House points and Dumbledore

[Tom Wall <thomasmwall@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51145

GREY WOLF WROTE (re: a harp got the trio past Fluffy):
MEEEC! Movie contamination! The trio used the flute 
that Harry got from Hagrid for Christmas to get past 
Fluffy, because "he didn't feel like singing".

I REPLY: Touche.


GREY WOLF WROTE:
The trick wasn't knowing which key was the one, 
but *catching* it. Harry only manages because he 
is "the youngest seeker in a century". This is not 
an obstacle of knowledge, but of ability -
 
I REPLY:
So, I suppose that we're to assume that Quirrell is 
*more* agile and better on a broom than Harry? Harry, 
after all, only had to catch the "limping" key, and 
if we're to assume that Quirrell damaged it, then we 
have to assume that he had to catch it in top form.
 
And if we don't assume that Quirrell damaged it, then 
minimum he's equal to Harry on a broomstick. Doubtful. 
If Quirrell could do it, then it must not have been as 
hard as we think.

In fact, the more I think about this, are we to assume
that Quirrellmort is as strategic-minded as Ron, as 
logical as Hermione, *and* as agile as Harry on a broom?

Even if he learned about Devil's Snare and Fluffy, you
can't *learn* the answer to chess or flying. Maybe the
logic puzzle, although I since that was Snape's protection,
I doubt that he'd've given Quirrell the answer.


GREY WOLF WROTE:
For all we know, McGonagall just borrowed the chess 
pieces of a friend that hadn't trained them well.

I REPLY:
I'm not sure that I like that explanation, any more
than I like the notion that Ron is a chess player
capable of beating McGonagall. It lowers her stature, IMO,
if that's the case. McGonagall doesn't at all seem 
like the type to choose anything but the best "trained" 
chess pieces for such an important task as this.


GREY WOLF WROTE:
You also say that Voldemort wasn't so powerful - that 
is not true. Quirrellmort was more than powerful enough 
to finish off a 11 year old.

I REPLY:
We've heard nothing to suggest that the bodiless 
Voldemort, or even the Voldemort on the back of 
Quirrell's head, had any sort of power at all. In fact,
in GoF, Voldemort tells us he had no power but the
ability to inhabit others while he was disembodied.
And we know that the and the unicorn's blood is just 
*barely* keeping him alive. Also, Quirrell says, when Voldemort 
demands to see Harry. 

"Master, you are not strong enough." (PS/SS 293)

So, the strong dark lord isn't strong enough to look
at Harry? But he's strong enough to kill 'im?

Sure, he *was* the most powerful dark lord in a 
century. He was powerful BEFORE. Now he's just a 
bodiless nothing (okay, he "sort-of" has a body.) 
Isn't that the point? It is *not* true that 
Quirrellmort could have finished off Harry - 
obviously, he tried, and wasn't able.


GREY WOLF WROTE:
Ron received points for *willingly sacrifying 
himself during the chess match*. That is what 
makes it the most amazing chess game in the history 
of Hogwarts.

I REPLY:
Unless we're working from different texts, that's not the case.

"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many 
years..." (PS/SS 305)

No mention of self-sacrifice there.


AMY Z WROTE:
I'm confused. If Slytherin's win for 7 years wasn't 
a result of favoritism, why are Gryffindor's 
subsequent wins the result of favoritism? 

I REPLY:
We've got no canon to suggest *why* Slytherin won 
seven years running. All we know is that they did. 
And it seems to me extremely unlikely that favoritism 
can extend for seven years to the same house. As I said, 
for a few, okay, I can buy it. Seven? No way.

However, there is a compelling case to be made for 
Gryffindor's sudden reversal of fortune upon Harry's 
arrival, ie favoritism ala Dumbledore. Which is what 
we're debating now.


AMY Z WROTE:
Harry has definitely turned his House's luck around, 
but that's to do with little things like being a great 
Seeker, saving the Stone, and rescuing Ginny from the 
Chamber of Secrets.

I REPLY:
Oh, please don't get me going on the Chamber of Secrets. 
Harry did less in there than with Quirrellmort. Okay. So
he was *loyal.* Fawkes did all the real work. Harry just 
used the sword and stabbed a book. And Harry would have 
died if Fawkes hadn't stuck around to heal him with his 
tears.


I WRITE, RE: HERMIONE'S TASK:
I did forget that. Pardons.  But honestly, were any 
of you seriously unable to solve that puzzle? I 
tried, myself, and was done pretty quickly. Pretty
clear cut, if you ask me.

Incidentally, does anyone have any theories as to how
the challenges all reset themselves? Ie the small potion
bottle, the damaged chess set at checkmate?

-Tom