What other curse scar?

[ewdotson]

No: HPFGUIDX 60055

> Message: 3
>    Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 17:08:31 -0000
>    From: "Kirstini" <kirst_inn at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: What other curse scar?
>
> >snip debate about Fudge's line "I've [never]heard of a curse scar
> acting as an alarm bell before" in GoF<
> Personally, I feel this line only makes sense *without* the "never".
> Fudge is talking about the possibility that Harry is mentally ill,
> and the "alarm bell" in question is one which alerts people to this
> possibility. There is no other context for this line. With the
> never, you have to read it as "Forgive me Dumbledore, but I've never
> heard of the curse scars of any of Voldemort's *other* victims
> acting as alarm bells to his murderous intentions before." Of course
> not. No-one else in canon so far has a Voldemort curse scar.
> Therefore, there is no reason for him to mention curse scars in the
> negative, and so I'm rather tempted to believe that the American,
> not the British version (the one I've got here is a 20th imprint)is
> mistaken.
>
> Kirstini
>
> (please forgive tortured syntax, I've been marking papers all day)


I'm afraid I don't agree at all.  Nowhere does Fudge state or imply that
he's talking specifically about Voldemort specific scars.  Various
statements in the books intimate that curses leaving scars is not an unheard
of occurence. (eg the bit about "That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil
curse touches yeh")  Considering the overall discussion that Fudge is having
with Dumbledore is about whether or not Voldemort has returned, it seems
perfectly reasonable to me that the comment is intended to discredit Harry's
scar as meaning anything.  (That is, Fudge states, "You admit that he's been
having pains, then?" said Fudege quickly.  "Headaches, Nightmares?
 Possibly - hallucinations?"  He's clearly trying to establish that Harry is
an unreliable source.  Dumbledore replies, "...I believe it hurts him when
Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."  Here,
Dumbledore is stating that Harry's head pains do not make him unreliable. If
Fudge shoots back with, "You'll forgive me.. but I've never heard of a curse
scar acting as an alarm bell before..." he would be directly responding to
Dumbledore's argument.  In summary, "Harry's crazy."  "No, his curse scar is
giving warnings about V."  "That's crazy.  Curse scars don't do that".  It
makes perfect sense to me.  At the very least, I'd say it's a perfectly
reasonable and sensible way for the scene to have been intended to have been
written.

ewdotson