COS Observations/Speculations

[Megan]

No: HPFGUIDX 28673

Re-reading COS (for the millionth time) has raised a few observations
with me.  Just wondering as to some of you L.O.O.N.'s theories on some
of these...

pg. 308--"Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor,
and bent to pick up his wand again.
But his wand had gone.
'Did you see--?'
He looked up.  Riddle was still watching him--twirling Harry's wand
between his long fingers."
I have always assumed Riddle's (in COS) powers are limited to those of
himself at sixteen.  Is Riddle so powerful by the time he is sixteen
(it is stated that Voldemort is one of the most powerful wizards, but
mind you he's still a bit undeveloped at this age) he is able to
"cast" a spell with no words OR wand?  Even Dumbledore has never
demonstrated this power.  One would assume this is a spell because
laws of physics dictate gravitational pulls between masses aren't THAT
strong, <bg>.  What else could it be that it wasn't a spell?  How is
Riddle able to accomplish this?
If living things are petrified by the basilisk's stare, how is Fawkes
able to poke out his eyes?  Why isn't Fawkes petrified?  Are phoenixes
really that powerful that they are immune to something that is so
(seemingly) powerful?

Harry cannot be Heir to Gryffindor.  Do you think something as
intelligent (argueably the wrong word, but who cares? ;-)) as the
Sorting Hat would seriously consider Harry for Slytherin if he was
heir?  I don't think we can argue that the Hat didn't /know/ because
it obviously later /knew/ that Harry was a "true" Gryffindor.

How did the basilisk survive all the years locked away in a chamber
with no source of nutrition? <g> (no need to reply to this one!)

How did Dobby KNOW what Lucius was planning?  I don't think Lucius
would be quite dumb enough to tell Draco (obviously this is something
highly highly illegal).  It seems dangerous that he would even gloat
about it (hence Dobby overhearing somewhere), but I suppose it's
possible.  I guess during one of his Death Eater tea-parties or
something, :-D.  And how would Harry going to Hogwarts prevent all
this anyway?  Muggle-borns would still be dying all over the place ven
if Harry was safe at home!  Dobby would have been better off warning
someone with a bit more influence.

I guess Riddle enchanted his Muggle diary to function in this fashion
(where would one learn THAT sort of spell?).  Did he keep all of his
school things locked away somewhere while "transforming" into
You-Know-Who and then casually give them away to his followers ("Happy
Birthday, Lucius!") for fun?  Perhaps before Harry forced him to flee
(as baby) Moldie-Voldie planted these things around England for future
use as a "just-in-case".

Sorry this was so long...I kept thinking of things to add.