Silver and Opals
Harry wonders where Professor Dumbledore is. Despite telling Harry that the lessons would be the most important thing Harry did, he is often away, and there are no additional lessons before the first Hogsmeade weekend in mid-October. On the morning of the Hogsmeade weekend, Harry lies in bed reading the Half-Blood Prince's textbook, which contains some interesting spells. Harry casts a non-verbal one, Levicorpus, and mistakenly levitates a sleeping Ron by his ankle. Harry frantically invokes the counterspell, and Ron falls back into his bed.
When Ron laughingly recounts the levitation experience, Hermione is unamused. This Prince may be a dodgy character, and here is Harry invoking his spells without knowing their effect. Harry recognizes the spell from Snape's memory in the Pensieve as the same one his father once used on Snape. Harry briefly considers that his father was the Half-Blood Prince, but discounts this because James was a pure-blood wizard. Meanwhile, Ginny delivers a note to Harry from Dumbledore, scheduling another lesson for Monday evening. Ginny mentions she is going to Hogsmeade with Dean and may see them there.
Having been scanned by Filch with Secrecy Sensors, the Trio embark to Hogsmeade. Finding Zonko's joke shop boarded up, Ron suggests Honeyduke's, where they run into Professor Slughorn buying his favorite crystallized pineapple. Slughorn extends yet another dinner invitation to Harry and Hermione, for next Monday, which Harry is grateful he can decline due to Dumbledore's lesson.
Ron, disgruntled over being excluded from Slughorn's dinner, is unwilling to suggest where to go next, but agrees to The Three Broomsticks. On the way, Harry encounters Mundungus Fletcher, who is talking to the Hog's Head Inn barman. Harry calls out to Mundungus, who, startled, drops an ancient suitcase that bursts open, spilling its contents. When Ron recognizes a silver goblet bearing the Black family crest, Harry seizes Mundungus by the throat, and accuses him of looting Sirius Black's house. Mundungus blasts Harry away and Disapparates. Tonks appears and says it is useless to hunt for him, but Harry intends to report Mundungus to Dumbledore.
After one Butterbeer apiece in The Three Broomsticks, Hermione suggests heading back to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry agree - this has been an unpleasant outing. They follow Katie Bell and her friend Leanne, who are arguing over a package. Leanne tries to take the package from Katie, but it rips open. Katie, suddenly deathly still, rises six feet into the air, then falls to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry runs for help. Hagrid arrives and carries Katie back to the school. Harry prevents Ron from touching the package, recognizing a necklace inside as the same one he saw at Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley that bore a label reading, 'Cursed.' Leanne says that Katie was behaving strangely: she had returned from the toilet carrying a package she insisted she must deliver to someone at Hogwarts. Leanne was trying to take the package away from her when it tore open, and Katie touched it. Leanne suspects Katie was under the Imperius Curse. Harry believes Draco knew about the necklace; he saw it at Borgin & Burkes. Ron says that many people probably saw it, and besides, Katie had been in the washroom. Harry carefully wraps the necklace in his scarf and carries it back to Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall meets them at the gate. Harry hands the necklace to McGonagall, who orders Filch take it to Professor Snape. In Professor McGonagall's office, Leanne relates what happened, then is sent to the hospital wing. Harry suspects Malfoy was involved, but McGonagall says Draco was doing detention with her. Dismissed, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wonder who the necklace was intended for. With Filch and his Secrecy Sensor, it was unlikely that a package containing anything harmful could be brought into the school that way. They conclude it was a poorly thought-out plan.
Harry seems to believe that the attack on Katie Bell bolsters his suspicions that Draco is directly involved in some sinister plot, although, as both Ron and Hermione point out, there is only circumstantial evidence linking Draco to the necklace, and he has an iron-clad alibi. Regardless, Harry remains positive that Draco was behind the attack. While readers can sympathize with Harry, knowing that Draco has been charged with some unknown mission for Voldemort and that it probably is linked to this incident, Harry lacks any objectivity whatsoever. He becomes so single-mindedly convinced that Draco is guilty that he stubbornly refuses to consider other possibilities. Also, the Trio's belief that the attack seemed poorly planned may be more significant than they realize.
Adding to Harry's concerns is Dumbledore's increasingly frequent and unexplained absences. These are disturbing not only for Harry, but also the entire school. Dumbledore is Hogwarts' symbol of authority and security, and his empty chair in the Great Hall may signal that there is greater turmoil in the wizarding world than anyone realized. Harry, in particular, is affected by his absence. Harry still deeply mourns his godfather Sirius' death, and Dumbledore has become even more a father figure to him. When a parent is away, a child often feels abandoned and unprotected, even when left in capable hands.
When Ron laughingly recounts the levitation experience, Hermione is unamused. This Prince may be a dodgy character, and here is Harry invoking his spells without knowing their effect. Harry recognizes the spell from Snape's memory in the Pensieve as the same one his father once used on Snape. Harry briefly considers that his father was the Half-Blood Prince, but discounts this because James was a pure-blood wizard. Meanwhile, Ginny delivers a note to Harry from Dumbledore, scheduling another lesson for Monday evening. Ginny mentions she is going to Hogsmeade with Dean and may see them there.
Having been scanned by Filch with Secrecy Sensors, the Trio embark to Hogsmeade. Finding Zonko's joke shop boarded up, Ron suggests Honeyduke's, where they run into Professor Slughorn buying his favorite crystallized pineapple. Slughorn extends yet another dinner invitation to Harry and Hermione, for next Monday, which Harry is grateful he can decline due to Dumbledore's lesson.
Ron, disgruntled over being excluded from Slughorn's dinner, is unwilling to suggest where to go next, but agrees to The Three Broomsticks. On the way, Harry encounters Mundungus Fletcher, who is talking to the Hog's Head Inn barman. Harry calls out to Mundungus, who, startled, drops an ancient suitcase that bursts open, spilling its contents. When Ron recognizes a silver goblet bearing the Black family crest, Harry seizes Mundungus by the throat, and accuses him of looting Sirius Black's house. Mundungus blasts Harry away and Disapparates. Tonks appears and says it is useless to hunt for him, but Harry intends to report Mundungus to Dumbledore.
After one Butterbeer apiece in The Three Broomsticks, Hermione suggests heading back to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry agree - this has been an unpleasant outing. They follow Katie Bell and her friend Leanne, who are arguing over a package. Leanne tries to take the package from Katie, but it rips open. Katie, suddenly deathly still, rises six feet into the air, then falls to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry runs for help. Hagrid arrives and carries Katie back to the school. Harry prevents Ron from touching the package, recognizing a necklace inside as the same one he saw at Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley that bore a label reading, 'Cursed.' Leanne says that Katie was behaving strangely: she had returned from the toilet carrying a package she insisted she must deliver to someone at Hogwarts. Leanne was trying to take the package away from her when it tore open, and Katie touched it. Leanne suspects Katie was under the Imperius Curse. Harry believes Draco knew about the necklace; he saw it at Borgin & Burkes. Ron says that many people probably saw it, and besides, Katie had been in the washroom. Harry carefully wraps the necklace in his scarf and carries it back to Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall meets them at the gate. Harry hands the necklace to McGonagall, who orders Filch take it to Professor Snape. In Professor McGonagall's office, Leanne relates what happened, then is sent to the hospital wing. Harry suspects Malfoy was involved, but McGonagall says Draco was doing detention with her. Dismissed, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wonder who the necklace was intended for. With Filch and his Secrecy Sensor, it was unlikely that a package containing anything harmful could be brought into the school that way. They conclude it was a poorly thought-out plan.
Harry seems to believe that the attack on Katie Bell bolsters his suspicions that Draco is directly involved in some sinister plot, although, as both Ron and Hermione point out, there is only circumstantial evidence linking Draco to the necklace, and he has an iron-clad alibi. Regardless, Harry remains positive that Draco was behind the attack. While readers can sympathize with Harry, knowing that Draco has been charged with some unknown mission for Voldemort and that it probably is linked to this incident, Harry lacks any objectivity whatsoever. He becomes so single-mindedly convinced that Draco is guilty that he stubbornly refuses to consider other possibilities. Also, the Trio's belief that the attack seemed poorly planned may be more significant than they realize.
Adding to Harry's concerns is Dumbledore's increasingly frequent and unexplained absences. These are disturbing not only for Harry, but also the entire school. Dumbledore is Hogwarts' symbol of authority and security, and his empty chair in the Great Hall may signal that there is greater turmoil in the wizarding world than anyone realized. Harry, in particular, is affected by his absence. Harry still deeply mourns his godfather Sirius' death, and Dumbledore has become even more a father figure to him. When a parent is away, a child often feels abandoned and unprotected, even when left in capable hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment