Lunch room chats

My friend and I were chatting at lunch yesterday about all things Potter. He and I like to throw out a lot of theories. Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights, depending on your pov)

*Harry is a horcrux.. but maybe it was used when Voldie came back in book 4. And hence Harry won't have to die to kill him this time. My friend eschews this, because he feels that for the series to maintain its literary integrity, Harry must die. (I think he needs a t-shirt that says "Harry must die")

*Trelawney is really the villain. She uses her predictions of Harry's demise, etc.. to pass along info, and tries to otherwise hurt and undermine him. She is not a peripheral character at all, but eeeeevil.
Along with that thought, comes the idea that she shouldn't know ANYthing about Severus overhearing her interview. This is intertwined with the thought that Harry is usually wrong when he jumps to conclusions about Sev. From book one, Harry has made assumptions about Snape, only to have them be wrong in the end. I see his conclusions in book six the same way. Trelawney doesn't and shouldn't be able to remember her predictions. Unless she is a bigger fakir than we think. We don't think D'dore would have let her keep any memory of that whole thing intact. UNLESS it is part of the overall plot. Aberforth supposedley caught Sev and hauled him in front of Albus. Supposedly, Sev overheard the first part of the prophecy and told Tom. (I say that Wormtail overheard and told.. remember how Trelawney said it was a nasty rather infested place).. I think that that is when Sev joined up with Albus. And/or that letting Sybil know he was there was part of the scheme to let Tom think Sev was being loyal. I am sure Albus and Sev went over what to tell Tom. I am sure of it. How else does Albus know for sure how much of it that Tom even knows? Wormtail heard something,.. saw Sev there.. etc. Sev had to say something, to maintain his position.

*Hagrid is eeeeeeeeeevil too. I really liked this one for several reasons. #1, it ties in with Harry's misconceptions about people. Snape in particular. because....Psychologically, Harry is going to like and identify with the first person who saves him from the Dursley's. Hagrid broke down a door, letting Harry see that nothing could prevent him from saving him. Then he threatens and bullies them. He feeds Harry and then attacks Dudley when defending Harry's honor. This is the stuff dreams are made of for a kid in Harry's position. The only fantasy remaining might be to have his parents come take him away.
Hagrid keeps "slipping up" and dropping hints to the trio that end up getting them into some pretty grave dangers. Telling them to see Aragog, knowing his children will try to eat them. Asking them to go talk to his little brother, who HE can't even handle without getting hurt. Letting slip what the Sorcerer's Stone was.. and who Flamel was, etc.
Why did Lucius feel he needed to come all the way down to the hut? Sure, he might have been worried that Albus would find a way to let him go, but we thought, what if Lucius is on Hagrid's side? Maybe he was making sure Albus didn't do something to him. Or to pass along info. It was at that time that Hagrid sent Harry and Ron into danger by telling them the Aragog clue. Who is to say that he really went to Azkaban? Do dementors even have any effect on giant's? Magic bounces off them a lot. hmm...
Aaron (not at the lunch table) pointed out that Hagrid did all wordless magic when he got Harry from the Dursley's. He wondered if that was part of being a giant.
It could point to the fact that Hagrid is actually quite powerful and has a full wand in that pink umbrella. We only have his word that he wanted to turn Dudley into a full pig. But if he was trying to impress Harry.... a pig tail would be funny.. and not as scarey as seeing your cousin harmed and turned into a pig. Unbelievable to a kid who doesn't know about magic or wizards. Better to start small and get him to think you are on his side.. don't scare him too much.
What was it Tom said to Hagrid when he turned him in? I just re-read it. No, he doesn't say "Sorry Hagrid". He calls him Rubeus. And Hagrid calls him Tom. They weren't in the same year. Granted, according to memories we see later on, Tom was calling himself Lord Voldemort by then.. but why would are these boys on a first name basis? If people don't know each other very well, or don't particularly think much of them, they ought to go by last names. Even Harry calls him Hagrid. (not Mr Hagrid). Think of Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Malfoy, etc. Harry certainly doesn't talk to them like that. Perhaps Hagrid was a Slytherin? Sure, he tells Harry that there wasn't a wizard that went bad that wasn't in slytherin. Perhaps he was talking about himself. Maybe he is proud of the fact of who Tom is. You could put that slant on it.
Using Malfoy as a reference (draco, that is).. Why would Tom, who is supposed to be touting all his pureblood mania.. be so nice to a half-giant? He KNEW Hagrid had a monster spider.. maybe they were in a club for people who raise monsters.. .. hey, why not? :-)

How many times has Sev tried to tell someone that the kids should stay away from Hagrid? I don't know.. but it is the worthy task that should be undertaken next.

Pretty much, that is what we talked about at lunch. There were a few more asides on whether Albus is evil or not.. but we were so taken with Hagrid and Trelawney... those topics ended up being the best part of it all. That and Snape is the hero. :-)

later!!