PS/SS Chapter Thirteen Questions

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 28911

Hi, y'all!

Libby provided some good questions for chapter 13, and for once, I actually
have something to say about them!
> 
> 2. Why does Snape feel he will be able to best protect Harry while 
> refereeing the quidditch match, rather than watching Quirrell from the 
> stands as before?

I think this is because he wants to be able to stop the match if anything
goes wrong. Quidditch is very fast-paced, if the QWC and the
celluloid-that-must-not-be-named-on-this-list is any indication; perhaps he
thought he could keep up with Harry more easily on a broom than stuck on the
ground? 


> 3. If Flamel is the only known 
> maker of the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone (and has been since the 
> early 15th century), then for what kinds of alchemical 
> discoveries are 
> Flamel and Dumbledore so intimately mixed as to end up on a Chocolate 
> Frog card together?

1. Perhaps Nick's first success was a fluke, and they've been trying to
recreate it all this time?
2. I think the 12 uses of dragon's blood has an alchemical sound to it.
3. There's that pesky transmutation part of alchemy, the one that was
orginally about lead-->gold. Dumbledore taught Transfiguration. Maybe they
were working on some combinative effect of elemental transfiguration?


> 4. In Quirrell's DADA class the students are required to copy down 
> different ways of treating werewolf bites.  If treatments exists for 
> werewolf bites (and they're simple enough to be understood by 
> eleven-year-olds) and some lycanthropic symptoms (Wolfsbane potion), 
> why has such a violent fear and hatred of werewolves been retained so 
> strongly in the wizarding community?

Okay, Susanna sort of gave my answer, but I'm going to go into mine anyway,
because it's more detailed. I interpret this to mean they are treating the
bite, not the lycanthropy. I've created a rather nifty theory of
lycanthropy: that the werewolf's bite is somewhat venomous, and it is the
transfer of this venom that creates a new werewolf. NOTE: This is not really
meant to be 100% scientific, and I haven't taken a science class since
Chemistry for Art Majors in 1992, so use magic to explain the bits that
aren't microbiologically correct. 

It's very painful and dangerous, and as with snakes, the werewolf always
transmits the same amount of venom per bite. So an adult would get the same
dose of "poison" as a child. This helps explain why Remus's situation
(bitten as a child,  no precedent for sending werewolf kids to Hogwarts) is
so extraordinary. If a youngster is bitten, most often, even with initial
treatment, the venom kills rather than transforms, or leads the child to
favour death over the pain. Survival depends on the victim's ability to
process the venom--which results in a change in the blood. That is, the
venom has entered the bloodstream and doesn't leave, unlike other types of
bites, instead causing a mutation. 

BTW, I believe that werewolves' personalities tend to be a little unstable.
I'm developing a theory in which even the werewolf victims who adjust and
are able to survive the bite begin to identify with the wolf within a span
of several years. They gradually degrade, becoming more and more violent,
less and less human, until they break away from the safeguards they have set
up for themselves, surrender to the wolf, and eventually bite someone while
in wolf form. But even though the werewolf can only create another werewolf
while in wolf form, they can still become violent and dangerous in human
form, if they lose control. Another good reason to fear them and make them
pariahs. (Remus is something of a special case because he was so young and
yet survived. I won't say more here but will gladly go on at length if
invited.)

As for the bite itself, imagine a mosquito bite that radiates to every inch
of skin. It burns and itches all over your body. It feels like if you don't
tear your skin open, you will simply burn from the inside out. It's this
effect of the bite that I believe they're learning different ways of
treating (and in my universe, all of them were tried on poor young Remus).
Ironically, there are curses (such as the Full Body Bind) that immobilize
the victim so he can't scratch himself. There are also other methods, more
holistic, meant to reduce the pain of the bite and its immediate effects in
order to ease the victim's transition from human to werewolf.

So they're not really learning how to cure lycanthropy, though I won't go so
far as to say there are no theories (other than Wolfsbane) being tested as
potential cures. They're simply learning the "first aid" of getting bitten
by a werewolf. Make any sense? Or am I talking out of my butt?


> 5. After such a spectacular nab and an important victory, why would 
> Harry (the hero of the hour) be by himself after the game and on his 
> trip to the broom shed? I imagine Fred and George would have pinned 
> his arms to his sides with his scarlet cloak and frog marched Harry 
> into the common room....

Because he's Harry. That means he's uncomfortable being the center of
attention. He probably ducked away to get a minute or two to himself before
having to deal with everyone again. Note to Susanna: he was talking to
Dumbledore, but the next section begins with him leaving the locker room
alone "some time later." He dawdled until the others were gone.


> 6C. Why does Snape suspect Quirrell in the first place? Did they know 
> each other before?

I'm going to answer the Question 6 questions out of order, because I think
we need to address this one first, and then it sheds light on the other
questions. So.... Yes, they knew each other before. Hagrid indicates as much
to Harry back in chapter 5: "'He was fine while he was studyin' outta books
but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience.... They say
he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble
with a hag--never been the same since.'" Quirrell taught there at least the
year previously. When we factor in his confession to Harry in Chapter 17, we
can conclude that the real trouble was that he met up with Voldemort (though
the timing is not specified, either way. Of course there's still a
continuity issue with this because how would anyone know he's broken if he
didn't teach the year immediately before? Argh.). As Snape has also been
teaching there at least a year prior to Harry's arrival, he could have
noticed the difference in Quirrell's demeanour and suspected him, at least
on the basis of erratic behaviour.

> 6A. How much does Snape know about Quirrell's reasons for          
> wanting the Stone?

Okay, assuming no intelligence about Voldemort for Snape (and I don't), they
get back in September (or over the summer--hah, I fixed my Flint) and
Quirrell's acting funny. IF the trouble is related to vampires and hags (and
Snape has no reason to believe it isn't), it's still reasonable to guess
that Quirrell wants the stone to protect himself from harm. He might be
under the influence of a vampire (human servant-type deal), but since
vampires are undead the stone might not do them any good. Quirrell, otoh,
could want the stone to become immortal and no longer fear dark creatures.

I don't think Snape immediately suspects Voldemort's involvement--just that
there's something fishy.

> 6B. Why doesn't Quirrell/Voldemort reveal himself to Snape, a (former) 
> Death Eater and one of the Stone's protectors?

This is a harder one to answer, particularly with my staunch position that
Snape's task in GoF is to go back to V as a spy again. I agree (again) with
Susanna, who theorized that Voldemort's knowledge of Quirrell's movements is
not perfect. Despite riding around in Quirrell's head, I don't think he
occupies a place in Quirrell's mind. It's possible he was dormant during the
conversation and didn't know about it until afterward ("Idiot! He's one of
mine!"), or it's possible he had a reason to withhold the information from
Snape. I postulated in a recent conversation elsewhere that it's possible
Voldemort didn't want any of his followers from VWI to see him until he had
a proper body again, because it's hard to punish and strike up that sense of
awe in your old supporters when you're a blob in another man's head (or even
a malformed baby). Or he could have just wanted to wait and see what Snape
did. Or he could have reasoned that Snape's suspicions were immaterial and a
minor distraction, only, no real threat, so why worry about it?

Oh, and as far as going to Dumbledore--well, Snape's a qualified wizard in
his own right. If he did speak to Dumbledore, then presumably he was given
permission to pursue by his own methods and at his own discretion. If he
didn't speak to him, then I believe his justification is that, much as he
respects Dumbledore, the old man is pretty soft on people, and probably
wouldn't want to get rid of Quirrell, or even take him out of the loop,
without some hard evidence that he's up to something. So Snape takes it upon
himself to obtain proof.

Thanks again, Libby, for providing some fine questions!

Gwen