Luna and Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak, and Luna
leads him to the room so he can see it. Instead of a password, the
Ravenclaw door is opened by answering a very philosophical question. The
knocker asks, “Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?” and
Luna opens the door by answering, “A circle has no beginning.”
Harry climbs up on the statue to get a good look at the
tiara, but is apprehended by Alecto Carrow, who touches her Dark
Mark to summon Voldemort.
Analysis: Chapters Twenty-Eight–Twenty-Nine
Aberforth’s story gives Harry a better perspective on
the story of Dumbledore’s youthful mistakes, providing the essential
details—that Ariana was not a Squib but was attacked by Muggles—that make
Dumbledore, his mother Kendra, and even his father all seem human
rather than monstrous. So complete is Harry’s shift in attitude
toward Dumbledore that he is now in a position to defend Dumbledore
to Aberforth. Harry’s resolve to complete Dumbledore’s mission is
intact, and it is enough to galvanize others who have given up.
In the last chapters of the novel we see Harry as a leader, and
we see Harry’s leadership reflected in others.
Neville’s newfound heroism is a pleasurable reversal of
his role throughout the series as the most timid and least competent
student in Harry’s class. As Neville explains it, however, his own
heroism is not simply a matter of difficult and challenging times
bringing out the best in his own character. Instead, Neville modeled
his heroism and leadership after Harry’s. When Harry did not appear
in school, Neville stepped in to fill the role. As the intimidated
whipping boy of the school for so long, Neville was well able to
appreciate the importance of those who take a stand and show leadership.
Neville’s adoption of Harry’s role and his continuation
of Harry’s struggle demonstrate an important way in which human beings
can connect with one another even after losing one another. A central
problem of the book, expressed vividly in the epigraph from Aeschylus,
is how we can be connected to people we have lost. Important people
have died, and Harry has felt—particularly in the graveyard in Godric’s
Hollow—that they are simply gone, unable to care about him or his
struggles anymore. But Neville’s actions show Harry that there is
a way to stay connected to people who have left us, if we keep faith
with them and continue their struggle.
