The Lily and... minor flaws, IMO (was: Flower names)

[Aesha Williams]

No: HPFGUIDX 40312

    Hi all! I'm Aesha. I've been lurking around for 3-4 weeks just checking
things out, and this is a great list! Love the lexicon and the essays.
    I must say, I think my favorite theory so far is the "seventh son"
theory. Then again, there have been so many to look at I've probably
forgotten half of them. :)
    I have a little info on the Lily of the Valley: let's see... "From the
retired place in which it grows, one learns humility." I'm not sure what
that would have to do with anything... just a little something I knew... I
like the Lily-Emerald connection.
    I can't wait to get more involved- I'll have to remember to make notes
so I don't forget what I was going to say (which keeps happening. :)
    Oh, wait. I do remember something else that is really the only thing I
noticed (until I joined the list, of course) that bothered me. I apologize
if it's been brought up.
    Firstly, and not as annoying, is the fact that Wormtail escaped from the
gang at the end of the term in PoA. Wormtail, who has been a rat for 12
years, escapes and in less than 3 months makes his way to Albania, runs into
our friend Bertha, finds his master (who he's had no contact with), they
kill Bertha, hatch this elaborate scheme, find BartyJr., and get to the
Riddle house. Wow. I'm not a big fan of CoS anyway, but it seems maybe she
should have had a story like that for a year before the Tournament- that way
there's a year to find Voldemort, Bertha and BartyJ, figure out this plan in
such precision that it flows perfectly for almost 9 months, even under the
eye of (presumably) one of Mad-Eye's closest friends...
    Secondly, the part that I really get a little confused with. In the
Death Eater Circle, he rants about how none of his death eaters went to find
him, about how the LeStranges were loyal to him always, etc... but then also
speaks of his loyal servant at Hogwarts.
    Here's my problem. In my opinion, the moment that BartyJr. started
crying and screaming to his daddy that he didn't do it, and so on and so
forth- well, he denounced the Dark Lord. How is that loyal? Due to the fact
that he went to Azkaban anyway? Or does Voldemort "pardon" him because he
was willing to do whatever Voldy asked when he came knocking?
    But wait. On page 10, US hardback, it says: "Wormtail, I need somebody
with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you,
unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement." Curious. I suppose one could
argue that Voldemort knew that BartyJr. had been to Azkaban and not how he
had acted at the trial.


Aesha