The first few pages of chapter 17 of Half-Blood Prince belong to after-break catching-up. Hermione gets filled in on the Snape/Draco conversation, and Ron begins to show more signs of discontent in his relationship with Lavender.
Fawkes and Loyalty to Dumbledore
The action begins once again in Dumbledore’s office, where one of my favorite Dumbledore/Harry moments takes place: when Harry tells Dumbledore the story of affirming to Scrimgeour that he was “Dumbledore’s man, through and through.” Dumbledore goes speechless and teary, and Fawkes lets out “a low, soft, musical cry.” Fawkes’s song symbolizes loyalty to Dumbledore, which is loyalty to the good.
It’s an interesting moment to observe after our discussion about Lupin’s loyalty to Dumbledore in the last chapter. Whatever else you think about Dumbledore’s actions, this moment does not strike me as manipulative. Dumbledore isn’t working up a tear to take advantage of Harry’s declaration of loyalty. And Fawkes, quite obviously a symbol of goodness in the series, affirms Harry’s loyalty.
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We’re halfway through Half-Blood Prince!
Let the snogging begin! Chapter 14 of Half-Blood Prince centers on the continuing misunderstanding between Ron and Hermione and their frustration with each other. There’s probably a lot to say about that, but I’ll leave it to the pub.





Please, Mrs. Rowling, May We Have Some More? Or Might You Simply Shut It, Altogether?
October 23, 2007by Dave
Update: Jamie, my wife, has forwarded me a link to an AP news story on Yahoo! The revised reading has begun…
So, we all woke up this weekend with our understanding of our favorite fictional realm…”altered”. I have to admit, my first reaction upon seeing the headline on Yahoo! Saturday morning included [...]