OBHWF+

In PoA, when Lupin tracks Harry, Hermione, Ron, Sirius, and Wormtail into the Shrieking Shack, why the hell does he leave the Marauder’s Map on his desk? Wouldn’t it have been good to have just in case the kids et al. moved? Wouldn’t it have been better to just not have the map lying around no matter what? For serious, is Lupin an idiot?

Even given the fact that Trelawney has made some real and accurate predictions, both small and, indeed, very large, she mostly seems like a flake. The first time we meet her, in PoA during the first class she has with The Trio, she predicts Harry’s death via the Grim.

His death is debatable at best for now, but in a way, she also predicts the appearance of the Grim itself. Far from being a symbol in a teacup, a great black dog actually appears. One can argue that she’s really only seeing the arrival of Sirius. One could also argue, however, that Sirius Black is rather a symbol for death himself. It certainly follows him. So perhaps Trelawney has some Sight.

However, what really grabbed my attention in that scene, on my second time through the series, are the predictions that Ron makes while looking at Harry’s tea cup. Ron doesn’t have any idea what he’s doing, or at least he thinks he doesn’t, but what he says makes a lot of sense.

Ron’s first words of divination are “There’s a blob a bit like a bowler hat” (Rowling, 105). He goes on to predict that Harry may end up in the Ministry of Magic. Most likely, the bowler conjures images of Minister Fudge, which would explain Ron’s association.

Ron then goes on to say, “But this way it looks more like an acorn” which symbolizes “a windfall, unexpected gold” (Rowling, 105-06). Anyone familiar with TGoF knows just how Fudge and a pile of unexpected gold really will soon be connected to Harry and in a very meaningful way.

Does that mean Ron has the Sight?

cited:

Rowling, J. K.. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York, Toronto:, Aukland, Sydney, Mexico City, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires Scholastic Inc., 1999.

Neville Longbottom: Odd man out is a very appropriate way to describe him. He doesn’t quite fit in with the main pairings (Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny), but he also can’t really be left out. Without divulging too much, it’s also possible to say this story hinges on him as much as it does Harry. So, what about Neville??

I don’t know. I don’t really know how I see him or where I see him ending up when the series concludes, but I do know this: he is incontrovertibly tied to Hermione. For instance:

• The first time we meet Hermione, she is paired with and helping Neville as he looks for his toad.
• The first time Hermione casts a hex it is on Neville and it’s a full body bind to boot–in essence giving her control of his whole body.
• Hermione helps him every chance she gets in class.
• He obviously has a crush on her–having asked her to the Yule Ball.

Yes, I see Ron with Hermione, but I can’t deny that the idea of Hermione pairing up with Neville is intriguing.

Of course, one can’t deny that Neville also clicks with Ginny. They actually attend the Yule Ball together and when Umbridge’s goon squad apprehends the gang in OotP, Neville gets himself caught trying to protect Ginny–even though he wasn’t in on the disturbance.