Severus Snape Saga: Do Motives Define the Action?

Mellissa G. Brown
13 October 2009
Severus Snape Saga: Do Motives Define the Action?
In my first paper, I compared Severus Snape to other classic heroes throughout mythology, history, and literature. Severus Snape definitely possesses some characteristics of a hero, but many Harry Potter fans have issues calling Snape, a character we have learned to hate, a hero. He is painted as such a monstrous person throughout the first six novels, that fans cannot let go of the grudges they hold against him. There is no reason that there cannot be more than one hero in the series, because many would say that Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore are all heroes in the series. So why would Snape not be a hero in the series? In this paper, I will be exploring whether or not the motives behind Snape’s actions make what he does in the end any less heroic and whether or not fans can let go of how evil Snape is to Harry throughout the series.
There are many questions we have to ask ourselves when we try to determine whether or not Snape is a hero. “Would James and Lily be alive now if not for him? Would Harry be dead now if not for him? Did he ever care about Harry, or only Lily?” (Caffrey). It seems like the answers to these questions contradict one another. I would argue that James and Lily would be alive if Severus had not told Voldemort the prophecy that he overheard. However, I would also say that the only reason Harry survived throughout the seventh novel was because of all the help he had from Snape. So can we as fans forgive Snape for essentially killing James and Lily, because he saved Harry? This is one of those questions that make Snape such a controversial character because there is no right answer.
Throughout the series, we do not learn very much about Snape until the end. However, right from the first book we learn to hate Snape. He mistreats Harry, singles him out, and blatantly goes out of his way to punish Harry. How could we as readers like such a character? “J.K.R. said it plainly herself shortly after DH [Deathly Hallows] was released---‘Snape is vindictive. He’s cruel. He’s not a big man’ [JKR-MTV].” (Schoen 106). In the sixth book, we get a little peek into Snape’s past that helps the readers sympathize with Snape. When Harry is getting Occlumency lessons, he sneaks into the pensive and sees a memory of Snape when he was attending Hogwarts. James and his friends are hanging Snape upside down in the schoolyard and yelling names at him. This is the first time in the series where we actually start to feel sympathetic toward Snape as a character. The next time we learn anything about Snape is the very end of the seventh book, where we learn Snape’s entire story.
We learn that everything he did throughout the series he did to protect and help Harry, because he had loved Lily Evans his entire life. The reason behind the actions to save Harry was because he loved Lily, not necessarily because he liked or felt the need to protect Harry. Another reason that is revealed is that Snape feels responsible for the deaths of the Potter’s and this is another reason he protects Harry. Snape does not necessarily want to help Harry and he struggles with what he has to do throughout the series, but he does so because of the guilt he feels over his actions. However, Snape did have the option of walking away from the responsibility of watching over Harry entirely. “It would have been easy for Snape to walk away from that responsibility. Harry isn’t his son and only reminds Snape of everything he has missed out on in life since James married Lily, but Snape is tough and heroically takes a much harder path and stays at Hogwarts” (Schoen 106). Therefore, we know as readers that Snape took the difficult route in life in order to help Lily Evan’s son defeat the Dark Lord.
Do the motivations behind Snape’s actions make what he does any less heroic? Snape agreed to kill Dumbledore in the sixth book, so that Malfoy would not have to do it. He gave the ultimate sacrifice so that Harry could succeed in defeating the Dark Lord. Does the fact that he truly did not want to do these things change the fact that these acts were heroic? However, you could also argue that his main motive was his love for Lily Evans or his guilt over his role in her death. This brings about the question to be a true hero; do a person’s actions have to be altruistic? “According to Freud, the unconscious is the source of our motivations… However, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of these motives, and they are often available to us only in disguised form” (Postill 4). According to Freud, Snape’s motivations are unconscious.
I would like to come to the conclusion that Snape is a hero in the series even if his motives or mindset is not in the right place. I think that Snape and Harry’s motives are very similar, because they both in a way are motivated by love. Snape’s motives are questionable, but in the end he did what was necessary to defeat Voldemort and help Harry do it. An interesting article I read made a distinction between Severus and Snape. Whenever J.K Rowling calls him Severus, she is referring to him as an ally and whenever she uses the name Snape, she is referring to him as a foe. I think this is a very interesting conclusion with which I completely agree. After all this speculation, throughout two papers, I am going to take a side and say that Snape is a hero, that deserves to be celebrated in the end.



http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=121381&page=55

http://www.mugglespace.com/
Works Cited
Caffrey, Kristian. "Severus Vs. Snape." MuggleNet.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. .

Postill, David. "Sigmund Freud." Sigmund Freud. N.p., 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. .

Spartz, Emerson, and Ben Schoen. Harry Potter Should Have Died. Berkeley: Ulysses Press, 2009. Print.

Severus Snape Saga: What is a Hero?

Mellissa G. Brown

15 September 2009

Severus Snape Saga: What is a Hero?

Harry Potter names one of his sons Albus Severus Potter. This name is a derivation of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Harry explains the importance of his name in the epilogue of book seven. “You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew” (Rowling 758). Even though Harry thinks so highly of Snape at the end of the series and describes him as the bravest man he ever knew, is Snape truly a hero in the series?

Clearly, Harry thinks that Snape is a hero by honoring his name and giving the name Severus to his son. Also, Dumbledore trusts Snape with his life and always trusts his judgment. It is safe to infer that Dumbledore would be convinced that Snape was in fact a hero of the series. Before I can determine whether or not Snape is or is not a hero, it is necessary to compare qualities that Snape possesses with other heroes such as Achilles, Atticus Finch, and Hercules.

One hero from Greek Mythology is Achilles. “He was the mightiest of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War, and was the hero of Homer’s Iliad” (Hunter 1). Achilles was a hero who fought to the death, even though he knew he was going to die. We very frequently refer to Achilles as a hero because of his sacrifice in fighting in the Trojan Wars. Snape could be considered in this same manner a hero. Snape fights throughout the series, even though we do not know it, for Harry to be able to succeed. Snape also ends up giving the ultimate sacrifice of his life for the greater good just in the same manner as Achilles falls fighting.

Along these same lines, Achilles did have an obsession that may devalue his heroic acts. “Achilles reflects a paradigm of the hero that has fallen in deep love with honor and glory. Behind every action or decision of Achilles lies his thirst for everlasting honor and reputation” (Metsovitis 1). In this sense, Snape is very similar to Achilles because of how he acts out of his love and loss of Lily Evans. For arguments sake, I would like to say if Achilles is still considered a hero with this obsession, than we cannot rule out the idea of Snape being a hero also.

Another hero similar to Achilles is Hercules. In Greek mythology it is important to remember that although Greek heroes often did amazing things with their talents, they were not always selfless. Hercules is required to do the twelve tasks as punishment for killing his wife and children. Even though this is a great feat that shows amazing strength, he does not do it for selfless reasons. In this sense, Snape is very much like the Greek hero Hercules. Snape is very selfish in his reasons for wanting to protect Harry. Another important detail to note is that Greek heroes always die. “The precise moment when everything comes together for the hero is the moment of death” (Harvard 4). This is both true for Hercules and for Snape. When Snape’s final task is done and he delivers the memories to Harry is his moment of death. As everything comes together, it is his time to die.

A famous literary hero that must be addressed is Atticus Finch. Atticus is the hero in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird that demonstrates all the ideal values of a hero. Atticus Finch is moral, virtuous, and acts on behalf of the innocent. Atticus does the right thing no matter what the cost was to him and in doing so shows his courage to take on fight even though it was clear he was going to lose his case. In acting, he did something risky and disagreeable, but he did it because it was the right thing to do. I think Snape, even if the readers sometimes disagree, is a lot like Atticus Finch. Snape puts himself at risk to protect Harry and spy on the Death Eaters. He takes the initiative to spy on the Death Eaters and he plays a very dangerous role in protect Harry and providing information to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Snape is different from Atticus in a sense that Atticus is very clear to his intentions and his actions, whereas Snape is very secretive about what he is doing and whose side he is truly protecting.

Throughout all these comparisons my main point is that Snape shares many similarities and differences from classic historical and literary heroes. He is very qualified to be considered a hero yet there are many other factors that must be considered before determining the answer to that question. All these characteristics and similarities with other heroes does not mean that Snape is a hero because there are other factors that must be considered. Since Harry Potter is the hero of the series, can there be more than one hero in these stories? Do Snape’s motives need to be considered before demining him worthy or unworthy of being a hero? These are questions that I would like to examine in other papers as I continue to determine if Snape is or is not a hero. “Is Snape just a coward who serves two masters? Or is Snape a true hero who protects Harry for the noblest reasons?” (Schoen 107). The Severus Snape Saga will continue to decode and determine the answers to these questions.

Works Cited

Harvard. "The Concept of Hero." Harvard University. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Hunter, James. "Achilles." Encyclopedia Mythica. N.p., 3 Mar. 1997. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Metsovitis, Stathis. "Is Really Achilles a Hero?" MIT. N.p., 10 Oct. 2005. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.

Spartz, Emerson, and Ben Schoen. Harry Potter Should Have Died. Berkeley: Ulysses Press, 2009. Print.

O.WL.S.

Today was our last day of class (so sad!). We had a feast in class and ate turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and one girl even made chocolate frogs for us! We watched the last video in the series The Children of Dune and I turned in my final paper. I will be posting all four of my papers after this post for everyone to check out! The first two papers were both about Severus Snape, my third paper was about Journalism in the Harry Potter series, and my final paper was about Muggle Quidditch. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and following along in my Harry Potter class!

Dune vs. Harry Potter

Today, we compared the Dune Saga vs. Harry Potter. I've never read or seen the Dune Saga, along with everyone else in our class. However, our professor explained the series to us and it is very complicated alternate universe about various planets. Here is the similarities between the two series. Since this is a blog about Harry Potter, I've included the Harry Potter elements under each plot theme:

Control of world/universe: Riddle/Voldemort/Deatheaters
Power of Love: Lily Evans Potter's loving sacrifice protects Harry
Unrequited Love: Snape's love for Lily Potter
The Romances: Harry/Ginny, Hermione/Ron
Father figures: Dumbledore, Hagrid, Snape
Mother figures:McGonagall, Lily, Molly
Grief, Loss: Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory
Sociopathy, Insanity: Tom Riddle, Beatrix LeStrange, Fenrir Greyback for instance
Prophecy: believed to be true
Dreams & Visions: Harry connects with Voldemort while sleeping
Secret Societies: Deatheaters, Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army
Societies with Secrets: Hogwarts Houses
Enhanced Memory:Pensive, Department of Mysteries
Poisons: potions
Immortality: Resurrection Stone, Sorcerer's Stone
Near Death Experience: Harry Potter in a battle with Tom Riddle (DH)
Who has to die for the world takeover: Dumbledore, Harry Potter
The Quest: repair old social order by defeating the Deatheaters and Riddle (rebellion).
Monsters: Magical creatures of many sorts

This comes from Dr. Nicholson's chart of comparisons that she sent to us.

Personally, I Think You Look a Little More Devil-May-Care This Way, but It's Up to You.

Today, we started off by discussing father figures in Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling mentions in one of her ABC interviews that she never had a father and by the end of the series, JKR has killed off a lot of father figures. It seems that JKR's own father figure experience is reflected in her writing when she kills off so many fathers and father figures. Were these father figures killed off because it was neccesary or because Rowling has a vendetta against father figures?

We also talked about mother figures such as McGonagall, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley. It is interesting that McGonagall ends up being the first head mistriss (except for Umbridge) at the end of the Harry Potter series. Women aren't as promenate of characters or as powerful of characters. Yes, Hermione is smart, but doesn't necessarily have power. Not to mention we dont' know what happens to her after the book series ends.

Then we moved onto the topic of revolution. Our professor posed the question on whether or not there was a revolution in Harry Potter. If Voldemort had claimed power, there would have been a definite revolution and rapid change of how the current system fuctions. The old order would have been dramatically changed if Voldemort had successfully taken power. One girl argued that the revolution began when Voldemort first tried to take power some fourteen years ago and all Harry is trying to do is restore the former order before Voldemort ever existed.

It is interesting for us to take a look inside the Harry Potter government structure, or the ideas of rebellion, revolution, and social order to see how another culture deals with problems.

Of course, we finished watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! No class next week due to Thanksgiving so I will not be posting. I might just post my three papers instead of class discussion for anyone who would like to read them.

She Thinks You're The Choosen One... But I Am The Choosen One

My post is a little late! However, I promise it will be very interesting... Last Tuesday, we had student presentations on their topics for their papers. I think one of the presentations was particularly interesting and is definitely worth sharing.

One of the students presented to the class a conspiracy theory, if you will, on Ron and Dumbledore. Essentially, the theory states that Ron and Dumbledore are the same person. JKR has denied this relationship between the two characters. However, the theory is rather interesting and there is some interesting evidence that suggests that they could be the same person.

Here is the relationship explained on a fan page:

Book abreviations are used:
SS/PS= Sorcerer's Stone (book 1)
CoS=Chamber of Secrets (book 2)
PoA= Prisoner of Azkaban (book 3)
GoF= Goblet of Fire (book 4)
OotP= Order of the Pheonix (book 5)
HBP= Half Blood Prince (book 6)
DH= Deathly Hallows (book 7)

1. Uncanny Resemblance

We often joke about how unobservant Harry is, and though he hasn't made the connection we have, he does indeed dutifully describe for us both Ron and Dumbledore's appearance. Harry describes both Ron and Dumbledore as tall, thin and possessing a long nose (though Dumbledore's has been broken a couple of times). These three characteristics are repeated by Harry when he meets either of these two characters for the first time in almost every book.

Dumbledore is described as having long fingers, while Ron is described as having large hands and feet. Unless Ron is a mutant, having large hands would also mean having long fingers. Dumbledore is very, very old with white hair when we first meet him, but when Harry visits a fifty years younger Dumbledore in Riddle's diary, he is described as having auburn hair. In other words, Dumbledore was once a redhead just like Ron. While we know Dumbledore has sparkling blue eyes, JKR has very curiously neglected to have Harry mention Ron's eye color for five whole books now. We know nearly everyone else's eye color, including Arthur Weasley's (blue), but we don't know that of Harry's best friend.

Dumbledore's one other key characteristic, the scar above his left knee, is mentioned in the first chapter of PS/SS. While Harry hasn't noticed any tell tale scars shaped like the London Underground on Ron, we do indeed know from PoA that Ron has sustained a serious injury to his left leg. Though JKR curiously, and very pointedly, dances around which leg exactly it is that Ron has broken, we have determined that it is indeed his left leg. When Sirius conjures the manacles and attaches Peter to Ron and Lupin, he attaches Peter to Ron's left side. If you are injured and using only one crutch, you would, of course, use the crutch on the side of your injured leg. Sirius shackled Peter to Ron's injured side - his left.

2. How sweet it is...

Though on the surface Ron and Dumbledore seem to have little in common, they both have a great love for sweets. When we first meet Dumbledore he offers a lemon sherbet to Professor McGonagall. When we first meet Ron he introduces Harry to the wonderful world of wizarding candy. In PoA, he goes into a blissful trance describing to Harry and Hermione the wondrous confections to be found at Honeydukes, the magical sweets shop in Hogsmeade. In CoS we learn that Dumbledore likes to use the names of sweets as his office password. In PoA, Ron suggests to Hermione that they bring Harry back some Cockroach Clusters from Honeydukes. In GoF, when Harry returns to the castle to alert Dumbledore of Crouch Sr.'s strange appearance on the grounds of Hogwarts, he must guess the password to Dumbledore's office. He goes through a whole list of normal sweets, but to Harry's disbelief, the password ends up being, you guessed it, Cockroach Clusters.

But that is not all... In the last chapter of PS/SS, Dumbledore tells Harry that he lost his taste for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans after eating a vomit flavored bean in his youth. There is one problem with this... Bertie Bott was born in 1935. While Dumbledore is over 150 years old, and for him, 'youth' is a relative term, he could not have possibly eaten a Bertie Bott Every Flavor Bean until the 1950's, most likely even later, making him well over a hundred years old. Even in Dumbledore terms this is hardly his 'youth'. Before anyone makes the brilliant observation that the Bertie Bott card isn't canon, be sure to read the statement from Wizards of the Coast concerning their collaboration with JK Rowling on the making of the cards posted to The Leaky Cauldron.

3. "Dumbledore knows pretty much everything anyway" -- JKR

Dumbledore really does seem to know 'pretty much everything', even for a very wise old man with an army of pictographic spies.

In PS/SS, he knows precisely what Ron saw in the Mirror of Erised and exactly why Ron saw what he did. He tells Harry that there are other ways of being invisible, but are we to believe that Dumbledore was really waiting around every night for Harry to show up in front of the Mirror? He either knew exactly when to show up, or he was there the first time as Ron. When Harry asks Dumbledore what he himself sees in the Mirror, Dumbledore tells him he sees himself holding a pair of socks. What is it that Ron's mother is always giving him, but he never appreciates? Socks.

Dumbledore also knows the exact moment to show up and save Harry from Quirrelmort. In fact, Harry leads us to believe that Dumbledore orchestrated the entire thing. Now, we know Dumbledore lets Harry do some things he wouldn't let an ordinary student do, but isn't keeping a Pawn of Voldemort around for an entire school year a very dangerous thing to do? Why yes it is... unless of course Dumbledore knew that everything would turn out okay in the end.

In CoS we learn that Dumbledore never really trusted Tom Riddle, even before the murder of Moaning Myrtle. In the Chamber scene, Riddle tells Harry that Dumbledore never liked him as much as the other teachers. When Fudge comes for Hagrid and Lucius for Dumbledore, Harry and Ron are hiding under the invisibility cloak. Dumbledore knows exactly where they are and gives Harry a message. Not only that, but does anyone else think it odd that Dumbledore wasn't worried about what might happen to Harry after he leaves? Once again, Dumbledore sets Harry up to complete a very dangerous task. Either Dumbledore is truly mad, or he knows how it all turns out.

In PoA, Dumbledore very readily accepts the innocence of Sirius Black. One might come to the conclusion that he knew Sirius was innocent all along. In fact, many have. The only testimony he hears comes from Sirius himself (a convicted felon). He has already made up his mind to send Harry and Hermione back in time before they get a chance to tell their side of the story. When Harry and Hermione do go back in time, you will notice that every single thing happens in exactly the same way both times. There was never a time through in which Buckbeak was killed or Harry didn't cast his Patronus. JKR is even very careful to put in the door slamming from the second time through in the first time through. Yet... it is Dumbledore himself, as his 'first time' self, who ends up saving Buckbeak - he distracts everyone inside Hagrid's hut so that Harry and Hermione can make off with Buckbeak. Later, when Harry tells Dumbledore about Trelawney's prophecy, Dumbledore is not in the least bit phased. In fact, Harry is surprised he can take it so calmly. In addition, Dumbledore seems to be very adamant about Peter getting away being a 'good thing'. Oh sure, Peter owes him a life debt, but Dumbledore is just a little too convinced that it is all for the best.

GoF is a special case. Though we do find one really huge piece of evidence of Dumbledore's ability to know what he really shouldn't, we think that this was one of the times that Ron/DD may have actually tried to change the course of events. He goes to great lengths to prevent the younger students from entering the Tournament (the age line). He goes to great lengths to find the most trustworthy DADA professor possible (for only one year, and as a special favor) - Mad Eye Moody, someone he knows really, really well. Still, in the end, we believe the end result was exactly the same (except, perhaps, the death of Cedric).

So, what are we left with? Crouching Death Eater, Hidden Moody. When Dumbledore discovers that Moody is an imposter, he shows up with Snape and McGonagall in Moody's office. He tells McGonagall to go fetch Padfoot. He tells Snape to go fetch Winky and some Veritaserum. Oh wait... go fetch Winky? How did he know to fetch Winky? Barty Crouch Jr. still looked like Moody. Perhaps Dumbledore really is a super genius, and figured out there had to be a connection to the Crouches. However, Crouch Jr. was thought to be dead and Crouch Sr. was present with Moody the night the names came out of the Goblet. Oh wait, you say, perhaps Dumbledore suspected Crouch only began impersonating Moody AFTER Halloween. Or maybe, just maybe, he was able to figure out that Crouch Jr. wasn't really dead between the maze and Moody's office. Maybe... but he tells Harry 'you never knew the real Mad Eye Moody'. Everything else aside... this is something he could not possibly know with any certainty.

In OotP, Dumbledore knows from the very beginning to avoid Harry's gaze. While three years have passed for us, only one month has passed for Harry and Dumbledore. How does Dumbledore know when to begin avoiding Harry? He avoids his gaze from the very first time they meet in the courtroom (despite telling Harry later that he sensed something behind his eyes - he never looked Harry in the eye, something Harry was exceedingly peeved about). This is BEFORE Dumbledore knows about the dreams. This is BEFORE the attack on Arthur Weasley. Dumbledore absolutely can not know that Voldemort is already in Harry's mind. Later on, when the attack on Arthur does take place, Dumbledore knows the precise questions to ask Harry about the nature of the attack. We now know that Dumbledore is a Legilimens, however... Dumbledore could not have used this on Harry as he could not make eye contact for fear Voldemort would 'spy' on him. Speaking of which... the issue couldn't have been spying as such. After all, Harry is still observing Dumbledore. He still hangs out at Order headquarters. He still knows the identities of most of the members of the Order. While he is left largely in the dark (with disastrous consequences), he still observes much that would be useful for Voldemort and his followers. Dumbledore does, however, give us a hint as to what it is he doesn't want Voldemort to see:


"I was sure that if he realized that our relationship was - or had ever been - closer than that of headmaster and pupil, he would seize his chance to use you as a means to spy on me." (US OotP Ch27 pg 828)

Now, we do know that Dumbledore really loves Harry. He tells him as much in that same scene. However, it is curious that JKR would emphasize (by placing it between dashes) the phrase 'or had ever been'. It is not as simple as Dumbledore not wanting Voldemort knowing his true feelings for Harry and therefore be able to use them against him. After all, Voldemort now knows that, and his not knowing that ended up putting Harry and even more danger (the possession in the MoM). No, the significance is in the phrase 'or had ever been'. The truth is, as far as Harry is concerned, they really aren't any closer than Headmaster and pupil. Why was the line referring to a past relationship? Harry's relationship to Dumbledore has been constant all through the series. Dumbledore orchestrates hoops for Harry to jump through, Harry jumps, they chat about it at the end of the school year. We believe this 'had ever been' refers to Dumbledore's prior relationship to Harry as his best friend Ron. Dumbledore, of course, would not want Voldemort to know of this prior relationship because that would make Ron a target as well, messing up EVERYTHING. Without Ron, without Dumbledore, the game and the war are lost.
4. Foreshadowing

Ron makes it very clear on several occasions that he hates the color maroon. Could it be because he will eventually be 'marooned' in time?

In OotP, Ron is nearly strangled by some purple wizard robes while cleaning up Grimmauld Place. Who do we know wears purple robes? Dumbledore, of course.

Socks are a running theme throughout the series. They are used as symbols of freedom, redemption and love. Ron, however, doesn't ever really fully appreciate the socks his mother gives him. In PoA, he tosses them aside to gush over Harry's Firebolt. In GoF, he gives his Christmas socks to Dobby. Socks are also seen attached to Molly specifically - she is seen fussing over socks, looking for socks, folding socks, packing socks. And if Molly wasn't mother figure enough, Tonks tells Harry her own mother has this special knack for magically folding socks. In fact, the first time we see Harry, he is in his cupboard, looking for a pair of socks (though he has to knock the spiders off of them, not having a mother to fuss over them for him). Dobby is set free with a sock. Hermione knits socks for the house elves. Dumbledore, the man who clearly has all of the fame, power, respect, possessions and wisdom one could hope for in a lifetime, sees himself holding a pair of wooly socks in the Mirror of Erised. If you read this scene with Dumbledore being Ron in mind, it takes on a whole new and really huge significance Ron indeed becomes greater than all of his brothers, yet as an old man, he is still wistful for those socks his mother gave him and he never fully appreciated.

Ron's vision in the Mirror of Erised is rather curious. He sees himself as Head Boy, Quidditch Captain and holding both the House and Quidditch cups. We know that Ron has this uncanny knack for predicting the future. If, indeed, he is a Seer as many suspect, might he able to see his future in the Mirror? As of OotP, he seems to be on his way to this future - Prefect (it's the first step towards Head Boy!) and he is on the Quidditch team. Currently, he plays Keeper, a very appropriate position for a Knight, guarding a castle. If he does indeed end up becoming Quidditch Captain, he would also get to play out that dual role once more on the Quidditch field - Knight, as Keeper and King, as Captain.

In a few different places in the series, Ron is shown to hero- worship Dumbledore. Of all of these scenes, the most striking is at the end of PS/SS where Ron is extremely impressed with Dumbledore's orchestrating the rescuing of the Stone.

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"
"Well," Hermione exploded, "If he did - I mean to say - that's terrible - you could have been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..."

"Yea, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly.

In OotP, Draco composes a lovely song - Weasley is Our King. If that isn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is. One line in particular is given significance by Draco. He is heard singing it loudly during the game by Harry, and Draco later quotes it in italics - born in a bin. While Draco likes to make fun of Ron's poverty, the phrase has a double meaning. 'Bin' is also a prefix meaning 'double' or 'two' - think 'binary'. Was Ron 'born' twice? Leading a double life? Is Draco trying to tell us something important?

Movie!Canon, but worth mentioning anyway... in Dumbledore's office on the CoS DVD, there is a hidden Easter egg that reveals a portrait on the wall of two wizard chess masters. One wizard is in red, the other in green. The floor beneath them is checkered like a chess board. As the camera pans towards the picture, ominous music is played. In another part of Dumbledore's office, there is a portrait of Dumbledore (there are two Dumbledore portraits in all) where he is depicted in maroon robes standing next to a chess set.

Okay... I told you there was a lot of evidence. I think it is a very interesting theory... I'm just not sure if I buy it.

I at least thought I would share! We also watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (SOMEHOW we obtained a copy)

That's all for now Potter Fans!

Harry, it isn't how you are alike. It's how you are not.

Today we started off by talking about the government and it's responsibility to create a social order and this order can be humane or inhumane. In the Harry Potter series, the wizards do not do a good job of creating this social order in a humane way. We discussed how it is ultimately the job of the institution to treat it's citizens humanely even if they don't feel responsible.

This discussion lead to the discussion of how one person cannot know the pain of another person (I think this went along the same lines of treating people humanely or inhumanely). We related this to showing horses about how the Olympic horses are getting injured as a result of the showmanship and this is, in our opinion, an inhumane way to treat an animal for a competition.

This lead to a discussion on professional football players and how they sacrifice mind and body to play this sport and some players ultimately end up physically and mentally injured at the end of their careers. However, we did have a debate about whether they fall into this category because they WILLINGLY participate in this sport and they KNOW the pain they could eventually suffer as a result of football. How exactly this relates to Harry Potter I am not sure. :-)

We finished the fifth movie today and class and hopefully someone will be able to obtain the sixth movie, probably not legally, so that we can watch it. If not, we will watch movies related to Harry Potter such as Star Wars or Australia (related thorugh the theme of magic).

That's all for now!