Reviewing Deathly Hallows! (Part 3)
Again, I type think too much, so now my reviews are into a third part. Previous parts: Part 1 | Part 2
Last Updated:
20 August:
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
21 August:
Chapter 22
Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood
Hermione's still not happy with Ron. Hell, in all honesty, I probably wouldn't be either. It'll just take some time for her to come back to her old self, and once she does, everything will be fine again, and the three will be happy together. Okay, so maybe not quite that way, but I think she'll calm down quite a bit, even if it takes her a while.
To get away from Hermione's 'baleful' temperament, Ron and Harry go to search for non-existent blackberries on the bushes. The scene that popped into my head at that, really made me laugh, because I could just see those two doing something like that.
While they're out, Ron mentions 'The Taboo' and how Voldemort's name will lead the Death Eaters directly to them. It's being used to track and attempt to capture Order members and others of those who would stand up and fight against the Dark Lord. Since the Trio said His name while they were on Tottenham Court Road, that is how the Death Eaters found them. I wonder if Lupin has figured that out yet via Kingsley or Bill or any of the other Order members. That also makes me wonder if the Death Eaters could show up at any of the Order members' houses if say, Voldemort's name was mentioned in passing over the dinner table. But I think the Order members would have protective wards on their own homes. Let's hope so!
According to Ron, according to Bill, Kingsley was almost caught, but he fought his way out and ran away, and now he's on the run. Ron then brought up the thought that Dumbledore could have sent the doe to them, after Harry reminded him that Kingsley couldn't have since his Patronus is a lynx. But then Harry reminds Ron that Dumbledore is dead, and that his Patronus was a phoenix anyway. Then they discuss how Patronuses change, like how Tonks' did. Speaking of Tonks and her Patronus, it could be hers. All it said from Harry's point of view in HBP was that is was big and had four legs. A doe is big and four-legged, but not as 'big' (taller but not bigger, by my standards) as a dog or a wolf, which is what I imagined Tonks' Patronus to be in the last book. So maybe it really is supposed to be a wolf or a dog or whatever, but I still think being depressed over non-requited love is a rather silly and stupid reason for a Patronus to change. I know he's married to you and you're pregnant with his kid and all now, Tonks, but just get over him. Remus is not that into you. Sorry. I'm not making this up, he even said so to the Trio! Well, he didn't actually say those exact words, but that's what was implied.
But like Ron said, and I agree, Dumbledore must have been the only one, or one of the few people, who knew where Godric Gryffindor's sword was hidden. Either way, someone had sent the Patronus to help them, to guide them and lead the way for them, at least for Harry to the sword. Plus, they've just destroyed one Horcrux. That's one down, and how many more to go? Three? Four?
Ron keeps talking about Albus and Gellert while Hermione keeps bringing up the symbol, both of which upsets Harry more because it forces him to think about Dumbledore. Hermione mentioned that the symbol was on a grave in the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, and the dates were before Grindelwald's time.
The next chapter is called 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' so perhaps Gellert had two brothers? Or the 'Keepers of the Deathly Hallows' (shameless title stolen from Raiders of the Lost Ark) were three brothers?
I'm not really too keen on the fact that the chapter is named after Xenophilius Lovegood. I think it gives too much away. I know they wind up going to see him, but I still think naming the chapter after him is a give-away about who is going to reappear later on in this chapter. At least the chapter title doesn't say why they're going to visit him. Although we find that out rather quickly when Hermione comes over to show Harry the symbol that is replacing the A in Albus' name in his letter to Gellert Grindelwald. Ron votes against Harry and with Hermione in this one, if only to win back Hermione's love and attention; or at least that's what he's trying to do. Whether or not Hermione will give it to him is up to her.
Like Hermione says: 'A symbol that links Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Godric's Hollow?' And I think this statement-question of hers is what finally gets Harry to relent and agree to go find and talk to Xenophilius Lovegood.
Over the break, while he was away from Harry and Hermione, Ron admits to not going home. Instead, he stayed at Bill and Fleur's new home, Shell Cottage. Even if he had wanted to, he told them that he wouldn't have gone home. He wouldn't have disgraced himself by having to face his parents and his sister and having to explain to them why he had run away from his two best friends. He had to tell Bill and Fleur, and they were disappointed with him at first, but they got over it quickly and let him stay with them, telling their parents that they wanted to spend their first Christmas as a married couple alone. I know he had to tell them anyway, but I find it very brave and honorable of Ron to tell Harry and Hermione that.
Ron admitted that to them while they were standing on the hill overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole as they were looking for the Lovegood's house. Harry is hiding under the Invisibility Cloak so as not to get caught, but they have to Disapparate one more time to go further up the hill to find Xenophilius' and Luna's house. When they find it, Ron mentions that the house looks like a rook. Hermione thought he was talking about a place where birds nest, but Ron was talking about the chess rook, or a castle.
As they neared the house, they notice three hand-painted signs on the Lovegood's gate: "The Quibbler. Editor: X. Lovegood", "Pick your own mistletoe", and "Keep off the Dirigible Plums".
Mr. Lovegood looks disheveled when he greets them at the door. He seems hesitant to let them in but the Trio talk him into it, and then he quickly lets them in so none of them will get caught. Inside, the house is very 'Lovegood-ish' with the circular kitchen and other circular, painted objects to match.
When they notice a large, pointed horn sticking out of the wall in one of the rooms that Xenophilius leads them into, Mr. Lovegood claims that it's the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, that a man who knew he was interested in them gave it to him. However, Hermione immediately begins arguing with them, telling him that it's really an Erumpent horn, that it's a Class B Tradeable Material, and is very dangerous to have in the house because it could explode at the slightest touch, and that she realized it was that because she noticed the grooves at the base of the horn.
I agree with the Trio that Xenophilius is a hypocrite. He writes in The Quibbler about how people should help Harry Potter, yet he doesn't want to help The-Boy-Who-Lived himself.
They talk for a bit more and hear that Luna is down at the river catching Freshwater Plimpies. Next time I go fishing, I'm going to tell people that I'm fishing for these and see what kind of looks/reactions/questions I get in return! Anyway, Xenophilius goes to get some tea and call Luna, and when he gets back, he offers the Trio an infusion of Gurdyroot as well as tells them that Luna will be up shortly, and that she is excited to hear they are there and will be happy to see them, and that she has caught enough Plimpies to make soup for all of them tonight.
There is also the bust of Rowena Ravenclaw on which Xenophilius is creating his newest invention, complete with 'Wrackspurt siphons to remove all sources of distraction from the thinker's immediate area', 'a billywig propeller to induce an elevated frame of mind', and 'the Dirigible Plum so as to enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary'.
Now, isn't the term Deathly Hallows a bit of an oxymoron? Well, maybe not really, but a 'hallow' is something that is set apart from other things as holy, something that is revered. And we all know what the term 'deathly' means. So, it might be 1.) a place where death is revered, 2.) something sacred that can kill, or 3.) something instead of somewhere that death is revered. Looking at the book cover and the Roman Coliseum-esque architecture on the front, it makes me wonder if that could be the Deathly Hallows (or if not, be related to it in someway), or if it's the place instead where Harry and Voldemort have their final showdown and it not have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows.
Chapter 21: The Tale of the Three Brothers
As soon as I was finished reading this chapter, I looked over at my mom and said, 'I know what the Deathly Hallows are now!' and proceeded to tell her the story that Hermione had read to Harry, Ron, and Mr. Lovegood in my own words. I think I'm going to attempt something similar for this review.
To start with, though, I should make a quick summary about what led up to Hermione reading the story. The Trio questioned Xenophilius some more about what the Deathly Hallows were, and he answered them as best he could. He said that not every witch or wizard believed in the Deathly Hallows or that they're even real for that matter, but that the symbol is worn by those who want to let other wizards and witches know that they would be ready to serve as part of the Quest; or something along those lines. (It's really weird for me to actually have to type these two words out so much now when I've barely had to before.)
Xenophilius then asks if the three of them had ever read or heard of The Tale of the Three Brothers. Both Hermione and Ron said 'yes' while Harry said 'no'. Then Hermione pulls out her book from Dumbledore, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Xenophilius is surprised that it is the original, but is happy nonetheless, and encourages her to start reading.
It took a bit of explaining from me for my mom to understand that I was saying the name of 'Beedle' with a D, rather than the insect 'Beetle' with a T. Then, she didn't understand what a Bard was, so I had to explain to her too. My mum's a really intelligent woman, but I can see how she wouldn't know what a Bard was. The only reason I know what one is, is from fantasy books and RPGs.
Anyway, now onto the story. Obviously this is not verbatim, but in my own words. If you want verbatim, read Pages 406-409 (US) in the book yourself.
There were three wizard brothers who came upon a river. The river was too deep to swim across and too dangerous to swim across. So they each pulled out his own wand and they magicked a bridge over the river. They began to cross the bridge, but halfway across, Death appeared. He was upset that the three brothers had cheated him, because He always got everyone who drowned trying to cross the river. However, He played along and pretended that it didn't bother Him, and He offered them each a gift in return for besting him.
Death asked each of them in turn what he wanted, starting with the oldest brother. The oldest brother was a competitive man, so he asked for a wand that would win every duel. Death pulled a branch off the nearest elder tree and fashioned an elder wand out of it for the oldest brother. Then Death asked the middle brother. The middle brother was an arrogant man, and wanted the ability to bring the dead back to life. Death picked up a rock from the riverbank and handed it over to the middle brother. Then Death asked the youngest brother. The youngest brother was the most intelligent and wisest of the brothers, so he asked for the ability to hide from Death or to be able to know when Death were coming for him. Death gave the youngest brother His own Invisibility Cloak. Then Death and the brothers parted ways, and soon after, each of the brothers went his own way as well.
The oldest brother went to a bar and bragged about how he had the best wand in all the land, and he would duel anyone who wanted a go at him because he could defeat them since he had the most powerful wand. That night, he got drunk and passed out, and someone who was there at the bar that night, snuck into his room and slit the oldest brother's throat before stealing off with the elder wand. Then Death came for the oldest brother. The middle brother went back home and turned the stone over in his hand three times to see who he could raise from the dead. The girl that he had wanted to marry, but had died an untimely death, showed up. However, she was dead and not supposed be in the land of the living, so she was behind a veil the whole time. The middle brother was so upset about not being able to be with her that he killed himself so he could be with her. Then Death came for the middle brother. The youngest brother evaded Death until he was a ripe, old age. When he felt like he had accomplished all he wanted to by the time he was very old, he took off the Invisibility Cloak and gave it to his son. Then Death came for the youngest brother.
Therefore, the three Deathly Hallows are: 1.) the Elder Wand, the vertical line in the symbol, 2.) the Resurrection Stone, the circle in the symbol, and 3.) the Cloak of Invisibility, the triangle in the symbol.
It looks like a couple of my theories on the literal translation of what a Deathly Hallow was were correct. In the case that it was something sacred and revered, and at least one of the objects can kill: the elder wand. With them being 'deathly' they aren't really per se, but they are in the fact that Death gave them to the three brothers.
Xenophilius starts to talk about the Cloak of Invisibility and how it is different from many other regular Invisibility Cloaks: how it doesn't wear out with old age, how it doesn't tear or rip or get destroyed. As he talks, the Trio begins to realize that what he is describing is very much like the Invisibility Cloak that Harry has. Could Harry already have one of the three Deathly Hallows and not even know it until now?
Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell were the names of the three brothers. As soon as Hermione mentions seeing at least one of their names on a grave in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, Harry immediately realizes that he was there and saw it too.
Before they could get further into the discussion, Xenophilius excuses himself to go into the kitchen to prepare the Plimpy soup. While he's gone, the Trio continues to talk amongst themselves. Also according to Hermione, the Elder Wand is known by other names too, such as: the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny.
Like, I did with oak and sycamore, I went and found the symbolism for elder wood. If you took a look at this link again, you might read things like the elder represents the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end, and life in death and death in life. Both of those relate back to the meaning of Deathly Hallows, but specifically the life in death and death in life part. Also with that, I just realized that it could relate back to the quote that was on James' and Lily's grave: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Coincidence, or not? Frankly, I think not, that the description/symbolism of the elder wood does relate back to that in a way.
On that same page, if you look right above the section on Ruis/Elder, you can read the section on Straif/Blackthorn, which coincidentally enough is the wood from which the spare/borrowed wand that Harry is using is made. Straif is akin to the English word of Strife, which represents hardship and conflict. It goes on to say that changes have happened and one must adapt. Plans have been altered or ruined. One doesn't have any choice but to follow, and one must have courage for the road ahead. One must not fight it, but instead accept it, because one cannot change what has already happened. Again, I think there is more to all this with the wood symbolism, because as I'm researching all this information, I'm finding more and more tiny references that make sense with what has already happened and what is happening, and maybe even some tinier hints as to what will happen. Might Jo be suggesting to us that Harry will go from a holly wand, to a blackthorn wand, to an elder wand, hmm? I'd like to think so!
While Xenophilius is away, the Trio talk about which one of the three Deathly Hallows they would pick if they had the choice. Other than the idea that made me think it was some twisted game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Ron said he would choose the Wand, Harry said he would choose the Stone, and Hermione said she would choose the Cloak.
I think what each one of them chose shows their personality even more. Ron is slightly combatent, being the youngest son and second-youngest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley, and being the 'sidekick' in their group of three with Harry and Hermione. Harry is slightly arrogant in the fact that he talks about how he's 'been through worse'--even if he doesn't mean it in a stuck-up way--and he's lost so many people so early in his life to whom he was close. Hermione is the wisest of the three, the one who thinks things through fully before acting.
I sort of have to agree with Ron in that if you don't go blabbing about having the Elder Wand that won't lose any duel and that you're unbeatable and will fight anyone that wants to, you'd be able to conceal the wand and keep it to yourself, and only use it when you need to, and no one would know the difference. Well, perhaps someone who keys in on unusual things or things out of the ordinary might notice that something was up, but I (like Ron) don't believe that the general populace of witches and wizards would notice anything special about the wand, at least from a far away distance. Maybe if they could examine it closely and maybe even hold it in his or her hand, then they might see it was different from a 'normal' wand, but unless that's the case, I figure they'd just think it was a regular wand.
Harry mentions Sirius first and his parents last in people he could bring back with the Stone! Actually, he mentions Sirius, Moody, Dumbledore, and his parents, in that order. I thought he might want to bring back his parents over Sirius, since they're his parents and all, but then I started thinking about it more and realized that Harry knew his godfather more than he knew his own parents, especially since he was older when he got to know Sirius. That, and he was all ready to move in and live with Sirius, but then Sirius had to run off again because the Ministry was after him. As with Moody and Dumbledore, though, I would think he would mention Dumbledore over Moody. I mean, if they're so angry yet curious as to why Dumbledore did the things he did, wouldn't it make more sense to bring him back and question him?
Hermione really didn't mention why she said that she would choose the Cloak, but that led into a discussion of whether or not Harry's Invisibility Cloak is one of the three Deathly Hallows. Ron brings up the fact that those types of Cloak are very expensive and rare, and that Harry's Invisibility Cloak is 'infallible' and that they've never been caught under it. Hermione argues that they've never been seen under it because it's an Invisibility Cloak. Honestly, I don't know who to side with here; they both make good points. There's a part of me that gets excited thinking that Harry might only have to find two more of the Deathly Hallows, but then there's a part of me that's trying to rationalize it like Hermione is.
As they're arguing, Harry wanders off into Luna’s room. I think it's adorable how Luna has made paintings of her five closest friends: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville, and even more adorable about how she has the golden script 'Friends' bordering all the paintings. This is something I just thought of, if Harry, Ron, and Hermione are one trio, then might Luna, Ginny, and Neville be the second trio? Well, they are a second trio, but with two girls and one guy instead of two guys and one girl. They're just not The Trio.
That reminds me: wasn't Luna at Hogwarts? How did the Death Eaters/Ministry get her? Did they wait until she came home for winter break and then kidnap her, or something of the like? Death Eater ambush, huzzah! I don't know, really, but they had to get her somehow. With three Death Eaters on staff at Hogwarts, for all I know, they could have taken her from the school.
Luna's room is also described as having a thin layer of dust over everything, as if no one had occupied it in months. I don't know about what goes on at the Lovegood house, but when I come home from university for breaks, my room doesn't have a layer of dust covering everything. There is some dust on somethings, but not on everything, and definitely not on my bed. But I would think that if Xenophilius Lovegood were trying to keep up appearances, that he might actually dust his daughter's room, especially if she weren't there. Then again, he didn't know that Harry Potter and his friends would be showing up unannounced on his doorstep.
When Mr. Lovegood returns with a tray of four soup bowls, the first thing Harry asks him is where is Luna. He lies, but Harry catches him in it, and after a bit more beating around the bush, Xenophilius admits that she's gone, that the Ministry took her for what he had been writing in The Quibbler--which is why the stories and headlines have changed in it, even to the point of having a picture of Harry on the cover which the caption 'Undesirable No. 1' underneath it. So not only did Mr. Lovegood change what was in his magazine, he also sent an owl to the Ministry (under the pretense of going outside to call Luna) to alert them that Harry Potter was at his house.
Speaking of Death Eaters, two of them (Travers and Selwyn) show up and immediately start arguing over whether or not Xenophilius is telling the truth. They don't believe him, since he tried to win his daughter back through barter previously--or that's what I inferred, or something similar to a trade of some sort--but this time, Mr. Lovegood is telling the truth.
When Xenophilius sees the Trio trying to sneak away, he shoots a curse at them, which hits the Erumpent horn and causes it to erupt. This angers Travers and Selwyn and they believe Mr. Lovegood even less, they believe that he lured them there to blow them up. Xenophilius continues to claim that Harry Potter is there in his house, but neither of the Death Eaters believe him until they actually see Harry.
When Hermione asked Harry if he trusted her, I immediately thought of Aladdin where the conversation went something like:
Aladdin: "Do you trust me?" he asks, turning back to face her.
Jasmine: "What?" she asks in turn, giving him a quizzical look.
Aladdin: "Do you trust me?" he repeats, as he holds out his hand.
Jasmine: "Yes…" she responds as she takes his hand.
Aladdin: "Then don't. let. gooooo!" he yells as he grabs her hand tightly and they jump from the top of the roof.
Hermione helps the three of them get away. Ron slips under the Invisibility Cloak and Harry grabs Hermione’s hand, and she Disapparates them. Before she does, however, she blasts a hole in the bottom of the floor of the room, and they fall through it.
Chapter 22: The Deathly Hallows
The first half of this chapter was about the Trio discussing if the Deathly Hallows were real, what they could be, and where they could be; while the second half of this chapter consisted of the Trio sitting around Ron's portable radio set and listening to Potterwatch.
As soon as the Trio arrived at their new site, Hermione immediately began putting up wards, like always. It took a moment for Ron and Harry to catch each of his breath, but as soon as they could speak, they were talking up a storm. The first thing the three of them all began to talk about was Xenophilius Lovegood. Ron was complaining about him and thanking Hermione all in the same breath. Hermione was both irritated that Mr. Lovegood hadn't listened to her about the horn in the room being an Erumpent horn, so now his house is partially blown up, and also she hopes that the Death Eaters don't kill him. Then they discuss what might have happened to Luna. They figure she's in Azkaban, but Harry believes that she will survive it. He says she's tough and then jokingly adds that she's probably teaching the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles.
We also find out why it was Ron who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak instead of Harry. Ron is supposed to be home sick with Spattergroit and Hermione didn't want Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to get in trouble with the Death Eaters because their youngest son is really faking his illness and has really joined up with Harry Potter instead. We are also reminded how Hermione's parents are in Australia and don't remember anything.
Ron and Harry both call Hermione a genius. I agree with them. They don't call Hermione the brightest witch of her age for nothing, and she didn't get the highest marks in her class because she is dumb!
The last thing the Trio mention before they begin discussing the Deathly Hallows again is how they might have felt sorry for Xenophilius if he hadn't betrayed them to the Death Eaters. I like the second sentence of the next paragraph, because it was like I was saying earlier about the tent being their home away from home: After their narrow escape, the chilly, musty old place felt like home: safe, familiar, and friendly.
Hermione then apologizes for getting them to go to the Lovegoods, and she even refers to it as Godric's Hollow all over again. Then she comes up with the idea of the Deathly Hallows story being just that, a story, something to keep them busy and preoccupied while Xenophilius waited for the Death Eaters to arrive.
All three of them keep arguing about the Deathly Hallows: what they are, where they are, and how they might be able to get to them. When Hermione continues to argue about the Deathly Hallows not existing, Ron brings up the fact that the Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a myth. Now Hermione is even more adamant about the story not being true. She's claiming that it's just a story that shows how humans are afraid of death.
The Invisibility Cloak is the one Deathly Hallow that keeps on getting brought up in conversation. Harry still seems to think that his Invisibility Cloak is the Invisibility Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows. At first Ron was more on Harry's side, but now it seems he's wavered over to Hermione's side. Frankly, I see both sides of the argument, but I also know that Harry Potter is going to do what he wants, and if he believes in it strongly enough, then no one--not even his two closest best friends--will be able to talk him out of it.
Hermione even said, 'If surviving was as simple as hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, we'd have everything we need already!' to which Harry retorts, 'I don't know. We could do with an unbeatable wand.' Haha! That was a great sarcastic remark from Harry, without him being emo about it, that is!
Then Ron and Harry keep on siding against Hermione about the other Deathly Hallows, mainly the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone. Hermione relents that the Elder Wand could exist under a different name, but she still doesn't believe that the Resurrection Stone exists. She even puts "air quotes" around it when she mentions it. Then Harry mentions Priori Incantatum that showed his parents and Cedric when his and Voldemort's wands met. That had to do with the wands' cores being brothers, though, so I don't know if that's the best argument.
Hermione argues that they didn't count because they weren't really back from the dead, that they were just imitations of the once-living. Then Ron brings up the fact that in The Tale of the Three Brothers the woman that the middle brother brought back wasn't really alive either. He suggests that they could bring someone to them and be able to question them. Oh, if that were plausible, the possibilities are endless! They could bring back so many people!
They get on the topic of the Peverells, but Hermione says the only thing she knows about Ignotus, other than the fact that he is buried in the cemetery at Godric's Hollow is that the Peverells are extinct in the male line, which she read about in a book she borrowed from Kreacher called Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy which lists pureblood families that are extinct in the male line.
Harry remembered or came up with some crazy, but interesting ideas, in this chapter, some of which were true and some of which were not:
- Marvolo Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverells
- Gaunt's ring had the Perverell coat of arms on it
- He couldn't remember what the coat of arms looked like because by the time he had seen it, it had been a Horcrux that was destroyed by Dumbledore
- A moment later, though, he claims that the sign of the Deathly Hallows was on it
- Hallows versus Horcruxes?
- His Invisibility Cloak is as Xenophilius described the Deathly Hallow Invisibility Cloak as being
- Dumbledore had the Cloak the night James and Lily died, possibly to examine it to see if it were the third Hallow
- He's a descendant of Ignotus Peverell
- Dumbledore left the ring for him in the Snitch
- Voldemort's after the Elder Wand
- He has one or two of the Hallows
After the Trio argue for a while, Ron asks Harry if all this were true why Dumbledore wouldn't have at least told Harry more about it. Harry says he believes it's a Quest that Dumbledore left him to figure out on his own (or with the help of a friend or two).
It looks like Harry tried the Golden Snitch again, using different methods of trying to open it and still not being able to. I guess I was wrong in thinking that he had to put it in his mouth to get the Snitch to open, because it states that Harry almost swallowed it and the Golden Snitch still didn't open. Oh well. It makes sense, though. He kissed it and it made the words 'I open at the close' appear, so why shouldn't putting it in his mouth, or practically almost swallowing it not work? Maybe he has to actually swallow it and then throw it back up like he did at the end of his very first Quidditch match.
I agree with Ron and Hermione that Harry's becoming obsessed about the Hallows. However, I can also see Harry's point of view. There has to be a way for them to go after both the Hallows and the Horcruxes. That made me think of video game RPGs where there are main quests, but then also side quests or mini-quests that one can take. I'm sure there's a way for the Trio to get all of the Hallows and the Horcruxes.
Harry's only had one more vision-dream via Voldemort since his old Holly wand was broken. His dreams are now blurry and out of focus. Like Harry, I'm disappointed in that fact, because I like to know what Harry can see through Voldemort's eyes, and I'm also wondering if it does have something to do with Harry not having his Holly wand with the phoenix tail feather core brothered to Voldemort's Yew wand intact anymore.
Harry starts to notice that Ron is taking charge now. What a switch! I don't think that Ron will completely take charge, but he's trying to now, at least a bit, possibly, like Harry thinks, to make up for disappearing on Hermione and him earlier.
Ron remembers Potterwatch and pulls out his radio and finds the correct radio station after a while. After a while meaning March.
From the radio station, we learn that Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Gornuk, and a Muggle family of five in Gaddley have been murdered, and that Bathilda Bagshot is dead--the latter of which we already knew.
A short run-down of the rest of the information presented in the radio station news is:
- Kingsley thinks that all humans are equal and also thinks that witches and wizards should help out Muggles by casting protective charms on their homes, if they're able
- Lee said he would vote for Kingsley for Minister of Magic if he could
- Remus doesn't believe that Harry is dead because he claims that if that were the case, The Daily Prophet would have that news plastered all over its papers
- Remus says that Harry is a symbol for everything for which they're fighting: the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting
- Remus tells Harry that they are all with him in spirit and to follow his instincts because they are good and nearly right
- Xenophilius is now imprisoned in Azkaban
- Hagrid is on the run after escaping arrest for throwing a 'Support Harry Potter' party in his house
- Fred joins in and adds some humor to the program by talking about the Voldemort sightings
The rest of this review will mostly be my thoughts on the radio station (mainly the codenames) and other information that the Trio discuss, with a paragraph about the end of the chapter.
I like the idea of Potterwatch and think the Order members and those loyal to the Light Side are very brave to do something like that. It's a good way to spread information to others that are interested in receiving said information. 'Pals for Potter' is cute, and it's even cuter that Remus is the one in charge of that section of the program!
According to Ron, from Bill, Remus is back and living with Tonks again. I guess Harry's words got to him. I figure he still needed to calm down after their row, and didn't go back to her right away. I know I would need to do that before I could settle down once again. Hell, you read my Chapter 11 review!
I really like Fred's comment about Voldemort being able to move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo! Hurray for Fred and his jokes!
Remus' codename is Romulus! I laughed so hard at that! Okay, so maybe I didn't crack up, but I giggled a lot. Especially since in an AU-from-Book 5 RPG that I'm in where I play 1 OC, Harry, Remus, and two of Remus' three kids--the oldest of the children, the firstborn son is named Romulus. I made that name up for Remus' firstborn son at least three years ago! You know, from Greek mythology, Remus and Romulus were the twins princes who were raised by wolves? If I'm not mistaken, I think Romulus wound up killing Remus so he could rule the kingdom, but that's another story in and of itself. Anyway, my philosophy for naming the boy that was Remus is already a weird name to begin with, so why not give his firstborn an unusual name too. I mean, Remus' parents named their son before he even became a werewolf…Although with a surname of Lupin, I don't know what else you'd call your kid. So since Remus was the name of the father, Romulus became the name of the son in our RPG. Therefore, I was very amused to see that Remus had chosen the codename of Romulus for himself; but it makes sense! What other name besides that would a werewolf give himself as a codename, though? Let's be really cryptic and give ourselves a name like 'Fuzzy' or 'Furry' or 'Wolfie' shall we, Remus?
As for the other codenames, they all start with Rs. What's up with that? Lee is 'River', Kingsley is 'Royal', Remus is 'Romulus', and Fred is 'Rapier'. He almost became 'Rodent'! *snickers at that thought and then giggles at Remus' codename again* Hmm, I'm trying to figure out the symbolism behind the R names. I mean, there has to be one, it can't just be a coincidence that their four codenames all start with R.
Something else I'm wondering is if the Death Eaters can find the station? I'm sure there are some who could crack the password by just running through a list of various Order and/or Light Side members' names. It that were the case, if they were smart enough to be able to listen in on Potterwatch, I'm sure that some of them would also be smart enough to figure out at least a couple of the real people behind the codenames: specifically 'Romulus', and probably the slip-up with 'Rodent', and I'm thinking even 'Royal'.
You know, Tonks should be having little Teddy soon. Yes, I know his name. It's kind of hard to avoid it when it's listed in headers for fics. And some fic writers are good enough to put the fic under a spoiler cut, but then put something slightly (not major, but slightly) spoilerish in the visible summary. Though, that's another story (pun intended) for another time. It seems that Teddy is named after his grandfather. Whether he's named after him or in memory of him, I don't know.
But like I said, Tonks should be delivering soon. If they knew she was pregnant back in August, and it's now March, little Teddy should be coming into this world within the next month. Other than the fact I keeping thinking of and seeing in my mind's eye a teddy bear every time I read the Lupin son's name, it's a cute name. At least it's not as bad as Bradjelina's baby of Shiloh. I swear I think of that stupid beagle everytime I read her name.
You know, I like the idea, but if I have my own child, I'm not going to name him or her after one of my parents. He or she is his or her own individual, and therefore would get his or her own name, and not the name of my dad or mum. Maybe a middle name might be the same as one of my parents' first names, but not my child's first name. That's just my own personal preference.
Harry said The Taboo! Now they're surrounded by Ministry Death Eaters! I know you're intentions are good, Ron, but I really don't think that putting out the light in the tent will help anything. They (claim to) have half a dozen wands trained on you three. Isn't anyone going to fight back?! Three against six, that's one against two, those aren't bad odds!
Last Updated:
20 August:
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
21 August:
Chapter 22
Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood
Hermione's still not happy with Ron. Hell, in all honesty, I probably wouldn't be either. It'll just take some time for her to come back to her old self, and once she does, everything will be fine again, and the three will be happy together. Okay, so maybe not quite that way, but I think she'll calm down quite a bit, even if it takes her a while.
To get away from Hermione's 'baleful' temperament, Ron and Harry go to search for non-existent blackberries on the bushes. The scene that popped into my head at that, really made me laugh, because I could just see those two doing something like that.
While they're out, Ron mentions 'The Taboo' and how Voldemort's name will lead the Death Eaters directly to them. It's being used to track and attempt to capture Order members and others of those who would stand up and fight against the Dark Lord. Since the Trio said His name while they were on Tottenham Court Road, that is how the Death Eaters found them. I wonder if Lupin has figured that out yet via Kingsley or Bill or any of the other Order members. That also makes me wonder if the Death Eaters could show up at any of the Order members' houses if say, Voldemort's name was mentioned in passing over the dinner table. But I think the Order members would have protective wards on their own homes. Let's hope so!
According to Ron, according to Bill, Kingsley was almost caught, but he fought his way out and ran away, and now he's on the run. Ron then brought up the thought that Dumbledore could have sent the doe to them, after Harry reminded him that Kingsley couldn't have since his Patronus is a lynx. But then Harry reminds Ron that Dumbledore is dead, and that his Patronus was a phoenix anyway. Then they discuss how Patronuses change, like how Tonks' did. Speaking of Tonks and her Patronus, it could be hers. All it said from Harry's point of view in HBP was that is was big and had four legs. A doe is big and four-legged, but not as 'big' (taller but not bigger, by my standards) as a dog or a wolf, which is what I imagined Tonks' Patronus to be in the last book. So maybe it really is supposed to be a wolf or a dog or whatever, but I still think being depressed over non-requited love is a rather silly and stupid reason for a Patronus to change. I know he's married to you and you're pregnant with his kid and all now, Tonks, but just get over him. Remus is not that into you. Sorry. I'm not making this up, he even said so to the Trio! Well, he didn't actually say those exact words, but that's what was implied.
But like Ron said, and I agree, Dumbledore must have been the only one, or one of the few people, who knew where Godric Gryffindor's sword was hidden. Either way, someone had sent the Patronus to help them, to guide them and lead the way for them, at least for Harry to the sword. Plus, they've just destroyed one Horcrux. That's one down, and how many more to go? Three? Four?
Ron keeps talking about Albus and Gellert while Hermione keeps bringing up the symbol, both of which upsets Harry more because it forces him to think about Dumbledore. Hermione mentioned that the symbol was on a grave in the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, and the dates were before Grindelwald's time.
The next chapter is called 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' so perhaps Gellert had two brothers? Or the 'Keepers of the Deathly Hallows' (shameless title stolen from Raiders of the Lost Ark) were three brothers?
I'm not really too keen on the fact that the chapter is named after Xenophilius Lovegood. I think it gives too much away. I know they wind up going to see him, but I still think naming the chapter after him is a give-away about who is going to reappear later on in this chapter. At least the chapter title doesn't say why they're going to visit him. Although we find that out rather quickly when Hermione comes over to show Harry the symbol that is replacing the A in Albus' name in his letter to Gellert Grindelwald. Ron votes against Harry and with Hermione in this one, if only to win back Hermione's love and attention; or at least that's what he's trying to do. Whether or not Hermione will give it to him is up to her.
Like Hermione says: 'A symbol that links Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Godric's Hollow?' And I think this statement-question of hers is what finally gets Harry to relent and agree to go find and talk to Xenophilius Lovegood.
Over the break, while he was away from Harry and Hermione, Ron admits to not going home. Instead, he stayed at Bill and Fleur's new home, Shell Cottage. Even if he had wanted to, he told them that he wouldn't have gone home. He wouldn't have disgraced himself by having to face his parents and his sister and having to explain to them why he had run away from his two best friends. He had to tell Bill and Fleur, and they were disappointed with him at first, but they got over it quickly and let him stay with them, telling their parents that they wanted to spend their first Christmas as a married couple alone. I know he had to tell them anyway, but I find it very brave and honorable of Ron to tell Harry and Hermione that.
Ron admitted that to them while they were standing on the hill overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole as they were looking for the Lovegood's house. Harry is hiding under the Invisibility Cloak so as not to get caught, but they have to Disapparate one more time to go further up the hill to find Xenophilius' and Luna's house. When they find it, Ron mentions that the house looks like a rook. Hermione thought he was talking about a place where birds nest, but Ron was talking about the chess rook, or a castle.
As they neared the house, they notice three hand-painted signs on the Lovegood's gate: "The Quibbler. Editor: X. Lovegood", "Pick your own mistletoe", and "Keep off the Dirigible Plums".
Mr. Lovegood looks disheveled when he greets them at the door. He seems hesitant to let them in but the Trio talk him into it, and then he quickly lets them in so none of them will get caught. Inside, the house is very 'Lovegood-ish' with the circular kitchen and other circular, painted objects to match.
When they notice a large, pointed horn sticking out of the wall in one of the rooms that Xenophilius leads them into, Mr. Lovegood claims that it's the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, that a man who knew he was interested in them gave it to him. However, Hermione immediately begins arguing with them, telling him that it's really an Erumpent horn, that it's a Class B Tradeable Material, and is very dangerous to have in the house because it could explode at the slightest touch, and that she realized it was that because she noticed the grooves at the base of the horn.
I agree with the Trio that Xenophilius is a hypocrite. He writes in The Quibbler about how people should help Harry Potter, yet he doesn't want to help The-Boy-Who-Lived himself.
They talk for a bit more and hear that Luna is down at the river catching Freshwater Plimpies. Next time I go fishing, I'm going to tell people that I'm fishing for these and see what kind of looks/reactions/questions I get in return! Anyway, Xenophilius goes to get some tea and call Luna, and when he gets back, he offers the Trio an infusion of Gurdyroot as well as tells them that Luna will be up shortly, and that she is excited to hear they are there and will be happy to see them, and that she has caught enough Plimpies to make soup for all of them tonight.
There is also the bust of Rowena Ravenclaw on which Xenophilius is creating his newest invention, complete with 'Wrackspurt siphons to remove all sources of distraction from the thinker's immediate area', 'a billywig propeller to induce an elevated frame of mind', and 'the Dirigible Plum so as to enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary'.
Now, isn't the term Deathly Hallows a bit of an oxymoron? Well, maybe not really, but a 'hallow' is something that is set apart from other things as holy, something that is revered. And we all know what the term 'deathly' means. So, it might be 1.) a place where death is revered, 2.) something sacred that can kill, or 3.) something instead of somewhere that death is revered. Looking at the book cover and the Roman Coliseum-esque architecture on the front, it makes me wonder if that could be the Deathly Hallows (or if not, be related to it in someway), or if it's the place instead where Harry and Voldemort have their final showdown and it not have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows.
Chapter 21: The Tale of the Three Brothers
As soon as I was finished reading this chapter, I looked over at my mom and said, 'I know what the Deathly Hallows are now!' and proceeded to tell her the story that Hermione had read to Harry, Ron, and Mr. Lovegood in my own words. I think I'm going to attempt something similar for this review.
To start with, though, I should make a quick summary about what led up to Hermione reading the story. The Trio questioned Xenophilius some more about what the Deathly Hallows were, and he answered them as best he could. He said that not every witch or wizard believed in the Deathly Hallows or that they're even real for that matter, but that the symbol is worn by those who want to let other wizards and witches know that they would be ready to serve as part of the Quest; or something along those lines. (It's really weird for me to actually have to type these two words out so much now when I've barely had to before.)
Xenophilius then asks if the three of them had ever read or heard of The Tale of the Three Brothers. Both Hermione and Ron said 'yes' while Harry said 'no'. Then Hermione pulls out her book from Dumbledore, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Xenophilius is surprised that it is the original, but is happy nonetheless, and encourages her to start reading.
It took a bit of explaining from me for my mom to understand that I was saying the name of 'Beedle' with a D, rather than the insect 'Beetle' with a T. Then, she didn't understand what a Bard was, so I had to explain to her too. My mum's a really intelligent woman, but I can see how she wouldn't know what a Bard was. The only reason I know what one is, is from fantasy books and RPGs.
Anyway, now onto the story. Obviously this is not verbatim, but in my own words. If you want verbatim, read Pages 406-409 (US) in the book yourself.
There were three wizard brothers who came upon a river. The river was too deep to swim across and too dangerous to swim across. So they each pulled out his own wand and they magicked a bridge over the river. They began to cross the bridge, but halfway across, Death appeared. He was upset that the three brothers had cheated him, because He always got everyone who drowned trying to cross the river. However, He played along and pretended that it didn't bother Him, and He offered them each a gift in return for besting him.
Death asked each of them in turn what he wanted, starting with the oldest brother. The oldest brother was a competitive man, so he asked for a wand that would win every duel. Death pulled a branch off the nearest elder tree and fashioned an elder wand out of it for the oldest brother. Then Death asked the middle brother. The middle brother was an arrogant man, and wanted the ability to bring the dead back to life. Death picked up a rock from the riverbank and handed it over to the middle brother. Then Death asked the youngest brother. The youngest brother was the most intelligent and wisest of the brothers, so he asked for the ability to hide from Death or to be able to know when Death were coming for him. Death gave the youngest brother His own Invisibility Cloak. Then Death and the brothers parted ways, and soon after, each of the brothers went his own way as well.
The oldest brother went to a bar and bragged about how he had the best wand in all the land, and he would duel anyone who wanted a go at him because he could defeat them since he had the most powerful wand. That night, he got drunk and passed out, and someone who was there at the bar that night, snuck into his room and slit the oldest brother's throat before stealing off with the elder wand. Then Death came for the oldest brother. The middle brother went back home and turned the stone over in his hand three times to see who he could raise from the dead. The girl that he had wanted to marry, but had died an untimely death, showed up. However, she was dead and not supposed be in the land of the living, so she was behind a veil the whole time. The middle brother was so upset about not being able to be with her that he killed himself so he could be with her. Then Death came for the middle brother. The youngest brother evaded Death until he was a ripe, old age. When he felt like he had accomplished all he wanted to by the time he was very old, he took off the Invisibility Cloak and gave it to his son. Then Death came for the youngest brother.
Therefore, the three Deathly Hallows are: 1.) the Elder Wand, the vertical line in the symbol, 2.) the Resurrection Stone, the circle in the symbol, and 3.) the Cloak of Invisibility, the triangle in the symbol.
It looks like a couple of my theories on the literal translation of what a Deathly Hallow was were correct. In the case that it was something sacred and revered, and at least one of the objects can kill: the elder wand. With them being 'deathly' they aren't really per se, but they are in the fact that Death gave them to the three brothers.
Xenophilius starts to talk about the Cloak of Invisibility and how it is different from many other regular Invisibility Cloaks: how it doesn't wear out with old age, how it doesn't tear or rip or get destroyed. As he talks, the Trio begins to realize that what he is describing is very much like the Invisibility Cloak that Harry has. Could Harry already have one of the three Deathly Hallows and not even know it until now?
Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell were the names of the three brothers. As soon as Hermione mentions seeing at least one of their names on a grave in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, Harry immediately realizes that he was there and saw it too.
Before they could get further into the discussion, Xenophilius excuses himself to go into the kitchen to prepare the Plimpy soup. While he's gone, the Trio continues to talk amongst themselves. Also according to Hermione, the Elder Wand is known by other names too, such as: the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny.
Like, I did with oak and sycamore, I went and found the symbolism for elder wood. If you took a look at this link again, you might read things like the elder represents the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end, and life in death and death in life. Both of those relate back to the meaning of Deathly Hallows, but specifically the life in death and death in life part. Also with that, I just realized that it could relate back to the quote that was on James' and Lily's grave: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Coincidence, or not? Frankly, I think not, that the description/symbolism of the elder wood does relate back to that in a way.
On that same page, if you look right above the section on Ruis/Elder, you can read the section on Straif/Blackthorn, which coincidentally enough is the wood from which the spare/borrowed wand that Harry is using is made. Straif is akin to the English word of Strife, which represents hardship and conflict. It goes on to say that changes have happened and one must adapt. Plans have been altered or ruined. One doesn't have any choice but to follow, and one must have courage for the road ahead. One must not fight it, but instead accept it, because one cannot change what has already happened. Again, I think there is more to all this with the wood symbolism, because as I'm researching all this information, I'm finding more and more tiny references that make sense with what has already happened and what is happening, and maybe even some tinier hints as to what will happen. Might Jo be suggesting to us that Harry will go from a holly wand, to a blackthorn wand, to an elder wand, hmm? I'd like to think so!
While Xenophilius is away, the Trio talk about which one of the three Deathly Hallows they would pick if they had the choice. Other than the idea that made me think it was some twisted game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Ron said he would choose the Wand, Harry said he would choose the Stone, and Hermione said she would choose the Cloak.
I think what each one of them chose shows their personality even more. Ron is slightly combatent, being the youngest son and second-youngest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley, and being the 'sidekick' in their group of three with Harry and Hermione. Harry is slightly arrogant in the fact that he talks about how he's 'been through worse'--even if he doesn't mean it in a stuck-up way--and he's lost so many people so early in his life to whom he was close. Hermione is the wisest of the three, the one who thinks things through fully before acting.
I sort of have to agree with Ron in that if you don't go blabbing about having the Elder Wand that won't lose any duel and that you're unbeatable and will fight anyone that wants to, you'd be able to conceal the wand and keep it to yourself, and only use it when you need to, and no one would know the difference. Well, perhaps someone who keys in on unusual things or things out of the ordinary might notice that something was up, but I (like Ron) don't believe that the general populace of witches and wizards would notice anything special about the wand, at least from a far away distance. Maybe if they could examine it closely and maybe even hold it in his or her hand, then they might see it was different from a 'normal' wand, but unless that's the case, I figure they'd just think it was a regular wand.
Harry mentions Sirius first and his parents last in people he could bring back with the Stone! Actually, he mentions Sirius, Moody, Dumbledore, and his parents, in that order. I thought he might want to bring back his parents over Sirius, since they're his parents and all, but then I started thinking about it more and realized that Harry knew his godfather more than he knew his own parents, especially since he was older when he got to know Sirius. That, and he was all ready to move in and live with Sirius, but then Sirius had to run off again because the Ministry was after him. As with Moody and Dumbledore, though, I would think he would mention Dumbledore over Moody. I mean, if they're so angry yet curious as to why Dumbledore did the things he did, wouldn't it make more sense to bring him back and question him?
Hermione really didn't mention why she said that she would choose the Cloak, but that led into a discussion of whether or not Harry's Invisibility Cloak is one of the three Deathly Hallows. Ron brings up the fact that those types of Cloak are very expensive and rare, and that Harry's Invisibility Cloak is 'infallible' and that they've never been caught under it. Hermione argues that they've never been seen under it because it's an Invisibility Cloak. Honestly, I don't know who to side with here; they both make good points. There's a part of me that gets excited thinking that Harry might only have to find two more of the Deathly Hallows, but then there's a part of me that's trying to rationalize it like Hermione is.
As they're arguing, Harry wanders off into Luna’s room. I think it's adorable how Luna has made paintings of her five closest friends: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville, and even more adorable about how she has the golden script 'Friends' bordering all the paintings. This is something I just thought of, if Harry, Ron, and Hermione are one trio, then might Luna, Ginny, and Neville be the second trio? Well, they are a second trio, but with two girls and one guy instead of two guys and one girl. They're just not The Trio.
That reminds me: wasn't Luna at Hogwarts? How did the Death Eaters/Ministry get her? Did they wait until she came home for winter break and then kidnap her, or something of the like? Death Eater ambush, huzzah! I don't know, really, but they had to get her somehow. With three Death Eaters on staff at Hogwarts, for all I know, they could have taken her from the school.
Luna's room is also described as having a thin layer of dust over everything, as if no one had occupied it in months. I don't know about what goes on at the Lovegood house, but when I come home from university for breaks, my room doesn't have a layer of dust covering everything. There is some dust on somethings, but not on everything, and definitely not on my bed. But I would think that if Xenophilius Lovegood were trying to keep up appearances, that he might actually dust his daughter's room, especially if she weren't there. Then again, he didn't know that Harry Potter and his friends would be showing up unannounced on his doorstep.
When Mr. Lovegood returns with a tray of four soup bowls, the first thing Harry asks him is where is Luna. He lies, but Harry catches him in it, and after a bit more beating around the bush, Xenophilius admits that she's gone, that the Ministry took her for what he had been writing in The Quibbler--which is why the stories and headlines have changed in it, even to the point of having a picture of Harry on the cover which the caption 'Undesirable No. 1' underneath it. So not only did Mr. Lovegood change what was in his magazine, he also sent an owl to the Ministry (under the pretense of going outside to call Luna) to alert them that Harry Potter was at his house.
Speaking of Death Eaters, two of them (Travers and Selwyn) show up and immediately start arguing over whether or not Xenophilius is telling the truth. They don't believe him, since he tried to win his daughter back through barter previously--or that's what I inferred, or something similar to a trade of some sort--but this time, Mr. Lovegood is telling the truth.
When Xenophilius sees the Trio trying to sneak away, he shoots a curse at them, which hits the Erumpent horn and causes it to erupt. This angers Travers and Selwyn and they believe Mr. Lovegood even less, they believe that he lured them there to blow them up. Xenophilius continues to claim that Harry Potter is there in his house, but neither of the Death Eaters believe him until they actually see Harry.
When Hermione asked Harry if he trusted her, I immediately thought of Aladdin where the conversation went something like:
Aladdin: "Do you trust me?" he asks, turning back to face her.
Jasmine: "What?" she asks in turn, giving him a quizzical look.
Aladdin: "Do you trust me?" he repeats, as he holds out his hand.
Jasmine: "Yes…" she responds as she takes his hand.
Aladdin: "Then don't. let. gooooo!" he yells as he grabs her hand tightly and they jump from the top of the roof.
Hermione helps the three of them get away. Ron slips under the Invisibility Cloak and Harry grabs Hermione’s hand, and she Disapparates them. Before she does, however, she blasts a hole in the bottom of the floor of the room, and they fall through it.
Chapter 22: The Deathly Hallows
The first half of this chapter was about the Trio discussing if the Deathly Hallows were real, what they could be, and where they could be; while the second half of this chapter consisted of the Trio sitting around Ron's portable radio set and listening to Potterwatch.
As soon as the Trio arrived at their new site, Hermione immediately began putting up wards, like always. It took a moment for Ron and Harry to catch each of his breath, but as soon as they could speak, they were talking up a storm. The first thing the three of them all began to talk about was Xenophilius Lovegood. Ron was complaining about him and thanking Hermione all in the same breath. Hermione was both irritated that Mr. Lovegood hadn't listened to her about the horn in the room being an Erumpent horn, so now his house is partially blown up, and also she hopes that the Death Eaters don't kill him. Then they discuss what might have happened to Luna. They figure she's in Azkaban, but Harry believes that she will survive it. He says she's tough and then jokingly adds that she's probably teaching the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles.
We also find out why it was Ron who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak instead of Harry. Ron is supposed to be home sick with Spattergroit and Hermione didn't want Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to get in trouble with the Death Eaters because their youngest son is really faking his illness and has really joined up with Harry Potter instead. We are also reminded how Hermione's parents are in Australia and don't remember anything.
Ron and Harry both call Hermione a genius. I agree with them. They don't call Hermione the brightest witch of her age for nothing, and she didn't get the highest marks in her class because she is dumb!
The last thing the Trio mention before they begin discussing the Deathly Hallows again is how they might have felt sorry for Xenophilius if he hadn't betrayed them to the Death Eaters. I like the second sentence of the next paragraph, because it was like I was saying earlier about the tent being their home away from home: After their narrow escape, the chilly, musty old place felt like home: safe, familiar, and friendly.
Hermione then apologizes for getting them to go to the Lovegoods, and she even refers to it as Godric's Hollow all over again. Then she comes up with the idea of the Deathly Hallows story being just that, a story, something to keep them busy and preoccupied while Xenophilius waited for the Death Eaters to arrive.
All three of them keep arguing about the Deathly Hallows: what they are, where they are, and how they might be able to get to them. When Hermione continues to argue about the Deathly Hallows not existing, Ron brings up the fact that the Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a myth. Now Hermione is even more adamant about the story not being true. She's claiming that it's just a story that shows how humans are afraid of death.
The Invisibility Cloak is the one Deathly Hallow that keeps on getting brought up in conversation. Harry still seems to think that his Invisibility Cloak is the Invisibility Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows. At first Ron was more on Harry's side, but now it seems he's wavered over to Hermione's side. Frankly, I see both sides of the argument, but I also know that Harry Potter is going to do what he wants, and if he believes in it strongly enough, then no one--not even his two closest best friends--will be able to talk him out of it.
Hermione even said, 'If surviving was as simple as hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, we'd have everything we need already!' to which Harry retorts, 'I don't know. We could do with an unbeatable wand.' Haha! That was a great sarcastic remark from Harry, without him being emo about it, that is!
Then Ron and Harry keep on siding against Hermione about the other Deathly Hallows, mainly the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone. Hermione relents that the Elder Wand could exist under a different name, but she still doesn't believe that the Resurrection Stone exists. She even puts "air quotes" around it when she mentions it. Then Harry mentions Priori Incantatum that showed his parents and Cedric when his and Voldemort's wands met. That had to do with the wands' cores being brothers, though, so I don't know if that's the best argument.
Hermione argues that they didn't count because they weren't really back from the dead, that they were just imitations of the once-living. Then Ron brings up the fact that in The Tale of the Three Brothers the woman that the middle brother brought back wasn't really alive either. He suggests that they could bring someone to them and be able to question them. Oh, if that were plausible, the possibilities are endless! They could bring back so many people!
They get on the topic of the Peverells, but Hermione says the only thing she knows about Ignotus, other than the fact that he is buried in the cemetery at Godric's Hollow is that the Peverells are extinct in the male line, which she read about in a book she borrowed from Kreacher called Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy which lists pureblood families that are extinct in the male line.
Harry remembered or came up with some crazy, but interesting ideas, in this chapter, some of which were true and some of which were not:
- Marvolo Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverells
- Gaunt's ring had the Perverell coat of arms on it
- He couldn't remember what the coat of arms looked like because by the time he had seen it, it had been a Horcrux that was destroyed by Dumbledore
- A moment later, though, he claims that the sign of the Deathly Hallows was on it
- Hallows versus Horcruxes?
- His Invisibility Cloak is as Xenophilius described the Deathly Hallow Invisibility Cloak as being
- Dumbledore had the Cloak the night James and Lily died, possibly to examine it to see if it were the third Hallow
- He's a descendant of Ignotus Peverell
- Dumbledore left the ring for him in the Snitch
- Voldemort's after the Elder Wand
- He has one or two of the Hallows
After the Trio argue for a while, Ron asks Harry if all this were true why Dumbledore wouldn't have at least told Harry more about it. Harry says he believes it's a Quest that Dumbledore left him to figure out on his own (or with the help of a friend or two).
It looks like Harry tried the Golden Snitch again, using different methods of trying to open it and still not being able to. I guess I was wrong in thinking that he had to put it in his mouth to get the Snitch to open, because it states that Harry almost swallowed it and the Golden Snitch still didn't open. Oh well. It makes sense, though. He kissed it and it made the words 'I open at the close' appear, so why shouldn't putting it in his mouth, or practically almost swallowing it not work? Maybe he has to actually swallow it and then throw it back up like he did at the end of his very first Quidditch match.
I agree with Ron and Hermione that Harry's becoming obsessed about the Hallows. However, I can also see Harry's point of view. There has to be a way for them to go after both the Hallows and the Horcruxes. That made me think of video game RPGs where there are main quests, but then also side quests or mini-quests that one can take. I'm sure there's a way for the Trio to get all of the Hallows and the Horcruxes.
Harry's only had one more vision-dream via Voldemort since his old Holly wand was broken. His dreams are now blurry and out of focus. Like Harry, I'm disappointed in that fact, because I like to know what Harry can see through Voldemort's eyes, and I'm also wondering if it does have something to do with Harry not having his Holly wand with the phoenix tail feather core brothered to Voldemort's Yew wand intact anymore.
Harry starts to notice that Ron is taking charge now. What a switch! I don't think that Ron will completely take charge, but he's trying to now, at least a bit, possibly, like Harry thinks, to make up for disappearing on Hermione and him earlier.
Ron remembers Potterwatch and pulls out his radio and finds the correct radio station after a while. After a while meaning March.
From the radio station, we learn that Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Gornuk, and a Muggle family of five in Gaddley have been murdered, and that Bathilda Bagshot is dead--the latter of which we already knew.
A short run-down of the rest of the information presented in the radio station news is:
- Kingsley thinks that all humans are equal and also thinks that witches and wizards should help out Muggles by casting protective charms on their homes, if they're able
- Lee said he would vote for Kingsley for Minister of Magic if he could
- Remus doesn't believe that Harry is dead because he claims that if that were the case, The Daily Prophet would have that news plastered all over its papers
- Remus says that Harry is a symbol for everything for which they're fighting: the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting
- Remus tells Harry that they are all with him in spirit and to follow his instincts because they are good and nearly right
- Xenophilius is now imprisoned in Azkaban
- Hagrid is on the run after escaping arrest for throwing a 'Support Harry Potter' party in his house
- Fred joins in and adds some humor to the program by talking about the Voldemort sightings
The rest of this review will mostly be my thoughts on the radio station (mainly the codenames) and other information that the Trio discuss, with a paragraph about the end of the chapter.
I like the idea of Potterwatch and think the Order members and those loyal to the Light Side are very brave to do something like that. It's a good way to spread information to others that are interested in receiving said information. 'Pals for Potter' is cute, and it's even cuter that Remus is the one in charge of that section of the program!
According to Ron, from Bill, Remus is back and living with Tonks again. I guess Harry's words got to him. I figure he still needed to calm down after their row, and didn't go back to her right away. I know I would need to do that before I could settle down once again. Hell, you read my Chapter 11 review!
I really like Fred's comment about Voldemort being able to move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo! Hurray for Fred and his jokes!
Remus' codename is Romulus! I laughed so hard at that! Okay, so maybe I didn't crack up, but I giggled a lot. Especially since in an AU-from-Book 5 RPG that I'm in where I play 1 OC, Harry, Remus, and two of Remus' three kids--the oldest of the children, the firstborn son is named Romulus. I made that name up for Remus' firstborn son at least three years ago! You know, from Greek mythology, Remus and Romulus were the twins princes who were raised by wolves? If I'm not mistaken, I think Romulus wound up killing Remus so he could rule the kingdom, but that's another story in and of itself. Anyway, my philosophy for naming the boy that was Remus is already a weird name to begin with, so why not give his firstborn an unusual name too. I mean, Remus' parents named their son before he even became a werewolf…Although with a surname of Lupin, I don't know what else you'd call your kid. So since Remus was the name of the father, Romulus became the name of the son in our RPG. Therefore, I was very amused to see that Remus had chosen the codename of Romulus for himself; but it makes sense! What other name besides that would a werewolf give himself as a codename, though? Let's be really cryptic and give ourselves a name like 'Fuzzy' or 'Furry' or 'Wolfie' shall we, Remus?
As for the other codenames, they all start with Rs. What's up with that? Lee is 'River', Kingsley is 'Royal', Remus is 'Romulus', and Fred is 'Rapier'. He almost became 'Rodent'! *snickers at that thought and then giggles at Remus' codename again* Hmm, I'm trying to figure out the symbolism behind the R names. I mean, there has to be one, it can't just be a coincidence that their four codenames all start with R.
Something else I'm wondering is if the Death Eaters can find the station? I'm sure there are some who could crack the password by just running through a list of various Order and/or Light Side members' names. It that were the case, if they were smart enough to be able to listen in on Potterwatch, I'm sure that some of them would also be smart enough to figure out at least a couple of the real people behind the codenames: specifically 'Romulus', and probably the slip-up with 'Rodent', and I'm thinking even 'Royal'.
You know, Tonks should be having little Teddy soon. Yes, I know his name. It's kind of hard to avoid it when it's listed in headers for fics. And some fic writers are good enough to put the fic under a spoiler cut, but then put something slightly (not major, but slightly) spoilerish in the visible summary. Though, that's another story (pun intended) for another time. It seems that Teddy is named after his grandfather. Whether he's named after him or in memory of him, I don't know.
But like I said, Tonks should be delivering soon. If they knew she was pregnant back in August, and it's now March, little Teddy should be coming into this world within the next month. Other than the fact I keeping thinking of and seeing in my mind's eye a teddy bear every time I read the Lupin son's name, it's a cute name. At least it's not as bad as Bradjelina's baby of Shiloh. I swear I think of that stupid beagle everytime I read her name.
You know, I like the idea, but if I have my own child, I'm not going to name him or her after one of my parents. He or she is his or her own individual, and therefore would get his or her own name, and not the name of my dad or mum. Maybe a middle name might be the same as one of my parents' first names, but not my child's first name. That's just my own personal preference.
Harry said The Taboo! Now they're surrounded by Ministry Death Eaters! I know you're intentions are good, Ron, but I really don't think that putting out the light in the tent will help anything. They (claim to) have half a dozen wands trained on you three. Isn't anyone going to fight back?! Three against six, that's one against two, those aren't bad odds!