text:
Talk:Visual Basic/Simple Arithmetic

Here is the previous version of the atan2 routine. It has been suggested that this routine is faulty and the originator even notes that comparison with zero doesn't work (not exactly true: the comparison works but the consequences are not as expected because of limited dynamic range):

Public Function Atan2(ByVal Y As Double, ByVal X As Double) As Double Dim signy as Integer signy = Sgn(Y) If signy = 0 Then signy = 1 ' removes the problem when Y=0 If Abs(X) < 0.0000001 Then ' (direct comparison with zero doesn't always work) Atan2 = Sgn(Y) * 1.5707963267949 ElseIf X < 0 Then Atan2 = Atn(Y / X) + signy * 3.14159265358979 Else Atan2 = Atn(Y / X)    End If End Function

--10:39, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Visual Basic/Simple Arithmetic


text:
User talk:Vesszabo

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license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:Vesszabo


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User talk:Mijanova

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User talk:GovernmentMan

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User talk:Vin2ktalks

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User talk:Karuro san

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User talk:Yaleks

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User talk:Krand

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User talk:Hotarman

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User talk:Recovery Psychology

Welcome to Wikibooks, Recovery Psychology!

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User talk:Cauri

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Well
You had me thinking there! I was pretty sure I hadn't used a quote here and I do like folk who look around wikis (I do it myself). My sense of humour is fairly off the wall (& not always appreciated or indeed understood!). I spotted the hemp one on RC earlier and thought the idea looked very worthwhile - I'll look some more & help if I can. Let me know if I can help - cheers -- Herby talk thyme 12:14, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

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User talk:Anupamsr

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User talk:Edmundwoods

Come introduce yourself at the new users page. If you have any questions, you can ask there or contact me personally.-- SB_Johnny | PA! 09:50, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

Username change
Done. If you have need of administrative help in the future, just use WB:AN :-P. -- SB_Johnny | PA! 09:50, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:Edmundwoods


text:
File:Kahlua bw.jpg

Source: www.beveragewarehouse.com

Non-free use rationale
This image meets the following non-free use criteria:
 * No free alternative possible
 * If this is a promotional image from the company, then any "user-supplied" image whose sole purpose was clearly to represent the same copyrighted box/item art (and nothing else, and with no significant artistic input- i.e. a "mechanical" reproduction, whether by scanner or camera) would likely have the same restrictions.
 * Is being used to demonstrate the product and/or its marketing
 * Serves to demonstrate the product being discussed rather than being used in a solely decorative manner.
 * Does not deprive company of ability to make money in any way
 * Is not being used in misleading or misrepresentative manner

Disclaimer

 * Use of this non-free image of a proprietary product is not an endorsement of that product or the internet business from which the image was obtained. This image was obtained from a manufacturer's website or an online business selling that product. The source of the file is listed under the image. The owners of the trademark and the image are acknowledged.

/Images

title: File:Kahlua bw.jpg


text:
File:Tia Maria bw.jpg

Source: http://www.beveragewarehouse.com

Non-free use rationale
This image meets the following non-free use criteria:
 * No free alternative possible
 * If this is a promotional image from the company, then any "user-supplied" image whose sole purpose was clearly to represent the same copyrighted box/item art (and nothing else, and with no significant artistic input- i.e. a "mechanical" reproduction, whether by scanner or camera) would likely have the same restrictions.
 * Is being used to demonstrate the product and/or its marketing
 * Serves to demonstrate the product being discussed rather than being used in a solely decorative manner.
 * Does not deprive company of ability to make money in any way
 * Is not being used in misleading or misrepresentative manner

Disclaimer

 * Use of this non-free image of a proprietary product is not an endorsement of that product or the internet business from which the image was obtained. This image was obtained from a manufacturer's website or an online business selling that product. The source of the file is listed under the image. The owners of the trademark and the image are acknowledged.

/Images

title: File:Tia Maria bw.jpg


text:
Outsourcing

This textbook identifies and develops the skills, knowledge and core competencies required in the client, the supplier and advisor organizations to enable the outsourcing market to grow and to realise the business value. The industry needs a higher number of experienced and qualified technicians, enterprise architects and managers that can cope with the complexity of working in multi-sourcing environments. The aim is to develop a general curriculum and supporting textbook that will be the standard text for a specialized MBA/MSc degree in the management of outsourcing agreements.

Table of Contents

 * /Introduction/
 * /Project Management/
 * /Human Resource Management/

Appendices
 * /Bibliography/
 * /Careers/
 * /Solution Taxonomy/

Authors
Brian Rodger (Brodger3) Sierra Mary (Luminary77)

title: Outsourcing


text: Category:Book:Outsourcing

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User talk:Brodger3

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User talk:Geasaw

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User talk:Halloway

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User talk:PatonB

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User talk:Ponddigger

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User talk:ReachingAphelion~enwikibooks

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Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called ReachingAphelion. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name ReachingAphelion~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

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User talk:Ledzeppelin21~enwikibooks

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Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Ledzeppelin21. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Ledzeppelin21~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:24, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
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text: Template:Outsourcing/stub

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User:Brodger3

See BRODGER3 at Wikipedia or leave a message about the book The Outsourcing MBA.

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text:
Talk:Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows

Discussion Questions
I've noticed that some chapter Discussion questions are worded in such a way that they cannot be answered by the reader. By that, I mean that there's no information in the synopsis about it or it's related to something that is revealed in a later chapter. I've reworded some questions to ask readers to speculate why something "might" have happened rather ask them to give a definitive answer. I know some of the information may be in the "Analysis" or "Greater Picture" section, but the questions should, IMHO, relate only to what is covered in that specific chapter. Any thoughts about this? PNW Raven 17:01, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

 * I like to eliminate unanswerable questions, especially those relating to this last book. Most of the ones I eliminate are factual and ask things like what someone's Patronus might look like that we never find out. Those sorts of things don't bring about much critical thought, just fantasy. A question's answer doesn't have to be in a synopsis in my opinion, especially that current chapter's synopsis (although if we're writing good synopses it most likely will be since the question should be important enough to find an answer to). Questions often provide foreshadowing and help the reader think about what might be happening later which I think is a very good thing. I don't like having too many factual questions even if they can be answered because we want readers to think about various themes, relationships, etc., not just look up facts and memorize them like an encyclopedia. There is little to no value in knowing that Harry's Patronus is a stag, but there is quite a powerful message in why his Patronus is the stag and how that creature connects to other events and characters. I never want the questions answered here in the book because if it can be answered (at least easily) then it very well might not be a good question to have at all. Many of our questions should be open to some degree of personal opinion and insight into a matter. Hope this answers your questions. -within focus 18:59, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

 * I definitely want thought-provoking questions that speculate on outcome as well as facutal ones, just not ones like the example you gave above, such as, what shape did so-and-so's patronus take when there's absolutely no mention in the synopsis about what it was. Another was, why did Dumbledore bequest those particular objects to H,R,&H, an answer that is unknown until later in the book. We can ask why he might have given them to the trio, but that is information that is not given in that particular chapter. That's what we need to be careful of.PNW Raven 19:52, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

 * I think the important thing here is not whether the questions are factual or not, nor whether they are answered in the summary -- though a good question won't be. The questions should be selected so as to make the reader think about what is going on. So as withinfocus says, asking what shape Snape's Patronus would be (at least, before we have actually seen it) is pointless; asking why has some value, because it leads the reader to think about what would shape Snape's life and what influences him. It is because of this that I would tend to retain questions about the shape of (say) Flitwick's patronus, because while the answer is speculation, if we add that "why?' it becomes supported speculation, and that would require some thought. Chazz (talk) 22:17, 12 August 2007 (UTC)


text:
User:Mijanova

My name is Molly. Pretty much the only reason I came here was to look at the Croatian section.

I've only just came here. (August 11th!) From what I've seen so far, I really like it here.

I'm good at editing English and I like doing it, so if you have any questions you can ask me. :]

title: User:Mijanova


text: MediaWiki:Category-empty

title: MediaWiki:Category-empty


text:
User:Mloewen

Here is my basic links page for now. All are freeware as far as I know.

 * OpenSong Some good software for song presentation for churches.
 * Opensong addons Some helpfull addons to open song.
 * 7-zip excellent archiving prog.
 * openoffice great free MS office replacement
 * gimp Excellent photo editing software.
 * snackamp It is a good music player.
 * FreeCiv Civilization
 * Neverball A great physics game.
 * Secret Maryo Chronicles Great Super Maro Clone
 * vdrift 3d racing game

title: User:Mloewen


text:
Haskell/Applicative functors

When covering the vital  and   type classes, we glossed over a third type class: , the class for applicative functors. Like monads, applicative functors are functors with extra laws and operations; in fact,  is an intermediate class between   and. is a widely used class with a wealth of applications. It enables the eponymous applicative style, a convenient way of structuring functorial computations, and also provides means to express a number of important patterns.

recap
We will begin with a quick review of the Functor class chapter. is characterised by the  function:

If a type is an instance of, you can use   to apply a function to values in it. Another way of describing  is saying that it promotes functions to act on functorial values. To ensure  works sanely, any instance of   must comply with the following two laws:

, for example, has a  instance, and so we can easily modify the value inside it...

...as long as it exists, of course.

has an infix synonym,. It often helps readability, and also suggests how  can be seen as a different kind of function application.

Application in functors
As useful as it is,  isn't much help if we want to apply a function of two arguments to functorial values. For instance, how could we sum  and  ? The brute force approach would be extracting the values from the  wrapper. That, however, would mean having to do tedious checks for. Even worse: in a different  extracting the value might not even be an option (just think about  ).

We could use  to partially apply   to the first argument:

But now we are stuck: we have a function and a value both wrapped in, and no way of applying one to the other. The closest we can get to the desired  is probably this:

(note that  is  ).

What we would like to have is an operator with a type akin to  to apply functions in the context of a functor. If that operator was called, we would be able to write:

Lo and behold - that works!

The type of  is:

is one of the methods of, the type class of applicative functors - functors that support function application within their contexts. Expressions such as  are said to be written in applicative style, which is as close as we can get to regular function application while working with a functor. If you pretend for a moment the,   and   aren't there, our example looks just like.

The class
The definition of  is:

Beyond, the class has a second method,  , which brings arbitrary values into the functor. As an example, let's have a look at the  instance:

It doesn't do anything surprising:  wraps the value with  ;   applies the function to the value if both exist, and results in   otherwise.

Applicative functor laws
Just like,   has a set of laws which reasonable instances should follow. They are:

Those laws are a bit of a mouthful. They become easier to understand if you think of  as a way to inject values into the functor in a default, featureless way, so that the result is as close as possible to the plain value. Thus:

 * The identity law says that applying the  morphism does nothing, exactly like with the plain   function.
 * The homomorphism law says that applying a "pure" function to a "pure" value is the same as applying the function to the value in the normal way and then using  on the result. In a sense, that means   preserves function application.
 * The interchange law says that applying a morphism to a "pure" value  is the same as applying   to the morphism. No surprises there - as we have seen in the higher order functions chapter,   is the function that supplies   as an argument to another function.
 * The composition law says that  composes morphisms similarly to how   composes functions: applying the composed morphism   to   gives the same result as applying   to the result of applying   to.

There is also a bonus law about the relation between  and  :

Applying a "pure" function with  is equivalent to using. This law is a consequence of the other ones, so you need not bother with proving it when writing instances of.

Déjà vu
Does  remind you of anything?

The only difference between that and...

... is the class constraint. and  serve the same purpose; that is, bringing values into functors. The uncanny resemblances do not stop here. Back in the chapter about  we mentioned a function called  ...

... which could be used to make functions with many arguments less painful to handle in monadic code:

looks a lot like.

Those, of course, are not coincidences. inherits from ...

... because  and   are enough to implement   and.

Several other monadic functions have more general applicative versions. Here are a few of them:

Lists are applicative functors as well. Specialised to lists, the type of  becomes...

... and so  applies a list of functions to another list. But exactly how is that done?

The standard instance of  for lists, which follows from the   instance, applies every function to every element, like an explosive version of.

Interestingly, there is another reasonable way of applying a list of functions. Instead of using every combination of functions and values, we can match each function with the value in the corresponding position in the other list. A  function which can be used for that is  :

When there are two useful possible instances for a single type, the dilemma is averted by creating a  which implements one of them. In this case, we have, which lives in :

We have already seen what  should be for zip-lists; all that is needed is to add the   wrappers:

As for, it is tempting to use  , following the standard list instance. We can't do that, however, as it violates the applicative laws. According to the identity law:

Substituting  and the suggested , we get:

Now, suppose  is the infinite list  :

The problem is that  produces lists whose length is that of the shortest list passed as argument, and so   will cut off all elements of the other zip-list after the first. The only way to ensure  never removes elements is making   infinite. The correct  follows from that:

The  applicative instance offers an alternative to all the zipN and zipWithN functions in  which can be extended to any number of arguments:

Sequencing of effects
As we have just seen, the standard  instance for lists applies every function in one list to every element of the other. That, however, does not specify  unambiguously. To see why, try to guess what is the result of  without looking at the example above or the answer just below.

Unless you were paying very close attention or had already analysed the implementation of, the odds of getting it right were about even. The other possibility would be. The difference is that for the first (and correct) answer the result is obtained by taking the skeleton of the first list and replacing each element by all possible combinations with elements of the second list, while for the other possibility the starting point is the second list.

In more general terms, the difference between is one of sequencing of effects. Here, by effects we mean the functorial context, as opposed to the values within the functor (some examples: the skeleton of a list, actions performed in the real world in, the existence of a value in  ). The existence of two legal implementations of  for lists which only differ in the sequencing of effects indicates that   is a non-commutative applicative functor. A commutative applicative functor, by contrast, leaves no margin for ambiguity in that respect. More formally, a commutative applicative functor is one for which the following holds:

Or, equivalently,

By the way, if you hear about commutative monads in Haskell, the concept involved is the same, only specialised to.

Commutativity (or the lack thereof) affects other functions which are derived from  as well. is a clear example:

combines effects while preserving only the values of its second argument. For monads, it is equivalent to. Here is a demonstration of it using, which is commutative:

Swapping the arguments does not affect the effects (that is, the being and nothingness of wrapped values). For, however, swapping the arguments does reorder the effects:

The convention in Haskell is to always implement  and other applicative operators using left-to-right sequencing. Even though this convention helps reducing confusion, it also means appearances sometimes are misleading. For instance, the  function is not , as it sequences effects from left to right just like  :

For the same reason,  from   is not. That means it provides a way of inverting the sequencing:

An alternative is the module from , which offers a   for flipping the order of effects:

A sliding scale of power
,,  . Three closely related functor type classes; three of the most important classes in Haskell. Though we have seen many examples of  and   in use, and a few of , we have not compared them head to head yet. If we ignore /  for a moment, the characteristic methods of the three classes are:

While those types look disparate, we can change the picture with a few cosmetic adjustments. Let's replace  by its infix synonym,  ;   by its flipped version,  ; and tidy up the signatures a bit:

Suddenly, the similarities are striking. ,  and   are all mapping functions over  s. The differences between them are in what is being mapped over in each case:

 * maps arbitrary functions over functors.
 * maps  morphisms over (applicative) functors.
 * maps  functions over (monadic) functors.

The day-to-day differences in uses of,   and   follow from what the types of those three mapping functions allow you to do. As you move from  to   and then to , you gain in power, versatility and control, at the cost of guarantees about the results. We will now slide along this scale. While doing so, we will use the contrasting terms values and context to refer to plain values within a functor and to whatever surrounds them, respectively.

The type of  and the two associated laws ensure that it is impossible to use it to change the context, no matter which function it is given. In, the   function has nothing to do with the   context of the   functorial value, and so applying it cannot affect the context. For that reason, if you do  on some list   the number of elements of the list will never change.

That can be taken as a safety guarantee or as an unfortunate restriction, depending on what you intend. In any case,  is clearly able to change the context:

The  morphism carries a context of its own, which is combined with that of the   functorial value. , however, is subject to a more subtle restriction. While  morphisms carry context, within them there are plain , which are still unable to modify the context. That means the changes to the context  performs are fully determined by the context of its arguments, and the values have no influence over the resulting context.

Thus with list  you know that the length of the resulting list will be the product of the lengths of the original lists, with     you know that all real-world effects will happen as long as the evaluation terminates, and so forth.

With, however, we are in a very different game. takes a  function, and so it is able to create context from values. That means a lot of flexibility:

Taking advantage of the extra flexibility, however, might mean having fewer guarantees about, for instance, whether your functions are able to unexpectedly erase parts of a data structure for pathological inputs, or whether the control flow in your application remains intelligible. In some situations there might be performance implications as well, as the complex data dependencies monadic code makes possible might prevent useful refactorings and optimisations. All in all, it is a good idea to only use as much power as needed for the task at hand. If you do need the extra capabilities of, go right ahead; however, it is often worth it to check whether   or   are sufficient.

The monoidal presentation
Back in Understanding monads, we saw how the  class can be specified using either   or   instead of. In a similar way,  also has an alternative presentation, which might be implemented through the following type class:

There are deep theoretical reasons behind the name "monoidal". In any case, we can informally say that it does look a lot like a monoid:  provides a default functorial value whose context wraps nothing of interest, and   combines functorial values by pairing values and combining effects. The  formulation provides a clearer view of how   manipulates functorial contexts. Naturally,  and   can be used to define   and , and vice-versa.

The  laws are equivalent to the following set of laws, stated in terms of  :

The functions to the left of the  are just boilerplate to convert between equivalent types, such as   and. If you ignore them, the laws are a lot less opaque than in the usual  formulation. By the way, just like for  there is a bonus law, which is guaranteed to hold in Haskell:

title: Haskell/Applicative functors


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 34

Synopsis
Sprawled on the Headmaster's office floor, Harry now understands that Snape was in fact on his side all along, as well as his own destiny. Under his Invisibility Cloak, he proceeds to the Entrance Hall, almost bumping into Neville, who is returning from the grounds with Oliver Wood. They are carrying Colin Creevey's body into the castle. Oliver says he can handle this on his own, and Neville returns to the grounds to search for more casualties. Harry follows and reveals himself to Neville. Harry tells Neville that Nagini must be killed to defeat Voldemort. He says that Ron and Hermione also know, but if for some reason they are unable to, then Neville must kill Nagini. Neville says he will, and Harry puts the cloak back on and proceeds to the Forbidden Forest. Noticing Ginny helping a fallen girl along the way, he is tempted to stop and speak with her, but knowing it would be impossible for him to continue if he did, he goes on, past Hagrid's hut and to the Forest.

Dementors gliding around the forest's edge block Harry's path, and he lacks the strength to conjure another Patronus. Harry pulls the Snitch from his pouch. Remembering its inscription, "I open at the close," he realizes it refers to death. Pressing the Snitch to his lips, he whispers, "I am about to die." The Snitch breaks open and reveals the Peverell ring, which Harry realizes holds the cracked Resurrection Stone. He turns the stone three times and the shades of James, Lily, Lupin, and Sirius appear. All seem ghostly but are more solid-looking than just spirits. Lupin and Sirius both appear younger and each looks happy. His mother and father speak to Harry, telling him how proud they are of his bravery, and their presence is a comfort as he prepares to die. Harry asks if dying hurts, but Sirius says it is painless and easier than falling asleep. Harry tells Remus that he is sorry that he had to die so soon after his son's birth. Although Remus regrets that he cannot be there for his son, he is also glad that Teddy will grow up in a better world that his father's death helped to make possible, and he hopes that Teddy will understand why his father died when he is told. All four promise to stay with Harry and protect him as he passes through the Dementors, acting as Patronuses. Sirius also assures him that they will be invisible to Voldemort, since their memories are part of Harry. Harry is able to force himself to go on only because the spirits remain with him.

Harry makes his way through the thick, tangled woods, unaware just where he is heading: the spirits, remaining close to his side, appear to guide him. As he nears Voldemort's camp, Yaxley and Dolohov think they hear something, but suspect it is probably an animal. The hour Voldemort has given Harry is nearly up, and it appears that Harry Potter will not appear. Still cloaked, Harry enters a clearing where he sees two Giants and Voldemort's Death Eaters, including Bellatrix. Fenrir Greyback is skulking nearby, while Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa are also there, both appearing defeated and apprehensive. Harry recognizes the camp site as Aragog's old lair, his descendants forced out by Death Eaters to fight for their cause.

Voldemort says aloud he thought Harry would come, but no one responds to his words. Harry pulls off the Cloak and tucks it, and his wand, under his robes. The Resurrection Stone slips from his fingers, and the spirits vanish. Voldemort speaks again. "I was, it seems... mistaken."

Harry loudly replies, "You weren't."

Hagrid, tightly bound to a tree nearby, warningly yells at Harry, but Rowle silences him.

As Harry's final thoughts turn to Ginny, Voldemort casts the Killing Curse at him.

Analysis
Snape's memories have answered many questions, and the truth is not what Harry or the reader expected. Not only are Harry's doubts and fears about Dumbledore seemingly justified, but Dumbledore was apparently protecting him all these years only to fulfill his ultimate plan, involving sacrificing Harry to defeat Voldemort. Surprisingly, Harry accepts this, and he willingly goes to face Voldemort and meet his fate in order to save others. Snape is also vindicated, and his heroism and sacrifice are finally revealed. Even though this does not fully exonerate Snape's behavior, if Harry survives, he will eventually have to reconcile his long-held hatred for his belligerent teacher with new-found gratitude to the tragic man who protected him and aided his quest, losing his own life in the process.

Harry's brief discussion with Neville about Nagini needing to be killed highlights Harry's increasing awareness that he is not alone in this battle, nor is it even limited to himself, Ron, and Hermione. He sees that the battle at Hogwarts is joined not on his behalf, but under his banner, and he has witnessed the sacrifices others are willing to make to defeat the Dark Lord. Perhaps his new awareness about Snape's sacrifices has assisted him in this understanding. In any event, while he still withholds details about his mission, he now shows more willingness to ask others for help when needed.

Harry's one comfort before facing death is being reunited with his parents, his godfather (Sirius) and Remus, though, unlike the brother in the tale, he realizes that the boundary between the living and the dead can be crossed permanently only in one direction. By understanding and accepting this, Harry becomes death's master. He feels justified in summoning James and Lily's spirits only so they can escort him to the Netherworld, rather than resurrect them from the grave. Meeting his parents and hearing their words completes his emotional need for their love and approval, and for closure. They also provide comfort and guidance as he is about to encounter his own death.

Harry's deep love for Ginny is seen here. First, as Harry spots Ginny as he leaves Hogwarts, he longs to bid her farewell, but fearing he will be unable to continue prevents him from doing so. Also, and perhaps most telling, as Harry faces his death, it is only Ginny's kiss he recalls, rather than his parents, or even Cho Chang, showing that Ginny has provided the most comfort and joy in his life. On Ginny's part, as Harry passes near her, he believes she sensed him, despite being hidden by the Invisibility Cloak. While he cannot know this for certain, as he never looks back, this indicates his trust in Ginny's love.

We note that Harry tasks Neville with killing Nagini in the event that he, Ron, or Hermione are unable to (or are all killed). Although Harry fully trusts Neville to follow through on his request, Harry, probably overcome with his impending demise, has neglected to instruct Neville on just how to kill a Horcrux. If that is indeed what Nagini is, then she will likely need to be slain by one of the same methods that destroyed the other Horcruxes, though Neville apparently knows nothing about that. If Neville should attempt to kill Nagini by more conventional means, his own life will likely be lost.

Review

 * 1) Unlike the brother in the Deathly Hallows tale, why does Harry feels he is justified in summoning his parents' spirits?
 * 2) What does, "I open at the close" mean? Why does Harry only now understand its meaning?

Further Study

 * 1) When Harry summons the spirits of his parents, Sirius, and Lupin, why doesn't he also call for Cedric Diggory, "Mad Eye" Moody, Dumbledore, or Fred Weasley?
 * 2) Why does Harry drop the Resurrection Stone just as he confronts Voldemort?
 * 3) Was Dumbledore justified in protecting Harry only so his life will be sacrificed to defeat Voldemort?
 * 4) Why does Harry so readily accept the fate that Dumbledore apparently intended for him?

Greater Picture
Harry's death, as we can surmise from the two large remaining chapters, does not occur at this juncture. Dumbledore's actual intent is revealed in the next chapter. There, it is learned that Dumbledore knew that Voldemort, by his own actions, had unintentionally extended Harry's protection against anything Voldemort could inflict on him. Harry was unaware that this extension of his protection had occurred, and had expected that he could die when he faced Voldemort.

There is a faint suggestion that Harry knows some aspects of Dumbledore's plan. Note that Harry carefully hides Draco Malfoy's captured wand under his shirt, along with the Invisibility Cloak. It is uncertain why he does this, if he was expecting to die. He may believe, or at least hope, he is protected from the Elder Wand, as that wand may now recognize whoever wields Draco's wand as its master; Harry may simply wish to prevent Voldemort from using the Invisibility Cloak and capturing Draco's wand, which might grant him the Elder Wand's full power. Alternately, it may be that Harry is simply removing any temptation to duel Voldemort with Draco's wand and the cloak, believing that this is necessary for the protection of those at Hogwarts. In any event, Harry's concealing the wand and Invisibility Cloak, rather than discarding them, may indicate he holds some hope, however slim, that he will survive the encounter. As he has no knowledge that he retains the blood protection, this faint hope seems to hinge on the Elder Wand and its current allegiance.

From the conversations with Snape in the previous chapter, we know why Harry must face Voldemort. In that chapter, it is revealed that Harry is carrying a fragment of Voldemort's soul, and that must be destroyed to end Voldemort's immortality. It may be worth mentioning that while this performs the same function as a Horcrux, it is not a true Horcrux; the soul fragment is merely sticking to Harry's soul, it has not been bound to him by the necessary magic to make Harry a Horcrux. As such, destruction of the soul fragment does not require destruction of its container (Harry). It is because of this that Harry is able to survive the encounter with Voldemort. There is more information on this in the Greater Picture section of the article on Horcruxes.

The final chapter reveals that one reason Harry so willingly, if fearfully, goes to what he suspects will be his death is because he knows about the charm that protected him following his mother's death. Harry believes, correctly, that his death will likewise protect Hogwarts, the place he loves, and everyone in it, from Voldemort's magic. While he cannot know whether this will work, and is likely too distracted by his impending demise to clearly consider the matter, he must see that this is the best, last hope for Hogwarts and its defenders.

Harry's dropping the Resurrection Stone, rather than being unplanned, is actually a conscious decision. It is uncertain how many times it was used, as, historically, it was apparently only collected as a Peverell relic. But Harry has seen that its effects can be fatal; Dumbledore was tempted to try and recall his dead family with it, and the stone's original owner, by legend, killed himself upon realizing he could never truly rejoin his lost love on this side of the Veil. Harry, as noted above, has not used the stone to recall his lost loved ones back to life, or a pale imitation of life; rather, he recalls them partly for reassurance that there is an existence beyond death, and partly as comfort in what he believes will be his final moments. Harry is mature enough to know that these summoned shades are not, and never can be, the people he remembers, and feels, correctly, that the ability to summon the dead does not belong in the living world. The Stone, now somewhere underfoot in the Forbidden Forest's dark depths, is unlikely to ever be found again, as Harry has no intention of saying where he dropped it.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 12

Synopsis
August passes, and, each day, several mysterious strangers, always different, lurk outside Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. On September 1st, the day students return to Hogwarts, at least half a dozen men in long, dark cloaks appear, watching outside the house. The Trio, meanwhile, has been taking turns spying on the Ministry of Magic under the Invisibility Cloak to learn its operations and routines. Returning under his Cloak, Harry Apparates onto Grimmauld's front stoop, landing badly, and worries that his elbow was momentarily exposed. A nearby lurker seemingly glimpses something, then appears uncertain and relaxes. Safely inside, Harry heads to the kitchen, which is nearly unrecognizable due to Kreacher's cleaning efforts. Ron and Hermione, sitting at the kitchen table, are poring over copious notes and hand-drawn maps. Harry hands them a pinched Daily Prophet, warning them it contains bad news. The headline reads: SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER. Hermione suddenly jumps up and runs from the kitchen.

The article reports that Alecto and Amycus Carrow have been appointed as the new Muggle Studies and Dark Arts instructors. Harry recognizes the Carrows' photos: they were among the Death Eaters atop the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore was murdered. Ron and Harry believe the other teachers will remain at the school only to protect the students though Harry also thinks they probably have little choice—it is either stay at Hogwarts or be sent to Azkaban. Harry mentions the more than usual Death Eaters outside, almost as if they are expecting the Trio to march off to King's Cross station to catch the Hogwarts Express. Harry comments that at least they now know where Severus Snape is.

Hermione returns lugging Phineas Nigellus Black's empty portrait and stuffs it into her beaded carrying bag, explaining that if Snape sends Phineas from his Hogwarts' portrait to Grimmauld Place, he will be unable to see or hear anything from inside the bag. As they are discussing the Ministry of Magic, Harry suddenly announces they will infiltrate it the next day. They know enough, and it is too dangerous to wait any longer. Both Ron and Hermione look frightened.

Harry suddenly excuses himself, claiming he has to go to the bathroom, but pain is shooting through his scar. Grasping the wash basin, he sees himself gliding down a twilit street lined with gabled houses in some unknown European village. A door cracks open, and a high-pitched voice asks for Gregorovitch. A foreign woman insists he has moved. A green flash follows, then Harry hears Hermione shouting. Slumped on the floor, Harry gets up and unlocks the door. Despite Harry's claim nothing is wrong, Ron and Hermione insist they heard him cry out. Harry admits seeing Voldemort murdering a woman and her family. Hermione is upset that Harry refuses to block Voldemort using Occlumency, but Harry believes knowing his actions is useful. Voldemort is hunting Gregorovitch, the foreign wand maker who crafted Viktor Krum's wand. Considering Voldemort has Ollivander imprisoned, Ron wonders why he is looking for another wand maker. Harry speculates that Voldemort may believe that Gregorovitch can explain why Voldemort's wand failed against Harry's. Late into the night, they review their plan to invade the Ministry.

Early the next morning, Hermione reviews what items they will need while Kreacher promises steak and kidney pie when they return. They Disapparate to the Ministry, arriving in a nearby alleyway. Hermione stuns a Ministry woman named Mafalda Hopkirk. After plucking a few hairs off the unconscious woman, Hermione drinks the Polyjuice Potion. Ron and Harry also find employees to impersonate. Ron becomes a maintenance worker named Reg Cattermole, though Harry does not yet know his own identity. Entering an underground public restroom with other employees, they insert tokens into cubicle doors and step into toilets that flush them dry into the Ministry of Magic's Atrium.

The Atrium has changed—it is darker, and the central golden fountain has been replaced by a frightening statue with a witch and wizard seated upon ornately carved thrones depicting writhing nude and ugly-faced men, women, and children. Harry is bumped by a man calling him Runcorn. His subservient tone suggests that Runcorn is a high official. A Death Eater named Yaxley approaches Ron (as Cattermole) and orders him to attend to the rain in his office. Yaxley makes threats about Cattermole's wife, who is appearing before the Muggle-Born Registration Commission that day. In a lift (elevator) Hermione whispers hints to Ron for fixing Yaxley's office before he gets off on Level Two. On Level One, a squat, toad-like witch wearing a velvet bow in her hair steps into the lift.

Analysis
Fear and suspicion have permeated the Wizarding world, and readers can see in this chapter and the next just how Voldemort exploits that to seize control. By systematically infiltrating wizard institutions such as the Ministry of Magic, falsifying scientific research, and manipulating the media (The Daily Prophet) to disseminate propaganda, Voldemort was able to implement his plan to eliminate blood traitors and Muggle-borns like Hermione, who are accused of acquiring their magic by having stolen it from other wizards. Many Death Eaters and other Voldemort sympathizers (mostly Slytherins) already worked at the Ministry, making its takeover relatively easy. As a result, new laws and regulations are constantly being enacted and all wizards must now register to prove their magical lineage; any known or suspected Muggle-borns are interrogated and separated from their families, their eventual fates uncertain. Intimidation, coercion, spying, and threat tactics are also employed to suppress opposition, while corrupt, ambitious bureaucrats like Dolores Umbridge, who, though they are not Death Eaters, willingly help spearhead the Dark Lord's evil rise to power to benefit themselves. Meanwhile, Voldemort deliberately remains elusive to create doubt and confusion among the general Wizarding population and to avoid giving his enemies a specific target to rally against. Even Hogwarts has fallen victim, and every wizard child must now attend only that school. This enables Death Eaters to indoctrinate impressionable young minds to Voldemort's depraved beliefs, as well as provide a convenient mechanism to identify and cull Muggle-borns.

Conquering the Muggle realm may also be included in Voldemort's grandiose scheme, if the new atrium statue is any indication. The monument, like the previously destroyed "Fountain of Magical Brethren," appears to represent the Ministry's new public mission. The figures, a magical couple seated on thrones made of struggling Muggles, reveals how much control Voldemort has gained over the Wizarding realm and how little, if any, concern he and the Ministry now have for Muggles' welfare. Indeed, the statue can be interpreted as wizards suppressing, and possibly exterminating and/or enslaving, Muggles.

Any reader doubting that one individual can attain the power to convert an entire state to their perverted political design need only to draw parallels between Voldemort's Muggle-born persecution and Adolf Hitler exterminating six million Jews and other so-called "undesirables" in Nazi Germany during the mid-20th century. Both movements were driven by a maniacal but charismatic dictator who, exploiting the masses' anxieties and prejudices, advocated an elitist ruling class and purging "racially impure" citizens who were blamed for causing most social, political, and economic ills within their society.

Meanwhile, Hermione stuffs Phineas' portrait into her bag to prevent him relaying information to Snape via his other portrait in the Headmaster's office. He has had ample time to have already done that, however. Phineas' allegiance is as yet unclear, and though he has always appeared loyal to Dumbledore in the past, that is no guide to the current situation. It is likely that Phineas' fidelity will have changed with the new Headmaster, as the portraits, we heard earlier, are supposedly loyal to "the Headmaster of Hogwarts", which Snape now is. It is also possible, though less likely, that Phineas' loyalty to Dumbledore was false; Phineas certainly seemed, on occasion, reluctant to follow Dumbledore's instructions. Almost certainly, this reluctance is due to Phineas' and Dumbledore's widely differing philosophies. At one point in the story, Dumbledore remarks that Phineas Nigellus Black was the most-hated Headmaster in Hogwarts' history, and we have seen in earlier books how his attitude towards the students would have contributed to that hatred. Snape's disdain for the students, and his Slytherin House background, could make Phineas more willing to carry out his requests. Just how Dumbledore's portrait is interacting in these matters is unknown, and whether or not he is "loyal" to Snape simply because he is now a portrait and is expected to offer his allegiance to him is certainly something readers must be speculating about.

Phineas may have already informed Snape that the Trio is in residence at Grimmauld Place. However, if he has, that information does not appear to have been relayed to Voldemort. Even though Death Eaters are constantly outside watching the Black family residence, they seem uncertain as to whether the Trio is actually within, though perhaps what they are actually unsure of is where exactly the house is.

Review

 * 1) What accounts for Kreacher's changed behavior towards the Trio? Can he now be trusted?
 * 2) Harry believes Voldemort is looking for a new wandmaker. Is Harry right, and if so, why would Voldemort need a new one when he already has Ollivander?
 * 3) What does the new statue in the Ministry of Magic atrium represent?

Further Study

 * 1) Hermione wants Harry to block Voldemort's thoughts by using Occlumency, while Harry wants to keep the channel open. Which is the better choice and why?
 * 2) What effect could Snape's appointment as Hogwarts' new Headmaster have on the Trio's mission?
 * 3) How might the Trio be planning to recover the Locket after entering the Ministry? Where is Umbridge likely to keep the Locket?
 * 4) How could the Trio be so certain that the "toad woman" Mundungus Fletcher described in the previous chapter is actually Dolores Umbridge?
 * 5) In addition to recovering the Locket, what additional information can the Trio gather while at the Ministry that would be useful for their mission?
 * 6) What comparisons can be made to Voldemort's persecution of Muggle-born Wizards and historical events from mid-20th century Europe?

Greater Picture
Harry's apparent utter inability (or stubborn refusal) to learn Occlumency was a contributing factor in the events leading to his godfather Sirius' death. However, it is this same failure, we believe, which now allows Harry to view some events occurring in Voldemort's mind: Harry already senses their value to the Trio's mission, despite the physical pain they cause, and he is therefore resistant to Hermione's repeated pleas that he practice Occlumency to block them. Later, it is revealed that Voldemort will largely lose control over his skill at Legilimency and Occlumency, at least as far as Harry is concerned. After possessing Harry's mind once before, Voldemort found Harry's strong memories and deep emotions of love, friendship, and loyalty so disturbing that he never attempts to enter it again; Harry, however, will eventually be able to penetrate Voldemort's mind almost at will and, apparently, without Voldemort's knowledge. By reading Voldemort's thoughts, Harry later uncovers vital information that will help destroy the Horcruxes.

Phineas Nigellus Black, we will learn, is accepting instructions from Snape, and that Snape is allied to Dumbledore's cause. On initial inspection, if Phineas is Dumbledore's ally, it would seem that he should have relayed helpful information from Dumbledore's Hogwarts portrait to the Trio at Grimmauld Place, although that apparently has not occurred. Dumbledore seems to have deliberately withheld information from the Trio that would aid their mission, and his portrait may be doing the same, though just why is unclear. And while Dumbledore has not relayed any information to the Trio via Phineas, it should be assumed that if Phineas is loyal to Dumbledore, he is probably updating Snape and Dumbledore's portrait about the Trio's activities. It will be revealed that Dumbledore had reasons for withholding information from the Trio, and, perhaps surprisingly, from Snape, reasons that remain valid.

Hermione stuffs Phineas Nigellus' portrait into her magical bag to prevent him spying on the Trio, but she fails to consider that he may still be able to hear them. When she accidentally leaves the bag open in a later chapter, Phineas overhears some vital information that he relays to Severus Snape, and it will actually aid the Trio. Phineas will also provide the Trio with helpful updates regarding Hogwarts, though it remains unknown which side, if any, Phineas is actually on.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 29

Synopsis
Neville is overjoyed to see them, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione are horrified by his battered appearance. Neville says this is nothing, wait till they see Seamus. Neville informs a dismayed Aberforth that more people will be Apparating in. Leading the Trio down the long, dark tunnel, Neville explains that the seven known secret passageways into Hogwarts have been magically sealed, and Death Eaters guard the exits. Everyone is talking about the Trio breaking into Gringotts and escaping on a Dragon. Harry confirms it is true.

Hogwarts has drastically changed since the Trio left. The Carrows, the two Death Eater professors now handle all student punishment, though the other teachers avoid sending anyone to them whenever possible. Amycus Carrow teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, now just called "Dark Arts." Students are forced to practice the Cruciatus curse on detention students. Neville's refusal to curse anyone resulted in him being beaten, despite him being Pure Blood. Some students, notably Crabbe and Goyle, have proven quite apt at the Dark Arts and love practicing them. Alecto Carrow, the Muggle Studies teacher, insists Muggles are dirty and stupid like animals. Neville obtained one scar after asking how much Muggle blood she had. Neville and other Dumbledore's Army members were pulling pranks and creating disruptions, but after Luna and Ginny left school and punishments became more severe, the rebellion died down a bit. When Neville was identified as a ringleader, Death Eaters went after his grandmother, who put Dawlish in St. Mungo's, and is now on the run. Neville decided to "disappear".

Reaching Hogwarts, they enter an unfamiliar room to a cheering crowd inside. The Trio are ecstatic to see old friends—Seamus Finnigan, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Lavender Brown, Ernie Macmillan, Anthony Goldstein, Parvati and Padma Patil, and many more. Hammocks are strung from floor to ceiling, and the room is embellished with Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw colors and symbols; only Slytherin is missing. To Harry's astonishment, they are in the Room of Requirement. Neville has been hiding there for some weeks now, and the room has continually expanded as more D.A. members arrived. Seamus, whose swollen face Harry initially failed to recognize, says the room is secure as long as at least one D.A. member remains inside. The only thing it is unable to provide is food. When Neville was really hungry, the tunnel leading to the Hog's Head opened, and Aberforth has been sending supplies ever since.

Everyone wants to know about the Trio's exploits. They have been listening to "Potterwatch" on the radio, but there are many unconfirmed rumors. Before Harry can respond, searing pain cuts through his scar as he briefly glimpses a furious Dark Lord discovering that the Ring Horcrux is missing. Little time is left, and everyone wants to help, believing Harry has returned to overthrow the Carrows and Snape. Harry explains they are only there to complete a task to help to destroy Voldemort, and insists everyone stay behind. He becomes panicked when more people pour in from the Hog's Head. Luna, Dean, Fred, George, Ginny, Lee Jordan, and Cho Chang climb through. Hermione agrees with Ron's suggestion that the others help them search. Harry does not need to do everything alone, time is running out, and they do not have to reveal what they are hunting. Harry finally concedes and says they are looking for something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw. Luna thinks it could be the lost diadem, a type of crown. Hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, Luna leads Harry to the Ravenclaw Common room and shows him Rowena Ravenclaw's statue. As Harry steps out from under the Cloak, Alecto Carrow appears and instantly touches the Dark Mark on her forearm.

Analysis
Against Harry's wishes, the final battle between him and Voldemort is primed to happen at Hogwarts, his arrival likely triggering it. It seems appropriate, indeed inevitable, that Harry and Voldemort's last confrontation should occur here; the castle and its surrounding grounds have played a major role throughout the story, and is where much of the series' action is set. With its many Ghosts, talking portraits, and other magical denizens, the castle is nearly a character in its own right. It is also the place that both Harry and Voldemort most consider home, and in Voldemort's case, probably the only thing he has ever had anything close to loving feelings for, though that is an emotion he can never fully experience. Harry loves Hogwarts, and he has always derived strength and security from the venerable old castle, enduring his enforced summer hiatus at the Dursleys' while impatiently waiting to return each September. This time, Harry's arrival is as a soldier on a mission rather than as a returning student, and Hogwarts is hardly a safe sanctuary but an imminent battleground, though that was never Harry's intention, nor does he have a battle plan. Regardless, reinforcements begin arriving, and Harry is deeply dismayed, because now, rather than sneaking in, finding the Horcrux, then sneaking out again to continue his quest, his appearance has set off a chain reaction of events that will culminate in a final resolution. And like it or not, Harry is the shining beacon that rallies and unifies the fragmented rebellion, and he is being pushed to the forefront to lead the climactic clash against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Harry also sees how much Hogwarts has changed, including Neville Longbottom. While Neville's battered appearance is shocking, his cheerful demeanor about it seems even more so. This clearly shows just how much Neville has grown from the ineffectual, frightened boy who first arrived at Hogwarts; he wears his bruises as badges of honor. The Sorting Hat placing Neville into Gryffindor House had always seemed questionable, and many readers probably, at least initially, believed he would have been better suited to Hufflepuff, rather than a House known for bravery and nobility. But courage and nobleness comes in many forms, and Neville, despite his magical deficiencies and timid nature, has always faced the adversity in his life head on, and showed fortitude as early as the first book, when he challenged the Trio after objecting to their questionable actions. This strength has gradually increased, and Neville has transformed from a shy, insecure, and nearly incompetent student, into a strong, capable wizard, mostly due to Harry's patient guidance.

Curiously, and appropriately, while Harry's influence helped develop Neville's character and magical abilities, Neville, in true epic-hero tradition, has grown significantly more during Harry's absence, just as Harry has further developed after Dumbledore's demise. Neville, along with Ginny and Luna, have assumed leadership roles by ably guiding Dumbledore's Army following Harry's departure, rebelling against the Carrows and Snape. Neville shows that, given the right circumstances, he is a natural leader, as well as a true Gryffindor; he, and the other D.A. members, are ready and able to join forces with Harry in the final battle against Voldemort.

Review

 * 1) Why doesn't Harry recognize the Room of Requirement?
 * 2) Why doesn't Harry want the other students to help him with the mission, or follow him in overthrowing Snape and the Carrows? What changes his mind?
 * 3) Why are there no Slytherin colors or symbols represented in the Room of Requirement?

Further Study

 * 1) How did news about the Trio's escape from Gringotts travel to Hogwarts so quickly?
 * 2) Why is Neville so cheerful, despite his battered appearance?
 * 3) How has Neville changed from his first year at Hogwarts? What accounts for that change?

Greater Picture
Against his will, Harry becomes the rallying point for defending Hogwarts. This is, at least for the next while, a position that we see Harry attempting to sidestep. Harry quite clearly wants to avoid the coming battle, not because he is reluctant to fight, but rather because he feels personally responsible for all the deaths and injuries that would likely occur. He also sees this as being his own battle, and is extremely reluctant to involve others. He is clearly bewildered by the alacrity with which others seem to be taking up his cause, hardly realizing that so many other wizards are equally oppressed and have been searching for a banner to rally around. It is only after the encounter in the Forbidden Forest, when Harry feels he has acted to protect his friends against Voldemort, that he chooses to show himself as the leader of the counter-attack against the Dark Lord and his Death Eater army.

As mentioned above, Neville seems almost astoundingly changed, on this sudden arrival. We can see that this has actually been a more gradual development, if we review how he has changed over the previous six books. Neville will continue to exhibit strength of character and magical power over the next few chapters, by helping to defend the castle and in recovering casualties. Harry's faith in Neville's abilities grows to where Harry will entrust Neville with a vital task: dispatching the final Horcrux, embedded in Voldemort's pet snake Nagini, in the event that he, Ron, or Hermione are unable to do the job. Neville will prove that he is up to the challenge.

Harry here determines that the Horcrux he is searching for, the last but one, is hidden within Rowena Ravenclaw's lost Diadem. He bases this guess on Voldemort's proclivity for using artifacts once belonging to the Hogwarts Founders as vessels for his other Horcruxes. While his guess remains unsure, several things will reinforce this belief, including Alecto Carrow's presence in the Ravenclaw common room; Alecto is there because Voldemort believed Harry would enter it if he returned to Hogwarts, and this supports Harry's belief that Voldemort used a Ravenclaw artifact. Over the next few chapters, Harry will discover what happened to that Diadem after it supposedly vanished, and how it made its way back to the school. He will also learn that he actually once held it in his hand a year earlier without realizing it.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 28

Synopsis
As soon as Harry, Ron, and Hermione Apparate into Hogsmeade Village, a screeching alarm announces their presence. A Death Eater, guessing that it is Harry, attempts to Summon the Invisibility Cloak they are concealed under, but it fails to respond, keeping the Trio hidden. As they back down a side street, Hermione wants to Apparate out of Hogsmeade, but Harry says that protective spells have probably trapped them there. A sudden chill sweeps in and darkness starts enveloping everything around them: Dementors, sensing their fear, close in. Unable to withstand their suffocating presence, Harry casts a Patronus, scattering the Dementors, but revealing their location. A Death Eater yells that he has seen Harry's Patronus. A nearby door cracks open, and a harsh voice calls out, "Potter, in here, quick!"

Dashing inside, the Trio find themselves in the Hog's Head Inn. From an upstairs window, Harry recognizes the tall barkeeper talking to the Death Eaters outside as Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' younger brother. Aberforth claims he accidentally set off the Caterwauling curfew alarm while putting his cat out and insists it was his goat Patronus; the Death Eaters initially disbelieve him, but, thrown off the trail, and not wanting to risk losing a convenient location to trade black market goods, decide to leave. Aberforth rebukes the Trio for risking their lives coming to Hogsmeade. Harry spots the twin to the mirror Sirius gave him; Aberforth explains he bought it from Mundungus Fletcher, who stole it from Grimmauld Place. Aberforth has been watching them with it. Harry recognizes Aberforth's eye as the one in the mirror shard and realizes that he sent Dobby to rescue them. Aberforth confirms it was him and is saddened to hear Dobby is dead.

Ron thinks Aberforth sent the doe Patronus, but Aberforth sarcastically reminds him that his Patronus is a goat. Aberforth suggests they wait until the Caterwauling alarm is turned off in the morning, then escape into the mountains. Harry insists they must get into Hogwarts castle because Dumbledore asked him to do something. Scoffs Aberforth, "Did he now? Nice job, I hope? Pleasant? Easy? Sort of thing you'd expect an unqualified wizard kid to be able to do without overstretching themselves?" Ron and Hermione are obviously uncomfortable, and Harry remains silent, struggling with his own misgivings regarding Dumbledore, though he had already resolved to continue trusting him. Aberforth claims that others who trusted Dumbledore often suffered misfortune as a result. He urges the Trio to abandon their mission, believing the Order of the Phoenix is finished and Voldemort has won. It is time to save themselves. Against Harry's protests, Aberforth asks if Dumbledore had been honest and revealed the entire story to Harry. When Harry is unable to respond, Aberforth says that Dumbledore reveled in lies and secrecy, learning it at their mother's knee.

Hermione attempts to ease the tension by inquiring about Aberforth's sister, Ariana, but this backfires when Aberforth brusquely asks if she has been reading Rita Skeeter's book. Harry quickly changes the subject by mentioning Elphias Doge. "That old berk," sneers Aberforth. "Thought the sun shone out of my brother's every orifice." Harry says nothing, still attempting to conceal his uncertainty. Aberforth reveals that Ariana, aged six, was injured by Muggle boys who observed her performing magic. She was never the same, eventually going half-mad and unable to control magic. Their father hunted down the boys in retaliation, but he never told the Ministry why he assaulted them, because, once revealed, Ariana would have been permanently committed to St. Mungo's Hospital. Instead, the family kept her hidden, fostering rumors she was a Squib. With their father in prison, Aberforth and his mother, Kendra cared for Ariana as best they could. Aberforth was Ariana's favorite. Albus, involved with his studies and winning prizes, usually confined himself to his room when at home. One day, while Aberforth was out, Ariana flew into a rage. Unable to subdue Ariana's uncontrollable magic, Kendra was accidentally killed. Albus canceled his Grand Tour with Doge and returned home to care for Ariana and support the family while Aberforth finished his schooling. Aberforth claims Albus resented the responsibility that was forced upon him, though Aberforth had offered to relieve him. Then Albus met Grindelwald, a wizard he considered as brilliant as himself. The two quickly bonded, and, drawn by their mutual attraction to power and fame, hatched an elaborate scheme to create a new Wizarding order. When Aberforth learned about their grandiose plans, a three-way duel erupted; a stray curse killed Ariana. Aberforth claims Albus was glad his burden was gone, but Harry says he always carried it, recounting the night Albus died. After drinking the potion in the sea cave, Albus was raving, pleading with an unseen person not to hurt them. Harry is certain he was begging Grindelwald to spare his brother and sister, though Aberforth remains skeptical.

Harry resolves to continue the mission. Knowing Voldemort could be killed, Dumbledore gave that knowledge to Harry. If Aberforth refuses to help sneak them into Hogwarts, then they will find their own way in. Relenting, Aberforth agrees to help and speaks to Ariana's portrait. She turns to leave, but rather than disappearing from the frame sideways as figures normally do, she instead turns and disappears down a long, dark passageway behind her. Aberforth explains that there is only one way into the castle now, the old secret passages are being guarded. Ariana soon returns accompanied by someone. As they reach the portrait, it swings open to reveal a tunnel; standing inside is Neville Longbottom.

Analysis
For Harry, uncovering the truth about Albus Dumbledore has been a journey nearly as long and difficult as his quest to find the Horcruxes and this truth has come in many pieces, from various sources and over time, creating a complicated and still unsolved jigsaw puzzle. Searching for answers has tested and strained Harry's loyalty and faith in his mentor, causing him to question whether the man he loved and thought he knew and trusted had ever loved him in return, and was the good person he believed him to be. Aberforth Dumbledore provides crucial information that helps Harry to better understand Albus' past behavior regarding his family. This has partially restored Harry's faith in Albus, but not entirely.

Until now, Aberforth has remained a curious and vague background figure, but his character becomes more defined here as he assumes a prominent role filling in the story's many gaps. Despite their physical resemblance, the two brothers have vastly differing talents, dispositions, and personalities. Albus' brilliance outshone his brother, but Aberforth's antagonism toward his elder brother was less about sibling rivalry and petty jealousy, than it was suppressed anger and deep-seated resentment over Albus' using his superior talents for pursuing his personal goals and accolades to shirk family responsibilities, letting the burden for Ariana's care fall upon Aberforth and their mother, Kendra. However, it is questionable whether the Dumbledores' decision, however well-intentioned, to keep Ariana hidden at home was ever a wise one. Ariana and the entire family might have fared far better if she had been placed in a structured setting where she could be cared for by professional healers rather than being hidden away. It is unclear if their decision was based on whether the quality of care at that time was sub-standard or if the stigma of having a severely handicapped child was simply too shameful for such a prominent family to bear, particularly following their patriarch's notoriety. Whatever their reasons, it eventually led to tragic circumstances and forced Albus to abandon, or at least postpone, his lofty ambitions to instead support his younger siblings. And while Aberforth's desire to care for his sister in his brother's stead may have been noble, Albus retained sufficient belief in education's importance that he refused Aberforth's request to leave Hogwarts so he could tend to their sister in Albus' place. Albus' bitter despair (and perhaps self-imposed martyrdom) over abandoning his goals may have been a factor in him falling prey to Grindelwald's Dark influence, though that hardly excuses Albus' behavior.

Albus and Aberforth maintained an amicable truce throughout their adult lives, but their suppressed emotions kept them aloof with one another, perhaps mutually fearing that spending too much time together would stir up old animosities or erupt into a violent debate over who actually killed their sister. Regardless whose curse fatally struck Ariana, each shared responsibility in her death by allowing their long-simmering hostilities to explode into an out-of-control confrontation, though Albus' brief foray into the Dark Arts with Grindelwald certainly played a more significant factor in the events leading up to the tragedy. Interestingly, though the brothers never grew close, they lived near one another, Albus at Hogwarts and Aberforth in Hogsmeade, sharing an occasional drink at the Hog's Head Inn.

Albus' death has hardly softened Aberforth's feelings, however. When Harry says he is on Albus Dumbledore's mission, a sneering Aberforth mocks him (and Albus), causing Harry to recall his own doubts and concerns about Albus and forcing him to acknowledge that Aberforth's harsh words contain truth. Like Aberforth, readers must also be wondering why such a young, inexperienced, and unqualified wizard, even an immensely talented one like Harry, would have been given such a dangerous and seemingly impossible mission while being provided so little information. Harry resolves to remain loyal and trust Albus Dumbledore, dedicated to continuing the mission. He also attempts to convince Aberforth that Albus did indeed love his family and tried to protect them from Grindelwald. The pessimistic Aberforth remains skeptical, but he, perhaps surprisingly, sets aside his lingering animosity toward his brother, his capitulatory view regarding the war, as well as any doubts that Harry can succeed, and helps the Trio sneak into Hogwarts.

While Aberforth has provided many answers about Albus and Grindelwald, his recollection differs from what Rita Skeeter, Bathilda Bagshot, Elphias Doge, and Aunt Muriel claimed. And though Aberforth has provided an apparently factually accurate account about his family, his version should not be considered the conclusive one. Truth is often subjective and nebulous, and it is affected by others' opinions, personal experience, imperfect memories, individual bias, and raw emotions. Rarely is there a singular maxim, and all versions must be studied, weighed, and filtered before a definitive conclusion can be drawn. Even then, many will still disagree and instead believe only their own viewpoint. Although Aberforth has solved many mysteries, and filled in many missing pieces, he lacks all the facts and the puzzle remains incomplete—there is still much more to be learned about Albus Dumbledore.

Review

 * 1) What is Aberforth's response when Harry tells him Dumbledore assigned the Trio a mission? What does Aberforth mean by this? Is he right?
 * 2) Why does Aberforth believe the war is lost and Voldemort has won? Is he correct? Does he really believe Voldemort has won?
 * 3) How does Aberforth's explanation about his family differ from Rita Skeeter's version in her book? How does it differ from Auntie Muriel's and Doge's?
 * 4) Why does Harry resolve to continue trusting Dumbledore, despite his own numerous doubts and concerns about him and the mission?
 * 5) Why does Aberforth finally agree to help the Trio sneak into Hogwarts?

Further Study

 * 1) Why would Aberforth have bought the mirror from Mundungus Fletcher? Did he know when he bought it that Harry had the matching twin? If so, how?
 * 2) Harry tells Aberforth what Dumbledore said during his delirium in the sea cave. Is Harry's interpretation correct? Will this ever change what Aberforth believes?
 * 3) Why was Aberforth watching the Trio in the mirror?
 * 4) Is Aberforth's explanation about his family the truth or merely his version of it? Explain.
 * 5) Hogwarts' former Headmasters typically have more than one portrait in different locations, often visiting them back and forth. If Aberforth has a talking portrait of his sister, why doesn't he have one of Dumbledore? Would this have helped or hurt the war effort?
 * 6) If Ariana has a connecting portrait to Hogwarts, why doesn't Dumbledore's portrait communicate with Aberforth through her? Why would her portrait be in Hogwarts?
 * 7) Why would Aberforth be in contact with Neville Longbottom?

Greater Picture
Although Aberforth claims to believe that Voldemort has already won the war, it will be learned that, apart from his offering Harry a place to hide, he has been secretly helping the resurrected Dumbledore's Army. It is unclear why he does this. He may simply be assisting the students because he is concerned for their safety, even though he believes they are fighting a lost cause. He does, however, participate in the Battle of Hogwarts, fighting within the school, actively defending it against Voldemort. Given this, it is entirely likely that Aberforth, in claiming that Voldemort has won, is, consciously or otherwise, testing Harry's mettle, trying to determine the depth of Harry's commitment to Albus' cause. This would also explain his immediate willingness to help once Harry declares that he will proceed with or without Aberforth's help. He may also realize that nothing will dissuade Harry from attempting to sneak into Hogwarts, and he therefore relents and provides the Trio the safest, and as far as he knows, only passage.

Examining the various stories about Albus Dumbledore, we see that Aberforth has the only consistent explanation about Albus' young life. Rita Skeeter based her embellished story on Bathilda Bagshot's fading memories, but Bathilda was, of necessity, outside the family, exactly the sort that Kendra would prevent knowing about Ariana's condition. Doge, possessing the same understanding, glossed over any parts that he found less than complimentary, and as a result became unconvincing, while the Weasleys' Auntie Muriel seems only to receive and pass on gossip and innuendo. And while each character provided some truth, their versions were, for the most part, faulty. However, we still fail to fully understand why Dumbledore and Grindelwald became so close, or why Dumbledore changed so radically following that episode. Our understanding will come when Harry meets with Dumbledore's Shade in what we are calling the waystation. There, we learn that Dumbledore believed Ariana's death was directly caused by his seeking power, and consequently resolved to never again attempt to gain power over others.

There actually is one other route left into Hogwarts, that being the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack that leads to the Whomping Willow. Harry, Hermione, and Ron will use this passage to get to the Shrieking Shack, where Voldemort is directing the battle, and will find it is guarded by only the Willow, as before. Aberforth knows nothing about this passage, nor does Neville, but Snape knows it exists, having actually traveled along it, once as a student, and later in Harry's third year. It is never explained why Snape leaves this gap in Hogwarts' security perimeter standing open, though it is unlikely an oversight.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 18

Synopsis
The next morning, Harry is still mourning his lost wand. Without it he feels weak, vulnerable, and stripped naked, as if his magical power died with it. He tucks the broken halves, barely held together by the damaged Phoenix feather, into the Mokeskin pouch around his neck. The Snitch is also inside, and Harry is momentarily tempted to toss it, believing it is as useless as everything else Dumbledore left behind. His fury at Dumbledore is unleashed. In desperation they had gone to Godric's Hollow, believing it held answers and would lead to some secret path laid out by Dumbledore. Instead, they were left groping blindly, without a plan or a map, and it nearly took their lives. Now Harry is without a wand, without the Sword, and the dropped thief's photo has given Voldemort vital information.

Still upset, Hermione timidly brings Harry tea and shows him Rita Skeeter's book, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore that she took from Bathilda Bagshot's house. A note sticking out reads: ''Dear Batty, Thanks for your help. Here's a copy of the book, hope you like it. You said everything, even if you don't remember it. Rita''

Harry assures Hermione that he is not angry about his wand, it was only an accident, and he is grateful to her for saving his life. As he rifles through the book, Harry feels perverse pleasure—now he will know Dumbledore's secrets. Harry sees photos of a young Dumbledore and the handsome companion he recognizes as the thief in Gregorovitch's memory. The caption reads: Albus Dumbledore, shortly after his mother's death, with his friend Gellert Grindelwald.

Harry and Hermione exchange incredulous looks—Grindelwald! A chapter titled "The Greater Good", reveals that Dumbledore graduated Hogwarts with many honors and accolades. He and his friend, Elphias Doge cancelled a Grand Tour of Europe after Kendra Dumbledore's sudden death. Although Doge had claimed that Dumbledore made a grand sacrifice to care for his family, the book implies otherwise, quoting several Godric's Hollow citizens. Enid Smeek recounts that Albus did little to curtail his brother Aberforth's wild behavior and kept his sister, Ariana, hidden away. Although the Dumbledores remained reclusive, Bathilda Bagshot reportedly established a friendship with the family. Skeeter claims that while Bathilda's memory may have been affected by age, she was able to extract enough facts to piece together the scandalous story of Kendra's death, which was passed off as a spell backfiring. She also debunks Ariana being sickly and claims Albus had an affinity for the Dark Arts and may have supported Muggle oppression.

The same summer Albus returned to care for the family, Bathilda Bagshot took in her great-nephew, Gellert Grindelwald, a student as brilliant as Dumbledore, who was expelled from Durmstrang. He later became a notorious Dark wizard, though he was relatively unknown in Britain. He and Albus quickly bonded. In a letter to Gellert, Dumbledore writes that he agrees Wizard dominance over Muggles is for the greater good, but they must rule responsibly and only use force when necessary. He believes that was Gellert's mistake at Durmstrang, although he says that if Gellert had not been expelled, then they would never have met. Rita states that this letter proves that Albus Dumbledore once intended to overthrow the Statute of Secrecy and establish wizard rule over Muggles. It contradicts his later stance supporting Muggle-born witches and wizards and protecting Muggles' rights.

But barely two months after their friendship began, Dumbledore and Grindelwald parted ways until their legendary duel. Bathilda Bagshot believed the rift involved Ariana's death. Gellert was present when it happened, and he came home distressed, leaving by Portkey the next day. Aberforth blamed Albus, and they came to blows at the funeral. It was never understood why Aberforth blamed Albus for Ariana's death, though it is speculated that it was related to Albus' friendship with Gellert, who had been expelled from Durmstrang for near-fatal attacks on fellow students.

Gellert went on, some decades later, to head a reign of terror on the continent, eventually becoming the most feared Dark wizard in history at the time. Five years after Grindelwald's assumption of power, Dumbledore finally succumbed to the Wizarding world's pleas to end his vicious rampage in Europe. Questions lingered after Grindelwald's defeat, however. Was it Albus' affection for Grindelwald that delayed his taking action? How and why did Ariana die? Was it an accident or the first attempt at implementing their "Greater Good" plan?

The chapter ends here, and Harry is stunned as he endures yet another loss: Ron, his Phoenix wand, and now his unwavering trust in Dumbledore, who once embodied nothing but goodness and wisdom. Hermione reminds him that Rita Skeeter is the author, but Harry points out Dumbledore's own words in his letter to Grindelwald. Hermione believes that Grindelwald's slogan, "For the Greater Good", probably stemmed from Dumbledore's ideas and became Grindelwald's justification for his atrocities. Those words were reportedly carved over the entrance to "Nurmengard", the prison that held Grindelwald's enemies. Hermione attributes Dumbledore's actions to his youth and losing his family, though Harry counters that they are the same age as he was, and are fighting Dark Arts, not championing them. Harry also points out that Albus had a brother and he kept his Squib sister locked up. Hermione doubts Ariana was a Squib, and insists the Dumbledore they knew would never have allowed Muggle oppression; whatever he believed at seventeen, he chose a different path as an adult and spent his remaining life fighting evil. Hermione surmises Harry is really angry because Dumbledore never revealed this about himself, which Harry acknowledges may be true. But he wonders how Dumbledore could have left him in such a mess, and if he ever really cared about him.

Analysis
Not only was Godric's Hollow nearly fatal, but Harry and Hermione believe it was a useless dead-end, and Harry is angrier than ever with Dumbledore for having provided so little information for his quest. It is unclear if Dumbledore ever intended for them to go to Godric’s Hollow, but he must have surmised that Harry would visit his birthplace and would suspect information could be hidden there, though Dumbledore may have considered it too risky and obvious a place to secrete clues. Despite their miscalculation, the trip actually proves somewhat productive. As noted, Harry and Hermione come across the odd symbol on an old gravestone that is identical to the symbol inked into The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the book Dumbledore bequeathed to Hermione and the same as the one Xenophilius Lovegood wore at the wedding. Given Viktor Krum's strong reaction to seeing Lovegood wearing it, it would appear that this emblem may have some particularly important, and possibly Dark, meaning attached to it. The symbol's unknown relationship to "Ignotus", the name on the gravestone, is also likely to be significant. Dumbledore may have intended for Harry to find the symbol here, lending further proof to its importance.

Also, Hermione obtains Rita Skeeter's book, which provides valuable information about Dumbledore's past and his previously unknown association with the notorious Dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald, who he eventually defeated in a duel. It should be noted that Grindelwald's rise to power on the Continent seems to have occurred during the Second World War, 1939 - 1945, while other evidence in the series dates the friendship of Grindelwald and Dumbledore to 1899. Grindelwald's photo in Bathilda's house also ties him to her and Godric's Hollow. Harry also confronts his own past in Godric's Hollow, and visiting his former home and his parents' graves provides some closure to this sad chapter in his life and will hopefully allow him eventually to move forward emotionally.

Once again, Harry is deeply disappointed by someone he loved and admired. Before, James, Sirius, and Lupin, had, in Harry's opinion, failed in some way. Now, it is Dumbledore. This time, however, Harry is not just disappointed, his faith and loyalty are nearly depleted, and Rita Skeeter seems to have proved his suspicions about Dumbledore. Curiously, despite Skeeter's sullied reputation for fabricating or sensationalizing facts, and Harry's own experience at being victimized by her libelous stories, he readily believes everything in her book. Even Dumbledore's own words seemingly lend credence to Skeeter's claims. Harry's belief may partially be spurred by this, as well as his anger and concerns about Dumbledore's true motives, further fueling Harry's faltering trust and doubts that Dumbledore ever loved him. But Harry fails to remember Dumbledore once telling him, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are." Hermione is likely correct that Harry is more upset that Dumbledore concealed his past from Harry, rather than by what he actually said or did. She points out that despite Dumbledore's early and short-lived flirtation with the Dark Arts and his naïve attraction to its seductive power, that is not the man they knew him to be. Like James Potter, he chose to overcome his earlier flaws and dedicated his remaining life to fighting evil and Muggle oppression. Still entrenched in his youthful, somewhat naïve idealism, Harry believes goodness and wisdom is a straight, one-way journey from birth throughout adulthood, and he fails to understand that it is often a route filled with roadblocks, detours, side streets, and occasional dark alleys. However far Dumbledore may have strayed from his own true path, he, unlike Grindelwald, found his way back again.

Harry mourning his lost wand shows he lacks confidence in himself and partially explains his displaced anger directed at Hermione. He believes it is his wand, rather than his own magical abilities, that provides his magical power. It is as if he has lost yet another loved one who provided guidance and strength. Like his owl, Hedwig, and, years earlier, his destroyed Nimbus 2000 broomstick, the wand provided comforting security and familiarity, as well as symbolizing his entry into the Wizarding world. He is correct, however, that this wand was special, and it apparently had developed unique powers and qualities that further tied him to Voldemort and his yew wand, although these failed to protect it from Hermione's curse. Its loss is clearly a huge set-back to the mission, and while wizards can use other wands, not just any wand works well. Until Harry can obtain a suitable replacement, he must make do sharing Hermione's. And with Ollivander apparently Voldemort's captive, procuring a new wand will be difficult.

It is noted above that Harry was particularly devastated when he lost his Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Curiously, his destroyed Firebolt, a gift from his late godfather, affected him less deeply. Other events such as Hedwig's death at the same time, Moody's demise during the attack, and Sirius' and Dumbledore's recent murders may have overshadowed its significance to him. Also, it being a few years later, Harry's growing maturity has replaced his need to be overly attached and dependent upon inanimate objects for emotional security and to instead rely on friends and allies for support and comfort, though his broken wand is clearly an exception to that.

As a side note, readers perhaps noticed that J.K. Rowling may be employing some humor when Rita Skeeter informally addresses Bathilda Bagshot in her note as "Batty." That, obviously, is a term for being mentally addled, which Bathilda apparently was in her later years, and probably is what allowed Skeeter to manipulate her into yielding her memories.

Review

 * 1) Harry considers the trip to Godric's Hollow as being useless. Was it? If not, why?
 * 2) It is not uncommon for a wizard to have more than one wand during their lifetime. Other than inconvenient timing, why is Harry so strongly affected by his wand's loss?
 * 3) What was the "Greater Good" and for whose good was it really intended?
 * 4) Why is Harry so disappointed in Dumbledore, despite the good man that he was? Is Harry's opinion fair?
 * 5) What is Hermione's opinion of why Harry is angry at Dumbledore, and is it accurate?
 * 6) Why did Dumbledore keep his past a secret? Was he obligated to reveal it to Harry? Explain.

Further Study

 * 1) How might Rita Skeeter have persuaded Bathilda Bagshot to share her memories about Dumbledore and Grindelwald? How reliable were those memories and would that matter to Skeeter?
 * 2) What might have caused the rift between Dumbledore and Grindelwald?
 * 3) Was Albus blinded to Grindelwald's true nature, despite his knowing what happened at Durmstrang? What would account for this?
 * 4) Why would Grindelwald leave Godric's Hollow immediately after Ariana's death?
 * 5) Why did Albus wait so long to confront Grindelwald in their historic duel? What were the consequences of that delay?
 * 6) Considering Rita Skeeter's reputation for sensationalistic and fabricated stories, why is Harry so quick to believe that everything in her book about Dumbledore is true? Could her claims be correct?
 * 7) Why does Hermione doubt that Ariana was a "squib"? Is there any concrete proof supporting her opinion?

Greater Picture
In a later chapter of this book, we learn that Dumbledore's earlier comment to Harry, that it is one's choices that truly makes a person what they are, is based on the tragic events involving his own family that forever changed his personal path. While those words did comfort Harry when they were originally spoken, he has since had trouble applying them to anyone other than himself. We had seen in an earlier book that Harry was dismayed to discover that his father (and Sirius) had been a bully, and that he had difficulty comprehending how such a dreadful youth could become the much-respected adult that everyone told him about. He did not understand then that his father had chosen to change, and fails to realize now that Dumbledore had equally made a conscious decision to become a different man, perhaps even better and stronger than if he had never dallied in Dark matters.

Grindelwald's symbol has now been seen three times: once around Xeno Lovegood's neck at the wedding, in the copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that Dumbledore left to Hermione, and on the gravestone in Godric's Hollow. When Hermione, looking at The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, reads quotes from Dumbledore's letter, she will discover that the young Albus used the same symbol in his signature. While it is known that Grindelwald used the symbol, we also learn it was in use long before his reign of terror, and that he co-opted it, much as the German National Socialist party co-opted the swastika. Having found the symbol now closely tied to Dumbledore, Hermione will be impelled to visit the one person they believe can explain its pre-Grindelwald meaning to them: Xeno Lovegood. In this, they will be assisted by the recently returned Ron, who knows roughly where the Lovegoods live.

Mature readers may find Dumbledore's letter, as revealed here, interesting, as it can be taken two ways. Rita Skeeter's interpretation is that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were planning to overthrow the body of laws governing Wizard and Muggle relations, with the intent to reveal wizards exist and to then head the new social order. Equally, however, it can be seen as the youthful planning of a wizard who has yet to discover that to accomplish anything you must work within the system, changing the existing structure slowly. Granted, it would take a wizard of rare power to bend a social structure that way, but Dumbledore had become just such a wizard. Before coming to this realization, however, he would have dreamed of rebuilding society more completely, as we see in the published letter, and he apparently failed to fully recognize that Grindelwald's methods of achieving their dream would have been far more extreme, and ultimately deadly. Eventually, Dumbledore was instrumental in gentling relations with Muggles to where Arthur Weasley's Muggle protection laws could actually be enacted. However, being himself emotionally immature and still naive about society's nature, Harry is more likely to accept Skeeter's interpretation. Coupled with the above-mentioned inability to apply Dumbledore's aphorism about change, we can see that Harry will have lost immense trust in his own image of Dumbledore.

Following publication of the final book, the author has revealed in an interview that Dumbledore was homosexual. In the light of that awareness, we can see that the relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore was very likely more than friendship; on Dumbledore's side at least, it was likely infatuation, and that resulted in a certain amount of blindness to Grindelwald's more violent nature. It is perhaps a measure of the author's skill that the infatuation can be perceived in the one letter that we have seen, so that despite our having seen no previous signs of it, following publication of this letter, Dumbledore's sexual proclivities do not surprise us.

That Harry will acquire several different wands during his mission becomes important to the plot. He learns that under certain conditions, wands can change their allegiance. Mr. Ollivander's claim, that "the wand chooses the wizard," is more important than Harry ever realized and it will affect his final confrontation with Voldemort. The returning Ron will provide Harry a replacement wand that while usable, never performs well for him.