Will and Won't

Life spins around what a person can do and what they can't; what they will do and what they won't; and what they have the "will" to do and what they don't.

In one of the opening scenes of Half-Blood Prince we see a very comical exchange at the Dursley's house involving Kreacher, Harry's new house-elf, but more than that, we are shown, perhaps, the theme to the entire Harry Potter series. "Will & Won't". What "will" happen next? "Will" Harry have the "will" to do what's necessary- to fulfill the prophecy? What "won't" he do to uncover the truth? What, beside Kreacher, has he inherited, if not through an official "Final Will and Testament" then perhaps through gifts and experience.

In other words, a person's "will" lists what happens to their possessions after their death, and within a will is listed the items that are "gift deeded"-like Harry receiving Kreacher and Number 12 Grimmauld Place- but sometimes a person receives "gift deeds" through other means than wills. Perhaps there was a birthday gift that came from a relative long-since-dead. Or a graduation present that once belonged to your great uncle. What items has our hero, Harry, been "gift deeded" through the course of all 6 books an what was the consequence of each gift? Hint: the invisibility cloak...Will these inheritances be a blessing or won't they? 

And what "won't" Harry do as he pursues growing up, staying alive, and facing his enemies? Lie? Cheat? Hide?
All this, plus discussions of: the other minister, our visit to Spinner's End, Dumbledore's portraits, Tarot cards, love potions, the House of Gaunt, and Spectrespecs.

A World of Mystery

We meet this week on Thursday Night, back at our old Potterology time of 6 pm- 8 pm at Kathy's house. We've had to make a couple small changes to meeting locations for the next month- baseball schedules!!!- so please check those on the blog's schedule page... But, book club changes are not very mysterious...

Harry's life, on the other hand, has always been a mystery that we, as readers, have slowly been unravelling. This week, it has become more somber and tragic than it ever was before; in addition, the importance and meaning of these mysteries seems to have increased to radical new levels. His cursed scar; Who heard the prophesy at the Hog's Head? The Department of Mysteries; What's up with the centaurs; What will happen with Grawp? The archway with the veil; What spells was Dumbledore atempting to cast at Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic? Sirius gave Harry a two-way mirror, but Harry forgot to use it...why? And what about Nearly Headless Nick saying to Harry, "learned wizards study (the secrets of death) in the Department of Mysteries"... And certainly not last, or least intriguing, look at the picture above and consider who and why is that elf or goblin clinging to the back of Harry on the British cover of Deathly Hallows...and is that Godric Gryffindor's sword? AND WHY DOES BOOK COVER ART MATTER????? What does it tell us, and not tell us, about a book?!!

۩ When we meet this week we'll start with a dinner-time discussion of last month's secret question, which could easily be a starter for this month's concluding discussion of Order of the Phoenix:

*We went inside Professor Snape's memories briefly when Harry took Occlumency lessons from him; Harry, who had accidently broken into Snape's memories, saw Snape, as a boy, cowering in a corner, while his father was cruel to his mother...also, a broomstick kept trying to buck young Snape off...but the question is ~~Why does our fearless writer, J.K. Rowling, include this scene in the book? What does it tell us about Professor Snape and how is this scene useful to the story? Think and be ready to discuss!

See you all Thursday at Kathy and Mikaya's!