HBP - Chapter 9 The Half Blood Prince

[cheeringcharm]

Chapter 9 - The Half Blood Prince or Harry's first day of classes, year six

There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor." Ah, probably the best line of the series - definitely the highlight of this chapter. We are greeted with the requisite trip to the Great Hall for breakfast, Ron's bad table manners and McGonagall inexplicably setting schedules

Comments

[cadesama]

Even when they argue over the Potions book, it resolves instead of continuous bickering.

I don't think it really resolves, so much as goes under ground. Hermione is still on Harry's case about how he shouldn't be using the book up until he uses Sectumsempra -- trying to use that incident to prove her point.

When he felt pleased with himself over Lavender's reaction, he didn't look at Hermione to see her reaction to any of it. If he liked her, or hoped she'd be jealous, I think he would have.

I honestly think that the Lavender thing was Ron attempting to move on from Hermione. Ron's been jealous about Vikor and effectively been rebuffed and taunted for it. He gave her perfume, probably as a demonstration of his interest. No response. Moving on seems far more healthy than hanging on, trying to get the one he likes jealous because he's too much of a wimp to step up and confess his feelings.

I didn't realize it was this soon that Slughorn credits the HBP's knowledge to Lily. I think they were partners in Potions class.

Agreed. Could explain why the hand writing is "girly." Maybe only some of it was.

If Harry's "power he knows not" is love, I guess DD was going for "love your enemies".

Except when he admonishes Harry for feelings sympathy for Riddle.

[house_elf_44]

Except when he admonishes Harry for feelings sympathy for Riddle.

LOL - I took it that he was pleased. I'll have to look again.

[house_elf_44]

Except when he admonishes Harry for feelings sympathy for Riddle.

Found it on pg 262 US:

DD “...it is also possible that her unrequited love and the attendant despair sapped her of her powers; that can happen. In any case, as you are about to see, Merope refused to raise her wand even to save her own life.”

Harry: “She wouldn’t even stay alive for her son?”

DD raised his eyebrows. “Could you possibly be feeling sorry for Lord Voldemort?”

“No," said Harry quickly, “but she had a choice, didn’t she, not like my mother-”

DD: "...yes, Merope Riddle chose death in spite of a son who needed her, but do not judge her too harshly, Harry. She was greatly weakened by long suffering and she never had your mother’s courage..."

I think "Could you possibly be feeling sorry" could be taken either as admonishment, or as if that's where DD was trying to go. We need his tone of voice to know for sure. (I wonder what Jim Dale did with that, and if he can ask Jo things like this.) But what DD says about Merope colors it towards pity for me. That would go with the reconciling of opposites in alchemy, and Harry defeating Voldemort with the power of love.

[cadesama]

Meh. I got the feeling that he was admonishing Harry for feeling sorry for Voldemort, and redirecting that emotion to the appropriate person -- Merope. It can be read either way, I admit, but I don't think Dumbledore's purpose in teaching Harry about Voldemort was to make him feel compassion for Voldemort, especially not after how he tries to prove that Riddle was evil from childhood and speechifies about how Harry's strength is revenge.

[cadesama]

Except when he admonishes Harry for feelings sympathy for Riddle.

And what I hated the most, is that Harry immediately denayed it, like it's wrong to feel symphaty to another abondened orphan. I really wish he would have said something like "Maybe who wouldn't have become Voldemort if he had different childhood" or even better "Thanks to you I know what it's like to grow up feeling unwanted and with no family, and, yes, I feel sorry for anyone who has to go through something like that".

[cadesama]

Ha! That would have been beautiful!