The torture of Bertha Jorkins

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 49655

Ani brings up the point;

>>Who tortured Bertha? According to Voldemort's account, Peter made him the 
fragil body _after_ Bertha was tortured. But if Voldemort was vapor, he 
couldn't have used any magical, or presumably physical means to extract 
information from Bertha. <<

People keep overlooking the gift that seems to be Tom Riddle's ace in the 
hole. He has the gift of being able to *possess* others. Whether this is some 
inborn talent which he inherited through his mother (likely, since the diary 
revenant shared it) or whether it is a side efect of his (nearly sucessful) 
attmpts at achieving physical imortality, it is a talent that he has 
demonstrated on each of his appearances. 

He did not need physical contact to torture Bertha Jorkins. We heard Quirrell 
describe that his Master often had to "punish" him. Voldemort was no more 
physical when he possessed Quirrel than when Pettigrew showed up in his lair 
with Bertha. Nor did he need conventional magical means. Pettigrew brought 
Bertha to him (probably under Imperio) and he went through her mind for 
anything of use.

(Side question; was Pettigrew's meeting with Bertha as accidental as 
Voldemort appears to think it was? Scabbers was about during Year I. He 
*knows* what happened to Quirrell when he crossed Voldy's path. Did Peter 
hedge his bets by hanging about in the vicinity until he encountered a witch 
or wizard who he could take to Voldemort as a hostage?)

Some confusion is produced by his statement that when he was through with 
Bertha her mind and body were broken beyond repair and he could not possess 
her, so he disposed of her. But if one stops to think about it, there isn't 
any means by which VaporMort could have dealt with the matter except by 
having possessed Bertha in the first place, sifted through her mind, broken 
the Memory charm which blocked off that part of her knowledge and, generally, 
taken her apart from the inside. He ultimately left her to die, as he had 
Quirrell. Wormtail no doubt disposed of the body. Or Nagini did. 

Pipin comments;

>>Good catch! Voldemort says that Peter was "the able-bodied servant I 
needed." That could mean that he had another servant who wasn't able-bodied. 
Perhaps he had a servant who could use a wand, but due to his disability was 
unsuitable for possession or donation of flesh, and who would be unable to 
tend to uglybaby!Voldemort. A werewolf, perhaps?<<

Nagini. Not much advantage in possessing a snake. Not much assistance from 
one in furthering Evil Plots either,

When you stop and think of it, while Voldemort seems to make a great deal 
about how fortune favors Lord Voldemort, the person who really seems to have 
lucked out throughout this sequence is Pettigrew. For now.

-JOdel