Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Chapter Twelve:
Magic Is Might

Notes by Michele L. Worley
Page editor Belinda Hobbs

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 223 - 245
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 184 - 202
Timeframe: 5 August - 2 September, 1997 [Y17]

In which HRH, after weeks of planning, ambush three Ministry workers, assume their identities, and sneak into Ministry headquarters. To their horror, they learn that Ron has taken the identity of a man whose wife is about to be interrogated about her blood status, and who faces a sentence in Azkaban for being a Muggle-born with a wand.

Interesting facts andnotes about the text of this chapter:

Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus
So now we have confirmation of the identity of the Carrows as well as the surnames of Alecto and Amycus.

And who are these Carrows?
Harry encountered them during the battle of the Tower less than three months ago, but Ron wasn't with him at the time.

a small card that identified their victim as an assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office
Nice bit of irony there. I'm surprised Harry didn't mention that he recognized the name from the letters she had sent him on previous occasions.

Previously a golden fountain had filled the center of the hall
There's a nice bit of symbolism for you - the statue previously represented all the official magical races (witch, wizard, centaur, goblin, and house-elf) and was smashed during the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort.

You realize that I am on my way downstairs to interrogate your wife, Cattermole?
That is a very nasty unintended consequence of ambushing poor Cattermole, who has nothing to do with anything. He's no longer going to be able to be present to support his wife today. No wonder he fought so hard to try to go in to work.

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• Cattermole, Reg
  Ferrety-looking wizard - evidently the same as the previously unnamed wizard in Magical Maintenance
  
• Hopkirk, Mafalda
  Presumably the "funny old witch at the Ministry of Magic" mentioned earlier in the chapter.
  
• Runcorn, Albert
  
• Thicknesse, Pius
  
• (unnamed) people watching the join between numbers eleven and thirteen
  
  • podgy, pallid man
    
  • man with a twisted face
    
• (unnamed) passing Londoners
  
• (unnamed) two wizards accompanying Thicknesse and Umbridge
  

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Granger, Hermione
  
• Kreacher
  
• Potter, Harry
  
• Riddle, Tom (as Voldemort)
  
• Umbridge, Dolores
  
• Weasley, Ronald ("Ron")
  
• Yaxley
  
• (unnamed) witch murdered by Voldemort and two children
  
• (unnamed) wizard with bushy whiskers gunning for Cresswell's job
  

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Black, Phineas Nigellus
  
• Black, Regulus
  
• Black, Sirius
  
• Black, Walburga
  
• Burbage, Charity (referred to as the previous Muggle Studies teacher)
  
• Carrow, Alecto
  
• Carrow, Amycus
  
• Cattermole, Mrs.
  
• Cresswell, Dirk
  
• Diggory, Cedric
  
• Flitwick, Filius
  
• Gregorovich
  
• Krum, Viktor
  
• Longbottom, Neville
  
• Lovegood, Luna
  
• Lupin, Remus
  
• McGonagall, Minerva
  
• Pettigrew, Peter
  
• Potter, James
  
• Snape, Severus
  
• Sprout, Pomona
  
• Weasley, Arthur
  
• Weasley, Ginny
  

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• London
  
  
  
  • Grimmauld Place
    
  • Ministry of Magic (Atrium)
    
  • number twelve, Grimmauld Place
    

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Azkaban
  
• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
  
• London
  
  • number eleven, Grimmauld Place
    
  • number thirteen, Grimmauld Place
    
  • St. Mungo's
    

Exceptional character moments:

• Yaxley, threatening Cattermole's wife just to get his office fixed a little faster.
  

Spells:

• Apparition
  
• Disapparition
  
• Finite Incantatem (mentioned)
  
• Impervius
  
• Stupefy (as verb Stunned)
  
• Tongue-Tying Curse (referred to)
  
• weather effects in Ministry offices - Atmospheric Charm, but possibly a hex or a curse instead
  

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary
  
• blood status (Muggle-borns, etc.)
  
• Daily Prophet
  
• Death Eaters
  
• Floo Network
  
• Hogwarts Express
  
• Hogwarts teachers
  
• items and devices
  
  
  
  • airplanes, paper
    
  • handbag, Hermione's
    
  • Horcruxes (Slytherin's locket)
    
  • Invisibility Cloak
    
  • Ministry tokens
    
  • portraits
    
  • wands
    
  • Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - Decoy Detonators, Extendable Ears, Nosebleed Nougat, Puking Pastilles
    
  
  
• Legilimency
  
• medical magic (spattergroit)
  
• Ministry of Magic (Improper Use of Magic Office, Magical Law Enforcement, Magical Maintenance, Unspeakables)
  
• Occlumency
  
• Order of the Phoenix
  
• Polyjuice Potion
  
• slang ("Merlin's pants")
  

Memorable lines:

• (none yet)
  

Strictly British:

• bins
  
• bog
  
• bloke
  
• keen
  
• mate
  
• mental
  
• pants
  
• review, exam
  
• steak-and-kidney pie
  
• sweet
  
• treacle tart
  

Timelines/Calendar:

Continues from previous chapter, so begins on 5 August. Most of the action occurs on 2 September.