That Smashed Prophecy

My mind keeps lingering on the final battle at the DOM in Order of the Phoenix, and on the courageous actions of Harry, Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ginny and Ron. And as I indicated in my last posting, I keep thinking especially about Harry and Neville as the final two left standing.

I find it really interesting that Rowling chose those two in particular to be together in that scene, instead of choosing someone else to pair with Harry. I think a lot of it comes down to Neville's own connection to the prophecy, a connection that neither he nor Harry knows about at the time (and as far as we know, Neville still doesn't have a clue).

Neville is the only other person who touches the glass sphere containing the prophecy that may just as easily have been about him (originally anyway) as about Harry. I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I don't think Neville could have taken the prophecy off the shelf since only the people directly concerned (Harry and Voldemort) could do that. At the time the prophecy was made, apparently "who it was about" was still open-ended and even perhaps up for grabs, but by the time the orb is sitting on that shelf collecting dust, it's long been ascertained that it's about Harry. His name is on it, and Voldemort, by "marking him as his equal" has actually already fulfilled part of it, unbeknownst to anyone but Albus.

So no, I don't think Neville could have taken that prophecy off the shelf. But isn't it interesting that he's the only other one who handles it in this scene? That he and Harry together are the ones actively involved in trying to safeguard it from Voldemort's clutches? Bellatrix wants it desperately and tries over and over again to get it; Malfoy's not beyond ordering the killing of innocent children to lay hands on it and deliver it to his boss. Voldemort spent a year trying to get it. It all seems like such a huge, exhausting, futile effort for something so small and fragile and easily broken.

Only Harry and Neville touch it. I can't help but think that's important, at least in some sense. Maybe it's something as simple as Rowling deciding that Neville deserved his fair share in the fight, considering his proximity to the whole story, and considering he too has been marked and wounded by this more-than-a-generation long fight with evil. Could there be something of more significance to it than that? I don't know. Should Harry tell Neville about his almost-role as the "chosen one"? If you were Neville, would you want to know?

The Sanctity of Servitude

I really admire Hermione's zeal for achieving equal rights for House Elves, and the way she puts her idealism into action. And there can be no denying that some House Elves - Dobby is a prime example - have cruel masters who treat them horribly, and something ought to be done to prevent such a situation. But when it comes to the Elves at Hogwarts, I think Hermione's activism may be a bit misplaced.

We don't really know how House Elves have been treated historically at this school, but certainly in Albus Dumbledore they have as kind and fair a "master" as anyone could ask for. A master, it should be noted, who willingly pays Dobby for his service - and offered a much higher rate than Dobby accepted. Why should the Hogwarts House Elves want to be released from their duties at the school when they are so eager and content to provide for the comfort of the students? They are not being abused; they are merely demonstrating an admirable dedication to serving others.

I think Hermione should continue to champion these humble denizens of the wizarding world but also acknowledge the value of service willingly rendered. I think all of us could take a lesson from the House Elves from time to time.

Neville the Lionhearted

I've made no secret of my great affection for the character of Neville Longbottom. He really is one of my very favorite characters in the entire Harry Potter series. I think one reason I enjoy Order of the Phoenix so much is that Neville has such an important part to play in many of the events, and we learn far more about him.

I've always loved that Neville is in Gryffindor. It seems it would have been quite plausible for the sorting hat to have put him in Hufflepuff (hard workers, loyal, not too flashy) just as it would made some sense if the sorting hat had put Hermione in Ravenclaw (all those brains!). The fact that both are Gryffindors proves, I think, that courage is at the heart of who they are, even more than some of their surface character traits.

We've seen glimpses of Neville's courage all along, even from the beginning. Dumbledore acknowledges Neville's bravery in Sorcerer's Stone when he awards him the points that put Gryffindor over the top to win the house cup (a scene which many people, me included, hope is major foreshadowing for Neville's eventual role in the final battle). But it's in OotP that Neville really shows his Gryffindor courage. In the Department of Mysteries battle with the Death Eaters, he's the last student standing with Harry. He is resolute and absolutely determined to stand with his friend and to fight, right there in the face of terrible evil.

I think one of my all time favorite moments comes when Neville faces Bellatrix Lestrange. This is a dramatic and dark moment: here is this bloodied, broken-nosed, not-quite-fifteen year old boy facing the terrible woman who tortured his parents into insanity. When she taunts him that's she had "the pleasure" of meeting his parents, we get this line from Rowling:

"I DOE YOU HAB!" roared Neville, and he fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted, "Someone Stun him!"

I love Rowling for her word choice here. Note what ISN'T said...she doesn't have Neville shout, or yell, or scream, or rage, or bellow, or any of those other perfectly acceptable words. To describe what he sounds like here, she says he ROARED. As well she should. Because Neville, like Harry, is a true Gryffindor. He is lionhearted through and through.

My Two Favorite Troublemakers

Here is a little ode to Fred and George, who may be gone from Hogwarts' hallowed halls but are keeping their legend alive there most spectacularly...

Fred and George

Fred and George, George and Fred,
Mischief-making brothers
Mirthful as their hair's red,
Much loved by the others.

Their remarks, swift and sly,
Bounce between them freely.
Bludgers flee when they fly;
Their resolve is steely.

Rarely found on their own,
Hogwarts folks see double
With these twins, cheerful clones
Trafficking in trouble.

Setting off school alarms
With each new creation,
They concoct clever charms,
Fuel Filch's frustration.

Faculty shake their heads,
Feigning disapproval;
Deeply impressed instead,
They dread their removal.

What a grand path they've forged!
Who can follow after
George and Fred, Fred and George,
Lauded lads of laughter?

"I Am Not Worried, Harry. I Am With You."

I haven't started Half-Blood Prince yet, but thinking of the book always calls to mind my favorite quote from it, which occurs on 578. Mulling the scene over last night and this morning, I came up with the following poem...

Not Worried

"I am not worried, Harry,"
Said docile Dumbledore,
His kindly features withering with age.
Ensconced in silver splendor,
He searched his student for
The solace that would strengthen such a sage.

This sturdy sanctuary,
So certain and serene,
With sparkling stars reflected in his eyes,
Was Harry's firm defender.
He trusted in the teen,
Who dared not doubt the words of one so wise.

And yet, the burden boring
Into his startled soul,
The Boy Who Lived - the boy who love preserved -
Felt bravery abating,
Felt unfit for his goal,
Felt the professor's faith was undeserved.

Distressed for not ignoring
The headmaster's command
To let the poison do its deadly work,
He hesitated, hating
The foully blackened hand
And other marks received where demons lurk.

The frame, so frail and feeble.
The speech, so sadly slurred.
The weakness in a wizard once so strong.
He wished his prayers could carry
His teacher to the bird
With healing in his tears and in his song.

Unsettled by such evil,
He shivered like a child,
And yet he knew he had a job to do.
"I am not worried, Harry,"
His ancient mentor smiled,
And slowly strength returned. "I am with you."

Prayerful Harry Potter?

Re-reading Order of the Phoenix, which I would classify as the most consistently oppressive chronicle in Harry's adventures, I noticed that on several occasions Harry seemed to be looking to some higher power for aid. Though he doesn't address God, there is a definite air of supplication in his desperate thoughts under duress. Examples from this book:

* "If I'm not expelled from Hogwarts, I'll put in ten Galleons, Harry found himself thinking desperately." (128) It seems the sort of prayer many a panicked student has uttered: "Please get me through this test, and I'll put my whole a allowance in this week's offering." What really impresses me is the fact that on 156, he not only makes good on this promise but dumps in all his money, aiding all sorts of ailing witches and wizards in the process.

* "Don't let her be dead, don't let her be dead..." (793) Harry's in a blind panic here, not even daring to look at Hermione, but still grasping onto the hope that she might be all right.

* "Inwardly praying that Neville would stay with Ron..." (799) Here the word "pray" is actually used, and Harry's hoping that Neville will somehow understand what he wants him to do despite his inability to verbally instruct him.

* And then on 816, Harry inwardly begs, "Let the pain stop. Let him kill us..." The addressee in this case is Dumbledore, though, and since Dumbledore is a skilled Legillimens there is presumably the chance that he could actually read Harry's mind here, rendering this less a prayer than a plea for help from a fellow wizard. Still, there is a certain prayerlike vibe about it...

Anyway, it does seem to me that this time of intense crisis leads to Harry looking beyond himself and even his very devoted friends to the unseen. And it's oddly appropriate that it's the death of his godfather that sends him running to Nearly Headless Nick (861) for answers to deep, nagging spiritual questions - answers a mournful Nick cannot provide, though Luna, having undergone a searing personal loss herself, is able to offer some unexpected comfort (863) that may be enough to encourage Harry to continue considering these questions in quietude once his initial rage has died down.

There aren't a lot of overt references to Christianity in the Harry Potter series, but Christian symbols and themes abound, with important notions like self-sacrifice and mercy at the heart of the saga, and in the final book, I strongly suspect the Christian worldview will play a critical, though probably still not blatantly stated, part...

The Arts at Hogwarts

It seems to me that Hogwarts doesn't have much in the way of the humanities, unless there are a bunch of classes and clubs we just don't know about because Harry isn't involved in them. On the one hand, it makes sense that a school focusing on magic might not bother with the more artistic side of things, since presumably wizards might do things the same way as Muggles when it comes to writing a story, singing a song, making a sculpture or something of that nature.

Still, I'd think they could have more of an outlet for students who are so inclined. While there is some opportunity for creativity in such classes as Charms and Transfiguration - and, inadvertently, Trelawney's class essentially is a creative writing class - there doesn't seem to be a drama club, a literary magazine or student newspaper, a hall where there are displays of student-generated work... One of my favorite additions to the third movie was the choir of toad-toting kids. I definitely don't remember any mention of that in the book, but I love the idea of there being an official Hogwarts choir, and I guess this would indicate the possibility there may be a lot more going on at that school than we get a glimpse of. I for one would be really interested to see how wizarding paintings are made, since their occupants are ever so much more vivacious than those in Muggle paintings...

On a side note, I wonder what the educational system is like pre-Hogwarts? I wouldn't think there would be enough witches and wizards of the same age to have schools on the local level. I mainly think of this with the Weasleys, since they're such a big family and we see so much of them. I'd think one of them might have mentioned something about their previous schooling experiences, but I can't recall that they have. Might they have been home schooled? Gone to a Muggle school? Or is there some sort of institution like Hogwarts for younger kids?