triwizard & Voldemort's smarts

[fourfuries at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27138

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Mindy C.L." <mindyatime at j...> wrote:
> I am also wondering why it didn't occur to all those who wanted to 
enter
> but couldn't, like the Weasley twins, to use the Confundus Charm to 
fool
> the goblet into thinking they were older? Surely if Barty Jr. 
could've
> thought of such an idea, there'd be a student in the school who'd 
have
> the same idea, espeically if they read through enough books. 
(Unless they
> were afraid of being caught.)


It is only fair to remember that there are greater and lesser 
wizards, just as in the muggle world there are greater and lesser 
athletes, lawyers, doctors and plumbers.  Two people from the same 
profession will invariably have different aptitudes (skills, talents, 
abilities) for any given task or function within the profession.

It is unlikely that Gred and Forge, or any of the other students were 
of sufficient talent or expertise to pull off the Confundus.  Thus 
the oft repeated canonical phrase "it would take a powerful Dark 
Wizard to...".  Barty Crouch Jr was a powerful Dark Wizard, from a 
line of powerful wizards.

Evidently, magical ability is part hereditary (the list archive is 
full of that discussion, I won't attempt it here), and part study.  
The examples are Tom Riddle's years out of sight, studying the Dark 
Arts, or Nicholas Flamel's continuing work on alchemy, or 
Dumbledore's discovery of the twelve uses of Dragon's blood.  This 
suggests that just like in our world, latent ability is of little 
import in the absence of hard work, determination, perserverance, and 
will.

Which brings us to Voldemort's smarts.  We ought to give this guy a 
break, at least when it comes to expecting him to be sane, rational 
or clear-eyed in the emotional sense.  He is a nut!  A very bright 
kid with deep emotional scars, an abiding sense of betrayal and 
abandonment, no reported source of love, etc., etc.  He grows up 
hating his father, transfers that hate to all non-magic people, and 
determines to have revenge on the muggle and magic worlds alike for 
failing to save his mother, punish his father or provide suitable 
substitutes for him.

He seeks out power in its most immediate form, using his natural 
gifts of charm, good looks and duplicity to win Head Boy, even as he 
plots his father's murder.  He seeks out and discovers the Chamber of 
Secrets, and enjoys the power of fear he holds over the entire 
school, even causes the death of a fellow student (Moaning Myrtle).  
He only stops becuase he doesn't want to get caught, but he does put 
it all in a diary so that it can be continued years later.

He disappears from magic society, pursuing every dark art, evil 
potion, deadly curse he can find, making hmself impervious to the 
weapons and will of "proper magic society", before whom he had had to 
bow as a poor orphan.  He undergoes "so many 
transformations..."  "there may not be enough human left in him to 
die".

Then he comes back and starts seducing the ambitious among the 
pureblood snobs, who themselves desire power.  His old chums from 
Slytherin provide a fertile field.  He knows them, can play on their 
ambtions, and use their slick sly cunning natures to build his 
network of terror.  Then he starts the torture, the killing, using 
the Unforgivable Curses without regard for wizarding law.  The more 
he succeeds, the more bold his followers, and the more of his 
followers there are.  It's going great, until...

(just guessing here) Professor Treelawney predicts that the House of 
Potter will destroy the last Heir of Slytherin.  Voldemort goes to 
eliminate James Potter, and his infant child.  He gets a surprise for 
which no one could have prepared him.  Lily, either consciously or 
unconsciously, works a charm that protects Harry, and inadvertently 
obliterates Voldemort physically, but not spiritually.

He hides in ghost-like form, knawing on rodents and vermin, waiting 
for his "pureblood" followers to come and help him.  No one comes for 
ten years.  You know the story from there.

So wouldn't you hate the purebloods as well as the muggles.  And 
would'nt the purebloods doubt Voldemort, showing up only out of fear 
at first?  And finally, doesn't it make sense that through all this, 
the monster who was the boy Tom Riddle has come a bit unglued, lost 
his moorings, got a few screws loose?  I say Voldemort is crazy, in 
the clinical sense, and though I am not a mental health professional, 
I am pretty sure I know crazy when I see it.

4FR