One question for Rowling

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Doreen Rich" <nera at r...> wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., naama_gat at h... wrote:
> > 
> > I would ask her the question that originally brought me the HPFGU 
> > group - why was it necessary to use the Triwizard cup as the 
> portkey 
> > and not any old object lying arround?
> > 
> > People have come up with very clever hypotheses, but I'm still 
> > worried that it might be a (HUGE) Flint. I'm still not sure, in 
my 
> > own mind, whether the point might not have been missed by her. Do 
> you 
> > think it's possible that she just didn't think of that?
> > 
> > Naama
> ********************
> Would using anything else have had the same impact that using the 
> Triwizard Cup had? I thought that it was pretty impressive! 
> Especially since it was not just Harry but both he and Cedric at 
the 
> same time. I like her version of it.
> 
> Doreen

But that's just the point! Of course it's a great plot device, the 
question is, can it be justified in terms of the plot? For instance, 
Harry growing with the awful Dursleys is a great plot device, but it 
is also justified internally (terminology?) because they are his only 
living relatives and needed for his protection from Voldemort.
My question is, can the Cup-as-portkey be justified in the same way? 
There is certainly no explicit justification for it in the books so 
far, IMO. Maybe JKR thought it was obvious? Or, again, could it 
possibly be an oversight on her part? 

Naama