc71]

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StoryMing wrote:
Forgot about Neville maybe taking on Bellatrix. I loved Mrs. Weasley, but I think I'd have preferred Prof. Minerva McGonagall-- DD's right hand woman V.S. Voldemort's.

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I had originally believed that Neville would take on Bellatrix. But having thought about it a bit, Mrs. Weasley actually seems that more appropriate choice. This duel is not unlike the duel of Harry and Riddle. IT is a study of contrasts. Mrs. Weasley is the ultimate mother, caring nurturing. We think of the Weasley home as warm and wonderful, with a sense of security and belonging. Compare that to Bellatrix: cold, malevolent, sadistic. Any thoughts?

[KaylaK1986]

I absolutely loved Mrs. Weasley calling Bellatrix out on attacking Ginny. I think that was the only time I have ever laughed out loud while reading a book. Mrs. Weasley has always been one of my favorite characters, but that moment was just priceless!!

[Psychee]

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Vikingdoc71 wrote:

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StoryMing wrote:
Forgot about Neville maybe taking on Bellatrix. I loved Mrs. Weasley, but I think I'd have preferred Prof. Minerva McGonagall-- DD's right hand woman V.S. Voldemort's.

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I had originally believed that Neville would take on Bellatrix. But having thought about it a bit, Mrs. Weasley actually seems that more appropriate choice. This duel is not unlike the duel of Harry and Riddle. IT is a study of contrasts. Mrs. Weasley is the ultimate mother, caring nurturing. We think of the Weasley home as warm and wonderful, with a sense of security and belonging. Compare that to Bellatrix: cold, malevolent, sadistic. Any thoughts?

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"Bellatrix, who likes to play with her food before she eats it..." -- such a great line to describe how sadistic she is.

And yes, the perfect opposite to Molly Weasley.

[dawnmgeoppinger]

What I appreciated the most from this scene is that both Harry and Neville are the ones who finally bring Voldemort down. Neville is the one who destroys the remaining Horcrux, Nagini, and of course, Harry destroys Voldemort. I think why I appreciated this the most was that both Neville and Harry had an equal chance at being the "Chosen One", and in the end, both boys together are able to defeat Voldemort. My one hope was also fulfilled in the end, that Harry would not defeat Voldemort by using the Killing Curse, but somehow Voldemort would die by his own mistake.

[_becauseisaidso]

i love the part when mrs. malfoy sees if harry is alive and instead is too concerned about her son to care and the fact that harry, ron, and hermine live astonds me!!! i thought for sure one of them would die. i love also how much hagrid and everyone else cares so much about harry and neville being brave and following though for harry even though he was "dead". and when it talks about how everyone is crying+yelling his name really proves how much they care

[StoryMing]

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dawnmgeoppinger wrote:
What I appreciated the most from this scene is that both Harry and Neville are the ones who finally bring Voldemort down. Neville is the one who destroys the remaining Horcrux, Nagini, and of course, Harry destroys Voldemort. I think why I appreciated this the most was that both Neville and Harry had an equal chance at being the "Chosen One", and in the end, both boys together are able to defeat Voldemort. My one hope was also fulfilled in the end, that Harry would not defeat Voldemort by using the Killing Curse, but somehow Voldemort would die by his own mistake.

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Yeah I was glad Harry did not have to murder, but I rather hoped that the Power of Love might be more directly involved with Voldemort's end, 'specially after what we were told earlier about remorse.

And by the way, WHERE WAS FAWKES??? Fawkes should have come back to help.

I'm glad Harry Ron Hermione (and Hagrid) all survived.

Message Edited by StoryMing on 07-23-2007 09:59 PM

[Harrypotteraho…]

wahoo some swering at last. ''NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITC*!'' and neville

greatest moment in hp history:

''You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very vauluble Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.'' '' I'll join you when hell freezes over,'' said Neville. ''Dumbledore's Army!'' he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

gotta love nevilles bravery

[orangejynx]

Ok just one thing maybe I missed it, how did Neville Longbottom get Godric Gryffindor's sword????

[mastkudi25]

Neville was a true Gryffindor (probably spelt that wrong, sorry) at heart and so he got Godric G.'s sword from the hat. However, hadn't Voldemort (ooh, the Taboo-ed name!) set the hat on fire on Neville's head? How did it become whole again?

Also, I just want to have a "I was so right" song (in my head of course), but I can't help gloating a bit on these boards about my predictions for Snape and for Voldemort having a house elf (Kreacher, even though he only had poor Kreacher to test his dangerous experiments on him, for only that one night)! I feel so bad for Snape! Lily had called him "Sev"... and Severus Snape always loved her, since even before they got to Hogwarts. Love did win in the end, didn't it? It saved Snape from going on the wrong path for the rest of his life and Snape became one of the good guys because of the love in his heart for Harry's mother!

Anyhow, now that I have finished with my shameless gloating (heheh), I do have a question about the Elder wand. I don't really remember what chapter in the book talks about this, but I really would appreciate some feedback on this one -

The Elder Wand, the Deathly stick, etc etc, is supposed to be unbeatable. So then how did Dumbledore beat Grindelwald, and become the new master of the Elder wand?

[bentley]

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mastkudi25 wrote:
Neville was a true Gryffindor (probably spelt that wrong, sorry) at heart and so he got Godric G.'s sword from the hat. However, hadn't Voldemort (ooh, the Taboo-ed name!) set the hat on fire on Neville's head? How did it become whole again?

Also, I just want to have a "I was so right" song (in my head of course), but I can't help gloating a bit on these boards about my predictions for Snape and for Voldemort having a house elf (Kreacher, even though he only had poor Kreacher to test his dangerous experiments on him, for only that one night)! I feel so bad for Snape! Lily had called him "Sev"... and Severus Snape always loved her, since even before they got to Hogwarts. Love did win in the end, didn't it? It saved Snape from going on the wrong path for the rest of his life and Snape became one of the good guys because of the love in his heart for Harry's mother!

Anyhow, now that I have finished with my shameless gloating (heheh), I do have a question about the Elder wand. I don't really remember what chapter in the book talks about this, but I really would appreciate some feedback on this one -

The Elder Wand, the Deathly stick, etc etc, is supposed to be unbeatable. So then how did Dumbledore beat Grindelwald, and become the new master of the Elder wand?

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Part of the answer is that Dumbledore never gave up being master of the wand since he planned his final demise with Snape so that Malfoy would not be the one to do it. So Dumbledore was still the master of the wand and not Snape as Voldemort assumed wrongly. I believe that then the transfer of power would be to whomever Dumbledore wanted it to go to or to someone who overcame Dumbledore and was able to kill him without him/his asking for it to be done. Snape did Dumbledore a favor. As you recall, Dumbledore was going to die anyways because of the ring and Snape at the very least gave him another year I believe and also was the one to put him out of his delirious misery when the time was right (as requested by Dumbledore himself).

Hope the above helps.

As far as the book itself, I loved it and though I was sad for the characters who did perish, I was delighted that the three main characters survived at the end. Great job Rawlings. I was also delighted to have Snape reconciled in my mind. I had always thought that he was a good guy but the first chapter of this book...made me stop and ponder. However, he was good to the end and was, I guess, the number one Dumbledore agent after the headmaster's demise. I also think that Rawlings wanted to convey messages of love, loyalty, friendship, family and goodness winning out despite great odds...to come across as the major themes of her epic and that love and goodness will overcome evil any day.

Loved the book.

Regards,

Bentley

[waddachutz]

Absolutely! Go Molly!!! Don't ever mess with a mom