Chapter 12 Summary:

Grimmauld Place is being watched by Death Eaters, who increase in
number on 1 September, the first day of the Hogwarts term. Harry
apparates into the house, with a purloined copy of The Daily
Prophet. The trio learn from the newspaper that Snape has been
appointed Headmaster and react with anger. Hermione rips Phineas
Nigellus' portrait from its frame and hides it her handbag to
prevent Phineas from communicating with Headmaster Snape about the
Trio's activities.

Kreacher is keeping Grimmauld Place spotless and cooking excellent
meals.

Harry has been spying on the Ministry and has caught sight of Arthur
Weasley. The trio have been spying on the Ministry for four weeks
to observe comings and goings. However, Ron only now remembers a
vital detail about the right colour uniform to wear. Harry decides
that they should try to infiltrate the Ministry the next day.

During the evening meal, Harry's scar connection with Voldemort
comes to life and Harry has a vision of Voldemort killing a German
woman and her children while searching for the wandmaker,
Gregorovitch. Hermione complains about Harry's failure to learn
Occlumency and accuses Harry of liking the connection. Harry refutes
this, disagrees with Dumbledore's aim of blocking Voldemort and says
that he believes he should put up with Voldy-vision in order to
learn what Voldemort is doing.

Hermione urges Harry to take responsibility for the magical power he
has demonstrated against Voldemort; Harry reiterates that the power
came from his wand, not from him.

The trio infiltrate the ministry using a combination of Polyjuice
Potion, Wizarding Wheezes and Stunners. Ron becomes Maintenance man
Reg Cattermole, Hermione becomes Mafalda Hopkirk of the Improper Use
of Magic Office and Harry becomes the pureblood Albert Runcorn.
They enter the ministry by flushing themselves into a toilet..

The trio notice that the golden fountain in the atrium has been
replaced with a statute of wizards triumphing over Muggles,
inscribed `Magic is Might'. They soon run into trouble when
Deatheater Yaxley demands Ron fix the weather in his office,
reminding him that Cattermole's wife is on trial that day, accused
of being a Mudblood . The trio split up as Ron leaves to attempt to
mend Yaxley's office and Hermione and Harry find themselves face to
face with a richly dressed wizard and with the unnamed but
unmistakable Dolores Umbridge.


Some questions and musings:

1. The trio are furious at Snape's appointment as Headmaster. In
the Epilogue, Harry describes Dumbledore and Snape to Albus Severus
as `two headmasters of Hogwarts'. What is the significance of the
role of Headmaster? What does Harry's naming of Snape as headmaster
say about Harry/about the significance of Snape?

2. Ron nearly slips up on his ministry information. Arthur could
have assisted the trio with their infiltration of the Ministry, as
could at least two other Order members, Kingsley and Tonks who have
both worked in the Aurors' Office. Why did Dumbledore insist on only
the trio having Horcrux information? Was this more `secrets and
lies' or did it serve a useful/symbolic purpose? Do we see ways in
which other Order members are unknowingly assisting the trio in the
Horcrux hunt, in this chapter or elsewhere ?

3. What are your views on the occlumency/wand discussions between
Harry and Hermione in this chapter? Is it significant that it is
Hermione, not Ron who is challenging Harry? Is Harry right in his
view of his power? Is his attitude to Dumbledore changing here?
Hermione's view of Harry's failure to learn Occlumency echoes
Snape. Is Hermione adopting a Snape role here, and if so why?
What about elsewhere in the book?

4. Is there any significance, humourous or otherwise, in the new
identities of the trio?

5. Toilet humour reappears. From book 1, when the twins tried to
send a toilet seat to Harry, through Montague's misadventures,
Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Harry's cursing of Draco, toilets and
bathrooms just keeping cropping up. Any thoughts on why?

6. With `Magic is Might', the Nazi inferences become stronger. In
your opinion does this use of an historic parallel strengthen or
weaken the book?

7. In this chapter, Harry remembers the golden fountain that
originally stood in the atrium as `casting shimmering spots of
light'. In OOTP, he decided he disliked the statutes of `Magical
Brethren', because they showed a wizard and witch dominating other
magical creatures. How much is Voldemort's view of Muggles a
continuum of the attitude of the Wizarding World in general to
elves, goblins, Muggles?