Sword of Gryffindor?? Spoiler

[Alia]

Neville was outstanding in this book... but you had to see it coming when he found the Room of Restrictions (I believe that's the name of it). It shows he was thinking of helping Harry and he didn't know how. Neville has always shown these same traits even in the first book when he tried to stop the trio from sneaking out. Neville, along with all those who fought in the end were splended! I was very pleased that JK Rowling had Neville kill the snake. Somehow that seemed so fitting... so rewarding for his character to be able to do what his parents set out to do... bring down Voldemort.

[Adasunshine]

*cough*RoomofRequirement*cough*

xx

[Alia]

Originally Posted by Adasunshine

*cough*RoomofRequirement*cough*

xx

Nope, I didn't read the full name, not at all. That's too funny Ada. Thanks for the correction. I feel like a fool... as I giggle lightheartedly about it.

[Joel007]

The bit with Harry and lake was a bit weak I thought. When Dumbledore said to Snape that it had to be retrieved with trial and sacrifice or something like that, Snape just put it in a lake? Oh, and was it explained how he knew where they were? I forgot that bit.
Anyway, it seems to rely on Harry being stupid enough to jump into a frozen lake instead of either heating it up, using accio after breaking the ice, or just getting Hermione to think of a spell which would retrieve it safely.

[Alia]

Snape knew where they were because of the picture that Hermione was carrying around. The picture was of a Black's ancestor who was also a Hogwarts head master, he ran back to Hogwarts and told Snape.

Also... I don't think it was weak for Snape to put the sword in the lake. Harry needed it without any problems. They were already depressed and this help his spirits a lot!

[Joel007]

I'm fine with Snape's placement of the sword, but Harry's methods were just downright idiotic. It made me think "This numbskull is going to save them all?" (polite version )

[PTeppic]

Yup - break the ice with diffindo then accio sword...

[Lenny]

Page 300:

He pointed the wand at the silvery shape and murmured, 'Accio sword.'

It did not stir. He had not expected it to.

No other choice but to dive in. And wasn't there something about having to get it through certain circumstances?

[HoopyFrood]

Could he do that, though?

Actually, I'm looking at the page now...he tries "accio" but it doesn't work. I guess it's like how throughout the book they try "accio" on various objects but it doesn't work because they're protected. This causes Harry to think about the qualities needed to be a Gryffindor...daring, bravery and that's why he dives into a freezing lake. Plus Dumbledore told Snape not to let Harry know that it was he who was giving the sword to Harry, so he had to do something convoluted like this to perhaps make Harry think the sword was coming to him, like it appeared in the Sorting Hat in The Chamber of Secrets.

Damnit, Lenny!

[little smaug]

But it's only the sword itself that is protected, so in theory he could have heated the water. After all, it was Harry himself who decided he needed to show those qualities in order to got the sword; he could have been completely wrong, who knows?

[PTeppic]

Originally Posted by Lenny

Page 300:

He pointed the wand at the silvery shape and murmured, 'Accio sword.'
It did not stir. He had not expected it to.

That was my point - it was still encased in the ice when he tried to "get" it. He didn't try accio after he'd smashed the ice...

Originally Posted by little smaug

But it's only the sword itself that is protected, so in theory he could have heated the water. After all, it was Harry himself who decided he needed to show those qualities in order to got the sword; he could have been completely wrong, who knows?

He was probably wrong, since he was assuming it was somehow there magically. We now know it wasn't - it was just Snape putting it slightly safe. Or dramatic and Arthurian.

[HoopyFrood]

Would it have mattered? Is magic affected by things getting in the way? In The Goblet of Fire, Harry managed to summon his broomstick, even though it was tucked away in the castle (maybe in the Gryffindor tower or somewhere). Perhaps if the accio spell had worked, the sword would have floated up then he could have smashed the ice to get it...or, if the spell was powerful enough, it could have smashed through the ice itself.

[PTeppic]

In that case he knew to leave it by an open window... though I take the point. But, people who suddenly see something they desperately need do occasionally forget the obvious...

[Dave]

I also missed the Sword coming to Neville out of the Sorting Hat, thanks for explaining. (I thought it must have been the fake.)

So, Griphook will not get it back? Surely, Goblins must be use to this if they make so many magical items - or was the enchantment placed on it by Godric Gryffindor?

I didn't think the Sword in the Lake was lame, though it did continue JKR's recurrent filching of ideas from myths and legends. I think it was made clear that Harry had to dive in and that it could not be removed by magic. Could Severus have come up with a more original idea? Well this is Severus we are talking about!

I liked that Neville was the one to kill Nagini. It seemed only fitting, but I thought that McGonagall should have become the Hogwarts Headmistress (maybe she does.)

[PTeppic]

I would imagine that McGonagall would be head in the short term, as not only do you need a competent teacher but you need someone both the staff and pupils will respect. That in itself might be a problem, since Hogwarts appears to be the only school in the country. Not very good for career prospects, if you think about, and what about teacher training? Anyway, presumably the only alternative will be to either appoint one of the other existing teachers (unlikely?), find a "random" adult witch/wizard who is capable to do it, or, most likely, send someone from the Ministry. Someone other than Umbridge, presumably. At the end of the day, the head doesn't necessarily have to teach, so need only be a figurehead and manager.