Deathly Hallows Chapter 29

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It’s Thanksgiving week here in the States, and I’m feeling very thankful that you’re all still reading these sporks. I know it’s been a rough road through that long and painful second act. I think we’ve hit the third act now, and and we’ll be getting some payoffs any chapter now. Annoying payoffs, to be sure, but still….

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me.

The Lost Diadem

So, the title of this chapter is “The Lost Diadem.” I wonder what that last Horcrux will turn out to be….?

As Neville goes through group hugs, Harry notes that, in addition to his gashes, Neville is also sporting a black eye and a general “unkemptness.” Harry deduces that Neville has been “living rough.” That’s because Neville is a Gryffindor. Had he been a goblin, Harry would probably have chalked it up to bloodthirstiness. And swarthy-ness.

The Trio ask about his injuries, but Neville is too badass to discuss it… yet. He informs “Ab” the bar man that he should expect a bunch of people to Apparate into the bar that night. Then, like the perfect gentleman that he is, he gives his hand to Hermione to help her into the tunnel.

I’ll bet that’s why Ginny only dated him once.

As he leaves, Harry stops to thank Aberforth for saving their lives twice. Wow. Harry thanking someone. That’s so PS/SS. Maybe it was in the outline from the beginning?

Here’s a weird little detail: The tunnel is now lit with brass lamps—whereas in the portrait, it was pitch black.

Neville lets them know that this is the only unguarded passage into Hogwarts. I guess at some point, Harry must have shared with the staff the locations of those secret tunnels. Unless Lupin did it. Anyway, the formerly secret passages are now cursed and guarded by Death Eaters.

Neville pumps them for information about the Gringotts break-in. I find this odd. Recall that Voldemort—the most powerful, connected wizard in Britain only learned about the break-in a couple hours ago, and that by a single, quaking goblin. Yet, Neville knows about the break-in, the dragon, and that it was Harry who planned it.

It guess it just shows that Voldemort is even more isolated than the students at Hogwarts—who wouldn’t be getting any posts until morning.

Maybe I’ve just spent too much time in a tent…

Harry asks about Hogwarts, and Neville starts telling him about all the horrors. Students are supposed to cast Cruciatus on other students for punishment, and Neville got cut for refusing. He got another gash for implying Alecto, the Muggle Studies teacher, had muggle blood. He tells the Trio that he stands up to the teachers to give the other students hope—like Harry used to.

Oh, so when Harry was mouthing off to Snape, that wasn’t him being a brat. That was civil disobedience.

Neville goes on to say that kids with unruly relatives are kidnapped—like Luna.

Sigh. I find this all so depressing. I realize that JKR needs to show the students being brave and resisting and everything… but, for a Snape fan, this is painful on a second reading. We find out later on that Dumbledore did his whole elaborate plan to get Snape the Headmaster position on the understanding that Snape would protect the students.

Frankly, he’s doing a piss-poor job.

We soon find out that Michael Corner was “tortured pretty badly” for freeing a chained-up firstie. And that Neville was in imminent danger being either arrested or killed. This is not the standard of protection that I’d expect from Snape.

I comfort myself with the knowledge that Dumbledore was almost as bad at protecting the students during OotP. And rather worse at it in HBP.

For Good!Draco fans, though, we have a tiny little supporting detail. Neville mentions that the D.A. are still using their magic coins to communicate. Draco knew about those coins (he copied them in order to communicate with Rosmerta in HBP). Yet, he hasn’t told the Carrows or Voldemort about them.

They reach the end of the tunnel, which leads to the Room of Requirement. The dark-paneled area is festooned with multi-colored hammocks. Which sounds to me like the Lost Boys hangout in Peter Pan.

Banners from three of the four Hogwarts houses are hanging on the walls. The Slytherin banner is notably absent. I don’t have a joke for that. I’m just noting it for later.

We find out that Neville rediscovered the room when he was running away from the Carrows. At that time, it held only one hammock and the Gryffindor banner. So, right away, the room figured that a symbol of Gryffindor superiority was called for.

What I can’t really figure out is why the room thought the hammocks were such a great idea. They aren’t a bad idea, but I don’t get how they are better than actual beds.

Seamus pops up (with a bruised and puffy face) to praise Neville for really “getting” the room. Unlike Harry, who spent a year vainly trying to get the damn door open, Neville has created this hideaway by himself. He even got the room to create the tunnel to the Hog’s Head when he wanted food.

Ron breaks in to mention that food is one of the five exemptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration—to “general astonishment.” Are they astonished because they don’t know these exemptions or because Ron has remembered a simple fact of magic? It’s like a dog walking on its hind legs!

Ernie points out the wireless in the room and says that they’ve been listening to Potterwatch. So, I guess that’s how they heard about Gringotts. I still think it’s weird that they knew about it before Voldemort. Most of the Potterwatch people are in hiding, and I would think that the official news outlets would downplay the story.

Of course, the kids want details, but Harry is floored by a Voldie-vision. Voldemort is now at the shack, screaming with fury at an empty box!

With time running out, Harry tries to ditch all the loyalists who have been leading the resistance for nine months. He tells them that the Trio has to… “do something” at Hogwarts and then leave.

This does not go down well with the D.A. Neville demands to know if it’s connected to defeating Voldemort and when Harry says yes, he insists on helping.

This is the best part of the whole book, because Neville is finally giving Harry the dressing down he deserves. “Everyone in this room’s been fighting and they’ve been driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here’s proven they’re loyal to Dumbledore—loyal to you.”

Alas, before Neville can follow that up by stabbing Harry in the heart and taking over the mantle of the Chosen One, they are interrupted by Luna and Dean. It turns out that Neville has sent out a general summons and they are just the first two to arrive—for the big show down!

As Harry starts to panic, more people arrive. People he will have to remember the names of! Ginny, the Twins, and Lee Jordan come in, followed by Cho Chang—who is described as Harry’s old girlfriend. Because that’s the only remarkable thing about her. But she immediately goes to sit with Michael Corner, so—thank goodness—that ship is still sailing.

By the way, Michael Corner was really badly tortured, you know. But he’s in Ravenclaw, so his injuries are invisible. Cho certainly doesn’t seem to notice.

Dean came back to fight—even though he doesn’t have a wand. So…. how did he get there? Luna wouldn’t be old enough to Apparate, and she wouldn’t have had any lessons (which started after the Christmas holidays). Oh dear. Continuity.

As Harry tries to explain that the Trio has to work alone, Ron betrays him for the second time in the book by suggesting that maybe the D.A. can help. They don’t have to tell the kids that they are looking for a Horcrux. All they need to do is ask about a Ravenclaw artifact.

Good for Ron for speaking truth to idiocy here. Even Hermione is in agreement.

This is the cue for Harry to turn into Hamlet. To trust or not to trust? That is the question. On one hand, Dumbledore told Harry not to tell anyone. On the other hand, Aberforth punched the old coot in the nose at Ariana’s funeral… what to do? What to do?

Where to start on this idiotic dilemma? First off—Ron isn’t even really suggesting that they trust the students. He’s suggesting telling them the bare minimum in order to get help to find an object that they have no hope of finding otherwise. So… this question of trusting or not trusting is more like… do we trust these people who have been incredibly loyal 5% or do we completely crap on them?

Secondly, what is the point of keeping the quest secret now? So that Voldemort won’t find out? Hey! Guess what! He found out! He’s on his way to kill everyone!

Anyway, Harry makes the momentous decision to trust his friends… sort of. Remember when the big difference between Harry and Voldemort was that Voldemort didn’t have any friends? He just had hangers-on, because he never really trusted anyone?

I’m hard put to tell Harry and Voldemort apart. The biggest difference between them right now is that Harry was never quite stupid enough to go around murdering people in order to put little bits of his soul into knick-knacks.

He asks if anyone knows about an object that might have once belonged to Ravenclaw. Luna mentions the lost diadem and reminds him that she told him about it about a million times now.

Cho Chang mentions that Ravenclaw’s statue up in their common room shows the diadem. She offers to take Harry there to look at it. Whereupon Ginny suddenly grows wings and a beak and rips Cho’s face off. Okay, she doesn’t really. But she totally could, she’s so jealous right now. How appropriate that she goes on to play for the Holyhead Harpies!

Cho sits down again, looking disappointed. She’s probably wondering why she bothered showing up, if this was all she got to contribute to the plot.

Then—finally!—Harry and Luna go off to look for the damn diadem. Well, not exactly for the diadem, but for a replica which might be a useful reference point.

This is slightly complicated by a quirk of the room. The exit into Hogwarts proper is always changing (so that the Carrows can’t find it). So, once Harry and Luna are out of the room, they have to stop while Harry consults his Marauder’s Map and finds out where they are. I guess this is to up the suspense? Or else it’s JKR answering a question that no one would bother to ask. (How come the Carrows never discovered the exit for the Room of Requirement?)

They sneak through the castle and Harry is all a-twitter because Peeves might come along. Granted, that’s a legitimate fear, although I don’t think Peeves is able to see through the cloak.

Finally, they come to the tower and climb its dizzying heights. The door has no handle or keyhole, just a brass eagle-shaped knocker. When Luna knocks, the eagle asks her a riddle. This is a very cool concept, but I could do without the five minutes that Harry and Luna spend discussing how it works.

We are on a schedule, folks. Voldemort! Imminent peril!

Inside, we have a lovely description that I am sure everyone skipped on the first reading. There are arched windows with what would be spectacular views if it weren’t the middle of the night. The ceiling is painted with stars. Lest we were wondering, JKR takes pains to mention that there are tables, chairs, and bookcases. Whew! I was really worried about that.

Harry strides up to a white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. She is smiling, but slightly haughty-looking. She is wearing a delicate circlet on the top of her head. Harry notes that it looks like Fleur’s tiara. You know, Luna was in that house when Fleur gave the tiara to Mr. Ollivander. And she was at the wedding where Fleur wore it. Couldn’t she have just told Harry that Ravenclaw’s diadem looked like Fleur’s tiara and saved them this trip?

That would have spared them what happens next, which is that Alecto appears with one of those clever villain speeches, touches her Dark Mark, and summons the Dark Lord!

Cliffhanger!

Fan Service:
Remember all those random kids’ names we memorized when they were sorted? They’re now all showing up!
OMG! Ravenclaw’s object is a tiara! We all guessed that two years ago!

Fan Slappage:
All those millions of fanfics in which Harry defeats Voldemort by drawing on the power of love by engaging his friends? Totally wrong. Those students are mere backdrop.

Oh, and Ravenclaw “coming into its own”? That consists of them saying, “well, Rowena was known for wearing a diadem.”


DVD Extras:
INT: NIGHT –HEADMASTER’S OFFICE

Headmaster Snape is looking through a pile of reports. The portrait of Albus Dumbledore is pacing within his frame.

DUMBLEDORE
He still doesn’t trust you.

SNAPE
Why should he?

DUMBLEDORE
You saved his life. I thought that would do the trick.

SNAPE
(snorting)
He trusted me more before that little scheme.

DUMBLEDORE
Nevertheless…

SNAPE
Face it, Albus. You don’t understand the Slytherin mentality.

There is a knock at the door. Dumbledore jumps into his chair and begins snoring.

SNAPE (cont’d)
Enter.

Draco Malfoy comes in.

DRACO
I have that schedule you requested.

Draco hands over a scroll. Snape immediately begins studying it. Neither makes eye contact with the other.

SNAPE
(waving him to a seat)
Sit down Malfoy. Have you heard anything about that missing student?

DRACO
Longbottom? (He swallows.) No one has seen him for two weeks now. At least, no one that will talk to me.

SNAPE
I see.

He drums his fingers impatiently on the desk.

SNAPE
(cont’d)
Wait here a moment. I need to speak to Professor Carrow.

He sweeps out the door. Draco sits and fidgets. The Portrait of Albus Dumbledore wakes up with an exaggerated yawn.

DUMBLEDORE
(twinkling) Is that little Draco Malfoy?

DRACO
(swallowing)
Yes, sir.

DUMBLEDORE
Well, well! How are you doing this year? Head Boy, I see.

DRACO
Yes. My grades are better than they were last year. I was distracted then… er…

DUMBLEDORE
Busy trying to kill me. I remember.

DRACO
I’m sorry about that, sir. But I didn’t have a choice—

DUMBLEDORE
And this year? Since you succeeded—or certainly did most of the work, I imagine you have a bit more freedom? Your side did win, after all.

DRACO
That’s not how it is. It’s… it’s worse, really. (In a rush:) Last year, Father was in Azkaban, and I thought that was bad. But he’s still a prisoner. And Mother. And no matter what I do, it’s never enough. I’ve done things this year I never thought… were you telling the truth?

DUMBLEDORE
About?

DRACO
You said you could hide us. You said you could hide us where he’d never find us—

DUMBLEDORE
That was when the Order of the Phoenix still existed.

DRACO
(deflated)
Oh.

DUMBLEDORE
Oddly enough, Hogwarts is the still the safest place you could be. Headmaster Snape will protect you to the best of his ability.

DRACO
You trust him? Still? After he killed you?

DUMBLEDORE
I trust him to protect you. Whatever side you are on.

Draco digests that silently.

The door creaks open and Snape returns.

SNAPE
The Dark Lord has instructed the Professors Carrow to guard Ravenclaw Tower. He seems to think that Harry Potter might wish to look for something there.

DRACO
About Longbottom…

SNAPE
Yes?

DRACO
I may have seen… signs of him. In the Room of Requirement. I went into there about a week ago. He wasn’t… there, but there were signs of someone… someone living there.

Their eyes meet for a moment. Then Snape pulls a report closer and begins making unnecessary notes.

SNAPE
Then we needn’t keep looking. I don’t suppose he can get into any mischief in there. You may go.

Draco stands up.

SNAPE (cont’d)
(abruptly) Do you think he’s hungry?

DRACO
I… I wouldn’t know.

SNAPE
I’ll speak to the elves about it. Thank you.

DRACO
Sir.

SNAPE
And Draco? No need to mention this to the Carrows.

DRACO
No, sir. Good night.

SNAPE
Good night.

Draco looks stunned as he turns to go. Snape dips his pen into an inkwell, then sneaks a look up as Draco closes the door.

FADE OUT.