[HPforGrownups] "This is just too easy..."

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 33145

Dicentra asks:

After seeing the movie thrice (and reading the book the same number of
times) it began to bother me that the spells protecting the sorcerer's
stone were so easy to defeat.  If you're really trying to keep the
stone away from Voldemort, would you set up spells that first-year
students can defeat?

I expect it has been done to death, but before my time

I had the same thought, but of course, we have the benefit of hindsight.

1)  The key to pacifying Fluffy clearly is not common knowledge ( I have to 
say that this lack of Classical knowledge is one  of several failings in the 
curriculum that bothers me. There's enough Latin in the spells, many of the 
creatures occur in classical myth etc, and the style of  education is old- 
fashioned enough to make me think that a knowledge of Latin and classical 
myth/ literature would be essential)

2)  The Devil's Snare only, as the trio found out, required attention in 
Herbology. However, it also required a certain presence of mind. Not the best 
protection, though. I wonder what else Prof Sprout could have used? Good 
thing for our heroes that she didn't have any mandrakes available that year!

3) The key required Harry's seeker skills . Not common.

4)  Likewise, the chess game required a special skill, not magical, but 
logical. Hermione points out re the potions challenge that this is not always 
a wizarding strong  point. 

5)  'not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll' 
Well , the troll was in place before the Halloween incident and was bigger, 
in any case.......and , of course, they didn't take it on, Quirrell did.

6)  The potions challenge: see 4

7)  The charm on the Mirror of Erised ensured that no-one, adult or child who 
wanted the stone for their own benefit could retrieve it. ( I don't 
understand the mirror bit, I confess. I mean where *was* the stone?

Two more points.

First, I'm sure no-one expected children to try to reach the stone. The 
challenges were aimed at *adults*. Children can sometimes be better at 
solving problems than adults, having a different perspective and able to use 
logic free from adult preconceptions.

Secondly, they were a trio. No single one of the three could have solved all 
the challenges. It was only their particular combination of talents that 
allowed Harry to reach the stone.

Eloise


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