PS/SS Ch. 17 summary

[David]

No: HPFGUIDX 29448

katzefan asked:

> 1) Were you expecting Quirrell?

No, and I hadn't really seen the book as having this 'mystery' 
element - i.e. I didn't know I was supposed to be trying to solve a 
puzzle.
> 
> 2) Voldemort seems to be pretty clueless when it comes to 
> dealing with Harry. He allows Quirrell to unbind Harry. He 
> repeatedly orders Quirrell to grab the boy, even after it's obvious 
> Quirrell can't hang onto him. Then when he does order Quirrell to 
> kill, Quirrell is still close enough that Harry can counter-attack. 
> Why doesn't Voldemort order Quirrell to back away to a safe 
> distance and blast Harry, either with a killing spell or another 
> binding spell?

They need Harry to get the stone (how does Voldemort know it's in his 
pocket? (Memo to self, if ever caught in a passage under a mountain 
with Voldemort, don't try to use riddle games to get away.)). At 
first Voldemort doesn't realise Harry's Quirrell-burning abilities; 
later Quirrell is about to try a 'deadly curse' (not clear if he is 
using a wand), presumably AK, but Harry doesn't let him. It all 
happens in such a hurry.  Also, Voldemort doesn't care if Quirrell 
suffers minor injury - we don't know what killed Quirrell as Harry in 
unconscious, it could be any one or a combination of Harry's touch, 
Dumbledore attacking, and Voldemort scarpering once he knows the game 
is up.
> 
> 3) Do you agree with Dumbledore that, given the opportunity, 
> human beings have a knack for choosing 'precisely those things 
> which are worst for them'?

Yes, though not all and, collectively, we tend to learn the lesson 
over time.
> 
> 4) Why do you think Voldemort wanted to kill Harry in particular? 
> Why won't Dumbledore tell Harry, now, what the reason is?

Don't know.  This is, of course, the central mystery of the books.  I 
would guess that Harry needs to learn a load of other things about 
his parents, Voldemort's rise to power, etc. first.
> 
> 5) Do you think Dumbledore knew what was going on all along, 
> and worked from behind the scenes to give the trio the 
> information they needed to solve the riddle? Do you think he 
> believed Harry had 'the right to face Voldemort if I could' despite 
> the risks?

No.  I think that he made contingency plans, and that he took steps, 
or advantage of opportunities like the Mirror, to advance Harry's 
understanding.  Interestingly, the Mirror would probably still have 
worked the same way if Harry wasn't familiar with it (unless his 
desire to see his parents would have been overriding?) - Harry's lie 
to Voldemort would have just been even more lame.
> 
> 6) Were you disappointed with Harry when he said he intends to 
> 'have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer' because the Dursleys 
> don't know he can't use magic over the holidays? Or did you have 
> a sneaking sympathy with Harry's new ability to 'get back' at 
> Dudley for some of the misery Dudley caused him?

No and yes, and not sneaking.  I think fun of this sort is fine as 
long as any misery inflicted on the Dursleys comes entirely from 
their own wilful folly.

David