Deathly Hallows Chapter 21

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

The Tale of the Three Brothers

This chapter starts with the Trio giving each other stupid looks. How appropriate.

Xenophilius then explains that hardly anyone knows about the Deathly Hallows. I’d like you to remember that little fact. I think it’s going to come in handy later on in the next chapter when I go on an extended rant about this quest. Consider yourself warned.

Xenophilius heaps scorn on Viktor for attacking him for wearing the DH symbol. This is sort of a nice analogy to the Swastika, which is a sacred symbol in some cultures, but it indicates that Grindelwald was known for using that symbol in his Nazi war—which begs the question of why nobody recognizes it as his, except for one foreigner.

Grindelwald’s War: The Most Famous War that Nobody Knows Anything About.

Unsurprisingly, Infusion of Gurdyroot tastes vile. Harry should have picked up that hint from the amount of sugar Xenophilius added to his. But it wouldn’t be Gryffindorish to cravenly sweeten things with sugar.

Xenophilius goes on to say that Believers (in the Deathly Hallows, I guess), seek the Deathly Hallows and that it all starts with “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”

Hermione pulls out her copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which, according to Hermione and Xenophilius, is the original. The original copy? Or just the original tales without translation? Well, it hardly matters. What does matter is that this book is written in Ancient Runes, and I’m pretty amazed that Hermione is able to translate it on the fly.

I would chalk it up to Hermione’s amazing cleverness if there were any hesitation at all in her reading. Since there isn’t, I’m going to chalk it up to JKR forgetting that the book is written in another language.

So, what to say about this fairy tale? I really have only one comment and that comes from having read a bunch of fairy tales. The three brothers structure is very common, and JKR follows it by having the youngest brother be the most successful.

But what strikes a wrong note to me is the judgmental attitude of “Beedle.” In all the real fairy tales, the younger brother wins out either by being kind (he helps random strangers or animals), or by doing something stupid that turns out to be unexpectedly right.

So, the moral of these stories is that one should be kind or think out of the box. Now, the youngest brother in this story is just using common sense. But the other two are “combative” and “arrogant.” Okay, usually the older brothers are arrogant, but we don’t need the narrator telling us that.

So, anyway, the two older brothers choose the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, but the “wise” brother gets an Invisibility Cloak. Naturally, the first two gifts turn out to be terrible and the brothers die horribly. But I don’t think the youngest brother gets the best of it, since he ends up hiding under the cloak for the rest of his life.

By the way, he gives the Cloak to his son just before he dies. I can’t help wondering how he managed to have kids or hold down a job while invisible. That probably made for some interesting family dynamics.

Lovegood, after staring out the window in a highly suspicious manner, explains that the three objects are known (by those who are in on the secret quest) as the Deathly Hallows. The one person who can possess all three at the same time will become the Master of Death.

Which, he explains, means the “Conquerer” or “Vanquisher” of death. Are we seriously thinking that this means the person becomes immortal?

You know, I never really thought about what “Master of Death” was all about. When I first read this, I just thought it was really stupid idea of a quest. But now I’m wondering why Dumbledore would even be on this fool’s errand in the first place. Isn’t he the person who described death as the next big adventure? Why would he even want to become immortal?

And, even if we think it was just because he was a teenager (like teenagers worry about their mortality in the first place!), he was still fascinated enough as an old man to practically steal James’s cloak, and kill himself over the stone.

Maybe he got into the quest because his mother had just died? Maybe he wanted a chance to yell at her for getting killed and leaving him with the burdens of family when he was all set to go on his cool trip around the world.

Hermione and Lovegood get into a new argument when Hermione expresses skepticism that such objects would actually exist. Since Harry owns the Invisibility Cloak and since the Elder Wand shows up in the history books, Hermione pretty much loses the argument.

I do like the rhetorical trick that Lovegood plays on Hermione when he challenges her to prove that the Resurrection Stone does not exist. It’s at times like this that I think better of JKR than to assume that Hermione is her stand-in. Hermione ends up looking like a real fool in this exchange.

I would like it better if it didn’t seem like this argument is more padding than substance. It’s unproductive to argue over whether these objects exist. I’d prefer a discussion about how they are supposed to conquer death and why anyone would even want to do that.

Hermione then asks about the Peverells (because of the symbol she saw on Ignotus Peverell’s grave) and learns that there were three Peverell brothers and they were supposedly the three brothers in the tale.

Xenophilius goes downstairs to get soup and the Trio discuss this information. According to Ron and Hermione, it’s all rubbish. But they do have a Significant Moment when all three of them choose a different object as the best one. Hermione chooses the cloak, Ron chooses the wand, and Harry chooses the stone.

Since it’s our choices that show who we are in this universe, this must say something about each of the Trio. It shows that Hermione will suck up to an author even if he’s dead. Ron is flashy and wants power—even though he’s never sought it in his life. And Harry just wants to see his loved ones again—so they can tell him what to do.

Then they discuss the oddity of actually having the Invisibility Cloak. Ron, who was the person who told Harry what an invisibility cloak was, finally notices that Harry’s cloak is extra-special, unlike those common invisibility cloaks.

Harry is so used to having extra-special magical objects tossed at him that he stops to wonder if his holly-and-phoenix-feather wand might not just be the fabulous Elder Wand. Then he remembers that holly and elder wood are not the same and that his wand is currently in two pieces, which doesn’t seem very fabulous.

While Ron and Hermione bicker about something boring, Harry notices his face staring down from the room above them. He climbs up the stair to Luna’s bedroom, which has the faces of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville painted on the ceiling. As if this wasn’t creepy enough, the portraits are joined by golden chains formed from the word friends written over and over again, thousands of times.

Oh. My. God. Even if I didn’t notice the psycho-killer vibe that Xenophilius had been giving off for the last chapter and a half, this would definitely get me running. This is way creepier than Snape’s “greedy” looks. By several thousand orders of multiples.

I think JKR sees this as charming and artistic. It’s not. It’s scary crazy. It’s the sort of thing that Fundamentalist Christian parents are afraid their kids will start doing after reading a book where magic is not only real, but you can learn how to do it. Because, in a book about magic, what can the words friends written over and over again in golden chains be but some kind of magic ritual?

Heh. The paintings are actually described as having a “kind of magic,” although they don’t move—as magical portraits are supposed to do. That would have been even more disturbing. I’m now imagining Luna talking to her imaginary portrait friends. Like Robert DeNiro with his cardboard cutout talk show guests in The King of Comedy.

Of course, Harry finds this tribute to his awesomeness sweet. What disturbs him is the dust in the room. This is a boy who had mulch in his school trunk, but now he’s weirded out by dust.

He also notices that Xenophilius has only set four bowls of soup on the tray he lugged up the spiral staircase. (Why not just levitate it, eh?)

From these clues, Harry deduces that Luna is not, as Xenophilius stated, catching plimpies at all! Yay, Harry! You finally realized what the reader knew in the last chapter!

So, the Trio draw their wands on Xenophilius and he stammers out that Luna was “taken” and, if he turns Harry in, maybe “they” will give her back.

I see where I was confused about all this. Harry jumps to the conclusion that “they” are the Ministry. But the people who show up are Death Eaters. So, I guess they are the same thing? But then, why even bother to have a puppet minister? Wouldn’t people figure out that Voldemort is in charge if the Aurors are suddenly wearing Death Eater masks?

Anyway, the rest of it is also confusing—I couldn’t follow it at all when I first read it. And, at the time, I had no desire to go back and monitor for clarity. But, what happens is this: The Death Eaters arrive, distracting the Trio and allowing Xenophilius to shoot a stunning spell. The spell misses them and hits the Erumpent /Snorkack Horn, which explodes. The explosion rips apart the room and Xenophilius falls down the spiral staircase into the kitchen.

Hermione signals Harry to be quiet—as opposed to signaling him to get the hell out of there—as the Death Eaters crash open the door below.

I love how the Death Eaters (Travers and Selwyn) assume that this is a false alarm. Apparently they didn’t notice the colossal explosion that just ripped the house apart. Instead of investigating that, Selwyn proceeds to magically beat Xenophilius up, complaining about his trying to trade the homemade Ravenclaw headdress for his daughter a week ago, and to trade proof of the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks the week before that.

Two things: How long is the Holiday Vacation anyway? Remember that we’re only a few days after Christmas here. The kids must have been let out of school mid-December.

And, why would anyone think that Death Eaters would be interested in Crumple-Horned Snorkacks?

Anyway, while Selwyn is torturing Lovegood, Travers checks out the story by casting Hominem Revelio, which lets him know that there is at least one person above the now-blocked staircase.

All of this gives Harry time to start digging himself out of the rubble. And to note that, typically, Ron has managed to be pull the low grade in surviving random explosions by getting himself buried deepest and having to be helped out by the others.

Meanwhile, Hermione has come up with a cunning plan. This involves throwing the Invisibility Cloak over Ron, and then blasting a hole through the floor. As she and Harry fall visibly (and Ron falls invisibly), she manages to Apparate them all mid-air.

Reading this now, I see that the situation is made even more confusing because we don’t know what Hermione’s plan was in this chapter, or why she wanted to do it. We’ll get the explanation later on.

But, as I said, I wasn’t about to go back and try to figure out what went on. At the time, I was searching for the good parts in the book far harder (and with less success) than Harry was searching for the Horcruxes.


Fan Service:
We find out what that symbol on the British cover was—after months of speculation.
We also find out what the phrase “Deathly Hallows” means.

Fan Slappage:
Luna goes straight from charmingly eccentric to a crazy, obsessive stalker.


DVD Extras:

INT: NIGHT – MALFOY MANOR DINING ROOM

LUCIUS and NARCISSA MALFOY preside over the supper table as several elves serve. Draco sits midway down the table, pushing his food around his plate. A voice sings in the distance.

LUNA (Off-screen and muffled)
WIT BEYOND MEASURE
IS MAN’S GREATEST TREASURE…

Narcissa sighs and closes her eyes for a second. The song seems to have been going on for some time.

Opposite Draco are PETER PETTIGREW, using his best manners, and BELLATRIX LESTRANGE, who is leaning on one elbow as she reads through a scroll.

Bellatrix throws the scroll down impatiently.

BELLATRIX
Snape says the girl knows nothing about Potter. He questioned her extensively.

Narcissa turns a patient face towards her son.

NARCISSA
Why did you interfere, Draco? Are you attracted to this girl?

DRACO
(sputtering)
No! Of course not.

LUCIUS
She’s not exactly well-off, but she’s in the registry. I suppose we can’t be choosy…

He trails off under Narcissa’s intent gaze.

NARCISSA
We aren’t going to judge. I’m sure she’s a delightful girl. Such a… robust singing voice.

BELLATRIX
If she doesn’t know anything, she’s useless. Worse than useless! We dare not summon the Dark Lord for a false lead.

PETER
(with inspiration)
Her father runs the Quibbler!

LUCIUS
That rag?

PETER
That’s probably why she was being arrested.

LUCIUS
(thinking)
Umbridge. This has her marks on it.

NARCISSA
She does like to control information. (brightly) Well! That makes it easy. We’ll just let her know that we have the girl and she can take care of the newspaper and it all works out nicely.

She smiles with the air of having finalized a complicated seating chart.

BELLATRIX
(muttering)
I still think we should have given her to Fenrir.

NARCISSA
Nonsense. Draco likes her.

DRACO
(muttering)
I do not.

LUCIUS
(muttering)
At least it is a girl….

NARCISSA
What?

DRACO/LUCIUS
(simultaneously)
Nothing.

Luna starts singing again, as Narcissa sighs and cuts at her vegetables.

FADE OUT

Comments

[night-axe.livejournal.com]

It isn't natural for someone Harry's age to walk almost eagerly to his death with his cheerleading squad of people who died too young.

Exactly. How would it detract from Harry's sacrifice if he had regrets? Heck, he should have a truckload of regrets. Quidditch! My girlfriend! I'm still a virgin! I've never been to Boston in the fall! But Harry can't have any ties to life. They might be harder to get past than the fear of death. Someone with the normal complement of things to live for, like Ron, might even realize the whole death march is stupid.