The Deathly Hallows started off with a bang and things stayed exciting through the next few chapters. Everything leading up to the wedding was just the calm before the storm as Voldemort completed his coup and began his search in earnest for Harry. Seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione on their own is a welcome change from just another year at Hogwarts and I’m excited to see where their adventure takes them.
Here are some thoughts from chapters 7-12 of The Deathly Hallows.
Dumbledore’s Will
I’ve never had anyone leave anything to me in a will. I don’t want anyone to die but I wouldn’t mind having some lawyer in a nice suit tell me that some long lost relative left me a treasure map or an exotic bird. Harry, Ron and Hermione weren’t left an exotic bird but Dumbledore did leave them some interesting gifts. At this point in the book it hasn’t been revealed what value the gifts hold. I imagine, though, that the gifts’ usefulness will be revealed in due time. Dumbledore’s gifts are a lot like spiritual gifts. We may know the gifts God has given us but how we’ll use them is still a mystery. Just like Harry and his friends had to trust Dumbledore, we have to trust God and remember that he has specifically gifted us for specific works to benefit his kingdom.
Kreacher
I’ve always liked Kreacher. When he made his first appearance in The Order of the Phoenix I wrote about how I admired him and his ability to say whatever he wanted. I’ve often wanted to tell people exactly how I feel, even if it would be less than Christ-like. In these chapters, though, I stopped admiring Kreacher and started pitying him. His story about being used and abused by Voldemort and then watching Regulus die was heart wrenching. On the surface Kreacher just looked like a mean house elf who emulated the prejudices of his owners. However, when we see the pain he had experienced, it’s a lot easier to understand Kreacher and show him a little grace and mercy.
Hurtful Words
Harry really has his ups and downs. For the most part, in The Half-Blood Prince, Harry wasn’t all that moody. However, in The Deathly Hallows, Harry seems to be falling back into the whininess of The Order of the Phoenix. This was very evident in Harry’s interaction with Remus and the hurtful words Harry slung at his werewolf friend. Harry called Remus a coward and questioned Remus’ love for Tonks and their unborn child. Harry immediately regretted saying the words but he couldn’t take them back. Unfortunately, the more hurtful the words the harder it is to take them back. I hope Harry gets a chance to reconcile with Remus. I also hope that we can be people who think before we speak, limiting the hurtful words we spew and the damage they cause.
These chapters were a good mix of calm and storm, personal conflict and universal conflict. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens at the Ministry of Magic and whether or not Harry’s daring plan yields them a horcrux.
What thoughts do you have from chapters 7-12 of The Deathly Hallows?
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