[HPforGrownups] Re: Mirror and Obstacles (why Harry...stone?)

[alicit at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 47549

In a message dated 12/1/2002 2:11:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
Malady579 at hotmail.com writes:

> Scheherazade (gracious that is a mouthful) wrote:

> 
> >I have a completely different original reading of this.  I thought
> >that Dumbledore left the mirror for Harry to find because he wanted
> >him to see his family in it.  Dumbledore knew that having a family
> >was Harry's deepest desire, and he wanted to be able to tell Harry
> >that he shouldn't waste away wishing for his family, like the men in
> >front of the Mirror of Erised, and should, instead, move on with his
> >new life with his friends.  I have such a sappy theory...
> 
> Hey, sappy can be good.  It is a kind thing for Dumbledore to do
> teaching Harry to not dwell on what can never be changed.  I have two
> problems with it though.
> 
> Why the mirror and would that be an unneccesary stone security risk?
> 
> 1.  Why show Harry at that time?  The mirror was *supposed* to be
> hiding the stone and really it might of been at that time.  So,
> Dumbledore magiced, because I assume he would not carry it, up to the
> third floor just to let Harry see his parents?  He could of gotten
> pictures together like Hagrid did and let the boy have a picture book.
> Dumbledore could then of hid in Harry's dorm and popped out to teach
> the same lesson when Harry spend hours looking at the pictures.  It
> would of been less risk too.  Bring the mirror out of the maze was
> jeopardizing the stone if it was in there.  Actually if it was not,
> the stone would not of been as safe as it was in the mirror, so I
> guess the stone was in jeopardy anyway.

And now for my far-out, newly-developed, plot-hole-riddled responce:

Maybe the mirror was origionally not supposed to be in the maze, but, because 
Harry found it, and showed it to Ron, Dumbledore decided to move it somewhere 
where it could not be found on accident.  The heavy security around the third 
floor corridor may have been a red herring (this ties in to the possibility 
that Dumbledore suspected Quirrel or one of his staff from the beginning).  
Maybe the tests were really a trap after all.  The potions puzzle may have 
been a lie, with the 'correct' drink only letting you go through the fire 
once; neither Quirrel nor Harry go back through the fire on their own steam.

Which brings me to a Flint-like inconsistency... if there was only enough 
potion for one person, how come Quirrel and Harry had enough to drink?  
Unless Quirrel planned ahead and knew what potion he'd need...  

> 
> Ok so I managed to put my two points into that one.  Oh well.  I just
> don't buy the idea that Dumbledore thought 'hey this mirror that I am
> using to hid a very valuable magic item could help with showing young
> Harry how to no be wrapped up in impossible dreams.  Let me borrow it
> for a moment.'  He had other reasons behind that little lesson.

well, I don't think that was his whole intention, but maybe he was making the 
best of the situation?  Actually, now that i've written it out, I really 
favor my "Trials as a red herring" theory... I think I shall even give it an 
acronym, I like it so much

half an hour passes

Ok, I am bad at this acronym thing... if anyone else agrees with my theory or 
would just like to make some acronyms, go ahead and take a stab...

> 
> 
> Scheherazade wrote about obstacles:
> >All of these things are qualities that can be expected in a
> >Deatheater.  They are certainly all things that Voldemort himself
> >possesses, or he would not have gotten as powerful as he did.
> 
> You think so?  True someone could have *all* those qualities, but it
> is highly unlikely.  Generally people specialize in a certain area.  I
> know I would of been stopped at the chess board.  I'm a defensive
> person not offensive.  Most would not be fast enough to get the key.
> Then there is the logic which few people have let alone wizards have.
> So, I think the obstacles were actually a fair unknown defense.  Just
> that when one learns what they are, they can practice for them.  We
> know Quirrell was a part of the set up phase, so he could of practiced
> how to get past each phase.

I, too, would have been crushed at the chess level, I am no good at that 
game.  I guess my statement that any witch or wizard could have gotten 
through was a bit to broad.  But I still maintain that the tests would not 
stand a chance against a wizard of Voldemort's caliber or, given that 
Dumbledore does not know of vapormort and Quirrelmort, even the High ranking 
DEs.  I think these people would be able to make it through the tests in some 
way, if not easily.

-Scheherazade, sometimes called Sche for short *g*


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