EVANESCO
2005/07/23: Notes after a first reading of HP6
Snape has definitely now become tied w/ Dumbledore for
the number two most important character.
I'm 90% sure that Snape's killing of Dumbledore was the
ultimate sacrifice for BOTH of them. We already heard
Dumbledore extract an obedience promise from Harry before
their quest for the Horcrux, and have seen his ability to
get Harry to give him something clearly harmful for the
sake of the cause against evil. I'm sure when Dumbledore
said "Severus, ... please" he was calling in his chips on
an earlier promise.
HP6 was sort of a Dumbledore chess gambit. He sacrificed
himself to ensure that Snape could work as a completely
perfectly concealed mole within the Death Eater world
AND at the same time ensured that Harry was ready, able, and
committed to carry out his mission: Dumbledore's death also
ensures that Harry will HAVE to rely on himself to carry out
his challenge. (And in case the reader has any doubt, Harry
snubs McGonagal, breaks up with Ginny, distances himself
from Ron and Hermione [who now are all set to spend book
7 happily "snogging"] and tells the ministry to jump in a lake!)
This all raises as many questions about HP7 as it answers them.
For example:
Is the book now going to be sort of a Harry-as-Frodo adventure?
How will JK make good use of Snape-as-mole in the demise of
Voldemort w/o taking away from Harry? (He has to be
significant, otherwise Dumbledore's sacrifice is only
half worthwhile)
What will happen to Snape? Tragic ending (killed by Harry
who only later learns of some essential anti-Voldemort
action he took)? Complete turn-around (reconcilliation
to Harry in personal terms)? Headmaster?
I do think HP6 was the best (brilliant plot development)
but there were some real disappointments, the biggest
for me being the turn to Harry-The-Individual mano-on-mano
Frodo-like character in quest of Horcruxes and Voldemort.
I had really enjoyed seeing Harry-The-Leader and
Harry-The-First-Among-Near-Equals collective approach
that HP5 took (it's the communist in me). I really missed
the D.A., and felt bad that Neville and Luna were so
minor here. Still this approach is viable and maybe there
will be more twists and turns. (Maybe? This is JK we're
talking about: twists and turns are guaranteed!)
For one thing... you KNOW that at least some of the
horcruxes are going to be in 12 Grimmauld Place, right?
(After all, you know who "R.A.B." has to be!) And that
takes us back to Kreacher... and Dobby... and house-elves
in general... and therefore maybe SPEW and that could bring
back Hermione (I hope because I will miss her if her role
decreases).
Also: what has now become of Draco? Dumbledore gave him
the classic "Dumbledore Second Chance". Will Snape (or Harry?)
give him a third?
And: I'd like to find out what happened to Ollivander. Voldemort
must have been major-pissed about that priori incantatem wand
situation at the end of HP4. Will he try to gain the insight
he failed to obtain from the prophecy by crucio-ing it out
of Olivander? Or will this be just another unpursued item by JK?
HP7 will be an incredible challenge for JK to write: there are
so many "minor" loose ends she should make good on. Just a few
of them are:
Wormtail-as-an-asset to Harry (Dumbledore promised he would be at the end of HP3),
Neville's Mimbletonius Mimbelosa (or whatever that stinksap squirting plant is),
Hermione's S.P.E.W.,
The voices beyond The Veil.
Aargh. 2-3 years to wait.
2005/07/26: Notes after starting Reread #1 Of HP6
Minor Ahah: Harry himself points out that Snape's
appointment to DADA master (DADA? That has to be just
a coincidence) has the benefit of removing Snape
from Hogwarts after the year is over-- it is well-known
that the position is "cursed".
OK, it's well-known. And LATER we see that Dumbledore
not only knows this but understands its origin.
But nevertheless, Dumbledore appoints Snape: is he
already planning the end of the book? Or at least planning
for Snape's departure to join the DeathEaters as a mole?
2005/08/01: More notes from Reread #1 Of HP6
Just a remark to those who hope for a magical return to life
of Dumbledore (and Sirius and ...): it's not going to happen.
JK makes this clear through Nick (and has actually gone so far as to
say this at length publicly, out of the text): death is final.
However: memories (imprints, ghosts, portraits) go beyond death.
Still... there are some remaining questions about "the veil" in
the Dept. of Mysteries and then there is always Luna Lovegood.
The Smoking Gun. One item of great significance
that I overlooked during the rushed first reading is Snape's
heated argument with Dumbledore (as reported by Hagrid). Hagrid
reports that Snape was telling Dumbledore that he was sick of it,
couldn't do it any more, and wanted out. Dumbledore had replied
to him that he was committed and that he had to go through with
it.
Now-- this is the sort of argument you have with the person
you're REALLY working for, not the person you're spying
or secretly acting against. More than anything else, this
is the "smoking gun" (in my mind at least) that demonstrates
that Snape was working for Dumbledore throughout HP6 (including
the horrifying end) and that it is likely that Dumbledore
had already planned with Snape for the final outcome.
Going back to Dumbledore's appointing of Snape as DADA master (and
thereby ensuring that he leaves Hogwarts at year's end): it occurs
to me that one reason for doing this is the necessity
of keeping Snape away from Harry. Not because Snape would
hurt Harry (umm, well, any more that usual) but because Voldemort
will be expecting Snape to do his "job" as spy in Hogwarts and
report on Harry. By keeping Snape away from Harry, Voldemort
can't expect anything from Snape in this regard.
EVANESCO
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