[HPforGrownups] Re: What's bothering me about Ron (no worries)

[T.M. Sommers]

No: HPFGUIDX 73678

magicroxx wrote:
> My turn to raise suspicions,
> Speaking of people in the order, something about chapter 3 - The 
> Advance Guard has been bothering me. The chapter seems pretty much 
> completely useless. Some, or rather, a lot of people come to help 
> Harry, Moody or Lupin says "a lot of people volunteered to come get 
> you" They waste time at the Dursleys and then fly back. This portion 
> of the book could have been shortened dramatically and not have made 
> a difference what-so-ever. 

I disagree that any time was wasted at the Dursleys'.  Quite the 
opposite, I think they got out of there as quickly as they safely 
could.  Before leaving they had to make sure that neither group 
of bad guys (the Ministry or the DE) were watching the house, and 
that would take time to check.  The extraction team would not 
want to arrive after the team doing the surveillance, since if 
that team were detected, and there were bad guys present, they 
might move on Harry immediately.

To me it seems to be a nearly textbook operation of its sort; the 
SAS would be proud.  The only flaws I saw were that so many 
people were gathered in the hall at first that a single grenade 
would have got them all, and that there does not seem to have 
been any perimeter defense on the ground (although perhaps the 
team flying cover made that unnecessary).

> So, I got around to thinking. All these people who volunteered to 
> come get Harry, pretty much know where he lives. (sure, they knew 
> from guarding him) But, they never knew the inside of the house, now 
> they do. I think this chapter may be important in one of the future 
> books in helping us to figure out who did it! OH and they know about 
> where Harry's bedroom is (only Tonks went in there). 

That Harry's letters were addressed to him in the cupboard and in 
the smallest bedroom indicates that "they" are able to find out 
the arrangement of the house without much trouble.