OoP: What was wrong with Sirius theory

oz_widgeon Littlered32773 at yahoo.com
Sun Jun 29 09:00:54 UTC 2003


No: HPFGUIDX 65619

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lily_paige_delaney" 
<lily_paige_delaney at y...> wrote:
> I was re-reading OoP and last night noticed something I didn't see 
> first time around and I don't think it is cleared up in the book 
> (apologies if I'm wrong).
> 
> Ch 18 - Dumbledore's Army pg. 340
> 
> Harry is falling asleep whilst reading about the uses of scurvy 
> grass, lovage and sneezwort.
> 
> "These plantes are moste efficacious in the inflaming of the 
braine, 
> and are therefore much used in Confusing and Befuddlement draughts 
> where the wizarrd is desirous of producing hot headedness and 
> recklessness."
> 
> Harry starts to make the connection with Sirius' behaviour and 
state 
> of mind but then falls asleep and I don't think it gets mentioned 
> again.
> 
> My first reaction was that Kreacher must have been slipping him the 
> potion and that is why Sirius was so happy at Christmas - because 
> Kreacher wasn't there.  I still think this is true, however, who 
> brewed the potion? - our dear potions master?? or someone else 
> within the Order?  Also doesn't this behaviour sound a bit like 
> Harry's throughout the book too.  
> 
> LPD

I am firmly behind this theory and have thought about it myself!  I 
did wonder if Kreacher was slipping Sirius a potion.  I too wondered 
who would be brewing it.  Snape came to mind, but if Kreacher was 
brought up in a 'dark' house, it's possible he learned to brew it 
himself (though elves are not allowed to do magic, it seems they can 
if they really want to), or perhaps there was a store of it left over 
from Sirius's mother's time that he hid away and used.   I was 
surprised that this didn't turn up in a later chapter.  It seems like 
something really big to put in the books, not to take it anywhere.  
Perhaps it will show up in book 6, and we'll find out that Kreacher 
did use it after all.
It does sound like Harry's behavior through the book and I've thought 
and thought about how he could be getting it.  I wondered if Umbridge 
hadn't found a way to slip it to him, but the mechanics of that hurt 
my head.  I suppose she could have slipped into the Dursley's and 
added it to something (like juice) and that's how Harry got it before 
going to Hogwarts.  I don't think we'd notice a difference in the 
Dursley's if they got it too.  At Hogwarts, it would be far easier to 
slip something into his food, via a house elf, though how Dobby would 
not find out about it would be tricky.  I guess Winky could be doing 
it.  I doubt she harbors much love for Harry, and could hide it from 
Dobby.





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