"A Little More Love in the World"

Well, I knew that once I got into Half-Blood Prince, it wouldn't take me long to get through it, so here I am with nearly a month to go before Deathly Hallows, and I've exhausted my reading material (though I did pick up Quidditch Through the Ages at a book sale last week so I'll have to check that out). Anyway, I found it interesting how, while the bulk of the wizarding community is united in grief over Dumbledore's death, the occasion has also brought several romances out of the woodwork.

Hermione and Ron finally seem to have come to terms with their mutual affection; Ron's poisoning renewed their friendship, but Dumbledore's death seems to have coaxed those long-denied feelings out of them as they strive to comfort each other. Fleur passionately re-affirms her devotion to Bill; though this has less to do with Dumbledore than Bill's disfigurement, the two events are related, both indicative of considerable turmoil to follow. Lupin, partly assured by Fleur's acceptance of Bill as well as McGonagall's approval of love continuing to bloom even in the midst of their grief, decides to give a romance with Tonks a shot despite his concerns for her welfare.

The day of the funeral, we see Hagrid and Madame Maxime embracing one another; given their duties at their respective schools, theirs seems destined to be a long-distance relationship, but who knows what the next year will bring? There seems to be some potential with Neville and Luna, who sit together at the funeral and who have shared in two major uprisings against Death Eaters. Certainly Neville's opinion of Luna has changed since two years earlier, when he was reluctant to share a compartment with her; she hasn't grown any less eccentric, but that oddness is no longer something intimidating, and the two share a passion for Dumbledore's Army unmatched by most of its other members. Even Filch and Madame Pince seem to have latched onto one another, potentially confirming Hermione's theory that the two of them may be secretly in love. I like the idea of them as a couple; they're both so sour, they could use something to smile about, though I don't suppose Mrs. Norris would be too pleased...

In the midst of all this, of course, Harry and Ginny break up, but not really; there's certainly the expectation that if Harry manages to defeat Voldemort, which presumably will happen within the year, that he and Ginny will get back together. The only reason Harry breaks up with her is because he figures a close connection with him will put her into harm's way. He doesn't seem able to shake Ron and Hermione so easily, though, and something tells me Ginny isn't going to sit idly by twiddling her thumbs through the next year, waiting to see if Harry succeeds. I suspect she will have a role to play, even if it's from a distance.

It's interesting how tragedies bring people together. I guess they remind us of how precious life is and subconsciously inspire us to treasure those who are still with us, as well as to seek support from those who care about us. When someone dies, there's always sort of a sense of guilt involved in getting on with the business of living, as if being happy is disrespectful to the deceased. But I think McGonagall is right, and that Dumbledore would be happy to think that there was a little more love in the world. In that way, the magic at the heart of Dumbledore's power continues to flourish and will endure long after Voldemort has been vanquished.