Forgetful Characters

[caliburncy at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27007

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:
> I am, however, getting weary of HP characters with miseable memories 
> at crucial moments.

I know what you mean, in terms of cumulative effect, but I have 
comments on some of the specific examples.

> Let's see.  As someone recently mentioned, we 
> have: 
> Voldemort ("Harry's Mother's protection -- I forgot!")
> Riddle ("Phoenix tears -- I forgot!")
> Riddle (Forgets not to let Harry anywhere near the diary during the 
> crucial showdown, because if Harry stabs it with a fang, Riddle's a 
> gonner)

All three of these are not so much examples of Voldemort having a poor 
memory as they are examples of his fatal flaw of conceitedness.  He 
underestimates just about everyone and is very self-assured in his 
ability to carry out his diabolical ministrations relatively 
unhindered by what he deems the futile and pathetic abilities of 
others to get in his way.  This is a large part of why he is, in my 
opinion, such a non-compelling villain and should have had his butt 
kicked long ago.

But your basic point, that Voldemort does not act at the literary 
concept of maximum capacity is correct.  Actually, very few villains 
(that do not ultimately win) ever do, because if they did act at 
maximum capacity, they would probably win.  So heros often act at 
maximum capacity and villains just the tiniest bit under that.  
Unfortunately, our friend You-Know-Who tends to be a bit sub-par on 
the villain's scale of maximum capacity too.  Which is why it bugs 
people.

I should add that, in theory, a villain can act at maximum capacity 
and still lose.  Their maximum capacity *at that moment* just needs to 
be smaller than the hero's was *at that moment*.  This does not imply 
that the hero should be unbalanced to the villain and generally more 
capable (that's a very BAD idea for a dramatic story).  It means that 
something in the external circumstances must hinder the villain 
somehow from having the normally equal amount of maximum capacity as 
his protagonistic counterpart.

> Lupin (a werewolf transformation is painful and the full moon is 
> coming and I could kill someone if I don't drink my potion, but I 
> forgot)

I can't remember enough of the timeline on this day to say how 
plausible this would be or not--in fact, I'm not sure enough of it is 
really given.  How late was he on taking his potion when Snape came to 
bring it to him?  Quite a while or just a little bit?  Because if he 
was only slightly late, then it would make enough sense, what with him 
having just discovered Peter Pettigrew was still alive.  As in: he saw 
Pettigrew around the time he should have been leaving to take the 
potion.  It would then be reasonable enough for thoughts of the 
Wolfsbane Potion to flee his mind.  But if he was supposed to have 
taken it, say, that afternoon, then yes, there isn't really sufficient 
cause for him to just forget.

> Crouch/Moody (forgets to watch the door or the foe glass)
> Crouch/Moody (forgets to take polyjuice potion as often as he should 
> have)

These are the ones that bug me the most, because otherwise throughout 
the novel, Crouch Jr. always acted at maximum capacity.  He is a real 
"evil genius", moreso than Voldemort seems to be (I have to wonder, 
if, had he not been effectively taken out of the picture with the 
Kiss, he might have eventually realized Voldemort was less intelligent 
than him and overthrown him, taking over as the new leader of the evil 
forces).  So, anyway, it is upsetting for him to overlook stuff like 
this, when otherwise he is so "together".  But again, one can argue 
that almost all villains must act just the tiniest bit under maximum 
capacity if the hero is to ultimately triumph.

I suppose you could debate the polyjuice potion as not having violated 
maximum capacity, if you're in the camp that believes Voldemort 
intended to attack Hogwarts immediately after killing Harry.  Then 
Crouch Jr. didn't forget; he just didn't need to take it because his 
need for the ruse would be over.  But otherwise, it is an oversight on 
Crouch Jr.'s part.

> Cindy (thinking that Voldemort should buy Palm Pilots for all of the 
> Death Eaters)

Right!  And then they can forget to check them!  Ooh!  Something new 
and different!

-Luke