The Muggle-Born Registration Commission AKA Got the Locket Suckers

The Ministry is interrogating people to find out if they're Mudbloods are not.

Oh...that toad! That Umbitch!

Shaking...I am shaking with anger!

They got some out...I wonder how many...oh man, oh man!

Something bad is gonna happen next! I am sure of it!

Sini

So Umbridge has the locket AND Moody's eye? Which DE is she sleeping with?!

The Ministry is sucking the souls out of Muggleborns. I don't think it's possible for me to be more angry with Umbridge. She's such a terrible, awful person. Her patronus is quite fitting.

Another action-packed chapter.

One thing that struck me in this chapter was how Umbridge lives up to Voldy's quote from GOF(?)...

"There is no good or evil: only power and those to weak to seek it"

That's Umbridge all over!!

Siggy

Moody's body was not recovered by the Order, so how did Umbridge get her hands on Moody's eye? Ministry people or DE's? Didn't think about this til now. Glad JKR gave Umbridge another come-uppance like she promised. Loved Harry & Hermione saving the Half-Bloods/MudBloods...Great chapter.

NancyLot wrote:

Moody's body was not recovered by the Order, so how did Umbridge get her hands on Moody's eye? Ministry people or DE's?

Who was Moody's Polyjuiced Harry?

Who did Umbridge get the locket from?

I hope Mundungus is dead.

Caracticus, Moody's Polyjuiced Harry was Mundungus, and he Apparated away. He is a total coward.

It doesn't say yet (or at least I don't think so...I think it comes later) who Umbitch got the locket from.

Sini

Sinistra wrote:

Caracticus, Moody's Polyjuiced Harry was Mundungus, and he Apparated away. He is a total coward.

Sorry... my post was in the form of a quiz: and you got the right answer! So, when Moody was AK'd and fell, Mundungus was probably the only one who knew where they were and he apparated to the ground.... probably pried the eye from Moody's head and transfigured the body himself, then scarpered.

We learn that Mundungus was Moody's harry in Chapter 4, and we learn from Mundungus that the locket was 'extorted' from him by Umbridge in Chapter 11.

So, in Chapter 13, putting 2 and 2 together, Mundungus ALSO gave Umbridge Moody's eye. Not explicit in canon, but that's what I think happened.

Umbridge was an evil bitch to begin with, remembering her particular brand of detention from OOTP.

But, with her wearing a locket with a bit of Voldemort's soul, YIKES. It seems she has exponentially increased her evilness. I wonder if she softened up any after it was taken from her. Probably not.

I liked the end of the chapter where Harry is getting the muggleborns out. Maybe it is my Catholic upbringing but I got the weird vibe of Christ descening into Hell post-crusifixion and rescuing the innocents. Funny, but I was going to post a link for those that do not know the story and saw that the term for it is the "Harrowing of Hell" Harrowing derived from "Harry" meaning literally to make preditory raids or incursions. Which fits in nicely as to what they were doing and his very name! Here's the Link. Searching around I saw the same metaphor used to drescribe Harry rescuiing Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets. I suppose you see what you want to see and what you are familiar with, intended or not by the author. Still I feel that there is a lot of intentional christian allegory and theology in these books. And this feels pretty intentional to me or, at least, could not escape JKR's notice. Maybe it is just because of my vision of the scene as Harry yells "STOP" in the Atrium, this vast black cavernous space dominated by a grotesque statute of wizards on a thrown of naked muggle bodies and the whole ministry falling silent. Someone states that they were told to seal the exits and not let anyone out. Harry announced (not the broadness of the language) "There blood is pure, said Harry, his voice echoed impressively through the hall, "Purer than many of yours, I daresay." Seems more like a judgment on guilt and innocence rather than merely a commentary on muggleblood in the veins of the Ministry workers.

I am curious as to the movie depiction of this. With a different actors playing them in their disguises it is going to feel less tense but I see no other way of doing it. I hope it come across as dramatic on film as it does in my mind. But when has that ever happened with these movies?

Adding to the commentary regarding Umbridge: It was clear from OotP that she had a prejudice against non-wizards but I don't recall a hint that she was anti-Muggleborns that she is now the head of the Muggleborn Registration Commission. She was an equal opportunity sadist and, well, bitch in OotP. Still, I suppose it is a short jump from her brand of racism to this. But I ambivalent-- is this naked ambition by Umbridge (that is, shooting for what will no doubt be an important role in the new regime), "purient interest" (it allows her to exercise her cruel streak) or actual racism (she really doesn't like Muggleborns)?

InanimateCarbonRod wrote:

I liked the end of the chapter where Harry is getting the muggleborns out. Maybe it is my Catholic upbringing but I got the weird vibe of Christ descening into Hell post-crusifixion and rescuing the innocents. Funny, but I was going to post a link for those that do not know the story and saw that the term for it is the "Harrowing of Hell" Harrowing derived from "Harry" meaning literally to make preditory raids or incursions... Still I feel that there is a lot of intentional christian allegory and theology in these books. And this feels pretty intentional to me or, at least, could not escape JKR's notice. Maybe it is just because of my vision of the scene as Harry yells "STOP" in the Atrium, this vast black cavernous space dominated by a grotesque statute of wizards on a thrown of naked muggle bodies and the whole ministry falling silent. Someone states that they were told to seal the exits and not let anyone out. Harry announced (not the broadness of the language) "There blood is pure, said Harry, his voice echoed impressively through the hall, "Purer than many of yours, I daresay." Seems more like a judgment on guilt and innocence rather than merely a commentary on muggleblood in the veins of the Ministry workers.

Thank you, ICR. I actually have had some trouble with this scene. I'e always felt like Harry should have been ready to lead a pseudo rebellion, since he asked who there has wands. But instead, expectations are toned down as not all muggleborn (or suspected) are able to get out and there's not much daring magic being done. I felt the scene just fell flat.

BUT, your description - and tying it to theology - does make a difference. Salvation through Christ is of no act of our own but only the Savior, even in RC theology. So it would make sense that Harry would be doing his best to get "victims" of an unjust regime (what's more unjust than the regime of sin and its consequences!) out of the deep. I've kind of slowed down on my re-read (I am very slowly getting through OotP) but when I get to that scene in DH I'll remember your commentary.

I recently reread this book and wondered about this scene with Umbridge wearing the Horcrux yet being able to perform the Patronus, as later in the books we learn that Harry is unable to do so when he is wearing the locket. In a chat with JKR, she says that this is because she is so nasty and that "She has an affinity for this horrible object, which would help rather than hinder her." Here is a link to the chat: Chat with JKR. I know I shouldn't complain in this way, Rowling wrote the books, she can decide anything she wants, but I don't like this answer. Horcruxes aren't horrible, they're evil. In book 5--in a discussion about Umbridge no less--we are told that the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters. That Umbridge is a bad person doesn't make her evil, and I wouldn't think would give her an "affinity" for a piece of Voldemort's soul or any other piece of dark magic. A piece of his soul helping her rather than hindering her seems to belie JKR's earlier point. I prefer to think that she didn't know the true evil nature of the locket, so it affected her less than Harry, and that she was truly in her element exercising power and having people in her control, so that happy feeling she got overrode the evilness of the Horcrux, if I'm allowed to disregard the author's answer.

Though I'm a cat person, I like that we see JKR's dislike of cats come out in this chapter.