[HPforGrownups] Re: The Triwizard Portkey

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 40439

Elkins first said

 Even Overconfident "Oops, I forgot!" Voldemort isn't quite so daft, I don't
think, as to consider it a good idea to try pitting his thirty some-odd
Death Eaters against the cream of the wizarding world, element of surprise
or no element of surprise.  It would make sense if they could appear, fire
off a bunch of curses, and then Disapparate, but since they wouldn't be able
to do that, I can't see it as a feasible plan.

Dave responded:

And the thought of thirty DEs all landing in a jumble on the Quidditch pitch
as they try to hold on to the portkey seriously endangered my reputation for
sanity in the office.
Perhaps Voldemort thought that the Hogwarts staff would die laughing?

Amanda now holds forth--->

Hrm. You two are laughing at one of my pet theories. **geist rolls up
sleeves**

I knew I'd done a post on this in the past, and for some reason I always
think I explained it better before than I'd be able to state again. So I
went and found it. No *wonder* you guys are flippant! My eloquence hath not
poured forth on this subject for over a *year*!

[Despite the hassles involved in using a search engine that requires
incantations, prayer, and the sacrifice of caffeine and chocolate, I *love*
reading the old threads---we made such *good points,* we were so *eloquent*!
(self excepted)] Anyway, here's what I said.

Date:  Sun Apr 15, 2001  3:05 pm
Subject:  Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: Plot holes filled?

Morag Traynor wrote:

> Even if V wasn't ready till then (agreed, highly probable, assuming he
> wanted to kill Harry personally and not just have Wormtail do it),
> Moody needn't have gone to the trouble of entering Harry in the
> Tounament. He need only have waited and then used any ordinary
> object.

It's been postulated in the past that there was a purpose to using the whole
"Harry in the tournament" mechanism, above and beyond getting Voldemort
re-bodied. That was just part of the plan.

Think about it. At the Triwizard tournament, in the audience gathered for
the last task, you have
(1) the heads of the three most prominent wizarding schools in that part
of the world;
(2) the top officials of the Ministry of Magic;
(3) the children of probably the entire wizarding population of the UK;
and
(4) the children of several wizarding families from France and wherever
Durmstrang is.

All gathered there for a day of excitement. There's a good chance that lots
of them, saving those serving as referees, didn't even have their wands with
them. You could not make a more perfect setting for Voldemort to burst in
upon.

He has his enemies arrayed in force, unprepared and unready. He has the
element of surprise, in spades--he's not even in their thoughts, he's
*dead,* the shock of him being alive at all would probably paralyze most of
them for the time he needs to make his move. He would have his DeathEaters
at his side, so he could expect to be able to do maximum damage. He could
take the children of families who oppose him, and ensure their
nonparticipation and/or capitulation.

I believe, therefore, that the whole plan was something along these lines:
(a) get Harry through the tournament as a winner
(b) get Harry to the graveyard for Voldemort's reanimation
(c) use the portkey to return to the grounds of Hogwarts
(d) make major offensive action against the gathered, unsuspecting might of
the free world.
(e) sit back and mop up.

It broke down at (b).

Using any other object at any other time would have gotten Harry to the
graveyard, but it would not have left the door open to the brilliant
tacitcal stroke of taking advantage of the unique crowd at the Tournament.
Any other object could also have portkeyed Voldemort into Hogwarts, an
advantage since he can't apparate into there, and he could have roamed the
halls and taken a few teachers unawares, but he wouldn't have had the
ministry officials, the other headmasters, or the children as potential
victims/hostages.

--Amanda

Postscript to revisited message: In the wake of events which have occurred
since this was posted, I add to the above that simply killing many of the
children of the wizarding families would be a master stroke, inducing great
demoralization, fear, and anger (just as likely to be directed at the
officials whose defenses failed as against the perpetrator). Voldemort is
not likely to care if he loses followers in this action; he is an egotist,
he will attract more, he will want to make his decisive attack. And this was
a superb way and a golden opportunity.

Amandageist