As usual a crisis brings out new sides to Rowling's characters.

Dumbledore: The scene in Dumbledore's office does suggest that Dumbledore has been right to avoid Harry's eyes all this time. And it is clear that that this avoidance of eye contact does not come naturally to him. In earlier books he has been very closely associated with his eyes, and has used them very directly, having them linger on people who are important and using them to (fairly literally) see to the truth of things. The impact of this scene is therefore very strong.

Harry: I feel quite sorry for him here. His paranoia is (for once) perfectly justifiable. It does take him rather beyond rationality in the beginning of the Christmas chapter, but he does bring up one good point: if Voldemort can see into his brain, he is getting way too much information on the Order.

His self-involvement is really a little over the top, however. Can he really have forgotten that Voldemort possessed Ginny? It seems incredible.

Sirius: Poor Sirius. But again crisis brings out the best in him. He is good at crises. It is very clear that the being cooped up with Kreecher at HQ is getting to him (stale drink, unshaved), and also very clear that Fred's jab about it being easy to talk while being "safe" (which is SPECTACULARLY UNFAIR, I might add) hits a very sore point. But he collects himself, understands and attempts to make it better. Man, I love Sirius.

I also like the idea of him happy over Christmas.

The Twins: While what they say to Sirius is obviously very wrong, I like reading about their lashing out like that. It is so uncharacteristic of them, it is a clear sign of real emotional turmoil. And we are not really used to that from them. We did see it on the Quidditch pitch, but while a little out of proportion, their reaction there was perfectly justifiable. I like how they step out of line here.

It is also interesting that it is Fred who says it. And later on, George goes with Ginny to embrace Molly, while Fred sits down and covers his face. It does harmonise with the pattern of a subtle distinction between the twins which we have seen before.

Phineas Nigellus: I really like him. Anyone who calls Harry in a temper tantrum a ``poor puffed-up popinjay'' gets points from me. And he is perfectly right, of course. Harry should know Dumbledore probably has his reasons for what he does.

Percy: He is such a bastard. It is quite shocking that his father almost dying did not shake him out of his insane ambition.

Neville: I feel so sorry for him. His grandmother is right, of course, and I wish Harry would have said something about them being heroes or some such, to indicate that he knew and that he did not think they were ridiculous in any way, before she rounded on Neville for supposedly being ashamed. I don't really think it is shame. I think it is pain. But I am not entirely sure. Perhaps it is a mixture.

Snape: He is so mean to Sirius here. It is perhaps the worst we see him -- even worse than the way he taunts the children, to my mind. Perhaps because it is so unjustified. He really drives home the point that you don't have to be a good guy to be a Good Guy.

I wonder whether he gains some sympathy with Harry through seeing his memories of his childhood. Surely it must help undo the image he has created of him. And the question about the dog: it may be wishful thinking, but I am not reading it as an unfriendly question. Especially as it is followed up what from Snape is quite a compliment. It makes sense for him to test his natural ability to resist before giving him the tools … a sort of baseline. And he does immediately explain how to get better at it after that. I dislike what the films did with this bit. It became all taunts and no teaching, which is not what happens in the book at all.

It is interesting to read other reactions into the description of Snape at this point than the interpretations furnished by Harry. Snape's pallor and anger when Harry gives him his mother and father in the mirror, for example. I assume Snape had not expected to run into Lily in her son's memories.