PoA Re-Read: Chapters Twenty-One and Twenty-Two
... this is it, guys. The last installment of my re-read.
FFP: Wow.
Me: Yeah, it's been... interesting, to say the least. Although we do still have the movie. Which you can't watch, because it would be a time discrepancy as it came out in 2004. You know how that timey wimey stuff goes.
FFP: ... timey wimey?
Me: Doctor Who.
FFP: Doctor who?
Me: ... you have so much yet to nerd, grasshopper.
Ahem.
So last time, Harry had fainted, but not before thinking he saw He Who Cannot Have Been. Sirius was about to be Kissed by the Dementors. Can Harry save the day - again?
Chapter Twenty-One: Hermione's Secret
Harry wakes up in the Hospital Wing to Fudge and Snape talking outside the door. In summary, Snape takes credit for finding the trio and Sirius, who he says confunded the trio. (It's interesting how he's sure to let them off, and makes no mention of Remus. This might be mostly to avoid Dumbledore's wrath, but still.) Harry opens his eyes, and sees that he's in the Hospital Wing.
Harry and Hermione ask how Ron is; Madame Pomfrey says he'll live. That's... semi-encouraging. Harry sits up and says he has to see Dumbledore at once; Madame Pomfrey, thinking she's doing Harry a favor, "assures" him that Sirius is being held and awaiting the Kiss.
Understandably, this upsets Harry and Hermione, who jump out of bed and start arguing. Snape and Fudge run inside, and they try telling Fudge the truth. Naturally Fudge is in disbelief, and Snape encourages the disbelief by saying this is what he meant by "confunded." Pomfrey asks them to please stop distressing a thirteen year old boy who has almost had his soul sucked out, and shoves chocolate in Harry's mouth.
Dumbledore comes in, and says he needs a word with Harry and Hermione, as he was just with Sirius. Snape asks if he heard the same "fairy tale"; all Dumbledore says is, "that is, indeed, Black's story."
Snape asks Dumbledore if what he witnessed was worth nothing; Hermione argues that he didn't hear the whole story. I think 87 points just got taken from Gryffindor. Snape yells at her, and Fudge says that as Hermione is "disturbed in her mind," he should go easy on her.
Dumbledore asks again to speak to Harry and Hermione alone; Snape steps forward and asks if Dumbledore remembers that Sirius tried to kill him. Dumbledore says his memory's as good as ever.
As soon as they're alone, Hermione and harry start talking at the same time, telling him everything in broken sentences. Dumbledore finally stops them, and says it is their turn to listen. He says there is not a shred of proof to support their story, and the MoM is not about to believe three teenagers. Harry mentions Remus, but beyond the fact that he's currently transformed, as he's a werewolf, his word wouldn't be taken seriously. (Dumbledore doesn't say this, but knowing what we do later on, I imagine Remus could actually end up getting into a lot of trouble for having been in Sirius's company.) It doesn't help that he was friends with Sirius.
Dumbledore goes on to say that it is too late; furthermore, he points out that "Sirius has not acted like an innocent man."
FFP: I want to glomp* the guy and even I think he acted like a mad man.
Me: Well, there you go.
They ask if Dumbledore believes them; Dumbledore says he absolutely does. And yet: "I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic."
The significance of this is not lost on Harry. He realizes that for the first time, Dumbledore can't save the day. He'd always taken for granted that Dumbledore could help them, but he can't. I'd like to go further than that, however, and point out the next several books. Dumbledore slowly goes from being an almost omniscient, infallible figure to a genius with a dark, very fallible side who sometimes puts the fight over the people behind it. Moreover, he can't stop or change everyone. It takes effort. Sometimes people have to do the fighting themselves, as Harry and Hermione are about to find out.
Dumbledore slowly tells them that what they need is more time. His eyes meet Hermione's, and hers become round. She says, realizing what he's telling her, "oh!"
Dumbledore tells Hermione exactly where Sirius is, and that if all goes according to plan, more than one life might be saved. He has one word of caution - they must not be seen. Dumbledore goes on to say he's going to lock them in, and tells them what time it is. (Five minutes to midnight, if you're curious. Ten points to Hufflepuff - FFP's Hogwarts house according to the quiz she took yesterday - if you already knew that.) "Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."
Hermione pulls a long, fine gold chain from under her robes, and throws an hour glass over their necks without explanation. Harry's still utterly confused, but Hermione ignores him, turning the hourglass three times.
The ward dissolves, and Harry feels like he's flying backwards very quickly. A blur of colors and shapes rush past him, his ears are pounding... when he tries to call out, he can't hear himself...
When the world comes back into focus, he and Hermione are in the entrance hall, with a stream of golden sunlight falling across the grounds. Hermione seizes Harry and pulls him into a broom closet; she whispers that they've gone back in time, and that she thinks she can hear Trio of Trios Past passing them. (Did you guys follow that?) Harry asks if they're really in two places at once, and Hermione listens to where they're going. She sits down anxiously, and Harry asks her where she got "that thing."
We learn that it's called a Time-Turner. It turns out that's how she's been taking so many courses; apparently McGonagall had to write a lot of letters to the MoM to get approval.
Hermione can't understand how this will help Sirius, though, if it's three hours before. Harry says there must be something now that he wants to change. Let's play a game - what awful thing happened to the trio in the past, say, three hours they would probably want to change?
A. Hermione found out she got an A- on her Potions exam.
B. Neville forgot what he'd forgotten in his dormitory and had to rush back up for.
C. Their friend's pet Hippogriff was executed.
If you chose C, you'd be correct!
Harry realizes after a lot of concentration (to be fair, with everything that just happened, Buckbeak's execution is probably a distant memory of yore) that they're going to save Buckbeak, fly to the window of Flitwick's office, and Sirius can escape there. Actually, he got to the rest of it a lot faster than I would have.
Hermione looks terrified, and says it'll be a miracle if they can pull it off; but of course, they have to try.
They make their way towards Hagrid's, and hide behind the trunk of a tree. Harry hears himself telling Hagrid they're there, under the invisibility cloak. He says that this is "the weirdest thing we've ever done."
Even with everything else they have to do, I'm not sure anything ever tops that.
They move closer to Buckbeak, and Harry whispers if this is where they steal him. But the Committee has to see that he's outside, or they'll think that Hagrid set him free.
They hear past!Hermione find Scabbers/Peter, and Harry suggests running in to get him. But they're already breaking one of the most important laws. Moreover, if they were seen, they could end up attacking themselves, thinking there was Dark Magic involved. According to McGonagall, many instances occurred where wizards did in fact accidentally murder their past or future selves. I can't even imagine the psychological horror that would cause someone.
Dumbledore, Fudge, the Committee Member and Macnair head out of the castle. Past!Trio subsequently leave Hagrid's hut, but don't go far before pleading once again for Hagrid to let them help him. They leave, and Macnair and company enter. They leave the door ajar as they enter Hagrid's hut.
Macnair coldly asks, "where's the beast?" You just know he loves "having" to do these sorts of things. Harry ducks as Macnair looks out to see if Buckbeak is, indeed, there. Fudge says they have to read the official notice of execution, and to his credit, he sounds awkward about it. Macnair's face vanishes, and Harry says it's "now or never," and goes towards Buckbeak.
As Fudge reads the notice, Harry looks into Buckbeak's eyes once more and bows. Buckbeak sinks to his knees and stands back up. Harry begins to untie him, saying "we're going to help you."
But instead of moving, Buckbeak digs his front feet into the ground and won't budge. The committee member tells Hagrid it might be better if Hagrid waited inside, but Hagrid says he doesn't want Buckbeak to be alone. Oh, Hagrid.
Harry hisses for Buckbeak to move, and he finally does, if irritably. Hermione is mouthing for Harry to hurry. When they're not making very fast progress, she rushes to help, and they move with Buckbeak together until they're out of sight.
Hagrid's back door opens, and the three of them sit very still. Even Buckbeak seems to be listening.
The Committee member asks where the "beast" is, and Macnair says he just saw him. Dumbledore seems amused, calling this "extraordinary." Hagrid can only muster a, "Beaky!"
Once again, they hear the thud of an axe, and howling - but this time, they can also hear what Hagrid is saying.
"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone!"
Buckbeak struggles to get to Hagrid, and Harry and Hermione stop him. Macnair snarls that someone must have untied him, and they must search the grounds at once. Dumbledore lightly suggests they should search the skies instead, as a thief wouldn't have led him away on foot.
Here's a question - was it really future Dumbledore, and not Dumbledore of three hours ago? But then what was past!Dumbledore doing? Either this is future Dumbledore, or past!Dumbledore had a feeling something like this would happen for whatever reason.
Hermione says they'll have to wait a few hours; Harry adds that they'll want to move towards the Whomping Willow. They move towards the forest and hide again, watching themselves get attacked and entering the Willow. Just moments later, the Spanish Inquisition passes quite close by. Hermione laments that Dumbledore didn't come with them, but Harry points out that Macnair would have just killed Sirius on the spot.
Only a few minutes later, they see Remus rushing by. Meanwhile, clouds are obscuring the moon. So wait... do clouds have to shift from the Full Moon for a transformation to take place? If so, wouldn't they just not transform on cloudy nights? The moon's not always visible, after all. Maybe JKR's just going for imagery here.
Harry realizes Remus completely missed the cloak, and goes to grab it himself; Hermione seizes Harry back down, and almost immediately, Hagrid passes, singing at the top of his lungs. He's holding a large bottle. Apparently when Hagrid's pet Hippogriff evades execution, his first instinct is to get pissed. Alrighty then.
Hermione whispers a good old fashioned "told you so." Poor Buckbeak struggles to get to Hagrid, and his head drops sadly. Poor thing.
Snape comes along, grabs the cloak, and goes into the Willow. More waiting.
While they sit, Hermione tells Harry she doesn't know how on earth the Dementors didn't get them. Harry tells Hermione what he'd seen, and her mouth drops open. "But what was it?"
Oh, this scene...
Harry tells her only a powerful Patronus could have made the Dementors retreat like that. He knows who he thinks it was, but doesn't know how it's possible, so he's hesitant to tell Hermione what he thinks he saw. Hermione asks if it was a teacher; Harry says no, it wasn't a teacher. After some prodding, he tells her: "I think it was my Dad."
Hermione stares at him with both "alarm and pity." After a minute, she quietly says that he's dead. She asks if it was his ghost, but he looked solid, and Harry knows what his father looks like because of the photos.
Hermione looks as though she's worried about his mental health. Harry quickly says he "knows it sounds crazy."
I have to point out that this is the second time he's been accused of being crazy for saying something that is, in context, perfectly logical. Of course Harry hasn't really seen his father, but how he came to that conclusion is understandable. I wonder if anyone reading this for the first time thought that perhaps James really was alive?
He was thinking about his father and about his three oldest friends . . . Moony, Wormtail , Padfoot, and Prongs. . . . Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead. . . . Was it so impossible his father had done the same?
FFP: The last sentence comes up next chapter.
Me: How did you know that?
FFP: You realized it first.
Me: Okay, fine. I did.
Sirius, Remus, Snape, and the trio emerge from the Willow, and Hermione reminds Harry that they must stay put. Harry asks if this means they're going to let Pettigrew escape all over again; Hermione snaps that they couldn't find him even if they tried, and their mission is to help Buckbeak and Sirius.
Remus transforms, and Harry realizes Remus is about to run right at them. Whoops. They hurry back to Hagrid's hut, which is fortunately empty, and bolt the door. After a few minutes, Harry says he'll go outside again, so he can see what's going on. He reassures a suspicious Hermione that he isn't going to try anything else, and she relents. Harry can hear yelping in the distance, and knows the Dementors are about to close in. Harry realizes that the person who'd cast the Patronus is due to appear at any moment. He knows he said he must not be seen, but he has to know.
Oh, Harry.
Harry waits, but there's no sign of anyone coming to help. Harry mutters, "Where are you? Dad, come on-"
FFP: Screw Remus and Sirius, I want to hug Harry now.
Still no one comes. Harry realizes what happened - he hadn't seen his father; he had seen himself.
Harry pulls out his wand, and yells: "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Admit it: You heard Daniel Radcliffe yell it.
FFP: Oh, is he still in the movies by PoA? I thought they said the cast might change.
Me: ... oh, 2002.
Out of Harry's wand comes an animal that looks a bit like a horse, but it gallops too quickly for Harry to see. It turns back once the Dementors go bye-bye, and Harry realizes it's a stag.
It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realized . . .
“Prongs,” he whispered. But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished.
Heartstring tugging: Effective.
Harry whirls around to see Hermione dashing towards him furiously, Buckbeak in tow. She demands to know what the hell he was thinking.
Harry says that he just saved their lives, and tells her everything behind a bush. That he cast the Patronus, that he saw himself.
Hermione is impressed that he could do it; Harry says he was able to "because I'd already done it."
Snape has regained consciousness, and is conjuring stretchers for everyone. Hermione says they now have forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. Their cue comes when Macnair leaves the castle to get the Dementors.
Harry and Hermione get on Buckbeak, and Hermione keeps moaning about how uneasy she is. They finally reach Sirius's window, and tap sharply on the glass.
Sirius looks up, and his jaw drops. They magically open the window, and Sirius keeps saying "how- how?"
Harry tells Sirius to get on, as there isn't much time. Sirius gets on, and Harry tells Buckbeak to go to the tower. He does just that, and Harry and Hermione slide off.
Harry tells Sirius he'd better go quickly, but Sirius isn't listening. He asks what's happened to Ron, and they assure him Ron's fine, urging him for the second time to go.
But Sirius is still staring, and asks how he can ever thank him. After being shouted at to go the third time, Sirius gets the message, but not before telling Harry that he is truly his "father's son."
With that, they disappear into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Owl Post Again
Harry and Hermione hurry back down, overhearing Snape and Fudge in the process. Harry clenches his teeth as he catches Snape's smirk. Peeves is laughing, and Hermione says he's probably excited because the dementors are going to "finish off Sirius."
They get back in, and Dumbledore quietly asks them how it went. They affirm that it worked; Dumbledore lets them back in, and Madame Pomfrey asks if she's allowed to see to her patients now. Moments later, however, they're disturbed by a roar of fury.
Snape and Fudge are storming back towards the Hospital Wing, Fudge calmly suggesting Sirius Disapparated. Snape points out that this is impossible. Or, rather, shouts that this is impossible. He barges in, and immediately starts yelling at Harry.
Out of nowhere, Fudge says: "Calm down, man!" This seems rather... unlike Fudge. Is it possible this is another American translation gone awry? Was it originally "calm down, mate" in the UK version? Although even that sounds informal for Fudge.
But that isn't the point. Snape keeps shouting that he knows Harry had something to do with it, but nobody can prove Harry had left the Hospital Wing. Snape realizes he's made an ass of himself and leaves; Fudge says that Snape seems unbalanced. Dumbledore says he's just disappointed.
Fudge says he's not the only one - that The Daily Mail Prophet is going to "have a field day!" If Buckbeak's escape gets out, he'll be a laughingstock. All of this is far more worrisome than the fact that an escaped convict is on the lam again. Fudge, Fudge, Fudge.
Dumbledore asks if the Dementors will be removed, and Fudge says yes, they will - he'd never thought they would try and administer the Kiss on a innocent kid. Because they're known for their high moral standards. Fudge contemplates the possibility of dragons. Well, that would be one way to pay Hagrid back...
Dumbledore says that Hagrid would like that, and everyone leaves. Ron slowly wakes up, and asks where Sirius and Lupin are.
Harry tells Hermione to explain while he helps himself to chocolate.
The trio leave the Hospital Wing at noon, and wander onto the grounds. As they talk, Harry thinks about "Prongs", who had galloped across the lake the night before. His thoughts are interrupted by Hagrid, who happily tells them Buckbeak escaped. Ron almost starts to laugh, and Hermione gives him a dirty look.
Hagrid goes on to say that he was worried Remus might have hurt him, but that Remus said he never ate anything. (I kind of... don't want to know how Remus would know if he had. I can only guess, though, and it's not pretty.)
Harry quickly asks what he means, and Hagrid asks how he hadn't heard. Apparently at breakfast, Snape told all the Slytherins that Remus was a werewolf. "He's packin' now, o' course."
This alarms Harry, interestingly more so than Hagrid, who seems to think it perfectly logical that Remus would make a dash for it if anyone found out. Harry scrambles to his feet and says that he's going to see him.
FFP: Oh, Remus. Don't leave me.
Me: You?
FFP: Them, I mean.
Remus's office door is open, and he's packed most of his things. Remus is looking at the map, and smiles at Harry, saying he saw him coming.
Harry asks why Remus resigned, worrying that the Ministry of Magic suspects him of helping Sirius. Apparently Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that Remus was trying to save their lives. It was the final straw for Snape, so he "accidentally" let it all slip.
Harry can't believe Remus is leaving "just because of that," but he is. He says that parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children, and that he has to see their point, because he could have bitten any of them.
If there's one thing I've gotten out of Remus's character in this book, it's that he tries so hard to escape the past and avoid trouble. Who he is, who he's been, etc. And when he has to deal with it, he doesn't handle it well at all. We'll see Remus do similar things later on in the books; this time, Remus has an excuse. Although I still love Remus's character, I think he's more trouble than he tended to be portrayed in fandom. And in some strange way, I love his character more for it.
Harry insists that Remus mustn't leave, but Remus keeps packing. Finally he tells Harry that he's proud of him, and asks Harry to tell him about his Patronus. When Harry does, Remus smiles again, and says that James was indeed a stag.
Remus goes on to return both the cloak and the map. Harry remembers that Remus said MWPP would have found it funny if they'd lured Harry out of school; Remus says he knows for a fact that James would have been very disappointed had Harry never found Secret Passages out of school. Aw.
Dumbledore knocks on the door, and tells Remus that his carriage is at the gates. He tells Harry that it's been a pleasure, and he is sure they'll meet again. He tells Dumbledore he doesn't need to be accompanied, and Harry thinks he wants to leave as fast as possible.
Harry sits in Remus's old chair, and Dumbledore asks what's wrong; Harry says nothing he did made any difference. Dumbledore contradicts him, saying he saved Sirius from a terrible fate.
Harry then remembers Trelawney's prediction, and relays it to DD. Dumbledore looks impressed, and says that "this brings her total of real predictions up to two."
Harry isn't placated. He says that if it comes true, that if Peter joins Voldemort, it's his (Harry's) fault. Dumbledore assures Harry that he did a noble thing, and adds that Peter now owes a life debt to Harry - something Voldemort does not want in a servant.
(This is where fandom exploded right up to DH, wondering when and how it would be honored. Or even if it would be.)
Dumbledore goes on to say that he knew James very well, and that he's sure James would've done the same thing. Harry admits he thought it was James who saved them the night before. They discuss the point, and Dumbledore finally tells Harry that James is alive in him, and that "Prongs rode again last night."
Okay, so I thought it was Remus, not Dumbledore, who said that. Otherwise, I remembered it quite accurately.
The school is buzzing with theories, but of course nobody's comes close to what really happened. Draco is upset that Buckbeak escaped (what the hell is wrong with that kid?) and can't believe that anyone would dare dupe a Malfoy. Believe it.
Harry isn't the only one who misses Remus; every single one of his classmates is miserable. Seamus asks who they'll have next year, and Dean suggests a vampire. (This is some weird real life foreshadowing, considering how many Remus fen became ardent Twilight fans after DH.) But it isn't just Remus's departure that's troubling Harry - he can't forget Trelawney's prediction, nor the lost promise of a happy life with Sirius.
He passed all of his courses, including Potions, although Snape appears to hate him more than usual. Percy's N.E.W.T.S. are top-grade, and Fred and George "scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each." Okay then. Gryffindor wins the Championship, and at last, Harry manages to be happy.
FFP: Skip to the good part!
Me: I'm trying, I really am! But that's the end too, you know.
FFP: I know.
Hermione announces on the train back that she's decided to drop Muggle Studies. Ron still can't believe she didn't tell them. Harry looks miserable again, and she tells him to "cheer up!" Ron says Harry will have to come to the Quidditch World Cup with them this summer.
They talk and snack a bit, and Hermione notices a small gray thing coming towards them.
FFP: PIGWIDGEON!
Well, that'll be the name, at any rate.
It's a letter from Sirius.
Dear Harry, I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don’t know whether they’re used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won’t tell you where, in case this falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about the owl’s reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they haven’t a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt -
Hermione takes the opportunity to say she told them so.
We also learn that it was Sirius who was spying on Harry that night when he'd left the Dursley's. He tells Harry to write him anytime, and that he has something enclosed in the letter. It's a permission slip to go to Hogsmeade, which ought to be good enough for Dumbledore.
There's a postscript, too, saying that Ron can keep the owl. Ron asks Crookshanks for approval; when he gets it, Ron says "that's good enough for me."
When they get to King's Cross, Harry greets the Dursleys defiantly. He tells them that he has a godfather, who was Lily and James's best friend. He goes on to say that Sirius is on the run after escaping prison, but likes to check up on Harry now and then, make sure he's happy.
Vernon looks horrified, and Harry has a feeling this will be a much better summer.
So... there you have it. It's over.
Like I said when I began, PoA was my favorite Harry Potter book. I'd probably have to re-read all of the others to judge fairly, but as of now, I'd say that's still true. It sets the tone for the next several books - and nobody does so more than the Marauders.
Fandom held the Marauders up on a pedestal, and I think sometimes it was slightly misplaced. I think we overlooked a huge part of MWPP, the part of them that was, in Remus's own words, too clever for their own good. And it wasn't even just the Marauders, but Lily and Snape too. In a lot of ways, the trio appear to be who the Marauders could have been. They're forced to face distrust and betrayal in PoA, and it won't end here. But they come back from it, and they come back strong, in a way the Marauders were never really allowed to. I plan on elaborating more on this point later.
And now... well.
FFP: I have to go back?
Me: Yeah. You do.
FFP: So... what's going to happen next?
Me: I can't tell you that.
FFP: Just... be vague about it.
Me: Well... things are going to get darker, for sure. You'll find out things about characters you never imagined, but it'll make sense in the end. Some will even surprise you. Characters will be lost, ones you really like, but you get some really cool new ones too... in the end, it works out. You'll be happy.
FFP: For once, I was talking about real life.
Me: ... oh. Well. I guess the same applies, doesn't it?
FFP: Yeah. Heh.
Me: Enjoy your nerdy enthusiasm while you can, FFP. You'll make fun of yourself for it someday, but you'll also miss that part of yourself. The part of yourself that's going to go home and write all about this on LJ with purple font everyone hates.
FFP: People hate my purple font?
Me: Oh, one more thing - don't ask for a new CD player for your birthday. Something way more awesome's coming along soon. It's called an iPod.
FFP: Whatever you say. I really should go, I don't want to be late for English. It's not as cool as DADA would be, but...
Me: Got it.
FFP: Mischief managed?
Me: Mischief managed.
Next: Is the movie as awful as I remembered it? Or should I have given Kloves a little more credit?
*Hug with enthusiasm. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it means. I was never really clear on that...
FFP: Wow.
Me: Yeah, it's been... interesting, to say the least. Although we do still have the movie. Which you can't watch, because it would be a time discrepancy as it came out in 2004. You know how that timey wimey stuff goes.
FFP: ... timey wimey?
Me: Doctor Who.
FFP: Doctor who?
Me: ... you have so much yet to nerd, grasshopper.
Ahem.
So last time, Harry had fainted, but not before thinking he saw He Who Cannot Have Been. Sirius was about to be Kissed by the Dementors. Can Harry save the day - again?
Chapter Twenty-One: Hermione's Secret
Harry wakes up in the Hospital Wing to Fudge and Snape talking outside the door. In summary, Snape takes credit for finding the trio and Sirius, who he says confunded the trio. (It's interesting how he's sure to let them off, and makes no mention of Remus. This might be mostly to avoid Dumbledore's wrath, but still.) Harry opens his eyes, and sees that he's in the Hospital Wing.
Harry and Hermione ask how Ron is; Madame Pomfrey says he'll live. That's... semi-encouraging. Harry sits up and says he has to see Dumbledore at once; Madame Pomfrey, thinking she's doing Harry a favor, "assures" him that Sirius is being held and awaiting the Kiss.
Understandably, this upsets Harry and Hermione, who jump out of bed and start arguing. Snape and Fudge run inside, and they try telling Fudge the truth. Naturally Fudge is in disbelief, and Snape encourages the disbelief by saying this is what he meant by "confunded." Pomfrey asks them to please stop distressing a thirteen year old boy who has almost had his soul sucked out, and shoves chocolate in Harry's mouth.
Dumbledore comes in, and says he needs a word with Harry and Hermione, as he was just with Sirius. Snape asks if he heard the same "fairy tale"; all Dumbledore says is, "that is, indeed, Black's story."
Snape asks Dumbledore if what he witnessed was worth nothing; Hermione argues that he didn't hear the whole story. I think 87 points just got taken from Gryffindor. Snape yells at her, and Fudge says that as Hermione is "disturbed in her mind," he should go easy on her.
Dumbledore asks again to speak to Harry and Hermione alone; Snape steps forward and asks if Dumbledore remembers that Sirius tried to kill him. Dumbledore says his memory's as good as ever.
As soon as they're alone, Hermione and harry start talking at the same time, telling him everything in broken sentences. Dumbledore finally stops them, and says it is their turn to listen. He says there is not a shred of proof to support their story, and the MoM is not about to believe three teenagers. Harry mentions Remus, but beyond the fact that he's currently transformed, as he's a werewolf, his word wouldn't be taken seriously. (Dumbledore doesn't say this, but knowing what we do later on, I imagine Remus could actually end up getting into a lot of trouble for having been in Sirius's company.) It doesn't help that he was friends with Sirius.
Dumbledore goes on to say that it is too late; furthermore, he points out that "Sirius has not acted like an innocent man."
FFP: I want to glomp* the guy and even I think he acted like a mad man.
Me: Well, there you go.
They ask if Dumbledore believes them; Dumbledore says he absolutely does. And yet: "I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic."
The significance of this is not lost on Harry. He realizes that for the first time, Dumbledore can't save the day. He'd always taken for granted that Dumbledore could help them, but he can't. I'd like to go further than that, however, and point out the next several books. Dumbledore slowly goes from being an almost omniscient, infallible figure to a genius with a dark, very fallible side who sometimes puts the fight over the people behind it. Moreover, he can't stop or change everyone. It takes effort. Sometimes people have to do the fighting themselves, as Harry and Hermione are about to find out.
Dumbledore slowly tells them that what they need is more time. His eyes meet Hermione's, and hers become round. She says, realizing what he's telling her, "oh!"
Dumbledore tells Hermione exactly where Sirius is, and that if all goes according to plan, more than one life might be saved. He has one word of caution - they must not be seen. Dumbledore goes on to say he's going to lock them in, and tells them what time it is. (Five minutes to midnight, if you're curious. Ten points to Hufflepuff - FFP's Hogwarts house according to the quiz she took yesterday - if you already knew that.) "Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."
Hermione pulls a long, fine gold chain from under her robes, and throws an hour glass over their necks without explanation. Harry's still utterly confused, but Hermione ignores him, turning the hourglass three times.
The ward dissolves, and Harry feels like he's flying backwards very quickly. A blur of colors and shapes rush past him, his ears are pounding... when he tries to call out, he can't hear himself...
When the world comes back into focus, he and Hermione are in the entrance hall, with a stream of golden sunlight falling across the grounds. Hermione seizes Harry and pulls him into a broom closet; she whispers that they've gone back in time, and that she thinks she can hear Trio of Trios Past passing them. (Did you guys follow that?) Harry asks if they're really in two places at once, and Hermione listens to where they're going. She sits down anxiously, and Harry asks her where she got "that thing."
We learn that it's called a Time-Turner. It turns out that's how she's been taking so many courses; apparently McGonagall had to write a lot of letters to the MoM to get approval.
Hermione can't understand how this will help Sirius, though, if it's three hours before. Harry says there must be something now that he wants to change. Let's play a game - what awful thing happened to the trio in the past, say, three hours they would probably want to change?
A. Hermione found out she got an A- on her Potions exam.
B. Neville forgot what he'd forgotten in his dormitory and had to rush back up for.
C. Their friend's pet Hippogriff was executed.
If you chose C, you'd be correct!
Harry realizes after a lot of concentration (to be fair, with everything that just happened, Buckbeak's execution is probably a distant memory of yore) that they're going to save Buckbeak, fly to the window of Flitwick's office, and Sirius can escape there. Actually, he got to the rest of it a lot faster than I would have.
Hermione looks terrified, and says it'll be a miracle if they can pull it off; but of course, they have to try.
They make their way towards Hagrid's, and hide behind the trunk of a tree. Harry hears himself telling Hagrid they're there, under the invisibility cloak. He says that this is "the weirdest thing we've ever done."
Even with everything else they have to do, I'm not sure anything ever tops that.
They move closer to Buckbeak, and Harry whispers if this is where they steal him. But the Committee has to see that he's outside, or they'll think that Hagrid set him free.
They hear past!Hermione find Scabbers/Peter, and Harry suggests running in to get him. But they're already breaking one of the most important laws. Moreover, if they were seen, they could end up attacking themselves, thinking there was Dark Magic involved. According to McGonagall, many instances occurred where wizards did in fact accidentally murder their past or future selves. I can't even imagine the psychological horror that would cause someone.
Dumbledore, Fudge, the Committee Member and Macnair head out of the castle. Past!Trio subsequently leave Hagrid's hut, but don't go far before pleading once again for Hagrid to let them help him. They leave, and Macnair and company enter. They leave the door ajar as they enter Hagrid's hut.
Macnair coldly asks, "where's the beast?" You just know he loves "having" to do these sorts of things. Harry ducks as Macnair looks out to see if Buckbeak is, indeed, there. Fudge says they have to read the official notice of execution, and to his credit, he sounds awkward about it. Macnair's face vanishes, and Harry says it's "now or never," and goes towards Buckbeak.
As Fudge reads the notice, Harry looks into Buckbeak's eyes once more and bows. Buckbeak sinks to his knees and stands back up. Harry begins to untie him, saying "we're going to help you."
But instead of moving, Buckbeak digs his front feet into the ground and won't budge. The committee member tells Hagrid it might be better if Hagrid waited inside, but Hagrid says he doesn't want Buckbeak to be alone. Oh, Hagrid.
Harry hisses for Buckbeak to move, and he finally does, if irritably. Hermione is mouthing for Harry to hurry. When they're not making very fast progress, she rushes to help, and they move with Buckbeak together until they're out of sight.
Hagrid's back door opens, and the three of them sit very still. Even Buckbeak seems to be listening.
The Committee member asks where the "beast" is, and Macnair says he just saw him. Dumbledore seems amused, calling this "extraordinary." Hagrid can only muster a, "Beaky!"
Once again, they hear the thud of an axe, and howling - but this time, they can also hear what Hagrid is saying.
"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone!"
Buckbeak struggles to get to Hagrid, and Harry and Hermione stop him. Macnair snarls that someone must have untied him, and they must search the grounds at once. Dumbledore lightly suggests they should search the skies instead, as a thief wouldn't have led him away on foot.
Here's a question - was it really future Dumbledore, and not Dumbledore of three hours ago? But then what was past!Dumbledore doing? Either this is future Dumbledore, or past!Dumbledore had a feeling something like this would happen for whatever reason.
Hermione says they'll have to wait a few hours; Harry adds that they'll want to move towards the Whomping Willow. They move towards the forest and hide again, watching themselves get attacked and entering the Willow. Just moments later, the Spanish Inquisition passes quite close by. Hermione laments that Dumbledore didn't come with them, but Harry points out that Macnair would have just killed Sirius on the spot.
Only a few minutes later, they see Remus rushing by. Meanwhile, clouds are obscuring the moon. So wait... do clouds have to shift from the Full Moon for a transformation to take place? If so, wouldn't they just not transform on cloudy nights? The moon's not always visible, after all. Maybe JKR's just going for imagery here.
Harry realizes Remus completely missed the cloak, and goes to grab it himself; Hermione seizes Harry back down, and almost immediately, Hagrid passes, singing at the top of his lungs. He's holding a large bottle. Apparently when Hagrid's pet Hippogriff evades execution, his first instinct is to get pissed. Alrighty then.
Hermione whispers a good old fashioned "told you so." Poor Buckbeak struggles to get to Hagrid, and his head drops sadly. Poor thing.
Snape comes along, grabs the cloak, and goes into the Willow. More waiting.
While they sit, Hermione tells Harry she doesn't know how on earth the Dementors didn't get them. Harry tells Hermione what he'd seen, and her mouth drops open. "But what was it?"
Oh, this scene...
Harry tells her only a powerful Patronus could have made the Dementors retreat like that. He knows who he thinks it was, but doesn't know how it's possible, so he's hesitant to tell Hermione what he thinks he saw. Hermione asks if it was a teacher; Harry says no, it wasn't a teacher. After some prodding, he tells her: "I think it was my Dad."
Hermione stares at him with both "alarm and pity." After a minute, she quietly says that he's dead. She asks if it was his ghost, but he looked solid, and Harry knows what his father looks like because of the photos.
Hermione looks as though she's worried about his mental health. Harry quickly says he "knows it sounds crazy."
I have to point out that this is the second time he's been accused of being crazy for saying something that is, in context, perfectly logical. Of course Harry hasn't really seen his father, but how he came to that conclusion is understandable. I wonder if anyone reading this for the first time thought that perhaps James really was alive?
He was thinking about his father and about his three oldest friends . . . Moony, Wormtail , Padfoot, and Prongs. . . . Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead. . . . Was it so impossible his father had done the same?
FFP: The last sentence comes up next chapter.
Me: How did you know that?
FFP: You realized it first.
Me: Okay, fine. I did.
Sirius, Remus, Snape, and the trio emerge from the Willow, and Hermione reminds Harry that they must stay put. Harry asks if this means they're going to let Pettigrew escape all over again; Hermione snaps that they couldn't find him even if they tried, and their mission is to help Buckbeak and Sirius.
Remus transforms, and Harry realizes Remus is about to run right at them. Whoops. They hurry back to Hagrid's hut, which is fortunately empty, and bolt the door. After a few minutes, Harry says he'll go outside again, so he can see what's going on. He reassures a suspicious Hermione that he isn't going to try anything else, and she relents. Harry can hear yelping in the distance, and knows the Dementors are about to close in. Harry realizes that the person who'd cast the Patronus is due to appear at any moment. He knows he said he must not be seen, but he has to know.
Oh, Harry.
Harry waits, but there's no sign of anyone coming to help. Harry mutters, "Where are you? Dad, come on-"
FFP: Screw Remus and Sirius, I want to hug Harry now.
Still no one comes. Harry realizes what happened - he hadn't seen his father; he had seen himself.
Harry pulls out his wand, and yells: "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Admit it: You heard Daniel Radcliffe yell it.
FFP: Oh, is he still in the movies by PoA? I thought they said the cast might change.
Me: ... oh, 2002.
Out of Harry's wand comes an animal that looks a bit like a horse, but it gallops too quickly for Harry to see. It turns back once the Dementors go bye-bye, and Harry realizes it's a stag.
It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realized . . .
“Prongs,” he whispered. But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished.
Heartstring tugging: Effective.
Harry whirls around to see Hermione dashing towards him furiously, Buckbeak in tow. She demands to know what the hell he was thinking.
Harry says that he just saved their lives, and tells her everything behind a bush. That he cast the Patronus, that he saw himself.
Hermione is impressed that he could do it; Harry says he was able to "because I'd already done it."
Snape has regained consciousness, and is conjuring stretchers for everyone. Hermione says they now have forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. Their cue comes when Macnair leaves the castle to get the Dementors.
Harry and Hermione get on Buckbeak, and Hermione keeps moaning about how uneasy she is. They finally reach Sirius's window, and tap sharply on the glass.
Sirius looks up, and his jaw drops. They magically open the window, and Sirius keeps saying "how- how?"
Harry tells Sirius to get on, as there isn't much time. Sirius gets on, and Harry tells Buckbeak to go to the tower. He does just that, and Harry and Hermione slide off.
Harry tells Sirius he'd better go quickly, but Sirius isn't listening. He asks what's happened to Ron, and they assure him Ron's fine, urging him for the second time to go.
But Sirius is still staring, and asks how he can ever thank him. After being shouted at to go the third time, Sirius gets the message, but not before telling Harry that he is truly his "father's son."
With that, they disappear into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Owl Post Again
Harry and Hermione hurry back down, overhearing Snape and Fudge in the process. Harry clenches his teeth as he catches Snape's smirk. Peeves is laughing, and Hermione says he's probably excited because the dementors are going to "finish off Sirius."
They get back in, and Dumbledore quietly asks them how it went. They affirm that it worked; Dumbledore lets them back in, and Madame Pomfrey asks if she's allowed to see to her patients now. Moments later, however, they're disturbed by a roar of fury.
Snape and Fudge are storming back towards the Hospital Wing, Fudge calmly suggesting Sirius Disapparated. Snape points out that this is impossible. Or, rather, shouts that this is impossible. He barges in, and immediately starts yelling at Harry.
Out of nowhere, Fudge says: "Calm down, man!" This seems rather... unlike Fudge. Is it possible this is another American translation gone awry? Was it originally "calm down, mate" in the UK version? Although even that sounds informal for Fudge.
But that isn't the point. Snape keeps shouting that he knows Harry had something to do with it, but nobody can prove Harry had left the Hospital Wing. Snape realizes he's made an ass of himself and leaves; Fudge says that Snape seems unbalanced. Dumbledore says he's just disappointed.
Fudge says he's not the only one - that The Daily Mail Prophet is going to "have a field day!" If Buckbeak's escape gets out, he'll be a laughingstock. All of this is far more worrisome than the fact that an escaped convict is on the lam again. Fudge, Fudge, Fudge.
Dumbledore asks if the Dementors will be removed, and Fudge says yes, they will - he'd never thought they would try and administer the Kiss on a innocent kid. Because they're known for their high moral standards. Fudge contemplates the possibility of dragons. Well, that would be one way to pay Hagrid back...
Dumbledore says that Hagrid would like that, and everyone leaves. Ron slowly wakes up, and asks where Sirius and Lupin are.
Harry tells Hermione to explain while he helps himself to chocolate.
The trio leave the Hospital Wing at noon, and wander onto the grounds. As they talk, Harry thinks about "Prongs", who had galloped across the lake the night before. His thoughts are interrupted by Hagrid, who happily tells them Buckbeak escaped. Ron almost starts to laugh, and Hermione gives him a dirty look.
Hagrid goes on to say that he was worried Remus might have hurt him, but that Remus said he never ate anything. (I kind of... don't want to know how Remus would know if he had. I can only guess, though, and it's not pretty.)
Harry quickly asks what he means, and Hagrid asks how he hadn't heard. Apparently at breakfast, Snape told all the Slytherins that Remus was a werewolf. "He's packin' now, o' course."
This alarms Harry, interestingly more so than Hagrid, who seems to think it perfectly logical that Remus would make a dash for it if anyone found out. Harry scrambles to his feet and says that he's going to see him.
FFP: Oh, Remus. Don't leave me.
Me: You?
FFP: Them, I mean.
Remus's office door is open, and he's packed most of his things. Remus is looking at the map, and smiles at Harry, saying he saw him coming.
Harry asks why Remus resigned, worrying that the Ministry of Magic suspects him of helping Sirius. Apparently Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that Remus was trying to save their lives. It was the final straw for Snape, so he "accidentally" let it all slip.
Harry can't believe Remus is leaving "just because of that," but he is. He says that parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children, and that he has to see their point, because he could have bitten any of them.
If there's one thing I've gotten out of Remus's character in this book, it's that he tries so hard to escape the past and avoid trouble. Who he is, who he's been, etc. And when he has to deal with it, he doesn't handle it well at all. We'll see Remus do similar things later on in the books; this time, Remus has an excuse. Although I still love Remus's character, I think he's more trouble than he tended to be portrayed in fandom. And in some strange way, I love his character more for it.
Harry insists that Remus mustn't leave, but Remus keeps packing. Finally he tells Harry that he's proud of him, and asks Harry to tell him about his Patronus. When Harry does, Remus smiles again, and says that James was indeed a stag.
Remus goes on to return both the cloak and the map. Harry remembers that Remus said MWPP would have found it funny if they'd lured Harry out of school; Remus says he knows for a fact that James would have been very disappointed had Harry never found Secret Passages out of school. Aw.
Dumbledore knocks on the door, and tells Remus that his carriage is at the gates. He tells Harry that it's been a pleasure, and he is sure they'll meet again. He tells Dumbledore he doesn't need to be accompanied, and Harry thinks he wants to leave as fast as possible.
Harry sits in Remus's old chair, and Dumbledore asks what's wrong; Harry says nothing he did made any difference. Dumbledore contradicts him, saying he saved Sirius from a terrible fate.
Harry then remembers Trelawney's prediction, and relays it to DD. Dumbledore looks impressed, and says that "this brings her total of real predictions up to two."
Harry isn't placated. He says that if it comes true, that if Peter joins Voldemort, it's his (Harry's) fault. Dumbledore assures Harry that he did a noble thing, and adds that Peter now owes a life debt to Harry - something Voldemort does not want in a servant.
(This is where fandom exploded right up to DH, wondering when and how it would be honored. Or even if it would be.)
Dumbledore goes on to say that he knew James very well, and that he's sure James would've done the same thing. Harry admits he thought it was James who saved them the night before. They discuss the point, and Dumbledore finally tells Harry that James is alive in him, and that "Prongs rode again last night."
Okay, so I thought it was Remus, not Dumbledore, who said that. Otherwise, I remembered it quite accurately.
The school is buzzing with theories, but of course nobody's comes close to what really happened. Draco is upset that Buckbeak escaped (what the hell is wrong with that kid?) and can't believe that anyone would dare dupe a Malfoy. Believe it.
Harry isn't the only one who misses Remus; every single one of his classmates is miserable. Seamus asks who they'll have next year, and Dean suggests a vampire. (This is some weird real life foreshadowing, considering how many Remus fen became ardent Twilight fans after DH.) But it isn't just Remus's departure that's troubling Harry - he can't forget Trelawney's prediction, nor the lost promise of a happy life with Sirius.
He passed all of his courses, including Potions, although Snape appears to hate him more than usual. Percy's N.E.W.T.S. are top-grade, and Fred and George "scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each." Okay then. Gryffindor wins the Championship, and at last, Harry manages to be happy.
FFP: Skip to the good part!
Me: I'm trying, I really am! But that's the end too, you know.
FFP: I know.
Hermione announces on the train back that she's decided to drop Muggle Studies. Ron still can't believe she didn't tell them. Harry looks miserable again, and she tells him to "cheer up!" Ron says Harry will have to come to the Quidditch World Cup with them this summer.
They talk and snack a bit, and Hermione notices a small gray thing coming towards them.
FFP: PIGWIDGEON!
Well, that'll be the name, at any rate.
It's a letter from Sirius.
Dear Harry, I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don’t know whether they’re used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won’t tell you where, in case this falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about the owl’s reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they haven’t a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt -
Hermione takes the opportunity to say she told them so.
We also learn that it was Sirius who was spying on Harry that night when he'd left the Dursley's. He tells Harry to write him anytime, and that he has something enclosed in the letter. It's a permission slip to go to Hogsmeade, which ought to be good enough for Dumbledore.
There's a postscript, too, saying that Ron can keep the owl. Ron asks Crookshanks for approval; when he gets it, Ron says "that's good enough for me."
When they get to King's Cross, Harry greets the Dursleys defiantly. He tells them that he has a godfather, who was Lily and James's best friend. He goes on to say that Sirius is on the run after escaping prison, but likes to check up on Harry now and then, make sure he's happy.
Vernon looks horrified, and Harry has a feeling this will be a much better summer.
So... there you have it. It's over.
Like I said when I began, PoA was my favorite Harry Potter book. I'd probably have to re-read all of the others to judge fairly, but as of now, I'd say that's still true. It sets the tone for the next several books - and nobody does so more than the Marauders.
Fandom held the Marauders up on a pedestal, and I think sometimes it was slightly misplaced. I think we overlooked a huge part of MWPP, the part of them that was, in Remus's own words, too clever for their own good. And it wasn't even just the Marauders, but Lily and Snape too. In a lot of ways, the trio appear to be who the Marauders could have been. They're forced to face distrust and betrayal in PoA, and it won't end here. But they come back from it, and they come back strong, in a way the Marauders were never really allowed to. I plan on elaborating more on this point later.
And now... well.
FFP: I have to go back?
Me: Yeah. You do.
FFP: So... what's going to happen next?
Me: I can't tell you that.
FFP: Just... be vague about it.
Me: Well... things are going to get darker, for sure. You'll find out things about characters you never imagined, but it'll make sense in the end. Some will even surprise you. Characters will be lost, ones you really like, but you get some really cool new ones too... in the end, it works out. You'll be happy.
FFP: For once, I was talking about real life.
Me: ... oh. Well. I guess the same applies, doesn't it?
FFP: Yeah. Heh.
Me: Enjoy your nerdy enthusiasm while you can, FFP. You'll make fun of yourself for it someday, but you'll also miss that part of yourself. The part of yourself that's going to go home and write all about this on LJ with purple font everyone hates.
FFP: People hate my purple font?
Me: Oh, one more thing - don't ask for a new CD player for your birthday. Something way more awesome's coming along soon. It's called an iPod.
FFP: Whatever you say. I really should go, I don't want to be late for English. It's not as cool as DADA would be, but...
Me: Got it.
FFP: Mischief managed?
Me: Mischief managed.
Next: Is the movie as awful as I remembered it? Or should I have given Kloves a little more credit?
*Hug with enthusiasm. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it means. I was never really clear on that...