[HPforGrownups] Why on earth....

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 716

At 16:37 09/01/2000 -0000, you wrote:
>
>....are some of the various protections along the route to the 
>Sorceror's/Philosopher's Stone, puzzles at all?

A very good point.  

My thought is that retrieving the Philosopher's Stone via all these puzzles
was part of an elaborate plan conceived by Dumbledore, representing the
first of a series of tests for Harry.  Harry was known to have potential as
a nemesis of Voldemort, but Dumbledore would need to toughen him up and test
his skills until he was ready for the big showdown. He needed to stretch
Harry's talents to the limit in order to build him for the bigger trials to
come.  The fact that Harry had the help of Hermione and Ron was an
indication of his ability to utilise, however inadvertently, other people
for the skills in which he is weakest (this happens again in GoF,
particularly with Dobby and the Gillyweed). 

Dumbledore also, presumably, hoped that Harry would be able to retrieve the
stone using the Mirror of Erised - that would confirm his feelings about
Harry's good character.  Earlier, he had made sure the mirror was in the
room Harry wandered into (that was no chance finding), so that Harry would
realise its function later on.  In fact, Harry, only wanting to find the
stone and not use it, successfully relocated it to his pocket. Dumbledore
had proved Harry's resourcefulness in the face of obstacles and had proof of
his lack of greed and willingness to serve others in face of personal danger.

The fact that Voldemort was living on the back of Quirrell's head, right
under Hogwarts' roof was, I assume, not known to Dumbledore in the early
stages.  The two plotlines became intermingled because Voldemort thought he
could use the stone to get his hands on the Elixir of Life.  Dumbledore
could not have anticipated that the very thing against which he was training
Harry was right under his nose and trying to get to the stone as well. He
returned, in the nick of time, to pull Quirrell off Harry, and must have
breathed a huge sigh of relief that he hadn't just thrown his champion to
the lions.    
 
Neil
            Flying-Ford-Anglia

 *****************************************

   "Then, dented, scratched and steaming, 
   the car rumbled off into the darkness, 
   its rear lights blazing angrily"

 [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

 *****************************************