Currently Listening Burn By Jo Dee Messina Downtime see related

Chapter Seven: The Slug Club

When this chapter begins, Harry is discussing Draco with Ron and Hermione, neither of which believe the situation is as grave as Harry seems to think it is.  Harry reveals that he believes Draco is a Death Eater, and it was his arm that he showed Borgin to threaten him.  Again neither of the other two believe this could be possible.

They are escorted by some Aurors to the Hogwarts Express.  On the way, Harry tells Mr. Weasley about his suspicions concerning Draco, but Mr. Weasley, while willingly listening to Harry, seems to not agree with him.

Harry has some trouble finding someone to sit with on the train.  Ron and Hermione are prefects, so they go to the prefects' carriage and patrol the halls, while Ginny has to meet Dean.  Harry instead sits with Luna and Neville.  When a group of girls come to invite Harry to thier compartment, Harry tells them he is perfectly happy with Neville and Luna. 

In an interesting "aside", Harry ponders what life would be like if Voldemort had chosen Neville instead of himself...

A third-year delivers an invitation to both Harry and Neville, inviting them to join Professor Slughorn in Compartment C for lunch.  (Just a note--why is this note hand-delivered when everything else in the magic world is delivered by owl?)  Neville doesn't even know who Slughorn is and niether can figure why Slughorn would want to talk to them.  Still, they go to join Slughorn nonetheless.

As soon as they get there, they realize they are not the only students invited.  Among the others are Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, Marcus Belby, and Ginny.  Slughorn knows the students because they are all connected to someone important or influential--all of them, Harry thinks, except Ginny. 

After interviewing the other students, Slughorn begins questioning Harry.  It seems as though Slughorn is trying to confirm some of the rumors that have been circulating.  Not wanting to lie, but also wanting to remain humble and out of the spotlight, Harry simply nods.

Then Slughorn mentions the Prophecy.  Both Neville and Ginny deny knowing anything about the Prophecy or anything about "The Chosen One".  Slughorn seems to chalk it up to the Daily Prophet exaggerating.  Harry had the feeling that he was not convinced, though.  (Is Slughorn really curious, or is he trying to get information for Someone Else?)  Slughorn also talks about a club he had for "illustrious wizards" who had been invited to be part of his "Slug Club".  The students are free to go.

Harry follows Zabini and enters the Slytherin Compartment with the Invisibility Cloak on.  He sits up in the luggage compartment to eavesdrop on what is going on.  Zabini tells Draco who Slughorn invited, and Draco is maddened that Neville got invited.  Is there a hint of jealousy here?  Why would Slughorn not invite Draco?  What does Draco's being left out tell us about Slughorn's character?  In fact, Zabini specifically tells the others that he doesn't think Slughorn is interested in Death Eaters.

Draco mentions that he might not even be at Hogwarts next year--he may have "moved on to bigger and better things".  At the very least, Malfoy lets them think that he may already be working for Voldemort, or at least will be by next year.

They arive at Hogwarts and everyone but Harry and Draco leave the compartment.  Draco turns and petrifies Harry, causing Harry to fall on the floor in plain view.  Draco says that he thought he heard something in the luggage rack, and then stamps on Harry's nose, breaking it.  Draco throws the Invisibility Cloak over him, convinced nobody will find Harry before the train gets back to London. 

As Draco walks on Harry's fingers on his way out, Harry is left on the train, unable to move, at the mercy of wherever the train goes next.

Currently Listening Scarecrow By Garth Brooks When You Come Back To Me Again see related

Chapter Six: Draco's Detour

This chapter opens up with the Trio along with a number of other people at the Burrow.  Harry's birthday has been saddened by bad news from Bill, Arthur and Lupin, among others.  Lupin tells us that there have been more dementor attacks.  Igor Karkaroff's body was found in a shack.  Also, Florean Fortescue, the ice-cream man, is missing, presumeably dragged off. 

Mr. Weasley then tells us that Ollivander the wand maker is missing.  There were no signs of a struggle, though, so nobody knows whether he was kidnapped or went voluntarily.  They will just have to do without the best wand maker. 

There are many implications here, of course.  The answers are easy if Ollivander was kidnapped.  In this case, Voldemort clearly wanted an expert wand maker.  But if Ollivander went willingly, why?  I find it hard to believe that he is on Voldemort's side when he helped Harry pick out the best wand Harry can find.  On the other hand, if Ollivander went willingly and is on the good side, perhaps he will cause trouble for Voldemort from the inside, giving the Death Eaters and perhaps Voldemort himself faulty wands.  It's also possible that Voldemort knows he needs a new wand since the duel in the Graveyard.  I'm guessing we'll see/hear from Ollivander again...

Next is a trip to Diagon Alley, with Hagrid as thier security (hahaha).  What different Diagon Alley this is.  The Leaky Cauldron is empty.  Posters of warnings from the Ministry and Photographs of free Death Eaters are everywhere.  Some windows are boarded up, there are stalls selling various protective amulets, potions etc.

It is decided that they will split into two groups: Hagrid and the Trio go to Madam Malkin's, and the others go to Flourish and Blotts.  While in Madam Malkin's, they see Draco arguing with Narcissa.  In the process, Narcissa threaten Harry and Ron, and eventually she says "But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."  Pairing this with Chapter Two's Info, is Draco's job to kill Dumbledore, and does she know it?  It definitely seems possible...Eventually Draco and Narcissa both leave.

Hagrid and the Trio meet up with Arthur, Molly and Ginny, and they proceed the the twins' shop.  The shop is doing well, to say the least.  While there, they learn that while most of the products are jokes, the twins' have started a "more serious line" of products, including Shield Hats, Cloaks, and Gloves, Decoy Detonators, and implicitly other products for use in the area of Defense Against the Dark Arts.  This makes me wonder whether these items will be used by the order, or whether Voldemort/Death Eaters will try to attack the shop if it becomes too successful...The twins also leave an open offer for Harry to take anything he would like since he gave them the money to start the shop.

The Trio sees Draco walking alone, so they follow him to Knockturn Alley and see him go into Borgin and Burkes, near the very cabinet that Harry once hid in to hide from Lucius and Draco.  The Trio overhears Draco asking Borgin how to fix something, and then Draco shows Borgin something (perhaps a Dark Mark?) and then threatens him in order to keep Borgin in the right frame of mind.  Then Draco asks Borgin to keep "that one" safe.  Hermione goes in after Draco leaves in order to try to sneak information out of Borgin, but fails miserably, and it is even possible that Borgin was suspicious of her and her cover was blown. 

The Trio sneak back to the adults and Ginny and convince them that they were in the shop the whole time.

Items of Perhaps Lesser Importance

We learn that Harry is Quidditch Captain, so he has the same status as prefect.

Bill gave Harry his money for Diagon Alley, because apparently it's taking the public a long time to get thier gold due to tightened security.  We'll eventually find out if the security was tight enough or not...

I'm back!  It's definitely midterm time at school--things have been crazy.  But on to Harry Potter...

Chapter Five: An Excess of Phlegm

I didn't remember a whole lot being vastly important in this chapter, but as I reread, I did notice a few things:

There is, of course, Tonks, who is not her normal self.  Ron and Hermione tell Harry that it's even affected (or effected?) her ability to change her form.  Of course the Trio believes this is because of Sirius' death.  Tonks thinks Sirius' death is her fault since she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange and failed to kill her.  Perhaps this could happen sometime in the future?  Hermione goes on to tell the other two that Lupin has been talking to her to try to help her.  Already knowing the end of the book, could this be a hint at things to come?

The Trio recieved thier OWLS.  Everyone did well.  Unfortunately, Harry didn't do well enough in Potions to be an Auror.  He only recieved an "E" (Exceeds Expectations) and according to Snape's rules, he needed an "O" (Outstanding).  Of course, if we've read the book, we know how that one turns out...

And now for my interesting theory/possibility of the post--We learn that Rufus Scrimgeour has set up a number of different offices, one of which Arthur is the head.  This new office is the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects.  This office investigates swindlers who deal in false protection, either through spells or objects.  Molly mentions that the main perpetrators are people like Mundungus Fletcher.  Wouldn't it be interesting if Dung sold a certain locket he possibly found at Grimmauld as though it were a protective object and then Arthur came across it?

Various other facts of interest:

Harry shares with Ron and Hermione about the Prophecy, although not in a lot of detail.

Bill and Fleur are getting married!

Although Molly and Arthur eloped during the last time Voldy was in power, Molly (and most of the other females) don't like the idea of Bill and Fleur getting married.

Fred and George's shop is doing well.