The Seer Overheard
Harry and Ginny are happy together, laughing about the rumors going around school about them; Harry is particularly pleased that the reason everyone is talking about him is something that makes him happy, rather than something to do with Dark Magic. Ron and Hermione seem to be getting close as well. Harry's concerns that his relationship with Ginny could affect his friendship with Ron have largely evaporated.
Harry dares not to return to the Room of Requirement to recover his Potions textbook, thinking that Snape might still want to get his hands on it, and his Potions work is suffering; Professor Slughorn genially attributes this to his new interest in Ginny. Hermione reveals her theory to Harry regarding the 'Half-Blood Prince'. She has found a write-up of one Eileen Prince, a past Hogwarts student, and suggests that if she was a half-blood, it could have been she.Harry is summoned to Dumbledore's office. Along the way, he encounters Professor Trelawney, who is sprawled in the hallway outside the Room of Requirement. She admits that she uses the Room of Requirement to hide her stock of sherry, but she is unable to get in. Apparently, someone is inside, barring others from entering. Trelawney heard a 'whooping' sound from within, which makes Harry believe that Malfoy has finally finished his task. When Trelawney called out to see who was there, everything went dark and she was pushed out into the hall. Harry says she should tell Dumbledore; she seems to like the idea and accompanies him.
As they walk, Trelawney recounts the evening Dumbledore hired her; Harry already knows Dumbledore's version, but is fascinated to hear Trelawney's, particularly when she reveals Severus Snape interrupted them. Realizing it was Snape who passed Voldemort the information that prompted him to kill his parents, a raging Harry runs off to confront Dumbledore in his office. Dumbledore, however, disarms Harry before he can speak by telling him that he believes he has located a Horcrux. Harry is only momentarily distracted, then confronts Dumbledore about Trelawney.
Harry runs to the Entrance Hall and puts on the Cloak at Dumbledore's request. Leaving the school, they head to Hogsmeade. In answer to Dumbledore's query, Harry says that he can Apparate, but he does not have a license yet. Dumbledore says he will guide again. They pass the Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta is ejecting a grubby wizard, and head towards the Hog's Head; as nobody is watching them, they Disapparate before reaching it.
Many story lines in this book seem to be coming to a rapid peak in this chapter. We finally learn definitively who it was that carried Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort, and we learn that Draco has apparently completed a major part of his mission. In the midst of this, we also learn that Dumbledore is preparing to leave the school with Harry, in order to hunt down one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. It is because Draco has reached this point that Harry no longer feels that the guards placed by the Order of the Phoenix will be sufficient. In particular, they will naturally be guarding the perimeter, the known entrances to Hogwarts, while Harry feels that there is a threat possibly coming from Draco in the Room of Requirement. His instructions to Ron and Hermione relate to the threat he perceives from Draco and from Snape.
At least one reader has commented that Madam Rosmerta is acting out of character in this scene: we have been led to believe that she generally runs an orderly pub, and should not have to resort to physically ejecting wizards, and yet here she is doing exactly that. Of course, we have never before been in Hogsmeade of an evening, so we don't know what goes on at that time of day.
Harry dares not to return to the Room of Requirement to recover his Potions textbook, thinking that Snape might still want to get his hands on it, and his Potions work is suffering; Professor Slughorn genially attributes this to his new interest in Ginny. Hermione reveals her theory to Harry regarding the 'Half-Blood Prince'. She has found a write-up of one Eileen Prince, a past Hogwarts student, and suggests that if she was a half-blood, it could have been she.Harry is summoned to Dumbledore's office. Along the way, he encounters Professor Trelawney, who is sprawled in the hallway outside the Room of Requirement. She admits that she uses the Room of Requirement to hide her stock of sherry, but she is unable to get in. Apparently, someone is inside, barring others from entering. Trelawney heard a 'whooping' sound from within, which makes Harry believe that Malfoy has finally finished his task. When Trelawney called out to see who was there, everything went dark and she was pushed out into the hall. Harry says she should tell Dumbledore; she seems to like the idea and accompanies him.
As they walk, Trelawney recounts the evening Dumbledore hired her; Harry already knows Dumbledore's version, but is fascinated to hear Trelawney's, particularly when she reveals Severus Snape interrupted them. Realizing it was Snape who passed Voldemort the information that prompted him to kill his parents, a raging Harry runs off to confront Dumbledore in his office. Dumbledore, however, disarms Harry before he can speak by telling him that he believes he has located a Horcrux. Harry is only momentarily distracted, then confronts Dumbledore about Trelawney.
Harry runs to the Entrance Hall and puts on the Cloak at Dumbledore's request. Leaving the school, they head to Hogsmeade. In answer to Dumbledore's query, Harry says that he can Apparate, but he does not have a license yet. Dumbledore says he will guide again. They pass the Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta is ejecting a grubby wizard, and head towards the Hog's Head; as nobody is watching them, they Disapparate before reaching it.
Many story lines in this book seem to be coming to a rapid peak in this chapter. We finally learn definitively who it was that carried Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort, and we learn that Draco has apparently completed a major part of his mission. In the midst of this, we also learn that Dumbledore is preparing to leave the school with Harry, in order to hunt down one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. It is because Draco has reached this point that Harry no longer feels that the guards placed by the Order of the Phoenix will be sufficient. In particular, they will naturally be guarding the perimeter, the known entrances to Hogwarts, while Harry feels that there is a threat possibly coming from Draco in the Room of Requirement. His instructions to Ron and Hermione relate to the threat he perceives from Draco and from Snape.
At least one reader has commented that Madam Rosmerta is acting out of character in this scene: we have been led to believe that she generally runs an orderly pub, and should not have to resort to physically ejecting wizards, and yet here she is doing exactly that. Of course, we have never before been in Hogsmeade of an evening, so we don't know what goes on at that time of day.
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