10

Divination Ten: Return to Hogwarts

They … turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. … A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture on it of a wild boar’s severed head, leaking blood on to the white cloth around it. (OOtP16)

Into the Pensieve: Harry tells Ron and Hermione it is Dumbledore’s wish that the two of them return to school for their final year. Not only do they have NEWTs to complete but also Dumbledore fears that Hogwarts will need them if Voldemort decides to attack. Bill, Charlie and Ginny are returning to Hogwarts, while the Order of Phoenix is moving to new a headquarters in Hogsmeade: namely the Hog’s Head. Harry himself intends to go back to the school on a part-time basis, as Dumbledore has advised him to begin his hunt for Horcruxes there. For the rest of the time, he will be staying with Aberforth Dumbledore at the inn, braving the bed bugs. After the excitement of the wedding, the Weasleys are shocked to read in the Daily Prophet that Dean Thomas’s Muggle family has been attacked and his stepfather is dead. As well as feeling wretched for Dean, Hermione is anxious for her parents and arranges for them to stay at Madam Rosmerta’s pub, The Three Broomsticks, during term time. There they are joined by the Dursleys, once Dudley is recovered, with Kreacher and (a rather more enthusiastic) Dobby waiting on them. At Hogwarts, where Ron and Hermione are Head Boy and Girl, Harry is reunited with Neville, who also came of age in the summer and has found out about the prophecy. Some students, such as Seamus Finnigan and the Patil twins [edited - thanks to Meldawen & Varun] , have not returned but Dean is back though noticeably subdued. Harry agrees to restart Dumbledore’s Army, which has many new recruits, as more students whose families have been targeted rush to join up (among them is at least one Slytherin, Theodore Nott, whose father was abandoned by the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries and left to die). Harry retrieves the Half-Blood Prince’s book from the Room of Requirement and begins to search the castle for clues to Voldemort’s past, possibly even revisiting the Chamber of Secrets.

Omens & Portents: Canonical Clues & Questions

1. Concerning the Hog’s Head…

• ‘They … turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. … A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture on it of a wild boar’s severed head, leaking blood on to the white cloth around it.’ (OOtP16) What are we to make of Dumbledore’s brother – a grumpy-looking [possibly illiterate] old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard - and the ‘funny folk’ of the Hog’s Head? What sort of pub is it anyway and – bed bugs apart – would it make a good headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix?

2. Concerning Voldemort’s Plans…

• ‘Dark days, Harry. Didn’t know who ter trust, didn’t dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches … Terrible things happened. He was takin’ over. ‘Course some stood up to him – an’ he killed ‘em. Horribly.’ (PS/SS4) Is this what to expect in Book 7? Bear in mind that Trelawney predicted worse! ‘The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant’s aid, greater and more terrible than ever before.’ (POA16)

3. Concerning Hogwarts…

• ‘Oh, I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts’ secrets, Igor,’ said Dumbledore amicably.’ (GOF23) What more of Hogwarts remains to be discovered? Is it significant that the Chamber of Secrets is in plural? Voldemort was certainly fascinated by the school and its founders. ‘Do you think that’s why he really wanted to come back to Hogwarts, sir?’ said Harry. (HBP23) Is it possible that Voldemort has hidden a Horcrux at the school? Might there be more for Harry to learn about Tom Riddle?

Legilimency… what is JKR thinking?

‘Let’s go again … on the count of three … one – two – three – Legilimens!’ (OOtP24)

• Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth is the barman at the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade. [JKR, Edinburgh Book Festival, 2004]

• In Book 7 we will become better acquainted with another member of the Order of the Phoenix. This is someone we know about but have not “met properly.” [JKR, ITV, 2005 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• Muggle and wizarding wars “feed” each other. [JKR, Mugglenet/TLC interview, 2005]

• Dean Thomas is actually a half-blood whose father was a wizard who was killed by Death Eaters after refusing to join them. Tragically, Dean’s mother never knew that her partner was a wizard and believed that he had simply abandoned them. Dean’s story was sacrificed for Neville’s — which is more central to the plot. [JKR, website – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• Refers to Neville as “the boy who was so nearly King” but does not tell us if he will ever find this out. Also refers to Neville as an “also-ran” and a “might-have-been.” [FAQ Poll answer 16 May 2005]

• The prophecy did not mystically intertwine Neville’s fate with Harry’s. [FAQ Poll answer 16 May 2005]

• Not everyone in Slytherin house is hateful. The house is important to Hogwarts to create balance. [JKR, Mugglenet/TLC interview, 2005 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• The four houses “correspond roughly to the four elements.” Gryffindor is fire, Ravenclaw is air, Hufflepuff is earth, and Slytherin is water. [JKR, Mugglenet/TLC interview, 2005 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• Theodore Nott’s upbringing was the responsibility of his Death Eater father (an elderly widower). He is a clever loner who does not need to join gangs — including Malfoy’s. [JKR, website – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• We will finally meet Blaise Zabini (who is male) in the next few books. [JKR, Edinburgh Book Festival, 2004 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• JKR: “Key things happen in book two. No one knows how important those things are … yet [before Book 6]. There’s a lot in there. And I know how difficult it was to get it all in there without drawing too much attention to the clues.” “All the important stuff [from book 2] got into the film.”[JKR, IGN.com, 2002 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

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